Obvious exits:
Northeast <NE> leads to Commerce Road - Route 7: Gilded Path. leads to Commerce Road - Route 7: Caravan Pass.

Vertebra arrives from Commerce Road - Route 7: Gilded Path.
Vertebra has arrived.

Fair weather clouds sail across the blue sky, propelled by light breezes from the west. It's warm in the sun, cool in the shade, and the air is clear and dry. In the forest, the wind rustles the bright green leaves of trees and bushes and carries Oddish pollen, downy seeds, and the fragrance of wildflowers along with it. While at the coast, the ocean is a deep cool blue today, the waves lapping at the coast gently under the pleasant spring sky.

(look vertebra)

A male Cubone stands before you. His black eyes are usually narrowed in suspicion. Even though the rest of his facial features are unreadable due to the skull mask over his head and mouth, his body language gives a clue to his disposition. The Cubone stands as tall as his 1'4" height will allow him. His brown-gold skin has a few scratches on it, though he looks well fed. The Cubone's back has two spikes on it, ending in a tail. Not very remarkable.In fact, his front half isn't remarkable either, except for the yellow color on the Cubone's belly. He walks upright, as all Cubone do, his feet are clawed, as are his glove-like hands. Except, those hands dont clutch a bone, like they usually would. They clutch a long wooden kitchen spoon, a reminder of a brief flirtation with humanity. This Cubone doesn't have a bone.

(look Peppy)

A fully grown but still young Growlithe, Peppy is not large; in fact, he looks like he'd weigh a little less than a Growlithe's norm of 50 pounds.

Yet another beautiful day. They're kind of starting to get old - a nice rainstorm or, like, a freak snowstorm would be kind of refreshing. Ahh, well. Happily trotting along on a walk, Peppy has his chest in the air, happily taking in the sweet, fresh air (and dirt, and Oddish pollen). He's looking for something as well... a dirt-covered sandwich that he and Kato had left there the night before. Did a hungry Pokemon stop by and take it?

A hungry Pokemon? Nope. A fat, well-fed but somewhat battered looking Cubone has found it, though. Not that it looks appetizing enough to eat, right now. In fact, it looks like the mud he should scrape off of his feet sometime - he's obviously been traveling a lot, which adds to the air of...what? Wildness? Unpredictability? Rougishness? Maybe all. Still, any food is good food to a wild type, and the Cubone - wincing somewhat - stuffs his gullet with the brown sticky substance. Hmmm...rather good. Tastes something like..well, sticky, tangy mud. Go figure.

The haunting sound of a Scarewulf howl echoes across the MUSH as the database saves. (Saving)

Trot, trot, peer, peer. No sign of that sandwich, yet. Peppy keeps waltzing along - even if the sandwich has already been picked up, this walk really is kind of nice! Who knows? Maybe Kato will be in the area! He's gotta ask her something. Once the pup is about fifty feet from Vertebra, he notices the Cubone, gobbling in an inedible substance. The sandwich. <Heeey!> The pup barks. <That's supposed to be for a *hungry* Pokemon!> But, what makes Peppy assume the Cubone isn't hungry? If not Vertebra, then who else? Stupid dog.

Vertebra turns his black, unscrutable eyes over to the firecur which /dares/ address him like a commoner. <I was hungry, fire-farter,> he snaps back. <And the way of the Pokemon world is thus; the winners take what they can get when they can get it, and the /losers/ fail to do so.> He sounds rather weary - why must he be smarter than EVERY Pokemon he meets? It's a curse, it really is. Oh, and it's obvious which one of them Vertebra considers a loser in this conversation. He's staring right at him.

Uh. Peppy is left speechless, partially because he's a little more used to being called, "aww, what a cute puppy!" or "what a good boy!", not "fire-farter". Eventually, the Growlithe thinks of something to say. <I, um. I was going to eat that sandwich yesterday, but I didn't want to.> Well, the problem is, that, it's true, but it was kind of ointless to say. And not very believable, even if it's not a lie. It's obvious which one of these two Peppy considers confusing in this conversation. He's mumbling little pointless statements to him.

