18

[Dragon Master Mike]

I HAVE RAISED THE RATING! It will likely be a bit worse than PG-13 thus i have raised it to PG-15.The ratings are still based on predictions for how bad it will get.

This story is rated PG-15 For:

Blood
Violence
Mild Language

---

I was reading Suicunes Fire's story "The Arena" when i got a really weird random idea. "What if the story took some twist and turned into a hunger games-ish death match?" I have no idea where that idea came from, and it sounded insane. but the more i thought about it though the more i thought it could be an interesting concept, so i decided to write this story. my writing skills are far from fantastic but whatever i gave it a shot.

Chapter 4 is out! I think it is going to be the best chapter yet! I was pretty disappointed with previous chapters, but this one I am somewhat slightly satisfied with.

18

"They captured pokemon and then created 18 sectors, sorting the pokemon into the sectors by type. At some point, the humans with their twisted minds had an idea. Once a year, they would go into the sectors and capture pokemon. They would then lock these pokemon into a massive arena where they would be forced to fight to the death. This yearly battle has been called the Arceus Tournament."

Table Of Contents

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter two

Chapter Three
Chapter Four

[Dragon Master Mike]

Prologue

Corey awoke, startled by a slight tapping on his back. He quickly opened his bright brown eyes and darted his head around, half expecting to see some predator standing over him. No, it wasn’t a predator. It was his best friend, staring at him with an annoyed look.

“What is it, Rex.” Corey said to his fellow Eevee, slightly annoyed over his rude awakening.

“You were supposed to meet me by Snorlax Rock this morning!” Rex responded, understandably annoyed.

“Wait, this morning? What time is it now?” Corey responded, confused.

“Its already noon! have you been sleeping this entire time?” Rex asked, surprised.

“Wait what? you should have come to wake me up sooner!” Corey said, shocked that he had slept so late.

“Whatever, lets just get going.” Rex said. As soon as Corey stood up, Rex darted off into the forest.

“Wait for me!” Corey said, darting after him. It was a particularly nice day. The sun was shining and the temperature was perfect. There was not even the slightest hint of humidity in the air. Corey saw a couple of Zigzagoons chasing each other around. He was about to run into one, but just barely managed to dodged it. Corey continued shouting at Rex to slow down, but got no responses.

“Rex, come o-” Corey stopped as he slammed into Rex, knocking him to the ground.

“oww,” Corey moaned in pain, “Why did you have to stop like that?”

“You asked me to slow down did you not?” Rex responded. Without saying another word, the two Pokemon ran, slightly slower than before, to Snorlax Rock. Snorlax Rock was a large rock in a clearing in the forest, and a common meeting place for Pokemon. There are many stories as to why the rock is named Snorlax Rock, but the most Popular story was that once, a long time ago, a wise Snorlax would sleep on that rock. He slept most of the time, however if you went to the clearing while he was awake, he would answer any one question. One day a young Rattata went to the clearing, only to find the Snorlax was gone. No one ever saw him again after.

Upon reaching the rock, the two Pokemon proceeded to debate their next move. They would often pretend to be legendary Pokemon and fight each other, or run around playing tag. Sometimes they would even find trees and see who could climb the highest. Today however, they decided to explore the forest around the clearing. The two Pokemon walked out of the clearing from the opposite end they had entered. As they walked, they felt the forest getting denser and denser. They had never been in this part of the forest before.

“I'm getting kind of nervous. There could be anything out here. Why don't we turn back?” Corey said to Rex.

“Don't be such a baby. There's nothing out here.” Rex said in response, looking back at Corey. Rex was much braver than Corey. He also was not as intelligent as Corey however, and often got into trouble by being too daring for his own good. Corey on the other hand, was very cautious, never wanting to do anything out of the ordinary or take unnecessary risks. As the forest got denser, The light on the forest floor began getting dimmer and dimmer, with only the slightest hints of light shining through the dense Canopy. The sounds of Pokemon began to die down. Eventually through Dense shrubbery and many thorn bushes, the forest began to thin.

“Is that a clearing up ahead?” Corey asked, trying to see what the area in front of them was. Rex did not need to answer, for Within seconds it was clear that they had indeed reached a field. Corey and Rex stood at the end of the treeline looking across at what rested on the other side. On the other side was a large fence, at least three meters tall. They both simultaneously realized it. They had reached the edge of their sector. Corey remembered what his father had told him many times.

