The Eon Guardians

Chapter 1

New Leaf

A light breeze ruffled through the leaves of the forest, welcoming the sun as it arrived from below the horizon. The early morning dew glittered, reflecting the first rays of daylight that shined upon it. Rustling could be heard from bushes and small branches, the cause being a young male Eevee passing through the undergrowth. The small brown head swayed to and fro slowly, searching his surroundings with an unblinking gaze. Dew clung to his fur as he absorbed it from the leaves, making him as damp as the cool morning air around him. Keeping his ears and tail lowered, he trudged quietly along the forest floor, remaining alert and wary. Aside from the occasional breeze, the forest was serene and clear whilst the young Pokémon approached a stream. He followed the bank, hearing the trickling water as it traveled downward to the lake at the edge of the forest, soothing him.

It should be around here… somewhere, Eevee thought, his searching pace quickening slightly as he began to wonder if he navigated correctly. He left a precious berry behind nearby the stream several sunrises ago, and he returned to check on it. Discouraged, he was about to start backtracking until a familiar sight caught his eye; the glistening of a blue flower that he remembered well. He stopped to breath in the sweet scent before rounding the large tree to enter the small pit that lay just beyond the tree. Eevee planted a Lum berry here, knowing well that rainwater accumulating near the pit would erode down the sides, supplying a decent amount of water even with miniscule amounts of rainfall. Eevee had planted the berry near the middle, and he rejoiced upon seeing the berry growing strongly. It held two berries, only produced if well provided for, and Eevee left that to nature. He picked the two, replanted one, and ate the other, enjoying the unique, mixed flavor.

Once he finished his snack, Eevee climbed out of the pit and returned to the stream, wondering about his next course of action. He arrived at the forest ten sunrises ago, finding a small hollow in the base of a tree that made for an excellent temporary home. Eevee decided to explore the forest in depth today, continuing down the banks of the stream. Curiosity often dragged him off of the increasingly flat shoreline he traversed, examining flowers and plants that were unfamiliar to him. Eventually, Eevee stumbled upon a tree that bore humongous leaves, and when he looked closer, realized that the leaves' patterns were very similar to his mother's pattern on her tail.

Eevee's love for nature was without a doubt passed down from his mother, a Leafeon. A moon ago, he was deemed old enough to leave his mother to have his own adventures. While growing up under the loving, tender care of his mother, she told him an abundance of information about nature, particularly berries.

When Eevee left his mother to start his journey, it began and progressed slowly, crossing plains littered with hills. The journey proved challenging and he was tempted to return home multiple times, but each time he would muster his courage and move on. He rejoiced upon finding the forest, an environment that was the subject of many stories told by his mother. The young Eevee decided to explore the forest thoroughly, and he spent the first ten days searching for a more permanent den. Though luck was poor, he was enjoying the exploration.

His favorites were the flowers, which is another preference inherited from his mother. She would often grow them around her den for decoration. Eevee never questioned the act as he grew up, but neighbors would sometimes accuse her of partaking in "human" activities. His mother would reassure him saying that they were not disgracing her; they just found it odd, which there was not anything wrong with that.

Shaking off the memories that flooded within him, he circled past the tree and was about to start exploring again before he looked up. Noticing that the branches were relatively low, he wondered if it would be a good idea to climb the trees. Deciding it would not hurt to try, he began to climb, remembering the lessons from his mother, and made it to the lowest branch safely. After taking a breather, he continued until he was a ways from the ground, and he silently started to leap to different branches. He had a much better view of the ground below him, and he could see some bird Pokémon above him, although they were too far away to talk to. He looked for peculiar bushes or plants to make landmarks of, so that if needed, he could find his way back to the hollow.

After leaping a few branches, something tan caught his eye. He noted with delight that it was a flowering Kelpsy berry, seeing the bloomed white flowers tucked in the middle of the plant. Once he carefully made his way to the ground, he sniffed the flowers, inhaling their mixed scents. Curiously, the flowers on the berries usually smelled the same as the berries would taste, so sometimes, Eevee would smell the flowers to recognize the berry, since he still had yet to see them all.

