There had been more than a few rough patches in the process. When Shadow had technically admitted to not having a clue how his powers worked, Frost had not realized just how bad it really was.
He had expected the Espeon to merely have had trouble controlling the power, or that the psychic energy within him was simply unstable and emerged with chaotic results at inconvenient times. Such things were completely normal for freshly evolved Pokemon, and Eevee were infamous for having this happen to them. It was the expected price of being a Normal-Type, and capable of evolving into seven or eight different elemental types with several of them possibly happening purely by accident, rather than conscious choice or the result of hard work.
Other Pokemon species had power incontinence issues from evolution, but usually it was trying to contain an upgraded form of their pre-existing abilities. Eevee didn't have this fallback, and that seemed to be one reason Eevee tended only to breed within their own species line - to have a community of resources and knowledge of how to handle the inevitable issues surrounding evolution.
Or they were lunatic purists. His parents had noted such groups and mindsets existed, but also insisted that it was a very old mindset that most modern Eevee clans saw as outright counterproductive, and the tendency of same-species pairing was simply due to convenience and accessibility.
Regardless, Frost quickly discovered that Shadow legitimately had no understanding of psychic abilities. This came off as more pathetic to the Glaceon than he was willing to say to the Espeon's face, and gave him some bonus amusement from the fact that if Shadow could read those thoughts, then he was improving enough to not be pathetic.
The real challenge was not about giving Shadow pointers on how to use abilities that Frost himself couldn't. That should have been the real challenge, but it wasn't. The real challenge was tactfully navigating around the issues that were preventing Shadow from using his abilities competently.
By now, the rain had slowed to a waning drizzle, yet the sky remained as gray as before. Frost had led the two younger Eons back towards the clearing he had used to spar against Raze, feeling that such an area would be better suited to private training. Few Pokemon would disturb them, least of all with the weather still bleak enough to remain in shelter, and even if by some miracle a passing Pokemon trainer came by, Frost was more than adequately prepared to take out their team.
He had said as much when Shadow expressed concerns about being in an open area. Shadow had given the Glaceon a momentary glare but hadn't objected further.
"I'm afraid I can only provide so much through theory and exposition about how psychic abilities function," Frost said. "Therefore, I instead will observe your attempts and correct your questionable progress."
"Should I be listening?" Leaf wondered, giving Frost a blank look. Ah right, the little one didn't understand his larger vocabulary. That was something to keep in mind for when he needed to assist Leaf with his own abilities.
"No, feel free to splash in a puddle or whatever," the Glaceon replied, adding a momentary smile so that Leaf didn't get the idea he was being pushed away from them. The Leafeon seemed slightly unsure about the response, but began wandering around the clearing. Shadow's eyes followed the younger Pokemon, until Frost cleared his throat quietly.
"Fine. What do you want me to do?" Shadow asked.
Frost smirked briefly, but then took a moment to consider how he should direct the Espeon. He couldn't very well tell Shadow to use his power in a specific way if the Espeon didn't even know how to tap into it at will. Therefore, the best place to start was getting him to be more aware of the power source he had, and learn how to consciously tap into it.
"I need you to first close your eyes and relax your body. Surely since evolution you've felt some sort of additional power within you, some extra energy or some unusual sensations or symptoms. Headaches, tickles in the back of your mind, or peculiar awareness of things that you never noticed otherwise. Don't nod, I don't need you to reply yet."
Frost waited for a few moments, casting a glance in Leaf's direction to confirm the Leafeon wasn't wandering too far away, if only to help keep Shadow's mind at ease. He took another moment to examine Shadow's stance.
"Now, if you're relaxed, don't focus so much on how your body currently feels, but on your mind. Take note of what you're aware of, even without seeing it. Pay attention to the sensations in the back of your mind, but also at the forefront."
Frost paused, noticing the slight crease in Shadow's brow. This was probably quite a bit to take in for him, but it could also indicate a gradual grasp of things. Admittedly, Frost's understanding of psychic abilities was far from perfect. He had been taught about the concept and understood it to be rooted in focus. Meditation exercises would probably greatly benefit the Espeon, particularly if he was under a great deal of stress.
Shadow abruptly winced, and opened his eyes, an expression of discomfort settling over his face. "This isn't working, it's just making my head hurt," he grumbled.
