Last of the Wilds [Private]

[Zorayda]

"Wh--act?" Viola echoed, confused. She wasn't really used to mind games and bullying, so it was tough to keep up with what Tani was trying to do. "No, I didn't..." her voice faltered as the intimidating lioness ploughed on. "T-tell me? What does she mean?" She asked, frowning as she turned to look at the terrified Tanga. She turned her head back around to listen to Tani in spite of herself, morbidly curious and at the same time horrified, unsure of what to do to make the situation any better.

Then... it happened. Tani told Viola the thing that Tanga was apparently the most afraid of, the thing he hated most about himself... she could practically feel his heart shatter into pieces at the words Tani was saying.

So that's why... she thought to herself, remembering the tantrum he'd thrown when she'd asked him to use her x-ray vision. Oh no, I'm so sorry, Tanga, she fretted, tears forming again in her honey eyes.

"Tanga..." she said softly, but she knew that he would not hear her. She could feel his emotion, the completely broken lion exuding hopelessness... "Tanga, please, listen--I do want to be your friend, it's not an act at all--please believe me," she begged. "I still want to be your friend..."

But then, she turned around to see Tani prepare an attack, a purely evil grin on her face--Viola cowered at first, terrified, but then she relaxed somewhat, her face going blank. She braced herself for the vicious lightning attack, eyes shut, but it never happened...Opening one eye in slight confusion, she saw a dark blur--a wolf or dog of some sort, dashing in and using its hulking figure to blockade the space between Tanga and Viola and the trained Pokemon.

Storm, in the meantime, flattened his ears and growled in surprise, shocked that another Pokemon became involved. A wild mightyena? No... that collar around her neck was familiar, as well as the singular green eye glaring up at them.

"Maura," the jolteon acknowledged coldly, curling his lip. He respected the wolf for her ferocity and boldness, but right now she was just being a fool. "Step aside, there is no need for you to get involved," he said coolly. "Besides... aren't you supposed to be in your cage right now?" He frowned. It didn't really matter... her escape wasn't any of his business, and she wasn't a part of the mission. "In any case, these two are coming with us, in any way possible. Even if it means having two very battered Pokemon," he shot at the pair, eyes narrowing.

"You," he suddenly turned to Viola, his liquid brown eyes widening in shock. "You're... you're Viola, aren't you? I knew your parents, pup..."

Viola's mouth dropped open at his comment.

"H...how...?" She stammered, at a loss. First these Pokemon come to take them prisoner, then Tanga is broken, then a newcomer saves them from injury, and now... news of her parents?

"Vera and Tyno, am I correct?" He asked softly. He had the closest thing to a parental relationship with the two ninetales, them being the only ones who stayed soft and kind out of all the other captured Pokemon... but they'd often reminisce about their daughter, a little vulpix they called Viola--a vulpix with bright, honey colored eyes and a bright attitude to match.

"Yes..." she breathed, hardly daring to believe...

"I am sorry to be the one to tell you this, Viola," Storm said grimly, his gaze softening. "But... your parents died a long time ago. They're gone."

Viola screamed.

"NO!" The roar tore at her throat, a terrible sound of anguish. In her half-fury, half-agonizing pain, she let loose a tremendous Flamethrower attack, the fire not really aimed at anything but in the general direction of the three enemies before them... Storm jumped easily out of the way, ears flattened in sorrow and in annoyance at the attack. He'd felt the same way when those two died...

The vulpix broke down and began sobbing, the ground rushing up to meet her as she blacked out.

[Moonlight]

It seemed the duo's opponents only sought the joy of antagonizing them at the moment, save for the cold shouldered jolteon across from her. But the wolf's loud growl slowly lowered to just a husky rumble, listening intently. Keeping her one jade eye focused on the threats, noting their lasting surprise. It had been a few moons since she had last seen this group. Right before her own escape.

That in itself didn't matter. Despite having clearly missed over half of the conversation, they were dropping enough hints a blind pup could see what was going on. Maura briefly dipped her head in the jolteon's direction as it addressed her, coolly showing a shade of respect in return. But it did not extend to his goading allies, and nor would she budge. Remaining in her stance before the two wounded pokemon, stoic and unmoving. "I shall not," the wolf returned softly, voice perfectly steady. "As for that ... I am not the one blindly following orders of a human. I refuse to," Maura added, growl sharpening with her opinion.

