Tyler woke the next morning to find that there wasn't anything to do. He went to the stream to drink, found one of Mother's bushes and ate, but that was all. Tyler didn't have anyone to do anything with. Mother and Father would have taken them to train or play or something, but they weren't here. Neither were his brothers and sisters. The eevee sighed. He didn't feel like playing anyway. Mother, he knew, would have taken care of the bushes, but he wasn't a leafeon or anything. He didn't know how. After aimlessly circling the clearing for a while, Tyler turned away, going back to his den to wait. No – not his den. Their den. His family would come back. They had to.
As the morning wore on, boredom and the sense that he should be doing something drove the eevee outside again. He retraced his steps around the clearing. Even though there wasn't anything new to see, it gave him something to do. As he came back around, his circuit reminded him that Father would always patrol around the forest in the evenings. That was probably where Father went in the mornings too. I could do that, Tyler thought. Maybe… maybe if I do, I'll find out more about where my family went? He resolved to try. Where does Father patrol, though? All he knew was that he had crossed the path with Cora the day before. He didn't really know where it went or where else to find it. All he could do was retrace his steps.
Before going to look for the trail, Tyler ate and drank again. He didn't know how long it would take. Then he headed back upstream, busily sniffing for any sign of Father's scent. He had to go a surprising distance before he found it, but then there it was, the worn path stretching away in both directions. It crossed the stream on one side, and Tyler looked at it, trying to figure out how Father did it. Eventually he decided that a set of stones poking out of the water were the most likely choice. Father probably could have walked across them, but Tyler would have to jump from stone to stone. He took a deep breath and shook himself, getting ready for the first jump. He made it easily; the second stone was close enough to step to, though it was still a stretch. After that it was a short jump to the third, which was wide and flat, then a longer jump to a smaller, wet one. He bare
ly made it, and his back paws slid off the rock into the water. After a tense moment of hanging on with his forepaws, Tyler managed to scramble all the way onto the rock, balancing carefully.
The two jumps after that were relatively easy, and finally Tyler was on the far bank. His slip had soaked his hind legs and tail and part of his belly, and now that he had room, Tyler gave himself a vigorous shake. He still had to flick his tail a few times after that to get more water off. Finally he just had to accept that he would be wet for a while. It was a warm day, though, and between that and the mystery of where Father's path went he quickly forgot about his discomfort.
The flareon's trail slowly curved away into the forest. In some places, where the grass was worn down to bare dirt, it was easy to follow, but in others it spread out and became less clear. Maybe Father took different paths through the trees? At least the scent wasn't hard to follow.
One thing Tyler noticed was that the path stayed in clear areas, away from thick bushes. That made him a little nervous, since it didn't leave him much cover in case something happened. In some places, though, there was enough cover for an eevee. Father probably could have seen over the undergrowth and grass, so he might not have cared. Tyler was starting to realize how hard Father had worked to see everything and make sure things were safe.
Along the way, Tyler made sure to keep scenting the air for any trace of the rest of his family. So far there was nothing, although he could smell a lot of different pokémon and some Catchers from the day before. The human smells kept him on edge, but the eevee didn't see or hear anything wrong. Hopefully they were gone, and hopefully they wouldn't come back.
Tyler's paws were starting to ache again before he'd gone halfway around Father's ragged circle. He was definitely tracing a circle around the den – he just hadn't expected it to be so big. All the walking and running from the last few days is probably doing it too. He stopped to rest a few times, but eventually he gave up and turned toward the center of the circle. Along the way, he encountered the stream again. That's right… I'm still on the other side. He was crestfallen for a moment, but then he realized how thirsty he had gotten and went down to take a drink. The cool water tasted good, and it felt good on his sore forepaws too. Taking advantage of the shallows, he stepped into the water with all four paws. I'm going to have to cross it anyway, the eevee thought.
The feel of water also reminded him of what a mess the last few days had left his coat in. There were twigs and tangles in his fur, especially his ruff and tail. It was even worse than training days. He decided to stop and bathe there, so he sat down in the water and started pulling out tangles with his teeth and short claws, spitting twigs into the water where they floated away. Once he'd done all he could, Tyler rolled over in the water, giving himself a few seconds to enjoy the coolness before his fur soaked all the way through. He climbed back to his paws again and clambered out of the stream, shaking himself dry several times.
