Once Is Enough

Part 7

As soon as they knew it, the sun was beginning to set. Zoar and Avian had found a secluded place to rest for the night near the shade of trees. It was hard to see without light, but the Riolu trusted the older Pokemon to look after him in the dusk, for his eyes he claimed were made for seeing in the thick of the darkness. The pup was throwing stones in the air, using them as targets to practice on his aura spheres. He wouldn't let the berries stop him. No, he was just starting.

Avian hadn't noticed that he walked so far away from his home. He couldn't even recognize his surroundings, knowing well that he used to venture a good distance away from the cave. On many sunny days, his mother would walk him out to play in the forest while she collected berries, and he recalled her beautiful and kind smile that she would always give him. Her laughter would ring through his ears like a soothing bell as she played and talked to him.

"Maybe, I could teach one day about the berries of the forest. What do you think, Avian?"

And he would just smile and nod, dreaming about the day he would have the knowledge of all the plants he and his family could eat.

He shot at another stone, missing it by a few inches. Frustration built in him.

And his father...

The day after every full moon, if mother nature was treating them just right, his father and him would go to a small field of dirt nearby their cave and gather up a clod of dead twigs, leaves, and vines. His father would tie them into a ball with the perfect size and shape to play catch with. Avian never knew how he could do it, but the ball was always just right. They would maneuver around the area, and toss the clump back and forward. The pup remembered how his arms would stumble, and the tumbleweed would fall onto the ground. Feelings of guilt and disappointment would bundle in his chest. Once when he was very young, he even cried.

But he always came to cheer him up, make him better, make him smile and laugh. He was the greatest father he could ever ask for, and with his mother, they were the best parents he could ever have.

But now... They weren't here anymore.

Never could he hug them... Never hear them... Never see them again.

And all because he couldn't...

"URGH!" The Riolu furiously shot a large aura sphere at the trunk of a nearby tree. With great force, it swung and released many green leaves from its branches. Zoar jerked, turning his head to face the sound of the impact.

"Whoa, Ave! Everything okay?" he asked. Avian panted slightly to regain composure, but soon sighed, slinking to his knees. He slowly looked into his red and yellow eyes.

"It's not fair, Zoar..." Avian mumbled, grabbing ahold of another rock. Zoar sighed.

"Unfortunately, a lot of things in life aren't fair, kit," he replied, staring at the slightly seared part of the wood. That's not what I... Avian stopped himself from thinking anymore, staring at his paws. He couldn't let him know.

"...Why does it have to be this way?" he questioned, gaping at the gray pebble of earth in his grasp. Zoar paused for a moment, staring into the distance hesitantly. Thoughts of his pack rushed into his head.

"It's just how the world works, he answered. "All of us have to deal with it, whether we want it or not." A pang of guilt hit Avian directly in the stomach. Zoar tensed, wanting to shed light on his words. "But it's up to us on how to deal with it. Some just crumble under the pressure... But others power through. That's what we have to do right now until we get you home, alright?" He smiled. "I believe in you, you can do it."