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Disclaimer: I do not own pokemon
"You need to get that looked at," Storm said as we approached the clan building. The scratch on my face stung, but the bleeding had stopped, at least for now.
"I'll be fine...I've had worse,"I replied, wincing at a not-so-pleasant memory. I took a deep breath to calm myself, since the fur along my spine had begun to rise. "I'll deal with it when I get to my quarters. Thank you Storm."
I turned and walked away. It took a few seconds for me to realize that he was still following me.
"Yes?" I know I might have sounded curt, but I wanted to make it clear that just because we teamed up to defeat a common enemy did not mean he had "benefits" with me. I was not looking for a potential mate at the moment.
"I feel uncomfortable leaving you by yourself. And I want to make sure you treat that gash." He looked too calm for someone who had just fought a dominance battle. I rolled my eyes.
"It's a scratch. Plus, I can treat my own wounds. I'm not a helpless kit you know." I met his gaze evenly.
"I know you are perfectly capable of defending yourself-don't think I didn't see you flatten that eevee's muzzle-however, I'm following you purely for my own satisfaction. Can we go on?" He said, ignoring the fact that I was staring open mouthed at him. For a few seconds I couldn't even form a sentence, that was the effect my own interpretation of his words had on me.
"Your satisfaction? What in the name of Ho-oh are you thinking?" I burst out after several failed attempts.
"Yes. I have every right to be concerned for your health, considering the fact that it was you who wanted to take that shortcut in the first place!" He didn't say it, but the look in his eyes challenged me to forget that it was because of me that he had to fight one of his peers. By now a few pokemon had stopped to watch us argue.
"Why not ditch him and hang out with a real male?" A vulpix called out, leering at Storm. I whirled on him.
"Mind your own business!" I snapped irritably in his face. Then turned to face the small group of onlookers. "And don't the rest of you have something better to do?"
As they left, grumbling, I glanced back at Storm. For the first time, I noticed he was looking really tired. Drained, almost. Abandoning the argument, I headbutted his shoulder in a friendly gesture and allowed him to follow me upstairs. We hardly spoke at all, only the occasional greeting to fellow Clan members we passed.
We soon reached my floor, and we turned into a long hallway lined with pinkish wallpaper and a feather-soft carpet. It was unlike most of the other floors, which had hard gray walls and a really thin carpeting. My room was right at the end. I led Storm along past the closed doorways of the other apartments, ignoring the faint mewling that sounded from behind several doors.
"You live in the nursery?"Storm asked with wide eyes. "So you have an egg?"
My ear twitched. "No." I pushed through the door flap, glad that he left it at that. As I watched him enter with ears pricked in curiosity, I couldn't help but think that I was forgetting something.
The nursery was where the mates of Clan members raised their kits, and took in orphaned kits found on missions or in the forest. There was always at least one or two chansey on this floor, to help take care of eggs and newly hatched kits. There were few males with mates in the clan, and no one dared to bother or harass them. Being the only unattached female out of the seven that live in the building meant that I often got more attention than I liked.
"It's nicely kept," Storm commented, looking around. His tail flicked uncertainly, as if he weren't quite at ease.
"Thanks. Oh, make yourself at home,"I absentmindedly gestured toward the cushions piled in the center of the main room. "Don't worry about getting dirt on them, I usually wash them out in the stream once a week."
He groomed his fur anyway, and settled on a spongy cushion. "This is comfortable,"he said, pressing his paw into the soft, yet firm material and watching the sharp indentation slowly fill up.
I smeared some berry juice on my face(I always kept a small supply around) and rubbed it well into the scratch until it tingled in a not unpleasant way. Behind me, I heard Storm stand up and wander curiously around the room until he reached the window, where I kept some framed portraits reflecting my happier days.
"Why did Leader put you in the nursery?" He asked after a few minutes.
"He assumed I would be more comfortable with the new mothers and kits," I replied promptly. It wasn't exactly a lie; even though most of the other mated females hated me for being younger and sought-after, it was a welcome relief to be around pokemon that weren't tripping over their tails trying to impress me.
"Oh. Then who's this?" I froze, then turned to see him looking curiously at one of the framed photos on the windowsill. I knew at once which one he was looking at. "I didn't know you had a kit-what's his name?"
"It's none of your business," I retorted, stalking over and flipping the picture face down. Almost at once I regretted my harshness. "That was dumb of me. Sorry," I muttered, feeling even worse when I realized he had backed several feet away from me. I was not proud of my sudden mood changes, especially when other pokemon were involved.
"It's...all right." He replied, eying me warily. "Maybe it's best that I leave-"
"No!"I practically shouted, then winced and said in a much lower tone "No, it's all right...um...want something to eat?" Anything to change the subject, I thought.
