Post by lunix on May 24, 2020 12:03:33 GMT -5
Please note: this is an old fanfic of mine from the old forums. I plan to bring it back and keep writing it! I used to be ~~~Darkstorm~~~. If any old friends are around, please reach out Also, this fit needs some reworking because I just copied it over from where I had it saved (It's missing italics, etc.) so please bear with me if you're reading!
Fans:
Reviews:
Stormie has written something great for anyone who likes Pokemon, as well as those who barely know it!
With great detail, this fiction rockets along at an incredible pace. There's rarely much to complain about - in fact, all I can really criticize is the occasional pause for hunting and the long wait between chapters. But that's something every fanfiction has.
I'm pleased to say that Stormie recently came back to the forums, and her new chapters seem equally good. I'll look forward to more, and would ask to be a fan, but I am one already!
-Windsong
Chapter One
Eve turned her paws in the cool water, looking down at Vaporeon swimming powerfully below her. She laughed as he tugged her tail.
"I can't wait until we find a Water Stone for you," Vaporeon grinned, peeking above the water.
"Then I can stay here with you!" Eve smiled back.
After a moment, Eve splashed Vaporeon and burst out laughing. Vaporeon responded by flipping his tail, causing a wave to wash over her. She held her breath and opened her eyes. Reaching out her paw, she touched his smooth scales. He ran his muzzle against hers.
Eve felt warmth surge through her chest at his touch, and her breathlessness was magnified. Heartbeats later, she stroked back to the surface and took a deep breath.
"You know," Vaporeon stated soberly, "I'll miss your fur."
Eve waved her tail in the water, the sandy fur flowing elegantly. She sighed. She would miss her fur, too. But she wanted to be a Vaporeon more. She wanted to be able to breathe underwater, and swim like the water types. "Yeah."
When the sun began to set, Eve said goodbye. Vaporeon dove into the pond and disappeared as Eve began sprinting through the tall grass, heart fluttering.
She soon arrived at a burrow hidden under a bush. She skipped down into it. The tunnel opened into a small room with a layer of down and mosses on the ground. Dim light filtered in through the high ceiling. A shelf dug into the wall held various berries and bright red apples.
"How was your day, sweetie?" I familiar voice sang. Leafeon, Eve's mother, arched her back and sat down again.
"It was great," Eve grinned. She didn't have much to say, it was a normal day compared to every other day since she'd met Vaporeon.
Leafeon nodded, her happiness radiating through the moss coating the ground. "Vaporeon is such a handsome Pokemon. I do hope you'll be able to find a Water Stone soon. Of course, it would help if you stopped spending every day at his pond and began actually searching," she said laughingly.
"Are Dad and Jolt still training?" Eve asked as she picked a small apple and a Pecha berry from the shelf.
"Yes, they should be back soon."
The sound of a Mightyena howling in the night, and Illumise murmuring in the wind, were the only sounds for a while as Eve and her mother thought the same thing. Being caught by a Pokemon Trainer was supposed to be the greatest blessing, but often, it was the worst curse. Pokemon were torn from their families and friends, forced to spend time with pokemon they may hate with a fiery passion, and if they were to see old acquaintances again, it was often in battle.
"I wouldn't miss Jolt," Eve muttered quietly.
"You don't mean it. She's your sister, of course you're going to fight now and then."
"It's not the same! She thinks she's so much better just because she has an element, and she's a higher level," Eve's hackles rose, "She's not better."
"Oh, Eevee, it's not a competition-"
"Don't call me Eevee! Call me Eve. And to her, everything's a competition. If I were a ground type I would so crush her."
"Eevee, Eve, please listen to me. Soon she'll be old enough to fend for herself but until then you have to get along with her, or at least try. You can't blame her for being a bit jealous, either. She never wanted to become a Jolteon, and you have a choice still. Plus, you have so much to look forward to, with Vaporeon. Oh your pups are going to be so cute."
"Mom," Eve groaned.
"Sorry, but it's going to happen someday," Leafeon teased. "You have to let me watch them hatch."
