A small, black furred fox walks onto the scene.
DarkFoxKit: Hello, hello, it's been a while since TM and I had updated anything, huh? We've had some… trouble writing together for a while. But… *Looks backstage* Hey, get out here already! Don't make me do this by myself!
An orange bipedal lizard with a flame on its tail enters, with a tired expression on his face.
Traveling Master: Can you blame me? I work night shift, and I've been in a gaming mood, I'm trying to balance work, gaming, writing and sleep with my limited time.
DarkFoxKit: That is understandable, but we need to focus. The readers are waiting. So, for those of you who have read Crusaders of Dusk, this isn't the sequel to it, but we've been working on this story for a while now. It's using characters from Mother 3, so spoiler warnings for that if you ever plan to play the game yourself. But you don't need to be familiar with Mother 3 to enjoy the story. This is still a Pokemon story, the human characters are just what we're using from Mother 3.
Traveling Master: Granted, this story would've been posted a lot earlier, but due to my work schedule in the military, things have not been easy when it came to writing. But recently we were able to keep a good steady writing schedule, and now we are proud to finally upload this story. We hope you enjoy.
DarkFoxKit: Just don't be surprised, or too mad at us, if the updates slow down again. ^^' We are trying our best to write this until the end, but real life stuff can… and will happen. Anyways, let's get into this, shall we?
Pokemon Corrupted Sunflower
Prologue: A Happy Family
"In this world, there lives Pokemon. Pokemon come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Some people use them as pets, others use them for battle. And there are others who spend their lives researching Pokemon. They help new upcoming Pokemon Trainers get their first Pokemon."
"Grandpa, we've heard this lecture already!" A young boy who appeared to be the age of 9 whined.
The boy had ginger colored hair, and green eyes. He wore a yellow and blue striped shirt, a pair of orange shorts, and blue sneakers on his feet. Next to this boy was another boy who looked almost identical to him. This boy had blond hair, blue eyes, wore a red and yellow striped shirt, a pair of blue shorts, and orange sneakers on his feet.
"We already know how to take care of Pokemon. We help Dad take care of the Mareep back home, and Boney. And look, my friend, Sparks, has been with us for a whole year now!" The boy with the ginger hair pointed out, holding up a little yellow creature.
"Pichu~" The Pichu smiled.
"Don't interrupt me, Claus. I understand you've been close to that Pichu since you found it injured around here last year, but that doesn't mean you know what it's like to be a Trainer," Their grandfather lectured. "It's different to use a Pokemon in battle than it is to just play with them or take care of them."
"Come on Grandpa," Claus replied before turning to his side to look at the other boy. "Lucas, tell him that we know how to handle Pokemon."
"Um… well, uh… Claus and Sparks helped Boney fight against some wild Pidgey and Rattata so they wouldn't eat the crops," The blond haired boy, Lucas, timidly said.
"There, you see, Grandpa? I know how to use my Pokemon for battle!" Claus stated proudly.
"Pi, Pichu!" The Pichu agreed as he puffed out his chest to show off.
"Oh, do you now?" Their grandfather remarked with a hint of sarcasm. "Then I guess there's no need for these lessons and I'll tell your mother that you all can go back home."
"What?!" Both Claus and Lucas shouted.
"But you said you were going to take us to see the family of Tyranitar tomorrow!" Clause exclaimed.
"Oh, I did, but that was meant to teach you two some more important lessons on how to be trainers. But since you two seem to be experts, there's no need to take you to them," Their grandpa replied.
"N-no! We wanted to see the Tyranitar! We rarely get to play with them!" Claus whined. "I was gonna have Sparks meet them today!"
"Pichu!" Sparks agreed.
"And besides, Lucas might find his first Pokemon partner here, do you really wanna deny my brother his first Pokemon to bond with?" Claus added.
"I-it's not… that big of a deal, Claus…" Lucas shyly said. I'm actually kinda nervous to see Tyranitar up close… they're always so… big…
"Then perhaps it's best we continue on with the lessons then?" Grandpa asked while raising an eyebrow. "Like you said, we wouldn't want to deny Lucas on possibly finding his first Pokemon, but I can't be fully convinced you two are ready to meet the family of Tyranitar unless you're both prepared."
Claus pouted. "Fine… We live next door to a professor of Pokemon though…"
"I don't mind listening to your lectures, Grandpa," Lucas said. "I like learning more about Pokemon."
"That's good of you, Lucas. But you can't call yourself a Pokemon Trainer without a Pokemon," Grandpa stated. "Tomorrow morning, the family of Tyranitar will migrate down from Mt. Silver. You'll be able to play with them then."
"Dad, are you teaching the boys about Pokemon Trainers again?"
Lucas, Claus, and Sparks turned their heads, seeing a young woman wearing a beautiful red dress, and long brown hair, walking down the stairs. She had a cute fluffy creature in her arms.
"Vee?" The fluffy creature tilted its head.
Lucas smiled as he walked over to the woman and held up his hands. The woman chuckled as she lowered the fluffy creature to let Lucas pet it.
"Hey Mommy, hey Vivi." Lucas smiled.
"Lucas, quit petting the Eevee. And Hinawa, you need to let the Eevee battle once in a while. Being carried and petted all the time will make it coddled," The grandfather sighed.
"Battling is not the only thing Pokemon does, Dad," Hinawa replied. "You have to remember Pokemon also have their own desires, feelings, and dreams of their own. If they wish not to fight, we shouldn't be forcing them to."
"Yes, well, my Pokemon enjoys facing off against the wild Pokemon that live around here," Hinawa's father grumbled. "That's how we all remain strong and survive together. Your sons have an interest in becoming Pokemon Trainers one day, and I'd like for them to be prepared for that day when they get old enough. They are almost 10 years old, that's when they can become full fledged Trainers."
"I know, I want them to be prepared just as much as you want them to be, you have to remember there must be a balance between battling with Pokemon and caring for them," Hinawa advised. "If I remember correctly, the family of Tyranitar tend to be more friendly when they visit from the upper mountain. Last thing we need is anyone to make them hostile."
"And we won't," The grandpa replied. "I already prepared a perfect lesson for your sons."
"Vee Vee?" Vivi asked before looking down at the Pichi. "Wow, Alec is pretty strict about this, isn't he?"
"Tell me about it! He makes us Pokemon sound so boring!" Sparks grumbled.
"I mean he did find you half dead on his doorsteps last year, he probably was hoping Claus made you stronger," Vivi remarked.
"Oh shut up! I just got unlucky with those Sneasel is all. I can't help it that my parents ran away like cowards and left me behind. And what about you? Hinawa got you from a store, didn't she?" Sparks pointed out. "At least I have some experience with the wild before I got taken in."
"It wasn't a store. It was at someone else's house who couldn't afford to keep me," Vivi huffed.
"Still doesn't change the fact I have more experience than you," Sparks smugly remarked.
"Only a little!" Vivi growled. "Doesn't mean you're an expert."
