Enjoy learning about the origins of Team PokéHeroes!
Quick note, if you've read A Test of Fate, and/or Flames of Despair, then after reading this, you'll know there are some things I need to patch up. Just ignore those things and enjoy the story for now. Bleh.

Light. A slight warmth covering my face. I hold my paw up and slowly open my eyes as the dawn of the morning rises into my home. I let out a yawn and stretch out my furry brown legs as I turn to my side, only to be greeted with a comforting smile of a lilac furred Pokémon.

"Good morning, Eevee!" My mom, an Espeon, greeted me every morning when I woke up. Seeing her cheerful smile at the start of each day was a nice indicator that it was going to be great! I happily stood up in my leafy bed and smiled towards her.

"Good morning, mom!"

"So Eevee... do you remember what today is?" I tilted my head at her. Hm... It's not her birthday. I know it's not my birthday. Oh no! What if it's something important? I don't want to forget an important event!

"Uh... Gimme a hint!" My mom laughed at me.

"Alright then... The winter season is coming up soon. So, do you know-?"

"OH! I know, I know!" My ears instantly perked up at the mention of winter; I know what today is. "Today's the day we go scavenging for berries!" My mom closed her eyes and nodded in response. I always loved this day! For once, we get to go deeper into the forest to search for food. I always wanted to see what else was in the forest besides us. It was like going on an adventure, exploring unknown lands! I hopped over to the entrance of our house. "Come on! Let's go now!"

"Be patient, Eevee," my mom advised. "You should eat something before we head out. Wouldn't want you to starve and eat the food we bring back."

"Heh, oh yeah..."

After eating some of the berries we currently had in our supply, I stepped outside, noticing that the trees that surrounded us had all started to drop leaves. I turned around and looked up at our magnificent home. My mom and I lived inside the trunk of a giant, older tree; It was hollowed out. The tree was so tall, it looked like it touched the sky. The tree's roots twisted through the ground around it. A series of thin, brown vines wrapped around the tree's trunk, following it up all the way to the branches. The shining sun's rays covered the red, orange, and brown leaves that stuck out at the end of the gnarly branches. When they began to wave in unison, I felt the following chill blow across my brown fur. Yep. It's almost winter. The dark shaded grass was also a reminder of the changing seasons. I wonder how long it'll take before we see some snow...

"Boo."

"AH!" I jumped at the feeling of a claw poking my back. A black and gray furred Pokémon had spooked me. But I relaxed at the sight of him. "Oh... It's just you, Mightyena," I sighed.

"Good day to you, Eevee!" he greeted.

"Hello!" I waved. Mightyena was another Pokémon that lived nearby us. He playfully teases me at every chance he gets. My mom is also close friends with him. He sometimes watches over me when my mom has to go on "important business." (I never knew what that was.) He stood tall, and I could tell he was strong just by looking at him. Although, his red eyes scared me a little. But I was grateful to know him as a friend.

"So, today's the big day, huh?"

I happily skipped around in circles. "Oh my gosh! I've waited so long for this! I feel like I'm about to burst in anticipation!"

"Whoa, you better slow down then. Can't go on a journey if you explode into a million pieces," he joked. I happily laughed in response.

"Ah, Mightyena. It's good to see you." My mom finally walked out of our home, taking graceful steps with a large sack wrapped around her. But... Hm? A pendant with a shiny blue gem also hung around her neck. Whenever we go out, she always wore it. But I had no idea what it was for...

"Good to see you too, Espeon," Mightyena tilted his head at her.

My mom stood next to me. "So, I assume you know that we're about to go off..." Mightyena winked in response. "Hm... So, how's your family doing? Did they go off to get berries, too?" my mom asked.

"Heh, yeah... My wife and son left just a moment ago. I, however, was put on guard duty over our home. It's a bit insulting if you ask me, but it gives me a chance to sit around and be lazy, so I'm not complaining." My mom laughed in response.

"Oh, in that case, would you mind doing me a favor and watch over our home, too?" Mightyena nodded his head.

"Can do!" he smiled. My mom smiled back.

"Thank you. Alright, come along Eevee..." she began to walk into the thick forest around us.

"Yay!" I happily skipped behind her.

"Take care you two! Oh, and stay safe!" Mightyena waved goodbye as we went off on our journey.

We continued deeper into the woods, occasionally having to slow down and hop over a fallen tree, or cross a river. The berry trees we were heading to were quite a distance away, so of course my mind would wander as we walked along the now leaf-covered trail. I eagerly took in the awe of the forest and gazed around since we rarely came out here. My mom, on the other hand, was focusing hard on following the trail so we don't get lost. About an hour had passed when something bright hit my eye, I turned my head and noticed the sunlight had reflected off my mom's pendant. In the past, whenever I asked her about it, she would always ignore the question, or just tell me to be quiet. But... I wanted to know! Was it a treasure she found? Did someone give it to her? Or did she wear it simply because it was pretty?

"So, you want to know about this?" I jumped when my mom suddenly spoke to me.

"Wait, how did you-?"

"When I noticed you staring, I knew it seemed like something was bothering you, so I read your mind."

