Chapter Twenty-One:
Burned

Disclaimer: I do not own Pokémon in any way, shape, or form. The only "ownership" I can claim are the personalities and my interpretation of how Pokémon look in a more realistic light, but other than that...yeah, I don't own anything on them. XD I do, however, own my original characters and writings, unless otherwise stated. In an exceptional case, a few special OCs belong to their respective owners, I'm merely borrowing them for the story that's to unfold. I'll point them out when their time to show up comes. :3

Note: I'm taking some liberties here with this story by adding in anime or movie-only locations, mainly to put in some more meat on my story. Not to say that games didn't have any substance at all, but when there's multi-media to work with (books, films, games, etc.) I like mixing it a bit. With that said, I won't add every anime or movie-only location to the story. Some may be mentioned, but a majority won't be visited, most likely and major game locations will ALL be visited. :P

And another round of thank yous to those who favorited or liked or reviewed the story! I appreciate it so much! :D

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"Knowing is not enough, we must apply. Being willing is not enough, we must do."
-Leonardo de Vinci

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The canyon air was arid and hot, slivers of shimmering heat waves rising up in the distance and creating dancing illusions to the naked eye. The rush of an engorged river could be heard not much further ahead, somewhat giving the air quality a spark of hope in the semi-barren environment. All of that however, was all a faint concern, if even that, at the current moment.

No, the more current and abrupt one was leering down and rumbling away like thunder right at Lupin and her two pokémon.

"I blame you," Riptide remarked plainly, his yellow-red eyes never leaving the sneering draconic being towering over them. Lupin didn't dare avert her gaze, either. Bullet's voice was lost in his throat, but his body was stiff and unyielding, every inch of fur on him standing on end in silent defiance. Riptide scarcely breathed himself. He may be a water-type, through and through, but a fully-grown Charizard was on an entirely different level than he was at the moment, both literally and figuratively. Even if he went on the offense, the most he'd do is piss the flame pokémon off, right before being turned into a piece of Totodile barbeque, with a side of Growlithe and werewolf to add to the entrée.

"Rip…please shut up, unless you've got a better idea," Lupin hissed back.

"Regardless of whether I have a plan or not, I still blame you. Oh, why yes, we should go to a valley filled to the brim with fire-breathing dragons! Brilliant idea! What could possibly go wrong?" He snarled quietly. The Charizard exhaled heavily through his nostrils, spreading a wave of heat over them.

"Silence," the draconic being thundered at the trio. The sunlight glinted off his fangs, most stained yellow at the roots from age as he flashed them. "You realize you are trespassing on territory that belongs to our kind, don't you?"

Bullet shuddered at the Charizard's deep and grating voice, like rocks grinding against one another. Lupin felt like her limbs were both lead weights and electrified with pent-up energy, just waiting for the right moment to release it all. Dark blue eyes continued to study them, any emotion hidden behind a mask of indifference and coldness. They honed in on Lupin when she finally kicked herself into gear, pushing back up to her feet and dusting herself off. She kept her movements slow and deliberate, her eyes locked on the Charizard.

"I was under the impression that the Charicific Valley was open to the public for visits during the spring and summer seasons. Or am I getting the wrong information?"

The Charizard considered her for a long moment that was steeped in utter silence. The sun continued to beat down on them all. Perhaps, at another point in time, Riptide would have enjoyed it but this was not that time. Bullet slowly shuffled closer toward him until they were pressed up to one another. For once, he didn't complain at the invasion of space.

"You're not completely wrong," the flame pokémon relented at long last. His muzzled pulled into a slight snarl. "But even if it was open, you have no method to get there. Our caretaker is indisposed of and cannot ferry anyone into the valley. Now return to the route you came from."

The creature remained stone still, watching the three carefully. Lupin remained where she was. The Charizard growled in faint annoyance when she continued to not heed him.

"I said go back."

"How far is it?"

"You cannot walk there, if that is what you are thinking. You must fly most of the way. It is further down the river and in the middle of a lake. And you have no flying types to carry you in, regardless."

"And I'm guessing that asking for a ride would be an insult."

