Dreams, Visions, and Futures (Part 3)

The fight was over before Sunbeam was even aware that it had started.  Before she could have even registered that she should have fought back, she was lying on the floor on her back and hurting in a lot of different places.  "...ow..." she said ungracefully.

The Absol walked around her so that she could see him.  "Wow.  You must have evolved really recently.  I've seen Poison Types have better reflexes than that."

"Yeah..." was all Sunbeam could manage.  Boy was she glad she cut that deal with Absol...

After a few seconds, he spoke again.  "Those are just bruises and superficial wounds.  If push comes to shove, they shouldn't slow you down too much."  He stayed where he was, watching her.  "...Have you ever been in a real fight?"

Sunbeam bit back an acidic response for the first time in her life as she rolled to her paws, wincing a bit.  "I have, but I had friends with me."  She didn't want to give anyone away.

She could read his thoughts without using telepathy.  Of course you were.  She may not have been the biggest fan of him, but she needed him to help both of them escape.  She shook herself off and tried to act nonchalant.  "Can we go now?"

"Sure.  Pretend I knocked you out.  Shouldn't be too hard."  Sunbeam did her best to ignore the slight mocking tone.  She needed his help.  "I'll have to carry you in to make it more realistic."

Sunbeam huffed indignantly, but allowed him to approach again anyway.  If Two or Three ever heard about this, she would near hear the end of it.

Absol grabbed her scruff in a surprisingly gentle manner and lifted her off the ground somewhat awkwardly.  Sunbeam hung limp and closed her eyes, casting her senses out in a small area, just in case.  The Dark Type trotted her back to the building, scratching at the door.  She felt a human approach, then open the door.  Absol held Sunbeam up a bit higher, taking on the same haughty attitude that he had before.

The human stepped away to let Absol in.  This was it.  She was inside the humans' lair.  The guard human shouted towards the stairs.  "Hey, guys!  Absol found the Espeon!"

Another voice shouted from below.  "Perfect!  I knew the darn thing couldn't get away for long!  Absol!  Bring it here!"

Sunbeam had to resist laying her ears down.  What, did they have him trained at their beck and call?  He may have been working for them (until now), but he deserved more respect than that!  Nevertheless, Absol trotted towards the stairs.  As he descended, he whispered around Sunbeam's scruff.  "I've about finished with my end of the deal, and now you do yours.  They keep my Poke Ball on the shelf next to the door to the holding area.  It's an Ultra Ball.  Black with gold markings."

Sunbeam nodded slightly.  Absol seemed content with this and approached the door.  Another part of her vision flashed back to her, and she urgently tried to telepathically contact him.

"I can hear you.  Stop it."

Absol, my vision ended with this building exploding.  You can't be inside when we escape!  No one can!

At first, when Absol stopped near the door, she thought that he hadn't heard her.  She couldn't tell if she had done it right.  Finally, however, he spoke again.  "Kid, that isn't how the world works.  You can't save everyone.  I'll stay... outside, but if you want to try and get everyone out of this building before it blows, then fine, be my guest."

Why did you pause before saying 'outside' like that?  ...  Absol?  He didn't answer.  ...Absol, I plan on trying anyway.  Thanks for the warning, though.

Again, he said nothing.  He only waited for one of the humans to open the door to the 'holding area,' which apparently was the room with the cage in it, then walked inside and glared at the Mightyenas as he approached the cage.

Wait.  When Sunbeam had seen the police humans burst into the room in her vision, she was trying to open the lock with her claws, and the Mightyenas weren't there.  Where had they gone?

Another human followed Absol inside and opened the cage for him.  The Disaster Pokémon stood up on his hind legs and placed Sunbeam inside, who sluggishly sat up and poised herself like her mother, still acting like she was just waking up from being knocked out.  As Absol pulled away, Sunbeam telekinetically lifted Cresselia's feather and tucked it into the thick fun on Absol's chest.  For the first time, he smiled at her.  Not a taunting smile, but a genuine one.

Finally, he dropped back to the floor and dashed out as the human closed the cage door.  Right.  Now she just had to get the Mightyenas to leave and escape.  But how?  With a twinge of regret, she wished that Future Sight could be more specific.

 

Espeon concealed her presence as she pressed herself against the wall of another human den.  How long did Sunbeam need?  She had already used Morning Sun a few times and was to top shape, but she was still hiding from the humans who called themselves Team Rocket's Pokémon.  She had taken out a Weezing and an Arbok easily, but she was still tired.  She couldn't keep up this pace for much longer.  Where was the human police station?

 

A howl split the air.  The Houndooms were onto her again.  She had to act fast.  Taking a risk, she broke her cover early, sprinting for the opposite side of town, near the Pokémon Center.  It had to be somewhere close by!

 

Another howl sounded again, closer this time.  Espeon knew how they got her last time.  They surrounded her after one of them had used Mean Look, disabling her teleportation.  She wouldn't let that happen again.  Her daughter was depending on her! 

 

She kept her senses cast as far out as she could, encompassing nearly the whole town, but specifically focusing on the human den where Sunbeam would be held.  She could feel her daughter's distress earlier, but it then turned to a mixture of relief, sadness, and satisfaction, followed less than a few seconds later by annoyance.  Wait!  There!  Espeon veered into another alley while she shut her eyes and tried to focus on Sunbeam.

 

Whatever she had done, it had worked.  She was approaching the human den.  Espeon couldn't tell much more than that since her daughter wasn't trying to contact her, but she could tell that she was a bit bruised, but mostly in good shape.  She let out a quiet sigh of relief.  Her daughter could take care of herself.  She had charged Espeon with finding and contacting the human police as soon as possible.  Apparently, it had to be her that convinced them to come.

 

A low growl snapped Espeon out of her thought, and she opened her eyes quickly, coming face to face with a Houndoom.  They had found her.

 

She teleported quickly onto the roof, appearing with just enough space between her and the tiles to land running.  Where is my mind today!? she though angrily to herself as the Houndoom behind her howled again.  Step it up, Espy,  she thought, picturing Umbreon saying it to her.  Go save Sunbeam!

