Milo and the Blue Umbreon: Moonlight Beginnings
Hey there! Glad you're here, thanks for reading! Just so you know, this one-shot is heavily related to/dependent on another story of mine, Milo and the Blue Umbreon. I've tried to make this fairly standalone wherever possible, so feel free to keep on reading if you've not gone through that one, but be aware that you'll likely miss a lot of the contextual significance of this story, and there are some minor spoilers. That said, I'll get out of your way now, so please enjoy the full 'origin story' of Azura, the titular Blue Umbreon!
"Momma? What's going on? Where's everyone running to?"
Eva, the young Eevee, looked questioningly up into her mother's worried eyes. She could hear what sounded like yelling, crashing, and fighting a long ways off. The kindly Espeon picked up her daughter by her neck fur and began to run, saying,
"It's okay, Eva, everything's going to be okay. We just have to leave for a while. We may have to live in a new place."
The young kit was growing more and more terrified by the second;
"Where's Daddy?"
She could see a tear roll down her mother's soft cheek before she answered with a trembling voice, "Your father has to go help fight. He'll find us when everything settles down."
"But who is Daddy fighting?"
"Some humans came into our forest a while ago, sweetheart. Daddy's fighting so they can't get to our family."
"But you said humans were nice, Momma! You said that when human Trainers catch you they help you be strong and they take care of you. Why does Daddy have to fight them?"
Eva's mother put her down softly in the brush before looking down at her with a sad, but loving gaze,
"Listen closely to me, Eva. Not all humans are nice. Most of them are good, but some are very, very bad. Some only want to catch you so they can sell you to make money. They won't love you or take care of you. You must always be careful that any human you find is a good human. Do you understand me?"
"I…I do, Momma."
"You are a special little Eevee; your silver fur marks you as a 'shiny', which makes you rare and valuable to these bad humans. That means if they find you they will try very hard to capture you. That's why Daddy's gone to help the rest of the forest Pokémon fight them off. You must promise me you'll always be wary of bad humans. Promise me, Eva."
"I promise, Momma."
"Good, now hide in there, in that hole under the tree. Go on, I'm going to make sure we're safe and then I'll join you."
Scared and confused, with the fighting sounds still far away but growing louder, the little Eevee crawled under the tree roots and stared out, waiting desperately for her mother's return, her small heart beating faster than it ever had before.
In another couple of minutes, she heard her mother's voice, as another Pokémon approached;
"Who's there? Who is it? Oh! Oh, dear Arceus, Ferno it's you, thank goodness!"
Eva was overjoyed to hear her father's voice respond, "Yes…I'm here. But, we – ugh – we can't stay…"
His grunt of pain alerted his wife and daughter, and before too long Eva's mother deduced the danger, "Dear, you're hurt! What happened? What do you mean we can't stay? Is the fighting over?"
"There's…too many of them. They have gas and armor. They beat us back, I had to run, had to – to come and warn you two. I'm one of the few who got away. Psyonne, they're targeting children."
"…Daddy?"
Eva quietly called from her hiding spot. Her Flareon father heard and poked his head in under the tree, and little Eva felt his familiar warmth.
"My beautiful Eva. I need you to be strong, okay? I don't know what's going to happen, but no matter what, you must be silent. Do not come out until you are absolutely sure everything is quiet again, alright?"
"I…I'm scared, Daddy."
"I know. I know it's frightening. But you need to be brave right now. Promise me, my little girl. Promise you'll stay safe."
"Okay, Daddy."
No sooner had Eva retreated further back into the underground root system than human voices exploded all around the family's small clearing.
"Here's two Eons!"
"Gas 'em! Check for Eevee nearby!"
Chaos exploded all around her as Eva began to cry from terror. But she had promised her father, and she remained silent and hidden. She heard screams and yells from both her parents, sounds of fighting and then… then the sound she dreaded most of all. Silence fell, broken only by two soft thuds. A pause, then her father's voice whispered weakly,
"Eva…stay…hidden…I love you…my daughter…"
The hardest thing the little Eevee had ever done was to wait silently for the next five minutes, until she could no longer hear the retreating humans' footsteps. By some miracle, they hadn't managed to find her.
