Chapter 37.5: The Lighting of Friendship's Fire
A black shadow darted across thickets and meadows blanketed by the night. Umbreon's pitch black fur blended in with the darkness around it, save for the yellow circles on his body. They glowed in a faint light, so anyone who saw them would think he was a monster and run away in fear. Good. That was exactly what he wanted. Evolution truly had its benefits.
Night was nothing but gentle mercy for him. All the nights he had to spend with that Amara human were pure torture. Now, he no longer had to listen to her whining and yelling, witness her beating the other Pokemon over the slightest provocation, or even be subject to them himself. Everything around him was silent. Some Ledyba flew across the sky, migrating to their sleeping quarters. The red eyes of Hoothoot could be seen from atop various tree branches, glowing. Grass rustling underneath his paws.
Perfect. Just the way he liked it. Now he could sleep in peace. Umbreon dug a hole in a nearby thicket, marveling at the spaciousness of it all. No thicket he ever saw was this perfect. However, sleep would not come easily to the moonlight Pokemon. Images of an Eevee flashed through his mind.
The same Eevee he left with that young human girl in Ecruteak City.
'Eevee...dear friend…' He found himself more worried than he'd like to admit. 'I sincerely hope you're doing well…' If he found that the human treated his friend the same way Amara treated him, he would be sure to make them his first kill. Humans could hurt him all they wanted for all he cared. But his friend? That would be a crime in which there would be no room for any kind of clemency or forgiveness.
No way would he let his friend receive that kind of treatment. She was always so fragile, so sweet and innocent. Incapable of any wrongdoing in his eyes. She was like his sister to him. No, they weren't siblings, but they had grown up together as friends, and he had always looked out for her. To think they were brother and sister wouldn't be such an uncommon thought.
Once again, sleep evaded him. "Goodness...I wonder if some Pokemon switched my ability to Insomnia or something…" He mused to himself jokingly, making light of his inability to fall asleep.
Then, his long ears suddenly twitched. A patch of grass nearby rustled in a whispery but erratic rhythm. Umbreon stood on all fours, up and alert, his long ears flying upward. What was that? Perhaps an enemy? Immediately, Umbreon leaped out of the thicket, taking on a guarded battle stance.
"Hey! Do you really think it's a good idea to find Pokemon this late in the night?" The voice of a young human boy asked. Umbreon could hear the subtle fear in his voice.
"Quit being such a baby! All the coolest Pokemon usually come out at night, so suck it up!" Another boy scolded rather harshly.
Umbreon rolled his eyes. Oh great. More humans. Just what he needed. Then again...perhaps a battle would help tire him out enough to make him sleep. That didn't sound like a bad idea in his mind. Nimbly and quickly, Umbreon leaped out from the thicket, with the yellow circles on his body glowing. He greeted the two humanoid silhouettes with a hiss. The darkness of the night obscured their bodies, making them resemble moving shadows. Being nocturnal, Umbreon could see that they were children, just a little taller than he.
"Umbreon!" He hissed.
"Whoa! It's an Umbreon!" The first boy exclaimed.
"No way! Awesome! I am SO catching it!" The second boy pulled out a PokeBall without hesitation. "Told you we'd find a cool Pokemon at night! Go, Yanma!"
A small red dragonfly with clear wings and large, green, goggle-like skin surrounding its eyes materialized from the PokeBall. "Yaaaan yaaaan yan yan!" The Yanma buzzed, its wings fluttering at a million miles per second.
"Breee!" ("A weakling. This'll be easy.") Umbreon mused to himself. He had battled plenty of Yanma before this. All of them he managed to defeat without trouble.
"Use Signal Beam!"
"Yayaaaaan!" A blue and red beam of light shot out from Yanma's large eyes, heading right toward Umbreon. Being the agile feline that he was, Umbreon managed to dodge every attack without difficulty. It helped that he could see his enemies in the dark, and even if he didn't, his long ears could make out the whirring of Yanma's wings.
"Breoooon!" Umbreon spat out a black sphere, sending it right at the dragonfly. Like him, Yanma was also agile and dodged it without difficulty simply by flying upward.
"Come on, Yanma! Use Supersonic!" The boy commanded.
"Yaaaaaaan!" A loud screech echoed throughout the forest. Umbreon was quick to cover his ears with his paws. Even so, the piercing wails still wracked at his ear drums. Gradually, his mind grew disoriented, and his vision began to blur.
"Alright!"
"Come on, Robby. Let's get outta here."
"No way! I'm catching it and that's final!" The boy named Robby snapped. "Yanma, knock it out with-"
Another screech. Umbreon intended to shoot another Shadow Ball attack. Instead, a series of black and purple circles suddenly shot out from his mouth, striking the red dragonfly before Robby could give an attack order. Yanma fell to the ground, the whirring of his wings having ceased, and his tiny body weakened from the force of the attack.
"Yanma! Get up, come on! Yanma!" Robby pleaded.
"Let's go! It's too strong for us!" The other boy begged.
"No way, Gavin!" Robby snapped once more. "We can still catch it!"
But even Robby could feel fear and frustration making his skin itch. Umbreon stood over the now immobile Yanma, his red eyes glowing eerily. The sight of the dark figure sent shivers down the spines of both boys. Robby did manage to find it in him to call Yanma back to his PokeBall.
"Let's get outta heeeere!" Gavin cried. With that, both boys found themselves sprinting away from the meadow with their non-existent tails between their legs. All Umbreon did was sigh.
"Umbreon…" His long ears drooped downward. He had wanted to battle with them some more. Gradually, the temporary confusion that plagued his mind finally faded. However, his mind was still fuzzy, and he found himself unable to keep his eyes open. Returning to the thicket, he plopped right down, like all the energy had been sapped right out of him. Finally, unable to resist the alluring embrace of sleep, his eyes closed, and his mind made its way to dreamland.
