My name is Splash. I am the leader of this Eevee clan, along with a ton of help from my mate...
Splash's Eevee Clan
- Thread starter Splash_Vaporeon
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- Short Story Fantasy
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Splash's Eevee Clan
- Location
- Florida
My name is Splash. I am the leader of this Eevee clan, along with a ton of help from my mate, Surf. Right now, it's a fairly small clan, with only 8 Eevees, but judging by the amounts of time that Espeon and Umbreon are spending together, I'm hoping that number goes up soon! As of right now, it consists of:
Splash - Myself, a young female Vaporeon. Surf says I'm kind, fair, and understanding, but I prefer to think of myself as diplomatic.
Ability: Water Absorb
Moves Known: Surf, Blizzard, Stone Edge, Recover
Nature: Modest, likes to relax
Surf - My mate, a male Vaporeon. He's very mature and somewhat standoff-ish, but he can be very protective. The rest of the clan thinks of him as the second in command, and it's true, I come to him for advice more than any other, but I try to keep the ranks even.
Ability: Water Absorb
Moves Known: Surf, Dive, Aqua Ring, Iron Tail
Nature: Quiet, good perseverance
Inferno - A young male Flareon with a bit of an attitude. He's loud and audacious, but very social. He comes off as two-faced at times, going back and forth between thinking he's Arceus's greatest creation and being a little nervous. He usually hangs out with Bolt.
Ability: Flash Fire
Moves Known: Flamethrower, Lava Plume, Flare Blitz, Endure (Though he doesn't use Flare Blitz much)
Nature: Adamant, loves to eat
Bolt - A young Jolteon that is quite a handful. Being a Jolteon, he loves to run, which is why I try to have him deliver messages and runs errands. He can be a bit loud as well, and tends to complain a lot if he's cooped up inside, but is usually in very good spirits. He's protective of the clan and his friends, and uses his excess energy keeping the night watch. He has no setting between Off and High.
Ability: Volt Absorb
Moves Known: Thunder, Thunderbolt (for faster and more accurate strikes), Discharge, Extreme Speed
Nature: Quirky, likes to run
Espeon - A young and beautiful Espeon, and one of the two without names. She is sweet, loving, compassionate, supportive... I could go on complementing her for ages. Like most Espeons, she's quiet and contemplative, but she's always warm and friendly. The clan often confide in her, knowing full well that she'll never tell any secrets. Almost every second of her waking day is spent with Umbreon.
Ability: Magic Bounce
Moves Known: Psychic, Calm Mind, Psyshock, Morning Sun
Umbreon - Espeon's mate. He is fiercely protective of Espeon, but generally quiet, thoughtful, and compassionate. Unlike most Umbreons, he's not too secretive or independent, usually leaning on Espeon's shoulder. The two of them are one of the best couples that I have ever seen.
Ability: Synchronize
Moves Known: Dark Pulse, Phantom Force, Sludge Bomb, Moonlight
Nature: Careful, good endurance
Snow - A young female Glaceon. She is very quiet, usually one of the last to meet a visitor to the clan. On the other paw, she's incredibly kind and compassionate, and favors talking to fighting. She generally hangs back, only really sharing everything with her best friend, Clover.
Ability: Snow Cloak
Moves Known: Blizzard, Ice Beam, Aqua Tail, Rest
Nature: Quiet, often lost in thought
Clover - A young female Leafeon and Snow's companion for life. Like her Glaceon friend, Clover is rather shy and quiet, but gets playful when with Pokemon she knows. She is supportive of everyone in the clan, but speaks softly, preferring to talk than battle. She acts as our healer, what with her know-how of herbs and plants.
Ability: Chlorophyll
Moves Known: Leaf Blade, Dig, Aura Sphere, Synthesis
Nature: Bashful, impetuous and silly
What I love about my clan is that everyone has someone to look to. I have Surf, Inferno has Bolt, Espeon has Umbreon, and Snow has Clover. We run on a regular schedule, hunting in the morning, and working and patrolling in the afternoon. For money, we work odd jobs for other pokemon. Having an extra stash of cash can be quite handy. You never know what you'll need a Pokemart for, even as a wild pokemon. Now, because we're wild, we go in at night to avoid trainers. Call it "breaking in" if you wish, but we always leave the apropriate amount of money on the counter.
I'm hoping things go well for the clan. May many jobs, good hunting, good health, happy couples and friends, and Eevee kits be in our future!
Author's Comment- This is actually an extension of a blog that I started a while ago where I write a running story about an Eevee Clan. Eventually, I decided to move it here so that more people could read it. Starting today, I plan on posting one part of my story every day until my SV catches up to the blog (where I post every Saturday). I'm trying to keep this as close to my original material as possible, so I include all of my posts word for word (even the ones where I was low on inspiration and think they were not my best work). I am an aspiring writer, and I figured that asking strangers on the internet what they think of my writing was a good idea. I really appreciate it when my readers correspond with me, so feel free to ask, comment, offer possibly plot tangents, or anything else!
Please note, however (as far as the original content goes), that this is the ONLY post from the original blog that I changed aside from typos. Some of those characters ended up different when I actually started to write them. Also, please note that I took a few liberties in terms of their movesets, but most of those will be explained later. I didn't have access to the internet when I made their moves, and when I realized my errors, I came up with stories to explain them. Some happen very late in the story, so just roll with it for now. Sorry if this bothers anyone!
~Chief
(PS that's my character name on all of my Pokemon games, so that's how I refer to "me." When answering comments and the like, I generally write as Splash, but I always sign as one or the other.)
(PPS I am a terrible artist. I get all of my pictures from Google Images and claim none as my own.)
(PPPS If you're interested in binge reading… www.splashseeveeclan.blogspot.com)
Splash - Myself, a young female Vaporeon. Surf says I'm kind, fair, and understanding, but I prefer to think of myself as diplomatic.
Ability: Water Absorb
Moves Known: Surf, Blizzard, Stone Edge, Recover
Nature: Modest, likes to relax
Surf - My mate, a male Vaporeon. He's very mature and somewhat standoff-ish, but he can be very protective. The rest of the clan thinks of him as the second in command, and it's true, I come to him for advice more than any other, but I try to keep the ranks even.
Ability: Water Absorb
Moves Known: Surf, Dive, Aqua Ring, Iron Tail
Nature: Quiet, good perseverance
Inferno - A young male Flareon with a bit of an attitude. He's loud and audacious, but very social. He comes off as two-faced at times, going back and forth between thinking he's Arceus's greatest creation and being a little nervous. He usually hangs out with Bolt.
Ability: Flash Fire
Moves Known: Flamethrower, Lava Plume, Flare Blitz, Endure (Though he doesn't use Flare Blitz much)
Nature: Adamant, loves to eat
Bolt - A young Jolteon that is quite a handful. Being a Jolteon, he loves to run, which is why I try to have him deliver messages and runs errands. He can be a bit loud as well, and tends to complain a lot if he's cooped up inside, but is usually in very good spirits. He's protective of the clan and his friends, and uses his excess energy keeping the night watch. He has no setting between Off and High.
Ability: Volt Absorb
Moves Known: Thunder, Thunderbolt (for faster and more accurate strikes), Discharge, Extreme Speed
Nature: Quirky, likes to run
Espeon - A young and beautiful Espeon, and one of the two without names. She is sweet, loving, compassionate, supportive... I could go on complementing her for ages. Like most Espeons, she's quiet and contemplative, but she's always warm and friendly. The clan often confide in her, knowing full well that she'll never tell any secrets. Almost every second of her waking day is spent with Umbreon.
Ability: Magic Bounce
Moves Known: Psychic, Calm Mind, Psyshock, Morning Sun
Umbreon - Espeon's mate. He is fiercely protective of Espeon, but generally quiet, thoughtful, and compassionate. Unlike most Umbreons, he's not too secretive or independent, usually leaning on Espeon's shoulder. The two of them are one of the best couples that I have ever seen.
Ability: Synchronize
Moves Known: Dark Pulse, Phantom Force, Sludge Bomb, Moonlight
Nature: Careful, good endurance
Snow - A young female Glaceon. She is very quiet, usually one of the last to meet a visitor to the clan. On the other paw, she's incredibly kind and compassionate, and favors talking to fighting. She generally hangs back, only really sharing everything with her best friend, Clover.
Ability: Snow Cloak
Moves Known: Blizzard, Ice Beam, Aqua Tail, Rest
Nature: Quiet, often lost in thought
Clover - A young female Leafeon and Snow's companion for life. Like her Glaceon friend, Clover is rather shy and quiet, but gets playful when with Pokemon she knows. She is supportive of everyone in the clan, but speaks softly, preferring to talk than battle. She acts as our healer, what with her know-how of herbs and plants.
Ability: Chlorophyll
Moves Known: Leaf Blade, Dig, Aura Sphere, Synthesis
Nature: Bashful, impetuous and silly
What I love about my clan is that everyone has someone to look to. I have Surf, Inferno has Bolt, Espeon has Umbreon, and Snow has Clover. We run on a regular schedule, hunting in the morning, and working and patrolling in the afternoon. For money, we work odd jobs for other pokemon. Having an extra stash of cash can be quite handy. You never know what you'll need a Pokemart for, even as a wild pokemon. Now, because we're wild, we go in at night to avoid trainers. Call it "breaking in" if you wish, but we always leave the apropriate amount of money on the counter.
I'm hoping things go well for the clan. May many jobs, good hunting, good health, happy couples and friends, and Eevee kits be in our future!
~oOo~
Author's Comment- This is actually an extension of a blog that I started a while ago where I write a running story about an Eevee Clan. Eventually, I decided to move it here so that more people could read it. Starting today, I plan on posting one part of my story every day until my SV catches up to the blog (where I post every Saturday). I'm trying to keep this as close to my original material as possible, so I include all of my posts word for word (even the ones where I was low on inspiration and think they were not my best work). I am an aspiring writer, and I figured that asking strangers on the internet what they think of my writing was a good idea. I really appreciate it when my readers correspond with me, so feel free to ask, comment, offer possibly plot tangents, or anything else!
Please note, however (as far as the original content goes), that this is the ONLY post from the original blog that I changed aside from typos. Some of those characters ended up different when I actually started to write them. Also, please note that I took a few liberties in terms of their movesets, but most of those will be explained later. I didn't have access to the internet when I made their moves, and when I realized my errors, I came up with stories to explain them. Some happen very late in the story, so just roll with it for now. Sorry if this bothers anyone!
~Chief
(PS that's my character name on all of my Pokemon games, so that's how I refer to "me." When answering comments and the like, I generally write as Splash, but I always sign as one or the other.)
(PPPS If you're interested in binge reading… www.splashseeveeclan.blogspot.com)
Last edited:
- Location
- Indiana
The preface sounds interesting but one thing of note is the money and pokemart aspect. I feel that as wild pokemon they really wouldn't have access to money and wouldn't people notice the whole pokemarts being broken into at night if they were closed? Pokemarts are open pretty much 24/7 in game LOL. If wild pokemon do have a community I think that theirs would be based more on bartering goods like berries or other items. With Gen 7 and the 50% health restore berries and all the status ones I really can't think of what they would need pokemarts for. I'm super interested in how pokemon determine their natures (a omake with them..trying the berries would be funny!) Also some questions on them leaving money... can they read? According to the Mystery Dungeon lore pokemon have vastly different writing systems than humans and in anime (btw which I don't watch much of) very few pokemon could speak and I haven't seen any demonstrate reading ability. And how do they use the items, in game they can't use trainer made items like potions... All in all sounds interesting! Looking forward to next chapter!
- Location
- Florida
You know, you're actually right about that. I never actually end up using it too much in the story, anyway! I used Pokemarts since I could think of no other reliable way to find evolution stones, which seem like they would be important for Eevees. Almost everything they use as items later in the story are berries and herbs. As for reading human languages, I feel like some of them could (especially Psychic Types), but it's more of a skill than a need. Like learning another language to us; you don't have to, but it may come in handy!
Thanks for the input!
~Chief
- Location
- Indiana
In game most stones can be found on the ground in a pokeball. But I see your point. For plot contingency stones could be pieces from a larger stone deposit like the gaint moon stone the clefairy's worshiped in the anime. If so then stone's would be in a habitat that fit their conditions. In game this could be seen in Gen 4. In Diamond and Pearl to evolve Leafeon or Glaceon the trainer had to level them up near the mossy or icy rock. It could be a interesting plot device if eevee's had to go on journey's to find their stone deposits to evolve. Psychic types in real life are way too OP. If you don't want them to be so overpowered, I don't feel like you should have them all be able to be true psychics; like being able to read minds, teleportation or telepathy. It would make psychic types practically unbeatable in any situation. I feel that if they could use psychic powers it should be either part of their moveset/ability like Telepathy, Teleport, Psychic etc. Also while I feel that learning another language wouldn't be too difficult for most pokemon where would they get the experience? Written and spoken word are very different and trying to learn them carries risks. Trying to learn how to read would mean wild pokemon would need to be in close contact with humans to be able to first understand English then learn how to read English. If so then these pokemon would most likely be caught in game or part of a human led sanctuary like Charizard Valley in the anime.
- Location
- Florida
Both of your first points (evolution and Psychics) I actually do touch on later on. Eevees usually go on journeys to a place that helps them get in touch with their type either before, during, or just after they evolve, though, rather than finding stone deposits. As far as Psychics go, as far as I know, they all have access to every possible ability, but I do agree that this is OP, so I adapted it where individual Pokemon have particular skill in different areas of Psychic power. *SORT OF SPOILER ALERT* Espeon, for example, is powerful in general, but her best skill is her telekinesis. She's also skilled in telepathy and teleportation, but she has very little to no skill in other major Psychic skills like Future Sight. I try not to make my characters OP. *END OF SORT OF SPOILER ALERT* And certain members of this clan would be able to read, though as to why, I will not tell you yet. That will be explained way later in the story, when I finally get around to posting everyone's backstories...
Thanks again for your input!
~Chief
Chapter 1: A Small and Unexpected Visitor, Part 1
- Location
- Florida
"Splash!" Umbreon's voice rings over the camp clearing, ringing slightly in my head. Figures. The second I lay down for a moment to take a short nap and clear my head, someone else needs me. But, that comes with the territory of being leader. Resisting the urge to turn into a puddle and pretend I didn't exist, I pushed myself up with my tail and exited my den.
"What is it, Umbreon?" I asked, trying to sound cheerful.
"Espeon and Inferno are hungry again. They suggested oh-so-subtly that I should take someone and hunt again," he said with a small smile.
I shook my head. "Does Inferno ever stop eating?"
Umbreon tilted his head in mock pondering. "I don't think so. Maybe that's how he always has so much energy!"
"If that were true, then Clover and Bolt would be eating just as much. We'd have no food for anyone else!" I laughed.
"Very true!"
"All right," I said, addressing the issue. "Take Surf. And tell Inferno that, next time, if he wants more food, go get it himself!"
"Gladly..." Umbreon grumbled. "Surf! Hunting team! You're with me!" Surf appeared from the pond with a splash and trotted over to join Umbreon without another word. As they left, I sat down and curled my tail around my paws. I was tired, but not that tired. I could help out around the clan. Snow was on the lookout for trainers. Maybe I should go help.
I stood up and shook out my fins, scattering tiny water droplets. I hoped it would rain soon. Rain is good for everything. Except Inferno. He hates water. As I walked past Espeon's and Umbreon's den, she waved her split tails at me in greeting, so I gave her a sunny smile. Then, Bolt slid into her den as I walked away. Huh, I thought to myself. That's odd. Bolt is usually cracking jokes with his Flareon friend at this time. It wasn't unheard of, but still. Dens were supposed to be private. Then again, if Espeon didn't want him there, she could have kicked him out.
As I exited the camp, Snow's head snapped in my direction, but she relaxed once she realized it was me. "I thought you might want some company," I said as I jumped from the ground, to a rock, to a branch, to the lookout platform.
"Thanks, but I don't often get lonely," Snow replied quietly as I sat down.
"I know. I just wanted to help," I replied. Snow only nodded, then returned to her silent vigil. I faced the opposite direction, to cover the whole range. This was perfect. I could help and think at the same time. Which was probably why Snow liked it so much. She was very contemplative. I let out a quiet sigh and watched.
About half an hour later, Umbreon and Surf caught me in the middle of daydreams of Eevee kits.