When at last she dared to emerge from under her tree, she ran straight to the limp forms of her mother and father.
"Momma? Daddy? Please, wake up, please! Momma, Daddy, please, I need you!"
Neither of them responded. They were already dead.
As soon as the awful truth sunk in, Eva ran as far as she could from that accursed spot.
I'm leaving, she told herself, I can't stay here. I just can't. Momma….Daddy….
She ran through the night. She had absolutely zero idea where she was or where she was going. She didn't care - couldn't care. Her brain was stuck on one awful thought;
They're gone. They're gone...I'm alone. I hate humans, I hate humans, I HATE HUMANS! Humans killed Momma and Daddy, and I HATE them!
As morning began to cast its first bleak rays through the dark trees, hunger forced Eva to acknowledge the world around her. She had never learned to forage on her own - she was too young. Besides, the Pokémon that lived around them all came together to provide for one another. Each of them contributed what they could and everyone in their loose community got what they needed. It was the system they all relied upon, the system they all survived upon.
And now that's all gone, the young Eevee thought darkly, because of some no-good, stinky, evil, disgusting humans. Hmm, speaking of humans…
Her nose perked up as a strange scent caught her attention. The longer she paused, the more she realized that she was absolutely starving. She could smell humans nearby, and the very idea made her grimace, but something else made her pause. Something smelled absolutely delicious...Her growling belly overtook her instincts and she picked her way laboriously towards the seductive fragrance. So it was that in the wee hours of the morning little Eva arrived at the outskirts of what seemed to be a human city.
She stopped, at war with herself.
I can't go in there. There are so many evil humans...Ugh, but I really need something to eat. I'll just...go in and stay hidden. Don't let the bad humans find me. Okay.
Resolved and slightly terrified, the silver Eevee slunk in between buildings and through shadows, drawing odd looks from the wild Starly and Staravia that saw her with their sharp, beady eyes from the rooftops. The city was still, the streets as empty as could be in the early morning. Cautiously, tremulously, Eva followed the intoxicating smell past rows of rickety, old-looking buildings to an open window.
Seeing at last the object which had drawn her attention, Eva stopped, heart beating frantically with anticipation and anxiety.
It was some kind of human food. A circular dish filled with stuffing that smelled of fruit and sugar, with a layer of bread on top. She was second guessing herself like crazy, and her every instinct screamed that this was the worst idea, but again her hunger overpowered her better judgement. Gathering what courage she had, Eva leapt up onto the window ledge, still staring with big, hungry eyes at the human food thing.
"Hey!"
She panicked, barking in surprise at the human voice. A middle-aged woman stood, ladle in hand, in the middle of her kitchen, just as surprised as Eva was. Trembling all over, the young Pokémon grabbed the dish between her small jaws, and jumped awkwardly back out the window.
"Wait, that's my Pecha Pie! Come back here!"
There was a loud splat as both Eevee and pie dish hit the concrete in a most ungainly fashion. Eva was much too frightened to care that a large portion of the pie was lost to the sidewalk from the drop. Gripping the edge of the dish in her small jaws, she took off sprinting through the streets, desperate to escape the menacing humans that were most certainly coming after her…
With her heart pumping so hard and fast it was about to burst from her chest, Eva at last stopped when she regained the safety of the trees, looking down at her pilfered meal.
I...I did it! I stole their food, and they didn't catch me!
As she dug voraciously into the Pecha Pie, she allowed a feeling of savage (albeit petty) justice to wash over her;
Ha! Take that! Stupid, mean, evil humans...Now I've got your Pecha Pie!
She devoured every last crumb that had survived the frantic scramble away from the city. The sudden intake of rich food after nearly a day without eating made her drowsy soon after, and for the first time since she lost her old life, she curled up in the shelter of some exposed tree roots and let sleep overcome her. She slept all through that day, and awoke to the light of the moon softly illuminating her new surroundings.
