ToT Chapter 3-Prologue - Calm before the Sandstorm

Heat, hotness and the blazing sun shining down onto the group of Pokemon that were heading to Yawaru. It was pretty usual for such kind of enviroment, yet the so called phenomenon Shelor’s Warning was still noticable despite that it was getting closer to the autumn season. Vader, the Hitmonchan that actually came from the region the group is heading to did warn them that things can get even hotter the further they get into and the books Nox have read only confirmed it.

Luckly was the male shiny Eevee well prepared for such a region. His shorter fur wasn't the case due to the grey color that attracted the sun rays, no... the body of the grey furred Eevee was covered a cotton, red colored piece of cloth that provided cover from beeing sunburnt, dust, sand and even cold nights. Unintentionally was it also providing him some kind of camoflage, making him hard to spot in the canyon unlike other Pokemon while weearing his wornout blue scarf above his mouth.

It was another little survival trick that his father taught him, which allowed him to use his own sweat to cool his body down, making the canyon kinda bearable. The fact that he used the least ammount of water from the whole group, which was only topped by the Pokemon that were used to such conditions showcased the intense survival training he'd gone through in his young age. *Father... I have to thank you a lot that you taught me very well on how to survive in such conditions.*

Heck, he even offered his can to the ones that weren't even well prepared for the journey, not used the heat or just plain unfortunate. The black eyes of the grey furred Eevee looked through the group as he kept marching with them, beeing impressed how they all kept together and helped each other out despite their own burdens. Soon were his eyes glaring towards Prier, who was the whole time silent during the journey and better stay that way because Nox was very pissed at him.

The 33rd annual guild meeting that the male shiny Eevee attented to revealed that The Absol went to visit the old vulpix witch Morgan, the same witch that called him a witch-hunter. *The Promissory Note better be worth it Prier, because I'm not happy about what I've heared at that day.* were the thoughs of Nox as he grumbled muffled under his scarf. His thoughs soon moved from that thought towards Team Pathfinders once he spotted them with his black eyes.

He had a good distance between himself, Sonya and Yang, and goes it for the male shiny Eevee was it good that way despite that he was friends with the shiny Mienfoo. It wasn't because of her, but more due to the female Eevee that was also called a witch-huntress by Morgan. He could see them interact with each other like that, which caused him to have a small, hidden smile. Yet at the same time did the hidden smile faded away as his mind recalled the situations from the witch encounter.

*Yang... I'll be honest... I'm scared that Sonya will see me as her enemy... we both are apperently witch-hunters... but it'll break my heart if I'll be the cause that you'll get in trouble with your partner just because I'm... me?* His head shook a moment from that though as he could suddently feel a strong stinging pain in his heart *Urg... I don't really know what I am... and why do I get this pain a lot lately whenever I think about her?!* And with her does he mean the female Eevee.

He was very thankful that she carried him when out of Darkhowl Woods when he couldn't move anymore, yet from that point on was his heart always beating odd whenever he was around her, and he doesn't know why. A silent sight escaped him as he kept thinking on *Sonya denied that she's a witch-huntress... but am I one of them? Nah... it doesn't make sense... my parents weren't corrupted and taught me that I've to be there for the weak and helpless Pokemon... yet why does it feel like that old hag is right?*

That tough alone made him shake his head again as he kicks his front paw into the sand with a frown on his face. The mixed feeling inside his mind annoyed him pretty well because he wanted to do the upcoming missions without any trouble in his way. *GODDAMNIT! I need to stop thinking about such things and focus on here and now!* His sigh only confirmed that he was troubled *I'll help beeing a Robin Hood with the water... then scouting out for a good place for the so called void stone.*

Nox soon reached for his military camoflaged tin can that still had 1/4th of the water that he initially had with him inside it to take a short gulp from it. His thoughs came to the mission that he wasn't suited for *Good thing that I decided against the negotiation with Don Kapon... I would have screwed it up very badly...* Nox knew himself pretty well on how he would react around someone as corrupt as that sly Ludicolo with his hot-blooded, italian temperament that would have only cause more problems.

Soon was the city of Yawaru appearing at the horizon of the hellhole canyon, and bless the tired eyes that it wasn't a fata morgana at all, not even a Zoroark would do such a thing. A lot of the Pokemon from the group sighted delighted that they're about to reach their destination under the boiling sun. They all were tired from the journey, some even were on their last strenghts and had to be carried or they would have ended up in the canyon like the dried skeletons of Pokemon that didn't survived...

