Pitch the Eevee's Story

Typically, the Nimbasa City Amphitheater wasn't Pitch's hangout spot. Today, it was the only place he had left to go.

As the Eevee walked into the darkened and empty place, he couldn't help but look up at the night sky, reflecting on how bad his day had been. The life of a wild Pokemon in a populated area wasn't easy to begin with. Avoiding the humans was a priority if one wanted to remain wild. That wasn't an easy task here, especially with the entertainment hub that Nimbasa City was. People were everywhere, locals and tourists alike. There weren't many quiet and secluded places among the fun and flashy lights advertising the newest attractions and the fantastic food.

Food. The word resonated through Pitch like a growl in his stomach. In fact, his stomach just growled, as if by command. But he fought to ignore it as he flicked his tail and continued to move towards the stage. There would be no food tonight.

But secluded places, like the Amphitheater sometimes, were attainable. Pitch lived in such a place...or at least used to. The local Urban Pokemon Crew, or the Street Hocks as he liked to call them, had forced Pitch out with an oh-so-lovely burn mark on his left side to prove the altercation had gone down. Who knew a Charmeleon could be such a brute? But now the Eevee was homeless, hungry, hurt, and down-spirited.

And as if thing were about to be made worse, he saw something light up on the other end of the seats and realized immediately he wasn't alone. Crouching low, he approached silently and slowly, not wanting to aggravate whatever it was that was lighting up the area around it nor scare it off. He merely wanted to observe and satisfy his curiosity.

Peeking around the corner, he spotted the Umbreon glancing around. Pitch raised a brow at this. He hadn't seen this Pokemon around here before. Nor had he ever seen an evolved state of his own kind in real life before. Of course he knew about the Eevolutions and that his future was a literal pinwheel of options he stood at the center of. Yet, he'd only seen the appearances of the Eevolutions on T-shirts, plushies, and other merchandise that could be bought/won in Nimbasa. He had never seen one in front of his very eyes.

His nature told him to immediately back away and run off to some other place. This Umbreon could be dangerous and agitating it would only place a target on his back. He didn't want one of those, knowing what happened to those ruffians that did mess with the wrong Pokemon. However...

This Pokemon was different. Gentler than most. He could see it in it's timid stance. The Umbreon didn't want to harm anyone. In fact, it might run away if he approached despite her being evolved and likely much better equipped for battle than Pitch was. She had trust issues.

But so did he. And people with trust issues could only trust one another.

So, he walked up, cowering as he spoke to her meekly, "H-h-hi...are you l-lost?"

Glow glanced at the young eevee. She thought in her head lost? haven't I always been lost? She glanced at the eevee and let out a sigh. " I really don't know anymore. " She glanced over the eevee, noticing a burn. " You need some help with that? You look kinda hungry." She pulled out a berry, it was a burn healing berry.

Don't know anymore? Pitch cocked his head in confusion by the way she said that, as if she was contemplating her own issues. To be fair, there weren't many wild Pokemon in Nimbasa City that didn't have issues.He let off his own sigh as he turned to view the seats to the right of him. "Y'know, in a strange way, I think I know where you're coming from," he muttered as his view shifted back to the Umbreon, who was staring at his burn mark.

He was already anxious upon interacting with the Umbreon, but when she pulled out a Rawst Berry, the feeling was amplified. Here it was survival of the fittest. Help was nearly impossible to come by for a Slumdog Pokemon. So when a random stranger offered a handout, it was more than likely a trap.

But it looked so appetizing. And it would cure the burn that was throbbing on his left side. His stomach growled in protest as he looked at the light blue berry.

I know I'm gonna regret this...

He hesitantly approached, keeping a suspicious eye on the Umbreon and looking for any subtle movements. Gently, he reached his paw out and took the berry, sniffing it in apprehension.

"Er, thanks," he replied awkwardly and proceeded to eat it. It was the best thing he'd had in a while...even better than the half-eaten Casteliacone he'd found a couple weeks back. His nibbles turned to gobbles and in a moment, it was gone. He licked his lips, savoring the last of it. The throbbing on his left side was gone as well as the burn mark accompanied with it. He felt much better. He looked back at the Umbreon, smiling in gratitude.

"So where are you from, then?" he asked, walking towards the stage, "I don't think I've seen you here before."

