Charmander

Despite his calm visage, Charmander was fuming as Meganium and several escort Gortle followed them to the Senator's house. He hadn't expected open arms; that was one thing he already knew about the war. But to go into the Capitol Building for what amounted to roughly an hour, tell the Grass Nation Council everything that had happened to them, only to be told the only way they would be granted safe residence would be if they fought for them, and even then all of it was for political gain…he almost couldn't keep his fury in. The only thing stopping him from trying to fight back was Torchic.

When Torchic had spoken to the Grass Nation Council in such a rebellious, angered way, Charmander had felt his blood run cold. He felt a stab of anger in his heart for her as well, but he knew deep down that it wasn't logical to be angry with her. They had all been through everything together, that was true, but he could tell that it had psychologically messed Torchic up the most. And that outburst had only solidified it. Still, when he gauged the reactions of the Council, he had seen the rage in Torterra's eyes, rage that indicated he had never been spoken to in that tone of voice before, even by one of his own people. That anger, that cold, steel-hearted anger, had terrified Charmander to the bone. His proposal to throw them into battle only so they could die had made Charmander even more cautious about what came off his tongue.

They continued to walk in silence, the sun sinking over Ivy City. They had all been sent to separate rooms inside of the Capitol Building, each one guarded by three Grotle each. During this time, Charmander had to hide his anxiety, anxiety that stemmed from not knowing what was happening to his friends, and not knowing if he would ever see them again. Had it been a trick? he wondered. Had the Council's deliberation merely been for show, only so they could execute all of the foreign trainees one by one? In a state of panic that was stirred by Torterra's suggestion playing over and over again in his mind, he thought perhaps it was possible.

But no, it hadn't happened, and when he was reunited with his friends in the same room they had walked into four hours earlier, he felt like slapping himself for even thinking something like that was possible. Especially with Meganium there. Charmander didn't know if he could fully trust him, but he was Chikorita's father. Plus, what choice did he have?

Meganium was leading the band of trainees, who were surrounded on all sides by the Grotle. He led them further and further away from the dome, away from the heart of the city. Charmander had no idea how long they had been walking, but the slow pace of the Grotle meant they could have been walking for half an hour or half a century. Walking; something that wasn't all that pleasant given the week of walking through the Grass Nation the others and he had done to get here. All he wanted was a warm bed and to wake up while the sun was high in the sky. But of course, the Grass Nation Council had no sympathy for a trainee that wished for those commodities.

At last, Meganium turned. He looked at the Grotle around them with authority, and Charmander saw as he glanced around the genuine respect these soldiers had for the head of the Grass Nation Council. They were good soldiers, only following orders. Charmander realized in that moment that that was all he had to be in order to reach a place of relative safety in the Grass Nation; just another good solider.

"You may leave us," Meganium ordered. "And I don't care what Torterra said to you. I can handle a few rambunctious trainees."

One of the Grotle nodded. "As you wish," he said. The Grotle began to disperse as Meganium opened the door. He ushered the trainees inside, Charmander realizing that he did not want to make a spectacle of them. He felt grateful for it, and quickly went inside.

To describe the house as anything special would be unjust. It was a spectacle, but it was just as simple as any Senator house. Charmander came to understand at that moment that most Senators seemed to live small, keeping themselves on the same footing as the common people, to appeal to them, yes, but probably because they understood that riches weren't everything. The house was made of beautiful, light brown wood, all of it unpainted and sanded to a fine smoothness. Charmander noted that it was only one floor, but that floor was wide and spacious. He guessed the house to be close to two thousand square feet in dimensions. He saw there were very few rooms; a bathroom on the right side of the wall that was led into by a spacious kitchen, one that contained a wooden table and a furnished countertop; a large living room with a large couch, significant for reading as was noticeable based on the bookshelf in the corner, piles of books stacked on it; and, finally, three bedrooms. This last one stung Charmander, as he realized one of those bedroom's usual occupants was never coming home.

"Well, here we are," Meganium said, stepping further into the house than the trainees. He surveyed the area with melancholy, his eyes giving away how unfamiliar everything seemed to look to him. Charmander put his head down as he looked at the floor, admiring the smoothness of it for the sake of the Grass Nation Senator. Something about him gave of an air of honesty. Charmander just had this gut feeling that out of all of the Senators they'd met with, he was the one that least wanted this situation to be a reality.

"Dad?" Chikorita asked. "Dad? Are you…are you okay?"

