"… It wasn't much longer 'til the kids died the same way," Gem continued, pace lacking enthusiasm, hardly caring whether his trainer was even listening at this point. "I couldn't stay there anymore. I left as soon as I had the chance…" He paused to wipe a tear from his right eye. "And a year or so later you came along," the Sableye finished, struggling and failing to keep his voice from cracking, avoiding Klaww's gaze. The latter was, for once, a little more compassionate after hearing this.
"I can see why you'd have trouble fighting a Sneasel after that…" He stopped walking altogether when he noticed they were close to Mt. Coronet's entrance again, and Gem followed suit. "… but you'll have to get over that, Gem." The Sableye nodded with a heavy heart.
"For the most part, I am… I-I think I was just caught off-guard," he fibbed. Klaww knew better than to fall for it.
"Gem, don't lie to me. You just can't stand the thought of causing harm to anything that reminds you of her and that keeps you from battling all Sneasel. Am I right?" Klaww was answered with tense silence and a brief nod on Gem's part.
"You know me too well, Master… What are we going to do about this?" Another bit of silence.
"Um, I could help," someone unfamiliar answered, though in an inhuman language. Pokemon and human alike turned to face the stranger. Only 10 feet before them, emerging from behind an evergreen, was an adult Froslass.
She was a little different: she seemed to even further resemble a human woman than most other Froslass, some resemblances being more prominent than others, such as the chest area. She was a bit tall, had a thin figure, and had a kelly green "sash" instead of a red one, with eyes and a stripe across her neck to match. Gem's tears stopped flowing for reasons not unknown when she approached. In this manner she looked like a human woman wearing a dress more than a legless, floating ghost, though common knowledge dictated that Froslass were hollow under their "dress" no matter how much it looked-or felt-like they weren't. Gem couldn't see too well, but even he had trouble believing this just by looking.
She went straight over to Gem, knowing she wouldn't be able to communicate very well with Klaww. The Sableye had to look up at her, and noticeably.
"I was just passing by and heard you had a bit of a problem battling against the gym leader in town?" she pointed toward Snowpoint, wanting to confirm this before continuing.
"Er, yeah…" Gem quickly nodded, speaking in Pokemon rather than English, which was rare for him.
"I've heard that a lot since I came here," her arm went to rest by her side again. "My trainer and I had some differences and she quit her battling career, so she set me free here not 2 weeks ago. Before that, we had already defeated the Indigo League single-handed, so I think I can handle myself pretty well. But I don't like living in the wild, alone. Maybe I could help you two?" she suggested, head slightly tilted to one side.
"I er, I'll have to ask my trainer," Gem stuttered, tentatively sniffing before turning to face Klaww. "She wants to know if she can help us beat the gym leader," Gem explained to the human, seeming more on-edge by the second.
"Well, we need the help, Gem. I'm fine with it if you are," he shrugged.
"Good," the smaller of the two ghosts nodded and turned back around with another sniff and a light twitch of the ear. "He says it's okay," he confirmed to his own feet more than the Froslass. "Th-there's no one else on the team, by the way," he added. "Just us."
"Well, that makes it that much easier then hm?" she half-circled around him, starting toward Snowpoint.
"Um, yeah…" the Sableye mumbled, sneaking a peek once her back was turned. Big mistake. She even looked like a well-developed woman clad in a tight dress from behind! He shuddered and decided he just wouldn't look at her unless he had to, following both her and Klaww back to town, dreading and looking forward to the upcoming battle at the same time.
"By the way, we never got your name," Gem's left ear twitched with the statement.
"I go by Chillie."