Catching the slight jump of the human standing near them, though his composure recovered quickly. Having figured it out by now, unless it was a hopeless cause for the human.

One ear twitching towards Storm briefly as he suddenly spoke to the vulpix, Viola, mildly surprised by the compassion in the jolteon's eyes. Slowly drawing in a breath as Storm told what had happened, head dipping slightly at the vulpine's anguished cry. A blaze of heat searing just past her paws with it, the wolf instinctively jumping away from the crackling heat. Hearing a soft thud as soon as the flame died out, her strong jaws setting against one another. No doubt Viola had fainted.

This was going to get interesting.

[Australian Chaos]

Tanga missed the entirity of the confrontation that happened between Viola, Maura and Storm, so lost in his own anguish that he barely cared for what was going on...although if he had heard what the Jolteon was telling Viola, he probably have cared about that.

In the end, though, Tanga was snapped out of his misery by Viola's terrible scream, one that was filled with so much misery and anguish Tanga knew he had missed something big...the Flamethrower Viola threw at the three Electric foes gave a pretty big hint, as well. Something had hurt her, big time, and even through his own pain, Tanga felt sorry for the Vulpix.

When Viola fainted, however, it drove Tanga into some form of action. Shakily getting to his feet, he carefully walked up to the downed Vulpix, stepping in front of her protectively. even with his own misery, and everything Tani had suggested, he was still going to reserve judgement on Viola's friendship until she woke up.

Tani and Rumble, for their part, had jumped away from the Flamethrower attack, a little stunned by the ferocious outburst the Vulpix had given them. By the time they recovered, Tanga had taken his place in front of Viola, a little behind the Mightyena, a strange life dancing in his eyes, even through the misery...it seemed the Vulpix really had turned into his first friend...given him something to fight for.

"Back down, freak...don't make us hurt you all!" Rumble growled, sparks dancing through his fur, thinking he could break Tanga down with insults as always. But Rumble, along with Tani, were stunned when Tanga, despite wincing noticably at the insult, shook his head, showing a display of resistance and fight that the two felines were clearly not used to. "I said back off!" Rumble roared, firing off a Thunderbolt attack at Tanga as he said it, his patience snapping pretty much instantly at Tanga refusal to back down.

Tanga saw the Thunderbolt attack coming...but didn't move. His sense of inferiority refused to allow him to fight back...but he would not step aside and let Viola take the punishment for it. When the Thunderbolt attack struck, he yowled with the pain, staggering back and falling onto his side beside Viola, growling weakly...he might be resistant to his own element, but he was already hurt, and his old pack-mates' mental torture had drained him...he didn't have any fight in him. All he could do was protect Viola from the worst of the attacks...and pray for a miracle.

[Zorayda]

Storm glanced at Maura, eyeing her and sizing her up as she defied him quietly. She'd always been a stubborn one, but to protect two Pokemon she didn't even know... this was strange for the dark wolf. With a somewhat pitying gaze, he looked down at Viola... a crumpled figure upon the ground, pitiful because of her small stature and because of her sadness. The jolteon's eyes glazed over as he looked down upon her, remembering...

The tiny brown eevee snuffled about in its cage, confused and still getting used to the use of its eyes, being only a few weeks old... His long ears twitched as unfamiliar sounds reached them, clanging of metal, murmuring of strange voices...

"Come here, dear... oh, look at him, Tyno..." A soft, feminine voice made him look up, the vision of gold blurry. Two soft, wine-red eyes stared at him, huge in comparison to his own. He whimpered, scared that he might be in danger, the basic instinct making him want to get away...

"Aw, it's all right... Storm, is it?" The being asked softly.

"That's what they've named him," a male voice said somewhere off behind the big red eyes. Storm wriggled and curled up, afraid of the two new things near him... "They've put him in our cage, probably so we could raise him," the male voice stated, a deep, rumbling sound.

"Oh, Tyno... he's so precious, maybe we could...?" The female voice trailed off, and the red eyes looked away.

"We have to, or he'll die," the male voice said sadly. The eevee pup growled softly, still afraid... where was his mother?

