Warrior Eevees #2: Pearl's Shadow

16- Midnight's Stand

Pearl was so wound up that it felt wrong when Midnight did not shout back. Instead, the big Mightyena narrowed her eyes, observing the leader of the Lake Tribe as Pearl slammed her tail aggressively on the ground.

"Fine," Midnight rumbled. "Deal, odd one. Let him go."

"But- Mother-" Yips began to say, but Midnight growled savagely at him.

"Do as I say, Yips," she growled.

Yips mumbled something else but lifted his paw. Pearl had been worried about Silent, as listless as he had been, but now he sprang to life and darted into the bushes with a backward glance at her. She had expected to feel relief. Instead, she just felt terribly alone.

But there was no backing out now. Midnight was approaching. Pearl focused, drawing the water out of the ground. First things first.

A ring of cold water wrapped itself around her chest, its soothing flow coursing through her pelt.

"That's a coward's move," Midnight growled, and lunged.

Pearl dodged to the side, swiping upward with her tail as she did so, scoring a solid hit on Midnight's belly. The Mightyena didn't seem to care, whipping around with black light streaming from her fangs. The Crunch attack barely missed Pearl's ear, and she tried to sink her claws into the Mightyena's neck while she was so close. All her claws found was fur, thick, shaggy black fur that could protect the spine and large, vulnerable veins in her neck. Midnight whipped her head to the side, muzzle-punching Pearl in the chest and sending her staggering backwards. The pain was almost blinding, but fading as her Aqua Ring worked.

Okay. Okay.

Her paws clogged with dark fur, Pearl lunged, dragging the water from around her with her. The wave slammed into Midnight, knocking her off her paws, but Pearl had gotten too close. Swift claws slashed at her ribs, digging into the soft flesh of her underbelly. Pearl screeched terribly as her blood soaked into the ground with her Surf.

Midnight was lunging again! Pearl ducked. She had to rely on Aqua Ring to heal her, but the wound hurt terribly. Her pink fur was clotted with red. Desperate to play for time for her Aqua Ring, Pearl ducked right between the long legs of the Mightyena, swiping her legs out from under her with her tail and spitting a Water Gun in her direction. The bigger Pokémon spluttered when Pearl hit her, staggered.

Great, Water-Type attacks will work.

I have to lead her to the stream.

The stream would allow Pearl to overwhelm her with Water-Type attacks, and would also allow her to hide invisibly.

It seemed very possible. Pearl was beginning to doubt that Midnight had any attacks that could hit her from far away. Just keep dodging, throw some Water Guns, maybe...

It wasn't as easy as Pearl had hoped, though. Midnight was fast. She lunged viciously, Pearl jumped backwards, trying to avoid her. The wound on her belly staggered her, and she Midnight bowled her over. The great teeth snapped at her neck, but Pearl threw a Water Gun right back, kicking up with her forepaws to slash at Midnight's nose. The Mightyena howled and Pearl tore herself from her grip, leaving tufts of her pelt behind.

When Midnight lunged again, Pearl was ready, ducking beneath her outstretched forepaws and rearing up to headbutt her in the ribs, throwing the huge Pokémon onto her side, and leaping back, panting heavily as Pearl's Aqua Ring soothed her aching skin.

Midnight was on her paws again, now panting heavily. The edge of white showed around her blazingly red eyes. Pearl could hear the burble of the stream close behind her, its scent thick in her mouth.

With a sickening, savage howl, Midnight dove for Pearl again. This time, Pearl jumped right over her snapping fangs and slammed her tail down on Midnight's head. The huge Pokémon reared back, howling in pain, and with a thrill of joy, Pearl sprang toward the water-

I'm going to win!

Her forepaws skimmed the water, and possibly the worst pain she had ever felt shot through her hind leg. Pearl yowled in shock as Midnight clamped her jaws down on her leg. Pearl had been unprepared for how viciously the Mightyena could bite. Midnight reared, throwing Pearl with all of her strength, dragging her away from the safety of the water.

Pearl landed heavily on her belly and rose shakily to three legs. Her hind leg at very least didn't seem to be broken, but she could feel blood running down her paw. She would not be able to put weight on it for the remainder of the battle, unless Aqua Ring healed her very, very quickly.

"I'm bored!" Midnight snarled. "Get her, boys!"

"What?" Pearl yowled. "That's a coward's move, Midnight!"

"And I'm kind of a coward!" Midnight lapped at the blood on her muzzle, from Pearl's wounds but more so from her own.

In a bizarre way, Pearl was kind of flattered. Midnight thought that she had picked a fight she could not win.

But mostly, Pearl just felt afraid.

Some leader I turned out to be.

She pulled her lips back, trying to snarl at the Pokémon who surrounded her with bared teeth and gleaming red eyes, approaching her cautiously. They had seen what she had done to Midnight. There was a respect for her in their eyes now.

But there were many, many eyes.

Pearl unsheathed her claws, growled, and prepared for her final stand.

As one, the pack seemed to lunge- and a wall of water smashed over the entire clearing. The stream Pearl had been so desperately leaping for seemed to have come to her.

Did I do that?

But no, there were bodies in the water- familiar, finned bodies. The Lake Tribe had arrived. Silent was at her side, shaking out his thick fur.

"I ran as fast as I could," he whispered.

"You did great," Pearl nodded to him. "Now we can give them the fight they deserve."

She sprang for the nearest black-and-white pelt she saw, rising on the crest of her Surf to avoid walking on her injured leg. The Pokémon yelped in panic as he was bowled over. Pearl sunk her teeth into his ear and jerked her head back, barely avoiding a swing from his slashing paw. He tore himself away and snarled at her, only to be pushed back by Rapids and Fish.

Pearl whirled, and found herself face-to-face with Midnight, whose teeth shot toward her neck. Pearl didn't even have time to react, but it didn't matter, because something suddenly swept Midnight's hind legs out from under her. In another moment, Geyser was poised on her flank, pummeling her with his claws. Midnight rolled away and growled, then yelped when she realized that her son was being targeted by Lake Tribe Pokémon and ran to his aid.

Struggling to get her breath back, Pearl nodded to Geyser.

"Thanks," she breathed.

"Now we're even," he panted. "Hey... That was brave."

"What?"

"Everything Silent told us all on the way over. I just... Silent says- I think- Well, anyway... I don't know if you always know how brave you are. So, I just wanted you to know."

It was like something simply clicked into place. No longer did his eyes make Pearl feel anxious about an argument around the corner. Perhaps she had saved two friendships today.

"Let's run them off," she said, no longer surprised to hear herself giving him an order. "We'll teach them not to mess with the Lake Tribe ever again."