Sleep evaded Ponyta at every turn. Every time she would even try to sleep, it wouldn't come. She would toss and turn, the grass scratching her fiery back, but her body refused to just go to dreamland with her. All she could think about was Julia. Or rather, the fact that Julia released her and set her free. She had been released before, and none of it bothered her much. This time, it was different.
Of all the trainers Ponyta had been captured by, this strange girl, Julia, was different from the rest. Not once did she expect Ponyta to do things she didn't want to, nor did she order her around or make her into some machine whose only purpose was to obey orders, nothing more. Julia never hit her, demeaned her, forced her to obey her, or made Ponyta feel as though she was merely an object to satisfy someone at their amusement or convenience. But that wasn't what surprised her beyond her wildest dreams.
All of her life, Ponyta had known hardship. She never chose that kind of life, nor the trainers who captured her. Years of being used and abused by humans made Ponyta harden her heart to everything and everyone. If they weren't going to treat her like she was a Pokemon with hopes, dreams, fears, and strengths, only as an object or a scapegoat to be used, then why should she treat humans the same way? If that was how they would treat her, then why not try to use them? That was what Ponyta had wanted to do for a long time. Use their tricks and tactics against them. After all, in her mind, they were the enemy. All she wanted to do was survive and be strong.
That was it. What surprised Ponyta was that Julia...respected her decisions. She realized that Ponyta hated humans and released her, knowing that forcing her to be with a human wouldn't benefit the fire horse. Ponyta couldn't believe she had met such a human. A human who treated her and her choices like they mattered. Better yet...Julia treated Ponyta like an individual, and not once did she try to force her agenda on her.
Ponyta could see that she was genuine the moment Julia released her.
"All I want are true friends! I refuse to be involved in a fake friendship all based on lies and hatred and...and disrespect! Like you, I don't want to be used by other people for their own personal gain!"
Julia's statement echoed throughout Ponyta's mind. Like a broken record player, she couldn't turn it off. They just kept playing in her head. She had convinced herself that all humans were the enemy. But...was it possible? Were there good humans out there? Sure, she knew Nurse Joy was kind, but Ponyta didn't bond with her. She was too focused on getting stronger to really notice her. Julia...she acknowledged Ponyta's individuality and didn't see it as a flaw to be fixed.
The thought of that made Ponyta feel like she wanted to cry. How she had yearned to meet someone like that! Now she had. For a brief moment, Ponyta wondered if maybe the girl was right. Maybe there are nice humans in the world. Still, she couldn't just blindly put her guard down. For all she knew, they could easily change into someone completely different at any moment.
Still, hope had come into her heart. Something she had given up on long ago.
Her small ears caught the sound of nearby laughter. She trotted into some bushes, sticking her head out the other side. There was Julia, sitting on the grass, watching her Pokemon frolic and run all over the place. In her hand was a sketchbook, and Julia was drawing in it with a mechanical pencil. Ponyta found herself creeping closer, taking note of the PokePuffs from yesterday sitting by Julia's feet. One of them still exuded the singy scent of spice.
On impulse, Ponyta found herself walking closer. Her hooves crunched the grass beneath her, and the sound was subtle, but still loud enough for Julia to turn around. Upon seeing the horse, Julia gasped.
"Whoa! What are you...doing here…?"
All Ponyta did was look at her. Julia's mind was overwhelmed with questions. What was Ponyta doing here? Shouldn't she be running free, happy to be released from a trainer's PokeBall? Why did she come back? Then she looked down at the PokePuffs, and the realization struck like lightning.
"You want one of these?"
Ponyta nodded. Julia simply held the PokePuff out. The fire horse took care to use her teeth to take it out, making sure she didn't bite Julia's hand or fingers off. Julia smiled.
"You like it?"
The fire horse nodded.
"That's good. Umm...can I ask what you're doing here? You said you don't like humans."
At first, there was no response. In a way, Ponyta still felt conflicted about opening her heart to her. But she had to try. Hope won over doubt, and Ponyta winnied. "I don't like them. But...you've shown me that you're different from the ones I dealt with. You...respected my decisions. Why did you do that?" It was her turn to ask a question this time.
And it was Julia's turn to answer. "Because everyone around me taught me that all Pokemon deserve to be treated with love, affection, and respect. They're living creatures too, with feelings, hopes, dreams, strengths, weaknesses…" Julia answered loftily. "They can feel and hurt and be happy and get angry...just like humans do. I believe it with my whole heart, since I can understand what Pokemon are saying and other people can't."
Understand what Pokemon were saying? Ponyta hadn't noticed. It gradually dawned on her that Julia did understand what she said all throughout the little time they spent together. She was honestly surprised that she never noticed before. Then again, she barely noticed because she was too busy shutting them out and refusing to even try to let them near her.
"I know you don't like humans, so I don't want to force you to do anything you don't want to," Julia explained. "Besides, I know you have your reasons for not liking humans and for why you're the way you are. I don't want to make you feel bad for being you."
For the very first time, Ponyta smiled and whinnied, "Thank you...for your understanding. Can I...hang out with you? Just for a while?"
Julia smiled again. "Anytime."
Right after that, Saoirse came bounding in front of the two, holding a small bundle of blue and yellow flowers. Without hesitation, Saoirse pulled a yellow flower out of the makeshift bouquet and held it right in front of Ponyta. Both Julia and Ponyta found themselves bewildered. Sure, Julia knew Saoirse was sweet and kind, but going up to random Pokemon and handing them flowers? That was a new one.
"Snubbull snubbull," ("You can eat this if you want.") Saoirse told her.
So the flower was for eating, Julia remembered. That made sense. Ponyta usually grazed and ate plants or other shrubbery. Ponyta lowered her head, sniffing the flower with her large muzzle before taking it into her mouth. Julia smiled once more, and so did Saoirse. Perhaps Ponyta hadn't completely hardened her heart after all.