"I'm fine,"he shook his head. I winced instinctively as his eyes settled curiously on another portrait, this time one of me and my former mate. "Your pictures are...lovely,"he continued in a more careful tone. "You seem to be more modern than most pokemon I've spent company with. Most would never think of having electricity running through their dens." I nodded. Modern technology was a subject of conflict between wild and captive pokemon. Many wild pokemon believed depending on electricity and gas would only serve to weaken our innate abilities and make us become dependent on human resources. I understood their opinion, but preferred to use whatever things humans made to my advantage. I could easily switch to a more traditional lifestyle, but for now I would stick with what was provided me, and use it well. Operating a camera proved a small challenge, which is why Leader wound up taking most of the pictures-he possessed forms that allowed him to hold one properly.
"Were you ever kept by a human?" He finally asked.
I hesitated before answering. Did I really want him to know that as well? Regardless of whether or not I denied it, my pause would have made it clear what the answer was.
"Yes. She died after a few years, though. She was pretty wealthy, so many human objects were around the house for me to learn how to use."
"Oh, really?"
"Why, yes. I found the use of a toilet rather perplexing though."
His ears twitched in amusement. "Sounds like you had a good life before coming here."
I nodded, hoping he wouldn't recognize the background of most of the photos as the Clan Headquarters. There was a part of my life that I wasn't ready to share with anyone yet; Leader was my only confidant, but his position made it difficult for him to handle individual matters without dismissing more important priorities. I didn't want to over burden him by letting him know how I really felt staying here.
I cursed softly under my breath. Leader! I suddenly remembered that I was due for a meeting with leader and my team this afternoon. The sun was already high in the sky when we came in; I could still make it on time if I hurried.
"Shit!" I walked quickly towards the exit. Storm instantly leapt to his paws.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm supposed to be in a meeting with the team right now...wait here, I'll be back soon!" I tossed the last words over my shoulder as I darted out the door flap.
Knowing I possibly had a mission tonight, my legs no longer ached as I trotted hurriedly down to the basement levels. I owed the Leader so much, that even the thought of doing a mission to help his cause erased my pains.
When my life was turned upside down by a sudden twist in fate, I was left heartbroken, alone, and depressed. Surprisingly enough, Leader was there to help pick up the pieces. He made use of the brutal training Axel put me through, and kept me occupied doing various rescue missions around Eterna. How I even ended up living a nomadic lifestyle with Axel is in itself a long story-if I had only known what would happen in the future, I would never have allowed him to go on without me.
I nodded politely to the poliwrath sentry guarding the entrance to the meeting chamber and padded in, well aware that I was the last one to arrive. Starks, the Staravia who scouted for us, jumped on his perch as I walked in.
"About time," The team captain, a big luxio named Lars snarled, towering over me. "I can't rely on a late teammate, especially during times like these!" He continued without giving me a chance to explain. He turned to the Leader and shook his head. "You see what I mean?"
Leader flicked an ear dismissively and turned to me instead. "Well?" His current form-a male stantler with branching antlers-had solemn gray eyes that demanded respect from whomever they fell upon. He was seated on a large purple cushion, long, delicate legs tucked under him.
"I got into a fight," I said outright, making it clear that there was more to the story that I didn't feel like explaining. "Can you update me on the new assignment?" I ignored the luxio's hiss of annoyance. I was not going to let him worsen an already crappy day, and concentrating on the new mission eased the tension, at least for me.
"Actually, I have another assignment planned just for you...provided the mission I'm sending your companions on is successful." The stantler stood up and walked slowly around the chamber, maintaining a slow, stately gait as he circled the room. "We have gotten word of increased violence between two canine packs in Eterna forest. The female alpha of a pack of nomadic growlithe was assassinated last night in her den while her mate and packmates were scouting out new hunting grounds. She had recently laid two eggs, which are set to hatch within a few days. Unfortunately, whoever murdered the alpha female also stole her eggs. I need your cooperation." His antlers swung in an arc as he looked at each member of the team, his gaze finally resting on me. "These growlithe are being forced out of their forest homes, and winter is about to come in fast. It will be difficult for them to travel to new hunting grounds with two newborns in the dead of winter. That is, if you are lucky enough to recapture their eggs. The sooner the better."
"So what are we up against?" Lars growled. "You haven't told us which mutts are chasing them out."
"It's the Houndours," Leader said quietly. "The Redpaw houndours number more than the growlithes, see, and wish to expand their territory for the time being. We believe they have taken the eggs to use as a sort of bargaining chip to hold against their adversaries. Now, normally we do not take sides during conflicts between neighboring packs, but if young lives are threatened, we are obliged to step in."
"Yes sir," The three of us agreed quietly.
