Two moons after Morgrem and Toxel left, Yamper and Eevee had found a new friend in Dragapult's oldest dreepy, who had become mature enough to leave his mother and grow on his own. Dragapult and her mate, Appletun, just welcomed a new dreepy into the forest after it had hatched from its egg.
The forest received little precipitation since winter. Reuniclus said that for the excess that had fallen in winter, the spring and summer would be rough, and he was right. Although they had water from the river, the water's height declined several feet from its peak, which allowed previously unseen rocks to break the river's surface. The pond that most pokémon had drunk from southeast of the commons had become a puddle, so for all water, every pokémon had to travel to the river.
"I say it's unnatural," Vaporeon said as she discussed the issue with several pokémon on the common grounds. The pokémon constantly treading on it left it barren of plants, and with the drought, it became a dustbowl. "I try to bring rain here and the clouds just offer a sprinkle."
Eevee, Yamper, and Dreepy lingered nearby, for many concerned denizens listened to the discussion. "Has anyone checked how the wetlands are doing?" Indeedee asked.
"A quagsire came across the other day saying it's not much better. There's a bit more rain there, but nothing like it should be," Appletun explained, who was standing next to Indeedee.
"Are a bunch of Torkoal hovering around or something?" asked Orbettle, who perched on his favorite ash tree.
"Why?" Arcanine suggested. "There's nothing for them around here."
"Unless someone wants to cause trouble," Dragapult, who floated beside her mate, declared.
"I heard a rumor that a dragon pokémon far away has been unsettling natives," Appletun said.
"From?" his mate asked.
"The same quagsire. He told me a few pokémon have been filtering into his territory, claiming they are refugees."
"If that's true, that's not good news," Orbettle said. "They'll start coming here, and if the drought continues…"
Indeedee waved her hand to calm the murmuring pokémon. "Settle down. We need facts, not one source of hearsay."
"Let's deploy a scouting crew to find out what's going on," Dragapult said. "We don't want to be left in the dark if the rumors prove true."
"Volunteers?" Indeedee exclaimed.
Almost every pokémon in the assembly cried out.
"Whoa," she said, smiling. "We need mature pokémon who can cross the river, for one!"
The selected scouting team comprised Orbettle, Vaporeon, and Arcanine. Orbettle could fly across the river, Vaporeon could swim across it, while Arcanine could leap over it.
"Mum's leaving?" Eevee asked.
"Dad is too," Yamper said.
"I hope they discover something," Dreepy mentioned.
The scouting team had left for half a moon. Upon their return, the pokémon learned that a sinister plan was in place. More than one pokémon they spoke to reported that a Hydreigon in a faraway mountain was beginning to cause trouble, even as far back as a four-season ago.
"Not him," Dragapult said with a sigh. "His family have been enemies with mine for seasons. He seemed full of hot air, but now it seems he has begun something."
"How long have you been acquainted with him?" Vaporeon asked.
Dragapult frowned and shook her head. "Many four-seasons…"
"Fortunately," Appletun started, "We did get one downpour during your travels."
"About that," Orbettle started, "We found the pokémon worsening the drought. Turns out a ninetales and her young were hanging around the crags by the wetlands. We and some other natives from there asked them to head northeast of Lapras Lake. It's been rainy up there."
"Oh?" Indeedee remarked. "Well, hopefully, the weather stabilizes more. We've been dry since the spring thaw."
Appletun asked the assembly, "So, what should we do about this draconic threat?"
"Train the youngsters on the cusp of evolving," Dragapult suggested. "We don't have the offense here to lead an attack, but we at least must establish a good defense."
"I doubt he'd come so far out this way," Arcanine said. "You need to travel for miles northwest just to start seeing a glimpse of his mountain."
"Can't be too safe," Appletun remarked. His mate concurred with a nod.
Eevee, Yamper, and Dreepy exchanged glances. They knew that they all were included in the group Dragapult had mentioned. The three whispered among themselves about their inevitable training, but they were interrupted by Eevee's mother, Vaporeon.
"Sweetie," her mother said to Eevee, putting on a solemn face. "Follow me."
Eevee's friends started to follow the two foxlike pokémon, but Vaporeon stopped and told Yamper and Dreepy, "No. For this, she must be alone."
The two pokémon stopped and muttered an affirmation of understanding. Eevee continued to follow her mother, feeling a sense of anticipation rolling in her belly. "Mum, where are you taking me?"
"Oh, it's nothing to be concerned about," she said, noticing her daughter's apprehensiveness.