It was getting late and he was tired, so Tyler started sniffing the air again, following his nose to the nearest berry bush. He recognized it, so after eating a berry he turned back to the den. His fur finished drying on the way and immediately turned fuzzy. Mother would have licked it straight again, but Tyler didn't feel like it that evening, so he just went into the den and curled up, thinking. He felt a little better about the day, but there still wasn't any sign of his family. Maybe they're still lost. I had Cora to help me get back. And maybe Carson's still following the Catchers that took Kara? And what about Mother and Father? Maybe they were out searching for his brothers and sisters. They would have come back, though, right? To check?
Tyler sighed. He didn't know where any of them were. Or if they were all right. All the eevee could do was hope. He turned and stretched, carefully working his sore muscles, then curled up again out of the way of the fading light to sleep.
The eevee woke the next morning feeling a lot better. He yawned and stretched again, realizing he hadn't slept so well or so long in a while. The bath had done him some good too, though now that he thought about it… Tyler looked himself over and sighed again. I should've licked my fur out last night. It was as fuzzy as it had been the night before, and dust had gotten on it from the floor of the den. He turned his head and started working on his ruff, trying to get the fur to lay flat again. After a while, he was mostly successful at getting it to lay down, and he started working on his legs and tail. By the time he'd finished, the sun was on its way toward noon. He went to the stream to drink, found another bush – a different one this time, just for variety – and then started considering what to do with the day.
He'd already decided not to go off looking around the forest. The eevee didn't know where he'd even start, and besides, anyone who'd gotten away would be coming back here like he had. At least Tyler hoped so. That, and I might get lost again if I go too far. He briefly considered trying to complete Father's circuit, but he still didn't feel up to it – he felt better today, but not all the way. Eventually he decided to just go around the clearing and see what he could find out. There were a few more pokémon around, he noted hopefully. Tyler explored leisurely through the forest, keeping near the clearing, for what remained of the morning and then headed back. On the way, he picked up another sound that hadn't been there before. He approached carefully, keeping to the bushes, until he caught a familiar scent in the air and saw a rattata going in and out of its hole, pushing dirt out the entrance.
Satisfied that it was safe, Tyler came a little closer and stepped out of the undergrowth. "Hello?"
The rattata froze halfway through emerging with another load of dirt, only its nose poking out of the hole. Tyler moved around so he was clearly visible; once the rattata saw him, it relaxed. "Oh, good, just an eevee," she sighed. "I've been worrying that the Catchers would come back."
The words made Tyler a little uneasy too, and he paused to listen again for a moment. Nothing. "Did you just get back?" he asked the rattata.
The rattata nodded. "Just this morning. I've been being careful, you know, after what happened. I didn't want anything to find me." She shook her head and continued under her breath. "And as soon as I get here – what do you know? An eevee stumbles right on my hole!"
"I didn't just 'stumble in' here," Tyler retorted, insulted. "I could hear you from a way off. That's why I came over here, to see what was going on."
"You heard me?" The rattata looked taken aback. "But…" she sighed. "Well, I guess I'm not as sneaky as I thought, then."
"It's all right," Tyler offered. "The Catchers chased me out too. I only got back two days ago." The words brought back his worries about his family, and he quickly looked for something else to say. "What are you doing with your den?" he asked.
"I'm cleaning it," the rattata replied. "I was hiding in here when they came. An ekans came right down my hole. Good thing there are two ways out," she added to herself, giving a little shiver. "Anyway, I get back and it smells like snake in here all the way through. I'd never be able to sleep in it like that, so I'm digging the walls out a little, getting all the snake smell out." Tyler sniffed. Now that she mentioned it, he could smell traces of ekans scent on the pile of dirt.
"Have you seen any others coming back?"
"I saw a few. Mostly pidgey and spearow."
"Did you… see any eevee?" Tyler asked. He had to know. "My brothers and sisters all ran, but I haven't seen any of them come back yet."
She looked at him for a moment. "I'm sorry, I haven't been very kind, have I? I didn't even think you might have a family too." She paused. "I'm afraid I haven't, though."
Tyler looked down. "It's all right." He still didn't really want to talk about his family. "I'm worried about Catchers coming back too. I got lost running away."
