Dooley
#9 of Vaporeon
Walking. The world around moving past slowly but surely, the feel of cool grass and cold rock beneath feet sure in their path. Hatred, that's what flowed through his veins whenever he saw his reflection; hatred for his life, hatred for his previous master, hatred for himself over how he had escaped that torturous life. The trees around him offered no more sympathy than the sour berries he found every so often. Never enough to completley fill his almost endless hunger, but enough to keep him going. The berry trees were meant to be kept fruitless so that what he was doing was impossible, but sometimes things slip through. The lone male Lucario walked on through the dense forest, ever weary of traps or patrolling Rockets that might try to stop him in his pursuit for freedom. He had escaped his Rocket master by the only means left to him, whilst just outside the doors his master chatted with another grunt, he broke free from his Poké Ball and killed them in his bid for freedom. He knew it was probably suicide, and that his actions wouldn't stay undetected forever, but he had to escape from the horrors that his old master would commit. He hated himself for having to kill, but at that point it was them or him, and he had little to lose. He had nabbed their bags, taking all of their stolen Pokémon with him.
He didn't have a name, and one of his ears had a huge chunk missing from it; an affliction he had been scarred with when he was still a Riolu pup. He had been given that for accidentally breaking a TM. It wasn't even a rare TM, simply a common Double Team TM that could be picked up at almost any department store on even a child's allowance. He was weak then; but a child, and now he had almost a dozen other Pokémon to get to safety. He watched his reflection in the smooth water for a moment or two, watching a silent tear roll down his face and into the pool. He slashed at his own reflection angrily and stood up. This was no time to be crying, he had lives to save. He heard a shout from a Rocket Grunt identify his position and he started running; one of those lives was his own. He ran as fast as his legs would take him, past trees and berries. He came to a river and followed it as fast as he could, but he came to a dead end when it cascaded over a cliff in a magnificent waterfall. A bullet whizzed by his head, making his decision for him, and he leapt off the cliff; hoping beyond hope that the water in the river below was deep. Below, a group of individuals knew just how deep the water was, and when a sudden explosion of water soaked them all through, their attention turned to the Lucario floating lifelessly on the surface.
He awoke hours later in bed, a brightly lit room filled with other beds around him. Every joint in his body ached, and he looked down under the sheets to find his leg in a cast at the ankle. He was covered in light abrasions from where he slipped through trees hanging out of the cliff face, and his body had been cleaned of the residual blood that he had been splattered with killing his master. He sighed; so I'm still alive, he thought. But where am I? He looked about for another few seconds before his eyes fell onto a mirror on the small table next to his bed. He stared at his reflection for almost a minute before grabbing the mirror and throwing it across the room, where it smashed loudly on the far wall. A nurse with pink curled hair and an innocent face came into the room hurriedly to find what had caused the noise. She found the glass scattered across the floor and walked over to his bed. He was feigning sleep, but when she drew near enough to notice the mirror missing, he turned a teary face to her and put his paw on her apron.
"Destroy me." He mumbled.
"Why would I do such a thing?" She asked, taking his paw into her hand.
"I... Have done a terrible deed..." He mumbled. "The Pokémon in the bag I was carrying are innocent, but..." He trailed off as another tear ran down his face. "... In order to gain our freedom I had to end human life."
Joy took a step back, shocked by his bluntness. "Y-you..?!"
"We were the subjets of a pair of Team Rocket lackeys." He said calmly. "They did terrible things to us," he flicked the ear with a chunk missing to get her to notice it, "I decided that I'd had enough and broke free. The only way I could have escaped was through them, so I did what I had to do."
"No wonder you're all so under-nourished." The nurse mumbled. "I don't condone your actions, but I will not end your life for them either. You suffered greatly in your life with your last master, I think that the memories you have to live with will be punishment enough, don't you?" The Lucario stayed quiet, staring into the sheets sadly. "Do you have a name?" The nurse asked. "I'm Joy."
"I... Never had a name." The Lucario admitted. "I was always 'hey, you!' or 'fleabag'..."
"Well, you've certainly not got fleas, and 'hey, you' around here translates to almost everyone, so how about Dooley?" Joy asked. The Lucario thought it through for a moment or two before figuring that it could be worse and slowly nodding. He twitched his ear and looked about the room.
"Are there facilities I can use here somewhere..?" He nervously asked. Joy pulled his lighter frame from the bed with ease and pointed to a door.
"Over there, behind that door." She said, ushing him off. "Go on, before you make a mess." She watched him shyly limp off to the toilet before shaking her head. How was she going to tell him that only three Pokémon out of a dozen survived the trek to the center without him trying to kill himself out of guilt? True, they had died of starvation whilst in their Poké Balls, but...
She knew she'd never forgive herself, but he had to know.
Dooley's mind raced as he returned from the toilet. Every part of his body felt as if it was being crushed by an immense weight, and his ankle was on fire when he finally managed to sit back on the bed. Nurse Joy had taken almost everything from the bedside table, all except a small plush toy. It was a crude representation of a Zangoose, but he somehow found comfort in it. It was his only posession, something he had gotten from his first owner that he held on to like it were made of solid diamond. He vaguely remembered a cute young Zangoose he had met once whilst she was in heat. They were in the yard where Pokémon who had behaved themselves best were put for a short while to have some free time, and one thing led to another...