"But it still means I'm more experienced than you." Sparks smirked.
"You're still a baby Pokemon," Vivi grumbled.
"A baby Pokemon with more experience than you," Sparks taunted.
Hinawa looked at Vivi in her arms, and at Sparks.
"I wonder what they're saying…" Hinawa remarked.
"Do you think Pokemon can really talk to each other?" Lucas asked curiously.
"No way, they're just saying their names over and over. That's not a language," Claus dismissed. "But I agree that they have their own thoughts and feelings. I know Sparks wants to get stronger, and go on this journey just like I do!"
"You still have much to learn," Alec sighed.
"Mommy, I'm hungry," Lucas whined.
"It's already getting late, Dad. How about I make us dinner and we turn in for the night? Maybe Claus will have an easier time listening after he's released all that excess energy tomorrow," Hinawa suggested.
Hinawa's dad was about to refuse but was interrupted by his own stomach growling. He gave an embarrassed chuckle before replying. "Well, I supposed we've been at it with the lessons for a while, some food would help prepare for tomorrow."
"Yay! We get to see the Tyranitar tomorrow!" Claus smiled. "I can't wait for you to meet them, Sparks! They're big and strong, and fun to play with!"
"Pichu!" Sparks smiled.
"And Lucas, maybe you should befriend a Pokemon while we're out there. Dad has Boney and the Mareep, Mom has Vivi, I have Sparks, all that's left is you," Claus pointed out. "Once you get your Pokemon, and we turn 10, we can go on our Pokemon journey together! Isn't that exciting?"
"Uh, y-yeah, it's very exciting," Lucas replied nervously. I want a Pokemon…but I'm not sure if I'm ready to take care of one.
The next morning, Lucas was still sleeping in bed. Claus was already up and out.. The sound of Pidgey chirped in the background. Then Lucas heard Claus's voice outside his door.
"Lucas! How long are you going to sleep!? Get up so we can play! … The Tyranitar brought their baby over! It's really cute! Hurry up! Sparks and I will meet you outside!"
Lucas groaned. "Ugh… why does my brother have to be such a morning person?"
Lucas begrudgingly got out of bed. He was still wearing his light blue PJs, and his hair was a mess. Feeling like a zombie, Lucas made his way downstairs. Hinawa was sitting at a table while Vivi was eating some food out of a bowl on the floor.
"Mommy… going out…" Lucas groggily said as he started heading to the door.
Lucas heard a slight chuckle coming from his mom before she spoke up. "Not looking like that you aren't. Go back upstairs and get ready. You don't want those Tyranitar to see you in your PJs now, do you?"
Lucas whined a little. "But Moooom… Claus is gonna yell at me for taking too long… Do I have to?"
"Yes dear, now go on and get ready, Claus can wait a bit longer," Hinawa replied. "The sooner you finish the sooner you two can go see the Tyranitar."
Lucas yawned. "Okay, Mommy…"
Lucas made his way back upstairs to get changed, and comb his hair. He liked to make sure his hair was well cared for.
After Lucas was finished changing into his usual clothes, and his hair was nice and smooth, he went back downstairs. He walked over to Vivi and pet her, he liked how soft her fur was, his mother loved brushing Vivi's fur. Vivi enjoyed Lucas's gentle touch, while Claus usually rubbed her a little too hard.
"Do I look better now, Mommy?" Lucas asked.
"Much better," Hinawa smiled. "Now you're ready to meet those Tyranitar. Make sure to be careful, and keep an eye on your brother. He's very excited and will need his brother to keep him safe."
"I'll keep an eye on Claus, Mommy," Lucas promised as he started to head for the door.
"Oh, and Lucas, don't be afraid of bonding with a Pokemon," Hinawa spoke up. "You're more capable of being a great Trainer than you think. I know your grandpa can be a bit tough with you, but he sees potential in both of you."
"I… guess so…" Lucas replied, though he still wasn't sure if he would be a good Pokemon Trainer.
Lucas walked out of the house, and onto the base of the largest mountain of Johto, Mt. Silver. He saw Alec with his old Miltank. From what Lucas saw, Alec only had a few of his old Pokemon from when he was a Trainer living with him. A Miltank, a Ponyta, a Murkrow, and a Piloswine. From what Lucas knew, Alec was quite the Pokemon Trainer back in the day, though these days he was living alone at the base of Mt. Silver with some of his Pokemon now.
"Hey Grandpa," Lucas greeted. "Where're Claus and Sparks?"
"You know how your brother can be, I told him to wait but he insisted on going on ahead. He knows the path better than you, so I waited until you were ready," Grandpa answered. "Now let's hurry, I already told him to wait once he got there, but knowing him, he'd probably attempt to play with the Tyranitar himself."
"Isn't that dangerous?" Lucas asked nervously. "Aren't wild Pokemon usually… hostile?"
"That's what most city people say that don't know any better. They always think wild Pokemon only care about battling or attacking people, when that couldn't be further from the truth," Alec replied. "Now come, Lucas, it's about time you got to see the Tyranitar up close yourself."
Lucas gulped, but he had been waiting to meet the Tyranitar. He couldn't keep being scared or Claus would never stop calling him a crybaby. "Okay… let's go see the Tyranitar."
Lucas followed Alec up the mountain a little. They stopped when they saw large, green, dinosaur-like creatures. There were a few that had much smaller creatures next to them.
Claus was having Sparks headbutt into one of the bigger Tyranitar in the stomach. The Tyranitar let out a small roar before falling over to the side, acting like it was in pain. Though it soon got back onto its feet and smiled.
"Oh good, looks like Claus and Sparks are already play-fighting with the leader of the terror," Alec chuckled.
"T-that's the leader?" Lucas squeaked.
"Of course. She's the alpha, she's the biggest Tyranitar here. It's also her job to keep her terror safe," Alec explained. "In case you didn't know, 'terror' is what we call a group of Tyranitar."
"O-oh… yeah, I knew that… but… i-is this really safe?" Lucas asked nervously.
"Of course it is. She loves playing with children, now go join your brother, maybe you'll get to bond with their little Larvitar," Alec chuckled.
"I-I don't know, Grandpa…" Lucas frowned.
Alec gave Lucas a little push from behind, making the child stumble towards Claus. Claus felt something bump into him from behind. He turned around and smiled.
"Come on, Lucas, you're supposed to tackle the Tyranitar, not me!" Claus laughed. "I'm trying to teach Sparks how to use Headbutt, and Tyranitar likes it when Sparks tries to hit her as hard as he can!"
"R-really? I-is that safe? What if Sparks hurts his head? Or the mommy Tyranitar get annoyed or hurt?" Lucas asked nervously.
"I'm not the only one doing it, the mommy Tyranitar also has the little Larvitar use Headbutt on her too," Claus tried reassuring. "She seems to know how to be careful with those much smaller than her."
"He's right," Lucas heard his grandpa call out. "They are accustomed to seeing humans, as long as you don't give them a reason to feel threatened, then the alpha will allow you to go near them, even play with them. Why don't you show him, Claus?"