"How did you get back so fast then?"
"Someone helped me." Tyler let his tail droop. He wished Cora would come see him again too.
The rattata was obviously interested, but she didn't press him any more. "Well," she said, turning away, "if I see any eevee, I'll tell you. I can't really do anything else."
"All right," Tyler replied. "Thanks." He headed home, a little depressed. He still didn't have any idea where his brothers and sisters might be. The day had one surprise left for him, though. As he came into sight of the den, Cora fluttered down to land in front of him.
"There you are!" she exclaimed. "I've been waiting for you for a while, little one."
Tyler perked up. "Cora! You're back! Ummm… How are you doing?"
"I've been fine," Cora responded, a twinkle in her eye. "Just getting my nest ready. I told you I'd come by to keep an eye on you.." She cocked her head. "So. How have you been doing?"
The eevee thought about it for a moment. "I've been doing better."
The pidgeotto nodded. "And where were have you been all day?"
"I've just been… looking around. Talking to pokémon around here. I tried to follow Father's patrol yesterday, but it's really long."
"Well, it's good that you're keeping busy," Cora observed. She shuffled her wings before going on. 'It doesn't look like anyone's found you here, have they?" Tyler laid his ears back as he looked down at the ground. "I'm sorry. I've been looking around whenever I fly, but I haven't seen any of your family either. But I can't see everything," she added. "They could have been in the undergrowth. Or I just could have missed them."
"It's all right," Tyler mumbled. "I know you're looking. I am too."
Cora leaned down and caught his eye. "What have you found out?"
Tyler shook his head. "Not very much. A lot of pokémon are gone. Some of them are coming back, though," he added hopefully. "This morning I ran into a rattata who was cleaning out her den. She said they almost found her too." He thought back to his conversation with the pikachu and sighed, remembering. "The Catchers… they caught Father. The pikachu I was talking to said he beat some of them, but then they were all attacking him together, and…" Tyler broke off. His voice was shaking. "It's… so unfair!" he howled suddenly. "Why did they all have to go after us? Why… why did they take my family?" he asked, trailing off to a murmur again. He sat down and started to cry.
Cora's wing swept over him. "You don't have to cry, little one. Your father stopped them from getting to you. That's what he wanted. He wouldn't ever have hesitated. I know. I would do the same for my chicks." She pulled him a little closer. "I would do the same for you, too."
Trembling, Tyler pushed his head into her warm feathers. It felt like forever since he had had anyone to comfort him. Cora didn't say anything else, just held him close until his breath steadied again and his shaking stopped. Finally, the eevee sat up and shook himself, taking a deep breath. "Thanks, Cora."
"Of course, little one. I'm a mother too."
Tyler nodded. He wanted to talk about something different, so he asked, "Are you cleaning up your nest?"
Cora smiled and shook her head. "No, this time I'm building a new one. Last winter wasn't good for it, and if I'm going to raise another brood… well, it was a little small the last time. I'm building a bigger one."
Clinging to the subject, Tyler asked, "How do you build a nest?"
Cora ruffled her feathers and gave him a pleased smile. "Well, you start by finding a good strong branch, one with a fork that will keep it steady and branches and leaves that will keep it hidden – above and below. Then you have to find sticks, bigger ones mostly. You use those to make sort of a skeleton for it. It's just sort of a circle then. After that, you start bringing smaller and smaller sticks to finish the shape and weave in grass and twigs to hold it all together."
"Isn't it uncomfortable, sleeping on sticks?" Tyler asked, curiosity piqued now.
Cora plumped up her feathers a little. "Not for us, no. Besides, I use feathers to line my nest, make it nice and soft for my little ones."
"Oh," Tyler said. Another thought struck him. "What is flying like?"
"It's nice. It's hard to get up in the air… but it's peaceful up there." Cora sighed, lost in thought. "I do love soaring over the forest." She looked back at Tyler. "Speaking of which… sorry, but I really do need to get back. My new nest needs to be strong enough that it won't fall apart if a storm comes tonight."
"Oh. Do you think there's going to be a storm?"
"Probably not, but there are clouds. It never hurts to be safe."
Tyler nodded acceptance. "All right. Thanks for coming to see me."
