Editor's Note: Just wanted to let you guys see the process I go through with editing. This is the unabridged text as I have it. For Chatper III, I will let you guys read the raw material before I go in and clean it up. Hope you enjoy and ask any questions!
A Charizard's Tale
Chatper III: Ronac's Destiny
It has been exactly one year since we've last seen Alestor and his family, in which time many things have come to pass.
Alestor, having proved himself worthy enough by saving seven children from a landslide, has been recruited into a group known as the Blazers, a nomadic troupe of Charizards who seek to protect the valley and its denizens from unfortunate happenings. He has also devoted his life to the protection of the sacred spring near Charizard Valley, and can be seen there at least once every day.
Charla, on the other hand, has been living peacefully with her family, and has helped Alestor fend away few intruders in her spare time. However, after the first couple of times giving her help, she decided it was best not to try. Now she spends most of her time just gathering food and playing with the children, but always seems to find time for a nice hot spring bath every once in a while.
Kigor, Ronac's younger brother, has matured quite a bit, and had evolved into a Charmeleon at about seven months. He's somewhat of a shadow to Ronac, following him everywhere he goes. He admires Ronac, and although he's much smaller, he plays with Ronac and his friends, who sometimes mention him as a pest, and play a few pranks on him to try and get him to leave them alone, all of which Ronac got very upset at. Still, he kept on following them, and they have come to think of him as a mascot, being scatterbrained at times, and never seeming to care what they did or thought of him.
And Ronac? Well...
The faint sound of a blunt hit echoed throughout the sandy environment as Ronac's face was collided into by the skullbash of his Wartortle advesary. He flew off his feet, landing hard and painfully, regardless of the fact that they were on a beach. His nose soon began to bleed, and his head was rocking with pain as he held it, sitting up. After his eyes had regained focus, he looked up to the Wartortle, and set sight upon him as he stood up proudly, poking his chest out and crossing his arms, laughing at the downed Charmeleon. Ronac hated that laugh.
He ignored the taunting, and as he slowly got up to his feet again, he started to reconsider even continuing this fight. He knew that he was at a disadvantage, and on top of that he could barely see straight anymore, but he wasn't going to let that be an excuse for chickening out. He winced at the extreme headache he was experiencing, his eyes nearly shutting themselves completely as a wave of pain shot through his skull.
"What's the matter?" the Wartortle taunted in a childish tone common to males of his age.
"Something in your eye?"
"Shut up." Ronac said simply as he raised his fists.
"Don't get mad at me; you're the one who wanted to battle. I'm just proving the obvious supremacy that water pokemon have over fire types."
That last comment made Ronac's blood boil. He knew that there have been many battles where fire pokemon had won over water pokemon. There was no way he could let this snobby loser win now. And as he thought this, the perfect idea to prevent that from happening had struck him quite laudably.
"For such a ëSupreme' water pokemon, you're Water Gun sure stinks!" Ronac yelled back at him. The Wartortle's smile faded quickly.
"Watch it!" he yelled back. "I could have finished you off any time with my Water Gun! The first time I was holding out on you! Push me too far, and that won't happen again!"
A grin spread Ronac's face. "I'll take my chances! What's the matter? Scared?"
Ronac started walking around and waving his elbows up and down, clucking with his tongue. The Wartortle was shaking with anger by now.
"Eat this!"
The Wartortle bent his head back, throwing it back forward with a large blast of water emanating from it. Ronac stopped his little charade, and launched a Flamethrower that was equally large, much to his satisfaction. The blasts collided in mid-air, suddenly raising a thick cloud of water vapor from the collision point.
The steam encircled both foes, and was practically impossible to see through, not showing even the faintest signs of dissapating anytime soon. The Wartortle began to panic. He couldn't see a thing; not even his own hand. He looked around, but it was useless; Ronac was nowhere in sight.
"What did you do?!" The water-type screamed, fumbling on his own footsteps.
"My dad taught me a lot of things..." Ronac's voice started, seeming as though it was coming from all directions at once.
"...and one thing he told me is this: fighting isn't always about strength and advantages. How you use the strength you have is very important, so it doesn't matter how much of a disadvantage you have as long as you apply yourself correctly. And I'm going to show you why, so get ready!"
The turtle-like pokemon only saw it for a split second. The deep, red color of Ronac's skin popped into his eyes out of nowhere, and he soon felt his face being smashed by a burning fist. It was unbelievably hot, and the force was tremendous. He could instantly tell that this attack was his Fire Punch attack. He fell on his back, and hit the ground hard. He got up as quickly as he could, and looked around. Nothing. He was shocked. There was no way for him to fight back. He was helpless. A searing flame came from his right. It engulfed him completely, and burned his skin in several places. He fell to the ground. What could he do? He was trapped!
"Cheater!" the wartortle yelled. "You can't do that! It's not fair!"
"If I remember correctly, you played a part in creating this steam also by shooting your water gun." Ronac's voice replied. "But don't worry. I'm sure such a ësupreme' water type can cope with a little smoke." That was it. It didn't matter if he couldn't win, but just sitting here and getting hit without doing anything was just wrong. He had to do something. He started to gather all the strength he could muster, and after several seconds, launched a water gun straight ahead of him. It ripped through the dense steam, but no impact was heard. He continued to sustain the water gun, and while doing so, twirled around in full circles. Water was being sprayed everywhere!
