1 month later

We cut to see Espeon in the kitchen washing the dishes as Jolteon walks into the room.

Jolteon: Hey Espeon, can I ask you something?

Espeon then turns to see Jolteon and says.

Espeon: Sure, what is it?

Jolteon: Me and most of the squad are going to visit the new district in town.

Espeon: The one that allows the stay of wild pokemon?

Jolteon: Yeah, that one. I wanted to know if you wanted to come.

Espeon: Sorry, I already visited last week when I went for my shopping routine.

Jolteon: Oh, ok then.

Espeon: By the way, can you tell me who's coming with you?

Jolteon: Ok. So it's me, my siblings, Glaceon, and Leafeon.

Espeon then gives a confused look.

Espeon: What about Umbreon?

Jolteon: Oh, he said that he's not "feeling it" today.

Espeon: What does that mean?

Jolteon then shrugs.

Jolteon: Beats me. I tried to talk to him about it, but he refused to say anything.

Espeon: Ok then.

She then turns around and continues to do the dishes as she thinks to herself.

Espeon:*I'll get that information from him one way or another.*

Jolteon: Espeon, can you please don't do what you're thinking.

Espeon then turns her head, snapping her out of her thoughts.

Espeon: What do you mean?

Jolteon: Espeon, you know what I mean. You know that Umbreon is very enclosed with his feelings.

Espeon: Yeah, but I feel like it can do this.

Jolteon: Espeon, you know what would happen.

Espeon: Yeah but...

Jolteon interrupts her.

Jolteon; But nothing. Please, Espeon, don't do anything stupid while the rest and I are gone.

Espeon then sighs as she says.

Espeon: Fine.

Jolteon: Good. Now the rest of the squad and I will be back at 3. See you then.

Jolteon then leaves the room as Espeon then finishes the dishes.

After she looks back at the closed door, she then gives a sly smirk as she thinks to herself.

Espeon:*Psyche~*.

We then cut to Umbreon in his room, looking at a photo on his desk lost in his thoughts.

Just then, the door knocks

Umbreon: Who.

Espeon: Espeon.

Umbreon then sighs as he then gets up and opens the door.

Umbreon: What do you want?

Espeon: I just need some help with some things around the house.

Umbreon: Like what?

Espeon: You know: storage, organizing the warehouse, and cleaning the house.

Umbreon: Why can't you do it. You have psychic powers, which would make it faster.

Espeon: You also have psychic powers.

Umbreon: Yeah, but mine aren't as powerful. They were always meant for defense and support.

Espeon: That doesn't matter. Come on, let's do this.

Umbreon then sighs

Umbreon: Fine.

He then thinks to himself.

Umbreon:*Why today out of all days to be annoyingly persistent*.

Espeon: Ok, let's clean first.

Umbreon: Fine, I'll do this floor, you third floor, and once we're done, we do the first floor.

Espeon: Actually, I was thinking we could do the same floor to get it done faster.

Umbreon: Fine.

As Umbreon the leaves, Espeon thinks.

Espeon:*He is definitely bothered by something. If only he isn't dark type so I can real his mind*.

1 hour and 30 minutes later

We see the two mons cleaning the last room, the living room, of the house, as Espeon says.

Espeon: Are you ok?

Umbreon then looks at her.

Umbreon: What?

Espeon: Are you ok?

Umbreon: Yeah, I'm fine. Why?

Espeon: Just curious.

Umbreon: Why are you curious?

Espeon: Because I wanted to know.

Umbreon just looks at her with a look of uncertainty. He then sighs as he gets back to work.

Espeon then thinks to herself.

Espeon:*Ok, so simple conversation isn't going to do anything.*

She then continued as clean as she thought while giving a sly smirk.

Espeon:* Looks like I'm going to get him to say it through classic manipulation.*

Umbreon then notices this smirk and says.

Umbreon: What are you thinking about?

Espeon then gets startled by this and gets flustered.

Espeon: O-oh, I was just, uh, thinking of something funny. That's all.

Umbreon then raises an eyebrow.

Umbreon: Really? What was it?

Espeon: Um, just a funny joke from my childhood, that's all.

Umbreon then looks at her with a look of uncertainty.

He then sighs as he says.

Umbreon: Fine. Anyways the room seems to be clean enough. What's next?

Espeon: Organizing the warehouse.

Umbreon: Ok, let's go then.