“Once, a long time ago, Pokemon and humans lived together in peace. Pokemon helped humans and humans took care of their Pokemon. That all changed long long ago. No Pokemon here is old enough to remember what caused the divide between Pokemon and humans, but it was major. At some point they captured Pokemon and then created 18 sectors, sorting the Pokemon into the sectors by type. There are many other species of Pokemon out there that you have yet to see, and probably won't. “

Corey was remembering the story when he noticed something out of place. A group of four humans walked across the field in front of them. Corey remembered with fear the last part of his fathers story.

“At some point, the humans with their twisted minds had an idea. Once a year, they would go into the sectors and capture Pokemon. They would then lock these Pokemon into a massive arena where they would be forced to fight to the death. This yearly battle has been called the Arceus Tournament. They built giant screens where video of the Tournament would be broad casted for all Pokemon and humans to see. The only Pokemon who usually watch it though are the friends and families of those forced to fight.” There was only one reason that humans would be entering the sector, and Corey knew it. It was to capture a Pokemon for their sick games.

“Rex, we have to go” Corey said quietly, biting lightly on Rex’s tail and tugging it. Rex looked back at Corey and nodded. As Rex nodded, Corey let go of his tail and began walking quietly back into the dense forest from which they had just left, Rex following closely behind. Again they walked through the deep shrubbery. By the time they returned to Snorlax Rock, it was already later than they were supposed to be out.

“We really need to be getting home, our parents are going to kill us!” Corey said.

“Yeah, i guess i will be heading back.” Without another word, the two Pokemon departed for their homes. Corey lived in a tiny clearing in the forest enclosed in dense shrubbery and trees in all but two small openings. Upon walking into the den, Cory's mother angrily greeted him.

“Where have you been!” She shouted. “I've been looking everywhere for you!”

“I'm sorry mom, i was out playing with Rex around Snorlax Rock and lost track of time” Corey lied, leaving out the part about travelling through the forest and seeing the humans.

“Well I've gathered fruit for us to eat” She said annoyed, looking over to a pile of food in the corner “Oh, and your father went out, he will be back tomorrow afternoon.”

“Thank you” Corey said, walking over to the corner and helping himself to the pile of fresh fruit. It was late, and Corey was sore from walking all day. He decided it was time to rest. Without saying goodnight to his still annoyed mother, he walked over to the edge of the clearing and laid down. He closed his eyes, recalling the days events. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.

Corey awoke, startled by a slight tapping on his back. He quickly opened his eyes darted his head around, half expecting to see some predator standing over him. No, it wasn't a predator. It was much worse.

[Dragon Master Mike]

Chapter 1: Captured

Turning his head around, he came to face to face with them. Humans. There were three in total, two male and one female. Two were standing behind while one walked forward with a large net. The second Corey moved, the net was thrust over him. Before Corey even realized what was happening, he had been dragged off and dropped into a cage. He cried for help as loud as he could, but there was nothing he could do. Any form of resistance was futile. He fruitlessly clawed at the side of the cage, all the while crying for help.

“Shut up in there.” He heard a voice coming from one of the humans.

“Do you want me to use the tranquilizer?” The female human said.

“No, not yet.” the first human responded.

Corey laid down in the cage in despair, all the while being carried further and further from home. They carried Corey until they reached a large gate in the metal fence around the sector. The humans opened the gate, taking him through and closing the gate behind them. On the other side was a human device of some sort. They walked to one side of it and grabbed a handle. As they pulled it up, it opened. They tossed him inside, shutting it behind him. Seconds later, the device began to move, making the cage shake.

“This can’t be happening!” Corey thought, shaking in fear.

“Why is this happening!” Corey knew very well the answer to that question, yet he refused to believe it. He began to examine his surroundings. It was dark, making it difficult to see anything. He could just barely make out the shapes of four empty cages around him.

“They got you too, kid?” Corey heard, startled. He scanned the room again and noticed that not all the cages were empty. The cage next to him had another Pokemon in it. It was too dark to tell what Pokemon, but he was sure it was there

“Y-Yeah” Corey said, barely audible, Looking away from the Pokemon in the cage beside him.

