The Loyal Growlithe and the Wandering Vulpix

Chapter 1

The Bountiful Forest

With the steady rhythm of a lively heartbeat, she ran. She ran and ran, faster and faster. She ran until the grassy landscape became smothered in trees and she still kept going. She had started running shortly before dawn and now she stayed on course even as the first rays of light broke over the horizon. This pathless course was an easy one for her. Her adept steps attested to how well-worn this trail truly was even if it did not look it. However, her haste told some very different stories. Even if she knew the way well, her speed and carelessly gained scratches said that this was an odd thing for her to be doing. And it was. The sun's light meant a new day and a new day meant chores back at home where she had started running in the first place. There was no doubt she would be missed that morning, and yet, here she was. Still running. It was almost as if she did not care that they would find her missing, and that certainly would be a first for her. It was for that very reason that her well-worn trail was used late in the evenings normally. If she had ever been caught then chances were she would never be able to take this course again and that is why it had never been worth it before. Today, though, was very different. So different, in fact, that she may never chart the return course. But where exactly was she running?

The answer to that is very simple. The woods. Elwood Forest, the forbidden forest, to be more precise. Despite the fact that her village shared a name with the forest, the villagers were expected to never enter it. Not. One. Step. And if it was ever found out that she had broken a centuries old rule that was handed down from the very first village leader from the time when the village was founded life would never be the same again. Her family would be shamed, the villagers would cower before a fabled curse, and she could very well be exiled or worse. Of course, she did not mind the exiled part so much at the moment and that was the only reason that she was here. Despite this forest being forbidden and supposedly cursed, as well as being a curse itself, it was a haven for this girl like no other. Her village was a small one to say the least. For centuries it could only grow in people and not land because of this forbidden forest. Due to its size, its people, and various other things the village was claustrophobic, repressive, and downright boring. A girl like herself never stood a chance amongst it all and that is why, on a day very like this one, she ran and ran into the woods, not caring where she was going and would eventually end up. It had been the best decision of her life.

Panting, the steady beat of her steps became arrhythmic. Her body was no longer running anymore, but not quite walking as she slowed. If it had to be described it was like that of an odd skip as she finally came to a halt. She was here. That day, long ago, when she ran aimlessly this had been what stopped her. At that point she had no clue what this was, but she knew now. Home. It was not as much her home as she would have liked, that place in the grassy clearing still held her half of the time, but this was without a doubt a home, and a welcoming one at that. When she had first saw the place she had no idea what she was looking at. She assumed it was a house. It looked vaguely like what she lived in back in the clearing, but it was so different. It was cool, blueish stone instead of wood, it was overgrown by trees as if a part of the forest itself, and it was huge. It was quite literally the biggest thing she had ever seen. With a curiosity like hers she simply could not leave it alone and that very act set the stage for many returns to this very place, including today.

"Alexis, you are here awfully early today."

At the sight of the speaker standing in the grand doorway Alexis could not help but grin. Apparently she had been too distracted to hear the door open.

"I had to get away, Viola. Just wait until you hear this."

Viola nodded, moving out of the doorway and at the same time motioning inside as if this had been the first time Alexis had come here. That was hardly so, but she was grateful all the same as she came inside what she had nicknamed as Elwood Manor.

"Find yourself a seat and I will go get the tea—And a snack. There is no way you have had breakfast yet." Viola instructed, cutting in halfway through with her thoughts before she briskly made her way to the kitchen.

Alexis sighed. She knew this place so well by now that she could picture Viola moving through the halls as she waited. She even knew how long it would take her friend that she was so grateful for having. It was not like she did not have friends in the village. She had plenty in fact, but none were quite like Viola and not just because of where she lived. Viola was a slim, skinny girl with enough height that her frame did not quite seem muscular or abnormal, but her most striking features were her obsidian black hair, her ghostly pale skin, and her deep, lavender eyes. The oddities did not stop with her looks either. Her personality was reserved, but not a timid reserved like she saw in some of her other friends, but a thoughtful reserved. She listened before she spoke and she always had something interesting to say, some things that Alexis could have never thought of on her own. Of course, Viola had been sure to tell Alexis the latter was true of herself as well. She supposed that is why they complimented each other so well.

The thought made her laugh enough that she finally left the doorway and started taking steps toward a nearby deep blue sofa. It was nowhere near mint condition, but what vintage thing was? Everything in Elwood Manor was vintage in nature, but that did not mean it was dirty. Sure there was dust, but there was dust in every house. A prime example of how clean the place actually was is the mirror on the wall behind the sofa. This mirror was so spotless that she could see just about every detail of herself in it and it reminded her of just how different she and Viola were. Their frames were similar but she was more muscular and her skin had more color where she worked during the days. Her hair was also a golden blonde and she had bright, blue eyes. Not to mention their different personalities. As much as she liked to think before she spoke, not every situation allowed that, much less her emotions. Sometimes she just could not keep the fire in and sometimes she could not keep it from being extinguished, but she always had fire. If she had to put it into words, if she was a creature of the sun, Viola was a creature of the moon and that worked perfectly well for the two.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

The smile was back on Alexis's face the moment she heard the words. Viola with a silver tray of tea and sweets, which looked to be muffins, was a beautiful sight any day, but especially when she was starving. Her stomach growling before she could speak and the waterfall of saliva already gathering in her mouth only confirmed it. Maybe she would not have reacted so strongly if she could have made something like this herself, but alas, the kitchen was not her battleground of choice.