Even so, Julia still kept her distance. As happy as she was about Ponyta slowly opening up, that didn't mean the mare would want to go with her. Julia thanked her lucky stars that she showed enough restraint to refrain from both touching her fiery mane and giving her a name. It just didn't feel right to give a name to a Pokemon who made it clear that she didn't want to associate with humans in any way. By the time she thought that, Hikaru and Saoirse were riding on Ponyta's back, and the latter carried them around, walking slowly to make sure they didn't fall.
Hikaru and Saoirse were laughing. Ponyta's mane didn't burn them one bit.
Perrine happened to stop by at that moment, finding herself flabbergasted at the sight.
"Uhh...Jule? Are you seeing this?"
"Yep. I'm just as surprised as you are."
Surprised, but oddly enough, happy. Perrine could see the very subtle joy on Julia's face as she watched Ponyta engage in play with the other Pokemon. She still couldn't believe that this was the same Ponyta that was out for their blood just the day before. For now, everything was fine, so Perrine just left it at that.
With every day that passed, Ponyta's shell would chip off piece by piece. Two days afterward, Ponyta allowed Julia to stroke her cream colored fur. Just a little bit, though. After a third day, Ponyta would share meals with her. On the fourth day, she even let Perrine and Caiseal get close. Both were still somewhat guarded, Perrine and Caiseal especially. They didn't dare touch her, but held their hands out enough to let her sniff them. Gradually, Ponyta's senses told her that these humans had no malice in their hearts.
Deep in her heart, however, she hoped all this was a dream. A cruel dream that was intent to show her fake beauty before sweeping it right out from underneath her, unveiling a nightmare. With every day that passed, she hoped and hoped that she would wake up from this dream already. It had to be a dream, or an elaborate illusion at best.
She would soon learn that it wouldn't be an illusion or a dream.
The day had passed once more. When the morning blue was welcoming the first twilight, Ponyta was already up. Ponyta had always woken up before the sun would, and she did what she always did: go to the meadow, graze for a bit, then train all by herself. She ran across the meadow in circles multiple times, gaining speed with every circle she made, her hooves and artificial leg growing stronger with every beat they made on the ground. Then, she would find nearby rocks or trees and ram her legs into them. Back legs or front, she would pound on them until they were either knocked down or completely blown to smithereens.
At one point, after much kicking with her back legs, Ponyta smashed one particularly large rock, with remnants and fragments scattering all around her. No rock was hard enough for Ponyta to not be able to smash through. When she turned around, facing the defeated boulder, she smiled with pride. Truly, she was growing stronger by the day. Then again, that was what she wanted: to be strong, so no one could take advantage of her. She was done being used and abused by others.
"Whew! That was a good workout," Ponyta found herself falling to the ground, tucking her legs underneath herself. Her body was tired, but she still yearned to do more. She wished there were some other Pokemon around to battle with. She had battled with Pokemon at the orphanage multiple times, but they were easy to defeat, and others outright refused to battle. That was alright, though. She didn't mind. She preferred having a challenge anyway.
All of a sudden, the subtle rustling of grass leaves caught Ponyta's ears. Immediately, she stood back on her hooves, adopting a battle stance. Out from a thicket came a Pokemon she hadn't seen before. A black one just smaller than she, with long ears, red eyes, and yellow rings on its body. As soon as their eyes met, the black feline held his tail up.
"Who are you?" The moonlight Pokemon hissed.
"Just a Pokemon who loves battling and getting stronger," Ponyta answered. "You seem strong. Want to battle?"
Umbreon smirked, already liking the idea. "Think you can defeat me?"
Ponyta didn't even answer. She was already charging at him, firing several Ember attacks at him. Umbreon leaped into the air before using Iron Tail on the embers, knocking them all into nothing. Soon, he slammed his steely tail onto Ponyta's side. The force of the attack wasn't enough to even so much as make Ponyta budge. Once Umbreon leaped to a safe distance, Ponyta charged at him again before jumping high in the air. Umbreon rolled out of the way before her hooves dredged right into the ground.
Right then, Umbreon fired a stream of black rings. Ponyta attempted to dodge, but the black rings struck her on her side, temporarily sending her sprawling to the ground. Years of training, battling, and subjecting herself to harsh brawls helped strengthen herself, so even though she reeled from the pain, she got back on her hooves right away. With a hoarse whinny, Ponyta encased herself in fire as she sprinted right toward the moonlight Pokemon. Like before, Umbreon leaped out of the way, evading the flaming attack every chance he got.
"Stay still!" Ponyta whinnied, growing more frustrated by the second.
"You're not fast enough!" Umbreon taunted her by waggling his butt and tail, daring her to try and attack him.
Of course, being the hot tempered mare she was, she fell for it hook, line, and sinker. The flames on her mane and tail danced as she fired more Ember attacks at the Umbreon. Instead of dodging them, Umbreon fired black rings at them, holding off the attacks. The two found themselves locked in battle for quite a while, with dodging and jumping and attacking non-stop.
'This Umbreon's strong!' Ponyta thought to herself. He kept using the same attack over and over again. Finally, Ponyta saw an opening. His tail wasn't guarded. Ponyta leaped over the unassuming Pokemon and fired an Ember on his tail.
"Breeeeee!" Umbreon howled when the flames singed the very tip of his tail. Blowing on it didn't work, but it also left him wide open for attack. This was Ponyta's chance. Finally, she fired another Ember attack. The tiny flames flew right in Umbreon's direction…
Only Umbreon's long ears twitched, alerting him to the incoming flames. Putting his pain aside, Umbreon leaped out of the way.
The flames landed on some bushes, right in front of a large tree. Gradually, they grew larger, consuming the bushes at an alarming rate. Before Ponyta could process what was going on, the flames were climbing up the tree, intent on swallowing it whole. Already, clouds of black and grey smoke billowed right out of it. Even Umbreon found himself speechless, watching the flames grow.
