Faith
#10 of Vaporeon
Many legends exist in all the worlds. The legends of the Pokﾃδｩmon world, though still legends, tend to all be true. Some of these legends, on occasion, will present themselves to individuals they deem worthy of knowing of their existance, such as the legendary dog Pokﾃδｩmon who endear themselves unto trainers. It was rumoured that a doctor in a distant town had a Mew, though this was simply heresay from the elders.
The Houndoom female didn't care much for legends or stories, particularly if it included humans. Her life had started in a huge pack of other Houndoom and Houndour, but after only one moon passing a group of humans arrived and stole away her pack. The few that had resisted were slain, cruelly tormented to death by the humans in red uniforms. Her own mother had hidden her when the humans arrived, and she had to watch her die before her very eyes. Now she lived in a new pack, adopted by some Mightyena after wandering aimlessly for days she hadn't counted. She was brought into their pack, cared for like their own, and introduced to the Clan; three different Pokﾃδｩmon species sharing land and helping to care for eachother's young.
There was a pack of Absol, who usually stopped trouble before it started but had been absent for a week, heading towards some goal unknown, and a pack of Ninetales who were currently busy with their mating season. The Mightyena were new to the unique clan, which the Ninetales and Absol had called Apexis. The alphas and elders of the three packs worked hard, spreading the general knowledge that a wandering trainer could capture one of their number at any time, but that it would be a good thing, as long as the trainer won in combat honorably. The largest obstacle in their path was her; her and her single-minded hatred of humans. She had been denied her season, despite the many males that wanted her, so that she couldn't spread her ideals onto the younger generations and warp their opinions. It had almost driven her out of her mind, only the Alpha female of her new pack, her adoptive mother, keeping her sane through it. She had been given a role in the clan, too; she was to play with the younger evolutions, not teach them but merely interact with them joyfully and comfort them when they were frightened.
It was a day like any other, the Mightyena were all busy doing their respective chores, collecting berries or hunting, teaching the younglings, or just making sure that the pack was well and good. She didn't have much to do when the young were being taught, so she usually busied herslef by digging a small den, deep enough to keep them safe, but shallow enough to avoid it collapsing in on her as she dug. The Alpha male watched her digging disinterestedly, today was lazy, and he had little else to do until the hunters and gatherers returned. He completley failed to notice the three humans walk into the area, but at the same time was powerless to stop them when they decided to start attacking the pack that was more curious than defensive. Houndoom, however, raced from her digging hole and leapt at the one who was attempting to harm her adoptive mother.
A few hundred meters away, a trainer walked idly with his Ninetales and Absol, cradling a little oddly coloured Vulpix in his arms. The Vulpix, named Vesta, was the resultant offspring between the Absol and Ninetales, and her colours were odd, even for a rare colouration. She was black and white, getting her species from her father and her colours from her mother. Currently she was asleep, and she would cutely kick or paw at the trainer occasionally. Vlad, as the trainer was named, was heading back to Solaceon to get his Absol a checkup after her pup hatched. He didn't want to fly to the town and miss out on all the wonderful scenery that a nice walk could provide. Night grew close, and he stopped in a likely looking clearing.
"What do you think, you two?" He asked, turning to his companions. "This look alright for a camping spot?"
His Absol shrugged, but his Ninetales peered about and shiffed the air.
"I smell Mightyena nearby." He said. "There's also mixed scents from Absol and a wild Ninetales pack." He sniffed again. "They smell safe enough."
Vlad shrugged. "Alright, Tricky, thanks for the heads up." He said. "Am I going to get assistance putting the tent up this time, or are-"
He was cut off as a cry of pain echoed through the woods, and he looked up worriedly.
"What the hell was that?!" He snapped.
"I don't know." The Absol quietly mumbled.
"Thanks, Dove, that's really-"
Yet another cry drowned him out, pain and desperation filled the sound and put Vlad's hair on end.
"I heard that!" He said. "C'mon, let's go see what it is!"
