April 21st
Violet Eevee Clan grounds - Johto Region
The world always appeared much more vibrant and lively in the morning, in a manner that even the mid portion of the day could not rival. Within human societies, the morning was when many people were getting up and going to work, where they would then spend the majority of the day. Children would struggle out of bed and get ready for school, or whatever else might be on a child's agenda. Many Pokemon trainers preferred to get an early start, either for daily exercise routines, training regimens, or just to begin the journey towards their next destination.
Pokemon were little different in that regard. At the first light of dawn, wild birds were waking and singing their merry chirps and songs as they busied themselves, building nests, scrounging for food, or simply hoping to impress a prospective mate with their colors, voice, or strength. Springtime was the time of the year when almost every species of Pokemon had similar motivations for their daily tasks. Spring was the time to repopulate and revitalize the region after the quiet dormancy of the winter.
All around the clan grounds, Eevee stirred awake, some more reluctantly than others, and began their day. Light was creeping into the meadow, rousing those that didn't wake of their own accord. Some continued to sleep, but the number of Pokemon taking that option continued to dwindle, as the movements and noise of the awakened Pokemon lifted the veil of serenity that had extended over the grounds during the night.
Lin absently flicked one end of her scarf over her shoulder, her eyes scanning the population of Pokemon as they spread out over the grounds. It was mildly amusing how the clan members clustered into groups during the night, and spread out during the day, like waves rolling on the open sea. Understandable, from a huntress' perspective. Prey Pokemon often banded together for protection when they were otherwise vulnerable.
The Weavile gave a curt nod of acknowledgement when one of the evolved clan members caught her eye. Needless to say, with the majority of the clan's population being Eevee, Lin was treated with wary respect and caution, particularly by the evolved population. It honestly didn't bother her in the slightest that they didn't really trust her; if anything, it pleased her to see that the clan wasn't lax in regards to the safety of their members, and better justified the use of patrolling guards, considering the clan appeared to be so well-hidden that it was doubtful many potential threats wandered into the area.
She had been staying here for the past several days, having arrived with Sorin and Celes. Shortly after Kaito's info-dump of a meeting, the Flareon had announced her intention to depart and resume the search for her brother, and Sorin felt obligated to continue assisting her. More surprisingly, Kaito had almost insisted that Lin accompany them, citing the Weavile's keen sense of observation and formidable battle skills as justification. More specifically, the Togetic was concerned that if Celes wanted to track down his Zoroark rival, it would be wise to bring someone along that would not be easily misled by illusions, and could hold their own if pitted against Inferna.
Lin had offered no objection to the task, as it presented her the opportunity to see more of what Johto had to offer as a region, as well as a chance to interact more with Sorin. He was still the one she was the least familiar with among Kaito's associates, and she got a completely different vibe from him than from others, like Cecilia, Force, and Iris. He undoubtedly carried some sort of burden of his past, but he didn't seem particularly interested in Kaito's goal as a whole.
It had ultimately been Sorin's suggestion to visit the Eevee clan nearest to Violet City, although they took one or two detours before finally settling on this option. The Altaria was evidently on good terms with the clan alpha, and Kuro had grown up there, so even if the clan didn't know anything about Celes' brother, they could maybe point them in the right direction to find the Zoroark.
Lin clicked her tongue, and dipped her paws into the small lake located on one side of the clan grounds. Kneeling, she splashed the water into her face, gently massaging her forehead and cheeks with her claws. The cold water refreshed and sharpened her focus, and after two repetitions, she rose to her feet and strode along the perimeter of the main grounds. Under normal circumstances, being informed that it might be several days before Kuro could be reached might have been a thorn in her side. This time, however, Lin relished the opportunity. It had been over a year since she had left her pack at Mt. Coronet, and although she had traveled to almost every corner of Sinnoh since then, she had not come across many clans or packs that had interested her beyond the simple knowledge that they existed.
