Music
Cinnabar Island, 15th February, 2004.
The weather on Cinnabar Island is always notoriously hot compared to the rest of the world. This makes it an ideal place for pokemon that love the heat and abhor the cold, such as fire-type pokemon. Unfortunately, with the weather in the rest of the world yielding snow, this means that the clouds above Cinnabar yield rain.
The main geographical feature of the island is the tall mountain that was once an active volcano. It might still be active, as the steaming crater atop the peak suggests, but it hasn't erupted in years. It is inside this volcano that most of the island's pokemon population lives, in the mass of sprawling caverns and tunnels winding their way deeper and deeper into the mountain.
The entryway is a foreboding place. A ledge leads from the cave mouth, passing over a boiling caldera of magma, towards another narrow passageway. Hanging above this passage is a particularly odd formation of rocks, forming an uncanny resemblance to the head of a Charizard, its gaping maw forming the entrance further into the volcano. No pokemon could have carved this, so it was either sculpted by humans, or it somehow occurred naturally. Either way, its mere presence is enough to deter all but the bravest of trainers from venturing further.
The interior of the volcano certainly hasn't seen many trainers in recent months. This is partly due to the foreboding rock formation, giving the cavern the name Dragon's Mouth, but it is mostly due to the residents. A wooden sign outside of the cave warns of the danger. 'Beware of the Charizard!' it reads, printed in bold, black letters. Someone has hastily scratched an 's' onto the end of the warning, however, given the recent encounters trainers have had. There has been a Charizard lairing here for some time now, and she is well known to the townsfolk. Dakshi is her name, and her blunt attitude to intruders has been enough to turn the humans around. Now, there is yet another Charizard living here, but not many humans have seen him. Those that have seen him can quickly tell him apart from Dakshi, as this male, known as Scorch, has distinctive red and black markings across his back.
-------------------------------
The rain is falling lightly all over the island. The soft pitter-patter of raindrops outside the cave mouth should be enough to irritate any pokemon, but Dakshi is known as unusually calm for her species. The bright-coloured pokemon sleeps soundly, despite the early morning light seeping into her home. Curled up in her usual position, her head resting atop her long tail, with the flickering flame on her tailtip warming her nicely, situated next to her head.
The female Charizard stirs from her slumber, raising her head slightly and opening her eyes carefully, blinking away the last remnants of sleepiness from her eyes. Scorch is nowhere to be seen. His usual resting spot is vacant, although signs of disturbed dust and pebbles indicate he has been there until fairly recently.
Dakshi opens her jaws wide enough to swallow a Pidgey in one gulp, giving an enormous yawn. She isn't concerned with Scorch's absence, since he is often the first to awaken. It works out nicely, as he performs the first hunting trip, bringing back his rewards in time for Dakshi to awaken to. It pays to have a companion in the cave...
Minutes later, the figure of the male Charizard appears at the cave entrance, holding multiple unrecognisable creatures in his claws. The light rain bounces off his leathery hide, seeming to surround the reptile with an 'aura' of mist.
<Dakshi?> he rumbles quietly, peering into the comparitive gloom of the cave.
No reply. <Hmm...> Scorch ponders as he steps out of the rain, the water trickling across his leathery scales. Thankfully rain isn't dangerous to him anymore, as it was when he was younger and weaker. He would have to stay cowering undercover for hours, sometimes days when the rain failed to stop falling, all the time holding his flame close to his shivering body.
The Charizard plods across the stone floor, his claws clicking lightly against it as he walks. As he reaches the edge of the overhanging ledge, suspended above the bubbling magma pool, he deposits his catches before settling himself down at the edge, shaking the droplets free of his body to hasten the process. His attention turns to his leathery wings instead, intent on keeping them in pristine condition. After all, they are the latest addition to his draconic form, and he is incredibly proud of them, even if he can't use them properly yet.
<It looks like the rain didn't foil your hunting today,> Dakshi's voice emanates from her usual resting spot.
Scorch's head swings around quickly to face the female, who has roused herself from her slumber finally. <I thought you were asleep,> the male smiles, glancing briefly at the rewards of his efforts this morning before returning his attention to his wings, wiping all the places he can reach with his arms.
Dakshi says nothing to either confirm or deny Scorch's guess, just moving to the deposited meal by the side of the magma pool. Selecting one of the more accessible Pidgeys, she tucks in, her ravenous appetite driving her fangs into the carcass. Nothing ladylike about a Charizard's eating habits. Not that Scorch minds. The only important thing is feeding yourself, and with only himself present, the female can do as she likes. It -is- her cave, after all, and his own manners aren't much better.
