The Path of Destiny

[Scytherwolf]

The Path of Destiny
Chapter 30 - Blazefang’s Departure

Snowcrystal yawned, resting her head on her paws. She hadn’t been keeping watch for long, and she was already getting tired. She stood up and walked around, hoping that would help her keep awake. She did not want to be attacked by any potential enemies if she fell asleep. Sitting down, the growlithe drowsily glanced over the rocky plain, wondering if she should wake one of the others up.

Movement from nearby caught the growlithe’s eye and she sat upright, instantly alert. Cautiously moving toward Wildflame, she prodded the houndoom with one forepaw.

“Wildflame, wake up. Something’s moving out there.”

Wildflame sat up, looking much less weary than Snowcrystal was. After all, she was a normally nocturnal pokémon. Quickly spotting the source of movement, she whispered, “There’s only one of them. I don’t think it’s a threat, but let’s check it out.”

“All right,” Snowcrystal whispered, padding forward carefully while Wildflame boldly approached the pokémon moving about in the dark. It didn’t seem to notice as Wildflame crept around a boulder, giving it a closer look.

“It’s nothing but a heracross,” Wildflame whispered. “No problem for us. Let’s go back.”

Snowcrystal nodded tiredly in reply and the two turned around. Yet their whispers had attracted the heracross’s attention, and he turned toward the boulder. Snowcrystal paused to glance back at him, noticing hostility in his yellow eyes.

“Who’s there?” the heracross cried warningly, pausing to drop something that he was carrying on the ground as he neared the boulder where the two fire types hid.

Still not feeling threatened in the least, Wildflame boldly stepped around the large slab of stone, Snowcrystal following more timidly. “We’re just resting over there,” Wildflame told him, inclining with her head toward the place where Spark and Rosie slept. “We saw you from a distance and thought you might be one of those hostile fire or grass types.” Wildflame didn’t feel that it mattered if the heracross knew where they were resting; heracross weren’t predators, and they were not prey either. Being far too tough to take down without risking serious injury, heracross were left alone by predators, and in turn left them alone. From what little Wildflame knew about them, they seemed to normally have little to do with species other than their own and butterfree.

The heracross didn’t bother to ask what Wildflame meant by the hostile grass and fire types, and instead leaned down to pick up the items he had dropped. Wildflame noticed pecha berries among various types of plant leaves. Now that he knew Wildflame and Snowcrystal weren’t a threat, the blue bug type didn’t seem to want to bother with them anymore.

“What’s all that stuff?” Snowcrystal asked, glancing at the leaves and berries. Just after she’d said it, she realized that the heracross seemed to want to be alone, as he had begun walking around as if searching for something.

“Berries and herbs to help a sick pokémon,” the heracross replied, not looking up as he paused to look through a group of bushes.

“Great!” Wildflame muttered. “That’s all we need…local pokémon spreading disease around here!”

“It’s not a disease,” the heracross replied, beginning to search more frantically. “A scyther’s been poisoned and I’m the only one around here who knows anything about healing.”

“A scyther!” Snowcrystal exclaimed. “Poisoned? What did the scyther look like?”

Snowcrystal suddenly noticed Wildflame going slightly pale, with what looked like fear. A moment later, however, and she had shaken it off, giving the heracross an indifferent stare.

“Just like any scyther,” the heracross replied, “only this one had been injured. He had bandages and had obviously been to a pokémon center. He also had a wounded leg-”

“That’s Stormblade!” Snowcrystal yelled. “Where is he? Can you take us to him? Is Thunder there?”

Wildflame didn’t say a word, but she had also suspected that Stormblade was the scyther this heracross had found. She didn’t understand what he had said about the ‘pokémon center’ much, but his words were obviously true. This pokémon had found Stormblade, and if the scyther told anyone anything, the others could very well figure out that she had been lying about him being taken by poachers.

“I don’t know anyone named Thunder,” the heracross replied, interrupting Wildflame’s thoughts, “so I don’t know what you mean. But if you know this scyther, I can take you to him…” His voice trailed off as he seemed to find what he was looking for, grabbing at a few unripe oran berries nearby. Knowing that those would have to do, he turned to Snowcrystal and Wildflame again. “Follow me,” he told them urgently, beginning to look worried. “We have to get back there fast.”

“Wait,” Snowcrystal told him, “let me get the others.” Without waiting for an answer, she raced back to where Rosie and Spark lay, quickly rousing them and explaining everything as she led the way back to the heracross and Wildflame.

