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Second Day

Morning came incredibly early compared to my eyes, at least one full hour before it normally did. But that didn't make anyone wake earlier. I had slept little during the night but in losing sleep, I gained time. I had tried for hours to figure out the puzzle that Nion had given me, but the only thing I gained from it was anger. I was beginning to despise the Luxray's mind-tricks because not only didn't they have an answer, but there wasn't any thought behind his words. Yet even if I wanted to sleep, it was never going to happen. I always had the suspicion that Nion used it as a trick, but I had to be sure, no matter how long it took, which happened to be most of the night. But I would rather go sleepless for a night, than live in suspicion. Since I have nothing to do all day but eat and have the occasional conversation, I figured that I would have time to catch those hours up, but having just woken up I felt like making sure that my mind was set. That I had reached the conclusion to the mindless puzzle Nion had set me for the night. And that was no conclusion.

But still, looking at the way Nion was laying, I figured that I still had a few hours left. He was actually facing me while he slept. That wasn't how he started, so I assumed that he just couldn't sleep straight. Not that it bothered me. It did feel weird having my impromptu room-mate stare at me behind closed eyes all night, but it wasn't something that I just couldn't ignore. I took a deep breath, taking in all that was the dulled sounds of the morning. There was the occasional car that drove past, more often than not I could hear a horrible screech as the steel took off down the street, but I figured that I would have to get used to it. Not like I was leaving anytime soon.

Another car drove past making yet another squeal, this time Nion shot awake from the noise. After the few moments he took to come to his senses, the Luxray shifted himself on the cushion and turned away from me, to the same position as how he started the night. I glanced over at the wolf for a moment, watching as he settled back into the bright yellow cushion and turned his head back to face me. It looked very uncomfortable from my point of view, but it seemed that Nion had either done it way too often before, or was incredibly flexible. I looked back to the window, but then glanced back to Nion after a few moments, finding that he was staring at me.

I grumbled for a moment, but lifted my head off the cushion in preparation in case he did decide to say something. But one thing was for sure, I wasn't going to start the conversation. Nion continued to stare at me, as if I wasn't there, like he was looking into the half wall behind me, or even through that to the door. I stood up and took several steps away from my bed, sitting down against the single padded chair in the centre of the room.

"Nice to see your wounds have healed." The wolf finally spoke, still with his eyes glued to me.

But then I thought, I had managed to stand up and walk at least six feet without pain. I looked down at my previously injured leg, finding that the wound was nonexistent. I was ecstatic! I could walk without pain again! But how? Yesterday there was a nasty looking gash, but now all that held to my leg was a bald spot the same size and shape of the cut. I was completely dumbfounded by how quickly it healed, and Nion obviously saw my expression.

"Those potions are wondrous things." He spoke slowly, proof that he had only just woken up. "But don't be too rough with it. Sure, you can walk now, but if you push it then things only get worse. It looks healed from the outside, but on the inside it's just strong enough not to cause pain."

I questioned Nion's words for a moment, but on account of the fact that he knew things about humans and their inventions, I wasn't going to argue. But then it led me to another question, when did my captor treat my leg. I would never accept help from a human unless I knew exactly what was going to happen.

"Where is he?" I questioned immediately.

"Where is who?"

I motioned my head towards the other rooms. "Him, your trainer."

The Luxray inclined his head, finally understanding who I meant. "You mean Draye?" I simply nodded, as if my original question was obvious in the beginning. "Draye's at work, he would've treated you before he left this morning."

"When will he be back?" I'm not sure why, but I actually feel the urge to thank him. Although he did lock me up in this small room, I now had the ability to move freely, which would allow me to do more than just think today.

"Not until sundown."

"Then why was he here yesterday?"

"Yesterday was Sunday... It was a weekend, so he stayed home." Nion picked himself up from the yellow cushion and stepped towards me, but, since I was in a good mood, I couldn't be bothered to try and stop him. I stretched out my leg, feeling the new limit which I could move it. I couldn't reach a full stretch, in fact I could barely even make it halfway. But it was as if the potion knew where both front and back extremities were when I took a step. Which was more than enough for me. "It's just you, and me, until the afternoon. Hence why I wanted to make good yesterday, also why I didn't mention that this would happen."

"I don't ca-" I returned my head to looking forward, only to see Nion a few feet before me. I immediately took a step back. It's not that I was afraid or anything, but as he was at least a foot taller than I was it did make me feel a little small. Nion continued on his walk past me to the open window, sitting down and staring outside as he reached it. All I could think about was why he would walk that close past me to reach the window. Sure I happened to be along the way, but he did cut it awfully fine, because if I hadn't have been in a remotely good mood, he wouldn't be walking. I quickly dropped the thought though. I did have to spend all day with him. "What do you do all day?" I sat at the opposite end of the window, looking out into the world, trying to find anything of interest. Nothing.

