Past Tense – Story 1: Eve of the Solstice
"Evangeline!" I winced at the sound of my name. I hated my name. It's supposed to mean something like 'the bringer of good news' in the humans' language. It's a beautiful name. It's elegant and proper. The kind of name that you know you can rely on. It's a lot to have to live up to. And yet, the one who has been granted this name...is me.
I like to think it was a matter of pride that I was given this name. My mother and father were renowned across the land for being the most beautifully groomed and well behaved pokemon in all of Lassoh. Dietrich, the brilliant flareon! Said to smolder anything in his path with only his charisma and presence! And Serenity. The fragile-looking glaceon that could knock you dead cold with the sway of her tail. And me, their only daughter. Small for an eevee. Even smaller than you might expect. My fur, coarse and easily ruffled. My body, stocky and unbalanced. My eyes weren't even an interesting color. And as a final defiant insult, a single curl on the top of my head that could never be tamed. The humans must have took one look at me and decided that I needed this overbearing name just to even things out!
"Evangeline, get over here this instant!" I yelped, realizing I had lost myself in thought again. Mother would not be pleased if I didn't do as I was told. Today was a show day. Our owners would use this as an excuse to show off all of their hard work in dressing us up like living trophies...it 'would not do to be late'. Running as fast as I could, I managed to get to the field before she had to call for me again. Well, almost. I could see them standing in the yard, as usual. Just waiting for the next group of humans to gawk at us...well, at my parents. No one really paid me any mind, with Mother's blue coat shimmering like the Winter's frost and Father's bright orange fluff setting the scene ablaze. I did envy their beauty. And of course, I lost my self in thought again. I didn't quite see where I was going.
I fell. The unseen root tossed me into the air and flipped me around as I attempted to bound down the hill. Instinctively, I curled into a ball and let myself roll down to the show area. When I stopped moving, I found myself sitting in the middle of everything. All eyes on me. I tried to make a move or even just any sound at all, but I couldn't. My heart sank as I watched my father step forward. His gaze was enough to make me want to stay curled in my ball forever.
"Evangeline, you have got to be more careful." He said sternly. He never raised his voice at me, but it boomed in my ears and would grab my full attention whenever I heard it. He stood several times my height over me. I could never bear to look at him up close for very long.
"Goodness. Look at you! You're covered in grass and dirt now! After all that grooming!" Mother was on me as well. Picking at me as usual. "It is the day before the solstice! How could you be so irresponsible?"
Yeah, okay. So sorry for not digging up that root yesterday. I swear it was on my to-do list. I didn't say that out loud. I simply muttered "I'm sorry, Mother." as she attempted to brush off the grass and thistles that had caught in my fur. Father had returned to his place and the humans had returned to their conversation. None of the other guests had arrived yet, so I was more or less in the clear as long as Mother finished quickly. Today was the Eve of the Solstice. The last grooming contest of the season. And I'm Evangeline...I'm supposed to bring home the good news...
As I sat wallowing in my embarrassment, a little vulpix called at me. He crossed the road, his owner not too far away, "Nice fall, Jelly!"
Oh no...not him! He was always such a pain. Condescending and snooty. He was the very definition of 'pomp'. He was close to my age, though, and that pretty much made him my 'competition'. As such, he was always close at hand whenever I'd trip or stumble or just lose my balance while sitting at the judging table. No matter what little mortifying thing I did, he would always be there to point and laugh.
His name was Asmodiaros. It didn't mean anything. It served only to be long and ostentatious. It held all of the glamor of mine with none of the responsibility. It was a very obnoxious name, in my opinion. Bitterly, I thought it suited him.
"Go away, Aros." I muttered irritably. That resulted in a firm thump to the back of my head from Mother.
"Mind your manners, Evangeline. You must always show your fellow competitors respect." Mother finished removing the dust from my fur and went on to join Father, leaving me behind with the jerk in the fox.