The Umbreon glanced around, "Well, I came from a forest, I really don't remember where it was from..... Then I got.." She stopped, choking on tears, then continued " I got captured, but then I escaped as an eevee, and I evolved." She stopped, before she poured her whole heart out to this stranger.
Why am I even at the place where I am most likely to be caught again? she thought. I guess I am just looking for someone to talk to. She then glanced at the eevee and said " It's been a while since I have had anyone to talk to. I know a place where its kinda dry and warm. Follow me." With that, she dashed off, rings glowing.

I hope I don't get to far. Glow stopped and waited for a moment for the young eevee

As the Umbreon mentioned the forest, Pitch shifted his head around to look in the direction he knew the forest was. It was a place he'd thought about going to many times. For one reason.

But he'd never worked up enough nerve to actually go. He was so familiar with the urban sprawl he called home that he didn't believe he would fare well out there. Besides, the destination he'd have in mind if he did go was a long and dangerous one according to rumors.

He looked away awkwardly as the Umbreon nearly broke down crying in front of him. However, she held it together and managed a smile of reassurance at him. Pitch wouldn't push that button out of respect to her. He didn't want to make someone cry...not after the nice things sshe had done for him.

Plus, she hadn't tried to attack him yet. That was always good.

The Umbreon mentioned a place of warmth, which drew his attention immediately. The Amphitheater was a cold place to try and bunker down for the night and given his warm home was taken over by someone else, he'd come to try and brave it. But not it looked like he may not have to.

He knew he could trust this Umbreon. She was sincere...broken and damaged like the majority of the wild Pokemon in the city, but sincere. That was a rarity among the Pokemon he typically met...rare in the sense that she was the first one to be so.

Feeling a bit better about the world, he followed his new companion to wherever her destination was. "By the way, I'm Pitch," he called to her as they ran, realizing they'd gone that long without introducing themselves.

Glow stopped. oh great. forgot to introduce myself. curses. Glow turned off at a narrow alley.
"Well, here we are!" Umbreon Chimed. "Home, Sweet Home!" Umbreon pawed at the ground. it revealed a small mat.
"This is the alley between the bakery and a store. The baker leaves the oven on at night for some reason. It keeps the alley surprisingly warm"
Glow paused should I tell this eev- no, Pitch, my name? She glanced at Pitch and said " My name is Glow. "
She picks up another piece of fabric and lays it near the wall. "Here."

Glow stopped, thinking about the past, then she shook her head. She plucked a berry from behind a rock and ate it.
"How did you end up in Nimbasa City?" She said as she rolled him a strawberry.

Pitch looked down the alleyway, impressed by the makeshift home the Umbreon had. It certainly wasn't a looker, but it was warm and smelled like fresh bread all the time. Plus, there was a constant supply of food being between a bakery and a store, something his old place didn't have. Every day, he'd scavenged for food to bring back for the evening. This Umbreon didn't have to travel far at all. To many of the wild inhabitants of Nimbasa, this was a paradise.

Let's hope Castol never finds it.

He couldn't help but chuckle at the irony when the Umbreon told him her name. "Glow," he repeated, a warm smile on his face, "That's an awesome name for you. I like it." He sat down on the mat, getting comfortable for the first time today.

And then the ultimate question. Pitch looked at the strawberry with a far away look as he pulled memories from his own past.

"I...don't entirely know, to be honest," he told her, picking up the strawberry and taking a bite, "I guess I lived here my entire life. This city is all I can remember." He couldn't quite remember when he was a really young Eevee, but he could see tiny glimpses.

A forest, surrounded in greenery.

His mom's face, wrapping her tail around him lovingly.

A fire blazing violently.

And that was it. The rest of his memories were in the urban lifestyle he currently lived. He was still not sure whether to try and seek out his past or avoid it for fear of what he might find. But it was one of those thoughts he tried to suppress, but somehow always ended up on his mind, day after day.

"I mean, I don't think I started out here, but I may as well have," he told Glow, sighing as he did, "It's just complicated."

He looked out at the bustle of the city just outside the alleyway. People heading to their hotels for the evening, reflecting on the day's events, planning for tomorrow. Pokemon conversing with each other, enjoying their company.

Like him and Glow...