Frost fought the urge to sigh. True, he wasn't an expert on how to tap into psychic abilities, but he had hoped to make at least some headway at the start, so that once Shadow was in the right direction, he'd be able to practice on his own.
"Very well, I probably took the wrong approach. Everyone's different, and you're probably pushing yourself too hard by thinking too much about what you're trying to do," Frost suggested.
"Maybe," Shadow said doubtfully. He looked away from the Glaceon to watch Leaf for a few moments. The Leafeon seemed to have come across the berries that Frost had left behind in the clearing after his spar with Raze, but after sniffing at them for a little bit, he began wandering back in their direction, leaving the fruits untouched.
"I have another thought for you," Frost said, drawing Shadow's attention back to him. "By now, you've probably had your abilities manifest in some sort of chaotic or unintentional manner. Can you describe any of those cases? How did it happen, and what was the situation?"
Shadow blinked, furrowing his brow in thought. "Hmm...I've managed to attack things a few times...send them flying backwards."
The Glaceon perked up at this. "Ooh, good start. What situations caused this?"
Shadow looked at Frost blankly. "Uh...a fight."
Frost pursed his mouth. "Yeah...were you winning or losing the fight? What were your emotions at the time? Do you at least remember the sensations in your mind or body when it triggered?"
"Losing," Shadow said stiffly. "I don't remember my emotions. It felt like pressure in my head tightening and then releasing."
"That's a good start. On the emotional side...were you scared? Angry, perhaps? I doubt you were happy or even content. Perhaps panicking? Desperate?"
"Um..." Shadow bit his lip. "I really don't remember...probably desperate?"
Frost simply nodded thoughtfully. "Very well. We'll touch upon it further later. Have you done anything psychic other than in the middle of a fight?"
"When he's sleeping," Leaf said abruptly. Shadow and Frost both jumped and looked towards the young Leafeon. "He keeps shoving me away in his sleep."
"Right, right...nightmares," Shadow muttered. Frost raised an eyebrow curiously. "I have frequent nightmares. I seem to lash out in my sleep."
"Do the nightmares involve situations where you specifically are in danger, or other people? The force you produce, is it an attack or a barrier?" Frost asked, getting a thrill of eagerness at finally getting a breakthrough, however small.
Shadow, however, didn't reply. Leaf was also averting his gaze, the silence stretching out for a full minute before Frost heaved a sigh.
"Sensitive topic, I see. I don't need the literal details of the nightmares, I just need to know the mood it produces in you."
"Terror."
Shadow's reply was curt and simple, and Frost nodded. The answer was more than enough for him. Fear was one of the most disruptive emotions for an Espeon. It prevented them from staying focused enough to efficiently wield their power, and triggered self-preservation instincts.
"Does it take the form of an attack or a barrier?"
"I don't know, I'm asleep at the time," Shadow said, now starting to sound more annoyed by the questions. Frost turned his gaze to Leaf, but the Leafeon continued to closely examine the grass at his feet. They weren't going to share that much, it seemed, and Frost could tell that if he pressed the issue further, the metaphorical barrier they were erecting around themselves would only get stronger.
"So your abilities trigger whenever you're upset. That's normal, and probably the reason you haven't gotten any level of control with them. Do you have things that weigh constantly on your mind? No, I don't need details, just acknowledge if I'm on the right track."
"You are," Shadow said.
"Once you manage to keep your emotions in check, or find yourself in better spirits, you may-"
"So I should just lock my emotions away, right?" Shadow asked, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Just stop feeling anxious, or afraid, or angry at how things in my life are going?"
"No, of course not. That's not what..." Frost backpedaled, bewilderment etching itself across his face. "Locking your emotions would do infinitely more harm than good. Emotions...ugh...let me start this again."
"Don't bother," Shadow said irritably. "I don't need a speech."
An awkward silence fell between the three of them. Frost half-expected them to get up and walk away, but no one moved, not even to turn their back defiantly on him or some other display of pissiness. After a while, Leaf moved closer to his brother and cuddled against his side, and Shadow flashed the Leafeon a soft smile.
Frost felt his muscles in his jaw tighten at the sight, but immediately relaxed afterwards. He couldn't even begin to imagine what had prompted that reaction. He had no reason to be annoyed or hostile, unless the tension of the situation was getting to him. Maybe he needed to take a moment or two to collect himself, or vent some of his energy. Wait...
