"A fourth? Which fool was it this time..."

High in the sky, between the layers of dark clouds an neutral voice sounded. The voice distinctly didn't sound masculine nor feminine, and it was easy to understand that they were tired.

Out of nowhere, a shimmering mirror of mist formed within the clouds. Gradually, the surface of the mirror shifted, projecting a video of a group of dark cloaked figures weaving through a shaded forest.

"Hmph." The voice snorted, and without warning the mirror disappeared as quickly as it appeared. "This is what happens when you go too far."

The clouds darkened even further, and with a flash of lightning the sound of rolling thunder reverberated through the sky.

"Hah," The voice sighed, before responding like it could understand the thunder. "Out of respect for our past, this Venerable One won't remove this anomaly."

Suddenly, the clouds turned pitch black, and in that darkness the voice turned much sterner.
"But this will be the last time you overstep your bounds. Although I'm sure you already can tell that much from your condition."

***

—Anville Forest, Unova—

Within the northern forests of the Unova region, just to the south of the bustling Anville City, a slender raven-haired woman nimbly darted through the trees. The sun had already set, and her face was visibly pale, with a couple of drops of blood at the corner of her mouth.

In her arms there was a tightly wrapped bundle, and even though she was sprinting faster than a Rapidash she never loosened her grasp.

“Just a little more,” She gasped for breath, and looked back into the trees to see if her pursuers had arrived. A quick scan didn’t reveal anything out of the ordinary, but that didn’t assuage her fears.

At this point nothing except for the reappearance of her husband could. But she couldn’t count on that happening. He’d been gone for almost a week now after the last ambush which almost resulted in her capture, but instead of letting that happen he drew their pursuers attention while she escaped with their newborn child.

“I’ll hold them off while you escape! I’ll be right behind you, just go!”

She bit her lip thinking of that night, nearly drawing blood again. She believed him when he said that, and with all of his Pokémon in fighting shape it shouldn’t have been difficult to dispatch the seven pursuers who attacked that night, even if it were just him.

Their pursuers hadn’t been strong by any means, roughly only 1st and 2nd Circle Trainers by her estimates.

But the reality was that he hadn’t returned.

She wanted to think that if she’d stayed that he’d still be here, but she would’ve only been dead weight, and she couldn’t risk their child’s life. Maybe if she hadn’t just given birth it would’ve been a different story, but the past was the past, and there wasn’t any way to change it.

“Waaah!” The bundle softly cried as the woman stumbled over a gnarled root momentarily.

“Shh,” She pacified the baby, not wanting the shrill cry to broadcast their position throughout the forest. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Mommy’s here.”

All of the Pokémon she’d seen so far in this area were weak enough that she felt confident in protecting her child, even in her weakened state, but there was no reason to take any extra risks. Especially when she wasn’t completely sure how she was being tracked.

This whole nightmare began two months ago, when a pair of masked and cloaked assailants broke into her house. They tried kidnapping her, but were subdued by her husband.

Although it was scary, the two didn’t think it was anything but a terrifying coincidence at first. Both of them were outstanding citizens and protected their city as Trainers, so they didn’t expect any enemies that would’ve attempted this.

But two days later, four assailants who looked identical to the ones before attempted to attack them again. At that point, the pair knew something was wrong, and someone was targeting them.

They didn’t want to leave their city where they had settled down, especially at the tail end of her pregnancy. But how could they stay?

So, the pair fled the city, trying everything they could think of to escape pursuit. From selling all of their belongings in case a tracking chip was attached to them, to disguising their appearances and masking their scent, everything was on the table.

But no matter how they attempted to escape pursuit, their pursuers would eventually track them down without fail. The only solace she could take in this moment was that she was the main target of their attacks, so it was possible her husband was still alive.

Swish!

Snapping out of her thoughts, she felt a change in the air currents behind her. Without hesitation she dodged to the side, and in the next moment a sharp blade of wind passed through the spot where she stood a moment before.

It traveled for another couple of meters before colliding with a tree, and created a deep cut in the bark.

“Fuck, they’re here.” She cursed, and sped up even further. Switching to only holding the bundle with one hand, she summoned a glowing white orb into her free hand. Then, a beam of light shot out of the orb, forming an opaque wall of light that rapidly shifted form.

Its amorphous shape gradually solidified at the edges, turning into a large deer that stood taller than the average human. A bushy growth of verdant leaves sprouted from its antlers.

“Saw—Sawsbuck!” (What happened?)

It cried, and immediately matched the woman’s speed. With a nimble jump that showcased years of practice, the woman jumped straight onto Sawsbuck’s back without slowing down.

“Bucky!” The woman felt joy seeing her partner appear and patted his neck, and quickly explained the situation.

Even just summoning him drained most of her remaining Essence, and it would be a miracle if they could manage to fend off the assailants. She didn’t even know how many there were this time, but she wouldn’t bet the safety of her child on an uncertainty.

“Can you take my baby away from here? I’m going to distract them.” She said.

“Saw…” (Are you serious?)

Bucky whined. He didn’t want to leave his partner.

“None of the others possess your speed, and they won’t be able to match your pace. Please, you’re the only one I can trust.” Her voice cracked slightly while saying this, but she stayed steadfast.