"Ha, ha, ha!" the wartortle thought. "There's no way he could dodge all that! At least I'll hit him with something!"
"NOT LIKELY!" a voice screamed from above. The wartortle looked up, and found out that Ronac was cascading down the sky toward him. He was soon caught by a double-handed fire punch to his face yet again, and this time, the force was twice as hard, and the burning was twice as bad. The fire went past his face, down his neck, all the way to his chest. He was being burned all over. The wartortle could have sworn that he felt a slight cracking beneath his skin. The fire quickly died down, and Ronac hopped away. The wartortle fell straight on his back. His world was one big daze, and his nose was bleeding freely. The steam started to clear. Ronac went over to him. He looked down in compassion, for he didn't mean to hurt him that badly.
"I'm sorry." Ronac said blankly. "I only hit you hard enough to dizzy you a while. You should be okay after a couple of minutes."
"How could you see me if I couldn't see you?" the wartortle asked.
"I couldn't. I had my eyes closed the whole time." The dazed water pokemon looked even more confused. "I learned from a special friend of mine that when one of your senses is shut off, the other four become more potent. Seeing as though my sense of sight was useless, I closed my eyes, and focused on your burnt scent that I had made with my first fire punch. Your burning skin contrasted greatly with the salty scent of the beach, and your heavy breathing only helped."
The wartortle sighed in stupidity.
"You know," Ronac continued. "I didn't want to hurt you...but others might. The next time you get into a battle, you might want to hold off on the comments. What you said was really upsetting, and that was the only reason that I hit you so hard."
"Why are you being so nice to me?"
"Because no one deserves to be treated unkindly. I learned that from my mother." Ronac slowly walked away. The wartortle closed his eyes, and let his head fall on the soft sand.
Ronac headed back home. He took a path through the forest, stepping over old and new leaves. His head still felt a little dizzy, and his nose was still bleeding, but he knew that he would be okay. He was very proud of himself, and he couldn't wait to tell his friends.
"SURPRISE!"
Ronac hopped back so fast that he had tripped up on his own feet, and fell to the ground on his rear. He looked up. All three of his friends, Zen, Cranith, and Khan, including his little brother Kigor, were smiling at him from behind four trees in front of him. Kigor looked the happiest, and went over to help Ronac off the ground. When he had gotten back up on his feet, his friends had emerged from the back of the trees, and stood in front of him, still smiling. Ronac looked agitated.
"What are you guys doing here? And why did you do that? You know I don't like surprises!" Ronac yelled.
"Congratulations, Ronac." Cranith said.
"Yeah! Who knew that you were training all this time!" Zen blurted out. "How many battles did you win?" Ronac shot a sharp look at Kigor.
"I told you not to tell them where I was!" Ronac yelled at Kigor.
"He didn't." Khan said back. "We followed you. You've been disappearing a lot lately, and well...we were getting worried about you."
"Yeah! And besides..." Kigor started. "We didn't want to miss you're victory! We saw the whole thing! That was so cool how you made that mist! Do you think dad will teach me how to do that?" Ronac couldn't believe it. His friends were spying on him. And who knows for how long.
"How long have you guys been following me?!" Ronac yelled.
"This was the only day...and why are you so uptight?" Khan asked.
"Listen. There's a very good reason why I didn't invite you guys! And I'm sorry, okay. But...I just...I can't tell you about it! Just go! Hurry!"
They all just stared at him.
"Ronac, what's going on?" Cranith asked calmly.
"...Guys...I'm so sorry..." Ronac said softly. He increased his tail flame size. They all gasped.
"I promise...I will tell you about this someday...I could never keep secrets from you...but for now...I have no choice..." He shot a flamethrower at their feet. They all hopped back to avoid it, and then looked at Ronac, with amazed faces. Ronac was in a battle ready position. He looked so sorry, but so serious at the same time.
"Go!" he yelled. His friends, still looking surprised, turned and left. Kigor stayed back a little longer. Ronac was prepared to fire another flamethrower, but then he stopped as Kigor started to speak.
"Ronac...I'm sorry..." Kigor then turned around and left as fast as he could, trying to catch up with the others. Ronac relaxed, and his tail flame shrank. He felt terrible. "It's not you're fault, Kigor." He thought. Ronac turned around. The beach was in front of him. The wartortle that was there had left already. Ronac went to sit on a nearby rock. He still couldn't keep his mind off the way he had treated his friends. He swore that he would make up for it. There was no way that he would ever do that again. But he had to keep this a secret...even from his parents.
No one could know.
"Hi, Ronac."
A beautiful voice from his right sounded through the air. He turned his head...and there she was.
An adolescent girl charmeleon was staring at him from a clearing. Ronac smiled. She slowly walked toward him, and sat on the rock beside him. She looked into his dark hazel eyes. He looked back. Her skin was a little less red than his, on a more orange type tone. Her eyes were an amazing crystal blue, and seemed to sparkle. Her arms were slim and toned; her legs were no different. She was looking very unsure; shy, almost.
"Nice to see you again, Layna." Ronac spoke softly. He started to blush.
"It's nice to see you too, Ronac." Layna spoke. Her voice made Ronac feel so comfortable.
