Eevee TF Series Part 4-VIII

Eevee TF Series
Part 4
Chapter VIII

The lonely autumn firs stretched their obscure shadows across the valley, disppearing into rivers, and reappearing on misshapen rock faces in the late Washington afternoon. The moisture on the grass from the recent rainfall soaked into the Vulpix's paws and matted the mahogany fur down as he trod, with a head held high, on his master's left flank. Don, as he was called by his parents, glanced down at him from his rugged height with a generous smile- which he would return with a cheerful chirp- before laughing contentedly and turning his carefree blue eyes back to the darkening alpine trail ahead of him.
The faint, red sun was pierced by a white-capped mountain behind them, and the entire valley became cooler with the lack of light. Vulpix looked up and saw a look of slight distress cross Don's thin brows as he ruffled his coat and gently held his arms close to his chest. Sensing his friend's chagrin disposition, the small fox swung his abdomen lightly around and silently brushed the denim pant leg with his huge, fanning tail. He felt satisfaction when Don paused at the sudden warmth on his side, and looked down with gratitude at his partner, who turned around on his graceful paws to acknowledge his lifelong companion.
Don turned to the deep-eyed fox and knelt down, opening his arms and spreading them out to his sides with a wide smile that stretched high up into his flat cheekbones. The beaming fox flashed without hesitation towards him through the narrow space between them. Vulpix's body took on almost a faint light of its own as he leapt, and a sort of warm, glowing aura seemed to reach out and strike Don's chest right before a pair of furry paws landed, knocking him over onto his back.
The whole valley reverberated with haughty laughter and delighted high-pitched yips from the two's merry embrace. Vulpix managed to spread his front legs around Don's neck, nuzzling his cheek- an area which his master's towering height forbade him from touching- and Don had his clothed arms firmly wrapped around the fox's small back. It was hard to tell where the human's faded coat ended and Vulpix's rusty coat started. Don lay supine for several minutes, rubbing his friend's furry back and massaging his tails. Vulpix returned the favor, tickling him with the thick, plush tails, and covering his face with his short, warm tongue, which obligated Don to blindly fondle the miniature being even more in an endless cycle.
A strong, bitter mountain breeze rushed through the forest trail, blowing dead leaves from the trees, but the fervent pair's emotions burned deeply like those of long-estranged brothers, and with Vulpix's naturally feverous pelt, Don was blanketed with a warm shield that imbued his soul with an exhilarating, heavenly flame that playfully lapped at his heart. They both beamed brightly, and illuminated the nearby trees with an innate campfire glow.
As their cuddling slowed, Don paused to gaze up at the night sky. He placed a calming hand on Vulpix's head. "Would you look at that?" he whispered in awe into the small ear. With an inquisitive chirp, the fox also paused and turned his head around to face skyward. Between the trees a considerable view of the night poured over them. Immediately their affectionate glow was overpowered by the pale white light from the large moon which was suspended just off to their right. Surrounding it were its ancient counterparts which shimmered and winked at them.
Don carefully slid his left arm out to the side and Vulpix, in silent, starry-eyed awe, allowed himself to aimlessly slide off of his friend's chest and roll onto his back on the soft grass. Being cradled in Don's arm, and resting his soft head on his chest just in front of the shoulder, he gazed in admiration at the stellar sight and his mind raced about the capacity and size of the world and the universe. He affectionately pushed his head so to be closer to Don's, ear to ear.
The two friends spent most of the night on the cool grass in a tender warmth, soaking in the dazzling spectacle above them. A brilliant streak of light sped across the stage above them.

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"Make a wish," Don remembered saying.
A gentle brush against his pants leg from Vulpix's large, dull-red tail sent a very warm, familiar sensation up his spine and into his chest that always gave him memories of that glorious, unforgetable night. As he watched the group of small, furred characters led by his old friend scamper towards the bathroom door, he remembered that it had been years ago- decades, even- since that magical night. He had been but a mere child, perhaps Ron's age, he guessed. Even back then, though, he had had a notion that his relationship with the small fox had always been unquestionably in existence.
That night, he thought at length, was unlike any other. A special kind of powerful familial bonding had been experienced there in that little-known valley in Washington. As he mused, he recalled how he had felt like he was actually chatting with Vulpix the whole time; sharing ideas, or at least understanding each other. The last thing he remembered about that night was that, while in his arm, the fox had stretched upwards some more to place a paw on the back of his large neck. He rolled himself over onto his side and shoved his head underneath Don's chin, before falling asleep soundly. All through the night, Don breathed at the same steady rate as his companion, before succumbing to exhaustion which was intensified by the soothing warmth that purred on his chest and radiated through his whole body.