Vertebra just gives Peppy a stare, his gaze turning to a 'why are you even talking to me you foolish creature?' squint. And yes, it is possible to convey that subtle (as a sledgehammer) blend of contempt and indifference in a squint...and hopefully to have the other person interpret it correctly. Of course, since the person he trying to interpret it is a canine with the IQ of an Easy-Bake Oven (even /lower/ than a toaster, I might add) it's doubtful he'll be able to. <Then it's okay if I take it, since you discarded it,> in his answer to Peppy's bumbled comment.

Mm. <Well, uh, I suppose. But, why not eat... only part of it, and save it for someone else even hungrier?> And there you have it. The Oscar for statement of the year. At least the Growlithe means well, unlike a certain Cubone he's talking to. Obviously, judging by his stumbling comments, glances to the side, and back paws nervously scraping the ground, Peppy's not having a very fun time talking to this Cubone. Do you blame him?

Oh, people can have fun talking with Vertebra. He's very witty and informative. After all, how can a guy who thinks up neat-o titles like 'Spymaster' and 'Nameless One' (wonder who has that title, eh?) can't be a dull bulb. It all depends on if Vertebra wants the people he's talking to to like him. He's such a little manipulater that way. <Because, if I ate only part of it, I run the risk of continuing on my travels with a half-filled stomach. That's a very dangerous state to be in.> Oh, and he still has the Squint on. Heck, he could win an Oscar for Best Evil Villain in a Cartoon Show. I'd watch it if they had that category.

Peppy's title apparently has to be fire-farter, one that he probably wouldn't really like. <B... but...> Think before you speak! The Growlithe pauses for a moment, not looking at Vertebra while he goes. When he does look back at the Cubone, he's got these sad little eyes that are just reeking of, 'oh, gawd, don't insult me more for saying this'. He'll probably be insulted anyway. <But what if a Pokemon with a not at *all* filled stomach comes along?> Empty, not at all filled, same meaning, worse way to say it. <What if he, um, is so hungry he'll die soon? You... um... umm...> The Growlithe's head lowers a bit. He should probably just leave now and spare any light respect he even has.

Ballistic arrives from Commerce Road - Route 7: Caravan Pass.
Ballistic has arrived.

look ballistic

Respect? Nobody gets /respect/ from a Prince. Oh, if you want to get technical, he's an /ex/-Prince, but you'd never know that, now would you? From his very demeanour (let's ignore the fact that it's mudstained and bruised around the rump) he exudes an aura of... Contempt. Disgust. Complex Thoughts. In other words, the aura of Princeliness. <If a 'Pokemon with not all filled stomachs' - otherwise known as a HUNGRY Pokemon - comes along, they can take a bite out of your worthless rump. It looks fat enough,> he says, with a snort (just to make sure you know he feels Princely Contempt for you.)

As if on cue, here comes the hungry pokemon! Ballistic's shadow glides along the ground, darkening everything it passes over for a second or two. The Charizard flies slowly for he is hunting ... for a meal at the moment, not a girl to steal. (Unless the two can be rolled into one. Hmmmm.) His shadow passes over Vertebra and Peppy below, and makes a wide circle back for a second look. Runty pokemon, neither is big enough for make a good meal out of. No matter, beggars can't be choosers. With a roar the dragon pokemon dives, hindfeet extended before him, thick talons in clear view.

Peppy is shocked. Completely, truely, one hundred percent shocked, and it shows, what with his now-limp tail, jaw somewhat dropped. Now peering right at the Cubone, Peppy is much too... surprised... to take note of a Charizard in the area. He seems to make an attempt to talk (woof, bark), but it kind of comes out kind of like a droolish, disgusting sound, like "Groollll...". Peppy's used to being loved, and cuddled... and being called adorable, not fat.