"You assume correctly," he continued, canting his head to the side. "But I smell a proposal, yes?"

He eyed Riptide and Bullet as he said this, licking his chops. Lupin took a side step, firmly planting herself between her pokémon and the Charizard.

"They are not on the menu or involved in any proposal I may have." She thought for a moment, watching the large beast before her with a critical eye. He was about as large as Professor Oak's Charizard, Champ, if not a little bigger. Rusty orange scales, defined musculature, lofty height, powerful wings. He was an apex predator; she had no doubt about that. Her eyes strayed to the long tail draped behind him on the dusty ground. The last foot or so of his tail, she noticed, it was darker than the rest of his body and was doused completely in fire. It never wavered or went further up.

She stared into the flames for a long minute, before it hit her. She flicked her eyes back up to the Charizard's face to meet his steadfast gaze and she smiled. Riptide stared at his trainer's backside, trying to discern what she had in mind before it hit him like a smack between the eyes.

"Lupin. Lupin, no. Anything but that."

"What, what's she going to do?"

"Lupin, no!"

"I can handle this, just…trust me. And…step back a bit, it might get a bit…hot."

The Charizard canted his head a little more, a gleam of greedy interest sparking up in his eyes. Lupin turned back to him once more, hands slowly moving to rest squarely on her hips.

"I do have one proposal…if you think you got what it takes to tackle it head on."

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"You're insane. I'm calling it. You're being committed and I will sit and laugh outside your ward when they wheel you off in a straightjacket, strapped down to a gurney."

"I'm not insane. Just inventive and creative in ideas that most people wouldn't label as normal methods."

"No sane person allows themselves to be set on fire, let alone asks a Charizard to do it for them!"

Riptide hissed, discontented and upset, as he trudged along at a purposeful slow pace after Lupin. She proceeded to ignore his pouting; following along the trail they had been told to follow by the Charizard they had met earlier. He had carried them as far as this footpath before dumping them onto it. Bullet kept at Riptide's side this time in lieu of hers, a mixture of feelings rumbling about inside his head.

"You never told me she was like a fire-type. Is she really a pokémon in disguise?" He sounded doubtful as he posed the inquiry, but Riptide could understand him wanting to make sure, to an extent.

The Totodile shook his head. "She's not human, but she's certainly not a pokémon. She doesn't smell anything like our kind."

She smelled like freshly burning embers and of lingering fresh wood smoke. She smelled like a deep forest's secrets, of silver moonlight and dark nights. She was both a source of light and a creature of darkness, a contradiction by all rights. She had fire inside her, but she lurked in the shadows. He was still figuring her out, even now, and that was hard when she didn't even know herself. He sighed, as though in defeat, realizing any rebukes, criticism, or snippy remarks he launched at her would more or less be ignored when it came to her strange abilities themselves.

"…she's not human, but she's still a decent person. Even if she is insane and fireproof and…amnesiac," he relented, glancing at the Growlithe padding alongside him. "You realized from the first time you caught her scent that she wasn't entirely human. This is just one other aspect of her you've found out. You still have a choice of whether you want to stay or go."

Bullet turned away to gaze at the backside of his trainer, silent and musing as they traipsed along the thin track inside a little gorge. The walls pressed in tightly around them, while a strip of river snaked alongside their footpath. Above, the Charizard who had flown them in followed at a slow pace, watching them from above.

"A little further, around the bend," he called down. The minutes passed and soon, they came to the aforementioned curve and the footpath opened to a wider strip with more room to walk along. The river poured into a penned in lake hidden by cliff walls and the water gleamed under the sun, winking brightly at them. They headed toward a steep staircase, where an archaic stone carving of a giant Charizard loomed menacingly over the top of the steps. Beneath the carving, a thick, solid door stood closed. Beyond the stone walls and wooden door, the screams and howls of giants at war rang clearly, echoing off the stony crags surrounding them.

The Charizard bellowed out, twisting into a dive toward the top of the stairs, flaring his wings at the last moment to land. Lupin hefted her pack and glanced back at her pokémon, beaming at them. Bullet wagged his tail a little in response.