At the bathroom door, the small creatures were gathered around in a semicircle, thinking about what action to take. So far, Valencia had been doing all of the talking, but even she was uncertain of what to do next. A steady stream of thoughts flowed through her mind, but none seemed practical. One plan in particular seemed to please her, and that was to sit in waiting for their strange friend to make a move.
Lucky for her she didn't have to wait long. Almost as soon as she had thought that thought, the same pompous monologue emanated through the wooden door. "Valencia? Is thee still there?" He spoke blithely with a fabricated old-British accent; very airy, and devoid of R's. Valencia didn't say anything and with unctuous pleading Corbyn added, "There's something I wish to tell thee-"
"Cut it, Corbyn. Are you okay?"
Corbyn made an uncertain, though more sincere moan. "Err.... more or less, I'm afraid."
"Can you open the door?"
"I didn't hear a please."
She sighed with an audible Huh! "Please open the door."
Corbyn's voice, getting softer, replied, "Well, I guess I'll have to try, then." With that, there were a couple of disconcerting, soft taps followed by a grunt. Something loud and hard hit the door high above her, and she heard something contact the squeaky metal handle, which turned ominously. Before her the door slowly opened and gave way to a half-view of an empty bathroom.
Just like before, a rush of warm air swept past her and made her skin bead lightly with her bodily water. Squinting through the haze, she saw nothing except the clean, white toilet and part of the large wall mirror. As the door continued to open, she could see the counter a good couple of feet above her head, with an old wooden stool placed in front. Another grunt brought her attention towards the countertop and, the edge of the door sweeping past, she made out an unmistakable cloud of red-orange and yellow.
"You'll never believe what happened to me today," a voice boasted triumphantly. As he spoke the fine fur and massive mane on his body gleamed in the creamy lamplight and gave Valencia the impression that an extravagant yellow flame had engulfed his entire chest. Corbyn stood on the counter above them in mid-strut, flaunting his left side, with a sunburn-red right paw shooting forward, and his left suspended above the surface, tucked into his side like a pigeon. His head (which was the same neon red as his legs and abdomen, and which contained a small black nose and long scruffy ears- and which was also topped by an ornate, yellow, teardrop-shaped panache of fur that rested on the middle of his crown) was inclined smoothly, towards some unseen object in the ceiling, with eyes casually closed. His whole being seemed to glow with self-induced pride, which handsomely complimented his vibrant, warm colors. A huge, blaze-yellow tail billowed from behind and was just about as big as the rest of him.
He wholly expected to hear a stunned shriek from his female visitor, but when silence met his furry, sensitive ears, he nervously opened his eyes and fell out of his statuesque pose. The cool air from the open door made his fur ruffle gently and when he looked towards it, he was distraught to not see a pair of silencing hands covering the speechless mouth of a fair, brown-haired woman of about twenty who was adoring- or even envying- his shiny fur, or at least simply falling over backwards in shock, as he expected. When his thin eyes caught movement near the base of the door, he looked down from his perch to see not a brown-haired woman- or even a woman at all- but a small creature whose unexpected presence startled him.
A turquoise cat-like being was sitting on the threshold, with a large flabby tail curled up around the front, motionless. The deep, purple-blue eyes stared up at his with an obvious display of apathy. As he looked her over his eyebrows rose up to his scalp and his tail flicked slowly and gracefully. Light from the ceiling fan in the other room seemed to him a sun setting behind her gentle figure and the gleam that it created on her soft, smooth shoulders filled him with an unusual warmth that made him feel giddy. He whispered an inaudible  Whoa with his half-open mouth, not at all stirred by the intimidating seriousness of her ebony gems.
"Try me," she returned flatly, with a palpable feminine touch that she was certain would drive him crazy. Though she felt annoyed with the cockiness that beamed in front of her, she secretly admired the Flareon's stunningly handsome physique. The look of innocent, shocked awe that burned in his mien penetrated her chest and melted away her irritability, and comfortably filled her being with that same beautiful warm thrill she had felt earlier, when she realized that her lifelong dream of becoming a Vaporeon had finally become a reality. She wondered if he felt the same way about his becoming a Flareon.
