Legend of the Golden Umbreon
The peaceful sun rose over Violet City that morning, welcoming the new day with its light. Falkner sat up in his bed, stretched his arms out with a big yawn, and got up to go downstairs and make breakfast.
As he descended the stairs, he noticed that his two companions were already awake and waiting for him. The first was his girlfriend Sakura Tachikawa, a dark-haired girl with pretty blue eyes. The second was Nika Ishihara, Sakura's lifelong friend. The girls had been staying at the Violet City gym for almost a week; the three of them had been taking a break from their Pokemon training.
"Morning, girls," Falkner greeted, brushing his hand through the clump of black hair in front of his right eye.
"Mornin', Falkner," Nika yawned. Sakura jumped up and ran to him, tightly embracing his shoulders. She kissed his cheek and said, "Good morning, Fal!"
"Sakura," he sighed. She was so cute sometimes.
"Come see!" Sakura cried, jumping from his shoulders. She ran to the table; sitting there was a huge dish of bacon and toast waiting to be eaten.
"Hey, is this all for me?" Falkner asked, taking a seat between the two girls.
"No, stupid, it's for all of us," Nika laughed. "Sakura made the bacon, and I made the toast."
"Don't know why she made so much, though," Sakura said. Immediately, she stood up on her chair and broke into song, "Toast tastes so baaaaad…."
"Oh, put a sock in it," Nika joked. Unfortunately, Sakura took it seriously; she sat in her chair, bent her leg at an unusual angle and bit her foot.
"Oww," she laughed.
Falkner sighed… before the girls had come into his life, he had been a wreck. Slowly failing as a gym leader, he found himself outside the gym more often than he was there. The place was a mess, and he was continuously getting in trouble for missing challengers that came to battle him. Plus, almost every one of his friends had abandoned him for one reason: his eye. A Beedrill attack had left him with one eye, and he was stuck wearing a glass eye on his right side for the rest of his life. Nobody had ever really understood it, and all of his friends and girlfriends before had been scared away.
Then, he met Sakura and Nika. Sakura had come first, and it had been love at first sight for both of them. One day, he had accidentally brushed back his hair; seeing the astonished look on Sakura's face told him so. But she didn't care… she saw right through the handicap and stayed in love with him. Then, when Sakura introduced her best friend Nika to him, she accidentally let his secret slip out. It turned out Nika had a family member like that, and she felt very sorry for him. Immediately then, Nika became his best friend for life. Now he was extremely satisfied with his life… he laughed every time the girls had catfights, he comforted them when their Pokemon got hurt, and they all relied on each other. Life was perfect.
Nika finished her last bite of toast, and started to clear up her dishes. "I'm gonna run to the Poke Mart," she announced. "They finally have a copy of the Chikorita movie we've been dying to see, and I'm gonna rent it for tonight!"
"All right!" Falkner cheered.
"Get donuts, and Dayquil!" Sakura recommended.
"Why Dayquil? You're not sick," Nika said.
"I know. But it makes me hyper!" Sakura informed them.
"I think you'd better skip the Dayquil," Falkner suggested. "She might hurt herself bouncing off the walls… remember last time?"
"Oh yeah," Nika said, thinking back to the time Sakura had supposedly "fallen off the floor". (She had hit a wall, and that was her story when they found her.)
"Aww… but Faaaal…" she whined, staring at him with sad puppy eyes.
"I'll buy your Dayquil," Nika said. Sakura beamed, and Falkner laughed silently to himself. Great.. they would be trying to watch a movie with Sakura on Dayquil… it was bound to be an interesting evening.
Nika skipped excitedly down the road to 7-11 (yes, 7-11 rents out movies now). She had been dying to see 'Chikorita's Garden Adventure' for the longest time, and she was finally able to rent it out! Overflowing with excitement, she broke into a run… and almost tripped over the figure on the ground as she turned a corner.
"I'm sorry," she remarked, "but I don't think you should be sleeping out in the open like that…" She turned around, and to her horror the man lying there was not simply sleeping. There was a huge gash on his chest, and his forehead was bleeding as well. He was either unconscious, or dead.
"Oh no," she exclaimed, kneeling down beside the guy. "Are you alright? Wake up!" she pleaded. But despite her feeble attempts, his breathing remained labored, and his eyes stayed shut.
I've got to get Falkner, she immediately thought. She took a Pokeball from her belt, and tossed it gently to the ground beside her. "Come on out, Persian," she whispered. A cream-colored cat came out of the red and white ball, and it meowed loudly at the sight of the injured teenager. "Please, Persian, go back to Violet Gym and get Falkner and Sakura," she requested.
"Meroww," it responded, turning and running in the direction Nika had come. Meanwhile, Nika stayed by his side, unsure what to do. "Please hang on a little longer," she begged, even though she knew he couldn't hear her.
"Meeeow!!" Persian screeched as it ran into the kitchen. Falkner and Sakura were still eating.
"What is it, Persian?" Sakura asked, who immediately recognized it as Nika's. Persian explained Nika's situation, and Falkner instantly rushed to the door.
"Come on, Sakura. Let's go," he said.
When they arrived on the scene, Nika was kneeling over the blue- haired boy, nearly in tears. "Nika, move," Falkner told her. He ran up to the boy and took out one of his own Pokeballs. "Pidgeot, carry this guy back to the gym," he called, throwing the sphere into the air. A large white bird came out, scooping the mysterious boy onto its back. Falkner, Sakura and Nika followed closely behind, watching Pidgeot fly to Violet Gym.
James blinked open his eyes slowly, and the first thought that went through his head was, Where am I? He tried to sit up, but when he did it felt like something was pulling his chest apart… he looked down to see the newly cleaned cut.
"What the…" he whispered. He hadn't remembered getting an injury like this. James slowly ran his finger along the cut, checking how deep it was. It was at least half an inch down; almost like a claw mark. James winced, and looked around again to try to figure out where he was. No matter how hard he tried, however, he couldn't recognize the room.