----

"Vera, I don't want to be like them," Storm frowned, now evolved into the jolteon he'd been aligned and trained to be by the humans. He wrinkled his nose at the Pokemon, following every order that the humans gave them, mindlessly hurting, attacking, capturing wild Pokemon... The female ninetales slowly sat next to the young electric fox, looking on with him.

"Storm... you don't ever have to be," she said. "Tyno and I... we never were, and we never will be. The two of us refuse to be used by them... but we've caused a lot of pain for ourselves, and I don't want you to have to go through that. So, for me... do what they say. Follow the humans' commands--but never, ever give up. You will one day escape from here and lead the others out," her voice cracked and she looked away, hiding her face. Storm furrowed his brows in confusion.

"And... if you ever find her... please, tell her that we love her, tell her that we miss her..." she trailed off softly, her shoulders shaking, and it didn't take a genius to know that she was weeping because she would never see her daughter again. Storm put a paw on her shoulder.

"I promise I will," he said softly.

----

"Storm, these are your new teammates, Rumble and Jolt," the trainer said to the grown jolteon. Powerful muscles rippled under his shiny coat, a scowl across his features. The luxio and luxray were sparring each other as they looked on at a distance... For some reason, Storm was already irritated with the pair... but he remembered what Vera said to him and he sighed, remaining docile.

Looks like he'd have to get used to this company... if only to meet his goal of finding Viola, of fulfilling his promise to the two foxes who made him the fox he was, full of honor, obedient but still rebellious, strong and willful...

Storm sighed heavily before turning to look at his teammates.

"We're finished here. We won't attack Pokemon that are helpless--and besides, Maura is too strong to take on with even a small amount of help," he said sternly, glancing once again at the vulpix on the ground. His gaze found Tanga's and he nodded curtly.

"She's not lying to you, I can tell you that much," he said to the lion. "Take care of her... and..." his voice lowered meaningfully. "Tell her that her parents loved her very much."

With this statement, he began walking away, but not before he stopped again in front of Maura.

"They'll be looking for you," he said with little emotion. "So don't be surprised if they send me to hunt you down," he warned. Turning a sharp eye to Rumble and Tani, he began to walk away. Their human sputtered incoherently, barking out orders for the jolteon to capture the Pokemon, but Storm snarled loudly and snapped his jaws at him, startling the trainer into shocked submission... for now. Storm would probably pay for this later... but he couldn't break his promises to Vera and Tyno. He just... couldn't.

[Moonlight]

The muscular she-wolf held her ground as Storm looked her over, the electrical dog seeming distanced. Yet also seeming to be searching for an answer. Both of them maintaining level gazes, for the time being. But Maura's only eye followed Storm's as it strayed to the fallen vulpix, and the 'blind' luxray guarding her. Rare pity softening the jolteon's visage, perhaps even true compassion. But it was his sudden sigh, after a long moment of pondering, that caused both ears to twitch.

Only allowing her growl to fall silent when he declared their mission over, raising to her full height now. Vague gratitude visible in her eyes for his honor, though knowing full well that between the three of them she'd go down quickly if it came to it. She wasn't quite as powerful as he'd have them believe. Of course, the longer that impending battle waited to happen, the better.

Resisting the urge to wag her tail once at Storm's surprisingly gentle words to the luxray, clearly hoping that he would pass them on. Allowing the authoritative and challenging height of her tail to fall into neutrality, though casting a hard glare at the one called Tani. Quite clearly disapproving of the mindless antagonism. If she were to battle any of them, it'd be to put that one in her place. But she would stand down, currently. It had already been called a stalemate.

Briefly inclining her head to Storm, having already accepted that. "So I would imagine ... But perhaps your loyalties do not lie with humans after all, Storm. If it comes to battle, so be it ... But we shall see," the mightyena returned, though her muzzle twitched in amusement when he snapped at the human. He was more like her than he knew.

Watching them retreat after a staredown, before turning to the luxray. Tanga, wasn't it? Maura padded over to the duo, halting just shy of the vuplix. Briefly offering a canine bow, extending one paw while momentarily lowering her front. Only speaking when she'd straightened, waiting for his reaction. "Are you all right?"

