The Old Pack Days

[Lady Vulpix]

Author's notes: Kurosakura made me do it. No, not really. I've been thinking of writing this for a long time. But a recent conversation with her has made me feel that now was the right time to get it done. This is a prequel to my Dragon Tamers Battle Range stories. Some of the events covered here have been mentioned in them, and 5 of the characters in this story have appeared there while others have been mentioned. However, you don't have to read my DT stories in order to understand this, as all the events described here took place before the Battle Range began. Even more, after this is over I'll write a short epilogue telling what happened to each of the characters (of course, if you want to read those things in detail, then the archive is available for reading; you can check out my battles and "Last call for brawl" by Hypotenuse Man). I'm planning to make this a short fic, with just a few chapters, and then go back to my old fics provided I get some readers for them.

The Old Pack days
Part 1: The Mother Pack

They say each story has a beginning. I say... not necessarily, but you do need to begin telling them somewhere. This is the story of a Vulpix pack that once lived in a forest in Caledor. It is usually referred of as the "old pack" by its former members. But in order to understand where it came from, I'll need to talk about the mother pack first. A pack which is hardly ever recalled by those who have left it.

The mother pack had a varying number of members, as new kits were born every year but it was common for young Vulpixes to leave the pack. Deaths seldom occurred, but there were many reasons which tempted some foxes to leave. Life in the pack wasn't easy for those not particularly favored by the leaders.

Every pack in Caledor had its own rules and customs. This one in particular was rather similar to a wolf pack, with an Alpha couple making all the important decisions, a Beta couple helping the leaders enforce their rules, and the rest, who did their best to live their lives with as few problems as possible. The Alpha male was a Ninetales, who had been released by a trainer and had assumed leadership of the pack after and defeating the old leader in a challenge. The Alpha female was the Vulpix he had chosen as his favorite. They were both capricious and often forced others to go out of their way to please them. The Betas got the worst of it, as they were the closest to the leading couple and had to put up with being ordered around all the time. But they enjoyed the authority their position gave them whenever the leaders were away.

Things got worse when both couples had babies at around the same time. Both males, which was a rare occurrence. When the Beta baby was born, the Alpha kit was only a few days old, and his parents were determined to make sure he had someone watching him at all times. However, they weren't willing to give him that constant attention themselves, so the Betas were often forced to neglect their own child in order to tend to the leaders' son. The Beta kit never lacked any nourishment, but other than that he got hardly any attention from his parents. Most of the things he learned were either taught to him by his peers or discovered by himself. The favored child, in turn, enjoyed the special treatment at first, but when he was old enough to start interacting with other young Vulpixes and see what life was like for them, he got tired of his parents' overprotection and of having adults following him everywhere he went. They both spent a lot of time together, but due to the dissimilar treatment they received, it took them some time to start getting to know each other well: at first it was easier to see what the adults' attitudes implied than to learn who the other really was.

One thing none of the youngsters liked was the fact that, while all the adults had names, they didn't. It was the pack's rule that a Vulpix had to become of age and earn a name in order to get one, and giving each other nicknames in the meantime was frowned upon. It made the young ones feel ignored and unimportant. Even the leaders' son was subject to this rule, and it was one of the many things he intended to change if he ever became a leader. Thoughts of leading the pack, or maybe a new pack of his own, became more and more frequent as time went by. Especially after he found a few ways to escape his begrudging custodians' watch and get some space; he became very close to a female around his age, and they both started sharing the dream of forming a different pack, first as a wild idea, then slowly and progressively becoming more confident about it, until they finally decided they could do it. Then the preparations began.

Everything was set in motion on the day of the Great Competition. Once a year, the pack held a series of competitive events to determine who was the strongest, who was the fastest, and who was best at a number of specific skills. The young 'prince' decided to use the contest to help him decide who to invite to the future pack and, especially, to decide who would become his Beta. His partner, who had spent more time with other Vulpixes and knew them better, had already extended a few invitations and chosen a Second in Command. The contests took place one after another, with few surprises, except for one thing: the Betas' son, whom the prospective leader had always seen as both a friend an a rival, the only one who had ever confronted him directly - and even used Quick-Attack against him -, had not only won, but made all the other racers eat his dust. The Vulpix who came in second was just over halfway through the course when the winner crossed the finish line. That made him decide to talk to him. He looked for the winner once the commotion was over, and found him stretching his legs.

"That was some race!" he commented. "You did a nice job out there."
"A nice job is what I usually do. This time I was amazing!"
"Yeah, well... you could still work on your modesty, you know."
"Not today. I'm tasting my crushing victory. Too bad you weren't in the race, I would have liked to beat you too."
"You know I'm not the racing type. You could have tried to beat me at the Ember contest, but I doubt you'd have made it. I'm not suggesting you should have joined the strength competition because you wouldn't have stood a chance there."
"There's too much luck involved in the Ember competition, it could have gone either way. I don't like to rely on luck... nor brute force for that matter."
"So you do what you do best. That's fair. Listen, I've been considering... You know my girl? She and I are starting a new pack. I know you don't like the way things work here any more than I do, and while your head seems to be full of air sometimes, you do seem to understand the basics of strategy, and you clearly have some talent. So... What would you say about being my Second in Command?"
"Me? A Beta? No, thanks, I'll pass. I'm not anybody's servant, let alone yours."
"Wait! It's not going to be like here. I won't be bossing you around like my parents do. You'll be free to do what you want as long as you don't break the pack's rules, and you'll be left in charge whenever I'm away. I may even ask you for advice if I'm not sure about something. And when my mate and I have a kit, we'll look after it ourselves."
"Your mate? You've mated already?"
"Not yet, but we will as soon as we leave. And then we'll give names to everyone who joins us. No more going around without a name."
"That does sound tempting. But wait... Aren't there usually two Betas?"
"Yes, my future mate has already chosen hers and is talking to her right now. Don't worry, you don't have to mate her if you don't want to. You'll just be sharing some responsibilities. And she's smart and understanding, so assuming she accepts, I don't think you'll have any problems working with her."
"Who is she?"
"The winner of last year's Treasure Hunt, and everyone's favorite to win it this year."
"We'll see about that. I'm going to participate."
"Good luck trying to win against her. I don't know how she does it, but she can find anything, no matter how well-hidden it is."
"I have a plan."
"In that case, I wish you the best. Just remember to get yourself ready. We're leaving tomorrow morning. If there's anyone else you want to invite, go ahead."
"Who else is coming?"
"I'm not sure yet, everyone's thinking about it. I'll tell you tonight when we have some confirmations. I'm sure we'll be getting some now that you've said yes."
"I haven't said it yet, but... Yeah, it does beat staying here. Just why do you think they'll care about me joining? I know I'm the fastest Vulpix in the pack and I've impressed everyone today, but..."
"No, it's not that," the future leader laughed. "You and I both have something they want, and only you're available."

He winked and left, unsure of whether or not his future Beta had understood his remark. After all, his head did seem to be full of air sometimes. But he was good at planning, and was also his closest friend. He'd make a good Second in Command.

[Kurosakura]

I should definitely hope I didn't force you to do anything! I have this urge to ask about the beta female that the alpha male mentioned, but I'm refraining from it, because that means spoilers. I refuse to spoil anything.

Anyway, I'm kind of peeved about the original Alpha couple. Who died and left them in charge? D: It's like a chain of neglection, that's just unfair, and not having names is unheard of. It's like having everyone call you, "HEY YOU!"

This potential *insert word here* is going to kill me.

[Lady Vulpix]

You don't have to post a question you've already asked me via IM.

And no, of course you didn't force me to do anything. I just used you as an excuse. And yes, nobody likes not having a name and these weren't very popular leaders. But it's hard for a Vulpix to stand up against a Ninetales, especially one who doesn't listen to reason. That's why those who weren't willing to put up with him and his equally whimsical mate preferred to leave rather than challenge them for leadership.

I'm glad you enjoyed reading this. I'll try to post the next part soon.

[Lady Vulpix]

OK, this will be the last chapter I'm posting today. I'll see if I can post part 3 tomorrow. This chapter doesn't advance the plot much, but it gives you some insight on another important character.

The Old Pack days
Part 2: The Treasure Hunt

The rules of the Treasure Hunt were simple: each participant was given a starting point where they had to look for a drawing on the ground, then find something which looked similar to the drawing and find the next drawing near it, until they found the last clue, which would show the shape of the Treasure as well as its location.

Only four Vulpixes were playing this time. Most of them had been deterred by how fast the previous hunt had ended. Most players had been looking for the 3rd clue (some even the 2nd) when the Treasure was found. This time, it started off normally. Everyone went to their respective starting points and looked for the first drawing. But one of the players was keeping an eye out for something else. The first couple of clues were different for each player, but they usually started converging after the 3rd clue, and the Treasure was the same for everyone. The only male player ignored the first drawing, knowing it would lead him away from the others as it had done the previous year. Instead, he started searching for other players while pretending to look for the next clue. It was easier to follow the noise of running Vulpixes than it was to search everywhere for some object or landmark that looked similar to a claw-drawn picture on the ground.

After a few minutes, he found one. Not the one he was looking for, but still a rather good player if he recalled correctly. She was carefully observing her surroundings. Her opponent had to hide behind a tree to avoid being seen, and resort to his hearing to get an idea of what she was doing. After a while, the paw-steps stopped. Everything was silent for a few seconds, and then the female dashed away. That sounded promising: she had to have found her clue, and it was probably something she could recognize. The male Vulpix hurried to the spot where he'd heard her stop, and checked the ground. He soon found three wavy parallel lines. He stopped for a moment to think. The only thing that had a shape remotely similar to that was the river, but it was very long. Even limiting the search to the nearest part of the river, there was still a very large surface to cover. He thought of following the female, but he would never win by just following another player, especially one who wasn't likely to be the winner. He decided to look at the drawing more carefully. Then he realized the curves in the lines were not arbitrary. There was a part of the river where the course took exactly that shape, even widening at the same point where the lines were a bit more separated. It had seemed accidental at first, but now it was clear. That had to be the place! He sprinted towards that spot, trusting that he would make it there before the other player did.

That strategy worked. He got to that point by the river and started searching for the next clue. It had to be on that shore, they wouldn't make players cross the river just to find a clue. Not even the Alphas were that crazy. He soon found it. He wondered what number of clue it was; it had to be at least the third one. The problem was that it wasn't easily recognizable this time. It looked like a rectangle with a triangle on it.

"Curse you both," he muttered. "If you've arranged something to look roughly like that, then it could be anywhere."
"Roughly like what?" asked a voice behind him.

It was the same Vulpix he'd been following before. She had finally caught up with him.

"Uh... Nothing. I was just leaving. Good luck with your hunt!"
"It's just a game, you know," she replied, but by the time she finished the phrase he was already out of hearing range.

"Now think," he told himself as he ran. "What can possibly have that shape?"

He didn't have to think about it for too long, as he soon saw a Vulpix-like figure ahead. It was moving slowly... too slowly for someone who was playing a competitive game. And yet, when he got close enough to recognize her, he realized there had to be a secret reason for her slowness. He couldn't believe his luck. He'd been running in a random direction, but it had brought him close to his original goal: the Treasure Hunt champion!

He followed his new target closely enough to keep her in sight, but from a distance which he hoped wouldn't alert her. She kept moving at the same slow pace, with her nose on the ground, only lifting her head every now and then to look ahead and then down again. She seemed to be tracking something; he wondered what, since the drawings provided no hints about what the places smelled like. She had to know what she was doing, though. It only took a minute to prove that right, as she passed by two rather small rocks piled up one on top of the other. The one that formed the base had a rectangular shape when looked from the side, while the one on top was pointy; not exactly triangular, but it looked a bit like the drawing using some imagination. The hidden player wondered how the former champion had managed to find that. How could anyone find it?! Those rocks hadn't been there the day before, they'd been put there specifically for that event.

The female didn't spend much time looking at the fabricated landmark. She proceeded to search for the next clue with the same slow but steady pace. The male did a quick search for the drawing, just in case it was the final clue, but when he saw it wasn't he didn't even try to decipher it and instead kept following the female.

They went on like that for a few minutes, which seemed unending to the male. He was beginning to get anxious. Then, she entered a clearing, forcing him to stay behind and wait in order to avoid exposure. She walked towards the center of the clearing and then stopped. He wondered if she'd found another clue, although he couldn't see anything notable around. She remained still for some time, and he began to wonder what was going on. He finally risked getting a bit closer, wondering whether there was something wrong with her.

"Finally," she said without turning around. "I was wondering how long you were going to stand still like that. I figured the wait must have been killing you."