Well, Peppy may have problems dealing with reality, but Vertebra sure doesn't. He is quite able to see a huge looming shadow, look up, and hear a Charizard's roar. They're quite, /quite/ loud. Ah, yes, Charizard...the evolved form of the Pokemon that killed his father. Vertebra has a thing about making personal experiences relevant to almost every other experience he has. And this is no exception - obviously this must be the same Pokemon come to destroy him. Why else would a Charizard attack a Prince for no reason? <Assassin! You'll never take the Prince of the Empire alive!!> While he's saying that, he's...running. Really fast, for a somewhat pudgy Cubone.

If Peppy was a Lickitung or a Ponyta, Ballistic would grab him and carry him off as dinner. Luckily for the pokemon he's a Growlithe, and those just don't taste too good. He uses his extended hindfeet not to snatch Peppy up, but instead in an attempt to bowl the puppy pokemon over and send him rolling across the ground. Turning his head, he roars at the retreating Cubone. The Charizard's thick tail slashes back and forth like a mean-spirited cat's as he flies on, flapping to regain his altitude.

Kato has connected.

Roars, shmoars. Who can care about a hungry, gigantic Charizard when he's just been insulted by a Cubone? As he notices Vertebra begin to rush away, the puppy finally collects himself, and growls, <Hey! Get back here! We're not fi - oomph!> And it's about then that two really... really big Charizard feet hit him right in the side, sending him bashing across the ground like a tumbleweed. "Growl!" *smash* "Lithe!" *pow* "Growl!" *bonk* The puppy seems to hit pretty much every single rock in his little rolling frenzy. And they hurt, too.

Some part of Vertebra is slightly miffed he wasn't the first to get attacked. After all, Ballistic attacked Peppy first; does that mean that a fur-for-brains firecur more important than a Prince? However, that's only /one/ part of Vertebra's mind. The rest of him is happy he gets a chance to escape. Is he dumb enough to turn back and answer Peppy? Noooo. He's gonna shut his mouth and beat those feet, in the grand tradition of cowards everywhere. He could win an Oscar for Most Cowardly Performance. I'd watch the show if they had that category!

The haunting sound of a Scarewulf howl echoes across the MUSH as the database saves. (Saving)

Fair weather clouds sail across the blue sky, propelled by light breezes from the west. It's warm in the sun, cool in the shade, and the air is clear and dry.

Ballistic snorts in amusement at his successful hit to Peppy, smoke and small embers exiting his nostrils with the sound. Now where'd that... There Vertebra is! With a roar the dragon-ish pokemon flies after the Cubone, his actions unhurried; he's a lot faster than the rolly-polly little has-been prince is. Letting out a burst of flames, the Charizard dives at Vertebra. <Ready to die?> he bellows as he nears. If his foot connects again, it will be just to send the ground pokemon rolling across the, uh, ground.

Peppy's little roll comes to a stop, and the pup lands on the ground with a *thump*. Ow. Choking up a disgusting wad of drool covered in dirt, the Growlithe coughs to himself, <Was that... a flying Katerwaul?> Ow. Ow, ow. Now the dog has to decide whether to start rushing towards Vertebra in a fit of rage from the insult, or to just kinda give up and go home. Eh... Peppy may be dumb, but he's not suicidal. Now, if only his rock-smashed side would *allow* him to get up and make a retreat...

Rolly-polly has-been Prince. If Vertebra were another Pokemon (let's say a water or electric type?) he would've killed you for that. As it stands...Vertebra seems to be the one who's gonna get killed today. Curse the Sanctuary for helping him develop all this flab!! Curse the Hypno! ...Oh yeah, and curse the dragon that's following him! (Can't forget that, now can we?) At Ballistic's roar, he glances up. <Ah...couldn't we..negotiate?> comes a small, high-pitched, squeaky voice. It's so small and high-pitched it must've come from a Rattata... except there's no Rattata around! Freaky! And, guess what happens to him? He does roll across the ground, getting a lot more bruises to add to the collection on his bum.

