Exploring Entry I

Paws hit the ground after one another - drumming a fast beat against the leaves and sticks that littered the forest floor. Sticks crunched underneath his feet indiscriminately as he paid no mind to where he was running - just that he went as fast as possible.

A staccato pattern thumped as his bag flopped against his flank as his sides flared with the deep breaths.

The sun flittered through the leaves high above - flickering in and out as the trees opened and closed to the vivid sky above - the clouds drifting in an opposing pattern than the Pokemon was hauling through the exploration zone.

Whisper grit his teeth as his eyes narrowed - tail thrashing he kept running. His breaths came in desperate pants as he did not let himself falter as he pushed himself faster and faster through the twisting trees.

His paws slid as his claws uselessly slid through the debris littering the ground and covering up the wilting grass with old and brittle leaves. Body twisting, Whisper flailed to the ground, tripping and eating mulch as he crashed into the ground - sliding into a thick tree trunk with a yowl.

Laying stock still, the Pyroar fusion trembled for breath as he stared up blindly at the sky - eyes unfocused and straying from vague shape to vague shape as he laid still.

Another failure.

He wasn’t fast enough. Wasn’t powerful enough. Just wasn’t enough himself.

Not this time. Wouldn’t be next time either most likely… but one time. One time in the future.

Shaking, he slowly heaved himself onto his paws - sides erratically inflating as he gulped down mouthful of air after mouthful of air.

Tongue lolling out, Whisper clenched his eyes closed, teeth bared as he cursed everything.

Why must he be so weak? Why wasn’t he enough already?

But… Snapping his mouth closed, Whisper focused on calming himself down - to slow his irregularly beating heart. 

The wind brushed past him - brown leaves dancing through the air as they were carried away by the indiscriminate billows.

Eyes drifting down to the ground, Whisper holds himself still for a moment, even his tail held as still as a statue. Not this time then. No this time, but that was expected. He didn’t expect to succeed. No, he hadn’t reached that point just yet. 

He just wanted to slowly start his ascent - to start training, to become faster and stronger. To become better.

With that thought, Whisper let a faint whisper brush the wind before his words were swept away - carried to who-knows-where.

“I will get better. I will succeed - even if it takes 100 days or 10 years. No matter what. No matter how.”

A flicker of a flame curled from his lips with that promise, sealing it to fate. No matter what he had to do to achieve his dreams… no… his goals.

Head held high, Whisper turned to leave the zone - his paws once more audibly brushing through the decaying foliage below. Heavy his footsteps fell upon the earth - imprinting himself upon the land there. It wasn’t the first time - no, he had been here many upon many times. Even just that day it wasn’t his first brush through this area. 

It was a safe area, and the sun shone bright through the scattered canopy above - highlighting the area vividly. The dust motes danced through the streams merrily, without a care in the world as they bobbed and twirled.

“Where did you go?” Whisper’s words touched the air - barely brushing through it before they fell deep below, hidden from any other ears around. No one was there to listen as Whisper mused.

Who it was he spoke of was not uttered.