"We don't get many chances to see each other anymore, do we?" Ronac said.
"No. And I'm very grateful to you for giving us time today. Not many people would force their friends to leave." Ronac bent his head down.
"Layna...I really don't want to have to do that again...it's tearing at me...I just can't help but think about how they feel right now..." Layna looked at him with compassionate eyes.
"I know. You really care about you're friends...and that's why I've decided...we can't meet anymore..." Ronac shot his eyes open wide.
"What do you mean?!" Ronac asked.
"I...I can't...I won't have my problems affect other people's lives. You told me that you've never kept a secret from you're friends, or even told them lies. If meeting with me is going to change that, than I'd rather not meet you..."
Ronac simply stared in amazement. He knew that Layna had lost both her parents not long ago, and without protection, she was prone to being captured, which was every pokemon's greatest fear. On top of that, she was never taught how to use her flamethrower, so she could never defend herself. That's why he picked fights every day to try and gain experience so that he could evolve into a charizard to help protect her. Ronac met her around sunset everyday to hide her around his place. In the morning, she would be okay, because trainers don't come in the day.
But she still needed help.
"Layna, this is crazy!" Ronac yelled. "You're not affecting anything! The thing with my friends...I'll...I'll fix it! We can still make this work!"
"Ronac...I really do appreciate what you've been doing for me...but...I just can't...I'll hide myself..."
"Layna!"
"Please don't try and stop me Ronac...goodbye..." She quickly grabbed Ronac on the face, and kissed him on the lips. Ronac's eyes opened in surprise, but then he quickly succumbed to the sweet taste of her mouth. Her body felt warm against his. His hand rose and planted it on her back, but then Layna hopped off the rock, and ran away. Ronac just stared at her, savoring a taste that he may never get again. It was like he had lost a part of himself. He didn't chase after her; he knew that that would only make things worse. She finally disappeared behind a downward slope. He looked down. He noticed that his sheath was bulging, and on the verge of slipping back to reveal his hidden member. Ronac hopped of the rock, and lowered his head, his eyes closed and quivering with anger and fear.
"Why didn't you stop her?!" he criticized himself. "Why didn't you do something?! Now she's gonna get hurt!" He fell to the ground on his knees, and banged the ground with his fists. Tears leaked from his eyes and fell on the ground. "It was your responsibility to take care of her! You're an idiot! You should've done something!" Ronac fists were pummeling the ground so hard, they were forming cracks in the ground. He finally stopped and looked back up. The sun was setting. He needed to get back home. It was getting late, and he needed to be back before sundown. He quickly wiped his eyes, and started his way home. But it wasn't long before he stopped and turned around one last time.
"Layna...I won't let you down...I promise..."
Being the very first promise that he ever made, he was determined to keep it. He felt a slight gurgle in his stomach at the thought that he actually cared for a girl that he didn't hang around with. But she was different from other girls...somehow. Her skin was the same...her arms and legs were about the same as any other girl's...but she was still...different. Ronac just couldn't place his finger on how. His feet were on autopilot now. Ronac wasn't focused on where he was headed, just on what he was going to do. The answer was obvious...he had to get stronger. If he could evolve into a charizard, he could use the added wings to fly and find her. He couldn't let her stay out there by herself. She was too important to him. Ronac's mind then jumped into a flashback that he couldn't control.
Ronac was walking through he forest. It was in the middle of the day, and the sun was shining very brightly. He was looking for a certain type of rock that his mother wanted. She told him that it was as big as his hand, red, and very heavy, and that it could be found next to hot places. He could not touch it with his hands, but instead, he had to use leaves to pick it up. He had no idea what she wanted it for, but he didn't really care. He searched everywhere that he could think of: hot springs, geysers, battle sights, and even underground caves with hidden volcanic passageways, but he never found one. He was prepared to give up and go home, when he heard the faint sound of screaming. He quickly turned his head to see where it as coming from, and when he had homed in on it's location, he abandoned his search to find whoever it came from. As he got closer to the source of the sound, he started to hear more sounds...yells, roars, explosions, and...as much as he hated to admit it...gunshots. He was getting very close now; the sounds were increasing in volume. More screams, more yelling. He finally ran between two trees that bore the entrance to a clearing. Ronac gasped.
Humans. There were dozens of them, all in black costumes. A large red letter "R" brandished itself on the front of every costume. There were tanks with the same symbol behind them. Ronac had never seen these kinds of people before...and especially not that many. But that wasn't what was disturbing him. Ronac's eyes settled on the blood-covered forms of two adult charizards. One was a male, and the other was a female. They weren't moving. Beside them was a small charmeleon girl that was quivering in fear on the ground; tears moving like a stream down her face. She was clutching something bright red in her right hand. There were two humans in front of them, holding some kind of shining gray metal device. They were pointed at the wounded charizard on the ground, and smoke was flowing from the tips. Then, a large man wearing a different suit emerged from the back. He must've been the leader. He was wearing a brown vest, with a black shirt underneath it. His pants were dark green, and his shoes were black also. He was smiling down at the bleeding pokemon in front of him. He started to speak.
"Good job, boys." He started. "Did you get the stone?"
"Were on it, sir." One of the black-uniformed men replied. He pointed to the quivering charmeleon on the ground. "That one has it."
