A/N: Keeping this brief. If by chance you recognize the title and characters, this is a revamped and rewritten version of the 2017/2019 story. The original version has been completely scrapped.

Previously existing characters (mostly) remain. Some placements have been changed, but they are still there.

- Prologue: Fire in the Rain -

aRooOOO-oOoOoOooOo…

A flock of Spearow scattered from the trees. Sentret disappeared inside their nests hidden in the tall blades of grass. A Deerling blindly leaped across the field, kicking clumps of dirt in its panic.

A thousand howling souls. The chorus of the dead.

RoooOooo-OoOOo…

Panting. Despite the cool air from the heavy evening rain, his lungs were burning. From the moment the Chespin crawled out his den of Hilly Fields, he ran. He didn't look back. There was no reason to look back. All he could do was run.

He didn't know how long he was running. He didn't know how far he ran. He didn't know where he was. There were only vague instructions; to seek a specific landmark beyond the hills. It was impossible to miss. It was supposed to be impossible to miss, but it was nowhere to be seen. No matter how much or how long he ran, there were no signs of the land changing. Lost in the sea of grass, he was mercilessly pelted by rain, hunted like prey.

AaRoOooO-oooOoOOOoo!

On all fours now, Chespin sprinted down the vast hill. His face was assaulted by the rude wet blades. He spat as one slapped him across the mouth. Another stuck to his face. He shook his head, blinking the rain from his eyes.

(Keep running…! You have to keep running…!)

The bone-chilling howls continued to sound. The vibrations on the ground grew stronger. It was beneath his feet.

A guttural bark snapped behind him.

Heat. It blistered his back.

He looked back.

Fire.

Chespin lunged and dove down a hill. A heavy trail of flames missed his clawed foot by a hair. Despite the rain, the flames were still too strong. It left the slightest sting on his foot, stabbing and sharp. It lingered as he fell towards the steep ground. As he tucked his body into a ball, he landed in a roll, zipping through the sea of grass in a frantic blur.

Barking. It increased in volume.

He nicked a loose stone. His rolling body was catapulted in the air. Chespin gasped as he uncoiled his body. A small brown bag slipped free, jingling as it spun above his head. He stretched his paws, trying to reach for it, but he missed it by an inch as gravity sent him back down.

A vine shot out of his shoulder. It snatched the bag and brought it down with him. He held it close to his chest.

A growl rumbled behind him.

A dark canidae figure stood some feet away, outstretching its clawed paws towards him. A bright ball of orange rotated from inside its mouth. It flew out as a heavy stream of flames.

It smelled foul.

Chespin twisted his body, but a second too soon. The edge of the flames grazed his backside. The heat burned through his armor. It scorched him. He screamed.

The cool grass swallowed him.

Blistering and seething pain clawed through his burns in waves. Each painful wave felt worse than the last. The soaked ground and the rain were the only things keeping his body from catching fire. It was the only thing keeping the waves of pain a step away from becoming excruciating. Chespin hissed. His breaths were short and sharp. No air filled his lungs. Only the stinging panic swelled within his core.

"Once he burns you…"

Voices. He could hear their teasing voices.

Chester… Needler…

"Once he burns you…"

Pecan…

Chespin pushed himself to his feet, and a horrid sound escaped him. The fresh sting ripped through his backside. He wanted to lie back down. He didn't want to leave the ground. The burns…

"Once he burns you, it will hurt forever."

His muscles trembled. They wanted to give up; from the pain, from the putrid smells, from the exhaustion, from the fear, he didn't know. At that moment, his panic swelled and swelled, until it was extinguished. He didn't know if he was afraid. His body tingled, as if to urge him to move. His senses were everywhere but nowhere at once. Just opening his eyes made his vision blur.

aaAaArOooOOooOoOOOO!

He couldn't stay.

(Don't stop. Keep running…! Keep running…!)

If he smelled him, if he found him, he wouldn't be able to get away. Not again.

He pushed himself to run. He pushed aside his desires to stop. He blocked out the voices that told him it was futile.

He had to keep going.

Chespin could see it, far ahead where the hill was at its steepest. The edge of the forest greeted him. He was almost there! The excitement gave him the small burst of energy his body desperately needed. If he could cross the border, he would lose him. He would be safe.

No. He couldn't make it there in time. It was still a long distance away. His body ached too much, it didn't have the strength to carry him that far.

His eyes caught sight of something else.

Down the slope were a large cluster of boulders. It was strange in the middle of such a vast space, but it would buy him a few seconds of time.

The steep journey down made his paws stumble and twist, but he held his ground, and darted behind the natural structure. The moment he stopped, he felt the blistering pain slam into his back. His legs almost gave in, but he fought against it. He peeked around the boulder, his eyes fixed on the terrain.

The large, canidae figure climbed to the top of the hill. A Houndoom, with its left horn snapped in half. A dark row of crystals was snug below the natural collar around its neck. The largest centerpiece was larger than the skull itself. It reflected even the most subtle source of light as the Houndoom took a long look across the horizon.

It tipped its head back and sniffed the air, and it howled.

Again, the chills shot through his body. The Chespin held his breath, praying that his restless heartbeat wouldn't be picked up under the gusty wind.

Then, he heard the fluttering.