“You sure this guy knows where Stormblade is?” Spark asked as he darted beside Snowcrystal, his paws sending up puffs of ash as they raced over the burned soil near the destroyed forest.

“Yeah!” Snowcrystal replied. “He said Stormblade’s poisoned. But he knows about healing. He can help him!”

“Hope so…” Spark replied uneasily. In the many battles he’d fought for Justin, he had only been poisoned once or twice, and Justin had immediately treated him. Never had the poison been anything serious enough to kill him or cause him excruciating pain, but that was because the poison types were not allowed to attack with extremely powerful poison in trainer battles. But out in the wild, it could be different. He shook away the thought.

Rosie followed behind the others more slowly, with Wildflame at her side. The ninetales was limping fast, despite her injury, and her nine tails streamed out behind her as she fought to keep up with the others, hopeful at the thought of their group being reunited again.

Wildflame, however, felt differently. If she couldn’t somehow find a way to make her earlier explanation not seem like a lie, she knew they would never trust her again.

-ooo-

Redclaw waited for what seemed like a long time, crouching beside Stormblade as he watched the city anxiously. The unconscious scyther still showed no signs of stirring, though Redclaw had tried his best to wake him. Thunder was now lying down on the grass, not seeming concerned at all.

Redclaw could still hear Stormblade breathing, but it seemed to be growing shallower and weaker. He didn’t understand; Stormblade should have woken up by now. Placing his paw on Stormblade’s shoulder, he shook him gently, but got no response. Suddenly the sound of quick wing-beats overhead caused him to glance up, and the heracross he had met in the city landed beside him.

“Did you find what you need to help him?” Redclaw asked anxiously.

“Yes,” the bug type replied, “but he needs to eat it. Have you tried waking him up?”

Redclaw nodded and watched as the heracross set down the berries and leaves and tried to wake Stormblade. The arcanine looked up in surprise as four other pokémon appeared, dashing toward him. One was the white growlithe he had seen when Master had ordered him to attack the intruders back in the dark forest, and he recognized the jolteon from that same battle too. With a leap of hope he realized that these pokémon must be Stormblade’s friends.

Thunder looked up as the others approached, suddenly seeming hostile and wary. Quickly she backed away from the others, not wanting any of them to try and talk to her.

Snowcrystal stopped in front of Redclaw, Stormblade, and the heracross, looking horrified as she glanced over Stormblade. “Is he going to be okay?” she asked, turning to the heracross in alarm. Moving closer, she tried to push the heracross aside to get a better look, but Wildflame pulled her back by gripping her scruff.

“Leave them alone,” the houndoom told her after setting her down. “They’re the ones that know what to do.” Before Snowcrystal could protest, Wildflame turned back to the others, knowing that the small growlithe would probably just get in the way.

Wildflame and Rosie approached Stormblade, neither of them saying a word at first. Rosie looked shocked that Stormblade now had several new injuries, including a jagged cut across his head and new burns on his arms, legs, and neck. Spark looked completely horrified at the fact that the big and powerful scyther who had protected him in the wild and showed him how to hunt could look so pitifully weak now.

“You need him to wake up, right?” Spark said quietly, stepping forward a bit more. “I think I can-”

“Spark, DON’T!” Rosie growled, knowing what he was about to do, but Spark ignored her, sending a tiny jolt of electricity into Stormblade’s body.

At first Stormblade didn’t move, and Spark cringed as Rosie shot him a furious glare, but then after a moment, he slowly began to stir. Spark carefully nudged him and Stormblade opened one eye before closing it again, lying still once more.

Redclaw realized that either Stormblade had realized that he needed to hold still, or he was simply too weak to move anymore. He sadly admitted to himself that it was probably the latter, as Stormblade hadn’t even made a sound. He probably just didn’t have the strength.

Redclaw and the others watched as the heracross picked up one of the pecha berries, knowing that it was probably the most important item he had brought back. “Here, eat this,” Redclaw said before taking the berry from the heracross and setting it beside Stormblade’s mouth. However, Stormblade made no move to try and eat it, and continued to lay there motionless.

“I don’t think he’s going to be able to eat it,” Thunder stated, walking over to the others and ignoring the surprised glances from Spark and Rosie. Redclaw slowly nodded; he wasn’t sure if Stormblade was even able to move.

