Secrets Without Shame (A Pokémon Fanfiction)

Chapter 3

"No one has seen your father in almost seventeen years, except a possible sighting of him a year after you were born." Abel explained.

"Nobody told me that." said White quietly, looking at the Charizard in surprise.

"Hopefully I didn't just say something that will cost me my neck..."

"If you did then I'll defend you."

"Sure, you will..." Abel growled, but he sounded amused. "I'm the only one who'll give you information, so you can't let me die."

"That's not true!" White snapped furiously.

"I know, I'm just pulling your leg."

"Good."

The pokemon tapped the fence for a few seconds before turning back to face her and said, "May I ask you something?"

"Depends, so just ask." growled White.

"Why are you so interested in finding your father?"

"Because I know he's alive."

"How do you know?"

"Whenever I go visit my family's graves, my pokemon always sense something or someone watching us, and whenever I try to get close to the person they always disappear." She told him, trying her best to sound patient.

"Could be the caretaker." suggested the Charizard.

"The cemetery doesn't have a caretaker!"

"Well still, it could be a stalker."

"I know this is a stupid question but who would be stalking me?"

Abel snorted and growled, "You're a teenager who was arrested several times in your life, so I wouldn't be surprised if police have been keeping tabs on you."

"Thanks for the reassurance." White said coolly, shuddering at the thought of being tailed everywhere she went by the police.

"I'm sorry," Abel said after a moment, sounding upset. "I didn't mean-"

"I know you didn't, it's ok..." she assured him, trying to put an end to the conversation.

After a few minutes of awkward silence, something hard suddenly hit White in the pit of her back. She yelped and crumpled against the fence. Abel roared furiously and swirled around to face White's attacker.

"Well look a who decided to come and join us for a bit of fun." A male's voice sneered behind her, followed with jeering laughter.

White turned her head to see a group of about seven older teenagers standing a little ways behind her. They were older than her by a year or two. They were also just as fearsome as she was, and possibly even more so.

"What are you doing here now, Moldy?" demanded the nearest and tallest boy, tossing a snowball into the air and catching it. "I'm surprised you're still alive after what happened with you and the hole you fell into."

"Shut up!" snarled White, pushing herself off the ground and brushing the snow off her overcoat. She grasped hold of Abel's tail in hopes that he wouldn't attack the boys.

"Has Mrs. Parker realized how much of a disappointment you are?" jeered another boy, who tried throwing another snowball at her but hit the side of Gregory Copperfield's house.

White snarled and straightened up. Abel was on all fours now. He was lashing his tail threateningly as if daring the group of boys to come any closer.