They raced in the direction the cry had originated from, but what they saw when they got there, they were all unprepared for.
She had been stupid to think that she could beat three humans.
She had been stupid to think that they would be too slow to react before she had floored them all.
She had been strung up by her left hind leg in a tree, and then the humans pulled at her body relentlessly until her leg dislocated at her hip making her scream in pain, then they started to beat her.
She was dying.
Red hot blows smashed into her already beaten frame. The rest of her pack were cowering from the humans, hoping beyond hope that they would not harm the puppies. Blood streamed from her muzzle and pooled on the grass below her. She could barely see, her vision blurring as her head filled with blood that would eventually claim her life for good, provided the humans didn't do it first. There was a yell of absolute disgust and hatred, and then a Ninetales plowed into one of the humans surrounding her, knocking him across the clearing and into a tree where he slumped to the ground. An Absol hit a second human, this time slashing his heels and legs open and causing him to fall screaming. The remaining human turned on the Ninetales, who grabbed him by his arms and legs and held him aloft, mouth open and charging a flamethrower attack.
"If you don't want Tricky to incinerate you, I suggest you take your asshole friends with you, Rocket!" Another human's voice called.
The human tangled up in furry tails stopped struggling and was let down. He grabbed the one writhing on the ground in pain and lifted him onto one shoulder before grabbing the arm of the other and dragging him out of the clearing, the Ninetales snarling all the while. She heard a bag being unzipped and then heard, and saw, a plastic sheet spread out beneath her.
"I'm going to cut you down now." She heard the Ninetales' trainer say. "Please don't struggle, or you may do more harm than good."
"D...Don't cut me down!" She shrieked. "I'd rather die than be helped by you!" She heard the alphas of her pack sigh miserably. Her adoptive mother walked over to her.
"Don't put up a fuss, sweety." She said. "This trainer is only trying to help you."
"Then cut me down and leave me be!"
Before she could even react, the alpha female headbutted her unconsious.
"You can cut her down now, trainer." She said. "She shall give you no trouble."
"Isn't this a bit... Forceful?" Vlad asked.
"She won't take your help willingly, yet I do not wish her to die." She said. "I do what I must for those I love."
Vlad nodded hesitantly, and pulled his pocket knife from, well, his pocket. The blade flicked out with a light click and he swung it through the rope effortlessly. He lowered her gently, holding the rope in one hand so as not to do more damage to her already useless leg. He got her down on the tarp and carefully untied the remainder of the rope from her leg, casting it aside before getting to work on healing her.
Her cuts, bruises and other lighter injuries were easily healed by applying copious amounts of Hyper Potion, but the only way to fix her leg without it healing awkwardly was to pop it back into the socket, something he was not trained in. Carefully he put his hands on her thigh and rolled it around a little, finding the socket before he sighed.
"Sorry for this." He said, before forcing the bone back where it belonged with a loud crack. Quickly he coated the area in Hyper Potions before carefully trying to make her more comfortable. He dragged the tarpaulin closer to the rest of her pack before standing upright and waving goodbye. "She should be fine provided she stay off that leg for a while." He said. "You can keep the tarp, they're cheap enough."
"Don't leave." The alpha female barked. "Please? It'll be difficult for us to deal with her when she wakes, and..."
"I understand." Vlad said. "But I don't wish to encroach upon your territory more by setting up my tent right next to your dens, and she probably won't be happy to see me when she wakes anyway."
"That may be, but she will insist on returning to the role she played before, which will only harm her more. Please stay." The large female nuzzled his thigh. "She doesn't want to take your help, but she needs you."
Vlad sighed defeat and swung his backpack off of his back, fishing out his tent. It was going to be a long night, especially with the Poochyenas watching his every move curiously.
He awoke the next day with Dove on his chest, curled up around little Vesta, and Tricky sitting by the door to the tent. He wasn't sleeping, and his nervous, yet determined look worried Vlad slightly. Carefully he woke Dove before sidling towards Tricky.
"Hey, Tricky, what's up?" He asked.
