Done in response to a prompt on my tumblr, I've always loved the eeveelutions and decided to dabble in the history of Umbreon. The exact prompt was "Umbreon's Evolution Story"
Umbreon's Evolution Story: Umbra
No one was entirely sure when the canine-like creature first started appearing. Many of the initial stories were from frightened Johto citizens, all reporting the same black fur and red eyes romping around in the darkness. More concrete stories were obtained from trainers moving quickly from town to town during the evening. Many of the trainers, having encountered some of the most frightening Pokemon, were unperturbed by the mysterious creature and merely voiced their curiosity at the possibility of a new Pokemon.
The most peculiar case of the nighttime creature centered on a missing child in Goldenrod City. A little girl named Crystal, who's mother was picking up Pokemon at the local Day Care center, was enthusiastically playing with a resident Ditto on Route 34 when she found herself lost in the tall grass. Night was rapidly approaching and she was scared. After the event, she vehemently claimed that "a big, black Eevee with glowing gold rings" guided her out of the grass and safely back to her worried mother. Crystal's mother saw no such creature but still wished to thank the Pokemon that helped her daughter find her way back home. The media began circulating the story region wide and the creature earned the nickname "Sirius" after the brightest star in the sky, often used to guide trainers when they are lost.
After the initial news report, more stories soon gained traction and Professor Elm began sending scouts to various hotspots in Johto where Sirius was spotted. Elm's aides discovered scant pawprints and large dens of Eevee nearby, which was curious due to their rarity, but no sign of the famous Sirius. Only one, small clue caused Elm to travel to Goldenrod City with the intention of recruiting Professor Oak in his, seemingly fruitless, quest.
This was how an anomaly that began in the Johto Region migrated into Oak's domain. Professor Elm approached him, after a successful radio broadcast, with hopeful eyes and a strong clap on the shoulder.
"Ah, Samuel! Well done today, I had never imagined Celfairy to possess such power during the full moon!"
Professor Oak huffed out a brief laugh causing the laugh-lines around his mouth to become more pronounced, "You'll have to trek out to Mount. Moon and see it for yourself! Quite a spectacular sight!"
Elm nodded excitedly and anxiously balanced his weight from foot to foot. He began his next statement in a careful, reserved tone, "as fantastic as all of your radio shows are, I'm not here only to congratulate you." Elm paused just long enough to see Oak's expression shift into one of scientific intrigue. "I was wondering if you've heard any of the stories of Johto's Sirius?"
Oak brought a hand to his chin and replied, "I have heard rumors of a dog-like Pokemon guiding lost trainers through difficult terrain but I have yet to see any conclusive evidence myself." Oak had begun to usher Elm out of the Radio tower with no clear destination in mind until the two Pokemon Professors reached a small café located next to the Pokemon Center. It was dusk and the sun was beginning to set. A flock of Pidgy flew overhead as the two professors ordered drinks.
Elm nodded absently and began to speak with more vigor than before, "I've been sending my aides out to investigate the stories and originally found nothing but a few paw-prints. I was disheartened because of the time and energy I had spent on this project that I had become increasingly passionate about. As a last-ditch effort I decided to explore Route 34 alone. I discovered a trail of the strange prints and followed them to what appeared to be an abandoned Eevee den. Except there was one, lone Eevee left. She appeared to be the runt of the litter due to her small size and the fact that she was left behind when the mother must have relocated the nest.
"I slowly approached the Eevee, she was crying out for her mother and I was worried that my presence would cause her to flee, you know how often Eevee kits use their run-away, but she looked right at me and ran up to my feet. I knew I couldn't leave her alone out there, so I scooped her up and took her back to Goldenrod with me. It was when I was carrying her back that it hit me. What if this creature is an evolved form of Eevee? In almost every area that Sirius was spotted an Eevee den was present. The little girl from the news even referred to Sirius as a large, black Eevee. The evidence was in front of me the entire time!"
At this point in his explanation, Professor Elm was breathless and shaking with excitement. His arms were thrown out wide and his eyes were locked with the shocked gaze of Oak. A friendly Mr. Mime brought over their drink orders but the two professors were too preoccupied to offer him thanks.
"This brings about entirely more questions than answers," Oak began, settling both of his hands firmly on the table. "How does an Eevee take this form? Is there some sort of evolution stone, of which we are unaware? Is this evolution simply based on survival? Maybe this evolution possesses some adaptive traits that Eevee do not inherently possess!" Oak's speech became increasingly more animated and rapid as the true nature of the discovery blossomed. Elm voiced his agreement with Oak's speculation and fished a Pokeball out of the pocket of his lab coat.