Leader nodded in approval and pulled out a rolled parchment from a hidden niche in the floorboards. "This is a map of the region of the forest the opposing packs live in." He unfurled the the map on the and placed a cloven hoof on the indicated area. "Over here, a river splits the territories in two, with the growlithes on the right and the houndours residing on the left. The houndour's camp..." He slid a hoof to a point right in the center of the houndour's side. "Is in the middle, where there are little or no trees. But just because they are in the center of their territory does not mean they'll be easy to slip pass, or even find for that matter." He pulled another map out from under the floorboards.
"I took the liberty of scouting out the Redpaw's territory by ground last night, and drew up a rough map of their camp's location, as well as any possible places you could shelter during the recon." He handed the map to Lars, who looked it over for a few minutes.
"I might need team ten for this...their Sableye might come in handy." The burly luxio was formulating a plan.
"Teams Ten and Eight are going with you...we need pokemon to fight and keep the houndours occupied while three of you rush in to take back the eggs."
"When are we leaving?"I asked.
"The Redpaws have given the growlithes one week to turn over their territory before they smash the eggs and take it back by force." Leader paused. "By the way...they have a houndoom."
"A houndoom!" Starks exclaimed. "Since when?"
"I encountered one last night as I was scouting their hunting grounds. Judging from the bite marks all over it's body, it seems to have been driven from the main pack."
"But why? Having just one houndoom there is going to seriously tip the odds in their favor...surely they aren't that stupid?" Starks shook his head in disbelief.
"Not necessarily," Lars answered, looking up from the maps. "The same happens in pride-oriented societies."
"When around houndours, most houndoom adopt an alpha mentality. The alpha of the Houndour pack wanted to ensure his reign as leader, and the only way he could do that with no possibility of being overthrown was to drive out or kill any members who evolved. Typically, the only houndoom welcome in a pack led by houndour is the alpha, his mate, or their offspring if they evolve before their parents. Any houndoom not from the immediate family is usually exiled. It is why subordinate houndour fear evolving."
"So they have to live out the remainder of their lives alone?" My tail drooped at the thought. Leader caught my expression and shook his head.
"Don't worry...houndoom form their own packs, where both houndour and houndoom can live peacefully. In houndoom-formed packs, the alpha male or female is traditionally a houndoom, and all lower ranked members can stay if they evolve. So even packs of the same evolution family are run differently in some cases." The Stantler turned his head towards the luxio. "Have you any thoughts on this, Lars?"
Lars was already formulating a plan based on this new piece of information.
"The houndoom may linger in Redpaw territory for a little longer before moving on...I would like at least one water type with the recon team just in case."
"Ill send along the prinlup in squad three."Leader promised.
"They'll be expecting an attack from the near the river,"Lars continued muttering to himself, still hunched over the map. His tail swished calmly from side to side as he traced an imaginary path with a curved claw. "Perhaps, if we cross over to the Redpaw side of the river, then make our way up to their territory, circle around behind the camp and then launch an ambush...I see now..."
My team captain was harsh, and overly proud, but he was a remarkable tactician and was a valuable asset to any team. As a shinx, he had been raised in a traditional luxray pride in which there was one dominant male and several females. This system resulted in competition among the pride's male cubs, for though they all shared the same father, their mothers encouraged them to display strength and courage in front of him. This resulted in his strict yet calm demeanor, and his tendency to not pass up an opportunity to exploit his enemy's weakness. His biggest pride were his sons, three identical shinx that were raised mainly by his pride's females. Unfortunately, he seemed to harbor an intense dislike of canines, especially those of the eevee line. Even if his dislike for me was unjustified, I refused to let it bother me to the point of asking Leader to appoint me to a different squad. He was busy enough as it was.
The Staravia, Starks, was the self-appointed scout, and served as an aerial ambush during raids of enemy hideouts. He never was directly hostile towards me, but that didn't mean there wasn't an awkwardness between us. He only spoke to me when necessary, and that was fine by me.
My job...well, I pretty much did whatever Lars told me to. I hated him, but I had no other choice. It wasn't worth messing up a mission due to personal conflicts. I never liked our squad's dynamics, but as long as it led to success in a mission I would abide by it.
"Leader?" I asked quietly once Lars and Starks left the room to alert the other two teams. The stantler was busy straightening up the room after the meeting.
"Hang on." The stantler shimmered and transformed, taking on the form of a male Raichu."What do you think of it? I've only just acquired this form,"he said, not without a hint of pride.
"It looks pretty strong," I said, noting the strength in his limbs. The ditto-turned-raichu nodded in satisfaction. Even for a ditto, Leader was special. He collected the forms of many pokemon, and was able to shift directly to a new form without switching back to a ditto in between.
"Good." He sat down and curled his cable-like tail over his paws. "You want to know about your part in this mission, right?" I nodded.
"Well, I was just wondering...why are you leaving me out of the raid?" I wondered, just for a split moment, if Leader had finally decided my usefulness didn't amount to much.