Celes and Sorin had likewise decided to make the best of the situation, and during the past few days, Lin occasionally caught sight of the Flareon shadowing the Vaporeon alpha, asking questions and observing the day-to-day interactions that went on. Sorin appeared to be a relatively familiar presence, and spent much of his time either catching up with members of the clan he seemed to know best, or humming various melodies, to the delight of the youngest Eevee that crowded around him and his absurdly soft, cuddly wings.
By contrast, Lin preferred to minimize the time she spent in the public eye. Much of her time was spent in more isolated sections of the clan grounds, either training on her own, or observing those around her. Every so often, she could coax one of the evolved clan members to spar with her, or gave them pointers on their own training routines.
Lin would be lying if she were to claim that there wasn't an ulterior motive to these interactions. Certainly, she relished the chance to test her strength against a variety of different Pokemon with different fighting styles, but her true objective was to create a basic, yet positive, connection with different members of the clan. During the spars, she held back just enough for her battle lust to be satisfied, without completely going easy on her opponents. In the aftermath of the spar, many of her opponents would ask how she got as strong as she was, and even if they didn't, she was not above casually complimenting their ability and asking about their experience, in order to steer the topic where she wanted it to be.
The end result was a small collection of Pokemon that respected her battle ability, and were more inclined to casually chat with her about their respective upbringings, and how the social expectations of a community ultimately shaped their battle skills. If the conversation went well, then it opened the way for Lin to ask more general questions about the clan and how it functioned, or other information that the average Eeveelution would be much warier of answering if Lin had not taken the time to build the basic rapport first.
Social manipulation was an underutilized skill in Lin's repertoire. Sneasel and Weavile were well regarded for their cunning trickery, and often honed these skills against their peers, but outside of her pack, Lin rarely saw much benefit in masking her agenda or intentions. However, as a predator species visiting a community of prey Pokemon, such talents could finally see some use, even in pursuit of information as mundane as how an alpha was selected, the importance placed on battle training, and how courtship protocol varied.
Lin abruptly paused her stride. In an environment almost entirely filled with quadrupeds, different body shapes stood out more prominently, with Sorin far and away the most distinct contrast. The cloud-like wings, the pale-blue body, and the avian-like appearance presented such a unique profile that he inevitably caught her attention, whether she was looking for him or not. On this occasion, the tendency of her eye to gravitate towards him served an additional purpose, as her gaze next shifted to a distinct, bipedal Pokemon with black fur, and an enormously long, red mane trailing behind its back.
Frowning to herself, Lin adjusted her course. As she approached, Sorin's gaze flicked in her direction, alerting the second Pokemon to her presence a few moments before she joined their company. As the Zoroark looked her way, Lin immediately took note of the bright blue eyes the illusion fox possessed. They gave off a mildly eerie vibe, as if they could see something on a different plane of existence that no one else could, but at the same time, they did not naturally emit light. This detail was more significant than most would give it credit for; namely, if the Zoroark had an ability that made use of ethereal vision, it was not active by default.
"Kuro, I presume," Lin stated, making and holding eye contact without an ounce of hesitation. A subtle twitch ran through the Zoroark's body, confirming to Lin that it was exceptionally rare for other Pokemon to unflinchingly meet his gaze. His stance shifted slightly, and his eyes narrowed cautiously, even as his mouth curled into an enthusiastic grin. So many little details within the span of a few seconds, but each a treasure trove of information that Lin could make use of.
Although pinpointing his age was difficult, due to a lack of familiarity with his species, Lin's gut instinct labeled him as roughly five years old, give or take a few months. His stance and the caution in his eyes told her that he immediately recognized her as a potential threat, and he had been shifting into 'flight mode' before consciously overriding the instinct.
"Ah, good morning to you, huntress of the night," the Zoroark crooned, offering a formal bow, complete with a dramatic flourish of his arm. "And you must be Lin," he continued, glancing up and flashing her a grin, as if expecting her to be taken aback by his knowledge of her identity.
