Chapter 13

In the weeks preceding the evolution exams, things continued much as they had before. The four eevee training under Dark Growlithe continued to increase in skill, although Cream and Bramble still struggled to keep up with Kitten and Bandit. Dark Growlithe and Cream entered a real relationships together, with the growlithe’s affection for the eevee steadily growing. And Bandit didn't change his ways, in fact he began to make regular trips to the forest, taking out his frustrations on the innocent pokémon that lived there.

*****

Kitten heard Dark Growlithe expel a stream of roaring flame in her direction and jumped to the side. The flamethrower attack rushed past her and dissipated against the wall of the cave behind her. The heat caused her to sweat even more and she shook her head, freeing a collection of tiny drops of sweat from her fur. She was blindfolded, just like the rest of her class, and they were all training in one of the caves in which the vaporeon pack lived. This test was one of the last ones they would perform before their evolution exam. Dark Growlithe would randomly fire attacks at them and they had to hear the attacks and dodge. Dark Growlithe now targeted Bramble, who was standing right in front of the cave entrance and launched a fire spin attack. The burning tornado lit up the whole cave, raising the temperature to an almost unbearable level for the eevee. Bramble could hear the fire spin easily enough the only problem was that it moved from side to side as it approached him. If he jumped in the wrong direction he would wind up right in its path. He focused and listened intently, as soon as its sound was louder in his left ear he jumped to his right. Dark Growlithe smiled proudly as he watched Bramble dodge the attack. The eevee were far stronger than when he’d started training them and was confident they wouldn’t have a problem passing their evolution exam, even though he hadn’t been told whether the tasks had been decided on. The fire spin left the cave and moved down the passage until a watergun hit it head on and it hissed loudly and disappeared in a cloud of boiling steam.

“Are you trying to kill someone?” asked Vaporeon-sensei jokingly.

“Of course not, I was just making sure everyone had kept up their training.”

“Well you don’t need to test me,” Vaporeon-sensei entered the cave and walked up to Dark Growlithe. “It’s kind of hot in here.”

Dark Growlithe lowered his head respectfully, “It’s just the way my attacks are. You can take your blindfolds off, everyone.”

The eevee pulled their blindfolds off and began chatting to each other, except for Bandit.

“You’ll need to get yourselves cleaned up,” instructed Vaporeon-sensei, “The other packs are going to arrive soon. I’ve still got to inform the other group. Once you’re ready, meet in Steam’s cave.”

Dark Growlithe nodded and Vaporeon-sensei left to call the rest of the eevee.

“You heard him,” said Dark Growlithe, “Everyone must clean themselves up and then go to Steam’s cave.”

Bandit and Bramble went their own ways while Kitten and Cream went with Dark Growlithe.

“I’ll go clean up in the river. You coming Cream?” asked Kitten.

“No thanks. Dark Growlithe’s going to clean me up, right?” asked Cream, looking sweetly at Dark Growlithe.

Dark Growlithe sighed, pretending to find the idea troublesome, “But you’re all sweaty and you’re ticklish and squirm around and-”

“Please!” pleaded Cream.

“Fine, fine,” muttered Dark Growlithe giving in.

“Thanks,” she said brightly, “I don’t need a river,” she said to Kitten, grinning.

Kitten just smiled and left.

*****

Once everyone was cleaned up they assembled with the rest of the pack in Steam’s meeting cavern. Steam was sitting on top of a crystal dais that refracted the light in the cave into absorbing patterns on the walls, floor and roof. The pokémon that formed Steam’s pack were grouped together by their job and then further into rank. Dark Growlithe, Vaporeon-sensei and the other vaporeon that was helping train the eevee all sat behind their students. Dark Growlithe was the lowest ranked of the teachers, since he was the newest member of the pack. Everyone was quiet with anticipation and the only movement in the cave was Bandit’s fidgeting. Aquafang and two hunting vaporeon then entered the cavern and stopped in front of Steam and bowed.