That was over a year and a half ago now, and he had almost forgotten all about her. He momentarily hoped that she was safe, but Joy walked in and distracted him from his memories. She carefully composed herself as she walked closer to the bed, sitting on a stool so as to be roughly eye-level with him.
"Dooley..." She mumbled. "I've come to give you some bad news, and I'm not sure how you'll take it."
He sighed. "My day has been one disaster to the next, surely another won't hurt too much." He mumbled.
"I... Couldn't save some of the Pokémon you rescued." She said, staring at her lap. "They were probably dead before you even got here. They starved to death in their Poké Balls." She looked him in the eye and put her palm on his chest, just below his spike. "I'm sorry."
Now Dooley stared at the blankets with rage going through his head. "Dammit." He mumbled. "If only I'd ran faster or not stopped at as many berry trees..!" He slammed his paws into the blanket in frustration. "Arceus damn it all!" He yelled, his tears now flowing freely.
"We've got an adoption system running out of Poké Centers for people who would like to give younger trainers a chance to get their first Pokémon with an edge by giving them Pokémon that they've bred but don't want to keep. I could put you and your companions up on the board if you'd like?" He nodded weakly to her suggestion. "Alright then." She said. "It shouldn't take too long to find you owners, Lucarios are rare, and therefore popular, and there are quite a few people who would like a Leafeon or Shinx."
"So... How many survived?" He weakly asked her.
Joy sighed sadly before answering. "Including you, three." She said. "I'm sorry."
He said nothing, his tears staining the blanket as he stared at the bed telling the story. Joy stood up and rubbed his head, making his ears jostle back and forth. "If you want anything, I'm just a button's push away." She said. "I'll be out in the center putting you into the system." She turned to leave, but picked up the small stuffed Zangoose on the table. "It's cute." She said, putting it back on the table. "It was the only thing we found in one of the Poké Balls, and I figured it was yours."
"My first master gave it to me." he mumbled weakly. "He also gave me a Black Belt, but when we were stolen, all of our personal belongings were taken away and I managed to secret him away in my ball for safekeeping." He looked at the dirt covered little stuffed toy and sighed. "Except from my empty stomach and mounting sorrow, he's all I have."
"That's not true." Joy said, turning her face to him. "You have your name, and you have your freedom."
For the next few hours he sat in near solitude. The only other being in the room was the Shinx he had managed to rescue, but she slept off a large meal that Joy had fed her to give her some strength back. Dooley didn't eat, his stomach was empty, and there was free food on the table, but every time he turned to look at it his heart sank at the thought of the ones who didn't survive. eventually a Leafeon wandered into the room and sat at the foot of his bed.
"Hello, Dooley." She said.
"Hello." He replied quietly.
"I... Want to thank you..." She began. "For saving us..."
He shook his head and looked down at her. "Thank me for yourself, Shinx will thank me when she can no doubt."
Leafeon blushed. "I'm... With child, Dooley." She said meekly. "I thank you for rescuing me, and for giving my future child a chance at a good life away from the Rockets." She smiled at him before noticing the food on his bedside table. "You should eat, Dooley; you are going to need your strength to recover from your injuries." She advised. "Please?"
He sighed his defeat. "I'll try." He said.
"Their deaths were not your fault, Dooley." Leafeon said. "There was nothing you could have done; Joy told me that they had died at least ten minutes before you hit the water." She threw him what she thought was an apologtic look. "There was nothing anyone could have done." She sighed as she turned to leave. "It does not do to dwell on the past." She said. "Think about the lives you saved, be happy and live well. tribute their memories by walking on, content with the knowledge that they are in Heaven."
He nodded weakly. "Thank you, Leafeon." He mumbled.
She smiled back at him and walked out, humming lightly under her breath as she went. Weakly Dooley took the food off the bedside table and started to eat. He sat in silence for the duration of his food, and when he finished and put the plate back on the table he heard Shinx stir. Shinx, unlike Leafeon, was only a cub; and her young brain slowly awakened as she looked about the room. Dooley could see her from where he was lying, and he slid out of bed. He carfully hopped over to her and sat on the beside stool.
"Hello, Shinx." He said. "Are you alright?"
Her eyes fixed on him and she meeped as she hid herself under the bedsheets. Dooley sighed and reached in, pulling her out so that he could see her.
"It's just me." He said. "Remember? I rescued you from the Rockets?" He asked, running his paw haphazardly over her ears.
"I remember Joy telling me that another Pokémon saved me..." She mumbled quietly. "So that was you..?" He nodded. "Thanks." she mumbled. "Where are we, again?"
"We're at the Poké Center." He said. "Nurse Joy is taking care of us until we're capable of leaving; she's put us into a list for adoption."
"Alright." She quietly replied.
A week later, a young boy came to adopt Shinx. As his heel had healed by this time, Dooley sat near the counter and watched the boy inspect her. From the Aura the boy was emenating, he was genuinely happy with her, picking her up and cuddling her sweetly before handing her a poffin. Before she left, she walked up to Dooley and nuzzled his leg affectionately. He stroked her scalp with a smile on his face.
"You're welcome." He said. Out of the corner of his eye he could see Joy hand the child a small box with the words 'Pokémon Translator' written in big friendly letters. The boy wasted no time in setting it up and affixing it to his ear.
