My eyes had watched the rain blow vigorously outside the window. Clock was supposed to be back by now with Mago Berries for my birthday.

I was starting to get worried. Clock was a Vaporeon, so the water shouldn't have phased him. Maybe, there was something- or someone else he had ran into. Maybe, he wasn't coming back.

"Are you alright, Venus?" My head turned from the window to see a Meinshao with a neatly tied bow on it's tail. It was Key. "I'm alright," I started. "Do you know when Clock is supposed to be back?" Key looked at me inquisitivley. "Are you that worried about him, dear?"

I looked away, embarassed. "I just want to know when I'll get my birthday gifts." Key smiled warmly "Oh, I should have known. You are a Zorua, after all."

I hated it when people said that. That I act the way I do because I'm a Zorua. I tried to talk to Key about it, to get the others in the sanctuary to stop as well, but she always said I was lucky that she didn't leave me where she found me because I was a Zorua.

It wasn't fair. I never asked to be a Zorua. I never asked to be stereotyped. One day, I'm going to change that. I'm going to make everyone see that I was more than just a mischievous and haughty stereotype.

There was a sudden knock at the door. A spark of hope ignited in me, and I raced up the short step to get to the door. Clock had walked in quickly, slipperey and wet from the rain and with a basket around his neck.

"Clock!" I exclaimed. I put my head on his cheeck to welcome him back. "Hey Venus! Happy birthday!" Clock set down the basket and shook of the water on him. "I got you the berries you asked for, and a little something extra."

I moved around the surplus of Mago berries, trying to find the suprise that Clock had put in the basket. I gasped. At the bottom was a red bandana with what looked like a "" on it.

"Thanks a million!" I quickly grabbed the scarf and asked Key to help me put it on. "It's no problem," Clock chuckled. "I just wanted to get you something nice."

"I'll go ask the Pansear if they'll help us cook the berries." Key waddled off with the basket, leaving Clock and me behind. I turned to the charming Vaporeon who I had known my entire life.

"I can't believe you're growing up on me." Clock said jokingly. "Well, I couldn't stay an egg forever!" We both chuckled.

Clock was like my dad. When Key had to help other Pokémon far away, Clock was the one who took care of me.

Key was like my mother, but I was much closer with Clock than I was Key. Though, I will always love them the same way.

A bell rung. Clock sighed. "Sorry, kid. I need to go back out again, and I might not be back to eat with you all. And by the sound of that bell, I might not be back for a long time." My heart sank. I wanted Clock to be with me for this birthday. Me and Key didn't tell him, but this birthday was going to be my evolution ceremony.

"Do you really have to go now?" I was holding my breath for him to answer. He sighed again. "I'm sorry, Venus, but I have to go on this one."

"I promise I'll come see you first when I get back." I looked to him, holding back my sadness from overflowing. "Do you swear? Even if Arceus tries to stop you?" Clock chuckled. "If I had to battle Arceus to see you again, I'd definitely make sure it wouldn't win."

I smiled genuinly, but I was still worried. One time when Clock had went out for a misson, he came back seriously injured and it took him months to recover. Sometimes, I have nightmares of what he could have gone through.

"I got to go now, Venus." Clock smiled at me. "I'll be back. I promise." Clock had walked out the door before I could say goodbye. I quickly dashed outside in the rain.

"Clock!!" I yelled across the front yard. He turned around. "I promise we will see eachother again some time!!" Clock had smiled from his heart. He than resumed walking away from the house. I watched his scarf flap in the wind until I couldn't see him through the mist. I couldn't even tell if I was crying, or rain was just dripping off my face.

I walked into the dining room to see dozens of pokemon sitting around the long table. A seat made from elegant stones sat open infront of Mago berries and a single rare candy. Key gestured me over to the seat.

I took a deep breath as I sat down in the seat. Assortments of very different Pokémon were all staring at me, waiting for what I was going to do once I evolved. Luckily, Key had started a speech.

"A long time ago on this very day, I had gone walking with Clock on a very important misson." Everyone's eyes were stuck on Key. "We had found an egg inside of Mt. Nyght's volcano, and we were lucky enough to save it in time."

Key held up a broken egg shell peice with a star on the side. "This star is what caught our eyes in the first place. Withought it being there, we would have never saw the egg." Key pointed to my left flank, where I had a birth mark. "And she still keeps the symbol today."

"We don't know why the egg was there, but we believe it was because her mother had nothing to do with her own egg." The room had let out noises of pity. I had already gotten used to it before.

"The day that Venus was hatched, the morning star had shone brightly for all of us to see." Key smiled, most likely reminiscing of what happened. "Therfore, naming her Venus."

The Pokémon cheered. The speech was over. "Now, we are ready to see our morning star evolve into her final form!" Key looked at me, nodding to tell me I was ready to eat the candy.

I felt really nervous, and I held my breath. Slowly, I had reached down and began to pick up the candy in my mouth. The other Pokémon began to chant something incoherent. I swallowed the candy.

I saw the light enveloping around me shine off the walls. My muscles began to stretch and I felt my bones reshape. It wasn't painful, but it wasn't painless either.

The process was shorter than I thought it would be. I opened my eyes that I had closed out of habit to see the other Pokémon staring at my new form. Most of them seemed intimidated, and I felt like it was from my new towering height and stronger appearance.

"Venus has now became a Zoroark!!" Everyone began cheering after Key stated what had happened. "Now, we can all eat!" Everyone began chowing down on the Mago berries.

I felt happy that everyone was celebrating my new form, but it didn't feel like anyone welcomed it. All of them still seem scared of the fact I was a Zoroark, and I disliked it. I wish they'd understand that I was just like them.

I was laying down on my bed, trying to sleep, but I was restless. Clock was on my mind. I really wish he could have seen me become a Zoroark. He was the only one who wouldn't be afraid of it.

I hated the stereotypes with a passion. They made no sense. Why did they even exist in the first place? When did a Zorua or Zoroark ever hurt anyone because they were solely fueled by evil intentions?

I stared straight through the window. The moon was full. I hoped that Clock had found a nice place to sleep, maybe even better than the modest hay beds that we had here.

Tommorow I was going to go out and explore this place. All I had ever known was the sanctuary and the yard around itm Nothing ever interesting happened here. And know that I've evolved, Key wouldn't stop me from leaving.

Yes, tomorrow. But I had to figure out how to fall asleep first. I sat and waited for what seem liked hours before I even started to feel drowsy. Thinking about falling asleep, it eventually came to me, and I was able to rest peacefully for the rest of the night.