But Umbreon didn't waste any time bolting away from the scene. At this point, Ponyta didn't care about him. One of her attacks caused a fire, and if left unchecked, it could destroy everything! She couldn't let that happen. With a desperate whinny, she stomped on the source of the fire with both of her front legs, even her prosthetic one. Of course, that didn't work. Good thing Nurse Joy made her artificial leg resistant to attacks. She turned around and began kicking dirt onto the flames. That didn't work either.
Anxiety grew exponentially. This was all her fault, she thought. What could she do? At this rate, people could get hurt or even die. Already, wild Pokemon were running past her. Small bird Pokemon flew away from the trees in packs, ascending into the sky, safe from any harm. Ponyta silently chastised herself from letting this happen, and for not being able to do anything about it.
Wait a minute...the kids! They could help! Ponyta could hear their voices coming from nearby. The fire horse galloped away from the burning tree, her hooves generating loud thuds with every step. Once the kids were in her sight, Ponyta whinnied as loud as she could, loud enough to get anyone's attention, galloping in their direction.
"Whoa!" Perrine backed up the moment the mare suddenly appeared before them. "What the heck?! You almost ran into us!"
"Hreeeeh! Hreeeehhh!" Ponyta neighed in a hoarse voice.
"What?!" Julia heard everything the mare said. "Guys! Ponyta says there's a fire!"
"Look!" Caiseal pointed to a cloud of smoke that was billowing into the sky. The kids ran to the scene. The fire made the air around it simmer, and the kids couldn't get close, as the heat was far too oppressive for them to go near the tree.
"I'll go get help!" Perrine turned around and made a beeline for the Pokemon Center.
"Go, Flippy!" Caiseal called his Quagsire out for assistance. "Use Water Gun on that fire!"
Flippy fired a blast of water at the blaze without hesitation. Julia called Lucretia, Rina, and Saoirse out, and they contributed via using their legs to kick the dirt into the raging fire. Ponyta did the same. Caiseal sent Mallow out as well, and he carried clumps of mud and threw them into the blaze. Gradually, the smoke began to die out, but the fire, although subdued, was still blazing. The flames danced wildly, even as some of them were being blown into oxygen thanks to Flippy's Water Gun attack.
"Everyone!" Nurse Joy and Perrine both came bounding down the meadow, accompanied by some water-type Pokemon like Marill, Wooper, Slowpoke, and Krabby.
"Chirin, come on out and use Cotton Spore!" Perrine called her fluffy friend out of his PokeBall.
"Flaaffy!" Chirin bellowed as he called forth a myriad of cotton balls, throwing them on top of the fire.
"Everyone, Water Gun and BubbleBeam!" Nurse Joy pointed to the fire, and all of the water Pokemon she had with her fired a barrage of water and bubbles at the blaze.
Gradually, the flames finally died down. Thanks to the combined efforts of the kids and some of Nurse Joy's Pokemon, the flames ceased. Nobody was seriously hurt, and all that was left was a dead tree painted black from being burned and charred. However, instead of feeling proud, Ponyta found herself completely consumed by guilt. Step by step, she inched herself away from the happy group, her eyes clouded with upcoming tears.
Shame, frustration, and guilt overwhelmed her. The fire was her fault, and people and Pokemon could have died because of her. That was not what she wanted at all. Voices from the past echoed in her mind. Angry voices, scolding her for either doing something she shouldn't have, or not doing what they asked.
"We lost because of you!"
"You're pathetic!"
"First you're defective and now you almost try to get me killed?! What's wrong with you?!"
Emotional wounds resurfaced. Already, she could picture cruel scenarios playing in her mind. Julia and the others hating her, casting her away, thinking her to be a terrible Pokemon, claiming she set the fire on purpose to hurt them. She had been hurt before. This, on the other hand, was a pain too great to handle. She actually wanted to be friends with them. But she completely ruined it. Tears instantly formed. With a soft whinny, Ponyta galloped deep into the forest.
"Ponyta?" Julia's hypersensitive ears heard the thundering hooves, turning in their direction. A white and red blur made a beeline for the woods, disappearing in the sea of trees. "Hey, wait!" It was Julia's turn to run into the forest. "Ponyta, come back!"
"Julia, wait!" Nurse Joy tried to call her back. The girl didn't hear or pay any heed, as she was already in the woods by the time Nurse Joy could notice she had run off. Perrine and Caiseal exchanged confused glances.
"What just happened?" Caiseal asked.
"I have no idea," Nurse Joy replied. "This is the first time I've seen Ponyta do this."
Perrine gazed at the sea of trees. "I'm sure they'll work things out. Let's give them some space."
Huge leaves, large and thick, formed a warm, protective barrier around the forest, blocking off most of the sunlight. The forest was dim, but not so dark that people and Pokemon couldn't trek through it. Sunny spots danced across the grass and the dirt, like they were fairies having a fun dance party. It was the perfect environment for forest Pokemon to gather. Pidgey liked to make their nests here, and Rattata and Nidoran hid in the tall grass, their ears and eyes ready for action, should any intruders come. Mareep and Flaaffy hid in large thickets, curled up in balls, happy to be in their homes.
Ponyta found a gathering of bushes and threw herself into them, falling flat on her stomach like she was taking cover. Covering her face with her legs, Ponyta wheezed and sobbed, letting the tears flow and drop onto the grass beneath her. Guilt, shame, and frustration weighed down on her like someone had put a pile of bricks on her. All strength in her legs was gone at this point. All she could do now was cry, and cry she did. Wheezing and neighing, Ponyta didn't move an inch.
