déjà vu

/

one

Sometimes Wes feels as if he is missing something crucial.

There is a large gap in his memory in which he cannot remember anything. He only knows that in one moment the Hideout was intact, and in the next it was destroyed.

There is a deep scar on the back of his head, hidden by the blond locks of hair.

two

In his dreams, Wes remembers running, a shadowy figure leaping along beside him. There are heavy objects falling to either side of them, threatening to kill them in one blow. Wes sees a light, the path to the outside, and dashes for it.

And that's when everything goes wrong.

A beam hits the shadowy figure beside him, and it collapses in a pool of blood. Wes stops, cradles the dusky creature in his arms as the light fades from its eyes.

"Esp?" Wes turns to see another creature approaching him, this one lavender in color with wisteria eyes. It takes a step back at the sight of the dead creature in his arms, and lets out a wail.

Suddenly, Wes feels a sharp pain in the back of his head, and that's when he wakes up.

He feels the scar tingling on the back of his head, and glances over at the lavender figure curled up next to him.

three

Wes always finds himself being punished by Gonzap, often unfairly and unnecessarily. This latest has him locked in a white room with steel bars at one end. The lavender creature stands beside him, looking up at him with worried eyes.

He bends down to stroke its velvety head. "Don't worry…" he says, and then trails off because he does not know its name.

It looks up at him with sad eyes.

four

A redhead now occupies the cell next to him. She is a petite individual, with silky pigtails and stylish clothing, dressed like many of the citizens of Phenac or some such city.

Except for her eyes. They are an unnatural blue, and glint with some abnormal power (or so he fancies).

He finds out her name is Rui, and her eyes can see things others can't. She can see some sort of aura around shadow pokemon that makes her able to distinguish them from normal ones.

She asks him why he has been imprisoned.

"I don't know, Rui," he answers honestly. "I don't know."

five

Countless days have passed, and Wes and Rui have established a comfortable (if slightly impersonal) rapport.

Wes leans against the bars and Rui does the same. Their shoulder are almost touching. He tells her his thoughts about imprisonment, what he thinks of Team Snagem, his loss of memory, and Rui listens.

When he finishes telling all there is to tell, Rui reaches through the bars and places a warm hand on his shoulder.

"I think you're a noble person, Wes," she says fervently, "and I think, somehow, you were a hero, and just can't remember it."

He shakes his head. "I hardly think so, Rui."

But the throb of the scar and the lone lavender creature speak a different truth.