Chapter 19

Meadow

Why was she doing this, why was she helping this Zorua? Meadow had more important things to do than to worry about the well being of Chip, she easily could just leave his body laying where they fought and washed her paws of him. But no...here she was helping him out, bringing him back to camp, the very same camp that she just left. This was so annoying, those idiot Templars were on the move, Delphine was on the move, and she was walking backwards. Some Generals she was, her job was to protect other Pokémon and to do Arceus's will, not...do whatever "this" was.

"Why are you so heavy?" Meadow asked Chip.

No response.

"Perfect...you get to sleep while I'm carrying your fat ass through this damn forest." Meadow grumbles as she can see the exit just in the distance, they would soon be back...again. Maybe it was best to give up, drop this fox off and then transform and fly off somewhere. Sure, the region might be in danger, sure she'll be disobeying orders but at least she'll have time to get away from all this and take care of herself. What was the point in trying to protect others, she obviously was a failure at it.

"I don't know what you saw in me..." Meadow lays Chip's sleeping body on the ground. He looked so peaceful, his little stomach and chest were rising and down. Meadow sighs happily as she was glad that he was ok, that blast from before scared her, he looked like he might have been badly hurt. The attack had taken so much out of her, it was becoming harder to use her powers...which should be the opposite, it should be becoming easier. Meadow sits down, the Shaymin takes a long breath and then lays her head back on Chip's stomach. He was so soft.

"What now Meadow? You barely can fight. If you hadn't managed to get a good hit in on Chip, he might have beaten you." Meadow draws a long breath. "Is this the end?"

Meadow takes another long breath the hedgehog worked to focus her mind...

SNAP

'Huh? Someone there?' Meadow thinks. She slowly gets up...

SNAP

"There it is again." She speaks out loud. She could still fight, if need be, she wasn't a bitch, if she was going to go down then she'll do it fighting. Plus...she owed it to Chip to protect her. Getting up she calms her mind, letting it settle down and become one with the area around her. She was able to sense the trees, feels the movement of air, and more importantly...hear the paw steps of their intruders. Meadow heard two pairs of Pokémon moving closer and closer to her, the duo was coordinating how they moved and it might have worked if...

Meadow wasn't Meadow.

"Gotcha!" Meadow shifted her paws kicking up a bit of dirt but more important snagging both Pokémon as they tried to close in on her. She heard them gasp in astonishment to the Shaymin's trap.

"AAAHHHH."

"NO WAY"

"I got you both, its rude to sneak up on someone." Meadow says as she shifts a paw, the vines that she used to snag her intruders rose to reveal a Fennekin and...Vulpix...Eevee...thing?

"What the hell are you two?" Meadow asked as the vines brought the foxes close to her. One of them...the Fennekin...something about her was odd. Have they met before? The other Pokémon was an Eevee, Vulpix hybrid. He was kind of cute, there was a...sexy aura around him that made her feel a little at ease. Though not enough to let them go without getting some questions answered.

"Rude? Rude..." The Fennekin grumbles. "You're holding our friend...my boyfriend hostage!"

"Boyfriend?" Meadow looks at Chip. "You're the friends Chip spoke of? Odd...I expected you guys to be more...I don't know bigger."

"Maybe your just too small." The hybrid says.

"How did you find me?" Meadow questions as she turns her attention back to the duo. "You're stuck in my vines, so I'd best start talking before I make them do more than just hold you two."

"My name is Hathor, and this is Kyuubi and we're Chip's best friends." The Fennekin says, she tries to loosen the vine by wiggling around but there was no way for her to get free without Meadow allowing it. These vines were connected to her, she knew just how tight they were though just felt alone.

"Keep doing."

"We found you thanks to Chip leaving a marker back in the camp." Kyuubi says. "He left us a trail of breadcrumbs and we were following it."

"And I'm supposed to believe you two?" Meadow smirks, she could buy their little story, but it was too perfect. No, it was better to not be so quick to believe them and instead stay on the defensive. "Please I've learned you foxes are to not be trusted."