The little Eevee stretched, her brain numbly focused on what she should do next. Carefully, she stepped out of her makeshift shelter...to find the last thing she expected.
It was another pie, sitting right next to the mangled remains of the empty dish she'd stolen the previous morning. She narrowed her eyes at this odd development.
I know that's not the same one. It's new. Who left me a new human pie thing?
Still, it smelled just as delicious as the first one...Eva looked around, suspicious. She walked all around the new pie, checking for...anything. Any sign of human trickery. She found nothing. Painstakingly, she took a tiny nibble. It tasted different than the first pie.
"It's made with Pokémon food", said a voice from nearby.
A human! It WAS a trap!
Eva's eyes snapped wide open and she turned and ran without a moment's hesitation.
"Wait", called the voice as she ran, "I just want to help…!"
She knew that voice; it was the same woman whose pie she had stolen in the city.
Another human trick. I won't fall for it this time, you bad, tricky...human! You'll never catch me!
Eva kept running as fast as her little legs could carry her. In fact, it was almost an hour before she dared to rest again.
She was scared. She was hungry again. She was lonely. She was sad. With all these things swirling through her, she couldn't think what to do…
In the end, she drifted back off into uneasy slumber, the moon's pale rays her only source of comfort.
Something poked her gently awake, hours later;
"Hey. Hey you, Eevee."
Fearing another human ambush, Eva scrambled upright, heart leaping into her throat…but it was only a Bidoof, not much bigger than herself.
"Oh. I thought you were a human", she muttered grumpily, "Why'd you have to go and wake me up?"
The Bidoof just looked at her, cocked its head to one side, and asked;
"Can I have some of that?"
The Plump Mouse Pokémon gestured with one paw to a pie situated about five feet from where Eva had passed out. She could just see the spot where she'd nibbled at it earlier; it was the same second pie that the human had tried to trick her with!
"Run away!" Eva tried to push the Bidoof, positive that more human skullduggery was afoot, "It's a human trap! She's around here somewhere, run!"
The Bidoof didn't move, however, instead only raising an eyebrow in confusion;
"Run? Why? Your Trainer left hours ago. She just dropped off that food thing, sat with you for a bit, and then headed back to the human city. Why are you running from your Trainer?"
Eva was stunned. This didn't make any sense. If the human had found her, why did it leave her alone? Wouldn't she have wanted to catch her and do some terrible human things?
"I…I don't have a Trainer", she informed the Bidoof, "That human followed me after I stole some of her human food from the city."
"Huh", answered the other Pokémon, still hungrily eyeing the second pie, "Well, she must be an awfully good human, then. Anyway, can I have some of that?"
"I guess", answered Eva falteringly, "We can split it if you want. You're sure she's not hiding somewhere? She was last time."
The Bidoof shrugged and dug into the pie, commenting between bites;
"Not that I know of. I don't know what you're afraid of, she seemed like a perfectly good human to me. She just kind of sat here with you for a while, while you were asleep. She looked kind of sad and happy at the same time."
With that, the Plump Mouse Pokémon licked its lips, satisfied with the free meal, and trotted off into the woods. Eva, on the other hand, was more conflicted than ever.
Why would she bring me another pie? I stole the first one and ran away. I can't trust a human, though, not after – after what they did…Still, she didn't look like those humans. She doesn't look too scary.
Eva recalled her mother's words; you must always be careful that any human you find is a good human.
The memory was like a twist of the knife to her heart, but… maybe the pie woman was a good human after all. It wasn't impossible, though Eva was still hard pressed to see this through the pain that was still so very near to her.
She was quite curious by nature, and eventually she came to a sort of compromise.
I'll go back to the pie woman's house, and see if she's got more food. If she does – and she's not mean – maybe I'll give her a chance. Momma would want me to.
Her mind made up, Eva spent the day making her way back towards the human city, which took a lot longer than running away, especially since she wasn't running for her life this time. Eventually, however, she was indeed able to retrace her steps. The lonely Eevee waited until night to enter the city. Just as before, she could smell the same scent of Pecha Pie, drawing her expectantly to that same spot…
She stopped under the windowsill, steeling both her body and her mind;
Don't panic, she told herself, if she's there again don't panic. I promised I'd give her a chance. I made a promise to Momma. Don't. Panic.