"Ooh! I forgot you could do that! That's so cool!" I praised her. "You know, mom... when I grow up, I want to be an Espeon just like you!" (Truly, I do.)

"Oh, Eevee! That's so sweet of you!" My mom smiled. There! I got her in a good mood. Now's my chance!

"So uh... Does that pendant help you with your psychic abilities?" I asked. My mom laughed. I think she knew what I was trying to do.

"Ah... No, that's not what this is for."

"Then what is it for?" I asked.

"Hm..." She closed her eyes.

"Oh please tell me! You never tell me about the secret stuff you do!" I begged, giving her my most pleading face.

"Hm..." She glanced around the forest. Her face suddenly turning... serious. "I can sense... negativity." She narrowed her eyes. "There's more than there usually is..."

"Negativity?" I tilted my head.

"This is reminding me of the events with Primal Dialga that happened many years ago..."

"Primal what?"

"Never mind that." My mom shook her head. "You want to know about this pendant? I be-"

"YES!" I happily responded. "I've waited so long for you to tell me!" My mom smiled at my childish response.

"I believe it is time I tell you the story behind this... but you must listen closely, Eevee. This could possibly change your entire life..."

"Oh!" I nodded and shut myself up. But my mind was jumping all over the place because I was super excited to hear this story!

My mom let out a sigh. "It is believed that many eons ago, the legendary Pokémon, Arceus created the universe. After creating the light, the darkness, the sun, the moon, our planet, the land, and all the other Pokémon, he then went to rest. And no one ever heard from him again...

"A group of six Pokémon then dedicated their lives to worshiping Arceus, praising him for the life that he had given everyone. These 'sages' traveled the land, wanting to find beauty in everything Arceus had created. Along their journey, they stumbled upon a strange rock, radiating with a divine glow. They could feel a certain power coming from inside it. But they had no idea what it was. Regardless, they held onto the stone. As they continued their journey, they found more of these rocks scattered throughout the entire land. Finally, when six pieces had been collected, an immense power reverberated from the stones. The sages knew that there was something trapped inside. They formed a circle, each sage holding a stone. When they held the stones up, a blinding light formed in the center. It was then that Arceus appeared before them, ultimately reawakening him. He was thankful for their loyalty.

"As a token of gratitude, Arceus bestowed them a certain power, which was kept inside each of the stones. And with each sage, a set of six verses was given to them. When all six verses were chanted in harmony, they would be granted an expansive amount of power. However, it was not necessary for everyone to have the stone. As long as the one with a stone said the first verse, then the rest may be chanted by anyone who knows the words. The power could only be used once a day. Grateful for the gift, the sages then broke off into different parts of the world, Arceus believing they would use this power to do good.

"One of these sages who had this power..." My mom looked up at the sky. "He was an Eevee, like you."

"Really!?" My mom nodded.

"Eevee... we are descendants of that sage. This pendant-" She looked down. "This is the stone that granted them power." My eyes widened.

"No way! You have a superpower that was given to you by Arceus!?"

"Shh!" My mom gave a stern look. "You mustn't be too open about this. If this pendant falls into the wrong hands, it could very well be the end of the planet... This is a story you can only tell to those that you are certain you can trust your life with." My mom's words made me worried. I never saw her get this serious before... it kinda scared me. I didn't know what to say.

"Eevee..." she stopped walking. She took the pendant off too, and held it out to me. "Place your paw on top of the pendant. I will teach you the verses." I looked up at her in awe. I hesitated. "One day, you will be given this pendant, and I want you to know the verses when the time comes." She closed her eyes for a moment before smiling. "Plus, if you know them, you could help me out sometimes when I use it, too."

"Ooh!" I couldn't contain myself. Helping my mom with special powers? The thought made me explode in excitement! I eagerly slammed my paw on top of the pendant. My mom closed her eyes.

"O' melody beckoning toward the abyss..." What the...? A weird looking symbol glowed on the ground under my mom. My eyes widened from beholding the sight of it. Is this... that power? Just then, an angelic voice echoed within my mind. I looked up at the sky...

O' melody beckoning toward the abyss...

O' tune of unyielding protection...

O' magnificent song of angels...

O' healing melody of divine mercy...

O' violent strains that render demons to ashes...

O' celestial choir, the light of redemption...

Light. Power. I could feel it inside me. The strange marking under my mom had vanished.

"Eevee," my mom spoke. "Whenever you hold this pendant, you are now capable of using the God's power. But you must use it responsibly."

I stared down at my paw. Do I... really have the power of Arceus? Am I really capable of using such a thing? Use it responsibly...

"I will!" I valiantly cheered as I took the pendant from my mom.

"Wait, what are you doing?" The pendant then magically slipped out of my paws, into the air. My mom used her psychic powers to take the pendant back. "Just because I gave you the ability to use it, doesn't mean I'm giving it to you just yet!"

"Aw! What? Come on!" I whined. "That's not fair!"

My mom laughed as we continued walking along the trail.