"Those look delicious!" Alexis cried, eagerly awaiting the tray's descent to the coffee table in front of her.

Viola shrugged, "I would hope so. The muffins are a mix of various ones with freshly picked berries from around the forest and a few plain ones as well. The tea is herbal but it has some berry additions as usual. Today is oran berry tea. I figured you could use the extra health."

Alexis nodded vigorously, reaching for the closest muffin as soon as the tray clanked on the table. As she devoured the first muffin, mago berry she found out, Viola poured the oran berry tea into the china teacups that they both knew all too well. While the teapot was flamboyant with all sorts of colors on a white background, the set it came with had eighteen teacups, each modeled after a different Pokémon element. Alexis's favorite was the fire teacup, with its bold yet delicate swirls of red and gold. Viola chose the dark element teacup that had mysterious splashes of purple, silver, and black. She remembered every time to bring out these two exact teacups each time Alexis came over and today was no exception.

"So," Viola began, handing Alexis her teacup before picking up her own for a drink, "You can begin whenever and wherever you like."

Alexis huffed as she went in for her second muffin, "I wonder where to begin myself. Well, do you remember how Don always runs his mouth?"

"Quite well, actually."

"Well, it is all pointless as you remember then. We all know it because of course Derek gets it all. He gets the title, the ranch, and all the responsibility, too. It has always been that way so I am over that, but apparently that could not be enough. Good magost berry muffin by the way. I am getting all the sweet ones today. I can already feel myself getting cuter. But anyway, if I wasn't already screwed over enough with Derek, I now am with Don. He has been saying lately that his growlithe is so awesome that it is a shame he cannot evolve it like Derek's arcanine. I don't know if I told you that story, but every village leader sends his, should be his or her but his, partner out to find a fire stone for the next successor because every village leader has a growlithe, as tradition dictates. The only difference in our case is that Derek took it into his own hands to give each of us one of his arcanine's eggs instead of it being one of my father's Pokémon partner's eggs. That is great and all but apparently one of my father's Pokémon dug up another firestone and guess who gets it." Alexis hissed, sarcasm dripping off her tongue like venom.

"I thought you were the older twin." Viola interjected, which only thickened Alexis's venom.

"I am. The only excuse as to why Derek gets everything without a second thought is because he is the oldest and yet I do not get the second firestone when I am the second oldest. It makes no sense! The first time they finally have something up for grabs I cannot even fight to have it. Just what do they have against me, anyway?"

Viola stared down into the dark liquid in her teacup as she pondered this, "I am afraid I cannot answer that. I have never met your parents, your siblings, any of the villagers. I have never seen your home or your village. All I know is from what you tell me, so I cannot tell you why they do these things to you, any of them. However, I can tell you that you are just as deserving as anyone else and if anyone says differently they are lying."

"Thanks." Alexis managed, cracking a slight smile, "I really don't know either. If anyone could use the firestone it would be me anyway. I have two Pokémon that need it to evolve."

At that, Viola cracked a slight smile herself, "That is very true. Not that they would ever know that you have a vulpix here."

Alexis laughed in agreement, feeling around in her pocket for the red and white sphere she knew was there, "I always carry this girl around with me, but there are no vulpixs in the village so I cannot explain how I have one—Or the pokéball she would come in. I have not been taught to make those yet. I am surprised you can."

"I have Pokémon myself and no one to make them for me. It is a useful skill to have and there are plenty of apricorns around." Viola explained, taking a short sip of her tea, "Speaking of the bountiful forest, I am sure you noticed how empty this place is by now. It is usually flooded with Pokémon, if no other than my own. Mine should be playing outside, chances are with your vulpix, and many of the forest Pokémon are sleeping, with them, or just doing their own thing. If you had come at your normal time they would have been out and about, but even I had not expected you."

"It is fine, Viola. I needed a breather, badly, no matter the time. I won't bother them. I know you take good care of my vulpix for me. I trust you." Alexis assured, removing her hand from her pocket, "And you are right. There are so many apricorns around. So many berries. So many Pokémon. I can hardly believe we only grow and breed our own. We have so much around us and we won't touch a thing. Saying it aloud like this makes it sound so crazy, but it is what we do. Maybe we are all crazy, cooped up in that tiny village."

"You are definitely feeling better, talking like that." Viola commented.

"Yeah, I am. I guess I should be heading back, then. I am burning daylight. Thanks, Viola. For the tea and sweets—And always keeping me sane."

"Anytime, Alexis, and you know I mean that."

"I do." Alexis sighed, "I really do. That is why you may be seeing me again very soon, depending on how this goes."