With a deep breath, she hopped up onto the window, where there was indeed another Pecha Pie. Forcing herself not to grab the dish and run, Eva peered into the dark kitchen.
There, seated at the table, was the woman, completely still. Her head was slumped forward, her eyes closed peacefully.
She's…sleeping? Okay, breathe…Breathe, Eva…
Trembling, the young Eva dared herself to leap down into the kitchen to investigate. As soon as her feet tapped softly against the cool tile floor, the woman stirred, her eyes fluttering open…
"Hmm? Who's…Oh!"
The woman spotted Eva instantly, frozen in place, shaking with fear that she was only barely keeping in check. The woman took a deep breath, and visibly forced herself to relax and stay seated. Quietly, gently, she spoke to the small Evolution Pokémon;
"H-hi there, Eevee…I'm so glad you came back. I'm so very sorry for scaring you in the woods. You looked hungry and lost, and I wanted to make sure you were okay…Do you like the pie?"
Eva nodded carefully, her wide eyes hardly daring to blink as she stared at the woman. She unconsciously took a step backwards.
"It's okay", said the woman hopefully, "I promise I'm not going to catch you or hurt you, if that's what you're scared of. I'm…happy you like the pies, though, you look as though you could use more food than you've been getting. If I move that one from the window to the table, will you share it with me?"
The Bidoof was right, Eva thought, she does seem nice. But…I'm still not convinced. She may be nice, but she's still a human. I promised Momma I would find out. I have to stick this out and make sure she's nice.
"Vee", she nodded again, moving aside.
Slowly, very slowly, the woman stood up and collected the pie dish from the window. Eva watched, half mortified and half mesmerized, as she set two plates on the table and cut a slice of pie for each. Then she sat back down, with the same genuine smile on her slightly wrinkled face, and motioned to the open spot;
"Here you go, Eevee, this one's for you. Only if you want it, I won't force you, okay?"
Eva took a few nervous steps forward. She could feel her nerves just beginning to settle; this woman really didn't seem to be trying to hurt or trick her after all.
Maybe there really are nice humans…like Momma told me…
The shiny youngster hopped up onto the table and sniffed the pie delicately.
"I promise it's just as good as the last one", smiled the woman, as she made a big show of putting a bite of pie in her own mouth.
At last relenting just a bit, Eva began munching daintily on her piece.
It really is as tasty as the one I stole.
In silence, woman and Eevee sat and ate together for more than a few minutes, each trying to puzzle out the other. Finally, when Eva had finished her piece and the woman had eaten two, she stood and said;
"Thank you for trusting me, Eevee. I know it must be lonely out there, won't you let me fix you a small bed here in the kitchen?"
A bed did sound awfully comfortable, compared to tree roots…This human had proven trustworthy so far. Perhaps this would be okay, too. Eva nodded her assent.
The woman looked overjoyed, tears forming in her eyes as she left the room briefly before returning with a few small pillows and blankets which she arranged in a corner for Eva. With shimmering eyes and a peaceful smile, she looked down at the small Eevee and said, her voice just above a whisper;
"Eevee…thank you for staying. I just – really needed not to be alone. I'm going to sleep, but I'll see you in the morning, I hope. Good night, little Eevee. Sleep tight."
Eva didn't go to sleep immediately after the woman left. She sat on the windowsill, staring up at the soft moonlight streaming in.
Would Momma and Daddy be proud of me? Am I being brave? Or am I just getting tricked again? I…I really think she's a good human.
After a while, she felt drowsiness begin to overtake her, so she crawled into her makeshift pillow nest. It really was more comfortable than dirt and tree roots, and it didn't take long for Eva to drift gently to sleep.
Eva stayed with the human woman, seeing no reason to leave. The next day, she was there to listen as the woman talked, cooked, cleaned her house, went out for groceries, and any number of other mundane human activities. Still, Eva noticed a certain energy in her new human friend that hadn't been there when they first met.