1 hour later

We see Espeon and Umbreon in the warehouse as they organize it.

Espeon then takes her opportunity.

Espeon: So what are you planning after we're done with chores?

Umbreon: Going back to my room.

Espeon: Really, nothing special today.

Umbreon: No.

Espeon: Ok then. So anything special that is going to happen this month?

Umbreon: No.

Espeon: Well, for your information, it's going to be my evolution day next week.

Umbreon hesitates to respond.

Umbreon: Really?

Espeon: Yeah, the day when I became an Espeon is close by.

Umbreon then hesitates again as he then states.

Umbreon: G-good for you.

Espeon then notices this strange behavior and looks at him and says.

Espeon: Hey, are you ok?

Umbreon then shakes his head violently as he says.

Umbreon: Y-yeah. Yeah, I'm fine.

Espeon: You sure?

Umbreon: I'm fine.

They then look at each other for a moment, as Espeon then says.

Espeon: Ok then. Anyway, the shed looks organized enough. Let's go to storage.

Umbreon: Ok then.

As they both began to get out of the warehouse, Espeon thought to herself.

Espeon:*Didn't want to do this, but you left me no choice.*

Once both of them got to storage, Espeon used her psychic powers to close and lock the door.

Umbreon then sighs as he feels like he knows what is going to happen.

Umbreon: What do you even want with me?

Espeon: I won't let you leave until you tell me what's wrong with you.

Umbreon gives a serious tone as he says.

Umbreon: How did you know?

Espeon: A little bird.

Umbreon: Jolteon.

Espeon Yes.

Umbreon: Great, now how do you plan to get the truth out, huh?

Espeon: Simple, persistence.

Umbreon: I don't know how that's going to help?

Espeon: Easy, I'm going to use what I know to annoy you long enough until you tell me the truth.

Umbreon: That's not going to work.

Espeon: Like that, the problem has to do with your evolution day.

Umbreon stayed silent

Espeon: You act serious to hide your true emotions.

Umbreon then gives a twitch in annoyance.

Espeon: You have a picture of a male glaceon with a red scarf on your desk.

Umbreon then starts to get frustrated.

Espeon: And that you have a box in the corner of your room that contains...

Before Espeon could finish, Umbreon then yelled.

Umbreon: Not! Another! Word!

Umbreon then looked like he had a feeling of anger.

Espeon looked at Umbreon with a look of shock and confusion as she thought to herself.

Espeon:*Looks like I touched a nerve.*

Umbreon: How did you know!

Espeon: When I was cleaning the house and you weren't here I went to your room, saw the box, and opened it.

Umbreon's eye then twitches as he snaps.

Umbreon: I don't understand you! You trying to force me to tell you what you want! Seriously, out of all the days to be annoyingly persistent, why today!

Espeon: Well, I wanted to help you.

Umbreon: Well, had it occurred to you that I don't need help! I don't see how everyone thinks you're the responsible one due the number of times I see you not from the number of times you force me to be around you!

Espeon then gets angered by this.

Espeon: Well, I'm sorry that I care for your well-being!

Umbreon: Well, that's nice to hear! Is that why they respect you because you're annoyingly persistent on their well-being!

Espeon then gets so angry that she says under her breath.

Espeon: Thanks for giving me a good reason to do this!

Espeon then used her psychic powers to make a few boxes fall on Umbreon.

Espeon then unlocks the door and leaves in a fit.

30 minutes later.

We see Jolteon in Sunshine's room sitting on the side of her bed where she sleeps.

Espeon then enters the room with a down look.

Jolteon: You talked to him, didn't you.

Espeon: How did...?

Jolteon: Espeon, I have known you for over a year now, and I'm your closest friend. Of course I knew.

Espeon then sighs.

Espeon: Of course you do.

Espeon then sits next to Jolteon.

Espeon: Mind if I borrow your shoulder?

Jolteon: What do you need it for?

Espeon then puts her head on Jolteon's shoulder.

Jolteon: Oh.

A few seconds pass as Jolteon says.

Jolteon: So um...what happened between you and Umbreon? I sense that it didn't go well.

Espeon: It did. I tried to get him to open up about what happened, and it ended up with the two of us getting into an argument.

Jolteon: Well, I told you what will happen.

Espeon: I know.

Jolteon: Ok, look, I want you to apologize to Umbreon. I don't want you two to act like me and Glaceon did when we first met.