"You're awake," said another voice from the other end of the room. A boy walked toward him; his face was completely shielded with the shadows of the room. Then, as he got closer, James realized it wasn't shadows… it was his long, black hair that hung over the right side of his face.
"I remember you," James forced himself to say. It hurt him so much to speak. "You're the boy who took Pikachu from Jessie and I a long time ago…"
"I thought I recognized your face," he said. "But there is no time for differences now. You need to be taken care of."
"You… I never got your name," James whispered; he could not force out enough air to speak anymore.
"Falkner," he said. "Violet Pokemon Gym's leader. Now, you get some more rest, alright?"
"All…. right," James stammered, relaxing on the cloud-like pillow that had been placed under his pounding head. In an instant he was asleep.
His eyes blinked open, and he was in an unfamiliar place. I should have known he would be found, he thought to himself, staring up at the dark ceiling. Ahhh… soothing darkness, he sighed in his head. Now… could she be here?
There were voices in another room. He turned his head, and snapped back as the pain in his chest shot through his entire body. He looked down at the marking he had branded, and smiled, listening attentively to the other people.
"Did he look okay?" asked a female voice.
"He was awake temporarily, but he couldn't really speak," said the unmistakable tone of a male. "He blacked out again right away."
"Oh, I feel so sorry for him," said a second girl. "I wonder what could have done this to him?"
I'll show you, he thought, standing up from the couch. The cut stung at his chest, but he didn't care. "Maybe you can be my Espeon," he whispered, advancing toward the room.
"I'm worried," Nika cried. "Maybe I should go and check on him."
"Let him sleep," Falkner said. "He's probably really worn out. I looked at his cut, and it looks like the mark of a Pokemon. I'm guessing somebody else attacked him with their Pokemon."
"That's terrible," Sakura sighed. "I would never use a Pokemon to attack another human. It's unfair."
"I saw him so long ago," Falkner thought aloud. "But I just can't seem to remember his name…"
"Hey, you're awake!" Nika said suddenly. Falkner and Sakura turned around to see James walking toward the three of them with a strange glare in his eye. He didn't look bothered at all by the cut.
"Hey, go back to sleep," Falkner instructed. "You need more rest than that." James simply grunted, and pushed his way past Falkner. He was heading straight for the girls. "Hey!" Falkner exclaimed.
"Umm… are you okay?" Sakura asked, staring into his eyes. He turned away from her, but not before she noticed that something was wrong… James ignored her, and went straight for Nika.
Nika screamed as James took hold of her shoulders. "My Espeon…" he hissed, staring deeply into her eyes. She tried to look away, but she couldn't even blink. His gaze paralyzed her; a golden light shone from his eyes to hers. Then, as she felt herself slipping into darkness, James's grip on her arms loosened, and he fell to the ground. Nika was shaking uncontrollably; she sat down and curled up into a ball, ready to cry.
"What… happened?" James stammered, slowly opening one eye. He grasped his chest and straightened himself out on the floor. "How did I get here?"
"You just attacked Nika, that's how," Falkner said angrily. "And to think she helped you…"
"I didn't attack anyone!" James cried. "I was just sleeping! I don't even know how I got out here!"
"I believe him," Sakura said. She walked upstairs, disappearing for a few minutes, and came back down with a large, leather-covered book. "When I looked at him, I noticed a strange golden tint to his eyes. I think I might know exactly what is going on here." Falkner, Nika and James all crowded around as she set the book down on the table; the title read "Ancient Pokemon Legends."
"What is this?" Falkner said skeptically as Sakura flipped the pages. Finally, she stopped and pointed to the subtitle on one page: "The Legend of the Golden Umbreon."
"The Golden Umbreon is a spirit of an ancient Pokemon," Sakura read. "Umbreon was believed by some experts to be the first Eevee evolution, born of darkness. But for years, people stopped training Eevees to evolve into Umbreons, because many people believe them to be evil. That's why they weren't around a few years ago."
"The legend says that a golden Umbreon fell in love with an Espeon princess," Sakura continued. "But the Umbreon was killed when he tried to confess his love to her, because he was so much lower-classed than she. Whatever that means. Anyway, it says here that the spirit of the Umbreon has come back, and it is searching for his long-lost love, Espeon."
"He called me Espeon," Nika whimpered. James was silent.
"Sakura, this is a fictional story," Falkner said. "There's no way that some gold Umbreon is inside this guy."
Sakura read on, "The Umbreon spirit enters the bodies of young men, making it easier for him to manipulate females. If a girl falls under the spell of the Umbreon, they will both slowly transform into Pokemon. At midnight of that day, the transformation will be completed, and both the Espeon and Umbreon will fade away to live together in peace."
"I don't wanna disappear!" Nika cried, curling herself tighter.
"I'm scared!" James whined, clutching his wound.
"Don't worry, you two," Falkner said. "It's only a story. You, go get some more rest. We'll take you to the hospital in the morning."
"'Kay," James sighed.
"As for the rest of us, we should all get some sleep too," Falkner suggested. He helped Nika to her feet, and gave Sakura a kiss. "We'll figure this out in the morning."
"Night, Fal," Sakura said, her cheeks softly blushing.
"Yeah, good night," Nika said.
"Oh, one more thing," Falkner said as he walked up the stairs. "What's your name?"
"James," he said softly. "James Morgan."
"Okay, now I know what to call you," he said. "Have a good sleep."
At exactly 11:00 that night, James's eyes opened on their own. He sat up and looked around, the golden light illuminating whatever he stared at. "Where… is she?" he asked himself, standing to his feet. "I must find…my Espeon…" He walked to the stairs, slowly ascending the flight of steps. His movements were swift and controlled, like those of a Pokemon. He entered the first room he came to, and saw a small figure sleeping in a bed with cloud-like pink sheets.
"Espeon?" he questioned, moving closer. She did not respond; she was sleeping deeply, clutching her pillow with a delighted look on her face. She was dreaming…
"Espeon," he repeated, drawing closer. He lay himself down next to her and slowly turned her around… her eyes blinked a few times, and then opened.