Maybe she really was just lonely. Kind of like me.
She came to enjoy keeping the woman company. It was as though she found a purpose again. The woman – Loraine was her name – took good care of Eva, and the Eevee in turn was there to support Loraine and keep her happy. One day became two, and two days became a week.
Eva began to pick up bits and pieces of information about Loraine from the woman's phone conversations. Evidently, she'd been lonely because her husband recently passed away quite unexpectedly. He had been a research assistant at a local laboratory, leading a study on which Pokémon reacted to certain scents. He would slather different kinds of substances on trees and watch to see what kinds of Pokémon came to investigate.
Unfortunately, one of his attempts had been almost too successful. He had attracted a host of Wurmple, who didn't take kindly to his being there to observe them. He'd been hit by a multitude of Poison Sting attacks, and was unable to recover.
How could she trust a wild Pokémon like me, Eva wondered, so soon after a wild Pokémon had taken her husband away?
This was her course of thought one night as she sat again by the window, watching the moon's slow rise across the city. It had become her nightly routine, a sort of moon-therapy if you will. Loraine had found out after the first few nights, and would join her on occasion, sitting silently at the table wrapped in her thoughts, cradled ever so softly by the moonbeams that spread across the dark kitchen.
After two weeks had gone by, Loraine grew very excited over a new piece of news;
"Eevee", she said, "I've had a call from my son! He's decided he doesn't like his job in Oreburgh, so he's going to move back here with his momma! We'll have someone else to keep us company!"
Eva yipped happily, her tail wagging as she showed her appreciation at the news.
It's probably good for her to have other humans, she realized, so she won't feel like it's just the two of us isolated from everyone else.
That night, as they sat in the kitchen under the moon, Eva could practically feel Loraine's happiness, her relief, her joy emanating from her. Her heart went out to the human woman, who'd had to stay so strong for such a long time, with only Eva to keep her company. Eva's gladness on her behalf grew and grew, and it felt as though she would burst from happiness when Loraine spoke;
"Oh, Eevee! Look at you!"
Eva glanced down at herself to find she was glowing.
Am I…evolving? I am! Oh my gosh! I – I….
Her mind went blank as she felt her body begin to change, to grow…It lasted only a few seconds, and when it was done, she felt…different. She felt older, or at least more grown up. And…
I'm not…I'm not Eva anymore. I evolved, so I get to choose a new name, instead of my Eevee name!
"Oh, you're beautiful", Loraine exclaimed breathlessly, "just look at you!"
Her body had become jet black, and she could see pulsating blue rings on her hips and tail.
I'm…an Umbreon? I'm Umbreon!
Loraine left her seat to come and give the newly evolved Dark type a loving embrace.
"I love your new form, Eev – I mean, Umbreon! You look spectacular! I love those rings; they have such a marvelous, deep color…like a clear, azure sea…"
Azure, she turned the word around in her mind, I really like the sound of that. Maybe I'll make my new name from that. Yes…I'll be – I'll be Azura from now on! I'm Azura the blue-ringed Umbreon!
"Br-r-r-eee!"
She rubbed contentedly against Loraine, showing her appreciation for the care and devotion that had enabled this joyous change.
The newly-evolved Azura took a few days to feel well-adjusted to her new form, and when she was at last comfortable in her own skin again, it felt amazing.
Her favorite part was the way the moon seemed to speak to her during their nightly routine, whispering sweetly to her in the gentle breezes of the night. Never before had the night felt so comfortable, so alive. For one week, everything was paradise in the little home. Both Azura and Loraine had never been happier, and with the coming of Loraine's son just a few weeks away, it seemed as if the good times would never end.
It was then that Azura began to feel the pull. It started one night, five days after she evolved, as she and Loraine sat together in their customary silence, admiring the majesty of another clear Veilstone moon;
It almost makes me wish I were free to just go out, into the open night, thought Azura unconsciously.
Wait, what am I saying? Why would I ever leave Loraine? Hmm, what an odd thought. Still, looking at that moon makes me want to do...something. I really don't know what.