(No…)

The shadow of an avian swept past him, followed by another. Chespin wanted to shrink closer to the ground, but the scorching pain kept him stiff. He hoped and hoped the starlings wouldn't see him. It was getting dark. They were not good at seeing in the dark.

The Houndoom lowered its head as it made its slow descent, cautious to not miss a single blade of grass with every step. Its long arrowhead tail whipped behind it, flicking rain droplets to join the relentless downpour. It would shake its head with a snort when too much water coated its nose.

Chespin silently thanked the master of the storms for granting him a mask. All he had left to do was to stay hidden, and pray that the Houndoom would lose interest and turn back. When he saw it freeze, he almost had his hopes up. But, he had to keep them contained.

A tongue swept its muzzle with a swift lick. It lifted its head again.

"A danger to all of us is what you are."

Despite the rain, the Houndoom's deep, growling, and authoritative voice carried through the winds. Just hearing it was more than enough to send the Chespin's stomach sinking to the ground.

"You hide, because you know it is a fact. If you wish to preserve this country, why not present yourself at last? There is no need to make this more difficult. You can still make the wise decision. It is not too late."

The Chespin shut his eyes. (There is nothing wrong with me! Leave me alone…!)

"I know you are still here. I know you can hear me, fifth child. You refuse to move any further, despite knowing this storm is a pesky distraction for me. My scouts: useless. My nose: blinded. But yet, here you linger. Is it that your heart is heavy with guilt? Do you finally accept that your fate is inevitable?"

(It's because if I move now, you'll only find me! There's no place else to hide!) Chespin squeezed his eyelids tighter. His body trembled from the cold, the pain, the fear, he couldn't decipher which. (Besides, you're wrong! All of you are wrong! The Corruption has not taken me!)

"...You've been burned. Your body cannot function forever."

The silence lingered. The Houndoom said nothing else.

Chespin opened his eyes. He peered over the boulder again.

Houndoom wasn't there.

The pit in Chespin's stomach sunk deeper. He pressed his back against the surface, almost failing to silence his rampant breathing.

(Don't look further. Don't move anymore.)

But to be unable to see the Houndoom wasn't serving his nerves any justice. He gave in to it, just a tiny bit, to lean out of hiding just a little more.

Just a great leap-length's away, the Houndoom had his nose on the ground. He froze in his tracks.

Chespin whipped back to his position and held his breath. The footfalls drew closer. He was finished. There was no denying it. The hiding spot was far too obvious. He found him.

He found him. He'll never return home.

Mama…and Dad… all their sacrifices for nothing.

There was no home anymore.

The Houndoom's muzzle turned the corner towards him, nostrils flaring. Excitement picked up in his breathing.

That was when Chespin felt it; the pit in his stomach flaring like fire. He didn't know where the sensation came from. It was strong, but the tingling all over his body was stronger. The throbbing pain was fading, replaced with strange renewed energy. He was sure they made eye-contact. He was sure that the Houndoom looked spooked.

The sky exploded.

The Houndoom jumped, planting his paws against the soaked earth. Chespin felt his renewed energy leaving his body.

They both looked up, towards the cracks that split across the dark sky's surface. It sliced through the clouds as if it was part of a glass canvas, never disturbing the surface. They were glowing. The cracks were glowing brighter than the sun; a blinding white light that illuminated its surroundings as if it was mid-day. With every fresh break the sky had, snaps were louder than thunder. Each boom made the Houndoom take another step back.

When the cracks merged into a single point, the Chespin had completely forgotten about his dilemma.

It was flaking. The sky was falling apart from the point, and it was spreading. The cracks expanded, chipping from the edges like shards of glass. The blinding light beamed towards the earth as a gigantic spotlight.

The Houndoom recoiled back, panting. His lips curled back, but his tail was between his legs. He turned and ran, until he vanished behind the towering hill.

But Chespin didn't care about that. His eyes were fixed on the anomaly presented before him. It was rotating inside, almost as if it was alive and breathing.

And it spat something out.

He was sure his mind wasn't playing tricks on him. He saw something. And he was positive it fell beyond the hills.

But just as drastic as it made itself known, pieces of the sky started to merge and fuse. It concealed the rift. The cracks thinned and shrunk until it existed no more. The sole evidence of its presence were the clouds parted in the shape of a circle. Evening light spilled through and bathed the ground in a gigantic spotlight. It too, was fading. The rain clouds were merging as if nothing ever happened.

"What just…what just happened?"

It didn't matter. The Houndoom was gone.

The Chespin never appreciated the comfort of the soft pelting rain always brought. For a moment, he feared he would never feel it again.

A long exhale escaped him. He slid down the boulder, and it was an instant regret. The scorching pain doubled and brought him down to the damp grass. He couldn't hold back his cries of pain. The strain in his burning muscles did not allow him to move. If the Houndoom decided to brave what he saw and returned, there would be no more running away.

"I can no longer protect you," he was told, "You must go to Stoneridge."

A paw dig into the earth. He squinted his eyes shut, trying to keep his mind off the pain.

His parents were right. The surface was a dangerous place for him.

But…

"I can't…stay here. I…have to keep moving."

He used the boulder as support to stand. His first step was blistering. The second wasn't much better. He was limping, but stopping wasn't an option.

"I have to keep moving. I'm almost there…"