About half an hour had passed when the view of the berry trees came into our sight. I eagerly skipped through the leaves over to them, passing by my mom who strolled along. I gazed up at the wide variety of berries mixed in the trees that surrounded us. Spicy red Cheri berries, sweet pink Pecha berries, smooth yellow Sitrus berries- there we so many berries, it was like we stumbled upon a goldmine! I couldn't wait to bring them back home.

"Eevee, hold this open," my mom handed me the giant sack she was carrying. I placed my paws on the inside of the rim, and spread it open. My mom looked up at the berries in the trees and began to pick them off one by one with her psychic powers. Each exotic berry floated downwards to me, and was gently placed into the sack. Seeing all the berries get placed down in front of me... I started to get hungry. I know mom said not to eat them... but the taste of a Pecha berry... oh, it seems so good right now! I hesitantly pulled out a Pecha berry-

"Eevee, what did I tell you about eating our berries?" My mom caught me.

"Oh, please just let me have this one berry! Pecha berries are my favorite!" My mom closed her eyes, smiled, and shook her head.

"Alright then. Just one..."

"Yay!" I happily munched on the berry while my mom continued to fill the sack with more berries. While eating, I thought more about my mom's pendant. It was a gift from Arceus? That's so bizarre that the idea of actually seeing Arceus got my mind racing.

"Hey mom... where did you get the pendant from?" My mom continued to pick berries while she talked.

"Well, like I said, we are descendants of the sage that it was given to. I received the pendant from my father- your grandfather."

"Oh... Um, have either of you ever seen Arceus?" I asked. My mom sighed.

"Sadly, I never got a chance to see the God, himself..."

"Hm... Have you ever been on any adventures?"

"My, what made you become so curious?" My mom smirked. I thought to myself for a moment.

"You have this pendant from Arceus- So, have you ever done any good with it, like the sages?" My mom stopped picking berries and looked up at the sky. The clouds reflected within her purple eyes. She paused for a moment before speaking again.

"I have gone on one grand adventure, yes..."

"Ooh! What was it like?"

"Hm..." She smirked. "Perhaps I'll tell you more when we get back home. But all you need to know- many years ago, back when I was an Eevee like you, the legendary Dialga had become enraged, turning into Primal Dialga. We had to stop the destruction he was going to cause. With my pendant, I knew I had to step in and help. I worked alongside a few other Pokémon... the most headstrong of them was a Snivy." I tilted my head.

"A Snivy? What's that?" My mom laughed.

"A Snivy is a little green snake-like Pokémon. Perhaps you'll see one yourself, someday. Anyway..." my mom continued, "This Snivy was so determined to help us, that he even went as far as to ask the other legends for assistance. After a few days of searching, he came back, wielding a sword- a blade forged by the legendary Zekrom."

"Oh! That's the one that controls lightning, and he's all about ideals, right?"

"That's very good, Eevee! I didn't think you would remember that." My mom smiled. "Yes, the Snivy had a sword from Zekrom. He had his sword, I had the pendant, and the other Pokémon had their power. We all worked together to stop Primal Dialga. And so... we successfully did..."

"What happened to everyone afterwards?" My mom closed her eyes.

"We all went our separate ways. I never saw any of them, ever again after that..."

"Aw! But weren't you all friends?"

"Of course we were. But we all wanted to live our own lives. So we agreed to split away." My mom paused for a moment. "I wonder what became of that Snivy... I hope he's found a happy life..." I stared at her in awe once she finished.

"Hey mom..." She turned her head towards me. "When I grow up, I wanna go on adventures, too! I wanna be able to tell amazing stories like that! I want to see new places, and meet other Pokémon, and find treasure-!"

"Ahahahah!" My mom laughed really loudly. "Maybe one day you will go on your own journey..." I smiled at her.

"I can't wait for that day!"

"Hehe..." She shook her head. "I've also got some good news: I think we're all set with our berries. Time to head home."

"Woohoo!" I cheered and skipped around in circles. "Time to head back home through the forest and finish our adventure~!"

My mom smiled as she telepathically carried the large sack of berries behind us.

Thank goodness my mom's a psychic. Otherwise, if we had to carry the sack of berries with us through this path, it would be kinda difficult. (Especially when we had to cross that river again.) My mom strolled along while I followed behind her. Now that I think about it... it was kinda like I actually had gone on an adventure today! I learned new things and heard about new Pokémon and-

"Oof!" I accidentally bumped into my mom. "Sorry mom-!"

"Shh!" She hushed me. It was then that I noticed she had stopped walking and put the sack of berries down. What was going on?

"Why are you-?"

"I said be quiet!" I froze at my mom's words. I've never seen her get this tense. I did as she commanded, though. My mom narrowed her eyes and slowly scanned the area around us, her head slowly turning clockwise. In front and behind us was the open path, layered with leaves. To our left and right was just more of the forest and the trees that were spread about. I don't see anything. So why were we stopped?

Suddenly, my mom quickly looked left into the forest. "Eevee, get behind me!" she whispered. I quickly hopped behind her. Did she see something? She continued to stand and stare while I peaked over her with curiosity. A moment of silence passed...

