chapter three

Chapter 3: It's Alright to Hold On

Author's Note: Hey there people! Glad you could join me for the next part of this story which I'm excited to have over 70 views so far in four days! Anyway remember to review the story so I can get better at writing! (If you want.) So...Quick Recap: Dusk has gotten Ray home safe and sound even with a pursuer after them, who turned out to be Silver the Lycanroc, Ray's sister, only trying to protect him. The two didn't really get acquainted until Ray thought up something for it. Dusk wishes to explore the rocky landscape and it seems that Silver and Ray want to tag along...

That Night…

Ray was scampering through the grassy area of the mountains as Dusk and Silver followed. They were heading towards the lake to hunt for some food. Dusk looked around, there were other big Pokemon around, most bigger than him. They weren't afraid of him, they gave a glance, sometimes even a friendly wave, before moving on. Was it seriously this laid back around here, or were there just bigger fish to fry?

Dusk didn't mind, it was sort of a relief for him of course. Though he did wonder what challenges could be waiting around the corner. He focused his attention on the here and now, by now Silver was chasing her little brother up to the lake. She seemed to be a very strong Lycanroc with a much kinder side, he shook his head getting it out of his mind before Silver went over to him.

Dusk looked up to the night sky, as well did Silver, they suppressed their canine instincts to howl at it for now. If anything was true is that these two loved the night sky more than anything. The two respected each other's space so they didn't really really speak a word.

With more than enough time to spare they have made it to the lake, the twinkling stars of the night sky seemed to fill the very view of the water with light. Dusk stared at it silently, like he's never seen something this beautiful before.

"Breathtaking, right? Silver asked staring into the water and Dusk responded with a nod.

Being here, at this place that made him so calm. It felt really nice, having an actually moment of relaxation, no reaction could be made from him as a result of the past few days.

"C'mon you two let's fish!" Ray roared his tiny little head off before shooting flame throwers at the water, scaring away the sea life down below.

"Holy shit!" "What is that!?" The fish screamed underwater swimming away. Dusk and Silver turned towards the mischievous fox.

"Ray that's not how you bring them to you." Silver explained laughing a bit before she went over to him.

She slid her tail into the water before shivering a bit. "Wait for it." She said with a wink, Dusk watched actually a bit intrigued, as he has never lived by a body of water containing fish he has obviously never fished. (I know I said he doesn't eat meat unless it's already dead but fish are an exception because...who cares? It's like chickens to be honest.)

Ray watched too right by Dusk's side. "My sister is an expert." He whispered to the hound, he had to admit it did look like the case.

Underwater…

As the fish, most of them large Magikarp, while they were supposed to be swimming the hell away by a flamethrower they not even saw TWO minutes ago they suddenly stopped when they heard something drop into the water, they were soon to find out that it was Silver's tail, if they weren't stupid that is.

They swam up to the tail they thought was a huge worm before two of them latched their mouths onto the Wolf's tail, and at point blank they were yanked out of the water left to flop on the ground like the trash they were to the Pokemon world. (Sorry for extreme edginess.) "Gets 'em every time!" Ray barked.

Dusk could feel something a little familiar when she decided to take charge and show Ray how it was done. In fact it was too familiar. He looked down to the ground as he started to remember something, he was ashamed to even say it was a forgotten memory…

His parents. One was a beautiful, energetic, caring female. The other was strong and didn't easily accept defeat, a fearless male. He didn't know their names… They were the ones that taught Dusk mostly everything besides his brother. His mother was around more than his dad though, even more than his brother at times. She fed him and loved him no matter what problems came, even when they found out that Dusk couldn't spit fire. Since Dad was on watch for the pack the majority of the time it was up to her to teach him things the others couldn't, there was a more particular reason why the pup learned Ice instead.

She was helpful and very loving, generally like Silver was to Ray…

Dusk blushed a bit embarrassed by even thinking of that, then he felt pushing towards his body. "Dusk you okay? You've been like that for a minute." Asked Ray, Silver giving a look of concern as well.

"Why was he...looking at me like that…?" Silver thought in complete silence for a moment looking at him, he seemed suddenly really disturbed…

She shook it off for now as Dusk came over and sniffed the stupid fish that flopped very stupidly, this was Dusk's first time observing this behavior, of course that, is a Splash attack. Silver brought out her claw before slashing the two's bodies killing them instantly, looks like no one likes Gyarados sushi.

"So Dusk, want your fish cooked or do you like raw?" Silver asked him, as enticing as fish sounded after such a long time, he had to refuse and let that come for another time.

"No. I do not think I can eat right now. I'm going for a walk...alone. I'll meet up with you guys later." Dusk said as blunt as it came and walked away leaving the two canine siblings.

Ray started to go after him but Silver grabbed him by one of his six tails. "Let him be for now Ray, he needs some space. C'mon let's eat." She said sweetly.