She went to sleep troubled, but by the morning the feeling was gone, and she resumed her life of luxury and Pecha Pie. Over the next few days, Azura began noticing a change in Loraine. She was no longer prone to lapses of pensive depression; these were replaced by the occasional wistful sigh and smile of expectation.
Azura was remarking on this one evening, a week and a half after evolving, when she found herself thinking with a smile;
It seems she's not reliant on me for consolation anymore. She's found her own source of happiness. I'm...glad for her, really. She deserves a loving human family, not just a wild Pokémon off the street. I guess that would leave me free to go find...find what?
The blue-ringed Umbreon tilted her head and furrowed her brow;
That's the second time that idea has showed up, like it's on the tip of my tongue. Why would I leave? Where would I go? I don't want to feel like this, like I'm restless...I'm happy here with Loraine. I really am. I couldn't ask for more than this. Could I? What else is out there?
This time, Azura's unease refused to fade away in the morning. Part of this was again due to Loraine. In her excitement and preparation to receive her son, she forgot to bake her usual Pecha Pie, leaving Azura sitting in disappointed expectation on the countertop by the cooking utensils.
Meandering aimlessly about the house totally independent of her amicable host, who was busy packing things to move them out of the room her son was to occupy, Azura had plenty of time alone with these strange, uninvited thoughts of the future;
I can't even put a finger on what this feeling is, much less what it means...It's like I'm - incomplete? Like I'm a stranger in someone's home. Well, that part is true, I guess. Ugh, I just can't figure this out and it's driving me crazy.
She only wanted to return to the carefree life they had shared before. These thoughts seemed to be hounding her, pestering her like a splinter in her brain. The more she tried to put her musings aside, the stronger they became.
Slowly, over the course of days, the sense of emptiness, of being unfulfilled, grew and grew. It was strongest when she sat on that windowsill, the same place she'd stolen that first Pecha Pie. Staring up at the softness, the coolness, the perfection of that Veilstone moon, she could feel its pull so strongly it was almost a physical force. It wanted, it needed her to go somewhere. Where was anybody's guess, but she just had a feeling she'd know when - if - she left.
With one week to go until Loraine's son was due to arrive, she finally came to a decision;
I can't ignore this. It's tearing me apart from the inside out...As much as I want to, I can't stay here and pretend everything's the same. Loraine needed me, but now she'll have her son. I don't begrudge her that, she deserves human love.
The Umbreon glanced back at her friend. After another long day of preparing - she'd been deep cleaning the house - the woman's head had long since slumped forward onto the table, asleep.
It'll be sad to say goodbye, but...I won't make it a big deal if I can help it. I'll stay until her son arrives, and then - then I'll just go.
At last, she felt some measure of relief. Now she had a plan, a resolve to follow the moon's pull. Of course, as things tend to do, the last week of her stay with Loraine proceeded as slowly as could be.
The longer Azura held this decision inside her, the more it just felt right.
We had some great times, and each of helped the other out of a really dark place, she thought, but nothing lasts forever, and it's just time for me to move on. She's moving on, too, just in a different way.
They both felt it coming. Loraine had spent less and less time with Azura, who now mostly fed and cared for herself. There was no ill will, no hard feelings or resentment, just a slow drifting apart. Each became at most a spectator in the other's life.
Finally, the day came. Loraine began checking every clock in the house obsessively at least a full hour before her son was due to arrive. Azura knew it was time, and with both an eager and a heavy heart, she hopped up onto that windowsill and got Loraine's attention;
"Br-r-r-ee!"
"Hmm", Loraine looked over to see Azura standing on the windowsill, clearly about to jump out. She frowned for a minute before realization struck her;
"Oh, Umbreon...are you leaving?"
Azura only nodded. This needed to be done, and Loraine at least deserved a proper goodbye. The woman looked as though her first instinct was to protest, but she closed her mouth and reconsidered. After a minute, thinking back over the last few weeks, her face softened into a sad smile and she said;
"Well...If you feel you need to go, then I've no right to stop you. Umbreon - thank you for everything. You've done so much more to help me than you could ever understand, and I'm grateful. I will miss you."