Eevee sighed. Her mother was being cryptic, and Eevee didn't enjoy it. She followed Vaporeon as they passed under the orchard's apple trees, and then followed the path toward Appletun and Dragapult's den. Nearby the old, big stone structure was a smaller den made of wood, which was used to house smaller pokémon, like Morgrem and Toxel. Eevee shivered as she thought of them, out in the wilderness somewhere.
Past the community leader's den was a forest that appeared to be untouched, besides the well-worn path that Eevee and her mother were walking on. They stayed for a significant time on the path, and eventually, they met a treeless spot on a hill with a pokémon dwelling upon it.
"Reuniclus's place?" Eevee asked as she observed the neatness of the logs and a thatched roof that formed the bones of the abode. The log's bark was covered heavily with moss on the northern side, while the front featured a door and two empty spaces beside it to function as windows.
Vaporeon rapped on the door. It opened inward on its own, revealing nobody present behind it. "Come in," the psychic pokémon said as he floated over to the entrance to greet the two.
Eevee had been in the shelter a scant half-dozen times, and usually only to supply herbs and berries to the forest's primary healer. Besides being a healer, the psychic-type collected plenty of oddities and items, natural or pokémon-made. It was then that Eevee understood the reason for her visit, and why accessing Reuniclus's home without permission had been strictly forbidden.
"You know why you're here," Reuniclus said. He nodded at Vaporeon and she left the dwelling.
"You've read my thoughts," Eevee said, sitting down and placing her tail in front of her paws.
Reuniclus floated past her to a corner of the room. He shrugged. "We psychic types often do… just those with decency won't tell the whole world your secrets."
"So, you generally know what most pokémon here are thinking about?"
"Yes," he said as he sifted through a bag filled with power-increasing gems. "Right now, if I think of the commons, I can feel the thought contagion cloud circling there. The pokémon are worried. So, that's why I reside out here. I need to clear my head."
"Makes sense," Eevee said. "What do you feel regarding this threat?"
Reuniclus didn't respond immediately, but after he procured the items he needed, he said, "Many pokémon will be affected. There will be grief. Other than that, I cannot say much. I'm no Xatu, and my premonition can apply to any vague disaster. It's too early to call." He shook his head. "Back to the task at hand."
Reuniclus directed Eevee to exit the home. Outside, Eevee walked into the forest, with Reuniclus guiding her through the ancient, sacred land until they met a small glade where a singular rock jutted out of the ground. Legend said a Machamp carried the huge boulder from the tip of their large island home to the southern part, depositing the rock where he desired to establish a settlement. He did this all to win over his selected mate by showing off his strength. True or not, the forest community flourished, and only solitary tasks were performed here.
Reuniclus offered Eevee his small bag, and he left her alone next to the stone. "Return to me… with the ones that remain." He floated away out of Eevee's sight.
Eevee dropped the bag on the short, grassy turf. She picked up the opposite end from the opening and dumped the contents onto the grass, immediately feeling a whirl of emotions. An ice stone, leaf stone, and thunderstone lay in front of her.
Eevee backed away from the evolutionary rocks, giving a long, hard stare at each one. She was being given the chance at evolving, and she had three choices to choose from. However, Eevee hesitated, as she knew there had to be more evolutionary stones… fire and water. She thought it over for a moment and then understood that her mother and father must have chosen them.
Eevee scratched her fur collar as she began to respond to the stones before her. She could feel each of them and their elemental energy, as each vibrated at a specific frequency. The three varying stones felt as if they were trying to overwhelm each other and be the one to select Eevee. Did they have a consciousness? The foxlike pokémon backed away from the rocks and lay upon the ground, her ears flopping with anxiety.
Did this need to happen right now? Couldn't she think about it longer?
Eevee was curious, however. The fox pokémon singled out the ice stone, batting it with her paw away from the other ones. Each time she touched the stone it felt like she was being pricked with an icicle. She sighed and stood before it, feeling its brisk energy start to engulf her… and it filled her with dread.
She backed away from the stone, knowing that the ice one didn't jibe with her. Was that how evolution was supposed to feel? Many pokémon told her it was surreal and awesome, not frightening.
She wondered if the other two would make her feel more certain about evolution. She shook her head as she looked at the thunderstone. Why would she need to become a jolteon? Her best friend and her mother were electric types. It would be superfluous to pick the yellow stone.
The leaf stone was the last choice. Eevee separated the emerald green stone from the thunderstone and stood before it with low expectations. The stone's energy flowed into her, giving her the feeling of a parched plant starving for water. She felt like a leaf that was bound to break off from its tree, shrivel up, and then molder on the ground.
She rejected the leaf stone and fled from it. She cringed as she thought about having to return the stones to the bag. With the ongoing drought, the leaf stone was a no-go, and if precipitation fell Eevee doubted she'd accept the stone.
