Tyler's Search, Chapter 19: I'm a Vaporeon

    Tyler blinked as the sun climbed high enough to reach him in the cattails. He was confused for a moment, wondering where he was and why he was in the water. Then he came fully awake. That’s right. I evolved last night! His tiredness gone, Tyler sprang to his paws, stumbling a little at the unaccustomed weight and length of his tail as it swept across the wall of reeds. Once he got his footing, he turned to look at his tail, arcing it up and over his shoulder and watching how his fin shone in the morning sunlight. I wonder what I can do with this? He pushed his way out of the reeds and found himself emerging into the water, away from the bank. The ripples cleared as he hesitated, and Tyler looked down and saw his new face for the first time. It was blue like the rest of him, but his ears were gone, replaced by a pair of fins that ran down his head, with a third in the middle like a crest. His ruff was still there, but it wasn’t fur anymore; a white ring circled his neck. Putting a paw up to feel it and his head, he found that it felt a little like his new fins.

    The movement disturbed the water again, and Tyler waited for it to settle. The ripples quickly flattened out, and he stared at his reflection again, this time scrutinizing his features for any trace of the Tyler he recognized. To his relief, his face didn’t look completely unfamiliar. The lines of his cheek and jaw were still the same, and so were his eyes. A weight lifted from him. I can still see myself in here. It was reassuring, knowing that part of him hadn’t been lost. Whether everyone else would recognize him, he didn’t know. He looked up, turning his head back toward the forest’s edge. Where was Ryan? The Quilava hadn’t been at his scrape. Tyler had to admit, though, that he didn’t really know what Ryan did during the day, where he went or where he stayed. Maybe if he went back, he could catch the Quilava’s scent and find him.

    Right now, though, it was the river that drew his attention. Tyler had evolved the night before, and everything he had experienced so far had been… well, amazing. How was I ever afraid of this? Tyler could shoot jets of water from his mouth – the distance attack he’d always hoped for – and his injuries had all healed just from being in the river. Now as he looked out over the water, he felt the urge to dive in. Fear held him back a little – the memory of the rapids the night before was still fresh – but he couldn’t keep his tail from lashing back and forth in anticipation. Well, I’m a Vaporeon now. Time to see what I can do. Finally giving over to his excitement, Tyler plunged out into the river’s current.

    The first thing he noticed was that the water didn’t seem to pull on him as much as before. Tyler wasn’t sure whether it was because of his new powers, or simply because he didn’t have any fur to get soaked and weigh him down anymore. He struck out with a confident stroke, noticing how much easier it was to keep afloat. After half a minute, though, he still hadn’t made much progress toward the other bank. He stopped in disappointment. I thought swimming would be easier now. Letting the current carry him downstream for a minute, he wondered if he could do anything to go faster. Wait – my tail! Taking a deep breath, Tyler submerged and swept down hard with his tail. It propelled him forward, far faster than he had been able to paddle with his paws. The movement felt awkward, and Tyler started experimenting, trying to refine his stroke. He ran out of breath and resurfaced, then dove underwater again. It took a while, but he finally hit on a rippling motion of his whole body that sent him arrowing smoothly through the water, fast enough to even make some headway against the current. With a little more practice, Tyler could send himself into circles and loops. I feel like I’m flying!

    As he cavorted though the water, Tyler stared around, marveling at how clearly he could see. He explored the features hidden under the water, looking closely at the stalks of reeds and the smooth rocks that lined most of the riverbed and watching the sunlight play across them as the surface rippled several lengths above him. His breath was starting to run out again, and Tyler turned upward, powering through the water at fast as he could. He broke the surface at top speed and his body left the water entirely before he ran out of momentum, falling back into the water with a huge, thoroughly satisfying splash. Tyler couldn’t deny it. This was fun.