Lin showed no reaction, and merely dipped her head in curt acknowledgement of her name. Kuro chuckled, but further posturing was delayed by the arrival of a sleek quadruped with black fur, intense crimson eyes, and yellow bands encircling its legs, ears, and tail.
"Oh, hey Kuro, when did you get here?" the Umbreon asked, his casual tone and relaxed demeanor indicating that the two were familiar with one another, and the Zoroark brightened upon seeing him.
"Just last night, Dom," Kuro answered, perfectly mirroring the Moonlight Pokemon's tone, although Lin wasn't sure if that had been intentional. "Dunno how you managed to miss me, honestly."
"Late-night sparring match," the Umbreon answered, sitting down with a shrug, and Lin nodded to confirm. They had arranged to have the spar just outside the clan grounds, so as not to disturb the Eevee attempting to sleep. As she had hoped, Dominic proved to be a significant challenge when able to use the cover of darkness and moonlight to his advantage.
"Oh? A battle pitting two nocturnal hunters against one another, the arena cloaked beneath a veil of darkness, broken only by the silver radiance of the moon?" Kuro asked, his eyes lighting up with interest. "I lament missing out on such spectacle...so tell me, which of you emerged as the apex predator of the shadows?"
"She did," Dominic answered, and his tail wagged briefly. "But it was a fantastic experience. Wouldn't you agree?" he asked, directing his attention to Lin.
"Yes," Lin answered, idly examining her claws. "A very satisfying challenge that tested my powers of observation and reflexes against an opponent with similar talents to my own, but of a flavor entirely distinct from my past experiences."
"Tsk, and I thought Noblesse gave you a hard time," Kuro sighed dramatically. Lin rolled her eyes, unimpressed by the Zoroark's attempts to insert shocking revelations into the conversation. It didn't even qualify as a secret that the Ampharos kept in contact with Kuro, as Noblesse had already admitted this to be the case after their spar. Kuro knowing about the battle was less surprising than him knowing her name, and even that feat was reduced to the level of cheap parlor tricks, considering that Lin kept a recognizable scarf around her neck at almost all times.
"Does Celes know he's here?" Lin wondered, directing the question to Sorin, who had been observing the interactions with mild interest.
"Yeah, they talked briefly last night, but we're planning to resume the conversation this morning," the Altaria answered. "She's with Aqua," Sorin explained, in response to Lin's curious glance at their surroundings.
"Shouldn't they be up and about by now?" Kuro wondered, gazing around with a thoughtful frown. When no one really responded, the Zoroark focused his attention on Dominic specifically. "Isn't Mom normally an early riser?"
"Not always," the Umbreon answered with a shrug. "She has her routine, yes, but if she needs an extra hour of sleep, and there's nothing more pressing scheduled for the day, she takes it."
"I have an alternate take on this," Lin spoke up, startling the three males into looking her way. "It could be that Celes is the one sleeping in," the Weavile continued, unfazed. "If Aqua's been a pack alpha for several years, I expect her to have developed a consistent sleep schedule. She's probably already awake, but not 'out here' yet because I doubt she'd leave Celes alone while she's sleeping in an unfamiliar environment."
"Hm, that's a good point," Sorin mused, a melodious hum rising from the back of his throat. "Although, Celes doesn't typically sleep late, either. She's always been awake by the time I'm up, for whatever that's worth."
"Don't females take an inordinately long time to finish grooming?" Kuro interjected, the innocent tone of his voice exaggerated just enough for Lin to tell that he knew he was invoking a stereotype.
"Aqua's a Vaporeon," Dominic argued, rolling his eyes. "She doesn't really need to groom."
"Mm...Celes would," Sorin noted grudgingly. "And she's definitely too modest to accept assistance. For that matter, I just assume it'd take her a long time for anything more thorough than running a wet paw over the top."