Espeon: Are you sure he would listen?

Jolteon: Well, for your information, after we got Umbreon out from the boxes, he seemed to be a bit upset, but he also seemed to have a look of regret.

Espeon: Really?

Jolteon: Yeah. I mean, I know what the look of regret looks like regarding Vaporeon having that look for about a month.

Espeon: Thank you, I'll try when I can.

A few seconds pass as she says.

Espeon: Hey Jolteon, am I immature and annoyingly persistent?

Jolteon: What do you mean?

Espeon: Well, Umbreon said I'm those things during the argument.

Jolteon then sighs.

Jolteon: Well, when it comes to your crush with Umbreon, yes.

Espeon then gets off Jolteon's shoulder and looks at him

Espeon: Really.

Jolteon: Yeah. But I feel like you do this subconsciously most of the time.

Espeon: Why hasn't anyone told me?

Jolteon: Well, most of us haven't seen it often, and we thought you had full control.

Espeon: I wasn't.

Espeon then thought.

Espeon:*Must be because I haven't seen him since then.*

Jolteon: Well, anyway, from personal experience, don't be annoyingly persistent. It can be very annoying in relationships.

Espeon: Thank you. I'll try to be aware of that in the future.

Jolteon: You're welcome.

Espeon then hugs Jolteon and leaves.

We cut to Umbreon's room with Umbreon looking down at the same picture frame.

Espeon then says through the door.

Espeon: H-Hey, can we talk?

Umbreon then sighed as he opened the door.

Espeon: Hey.

Umbreon: What do you want?

Espeon: I wanted to say I'm sorry.

Umbreon: Sorry for what?

Espeon then sighs.

Espeon: I'm sorry for the manipulation I was trying to do. And for the boxes earlier.

Umbreon: I'm listening.

Espeon: It's just that I wanted to know what was bothering you, but I should have waited until you were ready. It just this reminded me of something similar that happened to me when I was younger.

Umbreon: Thank you. But I guess I should also say sorry as well. My emotions got the better of me.

Espeon: Yeah, I seemed to have touched a nerve. What happened?

Umbreon: That box contained things from my childhood, and I wanted that to stay a secret. And the fact that you went into my room and opened that box without my permission just got to me.

Espeon: I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done it.

Umbreon then sighs

Umbreon: It's fine. Just don't tell anyone else what you saw.

Espeon: It's OK.

Umbreon: I guess you want to know who the glaceon is in the picture and what I was upset about.

Espeon: Yes.

Umbreon then sighs again.

Umbreon: He's my older brother.

Espeon: Really.

Umbreon: Yeah.

Espeon: So how is he?

Umbreon then hesitates

Umbreon: Well, he was a rescuer, and one day, I took a dare from an old bully when I was young, and it resulted in him dying.

Espeon: Really?

Umbreon: Yeah. After looking at my scrap book of my family at night, the bond with my brother resulted in me evolving into an umbreon.

Espeon: Wow, I'm sorry that you have to go through that. Next time you experience something similar, I won't try to be annoyingly persistent.

Umbreon: Oh, um, sorry about that. I didn't mean to say it.

Espeon: Don't be. I realized that I do this, and I'll try to be more aware of them. And you were emotional. It's only natural to say those things.

Umbreon: Um, thanks. I do think that you are mature. It's just that somehow around me, you're not, and those frustrations got to me.

Espeon: Yeah, so I've been told.

Espeon then extends her paws.

Espeon: So want bygones to be bygones.

Umbreon then looks at the paw and says.

Umbreon: Sure.

Umbreon then shakes Espeon's paw.

Umbreon: But next time, I won't forgive you.

Espeon: Don't worry, I'll try not to.

After the paw shakes, Espeon then leaves as Umbreon closes the door.

Umbreon then walks towards the picture frame on the desk and grabs it, and looks at it.

He then gives a sigh and gives a light smile.

Umbreon: I miss you, bro.

He then puts the picture frame back on the desk and then stares at the box in the corner.

Umbreon then walks over to it and opens it.

Umbreon takes out a red scarf and holds it close for a moment and puts it away.

Umbreon then notices something else in the box.

Umbreon takes out another picture frame. The picture contained two eevees standing next to each other.

One was male, while the other was female with a satchel on her back.

Umbreon then says

Umbreon: I'll find you shining. Wherever you are.

End of chapter