The Dark-Tree; fuck whatever Althi says, I thought, I have a right to evolve into whatever I want. I looked around and saw what was likely the Dark Tree standing to my right, between the a tree with yellow darts around its base to its left and the a tree with an overgrown canopy to its right.

I began to approach it and, as I neared, I felt a strange pressure overcome me, not anything fear-inducing but definitely, as an Eevee, something I could feel made me feel a bit uneasy. Although I could’ve sworn it to be a trick of my mind, the closer I got, the darker the forest felt, until I was standing right underneath it and it appeared to be almost nighttime.

I stood back and looked at the Dark Tree. Many of its leaves were wilted, leaving naked brown branches criss-crossing over each other, so it wasn’t the leaves blocking out sunlight. But where there were leaves, they glowed a magnificent hue of yellow and occasionally blue, shining through the false night with their brilliant light.

I approached a group of Umbreons at the base, their red eyes piercing through the darkness and myself.

“What do you want?” asked one.

How curt. “I’m considering some options to evolve into.” I replied.

A pause, and after the Umbreon looked me up and down, replied. “No, not us.”

“E-excuse me?”

“You’re scared of us, aren’t you? It doesn’t take a genius to see that you’re shivering more than any Eevee normally is.”

I looked at myself and saw that my body was, in fact, visibly shaking. Why? I know that Arimis is a dark type, and that doesn’t bother me. But… the thought of going a step closer to Weavile, that was something I really didn’t want to do. It really bothers me, I thought, that I feel exactly how Althi feels. Still, I can’t help it.*

The Umbreon that had been talking to me turned away and closed his eyes. “Hmph. I don’t think you’ve got anything against us, but clearly the thought of becoming a dark-type is not something you can handle. Good luck.”

Although there was an unmistakable beauty in the tree, it wasn’t one that I felt I could connect with; it seemed that the Umbreon was right. I returned to the Center Stone and asked myself what Tree I should visit next.