As mentioned, here is the one shot written for the Discord event! I'll put this under its own story when the actual next chapter goes up.

One Blaze, Two Ways, Three Days

"Each tepig has a choice on what they want their Blaze to do. For your mama and I, we've chosen to protect those dear to us with it. What do you want yours to do?"

My mama and papa asked me that question one night, and at that point, I couldn't give them an answer. That was our ability. Something to help in battle. What more could be done with that? I thought about it often, and hoped to reach a satisfactory response eventually.

That fell to the wayside when the dynamaxes started plaguing the continent. Pokémon were raging in random outbursts, unable to be stopped unless a large group banded together to fight back. Even then, more popped up in their place.

Where we lived, we thought we were lucky the dynamaxing didn't touch our small village. It was nestled in the land between jungle and savannah, somewhere few families lived and less could find. We thought we were safe.

Who could've guessed fate balances luck in other ways.

I woke up that day to Mama's mellow voice, half-pretending to still be asleep to hear their conversation. I opened one eye ever so slightly.

"Are you sure we don't want to join the rest of the refugees following Calyrex? We'll be safer with her," Mama said, peeking outside at the reddened, cloud filled sky. That weather was the norm we came to expect, since the sun disappeared and didn't come back when this disaster started.

"It's a three day journey to where she said they would be, and that's assuming they haven't moved again," Papa argued, taking her hand to pull her back inside the hut. With both of them being pignite however, he didn't make much progress. "It's not just us she's looking out for either. How many thousands of other 'mon is she in charge of?"

Mama sighed, relenting. She sat at the rock we brought in as our eating table. "You're right. We did swear to hold out here too."

"It'll be over soon," he said, planting a kiss in between her pointed ears.

The conversation seemingly at an end, I sat up from my straw bed and stretched my four legs. Mama and Papa quickly changed into a smile.

"Morning, Teppi," Mama greeted.

"Morning," I replied, deciding not to say I overheard them.

I had my own ideas about going with Calyrex. She appeared at our village a couple days ago, informing us of her plan to gather refugees into a select few spots to build safe havens. Mama and Papa, like the majority of the other villagers, chose not to go. Nothing had happened in our village yet, so why take the risk of settling elsewhere? Calyrex said if we changed our mind, she and the others would be in the plains beyond Rickety Woodlands for five days. I thought we should've gone, but it was two against one and arguing with Mama and Papa never ended in my favor.

"Ready for breakfast, kiddo?" Papa said, grabbing the basket placed at the back wall.

I made my way to the eating rock, tail bobbing back and forth. "What do we have left?"

"Hmm…" Papa frowned, setting the basket on top of the table. "We need to forage. Only got two Tamato Berries left, and crops won't be ready."

Foraging, the sole activity we left our little home for. It was agreed in the village that no 'mon should be out and about except for retrieving food. We didn't know when or how a dynamax could strike.

"I hope all the nearby spots haven't been picked clean," Mama added while I took a bite out of the Tamato Berry.

"If it comes down to it, we can ask Caper if he has spare food."

"That camerupt is a hoarder, we can't expect anything from him," Mama scoffed, looking disapprovingly toward his home's direction.

"He still owes us for the time I helped fix the hole in that wall of his. He'll come around."

CRACK! Our heads snapped to attention. It sounded like the largest tree in the world split in two.

"Teppi, come here," Mama commanded, instinctively holding out her arms to me. I went and stood by her side.

CRACK!

"I'm going outside to check. Don't. Move," Papa sternly said. He disappeared out the opening.

My head inched forward, scared but curious. Was it here? Did a dynamax finally hit our village?

CRAAAAACK! The ground trembled on the third sound, shaking the stone walls and knocking Mama to her rear. A couple shouts could be heard in the distance.

Papa burst through the opening and hoisted Mama to her feet with one arm, the other wrapping around me. "We've got to go!"

"What's happening?!" Mama cried, following him out.