There was no use in staying hidden anymore. He'd already been discovered. He timidly walked to her side.

"You scared me," he said. "I was afraid you might be sick or something."
"At least you show some concern," she replied, now turning to face him.
"How long have you known I was following you?"
"A little over two clues ago."
"Two? That's not possible. I've only seen you find one."
"You completely missed the last one, didn't you? It's OK, it was very subtle. I think I would have missed it too if I'd been relying on the drawings."
"You weren't? Then how do you find them?"
"I shouldn't be telling the one who was trying to take advantage of me, but I've already made you miss the last clue and you don't even know where it is, so I guess there's no risk in telling you. I follow the scents of the ones who made the clues. And for the rocks I just followed the tracks they left on the ground while moving them."
"OK, I get the part about the rocks, the tracks would have been pretty obvious if I'd been looking for them. But how can you follow the leaders' scent? They made those drawings in the morning before the games began!"
"It's only been half a day since then, the scent still lingers. But I understand if you can't smell it, not many can."
"If you're telling the truth, then you're right, your words haven't helped me at all."
"Of course I'm telling the truth. Why would I lie? I'm not the one who's relying on deceit to try and win the hunt."
"You're not exactly playing fair either. You use your talents and I use mine."
"I'm not cheating. I'm going through the marked spots one by one and looking at the drawings. Nothing in the rules says I can't use any other information to find the clues. And by the way, neither of us is going to win if we just stay here talking. I suggest you give up and let me finish the game."
"Why would I do that?"
"Because you can't win anymore. We have passed the last clue, which you haven't seen and don't know where it is. I know what the Treasure is, and I know how to find it. You can try to retrace your steps and search for the last clue, but you should let me continue either way."
"We could go together."
"Two winners? I don't think the leaders will accept that. Besides, you haven't earned the victory. You've failed at finding the last clue."
"I've succeeded at finding you."
She giggled. "You've put all your confidence in me all along, haven't you? And still, you expected me not to hear you or smell you when you followed me. I'm a little disappointed at that. But tell me... How do you know someone else isn't finding the treasure as we speak?"
"Because most of the clues are impossible to follow. If you don't find a way around them, you just can't win. That's why I don't think I was cheating. This game isn't testing our abilities to follow clues, it's testing whatever talents we have and how well we can use them to reach a goal."
"That's deep. You do surprise me sometimes. OK, I forgive you, both for trying to use me as a tool to win and for underestimating my senses. But you'll still have to find the last clue yourself if you want to have a chance at winning this game. It shouldn't be too hard, you can just retrace our steps until you find it."
"I know I can do that. OK... just tell me one thing."
"What is it?"
"I know you've been offered a position at a new pack today. Did you accept it?"
"Yes, I did. Why?"
"Because that means we'll be seeing each other a lot from now on. OK, no time to waste. I'm going back to find that last clue. Lets see who finds the Treasure first!"

She chuckled as she saw him dash away. He was hard to figure out, but she somehow liked that. She was glad to know he'd be joining the new pack too, that would give her the chance to learn more about him. She just hoped he'd forgive her for making him go back when they were so close to the Treasure, but it was the only way she could beat him to it now. If she'd stopped near the last clue, he would have recognized the goal and run to it, leaving her behind. He'd used a good strategy, but he'd started using it too early in the game and given her the time to think of an effective way to counter it. Well, he'd said it himself: it was all about how everyone used their talents. It had been a fun game after all. Much more fun than the previous year.

[Kurosakura]

I KNOW WHO SHE IS! I KNOW WHO SHE IS! I KNOW WHO SHE IS! I KNOW WHO-- *shot*

Who knew young Vulpixes were so... I don't know. Crafty? Sneaky? Sly? You really fleshed out the commonly used "sly as a fox" simile, and I like that. That little lady is a ninja. XD

[Lady Vulpix]

Thanks. OK, part 3 is ready now. Things finally get moving, and some more characters are introduced. Then part 4 will show the naming ceremony, and the original source of every bitter comment Hero has ever made about his pack's leaders.

The Old Pack days
Part 3: A Pack is Born

The Treasure Hunt was the last competition. Once it ended, the winners of each event were announced (or, rather, repeated) and more or less praised by the crowd. Other than the leaders, almost everyone who was old enough to use Tail Whip had participated in at least one event. All but one, in fact, and it was about her that the leaders' son and his future mate started talking once the closing ceremony was over.

"Are you sure about inviting her?" he asked. "I'm not sure she'll even tell the difference between one pack and the other. There's something wrong with that girl's brain."
"My Beta doesn't think that way, and I trust her judgement. That girl is weird alright, but she doesn't believe there's something wrong with her. She thinks she just hasn't found a place where she fits, and that she may be able to find that place among us."
"How did she come to that conclusion? That Vulpix rarely talks, and when she does, what she says doesn't make any sense."
"There may be more to her than meets the eye. My Second is a good judge of character. I'd rather trust her on this one. Besides, we have nothing to lose. Worst case scenario, she'll just walk along without saying a word and then go on with her life. To us, it would be as if she wasn't even there. It's not like she needs some special attention."
"I'd just rather have a pack in which everyone could participate and pull in the same direction."
"I'll try to make sure that still happens," she replied. "But with or without her, there will be disagreements at some point. There always are."
"Disagreements I can handle. It's dead weights I don't like."

"You're talking about the grey-eyed one, aren't you?" the future Beta female emerged from behind a set of bushes. "Sorry, I was just passing by and overheard you. I didn't mean to intrude. But I do believe she'll be a positive addition to the pack."
"OK, since you're here, I guess you can stay and explain your reasons," said the soon-to-be male leader.
"It's more of a hunch than anything... but if you listen carefully, there's some coherence to her ramblings. She's disturbed, but not crazy. Something is troubling her. I'm trying to get close to her so that she will confide in me. I'm hoping I can help her. If I can, then she'll become a productive member of the pack."
"I find that a bit hard to believe, but I'll give you the chance to try. Have you talked to her about our plans?"
"Yes, and she has accepted."
"She has?!"
"Yes. She said something rather puzzling about finding a path. She agreed that her place wasn't here. She wasn't sure there was a place for her in this world, but she believed joining us could be a step in the right direction."
"You got all that from her words?!"
"She always seems incoherent at first, but if you dig deeper, she tries to make herself clearer. I think she appreciates it when someone makes an effort to understand her."
"She's not making it easy for anyone. But if she has really understood the offer and accepted it, I guess her presence can't hurt us."
"Thanks. You're doing a good deed. I'm sure you won't regret it."
"So how many are we?" the other female queried. "There's the three of us, the Beta male..."
"I asked the old Explorer's daughter right before the hunt," said the male. "She was very excited by the idea. She even asked if we could follow the river all the way down to the lake."
"I've never been that far away, but I guess we could try," replied his girlfriend. "After all, we need to find a new home that's far enough for us not to be running into the old pack all the time. Anyone else?"
"No one else has confirmed yet. Anyone on your side?"
"No one else, sorry."
"Me neither," said the Beta.
"Hmm... 6 is a small number. Hopefully someone else will confirm tomorrow. If not, we'll have to leave as we are and hope someone joins us along the way. There are other Vulpixes in the forest. Maybe one or more of them will be interested in joining us. The bad thing about that is that we won't know what their skills are, nor what to expect from them."
"We'll figure it out as we go along," said his future mate. "And we'll also come up with good names for everyone once we know exactly who will be coming."
"I don't suppose you'll want any help with that?" the other female offered.
"We can do it ourselves, thanks anyway."
The young Vulpix sighed. "I was hoping I'd get to name myself."
"Sorry. Some attributions have to be reserved to the leaders. But don't worry, we'll do our best to find a name that suits you."
"OK. I hope it's a name I like, but whatever it is it will be better than having no name at all."
"It definitely will be," the other two agreed.

Between the excitement and the preparations, those who were planning to leave got hardly any sleep that night. For the lonely one, that was welcome, as she usually had confusing dreams. She wished she could tell others about them, but if they thought she was crazy when she was mostly silent, they'd think so even more if they knew she spent so much time reflecting about her dreams and trying to make sense of them. No one else seemed to care much about their own dreams, and whenever they mentioned them they were just about silly things. Sometimes nice, sometimes even scary, but never as confusing as hers were. Maybe there was something wrong with her after all. She often wondered that, and it made her draw even more into herself. That other Vulpix seemed to believe there was a way for her to be happy. She couldn't imagine how, but deep inside she really hoped the other was right.

The following morning, the announcement was made in public. That startled the pack's leaders, who had expected their son to stay and become their successor, but he was determined. There was no way back now, and he made it clear to them. He even told them that if he hadn't seen this coming, it was because they'd never cared about him enough to learn about who he was, what he wanted and what was going on with his life. He said he'd make sure not to make that mistake when he had a child. His fiancée told him he was being a little too harsh, but he felt he had to do it. There had always been a painful distance between him and his parents. Now he had to make that distance unbreachable to cast away all thoughts of staying and trying to fix things between them. He'd thought about it many times. It wouldn't have worked. He'd have to make that clear, and leave his old life behind in order to start a new one.

It was easier for his girlfriend (she was almost her mate now!), who had had a burrow of her own for the last year, and his Beta, who'd never had much contact with his own parents. It was even easier for the old Explorer's daughter, whose father had been always out on adventures until he became too old to walk long distances. She'd always listened to his stories with burning passion, and her mother had long since accepted that fact that some day her child would leave on a journey of her own. The new female Beta, on the other hand, had a good relationship with both her parents even though they weren't mated. But she'd grown up going from one burrow to the other and had learnt to be independent from a young age, so this was another challenge she was ready to take. As for the grey-eyed one, no one except for herself (and only maybe) knew how she felt about this enterprise; but she was clearly willing to go along with it.

Once the six Vulpixes were gathered together, the new pack's leaders asked if anyone else was willing to join them.

"Wait a second!" a young Vulpix shouted.

It was another female, one who had attracted a lot of attention at the time of her birth for her carmine fur. For some time, many had expected great things of her, remembering the stories they've heard about gold-colored Vulpixes with amazing abilities. However, it didn't turn out to be the case with her. All the skills she'd ever shown were about average for a Vulpix her age, so once others had got used to her odd coloring, she'd lost most of the attention she'd once enjoyed.

"What is it? Are you coming?" asked the new male leader.
"I haven't decided yet," she answered.
"Well, make your decision fast, because we're leaving in a moment."
"It's just... this isn't fair!" she complained.
"What isn't fair?"
"There are so few young males in this pack... and now you two are leaving! You're leaving us girls without much of a choice."
"You can always look for a mate outside the pack if that's your problem," he replied. "Or share like so many do. So don't make dumb excuses. Do you want to come with us or not?"

The red Vulpix lowered her head and thought for a moment.

"I don't have a reason to stay," she then said. "But now you're taking away my reason to leave. I've been thinking about it all night. I don't see what makes one pack any better than the other."
"Then come and see the difference," the female leader suggested. "Once you've lived with both packs, you can make an informed decision and choose the one you like best."
"I guess I can do that," she agreed.

She raised her head and joined the group that was departing.

"Anyone else?" asked the new leaders in unison.

There were a few trembling voices of Vulpixes who seemed to be considering the idea, but no one spoke out.

"Well, then," said the new male leader. "We start out as a pack of seven. Still few, but enough to get the important tasks done. We've been laying out some rules, which I'm sure you'll all accept because none of them is as annoying and ridiculous as the ones we've had here. We've also been thinking of some fun things we can do once we find a new place to stay. We'll tell you everything once we're away from the crowd, and then we can have the mating ceremony in the afternoon and the naming ceremony in the evening."

His future mate smiled. The future was looking bright for the new leaders, and for most members of the new pack.

[Lady Vulpix]

And now, as I promised, you can read about the naming ceremony and the reactions it caused.

Come to think of it, most members of the pack might not be where they are now if the argument shown in this chapter hadn't happened. (Spoiler:) Because he might not have been compelled to use that item if he hadn't been holding a grudge for this.

The Old Pack days
Part 4: What's in a name?

The mating ceremony was nothing too fancy. The two leaders had been making so many plans for their new life as a couple and as founders of a new pack that they hadn't given much thought to the ceremony itself. They just tied two grass leaves together (which took them a while as they realized it was harder than it seemed), sang a little song and laughed a lot. Then they gave their new pack some berries they had collected for the occasion, and retreated to a more private place for about an hour. Some of the members of the new pack started getting impatient, but the new Beta female reminded them that some things needed time to be done properly, and that while their new home was still far away, their life as a pack had already begun. They spent some time talking about their hopes and expectations, except for one of them who didn't speak and just took deep breaths every now and then. Finally, the leaders emerged with an announcement. It was the time everyone had been expecting: the time to be named.