"Br-r-r-eee. Breoooonn."
I'll miss you too, Loraine. I hope your son makes you as happy as you deserve to be.
Not trusting herself to draw out the moment any longer, Azura leaped gracefully out onto the street and took a deep breath.
Here we go, she told herself, time to see what happens when I trust my instincts. First, I want out of this city. Whatever I'm looking for, it's not here. It's out there, somewhere.
That was enough to get started, at least. Oddly enough, she ended up in the same section of forest she'd lived in as an Eevee, up until...well, for most of her childhood. She felt the oppressive weight of memory, but months of a new life, combined with the maturity granted her by evolution, helped her keep her cool. She was able to acknowledge the pain without succumbing to it, as she had that first night that felt so distant now.
The only problem was that her well of 'magical inspiration' seemed to have run dry.
Where am I supposed to go now? Maybe this was just a stupid feeling after all.
Sullenly, she flopped down on a tree branch, high enough above the ground to feel relatively protected. She languished there the rest of the evening, observing the other wild Pokémon coming and going, and letting her thoughts swirl about without too much in the way of direction.
As one might expect of an aptly named Moonlight Pokémon, the clear night sky brought Azura a resurgence of both energy and purpose.
I've spent all my life so far up here in the northeast, she told herself. Perhaps it's time I get a large-scale change of scenery. Southwest, it is.
With a shake and a stretch, Azura set off once more. It was fun, she found, to live this way, going whichever way her thoughts took her. She knew enough now to recognize good berries for eating, and she discovered she was strong enough to at least protect herself in case of emergency. Mostly she just learned to stay out of the way of Pokémon who looked...unfriendly.
After a week's worth of aimless travel this way and that, in a vaguely southwest direction, she wound up in the vicinity of Mt. Coronet. Her 'instincts', which were more or less synonymous with 'any random thought that was interesting enough to catch her fancy', told her that perhaps the best view of the moon would come from higher up the mountain.
She'd been shocked to find much stronger and more hostile wild Pokémon up there as well, and her initial reaction had been to leave the mountain well behind her. However, something told her it was a golden opportunity to grow stronger.
Strong enough to battle. Strong enough to be helpful if I ever get a Trainer. Maybe that's what this is all about? Why else would this weird pulling feeling lead me here?
Azura still kept her nighttime vigil, looking to the moon for inspiration and encouragement on her whimsical journey. Sometimes she'd come up with new ideas, new plans, new directions for herself. Other times, she would simply admire the moon's beauty and be at peace.
She passed a rather harrowing two weeks on the mountainside, forcing herself to battle as much as she dared. From what she could tell, it worked; she was notably faster and stronger than before, and she'd picked up some new tricks. She still got her butt kicked my most of the tougher Pokémon near the top of the mountain, but she'd made a good bit of progress nonetheless.
They always say Dark types fight dirty, but...maybe it's just because we're smart enough to pull it off. She grinned to herself, proud at the thought, We use tricks because tricks win fights.
She huffed in annoyance as the cold air made her shiver.
The weather's getting on my nerves more and more, though. Can't trick nature, no matter what type you are. It'll always get to you somehow.
With a shake, she glanced back up at the crescent moon, thinking to herself;
I guess there's not any reason for me to stay here if I'm not comfortable. Maybe it's time to move on. I never did get that far southwest, I suppose. I got distracted in the middle by the whole mountain training thing. Yep, that decides it!
As she settled into the little den (more or less an alcove set back into the face of Mt. Coronet) she'd taken for herself, she thought;
In the morning, it's goodbye mountain. So ends yet another life. First the forest, then Loraine, now the mountain…things are moving so quickly now, I can barely keep up with myself.
As she left the mountain in her wake the next day, she sighed again;
"It's starting to feel like I need a change from…change", she said to herself, "this was so exciting at first, living without a care, but I need a purpose. I want a reason to be doing things."
Unfortunately, coming to this conclusion was of no use to her, since purpose in life wasn't exactly going to jump out of the woods and say, 'Hi there, you called?' for her convenience.
