Autumn

Micah followed River out of the apparel shop's entrance, where Cedar had been waiting patiently outside the door. The sun shone down across violet city, illuminating the stiff air and filling the streets with splendor. Everywhere he looked Micah saw someone hurrying off to some important engagement, or chatting with a friend with shopping bags in hand. Everything stirred with life and movement. Micah was amazed, and sympathetic. As interesting as the city was, he saw no one relaxing or appreciating the sky or the sun. Everyone was occupied with this or that.

"So, how do they feel? Are they comfortable?" River turned gracefully and asked smiling. Her head tilted slightly to one side.

She referred to the new burgundy knapsack hung behind his shoulders and a loose fitting leather belt that hung low enough that his right hand, when relaxed, could reach the pokeballs it was designed to carry. The pack was empty for now, besides his camp hatchet and a hat that River insisted he needed. He shifted inside the straps and toyed with the belt for a second before answering, “They’re very fine. Thank you."

It was a little humbling to have this girl he barely knew buy him things, especially at the price she paid for them. However she insisted he needed them, and only the very best. He appreciated the gesture of course, it just seemed a little much.

“Well, then it’s back to the pokecenter to pick up Oshawott and get you some,” She paused for dramatic effect, “Pokeballs!” She cheered and her smile grew over most of her face. Micah grinned, but his minor enthusiasm was dwarfed by River’s.

A few moments passed as they walked back in pleasant silence. Micah suspected that River was letting him take in the sights, as he had mentioned he’d never been to the city before. River stopped suddenly, and grabbed his shoulder turning him to face the poster she was now intently reading.

“Violet City presents” she read, “The first ever annual triathlon pokemon tournament! Open to all trainers! Each trainer must enter with exactly three pokemon. Each pokemon will be pitted against their opponent in a random sequence.”

“It’s perfect for you! You won’t have to worry about Type-Advantages because it’s all random anyways!” River squealed, “and look! It starts in three weeks! That’s plenty of time for you to get two more pokemon, and train them a little!”

Micah nodded his agreement, “Yeah, but contests aren’t really-”

He was cut off by River jerking him forward towards the pokecenter by hand.

“Come on there’s no time to waste!”

*******************

An hour later, they were leaving Violet City in search of pokemon and training. The pack on Micahs back was now full of  everything River thought he’d need to be a successful trainer. It was weighed down with everything from pokeballs to medicine, with a few weeks worth of rations. They had both already registered for the triathlon, and now they just had to catch two pokemon for Micah, and train.

“So where should we go to catch pokemon?” Micah asked.

“Where ever you want. Different pokemon live in different areas, so we should probably try to cover as much ground as possible, and train along the way. That’s why i bought so many potions and revives, so we won't need to go back to Violet city for a while.”

Micah knew that was very smart, but before he could tell her so Cedar stopped and stood at attention facing towards a small path just off the main road. A low rumble escaped his throat, and not a few seconds later a small brown creature burst through the flora.

It was an eevee, rather small for it’s size, and it had a nasty gash on its right hind leg. It stared over at the group, and immediately ran over and hid behind Cedar. He seemed to ignore the injured creature, and instead continued growling and glaring in the same direction the pokemon had come from.

“Oh,you poor thing!” River pouted, kneeling to look at the cut. “Who did this to you?”

“I think we’re about to find out,” Micah said as River pulled some medical supplies out of His pack to treat the Eevee.

A moment later a trainer came into view with a large Scyther at his side. The giant bug pokemon glided over the path, it’s wings buzzing, and the blades attached where it’s hand would be shined in the dim sunlight.

“Eevee!” the trainer yelled, not yet noticing the group. As he cleared the brush and stood in the road, he finally took notice of the angry growlithe, and the trainers behind him. He took a moment to analyze the situation before speaking, “Thank you for patching up my Eevee, but I need her back.”

“Where did she get that cut?”  Micah asked bluntly, ignoring the trainers request. Though, he had a pretty good idea already.

“We were training, and Scyther here got a little careless.” the trainer said nonchalantly, “Maybe next time Eevee will go faster. I can’t help that some of my pokemon are weaker than others”

There was a moment where the only noise was the buzz and growls emanating from the two pokemon. The tension between the two trainers was building with each second and neither seemed like they were going to back down. Micah broke the silence in a chilled tone.

“You aren’t getting this pokemon back.”