Picking up the pecha berry, the heracross carefully opened Stormblade’s mouth, and crushed the berry in his claws, letting the sweet pecha juice drip into the scyther’s mouth. “I think this is the best I can do,” he said slowly, reaching for another berry to do the same. “At least until he starts to recover. I just hope it will be enough for now…I’m not really an experienced healer; I only know a few things, so I’m not entirely sure pecha berries are going to be enough. I think we can only hope for the best until he gets strong enough to eat more.” He glanced at the pile of herbs he had brought back.

“But, if he eats the berry juice, won’t he get better?” Spark asked.

“This isn’t like a small pokémon’s tale,” Rosie replied, turning to Spark. “Pecha berries don’t cure poison instantly like they do in stories. And don’t tell me you think an oran berry will suddenly make his wounds vanish.”

“I know all that!” Spark cried. “It’s just…pecha berries usually cured poison when I was a trainer pokémon, though they weren’t as fast or effective as the medicine Justin would buy. But…I do know that that poison was never as bad…”

Only half listening to the others, Redclaw lay down as he watched Stormblade, who seemed to have slipped into unconsciousness again. The heracross had left his pile of herbs nearby, having already used up the berries. A sudden thought struck the arcanine; this heracross had been such a big help to him and Stormblade, when they were complete strangers to him, and he hadn’t even thanked him. Standing up again, Redclaw turned to the heracross and smiled a little. “Thank you,” he told him, “for helping us. If it weren’t for you, Stormblade would never have had any chance at all.”

The heracross gave him a small smile back, and Redclaw thought of something else.

“Why were you near that city if it was dangerous?” the arcanine asked. “And did you say your home was in that forest? The one that got burned down? Did you…wait…” he quickly mumbled, realizing that he had forgotten something. “What is your name?”

“Nightshade,” the heracross replied. “I lived in that forest before it burned down. I know that the pokémon in that human place you left harmed forest pokémon who ventured too close, usually. Everyone there knew to avoid it. I assume you are travelers?”

Redclaw nodded. “Yes,” he replied, “we’re looking for a new home…well, some of us are.”

“I’m looking for a new home too,” Nightshade told Redclaw. “For a few days I tried to live in the rocky plains outside of the forest, but there’s little food there. I decided to leave tonight, and while flying over that city, I spotted you.”

“Well,” Redclaw told him, “if we’re all looking for something, we might as well look together, right? And we’ve been through a lot of dangers around these places. I’m sure you know some areas better than we do too. We can help each other.”

“I don’t know,” Nightshade whispered quietly, but to Redclaw’s dismay, he didn’t say anything more.

“We’ll have to wait until Stormblade’s a little better,” Redclaw continued, giving the scyther another glance. It might have just been his imagination, but Stormblade’s breathing seemed calmer now.

Nightshade nodded. “Like I said, I’m not a full healer,” he replied, “but I was taught a few things from a heracross who was. I can show you what plants will help stop infection and ease pain, once it gets lighter.”

Redclaw nodded and lay his head down on his paws, watching over Stormblade once again.

Snowcrystal watched Redclaw and Nightshade from a short distance, listening to their conversation. Looking up at Wildflame, she asked, “Shouldn’t I go over there and see if Stormblade’s all right?”

“He’ll be fine,” Wildflame replied, though she really didn’t have much of an idea of how badly poisoned he could be. “Just stay here. The others will take care of everything.”

Snowcrystal sighed and sat down, watching Rosie and Spark lying a short distance away, both glad for a chance to rest after having to travel so far while injured, as they waited to hear whether Stormblade would be all right. Thunder had distanced herself from everyone else, lying underneath one of the few trees that grew in the area. Blood from a small but very deep cut on her arm was staining the dry grass beneath her, but she seemed too distracted by her thoughts to care. Snowcrystal wondered what had happened. Had Thunder started yet another fight? If she had, it had gotten the big arcanine in trouble too, from the look of him. She shuddered. The last thing they needed now was another fight. They were weak now, and would have a hard time finding food and water the next few days while they waited for Stormblade to recover from the poison.

If he did recover…

Pushing away that last thought, Snowcrystal scraped some scraps of dry grass into a small nest and curled up inside it, deciding to try and sleep. She would need to save her energy for the next day if she was going to be of any help to her friends.

