Reality hit Pikachu like a rock. Out of everything, he never expected to see his old friend dead...
So much he didn't believe it, at least not at first. "G-gone? What... what are you talking about?!"
"Her heartbeat's stopped and her fur has gone cold…" Eevee explained, eyes widened and filled with sudden shock and pain.
They both stared at each other for minutes, before Eevee could hear a sniffle from her friend, slowly, very, turn into muffled noises.
He immediately ran towards her, tackling her to the ground in a tight hug. "W-why Purin? This is my fault. If only I had come earlier一"
"I-it's fine Pikachu. We all make mistakes," the brown Pokémon answered, rubbing his back, comfortingly.
"But I do feel guilty, too. I told Purin to fight, with everything she's got…" She paused for a moment with remorse. "...And she did."
"I always knew she was a good-hearted Pokémon, but I never thought she'd go this far!" The mouse chuckled for a bit while remembering a memory. "Like all those times she gave me death threats for messing with her stuff."
"Huh... she did?" Eevee was slightly taken aback considering how good those two treated each other with their reunion.
"Yeah, but she wasn't serious... or at least I hope she wasn't..."
They both both snickered a little at the comment, though still sadly.
They took a moment to glance at their friend's lifeless presence. Any sympathy they felt seconds ago disappeared on what felt a heavy silence.
While Pikachu kept staring, hurt expression, he didn't notice the sound of dirt being trashed one way to another.
He looked to his side to catch Eevee digging with all her left strenght, just in the place Purin had sung and collapsed.
"What... are you… really?"
"We're not going to just leave her out like that are we?" Eevee quipped, with a frown at Pikachu's density, while still concentrating on her work.
"But what about the Houndooms?" Pikachu argued. "They'll sense the smell and come for her..."
"We'll make sure they don't! I'm making it really deep for a reason," she answered. And she was right, in the few minutes he'd been distracted she'd dug down almost what could be classified as a ravine.
"I'm gonna look for something. I'll be back quick," he said before bolting off.
"Where is he going?" the Eevee wondered before she went back digging.
A minute or two later he came with a pretty big boulder, at least for his own size, which he was carrying, tumbling one side to another. Eevee nodded, understanding now.
She crawled with ease back to the top, and, as tenderly as they could, Pikachu and her laid Purin inside of the burrow, kicking all the soil back where it belonged.
Pikachu put the boulder he brought just in front of both of them.
"I also brought something I found back in her cave…" He smiled slightly, holding it up for her to see.
It was a flower, tightly attached to a piece of rope, like a necklace. "It's pretty, isn't it?" he stated. "It looks just like a flower I gave to my friend back here in this same forest... must be the same species."
And indeed, it was a eye-catching flower. At least for Eevee.
She couldn't stop staring at it so strongly the mouse for a moment thought she was gonna snatch it from him, admiring how much it looked like her Pikachu friend.
Yellow, black, with a bright red stem.
It also reminded her of her dream back then. Or nightmare, may you call it.
The yellow Pokémon steadily put it around the boulder, like something to remember her upon.
"This... this is it. Purin. I'm s-sorry," Pikachu muttered, staring at her lifeless presence. "I never thought things could end like this. Thank you for your sacrifice." He bowed his head with respect.
Nervous at first, Eevee complied the same act, still feeling extremely upset.
After a few seconds, with deadpan eyes, Pikachu said soflty, "C'mon. Let's leave."
The Evolution Pokémon nodded at her friend: she knew he was sad and shocked, probably way more than her, since he knew Purin for way a longer time.
But it was time to move on.
As the two critters left, heads hanging and steps heavy, a tall, slim figure appeared from behind the trees.
Eyes menacing and fiery glare, he grinned twistedly. "It's like two Butterfrees flying right into the Ariados' web," he contemplated.
Pikachu and Eevee were only steps away when they were caught red-handed... by the last Pokémon Pikachu would ever want to see in his life (yes, even less than Zorua).
"U-Umbreon!" Pikachu shrieked, already full with panic.
"Yes. It is me." The sullen Dark-Type glowered, giving the mouse an almost signature glare.
"How did you find me?!" Pikachu shivered slightly upon the Eeveelution royal; yet when he noticed the Umbreon slyly aproaching Eevee, he jumped protectively in front of her.
"At first, from the top of the mountain I saw you, battling that Houndoom. I knew such strenght coming from a mere Pikachu couldn't be from another," Blacky explained. "So, I am here in behalf of warning you to not get close to our village."