“We are here to present the leaders of our allied packs; who have travelled here for the Eevee Evolution Examination,” announced Aquafang formally.

The two hunting vaporeon then sat on either side of Steam as ceremonial guards. Aquafang stood to the side to announce each pack leader.

“We welcome Spark, the leader of the jolteon pack,” proclaimed Aquafang as Spark entered the cave.

He was followed by a few extra jolteon and then the group of Eevee from his pack.

Spark and Steam nodded to each other as a sign of respect and then Spark led the members of his pack who had come to one side where they settled down. It went the same way for all the other pack leaders; about the only difference was the size of the group each leader had brought with. The espeon and umbreon groups were the smallest, since they didn’t evolve from stones it was a harder evolution to obtain. The other pack leaders were Firedancer, leader of the flareon, whose daughter, Dawn, was also there for the exam, Mystery, who was leader of the espeon, and finally Dusk, who was leader of the umbreon. Steam welcomed the guests and then he and the other pack leaders left together. Aquafang dismissed everyone and proceeded to supervise where the guests would stay while some of the eevee mixed and began to play, testing each other’s powers.

*****

Dark Growlithe was lying around with the other teachers, making sure nothing bad happened with the eevee.

“Why are you in this pack?” asked an umbreon bluntly, “You’re not an eevee evolution.”

“I left my pack and Steam took me in,” answered Dark Growlithe curtly.

“He took in a growlithe that ran away? Growlithe are supposed to be loyal. If one runs away there’s probably something wrong with it. Why’re you part dark?”

“I don’t know,” replied Dark Growlithe, “My last leader didn’t bother to tell me,” he deliberately said leader derisively.

“There you go again being disloyal. Why did you say leader like that? You shouldn’t have dark power when you are like that. You should respect your leader. Why do you insult your previously leader?”

Dark Growlithe didn’t answer but could still feel his resentment for what Ninetales had tried to do to him. Thinking about it made him start to growl softly and he could feel the deep vibrations in his chest.

“Answer me!” demanded the umbreon.

Dark Growlithe then felt a strange feeling in his mind, similar to being dizzy only he was otherwise unaffected apart from the feeling in his mind.

“Leave him alone,” said a soft voice.

“Huh?”

The umbreon turned to see an espeon lying a short distance away.

“Why should I?”

“Because his past doesn’t concern you.”

The espeon got up and walked off to separate two eevee whose fight was getting a little too intense. As the espeon walked past Dark Growlithe it whispered one word, “Sorry.”

Cream then ran up to Dark Growlithe, “Do you want to play?”

“Play what?” asked Dark Growlithe, deciding it would be a good way to get away from the umbreon.

“We haven’t decided.”

“Sure, why not?”

“Come on!” called Cream as she ran off after quickly licking his nose, “Catch me!”

Dark Growlithe got up and bounded after her, much to the other teachers disgust.

“That eevee smelt just like him,” commented the umbreon disgustedly, “They shouldn’t be so close.”

“He’s too young,” explained a jolteon, “I heard this was all he could do. You shouldn’t be so hard on him.”

“He’s irresponsible.”

“You just don’t like the fact he’s got the same dark powers as you do.”

“Should I? He’s a growlithe, he’s not supposed to have those powers.”

*****

Later in the day there were only a few eevee still playing. Dark Growlithe and Cream were dozing together under a tree. Steam had finished talking with the other leaders and they were now wandering around and socialising with other pack’s members, strengthening the bonds between the packs. Bandit was playing tag with a group of eevee from different packs. The one who was ‘it’ was chasing him. He did a sharp turn that would have allowed him to escape but his foot slipped on a piece of ground where the grass had neglected to grow. He fell down and was tagged by the other eevee, Firedancer’s daughter.

“Tag! You’re it!” she shouted.

“No I’m not!” shouted back Bandit, “It doesn’t count because I slipped.”