"Well then, get these pokemon out of here. We don't want to get caught, now do we? And take the stone to the base. Make sure that the professor gets it, and also, I want you to..."
His talk was interrupted by the roaring of the male charizard as he rose off the ground. Everybody in the area gasped and took a step back, including Ronac. The girl's face lit up with happiness.
"Papa!" she screamed.
"Layna! Get out of here now! Take the stone and run!" The charizard yelled. His face was covered in blood, and his eyes weren't fully open...he was very weak. Layna looked confused and scared.
"But Papa, you can fly! We can leave together!" Layna cried back. The charizard smiled.
"Layna, I'm not going." He said calmly. "They killed your mother...and my beloved mate. If she dies, then I die. I can't bear to carry on in this world without her. Run and save yourself. You must run while you still have time. Take the stone that your mother gave you, and get out of here! These people are after the very stone you hold in your hand, and they will stop at nothing to possess it. I will hold them off. While they are shooting at me, I want you to run!" Layna started to cry again.
"But, Papa...-"
"LAYNA, GO NOW!" Her father started to shoot his flamethrower straight ahead. It hit all the tanks, and several explosions banged out. The humans were rolling to dodge the fire. People were shouting and falling over. The area looked red and dark. Fire blazed around the edges of the clearing. The leader finally regained his fortitude and assembled a line of men in front of him. They were all pointing those metal devices at the fire-shooting monster in front of them.
"Open fire!" He yelled. Deafening blasts were heard from everywhere. Blinding lights ripped at Ronac's eyes. Blood was flying in all directions. Ronac looked in sheer horror as the charizard in front of him was being desecrated. Bullets were ripping out his back. His roars were large and painful. His body was still standing, acting as a shield to protect his daughter, who still wasn't moving.
"L-Layna...p-please...go..." he somehow managed to get out of his mouth. He wasn't going to last much longer. Ronac knew how dangerous this was, but he had to do something.
He ripped out from his hiding place, and lashed out at Layna, hoping that he wouldn't get hit by a bullet. He grabbed her arm harshly, and pulled her up.
"COME ON!" he yelled. She stared at him blankly. She wouldn't budge. "LET'S GO! YOU'RE GOING TO GET KILLED!"
"Who are you?!" she screamed.
"A FRIEND! NOW LET'S GO!" She nodded weakly, and struggled to keep up with Ronac as they ran as fast as their legs would allow. Somehow, even over the deafening blasts, Ronac was able to make out the last words of Layna's father...
"Th-thank you...p-please...t-take care o-of...m-my d-daughter..." The firing stopped. The heavy frame of the charizard was heard as it hit the ground. Ronac heard yelling behind them.
"There she goes!" said one of the humans.
"Well WHAT are you waiting for?! Get the stone!" the leader yelled. Rapid footsteps were heard. Ronac was practically dragging Layna with the speed he was using. They cut a very jagged path through the forest. Bullets were coming at them again. Layna screamed. Ronac knew where he was going. Just a bit longer, and they would get there...
"Ouch!" Ronac screamed. He fell and hit the ground. He was holding his arm. It was bleeding.
"What's wrong?" Layna asked him.
"My arm..." Ronac said as he clenched it. "I...I think I was shot..." The footsteps became louder.
Layna started to worry. Ronac clenched his teeth. It couldn't end here.
"Forget it!" He yelled as he painfully got up, letting go of his arm. It was bleeding freely. He grabbed Layna's arm again.
"Let's go!" That phrase was getting very old, very fast. Nevertheless, they continued on their way. Then Ronac saw it. It was a sandshrew hole that he passed earlier while searching for that red rock. When they got up close, Layna looked curious. She knew what was going to happen, and she didn't like it one little bit.
"We have to jump inside!" Ronac yelled.
"I know! But...where does it lead?" Layna asked timidly.
"Do you want to die?!"
"NO!"
"Then forget about that!" Ronac went behind her, and picked her up from underneath her arms.
He hopped into the hole. Layna screamed as they slid down the dirt trail. Ronac felt pressed underneath Layna's weight, which was being forced upon him by gravity, and created a painful friction to his underside as he slid farther down. It was a long tunnel. It made left and right turns, and had several humps, all of which hurt Ronac groin. They finally started to slow down as the tunnel became more evened with land level. It had gotten to a point where they stopped sliding, and the tunnel was now very narrow. They both stood up, and looked around, their tail flames being the only source of light. Ronac put his hand back on his arm. She looked at him.
His arm was still bleeding. The blood rolled down his arm, and dripped on the floor. He looked as if he was in a lot of pain.
"You're hurt..." she said. "Let me have a look at that..."
"It's nothing...really..." Ronac lied. Layna looked worried, and looked around the dark cave.
"Where are we?" Layna asked. She looked at Ronac, who looked just as lost as she was.
"I...I don't know..." he replied with a nervous smile. She then shot an angry look at Ronac.
"You mean were lost?!"
"No...just misguided..." She slumped into a corner.
"Thank you..." she said softly.
"Hey, no problem." She looked scared now. "Hey, don't worry! We'll find our way back. Besides, I'm sure that..." Ronac stopped talking, and looked as though he were listening to the top of the hole.