"While I applaud you boys approaching the subject so matter-of-factly, I really must ask," Lin interrupted, raising a claw to draw their attention. "Would any of you actually talk about this subject in front of the females you're discussing?"
There was an awkward pause, and Sorin glanced over his shoulder, concerned that Aqua or Celes might be standing right behind him. Kuro chuckled quietly, but gave no comment. Dominic just shrugged.
"I thought not," Lin said with a wry smirk. "We just need to be patient, unless someone is able to go check up on things."
The four of them exchanged knowing glances. As Lin knew from her own experience involving an alpha's den or sleeping space, it was strictly forbidden for anyone to venture into that area without permission. The Weavile wasn't personally intimidated by Aqua, but she had a strong, unyielding respect for her role as the clan's alpha, and had no desire at all to violate the Vaporeon's sanctum.
"I'm going to have to go with 'Nope'," Sorin deadpanned. "Even if Aqua gave me the go-ahead, I'm not risking Celes getting upset about me going into her sleeping space."
"And here I thought Inferna was exaggerating when she said you're terrified of Fire-type females," Kuro chuckled. Sorin bristled, but didn't comment.
"It doesn't really matter," Dominic interrupted seriously. "Even if one of you wanted to go there, I wouldn't allow you to."
"Ah, that's right, you're still Mom's personal bodyguard," Kuro mused. "But doesn't that mean you have permission to be near the nest?"
The Umbreon snorted with amusement, before it dawned on him that Kuro was serious. "I'm not allowed there unless Aqua specifically asked me to be there, and even then, it's more for the company than protection. I have most nights off."
The Umbreon's ears perked up, and he broke off the conversation as two familiar Eeveelutions approached. Aqua's majestic form seemed to sparkle in the morning sun, and the blue body struck a stunning contrast to the vibrant orange of the fluffy Flareon walking beside her. Compared to the confident strides of the Water Eon, Celes' composure was more withdrawn, and almost demure, as if she was embarrassed to be seen as a peer to the clan alpha.
"Good morning," Aqua greeted pleasantly, nodding to each of them in turn. "I apologize if we've kept you waiting."
"It's all right," Sorin assured the Vaporeon. Dominic rose to his feet importantly, and Aqua dipped her head towards him.
"I hope you'll excuse the sudden departure, but I have a number of things I need to attend to this morning," Aqua explained with an apologetic smile. "I should see you later this afternoon, but if you cannot linger, please let me know, so that I may at least see you off properly."
"Okay, talk to you later, Mom," Kuro answered. With a final bob of her head, the Vaporeon walked away, with Dominic following at her heels. The Zoroark stretched and sat down on the grass, cross-legged. "So, you're looking particularly well-groomed this morning," Kuro told the Flareon with a cheeky grin. Celes scrunched up her face in confusion, and Sorin shot the Zoroark a dirty look.
"Ignore him. Good morning, Celes," Sorin said. "Did you sleep okay?"
"Slept great, actually," Celes admitted, her tail swishing once before she modestly curled it back around herself. "Thank you," she added, after an awkward pause.
"No problem," Sorin answered, pausing to stretch his wings and adjusting into a more comfortable position on the grass. "So, are we ready to continue the conversation from yesterday?" he asked.
"Just a moment," Lin interjected, touching her claws to her cheek thoughtfully, and looking around at the others. "Has everyone eaten yet?"
"Yeah, we ate with the early group," Sorin answered, with Kuro nodding in agreement. Lin didn't find it necessary to answer her own question, as she had hunted breakfast earlier. As attention turned towards Celes, she curled her tail closer around herself.
"Um...Aqua prepared us something," she explained awkwardly.
"Trout in Sitrus sauce?" Kuro wondered, sounding genuinely interested in the response. Celes shrugged instinctively, but after a moment's consideration, nodded. "Ooh, lucky girl...Aqua's recipe is to die for," he purred, his eyes glazing over.
"It was really, really good," Celes admitted, her tail swishing again. "That's mostly why we were late..."
