The flames of Cinnabar Island flew high on the day that the Pokémon rebelled. The flames of Charizards, and Magmar's burned the sun and sky.
From the Journal of Professor Oak
Ash ran out of the cave and saw the Charizard breathing flames into the sky. The Charizard's red scales glistened amidst the morning light, Ash's mind fled back into memories of his own Charizard. Despite the fact that he almost never listened to him Ash still remembered and treasured him as a friend, he hoped sincerely that this wasn't the same Charizard. Ash saw as eight to nine Hunters readied weapons of various kinds around him, with one of them using a megaphone to bark out orders to the others. Malone and Max readied their blades and grabbed a few grenades and a pistol each. "I thought that the guns weren't effective," Brock shouted as he ran out after Ash. "They get his attention," Max shouted back. "Help's to distract him from the guy stabbing him in the back." Malone stated. Ash looked up at the Charizard as an order rang out through the air "Give him Hell!" the man with the megaphone shouted and in unison the various Hunters fired various machine guns at the Charizard. "RAWRR" the Charizard screeched out in pain, while not technically a Dragon type Charizard was designated as one because of the largeness of its scales, Gyrados received similar treatment. Ash looked up at the beast and saw it's muscles tense; he grabbed Max and Malone back. "Hey" Max screamed "We've got to get up there" he points to two other Hunters who have started climbing up the mountain towards the Charizard, "Crap" Ash muttered. The Charizard threw his claws down into the mountainside and let out a roar "RAWRR" the shockwave of the claws hitting the mountain causes one of the Hunters to lose his grip and fall, his head roles off of the mountain leaving a trail of blood and guts across the way. The other Hunter stumbled a bit but kept his balance.
"You knew what the bastard was going to do!" Malone shouted over the screams and gunfire. "I used to have a Charizard myself, I've seen them in action." Ash shouted back. Malone grabbed the megaphone from the other hunter and handed it over to Ash. "Tell us his movements as best you can" Malone and Max started up the mountain towards the Charizard. The Charizard took in breath, "It's a fire blast" Ash shouted up, Malone hugged the mountain stopping his climb. The Charizard let out a blast of fire from his mouth, the blast engulfed a group of hunters on the ground. The hunter on the mountainside started firing at the Charizard with his pistol, trying to get its attention. The Charizard took the bait and started swinging his claws at the mountainside; Malone and Max took this as an opportunity to start climbing again. Eventually they reached the Charizard, they took out their blades and dug them into the Charizards scales. "RAWRR" the creature screamed in pain as the blades dug into his side, Malone and Max started to use the two blades to climb the Charizard. The Charizard started to swing his claws at his side to throw the two Hunters off, until an explosion landed squarely in his chest. Malone looked down to see that Ash had taken a Rocket Launcher and was helping them. He saluted Ash and continued his climb, Max split off towards his chest cavity and the other Hunter also started climbing the Charizard's left side towards his wings.
Malone began climbing towards the head of the beast and looked down for a second to see Max. Max was firing a rifle at the Charizards chin trying to keep its attention away from the other hunters. "RAWRR" the monster cried swatting at its stomach trying to dislodge the man swinging from a blade on it. The hunter on the side opposite Malone began pumping shotgun shells into the creature's wings, tearing them apart. "RAWRR" the Charizard screamed; "No, jump!" Ash screamed at the Hunter on the side, but he ignored Ash's warning. The monster slammed its body into the side of the mountain; a large squishing noise could have been heard if not for the gunfire. When the Charizard peeled itself away from the wall a bloodstain was left where the Hunter used to be. Malone finally finished climbing up the Charizard to the beast's head; Malone signaled to Max who stopped firing at the chin, he pulled his blade out falling a few feet and punching the blade back in so he could slow his descent. Malone breathed in and out waiting for his opening. "RAWRR" the creature shouted as he began to swing his claws down, Malone pulled the pin from a grenade and threw it into the monsters mouth. He released his blades as well punching them back in after falling a few more feet away from the Charizard's head. The explosion blew apart the creatures head as the body fell forward and crashed into the hard earth. Malone jumped off the creatures back and onto the ground. Ash ran up to the dead Charizard, he saw the blood gushing from the place its head used to be, Malone could see a small light of regret in Ash's eyes, he didn't blame him. In fact it was kind of refreshing to travel with someone whose soul hadn't been sucked out by the horrors of war.