Perhaps the expectations had been built too high. They started tumbling when the leaders declared that they had named themselves Scorch and Flame. When Scorch saw the bewildered faces in front of him, he felt a clarification was in order.

"I thought of naming myself Torch at first, but then I realized if I was Torch and she was Flame then she'd be burning me out, and the image didn't sound appealing."
"I think we should continue," Flame nudged him before the others had time to react. "On to the Betas. My Second in Command shall be named Tracker."
"And mine..." added Scorch, "will be named Speedy."
"What?!"

The shout had come from the newly named Speedy. He felt betrayed by his friend.

"What kind of name is that?! I can't be called Speedy. It's stupid! It makes me sound like a baby."
"You're making yourself sound like a baby now," Scorch told him. "It's a fitting name. You're the fastest Vulpix around and you're proud of it. I thought you'd like it, but if you don't... you can always go back to the old pack."
"You can't be serious."
"We'll discuss that later, OK?" Flame interrupted them.
"I was starting to think you were taking too long, but if that's the kind of names you came up with, then you should have taken longer and thought of real names!" Speedy went on complaining.
"Stop it!" Flame glared at him. "If you can't control yourself you won't give us any reasons to consider your claims. Now, please, let's get this over with. The rest of you shall be named Lake, Ruby and Solitude."
"Those are some of the worst names I've heard, but still not as bad as 'Speedy'," the bickering continued. "Come on, 'Ruby' is just too obvious. 'Solitude'? The poor girl must hate that name if she knows what it means."
"I know it very well," Solitude spoke out in a tone she rarely used. "It's sad, but it's fitting. I have no complaints."
"OK, maybe she has no complaints, but I do. And 'Lake'? I have no idea where that came from."
"I do," Lake giggled. "It has always been one of my wildest dreams to see the lake at the end of the river. And now I may actually see it! I like my name, thank you."
"So am I the only one who can't stand his new name?"
"So it would seem," Scorch told him. "Calm down, it's just a name. It doesn't define who you are. If others start calling you something else I'll consider changing it, but it's good to have something to call you by. Isn't it better than having no name at all?"
"Only marginally," he replied, but he considered the leader's offer. "So... I just have to get someone else to give me a better name? That shouldn't be too hard. Anyone, please, come up with something."
"So that you can lash at us? No, thanks," said Lake.
"You... Tracker? You're smart, I'm sure you can think of something better than 'Speedy'."
"If you let me get to know you better and prove there is a better name for you, I may. But for now I can't think of any fitting names that you would like."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Just give it a rest, will you?" Ruby told him. "Like he said, it's just a name. It's not even offensive, just a bit silly, that's all."
"Is no one going to help me?"
Solitude sighed. Only then did Speedy turn to her.
"You... I can't believe I'm asking you this, but it's my last chance. Can you think of a better name?"
"No, I'm sorry," she answered. "I'd like to, but coming up with names is one of the many things at which I'm no good. I'm afraid Tracker's offer will be your best choice. Don't worry, I'm sure it'll work out eventually."
"That was... surprisingly coherent of you."
"That's me. Full of surprises."
"So are you staying as Speedy, then?" Scorched asked.
"For now," Speedy answered. "But I'm going to make you pay for this someday."
"Oh, come on!"
"He won't do it," said Solitude, but when everyone turned to look at her she just shrugged and looked away.
"Someday..." Speedy muttered to himself.
"I suggest we start moving again," Flame decided to end the argument. "We still have a long way to go."

[Kurosakura]

Poor Speedy. Poor, poor Speedy. I'm sad because I like him, and I don't like how he's already subjected to Alpha torment.

I know I told you this before, but Ruby seems like a cute little airhead, and she brings up a good point about the male to female ratio. On the other hand, I feel so bad for Solitude. She seems to be very intuitive, and it's sad that they don't seem to care much for her.

[Lady Vulpix]

As I said via IM, Tracker cares for Solitude, she just can't understand her and doesn't know how to reach her.

The worst think about the torment Speedy received is that it wasn't intentional. Scorch meant well, but he really messed up and was too proud to go back on his words. He and Flame were still inexperienced as leaders. They did what they could, but they still had a lot to learn.

As you already know, Tracker did fulfill her promise. It just took her a few years.

Quick note about the setting: in this world (which is partly of my own creation but not entirely) there are regular animals as well as Pokemon, and regular fruits as well as the berries from the various games. Also, everyone in this pack is omnivorous... for now.

The Old Pack days
Part 5: Double surprise

Once the argument was over, the evening went on without incidents. As they walked, they tried to get used to calling each other by their new names. They stopped for the night at the first comfortable spot they found, and went to sleep after making plans for the following day. They had all agreed on following the river; besides being what Lake wanted, it was the easiest way to ensure they'd have food and water for the journey, and it would prevent them from getting lost while exploring unknown regions of the forest (while Tracker didn't think getting lost was a possibility, the leaders weren't so sure). They decided to gather berries for breakfast, and then see if they could hunt any birds or get some eggs for lunch. Everything would be shared equally, as long as no one was slacking off: everyone would have to make an effort if they wanted things to work out; bad luck was excusable, but laziness wasn't.

Solitude woke up earlier than the others and approached the shore to see the sun rise over the water. It was a beautiful sight. It reminded her of a scene from her latest dream, only there the sun had been moving in both directions simultaneously. Or had there been too suns? Trying to make some sense out of those things was always hard, but at least this time her dream had been mostly pleasant. She felt she could get used to nights like that. Then she heard voices behind her. Others were looking for her. She'd spent too much time lost in contemplation again. She hurried back and rejoined the pack.

It was summer, so finding berries to eat was not a problem. Once they were done eating, they began to walk again, always taking the easiest path that would keep them close to the river. That worked well for a few hours, until everyone started to get hungry again. Then they stopped, marked a spot where they would all meet for lunch, and then scattered, looking for different ingredients to contribute to the meal. When they gathered again, everyone had brought something. Ruby had had no luck with the hunt, but she'd managed to find some rare Persim berries which added varied flavors to the meal. On that same note, Lake brought herbs which she assured tasted great when lightly heated. The others brought small birds and eggs, and Flame, Scorch and Lake worked together to build a rudimentary grill out of sticks and stones, which allowed them to cook the food without burning it. Everyone was excited when they tasted the meal they'd made together. Then Lake promised that whenever they found a plant with big leaves she'd show them a new cooking style that gave meat a completely different taste.

They took a short break after the meal, then covered the ashes to make sure no hidden embers could start a fire, and continued walking. Everything went well until they reached a particular bifurcation. Going left from their original path was another path around which lush trees and bushes formed a circular wall, giving it the appearance of a tunnel of leaves. It was a pretty sight, but it would deviate them from the direction they wanted to go, so no one gave it a second thought... except for Solitude. Some of the Vulpixes heard her whisper "That place..." before she headed right into that path, completely ignoring everyone else. Others called out to her and told her to return, but she wouldn't listen. So, while Scorch started complaining about her being more trouble than she was worth, Tracker decided to go after her. She was only a few steps into the tunnel when a soft breeze came her way. She stopped and sniffed the air, then looked back and called out to the rest of the pack.

"Everyone come! It's important?"
"What is it?" asked Flame without moving.
"Babies!" Tracker replied before darting off behind Solitude.
"Is insanity contagious?" Scorch questioned. "Neither of them is making sense now."
"I don't know about Solitude," said Flame, "but if Tracker says it's important, it must be."

She followed Tracker, and everyone else followed her. After running for some time, they all started hearing a very soft whimpering. Flame started wondering if when Tracker said 'babies' she had meant it literally. Soon, the proof lay before her eyes. Within a wide clearing at the end of the tunnel, partially hidden among the tall grass, lay a pair of baby Vulpixes, their tails' fur still a creamy tone, curled up against each other. One seemed to be sleeping, while the other raised its head and looked at the pack with curiosity as soon as it heard them.

Solitude's grey eyes filled with tears as she saw the two cubs. Lake approached them and nuzzled the one who was awake, getting a small giggle in response.

"How is this possible?" Flame wondered. "How can two little Vulpix kits be lying here alone? Where's their pack? Where's their mother?"

Tracker examined the area, and then the babies themselves. The one who was sleeping woke up and started sniffing Tracker's chest.

"They've been here for days," said Tracker while she tried to comfort the kit. "There are a few hairs from an adult Vulpix in the grass, but that's all I could find. I think their mother was here with them, but that was a long time ago. Either she went out for food and something happened to her, or she abandoned them, which is even worse. These poor babies are so thin... they'll starve if we don't help them."
"So they're twins?" said Speedy. "Twins and orphans. I think that makes them rare enough to join us."
"What are you talking about?" Scorch inquired.
"You know... everyone in our pack is strange one way or another. Except maybe you and Flame, but you two have decided to leave the old pack and start a new one, so I think that makes you rare enough. Others just leave and see if they can join some other pack. Also, your complete inability to come up with good names..."
"Will you drop that already?" Flame interrupted him. "I'll ignore that and answer to your previous comment. We're not trying to form a pack of weirdos, we're trying to form a pack that works. Whether anyone is strange in any way or not is irrelevant. And of course we'll take these babies with us. We're not going to let them die."
"We'll have to give them something to eat before they can walk," Scorch noted. "I wonder if they can talk yet."
"I don't think so," said Tracker. "Look at their tails. Their tips have only just began to split, and they're still nearly white."
"Are they boys or girls?" asked Ruby.
"They're both female," Tracker replied.
"Aww. Poor little girls."
"Ruby and Lake, can you please take care of them while I look for some berries?" asked Tracker.
"Sure," Ruby answered, quickly changing her tone to address the babies. "Hi there, little girls. Wanna play with aunt Ruby? Who's a nice girl? You both are, yes you are!"
"You can take care of them in silence too," said Speedy.
"Don't you know you have to talk to babies so that they learn to talk faster?" Ruby told him.
"Please, let them not learn to talk that way!"
"I know you're still bitter from the name thing, but please don't take it on others," said Scorch. "Ruby's just trying to help."
"This isn't about my name, I hate baby talk. When I see adults talking to babies like that... they look so stupid!"
"Why don't you come over here and see if you can do a better job?" Ruby snapped at him.
"I don't see why not," he accepted the challenge.

He walked to where the babies were and took a close look at them. He'd never tried to play with babies before. He tried to nuzzle one of them, and she licked his nose.

"Ouch, that tickles!" he said, scratching his nose against the ground while everyone laughed.

He then tried again, keeping his nose away from the baby's mouth. He rubbed her side and noticed how thin she was. He felt sorry for her. Luckily, Tracker soon made it back with a bunch of berries. She placed the berried on a stone and smashed them so that the kits would have no trouble eating them. They ate with some effort at first, but when they'd gained enough energy they started eating like there was no tomorrow. Tracker had to go and get them a second helping. When they were done, they looked plump like Qwilfish. Of course that only lasted until they'd finished digesting the meal, but even after that they looked much stronger and healthier. They played until dusk, when one of them fell asleep, curled up around her sister's leg. The one who stayed awake began to playfully lick her fur, then her sister's fur. The other rubbed her off with her nose and went back to sleep.

"I don't think we'll be going any further today," Scorch remarked. "We can camp here tonight and go back to the river tomorrow."
"What will the babies be called?" Lake asked him.
"We'll have to think about it. We don't know much about them, except that they're twins and one seems to be more active than the other."
"How about Sunrise and Sunset?" Flame suggested.
"Those sound like pretty names," Scorch agreed. "Sunrise and Sunset it is. Sunrise for the alert one, Sunset for the sleepy one."

Speedy decided not to comment, but he thought those names, while not great, were definitely better than his. He wondered if he'd been given such a lousy name on purpose, and hoped that was not the case.

[Lady Vulpix]

This chapter constitutes the last part of the journey. Part 7 will actually take place at the lake. Sorry about the slow pace here, there's just this character I had to introduce before I got to one of the key parts in the story. Part 7 will be mostly dialogue, and then after that I'll try to accelerate the pace a bit without leaving out any important parts.

The Old Pack days
Part 6: Strawberries, strawberries, strawberries.

Walking with the babies took longer, but no one would have dared think of leaving them behind. When the kits got tired, the adults would take turns to carry them, and during the preparations for the meals someone would always stay with them and take care of them. They went from being orphans to having 5 mothers and 2 fathers.

Two more days went by before Tracker announced that they were almost there.