    After a while, hunger drove him to leave the river; he hadn’t eaten anything yet that morning. Once Tyler was away from the water, his thoughts turned to more serious matters. With everything that had happened, it was easy to forget that he had come here because he was headed home, leaving his family and his quest behind. The night before, he had felt like everything was pointless. Memories from Zahna’s attack still haunted him, and had been a large part of why he had given up. Still, though… last night, his life had changed again. Do I still go home? I’m not sure now. Maybe, like this… I actually have a chance. Tyler thought about it as he approached the berry bush he’d fought the Meowth for. Part of him was on the alert; after all, he now knew that the Meowth – Persian now – still wanted revenge. But I’m not afraid of it anymore. Last night, I was. It was too strong for me.

    Just like the Catchers.

    He continued thinking as he ate. His life had been forever altered when he evolved. Tyler knew he had powers he didn’t understand yet; water seemed to react to his emotions and thoughts. It made his life different too; Tyler felt more at home in a river than in the bushes he’d grown up around. Grass, twigs, and leaves felt different against his skin than they had when he’d had fur. His coat had softened the world, and most of the time he’d barely noticed. It’s strange, being different. I was used to being an Eevee. Now I have skin instead of fur, a long tail – and I’m so much bigger than I used to be. It was harder to move through the undergrowth now, though at least he didn’t have to worry about fur snagging on branches, and his skin was resilient enough to resist scratches when they scraped him. He also noticed that it took several berries to satisfy his hunger instead of just one. My world is different now. Where does that leave me? Where do I go? Questions spun through his head, and he wanted to see Ryan now more than ever. The Quilava always seemed to know what to say, and Tyler needed advice now more than ever. Do I go on? Do I stay? Do I go back?

    With these thoughts in mind, Tyler made his way back toward Ryan’s scrape. He crossed the stream, enjoying the swirl of water around his paws again, and climbed the bank onto the path. The trail seemed smaller than he remembered too; Tyler’s back brushed against leaves and branches in some places. No wonder this path seemed so big when I was an Eevee. I barely fit now. He reached the Quilava’s scrape. No one was there, but he sniffed around. Tyler’s sense of smell wasn’t as sensitive as it had been before his evolution, but he could tell that the Quilava hadn’t been here for at least a day. He thought the scents were still recent, so maybe Ryan wouldn’t be gone long. He sighed to himself. I used to be able to track things a lot better. Hopefully his new abilities would make up for it, once he learned how to use them.

    Tyler’s next destination, once he’d checked the immediate area for signs of his friend, was the forest verge. Ryan had said he lived out on the grassland normally. Maybe he’d gone back there. It had been weeks since Tyler had seen him.

    Looking out over the hills, Tyler did see a small dark shape, not too far away. It was making its way toward the forest. It was near noon, and the sun was beating down. Tyler looked up for a moment. Was it worth it to go check? I’m not going to be out in the sun for too long… Anyway, I’m a water type now, right? I’m going to go see if that’s Ryan. He set out, making his way through the grass. It wasn’t quite as dry as he remembered; the rains had helped things a little. As he got closer, Tyler could tell that it was Ryan he saw, and he broke into a run, almost tripping at first. It took him a few moments to find a natural stride with his new larger body, but he didn’t let it slow him for long; he picked up speed and was soon racing across the grass, covering the distance in about half the time it would have taken him before. He crested a hill and nearly ran into Ryan on the other side.

    The Quilava immediately threw himself into a sideways roll, coming up in an aggressive pose with his crest and back blazing. “Just, stay back.”

    There was a quaver in Ryan’s voice that Tyler hadn’t been expecting. Surprised, he skidded to a halt with one forepaw still in the air. They both remained still for a moment – Ryan tense and defensive, and Tyler unsure what to do – then Tyler found his voice. “Um, hi, Ryan.”

    The Quilava looked taken aback. “Ryan? How do you know my… wait. Tyler? You evolved?”

    The new Vaporeon nodded.

    “When?”

