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A Destiny Determined

Evolution, it’s a rite of passage in our tribe; a discarding of what makes you weak and an infusion of strength that turns us into powerful beings capable of carving our own paths. And then there’s me…

Hi, I guess you should know a little about me and my situation first. My name is Lumen I’m an eevee living in a large tribe that is comprised completely of eevees and eeveelutions, intermingling with other species will get you kicked out, or worse. “Complete purity, that is what we strived for and that’s what we achieved” is what my elders say; I guess you could say once you’re born here you’re trapped here forever. They don’t teach us about other Pokémon here, If and when this is ever found by someone out there I’d have no idea what you even look like or what you even are, and that kinda makes me sad.

I’m actually the oldest eevee in the tribe; we get new ages when we evolve like it’s some kind of death and
rebirth, I never understood it, I mean it’s not like we become different people right? Well, at least I used to not understand it; nowadays I can see that statement is becoming truer and truer with each passing day.

As the oldest eevee I have to bear constant harassment about evolving from my parents, peers, my elders, everybody really. I can’t stress enough how important evolution is to the people around here, it seems to them that life doesn’t begin until you evolve. And then there’s me…



A cloudy day in the village square, Lumen is sitting in the shade under a tree watching people go about their daily lives; hidden, but completely noticeable.

“A sylveon” Lumen thought “with its pure white fur contrasted against soft pink, its flowing ribbons all neatly tied up into a bow. At a first glance it seems like the epitome of grace and innocence, beautiful in every way. But I know what it takes to evolve into a sylveon and what kind of person it takes to be one”.

Just then the sylveon blew a kiss at a passing male seeming to solidify Lumen’s assessment.

“A vaporeon” Lumen continued “in many ways thought to be the opposite of what a sylveon is, thought to be loving, caring, nurturing like the water that gives life itself; a perfect parent”. Lumen knew that this assessment was largely coloured by the fact his mother was a vaporeon but continued anyways “But I know that they are just the same, backstabbing, lying, and cheating using the guise of compassion to hide their innate selfishness and manipulate people into getting what they want”.

Lumen didn't want to see this



I don’t think life as an eevee is invalid though, it’s just a different way of living, and no one way is better right? Everyone here thinks ideas like that are crazy. For them it’s not a matter of viewpoint it’s a matter of power, the evolved have more power and thus the un-evolved ideas and opinions don’t matter.

It wasn't like this when I was younger.

When I was a child my teachers always told me to voice my opinions, to use my words, and to get along with one another. When scolding kids who got in a fight it was always the same thing “There’s no reason to fight, even if some of us may be different deep down were all the same. We should try to work together instead of fighting!” what a lie…



A dark gloomy day, Lumen is on field trip to see the tribe’s defense force

“A glaceon, known as an all-around powerhouse which makes up most of the outer defense force due to their ability to take on anything from flowers to dragons. I couldn’t imagine what it must be like out in the outer defence force, it must be lonely not seeing anyone in months, well other than the Pokémon you kill… maybe that’s why they changed it so once you’re in the outer defence force you’re in for life, to many were coming back as cold-blooded killers and continuing there rampage here”

A general began making a speech to the class, his booming voice scared many of the children Lumen included.

“A jolteon” Lumen thought while trying to make himself as small as possible “Anyone who’s anything becomes one of these, there the epitome of speed and they take that trait into their own lives being able to accomplish a lot in very little time. They are determined, righteous, and a force to be reckoned with in any field especially combat since they boast no weaknesses against our kind. Many strive to be one, but they do not come free from evils, in fact there successes causes there evils to multiply. Arrogance, selfishness, and narcissism plague anyone that success happens to find.”

Lumen didn't want to be here.



The evolved fought all the time although it was much different from the way children fight. Children fights are often innocent and are usually the cause of heat of the moment actions when emotions run high. When the evolved fight they set a time and a date, let their emotions grow cold and their hatred fester; they fight over territory, property, and love. Some fight with words but not always in a civil manner, words that call upon the many for the shedding of their own blood.