Dusk by now has made it far enough away from the others, no he wasn't running if anything Dusk normally wouldn't lie. The dog relaxed, hidden by the shadows the night sky have gave. His gleaming red eyes and the outline of his form was the only thing visible.

He sighed, thinking deeply. This was definitely a problem that bothered his very being...the problem was, he didn't know how to handle it.

About an hour has passed by now and Ray was yawning widely, trying not to fall asleep waiting for his friend. A small pup couldn't handle that and drifted right to sleep. Silver smiled at how cute her little brother looked, then she thought about Dusk. She sniffed the air and got a little of his scent, so he wasn't that far away…

Dusk began shed tears as he thought about his family, his body trembled near uncontrollably as he unwillingly was starting to remember too much. He couldn't stop it even if he tried, he felt so many emotions bottle up in him at once. Joy. Happiness. Sadness. Rage. Disappointment.

"RRRAAGGGGHHHH! The hound dug his claws into the ground, he couldn't hold his emotion anymore, it was too much for him to handle. He shot storms of Blizzard attacks everywhere… "What the hell, who the hell has done this...Why am I like this, a freak…" He growled under his breath keeping himself from tearing up anymore. The whole area around him was freezing cold by now and everything was frozen or broken into tiny shards.

Dusk breathed heavily before he just gave up, letting his tears run freely down his cheeks until they dropped to die on the ground, he was silent, until he heard a voice.

"Dusk…" Said a worried Silver from behind. Dusk didn't look back, ashamed to let others see him cry, his eyes were kept shut.

Silver walked up to him, though it was freezing, she pushed it aside for her friend in need. As Dusk heard her footsteps come near, his muscles began to tense up and his fur began to stand like a hedgehog on the defensive.

Silver wanted to help him, he was in a deep state of pain. She tried to move a little closer, only making Dusk growl more. "Get back…" He said with pure anger, he seemed to be a completely different Dusk at the moment. Silver made the mistake of ignoring this threat and Dusk turned around at point blank and shot a raged fuel Blizzard directly at her, sending her flying back into a rock.

Dusk realized suddenly that he has lost his mind firing that at Ray's sister. He ran over to her in a hurry. "S-Silver!?" He called shouting to her but with no response, he shook her with his forepaws and he realized she had a few cuts on her body from the freezing properties of his attack, but she didn't look too hurt. Her body started to shiver before she slowly regained the will to open her eyes.

"Silver!" He exclaimed in relief to the fact that she was still conscious. The wolf shifted her eyes around, but didn't look at Dusk. Dusk's relief soon turned into something a little more related to fear, one of the few Pokemon to show him kindness has once again been wronged due to his pride.

"S-Silver...I'm sorry, I don't know. What is my problem…" He said, backing away from her and looking away, fighting the urge to shed more tears.

"D-Dusk...I don't care. I'm pretty sure I don't like you for doing that…" She said, Dusk lowered his head in disappointment. "That doesn't mean I don't like you either, it was wrong for me to enter your space...I get you're not out going all the time...like Ray wants to believe." She finished her sentence, Dusk now looking at her, he felt a searing pain now.

"C'mon, help me up please and let's find some...sitrus berries…" Silver concluded as Dusk nodded as helped her up for now, letting her lean on his side as she still shivered slightly.

"Are you, forgiving me…?" Dusk asked.

"No...Not yet anyway. For now let's just get those berries so I can clean up this horrible look…" Silver said looking down, Dusk nodded.

"If that's what you need, i'm on it.."

The two of them by now were walking towards where the berries grow around the rocky landscape, there weren't a lot of places like this around here but they weren't far either. The only thing that accompanied the two was that awkward silence that always seemed to be lurking around.

Of course, Dusk didn't want to say any word still feeling ashamed of what he had done.

"You've been alone for a long time, haven't you?" A weakened Silver managed to say. Dusk nodded slowly.

"I do not know how to release emotion around others, it's been awhile since anyone ever given a damn about me…" Silver gave a nod in understanding, the two didn't say anything until they found sitrus berry bushes.

Silver stopped leaning on him and sat. "Just rub the juice onto my fur...please." Silver asked in kind as Dusk went over to the bush before stabbing his tails through about two of them, the juices ran down his tail.

He rubbed the berries stuck to his knife like tail over Silver's fur and skin, her wounds started to clear away like magic and she took a sigh of relief. Dusk didn't bother to say a word but he was relieve that Silver was feeling better.

"I should be going back, i'm sure Ray is worried...You come too, at least for now." She said before walking back and Dusk followed silently...

By the time they got back Ray was inside of a shelter made up from from looked like a Stone Edge attack. He was napping.

Taking knowledge to this Silver walked over to the side of the lake and sat, peering her reflection from into the water. It wasn't long before Dusk's reflection joined hers.

