Warrior Eevees #1: The Storm of Fire

6- The Plains Tribe

Training and working harder for the Forest Tribe quite often led to Emmy being awakened before sunrise for border patrols. She was not at all a morning Pokémon, but bit her tongue as she followed Thorn, Thyme, and Fern across the forest one dewy morning.

Maybe there was no reason to complain at all about the hour. The days had grown hotter and hotter over the last two moon cycles, and by the time the sun reached its highest height in the sky, the heat lay thick over the entire territory, soaking into Emmy's fur and exhausting her even at the lightest exertion. The Leafeon fared a bit better, as they could use photosynthesis for extra energy, but even they seemed a little wilted near midday.

But now, when the foliage was thick with dew and the air still smelled of cool night breezes, it was quite pleasant outside. They were heading for their border with the Plains Tribe, the Jolteon-dominate Tribe that lived on the southern side of Forest Tribe territory. Emmy had grown familiar with their border, and the idea of it made her fur prickle along her spine. The border was outside the trees and up a sharp earthen cliff, and made her feel exposed.

Already, she could smell the Plains Tribe's scent in her mouth, it was dry and smelled of grass, and something almost coppery. That was the smell of Electric-Type energy, Sycamore had informed her. Grass-Type Pokémon like Leafeon resisted it, but they did not have the same Type advantage they did against the Lake Tribe. And Emmy, of course, had no resistances of her own, except against Ghost-Types.

Thorn led the patrol dutifully, his paws thumping on the ground as he led the patrol through the forest to the border with the Plains Tribe. The border lay through an expanse of scrubland, thin, lightning-blasted trees and brittle underbrush lining the steep hill that led up to Plains Tribe territory. The border lay on the crest of this hill, and Emmy labored up the parched slope next to the Forest Tribe members.

"Right, Fern, take the lead," Thorn ordered when, panting, they reached the border.

The sun rose over the plains, waving golden grasses split by dirt tracks that were barely visible through the tall plant growth. A steady wind blew across the landscape, beating at Emmy's ears and carrying sounds and scents to her from across the Plains Tribe's territory, although no scent more powerful than that of the members of the Tribe that lived here.

"How do they not burn up all day in the sun?" Fern commented.

Red was bleeding into the sky from the east and the light illuminated the forest behind them, highlighting the leaves with gold. Standing on the edge of the plains up the ridge, the forest seemed much shorter, the crowns of many of the trees barely rising above the ground.

Emmy shook out her pelt, chilled from the breeze but kind of enjoying it after so many hot days. As the sun rose, she knew the plains must grow indescribably hot all day, however. As strongly as the plains smelled of prey, she would choose the soft shadows of the forest over the blinding brightness of the plains any day.

She fell in step beside Thyme, Fern, and Thorn as they pushed their way through the brittle bracken ahead of them. Thorn periodically cast his gaze up to the sky, scanning for the Braviary, Emmy was sure. She had spotted the big bird herself one day while hunting, its red and blue wings cutting an imposing black shape on the blue sky. Even from where she had crouched in the undergrowth, she had felt sure she could see its cutting black claws and keen yellow eyes, scanning for something. Lake Tribe patrols complained often of it hunting in their lake, but if that was the case, why would it spend so much time hovering over the forest? The Plains Tribe claimed to have spotted it, too, but generally flying straight across their territory. None of this threatening circling.

Braviary live in the desert, or on mountainsides, Emmy suspected. It probably lives over there somewhere.

Which only raised more questions about why it should circle the Forest and Lake Tribes so often.