Crash!

A horrible snapping sound caused Eevee to jump, whipping his head back and forth to see what caused the sound. He could not see anything, and nervously waited for the sound again.

Snap!

Eevee felt his heart lurch forward, but he forced himself to stay still. After pinpointing the general direction of where the sound was coming from, he climbed a tree and leaped towards the source using low branches. Soon, he could see a clearing ahead of him. More snapping sounds were made, and they grew louder as he drew closer. Quietly, he landed on the ground and hid himself in a thick patch of undergrowth. When he looked upon the clearing, his eyes widened when he saw a floating log. While he stared at it in awe, the log was suddenly cut in half to reveal a Gallade, who was shifting into a standing position. He looked at the shattered log intently while he idly rubbed his left arm with his right, picking off shards of wood that remained on the green blade like structures. From his feet began his white coloring until the v –shaped green material covered his chest. Something red stuck out a little from the middle of his chest, which Eevee could only compare it to a shape of a pointed tooth. The same green material was over his head as well with a light blue line down the center until the material curved in and ended right between his red eyes. His head was also white along with his neck. The same red material from his chest stuck out in the same fashion above his head. He stared with wonder at the Gallade, as it was by far the tallest Pokémon he had seen in is life. Eevee thought he heard him mumble something but he could not make out what the he had said. With a deep breathe he prepared to crawl out of hiding and call to him.

"Hey you!" Eevee ducked back into place, seeing a bird Pokémon land swiftly on a branch. Recognizing with surprise that it was a Pidgeot, he noticed that Gallade had only half turned his head in response. "You are making a lot of noise. What are you doing?"

"Training," Gallade replied simply in a low voice.

"Can you do so in another way or elsewhere?" Pidgeot asked, trying to be polite, but Eevee could still detect the hint of annoyance in its voice. "You're scaring the little ones."

"I take it you are a mother then?" Eevee saw Gallade smile slightly before turning to face the annoyed mother. "My apologies," he said, bowing to her, putting an arm over his chest. "I will stop."

"Thank you," She flapped her wings once before taking flight, going back the way she came. Gallade watched her leave. Eevee inspected the Gallade more closely, and was surprised to see red on his left arm. Blood? The small scratch in the thin part of his arm allowed a single line for blood to trickle down. Eevee wondered if one of the wooden shards was responsible for that. Figuring that it must be bothering him, he crawled out of the undergrowth and backtracked towards an Oran berry tree that he had remembered passing. He picked a couple, and then returned to the clearing and walking toward him. The Gallade's right arm glowed in a brilliant light blue. One of the shattered pieces of a log floated in front of him, and with slight movements of his arm, it moved through the air. Eevee treaded towards him quietly so as not to disturb him. When he stopped next to him, he looked up at the tall figure, still concentrating on the log.

He's so much taller up close! Trying to keep himself from trembling, he gently nudged Gallade's leg, looking up at him while he held the stems of the Oran berries with his teeth. Gallade turned his head and looked down on him. He looked around quickly before looking back at Eevee.

"Yes?" Gallade said, looking at Eevee with an unreadable expression.

"Mmph!" Eevee bobbed his head, indicating the berries that he held.

"For me?" Gallade questioned with a very slight tilt of his head . Eevee nodded to him in confirmation. Gallade smiled slightly in the same fashion that he had done with the Pidgeot, and gently set the log down. He then bent down to take a berry that Eevee placed on his arm. His eyes flashed blue, and his right arm glowed again. The blue berry was split neatly in half. Gallade applied one half to the cut on his arm, and the other half he ate. Seeing that Gallade had begun to heal his wound, he ate the other berry he had brought, somewhat in a need to satisfy his growing hunger. After a few moments, the Gallade looked down at Eevee again. "Thank you. Were you watching?"

"Yup," Eevee nodded in reply. Gallade appeared not to be bothered by his presence, so he hoped to talk to him for a while. "How are you making the logs float?"