"EEEK!" Sakura screeched, and she tried to back away. But James grasped her shoulders, staring into her cerulean eyes. After a short pause, he spoke, "You are not Espeon."
A golden light surrounded Sakura's body, and she felt like she was frozen in time and space. Then, as swiftly as he had come, he was gone. Sakura felt paralyzed, and she couldn't breathe, let alone move. Finally, oxygen entered her lungs, and she greedily inhaled it. Then, as her muscles began to relax, the bedroom door entered again and Falkner ran to her side.
"What happened?" he asked her, lying at her side. "Are you okay?"
"James was here," Sakura gasped. "He said I'm not Espeon, and he…he did something to me… I was frozen…"
Falkner sighed angrily. "You know, I'm starting to believe in your Umbreon legend," he said, holding her close to him.
"I feel strange," Sakura said silently, resting her head on Falkner's arm. "I'm scared. I think that thing did something to me."
"Don't worry," Falkner said in a calming voice. He kissed her lightly, and said, "Everything will turn out fine. Now, get some more sleep."
"Okay," she said, turning over. But as she turned onto her back, she jumped up with a tiny gasp. "Oww, I sat on something," she said, sitting up. She looked, but all that was underneath her was her bedsheets. Sakura lay back down, and again she jumped up in surprise.
"What's going on here?" she said, annoyed. "Fal, can you get the light?"
"Sure," he replied, turning to the door and flicking on the light switch. He turned back to Sakura, and gasped in amazement. She screamed too, when she saw the fluffy brown tail growing out from behind her. "Look at yourself!" Falkner shouted, and Sakura ran to the mirror. She screamed again; two thin, brown ears had sprouted out of her head, and her eyes were flooded with black. Her hands and feet had also been warped into irregular paws.
"What happened?" she said, wiping tears from her darkened eyes. "What's happening to me?"
"Maybe you should take another look at that book," Falkner suggested. "I have no doubt in my mind that this Umbreon legend is coming true."
"Okay," Sakura sniffed, forcing herself not to cry. She sat on her bed and opened the book to the page with the legend printed on it. She read through the legend again and again, getting more frustrated each time. "There's nothing in here about turning into an Eevee!" she exclaimed. "The Umbreon must have powers that even these people don't know about! I'm gonna be an Eevee forever!!"
Sakura cried then, burying her face in Falkner's shoulder. He feebly tried to comfort her, but nothing he could say could stop the flow of tears. "Maybe there's a way to reverse the spell," he whispered in her ear. "Maybe if we can get Umbreon out of James's body, the whole thing will reverse."
"We could try," Sakura whimpered, brushing away the last of her tears. "Where is he?"
"That's what I was about to ask you," Falkner said. The two of them were caught in a moment of silence. "Nika's in trouble," Falkner said suddenly, jumping up from Sakura's bed. The two of them ran down the hallway to Nika's room, hoping they weren't too late.
Nika slept peacefully, dreaming about the blue-haired boy. In the dream, James wasn't cursed with the spirit of an evil Pokemon. He was completely himself, and he loved her… She sighed, and turned over in her sleep. "What a… perfect night," she whispered in her sleep. "James…"
Then, an evil hiss filled the room. Nika opened her eyes; they were immediately flooded with a golden light. She looked up to see James standing over her, smiling in an awkward way.
"What are you doing in here?" she asked, not even stopping to think about where the odd light was coming from.
"You are my Espeon," James whispered. It was then that Nika remembered the legend that Sakura had read, and she realized that it was not James standing over her at all… it was the gold Umbreon.
"Stay away!" she screamed, backing away and pulling the covers over her head. But he simply pulled them off, and placed his hand on her forehead. "Come with me now…"
Falkner and Sakura entered the room just as the brilliant light emitted from James's hand. They shielded their eyes, and as the light cleared they stared in amazement at their friends. James's face was not his own… his eyes were deep and emotionless. The golden rings of an Umbreon were clearly visible on his skin, and he had sprouted a black tail and two black ears, also circled with gold fur. Nika had also transformed; she had purple ears and whiskers on her face, not to mention the red jewel in the center of her forehead. Her hands and feet had been replaced with slender paws, and she bore a long purple tail that was split at the tip.
"Nika!" Sakura cried, running to embrace her friend. She hugged her tightly, wanting to cry for her friend. Nika let her tears fall down, and she tried to speak.
"Espee…" she said. "Espeon!!" No matter how hard she tried, her normal voice would not come out. She had been internally transformed as well.
"Don't bother trying," Umbreon said, taking hold of Nika's arm. "Soon, you will be mine forever." He gestured to the clock; it was 11:30. "Half an hour, and I will have my Espeon."
"Espee!" Nika shouted. Umbreon pulled her from Sakura's embrace and held her, shining the familiar golden light around their slowly changing bodies.
"I have an idea, Fal," Sakura said, taking Falkner by the hand. "Follow me."
She led him back to her room, and looked again at the legend book. "Maybe this has something about a way to reverse the legend in it."
"Okay." Falkner flipped the page… and stared at a totally new story. He could see the remains of a page that had been ripped out. "The page is gone!" he exclaimed. "It must still be upstairs. Sakura, show me where you found this book."
"Okay," she replied, and she started for the stairs. But as she ran, she felt herself freeze again, and another golden light shone throughout the room. When it faded, Sakura dropped from the air, fully transformed. She was now an Eevee.
"Sakura!" Falkner cried, picking her up. She lovingly licked his cheek with her tiny Eevee tongue. "Oh no… Sakura, show me where that book was. Now."
"Vee," she yelped, jumping back down to the floor. Eevee Sakura bounded to her closet, pushing it open with her head and crawling into a large cardboard box that she was keeping in there.
"In here?" Falkner questioned. Sakura replied by tossing a pink shirt out of the box, as if she was digging through, looking for something. Falkner joined her in the search, and soon they came out with a crumpled page from the old legend book.
"Eevee!!" Sakura cried. [Translation: "What does it say?"]
