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In the Shadow of Life- Prologue, Part 4: The Dust Settles

A week after I started cooking, I woke up to find that it was just beginning to get bright. Did I sleep the whole night away? I did stay up a little late that night, and I've always been a lazy sleeper. I'll just stay up really late tonight, to get me back on schedule. So after nearly a month of living the night life, I saw sunlight again. It's not as pleasing to me as it once was, but I'm sure I can live with it. I was walking through the trees, surveying how different they looked in the sunlight, when it happened.

I heard a small noise, a small rustling in the trees. I thought it was just the wind, or maybe a small Starly or something like that. But then it came again, closer this time, just a few feet away. I stopped walking and called out "Hello? Who's there?" For a few seconds the bush did not move, but then after a few seconds, a Pokèmon came out. Due to the amount of twigs, knots, and other dirt and grime, it was almost impossible to tell what it was, except for one defining feature. Its long, black horn protruding from the side of its head.

"Abby!" I shouted, walking over to her. Her eyes slowly shifted towards me, as she slowly let out a breath. "Shadow, you have no idea how wonderful it is to see you." I could see she was in horrible shape, so we slowly walked back towards my home. I let her lie down in my nest while I got some berries from the far side of the room for her. After she had eaten, she explained to me how disappointed in herself she was, and that she had lied to me. I was the only friend she had in the village, that no one else had ever paid her any attention. After a few days she had become so bored that she decided to leave, and come find where I lived. For weeks she had traveled around the forest, looking for any sign of me. She wasn't used to traveling through thick undergrowth, and was constantly snagging her fur on stuff. She found just enough food to live on, and after two weeks she had even started to think about going back. But then she finally found me.

After she told me her story I let her rest for awhile, then I took her to a nearby stream. While she stood in it, I groomed the knots and grit out of her fur, while she did her chest, until she was just as beautiful as she was daily. "You look much better now." I told her. She smiled at me and said, "Thank you. I feel much better to. I'm glad you finally found a safe place to live." "Yes, I like it very much. So what do you plan on doing now that you've found me?" I asked. "Well, stay here, if you don't mind. There's nothing left for me back in that village..." she responded. "What about your boom box?" I thought she would want it. "I don't need it. I can make my own music," she said. "Alright, sure. It would be nice to have some company here," I smiled. Abby nuzzled my neck, and then took off running. "Race ya!" she shouted.

I took off after her, catching up in a minute or two. "Too bad!" I shouted right as I overtook her and dashed into the bushes concealing the entrance to my den. I waited for her to come inside. As she padded inside, she took her first good look around. "This is a pretty decently sized place." She told me, "Plenty of room to move around, store berries, and to make a nest. And what's this?" she asked, padding over to my cooking tools. "After eating berries for nearly a month, I got so bored I decided to start cooking them, to try different things," I explained. "That's pretty cool. I don't think I've ever heard of someone doing that," she said. "Well, if you want, we could set it up now and cook something," I offered."That would be great!" We headed outside, set everything up, and I started showing her how to cook.

I taught her how to make my favorites, and we tried some new combinations as well. We did this all day long, and well into the night, until our stomachs were as bloated as a Snorlax. "We sure ate well today," I remarked as we stumbled back to the cave. "I know, I have such a stomach ache it feels like it might explode if I move too quickly," Abby moaned. "I hope it gets better." When we arrived back at the cave, I told her "You know that because I am an Umbreon, I will be outside mostly at night, right? I was only out in the sunlight today because I overslept," I mentioned. "Of course I understand. I don't mind going out a night. I'm a dark type too, remember?" She laughed. I blushed slightly in embarrassment. "Oh... Of course I do. We should probably get some rest now. It must be at least midnight."

I went over to my nest to lie down, and heard Abby settle into the nest, behind me. She pressed herself against my back, draped her arm over my shoulder, and then lay still. I heard her breathing steady after a few minutes, and I quickly followed suit. Yep, there you go, that's pretty much my whole life story. I am still living here, another two months later, and not the slightest bit bored. Life will be changing soon though. Powerful beings will arise; choices will have to be made, decisions carried out. This, here, beginning right now, is my story.