The Firecracker trainer
#11 of Pokemon story
The Firecracker trainer
(Trying to upload chapters a little faster now. :) enjoy!)
Running through the town of Azalea was a young trainer wearing a pair of black jeans and a red tank top with the fire energy symbol at the center of it, around his neck was a silver pendant with a pokeball dangling from the end of it signifying the fact that he was a trainer, but the most interesting aspect of this new trainer was the fact that his hair seemed like it was on FIRE being of orange color with red highlights whenever the wind blew strong enough his hair did a pretty good simulation of a raging flame. "Come on Charmeleon! We need to get to the gym before lunchtime or we'll have to wait till our next delivery out here to get our next badge!"
A Charmeleon was indeed following him, it wasn't like most of it's kind though, for one it was missing it's right eye and in it's place was one that was more mechanical than it was organic with a red lens scanning the surrounding area. The Charmeleon couldn't help but let out a sigh, small embers coming out of it's maw as it did so, grumbling in it's own language. "We have like three hours before we're scheduled to make our next delivery...You're always so quick to rush things Flare..."
If his trainer heard him he didn't give any sign of such. Instead just kept running, stopping once they made it to the front of the Azalea town gym, he turned around to see Charmeleon panting and glaring at him. "Oh don't give me that look! We have to get this parcel to Goldenrod soon. and I'd rather be able to get all the badges needed to compete in the Johto league before they stop taking participants."
Charmeleon snorted a few embers, turning his head as he wasn't going to bother arguing with Flare since his trainer couldn't understand what he was saying anyway. His eyes went wide a moment later however as his trainer rushed right toward the door but pulled on Flare's pants immediately after realizing someone was walking out.
Looking up from his newly acquired badge, Max spotted the fiery headed trainer who's face was just inches from his. "Uhm...Hello there..." He said awkwardly, unsure of what to do, Fang and Scav were equally puzzled.
still holding onto the back of Flare's pants, Charmeleon grumbled. "You really need to start paying attention Flare..."
Max couldn't help but chuckle at the Charmeleon's comment. "Ah so your name's Flare! Nice to meet you my name's Max! And this here is Scav, and right here is Fang!" He pointed to each one of his friends as he called them out.
Both Flare and Charmeleon's eyes went wide, they looked at each other for a moment then back to Max. "How...How did you know my name? I didn't even introduce myself yet...You must be Psychic!" He shouted, putting his hands on Max's shoulders. "Can you tell me if I'll win my next badge here? Or will I be too late and have to come back another time?!"
Charmeleon's eyes widened further when Flare grabbed the other trainer's shoulders so forcefully and tugged tighter and even started using flamethrower at Flare's feet, causing the flame headed trainer to start dancing around trying to put out the fire. The entire scene forcing a laugh out of Max and his Bulbasaur on top of his head. "I'm...not Psychic so heck if I know..." He scratched his cheek as he was a little embarrassed. "To be honest I heard your partner there speak out your name. I can...hear Pokemon's voices as if they were speaking English."
Flare stopped pounding his feet into the ground when he heard Max's explanation and started blushing brightly. "Uhm...Oh! Sorry about that I really am!" he politely bowed then wondered. "Wait...so then you do have some sort of psychic power then if you can divine what Pokemon are saying!" He was about to reach at Max again when Charmeleon grabbed his arm with a claw and gave him a stern glare that pretty much said 'touch him again and I'll roast you' "Er...Sorry again..."
Max shook his head, smiling. "It's no big deal. You're pretty interesting you know...haven't quite met someone like you in awhile. But I'm not DIVINING anything. I just hear them. They speak clearly to me as you to me. in any case I just earned my badge here. but I'm sure with a partner like that you can certainly win." he glanced at Charmeleon who simply smiled back, obviously happy that SOMEONE could hear him.
Flare smiled again when Charmeleon removed his claws and sighed. "Well...I don't have a lot of time to do so...I know! how about in apology for my rude behavior I give you a ride to Goldenrod city after I get my badge here? You're going to the Johto league too right? We can help each other out."
Fang pulled on Max's arm, whispering in his ear. "You're not considering his offer are you? He seems kind of dangerous I mean he just grabbed you without a second thought!"
Max grunted, chuckling as he poked Fang's wet nose. "Well you pretty much just did the same thing right now didn't you? Besides the only danger this guy poses is a little rudeness. That can be fixed." He laughed and nodded to Flare. "That sounds like a pretty good deal, but how will you give us a ride? You have some sort of vehicle or something? Kinda weird for a kid to have a license."
Flare walked into the gym, Max and the group following him back where they just came from. "Actually...My father and I own an island a little ways off from Cianwood city. We make a living raising the charmander line and training them to ship items off to different regions. Like poke balls, potions, that sort of thing." He pointed to his belt where just two balls were strapped. "I have two Charizards with me that were raised by me and my dad. they're tame so you won't have to worry, they can carry all of us to Goldenrod."
