This was meant to be entered into some competition on a Pokemon website (see the title, which was the name and theme), but I think I only got about five paragraphs in before giving up. The whole thing was then finished in a writing spree later. You can really see the difference in style, in my opinion. I'm happy with how much I saved it, to be honest, but the underlying ideas will sadly never be redeemable.

Started approx. 2006-2007 (age 11-12), and finished maybe 2008 (age 13).

/-/-

Once upon a time, there was a meadow. One day, on a clear night, it was drizzling. Then it stopped drizzling. Everything was shining; the moon was shining, the stars were shining, droplets of rain were shining. It was very beautiful.

Espeon ran.

Lavender paws kicked up soil as the Pokemon desperately swerved through green blades, crystal-like gems shimmering on each surface. Her eyes fearfully scanned the surrounding scenery, breathing ragged. Yet, as she ran, her mind was wandering. Her mind always wandered, but now wasn't really the time!

Why was she running? She didn't really know. She should face the enemy and knock him unconscious, like every other one she'd come across. There was no way she would, though, for more than one reason.

What was she running from? That was the question she hated answering most, and the more she tried to ignore it, the louder it screamed at her. What made it worse was that she knew the answer... or she thought she knew. Was her predator really the same now that he - it had changed?

She felt surrounding air currents being sucked to fill a hole near her, two metres to her left. A hiding place! She skidded into the pit and slitted her eyes; the moon shone directly into her hiding spot, so the most she could do was avoid reflection and shuffle in deeper. She only just managed to stifle a tearful choke as a black and red blur raced past her hiding place.

It was her fault. It had to be. Everything was.

Memories shot through her mind, sharp and painful, of a world she grew up in: loss, blame, hate, abandonment. And hope. Hope that was now gone.

What was she doing? She needed to focus! Forcing herself to control her breathing, Espeon shut her eyes and quickly mapped out the air outside. She could feel currents being wildly distorted; about the opposite side of the field, the pattern mimicing that of a maniac ripping up everything in sight. It moved fast. She could dash for it now, or hope it took its insane bloodlust somewhere else.

She let out a soft yelp - about the volume of a loud footstep, and the currents stopped, settling around a grotesquely humanoid shape. For a moment the tranquility of the night draped down, before exploding back up at the speed of light. If she were to run, it would know.

Wasn't she the best at prediction? It was one of the only things that had redeemed her; that uncanny ability to sidestep blows with ease, and striking at the exact moment they were regaining balance. She'd revelled in the respect they gave her: "you're still the worst thing to happen to us, but you're good at battling." So why was it failing her now?

The figure turned and rushed towards her. She had no choice. She leapt out of the hole and ran directly towards her predator; barely half a second before she was in range, she stepped to the right, and was running away while the creature swiped thin air. It was a blow that could've broken bones.

She couldn't imagine what they'd done to him in there. It was disgusting, horrific, even unnatural. She wished she'd done something, anything: maybe gone through the window and released the chains, or even attacked that human who'd taken him, forget whatever death trap he was holding. Her life was worthless... his was not.

He was catching up to her, fast. She would have to resort to what felt like cruelty... it was cheap, dirty, to use it on him, but it wasn't him, she reminded herself. It was a Pokemon driven mad by human science. It wouldn't feel betrayal, only pain.

She twisted herself to face the mutated Umbreon, took a deep breath, and used Moonlight.

Her other ability. Blinding light at any hour. How fitting the only one that beared to be near her would happen to have Dry Skin.

The creature screeched as its skin sizzled in the heat, burning and visible underneath its red-black and oily fur. For a second she was able to glimpse its eyes, widened in pain, impossibly orange - or was it just because of the Moonlight? Light swelled around her body, engulfing her vision, to the point it was all she could see.

She stopped. It fell. The grass chafed, and it writhed there, screaming, clawing, doing anything. She couldn't watch. She ran away.

Cool drops ran from her eyes, landing on her heated fur, sizzling and disappearing. She disappeared over the fence and into the forest, a detached voice hazily noticing the water, how relieving it was.

She didn't even know anymore, she just wanted to be as far away as she could.

Eventually she slowed to a stop. She was tired and sleepy and exhilarated and sobbing all at once, and collapsed against the trunk of a tree, gasping more heavily than she ever had before but she still couldn't breathe, she needed to breathe. Everything floated away as her body started to shut down, seemingly deciding not to haunt her until the next morning.

Her conscious faded. And just before she let it go, Espeon brokenly thought, I'll fix what they did, and I'll fix your body. And I'll come back for you, Brother.