"Of course, little one," the pidgeotto responded. "Good luck. I'll come back again soon."
Tyler stepped back and closed his eyes as she spread her wings and lifted herself into the air, scattering dust and bits of last fall's leaves. When everything settled, Cora was winging through a gap in the trees and up into the sky. She turned left and passed out of Tyler's view.
He went back to the den feeling a little better. I'm not going to give up, he thought with new determination. I need to keep going. I don't have anyone to do training with, but I can still do something. And I'm gonna get stronger. I'll keep going on Father's path until I can get all the way around. He looked at the lowering sun. Not tonight though, he thought, considering his still-sore paws. I'll start tomorrow. What can I practice right now? There had to be something other than fighting moves he could work on.
After a minute, he decided to try sneaking around, so he went out and practiced creeping through the bushes as quietly as possible. It was hard. Even in the undergrowth, the ground was covered in a rustling layer of twigs and dead leaves. The bushes made noise whenever his fur caught on a branch too. He took a break after a while to eat and rest, laying quietly and just listening and smelling the forest around him, half hoping to pick up something new. There was nothing, so after a few minutes he got up again and practiced off and on until the sun started to slip below the trees. The eevee went back to the stream to drink, and then finally returned to his family's den to sleep.
He started to settle into a routine over the next few days. Tyler woke each day as sun reached him in the den, like he always had. He went to the stream to drink, then headed to find something to eat. He knew where four of Mother's bushes were, so he would pick one each day to keep things different. After that he would follow Father's patrol route around as far as he could. It was still hard and he knew he wasn't close to going all the way around; sometimes he went the other way just to see the rest of it.
There had been no sign of the Catchers since that morning, and slowly his fear of them coming back started to fade. More pokémon returned, and the eevee always made sure to ask them about his family if they seemed friendly. One or two mentioned having seen an eevee that day, but Tyler had no way of knowing which of his siblings it had been or where they were now. A few of them remembered Father's battle in the clearing, but apart from that Tyler didn't learn anything new.
Cora came to visit him every few days, though sometimes it would be longer or shorter. Tyler was grateful for the pidgeotto's company, especially as days stretched into weeks with no sign of his family; he wouldn't admit it, but his hopes were growing thinner and thinner. Cora told him she sometimes went looking around the forest, but she hadn't seen anything either. She saw an eon family once, but it had been a different one, far away from Tyler's clearing. She told him how she'd finished her nest with her new mate, and a few days later she told him there would be eggs soon and she wouldn't be able to visit very much.
The only other pokémon Tyler talked to regularly was the pikachu. They were both young and the pikachu still seemed worried about what would happen if the Catchers came back. It just wasn't the same, though; Tyler had always played and trained and everything with his siblings, and it felt awkward whenever he thought about asking the pikachu to play with him. He didn't want to train against it either. Father and Mother hadn't ever wanted their children to face off against each other – something about not getting into rivalries, whatever those were. Tyler still didn't feel comfortable about it.
As time went on, the sun started to come up earlier and earlier and the warming days indicated summer had come. Around this time, Tyler finally managed to get all the way around Father's circle without stopping to rest. He was getting stronger. He'd gotten better at keeping out of sight too, though he felt like he would never be able to avoid all the leaves and low-hanging branches. The only way to keep completely quiet was just to stay still.
As Tyler could now circle all the way around his den each morning, he saw more of the pokémon. There weren't any newcomers anymore; it seemed like all the pokémon who hadn't been caught had made their way back or moved on. The realization made him sad; it seemed like there wasn't any chance left that his family would come. Tyler didn't want to be alone. He got to know some of his neighbors; some were sympathetic, even friendly, others didn't seem to care, and a few he had learned to avoid, like an ekans that had taken up residence near the stream.
The main thing on everyone's mind was Catchers, but they slipped into memory as week after week passed with no sign of them. Tyler saw individual Catchers once or twice on Father's path, but they didn't look anything like the ones who had attacked them that day, and there was never more than one of them. The forest started to fall back into its natural rhythms; foraging rattata and pikachu were common sights, as were caterpie that had climbed trees to weave their hard cocoons and wait for evolution. Pidgey and spearow would come fluttering down to snatch up grasshoppers and worms, but they generally left the larger bug pokémon alone. Sometimes a fearow would show up, hunting those. Things were just as they had always been, but it all swirled around Tyler in a blur he didn't pay much attention to. Seeing other pokémon living their normal lives just reminded him of how alone he was.
