"----ooks sick." Consciousness dragged back to Iana slowly, suddenly aware of voices speaking low nearby. The Absol shuddered to her feet, alert but sluggish, making her head rush and vision swim before she could even get a solid look at her surroundings. The stink of rotten garbage from the alleyway around her hit her nose, harder than when she had laid down, along with something stagnant and sweet she couldn't place. The wet cardboard she had been nesting on ripped under her sharp black claws, but as she tried to growl it got caught in her throat from a sudden stab of pain in her side. It was easy to lose her balance and fall against the stained brick wall she had been huddled against.

"Woah! Shit! Hey!" Hands, touching, human hands, on her muzzle. She snapped hard at the intrusion, earning a sharp hiss of pain from above her and the taste of copper heavy on her tongue. The hands retreated quickly after that, and Iana blinked to clear her vision. She gave a few harsh pants, side heaving, and moved to make her escape. However, she only managed two shaky steps before her legs gave out and she fell harshly on her side.

Pinpricks danced behind her eyelids, which were closed tight from the impact. It felt like all the breath had been sucked out of her and pain crackled up her side. Something wet ran down her matted fur. Oh, the scabs must have reopened. Lovely. They already burned with infection, so this was just what she needed on top of that.

A jagged cut was raw and open on Iana's side. It was an angry red now, oozing and dripping white with infection. It smelled like death and she wasn't surprised by it. Fresh blood from moving too much stained her fur a dark pink. Wannabe poachers had caught her unaware a few days ago and tried to snag her. She had been starving and hadn't gotten out of the way of the Sandslash's claws in time. At least she had managed to surprise her attackers with a Quick Attack so she could get away.

Either way, Iana had more pressing issues to deal with right now. She was sick, hurt, still very much starving, and now had a human that was trying to attack her. If she had to guess anyway. Forcing her eyes open, she set a hard glare at the human in front of her. Just one. A small one, thin, even looked kind of dirty. His light brown eyes were blown wide with shock or adrenaline or maybe something else, but he grimaced and clutched his bleeding arm to his chest.

"Leave me alone!" Iana barked out. She tried to sound threatening but her voice cracked. It was rusty from disuse and the effort it took to yell made fresh pain blossom in her side since she was so sore anyway. The human flinched back, not expecting that, but there was something in his eyes. A flicker of understanding or maybe something else. It was gone so fast that it was hard for Iana to tell.

"You shouldn't yell. You'll just, like, make it worse." He pulled his hand away from himself and flexed it, neat fang marks in his skin. A little blood welled up but he just wiped it away. Iana gasped and tried to push herself to her feet again when he opened a bag sitting on his hip, but her side throbbed and stars of pain entered her sight and she collapsed back down. She settled for trying to inch away from him slowly. She expected him to pull out a ball, a something to hurt her, but not a wrapped up and cheap fast food sandwich.

"'S kinda cold...." He unwrapped the waxy yellow paper and moved to set it down in front of her. When Iana flinched back at the sudden movement, he sighed and instead tossed it at her feet. Plain and pressed extra flat from the bag, just cheese and nothing else. It didn't look appetizing in any way but damn she was hungry. The only suspicion made her resist temptation. A human was offering this to her, so it was probably poisoned or something equally nasty.

"I don't trust you. I know you're up to something, human." Iana spat 'human' out like it was a curse, making the dark-haired man frown. He looked unsure, eyes landing anywhere in that grimy alleyway but her. Finally, he shrugged. He pressed his back against the wall and slid down it, knees folded up to his chin. He stared at the opposite wall.

"Alright." His acceptance threw her through a loop. He moved to his bag again and she tensed, but he just produced another sandwich. Much like the first, he unwrapped it before sinking his teeth into it. She watched him take small, measured bites until about a quarter of his burger was gone before she looked back down at the burger at her feet.

It wasn't ideal, but it was better than nothing. She ate with the grace of a starving dog, burger swallowed before she even tasted it. Iana pretended not to see the small smile that the human was hiding behind his own food; her pride wouldn't allow it. Her belly still ached for more but it was better than being completely empty.

"I could take you to a center." Folding the paper back around his food, the dark haired man looked back over at Iana. He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. "I mean, it's a few blocks away, but, like, would you rather die?"

"And what do you know about death?" She challenged. Sadness filled his eyes for a moment, something else unexpected, and Iana could tell he wasn't really looking at her for a few seconds.

"More than you think." He answered, plainly, a small and broken smile on his lips. He absently rubbed his wrists.

It was quiet after that, for a very long time. Iana still watched close, but the human had just tilted his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. It was stupid and, in a way, insulting. She might have been hurt, but she was still a dangerous wild pokemon! Didn't humans know any better than to be afraid? She was hurt, but that didn't mean she couldn't fight him.

But why? A little, shameful voice whispered in her head. Iana forced the intrusive thought away. She wasn't going to go soft just because some fool had given her a cheap burger and looked sad. This was probably all part of some ruse to fool her into complacency so he could catch her.

