Angel of the Shadows

4. A Clefable of Sorrow

Shadow Skill: Deafen. Deafens and disorients the opponent for 30 seconds.

Clefable dwell in small groups in hidden places. Due to their superb hearing, they prefer quiet areas, away from humans. With hearing even more sensitive than normal, whispers can make the Shadow distraught.

After she fled Ally's, Angel ran until she couldn't anymore. She wound up half a mile outside the city, and when she spotted a bench nearby, she headed toward it. When she arrived, she collapsed onto it and let the tears fall. Petunia tried to soothe her, even though she knew he was upset, too. Which honestly made her feel bad that she was being selfish and putting her pain first. But when both parties were in this much pain, the only thing that could be done was just silence together.

Eventually, they fell asleep. When she opened her eyes, it was early morning, and she could feel Petunia against her chest. Heh. Why had he stayed with her when Ally needed him more? Perhaps he understood that Ally needed some time alone to calm down and realize she'd overreacted, so he chose to stay with Angel, a decision she was beyond grateful for. Little things like this made her certain Pokémon were more sentient and aware than most people gave them credit for. Unfortunately, many Trainers treated them as inferiors rather than equals. Or saw them as mere tools and a means to an end.

Angel sat up and stretched, and a blanket fell to her waist. The crisp early morning air made her shiver, and as she pulled cottony material around her shoulders, a familiar smell made her pause. She brought a small portion to her nose and inhaled deeply. Yup. Poochyena. Her gaze drifted back toward the city, where she half hoped to see Officer Jenny in the distance. But by the chill of the material, she knew whoever had placed it upon their sleeping forms was long gone.

As she watched the sunrise, she tried to accept everything. But it was all just too much, too fast. Without proper time to adjust, she would likely cave in on herself. It had happened before. The only thing she could hope for right now was that her breakdown didn't happen at the wrong time. Oh, how she wished she'd brought Sylvie along. Or, at the very least, her Sprigatito plushie.

Never had she been alone in this type of situation. Granted, she currently had three Pokémon with her. But their companionship had never been as calming as flinging herself at her father and crying into his chest until she fell asleep to his heartbeat. Or being entangled in Sylvie's ribbons. Her intense anxiety was the biggest reason why she hadn't gone on her Journey yet. She'd hoped to one day overcome her fear, but more and more, it was looking like an impossible task. Perhaps she should face the music and go for it. Maybe an adventure would be the answer she'd sought all along.

Her fingers brushed against one of Petunia's flowers, which caused him to awaken. He stretched so adorably before he sat up and leaned into her for warmth. For a while, neither of them said anything. Once the gorgeous shades and hues of the sunrise had settled off, Petunia broke the silence with a single word. One that managed to crush her heart. "Home?"

She reached into her pocket and pulled out his shrunken pokéball. "I'm sure Ally doesn't want to see me yet. She's probably really worried about you, though." Angel placed the pokéball in his left hand.

"Friends?"

Angel had to hold back a sob at the desperation in his voice. "Ally's really mad at me right now because she thinks I did something bad, but I know she'll realize I was telling the truth with time. I hope she still considers me a friend once she calms down. But she might not for a long while. People in her state of mind need someone to blame for what happened. It is easier to do that than deal with the real issues. Without knowing the facts, she can only blame me, the one all evidence points to. But us?" She reached out a finger to boop his nose. "We're still friends."