 

She leapt rooftop to rooftop, catching glimpses of the growing number of Houndooms pursuing her.  She had to stay far enough away to avoid being caught again!  She tried teleporting to a roof that was farther away, but she knew her pursuers would know here she went.  She had to get ahead of them.  She had to lose them.

 

Suddenly, she saw another figure bounding across the rooftops towards her.  White fur with a black arc.  Absol.  She quickly changed course.  Absols lived on mountains.  Jumping building like this would be a walk in the woods for them.  She'd rather jump over the Houndooms than get into a fight with an Absol with the same Houndooms around the building.

 

Not being able to detect the Dark Types by casting her senses, she had to rely on sight alone.  She looked down when she jumped, showing that the Houndooms seemed to have figured out her path.  That couldn't be good.  They could catch her with Mean Look again if they timed it right!  And a quick glance backwards showed the Absol quickly gaining on her.  She was running out of time.  This was going to lead to a fight.  Desperately, she tried reading the minds of the humans within the buildings, most of whom were shaken my Team Rocket's attack, searching for any police.

 

Her luck swung in her favor as she neared the edge of another roof, detecting the human police in a building not too far away.  Even with the Dark Types after her, she knew she could make it there.

 

Until her luck swung back the other way.  A Houndoom caught her with Mean Look as she jumped.  Distracted and unable to complete her jump, she fell to the street, landing on her paws in a fighting stance.  She was NOT going down without a fight!  And this time, she knew what she was doing.  It would be tough, but she could possibly win this battle.  Sunbeam needed her to.

 

Suddenly, the Absol dropped from the rooftop as well, landing between her and the advancing pack.  Espeon took a step back.  If she had to fight the pack and the Absol?  She knew her limits, and this was beyond them.

 

The Absol stood facing the wall, not looking at neither Espeon nor the Houndooms.  "I have waited far too long for this..." he muttered quietly.  Espeon caught a glimpse of something poking out from the fur on his chest.  Was that a feather?

 

Before she could do anything, the Absol spun away from her and leapt at the Houndoom pack, Using Slash and the element of surprise to land a critical hit on the Houndoom that had Espeon trapped, knocking him out.  In the moment of shock that affected both Espeon and the rest of the pack, the Absol turned to look at her.  "Do you have any more sense than your daughter!?  RUN!!" he shouted just as the Houndooms leapt at him.

 

Having no other option, Espeon turned and ran, free of the capturing stare.  She wanted to ask why he was helping her, but she had no time, running for the police station.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Teleporting through the closed glass door to the police humans' den, Espeon jumped onto the nearest table, out of breath from her mad dash from the Absol's distraction.  She got their attention the first way she thought of.  She lifted a water glass telekinetically, smashed it to the ground with a loud crash! and yelled telepathically to everyone in the den.  HEY!

 

Everyone stopped suddenly, looking at the panting Espeon on the table.  One confused officer spoke what the rest were thinking.  "What...?"

 

Espeon continued with telepathy, there being a slight language barrier between them.  I know where Team Rocket is hiding out and I need to lead you there.  They have my daughter.  Please help!  She hadn't been this desperate in a long time.  Calm, methodical Espeon was gone.

 

A few humans looked at one another.  "How do we know that this isn't a trap by Team Rocket?"

 

They wouldn't have an Espeon.  They focus on Dark and Poison Types, not Psychic.  If any of them got their rotten hands on an Eevee, they evolve it into an Umbreon, paws down.  Maybe a Flareon, but not an Espeon.

 

The humans spoke quietly for a moment before one spoke up.  "Come on, what are we waiting for!?  We were looking for a lead on their location, and now it's staring us in the face!  Literally!"

 

Espeon smiled with a twinge of satisfaction.  She jumped off the table and raced for the door.  This way!  Follow me!

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Sunbeam looked down at the Mightyenas pacing the room.  How was she going to get rid of them?  She glanced at the other Pokémon in the cage with her.  She doubted any of them could help.  The vision had to match, or else it would turn out differently!  How was she supposed to-

 

A human yanked open the door to the holding area.  "Mightyenas!  Police!  Go get 'em!"  The Dark Types raced around the human and out of the room, with the human following and shutting the door.  Sunbeam stared.  "Oh.  Well, that was easier than I thought it would be."

 

She jumped to the door and grappled the lock with her claws, trying to find the opening.  An Axew stepped closer to her hesitantly.  "Do you have a plan?"

 

"I have better than a plan," Sunbeam grunted as she tried to force her claw into the lock.  "I have a vision!"

 

Sounds of fighting issued from the other side of the door.  The police humans had made it!  She yelled to all of the Pokémon in the cage with her.  "Ok, everyone!  When we get out, you have to get everyone out of this building as soon as possible!  Even if they're the bad guys!  Understand?"

 

Silence.

 

"It's important!!" she shrieked.  "The building is going to be destroyed!  You HAVE to get everyone out!!"

 

Still no one spoke, but she could sense acceptance of her order.  She loved being an Espeon.

 

The lock wasn't working.  She couldn't unlock the door.  "Mother!  I can't the door!  How do you do it so easily?" she growled, not meaning it to be out loud.

 

However, her mother then answered her.  Please!  The stolen Pokémon are in here!  My daughter is in here!

 

She heard a human shout.  "Feraligatr, go!  Use Headbutt!"  The door exploded open, revealing the exact scene from her vision.  Except for one thing.  Espeon ran from behind the Big Jaw Pokémon, stopping just short of the cage. 

 

"Sunbeam!"

 

"Mother!"

 

"You're all right!"

 

"You're not hurt!"

 

"Come on, we have to get out of here!"

 

"I can't get the lock open!"

 

Espeon smiled at her daughter, despite the chaos, and focused on the lock, scrambling it with telekinesis and popping it open with ease.  In the following stampede, Sunbeam and her mother pressed close to one another.

 

"Thank you, Mother."

 

"I love you, Sunbeam.  You make me proud."

 

The Feraligatr behind them spoke in a rough voice, but in a kind tone.  "I hate to be the one to break up the reunion, but we should get out of here.  My trainer needs to help the rest of the force.

 

The final part of her vision came back to her.  "Wait!  They building!  It's going to explode!  We have to get everyone out!"

 

"What!?" the Water Type exclaimed, taking a step back.