"Show yourself!" my mom called out. But... to who? Someone was here?

"Hmph... Smart. I like that." A giant orange dragon stepped out from behind one of the wider trees in the forest. He had short skinny arms with claws. His legs were stocky and wide. His tail had a small flame burning off the tip. He had a long neck, and two blunt horns protruded from his head. He had two teal colored wings, as well. He had small blue eyes, and beneath that, he held a sly smirk. But it made me uncomfortable... I had no idea what Pokémon this was. "How'd you know I was watching you?" My mom gave a stern look.

"I sensed your presence for the past half mile we walked. I knew you were following us. What do you want?" I could tell she was angry. I know this won't go well... The draconic Pokémon stepped closer to us.

"Well... Alright. I'll cut to the chase. I'm a convict, currently on the run and looking for somewhere to hide. Although, it's kinda hard to run when you're on an empty stomach. That's when I noticed-"

"You can take the berries," my mom replied. But... why is she giving them away!? It's our treasure!

"Ah, but you see..." the Pokémon tapped his claws together. "Those berries alone simply won't do. I need... some meat." My mom took a step back when he said that. "But I do see you have a little, Eevee there-"

Wait... was he... Did he want to eat me!? I froze in place. W-Why did he-?

"Tell you what, I'll let you go with no trouble if you just simply bring that little Eevee to me. Deal?" The Pokémon flashed us a terrifying smile. But my mom closed her eyes. There was a slight pause before she spoke.

"You are quite possibly the stupidest Charizard I've ever seen." And with that said, my mom telepathically hurled our large sack of berries right at the Pokémon, causing him to stumble backwards. "Eevee, hide!" my mom shouted at me. But her unexpected command caught me off guard. I hesitated before dashing into the grove of trees behind me. I don't know what's going on. But I know that right now, I'm scared, and I need to hide. I quickly scanned the area before noticing a small group of thick bushes came into my path. I hopped into them and held my head down.

What's happening? Why was my mom so angry? And that Pokémon... my mom said it was a Charizard? Why did he want to eat me? How could a Pokémon even think of eating someone!? The thought made me sick to my stomach. What... happened? We were on our way home from our adventure, and now I'm hiding for my life? I-I'm so scared...

I don't want to get eaten!

I don't want to die!

I'm so scared!

Soon, the voices of combat began to get louder than my mind. It was clearly my mom and the Charizard. Do I dare...?

I peaked out through the bushes. I didn't realize how quickly everything had caught on fire! All the trees, their leaves, and the grass... all innocently burning away as an unnecessary battle took place. My mom dashed into my view, and a burst of fire trailed right behind her. To my relief, she hopped to the side, and the fire continued straight, igniting another tree. Smoke began to fog up the air around us. I could feel my body warm up from all the extreme heat surrounding us. Oh mom... please don't get hurt!

The Charizard called out to her (but I didn't see him). "You fool. There's a reason why I'm a convict. I've killed before, and I would have no trouble doing it again. You say I'm stupid, but you're the one who got yourself into this situation." My mom didn't say anything. She kept shifting her eyes, trying to figure out where he was. Suddenly, a huge rocket of fire ripped through the forest branches from above, diving straight at my mom. She quickly rolled backwards towards me to evade the attack. Turns out that fire-rocket was Charizard. The swirl of flames around him dissipated. "Hm. You're impressively quick, too. It's unfortunate you're going to die, anyway..."

"No!" My mom shouted at him. "I won't let you cause anymore harm!" She held up her pendant. "O' melody beckoning toward the abyss!" Those words... The strange symbol glowed around my mom again.

"What the-!?" Charizard stepped back in fear. My mom calmly sat down and stared at him. A holy orb of light hovered above her head. An expansive laser of psychic energy fired out from the orb. Charizard had zero time to dodge, but he attempted to dive to the right, anyway. He crashed to the ground, holding his hand over his left wing. "Agh! Dammit... Uh oh!" He looked up, noticing the amount of smoke that had started to fill the area. "Screw it! I'm outta here!" Charizard hastily stood up and ran off. I let out a sigh of relief and took a deep breath... only to then cough from the amount of smoke I inhaled into my lungs.

"Eevee!?" My mom called to me. "Where are you!?"

"Over here- ack!" I coughed again. My mom ran over to the bushes I was hiding in and pulled me out with her psychic powers. I noticed the symbol around her was once again gone.

"Oh thank Arceus you're okay! Don't worry, we're leaving now-" my mom stopped talking at the sound of something snapping. A long branch above us from a nearby tree began to tilt downwards; It started to collapse from the fire.

"Look out!" I cried. But my mom had instead thrown me out of harm's way. As I flew backwards... the branch came crashing down... on top of my mom...

I landed with a thud, but quickly sprung back up. "Mom!" I hopped back over to the burning branch. But I didn't see her. I leaped over the branch, just barely brushing the flames on it. Once I landed, I saw my mom lying down. Her legs were caught under the branch. "Mom!" I called her again as I ran over. She had her eyes closed.

"Heh... guess I'm not as agile as I once was."

