Friday, June 2nd, 1978, Later that night

Eon padded silently around the camp, double-checking each cabin one by one to ensure there would be no would-be eavesdroppers of her clandestine nighttime endeavors. The cacophony of human noises emanating from the large cabin made her crunch her sensitive nose up in distaste. Disgusting humans, she thought.

She didn't understand how Mare's new friend could put up with them, but she was there to serve, not question, and she would put up with their presence for as long as he willed it. As long as it served his best interests, of course.

After a second run through the camp, she was certain no one beyond her and Nana were awake and she stealthily returned to her charge's cabin, carefully nudging the door open with a paw to avoid notice.

"Grab him," she whispered softly to Nana, who had been waiting on high alert for any stirring from their trainer or his new partner, the green-eyed one that would be joining them for the foreseeable future.

Without a word, Nana delicately lifted the currently snoozing Larvitar by the scruff of his scaly neck and carried him into the beckoning shadows before hoisting the rock type onto his back. He moved with a surprising grace considering his large size.

Larvitar, who had been entirely exhausted from his big first day, gave no indication that his deep sleep was even remotely in danger of being interrupted, simply settling into the new heated bed.

Thank goodness he's so tired, thought Eon with relief. This would be difficult to explain if Mare woke up.

Eon had been worried the child would wake up in alarm while they were still within earshot of the camp, leading to the inevitable result of resorting to more extreme methods to keep him quiet. She might be hard, but harming children was something she would avoid unless absolutely necessary.

The troupe stopped a few hundred meters from the camp in a small clearing just north of the main path in a thicket of dense pines.

"You can set him down now. There, on that rock," Eon directed Nana with a nod at a medium-sized rock centered in the clearing.

Nana gently draped the baby pokémon onto the rock, giving him a soft nudge awake.

"Ah!" Larvitar cried out in fright, his eyes wide and pupils dilated. "Where am I? Who's there?"

The little guy scooted himself off the rock as he tried to figure out what was happening. He landed on the ground with a squeal of surprise.

"'Tis simply us, your new family," explained Eon in amusement as Larvitar managed to climb back up on the rock with a tiny squeak of effort.

"Why did you wake me up, Aunty? I was having such a good dream," complained a crestfallen Larvitar as he wiped the sleep out of his eyes.

"We need to appraise you," interjected Nana plainly from his position on the edge of the clearing.

Eon rolled her eyes. He always tries so hard to be edgy and aloof.

"Appraise me? What does that mean?" asked Larvitar curiously.

"Appraise means to evaluate. It means to ascertain what means you have to advance Master Mare's cause," said Eon haughtily. "We have no room for pokemon that exist simply to be weights strapping us down to mediocrity."

"I don't know what those words mean!" the juvenile pokémon said with a frown, clearly thinking hard as evidenced by biting his tiny lower lip.

"What can you do," clarified Nana simply. The firedog flashed a disapproving look at Eon.

"There's no need to complicate it so. I've never understood your need to talk down to others, especially children such as this one."

Eon snorted. "Considering your base nature, you wouldn't understand the nuances like I do," she said with a flick of her fluffy tail.

Nana completely ignored her, used to her antics after long years working together. Although Eon was technically assigned to Mare first, Nana secretly considered himself more reliable than the overly confident fox-kin. The difference was only a matter of days, but still, it rankled him.

She just needs to talk less, he concluded to himself for the thousandth time although he had no idea how to actually influence her actions, stubborn as she was.

"Nana is correct in this case, though. Simple words may suffice in this instance. What can you do? I'll admit I'm somewhat curious about the effects of this," Eon said as she used her forepaw to poke at the faintly glowing sigils on Larvitar's back that only appeared visible in the darkness. "I still cannot believe you consumed the means to my advancement," she hissed in frustration, imagining how much better she would be able to serve Mare as an elegant Vaporeon, finally freed of her current weak form.

"I'm sorry! I was hungry," Larvitar said sheepishly. "I didn't know it was important to you, Aunty Eon. Something about the pretty rock just called to me," he said with a shrug. "It was just sitting there in the water shimmering."

"Stop pouting, Eon. It's unbecoming for someone of your stature," ordered Nana pointedly. "Mare will be sure to find another one, or mayhap you'll obtain an even more exotic form if Arceus wills it."

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"Bah," chuffed Eon. "I loathe the wait. Five years is too long, Nana. I know you, too, cannot wait for Mare to finally purchase a Fire Stone."

"Be that as it may, he is still a child. Do not hold against him that which he could not have known."

"I know, Nana dearest. I'm merely having a bit of fun. I know better than to dwell on lost opportunities. I wouldn't have made it this far if I became mired in what could have been within the clan."

Eon turned to Larvitar and got right up into his face. "So, in Nana's words, what can you do?"

Larvitar crinkled his tiny brow in confusion. "Do? I don't know what you mean. I just am."

"What moves can you use," Eon clarified. "All Pokemon, even those such as yourself, should have a basic ability to harness and channel certain varieties of natural energy in some capacity. I believe I overheard Mare mention that you are a ground-rock species, meaning you should be able to manipulate and create those substances in a variety of different ways."

"That is correct," confirmed Nana. "The young master explicitly stated Larvitar is to be used for the first gym, as Kuon specializes in electric species. However, I am concerned about his newfound coloration, not to mention those," he said with a gesture at the bloody slashes on Larvitar's neck.

Larvitar covered his gills protectively at the observation. "I don't feel any different. What are they supposed to do?"

