Episode 54

Flint let out a small breath of fire, lighting a few logs to start a fire. "There. Now we can see."

"Speak for yourself," Lunar said, laying down. The Blaziken rolled his eyes.

"I'm so glad I found you guys again," said Shade. "Did you…see all of that, too?"

"I feel it was more than just seeing," Selia responded. "Something in this forest is doing strange things to us."

Raina stood up. "I bet it was Donald who did this! We heard his voice before we were all separated!"

"I have no doubt it was," Auren said, staring into the fire. "I just want to know how he was able to…create all of that."

"I'm not going to lie. I was legitimately scared for a lot of that," The Blaziken stated. "I almost…gave up."

"Hey, since we're back together and I think pretty clear we ain't getting any sleep, why don't we talk about what happened?" Lunar suggested.

"Not a bad idea," Selia smiled. "Very mature of you, little one."

The Water-Type sat down. "So who wants to start?"

The group stayed silent for a bit, before Flint spoke up. "I guess I will."


When the trees started to fall, Selia tried her best to keep me on her back. But something happened and I was thrown off. I tumbled down a hill, rolling over my broken leg. I couldn't see, but something really heavy got into my lungs. I thought I had passed out, but I still felt conscious. Boy was that a strange feeling. As soon as my eyes opened…

I wasn't in a forest anymore. I was on the burning ship from Pastoria, the one Team Revenant had set on fire. Arceus, it's been so long since that happened. I felt like I had to save everyone, the ship was on fire.

But when I tried taking a step, I fell down. The pain in my leg was too much. I got up, starting to crawl. I knew there were a lot of people on this ship that needed to be saved. I had to get to them.

The ceiling crashed down in front of me, blocking my path. I forced myself onto my feet, grabbing the wall for support. I started walking the other way. Where was everyone? "Hello!" I shouted. "Can anyone hear me? You need to get out of here!"

"That's it, burn it all!" I heard someone shout. I got to the doorway of the room I heard it from and saw Donald and Rogers inside. A few grunts were with them. They were using their Pokémon to light the ship on fire.

"Cut it out!" I yelled, but they didn't notice me. I tried to move closer, but my leg wouldn't let me, and it's not like I could use an attack, it would only burn the ship more.

"Sir, I don't think…we can be in here for longer…" One of the grunts coughed. "I can't breathe!"

"We can't leave any evidence of this ship behind. The more burnt it is, the safer our asses in the future," Rogers said.

"But, sir!"

"But nothing!" Donald yelled. "Keep burning the ship until we tell you to stop."

The grunt went back to work, ordering his Pokémon o keep sending flames out of its mouth. I didn't understand, if they stayed in here any longer they were going to die!

What I saw next made me angrier than anything else beforehand. While the grunts were still doing Donald's dirty work, he and Rogers both sent out Kadabras. They teleported away and left the grunts for dead, and they didn't even know!

"You guys need to leave!" I yelled. Trying to walk was my mistake. Still wasn't used to the whole broken leg thing. I fell down, watching them cough and wheeze before they fell, too. I couldn't see what happened to their Pokémon. Hell, I didn't even see what they were. They might not have even been Fire-Types. For all I know, Donald and Rogers left their team members and their Pokémon for dead.

Suddenly, I saw things floating in midair. They weren't embers, they were spores. My lungs felt heavy again. They were everywhere. And before I knew it, they had transported me somewhere else.

When they got out of my vision, I was somewhere new, a place I hadn't seen before. I was at the foot of the volcano. "What the hell…"

I looked up. Waiting at the top was a hooded figure. "Hey!" I shouted. "Who the hell are you and what's happening to me?"

He didn't say anything. He just sat there, staring down at me.

"Look, buddy," I started climbing up to him. "I don't know where my friends are, I'm Arceus knows how long from home, and I just want to know what's happening to me!"

"Your leg…" The guy said.

"Yeah, my leg, it's freaking-" I looked down at my leg. Only then did I realize that I was using it to climb.

"Yes?"

"My leg…it was broken. How am I moving it?" I felt great. Like I was…independent.

"You will learn." The man said. Suddenly, the rocks on the side of the volcano began to shake, falling down the mountainside. Lava soon followed. Now, usually lava wouldn't affect me much, but as soon as it hit me, it didn't just burn. It scorched me. I lost my grip, tumbling down the mountain. I was a bit thankful I could fall faster than lava. No being should have to feel that pain.

It seemed like I had only just started climbing when I fell, but I just kept falling and falling. I couldn't catch myself. After a very, very long time, I reached the bottom. I tried to stand up. Sure enough, my leg was broken again. Angry, I punched the side of the volcano. I didn't know what else to do.

"I just want to get back to my friends!" I shouted at no one. "I want to get my trainer back, to get back to my own world. Is that too much to fucking ask for?!" My breathing was heavy. "Why am I so helpless?!"