"Don't worry! I'll get you out!" I placed my paws against the burning branch and started pushing. But the extreme temperature burned my paws, and I hopped back. I tried pushing it again, using more force. But even if it the branch wasn't burning, I still didn't have the strength to move it. But I... I can't leave... I tried once more, only to burn myself again.

"Eevee..." My mom spoke up. "Even if you were to get this off me... I can tell you right now that my leg is broken. There would be no way for me to walk..."

"That doesn't matter! I'm not leaving you!" Tears formed in my eyes, but I quickly wiped them away. I stared at the branch once more. I hesitated, wondering if I should try pushing on it again. Suddenly, I heard rustling from another patch of bushes behind me. I didn't know who it was, so I trembled in fear. Charizard...? But he said he was going to leave. Did he really come back? The bushes rustled again. I feel so helpless. I don't know what to do...

Suddenly, a black and gray furred Pokémon with a familiar face hopped out.

"Mightyena!?" I gasped.

"I saw smoke rising in this direction and knew something was wrong. Once my family got back, I ran as fast as I could."

"Quick! Help my mom!" I pointed to where she was. Mightyena's eyes widened. He ran over and tried pushing the branch, too. But even with his strength, he could only just barely nudge it. He pulled away once his paws began to burn. Just like me, he tried once more.

"Agh! Dammit!" He burned his paws again. He looked down at my mom.

"Why don't you use your psychic power and move this?"

"Because..." my mom paused, "I don't have any energy left. I used it all trying to protect Eevee..." I lied down next to her.

"Mom, we're not leaving you!" I felt tears again. I didn't bother wiping them.

"Eevee..." She looked up at me. "Please take this..." She took the pendant off her neck and handed it to me. I carefully grasped it in my paws. "I'm sorry Eevee. But... I can't go on. I didn't think this was how I'd go..."

"No! You're not leaving! You're coming with us!"

"Eevee..." My mom smiled. "I'm sorry I won't be there to see you go off on your adventures..." Tears formed in her eyes. "But I don't want to see you frown..." She wiped my tears with her paw. "I want you to smile, and bring happiness to everyone you meet. I want you to go have lots of adventures, see new places, and meet new Pokémon. You have the pendant now. Please do good with it..." By now, the tears were streaming down my face.

"B-But... I refuse to leave you!"

"Mightyena..." My mom turned towards him. "Please take good care of Eevee..." Mightyena bowed his head to her.

"It was an honor to know you, Espeon. Know that we are all eternally grateful for what you have done." He then walked next to me. "It's time to go, Eevee."

"B-But-!" I froze up. I didn't want to move. "I'm not leaving!" I shouted.

A moment of silence passed between us as the forest continued to burn away...

"Forgive me, Eevee..." Using his mouth, Mightyena grabbed the back of my furry collar and started running off.

"Mom! NO!" I cried out again as tears streamed down my face. I closed my eyes and began to cry as I got farther away.

Farther from the fire.

Farther from mom.

The wind around me had stopped. There was no movement. I could feel the grass brush against me as I was lowered to the earth. I slowly opened my eyes and sat up, feeling the tears that had been running down my face. I looked up.

"Home..." I said it aloud. Here was my home. But mom... I looked down at my paws. Oh, the pendant! I still clenched it in my paw. My brown eyes reflected within the blue gem. But all I could see was my mom... I felt the tears come up again, but I wiped them away.

"Eevee..." Mightyena spoke. I turned towards him. "Look over there..." He pointed up in the blue sky, above the horizon of the trees. A small wave of smoke could be seen. That's where... mom... "I'm sorry..." Mightyena turned towards me with his head hanging down. "I'm sorry I couldn't save her. No amount of apologizing could make up for what's happened." I didn't say anything. It's not his fault. But I didn't know what to do, what to feel, how to react... Everything was quiet...

"I brought you back here in case there was anything you needed. After this, you're coming with me back to where I live. You'll stay with my family."

I looked at the entrance to my home. I slowly walked inside. Mightyena followed behind. The only things that were here were the sack with our remaining berries, and our leafy beds. I slowly walked on top of mine. Right here... this morning... I woke up, and saw her face. Her smile. Today was going to be great! And it really was! Until...

I shut my eyes and buried my head into my bed. Tears crawled up again. The only question that kept going through my mind was... why? Why... did this happen? How could Arceus let this happen? This can't be real... No. Of course it isn't! This is all just a bad dream! Yeah, that's it! I'm actually asleep right now! I'm going to open my eyes, see the morning sun, and I'm going to see mom right there, looking down at me.

…

The pendant's still in my hand. Mightyena is looking outside through the entrance. Everything that happened... It was all very real. I slowly got back up, and walked outside.

Mightyena lead me to his home. Of course, thoughts about mom still scattered my mind. He had to keep stopping and looking back at me because I was walking so slow. I don't know how long it took, but eventually we made it to the base of a really tall mountain. Around the base, to our right, I saw a piece of the land form an arch.

"That's where we live, in that cave," Mightyena looked at me. "Come along now..." I continued to drag my feet behind him. We turned the corner and entered into his home.

