Flame re-awakens back in his underground pit, but is there finally a light at the end of the tunnel?

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Episode Fourty-One: Squirtle and Alpha

I opened my eyes a fraction, and nearly fainted when I was able to see the rocks infront of me.

'Light? How the hell?' I thought to myself, suddenly aware that I was no longer freezing my tail off.

"Ah, looks like sleeping beauty finally decided to rejoin the party," came the chuckle from behind.

"Alpha?"

"The one and only. You missed our rescuers managing to get some air in here, but they can't remove the wall without the roof falling in on us."

"Well that explains why I can breathe. But not how I'm not dying of cold."

"Easy, I am a fire Pokémon so it was a piece of cake to set your tail alight again."

"Thanks."

"No problem, after all, you've saved my tail at least twice so it was the least I could do."

We drifted into silence, trapped in our own thoughts. Although, our stomache's seemed to be thinking along the same lines as the silence was broken by their rumbling.

"I'm hungry."

"I noticed. It's been ages since I last ate, remind me never to go on hunger strikes before a prison break out."

"Do you plan on getting into another prison?"

"Good point. I'm beginning to wonder if I can eat these small pebbles."

"Probably, wouldn't do you much good later though. Trust me on that one," came a voice from the other side of the boulder that locked us in. The sarcastic tone could only have come from one Pokémon.

"Squirtle! I was wondering whether you'd actually show up."

"I'd have gotten here quicker if Pika hadn't tried to kill me for being too slow," Squirtle laughed.

"Any chance of us getting out sometime soon? We're starved in here." Alpha asked, strait to the point.

"Hello, nice to meet you too," came the sigh, "not a chance, if we tried then either our tunnel or your little hole would cave in. Both scenarios we don't want."

"Is there any chance of us getting out at all?"

"We're trying to dig under the boulder, but it'll be slow progress."

The silence started up again, as both Alpha and Squirtle stopped in order to think. While they were busy, I spotted how we had managed to get air inside out prison. A gap between the wall and the ceiling. I climbed to my feet, shacking slightly from hunger, and managed to climb up to peek through it.

"Squirtle?" I said, "Would it be possible to widen this gap?"

There was the sound of mild grunting and cursing before Squirtle appeared on the hole's other side.

"I guess, but not wide enough to get you out," he said with a sigh.

"But wide enough to actually get some food in?" I asked, "maybe get something in here to help fix Alpha's legs."

"That might actually be possible. I'll go ask the tunneling expert and see what I can do."

He vanished from the hole and I hopped down back to the floor, my arms wer starting to hurt from holding me up for so long.

"Well, it doesn't look so bad. We can breathe, we got some light and we might actually get something to eat."

"Unfortunatly, my legs will start hurting again once I've eaten my fill."

"You've just confused me."

"I'm so hungry, I'm not noticing the pain. How else to you think I managed to crawl over here and ignite your tail? I can't do fireballs like you can."

"I'm sure Porygon can think of something to fix you up."

"You hope."

"Damnit Alpha, what happened to all of the 'We will get out of here' optimism? Or was all of it utter bull?" I snapped.

The Vulpix didn't relpy, the depressing silence taking over once more. I slumped down onto the ground and spent the next few minutes picking up dirt and watching it run through my claws. (Boring, I know. But there isn't much to do in a naturaly made prison)

I was about to fall asleep when something hit me on the back of the head. I looked round to see a small, slightly dirty, berry laying on the ground. Soon, a second joined it. Then a third. Eventually there was a small pile.

"That'll keep you going for a few hours, we should have some proper food by then," Squirtle's voice came through the hole I had discovered. Alpha looked up in confusion, so I yelled out, "lunch time!"

I split the pile of berries in half and handed Alpha his portion while tucking into my own. It didn't take me long to finish but it stopped my stomach grumbling at me. Alpha took his time with his, savouring the taste.

'Berries are probably a new food for him,' I realised. I really didn't know anything about Alpha, or any of the other allies I had made. The thought was a disturbing one.

Luckily, I didn't have to think about it much as another couple of berries hit my on the back of the head. Alpha looked up from his meal while I looked at the new delivery. They were brownish with dirt, but I could still spot several patches of the vivid red colour.

"These are not for eating, you never know when some extra firepower may come in handy," Squirtle laughed.