"Splash?" Surf's masculine voice called. "What are you doing up there?"
"Just helping Snow," I replied, rising to my paws.
"Well, can you help us now? We're going to divide up the prey."
"Be right down!" I called. The two disapeared inside the camp, laden with food. Rather than jump back down, I dove into the ice-coated slide that Snow made. It was much faster, well hidden, and it went right into camp. It was perfect in case of a trainer emergency, as well, with almost no risk of being spotted. Plus, the ice made it much smoother and more fun.
Umbreon looked up as I ran over. "Three Magikarps, two Pidgeys, and six Patrats!" he called proudly.
"Nice haul!" I exclaimed. "You guys really cleaned up!" I did a quick count. "Eleven pieces of prey, eight of us. Everyone choose one!" Surf and I immediately nabbed a Magikarp each, and Bolt was at the pile and grabbed the fattest of the Pidgeys from under Umbreon's nose before anyone saw him clearly.
"Hey!" Umbreon yelled as the hyperactive Jolteon raced back into his den and started tearing his food apart. Umbreon laid his ears back and placed a firm paw on a Patrat instead. "That was for Espeon..." he complained, just as she padded up behind him.
"It's ok, tough guy," Espeon purred as she rubbed her cheek against his. "I can still have this one," she said as she took the other Pidgey. The perfect couple picked up their prey in perfect sync and walked back to their den side by side. Inferno ran up to the pile and grabbed a fair-sized Patrat before trotting back to his den happily. Finally, Clover bounded up to what was left of the pile.
"Snow would want... a Patrat," she said to herself, taking one for each of them. As Surf and I moved the last two Patrats and Magikarp into the frost hole that Snow made to keep the food fresh, Surf smiled warmly at me. We rubbed fins. And then-
"TRAINER!" Snow yelled from the top of the lookout post. Without another word, the camp became a flurry of motion. Surf dove into the pond, melted and vanished. Clover dropped the two Patrats and leaped into a fern bush, with her tail and ears making her blend in perfectly. Inferno raced into a cleft in a rock just big enough to fit him, complete with a corner to keep from being seen. Umbreon ran out of the den and into a bush, fading until he was just a shadow in the middle. Bolt, barely visible as he was moving so fast, blasted into a hole between two roots of a tree, which, courtesy of Clover, wound up the inside of the tree like a spiral staircase and came out at the top. Espeon used her telekinesis to pull up a wall of wood from the bottom of her log den, creating a false end of the log. Snow shot out of the escape tunnel like a cannon, and without breaking stride, dove into a deep hole in the ground. Finally, confident that everyone was safe, I turned into a puddle in the center of camp, so I could watch and call the all clear when it was safe.
For a few tense moments, nothing happened. Then, just as I was about to give the all clear, I saw movement, and heard the grass rustle. I held my breath as it paused. Something moved out of the corner of my eye. It was very light yellow-orange and fluffy... and sticking out of the rock! Inferno's tail was showing! But before I could warn him, the intruder outside came inside the camp.
~Chief
"What is it, Umbreon?" I asked, trying to sound cheerful.
"Espeon and Inferno are hungry again. They suggested oh-so-subtly that I should take someone and hunt again," he said with a small smile.
I shook my head. "Does Inferno ever stop eating?"
Umbreon tilted his head in mock pondering. "I don't think so. Maybe that's how he always has so much energy!"
"If that were true, then Clover and Bolt would be eating just as much. We'd have no food for anyone else!" I laughed.
"Very true!"
"All right," I said, addressing the issue. "Take Surf. And tell Inferno that, next time, if he wants more food, go get it himself!"
"Gladly..." Umbreon grumbled. "Surf! Hunting team! You're with me!" Surf appeared from the pond with a splash and trotted over to join Umbreon without another word. As they left, I sat down and curled my tail around my paws. I was tired, but not that tired. I could help out around the clan. Snow was on the lookout for trainers. Maybe I should go help.
I stood up and shook out my fins, scattering tiny water droplets. I hoped it would rain soon. Rain is good for everything. Except Inferno. He hates water. As I walked past Espeon's and Umbreon's den, she waved her split tails at me in greeting, so I gave her a sunny smile. Then, Bolt slid into her den as I walked away. Huh, I thought to myself. That's odd. Bolt is usually cracking jokes with his Flareon friend at this time. It wasn't unheard of, but still. Dens were supposed to be private. Then again, if Espeon didn't want him there, she could have kicked him out.
As I exited the camp, Snow's head snapped in my direction, but she relaxed once she realized it was me. "I thought you might want some company," I said as I jumped from the ground, to a rock, to a branch, to the lookout platform.
"Thanks, but I don't often get lonely," Snow replied quietly as I sat down.
"I know. I just wanted to help," I replied. Snow only nodded, then returned to her silent vigil. I faced the opposite direction, to cover the whole range. This was perfect. I could help and think at the same time. Which was probably why Snow liked it so much. She was very contemplative. I let out a quiet sigh and watched.
About half an hour later, Umbreon and Surf caught me in the middle of daydreams of Eevee kits.
"Splash?" Surf's masculine voice called. "What are you doing up there?"
"Just helping Snow," I replied, rising to my paws.
"Well, can you help us now? We're going to divide up the prey."
"Be right down!" I called. The two disapeared inside the camp, laden with food. Rather than jump back down, I dove into the ice-coated slide that Snow made. It was much faster, well hidden, and it went right into camp. It was perfect in case of a trainer emergency, as well, with almost no risk of being spotted. Plus, the ice made it much smoother and more fun.
Umbreon looked up as I ran over. "Three Magikarps, two Pidgeys, and six Patrats!" he called proudly.
"Nice haul!" I exclaimed. "You guys really cleaned up!" I did a quick count. "Eleven pieces of prey, eight of us. Everyone choose one!" Surf and I immediately nabbed a Magikarp each, and Bolt was at the pile and grabbed the fattest of the Pidgeys from under Umbreon's nose before anyone saw him clearly.
"Hey!" Umbreon yelled as the hyperactive Jolteon raced back into his den and started tearing his food apart. Umbreon laid his ears back and placed a firm paw on a Patrat instead. "That was for Espeon..." he complained, just as she padded up behind him.
"It's ok, tough guy," Espeon purred as she rubbed her cheek against his. "I can still have this one," she said as she took the other Pidgey. The perfect couple picked up their prey in perfect sync and walked back to their den side by side. Inferno ran up to the pile and grabbed a fair-sized Patrat before trotting back to his den happily. Finally, Clover bounded up to what was left of the pile.
"Snow would want... a Patrat," she said to herself, taking one for each of them. As Surf and I moved the last two Patrats and Magikarp into the frost hole that Snow made to keep the food fresh, Surf smiled warmly at me. We rubbed fins. And then-
"TRAINER!" Snow yelled from the top of the lookout post. Without another word, the camp became a flurry of motion. Surf dove into the pond, melted and vanished. Clover dropped the two Patrats and leaped into a fern bush, with her tail and ears making her blend in perfectly. Inferno raced into a cleft in a rock just big enough to fit him, complete with a corner to keep from being seen. Umbreon ran out of the den and into a bush, fading until he was just a shadow in the middle. Bolt, barely visible as he was moving so fast, blasted into a hole between two roots of a tree, which, courtesy of Clover, wound up the inside of the tree like a spiral staircase and came out at the top. Espeon used her telekinesis to pull up a wall of wood from the bottom of her log den, creating a false end of the log. Snow shot out of the escape tunnel like a cannon, and without breaking stride, dove into a deep hole in the ground. Finally, confident that everyone was safe, I turned into a puddle in the center of camp, so I could watch and call the all clear when it was safe.
For a few tense moments, nothing happened. Then, just as I was about to give the all clear, I saw movement, and heard the grass rustle. I held my breath as it paused. Something moved out of the corner of my eye. It was very light yellow-orange and fluffy... and sticking out of the rock! Inferno's tail was showing! But before I could warn him, the intruder outside came inside the camp.
~oOo~
AC- Please pardon the short length and poor writing. As I said last week, I'm copying every post word for word except for minor corrections, even the bad ones. Since I was just starting out, I didn't know any of my characters at all, so everything really starts to develop after this chapter (I write all of my chapters in 3 parts). This is just a test drive, if you will, so please forgive the small continuity errors that you may (or hopefully may not) notice in later posts. Everything later in the story is real. Things will pick up and improve in quality, I promise.
~Chief
Last edited:
- Location
- Florida
Ah, I was wondering how do do that... I think it's clear I'm new to the site. I'll have to find a way to fix that...
~Chief
Chapter 1: A Small and Unexpected Visitor, Part 2
- Location
- Florida
I held my breath. Half of me wanted to leap out of hiding and distract whatever it was long enough to let Inferno escape. The other half said to stay put; Inferno could handle it. The second half won. Better the chance of seeing one than definitely endangering two.
Whatever was in our camp, it wasn't a trainer. This was too low to the ground. Being a puddle, I had too low of an angle to see clearly. It was in the bushes around our camp! It went right through Umbreon's bush! However, instead of attacking or distracting it, he only looked at it funny, with his head cocked as if he wasn't quite sure what to do with it.
A tiny paw with fingers reached out of the bushes, towards Inferno's tail. It looked almost like a Mankey... but it was a bit too small. What was it?
Whatever the paw belonged to, it took hold of the end of Inferno's tail and pulled.
"YOW!" Inferno yelled from within the rock as he briefly cloaked his tail in flames, burning his attacker. It squealed in pain and tumbled out of the bush.
That's no Mankey... I thought as I watched it start crying. "That's a human kit!" I said as I emerged from my puddle. It was rather cute, with the weird cloth-things that humans wear over their skin. It smelled a bit yucky, but even so. "Inferno! You hurt it!" I shouted as it continued to wail.
"It pulled my tail!" he retorted, pulling himself out of the rock (head first this time). "I thought it was a predator!"
"Fair enough," I shrugged.
"Does that mean it's safe to come down?" Bolt asked from the treetop.
"Yes! All clear!" The rest of the clan came out of their hiding places one by one. Bolt crouched on the edge of his paws staring at the human kit as if it were from another world.
"What IS it?" he asked, awestruck.
Espeon and I answered at the same time. "It's a human kit."
Clover looked dubious. "This is what a human kit looks like?"
Umbreon shrugged. "I guess. ...But where's its fur? Humans have patches of fur on their heads!"
Snow sniffed it carefully. "There's a tiny bit here, but it's all wispy. I hope it's not cold." she said as the kit continued to bawl.
"And how do we get it to stop crying!?" Inferno shouted. "At this rate, every piece of prey will be gone, and every predator and trainer will come running!"
"Then we need to make it feel better!" I said over the din. Trotting up to the kit, I sprayed cold water over its burnt paw. It's crying slowed a bit.
Snow walked up behind me. "Let me help." She blew a cold breeze over the burn while I resumed spraying water. Espeon came up as well and emitted a soothing psychic suggestion to the kit. Eventually, the crying subsided. It looked at the three of us. Then, it grabbed the fins on my head.
"Ow!" I complained. "Not for pulling!" Luckily for me, Inferno stepped in and wriggled his fluffy body between me and the kit. It started petting him. "Thanks," I muttered, shaking my head.
"No problem," he said softly. "Now that I know it's not a threat, well..." he trailed off.
"Question?" Bolt asked. "What do we do with it?" Everyone fell silent.
Umbreon shook his head. "We can't keep it. What would we do with it?"
"Besides," Espeon meowed, "it must have a mother somewhere."
"Then why isn't it with that mother? Maybe something happened," Clover said with concern.
"Well, we can't abandon it," Surf reasoned. "Both Umbreon and Clover are right."
Everyone fell silent again, trying to come up with a solution before it pulled more of Inferno's fur out. An idea came to me. "Ok, we'll do it like when we needed the Search and Rescue party after that fire. One team of three goes out, looks for the mother, and comes back. If they find her, another three will help get her back to her kit."
Surf looked at me fondly. "I knew there was a reason we made you leader."
Fifteen minutes later, the search team was ready to go. Inferno would not take part in any of the parties, seeing as the kit loved him so much. When he tried to leave for a second to get a drink, the kit had started wailing again. Thus, Inferno would watch the kit. Whether he liked it or not.
Umbreon, Surf, Clover, and I started off. "There's a human town this way," Umbreon said. "We'll have to be careful, though. There are trainers." The rest of us nodded and continued walking solemnly. We were a Search party, so we ignored the two Tailows that we saw on the way.
Some time later, we reached the edge of the town. Dusk was falling, so we had a bit of cover as long as we stuck to the shadows. "Split up," I whispered. "North, east, south, and west. Call if you run into trouble. Meet back here in half an hour." Everyone nodded and split up without another word. If I knew my clan, Umbreon would take the south side, Clover would go east, and Surf would prefer west. So, I took the only remaining cardinal direction.
Five minutes later, I was creeping between houses on the north side of the town. Compared to most human camps, this one was rather quaint. The dens weren't that big, and the fence-territory was larger than most. I stuck to the shadows and melted the second I heard motion. Many dens were closed with lights on inside. One or two humans were outside their dens, most with Pokemon of various species. But no matter how hard I looked, I just couldn't find a distressed female.
Umbreon rolled his eyes as yet another human walked right by him in the shadows. How stupid could you get? He wasn't afraid to spray poison from his glowing rings if spotted, but he preferred staying out of sight in general. He only had 3 more dens to check. He chuckled as he walked, thinking to himself, I wonder if they didn't notice the kit is gone. Just 3 dens left. Then he could go back to Espeon. As he passed one, the door to the den burst open. Umbreon jumped and hid in the shadows. A female human ran out, sobbing. "Isabella!? ISABELLA!" she cried. Umbreon faded further. Well, he thought, I think I found the mother.
Clover searched among the dens, anxious to find the kit's mother. She ran down the gaps between them, not using stealth as much. If danger came, she could always hide in a bush or tree. Nothing there... Nothing here... No humans here... Where is she!? So caught up in her thoughts that, as she rounded a corner, she almost crashed into an Arcanine. A hungry-looking Arcanine. Clover skidded and reversed direction just as the Fire-Type's teeth snapped shut on the spot where she was a second ago. Clover ran blind, looking for somewhere to escape. She could feel its heat on her tail. It was catching up! Seeing no other option, she bounded up a wooded fence that marked the edge of a human's territory. She stopped just in time to see two Houndooms in the fence-territory! Both jumped up at her, barking fiercely. She looked back and forth. Fire-Type dogs on either side! She was trapped! "Help!" she called desperately. "HELP!
~Chief
Whatever was in our camp, it wasn't a trainer. This was too low to the ground. Being a puddle, I had too low of an angle to see clearly. It was in the bushes around our camp! It went right through Umbreon's bush! However, instead of attacking or distracting it, he only looked at it funny, with his head cocked as if he wasn't quite sure what to do with it.
A tiny paw with fingers reached out of the bushes, towards Inferno's tail. It looked almost like a Mankey... but it was a bit too small. What was it?
Whatever the paw belonged to, it took hold of the end of Inferno's tail and pulled.
"YOW!" Inferno yelled from within the rock as he briefly cloaked his tail in flames, burning his attacker. It squealed in pain and tumbled out of the bush.
That's no Mankey... I thought as I watched it start crying. "That's a human kit!" I said as I emerged from my puddle. It was rather cute, with the weird cloth-things that humans wear over their skin. It smelled a bit yucky, but even so. "Inferno! You hurt it!" I shouted as it continued to wail.
"It pulled my tail!" he retorted, pulling himself out of the rock (head first this time). "I thought it was a predator!"
"Fair enough," I shrugged.
"Does that mean it's safe to come down?" Bolt asked from the treetop.
"Yes! All clear!" The rest of the clan came out of their hiding places one by one. Bolt crouched on the edge of his paws staring at the human kit as if it were from another world.
"What IS it?" he asked, awestruck.
Espeon and I answered at the same time. "It's a human kit."
Clover looked dubious. "This is what a human kit looks like?"
Umbreon shrugged. "I guess. ...But where's its fur? Humans have patches of fur on their heads!"
Snow sniffed it carefully. "There's a tiny bit here, but it's all wispy. I hope it's not cold." she said as the kit continued to bawl.
"And how do we get it to stop crying!?" Inferno shouted. "At this rate, every piece of prey will be gone, and every predator and trainer will come running!"