-ooo-

When Snowcrystal woke the next morning, she was surprised to find that she had slept long enough for it to be past sunrise. She stood up, stretched, and quickly walked over to where Wildflame now lay beside Stormblade, her tail tip resting on his shoulder. To her surprise, Stormblade was awake, though he didn’t seem to be in any condition to answer any questions, and he didn’t look much better than he had the night before. He was shaking all over and looked as if he was too exhausted to move, but Snowcrystal could see the remains of the herbs Nightshade had brought, and knew that Stormblade had to start getting better soon; at least he wasn’t going to die.

Deciding it was best to let him rest, Snowcrystal walked up to Thunder instead. She wasn’t sure that the scyther would be willing to talk to her, but she was too relieved to have found Thunder alive to care. “Thunder!” she cried, jumping playfully up to Thunder’s side and resting her paws on her uninjured leg. “How did you escape from the poachers? Did you help that arcanine too?”

Wildflame lifted her head, the hairs on her neck rising as she heard Snowcrystal’s first question. ‘Think of a lie…’ she thought to herself. ‘If she says they weren’t captured by poachers, make something up…’

The houndoom tensed as she listened for Thunder’s answer, her tail curling up stiffly as she watched the growlithe and the female scyther. Feeling Wildflame’s tail move away from his shoulder, Stormblade opened his eyes wider and weakly glanced at her before closing them again.

Thunder glared at Snowcrystal, pushing the growlithe away with her leg. “I don’t think they were poachers in the sense that you’re thinking of,” she replied, “but all humans are the same to me. We got away from them…that’s all that matters.”

Wildflame felt like breathing a sigh of relief. It seemed as if Thunder and Stormblade had been taken away by some group of humans, and the others would understand if she told them that she had mistaken them for poachers; all humans looked the same to her. Hopefully though, no one would even bother to ask. Stormblade was far too weak to explain anything and they certainly wouldn’t get much information out of Thunder. That, and the arcanine probably didn’t know much either.

Wildflame looked up as Snowcrystal walked back toward her after Thunder had told her to go away. The growlithe stopped to glance at Rosie and Spark, who were still asleep, and back at Wildflame. “Where are Redclaw and Nightshade?” she asked.

“Redclaw went hunting,” Wildflame replied. “Nightshade should be back soon. He decided to stay with us for a while. He doesn’t know if he wants to travel with us just yet.”

“Wildflame…” Snowcrystal began, changing the subject, “I haven’t seen any sign of Blazefang’s pack in a while…it’s worrying me. Do you think they might be planning something?”

“I don’t know…” Wildflame replied, looking uncomfortable about answering the question. “Maybe they’ve just forgotten about us and moved on.”

“Maybe…” Snowcrystal answered, not convinced. She turned away from Wildflame and Stormblade, deciding that she wanted to be alone with her thoughts for now. Something was worrying her.

The white growlithe walked slowly over the sharp rocks littering the ground, not even turning her head at the sound of a few pidgey and spearow nearby. After a short while, she stopped on top of a large, flat rock and sat down, looking out over the plains.

She knew that Stormblade couldn’t travel until he was at least cured of the poison, yet she felt a growing worry about the delay. A nagging worry told her that she was taking too long, resting too often. She tried to shut it out, telling herself that at the moment, the most important thing was that Stormblade rested. Soon, the nagging thought faded, and she felt herself relaxing. They would get there, she promised herself.

They would get there.

-ooo-

For the next week, the group concentrated on resting and regaining their strength. Nightshade stayed with them, helping to find herbs or berries for those who were injured. Stormblade was still gradually recovering from the effects of the poison, and some of his wounds which weren’t caused by Blazefang’s Shadowflare attack were beginning to heal.

Redclaw had been trying to teach Thunder how to hunt, but without much success. Frustrated, the arcanine had realized just how hard it was to teach a pokémon of a different species hunting techniques. After the two returned from another unsuccessful hunt, Redclaw noticed Snowcrystal approaching him hesitantly.

“Do you think Stormblade’s fit to travel yet?” the small growlithe asked.

Redclaw shook his head. “I doubt he’ll be fit to travel for a long time,” he replied. “He shouldn’t be traveling at all while he has those wounds anyway.”

Snowcrystal knew that he was right. “He can’t stay here either,” she whispered. “It’s too dangerous, and there isn’t much food…we can’t stay here much longer.”

