Author's Note:
Bonus chapter! For those of you who have no idea what this is, go back to chapter 1 and read my notes at the top. Otherwise, let's see how long we can keep up this streak. That will require more name suggestions though. Right now I only have one, and chapter 26 is coming fast (especially with bonus chapters). See the bottom for details, or if you want to do it now while you are thinking about it, you can click on my profile and scroll down near the bottom where I list all my submission opportunities. Then you can PM me or review a previous chapter with your name suggestion.
Dusky Flareon: Interesting! Here's a cryptic comment for ya: "So is this a Mega Mewtwo Y thing or a Darkrai thing? One is the likely symptom, the other is the unlikely cure." I love your reviews! They challenge me to work in every detail and fully develop the story.
I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter. I like what I do have, but I feel like I am missing something. Maybe some memories or something? This chapter is all about Kieren, so let me know what you think!
Today is 6/17/2016 and this chapter is 1400+ words.
Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon, just dream it.
Chapter 20: The Tournament
As the crisp morning dew fled from the chasing sun, a lone umbreon walked along the hardened pavement weaving through the man-made mountains of Eon City. Questions still plagued his mind about a particular comment a furret made that day. However, there were even more about the future that the umbreon struggled over.
"Should I be trying to make friends, or should I be trying to find a place to sleep?" the umbreon thought to himself. Even though he had travelled through the city with Melody, he never actually found out what it was like to live there. He had been in a hospital bed every night he spent.
"I suppose in either case I should have an idea as to what I want to do with my life. Who would want to be friends with a lost helpless outcast?" His thoughts trailed back to yesterday, the day he had evolved. Thanks to Drake, he knew he at least did not break the laws of nature. His form was incredibly basic, not sharp like a jolteon, nor aggressive like a flareon, nor was it artsy like a vaporeon. Perhaps it was his rendition of the story of Goldilocks or something like that, but his evolution was something Kieren was willing to get used to.
Why he was an outcast was a different matter. Looking back, most of everything made sense - mostly. Kieren could never imagine evolving into any of the three elements while he was still an eevee, and Zach saw right through him and gave him an evolution Kieren never new existed. Drake knew what he was, but the tribe didn't. If the knowledge existed, why was it not an evolution choice? Was an umbreon once one of the tribe's enemies? No. That couldn't be it. The way everyone looked at him, they didn't understand what he was. They were afraid because they didn't understand. But if they didn't know, then how did Drake know? Surely the tribe must have had an encounter with an umbreon before. An encounter like that would have been quite memorable, the discovery of a new elemental evolution. So why didn't anyone remember? Why him?
Kieren couldn't stop his emotions from overtaking his thoughts as his mood sunk. First it was the tears of self-pity. He recalled the nightmare and trembling that overtook him when his life was threatened. He vividly remembered the stone that tumbled underneath him and hurled his body into his ex-tribemates judgmental eyes. No, not just judgmental, bloodthirsty eyes. They wanted him dead! It was no wonder they exiled him. After his nightmare he was allowed to return to the tribe by the command of Celestia only because of his innocence. But as soon as he did something foreign, the tribe - possibly feeling threatened by what they didn't understand - was quick to rid him away.
Suddenly Kieren felt no need for tears as anger and frustration boiled to a fever of rage. He would get revenge; make them pay for all the pain and trouble they belched onto him and his friends without a single singe of regret! He would build an army and stomp over the tribe, show as little mercy as he was given!
But no! He would only be proving his tribe correct. The tears returned as Kieren contemplated the pain and worry that must be plaguing his old friends. They had suffered so much to support him, even to the end. Trent had even stepped upon that stage to support him. Melody had guided him through the city. Kat openly opposed the tribe because of their misdeeds. He would miss them.
After another outburst of tears, Kieren's thoughts wandered into Drake's goodbye wish. Kieren couldn't just sit and pity himself all the time. He needed to invent a new and better life. He would experience new adventures, discover new challenges, and build up a new reputation for himself.
"Kieren?" a voice called, arousing the umbreon from his thoughts.
Kieren looked up in confusion as his brain scrambled to process the fact that his name had just been called. Suddenly, Kieren realized how odd it was that someone was actually calling him. Nobody from the tribe would be out in the city, and nobody from the city could have recognized his new umbreon form.
"Kieren! Over here!" called the voice.
Kieren turned to see a stout golden-brown creature, a ninetails, standing next to a familiar husky smiling man.