Once the whole group finally arrived at Yawaru could they all take a well deserved break from the long wandering, while the Scholar and the Artisans Leaders headed over to the Sheriff's building. Nox heared the Trackers leader speaking up shortly after that "Alright!" as he stepped forward with a Hitmontop called Kassi, who was part of the Artisans Guild and Sibyl, the Girafarig that Nox met in the Trackers guild. The grey furred Eevee looked around to see who would listen to the words of the Hitmonchan.

"Those of you who will be helping with infiltration of Don Kapons water reserve will follow us. Start to get yourself prep'd up and ready to go." with that said did the whole group started to split up in smaller groups to prepare for the missions. Nox himself knows which mission he wants to attent to as he took off the red clothing from his body that revealed his short-haired grey fur again, making him sigh a moment as he felt the sun on his skin *Man... the sun sure is strong here... I can't stay like this for too long...*

The grey furred Eevee emptied the last gulp of water from his tin can before moving out to stand underneath the shadow thrown by a house at least. His breath was steady underneath his wornout blue scarf, despite his southern hetirage was it still hot for him. The Hit and Run mission was going to start a bit later then the negotiation with the Don Kapon, the sly Ludicolo, but Nox was already prepared for his mission.

From the position Nox was right now could he hear two different Teams talking with each other. One was Team Guang, formed by a Pangoro that was wearing a knitted coat and a lovely looking conical hat, a Houndour that was weaering the Bag of Holding and a knitted scarf and a shiny Phantump with a flower on it's head that was looking timidly around. The other group was Tean Lancer, formed by a Lucario that was a bit taller then other Lucarios and had a scar on it's cheek while wearing a leather combat armour.

With that Lucario was a small, feline looking Weavile that was wearing a navy blue scarf that wasn't worn out like Nox's blue scarf, and a shiny Buizel that was wearing a black burlap tunic and a first aid kit on her side. Judging by the way the Teams talked with each other were they familair with each other and might have worked with each other in the past months. What the male shiny Eevee could catch from their talking is that the Lucario, the Weavile and the Houndour had the same nothern accent.

The Pangoro on the other hand had an accent Nox heared before, not only because he heared that kind of talking in his traveling... for some reason was it remembering him of Yang as a small smile formed on his face. The male Eevee sighted as he spots another shiny Pokemon that was on it's own too. This time was it a shiny Ralts that was standing with crossed arms in the shadows from the sun, while her hair was covering her left eye as it seems that she was looking around for someone that she seems to know.

Soon were Noxs black eyes looking to Team Pathfinders again, wondering what missions they'll do as he hopes not to meet them during due to the current distrusts between him and the female Eevee Sonya despite the friendship with the shiny Mienfoo Yang. He looked a bit away again as he closed his eyes with an irritated sigh *I do want to talk with Yang before we head out to the mission... but I don't want to bother her partner Sonya after the things that happened in Darkhowl Forest with that darn witch Morgan...*

"N-Nox." was a familair, female voice speaking up softly towards him, which caused him to turn his head as he opened his eyes again to see the shiny Mienfoo infront of him. His head soon turned over to the familair voice that was calling out his name "Ah hey Yang... how are you feeling?" was he asking her since he wasn't sure if she's used to such conditions or not. At the edge of his eyes could he see that the shiny Ralts was waving a bit timidly over to Yang, who smiled softly as she waved back, making Nox realise that they know each other.

The shiny Mienfoos head soon turned back towards the grey furred Eevee as she tapped her paws nervously"I-I'm fine thanks. T-The heat doesn't bother me that badly."  The male shiny Eevee sighted a bit calmly and didn't wanted to bother her any more then needed as he mentioned "Today's gonna be a tough mission. I'm pretty sure that we'll talk with Vander, Sibyl and Miss Kassi to form a strategy before we'll head into that place." Yang seemed to be nervous, yet does Nox know by now that she's concerned for her friends.

"T-There are quite a few of us this time. I-I'm sure we can pull together to get it done safely and effectively." was she speaking reassuringly about the task, and she was right because it wasn't just Sonya, her and him... there were other Teams going to do the mission too. Suddently was Nox gasping in surprise as he spots a familair red flower and red eyes again, but this time was the form completly different then what he had remembered. It was the female Eevee that he saw in Rivercross Acres, but this time was she evolved as an Umbreon.