"Then we need to make it feel better!" I said over the din. Trotting up to the kit, I sprayed cold water over its burnt paw. It's crying slowed a bit.
Snow walked up behind me. "Let me help." She blew a cold breeze over the burn while I resumed spraying water. Espeon came up as well and emitted a soothing psychic suggestion to the kit. Eventually, the crying subsided. It looked at the three of us. Then, it grabbed the fins on my head.
"Ow!" I complained. "Not for pulling!" Luckily for me, Inferno stepped in and wriggled his fluffy body between me and the kit. It started petting him. "Thanks," I muttered, shaking my head.
"No problem," he said softly. "Now that I know it's not a threat, well..." he trailed off.
"Question?" Bolt asked. "What do we do with it?" Everyone fell silent.
Umbreon shook his head. "We can't keep it. What would we do with it?"
"Besides," Espeon meowed, "it must have a mother somewhere."
"Then why isn't it with that mother? Maybe something happened," Clover said with concern.
"Well, we can't abandon it," Surf reasoned. "Both Umbreon and Clover are right."
Everyone fell silent again, trying to come up with a solution before it pulled more of Inferno's fur out. An idea came to me. "Ok, we'll do it like when we needed the Search and Rescue party after that fire. One team of three goes out, looks for the mother, and comes back. If they find her, another three will help get her back to her kit."
Surf looked at me fondly. "I knew there was a reason we made you leader."
Fifteen minutes later, the search team was ready to go. Inferno would not take part in any of the parties, seeing as the kit loved him so much. When he tried to leave for a second to get a drink, the kit had started wailing again. Thus, Inferno would watch the kit. Whether he liked it or not.
Umbreon, Surf, Clover, and I started off. "There's a human town this way," Umbreon said. "We'll have to be careful, though. There are trainers." The rest of us nodded and continued walking solemnly. We were a Search party, so we ignored the two Tailows that we saw on the way.
Some time later, we reached the edge of the town. Dusk was falling, so we had a bit of cover as long as we stuck to the shadows. "Split up," I whispered. "North, east, south, and west. Call if you run into trouble. Meet back here in half an hour." Everyone nodded and split up without another word. If I knew my clan, Umbreon would take the south side, Clover would go east, and Surf would prefer west. So, I took the only remaining cardinal direction.
Five minutes later, I was creeping between houses on the north side of the town. Compared to most human camps, this one was rather quaint. The dens weren't that big, and the fence-territory was larger than most. I stuck to the shadows and melted the second I heard motion. Many dens were closed with lights on inside. One or two humans were outside their dens, most with Pokemon of various species. But no matter how hard I looked, I just couldn't find a distressed female.
~oOo~
Surf dove into a big, blue pond as a trainer came out. Hopefully, he doesn't want a swim, Surf thought as he melted quickly. This water was strange. It had stuff in it that made his eyes hurt a bit. Also, it was too blue. Humans are weird, he thought to himself. After a few minutes, the trainer went back inside, much to Surf's relief. He jumped out as quickly as possible and shook himself off. He looked up at the rising moon. He had been out here for 20 minutes, and not one sign of a human missing a kit.
~oOo~
Umbreon rolled his eyes as yet another human walked right by him in the shadows. How stupid could you get? He wasn't afraid to spray poison from his glowing rings if spotted, but he preferred staying out of sight in general. He only had 3 more dens to check. He chuckled as he walked, thinking to himself, I wonder if they didn't notice the kit is gone. Just 3 dens left. Then he could go back to Espeon. As he passed one, the door to the den burst open. Umbreon jumped and hid in the shadows. A female human ran out, sobbing. "Isabella!? ISABELLA!" she cried. Umbreon faded further. Well, he thought, I think I found the mother.
~oOo~
Clover searched among the dens, anxious to find the kit's mother. She ran down the gaps between them, not using stealth as much. If danger came, she could always hide in a bush or tree. Nothing there... Nothing here... No humans here... Where is she!? So caught up in her thoughts that, as she rounded a corner, she almost crashed into an Arcanine. A hungry-looking Arcanine. Clover skidded and reversed direction just as the Fire-Type's teeth snapped shut on the spot where she was a second ago. Clover ran blind, looking for somewhere to escape. She could feel its heat on her tail. It was catching up! Seeing no other option, she bounded up a wooded fence that marked the edge of a human's territory. She stopped just in time to see two Houndooms in the fence-territory! Both jumped up at her, barking fiercely. She looked back and forth. Fire-Type dogs on either side! She was trapped! "Help!" she called desperately. "HELP!
~oOo~
AC- For the second time, I was still getting to know my characters at this point, so please forgive the poor quality. It gets a lot better in the post after next, I promise. Feel free to comment with any thoughts you have! It will take me a while to implement any suggestions, I will be honest with you, but I will definitely keep them in mind for when I actually start writing again. So comment away! Send plot suggestions! Ask the Eevees questions! Any and all feedback is appreciated!
~Chief
Chapter 1: A Small and Unexpected Visitor, Part 3
- Location
- Florida
I worked my paws on the grass anxiously. Where was everyone else? It had been 30 minutes five minutes ago! Maybe I had counted wrong. Maybe-
"Figured you'd be on time," Surf said from behind me. I jumped. "And on edge as well," he said with a smile. "Now, that's the Vaporeon I know and love."
I shook out my fins. "I've been on edge ever since I set paw in this human town!" I said defensively. Surf just looked at me with a knowing expression. I sat down and curled my tail around my paws in mock annoyance. I could never be mad at Surf. Instead, I changed the subject. "Did you see any of the others on the way back?"
Surf shook his head. "No. Though, I did see Clover running around between houses. She's pretty anxious to find this kit's mother."
"That's Clover," I shrugged. "Always trying to make lives better."
Just then, the call of a Leafeon broke over the town. "HELP!"
Surf and I looked each other for half a second. Then, without a word, we dashed off at top speed.
Clover looked back and forth between the Arcanine and the Houndooms. "HELP!" she called again. She couldn't stay up here forever! Sooner or later, one of then would think to use fire. The fence was wood. It would burn easily. The Arcanine breathed flames at her. Though that would work, too! she thought as she desperately leaped away. The Houndooms caught on, also shooting fire up at her. Clover called out again as she dove away from the heat. One of the two Houndooms singed her tail. She yelped and drew away. At this point, even a trainer had to be better than this!
While she was off balance from the burn, the Arcanine jumped up at her. Clover panicked, throwing herself the other way. Which was off the fence. And into the Houndooms' territory. Clover braced herself for burning fire or sharp fangs. This was it.
SLAP!
A smooth, wet missile slammed into her at the last possible second, shoving her out of harm's way. She landed hard, rolling on the grass before regaining her bearings and leaping to her feet. "SPLASH!" she yelled.
I knew it was dangerous. But I had no choice. Jumping off of another side of the Houndooms' fence-territory, I knocked Clover out of the Fire-Type's reach. I, however, was not quite as lucky. One of the two grabbed my fluked tail and shook. Hard.
Just before it got too bad, Surf appeared, blasting the Houndoom with a well-aimed Hydro Pump. It yelped and let go of my tail (much to my relief). Surf raced along the fence, jumped down, and landed next to me. We stood shoulder to shoulder, fins bristled and tails held up slightly. I glanced back at Clover, who was licking a burn on her tail. Turning back to Surf, I gave a tiny nod.
Then, we swamped the whole territory with two simultaneous Surfs.
The Houndooms retreated fairly quickly, as did the Arcanine once Surf used Hydro Pump again. He missed, but the Arcanine got the message. Meanwhile, I ran over to Clover.
"Are you ok? Did they hurt you?"
She smiled at me gratefully. "Just singed my tail. It'll heal. They hurt my nerves more than my body. What about you?" she asked, suddenly concerned. "Are you ok?"
I gently slapped my tail against the ground. "Fine, actually. Nothing that Recover and a long soak in the pond won't fix."
Clover rose to her paws. "We should get back. Umbreon's probably worried sick."
I agreed. We hopped the fence again and trotted back towards the meeting spot. "I hope he found the kit's mother. Neither Surf or I found any sign of her."
"Me either," Clover mumbled. "I was so hyped up about returning the kit, that I wasn't careful at all. That's how I got into that mess." She looked down at her paws as she finished.
I nudged her shoulder. "Hey, it's fine. None of us expected any different of you. Well, maybe not that you would get into a situation like that, but..."
"Yeah," Clover finished for me.
"There's Umbreon," Surf said. The Dark Type sat up as we approached.
"Where were you guys!?" I found the kit's mother ages ago! Took a bit to sneak away from an overly curious Delcatty, but I got here only ten minutes after the said time!"
"Sorry about that," I said. "Clover got herself into a tight spot."
Umbreon nodded slowly. "So that's what those battle sounds were..."
Clover looked down again. "Yeah..."
I looked at Umbreon excitedly. "But you found the mother!"
"Yeah! She's in that den back there!" he said, pointing with his nose.
"Great!" I smiled. "Let's get back to the Clan and decide our next move."
"You're ba-OW!!" Inferno yelled as we walked in.
I couldn't help snickering. "Kit still pulling your tail, Inferno?"
"Not funny," he responded grumpily. "I sure hope you found the mother. If I don't get away soon, I'll have no fur left!"
Umbreon rolled his eyes. "Don't worry... we found her," he said as he padded over Espeon and rubbed cheeks with her.
"Ok," I said, sitting in the middle of the clearing. The rest of the Clan sat around me in a circle as I got started. "Based on what Umbreon told me, the mother is pretty hysterical about losing her kit. We can't carry the kit to her, because it's the same size as us, and we might get spotted. And based on Clover's experience, that's not preferable." Clover nodded seriously. "What we need to do is figure out a way to get the two of them to find each other. Any ideas?"
Bolt stood up. "Inferno could walk away from the kit and lead it to its mother."
Inferno shook his head as much as he could with the kit pulling on his ear. "As much as I enjoy the thought of being able to walk on my own, we know from experience that the kit would much rather scream until I come back than follow me."
Espeon stood up. "Then why don't we come from the other angle? Get the mother to follow one of us to the kit?"
Snow didn't like the idea. "And endanger one of us? What if she's a trainer? Or has another Pokemon that might attack us?"
Clover wasn't so quick to dismiss it. "No, that might work. We'd just have to time it right. Even if she is a trainer, she'd be too distraught to try and catch us."
"Yeah," Bolt said. "Espeon, I thought you were the Psychic Type. Wouldn't you know how emotions work?"
Umbreon jumped to his feet while Espeon just looked angry and insulted. Before it could get into a fully fledged argument, I stood up. "EEVEES! Calm down! Bolt, that wasn't nice or appropriate. Keep your thoughts to yourself."
"I'd still hear them..." Espeon muttered. I silenced her with a look.
Clover paused for a moment before continuing. "...Anyway, we have one or two Eevees lead the mother back to the kit while the others hide."
Snow picked up where her friend left off as she, too, stood up. "But we couldn't lead her to the camp, so we'd move Inferno and the kit somewhere else. We could have a series of Eevees that will run back to the camp and warn the others when the mother is a certain distance away."
Bolt caught on. "Three messengers. One to tell the others to get ready to move, the next to tell them to move now, and the last one to tell Inferno to get away from the kit."
Espeon stood up again, her quarrel with Bolt forgotten. "When she sees the kit, she'll want to get to it as soon as possible. That'll give the Eevees who led her there time to hide. That way, everyone will be safe by the time she would be ready to catch one of us!"
I smiled proudly at my Clan. "I love it when we all work together like this."
Ten minutes later, the Clan was ready to go. After holding a race to see who the top five fastest runners were, not counting Inferno, I delegated the roles out. "The top runner are, in order of place, Bolt, which we all knew and expected; Espeon, who is much faster than she looks; Clover, who was possibly still on adrenaline from her close scrape; myself, nearly tied with Surf, but winning by a nose; Surf, as I just said; Umbreon, who I know is extremely disappointed with himself; and, finally, Snow, who, to be fair, doesn't need to run that much."
Bolt zipped around in circles. "So what do I do? What do I do?" he asked excitedly.
I shook my head at his antics. "Bolt, Espeon, and Clover will be the messenger Eevees, since they can get back to the Clan the fastest. Bolt will take the position furthest from the Clan, Espeon, second, and Clover, the closest. Surf and I will lead the mother to the designated place. Any thoughts as to where that would be?"
Surf stood up again, still a bit winded. "What about that spot where we were originally going to put the camp? It has hiding spots. Not as many as here, but it'll work. Plus, it's not too far from the town."
I nodded enthusiastically. "That's perfect! Far enough away to give the others a chance to get settled, but close enough to be able to run all the way there from the town."
Inferno cocked his head. "You thought about putting the camp close to a town?"
"Why do you think we moved it here?" I asked.
"Oh."
Umbreon sat next to Espeon. "So Snow, Inferno, and I take care of the kit?"
"Yes," I responded. "Is everyone clear on what, where, and when they're doing?
The response was in unison. "Yes!"
"Then, let's do this!" I called.
Surf crept up next to me, pulling the kit's cloth-fur behind him. The kit had taken it off a while ago, and Inferno thought it might tell the mother that we knew where the kit was. And, since I outranked him (and he lost the deciding game of Tailslap), Surf was the one dragging it instead of me. I kept a lookout and guided the way.
"Tish ish ridiculoush," he said around the cloth-fur.
I shushed him. "This way. We're at the town. The den is this way." He simply rolled his eyes and followed. As we approached the den, however, there was a bit of a commotion.
The mother human was yelling at what looked like the kit's father. "I told you to look after her! How could you let her out of your sight!?" she shouted. Surf and I flinched.
The father shrunk back as well. "I-I don't know what happened! She was in the yard one minute, then gone the next! I swear I was gone for only a minute!"
Before things got any worse, I jumped out of the bush and let out a loud call. "Splash..." Surf warned quietly. Both humans looked at me in surprise. I felt a slight sense of danger.
The mother seemed to forget about me and rounded on the father again. "Surf! Now!" Ever loyal, Surf dragged himself out as well, still carrying the cloth-fur. Both of us called to the mother, trying to get her attention.
Luckily for us, and him, the father noticed us. "Lily, look!"
The mother didn't even look at him. "You and your Pokemon! Do you ever think about anything else!?"
"No, there are two Vaporeons! One has her shirt!" That got her attention.
We didn't need any more encouragement. On a silent signal, we turned and bolted at the same time. The mother's voice sounded behind us as she ran after us. "They know where Isabella is! Stay there!" She ran with everything she had. So did we.
Upon getting a short distance into the woods, I caught a glimpse of Bolt before he blasted off like a bolt of lightning.
Bolt tore into camp before stopping short and falling over. "Rats... Shouldn't have gone that fast..." he muttered as he stood up. "Guys! The mother's coming! Get a move on!"
"Then you help!" Snow yelled back. Bolt rolled his eyes. Then went over to Inferno and the kit.
Espeon sat patiently in a small tree. Umbreon needed her back safe. She went over her escape strategy. She was to teleport herself and Snow into a tree outside the almost-camp. Close enough to see, but far enough away to be safe. Pawsteps and heavy footsteps got her attention. The second she saw the pair of Vaporeons, she dashed away.
I was getting a bit tired as we passed Clover. I could tell Surf was, too. But the human mother was the exact same distance away as when we started! How was she not tired? Humans tired much more easily than Pokemon!
"There it is!" Surf called to me. I looked ahead! Yes! There is was, indeed! And there was the kit! ... And Inferno! He was trying to get away, but the kit had a death grip on his tail!
"Lead her away!" I yelled to Surf. We had to give Inferno more time! Unfortunately, the mother had other ideas.
"ISABELLA!" she yelled, running past us as we curved away. Without hesitation, I turned back and raced after her. Surf stopped for a second, but then turned as well and ran after me.
The mother got there first. The kit let go of Inferno, reaching up towards its mother instead. The Flareon tumbled away, too late to escape notice. Sure enough, as I skidded to a halt, she held the kit and stared at Inferno. He froze under her gaze.
For a while, no one moved. Eventually, I found the courage to step out and stand next to Inferno. If he was in danger, I would protect him.
Surf walked up next to me. Then Snow. Then Clover. Then Espeon and Umbreon. And finally, Bolt. All of us stood as one.