He glanced upward, seeing the height of the buildings not stretching too far but far enough. He could see the stars winking at him through the two walls. He'd always wondered what it would be like to be a Flying-Type, to just go anywhere he wished...to leave this place behind. Granted, he could do that now, but the journey wouldn't be nearly as easy as it would be with a Flying-Type. They could bypass all the dangers below and just keep going...

"Hey, Glow," he turned to the Umbreon, curiosity in his eyes, "Why do you stay here? I mean, not in the alleyway but in this city. Is it safer to you or..." he let the question trail off.

or what? Glow pondered the question.
"Well, this place has all I need. Food, warmth, a place to sleep away from greedy trainers."


probably should not have let that slip.... oh great.

Glow let a thought run through her mind. Her mom, a Vaporeon. Her brother and sister. Eevees as well. She shook her head and glanced at the eevee. He was the only kind pokemon she knew now. Besides Ivy. At the thought of Ivy she let out a sigh.

"You know Pitch, you remind me of a friend I had."
She stopped, not really wanting to continue

Greedy trainers...yeah, there was some backstory laced with those words. Out of respect to her kindness, he would press further on the matter. That still didn't hide his interest in the subject.

Maybe later...

Pitch perked his ears up when she started talking again.

"A friend? Who-" he cut himself off when he saw the hesitation in her eyes...the way she looked down. More buried feelings. Again, he wouldn't press the button, but there was something else to be known.

"Do you ever want to try and find your family again?" He asked. Pitch knew she had to be alone given that she was previously captured and that he didn't see any more Eevolutions in the alleyway. He hope he didn't unbury too much hurt, but he was genuinely intrigued.

Glow paused. do I want to find my family? what kind of question was that Of course she wanted to find her family! but how?
She watched as Pitch seemed to get lost in questions.
"Yes. Of course I want to find my Family."
Then she thought about the looks Pitch had given to her as she had
She knew he wondered about the things she had said. She thought if she tell him about the past
"I know you are wondering about some of the things I said."
She paused, not going to continue

Pitch stood up, giving her a quizzical look, "I am, but those are your secrets to share if you want to. I'm not going to pester you until you tell me everything about you. That's just rude, especially since I'm the guest here." He flicked his tail and gazed out to the street before continuing.

"Look, it seems like you've had a rough life. I know what that's like. Growing up here without a parent to look towards for guidance wasn't easy. Nimbasa's got all kinds of dangers around, waiting to attack the unsuspecting. The Pokemon Catchers, the gangs that take over what isn't inhabited already, and the turf wars get really nasty out here. I didn't know what to do or where to go from here. I had to figure that out by myself."

He caught his breath and lowered his head, not letting his emotions get the better of him. He wasn't going to cry for any sympathy. "I know what it's like to guard what's most precious to you. Scavenging sites, places to sleep, and especially memories. Your past is your most sacred treasure that you only share with the closest of Pokemon. And while I don't think you are a bad Pokemon, we haven't gotten to know each other yet. So don't feel bad by guarding what's precious to you. Let's take a step before we make a leap, okay?" he was now standing in front of Glow, paw outstretched, a glint of compassion in his eyes.

And he knew that what he was saying wasn't typical for anyone his age. Heck, Glow was older than him. But that was one of the lessons being a Pokemon Slumdog had taught him and he cherished it with everything he had. Family was who you chose it to be. The ones you kept close were the ones worth protecting. And it had been a while since Pitch had felt any feeling like that. But the more he talked to Glow, the more she grew on him.

He hoped she would take his paw.

Glow glanced at his paw one leap at a time. The thought rang in her head.
She glanced back at his paw and placed hers atop it.
"Okay."
She glanced at the eevee, catching a flicker of something in his eyes warmth? I have not seen that since..... Ivy
She did not let any negative emotions show.
She smiled so there are kind pokemon in this place.
She smiled. And she meant it. It felt nice to not be alone. To have someone to talk too. She glanced at Pitch. I wonder what he has been through. No not now, that's not a roat to take yet.

"Aww, how touching," a harsh voice came from the entrance to the alley.

Pitch dropped her paw, turning to where the voice came from. His smile had faded, replaced with partial shock and partial anger. He stepped toward the center of the alleyway, his body tense. He kept his feet apart, as if he was expecting a battle. It was clear that he recognized the voice.