Clean up, essentially just meant throwing the Charizards body into the volcano at the top of Cinnabar Island. It took nearly the whole village but they did manage to get it up there and launch its remains, sans any edible portions of its body that had already been cut off, into the volcano. Max ran up to Ash, "Hey, listen man we couldn't have done it without you" Ash nodded in thanks but clearly wasn't in a celebratory mood. "Look on the bright side, the meat from this thing will help to feed those people in the cave you saw." Ash nodded to this as well, he neglected to mention that while food was good, an actual house would be good as well. Malone grabbed Ash's shoulder "You did good, particularly considering you've never fought a dragon before…" "Actually I have" Ash piped in. "I may have never fought a 'Dragon' type with guns but I have fought them." Malone released his grip and walked off; it wasn't easy, making your first kill.
That night there was a huge party thrown inside of the Cinnabar City Caves; Ash was enjoying some cake and charred Charizard when three hunters approached him. "Hey there, you did great out there." One of the guys said, "Yeah, it's almost like you knew what it was thinking." Ash insistently shook his head, "I used to have a Charizard, so I knew a few things, and also it seemed kind of groggy." The three hunters looked confused. "That thing was sleepy?" Malone walked up to the three "Makes sense that was the easiest Dragon kill I've ever made." Malone shooed the three away to talk to Ash alone. "You got to enjoy the little things kid." "Ash" "hmm" "If you respect me for making my first kill call me Ash" "Alright Ash." Malone grabbed a chunk of Charizard from the buffet table and started to chow down. "So that's how Dragon Hunters operate huh" Malone looked up from his dinner to Ash, "Yeah, we uh, well we don't last long in this business." Ash looked over to Malone "But you've been in the game for years right." "There are a few of us yeah." Ash just had to ask. "So only the very best survive" Malone laughed heartily at the implication. "Trust me kid I ain't one of 'the best'" Ash pursued the matter "You passed your Dragon Hunter test the first attempt." "Most do; often those who fail don't survive; Dragonite's get hungry you know." "Well still, you and Max have been at this for years, you have to be at least among the best, that's the whole reason I hired you to help me get Misty out of there." Malone took another bite out of his meal, "People over emphasize my accomplishments." Ash was beginning to get upset, he had been told he was hiring the best, while it was good that he didn't brag, he hated the idea that someone who was supposed to rescue Misty didn't feel confidant enough to do so. "Celadon City" "Surviving a massacre isn't the same thing as winning", "You're a Dragon Hunter" "Many others are as well" Ash sighed and went to the Charizard buffet immediately. He knew that while Malone wouldn't admit it he was one of the best that the Hunters had to offer.
The next day Ash woke up bright and early to see that Malone was talking with Max outside. "I'm dead serious here Max" "I can see that, dead being a key word." Malone was pacing back and forth beside the table that Max was seated at, while Max ate some of the left over Charizard. "You promised that you'd be with me on this." Ash was taken aback, was Max trying to weasel out of being part of Malone's team to stop the advance on Cerulean? "I will be, if you decide…" "I have decided, I decided a long time ago, maybe if you weren't sure you could handle this than you shouldn't have offered it up." "I thought you were kidding." Ash walked out from his hiding place "What?" Malone and Max looked up, "Those people are going to die." Ash screamed, "The army can handle themselves" "You know that's bullshit Max" Malone leaned in as Max backed up in his chair now surrounded on both sides. "We've never seen them in action, maybe they are just as good as we are." Max looked to Malone "Malone, Chris buddy, I know you feel guilty because of Celadon and Saffron but you have to notice when something is a lost cause" Max lowered his head "However, I did promise and a Dragon Hunter never goes back on a promise he makes to another Dragon Hunter" he looks to Ash "You're lucky" he points to Malone "If he wasn't a Dragon Hunter you couldn't pay me enough to go on this suicide charge of yours" Max stormed into the cave stopping at the entrance. "I'll meet you at the outskirts of Celadon, we'll approach from there." Ash and Malone stood there flustered by what they had witnessed, "So with this we are off to Vermillion" he pointed to the boat, "we have a few more friends to recruit, apparently whether they like it or not."