 

Espeon relayed Sunbeam's warning to the trainer.  "No...  I thought I heard them say something about a backup in case they were busted.  That must be it!  Come on, guys, let's get everyone else and get out!"

 

He turned on his heel with the three Pokémon following behind him and ran back into the main room, which was pure chaos from the multitudes of battles happening at once.   Sunbeam called to the burly Feraligatr.  "Wait!  I made a promise."  She searched the wall near the door, finding the open Ultra Ball and lifting it towards him with telekinesis, noting her mother's proud look.  "Can you break this for me?  Please?"

 

He hesitated for a moment before taking the Ultra Ball out of the air and snapping it in two with relative ease.  The police human, noticing his Pokémon had stayed behind, turned back and knelt down on one knee to be more level with Sunbeam and her mother.  "Espeons?  I know you're wild, but if it's true that they're going to blow the building, I need you to go outside and make sure everyone makes it out.  I'll come with you and tell the rest of the force.  Ok?"

 

Both Espeons nodded, and the human stood up again.  "Come on.  Feraligatr, help them get out safely!  I've got to tell the other officers!"

 

Espeon looked at Feraligatr.  "Will he be all right without you to help him?"

 

The larger Pokémon nodded.  "He's chief of police.  He's got a whole team with him.  He'll be fine.  He's the toughest human I know!" he said proudly.  Sunbeam smiled.  "Now come on, let's go!"

 

They two Espeons led the way, running stride for stride with the Water Type behind them.  They passed two drenched Houndooms, fainted on the floor.  Before Sunbeam could even say anything, Feraligatr spoke again.  "We'll get them out, too, don't worry."

 

Finally, they burst outside into the sunlight again.  Sunbeam breathed a sigh of relief, but she knew she couldn't rest yet.  They had a job to do.  She looked at her mother.  "How do we know when everyone is out?"

 

Her mother smiled.  "How do you think?"

 

"...Cast our senses?"

 

"Well done."

 

Many people and Pokémon were already out of the building, so when Feraligatr's trainer ran back out holding a Quilava under one arm, Sunbeam called loudly.  He was the last one.

 

The chief of police looked panicked.  "RUN!"

 

They didn't need to be told twice.  Feraligatr loped on four legs for speed as Sunbeam and Espeon tore away from the building as quickly as possible, just as the entire structure blew off of its foundation in a fiery explosion.

Dreams, Visions, and Futures (Part 2)

Sunbeam reappeared over the pavement near the human building, just as she had hoped.  However, she was a bit higher than she meant to be.  About 11 tail-lengths higher.  And upside down.

She started to fall as soon as she appeared, snapping her eyes open a letting out a small screech of terror.  Instinctually, she twisted her tail, flipping herself back over.  Seeing the edge of the roof of the building close by as she fell, Sunbeam extended her claws as far out as she could, barely managing to snag the gutter and let out another screech of pain as it felt like her claws were about to be ripped out.

And then she was stuck.  She was hanging by her claws, from the roof, the rest of her body hanging limp like a defeated Slugma.  Her claws hurt.  She had to get up onto the roof, or else risk injuring herself further.  She churned her hind paws uselessly, meeting only empty air.  "Come on, Sunbeam.  Pull yourself up!" she growled, trying not to wince, cry, or cry out in pain as she succeeded in pulling herself onto the roof.

Gritting her teeth, she inspected her injured claws.  She couldn't detract them all the way without her paws burning like Inferno's tail, and she could see a bit of blood beginning to form around the bases.  That couldn't be good.  She dug a Sitrus Berry out of Clover's leaf pouch, silently thanking the healer for being so intuitive and hoping that it would work.  Taking the berry in her jaws, she squeezed it slowly and let the juice fall onto her claws, swallowing the rest of the berry when she was done.  After a few seconds, the pain went away.  Perfect.

After silently congratulating herself on her quick thinking, Sunbeam stood back up and walked to the edge of the roof, using her newly healed claws to keep from sliding off of the slick tiles.  After a short hesitation, she jumped down, landing smoothly.  Much easier to land on her paws than her back or tail.

Sunbeam once again reminded herself to try and act like she belonged here, then stepped through the door as the next human exited, then immediately had to stop and stare.

It was beautiful.  Shelves filled the building, each one packed tightly with books.  Sunbeam loved books.  She had found one once as an Eevee when exploring with her siblings.  No one else had paid it much attention, but Sunbeam had loved it.  It told a story about the legends of Ho-Oh, Raikou, Entei, and Suicune.  And now here were so many books in one place!  Sunbeam didn't want to ever leave.  She wanted to read all of the books, front to back.  She shook her head and reprimanded herself.  She was here to find out about those Pokémon in her vision.

She walked around, scanning the shelves.  There were other humans with small, quiet Pokémon here, too, most reading one book or another.  Sunbeam spotted a friendly-looking Gardevoir and trotted over.  The tall Psychic Type turned to look at Sunbeam before she could say anything.  "Hello, there.  You must be new around here.  I don't recognize you."

Sunbeam smiled and remembered her manners.  "Sort of.  I'm passing through and I need some information."

The Gardevoir nodded.  "A library is a good place to find information.  What are you looking for in particular?"

"I need something to help me identify a kind of Pokémon I saw.  I'm not sure what it was."

The Embrace Pokémon crossed her arms, looking at Sunbeam thoughtfully.  "You're a wild Pokémon, aren't you?  All trainers have a Pokedex."  Sunbeam stammered, but the Gardevoir cut her off.  "Don't worry, I won't tell.  Even if I did, nearly all of the trainers in here wouldn't try to catch you.  They're kind people."

Sunbeam shrugged and followed her guide to one of the shelves.  "This is our informational section about Pokémon."  She ran a hand over to volumes, stopping at one and levitating it out onto a nearby table.  "Here we are.  This is our rental Pokedex.  Paper form.  Take all the time you need."

She started to walk away, but Sunbeam called her back.  "Wait.  Can you tell me how to use telekinesis so I can turn the pages without damaging them?  I just evolved recently."

