Author's Note: this is more a filler chapter to better explain why Pyre will not play a larger role in the story as a whole.

Chapter 21: A Dimmed Light, But The Brightest Still

Pyre stood happily beside Shadow staring forward at his soon to be opponent. Pyre was quite the brave pokemon. His opponent was a Gyarados, which was by no means a weak or common pokemon. The water and flying type pokemon was looking particularly aggressive. "You should get outta here guys." Pyre gestured to Cynder and Aqua.

The squirtle didn't listen. "I'm not leaving you Pyre, I can help you."

"I'll say it so Pyre doesn't, you'll just be in the way of you stay. Blade, you should go with them, have some fun why don't you."

Blade nods and gently pulls Aqua by the arm getting the squirtle to follow him. "Come on let's go." Cynder follows them closely knowing that as much as she loved to watch Pyre fight and have fun, he could do it better when he wasn't worried about her getting caught in the crossfire.

Once they were all out of range, Shadow floated back. "Have at him Pyre."

Pyre stretched his limbs happily. "Oh boy I'm getting excited! Hey don't hold it against me if I win okay!" The Gyarados roared as a group of water types fled from the pool of water behind it. They stopped just a ways off watching from a distance. Pyre stepped up, smiling at Gyarados.

Before Pyre could do anything further Gyarados charged a massive attack and fired the massive hyper beam. If human research was to be believed this attack should have incinerated any opponent. But once the attack subsided, Pyre was left on his back coughing lightly. He shook his head and stood up. Before slamming a mega punch into Gyarados. It had little effect. Then he did so again and again and again. Gyarados didn't bother wasting time and hit Pyre with a hydro pump.

*A short while later with Blade*

The sneasel followed Aqua and Cynder around the tree. "What….what is this?"

"What's wrong Blade, have you never played tag?"

Blade cocked his head to the side "Tag?"

Aqua and Cynder frowned a moment and walked over to him. Cynder spoke softly "it's a game silly, you've never played a game? It's something fun to do as a group."

"Does beating up the smallest person count as a game?"

The other two pokemon reeled a moment. Aqua spoke first "Definitely not! Where did you get an idea like that?"

Blade looked down sadly "my siblings always beat me up for fun…."

They looked between each other. Cynder spoke happily "well, let's do this then, we'll show you how to play tag." She stood just in front of him and poked him. "So, one person is "it" and that player has to gently touch another player and then that player is it. The only rules are, one no hurting other players, two don't lie about being it, three be courteous, and four have fun!"

Blade smiled and gently tapped Cynder. "Like that?"

"Exactly!" Cynder bounced in place.

"I'll be it first!" Aqua smiled happily. And so the three went to playing tag, and for a pokemon like Blade, it was the most fun they'd have for a while. The last bit of fun one of them would ever experience.

*With Pyre and Shadow*

Pyre tanked the next hit from Gyarados. It was Thrash. Though the powerful move rocked the smaller pokemon, the fire type stayed standing, and retaliated hitting back with Counter. The attack knocked Gyarados back, and the larger pokemon was stunned for a moment. Pyre carried on the attack charging up some energy in his right claw fist. "I learned this from an old friend!" He slammed his fist against Gyarados this time his fist coated itself in electricity, and the shock of Thunder Punch subdued Gyarados. Pyre watched the Gyarados writhe and crumble to the ground in defeat. The fire type jumped into the air and pumped his fist. "Aawwwwww yeah! I did it! I friggin wooooooon! Hahahaha that was awesome!"

"Don't let it go to your head Pyre." Shadow turned away preparing to head off.

"Ah, don't sweat it bro, it's fine." Pyre followed him putting his clawed hands behind his head.

*An hour later*

"Blade, what's going on?" Shadow asked seeing Blade exhausted and seated beneath a tree.

"Cynder, Aqua, and I" Blade began, his panting slowing him down "we were playing tag….and at some point….we lost track of Cynder. We've been searching for a while." Blade looked upset.