"Yeah, Jelly! You should respect me." Aros said with his haughty, squeaky little voice that just made me want to...but I wasn't allowed to do anything like that. Pokemon battling was barbaric. It mussed our fur and broke our claws. Bla bla bla.
"If you're a 'fellow' competitor, then that means you have to respect me, too, Aros." I said. He circled around me once and turned and circled around me the other direction.
"Hah! Trust me, Evengeline. You're no competition for me at all." He turned and walked away, but not before trying to bat me with his tails as he left. Whatever, I thought, I'll win my ribbon and he'll finally see that I'm not just a clumsy little eevee. Everyone will see that...won't they?
I hear they have contests in other regions, too. Where pokemon show off their natural beauty and the beauty in their abilities. It's...not like that here. All we do is walk up and down the field and we're judged on how we look and how we move. Doing things like tricks or attacks is considered just as barbaric as participating in battles. This is something that only the richest of the rich humans take part in. And my owners are definitely rich. It's unnerving to be under such constant scrutiny. The competition was going to start soon, so we all had to hurry to our pedestals.
Tonight the competition was being held in Marquee Park. It was a large open field in the center of the city with a few spots of trees and brush here and there. It looked like it might be a lot of fun to just run around in it. But, yeah, you probably already figured I wouldn't have been able to do that either, huh? My job is to sit perfectly still until it was my turn to be judged where I would display my grace and beauty.
So, instead of running around in the field like I wanted, I had to watch as the judges moved up and down the platforms. Tapping this pokemon into correct posture, or jotting down their judgments on another. Of course, Aros was met with wondrous gazes and smiles. He was very pretty. Even by a vulpix's usual standards. It's no wonder he won so many times in the past. In a way I was kind of flattered that he considered me his rival. At least that was my theory. Why else would he act like such a jerk to me? But mostly I just wished he'd disappear; Get carried off by a pidgeot or something. I let myself smile at the thought. It brought another stern glare from Mother...
The competition dragged on for who knows how long. The judges were barely getting started and more were still coming. I just barely stifled a yawn when I caught Mother's eye again. I looked away to hide it. That's when I saw the competitor next to me. He looked old. Far to old to be in my age group. But I guess he just looked old. I mean a squirtle would usually evolve before he was too much older than ten years old. I tried not to stare and snapped my gaze forward, hoping he hadn't noticed me looking.
"Can you believe it?" Crap...he's talking to me. I tried to keep forward, but I couldn't help but glance at him, "I'm twelve years old and they stick me in the lower division just because I'm still a squirtle." He is poise was somewhat lacking. In fact he was sitting off the edge of his platform as if he didn't even care why he was here. His relaxed attitude really...well I guess it didn't bother me so much as struck me as incredibly odd. How could someone like him even participate in a tournament like this?
I turned my head ever so slightly to get a better look at him. Despite his relaxed posture, he was actually very well groomed. His shell was spotless and kind of gleamed in the sunlight. His complexion was clear and had a healthy glow about it. He looked at me and I averted my gaze again.
"So, my name is Shelby. A pleasure to meet you, my lady." He said with a nod of his head. It was all just so absurd. I couldn't help but burst out laughing. I quickly bit my tongue to keep Mother from hearing, "Well sure, it's not the greatest name in the world..."
"No, no...I-it's not that" I stuttered. I guess I wasn't too used to talking to strange pokemon much. I didn't do it all that often. And he definitely was a strange one, "It's just...what are you doing here?"
He seemed confused by the question. "Why else would anyone partake in something like this? I'd like to know how well I'd do." Now it was my turn to be confused. How well he'd do? It doesn't matter how far you get if you don't win...at least that's what I've always been taught. What's the point? He seemed to notice my confusion and asked, "Is that not right? Well, what are you here for?"