"What's wrong?" Layna asked him. Then she heard it. A clunking sound. It was getting louder.
"What's that?" she asked. Then, as if it were to answer her question, something fell from the ceiling that they slid down from. It was dark-green, and had black stripes on it. It had an ovular shape. Ronac took a closer look. There was a small sparkling tip on it. "What is that thing?"
"I don't know...but it looks like it has a fuse on it...WAIT!" Ronac looked back down at the object. The sparkling tip was almost at the end of the line it was heating.
"RUN!" Ronac screamed. He yanked Layna's arm as best he could, and she literally flew off her feet. Ronac dashed as fast as he could down the long tunnel. Layna was running her fastest also.
"What's wrong? Why are we..."
BOOOOOOM!
A huge explosion banged out from where they were just a few seconds ago. The heat from the fire it created was tremendous. Layna screamed as chunks of dirty rock hit her head and everything around her.
"It's called a grenade!" Ronac explained as he ran. "They explode when the fuse hits the center! My friend Cranith taught me about them!" Layna felt very secure being with Ronac. They finally stopped running. The ground started to shake. Suddenly, the tunnel collapsed behind them. Rocks barricaded the tunnel all the way up to the ceiling. They couldn't turn back now. Ronac guessed they decided that if they couldn't get the stone, they were going to try and kill them instead. Layna fell to the floor in exhaustion. Ronac panted, putting his hands on his knees. After a few minutes, they both stood back up. They stared at each other. Layna looked very sad. She then ran up to Ronac, and hugged him tightly, crying into his chest. Being the first girl hug that he had ever received, he didn't know what to do. His arms were bound tightly to his sides. She was blurting out things like "I miss my Papa!" and "Why did they kill him?" and "Thank you so much for saving me...". Ronac was being squeezed very tightly. He could barely breathe. She then broke the hug and stared at him again. Ronac gasped for breath, and stared back. She raised the stone she had in her hand, and held it in front of her.
"My mother gave me this before those bad people came. I don't know what it does, or what it's used for. But...I know that I will most likely lose it. I want you to have it." Ronac's eyes shot open.
"I...I can't...you're mother gave that to you! Don't you want to cherish it?"
"I do. And that will happen if I know it's in a place that it will never be lost in." Ronac looked at the stone. He prepared to pick it up, but then he remembered why he was out here to begin with. He was looking for a red rock. The one in front of him looked very similar to the one his mother told him about. It was about the size of his hand, and very red. That was it!
"This rock...my mother was trying to find one...she sent me out to try and get one for her."
Ronac explained. "Thanks a lot! I really appreciate this!" Layna smiled back.
"These types of stones are very rare. My mother's father gave it to her when she was a little girl. Please take care of it."
"I will." He paused right before he grabbed it. He remembered that he couldn't touch it.
"Um...do you think that you could take it home with me...my mother says I can't touch it."
"...Sure. Why not." And so they walked to the end of the cave together, which emitted a small sliver of light.
A cliff.
Ronac broke back into reality just in time to stop himself from walking off the edge of a steep slope. At the bottom, there was nothing but water. Ronac sighed heavily. His little flashback must have carried him for yards, for when he looked back up, he was near a secret meeting spot that he and his friends used. This was bad. The sun was only a few inches from the top of a couple of mountains across the horizon. And on top of that, clouds were starting to form in the sky. He wasn't that far from home though. He started to head toward the cave that he and his family used for shelter.
When he had finally gotten back home, the last slivers of the sun's light faded behind the mountains. Ronac entered the cave. His brother, Kigor, was standing by the entrance. He was looking worried.
"It's all right, Kigor." Ronac started. "I'm okay. Just a little tired." Kigor smiled. "Is mom upset?" He nodded. Ronac felt disappointed. "I expected as much..." He walked farther into the cave. There, he saw his mother looking at him, sitting on her haunches. She looked very angry.
Ronac approached slowly.
"Mom, I can explain..." She looked down.
"It's...okay, Ronac." She said. Ronac was very surprised. "I know that you would have been here earlier unless something happened. So tell me...what was it?" Ronac got very nervous. He couldn't tell her about meeting Layna...not yet...not now. But he had a feeling that she was going to pry him until he told her the truth.
"I...uh...I was trying to...-"
"-warn his friends about the thunderstorm." Said Alestor. Alestor walked in around the corner.
Charla looked back and saw him.
"He was doing what?" Charla inquired.
"Ronac what out late making sure that his friends were inside before the thunderstorm hit." Just then, a large crackle of lightning erupted through the cave. "One of the Blazers told me that he saw him while on patrol flight. He knew that you would be upset, so he was trying to hurry, but then he got lost. By the time he found his way back, it was already late." Charla smiled.
"Is this true, Ronac?" Charla asked. Ronac nodded weakly. "Okay then. I'll go get dinner started." And with that, she rose up, and walked to the far end of the cave. Alestor turned to Ronac. He wasn't smiling. Ronac lowered his head.
"Dad, really, I can explain...-"
"-Ronac, there's no need to." He interrupted. "I won't force you too talk about something that you don't want to, but take some consideration for your mother. She loves you, and if you put yourself into dangerous situations too often, you might get hurt. Your mother doesn't want that to happen...she's already gone through enough in her life..." Ronac stared up, confused.