From the alleyway stood a Pokemon silhouetted by the street light shining just behind him. It was evident by the way his body was made out to be and from the flaming tail that this was a Charmeleon. The only part of him the shimmered were the white fangs showing through the smirk that permanently resided on his face. Unlike Pitch, this Pokemon stood with his arms crossed, relaxed and laid back. His eyes gave a condescending glare that clearly showed a sense of superiority.

Pitch's eyes narrowed, "What do you want Castol?"

Castol stepped forward, into the alleyway, revealing his red skin, "Oh I just wanted to see what my favorite Eevee in Nimbasa was up to." He paused, his eyes quivering as he noticed something. "Hmm? You've healed rather quickly from that burn from earlier."

Pitch took a step back, his glare never wavering, "Why did you follow me? You already have my home. What else do you want?"

Castol chuckled before continuing, "Your home has proven to be a rather inconvenient place to reside. As it seems, it's quite hard to get in and out of. There also isn't a reliable food source nearby."

No duh, Pitch thought, It was designed that way to make my place seem less desirable.

I can't have a base of operations that my band of Pokemon can't get into," Castol continued, "You've also proven yourself rather resourceful, so me and my boys figured you'd find a better place soon." He snapped his fingers. As if on cue, a Sneasel and a Houndoom appeared from the street, falling in line behind the Charmeleon. Pitch took another step back.

"You can't have this place!" Pitch shouted, trying to keep the fear out of his voice, "It's not mine!"

Castol rolled his eyes, "We know that, idiot. You followed this poor Umbreon to her sanctuary. But that doesn't really matter now because I claim it as my own. Quite shameful of you to drag her into this, though," With that, he looked past him and onto Glow, "Hello, pretty. You should really be careful who you make allies with. They sometimes carry nothing but trouble wherever they go."

Pitch glanced backward at Glow, apology in his eyes. He didn't mean for her to get dragged into this. And now because of him, she would lose her home. He put his head down in shame.

"Now," Castol continued, "I'm going to get what I want, one way or the other. So, do you want to do this the easy way or the hard way?" he smirked once more, extending his claws as if to exaggerate the point.

Glow's eyes opened widened in shock. She glanced at Pitch then "Castol"
"You cannot have my home." She growled. Her rings glowed as she narrowed her glowing red eyes
"This is my home. Not yours. You greedy little hothead will not take another pokemon's home."
Without another word, she charged forward, sending out a dark pulse. She glowed her rings, sending out a blinding light.

Pitch quickly dove to the right as Glow attacked, her Dark Pulse whizzing past him. His first thought in his mind was Are you crazy?! Do you know who you just attacked? The next thought was Oh, he's gonna destroy us now. But finally, You know what? Screw it.

And so Pitch picked himself up and got ready for combat.

Castol, however, was grinning wickedly as the Dark Pulse approached him. He took the brunt of the attack, the closest he showed to pain was closing his eye as he steeled himself. It was sent cascading behind him into the Sneasel and Houndoom, who took their bullets head-on. It had enough force to knock the three of them back and do some damage, but it wasn't near enough to cause any of them to faint. The Sneasel and Houndoom quickly got up, growling in anger. Castol's eyes were twinkling with confidence and joy.

"I was hoping you would do that," Castol smiled and propelled himself forward, the Sneasel and Houndoom close behind. He made a Scary Face, slowing down Pitch and Glow. The Sneasel struck at Pitch with Fury Swipes, landing a few of them. The Houndoom struck at Glow with a Fire Fang.

Pitch cried out and staggered back from the blows. Those hurt quite a bit, but he was tough. He didn't survive out here without knowing a few things. Retaliating to the Sneasel with Growl, he then tried to Tackle the Sneasel. But it was rather quick and it sidestepped the attack rather easily. Darn it, he thought as he turned around to see the Sneasel approach again, claws ready.

Glow leaped up and rammed her head into the houndoom's face as the fire fang bit into nothing. She smirked. The houndoom let out a snarl, stopped quickly and replaced with a surprised yelp. It then regained itself, but not in enough time to see Glow melt into the shadows.
She smirked as the houndoom whipped its head around nervously. She leaped at it from the front, using her rings to blind the Houndoom. It snarled and bit her in the arm she let out a yelp as she glanced at Pitch. She watched as the houndoom let out a snarl and charged towards her, fire coating his fangs.
She she leaps at the houndoom and she used focus punch and slammed it into its jaw.