"Alright!" Claus smiled before he backed up for a moment. "Okay, Lucas, Sparks, both of you watch me!"
Sparks, the little Larvitar, and Lucas watched as Claus ran at the biggest Tyranitar. Though instead of headbutting her, Claus just used his shoulder and arm to smack into the Tyranitar. A moment after impact, Tyranitar fell to the side with a growl. For a moment, Lucas actually thought Claus somehow toppled over a Tyranitar of all Pokemon, known to be one of the strongest Pokemon in the region, but then Tyranitar stood back up like nothing happened and just gave a humorous smile.
"You see? Like that! Of course, Lucas, we shouldn't use our own heads. That would hurt a lot," Claus laughed. "I don't need you knocking yourself out, Mommy would get really mad."
"Ready to give it a try now, Lucas?" The grandpa asked.
Lucas gulped as he saw both his grandpa and Claus, as well as Sparks, the Larvitar, and the Tyranitar looking at him, waiting for his response. That only pushed his nervousness further. But then Lucas noticed how the Tyranitar was smiling at him, beckoning him to try, and for a moment it reminded him of his own mother. With the reassurance from both his brother, grandpa, and now the mommy Tyranitar, Lucas built up the courage and prepared to charge.
Lucas charged into the mommy Tyranitar with his arm and shoulder like Claus did. Lucas thought the impact would hurt him a lot more than it actually did. He knew that Tyranitar were part Rock type, and their hides would be as hard as a rock, but the Tyranitar's hide didn't feel too rough or rigid like most rocks did. The tummy area felt more smooth and cool. As soon as Lucas made the impact, the Tyranitar fell over to the side with a growl like she did with Claus earlier. Although Lucas knew now that was just the mommy playing around, he felt kind of good.
"That was pretty fun!" Lucas smiled.
"You see? I told you it was fun, Lucas!" Claus chuckled. "You gotta get out of your comfort zone a little."
"Larvitar!" The baby Larvitar cheered as it jumped up and down happily.
"Pichu, Pi!" Sparks jumped up and down as well.
Alec laughed upon seeing the two smaller Pokemon cheering Lucas on. "It seems the young ones are quite energetic today."
"Ledyba!" A new Pokemon called out.
Suddenly, a big ladybug-like creature flew up to the group. The little Larvitar yelped in surprise as it quickly ducked behind the mother Tyranitar. The Tyranitar looked down to see the new Pokemon flying over to them, though she would always protect her child from potential threats, she didn't see this Pokemon as anything to really worry about. But it was still a new being that she wasn't familiar with.
"I hear you guys are fighting! I can't just let that go! I am Ledyba, and I am travelling all across the region to become stronger!" The Ledyba shouted in Pokemon language. "I see you children have defeated a mighty Tyranitar! So I challenge you to a battle!"
The Ledyba was gesturing to Lucas and Claus.
"What's a Ledyba doing here? They don't normally live around Mt. Silver, do they, Grandpa?" Claus asked.
"No, not normally," Alec replied. "This one seems especially fired up."
"Hah! You think you can defeat me and my Trainer?" Sparks taunted the Ledyba.
"Looks like you haven't heard of me, which is quite a surprise, for you see, I'm no ordinary Ledyba, I am THE LEGENDARY LEDYBA! Now prepare for battle!" Ledyba shouted, preparing to charge at Lucas and Claus.
Lucas yelped as he quickly ran behind Claus.
"It's attacking us! Sparks, quick, use Thundershock!" Claus quickly instructed.
The Pichu didn't hesitate to run at the Ledyba, his cheeks sparking with electricity. "Pichuuuu!"
Sparks shot out electricity at the Ledyba, shocking it. Ledyba let out a yell of pain from the electric shock.
"Nice job, Claus! Ledyba are Bug and Flying type, that was a super-effective hit!" Alec praised.
The Ledyba was covered in black soot from the electric attack, coughing a bit before flying back up. "You think that's enough to beat me?! Take this! My legendary…TACKLE ATTACK!"
With surprising speed, the Ledyba charged and tackled Sparks head on, hitting the electric mouse Pokemon and knocking Sparks a few feet away.
"Sparks!" Claus shouted as he ran up to the Pichu. "You okay buddy?"
Sparks grunted before giving a determined smile while showing a thumbs up. "Pichu!"
Claus smiled as he gave a determined nod towards his Pokemon. "Alright then Sparks, let's show this bug Pokemon that we mean business!"
"Pichu!" Sparks stood in front of Claus, ready for his instructions.
"Wow…" Lucas said in awe as he watched the two of them. "They're almost like… like…"
"They're in sync with each other?" Alec said, who stood beside Lucas, watching Claus and Sparks. "They've formed a bond over the year since your parents took the injured little Pichu in after I carried him to you. It looks like Claus is a natural battler if this is his first real Pokemon battle."
"It is," Lucas admitted. "Dad mostly handled the wild Pokemon that tried to hurt our Mareep."
"Heh, seems Claus inherited your father's battle skills," Alec chuckled.
Ledyba came in for another Tackle attack.
"Dodge it!" Claus quickly said.
Sparks jumped away, avoiding the incoming Ledyba.
"That's it! Now land on its back!" Claus instructed.
Sparks positioned his body in the air to land on the Ledyba's back.
"H-hey! Get off of me!" Ledyba shouted.
"Now use Thundershock at point blank range!" Claus called out.
"Piiii-CHUUUU!" Sparks blasted out a strong Thundershock attack while grabbing onto the Ledyba.
Ledyba fell to the ground, completely out cold. Sparks jumped off of the now extra crisp Ledyba and went over to Claus.
"You did it! We won our first real battle, Sparks! I knew you could do it!" Claus cheered.
Sparks cheered as well. "You were an awesome Trainer too! I felt like I could really count on you!"
Suddenly, Sparks' body was enveloped in a bright light.
"Woah!" Both Claus and Lucas exclaimed.
Sparks' body started to change, growing slightly bigger. Soon the light faded away, and both Claus and Lucas gasped when they saw Sparks. No longer stood the Pichu they both had known for a year, but a slightly bigger electric mouse Pokemon.
"Pikachu!" The electric mouse Pokemon happily shouted.
"Well that's a surprise, looks like your Pichu had evolved into a Pikachu," Alec explained as he looked at Claus. "You and your Pikachu really have a close bond, it takes a lot to get Pichu to evolve."
"Wow… Sparks you look different now, you look so… so grown up!" Claus smiled.
"Pika? Pika, Pikachu!" Sparks looked down at himself, checking out his new body, he even looked back at his longer, lightning shaped tail. "Pika!"
"Hehehe, I'll bet you're much stronger now too!" Claus cheered. "We'll be so ready for our Pokemon journey!"
Sparks smiled as well. "I can't wait to try out my new battle skills!"
"Congratulations, Claus, Sparks, I'm happy for you two." Lucas smiled.
