Phantoms Within The Snow [ON HOLD]

31| Bitter Tears

~Flashback Memory~

"But, why?" I asked.

"Because, like pokémon, they were despised and mistreated too...Ever since then, our ancestors would leave the villages they were born in and create a clan settlement of their own in the wild.

If some of them felt like they couldn't survive on their own, they would leave the settlement and join either the diamond clan or the pearl clan, by their own will.

It was mostly the diamond clan your mother's ancestors chose, while mine chose the pearl clan.

But, eventually at one point, they came across some zouras and zoroarks, who were also treated the same way that our ancestors were. Only they lost everything and became something else instead.

After their encounter, our ancestors quickly bonded and got along with them very well to the point where they became very close and gained each other's trust.

Some of our ancestors fell in love with the zoroarks, which resulted in the birth of a new kind that still exists in both sides of mine and your mother's family today......Poké Hybrids. Or pokéhumans, if you want it in long terms." My father answered.

"Poké Hybrids?" I went, confused.

"Mm-hm...Poké Hybrids are people who carry the blood of a human and the blood of a pokémon inside their bodies, since the day they were born.

Sometimes, they'd also be born with the same abilities or powers that a pokémon has. Like if someone was half human and half lucario, for a random example, that person could possibly have the ability to change their appearance to a lucario's and sense or control aura by their own will." He explained.

Unfortunately, before my father could continue, that's when the memory suddenly started wavering...
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Yin's POV 🌺

As I tried to look into or listen in on it more, the flashback memory suddenly faded and instead, the zoroark I saw earlier (when I was trying to reach for Artemis and save her from drowning) had reappeared, staring at me as it approached.

In response, I looked at it, both of us staring into each other's eyes.

A stare that felt like it was so silent and deep, that it seemed intense.

This continued on for a few seconds until the zoroark suddenly spoke up, breaking the silence and the staring we've been doing.

"For a very long time, like your old man said, people and pokémon never coexisted in Hisui region...We were hated so much, that we could've been killed again and again by humans, if we were immortal like the mythical and legendary pokémon..." It mentioned.

"But instead, after we were mistreated and some of us had gotten killed, that's when we changed...Driven by our bitter malice and hatred towards humanity, we became how we are right now.

Both zoruas and zoroarks..."

"I know..." I replied. "I was told this a lot and repeatedly. But, I don't really think this explains anything of it or why I'm here, and in my own consciousness."

After I replied to that, silence filled between us, until I suddenly flinched a little when the zoroark suddenly started trembling and just fell to its knees, clutching its head as it did.

"Are you....alright?" I asked, feeling a bit concerned but cautious at the same time.

"You don't understand...You don't understand a single thing of what I've been through along with the other zoruas and zoroarks." The zoroark says, sounding like it's on the verge of tears, judging by the fact their voice cracked a little.

"Being beaten, thrown into a river to drown, attacked by sharp blades that can easily cut your skin, ignored by others when asking them for help...In short words, being treated like a piece of living shit."

Just after I heard that, silence stretched between the both of us again.

"True...I can't really understand how much a pokémon like you has gone through. But, that doesn't mean, I can't understand the same pain and emotions that you're feeling right now..." I spoke up, as I lowered my head a little to the point where a shadow fell over my eyes.

In response, the zoroark seemed taken aback by my words.

"I understand your pain...I really do. But, do you think I didn't bear the same burden of emotions as you do? The heavy weight on our shoulders? And the feeling like the world had crashed and fallen apart on you?" I continued.

"No...You're wrong. I went through the same experience of being mistreated along with the exact same kind of emotions that you went through too."

"Why were you mistreated and how?" The zoroark questioned.

"Because I was different and someone who carries half of zoroark blood in me. Bullies made fun of and had not only broken me, but my willpower and spirit too.

And just like you, I became something else instead, only it was when my first pokémon, that I grew up with, got killed by them." I answered, as tears appeared in my eyes before looking at the zoroark.

"My first pokémon, that I was given since I was five, before it's blood was spilt in the hands of the bullies...was a zorua. A stubborn one but was very kind, and an understanding little thing.

I was given two of them, since both zoruas were siblings. Only one was at home during that time, while I was traveling with the other one."

Just like I thought, words could not express how the zoroark felt when I said that.

At this point however, I couldn't stop myself from crying and feeling my heart becoming heavy with sorrow.

"We were only minding our business and just being ourselves one day, when they suddenly came out of nowhere and attacked us.

They separated me and my zorua away from each other, before I was attacked first. For only more than a few minutes, I was stabbed constantly by a knife that one of the bullies somehow brought along.

It continued on, until the stabbing had stopped, and they decided to attack my zorua next.

At that time, my parents heard the commotion and tried to put a stop to it, before things could get worse and more out of hand, but they failed.

I even threw myself out at the bullies and tried to buy my zorua time for it to escape, but, I failed too.

They came after my zorua and killed it once they shoved me off of them roughly, making me snap and attack them to avenge my zorua, until I blacked out and woke up in a hospital.

In the end, me and my parents had to give my zorua a small funeral for pokémon, before burying it underground.

Ever since that day, I could still hear it crying and screaming out in pain, pleading for mercy, before it's death..."