"How do you know that?" Lake asked her.
"Do you hear the sound of the water?" Tracker replied. "It's getting deeper and more quiet. The river's slowing down. We'll reach the lake soon."
"That's great! I'll have to learn that kind of things for when I go out to explore the area. I'm afraid I can't hear the difference yet, but I'm sure I will once we get closer. If only I had your senses!"
"Good senses help, but your mind is more important than your senses when you're in a strange land. You have to know what to look for and what to avoid, and how to get out of trouble if something goes wrong. You have more knowledge of exploring than I do, I'm just trying to pay attention to everything and learning as I go along."
"You're doing a great job."
"Thanks. I'm learning a lot from you, though. I didn't know how to build a grill until you showed me how. And it was only from your stories about the lake that I knew what to listen for. I've never seen a lake before."
"Neither have I. I've only been retelling my father's stories."
"I'm sure your good memory will serve you when you go out exploring on your own."

Tracker suddenly stopped.

"What is it?" asked Lake.
"There's another Vulpix nearby."
"Where?"
"At the strawberry field up ahead."
"Straw... Strawberry field! My dad mentioned one in his stories. We really are close!"
"Is it a male by any chance?" Ruby joined the conversation.
"Ruby!" Lake shook her head at the red one.
"I mean, if it's a male and we can convince him to join us, it will be a good thing for the whole pack. I don't think Scorch is interested in anyone but Flame right now, and Speedy won't say 'yes' to everyone else."
"Don't worry, I won't be competing with you," said Lake. "I don't think either of them is my type. They're both too full of themselves and they're blind to everyone else's feelings."
"There may be some of that," said Tracker. "But I don't think they realize it. That may change over time. But anyway, none of us is forced to breed with them. I'm sure we'll meet other males in the future, and anyone who wants to raise a baby right now can take care of the twins."
"The twins are fun, but it's hard to take care of two babies at once," Ruby replied. "I gave them their breakfast this morning, and once they were done with the berries Sunset started biting my topknot, and when I tried to pull her out Sunrise started pulling my tails."
"Raising a child takes a lot of patience," Lake laughed. "Raising two, doubly so. I think you should wait until you're ready before you start looking for a potential father."
"Maybe. I just wonder if my child will be red like me."
"Who knows? It's possible. But those things don't matter to us here in this pack. If and when you have a child, it will get the love and respect it deserves, regardless of its color."
"You're nice, Lake. I wonder why I didn't talk to you more back in the old pack. Anyway, what are we going to do? Are we going to meet this other Vulpix? Is it just one or are we running into another pack?"
"I can only smell one," Tracker answered. "And it looks like we're going straight in her direction."
"Her? Oh, no!"

Tracker and Lake couldn't help but laugh at Ruby's reaction.

They soon reached the strawberry field and, as expected, a female Vulpix was standing there. She took a defensive stance as soon as she saw the pack approach.

"Hey there," Scorch greeted her. "You can relax, we're not going to hurt you."
"You're not here to kick me out of my strawberry field?"
"Of course not! Why would we do that?"
"Some Vulpixes are mean."
"Not us," Scorch assured. "Are you alone in here?"
"What if I am? I have the right to be on my own and eat my strawberries."
"No one wants to stop you from eating strawberries!"
"My old pack did. They said I was weak because I didn't want to hunt and eat meat. They called me a failure. But I'll show them how wrong they are. I can eat strawberries and be strong and take care of myself."
"And what will you do once the strawberry season is over?"
The stranger thought for a moment.
"I'll find something else to eat," she concluded. "There'll be other fruits, leaves, roots, seeds... maybe even eggs if they're abandoned. I don't have to kill to live."
"We're not saying you do," Flame joined in. "But won't you feel lonely being on your own all the time? How long have you been here?"
"Just a couple of days. But I don't mind. I'd rather be alone than with a bunch of bullies."
"Did they really call you weak and a failure?" Ruby asked her.
"Weak, failure, loser, naïve, childish, whimsical... Worse things too. You name it, they've said it."
"That's so cruel! What kind of pack was that?!"
"One I'm not going to return to, that's for sure."
"You should join us. We're nicer. We do eat meat, but we won't force you to eat it, nor to hunt. She can join us, right?" Ruby turned to the leaders.
"Weren't you complaining about the male to female ratio just a moment ago?" Scorch reminded her.
"Yeah, but this is for a good cause. No one deserves to be alone in the world."
"I don't know... I guess I could try. You do seem nicer than the jerks I used to live with. Do you guys live nearby? If I join you, can I still come here and eat strawberries?"
"We're new in the area," Scorch told her. "We're planning to go to the lake and then find a place to settle. We should be staying nearby, so you can come and eat strawberries as many times as you want. Just one thing..."
"What is it?"
"Do you have a name?"
"I used to have one, but I'm not using it anymore. It has too many bad memories attached to it."
"I see. Would you like to be called Strawberry?"
"Sure! I love strawberries! But I think you know that already."
"He puts no thought into the names he gives, but everyone seems to like them," Speedy commented.
"As long as that's your biggest problem, you should consider yourself lucky," Tracker told him. "Strawberry, Sunrise and Sunset have had it much worse than you have. Even Solitude. I wish I could know what her problem is."
"I'm my own problem," said Solitude. "I'm sorry, you can't help me. It's not your fault you're luckier than I am, and I can't be mad at you because you're so nice."
"Why would you be mad at her?" Speedy asked her. "She's done nothing but try to help you."
"And that's why I can't be mad at her."
Speedy sighed. "Why do I even try to understand what you say? It's not worth the effort."
"I've told you, I'm my own problem."
"Is she OK?" asked Strawberry.
"She's... she's just being herself," said Speedy. "She's weird like that. You'll get used to her."
Solitude sighed. "Thanks for trying anyway."
"So I guess introductions are in order," Scorch said. "I'm Scorch and this is my mate Flame. We're the leaders of this pack. The red lady's name is Ruby, this is Tracker, he's Speedy though he doesn't like his name, the strange one is Solitude and the one who's looking at me impatiently and probably wondering when we'll start walking again is Lake. The two kits playing with Lake's tails are Sunrise and Sunset."
"It's nice to meet you all," said Strawberry. "Shall we get going, then? We have a lake to see."

[Kurosakura]

I HAVE RETURNED WITH A COMMENT! Sorry, I ninja'd off to distraction world, my bad.

I love strawberries, and this chapter had me amused. Strawberry seems like a very gentle, but childish character, and I'm glad Ruby wasn't opposed to letting her join, despite the male to female ratio. My brain died, but I'd like to assure you that I'm still reading.

[Lady Vulpix]

I'm sorry about your brain. :< How did it come back to life?

Strawberry is a bit childish, yes. She and Ruby ended up getting along quite well.

I hope you enjoy part 7, where you finally get to see the lake. (It took a while, didn't it?) Part 8 will introduce a couple of new characters, and part 9, which I haven't yet written, will hopefully reveal some key events that have been mentioned in my Battle Range stories (and give poor Speedy some attention, as he's been fading into the background lately).

The Old Pack days
Part 7: The Lake

It didn't take too long for the Vulpixes to reach the lake. They were all excited when they arrived: their journey was finally at its end. After the first few minutes, however, the reactions became more varied. Lake kept contemplating the body of water in awe, while others lost interest in it. The Alphas and Betas began to explore the area, while Solitude sat down to watch the twins, and Ruby and Strawberry observed Lake, wondering what she found so fascinating about a water mass.

"It's just like he described it," Lake said when she noticed the presence of the others. "It stretches out so far it can almost touch the horizon. It's so deep at the center that you can't see the bottom. The trees on the opposite shore have a perfect reflection, and so does the sun! It's as if there were two suns, one on the water and one on the sky."
"Two suns again?" Solitude muttered to herself when she heard Lake's words.

She looked at the babies and asked herself if there could be two suns in two different ways. No one else heard her, and she decided not to speak out. Her words wouldn't make sense to anyone else anyway.

"Look! See how clear the water is here by the shore," Lake continued. "You can see the stones under the water. Just look at their colors!"
"They're pretty," Ruby conceded. "A bit strange too. They're all round and flat."
"The stones you find under the water are always round," Lake explained. "The water erodes them and gives them that shape. They were round in the river too, but they're flatter in the lake. I think that's because the water puts pressure on them rather than passing over them and making them roll."
"There's a small pond near where I used to live," Strawberry commented. "It has stones like these too. I remember some would pick up the stones and hurl them against the surface of the pond to try and make them bounce away."
"Is that possible?" asked Ruby.
"Yes, but it's very hard to do! I've never been able to do it. They made fun of me for that too."
"Those Vulpixes were just too cruel. You should stop thinking about them. Um... Do you mind if I try?"
"I don't see why not. Pick the flattest stone you can find and try to throw it horizontally."

Ruby took a stone in her mouth and hurled it into the water. It plunged to the bottom near the shore.

"You're right, it is hard," she said. "I'll try again."

She picked up another stone and hurled it further away. It bounced once before diving into the water.

"I did it!" she cheered, but before she finished her words an angry Psyduck emerged from beneath the water. He had one hand on his head.

"You did it, eh?" the Psyduck yelled. "Who are you and why did you throw that stone at me? Do you think you have the right to go around throwing stones at innocent Pokemon? I already get enough headaches without a stupid Vulpix adding to them. A Vulpix! You do know I can throw a jet of water that will send you flying all the way to next week, right?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't know you were there," Ruby apologized, but the Psyduck continued with his rant.

In fact, the duck Pokemon went on complaining for so long that four other Psyducks and two Golducks came out of the water to see what was going on. And still, he wouldn't stop yelling until one of the Golducks - a female - yelled back at him.

"Stop it!" she shouted. "Ah, much better. Now, can you please - slowly and calmly - explain what happened? What's all this commotion?"
"It's their fault!" the Psyduck pointed at the Vulpixes. "They're hurling stones at me."
"It was just one stone and I didn't know you were there," Ruby defended herself. "We couldn't see anyone under the water!"
"And you just thought this huge lake would be completely empty? I can imagine you. 'Hey, look at this ginormous body of water! I'm sure no one's in there, so let's start throwing stones at it!' Why would you even do that in the first place?!"
"It wasn't like that at all!" Ruby cried out, trying hard to be heard over the Psyduck's mockery.
"Did you or didn't you hurl a stone at him?" asked the female Golduck.
"I didn't."
"Liar!" cried the Psyduck.
"I mean, I did hurl a stone..."
"So now you admit it!"
"Let me finish, please! I hurled a stone, but not at him. I couldn't see anything, I didn't know anyone was in there."
"Suppose I believe you," said the Golduck. "Why would you hurl a stone at an empty lake, even assuming you're ignorant enough to believe such a big lake could be empty?"
"It was a test of skill," Strawberry stood up for Ruby. "She was trying to make the stone bounce on the surface of the lake. It's my fault, I told her she could do it."
"No, it's my fault," said Lake.

Ruby and Strawberry gave the other Vulpix a puzzled look.

"OK, I understand my part in it, and Ruby's," said Strawberry. "But how can it possibly be your fault?"
"I should have known there were Pokemon in the lake. My father told me that Psyducks usually dived into the water looking for fish, and I think there are some Goldeen in there too. I should have stopped her. I was just so excited about finally seeing this lake that I just didn't think about it."
"So all three of you are responsible!" concluded the Golduck.
"Hold on," said the other Golduck, a male, who had been observing the situation quietly until now. "Before you go punishing anyone, take a look at them. They know how much an attack from you would hurt them, and they're taking responsibility for their actions, even though what they did to Chuck was clearly not intentional. I don't see any reason to attack them, not to mention it would be quite unfair. They have no way to defend themselves from a Water Pulse."
"Then how about Confusion?" the female suggested.
"Why do you want to attack them at all? They're not hostile! You know as well as I do that Chuck loves to make a bit fuss over the smallest things."
"Hey, that stone really hurt me!" Chuck complained.
"Really? You were under the water. Unless the red Vulpix has super strength I doubt it could have caused you more than a light bruise. And most likely not even that."
"Why is she red anyway?" asked another Psyduck.
"I was born with this color," said Ruby. "And no, I don't have super strength. I kinda wish I did."
"So you wish you had hurt me!" said Chuck. "See? Now she's showing her true colors! No pun intended."
"That's not what I meant!"

Strawberry began to chuckle at the whole situation.

