Chapter 54

[Warning: Sensitive material ahead]

"Leaf Tornado!"

"Icy Wind!"

The two attacks collided, and blue and green sparks flew everywhere. Seth slid backwards as the blast of ice cold wind hit him in the chest. Zinzolin's Sneasel shrieked as a twister of razor sharp leaves swirled around it and dug into its skin.

White had snuck into the Cold Storage in Driftveil City to find a group of Team Plasma grunts. But instead of finding the whole patrol, she had ran into Zinzolin, a member of the Team Plasma's Seven Sages.

She had only just met him, and he clearly hated her. He had dragged her into a battle and was given it his all. He shot insults at her whenever she made a bad move, or cursed loudly whenever she got the upper hand.

"Leaf Blade!" White yelled at Seth.

He hissed and his tail began to glow white. The Servine leapt into the air and started swiping at the Sneasel. The opponent did a back flip to avoid the attack, but Seth's tail made a swift movement across its back and cut it.

"Protect!" shouted Zinzolin.

Sneasel hissed and formed a large bubble around itself. Seth screeched as he bounced off the barrier.

"Try Sunny Day!" She ordered desperately.

She had to win the battle. Losing wasn't an option.

Seth nodded and glowed white. Light flashed around him and brightened up the warehouse.

"Use Slash!" Zinzolin commanded. White smirked as his face turned red.

There was a shriek as the Sneasel's claws cut into his chest. Seth cringed and fell on his knees. White thought he was going to faint, but he got back up again.

"Keep going, Seth!" pleaded White. "Finish with Solar Beam!"

An explosion of light burst around Seth at this. White collapsed to the ground as the light temporarily blinded her. She heard a shriek of pain as something fell close to her. She heard Seth start panting loudly.

Then someone kicked her in the face. White yelped as she felt her nose start to bleed. Zinzolin had started to take out his anger on her.

"YOU FREAK!" He shrieked. "HOW COULD YOU?!"

"STOP IT!" White screamed.

She tried standing up but he just kicked her in the mouth.

There was a loud crack and the sound of running electricity as Zinzolin let out a yell of pain. White opened one eye and saw Zinzolin collapse a few feet away from her.

A police officer was standing behind him. He had a taser in one hand and a gun in the other.

White straightened up and glanced at Zinzolin. He was unconscious, but there was no sign of a bullet wound. He must have been tasered instead.

The officer stepped over Zinzolin and strolled over to White. She shivered and scooted away from him. She wasn't about to surrender.

Seth leapt away from the fainted Sneasel and jumped in front of White. He turned to face the officer and glared at him. The officer and the Servine glared at each other.

"Miss Copperstone, you're under arrest." He said after a moment, looking away from Seth.

White hissed and continued to crawl away from him. The officer stepped closer and took a pair of handcuffs off his belt.

She then felt herself bump into a wall of crates. White closed her eyes and shoved her hands in her coat pockets.

She felt the officer force her hands out of her pockets and put the cold handcuffs on her wrists. She gritted her teeth as he forced her to her feet.

"Up against the wall!" He ordered, shoving her against the warehouse wall.

White yelped and collapsed onto the floor.

"Get up!"

Rough hands grabbed her by the shoulders and shoved her back against the wall. She blinked back tears and looked at her boots.

Seth was cowering on the floor next to a large crate. They both met each other's gaze, but looked away quickly. They were about to go their separate ways. White was going to a detention center, or worse, prison, and Seth was going back to Professor Juniper.

White watched as the officer put handcuffs on Zinzolin. She couldn't escape from this. She was going to be sent to prison.

She then thought about Sky Blue and Mira. White was the one who had kept the three of them together. Sky Blue and herself would steal money to try and afford food. Mira was only nine to ten years old and Sky was terrible at cooking, so White had to do most of the chores. What would they do now?

A loud crack made White come back to her senses. The police officer had tried to grab the Servine, but Seth had used Vine Whip on him. The officer collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Blood dribbled out of his nose as Seth leapt over to White.

"Let's hurry up and get out of here!" Seth hissed, leaping into White's coat hood.

She snarled, but tried running away from the unconscious officer and Zinzolin. It was hard running with her hands restrained.

White ran down a path through the walls of cargo. She didn't know which way to go. Who else was in the Cold Storage? White knew that there was over twenty Team Plasma grunts in the warehouse as well, and she was pretty sure that the one police officer wasn't the only one investigating.

"STOP RIGHT THERE, WHITE!"

White couldn't help but roll her eyes when she recognized the voice. She saw Seth facepalm as she turned around.

Blake River and his friend, Cheren, were a few feet behind her. Blake's Dewott and Cheren's Servine were out, and were both glaring at Seth.

"What now?" She snarled in a bored voice, trying to hide her hands in her coat.

"What now?!" Blake spat, pulling out his pokedex. "You stole Snivy and the pokedex, so now you'll have to pay the price!"

"Says who?"

"Says everyone! You better give up!"

White looked from Blake to Cheren. She kept her gaze on Cheren a bit longer. He was staring at his friend with a reluctant expression on his face. What was wrong with him?

"You'll have to catch me first!" White burst out.

And she pelted away from the two boys. She turned a sharp corner and started running down another aisle. The handcuffs on her wrists were jingling loudly.

Seth hissed in surprise as a shard of ice narrowly missed White's head.

"They're gaining on us!" The Servine gasped, tugging at White's hair. She snarled and tried swatting his little hand away. She didn't have time to fight the stupid rookies.

She heard Cheren and Blake yell orders to their pokemon. Sharp leaves and more ice shards shot pass her. White winced as a leaf struck her face. She closed her eyes and kept running.

Don't stop, don't stop! White ordered herself as she turned another corner. She looked up and her heart skipped a few beats.

It was a dead end. All there was at the end was the warehouse's concrete wall. There was nowhere to hide.

"White, the ladder!" Seth suddenly hissed.

"What ladder?"

But then she saw it. A metal ladder was leaning against a wall of crates. It led up to a walkway near the ceiling. White glanced behind her before running toward it. She could see Cheren and Blake behind her.

She grabbed the cold ladder and began climbing. White bit her lip to keep herself from wincing. It was ice cold, and the ladder was very wobbly. She shivered at the thought of falling and breaking her neck.