    “Ummm… actually last night.” Tyler realized that he now stood taller than his friend. That was strange; Ryan was older than he was. I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to being evolved.

    “Well, that’s great!” Ryan said, relaxing and extinguishing his fire. “But… what were you doing last night that made you evolve?”

    Tyler cast back and sighed. It wasn’t something he was excited to talk about. “It’s a long story,” he replied evasively.

    “I’m not busy,” Ryan replied. “Why don’t you tell me on the way back?”

    That raised another question in Tyler’s mind. “I was wondering, actually. What are you doing out here?”

    “Oh. Well… I’ve been visiting Aries sometimes at night. After you left again, it got me thinking. I’m his only family here. And I mean, maybe he didn’t want to come with us before, but that doesn’t mean he’ll never change his mind. I can’t just give up on him like that.” While not directed at Tyler, Ryan’s words still stung. Like I gave up on my family. “So then, how did you evolve in the middle of the night?”

    “Well… I was in a battle.”

    “Again – how did that happen?”

    Tyler slowly started to tell his story as they turned back toward the forest. “I was coming back here, heading… well, yeah. I was going to try to visit you, but I couldn’t find you around here, so I went to where you train. And then… Remember the Meowth? It evolved into a Persian some time, and it attacked me there. I didn’t have a chance against it, really. It beat me until I couldn’t get up. Then it threw me in the river.” To drown. “I almost didn’t make it, but I guess I evolved in the water. I didn’t realize it at first, I just thought I’d gotten to a shallow part. But then… It was looking at me funny when I got out of the water. Like everything had gone wrong. And then I realized what happened.”

    “And then?”

    “Well… it left me alone after that.” Ryan was looking him over, peering at his head and shoulders. “What?”

    “I’ve just never met a Vaporeon before.” The Quilava shook his head. “Okay, that sounded weird. I’ve met you before, I’ve just never actually seen what you look like as a Vaporeon.”

    “It feels kind of weird being a Vaporeon too. I mean, I’m not used to being so big.” He looked down at Ryan. Being larger than the Quilava still felt wrong. “And my tail gets in the way of things.”

    They went a little further before Ryan turned to him again. “So, how is it?”

    “What?”

    “Is it as bad as you were worried about?”

    Tyler thought about it. Healing in the water, swimming so easily… “No, I guess it isn’t.”

    Ryan smiled. “See? I told you you were worrying too much.” He paused for a few seconds as they walked back up the hill. “So how did it go at that other town? I mean, I guess you didn’t find your family there. But did you find the Pokémon?”

    Tyler’s good mood faded. “I found them,” he said, deciding to answer that question first. “I was training there for a while. But…” he signed. This was what he’d wanted to talk to Ryan about, he reminded himself. “I didn’t ever go into the town.” Tyler cringed as he watched Ryan enthusiasm turn to confusion.

    “You didn’t? Why not?” When Tyler didn’t immediately respond, Ryan stopped and looked at him. “Did something happen out there?”

    Tyler nodded sadly, looking down. Bracing himself, he took a deep breath and started recounting what had happened, how he had found the mountain community and trained with them.

    “After a while, I just started feeling like something was off. Like I was just training and training because I was scared to go into that town. A few days ago, I decided that I couldn’t keep waiting, so I… Well, I decided to challenge a Catcher to see if I was ready.” He sighed. “I wasn't. I lost, but that wasn’t the worst part. Zahna was there too, and she attacked the Catcher to keep her away from me. She used some kind of dark wave, and I got caught in it too.” The memory made him shudder. “It was like a nightmare, except I couldn’t wake up. I was just running through the forest watching the take my family over and over again. And the whole time I could feel what was in her mind. How she felt about Catchers. How much she hates them. I think that’s what made her so strong.”

    “So what happened then?”

    “She healed me. With moonlight. I think I almost evolved into an Umbreon then. It was weird… I saw it in my dream, and it said it was me. It wanted me to go with it.”

    “That’s not what happened when I evolved,” Ryan said thoughtfully.