"Oh, hello dear!" His wife immediately greeted him. She looked just like Mightyena, but her black fur was a lighter shade, and she had yellow eyes. "So, what happened out there?"

"I'll explain in a moment. But first... we have a guest." Mightyena nodded towards me as I walked out from behind him.

"Oh! Hey Eevee!" His son, Poochyena happily ran up to me from his bed, excitedly waving his gray shaggy tail. We're good friends. But right now... "What's up?" I gave him a very long sad stare. The cheer immediately faded from his red eyes, and he gave a worried look. "Whoa... are you okay?"

"Son, I ask that you leave Eevee alone for now. A lot has happened..." Mightyena turned around and looked outside the cave. "I will explain everything in a moment..."

I carried myself over to the wall in the back of the cave where they slept, and lied down. I closed my eyes.

Lifeless.

…

I couldn't sleep.

About an hour had passed. While I "slept," Mightyena told them what happened. Except, to me, his voice was all mumbled out. Good. I didn't want to hear those events again. Eventually, I heard a moment of silence.

"The poor child..." His wife spoke loud enough for me to hear.

"Wait... so Espeon...?" Poochyena innocently asked. Mightyena sighed.

More silence.

The floor was cold.

Finally, nighttime arrived. But I only knew this because the three of them all huddled in the back, like I did.

"Good night, Eevee." Mightyena whispered. His wife lied down next to me.

"Don't worry. You'll be safe with us. Everything is going to be okay..." She wrapped her tail over me like a blanket. The warmth that it provided... it reminded me of mom. I buried my face into her tail and began to quietly cry.

The first night I went to sleep without her...

Goodbye... mom...

The next few days were very difficult. I barely left the cave. I barely ate. I barely slept. I haven't played with Poochyena at all. And I barely spoke. I didn't know what to do... Truthfully, I still don't even believe the events I saw had actually happened. But then I ask why am I here? And the only reason for that is because those events did happen.

Every time I look into the pendant my mom left me, all I can see is her face. Then the nostalgia of all my memories with her begin to suddenly flow through my mind, and I get even more sad. I'm ready to give up...

One day, the early morning sun rose and filled the cave with light. I slowly stood up and stretched, only to sit back down again. The three of them were already awake. I stared outside the entrance. Was it worth going back out?

"Hey Eevee," To my surprise, Poochyena talked to me. I turned and faced him. "Wanna... come outside and play?" I slowly shifted my gaze away. I wasn't in the mood to do anything.

"Eevee, I think you should go," Mightyena spoke. "I know it's difficult, but you need to get some more sunshine. It would do you good." The thing is, I knew he was right. But I just didn't feel like going out. Ahh... Yet, I did so, anyway. I slowly stood up and put on mom's pendant. I dragged my feet to the outside. My first steps from darkness, back into the light...

I followed Poochyena to... wherever we were going. But he stopped walking once he saw my head was still drooped. I sat down and stared at the ground.

"Um... Eevee..." I didn't say anything to him. "Y'know what I really like about you? I always like how you can find something good out of a bad situation. Like, like... remember that time we were playing by those rocks we found, but then I slipped and fell and got hurt?"

I remember the event pretty well.

"Do you remember what you said after I was all okay?"

Unfortunately, I don't.

"I remember you said to me, 'Hey, now you've got the experience, and you can tell people what it was like!'"

That's what I said?

"And that's what I mean- You knew how to find something good out of a bad situation. Actually, you always knew how to cheer anyone up. And I think it's amazing that you can do that!"

I slowly looked up at Poochyena. "You really think so?" He smiled.

"You're like the happiest person I know! Seeing you all sad like right now... it just isn't like you. You should focus on making other Pokémon happy, too!" It was then that I remembered what my mom had said to me,

"I want you to smile, and bring happiness to everyone you meet..."

I do like making others happy. I enjoy seeing everyone smile...

Yes... That will be my goal. I will find a way to make everyone I meet smile and be happy.

"Poochyena..." I spoke to him. "You're right. Thank you." I gave him a soft smile. He smiled back.

"I'm really glad to see your smile again, Eevee!" I nodded my head in response. Strangely, smiling at him made me feel way better. Perhaps the dark clouds were finally leaving...

"So... what game do you want to play?" I asked.

"Oh!" His pointy ears perked up. "Um... how 'bout 'Rescue Team'?" I gasped. That's my favorite game!

"Okay!" I cheerfully replied.

"Alright then. You'll be the Rescue Team member, and I'll be the Pokémon who needs help." I nodded my head in agreement to his terms.

'Rescue Team' was a game the two of us made up. Our parents had told us before about the Rescue Teams that are out there in the world. Rescue Teams went on all kids of adventures into these weird places called Mystery Dungeons and did all sorts of good for Pokémon. So, we made a game where we could pretend to be like them. One of us would be a member of a Rescue Team, and the other was a Pokémon who needed help, or a criminal who needed to be stopped. (Of course, we didn't beat each other up, or anything like that.)