The mother looked at all of us as she stood up with her kit. She pulled out the rectangular device that humans use to talk to each other. "...Jake? Jake! You're not going to believe this! There's..." she paused. We all looked at her, silently begging.
The kit waved a tiny paw at Inferno. The father's voice came out of the box. "What? There's a what?" I held my breath.
The mother still didn't answer for a moment. Then she stammered "...Isabella. There's Isabella! I found her!"
~Chief
"Figured you'd be on time," Surf said from behind me. I jumped. "And on edge as well," he said with a smile. "Now, that's the Vaporeon I know and love."
I shook out my fins. "I've been on edge ever since I set paw in this human town!" I said defensively. Surf just looked at me with a knowing expression. I sat down and curled my tail around my paws in mock annoyance. I could never be mad at Surf. Instead, I changed the subject. "Did you see any of the others on the way back?"
Surf shook his head. "No. Though, I did see Clover running around between houses. She's pretty anxious to find this kit's mother."
"That's Clover," I shrugged. "Always trying to make lives better."
Just then, the call of a Leafeon broke over the town. "HELP!"
Surf and I looked each other for half a second. Then, without a word, we dashed off at top speed.
~oOo~
Clover looked back and forth between the Arcanine and the Houndooms. "HELP!" she called again. She couldn't stay up here forever! Sooner or later, one of then would think to use fire. The fence was wood. It would burn easily. The Arcanine breathed flames at her. Though that would work, too! she thought as she desperately leaped away. The Houndooms caught on, also shooting fire up at her. Clover called out again as she dove away from the heat. One of the two Houndooms singed her tail. She yelped and drew away. At this point, even a trainer had to be better than this!
While she was off balance from the burn, the Arcanine jumped up at her. Clover panicked, throwing herself the other way. Which was off the fence. And into the Houndooms' territory. Clover braced herself for burning fire or sharp fangs. This was it.
SLAP!
A smooth, wet missile slammed into her at the last possible second, shoving her out of harm's way. She landed hard, rolling on the grass before regaining her bearings and leaping to her feet. "SPLASH!" she yelled.
~oOo~
I knew it was dangerous. But I had no choice. Jumping off of another side of the Houndooms' fence-territory, I knocked Clover out of the Fire-Type's reach. I, however, was not quite as lucky. One of the two grabbed my fluked tail and shook. Hard.
Just before it got too bad, Surf appeared, blasting the Houndoom with a well-aimed Hydro Pump. It yelped and let go of my tail (much to my relief). Surf raced along the fence, jumped down, and landed next to me. We stood shoulder to shoulder, fins bristled and tails held up slightly. I glanced back at Clover, who was licking a burn on her tail. Turning back to Surf, I gave a tiny nod.
Then, we swamped the whole territory with two simultaneous Surfs.
The Houndooms retreated fairly quickly, as did the Arcanine once Surf used Hydro Pump again. He missed, but the Arcanine got the message. Meanwhile, I ran over to Clover.
"Are you ok? Did they hurt you?"
She smiled at me gratefully. "Just singed my tail. It'll heal. They hurt my nerves more than my body. What about you?" she asked, suddenly concerned. "Are you ok?"
I gently slapped my tail against the ground. "Fine, actually. Nothing that Recover and a long soak in the pond won't fix."
Clover rose to her paws. "We should get back. Umbreon's probably worried sick."
I agreed. We hopped the fence again and trotted back towards the meeting spot. "I hope he found the kit's mother. Neither Surf or I found any sign of her."
"Me either," Clover mumbled. "I was so hyped up about returning the kit, that I wasn't careful at all. That's how I got into that mess." She looked down at her paws as she finished.
I nudged her shoulder. "Hey, it's fine. None of us expected any different of you. Well, maybe not that you would get into a situation like that, but..."
"Yeah," Clover finished for me.
"There's Umbreon," Surf said. The Dark Type sat up as we approached.
"Where were you guys!?" I found the kit's mother ages ago! Took a bit to sneak away from an overly curious Delcatty, but I got here only ten minutes after the said time!"
"Sorry about that," I said. "Clover got herself into a tight spot."
Umbreon nodded slowly. "So that's what those battle sounds were..."
Clover looked down again. "Yeah..."
I looked at Umbreon excitedly. "But you found the mother!"
"Yeah! She's in that den back there!" he said, pointing with his nose.
"Great!" I smiled. "Let's get back to the Clan and decide our next move."
"You're ba-OW!!" Inferno yelled as we walked in.
I couldn't help snickering. "Kit still pulling your tail, Inferno?"
"Not funny," he responded grumpily. "I sure hope you found the mother. If I don't get away soon, I'll have no fur left!"
Umbreon rolled his eyes. "Don't worry... we found her," he said as he padded over Espeon and rubbed cheeks with her.
"Ok," I said, sitting in the middle of the clearing. The rest of the Clan sat around me in a circle as I got started. "Based on what Umbreon told me, the mother is pretty hysterical about losing her kit. We can't carry the kit to her, because it's the same size as us, and we might get spotted. And based on Clover's experience, that's not preferable." Clover nodded seriously. "What we need to do is figure out a way to get the two of them to find each other. Any ideas?"
Bolt stood up. "Inferno could walk away from the kit and lead it to its mother."
Inferno shook his head as much as he could with the kit pulling on his ear. "As much as I enjoy the thought of being able to walk on my own, we know from experience that the kit would much rather scream until I come back than follow me."
Espeon stood up. "Then why don't we come from the other angle? Get the mother to follow one of us to the kit?"
Snow didn't like the idea. "And endanger one of us? What if she's a trainer? Or has another Pokemon that might attack us?"
Clover wasn't so quick to dismiss it. "No, that might work. We'd just have to time it right. Even if she is a trainer, she'd be too distraught to try and catch us."
"Yeah," Bolt said. "Espeon, I thought you were the Psychic Type. Wouldn't you know how emotions work?"
Umbreon jumped to his feet while Espeon just looked angry and insulted. Before it could get into a fully fledged argument, I stood up. "EEVEES! Calm down! Bolt, that wasn't nice or appropriate. Keep your thoughts to yourself."
"I'd still hear them..." Espeon muttered. I silenced her with a look.
Clover paused for a moment before continuing. "...Anyway, we have one or two Eevees lead the mother back to the kit while the others hide."
Snow picked up where her friend left off as she, too, stood up. "But we couldn't lead her to the camp, so we'd move Inferno and the kit somewhere else. We could have a series of Eevees that will run back to the camp and warn the others when the mother is a certain distance away."
Bolt caught on. "Three messengers. One to tell the others to get ready to move, the next to tell them to move now, and the last one to tell Inferno to get away from the kit."
Espeon stood up again, her quarrel with Bolt forgotten. "When she sees the kit, she'll want to get to it as soon as possible. That'll give the Eevees who led her there time to hide. That way, everyone will be safe by the time she would be ready to catch one of us!"
I smiled proudly at my Clan. "I love it when we all work together like this."
~oOo~
Ten minutes later, the Clan was ready to go. After holding a race to see who the top five fastest runners were, not counting Inferno, I delegated the roles out. "The top runner are, in order of place, Bolt, which we all knew and expected; Espeon, who is much faster than she looks; Clover, who was possibly still on adrenaline from her close scrape; myself, nearly tied with Surf, but winning by a nose; Surf, as I just said; Umbreon, who I know is extremely disappointed with himself; and, finally, Snow, who, to be fair, doesn't need to run that much."
Bolt zipped around in circles. "So what do I do? What do I do?" he asked excitedly.
I shook my head at his antics. "Bolt, Espeon, and Clover will be the messenger Eevees, since they can get back to the Clan the fastest. Bolt will take the position furthest from the Clan, Espeon, second, and Clover, the closest. Surf and I will lead the mother to the designated place. Any thoughts as to where that would be?"
Surf stood up again, still a bit winded. "What about that spot where we were originally going to put the camp? It has hiding spots. Not as many as here, but it'll work. Plus, it's not too far from the town."
I nodded enthusiastically. "That's perfect! Far enough away to give the others a chance to get settled, but close enough to be able to run all the way there from the town."
Inferno cocked his head. "You thought about putting the camp close to a town?"
"Why do you think we moved it here?" I asked.
"Oh."
Umbreon sat next to Espeon. "So Snow, Inferno, and I take care of the kit?"
"Yes," I responded. "Is everyone clear on what, where, and when they're doing?
The response was in unison. "Yes!"
"Then, let's do this!" I called.
~oOo~
Surf crept up next to me, pulling the kit's cloth-fur behind him. The kit had taken it off a while ago, and Inferno thought it might tell the mother that we knew where the kit was. And, since I outranked him (and he lost the deciding game of Tailslap), Surf was the one dragging it instead of me. I kept a lookout and guided the way.
"Tish ish ridiculoush," he said around the cloth-fur.
I shushed him. "This way. We're at the town. The den is this way." He simply rolled his eyes and followed. As we approached the den, however, there was a bit of a commotion.
The mother human was yelling at what looked like the kit's father. "I told you to look after her! How could you let her out of your sight!?" she shouted. Surf and I flinched.
The father shrunk back as well. "I-I don't know what happened! She was in the yard one minute, then gone the next! I swear I was gone for only a minute!"
Before things got any worse, I jumped out of the bush and let out a loud call. "Splash..." Surf warned quietly. Both humans looked at me in surprise. I felt a slight sense of danger.
The mother seemed to forget about me and rounded on the father again. "Surf! Now!" Ever loyal, Surf dragged himself out as well, still carrying the cloth-fur. Both of us called to the mother, trying to get her attention.
Luckily for us, and him, the father noticed us. "Lily, look!"
The mother didn't even look at him. "You and your Pokemon! Do you ever think about anything else!?"
"No, there are two Vaporeons! One has her shirt!" That got her attention.
We didn't need any more encouragement. On a silent signal, we turned and bolted at the same time. The mother's voice sounded behind us as she ran after us. "They know where Isabella is! Stay there!" She ran with everything she had. So did we.
Upon getting a short distance into the woods, I caught a glimpse of Bolt before he blasted off like a bolt of lightning.
~oOo~
Bolt tore into camp before stopping short and falling over. "Rats... Shouldn't have gone that fast..." he muttered as he stood up. "Guys! The mother's coming! Get a move on!"
"Then you help!" Snow yelled back. Bolt rolled his eyes. Then went over to Inferno and the kit.
~oOo~
Espeon sat patiently in a small tree. Umbreon needed her back safe. She went over her escape strategy. She was to teleport herself and Snow into a tree outside the almost-camp. Close enough to see, but far enough away to be safe. Pawsteps and heavy footsteps got her attention. The second she saw the pair of Vaporeons, she dashed away.
~oOo~
I was getting a bit tired as we passed Clover. I could tell Surf was, too. But the human mother was the exact same distance away as when we started! How was she not tired? Humans tired much more easily than Pokemon!
"There it is!" Surf called to me. I looked ahead! Yes! There is was, indeed! And there was the kit! ... And Inferno! He was trying to get away, but the kit had a death grip on his tail!
"Lead her away!" I yelled to Surf. We had to give Inferno more time! Unfortunately, the mother had other ideas.
"ISABELLA!" she yelled, running past us as we curved away. Without hesitation, I turned back and raced after her. Surf stopped for a second, but then turned as well and ran after me.
The mother got there first. The kit let go of Inferno, reaching up towards its mother instead. The Flareon tumbled away, too late to escape notice. Sure enough, as I skidded to a halt, she held the kit and stared at Inferno. He froze under her gaze.
For a while, no one moved. Eventually, I found the courage to step out and stand next to Inferno. If he was in danger, I would protect him.
Surf walked up next to me. Then Snow. Then Clover. Then Espeon and Umbreon. And finally, Bolt. All of us stood as one.
The mother looked at all of us as she stood up with her kit. She pulled out the rectangular device that humans use to talk to each other. "...Jake? Jake! You're not going to believe this! There's..." she paused. We all looked at her, silently begging.
The kit waved a tiny paw at Inferno. The father's voice came out of the box. "What? There's a what?" I held my breath.
The mother still didn't answer for a moment. Then she stammered "...Isabella. There's Isabella! I found her!"
~oOo~
AC- I hope that was a good conclusion to my first storyarc! Sorry about the overload of perspective changes; I guess I was still trying to figure out what I was doing. From what I recall, though, things really pick up after this post! This was for those of you that like cute and the next arc is for those that like action! And don't worry, I have plenty of posts for both.
~Chief
Oh I am slain!
Wynaut?
- Location
- Tatooine
(You're still creating a new thread for each new chapter, by the way. Are you just forgetting to navigate to previous threads?)
- Location
- Florida
Am I? I thought giving it the same title as previous threads would link them. How do I connect them? (Once again, new to the site! Sorry!)
~Chief
Oh I am slain!
Wynaut?
- Location
- Tatooine
Just post in the box at the bottom of the same thread, like you did in this reply.
If you click on "post new thread", then you'll keep creating new threads.
I'll go bug a mod to combine your four threads into one; they should be ok with doing it once.
Edit: Thank you, awesome mods!
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- Location
- Florida
Thank you so much for your help!Just post in the box at the bottom of the same thread, like you did in this reply.
If you click on "post new thread", then you'll keep creating new threads.
I'll go bug a mod to combine your four threads into one; they should be ok with doing it once.
Edit: Thank you, awesome mods!
~Chief
- Location
- Florida
From Splash:
A lot of us have bad experiences with humans, and we like to stay wild. Unfortunately, whenever a human spots a wild Eevee, their first instinct seems to be to try and catch us, so we have to be careful... And I think both of those dog Pokemon are really territorial, or at least, that's what Espeon says. Some Pokemon like to attack first, ask questions later.
Chapter 2: A Storm of Rage, Part 1
- Location
- Florida
I sighed in exasperation. "Ma'am, I'm sorry. We found your shiny necklace, but there is no such thing as a green Sableye!"
The Swellow puffed up in annoyance. "A green Sableye stole this necklace! Did you not see it when you retrieved it!? Are you all colorblind!?"
"We found it on the ground near your nest!" I shouted.
She paused. "Hmph." With that, she took the necklace, dropped the Fire Stone she promised us in exchange, and flew off in a huff.
I let out another sigh as Surf walked up behind me. "I can't believe she was the only customer we've had this month."
Surf rubbed my cheek comfortingly. "I know. On the plus side, we're well stocked, so..."
"Yeah... I know..." I muttered as I rubbed him back. "Sometimes, it just feels like I'm barely making things work. Barely any customers, this weird spat between Umbreon and Bolt..."
Bolt interrupted our moment. "Yeah, about that..." I turned around to face him. "We've called a truce, but there's a problem that we can't fix here. I'm afraid it'll tear the two of us apart. I don't want to hate Umbreon, but I can't see a way to fix this."
I cocked my head at him. "Surf, can you give us a moment?" This was about more than just a small argument, I could tell that much. Surf nodded, rose to his feet, and padded off quietly. I turned to Bolt. "What's on your mind?"
Bolt looked at me curiously. "You trying to fly away or something?"
I had a brief moment of confusion before realizing that my fins were vibrating to the point of humming slightly. "Wow. I didn't really notice. There must be a big storm on the way."
Bolt nodded absentmindedly. "Anyway... I don't want to keep this just to myself, and I need to tell someone I know I can trust."
I was touched. "That... instills a lot of confidence in me," I said, being honest. "I was just telling Surf how I sometimes feel like I don't do that good of a job." I shook my head. "Enough about me. What's up with you?"
Bolt started rapidly pacing back and forth, the way he does when he's nervous. "I... I just... Oh boy. I don't know how to say this... I... I'm..." I waited patiently for him to finish. Let him come out on his own. This must be big for him. "I'm just going to say it. Please don't be upset with me."
"Of course not!" I said. "This is obviously hard for you! I'll support you. No matter what." I silently congratulated myself. Nice job, Splash. Chalk one up for the leader.
"Okay..." he said with a sigh. "Here goes. ..... I'm-"
CRAACKK!! BOOOOOOOOMM!
Both of us jumped as a massive blast of thunder struck a nearby tree. Immediately after, the sky opened up into a torrential downpour. I heard Inferno scream. And Umbreon yelling at him for being "such a princess."
I looked at Bolt. He looked at the ground. "...I'll.. Tell you later." With that, he dashed off. Half of me wanted to follow him. The other half said to wait, let him tell me when he's ready. The second half won. Besides, my Clan probably needed help.