"It's saying that the only way to get rid of the Umbreon, and save the girl who is named as Espeon, we must kill the Umbreon spirit," Falkner read aloud.
"Veeon vee ee vee?" ["So how do we get it out of James?"]
Falkner read over the page again (yes, somehow he could understand her). He looked over the page several times, and eventually stopped and sighed. "We can't," he said. "The only way to reverse this is to kill James."
"VEE!!" Sakura screamed, running back to her bed, and the book. She skimmed through the story again, but with no results. Falkner might have been right.
Sakura closed her eyes and lowered her Eevee head, trying to think. Her voice may have been different, but her thoughts were still her own. "I just pray that… that we can find an alternate to Falkner's idea," she spoke in her mind, hoping somewhere someone could hear her.
As he was deep in meditation, the Pokemon's thoughts were disturbed. A cry for help rang out in the mind of an innocent girl, and somehow the strange Pokemon knew that he was needed. A Pikachu and a Meowth stood on either side of him, also closing their eyes in thought. The larger Pokemon waved his arm, and those two blinked into consciousness.
"Pika? Pikachu!" said the yellow mouse, a little angry that his leader had broken his concentration.
"I must leave you temporarily," said the Pokemon in his deep, hypnotizing voice. "Please keep a good watch over the others, and I will return as soon as I can," he finished.
"Nya nya nya nana?" asked the Meowth [When will you get back?]
"I'm not sure," he said. "All I know is that I am needed."
"Espee!!" Nika screamed, watching her arms and legs shrink into her body. It was ten minutes to midnight, and the Pokemon transformation was almost complete. Nika's whole body shrank, and in a matter of seconds, an Espeon lay on the floor in Nika's place.
"Good," the Umbreon said. He was also fully transformed. "Soon, you and I will spend eternity together."
"Spee," she whined, wiping violet tears from her face with her long tail. Where were Sakura and Falkner? Why weren't her best friends helping her now? Nika sighed, and continued to cry as the Umbreon nuzzled up close to her. "My Espeon," he hissed.
"I don't think I want to do this," Falkner sighed while petting Sakura's cream-colored mane. "I can't kill someone! But if I don't, I'll lose you and Nika…"
"Vuiii…" Sakura sighed.
"I have to decide now," Falkner said, looking at Sakura's clock, which read 11:55. "Five minutes to choose whether or not to commit a murder."
"You will not have to make that decision," said a new voice. Falkner and Sakura looked to the corner of the room, where a strange Pokemon stood… well, floated. His skin was light purple, and he had a long, violet tail. His eyes were a deep blue.
"Vee?" Sakura questioned. [Who are you?]
"My name is Mewtwo," he said, even though his mouth didn't move. He was speaking through telepathy. "I am here to assist you with your problem… because I know you cannot do this yourself."
"You can help my friends?" Falkner exclaimed. "Please! Hurry and save Nika! There are only a few minutes left!"
"Show me where they are," Mewtwo requested. Falkner immediately ran back to Nika's room, with Mewtwo and Sakura in pursuit.
When they got there, Falkner could hardly bring himself to look. Nika and James had completely changed into Espeon and Umbreon, and they were glowing with furious golden flames. Three minutes remained.
"Have you come to be punished as well?" Umbreon demanded as Falkner walked into the room. "I am warning you, I will not let anything stand in the way of me and my Espeon!"
With this announcement, Umbreon released another golden blast of energy, aimed straight for Falkner. It hit him directly, and he was frozen in place. "Now stay there like a good little puppy," Umbreon laughed. "Now no-one will interfere with my plans!"
"That's what you think," Mewtwo hissed, flying into the room. Umbreon scoffed. "You think you can stop me now?" he shouted. "Look! It's midnight! You're too late!"
He was right… the clock on Nika's dresser read 12:00 AM. But Mewtwo did not look worried. He actually looked pretty teed off. "I will not allow you to take an innocent life!" he cried, releasing a blue wave from his hands. Umbroen was swept away from Nika, and Mewtwo help him in the air with his psychic powers.
"You will come with me," he demanded, concentrating deeply on the two souls locked inside the one body. Then, the Umbreon's body exploded in a flash of golden light… the last one they would see. As it cleared, Falkner dropped to he ground, freed from the prison of light. He looked around, dazed, and saw that all of his friends were back to normal. Nika lay fainted on her bed, James lay on the ground, and Sakura was standing in the doorway; all of them had regained their human bodies. Mewtwo was gone, and so was the Umbreon.
"Whoa…" Falkner said, rubbing his forehead. "That was bright…"
"FAL!!!" Sakura cried, running to him. The two of them shared a short, sweet kiss, and faced each other, smiling. "I'm back!"
"You sure are," Falkner sighed.
"Ughhh... what happened?" Nika sighed, blinking open her eyes. James was also beginning to wake up.
"A Pokemon came and saved us!" Sakura shouted, hugging her best friend. "He said his name was Mewtwo."
James looked up. "I recognize that name…" he said to himself.
"But I'm confused," Falkner said, looking at Nika's clock again. "The legend says that the Umbreon leaves at exactly midnight. It was midnight, and Mewtwo was still able to separate Umbreon from James. How did that happen?"
Nika smiled. "Good thing my clock is a minute fast," she said, smiling stupidly. Falkner just stared in amazement at the clock, and the four of them burst out laughing. Something that trivial, like a fast clock, had saved their lives.
Somewhere, on an almost deserted island, a golden Umbreon stood on the shores of a beautiful beach, looking out to the ocean. "This place is amazing," he pondered to himself. "It has everything necessary for anyone to survive… Where am I?"
"This is my home," Mewtwo said, suddenly appearing next to Umbreon, which made him jump.
"And it is now your home too… if you will stay."
Umbreon looked up at Mewtwo, then past him at the green forest in the distance. He looked back out at the water, and bowed his head in a silent sigh. "I will stay with you," he concluded. The Dark Pokemon's words echoed over the plains, and the two of them stood there, staring out at their secluded home. This was the place where the Pokemon unwanted by the human world lived.