Then the spores came back. "Fine!" I shouted. "Take me somewhere else confusing! I don't care anymore!"

After coughing for a bit, I was in the middle of a forest. This forest, now that I think about it.

"Am…am I finally back?" I asked myself. "Auren! Selia! Raina!" I shouted.

"Shade? Lunar? Anyone?"

No one responded. "Still alone, huh? Great."

The next voice I heard called, "Flint! Let's Battle!" I got into a battle stance. Matt had sent me out to battle! But when I realized there was no opponent, and that Matt wasn't actually there…sigh. This is torture.

"Flint!" Matt's voice yelled again. This time though, it wasn't happy, or energetic like it usually is. He was…scared.

"Matt!" I called back. "Where are you?!"

In an instant, the entire forest lit on fire. "Flint! Help!"

"Matt!" I fell forward when I started to run, but I didn't care. I needed to get to that voice. Matt was there, I just knew it!

I started crawling, something I found easier to do when I had my good leg up a bit. "Matt!"

"Flint! Please! I can't breathe!" The voice was louder. I was getting closer, I could tell.

"Matt, I'm almost there!" A tree crashed down next to me, engulfed in flames. I could feel the heat, and the heat was hurting. "I…I'll save you!" All of a sudden, I felt this…surge of strength running through me. "I'll get you out of here alive!" I stood up. I got on my feet and, one step at a time, moved towards our trainer.

"Flint!"

"Matt!" Suddenly, I could see him. "I see you! I'm here!"

"Flint!" I saw Matt, injured in the woods. He looked a bit different, but maybe it was the forest fire. I was almost to him…when a tree fell and blocked my path. I couldn't get to him, but I could see him. The fire…it…it burned him alive. His skin was scorched, he was almost stripped to bone!

"No!" I shouted. I punched the log, trying to break it. I tried jumping but…for some reason I couldn't jump. The fire was too much. "I couldn't save you…" As Matt's body slowly went to ash…his ashes turned into spores. They took away all the fire. All of it. That's when I heard Raina's voice, and was able to get back with you all.


"I couldn't save him…" Flint concluded. "I got so damn close, but I lost him."

"You know that wasn't really Matt, right?" Raina said. "Just some wacky vision the spores made you see."

"That didn't make it any less real. Guys, I couldn't help him. This fucking broken leg of mine…it's ruined my life."

"Little one, you are one of the most selfless individuals I know," Selia said. "Any time I look at you or hear something about you, you always put another person or Pokémon's life before your own."

"Matt will be alright," said Auren, place his paw on Flint's back. "And so will your leg."

The Fire-Type sighed. "I've been reduced to nothing. I don't even know how I walked towards Matt when the forest was on fire. And who that guy with the robe was on the volcano."

"Now that you mention it…" Raina noted. "I saw a guy like that, too."

"Same here," responded Lunar.

"As did I," said Selia. Shade and Auren nodded as well.

"Wait, we all saw a robed guy?" Flint said. "That's more than just a coincidence, it's gotta be!"

"I think you're on to something, Flint," Auren noted. "Let's hear everyone else's, maybe they're connected somehow."

"Let me go next!" exclaimed Raina. "I need to get this off of my chest or I'm going to explode."


I was so disoriented, I didn't even know how I got separated. But that didn't matter. The spores were starting to come. I tried to blast them away with my water, but they kept coming back. I couldn't stop them.

Next thing I knew, I was surrounded by water, I was in the ocean. Man, was it great to be there. The salty water all around me, the gentle sunlight coming from above. It was so relaxing I had almost forgot about all that had happened to us.

I started swimming, and man I wish you guys could experience what it's like to be under water without drowning. It's really great. Anyways, I was moseying along, just minding my own business, when a Dewott called out to me. He looked like he wanted to battle, so that's what we did.

"I'm going to take you down little lady," he yelled to me.

"You're one to talk," I spat back. "Just see if you can out speed this!" I used Aqua Jet on him, using my tails to push me even faster through the water. He tried to block me with his little shell things, but couldn't even get them up in time. I plowed him over.

"Is that all you got?" he shouted back at me. "That barely did a thing, you wimp!

"You want more? You better believe I'll give you some more, you whiny little bitch!" I shot out a strong stream of water at him. It knocked him down again. What was his problem? He stood up again, and was clearly hurt.

"Come on! You're not even trying!"

"Hell no, I'm not. You think I'd waste all of this raw power on a puny opponent like you? Give me a break!"

"Do something!" He leapt at me. Well, he more propelled himself towards me 'cause we were underwater, but you get the idea. He raised his shell things and tried to swipe at me. I responded with a simple Ice Punch, and I ended up freezing him.

"Don't mess with me anymore, kid!" I shouted at him. I swam away, trying to get back to my relaxing swim, when all of a sudden, the water became dark. At first I thought it was just turning nighttime. But then those spores came back and I started to freak. Maybe they wouldn't be so bad, I mean, they did take me to a relaxing ocean.