Reuniclus didn't say that she needed to pick one, nor did he say for her to return the remaining two stones. Wasn't she fine as she was? She wasn't in immediate peril, so was there a dire need to evolve? Evolving wasn't something she could brush off lightly, as she'd have one opportunity to do this right.
She grumbled as she collected each stone and returned it to the bag, her stomach flopping the entire while. She grabbed the seamless end with her teeth and carried it back to Reuniclus's dwelling. She couldn't wait to part with the bag and distance herself from the stones.
Reuniclus was floating outside his home, looking at the sky above. He sensed Eevee and turned, seeing her coming toward him with the bag.
He approached her and said, "I see you made your choice."
Eevee set the bag down and told him, "None of them feel right. Doing it this way feels unnatural."
He retrieved the bag and said, "I understand. I won't pressure you to evolve but others might. I stress this— make sure it's you who makes the choice. Unlike most pokémon, your evolving is not just when, but what."
She nodded. "I'll remember." She started to turn away, but looked at Reuniclus and said, "Thanks for the opportunity." She trotted away from psychic pokémon as he watched her following the narrow forest trail. He smiled as she disappeared.
Eevee returned to the commons, but once she caught her waiting mother's glance, she averted it. Her mother had expected her to choose a stone. Her father, who stood beside her mother, looked at Eevee with an unsatisfied air.
Her parents walked in front of her path, stopping her as Eevee wished to find her friends and see what they were doing. "Eevee," her father said, unable to mask the disappointment in his voice, "Why haven't you evolved?"
Eevee felt no reason to lie as she recalled Reuniclus's words. "None of the stones resonated with me. They all felt wrong."
"That's how mine was," her mother said. Eevee tilted her head, signaling that she desired further elaboration. "I picked it because we needed water types at the time."
"Those three stones wouldn't be of use," Eevee retorted. "An ice-type wouldn't be able to live in this forest now- it's summer. There are already several electric types around, and we're in a drought- the leaf stone felt the worst to me."
"So, you didn't even try two of the stones?" her father grumbled.
"Just the thunderstone," Eevee said.
Eevee's parents glimpsed at each other. Vaporeon sighed and then said, "So be it. However, when danger comes, remember you could've prepared."
"I'm not going to make a poor decision based on something that hasn't happened yet. I don't want to base my decision on fear."
"Fine," her father said. "Which tells us you lost five possible means of evolution if you don't want to touch any stones."
Her mother's gaze softened some as she understood her daughter's reasoning. She said, "You think you're not in danger, and that you're well protected here. I'm guessing you don't see a need to evolve?"
"No," Eevee said.
Vaporeon reverted to her previous mien. She hesitated, her eyes becoming distant as she brooded over something. "You'll evolve, but not in this forest," her mother said, not as a question, but as a fact.
Eevee seemed to understand her parents' concerns. They wanted her to evolve now, while still under their supervision, then out in the lands beyond where they'd never know what would become of her.
"It seems so," Eevee said.
"I can't believe a place like this exists!"
Morgrem had journeyed far. He found a forest depopulated of pokémon which was teeming with all the berries he wished to eat. He divested all the liechi berries growing from the base of the long-leaved plant. This berry had always been his favorite although in the old forest it was hard to take to the soil, and oftentimes it grew in a few spots, and every other pokémon got them first. Of course, they would, he thought. He was on the bottommost rung of the pokémon hierarchy back there.
Not that he was concerned with them. They didn't care that he had gone. He shrugged his shoulders, enjoying his plethora of berries. No one could tell him how many he should take.
He pattered away from the depleted plant and looked up into the trees. His eyes wandered about as he sought branches low enough that he could climb upon. He wanted to get a better idea of the immensity of the place, and just as he had done in the old forest, he'd do here.
He was grateful for gaining over a foot in height since his evolution. He no longer felt like a peon, and given time, he'd evolve once more. He dreamt of the day when he would stand against others face-to-face and look down on them.
He always knew what he'd evolve into— he vaguely remembered his father and the strange forest he had been born in. The forest was so elusive that no pokémon besides Dragapult could point him in its direction. Being a dark-type, unlike his toxel rival, no psychic could probe his mind and discover what he recollected. He had given Dragapult crumbs of information, but she never pressed for more.
He wondered how he ended up so far away, that like his rival, none of their kind lived around here. His guess was something happened to each of their parents that caused them to flee south. He'd probably never know, and unlike Toxel, he couldn't care less to figure out. Unlike him, she still had some fond memories of her real mother. He laughed. His real mother could only be ditto unless his father produced a copy of himself like a bacterium.
