Warrior Eevees #1: The Storm of Fire

20- Unexpected Aid

The descent down the mountain was easier, if more uncomfortable. The wind beat over Rogue's wings without stopping as he surfed downward, washing his riders in freezing air. Plus, Emmy couldn't stop replaying the conversation with Entei in her mind, over and over again hearing him dismiss the lives of the countless mortals.

"He basically said that he knows he's going to kill us all, and he doesn't care," Emmy had ruefully explained to Aqua, Rogue, and most of the Mountain Tribe.

If anything positive had come out of the adventure, it was that Avalanche had promised to bring the Mountain Tribe down to the desert to speak with the Tribes on lower ground, to hopefully plan together what to do, and possibly make a plan of attack. Having seen the massive Pokémon they were up against, Emmy did not feel particularly hopeful even given the extra Tribe, but at very least, the help of the Glaceon couldn't hurt.

Rogue soared easily down the mountainside, his wings held straight and strong. He barely had to flap them as they descended, the wind whisking their faces now growing warmer and warmer. His usual optimism had blown away on the mountainside, though, and now his face was set and grim.

The trees rolled away beneath them, giving way to hot stony cliffs that proceeded the Sand Tribe's desert. The battle with the Flareon Tribe seemed years away. Emmy felt Rogue's wings twist as he leveled out above the desert, gliding on the hot winds that drifted up from the sands.

"Uh-oh, Derrick is here," he said, flipping his head back to Emmy. "I guess he'll want your report, I kind of forgot about that with everything..."

"Derrick- The Flygon?" Emmy tried to remember.

"Yes, I don't know if you can see him yet- He's down there, where some of the Tribes are all meeting... Amelia Green's Flygon, if you remember that..."

"The Tribes are meeting?" Aqua asked.

"Well, I don't think it's everyone from every Tribe, but there's the Tribe leaders down there at the border of the Sand Tribe and the Plains Tribe. They're probably waiting for us to get back, actually..."

Rogue swept his wings back and went into a swift stoop, the desert flashing by below them. Soon, Emmy thought she could see Derrick, too, green and red scales, long antennae like an insect, and a thick, spiked tail. He was enormous, dwarfing the Eeveelutions next to him.

Dragon-Types grow their entire lives, Emmy thought she remembered. And Derrick is not young... Neither is Amelia Green, if I'm remembering right.

The immense Flygon's red eyes snapped up as Rogue drew closer, and Emmy saw Wildfire leap to his paws as they drew near. Two other Flareon flanked him, their pelts still bearing the markings of the battle that had taken place. Rogue pulled his wings back and plowed his talons into the shaggy plains grass, stopping short in front of the party.

"Hello, Rogue, hello, Emmy," Derrick began tersely. Like Rogue, his tone of voice was shockingly familiar, and Emmy could remember the big Dragon-Type traveling along sterile white walls on all fours, his wings drawn close, as he followed his partner through what Emmy assumed was the laboratory she had worked in. "Having fun, have we?"

"No," Rogue flared his wings aggressively, nearly tipping Emmy off his back and throwing Aqua to the ground. "Things are bad around here, Derrick-"

"Around here, sure," Derrick interrupted, spreading his diamond-shaped wings to look bigger, not that that was really necessary for him. "But if you don't remember, Ms. Grant, we are not supposed to interfere with nature and the natural lives of the Pokémon here, that is part of scientific research."

"I don't remember," Emmy spat up at the huge dragon.

"It's a long story, Derrick," Rogue let his feathers lay flat.