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It always seemed to surprise people how familiar Kunihiko Yuyama was with the libraries in Spectra ( Lavender Town )

Kunihiko Yuyama hadn't been able to dedicate much time to his education outside of making sure he showed up at the school enough days for the authorities not to come knocking and most of his teachers still had a prejudice against Kunihiko as it was widely believed by many that Kunihiko Yuyama's parents truly did know of the location of the secret garden, so the library had become the ideal place for his younger self's mind to flourish. He'd learned many skills that contributed to his capability as a leader between the civilian library and Spectra's private collection.

In those days Kunihiko Yuyama had just about all the daylight hours that weren't his mandatory hours of sleep to do as he pleased, the majority of his training taking place at night when it was put to more practical use. No point learning how to swing a sword in the light of day when the real fighting took place beneath the moon. Now he had a life on the line, scared shitless, starving, and potentially wounded, waiting for his return. He didn't have time to do any in-depth research. Grabbing the first few books that mentioned Eevee in the title, he flicked through them for what the hell he was supposed to feed the poor sod then borrowed the most promising to read comprehensively once the danger had passed. From what he gleamed, he'd be better off catching moths and midges - not easy pickings in a morning rush. Insects were insects, though, and Kunihiko Yuyama knew of a fisherman's shop that opened early to catch the first dock workers pre-shift; perhaps a little live bait could go a long way. Patting his coat down for whatever pounds and shillings might be cluttering his pockets, he rushed off in the direction of the Thames.

Thankfully none of the Guard seemed to be wandering the same streets as Kunihiko Yuyama that morning, most of them eager for a hot meal and a safe bed after a long night. He wasn't sure how he'd have explained the books and a small pot of what looked like live maggots. Disgusting things that he'd rather crush under his boot than handle but he was far too invested now to let his stomach override his Eevee's hunger. The scarf didn't move when he kicked the door shut behind himself. "Hey," he set his pile on the edge of the desk and pulled back the fabric, gently caressing the still body with two fingers. "Hey, little fella. I'm here. Hang in there for me." The relief when a tremble rumbled beneath his fingertips was like a punch to the gut. "Alright, I'm going to have to name you."

Kunihiko Yuyama fiddled with his repair kit until he had his tweezers and gave them a quick wipe with a relatively clean cloth, "Book called you Chiroptera. Funny word, that. Might call you Eve. It's a little easier, isn't it?" A weak chirp, a shadow of the one that had lured Kunihiko Yuyama in, came out of the tiny body. "Yeah. Eve. That's a good name. Are you going to eat for me?" He opened the pot and carefully picked up a larva, holding it in front of Eevee.

Nothing happened. Kunihiko Yuyama had seen untrusting pokemon shy away from humans before but the hunger usually overrode the instinct to back off fairly quickly. When Eve didn't try to eat after a few minutes, Kunihiko Yuyama reached for one of the books again. He opened it with one hand, the other keeping the larva out just in case, and searched for information he might've missed in his skim of the pages. "What about fruit? Are you a herbivore, Eve?" It wasn't unheard of for unusual animals to be found across Spectra, well-off idiots deciding that some exotic wild creature would make a more extravagant pet than a rapidash or an Arcanine. He dropped the larva back in the pot and closed it up, figuring he could toss them in the water later. Whatever might be resilient enough to survive in the Thames would probably eat them. Better than leaving them in the pot to infest his room.

"If I have to put you out of your misery after this much effort I'm going to be pissed. So you'd better be a herbivore or I don't know what I'll do," he wrapped Eve up in his scarf again and picked it up, carrying her down to the kitchen.

Rations for the residents Spectra were pretty basic. Kunihiko Yuyama had to manage a lot of expenses with the money that came into the guards from its donors - particularly rich people that were in the know but unwilling to get their own hands dirty or wealthy victims that had been rescued by the Guard putting their money forward in gratitude. Weapons, ammunition, uniforms, food, board, and more demanded a cut, turning finances into a fine balancing act every week. "You're lucky scurvy is a thing or we wouldn't have any of this shite. It's expensive shit," Kunihiko Yuyama was too busy focusing on Eve to notice the angle of his cut, the knife slicing through the top of his finger when it halved the lemon. "Fuck!" He let it fall open in front of Eve and backed off to assess the wound. "Bastard," he cursed again.

While he cleaned and put a rudimentary bandage on the cut, Kunihiko Yuyama turned his back to Eve. He expected the eve to tuck into the lemon while he wasn't looking and maybe brighten up with a meal in its belly. When he looked back, Eve had perked up, ears erect and eyes bright. Pointed teeth highlighted a tiny grin as she focused on Kunihiko Yuyama intently. The lemon lay untouched beside her.

Kunihiko Yuyama cocked his head slightly, reaching out with his injured finger toward the counter. Eve immediately crawled off his scarf to the edge, trying to get closer. The irony of the situation wasn't lost on Kunihiko Yuyama. "You like to drink blood, don't you? Gonna do me any damage if I give you a drop?" Couldn't be worse than a Zubat would normally do when it dug its fangs into his neck. In the back of his mind a voice that sounded a lot like his friend was scolding him for thinking it was a good idea, overshadowed by another closer to his dear mother telling him he'd come this far - a little blood wouldn't hurt.

