Sal gasped as Guillaume's fist sank into the pit of her stomach and took away her breath. Black circles danced before her eyes. Desperately, she struggled to remain conscious. Tears welled up in her eyes. The worst wasn't the pain but the bewildered crowd of people witnessing her punishment – mute and faceless cowards without a spine. None of them dared to intervene, despite the brutality Guillaume put on display.

"Sal," She heard Guillaume’s sonorous voice and felt his arm patronizingly wrapping around her shoulder and pulling her closer.

"Is that how you show your gratitude? After all I've done for you?!" Guillaume asked reproachfully. Sal writhed in pain. Another blow dug deep her in the stomach pit. Her strength failed her. Reluctantly, Sal slumped to her knees but that didn't get her a breather. Guillaume grabbed her hair and pulled her up. For a moment, Sal felt like he was ripping her scalp out. Every cell of her body screamed to make him stop.

"Didn't I teach you to stand tall?!"

Her stomach tightened. But it didn't make any difference. Her resistance only seemed to spur Guillaume on to strike harder. Sal knew, she had to comply. No help would come for her. Again, and again she felt his fist. Something that the old men said about her came to Sal's mind: She was too weak. That was her mistake. With a pained look on her face, she couldn't help but silently agree.

"Didn't I teach you to show strength?!"

The following blow almost knocked her unconscious but she remained steadfast. Sal suppressed her tears and her anger. She didn't bulge, she didn’t even make a sound. In no way would she show her vulnerability to Guillaume. It was the only resistance she could offer for now. But she clanged to the thought that one day, she’d be able to withstand him. To pay him back ten- or a hundredfold. Sal focused on her thoughts and blended Guillaume's so-called lesson out.

We're gonna leave him soon. That will be my victory. We only need to get stronger. Just a little bit.

Sal held her hands up protectively as she hit the rough ground. Her skin teared open. She gasped heavily as she felt a kick in her ribs.

Just lay down, Sal thought, maybe it will stop if I just lay down.

Sal curled up. Protectively, she pushed her arms in front of her stomach and chest. Guillaume kicked her two more times before he stopped. Her lip had long since burst. She had already seen him venting - but never as bad as today. His dark voice was full of anger when he adressed the onlookers, "My verdict is: Sal loses her rights as my sergent, as well as her sleeping place!"

Fight back, her inner voice screamed. Sal blinked away the tears and squeezed her eyes and mouth shut in shock. She had lost her sleeping place!

"I know you're still conscious," Guillaume snarled. The ruler of the dumps knelt beside her; his face was so close that the acrid stench of his breath filled her nostrils with every word he spoke.

"I know about your secret hideout. You wanted to deceive me, yeah!?" Guillaume concluded. Sal wasn't sure what was worse: Guillaume's konwing where she hid her money or how close he was to uncover her true goal.

"I was the one who saved you, Sal. I was the one who gave you a purpose, a way, a meaning in life. Did you really think you could leave me that easy?"

Again, she felt Guillaume's hands digging into her hair. He jerked her head up and pushed it back to the ground in one swift and brutal motion. The left side of her face exploded in pain. Sal bit her lips bloody as she stifled the cry of agony.

"You work for me and no one else. The next time you reach for the fruit that hangs too high, I won't be so gracious. Got that?!"

Sal didn't utter a word. She struggled against the pressure of Guillaume's hand, with which he still pressed her head to the floor. She barely managed to nod.

"It's good we've cleared that up. And now tell me: Who was that guy? Why did you lure him into my kingdom?"

The pressure on her head eased.

"AND ALL OF YOU, FUCK OFF!" Guillaume belled at the onlookers, who then burst into a frenzy. No one wanted to incur his wrath.

"You too, Benoit," Guillaume hissed. Apparently, he wanted to talk to her in private. Sal wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad sign.

Show him that you obey, her inner voice advised.

He's just the one-eyed king among the blind, Sal remembered the old man's words. Why did she have to think of him now? He'd gotten her into this mess after all!

