Zac's feet pounded against the ground as he sprinted through the new spring growth of the forest. He knew it wouldn't be long now before the flames caught up with him, the deadfall vegetation from winter provided excellent fuel for a forest fire. "Where are they?" He murmured under his breath as the path rounded a huge tree.
Suddenly, he spotted them. Dancing and laughing atop a burning stump were his Pokemon. "Bagon!" He barked "get down from there! and take the Chrmanders with you". The small blue dinosaur-like creature nodded and gave an affirmative growl, it's huge white skull cap bobbing up and down. With a small roar it shoved the two other Pokemon, a red and a yellow Charmander from the stump then jumped to the ground. They hit the ground running, but Zac had to slow his pace to account for the small limbs of his Pokemon.
As they ran down the forest path Zac turned to his Pokemon, "just my luck ehh?" He panted, "the one day I leave your pokeballs at home". Zac spotted the gap in the thick foliage that served as the forest entrance not two hundred meters away. But by this point the flames had sprung up all around them, falling in cascades of flame that washed over the ground. Although his Pokemon were resistant to fire, an inferno like this would burn even them badly, and blast all the flesh from his bones while it was at it.
Just as he thought it was over, this nightmare could end, a burning tree, broken loose from the ground my the immense heat and pressure, fell before their path, cutting them off from the exit. Zac's eyes grew wide in horror, there was no backtracking here, not with The fire closing ever faster, and none of his Pokemon had any means of extinguishing the flames. Kneeling down low he gathered his three Pokemon to his chest he covered them in his flame proof vest, figuring that if he perished at least they would survive.
A loud sound startled him from his stupor, it sounded somewhat like and explosion, but it didn't sound, right. "Hit it again Blastoise!" Called a faint voice. In response to the command the sound happened again and the thick forest canopy was broken by two huge gouts of high pressured water. The flames in the immediate vicinity of the blast were extinguished immediately where the splash area smouldered at only a fraction of its previous heat. Now more streams joined the original, much smaller streams that purged the area around Zac of the flames.
"It's not working! The log is still there!" Called another voice. "Well I guess we know what to do then. Blastoise, be ready!" A strange purple light emitted as a pulsating sound filed the air, not moments later the light faded to a rainbow hue and a roar came from behind the trees. "Alright then!" Called the original voice "Mega Blastoise, use hydro pump!" There was a real explosion this time as the fallen tree was ripped apart under the immense pressure exerted by a stream of water that closer resembled a laser at this point. As soon as the log disappeared, two more streams joined the first, equally as powerful but much smaller. This new effort seemed to be enough as many of the flames were destroyed immediately and the area was absolutely covered in steam.
"Zac, move, now!" Shaking from his shock Zac grabbed his Pokemon and sprinted through the mist towards the voices. Bursting from the fog he saw his father and sisters, attempting to put the flames out, with help from his dad's Blastoise, Emily's Azumarill, Cara's Octillery and Laura's Feebas. "Alright they are out of there, is it safe now dad?" Called Cara. "Yes, do it now!" Answered her father. "Ok then, Octilery! Use surf!". The red octopus like creature's eyes glowed a luminescent blue for a moment, before it raised into the air on a huge column of water. With a strange bubbling sound Octillery released the water, and a huge wave flowed through the forest, decimating the blaze.
Zac was tackled and lifted into the air, his eyes locked onto the face of his presumed attacker, seeing it to be his eldest sister, Emily. "Ohmygodholyshitareyouokpleasetellmeyouwerenthurt!" The words spilled out of her mouth so fast as to be nearly incomprehensible. "It's alright, I'm ok" he laughed as his sister placed him down from her almost constricting grip. Zac looked down at himself to inspect the damage, his white t-shirt had been blackened by the ash, as did his pale blue trousers, his red flame proof vest however, was perfectly alright. Likewise his Pokemon were completely unharmed, seeing as the flames never got too close and their natural resistance to flames as fire and dragon types they remained untouched. The three Pokemon danced around the legs of ever-patient Blastoise, celebrating their escape.