"Stop it," Eve said, trying to not smile. She couldn't say that she hadn't imagined having her own Eevee, passing on the name, or a variation of it. She was thinking, Evan, for a boy. Eva, for a girl. Of course, those would just be nicknames. For some great divine reason, Arceus had decreed that only a human could give a Pokemon his or her true name. It was sickening. But no one dared defy the Lord's orders.
Chapter Two
"Should I go see if Dad and Jolt are still at the training grounds?" Eve inquired, searching for a way to get away from her teasing mother.
"If you want. Be careful, go quickly, and no detours!" Leafeon warned.
"Yeah, Mom," Eve said as she ran out of the burrow. It had darkened considerably since she had entered. The moon hung high in the sky, and Illumise and Volbeat glittered between the trees. Eve appreciated the cool night as she made her way to the training ground, a small clearing sheltered by a fallen tree.
It was quiet, abandoned. Eve shuffled her paws nervously as she wondered where her father and sister were. As she turned to run back home, she heard a voice.
"Eve! Please- come with me!" Jolt cried desperately from across the clearing. Eve spun around, eyes wide.
"Where's Dad?"
"Battling, losing! We have to help somehow!" Jolt began running away. Eve chased her, heart pounding. It can't be happening. Arceus, no...
"Over here!" Jolt called. Eve blindly follows her voice through tall grass, until she tripped over a large stone protruding from the ground. She looked back to see what it was, and notices the orange hue...
Heat washed over her and she saw her paws begin to glow. "No," she breathed. She saw Jolt standing by, a look of amusement on her face. "No, no, no!" She screeched, as she felt her tail fluff up and her body temperature rise. She saw the ground get farther away, she became dizzy.
"NO!" The stone disappeared and she collapsed, shaking. She turned her attention back to Jolt. "Where is Dad?" She demanded.
"I told you, he was battling the last time I saw him!" Jolt defended, widening her eyes at the accusation. Then a cruel grin creased her lips, "Too bad we didn't make it in time."
"You!" Eve barked and tackled her sister. She found her new body easy to manipulate, and pinned her sister to the ground. "You did this! How could you?" Her voice cracked as she thought of Vaporeon- what would he think? What would happen to the future they had planned? What would Leafeon think, with her deep, inbred fear of fire types?
"I didn't do anything! You tripped! You tripped, and because of you we didn't make it to Dad in time, and now he's gone!" Jolt growled happily. "You did this! How could you?"
Jolt pushed her sister off and stalked back through the tall grass, "We should get back to Mom and tell her what happened."
"She's going to listen to my side first!" Eve yowled as she began racing through the grass back to the burrow. She was already at a loss however, being lower in level and speed stats. When she arrived at the scene, Jolt is practically melting in a puddle a fake tears, and Leafeon is in absolute shock, unable to soak it up.
"Eve," Leafeon breathed, stone still as her daughter enters. The moss under her paws shriveled away. "Flare. How could you."
Jolt rose to her paws and pressed her muzzle comfortingly against her mother's shoulder.
"I don't know what she said, but she's lying!" Eve, now called Flare, cried.
After a moment, Leafeon raised her head. Her eyes were glassy as she said, "Don't accuse you sister of anything." Her words were sharp, and Flare flinched.
"But she!" What did she do? Flare choked. She couldn't say Jolt handed their father over to a human. She couldn't even say that Jolt put the stone in the way intentionally. But I know she did. "You always take her side!"
Before she knew it, she was by the pond, trembling, hot tears welling in her eyes and sizzling on her fur. She just wanted to wake up, and for everything to be back to normal.
She dipped one paw into the water and drew it back to herself. The cool liquid bit her skin. Could she ever swim again? She curled by the bank and listened to the water lap gently, scattering moonlight.
Vaporeon, please come up. I need you...
Chapter Three
"... It's dangerous to be out here. What are you doing?" A smooth voice asked. Flare's head shot up and she blinked at the blurry blue figure.
"Vaporeon!" Her voice was raspy from the night before, a harsh reminder that it all had been real. She leapt to her feet and took a step toward him, and saw the look of confusion on his face. He doesn't recognize her.
"Vaporeon, it's me, Eve. I'm... I'm Flare now," she whispered.