"Mason?" Kieren recognized. It was Melody's father, and next to him was that strange golf desk dude Melody talked to before she nearly killed Kieren with the super-transport-a-thing. Kieren turned and approached the two.
"How are you doing?" Mason asked sympathetically.
"Alright I guess," Kieren lied, trying to be upbeat. However, he still avoided eye contact.
"Listen Kieren," Mason began. "I know this doesn't even come close to making up for all the trouble you are dealing with, but I wanted to give this back to you."
Still without making eye contact, Kieren turned towards the ninetails. In front of the golden creature's paws was a folded up piece of paper.
"Huh? What is this?" Kieren mumbled as he unfolded the paper and stared at it. His gaze caught what appeared to be a flag on top of a green circle.
"Is this my scorecard?" Kieren asked, eyes opening wide for a second, before dimming to their previous melancholy glow.
"Uh huh. Melody dropped it after the uhhh… incident," Mason tried to explain in as formal voice as he could muster.
"How d'ya do?" asked the large obnoxiously cheery human. He walked around and bent over at the paper lying on the ground.
"Whoa! Mason! Come look at this!" the human shouted in excitement, causing the umbreon to stumble back slightly in astonishment.
Mason leaned over and took a glance at the sheet of paper.
"What? Kieren? Is this real?" Mason questioned in disbelief.
Kieren shrugged, unable to read what they were reacting to.
"Did Melody fill this out?" Mason asked.
Kieren nodded.
"Hold on. Mason, this isn't the same eevee you foreheaded, is it?" the large man asked.
"That's him," Mason confirmed. The man turned back to the black quadruped, who stood motionless with a blank stare at the ground.
"Hmmm. Kieren was it?" the man asked, prompting the umbreon to turn his head. "Any chance you would be free from Thursday 'til Sunday?"
Kieren didn't know how to react to the sudden question. He still hadn't decided what to do in life, or found a source of food and shelter for that matter.
"If you would like, I can offer you hotel and cafeteria service from now until Sunday if that helps," the man added after a brief silence.
"What?" Mason jumped.
"Relax. We'll make our money back by advertising this guy," the man boasted before turning to Kieren. "So what do ya say? Kieren?"
Kieren did not say a word.
"Kieren?" Mason asked.
"Sorry," Kieren stuttered. "I don't have a clue what you two are talking about."
"Hahaha!" Mason laughed heartily. "Hotel means a bed at night and cafeteria means food. It's an offer you can't refuse!"
Kieren's ears perked up to the explanation. This whole scorecard ordeal just became relevant!
"What's the catch?" Kieren asked suspiciously.
Mason laughed again. "Hey Mitch! He wants to know 'what's the catch?' "
The man also laughed at the cautious question.
"You see, the catch is there's a golf tournament starting Thursday, and I want you to compete in it. We will make our money back and then some by people who want to watch a pokemon golf, so it benefits both of us. Oh, and you can use the same clubs you used before free of charge, thanks to the manufacturer's sponsorship. So do we have a deal young feller?"
Kieren thought for a moment. The deal seemed really good, but there was too much Kieren still did not understand about his new life that he needed to clear up before he made a promise he couldn't keep.
"On one condition," Kieren started, surprising the ninetails. "I'm still quite unfamiliar with city life, so if I get into trouble not knowing something, I ask that you forgive me."
Mason let loose another chuckle, before responding in human-proof speech.
"Don't worry. I happen to be staying in the same hotel for the next week, so I can show you everything you'll need to know, and from what Melody told me, you should be fine on the streets."
"Sorry, but I cannot understand what you two are saying. Do we have a deal?" asked the human.
Kieren replied with a firm nod.
"Great!" the man cheered, patting the umbreon on the back. "Good luck in the tournament, Kieren!"
Author's Note: Well, that's all I got for the bonus chapter. Let me know what you think. But more importantly, hit me with some more name suggestions for a protagonist who will be making her debut pretty soon. I'm looking for some English/American name (basically something that wouldn't sound out of place in an English version/translation of the Pokemon NPCs) that has a meaning related to shadows, secret talents, slyness, hidden-ness, mysteries, or being undercover, etcetera. Bonus points if the name sounds "soft". Send as many as possible. If I get so many where I have to decide between more than one S-tier options, I will upload a bonus chapter for that week independent of the normal bonus chapters! There! More incentive! Stay cool! Stay awesome! See you Saturday! ~Dreaming I'm Latios