Neon's POV
I lied down and watch the others, having their lunch. Time quickly passed, and it was noon. Lightning was a really gregarious jolteon once I got to know him. However, he had to elude any eye contact with Lilly or otherwise he would surely get the indictment from the "overprotective" Gust, himself. The more I thought about Gust, the more inconsistent I found him to be. He told me once that he remembered the night when he first met Lilly but he said he only befriended Lilly the next day. And he also said that he would not tell us about the details. Maybe, he only did because I insisted him to do so. I should make myself clear and ask him about it. Luckily, I could see him that he had just finished his lunch. I walked to him just to ask him some questions.
"Gust, no offense but you once said to me that you met Lilly at the full moon night. According to your story…" I was interrupted as Flare nuzzled her head against my neck. I didn't notice her, approaching me. But I put my paw on her shoulder just to assure her that she had my attention.
"Well, you see, I really did meet her before the rain started." He said, grinning, causing me to blink me in confusion. He really didn't have such great time that night. The rain made him, shivering in cold. That night must have been terrible for him and yet he thought of it as a memorial night. He was very unusual. And speaking of which, I hadn't heard him whistling with a leaf. I wondered how it sounded like.
"Can you play that soothing melody that you played for Lilly?" I asked, wanting to hear.
"No way!" Gust yelled back. His cold reply kind of shocked me. Maybe he was not in the mood.
"Why's that?" Flare asked with a slight disappointment in her tone. Maybe she was willing to hear the melody as much as I was.
"I only play it for those who are dear to me." He said.
"So you've already liked Lilly by the time she flirted with you." I scoffed which caused him to blush. Lilly walked to Gust and gave him a lick in the cheek. She then nuzzled her head against his neck affectionately.
"Please, won't you at least play it for me?" Lilly said, looking at Gust's face, with her teary eyes. Gust must somehow felt uneasy. It was all written on his face and I could see that clearly. But I had never seen Lilly, faking those kinds of eyes.
"Fine!" Gust groaned as he plucked a leaf from his body. Lilly winked at me for some reason. He then started to whistle with it. It surely was a beautiful and soothing melody but why was he hiding it? I motioned to Lilly to question her.
"It seems perfect to me but why doesn't he play it often?" I whispered so that I wouldn't disturb Gust.
"You see, Gust never wants to admit that he can play a great melody. So he practically finds some excuses whenever someone asks about it. For some reason, he plays it whenever I ask him to do so." Lilly whispered back. This indicated that Gust truly valued Lilly's love. Flare had closed her eyes, enjoying the music and Lightning was doing the same. I did the same as them. It was just very beautiful. I quickly opened my eyes as the music suddenly stopped.
"Why did you stop the music?" I asked.
"I just did what I wanted. Anyway, are you satisfied with the melody?" Gust replied and I nodded.
"I am." A female voice said. I turned around to the direction of the sound and saw an umbreon with blue rings instead of yellow.
"Long time no see, Gust and your music is as sweet as always." She said. Did she know Gust? It was quite confusing.
"Who are you and how do you know my name?" Gust demanded but the umbreon, nevertheless, approached Gust.
"Just as I suspected, you really don't recognize me at all." She said as she knew Gust for a long time. Who was this lady, demanding that she knew Gust?
"Winter always praised me for being nice, don't you remember?" she said and all of us, including Lightning, looked at the peculiar pokemon in confusion while Gust looked at her in disbelief.
"Hello, but I don't really think that we know you. But you are welcome here" Lilly said uneasily and yet in a polite way.
"Are you Floret by any chance?" Gust asked, surprising all of us. Did he really know this female?
"At last, you remember me. Yes, I am Floret." The umbreon said.
"You have evolved into an umbreon. No wonder, I didn't recognize you." Gust said with a slight happiness in his tone. I've never heard Gust's voice in this way. Someone poked me and I jerked, startled. It was just Lightning, but I didn't notice him, approaching me.
"Is Gust okay?" he said and I shrugged in reply.
"Anyway, what are you doing here?" Gust inquired with a slight grin while Lilly was studying them.
"I just came here to look for you, Gust." Floret replied and she started to nuzzle her head against Gust's neck. Gust really seemed to be popular.
"Do you really know her?" Lilly said, looking uncomfortable. She must be jealous somehow.
"Well, she is my sister so don't worry." Gust said, smiling.
"You should say it properly that I am your mate." Floret said and all of us, including Gust, blinked our eyes. This was awkward. Lilly frowned and growled angrily but she never showed the sign of attacking Floret. However, I once knew that this was going be one jocular comedy.
"That would be inbreeding." Gust replied with a high tone with a slight anger in it.
"Come on, Gust. We are not related by blood so we can become mates, can't we?" Floret insisted and got a beam of strong water in her face which pushed her several feet backwards.
"Trying to make someone to become your mate in front of his mater, herself, is extremely rude! And I hate boors like you!" Lilly said angrily, taking a battle pose.
"You are the one who is impolite, attacking a guest." Floret snarled back. Gust sneaked out of the battle field, without being noticed by the two angry females. Only after he was besides me, assuring his safety, he yelled. I had never seen Gust, acting so cowardly.
"After all my chronic efforts of mating Gust, I cannot simply give you what you want." Lilly sneered, causing Floret to growl.
"Hey, listen to me, both of you." Gust shouted, with concerned and got two fiery glares from each of them in return.
"You make a right choice, Gust. Never get involved in the females' battle. You will only get hurt." Lightning said and I nodded in agreement.