He shook his head, "Is this a joke? Where is Eve, who are you really?"
Flare's ears droop and her throat tightened, "I'm not lying. Let me explain... Jolt... Did something, and now Dad is gone. And she tricked me, and I touched a Fi-" she retched with sobs and stumbled somewhat. Vaporeon lifted her muzzle with his and looked into her eyes.
"It's okay... It's okay..." He stroked her with his tail until she calmed down. Afterwards, he stepped away. She noticed burn marks along the side of his body.
"You're hurt! I hurt you," Flare said in a small voice.
Vaporeon looks at the burns as if he hadn't noticed, then returns his gaze to her. "Nothing A Rawst berry won't heal. Flare... I still love you. It doesn't matter that you've evolved into a Flareon. You haven't changed at all on the inside, that's what matters."
Flare wanted to believe it, but she didn't want to keep burning him. She didn't want to have to stay by the water when she could never swim without severe pain. She looked at her paws, "I love you too. But... I can't swim. And I'll just keep burning you."
"You won't! We can figure something out. Please, give it a chance," he pleaded with his deep, black eyes. She searched them for a clue, if there was a chance this could really work.
"How will I swim?"
He tightened his jaw, "Where there's a will, there's a way."
She took a deep, shuddering breath. "I just hope you're right."
He smiled, and her heart fluttered. "I'm always right. Now, let's find somewhere safe for you to stay."
Flare nodded and followed him around the pond. They prod every stone, tree, and area of earth for a place to call home. All the while, Flare watched the burns on his side with disgust. Disgust toward herself. She wanted to believe that it will be alright, that they'd find a place for her, make a way for her to swim, a way for her to not burn him. But she knew that improvising on the situation wasn't going to really help.
And soon, she would have to face her family again.
Chapter Four
Hazy dawn light shone into her hollow, gently rousing Flare from her quiet sleep. She opened her eyes to find a small pile of berries waiting. She smiled lightly, surprising herself with a more optimistic attitude toward today.
Once she had finished eating, she stored the remaining berries in the back of the bare hollow. Then she peeked down out of her hollow where she could see Vaporeon's pond glistening.
"Good morning, beautiful!" Vaporeon shouted, noticing her. He floated on his back in the water to face her.
"Hey handsome," she grinned. She pushed away a dull ache in her chest, whispering, I'll never be able to swim again.
"How did you sleep?" he called up.
"Fine," she replied, stepping out onto a sturdy branch and hopping to a lower one until she reached the ground. "You?"
"Ha! I didn't sleep at all," he did a back flip in the water, spraying pastel mist. "I stayed up figuring things out."
"Oh," Flare laughed quietly and shook her head, "Well, tell me what you figured out, and then get some sleep!"
"Well, I thought we could make like a suit so you could swim, you know? It was be made of Rawst bark or something so it wouldn't burn just in case. Then I was thinking, I wonder if making a poultice out of Rawst berries and putting it on myself would keep me from getting burned. So I made some. Let's test it out!"
He slid out of the water and unwrapped a broad leaf to reveal a slimy, blue, bitter-smelling substance. He scooped some of it into his paw and smeared it over his opposite foreleg. Flare tentatively stepped toward him. "Touch it," Vaporeon invited.
She raised her paw and placed it slowly on his leg. The poultice gushed between her toes. She removed her paw after a moment. "Well?"
Vaporeon swallowed, "Well, it was pretty warm. Maybe I could try to make it thicker, or maybe I could make a suit for myself so you don't have to wear yours all the time and-" he looked confused for a moment. "I forgot what I was saying."
Flare laughed again, "You need some sleep. Go ahead, I'll gather or hunt or something."
"Okay, be careful," he said. He motioned like he was going to brush muzzles with her but stopped, smiled, and went into the water.
Chapter Five
Eevee grinned at her, his eyes sparkling. "Let's play Legends!"
"Okay! Who do you want to be?" Eva chirped.
"Kyogre, of course!" he puffed out his chest.
"You're always Kyogre," Banette complains quietly.
Eva smiled lightheartedly at Banette, "It just means you can be Arceus. And I can be... Groudon! Rawr!"