"She's good people. She was one of the few who actually cared to look at me and not see a dirty street mutt." A slight smile tugged at his black lips. "She reminds me of Benjamin sometimes."

"Your…other trainer," Riptide quietly surmised. Bullet dipped his head into a nod.

"Yeah. Before…before we lost our home…and we had to live on the streets, when he still moved around and could kind of remember things, he…he still liked to help people, where he could. That was before he started getting sick and could barely remember anything. Except for me, that is…"

Riptide lapsed into another period of silence as they mounted the steps. Bullet went slower, as did Lupin, waiting at intervals on the steps for the both of them. She offered to help, but the Totodile waved her off with a stubby paw. "I need this. Let me do this."

She continued to hover, but she understood not to interfere. When they reached the apex of the steps, the Charizard waiting for them turned toward the door and slammed his tail into it. Embers flew into the air on impact, glittering and then gone within seconds. He repeated twice more before anything happened. The wood creaked and protested, but it slowly cracked open, swinging inward to reveal the innards of the Charicific Valley.

"As I've mentioned…our caretaker is not among us and isn't due back for another half-moon's time."

"Two weeks?" Lupin guessed. The massive flame pokémon shrugged his shoulders.

"Your measurements. Not ours. But yes." He turned toward the fully extended doorway, inhaling deeply as the sight of other massive, rusty orange bodies littered the entrance. Some were sleeping, a few were grappling with one another, and others stood on the sidelines, watching. A few were hanging off the crags of the steep, vertical precipices high up above them, watching the ground activity. Quite a number of Charizard were gliding in and out of cubby holes and niches in the stony hills.

"Welcome to the Charicific Valley."

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The Charizard who had escorted them into the Charicific Valley had introduced himself as Ridgeback. And Ridgeback, it was revealed rather quickly, was not the largest one, by far. There were some smaller than him and then there were the giants who were a good head over him. The valley echoed with the voices of every battling beast, bouncing off the walls and creating a cacophonous symphony of roars, howls, growls, bellows, squawks, squeals, hisses and more.

Riptide and Bullet kept close to their trainer, not entirely afraid, but still somewhat nervous to be among giants such as these.

"I kinda wish I was an Arcanine sometimes. Then I wouldn't feel so small," Bullet confessed as he skirted around one sleeping giant. Its breath rumbled deeply in its chest as it continued to snooze away, unperturbed by the visitors. Riptide had to softly agree. Being among his parents was one thing. These fire-breathing behemoths were quite another. Bullet would be fine, more or less, yes. He was just as fireproof as Lupin was. But he had some risk of becoming a roasted little Totodile, water-type advantage or no. And if that didn't do it, then a quick crunch of their jaws, smack of their tail, or stomp of their feet would do the trick.

He traipsed after Lupin on slightly wobbly legs, uttering a sibilant hiss when a smaller Charizard glanced his way.

"I must admit…you are strange. We have not had a trainer come through here that smelled quite like you."

"I get that a lot these days," Lupin replied to their impromptu tour guide. One thing Riptide had to give to Lupin: she was damn near fearless. She had stood in the flaming vortex the Charizard doused her in for several long minutes and emerged unscathed. When he claimed her coat was somehow protecting her and demanded a repeat, she stripped of it, and…

Now that he thought about it, Ridgeback had looked rather…taken aback for several moments. He had been staring at Lupin's shoulders and arms, at the scars that decorated what exposed flesh there was. But regardless, the second time around revealed the same results and Lupin had won her wager with the young flame pokémon: one impossibly death-defying act for an exchange of passage to and from the Charicific Valley.

Admittedly, she cheated a little. But it got them a ride.

"You smell like fire. Not mine, but of your own heart fire." Ridgeback continued, dipping his head down to her height. He inhaled deeply, his lips peeling back against his fangs and he shuddered all over. The flames on his tail climbed higher, if only for a second, before settling. The Charizard's blue eyes narrowed to slits. "You cheated."

And there it was. Couldn't hide it for long. Riptide bumped Bullet with his snout and the puppy pokémon lurched forward, his hackles bristling. He circled around Lupin's other side, muscles coiled and ready to spring.