“You know where they are taking us right?” The Pokemon asked.

“Yeah” Corey said, even quieter than before. Corey sat, expecting another question, but none came. Corey was exhausted. He began struggling to keep his eyes open, and before he knew it he was sleeping. When he woke up, he was no longer in the same place. He was in a new cage, in a large room. Though the first cage was just big enough to hold him, this cage looked as though it could hold very large Pokemon. He then noticed he had a collar on. It was tight and uncomfortable. In the dim light provided by a single light bulb in the center of the room he could make out many cages with Pokemon around him. He had never seen such Pokemon before. The Pokemon to his left was mostly black with a few blue areas and a yellow star like shape at the end of its tail. To his right was a large grey winged Pokemon with red spots and a red head. He noticed that every one of them had a collar like him.

Corey was so amazed by the Pokemon around him that he had almost forgotten his current situation. He had been captured by humans, and he knew what they wanted these Pokemon for. Their twisted games. Pretty soon they would all be fighting. Corey didn’t know what to do. His situation was hopeless. He was a young Eevee who was going to be tossed in a massive arena with 17 deadly opponents. He knew he was going to die in this fight. He laid down on the cold floor of the cage, accepting his fate. At some point he managed to fall asleep. He slept for a while before being woken up by a loud noise. He looked up to see a large group of humans walking in. The human at the front of the group began to speak.

“Listen up. You are all going to behave or suffer the consequences. In a few minutes you are going to be led into a room. You are going to be broadcasted on live television, so you better behave. You are to look at the camera while the announcer talks about you, before being led out of the room. After this you will be led into another room. You will be put into another set of cages before being released into the arena.” The room was in an uproar at these words. There were cries of fear and anger echoing through the room.

The men then walked around the room with leashes, letting Pokemon out and putting them on the leash. When it was Corey's turn, he reluctantly obeyed. The Pokemon were lined up in a long hallway, with Corey at the front of the line. In front of him he could see a room. It was a nice room, with floors made of wood, and the walls painted with designs of leaves. There was a man sitting at a desk. As he examined the room, he noticed something behind him. He turned to see another one of the strange Pokemon. It was blue and had sharp claws. Corey turned just in time to see it claw one of the human's legs. The man quickly pulled out a long pole. Upon pressing a button on the pole, the end lit up with electricity. He jabbed the strange Pokemon with it, and upon doing so, it let out a cry, immediately jumping back.

“I guess that's what happens when you misbehave” Corey thought. Seconds later, The man in the room in front of him began speaking.

“Good morning! I bring you live from the arena, the 92nd annual Arceus Tournament! Lets skip all the unnecessary talking and jump right to the introductions!” He said. Suddenly Corey was being led forward. The man holding his leash led him into the room. Corey was shaking with fear.

“Is that the camera?” Corey thought, looking at a strange device pointing towards them. Corey had never seen a camera before. He hoped it was, not wanting to suffer the same injuries as the other Pokemon, and looked at it. The man who had led him in Attached Corey's leash to a loop that was connected to the desk the man sat on. The man then backed off and left the room.

“Aren’t you a cute one!” The man said, looking at Corey.

“From sector one we have an Eevee! He may not be very strong but perhaps his small size and agility can give him a chance!”

That was all the man at the desk said before the man who led Corey in came back and led him out. The man put him in another cage in another room. In the center of the room was a square of screens. They all showed the room where the Pokemon were being led through. This time it was the strange blue Pokemon that had tried to attack the man.

“Now from the cold barrens of sector two we have Sneasel! He looks ready to fight! We will see how he fares against the rest of the competition.” Corey watched as the Pokemon continued to be led in and out.

“Hailing from sector three we have Mismagius! its cries are said to cause headaches and hallucinations! That combined with its ability to phase through solid objects will give it an edge in the tournament!”

“And from sector four we’ve got Donphan! He is a strong one, but does he have what it takes to win?”

“From the marshes and lakes of sector 5 we have Croconaw! Its razor sharp teeth will make it a formidable opponent!”

“And from the mountains and forests of sector 6 we have Talonflame!”

“Now from sector 7 we have Ninetales! It is said that they can live for one thousand years, but will this one live through the tournament?