“I know,” Redclaw replied sadly. Over the past week, he had heard all about Snowcrystal’s quest, Spark, Stormblade, and Rosie’s goals to find new homes, the Forbidden Attacks, and Blazefang’s pack. He too realized that it was urgent that they keep going, but he couldn’t shake off the feeling that if they forced Stormblade to travel, he would surely die. “You see, Stormblade’s not going to make it much further if those wounds don’t heal. When we have to leave, when there’s no more prey, we’ll have to make sure not to travel too far or too fast.”

“Why don’t we just do Stormblade a favor and put him out of his misery?” Thunder replied. “That would solve everyone’s problem.”

“What? No!” Snowcrystal cried, as both she and Redclaw turned toward Thunder, shocked.

“It was just a suggestion,” Thunder muttered. “And not a bad one in my opinion.”

Redclaw and Snowcrystal decided not to reply. They, along with Thunder, slowly walked back to where the others were resting.

Rosie looked up as the three pokémon returned. “Any luck?” she asked.

Redclaw shook his head. “There’s hardly any prey,” he replied. “This isn’t a good place to teach someone to hunt.”

“Which makes me glad I’m not a predator,” Nightshade muttered from where he was trying to persuade a reluctant Spark to eat some foul-smelling herbs.

“I caught two pidgey this afternoon,” Wildflame told the others. “We can share those today.”

Under the cool evening sky, the seven friends gathered to share Wildflame’s catch, while Nightshade set off to find food of his own. Stormblade, noticing that Wildflame had given him a bigger share than the others, gave most of his share to Redclaw, not feeling very hungry.

Snowcrystal sat up after finishing her small meal, cleaning her forepaws of any traces of blood. “At least we know that not all the prey has left this area,” she stated.

“Yeah, but it’s getting harder to find any,” Wildflame replied. “We need to move on, and soon.”

The others nodded reluctantly. Snowcrystal heard the flutter of wings as Nightshade returned. “I’m not sure which direction you’ll be leaving, but I guess what I’ll do will depend on whether I stay with you or not,” he told them.

“But we need you!” Spark cried. “You’re the smartest icky-medicine-finding heracross I’ve ever known!”

Nightshade paused for a moment, seeming to like the thought of being part of a group and able to help others, then sighed. “I’m not sure yet,” he told them. “But I know that I can stay as long as you stay here. There’s enough food for me for now. And in case I do leave, do you remember what herbs cure infection and ease pain?”

Wildflame and Rosie nodded; Nightshade had taught them earlier. Spark half-nodded and then shook his head, realizing he didn’t remember after all. Rosie rolled her eyes.

“I’ll be sure to teach you all then,” Nightshade replied, and Spark looked relieved.

As the sky darkened, Snowcrystal, Redclaw, Rosie, and Spark all curled up beneath one of the few trees in the area, while Nightshade flew up to a high branch. Wildflame, being a nocturnal pokémon, decided to keep watch, while Thunder found a place to herself to sleep. Stormblade decided to sleep alone as well, and lay down beside a large rock, laying his tattered wings across his back.

Snowcrystal snuggled up against one of Rosie’s bushy tails as she watched her crystal glow a dull red. She yawned and closed her eyes, letting sleep slowly overcome her.

-ooo-

Blazefang and his pack had not gotten far. Confused and lost, they had wandered around in circles for the past week or so before stumbling upon Stonedust City and deciding that it would be better to seek out Wildflame and see if she had discovered anything about Articuno. Blazefang realized that it would be next to impossible to search for him without any clues, no matter how fast they traveled. Their wanderings had simply been a waste of time.

Now further away from the city and any sign of poacher traps, Blazefang and the pack rested. Boneclaw had recently reported that he’d picked up Wildflame’s scent and the scent of the growlithe and some of her companions, but Blazefang insisted they wait there until morning.

During the night, the houndour were much better hunters, and many of them were taking this opportunity to catch prey for themselves and then relax. Blazefang, however, wasn’t so calm.

Coming near the burned forest had spooked him, and he was reminded once again of how devastating Shadowflare really was. Unintentionally, his thoughts drifted back to the scyther that his attack had mutilated, and he wondered if he was still alive. A while ago, Wildflame had told him that the group had left him behind. He was probably dead.

Blazefang tried not to look at the burned forest anymore. He remembered how quickly, almost without thinking, he had used Shadowflare the second time, and shuddered at the thought of having to use it again.

