ToT Chap1 - To Be Strong Pt3

Sonya lightly grunts as she tries to hurry and keep steady the box of clothes on her back. She followed Madras to where the box of clothing donated was being kept then telling her where to drop it off, Sonya immediately loaded it on her back and took off. Still in a hurry to get after her teammate.

Yet she is kinda regretting her decision to help as she's once more reminded of her aching soreness from training with Marble. Having forgotten just how sore she was all this time until she put the box on her back and took off. Not that the box was really that heavy, she's carried Yang on her back before no problem. Just going on all fours is the quickest way for her to drop this off and get to finding Yang but the box digging in to her back that still hurts is getting worse and worse.

She could just carry it with two hands since she can walk on two legs no problem too. She's just not fast enough going on two legs and she's getting impatient since she wants to hurry after her friend.

Her frown deepening on her face the more prominent the pain becomes while she quickly walks.

After a bit more walking and getting a few stares from a few others due to her annoyed frown plastered on her face, her ears perk up when she sees the destination she was told to go up ahead. A small donations booth made near the marketplace for any to drop off what they can.

Sonya doesn't smile, but she does look relieved and happy to see it. Redoubling her efforts to ignore the ache in her back as she walks to the booth.

As she does, a certain Lucario named Gemma happened to be nearby. Talking to a few other pokemon about a notice board nearby with posters of activities coming up or helps wanted. Trying to inform and get more pokemon involved. She manages to catch Sonya at the corner of her eye carrying the box of clothes to the donations booth.

Sonya quickly sets the box off her back and next to the donations booth. Sighing in relief at the weight off her back. She stands on two legs to reach the top of the desk for the booth and grabs a quill next to a sign in sheet of paper. Sonya recalling Madras telling her to make sure to sign in who the donation came from.

Satisfied once she wrote it down, Sonya puts the quill away then going back on all fours quickly sprints away.

Gemna looks curious to the Eevee who just left a box of clothes and took off without a second thought. She strolls over to the sign in desk and looks at the sheet. Her eyes going to the last line to see who it was just now. Though her eyes widen in confusion to seeing the name is signed Madras. Gemma knows there's only one Madras in Tabira and it sure wasn't that Eevee.

Gemma looks to where Sonya took off. Seeing she's already out of sight. A small smile comes to her face and Gemma makes a mental not to remember the Eevee that took off with impressive speed.

--

Yang takes a few steps back away from the Braixen. Concern on her face as every step back she makes, the pokemon before her follows with a step towards her.

The Braixen before her just continues to smirk twirling his wand in one hand. "Hi there Miss Shiny. Not often I see a Mienfoo around here. Let alone a shiny one. And let me tell you, I've battled quite a lot of different 'mons yet not often your kind."

The Braxien stops twirling his wand then holds it forward pointing it right at Yang. She flinches as a small flame appears at the end of his wand and he gives her a challenging look.

"Not that it's a bad thing. This just means I will have a very interesting and fun duel with you." He lightly tips his hat at her, still pointing the wand forward. "The name's Xavier. And you and I will have an honorable duel Miss Shiny."

Yang gasps looking afraid. Her shoulders beginning to shake as she can see the Braixen is intending to battle with her. She tries to get her voice to work, to tell him politely she doesn't want to fight yet she can't seem to find her voice. The stance the pokemon is in making her realize he has every intention of not letting her pass or get away until this duel has a victor.

"Now then Miss Shiny, let's set the stage for our duel." Xavier twirls his want once more then begins to write symbols in the air. The small flame emitting from the tip helping to shape out the symbols he creates. Once finished, Xavier swipes across and in a flash, he and Yang are surrounded by a shifting and glowing barrier.

Yang looks around confused and scared. Glancing closely to the slightly invisible walls around them, she can tell that it's Magic Room. She becomes more worried realizing she really is stuck now.

Satisfied, he once more points the want at Yang ready. "Now then. If you win our duel I will allow you to pass." Xavier explains confidently. "Though if you lose our duel, then you will hand over all your belongings. Fair deal if I do say so."