"Psychic power," Gallade replied simply. "I can use this power to manipulate energy and matter."

"Energy and matter?" Eevee replied with a tilt of his head, confused.

"Never mind," Gallade smiled again, shaking his head. He looked at Eevee for a few moments before continuing. "You're not a newborn. Are your parents nearby?"

"Nope," Eevee shook his head, "I started my journey from home about a moon ago."

"I see," Gallade said with a small nod. "Is your mother a Leafeon?" Eevee's expression grew wide-eyed when asked of this.

"How did you know?"

"It was not hard to tell," Gallade replied, looking away a little. "We Psychic types can see into the minds of others, some more than others. In yours," he closed his eyes. "I can hear various sounds of nature."

Eevee nodded twice in enthusiasm. "My mother loved nature. She taught me everything I know."

"Just a moment," Gallade's eyes flashed yet again, and after a few heartbeats, Eevee could see something small floating towards them. It was a large red berry, with a hole at the top. "Do you know this berry?"

"Pomeg!" Eevee leaped slightly in excitement. "Those grow here?"

"Very good," Gallade chuckled. "Do you know the berry that best heals wounds?"

"Technically Sitrus," Eevee replied in a matter-of-fact tone. "But my mother says that there is a berry that helps to heal wounds from within the body. She didn't know the name."

"Impressive," Gallade smiled. "Your mother taught you well." Using his psychic power, he buried the Pomeg in between them. When he finished, he returned his gaze to Eevee. "Forgive my prodding, but do you plan on finding a home in this forest?"

"Yeah," Eevee nodded.

"You couldn't have picked a better forest. As far as a home goes…" Gallade turned and scanned the area behind him.

What did he mean by picked? Eevee thought as he looked past Gallade, wondering what he was looking for.

"Follow me," Gallade said after a few moments and began to walk. Eevee followed him closely. He barely noticed the occasional Pokémon they passed, preferring to focus on nature. They passed two rivers, with Gallade wading through them and Eevee swimming through them. He did not mind water, but he had to shake himself. Gallade waited patiently, and would catch the flying droplets of water with his psychic power. When Eevee shot him a curious glance, he shrugged and said it was for practice. Once Eevee felt dry enough to continue, Gallade led him through increasingly crowding trees. Eevee wondered if they were heading deeper into the forest. Looking back, he was certain now that finding his way back to the hollow would be difficult. As the increasing branches blocked more sunlight, Eevee felt as if the day was passing very quickly. Looking up, he could see high and low branches of many shapes and sizes.

"Careful," Gallade said suddenly and Eevee stopped in his tracks, looking around for something going wrong. Eventually, he looked at Gallade with a questioning glance. "Walk forward and you will see." Eevee quickly regained his composure and walked forward slowly, scanning ahead of himself cautiously. He stopped himself, noticing a crack in the ground. Looking up, he saw in amazement that the fault extended as far as the eye could see to the right and left. The forest obscured his view but the fault seemed to go on forever.

"How did this happen?" Eevee asked, still astonished.

"The ground beneath us shook and thus was split open, or so the story goes. This one is actually small compared to the others I have seen."

"You mean this is small?" Eevee knew he could not leap over it. Gallade seemed to have considered that for he looked around.

"I could carry you as I jump," Gallade offered but Eevee was already looking at the branches above him.

"Thanks, but I can get across." Gallade watched with interest as Eevee climbed a nearby tree and began to leap the branches across. He carefully looked over each branch before leaping to it, trying to evaluate if the branch was strong enough.

Almost there Eevee thought as he leaped for the last branch.

"No! Wait!" Gallade shouted, but it was too late. The branch gave way beneath him as he landed upon it. Thinking quickly, he leaped for a branch that was lower. He barely landed on his paws. Stopping to catch his breath, he looked back to see that Gallade had stopped the falling branch with psychic power. After his heartbeat slowed, Eevee made his way down the tree and onto the ground, with the base of the tree being barely a tail-length away from the fault. He shook himself in an attempt to keep calm. When the branch broke, he realized that he heard his mother call for his name. Gallade leaped over the fault and landed neatly beside Eevee.