"She's getting away!"  Blake's voice yelled.

"I can see that!" shouted Cheren.

White winced as a razor leaf bounced off the side of the ladder. Sparks flew off it and landed on the floor below.

She finally reached the top and pulled herself onto the walkway. Her hands felt raw. The handcuffs weren't helping since it kept her hands from moving too far apart.

A loud clang echoed from below her. White looked down and saw Blake beginning to climb the ladder.

Then Seth jumped out of her hood and leapt onto the railing. He gave White a serious look and pointed at the other side of the warehouse.

"Run." He said in a flat but clear voice.

"What?"

"Run," Seth repeated. "Save yourself. It's me they want. You took me from the lab, and that's why they want you. If I go back, then things will be settled. I don't want you to go to prison."

"But it was my choice to take you!"

"And it was my choice to stick with you!"

"This isn't going to-"

A piercing pain suddenly struck White in the back. Her breath came in short gasps as she stumbled backwards.

A frozen leaf had pierced her in the pit of her back. Seth shrieked with fury and suddenly slid back down the ladder. A yell of shock came from below her.

White leaned against the railing. She felt blood drip through her coat and make a large red stain. The frozen leaf was still stuck her back, but she was unable to pull it out.

"WATER GUN!"

"BLAKE, STOP!"

Ice cold water washed over her. White screamed as the force made her fall backwards. She felt her feet leave the ground as she fell over the railing.

She caught hold of the railing bar, but was still dangling on the other side of the walkway.

Two pairs of hands grabbed her's and tried pulling her back onto the highway. Cheren and Blake were each holding onto one of her arms.

"I'm so sorry, White!" Blake gasped, his grip tightening on her hand.

She growled in response, but tightened her own grip on his hand.

White wished that someone else was holding onto her, but she didn't dare let go. She was hanging fifty feet above the concrete floor. If she fell, she would either die or break her neck. Otherwise she would be lifted back onto the walkway and turned over to the police.

Her hands were sweating, so her hands were slipping out of the boys' grasp. Blake yelped as her hand successfully slipped out of his. White tried grabbing his hand, but the handcuffs were preventing her from moving.

Now it was just Cheren holding onto her. White felt his hand tighten on her's.

"Don't let go of her!" She heard Blake hiss at Cheren.

Cheren glared at his friend, but said nothing. He yelped as his glasses fell off and dropped toward the concrete floor. A ringing crack echoed up to them as the glasses hit the floor.

Her vision was becoming dark and blurry as her grip slackened. Her entire body felt like it was on fire. She couldn't hold on much longer.

Cheren seemed to know what she was thinking because he squeezed her hand, and whispered, "Don't you dare let go!"

White gave him a forced smirk before hissing, "I'm sorry."

And she let go of his hand.

White felt an unearthly pain pulse through her body as she hit a pile of crates. She flipped off the crates as they flew everywhere. Then her body smacked against the hard concrete.

"CHEREN YOU IDIOT!" She heard Blake bellow as her body exploded in pain. "WHY DID YOU LET GO?!"

"I'M SORRY!" Cheren shouted as darkness closed in on her. "I DIDN'T MEAN TO!"

*~*~*

"I can understand your concern, officer, but she should really be in a hospital."

"Look, Nurse Jackson, you have a son, don't you? Let's say he was in the hospital and we put this... girl in the same hospital. Would it bother you that your son was in the same hospital as a criminal?"

"It might bother me if she had killed or seriously injured someone, but she has done neither! She stole a pokemon and pokedex and has been rumored to have been part of Team Plasma, but that's not exactly murder!"

"Nurse Jackson, believe me, everyone, the girl included, will be much safer if she stays here."

White frowned and opened her eyes. She blinked a few times before her vision cleared up.

She was buried in thin blankets, laying on a hard cot in the corner of a dark room. A barred window was on the wall above her, and she could see the night sky reflected through the glass and bars. A dirty lightbulb was hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the room. White then saw two figures in the middle of the room.

One she recognized as the chief of police. He was talking to a woman in a nurse uniform. She recoiled a little as she noticed the taser on the officer's belt.

The nurse then looked over at White and smiled when she noticed that she was awake. White was surprised at this. It wasn't a cold smile, it was a friendly one.

"Good, you're awake!" The nurse said cheerfully as she strolled over to her. White bit back a snarl as the nurse put her hand on her forehead.

White winced sharply as she sat up. Pain shot through her body like lightning. She looked down at her body to see what had caused it.

Someone had taken off her overcoat and had laid it underneath her. The handcuffs were no longer on her wrists. Her arms and upper chest were wrapped in bandages, which were dirty and blood stained. She put her own hand to her forehead and felt a bandage around it.

"What....what happened?" White asked, turning to look at the nurse.

"You fell from a walkway that was about fifty feet above the ground," the officer answered before the nurse could. "You're lucky that you didn't break anything serious."

"But...how long have I been knocked out?"

"Three days." replied the nurse nervously.

"And where am I?"

Neither of them answered, and White didn't need them to. She knew where she was, but she didn't want to believe it.

"You're in the Driftveil City Prison now, honey."  The nurse whispered after a moment.

White nodded and looked at the cement floor. She tried hiding her tears, but she couldn't hold them back.

The officer turned away from her and started walking toward the cell door.

"You'll be staying here until your hearing." The officer told her as he opened the door.

"Hearing?!"

"It'll be in a week. Until then, you'll be staying here."

Once the officer closed the cell door behind him, White laid back down again and began to have a fit of sobbing. She let the tears fall down her face.

"It's ok, honey." The nurse said soothingly, kneeling on the floor next to the cot.

White forced herself to look up at the nurse. She had messy brown hair and blue eyes. White could smell the strong scent of perfume on her. The nurse's face was filled with sympathy and concern.

"I-It won't be ok!" White sobbed. "How can I be?!"

"You're alive!" The nurse pointed out. "The only serious injury you have is a broken finger! You were cut up and badly bruised, but you lived!"

White sniffed but didn't reply. The nurse then began pulling medicine out of her bag, which was lying next to the cot.

For the next twenty minutes, the nurse checked her injuries and gave her medicine. She talked to White as if she was family. The nurse tried making her feel better by telling her that she wouldn't be in prison for too long. She told her about her work and her normal life. White was surprised by this, but she didn't mind. She needed something to keep her mind off the hearing.