Scorch catches himself watching Dakshi just as she notices, resuming his task of wiping his wings dry.
<Something interesting?> the female rumbles irritably, gulping down the last of the Pidgey.
<No, I was just remembering something,> Scorch replies.
Dakshi just nods in reply, picking up yet another portion of meat.
<Pidgeys were the order of the day when we first met, if you remember,> Scorch smiles, remembering fondly.
<They were, yes, but I don't see why that is important,> the dragoness muses, giving Scorch a rather puzzled look.
<It's important because it was the first time we met! Of course, I didn't know then how much of an influence you would become in my life. That meeting was more than a coincidence.>
Dakshi's expression immediately changes to one of annoyance and she folds her arms, knowing exactly where this conversation is going.
<You're not going to start talking about fate again, are you? No one is bound to a destiny that is set for them. You should know that, given your life. You changed your life by showing willingness and determination. You set yourself the goal of evolution, and you have achieved that. You have made your own destiny. How many times must I say this?> she says, her practiced tongue rolling the words off as she has done before.
Despite this rebuke however, Scorch just grins.
<I know you refuse to accept your part in my life, but you have made as much effort as I have, if not more. We did it together, remember?>
<No. Remember the words you uttered before you stepped away from your old life? 'I don't care what it takes, or how long it takes, I am going to do whatever I need to do, and take as much time as I need to do it.' Remember that?> Dakshi reminds her student, her eyes showing all the sternness she always had. <And you did. All I did was point you in the right direction.>
Scorch's eyes settle uncertainly upon his mentor, a mix of expressions appearing and fading just as quickly. His face eventually settles to show a hint of sadness.
<I'm sorry. I... I just think that if you hadn't come along when you did, I wouldn't be alive now. Either that, or in the hands of another human.>
<Nothing you've just said is new. If you had heeded my warning when we first met, you wouldn't have gone with even one human. But that's history now. I think it's high time you put your past behind you, and stop biting yourself over what you can't change.> Dakshi sighs. <Let's make a deal, shall we? You can talk about it for one last time, and then you don't mention how regretful you are ever again, okay?>
<There's nothing you don't already know. Are you sure you want to hear it again?>
<If it'll settle you down, then yes. But this will be the last time, and you will start living for the future, alright?>
<Then your side of the deal must be to tell me -your- history. No secrets between us, right?>
<You've heard my history before, so there -are- no secrets, but I suppose it wouldn't hurt to tell it again. Just make sure you pay attention this time!> the dragoness chuckles, although her tone suggests she is serious. Scorch must have fallen asleep during her stories before.
There is a pause during which neither reptile speaks, the silence only broken by the occasional gurgle from the magma below. Or is that someone's stomach?
<Me first?> Scorch asks finally. <Okay then. I don't remember much from my early months, but I can remember I grew up here. There was myself, my sister Cinders and my two brothers... Er... I think one was called Ashen and the other was Brazen. And my mother, of course. Apparently our names are all human words, but that's because my mother had a human trainer. I can see now that she was soft, but that didn't stop me from liking her. Perhaps that was because she associated with humans?> Scorch smiles as he pauses.
<Perhaps,> Dakshi rumbles.
<Anyway, we lived here, my mother teaching us everything she knew. Well, she tried, at least. I was no good at hunting back then, probably because I never payed attention. I was always looking for fun, you know? I thought I knew everything, but now I see that I was just being stupid... Ah!> Scorch warns, raising a claw to silence his mentor as she begins to protest.
<I know what you're going to say, but I was. I thought that humans weren't dangerous, and that I could just do as I pleased. My brothers always looked down on me just as I looked down on them, and I think that even my mother would have discarded me if I wasn't her flesh and blood. The only one who liked me, and who I myself liked, was Cinders, my sister. When my mother left us to return to her human, Cinders and I stayed together, and explored the island.> The male Charizard pauses in his story, giving a slight sigh.
<You miss her, don't you?> Dakshi remarks, her expression growing softer by the minute.