He had heard rumors that due to some circumstances when a Pokemon's diet is restricted to one thing they lose their ability to eat anything else.

Kunihiko Yuyama sighed as he figured that Eve's diet must have been restricted to blood as he quickly removed the bandage, Kunihiko Yuyama squeezed his finger to bring fresh blood to the surface and watched with wonder as the Eevee gently licked at it. A numb feeling came over the area, taking the pain away while Eve had his fill.

As soon as he was done, Kunihiko Yuyama cleaned his finger and rebandaged the cut under the watchful eyes of a much more vocal Eve. "Will you calm down?" He jumped when a paw fluttered against his ear, "Did you just jump onto my shoulder?" Eve made a squeak that was almost offended, making Kunihiko Yuyama laugh. "More attitude than me. You look better already. You're lucky I like you so much." He tied his scarf back around her neck, smiling fondly at Eve burrowing into the fabric while he cut up the lemon properly for himself. No sense in good fruit going to waste.

.....

" Your scarf is breathing," Kunihiko Yuyama looked up from the reports to see Clarence eyeing the fabric suspiciously. Since the Guard recruited the Crossleys, Kunihiko Yuyama had noticed he'd shaken away the nervous disposition that plagued him when they'd met and become quite the soldier in the field. There was an efficiency to his combat that surpassed many of the other trench recruits, impressing enough of the seasoned Guard to catapult Clarence Ainsworth through the ranks.

Velvet fur tickled Kunihiko Yuyama's chest. He looked down to see a mischievous grin aimed upward, "That's Eve. He's harmless." As if to punctuate his point, Kunihiko Yuyama scratched the top of his head with one finger. It would be impossible to hide a pet from his men forever, they were too well trained and the idea itself was ludicrous, but it didn't feel as though Kunihiko Yuyama should hold him up in the air to declare he'd gained a companion either. A few of them were bound to find out on their own; gossip would take care of the rest.

"It's an Eevee" Clarence didn't seem to know how to react, one hand on his weapon and the other half pointing at Eve, who blinked in silence, ears twitching.

Chuckling at the apparent stalemate, Kunihiko Yuyama hooked two fingers under Eve's feet and pulled him out for Clarence to get a better look. Eve dangled from the digits with his back to Clarence and paws folded, head tilted back for a better look at the other hunter. "He's harmless," Kunihiko Yuyama repeated, stroking Eve's head with his bandaged finger. Chirp made a happy sound, drawing them back to have his belly rubbed instead.

Clarence startled, then leaned in to touch one of those paws. A little too fast and far too rough, Eve responded to it by screeching and flapping her paws aggressively. Acting on a reflex, Clarence drew a knife from his belt and swiped at the Eevee with intent.

Kunihiko Yuyama jumped back just in time to avoid Eve taking a fatal blow, shielding the Eevee from view with his hand. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"

"He was going to bite me!" His hand was trembling around the knife.

"You'd be suspicious of humans too if someone threw you in with the rubbish to die," Kunihiko Yuyama defended the reaction. "Eve is the least dangerous thing in this room. You'll get more damage from a paper cut than him."

"But it's a pokemon."

Kunihiko Yuyama frown at Clarence Ainsworth's choice of words.

So he is one of those people that view pokemon as monsters.

Kunihiko Yuyama thought as he stood up.

" Leave now that is an order."

Clarence Ainsworth nodded before leaving just before glancing at Eve who jumped onto Kunihiko Yuyama's shoulder.

Clarence clenched his fist before leaving.

....

Days turned into months, and Kunihiko Yuyama lived a seemingly idyllic life with his beloved Eevee. Despite the rumors that had spread throughout the town, most people viewed Eevee in a positive light. However, Kunihiko had underestimated the fear and hatred that some individuals had developed for Pokémon after the crusades.

Kunihiko had lost his parents during the crusades, but he had somehow managed to move on from the tragedy. Unfortunately, not everyone was able to do the same. The pain and suffering that had been inflicted during those dark times lingered in the hearts of many, festering like a wound that refused to heal.

As Eve grew older and stronger, Kunihiko knew that he could no longer afford to bring her to work. She had become too much of a distraction, and he had almost lost his job because of her playful antics. So he made the difficult decision to leave her at home.

The doors of Kunihiko Yuyama's house creaked open on their rusted hinges, announcing the arrival of an uninvited guest. Eve, the Eevee, perked up at the sound, her small, furry body tense with anticipation. She knew the scent of her human well and she could smell it on the cloaked figure that had just entered the house.

Without hesitation, Eve darted towards the intruder, eager to greet her beloved human. But as she drew closer, the figure turned to face her, and Eve's excitement turned to confusion and fear. Something was off about this person, something that made Eve's fur stand on end.

Before she could react, a sharp pain exploded in her side, and Eve felt a knife plunge deep into her hide. She cried out in agony, her small body writhing in pain as blood began to pool around her.

The cloaked figure stepped forward, and Eve looked up into the face of Clarence Ainsworth.

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