Papa didn't need to speak. We saw for ourselves what was wrong. Not a dynamax, but the land- the land was cracking apart. And the center was right in the middle of our village.

"Take Teppi as close as you can to the river. Don't stop," Papa ordered, leading us away from the homes.

"Come with us," Mama said, tugging on him.

"I can't leave our friends. Our Blaze, remember?" he said, passing me into Mama's arms. "Just in case, I love you, kiddo."

I huffed a swathe of embers in defiance, squirming in Mama's grip. "Forget it, Papa! It's not worth it…"

"Our Blaze is our family creed, kiddo. It guides our life." Another rumbling stopped anything more he had to say. "Hurry!" he shouted, then ran towards the village.

Mama started sprinting further into the fields. Unfortunately, a fissure seemed to be following us and skirted to our right. Mama picked up the pace trying to outrun it. The fissure looped around perfectly, trailing ahead and effectively trapping us in. The land then separated into two, forming a ravine full of glowing red energy.

Mama skirted to a stop, realizing she couldn't jump it. "Oh by the grace of Calyrex… Your Papa and I promised we would protect those we love, you most of all."

My heart formed its own rift. I glanced at Mama's eyes, pleading with her not to go through with her solution. "Then why are you leaving me-"

"I can't leave Papa to deal with it alone. And we aren't leaving you. We'll be with you, always up here," Mama said, tapping my forehead. She squeezed me tight. "It's a three day journey to where Calyrex and the others are holding out. Find the river. You must make it. Go!"

"Wait, don't-!" I screamed.

Mama heaved with all her might, tossing me to the other side of the growing rift.

My back hit the grass, sending a jolt through my body. I got to my feet instantly and took one step toward the now expansive rift. Mama's outline turned into a maroon haze from the rift's smoke. "MAMA! MA-" I coughed, unable to shout anymore. I watched Mama become smaller as she ran from the crumbling land. It tore and ripped itself apart, and was already spreading further. I couldn't watch as the ground fell into the energy, going to eat everything and everymon on the other side of it.

I needed to go. Mama told me to run, and if I stayed there, I would be gone too. Through tear filled eyes and a shaky, hollow breath, I turned and didn't look back.

I collapsed onto the riverbank, heaving in mouthfuls of air despite snot running down my snout and into my mouth. Most of the adrenaline disappeared and all I wanted to do was bury myself in the mud.

The weight of the situation was too much. In less than a few minutes, my family and home had been taken away from me. Was this judgment? A retribution for not following the Revered One? Or simply another unfortunate effect from the 'mon who started it all, Eternatus? To make it worse, I had three days to find Calyrex before she moved to another location. Technically two, since half of today was gone already.

How could I do that? Could I do that? With no map, I was left to remember my trips with Papa and the landmark features he taught me to find my way back home. Only now, I was using it to get away.

Papa. Mama. Another wave of hurt. I dove headfirst into the streaming water. The rush of cold took my thoughts away from them. As wrong and painful it was to think of ignoring them, I had to. Dwelling on it meant risking my remaining strength… whatever little was left.

I didn't take my head out for a few moments. I liked water, as weird as it sounded for a Fire-type. The refreshing feeling it gave when I was too warm was comforting, and I needed some comfort in these moments. I finally popped out of the water after I couldn't hold my breath anymore. My breathing slowed down to a quiet pant, at last achieving a small sense of calm.

I thought about my plan as the droplets dried off my face. I found the river, all I needed to do was follow it until I reached the next settlement over, Sunlight Village. Whether I would find 'mon there was up for debate. No matter. Once I got there, all that was left was to march to the burned tree leading to Rickety Woodlands.

I shakily got to my tired feet. If I couldn't get through this, then Mama and Papa saved me for nothing. That thought ignited a tiny fire within me. Enough to get by.