"Don't worry about it," Sorin insisted gently. "We're not on a tight schedule or anything."
"Speak for yourself," Kuro muttered under his breath, but when Sorin glanced at him, Kuro pretended to be examining his claws.
A pleasant lull in conversation followed, giving them ample time to get fully settled. Sorin was already nestled on the grass, and Celes soon sat down beside him. Lin arched an eyebrow, but made no comment. There was definitely something different about the Flareon's demeanor this morning. She seemed a little more relaxed than usual, her stance was not as rigid, and while she wasn't snuggling up against the Altaria or anything that extreme, she was sitting more closely than usual. If anyone else had acted similarly, it would have been utterly unremarkable, but Celes was so protective of her personal space that her choosing to sit at a more familiar proximity to the cloud dragon was mildly curious.
Lin naturally would have preferred to remain standing, ideally with a tree or similar object to lean against for support, but seeing as they were in an open environment and the others had settled on the grass, she felt awkwardly out of place being the only one of them still standing. If Kuro hadn't already been sitting, she might have justified it as insurance that he didn't try to bolt, and although the possibility remained open, Lin had more than ample experience shifting into an active state at a moment's notice.
"Okay, are we ready now?" Sorin asked, once Lin had sat down, looking around at the rest of them for confirmation. He allowed only a moment for an objection to be raised before focusing on the Zoroark. "I know you already told me this, but just reiterate it for Celes' benefit. You have seen her brother?"
Kuro chuckled and wagged one of his claws disapprovingly. "She never confirmed whether the illusion I produced was actually of her brother, so how would I know?"
"It was definitely him," Celes growled, yet there was no aggression in her stance. The harshness of her tone served only to communicate her absolute certainty.
"Fine, then I last saw him a little over two weeks ago, by the lake just north of here," Kuro said, without missing a beat. "However, I never met with him directly."
"You didn't?" Celes repeated uncertainly. "Then how did you know who he was?"
"Since when have I needed to meet someone to know their identity?" Kuro wondered with a sly smirk. Celes exchanged a frustrated glance with Sorin, and the Altaria scowled at the Zoroark.
"You told me you had been keeping an eye on him, and that he had been staying in that area for a while," Sorin reminded Kuro seriously. "So I think you have plenty of relevant information about him that you need to tell Celes. Now."
The last word was spoken forcefully, and Kuro twitched subtly, not unlike how he had reacted when Lin had first made eye contact with him. Even Lin could feel the tremor of power radiating from the normally unintimidating Dragon-type. Sorin's demeanor appeared calm on the surface, but there was no telling how quickly that could shift if he was provoked further.
Kuro smiled weakly, before turning his attention towards Celes. His smile grew into a more playful grin, yet Lin spotted the tension in his paws. The Zoroark was definitely nervous, but determined not to show it on the surface.
"It was early March when a stranger arrived at the outskirts of town," Kuro narrated, deepening his voice slightly to add a more dramatic tone to his words. "An Eevee that none had seen before, and whose eyes darted about warily, taking stock of his surroundings with every step he took. Eyes that had not seen a friendly face for many months, yet had hardened through acceptance of this fate."
Lin audibly sighed, but Kuro paid no notice. Few things irritated the Weavile more than someone who enjoyed hearing themselves talk, and who couldn't be trusted to provide valuable content in addition to their embellishments. Sorin and Celes seemed to share her mindset, but the Flareon at least had resigned herself to enduring the nonsense if it meant making progress in her search.
"Such a curious Pokemon this young Eevee was, for in spite of the hardness of his gaze, he acted in a whimsical manner," Kuro continued, his grin becoming more natural and the tension beginning to fade from his body as he got more engrossed in his narration. "It was only when he was alone that his true feelings surfaced, in spite of his efforts to repress them. Bitterness gnawed at his mind, and pain clutched at his soul. The levity of his facade was insufficient to truly lighten the burden of hatred contained within-"
"Stop it. Please..." Celes begged, the early hint of tears filling her eyes, and she shielded her face with her foreleg, in a vain effort to conceal her emotional state. Kuro went silent at once, his face momentarily showing a pang of regret. Sorin extended his wing towards the Flareon, but then pulled it back, remembering the Fire-type's aversion to contact. However, it was painfully clear that the Altaria desperately wanted to try and console her.
