Fiery love: Melting a cold heart.
Prologue
It's been said that love, when strong enough, can be frightening, almost overpowering… But it can be the most wonderful thing in the world.
Anyway, my story starts in the forest of Everglade, far from any humans. It is here that Pokémon run free, unafraid of being caught and forced to fight. But never has my kind stepped foot in the sacred valley that overlooked the ocean. I was an eevee at the time, young and shy. I wondered through the ocean, hoping against hope that I'd evolve into a vaporeon like my mother. She had died saving me from an ursaring. I was alone, looking for a purpose. Mother always told me, "Fae, you will feel there are times when you are lost. When that happens, find a purpose. Find your light." I was determined to do just that. That's why I started my journey, walking aimlessly into the wild, becoming stronger. It had only been a year since the incident that left me on my own, and yet I still found nothing but emptiness.
But I digress.
I had swum many miles, seeking help from the friendlier Pokémon of the sea. I washed upon the beach, struggling to stand. It had been too long since I had walked on solid ground. I coughed, cold and wet. I looked around, but saw no one. To my dismay, there didn't appear to be a single Pokémon in sight. I hefted my tired body towards the shade of the trees, laying down and drifting to a much needed slumber. It was many hours before I was awoken by a soft purring sound. I opened my eyes to see a purrloin, circling me. Its eyes, where I expected to see malice, were filled with a strange curiosity.
"Hmm… good morning, sleepy," Said the cat. The way she formed her words made me keep cautious.
"Morning?" I said. "How long was I asleep?"
"I don't know, I found you here… you smell like fish… but you don't look like fish. What are you?"
I was taken aback by the question. Surly this Pokémon had seen an eevee before.
"I'm an eevee…" I said, standing. We were roughly the same size. She smiled deviously.
"We don't have those here. You're not supposed to be on this island. So, no one would miss you if you were gone, right?" She licked her lips. It clicked in my mind. She thought I was lunch.
"Stay away from me, I don't want any trouble." I stepped back, preparing to run.
"Of course you don't. So just stand still, and this will be over quick." She lunged. I screamed and shut my eyes tight. When nothing happened, I opened my eyes. The purrloin sat, licking her paw. I sat, my lip quivering as she began to laugh.
"Oh, wow! You should have seen your face!" She fell on her back, laughing loudly. I heard a rustling in the bushes and a liepard stepped out, looking critically at me then to the purrloin.
"May, what have I told you about tricking Pokemon?"
The purrloin, who was apparently named May, sat up and pouted.
"If you trick someone, follow through with it and laugh later. It's best to leave the victim in fright. Sorry, Mother…"
I stared at her, awestruck that this was a lesson actually taught to her. The mother sighed and looked at me.
"Sorry, little one. My daughter is quite the prankster." She cocked her head, looking me up and down. It was then that I realized I was still stiff with fear. I sat down and let my ears droop.
"You are quite rare, aren't you?" she asked. I shrugged.
"I didn't think so," I replied.
"I've only seen one other Pokémon like you," May said, cleaning her ears.
"Come, May. Your father will be worried if I'm gone too long." Her mother picked her up in her mouth, biting the scruff on her neck. She began to walk away. May waved a paw at me, smiling.
"You're fun, I hope we can meet again!" she said, disappearing into the brush. I sat, confused at the situation. My brain decided to register the fact that there was another eevee on the island. This would be interesting, to say the least.
Chapter 1
For the remainder of that day, I wondered, looking, searching for anyone. The only Pokemon I found eyed me warily, driving me off with their hateful stares. But at last, one Pokemon looked upon me with innocent curiosity. An absol with gleaming red eyes and flawless fur approached me as I sat weeping in a pond. It sat next to me, looking down at the water as well, saying nothing for a long time. I sat in silence, wondering what it wanted. At the time, I had no idea what this creature was, and therefor assumed it was hungry, but cautious, as I seemed to be a rare species on this island. It cleared its throat and, in a deep and rough voice that seemed to defy its graceful appearance, spoke.