Charmeleon continued the dialogue from there, though Max would be the only one capable of hearing it. "Most of the Pokemon on the island retain their wild natures, With a select few that are more docile. Those few are chosen to help deliver items across the world. They aren't kept in balls however since once they're done delivering the mail or package they fly right back to the island for rest. The exception being the Charizards in those balls they volunteered to be captured for Flare's protection." When Max looked down he'd see Charmeleon smiling, and climbing onto his back which startled him since he wasn't exactly used to such a large Pokemon climbing on top of him. "Can you REALLY understand me? If you can then tell him I want a human cheeseburger...I've always been curious about it and I've seen him eat them at the local restaurants here and there."
Max listened quietly, laughing as he was asked to do so and figured it was a test on the Charmeleons part. "Hey...Next time you go out to eat why not share a cheeseburger with your pal here? It's not right to tease him with such food and not give him a taste."
That got a laugh out of Charmeleon and the rest of the group, except for Flare who started blushing at the realization that Max really could understand his partner and there was no telling what secrets his partner would dish out now that he had someone to talk to.
Meanwhile in Violet city, Leo was still sitting in the pub, drinking from a wine glass when Smithy burst into the building, making his way toward Leo. With a belch he waved Smithy over and smiled. "I'm glad you could come all the way out here."
"You're drunk...Never would have thought to see you this way, what was so important that you had to call me down here. you know it wasn't easy!" Smithy started ranting, Leo shaking his hand and pointing a finger over his own mouth in a gesture to keep quiet.
Once Smithy was quiet and seated beside him, he pulled out a small wooden box. "I won't be able to deliver that package you gave me to hand over to Max. Don't worry my brother's taking care of it. I have another job I have to handle however. and that's where you come in." He pushed the box toward Smithy.
Smithy gave him an irritated glance at hearing the hybrid couldn't keep his promise. He opened the box to see a dull blue orb sitting on a soft cushion. "Is this what I think it is?" When Leo nodded, he let out a low growl and grabbed the hybrid by the shoulder. "I never took you to be someone who was suicidal." He growled in a whisper, his anger was apparent even so.
Pulling his shoulder away he growled in reply. "I'm not suicidal, Far from it. I'm taking precautions... I already know how you make your wares, and when that orb turns from a dull blue to a sparkling one, I want you to forge it into something that can be useful for Max. IF it changes that is." He pulled himself up and snorted. "I'm not drunk either! I'm well in control of my bodies functions. Max's mission is to bring Jesse back, and to liberate him from the darkness. It's his fate to do so but it's also my responsibility to do my part since I'm the reason he went down the path he's on." he loosened up a bit and let out a breath he had been holding. "I'm going to nudge Jesse in the right direction. The darkness only took ahold of him for a couple years. I should be able to help loosen the hold it has on him."
Smithy gave a short nod, staring at the box and carefully closing it and placing it in his back pocket. "You're playing a dangerous game here...listen here...if you're doing this because you are trying to protect my neph-"
"It's not that, well...not completely." He cut off the larger Leomon and smiled. "While I do feel like an older brother to Max, I was the reason that he changed. the reason he accepted the darkness and because of that, it's up to me to make things right and show him this way isn't the right way." He made his way to the front entrance, giving Smithy a glace his way and walked out. Staring up at the sun which was already halfway past the horizon he took a deep breath. "I'll nullify the darkness, even if I have to bring both of us to our death." With that Leo stretched out and walked on out of the city, intent on accomplishing his own task.
Laying flat on the arena floor was Bugsy's Spinarak, the bug type gym leader's second Pokemon to come into battle and lost just as quickly as it was sent out, Flare's charmeleon stood in the arena, panting as if from a daunting battle.
"Impressive...Two straight battles and his Charmeleon still doesn't look ready to give up." Fang commented in the stands. while Bugsy called her Spinarak back into it's ball fang looked over at Max and nudged him. "You might have stiff competition if guys like these are in the Johto league!"
Max gave a small shake of his head, pointing down at Charmeleon and Flare. "Charmeleon is near his breaking point, heck I'm surprised he hasn't collapsed yet. I can't wait to battle him at the Johto league but I don't have to wait till then to challenge him you know. He's having an easier time here though because he has the type advantage...What did you think would happen, a charmeleon versus all of Bugsy's bug types, it's a one sided battle."
Flare stared up at Max and smirked. "How about once we get to Goldenrod we have ourselves a battle!" He held up the peace sign at Max then stopped when he realized he was still in battle. "Oh right! I can't get distracted!" This got a laugh out of Max and made Charmeleon face fault, grumbling to himself about flare needing to stay in the game.