She couldn't believe things had gone so terribly wrong, all because she wanted to battle some stupid Umbreon. Finally, she thought she had finally managed to push back some of her hatred for humans. She had actually wanted to bond with Julia. What would she even say if she found out that Ponyta caused the fire? Would she believe her? Blame her for it? Abandon her? Or would she call her defective and pathetic, like others did? Or would she mistreat her? Ponyta buried her face in her front legs even deeper. Of all things, Ponyta did not want to feel like she was nothing but a pathetic, defective horse. She wanted to be strong. Stronger than any other Pokemon in the world. She would never be called weak again.
Before, she was proud to have survived up to this point. Now, she wished she could die from embarrassment. All the hope she had disappeared just like that.
"Ponyta?"
There it was, Julia's sweet, concerned voice. Ponyta didn't even move. She could feel the girl's presence, and Julia was right behind her. Ponyta's flaming tail stuck out from the bushes, making it easy to find her. Already, Ponyta was humiliated beyond help.
"Hreeeeh!" ("Just yell at me already!") Ponyta neighed. It was so despondent, Julia could hear her heart break. "I know you think I'm pathetic and defective and a murderous monster, so just get it over with!" Never before had she cared about what others thought about her. Even Ponyta knew this was very unlike her. But as of now, what she felt didn't matter.
She could see it coming. Would there be a slap? Or maybe some kicking or punching? Yelling? Ponyta braced herself for impact.
Instead, slender fingers gently stroke her cream colored back.
"Can you...tell me what happened?"
Ponyta's head shot up. What? What was this? She expected to see Julia's face become the picture of rage, or at the very least a disapproving gaze, only she was met with...a kind, soft, sympathetic smile? Ponyta found herself speechless. Outright flabbergasted.
"I won't get mad. I promise," Julia told the mare reassuringly.
Was she dreaming? Ponyta used her artificial leg to poke her regular one. No, she wasn't dreaming. In fact, if this were a dream, Ponyta didn't want to wake up. She mustered her courage and told Julia everything, how she battled a wild Umbreon and accidentally set a tree on fire. She tried to put it out, but nothing worked. Not once did Julia turn volatile, interrupt her, or make any attempt to let Ponyta know that she didn't care. In fact, Julia listened attentively, and seemed interested, too.
What Julia said and did next would absolutely throw Ponyta for a loop.
Julia stroke Ponyta's ear and said, "I'm glad you're not hurt. It's okay."
Never before had the fire horse ever heard anything so heavenly. It was like music to her flat ears. None of the humans who owned her before Nurse Joy had ever been so kind and understanding. Before, Ponyta kept her heart hard and cold as ice just so she could just survive. That way, any tragedy that might have happened wouldn't make her sad or emotional. Now, everything had become melted and soft the moment Julia said those angelic words. Tears sprung forth once more, but this time, they were tears of joy. With yet another whinny, Ponyta buried her face into Julia's chest, crying into her shirt. Julia almost jumped a little, flabbergasted by the drastic change in this normally sullen and moody Ponyta's demeanor.
Something else caught her eye as well.
One of her hands was on Ponyta's flaming mane.
It didn't burn or feel hot. Her mane was soft and warm, and her hand and arm didn't sustain any third degree burns.
All of that told her one thing: Ponyta accepted her.
With a warm smile spreading across her face, Julia wrapped her other arm around the wailing horse, stroking her fur and mane gently. She hoped this would tell Ponyta that everything would be alright. The two of them stayed there for what seemed to be a few minutes. Ponyta had to admit, being embraced by this trainer felt good in a way she had never experienced before. The girl's hands and arms were so warm, gentle, and kind. She wondered if she had made a mistake in hardening her heart to the rest of the world around her. Shutting her out certainly didn't work. She wondered where this girl had been all her life.
"Eevui!" Lucretia came bounding into the thicket, interrupting the moment. Nobody minded, of course. "Eevee?" The furry friend looked up at her trainer with concerned eyes.
"It's okay, Lulu! Everything's fine!" Julia extended an arm out, allowing the fluffy feline to leap right into it. Relieved that they were both alright, Lucretia nuzzled herself against both Julia's chest and Ponyta's nose. Her fur was warm to the touch, and although it tickled Ponyta's nose, the horse didn't mind.
Julia looked down at the mare. "Do you want to come out with us, Ponyta? I'm sure Nurse Joy will understand if we tell her what happened."
The mare's shame, guilt, and remorse had completely dissipated by this point, so she simply nodded in agreement. With that, they left the thicket. Caiseal, Perrine, and Nurse Joy came bounding into the woods. Once caught up, Julia took the time to explain what happened.
"I see. I had no idea," Nurse Joy exhaled a sigh of relief. "I'm glad you all managed to put it out, and no one was hurt, so everything's fine for now," She shot a sympathetic look at Ponyta. "I know it was an accident, but do try to be careful next time. I won't deny that you can be rather brash and reckless."
Ponyta didn't deny anything. She just silently accepted the responsibility with grace. No hoarse whinnying, neighing, kicking, or spitting, like she normally did. The fact that they were being so nice and civil about it was what convinced Ponyta to concede defeat, and for once, she didn't mind.
Everyone found themselves in good spirits. The fire was put out, no one was hurt, and Ponyta was okay. However, Lucretia caught the subtle whiff of a familiar scent. What was it? It was familiar, but she couldn't quite place it. But she definitely knew it from somewhere. But where? She lowered herself to the ground, her tiny black nose wrinkling with every whiff.
Perrine looked down, noticing the Eevee's tail wagging. "Hey, Lulu? What's up?"
The kids immediately turned around to face Lucretia afterward. What was Lucretia doing? Did she smell something?
"Eevui!" On impulse, Lucretia suddenly bounded deeper into the woods, leaving Ponyta and the other humans behind.
