Chapter Text
The eevee looked up at the big screen, far bigger than itself. Like a shining light in his world, a picture of everything he could be, wanted- *needed* to be. His small brown soft fur wet from the rain, the city was a hard place to be, cold in this time of year even with his fur. He shivered but stayed in place at the edge of an alleyway, staring at the huge screen on the side of a towering building. His brown eyes finding its way to see the Pokémon on screen battling by the side of its trainer, their bond obvious as the trainer called out attacks and guiding the Pokémon as the sylveon moved without hesitation fully trusting it’s trainer, it’s friend.
It didn't matter to the eevee that they were loosing, didn't matter that they had taken hit after hit, didn't matter how strong they were. All the young Pokémon cared about what how they looked at each other. He could see it, even through the screen the trainer looking at her Pokémon with nothing but love in her eyes, nothing but the notion of keeping her Pokémon safe, and winning. The eevee understood, understood the way sylveon listened to every command and word of its trainer, every step and move, every attack and strategy fully trusting the other so easily.
Envy curled up in the eevees’ stomach, the endless ache of wanting something more than what he has, wanting the connection and love he had always searched for. He sat, leaning against the grimy and dirty wall of Levincia city, known for its electric type trainers and gym leader, for its costal waters and brilliant battles televised throughout the city and region.
This is his...home. Well, not exactly, the egg this eevee hatched from wasn't in the forest near, he had stayed there for a while, with his family happily playing and hunting for food, watching his mother, an umbreon, walk by his and his siblings side, keeping them safe. He watched as his sister evolved, his father, a vaporeon, swim in the lake near by. He was happy, they had all been happy. When it came time for him to leave, to find a life for himself he met a trainer.
A trainer called Callum, Callum caught eevee. He had just been walking, looking for some food when a poke ball hit him square on the head, catching him by surprise and ending up in Callum's care, or lack of it. Power was all he wanted, strength and speed. He wanted a specific team, a fire type, a water type, an electric type, dragon type, a grass and finally a fairy type. Eevee had watched him curiously, waiting for the day he’d evolve the eevee, he didn't care, the eevee didn't mind what, he just wanted to evolve, to help his trainer like a good Pokémon. When the travel around Paldea something had caught his eye, a sylveon. So beautiful, so loved, so…him. Eevee wanted it, wanted it so bas so he waited. Callum wanted a fairy type so maybe. Maybe it could be him.
They travelled catching Pokémon after Pokémon, a Psyduck, a Dratini , a Vulpix, and a gloom. Eevees’ heart swelled with joy, each Pokémon a confirmation what what he needed to be true, His trainer wanted him to be a sylveon, one day. One day Callum's attention would be on the eevee, one day he could be like the Pokémon he had seen so long ago now. Until it all came crashing down as eevee saw a Ralts Infront of him, the fairy type Callum had wanted.
His mind had frozen, jealousy and rage flashing through his mind, holding back his tears. Surly Callum would let there be two, two fairy types in his team, Ralts and sylveon, they could be a duo, powerful just like Callum wanted. He would forget about the electric type and everything would be perfect. Eevee begged the world, the earth beneath his feet, and when the time finally came?
When Callum turned his attention onto the first Pokémon he had caught? A thunderstone in hand in Levincia, the final stop before his team was complete. Eevee shook his head, backing away from the stone, not daring to touch it. Pushing a paw towards the screen where a sylveon was shown, battling in a tournament. He cried out for Callum to understand, to help he so they could be stronger together. Callum's face turned thunderous. He glared, shoving the stone closer, when eevee backed up once more he grabbed the Pokémon but the scruff of his neck and held the stone up, just before it touched the eevee. Callum waited, waited for the eevee to take it, to evolve but he couldn't. Eevee refused once more, terrified by the look in his trainers eyes.
Suddenly the eevee was thrown against the wall, pain shooting through its back and legs, its small body curling up onto the floor of the alleyway. It had hurt, hurt a lot. Callum showed no pity, no remorse. Only anger. He yelled, screamed the young Pokémon before leaving, walking away, after uttering the words that haunt the eevee.
“Don't follow me.”
Even if he could right now, he wouldn't want to, not after that, he didn't want to be a Jolteon, wasn't there to be strong. He was there to make Callum happy, and if that meant not following him then so be it.
The eevee continued to stare up at the sylveon on the large screen. He curled up against the wall, his back aching with pain as he did. He fur unable to keep him warm while soaked like this. The rain had stopped a while ago, Callum had surly left the city by now on search for a new Pokémon. If only he could find the strength to stand up just a little bit more.
A the screen then was blocked by a shadowy figure, red and blue hair, a dark hoodie and a worried expression on their face. The eevee began to shut his eyes carefully as the mysterious person leaned closers their hands rubbing behind large ears and wet fur. They slowly, cautiously picked him up.