Before she could inquire, Corbyn gracefully glided off of the counter and walked over to her, not changing his gaze, other than to look down at her slender paws and multiple fins- an action of his to which she showed no opposition, but rather, returned herself. Each time a slow paw hit the cool tile floor his fur rippled like a summer wind blowing through a cinnamon-red wheat field. His eyes had a bright blue shimmer that contrasted sharply with the warm colors that covered the body. They beheld an amazed look that always suggested innocence and curiosity.
"Valencia?" he asked with uncontrolled surprise.
She nodded slowly. "What happened to you?"
The Flareon turned his muzzle to show that he was admiring his fur. "I dunno," he replied casually. "I was sleepin', buuut..." he drawled, before shrugging his shoulders. He made a dramatic, alluring pose, and added with a playful lisp, "But don't I just look sexy?"
Almost immediately after he said that he was answered by a piercing squeal that sounded only too familiar. He turned just in time to see a creamy brown flash jump onto him, knocking him to the ground with sudden force. Oof! he grunted, and then was nearly asphyxiated by a tiny pair of paws that attached tightly around his chest. "Oh hey, it's this kid!" he said playfully.
"Eeiee! Corbee!!" the small, yet strong Eevee chirped wildly. Corbyn had expected to hear a chorus of Vee's, but was taken aback to hear his name amongst the muffled chattering against his giant furry mane.
Fumbling awkwardly with his paws he managed to yank the squirming child away from his torso, holding him by his shoulder joints over his own body. "Hey, Vee!" he exclaimed, excited to hear the once-dumb animal speak as he now understood that he could. It was an amazing experience, he noted, how mich different Eevee was on this new level- when he could actually knock him over. Even more so, he marvelled at the idea of actually communicating with the adorable fox- with words rather than unintelligible chittering. The bushy, vanilla fur around his neck felt smooth like the frail plumes of a young fowl, and his eyes, brightly aglow with inexhaustible energy, were opened wide in tall ellipses shaped like his long ears and they had large, vivid black pupils that Corbyn would never have noticed from his original height.
Eevee exaggerated a squeaking gasp. "You can understand me now?!"
Corbyn smiled at the tiny melliflous words, his upper lip hanging over the lower on either side of his mouth. "Hehe, I guess so!"
"Well in that case, tickle fight! the little fox squealed before jerking loose of Corbyn's suspended hold and diving down towards his captor.
"Ah, Oh no! he cried in a falsetto, before Eevee dropped onto his belly, dashing for his head and burrowing himself inside the furry jungle on his chest. A rolling, tingling sensation shot across his chest, spreading through his body, and he found himself involuntarily rolling on the ground, holding his sides in giddy, unrestrained laughter. He noted that he had never really been a ticklish person, but, as he noted in his wild fray, he had never been covered from head to toe in incredibly soft, sensitive fur.
In the heat of the moment, the thought came across his mind to give his newly furred chest a large, prideful squeze. When he tried it, he received a phenomenal satisfaction from holding the giant bundle in his small leg-arms. In his embrace, Eevee seemed to calm down a little, possibly hugging Corbyn back. Eventually the Flareon got onto his feet and stuck his snout into his mane, trying to coax the fox out. Upon the attempt to evict him, Eevee quickly poked his head out of the fur and shouted a impish "No!," then dove back in and proceeded to issue another assault of flitting movements that sent Corbyn back to the floor in laughter again.
After a while, after he had become exhausted and almost hoarse with laughter, he managed to stand up and walk back over to Valencia, who had been watching the whole event with amusement, the first sign of happiness he had ever seen in her mistifying blue face. He tried but failed to keep a straight face when he felt Eevee crawling across his chest, and maneuvering around to his back. From there, the giggling fox climbed up his neck and stuck a smirking face out from behind Corbyn's ears, resting his front paws on the top of the red-orange head. Corbyn looked up as high as his eyes would allow him, to see a brown arm darting out and pawing at the yellow plume on his crest. He mildly chuckled at the cute gesture, and returned his gaze back to Valencia who, to his delight, had also been giggling herself at the whole scene. A brilliant sense of accomplishment swept over him.
"Ah, Corbyn, even as a Flareon you haven't changed" she laughed, wiping a crystal tear from the corner of her eye.
"As a what, now?" he replied, instinctively cocking his head. The brown clown on top squealed at the sudden shift. He quickly realized his mistake and releveled his head, allowing Eevee to return with unfathomable interest to attacking his yellow tuft.
Valencia tried to control herself, sniffling before continuing. "A Flareon."
"Oh, is that what I am, then?" Though he had never heard the name before, it sounded amazingly familiar to him- but he could not begin to imagine how.
