Black Omen Pokedex Entry 5: Uncertain skies

[xaq_the_aereon]

The path out of town was a nonstop barrage of battles. Cheren wanted to test his team's strength against Rene's, then the Champion of all people pitted the two of them against a pair of preschoolers with Herdiers. Through it all, Rene let Omen take the lead, a thought which filled him with joy...

...Until he saw how much he was struggling. Even evolved beyond its original Rage-fueled form, his Dragon Pulse did little to harm them, his attempts at physical combat were met with woeful inaccuracy, and the two did quite a number on him.

Ultimately, Cheren's Liepard carried the match for them while he simply stood there taking a beating, contributing virtually nothing. Had Elesa's Gym simply been a fluke? A one-time moment for him to shine?

He got his answer as he felt his Pokeball and Onnamusha's swap places. Once again, his friend was taking up the role of protector for him...a role that he was simultaneously thankful for her being willing to do, and disgusted at himself for her having to. He'd tasted that moment of walking the same path as his friends, and now he could feel himself slipping behind once more...it hurt.

A paw, familiar yet not, rested on his shoulder. It was his friend, his protector, and now a fully-evolved Samurott. She looked resplendent...and he looked just the same as the day he'd been made. Of everyone on the team, he was the only one who hadn't changed.

...Enough of that. He pushed those thoughts aside and tried to focus on the positives. His friends were doing wonderful, and at no point had any of them...even Rene...given him any reason to think he wasn't welcome. He focused on that as they crossed the now-ready drawbridge into the next town. The view from it was gorgeous...sadly, the weather beyond only severed to dampen his mood once more. Along with everything and everyone else.

[HAVEN'T SEEN A DOWNPOUR LIKE THIS SINCE A WAILORD USED SURF]

The Gym Leader there wasn't in a particularly good mood; apparently the act of dropping the drawbridge for them had allowed a number of Team Plasma grunts to escape. Team Plasma...the fools that wanted to take what little happiness he'd found and destroy it for him, his friends, and others all over the world.

If he was going to get broody and angry again, at least now he had an acceptable target to vent on, he figured. Plus, it looked like they were hiding out in the Cold Storage area...one way or another, he supposed, he'd get to cool his head for a bit.

It seemed he wouldn't even have to wait that long. Onnamusha being paired against a Pansage prompted Rene to go for a quick tag-out, and he decided it was time to protect her the way she'd been protecting him...and to take out his frustration on it. Poor thing went down like a brick from a single Dragon Pulse.

It seemed he was right all along; happiness and strength were polar opposites for him...he could have one, but not the other. So the question now was clear.

Which was more important to him?