"I…uh…erm…"

The tension held for several long seconds. Ridgeback's lips slowly peeled further back until it was almost a smile and he tossed his head back with a chuffing laugh. "A fellow flame walker! I am sure Liza would have liked you, if she were here to see."

The break in the proverbial ice was a relief. Bullet relaxed visibly. Riptide waited, not quite convinced until Ridgeback turned and motioned for the three of them to follow.

"The valley is our home. We train, sleep, eat, breed, and sometimes pass into the next world in this place. Most of us were born of the valley; others have traveled far to roost here. We have seen many intrepid visitors, both benign and malignant."

"I'm guessing that was why you were all menacing and whatnot back at the canyon?" Lupin inquired cautiously. Ridgeback peered at her with a critical blue eye.

"We have had many a thief sneak away into our home and rob our nests or plunder our bodies for…Liza called it a 'quick buck'. They would mean to sell us, living or dead. It has not happened in a while, but it is still an occurrence. We protect our own now and she helps."

"Liza's the caretaker that's away for another two weeks, yes?"

The Charizard growled quietly in agreement. They passed under a stone arch, rounding a bend until they came to another portion of the valley. The ground itself was a deeper depression in the stone, having been worn away. It was pitted and smoking, the ground blackened and scorched from fire. Some rocks and boulders that had been hit before were glowing, the fires inside still going. Impact fissures snaked along the ground, but the real attraction was dancing in the air, throwing plumes of fire all over. A stream of it came close, alighting the ground once again as two Charizard tussled in midair. One managed to break free of the other's grip and twisted around to gain the upper hand, grappling with longer limbs, crushing a wing down to throw them off balance. The grappler dove straight down, pinning the other in a harsh grip. They bellowed as they plummeted and at the last moment, the grappler released its hold, shoving the one its arms forcefully to the ground, pulling up as it went.

A howl of triumph bounced off the stony walls surrounding them, while the one tossed so callously to the earth got up slowly, shaking dust and pebbles off its frame.

"Cripple wing! Learn to fly before you come back up here or I'll teach you a more painful lesson next time!" The one in the air jeered as it passed overhead, twisting to swoop out the way Lupin and the others had come. Ridgeback watched with the same mask he'd worn earlier and turned only when he heard a small whimper from the other.

"You shouldn't be fighting if your wing is still healing, Stone Claw. Go see the elders, have them help look you over. Now."

The other looked ready to argue, but a heavy snarl from Ridgeback made quick work to dissuade the idea. Stone Claw gingerly tucked his injured wing close to his body and marched off the pockmarked battlefield, the ground trembling in his wake as he went. His head remained low as he passed, refusing to make eye contact with neither trainer nor pokémon as he passed.

"If he does not heal properly, he will be grounded even longer. Perhaps permanently. It is a disgraceful thing to have wings and not being able to fly. He's been pushing himself too hard and much too soon since his accident. He'll break it again if he doesn't lessen his training."

"Ouch. I don't think I'd like having wings and not being able to use them. That's like being a bird and being flightless." Bullet replied, ears folding back in sympathy. He watched the Charizard as he plodded away, his head still hanging as he disappeared around the corner from sight. Ridgeback snorted and motioned with a claw for them to follow. They did so, back the same trail they had come down.

"Come. Liza's home was always welcome to travelers. It is still a haven, even if she is not here. You can rest there for the night."

"About that…hold on, Ridgeback." Lupin paused in her trek, stooping to Riptide and Bullet's level. "What do you guys say? You wanna stay the night, or do you want to get back to Route Thirty-Two?"

She waited, her mismatched eyes switching between the two of them attentively. Ridgeback remained poised further down the trail, his tail burning away the shadows under the arch surrounding them. There was a lull in the sparring noises of the other Charizard, giving them all a moment of respite from the dissonant noise.

"We saw the valley and the Charizard. I didn't come here in the hopes to catch one, I just…I kinda just wanted to see and visit. And we did that. If you guys wanna go, just say the word."