"Sit down," Guillaume ordered. Sal did as she was told; her eyes lowered. She knew he would take it as a sign of her submission. Which was just fine with Sal, who wanted Guillaume to think she'd learned her lesson.

"Look at me," Guillaume urged her. She raised her head in feigned resignation. The ruler of the dumps had taken place on a large piece of wood and was staring at her intently. Sal suppressed the flickering resistance and met his gaze for a split second. Then, she looked down at the ground again – pretending to be ashamed. Guillaume sighed theatrically.

"I think highly of you," he said. Sal didn't know what he was getting at but nodded in fake obedience.

"It’s the reason I have to be stricter with you. Sometimes I think you don’t understand how good you have it with me," said Guillaume. The anger had vanished from his voice.

"You're safe. Hidden from the gendarmerie, the Gardién or the government. Tons of people out there are after you and your Pokémon. Why would you want to give up the protection I offer? You think, you're strong enough to survive out there? All on your own? Do you want to go begging again? Hoping for alms every day? Dependent on people you don’t know? Have you forgotten how I found you? Half frozen, starved, only a breath away from death. Lonely and alone in a dark gutter. You wanna end up there again? In the gutter?"

Technically, Guillaume didn’t lie. But he wasn't telling the truth either. Rather, a twisted version of it. Sal swallowed her remark. She had suffered enough pain for today.

"I created the dumps as a refuge. I take it very seriously when someone disturbs our peace," Guillaume said.

Inwardly, Sal snorted. She never saw the dumps as a peaceful refuge. Quite the oppposite, it was a dark place full of betrayal. A daily struggle for survival in which strength was the only thing that mattered. Only a few minutes ago, the man who was now talking about peace had beaten her up while numerous residents of the dumps had looked on. Even some of those that Sal had previously considered her allies.

No, I don't have any allies here, she thought. That was the lesson Guillaume had taught her today. Nevertheless, there was no other choice for her but to put on a facade.

"So, who was he? What did he want?"

"I don't know," Sal muttered. In response, she received a resounding slap in the face.

"Don't you dare challenge me," Guillaume snapped at her in anger. “Last chance! Who was he? What did he want?"

He's scared, Sal realized in amazement. Guillaume is afraid of the old man!

"Please believe me! I really don't know who he is. He didn't even say his name. Only that he's been watching me, that he knows what's going on here," she suddenly gushed out. "I'm not sure, maybe it's the father of one of those rich kids? You know, those who fight against me before they tuck their tales and run. Bunch of losers. Anyway, the old geezer warned me. Told me to stop going on like this. To change, to turn a new page in my life, and things like that."

Guillaume eyed her suspiciously, probing every word of her.

"Honestly, Gui. I’ve no idea who he is," Sal pleaded. "You know I don't deal with suit-wearers, eh? They're too much to chew, too risky."

She hesitated for a moment, looked around, and lowered her voice conspiratorially when she saw that no one was listening. "Wait! I think I've seen him before. Yeah! At the jeweler. He was there. In the store."

Guillaume's face turned to stone.

"Dunno, maybe it’s pure coincidence. Or did he want to rob the...? But what for...? He's got a suit and he's already rich, he's got no reason...", Sal muttered to herself.

Not a lie. Only a twisted part of the truth, she thought. If Guillaume could bend the world the way he liked, so could she! She felt it was important to lure Guillaume onto the wrong track.

"You ain’t playing games with me, yeah?" Guillaume stated in a gloomy mood. He chewed his upper lip like he always did when he brooded.

"You're still here," he said after a few seconds. "Buzz off. But stay by close. I may need your services soon. Who knows, maybe I’ll give you the chance to redeem yourself, should you put in the effort."

Sal nodded in fake submission. She hurried to leave Guillaume and immediately headed in the direction of her former sleeping place – trying to look small and fragile.

Only a girl, not more. No one he should worry bout. Sal hurried off, driven by the question of whether there was anything left of her refuge when she arrived.