"I have another suggestion then," he stated, drawing their attention back to him. "If the source of the stress cannot be directly removed at this time, then it would be advisable to burn off excessive energy and tension. In fact, I would advise doing such things regardless of stress, because psychics tend to let their bodies deteriorate in favor of their psychic abilities."
Frost noticed that Leaf stopped paying attention less than halfway into his suggestion, but didn't let it bother him. His comments had been directed to the older brother, and it wasn't important for Leaf to understand him fully.
"Can you give me specific examples of how to do this?" Shadow asked, frowning slightly. "I'm not positive I know what you're suggesting."
"It can be any number of activities. Taking a long walk with pleasant scenery, putting extra time into physical training, playing a game with your brother, and so on. Anything that'll help you relax and use up any of that pent-up energy and emotion. Have you ever been angry and then gone for a walk and returned feeling..."
Frost trailed off, noticing the shadow passing over Shadow's expression. This was becoming more alarming with every example produced. Neither of them seemed too keen to discuss certain aspects of their life, and they tended to react to the strangest, most innocuous phrases. At the same time, it was utterly fascinating, and a neat little challenge to help him perfect his methods of reading people without them needing to tell him the details.
If it weren't for the fact it'd be difficult to test his assumptions and conclusions without upsetting one of them, Frost would have considered this a worthy side project.
"Never mind that for now. Point is, letting off some steam and stress will doubtlessly benefit your control in the long run. If you keep everything pent up too much, it could release without warning, such as when your emotions run high, or it'll act as a block to more deliberate focus."
"Hmm...that's a good idea, actually. Thank you," Shadow said, nodding thoughtfully. His expression had softened again, and he idly scratched behind his brother's ears, to the Leafeon's delight.
"I would suggest a spar or similar, but frankly, I'd be a terribly unbalanced opponent for either of you. I've had far more practice and experience with my evolution. You could spar with one another, or perhaps find a local Pokemon who'd be up for it."
"Like Bee-Bee!" Leaf chirped. Shadow winced, but Frost was just confused.
"Um...she's back in the forest, Leaf. Not close enough," the Espeon said seriously.
"Aww...I never got to say good-bye..." the Leafeon's ears drooped, and Shadow fidgeted guiltily. Frost decided now was a good time to gaze around the rest of the clearing, and in doing so, he spotted a flash of color moving around the trees, disappearing from sight when he turned to look there. He blinked, but let his gaze wander around, so as not to alert the moving creature that he had noticed it, but kept part of his attention on that spot regardless.
A moment later, the creature emerged again, and this time Frost got a clearer glimpse. Hm, it was a quadruped, and the slight shimmer in the air around it suggested a fire-type. No wonder it had been so easy to notice - fire types tended to stick out quite a bit in forested and grassy areas.
"Do either of you have anything following you around?" Frost wondered. Leaf cocked his head in confusion, whereas Shadow raised an eyebrow. "Oh, I noticed a fire-type moving over there a ways, and was wondering if-"
"A Quilava?" Shadow guessed. He held up a paw to quiet Frost when he was about to respond, and took a soothing breath. Leaf and Frost both stared at him oddly, although Frost quickly noticed the unfocused look in the Espeon's eyes and the ever-so-slight twitch of his forked tail. Oh, so Shadow did have one aspect of his abilities he knew how to utilize? That was valuable information, and could make further expansion on his abilities easier for the future.
"Hi!" Leaf chirped loudly, startling Shadow out of his daze, and even Frost jumped slightly, turning to see that the Leafeon was staring over at the trees close to where Frost had last seen the moving Pokemon.
"Yeah, it's her," Shadow muttered to himself. Frost raised an eyebrow, but Shadow didn't seem to notice.
"I found you!" Leaf said brightly, still gazing at the trees, his tail flicking cheerfully. Shadow glanced at Leaf and shook his head in amusement. Even Frost was unable to keep from smirking. It was a shame that he didn't have a younger sibling of his own. Aside from a few annoying or confusing aspects, it seemed like it would be pretty awesome.