The End
The peaceful sun rose over Violet City that morning, welcoming the new day with its light. Falkner sat up in his bed, stretched his arms out with a big yawn, and got up to go downstairs and make breakfast.
As he descended the stairs, he noticed that his two companions were already awake and waiting for him. The first was his girlfriend Sakura Tachikawa, a dark-haired girl with pretty blue eyes. The second was Nika Ishihara, Sakura's lifelong friend. The girls had been staying at the Violet City gym for almost a week; the three of them had been taking a break from their Pokemon training.
"Morning, girls," Falkner greeted, brushing his hand through the clump of black hair in front of his right eye.
"Mornin', Falkner," Nika yawned. Sakura jumped up and ran to him, tightly embracing his shoulders. She kissed his cheek and said, "Good morning, Fal!"
"Sakura," he sighed. She was so cute sometimes.
"Come see!" Sakura cried, jumping from his shoulders. She ran to the table; sitting there was a huge dish of bacon and toast waiting to be eaten.
"Hey, is this all for me?" Falkner asked, taking a seat between the two girls.
"No, stupid, it's for all of us," Nika laughed. "Sakura made the bacon, and I made the toast."
"Don't know why she made so much, though," Sakura said. Immediately, she stood up on her chair and broke into song, "Toast tastes so baaaaad…."
"Oh, put a sock in it," Nika joked. Unfortunately, Sakura took it seriously; she sat in her chair, bent her leg at an unusual angle and bit her foot.
"Oww," she laughed.
Falkner sighed… before the girls had come into his life, he had been a wreck. Slowly failing as a gym leader, he found himself outside the gym more often than he was there. The place was a mess, and he was continuously getting in trouble for missing challengers that came to battle him. Plus, almost every one of his friends had abandoned him for one reason: his eye. A Beedrill attack had left him with one eye, and he was stuck wearing a glass eye on his right side for the rest of his life. Nobody had ever really understood it, and all of his friends and girlfriends before had been scared away.
Then, he met Sakura and Nika. Sakura had come first, and it had been love at first sight for both of them. One day, he had accidentally brushed back his hair; seeing the astonished look on Sakura's face told him so. But she didn't care… she saw right through the handicap and stayed in love with him. Then, when Sakura introduced her best friend Nika to him, she accidentally let his secret slip out. It turned out Nika had a family member like that, and she felt very sorry for him. Immediately then, Nika became his best friend for life. Now he was extremely satisfied with his life… he laughed every time the girls had catfights, he comforted them when their Pokemon got hurt, and they all relied on each other. Life was perfect.
Nika finished her last bite of toast, and started to clear up her dishes. "I'm gonna run to the Poke Mart," she announced. "They finally have a copy of the Chikorita movie we've been dying to see, and I'm gonna rent it for tonight!"
"All right!" Falkner cheered.
"Get donuts, and Dayquil!" Sakura recommended.
"Why Dayquil? You're not sick," Nika said.
"I know. But it makes me hyper!" Sakura informed them.
"I think you'd better skip the Dayquil," Falkner suggested. "She might hurt herself bouncing off the walls… remember last time?"
"Oh yeah," Nika said, thinking back to the time Sakura had supposedly "fallen off the floor". (She had hit a wall, and that was her story when they found her.)
"Aww… but Faaaal…" she whined, staring at him with sad puppy eyes.
"I'll buy your Dayquil," Nika said. Sakura beamed, and Falkner laughed silently to himself. Great.. they would be trying to watch a movie with Sakura on Dayquil… it was bound to be an interesting evening.
Nika skipped excitedly down the road to 7-11 (yes, 7-11 rents out movies now). She had been dying to see 'Chikorita's Garden Adventure' for the longest time, and she was finally able to rent it out! Overflowing with excitement, she broke into a run… and almost tripped over the figure on the ground as she turned a corner.
"I'm sorry," she remarked, "but I don't think you should be sleeping out in the open like that…" She turned around, and to her horror the man lying there was not simply sleeping. There was a huge gash on his chest, and his forehead was bleeding as well. He was either unconscious, or dead.
"Oh no," she exclaimed, kneeling down beside the guy. "Are you alright? Wake up!" she pleaded. But despite her feeble attempts, his breathing remained labored, and his eyes stayed shut.
I've got to get Falkner, she immediately thought. She took a Pokeball from her belt, and tossed it gently to the ground beside her. "Come on out, Persian," she whispered. A cream-colored cat came out of the red and white ball, and it meowed loudly at the sight of the injured teenager. "Please, Persian, go back to Violet Gym and get Falkner and Sakura," she requested.
"Meroww," it responded, turning and running in the direction Nika had come. Meanwhile, Nika stayed by his side, unsure what to do. "Please hang on a little longer," she begged, even though she knew he couldn't hear her.
"Meeeow!!" Persian screeched as it ran into the kitchen. Falkner and Sakura were still eating.
"What is it, Persian?" Sakura asked, who immediately recognized it as Nika's. Persian explained Nika's situation, and Falkner instantly rushed to the door.
"Come on, Sakura. Let's go," he said.
When they arrived on the scene, Nika was kneeling over the blue- haired boy, nearly in tears. "Nika, move," Falkner told her. He ran up to the boy and took out one of his own Pokeballs. "Pidgeot, carry this guy back to the gym," he called, throwing the sphere into the air. A large white bird came out, scooping the mysterious boy onto its back. Falkner, Sakura and Nika followed closely behind, watching Pidgeot fly to Violet Gym.
James blinked open his eyes slowly, and the first thought that went through his head was, Where am I? He tried to sit up, but when he did it felt like something was pulling his chest apart… he looked down to see the newly cleaned cut.
"What the…" he whispered. He hadn't remembered getting an injury like this. James slowly ran his finger along the cut, checking how deep it was. It was at least half an inch down; almost like a claw mark. James winced, and looked around again to try to figure out where he was. No matter how hard he tried, however, he couldn't recognize the room.