"You seem to be doing much better now than you were doing before." The nurse remarked after awhile, pulling a thermometer out of White's mouth.

"S-So what's all wrong with me?" White stammered.

"Well you've got a large puncture wound on your back, a broken index finger on your left hand, sprained right wrist, and have pretty much bruised up most of your entire body,"

"Oh..."

White fell silent as the nurse started putting her equipment away. Her face fell wet from the tears. She didn't want to be here, but she knew she deserved it.

"Now I'll be back tomorrow, but make sure you try and stay in bed." The nurse told her, adjusting the blankets around White.

She bit her lip as the nurse started walking toward the cell door. Then the request burst out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

"Please don't go!"

"I beg your pardon?"

The nurse turned to face her. She was right at the door now, the cell keys in her hand.

"P-Please don't go!" White pleaded desperately. "I-I need someone to talk to!"

White wiped her eyes to avoid looking at her. She heard the nurse sigh after a moment. She looked up to see that the nurse was pulling a chair out of the corner of the cell and setting it next to the cot.

"I have a bit of time." The nurse said kindly, giving her a friendly smile.

"Thank you, uh, I never got your name..." White admitted.

"Maud," introduced the nurse. "I'm Maud Jackson."  

"Whitney," White sniffed, using her real name. The nurse looked perplexed for a moment.

"But isn't your name White?" She asked curiously.

"No, White is my fake name. My real name is Whitney Joy Gropius."

"But," said Maud in a shocked tone. "Whitney Gropius is-"

"No," she interrupted, tears streaming down her face. "I'm not... BUT I WISH I WAS!"

And she broke down again. White put her head in her hands and began sobbing. Her entire childhood had just became vivid in her mind. Being abandoned by her mother, N's departure, the forest fire, the death of Missy, her grandfather, and Ray.

"I'm very sorry," Maud said quietly, bending over to hug White.

White choked and hugged Maud. She cried into her shoulder and tried to control herself. She hated everything about herself at that moment.

"If I recall," Maud started after a minute. "You disappeared ten years ago with your brother."

She had been expecting this. White didn't want to talk about N, but she couldn't avoid it. She hated N more than anyone else on Earth.

"They left me!" White burst out, crying even harder. Her entire past was pouring out of her. She needed to tell someone.

"My father left my family a few days after I was born! My mother was left to look after a weak son and a sickly daughter! My brother and I were different than most humans! We could understand pokemon and talk to them! We were bullied because of our ability, and our mother soon gave up on us and ditched us in a forest!

"We were then raised by pokemon! We stole to survive and almost died numerous times! I thought I could actually get over my human family and feel at home with my new one! But then my older brother left me to live with some rundown jerk! He hates me! I know he does! I miss him so much, but he hates me!"

White couldn't continue. She buried her face in Maud's chest and sobbed quietly. Maud gave a sad sigh and hugged her.

"I'm so sorry," she said quietly, patting her gently on the back. "I kinda know how it feels to be betrayed."

"Y-You do?" White sniffed, looking up at the nurse with swollen eyes.

Maud nodded and gently pushed White back onto the cot. White laid back down under the blankets and looked back up at the nurse. Maud adjusted the blankets again before speaking.

"I am a mother of two sons, except one died at birth." Maud started. "He had a brain tumor, and, well, he didn't live. My living son was devastated and my husband took it harder than both of us. He was heartbroken and began to drink.

"When I wasn't home, he would beat my son in anyway possible. He blamed him for the death of our dead son, and my living son believed it. I found my son in his room one day, and he was covered in cuts and bruises. I asked him what happened and he said that his father had beaten him. And I..."

Maud turned away from White for a moment at this. She heard her give a small sob before turning back. White pretended that she didn't notice.

"I didn't believe him!" Maud choked, wiping the tears off her face with the sleeve of her uniform. "I thought he was making it up! It wasn't until I caught my husband trying to kill my son that I realized what was happening!"

Then Maud had become overcome by sobs. White waited a minute before asking the question that she wanted to know.

"W-What happened to your son and husband? You were just talking about your son not too long ago, so he's not dead...right?"

"He's alive, thank goodness," sniffed Maud, "I-I called the police and they arrested my husband. My son was put in a hospital for five months. He almost died, but the doctors were able to save him."

White remained silent and stared at the floor. She couldn't imagine how Maud must have and still was feeling. She was reminded when she and N were bullied because of their ability to understand pokemon, and also because their father ran away because of them. Their mother had brushed it off whenever they told her, but Grandpa Gregory always stood up for them.

"Where's your husband now?" White finally asked.

"H-He's in the region prison, which is where the more violent criminals go."

"Do you visit him?"

"I do occasionally..."

The cell door suddenly opened and the two women looked up. White's heart seemed to stop.

Professor Juniper was standing in the cell doorway. Her expression was solemn and serious. White suppressed a shiver as the professor walked into the cell, closing the door behind her.

Maud stiffened a little and stood up. "Would you prefer to speak to Whitn- I mean, Miss Copperstone alone?" She stuttered.

"It doesn't really matter," said Professor Juniper. "My business won't take too long."

White shrank back a little at the look Professor Juniper gave her. She felt the tears slide down her face again. Maud seemed to notice that White wasn't capable of being alone with the professor, because she sat back down and held White's hand in her's.

"Let me get straight to the point," Professor Juniper started in a stern tone. "I was looking over the data in the pokedex you stole, and I noticed that you filled up a good half of it already."

She paused for a minute before continuing.

"I was also looking over the Servine you stole, and it just so happens that you have grown a stronger relationship with him than anyone else has."

"W-What do you mean?" White stammered.

"I mean that you are the first human that he has actually looked up to as a friend. I have been trying to become the Servine's friend for almost four years now. Many of my assistants and other trainers have tried, but he wouldn't open up to anyone until now."

White said nothing. She didn't know where this conversation was headed, or what it might lead to. She shifted uncomfortably and stared at the floor.

"I wanted to ask you a few simple questions before I decide what's going to happen next," Professor Juniper said after an awkward pause.

"Ok then..." replied White weakly. Then the next thing the professor said made White look up.

"When you were younger, what was your dream?"

"W-What?"