"OK, OK, calm down, everyone," said the male Golduck. "We've started out on the wrong foot here, so let's start over. I'm Dash. This is my sister Dot, and you already know Chuck... the rest of the gang is gathering around us, you'll get to know them soon enough. Now who are you, ladies, and what brings you here?"
"My name is Lake, these are my friends Ruby and Strawberry, and the rest of our pack is around here somewhere."
"Solitude and the twins are over there," Strawberry pointed out.
"Ah, right. Those are Solitude, Sunrise and Sunset, so only the leaders and the Betas are away right now. I think they're looking for a good place to settle down. We're trying to find a new home."
"What happened to your old home?" asked Dash.
"We left our old pack... Packs, rather. Strawberry came from a different one, and we found the kits alone in the forest."
"Those little cubs were all alone? That's terrible!"
"Yes, which is why we've adopted them. So, as you see, we're starting a new pack and are trying to find a place to live. We came to this lake because my father was here years ago and he told me many stories about it, so I wanted to see what it was like."
"Wait... You say your father was here? I remember a Vulpix who came to this lake once, but that was ages ago! I was just a hatchling."
"Yes, it was a long time ago. So you've met him!"
"He's the only Vulpix I've ever seen around here, so it must have been him. He was nice, I'm afraid I don't remember much about him, but I do recall he liked telling stories and I enjoyed listening to them."
"How come I don't remember him?" asked Dot.
"He was here before you were born."
"Oh. So now I guess you'll want the Vulpixes to stick around?"
"I think they're going to sat nearby, right? I think you've come to a good place, girls. This shore is much calmer than the opposite, even though it may not seem so calm right now. Some Pokemon come for water every now and then, but they're mostly peaceful. Mainly Pidgeys and Murkrows... a Stantler every now and then, but they live up North and only come here in the summer when their stream becomes too thin. On the other side there are Spearows and Scythers, and you should see how loud they can get. They can be worse than Chuck sometimes."
"I'm the victim here and even the guardians make fun of me. This is unfair!" Chuck complained.
"Guardians?" Lake queried.
"Dot and I are the strongest in our group, so it's our job to watch out for the others. When the situation calls for it, which isn't the case right now."
He cast a sideways glanced at Chuck, who crossed his arms and sighed.
"Well, then... I guess we'll be seeing each other a lot, right?" said Lake.
"I think we will," Dash replied.

It was hard to tell with his beak, but by the look in his eyes he seemed to be smiling.

[Kurosakura]

It was divine intervention. The higher powers decided it wasn't time for my brain to die yet, so they went back in time and fixed it. Somehow, I knew they did it.

The lake sounds like a really pretty place, it's a shame Chuck had to be a jerk about it. D: It was cute how the Vulpixes tried to take the blame for one another. The Psyducks discussing how to punish them kinda scared me for a moment there, it's too much considering it was only an accident. D: I like Dash, he seems much more sensible than his kin, and Dot seemed a little condescending. I hope they all get along. :3

[Lady Vulpix]

Well, I'm happy for your brain. It's good to know it's back.

I like Dash too. And Lake likes him even more, as you shall see. It's a pity I can't show more about the 'ducks, but if I tried to cover everything and everyone this fic would never end, and I'm trying to finish it on chapter 11, so I'll be focusing on the Vulpixes. Of course, if you have any questions about other inhabitants of the forest, I'll be happy to answer them.

And now, here's chapter 8 where, as promised, the pack reaches its maximum size.

The Old Pack days
Part 8: Youth

Once the pack had settled down and all burrows had been built, one of the first things they did was play the first Seeking Contest. It was something the leaders had been planning since before they left their old home. The game would start after lunch and everyone had until dusk to find something exceptional. It could be anything, as long as it was unusual and remarkable in some way. Then the leaders would judge everyone's finds and choose a winner. This game was held many times while the pack was together, and almost everyone won it at least once, although Tracker was renowned for winning it more often than anyone else. She won the first game by finding a long, multi-colored feather, which sprouted a conversation between her and Solitude. The grey-eyed Vulpix wanted to know which Pokemon the feather had come from.

"I don't know," Tracker replied. "It doesn't look nor smell like any Pokemon I've ever met."
"So now you have to track it down and find out what it is," Solitude stated in a neutral tone.
"Why would I do that?"
"You mean you won't do it? What if it's a sign? If you find something so strange and don't even try to find out where it came from... what it means..."
"It doesn't mean anything. It's just a feather. It probably belongs to some rare Pokemon, but what do I get from finding it? If the feathers are this big and we never saw it, it must fly very fast. It would take many days, maybe even weeks, to find it. In the meantime I'd have to be away from here, away from everyone I care for. All just to see which Pokemon lost a feather? I don't think it's worth it. If I ever embark on a quest, it will be for something worth searching for."
"Once more you have me beaten. I wish my mind were as clear as yours."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean everything's so easy for you! You know what you want and what you don't want, you always know what to do, and what matters and what doesn't. Me, I'm always confused. I think you'd make a better me than myself."
"Sorry, I just don't get it. No one can be a better you than yourself. What are you saying?"
"See? I can't even make sense when I want to. What I mean is... if you had my life, you'd still have it easier than I do. You'd make better choices and others would like you, and you'd even..."
"I'd even what?"
"Nothing. I guess all I mean to say is you wouldn't have to be lonely like me."
"But you don't have to be lonely! You have me, and the babies, and I'm sure everyone else would be glad to be with you if you'd just open up a little and let them get to know you better."
"But I can't. I don't even know myself well enough. I just know there are things about me that others would find weird. They already do, and they don't even know half of it. I think I may be talking too much already."
"I'm sorry, but you haven't said anything I can understand."
"Perhaps it's better this way. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I know you want to help me and that's enough for me. You're luckier than I am, but that can't be changed and it's not your fault. We are who we are."
"We can change if there's something about us we don't like."
"I'm sure you can. And others can too. But try untwisting the mess that is me. If I can't understand myself, I can't even know what needs to be changed. I'm afraid you can't help me with that, but who knows? Maybe I'll find a way... Somehow, someday. For now, I know there's someone who cares for me, and that will do for the time being."
"Are you sure?"
"As sure as I can ever be about anything, which is not a lot. But hey... one day I'll have my chance to shine."
"I'm sure you will," Tracker said with a smile. "Just take care of yourself in the meantime and know I'm always there if you need to talk."
"The irony. It hurts."
"I'm not being ironic."
"Not you, life. It has a thing with me. Nevermind. I'll be sure to talk to you about all the things I can talk to you about. Thanks for being my friend."

Time went by and things evolved into what the pack would learn to call normality. Lake and Dash spent a lot of time together, which originated all kinds of comments from the rest of the pack. They were the oddest couple any of them had ever seen (so far), but all their differences didn't seem to bother them. By the time they announced they were having a baby, everyone else was more or less used to the idea of them being together, although they still found it weird that it was even possible for a Vulpix and a Golduck to have a child together.

It was only a few days later that Scorch and Flame brought similar news. Everyone was happy for them, as they'd been hoping to become parents for as long as they'd been mated. The only downside was that, while they waited for their baby to see the light, they could think of little else. Speedy and Tracker had to take care of most organizing tasks during that period. The leaders were at their worst on the day Lake's baby was born. It was a boy. Everyone was excited: not only was he the first baby born into the pack, but he was also a male, something the Vulpixes felt they really needed. Some began to speculate about whether he'd hook up with Sunrise, Sunset, of a female Vulpix not yet born; or if, perhaps, he'd share his attention among different girls, which could be beneficial for the pack as a whole. The newborn, of course, didn't know nor care about all the speculation his arrival had caused. Nor did the leaders care much about it; not yet, at least. They were too busy contemplating their own future and trying to prepare themselves from what was to come. When prompted for a name for the baby boy, they were unable to come up with one. In the end, Scorch suggested that they just call him Kid until a better name was found. The parents were not very pleased about it, but they accepted it because their son was going to live under Scorch's and Flame's rule - Dash would come to see him everyday, but couldn't take him home to the lake as it was too dangerous for a Vulpix kit. Speedy, on the other hand, felt slightly better about the situation. He realized that the leaders were really that bad at coming up with names; it wasn't personal. And, while it was never nice to see bad things happen to others, he felt he and Kid had something in common from the start.

It was a time of big changes for the pack. Just a week later, the leaders' child was born. It was a girl, with a sweet smile and a curly topknot which glinted with a pink light under the sun. Her parents named her Blessing. They loved her with all their souls. Scorch tried his best not to make the same mistakes his parents had made with him. He ended up overcompensating and spoiling the child a lot, but she would learn from her friends that she couldn't get away with anything. They'd stop playing with her whenever she started bossing them around and making unreasonable requests.

Blessing really liked playing with Kid and the twins, so it didn't take her long to adapt to their ways. That had both good and bad consequences, since she was originally the least naughty of the four, but learnt to play tricks on others by imitating her friends. They each had a different style. Kid had inherited Disable from his father and enjoyed abusing it to play pranks on others, especially Pidgeys and other forest Pokemon. Sunrise and Sunset liked to build traps and see who would fall into them, while Blessing would usually act as bait to guide the adults to the traps. Punishment tended to discourage Kid and Blessing, who hated being kept away from the other kits, but the twins only seemed to become more determined whenever they were punished. If they were held together, they'd use their time alone to devise better and more subtle traps. If they were kept apart, they would take it as a challenge to find a way to escape and get together again. It was only when Flame came up with a new form of punishment that they began to behave.

It was a fall afternoon. Flame had just been the victim of a carefully planned trick. Her daughter and Kid were nowhere to be seen, but the twins were watching Flame with delight. When she managed to break free, Sunrise darted off as fast as she could, but Sunset took a little longer to react, and that was her downfall. Flame caught Sunset by one of her tails and pulled her into the trap from which she had just escaped, then kept watching her to make sure she wouldn't come out. When Sunrise came back to defend her sister, Flame told her she wouldn't release her until night because she had been bad and needed to learn her lesson.

"But we did it together!" Sunrise assured.
"You're just saying that because you want to protect her, but you weren't there when I came out. She was. So she'll be punished alone. You can go and play with your friends if you want, you can't bail her out and you can't stay with her. Now leave."
"But that's unfair."
"Unfair? I'll tell you what's unfair. Playing tricks on others who have done nothing to you is. Tormenting us while we work hard on making life better for everyone - yourselves included - is unfair. If you think I'm being unfair, then maybe next time someone falls into a trap I'll punish you instead. Is that what you want?"
"No."
"Then what is it?"

Sunrise took some time to reply. Tears started forming on her eyes.

"I... I just wanted to have fun with Sunset."
"There are many ways to have fun without hurting others."
"Hurt? Did we hurt you?"
"I got a scratch on my hind leg from a sharp stone you put in there. Nothing serious, but if you keep making these traps one day someone will get badly hurt. Traps are for hunting, not for playing."
"Will Sunset be OK?"
"You should have thought about that before you two built this thing. Yes, she'll be fine, I was careful not to hurt her when I shoved her in. She'll just have to wait until sunset to come out, no pun intended."
"I think she's learnt her lesson. Won't you let her go?"
"She needs some time for the lesson to sink in. And so do you. Now go before I decide to lock you in after she comes out."

Sunrise left begrudgingly, but she stayed nearby. She couldn't enjoy any games while her sister was paying for something they'd both done. It wasn't fair, but Flame seemed determined and it was impossible to argue with her when she was like that. She wondered if their traps could really hurt another Vulpix. She'd never meant to hurt anyone. It was just a game. Then again, traps were indeed used for hunting. That was where she'd first seen one and decided to copy it, before she and Sunset had got creative and started making their own versions. Was it all her fault? The two hours it took for the sun to go down seemed eternal. When Sunset was released, they had both decided that building traps for Vulpixes wasn't worth the hassle.

[Lady Vulpix]

OK, here's chapter 9. Some important things happen here.

The Old Pack days
Part 9: Surprises

The Seeking Contests - also known as Seeking Games - started out as a simple form of entertainment, but some of them held a great significance in the Vulpixes' lives. In some cases, they left fond memories, like the time when Kid and Blessing cooperated to find the best trophy together and managed to convince the leaders to grant them a joint victory. Sometimes, they brought surprises, like the time when Speedy came across Tracker just as she was about to reach what she'd been searching for. He saw something sparkle ahead and ran to it, picking up a golden nugget; but then he saw the look of frustration on Tracker's face and realized she'd found that nugget before him and had been trailing it for a while, so he gave it to her.

"This is your find," he said. "I'll go and find a better one myself."

He couldn't. Tracker won that game, and was shocked by Speedy's attitude. She had expected him to claim the nugget and the victory for himself. She realized there was still more to him than she knew, and that it would be best not to underestimate him. Even if he did act like a self-centered fool most of the time: he won the next contest, and spent a whole week bragging about it.

