The Protector

Chapter 4

After Blazer had left me alone I decided to look around once more. My attention drifted to the circle of stones I had noticed when I first entered his home. I walked over to get a closer look. Inside the circle was some burnt wood and ashes. This must be a crude fire pit that he uses during the night.

I drifted over to the bed and started to sort through the various items scattered there. The collar was still there. Nearby there were some pokemon toys that had clearly worn out over time. The more I look around, the more I start to think that Blazer's trainer left all of these items here for him.

Then, something caught me eye. It was a red box. I reached out and grabbed the item and examined it, it was a pokedex. I have seen Casey's on many occasions but this one was damaged and broken.

Thinking of Casey filled me with sorrow as I missed the one person who ever cared for me. I wiped the tears away from my eyes and tried to forget about it. But her last words stung at my brain like a swarm of angry Beedrill.

Suddenly the log was moved from the entrance and Blazer walked in dragging something behind him. As he came closer I realized that he was dragging a Stantler.

"I can't eat that raw" I protested before realizing how rude I sounded. Blazer lit his back flames, but unlike before, this time they were a gentle flare with embers coming off of his back. He breathed fire onto the charred wood in the fire pit igniting it.

"We are going to need more wood" he told me as he exited the tree. He returned in a few short minutes with enough wood to last a week. He piled on a few logs and looked into the fire.

I sat across from him and watched as he prepared some of the meat and began to cook it. When he had finished he offered it to me and I began to eat it.

Even for being domesticated, eating pokemon was not an uncommon practice. I have had a lot of Farfetche'd and Slowpoke tail in my time.

After a few more bites I realized that Blazer wasn't eating anything and so I asked him, "Aren't you going to eat too?"

"I'm not hungry right now" he replied as he shifted his glance over his shoulder to the crevice of the tree.

'There he goes again, looking in that direction as if waiting for someone or something to show up' I thought to myself as I watched him.

He turned back to me and the fire's light cascaded his body, showing the extent of his time in the wild.

"If it's not too rude of me, can I ask how you got that scar on your eye?" I asked nervously.

He looked at me for a short moment as if contemplating whether or not he was going to tell me. Finally he spoke up. "A long time ago, when my master was training me for my next gym battle, a wild Ursaring came out of no where and tried to attack my master. I jumped in front of him just in time, taking a slash attack to my face. I was lucky he didn't damage the eye. I unleashed a flamethrower on him and he ran off. I've had the scar ever since."

"And that one?" I asked while I pointed to his side.

"I got that scar saving a Wooper from a Tyrantum. He took a bite out of me and the fur has never grown back the same" he said while looking down at his fur.

"And what about that long scar across the back of your shoulders?" I asked, hoping I wasn't getting too personal.

He didn't seem fazed by my questioning as he answered, "I got that one from a Scyther in a pokemon league match. I won, but he left his mark on me."

I asked him about some of the other small scars that riddled his back but he told me that if he couldn't remember where or how he got them, then it wasn't memorable.

"Just one more" I said, "What's that big circle scar on your back?"

Blazer looked confused for a second as he furrowed his brows, "I don't remember getting that one" he replied. I didn't know if he was telling the truth or if he didn't want to talk about it.

I let out a yawn and I prepared myself for sleep. Then I realized that there was only one bed to sleep in. I sat and watched as Blazer got up, but he didn't move over to me and the bed. Instead he went and stood at in front of the crevice and stared into the clearing ahead.

Even from this distance I could see his matted fur and scars. I wondered if he would sleep on the other side of the hollow tree for my sake. Sleepiness finally over powered me as I fell asleep watching Blazer stare into the night.

I could hear Fletchling singing outside and I looked at the fire pit to see that the fire had died out. Sunlight was pouring into the tree, it was finally morning. My first night in the wild had not been so rough thanks to Blazer.

I couldn't believe my eyes, I looked over and saw Blazer still standing in the same spot looking into the clearing, he didn't sleep at all last night.

I got up and walked over to him. I asked him in a quiet tone, "Blazer, did you get any sleep last night?"

He didn't look at me but he answered in his rough voice, "No."

Concerned I asked him, "Why did you stay up all night?"

He turned and looked at me with his red irises. With a solemn tone he replied, "I'm waiting for my master."

My heart broke for the poor guy. He turned back and looked out to the clearing. I looked around again at all of the old and worn out pokemon accessories and asked, "How long have you been here?"

He shrugged, not once looking at me, "I don't know, a while I guess." Before I could ask him anymore questions he turned to me and said with a smile, "Let's walk through the forest and look for your master, I'm sure they are looking for you."

I didn't move, in a downcast voice I replied, "My trainer sent me away. She doesn't want me anymore, she said I was too weak."

Blazer turned to look at me then turned back to the crevice. He replied, "She will come to her senses and she will look for you."

I lashed out at him, "How do you know that? How long have you been here waiting for your master? You were abandoned here and they aren't coming back!"

His ears lowered on his head and I noticed the malice in my words. "Blazer I'm sorry…" I started to say.

He turned to look at me and in a shaky voice replied, "My master is coming back and so is yours. I know this because it is what I choose to believe." He exited the tree and stood in the clearing looking up to the sky.

Well that was a little long but this is a good place to stop. Leave a review to tell me what you think so far and I will try to upload the next chapter soon.