The bonds we make, the life we share - Chapter one, Encounter.

"What did I do to you!? Stop attacking me, please!!", a young Eevee pleaded to her attacker. Eevee who was known as Thought to all who encountered her, a name which she had chosen accidentally, but stuck with her ever since. Landing her short, brown furry paws on a tree branching, preparing to evade yet another poison sting attack from her attacker when she noticed that for the first time, while the forest had been her home as long as she could remember, this was the first time she did not know where to go to. From her point of view, she could go any of five directions, all equally unknown to her as she had never ventured this far in to the forest ever before.

Beedrill gave no reply to the innocent Thought, when he shifted his long needle on the back of his ass forward and descended in to an attack, the needle glowing a faint green.

"D-.. Die", he said as he came closer and closer to his target. Thought still running, but it seemed inevitable that she could evade her attacker any longer then she had already. having been running and evading for nearly an hour, it had taken a toll on her. Her brown body was showing signs of fatigue, scratches from the thorns in some of the bushes she had to jump through in order to evade one of the more damaging attacks of Beedrill. Panting heavy she continued her escape and chose to bend off to the right, heading for a formation of trees that might give some cover against the ferocious attacks of Beedrill.

She was just about to reach the trees that had grown towards each other over the many, many years they had been living in the forest and sure enough would be more then enough to allow her a few seconds of rest, maybe even a chance to retaliate if she could only catch her breath.

The sound of a tree branch snapping, the buzzing of Beedrill's wings, the exhausted pants of Thought seemed to be the only sounds echoing through the large vast plains of grounds she was on and then suddenly she fell forward, having apparently missed a tangled vine on the ground which caught one of her front paws which crushed, along with a few leaves, twigs as well as her only chance to escape her pursuer as the buzzing of his wings became the only sound she could listen to as she turned her head around to see what bonded her to the earth, she could only see the source of the constant humming she had been forced to listen to for the last hour.

With a final shriek, she closed her eyes and tried to prepare for the worst. What she had done to provoke him she still did not know, but in a few seconds that would not matter anymore. She expected to die of old age, a gentle, kind and wise Eevee, not frightened and exhausted. With her mind holding a countdown, based upon the rate of descent of Beedrill, though the jolting, agonising pain never came, even after her mental clock had reached the utmost furthest possible extension of time that her existence was allowed, but it never came.

Curious as to what happened, though not in all wanting to see Beedrill anywhere but flying away from her, she saw another Eevee, much like herself, though the only glance she got at him was from behind as he was faced in the direction Beedrill was cowardly fleeing away, losing and gaining altitude as it flew. Despite the black striping pattern, she could make out that it had been injured pretty badly.

"B-.. but how .. When ..", she asked questioningly, though thank full she was safe as she struggled to catch up with her over worked lungs in her small body. An even more burning question came to her mind, one that obliterated the meaning out of her previous ones. "Why ... ?" Why had he come and apparently saved her from certain death, though it seemed the right thing to do, her brain could not coop with any logic at the moment, shocked and getting her grasp on reality back as her breathing pattern finally became more steadily, before she fainted, but not seeing the Eevee beginning to turn around, although she never was able to look him in the eyes as she fainted from the stress she had endured ever since her assault.

When next she woke up, six hours later, the sun had set, a small fire was burning on some logs besides her. Finding the warm flow of air on her body quite soothing as opposed to her muscles being rather sore, she could notice that this was a different scene all together. Being quick to open her eyes, she observed her new surroundings. Sure enough, she was still in the forest, the sky was dark and some stars could be seen beyond the leaves of the tallest trees. Looking beside her she found a leaf holding three berries in place. The first available to her sight looked yellowish and about the size of her paw if she had to guess. The second one, a lot smaller also looked like a faint yellowish color and looked like it had the horn of a Gible, she was thank full that berries could not have attitudes, for she recalled an encounter with a real mean one, if she remembered correctly, a few moons ago. The third berry she could not analyse due to it being blocked from sight, but could definitely make out another sweet scent that differed from the other two berries and had figured there was at least one or more berries.