Poochyena ran of into the deeper part of the forest, while I stayed put. Once he "hid" himself in this "dungeon," he would call for help, and that's when I would come in and rescue him. Hm... If I really did have a Rescue Team, what would the team name be? I thought to myself... I would never back down. I would never give up. And I'd want to help everyone in danger... like a hero...

"Help!" There was my call. I instantly dashed into the forest and began my search. I scanned the area high and low, from the treetops, to underneath the bushes, and through the piles of leaves that were scattered everywhere. While Poochyena pretended to be lost, we both knew this area pretty well. Occasionally he would call out again after some time had passed. I followed his voice. Where could he have gone?

"Someone, help!" His voice was closer. I peered down the side of a hill. A river was running down at the bottom. And standing on a rock in the middle of the stream was Poochyena. I hopped on down to the bank of the river.

"Don't worry fellow Pokémon!" I put on a heroic front. "As a member of Team- um... T-Team- Oh! Team PokéHeroes, I'll save you!" I hopped across the rocks to where Poochyena was.

"Oh, thank you so much, Team PokéHeroes!" Poochyena laughed.

"You're safe now! Follow me back to our base!" I cheered. The two of us happily skipped back to the starting point. And so the mission was successfully completed.

It really did feel good to smile again. I wish there was a place were every day could be like this.

We continued our game for a few more hours, switching between roles after each round. The sky had begun to turn a shade of orange when we decided to head back. On the way to Poochyena's home, we noticed something flying in the sky. A Pokémon with wings... It looked like a bird.

"That must be Pelipper delivering the mail!" Poochyena cried. "C'mon, let's go catch up so we can see him!" The two of us began to sprint.

Just as Poochyena's cave came into our view, the Pelipper began to fly away.

"Aw man. We're too late," Poochyena whined.

"Yeah, but let's go see what he brought!" I replied. We hopped back into the cave.

Mightyena and his wife were looking over a sheet of paper that was spread out on the ground. Poochyena and I ran over and curiously took a look, too. The letter said:

Attention!

I'm selling my land to anyone who wants it, hmm!

For just a 1,000,000 Poké, hmm, the land I have here will be all yours!

The land is very open and vast- Perfect for anyone looking to build farms, or houses, hmm.

This land is located off the east path from Post Town. Please come see me if you're interested, hmm!

-Quagsire

"Why are there so many 'hmm's'?" Poochyena tilted his head.

"It is strange that he would write those in the letter..." Mightyena commented. "But this is no use to us. We don't need any land. We've got our home right here... Eevee?" He noticed me staring at the letter. This land, vast, open... I closed my eyes and imagined a wonderful area filled with bright grass, beautiful trees, and a wide array of Pokémon happily playing together and being happy. No worries. No problems. Everyone is safe and free of danger. The sun shines high in the sky while everyone enjoys their lives.

A Paradise.

And it will be protected by a Rescue Team.

My Rescue Team.

"I want this land..." I spoke aloud.

"Hm?" Mightyena tilted his head. "What for?"

"I... I want to build a Paradise!" Mightyena was surprised by my unexpected cry.

"A Paradise?"

"Yes! I want to build a place where everyone is happy! A place where no one worries- no one fears. A place where everyone is friends with each other, and we can live our lives carefree! A Paradise to wash away all the darkness that there is!" I stopped to let out a deep breath. "I enjoy seeing other Pokémon smile. And my mom told me to bring happiness to everyone I meet. That's what I want to do! And I know I can do it if I have this land!"

"Eevee..." Mightyena closed his eyes.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea!" His wife smiled.

"Hey, once you do make that Paradise, can I come, too?" Poochyena asked.

"Of course!" I happily replied.

"Yay!" He smiled.

"Hm..." Mightyena still kept his eyes closed. "You really want to do this, Eevee?" I very eagerly nodded my head in response. "Alright then. Give me some time, and I may just be able to help you."

"Really!?" I gasped. "Oh, thank you so much, Mightyena!" I gave him a hug. He smiled back at me. The fact that I might actually be able to make Paradise made me excited! I couldn't wait to go out there and meet new Pokémon!

"It looks like it's getting late," Mightyena's wife pointed at the dark-blue part of the sky. "Time for bed, children." The mention of bedtime caused me to yawn. I strolled over to the back of the cave and lied down. I slowly closed my eyes, and drifted into a deep slumber. It's been a while since I slept this comfortably. My dreams were filled with nothing but beautiful visions of Paradise.

The next morning, I woke to the sound of something being dug up. I stretched my legs out as I stood up. Mightyena was digging something up from the right side of the cave.

"What are you looking for dad?" Poochyena asked.

"I'm going to help Eevee. I know I buried my things somewhere here..." While he was digging, I noticed his wife was gone.

"Hey, Poochyena..."

"Oh." He turned towards me. "Hello, Eevee!" He smiled.

"Where'd your mom go?" I asked.

"She said she was going to see some friends nearby. Once she left, Dad started digging around for something-"

"Ah!" Mightyena cried out. "Here it is!" He pulled a small rectangular chest out of the ground. It was dark-brown and made of wood. A black frame held it together. Mightyena flipped over the lock on the front and opened it up. He then pulled out a large messenger's back, a small little blue pouch (which he put in the messenger's bag), and a rolled up piece of paper. Upon unraveling the paper, it revealed itself to be a map.

