Life and Love: PJ 2

Chapter 2: Moonlight

Callie smiles in return, rising to her full height once again,
"Well I guess we should find a pokémon center now." she looks back at the flaaffy, "You did quite a number on Marilyn." she scolds playfully.
Flaaffy looked at Callie confusedly, then back at the Espeon...
Espe walks up beside the flaaffy, "You will like her, in time.  She takes a little getting used to."
"To the pokémon center!" Callie announces, marching off towards the edge of the grass the way she'd come only minutes before.
Flaaffy looked confusedly between Espe and Callie. As Espe begins to follow, so does she, hesitantly, "So... I'm sorry for making you faint..." She still wasn't sure how she did that.
Espe smiles, "You didn't.  I was faking because you looked so frightened.  I wanted to give you a chance to run but you missed it."
"Oh..." Flaaffy muttered. She realized that if she had taken Espe's chance, she might still be free. She looks back at the forest that was once her home...
"I'm sure we'll be back someday." Espe adds, noticing the saddened expression.
"Yeah... I guess..." She says, as she walks gently behind her...
Espe frowns, wishing she could cheer the Flaaffy.

As the forest grows further and further away, a pair of shadowy eyes watches from the trees. Specifically, they were watching the beautiful green cat pokémon walking away…
"Almost there, girls." Callie calls back to her pokémon, "I remember there being a center up here a little ways."
"What's this?" Flaaffy asked; pointing to the collar wrapped around Espe's neck. She's trying to get her mind off her new confinement.
Espe glances down, "That's my collar." she replies, "My original owner gave it to me before leaving me with Callie."  The fur on Espe's neck bristles slightly; she couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.
"It looks uncomfortable..." She said, curiously She watched Espe's fur bristle and her eyes widen a bit in surprise... "What's wrong??"
Meanwhile, the dark eyes had moved, following the pair of Pokémon quietly...
"I'm used to the collar..." she smiles, "It's nothing." she adds, "Probably just a chill or something from being outside."
Flaaffy looked her over carefully, as though something was wrong. But she didn't know Espe, or any psychic Pokémon, for that matter. So she left it alone, and walked in silence for a bit.
The eyes follow them to the edge of the forest, then stop, as if afraid to move from the shadows, just as Flaaffy stopped on the very edge of the tree line.  Espe looks back when she senses the flaaffy stop, tilting her head, "What's wrong?"
She looked around carefully, then took a deep breath, and stepped out of the forest, cautiously... "I'm leaving my home."
Espe frowns, walking to the flaaffy's side, "It must be hard..."
"I just have to get used to it..."she said, continuing her hesitant steps out of the forest...
"You'll be fine." Espe reassures her, rubbing her head against the electric sheep.
Flaaffy smiled softly, making sure not to let any of her static zap Espe as she continued walking, a little surer of herself now.
"We're there!" Callie announces, startling Espe. "Further than I remembered."
Flaaffy jumped a bit, but already she's starting to get use to Callie's happy personality. "I forgot to ask... What's a Pokémon Center?"
Espe laughs slightly, "It's a place for healing and rest." she explains. "Like a...'nest'." she adds, trying to liken it to the wild.
Flaaffy nodded, and followed Callie in, not sure what to expect. A bunch of Pokémon lounging in manmade nests?
The center was rather small since it was an outpost instead of in a major city, containing only the main desk and several benches.  Behind the counter was one of the Joys as well as a large machine, "Good morning." Nurse Joy greets Callie and her pokémon, "How can I help you?"
Flaaffy stared at the machine curiously, as a black head looks through the window, hiding itself as best it can...
Espe's head jerks to the side, sensing something, What is that?
"My pokémon got hurt outside." Callie explains to the nurse, "Can you heal them for me?"
The head ducks down, the yellow rings on its black body glowing... "What's wrong?" Flaaffy asked, following Espe's gaze...
Espe's eyes narrow at the window.  Before she replies she's being picked up by Callie and placed on the counter. Callie reaches to pick up the flaaffy as well.
Flaaffy let her without much fuss, still looking at the window. For some reason, something about it scared her... But she wasn't sure what...
Nurse Joy takes both pokémon and places them in the machine behind her, closing the clear plastic door behind them.
Espe turns to the flaaffy, "This might be strange since it's your first time.  Just relax though, ok?"
She nodded, looking around. The fear was getting to her. She'd never been confined like this before. So she stayed as still as she could... Meanwhile, the black head looks back through the window with its piercing red eyes...
Nurse Joy places Marilyn's poke ball in a separate machine before entering a sequence on her computer.
The chamber where Espe and Flaaffy were fills with a thin mist, which Espe inhales deeply.  It smells sweet and feels cool and refreshing on the skin.
