The sun beat down relentlessly upon the dirt road, charring weeds and darkening the soil as the day went on.
Through a heat shimmer the wavering image of a human can be seen as they travel on, regardless of the weather. The figure stops for a moment, pausing under a wilting tree for the sparse, rare shade it provides. The girl leans against the tree heavily, slowly sliding down the trunk to rest on the parched, crumbling earth.
This girl is Alexza Salamis Namiigai. Recent champion of the Kanto and Johto regions. The twelve year old had just started her Hoenn journey a few months ago and had already collect a decent team of Pokémon.
Though, while struggling through the desert of route 111 trying to make it Lavaridge town for her fourth badge, Alexza wished that Scree, her vibrava, would evolve soon and simply fly her over the mountain pass.
Alexza was worried, she was having a hard enough time dealing with the heat she had no idea what she was going to do when reaching the infamous sandstorm area of the route. Alexza let out another sigh, this is exactly why she had made Zaku and Zinita stay in Verdanturf town.
Alexza lowered her head to rest upon the worn surface of her blue-jeans, considering defeat when she was startled to attention by the pokeball hanging from her neck suddenly opening. A rather large luxio appeared from the gathering light to sit in front of her. Alexza smiled as the foreign blue-lion Pokémon rubbed his head affectionately against her arm until her arm was lifted up to rest around it's neck. Alexza ran her hand through the soft navy fur that spiked up naturally along the luxio's growing mane pulling a low content purr from the normally stoic Pokémon. The left side of her mouth lifted into a half smile.
"Hey Static…" She murmured softly as she buried her hot face in his still cool fur.
"You out here to make sure I keep going?" she asked with a light tone to her wavering voice.
She left out a soft breathy laugh as Static let out a growl of agreement.
"All right, all right. I'll keep going."
With that Alexza slowly rose to her feet, leaning on the tree for a moment as the heat made her vision swim, before starting off again following the sun baked path, Static loyally following beside her.
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Hours later Alexza stumbled gratefully out of the desolate sandstorm and onto the oddly mild route 112. Alexza clutched Static's pokeball tightly, having returned the unwilling Pokémon the minute the storm had started, while looking up at the red stone that formed the base of Mt. Chimney and the dangerous Firey and Jagged paths that led to Lavaridge.
"Well Static, we're almost there."
With those words Alexza started up the soft incline, following the thick cables that led to the cable car station.
Alexza scowled as she saw the large red and black 'M' scrawled messily over the directions to the cable car.
Team Magma.
The normally tan skin covering her hands paled to ashen white as Alexza clenched her fists.
Team Magma.
The same thrice damned Team Magma that had…
Alexza cut her thought process off right there. She knew what had happened here.
It was just another reason to come alone. She wouldn't want Zinita or Zaku to see her like this. The memory still too sharp, too fresh, to be contained or ignored.
One more reason to make this gym battle even shorter, they were still out there.
A small smirk pulled at her face and her bangs shadowed her eyes. She'd find them. It was the reason she had taken up the gym challenge after all. She'd find them, and destroy them with the very Pokémon native to their base region.
She nodded to herself, content for now with the thought of revenge, and stepped into the cable car building with a soft look on her face, as though she had never entertained the thought of how many volts it would take to stop the heart of a full grown man.
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Alexza's mood did not improve even through the calming cable-car ride up the mountain. As soon as she exited the building she was struck with the familiarity of the place and her stomach twisted into knots. She looked briefly at the entrance of the Jagged Path, before turning the other way and traveling farther up the plateau until she reached an entrance.
The heat emitting from the mouth of the cave was stifling and dried Alexza's eyes for a moment before she began blinking furiously. Shaking her head, Alexza pushed pass the heat and continued into the cave.
A rail had been put up along the edge of the path, allowing visitors to stare into the lava lapping at the rock below. Many trainers and joggers called out to her for a Pokémon battle, but she passed them by for once. Alexza continued down a narrow path that led far away from the tourist attractions.
Lava surrounded the small peninsula and a few rocks tumbled down the side of an opposite cliff as Alexza slowly walked down the path. Her eyes never straying from what lay at the end.
She steps resolutely onto the rounded pillar of stone, and takes seven steps forward until the palm of her hand is pressed gently against the warm monument.
Claire Shi Namiigai
Protector of the Lava Spirit
A dull thud echoed through the empty cavern and Alexza pounded her fist against the monument.
'Protector of the Lava Spirit'
What utter crap. Her sister had died here, her body incinerated and her ashes scattered over the lava.
She died here. And all the locals could think of was their twisted old fairy tale.
Alexza slammed her eyes shut, futility attempting to keep tears at bay. Several droplets managing to wet the statue, others evaporating as they left her eyes from the heat.
She gave her life for these pathetic people and Pokémon! And what did she get?
A tomb with only her name and the title of a bedtime story hero.
Alexza dragged her hand down the front of the stone, nails scraping white paths along the surface. She kneeled there for a long time. Not moving, breathing shallowly, eyes still shut tightly.
Alexza slowly lifted her head and stood straight. Her arms locked behind her back as she gripped her opposite elbows in a slightly militaristic fashion. She turned sharply, spiky blond hair snapping out of it's ponytail and falling in disarray down her back.
Alexza walked swiftly out of the cavern and refused to look back.
The snapped hair tie glinting its message in firey red letters.
"Claire"