Cyllage city is a city on the beach side, the buildings had been thrown up on the stone inland. But the beach seemed ever present throughout the streets, the smell of salt and the rush of the ocean breeze. The sun rose late in the city, obscured until nearly midday by a giant cliff to the east. The same cliff Ryan had followed to reach the town. Waves rolled across the sand and slapped against the stone foundations of the streets leading out. As the tide swept out though, the sandy beach would become an impressive expanse, twenty or thirty paces from the edge of high tide to the edge of low. The large vagrant took a moment, sitting down to rest in the high tide. Annwn and the Ape sat beside the man, all three uncomfortable in the water. Small waves rushed back and forth around the group; the lion cub Embeee sat on the dry rock with the floating squid and large eagle beside it.
Much of the day had already swung past. The sun was already reaching it's rays down to stroke the distant waves on the ocean of the horizon. Long orange and purple clouds stretched across the sky, reflected in the water reaching all the way to Cyllage city. A tall vagrant, clothed in tattered rags and a long trench coat, stood upon the shoals west of the city, a collection of pokemon around him. "Gimme Fire" he barked hoarsely, the mouths of each of the creatures around him, with the sole exception of a hovering squid, grew alight with fire. The assorted beasts held the ball of fire in their mouths as long as they could, many snuffing it out in order to breathe. Only Annwn, who held himself up using a long stick, could hold the fire indefinitely. The vagrant mostly ignored the young woman with long brown hair that sat down on the edge of the shoals. It was unclear if Shauna was watching him, the pokemon, or the sunset. "Gimme Fire" He declared again, a ring of glowing mouths surrounded him once more. After bringing his hand to his mouth, Ryan pretended to take something from it and hold it out away from himself. "Gimme Fire" He looked at his hand, then all of a sudden hurtled the nothing away toward the sunset. A volley of fireballs instantly followed his launch. "Bombardment" The vagrant smiled. "Ape, Gimme Fire, There" He pointed at a rock not far away. The small crimson chimp hurtled a small fireball at the point, to receive a stroking on the head as a reward. "Bombardment, There" Each of the creature's that could, launched a small fireball at the point Ryan had now gestured to. "Volley" Was the last command he'd explained so far today, each of the various animals were getting tired but understood the command well enough. Volley was simply an order to continue to fire at the last place ordered.
After a long day, the vagrant sat down on the rocks at the edge of Cyllage city. The Ape and Eagle immediately curling up beside him as the Lion Cub and squid became more acquainted. Ryan drew a small bottle of a hard liquid from his coat, taking a couple gulps as the girl began to speak. "I thought you died" She looked out at the half of the sun still breaching the line of the horizon. "I'm glad you're okay Mr. Cabberin." The large man shrugged, wiping his mouth but not yet capping the bottle. "Serena said you would be fine. She remembers what you were like back in school too" Ryan chuckled, taking another swig before passing the bottle to Annwn. "I took the gym challenge here too. It was easy and got me lots of money" The pokemon staggered for a moment, having difficulty holding the bottle as it stood on it's hind legs. After taking a couple small sips, it handed the whiskey back to the vagrant.
The young lady turned away from the smell of the whiskey and to the north. "I was thinking of taking a walk along Menhir Trail tomorrow." She mumbled half to herself. "I've read that the stones there give off some strange radiation" Ryan nodded in response. Menhir Trail was a famous road lined with enormous stones taller than a single story house. Much of it's fame came from the odd energy the stone's released into the air around them. Many pokemon who would change form usually only at the touch of certain mystical gemstones, could simply will themselves to change in the presence of these great Menhir's. Ryan happily told the lass about them, recounting that when he was younger than her; he would spend time playing amongst the stones with his family Eevee. While he played, young Ryan would often witness trainers from the world around, let their pokemon from their pokeballs to play in the stones as well. He'd never forget a near sacred line many of these tourists would say on their knees to the creatures before them. "Here, it is your choice to evolve. If you want to, I won't stop you. If you don't, I won't be mad"
Shauna raised a point, curious that this was the only place she'd ever heard of where the pokemon 'Eevee' could be found in the wild. An astute observation actually. Eevee are a very fluffy canine creature, typically dark brown with lighter bands. The very popular creature originated on the Menhir trail in fact. The earliest known were seen around two and a half to two thousand years ago. Since their appearance, humans have bred them into dozens of shapes and sizes. But the essence of what an Eevee is remains. It was interesting that the fluffy pokemon came about on the Menhir Trail, those befriended by humans in the area could use the power of the stones to transform into variants more suited to help in certain ways. The original five that could be found were Vaporeon, Flareon, Jolteon, Glaceon and Leafeon. Vaporeon, Flareon and Jolteon could all be reproduced in Eevee that had been taken from the area, by exposing them to a water, fire, or thunder stone respectfully. When humans domesticated the creature, it's adaptive nature took effect. From the love and care of humans, Eevee's could evolve into three new forms; Umbreon, Espeon and Sylveon. To this day many Eevee trainers or simply Eevee owners, bring their beloved pokemon to the Menhir Trail and Geosenge city beyond, to give them the opportunity to choose what their future selves would look like.