"They're to breathe underwater. A bit strange for a rock-ground type, don't you think?" commented Eon sarcastically. "What do you think, Nana? Shall we find a stream and test them out?"

Nana nodded thoughtfully. "That might work, actually."

"No! Don't toss me in!" squealed Larvitar with a shudder. "It's cold, and I don't like the water! How do I use a move?"

"Focus on the energy in your chest and imagine it doing something. It should be innate, although I am uncertain what your starting moves are," admitted Eon with a slight note of frustration.

"Try Rock Throw," suggested Nana. "Every rock type I have encountered was able to perform the technique, although I know not what rock energy feels like to channel. I imagine it is hard," he deadpanned.

"Don't overthink it, little one. Focus inside your chest, where the organ that collects the energy resides. Imagine that energy creating a rock somewhere in your mind's eye. When I use Swift, a normal type move, I simply focus on the clear energy in my chest and envision a stream of sharp stars heading towards my target," explained Eon.

Larvitar waddled his way to the edge of the clearing and stared in concentration at a large tree nearby.

"Nggghghhhhghh!" groaned Larvitar, and to no one's surprise but his own, a fist-sized rock appeared to materialize out of nothing before slamming into a nearby tree with a dull thud.

"I did it! Nana, did you see that?" cried Larvitar in excitement before he wobbled on his feet as the energy outflow took its toll.

"Excellent work," congratulated Nana kindly, even as Eon rolled her eyes.

"Nice work indeed; it appears that you know Rock Throw. How do you feel, little one?" asked Eon with concern as she saw him sway on his feet.

"I don't feel so good. Is it always going to be like that?" Larvitar asked anxiously as he steadied himself back on the rock he had started on. "That doesn't seem like something I want to do very often..."

"No, it won't always be like that. You're simply experiencing energy feedback from expending all the available type energy you can handle," explained Eon.

"The humans have an obscure and overly complicated name for it, but for the sake of convenience, we'll just call it your vessel. Your vessel will grow in its ability to absorb and process type energy as you use it more. You're feeling dizzy because the rock you just manifested consumed more elemental energy than your vessel can hold. It should go away momentarily. The goal of most training is to expand your capacity to retain and impart energy."

"Too complicated, Eon," critiqued Nan with a slight edge to his voice.

Nana turned to face the confused infantile pokemon. "She simply means that you're not strong enough yet. Practice more, and you won't feel like that. That's all. We will have to undergo further testing when your stores of energy increase."

Larvitar screwed up in his brow thoughtfully. "Why do I need to do that, though? I don't want to hurt anyone else, and that rock looked like it hurt the poor tree."

Eon glared at Nana, "See? I told you, Nana. He's soft. You have to admit that I was correct in intervening early. Else, who knows what might have happened?"

Nana looked away in resignment, choosing not to rise to Eon's baiting tactics.

"You may be correct in this instance. What do you suggest, Eon? Do you have some surefire way to train a killer even from infanthood?"

"No, nothing like that. I simply wanted to talk to him before he walked blindly into the hellish training we both know Mare will have prepared for him going forward," corrected Eon.

"Training? What is training?" asked Larvitar curiously.

Eon took on a lecturing tone, "It's where you'll learn to harness your power. I don't yet know the details behind your species, but I will attempt to examine the guidebook I observed Mare reading just this morning so we have a better idea of how to start."

"What do I need power for? I just want to play! Playing is fun," giggled Larvitar as he started running in circles around the nearby rock. He stopped briefly to pick up a small rock to snack on before resuming his circling.

Nana and Eon exchanged concerned glances at his troubling behavior.

"Larvitar, dear. We're not finished here yet. I promise we'll bring you back to Mare shortly," she called out.

"Back to Daddy Mare! I want to go back to camp!" Larvitar demanded.

"Not just yet. We need you to understand your purpose first."

"Purpose? What is purpose?"

"To win, child. We need you to grow strong so your father, Mare, can earn his rightful recognition within his family. Moreso than Nana or myself, you must push yourself to climb great heights. From what we have gleaned, your species has a capacity far beyond our own, and we are here to support you as mentors in this journey," Eon declared passionately.

"I need to hurt others? Why? I don't want to!" Larvitar protested. "Why must anyone get hurt?"

"If you don't hurt others, people will hurt Mare," countered Nana bluntly. "There is no choice in the matter. If you were born to a different family, in a different situation, you might be able to avoid the violence required of you."

"But you weren't," finished Eon. "You're here with us, with the Seiichi, and our purpose is to hurt and to kill if needed. Nana and I are charged with protecting Mare at all costs, even laying down our lives if necessary. Starting tomorrow, You are part of that venture and need to act the part. If I know Mare, and I do, this may be the only day you have off for the rest of your career. Brace yourself, young one."

"Who will hurt daddy Mare? Why will they hurt him? They can't do that; it's wrong!" cried Larvitar, now in a panic at the thought that his adoptive father was at risk.

"Mare is in a position of great danger, even if he doesn't yet realize it," said Nana solemnly.

Larvitar looked around frantically, eyes dilated. "That's bad! We need to get back then! Take me back! Now!" he roared as loudly as he could, his small voice echoing through the night.

Nana and Eon exchanged glances, the latter's lips turning up with a hint of a smile.

"Do you want Mare to be hurt simply because of your unwillingness to fulfill your role?" asked Eon.

"No! Let me back, NOW! I won't let anyone touch him, EVER!" promised Larvitar defiantly.

"Good," purred Eon in satisfaction. "Come now, little one, let's get you back to Mare to get some rest. You'll need it."