"What kind of tauros crap is that!" Hathor spits a fireball at Meadow who side stepped it, she returned to favor by hitting her in the jaw making the fox cry in pain. Meadow enjoyed hitting her, it made her feel good. If only that shot was against Delphine...it would feel so much better.

"Silence. Your mouth is...annoying. I'd rather you not speak."

"Then talk to me then." Kyuubi says. "At least talk to someone."

"So, you two say that you know Chip and you're here to what...save him?"

"Yep...I mean he's our friend why would we not want to save him. Its what friends do." Kyuubi says. Meadow looks at the fox and strikes his nose making the fox cry out, a few drops of blood fall to the ground. Meadow smiles as she was feeling better, this felt good, it felt good to make foxes pay.

"What's wrong with you...?" Hathor asked. Meadow grabs her face with both paws.

"Just giving you foxes what you deserve, your liars...all of you are." Meadow stops speaking and looks at Chip. "Besides him...he's the only one who I feel didn't go out of his way to hurt me, to lie to me. The rest of your kind...go fuck yourselves." Meadow pushes Hathor away. The shaymin walks over to Chip and lifts his body putting him on her back once more. His so called..." friends" continued to dangle upside down.

"Where are you going?" Hathor asked, the fennekin's eyes never left Meadow. There was a certain...familiarity to them, that look, that anger...where has she seen it before? Meadow could entertain these Pokémon, but she needed to get Chip to safety, she owed him that much. These so called..." friends" of his, she didn't trust them.

"Why should I tell you?" Meadow asked. "What would telling you so for me? Its more fun to not tell you anything and let you crumble under the pressure of knowing that you can't do anything."

"When I break out of this thing...I'm going to get to you and...I'm going to make you pay."

"Pay for what hmm?" Meadow sets Chip down, this was worth her time, yes, she'll entertain this silly fox now. Meadow walks close to her and holds the fox's head up so they could see eye to eye. "Embarrassing you? You don't know who I am do you?"

"Your Meadow...The Shaymin that serves Arceus." Kyuubi says, the hybrid was holding onto his nose as he tried to stop the bleeding. "You used to be a powerhouse--"

"I STILL AM!!!" Meadow yells. "say something like that again and I'll make you bleed somewhere else. I am still a powerhouse, I am still a force to be respected, I am--"

"I don't care what you are." Hathor says, the fox glares at Meadow, their eyes never leave the other. "Let us down...let me get my friend and then...fuck off. I don't know what happened between you and Chip but he's my boyfriend and...I'm going to fight for him no matter what. If you're trying to help him then let us down and we can start over, otherwise...I'm going to get out of this trap and then kick your ass. Are we understood?"

Meadow doesn't say anything, she didn't know what to say to something like that. She wasn't ready for this fox to continue to poke the bear, for her to not back down but instead channel this bad situation and fight back against her. Who was she? Meadow waves her paw, and the vines drop the pair, they hit the ground with a couple of hard "thuds."

"Ouch..."

"Oh, my head..."

Hathor and Kyuubi look at Meadow who sighs as she stares at Chip, the Zorua was slowly starting to wake up, the sound of his friends falling was ironically the moment that he decided to return to the waking world. She decided it was best to give into these two, they didn't know when to give up and...that meant they were truly his friends. Friends didn't give up on one another, did they? A shocking reminder that maybe she didn't have any friends, where was her friend to fight for her even against a powerful foe that they couldn't possibly defeat?

"Take care of him." Meadow began walking away, she didn't care about getting a response or hearing thank you or fuck you or whatever else these foxes wanted to say. She wasn't worthy to be Chip's friend, she didn't have the balls to keep fighting despite knowing she'll lose. No, this Hathor girl was better at that than she ever could be.

"Where are you going?"

"Huh?" That voice? Meadow looks back and saw Chip was wake, the Zorua was being hugged by Kyuubi and Hathor. He looked...confused but determined at the same time as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Meadow spat at the ground.

"I have a score to settle, thank you for trying to help me but I'm beyond saving."

"THAT'S NOT TRUE!" Chip squeezed out of his friend's grasp, he fell over soon after, but the Zorua got back up. He looked tired as if he hadn't truly slept but instead, he had been doing something else while in his sleep. His eyes focused on her and only her.