"Hooray! You're all grown up now! When will I evolve, Mama?" Larvitar asked.
"When you have more battle experience, sweetie," The mother Tyranitar chuckled.
"And make sure you eat a lot of soil and rocks," The slightly smaller, but still big Tyranitar next to them said.
"Yes, Uncle, I promise to eat lots of soil and rocks so I can evolve into a big, strong Tyranitar too!" Larvitar smiled.
"Oh, Lucas! Maybe we can catch this Ledyba, that can be your first partner to bond with!" Claus suggested.
"I-I don't know," Lucas nervously said.
"It's okay Lucas," Alec spoke up. "I'm sure with Ledyba, you two can achieve many things together," He then took out a Poke Ball from his coat pocket and handed it to Lucas. "Here, just like I taught you and your brother, and catch that Ledyba."
"W-what? B-but what if the Ledyba doesn't want to be caught?" Lucas asked.
"Lucas, part of being a Pokemon Trainer is to catch Pokemon! Come on, don't get cold feet now," Claus said.
The Ledyba then regained consciousness. "Not bad, you've managed to best me in battle. But I'll go back home and train until I'm strong enough to defeat you in battle!"
The Ledyba was looking at Lucas, though it was possible the Ledyba mixed Lucas up with Claus.
"Hey, my Trainer is over here. Maybe I fried your brain a little too much," Sparks sweatdropped.
"I'll remember that! You…weren't you smaller 5 minutes ago? Bah! I've stayed too long, I need to focus and get back to my training!" Ledyba got up, and after a few shaky tries, managed to get back into the air. "This isn't the last you heard of…THE LEGENDARY LEDYBA!"
The Ledyba flew away before anyone could do anything else.
"Uh… s-sorry, Grandpa…" Lucas apologized, holding the Poke Ball out. "H-here, you can have it back…"
Alec smiled as he shook his head. "You go ahead and hold onto that, save it for when you're ready to catch your first Pokemon."
"Really? T-thanks, Grandpa," Lucas said gratefully.
"But you need to learn to not hesitate so much, Lucas," Alec sighed. "A Pokemon Trainer can only get so far if he keeps hesitating on everything he does."
Lucas looked down at that.
"Don't worry, Lucas! I'm sure once you get your first Pokemon, it'll become a lot easier for you!" Claus smiled. "And I'll be beside you all the way!"
"Pika, Pikachu!" Sparks smiled in agreement.
Lucas gave a small smile. "Thanks, Claus… and you too, Sparks."
"Well, time sure flies when playing with a terror of Tyranitar. Sun's starting to set. Best head back while we can still see the path," Alec remarked. "Make sure to say goodbye and thanks to Tyranitar."
"Bye-bye, Tyranitar, it was nice playing with you and seeing your cute Larvitar child!" Claus smiled.
"Pika!" Sparks smiled as well.
The uncle Tyranitar just let out a lazy yawn. The mother Tyranitar smiled as she let out a happy growl.
"Larvi!" Larvitar smiled at Sparks and Claus. "Bye-bye! I wanna play again soon! Teach me how to get stronger and evolve too!"
"Maybe when you're older, and you decide to travel with us when Claus becomes a real Pokemon Trainer~" Sparks grinned.
Lucas gave a polite bow. "Bye… thanks for letting us play."
"Lucas! Claus! Dad!" Hinawa's voice called out as she and her Eevee walked up to them. "There you are, still playing?"
"You should've seen them, Claus and Sparks had a lot of potential, and the boys seemed to have fun being with the Tyranitar and her child," Alec answered.
"Yeah, we tackled her and watched as she went down," Claus added. "Even Lucas was able to tackle her too. And then a wild Ledyba showed up and battled with Sparks! We showed that bug Pokemon our teamwork and managed to beat it, and then the best thing happened! Look!"
Claus held Sparks up to show Hinawa his newly evolved Pokemon. Sparks held up his paw proudly.
"Look at me, I've finally evolved! So now you can no longer say I'm a baby Pokemon, Vivi~" Sparks grinned.
"You may have evolved, but you're still as childish as you were when you were a Pichu," Vivi huffed, though she was proud of the Pikachu for evolving.
Hinawa smiled as she petted Sparks' head. "I'm very proud of you for being able to fight off the Ledyba, and evolving your little Pichu, Claus. I'd say this calls for a celebration. We'll be having your favorite omelets for dinner tonight~"
"Awesome!" Claus jumped in the air as he shouted with excitement.
"Pikachu!" Sparks shouted, just as excited as Claus.
Lucas smiled as well, he loved omelets as much as his brother did.
"What about you, Lucas? Were you able to befriend any Pokemon?" Hinawa asked.
Lucas frowned, but realized Hinawa likely asked because he was holding the Poke Ball his grandpa gave him. He shook his head. "N-no, I didn't…"
"Oh… that's okay then, there's no need to rush," Hinawa reassured. "I could use all of your help to gather the eggs to make omelets with."
"Yeah! Come on, Sparks, Lucas!" Claus smiled. "I'm hungry!"
"Chu!" Sparks agreed.
Lucas ran after his excited brother and Pikachu back to Alec's house.
"They've got a lot of energy," Alec chuckled to Hinawa. "I know Claus will make a great Pokemon Trainer, though I do worry about Lucas. He hasn't shown any promise in being a Pokemon Trainer, he wouldn't even catch the Ledyba while he had the chance. I'm not sure how he'd handle his first battle."
"Give him time, Claus may have more experience when it comes to battling, Lucas has a softer side to him. That caring nature will help his Pokemon grow, and likewise they will help him grow as well," Hinawa replied. "I know both Lucas and Claus will grow and do amazing things with their Pokemon in the future."
"I hope you're right. While the TV shows and cartoons make the Pokemon world look all friendly and happy-go-lucky, the world can be very unforgiving. Not all Pokemon, especially wild Pokemon, are friendly like these Tyranitar. Some are very hostile and dangerous, I just want to make sure the boys can take care of themselves when they leave on their journey," Alec said. "And it's not just the Pokemon they'll have to worry about. People can be just as dangerous, if not more so than wild Pokemon."
"Oh Dad, you worry too much. They'll be just fine, they'll have their Pokemon and each other to support them if things get tough," Hinawa reassured.
"I guess, you would know since you used to be a Pokemon Trainer when you were a hot headed teenager," Alec chuckled. "And a darn good one too. It's a shame you gave it up before you could really test yourself at the Elite 4."
"I think after the Pokemon League Tournament, my Pokemon and I were done with the whole thing," Hinawa answered. "Especially after Sunny suffered a lot of damage in the last battle. I couldn't bear to see him get hurt anymore."
"Speaking of Sunny, how has he been since you set him free to live in the mountains?" Alec asked.
"Sunny was supposed to be here. He was with the alpha Tyranitar last I checked," Hinawa answered. "Maybe he went to get some food for the young ones? If Sunny is anything like Flint, and he is, he likely would put most of the responsibilities on himself."