"Rawr!" Eevee laughed, standing on his hind paws. He swiped at her with his paws and...
She laughed...
"I'll love you for..."
Jolt woke up at misty light filtered in the high ceiling of their burrow. The ground was cold, as all the moss that had once been supported by Leafeon withered away once she heard the news. Jolt frowned to herself and rolled over to face the wall, contemplating what she had done. She felt surprisingly... Numb. No joy, no guilt.
She knew her sister probably had run to Vaporeon last night. She wondered what happened. She smiled as she thought of Flare being unable to swim, practically cast out of her home.
But was Umbreon worth it? She shook her head. It was the right thing to do. Her father had been unhappy with Leafeon for a while now, she had helped him be able to move on without guilt, hadn't she? Now she only had to lift her mother's spirits, and see if Vaporeon would could bare to speak to Jolteon again.
She took a deep breath. It was so long ago, but the emotions were just as raw as the first heartbeat when Vaporeon's promise turned from 'forever' to 'never'. She flexed her claws. If she ever saw Banette again, she would personally... What could she do to a ghost? She exhaled just as deeply.
Unable to fall asleep again, she stood up and dusted her pelt. She padded outside and filled her lungs with fresh air. She felt her energy coarse through her surroundings, and crackle under her paws. She began running a familiar trail through the forest, under tall grass and through sleepy pokemon nests. She would have waved her tail at common faces as she passed, if she had one.
I am swift justice. Was her mantra. Her paws began to move more swiftly as she hurdled through the dew laden undergrowth. She smirked to herself, knowing her mantra wasn't completely true. She was swift, yes, and she brought justice, but in no way was her justice swift. She had been weaving her revenge for many moons, and it was now finally happening.
Chapter Six
Flare gazed at the remains of Rawst berries, bark, and leaves with disappointment. She'd been experimenting with the plant, but to no avail. This is impossible. I'll never swim again. She felt a weight hang from her heart as she shook her head, trying to focus on Vaporeon's optimism. He'll figure something out. He can do anything.
She heaved herself to her paws, feeling her energy drained. She shook her head again to chase away the dark thoughts that were tugging at her. "Everything will be fine," the words dispersed through the air, doing nothing to convince herself.
She swallowed as images of the past day flashed through her mind. The empty arena, the panic as she changed, her sister's cruel betrayal, her mother's reaction, the loneliness. The images came to rest in the pit of her stomach. She knew she had to try again to reconcile with Leafeon- for what? She felt anger pulse through her fur as she thought of Jolt. She would have revenge.
I should train! She stood suddenly and looked around, realizing with another wave of disappointment that she didn't know how. She clenched her jaw, determined to do something, and headed to the arena.
The training ground was just as she'd found it the night before, desolate, the fallen tree hovering over the clearing, feeling more threatening now than ever. She paced around for a while before crouching and leaping forward. Tackle. She followed the move with a tail whip and sand attack, and finished off with a short growl.
Her heart was murmuring faster, and she allowed a smile to slip across her lips. She repeated the moves again and again, faster, until she was panting.
A crackle from the edge of the clearing snapped her attention.
"Training, huh? What good will it do you, you pathetic creature?" Jolt snarled, stepping into the clearing.
Flare's hackles rose and the angry fire coursed through her veins again. "I'm going to defeat you," she growled.
Jolt tilted her head and grinned, revealing her razorlike teeth. Electricity jumped through her fur excitedly, "You, defeat me? That's a laugh. But I have no quarrel with you now, I see no reason to fight."
"Look what you've done to me!" Flare yowled, trying to keep from leaping her her sister's throat. "You've ruined me!"
An evil expression of glee passed over Jolt's face as she said, "You tripped, how is that my fault? But it got you thinking, didn't it? You're finally training, too," she padded away through the tall grass, calling back, "A little too late, though."
Flare tensed, using every fiber of her will to not chase Jolt- not yet. Training was essential, for now.
Chapter Seven
Days passed. Vaporeon patiently helped Flare train, and she soon learned ember in the place of growl. When she went to sleep, he would return to his work designing something, anything, to help her.
"I have to talk to her," Flare murmured feebly one morning as they ate.