Boneclaw, who was eating a spearow he’d caught, glanced sideways at Blazefang. “Something troubling you?” he asked, as he lifted his head away from the prey he held between his paws.

“It’s nothing,” Blazefang replied, looking irritated. “We’ve found Wildflame’s scent. Everything’s going well.”

Not convinced, Boneclaw continued to eat, knowing that his leader probably didn’t want to be bothered. Suddenly a shout from one of the pack members startled both of them.

“Bl-blazefang! There’s some strange pokémon coming toward us…”

Aggravated, Blazefang stood and walked over to the one who had shouted, pushing past her and climbing the small rocky hill from where she’d been watching. The sight that greeted him nearly took his breath away.

Pokémon, hundreds of them, were all making their way toward the hill in one vast group. Most of them, Blazefang could see, were common species, but there were quite a few larger and more powerful ones. Blazefang was both confused and startled by the fact that the group consisted of both predators and prey, all mingled together. Though sunset had long past, many of the pokémon in the massive assembly belonged to species that normally hunted or foraged during the day.

“Who are they?” Blazefang asked, his gaze traveling over them, able to make out details because of the flickering flames of species like ponyta and charmeleon.

“I…I don’t know,” the smaller houndour replied. “This is too weird…”

Blazefang turned and walked back to the pack, feeling worried and confused. As he approached them, a large pidgeot soared overhead, making Blazefang cringe as it emitted a shrill cry. It wheeled back toward the hill, when the first shapes of the enemy pokémon emerged over the rocks at the top and walked steadily toward them.

The houndour all shrank back, their teeth bared in a snarl, but Blazefang silenced them. “They’re probably just passing through,” he told them. “I’ll deal with this. Boneclaw, come with me.”

The big houndour nodded and followed Blazefang as he approached the first few pokémon, who had stopped at the bottom of the hill.

They were only a small group out of the much bigger one, and this small group seemed to consist of some of the stronger pokémon. Blazefang looked over the ones standing on the hill, a charmeleon, an ivysaur, a rapidash, and, to his dismay, a female scyther. Memories flooded through his mind of the pack members who had been wounded badly by the female scyther that traveled with the white growlithe. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind. There were more pressing matters to deal with. At the front of this small group stood a vaporeon, and beside him, an espeon bearing a black collar with a splash of red on it.

“Who are you?” Blazefang asked, trying to break the silence. “This…this isn’t our territory. We’re travelers. You can go right on through!”

The vaporeon, who Blazefang assumed was the leader, ignored his statement and walked forward with graceful strides. “My name is Cyclone,” the eevee evolution told him, with no hint of friendliness or warmth on his calm features. “These pokémon…” He gestured toward the group standing behind him on the hill, “…Are a part of my army. In a very short time, I have recruited many, and in time, this army will grow in numbers.”

Blazefang saw a flicker of unease pass between the charmeleon and ivysaur, and he realized that they looked…worried. It suddenly dawned on him that these two hadn’t joined this army willingly, though how he knew that, he wasn’t sure.

Cyclone continued speaking in his calm voice, waving his tail toward the espeon who stood behind him. “This is Solus,” Cyclone explained, as the espeon’s face broke into a wide grin, “being one of my most trusted, I leave the others in his paws while I am away. We have come to ask you something. Do you know a houndour called…Blazefang?”

Blazefang took a step back, shocked, but afraid to lie. “I am Blazefang,” he said.

Not a flicker of surprise or amusement crossed Cyclone’s face. “Well, that makes things easier,” he replied. “Not long ago, a pidgeot we came across told us of a battle he witnessed. He said that a houndour whom the others had called Blazefang…used a strange attack on a scyther. That attack, I believe, was Shadowflare.”

Blazefang froze, every hair on his body standing on end. Something was wrong with the vaporeon and his army…something was very wrong. Whatever these pokémon wanted, he wanted nothing to do with it. “I don’t know what you’re talking about…” Blazefang replied. “I don’t know what Shadowflare is. I was using flamethrower on that scy-”

“Solus…” Cyclone said calmly, almost with an air of annoyance, and the espeon focused his glowing eyes on Blazefang.

To the houndour’s dismay, images…memories, of the time he’d first used Shadowflare surfaced in his mind. The strange feeling, the way his eyes glowed a bright yellow, and the way it followed the scyther through the air and wounded him so severely… And then after that, the image of the ursaring and the burning forest crossed his thoughts. Solus’s eyes stopped glowing.