Floret made the first move, spitting a dark energy ball which I assumed to be a Shadow Ball at Lilly who retaliated with a Water Pulse. The two projectiles collided and exploded. I took back what I thought. This wasn't funny at all. This was scary. This battle seemed to be fiercer than the one between Gust and Lightning who battled over a similar matter. Flare was clinging on me, being terrified. To be truthful, I had never seen Lilly, so angry before. Floret lunged herself to bite Lilly.
"Don't get so conceited!" Lilly snarled and batted her harmfully, throwing her a distance. I was amazed by her comment since she even insulted without using naughty words. What a civilized vaporeon! And I didn't want to watch this battle longer as it was getting more serious. So I decided to ask Lightning some questions. I shouldn't probably ask Gust who was being prized this time.
"Hey, Lightning, why do females hunt for mates?" I inquired.
"This isn't the right time and you should know that!" Lightning replied angrily. I looked around to make sure nobody was listening.
"Well, you see, I don't really want to watch that intense battle for a stupid reason. So I just want to kill the time." I whispered. I looked at the battle again where Floret was dodging the water balls and then she spat a Shadow Ball which caught Lilly by the tail and exploded, causing Lilly to wince in pain.
"Lilly!" Gust yelled with concern. Lightning seemed to be unpleasant by this. I simply didn't like females, getting hurt. I gently pushed Flare away and signaled her to have a conversation. The three of us turned around, trying our best not to set an eye on the battle.
"Okay, you were saying.." Lightning said which showed that it was the best thing if we ignored the battle.
"Why do females search for mates?" I asked again.
"You see, it is just female's instinct and mating is a part of subsistence. In fact, there is a period of time called 'mating fever' which occurs in females." He said. Just why did he know so much after he was bred by a human? And what was "mating fever"?
"Excuse me, what is 'mating fever'?" Flare asked.
"You really don't know? You should know about it since every pokmon do. But even pokemons didn't know about it first. Many years ago, human biologists studied and discovered an unusual period in females. I don't know how they distinguish gender that time, since there possibly couldn't be any good
devices. However, in this period, the females become usually excitable and starve for mates. Males suffer because of the females' unusual and persistence efforts, trying to get a kiss. The females, themselves, are unaware this time, not knowing who the males are. The period will end when they get a kiss or two months. But those who don't get the kiss, this period will occur annually at a specific time. And that time is different for each pokemon but the significant symptoms of 'mating fever' are the same. First, a female in this fever will start to drool often on the first day but they are still aware of themselves and who they are with. But on the second day and the rest of the fever, this female will start to show extreme affectionate towards a single male she sees. She will stop drooling and continue to sleep, eat and drink like usual but she will try her hardest. Even the female, herself, suffer during this fever, since she is unable to control herself. And males run away for females in this fever, because they don't want to bonded to individuals they don't love." Lightning explained.
Why did he know so much? Was he really a human bred? And he seemed to know more than a normal pokemon.
"Well, I surely don't want to go through that period." Flare said.
"How old are you?" Lightning inquired.
"Next week, I am going to be one and nine months." Flare said. So Flare was four months younger than me. However, I still loved her.
"The fever occurs only after two years of age. And I believe you and your mate have kissed." Lightning said and both Flare and I blushed.
"How do you know?" I demanded.
"Well, yesterday, Flare asked me about an accidental kiss which Lilly answered her. So I can assume that you two have kissed even if it is an accident. And this 'mating fever' doesn't occur in those who have a kiss. " He explained and my blush intensified.
"So this is part of the survival, my parents were talking about. But then what if Neon meets a female in this fever and is forced to kiss, will he be okay?" Flare asked and I became suddenly terrified. What if she was true?
"Oh, don't worry about that. Even females in 'fever' don't go for males who already have a kiss with someone. I don't really know how they figure out during their hunger for mates." Lightning said which made me relieved. However, he really knew too much for a human bred pokemon. Even Flare and I didn't know about it. But I couldn't tell if those other threes know about it.
"Alright, Mr. Know-it-all. Let's heed back to the prized Gust." I said sarcastically. We once again focused on the battle. The females were already panting exhaustively while Gust was baring his teeth with depression. Few tears were falling from his eyes, showing his sadness. The two females lunged towards each other again.
"Enough!" Gust shouted, two long vines emerging from his body. Each vine wrapped each girl tightly. He then threw them apart. He then ran and stood in front of Lilly. Both females stood on their feet again but this time, they were not trying to attack each other but in fact, gave Gust serious looks.
"I will confess one thing, Floret. I have never wanted you to be my mate. I only see and foster you as my sister. Only Lilly is my mate." He said harshly with a high tone and then pulled Lilly into a hug, causing her to blink in surprise while Floret was staring at him, sadly as she started to cry.
"We have already kissed, so just give up on me. If you don't believe, I will show you." Gust shouted, pulling Lilly into a kiss. He actually did it in front of the whole crowd. Even Flare was amazed by his courage. Now I was starting to envy him due to his courage.
"Wow, Gust surely is courageous." Even Lightning admitted. I felt kind of sorry for Floret, who was now crying and sobbing in vain. But she showed no sign of running away which surprised me. Girls usually ran away when they were upset.
"I see, Gust. You berate me many times but this is the harshest one. I should have known that you would actually find a mate of your own. I shouldn't have been too stubborn." She sobbed.
"And jolteon, Jeffery is calling for you." She sobbed again and Lightning's eyes narrowed in surprise. Even I was surprised. How did she know Lightning's master, Jeffery?
"You are coming with me, Floret." Lightning said, dragging the umbreon along. This really was a very confusing and depressing day even though Gust's melody was sweet.