And sometimes the surprises were even greater, and more significant. Like the last one and, long before that, the day of the shiny stone and the rescue. Those events held such importance that, years later, many would recall them separately without remembering that they had happened on the same day. Except for one of them. One Vulpix attributed a special significance to the fact that both events had taken place simultaneously. For her, it was a confirmation of what she had always thought and feared: that the life she wished for was not meant for her; that her path would take her where she was needed the most, and not where she wanted to go. Whether that was a self-fulfilled prophecy or not is anyone's guess. Not even she can be sure.

It was a sunny day. There hadn't been much rain lately, so the Stantlers were coming to the lake for water, and Dash was busy making sure no fights were started between them and his clan. Solitude had been more contemplative than usual during the morning, if that was even possible. At noon, when everyone started talking about the upcoming game over lunch, she announced that she was going to play. Everyone cast a glance at her; she rarely played and had never announced it in such a firm tone before. But when she ignored the looks and turned her eyes to the sky, everyone went back to minding their own business. After all, unusual behavior was what Solitude was best known for.

Once the meal was over, everyone - other than the leaders - scattered and began to search for something unique. The search went on for hours; it wasn't easy to find something really special that hadn't been seen before. After a while, Kid got tired. He'd been searching all over the place and hadn't found anything even remotely interesting, and he was beginning to feel bored and lonely. He couldn't go with his mom or Blessing, nor even the twins, as they were all searching for trophies of their own - and the leaders wouldn't allow another joint victory. He could go back with the Alphas, but they were no fun. And he'd already got in trouble too many times for bothering the Pidgeys and Murkrows. There was only one option he could think of: going to the lake. He wasn't allowed to go there on his own, but he'd be bored stiff if he didn't. And if he could find his dad or some other Golduck or Psyduck, then he wouldn't be on his own and that would make it OK, wouldn't it?

In the meantime, Solitude found herself in a section of the forest she'd never seen before. Trees and brush grew disorderly, making it hard to keep track of where she was going. She wasn't even sure she could retrace her steps back to the meeting point, but she'd go back one way or another. Worst case scenario, she'd get lost and Tracker would find her, but she trusted it wouldn't come to that. She decided it was best to look ahead: she wouldn't get anywhere if she kept thinking of how to go back. Forget about logic. As if logic had ever done her any good. No, this wasn't the time to think. It was the time to go where her feelings took her. It was the time to dive into the unknown and...

Solitude's train of thought was interrupted when she stepped on a small, hard stone. She felt like something had hit her, and stepped back, slightly dizzy from the shock. She then took a deep breath and look at what her paw had just found. It was white, mostly translucent, and almost as small as a pebble. It was roughly spherical in shape, with a few edges. Definitely a stone, but different from all the stones she had seen before. She had no idea where it had come from, but she knew at that moment that it would be her trophy. She gave it an experimental poke with her paw. The stone glowed with a bright white light when she touched it. She had heard that Fire Stones did something like that when a Vulpix touched them, but this was clearly not a Fire Stone, and Solitude wasn't showing any signs of evolving. She did feel a bit weird, however. Even more so than usual.

She touched the stone again, and this time didn't lift her paw for a few seconds. To an outside observer, it would have seemed as if she'd frozen in shock. But no one was watching her. Everyone else was busy doing other things, in other places. Important things, even. And she was too far away. She quickly picked up the stone and tucked it in her topknot, before running back as fast as she could. The doubts she'd once had about being able to retrace her steps didn't even cross her mind. Logic was taking a vacation as far as she was concerned.

Elsewhere, Speedy had given up a fruitless search around his favorite spot, and decided to try something different. He figured he could check the bushy area by the lake: Vulpixes rarely went there, and Psyducks spent a lot of time in that place. Maybe one of them had dropped something interesting. He explored the area until he found a small pearl caught in a thorny bush. That was quite an unusual item, and he was sure he'd win the game with it. He was getting ready to go back when he heard a cry for help coming from the direction of the lake. Without thinking twice, he ran in that direction to find out what was going on, and found Kid in the water, frantically waving his forelegs and shouting whenever he managed to lift his head. He didn't let his thoughts delay him. He jumped into the cold water and cursed in his mind while he swam to reach the kit.

In Speedy's opinion, the only reason why Vulpixes could swim was so that they could get out of the water if they happened to fall into it. They weren't supposed to go swimming intentionally. He wondered if having a Golduck as his father had somehow messed up Kid's instincts. That child was always getting himself in trouble. Speedy had to admit he sympathized with him for that; Kid wanted to be himself no matter what others said. But there was a difference between being yourself and getting yourself killed! He'd have to learn to be more careful. All this Speedy thought in the few seconds it took him to reach the young Vulpix. Fortunately, he wasn't too far from the shore. Once he reached him, he realized why Kid couldn't swim back to the shore: one of his hind legs was caught in a fallen branch. Speedy tried to help him break free, but the kit shook himself too much and the branch moved with him. He had to yell for Kid to stop moving. He told the child to take a deep breath and wait, assuring that everything would be fine. Then, he bit the branch and pulled it off, being careful not to hurt Kid's leg. As soon as he found himself free, Kid jumped on Speedy's back, almost making him sink into the water.

"Relax, Kid, you're safe now," Speedy assured.

He swam back to the shore with Kid on his back. The kit started coughing as soon as he touched the ground. He'd swallowed some water and had some scratches on his hind leg, but was otherwise fine. Tracker reached the shore at about the same time as they did. She'd heard Kid's cries for help, but had been too far away to reach him while he was in the water. Moments later, Solitude joined them. By then, Kid had stopped coughing and was breathing deeply with relief.

"Speedy, that was amazing!" Tracker praised him.
"Let me catch my breath before I agree with you," Speedy replied.
"You never change, do you?" Tracker smiled.
"Should I?"
"Not today. You've earned your right to brag. But tell me, what happened? How did he end up like that?"
"That's a good question to ask him. Kid, why did you go swimming in there on your own? What the hell were you thinking?!"
"I was trying to find my dad," Kid replied. "Or anyone. I was bored and wanted someone to play with. Everyone was busy with the seeking game and the flying Pokemon won't play with me."
"All the Golducks and Psyducks are out with the Stantlers," Tracker told him. "I saw them about an hour ago. And the Pidgeys and Murkrows won't play with you because you keep playing tricks on them. I'm surprised none of them has tricked you back yet."
"A Murkrow tried once, but I was too smart for him."
"I don't want to hear about it. You won't make any new friends if you keep acting like that. You need to learn that your actions have consequences."
"Easy, Tracker, the child has nearly drowned," said Speedy. "I think he's learned that lesson."
"Let's leave that for his parents to decide."
"You're not going to tell them!" Kid cried. "Please!"
"Of course we will. We can't keep something like this from them."
"They'll punish me. I've learnt my lesson, I swear. I'll never go swimming alone again."
"I'll ask them not to be too hard on you, but they need to know. You're their son and they care about you more than anything. They'd be heartbroken if anything bad happened to you."

Kid sobbed, but accepted Tracker's decision. Everything had gone wrong for him that day. He just hoped his parents would be lenient. No... not everything had gone wrong. It could have gone much worse. He could have died. He would have, if Speedy hadn't saved him. He knew how much Speedy hated getting wet, and he had dived into the lake to save his life! For that, he'd be eternally grateful.

The commotion had made almost everyone forget about the game, until Solitude, who had been so quiet she'd nearly blended with the landscape, shattered the silence with the phrase "I think we should go now".

Everyone stood up and started walking towards the meeting point. When Speedy passed by Solitude's side she tried to say something to him, but words failed her and he moved on without giving her a second thought. He was still weary from the swim, and shaken by the close call, but also proud and glad that he'd been able to save Kid. There wasn't room in his mind for anything else. He didn't even think of his pearl until it was time to show the trophies.

After an exposition about the recent events, which left Lake and the leaders quite worried, and a subsequent discussion and Kid's reiterated promise never to do that again, it was decided that nearly drawing had already been enough punishment for the young Vulpix. Kid sighed with relief and ran to his mother's side to rub his body against her fur. It took some time for the Vulpixes to collect themselves and set their minds back on the seeking contest. Then the time of the judgement came. Lake, Ruby, Strawberry, Sunrise, Sunset and Blessing had all brought curious items, but none too valuable or surprising. Oddly shaped fruits, a stone with a hole in it, a 4-leaf clover, a strange stick sculpture which Sunrise had undoubtedly constructed for the occasion... Things looked promising for Speedy, especially when Tracker revealed that her search had been interrupted by Kid's cries and she hadn't had the time to find anything. Sadly for him, when Solitude showed her stone, and how it shone when she touched it, the leaders didn't hesitate to crown her as the winner.

That was the only time Solitude won a seeking contest. She reacted to her victory with a half smile, before getting lost in her thoughts again. Her victory was largely clouded by the incident at the lake, so there was little talk about the rare item she had found, but most Vulpixes did wonder what it might be and were unable to find an answer. Solitude kept the stone with her at all times for as long as she remained in the pack, and most of the others eventually stopped thinking about it. But Solitude herself never did.

[Lady Vulpix]

I didn't think anyone was reading this, but I've just got an IM reply, so I'm posting chapter 10 (out of 11). I hope you enjoy it. You can comment, or you can refrain from commenting, but please let me know that you've read it. Thanks in advance.

The Old Pack days
Part 10: Feelings

The dynamics of the pack had subtle changes after that game. Scorch and Flame started showing more concern for what was going on with everyone else, not just their daughter. Lake kept a closer eye on her son and, while she'd still let him play alone or with the other kits, she made sure she knew where he would be at all times. Kid started spending more time with Speedy, something the older Vulpix enjoyed a lot as it gave him a chance to brag about all the great things he could do; Kid learned not to take him too seriously after a while, but he still admired him, and they never stopped enjoying each other's company. The kit would still enjoy playing tricks on others, but became more careful, and kept his promise of not going into the lake alone. Ruby and Strawberry saw Speedy under a new light after his heroic action, and became quite interested in him, but neither of them found the guts to talk to him about it, nor about anything else for that matter, to the point Speedy began to wonder if he had somehow offended them. Blessing worked hard on regaining most of Kid's attention, which was now evenly divided between her and Speedy. Solitude retreated into herself even more, rarely saying a word to anyone. And Tracker did everything she could to help and understand everyone, with better success in some cases than in others. Only Sunrise and Sunset were mostly unfazed; they went on with their lives and kept playing with their friends while they tried to channel their creativity for useful purposes. They did worry about Solitude, but showing their concern to her only seemed to upset her more, so they decided to stop bringing up the subject and contented themselves with making her little gifts every now and then to show they cared. Sometimes they managed to bring a smile to the lonely Vulpix's face.

One day, a few months after the fateful contest, Scorch consulted Tracker about her view of the pack.

"Flame is always saying you're quite insightful," he said to her. "I'd like to hear some of that insight of yours. How do you think things are going with everyone?"
"That's a vague question."
"Answer it as you see fit. I just want to hear your thoughts."
"Well... I think almost everyone is fine. Each one of us has different needs and things we need to learn, but most of the pack seems to be on the right track. Solitude's the only one who has me worried right now."
"She's always been lonely and mostly quiet. Do you see anything different in her?"
"Yes. She used to respond better when I talked to her. She's never fully opened up to me, but she would talk and get things off her chest, and sometimes she'd let me get a glimpse of who she truly was. Now she rarely says a word, and sometimes cries when I talk to her. The most I was able to get from her was that she can't tell me what's bugging her because if she did it would hurt us both. All I could do to comfort her was tell her that I'd always be her friend no matter what happened. But I can't help but worry."
"I see. It makes sense that you're worried, but there's not much you can do if she won't open up. What do you think about last week's storm?"
"What about it? How strong it was? How we had to postpone a game for it? Or the fact that Solitude warned us about it and no one would believe her until she climbed to the watching spot and showed us the clouds on the horizon?"
"You know it's the latter. Do you think she got upset because we didn't believe her?"
"No, I don't think that's it. I don't think she expected us to believe her, she's never had much faith in herself. If anything I think she felt better about herself when we saw the clouds and decided to put off the game in case the storm came our way, and even more so when the storm did come and we were all safe in our burrows. I talked to her the next morning. She didn't say much, but she smiled. I think she likes being helpful. She needs a chance to prove to herself that she can be a useful member of the pack."
"And what do you think about Speedy?"
Tracker was startled. "Eh?"
"Is that too vague a question? I'll refine it. What do you think about Speedy's situation within the pack?"
"Sorry, it was just an abrupt change of subject."
"Not at all. We're talking about the members of the pack who are having some trouble fitting in. I'll tell you what I think. I think Speedy has his heart in the right place and tries to do his best at everything he does. But he has no idea what's going on with everyone else, and he's always boasting about every little success and magnifying his own virtues to ridiculous extremes. Whenever he gets mad at me he says he'd make a better leader than me. The sad thing is I think he could make a good leader if he weren't so full of himself."
"I don't think he's as full of himself as he pretends to be," Tracker replied. "He does love being the center of attention, but..."
"But what?"
"There's more to him than he lets out. I've been trying to figure him out for a long time. Now I think I'm beginning to understand."
"Do you think there's a hidden reason behind his boasting? What is it?"
"I'm sorry. If it's what I think it is, he wouldn't want me to tell you. But I'll talk to him. He probably won't stop bragging altogether, but I might be able to help him fit into the pack better. He's already making some progress."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm talking about Kid. He and Speedy have become good friends. You should see how well the two of them get along."
"You call that getting along? Speedy's always bragging, Kid pokes fun at him and before you know it, they're throwing witty retorts at each other. Some friendship that is!"
"It took me a while to understand it, but it works for them! They both enjoy it, and they care for each other a lot. Their comeback fights are a game to them. There are no ill feelings; they even laugh as they come up with their retorts."
"If you say so. I'll feel better once you've talked to Speedy and made sure everything's OK with him."
"Don't worry, I will. I care about his well-being too. I won't let anything upset him if I can help it."