"Well surely you must have had a goal when you were little."

White tilted her head a little and stared at Professor Juniper. She looked dead serious. White frowned and looked up at the ceiling for a moment.

What had been her dream when she was younger? What was her dream before her family left her? What had she hoped to be when she was older?

"I wanted to be the very best." White finally said after a moment, her voice flat and expressionless. "I wanted to be the best pokemon trainer, the best there ever was."

She saw Maud smile a little at this. White felt the corner of her mouth twitch, but she didn't say anything.

"Miss Copperstone, what are pokemon to you?"

This question also surprised her, but she made sure not to show it. She knew instantly what her answer was.

"Pokemon are like my family." White told Professor Juniper. "Whether young or old, sick or healthy, even if I just got them, their my family. I was raised by pokemon, and they showed me what love really means. I was often disowned by my family, but the pokemon cared for me, they loved me."

It was so quiet in the cell that White could hear her own heart beat. Professor Juniper was watching White with an odd expression.

After a few minutes, the professor turned away and began talking to Maud.

"When do you think she'll be well enough to leave?" She asked the nurse.

"You mean-"

"Yes," Professor Juniper replied, looking from Maud to White. "I'm dropping charges."

"What?!" White gasped, not believing her own ears.

"I need someone like you to fill up the pokedex, and you're just what I've been looking for."

White tried to hide her grin, but it was hard not to. Maud beamed at her and said to Professor Juniper, "She'll be able to leave in about four days!"

"Good," the professor replied, walking back toward the cell door. "Until then, you'll be staying here to recover."

The cell door opened, and White saw the chief of police holding it open for Professor Juniper. He looked irritated and furious as he looked into the cell.

"Nurse Jackson," he called. "I believe it's time to go."

Maud gave a small sigh and picked up her bag. "I'll be back tomorrow, Whitney." she whispered as she began walking away.

"Wait!" White blurted out, sitting up and wincing. The nurse stopped at the doorway and looked back.

"C-Can you be like my mother?" White asked quietly, sounding childish.

Maud blinked at her, but then beamed. "Of course," she replied. She smiled as she walked out of the cell.

The moment the cell door shut, White was plunged into darkness.

***

"Whitney, wake up!"

"Go away..."

"For crying out loud, Whitney!"

"Shut up and go away!"

"Whitney!"

White bolted up right to tell the person to go away, but the words never reached her lips. She didn't know who she was expecting to see, but she knew she wasn't expecting to see her brother.

"Natural!" She cried, throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly. She loosened her grip a little when she heard N wince.

"P-Please let go," N stuttered after a moment.

White obeyed, but she felt her hand brush against something wet. She saw N flinch as she withdrew her hand. Her hand was smeared with blood and a light purple substance.

"W-What happened to you?" stammered White, staring at the blood on her hand.

"It's nothing..." he muttered, stepping away from the bed White was laying on.

She ignored him and pulled him forward by his hand. The cloak N was wearing was burned on one side. Something had burned through the cloak and his shirt into his skin. A small hole with blood around it was etched into his side.

"Well that's the most painful looking nothing I've ever seen," White sneered sarcastically.

N scowled at her and White smirked slightly. "What'd you do, fall into a bin of toxic lava?"

"You might say that."

"Oh?"

"It was a Muk, ok?! Can we drop the subject?!"

"No."

Her brother snarled and turned his back on her. Her smirk grew a little as she jumped off the bed.

Seth, who had curled his tail around White's waist, yelped and fell off the bed. Di-Di squeaked as Seth's tail smacked her across the face. The Gorebyss squealed and lunged herself at the Serperior.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" Di-Di squeaked furiously, squirting water in Seth's face.

"It was an accident, I swear! I SWEAR!" shrieked Seth, trying to avoid Di-Di's blows.

"Stop them before the entire population hears them!" N hissed at White.

White growled and tugged at Di-Di's tail. Di-Di squeaked and fell off Seth as White dragged her away from Seth. Di-Di hissed and glared at the Serperior.

"Shut up both of you!" White snapped at the pokemon. Seth and Di-Di glared at one another, but they didn't continue fighting.

"White, I need to tell you something." N finally said, breaking the tensed silence.

"What?"

"Uh, well..."

He clearly didn't know how to break the news to her. White raised an eyebrow.

"What'd you do?" She asked shrewdly.

"Well..."

"Spit it out."

N glared at her and sighed, "Ok, but don't be angry."

"I can't promise that."

"I didn't think so. Ok, here it goes; White, have you heard of anybody called Colress?"

White tilted her head and frowned. She had heard the name before, but where?

Then it came back to her. Sky Blue had told her about an encounter with someone called Colress. He and Amos had met him on Route 4 when traveling to Nimbassa City.

"I have heard about him," she said stiffly. "What does he have to do with anything?"

"He's a scientist for Team Plasma, and he has agreed to help us escape."

"What?!"

"I knew you would see it that way..." White heard N mutter as she turned away from him.

"Why would you do that?! How can we trust him?!" White shot at him. "He's part of Team Plasma for goodness sake!"

"You noticed that too?" N snarled sarcastically.

"Don't get smart with me, Natural Harmonia Gropius!" She growled in a deadly voice.

"Where is this guy anyway?" butted in Seth, turning his head toward N.

"He's outside," N answered, tilting his head toward the closed door.

"How did you even meet this guy?!" White interrupted.

"It's a long story!"

"Well shorten it!"

"Fine!" her brother growled furiously. "I got caught by that patrol and they were about to turn me over! Colress turned up and was able to get rid of the patrol, but I was forced to battle him or he would turn both of us over!"

N stopped as if expecting her to say something. White said nothing and stared at him.

"Well I lost the pokemon battle but I won, uh, a debate." He continued. "Colress let me off the hook and said he would help us get out, and..."

He suddenly stopped. White gave him a suspicious look.

"And?" She prompted sternly.

"I don't know how to tell you this..."

"Just tell me."

"But-"

"Natural, tell me."

N avoided looking at her as he spoke. What he said next made her entire body feel like ice.

"Whitney, you only have twenty four hours to live..."

White froze. She stared at N in horror. It couldn't be true.

"W-What?" She whimpered. She must have misheard. She couldn't die. Not now.

