Special thanks to Lupercus 1944 for their lovely review!
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The world seemed to fade around Rok as he cried. He couldn't feel the chill of the night air, the prickle of grass under his paws, or even the stares of his companions. All he could do was stand there, body faintly shaking with the force of his grief, which he hadn't realised up until then had been trapped inside him, cold and hard as ice that he was only now allowing to melt.
He heard someone murmuring, but it was muffled to the point where he couldn't even be sure that it was Silvo, Reaper, or even someone entirely new. It could have been his mother for all he was aware. The thought of the sylveon called her face instantly to mind, bright blue eyes sparkling as she laughed, and a wail of grief threatened to spill from his mouth.
Something nudged him, breaking through the fog in his grief just enough for him to be aware of Reaper standing next to him, her gaze surprisingly soft considering their earlier argument.
"Just let it all out." She said.
Rok sniffled and buried his face in her thick, white fur. He could feel her stiffen slightly at his touch, but he couldn't find the will to pull away.
Something else brushed up against him, spikes and static prickling his skin and making his own fur stand on end. He looked up and, through the blur of his tears, could just make out Silvo's grinning face.
Rok hiccupped a sob and shut his eyes, trying to focus on the presence of his friends instead of the sadness welling up inside him, pleading with the gods to stop his tears from flowing.
It was a very, very long time before the stopped flowing and, Rok suspected, it would be even longer before they would stop flowing completely.
"Sorry." He croaked, his voice hoars from his sobbing.
Silvo grinned and waved a nonchalant paw. "Don't worry about it. You looked like you needed it."
Rok managed a watery smile in return, though it quickly faded as he slowly turned to face Reaper.
The absol studied him for a few moments, before shrugging uncomfortable. "Don't look at me like that, I'm treated like scum on a regular basis, a couple of remarks from and emotionally unstable umbreon who just got the rug pulled out from under him isn't going to faze me."
"That doesn't make it okay." Rok whispered, so softly part of him wondered if Reaper could even hear.
"No, it doesn't." Reaper said, "But that doesn't mean I can't forgive it. I've seen worse outburst than yours, by Giratina, I've had worse outbursts than yours. It's not that bad."
Rok tilted his head. 'Had worse outbursts'? What did that mean?
Small sparks popped off Silvo's quills as he shook himself happily. "Well, glad that's sorted out. So, where're we going next?"
Reaper's soft expression instantly sharped as she glared at the jolteon. ""We"?"
Silvo snorted. "Well, I can hardly leave Rok on his own now, can I? What kind of best friend would I be then?"
Rok stared at him in shock. "But Silvo…what about your family? Your dream – you've always wanted to be a guard-"
"I'll leave some sort of message for 'em, so they know why I've gone. And in case you've forgotten, I wanted to be a guard because of the adventure. Going with you and…whoever this girl is-"
"Reaper." The absol growled.
"Yeah, Reaper, I'll be having a bigger adventure than anything being a guard can get me! I mean, in the last few minutes of conversation I've discovered two new pokémon that I knew nothing about! Just imagine how many others there are!"
An image of the town, filled to the brim with strange pokémon and customs, came to mind and Rok smiled uneasily. "Well, there's a whole tonne of stuff out there that we never knew about…"
"Wait, you've seen even more new stuff?" Silvo cried, a slight indignant note in his voice, "That's it! Now I have to join you if I want to keep up with all this new stuff you're discovering."
"It's hardly new." Reaper grumbled, "You people are just super ignorant."
Silvo puffed out his chest. "Well, not anymore! Soon, I'll learn all there is to know about the outside world, and when I tell everyone in the village about it, I'll look all seasoned and wise."
"I think you'll just look like a mad-mon." Rok told him.
Silvo puffed out his cheeks in irritation. "Spoilsport. Just let me find a way of sending a message to the village to let them know I'm leaving. The guards come along this route, so I can leave something behind here. Maybe I could write something into the dirt?"
"So," Silvo said casually to Rok (a little too casually), "are you close with Reaper."
Rok eyed Reaper who was walking a little ways behind them to "avoid catching stupidity from your shiny friend". "I think we're friends, though she probably only sees us as acquaintances." He answered cautiously. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh nothing." Silvo said innocently, "I've just never known you to be that close with any girls before."
Oh Arceus not this. "Most of the eevee our age were boys Silvo." Rok said firmly.
"But not all the eevee. Besides, you could have talked to the younger and older ones. And you know," Silvo dropped his voice to a whisper, his smile turning a tad mischievous, "she does look nice, in a "I can and will break every bone in your body" sort of way."
Rok could feel his face heat up beneath his fur, and for the first time was grateful his pelt was so dark. "Silvo, I only met her a couple days ago!"
"You only need a couple seconds to see that she's pretty."
"It's not like that!"
"It could become like that."
Rok groaned and threw his head back.
"Hey!" Rok jolted in surprise at Reaper's shout and turned back to her, half-afraid that she'd heard their conversation. She nodded towards Silvo. "If he's annoying you let me know. I'll happily throw him into a tree for you."
Rok felt himself relax. Thank Arceus. "No thanks, I can handle him."
Silvo grinned mockingly at him and whispered, "True love."
Rok flattened his ears against his head. Then again, maybe he should let Reaper knock the cocky jolteon around a bit.
Suddenly, a branch snapped, and all three of them grew tense. Somewhere behind them, Rok could hear Reaper growling, and the air took on the distinct smell of electricity as Silvo's fur crackled.
There was another crack, closer this time, louder, like whatever had caused it had broken the wood all at once. Rok narrowed his eyes, peering into the shadows cast by the great trunks. There was more cracking and shuffling, and the noise of little feet scampering. Whatever was coming this way, it was big. Rok grit his teeth, crouched, ready to spring at whatever threat may come crashing through the undergrowth-
A familiar, large, black and red form crashed through the bushes, falling in a heap at Rok's feet with a short "oomph". An oomph which quickly dissolved into a yelp of pain as electric sparks suddenly crackled across his fur.
Rok jumped slightly and turned to Silvo, who was already charging up another attack.
"Silvo, stop!" Rok cried, stepping between his friend and the incineroar, just to be on the safe side. "It's okay, he's a friend."
Silvo blinked, and the sparks in his fur fizzled out. "Oh. Sorry."
Rage only whimpered.
"There you are!"
Smoke stepped through the wrecked bushes, frowning down at the giant cat. "You have to be more careful Rage! The forest is full of wild pokémon! You could've stepped on one!"
"Sorry." Rage groaned, still lying on the ground.
"Smoke?" Reaper cried in shock, "What are you doing out here? What is Rage doing here? Why aren't you in town, helping pokémon out like you always are? I haven't seen you leave your little shack since…actually, I don't think I've ever seen you leave your shack except to buy ingredients. What's going on?"
Smoke grimaced as he looked at Reaper. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. Eventually, it was Rage who finally replied, in a voice quieter than Rok had ever heard him speak.
"The mayor says that Dark Types aren't allowed in town anymore."
A/N: For the first time in foreveeeeer, I've updated on time!
This page was an absolute emotional rollercoaster, but I hope it was in a good way. Also, Silvo is officially a member of the gang (he's too much fun to write, I can't let him go. Plus, I need someone who tries to cheer people up by being super happy. I've got more than enough characters that choose the gentle-yet-sombre route) and everyone is getting kicked out of their homes.
Please review, they really make my day!