"You mean you don't know what a Flareon looks like?" Corbyn shook his head. "Do you even know what they are?"
Again he shook his head. "Nope," he declared proudly.
Valencia felt her heart drop, and she issued an exasperated sigh through her nostrils. She tried her best to explain Corbyn's situation to him, though whether or not he was paying attention was anyone's guess.
"-So wait, a 'fire-type,' am I?" he grinned slyly. "Are you trying to say that I'm hot?" His blue eyes flashed mischievously.
"Hot-headed, maybe," Valencia grumbled in return, her earlier feelings of annoyance starting to slip back into her throat.
Before she could say anything else, the Flareon walked around her, both he and Eevee giggling loudly with their eyes closed tightly. Corbyn blindly approached the bright-yellow dog that sat off to the side near the door frame, watching silently. When Corbyn opened his eyes and was met with the intimidating spikes of fur that covered the creature in front of him, he slowly rolled his eyes up to meet a pair of deep, condescending pupils that looked blankly down at him with a violet gleam from the mustard-yellow head.
"And who might you be?" he asked, smiling with an adopted charm. As he said this he gently lifted a paw and extended it toward the attractive dog's front right leg in an attempt to flatter her with a gentle rub. Eevee wimpered and leapt from his perch.
Instead of a giving a shy, red blush, the vibrant-colored canine flared her ivory teeth and made an audible roaring growl. "Bite me, Piroack!" And with that, her spiky fur flashed bright white, jumping towards Corbyn's paw and spreading to his own fur. His paw lost all feeling as he was hit with a powerful, sizzling, electrical energy. Almost immediately all of his muscles tightened at once. He felt a surging jolt, and found himself flying at a breathtaking, unnatural velocity from the sparking creature, who, to his amazement, quickly stopped her violent eruption as soon as he hit the ground next to Valencia.
He shook his head wildly and, still lying down where he landed, raised his horrified gaze to look back at the creature's hate-ridden eyes. "Mrs. Ruck?!" Valencia lowered her muzzle and helped Corbyn get back onto his feeble legs, which still sparked with flashes of electricty.
"Yeah, and she's not too thrilled at the moment," she answered for her silent professor. "She's been turned into what is called a 'Jolteon.'"
"Yeah, no kidding," he replied, licking his numb paw. His formerly elegant fur was now scruffy and blackened, smoking lightly. His face was an unkempt mess. "You mussed up my hair! he hollered at Cathy.
She narrowed her eyes and hissed loudly.
"Hmph!" Corbyn turned away from her and yelped when yet another creature appeared directly in front of him and gazed at him with deep, radiant tan-brown eyes that motionlessly seemed to be studying his every feature. He quivered under the fox's gaze, staring intently at the large, cupped ears and small, black nose. A collection of huge, reddish tails stood up like curling bodyguards behind the imposing figure, which had cream-white fur on the chest, and fur the color of georgia clay surrounding it. On its lemon-shaped head was a beautiful set of mahogany-red locks with short-trimmed bangs that came down and separated the eyes.
Without saying anything, the head leaned down and approached his, eyes narrowing slightly. Corbyn thought he felt a faint rush of air come through the animal's small nose, and he nervously shrank with a slight groaning whimper, both of his ears folding back onto his back. Not knowing what to do, he smiled faintly. "H-hello, ma'am," he studdered.
The fox's head quickly retracted when he spoke, and Corbyn thought he heard a deep gutteral snicker.
"Forgive me, but I'm more a 'sir' than a 'ma'am,'" he apologized with a sweet, flowing voice. He pulled up one of his cheeks into a half-grin, and Corbyn heaved a sigh of relief, returning a bright smile. Valencia pulled up next to him, but the fox placed a paw out in front of her. "No, no- that's not necessary." His strong, powerful voice spoke with influence and assurance. "I am a Vulpix; you and I are both fire-types."
Corbyn sat down, suddenly very comfortable around his new friend. "So, you're not anybody I know, then."
"Oh, heavens no. I've been a Vulpix my whole life- or at least as far as I know."
He made a motion to scratch his head with his front paw, an action which proved to be very difficult for a Flareon. "Hehe, sorry about the whole "ma'am" thing. It's- that hair up there, that threw me off."
Vulpix shook his head, letting the curls dance in the air before bouncing back down into position on top of his bangs. "Oh, it's fine- I get that a lot," he added with a chuckle.