Bullet exchanged a look with Riptide, a quiet kind of understanding passing between them. The puppy pokémon lolled his tongue out, giving off one of his signature doggy grins.

"Aw, it's not so bad. I thought they were gonna try to eat us, but they don't seem all that interested. I guess we could stay and catch a ride in the morning, right?"

Riptide bowed his head in agreement. "I was a bit reserved about the idea of coming here, but…I suppose it wasn't the fire-filled nightmare I was expecting. One night wouldn't hurt us. We'll have an actual shelter to use, at the very least."

Her smile was small, but it was relieved and pleased. She pivoted back up onto her feet and toward the Charizard waiting patiently for them.

"We're good to go over here. Show us the way, Ridgeback."

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Liza's abode was a simple, but roomy cabin near the entrance to the Charicific Valley. It was well furnished, and most walls were aligned with photographs of a woman—presumably Liza herself—in various settings, most including the Charizard of the valley. She was perhaps around Lupin's age, with dark cobalt eyes and green hair, a lean and athletic build, donning a myriad of casual or riding gear clothing. A worn out saddle was hung and displayed on one such wall, straps tucked neatly away and the leather was cracked with age. It was the perfect size for a fully grown Charizard. There were also framed awards, letters of appreciation, and certificates proudly displayed, each garnished with Liza's positive actions, deeds, and accredited ventures. She was impressively accomplished.

"It smells like those Charizard in here," Bullet remarked off-handedly as Lupin explored. With each inhalation, he was given a heady scent of the draconic beings time and again. "It's not so bad, once you get used to it."

"I prefer the scent of a fresh river to that of a charred, ash and sulfur-infused landscape, thank you," Riptide said, tipping his nose into the air to sniff. "And it's not as bad in here as it is out there."

"Yeah, about that, I smelled it too. Do you think they're on top of an active volcano or near one?"

"I'm not sure. There was little mention of anything going on with the Charicific Valley that passed along into the lab, not much that I really heard of when I was there, anyway. Except, of course, that they are some of the strongest wild pokémon you'll ever encounter in the Johto-Kanto regions. They constantly train to push themselves to the limit. Anyone who tries to steal from them is an idiot."

"Yeah, but…you heard Ridgeback. People have killed some of the Charizard that lived here. Or captured them for whatever black markets you told us about the other day," Bullet said, casting a look toward the front door. "Anyone who can do that must have some pretty strong pokémon on their side."

The Totodile had to concede to Bullet's point. He was right. Anyone who can take on even one Charizard in this valley was crazy enough. Anyone who could walk away with one of their eggs or even a Charizard's carcass was even more so. Riptide felt a shudder ripple up his spine at the thought. Pushing it all aside, he followed after Lupin, Bullet close on his heels, exploring the modest but cozy cabin.

"Plenty of living space. I can see why she offers rooms to guests," the werewolf called over her shoulder as they passed into a hallway. The floors were well worn from years of being trekked over, yet they were well cared for and clean. Lupin paused at one door, opening it and gave a faint sniff.

"Lots of different scent marks here. Guest room."

She flicked on the lights, more for the convenience of her pokémon than herself and took it in briefly. The room was practical: four twin-sized beds, two small writing desks, a tall bureau for clothing, and bedside tables with a personal lamp. A few wicker baskets lined with comfy bedding sat around the room, presumably for smaller pokémon. It wasn't too unlike a hotel or Pokémon Center room, looking at it from afar. Stripping her coat and pack, the werewolf sighed, feeling the slight drain of the last few days' travel wearing at her at last. Perhaps a night in a bed would be an ideal rest for the night, instead of another one in a tent on the side of the road. Bullet bounded over to one of the baskets and plopped right into it, shouting, "Mine!"

Riptide snorted and moved toward one of the beds. He couched and leapt, scrabbling up until he was atop the mattress and tilted his nose into the air and declared, "Mine."

Bullet growled. "Not fair."

"Other beds. Take your pick."

Lupin smiled, looking over the room again. The curtains were drawn over the window. She moved to pull them back, only to find a Charizard on the other side, sniffing at the pane. Its breath fogged up the glass and wide sky blue eyes stared at Lupin intently. Long and thin pale scars were crisscrossed all over its snout, making it look like a tic-tac-toe game gone wrong. The Charizard tilted its head, blinking slowly at her and offering a toothy draconic smile.