Sure enough, Clover and Snow were trying to tie down Espeon's and Umbreon's log den so that it wouldn't blow away in the wind. Clover made roots appear from the ground, loop over the log, and go back into the ground on the other side. Snow was freezing the entry and exit points on the roots to the ground so that nothing would tear. "Good thinking!" I yelled as I raced by. They nodded back and resumed tying things down.
"Surf!" I called. "Come help me with the pond!" During bad rainstorms, the pond would overflow and sometimes flood the camp. Therefore, it was our job as the local Vaporeons to spill as much water as we could on the other side so that it would have more room to fill up.
We dove into the water in perfect harmony. We started simple, using our tails to throw water over the side. Then we progressed to swimming against the side as fast as we could, then stopping suddenly, causing more water to rush out.
Just as we both started using Surf to get more water out, the biggest bolt of lightning I had ever seen struck the middle of camp. For a second, I was blind and deaf. I dove deeper to recover quicker, bumping into Surf in the process, who had the same thought. When I regained my senses, I shot to the surface in a jet of bubbles, leaping over the surface. The lightning had not left any damage. But it had left something else.
Something the size of a large Rapidash. Something with electric yellow fur and black stripes. Something with spiked whiskers and very long fangs. Something with claws the length of my tail. Something with black thunderclouds rolling angrily across his back.
I only caught a brief glimpse before I fell back into the water. It couldn't have been.
Surf swam up to me. "Splash? Are you okay? You look like you've seen a Ghost Type."
"Not a Ghost Type. Not at all," I stammered. "No. It was..."
"It was what?"
"Raikou. It's Raikou. He's in our camp."
Surf's eyes nearly fell out of his head. "What!? Are you sure!?"
"Positive." I was still in shock.
"Well... what do we do now?" Surf asked. I said nothing. I didn't know. I thought Raikou was a kit story at least, and at most an elusive Pokemon that was only seen in times of crisis.
"I recognized him from the stories. He fits the descriptions exactly."
Surf was at a loss. "What now?"
"I... don't know."
I poked my head above the surface, dully noting that if Raikou decided to attack, the pond wouldn't exactly provide ample protection. He was standing in the same place as he was when he first appeared. His claws dug into the ground slightly. As he turned his head, lightning struck again. The clouds on his back crackled with electricity. He did not look happy.
Diving back under, I swam to Surf. "He looks pretty angry. I doubt he's here for idle conversation."
"I'd say the same thing, judging by this storm," he said, glancing at the raindrops on the water's surface. Raikou roared, making us both jump. On a split-second decision, I swam to the surface again. Surf followed.
I glanced back at him. "Stay low." He nodded. Without warning, I leaped out of the pond and landed on the side. I could almost feel Surf's mix of anger, fear, and concern, but I had no time to think about that, seeing as Raikou whipped around to face me as I landed.
He growled, sounding like distant thunder. "And you are?"
All I could think of right now were the ten some ways he could kill me where I stood. "S-Splash, great Raikou."
The storm lessened a bit. "Splash as in the Eevee Clan Splash?"
Wait, what? "You know me, sir?"
He nodded, relaxing his position. "I have come to speak with you. It's a most a most urgent matter."
"Why me?" I asked, getting slightly less tense.
The Thunder Pokemon glanced around the camp. "Get your Clan together. I must speak to all of you."
One by one, my Eevees crept out of their dens and hiding places, even Espeon, who's not much of a rain fan. Naturally, Inferno was missing. "Inferno!" I hissed.
"Not coming out!" he shouted back. "I can hear from here!"
"Fine," Raikou growled. He turned to look at all of us before sitting down. "Hello, Bolt," he nodded to the Jolteon, who nearly fainted.
I got right to the point, deciding to ask Bolt about this later. "Why are you here, if you don't mind my asking, great Raikou?"
The legendary looked up at the storm clouds. "I am here because I have been told that you are the best of the best."
Bolt almost fainted again. "Wait. You... I... That... Wait... What!?"
Raikou smiled in amusement. "That's right. That dream was real."
All attention turned to Bolt. "...I had a dream a few nights ago that I met Raikou. We talked about the Clan and I told him we were the best," he finished, half looking down, half proud.
My breath caught in my throat as I thought of what the legendary's words meant for us. "Wait..."
Raikou nodded. "That's right. I need your expertise and versatility. I need you for a job."
~Chief
The Swellow puffed up in annoyance. "A green Sableye stole this necklace! Did you not see it when you retrieved it!? Are you all colorblind!?"
"We found it on the ground near your nest!" I shouted.
She paused. "Hmph." With that, she took the necklace, dropped the Fire Stone she promised us in exchange, and flew off in a huff.
I let out another sigh as Surf walked up behind me. "I can't believe she was the only customer we've had this month."
Surf rubbed my cheek comfortingly. "I know. On the plus side, we're well stocked, so..."
"Yeah... I know..." I muttered as I rubbed him back. "Sometimes, it just feels like I'm barely making things work. Barely any customers, this weird spat between Umbreon and Bolt..."
Bolt interrupted our moment. "Yeah, about that..." I turned around to face him. "We've called a truce, but there's a problem that we can't fix here. I'm afraid it'll tear the two of us apart. I don't want to hate Umbreon, but I can't see a way to fix this."
I cocked my head at him. "Surf, can you give us a moment?" This was about more than just a small argument, I could tell that much. Surf nodded, rose to his feet, and padded off quietly. I turned to Bolt. "What's on your mind?"
Bolt looked at me curiously. "You trying to fly away or something?"
I had a brief moment of confusion before realizing that my fins were vibrating to the point of humming slightly. "Wow. I didn't really notice. There must be a big storm on the way."
Bolt nodded absentmindedly. "Anyway... I don't want to keep this just to myself, and I need to tell someone I know I can trust."
I was touched. "That... instills a lot of confidence in me," I said, being honest. "I was just telling Surf how I sometimes feel like I don't do that good of a job." I shook my head. "Enough about me. What's up with you?"
Bolt started rapidly pacing back and forth, the way he does when he's nervous. "I... I just... Oh boy. I don't know how to say this... I... I'm..." I waited patiently for him to finish. Let him come out on his own. This must be big for him. "I'm just going to say it. Please don't be upset with me."
"Of course not!" I said. "This is obviously hard for you! I'll support you. No matter what." I silently congratulated myself. Nice job, Splash. Chalk one up for the leader.
"Okay..." he said with a sigh. "Here goes. ..... I'm-"
CRAACKK!! BOOOOOOOOMM!
Both of us jumped as a massive blast of thunder struck a nearby tree. Immediately after, the sky opened up into a torrential downpour. I heard Inferno scream. And Umbreon yelling at him for being "such a princess."
I looked at Bolt. He looked at the ground. "...I'll.. Tell you later." With that, he dashed off. Half of me wanted to follow him. The other half said to wait, let him tell me when he's ready. The second half won. Besides, my Clan probably needed help.
Sure enough, Clover and Snow were trying to tie down Espeon's and Umbreon's log den so that it wouldn't blow away in the wind. Clover made roots appear from the ground, loop over the log, and go back into the ground on the other side. Snow was freezing the entry and exit points on the roots to the ground so that nothing would tear. "Good thinking!" I yelled as I raced by. They nodded back and resumed tying things down.
"Surf!" I called. "Come help me with the pond!" During bad rainstorms, the pond would overflow and sometimes flood the camp. Therefore, it was our job as the local Vaporeons to spill as much water as we could on the other side so that it would have more room to fill up.
We dove into the water in perfect harmony. We started simple, using our tails to throw water over the side. Then we progressed to swimming against the side as fast as we could, then stopping suddenly, causing more water to rush out.
Just as we both started using Surf to get more water out, the biggest bolt of lightning I had ever seen struck the middle of camp. For a second, I was blind and deaf. I dove deeper to recover quicker, bumping into Surf in the process, who had the same thought. When I regained my senses, I shot to the surface in a jet of bubbles, leaping over the surface. The lightning had not left any damage. But it had left something else.
Something the size of a large Rapidash. Something with electric yellow fur and black stripes. Something with spiked whiskers and very long fangs. Something with claws the length of my tail. Something with black thunderclouds rolling angrily across his back.
I only caught a brief glimpse before I fell back into the water. It couldn't have been.
Surf swam up to me. "Splash? Are you okay? You look like you've seen a Ghost Type."
"Not a Ghost Type. Not at all," I stammered. "No. It was..."
"It was what?"
"Raikou. It's Raikou. He's in our camp."
Surf's eyes nearly fell out of his head. "What!? Are you sure!?"
"Positive." I was still in shock.
"Well... what do we do now?" Surf asked. I said nothing. I didn't know. I thought Raikou was a kit story at least, and at most an elusive Pokemon that was only seen in times of crisis.
"I recognized him from the stories. He fits the descriptions exactly."
Surf was at a loss. "What now?"
"I... don't know."
I poked my head above the surface, dully noting that if Raikou decided to attack, the pond wouldn't exactly provide ample protection. He was standing in the same place as he was when he first appeared. His claws dug into the ground slightly. As he turned his head, lightning struck again. The clouds on his back crackled with electricity. He did not look happy.
Diving back under, I swam to Surf. "He looks pretty angry. I doubt he's here for idle conversation."
"I'd say the same thing, judging by this storm," he said, glancing at the raindrops on the water's surface. Raikou roared, making us both jump. On a split-second decision, I swam to the surface again. Surf followed.
I glanced back at him. "Stay low." He nodded. Without warning, I leaped out of the pond and landed on the side. I could almost feel Surf's mix of anger, fear, and concern, but I had no time to think about that, seeing as Raikou whipped around to face me as I landed.
He growled, sounding like distant thunder. "And you are?"
All I could think of right now were the ten some ways he could kill me where I stood. "S-Splash, great Raikou."
The storm lessened a bit. "Splash as in the Eevee Clan Splash?"
Wait, what? "You know me, sir?"
He nodded, relaxing his position. "I have come to speak with you. It's a most a most urgent matter."
"Why me?" I asked, getting slightly less tense.
The Thunder Pokemon glanced around the camp. "Get your Clan together. I must speak to all of you."
One by one, my Eevees crept out of their dens and hiding places, even Espeon, who's not much of a rain fan. Naturally, Inferno was missing. "Inferno!" I hissed.
"Not coming out!" he shouted back. "I can hear from here!"
"Fine," Raikou growled. He turned to look at all of us before sitting down. "Hello, Bolt," he nodded to the Jolteon, who nearly fainted.
I got right to the point, deciding to ask Bolt about this later. "Why are you here, if you don't mind my asking, great Raikou?"
The legendary looked up at the storm clouds. "I am here because I have been told that you are the best of the best."
Bolt almost fainted again. "Wait. You... I... That... Wait... What!?"
Raikou smiled in amusement. "That's right. That dream was real."
All attention turned to Bolt. "...I had a dream a few nights ago that I met Raikou. We talked about the Clan and I told him we were the best," he finished, half looking down, half proud.
My breath caught in my throat as I thought of what the legendary's words meant for us. "Wait..."
Raikou nodded. "That's right. I need your expertise and versatility. I need you for a job."
~oOo~
AC- At this point, please note that I know bringing Legendaries in is kind of a cliche, but it was on suggestion from a friend, and I needed something to start some serious action here. I do lean on them for a while in the future as sort of a deus ex machina plot device, but I eventually come back to just the Eevees. On the upside, though, action is picking up! Hope you enjoy!
~Chief
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Chapter 2: A Storm of Rage, Part 2
- Location
- Florida
I practically fainted right where I stood. Raikou, the Raikou, needed us for a job!? Fortunately for me, everyone else seemed just as shell-shocked as I was.
Naturally, Bolt was the first to recover. "What on Earth could we do that you, the Great Raikou, can't?"
Raikou had returned to being all business. "Save Entei and Suicune." Once again, we were all speechless.
I stuttered for a moment. "W-What happened?"
Raikou became very sad. The lightning ceased and the rain just fell in a melancholy way, as if to reflect his mood. "Men in black suits and masks. They captured Suicune at one of his favorite haunts near Olivine City. From what I saw from the cliff top, the men knew he was coming. They got him in a Poke Ball, then threw it as far as they could. When Suicune escaped, they repeated the process. Entei and I followed, trying to intervene, but not wanting to hit Suicune or get into a battle ourselves. They eventually got into a big building. Off map, of course. After an hour or so, when Suicune didn't come out, Entei grew so furious that he charged in, blazing mad. He managed to blast through two or three walls before the same thing happened to him. I barely managed to escape myself."
Bolt bravely stepped up to the Legendary and leaned against his leg comfortingly. "Raikou, when I told you we were the best of the best, I meant it. You can count on us." I nodded in agreement.
Inferno's voice floated out from his den. "Why would anyone go to such lengths to capture the three Legendaries?"
Espeon stood up and shook the rain off her fur. "Power, I would guess. According to the legends, which we now know are to be believed, Raikou, Entei, and Suicune all deem Pokemon and trainers worthy of their assistance, humans with particular hesitance. These people might want to force the Great Legendaries to assist or choose them."
Raikou nodded. "Not that any of the three of us would ever give in..." he said with a growl like thunder.
Umbreon stood up next to Espeon. "Another theory: The Legendaries only intervene in times of crisis. What if someone wanted you three out of the way so that they were free to do whatever they wanted to or with other Pokemon?"
Raikou let out a slow breath. A spark jumped between his fangs. "A more disturbing, and probably correct, thought. There may be the bonus of controlling Legendary power," he said, acknowledging Espeon's idea, "but I believe Umbreon has the root cause right."
"So..." Clover said slowly. "...What do we do?"
"We take the job!" I said. "Who knows what these greedy humans have in mind? The Legendaries have always protected us! Now, it's our turn to protect them back! Let's write a new one for the legends and stories!"
Raikou grinned, while Bolt jumped up and down next to him. "Yeah! Now we're talking!" He stopped bouncing and looked up at the Great Raikou. "Don't worry. We'll do whatever it takes to get all three of you out safely."
Raikou nodded diplomatically. "And I appreciate that."
I peered at the map that Raikou had drawn in the dirt with one of his claws. All I could think right now was Holy Miltank, his claws are big. Raikou had made the rain stop so Inferno could come out and look at the map.
Raikou pointed to a big rectangle in the middle with one gigantic claw. "That's the main complex. From what I saw when Entei smashed the walls, there were hallways here, here, here, and here," he said, carefully drawing said hallways in the proper locations.
Snow stood up. "How long ago did Entei break the walls?"
"Two days," Raikou said without looking up from the map.
"Then the walls will still be very damaged, if they're fixed at all," Snow reasoned. "That would be a good place for us to enter."
"But if it were me," Surf said, thinking aloud. "...I would make sure to put a guard there of some sort, knowing that that wall was a weak point."
Snow glanced downward. "True..."
I stood up. "But that's not a bad idea. If we could draw the guard somehow..." I trailed off, drawing an X where the guard would be and an arrow leading away, "...That would leave the wall wide open."
Bolt cocked his head. "What are you suggesting?"
Raikou looked down at him, then at the map. "Either she's suggesting, and if not, I'm saying, that I'll run past and draw the attention." He planted a huge paw in front of my arrow, leaving his footprint. "They'll be expecting me, not a bunch of Eevees."
Bolt looked up at the Legendary in a huff, then stamped his own paw print above Raikou's. "If you're going, I'm going!" he said stubbornly.
I was about to turn him down, when Raikou nodded. "Good thought. I'd like having a trusty sidekick." Bolt was about to either faint or explode.
I gave him an encouraging nod, trying to retain laughter. "Ok, we'll pair up. Great Raikou with Bolt, Espeon and Umbreon, Snow and Clover, and finally, Inferno, Surf, and I."
The Thunder Pokemon looked at me curiously. "Why these groups?"
"You and Bolt, obviously. You two will draw attention. Espeon and Umbreon are... perfect together in every way. I think they know each other better than they know themselves." The couple in question blushed profusely. "You two can help scout out the rest of the complex. Se if you can find out their true motives."
Umbreon nodded. "You got it," he said firmly as he and Espeon, in perfect sync, places their paw prints on the building.