I opened my mouth to explain everything to him...when I realized I had no idea either. I was only doing as I was told. This was what I was raised for. My entire purpose was nothing but to win a ribbon like Mother and Father. Or even Aros. After an awkward silence I realized he was still waiting politely for my answer. I couldn't think of anything else but, "My name is Evangeline."
"Ah, forgive my manners, Lady Evangeline. I should have asked for your name in the first place!" The squirtle said. I giggled again. He just seemed so...regal. His maturity did far more for his image than any amount of grooming could have done.
"No, I mean...my name is Evangeline. It means 'the bringer of good news'. If I don't win this competition, then how can I possibly say I've lived up to my name?" I kind of trailed off at the end. I didn't really care if he had heard me. I cast my gaze to the ground. Just thinking about it made me sick. If I wasn't good enough to win this competition, then it would be nearly a year before I'd have another chance.
"Hey." The squirtle's voice was low. I could barely hear him, "I'll let you in on a little secret." He looked behind him and around him. I got a little curious and I leaned in closer, "Shelby means 'a willow tree' in the human language. So unless I take root and become a grass type, I guess I'll never live up to my name!"
I just stared at him. A momentary state of shock, I guess. It didn't last long, though. I couldn't hold it in any more. I started laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. A few of the nearby competitors were staring. I didn't care, though. I just kept laughing. I'm ashamed to say I got a little carried away. It just felt so good to laugh like that. I...don't think I had ever laughed out loud in my life before then.
"There, see? It's nice to lighten up once in a while. Everyone here is so stiff. It's making my shell hurt." Shelby said with a smile, "You seem to be under a lot of pressure to win this thing, Lady Evangeline."
"Just...Evangeline is fine..." I said after I had caught my breath.
Shelby grimaced. "Ah, good. I'm not much for titles, myself. I'm not entirely sure how to act in front of so many blue bloods, I'm afraid."
I gave him an amused look, "You are not from around here, are you?"
His face seemed to look almost disappointed, "That easy to tell, is it? Well, my trainer lives here, but I've lived most of my life in Bevel. I was a starter pokemon, you see."
"You're a battler?" I blurted. A little too loudly. Everyone was staring at me again, and after they had just stopped from my outburst earlier...
"Yes, though I don't care much for violence, I do what must be done." Shelby said. I once again looked him over. He didn't seem like a battler at all with how well groomed he was.
"Your owne- er...trainer must take very good care of you." I think he turned toward me, but I was too bust admiring his shell. I think he must have taken notice.
"Well, yes, but he's not one to be bothered with grooming or cleanliness. It's somewhat embarrassing, but I tend to do all the grooming of the team my self. That includes my own hygiene as well," He said wistfully. That was definitely impressive. It was hard to imagine just how much grooming he'd have to do to get his shell to shine so brightly. Especially since it seemed to be such a hard to reach place, "To be honest," he continued, "I sort of want to use this contest to improve my hygiene. They'll point out everything I've done wrong, and it'll allow me to fix my mistakes."
Just then a voice came from behind us. A human voice. It was young, but commanding. Like it knew exactly what it wanted. It was a very compelling sound. It was the voice of a pokemon trainer. It did not address me, however. Something about that fact seemed to upset me a little. But, I didn't understand it at the time.
"Come on, Shelby," he said, "We're leaving. This entire thing is absolutely retarded." I had trouble understanding a few of his words. His tone was vastly different than what my owners used. He was young for a human. His dark hair hung around his face and stopped just passed his shoulders. He wore simple clothes, though clean, showed wear from extensive travel. At once I was intimidated by his presence. But not quite in the same way I was of Father's. It was strict...but somehow gentle.
"Must we, Raijal? I believe my turn is coming up." Shelby said. I found that odd. Humans do not understand pokemon. So why would he bother saying anything at all? And yet to my disbelief, the human he called Raijal seemed to nod.
"You really want to stay? I can't stand being here, to be perfectly honest. All of these pokemon look absolutely miserable." As he said that, I noticed, he looked at me. He had a bored expression on his face, but it somehow felt sympathetic at the same time...he continued, "But I guess you work hard enough to keep yourself clean you should get something out of it."