"C'mon, Kitty!" He chimed happily.
"Go on."Dooley said, ushering her away. "Goodbye, Kitty; have a good life."
"You too, Dooley." She replied, walking away with the boy.
He watched her walk away before returning to his room, where Leafeon was patiently waiting. She gave him a happy smile.
"It's your turn next, Leafeon." Dooley said. "And I'd like to give you something." He picked up a Riolu plushie and handed it to her. "Give this to your child when it hatches." He said.
"Dooley... I..." She breathed.
"When I hatched, the only person that was there for me was my Master, and he gave me my Zangoose." He said. "When your little darling hatches, make sure that it has a memory to cling to."
She shyly nodded and took the plushie with her tail, gently wrapping it around the small toy. "If... I could ever have chosen a male to be my kit's father..." She mumbled. "It'd be you."
"Leafeon." Joy called, signalling her over. "C'mon, sweetie."
Dooley helped her down off the bed and watched her leave, waving to her one last time before he leaned against the bed. Both of the girls had gotten offers relatively quickly, Leafeon possibly owing to her pregnancy. He sighed to himself momentarily before walking out to observe her leaving with her new owner. He was tall and wearing a large overcoat that concealed most of his features, his face was young, and he looked like an inexperienced trainer or new father who was getting an addition to his family, but... Something about him put Dooley ill at ease, and he only knew why when he observed the man's aura.
Most people have a light blue aura; the brighter it is, the more pure it is and the more 'hero' like the person is. But at the same time, the darker it is, the more 'evil' the person, and the darker their intentions. This man's aura was so dark that he couldn't see him through it. He growled inwardly as the man neared the door and used extremespeed to be there before he could leave, standing defiantly with his arms out to block his path.
"No." He said. "You cannot have her."
"What're you talking about?" The man said. "I've adopted her. She belongs to me, get out of my way."
"Your aura reeks!" Dooley barked. "Who're you in league with, huh?! The Rockets? Team Magma?!" He noticed the man's bright blue hair under his hat and smirked. "You're with that pitiful team Galactic, arent you." He growled.
"What're you going to do about it, huh?!" The man snapped. "I've adopted her legally, she belongs to ME!"
Leafeon turned a horrified look to Dooley. How did she get tricked so easily? Her eyes watered as her mind fell back on her horrific past and the liklihood that it'd all start all over again.
"You cannot have her." Dooley said with certainty. "I will not let you take her."
"You've no choice." The man snapped. Nurse Joy, having heard the whole conversation, rallied the trainers in the foyer behind the man.
"Yoo-hoo, sir!" She called. "I believe you forgot her Poké Ball!" She held it aloft triumphantly as the man turned in shock-horror. She snapped it over her head.
In a flash, Dooley landed a fist into the Galactic's stomach, sending him reeling over. "That was for being a Galactic cronie." He growled. "And this!" he kneed the galactic in the nose of hard that he literally spun in the air and landed on his back. "Is for Leafeon."
The crowd of trainers grabbed the Galactic's ams and legs and carried him away to the police station where Jenny could deal with him. Leafeon was huddled on the floor in a mixture of fear and shock, shaking heavily as a small puddle formed around her. Joy rushed over, followed close behind by Chansey with a mop. Dooley knelt down and put his paw on her head to calm her.
"I'm sorry." He mumbled. "I didn't mean to scare you so much."
"She must be quite frightened to..." The chansey said, lifting the mop from the bucket.
"That's not what you think it is." Leafeon said shakily. "I think something's-" She arced her back in pain and gritted her teeth. Joy lifted her from the ground carefully.
"She's gone into labour." She said hurriedly. "Chansey, mop up this mess and join me in the maternity ward. Dooley, stay out here and tend to people's pokemon from behind the counter, I trust you know the system. If you don't, there is a second Chansey in a Poké Ball under the desk." She hurried off to the wards as Leafeon gave a shriek of pain. The chansey quickly finished, put the mop away and hurried off to the wards. Dooley was left sitting on a surprisingly comfortable chair behind the counter. His mind raced over the last week or so. He was terrified, he had to admit; he surmised that this was how expectant fathers felt. He sighed as he took a trainer's Pokémon and put them on the recovery machine, pushing the green button to start it up. Most injuries can be healed by this wonderful machine, anything from poison to paralysis and even complete exhausion. More serious injuries, like broken bones, required specialist attention, and would be dealt with by Joy personally. Thankfully the center was nearly empty anyway, and Dooley could stew in his thoughts for a few hours.
'She'll be fine.' A voice rang out. He stood up to find the origin, but there was no one in the room. 'Don't bother looking for me, I'm not there yet.' The voice continued. 'I'm talking with you telepathically. We shall meet soon, I give you my word, Dooley.' He wondered who the hell could be talking to him telepathically. Surely he wasn't special enough to warrant any particular attention. 'Oh, how wrong you are.' The voice, clearly female, said. 'You are quite special in my little world.' There was a pause of a few moments before the voice continued. 'We shall meet tomorrow, it is getting dark out. Sleep well.' And then the mental airways went dead. The Lucario leaned against the counter, staring in bewilderment at the doors ahead of him, for a brief moment, he was sure he could have seen a Suicune standing outside the doors; but as soon as the image burned into his head, it faded. He had serious doubts over this. Whoever it was knew him somehow, and knew him enough to be able to keep him guessing. A little over a mile away, a small tent sheltered a small suicune as she smiled and curled up with her human master.