Zac turned to the sound of feet crunching on the gravel path to see his father with the look he always had after something like this, that half smile-half frown that said he was both worried but also a little bemused. "Are you alright son?" "Yeah" laughed Zac "but the shirt is ruined" his father's serious face returned "I can replace the shirt easy enough, I only have one of you. He gave his dad an anxious smile before turning to face his sisters.
They all looked similar, they all had their mother's platinum blonde hair and thin build. Emily, the eldest at nineteen, was the tallest in the family, standing a full head taller than Zac and had a build to back it up, she worked as a gym trainer, a real gym not a Pokemon league one, and so was extremely strong and had fairly evident muscle definition. She had her father's pinkish eyes and extremely fair skin, at times she could be a bit neurotic and was still hyperventilating, only held up by her ever trusty Azumarill. Laura, the youngest, gave a small sigh "suck it up drama queen he's ok". At fifteen years old Laura was the laid back one of the family, taking that trait for their late mother. She was the shortest of the siblings and thin as a twig, she couldn't have been more than fifty kilograms. Like Emily Laura had their father's eyes but with the darker tan skin of their mother. Cara gave a short bar ok of laughter at her sisters' opposing personalities. Cara was a consummate middle child, almost exactly in the middle of her sister's hight, being just shorter than Zac. She looked almost exactly like their mother, having her tan skin and gleaming grey, almost silver eyes. She was the comedian of the family and knew exactly how to get her kicks out of her easy to lead on sisters.
"It seems your Pokemon are ok too" noted Cara, as the three small reptiles jumped around with Feebas around about the almost non moving Octillery. Zac smiled and caught his yellow Charmander as he ran past, lifting him to his shoulders the Pokemon perched there. Zac himself was the second to youngest at sixteen. He had his father's pale skin and cobalt blue hair with his mother's silver eyes. He was more reserved than his sisters and typically stayed out of their jokes and antics, preferring instead to search for more Pokemon. While his sisters had embraced their heritage as descendants of the people of the water and became aquatic gymnasts like their father Zac took after his mother, as a dragon tamer.
"We should head back, I'm exhausted" Zac half-sighed. "You're right" said his father, his brow curling as he looked into the setting sun "that's enough excitement for today. Meha Blastoise, return" he pointed a blue pokeball with red lumps on it as a red beam shot out. When it hit Blastoise it's body dissolved into the same red light and was pulled it into the ball. His sisters did likewise with thier own Pokemon.
Soon after beginning the walk home the gravel path turned to sand. On account of his heritage Zac's father had bought a home on the beach side for his family many years ago. It was a fairly large home with three stories, the topmost being the attic and thus, Zac's room. Entering into his home he headed straight up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Reaching his room he held the door open for his Pokemon then headed inside. He looked around his comfortable and familiar abode. His television built into the wall opposite his bed, his computer oh his desk on the far wall and the flame proof carpets and blinds his dad had installed after an accident with Charmander. He flicked off his shoes and jumped onto his bed and turned on his TV. He flicked through the channels but for the most part it was just the same shitty old news, but he stopped when he landed on channel 57. Channel 57 was only activated every five years, it was the official world battle arena channel.
Zac sat bolt upright in his bed and watched as a looped trailer played. It opened with a titanic explosion as a Gengar's shadow ball struck a Tyranitar. "Ever dreamed of world-wide fame?" Asked the announcer "ever wanted to be known as the greatest trainer in the world? Well now is your chance! The world battle arena officially begins June 27th and this year we have changed the rules!" Zac's eyes grew wide, competing in the arena was his dream me he had watched them since we has six years old. He thought entering was out of the question however as the rules stipulated you must be eighteen. "This year the arena is open to anyone over the age of fifteen!" Zac's heart pounded in his chest. Could this really be true? Could he really enter? "Get down to your nearest registry office now!" The ad then rolled more clips of previous years but Zac was totally oblivious to it. He looked over to his three Pokemon as the slept on the carpet. "I can finally enter" he whispered to himself under his breath.