Wild

Chapter 1

Ash was currently providing safe drinking water to a middle aged man, who looked worn out and tired of everything. He sighed to himself. He still had to provide water to another fifty such old and annoying humans, which included a dozen of females too. He slowly and tiredly made his way to the next man, who was currently nagging about the lack of proper food and how small the place was. He had realized long ago that he couldn't bring a smile on face of everyone present over here, but that didn't stop him from trying his best to adjust with them. According to Gary, who was helping another such institution which currently provided refuge to around a hundred native sinnohians, the war was almost drawing near its conclusion. It would just take a week or so before he could flee from this suffocating place.

He was secretly cerebrating and planning things to do once he was set free but the sound of an old lady complaining about food broke his dream. He apologized for the delay, all the while asking himself why he had to when he did nothing wrong. He excused himself for a minute and went to the kitchen to enquire about food.

The basement they were staying was not a comfortable one. They had to sleep on the ground, with only thin blankets separating the cold hard ground and their bodies. The lack of ventilation always created a sense of suffocation and humidity. The only source of light was through the narrow cracks in the wall and the roof, which only lit up the room like a firefly would in a dark room. The basement was made to serve as a hiding place for the native sinnoh people, who found themselves unwillingly trapped in the devastating war of the century, a war between the native sinnoh army and the jhoto army. While Jhoto fought for world dominance, sinnoh entered to protect their freedom. Ash shivered at the thought of the war, a war which was being fought to deliver peace. Ash sarcastically smirked at the thought. Why was he here at all? He wasn't from Sinnoh. He had no attachment to this place, emotional or sentimental, but still here he was, helping people who held no special place for him.

'Its the same thing as fucking for virginity,'he said to no one in particular.

He carefully but quickly made his way towards the kitchen, to save himself from further naggings and whinings. But the smell of something burning and sounds of soft sobs echoed throughout the rocky closet. He took out his revolver for security and with a jump entered the kitchen to fight the enemy if he found one there.

But he found none. He quickly diverted his gaze towards the corner of the rocky wall and saw a girl huddled up, her knees close to her chest and her head put on the top of her knee. Her hands were shaking wildly, it seemed that she had witnessed a ghost. Ash was relieved to see the girl safe but another question crowded his mind before he could speak any words of kindness.

"Why the fuck are you crying?" Seeing no response from the girl, he felt the irritation in him rise again. His eyes wandered around, as if searching for the source of her discomfort. "Where is the food?" He asked her .

As soon as those questions left his mouth, she stood up with a start and looked everywhere except him. He saw her swallow the lump in her throat and then her eyes shut close, as if preparing herself to hear anything and everything.

Growing impatient with every passing minute, he repeated his question, this time louder, clearer and more firmly,"Berlitz, where is the food?"

The girl, Dawn Berlitz, slowly looked up at him with teary eyes and a sorry expression on her face. She opened her mouth to say something but closed it as soon as she opened it. Her midnight blue hair was a mess, and she didn't look or feel good herself. Her eyes were puffy and red from all the crying she had done. The moment she feared the most had surfaced. He had arrived to take the food, but what was she going to give him?

Growing impatient as well as infuriated, he shook her shoulders with such a force that she felt like crumbling and breaking. His harsh and intimidating glare was not helping her either.

She wanted to disappear.

She wanted to fucking disappear.

He repeated himself,"Where is the food?"

"I-I.."

"Dawn, shut your dillydallying for fucks sake. They are waiting for food!"

"I burned it," she shakily replied, her eyes close as few more tears escaped her eyes. She expected a slap on her face or atleast a loud and disastrous scolding. But when nothing came for a minute,she gathered her courage and looked at him. She was unable to comprehend the look on his face. Anger, displeasure, hatred and annoyance. These feelings were clearly visible on his face. The most prominent was disappointment.

She hated that look on his face.

But what she hated more was that she was responsible for it.

She apologized,only to realise it was the dumbest thing to do at the moment.

"You burnt it?", he said, trying to digest the fact. After a second his face turned into a scowl and he barked,"You bloody burnt it!"

Dawn flinched at the harshness in his voice. She feebly replied," I went for some water. But by the time I arrived, the damage was done. I am sorry. I really am!" She apologised, while looking at the ground in shame and hatred directed towards herself. She wanted to cry but tears could melt everyone, not him.

Ash was completely infuriated. He held her tightly and roughly on her arms, slightly above her elbows, making her winch in pain. She let two or three drops of tear scroll through her eyes then her cheeks and painfully managed to utter,"Ash, you're hurting me." Ash stayed unmoved by her pleas, clearly not at all happy by the mistake she did. She tearfully said," It was an accident, I promise I won't repeat it again."

He felt himself melting at the sincerity in her voice. He let her go, but angrily asked," So, what do you want me to do now? Feed them stones? You careless girl, we are in middle of a war! Where are we going to get food now? It is limited! I thought you knew that, but you have to prove me wrong everytime! The next supply is going to come tonight. What are you going to feed them till then? Your brain? "

The rudeness in his voice finally made her snap. He had hurt her physically, insulted her like a piece of shit. This is what she deserved for cooking all the day long for more than half a century of people. This was what she got for taking care of everyone in the basement.

She sharply answered,"It was an accident. And since I caused it, I will rectify it."

She felt too vulnerable, too fragile to even fight with him. She understood the serious and grave situation they were in, but shouting at him to relieve the frustration was not going to help. Neither would accepting her mistake and forgetting it would.

"Rectify how?" He raised his eyebrows. He hated that tone of hers. "They want food for fucks sake. Sorry doesn't fillup stomachs."

"I am trying my best you asshole!" She wiped her cheeks to get rid of the tear stains.

With that she left towards the exit of the basement, in order to gather some berries from the nearby forest. Ash felt a pang of gulit wash over him when he realized how much he had overreacted. He slowly went to the old people to inform that there would be a little delay in the serving of food, which caused many of them to shout at him angrily as well as he witnessed many people swearing something about being clumsy and careless, under their breaths .

He was about to apologize again when sound of advancing footsteps startled him. Then he heard a loud explosion coming from outside. He ordered everyone to stay inside, while searching the crowd for a particular bluentte. His eyes widened in realization when it dawned upon him that Dawn had left to arrange for some food. He bounced and hastily ran towards the exit. After exiting the basement, he covered the entrance with a big rock and looked around frantically, hoping to find Dawn soon.

He found her, she was making her way back to the basement. She was completely unaware of his presence and was about to get up after filling her water canteen, another explosion startled her so badly that it made her lose her footing and she slipped and dunked into the river behind her.

"Dawn!" Ash screamed with all his might and without thinking anything else, jumped into the river. The current was not too strong but the weight of having someone's additional weight sure made swimming harder. Even though he tried, he failed to carry her to the shore. But either his luck or hers saved them. A sudden current had thrown them on the shore, which was on the opposite side of the shore where their basement was.

On hearing the sound of advancing footsteps, Ash picked up the unconscious Dawn bridal style and carried her to the nearest hiding place, an old cave near the river bank,which was well hid by creepers and vegetation. Seeing no other option, he carried her inside.

I don't even know what I was thinking when I started this story. XD As I reread through the parts, I kept cringing so hard.. Lol. Not gonna take it down though. It seems stupid to me now but at that time I liked writing this so its gonna stay up in here.

~darkestlight