"What do you mean?" he asked. Alestor frowned.
"Ronac, I can't tell you yet...but your mother has been hurt in a way that might affect her entire life. I met her only to find her in this sad state. I took her to a special spring near this valley to let her recover. Her life was saved, but her emotions are still tangled and conflicted. Please don't let her lose you...I'm sure that she never wants to see someone that she loves go away."
Ronac looked very upset.
"Wow. I...I never knew that..."
"You're young...there are many things that you don't know yet. But it still surprises me that a boy you're age knows what a grenade is."
Ronac's eyes shot open.
"You...y-you... you know?" Ronac inquired nervously. Alestor nodded. Ronac started to sweat profusely. His gaze was averted from his father's. But how? He didn't tell anyone! And he made sure that no one saw them. How could he have figured it out?
"Ronac, I'm you're father, and being such, I'm responsible for taking care of you. I'm part of the
Blazers now...have you forgotten? Overseeing the land' doesn't mean just flying in the air and enjoying the breeze. I have a job to do, and part of that is making sure that my son is safe and out of harm's way. I have to admit, what you did came from the heart, and was very courageous, but it was still dangerous. I don't want you doing anything like that again. Do you understand?" Ronac nodded. Alestor looked up at the ceiling. "The people in the black uniforms are an organization known as Team Rocket. They are ruthless criminals that conduct experiments on pokemon. When they see something they like, they would stop at nothing to get it, no matter how many living things they had to kill...no matter how many people they have to slaughter." Alestor's facial expression turned heavy and upset. "The Blazers' top priority is making sure that they stay away. We found the mother and father of that little girl not long after they left. They were both dead, shot to death by bullets. The father was the brother to one of our group. He almost went out of control in despair, cursing them for their murder. The metal devices they were holding are called ëguns'. They are lethal. I will not tolerate you going near one." Ronac gulped. He had never seen his father look so serious. "The red stone that your friend gave you is a very rare stone. I'll tell you about it later. But Team Rocket most likely needs it for their experiments. Try and stay away from anywhere you may think is suspicious.
They saw you, and they'll track you down. Don't give them the chance." Ronac looked worried.
They could track down Layna too. "Now there is still a lot about this that I don't know. Like I said before, I won't force you to talk about something that you don't want to...but know this.
You can come to me about any thing, Ronac." That last phrase meant a lot to Ronac. He smiled.
He now had someone he knew he could trust. But he still couldn't find the right words to talk with. The cave looked very solemn, lit only by the light of their tails. Ronac felt Alestor's large claw fall on his shoulder. "Now, is there anything you want to tell me?" Ronac still kept quiet, his eyes staring at nothing but the stone floor. "I see. Ronac...do you believe in destiny?" Ronac looked up at his father, who was still staring at the ceiling.
"Wh-what do you mean?" he asked. Alestor smiled. That smile made Ronac feel so much better, just like it did to everyone else who saw it.
"What about fate?" Alestor said calmly.
"I...I don't know." Ronac asked. He was slightly curious to what his father was getting at.
"Are you sure you don't know? Or is your mind just keeping you from finding the truth that lies within you?" Ronac was very confused now. His father was talking in parables.
"Ronac, I believe that it was fate that drove me to your mother. It might not have been in the best circumstances, but we met nonetheless. I also believe that it was my destiny to spend the rest of my life with her. I don't know where it comes from, but destiny cannot be changed, no matter how much you wish it could. However, fate is different. You decide your own fate.
What you do now could affect something in your life that may come to pass years from now.
Such is the passage of life, Ronac. Fate controls your daily life, only to be interrupted by the destiny that awaits you." Ronac was staring at his father the whole time. He had no idea of what to say. It was all so confusing.
"But...what is destiny? What's fate?" Ronac asked. Alestor only smiled back.
"Ronac, that is a question that you must answer for yourself." With that Alestor used the arm around Ronac's shoulder to pull him into a strong hug. Ronac grabbed his father to return the hug. He was about to cry again.
"Ronac, I love you, and that will never change."
This hug was so supportive. It was as if it had tied the end to a confusing string that lapsed in
Ronac's mind. The thunderstorm outside raged on. This warm embrace was just one of the several gifts that Alestor had given to people in pain, and nothing else compared to it. Ronac just sat there, hugging him, until he had no energy left. He was pulled into a calm and silent sleep, his arms hanging limp around his father's back. Alestor gently sat him down on the floor, and rubbed his head with a large and strong claw.
"Ronac, I'm proud of you." Alestor spoke softly. He quietly rose up, and walked away, leaving the sleeping form of Ronac to rest in seclusion. Alestor approached the entrance to the cave.
There, he saw Charla with a variety of fruits and vegetables. Kigor was stuffing his face with fruit and berries. His mouth was smeared with juice and jam. Charla saw Alestor approaching.
She looked worried.
"Will he be all right?" she asked. Alestor smiled and nodded.
"He'll be fine. He just needs a little time to think and rest." Kigor stopped jamming his face full of food long enough to speak.
"I would be tired too if I were training like he was." Charla looked up at him in great surprise.
She looked horrified.
"Oops..." Kigor turned around, and tried to leave.
"Don't you move an inch!" Charla snarled. Kigor froze where he was, and turned back around.