"This is not some stupid story or anima Chip, this is reality--"

"Who cares what this is Meadow, I'm not letting you go back out there alone." Chip struggles to stay on his paws.

"Chip!" Both Hathor and Kyuubi cry.

"I'm alright..."

Chip wasn't alright, he was in pain, Meadow could tell because she remembered being just like that, that pain in his voice, the shaking of his paws, the struggle to breath...she remembered being just like that long ago during the war. That last fight, that battle to save everyone from Necomaz stealing all the light and casting their world into darkness...she had nearly died during that fight, nearly used up all her energy to protect those around her. What thanks did she get for her efforts? Nothing. Well, if saving the world was a prize then she got plenty and then some, but she didn't get to many thanks from her companions, nothing like what Chip was getting from just these two alone.

"What do you hope to accomplish Chip?" Meadow was about ready to leave, there was nothing else to gain from talking to him anymore. She needed to settle the score with Delphine and move on in life.

"Meadow, I don't know why but...I feel a connection with you."

"You what?" Hathor asked him.

"Its complicated." Chip admits to his "girlfriend."

"What's wrong Hathor, afraid I can give your little "boyfriend' a better bj than you can. Cause I can." Meadow felt like giving Chip something bigger to worry about than her. If she can beat this little bitch into the ground, then he'll have to focus on her, and she can walk away finally. Besides maybe beating this fox into submission will get her warmed up for Delphine. The last time she struck her it felt good, it felt...right. Like she was getting back at Delphine in some strange way.

"What did you say?" Hathor asked.

"You heard me." Meadow chuckles, her heart was pounding, she was getting...excited. Yes, this was getting her going and she liked it. "Don't act stupid...or maybe your not acting at all. Hard to tell."

"Fuck this...I'm done being nice. "Hathor's paws ignite, the fox didn't look like she was going to sit on the side lines anymore. Meadow's paws glow green.

"You're going to fight me know what I am?"

Hathor didn't speak right away instead she sends a stream of fire at Meadow who holds up a paw, the fire hits its breaking apart as it touched her, the flames were redirected to the area around her. Hathor soon stops the attack, but Hathor wasn't done as she followed her flames and just as the first attack stopped, she crashes her skull against Meadow's knocking the two of them onto the ground. Hathor mounts herself on top of Meadow, the Fennekin punches Meadow over and over against, her paws still on fire, the fox left dark paw marks all over Meadow's face. The shaymin takes the attack long enough to charge her first attack, the Shaymin blows Hathor off her with Energy Ball knocking her back several feet.

"Girls stop!" Chip races between them. "Don't fight over me."

"I'm not fighting...over you..." Hathor pants.

"No...I just want to beat this bitch into submission..." Meadow responds. Her head was in pain, the punches to the head had done more than expected. Long ago that kind of attack would have made her giggle, each paw would have felt like a feather was hitting her but now...it felt like a she was getting hit constantly by Mega Punch.

"You beat me...into submission...don't make me laugh..." Hathor pants, the fox was struggling to stay up. Meadow might not have what she used to have but at least she could still make someone like Hathor feel some sort of pain. This was embarrassing if she was struggling to hurt Hathor.... there was no way she could defeat Delphine, not like this.

"Your right..." Meadow bitterly says, tear drops fall to the ground leaving behind dark spots in the dirt. "I--"

BAM

Meadow was knocked into the dirt as Hathor slammed her skull against hers' again. The fennekin strikes Meadow repeatedly, the pain was worse with each hit until it finally stopped, the fox was pulled off of her by Chip and Kyuubi. Meadow laid in the dirt; her face had eating it. Hathor had done a number on her, Meadow's brain felt like it was ready to turn off.

"Oh, my Arceus Meadow!" Chip gets beside her, his paws pressed against her side.

"You going to be, ok?"

"Yes...just...just...leave me alone." Meadow coughs, the taste of iron...it was awful. Meadow feels her teeth with her tongue, they at least didn't feel cracked or chipped, that was a good start. It hard to concentrate, her brain felt scrambled.