"I'm fine," he said, looked at her with hurt eyes. "I'm…I'm sorry. I know how much you must be hurting right now."

"It hasn't really hit me yet," Chikorita said awkwardly, but Charmander could see in her that it already had. He hoped she wouldn't relapse in her grief, not when they needed her to be just as strong for what was to come.

Meganium sighed. "Okay," he said. "Let's just…let's focus on the now. Come. Everyone. Let's sit at the table. There aren't enough chairs, which I want to apologize for."

"I can stand," Piplup offered. Meganium gave him a grateful look, as though Piplup's offer to stand had meant so much more than what it simply was.

"Same here," Charmander said. Meganium nodded at him, his eyes saying more than words could even describe. There was gratefulness, pain, and rage, all swirling inside of him, all revealed in his eyes. Charmander had a feeling the talk they were all about to have was going to allow Meganium to let those feelings out at full-force.

They all gathered around the table, Meganium sitting in the chair positioned at one of the longer ends (the table was rectangular in shape, the ends facing the entrance and the countertop respectively being the longer ends), Chikorita across from him, Froakie on his left, Torchic on his right. Charmander stood to the left of Chikorita while Piplup stood to her right. Meganium looked around the table, his eyes tracing over each and every figure, as though he were studying every detail of them. Charmander braced for what was to come.

At last, Meganium let out a sigh. "I have missed you, Chikorita," he said. "And I'm sorry that your friends have all been dragged into this." Meganium's eyes drifted to Charmander, and Charmander felt his heart jump to his throat. "You," he said. "What is your name?"

Charmander gulped. "Charmander," he said.

"Senator Charizard's son?" Meganium inquired.

"Yes," Charmander confirmed.

Meganium turned to Torchic. "And you must be Torchic," he said, "Daughter of Senator Blaziken. Am I correct?"

Torchic nodded but never said a word. Meganium did not goad her on; he instead turned to Piplup. "Senator Empoleon's son, I presume," he said.

"Yes," Piplup confirmed. "Piplup."

"And you," Meganium said, at last turning to Froakie. "For the life of me I cannot pinpoint who you could be."

"Froakie," Froakie said. "Son of Sir Greninja the Loyal."

"I am sorry for your loss," Meganium said, bowing his head in what looked to Charmander like true regret. "His name is one of honor and of dignity, no matter to its simplicity. Sometimes it is the simplest things in life that are the purest."

Froakie looked down at his lap, biting his lip and trying to hold in his tears. Meganium saw this and stared at him with sympathy for a second more, before turning back to Charmander. "Charmander," he said. "You were the one that accepted the terms of the Grass Nation Council when they told you that you, Torchic, Piplup, and Froakie had to rescue Senator Torterra's son, Turtwig. Can I assume that you speak as leader of your group?"

"No," Charmander said instantly, trying to keep his face straight in the wake of his shock. Him, a leader? Maybe someday, replacing his father as Head of the Fire Nation Council, but certainly not with how young he was. "We are all of equal stature here."

Meganium laughed a bit. "Statue, he says," he said to himself. Then, to everyone else; "There is no reason to be formal here, okay? Sure, I'll be briefing you on what you have to do, but please, drop the formality."

Charmander gave Meganium a quizzical look. What was his game here? It didn't seem to make any sense, unless he was just trying to calm them before the battle they would be going to later on. Meganium sighed and stood up. "You know what? You're all probably hungry," he said. He went to a cabinet, using vines that shot out of the pink flower around his neck to grasp bread, cheese, and lettuce. "I'll whip up some sandwiches for everyone real quick and we can talk while we eat. How does that sound?"

"Fine, dad," Chikorita said, her voice soft. Meganium quickly made a few sandwiches in silence, only taking him roughly three minutes to make one for everyone. During this time, Charmander turned towards Piplup, giving him a quizzical look similar to the one he had just shot at Meganium. Piplup shrugged, and Charmander already knew what he was thinking; they had a warm bed and food tonight. They may as well enjoy it while it lasted.

Meganium served the sandwiches on white ceramic plates. Charmander picked his up and bit into it, savoring the taste. It wasn't the best thing he'd ever eaten, but it sure beat scavenging for food on towns just outside the city.

Piplup was enjoying it as well, and he seemed to be more than willing to make the atmosphere into the friendly one Meganium had wanted to create. "Excuse me, Senator?" Piplup asked.

"You can just call me Meganium," Meganium said.

"Right, Meganium. Listen, I gotta know, did you make this bread? Because this bread is delicious."