"Evangeline!" I heard Mother call me. I hadn't even noticed when she got up to leave, but she was already half way to the judges' table, "Would you please pay attention? Get in line, it's almost your turn!"
"A-already?" I quailed. I had completely lost track of time.
As I scrambled off of my platform I heard Shelby say, "Good luck, Evangeline."
Always show your fellow competitors respect, I recalled. I turned back to him and bowed, "Thank you, sir." He looked at me oddly but I ran off before he could reply. Doing that filled me with joy. I didn't even know why at the time, but I let it lift me from everything I was afraid of.
My high spirits didn't last too long, though. Sure enough as I got in line I heard a very unwelcome voice, "So here we are, Jelly. Ready to fall on your face and screw everything up forever?" Aros had just finished his routine and had come to pester me yet again.
"I'm going to win a ribbon, Aros. You're not going to stop me," I said. Somehow talking to Shelby really boosted my confidence.
Aros snorted. Something I'd surely be reprimanded for doing. "If you get a ribbon today, Jelly, then I'm a slimy squirtle. Like your new friend over there."
I flashed a glare at him, "He is not slimy!"
"Evangeline!" I winced and hung my head. Aros just smiled his smug little smile. Mother gestured for me to go up to the stage. No, he's not going to get to me today. I thought, This is my day.
"Hey, Evangeline." Aros called just before I reached the steps. I didn't want to look at him. I just wanted to get this over with. I don't know why I did, but I turned to him.
"What?" I said tersely.
"Good luck."
As I was looking at him, I started to feel a little dizzy. I couldn't explain it at all. I shook my head a little and it seemed to clear up. Aros was just sitting there with a stupid grin on his face. It confused me a little that he would wish me luck after everything he's said before, so it took me by surprise. All I could manage in retort was a skeptical "Thanks..." and I headed up the steps to the stage.
The competition is broken up into three sections. The first, I had just left. Standing on the platform and waiting for your turn wasn't really for any sort of score, but judges went around the court to basically pick out who they should keep their eye on. Not everyone gets an inspection and it seems both Shelby and I were skipped completely. A little unnerving but nothing to really worry about.
The second was the first half of the score. You'd have a thorough examination of your
physique, posture and poise. Basically, the more you resemble a statue the better. It's easy enough to
get through. Just avoid getting restless. The last stage is the strut. Basically you walk from one end of
the stage to the other. You're judged on your grace and balance. That's probably where I fall short. I'm
just really clumsy.
I stood at the center of the stage as the judges poured over me. I tried not to react much to any
of their prodding or comments. Though it did seem mostly positive, so I couldn't help but feel a little
proud. They did remark on the curl on my head, but some of them actually seemed to like it, this time.
After about twenty minutes of examination it seemed like they had all come to a decision. They were
about to announce my score when...
"Wait a minute!" One of the judges said, raising her hands in the air. I tried not to flinch,
though I think I must have. She walked behind me and with a dramatic sweep of her hand pulled a
single blade of grass out of my tail. It must have gotten caught when I rolled down the hill, I thought,
mentally kicking myself. That'll hurt my score...that means I'll have to rely on getting a good score on the strut... oooh this isn't good.
I started my strut well enough, I guess. I kept my back straight and made sure my tail didn't sway. One step in front of the other. Just keep going. Don't think about anything, I thought, somewhat ironically. It was all going smoothly. The judges seemed more or less satisfied...
Until I began to feel dizzy again. My eyesight blurred and the world around me felt like it was rocking back and forth. I tried to shake it off again but it only seemed to make it worse. I could barely see where I was going. Everything seemed to melt in to one giant blob of vague shape. The only thing I could think of at the time though was I have to finish my strut. Over and over again. I just kept walking, even though I couldn't tell where I was going.