"I want to--"

"I don't care what you want!" Meadow snapped, she glares at the Zorua, his eyes were watery. "Haven't you done enough? I don't give a shit about you...you shouldn't...give a shit about me...either..." Meadow pants, the Shaymin struggles to get up, she nearly falls back over but when Chip tried to touch her, she smacks him away. Hathor got near him; the fox looked proud of herself. That look...it reminded her of Delphine.

"Hathor...I barely know you but...I hate looking at you like...you remind me of someone I bury in the ground and...piss all over their grave." Meadow's head...it felt like it wanted to crack open.

"Well, my mother always said that if you don't have any haters then you're not doing something right." Hathor proudly says. "I want you to remember my name bitch, its Hathor Doomtail."

"Doomtail?!!" Meadow felt something boiling inside of her. "Did you say...Doomtail?"

"Well even a Mystic knows what a Doomtail is."

"Hathor stops." It was Kyuubi the fox the only one who seemed to realize the storm brewing. "Let Meadow rest."

"Delphine spoke of having a daughter..." Meadow began.

"That's right...I am that daughter, what is it too you."

"Your mother and I have a score to settle." Meadow digs her paws into the dirt. "When I get my paws on her...let's just say that I hope to make it hard for you to recognize her." Meadow says trying to keep her emotions in check. Despite how good it felt to hurt Hathor it wasn't the same, not her anger was for Delphine. Granted hurting Hathor would in turn her Delphine but it might also make her more determined to hurt Meadow back. This was her daughter she was talking about. But maybe she can distract Delphine, maybe knowing that Hathor was in danger could make Delphine not think about their fight or her goal and give Meadow the opening she needed to make her pay.

"You can't beat my mom if you can't even beat me."

"Hathor stops!" Chip steps forward.

"Serves you- "

"Shut up Meadow!"

"Chip?" Both girls say together. The Zorua's fur changed as he steps up, his eyes became more purple, his fur darker and a pair of earrings appear on him. He was a different Zorua altogether.

"This fighting is coming to an end...NOW." Chip says his voice was more feminine than before but it was easy to tell it was still him.

"Huh you're not...Chip." Hathor says. Meadow couldn't understand what she meant; this was clearly him though even Meadow could feel that his aura was different. This was Chip though...not entirely Chip. "Are you...his Omen?"

"My name is Inari, and I am Chip's Omen. He agreed to let me speak to you two, this fighting has to stop, we are not getting anywhere, and he wants to help both of you." Chip...Inari stopped speaking for a moment, a smile on...his...her...their face. "Despite how much I tell him its not worth it. But if he's going to fight for you two then I'm going to help. That's what I'm here for."

"Chip is a Shadow Pokémon?" Meadow gasped. This wasn't good, Shadow Pokémon were...unpredictable. She needed to get out of here. She already had one Shadow Pokémon to deal with in Delphine, she didn't need to deal with another one.

"Yes." Hathor and Inari say together.

"We're all Shadow Pokémon." Kyuubi speaks up. "We're not here to hurt you, it was to just find our friend. If you protected him then...thank you." Kyuubi bows before Meadow. "Chip deserves to be protected; I don't know what I'll do without him."

"There is no need to thank me." Meadow sighs. "I just want to...I want to find the truth."

"Truth?" It was ironically Hathor who asked. The more Meadow looks at her the more of her mother she sees in her. Hathor might not be the same species as Hathor, but her personality was a true mixture of her parents. She could see Dolphus's curious nature while feeling Delphine's strong sense of pride. She could tell that she was going to be the best of both her parents and then some.

"I want to know why Delphine casted me aside. I came to her for help and...we...we mated. Your mother...she left an impression on me. I...I think I might..." Meadow felt like her chest might explode. Was she about to tell Delphine's daughter that she might have caught feelings for her. "It doesn't matter. Your mother is a fucking bitch! She mated with me and then casted me aside like I was some...club Pokémon."

"Not all of us club Pokémon are casted aside." Kyuubi says. "You just have to find the right Pokémon to be with."