Flaaffy follows suit and gives a soft sigh.  Not like any nest she'd ever been in, but it was comfortable and relaxing. She would have fallen asleep if everything wasn't so new and different and exciting...
The mist clears and Nurse Joy opens the door to the chamber, allowing the pokémon to exit the machine.
Espe jumps down to the floor, stretching leisurely.
Flaaffy stepped out of the machine clumsily, and nearly landed on her head... "That... was odd..." she said, quietly...
"That's what being healed at a center feels like." Espe explains, "It's less stingy than the potions Callie buys at the shops."
"Yeah..." Flaaffy said. She almost hopped back in to do it again, but she realized that she probably will have to, in a while. She was expected to battle, after all...
Nurse Joy hands Callie Marilyn's poke ball, "All healed." she smiles.
"Thanks, Joy!" Callie grins, clipping the poke ball back to her belt, "D'you know how far and which direction the next gym town is?" she asks.
"About a mile south is Doublin city. There you'll find Violet. She's a ghost type trainer." said Joy, with a sweet smile...
"Thanks!  And thanks for healing everyone." Callie replies, offering one last grin before turning to her pokémon, "I guess it's off to Doublin."
Espe smiles up to her trainer, excited about the new challenge.
Flaaffy tried to be excited, and found that for some reason, the idea of traveling with this group wasn't so bad. She offered a large smile, but it quickly turned into a grimace of fear as she looked at the window. What was it about it...? There were red eyes staring at her. She froze...
Espe notices Flaaffy freeze and frowns, following her gaze to the window.  Red eyes surrounded by black fur, So that's who I've been sensing...  "Spe..." she growls, drawing Callie's attention.
Callie looks where Espe was glaring, "An umbreon?  What's an umbreon doing here?"
The Umbreon's rings glow brighter and Flaaffy cowers. The fearful energy doesn't seem to affect Espeon. The Umbreon looked at her beckoningly.
Espe narrows her eyes at the dark type, What does he want...? she wonders.
He stared at her, and didn't move his gaze from her. Flaaffy wrapped her arms around Callie's leg, and trembled.
Callie looks back at Nurse Joy, a question in her eyes.  Just where did this Umbreon come from?  Was it trained or wild?  She kneels down and pet Flaaffy reassuringly.
Espe prowls toward the window, every muscle and nerve in her body on edge and ready to pounce.  This umbreon made her nervous for some reason.
Nurse joy looked at the red eyes... "That Umbreon.  He comes around here sometimes.  I think he's wild, at least, I've never seen him with a trainer." she said, softly.
Flaaffy still trembled as the Umbreon's gaze seemed to say 'Come out here... I'm a friend...'
Espe places her paws on the window sill, pulling herself up to look the umbreon back with her own violet eyes, "What is it?" she asks in a soft yet I-won't-be-pushed-around tone.
He looked at her softly as the rings on his body dimmed, "You are very beautiful.  I've never seen a shiny Espeon before."
Espe's expression instantly softens.  She turns her head to hide the blush, "Th-thank you." she replies, unable to keep the smile from her face.
He cocked his head slowly, and stopped emanating his fear aura, "I would like to meet you..." he said softly.
"When?" Espe replies, glancing back at Callie and Flaaffy.
"Right now..." He said, looking into her eyes, disregarding the human and the young Wool Pokémon.
"But I..." she starts, not wanting to abandon her trainer but not wanting to leave the alluring umbreon either.
"You are a Pokémon.  You are meant to be free."
Flaaffy was inching closer, trying to hear.
Espe raises a paw to her collar, nudging the heart-shaped tag that hung from it, "But this is all I know..."
"That is not all there is to know..." said Umbreon, a slight frown coming to his face as he glanced at the trainer.
Flaaffy nudged Espe... "What are you doing?"
Espe starts when Flaaffy nudges her, "Speaking with this Umbreon." she replies.
The Flaaffy looked confusedly at the Umbreon, who was glaring at her. Flaaffy backed away carefully.
Espe frowns, turning back to the umbreon, "Do you do that to everyone?" she asks.
"Only to those who I don't trust..." Umbreon said quietly...
"So you trust me?" she asks, smiling.  She folds her forelegs on the window sill, laying her head on top of them and putting her nose to the glass.
"I do." Umbreon whispered, pushing his nose against the glass where Espe's was gently.
Espe smiles at the umbreon, "I'll meet you tonight after everyone's asleep.  I'll be able to get away without question then."
"Meet me at the edge of the forest." he said, still looking into her eyes...
"I'll be there..." she purrs, licking the glass before sliding down to the floor and returning to Callie.
Flaaffy was sitting on the floor, watching her. She ran over, "What was that???"
"A conversation." she replies simply, smiling as she follows Callie outside.
"What conversation??" Flaaffy said, following her. She looked at where the Umbreon would be, but he was gone...
"We were just talking." she insists, smiling at Flaaffy's curiosity.
Flaaffy made a small, annoyed sound, and glared at Espe.