Tragic Decision: Prologue

The storm in the air crashed and howled as rain poured down upon a large dark field where a female eevee was walking alone. The eevee had a brown and white bag strapped to her left side and was wearing a blue scarf over her neck. Her midsection and back were also wrapped in a white cloth. Her brown paws were muddy from walking across a dirt path in the middle of the rain, though the normal-type mostly ignored it as she kept her slow pace going.

The eevee eventually looked up and see her destination, a small village on the plains at the end of the road. The eevee picked up her pace when she saw her destination. The mud on her paws was kicked back into the rain because of the speeds she was running to get where she needed to go. Despite the fact that she ran so fast it hurt, she kept going as fast as she could. It still took a few minutes, but after that span of time the eevee finally made it to the outskirts of the village.

The eevee walked forward into the barren village. She continued past the tents and brick buildings in the village, through the dirt and rock path, keeping her eyes on the ground until she reached her destination. The normal-type eventually reached a brown building, larger than the rest of the buildings, and walked in.

“Hey there,” a voice called out. “Are you the explorer we sent for?”

The eevee looked up to see a bayleef looking right back at her. “Y-yeah…I am,” she said hesitantly. Now that she was here, her heart sank with the knowledge of what she was about to inquire of. “Are you the leader of this village?”

“Yes, I am. My name is Bayleef,” Bayleef said. She looked at the eevee with a closer eye. “And aren’t you…Eon from Exploration Team Aura?”

“Yeah, that’s me,” Eon said with a sad nod. “I’m one of the two founding members.”

“But aren’t you supposed to be…” Bayleef started but Eon interrupted her.

“Yeah, I know,” Eon said with another sad nod. Changing the subject she said, “I know all about this outlaw. Don’t worry, I’m on it. So would you mind explaining the situation to me? What exactly happened, what did the outlaw steal, where did he go? Any of those would be a good start.”

Bayleef looked at Eon for a few seconds before nodding. “R-right. Come with me.”

The leaf Pokemon took Eon farther inside the building. They eventually reached a while infirmary-type room where two Pokémon, a sentrat and zigzagoon, were knocked out on two white gurneys. Bayleef walked over to a space in between the two of them and used a vitalizing Refresh, filling the white room with a green aura in the process, before turning back to look at Eon.

“This small village has been hiding a certain treasure for generations,” the bayleef said. “A Clear Wing. It’s said that the Clear Wing is somehow connected to the legendary Pokémon Ho-oh, though few outside the village know of that. Ax...The outlaw must have somehow learned about that though, because he came here and stole the Clear Wing just last night. He came in so fast that none of us actually noticed him stealing it. The only reason we know what he did in the first place is thanks to those two.”

Bayleef pointed some vines to the sentrat and zigzagoon. “Those two were up late last night and happened to spot the outlaw. They tried to be a hero and stop the outlaw themselves but…they were outmatched.”

“I…can imagine,” Eon said sadly. She couldn’t stop a tear or two from falling from her face as she looked at the state the two kids were in.

“They were able to stall the outlaw enough for the rest of us to catch a glimpse of him though and it’s thanks to that glimpse that we were able to contact you guys so quickly,” Bayleef said. “We also know where the outlaw is heading.”

“He left the village towards the north-east. There’s a forest in that direction that the outlaw is probably heading towards to hide in. If you go now, you might be able to catch up to him before he reaches the forest.”

Eon nodded. “Thanks. I’ll head off right away.”

Eon turned to leave the building, but Bayleef walked up to her. “Wait,” she said. “How…why…why would someone like him do that?”

Eon stopped and looked back at Bayleef. “…Sometimes…we feel helpess. Like there was nothing we can do in the world. And then when we learn about what we can do, we jump at it. No matter the cost, no matter how extreme, we jump at the chance. But…there’s going too far.” The eevee looked at sentrat and zigzagoon one more time. “And this is going way too far.”

With that, Eon left the building and went back outside in the rain. She sighed she ran off in the direction she was told. Eon quickly ran out of town, her eyes constantly on the move as she ran, scoping out for any sign of the outlaw she was looking for.

~

*Pant* *Pant* *Pant* *Pant*

A riolu ran across the muddy grass as fast as his little legs could carry him. Overexertion was slowing him down much more than he liked, the chill from the rain as it poured down on his blue body not helping. The glasses that he wore was dripping water on his nose and he had half a mind to drop them right there and now for all the trouble they were giving him. The white bag he had against his right side was also wet and cold, though he was sure the item would survive.