"Who?" Vaporeon felt his chest clench as he thought of Jolt.
"Mom."
"Oh," he said, thinking. Leafeon wouldn't want to have any sort of friendly chat with a fire type, and while Leafeon intimidated him, Vaporeon was always willing to help Flare. "Could I try talking to her first?"
Flare chewed slowly as she contemplated it. A breeze stirred her bright yellow mane, and Vaporeon suppressed a smile. She was beautiful.
"I guess..."
"What do you want me to say?"
Flare swallowed and focused on the ground. She began to speak slowly, "She needs to know that Jolt set me up, that Dad was gone by the time I got to the clearing. She needs to forgive me. She needs to be able to talk to me, and know I haven't really changed."
Vaporeon felt tiny needles probe his heart as he felt Flare's pain. He nodded in understanding and restrained his impulse to reach out and comfort her. He didn't want to see the guilt in her eyes when he was burned. "I'll talk to her tonight, is that okay?"
Flare's ears twitched uncomfortably, "Might as well."
"Do you want to stay here?" He inquired softly, feeling like he was asking too many questions.
Flare began to shake her head, but said, "Yes."
They finished eating without a word. Vaporeon's heart ached for her. She'd become so fragile since the transformation. The thought of the one who did this to her- Jolt- came to his mind but he obliterated it. He was determined to keep Jolt in the past where she belonged.
But what if he ran into her? He would just have to focus on his purpose.Focus.
"Let's train," Flare stated as firmly as her thinning voice would allow.
"Alright," Vaporeon grinned to show his support.
Chapter Eight
The bloody sky was darkening as Vaporeon left his home and headed for Leafeon's burrow. He shivered as a cool breath of wind touched his scales, and he wished he had Flare's warmth to ward off the wind and calm his frayed nerves.
The bush came into sight.
"They'll love you," she smiled. "I promise."
He padded awkwardly down into the dark tunnel.
"What am I supposed to say?"
He took a deep breath before entering the heart of the burrow.
"Just be honest."
"Vaporeon? Is that you? What are you doing here?" Leafeon's voice sounded broken, and she looked no less defeated. Vaporeon couldn't feel more deflated as he noticed that her home had become completely hollow, when before it had been soft with lush moss.
He sensed Jolt's presence, but stayed focused on Leafeon. "I would like to speak with you- alone. Do you have a moment?"
Leafeon gave Jolt a weak gaze, "Go."
Her electricity crackled with annoyance and flicked over Vaporeon's skin as she brushed past him. When he was certain that Jolt was gone, he began.
"You, of all Pokemon, should know that Eve was good," he waited for her reaction. She shuddered, and nodded when he didn't go on. "Her appearance may have changed, but she did not. It's like what happened to Jolt."
"Bannette and me are gonna go to the power plant, you in?"
Vaporeon crushed the memory before he went on. "She mean no harm to anyone. She just wants you to love her, like you used to," he whispered. Leafeon hung her head. "And she wants you to know that she had nothing to do with Umbreon's disappearance."
Leafeon leaned against a wall and drew several shaky breaths. Vaporeon was afraid she would collapse. "I don't blame her."
Vaporeon didn't know what to say, but soon sensed that Leafeon had words unspoken.
"But I can't be near fire types. I just can't, she has to understand..." A tear trailed down Leafeon's nose and crashed onto the floor.
Vaporeon nodded and realized that she wouldn't see it, "Yes," he murmured, "and one last thing."
"No more," she slowly laid down. Vaporeon understood and hurried out, his eyes wet.
Chapter Nine
The pain of betrayal continued to scorch Jolt's insides as she crouched near the entrance of her burrow. She remembered it as if it were yesterday. And now, he was doing for Flare what he should have done for her. He simply wasn't giving up.
His eyes were glistening, reflecting starlight when he exited the tunnel and rushed past her to return to his pond.
"Vaporeon!" She barked after him. He didn't even slow down, raking her memories more.
"Vaporeon!" She sprinted ahead of him and stood in his way. He tried to sidestep her unsuccessfully.
"What do you want?" Even as sad as he sounded, his voice was infuriatingly charismatic.