"That's a shame. I remember you saying you wanted Lucas and Claus to see Sunny before leaving," Alec remarked.
"It would be nice for them to see Sunny," Hinawa answered. "Especially for Lucas. Sunny is brave and strong now, but I still remember the shy and timid Chikorita from when I first chose him as my starter."
"Heh, yeah, he wouldn't even face a Poliwag," Alec chuckled. "Lucas could learn a thing or two from Sunny."
"Oh well… maybe we can see Sunny before we leave," Hinawa said. "But I also don't want to keep Flint waiting. Maybe I'll write Flint a letter, let him know we might be home late today."
Alec smiled as he followed after his daughter, grateful for her visit and for the chance to spend time with his grandchildren. He hoped Hinawa's words were true, that Flint wouldn't mind if they were a bit late, and that Lucas and Claus would have a safe but adventurous journey in the future.
Hinawa was writing the letter to Flint while Lucas and Claus were munching on their omelets. Alec was enjoying his food as well, his daughter knew how to make a mean omelet. Vivi and Sparks were eating mixed berries and Pokechow on some bowls on the floor.
"It's too bad you couldn't have caught that Ledyba, or befriended a Pokemon, Lucas," Claus said. "It would've been so cool to have a new addition to the family, and you get a Pokemon you could bond with before our 10th birthday."
"I-it's fine," Lucas replied while sporting a fake smile.
Though Lucas was still unsure if he really wanted to catch a Pokemon himself. On the one hand, he had imagined what it would be like to have his own Pokemon, to play with them, to care for them, and to have a bond with them like how Claus and Pikachu did. But then when it came to actually getting his own Pokemon, he always gets nervous. This wasn't the first time Lucas and Claus encountered some Pokemon, and just like before, Claus had tried encouraging him to try and befriend a Pokemon, in hopes of bonding with it.
Lucas had hoped that maybe with the friendly family of Tyranitar, that he'd build up the courage to actually find a Pokemon of his own, but it looked like his nervousness got the better of him.
"Maybe one of Dad's Mareep might end up wanting to go with you on our Pokemon journey," Claus said.
Lucas wasn't sure if he should take one of their dad's Mareep. He thought about asking if he could take Boney, since he was used to Boney, and Boney was already close to both of them. But then that wouldn't be fair, since Boney was supposed to help their dad with the Mareep, not go on some long journey with them.
"Once you boys are finished eating, we'll start heading home. We want to get there before it gets too dark," Hinawa said before thinking to herself. It's too bad Sunny wasn't there. I was hoping that Lucas and Claus could've met him. Maybe next time we'll see him.
"Oh I wouldn't worry too much about that, Hinawa. Even if it was pitch black, the Zubat and Rattata would be happy to give you a hand if you give them some scraps," Alec joked. "It's very safe to go from here to New Bark Village. A lot of the wild Pokemon are very friendly. Who knows, maybe you'll see an old friend on the way. Why, I'll bet even Lucas could get back home by himself."
"G-Grandpa… I can totally take care of myself if I needed to," Lucas whined a little, feeling embarrassed that he was signaled out.
Sparks looked at Lucas for a moment before he turned over to the Eevee next to him. "Why don't you go with Lucas on the Pokemon journey? It'll be fun, and it'll get you to go out of the house for a while, and do more than be Hinawa's cute little pet."
"You be quiet. I'm not a battling Pokemon. I'm perfectly fine just living my life as a cute little pet," Vivi huffed.
"That's lame, don't you think you're being selfish?" Sparks asked.
"Then why don't you go with him instead? You already know the boy, I see no reason why both Claus and Lucas can't use you," Vivi countered with her own question.
"What? I'm Claus's partner, why would-" Sparks started, only for Vivi to interrupt him.
"Exactly, you belong to Claus, just as I belong to Hinawa. You may call me selfish, but you chose to be with Claus, not Lucas," Vivi pointed out. "Lucas needs to find a Pokemon who connects with him, forcing others against their will only spells disaster."
"Jeez, you sure can lecture," Sparks grumbled. "I think you've been hanging out with Hinawa too long. You're acting like a mom."
"Considering how immature you are, I have to," Vivi replied.
"Well, I'm gonna be a lot more mature now that I've evolved!" Sparks puffed out his chest.
Vivi looked at the Pikachu and decided not to comment as her point felt stronger without saying anything.
Hinawa sealed her letter up into an envelope. "Dad, may I use your carrier Pidgey to send this letter to my husband?"
Alec looked up at Hinawa, taking a moment to finish swallowing the food in his mouth before answering. "Of course my dear, I'm sure Feathers would be delighted to spread her wings, she's been itching for some flying distance."
"Thanks, Dad. It's been a while since I used Feathers for mailing," Hinawa chuckled.
Hinawa walked outside of the house. "Feathers! I need you to deliver a letter for me!"
A Pidgey flew towards Hinawa, landing on her arm.
"Good girl," Hinawa praised before she put the envelope into a small carrier case, and tied it around the Pidgey's waist. "Take this to Flint at New Bark Village. You remember where he lives, don't you?"
"Of course I do!" Feathers puffed proudly. "I'll deliver your message faster than a Munchlax could finish their meal!"
Hinawa smiled as she scratched Feathers behind her head. "Then I wish you a safe journey."
Hinawa then tossed Feathers up in the air, allowing the Pidgey enough time to spread her wings and fly off into the distance. For a brief moment, she felt worried as she watched the Pidgey get farther and farther away. Perhaps she was worried about the Pidgey, or that the weather might suddenly turn sour and delay their return home. But Hinawa shook away those doubts, this wasn't the first time she had visited her father. She had made this journey many times before, she knew that she and her sons would have a safe journey back home.
However, as she started to go back into the house, a few large shadows flew over her head. Hinawa looked up, she didn't see any clouds, But she saw strange looking metallic round objects flying by. They didn't look like anything she had seen before, nor did they look like any Pokemon she knew if those were Pokemon.
That's odd… I hope it's nothing bad. Hinawa thought to herself, though she couldn't help but get a sinking feeling in the pit of her gut.
However, before Hinawa went back into the house, a shadow loomed over her. Hinawa turned, surprised.
Hinawa smiled. "Sunny! You made it!"
A large, green looking long neck dinosaur was looking back at Hinawa with a smile. The dinosaur had pink flower petals around its neck, with a white and yellow accent. And it had a pair of yellow antennae on its forehead.
"Lucas! Claus! Come out here! There's someone I want you to meet!" Hinawa called out.
Lucas, Claus, Sparks, and Vivi rushed outside, wondering why Hinawa was calling out to them. They stopped when they saw the new Pokemon at their doorsteps.
"W-whoa! Mom, is that a Meganium!?" Claus shouted in excitement.