"What's troubling you my dear?"

"It's just….she wanted to help me have fun…" Blade frowned. "I'm scared something might have happened because of it."

"I'm sure it's fine Blade, we'll keep looking." Shadow scratched Blade behind the ear comfortingly.

"Yeah, you guys just relax, we'll take care of it." Pyre smiled happily and started walking away to look for Cynder. Shadow went the other way in search of her. And as they walked, Pyre thought of Cynder, but the way he was remembering her made him somewhat uneasy.

*Pyre's Memories*

The first memory, Pyre sat on a beach beside Cynder, both chowing down on some berries, and drinking down some lemonade. Some trainers walked away defeated by Pyre. He always had a way of getting food and drink from humans and they always agreed, the ones that didn't never got the courtesy of him holding back as much. The way the two continued to eat and drink was beyond happy. And when they looked into each other's eyes, they became lost in their love. Pyre leaned in and gently kissed the side of Cynder's face and she returned his affection with a loving lick.

Another memory flashed before his eyes.

He danced with Cynder, not taking his eyes off of the Fennekin. His dance was little more than holding his arms up and hopping from one foot to the other. Cynder waved herself from side to side. As the other pokemon around them enjoyed their little celebration, the entire thing was Invisible to them. She was the center of his universe and he was the center of her's. They never broke eye contact, their smiles never wavering, their love and passion for each other was never ending.

Another memory came to him

The two were beneath the star light sky. The charmander stood up for a moment. "Hey, Cynder, check this out!" She sat up to watch. Pyre's mouth began to glow as he faced away from her. He held his claws to his face as he blasted a flamethrower at a nearby rock wall. The way he held his claws allowed the single stream to break off after initial contact. He brought the stream around in a wide arch. And then he brought it back down, lessening the separation of the stream of flames, slowly until it was ready to reconnect. Then it came back together. And by the end it took on the shape of a massive burning heart. "I love you this much!" He held out his arms to show off for her. He moved to sit beside her. "One day, we can have our own little place to live, we can start a family, you can meet all my friends! And we'll be together forever. That's all I want."

"That's all I want too my love. And we'll have it, I promise." Cynder nuzzled him.

*Present*

The fire type shook his head as he smelled the scent of burning wood. He took off running to see if the source was Cynder. He pushed himself as hard as possible and reached the source in moments. He noticed a massive tailfin moving into the tree line away from it. In the center of the burned clearing laid a Fennekin. To Pyre's dismay as he reached it, it became overly apparent that his fears were realized. Cynder laid there panting, clinging to life with everything she had. Pyre lifted her head to look into her brilliant orange eyes. His heart was beating faster than ever and he felt fear grip him. "C-cynder…..hang in there love, I've got you. I've got you."

"P-pyre….I…I'm sorry" she coughed out smiling at him. "I'm sorry we never got to start our family…." She coughed again "sorry we couldn't have our own little home, I'm sorry I couldn't meet all your friends…" Her coughing only got worse "I'm sorry…I broke my promise."

"Please, don't say that, we can still do it, fire of my heart, please just hold on!" In that moment Pyre's signature smile dropped.

"I'm….I'm sorry. I can't….but please promise me something…." The Fennekin's eyes began to droop. She smiled with everything she had trying to comfort him. "Let me see that smile….one last time…" Pyre, with all the strength he could muster, smiled at her. "Promise….promise me that you'll move on….promise me…promise me that you'll never lose your light, my brightly blazing sun."