"That was well done," he said with a hint of relief in his voice. Eevee smiled at the compliment and continued alongside Gallade into the forest. After what seemed like forever and a short break to eat berries, they came across another river.

"Is this the same river?" Eevee asked in curiosity. The stretch of the river was shallow with a rocky bed that was covered with moss. It was a long, slow waterfall.

"I'm not sure, but it is possible," Gallade waded over the river, and it was shallow enough for Eevee to do the same. "It's not far from here," he said as he veered off to a group of boulders surrounded by sand. Most of them were relatively flat, and the fewer trees in the area allowed the sun to directly reach some of them, making them glitter beautifully in the sunlight. Eevee knew that those rocks would be very warm, and by proxy, very comfortable on a warm day. "There," Gallade pointed with an arm. Eevee followed him over a hill, then to a section of ground that dipped into what could have been a tunnel. However, Eevee could not tell, as a large boulder covered what would be an entrance. When he looked at Gallade questioningly once more, he noticed that his eyes were already closed. He then gasped slightly upon seeing the boulder being lifted. He then noticed an entrance into what was indeed a tunnel. "Come," Gallade said, ducking slightly to enter. Nervously at first, Eevee followed. It was too dark to see where he was going, so he used the feel of his fur on the wall to know when to turn.

"Are we close?" Eevee asked, his voice coming out involuntarily shaky.

"Almost… Stop here," Gallade again used his psychic ability and Eevee quickly shut his eyes to the bright blue glow. "Here we are."

Eevee opened his eyes and was so stunned by the view in front of him that he could not move. The opening, barely tall enough for Gallade, had opened up into a very large underground cave that was lit up by sunlight through small holes in the ground above. Eevee knew he could not fall through them, but he wondered if any Pokémon passing those holes knew what was just below it. The floor was primarily rocky, with the rocks being smooth and round. Eevee could hear the sound of trickling water, and was surprised to see a river cutting through the middle of the cave. The sun's rays shone clearly and the sight continued to stun Eevee.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Gallade said softly, kneeling beside him. Due to the cave, he almost sounded as if he was talking normally. "Just enough light to see, air to breath, water to drink. This place is almost too perfect…"

Eevee could only nod.

After a while, Eevee slowly descended into the cave, looking around in astonishment, wondering how such a place could be made naturally. In places, he would have to leap to reach the next boulder. Eventually, he came across a shallow, wide crevasse littered with moss.

"Wow," Eevee breathed, hardly able to believe what he was seeing.

"Do you like it?" Gallade asked. Eevee barely noticed that he was standing beside him.

"It's amazing," he said, wishing his mother could see this. "Is it your den?"

"What?" Gallade said and after a heartbeat chuckled. "No, I found this two sunrises ago. I figured this would be perfect for you."

That sounded too good to be true to Eevee. "I… How…" he failed to formulate any sentence as he was too entranced by what he was just offered. It was as Gallade said, this place was too perfect.

"I'm glad you like it," Gallade said, again with that slight smile. "I'll leave you to get acquainted with your new home." He waved and left. A few moments later, Eevee realized that not only did he fail to say goodbye, he did not even ask for his name. He then felt his mouth gape into an enormous yawn, suddenly feeling just how tired he was. The sun would set soon, and he had been traveling nearly the entire day. Resolving to explore the area around his home, he circled the moss and laid down, enjoying the soft feel through his fur. Sleep came quickly to him, with images of the beauties of nature cascading through his dreams.