<I do... I still want to find her, and I'll search until I do. I can't even remember what led me to leave her in the first place. All I remember is boarding a boat at the dock, pretending I was with one of the humans, until I reached the land where you found me. And that is where everything went wrong, but not immediately, of course. I was alone, in a land unknown to me, so naturally I was frightened. I met a human and his pet Rhyhorn, which made me aware of how vulnerable I was. After that, I met you for the first time, and then more humans, although they were nicer than the first. One gave me some meat, and the other let me train with her...> Again, Scorch falls into silence, the painful memories just beginning.
<That was the one that captured you, right?> Dakshi correctly assumes, her brow lowering in a disapproving manner.
<Yes, that was Rhia. But I didn't go with her at first, only when the heavy rain and snow started. She seemed different from all the other humans. She seemed to actually care about me, and about her other pets. She was... nice.> Scorch's neck bends slightly downwards, as his stern-looking eyes take on a saddened look, and gaze intently at the floor in front of him.
<You -thought- she was nice, you mean. She -abandoned- you, turning you out into the world in the dead of winter! A 'nice' human wouldn't do that, if they even exist.> Dakshi patiently reasons, folding her arms.
For a few moments, Scorch is silent, maintaining his intense gaze on the rocky cave floor. Suddenly, the male Charizard throws open his wings, raises his tooth-lined maw to the ceiling, and crys out in a voice that would waken the dead. <Why, Rhia? Why would you leave me?> he roars, a voice that would likely have been heard in the town below. Scorch droops after his sudden outburst, his wings folding themselves, and his head and arms hanging limply. <Why? I thought I knew her, and she did that to me...> he mumbles quietly.
<It just goes to prove how humans can't be trusted. Even those you think you know can't be trusted. The only individual you -can- trust for certain is yourself,> Dakshi states, putting her best 'mentor' expression on.
<But I can trust you, can't I?> Scorch asks, a slightly worried expression on his visage.
<Trust your own judgement, and let it tell you the answer. You're the only one you can trust for certain.> Wise words from Sensei Dakshi.
Scorch nods uncertainly, but he doesn't reveal what his judgement tells him, if the Charizard even knows himself.
<And the rest of my story you know well enough. I wandered aimlessly for a time, until you found me, rescued me, and evolved me. And I will never be alone again,> he finishes, smiling proudly. <Your turn.>
<Before I begin, you made one mistake. I may have aided your training, but it was -you- who did the evolving, not me. By the way, what was your connection to that human boy who came here? You seemed to know him.> Dakshi enquires.
<The one with the old-timer Charmander? That's Dalton. He and Rhia were... Well, I don't know how humans work exactly, but I think they were mates. I thought -he- would have known where Rhia went, but he didn't. Anyway, it's your turn to tell your story. You're not getting out of it that easily!> Scorch grins, showing more of his white fangs than usual.
<Very well,> Dakshi pauses giving a slight smile. <I was born here, in much the same way you were, only earlier. My own mother, Dervla, taught myself and my four siblings how to fend for ourselves for a short time, before leaving for the open skies. One thing that stuck in my mind was her explanation of evolution. She didn't describe it, but she taught me to be patient, saying 'First you walk, then... you fly!'> the female explains, gesturing emphatically.
<Of course, I -wanted- to fly, but I didn't know how to evolve, and my first priority was finding somewhere to live, a place to call my own. I tried without much success to find a suitable cave, as all the ones I found were already occupied. I had only to peek inside and I would find a pair of eyes, or sometimes -two- pairs of eyes, staring back at me.>
<But finally I found one!> Dakshi relates, her eyes positively lighting up with the same delight she must have felt back then.
<Was it this one?> Scorch asks, pointing at the ground underneath him.
<No, it wasn't. It was much smaller, but there was no one living there, and so I claimed it for myself. There I lived for... about a year, before I was forced to defend my territory.> Dakshi takes a moment to glance at the cave entrance, as if expecting an intruder on cue.
Scorch seems to be paying attention for once. His eyes are fixed on his mentor, and he gives an occasional nod of understanding. <The Growlithe, right?> he asks, apparently having remembered this part of the story.
Dakshi frowns as she turns back to her student. <Yes, the Growlithe. Nasty furball. He stepped into -my- cave, and challenged me for ownership!> Here the female almost growls herself, remembering the audacity of the canine. <Well, as you can imagine, I wasn't about to give up my cave to a creature that thought he could just waltz in and take over. He gave me the chance to leave unharmed, but I refused.>
<He thought he could intimidate me, and he attacked, forcing me to fight back. I wouldn't have hurt him, but he pushed me into action. Again and again he tried to lock his jaws around me, and finally he succeeded, despite my efforts to evade him. I felt his teeth tear into me, and he maintained his grip for a period of agony that seemed to last for hours.>
<Finally I was released, and the Growlithe once more challenged me to leave or to pay the price.> Dakshi lowers her head and stares ominously at Scorch, who frowns back, his expression serious. <I refused again, of course. I had to prove that that cave was mine! I was furious, and that anger proved to be the cause of my first evolution.> Dakshi smiles proudly.