"The Houndoom." He replied. "And there is another Ninetales outside. He is larger than I, probably the alpha of the pack that I smelled yesterday." Tricky gave Vlad a worried expression. "Please do not leave the tent without one of us, it may be dangerous."
Vlad shrugged. "I'll take my chances." He said, unzipping the tent. He jolted, almost falling onto Dove in his panic. The male Ninetales so recently referenced was standing just outside the tent, staring at the door. It looked apologetically to Vlad.
"I am sorry for startling you." He said. "However I was told that, not only was there a human around, but that he had with him a Ninetales companion. I came to see for myself."
Vlad, reluctantly, swallowed and attempted to talk. "H-hello." He said. "I'm called Vlad. This is Tricky," he stroked a hand across his Ninetales's head, "this is Dove, and their daughter Vesta."
The Ninetales alpha smiled sweetly at the little black and white Vulpix. "She's cute." He said. "Anyway, we digress, a young lady has been hurt and requires medical attention, does she not?"
Vlad nodded and grabbed his backpack before leaving the tent and walking the short distance to where the Houndoom was being held down. He knelt down behind her, so as not to give her any chances to bite him, and sprayed a Hyper Potion onto her thigh. She growled and looked up at him.
"I told you not to help me." She growled angrily.
"Too bad." Vlad said. "I made a decision to help you, and I'm going to see it through. You're not to get up and move until this afternoon, do you understand?"
She snuffed at him. "Why would I obey your orders, human?"
"Because if you don't you'll only harm yourself. If you listen to my instructions, you'll be good as new and we can both go on our merry ways." Vlad snapped. "If you continue to argue, I can easily have Tricky knock you out." He smiled cruelly. "Then I could easily capture you and MAKE you obey, and you don't want that now do you?"
She growled louder. "You wouldn't dare!"
He clicked his fingers and Tricky appeared at his side, his tails shining silver as he readied Iron Tail. "Wanna bet?"
The female Mightyena alpha walked toward the group. "If you want to take her, you must fight her fairly." She said.
"I'd easily whoop that Ninetales' ass any day!"
"I guess you're right." Vlad mumbled. "Little Vesta'd be more a worthy match, she's but a puppy. With Houndoom unable to move, it'd be fair, yes?"
"Sounds fair." The Ninetales alpha said.
"You son of a-" Houndoom started shouting, writhing on the ground. She was cut off, however, when Vlad clicked his fingers again and Tricky knocked her out, smacking her across her face with his tail.
"Oh no, I didn't hit her too hard, did I?"
Vlad checked her over carefully. "No, she's only knocked out cold." He mumbled. "I'll do what I can for her whilst I have the opportunity."
"Are we not going to capture her?" Tricky asked.
Vlad shook his head. "No, it was not an even fight." He said.
"Take her." The Alpha Mightyena mumbled. Vlad looked surprised.
"I-I can't do that, she'd never forgive me or accept me being her master!"
"She will." The Alpha said. "She has lost her position here. She was trying to protect us, we know, but the puppies will never socialise with her without reluctance now that she's shown a viscious streak. Being with a trainer might do her some good."
Vlad sighed, admitting defeat, and pulled a Pokﾃδｩ Ball from his backpack. He tapped it to the Houndoom's side, capturing her in the little sphere which rocked in his hand momentarily before settling with a click. He released her again.
"I'm sorry for this Faith," he mumbled to her, "but it's for your own good."
She awoke a short time later. Her leg didn't hurt anymore, and she moved it experimentally a little before a voice by her ear spooked her.
"You can get up now."
She spun her head to see Tricky looming over her, glaring down his muzzle at her. She snarled at him, but he thwacked her with a tail.
"Not to me you don't." He said. "If you're to come with us, you'll not show that mean streak. I don't want it making its way into Vesta, do you understand?"
"Go with you?! Are you out of your mind?!"
"No, he's not." Vlad called. "Yet you seem to be a little ungrateful. We helped you, protected your pack, healed your wounds, and you show us little respect. You belong to me now, Faith, a collar is fixed about your neck. Today you're coming with us whether you like it or not."