“What do you mean?” He asked challengingly.

“You’re a fool to pit your pokemon against one another in combat, and irresponsible to let the damage get so severe. I won’t let you take this pokemon back to be abused any more.” Micah’s fists were clenched, but he spoke very calmly. He was merely stating a fact.

“Well, it’s my pokemon. You can’t just assume it’s yours when it’s not,” He stated in a tone that sounded altogether too pompous. Then his gaze shifted down to Cedar, whose fur was standing on end, a heat wave rolling off his torso. “How about a wager?” He asked, “We’ll battle, and if you beat me, you can keep that little wimp.” He gestured towards the Eevee that now had a bandage around its leg.

“Deal”

The trainer chuckled and raised his hand, “Hold on now. See, if I win,” He said, emphasizing himself, “I get to keep your puppy there as a new training doll.”

He smiled at Micah, expecting him to back down. Micah’s fists remained clenched, and his eyes were wide with contempt. He was only a few paces away from coming to blows with a stranger.

“Deal,” He said sternly, as if he were throwing a rock with his voice.

“What are you doing!?” River whispered from behind him.

His gaze turned to her, with the fury prominent in his breath he evenly stated, “You weren’t the only one who had to hold back when we battled.”

The trainer reached behind his back and revealed two more pokeballs. “Then let’s get started!”

River lifted the Eevee into her arms and retreated a few paces, whispering to the pokemons ears, “Don’t worry, I’m sure they can handle it.” She meant to sound confident, but her voice still shuttered.

Micah knelt beside Cedar,who was still facing the trainer and his Scyther. “Just follow your instincts” Micah said before he and his opponent walked away to make ample room for the battle. Embers started dancing off Cedars coat.

Without warning the trainer called out, “Fury cutter, now!”

The Scyther rushed forward blades at the ready, but Cedar was ready. He dodged at every swing, narrowly missing any attempt the Scyther made to damage him. Small flames now licked away from every part of Cedar’s fur. The Scyther lunged at him a final time, but his own momentum proved to be his downfall when Cedar knocked him off balance, hitting him with his tail. Cedar’s opponent twisted and tumbled until he flew into the ground, knocking the breath out of him.

It was Cedar’s turn.  He inhaled deeply and focused. He felt it. The familiarity of the heat running through his veins. It always cried to be let out. It always wanted freedom. Now was the time, and like throwing a match on gasoline, he ignited.

Flames poured off of  Cedar in every direction. Before Scyther could gather itself for another attack, Cedar rushed his flaming body at his opponent. A wheel of flame leapt from Cedar’s body and enveloped the bug. It didn’t take much, after a second Scyther lay on the ground, unconscious.

“Pathetic,” the trainer mumbled, recalling his pokemon to the ball. “That’s an impressive growlithe you have there.” The flames around growlithe now died back down to small flecks, but were very frequent and dense. “I can’t wait until he’s mine. Go, Seviper!”

A Black snake with red and gold accents coiled midair towards Cedar. Cedar barely moved away before it lashed out with giant red fangs. It was a surprise attack, and Cedar hated surprises. Back on his feet facing his opponent, Cedar’s flames burst outward again. “Don’t get too close!” Micah yelled from across the battlefield.

The other trainer laughed, “Poison tail, Seviper!”

The seviper swung it’s tail at Cedar in a huge motion catching Cedar’s leg. Cedar dove away putting space between the two pokemon.

The trainers smiled, “Again Seviper!

“Cedar, Speak!”

Almost mechanically, Cedar roared on command. The thunderous burst of sound froze Seviper in its tracks. Cedar knew what to do now. Another wheel of flame flew from Cedar’s coat landing a direct hit on the still terrified Seviper. It was still standing conscious, but badly hurt.

“Ember!” Micah called out.

Cedar understood perfectly why Micah didn’t want to overdo the fight. They were to set an example for this trainer and his pokemon, and killing their opponents wasn’t going to help at all. With a swing of his tail he threw a small red heat wave at Seviper, which was just enough to end the fight without getting too close.

Cedar suddenly was aware of the pulsating pain in his leg, where the Seviper had struck him. It was spreading, with every step it inched into his muscles,  oozing farther away from the original scratch.

“Feeling okay, Cedar?” The trainer teased. His arrogance had faded into irritation and dissatisfaction. He was angry. “What a foolish name. Come on, finish this Haunter!”