The next day, Dooley was awake bright eyed and bushy tailed at the crack of dawn. Even though he had his doubts, he wasn't sure if Nurse Joy was ready to take the center back for the day. He quickly showered and groomed himself neatly, checking that his Zangoose was safe before returning to the counter. He unlocked the doors by pushing a button under the desk and then promptly became bored. He passed the time in a meditative state, watching the room with his eyes closed by listening for the ruffling of clothes or the sliding of the doors. He sat in the chair for what felt like hours, and the room sizzled with the Aura he gave off. The doors swished open, and he flicked his eyes wide, letting the room return to normal. A little voice in the back of his head began to talk, far louder than the night before.
'Hello again, Dooley.' She said. 'remember me?' He mentally said yes and she seemed to hear him. 'Good. It's nice to meet you face to face.'
He was confused. there was no one in the room besides him until a human girl came rushing in.
"Crystal!" She chimed. "There you are! Don't run off like that!" Walked up to the counter and bent down. As she pulled back up, Dooley could see a little Suicune in her arms.
"This is the person I was talking with last night, mummy." She said cutely.
"Is it now?" The human asked, turning her face to Dooley. "Hello, there. I'm Sandy." She said, offering her hand. Dooley cautiously put his paw out and shook it.
"H-hello." He replied. "I'm Dooley."
"Nice to meet you, Dooley." Sandy said. "Just give me a minute and I'll call my group in." She walked to the door and put her head out as it slid open. "I found her, over here!" She shouted.
After a few seconds a Vaporeon came running into view. He nuzzled Sandy's leg happily and walked in, sitting near a chair. Another few seconds and a shiny Luacrio appeared, walking in and eyeing Dooley as he sat in a seat. Finally, as Sandy walked over to her other two companions, a Zangoose walked in and Dooley almost jumped out of his chair. Her colours were shiny, too. Blue markings that covered her right side only and an hourglass figure. She, in turn, almost leapt out of her skin when she noticed him. She walked up to the counter and put a claw on his cheek tenderly.
"What is it?" The Shiny Lucario asked, walking over.
"I-Izaac..." The Zangoose breathed.
"Yes, mum?"
"This... Is your father." She said, before embracing Dooley. "I thought I'd never see you again!"
"And I you." Dooley said quietly, stroking her ears. "What're you calling yourself these days? I'm Dooley."
"Sandy has named me Azure." She said. "And as you probably heard, this is Izaac."
Izaac gave him a suspicious look. "Hello." He said shyly.
Dooley put his paws on Izaac's shoulders. "Hello, Izaac." He said. "I've waited a long time to be able to meet you. Ever since the day I heard her Rocket master say you had hatched I dreamed of the day I would get to meet you face to face." He slid his paws off of Izaac's shoulders. "For over a year I've wanted to apologise for bringing you into a life with Team Rocket." He said sadly. "I know you can probably never forgive me, and I don't expect you to."
Izaac's eyes shone for a moment and he took a step back. "Your aura is dark." He said. "Shadowy."
Dooley stared at the counter. "To gain my freedom, and the freedom of two other innocents, I had to... Go through two Rockets." He mumbled.
Only the Vaporeon didn't look surprised at this statement. Izaac turned around and walked over to Sandy.
"You're no father of mine then." He said coldly.
Like a dagger through his chest, these words broke the remaining resolve left in Dooley. The world around him became monochrome and he stared at the desk. He pulled out the Poké Ball housing the spare Chansey, released her, and went over to the ward that was currently his room. He stepped in without a second glance and slammed the door behind him with such force that windows shuddered and the pharmacy rattled. Sandy sighed as her Vaporeon headbutted Izaac's leg.
"Izaac, you know what not to say to someone who has been tormented by the Rockets." She said. "He's been through much more than you have; and I'm sure that the memory of his actions haunts his every waking thought. I'd tell you to go and apologise, but I've got a better idea; Blueberry!"
The Vaporeon at her feet looked up at her, a calm look on his face. "Yes, Sandy?"
"Take Crystal and go talk with him." She said, putting Crystal on his shoulders. "And I'll see what can be done about his mood."
The vaporeon nodded and padded over to the door, which swung open slowly as he and Crystal neared it. They stepped inside and the doors swung shut again.
"Now." Sandy said once the door had closed, addressing the Chansey. "What can you tell me about his escape?"
Dooley was sitting cross legged on the bed that was reserved for him. Every so often he would choke out a sob, and he clung to his Zangoose plushie for what little comfort it could provide him. He faced away from the door, but Blueberry could tell that he knew they were there. He strode across the room and sat in the bed next to Dooley's, watching him in his dispair.
"Dooley." He said. "I am called Blueberry, and I am also a survivor of the Rockets. I know the pain you must be feeling is great, but please hear me out." Dooley shot him as angry a glance as he could, but it fell flat with all the weight on his heart. "Good. You're still capable of hearing me." Blueberry said. "I know what has happened to you, Dooley. As does Azure. You were... Driven to a point beyond redemption and had to act. I understand, I truly do. Izaac is too young to have been through as many horrors as we have, his suffering was limited to the first month or so of his life, whereas our entire lives before our freedom was spent in the hands of monsters. I've never told anyone this, not even Sandy, but I too once had a pup." Crystal gave him a saddened glance as he said this, and Dooley looked up at him.