I suddenly tripped over what I suspect were my own paws. I fell forward and I must have tumbled off of the stage because when my vision finally cleared, I was looking at an upside-down but very amused Aros.
"Hwahahahah!" he bellowed, "Great job, Jelly. Walked right off the stage that time! I told you that you were no competition for me."
I suddenly realized something. "Y-you..." I attempted to get up, but it hurt to move my foreleg. I had probably sprained it in the fall, "You did this to me..." I managed to get right-side up, but I was still too dizzy to stand. I shook my head again.
"Moi? I daresay that fall must have knocked something loose, Evangeline. I would never do anything to sabotage you, my friend. Everyone knows attacking other competitors gets you disqualified. You must be confused. Hahahaha!" His sarcasm was obvious. He wasn't even trying to hide it!
"Asmodiaros!" I couldn't take it anymore. All the years of doing nothing but what I was told to do. Apologizing just for breathing the wrong way. And worst of all having to show 'respect' to ignoble twits like him! I just couldn't stand it! I pounced. I ignored the sharp pains in my leg and tackled him with everything I had. I caught him off guard but he shook off the blow quickly and rolled backwards. He kicked me in the stomach and threw me behind him. I should have realized that he was a battler after that display of reflex. But I didn't care at the time.
I attempted to get up again, but my leg was hurting a lot now, and I was suddenly aware that the entire contest population was watching me. I suddenly sobered to what just happened. I had attacked a competitor. He hit me with a confusion attack before, but no one saw it. This would have looked bad to anyone. I wanted to curl up into my ball and just die.
"Get up." I heard a voice behind me. It was barely perceptible but I could hear it. I turned toward it and saw Shelby's trainer, Raijal, looking down at me with a frown. His stare unnerved me the same way my father's did. But it held that gentleness to it that was absent from Dietrich's stoic expression, "If you want to beat him, you must do exactly as I say. Is that clear?"
I didn't quite understand what he meant. Did I want to beat him? I couldn't attack another competitor even if he was a massive jerk. But I already had at that point, hadn't I? Winning the competition was no longer in my grasp and, thinking honestly, it was never what I wanted in the first place. It was what my owners wanted. It was what my parents grew up thinking they wanted! And what they raised me to think I wanted! It's what Aros always lorded over my head for years and then cheated me out of. Now, thanks to him, it's no longer holding me back. Did I want to beat him? Hell yes!
I stood. Defiant of the pain in my leg and of the very contest that had controlled my life. Asmodiaros' grin was bigger than ever. He thinks he's won? Not a chance.
Raijal spoke to me again, "I can't be seen giving you orders. That would be too much hassle later on. So listen closely, because I'm not going to raise my voice. In front of you is a vulpix. Fire type, but also likes to mess with your head. He seems to be used to battles, as well, so you're at a disadvantage. But you can defeat him."
In front of me? Ar...no, just a vulpix. In front of me is a vulpix, I repeated. I can defeat him. I decided then that that was the truth. No matter what happened, I would defeat the vulpix in front of me. We paced around each other a little, wary of an impeding attack. I thought about making the first move, but Raijal hadn't given me the order.
The choice was soon made for me as the vulpix lunged forward and attempted to bite me. I could barely hear a "Jump to the left" from Raijal. I didn't have enough time to think if I imagined it or not. I leaped away from the attack and the vulpix snapped at the empty air.
"He's open. Tackle him again." I rammed into him as fast as I could and knocked him aside. He seemed to waver a little as he got up. It only helped my confidence. When he regained balance his tails lifted into the air.
"Ember. Watch out for fire." Sure enough, the vulpix did a spin and small flames arced toward me. Deciding something quickly, I ran straight for him as he was still turning. The flames went over my head and I slammed into him at full speed. I surprised myself at how quickly I could move. He let out a yell of pain as we tumbled. He kicked me off of him again, but I landed on my feet. Ready for the next attack.