Jolt smiled softly, "I miss you..."
"I have to get back."
Jolt clenched her muscles to calm herself, "Please don't ignore me, please. It's been so long."
"Jolt," the first time he looked her in the eye since- since he left me -her heart seemed to short-circuit. She felt as tense as a broken machine, locked in place by his dark eyes. His voice reverberated through her."Jolt. Jolt. Jolt."
"I don't want to see you. I don't want to talk to you, and I don't love you. Not after what you did to Flare. I will never forgive you. Never. Everything I used to feel, gone. You chose to throw it all away, not me. Don't put this on me."
She could almost hear herself breaking down, his words were like hammers smashing her bones, and so she stood still until he took her silence as understanding, and ran away.
--- later that day
She could hear them laughing from where she hid near the pond. I had him first. Her tears flashed. What's so special about her? Is it because she's younger? Weaker? She itched for an explanation. Her confusion rolled around in her mind, gaining momentum, turning angry.
I'm better than her! Her mind shrieked, gears grinding as she stood and flicked away her remaining tears. I'll finish- She smiled as static circled around her paws, summoning a new thought to mind. I'll finish him.
She stalked back to the burrow silently to plan.
Chapter Ten
Flare blinked from her shallow sleep at the sound of his whispers, a few night after he had gone to speak with Leafeon. Something had happened, she knew, but he didn't tell her. He only said that her mother didn't blame her, and that alone had taken mountains off her shoulders.
"Yeah?" she called down from her hollow high in the tree. Vaporeon's eyes glittered with the sky as he grinned up at her from where he sat by the pond.
"I got it! We should find Jirachi!"
"Jirachi?" Flare's brow wrinkled as she hazily remembered the legend about the wish making Pokemon. "Where will we start?"
A wide grin spread across his face, "Look up."
Her breath was taken away as mute white streaks blew across the sky. She stared for what felt like eternities as stars fell over mountains on the horizon of Hoenn.
"Amazing, right? We just have to follow them. I have a good feeling about this," she looked down into his loving gaze and smiled.
"You're crazy."
"Forever and always."
She laughed and shook her head, "Go to sleep, you're delusional..." She looked at the mountains, almost expecting the stars to peek back at her. "We'll talk about this in the morning."
"Okay," he chuckled, "I'll see you in the morning, beautiful."
Flare curled up in her nest and listened to the water lap against the edges of the pond as Vaporeon slipped back under. She closed her eyes to a more complete darkness, hope radiating from her as she fell asleep.
Chapter Eleven
I returned from my hunt with several berries and two taillow. Somewhere in the shadows of my mind I'd begun to regret my decision, but the wheels had already begun to turn and there was no backing out now.
"I'm back," I called through the feathers in my mouth. I heard voices ahead of me and picked up my pace.
"Jolt," Leafeon gasped, eyes wide as if she'd been caught, and indeed she was. Vaporeon and Flare were sitting near her, their smiles dying at the sight of me.
I placed the berries and taillow on the ground. "What's going on here?" I tried to ask as calmly as possible, leveling my gaze and ignoring the panicked tension I was sensing from Vaporeon and Flare.
Leafeon looked to Vaporeon for permission. He shrugged and nodded, a calm smirk settling on his muzzle. My heart lurched from where I had locked it in place, and I silently scolded it.
"Flare and Vaporeon came to say goodbye," she said emotionless, "They're going on a journey." I swear to Arceus I saw a sparkle of pride.Pride for her fire-type daughter.
I didn't bother to feign curiosity as I picked one of the taillow and tore into it, savoring the warm blood.
I listened intently to their unspoken words, acting like I was focusing on my meal. Soon, Vaporeon broke the silence by saying goodbye first. Their farewells were exchanged, and the duo left.
Once they were gone the weight of the dilemma stung me, "Where are they going?"
Leafeon tilted her head in contemplation as she nibbled a berry, "The mountains, they're headed for the Kiri Kir mountains."
Oh. She thought about the pointy mountains, which carved the western horizon. "I'm going for a run."