"So Kaito is telling the truth about you," Lin commented, speaking barely above a whisper. "You are fascinated by the impact of negative emotions."
"And Kaito is not?" the Zoroark retorted, unfazed by the accusation. "The difference between Kaito and I is that he thinks he's righteous in his agenda...and I know I'm not."
"...run that by me again?" Lin said, frowning.
Kuro chuckled, and his eyes glittered. "Kaito is so convinced of his own virtue that he is unable to comprehend that joy and happiness have no meaning in a world absent of their negative counterparts. I am not so blinded by the light that I cannot appreciate the darkness. I play the role of hero and villain alike with equal devotion and enthusiasm. But unlike Kaito, I know when I've been cast as the villain. Let that sink in, noble huntress of the night."
With that enigmatic note, Kuro rose to his feet as if to depart, only for Lin to do the same, her claws flexing. Sorin tensed, distracted from his dilemma of how to comfort the distressed Flareon.
"Hold up, Kuro," the Altaria said sharply, his feathers bristling. "We're not finished with this yet."
"A true shame, but I have matters of my own to take care of," Kuro sneered. "I haven't paid much attention to that area in the past few weeks."
"Why not?" Sorin pressed, his tone becoming more aggressive.
"Mostly because my agenda no longer required a source of rage available," Kuro retorted, flashing the Altaria a smug grin. "Random question, though...if you've asked everyone you've come across about her brother, including Inferna...how is it you've failed to ask any of the three Pokemon who would have known exactly where he was?"
"What?" Celes squeaked, jerking her head up.
"Particularly amusing, if Noblesse is to be believed, as my understanding is that you were literally talking with one of them," Kuro continued.
"Who?" Celes demanded, bristling as she climbed to her feet.
"Hm, maybe it's unfair to consider it 'talking', if she decided to troll you by literally just saying 'Vay-Ree-Por-On', and a variation of it," Kuro mused, visibly fighting back an amused grin. "Noblesse said if not for the fact he needed you to defrost him-"
"Wait, SHE knew where Blaze was?!" Celes practically shrieked, her eyes widening in sudden realization. Kuro winced, clutching one of his ears with his paw, and even Sorin cringed slightly. Several of the clan Eevee glanced over in alarm, but Lin waved her paw to indicate that everything was fine, and after a few moments, they continued going about their business.
"Who are we even talking about?" Sorin asked, bemused.
"A Vaporeon back in uh...Ecruteak City?" Celes ventured cautiously.
"Other than Aqua, the only Vaporeon I know is...oh son of a..." Sorin groaned, burying his head in one of his wings for a few seconds, almost as if he were trying to smother himself. Lin was just starting to get concerned when Sorin lifted his head again, seemingly no worse for wear. "Aureia? Seriously? Aureia knows where Blaze is?"
"She's ONE of the three you haven't asked who do," Kuro said, waggling his eyebrows meaningfully. Sorin stared at the Zoroark, his expression gradually changing from incredulous annoyance to dawning comprehension, and finally settling upon an absolute deadpan.
"Can I kill him? Please?" he asked, directing the question to Lin. The Weavile rolled her eyes. Sorin's tone lacked any true murderous intent, so a response was deemed unnecessary. "Ember? She knows, too?" Sorin guessed, without changing his tone at all. Kuro grinned widely. "Of course she does...Adrian's whole team probably knows. Adrian himself probably knows!"
"That's all the information I have for you," Kuro crooned, his eyes glittering. "Surely you don't object to my departure now?"