“So?” she asked, “You must accept it. Everyone slips now and then. It’s your bad luck and you’re it.”

“No! I demand we retry that chase!”

“Forget it! You’re it! You sore loser!”

“What did you call me!”

“I said you were a sore loser. I expected you to be more mature.”

“Don’t you tell me what I should be!” shouted Bandit, lunging at the female eevee and nipping a small piece out of her shoulder.

“What the hell!”

She retaliated with a tackle attack. Once Bandit was back up he jumped at her and sunk his teeth into her back. Her loud cry of pain alerted everyone to what was going on and Dark Growlithe immediately ran to stop Bandit.

“Bandit! Get off of her, now!”

Bandit released her to see Dark Growlithe charging at him. Bandit kicked up a sand attack into Dark Growlithe’s eyes, blinding him. Bandit then leapt at Dark Growlithe, determined to do some serious damage.

Just before Bandit was about to hit Dark Growlithe’s face a stream of flame hit him from the side and threw him back about five metres. Bandit got up, his right side was covered in ash from his burnt fur and his body hurt from the actual impact of the attack even though it wasn’t a physical attack. He turned and snarled in the direction of his attacker. It was Firedancer, standing next to Dawn. Cream was with Dark Growlithe, helping him clean his eyes out.

“Don’t attack my daughter like that, you little delinquent!” reprimanded Firedancer, shaking in anger, her tail lashing in circles behind her, “If you try a stunt like that again I won’t limit my attack!”

“I’m sorry,” apologised Dark Growlithe to Firedancer. “He’s my student.”

“You didn’t have anything to do with raising him,” growled Firedancer. “I’ve heard of that one by reputation. He’s a useless bully that can’t do anything right.”

“What happened?” asked Steam, running up with Aquafang.

“Bandit attacked my daughter!” snapped Firedancer, “I want him watched carefully. He’s trouble and I don’t want him near any of the eevee from my pack.”

Steam nodded and Aquafang took two vaporeon and led Bandit away.

“I sincerely apologise. I had no idea he would do something like this.”

“I just don’t want it to happen again.”

“I assure you it won’t-”

“Because next time I can’t guarantee his safety!”

Firedancer then stormed away, Dawn trailing behind her, wincing from the pain of her injured back.

“I’m sorry,” apologised Dark Growlithe to Steam, “I should have watched him closer.”

“No,” said Steam kindly, “I knew Bandit better than you, I’m also the leader, everything here is my responsibility.”

“Then I’m sorry I let you down,” said Dark Growlithe.

“Thank you,” said Steam, “If only I knew what Bandit’s problem was, but he just won’t talk to anyone!”

“See,” said the espeon to the umbreon, smugly, “He’s still loyal. He had his reasons why he left.”

The umbreon just snorted, “I don’t suppose you’ll tell me why he left.”

“It’s his business. It won’t benefit you to know.”

*****

“I wish I knew why Bandit’s being so aggressive,” mused Dark Growlithe, “I’m sure its gotten worse since that night he came from the forest.”

“Forget Bandit,” said Cream, trying to cheer Dark Growlithe up, “You’ve got me. I’m nice.”

Dark Growlithe smiled, “Yeah. And you don’t give anyone problems.”

He caught her and licked her stomach causing her to laugh and squirm as she was incredibly ticklish.

“You’re causing me problems,” came Kitten’s voice from a short distance away, “I’m trying to sleep. Be quiet.”

“Shhh!” Cream reprimanded Dark Growlithe.

He just grinned and licked her again, making her laugh a second time. Kitten groaned and covered her ears with her paws.

“You’re the one making a noise,” chastised Dark Growlithe.

“It’s your fault,” moaned Cream, “You do that on purpose.”

“Please be quiet!” shouted a vaporeon in the adjoining room.

Cream stifled her giggles, snuggled up against Dark Growlithe and the two of them went to sleep.