I turned to the next pair. "Snow and Clover are best of friends. They know each other really well, too. Snow is naturally quiet, and I think Clover has learned her lesson about stealth..." The Leafeon in question looked away in embarrasment. "...so I'm trusting you two with incapacitating the humans. Don't rush into it, just..."
"Yeah," Clover finished.
"As for Inferno, Surf, and me, We'll go in and rescue Suicune and Entei. Inferno, being the Fire Type, will bond with and free Entei, and either Surf or myself will do the same with Suicune."
Inferno looked intimidated. "You say that like it's easy..."
Raikou turned to him. "It is easy. He'll be able to smell me on you. He'll trust you in a snap. As for Splash and Surf, Suicune would be more likely to trust the Water Type that has been entrusted with leadership."
All I could say was ".........Oh."
Surf just smiled at me. "Just act your normal diplomatic and respectful self," he said with a smile.
"I'll try," I shrugged.
Raikou stood up to his full, imposing height. "Are we all in agreement, then?"
"YES!" the whole Clan chanted at once.
I jumped and flipped in midair. "Then let's do it!"
Naturally, Bolt was the first to recover. "What on Earth could we do that you, the Great Raikou, can't?"
Raikou had returned to being all business. "Save Entei and Suicune." Once again, we were all speechless.
I stuttered for a moment. "W-What happened?"
Raikou became very sad. The lightning ceased and the rain just fell in a melancholy way, as if to reflect his mood. "Men in black suits and masks. They captured Suicune at one of his favorite haunts near Olivine City. From what I saw from the cliff top, the men knew he was coming. They got him in a Poke Ball, then threw it as far as they could. When Suicune escaped, they repeated the process. Entei and I followed, trying to intervene, but not wanting to hit Suicune or get into a battle ourselves. They eventually got into a big building. Off map, of course. After an hour or so, when Suicune didn't come out, Entei grew so furious that he charged in, blazing mad. He managed to blast through two or three walls before the same thing happened to him. I barely managed to escape myself."
Bolt bravely stepped up to the Legendary and leaned against his leg comfortingly. "Raikou, when I told you we were the best of the best, I meant it. You can count on us." I nodded in agreement.
Inferno's voice floated out from his den. "Why would anyone go to such lengths to capture the three Legendaries?"
Espeon stood up and shook the rain off her fur. "Power, I would guess. According to the legends, which we now know are to be believed, Raikou, Entei, and Suicune all deem Pokemon and trainers worthy of their assistance, humans with particular hesitance. These people might want to force the Great Legendaries to assist or choose them."
Raikou nodded. "Not that any of the three of us would ever give in..." he said with a growl like thunder.
Umbreon stood up next to Espeon. "Another theory: The Legendaries only intervene in times of crisis. What if someone wanted you three out of the way so that they were free to do whatever they wanted to or with other Pokemon?"
Raikou let out a slow breath. A spark jumped between his fangs. "A more disturbing, and probably correct, thought. There may be the bonus of controlling Legendary power," he said, acknowledging Espeon's idea, "but I believe Umbreon has the root cause right."
"So..." Clover said slowly. "...What do we do?"
"We take the job!" I said. "Who knows what these greedy humans have in mind? The Legendaries have always protected us! Now, it's our turn to protect them back! Let's write a new one for the legends and stories!"
Raikou grinned, while Bolt jumped up and down next to him. "Yeah! Now we're talking!" He stopped bouncing and looked up at the Great Raikou. "Don't worry. We'll do whatever it takes to get all three of you out safely."
Raikou nodded diplomatically. "And I appreciate that."
I peered at the map that Raikou had drawn in the dirt with one of his claws. All I could think right now was Holy Miltank, his claws are big. Raikou had made the rain stop so Inferno could come out and look at the map.
Raikou pointed to a big rectangle in the middle with one gigantic claw. "That's the main complex. From what I saw when Entei smashed the walls, there were hallways here, here, here, and here," he said, carefully drawing said hallways in the proper locations.
Snow stood up. "How long ago did Entei break the walls?"
"Two days," Raikou said without looking up from the map.
"Then the walls will still be very damaged, if they're fixed at all," Snow reasoned. "That would be a good place for us to enter."
"But if it were me," Surf said, thinking aloud. "...I would make sure to put a guard there of some sort, knowing that that wall was a weak point."
Snow glanced downward. "True..."
I stood up. "But that's not a bad idea. If we could draw the guard somehow..." I trailed off, drawing an X where the guard would be and an arrow leading away, "...That would leave the wall wide open."
Bolt cocked his head. "What are you suggesting?"
Raikou looked down at him, then at the map. "Either she's suggesting, and if not, I'm saying, that I'll run past and draw the attention." He planted a huge paw in front of my arrow, leaving his footprint. "They'll be expecting me, not a bunch of Eevees."
Bolt looked up at the Legendary in a huff, then stamped his own paw print above Raikou's. "If you're going, I'm going!" he said stubbornly.
I was about to turn him down, when Raikou nodded. "Good thought. I'd like having a trusty sidekick." Bolt was about to either faint or explode.
I gave him an encouraging nod, trying to retain laughter. "Ok, we'll pair up. Great Raikou with Bolt, Espeon and Umbreon, Snow and Clover, and finally, Inferno, Surf, and I."
The Thunder Pokemon looked at me curiously. "Why these groups?"
"You and Bolt, obviously. You two will draw attention. Espeon and Umbreon are... perfect together in every way. I think they know each other better than they know themselves." The couple in question blushed profusely. "You two can help scout out the rest of the complex. Se if you can find out their true motives."
Umbreon nodded. "You got it," he said firmly as he and Espeon, in perfect sync, places their paw prints on the building.
I turned to the next pair. "Snow and Clover are best of friends. They know each other really well, too. Snow is naturally quiet, and I think Clover has learned her lesson about stealth..." The Leafeon in question looked away in embarrasment. "...so I'm trusting you two with incapacitating the humans. Don't rush into it, just..."
"Yeah," Clover finished.
"As for Inferno, Surf, and me, We'll go in and rescue Suicune and Entei. Inferno, being the Fire Type, will bond with and free Entei, and either Surf or myself will do the same with Suicune."
Inferno looked intimidated. "You say that like it's easy..."
Raikou turned to him. "It is easy. He'll be able to smell me on you. He'll trust you in a snap. As for Splash and Surf, Suicune would be more likely to trust the Water Type that has been entrusted with leadership."
All I could say was ".........Oh."
Surf just smiled at me. "Just act your normal diplomatic and respectful self," he said with a smile.
"I'll try," I shrugged.
Raikou stood up to his full, imposing height. "Are we all in agreement, then?"
"YES!" the whole Clan chanted at once.
I jumped and flipped in midair. "Then let's do it!"
~oOo~
AC- Sorry this post is a touch on the late side. I have a pretty bad cold and can't sit up for too long. It's making it very hard to get my homework done and get to classes... Hopefully, I'll be better by next week! Also, I have all of my posts linked together, but can someone please tell me how to put them into different chapters? I see all of these other stories with easy access to an individual chapter, and I would very much like to have that for your convenience!
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Oh I am slain!
Wynaut?
- Location
- Tatooine
Do you mean threadmarks? Look at the bottom of each of your already-posted posts. There should be a "threadmark" link/button. Click on it, and a prompt should pop up. You can name the threadmark.
You can also directly add a threadmark whenever adding a new post to the thread. There should be a small box ("Threadmark Label") above the main SV text editor that allows you to input a name for the threadmark.
- Location
- Florida
Did I do it right?
Oh I am slain!
Wynaut?
- Location
- Tatooine
- Location
- Florida
Thanks again!
Chapter 2: A Storm of Rage, Part 3
- Location
- Florida
Bolt looked up at his Legendary idol. Who'd of thought? Raikou looked back at him, crouching at the edge of the tree line. "Look carefully. Do you see the wall?"
True to his word and map, a large building dominated the clearing with dense trees ringing it. Bolt scanned the side, spotting the damaged side fairly quickly. "There," Bolt whispered back. "It looks like there's a tarp over the hole. ...And Surf was right. Three guards."
Raikou narrowed his eyes. "You're right. You know what we're doing?"
Bolt nodded. "Yes."
"You know this will be dangerous."
"Yes."
"You can always back out."
"Never."
The Thunder Pokemon turned to look at him. "You're very loyal, Bolt. I like that."
The Jolteon blushed and glanced away. Getting a compliment like that from, say, Inferno or Splash was one thing. Getting a compliment like that from the Great Raikou, the Legendary Thunder Pokemon, was another.
Raikou looked back to the building. "Right. Get on. Be my lightning bolts."
Bolt felt like running 100 miles as he bent down. This was literally a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Riding a Legendary? Oh boy!
Bolt hopped up into the blanket of thunderclouds on Raikou's back. They crackled and sparked as he landed. Between the electricity, being the firing squad of the Great Raikou, and the super-soft and comfortable clouds that he was sitting on, Bolt didn't think he would ever want to be anywhere else. Ever. Even if he was riding right into an impossibly dangerous situation. Even if it was only once. Even if it might be the last time he ever-
No. Don't think about that now.
Bolt shook his head vigorously. "Whenever you're ready."
"Good." Raikou stood up, causing the clouds to swirl a bit. Bolt took a moment to get used to the sensation, then emitted a small discharge.
"GO!"
Raikou literally bolted forward, briefly turning into lightning as he blasted towards the building. Bolt crouched low, both to keep his balance and to hide amongst the clouds. As they neared the building, Raikou roared angrily. Even knowing that the Legendary was his friend, Bolt couldn't help being severely intimidated and awe-inspired.
His roar attracted the attention of practically everyone within a 10-mile radius. Bolt, blending in almost perfectly with Raikou's fur, summoned as much electricity as he could, getting ready for rapid-fire attacks. The three men near the tarp were the first to overcome their shock, reaching for their pockets.
"Poke Balls!" Bolt called, just loud enough to be heard by the Legendary. "Just focus on running and dodging! I'll fire back!" Raikou said nothing, only increasing his speed. Anchoring himself and aiming carefully, Bolt let loose with Thunder, striking all three men with three blasts. It wouldn't kill them, but it would definitely make them think twice about messing with the Legendaries. As more men ran in, Bolt fired more and more Thunders, almost every one hitting its mark. He hoped that they were drawing enough attention to let the rest of the Clan in. He let four more Thunders fly. He was almost firing constantly! Whenever he struck one down, two more black-clad men seemed to take their place!
Before long, a Poke Ball zinged through the air. Raikou easily avoided it, but Bolt was on edge. He was doing his best, but there were too many! "Ok, Bolt," he thought to himself as he fired more electricity. "Don't just do this for the Great Raikou. Do it for the clan!" The thought gave him renewed vigor, firing Thunder with a new energy. "FOR RAIKOU, ENTEI, AND SUICUNE! FOR THE FATE OF THE WORLD! FOR THE CLAN!"
I watched in fascination as Raikou practically flew by with Bolt clinging bravely to his back. Thunder was striking everywhere. I glanced back to the damaged wall, then to Surf, Inferno, Espeon, and Umbreon, then back to the wall. Any time now...
Clover and Snow made a break for it, running from the cover of the trees to the corner of the building.
"There they are," I said quietly. "On my count." Everyone in the current group tensed, ready to run. Snow peeked around the corner both ways before nudging Clover around the opposite side. She looked right at us, raised her tail, and waved it three times.
"Three..." Snow followed Clover around the corner.
"Two..." A man that was running toward the wall suddenly fell on his face as his ankles were bound with vines.
"One..." Raikou and Bolt disapeared around the back of the complex.
"Go! Go! Go!" I shouted. Inferno was the first to run, followed by Espeon and Umbreon. Surf paused until I ran as well, making sure everyone was together. We only had a few seconds to reach the wall.
Just as we entered the shadow of the building, I noticed one of the masked men coming around the corner. Fortunately, so did Snow and Clover. A small patch of ice appeared right in front of him as he ran, causing him to slip and fall violently. I winced as he smashed his head on the ground. He looked at us in dull confusion.
"...huh? Eeeeeevvvvees?" he slurred. Clover hopped over the man, and vines followed her, binding the man's wrists, ankles, and mouth.
"There," Clover said, satisfied with her work. "And he's tied to the ground, too, so he can't go anywhere." She turned to Snow, who peeked around the corner. "Nice job with the ice. Perfect hit."
Snow nodded. "Good. Let's keep going." With that, they turned and disapeared around the corner.
As I let out a sigh of relief, thundering paw steps caught my attention. "They're coming back around! Go! Inside!" I pushed everyone with my nose, shoving them under the tarp. When I was sure everyone was under safely, I dove in as well, aided by Surf dragging me and Espeon pulling me in with telekinesis.
"Next time, come with us," Surf scolded. I just rolled my eyes at him.
"It's my job as leader to put my Clan's safety above my own, and to make sure that all of you are safe before hiding myself. What if one of you had tripped? Who would be there to help you?" Now it was Surf's turn to roll his eyes.
Umbreon scowled. "Let's just go." So, we went. I insisted on going first. Surf gave me a look. I went first anyway. The sounds of shouting, roaring, and Thunder played behind me as I hopped over the lip of the giant hole in the wall. Inside the building was like being in a completely different world. Everything was clean. Smooth. Sterile. It gave me the creeps. To be honest, I was always relieved when I saw damage from Entei's attacks. It gave me something to look for, a defining mark. The rest of the Eevees slipped in after me, one by one. No one said anything. It was like we had to stay silent in this cold place.
Finally, I managed to whisper orders. "Espeon, Umbreon. From what Raikou told us, the Legendaries are being kept in that direction," I said, flicking my tail to the right. "It would stand to reason that they wouldn't want them near the important things, so you two should probably go left."
Umbreon nodded. "Got it." He and Espeon turned and raced off around the corner, until all I could hear of them was their paw steps. I turned to Surf and Inferno. "Ready?"
Inferno tried to look confident, but failed miserably. "Whenever you're ready, Splash."
I turned and ran to the right, not giving anyone any time to turn back. The Legendaries need our help. Now, it was our job to save them.
Hearing the reassuring paw steps of my clanmates behind me, I plowed ahead, diving around corners, through hallways, and past rooms. Just as I was sure we were running in circles, Inferno tripped and fell down a flight of stairs.
"Inferno!" I called, running quickly but carefully after him with Surf at my side. The Flareon was sprawled out on the stone floor, moaning quietly. As we reached him, a small tremor ran through the ground. "Are you ok?" I asked quietly.
He grunted and rolled over. "...think so... Just hit my head. Ow..."
I started licking the bump on his head, when Surf tapped me with his tail. "Um... Splash?"
"What?" I asked quietly.
"We're not alone in here. Look." I turned away from Inferno to see three giant cages with bars made of.... I wasn't quite sure what. One was empty. The other two were definitely not. Each had a single Poke Ball wedged in between two reinforced metal plates, with thousands more in a chute above it. A tube aimed Poke Balls at the current one between the plates.
As I watched, there was a bright flash of light in one of the cages. I caught a brief glimpse of blue fur before another Poke Ball was shot out of the tube, hit the captive Legendary, and trapped him inside again.
I watched in horror. "This is terrible!" Surf nodded sadly without looking away, while Inferno could only stare. We had to do something. I looked carefully at the bars. Upon closer inspection, they seemed to be merely metal bars with either a major amount of water or electricity flowing through them.
"Guys," I said seriously. "We have to get them out of there. I'll absorb the water on the bars of Entei's cage, I'm guessing. Surf, find a way to stop the electricity. Inferno, melt the bars once they're exposed."
"Got it."
"On it."
I ran up to the water pumping bars. It didn't take much to make them burst open, a mere tail slap. Inferno shrieked and ran. It took a bit of effort, but I managed to get to the breech and insinuate myself in, absorbing the water as it pounded on my back. After what seemed like an eternity, the water stopped coming. I felt very... bloated.
There was a short zap, a yelp, and Suicune's bars stopped buzzing with electricity. "SURF!?" I called worriedly.
"I'm fine," his voice said from around a corner. "I just got a short shock when I pulled the wires."
I let out a sigh of relief. "Ok. Good."
Inferno marched up to the cages, all traces of fear from the water gone. "Out of the way! Inferno comin' through!" He stepped up to the bars, took a deep breath, and blasted them with fire. It actually took quite a bit of effort to get them to melt, but I have to give it to him for determination. Once finished he took a step back, panting. "That's good," he huffed. "Start on Suicune. I'll do Entei in a minute."