The Gardevoir walked back towards her.  "It's very simple.  Just feel the object with your mind..." she said as she held a hand towards the book, lifting it up and angling it towards Sunbeam at a good reading angle, "...and move it how you want to."  She opened the cover, gesturing for Sunbeam to take the book from her.

It didn't require nearly as much focus as teleporting had.  In fact, it came somewhat easily to her.  Maybe because Espeon was so good at it.  Snow had told Sunbeam that she had seen her mother scramble and open two locks at one without even looking at them.  Sunbeam didn't think she'd ever be THAT good, but she hoped she had enough mental motor skills to telekinetically work this book.  She thanked the Gardevoir and focused on the book.

It took her a few tries to keep holding the book while focusing on the pictures and trying to match it to her vision, but after a small number of the book banging loudly on the table and a large number of times where she barely caught it before that happened, she got the hang of it.  It took a lot of focus, but she managed.  "Ok...  I know the Mightyenas..."  She paged through the thick volume, trying to resist the temptation of reading each article on each Pokémon as she went.  he recognized a few Pokémon that were in the cage with her mother, but she doubted that it would be much help.  She had to be quick.

Finally, she found one.  "Aha!  White fur, black arc.  That's it.  Absol..."  She read aloud.  "'Absol has the ability to foretell the coming of natural disasters. It lives in a harsh, rugged mountain environment. This Pokémon very rarely ventures down from the mountains.'  Well, there was evidently going to be one here...  Maybe one of the bad humans owns one."  She quickly scanned the rest of the page.  "Drat."  It's a Dark Type.  Well, she'd leap that stream when she got to it. 

Remembering the burns that her mother had, she flipped to the index and reverse looked up the Houndoom that the human had mentioned, figuring it was a Fire Type.  She was right, Fire and Dark.  "'Long ago, people imagined its eerie howls to be the call of the grim reaper.  In a Houndoom pack, the one with its horns raked sharply toward the back serves a leadership role. These Pokémon choose their leader by fighting among themselves.'"  It went on to say that Houndoom burns are thought to hurt more than any other Fire Type's.  Her tail drooped.  Poor Espeon!  And yet, her mother was still sitting tall, despite the pain she must be in.

"Are you all right?" a voice behind Sunbeam asked suddenly, startling her so much that she dropped the book again with a loud bang!  She spun around to see the Gardevoir again.  "Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you."

Sunbeam shook her head.  "It's fine.  I should probably go anyway."  She telekinetically closed the book and shakily replaced it on the shelf. 

Gardevoir watched her before leaning closer and whispering into Sunbeam's ear.  "You know...  I couldn't help but overhear your reading.  I was curious, so I may have sneaked a peek at your vision.  Not very lady-like, I know, I apologize, but I have two things to tell you."  Sunbeam forced herself not to get upset that this Gardevoir had read her mind, nodding curiously instead.  "First...  That's a powerful vision.  Very few Psychics can use Future Sight that well."  She continued before Sunbeam could ask about Future Sight.  "And...  If you go to that building, try standing just behind it and to the left.  You should be able to telepathically communicate with your mother from there without being noticed."

"Really?  Thank you so much!" Sunbeam exclaimed quietly, jumping and bounding off of the table and racing for the door, opening it with her mind and a twinge of satisfaction.





 

Sunbeam stopped walking, glancing at the wall of the building behind her.  This was it.  If Gardevoir was right, this was where she's be able to contact her mother without getting into trouble.

 

Mother?  ...  Mother, can you hear me?

 

Sunbeam? came the quiet reply.  It was like Espeon was whispering, even telepathically.

 

Yes!  It's me!  I'm all right!

 

What happened?  Are you still waiting for me?

 

No, I'm going to save you!  I know Future Sight now, and I can get visions, and I teleported down from the roof of Bell Tower, and I can uses telekinesis, and I found a library, and oh, mother, I love the library, I want to read all of the books in there!

 

Her mother's voice stopped her, sounding tired.  Sunbeam, slow down.  You had a vision?  You know Future Sight?  How?

 

I climbed Bell Tower after we got separated.  I wanted to try and look for you.  I met a legendary Pokémon there named Cresselia!  Do you know of her?

 

I do.  She brings good dreams and visions.  I didn't know that she would be able to let you learn Future Sight ahead of your age!  She tried to sound happy, but Sunbeam could still hear pain in her thoughts.

 

I had a vision of how I would get you out, mother.  I don't know the finer details, but I know that you need to heal yourself and we need to switch places.

 

No.  You will not switch places with me.

 

Sunbeam was surprised at how strongly her mother was against this.  Didn't Espeon want them to escape?  Didn't they have to follow Sunbeam's vision to do that?  Mother, I have to.  Before you say no, I have a plan!  Please!  She could feel her mother's disapproval, but she said nothing.  Sunbeam continued.  You're more powerful than I am.  You need to call the police humans. and lead them to me.  I won't be able to convince them.

 

Espeon remained silent.  After a long time, she answered quietly.  ...I trust you, Sunbeam.  I don't want you to get hurt, but if this is the only way...  Do what you need to do.  I'll come to get you.

 

With that, their connection broke.  Now, how was she supposed to  get in...?  She hadn't thought this out.  She suddenly heard muffled shouts of outrage from inside the building.  Espeon must have made her move.  Should Sunbeam run, or stay put?

 

She felt eyes on her back.  Slowly turning around, she looked up to see a Pokémon on the roof of a nearby building.  An Absol.  It looked at her with unfeeling red eyes.  "Well, well, well.  Won't my master be pleased to see that he has not one Espeon, but two."

 

Sunbeam backed away, darting in between buildings to try and escape.  She knew it would lead to a battle eventually, but this was a predator.  Instinct told her to run.

 

Suddenly, the Absol dropped from the roof in front of her.  "You should learn to shield your telepathic conversations, Psychic."  Sunbeam swallowed nervously.  This Absol was big.  Bigger than the book had said they usually were.  At least twice her size, if not more.  "I might get rewarded handsomely for you."

 

Sunbeam took another subconscious step back, backing into a wall.  The Absol had backed her into a corner without her realizing it.  She was in trouble.  She tried to stall while she thought.  "...M-Might?"