"Oh no, I can't cook all that well," the Senator chuckled. "Senator Shiftry made that bread. He's a fine baker, was going to pursue that path had his father not died in battle. That was what prompted him to become a Great Warrior."

"Wait," Piplup said, staring at Meganium directly. "Was that scary-looking guy with the gray fur Shiftry?"

"Yes, it was."

Piplup sighed. "So much for making friends with that guy."

Meganium gave him a puzzled look, but did not dwell on the subject. Instead he turned his attention to encompass everyone in the table. "Right then," he said. "Best if I brief you now. So, Turtwig. He was captured by Rock Nation soldiers three days ago, sometime during a battle where we managed to push Rock Nation a great distance from the city. They only managed to get into the city on one occasion, but we've been pushing them further and further off Grass Nation territory since then. Right now the front lines are a good fifteen miles from the city walls. Not far enough away to keep the citizens calm, but just far enough that we have enough room to maneuver a large force should they push forward any further.

"We've sent a few scouts on recon to go as far as they can through the battlefield. Tropius' are a gift from Arceus Himself, let me tell you. They managed to locate a small encampment just four miles away from the front lines, hidden in a little patch of woods just a few more miles away from the Grass-Rock border. They've got tanks, carrier vehicles, tents, everything. One tent, though, seemed to be heavily guarded. They spotted Senator Golem himself guarding that tent. We believe that may be the tent they're keeping Turtwig in. We don't know why they would be keeping him there, but I have my own theories, none of which I think are too important to share with you right now.

"The basics of it is this; all four of you will go into the Rock Nation's battle zone. You will be accompanied by another, highly experienced trainee named Nuzleaf. I will also be accompanying you. Our mission is to get Turtwig and bring him home. It's going to be dangerous, and survival is not a guarantee. But this is all we have."

"I'm going too," Chikorita said.

Meganium's eyes widened in horror. "What?" he said. "Chikorita, no! You can't! I can't risk losing you again!"

"And I can't risk losing you again," she countered, "but you're still going to go with them! Plus, they're my…they saved my life. Without them I wouldn't be across from this table right now, talking to you. I've gained so much back from where I was two weeks ago. But these four, they've lost so much more. Water Nation is in shambles, and for all we know Fire Nation is too! So please, dad. I owe it to them to help them in their time of need, just like they helped me in mine."

Charmander felt uncomfortable with all of the information Chikorita had provided her father, especially her use of the word "shambles" to describe his home Nation and the Water Nation. But from the look in his eyes, it was clear the spoils of war were not his prerogative. He looked at her, his face void of any emotion. At last, he sighed. "You have matured more than I could ever think and faster than I've ever wanted you to," he admitted. "I don't want you to do this, Chikorita. But I know that no matter what I say, you will find a way to. I don't you to tell me you have changed. But you have, and that is all that matters. You may come. You must be careful, as we all must be. But you may come."

Chikorita nodded. "Thank you," she said. The tension in the room lifted. Only for a moment, though. Then Meganium spoke again.

"And…I believe you all," he said. "The conspiracy."

Charmander felt a chill.

"What you say about what happened in Aquarius," Meganium went on, "it seems too odd for you to just make up. You're saying that if Grass Nation were to send agents into Aquarius, we would see the city in ruins, or at least discover that many had died in what may be labeled a freak accident. You all seem mature enough to know how a lie like that could easily be debunked. So whatever it was that happened in Aquarius, I believe you."

Silence. Dead silence. Charmander didn't know what to say as Meganium locked eyes with him. He didn't need to say anything, it turned out, as Meganium continued to speak. "Something is happening," he said. "Some kind of shift. I've been having dreams, terrible dreams of fire and death, destruction at every turn as the ground shakes. I thought maybe it was my mind going back to the war. Maybe too many battles had done me in for good. But no; no. Not with this news that we now know. Not if something truly is happening. It doesn't matter who is pulling the strings. We must stop them. We must be the wardens of our future."

Wardens.

Like a lightbulb going off in his head, Charmander felt puzzle pieces suddenly fall into place. He was back in the Water Nation, Aquarius, on the morning before that fateful night of destruction. They were in front of Froakie's house, talking to one another about what Torchic had head Garchomp whisper in Blaziken's ear before stabbing him; For the Reapers.

Then Chikorita; I was rescued by two Pokémon. Krookodile and Tyrunt, they called themselves….They said they were Wardens, meant to protect the world from Reapers or something.