Yang's whole body freezes up in realization after Xavier set the 'rules' of their duel. Her body shaking before due to the fear of getting in to a fight she doesn't want. Yet a new realization hits her like a ton of bricks and makes her shake even more.

Bandit...... He's a Bandit....




That thought races through Yang's whole mind. Painful memories resurfacing as she just stares at Xavier with wide eyes.

She can't seem to move anymore, even though every fiber of her being is telling her to run and get as far away from this bandit as she can. Her vision becomes blurred as tears gather again in her eyes. The blurriness only gets worse and worse the longer she stares at Xavier.

Soon Yang's vision starts to shift and slowly instead of Xavier standing before her, he is replaced with dark silhouettes that are grinning and laughing at her.

Yang begins to breath heavily, close to hyperventilating as she looks terrified. She tries to take a step back away from the dark figures that are advancing around her slowly. Whether they are real or not isn't sure, but they look real enough to Yang.

Yet when her foot touches the ground, a searing pain courses right through her from her lower legs wrapped by white wrappings. The pain shaking Yang to her very core that she cries out in agony and falls to the ground.

The area around her turns dark and eerie. The trees and brushes around turning in to dark faces with red eyes and mocking smiles. Laughter surrounds her, mocking or laughing at her pain.

Tears gather and fall down Yang's face, shaking uncontrollably while staring up at the dark figures surrounding her. She then looks to the ground where her legs are. The color red litters the ground near her lower legs along with a strange and dark mark. Yang gasping in fear at the sight, the laughter never stopping in her ears.

"No.... no.... please...." Yang mumbles, her voice shaky and weak.

Xavier scratches the side of his head confused. He hadn't even attacked yet and she already dropped to the ground in defeat. He's even more confused to why she's crying and mumbling things he can't understand.

He shrugs and stands casually. "Well then. Not sure what's up but I'll take this as you forfeiting our duel. Which means I'm the victor by default." He flips his wand, catching it easily while strolling to Yang.

Yang continues to mumble incoherent things as Xavier stands before her now. He looks confused still, but just casually reaches out to grab Yang's gem hairbands that hold back her long bangs. Yang too far lost she doesn't move or even flinch when Xavier gets too close.



Once untied, Yang's long bangs fall forward. Completely covering her eyes, yet her tears can still be seen running down her cheeks.

Xavier looks to her gem hairbands then back to her still confused. "Well, not sure what's up but since this is all you have on ya then I'll just take them as my reward." He lightly rolls them in his hand. "Not sure if they're worth anything, but better than going empty handed I suppose."

Yang continues to remain as she is, her shaking form frozen in place and tears falling freely without stopping.

Xavier looks a little awkward now. A small feeling of pity passes through him seeing the state Yang is in now. "Uh Shiny. You ok there?"

"Yang!!"

A new voice yelling out with a tone of panic and anger rings out. Xavier jumping a bit at the sudden voice and looks behind the Mienfoo to where the voice came from.

Running at an impressive speed, Xavier barely manages to see the form of an Eevee running towards them before they soon leap up in the air. Going high up to overpass the Mienfoo and looking right at him.

A ball of dark energy soon gathers in front of the Eevee, gaining power quickly before it shoots out right at him.

Xavier looks taken back by the sudden attack but manages to leap back and dodge the Shadow Ball aimed right at him. The ball of dark energy hitting the ground he once stood creating a small explosion with dust coming up. The Eevee landing right in front of the Mienfoo, hidden momentarily by the dust cloud from the explosion.

Xavier slides back, being mindful to hold his new gems in his hand so not to lose them. He stands up and glares to the dust cloud where he can see the faint form of the crouched Eevee that just attacked suddenly.

As it slowly starts to clear, Xavier's eyes narrow as he soon sees a fierce set of violet eyes fixated right on his form. And not only that, he can feel the anger emanating from the pokemon that just showed up.

"Stay away from my friend."