"Oh, that," He replied dismissively. "Did I not say you were needed if the mission proved successful?"
"Yes, but-"
"But nothing," he interrupted curtly. "Don't think I haven't been watching you. So distracted, so...will you look at me when I'm speaking?"I jumped at the sharp tone in his voice. I'd been so immersed in my thoughts, that my gaze had been drawn to the floor rather than the Raichu's face.
"I'm sorry, Sir." I shifted uncomfortably and forced myself to look into his amber eyes.
"Which leads me to believe,"he continued, disregarding my apology, "That you're unfit to be sent out on any missions as of now." I instantly shot to my paws, my heart beating wildly.
"But I can't just sit here!" I protested, then shrank back at the severe glare he shot me. "Sorry..." I muttered again, feeling my ear tips grow hot.
"I have no other option than to give you the next few days until your team's mission off. Rest, train...do whatever it takes, but use that time to get it together!" He punctuated each word with a lash of his whip-like tail.
"Yes, Sir! I will not fail you."
"Good, good." Knowing I would make good on my words, he lay down composedly and slowly started to lick his paw, eyes lidded in heavy thought.
Wondering if he was finished, I got up to leave when he spoke again.
"I've placed an order for evolutionary stones from the Celadon department store," he said quietly, wiping a paw over the ornately curled tips of his ears. I froze, wondering where he was going with this sudden statement. "It shall be arriving within a month or so."
"Who are they for?" I managed after a few seconds.
"Whoever needs them," he said simply. "But mainly for the eevee population residing within the clan. I figured they would appreciate a few evolution options other than the obvious one."
"You...want me to evolve? Is that what you're saying? Would staying an eevee only hold me back?" My heart fell as I realized that Leader probably came to the conclusion that my small size and lack of an elemental attribute hindered my team's success. Both Starks and Lars were in their second stages, having evolved once already. And even if I did choose to evolve, they still had the ability to evolve again, growing bigger, stronger than ever before. I could neither match nor compete with that.
"I would never dare harbor such thoughts,"Leader replied sharply, all grooming forgotten. "I have seen the contempt with which your squad leader views your kind, and I have also seen how you take his treatment as if you have no other choice. If you feel you can't keep up with your squad, no matter what you do, then the stones are there as a last resort. I know some of the other eevees here can't wait to acquire their Kanto evolutions."
"I've only seen seen four of my evolutions," I confessed.
Leader looked interested. "Really now?"
I nodded. Since the HQ was located in Eterna forest, the easiest way for eevees to evolve here was to find a certain moss covered rock, touch it for more than ten heart beats, then train until they evolved into leafeon. Becoming a glaceon was a harder feat; one had to journey to a snowy forest near Snowpoint city and find a similar but iridescent rock of ice to evolve with. Fire, Water, and Thunder Stones were needed to become flareon, vaporeon, and jolteon, but most were buried deep underground and were more difficult to acquire without the use of rock pokemon or human equipment. And, perhaps the most difficult evolutions for a Clan eevee to acquire were espeon and umbreon. An eevee needed to have an exceptional, emotionally gratifying encounter with another being, during dawn or dusk, to become either of those pokemon. This happened around eevees who had close relationships with their parents or siblings, but mainly to those that were mated or had a mutual love with another. None of the male eevees here had family with them, and since I, the only female refused to be romantically involved with any of them, their chances of becoming a dark or psychic type were pretty slim.
Was staying an eevee worth it? I pondered the thought as I stared at the cracks in the floor. I was able to use mainly Normal-type moves, with the exception of Shadow Ball. And, I remembered, Normal types were immune to Ghost-type attacks. Was I willing to lose the one, useful advantage I had over my team mates? And how would I know what to become if I'd never before seen the Kanto eons with my own eyes? My mind was so occupied with these thoughts, that I hadn't noticed Leader's tail snaking towards me until it knocked my paws right out from under me with a single blow.
Leader shook his head as I painfully got to my paws. "Daydreaming again I see," he said, chuckling and shifting to his commonly used Espeon form. "I'll tell you what, get some sleep and tomorrow I'll hold a class for the Clan's eevees."
My ears perked. "A class?" Leader rarely held classes these days.
"Yes," the Espeon said. "They need to be educated on the benefits of each of their forms before the shipments of evolutionary stones arrive."
My tail wagged in excitement. Hopefully, Leader would transform into the Kanto evolutions for us.
"Now, run along. I need to check in on the other squads." His forehead gem gleamed, and he vanished.
By the time I got back to my room, Storm had already left. I was glad; I was too tired to entertain any more guests for the time being. I found a pecha, curled up in my bed and nibbled on it for a while before falling asleep.
Ugh i hate this chapter...Ill try to do better later, please, please excuse any errors... T.T
Love, Narutochica