"What happened to this pup?" He asked.
"I barely got to know her," Blueberry mumbled, "before she died during a 'punishment' session. I still... Remember her face as the final blow struck her... And the joy on my Rocket master's face as he pummeled her innocent young body. I can understand why you did what you did to the Rockets who got in your way; with nothing else to lose you did what you had to."
"It has already been a week, and yet I still have nightmares about them." Dooley admitted, staring at his bed.
"Even now, when I see a Rocket, I can barely control myself." Blueberry said. "If I'm not careful with each and every blow I give them, I could easily kill them outright. I know what it's like to be in your shoes, Dooley; I've almost been there myself." He sighed. "It's important, however, to remember restraint when exersizing your powers against them. The only thing that seperates us from them is the knowledge that killing solves little. It's too easy to kill something, Dooley; the cowards way out is with the dagger. If you want to truly atone for the men who died, put all your sorrow and rage into something useful."
"How... Do you do it?" He asked.
Blueberry smiled. "I found someone that will love me unconditionally." He said, meaning Sandy. "And in return, I focus my every waking thought into her protection, and protecting our small family of Pokémon." He sighed heavily, jumping back off the bed. "I know you don't have alot of good memories, but cling to the few you do have. Over time, they'll accumulate and you'll have smothered your sorrows."
Dooley sighed, still clinging to his Zangoose, and nodded. "Thank you for talking with me." He said.
"Don't worry too much about Izaac." Blueberry said. "He's young and foolish, he didn't think before he acted, a trait he shares with his mother. He may be your son, but he never knew you. His reaction to your past is because of how I've helped Azure raise him. He'll calm down, trust me."
"You know, I took a beating for fathering him..." Dooley mumbled. "My Rocket master didn't realise she was in season until it was too late..." He turned around and showed Blueberry his back, which was covered in linear scars and warped skin, particularly between his shoulder-blades. "Whipped until my bones showed." He said. "I would have taken more if Izaac were to have been the next target." Blueberry stifled a chuckle.
"Yeah, we all went through our fair share." He said. "I've not many scars that show, most of mine were broken bones. But they healed nicely, and I'm more resilient as a result." He felt Crystal move on his back, unnerved by the comparing of scars. "Azure suffered horribly after she layed." He said. "She... almost lost her life in the beatings. That was when I decided that we had had enough. I knew the Rocket would follow me, and when he did he was caught." He froze up for a second before smiling. "Ah, someone is here." He said. "Please, don't think too heavily on what Izaac said. He has yet to learn the lessons that we have."
"Which were?"
Blueberry smiled over his shoulder as he walked to the door. "That not all are worthy of life." He said. "The rockets used us as weapons, never thinking of our well-being; they put their own happiness at the front of their priorities, at the expense of our well being or life. Truly, if any deserve to be ended for their actions, it is they." And with that, he walked out.
Dooley watched the door close behind them and then returned his gaze to the small filth covered plush Zangoose in his hands; he sighed, put the Zangoose carefully on the bedside table, and followed them.
Dooley expected a smaller, much more shy Eevee evolution to have been Blueberry's mate. He was shocked, to say the least, to discover that not only was she larger that her mate, but she was by far the more outgoing one of the pair. She was blunt and to the point, and seemed to greatly dislike pointless chatter. Then again, most psychic types were like this, so he didn't linger on it. The Espeon gave him a weary look as he came out of the room, and he could see her eyes shine for a moment before she sighed and shook her head.
"Another soul tainted by one of the unscrupulous gangs." She said sadly. "I am Alice."
The lady who had brought Alice waved. "Hello." She said.
"Dooley, this is my mother." Sandy said. "And Alice is one of hers. My parents run a breeding ranch out of their home, and were delighted when I told them that there was a Leafeon here who had just layed. My mother is here to adopt her."
"Why? So that you can make her a breeding slave?" Dooley asked rudely. Sandy's jaw dropped at the outburst.
'Settle, Dooley.' Crystal's voice rang out in his head. 'These're good people, they'd never force her into something that she doesn't want to do.'
"Quite on the contrary." Alice said cooly. "We've already got at least one certain Eevee breeder at the ranch; me." She said. "No, we're adopting her to be an extra pair of eyes in the yard. The amount of Pokémon that have been bred at home has increased dramatically, and another pair of eyes would do us some good; I can only see so much, even with my enhanced capabilities." She shot a sarcastic look at Sandy and used her psychic powers to close the human's jaw. "Don't stand there with your mouth wide open, you'll swallow a bug."
Nurse Joy came walking into the room from the dormitories, yawning as she tugged her dress lower. "Oh, we have visitors." She said, before noticing Dooley. "Young man, why are you out here? Leafeon is in the ward, probably waiting for you."
Dooley floundered on the spot. "I-I thought you were still in there!" He said.
"Layings don't normally last any longer than about one to two hours." Sandy's mother said. "Unless there are complications, of course. Eevees hatch in about four days, depending on the temperature they're kept at. If she didn't lay an Eevee, the time will differ depending on what she bred with." Joy smiled.