Ballistic flies lazily after Vertebra, landing close to the ground pokemon once he rolls to a stop. Very close. Like one-big-foot-on-him close. The Charizard yawns widely, pressing just enough weight on the foot to keep the Cubone pinned down. <Hmmm. Haven't had Cubone in a while,> he ponders out loud, then lowers his head to grin at the prince, showing off all of his teeth as he does. His foot presses a little more, <And I caught myself a fat one, too.>

Peppy, still like a stuffed dirty animal lying on the ground, blinks as the Charizard catches the Cubone. A glance to the side is made, and another attempt to get up. Ow. His front limb *hurts* like crazy. Quickly, the Growlithe tries to inspect his side... but the truth is, that, of all things to do, Peppy is actually seeing if his rear end really *is* fat. Just to see if the Cubone was telling the truth when he insulted him. <It's not true.> The puppy quickly assures himself, as if being scared half to death by a Charizard comes second to making sure your butt isn't big. Ow. Once again, the puppy tries to get up, and once again, he fails.

SQUUUEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!! A loud, high-pitched wail of pure, abstract terror fills the air, and a cloud of dirt rises from the copse of trees. What is it? It's.. a spearow and a nidoran! The nidoran's feet fly through the air at breakneck speed, pushing against the new egetation as hard as her stubby little feet can. Then.. Dive! FWOOSH! A huge burst of dust flies into the air as the spearow dive-bombs, and misses, getting knocked unconscious by the suicide dive, while the nidoran, in all her terror, does not notice and..

Vertebra gives a low "booooone!" of pain. His first instinct is to check for his wooden spoon - it is after all his only weapon. He tries and...he can't. A big foot attached to a big leg attached to a big Charizard with BIG TEETH tends to limit your visibility. Once Ballistic's foot is put on him and those pearly whites are shown, he stops mid-groan-of-pain, ending in a strangled squawk. And his eyes are focused completely on that Charizard. <Aheh...I've heard the helmets don't go down well,> squeaks the little Rattata...except, wait! The sound is coming from Verty's mouth! Huh..maybe he's a Rattata in disguise then. If so, you don't want to eat him. <Isn't there ...Growlithe..somewhere..?> he begins, but then is interrupted by a scream, in response to which he gives a small whimper. The assassin has accomplices! Eeeeek!

Ballistic snorts in surprise as the blue ... something comes flying at his head. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's a ... Nidoran? As he draws back to let the pokemon fly past him, his weight shift further off the ex-prince. His foot is still on him, but if Vertebra wiggles fast he might be able to escape. Ballistic snaps at the Nidoran as she flies by, but the pokemon is already past him. He misses most of the Cubone's blathering.

The Cubone's shrieking can be heard loud and clear even by Peppy, who's quite a good distance away (after all, the Cubone must've gained *some* distance*, and the fact that Peppy was just rolled like a bowling ball gone haywire doesn't help). However, this shrieking is pretty much nulled by the *other* loud sound. Man, it's times like this where a Growlithe's sensitive ears are *not* good things. "Growlithe!" the puppy butters bitterly, and, with superhuman (uh, supercanine) power, pulls himself up onto all four limbs. Hooray! Now, to make a speedy retreat!... although it would be more like a crawl now. Say, what's that blur that just passed the attacking Pokemon? It looks... familiar? Um.

UEEEEEEEE-! Breath. EEEEEEEEE-THUNK. The blue cannonball flies through the air, with little regard to the whoosh of air that just missed her behind a moment a go. Fortunately, she's not about to stay in the air any longer - or is that unfortunately? Guess who's right in the way of little miss scared-out-of-her-mind-and-almost-eaten-by-two-different-predators-in-the-last-ten-seconds? Yeah. You guessed right the first time. Mr. Peppy!