The night was silent, but warm. Ryan peeled the warm bodies off of him, each one waking happily to skip a couple steps away from the vagrant. A small meal of berries and Whiskey before he started north to meet up with the young lass seeking to visit the ancient Geosenge town at the end of the Menhir Trail. She was not alone when he arrived, accompanied by her lass friend whom had shouted at Ryan two days prior. The girls chattered quietly amongst themselves as Ryan led them north along the path. So many times had he played with the family Eevee out here. It was traditional for those living in Geosenge town to have a pet Eevee, and many of the children around the age of ten would begin to play with the Eevee out amongst the great monolithic stones.
With his legs following a path they had long long ago, not needing his mind to tell them where to go, Ryan enjoyed running his hands through the grass. Shauna's two legged lizard with a fiery tail danced up ahead. It's body shed a strangely brilliant glow as it expanded slightly, as the glow faded it was clear the creature was about a foot taller with longer arms and a strange red horn protruding from it's head. Looking down to his right, the vagrant was surprised to see that the Ape had grown taller also, and though not by much the shape of the tuft of hair on its head had changed also. Shaking his head and smiling, Ryan looked back at the path his feet were bearing him. The little road ahead led to the home of his grandparents, his childhood home. When he'd moved away, he'd come home every weekend to visit and play with that Eevee. Every weekend that he could. The vagrant was close to his thirtieth year, to expect such a creature to live nearly as long was cruel. That family Eevee was dead, it died when he couldn't visit anymore. And nothing could change that.
"Ryan?" An older voice croaked from nearby, ending a rhythmic chopping of wood. The man was elderly for sure, but in no way infirm. Aspe Cabberin approached his grandson, looking the boy up and down. "Been some time lad. How've you been" he slapped a hand down on the vagrant's shoulder.
"I've been a little out of luck Grandad" Ryan replied. "The school wouldn't take me back. I've had no-where to go" he mumbled, looking down at Annwn holding his hand, the fox's eyes staring up at him.
"You could always come home. Your Grandma and I would be happy to give you some shelter while you found a job. Do you remember Abigail?" Ryan almost groaned and rolled his eyes. Abigail Symp was Ryan's neighbor as he grew up, they played together a couple times but he'd never been interested in her. "Oh, here she comes now" His grandfather gestured down the path. A young red head, garbed in the white coat of the pokemon center, strolled toward them with two pokemon by her side. "She's been an angel" the old man continued, but something had caught Ryan's attention.
To Abigail's left trotted a happy and healthy canine with sleek pinkish-purple fur, long ears and a long tail, the Espeon was not his concern. A couple paces in front of her, weakly half-trotting half-walking, was red and white furred canine. It's mane and tail weren't as fluffy as other Flareon, its pointed ears hung down and it's dark eyes were glazed a milky white. The woman took a couple steps, placing her hand on the canine's back and quietly urging it to slow down. Ryan approached with long, deliberate strides until the old pooch was rubbing against his leg. He knelt down and scratched around it's head, the little creature unable to decide whether to sit and enjoy or sniff wildly. Catching it's collar in his hand the vagrant saw perhaps the most familiar tag, 'FYR E'. The 'E' was scratched on by a child, to make those reading the tag mispronounce it's name. "Fear?" He whispered, stroking the head of the now weakly purring creature. It nuzzled it's old face into his hands and licked wildly, clearly unable to see at all. Ryan could barely hear his grandfather explain that Abigail had been keeping Fyr in good health. She agreed, squeaking in surprise when the Flareon dropped to it's side. It continued to attempt to nuzzle Ryan, while apparently begging for it's stomach to be rubbed. Abigail used Espeons to help her, they let her hear a pokemon's thoughts, and with how long she'd worked with the little Flareon, she felt that was a gift Ryan had to experience. "Ryan, Ryan, Ryan, missed you." The large man felt water burning at the edges of his eyes as he petted the canine in front of him, a strange but familiar voice in his head. "I missed you too Fyr" it yipped happily, licking at his hand and wriggling itself as close as it could to him. "I ready Ryan. We can go now" Ryan wiped a thread of water from his cheek "Go? Go where?" his grandfather shook his head slowly. "You promised one day we could go see new places" Fyr rolled tiredly back onto his belly "meet new people. I'm ready" a pink tongue lolled out the side of it's mouth excitedly. "I can't. You're not well" the Flareon whined, pulling itself closer to the large man and pawing at him while he rubbed its back."But you promised. I'm ready" the large man shook his head "You can't see, you can't see the new places" the canine suddenly barked happily, pointing it's milky white eyes in the direction of Ryan's face. "I can smell!" it's nose wiggled excitedly as it stared up at him. "I promised"