"Ah, an experienced breeder." She said. "To what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?"
"Actually, we're interested in that Leafeon..." Sandy's mother started, trailing off as she led Joy to the counter.
Dooley wasted no time in going to the ward that Leafeon was lying in, he was followed closely by Blueberry and Alice.
"Yeah, don't think too much of master Annabelle." Alice mumbled. "She gets a little impulsive, but that can be a blessing when things come down to the troubling times."
Dooley nodded as he sat next to Leafeon's bed.
He put a paw on her shoulder, and she looked over at him. "Hello, Dooley." She said. "I'm sorry for yesterday, the shock of what happened..."
"It's alright, Leafeon." He said. "I'd like you to meet someone, this is Blueberry and his mate Alice. Alice's master has come to adopt you."
Alice nodded. "We run a breeding ranch in our backyard, and we'd like you to join us." Leafeon blushed, lowering her ears a little. "No, no. Nothing like that." Alice giggled. "We have plenty of other 'eons in the neighbourhood to breed Eevee, you're going to join us to help around; keep an eye on the kits and cubs, that sort of thing. You only need worry about breeding if you want to, else you can keep it to yourself." She smiled to the confused Leafeon. "Don't worry, hun, we'll sort out your confusion. There are only a few rules you need to follow, most of which you'll learn when you get there. I've but one rule that I give you personally, and that's not to touch Bl-"
"Alice!" Blueberry snapped, blushing. "Stop it, you're embarrassing me."
Dooley stifled a snigger and turned his attention back to Leafeon. "So, what do you think?"
"I... I don't know." She said. "I guess I can go with them, but only so long as my-"
"Yes, it'll come too." Alice said, breaking from Blueberry's nuzzling. "Tell me, what was the male? For an accurate estimation at the hatching time I'll need to know."
Leafeon blushed and turned her head away. "He was one of their 'buck' males." She said. "An Arcanine."
"You were bred intentionally against your will?" Alice asked, shocked at this. "That's quite rude."
"Tell me about it." Leafeon mumbled.
"Anyway." Alice said. "A Growlithe pup would take roughly the same amount of time as an Eevee, maybe a day less due to their Fire-type body. We'll soon see who the little mite takes after, won't we?"
Dooley's ears perked, and he caught on a sound that was quite out of the ordinary. "Alice, Blue; could you head back to the lobby please?" He asked, opening a window and jumping out.
"Why?" Blueberry asked. Alice growled as her mind landed on the new intruders to the center.
"Rockets."
Dooley slunk around the outside of the building, grabbing any stray Rocket Grunts he found and knocking them out with swift blows to their heads. 'They've come to get us back.' He thought. 'Not today; not on my watch.'
'Dooley, still your temper.' Alice's voice rang in his head. 'Use only enough force to knock them out. The police are on their way.'
'I've lost enough innocents already to them.' Dooley thought back. 'Nine others that I was trying to save. They shall not get their hands on Leafeon or her egg! I'll kill every last one of these monsters with my bare paws if I must!'
'Listen, killing will solve nothing.' Alice said. 'The Rockets tracked Blue and Azure all the way back to our home by small devices that they imbedded under their skin. Joy can remove them, but at the moment we're between a rock and a hard place.'
'Why's that?' He thought back, stopping near the front doors.
'One has Crystal.' Alice said. 'He has a gun to her head, please don't do anything that could cause him to harm her, she's like a daughter to me.'
'They're cowards.' He thought back. 'He'll retreat out the doors when he knows that you wouldn't try to get to him. Let me deal with him; once the doors close, get the others.'
Sure enough, the Rocket cronie came backing out the door with Crystal in his arms, a gun to her head. Dooley wasn't going to let him get the chance to use it on her, however; and his teeth glistened in the sunlight.
Inside, Alice and Blueberry watched the doors close in the Rocket's grinning face. Right as the doors shut, she sent a mental note to the other Pokémon to strike, and like a rampaging Tauros they struck hard. Rockets were thrown from their feet, flung against walls, or given a smack to the head so quickly and suddenly that they didn't get back up. The attack was over in seconds, but to the humans it felt like an eternity. Sandy, now relieved to be able to move again, took a step towards the front doors. A shot rang out and a crimson spatter hit the glass doors. Sandy scremed and went to rush forth, but was held back by Alice. There was a roar from outside, and the glass turned blue as a brilliant glow covered it. The glass cracked, and then shattered as the Rocket who had so recently been holding Crystal flew in, his clothing and skin burned. He was still alive, but the damage was immense. Dooley stepped in, carrying Crystal carefully in his paws as he left a trail of blood behind him. He carefully handed her to Sandy, wiped a tear from the little Suicune's eye, and fell. The bullet had gone right through his stomach, and Joy barked demands at the Chanseys as she hurried him to the operating theatre. His eyes drooped and the world around him went white.
The world slowly came back to Dooley roughly five days later. He looked about the room, shielding his eyes from the bright lights. There was no one in this room besides him, he wasn't surprised. Why would anyone want to see him, a human-killing Pokémon? He fully expected Joy to come walking in with a needle to stick into his thigh that would take the world from him permenantly. He had only just managed to get Crystal out of the Rocket Grunt's hands when he shot, and the bullet hit him instead of the pup; but for a brief moment he thought that Crystal truly had been shot, and he lost it. He didn't remember how much damage he had done to the Rocket, but he expected it to be lethal at the very least. Nurse Joy eventually entered, and she did have a needle with her. She walked up to him and put it in his thigh.