Half a moon had passed since Gallade guided Eevee to his home, and Eevee had yet to see Gallade since then. In this time, he became familiarized with his surroundings, marking landmarks and superb places to grow berries. He greeted his neighbors, although he never chatted long with any of them. So far he had met two, a moody Linoone and an old, kind Noctowl, who seemed to barely move from the hollow of his tree. For now, he was expanding the boundaries of his exploration, feeling increasingly confident to be further away from his home. He was traveling a heavily wooded area when he came across a small clearing, which was encircled by the trees. Upon entering it, Eevee curiously noticed a young sapling growing atop a tiny hill in the middle of the clearing. Glancing around curiously, he wondered how a sapling could grow is such a place. It almost felt as if the tree had an air of importance, practically guarded by the rest of the forest. As Eevee looked at it closely, he noticed that the tree was very weak, as it seemed almost wilted.

How? Eevee questioned in thought. This tree does not have to compete with the others; it should be thriving. It has also rained twice in the last several sunrises. While he pondered over the sapling's predicament, he returned to his den. He gathered a little bit of moss that he held in his mouth, dipped it in the river just outside his den, then returned to the sapling and squeezed the moss between his teeth, letting the water drip onto the sapling. To his surprise, it perked up almost immediately, straightening itself as if to awaken. Eevee marveled at the spectacle, wondering how it could have reacted so quickly just from the touch of water. He examined it thoroughly, but could not see anything out of the ordinary. Seeing the sun set, he decided to watch the tree grow to see what happens. Just before Eevee returned to his den, he heard a voice.

"Hey kid," the voice sounded from the trees. Eevee eyed them cautiously, not moving. When a few heartbeats past, a Breloom emerged from the trees. The tall body consisted of a tan top half with a green mushroom-like cap. Its legs were green, and sported red claws on its feet. Its hands were more like two large claws with very short green arms. The Breloom loomed over Eevee, looking at him emotionless with large dark eyes. At the end of its long tan tail were four green ball-like structures.

"Yes?" Eevee looked up, finally responding, prompting Breloom to continue.

"I'm assuming you live around here since I've seen you a few times, but you need to know," Breloom pointed to the flat boulders that littered the shore of the river. "There is a Seviper that preys on small Pokémon who rest there, that includes you."

"What?" Eevee's ears perked and looked toward the boulders. He did take a closer look and was now glad he had yet to rest on them. It was indeed entirely possible for a Pokémon to wait there in ambush, although Pokémon eating others in an open environment was frowned upon by most. Even what would be considered a natural predator would not prey unless its survival depended on it. Eevee remembered his mother's words saying that snakes are either very nice or very mean and to be cautious with them. After thinking for a moment, he looked toward the Breloom, who was staring at the rocks in thought. "Let's chase him off!" Breloom's head snapped back to look at Eevee in surprise.

"Are you insane? One bite from that Seviper could end your life little Eevee."

"I know," Eevee nodded, "But someone's got to do this. You're here, so I'll be fine so long as I'm careful, right?" Breloom stared at him silently for what seemed like ages.

"Okay, but you stay behind me, got it?" He started slowly for the boulders.

"Yes, thank you," Eevee nodded, glad that the Breloom was so willing to help.

"Please tell me you know how to fight."

"Yes I do." Eevee replied as he thought back to the lessons his mother gave him.

"Good," Breloom leaped onto the boulder in front of him and called out. "Hey! If you don't want to be poisoned you'll come out and fight!" A few tense heartbeats passed before a harsh hiss sounded from about the middle of the area.

"You again?" Eevee could see the Seviper slither out from in between two boulders, looking at Breloom with malice. "Oh look, you brought me dinner."

Again? Eevee noted, getting into an aggressive stance.

"You wish. Prepare yourself!" Breloom shouted and leaped toward the Seviper. Eevee watched in astonishment as Breloom landed a solid punch on its jaw. The Seviper tried to retaliate with its sharp tooth-like edged tail but narrowly missed. The long primarily black snake dropped in between the rocks, and Breloom leaped back a couple of boulders. Eevee perked his ears and listened. The slithering sounded as clear as a bird's song to him, and he pinpointed the sound: right behind Breloom.