Feeling the ground press to her left flank, she decided to get up with a nimble movement and take the smaller berry to have something to eat. As she stood up some dust and one or two leaves fell of her fur, falling or twirling to the ground when she heard a voice, which caused her heart to jolt as she wasn't expecting anyone to be near her, but it would make sense of the fire and her to-be dinner being where they were.

"Good, you are awake. For a moment I had feared you wouldn't be awake to miss the stars tonight. They are so lovely tonight." If voices matched ones personality, this one was certainly a kind caring Pokemon. Picking up another log to fuel his fire with, which he had dropped moments before as he noticed movement from the sleeping beauty he had put down at that spot.

Turning her head around to face the one who made her startle, the first thing that she noticed was that the Eevee was holding a piece of wood sideways in his short muzzle, like a dog just returning from fetching a stick. A sight that amused her for she fell backwards to the ground again, laughing uncontrollably, with her front paws inwards to her furry chest, as repeated the funny image over and over in her head.

With the thought that she was going to be healthy again did he walk past her and with a subtle upward jerk of his head threw the stick in a small collection of other branches of various shapes and sizes, with the sole intention of fueling the fire through the night. Glancing up towards the sky, seeing one or two stars sparkle with more brightness then the ones surrounding it, giving him a warm feeling that had little to do with the burning fire just a couple of feet away from him.

Having finally stopped laughing Thought got to her paws and just observed a smiling Eevee gaze at the stars for a few moments, one thing that she noticed immediately was that he wasn't moving as mush as a hair, as if he was bonded in time and space, left gazing to the stars above, which made her wonder when he was actually going to blink his eye lids. It was only at that moment that she noticed that he had dark blue eyes, or maybe they where black. It certainly difficult to tell for certain, but lacking any visual reflection from his eyes from the nearest light source, that being the fire, made her conscious that his eyes where different then her own, a velvet light green. The moment she had forgotten about the events prior to that day, made her remember that which occurred or rather might have occurred, not remembering much after the point that she fell to the ground and entrusted fate to be her guardian for her journey.

"Uhm, excuse me. But .. where am I exactly?", Thought asked carefully after considering that he might be busy to respond, an idea brought to her head no doubt by the fact that she owed him, if he was the same Eevee as the one who had saved her from that Beedrill. She never did had a chance to look in his face, or if she had, she had forgotten about it, much like the events that occurred after she had lost consciousness.

It was a while before he was done gazing, what appeared to be mindlessly at the stars, but he responded eventually. Lifting his right front paw to remove a fallen leaf that had landed from the trees above him on to his left front paw.

"You are in the forest of .." Not being able to complete his sentence, tilting his head slightly and gave a bore a friendly smile on his face. "I can't say that I have a name for this forest. It is a forest, and a forest is a forest." He could see that his answer did not made much sense to her at first at the puzzled look on her face, trying to comprehend what was either wisdom or idiocy that had escaped his lips. "But in an attempt to answer your question more accurately, you are about a five minutes walk from where you fainted."

This answer seemed to make more sense to her as she began nodding his head in a slight recognition of where she was. Once again he could see her puzzling over something. There was no doubt in his mind that she had more questions for him. And even though he would more then happy to provide answers for them to the best of his ability, he felt it would be more important for her to regain some of her health.

"As you might have noticed, there are a few berries on that leaf. Do try to eat some, it'll help.", the Eevee said. Watching as she slowly walked over to the big leaf, sniffing a couple of times to get a hint of what the berries exactly were, though how she could identify a berry by just scent, he did not know. Perhaps she had recognised the shape of the berry and was determining the taste of the berry and root out the ones she did not like, all in all, it was providing him with some information regarding her.