 

The Absol tipped his head.  "The other possibility is that I get treated the same way I do every night.  Little food, no warm place to sleep, fighting the Houndoom pack for another scrap of meat we can find."  He looked her over.  "Or...  I could kill you myself.  Fresh meat," he hissed, displaying sharpened fangs.  "That would ensure me a good meal.  I'd be stronger."

Sunbeam extended her claws.  She was unable to speak, but that didn't mean she wouldn't fight her way out.  The Absol looked her claws haughtily.  "Come, now.  Don't put up a fight and I'll make it quick and painless."

Sunbeam tried to teleport away, but she couldn't focus with the Absol staring her down.  She thought of her siblings.  What would they say?  "You don't know how powerful I am," she tried, mimicking Two's small, confident smile.

The Absol only laughed.  "Oh, this'll be fun."

Ok, so threats didn't work.  She thought of little Five.  "Please don't hurt me.  There has to be something that I can do for you!"

"Hoping your mamma will save the day?"

"No!  I mean it!"

"What could you possibly have that I-" he stopped suddenly, his eyes fixed on Sunbeam's neck.  "That feather."

Sunbeam glanced down, seeing Cresselia's feather.  "This?  The legendary Cresselia gave this to me."

The Absol looked away, suddenly much less intimidating.  He looked... sad.  "So it's true."  Sunbeam said nothing.  After a few seconds, the Absol continued.  "The Houndooms give me nightmares wherever I sleep.  They despise me.  That feather prevents nightmares.  It only brings good dreams.  I haven't slept in days because of those dog Pokémon."

Sunbeam took a cautious step forwards.  "I'll give it to you if you take me to my mother and help me free her."

He glanced back at her.  "Too high a price.  I won't help you escape."

Sunbeam whisked her tail.  What else could she offer the Absol?  She wasn't sure if the feather was the cause of her vision, but she'd gladly give it up to save her and her mother's life either way.  She followed the Absol's gaze.  He was looking wistfully at a mountain in the distance.  She took a risk.  "You help me save my mother and both of us escape, and I'll give you both the feather and your freedom."

"My freedom?" he asked, turning back towards her.

Sunbeam nodded.  "We'll get you away from these awful humans.  You deserve to live free."  If he was attached to his trainer, she was dead for sure.

The Absol gave her a small smile.  "Deal.  You need to trade places with your mother.  I'll bring you back like I caught you.  I doubt anyone will be able to tell the difference."

"I have been told I look just like her."

"But...  In order for it to be convincing, I can't carry you in injury-free.  I need to rough you up a bit."  Before Sunbeam could get a word in edgewise, the Absol leapt at her.

Dreams, Visions, and Futures (Part 1)

Sunbeam sat up.  She was still on the roof of Bell Tower, but she knew that she wasn't awake.  Glancing over to her left, Sunbeam jumped as she saw herself, crumpled on the roof beside her and sleeping deeply.  She looked around for Cresselia, but the Lunar Pokémon had vanished. 

Sunbeam stepped closer to her sleeping self on the roof.  There was something tucked in between her paws.  She reached out to move her paws away, but her corporeal form passed right through her solid self.

She looked back out over the city.  Cresselia had told her that she would see how to save her mother.  Where is she? she thought to herself as she scanned the buildings.  Suddenly, spectral wings appeared on her shoulders.  There were exactly like Clover's!

Without Sunbeam giving her wings permission, they beat silently and carried her off of the roof.  She felt no different than she normally did, aside from the night air on her fur.  It was like the wings weren't even there.  Maybe they aren't, she realized. 

The wings seemed to have their own destination in mind, flying her towards one building in particular.  They headed right towards the wall!  They weren't going to turn!  Sunbeam braced for impact, trying to control these wings that weren't hers, but she passed right through the wall without difficulty.  In fact, she didn't feel it at all.  Nor did she feel a breeze of any kind as she flew.  Inside, she still felt the night air.  She was feeling what her real self was feeling, not her... dream self?

Her wings hazed and vanished.  Sunbeam was alone inside the building.  It was quaint, the inside looking much like what was on the outside.  Old style, oriental feel.  Sunbeam would have to find out more about this.

There were stairs leading downwards.  Sunbeam cautiously approached them, but the stairwell was empty, so she quietly padded downwards.  She still didn't feel the stone under her paws, just the warm wood of the roof of Bell Tower.  It was a strange feeling.

As she reached the bottom of the stairs, a human suddenly turned a corner, and walked straight for her.  He was too close!  She didn't have time to move or run!  However, just as she started to try and escape, the human walked right through her.  Right.  I'm not physically here.  This must be what some Ghost Types feel like.

Her thoughts drifted some more as she continued the walk into the building's basement.  There were a lot of humans here.  All of them were wearing the same thing.  Sure, some wore black while some wore white, but they all had a big letter R on their shirts in bright red.  A few humans in white were having an intense conversation at a table near the corner of the room.

"We've got a lot of Pokémon already.  Let's just get out of here before the police catch wind of where we're hiding."

"But the boss wants as many powerful Pokémon as possible.  We can't get into Bell Tower, if Ho-Oh did somehow decide to come back.  We only got 17 Pokémon this round!  We have to go for more!"

"Don't forget that we have some powerful Pokémon here already."
"What do we have?  I didn't have time to take inventory."

The second human spoke again.  "Lucky for you, I did.  But I won't cover for you again, so get with the program."

Sunbeam crept closer.  If her wings had taken her here, it must have been for a reason.  One of the humans in black approached the table.  "Sir?  I'm sorry, sir, but it would have been 18 if it hadn't been for me.  I saw an Espeon, but it got away from me.  By the time I got Pidgeot out to chase it, it was gone..."  Sunbeam narrowed her eyes and laid her ears back.  He was talking about her.  He was one of the humans that had tried to catch her when she was running to Bell Tower.

The second human waved his hand at the human in black.  "Glad you feel guilty, pal, but we caught that Espeon.  It put up quite a fight, the wretch, but a quick tussle with Houndoom and his pack put the thing down."

Sunbeam's ears went flat against her head.  They not only captured her mother, but they beat her, too!?  How dare they!  But what was a Houndoom?  She heard Splash mention one once.  Clover had gotten into some trouble, right?  But what was it?  If she was going to save her mother, she had to find out.  First, though, she was going to find out where her mother was.