She turned on him and growled loudly, bearing her teeth for all to see.
"You have two choices, Faith;" Vlad said, holding up a Pokﾃδｩ Ball, "you can either behave, or you can go in the ball. Take your pick." Her eyes grew wide, noticing that he was dead serious, and soon her gaze fell to the floor submissively.
"Yes... Master..." She sadly mumbled.
Vlad put the ball into a pocket and knelt down infront of her, putting his hand on her chin and raising her eyes to his.
"I, like many other trainers, don't believe in the 'master-slave' relationship of trainer and Pokﾃδｩmon." He said. "You are, as are Tricky and Dove, equal to me. I give orders and tell you what to do, but you are still your own. I know you don't like humans, and you will probably never become accustomed to us, but... Try. For my sake. For your mother's sake."
The Mightyena Alpha Female stepped into Faith's view and stared into her eyes for a moment, before looking away. Faith was taken aback, her adoptive mother would stare down her husband, the Alpha Male, and wouldn't back down from a fight with him over anything, yet here she was looking away from one of her daughters as any other pack member would her. Her eyes filled with tears and she carefully walked up to the physically larger Pokﾃδｩmon and nuzzled her.
"M-mum..." She sniffled.
"Shh, don't cry now," The alpha said, looking Faith in her eyes, "I've protected you since you were but a pup, kept you warm when it was cold, kept you fed and your thirst quenched when you needed it; I've comforted you during terrible thunderstorms, and guided you on how to use your abilities. You've grown up strong and healthy, a perfect example of a Houndoom, and now you are too old for me to protect, your stomach too deep for me to feed and water. You have a human trainer to protect and serve, and he will keep you fed and warm and will comfort you during the most terrifying of storms. I shall miss you dearly, but there comes a time when the young must move on." She gave her adopted daughter another nuzzle. "The hole you dug won't be filled, except with puppies when they need protecting and water when the rains start."
"Come, now, Faith." Vlad politely said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "We have much ground to cover if we're to get to Solaceon before nightfall."
Faith stared at the dirt and let tears run down her face. "I don't... Want to go..!" she managed to sob.
"But I do." Her mother said. "Please."
"We can visit any time, it's not hard to get here from the town." Vlad said, petting her head.
She, reluctantly, nodded and turned around; walking beside Vlad as they left the area, the goodbye calls from the pack seeing them off happily.
Almost an hour later and she had barely lifted from her dismal mood. Vlad had put Vesta on Faith's back, and the little puppy adored the new Pokﾃδｩmon, but her smiling face didn't lighten the Houndoom's dismal mood. After a few more minutes, Vlad stopped the group near a small lake.
"Okay, we'll take a break for now." He said. "This will give me an opportunity to lay some ground rules with you, Faith."
She sighed. "Such as?"
"Well, for one, don't be so uptight." He said, petting her head gently. "Even Tricky gets into mischief from time to time, just be yourself."
She nodded gently, but didn't lighten her mood. "Rule two is that you're not to harm anyone unless it is absolutley vital, and finally, you must not question my commands. I know you don't like me, and you want to wallow in your self-pity, but I'm going to take a leaf out of my cousin's book, and I'm going to pester you relentlessly with pointless silly behaviour. In fact-" He finished his sentence by sweeping Vesta off Faith's back, tossing her to her father and tackling Faith to the ground in one swift move. She resisted, but only managed to wrestle with him until he pinned her down. He put a hand on her chest to calm her before scratching vigorously, getting just the right spot to make her kick. He kept this up until Tricky, Dove and Vesta dawled off, when he rolled her onto her side.
"I know you hate me." He said. "Just... Give me a chance."
She stared back at the dirt below her before replying. "On one condition."
"Anything."
She rolled onto her back and whined at him petulantly. "Tummy rubs."
Vlad laughed. "I know a certain psychic who is going to absolutley love you..." He said, movng in his hand.