Reapers. Reapers in every shadow of the world. Reapers in every facet of the Nations. Reapers, everywhere.

Reapers.

"Well," Meganium said, getting up. "I'm sure you'd all like to go to bed. You may use…the spare bedroom," he said, turning away as he walked to his room. "Goodnight," he called over his shoulder as he entered his room and shut the door behind him.

The leaf on Chikorita's head drooped, and Charmander felt a pang of sympathy for her. "He's trying to distance himself from me," she said. "But why?"

"Probably because he doesn't want to lose you like he lost Bayleef," Froakie said.

"Guys!" Piplup said, his voice low. "What the hell! That word he used, warden! How the hell did you guys not realize it the minute he said it?"

Charmander turned to Piplup. He was glad he wasn't the only one. Before he could confirm it, Torchic stepped forward. "I know what you mean," she said. "For the Reapers."

Charmander nodded. "Yeah, I realized that too," he said.

"Huh?" Froakie asked.

"The Reapers that Chikorita said those Warden guys talked about," Piplup said. "It just…came to me. What if all of this is, well, for the Reapers?"

"Yeah," Charmander agreed. "Some kind of secret society hell-bent on slowly taking control of all of the Nations, just now coming out of hiding to start striking major blows."

"And Garchomp is probably the orchestrator," Torchic said. "I mean, think about it. Ground Nation helps out Water, attacks Fire, and sends a Gabite into Grass? He's definitely the puppeteer, even if he's got strings on him himself."

"Oh no," Chikorita said. "So…so this could be anyone?"

The room went dead quiet. They all turned to see Meganium's door was still closed, no sound coming from it. Chikorita slowly backed away into her room, although she left the door open. The other four went into Bayleef's room, seeing the bed seemed just good enough for all four of them to sleep in. Froakie looked back into the hallway once before jumping onto the bed, snuggling under the covers first. Piplup followed, then Torchic, and finally Charmander.

They were silent for a moment. Then, Froakie spoke. "You don't really think Meganium is involved in all of this, do you?"

"I don't know," Charmander admitted. "We're probably just tired. We need some sleep; we've got to rescue Turtwig in the morning."

"What we're doing is so inconsequential," Piplup said. "I mean, if there are really Reapers out there or whatever, controlling the world from behind the scenes, then shouldn't we do something about it? I mean, they destroyed my home and kidnapped my father! I don't know about you guys, but the minute we're done with what we're doing, I'm gonna find out where these Wardens are. And I'm gonna join them."

"Me too," Torchic said. "That bastard Garchomp slit my father open. Even if we don't find the Wardens, I'm killing him."

Charmander looked at the two of them, the determination on their faces. They were set for this path, and from the look in their eyes they seemed to be made for it. Charmander understood. Suddenly it was there; rage. Rage for what Garchomp had done to his father. Rage for what Feraligatr had done to Piplup and Froakie. Rage for every terrible thing the Reapers could do if they were allowed to live. It boiled.

"We have to," Charmander said. "After everything they've done to us, we have to make them pay. We have to find the Wardens."

Froakie leaned his head towards the door, as though he were looking for Chikorita. "Do you think Chikorita would want to join the Wardens too?" Froakie asked.

Piplup had a fierce look on his face, as though he were thinking, Are you kidding me? Torchic, though, spoke up before Piplup could make his frustration verbal. "I guess we'll find out in the morning," she said.

Froakie, looking unsatisfied, turned away from the door. Charmander bundled up the blankets, realizing he didn't have any pillows. He opened his eyes to see Torchic's staring back at him. "Listen," she whispered, so quiet Charmander could barely hear her. "I'm sorry for that outburst back at the Capitol Building. I could have gotten us killed and…and I'm sorry."

"It's fine," Charmander said. "We're still here."

They looked at each other for a long time. Charmander felt a warmth in his heart, staring into her eyes. He realized with a start of his heart that moonlight was streaming into the bedroom from an open window. The light reflected off her feathers the same way the morning light at Ivysaur's had a week ago. He didn't know what it was, but he just wanted to hold her.

He moved closer to her and she accepted, letting him take her in his arms. They didn't have any pillows, but they did have one another. He was back in the Water Nation, a time so long ago but not so long ago, holding her while the moonlight shone down on them. He realized that he could do this forever, feel the warm heat of her body against his as they laid in perfect harmony, nothing touching them in the world only they could be in.

Charmander faded into sleep, Torchic still in his arms.