"I...I...." Meadow looks up at the sky, the time day passing them by, and she wasn't any closer to catching up to Delphine. She couldn't keep playing with these kits anymore. "I need to get going, you all have been a nice audience but...I have something I need to finish." Meadow turns to leave. She could hear one of them trying to chase after her, though before they could get close enough the Shaymin revealed her trap, a simple vine to snare them. Looking back, she saw that it was Chip who had chased her, the male fox seemed to have taken back his body for the time being. Meadow smiled as she looks back at him.

"You can't save me Chip; I don't want to be saved."

"Meadow please don't! You don't have to walk alone."

"I must at least try Chip. My mission was to take care of the plate and Delphine is after it. She wronged me and I'm going to make her pay one way or another. I need to know why she did what she did." Meadow commands the vine to throw Chip back at his friends who all get knocked over.

"Revenge..." Chip began but Meadow silenced him with another vine, it covered his mouth.

"Don't worry...like the old saying goes, I'll make sure to die two graves." Meadow didn't speak to them again as she walked into forest, the Shaymin vanished behind the fog of magic.

"Meadow DON'T GO...!" Chip was trying to follow her, but she stopped him with a large wall of light. She knew some defensive moves though she didn't like to abuse them. She could sense the zorua's frustration.

"Please you don't have to do this alone!"

"CHIP STOP!"

Meadow stops for a moment, that voice? Meadow turned around to look at the group, Hathor was holding Chip. Meadow had to blink a few times just to make sure she wasn't looking at Delphine, her daughter's voice...it almost sounded like her. She didn't notice it before, but the way Hathor moved, held herself, spoke, it was almost as if she was looking at a mirror image of Delphine. They might be different species of foxes but there was no mistaking it...Hathor Doomtail was Delphine Doomtail's offspring.

'Poor Chip, he's falling into the same trap that I had. Doomtail's...all they care about is their own agendas. When I handle my business with Delphine I'll come back for you Chip, I'll save you from falling victim like I had. Enjoy him for now Hathor, we'll finish what we started soon enough.' Meadow made a vow to herself that this wasn't going to be the last time her and Hathor crossed paths.

"You know we can work together, right?" Hathor gives Meadow a look. The Shaymin simply rolls her eyes.

"If I was you, I'd keep walking, there is no need for you and your little friends to venture off the beaten path." Meadow turns around to begin walking again, though before she goes, she had to give one last warning to the little "Princess."

"Oh Princess, I see why your love him, or at least...pretend you do." Meadow smirks.

"What is that supposed to be?"

"You Doomtails only care about your own agendas, but that's understandable since everything has been given to you. Should we cross paths again...I hope you bring your game. If you're anything like your mother, then you should have that beautiful little shadow gene in you. I hope you show it to me when meet me. Since when I beat you, I intend to take everything." Meadow's eyes narrow. "Ultimate humiliation...that is what your kind deserve." Meadow spits at the ground. She saw Hathor's eyes flash red.

"Remember if you come after me...I won't hesitate to hurt you Hathor." Meadow begins her journey into the forest. A small part of her felt a bit of regret, she could take a take different path, one where maybe she spends the night with these Pokémon, gains some friends and maybe doesn't have to walk alone but...

We do not always make the right decision right away, do we?

She didn't know entirely what the future would bring but she was going to meet Delphine in the future one way or another. And when she did...she'll make her spill all her secrets. Was there redemption in her future, will she find her light? Meadow didn't know but she'll never find out if she just sat here waiting for something to happen.

"Chip...thank you for trying to save me." Meadow silently says to herself, the Shaymin pictured the Zorua, his cute smile, warm body, and caring nature they nearly won her over. Maybe if this was a different story line...maybe she would have taken his offer and worked with him but...this was this storyline and right now she needed to take care of her own business. Seeing the way Hathor and Kyuubi fought to protect him, there was no way she could or would fit in with them. They were a distraction and right now...she had enough energy, enough of her old power left for one final battle and that battle couldn't be fought against Hathor. NO that battle was with Delphine, she'll put everything into that fight and afterwards...she'll gladly give herself up to the forces that can not be seen.