A sunset. The last glimpse of what makes the world turn, forever into the future, and back into the past. The shadow of a humanoid canine sat pensively in the coarse sand, the sound of waves ebbing and flowing adding to the picture of transience painted in the back of its shadowy head.
The perky-eared puppy sat, the water enveloping his paws and leaving them just as fast.
"Why does the sun set?"
A voice could be heard behind the pensive shadow, and the sound of paw steps against the finely dusted shores followed its sound.
"The sun rises behind us, traveling through the sky and giving us light while we play. It's only natural that it would set."
The shadow moved with the words, and a tiny fox joined it, fastening its furry rump into the grains and wagging its tail.
"I think it sets as a goodbye to us, telling us to do as it does, and fall asleep. The sun wakes up like we do, so it also goes to sleep."
The first voice, a few octaves higher than the second, spoke as if it knew all and nothing at the same time. Together they sat, two friends whose lives had only begun a matter of months ago.
"I think it's fine no matter what. The sun is a hero, the moon its enemy. That's how Arceus made it."
The second shadow twitched, as if offended.
"The moon is the sun's friend! Just because the sun's brighter, doesn't mean it can't be friends with the moon."
Silence followed, the first shadow unwilling to reply to the second. The only sound to be heard was the ocean's constant flow, and the calls of Wingull from far above.
"Let's go home." The first shadow said, and with an enthusiastic nod, the second one followed the first, their shadows becoming taller as the sun continued its descent, and the pair walked back home.
"Breakfast! Breakfast! Get up before it's gone! C'mon Theo!"
The high pitched squeals of what was likely the most excited Eevee on the entire planet pierced droopy ears and eyes sealed tightly.
"…Can't we wait until later? We stayed up way past our sleeptime last night…"
The Riolu's eyes opened a bit, quickly resuming their vicelike position at the brown-eyed gaze of their assailant.
"Shhh, not so loud! Via might hear you, and we don't want to get locked in the den again. She's so scary when she's angry…"
The Eevee frowned in concern, yet no being was around to see it as the only other in the room refused to open his eyes.
"Eve, leave me alone! Via can go step on Stantler dung for all I care. Just one more hour…!"
Eve the Eevee. Most who weren't from the village scratched their heads at the name, though its history was a bit more colorful than it seemed. Her first name was Maya, although shortly after her birth, she would always escape her mother's den at the exact same time every day; just before the sun touched the horizon. The rest of the mothers jokingly nicknamed her Eve, and eventually after the rest of the village heard about it, the name Maya was a thing of the past.
"No way! They'll eat all of the Pecha berries by then! You know they always go second. Get up so I won't miss my favorite snack, will you please?"
Theo twitched slightly, his ears curling up.
"…Fine…"
The crunch of paw against dense hay barely concealed the squeal of delight that nearly sent the little Riolu sprawling back into it.
"Yay! I'll meet you outside."
Eve scampered away through the tunnel, her soft paws barely registering with the firmly packed dirt floor before gliding back up into the air.
The last sound to be heard in the den were two growls. One came from the puppy's mouth, the other from his stomach.
"Five Pecha berries left! G- Get 'em while they're still here!"
The somewhat pitiful yet charismatic voice of a Whismur could scarcely be heard throughout the village. A towering tree stood erect in the center of the clearing, supporting the Whismur's back as he called out to the rest of the village. Overall, there was not a single Pokemon less suited for the job he had been tasked with, but that didn't stop him from trying his best.
Breakfast was almost over, and scarce amounts of the four types of berries remained at the pink bipedal's feet, their retrievers finding pleasure in proudly munching on the biggest and juiciest berries as they sat in places outside the camp. The fifth type was gone, the villagers having eaten them all. The tree itself was a Sitrus tree, yet no young Pokemon dared climb it, as the Sitrus berries were reserved for festivals and other special events.
Eve happily trotted over to the berry pile, selected two plump Pecha berries from the pile, and sat herself down at a nearby rock she had proudly claimed as her own a few weeks before. Theo emerged from the underground den soon after, padding his way to the pile.
"…No more Oran berries…?"
The Whismur shrunk into the tree a bit, the irritated look on the Riolu's face enough to make him shudder. However, he found the courage to speak up, as he had many times before.