"I eventually brought the Eevee kit back to my lab and introduced her to the other Pokemon staying with me, just to get her adjusted and to help her make friends. I knew she was the key to this discovery but I wasn't entirely sure how to utilize her. I knew I could not subject her to laboratory tests, that would be entirely too inhumane. Then I realized that maybe traveling with a trainer, unexposed to evolution stones, would cause her to evolve. I'm coming to you partly because of your research and knowledge but also because I know you have a grandson who is due for his first Pokemon in a few short weeks."
Oak grew quiet for a moment, simply staring at the Pokeball in Elm's hand. He had originally been planning to give his grandson one of the typical starter Pokemon. They were notoriously easy to train and Oak knew, with experience, that training an Eevee was a difficult endeavor. "Eugene, are you saying that you want me to give this Eeeve to my grandson as his first Pokemon?" Oak knew he was being redundant but he did not want to misunderstand the severity of Elm's request.
Instead of giving an answer, Professor Elm pressed the center button on the Pokeball and released Eevee. She shook out her fur after the initial bright light of the release faded. She pranced daintily up to Professor Oak and curiously sniffed his pant leg. She sat in front of him as if she was waiting for him to reach down and pet her.
Professor Elm laughed slightly, "go ahead and pet her. She'll sit there for hours if she has to, persistent little girl." The last part of Elm's affectionate statement was muttered but Oak still heard. He reached down and gently patted her head. She mewled and leaned into the touch. The two men simply let the rumble of the city take over the conversation as the tiny Pokemon relished in the attention she was receiving.
Elm picked up the conversation as their bill was brought over, "I know your concerns but I think she'd be safest with Gary. He knows how to treat Pokemon already and this way it'll be easier for you to keep an eye on her. And if it's any consolation, she's the easiest Eevee I've ever had the pleasure of raising."
Professor Oak continued petting the Eevee as he mulled over his decision. Once he was lost in his thoughts he briefly stopped and Eevee made an angry noise while nipping his hand to gain his attention once again. Oak's thoughtful face gave way to an amused smile, "She certainly loves attention and that definitely reminds me of my grandson. They both share a certain stubbornness as well."
Elm looked hopeful as Oak continued to draw parallels between the evolution Pokemon and his grandson. Oak finally pulled the Eevee into his lap and turned his gaze toward Elm. "Alright, Eugene. I'll bring her back to Pallet with me on the condition that you continue your research on this possible evolution here, as well."
Elm jumped up and brought Oak (and a very reluctant Eevee) into an entirely too enthusiastic hug, "I promise I will. And keep me up to date on her progress! Many of the aides at my lab, and myself of course, have grown quite attached to this one. She's one of a kind."
Oak nodded at his peer once he was free of Elm's Crabby-like grip. "You have my word, I'll make sure Gary knows to keep me involved in her progress. I'm sure he'll be smitten with her as well."
Once the decision was made, the two men vacated the café. (Elm treated of course, one does not make a renowned Pokemon Professor pay after he agrees to do a huge favor). The Professors made small talk, Eevee riding on Oaks shoulders as they strolled through the city. Once Elm had to bite back three yawns in a row, Oak decided to part ways and head towards the Pokemon Center for the night and leave for Pallet in the morning.
Most of his time in the weeks following his agreement with Elm was spent on his previous research on Pokemon breeding habits. Oak released Eevee from her ball in private twice a day in order to feed her and allow her time to play. He had to be sure to hide her from Gary to avoid ruining his birthday surprise.
The morning of October 18th found Professor Oak being awoken entirely too early by his genuinely excited grandson, speaking rapidly about how he was going to become the Pokemon Champion. Once Oak had finished his first cup of coffee he felt ready to give Gary his present.
While the auburn haired youth loudly speculated to the laboratory aides about his possible starter Pokemon, Oak snuck to his private study to receive Eevee's ball and returned before his grandson even noticed he had gone. He handed the awed boy the ball and motioned for him to release what was inside. Gary nodded once and allowed the room to be bathed in a blinding white light. Eevee's signature mewl was the only noise in the room once the light faded. She was prancing between lab tables and sniffing everything around her until she finally came to a stop at Gary's feet.
The boy shakily bent down to become eye level with the tiny Pokemon. She nudged his hand gently until he picked up on the signal to pet her. Eevee growled excitedly and jumped happily into Gary's lap. Gary giggled as he played with Eevee as if they had been long time friends. Oak discreetly wiped his eyes at the sight. He hadn't seen his grandson laugh like this since he was a small child.
"Now Gary," Oak started lightly, gaining the attention of his grandson and the rambunctious Eevee. "Eevee is a special and rare sort of Pokemon, can you tell me why?"
Gary nodded excitedly, "Eevee can evolve into three different types of Pokemon! Jolteon with a thunderstone, Vaporeon with a waterstone and Flareon with a firestone!" Gary beamed at the chance to showcase his knowledge and Oak smiled proudly.