Pikachu frowned deeply: he needed to be defiant now. "I am sorry, mister, but I must."
Unlike Pikachu, Eevee didn't feel an inch scared, actually, she found herself glaring at the Umbreon with newfound anger.
He returned the glare with one of his own as he easily pushed Pikachu away with his paw and walked up right to her face. "May I know where your frustration comes from, young one?"
Unknowingly to herself, she frowned deeper. "I don't see why my friend doesn't have the right to enter your village, sir. We came a really long way to visit this place!" Eevee exclaimed.
"I'm baffled your 'friend' hasn't told you," Blacky responded, blank as ever. "...But he was officially exiled from this place after an inconvenient discovery."
"May I know what it was?" she asked with irritation, almost not believing any of it.
"Deception. Lies. He tricked our Pokémon into believing he was wild when, in reality, his trainer was waiting just in front our door. He was a spy."
"Wha一"
"Umbreon, sir!" a voice interjected from behind him, a female Squirtle appeared from behind the thick bushes. "Y-you know I'm not the fastest... yet you still sped up, heh...? Typical."
"I never agreed to you following me, Zenigame," Blacky answered, not even glancing at her.
"I told ya, please call me Zeni!" she yelled, annoyed.
"Never," he responded stubbornly.
"Zeni?" Pikachu cocked his head, but he already knew the answer to his own question. "It's me! Pika!"
"Pikachu!" she shouted with joy and she was quick to tackle him. Zeni was so excited she continually rubbed her cheek against his in a hug.
"I can't believe it's you, Pika! I thought I'd never see you again! I miss you so much!" She beamed, not giving him a single chance to breath.
"Um... could you, p-please, Zeni一 let go of me!" he managed to say.
Realizing his discomfort, she immediately backed away, raising her hands in the air. "Oops, s-sorry, Pika. I didn't mean it."
"Tis' alright," Pikachu quipped, still happy to see her.
Eevee glanced at Pikachu, the hug Zeni gave him, had been a bit too affectionate. At least in her mind. As soon as he noticed the Eevee's jealousy, the Umbreon leapt right in front of her blocking her view.
"I see you haven't heard about your friend's past, young one," he stated, his usually same expression seeming slightly more menacing.
"While he catches up to his old friend, would you like if I borrowed you for a while so I can inform you better?"
Eevee looked debating: whether to leave Pikachu here or not, he obviously wasn't wanted... though this Squirtle seemed to be an exception.
"You can go!" Zeni grinned. "Umbreon sir will tell you, you can trust him."
Eevee seemed even more doubtful.
Pikachu hesitated a bit before nodding.
"He won't harm you, Eevee. I mean, as far as I know, the most he can do is exile you…" He chuckled slighlty.
The evolution Pokémon sighed before nodding firmly at the Dark-type.
"Zeni, take Pikachu to the village, back to our cave with Eifie, okay?" Blacky ordered her.
"Yup! Will do!" The turtle beamed, grabbing Pikachu's hand eagerly and leading him on. "Come on, dude!"
"B-be back soon, Eev!" the Electric-type exclaimed before being dragged away.
When both of the Eeveelutions were finally alone, Umbreon said, "I'll carry you so we can move faster." He grabbed her fluffy neck by the muzzle, like a parent carries its young.
"Wait! A-aren't we gonna talk right here?!" Eevee asked in confusion.
"It's not safe to speak such private manners around here." He bolted away towards what seemed deeper in the woods.
---
"Alright! We're here! Now what do you wanna tell me?"
"You shouldn't be here," Blacky interjected, eyes widening in fear and worry.
"Why shouldn't I...? That doesn't make sense."
"You should be in Kalos, safe and sound and away from humans. Their filthy smell is all over you," he spoke, seeming disgusted and even more concerned.
"Just what are you talking about?!" Eevee was starting to think... this Eeveelution was a little crazy... or at least paranoid.
The Umbreon sighed sorrowfully. "That Hypno did a darn good job..."
The small, brown Pokémon's brow furrowed.
"You still don't recognize me?" the Dark-type questioned, baffled.
Until she stared hard into his blood red eyes, that's when the image clicked. "It... it can't be," she muttered, evident shock in her expression. "You're Blacky! Grandma's son! The rebel heir and..."
Blacky nodded his head when she paused to glance at him.