Corbyn giggled out loud at the gesture, and reached out to pat Vulpix on the back. "Well, don't get me wrong; I still find you very attractive."
The two foxes burst into laughter, much to the amazement of Valencia, who stood aloof with a dumb expression. It must be a fire-type thing she thought. The sight- not to mention the sound- of Vulpix laughing confused her at first. He had never really spoken more than a few quiet, serious words to her, yet here he was in front of her, chatting with one of the most annoying people she knew. Even Eevee joined in the liveliness, jumping onto the head of Vulpix, this time, and giggling every the giant head underneath him moved.
"You may have already met my partner Eevee, here," Vulpix continued, elevating his head slightly. Eevee crawled slightly forward and sat down just behind the curls that formed a neck-high barrier immediately in front of him.
"Oh, yes," Corbyn giggled. "We met earlier at the hospital."
"You mean, before you-" he made a sweeping gesture with his paw that Corbyn understood readily.
"Yeah," he replied, looking over his Flareon body. Vulpix nodded in understanding. "So, what, then? Are you and Eevee brothers, or something?"
Eevee chirped with delight upon hearing his name. "Well, you could say that. I mean, we might as well be. I've been with him, like his guardian, ever since he was just a little hatchling." Eevee leaned over and whispered something in the large cup above his left temple. Vulpix nodded again. "Oh, yes. He's very adamant about his descriptions. He vainly corrects everyone when they don't call him 'cute.'"
Corbyn shut his eyes and chuckled. "Well I guess that shouldn't be too hard, then. Right? Ya cute little Eevee?"
"Don't you forget it!" Eevee sqeaked, and they all laughed.
"Oh, my goodness! Corbyn?!" A voice shouted from behind. The elated Flareon turned his head around and saw a giant figure running towards him. He must have been at least three or even four times his height, or at least he looked that way as he eclipsed the light behind him. Immediately the man knelt down in front of him and reached out to gently touch his ear. When Corbyn looked his features over more clearly, focusing his vision, he suddenly recognized the giant.
"Ron! Oh my goodness, you wouldn't believe what's happened-"
"Calm down, buddy," Ron interrupted, oblivious to Corbyn's excitement. He reached his hand down the red neck and massaged the large mass of fur covering his chest. "What happened this time?"
Corbyn relaxed his eyes and gently purred as his best friend caressed his bosom. "Ohhhhhhh......" he groaned softly. His ears fell down on his head, and his tail slowly flicked. Any more of this, he thought, just might make him topple over and fall asleep.
Ron smiled with satisfaction. He looked over the strange new red creature with awe, feeling his friend's playful spirit inside from his motions and the sounds he produced. The bright yellow fur felt incredibly warm and soothing between his fingers- like rubbing his hands over a campfire on a chilly night. His three-toed paws gently flexed into the carpet beneath him. Just the idea of Corbyn's conscious mind being alive and well in front of him gave him comfort and security, regardless of what had happened to his stature- much less, his clothes. "This is crazy," he muttered.
Corbyn diverted his head and stared into Ron's sympathetic dark-brown eyes. "Oh, you're telling me. But you know, it isn't that bad, you know? I mean, I got fur! What's not to like about that, huh?" His ears perked at Ron's unmoved expression. "Ron? Are you listening, or are you just checking me out- not that I don't like that, but-"
He was stopped abruptly by a loud hissing sound that came from Ron's clenched teeth, that turned out to be a silencing "Shhhh.." He brought his hand down slowly, placing two fingers on his mouth.
"Hey, I'm talking to you," he grumbled through the fingers that covered his muzzle. A cool, light tapping came to his attention, and he turned to see Valencia's paw on his shoulder, with her deep, kind eyes glimmering prudently.
Shaking her head, "He can't understand you."
Corbyn coiled away from Ron slowly. "What?"
Before she could explain, Ron had turned his squat to face her. "Hey, Val. What's up?"
"Oh, nothing much," she demonstrated. "Except for the fact that you're wearing one of Julia's shirts." She smiled triumphantly.
"Mh-hm, alright," Ron muttered, nodding mechanically with a subtle grin. He rewarded the Vaporeon for her futile two cents with a nice rub on the head, which she trilled to.
"Yep," she sighed, "Can't understand a word." After Ron stopped rubbing her neck she turned to Corbyn, who had a face mixed with confusion, stupor, and embarassment. "That's one of the downsides to being a Pokémon," she confessed. "You can't speak directly to humans."
Corbyn frowned glumly, every detail on his handsome body drooping. "That's some catch."