[Victory Road] Ic Inbox

[no_ufo_ending]

This is Henry Townshend, leave a message.

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[no_ufo_ending]

Henry took several more blows before he was finally able to fight through the pain and confusion enough to really register what was going on. Memories of being ganged up on by the dogs surged to the front of his thoughts. His throat! He had to protect his throat.

Suddenly he came alive and thrashed wildly before rolling over and driving his face into the snow. It seared against the cuts and slowly blooming bruises on his face. He covered his head with his arms as best he could and screamed.

It was incredible how much power one small Pokemon could hold when pitted against a human. Henry didn't battle much--he preferred to care for his Pokemon as though they were a bunch of colorful therapy animals. It didn't even occur to him to call out to any he may have brought with him. This was going to have to change.

[11121_assumption]

Assumption snarled. He wanted Henry to look at him when he hit him, to face what a Bad Reciever he'd been-! He got another swing to the back of Henry's head anyway.

But then Walter touched him. He turned and look up at his trainer. Assumption was already very familiar with Walter's expressions but he could feel the worry and fear flowing from his trainer and began to shake, tears welling up. He didn't want Walter to be afraid of him. He didn't want Walter to flinch away from him like that. Slightly splattered in Henry's blood, the little Pokemon began to cry mournfully at the thought of making Walter dislike him.

Walter quickly gathered Assumption up, stepping away from Henry. "Shhh....shhh." He murmured softly. He looked over Henry. It wasn't as messy as Cynthia but...he had clearly just been savagely attacked.

[no_ufo_ending]

Henry kept his hands and arms over his head even after the blows stopped coming. He hadn't been so thoroughly rattled since...well...when he'd actually been in the Otherworld. The pain was so strange, too. It came in horrible electric icy waves but it felt...home-y. Like a pair of shoes you'd forgotten about and slipped on for the first time in years. It fit. Familiar. Not comfortable exactly, but Henry had been so submerged in thoughts of his terrible adventure with Walter that the wounds Assumption marked him with seemed to complete the picture. He was in Hell again. Fridged, bleeding, biting hell with bones and meat.

And Henry...didn't want to be a part of it any longer. This was what he'd been wanting to avoid and yet--twice now--he'd thrown himself right back into it, metaphorical guns blazing. This was what Heather was trying to get him to avoid. This was where...Heather would have ended up if she hadn't reined herself in. Henry squeezed his eyes shut to block out the blood and ice and also so he could heave a shaky defeated sigh. She was right. She was right.

It sucked being the Receiver of Wisdom. Wisdom never came cheap.

[11121_assumption]

Walter looked down at Assumption, then back to Henry, expression hardening. He wasn't sorry. He wasn't sorry for Henry getting attacked by Assumption, even as he looked down on Henry's battered form. A part of him still couldn't believe that Assumption had done this. Had...had intervened and protected him. He would've let Henry kill him but Assumption wouldn't let that happen.

Assumption's sobs began to calm, leaving the two men in the throbbing silence that followed. Henry's blood was smeared over Assumption's club and over Walter's coat, where he had held Assumption to him. Walter breathed in and exhaled. He felt...something, when he looked at Henry. Not pity. Not shame either. But some kind of remorse. Assumption had been such a sweet, good Pokemon. And now his paws were bloody, because of Walter. Another youth, taken by the Order and baptised in blood.

Would...would the Jennies come and take Assumption away? Without meaning to, he tightened his hold on the little Cubone. He couldn't lose him. He'd rather die than lose Assumption. Walter recalled Assumption to his pokeball with a gentle whisper to hide his bloody state. And, pulling out his Pokegear and turning, Walter turned and started walking briskly towards the Pokemon Centre.

He'd inform Heather of Henry's location. He'd get out of Goldenrod immediately. He didn't know what Henry would tell Heather; hopefully, Walter prayed that he would tell her that he had attacked him, not Assumption.