Notes:

Thank you to everybody who has commented, you guys rock!

Here comes Part 2. There is a lot of exposition in this chapter, sorry about that. We'll resume action shortly in Part 3.

Warning: I like my Part 2s like a buddy of mine likes his chocolate. Dark and bitter. Which is precicesly why the characters are drinking tea, as tea is a cure for everything.

Prof Rowan's Lab: Sandgem Town

"Here we go", said Professor Rowan, setting a silver tray down onto a little wooden table. "There's nothing like a good cup of hot tea when you've just heard a murderous Eeveelution is on the loose again after last been seen eleven years ago and presumed dead by the general population".

"Thank you Professor", said Dawn. Barry grinned and Lucas relaxed and leaned back into the cushy settee.

"Not a problem, not a problem", said Professor Rowan. He picked up the Willow patterned teapot and poured some tea into each of the four cups. "Here we go then. Is it three sugars for you, Barry lad? And you don't like too much milk, Dawn? And Lucas...have you joined Team Galactic?"

"What? NO!" Lucas blurted out, while Barry yelled with laughter. "It was a bet that went wrong...honestly, Professor! It's a long story".

"Hmmm, well you can tell me later, eh? Right now, I'm assuming you youngsters wish to hear about the Groundeon".

"Ohh, yes please", said Dawn. "What is the tale behind him?"

"Let's see..."...Professor Rowan stood up and went over to a chest of drawers. Rummaging through the contents for a couple of minutes, he pulled out an old yellowed newspaper. He sat down again, opposite Lucas and the others and held the paper out to them.

"Here you go. The only newspaper brave enough to report the details".

Dawn took the paper and unfolded it carefully. Lucas and Barry leaned over her, breathing down her neck.

"The Jubilife Gazette", Dawn read out aloud. "Wednesday, October 7th, 1998".

"Oooh, look at the headline", said Lucas, pointing below.

GROUNDEON ON RAMPAGE - KILLS AND EATS TEN MEN!

"Oh yuck, man that's rank", Barry gasped. "A cannibalistic Groundeon".

"No, he's not a cannibal", Dawn pointed out. "A cannibal eats its own species. If Terry was a cannibal, he'd be eating other Groundeons".

"Oh Arceus! You're using his name!" Barry looked at Lucas. "Dawn's using his name. She's going to want to help the fugitive Eeveelution".

"Barry, stop being immature", said Dawn. She sipped her tea, then began to read aloud again.

"A wild Groundeon is on the run after breaking into and attacking a top secret location that our reporters don't dare to mention. From what little we know, the Pokemon known only as Terry, smashed a wall with Hyper Beam, wrecked sensitive equipment with Earthquake, burst water pipes with Ice Beam and then knocked ten men unconscious with Last Resort. It was then said that the Eeveelution devoured them while still alive, eating their flesh and chewing the marrow from their bones".

Lucas, who had been about to help himself to a Rich Tea biscuit, changed his mind.

"The top secret location is believed to have closed down after the horrific attack. The secret police were sent out but the Groundeon escaped, vanishing without trace.

People are cautioned not to approach this Pokemon, under any circumstances. Eevees are rare in Sinnoh and Groundeons even more so but Terry can be identified by one characteristic. His left foreleg is bent at an odd angle and he walks with an obvious limp".

"That's all", said Dawn, handing the paper back to Professor Rowan.

"Wow!" Barry breathed. "So, there's a man-eating Groundeon with a gammy leg lurking in the Solaceon Ruins. Awesome!"

Lucas gazed at his teacup, a dreamy expression on his face. "A powerful Groundeon", he murmured.

"Humph!" said Professor Rowan, dunking a Custard Cream in his tea. "The trouble with newspapers is that they only report half the facts. Don't tell you what provoked the Pokemon, do they?"

"There! I knew that there was more to it", Dawn said at once. "What happened, Professor?"