I could never understand it, the outer defence force gives their entire lives so that we can truly know peace yet instead we bring violence against each other. Perhaps we all have an inherent need to see blood spilled, and if we don’t have enemies we make enemies of our allies.

Things were different when we were young…



A bright clear day, Lumen had gotten lost and stumbled into what his parents called the “bad part of town” Lumen was not scared however.

“A leafeon, extremely rare in this tribe due to the amount of nature was destroyed when the communities were built. Leafeons were pure hearted and down to earth, I actually like leafeons. But being one is a disservice to yourself and your family, as far as the tribe is concerned the only ones that are outside enough to have an affinity with nature were slaves and savages”

Lumen was beginning to not understand why this was the “bad part of town” the area was rundown and in disrepair but the people seemed nice.

“A flareon” Lumen sighed as this was the eeveelution in which he had been told time and time again he should be (other than his parents who still thought he would change one day and be jolteon material) “stereotypically flareons are said to be the choice of eevees who can’t let go of their childhood, there largely thought as having no practical uses and are often depressed and lonely. It’s odd that the people who are treated more poorly during their childhood seem to try to hold onto it harder, perhaps there scared of what is to come next”. Lumen continued “although most think overgrown eevees and flareons are one and the same, I know there is one crucial difference. Flareons have a fire inside them, one that cannot be seen or felt but it stroked every time they are excluded, every time they fail, every time they feel inferior, every time they get hurt, when there insulted, teased, and otherwise. They hold this fire inside them until it is too hot to hold any longer, then they expel it usually having catastrophic effects to themselves and those around them, sometimes even fatal results”.

Lumen didn’t know what to do.



I feel like I was born into a perfect world and slowly as I grew up that world was taken away from me. It was a world in which we could all get along instead of fighting against one another; it was a world where we could be whatever we wanted to be, not what we were told to be. A world where free will meant actually doing what you wanted, not choosing from a list of premade options. It was a world where it wasn't dangerous to be different. It seems like everyone here has abandoned that world. And then there’s me…



Darkness, area unknown

“I have to get out of here!” Lumen’s mind was racing as he ran toward the light, although when he reached it, it wasn’t the salvation Lumen was hoping for “an espeon… an aspect of light representing all that was good and holy in this world, she seems like she’s in trouble though…?”

The light is fading

“An umbreon…” Lumen finally was able to make out Espeon’s assailant “umbreon, the aspect of the night representing everything that espeon does not; hiding in the darkness”. Espeon stood her ground and began to glow, the air around her began to warp and bend by her own will, displaying the mastery she had over her mind. Umbreon however was unyielding and unrelenting passing through Espeon’s attacks like it was nothing and in a moment it was over. Umbreon had Espeon pinned against the floor staring with malefic intent at the poor espeon's fear filled eyes.

Lumen turned away not wanting to see what happened next. He didn't understand what just happened, how could light lose to darkness? The sun comes out in the morning to dispel the darkness. Lumen stared at his faint shadow created by the light of the eeveelutions behind him with a grimace.

“I guess even in the light we all have shadows… even me”



I’m not exactly sure why I wrote this, maybe I just wanted to get my feelings down or maybe it’s just my way of saying something I could never actually say. My hope is that maybe someone out there finds this and understands what I’m talking about; maybe there are other tribes just like mine? I don’t know… What I really hope though is that the person who eventually finds this is someone who truly makes the choices they want to make, and not the choices that others want them to make… I want to know that somewhere out there someone has true free will.



The sun is setting, casting a beautiful orange glow across the ocean all the way up to where it meets the tall rocky cliff were Lumen is finishing writing his note.

“The sun is setting… soon the light will fade and all of the beautiful scenery will be enveloped in a blanket of darkness” Lumen said aloud while finishing the last sentence of his note, immediately stuffing it into a bottle when he was done. “I've made my decision…” Lumen walks to the edge of the cliff with the bottle in his mouth, pauses for a second and throws the bottle into the ocean. “I’m gonna stay an eevee forever…” Lumen got on his hind feat and walks closer to the edge of the cliff, so close in fact that the toes of his hind feet hung over the edge “and nobody is gonna stop me”.

And so the light faded