"Good! Now, this Eevee is more special than the normal Eevee. She could possibly evolve into something that we are not aware of yet." Gary looked shocked while Eevee puffed her chest out with pride.
"Gramps," his grandson began, "you're saying there could be more Eevee evolutions that we don't know about yet?" Gary was absently petting Eevee as he mulled over this revolutionary idea. Oak also noticed the normal sounds of the lab quieted as the aides tried to discretely listen in on the conversation.
Oak nodded, "Precisely. This is one reason why I am giving her to you. I'd like to see if you could train your Eevee in order for her to evolve into a new evolution. This means you cannot expose her to any evolution stones and you need to be patient with her. Treat her as your partner." Gary listened intently as Oak gave him directions, he seemed slightly disappointed that he could not evolve her with a stone but there was a hint of pride that he was chosen to accomplish such an important task.
Gary stood up, pulling Eevee onto his shoulders like a furry scarf. "Don't worry, Gramps. You could count on me." Professor Oak recognized how important this task was, not only to himself and further scientific research on evolution, but to Gary himself. Oak will always regret the fact that he could not spend all of his time with his grandson. His absence left a burning desire in Gary to gain his approval. Oak never once doubted the great future Gary would have but he never had the time to fully show his grandson how much potential Oak knew he possessed.
"I know that I can. Keep a close eye on her as you travel and be sure to inform me on her growth."
Gary allowed Oak to see the bright expression in his eyes briefly before he ran out of the lab, loudly exclaiming that Eevee would evolve in no time. Oak laughed and shook his head slightly at Gary's confidence but knew if anyone could accomplish such a task, it would be his grandson.
The beginning of Gary's journey met Oak with a plethora of phone calls about Eevee's daily habits and typical behaviors, news of catching a Rattata along with Gary's thinly veiled animosity towards Ash Ketchum. Oak continually gave Gary advice on the best training methods for Eevee while slightly chastising him for treating Ash so terribly. Oak could tell Gary was beginning to act coolly towards him due to his stance on the Ash Situation but still took his advice none-the-less.
Gary's phone calls became less frequent the following year as he traveled further away from Pallet. Most of the calls were regarding Eevee and his other Pokemon. Gary took a special sort of pride in how quickly his Raticate was growing attached to him. He continually recounted the day that Rattata evolved. Gary had also devised an ingenious training method that caused Eevee to rapidly level up. He no longer told Oak tales about Ash and grew agitated whenever Professor Oak inquired about him.
It wasn't until a two and a half years into Gary's journey that Eevee began behaving strangely. Gary reported that he often awoke in the middle of the night to find Eevee wide-awake and sitting calmly in the darkness outside of the tent. On one occasion, Gary noticed her eyes briefly flash red before returning to their normal warm brown. Oak could tell that his grandson was genuinely concerned about the wellbeing of his Pokemon and assured him that Eevee would be all right.
The most peculiar situation Gary had discovered his Eevee involved in occurred the night before the Indego Plateau Conference. Gary explained that he was not sleeping well that night. His hotel room was entirely too hot, which led him to prop open a window and fall into a fitful sleep. Eevee usually occupied the spot next to his head on the pillow but snuck out of the open window some time into the night. Playful mewling noises awoke the trainer and his curiosity over his missing partner led him into the darkness outside. He spotted his Eevee right away but could not identify the dark-furred creature playing with her.
The dog-like animal (a Pokemon definitely), was emitting some sort of gold light from the circular patterns on its fur. He snapped a few blurry photographs on his PokeNav for his grandfather before he slowly approached the playing pair. His Eevee growled excitedly and ran up to him. She was leading him towards the other Pokemon while chattering in her own tongue. The foreign Pokemon took a defensive stance but Eevee seemed to calm it down some. Gary reached out his hand to pet and the Pokemon reluctantly allowed the action. Gary was soothed in the presence of the strange Pokemon and found himself curled up, Eevee by his side, next to the dark-furred creature. He woke up the next morning as the sun was rising, completely alone sans Eevee.
He recounted the strange events to his grandfather the following day and sent the shaky photos as evidence. Oak hmmed thoughtfully, "You definitely encountered Sirius last night." Gary had grown accustomed to his grandfather referring to the possible Eevee evolution by its folklore name. The auburn haired trainer found it quite fitting for the Pokemon, mostly due to the fact that Sirius was the Dog Star and decided that if his Eevee decided to evolve, he would present that name to his grandfather as a potential name for the species.
"Why was Eevee playing with it though? Do you think she's close to evolving because of her weird behavior?" Gary asked genuinely, wondering what his grandfather's stance was on his Eevee's atypical behavior.