Purple, gold, and vermillion clouds grace the western sky as the sun descends toward the west.

Hah..ahaha. Hah. Vertebra's a con. A cad. A scoundrel. A Chaotic Evil, if you want to look at it Dungeon and Dragon's way. He's King of the Rats, Snakes and Worms. And, tell me, does a King of Worms not know how to /wriggle/? You bet your sweet bippy he's wriggling; his very precious LIFE depends on it! And he has the advantage of being a Ground Type. Oh sure, this is a Cubone who's never needed to interact with dirt before - but now's the best time to learn. He digs his claws into the ground and manages to push himself out from underneath the foot. And he breaks into a run - again. But this time he's running /right towards/ Peppy, following behind the blue blur. Of course, he's not trying to run into Peppy - he's only running past Peppy to make sure the Charizard notices that he's not the only thing on the menu!

Ballistic lets out a ground-shaking roar as Vertebra escapes. Okay, so he wasn't intending to really eat the Cubone, but he was going to let the little bugger go on his own terms, not the Cubone's. He waddles (yes, waddles. Charizards are outstanding flyers and great in battle, but their legs aren't really made for walking) after Vertebra, following him back towards Peppy and the Blue Bomber. Lowering his head to the unevolved pokemons' level, he lets out a Flamethrower to 'announce' his incoming-ness.

Kato has disconnected.

Darnit! Peppy just barely avoided getting killed by a Charizard. Now he's gonna get killed by a Nidoran? That'll go well on a tombstone. Still wobbly on his paws, and trying to see if he can walk on the injured one (his front right one), the Growlithe doesn't see Kato come-a-running. As she collides with the dog, he goes stumbling back, kinda hopping on two paws, before ending up in a one-pup pile on the floor. And then here comes the Charizard's flames! *fwoosh!* Fortunately, the puppy is a fire type, of course, and Vertebra's doing a lovely job of absorbing the fire (ha ha), but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt a little bit. "Lithe..!" The puppy grrs. Could it be possible that Ballistic is *worse* than a Katerwaul? Sure, they can turn invisible, but they aren't three times as big as he is, and they can't shoot flames.

"Ha ha!" would be the Nelson-esqu sound coming from Vertebra's mouth if he could see how silly Ballistic looked. But the problem is he's /not/ looking back. All he can hear are the footsteps of Evil Daddy Killing Charizard. Boom, boom, boom! Kinda like Jurassic Park...with fire-breathingdinosaurs. Speaking of fire-breathers, a large chunk of the Flamethrower smacks him right in the back, sending him sprawling once again to the ground, tumbling slightly. There's a sharp CRACK... not, Vertebra hasn't broken his spine. (Haha...Vertebra..broken spine, get it?) A great loss to the Pokemon world, of course. His wooden spoon's just snapped, the handle of it lies in his hands and the other end of it lies underneath him.

Ballistic flaps his wings as he waddles, to help his speed... or something. When he catches up to the fallen Cubone, this time he doesn't step on him. He moves around to Vertebra's front, lowering his head way down to the fallen prince's level. He snorts harshly into the masked face, then licks his pointy tongue appears as he licks his muzzle. Peppy is ignored; he's only a Growlithe after all. <Now, where were we?> he asks rhetorically, then grins into Vertebra's face. <Oh yes, I was about to eat you.>

"Growl. Lithe." Peppy mutters in disgust to himself. Dangit. What's he going to say to Patch? He tripped? Somebody mistook him for a walking target board? He risked his life for a burger? ... actually, that burger one is pretty believable, as far as Peppy goes. Peppy licks the side of his mouth. Mm, a burger sounds really good right now! ... oh, wait, Charizard. After noticing the Charizard ignore him (phew!) and go after Vertebra again (phew again!), Peppy tries to get back up... and, well, now his back right paw hurts. Probably from being hit by a crazed Nidoran. Okay, this sucks.