Scorch raised an eyebrow, but Tracker had already turned away and didn't see him. "I didn't see that coming," he thought. "I really need to start paying more attention."

Tracker took a look around to see what everyone else was doing. Flame and Blessing were watching Sunrise as she showed them how to make a bug-repelling fire with some herbs she and Lake had found earlier. Lake herself was not around; her trail revealed she had headed towards the body of water whose name she shared, probably to see Dash. Her son was playing with Speedy: they were pretending to battle, but they weren't hurting each other. Sunset was talking to Solitude, trying to cheer her up and apparently succeeding to some extent. That was quite a relief. Ruby and Strawberry were out of sight, but Tracker could trace their scent in the direction of the strawberry field. There were no strawberries at that time of year, so they probably just wanted to spend some time alone, perhaps to talk about what they called 'girl things'. "It's funny," Tracker thought. "9 out of 12 members of the pack are female, and they have to get away from us to talk about 'girl things'. I wonder what that's all about, but it would be rude to eavesdrop. Maybe they just say that to see if they can pick my curiosity? No, I doubt it. Maybe they're just being silly. I should just let them be and do what I'm supposed to do."

As Tracker approached the two male Vulpixes, she was caught by surprise by the next move in their pretend battle. She had no time to react as she heard the words "Kid, wait!", immediately followed by a loud, resounding Roar. Speedy was able to cover his ears in time, but Tracker was forced to run away from the painful noise that was piercing her skull. The males followed her. She could faintly hear Kid's words of apology over the buzzing sound her ears were still making.

"Never do that again," Speedy told Kid. "Especially not in front of Tracker. That move is for self-defense only."
"I won't, I promise. I didn't know it could hurt anyone."
"It's Tracker we're talking about. Her ears are particularly sensitive."
"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."
"It's OK," Tracker said. "I'll be fine, my ears are ringing a bit but it'll stop soon. Just don't do it again and I'll pretend it never happened. And you..."
She turned to Speedy, who was startled for a moment. He was afraid of what she might say next.
"Thanks for trying to protect me," she told him.
Speedy sighed. "Anytime. I thought you might be mad at me for encouraging him."
"You didn't encourage him to roar at me, you were teaching him to defend himself and that's something we all need to know. We're relatively safe here, but you never know when someone or something might attack, nor where our lives will take us in the future."
"Yeah, that's... That's exactly what I was thinking."
"Is it? I always have trouble figuring out what you're thinking."
"That's because you're not psychic," Speedy grinned. "Not that I am either. It would be nice to know what others are thinking once in a while."
"Well, sometimes you can tell, if you know them well enough. Just like you could tell what Kid was going to do before I could."
"Oh, that was easy. I read his moves, not his thoughts. The stance he took and the way he began to open his mouth were dead giveaways."
"So you can read body language in a battle but not in other situations? That's intriguing."
"Is it? Battling is easier than other aspects of life. You know what you want and you know what the other wants and there are only so many ways each of you can try to achieve it. Sometimes someone will come up with an original tactic, and then you can learn something, but it's still much easier than, say, talking to someone who's upset and you don't know why. Then you don't know what they want, you can't tell what the problem is, there are infinitely many things you can do or say and there's no way to know how the other will react."
"How about we go for a walk and talk about it?"
"Sure. Just... Where will Kid go?"
"I'll go and play with Blessing and Sunrise," Kid decided. "You two go and have your private talk."

He grinned as he left. Speedy wondered what he found so funny, while Tracker still wondered how Speedy could be so perceptive for some things and yet so blind to others. They resumed their conversation as they started to walk.

"So..." Tracker began. "Were you talking about anyone in particular when you said it was hard to talk to someone who's upset and you didn't know the reason?"
"I was thinking of Ruby and Strawberry. I don't know what's wrong with them, but they've hardly said a word to me in the last few months. I wonder if they're mad at me for something, but I don't know what I could have done to upset them."
"Oh, no, you've done nothing wrong," Tracker assured. "They're just shy and don't know what to say when you talk to them. It will pass with time."
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely. The one I'm worried about is Solitude. Whenever I feel like I'm beginning to understand her, she shuts herself away."
"She's never talked to me much, so at least I know I haven't done anything wrong to her. I don't think you'll get much out of worrying about her. That's just the way she is."
"Now that I've heard that from you, I know I have to try harder."
"I don't know how you came to that conclusion, but it feels offensive."
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. It's just that your perception tends to be completely off when the feelings of others are involved. But you have plenty of other virtues, and sometimes the rest of us miss them."
"An insult followed by a compliment. That's a new one."
"Take it easy, Speedy," Tracker said with a smile. "Knowing our flaws is the only way we can improve ourselves. I never meant to insult you. I think you have a great potential. You just need to keep doing your best, and know that..."
She paused.
"Know what?"
"Oh, blast it. Now I can't find the right words. I should have taken more time to think of what to say."
"It's OK, I don't like prepared speeches," replied Speedy. "But really, 'blast it'? What kind of curse is that? You should have at least said 'dammit'. There, now you can improve yourself too."
"I guess I can," Tracker laughed.

The conversation hadn't turned out like she had expected. But at least she'd got to know him a bit better, and her thoughts about what he needed seemed to be right. He was looking for approval. That was why he was always showing off and exaggerating his own virtues even though others laughed at it, or perhaps because he could make others laugh that way. He needed to know he was important to others. And she wanted to tell him that he already was, but it was hard to find the words which would make him understand she really meant it. She'd have to try again some other time, hopefully with better results.

[Lady Vulpix]

This is weird. It's the first time I've ever had readers who contact me over IM but refuse to post. Anyway, I'll accept it as it is. Thanks for reading this, Kurosakura, Telume and the mysterious reader who won't join the forums.

So this is it, the final chapter. Of course, since this whole fic is just a prequel, there's plenty more to read if you're interested. Once one of you lets me know that you've caught up, I'll post a short epilogue and a few links to some parts of the story that follows this one. Thanks again for your interest in this story. It wouldn't be here without you.

The Old Pack days
Part 11: The Final Game

Winter had passed, storms had come and gone - earning Solitude a reputation as the pack's meteorologist which she seemed to appreciate -, flowers had started blooming and Tracker still hadn't found the way to tell Speedy what she meant to say. She had tried many times, but the more they'd talked, the more oblivious he had seemed, and she was beginning to wonder whether he was intentionally avoiding the subject. He wasn't, but feelings can get in the way of mutual understanding and obscure things which would otherwise be clear, and that was happening to both of them. Other than that, they both got along quite well.

Then, unbeknown to most, came the day of the final game. It wasn't the last seeking contest ever played, but it was the last one played by the pack as it used to be. Tracker got up early as usual and took a walk around to see how everything was going. Only Sunrise was up before her; she used to say, in jest, that she wouldn't be honoring her name if she weren't up by dawn. She had become quite the architect, and used the calm moments of the morning to think of ways to improve the burrows, the grill, the "nightlight" (a fire with a wooden reflective wall they made when they had to stay up at night), or any other structure that might be of use. Then, one by one, the other Vulpixes started coming out of their holes. All except for one. When the sun was high in the sky and Solitude was still missing, Tracker began to worry, and went to her burrow to see if he was alright. She found her sitting in the dark, awake, but motionless.

"Solitude, what is it? Are you OK?" Tracker asked.
"Tracker..." came the reply in a sad, hushed tone. "I guess I can't delay it any longer."
"Delay what?"
"The beginning of the day."

Tracker stopped to think of what to say. It was obvious that the beginning of the day couldn't be delayed, only missed. But with Solitude she had to be careful and read between the lines. She was saying she didn't want to get out and face the world on that day. Why?

"Why would you want to delay it?"
"Because... No, I'll tell you later. First, I want to know something."
"What is it?"
"Do you remember the conversation we had after the first seeking contest?"
"Vaguely. Let me think... That was the one with the rainbow feather, right? We were talking about it, weren't we? You wanted to know where it had come from."
"Yes, it would still be nice to know, but it doesn't really matter. No, I was talking about another part of the conversation. The part about quests."
"About quests? Let me refresh my memory..."
"Let me help you. You said you would only go on a quest if you felt it was worth it. So... how can you tell when it is? When is a quest worth taking?"
"That's a tough question. I think... you just follow your heart. You take it if you feel it's right. If it's what you really want."
"That's easy for you to say. You know what you really want. Me, I'm always confused... always torn between contradictory desires. But what you feel is right... Yes, I think I know what is right. It hurts, but so would the alternative. Maybe even more because I'd know I didn't do the right thing when I could have."
"If you tell me what it is, perhaps I can help you."
"No, I already know what you'd have me do. It's what I'm going to do anyway. Because you always do the right thing and because I've only ever made your life harder."
"That's not true. You've done many good things. Ask anyone how many times you've helped us. Ask Sunrise and Sunset, whose lives you have saved."
"You... you remember that? I didn't think anyone would."
"Of course I remember it! How could I forget? They wouldn't be alive today if you hadn't found them. And ever since then you were always very good to them. Ask them what you mean to them."
"But... They've grown up now, haven't they? They can take care of themselves."
"They can, but that doesn't change what you have given them."
Solitude sighed. "I'm sorry."
"What for?"
"Everything. I'm sorry for everything I haven't said to you. For every time I've caused you to worry. I'm sorry that I can't be wiser and always know the right thing to do. I'm sorry I can't prevent the suffering of those I care for. And I'm sorry that I can't stop it from hurting me, even though I know it's necessary, so that all the good things can happen."
"What are you talking about?"
"What can I say?... In a way... I think what I'm really trying to say is that I care. That you've always been a good friend to me and I was unable to be fair to you because I couldn't think of a way that wouldn't lead to more suffering. But I appreciate everything you've done for me, as well as everyone's patience. As for Sunset and Sunrise... You say I've given them a lot, but they've given me just as much. I couldn't be more grateful to them. They gave my life meaning when I needed it, and they were there for me whenever I doubted myself, giving me little gifts but, most importantly, the gift of knowing I mattered. And Speedy..."

Tears began to run down her eyes and she had to stop for a moment to catch her breath.

"He's a good Pokemon," she continued, "with the potential to do great things. But he still has a lot to learn. I'd do anything to make his lessons easier, his burdens lighter... but I don't know how. I don't think there even is a way. I can't even think of the right words to say to him. I can only take comfort in the thought that there are great things in store for him. And that... Let's face it, you're better than me. Maybe you'll find the way. You're good at those things."
"I'm sorry, but I don't understand. Where did this all come from? It sounds like a goodbye speech. Why?"
"Because I'm leaving. No, please don't worry. This one time I know what I'm doing. It's like you said, it's the right thing to do. It's not that I have anything against anyone here, you're all amazing. But there's something I have to do and it's important. Please don't tell anyone yet. I will announce it after the game."
"Where will you go?"
"I don't know. I'll go wherever the path will take me. Do what I have to do, help those who need me... hopefully get my chance to shine. It's a 'pay it forward' kind of thing. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. I'm sure we'll meet again someday. Until then, just do what you do best. Follow your heart."

Tracker was still worried, but she decided to honor Solitude's wish. She wouldn't try to dissuade her friend when she seemed so self-assured for the first time in her life.