"Child, why do you cry?" He asked. I looked up, gazing into the wonderful eyes of the absol. Without thinking, I answered.
"I'm alone... I came to this island to find help, to get stronger. But so far I've only been tricked and avoided." I began to sob again. The absol looked down at me with such a strong gaze that it made me want to lie down and submit to his every will. But before I did, he pushed me in the water, the freezing cold seeping into my body. I yelped and splashed about, trying to swim back to solid ground. Once I did, I shook my fur out and eyed him with malice.
"What was that for?" I asked, fighting back another sob. He only sat, looking at me with an expressionless face. This seemed to hurt my feelings more than if he would have laughed.
"Child, you said yourself that you wished to be stronger. How will you achieve that if your spirit is broken by every misfortune that befalls you?" His strong gaze held me in place. I opened my mouth to speak, but when nothing came out I closed it again. He stood.
"You will never be strong until you stop being weak. You will lose and fail time and time again, but if you are weak, you will have no chance at victory." I pouted, feeling like a baby eevee again, being scolded by my mother.
"Follow," he said, turning. I did as he said, trailing behind him. His tail remained stiff, and it was devoid of fur. His skin was a smooth, dusty blue. It was strange to see a creature with no fur on its face or tail. But, somehow, it didn't seem wrong.
"What... what are you?" I asked. The question was serious, but he laughed.
"What am I? I'm an Absol. The only one on this island, as far as I know." I tried to match his strides, but kept falling behind. He towered over me. I could have easily walked beneath him without bumping into his legs. This made me feel safer, for some reason.
"I came here many years ago, looking for a home. Here, there are no trainers, and as long as you know what you're doing, there is no threat." I couldn't help but gawk at his voice, so deep and masculine.
'Come on, It's not like I have a crush on him or anything,' I thought, chastising myself. I quickened my pace to keep up.
"There... There are no trainers? No humans?" my voice was unusually wistful. The Absol nodded.
"Indeed. This island is free from human interference." He kept walking, eyes forward. I began to wonder where he was taking me. We walked in silence for a while, and in this time, I noticed the slight limp in his strides.
"Is... Is your leg okay?" I asked, fearing he may be hurt. He simply chuckled, looking back at me with a smile.
"Yes, little one. I am old, and my bones don't hold up as well as they once did. But, don't think me an old timer, I'd like to think myself a worthy opponent, should anyone be foolish enough to challenge me." We arrived at a cliff, blocking off our path. He kept going, approaching the solid stone.
"Come, this is my home. We will talk more inside," He said. I gave a confused look.
"Your home? You live here in the clearing?" I asked. It didn't seem very smart to doze off in the open.
"Of course not! I live in here." The Absol walked into the wall of stone. Literally. His body passed through the moss and vine covered cliff wall, disappearing into the foliage. Bewildered, I followed. Pushing back the moss, I realized that there was a large hole, a cave, in the rock. We walked inside, and I felt cooler. Somewhere in the back, a draft was coming through. There wasn't much in the cave worth noting, a few large boulders seemed rearranged to designate rooms and give privacy. Most likely, I thought, it was where he slept. He sat down on the cool stone floor with his back to me. I came to sit at his side and looked up to his face. The gentle breeze made his fur blow gently.
"Young one," he began. "You said you wished to be strong." I nodded in response. He turned his head to me. "If that is truly your desire, you must be willing to put in the effort to do so. Strength and power do not come to those who wait. You have to be willing to fight. You have to be willing to accept defeat, and learn from it. Do you understand?"
I nodded once more, amazed by the power in his voice.
"I will teach you then. No longer will you be weak. I will help you reach your goals."
"But… why?" I was confused, yet greatly thankful. He did not answer for some time, but instead stared ahead into the darkness that was the back of his home. At last, he turned to me with a soft smile.
"Because, child. I too was once a child. And I too was once weak."