I looked at Suicune's trap, intimidated. A quick glance at Surf brought his words from earlier back to me. Just be your normal diplomatic and respectful self, and you'll be fine. I didn't feel too confident, but I had to. Inferno was obviously scared. I needed to show him that it would be ok.
I hopped over the red-hot remnants of the bars, stepped up to the trap, and thought. I could feel the other two's eyes on me. Don't mess this up. I took another deep breath and blasted the trap with Blizzard, hoping that Suicune's next escape would shatter the ice.
Needless to say, I was right.
The move itself weakened the metal. The ice froze and expanded the weak spots. The escaping Legendary pushed it past its limit. Suicune emerged with a furious but triumphant roar. He almost ran me over. Thankfully, he realized I was there and stopped short.
He huffed angrily. "Who are you?"
Be diplomatic. "Splash, Great Suicune. I'm with the Great Raikou." I kept my gaze down.
He calmed down a bit at the mention of Raikou's name. "Oh?"
I nodded, moving my eyes up a bit. "Yes, sir. He's outside with one of my clanmates as we speak."
The Aurora Pokemon looked down at me, right in the eye. He looked worried, but calm and serious. "Then there isn't much time. Free Entei."
I gave Inferno a look. He turned around with a tiny yelp, then torched the trap with Flamethrower. As before, it didn't take much before Entei exploded out of the trap in a fiery inferno. Unlike Suicune, however, Entei didn't stop before barreling out of the cage, missing Inferno by inches. In a blur of motion, Suicune leaped over me and the melted bars, ran in front of Entei, and slammed him in the shoulder. The two stumbled for a bit before regaining their footing and staring each other down.
Entei growled. "What?"
Suicune narrowed his eyes back. "Just because I couldn't see what was happening doesn't mean I don't know what happened. Do you want to draw more attention?" He was perfectly calm but dead serious.
Entei relaxed slightly. "...Fine. Who are they?"
Suicune looked at me, clearly comfortable with having me around. It felt good. "This is Splash. She's with me. The others are with her."
Entei did not look impressed, but he seemed like he would tolerate us for now. "...Fine. And Raikou?"
"Outside with another Eevee," Suicune responded easily.
Inferno stepped toward the pair. "Yeah, um... maybe we should get out of here? You know, get away before my best friend gets captured?" I gave him a silencing look. He ignored it.
Suicune gave him a stern look as well, but lead off of him anyway. "He has a point. We should go."
I did a quick head count. "Surf, Inferno, Bolt, Espeon, Umbreon, Snow, Clover... Raikou, Entei, and Suicune." Yep. All present. In fact, Raikou, Entei, Suicune, Bolt, Surf, and Inferno were talking closely. Suicune stood up to his full height and beckoned to me.
Upon running over to them, Suicune bent down again to accommodate my height. "We decided to give you four a thank-you gift of sorts."
Bolt and Inferno were bouncing with excitement. "Great Raikou and Entei switched our moves!" Bolt exclaimed.
"Yeah!" Inferno finished. "Now I know Discharge and Bolt can use Lava Plume! Totally useful in a double battle!"
Bolt continued. "Yeah! Like you and Surf using Surf together to heal each other!"
"Neat!" I smiled back. It was true, that would be useful.
Surf trotted up to me. "Great Suicune gave me a new move as well. He said he'd never be able to use it, so..."
"What is it?" I asked curiously.
"Dive. The Great Suicune can walk on water, so I'd imagine it would be a bit difficult to swim underwater."
Suicune turned towards us. "Indeed. But, for you, Splash..." Surf looked at the Legendary, took his cue, and padded over to Bolt and Inferno.
Inferno piped up as he approached. "What'd you get rid of?"
"Hydro Pump. It misses most of the time anyway."
"Oh..."
Suicune watched Surf for a moment before continuing. "For you, I have something better than moves to use in battle." He paused for a moment, and I leaned forward a bit, curious and eager. "...First off, know that us three will come whenever you need us. You saved us. We'll be at your side when you're in danger as well."
"Thank you," I said gratefully.
"But... I wanted to give you luck."
"Luck?" I asked in confusion.
"Yes. I can tell you have small Eevees on your mind at times..." How did he know? "So I'll give you luck with a future generation. With all of your Clan."
I was at a loss for words. Could they even do that? Apparently so. But even so, how did this work? Did it-
"Don't think too hard," Suicune said with a sly smile. "And just some advice?"
I was at a loss for words once again.
"Solve this dispute between Bolt and Umbreon." With that, all 3 raced off, Entei without a backward glance, Raikou with a grin and a wink aimed at Bolt, and Suicune with a gleam in his deep blue eyes as he looked at me.
...What just happened?
True to his word and map, a large building dominated the clearing with dense trees ringing it. Bolt scanned the side, spotting the damaged side fairly quickly. "There," Bolt whispered back. "It looks like there's a tarp over the hole. ...And Surf was right. Three guards."
Raikou narrowed his eyes. "You're right. You know what we're doing?"
Bolt nodded. "Yes."
"You know this will be dangerous."
"Yes."
"You can always back out."
"Never."
The Thunder Pokemon turned to look at him. "You're very loyal, Bolt. I like that."
The Jolteon blushed and glanced away. Getting a compliment like that from, say, Inferno or Splash was one thing. Getting a compliment like that from the Great Raikou, the Legendary Thunder Pokemon, was another.
Raikou looked back to the building. "Right. Get on. Be my lightning bolts."
Bolt felt like running 100 miles as he bent down. This was literally a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Riding a Legendary? Oh boy!
Bolt hopped up into the blanket of thunderclouds on Raikou's back. They crackled and sparked as he landed. Between the electricity, being the firing squad of the Great Raikou, and the super-soft and comfortable clouds that he was sitting on, Bolt didn't think he would ever want to be anywhere else. Ever. Even if he was riding right into an impossibly dangerous situation. Even if it was only once. Even if it might be the last time he ever-
No. Don't think about that now.
Bolt shook his head vigorously. "Whenever you're ready."
"Good." Raikou stood up, causing the clouds to swirl a bit. Bolt took a moment to get used to the sensation, then emitted a small discharge.
"GO!"
Raikou literally bolted forward, briefly turning into lightning as he blasted towards the building. Bolt crouched low, both to keep his balance and to hide amongst the clouds. As they neared the building, Raikou roared angrily. Even knowing that the Legendary was his friend, Bolt couldn't help being severely intimidated and awe-inspired.
His roar attracted the attention of practically everyone within a 10-mile radius. Bolt, blending in almost perfectly with Raikou's fur, summoned as much electricity as he could, getting ready for rapid-fire attacks. The three men near the tarp were the first to overcome their shock, reaching for their pockets.
"Poke Balls!" Bolt called, just loud enough to be heard by the Legendary. "Just focus on running and dodging! I'll fire back!" Raikou said nothing, only increasing his speed. Anchoring himself and aiming carefully, Bolt let loose with Thunder, striking all three men with three blasts. It wouldn't kill them, but it would definitely make them think twice about messing with the Legendaries. As more men ran in, Bolt fired more and more Thunders, almost every one hitting its mark. He hoped that they were drawing enough attention to let the rest of the Clan in. He let four more Thunders fly. He was almost firing constantly! Whenever he struck one down, two more black-clad men seemed to take their place!
Before long, a Poke Ball zinged through the air. Raikou easily avoided it, but Bolt was on edge. He was doing his best, but there were too many! "Ok, Bolt," he thought to himself as he fired more electricity. "Don't just do this for the Great Raikou. Do it for the clan!" The thought gave him renewed vigor, firing Thunder with a new energy. "FOR RAIKOU, ENTEI, AND SUICUNE! FOR THE FATE OF THE WORLD! FOR THE CLAN!"
~oOo~
I watched in fascination as Raikou practically flew by with Bolt clinging bravely to his back. Thunder was striking everywhere. I glanced back to the damaged wall, then to Surf, Inferno, Espeon, and Umbreon, then back to the wall. Any time now...
Clover and Snow made a break for it, running from the cover of the trees to the corner of the building.
"There they are," I said quietly. "On my count." Everyone in the current group tensed, ready to run. Snow peeked around the corner both ways before nudging Clover around the opposite side. She looked right at us, raised her tail, and waved it three times.
"Three..." Snow followed Clover around the corner.
"Two..." A man that was running toward the wall suddenly fell on his face as his ankles were bound with vines.
"One..." Raikou and Bolt disapeared around the back of the complex.
"Go! Go! Go!" I shouted. Inferno was the first to run, followed by Espeon and Umbreon. Surf paused until I ran as well, making sure everyone was together. We only had a few seconds to reach the wall.
Just as we entered the shadow of the building, I noticed one of the masked men coming around the corner. Fortunately, so did Snow and Clover. A small patch of ice appeared right in front of him as he ran, causing him to slip and fall violently. I winced as he smashed his head on the ground. He looked at us in dull confusion.
"...huh? Eeeeeevvvvees?" he slurred. Clover hopped over the man, and vines followed her, binding the man's wrists, ankles, and mouth.
"There," Clover said, satisfied with her work. "And he's tied to the ground, too, so he can't go anywhere." She turned to Snow, who peeked around the corner. "Nice job with the ice. Perfect hit."
Snow nodded. "Good. Let's keep going." With that, they turned and disapeared around the corner.
As I let out a sigh of relief, thundering paw steps caught my attention. "They're coming back around! Go! Inside!" I pushed everyone with my nose, shoving them under the tarp. When I was sure everyone was under safely, I dove in as well, aided by Surf dragging me and Espeon pulling me in with telekinesis.
"Next time, come with us," Surf scolded. I just rolled my eyes at him.
"It's my job as leader to put my Clan's safety above my own, and to make sure that all of you are safe before hiding myself. What if one of you had tripped? Who would be there to help you?" Now it was Surf's turn to roll his eyes.
Umbreon scowled. "Let's just go." So, we went. I insisted on going first. Surf gave me a look. I went first anyway. The sounds of shouting, roaring, and Thunder played behind me as I hopped over the lip of the giant hole in the wall. Inside the building was like being in a completely different world. Everything was clean. Smooth. Sterile. It gave me the creeps. To be honest, I was always relieved when I saw damage from Entei's attacks. It gave me something to look for, a defining mark. The rest of the Eevees slipped in after me, one by one. No one said anything. It was like we had to stay silent in this cold place.
Finally, I managed to whisper orders. "Espeon, Umbreon. From what Raikou told us, the Legendaries are being kept in that direction," I said, flicking my tail to the right. "It would stand to reason that they wouldn't want them near the important things, so you two should probably go left."
Umbreon nodded. "Got it." He and Espeon turned and raced off around the corner, until all I could hear of them was their paw steps. I turned to Surf and Inferno. "Ready?"
Inferno tried to look confident, but failed miserably. "Whenever you're ready, Splash."
I turned and ran to the right, not giving anyone any time to turn back. The Legendaries need our help. Now, it was our job to save them.
Hearing the reassuring paw steps of my clanmates behind me, I plowed ahead, diving around corners, through hallways, and past rooms. Just as I was sure we were running in circles, Inferno tripped and fell down a flight of stairs.
"Inferno!" I called, running quickly but carefully after him with Surf at my side. The Flareon was sprawled out on the stone floor, moaning quietly. As we reached him, a small tremor ran through the ground. "Are you ok?" I asked quietly.
He grunted and rolled over. "...think so... Just hit my head. Ow..."
I started licking the bump on his head, when Surf tapped me with his tail. "Um... Splash?"
"What?" I asked quietly.
"We're not alone in here. Look." I turned away from Inferno to see three giant cages with bars made of.... I wasn't quite sure what. One was empty. The other two were definitely not. Each had a single Poke Ball wedged in between two reinforced metal plates, with thousands more in a chute above it. A tube aimed Poke Balls at the current one between the plates.
As I watched, there was a bright flash of light in one of the cages. I caught a brief glimpse of blue fur before another Poke Ball was shot out of the tube, hit the captive Legendary, and trapped him inside again.
I watched in horror. "This is terrible!" Surf nodded sadly without looking away, while Inferno could only stare. We had to do something. I looked carefully at the bars. Upon closer inspection, they seemed to be merely metal bars with either a major amount of water or electricity flowing through them.
"Guys," I said seriously. "We have to get them out of there. I'll absorb the water on the bars of Entei's cage, I'm guessing. Surf, find a way to stop the electricity. Inferno, melt the bars once they're exposed."
"Got it."
"On it."
I ran up to the water pumping bars. It didn't take much to make them burst open, a mere tail slap. Inferno shrieked and ran. It took a bit of effort, but I managed to get to the breech and insinuate myself in, absorbing the water as it pounded on my back. After what seemed like an eternity, the water stopped coming. I felt very... bloated.
There was a short zap, a yelp, and Suicune's bars stopped buzzing with electricity. "SURF!?" I called worriedly.
"I'm fine," his voice said from around a corner. "I just got a short shock when I pulled the wires."
I let out a sigh of relief. "Ok. Good."
Inferno marched up to the cages, all traces of fear from the water gone. "Out of the way! Inferno comin' through!" He stepped up to the bars, took a deep breath, and blasted them with fire. It actually took quite a bit of effort to get them to melt, but I have to give it to him for determination. Once finished he took a step back, panting. "That's good," he huffed. "Start on Suicune. I'll do Entei in a minute."
I looked at Suicune's trap, intimidated. A quick glance at Surf brought his words from earlier back to me. Just be your normal diplomatic and respectful self, and you'll be fine. I didn't feel too confident, but I had to. Inferno was obviously scared. I needed to show him that it would be ok.
I hopped over the red-hot remnants of the bars, stepped up to the trap, and thought. I could feel the other two's eyes on me. Don't mess this up. I took another deep breath and blasted the trap with Blizzard, hoping that Suicune's next escape would shatter the ice.
Needless to say, I was right.
The move itself weakened the metal. The ice froze and expanded the weak spots. The escaping Legendary pushed it past its limit. Suicune emerged with a furious but triumphant roar. He almost ran me over. Thankfully, he realized I was there and stopped short.
He huffed angrily. "Who are you?"
Be diplomatic. "Splash, Great Suicune. I'm with the Great Raikou." I kept my gaze down.
He calmed down a bit at the mention of Raikou's name. "Oh?"
I nodded, moving my eyes up a bit. "Yes, sir. He's outside with one of my clanmates as we speak."
The Aurora Pokemon looked down at me, right in the eye. He looked worried, but calm and serious. "Then there isn't much time. Free Entei."
I gave Inferno a look. He turned around with a tiny yelp, then torched the trap with Flamethrower. As before, it didn't take much before Entei exploded out of the trap in a fiery inferno. Unlike Suicune, however, Entei didn't stop before barreling out of the cage, missing Inferno by inches. In a blur of motion, Suicune leaped over me and the melted bars, ran in front of Entei, and slammed him in the shoulder. The two stumbled for a bit before regaining their footing and staring each other down.
Entei growled. "What?"
Suicune narrowed his eyes back. "Just because I couldn't see what was happening doesn't mean I don't know what happened. Do you want to draw more attention?" He was perfectly calm but dead serious.
Entei relaxed slightly. "...Fine. Who are they?"
Suicune looked at me, clearly comfortable with having me around. It felt good. "This is Splash. She's with me. The others are with her."
Entei did not look impressed, but he seemed like he would tolerate us for now. "...Fine. And Raikou?"
"Outside with another Eevee," Suicune responded easily.
Inferno stepped toward the pair. "Yeah, um... maybe we should get out of here? You know, get away before my best friend gets captured?" I gave him a silencing look. He ignored it.
Suicune gave him a stern look as well, but lead off of him anyway. "He has a point. We should go."
I did a quick head count. "Surf, Inferno, Bolt, Espeon, Umbreon, Snow, Clover... Raikou, Entei, and Suicune." Yep. All present. In fact, Raikou, Entei, Suicune, Bolt, Surf, and Inferno were talking closely. Suicune stood up to his full height and beckoned to me.
Upon running over to them, Suicune bent down again to accommodate my height. "We decided to give you four a thank-you gift of sorts."
Bolt and Inferno were bouncing with excitement. "Great Raikou and Entei switched our moves!" Bolt exclaimed.
"Yeah!" Inferno finished. "Now I know Discharge and Bolt can use Lava Plume! Totally useful in a double battle!"