"...My father."
---
As soon as the yellow mouse Pokémon laid a foot on the green grass, beautiful land, he felt he was going to cry.
"E-Eeveelution Forest!" he shouted with all his might, causing various Evolutions to turn around.
He wasn't embarrassed, he was way too excited to be anyways.
"Heh! Still pretty as ever, isn't it?" the Squirtle joked.
"I feel so happy right now~"
"Still, Blacky told me to take you to Eifie's, so come on, I don't wanna get him mad," she added, smiling as she grabbed Pikachu's hand again.
This time it kind of confused him; Zeni was never the touchy type back then, especially not with him...
Had she missed him that much? He missed her, too, but this still felt awkward...
When they arrived at the rock cave, Zeni pushed away the leaves that served as curtains to get in. "Espeon, ma'am! You won't guess who I've brought!"
"I think I can!" Eifie grinned cheerfully, but still elegantly.
"Pikachu, darling!" She lowered her head to nuzzle his, like a mother.
"It was such a pity what happened, we missed you dearly…" She smiled, bittersweet.
Pikachu was a bit surprised to hear this, since he thought everyone would be angry at him, but his expression changed into a smile as well and he hugged the Espeon's head tightly. "I missed you, too, Miss Espeon!"
He pulled away as the dame raised her head with grace. "It's nice to see you again... it certainly hasn't been the same since you... and our little Eevee disappeared from our lives."
"Only Eevee won't come back..." Pikachu thought with utter sadness, ears lowering.
---
"You weren't supposed to come back," Blacky told the Eevee. "But I still saw it coming, from far away... my mother just wouldn't give up that easily! She just won't understand that our systems are messed up…!"
He walked up to his daughter, to the point their muzzles were inches away from each other, "I always had a plan."
"Plan?! What are you talking about?" From just behind her, from the bushes, a tall, bright figure with an scary face appeared.
"Me and this Hypno have a contract, in case any emergencies occur... I loathe doing this to you. But I can't lose you, too, Hana…!" the Umbreon cried, glancing at the ground, as the Eevee's expression turned horrified when she realised what was about to happen.
As fast as lighting, a revealing flashback came to her:
It had just been a few days since it happened. Her favorite friend, no, her favorite Pokémon in the world had vanished like thin air.
After hope just seemed to reach her, after she had taken the impulse to take their relationship to something more... she felt rejected, and ran away sobbing.
But when Pikachu came back to clear up things to her, just when she felt a mutual love confession coming, her mother came to them and told her Pikachu was a traitor.
A mere spy for the humans. Of course, she didn't believe it a single bit.
But it didn't matter what she believed, it happened.
He was exiled, by her own dad. She truly felt betrayed, as she watched the first love in her life walk away just as hurt as her...
She promised she'd never forget, though. No matter what.
But even the promise she believed in wasn't taken into matters, when one night her father took her to the deepest part of the Dark Forest, probably the one she was standing at right now.
Like now as well, an Hypno appeared out of the bushes.
He explained to her, he 'had' to do it. He was protecting her.
Yet when he erased her memory, she could almost swear she saw an evil glint in his eyes as he snatched away the special flower behind her ear.
It just didn't fit in with her.
Apparently, he sent her to Kalos afterwards, to live a new, completely peaceful life surrounded by berries and flowers.
While he also kept an eye on her, he wasn't preoccupied with humans since he specifically chose the most distant part of the region, afar from the human villages.
He was sure she wouldn't see a human in her life.
But his plans were ruined when a familiar, non-wild yellow Pokémon appeared...
"No! Please! Don't do it, dad! Not again!" Eevee screeched as she backed away in fear, but the two bigger Pokémon had her trapped.
"It seems you do remember now…" Blacky muttered to his daughter. "I'm sorry, Eevee… you see, your medicine has worn off, so that means you need more, sweetie..."
"No! Don't do it!" she yelled angrily, struggling in her father's grasp when he grabbed her neck again, this time, to immobilize her.
"Don't worry, Hana. After this spell, you won't remember a single thing…" the Umbreon assured her, eyes quivering with extreme sadness.
And so the tall, yellow Hypno pulled out his characteristic pendulum as he began rocking it right and left creating the hypnosis.
Again.
---
Thanks to everyone who commented on the Author's note, thanks to you I was able to get my creativity back and move the story foward!
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Please remember to hit the little star if you enjoy! 🌟