“And from sector 8 we have Machamp!”

“This Pokemon, it looks so strong!” Corey thought, “I don't stand a chance against any of the other Pokemon! I'm too weak!” Not wanting to hear another word about his inevitable destruction, Corey laid down, looking away from the screen and covering his ears with his paws. When he looked up again, only one Pokemon was left.


“And from sector 18 we have Slyveon!” Corey had never seen such a pokemon, yet somehow he felt a connection to it. It was clearly distressed. Tears ran down its face as it cried in fear.

“This one stands no chance,” The Machamp said in a rough voice, amused, “I will crush her, right after i crush the Eevee.” At these words Coreys blood ran cold. The Machamp had targeted him for termination. As far as Corey was concerned, all hope was gone. The Floodgate holding back his tears finally opened, as water poured from his eyes. He payed no attention to the Pokemon around him laughing and mocking. He didn’t care. His misery was cut short however by a slight pain in his back. He turned around to see a human standing next to his cage. It held a needle, and had just poked it into Cory's side. It only took a second for the medicine to begin to kick in. Within seconds he was sleeping.

[Bulbasaur]

I like the idea. Quite a few grammar errors, but I think it's interesting.

[Dragon Master Mike]

many grammar errors. I think this proves i belong in kindergarden :P thanks though

[Bulbasaur]

Are you going to continue this? You shouldn't stop just because your grammar is bad, because the idea was pretty cool.

[Dragon Master Mike]

Don't worry, it will continue. I just work slow because i don't have the attention span to do anything for too long without stopping. I've got about 1/4 of chapter two written now and i plan to speed up work on it. No promises but i think i should be done by the end of this month.

[Dragon Master Mike]

Chapter 2: Ruby

When Corey awoke, he was still in the cage. The cage however was not in the same location. Examining his surroundings, he saw that he was in a large clearing in the middle of a forest. Looking around, he saw 17 other cages with Pokemon in them. In the middle of the field was a large pile of food. Suddenly he heard voices coming from the large speakers around the center of the arena.

“Get ready contestants, the tournament is about to begin!” With those words, a countdown began to play.

“60, 59, 58...” Corey heard as he began to panic. He quickly looked around at the Pokemon around him. To his left he saw the Scyther and to his right he saw the Ninetales.

“50, 49, 48...” The speakers continued counting.

“40, 39, 38…”

“30, 29, 28…” Corey heard as he saw the Sylveon across the field from him was panicking as much as he was.

“20, 19, 18…”

“10...” Corey heard, his heart pounding the whole time.

“3.”

“2.”

“1.”

“Go!” Corey heard as the cage opened on its own. He stepped out of the cage, looking around in an effort to figure out where to run. He saw the scyther immediately dart towards the center. It ran full speed, looking around to make sure that it was not being followed. But it was. It almost made it to the center when the TalonFlame flew into it, Digging its beak into the Scythers head. Corey froze, horrified as he watched the Scyther fall, Blood flying from the back of its head. It had not even been a minute and someone was already dead. Corey quickly looked to his right when he saw the Ninetales dart towards him. Corey panicked. He began to run but the ninetales was so fast. As he felt the Ninetales come closer, Corey could almost feel the sharp teeth digging into his back. But they didn’t.
“Run.” The Ninetales said quietly as it darted past Corey, disappearing into the forest seconds later. Corey did not know why, but he trusted what this Pokemon said, and following her order, Corey darted off into the forest. He ran, constantly looking back over his shoulder to make sure he was not being followed. He ran until his feet began to ache and his lungs felt as though they might explode. Finally he stopped. He sat beneath a tree, finally resting after what felt like the longest time he had ever spent running.

He began to look around. This part of the forest was heavily overgrown, so overgrown that it must have been a miracle that he had made it this far without tripping on a tree root or running into a bush. Barely any light made it through the forest canopy above him. It was dark and overgrown enough that he could probably hide there for a while. He saw a perfect area to hide, a circle of bushes and shrubs with a tree over it that was just the right size and shape to act as a roof. It almost looked as if someone had placed the plants there intentionally to serve as a shelter. Corey walked through the bushes into the dark area within. He then laid down and closed his eyes, looking to get some rest. He did not expect to fall asleep. He did not sleep very long however before he awoke, startled by voices.

