Pokémar Episode V, A Clone's Destiny

Hell Hath No Fury

Shadow

It's been a great day. It started with a fruitful training session with Thunder. "If you keep this up, you'll be one of the best fighters I've ever seen." He had said. She had swelled with pride at the idea. And, even better, this was followed up with a feast! Alex had bought a tray of poffins and pokepuffs galore for all of them as thanks for everything we've done for them.

Night had since fallen. Shadow was purring gently on Josh's lap, enjoying the sensation of being pet. Funnily enough she's never seen Alex pet Thunder, despite how close they are. Alex has said that doing so would feel "wrong" somehow. She isn't sure what that means exactly, but it's not her business to pry. For now she is content to just lay there and relax until dad gets home. Speaking of it's been a while. He seems to be late. No matter. He'll probably arrive soon enough.

Her gaze shifts to Josh, who looks down at her lovingly. She can't help but smile back. A perfect partner if there ever was one. She's known him since she first hatched. He's always cared for her, seen to her needs and wants. She is exceptionally grateful. And she shows that gratitude through loyalty. Whatever comes, whatever the path ahead has planned for them, she will be there with him. Come hell or high water.

In that moment Shadow feels something in her gut. Perhaps she shouldn't have eaten so many poffins. Except... It doesn't feel like indigestion. It feels like... energy, strength, power... Evolution. She's evolving.

"Josh! Ohmygosh Josh! It's time!" She squeals. The power in her chest expands, growing to engulf her body until she is enshrouded in bright, energetic light. Her body starts to morph and change. Shadow waits, anticipation building. This is it. The next chapter of her life. What will she become? It's almost too much to bear.

After what feels like an eternity the light begins to fade and the world comes back into focus. She takes a moment to adjust. She feels bigger. Substantially so. She tries to look at her new body. Her legs are a pure white, her paws pastel pink. Her once fluffy tail is now far less so, and she can feel new appendages. Ribbon feelers. She's a Sylveon now.

"A Sylveon!" She squeals joyfully. "My love for you turned me into a Sylveon! Isn't this amazing Josh?" She looks up at her trainer with a wide grin. But what she is met with is not a face of joy. But one of shock. "Josh? Is something wrong?" His gaze changes to that of frustration and anger. With a single motion he shoves her off his lap, knocking her over onto the floor.

She tumbles to a stop on the ground, grunting in mild pain as she rights herself. Concern wells in Shadow's heart. Something is deeply wrong. He's never been that rough with her before.

"Josh, what's wrong? What's upsetting you? I want to help." She approaches him, reaching out her feelers and gently taking hold of his hand. Almost immediately an empathic link is made. She can sense his emotions with fine clarity. His mind is awash with frustration, laced with embarrassment and disappointment. A desire for things to be different. All of it directed at one thing, her. But why? Why be upset with her? She evolved out of pure love for Josh. That should be cause for celebration. Unless...

Unless he wanted her to have a different evolution.

The pieces start to fit together. Most of their affectionate time is at night. And the name he gave her, Shadow. She had no idea what the humanspeak word meant until Alex translated it for her. He wanted her to become and Umbreon. But instead she became something else. And he hates her for it.

Josh rips his arm free of her grasp and gets up. "Josh?" She mutters plaintively. "T-that's not true, right? You still love me, surely. We've been through so much together. You're not just going to throw it all away, are you?" Josh simply scowls at her and storms off down the hall and into his room, slamming the door behind him. Did he... did he ever care? Was the entire point of their relationship just to get an Umbreon to battle with?

"Josh..." She gallops to his door and starts pawing at it. "Don't do this to me... Please don't do this! I love you! You're my trainer! I evolved for you! I evolved because I love you!" There is no response from the other side. He's ignoring her. She fights the urge to sob. This can't be real. This has to be a nightmare. She'll prove it. Josh would never do such a thing. She slams her face into the door, recoiling from the pain. Pain. This isn't a dream. This is real. The realization is a shock to her system.

The door swings open, revealing Josh, angry and annoyed. He picks her up and walks to the backyard door. He tosses her outside and closes the door. That's her breaking point. The tears start to fall. All this time the love he had shown her was a lie. He's one of those trainers. Only interested in using pokemon to their own benefit. And she fell for it. This Arecus forsaken monster played her.

"I... I loved you Josh!" She screames. "How could you do this to me!?" He just watches, sitting down on a chair, tired from hauling her outside. No regrets. Just a cold stone where his heart aught to be. How could she have been so blind!? To ever have cared about this selfish, entitled brat!

"I HATE YOU!" She spits like venom. And then she turns and runs. And runs. And runs. She doesn't care where. She just needs to go. Away from him. It must've been a half hour before she stopped. She lays down, legs aching, tears blurring her vision. The weight of her pain has taken its toll. All she can think to do now is lay down and cry...

Alex

"I'm starting to worry about Jackson..." I mutter as I look over the maps I've made. We've managed to scout out one of the potential locations of Rocket's place of operation. The one we went to, however, clearly wasn't it. The place was too busy with people. So much so that keeping experiments like those Rocket has been working on would be impossible without someone spotting them. One down, about a dozen more to go. Of course, Jackson's absence is throwing up red flags. "He should've been back by now."

"You think Rocket got ahold of him?" Thunder asks, clearly nervous at the implications.

"I certainly hope not. If he's not back in ten minutes I say we go look for him."

Thunder is about to respond when a sudden slamming of a door startles the both of us. For a moment we both sit in silence as the muffled sound of commotion follows the slam.

"What was that about?" I ask Idly.

"Can't be good, whatever it is."

I get up from my chair and peer outside, Thunder following suit. My attention is drawn to the living room where the commotion seems to have migrated. Josh sits at the table, sulking while a teary eyed Sylveon screams at him from outside the sliding door. As I step out the Sylveon dashes away, vanishing into the woods, leaving the both of us confused. 

"Cool it will all the noise, please. I'm trying to sleep." Growlithe asks, stepping groggily from the back room. He stops for a moment and sniffs the air. "Wait... That smell. It smells like Shadow but... different. Did she evolve?" Shadow evolving? Was she the Sylveon? Why was she so upset? Did Josh do something to her?

"Josh?" I start with a wary tone. His head snaps towards us with a start. "What was that all about?"