Turning away from the awful humans, Sunbeam walked to a door in the basement wall, which had a human guarding it.  She ignored the human and walked through the door without incident.  Inside the room was horrible.  A massive cage made up the back wall, and it was filled with beaten or tied Pokémon.  Three Mightyenas guarded the cage, snarling at any Pokémon that made so much as a sound.  Sunbeam scanned the cage.  There!  Sitting upright in the corner, bruised, burned and thoroughly beaten but still sitting up with her usual grace and poise, was her mother.

Sunbeam jumped through the bars, landing in front of Espeon.  "Mother!" she shouted happily.  But Espeon didn't see her daughter.  Sunbeam was still in her dream.  "Right...  You can't see me...  Think.  Ok.  I know where she is now, but how do I get her out?"

The end of her question made her wings reform, and they flew her off the ground.  Everything blurred around her.  At first, Sunbeam was worried that she was waking up.  Then, she only saw flashes of movement.  Time was speeding up in the room.  She was seeing the future.  Sunbeam tried to focus on the details.  Espeon healed.  Espeon in the cage suddenly got smaller.  That was me! she thought, her eyes widening as she realized that she had to be in the cage.  The flashes grew quicker.  An Espeon fought a larger white Pokémon with a black arc over its head.  An Espeon using her claws to open the lock from the inside, and humans in blue throwing the door open as she did so.  A torrent of water shooting over an Espeon's head to hit an unseen foe.  Two Espeons running from the building as it exploded.

Then, the vision ended.  Sunbeam found herself back on the rooftop of Bell Tower.  She was still sleeping.  She asked another question before the wings vanished again, this time knowing what she was doing.  How do I find out what those Pokémon were?  She needed to know if she had to fight them.  Her wings carried her off of the roof again, gliding around the buildings this time, instead of through them.  They finally stopped and vanished, leaving her in front of a building that was slightly larger than the others, but otherwise looked identical.

Figuring that she could puzzle that out later, Sunbeam went to ask another question, but everything around her started to fade away.  She was starting to wake up.  "No!  Not yet!  How do I save her!?" she shouted, trying to stay asleep-

-but her eyes snapped open just as the first rays of dawn touched Bell Tower.

 

Sunbeam scrambled to her paws, looking around for Cresselia.  Had the legendary given her that dream?  The young Espeon couldn't find a single trace of her.  Not even her scent was anywhere in the area.  However, she did find what was clutched in her paws.  It was a feather.  It was perfectly curved like a crescent moon, and colored to the legendary as well.  Had this feather given Sunbeam her dream?

She shook her head, trying to focus.  It was getting light.  She saw Espeons in her vision, but which of them were her?  Some of them had to have been Espeon, right?  She had to save her mother.  But first, she had to investigate that building that she had seen in her dream.  It had to have some kind of clue as to what those Pokémon were.

Sunbeam looked out over the roof.  She did not want to climb all the way back down those stairs.  She wished she could teleport.  She glanced down at the feather, and then at the pouch that Clover had given her, which was still hanging around her neck.  Maybe she could.  It would be dangerous, but her mother had touched on this briefly.

"You have to know where you want to be relative to where you are now..." Sunbeam muttered as she opened the pouch again, looking for the mental herbs.  "Just picture yourself there and force it to happen.  She continued to try and recall what her mother had taught her.  It was a brief lesson on all the different Psychic abilities.  This was incredibly unsafe, but she was going to try it anyway.  It would take too long to walk all the way back down, and it would tire her out too much.  "Always teleport above the ground, and where you're sure nothing is around you," she said to herself as she found the leaves that she was looking for.  She packed everything else back into the pouch, taking Cresselia's feather for good measure.

Sunbeam walked back to the edge of the roof.  Just picture yourself where you want to go and force it to happen.  Not too hard, right?  Willing herself not to back out of this, she bent down and took the mental herbs in her teeth.  The smell alone woke her up, but the taste was even more effective.  She felt a million times more perceptive, more alert, more powerful.  Nothing distracted her, and her mind was at an optimum level of focus.

She peered over the edge of the roof again.  There.  That building looked like the one in her dream.  Sunbeam smiled.  She never would have recognized it from this distance without the herb.  She found a clear spot of pavement near the building.  That looked like a safe place.  Doing some quick calculations that she didn't know that she was capable of, Sunbeam judged the distance between the pavement and her current position.  She moved her gaze up slightly.  She had to appear above the road.  A few inches would do.

Already feeling the effects of the mental herb starting to wear off, Sunbeam closed her eyes and tried to gather her energy.  She pictured herself above the street, so no part of her would appear in anything.  Gathering her power, she tried to bundle it around herself and move it to the spot.  Nothing happened.  She tried feeling as if she was in the spot that she pictured, but the result was the same.  She had to hurry.  The power was ebbing quickly.  She shut her eyes as tightly as she could, putting all of her focus into the spot that she wanted to be. 

Suddenly, a burst of rainbow colors flashed in front of her vision, through her closed eyes.  She vanished off of the roof of Bell Tower silently, though in her mind everything happened in a split second with a resounding CRACK!

Sunbeam's Quest (Part 3)

"Luxray!" she called again, sounding more happy than afraid.  Did she know this Pokémon?

"Espeon?" the gruff voice replied, now sounding less gruff.  The large Pokémon stepped out of the bushes, temporarily making Sunbeam freeze with fright.  That is, until the Electric Type's face lit up with a smile.  "It is you!"

Both shared a quick hug, putting one paw around the other as Sunbeam sat down in confusion.  Wait, what was she thinking?  She could read its mind!  Nice job acting like an adult...

She found that her Psychic Powers were amplified tenfold, making them much more powerful and easy to use than when she was still an Eevee.  She tried to focus her untrained mind on the Luxray's thoughts, trying to avoid detection.  It's been so long since I've seen her.  How long?  It was before the Shinxes, that's for sure.  Was it before I met-

Sunbeam cut her powers short when she noticed both the Luxray and her mother looking at her.  She felt herself go hot under her pink fur.  The Luxray spoke first.  "That's a bit rude.  Who are you, even?" he asked, some of his hostility returning.