“I wonder if anyone is out here.” One of them said.

“Even if there is we would never see them in this dense shrubbery.” Said another. Corey stood up, and slowly peaked his head through the bushes. It was the Talonflame and Donphan. He looked for a second before the Talonflame turned his head. Corey quickly pulled his head back into the bushes, hoping he didn’t get spotted. He let out a sigh of relief when he noticed the Pokemon were continuing, clearly not noticing him. When he was sure they were gone, he peaked his head out of the bushes again.

“All clear.” Corey thought as he examined the area. He stood in the bushes for a few minutes longer, debating his next move. He knew he could not take on another Pokemon directly, so looking for one would be stupid. He also knew that he could be here for a while, and if he did nothing the whole time he would starve. He could think of only one logical action: finding food. He was used to his mother and father doing gathering, but he knew the appearance of some edible plants. He slowly stepped out of the bushes. He proceeded to walk in the opposite direction as the Talonflame and Donphan.

Corey walked slowly, making sure not to trip over roots or anything else that may have been resting on the dense forest floor. He kept an eye out in all directions for other Pokemon, and for some form of edible plant. As he walked, he began to notice the lack of plants on the forest floor. All he saw were bushes with nothing but leaves. He needed to find some berries or other edible plants. He decided his best bet was to find an area where the canopy above him was thinner. It took him about twenty minutes to find such a place. As soon as the canopy began to thin, He began to notice a higher diversity in the plants that he saw. It only took him a minute to find what he was looking for.

“Berries!” Corey thought, looking at the bush in front of him. He walked up and ate one of the blue berries off the bush. “Oran berries” Corey thought, recognising the flavor. He continued to eat a few more berries. He was about to take another berry when he noticed a sound overhead. It sounded like something was moving in the tree tops. Corey quickly took cover, hiding inside the berry bush. He hoped that whatever was coming did not notice him. his heart raced as the sound drew closer.

“I know you're there.” Corey heard a voice say from above him. “You can come out. I am not here to hurt you.” Corey peeked out and saw the Ninetales from earlier. Corey knew he shouldn’t reveal his location, but for some reason the Ninetales made him feel safe.This made no sense though. Why should he trust another Pokemon when everyone there was supposed to be his enemy? He knew he was being stupid, but he began to step out of the bush he was hiding in. He hoped only that if he had made the wrong choice, his death would be swift. Almost the second Corey’s whole body had left the bush, the Ninetales jumped down from the tree. She landed directly in front of him. Corey looked down as she looked at him. After a few seconds, the Ninetales spoke.

“Tell me.” She said. “what is your name?”

“C-Corey. Its Corey.” He hesitantly responded.

“I can tell you are one who does not wish to fight.” The Ninetales said. Corey remained silent, slowly looking up at her. “You are not alone. There are others who do not wish to fight. Others including me.” She said, still looking at Corey. Corey slowly looked up at the Ninetales.

“I see you have already found food. If you head directly east from here you will find a stream. From there you can get fresh water. Go there.” The Ninetales said.

“Why?” Corey questioned. “How do i know i can trust you?”

“Because i have already helped you. I told you to run, and you ran." The Ninetales said, speaking of the beginning of the tournament. She paused for a second before continuing. "In addition to this, If you couldn’t trust me you would be dead right now. And i know you trust me, otherwise you would not have left the bush when i called you. ”

Corey could not argue.

“Why are you helping me?” He asked.

“I have already told you, because i don’t wish to fight.” The Ninetales said. “That and-” She began before stopping. “I can’t talk about it now. The Humans have eyes and ears everywhere. Just do as i say and head to the stream. Wait for me there. You will surely get there before me, as i need to make a few stops along the way. Go now. And stay away from any other Pokemon you meet." With those words she began darting towards a tree. With what appeared to be little effort, she leaped from branch to branch until she was half way up the tree.


“Wait!” Corey shouted as the Ninetales quickly turned her head down towards him. “What is your name?” Corey asked.