"Okay," Leafeon said quietly. Jolt padded halfway up the tunnel before she broke into a sprint, pushing all thought aside. She felt her legs pound the ground mechanically as she raced along the path she'd traced for herself when she was young. Ever day, the path seemed shorter. Before the bush came back into view, she snapped off the path into less familiar territory, letting everything rush by in a blur.
I have to go after them. She glared at the ground, heaving. I have to see where they stop- why. Can I leave Mom?
She looked back over her shoulder to the trail of rustling grass in her wake. Yes. I can.
Chapter Twelve
After contemplating over night, Vaporeon and Flare decided to leave everything behind for the journey.
Vaporeon observed the pond mud covering his paws, knowing with a heavy, dark, cloud of thought that it would be his last time in his home. He lifted his paw and replaced it in the mud, watching passively as the murk rose and swirled ignorantly around him. No light filtered into his underwater cave, one he had long hoped to share with Ev- Flare. Share with Flare.
When grey light finally found it's way into his cave, he flexed his tail and shot up through the water. Pokemon were startled as he sliced past them and soon broke through the surface. The sun had just begun to warm the sky in the distant east, but his restless heart wouldn't take a wink of extra sleep. He padded into the forest in search of food.
I need a good hunt to clear my head. He closes his eyes, fins twitching, nose flared, trying to sense the nearest food source. The senses where almost overwhelming, packed with memories, good and bad. He growls in frustration and opens his eyes. Walking deeper, he finds an oran berry bush. He begins to approach it, but decides against it, instead opting to hide nearby.
As the forest warmed, Vaporeon could hear Pokemon shaking off their sleep as others nestled down for the day. It wasn't too long before his patience was rewarded. A zigzagoon waddled from the undergrowth toward the oran bush. Vaporeon's paws tingled with anticipation. The furry creature came closer, nuzzling the ground. Vaporeon leaned back and leapt forward, bounding toward the zigzagoon. It scuttled back and raced away, Vaporeon on it's heels. He summoned his energy for a Quick Attack. The zigzagoon fell and stood unsteadily. It growled cutely in frustration, and Vaporeon momentarily wondered if he should let the creature go.
He shook his head, and with a final tackle the zigzagoon was downed. He finished it with a quick bite to the base of it's skull and began bringing it back to his pond.
"There you are!" Flare's bright voice rang through the clearing as Vaporeon arrived. "Wow, nice catch!"
"Thanks," Vaporeon grinned, placing the prey in front of Flare. "Are you ready to go?"
"Will be soon, I'm starved," Flare said, sniffing the zigzagoon. She looked up at him with wide eyes.
"Go ahead," he laughs, "I'm more of a fish-pokemon."
A shadow flitted across her eyes as she laughed, "Yeah, you are," she said as she took a bite.
Chapter Thirteen
"Taillow~" the bird pokemon tilted its head to look Umbreon in the eye.
Umbreon's eyes flashed open and he leapt to his paws, batting at the bird with a forepaw. It didn't do more than hop back once, puzzling Umbreon greatly.
"Grovyle," a larger, green Pokemon appeared and glared at Umbreon. "Groooo..."
Umbreon's hackles rose. What was going on? Where was Jolt? He could remember now... Jolt had been late for their training routine. She darted into the clearing with a trainer hot on her heels, and he'd done the one thing he could. He fought. The trainer threw one of his capturing devices at him. He was too weak to escape the strange cage's clutch.
The voice was odd, and hard to understand. Umbreon looked around quickly for the source, and realized the human was talking to him.. His trainer was speaking. "Little guy, how're you feeling?"
Umbreon flinched as the human reached a large paw out to him. When he realized that the human didn't mean harm, he stepped forward and touched the trainer's hand with his muzzle.
"You're not so bad. What's your name?" the trainer sat back and looked up. Umbreon's ears drooped. Don't you know Arceus' decree? I don't have a name until you give me one. "Shadow? Nah... How about... Jasper, you're Jasper."
Jasper... Umbreon waved his tail. He liked it. The grovyle and taillow cheered. He could feel his family- Leafeon, Jolt, and Eve, being torn out of his heart. His soul struggles to cling to them but he knew it was inevitable. They were being replaced.