Part 2 of Eve's Story! Things are getting interesting :D

<<< PREV | FIRST | NEXT >>>

---

I could not focus as we continued about the city. My mind remained on the news she had given me. The bookstore human had asked her on a date. And she had agreed to the meeting. I was forced to watch as my heart was trampled into the street unknowingly by the one I cared for above all others.

And yet, I remained silent. I dared not tell her now. I could sense the faintest of feelings from her toward him. Would it be selfish for me to admit my feelings now? Would she understand? Would she simply reject me? Or worse, would it alter our bond?

What if I was overreacting? Perhaps she would reject the human. Perhaps he would turn out to be something of an unsavory character, and she would realize her mistake. I most certainly viewed it as a mistake. He could never love her as I do. He could never feel as I feel. He could never...

"EVE!!!"

For the second time today, her voice brought me out of contemplation. There was another human before us. Another trainer it seemed. He had what appeared to be a Dragon Pokémon, one I had not yet encountered. She was calling me to battle. My mind had escaped me again, and I had not heard her.

<My apologies, Master.>

I stepped forward. The opposing trainer made some comment about me that I paid no attention to. He could never understand. No one could. I felt her anger at him for insulting me, and my heart warmed. She wanted to put him in his place for that remark. I smiled, albeit sadly. If I could only retain this feeling...

The battle began. The dragon opened its mouth and fired a bright beam toward me. Hyper Beam. A strong start to a battle, but a naive move. I learned all I needed to from that single attack as I sidestepped the ray. Only a fool reveals the strongest attack at the start. She shared my sentiment as I felt her confidence surge.

"Moonblast, Eve!"

I closed my eyes as I focused my power. This would be over soon. As the soft light flooded the makeshift arena I could feel the other trainer's frustration. He knew he had made a grave error. Once the glare faded his mistake was made clear. The dragon lay defeated before me as I stood tall. This battle seemed over just as quickly as it had begun.

"Druddigon, return! Make her pay, Houndoom!"

A name I certainly recognized. Dark and Fire, normally an unfavorable matchup. Would she recall me? Doubtful. Even when I was at a disadvantage, she pushed me to succeed. For her, I would move mountains and part rivers. The sun and moon could not stand in my way if it meant seeing her smile. A simple dog was nothing in comparison.

"If that's your best, then you're not even worth our time! Let's show them what a real team can do, Eve!"

She raised her right arm, and I felt the pendant on my neck begin to warm. She wanted me to Mega evolve, as the humans called it. I nodded to her and began to focus on my feelings for her. This particular power relied on the bond between Pokémon and trainer, and our bond could not be stronger. Time and again she had called me to use this power, and each time I could feel her heart beating in time with my own. The technique put us in perfect sync, as if we were one being.

But this time, nothing happened. My heart twitched. Something was wrong, the evolution wasn't working. Why? What could be the problem? This had worked time and time again. I cleared my mind and tried again. I remembered everything about her, every moment we shared. I recalled every instant she tugged at my heartstrings. What was different? What could be stopping it?

"Eve? What's wrong?"

"Houndoom, Bite attack!"

The words barely registered in my ears. I was too shaken from the failed evolution to be able to dodge. As the Houndoom's fangs sank into me, I yelled in pain. I looked down and saw blood from the beast’s maw. A grievous wound, to be sure. Rarely had I suffered an injury like this, and it was only made worse by the emotional trauma I suffered alongside it.

"Eve! No!"

"This is what a 'real team' can do? That's pitiful. Houndoom, Fire Blast!"

"Eve, return! Take care of this, Atlas!"

She recalled me as she threw out a ball containing one of her other Pokémon. I held my wound as I thought on the battle. The evolution should have worked. It always worked. But something prevented it. What could it be, and why? We had never had a problem before, why now? What was different today?

The answer came to me almost immediately, and it made me physically ill. Never before had my relationship with her come into question. Before today, I was content. I was happy. My troubled thoughts about the bookstore human prevented me from focusing, and as a result blocked the evolution. I was shaken to my core as I realized this.

My jealous and hateful feelings toward him have damage my bond with her. Would it ever be repaired? Could it be? I knew at that instant that this could not continue on like this. I had to tell her. I had to be honest with her and hope she would not reject me.

The battle ended in her favor. She recalled the other Pokémon and came to my aid.

"Hold still, let me take care of that bite."

She administered care to my wound as I remained silent and pensive. The wrong I had caused her was too much for me to bear. Tears began forming in my eyes as I turned away from her.

"Eve? What's the matter?"

<...Master? May we please return home for the day?>

"Home? We've barely been out today, Eve. There's still a lot we need-"

I turned to her and placed my hand on her arm. She looked at my tear-stained face and gasped.

<Please, Carrie.>

I surprised myself. I had never referred to her by her name before that day. She had always simply been "Master" to me. But at that moment, I felt nothing but a burning desire to restore my feeling of love and desire.

And she did something surprising as well. She stood up and hugged me close. As I sobbed into her shoulder I could think only of how I wished to remain with her like that forever. Her embrace calmed me in an instant and, though I still felt great turmoil in my spirit, I knew she could make it right for me.

"Okay Eve. Come on, let's go."