"You're awake," said another voice from the other end of the room. A boy walked toward him; his face was completely shielded with the shadows of the room. Then, as he got closer, James realized it wasn't shadows… it was his long, black hair that hung over the right side of his face.
"I remember you," James forced himself to say. It hurt him so much to speak. "You're the boy who took Pikachu from Jessie and I a long time ago…"
"I thought I recognized your face," he said. "But there is no time for differences now. You need to be taken care of."
"You… I never got your name," James whispered; he could not force out enough air to speak anymore.
"Falkner," he said. "Violet Pokemon Gym's leader. Now, you get some more rest, alright?"
"All…. right," James stammered, relaxing on the cloud-like pillow that had been placed under his pounding head. In an instant he was asleep.
His eyes blinked open, and he was in an unfamiliar place. I should have known he would be found, he thought to himself, staring up at the dark ceiling. Ahhh… soothing darkness, he sighed in his head. Now… could she be here?
There were voices in another room. He turned his head, and snapped back as the pain in his chest shot through his entire body. He looked down at the marking he had branded, and smiled, listening attentively to the other people.
"Did he look okay?" asked a female voice.
"He was awake temporarily, but he couldn't really speak," said the unmistakable tone of a male. "He blacked out again right away."
"Oh, I feel so sorry for him," said a second girl. "I wonder what could have done this to him?"
I'll show you, he thought, standing up from the couch. The cut stung at his chest, but he didn't care. "Maybe you can be my Espeon," he whispered, advancing toward the room.
"I'm worried," Nika cried. "Maybe I should go and check on him."
"Let him sleep," Falkner said. "He's probably really worn out. I looked at his cut, and it looks like the mark of a Pokemon. I'm guessing somebody else attacked him with their Pokemon."
"That's terrible," Sakura sighed. "I would never use a Pokemon to attack another human. It's unfair."
"I saw him so long ago," Falkner thought aloud. "But I just can't seem to remember his name…"
"Hey, you're awake!" Nika said suddenly. Falkner and Sakura turned around to see James walking toward the three of them with a strange glare in his eye. He didn't look bothered at all by the cut.
"Hey, go back to sleep," Falkner instructed. "You need more rest than that." James simply grunted, and pushed his way past Falkner. He was heading straight for the girls. "Hey!" Falkner exclaimed.
"Umm… are you okay?" Sakura asked, staring into his eyes. He turned away from her, but not before she noticed that something was wrong… James ignored her, and went straight for Nika.
Nika screamed as James took hold of her shoulders. "My Espeon…" he hissed, staring deeply into her eyes. She tried to look away, but she couldn't even blink. His gaze paralyzed her; a golden light shone from his eyes to hers. Then, as she felt herself slipping into darkness, James's grip on her arms loosened, and he fell to the ground. Nika was shaking uncontrollably; she sat down and curled up into a ball, ready to cry.
"What… happened?" James stammered, slowly opening one eye. He grasped his chest and straightened himself out on the floor. "How did I get here?"
"You just attacked Nika, that's how," Falkner said angrily. "And to think she helped you…"
"I didn't attack anyone!" James cried. "I was just sleeping! I don't even know how I got out here!"
"I believe him," Sakura said. She walked upstairs, disappearing for a few minutes, and came back down with a large, leather-covered book. "When I looked at him, I noticed a strange golden tint to his eyes. I think I might know exactly what is going on here." Falkner, Nika and James all crowded around as she set the book down on the table; the title read "Ancient Pokemon Legends."
"What is this?" Falkner said skeptically as Sakura flipped the pages. Finally, she stopped and pointed to the subtitle on one page: "The Legend of the Golden Umbreon."
"The Golden Umbreon is a spirit of an ancient Pokemon," Sakura read. "Umbreon was believed by some experts to be the first Eevee evolution, born of darkness. But for years, people stopped training Eevees to evolve into Umbreons, because many people believe them to be evil. That's why they weren't around a few years ago."
"The legend says that a golden Umbreon fell in love with an Espeon princess," Sakura continued. "But the Umbreon was killed when he tried to confess his love to her, because he was so much lower-classed than she. Whatever that means. Anyway, it says here that the spirit of the Umbreon has come back, and it is searching for his long-lost love, Espeon."
"He called me Espeon," Nika whimpered. James was silent.
"Sakura, this is a fictional story," Falkner said. "There's no way that some gold Umbreon is inside this guy."
Sakura read on, "The Umbreon spirit enters the bodies of young men, making it easier for him to manipulate females. If a girl falls under the spell of the Umbreon, they will both slowly transform into Pokemon. At midnight of that day, the transformation will be completed, and both the Espeon and Umbreon will fade away to live together in peace."
"I don't wanna disappear!" Nika cried, curling herself tighter.
"I'm scared!" James whined, clutching his wound.
"Don't worry, you two," Falkner said. "It's only a story. You, go get some more rest. We'll take you to the hospital in the morning."
"'Kay," James sighed.
"As for the rest of us, we should all get some sleep too," Falkner suggested. He helped Nika to her feet, and gave Sakura a kiss. "We'll figure this out in the morning."
"Night, Fal," Sakura said, her cheeks softly blushing.
"Yeah, good night," Nika said.
"Oh, one more thing," Falkner said as he walked up the stairs. "What's your name?"
"James," he said softly. "James Morgan."
"Okay, now I know what to call you," he said. "Have a good sleep."
At exactly 11:00 that night, James's eyes opened on their own. He sat up and looked around, the golden light illuminating whatever he stared at. "Where… is she?" he asked himself, standing to his feet. "I must find…my Espeon…" He walked to the stairs, slowly ascending the flight of steps. His movements were swift and controlled, like those of a Pokemon. He entered the first room he came to, and saw a small figure sleeping in a bed with cloud-like pink sheets.
"Espeon?" he questioned, moving closer. She did not respond; she was sleeping deeply, clutching her pillow with a delighted look on her face. She was dreaming…
"Espeon," he repeated, drawing closer. He lay himself down next to her and slowly turned her around… her eyes blinked a few times, and then opened.