Maybe I can save some stuff if I'm fast enough, flashed through Sal's mind. Uncertainty gnawed at her. As she ran, her Pokémon rejoined her. They didn’t partake in Sal's confrontation with Guillaume. Sal didn't hold it against them. Nothing good would have come out of it. Also, after their defeat by the old man, the three barely had the strength to stand upright, let alone run.

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"No!" Desperately, Sal looked at the now empty space, where her home had stood this morning.

It was gone.

Just… everything.

The sleeping bags, the clothes, the backpack. Even the old book, which she always kept guarded like a treasure. In a panic, she hurried to an inconspicuous pile of garbage.

Maybe they missed it, Sal thought, while she neared the empty hollow.

Please. They must have missed it!

Her treacherous hope collapsed like a house of cards when she found the hollow empty. Guillaume hadn't lied. He knew of her secret hiding place. Despair slowly turned to bewilderment. A feeling of emptiness spread through her.

My whole life, it's... gone.

Even Paul and Henri were nowhere to be found. When Sal took a closer look, she noticed the absence of the old barrel, which had kept them warm in the winter. She swallowed the bitter taste in her mouth. They too had abandoned her. Knowing that they turned traitors didn't surprise her. They all lived by the law of the strong.

What could someone like her who had fallen from grace possibly do for them? Still, she was a human being and craving for someone who would accept her. Someone to help her when she was down instead of tucking tails. Although she barely noticed, the loss of her acquaintances tore a small hole in Sal's closely guarded heart. She felt pushed closer to the edge. But as always, she would get on her feet again and bounce back. Sal knew better than to put her trust in others. Her skin was thick and her heart resilient.

"No rest for the wicked, hu?" Sal told herself. The last time her body hurt so much was that night when she was kicked by the half-grown youths for no reason. Back when she was still sleeping at the train station. On the night before Bernard found his death. He was the last person she had trusted. And he, too, had left her behind. Albeit in a different manner.

She felt a surge of alien emotions wash over her - a mix of compassion, defiance and... optimism? A faint smile hushed over Sal's face. Yes, she wasn't alone in this. She still had someone she could put her blind trust in. Trix snuggled her soft fur against her trainer's leg as if she was saying: "Don’t give up. It’s us against the world, girl. They better be prepared!"

Sal smiled faintly. Salandit looked up at her, too. The venomous reptile was bruised and battered but radiated a strength and composure that built Sal up. Knowing full well that she was too injured to enjoy it, the exhausted Salandit attempted to climb onto her trainer's back. A testament to their bond. It was Salandit's way to show her determination to weather whatever storms life threw at them. Together, there was no hurdle they couldn't overcome!

We'll move on. Step by Step, Sal thought with renewed vigor.

"All right, we need a new place to stay," she said. The forced optimism of her voice got stuck in her far too dry throat. The leaden taste of dried blood was still in her mouth. Carefully, she ran a finger over her cracked lip. It would take some time for the wound to heal. Especially now that it was cold, and her lips were dry and cracked anyway.

"We need something to keep us warm. Corry, that's going to be your job. Spooky, you're looking for a new place to stay. Trix and I will try to get some money. Oh, and something edible. At the beginning of dawn, we'll meet again here."

When she put her hands in her jacket pocket, she felt the 14 Pokédollars that remained from the fight against the young trainer with the Bunnelby.

There’s still enough time to make it to the city. I could buy a loaf of bread, maybe steal something to replace the sleeping bags, she thought.

"Change of plans. We form teams of two. Corry and Spooky are looking for a suitable place to sleep, Trix and I are getting something to eat and something to keep us warm."

The path through the dumps felt like running the gauntlet. Old acquaintances avoided Sal, afraid of being targeted by Guillaume, too. When Sal passed by, most of them lowered their eyes and stared silently at the ground. They differed from the vultures, her envious competitors who probably even fought among themselves for the best prizes when they ransacked her tent. She met their mocking glances with indifference.

Again, Sal thought back to the old man who had always been controlled. He did not need to respond to pity provocations. Even when first Benoit and later Guillaume appeared.

"Shit. Fucker’s to blame for everything. Out of all, why do I have to think about him?" Sal cursed into the cool midday air.