<It was almost the same with me, but I wasn't defending my home, like you were. I think my desperation must have made up what I lacked in anger,> Scorch grins. <Sorry, continue.>
<Well, it was sufficient to trigger your own evolution, and that's all that matters. Anyway, the Growlithe decided wisely not to attack me. He must have been too afraid to risk his own hide, and he left in haste. My first taste of victory.>
<After that, I knew I had to fight to evolve, and I began my search for opponents. Well, I sent out a call for opponents, to come and challenge me in battle. I quickly drew a crowd to the arena I created, but none of them seemed to take me seriously. Only one pokemon stepped forward: another Charmeleon. I was so eager to battle that... he defeated me. He defeated me quickly, in fact.>
<You don't seem disappointed,> Scorch observes.
<No, but I've since seen what that defeat meant to me. I was immensely frustrated at the time, as the Charmeleon proceded to lecture me on the futility of my efforts. The next day, I put into action a new plan, one I had devised during the night. I was going to train my body into peak condition through exercise, not battle. So I constructed a track for myself to run around, and I did so, again and again, until I was exhausted. To my surprise, the Charmeleon who had lectured me the day before approached once again. He had been watching me, and he again showed me that I was going about my training in completely the wrong way.>
<And he became your mentor, just like you became mine,> Scorch smiles slightly.
<Indeed he did. So you -have- been listening on occasion! Panya, my personal instructor and main training partner.> Dakshi pauses, her gaze shifting to the shifting pool of molten rock.
The female's silence is enough to prompt further questioning from Scorch. <You miss him, don't you?> he guesses, copying his mentor's earlier question.
For a few moments, Dakshi remains silent, immersed in her own memories. <Of course. No one had supported me that much before, not even my own siblings, and he is the one to whom I owe my wings. He was my first true friend,> she replies finally.
It is now Scorch's turn to fall silent, as he ponders his next words. These words are spoken slowly, with a lot of thought apparently behind them. <I cannot hope to replace him, nor would I wish to try, but if you want me to, I will help you search for him. I owe you at least that much.>
<Thank you, but I will not go looking for him. It would go against everything he taught me, as a big waste of effort. Anyway, back to the story.>
<Of course. Forgive my interruption,> Scorch quickly says, fixing his gaze once again on his mentor.
<Forgiven. Where was I? Oh yes, my training. It was rigorous, to say the least. I began with seemingly simple tasks, that turned out to need a lot more thought and planning than I imagined. Take a simple Slash. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't hit Panya with one at first, as he was much more agile and experienced than I was. I continued undaunted, learning from my training partners much more than I learned from my mother. They taught me how to hunt properly, the way I taught you. They taught me the methods of balance, and of using all my senses in battle, not just my sight. Something I will teach you in time, I should add.>
<This training lasted nearly two years, and I was learning as much as I could during that time. My balance, dexterity and agility all increased, until Panya told me that I was ready. Ready for a solitary hunt,> Dakshi states proudly.
Scorch says nothing, but his expression of interest is as keen as ever.
<My prey was a Pidgeotto, and I was determined not to rest until I had brought one back to the group. I used all the skills I had learned to find one, and I eagerly launched an attack, wanting to bring it down as quickly as possible. But the bird was stronger and faster than I imagined, and it fought back. Eventually, when it realized it couldn't beat me, it flew away, and I tracked it to a cliff edge. Of course, I couldn't follow it any further, and it turned to start taunting me. Once again, rage engulfed me, and... well, 'first you walk, then you fly',> Dakshi finishes, folding her arms.
<Now, no more lamenting about the past, as you promised. You still have a lot of work ahead of you,> the female states, determined to hold Scorch to his promise.
<So do you, if you hope to keep up with me!> Scorch grins. To add strength to his claim, he plods as quickly as he can manage towards the cave entrance, looking back over his shoulder.
<That sounds like a challenge! Very well, let the training continue!> Dakshi smiles, following her student outside. <Today's lesson: how not to be boastful!>
----------------------------------------<
Back