After a short pause, the quadrupedal Pokemon stepped into sight and started walking nearer, and Frost could see it much more clearly. The species was not one he was particularly familiar with, so he had to take Shadow's word for it that it was a Quilava. Judging by its sleek figure and facial features, it was almost definitely female, with bright blue eyes and a rather adorable smile. Tan fur covered the lower half of its body, with a shade of blue covering the top side. Flames burned lightly at the top of its head and near its hindquarters, confirming it was definitely a fire-type.
"Hey there, little guy," the Quilava said brightly to Leaf. The Leafeon waved in response, to Frost's mild amusement. "Hey gorgeous," the Quilava giggled. Frost had to bite his tongue to keep from instinctively replying, noticing the fire Pokemon's eyes were focused on Shadow. Although the Espeon's dark fur kept his face from betraying visible signs of a blush, Frost could almost pick up the rise in temperature in Shadow's cheeks.
"Hello, again," Shadow said, and the Glaceon noticed that Shadow seemed to be putting way more effort than necessary into a casual, unconcerned tone. He also noted that the two held eye contact long enough to be labeled as an uncomfortable length of time, with Shadow breaking the contact first to examine his paws.
"I'm here, too," Frost noted pointedly, seeing as the Quilava paid him literally no attention. She flicked her gaze in his direction and gave a little nod, before going right back to giving Shadow a look over. Frost felt his jaw muscles tense up again, and his gut churned unpleasantly. He could hardly blame the Quilava for having eyes for Shadow. Even he could acknowledge the other male was exceptionally attractive, and definitely not something you could find anywhere else, with such an exotic fur coloration. Yet dismissing his existence entirely was...far less acceptable.
"Who are you?" Leaf asked brightly, walking closer to the Quilava as she sat down a short distance away.
"Oh, I'm Cecilia," the fire-type giggled. "Shadow and I met before, but I guess I don't know who you are."
"I'm Leaf! Shadow's my brother!" the Leafeon chirped. For a split second, Frost noticed something flash across Cecilia's face, like a bolt of understanding, and her gaze flicked rapidly from between Shadow and Leaf. The next moment, the expression was gone, and she was smiling at the young Leafeon.
"I'm Frost," the Glaceon stated blandly, knowing full well that Cecilia didn't care. He likewise had no real interest in her identity, but that didn't mean that she could get out of at least knowing his name.
"Nice to meet you," Cecilia stated politely. They made eye contact momentarily, but then she once again turned towards Shadow. Frost fought the urge to scowl and instead gave her a cursory look over. She was certainly an attractive female, with a fine figure, and she sat with bubbly confidence, so she definitely wasn't self-conscious about receiving attention, while still having the restraint not to flaunt her body, either.
"And what brings you around here?" Shadow was asking awkwardly. Frost smirked to himself, taking note of the way Shadow kept shifting his gaze around, sometimes looking at Cecilia, other times looking everywhere except at the Quilava, a detail that seemed to amuse the Fire-Type.
"Oh, just taking a post-storm walk," she said airily. "I like how the grass and trees smell after a good rainstorm. Makes me feel all lively and energetic, you know?"
She giggled, and shifted her position slightly to move nearer to the Espeon. Ah, she had a thing for him. Not that Frost was really surprised. Again, the Espeon was exceptionally attractive even by most standards, and if Frost had to guess, the feeling was at least somewhat mutual, because Shadow bit his lip and averted his gaze awkwardly.
It probably wasn't helping that both Frost and Leaf were sitting in the midst of the conversation. Leaf was watching Cecilia's flames burning with oblivious fascination, and Frost was observing their body language in silence.
"Oh, was I interrupting your training?" Cecilia asked abruptly, looking over at Frost and then back at Shadow with a convincing look of sheepishness. It didn't fool Frost, and Shadow didn't seem particularly gullible, either.
"No, we're taking a break," Frost provided helpfully, noticing Shadow's hesitation and glance in his direction. "Are you much of a battler?" he asked.
"I'm all right," Cecilia said with a shrug. Frost considered her for a few seconds. No, she had to be downplaying her actual skill. The shift in her stance had been purposeful. Much like how he had reassured Shadow earlier of good intentions by using a dismissive tone, Cecilia had shifted her stance into a leisurely, nonchalant stance ill-suited for battling. She was making sure the conversation didn't segue into a sparring match, but in shifting her weight like that, she had shown more of her hind legs, and Frost could tell she was in very good shape. She was too bubbly, too fit, and her flames burned with too much intensity to be a genuinely mediocre battler.
