¬ A lone Absol hurtled through the forest, fleeing from the evil that had invaded his home. A pair of humans had suddenly appeared, controlling dark, twisted Pokemon. He had fought them valiantly, but they had been too strong. As he burst out of the forest onto a plain, he lamented his inability to fight.
“I thought my time with Lord Sen had made me stronger, but I’m still weak,” he lamented as he rested against a large stone. Looking down at his leg, he was shocked to see a large gash in his leg.
“Heh…guess they got me. I’m even more out of it than I thought…damn…looks like I’ll never see Lord Sen again,” he murmured as he began to black out. As his vision faded, he noticed a silvery Eevee and a young woman bounding at him, worried looks on their faces.

----------------------

A Week Later…

Lede awoke on a soft sheet to the sight of the silvery Eevee before him.
“You’re finally awake, you old coot. It’s been a week since Celia and I found you,” the oddly-coloured Eevee quipped, smiling brightly.
Lede stood shakily, a jolt of pain shooting through him as he placed even his slight weight on his injured leg. Looking around, he noticed he was in a fairly large house, more akin to a mansion than a cabin.
“So he is awake, then…Eclipse told me you were a tough one, so I hoped for the best,” a harmonic voice said as its owner rounded the corner. A young lady, no more than 17, rounded the corner carrying a tray of Pokemon food. Placing the tray in front of Lede, she smiled warmly and scratched him behind his crest. “I guess I was right to hope!”
Lede sniffed the food tentatively, and then took a small bite. After swallowing his mouthful, he remarked, “I may be an old coot to you, but what does that make you to me, Eclipse?”
With that, Eclipse nuzzled him and smiled. Looking up into Lede’s amethyst eyes, she asked “Where’s Sen? Weren’t you two friends?”
Lede smiled and shook his head, simply saying “He and the others are getting along well enough without me. Sen-dono no longer needed me, and I him, so I took my leave.”
Eclipse took a step back at this statement, staring disbelievingly at Lede.
“What is wrong with you? I thought you and him were friends,” she said angrily. “What kind of friend walks out on another?!”
“Eclipse!” Lede began, but to no avail. With that, she padded off angrily. Lede stared after her, when his reverie was broken by Celia’s voice.
“She speaks very highly of you, Lede. You really should go talk with her…”
Lede started, stammering “Y…you understood us?”
Celia smiled and nodded, replying “Yes I did. I’ve been able to understand Pokemon for years now…just like your former master I believe. Anyways, that is not the point. The point is you should go talk to her. She really does like you, you know.”
Lede nodded, and then limped out, grimacing as he made his way to the back garden.

“I can’t believe he’d leave Sen! What kind of monster leaves the trainer that they’d been with for years? I can’t believe him…”
Eclipse lay on the branch of a tree, the Shell Bell around her neck tinkling lightly in the breeze. As she lay there, she didn’t notice Lede coming up underneath her, limping heavily and a flower clenched in between his teeth. Gazing up at Eclipse, he frowned and dropped the rose.
“…I…I guess I am a monster, Eclipse.”
Eclipse looked down suddenly, shocked at Lede’s sudden appearance. Clambering down as he left, she hurriedly said “That’s not what I meant! I just…”
“Told the truth,” Lede finished. “You simply stated how you feel. Eclipse…I may be a monster for leaving Sen-dono, but you may be one as well for condemning me without fully hearing my reasons. I will take my leave and never darken either your own or Hikaru-san’s doorstep again.”
With that, Lede limped over to the fence and vaulted over, crumpling for a moment on the other side before standing and striding off again. Eclipse ran to the fence and called his name, but it was too little too late.

An our later…

Lede limped into a clearing in the forest, his strength giving out. Leaning against a tree, he slumped to the ground.
“I can’t believe…I was so foolish. I’m incapable of being loved…I should realize that.” He murmured under his breath. “And yet I continue to cling to imbecilic notions that Lady Eclipse could love me…”
Closing his eyes, he drifted off into a dream…

“Happy birthday, Thorn-chan!”
It was a bright day in Lavaridge, and a birthday party was being held at a small home near the gym. A young boy held a violet painted Pokeball out to a young girl, a young Absol at his side.
“Thank you, Sen-kun! But you didn’t need to get me anything…” the girl blushed, smiling sheepishly.
Sen smiled and replied, “It’s not a big deal! I just wanted your birthday to be memorable, Thorn! Let her out!”
Thorn nodded and released the Pokemon. After a moment, a silvery Eevee stood before her, gazing peacefully up at her.
“It’s so cute!” Thorn exclaimed, overjoyed at the bundle of cuteness that sat before her. The small Eevee trotted up to the Absol at Sen’s side and sniffed him.
“Are you a nice guy?” it asked tentatively. “I mean, you seem like you are, but…”
The Absol smiled and nodded, nuzzling the Eevee lovingly.
“Of course I’m a nice guy. Lord Sen has made sure of that himself.” He replied. “Otherwise, I would likely be on my own! My name is Lede, by the way.”