"That is something I cannot honestly answer. The only pieces of evidence that I have of such a creature existing are the blurry photos you just sent me, and the stories from Johto citizens. This is the first I've ever heard of Sirius being spotted in Kanto and the behavior of your Eevee seems close to the behavior I've heard of Sirius." Oak speculated while rapidly taking down notes as his thoughts were coming to him.
The only sounds on the video call for a few minutes were those of Oak mumbling to himself and writing down notes. Gary finally spoke up again in a small voice after a comfortable silence, "Gramps, what if Eevee is completely different when she evolves? What if I don't like what she's going to evolve into?" At this surprisingly vulnerable admission, Professor Oak ceased his furious writing and made as much eye contact with his grandson as he could over a video call.
"Gary…Everything you have ever encountered in life has evolved. The world we live in today was completely different just a few, short years ago. The people you know today, yourself included, change as they grow. Your Eevee is no different. Life itself demands evolution and, while your Eevee will be in a different form, her admiration and love for you as her trainer, and friend, will not change in the slightest. If my suspicions about this new evolution are correct, those emotions she feels will only grow." Oak tried to convey his sincerity simply through eye contact with the camera on the videophone.
Gary's expression grew fond and his eyes seemed slightly moister than they were at the beginning of the call. Professor Oak was struck at how much older his grandson suddenly looked.
"You're right, Gramps. It's just hard not to be afraid of losing a friend again." The last word of his statement was mumbled and Professor Oak was shocked silent for a second time when he came to discover the reason that Gary had stopped informing him of the growth of his Raticate. Oak wondered when his grandson truly became old enough to experience such loss. He hated that the answer was probably a younger age than anyone should be.
"You won't lose Eevee, Gary. No matter if or when she evolves, you would not let that happen, and we both know, neither would she. Gary hummed in agreement; his somber mood was not entirely lifted but it was obvious that he had a firmer grasp on the situation and understood that Eevee would still be his friend. The two disconnected the video-call when Nurse Joy called Gary over to receive his healed Pokemon. As Gary pressed the 'end call' button he heard the three words he had never expected his grandfather to voice and smiled.
The day she finally evolved was a year and a half after the emotional video-call with his grandfather; Gary had been battling a passing trainer outside of Goldenrod City as the sun was setting. The trainer had approached him out of the blue and Gary was strapped for Pokedollars so he took the challenge. The trainer, Alex, had a relatively high-leveled Alakazam and Eevee was beginning to look fatigued. He was ready to recall her until she was bathed in a bright white. Gary knew exactly what was occurring but was too numb to pull out his PokeNav until the very end of her evolution. When the bright light faded, a larger, black furred creature had taken the place of his tiny Eevee.
Alex's Alakazam had ceased attacking in favor of watching the evolution in awe. Alex himself called out his confusion at the Pokemon that had taken the normal type's place. Gary had always assumed when Eevee evolved he would refer to her as Sirius, just as his grandfather had referred to the Pokemon. But that name didn't seem right. It didn't seem to fit his friend. Eevee had always followed him wherever he went without question. She was his trusty shadow. Before Gary even knew what he was doing, he found himself calling out, "This is Umbra! She's a new Eevee evolution." He didn't know why he was compelled to call upon his useless knowledge of Latin picked up from his grandfather but he liked the taste of the name and he could tell Umbra did as well. She fought valiantly and Gary discovered her attacks were special effective against Alakazam now and made a mental note to inform his grandfather of this after the battle.
Alex was a fair sport at the loss and even praised how well Gary had trained Umbra. Gary proudly accepted the compliments and patted Umbra on the head to congratulate her. She mewled happily at the attention and in that moment Gary could see that his Eevee was still there, even in this new form. He wished Alex a safe journey and continued into Goldenrod City towards the Pokemon Center, breaking into a sprint towards the videophones. Once he stopped his hands from shaking in anticipation, he dialed his grandfather's number by heart.
After exactly five and a half rings, Oak answered looking haggard but delighted to see Gary. Umbra poked her head over Gary's shoulder, pulling her mouth into a smile. Gary nuzzled his face next to hers briefly before turning back to his grandfather whose face was both shocked and overjoyed
Gary laughed, "Gramps, meet Umbra."
Professor Oak tried out the name on his tongue then mumbled, "It took her eons to evolve but I'm happy to finally see her."
Gary hummed in thought, "So we need a species name, right? I was gonna suggest Sirius but what about something like Umbra-eons? That sounds too confounded."
Oak agreed and found himself shortening his grandson's original idea, "Umbreon sounds more succinct, don't you think?"
Gary felt Umbra purr in agreement and found himself laughing and nodding enthusiastically. "Umbreon sounds perfect. Looks like you've got a lot of work ahead of you, Gramps. We'll leave for the lab right away."