So, wistfully, Azura continued southwest. There was unbroken wild territory for miles upon miles southwest of Mt. Coronet, which gave the shiny Umbreon another week and a half of travel before she found any sign of civilization. As she travelled, her sense of weariness, of mental exhaustion, grew stronger and stronger.
"Alright, moon", she found herself muttering one night, "I've trusted you this far, but I'm getting pretty darn sick of the whole aimless wandering bit. Got anything good in store, preferably soon?"
She missed Loraine. She missed her old forest. She missed her Momma and her Daddy. She just felt so…so tired all of a sudden. Still, she couldn't take her eyes away from the moon that had guided, pulled, and teased her along this far. Was it just her imagination, or did it seem as though those lines in the moon formed a smile?
Now I know I'm crazy. Moonlight Pokémon or not, the moon doesn't smile at you. I need sleep.
Huffily, she forced herself to settle in for the night.
It was exactly three nights later that she arrived at the edge of another human city. She stood just outside, peering in at the outermost row of humble buildings. Something had changed; she felt now a much more acute pull, as if the strange force that had led her along had at last picked a target.
Seeing that she had the cover of night, she took a shuddering breath and tiptoed her way in.
Last time I got into a human city, I met Loraine, she told herself, As long as I'm careful, I don't have to be afraid.
She could feel that strange pull, almost like a burning sensation in her mind. It was incredibly strong now, guiding her down this street and that one without hesitation.
At least I'll finally know what the point of all this was, she told herself grimly, It had better be worth it.
There. She stopped. She was standing disguised in an alley looking out onto one of the main roads. A boy walked by, holding some human food thing in one hand while the other remained firmly stuffed into his pocket. This human boy was the source of that feeling, somehow.
Who…who is this kid? He feels…like the moon.
She frowned at the strangeness of her own thoughts, but it was true. She barked at herself and dashed off to get a better look at the boy. Somehow, when she saw him, Azura got the same feeling she had when she gazed at the moon, a glimpse of the same deep satisfaction.
She had repositioned herself in front of the boy, who was still scowling his way down the dark road from street lamp to street lamp.
I feel…sorry for him? He's definitely less than happy. Still, this is even more ridiculous than when I trusted Loraine. I know nothing about this human, except that whatever weirdness brought me here wants me to like him.
Frustrated and undecided, she gave another bark and dash off again. She had to admit, though, it would only make sense if he was to be the next good human in her life. After all, hadn't she been yearning for some means of consistency? Hadn't she wanted some kind of purpose, like she'd found with Loraine?
I…guess I should give him a chance? No, if I'm going to do this, I have to go all in. I will give this human boy a chance. He looks scared and uncertain, just like I do. Maybe I really was being drawn to him. There's only one way to find out.
As she followed cautiously behind the boy, watching him enter one of the buildings, she whispered;
"I must always be careful that any human I find is a good human. This is for you, Momma."
Azura could never have guessed just how much her life was about to change.
She was about to meet Milo.
Author's Notes:
This is a lot more chill than what I usually write. I think that's kind of a welcome change, a breath of fresh air, if you will. At the time of writing, I'm just over halfway done with Milo, and this is my way of taking a break from the main story without getting out of my writing groove. That said, if you've not read the main story, Milo and the Blue Umbreon, I highly recommend it; I'm quite proud of it!
Easter egg – a glimpse into my thought process: Just to give you an idea of the kind of forethought that goes into my plot and characters and such, I'll share the way I arrived at the name 'Loraine' for Azura's (well, Eva's) human friend. Hint – it's not just a random woman's name. It actually is a twist on the Spanish word 'llorona', which essentially means a weeping woman. This, in my mind, represents her need for Eva's companionship, and the reason she's so grateful to Eva/Azura for staying with her. Not a huge deal, just thought I would share that tidbit with you fine people. Consider it food for thought.
As I mentioned, this is a one-shot, so if you liked it feel free to check out my other stuff, and follow me as an author so you can stay posted whenever I put out any new content. Ciao, my friends, fare thee well!