Espeon skillfully diffused the situation.  "Luxray, this is my oldest daughter, Sunbeam.  I believe she was confused as to your motives."  Sunbeam only nodded in agreement, looking at Luxray's paws.  "Sunbeam, this is Luxray.  Umbreon and I met him a few years ago, before we joined Splash's Eevee Clan.  He helped us escape a ...persistent trainer."

Sunbeam tilted her head.  Was her mother keeping something from her?  "Why?" she asked Luxray.

He sat down as she answered.  "Well...  I always believed in true love.  When I saw the bond that your parents had, I knew it was something special.  They deserved to be together.  So I battled the trainer while they escaped."

Espeon nodded as he concluded.  Sunbeam smiled.  "That was really nice of you."

"Thank you."  Luxray peered at Sunbeam.  "You know, you look exactly like your mother, Sunbeam.  If there wasn't a size difference, I wouldn't be able to tell the two of you apart!"

Sunbeam flushed an even deeper pink, getting closer to red.  Espeon gave her daughter time to recover.  "Umbreon told me that he saw you here a while ago."

"Right, he was looking for you.  I guess he found you."

She smiled warmly.  "He did."

Luxray looked back and forth between the two Espeons in front of him.  "If he did, then what are the two of you doing out here without him?  Or the other Eevees?  Did any of your siblings evolve?"

Sunbeam shook her head as Espeon answered the first question.  "We're headed towards Bell Tower to help Sunbeam get more in touch with her new type and abilities."

A look of concern crossed Luxray's face.  "Bell Tower?  In Ecruteak City?"

Sunbeam stood up again.  "Is that what the humans call it?"

Luxray nodded.  "Yes, but you'll have to be careful.  It's not too far from here and I've been hearing about some not-so-nice things that have been happening there."

Espeon grew slightly worried as well.  "How bad?"

Luxray thought for a moment.  "Well...  I know you're a powerful Psychic, Espeon, so you two should be fine.  Just be careful and try to stay out of sight."

Espeon dipped her head.  "Thank you, Luxray.  We'll be careful."

"If you want, I could walk you there.  Most of the Pokémon in this part of the forest know me.  ...Or of me," he said with a grin.  "They wouldn't dare come near you if they see me."

Sunbeam was just beginning to wonder about that.  "Really?"

He nodded.  "And I can tell you have lots of questions that you want to ask me..."

"Oh, I do!" Sunbeam smiled, getting excited again.

Luxray gestured for them to follow, leading them through the dark forest and answering every question that Sunbeam asked as best he could.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Night was falling as Luxray and his two accompanying Espeons reached the edge of Ecruteak City.  Sunbeam gasped as she saw it.  "It's huge!"

 

Luxray laughed.  "Compared to some other human cities that I've seen, this is a pretty small one!"

 

"Really!?"

 

"Really!"

 

Espeon smiled, rubbing her daughter's shoulder.  "We should get going.  We'll climb the tower in the morning."

 

Luxray nodded.  "Before you go, it might better to sleep inside the first floor of the tower.  There are no humans there, and the few Pokémon who do live there are all about "peace and spiritual enlightenment."  Whatever that means."

 

"Sounds like what we're looking for," Espeon added with a small smile.

 

"But they won't fight unless they have to.  Bell Tower is a good shelter.  Probably because Ho-Oh is said to live at the top."

 

Sunbeam couldn't help but get excited every time that myth was mentioned.  "Do you think we'll meet him?"

 

Luxray shook his head.  "Sorry, kid, but Ho-Oh hasn't been spotted for decades.  Even then, nowhere near this place."

 

Sunbeam's face fell in disappointment.  Espeon nudged her daughter's chin up with one paw.  "Cheer up.  By the time we get back to the Clan, you'll be a full-blown Espeon," she said with a smile, quoting Inferno.

 

They thanked Luxray and said goodbye as he returned to the forest, soon disappearing from sight.  Sunbeam looked around at the old building style, which was nothing like the quaint little human town closer to home.  It wasn't hard to find Bell Tower, soaring over the rooves of the other buildings and human dens.  Nearby Bell Tower stood the charred remains of the Burnt Tower, also easy to recognize.  Sunbeam's gaze drifted back to Bell Tower.  "It's so tall!"

 

Her mother nodded.  "Let's get there before nightfall."

 

Sunbeam looked up at the beautiful crescent moon as it was rising above the treeline.  "How do we get to the tower without being noticed?"

 

"Simple," her mother answered.  "Just act like you belong.  Eevees are rather rare in the wild, so if a human sees us in a city, they'll just assume we belong to another trainer."

 

That made sense.  Espeon waited for her mother to take the lead, following her closely as they began navigating the streets of Ecruteak City.  It was actually rather peaceful here, despite the surprising amount of humans about.  They made Sunbeam nervous at first, but her mother had been right; none of them gave her a second glance.

 

Halfway across the city, a thunderous roar split the air, feeling like it made the ground itself tremble.  Espeon stood up straight, at full attention.

 

Suddenly, a human den nearby burst into violent flames, and humans began running away in fear, some in utter terror.  Sunbeam dove away to avoid being trampled by the sudden stampede, realizing a second later that her mother wasn't with her.  "Mother!?" she called desperately.  "MOTHER!?"

 

Sunbeam, run!  Go to Bell Tower!  I'll meet you when I can! Espeon shouted in her daughter's mind.  Afraid and not thinking at full capacity, Sunbeam did as she was told, dashing along the sides of the buildings and trying not to get run over by humans.

 

She wasn't sure how long she had been running, or how far she had gone, but eventually, she caught sight of Bell Tower, still standing tall despite the chaos happening around it.  Her gem lit up as she sensed a human with malicious intent running towards her.  Making a mad dash in the direction of the tower, Sunbeam managed to dart away from the human's outstretched hands.  She ran in a panic with her destination in sight, but letting fear rule her actions.  She slashed her claws against another human who wanted to intercept her, then dodged between his legs and pelted on.

 

Finally, she reached the tower.  There was a low wall blocking her out, but an adrenaline-fueled jump was all that she needed to clear the obstacle.  She landed on fallen leaves in the signature colors of autumn.  Reds, yellows, oranges, and browns crunched softly beneath her paws as she slowed down, pushing her fear down.  That was no way for an Espeon to react, letting her emotions get the better of her. 