The game began after lunch, as usual. Solitude didn't want to play, but she rarely did, so no one other than Tracker suspected anything was going on. Tracker tried her best to focus on the game, but it was hard to shake the thoughts of Solitude off her mind. The words of their recent conversation kept coming to her. She had the feeling her friend revealed more than ever before, and yet she still couldn't put all the pieces together. And now Solitude was leaving and she might never get a chance to fully understand her. And the way she'd talked about Speedy... Where had that all come from? She'd never talked about him like that before. Unless... she had done it by omission. There was that subject she'd never wanted to talk about because it would "hurt them both". Could it have been him? Tracker felt more sorry for Solitude than ever before. What Ruby and Strawberry had for Speedy was just a crush, they'd grow out of it. But Solitude's feelings were real. Tracker knew how that felt. Except that, unlike her, Solitude had never had any hopes of achieving anything. Was that why she'd always said Tracker was better than her? Could she have known about Tracker's feelings even before Tracker herself became aware of them? But then, judging from her attitude, she must have thought that Speedy felt the same way towards Tracker. Was that possible? She would have to find out. Where was Speedy anyway? His smell was faint, like he had gone far away. Much further away than usual. She wondered what had caused him to go so far. Now she'd definitely have to find out.

In truth, the only reason why Speedy had chosen to go into an unexplored area of the forest was because he felt he wouldn't find anything really interesting in the spots he already knew. They had played the games so many times it was hard to find anything truly surprising. He thought that, by going further away, he might find something the pack had never seen before. And he turned out to be right. After searching for a while, he found a large, chalk-white rock with grass growing on its top. He'd never seen that kind of rock before, so the others might not have seen it either. It was too big and heavy to carry, but he thought he could find a way to take a chunk out of it. However, as he got closer, he saw something that looked much more promising than the white rock. It had a soft orange glow, and it appeared to be small enough to fit in his muzzle. It also had an alluring smell. As he got even closer, he realized what it was and couldn't believe his luck. It was a Fire Stone!

Speedy had heard about Fire Stones from Scorch's father. He knew what they looked like, and what they could do. It was thanks to a Fire Stone that the biggest jerk he'd ever met had been able to become a Ninetales and rise to leadership. Now he had the chance to do the same thing! If he used the stone, he'd not only win the contest, but he'd also become the most powerful member of the pack. That would earn him everyone's respect, and Scorch would realize he was fit to be the leader. He wouldn't abuse his new power, or impose himself by force like Scorch's father had done. He'd leave everyone so impress that they would just have to accept him as their new leader. He was so excited that he wouldn't even admit the possibility of things not turning out that way. He only hesitated for one moment before touching the stone. When his nose was almost touching it, he noticed some grey spots on the otherwise orange surface. At the center of the stone was a drawing that resembled a flame, but even that was partially obscured by an opaque grey blob. He stopped for a moment to think of whether that was right, but then decided that it had to be. He'd heard that Fire Stones were bright orange, and this one was mostly that color. Maybe the old Ninetales had omitted subtle details like the presence of dull grey spots here and there. It had to be a Fire Stone. It even had a fire symbol on it! There was nothing else it could possibly be. "What's the worst thing that can happen anyway?" he thought. "If it's not a Fire Stone, nothing will happen when I touch it and it will still be a great trophy. And if it is... my whole life will change for the better! This isn't the time for second thoughts, I have to do this."

He picked up the stone with his mouth, and felt a strange warmth run through his whole body. Each of his muscles began to tickle, and soon a bright white light surrounded him. He had to close his eyes to prevent the light from hurting them, and as he did that he could feel his eyelids changing their shape, and his muscle elongating. There was a moment of pain when his legs stretched out, and a strange sensation as his fur became longer and thicker. And then one of his tails began to tickle even more. He'd been waiting for that moment. He could feel it getting thicker, and then splitting from its tip. It was only slightly painful; most of his body was feeling numb. Soon, there were two tails where there had once been one. He waited for a moment, expecting the process to repeat itself, but the warm and tingling sensation suddenly stopped. He wondered if all his new tails had grown at the same time. He opened his eyes, and noticed the light was gone. He also noticed his muzzle was now longer, and creamy colored, and that his point of view was higher. He looked at his legs. Indeed, they were much longer than before; he wondered how fast he'd be able to run with them. And he now had a tuft of light colored hair on his chest. He was definitely a Ninetales. He put the stone down for a moment to look at it, and noticed that it was completely grey now. It didn't matter: once he took it back, everyone would know what it was. Finally, he took a look at his tails, and his excitement turned into horror.

Tracker had long since stopped searching for a trophy, and started searching for Speedy instead. She followed his trail to find a Ninetales in his place. She was shocked. Could that be him? His smell was still mostly the same, it had to be. But how could he have evolved? He'd have to have found a Fire Stone, and the chances of something like that just lying about in the forest were next to null. There were no mines nearby: it had to have been brought there and dropped. And even then, with its orange glow, it would have been easy for the one who dropped it to find it again. Unless he or she didn't want it, but why would anyone want to discard something so valuable? She decided it didn't matter. However it had happened, Speedy was a Ninetales now. His whole body had changed: he was bigger and more slender, his fur had a different color, the hair on his head was longer and even messier than before. Even his eyes were a different shape, and the subtle orange glint they used to have had turned into the dominant color. His eyes were bright orange now. She had to admit she liked the way they looked: much better than the blood red eyes the old leader had. And his tails were no longer six, but... seven!

Both Speedy and Tracker became aware of the problem at about the same time. Tracker gasped, unwillingly alerting him of her presence. He turned to look at her and nearly froze in terror. Just one small action had turned his life into a nightmare. He was ruined. He couldn't go back to the pack anymore: he'd be ridiculed. And now Tracker of all Pokemon had seen him like that! Just when he had started to feel he was making some progress with her... it was over. He couldn't face her now, deformed as he was. He had to run. Run away from her, and from everyone he'd ever known. Run to an uncertain future, in some strange land where nobody knew who he was.

Tracker tried to stop him, but she couldn't. He'd always been the fastest in the pack, and now as a Ninetales he was faster than ever. She tried against all common sense to run after him, but after a while she had to realize she stood no chance at catching up. For a moment, desperation took over and she cried. But then her tears brought clarity to her mind. It was clear that Speedy wouldn't return, but not even he was capable of running forever. He would eventually settle down somewhere, which meant she could still track him down and find him. It also meant she'd have to leave the pack, give up the life she knew in exchange for... what? Hopefully, for what she really wanted. That was the time to decide. If she stayed, she'd still have her old life, but it would be missing something important, and she'd always be wondering what had become of him. She needed him, and from the way he had run it was clear that he needed her. It was a quest worth taking. Tracker couldn't help thinking of Solitude as those words came to her mind. Just how much had she been hiding? How much had she known, and for how long? Soon, the game would end and Solitude would tell everyone she was leaving. Would she wait for her and Speedy to show up, or did she already know they were leaving too? Did she know what had just happened? Would she tell the others? "If you had told me," she thought, "I would have understood. I would have done things differently. I'd have helped you. And him. But now you have your own quest, don't you? And I have mine. One day when this is all over, I will come back to see everyone and explain why I had to leave so suddenly. But right now I'm afraid I can't go back. I can't risk losing his trail. I need to go after him."

[Lady Vulpix]

I will have some reader's comments in here even if I have to post them myself. And my reply to them too.

[17:39:56] Telume: Mhm
[17:42:15] … Speedy's probably a good guy
[17:42:22] … but he tends to be so full of himself.
[17:45:55] gabiapf: That's true. But it's mostly because he was quite insecure and kept making poor attempts to get some praise in order to boost his self esteem. In that sense he got worse before he got better, but after all he's been through he's gained a lot of self-confidence since then. Now he only brags for fun.

And now... the epilogue. And as they say, the rest is history (although the Battle Range is still open if you want to participate!)

The Old Pack days
Epilogue

This story was a prequel to the Dragon Tamers Battle Range. If you're interested in reading more about some of these characters, I recommend the following pages, in chronological order (be warned: some of these stories are old and filled with typos):

#29 - Featuring the former Speedy and the glowing stone.
The stone can be seen in action in stories #30-#32, although there are parts of those stories I'm not proud of.
#33 - Ninetales remembers where he'd seen the stone before.
#34 - The end of a long search.
Dragon Games - Trainer switch (i.e. Tracker is back).
The Final Assault - Solitude shows her face, with Ray and Firestar (formerly known as Kid and Blessing).
Last Call for Brawl - More of Solitude, Ray and Firestar.

Also, Speedy/Hero appears in most if not all of my stories, and Tracker appears in many of my stories from the Dragon Games onward.

And, in order to make things easier for you, I will write a brief summary of what happened to each member of the pack.

• Scorch and Flame are still leading the pack, which has had some changes in its composition through the years. They have given up on the idea of betas and now try to make sure each task is performed by whoever can do it best.
• Ruby and Strawberry are also still there. Last time I heard of them, they were having a friendly competition over a new male member.
• Kid and Blessing grew up and left the pack in order to see the world. They're now living in a place called the Pridelands, where they have found trainers, become known as Ray and Firestar and evolved into Ninetales. While they don't live in the same house, they spend most of their time together, and they have a son, Swift, who has inherited his father's Disable move but is fortunately not as naughty as his father used to be. Ray himself has toned down his naughtiness over time, but he's still not very keen on following rules. As an example, he once convinced Firestar to make a trip back to Ulthuan as stowaways on a ship. They had an adventure with some old and new friends and then made it back home safely (see Last Call for Brawl by Hypotenuse Man).
• Sunrise and Sunset left the pack shortly after Kid and Blessing did. They're both exploring the world and living adventures of their own. They also hope to find out where Solitude went, but she'll probably find them first.
• Lake had to put off her desire to explore for a long time, as she wanted to be with Dash and he was always busy with diplomatic tasks. Especially after the Stantlers were attacked, suffering great losses, and most of the survivors moved closer to the lake in order to be more protected. However, things seem to have settled down since then, and now Lake and Dash getting ready to go on an exploration trip. Dot has promised to be reasonable for as long as they're away.
• Solitude completed her quest, which consisted on living her most valued possession inside a maze where it would be found by a trainer who needed it. She kept operating from the shadows until she met a team (a trainer and a group of Pokemon) who came from a very distant land and helped them get settled. The experience helped her as much as it did them. She has also had some contact with most of the old pack's members, with varying degrees of self-inflicted drama. Last time I heard of her she was getting ready to embark on a new adventure, in a place very few Pokemon could reach, not without checking on Sunset and Sunrise first.
• Tracker managed to follow Speedy's trail into Sector Alpha, the capital of Caledor, but it was hard to locate them in there with all the alien scents and noises. While she was searching, she witnessed a robbery and followed the thief, helping the police find him but also getting badly hurt in the process. She was taken home by a visiting police woman from Goldenrod who had found her lying on the floor, and her search had to be put off while she was trained to become a police Pokemon (see #34 for further details). However, her long wait was rewarded when a new mission took her and her trainer back to Ulthuan and she was able to find Speedy's trail again - and not only that, but also a Fire Stone that allowed her to evolve (and it was a good one, nevermind the Twisted Wish Illusion that had been cast on it before, it had already worn off by the time she found it )-. Tracker actually found Speedy (who was going simply by "Ninetales" at the time), made sure she knew where he lived, and took the first time she had to move in with her old trainer's cousin who lived in Sector Alpha, being one of the few Pokemon known to switch trainers on their own decision. She's now working at the Caledor Police Department and seeing Hero regularly (she finally fulfilled her own promise of finding a better name for him, and he accepted it). She and her new trainer have had a few problems understanding each other, but they're slowly getting better at it.
• Hero (don't call him Speedy, he still hates that name) ran as far as he could until his legs could no longer carry him. He was then found by the then master of the Dragon's Guild and given to one of the Guild's trainers/researchers. She took care of him and did everything she could to heal his injured self esteem. It worked, especially when he became the champion at the first Gryphon Games. He's never stopped bragging, but those who know him have learnt to accept that as a part of him. He's always trying to improve himself, always trying new things... and while he'll probably always have seven tails, those who have underestimated him for that have learnt how wrong they were. He's now a very strong Pokemon and has done many good things - and a few naughty things too -, but he's still quite sensitive and self-conscious. Thanks to Tracker and his own experiences, he's become aware of his reduced ability to read others' thoughts and emotions and is trying to improve him, but so far his best bet is still to ask others when in doubt. He loves all kinds of competitions, hates waiting and standing still, takes every chance he can find to show off, but doesn't take most things so seriously anymore. He has some good friends both among and outside his team, although his closest friends are Tsunami the Vaporeon (whom he has called Kid many times) and Caledor the Espeon. You can tell they're great friends because they never stop arguing and making witty retorts at each other - that's just the way they are. As for his relationship with Tracker... it took a long time, much longer than what either of them had expected, but they're now officially a couple. Only time will tell what the future will hold for them.