Hinawa smiled as she went and greeted the new Pokemon. She wrapped her arms around the Meganium's large neck as it wrapped its neck around Hinawa. Once the two were done, Hinawa let go and turned to her sons. "Lucas, Claus, meet Sunny. He was my first Pokemon partner back when I was a Trainer. Sunny, these two are my sons. The one with the ginger hair is Claus, and the one with the blond hair is Lucas. The Pikachu is Sparks, Claus's Pokemon partner. And I made a new friend myself, Vivi here."
Sunny looked down at them all. Lucas nervously moved behind Hinawa. Claus, Sparks, and Vivi didn't have such issues, however. They moved up to the Meganium.
"So you're Mom's first Pokemon?" Claus asked.
"Wow, you're so big!" Sparks spoke up in awe.
"Sparks, don't be rude!" Vivi huffed.
Sunny smiled. "It's alright. It's nice to meet you all. I heard you were visiting today. I apologize for not being around. I was preparing the nest and getting some food for when our newest child is ready to hatch."
"There's another child about to hatch?" Vivi asked.
"Yeah. You saw my first born child earlier, right?" Sunny replied.
"Uh… no? We only saw a baby Larvitar," Sparks answered.
"Yeah, that was him," Sunny said.
"Wait, what? But you're not a Tyranitar!" Sparks pointed out.
"So? I don't have to be a Tyranitar to have a Larvitar child. My mate happens to be the alpha Tyranitar, thank you very much. She and I grew close these past few years, especially when I showed her I can hold my own in a battle against her. We just recently finally got to have children, just like Hinawa was able to with her mate. Now I'm going to have two beautiful children like she did~ I hope my children will get to bond with her children." Sunny smiled, looking at Lucas and Claus.
"Good luck with Lucas bonding with any of them, he definitely doesn't share his mother's natural gift of bonding with Pokemon," Vivi sighed.
"Lucas kind of reminds me of when I was a timid little Chikorita. I'm sure he'll show his true potential when it comes down to it," Sunny said.
"Wait… you said that Larvitar was your child? Then what about the male Tyranitar that was there earlier?" Sparks asked.
"He's Larvitar's uncle. He's the alpha's brother," Sunny explained. "He was likely there to keep an eye on the little one while I was getting food."
"I wonder what they're talking about," Claus remarked. "I wish I could understand Pokemon."
"Go on, Lucas, Sunny's not going to hurt you," Hinawa promised. "He's just like your father."
Lucas looked up at Hinawa for a moment, before timidly walking closer to Sunny. Sunny let out a sweet fragrance smell to help calm Lucas down. When Lucas reached Sunny, the Meganium gave him a gentle smile. Lucas gave a small smile back.
"How've you been, Sunny?" Hinawa asked. "I know it's been a while since we last saw each other. Did you and the alpha Tyranitar get any closer?"
Sunny nodded and smiled before nudging Claus with his face. Vivi and Sparks looked pretty excited about something.
"I have a feeling there's something you want to show us," Hinawa chuckled.
Sunny nodded.
"Can we go with him? Please, Mommy?" Claus requested.
"Alright, I already wrote to Flint that we'll be late coming home." Hinawa smiled.
"I'll be here in case you want to spend another night," Alec spoke up from the house. "You should be able to enjoy your reunion with your old partner, Hinawa."
"Thanks, Dad. But we should be able to get home after we catch up with Sunny," Hinawa replied.
Chapter 1: The Burning Forest
It was a quiet evening at New Bark Village. The people were starting to retire into their houses. However, the peace was soon disrupted when bombs started going off in the forest nearby, setting the trees on fire. The wild Pokemon living in the forest started scrambling around in a panic. A Stantler was running, when shadows began to surround it.
The Stantler let out a cry that echoed through the forest, but was soon drowned by the explosions. A house that was living in the forest opened its doors. A man, holding a 4 by 4 lumber on his shoulder, rushed outside. He saw a child coming out, but he quickly told the child to stay inside as he ran into the forest to see what was going on. A Farfetch'd quickly rushed after the man, holding its own leek.
New Bark Village was on high alert as another man began running across the village in a frenzy. He immediately ran to a house on a small hill near the lake. He quickly began banging on the door.
"Flint! Flint! Wake up! It's the forest! The forest is one fire!" The man in the red shirt screamed frantically.
A soft whine caught the man's attention. He saw a dark canine-like creature coming out of a doghouse, with a skull on its forehead, and two thick bones on its back. It looked a little intimidating. But the canine creature just gave a sleepy look at the man. The creature was a Houndour. There were a lot of bleating noises coming from the pen next to the doghouse. The Mareep were restless, they likely sensed the danger.
"Flint! Hurry and open up! Why would you lock the door!?" The man shouted as he pulled against the doorknob… promptly breaking the doorknob off of the door.
The man was distracted by the doorknob in his hand, and when the door itself finally opened, he was slightly shocked, causing him to drop the doorknob and watch it roll off into the distance. If it wasn't for the fact there was fire in the forest, he would've gone after the doorknob. Instead he turned his attention back to the opened door, seeing the man he needed to speak to. Standing before him was a fairly tall man, with a brown trimmed beard, sporting a unique cowboy outfit, and his signature hat. It was rare to see him without his hat, so it was no surprise Flint was already fully dressed as he opened the door.
"Thomas, slow down," Flint addressed the man named Thomas. "What's this about a fire?"
"Oh Flint! The forest! The forest is on fire!" Thomas quickly said. "We need all the help we can get to make sure everyone's safe!"
"Have you tried calling the fire department? They should have specially trained Water Pokemon to put out fires," Flint pointed out.
"They're not gonna get here for a while!" Thomas urgently said. "Fuel and Lighter are out there in the fire!"
"What?" Flint frowned. "What about Isaac? Is he okay?"
"Isaac usually goes collecting mushrooms, so I'm not sure if he's at his house or at the mountains, but Fuel and Lighter need to be checked on!" Thomas quickly said.
"Alright, alright, let's go see if they're okay," Flint said as he closed the door behind him. "Boney, let's go boy."
The Houndour stretched out of his doghouse and walked over to Flint. "I'm ready when you are."
"Boney? Why not take your strongest Pokemon?" Thomas asked.
"We're not walking into a tough battle, Thomas, we're going into a forest fire. Taking a Fire type like Boney would be more practical," Flint answered. "Now let's get going, if we take too long, the forest will end up being closed off due to all the flames."
Thomas hastily nodded. "Lead the way Flint!"
Flint, Thomas, and Boney quickly began running through the village. The other people were looking very worried or panicked. People were taking their children inside. A bell was ringing loudly as they were running through.
"Is that Leder ringing the bell over there?" Flint asked.
They saw an absurdly tall man standing next to the town bell. The man was so tall that he could reach the bell no problem. The man wore a black suit, and glasses over his eyes, he also wore a hat on his head. He was ringing the bell with his arm, though his arm looked a little stiff.
"Looks like it. Hey, Leder! Can you see the fire from up there!?" Thomas called out.
Leder didn't reply back.
"As quiet as ever I see," Thomas remarked.
Boney was looking at Leder, sniffing him. There was something about the way Leder smelled that always seemed odd to him, but he couldn't quite put his nose on what.