Slowly, Lupin reached for the window frame and tugged it upwards. The Charizard immediately seized the opportunity to stick its snout up against her before she could ask what it wanted. It inhaled loudly, pushing its head clear into the room and shoving Lupin off-balance as it did so.

"H-Hey, watch it! Get out! Out!"

"Shouldn't have opened the window, then," Riptide remarked. Bullet snickered as Lupin pushed at the moaning flame pokémon toward the opening.

"Just a sniff, just a little one, you smell like a dragon! It smells weird and good all at once!"

Lupin paused at the remark, stunned into silence. The Charizard took advantage of her interlude to press its snout up against her once more. He sniffed more, nudging at her arms and giving light nips, lowing quietly. Hot breath poured over her bare arms as he continued snuffling loudly and at length.

"Dragon but not dragon and heart fire and smoke—oh, you smell like a dog—no, no wait, a wolf! I've only seen them once, but you smell like one! You're weird, all right, and is that a tail under your coat? Where did you come from—GURK!"

The Charizard's neck and head was suddenly yanked back out the window it had come through, yowling as another body moved to block the window's view. The window-peeper yelped in pain as the new arrival soundly trounced him in the background, away from view. The strangest part of the exchange was that the other Charizard barely uttered a sound. It was chilling how it did this all in silence. Lupin's fur stood on end, her tail rigid and tense until the cries dwindled to whimpers. The body in front of the window remained still for a long moment, as though it had turned to stone.

She jumped when it finally did move, and a newer face swung into view. This one was larger than the window-peeper's, and immediately set Lupin on edge. While window-peeper's scarred snout was an almost comical look, this one was battled and hardened. Thicker scars were raked across one eye, like claws had done the work, and another one ran up the muzzle at an angle. Mottled pink and knotted scar tissue decorated the back of the long neck, and she could see more across the belly, arms, legs…

Lupin shuddered, ice burrowing itself within her chest and spreading outward toward her extremities at the sight. The blue eyes holding her gaze were dark like thick ice, an unyielding contradiction to his core element. She felt exposed under the larger Charizard's piercing stare, as though it was peering through her rather than right at her. Time was at a crawl in that short time period, but it felt as though more than a few minutes had passed. Hours, weeks, months even, seemed to have crammed themselves into the short period before the Charizard tipped its head in a single nod, turned on its heel and left. The window-peeper was no longer visible, perhaps having taken his leave after his beating from the larger intruder.

Another minute passed before Lupin moved to close the window and closed it.

"He's the biggest one we've seen so far," Riptide said, breaking the silence, staring after the window. Lupin nodded, taking in a careful and measured breath. Her ears twitched under her hat at the rustling where Bullet lay, turning at the noise. He scurried over and she stooped to pick him up, where he immediately rested his head on her shoulder and gave a sniff.

"You don't smell all dragon-y to me. But you do smell like embers. It is weird, but…it's a good kind of weird. Wonder what he was talking about." He pushed back with his paws to peer at her face, head tilting over. He narrowed his eyes at her, as though he were scrutinizing her. "Hmmm. Yeah. You're weird, but…you're the good kind of weird. I can tell."

She laughed when he swiped his rough tongue against her cheek a few times. Riptide watched the exchange from the bed for a short length of time. Lupin finally set the Growlithe down and wiped at her cheek as she offered the room another passing glance. She paused at the sight of something on one of the desks and moved toward it. It turned out to be a sheet of paper and she groaned almost straight away after picking it up and skimming the words.

"Oh, now you tell me!"

"What is it?" Riptide sat up a little more, craning his head uselessly from his spot, as though it would help him peer at the message. Not that that would help either. It was all useless scratches to him.

"A note from Liza." Lupin sighed, waving it. "'Dear guest or guests, welcome to the Charicific Valley! Feel free to utilize the cabin for your stay, there's plenty of food, hygiene supplies and bedding. If the fridge or pantry is empty, there are additional storage freezers in the back room behind the kitchen. Please ensure that you don't leave any huge messes behind before you leave! Thank you in advance. Regards, Liza.'"

