"Come on, he's catching up!" came the desperate cry as the wind howled like a wounded animal frantic for solace from the pain.

"I know. I know!" They broke out of the cover of the trees and into an open field. Puffing for air with his lungs burning, Eevee staggered after his partner who was up ahead flattening the vegetation for him. Behind them, they could hear their pursuer roar, the force of it making the ground tremble. High above, coal-black clouds swelled with the rumble of sleeping giants as the rain began to fall. "Charmeleon!" The fox panted. "I don't think-" He hacked for breath, coughing. He tripped and tottered for balance.

"You can and you will!" The fire Pokemon turned around and cursed when he saw the state his partner was in. He hurried over to him, staring over the smaller Pokemon's head as he narrowed his eyes and judged the distance between them and what they were running away from. His eyes widened. Another roar sounded off. Growling, he picked up Eevee, slung him under one arm and doubled his pace. "Don't worry," Charmeleon muttered, sweeping a hand out here and then, claws cutting up the stalks, feet tripping as he half-jogged, half-stumbled. His head buried against the larger Pokemon's shoulder, Eevee could hear the hissing of rain droplets splashing onto his flaming tail to rise away as steam. "Swellow managed to escape," Charmeleon gasped. "He'll get help. I'm sure of it."

Another roar came from behind them. Eevee looked back as lightning flashed and caught a glimpse of their chaser moving in full pelt. It was tall, thick in the shoulder and faster than anything of its size should be for it was swiftly gaining on them.

We aren't going to make it, he thought. Charmeleon told him to shut up, and he realized he had said that out loud. But it was true. They both knew it. He knew they should have holed up somewhere for the night, knew they shouldn't have taken the risk of night-time travel, knew he shouldn't have tried to persuade Gothitelle to let him go with the team for this job. What was he thinking? He's still just a guild apprentice!

"Blast it," Charmeleon snarled as he skidded to a halt, and Eevee realized that they were now back in the cover of the trees. Charmeleon turned one way and then another, frantic, and then he made a sound of approval and stomped over to a nearby trunk.

"What are you doing?" Eevee asked.

"Improvising." Charmeleon adjusted Eevee in his claws and lifted him up high so that he could see what the other Pokemon was looking at. The trunk had a hole in it, dusty and filled with cobwebs. "It might be a bit of a tight fit," Charmeleon said. "But you should be fine. Wait until the coast is clear, and then go on ahead." Another roar came from behind them. "Hurry! No time to argue!"

Eevee leapt from Charmeleon's grip and into the hole. He fell short, but his paws found purchase and with an upward push from the fire type he scrambled up and slipped into the interior of the tree. Falling inside, he landed on burrs, twigs and an old acorn left by a former resident. "What about you?" Eevee shouted as he scrambled up.

"I'll manage!" Charmeleon stuck his hand inside and dropped a pouch at Eevee's feet. "Remember, get the delivery to him intact! If Swellow doesn't meet you there, look for a rescue team and come find me at the Dark Woods!" Lightning flashed, and before Charmeleon turned his head away, Eevee saw the brief flash of panic in the Pokemon's eyes which he had managed to hide up till now. Charmeleon stiffened, and then he was snarling in pain. Eevee couldn't see what had happened, what had hit him, but he could hear the whistling of something sharp being thrown through the air. Charmeleon cursed and then he was off again, crashing through the undergrowth.

Eevee pulled himself away from the hole as the silhouette of his and Charmeleon's pursuer passed by, close to the point that Eevee almost mistook his roar for the thunder, his footsteps for tremors. He huddled down as he heard the storm swell in intensity. From the sounds of it and the way his tree shook, it was going to be a big one, and the night a long one.

Eevee pulled the pouch towards himself. Whoever it was that was chasing him and Charmeleon might want this, wanted what was inside which even Eevee himself did not know. Eevee would look inside, but Charmeleon had said that it violated the client's trust in them. Sighing, Eevee closed his eyes and knew from the rapid beating of his heart that he was too frightened to lay down here and regain his breath, too frightened to go outside and try his luck in the rain. But one way or another, he had to go back out there into the storm. Charmeleon and Swellow were both counting on him to complete the mission.

He waited another minute. He told himself it was just to be safe, but in reality, he needed it to work up the courage.

Pouch in his mouth, he poked his head out of the tree hole and immediately felt the lash of the hard rain on his fur. By the time he got himself completely out and onto a branch he was already soaked. Teetering upon it with his precarious footing, he looked down and gulped. The fall wasn't high to injure, but it was going to be a painful nonetheless.

He screwed his eyes shut and let himself drop.

Thunder boomed and lightning flashed as he hit the ground and felt the shock run up all the way from his feet to his spine. He fell forward, dropping the pouch. Gritting his teeth and attempting to work through the pain, he picked himself up.

Then he saw it.

It glowed. It shone. It looked like a medallion and it hung from a loop of cord, and Eevee had to shade his eyes to see it. This was the first time that he was able to see it. Up till now, it had always remained inside the pouch, and Charmeleon had made it clear that it was to stay that way until it reached its intended.

Eevee leaned forward and touched the medallion with a paw and gasped at how cold it felt. He nudged it back inside the pouch. When the glow was completely blanketed by the thick fabric of the bag, the fox felt a strange sense of sorrow.

He pushed it aside and picked up the pouch again. He wondered if he should have just waited for daylight in the tree, for going out in these conditions may result in him putting even more distance between him and his destination. He pushed that thought away as quickly as it came. He had to take the chance to get help to Charmeleon as soon as possible, and if he could find a road, a sign, he could be pointed in the right direction.

Struggling with his thoughts, he tripped into a puddle, soaking his fur.

This was going to be a long night.

Will be updated every Wednesday. Thank you for reading.