Got…to…keep…moving, the riolu thought as he ran. He saw the trees that marked both his salvation and destination in front of him, though they were still a distance away. Still, he put in the extra effort to reach the trees before he collapsed out of exhaustion.

I need to make it, the fighting-type thought as he ran. Need to make it to that forest. There I can hide for a while. Make sure no explorers find me. I can rest up there and examine what I got.

The riolu took a quick look at the white bag to his side before snapping his attention back at where he was running to. That feather…I hate what I had to do to get it, but it’ll be worth it. If that feather really does what the legends say it does, then I’ll have a chance. Eon…Shaymin…I might be able to save you. No matter what the cost, it’ll be worth it. Even if…I won’t be able to see you again because of this. It’ll be worth it. Just to know you’re going to be alright.

The riolu was suddenly hit in the back with an orb of dark energy. The unexpected attack flung him forward and into the dirt. The fighting-type quickly got back on his feet and whirled around to face the opponent that hit him. He clenched his paws, ready to attack, when he finally noticed who fired the attack that hit him. And when he did, his paws dropped immediately.

Standing in front of him, the riolu looked slightly down and noticed an eevee with a brown and white bag, glaring at the fighting-type. The eevee looked up at the riolu, lifting her head to look directly in his eyes instead of his neck, and in that brief moment where they saw into each other’s eyes, the riolu could see pain and regret along with the anger. The fighting-type could also hear disappointment and sorrow in the eevee’s voice when she finally spoke.

“Axle!” Eon called out.

“E-Eon?!” Axle asked in surprise as he took a step back. “What the heck are you doing here?! Aren’t you supposed to be-?”

Eon closed her eyes and shook her head. “Axle, enough is enough!” Eon said. “You’ve gone far enough. This is the end of the line for you!”

Axle still looked at the eevee with surprise on his face. “What? Do you seriously think you’re going to bring me in? Eon, you need to be resting! What do you think you’re doing out here?!”

“I’m here to stop you!” Eon yelled. “Axle, I was just at the village you were in! I saw what you did! W-what happened to you, Axle? What happened to my partner, my invaluable friend? Two kids are knocked out, badly bruised, and even have a few cuts because of you!”

“I’m trying to help you!” Axle answered. “You and Shaymin! Something you’re apparently not thinking of! Eon, get back to the guild and-!”

“Oh don’t give me that!” Eon said. “I wouldn’t be out here in the first place if it wasn’t for you! I don’t care why you’re doing this! You’re gone too far Axle and this has to stop! I know why you’re here, and thievery isn’t the answer!”

“Then what is, Eon?!” Axle asked. “Waiting for years?! Hoping that maybe they’ll finally listen to me?! You could collapse and die at any moment, and even if you don’t you could end up crippled, and Shaymin still hasn’t gotten out of his coma! You guys don’t have years for me to get in their good graces! I did what I had to do! To make sure you guys are ok!”

“I trust the Pokémon who are taking care of us,” Eon said resolutely. “I trust Chimecho. I trust the Pokémon the Guildmaster got for us. I’m willing to place my life in their paws, and I’m sure if Shaymin was awake, he would too. So why can’t you trust them too? Please Axle?”

“Eon, please let me go!” Axle yelled. “I already told you I don’t care what it takes! No matter what I have to save you two! If you trust them so much, then go back to the guild! You shouldn’t be standing out in the rain like this!”

Eon sighed, then opened her eyes up again with a fierce expression. “Fine, I guess you made your choice then,” she said softly. “There’s no talking you out of this, is there? If you really want to go down this route then fine.”

Eon grabbed her exploration badge with her right forepaw and raised it up for Axle to see. Loudly she announced, “I, Eon, the founder of Exploration Team Aura, the team that saved the world in the crises of time and space, am here to arrest you outlaw!” Softer she said, “Axle, I’m going to save you from yourself.”

“Eon, please stop this!” Axle said. “You shouldn’t be fighting like this!”

Eon shook her head and caught Axle in the eye. Tears and raindrops streamed down both of their faces as they looked each other in the eye. And when they looked each other in the eye, they both saw back to the events that led up to where they were.