Very interesting.
"Another time, perhaps," Frost said idly.
"Sure, it's a date," Cecilia giggled. "Speaking of things we promise to do another time..." she mused, looking at Shadow pointedly.
"Leaf, what- hey!" Frost began, noticing the danger too late to react in time. The Leafeon had become so intrigued by the Quilava's flames and corresponding warmth that he had absently started prodding the air near them, and when Cecilia had pivoted to face Shadow again, the flames had come within range of the Leafeon's paw.
Leaf yowled in pain and recoiled, sticking his burnt paw into his mouth in an attempt to numb the pain. Shadow started forward, but Frost was faster, rushing over to the burnt Leafeon and firmly pulling Leaf's paw from his mouth so that he could inspect it. Leaf's eyes were brimming with tears of pain, and he whimpered piteously.
"Oh! I'm so, so sorry!" Cecilia gasped, and she truly looked horrified.
"He'll be fine, he only burnt the pad," Frost stated flatly. He pressed Leaf's paw against his icy fur, wincing at a little at the source of heat now pressing against him, but that discomfort rapidly faded, as did Leaf's whimpers.
"You touched fire?" Shadow asked incredulously, although his eyes flashed with agitation, and Frost noted the faint glowing from the Espeon's forehead gem.
"I didn't know it'd hurt!" Leaf sniffled.
"One of you bring the blue berry that's sitting in the pile over there, please," Frost said, jerking his head in the direction of the berry pile Leaf had been sniffing at before. He was once again pleased that the preparations for his spars with Raze continuously managed to reward the effort involved. The Quilava and Espeon both moved, practically as one, and rummaged through the small pile, until Cecilia passed Shadow the berry in question.
"This one?" Shadow asked, depositing the Rawst berry before Frost.
"Yes. Leaf, eat this, it'll soothe the burn," Frost stated. Leaf fumbled with the bright blue berry before managing to eat it, his paw still pressed against Frost's fur. A few moments passed and Leaf sighed in relief, prompting Frost to release his grip on the Leafeon's paw.
"Feel better?" Cecilia asked.
"Yeah...still hurts a bit, but not as bad..." Leaf said, sniffling again.
"I'm so sorry, little guy," the Quilava said seriously. "I didn't realize you were sitting that close and..."
"It's okay," Leaf mumbled awkwardly, but he inched away from Cecilia's flames anxiously, all but hiding behind Frost.
"That could have been a lot worse, Leaf," Shadow said sternly. "You really need to be more careful. At least it was just your paw and not-"
"I'm sorry!" Leaf whined, now outright using Frost as a shield to hide behind. Frost raised an eyebrow at the young Leafeon's behavior, but then shrugged.
"He'll be fine, just needs a little longer to heal, and he'll be right as rain. Hmm...maybe not the best analogy to use, all things considering," Frost mused.
Shadow nodded and sat down, wincing a little. He tentatively massaged his head, taking care to avoid the silver gemstone in the center, which was still glowing very faintly. There was a short awkward pause as no one seemed too keen on talking until someone else did, and Cecilia was fidgeting in embarrassment, although her gaze kept flicking towards Shadow.
"I'd recommend taking some time to de-stress, Shadow," Frost said finally. The Espeon blinked at him. "Go for a walk, get something to eat, or whatever. I can get a start on tutoring Leaf in the meantime."
Shadow gave Frost an odd look, to which the Glaceon responded with a smirk. He hesitated, biting his lip again, but then nodded slowly. "I'll take a walk, then. Shouldn't be gone long."
"Take your time," Frost said idly. He looked over at Leaf. "Want to refresh your sunbath before we get started?"
"Sure!" Leaf replied brightly, looking above his head hungrily, in anticipation of the Sunny Day sphere to reappear. Frost chuckled and gave Shadow a nod. The Espeon hesitated again, then began to walk away, soon disappearing from sight among the trees.
Cecilia stretched her body casually. "Well, I guess I should be going for now, but-"
"Just try not to burn the other sibling too much," Frost interrupted dismissively. The Quilava simply grinned and left without another word. The Glaceon chuckled to himself, then focused on conjuring up the Sunny Day sphere for Leaf to bask in.
Certainly a number of interesting developments today.