"Hey! Lucretia! What the-?!" Julia's mouth formed an O shape, and her green eyes were wide with confusion. What was Lucretia doing, and where was she going? All she heard her say was, "It's close!" but that provided no answers or context for her friend's behavior. The desire to go after her friend and make sure she was safe seized her. "Wait up!"
The others got the message, and followed Julia without another word. Lucretia was already far ahead of them, running as fast as her tiny feet could carry her. With every step she took, the scent that assailed her nostrils grew stronger. Once she leaped over a big log without difficulty, the aroma made an image appear in her mind. Another Eevee, just like her.
Was it...her friend?
She hadn't seen him in months, not since Ecruteak. Thoughts of her dear friend hardly ever left her mind. As much as she loved and appreciated Julia's kindness, she still missed her friend dearly, often wondering if he was dead or alive. Now, this scent was proof that he was alive. Lucretia wouldn't mistake it for anything else. She moved like her body had a mind of its own, and she was completely at it's mercy. She didn't mind. In fact, she wanted so badly to find the source of the aroma.
It had to be him. It just had to be.
"Lucretia! Don't go too far!" Her long ears caught wind of Julia's worried voice. Not even that stopped her from going deeper into the forest. "Wild Pokemon might attack you!" Once again, Lucretia paid her trainer no heed.
It didn't take long for Lucretia to stop in her tracks as her large eyes fixated upon a black figure with yellow rings on its body. She stood still as a statue, as did it. Finally, Julia and the others caught up with her. All four of them stopped to catch their breath, their legs burning from doing so much running, their lungs and throats dry from inhaling and exhaling so much air.
"Lulu, don't just wander off like that-" An attempt to scold her little friend was immediately ceased when Julia saw what Lucretia was staring at.
"An Umbreon!" Caiseal exclaimed, forgetting to lower his voice.
His shouting awoke the Umbreon from its slumber. It's red eyes gazed upon the humans. Humans automatically registered as danger in its mind. Entering fight mode, the Umbreon's back arched upward, his ears folding back, and he let out an angry hiss. Before anyone could do anything, Umbreon suddenly turned white and rammed himself right onto Caiseal.
"Owwww!" Caiseal fell to the ground upon impact. Umbreon did a backflip, returning to his sleeping quarters. But it wasn't the attack or the fall that injured Caiseal. A strange, acidic, burning sensation coursed throughout his abdomen.
"Cash!" Perrine was quick to pull him back up. Her blue eyes widened with fright when she looked down. The bottom of Caiseal's shirt was corroding, being eaten up by some kind of strange purple liquid.
"Oh my God!" Caiseal shrieked. "What's happening?!"
Nurse Joy immediately yanked his shirt off, preventing the strange substance from making contact with the rest of Caiseal's body. Umbreon's tail began to shine in a bright silver light. Julia froze. He was readying an Iron Tail. She had seen other Pokemon use it on TV before.
"Eeveeeeee!" Lucretia shrieked loud enough to make everyone freeze in place.
Umbreon's tail stopped shining, and his body relaxed. His red eyes fixated on the fluffy feline standing before him. So innocent and vulnerable. Just like his friend.
Wait…
He looked up at the kids. Julia in particular. It hit him right then and there. She was the girl he entrusted his friend to.
And here she was, standing before him, and said Eevee was right in front of him!
"...Umbreon?" A smile replaced the guarded frown he had displayed earlier.
Lucretia's eyes sparkled. No wonder she recognized the scent so well. It was her friend. True, he was an Eevee when he left, but here he was, evolved into a strong Umbreon, just like he wanted. She wanted to burst into song. More than that, she was just plain overjoyed.
"Vuuuuiiiii!" Her joy completely bubbled over as she ran over to the once fearsome Umbreon. Once their fur made contact, Lucretia wasted no time nuzzling in her friend's pitch black fur.
"Lulu! He sweats poison!" Julia warned aloud. After seeing what Umbreon just did to Caiseal, of course she'd be worried about her friend. Upon closer inspection, she was sure she could see hearts fluttering from her fluffy friend. Lucretia squealed and mewed happily, nuzzling her older friend like he had come back from the dead. No pain, and no poisonous sweat, either. All worry left Julia's being, and her frown flipped into a smile.
"Eeveeee." ("I missed you.")
"Umbreon." ("Me too.")
Like with her trainer, all worries and feelings of guilt were completely gone the moment Lucretia nuzzled Umbreon's fur. Her friend was back, and was alive and well! To think she had been scared that he might have gotten seriously hurt or died. Now, Lucretia felt as though she were the happiest Eevee alive. She had a trainer, great friends, saw many new things, and now her friend was back. She knew she wasn't dreaming, and even if this was a dream, she didn't want to wake up.
The Soothe Bell around her neck gave a soft, gentle ring.
In her happiness, Lucretia let out a chirrup before she was suddenly enveloped by a harsh white light. It was so blinding that even Umbreon had to back away. Gradually, Lucretia changed shape and grew taller. Her fluffy tail suddenly turned very thin, splitting into two at the end. Her long ears became fuller, with extra tufts of fur popping out from underneath. Her legs grew longer, more slender. Soon after, the light faded, revealing a lavender colored mammalian creature, with long ears, gentle, violet eyes, a sleek body, and a small red orb resting on her forehead.
Even Lucretia seemed to be in awe of her transformation. She looked down, seeing not brown paws, but long, graceful, purple legs. "...Espeon?"
The kids and Nurse Joy were all smiles, their mouths wide open in awe.
"Lucretia! You evolved!" Julia clapped her hands once. Her hands stung, but she didn't mind. Her joy trumped any subtle pain.
The psychic Pokemon looked closer at her body. Her forked tail, her long legs, her sleek body...the moment she turned to face Umbreon, she saw something she never thought she'd see on his face: a smile. Umbreon gazed upon his newly reborn friend with a look of pride.
"Umbreon umbreon." ("You look absolutely stunning.")