"EEEK!" Sakura screeched, and she tried to back away. But James grasped her shoulders, staring into her cerulean eyes. After a short pause, he spoke, "You are not Espeon."
A golden light surrounded Sakura's body, and she felt like she was frozen in time and space. Then, as swiftly as he had come, he was gone. Sakura felt paralyzed, and she couldn't breathe, let alone move. Finally, oxygen entered her lungs, and she greedily inhaled it. Then, as her muscles began to relax, the bedroom door entered again and Falkner ran to her side.
"What happened?" he asked her, lying at her side. "Are you okay?"
"James was here," Sakura gasped. "He said I'm not Espeon, and he…he did something to me… I was frozen…"
Falkner sighed angrily. "You know, I'm starting to believe in your Umbreon legend," he said, holding her close to him.
"I feel strange," Sakura said silently, resting her head on Falkner's arm. "I'm scared. I think that thing did something to me."
"Don't worry," Falkner said in a calming voice. He kissed her lightly, and said, "Everything will turn out fine. Now, get some more sleep."
"Okay," she said, turning over. But as she turned onto her back, she jumped up with a tiny gasp. "Oww, I sat on something," she said, sitting up. She looked, but all that was underneath her was her bedsheets. Sakura lay back down, and again she jumped up in surprise.
"What's going on here?" she said, annoyed. "Fal, can you get the light?"
"Sure," he replied, turning to the door and flicking on the light switch. He turned back to Sakura, and gasped in amazement. She screamed too, when she saw the fluffy brown tail growing out from behind her. "Look at yourself!" Falkner shouted, and Sakura ran to the mirror. She screamed again; two thin, brown ears had sprouted out of her head, and her eyes were flooded with black. Her hands and feet had also been warped into irregular paws.
"What happened?" she said, wiping tears from her darkened eyes. "What's happening to me?"
"Maybe you should take another look at that book," Falkner suggested. "I have no doubt in my mind that this Umbreon legend is coming true."
"Okay," Sakura sniffed, forcing herself not to cry. She sat on her bed and opened the book to the page with the legend printed on it. She read through the legend again and again, getting more frustrated each time. "There's nothing in here about turning into an Eevee!" she exclaimed. "The Umbreon must have powers that even these people don't know about! I'm gonna be an Eevee forever!!"
Sakura cried then, burying her face in Falkner's shoulder. He feebly tried to comfort her, but nothing he could say could stop the flow of tears. "Maybe there's a way to reverse the spell," he whispered in her ear. "Maybe if we can get Umbreon out of James's body, the whole thing will reverse."
"We could try," Sakura whimpered, brushing away the last of her tears. "Where is he?"
"That's what I was about to ask you," Falkner said. The two of them were caught in a moment of silence. "Nika's in trouble," Falkner said suddenly, jumping up from Sakura's bed. The two of them ran down the hallway to Nika's room, hoping they weren't too late.
Nika slept peacefully, dreaming about the blue-haired boy. In the dream, James wasn't cursed with the spirit of an evil Pokemon. He was completely himself, and he loved her… She sighed, and turned over in her sleep. "What a… perfect night," she whispered in her sleep. "James…"
Then, an evil hiss filled the room. Nika opened her eyes; they were immediately flooded with a golden light. She looked up to see James standing over her, smiling in an awkward way.
"What are you doing in here?" she asked, not even stopping to think about where the odd light was coming from.
"You are my Espeon," James whispered. It was then that Nika remembered the legend that Sakura had read, and she realized that it was not James standing over her at all… it was the gold Umbreon.
"Stay away!" she screamed, backing away and pulling the covers over her head. But he simply pulled them off, and placed his hand on her forehead. "Come with me now…"
Falkner and Sakura entered the room just as the brilliant light emitted from James's hand. They shielded their eyes, and as the light cleared they stared in amazement at their friends. James's face was not his own… his eyes were deep and emotionless. The golden rings of an Umbreon were clearly visible on his skin, and he had sprouted a black tail and two black ears, also circled with gold fur. Nika had also transformed; she had purple ears and whiskers on her face, not to mention the red jewel in the center of her forehead. Her hands and feet had been replaced with slender paws, and she bore a long purple tail that was split at the tip.
"Nika!" Sakura cried, running to embrace her friend. She hugged her tightly, wanting to cry for her friend. Nika let her tears fall down, and she tried to speak.
"Espee…" she said. "Espeon!!" No matter how hard she tried, her normal voice would not come out. She had been internally transformed as well.
"Don't bother trying," Umbreon said, taking hold of Nika's arm. "Soon, you will be mine forever." He gestured to the clock; it was 11:30. "Half an hour, and I will have my Espeon."
"Espee!" Nika shouted. Umbreon pulled her from Sakura's embrace and held her, shining the familiar golden light around their slowly changing bodies.
"I have an idea, Fal," Sakura said, taking Falkner by the hand. "Follow me."
She led him back to her room, and looked again at the legend book. "Maybe this has something about a way to reverse the legend in it."
"Okay." Falkner flipped the page… and stared at a totally new story. He could see the remains of a page that had been ripped out. "The page is gone!" he exclaimed. "It must still be upstairs. Sakura, show me where you found this book."
"Okay," she replied, and she started for the stairs. But as she ran, she felt herself freeze again, and another golden light shone throughout the room. When it faded, Sakura dropped from the air, fully transformed. She was now an Eevee.
"Sakura!" Falkner cried, picking her up. She lovingly licked his cheek with her tiny Eevee tongue. "Oh no… Sakura, show me where that book was. Now."
"Vee," she yelped, jumping back down to the floor. Eevee Sakura bounded to her closet, pushing it open with her head and crawling into a large cardboard box that she was keeping in there.
"In here?" Falkner questioned. Sakura replied by tossing a pink shirt out of the box, as if she was digging through, looking for something. Falkner joined her in the search, and soon they came out with a crumpled page from the old legend book.
"Eevee!!" Sakura cried. [Translation: "What does it say?"]