"Good move. But risky. Don't attempt that again unless you know it will work." Was that a compliment? Have I ever had one of those before? I didn't dwell on it. I kept my eyes on the vulpix that was still shaking off my body slam. His grin had disappeared. His face was twisted into a malicious sneer. I was about to run at him again when I began to feel dizzy. This is just like before...what do I do now?
"Confuse ray? You will feel off balance for a while, but just do what I say and you'll be fine. Don't move." I understood. I stood perfectly still, as if I was being inspected again, "Close your eyes."
I did so. The world of blurs overtaking my vision was replaced with darkness, "Now listen."
Me ears twitched. The crowd around us was restless. I heard random mutters of "how barbaric" and "why isn't anyone stopping this?". It seemed as if the crowd was torn between stopping the battle and enjoying the spectacle. I shifted my focus to Raijal. He said nothing at the time. Finally, I realized what it was I should be listening to.
Footsteps. Running toward me. An attack from the vulpix? My sight was no longer distracting me but I still felt dizzy. I wasn't sure where to go. I faltered a second too much and I was knocked down by a heavy force. I felt the wind get knocked out of me and the sound of running got further away. He was going around for another strike.
"Listen to me." Raijal's voice came at me in a stern but patient tone. I needed to split my focus to him and my opponent. This...was not easy. I kept my eyes shut. The running sound came closer again this time from my right, "Jump forward."
I did so. The attack missed but my equilibrium was still a little off. I tripped and bumped my nose on the ground. It was painful but I quickly realized it provided a point of focus. I stood up. Eyes watering slightly but still closed; The throbbing in my nose aiding me in regaining my sense of balance.
"He's behind you. We have an opening just as he's about to attack. Stay there." The running got closer and closer. I did nothing. The vulpix was growling. Intending to end the battle with a bite. I did nothing. The running stopped. The vulpix was in the air, "Now!"
Over my confusion, I opened my eyes. I jumped to the right, turning as I did so. I looked on with a strange sense of time slowing down as the vulpix's jaws clamped over where I had been a split second before. As I landed, I used the momentum to wind up my last tackle. I had to act quickly or I'd miss my chance, so I sprung forward with everything I had.
I collided with the vulpix's side in midair. He hit the ground in front of me with enough force to bounce twice before stopping cold. He wasn't moving, unconscious. I had won. Breathless, I stared at Asmodiaros. Incredulous to what just happened, I looked around. The humans all were silent. Raijal was nowhere to be seen. My battle with Aros was over. But now I had to finish my duel with the contest itself.
"Attention, please! Now that the ruckus is finally over." The judge from before had taken up the stage again, "For unruly behavior and attacking a fellow competitor, I hereby disqualify Evangeline from competition!" The crowd suddenly seemed to tense. Unruly behavior? But he had started it! It was all his fault! They advanced upon me slowly. What would they do to me, I wondered. I looked for some form of support, anywhere. My owners were not at their table. Where did they go? Oh no! They're leaving me behind!
I ran toward them only to be stopped by Dietrich. His imposing stature bearing over me again, "We are incredibly disappointed in you, Evangeline." I looked to Mother. She just turned away.
I was shocked...and suddenly, I was angry, "No..." I said, "I'm disappointed in you!" My father was taken aback by my tone. I had never spoken to him this way. Perhaps I had never spoken to him at all. He was always so frightening, but after today nothing about him seemed to scare me anymore, "You both are content to be paraded around like works of art. We are pokemon! We are living beings! We have our own desires and ambitions!" My eyes were watering again. But this time it wasn't because of physical pain. "This place is stifling! I'm always under such pressure to win a stupid strip of cloth! And if I don't, I get yelled at. For what? Nothing that I'm actually responsible for! I didn't do anything! We're not allowed to do anything. I'm through trying to live up to everyone's expectations."
"Evangeline..." Father's tone was rising. He was getting angry with me...which means he wasn't listening at all.