"Behind you!" Eevee shouted. Immediately, Breloom turned, and bright orange spores sprayed from him. At the same time, Seviper lunged and latched its fangs into Breloom's back. Thinking quickly, he spent a moment to concentrate, and then used Quick Attack. He zipped along the boulders, knowing that one misstep would be disastrous. In a heartbeat he was in striking range and lunged, hitting the Seviper hard on the head, leaping away afterwards so he could avoid the spores sprayed by Breloom. Eevee looked back to see Breloom turn, pick up the paralyzed Seviper and launch him into the river. The Seviper did not move as it floated downstream with the current of the river. Eevee leaped the boulders in a hurry to check on Breloom's wound. Seeing how deep they were, Eevee rushed to his den and quickly scuffled through his stash of berries, picking out as many Pecha and Oran berries he could carry. Carrying three Pecha berries and one Oran, he rushed back to Breloom. He nudged him and dropped a Pecha berry by him.

"Eat," Eevee commanded and after a pause, Breloom conceded, wincing as he picked up the berry and ate it whole. Eevee then took the two Pecha berries, crushed them, and then poured the juice over the wound. Breloom twitched, but soon Eevee could see him growing relaxed.

"Thank you. You think quickly for someone so young." Breloom sounded out of breath but thankfully not too weak.

"Thanks," Eevee rushed back into the den to retrieve two more Pecha berries and a Sitrus. He laid the Sitrus down in front of Breloom. "Here, it will help the healing go faster."

"Wow," Breloom eyed Eevee with an impressed expression. "How do you know so much?"

"My mother," Eevee's muffled voice sounded through the Pecha berries he was crushing.

"She taught you well," Breloom smiled. "And I imagine your father taught you to fight?"

Eevee hesitated, unable to find the words to respond. Breloom's smile faded.

"I'm sorry," he said quickly, sounding apologetic.

"No, you're okay," Eevee assured him as he finished applying the berries to the wound. "I don't know much about my father."

"I see…" Breloom looked away. "Well, you handled yourself well out there." Breloom stood up, with Eevee following his movement with concern. "I need to return to my family. See you around." With a wave, he took off; leaping from boulder to boulder then ran off into the trees, disappearing within then. Eevee watched him go then felt his jaws gape into a yawn. He returned to his den and drank a bit of water from the stream, then settled into his soft, mossy bed.

Peace. For a moment, Eevee felt nothing, not even an atmosphere or a feeling. Opening his eyes, he awoke to see nothing but white around him. He slowly stood up, looking around in confusion. Suddenly, an indescribable voice sounded from all around him.

To you who has embraced the call of nature

I call upon you in an approaching peril

The grace of healing

Thy manner appealing

To you who have answered nature's call I dub thee:

Leaf

Rise my chosen warrior

Just as the voice finished speaking, a powerful wind engulfed Eevee and he closed his eyes. His body on the inside suddenly grew violent and pain seemed to thrash within him. Heartbeats passed in intense pain, and he struggled to breath. Then, as soon as the advent had come, it was over, and Eevee awoke in his den, breathing heavily. The light filtering into the den told him it was morning. After calming down, he stood up and stretched. Upon seeing his legs and brown paws, he collapsed in shock. After collecting himself again, he left his den and headed for the river. Looking at the refection, two amber-brown eyes stared back at him. His mind could only contemplate one word.

Leafeon

The pale yellow fur composed most of his body until the tail, most of it, which was a pale green. The tip of Leafeon's ears were the same color of his tail, and met the pale yellow fur near the base of his ears. He also sported leaf-like appendages the center of his forehead, chest, and the back of his hind just above his paws, and the front and back of his front legs in the same area, all the same pale green color. As he stared at his reflection, his dubbed name surfaced in his mind.

"Leaf," he said aloud.

Just who, or what, was speaking to me?

Leaf looked up to the sky and smiled. Somewhere out there his mother was likely bathing in the sunlight, wondering where her child was. If only she could see him now. He vowed that once he had grown used to his evolution, he would leave the forest to visit her. He turned and stretched, feeling the new, lean muscles underneath his fur, and headed toward the forest. There was still much exploring to do.