Shifters: Chapter 15; Pack
#6 of Shifters Series
<Author's Note>
I can't believe it's been 2 months since I last updated, and i apologise for the lateness, but a combination of crushing writer's block and real-life commitments like work, university and my band simply made it too difficult to squeeze anything out of my head and onto my computor.
A big shout-out to everyone who's stuck with the story so far, too many to name, and i wouldn't want to miss anyone- but you all know who you are- thanks for reading :)
Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon (obviously, though it would be awesome if i did) just the idea for Shifters and my OCs
Without further ado: The very long awaited 15th chapter of Shifters! Enjoy, rate, comment, but please be constructive in your criticism. :D
Cheers guys. Hope you like it.
Shifters: Chapter 15; Pack
It was nearing dusk, and the small group, now all in human form, had settled around a small campfire courtesy of Hope, when Kai finally rose to talk.
"I know that today has been rather stressful..." he began, stopping when Hope began to snigger.
"You can say that again" the vixen snorted, a small ribbon of flame flaring from her maw as she giggled. Kai sent her a rather stern glare, which she responded to by laughing even harder at his expression. Kai sighed.
"As I was saying, it seems like you all know each other, but introductions are probably due at this point from myself and..." He broke off and gave a mock scowl at Hope, who quivered in pretend terror. "This ball of insolent fluff beside me" His glare turned into a grin at the expression on Hope's face after he said that, and he glanced around at the small group, who looked on in confusion at their strange behaviour.
"My name is Kai Lane, and I'm from Twinleaf Town. I'm a pokémon trainer and one day I hope to be the first Shifter to defeat the Elite Four, and perhaps improve our public image a little." He grinned and turned to Hope. "As for this terror..."
"I'm Hope!" she interjected "Pleased to meet you all".
By this point, the others had relaxed and there were grins on every face as they watched the duo's antics. Ebony stood up, her jet black hair falling over her face.
"I'm Ebony McManus" she said softly "I don't know where I come from exactly, and I don't know where I'm going. My brother Jay and I have been running our whole lives from people who would kill us for what we are, and just yesterday I thought we'd both die in that awful place" She rushed forward and gave Kai a quick hug. "Thank you for helping us"
Kai's composure slipped, a small blush of embarrassment on his face as he mumbled a response "It was no problem, I was glad to help" As Ebony stepped away, Hope gave him a cheeky prod with her tail and he glared at her again, his face reddening even more. Fortunately no-one seemed to have seen it as Jay came forward to introduce himself.
Ray was obviously related to Ebony, with the same fine facial structure and black hair, cropped short in his case. "Ebony said it best" he stated frankly as he held a hand out to Kai, who shook it. "Thanks for saving me and my little sis"
Ebony scowled, a vein popping out from her neck displaying her irritation "You're only older than me by 5 minutes!" she yelled, punching him on the arm. Ray grimaced ruefully, and let the subject drop.
Jet was the next to introduce himself, his bright and animated nature cutting through the sombre cloud that had fallen over the group after Ebony's words. "I'm very grateful for the recue" he said to Kai cheerfully "It's been great to finally stretch my wings a little, after such a long time cooped up"
Jet had also offered his hand, and after accepting the hearty handshake, Kai knew that he would make a firm friend.
"As for where I'm from, if it were lighter, you could probably see my house from here. I live with my parents in Floaroma, working the occasional part-time at the pokémart" The buoyant smile that lit up his face wavered slightly as he gazed out over the darkening valley, and Kai understood his worries.
"Have you told your parents about your abilities?" Kai asked
"No, and given that I've been missing for over three weeks..." He sighed. "They're probably worried sick about me"
"Then we'll visit them in the morning" Kai said decisively, "Do you think your house is being watched?"
"It isn't" Jet said, "I was captured miles away from here, on a joy flight near Jubilife, completely accidentally of course. Just my luck"
"How do you mean?" Kai asked curiously.
"When someone tries to catch us in pokémon form, it doesn't work, just like with pokémon that already belong to someone" Jet said "But instead of just failing, the pokéball literally explodes, and the guy that was trying to catch me just happened to be working for that bastard Mills, and he just happened to have a net with him" he sighed comically "not really my day".
Kai couldn't help but laugh at the understatement "Not your day indeed" he replied jovially.
At this point, the only one left to make introductions was the girl sitting slightly aside from the rest of the group, her head turned shyly away. Kai slowly made his way over to sit down beside her.
"And what's your name?" he asked gently, recognising her timidity for the trauma that it was, this was a girl that had been through a lot in a very short while.
The girl mumbled a reply that Kai strained to hear, and was forced to repeat herself, her voice slightly stronger.
'My name is Luna" she said softly.
"You're among friends now Luna" said Kai, just as softly "You're safe now, it's ok". Luna's head moved a little, a noncommittal gesture, which encouraged Kai a little. "Where are you from Luna?" he asked her, trying to get her to meet his eyes. When she finally did, he smiled imploringly at her.
"Pastoria City" she finally replied, a small smile on her face as she finally started to open up. "I was a ranger in the Great Marsh". As if realising that she had made a mistake, her head dropped, and she retreated back into her shell. Kai hid a smile as he stood, and put a comforting arm on her shoulder as he moved away; there was hope for her yet.
Now that introductions had been made, and the night had finally set in, the small group began to arrange themselves around the clearing, all taking pokémon form to protect themselves against the chilly breeze that wafted through the meadows. Kai and Hope snuggled up together, with his tails spread like a blanket over them, with Ebony and Ray huddled up together a small distance away. In bird form, Jet perched on a low-hanging branch of a nearby tree, while Luna lay at its base, the thick trunk providing a barrier against the cold.
As the rest of the group began to fall asleep, and Kai's own eyelids started to become heavy, he began to reflect on the past day. They had come a long way over the last day, and already there seemed to be a closeness to the group, something to do with their shared ordeals, he assumed, as well as their shared abilities. They were already something special, a group, connected by their nature and by their actions. They were united, they were kin, they were bound to one another, they were...