A Burning Ring of Fire

by WaterCasserole

What was meant to be a regular 30th birthday is turned on its head when a simple cough attack turns into a rabbit hole involving multiple counts of arson, weredragons, an emotional support Pyroar, and maybe a few dragon-riding sessions. At least Lysandre only has to worry about adapting to his new weredragon abilities.

1. Spitfire

Normally, turning 30 years old was seen as an achievement. A testament for entering true adulthood. A celebration, even. However, for people like Lysandre, turning 30 was a sign that adulthood was far behind them and only the grim reality of middle and old age awaited them with open arms.

Coughing, Lysandre sat up in bed and groaned. Normally, he looked forward to June 23rd, his birthdate, but something felt… off. Almost as if something disastrous was about to happen. Shrugging off the unexpected cough, he got ready for the party that would be held at Restaurant Le Wow. Almost immediately after he got dressed, his phone went off in his pants pocket. Answering it, he was greeted to a familiar, cheery voice on the other end. "Happy birthday, my friend! Are you excited for that party later today?" Lysandre coughed as he struggled to respond with an answer. "Not particularly, Professor. I seem to have some sort of cough. I don't know HOW I got it, but I woke up this morning and that's when the coughs started."

"O-oh dear. Did you try to suppress the coughs with medicine or water?" Professor Sycamore asked. "I tried those and they didn't work. In fact, I think they intensified." Lysandre soon coughed again before finishing. "I'll see you later, Professor." "Alright. À bientôt!" With that, Lysandre hung up before heading to the bathroom.

Once there, Lysandre brushed his teeth and noticed something odd. His canine teeth seemed longer and sharper than normal. Almost as if they belonged to some besital Pokémon like an Arcanine. At this point, he had been staring at his newly grown-in fangs for almost half an hour when he coughed again, toothpaste splattering all over the sink. When the coughing fit temporarily subsided, Lysandre breathed in and out intensely, trying to process what happened that morning. He soon noticed that smoke started to rise from the corners of his mouth. In response, he stepped back and went back to his room in fear. Humans didn't normally produce smoke through natural means. That was virtually impossible! After a few minutes, Lysandre worked up the courage to head to Restaurant Le Wow, heading out of his little house in Lumiose City, all while his cough attacks grew more intense as time passed.

Once there, a waiter greeted him. "Bonjour, sir! Do you have a reservation?" the waiter asked politely. "Of course. Merci beaucoup." Lysandre responded before he was escorted to a table with a "reserved" sign on it. Once there, he turned his attention to Professor Sycamore, who sat next to Diantha. "Ah, bonjour, Lysandre!" Diantha said, bringing out a hair styling set adorned with a small ribbon. Lysandre could only smile before another coughing fit seized him. Looking in fear, Professor Sycamore poured the water that had been provided to the table into a glass and silently gave it to Lysandre. Once his coughing stopped, he exhaled and drank the water. "Thank you, Professor. I don't know why I keep coughing my lungs out all the time." For the rest of the quote-unquote "party", everyone was silent. Diantha tried to make conversation multiple times before shutting up again. While this happened, Professor Sycamore noticed that Lysandre's throat seemed to be glowing and embers were floating around his mouth. However, he said nothing, both out of politeness and awkwardness. After all, no one wants to be insulted on their birthday.

It had only been 45 minutes before Lysandre coughed yet again. This time, however, it resulted in him producing flames. Noticing this, both Professor Sycamore and Diantha tried their best to quell the flames to no avail. Amidst the commotion, other customers became focused on the whole debacle. Even the chefs and waiters stopped what they were doing to stare. Tears stung Lysandre's eyes as his mouth burned with the heat of a thousand suns. No one was capable of breathing flames and yet, here he was, being the firebreather for everyone. Eventually, Professor Sycamore and Diantha managed to haul their friend outside, apologising to every customer and chef profusely. Once the trio got their bearings outside, they looked back at the scene of their accidental crime. The tiles on the floor bore heavy black marks and melted into warped shapes while their table possessed scorch marks and even a few drops of blood.

Lysandre took a few deep breaths and noticed the blood that framed the corners of his now-scorched mouth. He was too stunned to speak, so he left the company of his friends without saying a word. He was too embarrassed by what happened to even take the present Diantha got him, so he went home empty-handed. Once home, he sat on his bed and cried, his Pyroar attempting to console his trainer.

After a few hours and a cup of soup, Lysandre went to bed and thought of the disastrous events that transpired that day. These thoughts kept him awake for some hours before he eventually drifted off into an uneasy sleep, tossing and turning all the while. What would happen to him now? Would he be rendered mute permanently? Would he be labelled as an arsonist? Would he spontaneously combust? These questions plagued his dreams and weighed him down until the next day rolled around. While his questions would be left unanswered, what happened next would not only leave him with MORE questions, but leave him stumbling, both mentally and physically. No one could've predicted it. Not even Lysandre himself.