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Honesty is the best policy, and honestly I'm suffering from a major writer's block from all that's going on at home right now. I don't want to make you guys wait too long for something, so whenever I update with something like that archive of characters or a bonus fill in chapter, it serves as an apology to everyone reading this story. It also helps me prove to myself that I am still able to write well, though not perfectly. Well once again this is a fill in kind of chapter. Enjoy.
Loka:
As soon as the winter snows covered the floor of the forest, preparations for the cold season was finished. Our pack of eeveelutions were all home in their dens, waiting for the frozen weather to pass and simply enjoy each others company knowing that they wouldn't have to sleep alone for winter.
A younger and playful Lo was climbing over her father's pointy fur and nipping at his ear while he laughed. She was only a few years younger than she is in the present part of our story and the decisions for evolving was the last thing on her mind. She and Xen would usually play like this before they ate dinner and went to sleep for the night. Mainly to take their minds off of what happened almost a year ago.
Lo stopped playing and laid herself down on Xen's fur, obviously tired. She giggled from the fun she was having as the excitment was still there. Xen smiled at seeing his daughter so happy. Almost as though it never happened. Xen seemed happy too, but the thought of that day he found her body brought the realization that he would never see her again. That truth hurt. Even worse, when ever he looked at Lo, he could easily see her. The resemblance was uncanny, even for the fact that she was her child.
Even now Xen couldn't believe it. This was his daughter. The thought that she was made him quiver with happiness. Even though Loka was gone now, Lo was like a part of her. Loka was still alive and she lived in Lo. That had to be it. That had to be what it was. What made him want to protect her, what made him want to make sure she was safe. To protect the last bit of Loka he had left.
The young eevee shuffled onto Xen's chest and crawled up to his face. Her eyes were so wide and happy it was as if seeing Loka as a child again.
"Daddy," She started.
"Yes, Lo?"
"How did you and mommy evolve?"
The question seemed to be derived from what he was thinking about. Almost as if she knew. That particular memory was one he couldn't stop thinking about since Loka passed. The memory was vivid and clear as the day it happened. The jolteon started his story.
/
The summer sun hovered over the forest and gave the trees their lush green look. This day was a celebration in the eastern eevee pack. The ceremony of stones were taking place and the eevee of age were ready to accept their stones. The ceremonial area was brimming with eeveelutions of many sorts. They surrounded the center where seven eevee were waiting.
One of these eevee was our jolteon to be, Xen. He was the second biggest out of all of the eevee. His hair was nearly spiked as if the evolution had begun already. His body jittered with excitement and nervousness. A much smaller eevee sat next to him. She was more nervous than happy and it clearly showed as she looked at the others. She shook with fear at what was going to take place.
"I don't know about this." She said. Xen looked at her with a slight frown.
"What's wrong?" He asked her. She looked at him and quickly looked away.
"I-I don't.. I don't know about this! Do you think it's going to hurt?" Xen gave her an evil smirk.
"I hear it's the most painful thing you'll ever feel in your life." He lied. The younger eevee looked at him in horror.
"Really?.." Xen nodded.
"They say it feels worse than a flamethwower from elder Kose. And the smaller you are the worse it gets." The eevee looked at herself and quietly squealed. She was the smallest one in the ceremony.
"I really don't know about this!" She shook with terror from what Xen just told her. He just laughed at her.
"I'm kidding," He finally said. The poor eevee looked a bit relieved, but she was clearly still nervous. Xen felt a little bad for scaring her. Even though he told her it was a joke, she still seemed terrified. He didn't mean to frighten her that badly.
"Hey, Xen!" Another eevee called. Xen looked to see an eevee that was only slightly smaller than him. "Picking on Loka, huh?"
"I was joking!" He defended holding back a laugh.
"Great job," Hano said as a younger Pelica next to him giggled. "Scar her before she even evolves."
"I didn't mean to-"
A flareon shushed them from behind and Xen looked ahead to see Ayra standing in the middle of the group. She was much younger and had a youthful spark in her. She had evolved several years ago and had already begun to associate herself in pack affairs. It was quite a feat for her, but she managed to gain Kose's trust and seemed to guarantee that she would one day have a place in the Elder Council.
In front of her sat several stones that shimmered from the sunlight that found it's way through the trees, almost perfectly shining onto the center of the ceremonial ground. Ayra looked at the eevee ready to evolve. This year there was seven. The usual count would normally be at least four, but there were more this year and that meant the stones were harder to obtain. Still, having so many evolve at once meant the times were good and the pack was thriving.