Then, her eyes shut and her head dropped. Pyre gently shook her. "Cynder?! Cynder?! No please don't leave me Cynder I'm begging you!" The charmander held her tight as tears streamed down his face. He simply stayed there for almost an hour clutching her tight in his arms as he cried with all his sorrow. After that time he lifted her up and carried her back to where they had set up camp. Upon his arrival, Aqua and Blade seemed relieved, but Shadow saw the look on Pyre's face. The charmander's smile had died. Only a frown lied in its wake, and a depressing one at that. Aqua and Blade caught on quickly. And Blade dropped down sadly. Aqua was about to break down, but fought it, knowing it wouldn't help Pyre. He walked beneath a tree holding her body tight. "She always loved sitting in the shade…. Aqua, will you give me a hand with digging. I want to bury her." Pyre laid her down and moved directly under the tree and started digging. Aqua joined him a moment later. Blade too joined in. And within half an hour, the hole was finished and was ready for its occupant. Before Pyre could bury her, Shadow stopped him.

"Blade, give me a hand." The two sat over her body, Shadow took Blade's claws in his own, holding them over Cynder until her body was lightly encased in ice. "This should preserve her, and keep any of those disrespectful from trying anything."

Pyre gave him a weak smile and pulled the ice. Aqua helped him carry the block of ice to the grave and gently, they laid it in. Pyre then went about filling the hole himself without their assistance. And then he stood up and found a decent sized stick from the tree and stabbed it into the ground just in front of the grave before burning the stick. "I'm….sorry I couldn't save you…." Pyre turned away and the look on his face was beyond apparent. And to Shadow of all pokemon, it was an unsettling, almost terrifying look.

The darkrai had never seen the charmander angry before. And the look in Pyre's eyes was one he'd never known him to have. Pyre's eyes had only ever been joyful and happy every time Shadow had seen them. But now, Pyre's eyes were like murder given form. And he went walking with a purpose.

"Pyre where are you…" Aqua began only for Shadow to cut him off.

"Don't. Blade, stay here with Aqua, Pyre needs to do this alone."

*Later*

Gyarados roared with laughter. "That's what you get for humiliating me! That worthless little bitch deserved it for being with you, you cheating little asswipe!"

Pyre was staring at the ground as his opponent spoke. He looked up and his very gaze paralyzed Gyarados. Pyre didn't speak, he just held out his clawed left hand and a dense crimson orb flew from it. Upon impact Gyarados crashed against a wall from the force of the attack. Before they could react Pyre slammed a thunder punch down into their face, then another, and another. Gyarados was down in seconds trying to crawl away. Pyre walked close to the tail as his body wreathed itself in flames then the flames compressed to simply the same crimson aura as the orb he'd thrown earlier and he grabbed the tail. Empowered by the aura he lifted Gyarados and slammed them down into the ground. Then the fire type quickly dashed up and hit Gyarados with a mega punch. He didn't let up just continuously beating Gyarados until the water and flying type was on the verge of death.

Before he finished the large pokemon off he stopped himself. 'Promise me that you'll never lose your light's and he stopped stumbling back a bit. "What is wrong with me…how could I go this far?!" He shook his head and looked back to where he'd left his friends. "I'm sorry Aqua, I can't stay here right now…..I should tell you in person, but…I can't, so goodbye my friend, until we meet again. I need to redeem myself." He looked at the still alive Gyarados and then ran off not wanting to stick around and look at what he had done.

Once he was gone Shadow landed just in front of Gyarados. "And so Pyre maintains his light. But you, you get to experience the terror of being truly alone in the dark." And Shadow went to work. Starting by tearing off the fins.

*Later*

Shadow shook his claws expelling the water he had cleaned himself with.

"Hey, where's Pyre?" Aqua asked.

"He won't be back for some time I'm afraid. He nearly killed that Gyarados. And so he thinks he requires redemption. He is sorry for leaving without telling you." Shadow approached Blade. The Sneasel was sitting in front of Cynder's grave.

"If she hadn't been trying to.." Shadow cut him off.

"Do not blame yourself for what happened. Gyarados was unreasonably angry at Pyre, the only one to blame is Gyarados." Shadow scratched behind Blade's ears, then lifted him up. "I'd hate to leave you alone Aqua, but you are much better off finding someone else you can trust. The other pokemon you travelled with. They aren't far off, correct? Then you should get to them." And Shadow teleported away.