Because he’s an opportunity, her treacherous mind replied. The more she thought about the strange encounter, the more questions arose. Why she? What did he want from her? Sal tried to piece together the pieces of information he'd given her. She was sure there was a hidden meaning behind his remarks.

"Even though he's that strong, he's come to us," Sal muttered as they left the dumps. They hurried along a well-trodden path of mud that led them to one of the great gates that led to the city.

"He wants something. Something that no one else can give him. Something we have, but he doesn't. He's stronger than us and he knows more than we do," Sal said. Trix looked up at her. She had taken on the appearance of Skitty again. Sal sensed the curiosity emanating from her Pokémon.

"Besides, he knew who you are. What you are. What you can do," Sal paused. Mixed feelings ran through her. She felt like she could see through the old man's underlying motive.

"I think he's after you. That has to be it! Do you remember him mentioning only a handful of trainers in the whole region knew what kind of Pokémon you are and that none could hold a candle to his knowledge? The question is… how can we take advantage of this?" she pondered. It was a question that kept Sal busy late into the night. And she wasn't the only one. Zorua's unrest was evident. Never before had Sal seen her companion as restless as she was today.

When they returned to the dumps, they brought bread along, as well as a stolen woolen blanket. Haunter and Salandit were successful, too. They found a small mound of rubbish that didn't smell too bad. It was shaped like an L and had a hollow that was difficult to see from the outside. Whoever lived here before was driven out by Haunter, who was desperate to find an outlet to vent his frustration over today's events.

Together with Trix and Salandit, Sal curled up in the heavy woolen blanket, craving the warmth of her companions, while a leaden weariness overcame her. She felt the sinister eyes of the watchful Haunter rest on her. Slowly, she dozed off. Wondering, which nightmares would haunt her today.

Pale moonlight fell through the window, bathing the room in a dim light. Slowly but steadily, Sal turned the butter knife. It was a poor substitute for a screwdriver, but somehow it worked. She loosened one of the two remaining screws securing the window grille to the rotting wooden frame. Sal's faded t-shirt was wet from the cold sweat and stuck to her back.

Cautiously, she turned to her three roommates and held her breath. Beth was a light sleeper as well as a prime example of a snitch. Waking her was the worst case, Sal could imagine. The other two might have joined if Sal had asked them. Still, she'd kept the plan to herself. If there was one thing life in the orphanage had taught Sal, it was to keep her mouth shut. Vivienne was the only person she could trust.

With utmost care, Sal loosened the last screw. The window grille came off. Instinctively, Sal grabbed the grille before it could fall to the ground. A clink echoed through the room, causing Sal to flinch. The screw she had just loosened slipped away.

"Please don't wake up," Sal pleaded in her mind. Frozen in shock, she felt her whole back tighten. She squeezed her eyes and mouth tightly shut, trying to breathe as quietly as she could. Slowly, Sal turned her head in Beth's direction and breathed a sigh of relief, when she found her roommate sleeping soundly.

Unsteadily, Sal let her gaze wander around the room that had held her captive for the past few years. Gently, she lifted her duvet. She placed the window grille on the mattress and put on the torn denim jacket that used to serve as her pillow. Then she squeezed through the narrow window.

Cautiously, Sal tried to grasp the joints in the masonry. Where it seemed safe, she stabilized her descent from the second floor with a grip on the gutter. The fear of slipping and falling was breathing down her neck. It took Sal a lot of time and energy to climb to the ground. Exhausted, she slumped on the stone slabs that surrounded the children's home. Her muscles burned and her breathing came quickly. Sal's arms pulsed and her heart pounded so loudly that it bordered on a miracle that no one had woken up yet.

Only a few meters and a stone wall with an iron gate separated her from her long-awaited freedom. No more home management, no more cane, no more cellar, and no more fieldwork. No more daily battles for... everything.

"Shh!”

"Viv?" Sal asked quietly.

"Yes. And now come! Fast! Annie's patrolling the other side right now!"