"How are you today, Dooley?" She asked him.
"I feel like death." He said. "My gut hurts..."
"It's understandable." She said. "You did get shot in the stomach. We managed to repair the damage, and luckily it didn't hit any of your major organs other than your intestines, and they're healing nicely."
"So why did you bother to heal me if you're only going to kill me anyway?" He asked, motioning to the syringe. she looked at it momentarily before sighing.
"Dooley, this is a Hyper Potion cocktail that will repair your intestines. I've been injecting it every day since you were shot." She said.
"Then why do you not put it in my gut, where the wound is?" He asked. He didn't believe her, certain that this was the end of his sad, miserable little blip of a life.
"Because your stomach moves with your breathing and I could do more harm than good." She said. "Do you want me to show you the bottle I took it from? I have it right here."
He shook his head. "Just poison me and go." He said. "You'll be doing me a favour by making it quick and painless." Nurse joy finished injecting the syringe, pulled it out and put a lid on it before slapping Dooley across the face.
"If I were going to kill you, I'd have done it while you were asleep!" She yelled. "I'm a healer, not a killer!" Dooley put a paw to his muzzle where she had hit him.
"Joy, enough." Alice called from the entrance. "He has suffered enough the last fortnight." Joy humphed and turned on her heel.
"I took the liberty of removing the tracking device from you while you were on the table." She said. "I also removed Lady's and called back Kitty, her's was removed yesterday."
"...Lady?" Dooley probed curiously.
"Master Annabelle has managed to successfully adopt Leafeon, and she has been named Lady." Alice said. "Her egg is going to hatch in a few hours, and you are capable of walking again. Unless, of course, you really do think that Joy has given you a lethal injection; in which case you'd not still be listening to me talk."
Dooley realised she had a point and slid out of the bed, landing on his face.
"Give me a minute." He said. "My muscles don't like to wake up in the morning."
Alice giggled at him as he struggled to his feet.
They walked in to the ward that Lady was in just after the egg hatched. Small shards of shell littered a table, and the rest of the group was huddled around a bed. Izaac noticed their entrance and knelt down to pick Alice up, but made no effort to move aside for Dooley. That was, until Blueberry slapped him across the face with his tail.
"It's rude not to include him, Izaac." He said. "I don't care what you think of him, if he hadn't been here, we might never have gotten Crystal back."
Izaac sighed and moved over a bit to allow Dooley space, but before he walked over, dooley stopped by a bed. He picked something up and carried it over.
"Hello, Lady." Dooley said. "He's adorable!"
"Thank you." Lady replied, nuzzling her Eevee contently.
"Did you give him the stuffed toy I handed you?" He asked.
She uncurled her tail, but no soft plushie Riolu fell out. She looked panicked.
"W-where is it?!" She asked, "I've not let it go, I swear!"
"It's okay." Dooley said, lifting it up. "I've got it. It was on the bed over there, you must've dropped it while you were sleeping." He put it down with the sleeping Eevee. "There you go." He mumbled. "Something with which you can remember my by."
Lady nodded, smiling as she curled around her Eevee tenderly. Dooley smiled, turned, and walked out. The door slid shut behind him as Izaac turned around.
"He's... Got more heart that I gave him credit for." He breathed.
"His life was riddled with pain and suffering." Blueberry said. "As much, if not more, than ours. He may not be as strongly resolved as I, but he's capable of taking far more." He looked Izaac in the eyes before he continued talking. "He tried to save eleven Pokémon and himself all on his own; despite all the odds, only three survived. The way you reacted to him the other day struck him harder than the loss of all those innocent lives."
"Have you seen his back?" Crystal asked. "You should ask him to show you."
Izaac nodded and followed Dooley. Azure watched him go as Alice told her what he was going to see.
"That's awful." She said.
"You almost died for having him;" Blueberry mumbled, "and he almost died for giving him to you and trying to hide the fact. He didn't want any harm to come to you."
Izaac found Dooley lying in a bed, clutching something in his paws, but when dooley noticed him, he hid it from view.
"Yes, Izaac?" He asked. "Is there something that you want?"
Izaac looked his father up and down for a moment before he sighed. "I was told that you had something on your back." He said.
Dooley humphed and slid the object he was hiding under the sheets of the bed. "So you've been told, huh?" He said, standing up and turning around. "Have a good look then, this is what I got for attempting to hide your existance from the Rockets."
Izaac silently gasped to himself as he looked at the criss-crosing scars on the elder Lucario's back. There were dozens, at least sixty, painting the past of Dooley's life out for the world to see.
"Eight dozen whips." Dooley said. "And my spine was visible for days until the fur and skin grew back."
Izaac noticed the nick missing out of Dooley's ear and tapped it with a claw. "Did he miss a swing or...?"
"No, no." Dooley said. "That I got when I was a Riolu." He turned around and showed him a scar on his right arm. "This was given to me by Azure's old master before you hatched." He said. "It was punishment for breaking their hidden rules." He looked back down at the bed sadly. "I may have killed..." He mumbled. "But I could have saved eleven other lives doing it if nine hadn't died of the abuse the Rockets did to them in the process. My innocence was taken years before them, and I do deeply regret doing it; but I could have saved all those lives at the cost of two who were killing because they thought it was fun. The scar on my aura that I bear from that... That is my punishment."