Besides the usual color of a shiny Umbreon were her front paws still shaped in that v-form, yet they glowed light blue, but the patterns on her shoulders weren't rings... they were diamond shaped. *W-wait a minute?! Isn't that the white furred, female shiny Eevee that I saw last time in Rivercross Acres?! I-Is that how a shiny Umbreon will looks like?!*  It was hard to hide the sparkeling in the black eyes of Nox when the female Umbreon closed up onto the shiny Ralts, who was smiling by now as they started to talk with each other.

Nox soon was thinking about the possibilities of his evolutions *I don't know what I should evolve into now! Should I evolve into a Jolteon like my father was? Father was looking cool and was very fast too... I always had trouble keeping up with him... Or should I evolve into an Umbreon, since they look cool too?! Maybe a Flareon because they are fluffy and warm and always can use fire... or perhaps a Leafeon that get's a lot of energy through the sun rays? Arg, so many choices!? I'm sure Sonya haves to deal with that question in what to evolve too! And not even her... I'm pretty sure every single Eevee haves to think about this!*

The grey furred Eevee frowned from that though before he realised that Yang was looking towards him the whole time with a giggle, which caused him to blush embarresed "A-ah... err... I umm... I... I just thought of what I should evolve into... ahahaha~" He sweatdropped nervously because of that as it only meets the smile of the shiny Mienfoo "I-It's ok. I-It must be exciting for you to have so many choices to evolve in to." He soon tried to focus on the here and now as he asked her "W-what about you, are you feeling allright for that upcoming task?"

Nox knows how Yang reacts by now when she's in trouble, so he's assuming that she'll be a water runner after they properbly scouted out that place. *I just don't want you to get into a fight Yang... that's why I'm asking you this question* Yang kept tapping her paws nervously but nodded towards him "I-I think so. S-Sonya wants to try to make it that we don't have to fight this time by being stealthy. I-I admit though," yet she can't help but giggle amused when she mentioned her teammate and how she was in such situations.

"K-knowing Sonya how long I have, I know she's not very patient for stealth. S-she likes to rush in and get things done quickly, so I'm sure a fight might be unavoidable. A-At least this time, it won't be just her fighting since there's so many of us here this time and they're not bandits. S-So I'm still worried, but not as much as usual." "Mhm... we're defenetly more then last time... but it still would be nice that we'll be able to be Robin Hoods for this task without getting spotted and having a fight." was he responding to her with a calm smile.

The grey furred Eevee soon continued to respond to his friend"Yeah, she can be impatient... but we'll see what kind of strategy we'll get to forge with the Trackers Leader, Miss Kassi and Sibyl..." before thinking *And I think we should send in scouts first before the whole group get's into that place, since we don't know how many Pokemon are in there... Doing this mission without the nessesary recon will end up deadly...*  It was at this point were both Nox and Yang could hear the large group wishing each other luck as they splitted up.

The Pangoro, the Phantump and the Weavile of that group were all heading to the meeting point of the mission. Shortly after that did the Zorua started to head out to the same direction on his own, as well as the shiny Ralts Nodoka and the shiny Umbreon. "I think it's time to head out to the meeting spot Yang." he said that just as two rather strange looking snakes passing by appearing to have a small argument as they passed by them. Judging by the way the argured could the snakes be siblings, something Nox knew because of his sister.

But the male shiny Eevee started to head to that direction of the meeting point too, which means he was going to pass by Sonya as he felt relativly unsure around her right now while his heart was stopping for a moment as he could see her like that. Judging by the look of the female Eevee was she bothered with something too as his thoughs were *I better don't end up in the same situation with her... for the sake of Yang that is...* since he wasn't certain about her either. Both Eevees still had doubts on each other despite beeing comrades.

Nox sighted a moment as he was about to pass Sonya before saying softly yet quickly to her "Let's get this over with patience..." because he want to do it the stealthy way for everyone. Sonya passed him quickly by again when she responded a bit upset "I know already. Don't tell me what to do." which caused Nox to chuckle quietly from her expected reaction when she headed on ahead on her own. Soon was the shiny Mienfoo next to him as he spoked up to Nox with "S-She's warming up to you. I-I can see it."

Yang soon giggled softly as saw him blinking shocked as he was about to trip from the words she him before she rushed ahead to catch up with Sonya "W-wait what?!" was his only response to that as his thoughs were *I seriously doubt that's she's opening up to me Yang!* For some reason is his guts feeling telling him that the mission will end up sucessful for almost everyone of the guild, but in a big disaster for him... *This feeling that I have... I don't like it at all... it's worser then the one were I felt the presence of Morgan...*