"Try the big one, it'll do you good.", he once again spoke with that kind and pleasant tone of his. Sure enough, she took the big berry in her muzzle and walked away from the leaf, getting a position opposite from him over the fire. Placing the berry in her front paws, holding it in place so she could begin eating at it while he once again gazed at the stars that shun their light upon the two Eevee.

As soon as she took quite a firm bite of the berry in her paws she began feeling her spirits raised and her muscles aching less then they had before. The taste of it, quite bitter, just as she liked it.

"He-he, lucky me. A bitter berry, yummy." Looking up to him if he was paying attention to her, but felt slightly disappointed to see him still looking at the sky above them. This made her finish up her berry without another word and rather swiftly to boot. Feeling ignored, left out as it were. "Hey, uhm, what is your name?", she asked him curiously, not sure what to expect because of his strange behaviour.

Tilting his head around ever slowly to catch the light from the fire being reflected upon her face. "My name?", he asked curiously as if not expecting this question at all. "My name, it is Cloud." Inhaling quite deeply, filling his small lungs with the fresh, slightly heated air, taking it all in before he let it all go steadily over time.

"Cloud?", Thought let out a sly giggle as she found the name funny. "Hi hi hi, yes, that name sure suits you, you've done little but gaze at the stars tonight." She took a moment to appreciate the silence when she wanted to ask him about events prior to that night. "Uhm .. Cloud? Did you .." Cloud having heard someone or something in their vicinity glanced in her direction, making Thought experiencing that she was unwanted or noise and had held her tongue. It was only after that she had looked a second time in his eyes that they seemed to be looking just slightly her, in the direction of the forest, past the safety their fire gave them.

"Stay here.", Cloud said with a different tone that gave her cause for alarm, even though it was dark and could not very well see his facial expression, did that little matter for he vanished from sight a moment later. She heard a faint noise coming from within the forest. The sound of several leaves being trampled upon.

"Cloud?", she asked frighteningly "W- where are you?", Thought asked the void, but no response ever came.

Blinking repeatedly to catch any sight of movement in the small area lit by the burning fire, its light not penetrating further then four or five trees in any direction, making her senses hyper sensitive. Regulating her breathing, making as little noise as she could, hoping to catch a lead as to what Cloud might could have heard that made him disappear in the first place, running off to god knows what.

Then suddenly she jumped three foot up in the sky, hearing a loud howl. If this was caused by pain or anger, she could not determine, but she deduced that it had to be a large Pokemon or a Pokemon with a great density judging from the levels of bass that where contained with it's voice, that it was coming from the direction she faced, making her previous assumption as to which way he ran off to, correct as he left her behind with the safety the fire provided her and more importantly that it wasn't Cloud that howled madly throughout the forest.

Feeling her heart pounding in her chest, thumping what seemed two or three times per second. "I'm going to kill him. Running off like that, acting like a hero." Her voice set with the intent her gut gave her, frightened and vulnerable, but that soon changed to worried and desperate. With out realising the contradiction she said under her breath. "Oh please, come back soon."

The sound of crashing trees, smashing boulders, Hoot Hoot calling their name because one of their favourite spectating branch had been destroyed by the rock throw of Onix.

Cloud, having just barely dodged the attack, counter attacking with a swift attack as he spew his yellow stars in a rapid torment towards the head of Onix, who had used his tail to protect his head from further assault after a brief period of time, his right eye dripping with some blood now the attack was failing to reach its target, leaving him growling with both an intent to kill as well as sheer madness, as it scanned for any sign of movement from the dimly moonlight lit area with its now one remaining good eye..

Cloud having already vanished from the spot where he launched his attack from, leaving the Onix confused as it spent more focus on protecting his eye and cursing a wide variety of words at the small runt that had damaged him that badly from a single attack, shouted "Over here!" from the left side of Onix, who turned his head only to find a dosage of mud, hitting his face, oozing down his face and it to his wound.

"Damn it, boy. I shall be back!", Onix said with his loud brawling voice as he turned around, appearing to flee from the scene by slithering away when his tail came swinging to Cloud with amazing speed, but it failed to hit its target.