Morgrem, after failing to use a bush to try and grab a low-hanging limb, sought to find a better method to climb a tree. His greater height also brought greater weight, and many bushes he found no longer could hold his additional pounds. He skirted around a large boulder on the forest floor, covered in lichens. Beyond it was several more rocks like it, likely all placed there on purpose long ago. He followed them idly and as he did, he discovered an oak tree within his vicinity that sported several green vines racing up its trunk. He forgot about the mysterious aligned rocks and then proceeded to investigate the vines. He wrested them from the trunk and tugged on them several times. A smile split across his face as he started to climb up the oak like a mountaineer using a rope.
The vines held his weight, and he reached a section of the tree where its branches jutted out in six directions, allowing him a base to stand on. He looked above to which branches intersected with taller trees to get a better view than the oak provided. Two trees away was a decently sized conifer that offered him a better vantage point.
Within another thirty minutes, he found himself as high as he felt comfortable on the conifer and being above the lower deciduous trees, he got a spectacular view of the land around him. To the north was a looming mountain, erupting from the ground like a great stalagmite. The pinnacle of the huge mountain was covered in a layer of snow or ice, even though the summer season, which signified its height, or the number of ice types living at its peak. He cast his eyes down from its immensity, discovering from this vantage point, that the forest likely proceeded until the rocky mountain base. Looking a bit to the south, he discovered a curious formation within the forest where not a tree was growing. From his position, he'd need to travel about thirty minutes south to reach it. By the looks of it, as he recalled his old forest, it had to be a waterway.
He descended the conifer and started toward the river he saw. After sifting through a swath of trees, bushes, and undergrowth he heard the babbling of the water and then the waterway itself shortly after. The waterway ranged from about seven to fourteen feet wide, so it was more of a creek than a river. It flowed from southeast to northwest, meandering around the forest in wide circular arcs and other times straightening itself out. Its path seemed to head for the mountain as Morgrem followed the creek. Within the water, he observed plenty of fish pokémon like wishiwashi and magikarp swimming about. With the natives gone, the food between the berries and the fish pokémon was plenty.
While Morgrem investigated the water and its fish pokémon, a sight on the bottom of the softly flowing waterway caught his eye. It seemed like many glowing points were fixed on one location at the bottom. He studied the unknown pokémon, finding that it was moving in his direction. The sea urchin took its time to leave the water and investigated the strange goblin staring at it.
The pokémon, by its sharp, glowing spines, had to be an electric-type. Morgrem relaxed as he had plenty of experience dealing with one. The tiny pokémon released its charge and a streak of electricity reached the goblin, hitting Morgrem's torso. The pokémon wasn't too old and its strength reflected it. He shrugged the attack off, glaring at the prickly electric-type looking at him at the water's edge. Toxel had given worse shocks than the pathetic thing. He retaliated by interrupting the pokémon's next attack, swinging a balled fist right into what Morgrem assumed was the pokémon's face. The attack caused the sea urchin to fall back into the water with a loud splash. Morgrem shook out his limbs, happy he hadn't been paralyzed and watched the pokémon disappear into the river. He stepped away from the river and skirted the tree line.
Morgrem walked along the tree line at an easy pace, as any berries that caught his eye he promptly collected. He was not without aerial company, as a few times throughout the day he heard or observed fliers patrolling the forest. Although Morgrem had little fear for dragons, he took care to shadow himself as best he could from the airborne pokémon. He had been evolved for about two moons and actualized his power, but two fliers could overwhelm him. Thankfully, he was short enough to find cover.
As the day led into the early evening, he finally reached where the creek ended and arrived at the mountain's base. Here he realized that the creek didn't stop or wander around the mountain. The waterway carved a path right into it, forming a huge subterranean opening in the granite. Soft, short grass grew around the mouth of the cave, as many trees didn't have enough light here, being under the shadow of the mountain for the latter half of the day.
As he gave the mountain's rocky, rather baren exterior a brief glimpse— he wondered where its entrance was—his stomach leapt to his throat when he heard something large erupt from the water behind him. Turning around on his heel, he discovered a pokémon crawling out of the water. Morgrem had never seen the blue, eight-limbed octopus-like pokémon before, but by the illegible facial expression on the pokémon's face, Morgrem knew he had to be careful.
Morgrem smirked at the pokémon as the upright blue pokémon shook itself to repel the water from its skin. "Well, you're something I don't see every day," the pokémon said. "What are you doing here?"
"Exploring," Morgrem said as he gave a quick flick to his hair. "What pokémon might you be?"
"Grapploct, at your service," the pokémon said with a bow. "What brings you here?"