[Australian Chaos]

Tanga watched on with some confusion as the Jolteon called off the attack, not really sure what was going, having missed the critical points of the confrontation. When the Jolteon mentioned that Viola was not lying to him, and that he had to tell her about her parents, he was even more confused...just how much did he missed. The Jolteon still intimidated him, however, so he made sure to remember the words, and nodded almost robotically to the Jolteon, resisting the urge to back away again.

As such, he missed the conversation between Storm and Maura, focusing inward again as he tried to figure out what he missed. Viola wasn't lying to him? That could only mean that...she really did want to be his friend. But, what about Tani's words? All his life, he had been lead to believe that every one of their taunts, their insults, was based in truth...so what did this mean? Knowing that answers were not going to reveal themselves right now, he turned to Storm's other comments about Viola's parents.

When he put the comments together with Viola's sudden outburst, only one conclusion made sense...Storm knew Viola's parents...she had obviously lost them to captivity, and while in captivity, they had died. No... he thought sadly, looking down at Viola. So much pain and suffering in such a short space of time...

Then Maura, who had approached while Tanga was distracted, spoke up, causing the Luxray to jump, yelping in fearful surprise. "I..." he stammered, his stance clearly showing he didn't want a fight, the only reason he was standing his ground was to keep Viola safe. "I...please, just leave us alone," he pleaded in a small voice, the trauma of what he had just been through making him feel like a small Shinx...he didn't need someone else tormenting him, and this Mightyena was a completely unknown factor to him.

[Zorayda]

As Storm walked back to the human compound, his mind raced… the silence allowed for his thoughts to stew. The look that oddly colored luxray gave him after telling him to trust Viola… that stubborn look from Maura, underlined by an unreadable emotion as he called off his attack… He was certain that Tani and Rumble would be irritated with him, but there was no way that he’d make Viola live out the same fate as her parents… They’d wasted away in those damnable cages, sorrow taking their lives that should have lasted a thousand years. As they neared the gate, their human reluctantly opened it, allowing them in… Storm knew he’d be sent back out, having failed his first mission purposefully. He’d probably have to be punished somehow, too…

Gritting his teeth, he went in.

-------------

“Mm… Mom?” Viola’s voice came in a soft moan as she lay on the ground, her honey eyes unfocused. She turned her head to look up, disoriented… A black and yellow leg was in front of her, and she could see a black-furred chest, a fluffy mane, a yellow chin… Panicked, she glanced around, but the trainer and his team of Pokemon were gone.

“Tanga…?” She asked weakly. She was so tired. “What…happened? Where are…” Memories came rushing back—that jolteon, telling her the worst news of her life… her parents were gone. Viola curled into a ball, trembling. What did she have to live for anymore? What was her purpose now, if she couldn’t free her mother and father from captivity? Why did they die, why couldn’t they have waited for her…?

She listened to the mightyena speak, anything to distract her from her misery. Tanga’s reponse made her turn to face his chin again.

“Tanga… I know we don’t know her, but she stuck up for us. She’s a wild Pokemon again, and we should stick together… it’s smarter to have more of us,” she concluded softly, still lying down. She desperately needed sleep… and the sun was dipping below the horizon in the distance.

“Let’s just sleep tonight and work it out in the morning.”

[Moonlight]

The dark-type wolf's ears drooped as Tanga practically begged her to leave, having hoped for an alliance. It would've been wiser for the three of them to stay together. Especially since both of them were wounded - Perhaps dangerously so. They were in the condition they'd need help to stay free. Because Maura knew, all too well, that the humans would be back. They wouldn't be satisfied with failure.

But her ears perked when the vulpix stirred, quick to offer her opinions before settling back down. Taking the opportunity to help the battered luxray see their point, hopeful. "She's right ... We need to stay together. Without unity, we'll be captured," Maura said gently, sitting down across from Viola's half-limp form. She could see that both were suffering, emotionally and physically. At their most vulnerable, really. They would need a little help to get back on their paws, that much was clear. And they could always go their separate ways afterwords, if it came to that. "Please, think about it. If we aren't allied, we're easier to take down."

Her green eye moved back towards Viola after a moment, leaning down somewhat. "If we can stay together, we need to move for now ... To let this scent grow stale, instead of keeping it fresh. I'll carry you for now, if I may."