"Peoooon!" It was as though Lucretia was on cloud nine. With a loud but joyful mew, Lucretia began hopping all over the place, celebrating her new transformation.
"Man, that is so cool!" Caiseal exclaimed.
"I know, right?" Perrine pulled out her PokeDex.
"Espeon, the sun Pokemon," The PokeDex began.
Sun Pokemon? Julia winced at the classification. Espeon was not a sun. A sun was a big ball of fire that shined in the sky, millions of miles from Earth. Espeon looked absolutely nothing like that. Julia wondered why the PokeDex didn't call it the psychic cat Pokemon, or even just the psychic Pokemon. The PokeDex continued on. "Espeon are able to read air currents allowing it to predict the future as well as its opponents' next moves using the fine hairs on its body and its forked tail, which quivers when predicting an enemy's movements. Espeon is extremely loyal to any trainer it considers to be worthy. It is said that this Pokémon developed its precognitive powers to protect its trainer from harm. Its fur has the look and feel of velvet, and it's so sensitive that it can even sense minute shifts in the air and predict the weather. The orb on its forehead glows when it uses its psychic powers."
"Good job, girl!" Julia wrapped her arms around the sun Pokemon. "You look amazing!"
"Espeon espee!" The purple feline nuzzled her trainer's fur. The Soothe Bell she was wearing hung off of her slender neck, bordering on almost falling right off. The two girls were just too overjoyed to notice anything. Not even Ponyta gently rubbing her nose against Julia's back.
"Hreeeeh!" It took a loud whinny to pull Julia and Lucretia back down to Earth.
"What is it?"
Ponyta neighed. "What?!" Julia yelped. "That's the Umbreon you said you battled earlier?!" Everyone's mouths fell open once more, this time with utter disbelief.
"Peon?"
After that shock, Nurse Joy took the kids Pokemon Center to get a change of clothes for Caiseal and other medical items. Umbreon went along with them, feeling guilty about everything. Lucretia wasted no time palavering on about her adventures with Julia since Ecruteak. The kids could plainly see that Umbreon attentively listened without a word. It was clear to everyone that he was just as overjoyed to not only see his friend again, but to witness her evolution. Once Nurse Joy finished tending to Caiseal's mild burns, she gave him a plain grey shirt to wear, since his old one had been completely eaten up by Umbreon's poisonous sweat. Thankfully, Caiseal himself wasn't poisoned, as his shirt was thick enough to prevent the poison from doing much damage to his skin.
"Umbreon?" The black feline approached Julia at one point, when the kids sat on a bench in front of the Pokemon Center. Julia looked down at Lucretia's friend, looking somewhat confused.
"What is it?"
"Bree umbreon bree," He told her. Julia understood everything he said, translating it as, "Thank you for taking good care of her."
She smiled once more. "You're welcome."
"Espeon!" Lucretia bounded over to her friend once more, nuzzling him again. Umbreon relished in the warmth and comfort his friend showered him. It was so heavenly.
"So...what are you doing here?" Julia asked. "Last I checked, you left when we saw you in Ecruteak City."
"Umbreon," The black feline nodded before telling his story.
After their encounter in Ecruteak, Umbreon had traveled throughout most of Johto on his own. He wanted to become stronger. At one point, he was in Cianwood City before he was captured by Amara. He could already tell she was not a human he was going to like, but after months of being subject to her abuse, he wasn't going to take it anymore. He broke the PokeBall she used to catch him and left.
Another shock. "Amara caught you?!" Julia yelped again.
Umbreon nodded grimly. Memories of the girl came rushing back, and he had tried so hard to put her behind him, too.
"Man, your sister really gets around," Perrine mused. "How has she even managed to avoid the police all this time? She's not much older than you, right?"
"Yeah, really," Caiseal agreed. How a thirteen year old managed to go this long without being found was beyond them. No one could come up with a plausible answer. But they knew this much for sure: Amara was still out there. Julia was sure her parents were still searching for her, so worried sick that if worry was a sickness, they might have died from it already.
On the bright side, Umbreon seemed okay, and he didn't look hurt, so Julia was happy he managed to get away from her. Lucretia got to reunite with him, so they were happy. At least...until later that evening, just as the sky turned orange and pink.
"What?!" Julia cried. "You're leaving?!"
"Espeon!" Lucretia pleaded.
Umbreon stood on a dirt path, facing the woods with a solemn but determined expression. He and Lucretia began palavering in their Pokemon language. The more the sun Pokemon heard, the more tears sprang forth.
"What are they saying?" Caiseal asked.
Julia translated.
"Why are you leaving?! We just met again! You can come with us!"
"I have no desire to be with humans. I want to get stronger on my own. But thank you for your kindness. Seeing that you are well is good enough for me."
The sun Pokemon held her head down, avoiding eye contact. She had just reunited with him moments ago, and now he was leaving again. A new kind of sadness seized her. How could Umbreon do this? She knew he was always very independent and strong willed, always wanting to do things himself. But this was too sudden. There was so much more she wanted to tell him about. So many stories she wanted to share. It was all too much.
"Peon…" All she could do was mew sadly. She knew no amount of begging or pleading would convince him to stay. Once he set his mind to something, he would never go back on it.
Seeing her despair, Umbreon licked the fur on her head gently. "You'll be fine. I know you will. You've grown up so much, and you've gotten stronger."
Even in the midst of her despair, Lucretia still cracked a smile. He was right. She had gotten stronger, and it was thanks to Julia and her friends. If she hadn't met them...well, she didn't want to think about such awful thoughts. With a final goodbye, Umbreon leaped into the woods, disappearing into an ocean of bushes and thickets.
Julia kneeled down next to her friend, gently stroking her back. "Don't worry, Lulu. We'll see him again."
The sun Pokemon nodded in agreement as she wiped some tears away with one hand. "Espeon."