He often thought about his family. Where were they? What was happening to them? Where had Skylar and Sasha gone? Had they gotten away? He thought his brother might have; after all, Tyler had. But then there was the Persian chasing them. Maybe Tyler had gotten away because it went after Skylar. He wondered if Carson was still free, if he had gotten Kara away. He thought he might have a chance; something had happened with the eevee when he'd suddenly turned into a blur. Tyler hadn't known eevee had powers before they evolved. He couldn't feel anything inside himself. Maybe his older brother had managed to save Kara. Why wouldn't they come back, though? Tyler didn't have an answer for that question.
By now Tyler could take Father's path confidently. It still took him most of the morning, but now it barely tired him out at all. He had gotten used to the distance. It did make him a lot hungrier now.
One day, a little after the beginning of summer, Cora showed up unexpectedly to see him. Tyler returned from patrolling Father's circuit to see the pidgeotto waiting for him. "Cora!" he shouted.
She turned to see him and descended from the branch she'd been sitting on. "How have you been, little one? I'm sorry I haven't had time to check on you."
Tyler thought for a moment and sighed. "I'm all right. How are you, Cora?"
"Well…" she paused. "I'm here to tell you that I won't be able to come back. My eggs are about to hatch, and I'm starting to remember how much work chicks are. I'll be needed there."
Tyler wasn't really surprised. "That's all right, Cora," he replied. He took a deep breath and let it out in a sigh. "I don't think anyone's coming back here. Not anymore. Pokémon stopped coming back weeks ago, so… I guess I'm the only one who got away." It took a lot for him to finally admit it aloud. He paused, gathering his courage again. "I don't think I'm going to stay either. It's not the same here without my family."
The pidgeotto nodded slowly, giving him a tender look. "I'm sorry for what happened to you, little one. I wish I could do more." She cocked her head. "So, where will you go now?"
"I'm going to look for them." Determination entered the eevee's voice. "I'm tired of waiting and doing nothing. I don't know where my family is, but at least I'm going to try to find them."
"Are you sure you'll be all right, little one?" Cora asked. "This forest is a pretty safe place. Especially here. If you leave, you'll run across a lot more Catchers. Not all of the pokémon are friendly either."
"Don't worry. I'll keep myself safe. Father and Mother taught us to defend ourselves and I've been practicing ever since I came back, and I've been following Father's patrol every day. I'm a lot stronger than I used to be." He said this to reassure himself as much as the pidgeotto; Tyler had never been outside the forest and he was worried – maybe even a little scared – of what he might find, or what might find him.
Cora still looked concerned. "Just… be careful. Don't get in a fight unless you have to, especially with Catchers. My first mate was really good at fighting, but that got him in trouble." She shook her head, a quick flicking movement. "That's what got him caught. Just stay away from them." The pidgeotto paused, eyes misting a bit. "Take care of yourself, all right, little one? I would hate it if anything happened to you."
Tyler nodded quietly. "I will. Thanks, Cora. I'll stay away from trouble. I just want to find my family."
"All right." Cora's voice was a little stronger. "If you're going out to look for them, there's a road – a Catcher path – out past the edge of the forest, that way." She pointed. "There's a group of Catchers that way, too. I don't know what's past it; that's just what you can see from the forest. It's… it's somewhere to start though."
Tyler nodded, trying to imagine what it would look like. "All right."
A wing swept over Tyler and pulled him close. "I'll miss you, little one," Cora whispered.
"Thanks, Cora," Tyler said again. "I won't forget you, I promise. And I'll keep myself safe." Tears were coming to his eyes as well.
Cora held him there for a long moment before letting him go. "Goodbye, little one. And good luck. Your family's lucky to have someone like you. I hope you can find them." She held his gaze for another moment, then turned to lift her wings and take off, winging through the space of the clearing until she reached the treetops. Tyler watched until she disappeared from view. The pidgeotto was the last link he really had to this place. His family was gone and he didn't have anyone else, and now Cora had to go to. It was time for him to leave. She had watched out for him, helped him find his way home. Now his life was going to change again.