Bolt continued. "Yeah! Like you and Surf using Surf together to heal each other!"
"Neat!" I smiled back. It was true, that would be useful.
Surf trotted up to me. "Great Suicune gave me a new move as well. He said he'd never be able to use it, so..."
"What is it?" I asked curiously.
"Dive. The Great Suicune can walk on water, so I'd imagine it would be a bit difficult to swim underwater."
Suicune turned towards us. "Indeed. But, for you, Splash..." Surf looked at the Legendary, took his cue, and padded over to Bolt and Inferno.
Inferno piped up as he approached. "What'd you get rid of?"
"Hydro Pump. It misses most of the time anyway."
"Oh..."
Suicune watched Surf for a moment before continuing. "For you, I have something better than moves to use in battle." He paused for a moment, and I leaned forward a bit, curious and eager. "...First off, know that us three will come whenever you need us. You saved us. We'll be at your side when you're in danger as well."
"Thank you," I said gratefully.
"But... I wanted to give you luck."
"Luck?" I asked in confusion.
"Yes. I can tell you have small Eevees on your mind at times..." How did he know? "So I'll give you luck with a future generation. With all of your Clan."
I was at a loss for words. Could they even do that? Apparently so. But even so, how did this work? Did it-
"Don't think too hard," Suicune said with a sly smile. "And just some advice?"
I was at a loss for words once again.
"Solve this dispute between Bolt and Umbreon." With that, all 3 raced off, Entei without a backward glance, Raikou with a grin and a wink aimed at Bolt, and Suicune with a gleam in his deep blue eyes as he looked at me.
...What just happened?
~oOo~
AC- Sorry for posting later than usual! I had an essay that needed to get done (ugh). According to the author's comment on the original post, I was writing on a lack of sleep, which explains the multitude of simple sentences... Sorry about that.
Chapter 3: Tension Builds, Part 1
- Location
- Florida
I woke up rather slowly, blinking a few times at the sunlight filtering into my den. A smile crossed my face as I recalled who shared my dream.
Suicune had been visiting me for the last two weeks in my sleep. Ever since our daring rescue of the Legendary Trio, Suicune and I had gotten very friendly. We talked at night, discussing what we've been doing lately, antics of our comrades and friends, and stories of our past adventures. As expected, Suicune had much more to say on the last topic. Generally much more interesting, too. But the most frustrating part about my recurring dreams was that Suicune continued to dance around the meaning of his "parting gift" to me.
His last words to me tonight were "Bolt and Umbreon will be starting up their fight again soon." Might want to take care of that first.
I rolled on my back, stretched out my legs and tail, then stood up and shook off, scattering dirt and water droplets. The sun warmed my fins.
Right on cue, Bolt's yelling cut through the air. "I DON'T KNOW, UMBREON! I JUST... DON'T KNOW!"
Aaaaaand time to intervene.
I hopped out of my den, trotted up to the warring males, and thrust myself between them. "What is going on here!?"
Umbreon looked just as confused and lost as I did. "I don't know! Bolt just snapped at me! We were just talking!"
I faced the other Eevee. "And you, Bolt?"
Bolt's aggression suddenly drained. He looked down at the ground, ashamed. "I... need to talk with you, Splash."
I loosened up a bit. "What's wrong?"
"Remember when I told you I had a problem I couldn't fix? Before the whole Legendary thing?"
"Yes."
"I will tell you now. I really don't want to hate you, Umbreon," he said, looking over my back to the Dark Type.
Umbreon nodded, satisfied for the moment. I looked at Bolt. "Let's talk near the pond." He nodded glumly, but followed anyway. We walked over to the water's edge and sat down away from the bustle of the rest of the Clan. Surf was out hunting with Inferno, so they wouldn't bother us.
I looked seriously at Bolt. "This has been going on for a while. Tell me what's going on."
Bolt was still looking down, hesitating and pacing. "I... I just... I'm... Wow, it feels like we've done this before."
I nodded. "We have." This was getting out of paw. I was done with cushioning Bolt. He needed to say this on his own. Whether I was helping him get there or not.
Bolt stopped pacing and looked me straight in the eye. I saw fear, anger, jealousy, and... love. "I'm..." He turned away to look at Umbreon, who was walking back inside his log den, greeted with a loving rub on the cheek from his mate.
Everything clicked. "You're in love with Espeon."
Bolt visibly sagged. "Yes. And... that's why I've been so... touchy with Umbreon. I just see how perfect they are together and..."
I let out a slow breath. It was so obvious to me now. How could I not have seen it? The snippets of time snuck with Espeon when Umbreon wasn't around, the extra testosterone with Umbreon...
A thought struck me. "You know Espeon probably knows, right?"
Bolt looked up at me suddenly, alarm written all over his face. "Patrats! You're right! She'd see it before anyone!" He resumed pacing quickly, nervous sparks jumping off his fur. "Would she tell Umbreon? I mean, if she did already, Umbreon would be a lot angrier at me, right? But what if he gets it, so he wants to smooth things over? Then I would have been acting like a jerk for no reason. What if one of them told someone else? What if-"
"BOLT!" I yelled. He stopped suddenly and looked at me like a scolded kit. "Stop! Espeon would never ever tell a secret, no matter what!"
A look of shame crossed Bolt's face. "True..."
Silence settled over the two of us. "You know..." I said quietly, "You might want to talk to her about this."
Bolt looked terrified at this prospect. "What? No. Nonononononono." He resumed pacing. "I can't talk to her now."
I looked at him incredulously. "What, are you never going to talk to her again?"
He said "Yes, I will." His face said "No, I won't."
~Chief
Suicune had been visiting me for the last two weeks in my sleep. Ever since our daring rescue of the Legendary Trio, Suicune and I had gotten very friendly. We talked at night, discussing what we've been doing lately, antics of our comrades and friends, and stories of our past adventures. As expected, Suicune had much more to say on the last topic. Generally much more interesting, too. But the most frustrating part about my recurring dreams was that Suicune continued to dance around the meaning of his "parting gift" to me.
His last words to me tonight were "Bolt and Umbreon will be starting up their fight again soon." Might want to take care of that first.
I rolled on my back, stretched out my legs and tail, then stood up and shook off, scattering dirt and water droplets. The sun warmed my fins.
Right on cue, Bolt's yelling cut through the air. "I DON'T KNOW, UMBREON! I JUST... DON'T KNOW!"
Aaaaaand time to intervene.
I hopped out of my den, trotted up to the warring males, and thrust myself between them. "What is going on here!?"
Umbreon looked just as confused and lost as I did. "I don't know! Bolt just snapped at me! We were just talking!"
I faced the other Eevee. "And you, Bolt?"
Bolt's aggression suddenly drained. He looked down at the ground, ashamed. "I... need to talk with you, Splash."
I loosened up a bit. "What's wrong?"
"Remember when I told you I had a problem I couldn't fix? Before the whole Legendary thing?"
"Yes."
"I will tell you now. I really don't want to hate you, Umbreon," he said, looking over my back to the Dark Type.
Umbreon nodded, satisfied for the moment. I looked at Bolt. "Let's talk near the pond." He nodded glumly, but followed anyway. We walked over to the water's edge and sat down away from the bustle of the rest of the Clan. Surf was out hunting with Inferno, so they wouldn't bother us.
I looked seriously at Bolt. "This has been going on for a while. Tell me what's going on."
Bolt was still looking down, hesitating and pacing. "I... I just... I'm... Wow, it feels like we've done this before."
I nodded. "We have." This was getting out of paw. I was done with cushioning Bolt. He needed to say this on his own. Whether I was helping him get there or not.
Bolt stopped pacing and looked me straight in the eye. I saw fear, anger, jealousy, and... love. "I'm..." He turned away to look at Umbreon, who was walking back inside his log den, greeted with a loving rub on the cheek from his mate.
Everything clicked. "You're in love with Espeon."
Bolt visibly sagged. "Yes. And... that's why I've been so... touchy with Umbreon. I just see how perfect they are together and..."
I let out a slow breath. It was so obvious to me now. How could I not have seen it? The snippets of time snuck with Espeon when Umbreon wasn't around, the extra testosterone with Umbreon...
A thought struck me. "You know Espeon probably knows, right?"
Bolt looked up at me suddenly, alarm written all over his face. "Patrats! You're right! She'd see it before anyone!" He resumed pacing quickly, nervous sparks jumping off his fur. "Would she tell Umbreon? I mean, if she did already, Umbreon would be a lot angrier at me, right? But what if he gets it, so he wants to smooth things over? Then I would have been acting like a jerk for no reason. What if one of them told someone else? What if-"
"BOLT!" I yelled. He stopped suddenly and looked at me like a scolded kit. "Stop! Espeon would never ever tell a secret, no matter what!"
A look of shame crossed Bolt's face. "True..."
Silence settled over the two of us. "You know..." I said quietly, "You might want to talk to her about this."
Bolt looked terrified at this prospect. "What? No. Nonononononono." He resumed pacing. "I can't talk to her now."
I looked at him incredulously. "What, are you never going to talk to her again?"
He said "Yes, I will." His face said "No, I won't."
~oOo~
AC- That was... Shorter than I remember. I guess I really took a while to find my stride... Oh well. Now that cute stuff and action has been written, it's time for some relationship drama! It's more of a diversion and time passing, but it is important for Bolt's character development. Sorry, but you'll have to put up with it for three weeks.
~Chief
Chapter 3: Tension Builds, Part 2
- Location
- Florida
I stood up and took a step towards Bolt. "If anyone can help you with this problem, it's her! This puts me in a really awkward position."
Bolt looked away. "I know. I was just hoping you could... give me some advice? Or something?
"I..." I stuttered. What was I supposed to say? "I... really think you should talk to Espeon."
Bolt still looked horrified. "Nuh-uh! No way!" He went on stoutly refusing the idea as Espeon quietly padded up behind him. Oh Arceus. "I don't know if I can ever talk to anyone else about this!"
Espeon sat down behind the hyperactive Jolteon. "Of course you can, Bolt. We'll help you."
Bolt nearly had a heart attack.
I flicked my fins. Why was Espeon here!?
Reading my mind, Espeon responded. "I know this is a bad time, Splash. I need to speak to you in private."
What, was it Make Splash Feel Uncomfortable Day?
Espeon shook her head. I leaned away a bit without thinking. "Please stop."
Espeon nodded. "Sorry. But this is urgent."
Bolt finally regained his speaking ability. "Go. I'll... do something."
Espeon inclined her head towards her den. I shrugged. She got up and quietly walked over to the log and ducked inside, so I had no choice but to follow. Umbreon gave me a nod as we passed, him walking towards the prey hole. As I slipped into the cozy log den, Espeon sat down in front of her bed.
"What's so important?"
Espeon gave me an apologetic look. "I'm sorry that I cut in with Bolt. If it helps at all... but I don't think it will... Bolt will just have to find someone else."
I was rather shocked. Espeon had never been so blunt before. "Either you're so blindly in love with Umbreon, you'll risk seriously hurting your friend's feelings, to put it extremely lightly, or something happened."
Espeon nodded. "I have not told anyone what I'm about to tell you. Not even Umbreon because of everything happening with Bolt..." I leaned in towards her, officially curious.
The beautiful Psychic Type hesitated before finally continuing. "Splash..."
"Yes?"
"I'm pregnant."
I almost fell over. Espeon had to catch me before I hit the ground. She laughed quietly as she helped me stand back up. "Easy there!" she chuckled.
Words had abandoned me. I could only stammer and stare. Espeon purred in amusement as I struggled to find words. Eventually, I found one.
"...What...?"
"I know. It's a lot to take in." she purred.
"...What?"
"I wasn't positive until today."
"What?"
"It's kind of exciting and scary at the same time."
"What?"
"I know! I can't believe I'll have kits of my own!"
"What?"
"Is that all you can say, Splash?"
"...No?"
"You don't sound too sure."
"I'm not."
She laughed again. "I know it's a lot to take in, but I think we'll all be happy about it. Even Bolt."
Bolt's predicament came back to me in a rush. Espeon's future kits meant that she would be with Umbreon 24/7. Bolt now had no shot at Espeon; not even the slightest chance. His odds were low to begin with, seeing how perfect the Sun and Moon Pokemon were, but now it was impossible.
I shook my head sadly. "Maybe he'll be happy once you actually have kits, but for now? How are we going to tell him? It'll break his heart."
Espeon nodded, her joyous aura faltering. "True... But what are we supposed to do? Not tell the rest of the clan?"
"No," I said with frustration. "You said you already told Umbreon, which I would hope you would do before telling me, but I don't know about anyone else. Clover and Snow tell each other everything. At some point, someone else will hear about it, that someone will probably be Inferno, Inferno will blow it out of proportion and, without a doubt, tell Bolt!"
Espeon shook her head. "I don't know, Splash. I just don't know."
Bolt looked away. "I know. I was just hoping you could... give me some advice? Or something?
"I..." I stuttered. What was I supposed to say? "I... really think you should talk to Espeon."
Bolt still looked horrified. "Nuh-uh! No way!" He went on stoutly refusing the idea as Espeon quietly padded up behind him. Oh Arceus. "I don't know if I can ever talk to anyone else about this!"
Espeon sat down behind the hyperactive Jolteon. "Of course you can, Bolt. We'll help you."
Bolt nearly had a heart attack.
I flicked my fins. Why was Espeon here!?
Reading my mind, Espeon responded. "I know this is a bad time, Splash. I need to speak to you in private."
What, was it Make Splash Feel Uncomfortable Day?
Espeon shook her head. I leaned away a bit without thinking. "Please stop."
Espeon nodded. "Sorry. But this is urgent."
Bolt finally regained his speaking ability. "Go. I'll... do something."
Espeon inclined her head towards her den. I shrugged. She got up and quietly walked over to the log and ducked inside, so I had no choice but to follow. Umbreon gave me a nod as we passed, him walking towards the prey hole. As I slipped into the cozy log den, Espeon sat down in front of her bed.
"What's so important?"
Espeon gave me an apologetic look. "I'm sorry that I cut in with Bolt. If it helps at all... but I don't think it will... Bolt will just have to find someone else."
I was rather shocked. Espeon had never been so blunt before. "Either you're so blindly in love with Umbreon, you'll risk seriously hurting your friend's feelings, to put it extremely lightly, or something happened."
Espeon nodded. "I have not told anyone what I'm about to tell you. Not even Umbreon because of everything happening with Bolt..." I leaned in towards her, officially curious.
The beautiful Psychic Type hesitated before finally continuing. "Splash..."
"Yes?"
"I'm pregnant."
I almost fell over. Espeon had to catch me before I hit the ground. She laughed quietly as she helped me stand back up. "Easy there!" she chuckled.
Words had abandoned me. I could only stammer and stare. Espeon purred in amusement as I struggled to find words. Eventually, I found one.
"...What...?"
"I know. It's a lot to take in." she purred.
"...What?"
"I wasn't positive until today."
"What?"
"It's kind of exciting and scary at the same time."
"What?"
"I know! I can't believe I'll have kits of my own!"
"What?"
"Is that all you can say, Splash?"
"...No?"
"You don't sound too sure."
"I'm not."
She laughed again. "I know it's a lot to take in, but I think we'll all be happy about it. Even Bolt."
Bolt's predicament came back to me in a rush. Espeon's future kits meant that she would be with Umbreon 24/7. Bolt now had no shot at Espeon; not even the slightest chance. His odds were low to begin with, seeing how perfect the Sun and Moon Pokemon were, but now it was impossible.
I shook my head sadly. "Maybe he'll be happy once you actually have kits, but for now? How are we going to tell him? It'll break his heart."
Espeon nodded, her joyous aura faltering. "True... But what are we supposed to do? Not tell the rest of the clan?"
"No," I said with frustration. "You said you already told Umbreon, which I would hope you would do before telling me, but I don't know about anyone else. Clover and Snow tell each other everything. At some point, someone else will hear about it, that someone will probably be Inferno, Inferno will blow it out of proportion and, without a doubt, tell Bolt!"
Espeon shook her head. "I don't know, Splash. I just don't know."
~oOo~
AC- ...It's a little better? It's not a five-minute read like the last post... I'm really sorry about the poor quality. I know it does pick up soon, though. At the very least, we have future kits, so look forward to cute stuff!