"Come on, we can see the fire in the distance, it looks like it's getting closer to Isaac's home," Flint remarked, already moving on ahead.
"Coming!" Thomas quickly replied before following after Flint.
Boney gave one last sniff at Leder before turning away and following after Flint and Thomas. Leder continued to ring the bell, the sound echoing as the trio went further to the burning forest.
As they entered the forest, they noticed smoke and how hot it was. They couldn't see the fire yet, but they were getting close. They saw someone knocking on a house's door.
"Confound it! Where is Isaac when you need him!?" A man with a large, black afro shouted as he was knocking against the door.
"Isaac is probably not home right now, stop knocking before you break his door, Matt," Flint calmly said.
Matt stopped pounding for a moment, turning to face Flint. "Flint, glad to see ya. I'm guessing you haven't seen Isaac either then?"
"No, we actually came here to check on him, as well as Fuel and Lighter," Flint answered.
"Then you go on ahead, I'll wait here in case Isaac comes back," Matt replied.
Flint nodded before continuing on through the forest, with both Thomas and Boney close behind. As they were racing through the forest, Thomas tripped over something.
"Ouch!" Thomas yelped.
"Thomas? What's-" Flint began to ask when a scared Oddish popped out of the ground.
"Oddish!" The Oddish yelled, running at Flint to attack him.
Boney jumped in front and headbutted the Oddish away from Flint. Boney growled at the Oddish, daring it to try to attack again. The Oddish hissed back as it tried to use Absorb on Boney, trying to suck energy from the Houndour.
"Boney, use Ember!" Flint commanded.
Boney shot out little fireballs from his maw at the Oddish. The Oddish let out a screech as flames licked its leafy head before it quickly buried itself underground.
"Flint! Be careful with your moves! You don't want to make the forest fire even worse!" Thomas yelled.
"I know, I just wasn't expecting Oddish of all Pokemon to jump out and attack us," Flint responded. "Something doesn't seem right, the Pokemon would've been far from the fire source, yet this Oddish seemed more hostile and didn't care who it was attacking."
"Still, just make sure to be careful with Boney's fire, the last thing we need is for us to get trapped by it," Thomas remarked.
Flint simply nodded before continuing forward, with Thomas and Boney close behind.
They saw someone lying on the ground, looking to have breathed in too much smoke. A fiery looking creature was picking him up carefully.
"Hey, is that Bronson and his Magmar?" Thomas asked.
Flint and Boney hurried over to Bronson and the Magmar.
"Hey… are you alright?" Flint asked the man.
The man coughed out. "I'm… I'm okay… I breathed in… too much smoke… Nova will get me to safety… you go on ahead… Lighter… and Fuel… might be… in trouble."
"Thomas, you got any water on you?" Flint asked.
"Yeah," Thomas answered as he reached for his water bottle and held it up for Flint.
"Here," Flint said as he grabbed the water bottle and handed it to Bronson. "Drink slowly, and make sure that you and your Pokemon get to safety."
Bronson nodded slowly before taking the water bottle, grateful for the cool liquid. Flint would have stayed to make sure if he was truly okay, but they had little time, and Lighter and Fuel still were in the burning forest.
"Nova, we leave Bronson to you," Flint said.
The Magmar nodded and started moving towards the village, and away from the burning forest.
Flint put his scarf up to his nose and mouth, not wanting to breathe in too much smoke. Boney would be fine. Thomas put a mask over his mouth and nose as well. When they arrived in the forest, they saw the flames. The flames were wild and consuming. Wild Pokemon were frantically trying to get away from the fire.
I see why that Oddish attacked us earlier, it must've been too frightened to tell what's friend or foe. The same could go for the other scared wild Pokemon. We better tread carefully. Flint decided, keeping his scarf over his mouth and nose.
"Oh gosh, it's hot here!" Thomas yelped.
Of course it is, it's a burning forest, what'd you expect? Flint grumbled as they continued moving forward.
Boney blinked as his ears twitched and he growled.
"What is it, boy?" Flint asked, muffled a little by his scarf.
Boney was looking ahead. Flint and Thomas looked ahead as well, trying to see what the Houndour was seeing, or maybe hearing, or smelling. The thick smoke made it difficult to see too far ahead, but from what Flint could make out… he saw what looked like figures wearing pig suits, opening up some kind of silver looking box.
Some bug-like Pokemon started coming out of the box, and began to run through the forest.
"What in the Distortion World…?" Flint hissed.
After releasing the Bug Pokemon, the people in the pig suits ran through some thick flames, getting out of sight quickly.
The Houndour started barking and began to run towards the large flames.
"Boney!" Flint called, stopping Boney in his tracks. "Now's not the time to run ahead. I need your help to find Flint and Fuel."
Boney growled toward the direction the strange figures had run off. He snorted before turning away, knowing that Flint was right. Boney kept on looking back occasionally as he returned back to Flint and Thomas.
"The sooner we find Lighter and Fuel and get to safety, the sooner we can figure out who exactly those strange…men were and what they were doing," Flint stated as he gave Boney a brief pat on the head.
"What about those bug Pokemon? I didn't recognize any of them," Thomas asked.
"Neither did I. But we can't worry about those right now," Flint said. "Let's head further in, we shouldn't be too far from Lighter's house."
Flint, Thomas, and Boney hurried further into the forest. Careful to avoid any scared Pokemon that may still be in the forest.
As they got close to Lighter's house, they saw a man lying on the ground, as well as a Farfetch'd that looked to be unconscious.
"Lighter!" Thomas called out.
Thomas, Flint, and Boney hurried over to Lighter and the Farfetch'd. They could see burns all over the poor Farfetch'd, and there were some burns on Lighter too.
"Flint… Thomas… is that you…?" Lighter asked, coughing.
"Lighter, what happened to you and Broil?" Flint asked in concern for both Lighter and the Farfetch'd.
"We…don't…know…" Lighter coughed out. "One minute…it was quiet…suddenly…loud explosion…came from…nowhere… Broil… saved me from… the worst of it… but he's hurt… and Fuel… is back at the house…"
"Fuel is back at your house?" Thomas frowned.
Flint looked at Lighter and at Broil. Lighter was barely hanging onto consciousness, and his Farfetch'd was in no condition to protect him.
"Thomas, you help Lighter and Broil get to safety," Flint instructed. "Boney and I will get Fuel."
"Okay, just be careful, some wild Pokemon might have gone inside their home to try and escape the fire," Thomas warned as he went to help Lighter and Broil.
Flint gave a silent nod as he and Boney moved towards the house. However, before they could go any further, they saw three of those strange bug Pokemon the pig people released earlier.
"Larvesta!" The bug Pokemon shouted.
Boney quickly got in front of Flint as the three Pokemon shot out flames from their mouths. Thankfully, unlike with Lighter's Farfetch'd, Boney was able to take the flames with no issue.