Next thing I knew, I was standing in a cave. It looked familiar but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. There was a small lake. I wanted to just plunge into it, but before I did, I saw some dude just sitting down out of the corner of my eye. "Excuse me, but, what are you doing here? You at least look like someone who could tell me what's going on."

He was wearing a robe, like in your story, Flint. "Your temper…seems to be rising."

I didn't like hearing that. "What the hell are you talking about? I just asked you something nicely!"

"What is it you seek?"

"What do I seek? My friends, my trainer. Don't get me wrong, I'm loving whatever scenery shit is being pulled off, but I still don't know what the hell is going on!"

"A strong opponent. What do you do?"

"Take him down, what else?" I crossed my arms. This guy was pissing me off.

"Prove it."

From the robed figure's body came a bunch of spores. They floated in the air all around me, and suddenly I was in an arena. The entire crowd was cheering. I felt a rush, this was great. Whoever I was about to face, I was ready to defeat him. I turned, and I saw the Dewott from earlier.

"This guy again? No problem!" I didn't even need to wait for the referee. I shot at him with an Aqua Jet, determined to finish this quickly. I had more important things to do. But I didn't knock him over like last time. He blocked me with those puny shells of his, pushing me back. "What the hell…" I shot a Water Gun at him, but he dodged it. This couldn't have been the same Dewott as earlier, could it?

"Listen, you little punk, what's the deal? Who even are you?"

"I'm the one who's going to take you down!" He shouted. Then he started shaking. It was so disturbing, he just stood there, shaking, before he grew. His height shot up, becoming five, six, seven times greater than he was before.

I couldn't let this guy beat me. I used Aqua Jet again, slamming into his chest, but I was so small compared to him. He grabbed me while I was in mid attack. I couldn't believe what was happening!

"Let me go!" I shouted. The Dewott turned me around and let me go. I shot away from him, the energy from my attack sending me into the ground.

"Ugh…" I stood up. That really hurt. Suddenly, the entire arena started to fill with water. It was as salty as it was before, but it didn't feel quite as relaxing. The cheering stopped; the audience was filled with water, too. Looking back on it…all those people drowned. But I didn't notice. I was too focused on the battle.

"I'm not done, yet!" I shot at him again with Aqua Jet, this time going outside of the range of his arms. I rammed into his leg, making him lose his balance. I got excited for a second, but that didn't last long. He fell on me. Man that was so painful. I could have sworn one of ribs was broken. He got up and threw me away, like I was just some…weak little thing. Suddenly, I felt the water start to get warmer. "Why can't I beat you anymore?!" I shouted. "It was so easy! It's been so easy to win battles, why can't I beat you? Why am I so weak!?"

The robed guy's voice echoed. "Your temper…"

"I don't have time for this!" I screamed. Tears were streaming from my eyes, Arceus I hated crying but I couldn't help it. "I just want to get back to my friends! To get back to Matt!" The water wasn't just hot anymore. It was boiling. The hotter the water got, the angrier I got. I couldn't beat the Dewott, I was lost, and all I wanted was to see our trainer again. I heard a scream of pain, something I didn't expect. I turned around, and Matt was there.

He was screaming, clenching at his throat. He was drowning.

"Matt!" I swam over to him. , holding him near me. He couldn't breathe, but I could see into his eyes. Guys, I saw a faint gleam of life in them, before it went away. He died right in front of me. I screamed, now getting hurt by the searing pain of boiling water. I couldn't defeat the Dewott, my trainer was gone…I was already defeated.

The spores took me away from that. Hell, I was excited to see them. It meant…it showed me that all of this wasn't real. Matt could still be alive out there. I was back in the forest right after that. But I was soaked from head to toe. I called out, finding Flint before the rest of you.


"I still don't know why I was still wet. You guys felt something too I'm sure, but the fact that I'm still soaking wet even after trying to dry off in front of this fire…these spores are doing real things to us." The Floatzel stared off.

"Are you feeling alright, dear?" Selia asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just wish…I would have beaten the Dewott. He made me feel so weak."

"Are you kidding me?" Lunar said. "You're so powerful! Any time you battle is always such a great thing to see."

"Lunar's right," Flint agreed. "Don't let what Donald's trying to get you to think control you."

"I'd take your own advice," said Auren. "But seriously, Raina. We may have butted heads in the past, but I'm honored to have you as an ally. And as a true friend."

The Floatzel smiled. "I love you all, honestly. I'm sorry if…my temper seems to get in the way of that."

"We all have something we need to work on," Shade said. "That's what makes us Pokémon."

The group sat in silence, watching the fire glow. Night still loomed overhead with no end to it.

"I guess I'll go next," The Dark-Type stated, adjusting himself. "These stories about you guys and…what happened to Matt…I'm starting to get scared. What if something bad really happened to him?"