"Team Plasma apparently tried to slow down the poisoning in your arm, but it only shortened your lifespan." N said in a flat voice. "Whitney, you have one day to remove your arm or you're going to die."

White stifled a small sob and fell back onto the bed. It was worse than she thought. She thought it would be a month, not one day.

Di-Di leaned against White's leg and set her head on her knee. Seth twisted himself around her blackened arm and set his head on her shoulder.

"It'll be ok," Seth hissed soothingly, but he didn't sound convinced.

White sniffed and put her head in her hands. Her world seemed to be ending. All of her dreams and hopes seemed to be crashing around her.

She then felt something force her head up. She opened her eyes a little and saw N in front of her.

"Look at me, Whitney." He ordered seriously. White blinked back tears and obeyed.

"Good," N said kindly. "Now Whitney, do you trust me?"

The true answer was no, but she didn't feel like saying it. She nodded instead and closed her eyes again.

White felt Di-Di and Seth release her as N picked her up bridal style. White gave a small sob and buried her face in his shoulder. She felt N start walking toward the door that led out of the dark room.

She heard a doorknob turn as the door slowly opened.

"If she gets hurt at all because of this stupid plan, I will personally skin you and your friend alive." Seth's voice hissed.

"ME TOO!" agreed Di-Di.

"I'll keep that in mind," White heard N mutter quietly.

She smirked at the idea. Seth and Di-Di might be crazy, but at least they did their best to protect her.

White heard the door shut as N carried her outside. There was a loud hiss, and she heard Seth slither across the metal floor.

"Well?" A voice demanded.

The voice had come from White's left. She shivered as something brushed close to them.

"We'll do it," said N causally.

White opened one eye and looked at the stranger.

A man with yellow and blue hair was standing in front of them. He wore a white lab coat and spectacles. Before she saw this guy, White thought that Cheren and Sky Blue were the nerd kings.

"So this is your sister?" The man, Colress, questioned.

"Yes," N replied uncertainty.

"You two don't look alike, except for the hair," said Colress, looking from N to White.

"Well why do you think it took me so long to find her?" Her brother snapped.

"Half of her hair is still dyed too..." She heard Seth hiss to Di-Di.

This was true. Some of her hair was still blonde, and she still had the colored eye contacts in. Even without it though, N and White didn't look too alike.

"How long will it take to get out of here?" N asked Colress after a moment.

"I'm not entirely sure, not too long though," the scientist answered. "There have been some... distractions that have kept the patrols occupied."

"What distractions?"

"I heard that the former members from Team Plasma are near the entrance. They are led by a man called Rood."

White thought her heart stopped beating for minute. So someone blabbed to Rood about their mission. She knew instantly who it might have been.

"Alright, but if this entire thing fails-"

"It won't, I promise." Colress interrupted N. "Now follow me and try to keep up. The patrols might be out of the way, but there's still Ghetsis and the Shadow Triad."

She shivered when she remembered the Shadow Triad. Out of all the members of Team Plasma, the Shadow Triad scared her the most. She remembered when Sky Blue, Mira, Leia, and Cheren fought the Shadow Triad in Driftveil City. None of them went into details about what happened, and she didn't really blame them.

White felt N begin walking again as Colress led them down the hall. The frigate did seem deserted, but that didn't calm her at all. She was sure that Raichu and Zinzolin were still on the ship as well.

Colress led them through the frigate already for fifteen minutes, and they already had some close calls. They almost ran into Raichu three times and were almost caught by Ghetsis. White was sure that he had known that they were there, but Ghetsis seemed more concerned about keeping people from getting into the frigate, not out.

N seemed to think that the sooner they got out of the ship the better, so White wasn't surprised that he was getting irritated. He kept snapping at Colress and then they both would fight. White was sick of their bickering, but she didn't bother telling them off.

"We've already been here!" N snapped at Colress as they turned a corner.

"No we haven't!" retorted Colress.

"How do you know?! It seems like we're going in circles!"

"We're not!"

"Well it sure seems like it-"

"Oh, that's the least of your problems."

White yelped as a new voice came from behind them. The two men turned around to see who had spoken. White bit back a scream when she saw who it was.

The Shadow Triad seemed to have discovered what was going on. One was standing in front of them, and the other two were behind them.

They were trapped.

"We should've known you would help the traitor," one of the ninjas hissed at Colress.

"Whoever said I was?" snarled Colress.

N suddenly set White on her feet and grabbed her arm. She winced a little as he tightened his grip on her.

"I want you to run!" He hissed so only White could hear him.

"W-What?"

"When I say so, I want you to run past that one ninja over there. I want you to try and get out of here no matter what."

"What about you-"

But her whisper was drowned out by the shouts of the men. Red and white light flashed all around her. She saw Purr and a Magnezone appeared from the light and started attacking the Shadow Triad.

"Whitney, come on!" Seth hissed, tugging at her arm. White didn't want to leave, but she wouldn't have another chance to escape.

White and the two pokemon pelted toward the direction that the one ninja had been. She was temporarily blinded from the flashes of lights. Seth and Di-Di had to lead her out of the hallway and into the room connected to it.

Her vision then cleared up and she looked around at the new room. The room was huge. It was almost pitch black, but an eerie electric blue light lit up the place slightly. She could see large unusual devices scattered everywhere. It was almost like a large maze.

"This way!" Di-Di whispered, skipping toward the other side of the room. White shivered and followed her.

She stepped carefully through the cluttered mess and tried not to make a sound. Her disappearance from the battle wouldn't go unnoticed.

The eerie glow grew brighter as they got closer to the other side of the room. White saw computers attached around a giant glass container. She stepped closer and looked inside the glass container. What she saw made her scream and jump back.

The legendary pokemon Kyurem was inside the glass cage. It was covered in bruises and cuts that were still bleeding. Red wires were attached to its body. White could tell it was in pain by its raspy breathing and its tensed body.

"Let me out!" She heard Kyurem rasp. "Please! I'm begging you! Make it stop!"

White pressed her hand against the cold glass and stared at Kyurem. She wanted to help him, but she didn't know how.

"There's nothing we can do, White." said Seth from behind her. It was like her pokemon knew what she was thinking.

Then a loud crack echoed from behind them. White whirled around and screamed.

One of the Shadow Triad had teleported behind her. He seemed to have finally noticed that she was gone.