    “It’s not what happened last night when I was in the water, either,” Tyler agreed, shaking his head. “I didn’t even realize I’d evolved until afterwards.”

    “So what happened?” Ryan prompted.

    “Well… I didn’t go with it. I don’t want to be an Umbreon now. And then… I went up to a light, and I woke up, and Zahna was there. She said I had been like that for hours and hours. It’s the worst thing that ever happened to me. And then…” Tyler stopped. When he found his voice again, it was barely above a whisper and there were tears in his eyes. “I gave up, Ryan. I wasn’t strong enough to win on my own, and I never want to end up like Zahna did either. That’s why I’m here now. I was going home until the Persian attacked me.”

    “I’m… wow. I’m sorry that happened to you. I can’t even imagine. …Are you all right? It sounds like you’ve had a few really bad days.”

    Tyler started walking again. “I don’t know. I guess I feel better now than I did. But the other thing is – I evolved. I still don’t know what will happen. I just know my life’s different now, and it makes me wonder if I’m doing the right thing.”

    “The right thing?” the Quilava echoed.

    “Well… going home. I felt like I’d never be strong enough. But now I’m a Vaporeon, and I am stronger. What do I do?”

    “If I were you, I’d wait and see.” Ryan gave him a sympathetic look. “Things always look the worst right after they happen. I don’t think you should give up so easy.”

    Tyler thought for a moment. That was what he’d been worried about hearing… but at the same time, part of him had been hoping that someone would tell him to keep trying. He nodded. “I guess I can do that.”

    “Do you want to stay around here for now?” Ryan asked him. “I know you probably don’t want to go back yet, and I don’t blame you. But it’s all right if you stay here.”

    Tyler nodded gratefully. He realized he didn’t really want to be alone now, like he’d been planning. The pair passed the tree line, and the conversation turned to other things. Ryan seemed about the same as the last time Tyler had seen him, though he said he went down to the town to see Aries pretty frequently.

    Ryan moved ahead as they headed into the trees, and after a while Tyler realized they were headed back to where he trained. “Where are you going?”

    “Down to the river. I want to see what you can do.”

    That caught Tyler a little off guard, but he couldn’t deny that going back in the river sounded appealing, so he followed along. When they reached the clearing again, Ryan stopped, looking at him expectantly. A little embarrassed, Tyler walked down into the water and submerged himself, pushing off from the bank into the current.

    Underwater, Tyler suddenly felt much more confident. Maybe it was because he couldn’t really see Ryan watching him anymore. Looking up, he caught sight of the Quilava’s silhouette, blurred through the rippled surface of the water. Down here, though, it was just him. Tucking his paws back to streamline his body, Tyler propelled himself across to the far side as quickly as he could, crossing the river in only a few seconds before surfacing so Ryan could see where he was. As he broke the surface, Ryan’s head snapped up from the water where he’d been looking. Diving back in, Tyler started pushing against the current, making enough headway to get a little upstream of where Ryan sat. Turning, he made his way back, surfacing by the bank and drawing a huge breath.

    Ryan looked at him. “That’s pretty good. You can get around fast down there. You know… now I wish I could swim like that.”

    Tyler wasn’t sure what to say to him. “Well…”

    “It’s okay,” the Quilava reassured him. “I can do things too. We’re all different. You seem pretty comfortable down there, though.”

    Tyler nodded. “I’m getting better at holding my breath longer.”

    This drew a blank stare from Ryan. “Holding your breath?” In answer to Tyler’s questioning look, he added, “Can’t you, you know, breathe underwater?”

    “…I don’t know. Maybe?”

    “Well, unless I was mistaken, those were gills under your ruff.” Ryan reached out with a paw to lift it. “Like fish have.”

    Reaching up with his own paw, Tyler felt under his ruff too and realized that there were lines running down the side of his neck. Could he really breathe underwater? “What do I do?”

