Warrior Eevees #1: The Storm of Fire

24- The Dream

The sky was turning silken black and dotted with stars by the time they glided down to sleep two nights later. Rogue was staying very close to the dragons, blinded in the darkness. There was no need any more to ask anyone where the electrical storm was, they had grown close enough that the wind whipping through Emmy's fur told her exactly which direction to travel in. This had allowed for faster, surer flight.

"Probably not tomorrow, but the day after that," she informed the group as they soared through the air.

Traveling had gotten less stressful, too. Shine had traded places with Krowcoat on Derrick's back. Crystal was so relieved by this she didn't even complain when the big Umbreon began waxing poetic about how things were done in the Sky Tribe.

"Oh, very interesting!" she would say invariably whenever he finished talking, obviously not paying attention.

But Aqua and Rush didn't seem to mind sitting next to Shine, who still complained, albeit at a less often, so their passage through the sky was a lot more peaceful.

The ground below alternated between marshland, beaches, and scruffy grassland. The prey was plentiful, mostly in the form of seabirds, and the land seemed largely devoid of other predators. Some birds soared in the sky but gave the dragons wide berth.

Derrick finally had to concede to his exhaustion after the sun had vanished from the sky, scooping the air with his huge, diamond-shaped wings to slow and perch on the top of a sand dune. Scrubby grass sprouted out of it, which Rush enjoyed chewing on, close enough to the ocean for Aqua to dive for fish.

The quiet Vaporeon's entire face had lit up the first time he had seen the ocean, his jaws agape with shock. Emmy had almost believed that he would vanish into the salt water, never to be seen again. Now he spent every moment he could diving through the towering waves with glee.

Emmy did her part hunting, too, although she, unlike Shine and Rush, was unused to broad, open expanses of land. Krowcoat confidently stated that the Sky Tribe hunted in places like these all the time, but he rarely brought back any more prey than Emmy or Sycamore. Crystal was adapting surprisingly well. She was used to diving for creatures under the snow by hearing, and was able to use some of this expertise in the sand as well, although she spent all day shaking grit out of her thick double coat.

It was nice, hunting. Emmy was learning to look forward to being able to spend time with Sycamore in peace and quiet as the day wound down. She cared for the other Pokémon, but having nothing to do all day but talk to them was exhausting.

Hunting was also a good way to stretch her legs. It was much easier to hunt with Special attacks in the beaches, but Emmy took a couple pounces anyway just for the joy of it, sending flocks of Wingull scattering across the sky, pure white against the black, wheeling and screaming in the darkness.

Several unsuccessful attempts later, Emmy was forced to relent and use Psybeam, but the exercise felt good in her legs, and she felt refreshed by the time she and Sycamore had made it back to the flying Pokémon. Krowcoat had caught nothing, although how meticulously he was grooming his pelt told Emmy it wasn't from lack of trying.

"Which way are we headed tomorrow?" Derrick asked her.

He had been hunting, too, and fine powder dusted his green scales. Derrick was a Pokémon built to hunt in the sand, and terrifyingly efficient.

Emmy closed her eyes, feeling the wind whispering through her fur, and cocked her head.

"That way- Further east, southeast."

"I think the beach curves that way, if I remember the map," Meteor rumbled. "Let me check- What's this?"

One of his enormous orange claws dipped into the bag at his side and drew out a wide-eyed bundle of pink and white fur, who looked more guilty than afraid.