"Leaf Blade and Hydro Pump!" She shrieked at her pokemon. Both the Gorebyss and Serperior obeyed, but the ninja vanished as the attacks got an inch away from him.

She felt something grab her around the waist and pull at her hair. The ninja had teleported behind her and was now trying to restrain her.

"GET OFF ME!" White bellowed, struggling to get out of his grasp.

"Feisty little one, aren't you?" He chuckled, tightening his grip.

White tried kicking him but she kept missing. Seth and Di-Di were now occupied with a Liepard who appeared out of nowhere.

"Call your pokemon off." The ninja hissed at her, shoving her against the wall. She bit her lip and said nothing.

"I said," he repeated, slapping her across the face. "CALL THEM-"

"UNFEZANT!"

The ninja suddenly released her and teleported. White shrieked as a large bird pokemon flew toward her. She ducked just as it hit the wall.

Hugh's Unfezant slid down and collapsed onto the ground. Its tongue was sticking out and its eyes looked out of focus.

A circle of flames exploded around the room and temporarily lit up the glass cylinder with Kyurem in it. White saw an Emboar fling itself at the Liepard, the fire surrounding its body. Seth and Di-Di seemed to be hanging by a thread now. They were covered in gashes and bruises.

"FIRE BLAST!" Hugh's voice bellowed from the other side of the room.

The fire burst around the Liepard and burned into its fur. An ear splitting shriek arose from the cat pokemon. It pelted toward a dark corner where the Shadow Triad member had reappeared.

Hugh suddenly appeared at White's side and helped her up.

"You alright?!" Hugh asked her, sounding concerned.

"I-I'm fine," she replied, her voice shaking slightly.

White heard the ninja hiss furiously behind them. The Liepard growled and lunged at them again. Emboar then ran in front of them and threw a punch at it. It hit it right in the jaw, and the Liepard screeched in fury.

The ninja chuckled and teleported in front of White and Hugh.

"So is this your knight in shining armor, Gropius?" He hissed, glancing at Hugh.

"Shut up!" growled Hugh, taking a step back from him.

"Scared, are you boy?" The ninja sneered. "Why are you here? I'm sure you didn't just come for the girl."

White then realized what he was talking about. She remembered Hugh telling her about how his sister's Purrloin was stolen by Team Plasma, and she knew exactly where it was.

"Five years ago, Team Plasma stole my sister's Purrloin!" Hugh said after a long pause. "I want it back!"

The ninja chuckled again and looked straight into Hugh's gaze.

"This is the Purrloin." the Shadow Triad member growled with satisfaction, gesturing to the Liepard.

White saw Hugh stiffen and stare at the Liepard. It smirked at him and hissed sneeringly. Welcome to my world, White thought bitterly to herself as Hugh took another step back. This was the same reaction she had when she found Raichu after weeks of searching.

"T-That's not it!" Hugh stammered desperately, staring at the Liepard. "It can't be!"

"Sorry kid," said the ninja in a bored voice.

"You're not sorry at all." White snarled without thinking.

The ninja glared at her but said nothing.

Hugh then turned to White and grabbed her hand. She winced a little at this. His grip was surprisingly tight.

"Amos and Leia are outside," he whispered breathlessly. "I'm going to teleport you to them. I'll meet up with you guys later."

"You can't teleport." White pointed out with a smirk.

Hugh raised an eyebrow and smirked back at her. "You're right, I can't teleport. But he can."

"What-"

Then misty pink rings surrounded her. White heard Hugh yell something as his Unfezant and Emboar raced toward the Shadow Triad member and the Liepard. White turned around just as she was teleported, but she caught a glimpse on Shane the Gallade hiding in a dark corner.

She felt the dusty earth underneath her after a split second. She gasped and collapsed onto the ground. She closed her eyes as she heard running foot steps coming toward her.

"Amos, over here!" A girl's voice shrieked.

White yelped as someone bent down and hugged her. She tried pulling herself away from the person, but they were holding her tightly.

"I can't believe you're alive!" Leia squeaked happily, squeezing White tightly.

"Leia, let her breathe!" said Amos' voice jokingly.

"That would help!" gasped White, still trying to push Leia off.

"WHITNEY!"

White yelled in shock as a blue and white blur zoomed into her and hugged her. She choked and fell back onto the ground again.

"Penelope, you idiot..." Amycus' voice growled as something pulled the baby Oshawott off of her.

White winced and looked around at her surroundings. Shane had teleported her just outside of the Plasma Frigate, which had landed in a dark forest. They were surrounded by burnt down trees while others had been uprooted. It was dawn, so the sky was smudged with blue, purple, and pink colors.

"W-Where are we?" White stammered, forcing herself to her feet.

"The Crater Forest!" piped up Leia excitedly.

"How did you find the Crater Forest?" She asked, looking from Amos to Leia.

"I went through here when going to Humilau City." explained Amos.

White nodded and kept glancing around. She might have left the frigate, but she still felt unsafe. She kept thinking that the Shadow Triad would pop up again.

She then turned to face Leia and looked her straight in the eyes. "You know about...everything, don't you?" She said quietly.

Leia nodded and frowned. "White, why didn't you tell us? We would've understood."

"No you wouldn't!" White snapped. "Do you know the risk I would've been taking?! If I had told you, would you have been my friend?! Would you have traveled with me?! Would you have helped me?!"

"Have we failed you yet?!" Amos suddenly demanded. "We've been helping you ever since the police started looking for you! We've helped you avoid Team Plasma and the cops! We haven't left you yet, so why would we leave you now?!"

White had no response for this. She stared at him for a moment before turning away. She felt small tears slide down her cheeks.

"White, you need to leave." Leia whispered.

"What?" White snapped sharply.

"You're not in the best condition to fight them!" Amos pointed out, tilting his head toward the frigate.

"But I can't go!" She snarled.

"Give us one good reason why!" snarled Amycus.

She bit her lip to keep herself from crying. Why did her life have to be like this?

"I'm dying." White hissed after a moment. "I only have one day to live unless my arm is removed. I can't remove my arm, so dying is my only choice. Hiding on my last day alive isn't an option. I'm not scared of dying."