"That's it?"

"There's a P.S. at the bottom. It says, 'We have one quirky Charizard who enjoys peeping in the guest room windows for reasons we still can't figure out. He's completely harmless, but regardless, please keep the windows closed or he will try to clamber into the room with you. If the window is open and he is there, just call one of the other Charizard and they'll sort him out.'"

Lupin put the note down back on the desk, sputtering out another sigh.

"Whelp, guess that settles that. No open windows."

"Why would you want an open window with those fire-spitters skulking about, anyway?"

"The air isn't that bad. And it's warm. I kind of like that."

Riptide hummed, somewhat in agreement. Aside from the scent of the place, it was a rather refreshing environment, but it only went so far as the heat. That much he liked.

She didn't press him any further, and neither did he. They explored a little more of the cabin, finding a television mounted to one of the barer walls. Lupin turned it on, mainly for background noise as she moved about the cabin. Food was located and made for all until they settled on a worn but comfortable couch. It felt almost normal, sitting there, watching TV and eating a meal.

The rest of the day passed with little fanfare. They spent the rest of the afternoon outside after lunch, watching as the Charizard napped or flew or fought with one another. A mother passed with her brood, baby Charmander following after her with peeps and croons like little ducklings. Their tiny tails were like candles, bobbing little lanterns as they scuttled over one another toward their destination. A few elder Charmeleon weren't too far behind, rounding up stragglers and paying no mind to the three visitors except for a passing glance or two.

When it began to get dark, most Charizard gathered in groups to bed down for the night. Lupin noticed one Charizard in particular was staring at her and she recognized the crisscrossed scars on his snout. Occasionally he'd fidget his paws and break eye contact to look around, his movements jerky and nervous, as though he was looking for someone. He didn't come any closer and eventually drifted away like the rest to bed down. Only a few sentinels remained alert and awake, patrolling from high precipices or in the air around the valley. Their tails acted as beacons, alerting who was where. Ridgeback found them sitting outside the cabin near sunset as he came sailing in. He addressed them with a deep nod of his head and hesitantly, Lupin returned it with one of her own. The Charizard gave a toothy smile in approval.

"I hope you have enjoyed your stay here?"

"It's definitely a cool place. I can mark it off my map, saying I visited," she said with a faint shrug. Ridgeback hummed back.

"I will be here at first light to escort you back to the canyon entrance. Is that a sufficient time to leave?"

"Sunrise? That sounds fine. It'd be great to get to Azalea Town before sundown tomorrow. Thank you."

"You are most welcome. I shall see you at sunrise, then. Sleep well."

With that, the Charizard bid her a farewell and took to the skies again, speeding away on steady wings. Lupin watched as the flame pokémon left until he was out of sight.

"You guys ready to go to bed or do you wanna stay up for a bit?"

"Can we watch another show? Or a movie? I miss just sitting around like that," Bullet replied, bouncing on his paws. Lupin grinned at him as she opened the door and he sped inside toward the couch.

"Lazy mammal," Riptide muttered, padding along after Lupin inside. She closed the door behind him and chuckled.

"Can't say that when he's practically bouncing off the walls, Rip."

"I can when he passes out after five minutes of snoozing in your lap. And then I'll promptly shove him off so I can soak up some of your warmth."

"Rude," Lupin clucked her tongue at him. He ignored the look she sent him and padded along toward the couch. The rest of the evening passed in a blur, and in the interim, the faint cries of Charizard could be heard. Things settled more as the time passed into the late evening hours and they were all crawling into bed. It felt good to lie on a mattress with a roof over their head rather than a mat in a tent.

The last thing she remembered before falling asleep was setting the alarm and turning over to see a nearly swollen moon peaking up over a cliff. A tiny figure scurried in front of it before disappearing just as she rolled back over to go to sleep.

OoOoOoOoOoO

Note: (Plays the Jurassic Park theme song in the background) …What? I know someone was thinking of it. I know I was. Pffft.