He met his mother's eyes, which were swollen in anger.
"What do you mean, training?" she asked harshly. Kigor didn't say anything. "Kigor!" Charla said, with a rising tone in her voice.
"He told me not to tell you..." Kigor said very timidly. Charla looked surprised.
"Tell me what?"
"That he was fighting wild pokemon...He suddenly started not too long ago. He's trying to gain experience..." Charla gasped.
"For what?"
"I...I don't know..." Charla's eyes narrowed. "I don't! I swear! He didn't tell me!" Charla sighed.
"Alestor, do you think you know?" she asked him. Alestor shook his head in a lie. Charla started sobbing.
"I keep telling him to enjoy his youth while he can! Why does he want to evolve to soon?" Alestor went over to comfort her.
"Kigor, go down to the end of the cave." Alestor told him. Kigor nodded, and started to walk toward where his brother was. Alestor rubbed Charla's back.
"Charla, it's okay. Boys will be boys. You know that strength means a lot to them." Charla was still sobbing.
"I know! But why? Why does it have to be that way?"
"Charla, Ronac is almost two years old. He knows when his head is in too deep. As long as he's staying away from pokemon trainers, I don't see why he can't work out a little." Alestor looked toward the ceiling again. He picked up a large red stone out of his sheath. "Charla, I think it's about time that we gave him the fire stone. What do you think?" Charla gasped.
"So soon? He's only a year and ten months! We can't give it to him yet! I only sent him to go find it so that we wouldn't have to do it later!" She sobbed.
"Charla, evolving means a lot to Ronac. Think about how happy he would be. And besides, look at him. He's probably the strongest charmeleon around here. I wouldn't be surprised if he evolved naturally right now."
"I still don't think it's a good idea..." Alestor sighed.
"Okay. We'll wait until his birthday. Then we'll give it to him. All right?" Charla nodded at the floor. She looked at him. He was still looking at the ceiling.
"How can you be so calm?" she asked.
"Because Ronac can sometimes be stronger than what we give him credit for." She hugged him tightly.
"Thank you, Alestor. I don't know what I would ever do without you..."
"You won't be without me, because I will always be by your side." Alestor pulled her in closer, and kissed her on the head.
Ronac woke up. It was very dark, and the thunderstorm had subsided. The cave was quiet, so quiet in fact that he could hear his own breathing. He sat up and yawned. He felt energized in a way. He looked around. The only light in the cave was coming from their tails. Kigor was lying on the floor beside him. He wasn't snoring, and Ronac couldn't help thinking how cute he looked like that. On the other side of the cave was Alestor and Charla. They were both still asleep. Alestor's back was hunched up against the cave wall, and Charla's head was nuzzled into his chest, her hand rested upon Alestor's stomach, and somewhat very close to his sheath. They weren't snoring either, and looked very content. But the image of his parents looking so peaceful only brought up his worry for Layna. She was out there in that storm somewhere, with no one to talk to or keep company. She was alone. Ronac knew what it felt like to not have a father, but to lose both of your parents...his mind couldn't contain the pain she must've felt right now. He began to cry.
"Layna...I'm so sorry...this is all my fault..." he sobbed. He made sure to keep quiet so that his family wouldn't hear him. His tears splashed the floor. He had never felt like this before. He was longing for somebody to be with him. And it wasn't just any person. It was Layna. Was he in love?
"Oh...don't be stupid, Ronac." He thought to himself. He wiped his eyes clean. He tried to push this inconceivable notion out of his mind, but it just wouldn't go. He needed her. He finally accepted it. He was in love. And at such a young age too. He didn't care what she would think, but he was sure that she felt the same way. But this newfound passion for her only made him more worried. He needed to do something. He needed to go out there and comfort her...regardless of the consequences. Moving as slowly as time would allow, Ronac got up off the floor. He crept over his brother, and continued down the cavern. He finally reached the entrance of the cave. He looked outside. It was very damp, but it had stopped raining. He turned around. The dimly lit cave met his eyes. His family looked so peaceful. He didn't want to, but something was pulling him into that dark environment. He was going, and that was that. He spoke quietly so that his family wouldn't wake.
"Mom, Dad, Kigor...I'm so sorry...but I have to do this...please understand..." Ronac turned back around, and ran into the dark and looming forest without looking back. He couldn't stand to see his family's faces again. His footsteps were heavy, but strong, as he ran to settle his mind's longing for companionship.
Back at the cave, Alestor and his family were sleeping humbly. Alestor peeked open one of his eyes and quickly looked around. He was wide awake. After confirming that Ronac had left, he quickly got up, and carefully sat Charla's head on the floor. He had heard everything, and he knew what Ronac was up to. He had to go stop him before Ronac got himself into trouble. He patted Charla's head.
"I won't be long...I promise." With that, he took off out the cave, and soared into the night sky, following Ronac's familiar scent.
Ronac was running as fast as his legs would carry him. He looked left and right, but no sign of Layna. He didn't know where he was going, but that didn't matter. He had to find her. But he needed a clue. A hairlash, a follicle, a toenail...it didn't matter what it was as long as it was hers.