Tyler thought about going then, but he decided it would be best to wait for the next day. He'd already gone around Father's circle that morning; starting tomorrow would let him rest so he could go as far as possible. And he didn't want to leave without sleeping one last night in the den where he had been born and raised.
Tyler spent the rest of the day anticipating the trip. He went back several times to look at the Catchers' trail. It had been mostly wiped out now, but the eevee had seen it enough times to know where it went. From what Cora had said, they had probably come from their road. Maybe even the Catcher place she'd mentioned. That would be the first place to look. In the moments when he was resting, Tyler's mind spun. It was a big step. The eevee was about to leave behind everything he was familiar with. What's it going to be like? There would be more pokémon, like the nidoking, and probably others he'd never even heard of. More Catchers too, from what Cora said. He didn't know how far he'd have to go or what he'd find. Despite what he'd said to Cora, Tyler knew he would need to get stronger and better at keeping himself safe. He might even evolve.
That thought caught him off guard. Ever since the Catchers came, Tyler had almost forgotten about evolving. He still wasn't ready for it – he hadn't even thought about what he might want. The eevee started thinking about it and realized he still didn't know. Nothing really sounded right for him, and now that Father and Mother were gone there wasn't anyone to help him anyway. He didn't know much about evolving either, except that there was usually some kind of stone or some place he would have to go to. He didn't know where to find any of that. The same question nagged at him as before: What if I evolve into something and it turns out to be the wrong choice? His evolution would shape the rest of his life, and it wasn't like he could go back and pick something else. Maybe he could just stay an eevee.
Between wondering where his family was, thinking about evolution and getting ready, and worrying about the journey he was about to start, Tyler was only too glad to fall asleep that night. He breathed in the familiar scents of his family; they were slowly fading, but he could still make out Father's scent like steam rising off sunbaked rocks in a sudden rain, Mother's clean leafy smell, and the mingled but individual scents of the four other eevee in his family. They weren't here, but he would find them. Somehow. Tyler sighed and closed his eyes. It still took him a while to go to sleep.
That night, he dreamed of running through the trees. He wasn't running away this time, but there was a purpose. Something important was ahead, he could feel it. The eevee followed a familiar scent through his dream, though he couldn't quite place it. The dream ended, but the feeling that something was waiting to be found remained.
The next morning, Tyler stayed curled up in the den a little longer than usual, reluctant to leave the place that had been his home for so long. He looked around, taking in the smooth brown walls with bits of fur – mostly brown – that stuck to them, the rougher ceiling above his head with roots poking through here and there, and the narrowing slope of the entrance. He still felt safest here. I can't stay any more, though. It's time for me to do something. He inhaled deeply, picking out the scents of his family one last time, seeing their faces in his mind. Then he rolled to his paws and stretched before heading out to drink from the stream.
After he had gotten a drink and found a bush to eat from, Tyler headed back to the clearing. That was where he would start, since he knew the direction the Catchers had gone from there. As he crossed the grass, Tyler's gaze fell on his family's den again. It felt wrong to leave it like that. After a few minutes' thought, the eevee went over and started dragging dead branches to cover the entrance. It wasn't much, but it might keep his home from being disturbed. Eventually he managed to cover it well enough that he couldn't really make out the hole behind the tangle of branches. He had to take a moment after that to pull stray twigs and leaves from his ruff before shaking it out again so it would fall into place.
Then everything was done. There wasn't anything left to keep him there; it was time to say goodbye to the life he'd known and the small world he'd grown up in. He took another long look around at the ragged circle of trees, the paths trampled through the grass. Even in that time he saw several pokémon, but he didn't want to talk to anyone now. It's time to leave. I'm coming, family. I hope you're out there somewhere.
Tyler sighed, then crossed the clearing to where the Catchers' trail started. Looking back one last time, he could just make out the tangle of branches that marked the den, nearly hidden in the trees. He was sad to leave his home, but… it just wasn't the same without his family. I'm going to find them. He waited a moment more, saying a silent goodbye to his home; then the eevee shook himself, pushing his hesitation away and turning determinedly toward the forest. Tyler headed into the trees, following the last traces of the trampled path the Catchers had left.
Part I End