 

She berated herself further as the unearthly silent atmosphere calmed her down.  It was like being in another place.  The only sounds were the wind rustling the leaves and her own tense pawsteps, crunching quietly on the ground beneath her.  She could see what Clover was talking about.  This did elicit mental focus.

 

"Ok, Sunbeam..." she muttered quietly to herself.  "Get ahold of yourself.  Mother told you to wait for her.  She'll be here.  She knows what she's doing."  She repeated these words to herself as she walked to the steps in front of Bell Tower.  With a final assuring nod, she sat down on the first step and waited, confident that her mother would return to her soon.

 

 

Sunbeam yanked her eyes open again for the...  She had lost count at this point.  The moon was almost directly overhead.   The same question that she had been asking herself all night played again in her mind.  Where was Espeon?

 

She stood up and shook herself out.  She had to do something.  Obviously, her mother was in some kind of trouble, otherwise she would be here by now.  She walked back in front of the tower, looking up towards the top.  It was a big city, and Sunbeam would never find her way around.  There was one other option.

 

Climb the tower.

 

If she reached the top quickly, she would be able to see the whole city from above.  It was night.  If Espeon was out, she'd have her jewel lit up to guide her way.  A light and pink fur shouldn't be too hard to spot at night, right?

 

She looked as high up the tower as she could from this position.  It was tall.  Nine floors, Clover had said.  How hard could it be?  Luxray had said that the Pokémon didn't fight unless they had to, so they wouldn't be a problem.  Maybe they'd even help her if she told them what happened.

 

Steeling her resolve, Sunbeam jumped the steps and raced into the tower.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Around the fifth floor, Sunbeam had to stop running.  She was panting hard and her legs screamed at her to stop.  She was already tired from her trek to Ecruteak City and the flight from the human stampede.  She still had four more floors to go.  She had greatly underestimated the amount of time and energy it would take to get to the top.

 

"I'm already more than halfway there...  I can't stop now..." she panted to herself, while her body told her very firmly that she can, would, and should stop now.  She laid down on the wooden floor before she collapsed there.

 

There had to be something that she could do.  Sleeping wasn't an option.  Nor was meditating.  She didn't have the time.  She was really hungry, too.  Could she hunt in Bell Tower?  Was that allowed?  Wait!  Clover's berries and herbs!  There had to be something in there!

 

She took the leaf pouch from around her neck, wondering why it hadn't occurred to her sooner.  Spilling the contents on the floor, she pawed through them.  "Berries, I can eat...  Revival Herbs...  Mental Herbs, maybe?  Probably not.  I need physical strength, not mental.  Not yet, anyway."

 

Right then, something took hold of her.  It was a Psychic presence, but an unrecognized one.  It looked her over, then faded away.  "Hello?" she called quietly.  Who's there?  She tried telepathy, but it reached no one.

 

Just when she thought it had been her imagination, the presence returned for a split second.  Within that fraction of a second, Sunbeam felt fully recharged, like she had just gotten a full night's sleep in an instant.  The Psychic presence vanished, but the energy remained.  Sunbeam quickly got to her paws, putting all of Clover's herbs back in the pouch.  "Thank you!" she called loudly, probably disturbing several Pokémon around her.

 

A tendril of a soft, melodic voice touched her mind.  Come and see the crescent moon.  I will help...

 

Sunbeam leapt to her paws with renewed energy, dashing for the stairs.  Four more floors to go.  She could make it.  She'd be tired when she reached to top, but she could make it.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Sunbeam staggered up the final flight of stairs with a very familiar feeling of tired achiness.  She could see the night sky.  There!  The perfect crescent moon!  She hauled herself up the last few steps, finally out in the open air.  She breathed a huge sigh of relief.

 

"Hello?" she called, just above a whisper.  She had the distinct feeling that this was a sacred place.  She had to be quiet.  She took in her surroundings.  There wasn't too much space on the roof.  Four statues of Ho-Oh stood watch on the four corners of the roof, each with their wings raised and looking in a different direction.  In the very center of the roof was an ornate bar.  The perfect place for an avian King of Legendaries to perch.

 

She looked around for who had called to her.  No one was present.  Her eyes strayed back to the perch of King Ho-Oh.  It couldn't be.  "...Ho-Oh...?"

 

"Close," a quiet voice whispered behind her.  Sunbeam spun around to see a hovering apparition.  Light pink rings floated around a Pokémon with pale blue skin, cream undersides, and a bird-like head.

 

Espeon stared in fascination.  She had never seen or heard of anything like this Pokémon before.  "...Who are you?" she asked in disbelief.

 

The mystery Pokémon responded with the same melodic voice that she had heard in her thoughts on the fifth floor.  "I am known as Cresselia.  I am the Lunar Pokémon, bringer of good dreams."

 

Cresselia...  "Are you...  Are you a legendary?"

 

Sunbeam could feel her mirth as she answered.  "Yes, young Espeon.  I am indeed.  I heard your plight for your missing mother.  While I cannot intervene directly, I can be of some help."

 

Sunbeam's eyes widened in stunned silence.  She struggled to find words that would show her respect and gratitude.  "Th-Thank you," she stammered ungracefully.  So much for that.

 

Cresselia didn't seem to care.  "Look over the city, young one.  You will see how to save her.  I shall give you a gift to help you."

 

Sunbeam nodded and slowly turned away from the legendary to look over the rooftops of Ecruteak city.  Evidence of fire was obvious in many places, but nothing serious was amiss.  She thought about Cresselia's  words.  You will see how to save her.  Something about the way she said the word "see..."

 

She heard Cresselia move closer to her from behind, then begin singing a quiet, but beautiful song.  It had no words, just a perfect melody.  Sunbeam wondered what the gift that Cresselia mentioned was.  The song was very beautiful.  Sunbeam stared to feel the effects of her climb again, the energy that Cresselia had lent her drifting away and leaving Sunbeam more exhausted than she had ever been.  She was so tired.  So tired...  So...

 

Sunbeam's eyes drifted closed, and she collapsed on the roof of Bell Tower.