Lede awoke abruptly, a faint breeze ruffling his fur.
“The same dream…I truly love her, but…it is not to be” Lede lamented, standing shakily.
“Are you sure, Lede? Doesn’t seem that way to me!” A voice chimed somewhere above him. Looking up, he saw Hikaru, a Latias that had helped himself and Sen a while back.
“What are you doing here, Mistress Hikaru?” Lede asked, smiling up at the Latias. She was certainly a welcome sight. “And where is Lord Latios?”
Hikaru swooped down next to Lede and smiled at him, then looked around.
“He isn’t here. And I was wondering where Sen was. You and him are almost never apart!”
Lede looked down sadly, worried at Hikaru’s potential reaction, before replying, “I left. He’s grown so strong, we decided to part ways. He remembered how I wanted to protect my friends, so…”
Hikaru thought for a moment, before smiling and replying, “That was nice of him! So, how is he and how are you?”
“I’m fine, and Lord Sen is doing especially well. He is currently attempting to go through Sinnoh, and I believe he is doing well. He sent me a message through a Staraptor, who informed me that he had obtained a Gallade as well. From what I hear, Gallade and I are quite similar.”
Hikaru chuckled and said, “So he’s an overly formal nice guy?”
Lede smiled and replied, “You could say that…”
“Now how about YOU, Lede? How are you?”
Lede looked down again, thinking back to Eclipse. As a tear rolled down his cheek, he said simply, “Fine…just…fine.”
Hikaru noticed the tear and nudged him, smiling in a sympathetic manner.
“Something’s wrong. I can tell. You can talk to me if you need to.” She said happily as Lede looked up at her. “I’m always here for you.”
“Thank you, Hikaru-san.”
“Lede! Lede!”
Lede and Hikaru looked in the direction of the voice to see Eclipse dashing towards them. As she neared Lede, he noticed that she had tears in her eyes.
“I’m so sorry, Lede! I made a horrible mistake…I should never have said what I said!” she said as she flung herself at Lede. Lede fell to the ground, his breath knocked from his lungs.
“What’s going on?” Hikaru asked, curious now that Eclipse had flung herself at Lede.
“I was stupid…I called Lede a monster and everything…I’m so sorry Lede. I really am!”
Lede smiled at the petite Eevee and nuzzled her. Eclipse looked up into his eyes and smiled.
“Eclipse-san, I am sorry as well. I should not have left you.” He replied. He was glad to see her, and fought an internal battle to come up with the courage to say what he meant to. “It was foolish of me.”
Hikaru smiled at the two, and nuzzled them both.
“We all need to stick together. At least that’s what Sen used to say…” she said, happily. Eclipse and Lede looked at her, then at each other. In a small span of a few moments, Lede found the courage to say the words.
“L…Lady Eclipse…I wish to tell you something.” He muttered under his breath, slightly embarrassed to be letting down his normal guard.
“What is it, Lede? Is something wrong?” Eclipse replied, worried for her sempai.
“N…No. I wished to say…that is…well…Eclipse-san? …I…I simply wish to say…umm…” Lede froze for a moment, his mind lost in thought. Two scenarios played out in front of his eyes. This first was one of freedom, a great hunter. He was mighty, and all of the forest was in awe of him. As quickly as that came, though, it left, leaving another scene.
He and Eclipse had returned to Lord Sen. The two of them lay in the backyard, under the stars. Eclipse leant over and whispered something in his ear…
“I love you.” Lede stated simply, his voice cracking.
Eclipse simply stared, as did Hikaru. After a moment, though, Eclipse’s eyes filled with tears, and she threw herself back onto Lede.
“Lede…oh…Lede…I…how can you say that after what I said about you?” she said, sobbing slightly. “I feel horrible now!”
Lede simply smiled and replied, “Don’t. Its how I feel. Besides, you had some justification in what you said. I shouldn’t have lef…”
“I shouldn’t have said that! Sen was getting stronger, so I’m sure that he let you go on your own! Lede…I shouldn’t have said that…because I love you as well…”
Lede started for a moment, then smiled sheepishly.
“…Glad we could let each other know. Eclipse-san…thanks for being a friend for so long…”