Cloud having jumped upwards as the rocky tail swung by, landing on one of the smaller boulders that made up the Onixs' tail. Appearing to keep his balance on the boulder while Onix shook it madly around like a rapid mechanic bull trying to shake of its' passenger, but that too was to no avail. It was only when he tried to slam his tail against a tree that Cloud dashed forward, walking further up Onix, jumping to towards the rock snake like Pokemon from its' body, hitting him clear in the head.

Despite the humongous weight difference, his attack had a profound effect, making the giant Pokemon faint, falling to the floor with a final grunt as his waking breath departed his the rocks that formed its mouth, coming to collapse with the thunderous bang, causing dust to rise up from the floor, forming a cloud making the random spectating Hoot Hoot and by now several other bug-type Pokemon that were forcibly awoken from their nightly slumber only to witness the fall of the Onix.

Sighing deeply, going about to make a return to the camp site he had created for Thought while she recovered from her exhausting, giving the fallen Pokemon a last glance before setting off, jumping over a log when he ventured back from the devastated scene.

Meanwhile poor Though was worried sick, rolling a small branch between her paws, hoping that he would return soon safe and sound. Having judged by the sounds that reached her ears, whatever it was, was certainly not in a friendly mood and then there was that small earthquake that caused her to grasp the small twig in her paws, holding it straight up, hoping it'd protect her like a barrier would.

"Yo.", Cloud said rather cheery, like nothing had happened and he only needed to take a piss as he walked out the darkness, reappearing it to the welcoming bright light and warmth that his fire produced.

The next sound that was heard was that of Thought's twig, hitting his head, making a rather hollow sound upon impact, seeing as it was the first thing she could get her furry paws upon. "You moron! Don't leave me alone like that." Getting to her paws, walking towards him. "Any idea how I felt like, all alone, the only source of answers vanishing and then those howls or .. something roaring through the forest. Then you reappear out of the blue, blood and covered in sand. Aaargh! We're going to have to work on that if you are accompanying me!" Finishing her rant with explaining how exactly how and why his intelligence should be jealous of the greatness a Caterpie had achieved in relation to his own.

He let her finish, but was delighted when he felt her head brush against the cleaner side of his head, accompanied by a threat to bind and leave him to a tree next time he'd return after vanishing like that.

"Wait, what!?", was his reply after all she had to say, letting it sink in, wanting to protest. "You're going to bind and leave me?", Cloud said half-jokingly, not really having objections to her plans except that one little bit. "I don't think I would like that very much.", he said nodding, baring a faint smile at just the sheer thought of it.

"You bet your sorry fur I am.", she replied rather cheerfully considering the circumstances. "Uhm ..", she said after a while in a completely different tone, almost concerned. "If you like, I could help you groom you tomorrow. You look like a mess." Giving his head another brush with the side of her head, praying to any deity that happened to be listening in for his safe return.

"He he he. Sure. I'd be greatly appreciated, Thought. Thanks, but for now I do suggest we try to get some sleep. You need to recover still and I could use a few hours. of delightful napping too, what do you say to that?", Cloud said taking his distance from her, observing her body language for signs that she needed to rest, which only served to confirm his initial suspicion that she had couldn't have recovered her stamina in the few hours that she had slept already.

"Hmmm, That actually sounds like a good idea, but you better not be gone when I wake up or .. Oh I just can't say it. You just can't, OK?" Looking in his dark blue eyes, knowing he'd speak the truth if he'd look in her eyes when he responded back to her.

"Alright. It's a promise.", Cloud said with a chuckle in his response. There wasn't a single doubt in his mind that he would rather face that Onix again then face her wrath. "He he. Sure, let's get some sleep.". Yawning rather a bit audible as she went ahead, laying down on her paws, resting her head against her body as she curled up next besides him. He soon too lay himself down on his paws, resting his body quite comfortably against her body, sharing their warmth mutually with each other as the hours passed over them.Chapter End Notes:- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
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