Warrior Eevees #2: Pearl's Shadow

11- The First Pawstep

Pearl was pretty sure that all around her, her Tribemates were making noise. But she couldn't hear any of it over the roaring pulse in her ears. She felt suddenly electrified, as if ready for battle.

Oh, Arceus, I'm too young and- And I've made so many bad decisions...

Leap left the Tribe, and Shore hates me so much and...

She could feel Mist's pelt trembling, she thought she was cheering. Reed was approaching her through the crowd, which parted to let the eldest Tribe member through. Pearl couldn't meet his eyes.

"Well?" he asked. "Do you accept?"

Pearl couldn't look at him. Instead, her eyes caught on the faces of her Tribemates. Silent was cheering, and most of them were smiling.

This is what they want.

Maybe this is what the Legends want, too?

How could she say no?

"Yes," she said, unable to project emotion into her voice. "Of course I- I accept."

Reed tilted his headback and led the rousing cheer. The Lake Tribe followed, one after another,yowling their congratulations to the sky. Pearl tried to shrink into her furdespite the jubilant cries around her. She caught Geyser's eyes. He wascheering, but he didn't look happy.

Ascending the hill from which the Tribe leader spoke was a daunting task. The sun was hot on Pearl's pelt, and she felt mud slide from under her paws as she moved upwards. It wasn't that high of a hill, but everything had felt slow and dreamy since the results of the election had been announced.

She fought not to arch her back or let her prickling fur show as she settled on top, looking down on the faces of her Tribemates. She tried to catch Geyser's eyes, but he refused to look at her. Instead, she focused on Fish and Mist as she took a deep breath, trying to remember the words that Reed had taught her.

"I, Pearl of the Lake Tribe..." this part was easy. Pearl hoped the rest of the Tribe didn't see her flexing her claws into the mud nervously. "...am proud to have been offered the position of leader by my Tribe."

Pearl had never felt more embarrassed or ashamed. It was nice that her Tribe trusted her with this, but she thought that kind of trust might just be misplaced. Besides, were they really placing trust in her if they had only voted for her due to a flower? But they'd voted for her, anyway, so she carried on.

"I can..." momentarily panicked as she forgot the words, Pearl tried to pass this off as a cough and recollected herself. "I can only hope to... prove myself worthy..." Yes, it was coming back to her. "...of your confidence in me. I promise to serve you to the best of my ability, and I make you the following oaths:"

She remembered the oaths very well, since Reed had repeated them many times to her. This speech was not considered a formal Ceremony, but leaders were expected to make certain oaths to be considered true leaders of their Tribes. Reed had explained to her that a Ceremony was performed by the leader onto another Pokémon of the Tribe, but this was performed by the Pokémon of the Tribe onto their leader, even if she was doing most of the talking.

"I swear, by fang and fur and claw..." it wasn't so long ago she had sworn by fang and fur and claw at her Initiation, she remembered. "...that I will run with my Tribe into every battle."

Terrifying visions of the Forest Tribe flashed into her mind. She wanted to turn tail and run, even in her imagination, but- but a leader could not ask the Tribe to fight a battle that she herself would not fight. Pearl tried to gather her courage and imagined a more confident version of herself sending a Leafeon sprawling with a single blow.