After waking up the next morning, Electris decided to move on. She had to get away from the plains; her location was too close to the Luxray camp. Memory shone in her brilliant golden eyes as she recalled the time when her mother had given her the Quick Claw.
"Electris, now that you're 5 weeks old, I give you my Quick Claw. It's been passed down over many generations, aiding each with our slow speed."
Electris was startled. Surely Electric types were supposed to be fast?
"Luxrays aren't fast like other Electric types, Electris. It takes months of training to get up to that level, and even so... We can't move as fast as, say, a Pikachu."
"But Mama..."
"Not to worry, my dear Electris... We were bestowed some powerful physical strength in its place. Unlike other Electric types, who can't use physical attacks well, we can."
Feeling more confident, Electris proudly took her mother's Quick Claw, which was now hers...
She had been very close to her mother, Bright Spark, even in her 10 weeks of life.
Sighing, the Shinx began to push her way through the forest. Staying where she was was very dangerous, especially if the Onix and Gravelers were looking for her as she suspected they were.
While she walked, she noticed many Bug Pokémon, and realized that Electric types weren't the only ones out there, even after Rock and Ground.
She heard a large slam.
No! she thought, picking up her pace. Only a Rock/Ground type Pokemon could have done that, but she didn't know why she was so scared of them; she didn't only know Thunder Fang for her offensive moves. She knew Tackle, too.
A little after she heard the bang, she felt a peculiar sensation, like something was trying to paralyze her. Looking in the direction of the feeling, she noticed a yellow... mouse-like thing. Was this one of those Pikachu things that Bright Spark had told her about?
Her Intimidate ability kicked in, making the Pikachu recoil.
"S-sorry! I didn't realize you were an E-Electric type!"
"Really, now? You've never seen a Shinx?"
"I've seen Luxios and L-Luxrays...!"
Sighing, Electris looked very slightly to the left, taking the Pikachu out of the Intimidate effect.
"Whew..." the Pikachu sighed in relief, then looked at Electris. "Well... What's your name? Mine's Nacho."
"My name is Electris, nice to meet you." Electris replied, a little sharply. Realizing her mistake, she gave Nacho an apologetic look. Its straight-tipped tail told her it was male.
"Thanks, you too. You know, I see Luxios and Luxrays come through here all the time, but always in a small group. Why are you alone?"
Startled at the question, Electris's blue-and-black fur flashed brightly for a split-second, then stopped.
Nacho blinked against the flash, tilting his head.
"Sorry..." Calming down a little, she relayed the tale of what had happened over the last couple days. Nacho listened in stunned silence.
"Woah... Electris, that's really. really bad. I'm glad you at least got out of there alive," was his response.
"I... I know." Images flooded Electris's young mind; her mother trapped in an Onix's Bind attack, her Thunderbolt doing nothing to force it to relinquish its hold on her... Her father surrounded by Gravelers as he continually used Ice Fang to take them down one at a time, but being overwhelmed by numbers...
She blinked back tears as the realization crashed down upon her: She would never see her mother, nor her father, or her family ever again.
She was alone.
"Electris?"
"Y-Yes?"
"Everything'll be okay. I'll travel with you." Nacho said, realizing how alone his new friend must be feeling.
"Th... Thank you..." she sighed, her golden-amber eyes shining with tears of grief. It was nice that at least Nacho cared about how she was feeling.
Truth was, she was shattered from what had happened to her family.
As far as she knew, Nacho was all she had.