Warrior Eevees #1: The Storm of Fire

9- Emmy and Rogue

"Emmy!" Rogue called back desperately. "Oh, this is awkward. I am so, so sorry. I- It's been a long time since I was a wild Pokémon, I guess- I guess I forgot how harsh it can be out here."

And he chuckled, half-bowing to her with embarrassment, his wings still flared. The battle had grown still around them, and Emmy heard herself laugh in surprise. She knew this Pokémon, she knew him very well. She didn't know when she had met him or how she knew him, but she knew him. Yes, Rogue, she had known him for a long time before coming to the Forest Tribe. For a long time before she had lost her memory. In the agony of her torn pelt, she laughed, because suddenly, absurdly, she felt safe.

"WHAT?" Wildfire roared, and Emmy realized that Rogue had pinned his head to the ground with one enormous talon. "But YOU'RE the one who told us you wanted us to hunt her down!"

"I meant- To talk to her!" Rogue stuttered awkwardly. "Not to kill her! I mean- I think that's my fault too, really- Like I said, I've been a trained Pokémon ever since I was a Rufflet, and I guess I forgot how rough the wild is. I'm so sorry, I should have been clearer."

He stepped off Wildfire, ruffling his feathers uncomfortably. The Sand Tribe was staring at him, open-mouthed, along with the battered members of the Forest Tribe. Seemingly attempting to claw his dignity back into place, Wildfire climbed to his paws and shook his thick pelt. Rogue's long talons had done what Emmy's claws could not and had pierced right through all that fur. The Flareon leader was bleeding now.

"And, and thank you for finding her for me," Rogue bowed to him. "I'll keep fishing for you, like I said I would. I think... I think this is all just a big misunderstanding."

Emmy heard herself laugh again, more than slightly hysterical. Her memories of Rogue were vague, and although she could not remember certain events, she knew him well enough to know that- That, yes, this seemed to be yet another in a long line of awkward blunders. Rogue was always a little awkward, after all. He was a bit too large for the mystery space she had shared with him. His wings were always knocking things over, or he was turning too quickly and knocking something else down with a sweep of his tail. His claws were so large that he struggled to handle anything with any precision, and any conversation he engaged in with any other Pokémon always ended with fluffed out fur, lashing tails, and a very confused bird looking up at her.

"Really," Rogue insisted.

A look of immense disbelief was plastered all over Wildfire's face, and his icy eyes were so confused that Emmy thought he could use a Persim Berry himself.

"You asked me to invade the territory of another Tribe," he asked Rogue very slowly and incredulously. "In order to speak to them?"

"Well, no," Rogue had extended one wing to shelter Emmy beneath it. "I wanted to talk to Emmy. I- I am pretty sure the Leafeon were keeping her captive-"

"Hold on," Emmy cut him off. "They- They've been very kind to me, Rogue-"

"Yeah!" Sycamore was back on his feet, swaying dangerously, his blue and yellow eyes unfocused but his hooked claws unsheathed, possibly in an attempt to pin himself upright.

"Well- That's the guard they always make you take with you, isn't it?" Rogue flipped his head upside down to look at Emmy.

She expected to be mad, furious, even. This idiot bird had prompted this battle that had left so many Forest Tribe Pokémon severely injured, and had burnt down a huge swath of their territory. From the smell of things, a part of their territory that was still burning. But whatever part of her was very familiar with Rogue was mostly just embarrassed on his behalf, and burning with affection, amplified by the unfamiliar feeling of familiarity that was causing her to heave with restrained tears.