The espeon shook his head, muttering in a mock-disappointed voice, “Lying will get you nowhere, you know! That was no normal attack you used, it was Shadowflare through and through. Fit the description of the attack perfectly. Oh Cyclone, if only you could have seen the look on that scyther’s face. Priceless! I’m glad your memory was so vivid, Blazefang! Haha!”

Blazefang stared at the espeon in disbelief. A psychic type had read his mind…there was nothing lying would do now. That espeon had to be more powerful than any psychic type Blazefang had ever heard of, and the houndour shrank back in fear. The fact that Solus was laughing at having seen the memory of the scyther getting hurt so badly suddenly made Blazefang wish he were anywhere else but there.

Boneclaw didn’t look as surprised, simply confused. The rest of Blazefang’s pack had gathered closer to listen, most of them looking frightened or puzzled.

“You see,” Cyclone said calmly, “I have gathered this army to help me find and track down other Forbidden Attacks. I believe that with them on our side, no human weapon can stand against us.”

Blazefang looked confused. “H-human…weapon?”

Cyclone gave him one of his rare faint smiles. “Yes. For too long, humans have caused pain and misery to pokémon. We are here to set them free…to show the humans that pokémon are not meant to be slaves. Our land is not for their taking, and we are not tools to use for their work or their silly battles. Nor are we pets to keep locked inside a building. Nor are we things to be beaten and tortured.”

“You’re crazy!” Blazefang shouted. “If you want to wage war against the humans, be my guest! But I’ve never even come in contact with one. I don’t have anything against them. This isn’t my fight!”

Blazefang couldn’t tell if Cyclone was angry or disappointed. The vaporeon was about to speak when Solus spoke up.

“Can I torture him to make him join?” the espeon asked, grinning widely. “I’ve been practicing-”

“No,” Cyclone replied. “It wouldn’t be wise. Not for him. However…if he is unwilling to join…we could always kill him. After all, if the legend is correct, Forbidden Attacks get passed on to the nearest pokémon of the same type once the first user passes away…and I’m sure there are plenty of willing fire types here.”

Blazefang stared at Cyclone in utter shock, while the charmeleon standing behind Cyclone looked suddenly pale, and the rapidash looked eager. Blazefang still stood as if frozen, paralyzed with disbelief and fear. “I…I…”

“We’ll give you until tomorrow to make your decision,” Cyclone replied calmly, turning away from him and beginning to walk up the hill.

“See ya in the morning!” Solus cried mockingly as he followed the other pokémon over the hill and out of sight.

Blazefang stood where he was, staring off into space, his body rigid and stiff.

Then he ran.

“Blazefang-what?” one of the houndour called as the leader bolted past him, but Blazefang gave him no heed. The houndour kept running, not letting exhaustion or even cuts on his paws from the rocks slow him down. Terror filled his mind at the thought that someone from Cyclone’s army could be following him. He kept running. He had to get away…far away…at any and all costs.

-ooo-

Boneclaw looked around at the astonished group of houndour, his gaze traveling over each of their startled faces.

“He’s not coming back…” one of them whispered. “Are you going to be our leader now?”

Boneclaw wasn’t sure what to say. He didn’t know how to be a leader, and he wasn’t sure what the pack should do now. “Well…I…” he began.

“I say we talk to Cyclone,” a small, mangy houndour called Flarefire spoke up. "From the looks of it, he forced a lot of those pokémon to join him. Maybe we should join willingly before he decides to make us. Then he might let us go after we’ve served his army for a while."

“What?” another houndour cried. “Have you forgotten about the tribe? About Articuno?”

“The tribe will be fine!” Flarefire snapped. “I still say we talk to this Cyclone. And maybe if we help him, he’ll help us.”

Boneclaw was ready to argue, but he realized Flarefire was right. The pack couldn’t hide from such a great number of pokémon, so talking to Cyclone was likely the best course of action. Perhaps the army leader could help them in some way. He knew that it would be wiser to try to gain the vaporeon's favor than be forced into serving him.

-ooo-

Cyclone looked up as the entire houndour pack, minus their leader, skidded to a halt at the base of the hill in front of the large army of resting or sparring pokémon. The vaporeon walked slowly over to them.

“So, you want to talk?” he asked them before any of the houndour had said anything. “May I ask…where is Blazefang?”