I put one foot forward. Then another. Then another. One step, two steps, three steps…

Somewhere along the way, I realized I needed food. One Tamato Berry wouldn't cut it for the journey. However, I was pressed for time and couldn't waste it searching for food that I might not find. I just had to stick to my path, hoping I either found some along the way or Sunlight Village had some.

I trekked along the riverbank having my ears and tail on high alert. The dank jungle trapped the tenseness in the air with its thick trunks and canopy. My head turned at every swish, every crackle. The uncertainty of what could come out of those noises kept the frown on my face permanent.

Distracting myself seemed to rise up as my new favorite activity, which I picked to be kicking a pebble. On occasion, it would fly far if a sound lined up right when I was about to kick it. On the seventeenth kick, my stomach gurgled fiercely.

"Oof…" I muttered, pausing to let it pass. Suddenly, a sweet, tangy smell entered my nose. I angled my snout to the source; it came from the left. I walked over the mound of dirt and quietly gasped, quickly taking cover at a tree.

In front of the berry bush, a rillaboom and mightyena were having a stare down. Both bared their teeth, circling each other.

"The foresters have everything! Share some, damn it!" the mightyena growled, pawing the dirt.

"Our berries don't grow anymore, not since the damned sky turned red. We need this just the same as you," the rillaboom countered, calm but stern. He fixed the single strand of hair dropping on his face.

"Fine. Have it your way."

The mightyena pounced without a second thought. The rillaboom swung their large stick in the blink of an eye. It connected with the former's ribs, throwing him to the tree I currently hid behind. I yelped as the trunk rattled and the mightyena's head dropped to where he could see me. His eyes widened in surprise, but the rillaboom dragging his tail pulled his focus back to the fight. I scrambled to the riverbank and for the second time that day, ran.

A few hours later, the red sky darkened, indicating night was descending. Like the sun, the moon was blocked from our view, so the big difference between night and day was the ominous red light shining on the landscape. Eerie to a point that Ghost-types hated it.

I decided to press on, hunger and tiredness aside. Sunlight Village would solve both issues, and if it didn't… It was best not to wonder. Eventually the trees cleared and the wooden, cube homes of the village neared. There were twelve in total, looping around like the circular nature of the sun.

I breathed a relieved sigh. The first destination was done. I scanned for lights in any of the windows, yet found none. The villagers might have gone with Calyrex. I staggered to a backyard of one of the homes, leaning against the fence for support. I ducked underneath it thanks to my size and checked the back door. It opened with no resistance.

"Hello?" I called, peeking into the dark. A shelf was built to my left. On my right, my eyes made out the dim outlines of two straw beds. Empty. Adjacent to them was one tall and one wide cabinet. Maybe it had food! I moved to open the wide cabinet when I heard a shuffle inside the tall one. Was somemon… hiding?

I grabbed the handle and swung it open, jumping away into a battle stance. The figure inside shivered, cowering their head instead of attacking. I recognized them as a mincinno, even though their disheveled fur was opposite of what I'd expect from their species.

"Ple- please… close the door…" the mincinno whimpered.

"Hold on, why are you in here?" I replied, inching forward. This mincinno was younger than me.

The mincinno clutched her tail tighter. "No! Close the door!"

I lowered my head. "I'll leave if you tell me what you're doing."

The mincinno picked up my gesture, relaxing slightly. "Bad 'mon are looking for me. I-"

"Where'd that runt go?! She must've gone into one of these homes," a tired voice yelled outside.

"Hehehe, that's great! We get to loot what these folks left behind and get the kid back. Talk about winning big!" another shrill voice added.

"Just find her."

The mincinno covered her mouth and shrunk into the corner of the cabinet. It was obvious the pokémon looking for her were bandits. Pokémon thriving on the wave of chaos the dynamax brought to the continent. If I stayed, it would most certainly end in fighting and taking the last of my energy. Running gave me a chance of making it to Calyrex. However…

I was tired of running. I glanced at the mincinno. I wanted her to feel safe. Comfortable. All us kids deserved that much.