But there was one other Pokemon who was still with them. One that Julia and the other kids never expected to still be with them after all this time. Ponyta stood behind them with a soft gaze, like she was waiting for something. Julia knew what it was.
"Ponyta...would you like to come with us?" Julia asked in a soft voice. "I want you to have a choice. We'd love it if you came with us, but we'll understand if you don't want to."
Ponyta thought long and hard about it. These past few days with the kids were nothing like the fire horse had experience. All she had known were hatred and cruelty since her early years. Julia had shown her kindness, discipline, and friendship. True, Ponyta knew she wasn't going to completely get over her hatred of humans that easily. Emotional wounds like that didn't just heal within a day. But...Julia might just be the end to that seemingly never ending cycle of cruelty and woe that was her life before Nurse Joy's intervention. Not only that, Julia generally had no obligation or reason to be nice to her, but treated her kindly anyway.
That was more than enough to make this decision easy as pie.
The fire horse gave a subtle nod before gesturing toward one of Julia's Luxury Balls. With her artificial leg, no less.
Julia pulled it out. "You're absolutely positively sure?"
The fire horse nodded vigorously.
"Awesome! I hope we can be great friends!" Julia cried jubilantly. "Hey! Would you like a name?"
A name? Ponyta cocked her head to one side. Then she remembered Julia referred to her other Pokemon by names. The Pikachu was Hikaru, and her Espeon was Lucretia. No other Pokemon she knew were referred to that way. But in a way, Ponyta found herself endeared to the idea. She could have a new name and start a brand new life. With a new name, should she become famous, she would be the most well known Ponyta in the world. She wanted to become stronger. Maybe having a new name would help her reach that goal.
Having made her decision, Ponyta nodded a third time.
"I know the perfect name for you: Twilight!"
Caiseal and Perrine turned to face their friend. "...Twilight?"
"Yeah! Like the sky right now!"
She was right. The sky above them was a beautiful ocean of deep blue, with the horizon welcoming a blaze of vermilion orange and rose pink hues. In that sunset, Ponyta's mane could look orange, even a little bit pink or red if one looked hard enough.
Twilight...the name sounded elegant but strong. Like a passionately burning flame. Ponyta liked it. "Hreeeh!" This time, she voiced her pleasure with a happy whinny.
"Welcome to the team, Twilight!" With that, Julia gently tapped Twilight's nose with the Luxury Ball. The capsule opened once Twilight morphed into red light, sucking her right in. This time, Twilight didn't resist. She looked forward to what the future would hold for her.
But most of all, she prayed with all her heart that this experience would be a good one.
Alrighty! Chapter 37.5 is FINALLY done! Next chapter will be the long awaited Julia vs Pryce gym battle! Thanks for being so patient with stupid little me and my unpredictable update times, awesome readers. I can only hope that I'm not addicted to Harvest Moon and can actually bang out some chapters, because I am going to finish this story no matter what!...though I have five sequels planned for it.
Julia's Party:
Hikaru (Shiny Pikachu, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Thunderbolt, Disarming Voice, Quick Attack, Volt Tackle
Lucretia (Espeon, Female, Bashful Nature)
Ability: Magic Bounce
Attacks: Psybeam, Trump Card, Bite, and Shadow Ball
Tokiko (Togetic, Female, Hardy Nature)
Ability: Serene Grace
Attacks: Extrasensory, Headbutt, Dazzling Gleam, Magical Leaf
Saoirse (Snubbull, Female, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Intimidate
Attacks: Ice Fang, Bite, Fire Fang, and Scary Face
Rino (Nidorino, Male, Modest Nature)
Ability: Poison Point
Attacks: Double Kick, Poison Jab, Peck, and Horn Attack
Twilight (Ponyta, Female, Lonely Nature)
Ability: Flash Fire
Attacks: Flame Wheel, Solar Beam, Hypnosis, and Stomp
Perrine's Party:
Kitsune (Ninetales, Female, Quiet Nature)
Ability: Flash Fire
Attacks: Heat Wave, Extrasensory, Confuse Ray, and Faint Attack
Florian (Meganium, Male, Gentle Nature)
Ability: Overgrow
Attacks: Petal Blizzard, Vine Whip, Body Slam, and Grassy Terrain
Baloo (Jigglypuff, Female, Docile Nature)
Ability: Cute Charm
Attacks: Sing, Wake-Up Slap, Disarming Voice, and Body Slam
Mushi (Paras, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Effect Spore
Attacks: X-Scissor, Stun Spore, Growth, and Giga Drain
Fuwari (Skiploom, Female, Relaxed Nature)
Ability: Leaf Guard
Attacks: Bounce, Giga Drain, Fairy Wind, and Energy Ball
Chirin (Flaaffy, Male, Adamant Nature)
Ability: Static
Attacks: Discharge, Cotton Guard, Power Gem, Signal Beam
Caiseal's Party:
Mallow (Marowak, Male, Lax Nature)
Ability: Lightning Rod
Attacks: Bonemerang, Bone Rush, Headbutt, and Rock Smash
Apollo (Typhlosion, Male, Bold Nature)
Ability: Blaze
Attacks: Flamethrower, Flame Charge, Rollout, and Smokescreen
Viole (Gloom, Male, Quirky Nature)
Ability: Chlorophyll
Attacks: Petal Blizzard, Sludge Bomb, Sleep Powder, and Sweet Scent
Ravenclaw (Murkrow, Female, Hardy Nature)
Ability: Super Luck
Attacks: Wing Attack, Steel Wing, Dark Pulse, and Roost
Heracles (Heracross, Male, Relaxed Nature)
Ability: Moxie
Attacks: Brick Break, Megahorn, Aerial Ace, and Endure
Flippy (Quagsire, Female, Jolly Nature)
Ability: Damp
Attacks: Water Gun, Mud Bomb, Mud Slap, and Slam