"Dusk...that look you gave me before. What was that about?" The wolf asked Dusk who was silent for a moment, he was still embarrassed by this whole night, but, it was the least he could do at the same time.

He looked towards her and told her nothing but the truth. "You, remind me of my mother…I could never remember her clearly until you came along…" Dusk responded looking away down into the lake, not able to see the sudden blush he had earned from Silver.

"I do…? How so?" She asked.

"My mom taught me mostly everything, even being the only Houndoom in the pack who didn't breath fire, she made sure that I didn't remain weak...She was inspirational, kind, loving. I wish I could see her again…"

Silver's ears laid flat as she listened to that last part. "Do you know where she is…?" The Lycanroc asked.

"No, she's gone. Dead…"

There was a strong silence now, Silver was left in shock. "H-How do you know…?"

"It's like this...I wish I didn't remember this so suddenly…"

Sometime ago…

It wasn't a peaceful time for the Dark Pokemon pack, there was a tribe feud between the Dark Pokemon(Houndoom) and the Bite Pokemon(Mightyena). There was no benefit for either side, but from here things only became worse…

As the two tribes clashed there was later an even worse threat to come. A runt Dusk wanted to help fight against the Mightyena beside brother and father, mom however couldn't have one of her only two children killed, she forced him to stay back. Dusk wanted to fight so bad that eventually mom would have to seal out the cave, eventually the crafty canine soon found a way to escape.

Few days past, the war still went on. Bloodshed and dead dogs were everywhere. Then that's when they came...Humans. With large guns, putting an end to the canine society for their own hunting purposes. If the packs could only work together they could have stopped them, but even then they still clashed back and forth and that soon led to their ultimate downfall. Dusk was really frightened of these humans and like a puppy does he ran tail tucked back home, only to find mother wasn't there anymore. Dusk automatically concluded that she has been taken away from him, his brother and father were nowhere in sight… He sobbed calling for mom. Calling for dad. For brother. Really anyone that could help him, but nobody came…

From there he ran away, and for mysterious causes after that gorish event, he was only left with no clear memory of his past, or anyone or anything, only left with strange dreams that seemed to have no meaning until a few days ago, when he made his first friend in a long time...Ray.

The hound stayed silent now, his memories becoming more lucid as the days in this new era have passed, although he still didn't know everything… He looked at Silver, who was trying her best to hold back her tears, to no avail…

"Dusk...I know how you feel…" Silver managed to grow a smile on her face, much to Dusk's confusion. "You see...I have lost my mother too…"

Dusk was shocked but was somewhat was relieved to have someone to relate to, even if his expression showing anything but relief, but she wasn't done there. "The difference...is I know, she is gone…" She began to cry some more forcing her eyes shut. The Houndoom listened to whatever she had to say.

"I'm...not sure if I want to go through that again...especially because I only had my mother to take care of me, I was her one pride and joy since dad has disappeared...But I knew...that she was limp that day...she didn't move. I held onto her her months, going weeks without eating to stay by her side as much as possible...b-but she just wouldn't w-wake up…" Silver's voice began to break as she cried silently. Dusk didn't know what to say to her…

"Your mom has only gone missing...it's not the end yet for your hope Dusk...You shouldn't give up your search...and...I am honored to even be comparable to the companion in your life you truly valued, and I know...you wish you were there for you when she needed you too…"

All of her words were true, Dusk couldn't help but smile a bit, he wasn't so embarrassed to have thought of her that way now. Silver still shed tears remembering times she wish she could just forget, Dusk wrapped his tail around her, he had a soft smile on his face, Silver saw this and met his smile with her own.

"You're right Silver. About...everything. Maybe, my family really is out there. Somewhere…" Dusk said distantly though he comforted her with a hesitated rub with his head under her own, she was calmed by this.

"Thank you Dusk...if anything. I know you're a part of our family." She said sincerely rubbing her head back against his in order to comfort him too. The two friends stared at the night sky.

"Thanks..Silver. I'm sorry for hurting you and being rude...If anything, for you and Ray I know one day, just. Everything could be alright…"

"I think so too Dusk...You're forgiven for earlier too. There's something else I think I want to say to you too-" Silver started to say before being interrupted by a cute yawning sound that happened to be Ray, he was probably gonna wake up if someone didn't keep him company, Silver knew this well enough…

"Oh, seems Ray might wake soon hearing us out here." She whispered before Dusk gave a slight chuckle. (Possible the first time he actually laughed since this story started.)

"Don't worry, i'll be fine. Go with your brother and i'll see you both in the morning." Said the hound with newfound confidence than ever about his life's purpose.

Silver nodded in respect though she really wanted to say something to him, she guessed it could wait until a more important time.

"Okay." She said with a cheeky smile. "G'night Dusk." She said leaving her friend before going into the stone tent. Dusk looked into his reflection in the water, like he was looking at a new person now...and he could have swore he saw something pink swim across his reflection too...