"I'll take care of them," I said, closing the cabinet door. Did I know that for sure? No. But I would try if that was the last thing I wanted to do. I listened to the bandits searching the other houses, tossing objects around and making a racket. My bated breath grew hotter with each passing minute, until finally, footsteps approached the front door of the home.

"That blasted kid sure knows how to hide," the tired voice said, before bashing through the door with their head.

I barely registered it was a turtwig as I spewed smoke through my nostrils. The room instantly filled with smog and the sound of the turtwig coughing.

"What in the-"

I threw my body at him, slamming the turtwig into the shelf. The force collapsed it, raining splinters and wood chunks down on us. The turtwig's eyes spun in their sockets, too dazed to get out of the mess. Their partner, a sandshrew, dashed into the doorframe.

"Hey, who do you think you are?!" he shouted, readying his claws.

I took a broken plank and swung at my oncoming opponent. The sandshrew ate it straight in the face, stumbling backward. With an opening and no wood in the way, I let loose a full power Flamethrower. The flames scorched the sandshrew from head to toe.

"Aaaaah! Hot!" he yelled, tripping down the steps.

To my left, the turtwig shook himself free of the wooden debris. Using the leaf on his head, he conjured a flurry of Razor Leaves to send my direction. I ducked, hearing the leaves thud thud thud against the cabinets. With a stomp, flames engulfed my body and I charged forth. The turtwig leaped out the door as I chased him out, ending my Flame Charge in the middle of the yard.

"Screw it, let's go," the turtwig ordered. "I'm not dealing with a Fire-type in the middle of the night."

The two bandits spit at the floor, then turned to leave. I made sure they left completely, staring at them until their figures were too hard to make out anymore. I plodded inside the home, intent on opening the cabinet to check on the mincinno, but my legs had other plans. I collapsed to the floor, unable to move at all. Exhaustion finally caught up to me. The cabinet door creaked open.

The mincinno's innocent eyes peered out, ogling the mess and me. "Are they gone?"

I couldn't even muster a yes. So, I hoped a blink would suffice.

The mincinno peered out further, double checking. She then scampered to the wide cabinet and opened it, revealing a range of berries sitting in tiny bowls. I would've fallen to the floor if I wasn't there already. The mincinno picked out three Sitrus Berries and brought them to me. I scarfed them down almost violently, and in a matter of minutes there was nothing left.

Some energy returned, prompting me to sit up and take a spot at the straw beds. I hoped the owners wouldn't mind a stranger sleeping there. "What's your name?" I asked.

The mincinno sat next to me. "Minocco."

"I'm Teppi."

"Are you alone, Teppi?"

"Um… no."

"But you're here alone, aren't you?"

"It may look like that, but I have my Blaze to keep me company," I explained, laying my head down.

"What's a 'Blaze'?" Minocco said, leaning on me.

"It's… something tepig are born with. It's like a buddy we have."

"I wish I had a buddy like that."

The concept was probably too abstract for Minocco to understand. How could I put it in simpler terms? "Do you have somemon you look up to, Minocco? Somemon you want to be like?"

"Umm… My moms!" Minocco said, beaming.

"A Blaze is kind of like that. It's something you strive towards. And when you're feeling sad, or so afraid that it feels like tons of super effective pokémon are around you, it gives you what you need to keep going."

"So… if I imagine my moms, that's my Blaze?"

I nodded. "Yup."

"Okay! I'll carry them everywhere!" Minocco announced. A yawn escaped her a moment later. "You're really warm, Teppi."

"I'm a Fire-type, that's why."

"I like warm. Cozy." Minocco closed her eyes.

Not long after, she fell asleep. My eyes shut too. It was a long day, but at least I had done something right at the end of it.

The next morning, a furry finger poked me in my side. The first sight I was greeted with was Minocco gazing right at me.

