- B0 - Prologue
Prologue: Reason / / Eliminate
I seek only three things: creativity, consistency, and elegance. It is for elegance that I simplify. It is for elegance that I eliminate. And it is for elegance that I destroy.
A million blades of flowing grass rested on the ground, and each casted their tiny shadow in the sunless night.
But for every shadow, there is a light. Here, there were two: the tail-flame of a Charizard flying overhead, and that of the silent and young Charmander mounted atop her.
These twin lights, small as they were, were a beacon which cut through the darkness for miles, and guided all pokemon in the area towards it. This was unfortunate for the duo.
Like Venomoths to a Lanturn, an army of Scyther and Mightyena quickly converged to the location of the pair.
The perceptive Charizard suddenly swerved downwards.
"Waah! Mama!"
"It's as I feared," replied the Charizard, "they've found us too soon," as the sudden swerve sent them crashing to the ground. Although surrounded, they had a bit of free space to their right, for the time being. Only the pursuers on their left side had caught up by then.
One Scyther stepped forward, his slightly smaller than his companions. His eyes gleamed with malice and his voice spoke with confidence: "You are surrounded. There is no escape. Surrender now."
The Charizard turned to face them. She roared, "So you can execute us, like all of the others? Never!"
"So be it. This is a battle you can't win." The Scyther made a leap towards then, and with but a gesture, cued the others to do the same.
The Charizard moved to meet them, and tossed the pouch she has been carrying to the Charmander. "I'll hold them off. You must escape."
"Mom!"
The Charizard breathed a cone of fire at the Bug-types, and dodged a blade aimed at her direction. The reinforcing Mightyena had caught up by now, so she slammed into one of them, leaving here vulnerable to be hit by another blade. Then a fang into her tail. Mother and daughter yelped in unison.
"Flare! Stop watching! Leave! Save yo- ah!" The speech had a cost. She was not breathing fire, her best means of defense.
The Charmander quickly tooks a green orb from the pouch while watching the fight. It didn't last much longer. One blade sliced the Charizard belly and draws blood. "Flare, you are strong." Another hit a wing. "Resourceful." More blood. "You will make it." Then another blade, slitting her throat. She managed to cough out one final word: "s-survive."
While the others basked in the glory of their kill, the smaller Scyther wasted no time. He dashed at Flare, who squeezed the orb with her tiny paw. The Charmander was bathed in a brilliant green light. And then was gone.
Thirty miles away, a Charmander appeared, holding a pouch containing one orb less than a minute ago. Her tail-flame was the only light on the dark road. "I-I," she stuttered out, "I'm an orphan now."
"W-which way do I go now?" There was a compass in her bag. "I think this .. t-that way is west?"
"Mom. I won't forget you. Repolis. I'll be safe." And so, the lonely light in darkness made its way west.
Flare
Running. It seems like that's what I've been doing my whole life. I'm in Repolis now. City of freedom. City of safety. City of rest. A place where I can settle down and live my life like any Pokemon has and deserves to have. Or that's what I thought.
They're after me still. I can't shake the feeling. I trust my instinct. I trust my fire. I trust my flare.
Flare. That's what my parents named me. A fierce flame, to light the world. I look at my tail. Not a flare. More like a candle. My fire is weak. I am weak.
My parents gave up their lives so that I could get this far. I am not safe here. I must head further west. I must survive. For them.
Four hours later
"Commander Phaz," stated a Scyther, "Repolis is yours." Repolis was aflame, but that didn't matter. Collateral damage was not as much an issue as time. The commander had commanded to take the city by any means, and not to let anyone escape - especially not a Charmander. They succeeded in that task beautifully.
"Not mine, the empire's," replied the smaller Scyther. "Did you find the Charmander?"
"Negative. Are you sure that he came here?"
"Likely. But I'll find out myself. Come with me to the city."
Commander Phaz and his escort flew gracefully to the city, their sharpened blades cutting through the air. The first pokemon Phaz saw is a Machop, and immediately placed on of his arm-blades against its throat. "Did you see a Charmander?" "N-no, si-"VZZT The blade sliced clean through the Machop's neck. "Useless."
He flew to another part of the city, and tried again, this time on a Fearow. "Did you see a Charmander?"
"Y-yes, sir."
"Where?"
"It left, sir."
"When, and which way did it go?"
"F-five hours ago, and through the west gate."
Phaz executed it anyways. "That's all the useful information I'm going to get," he ordered to the soldiers, "put the city to the blade." His soldiers obeyed.
The time when the execution is concluded and the time when the commander back at his seat was the time when the first rays of sunlight shone upon the scorched city. A lone Scyther walked into the Phaz's office and ventured, "Commander, my apologies. If I may intrude to ask so-"
"Speak freely," interrupted the small Scyther.
"Why is it we take a city just for one Charmander? Is there something he has?"
"Not something tangible." Phaz paused for a moment, then stated, "Information."