Flint didn't know what kind of Pokemon these were, though he heard them shout 'Larvesta', so that was probably what they were, he knew he had to get these Pokemon away if he wanted to save Fuel.
"Good Boney. Be careful, we don't know what they're capable of," Flint warned.
Boney barked as he growled at the three Larvesta. One of the Larvesta began to roll on the ground, cloaking itself with fire. The other two Larvesta shot out strings of sticky silk at Boney.
Boney jumped back from the Larvesta using Flame Wheel, but his paws got caught up in the String Shot.
"Hold on, Boney, you won't fight alone," Flint said as he picked up the log Lighter had been holding earlier. "Now use Bite!"
Boney, ignoring the strings on his paws, jumped at one of the Larvesta with his maw wide open, creating fangs with dark energy over his maw. The Larvesta let out a squeal as Boney bit down on its abdomen. Meanwhile, Flint swung the log at the other two Larvesta, pushing them back.
After being knocked away and Boney tossing the third Larvesta towards the other two, the three bug Pokemon looked at each before glaring back at Boney and Flint. They figured it would've been a simple three vs one battle and they would overwhelm the Houndor, but none of them expected the human to fight alongside the canine Pokemon. Seeing that it was too much of a risk, the three Larvesta gave a quick hiss before scurrying off, leaving Flint and Boney alone.
"They definitely don't seem like the native Pokemon here. It's one thing to be desperate and afraid because of a fire, it's another when they seek you out," Flint noted, both speaking out loud to himself, but also to Boney. "Keep your guard up, we don't know if more of those bug Pokemon might try and get the jump on us."
"It's strange, they definitely weren't from around here. They smelled of strange chemicals, and other such smells. They also didn't seem to expect a human to fight alongside me, when that's normal around here. I wonder if those Swinub people have something to do with it?" Boney frowned, despite knowing Flint wouldn't be able to understand him.
But despite the oddity of it, Flint and Boney had to hurry. They finally made it to Lighter's house. Since Lighter built his own house, it was made of wood. And wood burned easily. So it was no surprise to see the house was already on fire.
"This looks bad, Boney." Flint frowned. "Fuel! Fuel, can you hear me!?"
"F-Flint!" A child's voice shouted from the top of an open window. "H-help me! I can't get down!"
From looking at the house, Flint was surprised to see it still standing. Lighter wasn't kidding about those explosions. It's a miracle their house is still up, but for how long?
"I'm coming, Fuel, just stay there until I clear a way," Flint instructed.
"T-there's a weird Pokemon in h-" Fuel was cut off as something pushed him down.
Flint couldn't see what pushed Fuel down, but he knew he had to hurry. "Boney, with me now, use Headbutt on this door!"
Boney nodded. Both of them backed up for a second before dashing at the door. Boney used the skull on his head to bash through the door as Flint used his shoulder to slam the door open. The inside of the house was burning. But they had to get upstairs.
Then Flint and Boney heard what sounded like a loud squeaking noise. They looked up and were surprised to see some kind of flying squirrel-like Pokemon. It looked kind of like a Pikachu, but it was definitely not a Pikachu. It gave a smirk that looked to be full of malice. It jumped down at them, covering itself with electricity.
Flint took the brunt of the Spark attack, a shock going through his body as he was pushed into a wall.
"Emolga!" The Pokemon shouted.
Boney ran at the self-proclaimed Emolga, and used Bite to grab onto Emolga's tail, pulling it away from Flint and tossing it into a wall. The Emolga didn't take that too well, using the updraft of the flames to move up into the air, before coming down at Boney with another Spark attack. Boney let out a howl of pain as the electricity went through his body.
This time it was Flint who came in, slamming the Emolga away from the Houndour with his lumber.
"Don't you dare hurt Boney," Flint warned.
The Emogla hissed back as the tooth on its front mouth grew out and glowed. It jumped at Flint, biting into his arm. Despite the pain, Flint slammed the Emolga, and his arm, into a wall. Repeatedly bashing it until the Emogla let go. Flint hissed as his arm was bleeding.
The Emolga tried flying away but was badly injured, so it settled for scurrying away. Seeing that the strange Pokemon was now gone, Boney went to sniff Flint's arm, giving it a few licks to help stop the bleeding.
Flint saw a tattered rag on the counter, seeing that it was long enough to be used as a makeshift bandage. He shook the rag a few times, making sure there was no debris before tying it around his arm.
"Thanks Boney, I'll be okay," Flint said reassuringly. "Now come on, the stairs should be close by."
Boney nodded, he knew Flint was strong. Both of them hurried upstairs, and they saw a large beam blocking the path. They could hear Fuel's crying on the other side.
"No wonder Fuel couldn't get out," Fuel noted. "Okay, Boney, just like with the door. Use Headbutt!"
Flint and Boney backed up for a moment before they ran into the beam, breaking through it with brute force and teamwork.
Fuel yelped when someone broke through the beam so suddenly. He saw it was Flint and Boney, and his shock turned to relief. Flint hurried over to Fuel, helping the kid up to his feet.
"O-oh, Mr. Flint… I was so scared!" Fuel said.
"Shhh, let's get you out of here, the house could collapse any moment now," Flint warned.
"Y-yeah," Fuel agreed.
Flint took Fuel by the hand. "Lead the way out, Boney!"
Boney barked as he hurried down the stairs. Flint and Fuel hurried behind the Houndour. As they were downstairs, the roof began to fall. The flames got bigger and hotter, and the beams were struggling to hold the house anymore. Boney was already out of the house. Flint all but pulled Fuel out of the house. Just in time too. As soon as they were out, the house collapsed completely, covering them in soot.
After coughing and shaking off as much of the soot as they could, though they failed. Deciding to worry about the soot later, Flint kneeled down to check on Fuel. Besides a few scratches and bruises, Fuel was relatively fine, though he could tell how scared he was.
"You okay Fuel? You're not hurt, are you?" Flint asked, wanting to be double sure.
"I-I'm okay, Mr. Flint. Thank you for coming to save me," Fuel replied before he looked at Flint and started laughing. "You're pitch black. Mr. Flint!"
"So are you, kiddo," Flint chuckled, seeing how Fuel was starting to feel better after seeing him covered in soot.
"Ah! I am! But I'm alive! We… should get out of here," Fuel said. "My dad and Broil are probably worried."
"Yeah, let's get out of here," Flint agreed. "We'll let the fire department handle the burning forest."
Fuel then looked at Boney. "Oh! Boney's black too!"
"Fuel… he's always looked like that," Flint pointed out.
"I mean…yeah…but now he's completely dark. You can't even see his white bone thingies anymore," Fuel pointed out.
True to his words, just like the boy and Flint, Boney's body was completely covered in soot, despite his attempts to shake it off. While normally Boney wasn't afraid to get dirty, he knew Flint's mate, Hinawa, wouldn't hesitate to give him a bath. The mere thought of it made him shudder.
"Looks like we're all going to need a bath when we get home," Flint chuckled, making Boney whine.