Cole and Burnie walked up the dirt path. The Charmander led while the Treecko followed. Cole stayed alert. He had a weird feeling that something was going to jump at him. Maybe it had to do with his lost memories. Burnie glanced at him, concerned. The salamander had noticed his paranoid behavior.
"You okay there?" he asked. "You look worried about something."
"I'm fine," Cole replied. He glanced off to the side to check for any possible predators before putting his focus on his current guide. "Just... Just a bit shaken. That's all."
"Understandable."
"Where are we going anyway?"
"Shard Town. Specifically the inn. You look like you need a rest that doesn't come from being KO'd."
"Yeah... I'd like that."
The two Pokemon continued to walk in silence for a bit. Cole loosened up a bit, but a bit of paranoia still remained.
After a little bit, Cole spoke up: "Hey, I, uh, don't think I got your name."
"Burnard," the Charmander replied simply. "Just call me Burnie."
"And the Oshawott was Eve, right?"
"Yup."
"She seemed kinda... mean."
"Yeah, she can be like that sometimes... Well, most of the time. I believe she's a good Pokemon, though."
"You sure?"
"Positive. I have this feeling in my gut that she's actually pretty nice. Perhaps that's why I hang out with her so much."
The silence started again. Shard Town was pretty close. Along the way a few Pokemon had followed them. The sky was mostly purple and the sun could barely be seen on the horizon. Burnie's fiery tail tip cast a glow around him, lighting up the area the two were traveling a bit. It was getting late, and most of the Shard Town residents were heading home for the night.
A wooden sign with the town's name painted on it marked the entrance to Shard Town. The color was wearing off, but it was certainly still readable. Buildings made of straw, vines, stones, and wood could be seen, and through many of their windows you could see candlelight, though it seemed like a few residents had gone to bed early or just weren't home. Darkness filled the houses of those Pokemon.
"This way," said the Charmander. He checked Cole behind him to check that he was still following. He was. Even if he wasn't, it wouldn't take long to find him. Burnie knew his way around Shard Town like the back of his hand.
A few Pokemon outside glanced at Burnie. Shard Town was small and most Pokemon knew each other by name. Some of the more friendly citizens said hello to Burnie, and a few of them asked questions about who the Treecko was or where Eve was. Burnie would answer with "He's my guest," or "She's at the beach," respectively.
At last they had reached the town's inn.
"Here we are," said Burnie, gesturing to the building. It was about two floors high and had vines running down it. The wood used to build it was light in color and it had a stone roof.
"Thank you," said Cole. He grinned sheepishly. He was an amnesiac Treecko who just turned up one day, and this Charmander was showing him kindness anyway.
Burnie opened the door to the inn. "C'mon, I'll get you a room," he said. The Fire-type had no Poke on him right now, but that didn't matter. He had a plan... Which basically involved bugging a relative who worked there.
Eve was now sitting down in the sand. The waves would touch her feet and even go beyond that every few seconds, and the Oshawott was aimlessly doodling in the sand with her paw. The larger waves would wash away anything she drew, but that didn't matter. Eve persisted. She found it relaxing.
Eve wondered about what Cole and Burnie were doing. She would never tell them this, but she hoped that they were okay and safe, preferably safe in the comfort of some kind of shelter.
Eve wished she had someone who would be like that to her. Her family was way out somewhere and she lived alone in a small cottage on the outskirts of town. She sighed. "Might as well head home for the night..." she mumbled to herself.
Eve got up. She looked at the sky. It was now fully nighttime. She could see hundreds of stars glowing faintly in the far distance. It was a beautiful sight, but also a common one in this world. The Oshawott smiled slightly. At least she was able to see this tonight. It had been cloudy and rainy during the last few days. Seeing the expanses of space was a reminder that the clouds had parted once again.
Turning back, the otter followed the path back home. She wanted Burnie here... It wasn't that she liked him or anything! I just need a light, she thought.
On the left side of the path was a forest that lay on the edge of town. The trees weren't that tall and were big enough for a small and adventurous Pokemon to climb. Its close proximity to town lead to a few tree stumps, and there were some younger trees that were planted to replace them.
The leaves of the forest danced about in the cool night wind. The grass swayed about. Eve headed off into the forest, the loose canopy of leaves covering her in slight darkness. Dark or not, the Oshawott knew her way around the forest. Still, having Burnie with her would help. She wondered what was happening with Burnie and that strange Treecko from earlier. I'll visit them in the morning. They're hopeless without me, she decided, heading off deeper into the forest to her tiny home...