“He ran off,” Boneclaw replied truthfully.

“Disappointing, but it’s no problem at all,” Cyclone replied. His eyes flicked toward Solus for the briefest moment, and the espeon ran over to converse with some of the stronger-looking pokémon. “Now, what did you come here to tell me?”

“We want to know how long you expect us to serve under your leadership if we choose to join you,” Boneclaw told him. “And whether we’d have to fight, or just help out for a while.”

“We could always use help,” Cyclone replied. “Strong houndour like you would make good prey hunters. And only as long as we need it.” He paused for a moment, then said, “I can tell you want something in return. What is it? Food? Territory?”

“Yes,” Boneclaw replied, feeling excited. “Our territory by the mountains isn’t large enough, and there are these growlithe-”

“And you want their territory, am I correct?” Cyclone asked, and Boneclaw nodded. “That’s a simple thing to ask,” the vaporeon continued, “very simple. We are definitely capable of driving out a few growlithe for you. If you join me, consider it done.”

Excitement and eagerness rippled through the houndour pack, and Boneclaw smiled.

“Then we’re in.”

-ooo-

Blazefang was afraid he was going to collapse from exhaustion. He was running blindly now, paying no heed to his tired limbs and cut paws as he blundered through the darkness, ignoring all sound and scent. Then suddenly, he burst into a clearing full of other pokémon.

Blazefang stopped dead in his tracks; he recognized many of them. The white growlithe, the jolteon, Wildflame, and one of the two scyther were all staring at him in shock. Blazefang took one look at Stormblade’s wounds and reeled back, shocked and disgusted.

Suddenly long, sharp claws sank into the fur of his neck and he was lifted bodily upward. He found himself staring into the yellow eyes of a large heracross, who held him as effortlessly as if he weighed nothing. He struggled, but could not loosen the heracross’s powerful grip. He found himself staring into the bug type’s eyes again, noticing the long thick scar that ran over one of them.

“Stop!” Blazefang gasped.

The heracross’s eyes narrowed, as a confused arcanine and an angry ninetales approached them. “What are you doing here?” the heracross growled.

“Nightshade, put him down!” Wildflame cried, and Blazefang sensed worry in her voice.

“Why?” Rosie asked. “Didn’t he drive you out for evolving? And he made his pack attack us…and…just look what he did to Stormblade!”

Hearing this, Nightshade’s grip tightened on Blazefang, and the terrified houndour knew that if he tried to use a fire attack, this heracross could snap his neck.

“Let him go,” a voice spoke up. “He’s not here to attack us.” Blazefang turned in shock to see that the speaker was Stormblade, the scyther he had wounded. “Just send him away…you don’t need to hurt him.”

Nightshade’s gaze softened a bit and he lowered Blazefang to the ground, pointing in the direction he had come. “Get out,” he muttered.

Blazefang realized that these pokémon must have told the heracross about him. He could scarcely believe that the one who had told the blue bug type to stop had been the scyther he’d injured so badly. All the same, it was clear that he was not welcome here. Yet, though they were his enemies, he was terrified of running blindly in the dark again.

“But…I have nowhere to go!” Blazefang gasped.

Before anyone could say any more, a noise from ahead startled Blazefang. He watched as the female scyther stepped out from behind a tree, carrying the limp and bloody form of a pidgey in her mouth. Seeing him, she froze, dropping the prey. Then without any warning, she ran toward him with an enraged growl, scythes raised and ready to kill.

Blazefang leaped to the side, feeling the scythe scrape along one of the bone-like bands on his back. He landed roughly on all fours, while Thunder turned and ran at him again before anyone could try and stop her.

Blazefang felt a dark feeling creep over him, and everything around him began to take on a yellowish tinge. He shook his head, feeling strong energy starting to pulsate through his body. He couldn’t use Shadowflare…not again. But the scyther was trying to kill him, and enemy pokémon were all around him…did he really have a choice?

Blazefang leaped away as Thunder slashed at him again, ignoring the cries of Wildflame and some of the others. Nightshade rushed to stop her, but Thunder moved too fast for him, heading straight for Blazefang again. He was finding hard to fight it now; every instinct was screaming at him to use the attack. Ignoring it, he fired a flamethrower, which Thunder dodged easily.

Thunder swept the dull side of her scythe at him, knocking his off his feet and pinning him down. “Well…” she growled angrily. “Look who it is…”

To be continued…