    “How should I know?” Ryan asked, giving him an exasperated look. “They’re your gills. I’m not a water Pokémon.”

    “Sorry,” Tyler apologized. What was he supposed to do? First, get in the water, I guess. He took another breath and dove back in. Realizing what he’d just done, Tyler exhaled again, letting most of the air back out. It was the first time he’d opened his mouth underwater. Not that I’ve been underwater that much. Only since this morning. Letting himself drift, Tyler thought about what to do. Do I just breathe in? He tried, but his instincts rebelled, and all he managed to do was gag. A little water got down his throat anyway, making him cough and losing the rest of his air in the process. Tyler could feel his lungs starting to burn now, and he had to fight down panic. I’m only just below the surface. Determinedly, he closed his mouth – and to his surprise, he felt a smooth whooshing sensation on the sides of his neck, and the urge to breathe faded away. Tyler relaxed, experimentally taking another gulp of water. Again, with a sensation like a drawn-out swallow, the water flowed across his gills. It didn’t feel anything like breathing, but Tyler’s instinctive need for air was disappearing now. Another part of being a Vaporeon I never thought about. I wonder what other secrets I have… I feel like a stranger in my own body.

    He shook his head. I can worry about that later. Right now – I can breathe underwater! Or something like that. Experimenting with his newfound freedom, Tyler swam to the center of the river, where it was deepest, and descended into the shadow of a large rock. There was a hole down there, and Tyler sensed a movement in the water he instinctively identified as a fish hiding inside. The thought made him a little hungry, which was strange. Tyler had never eaten anything but berries, and roots once or twice. He knew other Pokémon ate different things, but he’d never had an urge to.

    He thought about trying to get at it, but he could tell that the hole was too small for him, and since he didn’t think the fish would come out, Tyler turned back towards the surface. Ryan might be getting worried. Although maybe not, since he just told me I could breathe underwater.

    Tyler broke the surface in midstream, looking around for his friend, then dipped back down and swam to where Ryan waited. When he got out of the water, he had to remember to start breathing again – which immediately sent him into another fit of coughing as the last of the water ran down his airway. After a few moments of coughing and spitting out water while Ryan looked on in concern, he got his breath back under control. “It worked,” he gasped hoarsely, looking up.

    “Are you all right, though?” the Quilava asked him.

    Tyler nodded, clearing his throat. “It’s not breathing, exactly. I don’t think I’m supposed to breathe water. It’s more like the water goes out through… through my gills.” Saying that feels weird. “I still have to be careful not to inhale any water,” he added sheepishly. “I guess I’ll have to practice.”

    Ryan nodded. “All right, you do that. Since we’re out here, I think I’ll train a little too.” He turned and moved back into the clearing, away from the water. Tyler watched him for a moment, then he turned and dove back into the river. Carefully letting out some of his air first, Tyler drew in water, feeling it wash across his gills again. The action felt more and more natural as he kept going, although it was a little strange not to breathe at all. His lungs seemed to relax while he was underwater now, and Tyler felt more and more at home. He didn’t feel cold or wet, he just felt… right.

    I don’t have to go up to the surface anymore, Tyler thought. I can explore down here as long as I want! Wanting to see the rapids – now that he could – he turned downstream, following the current. After a few moments, he felt a swirl in the water up ahead, and the current quickened. Before he reached the rapids, Tyler found an outcropping stone and hooked a paw around it, keeping himself from being pulled in while he watched in fascination. Underwater, the rapids looked almost smooth, with bubbles curling down from the surface in long, steady streams that twisted and turned over and around moss-green stones. He could only see a little way down them, his vision cut off by curtains of white water. The idea of trying to take them crossed his mind, but he only considered it for a moment. He wasn’t ready for something like that. He watched the swirling currents a while longer, then turned away, pushing against the current as he made his way back upstream.

