This was just a short piece written in about an hour. I love fire Pokemon, and I've always been interested in the idea of a shrine for Pokemon. Please be kind with this short story; I was feeling a bit emotional when writing this. Praise is happily accepted, flames will be smothered with the extinguisher.
On the hill was a Japanese-style shrine. A raised banner next to the shrine had characters instead of letters, yet the trainer knew exactly what they read. A large, flat rock was in between the small shrine and the flagpole; on the rock were three carved statues, each depicting a certain Pokemon. Smaller stones, covered in more characters, stood in front of the statues.
The trainer stared at the shrine, looking at the three tiny statues that resided inside. Various offerings were placed inside; used Pokeballs, pictures, maybe a berry or some tea. Surprisingly, something new had been added since his last visit. A small vase of flowers had been set in front of the larger statues.
"Where'd this come from?" the trainer wondered aloud, kneeling down to look at it. The trainer, whose name was Aiden Phoenix, was nearly seventeen. He had limp hair that was orange, although the tips were darker, almost red. Aiden wore a melancholy expression, his normally electric blue eyes now pale. "Let me see this..."
A small index card with some handwriting had been taped to the vase. Pinching a corner with his thumb and pointer finger to steady it, Aiden read the message.
" 'To whomever started up this shrine: Thank you for giving fire Pokemon a shrine to be recognized. Loss is hard, and I should know; My Arcanine... Why did you die?' "Aiden read. The last few words were smeared. Aiden could just imagine the trainer who wrote this, crying silently. Prepped against the vase was a Polaroid, which Aiden looked at.
A boy, most likely around thirteen or fourteen, was happily hugging an Arcanine around the neck. The two were happily smiling, almost exactly alike. Both had a slightly cocked head, a toothful smirk, and dark brown eyes. Aiden smiled bitterly at the photo, knowing exactly how it felt to lose a Pokemon you loved.
He turned his attention to the three statues that loomed over him: a Typhlosion, Blaziken, and Charizard. A string of flowers was draped over the Typhlosion's shoulders. Various items had been left behind as offerings. A Blaziken's feather, a Charizard's scale, pictures, and worn out Pokeballs.
Aiden stared at the Typhlosion statue, softly smiling. He felt a tear run down his cheek, yet he didn't wipe it away. "I come here every chance I get," he said to himself, or so it seemed. "And every time, I still miss you, Inferno." He glanced down at the foot of the Typhlosion statue, where a picture of Aiden and a Typhlosion rested. At the shrine, a similar picture was at the feet of the Cyndaquil statue, except Aiden was much younger.
"Oh." A quiet voice from behind made Aiden turn. A girl around his age stood behind him, clutching a small hairbrush. "I didn't expect anyone else to be here." She had the same look Aiden had: the sad, somber look of a bond that had ended too soon.
"Don't be shy," Aiden said, getting up from his kneeling position. "I'm Aiden Phoenix," he said, offering his hand to the girl. "And you are?"
"I'm Amy. Amy Spooner." Amy shook Aiden's hand, then walked past him to the statues. She put the hairbrush at the foot of the Blaziken statue, silently crying. "I heard about this place yesterday. I thought I should just pay my respects, to other people's Pokemon... and to mine."
Aiden, used to the situation of a trainer who just lost their Pokemon, gently grabbed Amy's arm. "Bless your fire Pokemon-loving heart, Amy," he said. "It's hard. It's been a year for me, and I'm still missing Inferno. Now, I visit this place whenever I can." He quietly turned to look at the statues.
"I miss Blaze," Amy whimpered. "She was my best friend... What do I do? I'm considering getting another Pokemon, but it just feels wrong. It's... It's like I'm replacing her or something, you know?" She glanced up at Aiden, then back down to the brush.
"I can't help you decide that, Amy," Aiden said softly. "But consider this: Would Blaze like to see you like this? Giving up on Pokemon just like that?" As if on que, a young Quilava wandered from behind the statues up to Aiden's feet. "Maybe I'll see you around here again. I've got to go."
Amy watched Aiden walk off down the hill, the Quilava playfully nipping at his heels. The trainer gave a small smile before turning to the Blaziken statue. She took a deep breath, composing herself, before speaking. "Blaze, if you can hear me, don't be mad. No Pokemon could ever replace you. I've made up my mind, and I hope you're happy with it."
A couple seconds rolled by. A slight breeze blew through, leaves gently floating by Amy. Amy glanced down to see a facedown photo at the Typhlosion's feet, the wind having knocked it over. Frowning at this, Amy picked up the photo, intending to put it back in the right position. As she picked it up, she read the inked writing on the back of the photo.
'This shrine stands as a symbol of love for the dearly departed fire Pokemon. For all that have died before this shrine's creation, and for all that will die after. For me, this shrine is representative of a young trainer and his beloved Pokemon, gone much too soon. You will be dearly missed, Inferno. And although he didn't know you, Darkie here gives you his regards.' A small pawprint was under the writing.
"Inferno?" The name sounded familiar to Amy. She turned the photo around, a Typhlosion and an orange-haired teenager stared at her, happily grinning. She turned to look at the bottom of the hill, where Aiden was sitting at the base of a tree, happily hugging the Quilava.
"Aiden, wait!" Amy shouted, placing the photo back down. She took off down the hill.