"It's saying that the only way to get rid of the Umbreon, and save the girl who is named as Espeon, we must kill the Umbreon spirit," Falkner read aloud.
"Veeon vee ee vee?" ["So how do we get it out of James?"]
Falkner read over the page again (yes, somehow he could understand her). He looked over the page several times, and eventually stopped and sighed. "We can't," he said. "The only way to reverse this is to kill James."
"VEE!!" Sakura screamed, running back to her bed, and the book. She skimmed through the story again, but with no results. Falkner might have been right.
Sakura closed her eyes and lowered her Eevee head, trying to think. Her voice may have been different, but her thoughts were still her own. "I just pray that… that we can find an alternate to Falkner's idea," she spoke in her mind, hoping somewhere someone could hear her.
As he was deep in meditation, the Pokemon's thoughts were disturbed. A cry for help rang out in the mind of an innocent girl, and somehow the strange Pokemon knew that he was needed. A Pikachu and a Meowth stood on either side of him, also closing their eyes in thought. The larger Pokemon waved his arm, and those two blinked into consciousness.
"Pika? Pikachu!" said the yellow mouse, a little angry that his leader had broken his concentration.
"I must leave you temporarily," said the Pokemon in his deep, hypnotizing voice. "Please keep a good watch over the others, and I will return as soon as I can," he finished.
"Nya nya nya nana?" asked the Meowth [When will you get back?]
"I'm not sure," he said. "All I know is that I am needed."
"Espee!!" Nika screamed, watching her arms and legs shrink into her body. It was ten minutes to midnight, and the Pokemon transformation was almost complete. Nika's whole body shrank, and in a matter of seconds, an Espeon lay on the floor in Nika's place.
"Good," the Umbreon said. He was also fully transformed. "Soon, you and I will spend eternity together."
"Spee," she whined, wiping violet tears from her face with her long tail. Where were Sakura and Falkner? Why weren't her best friends helping her now? Nika sighed, and continued to cry as the Umbreon nuzzled up close to her. "My Espeon," he hissed.
"I don't think I want to do this," Falkner sighed while petting Sakura's cream-colored mane. "I can't kill someone! But if I don't, I'll lose you and Nika…"
"Vuiii…" Sakura sighed.
"I have to decide now," Falkner said, looking at Sakura's clock, which read 11:55. "Five minutes to choose whether or not to commit a murder."
"You will not have to make that decision," said a new voice. Falkner and Sakura looked to the corner of the room, where a strange Pokemon stood… well, floated. His skin was light purple, and he had a long, violet tail. His eyes were a deep blue.
"Vee?" Sakura questioned. [Who are you?]
"My name is Mewtwo," he said, even though his mouth didn't move. He was speaking through telepathy. "I am here to assist you with your problem… because I know you cannot do this yourself."
"You can help my friends?" Falkner exclaimed. "Please! Hurry and save Nika! There are only a few minutes left!"
"Show me where they are," Mewtwo requested. Falkner immediately ran back to Nika's room, with Mewtwo and Sakura in pursuit.
When they got there, Falkner could hardly bring himself to look. Nika and James had completely changed into Espeon and Umbreon, and they were glowing with furious golden flames. Three minutes remained.
"Have you come to be punished as well?" Umbreon demanded as Falkner walked into the room. "I am warning you, I will not let anything stand in the way of me and my Espeon!"
With this announcement, Umbreon released another golden blast of energy, aimed straight for Falkner. It hit him directly, and he was frozen in place. "Now stay there like a good little puppy," Umbreon laughed. "Now no-one will interfere with my plans!"
"That's what you think," Mewtwo hissed, flying into the room. Umbreon scoffed. "You think you can stop me now?" he shouted. "Look! It's midnight! You're too late!"
He was right… the clock on Nika's dresser read 12:00 AM. But Mewtwo did not look worried. He actually looked pretty teed off. "I will not allow you to take an innocent life!" he cried, releasing a blue wave from his hands. Umbroen was swept away from Nika, and Mewtwo help him in the air with his psychic powers.
"You will come with me," he demanded, concentrating deeply on the two souls locked inside the one body. Then, the Umbreon's body exploded in a flash of golden light… the last one they would see. As it cleared, Falkner dropped to he ground, freed from the prison of light. He looked around, dazed, and saw that all of his friends were back to normal. Nika lay fainted on her bed, James lay on the ground, and Sakura was standing in the doorway; all of them had regained their human bodies. Mewtwo was gone, and so was the Umbreon.
"Whoa…" Falkner said, rubbing his forehead. "That was bright…"
"FAL!!!" Sakura cried, running to him. The two of them shared a short, sweet kiss, and faced each other, smiling. "I'm back!"
"You sure are," Falkner sighed.
"Ughhh... what happened?" Nika sighed, blinking open her eyes. James was also beginning to wake up.
"A Pokemon came and saved us!" Sakura shouted, hugging her best friend. "He said his name was Mewtwo."
James looked up. "I recognize that name…" he said to himself.
"But I'm confused," Falkner said, looking at Nika's clock again. "The legend says that the Umbreon leaves at exactly midnight. It was midnight, and Mewtwo was still able to separate Umbreon from James. How did that happen?"
Nika smiled. "Good thing my clock is a minute fast," she said, smiling stupidly. Falkner just stared in amazement at the clock, and the four of them burst out laughing. Something that trivial, like a fast clock, had saved their lives.
Somewhere, on an almost deserted island, a golden Umbreon stood on the shores of a beautiful beach, looking out to the ocean. "This place is amazing," he pondered to himself. "It has everything necessary for anyone to survive… Where am I?"
"This is my home," Mewtwo said, suddenly appearing next to Umbreon, which made him jump.
"And it is now your home too… if you will stay."
Umbreon looked up at Mewtwo, then past him at the green forest in the distance. He looked back out at the water, and bowed his head in a silent sigh. "I will stay with you," he concluded. The Dark Pokemon's words echoed over the plains, and the two of them stood there, staring out at their secluded home. This was the place where the Pokemon unwanted by the human world lived.
The End