Oh wow, we actually have a plan. As in, we can see an end that'll arrive in a decent amount of time :D. Granted, "decent" probably means at least 7 or 10 drabbles, but hey, progress! We're going to try to update more regularly since we know what we're doing now, though life and other projects still need to be addressed too.

Anyway, a somewhat longer drabble this time, since it tackles two different things.

Poke-Ball 19: Cancerous

"Charizard," said Red quietly, voice trembling.

The ambulance was already here, its sirens howling.

Charizard came out with a flash and a roar, spreading its wings out eagerly. His starter Pokemon had always been cheerful, even as it evolved into its more notorious forms. It was vicious enough in battle, but it enjoyed ferrying him from place to place just as much. Honestly, it was the least fierce of his fighters, but it was his starter, there with him before he even left Pallet Town.

Charizard's happy bellow died as it saw what was left of Arcanine. Its wings folded back as it stared slack-jawed. It slunk forward, making soft crooning cries. Red knew that Charizard and Arcanine had battled many times, both in their baby forms and their current ones. That almost made them friends. Charizard looked back at Red in disbelieving sadness, and Red was reminded of when that mighty dragon was still a small fire lizard.

Then it noticed Blue being hurried away on a cot, unconsciousness and shaking. Charizard let out small alarmed bleats that sounded almost exactly like a Charmander's, tottering after the ambulance crew like it had forgotten it had wings. It had known Blue since the beginning too, and had always greeted his rival joyfully even when Red and Blue weren't.

Perhaps not much had changed at all. Strange how Red's starter somehow was the one least altered by his training. Maybe that was why he favored Pikachu, though Charizard remained as adoring as ever.

"Charizard," Red called, more firmly this time. "It's okay. They'll take care of him."

Charizard stopped uncertainly, giving Red an anxious, bewildered look. The ambulance drove away, with another vehicle coming to pick up Arcanine's body. Pokeballs didn't work on Pokemon corpses, just as antibiotics couldn't break down cancerous cells.

"Erika did this," said Red.

Charizard stared at Red a moment longer, before a cold rage filled its eyes.

"Can you find Erika?"

The orange dragon snorted fire, as if that was an insulting question. It didn't even seem like the same creature. It was like an unseen evolution had occurred, or a mutation. But that was how Charizard was. Its soft heart could petrify in an instant.

"Let's go, then," said Red, getting on Charizard's back. The dragon's body burned even hotter than usual, just as Blue's body was burning to the touch, and Red's heart burned with rapidly multiplying rage.

Charizard roared, spitting fire at the skies as it took off.

IIIIII

"Erika, you should leave," said her father, as Erika calmly poured herself a cup of tea. "When the Champion knows what you've done…"

"Then I will face him, and make sure that he understands the cruel stupidity of what he's doing," said Erika, drinking the brew even though it scorched her mouth and throat.

"But you can't do that here," said the president. "Silph Co is still on shaky ground even with government support. Another scandal like this could bring the company down completely."

Even now he thought of business over family. Erika would have been hurt if it wasn't perfectly understandable. Landing this position was what allowed them to rise out of poverty after the war, and what allowed her to eventually claim Gym Leader status. She wondered what he thought of her now. Perhaps it was best not to know.

"It's alright, father," said Erika, pouring herself another cup. "As far as the media is concerned, I am a ghost." She sipped the searing liquid, before watching the steam rise like smoke. "Though perhaps I do know a better setting to go to. Flowers decorate graves as well as gardens, after all."

IIIIII

Any guesses to where Erika's going? It's probably not that hard, honestly XP