"Normally I wouldn't wake up until just before lunch, but since those ass holes wanted to wake the entire street up early," Nion paused momentarily as he yawned, "and because you were awake, I decided to get up and be remotely useful."

"Useful for what?" I immediately questioned. Because from my point of view, it didn't look like anything needed doing.

"Useful to you, because I know that you're going to be bored senseless in about an hour." I scoffed at the Luxray's comment. He didn't believe that I couldn't be self entertained for a single day. Not like I had ever done anything my entire life but watch the world go by. I thought that maybe he had forgotten that part, but something was telling me otherwise, as if he actually wanted to talk to me. But that seemed less likely than my first option.

"You don't think I can keep myself entertained?" I almost said it as a dare, in the vain hope that he would leave me alone. I had gotten over the fact that I could walk again, not that his actions had helped my case.

"I have no doubt that you can. But I figured that why should I be bored when I can talk to you."

"So you're just going to use me as a form of entertainment?" I looked over at Nion, only to find that he was staring at me again. This time, however, I became irritated. "Why do you keep staring at me? Sure, I am the only other living thing in this room, but for someone who wanted to kill me days ago you can't seem to look away from me. So tell me. Am I that different? Am I that intolerable? Are you completely-" Nion had looked away from me at least halfway through my speech, but I continued just to prove that it was annoying. But that didn't mean I didn't want an answer. I was tired of him staring at me.

Nion dropped his head, not even allowing himself to look out the window. I could tell that he was deep in thought, but what was there to think about? It's not like I insulted him or anything. I might've been the only interesting thing he could see, as there was no movement at all outside, but that doesn't mean he has to stare.

"Did you figure you what I told you last night?" He spoke silently, as if he was disturbed by something, which only raised further questions.

"No, of course not, there wasn't anything to figure out. You just told me some random story that had no end. It makes no sense."

"Think harder, because I'm not saying anything else about this. Not until I believe the time is right."

"Then when is the time? Is this so important that you can't share it with your 'only form of entertainment'? Is it so important that you have to go like this every time you mention it? Does it mean so much to you that you can't tell me even the slightest detail?" I followed Nion, who had turned and started walking to his bed. I stopped just over a foot away from his bed, continuing to stare back at him, just to see how disturbing it could be having someone do nothing but stare at you. Nion lay still on his bed, doing nothing but breathe and blink occasionally. He would look in any direction but at me, the only time he wouldn't look at me. "Well? Why won't you tell me?"

"Because I can't! Ok? Because I'm afraid." I took a step back, his answer taking me by complete surprise. Nion picked himself up and turned around so he faced away from my bed and had his body facing the wall. I stepped over to my bed and lay down facing towards Nion. I had pushed his boundaries again. It was the second time in two days. But I sensed that he would bounce back like he seemed to yesterday. Like after I struck him, he did nothing for an hour or so, but then returned to normal like nothing ever happened. Thinking on that though, the cut I gave him was gone completely, something told me that 'Draye', as Nion had called him, must've treated his wound too. Not like it was anything to worry about.

I looked towards the Luxray, watching as his tail would twitch from side to side occasionally, telling me that he was fine, if just a little annoyed. Yet his excuse for not telling me what he wanted me to find out was a little off key. He didn't seem the type to be afraid or back down from anything. So why would he become nervous over something? I had no idea. I could've spent the entire morning trying to figure out the word puzzle he had given me last night. But I thought better of it, there had to be something remotely interesting to do in this place, even if I had to search an hour for it.

I picked my head up and scanned the room once more, the food bowl was the main focus this time, which made me wonder how I didn't find it when I first woke up. It was way over filled, which I only assumed was because I didn't have my own bowl yet. But I assumed that when Draye did return home, I would have one for myself. I couldn't look forward to that moment enough. Sure, I had almost completely stopped any form of hostility towards Nion, but that was just for survival. He didn't seem the type to want to attack for no reason, yet I was giving him several, there was just no reaction to it. I sighed heavily, resting my head back in the cross of my forelegs. I had too many things to think about. No doubt now my home had been taken over by a Graveler, Machoke or some other pathetic wild Pokémon that needed a shelter. Also the fact that Nion had lost himself again. I remained oblivious as to why he acted the way he did, I still wanted to find out why, my urge to thank Draye remained in the back of my mind, I wanted to start exploring my new home beyond this room, and I almost started to feel sorry for making Nion so sad...

Wait, what? Why should I feel for him? He was the one that trapped me here. All I did was make him a little sad. So why did I feel even the slightest hint of remorse? My mind was playing tricks on me again. I didn't feel sorry for him, I had no reason to. Nion deserves everything I throw at him, whether it be emotional or physical... I think...