"You're trying to justify murder!"
"I'm justifying nothing." Dooley said. "The second I awoke and saw Joy, I asked her to destroy me as should have been. But she didn't. My torment continues every night I sleep. I don't think I could ever truly atone for them." He sighed as he sat back on the bed. "I shoulder my own pains and put a brave face forth for others. My death would not bring the other nine Pokémon that died back to life. It would only add to the toll. I live my life because others didn't have the chance!"
"You're not living, Dooley." Azure said as she walked in with Sandy. "You're hiding in here from the world."
"Until I get a new master, what choice do I have?" He asked.
"It's been a week, no one wants to adopt you." Azure mumbled. "You're too... Tainted."
"But we can remedy this problem." Sandy said, folding her phone into her pocket. "And he'll be here any second now. Just put your good foot forward and be as honest as you can."
He nodded weakly and stood up. He took a few steps before Izaac's voice made him turn around.
"What's this?" He asked, lifting the filthy Zangoose from underneath the sheets. Dooley attempted to snatch it from his hands.
"Give that back!" He snapped. "Please! You'll damage him!"
Sandy walked over and slapped Izaac across the back of his head, taking the plush toy from his paw. "It's impolite to pry, Izaac." She said, handing it to Dooley, who took it gratefully.
"He's... the only connection I have left to my original owner." He said. "And he's the only thing I own."
"You got something like it for Lady's pup." Azure noted.
"If we had been free when Izaac hatched, I'd have gotten him one too." He replied. There was a knock at the door and a large human male walked in.
"Dooley?" He probed, watching him turn to face him. "I'm the bloke who has signed for your adoption. We've little time to chat here, I have work at home that I really must attend to, c'mon."
Dooley cautiously padded over, still clutching the stuffed Zangoose in his paws, and looked at his new master's aura. It was pure enough, a few darks spots here and there, but mostly light. Every man has things that darken the spirit, the trick is finding a balance.
Dooley followed him out to a large Salamance, which they climbed onto.
"Put that in my backpack." The man said. "And hold on tight. Salamance isn't exactly a smooth flyer."
The huge salamance bucked as Dooley zipped up the bag. "Shut up. You try flying through gale-force winds."
Dooley smiled as they took off and flew over the treetops.
They landed on the front lawn of a medium sized house almost an hour later. From the front it looked completley normal, and Dooley walked up to the front door as the grown man put the Salamance away. The human walked to the door and unlocked it, walking in before Dooley and closing it behind him. Dooley hopped on the spot for a moment.
"What's up?" The human asked.
"Could I have the thing I put in your backpack back please?" He asked. "It's really important to me."
The man took the bag off his back and unzipped the pocket, fishing out the stuffed toy and handing it to him. "Isn't it a bit childish to carry around a stuffed toy?"
Dooley ignored this comment and held the little Zangoose tightly as his new master lead him around the house.
"This is the kitchen and dining room." He said as they neared the end of the tour, roughly ten minutes later. "This is the Family room." He led Dooley to a room just around the corner which sat in darkness as the lights were off and all the curtains were closed. "And this-" the lights flicked on, "is our family."
Dooley's jaw dropped, Sandy, Blueberry, Azure, Izaac- everyone from the Poké Center except Nurse joy was in here. They all said hello to him all at once.
"Wh-"
"Alice teleported them here before us." The human male said. "By the way, I'm Barney. Annabelle is my wife, and Sandy is my daughter." He grabbed Dooley's paw and shook it. "welcome to the family." He said.
"I...I..." Dooley stammered, still not quite up to speed with this turn of events.
"Dooley, hand me that stuffed toy I gave you back before." Sandy said. Dooley, reluctantly, complied as Sandy walked past him.
"Wh-what're you going to do to him?"
"I'm going to clean him." She said over her shoulder. "If you get a clean start, so should he."
Dooley was ushered into the room and made to sit in one of the couches. He sat there with his paws between his thighs on the cushion and his ears flat against his scalp.
"Don't look so miserable, kid." Sandy's mum said. "we're just summing you up. Turn around." Dooley did as he was told, getting a gasp in return. "Alright, you're getting a jacket." He heard her mumble. "Okay, turn back around."
He sat back on the couch and looked up at them miserably. "so what's the verdict?"
"Well, you've taken alot of punishment in life, we can see that." She said. "But you're going to be our heavy lifting guy, so I guess it might be a good thing. There'll always be a soft bed and a warm meal here for you now."
Dooley's face split into a wide grin and he leapt off the couch, throwing his arms around her. "Thank you!" She wrapped her hands around him.
"Don't worry about it, Dooley." She said. Her hands ran along his scarred back and shoulders and then broke the hug. "Now, my husband is going to give you a bath, you know, to get you clean; run along with him."
Dooley did as he was told, following the man as he led him up the stairs. He smiled happily and a tear ran down his face.
"Dooley?" A voice called from the foot of the stairs, making him turn. Izaac stood there looking up at him.
"Yes Izaac?"
Izaac smiled after a few seconds. "Welcome home, dad."