From the corner of his eye, Morgrem observed the movement of a bipedal pokémon walking through the tall grasses on the opposite creek bank. The newcomer was a blue frog-like pokémon with a red poison sac on the base of his neck. The pokémon beamed at Morgrem as he diverted his eyes quickly to Grapploct. Morgrem didn't enjoy seeing their interaction, for it told him the two pokémon knew each other and if they wanted a fight, Morgrem wasn't going to win, especially with what looked to be a grown poison-type.
"You lost?" the blue frog-like pokémon asked, pointing at Morgrem.
"Naw, Toxicroak," Grapploct said. "He's an explorer. I think he's come to see Hydreigon."
Morgrem cocked his head. "Hydreigon? He's the mountain's warden? Most pokémon I've seen are too terrified to even say his name."
"As they should be," Toxicroak called from across the river. "But you, you're not. Why are you out here, miles from the spore-filled fairy forest?"
Morgrem's mind flashed with old recollections of his earliest days in that strange land where mushrooms glowed, and sunlight never penetrated the canopy. Morgrem waved his hand as if to disperse his cloud of thoughts. "I vaguely remember that place, but circumstances lead to my being fostered, and growing up in a regular forest like this one."
"Oh?" Grapploct asked, tilting his head. "So, you're feeling wistful? I'm surprised that a patrol hasn't spotted you."
"Indeed," Toxicroak said.
"I know where to hide if I want to avoid punishment," Morgrem said with a grin.
Toxicroak and Grapploct exchanged glances. From their nonverbal interaction, it seemed they were sharing an inside joke.
Morgrem asked, "Are you with Hydreigon?"
"Ah, not exactly," Toxicroak said. "We've always lived here. He lets us live here as long as we do whatever favors he asks of us. He's quite lenient with pokémon he takes a liking to."
"What about the pokémon inside?" Morgrem asked.
"They're under stricter orders. Some stay inside, while others patrol," Grapploct said.
"Are there any others who wander around here like you?" Morgrem asked.
"No," Grapploct confirmed. "Just us."
"Well, there is that one holed up…" Toxicroak began.
Grapploct shook his head at his confidant. "That guy? He barely comes out of his hole, the coward."
Toxicroak shrugged. "Well, I noticed you've been trying to look for an opening, but good luck."
Morgrem wondered about the other pokémon they mentioned but getting inside the mountain concerned him more. "How do you get in?"
"Either grow wings," Toxicroak began, "Or learn to swim."
Morgrem looked at the river nearby and pointed at it. "You mean this runs right through"—he raised his arm and pointed at the mountain— "that?"
"Yeah," Grapploct said. "It goes right through the mountain and to the other side. What better way to grab grub than have the food flow toward you?"
Morgrem nodded and rubbed his chin as he contemplated the mountain's warden. "Hydreigon knows about the importance of location."
"Now you see why he cleared the forest out," Grapploct began, "Means more for us too."
Toxicroak redirected the conversation to his point. "The other way to enter is through the proper entrance several hundred feet above the mountain base. Like I said, learn to fly or rock climb… or find a buddy who can."
Morgrem remained silent as he considered what action he should take. This hydreigon was impressive. He and his followers had their food delivered to them, and if anyone wanted to attack him, the means would be difficult for assailants, as two entrances would prevent an attack en masse.
Morgrem asked, "What if a patrol spotted me? Would they lead me inside?"
Grapploct and Toxicroak laughed. "No," Toxicroak said, "Unless they have no clue what you are, they'll attack you. Only if you're impressive enough will they tell Hydreigon the tale. Otherwise, they'll throw you out."
Morgrem smirked. "Guess I've one option then." He waved at the two pokémon and then launched himself into the river. He did his best to yamper-paddle as the current took him toward the subterranean entrance.
After the goblin flowed farther away out of earshot, Grapploct said, "He just might be the best swimmer I've ever seen." He and his friend chuckled.
Toxicroak entered the water and swam across the river to meet with Grapploct. "How will you think things will go for him?" the frog-like pokémon asked.
"He's impressed by the warden, no doubt. He'll last as long as Hydreigon doesn't think he's a threat."
"Hydreigon is good at making others feel inferior."
"He won't like him," Grapploct said. "He'll remind Hydreigon of his weakness."
A.N./ For years I agreed with the "ditto is a clone of Mew" theory, but I changed my position. Since I take a logical stance in this story, all male-only evolutionary lines and genderless pokémon would die out if it weren't for ditto. Plus, pokémon has come far since Gen 1, when that theory started.
I imagine Lapras Lake as the equivalent to the lake on Route 2 in-game (near Professor's Magnolia's house).
