Chapter 47


The Fire Masters: Part 1


"Again" Pele ordered.

Blaze launched the set of kicks, punches into the air, and fireball towards the target, only hitting the two outer rings of the bullseye.

The Monferno sighed and saw that his entire competition had done better. The last few days of the training had been rather brutal. Now a week into his month-long trip, Blaze was certainly dissatisfied with his progress, or at least his progress in regards to his fellow students.

Blaze had learned that this school only accepted around ten students a year, and Paul had somehow got him in without revealing Blaze's actions in saving the world. Many students had washed out on day one. The instructors didn't dismiss them, the training was so demanding that most gave up.

Blaze was one of only four remaining students. All of them were skilled and competitive, but with one exception, Blaze had come to see them as friends. Cinder and Diego were even the same age as him at 15. However, Blaze had told no one about his trip to the HIdden Land. It wasn't like him to boast, and more importantly, he chalked most of that journey's successes to Alex.

Diego was the son of one of the instructors, who had fought hard to earn his place since his father refused to make exceptions for him. Diego however was glad for such treatment, aside from some extra practice sessions he wanted to succeed on his own. Diego was a rabbit-like Pokémon with a grayish-white body and red eyes. His fur was mostly red and black, with the upper body being red and having a collar that covered most of his mouth like a balaclava, while the lower half was black with a tuft in the center of its belly, resembling that of a turtleneck sweatshirt. The front half of his feet were red. Diego had a yellow marking that resembled a bandage on its forehead, along with a small, fluffy, white tail. The hyperactive Raboot was a skilled fighter despite his appearance.

Soft-spoken and calm, Cinder was the first student with who Blaze had formed a positive connection with. She was a bipedal, fox-like Pokémon. While the majority of her fur was yellow, her black legs, white arms and face, and a dark orange tail tip stuck out. The fur on her cheeks is longer, and a small mane of white fur covered its shoulders and chest. Long, wavy tufts of dark orange fur grew out of her large ears, and her eyes and small nose matched this fur in color. Two pointed teeth can be seen in her upper jaw. Above its legs, the fur swept out to either side, resembling a skirt or shorts. Each paw had three small digits. Cinder always kept a stick in her tail, which she used as a wand to channel her fire and psychic powers.

"Nice job chump!" The third student said as he came up and pointed at Blaze's target.

Furno had a chubby body that was orange with brown bands around his shoulders, sides, belly, hands, and from the back of his head down his snout. Yellow bands encircled his wrists and swirled yellow designs bulged from his chest. He had a red pig-like nose, pointed ears, and two pointed teeth that protruded from his lower jaw. Furno's hands had two claws each, while his feet only had a single nail. His tail was curled with a tuft of fur at the tip.

"I missed by a bit, lay off" Blaze grumbled.

"Yeah right," Furno scoffed.

The four students fell in as Pele took center stage and said "You four have advanced to the final stage of training. While this has been a group training so far it is time to make things clear, only one of you will succeed"

Everyone, save for Furno gasped, the Pignite was relishing the idea of succeeding above everyone else.

"The Masters are impressed, and offer all who fail a guaranteed spot next year, however, they will only allow one pokemon to train with them. There will be three trials, the trial of agility, the trial of strength, and the trial of skill" Pele explained.

"How long do we have to prepare?" Cinder asked.

"The next two days you are free to train however you wish with any of the instructors. Then the following day, the first two trials will take place. Know that you will only fail the first two of your own accord. No individuals have to be eliminated before the final trial. Dismissed" Pele finished.

Everyone went their separate ways, except for Blaze who elected to work on a nearby punching bag in the dojo. The school itself was a massive compound near a lake, and this dojo was only one part of it.

Blaze took out his frustration, his hands igniting with flames on instinct until he hit the bag so hard that it broke in half, the inside sand spilling out onto the floor smoking.

"How did you do that?" Pele asked as Blaze turned around in fear, worried he was in trouble.

"I'm sorry, I just lost my temper" Blaze conceded.

'No, I've seen losing temper, that was a level controlled strength that no second stage pokemon should possess, ' Pele admitted.

"I'm…..part of the Wigglytuff Guild" Blaze half lied, not revealing that he was one of only two pokemon to ever graduate.

"You just did something that even I would have trouble doing, what's bothering you?" Pele questioned.

Blaze turned away and replied "nothing"

Pele sighed and picked him up like a discontent mother, setting him down on a nearby bench. She was going to get the truth out of him, here and now.

Pele spoke in a caring voice and said "You're so much stronger than you look, and you're allowing your emotions to handicap yourself, why is that?''

Blaze gave a long pause before saying "a few months back...I thought I lost someone..my best friend through thick and thin….without him…I was lost" the Monferno was struggling to speak, clearly emotional and having trouble admitting this.

"You got him back then?" Pele inquired.

"Yes...but I'm so afraid to lose him that I can't….handle being away from him" Blaze sobbed, finally forcing the words out.

Pele shook her head and said "your stronger than you think...physical strength and mental willpower is something you possess in droves"

"I'm crying and struggling to beat people with far less training than me.." Blaze countered.

"You have more strength than most admitting what you just did, that's the first step, now own that emotion and overcome it. I let you think on that, and if you want to train with me...you know where to find me" Pele offered before walking off, leaving Blaze alone.

Blaze was determined to succeed, training with the masters would make him stronger and he needed to pass the trials, and succeed on his own...

Author's Note- welcome back!
Decided these chapters needed to be spaced out, with the character development in these chapters there needs to be time to think on each one. After this and the sungazer, we will be back to multi-chapter uploads

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