Vertebra remains perfectly...still. His brain tries to work. Why won't those synapses fire? Why won't those brain cells generate? Is it because he's been caught by the dragon's Disable attack?...Oh, they don't have that attack, do they? Strange, from the way this Cubone's acting, you'd think they did. All Ballistic can tell is that it's not physically possible for Vertebra's fear-filled black eyes to get any wider. Maybe if he pretends he's dead he'll be left alone? Aheh.

Ballistic snorts in disgust at Vertebra, lifting his head and turning away. As he turns he sweeps his heavy tail at the ground pokemon, intending to send him tumbling once more. Without voicing reason for his seeming change in heart, the Charizard stalks over towards Peppy. He's drooling again. That's probably a bad sign, huh?

The haunting sound of a Scarewulf howl echoes across the MUSH as the database saves. (Saving)

Maybe he can hop home on two paws. Or maybe Patch will come along and rescue him. Or maybe he's gonna die. Whatever the case, Peppy is deep in thought, thinking of a way to get out of this predicament. Maybe, if he *pretends* he's dead, the Charizard won't eat him? ... well, that was stupid. Dun dun. A shadow is cast over the Growlithe, and he peers up at the Charizard. The drooling Charizard. The large, drooling Charizard probably hungrier than he is. It's taking an awful lot of courage on Peppy's part to keep him from fainting right then and there. The dog looks to the side, then back up at Ballistic. He lets out a choked, <Don't kill me...>. Okay, he's dead! End of story! Two limbs weak, can't run! Huge, fast, *hungry* Charizard right near him. Nobody else but a Cubone who hates him in the area. Rats.

The orange-red sun sinks below the western horizon, leaving a darkening tapestry of purple and red-gold clouds behind it.

Haha! Vertebra's ploy worked! And you all say he isn't smart. Well I say sucks to you! However, he still is /injured/, if not eaten. He's sent sprawling once again, but this time his cries of pain are much more muted. Sigh..being sent tumbling is becoming a most unwelcome pattern. He's following an internal mantra 'Don't attract attention, don't attract attention, don't attract attention!' He lets friction do it's thang and he comes to a halt on his charred backside. After a bit, he manages to peer around him without seeing the world lurch and spin wildly around him. He sees the Charizard leaving...and his broken spoon, which is still where he had fallen a few second before. His mind is dulled with pain and fear, so he's torn between moving to get that spoon, running, or continuing to 'play dead'.

Ballistic starts to flap his wings, sending up storms of dust every which way. His big feet leave the earth, but he doesn't fly off just yet. Doing a mini-swoop, he snatches up Peppy, and *then* starts to lift into the sky. His wide toes hold onto the puppy pokemon tightly, thick talons pressing into his sides (but not breaking the skin... much). Up, up, up they go. They pass the treetops and continue to lift. Higher and higher... hello, Mr. Cloud!

Vertebra's fuzzy mind finally figures out the best course of action. Get the spoon, then run. He's not gonna bother to extract revenge on his Charizard, despite the fact this /has/ to be the one that killed his father as a Charmeleon. It's either that...or this Charizard IS his father, and they can have a lightsabre battle afterwards!...except wouldn't Vertebra and this evil Charizard both be on the 'Dark Side' of the Force? Uh..anyways, he shakily stands up, tears of pain forming in his eyes as he does so, and begins to stumble towards his spoon, managing to pick up it's other half. It's not just a physically draining activity, it's also rather emotionally draining as well. His weapon's just been destroyed. SNIIIIIFLE!