"N- No. The Oran berries are all gone. I believe the last one was two minutes ago…"
Whismur began to shake a bit as Theo bared his fangs slightly, his anger directed nowhere in particular.
"…Well, if I can't have those…!"
His lithe and nimble legs curled, and with a whoosh his paws found themselves easily three tree branches above the ground.
"Then what about their cousins!"
The Riolu swung from branch to branch, knowing he'd find no berries on the lower levels of the tree. Shouts began to sound from below, but Theo hardly cared. A yellow glimmer signaled that his prey was in sight; a ripe, juicy Sitrus berry hanging from a long stem. With a small tick, the berry was plucked, and the puppy giggled as he took an enormous bite of the delicious fruit.
"Way better than my Birth Berry!"
His mind wandered to the first berry he'd ever eaten, the largest Oran berry in the entire village for at least two months. Lucario seldom bred, so the village was saving it for the expectant canid who led her hunting parties in search of more rebellious food. With a sudden jerk, his mind went blank, and with a quick yelp the branch below him seemed to disappear entirely. The wind was knocked out of him as pointy bits of gravel dug their way into his back. He opened his eyes, and found himself lying on the ground on the other side of the tree, the small whimpers of the Whismer being heard around its thick trunk.
"Theo!"
A sharp voice assaulted his ears, and with a thrum his nose was tickled with long whiskers. An Alakazam stood above him, looking him in the eye with a much more piercing gaze than Theo ever could have mustered.
"How many times have I told you to obey the rules! Children, all of them! So eager to abandon our ways. And for what!?"
Theo's back began to ache as he felt as if he was being pushed into the gravel below him. Soon whimpers could be heard from his side of the tree as well, and the pointy stones were becoming nearly unbearable.
"Enik!"
Suddenly the pain subsided, and Theo was raised to his feet just as fast as he had been brought down.
"Don't you dare hurt him!"
A Kirlia that stood a foot taller than the Riolu entered the altercation with a face wrinkled with disgust. The two psychic Pokemon of the village often butted heads, but when it came to her den-children there was no stopping Via from unleashing her rage.
"He needs to learn respect! The pup has collapsed a den, destroyed multiple berry bushes, and even killed a tiny Sitrus tree with that little pink peni-"
"He is my responsibility, Enik. I won't have you hurt one of mine like you did with Reeve. He's still limping, you know!"
"All the sa-"
"Stand down, you old fool, or I'll call the chief on you!"
The Alakazam's eyes glowed violet with rage.
"You'll do no…such…thing…!"
A flash of bright pink, and suddenly there was one less combatant in the argument. The Kirlia that had stood nimbly on her toes was no more, the only sign she had been there being two tiny imprints in the ground.
"Theo!"
Eve bounced around the tree, skidding to a halt and erasing the last of Via's remnants.
"Are you okay?"
Theo looked at her weakly, his own eyes beginning to water.
"…Via!"
Eve screamed as she understood what had happened. She had heard her den mother's voice from around the tree, and now it was no more.
"Enik! What did you do to her!?"
Eve's tears joined Theo's in flowing into existence, and yet Enik's were as dry as sand.
"I teleported her. She'll find her way out, though. The Dim Cavern's an easy place for a psychic type to navigate. I've done it myself exactly two hundred and fifty seven times. "
Enik huffed a little, beginning to tire of the argument. Without another word, he levitated across the ground and back into his rocky den in the side of the hill.
"…Even then! Via will be scared! Theo, we have to go find her! Ah, first we have to tell the chie- …No good, he's out on a patrol right now. We'll have to do it alone!"
Many broken thoughts escaped Eve's lips at once, yet Theo knew immediately that what she said was true. Food could wait. They had to go save Via. Theo hoisted himself up, the pains in his back beginning to subside.
"Don't worry, we'll find her. Quick, let's escape the village before anyone notices!"
Eve nodded, her ears perking up as if to detect anyone who could get in their way. Like a bolt of lightning, the two of them sprinted into a bush that had grown into the thorny village wall, the sound of their presence beginning to fade as the last of the asleep began to wake, wondering what was going on while their village lay silent. The only sounds left were the disjointed breaths of the Whismur who leaned against the tree, the altercation behind him already a distant memory in his troubled mind.
"B- Breakfast! There's very little left, you know!"