"Stop...You want to spend your life preening in front of these blue blooded idiots, then fine. You want to call me Evangeline? The bringer of good news? Then here's some good news for you. The clumsy little eevee that's always been holding you back is no longer your problem!"
I bolted toward the trees. I didn't think about what would happen to me later, I just wanted to get out of there. The crowd of humans watched me as I ran away. It didn't seem like anyone was willing to chase after me. I didn't care. I just kept running. Out of the contest area, through the large field, and into the small forest on the edge of the park. I moved as quickly as I could through the untamed landscape but a sharp pain in my foreleg finally made me stop. My excitement had died down and whatever was numbing my sprain had left me. I crawled into a hollow under a tree and collapsed. Exhausted. I was crushed by the weight of abandoning my parents and owners; My caretakers. I was fearful of a future on my own. Where should I go? How could I live? In the wild perhaps? Pokemon survive in the wild all the time, I hear. It can't be too bad, right? I curled up once more. Hoping everything would just fade away.
I don't know how long it was that I stayed in my little ball. Minutes? Hours? Days? However long it was, it felt like forever before I was finally roused from my shelter. I had expected a wild pokemon had come to eat me. Or maybe an officer was called to take me away for poor behavior. Or even my parents come to drag me back into the hell that was my old life. When I unfurled myself to look, however. I was greeted by something else entirely.
"Hello again, Lady Evangeline." Shelby offered me a hand to stand up. I was speechless, I couldn't comprehend how or why he would be here. I took his hand and winced as he grabbed my foreleg, "Hm...you've got a sprain. Probably from walking off of the stage. Come with me. We can help you out."
I didn't say anything...I followed him. I had no where else to go. We made our way out of the trees and back onto the field. It was dusk. I think I must have fallen asleep. It was both surprising and expected to find Raijal was the one Shelby was leading me to. There was also another pokemon with him. A pikachu.
"Evangeline," I winced at the sound of my name. "Humm...you don't seem to like that name. At any rate, the contest is over. I hate to say it, but I have spoken to your owners and they have no interest in finding you." He didn't so much as say that last sentence as he much as he spat it at the ground beside him. "This is why I hate living in Marquee. These snooty rich imbeciles can't treat their pokemon with any sort of dignity."
I hung my head. I expected that. A rogue pokemon is the last thing a high class family would want. It ruins the image. Raijal knelt in front of me, "I on the other hand, had a great interest in finding you. You're a natural at battling and you take orders very well." I looked at him, wide eyed. Was he asking me what I thought he was asking? He took out a small red and white ball, "I wanted to know if you would join my team."
He was! He wanted to train me. Use me in battles! I'd be able to work with Shelby! I was elated! I wanted nothing else but to be with him and to train under him. And I knew for sure that this is what I wanted. He held up a finger in warning before I could do anything, though.
"Just so you know. I am a pokemon trainer, not a pokemon owner. You will not be my pet, you will be my partner and protector. We will travel constantly. Many times we will not have the luxuries you may be used to having. Like a bed or even food. I will ask you to battle. You will get hurt and you will hurt others."
"Also, this is Corporeal Shelby and I am Commander Kraker, you will refer to us as 'Sir' at all times." The pikachu chimed in with an impish grin. Which resulted in Shelby smacking him in the back of the head. I couldn't help but smile.
"Don't tease her. She's been through a lot." Shelby said. Kraker just laughed. I looked at Raijal again. The pokeball in his hand was expanded, and he offered it to me. Sure of my decision, I tapped the button on the ball and let the red light sweep me away.
"Welcome to the team...Tomorrow is the summer solstice, isn't it? I think I'll re-name you Eve." Raijal had gained another combatant. I had finally gained the freedom I was denied all my life. Also I got a new name. It's a simple name. Rather obvious for an eevee and kind of boring. What does it mean in the human language? I haven't got a clue. But to me, it's the Eve of the Solstice. The day my life finally began.
The End