“My name?” The Ninetales said. “My name is Ruby.” Without giving Corey a chance to say anything else, She quickly darted off into the forest, jumping from tree branch to tree branch. And just like that Corey was alone again. It was clear to him that he could trust Ruby, for if he couldn’t he would be dead. He followed her instructions, heading east. The journey was uneventful, As he saw no signs of other Pokemon. There was nothing of interest to see; just Oak trees and bushes.

It took Corey about an hour to reach the stream. Corey was happy to see the crystal clear water. The stream about 3 meters across. A large amount of fresh water flowed through it. Corey walked over, his legs growing sore from walking all day, and began to drink from the stream. He felt the much needed water flowing down his throat. Once he had finished drinking, He looked up at the sky. Though it was hard to tell through the trees, Corey estimated based on the position of the sun that the time was somewhere between two and four in the afternoon.

Corey remembered Ruby’s next instruction. He was to wait for her. Corey spotted a large bush a few meters upstream. He walked to it and hid inside. He lied down, allowing his tired legs to rest. He proceeded to keep an eye out for Ruby, making sure not to make the mistake of falling asleep again. after about an hour, Corey began to become worried. Surely Ruby would come, Corey told himself. It took another twenty minutes before he heard something. He stood up and walked out of the bush. He looked around for the source of the noise. He noticed movement in a bush across the stream from him. He watched excitedly, waiting to see Ruby come out.

Corey saw a head pop out from the bush. But it was not Ruby.

[Bulbasaur]

I like this chapter! Good job. It leaves a lot of mystery, such as who the Pokemon is at the end of the chapter, and if Ruby can definitely be trusted. Can't wait for chapter 3!

[Dragon Master Mike]

Chapter 3: Blood

Out of the bush a small Pokemon came. Corey could not possibly have forgotten about this Pokemon. It was the Sylveon. Corey immediately lied down, trying to hide in the grass. The Sylveon walked out of the bush, looking as upset as when the tournament had started. Even though Corey had never seen a Pokemon like this, it looked somehow familiar to him. Corey saw no threat from the strange Pokemon. Slowly, he stood up. The Slyveon instantly saw him.

“Please don’t hurt me!” The Slyveon said, panicking as she slowly stepped backwards.

“I… I’m not going to hurt you!” Corey said. This seemed to alleviate her panic. Corey walked towards the stream. He decided to cross the stream by jumping on stones sticking out from the water. The stream was not very wide, and it only took three jumps to make it all the way across.

“W-what's your name?” The Sylveon said as Corey walked towards her. Corey stopped less than a meter from the strange Pokemon.

“Corey.” He said. “Whats your name?”

“Ivy.” The nervous Sylveon responded.

“I-” Corey didn’t even have a chance to finish before he felt the teeth sinking into him. He didn’t even need to look to feel the sharp pain coming from his shoulder. It was a trap. Corey fell down on his side, as the Slyveon’s teeth dug into him deeper and deeper. Corey didn’t know what to do. He noticed the Sylveons ribbon like strands draping down from its neck , and he did the only thing he could think of, he turned his head towards the closest ribbon and bit it. The Sylveon briefly loosened its hold before biting back down full force again. It was then that Corey realized He couldn’t fight it. Corey’s panic began to fade slightly as it hit him. The realization that it was over. Corey knew then that he would never see his friends and family again. He would die then and there, at the feet of the Sylveon. He closed his eyes and accepted his fate.

Suddenly Corey felt the Sylveon release her grip. The pain immediately lessened. Corey almost didn’t want to, but he opened his eyes. He looked up just in time to see the fire hit where the Sylveon had been several seconds earlier. He then saw the source of the fire. Ruby leaped down from a tree across the stream and began running towards Corey.


“So that's why she ran off…” Corey thought, almost forgetting about his rapid loss of blood from the injury on his shoulder. He attempted to stand before collapsing back down on the ground, immobilized by pain. Ruby ran over and grabbed Corey, moving him away from the fire.

“Corey,” Ruby said, “you’re going to be ok!” Corey looked up to see blood flowing out of the wound on his shoulder. He began to feel light headed. He briefly looked around for the Sylveon, but she was nowhere in sight. Ruby pressed her paws on the wound, attempting to slow the bleeding. As Corey looked up at her, everything began to get dark. The pain in his shoulder began to dull. Was he dying? He asked himself. If he was, he was in too much pain to care. It only took a few moments more for all consciousness to fade.

