Edward’s day was just not going well. First he lost at his first official gym battle, and had to run away for some extra training. Which he wouldn’t have even minded if Adriano had even bothered to stick around and train him. But no, he needed to be mysterious and fly off again without saying where he was going. But then he met Morgana and his day suddenly got really good! She was so cool, with mesmerizing eyes and an aura of badness that he couldn’t help but want to know more.

Edward sighed. And then Adriano ruined it again, by showing up and making her leave. And then he even scolded him for not immediately making a strategy to beat her. Edward just wanted to scream at him. Not everything in life revolved around worrying about people stabbing you in the back! If you treat people with kindness and respect they would do the same. He’d learned that growing up. Honestly, Adriano was such a bundle of paranoia and nerves sometimes. But then again, Edward laughed at himself, it’s not paranoia if someone really is out to get you.

And it really seemed like someone was, as he stretched again, testing the strength of the rope binding him to the tree. The leaves shook and Edward froze, but his captors didn’t even look up, so he returned to slowly stretching and rubbing his hands. It would really help to have his Pokemon right now, Edward mused, blowing the hair out of his eyes. The blood rushing to his head was making him dizzy, but he kept his focus on the two people who had kidnapped him and the box they were guarding that contained dozens of pokeballs, among which was his Oshy. Niki had disappeared on him at the Dreamyard, prompting him to go out and try to find her. Unfortunately, these people found him first.

The leaves shook again, and one of the kidnappers, a woman, glanced over at Edward before snorting dismissively and returning to her book. The other, a man, stood up and circled the campsite a few times before sitting back down. Their vigilance hardly paid off however as two streaks of blue light sliced through their throats, leaving glowing trails frozen in the air. Both quietly slumped, red flowing down their chest with a disturbing gurgling sound. Edward struggled even harder and tried calling out but the gag in his mouth was making it difficult. Seeing a third streak of blue arcing towards him, he closed his eyes and prepared for the worst.

Schnick

Edward felt a momentary weightlessness before smacking his head hard on the ground. Twisting frantically, he started wriggling forward.

“Stop moving.”

Edward recognized that voice. Doing his best to remain calm he flinched as a black bird landed in front of his face. The Murkrow cocked its head, reaching out a talon and slicing apart the last few ropes. As the last few cords fell away, the Murkrow grabbed Edward’s collar and effortlessly hauled him to his feet, flapping slowly in the air. It was for naught, however, as his cramping legs immediately buckled and sent him falling backwards.

“Be more careful next time.”

Edward felt himself being hoisted up over a shoulder and he turned his head slightly only to get a face full of lilac hair.

“Now be quiet, it won’t be long before the others realize what's going on.”

“Wait…”

Edward croaked out.

“My Pokemon…”

He felt Morgana shift his weight.

“I’ve got them.”

Edwards head hung loose as the tension and adrenaline drained from his body.

“Thank… you…”

If Morgana heard his whisper she didn’t reply and Edward soon found himself lulled into sleep by the rhythmic bouncing of her footsteps.

---

The crackling and popping of the fire were the first sounds that reached Edward’s ears. Groaning as the soreness returned to his body, he flexed his arms and legs to try and regain some mobility. Straining mightily, he sat up, pushing aside the sleeping bag he was resting in. Crawling on his hands and knees, he opened the tent flap and peeked outside.

“You’re awake. Come and sit down.”

Morgana called out, stirring a pot hanging over the fire. The campsite was well-hidden, two sides blocked off by fallen trees backed up against an overhanging cliff provided just enough space for a tent and campfire. Morgana beckoned him again, gesturing to a spot on the log beside her. Cautiously, Edward emerged, rising and taking slow, shaking steps until he was sitting down. Opening his mouth, he found his jaw and throat too sore to speak.

“Food is ready.”

Brusquely, Morgana ladled a bowl of stew from the bubbling pot into a camping bowl and thrust it at Edward. Shakily, he took it and the offered spoon, but his hands lacked the strength to grip it and the utensil dropped to the ground.

“Tsk.”

Morgana clicked her tongue and Edward curled inward, wanting to die of embarrassment. Reaching into her bag, she pulled out another spoon and scooted closer to Edward. He flinched backwards as visions of red flashed across his eyes, but all she did was take the bowl from his hands and proceed to feed him herself. Still bright red, Edward looked into her eyes, looking for meaning for her actions. Finding nothing but bright, deep, pools of dark water, he fell into a blurry daze as he felt himself falling.

“Wake up!”

Edward jerked awake as Morgana’s voice rang in his ears like a bell.

“Sorry, sorry! I just was looking and then started feeling really tired.”

Pausing, Edward rubbed his throat, relieved to find it feeling fine. Morgana shifted uncomfortably before replying.

“You shouldn’t stare into my eyes.”

“But that’s such a shame! Your eyes are so pretty…”

Edward trailed off as he saw her Murkrow land on her shoulder, fixing Edward with a gaze that promised death if he upset her. Gulping, Edward nodded to acknowledge he had received the message loud and clear. Morgana coughed and he focused on her, or more precisely, on the pokeball she was holding out to him.

“Oshy!”

Edward cried out, releasing him before grabbing the startled Pokemon and pulling him into a big hug.

“You should try to keep your Pokemon out more often. It will help you two become friends faster.”

Morgana paused.

“And it’s important to have at least some protection, especially when traveling alone.”

Oshawott turned his gaze up to his trainer questioningly. Edward stroked his furry head.

“No need to worry little guy. I’ll take care of you now and you can pay me back later when we become stronger!”

Morgana and Murkrow rolled their eyes in unison. Edward coughed awkwardly before changing the topic.

“So, who were those guys anyways? Last thing I remember was looking for Niki and then I woke up tied to a tree.”

Morgana shrugged.

“Not sure. Could have been bounty hunters, human traffickers, or even one of the gangs.”

Edward pouted.

“That doesn’t exactly narrow it down. How am I supposed to get justice if I don’t know who they were?”

“They’re already dead. Can’t exactly stand trial.”

Murkrow cawed with laughter and flexed its talons.

“Anyways, we should probably get going here soon. We’ll want to be making our way back to the patrolled route here soon.”

“Yeah. Where exactly are we?”

Morgana shrugged again.

“Somewhere on the very fringe of White Forest, would be my best guess. If we just travel south, we should hit either Nacrene or Striaton soon enough. Unless you have a flying Pokemon stashed away somewhere.”

Edward deflated for a moment before perking up again.

“No, but I can just call my Uncle! He’d come pick us up right away!”

Eagerly, he reached for the Xtransceiver on his wrist only to find it missing. Morgana snorted.

“There may have only been two of them, but it’s basic knowledge to strip anything electronic off of your prey. Aside from your Pokemon, they probably dumped your stuff in the woods somewhere.”

Standing up, she dusted off her leggings.

“Pack up the tent and we’ll get moving.”

As she moved to store the rest of the stew for later and put out the fire, Edward found the words he wanted to say stuck in his throat.

‘Just who are you?’