Ayra walked forward and looked at all of the young eevee. She stopped in front of the biggest one who looked back at her. He was by far the oldest and even had battle experience unlike the others. He chose to wait to evolve until today. It was a two year wait that he dedicated to getting strong and earning the right to evolve. That was what the elder Kose told him and he took the words to heart. Ayra smiled at him and he fought the urge to smile back.
"I'm proud of you, Tif." She said. The eevee lowered his head trying to hide the smile he couldn't hold back any longer. Xen looked and couldn't help feeling happy for his best friend. He knew first hand (or paw) what Tif has pushed himself through and knew how passionate he could get about something. Ayra then walked back to the stones and began:
"We are here to welcome these young eevee as adults. They have been through a tough decision process to find an evolution that they are ready to become. I can't say enough how happy I am to help you all in the process."
The eeveelutions surrounding the area cheered happily for the kits. All of their young hearts beat in anticipation. All except Loka who was still shaking in fear.
"Let's begin!" Ayra exclaimed. She then lifted a stone with her telekinesis. It was a fire stone. One of the eevee stood and walked toward her ready to accept it. He seemed almost as jittery as Xen was right now.
"Are you ready?" The eevee nodded. Ayra then slowly placed the stone on his forehead and immediately he began to glow. A sweeping flame engulfed him and swirled about him, completely hiding him in the fires. Xen watched in utter excitement and then just as suddenly as it started, the flames cleared and where the eevee once was now stood a fiery flareon. His new coat seemed to glow from the heat of his type, and his tail flowed behind him as well as his mane. A small ember escaped his mouth as he looked at his new form. It was clear that he couldn't believe it and he was starting to like it.
The crowd cheered and praised. Ayra nodded and the new flareon stepped behind her. Xen saw the excitement in his eyes and felt his own build. Remembering Loka, he looked down to her and saw that she was trembling.
"Loka?" He said. She didn't answer. Xen could nearly see her heart beat from her chest as she started to breathe heavier. Ayra rose a second stone and Xen looked. It was a thunder stone. It was his turn. He looked at Loka again. "Just watch me, okay."
"No, don't!" She said trying to stop him. Xen walked forward and stood in front of Ayra. He looked to Loka who seemed afraid for him and smiled assuringly. He looked back to Ayra who asked the same question:
"Are you ready?" Xen nodded. Once again, she slowly lowered the stone onto the eevee's forehead and like earlier, Xen began to as well. His fur bristled and spiked everywhere as the stone changed him. He was then covered in a visible static that ran through him and His fur began to turn yellow and his tail shrunk. After several seconds, the static lessened and there stood a jolteon. Xen looked over himself and felt electric. (pun intended) He felt as though the electricity had always been a part of him. This feeling was incredible. He looked to Ayra who gave him a nod. He smiled and looked back to Loka.
The eevee seemed a bit more relieved after seeing that Xen was okay. In fact she seemed ready to proceed with the process. The next stone was a water stone and Loka knew it was her turn. She slowly walked forward toward the waiting espeon.
"Are you afraid?" she asked. Loka nodded with a shiver and looked at the water stone hovering over her head. It held what looked like a water droplet inside and the color it gave was enhanced in the spotlight the sun gave through the trees.
"Will it hurt?" She asked nervously.
"I can't say. I've never evolved into a vaporeon before." Loka's ears dropped. "I can say that evolving is an experience that is unlike any other. Some say it's like a part of you is remembered. Others say a part of you is forgotten. If the experience is good or bad is all on how they felt about it." Loka nodded. She understood some of what she said, but not all of it. "Are you ready?"
Loka looked at the stone again and then to Xen who was waiting to see what she would say.
"Yes. I'm ready." Ayra then lowered the stone and touched the eevee's forehead as a bright light surrounded her.
/
Xen looked on his chest to see Lo fast asleep. She had used all her energy while playing earlier and couldn't keep awake for the entire story. Her little form moved up and down as she gave a small snore, making Xen grin as hard as he could. This was his daughter. A thought that would never cease to amaze him. He softly rolled the sleeping kit off of his chest and placed her on his side. Soon he was asleep himself.
He dreamed of another day that he'd never forget. A spring day that even though it had rained for a bit, was one of the happiest days of his life.