He stopped running and caught his breath. He was being stupid and he knew it, but he had a good reason to be. He thought of places that Layna likes to be. Another stupid idea; he was never around her long enough to know where she stayed. He became more hopeless with every passing second.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
A piercing scream slit through Ronac's ears. He knew that scream. He had hoped that he would never have had to hear it again, because that scream only meant one thing...
Layna was in trouble.
His heart beating at a rate that his body couldn't handle, he sped toward the source of her cry. It was a scream of pain. Ronac's mind flashed horrible pictures in his head. Who knew what was happening to her...he didn't want to think about it. He just had to get there in time to help. He cleared several bushes out the way, all of which were still very wet, and caused him pain on his tail. He ignored it, and continued to go. He was getting closer. The screaming had stopped...was she dead? She couldn't be. She couldn't die now. He ran faster. He cleared one final bush, and there it was.
Layna was trapped in a cage in the middle of the same clearing her parents were killed in. She looked unconscious. Little flickers of electricity were coming from the bars. The cage was being lifted into a large truck by people in black uniforms. Ronac peered inside. There were several pokemon inside as well. There was an ivysaur, a pikachu, a geodude, a dratini, a machop, an abra, a koffing, and a wartortle. Ronac took a closer look. The wartortle had a slight scar on it's face. It was the same one that he battled before! Ronac must've given him a scar from his fire punch finisher. But why was he here? Ronac didn't have time to think about that.
They were all knocked out and trapped in cages. The people in the black uniforms turned around. A large letter "R" displayed on their chests. Ronac gasped. It was Team Rocket! They must've captured all of those pokemon, and trapped them in the truck. They started to speak.
"So we got one of every type, right?"
"Yep. Just finished countin' them up. The boss'll sure be happy."
"What do you think they'll be doin' with all these pokemon?"
"Who cares? But they were mentioning something about an ëevolution cannon', or something like that. Whatever it is, it must be important. No experiment we've conducted needed every single element type of pokemon."
"He said forget the ghost types, right?"
"Yeah. Said that they're more trouble than they're worth."
"Okay then, let's get back to the base." They were about to shut the door, when the wartortle woke up. He shook his head, and then noticed where he was. He stood up, and began screaming and banging the bars.
"Where am I?! Let me out! Let me out of here!" he screamed. Ronac understood him, but he knew that the humans couldn't. They just stared at him. The wartortle was getting angrier.
"You'll be sorry for this! Just wait till' my dad gets here! He'll pummel you!" He shot a water gun at one of their faces. The human fell on the ground, dripping with water. The other one pulled something that looked like a remote out of his pocket.
"Quiet down, you!" He pushed the button, and the wartortle's cage began to shock him with fierce electricity. Ronac winced at the blinding light. The wartortle screamed in pain, and then passed out. He fell on his back, creating a dull sound from the metal. The human on the ground got back up. They shut the door to the truck, and walked around to the front. Ronac crept from behind the bushes. What were they up to? An evolution cannon? These pokemon were in trouble. Ronac heard doors slamming. The truck started up. If he was going to do something, he needed to do it now. He ran up to the truck, but it was too late. It started to pull off. With strength that he never knew he had, he hopped off the ground. He grabbed a rail on the back of the truck, right before it gained speed again. Ronac held on for dear life, and pulled himself up.
The truck was moving very fast, and he had no idea where he was going. He put his ear toward the metal. He couldn't he anything.
"Layna!" he said quietly. "Layna, can you hear me?" No answer. "Layna, come on! Say something please! Layna..." He began to cry again.
"R...R-Ronac?" he heard a small weak voice speak to him. Ronac shot his eyes open.
"Ronac...is that you?"
"Yes! It's me, Layna! Can you hear me?"
"Get out of here!" she screamed. Ronac did not expect that.
"Layna, I'm not leaving without you! They're up to no good! I can't let you suffer like this!"
"I don't want my problems affecting other people!"
"STOP SAYING THAT!" he yelled at her. Even though he couldn't see her, he knew that she was looking very upset. "I don't care what you think! I'm helping you! I made a promise, and I'm going to keep it!"
"What promise?" Layna asked. Ronac slapped his head in stupidity. He knew that Layna wasn't there to hear him make that promise.
"Forget about that!" he said. "But wouldn't your father want you to be safe?" Layna didn't say anything. "I'm getting you out of here! Stand back!" Ronac bent his head back, and fired a flamethrower at the metal door. It bounced off the metal, and hit the ground.
"Crap!" he yelled. He had to wait for someone to open the door.
"Ronac...thank you..." Layna said softly.
"I have to wait. But don't worry; I am going to get you out!" The truck continued to careen down the forest.
Not that far away, Alestor was following the truck Ronac attached to. He could have easily moved faster, but he had to stay concealed. He was very high, so Ronac didn't take notice of him. Ronac was clinging to the back of the truck, and looked like he could fall off at any time.
"Oh, Ronac...what did you get yourself into this time?" he thought. He knew where Ronac was headed, and it was very dangerous. Using every fiber of his mind to try to ignore the impulse of saving his son, he quickly turned around, and flew back to where he came from, going as fast as the winds would allow. He had to hurry, otherwise, Ronac could be killed...and he simply couldn't let that happen. Alestor was deeply upset at Ronac, but as much as he hated to admit it, he knew that the truth was obvious, no matter how dangerous it was...
Ronac's destiny has been revealed...