Oh, sweet lawd. At first, Peppy doesn't really understand what's going on... and then, it dawns upon him. He is being *lifted*. Into the air. By the Charizard. There *can* be no good ending! He'll either get eaten up here, or he'll get dropped, or he'll get carried away to some island and get eaten *there*! Or dropped *there!*. All least he's not crying or anything - he's too shocked to. Babble, babble... "Guh... growl... lithe?" It doesn't mean anything, mostly, just like, 'uh, um, err'. Why couldn't he take the Cubone instead?!

Ballistic carries Peppy the Growlithe off into the sunset. Will the Growlithe ever be seen again? Will Ballistic be burping up fur for the next two days? Will the two settle down and have 3.5 lovely children? Only time will tell.

Ballistic has left.

Cinnabar Island: Volcanic Slope

Contents:
Ballistic
Obvious exits:
East <E> leads to Nine-Tails Breeding Center.
South <S> leads to Big Riddle Inn.
West <W> leads to Cinnabar Caves - Steam Cave.
Down <D> leads to Cinnabar Island: Steaming Tunnel.
North <N> leads to Cinnabar Island: Hiking Path.

To the south the Charizard carries Peppy. Okay, okay, so Peppy is neither a woman nor human, but Ballistic is stealing him anyway! Besides, every fire pokemon should see his or her homeland sometime in their life, so Ballistic is just helping out! ...right. The Charizard flies in and out of banks of clouds, carrying Peppy at a fast clip high over the land. They're too far up to make out individual trees, let alone any people. Now and again they pass a town, the rooftops shades of red and brown.

The puppy glances at the ground. So far away. Well, he hasn't been dropped yet, and that's a really good sign... but that only ups the chance that he's probably about to get chewed up. He'll never see Patch again! He'll never see Zeph again! He'll never see... that... Cubone... again! He'll never see... a burger again. And that is, quite possibly, the worst of all. He had always hoped that, if he had to die, he would get a little burger as a going away present, but apparently, that wish won't come true. Trembling a little bit, the pup finally gets the courage to whimper a scared little, <Where are we going?> Of course, the Charizard's wings might be too loud. And his squeaky voice might not be loud enough to be heard. So...

The wind roars by the two, and of course the Charizard's wings are loud as well; Ballistic hears not a peep from Peppy. They fly over one more town, the roofs of it blue in tint, and then they're over the ocean. The setting sun's colors reflect of the waves ahead of the, the waters below darkening to nearly black. The Charizard flies on tirelessly, towards the distant island-volcano ahead.

Peppy doesn't get a reply, but that's just as well - the reply would most likely be one the pup wouldn't enjoy. The pup is almost completely sure that he's being brought away to be devoured... but why didn't the Charizard just eat the pup back near home? Hm. Maybe he wanted to save some for later, and didn't want blood on his claws. The Growlithe shudders a bit. What a totally morbid thought. "Grrowl..." the puppy mutters to himself, glancing at the water, and wondering what Patch is doing. Aw.

More time passes, and the two draw closer to the island of Cinnabar. Ballistic starts to bank to the left, dropping lower as they get nearer and nearer to the land ahead. He circles around the island, then homes in on one path leading up the side of the volcano. He folds his wings, dropping through the sky towards it. Seconds before he crashes, he opens both his feet and his wings, dropping the Growlithe and taking back off into the air. He roars, shooting off a Flamethrower attack up into the sky, then flies off.

Whoa. Cool volcano. The Growlithe's thoughts about being gobbled up and never seeing Patch again are dimished as he simply takes in all the beauty of this place. Hey, if he's about to die, why not enjoy it? Right as the dog is actually starting to think death is a small price to pay for this beauty (hee), the Charizard swoops down. Oh shoot! This is it! This is where he dies! The Growlithe closes his eyes as tightly as he can... and then he hits the ground. But not from a high point, but rather, from a pretty low point. He's not smushed! One eye blinks open. Then the other. Blink. Blink. <I'm... not dead?> He woofs to himself, glancing up at the Charizard leaves. Maybe he's going to go get the Cubone. Or something. Wonder how far Celadon is from here...