If the previous Dark Pulse didn't do the Houndoom in before, the Focus Punch did now. The Houndoom gave one final whimper of pain before collapsing on the ground, unable to move. Glow had won that fight.

Meanwhile, the Sneasel had leapt at Pitch, Metal Claw charged and ready to go. But Pitch was ready. His momentum had been majority heading to the right of the Sneasel, causing her to adjust her attack to be aimed slightly right. And then Pitch pivoted, diving left and causing the Sneasel to miss entirely. He would then counter with Sand Attack, making it the Sneasel's turn to stagger back. Blinking it's eyes rapidly, the Sneasel tried Fury Swipe again. But it wasn't entirely able to see at the moment and by her own nature, she missed. Smiling in triumph, Pitch Tackled, knocking the Sneasel back into the wall. It fainted upon impact. Pitch glanced at Glow, smiling at the sight of her standing victoriously over the Houndoom.

A sudden strike from the back caught him off guard, thus making it his downfall. It was a cheap shot, really, catching Pitch at his vulnerable moment. But Castol had fought this tiny pest more than once and it felt gratifying to feel his Dragon Rage actually make it's mark. Pitch fell forward, collapsing. He was out like a light.

Castol started laughing as his gaze turned to Glow, "Ah, that felt good. You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do that." It was now just him and Glow. Nobody else around to interrupt this one on one.

"What you fought was chump change compared to what you're about to fight," he warned the Umbreon with a knowing smile. It was apparent there was an element of truth to that statement, "And is it really worth it, pretty? Protecting your 'home'? Protecting your 'friend'?"

Castol began taking slow menacing steps forward as he continued, "Pitch is a pitiful waste of space. I would know better than anyone. I've been around him longer than you have. I know he won't be capable of much." he stopped, not two feet from Glow's position, "You're better off leaving this place and never coming back."

And then he struck. A quick Dragon Rage sent to Glow in close quarters. Virtually impossible to dodge as he'd distracted her with words. It wouldn't defeat her, he knew. It was just a love tap compared to what he was capable of. When she picked herself up however, he hoped for her best fighting capabilities...so he could crush her spirit entirely. Perhaps this would fire her up enough.

He was stronger. He was superior.

Glow let out a gasp as the dragon rage hit her side Pitch! She let out a growl, as her eyes glowed red. "You don't know who you are messing with, you idiotic, overrated, hothead." She snarled, baring her fangs. She leap over to his side, remembering the moves she had been taught Dark Pulse, Focus Punch, Confuse ray, that Tm, what was it calle- her thoughts were interrupted by an attack from that hotheaded lizard.
She growled in annoyance and launched a confuse ray. Head Shot! oh yeah, facade! that was the other one! She leapt up, using facade. Her paws slammed into the charmeleon's side in rythmatic blows. left, right left, right She watched as the charmeleon's confident gaze melted away into shock.
Glow smirked and turned and leapt into the shadows, picking up pitch and hiding him behind a large boulder.

The sinister ray that hit Castol definitely worked, causing him to stumble around a bit as she used facade. Unfortunately for her, the power boost that she would get from facade only worked with a burn, poison, or paralysis effect, not a confused one. So the attack did hit, but not that hard. Recovering from each quickly, Castol spun around, looking for the shifty Umbreon. She's hiding, he realized.

"Where are you, pretty?" he cooed, looking around specifically towards the shadows Glow liked to linger in. In all actuality, he wasn't that damaged. In fact, he was more fired up than ever. He moved his claws, letting them wiggle as he kept his eye out for any sign of her.

This would be an interesting game of cat and mouse...

Something stepped into the alleyway. someone. "What's going on here?" a voice echoed through the alleyway. Glow recognized that voice Mud! Glow paused was he mad? Mud glanced from the charmeleon to the shadows. Glow took Castol's distraction as a quick time to strike. She threw out a focus punch, like the one to the houndoom, now on the ground.
Mud looked at glow in shock as she slammed a focus punch into castol's jaw

The random voice entering the alley threw Castol completely off guard. Turning towards it, the Charmeleon spotted a Donphan staring back at him.