Suddenly, Iana winced and it wasn't because of her side. Her horn throbbed, alerting her to danger. It was followed by the sound of a trash can turning over at the mouth of the alleyway. Three dark shapes blocked out the light. Two human women and a Sandslash, the same ones that Iana had a run in with before.

"Look, there it is!" Sneered out one of the women. The man stood up slowly, confused, but then it dawned on him what they meant and he looked back at Iana with wide eyes. She tried to force herself up but her legs just wouldn't move anymore. She was pathetic and about to be captured and have all her freedom stolen away from her. Again.

Except, the human man reached into his pocket and pulled out a Pokeball. With a flick of the wrist, a Pidove of all things was flitting around his body. She could hear quiet 'What's wrong, Calla? What's going on?' coming from the pokemon. She didn't look very strong, certainly not up to the standards of fighting a Sandslash who wasn't afraid to maim. This was stupid. This was all stupid. Idiot human was about to get his pokemon killed just to protect her, and Iana didn't even like him.

Except, to her surprise, he muttered a few words to the bird and she darted up instead of towards the other pokemon. She was gone, and the man stood up tall. She could see his hands shaking even as he balled them up into fists at his side. Another pokeball was in his knuckle white grip.

"If you know what's good for you, you'll leave." His voice shook instead of coming out strong. He looked scared and unsure. Why was he standing up to them? What could he gain from it? Nothing, that's what. As if in response, the taller of the two girls laughed. A nasty sound full of mockery and scorn.

"Oh, you gunna do something about it, tough guy?" She snorted behind her hand and approached. Her heels clicked on the pavement. She was taller than the man, and she didn't stop until she was right up in his face. Even if he shook, he didn't back down when she leaned in and sneered at him. "Gunna hit me, tough guy? Protect your new little friend?" She scoffed in his face. Iana saw him flinch from the flecks of spit that hit his face. "What, you some Ranger goodie two shoes who wants to 'pwotect all the widdle pokemon aaaaaaaw'?"

"She's dying. Just leave her alone." His voice was quiet. The woman snorted.

"You're in the wrong city, assface. After I take that 'poor, little Absol', I'm going to slice your pretty neck. Sound like a plan?" She grinned, pleased with herself, and lifted a hand in a beckoning motion. The Sandslash stepped forward, claws raised high and the same grin on its face as it's Trainer....

... Until it wasn't anymore. Slammed to the ground by an angry Gligar who was released from the man's hand. The second woman, still at the mouth of the alley, screamed. A man dressed like a Ranger grabbed her and had her face smashed against a wall, then handcuffed quick. The man defending her looked away, to the side, as if ashamed. The woman in his face straightened up and looked at what was happening with wide eyes. Then her face turned red, angry.

"Hey! We haven't done anything!" She marched over to the cop, but before she could say anything else she was pushed to the ground by an Amparos and given the same treatment. The man quickly called back the Gligar and shoved the ball in his pocket.

"We'll let the judge be the one who decides that. Donny! Come get this kid's statement!" The cop bit out. The man, Calla, relaxed and gave him a little wave. The Pidove from earlier was back, landing on the man's head and fretting there softly. Calla sighed and returned that pokemon as well. Iana felt dizzy again, the adrenaline in her veins working overtime now just exhausting her already weakened body.

"... Sorry. Just, uh.... can't let someone die, okay?" Iana realized he was talking to her too late. The ball came at her quick, hitting her bony shoulder. She felt the familiar pressure of being sucked and pulled in. She struggled for all she was worth, surrounded by darkness and only her own panting. She had to get out, had to keep being free, couldn't submit to this human.

But, Iana was also so tired. She just wanted to sleep, for this to finally be over. Give up, that little voice from earlier whispered again. You know its for the best. She didn't want to listen, didn't want to be left alone again. She was so tired.


Being abandoned by every trainer she's had previously has crippled Iana's view on humans and trainers alike. She is a hateful creature, towards both herself and the outside world, and does not display any kind of affection or tolerance for this trainer who had so cruelly taken her independence away. This Absol is a lone wolf, so to speak, and is quite resentful of having been caught. Her insecurity prompts the belief that everyone out there, including her teammates, means to cause her harm. Though she is not jumpy, she is quick to jump to negative conclusions, and is actually quite a fearful sort, though her fear most often displays itself as aggression when she is backed into a corner. She does not make a habit of making herself appear vulnerable for fear that she will be left alone again. Building her trust will be a difficult and time-consuming process. She is stubborn and she does not often admit to her wrongs, and an apology from her is like pulling teeth.

Iana met Calla by accident, out in a dirty alleyway. She was wounded badly, starving, and on the run from amateur poachers. While Calla didn't steal her heart by any means, he did feed her and then keep the poachers off her back long enough to lower her guard, which resulted in him capturing her. She still doesn't like the idea of being with him and doesn't trust him. She is only dealing with the situation because she is forced to and not because she likes it.

Since Iana lacks so much trust in her Trainer, she cannot mega evolve until she learns to trust again.