Four Paws and A Tale

Chapter 23: Pixie

Yawning I rose from a soft bed, there are bandages around my stomach and on my head, my everything hurts, it looks like I'm back in the guild.

Ugh, what happened.

Then it all came back at once.

"Jacob!"

He's gone, ignoring the pain I ran from the room and into the central cavern. Archie was just rising on top of a rock, about to begin the nightly debrief. Pokémon had already formed a small crowd, Glair and Tertle were at the back of it. I ran towards them.

"What happened? Where's Jacob?"

Tertle just shook his head, "I suppose Archie's about to tell us, and if he doesn't I'll beat it out of him." The aggressive tone, the murderous eyes, this was the first time I'd seen Tertle angry and it was terrifying.

From his podium Archie cleared his throat and began; "My friends, it is with a heavy heart that I come before you tonight."

He waited for the chatter to die before continuing.

"Our comrade and friend, Motor, has fallen in battle."

Shock hit the audience like a tidal wave.

"Tertle's team were on expedition to the Thunderfall ranges, there was an ambush awaiting them. Motor and I learned of this plot and attempted to thwart it. Once there we fought to protect the team against the evil which they were fighting. Motor was betrayed and murdered before my eyes. Jacob the Eevee killed him in cold blood. He then fled, I don't know where he went but I do know this, Jacob is a dangerous enemy, if you should encounter him, kill on sight."

I fell, Tertle caught me and pushed me upright, he looked furious. Sheldon raised a question from the middle of the crowd.

"Why? Why would Jacob do this?"

Archie sighed. "Power, when this all started Pokémon that evolve through experience lost their minds. But he gained power, he now has to ability to evolve into any one of his eight evolutions and then back again at will."

"Impossible!" Someone shouted. Archie frowned.

"I'm afraid not. Pixie?"

Everyone fell silent and looked at me, Glair and Tertle included. I hung my head and whispered.

"I saw it. It's true."

A murmur ran through the crowd. Glair was crying silently, Tertle was glaring daggers at the Arcanine, and me? I was nursing a broken heart.