"Post Town... is right here:" Mightyena pointed at a small black dot on the west side of the map. "And we're all the way over here:" he pointed at a giant forest that covered most of the land on the east side. "That's quite a distance to Post Town..." He paused. "But you should be able to make it." Mightyena then grabbed a berry from their supply, and he stabbed his claw into it. He then drew along the map, marking up a path to follow. "That should be it. Are you ready to leave now, Eevee?"

I looked down at my mom's pendant. I could see her smile smiling at me.

"Yes," I nodded.

"Very well then. Come along." Mightyena stood up, placing the map in the messenger's bag. He grabbed some berries and threw them in there, too. He then stuck his head through the strap and carried it. He turned towards Poochyena. "You come along, too."

"Where are we going?" Poochyena asked.

"You'll see..." Mightyena replied. The two of us followed him out of the cave.

The next hour was spent traveling through our forest, heading straight in one direction. I've never been this far out in our forest. Where could he be taking us? The sun was high in the sky as we walked along the leaf covered ground, reminding me once again of the season of fall. A lot of the foliage seemed to repeat itself as we continued forward. I was afraid that we might get lost. I certainly wasn't sure where we were... Eventually, we came to a small patch of really tall hedges.

"Just through here..." Mightyena lowered his head as he walked through. Poochyena followed behind him. I tilted my head. What could be on the other side? I hesitantly stepped on through...

Upon coming out the other side of the hedges, my eyes widened in amazement.

"Whoa..." My voice trailed off through the air. Before us was the a giant vast field that stretched out for miles and miles. Over in the distance, I could see rocky mountains, a grand ocean, and what appeared to be a series of houses over in front of us. The emerald grass in this field was tall, and calmly waved with the open breeze. I stared out at the horizon...

"That's where you'll need to go next." Mightyena pointed to those houses in the distance. "That there is a town called Moria."

"How do you know so much about this?" I asked.

"Because..." Mightyena smiled. "Before I met my wife, and decided to settle here in the forest, I used to live out in the towns among other Pokémon."

"Why did you leave?"

"Hm... I wasn't very fond of living in town. I never had enough money to buy a house, so I had to keep renting a room at an inn. The struggle with money, and the strange personalities of the other Pokémon I met... I decided it would be best if I went back to living naturally in the forest." So, he has been outside the forest? That's so cool!

"I'm sorry to say this Eevee, but..." Mightyena lowered his head and took off the messenger's bag. "I'm afraid this is where we part ways." I paused for a moment.

"Wait... what?"

"We can't go with you."

"We can't!?" Poochyena spoke up. "Why not!?" Mightyena closed his eyes.

"Sorry, but if my whole family were to go with you, it would only slow down your journey. Someone else could buy Quagsire's land by then."

"Then, why don't you come with me, and Poochyena can stay with your wife?" I argued.

"Because there's not enough supplies here for the two of us. What I left in this bag is only enough for you." I opened the bag. Berries, the map, and a blue pouch. I held up the pouch.

"What's in this?"

"There should be about 10,000 Poké in that. That's all I had left before retiring to the forest. I want you to take it, so you can buy the land and make Paradise. But it's not enough. You'll have to find a way to make more money along the way to Post Town." I began to worry. All this information thrown at me at once... And what if I can't find Post Town? What if I can't find more money? What if I run out of money!? I wasn't exactly comfortable with going off on my own. Mightyena noticed. "Don't worry about the whole journey. Just look at it in steps. Right now, all you have to do is get to Moria-" he pointed at the town, "and then find the inn, so you can rest for the night." Hm... I was still worried though.

"Eevee..." Mightyena closed his eyes. "I'm not leaving you alone." My eyes widened. "I'm giving you all of this supplies because I believe you have the potential to make Paradise a reality. In fact, I want you to make Paradise a reality. I want to see this Paradise you create." Hearing him say that... I became filled with joy and smiled. "Plus, I see you still have your mother's pendant. As long as you wear that, she'll always be by your side. You will never be alone." I looked down at the pendant. I could imagine my mom smiling at me as I finally went off on my adventure. I looked up at Mightyena and smiled.

"Thank you, Mightyena..."

"There's one other thing I want to mention," he said. "You're about to step out into the real world. And the real world doesn't always have a happy ending. I'm sure you'll succeed in the end. But be prepared for when things don't go right." I nodded my head.

"Got it!"

"Well then, Eevee... That's all I have to say. Take care," he tilted his head to me.

"Oh, Eevee!" Poochyena spoke. "Lemme know when you finish Paradise so I can come, too!" I smiled at him.

"Of course!" I replied. I turned around and took a deep breath.

My first steps on my own.

My first adventure.

I descended from the forest and into the field.

"Goodbye, Eevee!" I turned around. The two of them were waving to me. I happily waved back.

This is it. I will build Paradise. I will make others smile.

And I won't frown anymore.

For you, mom.