"Well now..."...Professor Rowan settled back comfortably in his armchair.

"About twelve years ago, Bebe was visiting Volkner in Sunyshore City and she had some baby Eevees with her. As they drank coffee, Bebe let the Eevees out to play and they romped around the living room happily. However, the window was slightly ajar and one fearless Eevee squeezed out through the gap and ran away.

Bebe and Volkner quickly returned the other Eevees to their Pokeballs and went out looking for the runaway. They searched high and low but there was no sign of him. Dejected, they returned to Volkner's apartment that evening, hoping that the Eevee was safe.

The next morning, there was a knock at the door. Volkner answered it and it was a teenage boy, a little younger thatn you three. He'd got the Eevee with him; said it'd ran out into the road near his house and been hit by a car. He'd splinted the leg and cared for the Eevee overnight. Both Volkner and Bebe saw that the Eevee was devoted to the young lad and wouldn't leave his side. So, Bebe gave the Eevee to him and he promised to look after it and train it well".

"Oh, how sweet!" Dawn exclaimed. Barry rolled his eyes.

"Dawn, this is about that dangerous killer Groundeon, don't you know that is who Professor Rowan is telling us about. The one that eats people".

"The super strong, powerful Groundeon that would probably win any battle it took part in", Lucas mused, reaching for a Rich Tea.

"Barry, it's a baby here", Dawn said patiently. "A cute little baby Eevee, all fuzzy and soft with big shiny eyes and a floofy tail".

"Uhum", said Professor Rowan. He drank some more of his tea. "Very loyal, those Eevees are. You bond with one, he or she is devoted to you for life".

"What happened next Professor?" Dawn asked.

"Well, this is where I don't know so much", Professor Rowan said. "But from what I do know, the trainer ended up in a spot of trouble".

"Why? What did he do?"

"It wasn't what he did, rather what some did to him. Tell me lass, when you graduated from high school, what did your parents do?"

"They told me how proud they were of me and threw a big party for me", said Dawn.

"Hahaha, Lucas got drunk then", Barry said gleefully. "He came outside in his Mom's cocktail dress and treated us all to a striptease".

"Barry, shut up!" said Lucas, blushing.

"Hmm, not everybody is so lucky", Professor Rowan sighed.

"You mean cus they didn't see Lucas in the..."...Barry began but Lucas clamped his hand over Barry's mouth.

"Shh, lad, I meant the trainer", said Professor Rowan. "He graduated a year early, with top marks in everything. But his parents weren't impressed because they had just found out he was a high-functioning autistic. They sent him to, ahem...a top secret location to 'cure' him. Read, electric shock collars. Nasty business, in my opinion".

"Oh! That's awful!" Barry exclaimed.

"How horrible!" Dawn gasped and Lucas was so concerned, he didn't notice his Rich Tea going soggy and it fell into his cup with a splash.

"Isn't it", agreed Professor Rowan. "That lad had his head screwed on right though, he evolved his Eevee into a Groundeon as soon as possible. Just had time to teach it Earthquake and Hyperbeam, I'll warrant. Then when the staff came to fit him, he must have let the Groundeon out. It saw its trainer in peril and attacked.

So what did the Groundeon do? Exactly what it said in the Jubilife Gazette, except for eating those men. It'd be far more concerned with helping its trainer to safety".

"Ohhh, how noble!" Dawn gasped. "What a gallant, courageous Pokemon Terry is!"

"He's not really a man-eater then?" Barry said, disappointed.

"No, course not", snorted Professor Rowan. "That was just the paper, sensationalising things. I think..."...

"And then what happened?" Lucas asked. "Did they escape?"

"Well I presume so", said Professor Rowan. "Who knows, really? Everything was all hushed up, kept very quiet. The Groundeon was never seen again and after a few weeks, the excitement died down and everyone went about their lives as normal".

"Until now", said Lucas.

"Until now", Professor Rowan agreed.