[Australian Chaos]

Tanga looked wildly from Viola to the Mightyena as they both spoke up. He was still frightened of the black canine before him...he winced as he realised he was jumping at every little sounds now that he had suffered a close call with some old 'friends'. Even Viola had scared him with her rather powerful Flamethrower. He just wanted to run away, find somewhere alone where he could curl up and escape all his fears.

But Viola, even after everything, was still being kind to him, and Tanga, no matter how much he wanted to run, just could not bring himself to leave her, even if she knew everything now...knew his secrets, right down to his defective eyes.

With that thought, his shame climbed to the surface, and all he could do was nod mutely to the suggestion being put forward by both of them, before finally standing, deciding it was best to head away from where the Jolteon and his old pack-mates had left to. Without saying a word, his head bowed, partially from shame, partially to hide the ave of tears threatening to break over, he limped off, essentially leading the way for Viola and Maura to follow, although part of him hoped they'd go another way...he didn't want to be seen like this. It was bad enough that Tani had the spill the secret of his eyes to Viola, but to have her still hanging around, when he obviosly so defective...why?

As quietly as he could, despite his body's urge to dissolve into a heaving sobbing fit, Tanga let the tears fall, as his body shook so badly from the supressed emotion that he could barely walk straight. Why? Why was he born like this, so different from the others? Why had he been cursed with such deformities that no-one, not even Viola, could possibly want anything to do with him, deep down? What had he done to deserve this?

----------

Tani growled lowly as was lead back into the compound, clearly frustrated. There he was...Tanga, practically given to her by Arceus himself for her to do with as she pleased...and Storm had to call it off!

She was seriously tempted to give him a big earful about it, maybe even a zap or two to show how displeased she was, but decided against it...Storm could be nasty when he was angry, and besides, their Trainer would not be content with this failing. He would most likely punish Storm on her behalf...although he'd probably do the same to her and Rumble, too...before sending them back out to find them again.

That was the part Tani couldn't wait for...because next time, there would be no holding back. Next time, Tanga would really know the price of disgracing her pack...of disgracing her with his very presence!

[Zorayda]

Viola noted, through her hazy vision, that the wolf seemed almost disappointed in Tanga's rebuttal...Maura, that was her name, wasn't it? Shame they had to meet when she was at her lowest she'd ever been in her life. The vulpix's eyelids flickered as she slipped in and out of consciousness, her mind becoming more and more fuzzy as she struggled to stay awake. Her body and mind seemed to want to keep her asleep, to help wash away some of the physical pain, at least... but the mental pain the jolteon had knowingly inflicted upon her was so terrible that the fox wasn't sure she even wanted to recover anymore. What was the point?

She whined a little at Maura's suggestion of carrying her, wanting to be close to Tanga, but then she remembered that he was hurt, too, and she nodded mutely. Strength left her and she wasn't able to summon enough willpower to speak anymore, but she could feel Tanga's emotions wash over her--the same shame and fear, but it was oddly comforting and familiar at the moment. She caught his gaze, a single pinprick of blue under his mane, heard his sniffles as the tears fell, and she lifted a paw as if reaching for him before slowly putting it back down again, succumbing to a coma-like restful state--aware of her surroundings but unable to move because of her exhaustion for the moment.

----------

Storm's left ear swiveled around at Tani's frustrated growl, but he didn't turn his head. He knew she was frustrated, especially since she'd seemed so eager to hunt down that oddly colored luxray... He scowled at the memory of the strange cat--why did he just cower and let those two bullies break him down so easily? It was a disgusting display of weakness, and he lost much respect for him also when he'd so easily dismissed Viola as being a liar.

Storm didn't know the fox very well, but he knew her parents, and she'd had the same fire and softness in her eyes, the same attitude, even the same voice with a younger inflection of her mother, Vera. Sighing as they reached the compound, the electric fox rounded the corner. Their trainer had already alerted the others to his purposeful failure, but seeing as he was the strongest Pokemon with the best team for the job, they'd send him back out...

But for now, he was to be punished. Separated from the other two team members, he was put into a dark, horribly narrow space with no windows and shut in. He didn't even have room to sit or lie down in here... The door was shut behind him and he gritted his teeth, prepared for the physical and mental torture of solitude, darkness, and pain of his legs as he stood for hours on end....

He was whimpering when they let him out the next morning.