Behind Closed Doors

Written by Arti Cuno

NOTE: I know this isn't very likely to happen, or be true in anyway, live with it... ^.~ I'm doing it cause I fell like writing it, out and out simple... and it's tied in with how I feel about now... I dedicate this fic to all the people that have to live like this I know for a fact it ain't fun...

"A so called future pokémon master crying? How pathetic."

Shigeru knew that's what anyone who seen him now would say. Today was just another day in his hellish life. He'd been with his sister May in the living room playing a game of cards when his mother had stormed in. She started screaming like she was insane and in the middle of it all she grabbed Shigeru and threw him to the wall. he hit it hard, almost knocking him out. He still felt the power of the impact on the back of his head. It didn't help matters any that she'd continued the attack. Giving him a black eye.

He'd returned to visit from pokémon training but his parents weren't happy, they didn't want him home, they wanted him gone, anywhere but with them. He didn't have any idea why they had turned like that. Or more, his mother. His father was simply a follower, everytime she'd say something, his father would back her up. He hated it. Just like he was starting to hate her.

Shigeru couldn't understand why he was being treated so badly, May was treated like a queen, him, worse then the court jester. He had thought it was because he wasn't good enough, no one cared about him. Other then his Grandfather. He actually paid attention to him, encouraged him, coached him along when times got tough. After his loss at Indigo Stadium his mother seemed as if she was let down with his loss. As if not caring about how he felt, the fact HE hurt too, if not hurt MORE then she did, it was HIS loss, not hers. Then again, who wanted a loser for a son?

He checked the time on his Eevee clock. It was nearly midnight now, he'd been in his room crying for nearly three hours. No one had came up to comfort him, to even see how he was. That thought only made things worse. Even May didn't check on him, he thought she'd be kind enough to, unless she was told not to, in that case he didn't blame her. He didn't want them both in trouble.

Shigeru laid back on his bed, staring at the ceiling which was covered in glow in the dark stars. The stars reminded him of the times he had to stay out for the night and sleep under the real stars when he was out actually training his pokémon. He didn't like having the cheerleaders following his every move, they were just plain distracting and got in the way at times. Being able to go out on his own and do as he pleased was the way he liked it best,he only came home to visit for a while, and stop in to his grandfather's a while. The only family member he really liked at all.

He looked at the clock again, wishing hours had pasted, not the minutes that actually did. He planned on going out to Prof Oak's Lab the next morning to check on his pokémon there and stay with his grandfather a bit, then continue on possibly starting his journey to join the Jouta (Jolt) League. He knew Satoshi was already on his way there, probably already in Wabaka town by then, but he didn't care, he could catch up and fly right by him. Not that it mattered. Right now all he really felt was the pain in his head and that's all that mattered to him, the fact his own mother did it to him, the one that was supposed to care for him, protect him, love him. It seemed she was totally opposite though.

He rolled over onto his stomach and turned his head to the side looking at his plush Eevee. A lot of the things in his room were Eevee things. It was one of his favorite pokémon after all. He'd had the plush eevee since he was only five, he was 15 now. The scruffy toy was ten years old and still around, it had so many stitches in it where it'd been ripped and eyes had been sewn back on it looked as if it was a patchwork doll. His mother tried to get rid of it many times, she'd never managed to pull it off though. Shigeru would always find it and bring it back, putting it on the pillow in the middle of his bed where it belonged. His father had gone so far as to get him a new eevee when he was ten, it still hadn't worked, Shigeru simply kept them both. He couldn't part from the old Eevee. It had always been there when he needed someone to talk to, even if it couldn't hear him, it felt nice to be able to talk it out. With the new Eevee it wasn't the same, he still had a bond with it, but not as strong as the old one. The old one knew all the secrets from before the new one came. It comforted him before the new one, and was always there.

Shigeru took off his belt with his pokéballs and laid it on the table with his eevee clock, he was temped to let out a few of his pokémon for company but his mother's rules were "No stupid pokémans in this house, I don't need any more of a mess then you already make." Last thing he felt like was another beating for nothing at all.

He looked at his pokéballs again. Maybe just one... he thought. Eevee's small, she wouldn't make a mess I know. She probably wouldn't make much noise either.

He reached over and called out his eevee. She immediately jumped on his bed with him and started licking his face. Her attitude seemed to change when she saw how upset he was though. She laid down beside his head and whimpered, nudging him with her head a bit.

Shigeru smiled slightly and rubbed Eevee's tummy. The puppy licked him again and laid down against him. At least someone cares. he thought and sighed.

Eevee suddenly barked and looked at the door, her ears perked up as if she was listening for something. The door to Shigeru's room opened and his mother stood in the door way, staring at him, her eyes cold and filled with rage. Eevee growled and her ears lowered as if she was going to attack. Shigeru sat up and held Eevee back. He didn't want her getting hurt. His mother stormed in the room and began to yell.

She swung her fist at him, fortuately he was able to move in time and rolled off the opposite side of his bed, holding Eevee in one arm, barely grabbing his belt with the other. She curse and grabbed for Eevee's tail. "I've told you before not to bring those friggin' animal in the house and let them loose you stupid Bastard!"

Shigeru turned enough at she had missed Eevee, but instead she'd got his hair and tried to pull him to his feet. Shigeru cried, in pain and thrashed about, trying to get free. He slammed his elbow into his mother's stomach, causing her to let go. With his chance to get free he made a run for the open door. The short distance to freedom seemed to be taking forever. But. Before he reached his freedom, the door was slammed in his face. He turned to see his mother was facing him again, heading towards him.

"Momma, no!" he cried, backed against the door, clutching Eevee. "Leave me alone!"

She was still advancing on him though. Her rage was so strong she didn't even hear her son's cries for mercy. Shigeru charged past her, suddenly, trying to get to the window and his last chance to get away. She was right on his "tail" though, and if he stopped to open the window, he'd be caught.

"Eevee... hang on girl..." he said, shielding Eevee as he jumped shoulder first into the window, shattering the glass, falling to the "roof" over the patio, then into the bushes below. He quickly stumbled to his feet, Eevee standing beside him, unhurt, although he was. He didn't care that he was bleeding and seemed to have a broken arm though. He was more worried about getting away. From his mother. Or who he used to think was.