Corey opened his eyes. It was dark. Looking up, he could just barely see stars through the leaves. It had clearly been several hours since he had lost consciousness. He noticed Ruby lying a few meters away. He looked down at his wound. It did not look as bad as he expected, but it did not look good. His whole shoulder and leg was covered with dried blood. Corey began to stand, but quickly fell back down, yelping at the sharp pain from his injury. Ruby quickly darted her head towards him.

“Don’t move.” Ruby said, standing up. Corey looked up at her as she walked over. “You need to rest for a while. That wound is going to take a long time to fully heal.” She said, sitting down in front of Corey. It was then that Corey noticed the burnt patch of fur on Ruby’s back leg. This patch had not been there when he had first met Ruby.

“What happened to your leg?” Corey asked, staring at the small spot.

“Oh… That?” Ruby began, her tone immediately changing. “Well…” She said, looking away. She paused for a few seconds before looking back at Corey, a look of sadness in her eyes. “I… I told you there were others who did not want to fight. Earlier today, when i instructed you to come here… I left to try and find and gather them. I… I found one… But then…” Ruby paused for for a few more seconds, tears beginning to form. “I couldn’t save him, I tried, but the Talon Flame… I barely got away myself…” Ruby said.

“I… I’m sorry.” Corey said.

“It’s ok. Just try to rest.” Ruby responded. Corey looked at ruby for a few seconds longer before speaking.

“I want to go home.” Corey said.

“I’m sure you do, and i’m going to do what i can to get you there.” Ruby responded. “I have a plan. I can’t tell you now, as the Humans are watching us, but you will see soon.” Corey was curious, but did not bother asking any more about the plan.

“What’s it like where you're from?” Corey asked.

“Sector 7? Well, that depends where in the sector you are. The area i like stay in is much like your sector, all forest. There are also some grasslands. Most of the sector though is desert.”

“How do you know what my sector is like?” Corey asked, puzzled.

“The same way i know about all the other sectors.” She responded.

“But-” Corey began when he was cut off.

“I’ve already said too much.” Ruby said. “You need to try and get some sleep.”

“But-” Corey was saying when he began to feel very tired. He looked up at Ruby and saw a slight shine in her eyes. That was the last thing he saw before falling asleep. This time when he woke, it was lighter. Though he could not see the sun clearly through the trees, he estimated it was still only dawn. Corey looked to where Ruby had been before and noticed she was gone.

He decided to take a look around for her. He slowly stood up, trying to tolerate the pain. He stood for a few seconds before taking a step. He only managed to make it two steps before the pain became too great for Corey to stand. He fell down, landing on his side. He closed his eyes as tight as he could, waiting for the pain to fade. After the pain was gone, Corey tried to stand again. He decided it would be a good idea to try and wash his cut, so slower than before, he walked towards the stream. As Corey let the water from the stream hit the cut, it stung bad, but after several seconds the pain began to fade.

After letting the stream rinse it for a minute, Corey made his way back to where he had been laying earlier. He had just gotten there when Ruby jumped down from a tree in front of him. She was holding a large branch.

“I brought you some oran berries.” Ruby said, dropping the berry filled branch to the ground.

“Thank you.” Corey responded, looking at the berries. He ate one, then looked back up at Ruby. “Aren’t you going to have any?” Corey asked.

“I already ate.” Ruby responded. Corey continued eating berries until he was full.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Corey hid in a bush and rested while Ruby gathered berries and scouted the area, regularly checking back to make sure Corey was ok. It was sunset when Corey began to notice the drop in temperature. It was only another minute before Ruby mentioned it.

“Are you feeling cold?” Ruby asked.

“Yeah, kinda…” Corey responded.

"The temperature is dropping. I will go make a fire." Ruby responded. She ran off into the forest. After a few moments she came running back with a large branch. She repeated this several times until she had built a small pile of branches. Then, looking down at the branches, she opened her mouth. Almost immediately after that, a small stream of flame came flowing out. Corey was briefly startled by the fire, but quickly calmed. He looked down at the branches as the fire began to catch. Ruby then looked over at Corey. As Corey saw her look at him, he noticed her expression immediately change. It was then she spoke.

“Don’t turn around.”