"Well, it's not everyday I have TWO trainers challenge me on the same day, I guess I'll have to put all my faith in Scyther" Bugsy took out a ball as he spoke, tossing it into the air to reveal the blade handed Scyther, battle ready and glaring at Flare and Charmeleon that made the former cringe. "Alright Scyther! Agility and then wing attack right now!"
And indeed it was so, Scyther used it's agility to pick up on speed and charged forward as directed, though it didn't get a chance to hit it's target as Flare smirked. "Just what I was waiting for. Alright Charmeleon fire spin!" Once the Scyther was close enough, Charmeleon opened his maw and shot a flame upward, which started spiraling around the duo, flames singing the Syther's wings and effectively stopping it's attack. "now slash attack while it's staggered." Charmeleon snorted and lifted up one paw before slamming it into the bug type warrior, knocking it unconcious with surprising ease.
Max blinked, a little shocked as he watched. "You're kidding me...Scyther didn't even get a chance to deal out damage on Charmeleon.' He grinned. "I take back my last comment. He is a worthy trainer, and he's a nice guy! The only thing I don't like is the fact that he'd been hiding that strategy the entire time. He could have prevented Charmeleon from taking any damage in the first two matches."
Scav held up a claw, grinning as he waved. "Scyther is unable to battle! The winner is the challenger, Flare and his partner Charmeleon!" Just then Charmeleon snorted in satisfaction, looking over Scyther and helping it up as it slowly regained consciousness, the Charmeleon bringing the fallen Scyther to Bugsy. "If he used that formation at the start of the battle Bugsy would have been on to his whole plan. The battle wouldn't have been so easily won. Unlike you who thinks how to get through your CURRENT predicament in battle...Flare is the type to think ahead and leave a trump card in the background in-case something unexpected occurred." Scav winked at Max and walked over to the stands. "It's not a matter of him screwing up, but rather waiting for the right moment and he's indeed a passionate trainer."
Bugsy called Scyther into it's ball after thanking Charmeleon and presented Flare with the Hive badge. "You're a sneaky one you know. I don't ever recall seeing Fire Spin used like that."
Taking the badge with the utmost care and placing it in a case he'd bought prior, the smiled. "Well...I live on an island full of the Charmander line, I see them use fire spin all the time to ensnare their prey. Since Charmeleon's one of the more tamed ones out there, he helped your Scyther get back up rather than eat it." He said matter of factly, and winced. "Sorry...I didn't mean to say it like that...it's just if it were another charmeleon they would have...well you know..."
Bugsy laughed, kind of baffled by Flare's speech. "Well I'm most certainly glad he didn't. I look forward to seeing how you fare in the league!"
Max laughed when Flare climbed into the bleachers to join them only to fall right back down on the ground floor. "Ouch...Well...what do you think? It looks like we both have this gym's badge now! Ready to go to Goldenrod?"
"Flare...the gym battle didn't even take 15 minutes...we still have plenty of time before we need to go deliver the package. But it WOULD be a good idea to get a head start on the next gym...Least that way we'll have our fifth badge..." Charmeleon yawned out his opinion, looking pretty tired after that battle.
"Fifth? what do you mean? This is only our second." Max said, opening his badge case to show the hive badge and zephyr badge.
"I told ya! We live on an island near cianwood city! We get to those cities much sooner and get those badges first. We never got a delivery to make to Goldenrod until a couple of days ago." Flare grinned, getting back up and following Max and the rest of the group who was already walking out of the building. "Hey! Wait up for me guys! you weren't even listening were you!"
He ran after them, Fang laying his ears down as he grumbled. "Can you not shout so much? besides we ARE listening...Cianwood city must be a long ways away then."
As they stepped out of the gym, Flare took out the two poke balls that housed the Charizard duo, each one wore a saddle on their back along with a fanny pack around their bellies which made them actually look kind of cute. "Yeah I'd say if you were going there on foot...it'd probably take you at least a month or two." the two Charizards got down low to accept their passengers, Scavenger and Fang climbed upon the charizard to the left, but if one looked at it, the flaming dragon wasn't exactly pleased with this little change in plans. "Oh comeon you can deal with it bud, don't gimme that look! I gave them a little trouble and they needed a ride to Goldenrod...so please do this for me?" He started begging the Charizard only to hear a laugh coming from Max who climbed onto the second. "What's so funny?"
Max shook his head, grinning when Flare climbed in front of him as well as Charmeleon. "Well...it's not that he's upset you're giving us a ride. It's the fact that he's hungry, He said if he doesn't eat in the next hour he might just swallow YOU."
"It's not the first time he's misunderstood one of us. Least this time he knows what their SAYING!" Charmeleon grumbled, speaking to the two Charizards next and with that the group took off into the sky, their next stop being Goldenrod City!
TO BE CONTINUED...