/
He was walking down a damp river bank that snaked its way through the forest. He was thinking to himself how to ask a certain vaporeon a question that had been on his mind since the day he evolved. Yet no matter how many times he played it in his mind, the outcome would always end in disaster. He had been meaning to ask her for weeks now, but everytime he tried, he would freeze up.
This time was going to be different. No more would he tense and shut down. He had to ask her before someone else did and if that happened, he would regret it for the rest of his life. While still working up the courage, he decided that they would have to be alone to be able to ask her upfont. He asked her to meet him here on the river and she agreed.
He felt his heart speed up in anticipation of her arrival. How was he going to ask her, anyway? What if she said no? Xen stopped in his tracks as thought after thought invaded his mind. What she was already asked by someone else?! Was he too late?!
"Hi, Xen," Came a voice from beside him. The jolteon looked to see Loka floating in the river. She swam to shore and trotted over to greet him properly. Every time Xen saw her, he felt strange. A good kind of strange and something he hoped that she felt whenever she saw him too. He felt his limbs begin to shake from simply being near her.
"Hi, Loka. Glad you came," He said after finding his voice. The vaporeon sat in front of him and stared.
"So, what did you want to ask me?" Xen felt himself freeze up again.
"I... um.. You see I uh..." He couldn't say the words. He was blowing it already. Loka tilted her head.
"Are you okay?" This was it. This was the moment he was waiting for, so why couldn't he ask her? He had to. He had to say something! The jolteon took a deep breath, closed his eyes and blurted:
"Loka, will you be my mate?!" The entire forest seemed to echo with his question. It wasn't untill the first minute had passed before he noticed it was actually silent. He still had his eyes closed and was afraid to open them. She had to still be there because he could hear her breathing. He opened his eyes to see Loka looking down as her face was flushed with red.
"Xen," She started. Her tone of voice made him expect the worst. "I was asked earlier by someone else.." Xen's heart sank and he felt like an idiot. He couldn't believe what he just did. What she must've thought of him made him unable to look at her, but Suddenly he felt her nuzzle against him and in surprise nearly jumped away.
"Loka?" She looked in his eyes and touched her nose to his.
"I turned him down," She said.
"R-really? Why?"
"Because I wanted you to ask me."
/
His dream was interupted by Lo who gave a squeaky yawn. She shifted in her sleep and rubbed her face into Xen's fur. He realized that he was only dreaming and gave a heavy sigh. The dream was as vivid as the day it happened, and even after he woke, the feelings from it still lingered.
He stood with a stretch and grabbed Lo by the scruff of her fur. He took her to her room and placed her on the soft bedding inside. She curled and began snoring again as Xen stepped out. Knowing he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep, he decided to leave the den for a little walk.
The night was crisp from the dry winter air. His breath flushed from his nose in a plume of white and the chill of the season caused his fur to bristle more than normal. The pack grounds at night were quite peaceful as all of the pokemon of the forest slept the night away. At this time of night, even the pokemon of the night were home in their dens and nests.
Xen walked in his thoughts. The story he told Lo, the dream he just had about Loka. There were so many memories and feelings that he needed to clear his head. Although they were happy, they brought such a strong sense of lonliness to him that he felt terribly sad. He didn't want to stay in the den while feeling this way in case Lo awoke and grew worried.
Before he knew it, he found himself walking down the same river bank where he asked Loka to be with him. He stopped and looked around feeling the emotion he desperately tried to hold in coming out. This place was important to him. A flood of tears poured from his eyes as he sat, sobbing into the waters that took his tears and washed them away down stream.
Loka was heavily on his mind and he missed her so much that it hurt. Heart broken and sad, he couldn't bring himself to stop the tears.
"Xen," He heard. He looked down at the river and what he saw made his heart flutter. It was Loka. She just looked at him as he did her. She seemed so real that Xen wanted to believe that it was really her. He couldn't believe it though. She was dead and nothing could bring her back. Not even a strong desire.
Still, it was just like her in every way. Her eyes, full of light and her blue skin as smooth as the day she said yes. She was so beautiful. Xen leaned in closer with hope. What if it was her?
"Loka?.." The water rippled and her image faded. Xen leaned back upright and sighed.
"No, it's just me." He heard. He turned around and saw that it was Ayra slowly walking toward him. He turned away and shook his head.
"Hey, Ayra." He whispered. The espeon went over and sat beside him.
"It's a bit late for a stroll, don't you think?" Xen tried to reply, but nothing came. "Are you alright?"
