Broken Souls

A Fox In The Forest

We camp out in the middle of the forest, close to the shrine but not directly under it. My Pokemon snuggle in, although a few of them seem terribly uncomfortable.
"Are you sure we have to sleep out here?" Reginae asks, pressing far too close against my side. I derive a comfort from knowing that for once he's being terribly affectionate. It's getting sort of uncomfortable, though... he's far too big to cuddle with anymore, ever since he evolved.

"Yes." I say from inside my sleeping bag, which muffles my voice somewhat.

"What if an Ursaring attacks?"

"Ursaring isn't even native about this area."

"What if it's a trainer's?"

"D'spinas will kill it."

D'spinas revs up her drills, threatening to impale anything and everything that might go bump in the night. None of us seem terribly keen to contradict her, and so we sit asleep and listen to the distant hum of bug-types, wondering if we're ever going to go to sleep.
***
I wake up in the morning terribly unrefreshed. I stagger over to the lake to find that my eyes are either really baggy or the image on the lake is blurry. Unimpressed, I get out my Pokegear and take a picture of myself. Ten's eyes bore into me in the background, which makes me chuckle a bit, and I see more clearly that I'm definitely not getting the rest I need.

"Alright. Everyone up!"

"Food," moans Reginae.

"Bored," Ten adds.

"Fox." D'spinas practically hisses the words through her mandibles.

"First of all, Reginae, you're a grass type and should be able to synthesize. Second, it's not my duty to entertain you. Third, what?"

D'spinas shrugs. "Thought I saw one."
"What type of fox? Eevee? Vulpix?"

"No idea." she admits.

I pucker my lips a bit, going over the possibilities, but nothing I can think of is all that satisfying of a conclusion. "You know what?" I reach into my bag and break out some Pokemon trail mix, full to the brim with berries and saccharine covered oats. "We should probably eat before we get on the road. Who wants trail mix?"

The entire team shuffles over. I get out Clay, who doesn't speak at all, but I still see him sneaking a few berries and eating them alone. D'spinas is staring over at him, curious, and I catch his name out of Sunny's mouth as she talks to Rose. The tiny Togepi nods, then picks up a dried berry and begins chewing happily.

I feel a sense of pride just staring at them. This is my team. I raised this. I also share in the spoils, taking an entire packet and pouring it into my mouth.

"Ashley... Er, you are aware that's for Pokemon, right?" Ten takes a large Oran berry in his mouth and swallows it whole.

"Yes," I say, "As a Goldeneye, I get to eat whatever I want."
"Your body is still human."

"This trail mix is also still delicious."

That ends that fight.

We're almost done eating when Rose begins crying. Sunny tries to comfort her, but her wailing is even louder and it's beginning to get irritating. I rush over and sit down by the Togepi, but Rose pushes me away with what must be some primitive psychic powers.

"Isn't new life something to behold?" teases a voice from around a tree.

Rose, surprisingly enough, stops crying. Her eyes grow wide as she stares into the face of an enormous beast, affixed with an enormous grin and terrifying jaws. It's mauve fur rustles in the breeze.