"Teppi, come look!" she said, pulling on my ears.

"Ow, don't pull those!" I exclaimed, standing up.

"Look!"

She took me outside, and what awaited was a clefairy and sentret. The two turned from their conversation to Minocco and I.

"Look, mommy! Teppi helped beat the bad 'mon. And he gave me a Blaze!" Minocco said, hopping in place.

"Oh, and what's that?" the sentret asked.

"It's a secret!"

"Is that so?" The sentret rustled Minocco's head. "Thank you, thank you, Teppi. I'm Senne, that's Cela. We had a run in with bandits a couple days ago. They forced us to split and we were worried Minocco would be caught. What's a little 'mon such as yourself doing out here?"

My ears drooped thinking about how to respond. I put on a smile regardless. "I'm trying to get to Calyrex."

"Ah, we are too. We can make the journey together!"

My heart fluttered for a second. Having company would make it a much smoother journey. "Oh- oh, really? That'd be great!"

"The last day to find them is today, right?" Cela said. "We can reach it before nightfall, earlier if we push it."

"Then we should get a move on," Senne added, bouncing on her tail. A collective nod later, we were off.

We made it to Rickety Woodlands in good time, arriving there on the third day after traveling all of the second. Senne and Cela having food, plus being rested helped a ton in that regard. I was glad I was here with them too, because the woodlands were intimidating up close. It got its name for the forest fire that took place in it, which never fully recovered to its previous state. The trees retained the black, burned bark and grew withered. If a 'mon listened closely, the groans of trees waiting to fall over sounded like the creaking of stepping on old wood.

Before long, our group was knee deep in the area. I had a tendency to walk faster than most, so I took the lead. We stayed on the soot black trail, avoiding fallen logs and trees that looked about ready to drop. For being burned trees, there sure were a ton of them. The sheer amount clustered together made it hard to see more than a few feet anywhere other than the trail.

A chill breeze ran across my skin. I didn't like the feeling my tail had. "Something feels off," I said, glancing back.

"You're right. We aren't just in the woodlands anymore," Cela said, narrowing her eyes. She went farther ahead momentarily, then returned, exasperation clear on her face. "Take a look."

The trail came to an end, leading into a white glowing square. A warp tile, a sign we were in a mystery dungeon. Rickety Woodlands wasn't a mystery dungeon. Why was it now?

"We have no choice but to go in," Cela said, grim faced.

"Calyrex watch over us… We're so close," Senne muttered, holding Minocco in her arms.

The four of us stepped on the tile, arriving in a box-like area. Trees blocked us on every side, not allowing us to go anywhere else. Another warp tile lay on the opposite end. Was that all we had to do? Walk to it?

On cue, a purple wisp materialized from the ground up, forming into the shape of… a pignite.

"Wait, wait- why-" I started. No matter how much I inhaled, I couldn't get enough air. Ignoring the fact everything about this place was wrong, why did it form pignite? "You aren't real," I squeaked out.

The pignite said nothing, continuing to grow in size until it towered over us. They were nothing short of a dynamax.

"We just need to reach the tile!" Cela said, rushing to the left.

The pignite Roared and flung Cela back. Cela skidded on the dirt, crying out. Senne set Minocco down and went to help her mate.

"What do we do?! We aren't fighters," Senne wailed, propping Cela against her.

My gaze switched from Senne and Cela, to the pignite, to Minocco's quivering body. There had to be a reason a pignite formed out of all the pokémon to exist.

I recalled rumors from the supply 'mon who used to come to our home. They spoke of chaotic dungeons influenced by memories— places that appeared as randomly as a dynamax, once again due to Eternatus. If this was it, I could only do one thing.

I stepped forward, breath quivering and legs trembling. We couldn't run, so why not go toward it? One step. Two steps. Three steps. Four steps. Five steps. Until I faced the dynamaxed pignite head on. I met their gaze as they stared down at me, unmoving.