    So far, he hadn’t seen any other water Pokémon. Tyler wasn’t sure if that was normal or not. Maybe there weren’t that many around, or maybe they just didn’t go in this river. Or maybe they don’t come here because of the rapids.

    As he headed back upriver, Tyler found that the river broadened and the current slowed down. He got out of the water a ways from where he could see Ryan’s fire, closing his mouth and forcing the last of the water through his gills so he could take a breath. There was something else he wanted to try. Standing on the bank and facing a tree, he opened his mouth. What did he do for this? Spitting? No… Tyler cast back to the night before, trying to recall how his instinctive blast of water against the Persian had felt. As he recalled, he had felt it as a tightening in the pit of his stomach, forcing the water out. He tried it experimentally, but nothing happened. Where did all the water come from, anyway? My energy, Tyler thought. That’s it. For the first time since he’d evolved, Tyler felt for his power.

    He could tell immediately that it was stronger than it had ever been, but it felt quiet. When he’d been an Eevee, it had been rushing, stronger and stronger, making him uncomfortable in his own form – just like Mother and Father had described. Now it just felt like part of him, there without his even realizing it. There was a different feel to it as well. Must be the water. Tyler drew on it and tried again. This time, he felt a rush inside himself, and a burst of water came shooting out of his mouth. Tyler blinked. That was easy. Most of his abilities had taken time for him to get a handle on so he could actually use them. This time, all he’d had to do was draw on his energy and repeat what he’d done the night before. He’d missed the tree, though, so he repeated the action, firing again and again until he managed to hit it three times in a row. By that point his stream of water was a lot weaker than at first, and the effort left him a little tired. His energy still had limits; they were just higher than before.

    Turning away from the now-soaked tree he’d been practicing on, he climbed back into the water and started swimming again. He noticed a new sensation; it seemed like water was flowing into him. Maybe it’s replacing all the water I just used… Experimentally, he turned back into the bank and climbed onto dry land. He only felt wet for a moment. Tyler dipped a paw into the water and withdrew it, watching in fascination as the water soaked into his skin and disappeared before it could drip away. Amazed, he repeated the process several more times. Each time, the water flowed into him, vanishing in moments. I’m absorbing it.

    Tyler remained still for a while, wondering at all of his new abilities. Was all of this hidden inside me, even when I was an Eevee? I think I’m starting to understand why Father said we’re so fortunate. After a minute, Tyler stepped back into the water and pushed off again, eager to show Ryan what he’d discovered.

    Tyler emerged from the river to something he hadn’t seen before. Ryan was spinning around the clearing in a wheel of sparks, tracing a burnt circle into the grass. As he watched, the sparks disappeared and the Quilava launched into the air for a moment, turning over twice more before hitting the ground in an awkward tumble. “Darn.” Ryan got up again, shaking his head. “I thought I had it that time.” He looked up and noticed Tyler standing on the riverbank, dripping water, and sighed. “You saw that, didn’t you.”

    Tyler nodded. “What were you doing?”

    Ryan actually looked a little embarrassed. “It’s just something I’ve been working on. I noticed a while back that if I blasted fire really hard, it would actually push on me – once when I was in a fight, I was trying to jump and it threw me off. So I’ve been trying to figure out how to use it to my advantage. So far, spinning is the best thing I’ve come up with, but… I’m having trouble coming to a stop.”

    Tyler felt like he should say something. “You move really fast, though.”

    Ryan brightened at the praise. “Yeah, that’s true. I’ll keep working at it.” After a moment’s pause, he set his crest and tail ablaze again and curled into a forward roll, picking up speed with each revolution. In a few moments, he was spinning around the clearing again. Tyler felt disappointed; he wanted to tell the Quilava about the other discoveries he’d made. He arranged his paws and sat down, twitching his tail back and forth in impatience.

    Ryan finally came to a stop again, a little more gracefully than before, and saw Tyler watching him expectantly. “What is it?”

    Tyler was suddenly unsure of what to say. “Well… There were some things… I wanted to show you… well, tell you about some things,” he finished lamely.