“Saw,” (Fine. But you must stay safe.)

Bucky grunted in assent, but she could still feel that he was apprehensive about leaving her.

“Thanks,” She stroked his fur in an attempt to sooth him. “Don’t worry, they won’t be able to touch a hair on my head.”

Swish! Swish!

Two blades of wind sliced through the air. Bucky couldn’t dodge like she had earlier, but this time she wasn’t focused on running and could react.

“Protect!” She chanted, and a circular shield of light appeared behind them. The blades of wind struck the shield, but weren’t able to penetrate. Then, the shield disappeared.

From the shadows of the trees, she detected two individuals pursuing at a length. Both of their presences felt muted, and it was likely they’d been trailing at that distance for a long period of time without her noticing.

Although it seemed like they weren’t gaining on her, she could tell that they were staying at the exact same distance no matter how they moved.

“Looks like our time’s up.” She murmured, laying the bundle on Bucky’s back. A surge of Essence filled her palms as she used String Shot, and a sticky web shot out of her palms and wrapped around the bundle, tying it tight to Bucky.

“I’m sorry, mommy needs to take care of something now.” Droplets of tears formed at the corner of her eyes as she whispered to her child. “You’re going with uncle Bucky, and I’ll be right behind.”

A tear dropped onto the bundle, and she smiled bitterly. “You probably won’t remember this, but I’m so glad you’re here. Just remember that mommy will always love you.”

After saying that, she jumped off Bucky’s back and darted off through the trees to the right. With the newly lightened burden, Bucky accelerated and charged forward at an even quicker pace.

Seeing this, one of the presences immediately altered course to tail her. The other stayed monitoring the Sawsbuck for a brief period, but a quick pulse of Essence from the first made them give up and alter course as well.

***

For the next hour Bucky charged through the forest. He didn’t stick to a straight line, but avoided any territories that seemed like the homes of powerful Pokémon or powerful Essence signatures.

His partner has trusted him with her offspring, one of the highest forms of trust he could ever receive, and he didn’t want to betray that trust right after she left.

Thankfully, neither of the presences appeared again after his partner distracted them. There wouldn’t have been a problem taking either of them even if they appeared, but disregarding the safety of the young master would be a de(e)reliction of his duty.

With a quick scan of his surroundings, Bucky gauged that there weren’t any notable presences in the immediate area, and began thinking further ahead.

It was a very real possibility that his partner wouldn’t return for another couple of days, or maybe even weeks. Until then, it would be his honor to take care of his young master.

But how could he go about this? Could he take care of a human fawn? He didn’t know the first thing about a baby’s needs, and at this point there was a concern that he’d let his partner down without even being attacked.

Bucky recalled the few necessities he actually knew: food, water, and shelter.

They were in the middle of the forest, and with a quick glance Bucky noticed nearly a dozen edible Berries in the surroundings. He couldn’t name a single one, but each of their appearances matched Berries he’d eaten before, and he was still alive.

But after snatching a pair of round blue Berries from a bush another question popped into his head.

How could he feed the young master?

The String Shot used by his partner fastened the young master completely to his back, and even if he wanted to feed him like a Deerling fawn he doubted he’d be able to. Deerling fawns at least were able to survive on their own immediately after birth, but this offspring didn’t seem to have the same luxury.

He pondered while running, but came to a quick conclusion after not having any ideas. As much as it pained him to admit, he needed to find another human to take care of this offspring.

If he were able to find a human willing to help, then it was possible to satisfy all three necessities at once. But where to find a human in the middle of this forest?

Bucky felt powerless again. He didn’t know any detection Moves, and instead would need to rely on pure luck to happen upon a human. But there was one way he could make his odds better.

He channeled Essence using Agility, and a soft glow enveloped all four of his legs. The glow faded into his legs, and immediately his speed increased even further.

More distance covered would mean more chances of meeting a human. So there wasn’t any better way at the moment besides increasing his speed.

***

Another hour passed, and the moon hung low in the sky, casting brief pockets of moonlight through the canopy of the forest. The continuous usage of Agility drained Bucky’s reserves at a rapid pace, but after using almost half of his reserves he discovered something valuable.

Traces of humans!

More specifically, it was the remnants of a campfire, which Bucky only determined after discovering charred wood in the middle of a small clearing. There weren’t any Fire-Type Pokémon in the surroundings and the wood was still somewhat warm, so there had to be humans somewhere nearby.

Beneath a layer of grass there were a couple of scuff marks which had almost been erased, but they pointed Bucky in the direction they’d gone. He promptly followed the traces, this time slowing down so that they wouldn’t notice him first.

Based on how he couldn’t detect their presences, it was likely that they weren’t around his level, either too weak or extraordinarily strong.

Bucky leaned towards the latter. If they were strong, they would’ve needed to hide their cultivation level. But if they could do that then there wouldn’t be any chance of him discovering their campfire’s traces.

So, there were some weaker humans nearby. Perfect.

He stalked through the forest for another couple of minutes before he sensed the air changed. The haze of smoke wafted downwind into his face, but instead of being annoyed he felt a surge of joy.

Humans!