"Who are-" Before he could get the third word out, Glow struck once again with Focus Punch. The surprise guest and the surprise attack combined was enough to lay Castol flat on the floor with the attack. Shaking it off, he got up and set himself into a position he rarely got into: a defensive one.

"Don't think you've won just yet!" he snarled, all the fun and games he carried in his eyes gone. Only fiery rage remained, "By the end of this night, I will have you beaten within an inch of your life and made to suffer!" and with that, he ran out of the alleyway. and into the streets of Nimbasa City. At some point during the fight, the Houndoom and Sneasel had recovered and made their exits unnoticed. It was just Glow, the Donphan, and the unconscious Pitch lying behind the large boulder in the alleyway.

Glow dropped down on the ground, panting.
Mud went up to her and nudged her. She looked up to see Mud's shocked face. "Glow?!: He yelped.
She nodded. "Yep." She stood and shook her now dirty pelt.
Mud glanced at the exit " What was that all about?"
Glow glanced at Pitch. "Trust me. It's a long story.."
Mud nodded. "who's the eevee?"
Glow glanced at pitch "He's Pitch."
Mud said to glow,eyes glowing nervously "Why did all of you guys leave?"
Glow looked down. "we all have different reasons"
She glanced over at Pitch. Still knocked out. "Do know any way to help him?"
Mud nodded. " Just let him rest."

It was morning. The air in the forest was fresh, crisp, and cool. The morning dew shimmered in the beams of the sun that made it through the canopy and onto the forest floor. The slight breeze rustling the trees and the occasional caw of the Pidgey were the only noises at this moment in time, although it would get busier. In the middle of a clearing sat an Eevee and a Flareon, both awake and relaxed. The two were watching the forest wake up and spring to life once more.

"You see that, Pitch?" the Flareon nodded at the sudden movement in the trees not to far from where they were. Pitch glanced up, trying to look for it. After a bit, he spotted a big, yellow, fuzzy looking creature climbing down the tree.

"Yeah," Pitch nodded, looking back towards the Flareon. Her big bushy tail wrapped around him in a loving manner.

"That's a Joltik," she told him, "It's an Electric-Type, but it can't produce it's own electricity to use against enemies."

Pitch looked up at her, "So how does it use Electric abilities, then?"

"It absorbs static electricity," she answered, "From Pokemon who don't mind."

"Oh," Pitch went back to staring at the yellow spindly bug, "It looks cool."

The two of them watched the Joltik climb down the tree and off into the forest, ready to take on it's daily activities.

"Mom, will I look like you when I evolve?" Pitch asked suddenly. His mom smiled.

"If you want to," the Flareon said, "You have a decision that nobody else has, Pitch. You can choose what type you evolve into. It can be me or it can be another Eevelution."

Pitch stopped to think about that before saying, "I think I want to be like you."

His mom laughed, "Oh, you don't have to worry about it now, dear. That decision is still a ways away. Take your time with it. See what looks comfortable to you."

"Alright," Pitch looked up where a flock of Pidgeys were flying overhead. Seeing them up there made him smile. "Mom, where are we going to go?"

The Flareon stopped, looking away for a moment. "It's a new place...a place I never thought I'd go..."

Pitch looked at her, concerned, "Does that make it bad?"

His mom turned around with a reassuring smile, "Not necessarily, sweetie. It makes it interesting. Like an adventure." Pitch's ears perked up at that word. He liked adventure.

"What's this place called?" he asked, excitement brewing in his eyes.

"Nimbasa City," his mother replied.

---

Everything hurt.

Groaning, Pitch squeezed his eyes shut, wincing from the pain that was all over his body. Man, he thought, I feel like I got hit by a Bulldoze... He slowly started to get up, but collapsed quickly. He didn't have enough strength to manage it. Not yet, anyway.

Not daring to try again just yet, he opened his eyes and viewed his surroundings. He was still in the alleyway, so that was a good sign. It means he wasn't dead or worse...in the capable hands of Castol. He shuddered at the thought. He also saw Glow talking with...was that a Donphan? He couldn't tell from the floor angle, but he could definitely see the glowing rings of the Umbreon.

"Urk..." he uttered, trying to shift positions so he could see better. He finally was able to lay on his belly, his legs sprawled around him. Other than that, he really couldn't move with the amount of pain and lack of energy he had. "What...happened...?" he asked the Umbreon through heavy breaths, "Where's Castol?"