"You asked me what I wanted my Blaze to do, Mama, Papa. I didn't know at the time. Now, I don't know if I have a full answer. But… I'm more sure than I was back then. I want-"

At the same time, a screech pierced the air. A visceral, ancient kind of screech. My gut flipped multiple times. What horrible thing was happening now? Except, the phantom was screeching too. They clutched their head and keeled over. We were thrown off balance as a tremor, more powerful than a Ground-type's Magnitude Ten, shook the ground. All I could hear were the trees snapping and Minocco's scream, then nothing.

When next I opened my eyes, I found myself on a grassy plain overlooking a vast array of tents. If I glanced south, I could see Rickety Woodlands' dark trees. How did we end up here?

It took a second for the bigger change to sink in. The color of the sky had changed from the gloomy red to its natural blue, and the sun was out!

Senne spoke up, startling me.

"Cela, where are we?" Senne questioned, looking equally confused.

"This… We have to be at Calyrex's camp," she answered, wincing. "Only one way to find out."

Minocco grabbed the tip of my tail, holding onto it. Her eyebrows were scrunched together, and I gave her a reassuring nod. We all made our way to camp, passing by many different species of pokémon. No 'mon paid us any extra mind. They were all too busy murmuring with one another. I tapped the shoulder of a nearby gligar.

"Excuse me, is this Calyrex's camp?" I asked.

"Sure is. But if you're looking for her, she ain't here right now. Went off on some business," the gligar responded.

"Is that why everymon is so concerned right now?" I asked.

"You're joking. You didn't feel that giant rumbling? Gave everymon quite a big scare. None of us know what in the heavens that was." The gligar scratched his head, head tilting to the sky. "Must be good though, if the sky is back." He soared into the air, leaving us to ponder his words.

While that was great, another realization hit me. I had made the trip. I fulfilled Mama and Papa's last wish. Mama and Papa...

"I need a moment to myself," I told Minocco.

I separated from the crowd, climbing to the top of a hill. I plopped down, mindlessly observing the blue sky. Celebrating didn't seem all that great, because…. sitting there, I allowed myself to remember my final moments with them. How they'd still be here if we moved. I felt the tingle in my tail before my heart fell, and in turn the tears. Their question rang in my mind, the one I never got to answer.

What do you want your Blaze to do?

Some would choose to protect those they love. Others would choose to run to survive another day.

But me? I wanted to be there for those who were down. For those who needed a fire to get started. Like Mama and Papa who supported me until the end. Like Minocco and that night in Sunlight Village.

I wiped my tears, building heat from my belly into my throat. I breathed a mighty Flamethrower upwards, a determined expression resting on my face. I knew what mine would do.

My Blaze would be warmth, fueled by the past to comfort pokémon in the present and future. A warmth anymon could gather around and gain resolve.

"That's my answer, Mama, Papa."

…

…

…

"Teppi?" Minocco's voice rang in my ears. "Mommy says Calyrex returned. She's going to hold a speech about eater status being gone. Are you coming?"

Eternatus… gone? My eyes ran across the clear sky. Of course. They were the source, them disappearing would mean the same for the sky and dungeons alike. "Yup… I'll be there in a few moments," I said.

Minocco's footsteps faded out of my hearing.

I pivoted to leave, but halted. In the distance, a band of pokémon crested the ridge of the green fields. My tail perked up immediately upon seeing a speck of orange among them. Those pokémon were unmistakable. My legs acted on their own accord, stumbling but still keeping myself upright as I sprinted down the hill. The specks of orange separated from the band and broke out into a run too. I shouted at the top of my lungs for all the world to hear.

"Mama! Papa!"

My Blaze never burned brighter.

Author's Note: Anyone recognize how this was the play being performed a few chapters back? I hope you all enjoyed this glimpse into what life was like back then!

The next chapter is proceeding well, but school is kind of piling up so let's hope I get it done before then. Until next time!