She then turned around to look at Amos, Leia, Amycus, and Penelope. Amos was staring at her in horror and Leia became suddenly teary eyed. Amycus was watching her blankly from behind Leia. Penelope had started sniffling at this.

"If I'm going to die, I want to leave with my mark on the world." White whispered. "I want to make up for all the crimes I've done, not to mention all the hearts I've broken. I'm not scared of dying. It's moving from one life to another that's going to be hard."

It was the loudest silence White ever heard. She could hear her own heart beat against her chest.

Amos then stepped forward and grabbed her arm. "You're not fighting them by yourself." He said flatly.

"But-"

"You're not going without us!" Leia sniffed, grabbing her other arm.

White glared at them but she couldn't help smiling. She was beginning to realize how much they meant to her. It was like being an older sister.

"You guys promise you won't leave me?" She squeaked, sounding like a child.

"Promise," said Amos, smiling at her.

"Till the very end." Amycus oinked with a small bow.

She smiled at the Pignite and let go of the two younger trainers. Penelope fell off of Amycus' head and crawled toward White.

"Whitney!" The Oshawott squeaked, raising her arms so White could hold her.

White bent down and put Penelope on her shoulder. Penelope then leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Are you going to die?"

She sighed and looked away from the baby pokemon. Amos was now rummaging around in his bag.

"I don't think you'll get far without any pokemon," he said, pulling out two pokeballs and handing them to White.

White nodded and turned the pokeballs around. She recognized them as the pokeballs that held Archy and Zoroark.

"Wait!" She suddenly gasped. "Seth and Di-Di were still in the frigate when I was teleported here!"

"Hugh will probably bring them," Leia told her. "Or will your brother bring them?"

White flinched a little at the sudden coldness in her voice. Leia apparently didn't approve of N.

"I-I'm not sure..." White stammered.

There was a tensed silence after this. It was a little while before Amos broke it.

"W-We should get going," Amos stuttered, looking from one girl to the other.

"Great idea!" snorted Amycus, breaking into a run.

White nodded and followed her Pignite. She pushed through the tree branches and started trudging toward the mountain cliff. She heard Amos and Leia walking a little ways behind her.

The forest was lightening up, but it was beginning to get foggy. The ground was muddy and the trees were smudged with ash. She didn't dare look up from the ground.

Every step she took felt like a step closer to death. She didn't want to die. She wanted to stay with her friends and N. Her pokemon also needed her. What would happen to Penelope and Amycus? Who would take care of Mira and Sky Blue?

"White, we're here."

Leia's voice brought White back to reality. She shook her head and looked up.

A large gaping hole was drilled into the mountain side. The rim of the cave entrance had icicles sticking onto the rock. The tunnel beyond the entrance seemed pitch black.

White then felt Amos move to her side. "Do you still want to do this?" He asked quietly.

She gave a stiff nod and stepped forward. Amycus, who was examining the out rim of the cave, took a last glance at the three humans before being swallowed by the cave darkness.

"Come on," breathed Leia, grabbing White's arm and pulling her into the cave.

White yelped as the darkness suddenly pressed against her eyes. She couldn't see anything anymore. She felt Penelope slide into the hood of her overcoat to avoid being seen. Amycus was no longer in sight, and seemed to have vanished into nothingness.

Leia was pulling her deeper into the cave. White could hear Amos walking behind them quietly. She felt so exposed in the cave. It was like she was a blind Patrat in a dark forest, unable to see the monsters that lurked in the shadows.

After five minutes of walking blindly through the dark, White heard a low growl a few ways ahead of them. She winced a little as Leia suddenly clutched at her arm.

"W-What was that?" hissed Amos nervously.

Before White could reply, a high pitched squeal of terror and a thud echoed around the cave. A hissing noise was mixed with Amycus' growls and squeals.

"Amycus?" White called, her voice quivering slightly.

"Run, Whitney!" Amycus' voice gasped. "It's him! Get out!"

"Shut up!" came Raichu's hiss.

Then the growl grew louder until it seemed to be right in front of them. Two yellow eyes suddenly appeared out of the darkness. The eyes blinked down at them and White saw the body of Kyurem glow electric blue.

"DUCK!" White bellowed, pushing Leia and Amos down to the ground.

A beam of ice shot over White's head just as she ducked. Kyurem's glowing body illuminated the cave and she was able to take in her surroundings.

Amycus was being pinned down by Raichu. Raichu's tail was pressed against the Pignite's throat like a knife. Kyurem was standing a few feet ahead of Amos, Leia, and White. Standing behind Kyurem was Ghetsis.

The old man chuckled and limped next to Kyurem. His walking stick was tapping against the rocky floor, making the noise echo around the walls.

"I thought you would've given up by now," he sneered, staring at White.

"I'm done with hiding!" White snarled, forcing herself to stand up.

"Don't say anything stupid!" She heard Amos hiss warningly.

She ignored him and continued to stare into Ghetsis' cold gaze. It was like they were having a staring contest, but this was much more serious. White then flashed Leia and Amos a quick 'keep quiet if you wanna see tomorrow' look.

"You surprise me, Whitney Gropius." Ghetsis finally said after a few minutes. "I always thought your brother was more braver and cunning than you."

"Proved you wrong then, didn't I?" She replied, raising an eyebrow.

Ghetsis smirked and flexed his hand a little. It was like he wanted to put them around White's throat and choke her.

"I made a mistake choosing N," he hissed. "But I won't make that mistake again."

He then held out his hand to White. She knew what he was doing, but she wished he wouldn't. She didn't want to face this choice again.

"I am giving you one chance to join Team Plasma," Ghetsis told her. "Either you join us or you die along with your brother. If you join us, you could get back at N for everything he did to you. You could get revenge. You would have everything."

White stared at his hand. She was given this choice once before, but that was when N was king of Team Plasma. But she was still sticking with her first decision.

"No." She said flatly. "Why would I join you after everything you've done to me? You've ruined my life! You've taken my brother and my best friend away from me! You've turned them against me! I'm not going to make the same mistake N made! I love my brother and will stay with him till the end!"

Ghetsis' face hardened at White's words. He turned away from her and faced the back cave wall. Her heart stopped beating after she heard his next words.

"Dispose of the Pignite."

"NO!" White bellowed as Raichu raised its sharp tail to stab Amycus.