    Ryan sat down. “What is it?”

    “Well… I found out some new things.”

    The Quilava cocked his head. “What?”

    “I figured out how to shoot water.”

    “All right, let’s see.”

    Tyler nodded and turned away, aiming at the river. With a burst of energy, he sent a stream of water arcing across. Now that he’d taken in more water, the stream was nearly as powerful as it had been when he started.

    “Well done,” Ryan congratulated him. A moment later, a stream of fire came from Tyler’s right, blowing out across the river like his water blast had. That sparked something in the Vaporeon’s mind.

    “Hey – remember when I asked if I could train with you? You said that if you trained anyone, you wanted it to be someone who could take fire okay. Well, now I can.”

    “I’m still not sure,” Ryan temporized.

    “I’ll be all right. I’m actually pretty used to it – while I was up on the mountain I trained with a Vulpix a lot. I got burned a couple of times.” His time there had actually left several singe marks on Tyler’s coat that would have taken a long time to disappear, until his evolution erased them. It hadn’t changed the nick in his right ear – now fin – that the Chikorita had given him when they’d fought. Ryan hadn’t seen the singed patches, since Tyler had evolved before his reunion with the Quilava. Maybe that was a good thing. Seeing that the Quilava was still hesitating, he added, “Come on! One thing I learned up there is that you can practice the moves a lot, but you don’t learn how to really use them without training matches.”

    “I know, but… I really don’t want to fight you. …I wouldn’t feel right about it.”

    “It’ll be fine,” Tyler tried to reassure him.

    “Listen, Tyler… Can I just have some time alone to think?” Ryan turned and headed for the path, and something kept Tyler from following. He wasn’t sure what had just happened, but this wasn’t how he’d envisioned things going with his friend.

    Casting about for something to do, it occurred to him that the training had left him hungry. Rather than go to the bushes they normally frequented, which would mean following Ryan back, Tyler decided to go exploring for another one. He crossed the river in a few confident strokes, not bothering to switch to his gills since the swim was so short. Coming out on the other side, Tyler started sniffing around, wishing his nose was more sensitive. That was something he was going to miss. He headed out, tracing a wide circle intended to cover as much ground as possible without getting him lost. As long as he found the river again, Tyler was confident he could make his way back. It didn’t take him too long to find something to eat. The berries on this bush were familiar from before his family had been captured, and he wondered suddenly how near he was to his old home. The stream near their old den wasn’t the same one Ryan lived near, but it might be from the same river. Tyler was probably closer to home than he’d been in a long time. Another idea occurred to him, and he turned back, crossing the river and following the path back up to find Ryan.

    The Quilava was sitting out in the breeze and afternoon sun of the forest edge. He turned at Tyler’s pawsteps. “Hey, Tyler. Sorry about earlier.”

    “It’s all right,” Tyler replied. “We don’t have to spar or anything.”

    Ryan nodded. “I didn’t really want to.”

    “Actually, I came back to tell you something. I went exploring a little, and I came closer to my home than I’ve been in a long time. I think I’m going to stay there tonight. I hope you don’t mind.”

    Ryan looked a little surprised. “No, that’s fine. Go ahead. I’m not really used to having someone around all the time anyway.”

    “Okay,” Tyler agreed. Part of the reason he’d thought of going was that he’d felt a little the same. Things between him and Ryan had seemed a little awkward since he’d evolved, and he wasn’t sure why. Maybe part of it was that he was different now. Maybe it was that he wasn’t used to staying with someone either. Zahna didn’t really count, since her den had been pretty large and either she or Tyler would usually be asleep when they were both there, so it was more like sharing the same space. “I’ll probably come back sometime tomorrow.” Ryan nodded understanding, and Tyler turned away, following the tree line to the left for a while until he drew even with the stretch of the road where he’d first emerged. Leaving the grassland behind, the Vaporeon turned toward home.