Sal's heart lightened when she saw it was Vivien's silhouette looming in the darkness. As long as the two were together, she had nothing to fear! Sal could already smell the sweet scent of freedom. Finally, the time had come to run away.

Sal woke up with tears in her eyes. Then the pain set in. Her head felt like it was going to explode at any moment. Overnight, her limbs had turned into a hot and pulsating mass. There was no part of her body that felt good. To make matters worse, she was overwhelmed by an oppressive feeling of loneliness. She missed Viv. More than ever before. Her chest tightened. Sal wiped away the tears and pulled the woolen blanket tightly to herself. It felt much colder than on other days.

"Hey Trix. Just thought of Viv. You still remember her, don't you?" Trix snuggled up to Sal. A wave of emotions – sadness, compassion, determination, and courage – swept over the trainer.

"Course you do." Sal forced a smile and turned to Salandit.

"You’ve no idea who we’re talking ‘bout, hu? Nah, don't mind. You've never met her. Really, it's a pity. I'm sure you would've gotten along great."

Sal's gaze wandered to Haunter. The ghost stared apathetically into the void. Nothing about him indicated his thoughts or feelings. Sal shrugged and immediately regretted it when a wave of pain ran through her shoulder.

"Fuck this. Crying doesn't help anyone. Time to make plans for the day. Food's the most important thing. Second one's equipment. Fucking Vultures left us out in the cold with nothing to survive. It'll be a struggle from now on. So give your best! Today's goal are a sleeping bag and a backpack. But we gotta be careful. It's stuff we only find in the city, and none of you is allowed there.

Corry, Spooky! You’re staying here, guarding our new camp. I don't trust anyone but you. Trix and I run the errands in disguise. You can take turns hunting. I'm sure there are a few rodents you can scare away, little one," Sal said, grinning slyly at Salandit, who shook her tail in excitement.

Sal felt the night and yesterday etched into her bones. However, it didn't stop her from acting. Life on the streets had taught her that the idle were left behind. Besides, it wasn't the first time she'd lost something she possessed. So far, every single loss had been a viable lesson for her.

"Don't worry Trix. Only a matter of time til we quit," Sal said. Her dream had made it clear. Escape was always an alternative. She wondered which lengths Guillaume would go to when she ran away. Neither had he any love to spare for traitors nor was he afraid to make an example of them. Yesterday he made it all to clear that he wouldn’t even blink an eye before turning on long-time companions to secure his standing. Meanwhile, Sal understood that Guillaume assumed her uncontrollable. He probably felt threatened by the idea that Sal might ally herself with someone stronger than him and wanted to make a statement.

“Fucking geezer. Turned my life upside down,” Sal cussed when she thought of the old man. "Useless, to brood over it. Sooner or later, he’ll find us. When we got from him, what we want, we’re gonna run away. Until then, we stay low profile, yeah? Prepare quietly and leave when opportunity arises. Somewhere sunny would be nice. Maybe the coast?" By now, Sal and Trix had arrived at one of the big gates leading into Lumiose. They passed through the city's entrance without problems and immediately started their hunt.

A few hours later, Sal wasn't sure if she and Trix were unlucky or off track. They didn’t manage to get a sleeping bag or a backpack. There were always days when nothing went her way. Better times would come. When they returned to their new sleeping place, Sal started to build a makeshift shelter. The best materials she found were some slightly damaged cardboards and old scraps of clothing. It had to do for now.

The following days were similarly unsuccessful. Sal managed to get hold of a backpack and thus significantly expanded Salandit’s range of action. Otherwise, she tried to keep her head down. Which turned out to be a good thing. Whenever Sal was in the city, she felt Lumiose was like a powder keg, about to explode at any second. A tense atmosphere hovered over the city like a giant, invisible bell. No matter where Sal looked, she imagined suspicious eyes following her every move.

For the time being, she limited herself to acquiring the bare essentials. Searching for food, improving her new refuge, and harboring more or less concrete thoughts of escaping the dumps. When she fell fall asleep, she tossed and turned, plagued by nightmares. The days passed and the frost gave way to the rain.