* * *

Hours past but Nion still hadn't moved from his position. His face as buried into his chest which was almost pressed up against the wall, so I couldn't check to see if he was awake or not. Occasionally his body would shudder for a few moments, and bob back and forth in another didn't give me any indication as to if he was awake or not. Either way, I just believed he was asleep. What did it matter? It's not like I said anything.

Midday had rolled past and the afternoon was upon us. I had slept for about an hour after I ate lunch so I felt refreshed again. But the whole time Nion didn't move. Not that it bothered me. It was his life and I was sure that he slept for at least eighteen hours of the day, which then made be wonder how he became so strong, or at least how he kept himself in such good shape. I shook my head, quickly emptying it of such thoughts. They had no place in my mind. I glanced back at Nion, still finding that he was as still as ever. Figures.

I pushed myself up off the cushion and stepped towards the intersection of rooms, finding that the one to where Nion had been called to last night was closed off, but the other two were open for me explore. I turned right into the first room, feeling the floor change from the soft carpet to a hard, cold stone-like substance. My claws clicked on the flooring as I stepped further inside. The entire room was covered in a half-wall with several handles on either side of a crack in the wood, there were occasional breaks in the blue colour to fit in two separate white steel objects, one standing almost to the roof, from my view anyway. I sniffed around for a moment, discovering that many types of food were stored behind the blue wood, most noticeably to me though was the scent of the brown lumps I now called a meal. I sighed, there was nothing more of interest to me in here, since the only thing I did care about was behind a slab of wood. And so I turned around to explore the other room.

The moment I set foot inside the room I was dumbfounded by its shear volume. The room was about twice as long as the first one and about the same length wide. Sitting in the middle of the room was a large bed which I couldn't see past. I immediately jumped onto it, revealing the rest of the room to me. The large mattress was incredibly soft underneath my feet, much softer than my cushion, although if my cushion was this soft then all I would feel would be the floor. On either side of the bed, pressed up against the wall sat two wooden boxes about the same size as the half-walls in the food room. Except these ones had horizontal grooves, as opposed to vertical ones.

I turned around slowly, taking in the rest of the room. On one side was a window overlooking a rather large lake. The wall immediately to the left of that had another one of those black boxes on it, but on the opposite wall to the window, something caught my eye and held it. I was stunned. Hanging on the wall was an incredibly large painted picture of an Absol. I stared at the picture, examining the pure white quadrupedal pokémon standing in the centre of it. I looked down at myself, mirroring its stance, then back at the picture. I looked exactly like it. Despite the fact that all of our species looked the same, the one captured in the picture and myself looked so exactly alike that it almost scared me. After several moments of standing in wonder I noticed the rest of the image, because facing the opposite way to me, I mean the pictured Absol, was a Luxray that was, dare I say it, Nion.

My pictured self was facing towards the left edge with its face turned back towards the centre, with the Luxray in the almost perfectly mirrored stance, albeit allowing for the size difference. I couldn't figure it out. I looked behind the two bodies, finding that it was like a cave. It was like someone had taken the moment when I was found, then made it out to seem like Nion and I were actually friendly with each other. I checked the Absol's face again, finding that she didn't hold any form of anger at all. I did the same to the Luxray, finding only the same expression, one that I hadn't seen used before until earlier that day, when Nion was staring at me.

Wait that must be it. That must've been why Nion was called into the other room last night and why I didn't see Draye at all after I reached here. I was confused. Well, I wasn't actually confused, but I wished that I was. Because now I knew why Nion was staring at me this morning.

"I see you found Draye's room," I jumped hearing Nion's voice, he didn't scare me, I just wanted to remove all thought that I didn't believe it wasn't me in the picture. "He painted that all yesterday. Draye was a little unsure as to how you would've looked at the time, but he used me and just altered some of your features in. And after seeing you pose to it, I believe he got it right."

"Why did he make this?"

"Even I don't know that. I assume it's because he always wanted one of your kind, but why he added me into it I do not know." I figured that Nion was right about his trainer, I hadn't known Draye long enough to make that judgement. Nion stepped into the room and jumped onto the bed beside me. I immediately turned away, staring back at the picture. "See? I told you he got it right." I looked to Nion who was standing mirrored to me like he was in the picture, but something was different about him, his eyes were bloodshot red, like something had happened to him. I shrugged it off though and returned my focus to the picture, he wasn't any of my concern. "Perfect, am I right?"

I scoffed and jumped off the bed, leaving Nion in the same pose the picture held. I walked through the intersection of rooms back into the first one, walking over to my bed and laying down on it, watching as Nion followed me back only to lie down on his. He continued to look at me though, although this time I wasn't so disturbed by it. I felt as if the picture hanging in Draye's room hit something inside me. Like something I hadn't known before suddenly woke up. I couldn't quite grasp the feeling, as it was never something I had a need for when I lived alone. But the main vibe I received was that I had been accepted by Draye and Nion, not like they had a choice anyway.

* * *