"Can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"How do you cope with... Tif being gone?" Ayra was caught off guard with the question. She looked at him and saw that his eyes were wet. He was still grieving for Loka, much like she, Hano and Pelica. The four of them were inseperable after they evolved and when Loka died it hurt all of them, but none as much as Xen. They hardly even saw him anymore and soon they all began to drift from each other. It was as if Loka was the one that held them all together.
Ayra thought about her brother. Why he left was still a mystery to her. Even more stressful was wondering if he was still alive.
"They both are gone now, aren't they?" Ayra looked at the stream and watched the water flow.
"Lo looks so much like her. It makes me so happy... But also sad." Xen felt the emotions build again.
"The way I cope with that may not be the answer you would want to hear." Xen looked at her and saw that she was smiling, but for him or her he couldn't tell. "To be honest, I'm not sure how to deal with him being gone. All I feel that I can do is hope that if he's still out there, he's okay."
"Yeah.." Ayra looked at him again and saw his expression didn't change.
"I know how much you miss her and I know that she's... Never coming back.." Xen felt his throat tighten. "But you still have Lo." The jolteon looked down to the water again. An eevee appeared to him. She looked just like Loka before she evolved. He looked closer and realized it was his daughter. She was smiling at him. She looked so happy.
"You're right." He wiped his tears and stood up. "Thank you. I needed that." Ayra nodded. They said goodnight and Xen made his way back to his den. Lo was still in her bed asleep. Xen went over and laid beside her. She once again rubbed her face into his fur and snuggled herself under him. Xen smiled and laid his head down, quickly falling asleep.
/
The jolteon dreamt of another day. This day was the most memorable and the most joyful. It was the day Lo was born. He remembered every detail, from the scent of the lush grass, to the feel of a gentle breeze on his fur.
Loka lay in the den with a green speckled egg at her side. She kept it warm for quite some time and knew that their new kit would arrive soon. Xen couldn't hide his excitement in hopes of meeting his new kit.
"I'm not nervous, Loka. Don't worry, I'm fine, not nervous at all." The jolteon paced around the den unable to sit still for even a moment. Loka couldn't help laughing at him.
"Xen, you're nervous," she said.
"Nervous?! No way! What makes you think that?"
"When ever you say you're not, you're a total wreck." Xen stopped.
"Am not!"
"Your fur is bristling." He looked down and saw that she was right. He was nervous. He breathed in and calmed down. He then went over to Loka and laid beside her.
"I'm sorry, Loka. I've never felt this way before."
"Neither have l. We're bringing a new member into the pack. I just hope that I'm a good mother."
Xen nuzzled her affectionately. "Don't worry," He said. "You'll be great, I know it." Loka was as nervous as Xen was and it made her feel so much better that she wasn't alone. That's right. She wasn't alone. Xen was here with her. A new sense of joy came over her. Joy because in a few moments her family will be complete.
Xen frowned as he saw Loka begin to cry. He nearly panicked and couldn't figure out what could be wrong.
"Loka, are you okay? Did I say something?" A tone of worry was in his voice as he licked her cheek. She shook her head.
"I'm not sad. I don't know why I'm crying. I'm so happy that you're here with me. Why am I crying?"
"It's because you're happy. Those are tears of joy, Loka." The vaporeon looked at him with teary eyes. Tears of joy? Crying because she was happy? She didn't understand at first, but the more she thought of it, the more it made sense.
There was a level of happiness that was beyond laughing and smiling. A level that made something that is mainly brought by sadness, come from the joy that she was feeling. She had never cried from happiness before and it was so strange, yet she couldn't help but welcome the feeling.
"Thank you, Xen," she started. "Thank you for being here with me." The jolteon looked into her eyes.
"Loka..." He didn't know what else to say. There was a glow about her that made her so beautiful that he grew speechless. He was the luckiest Pokemon in the world to be with her and he knew it.
It wasn't long before the speckled egg hatched and out came a healthy eevee kit. She was beautiful just like her mother, so they named her Lo. Her name represented her being a part of her mother and so it was shortened to show it. This was the happiest day of his life. The day that Lo was born. The day his family became whole. The memory was strong and no matter what may happen, he would cherish that day forever.
End of enrty
Well this was the most heartfelt entry in the series and I enjoyed writing it so much. I hope you enjoyed reading this one. As small as it is I really believe that it's the definition of "short and sweet." Chapter 11 coming soon.