But Amycus took his opportunity and squirmed out of its grasp. He pelted toward White and ran next to her side.

"Fire Blast!" White shouted.

Amycus oinked and flames burst to life around Raichu. It shrieked as the fire burned into its skin.

"Abby!"

"Hydreigon!"

Red light flashed next to her as Amos and Leia sent out their pokemon. Leia's Audino and Amos' Hydreigon were each standing next to their trainer.

"You two try and take down Kyurem!" White bellowed at them as Kyurem began storing power.

The two younger trainers nodded and shouted orders to their pokemon.

"Abby, Double Slap!"

"Fire Blast!"

The two pokemon lunged themselves at Kyurem while Amycus began to duel Raichu. White looked sideways and saw a staff like branch laying against a large rock. She grabbed it and put some of her weight on it. Her leg and arm were stinging badly.

"ATTACK THE GIRL WITH THE BRANCH!" White heard Ghetsis bellow at Kyurem.

She turned around just in time to see the ice dragon shoot a beam of ice right toward her head. She ducked and the ice hit the top of her staff. The top of the staff was now encased in a block of ice. The staff now looked like an ice spear.

White then remembered Amycus and turned to look at the fight between the Pignite and Raichu. Amycus was doing back flips as the Raichu tried stabbing him with her tail.

He shot a wheel of fire toward her, and it grazed the Raichu's side. She hissed and lunged herself at Amycus, but he ducked and tumbled underneath her.

"You got to get up pretty early in the morning to pull one on me!" Amycus laughed, swiftly dodging Raichu's tail.

White smiled to herself. It was like he wasn't even half blind. Amycus had finally learned how to fight.

Raichu's face got redder after every failed attempt to scratch Amycus. He was grinning widely as he jumped up and punched Raichu in the nose.

"Great job, Amycus!" White cried encouragingly. "You've finally got it!"

The Pignite beamed at her at this and turned to see White.

The next thing White saw scarred her for life.

Raichu had taken her chance and stabbed Amycus straight in the chest. Her Pignite's face turned from joyful happiness into indescribable pain.

He squealed and collapsed to the ground. His chest was bleeding widely as he tried to stop the bleeding.

"AMYCUS!" White screamed, tears streaming down her face as she dashed toward her fallen pokemon.

She got down on her knees and set Amycus on her lap. There was so much blood. She tried to stop the bleeding, but Amycus only squealed in pain.

"No, NO!" She shrieked, sobbing uncontrollably.

Amycus was breathing heavily. Tears were leaking out of the corners of his eyes.

"W-Whitney..." he rasped, grabbing her hand with his hoof. "I-I'm s-sorry! I-I'm s-so s-sorry!"

"Please don't die!" White sobbed. "Don't leave me!"

"I-I'm sorry!" whispered the Pignite.

White wailed and hugged him. She felt Penelope slide out of her hood and onto the ground next to her.

"A-Amy?!" Penelope gasped, crawling next to Amycus.

"P-Penelope!" Amycus whimpered. "T-Thank you for being my best friend!"

"Y-You're leaving?!" The baby Oshawott wailed, hugging her older friend.

Amycus gave a small smile and placed a shaking hoof on her head. "Only for a while," he told her quietly.

Penelope wailed and sobbed into his side. "Penelope, listen to me!" He ordered, forcing his younger friend to look at him. "I-I love you so much, and nothing, not even death, can change that! You will see me again, I promise you! You must be patient! You must take care of the others for me! Please!"

The little Oshawott sobbed but nodded. Amycus smiled at her and then turned his head to face White.

"Whitney Joy Gropius, thank you so much for everything," he said in a hushed voice. "You have done so much for me, and I wish I could repay you for it all! You've given me a name to live up to and a second chance to follow my dream! You've encouraged me so much, and it means the world to me!"

White cried harder at this. She felt like she failed him. She felt like a terrible trainer. Amycus deserved so much more than this.

"I-I'm sorry!" White choked out. "I-I wish I could save you!"

"Look at it this way," he whispered. "If you follow me, I'll be waiting at the golden gates for you, and that's a promise."

She sniffed and looked Amycus straight in the eyes.

"Y-You will?" She stammered.

Amycus nodded, a sad smile on his face. "Farewell, Whitney Gropius, Penelope."

White held Amycus close to her chest after he said those words. The Pignite's fast and raspy breathing suddenly stopped. He choked as he took his final breath.

"I'm ready to come home..." were his last words.

White's lip trembled as she gave an unearthly scream of misery.

She wailed and sobbed into Amycus the Pignite's lifeless body, Penelope crying into his muscular arm next to her.

~~~

.....I promise you, I am utterly ashamed of myself. I mean Amycus was one of my favorite pokemon characters. But hey, it was either Amycus or Archy, and Archy has more fans out there. (I'm still crying...)

Some of you may know this, but the first version of this chapter was accidentally deleted while I was halfway through the flashback. It took a week to get back on my feet, so that's why the chapter is so late. I lost motivation after that was deleted too, so I was at a dead end and the chapter sounded a bit stupid.

OK, I'm trying to write more quickly now that we're almost in the month of October. SWS has to be done by the end of October or its disqualified from the Pokemon Watty Awards. So I'm writing, I promise you.

Who noticed the hint about Amos' past? Some of you may have guessed that Maud Jackson is Amos' mom, and you're pretty much right. Amos was abused by his father after his newborn brother died. I just recently added that little part. (I got the idea of Maud Jackson and her being like White's adoptive mom while reading other fanfictions from different fandoms, so just a little note. I like books like that ;3)

Guess what? Since the last update, Spite Without Shame has gotten more than 3K reads and is now at 11.3K *O* That is AMAZING! That makes me feel so happy! Seriously, thank you guys so much! This book means so much to me, and seeing people read it makes me happy! Again, thank you SO much!

So I guess I have started a bit of a debate on which sibling is going to die. People are putting in whether they think N or White is going to die, and I would love to see what you think :3 Don't worry though, I will not choose who dies because of what people say.

I started editing :D You guys might have noticed the change in my writing. I stink at grammar, and I didn't learn anything about dialogues until this year in school. So I'm trying to fix all of that!

Ok, it's 1:30 AM over here, so good night! Heads up, there is another death in the next chapter, so beware! Please vote and/or comment :3 Thanks guys! :D