The last pokeball flew from the trainers hand splitting into a red flash revealing the violet ghost with free floating hands and a crooked red smile.

“Haunter, use Curse!”

The ghost vanished. Cedar bolted away from where the Haunter had been, but only to find that his leg hurt even worse.

A pointed purple finger reached down and poked him on the nose, leaving a black goo setting on his snout. The haunter floated away laughing maniacally, but seemed weaker somehow.

Enough of this game. Cedar galloped toward the haunter building his flames with each stride. The cut on his leg was sore, but he pushed through. It was difficult to ignore.

With a final leap he hurled the wheel of fire at the Haunter, and caught him perfectly. Flames circled around him and when they dissipated, He looked weary and spent, but he lingered to fight, still laughing.

Pain suddenly overwhelmed Cedar. His leg gave way to the soreness all over him, and he fell to the ground. The itch of the poison muddled his senses, and he couldn’t understand what was going on.

The Haunter laughed uproariously. This was his curse. It must have been hilarious to him, this game of torture and fortitude. Cedar was tired of playing, but had to see it through. He had no choice.

“Go, Cedar! You can do it!” A voice called behind him. He couldn’t turn away, but he recognized the voice. It was River, the girl he and Micah had met, just a day ago. She was cheering for him. She needed him to win.

“Use lick!” An unfamiliar voice called out. The Haunter shifted forward and lunged for him, but he dove away. The pain in his shoulder nearly crippling when he landed.

A figure was in the distance. It was Micah. His oldest friend, and trainer. His face was different though. It didn’t look the way it usually did. Micah’s face usually looked so carefree and calm, but now it looked dark. Now it looked worried.

Another wave of pain erupted from the Haunter’s curse. Cedar howled in agony and collapsed. He was about lose this battle. He wanted so badly to give up, but knew he couldn’t. He heard Micah shout something, and realized his eyes were closed. He couldn’t stop. He couldn’t.

He opened his eyes, and there at micah’s feet stood the Eevee that he was trying to save. It looked terrified, just like Micah. River stood behind them, her eyes wide and filled with tears. The pain from the battle was crippling, but knowing he let these creatures down hurt worse. His only friends in the world. The things that depended on him, and he depended on.

His eyes closed again. How could he? He was losing them by laying there defeated. How could he just lay there without even trying. He had to give everything he had to this fight.

He needed to burn everything that hurt his friends.

Burn the Haunter.

Burn the trainer.

Burn his pain.

Burn it all.

Burn it to the ground.

Burn it.

He felt a tension ease off his muscles. His bones weren’t breaking anymore. His muscles weren’t collapsing. He opened his eyes, The Haunter lay just in front of him, covered in ash. Everything within a five foot radius of him was burnt to a crisp.

He lifted his head with some effort, and tried to stand. His leg ached, and felt as brittle as glass, but it was working. He limped over to Micah, who embraced him around the neck.

“Good job, buddy. Next time don’t cut it so close though, okay?”

Micah stood and walked over to the trainer, while River went straight to work applying antidotes to Cedar’s cut. The Eevee watched him, but curled up next to Cedar, licking his nose. When Micah reached the trainer, who had already recalled his Haunter, he held out his hand. Without saying a word, the trainer handed Micah the pokeball that was meant for Eevee and walked away towards Violet City.

Micah dropped it after the trainer was gone and crushed it beneath his boot. He didn’t want any remnant of Eevee’s past haunting her. She needed a new name, he decided, but that could wait until after they had rested. He looked at his two pokemon laying together, and felt two tremendously clear emotions.

Joy, because he had taken the next step in his unfocused journey by standing up for what he thought was right.

He also felt fear. He was responsible for these pokemon, and he had already come so close to losing them. If Cedar hadn’t exploded at that very last moment, Micah thought, he would have nothing. He couldn’t take risks like that again. He couldn’t jeopardize his team.

*****************

River watched Eevee stroll along the edge of the campsite. She looked so happy and free bouncing along the treeline. River didn’t know if she was keeping guard or just enjoying her new found liberation. Cedar had been in no condition to walk after his battle, so the group decided to set up camp in a nearby clearing and rest for the remainder of the day.

Micah sat a few meters away, tending fire he had made earlier. He didn’t want to wake Cedar, so he used a flint and steel he had packed in case of emergencies. “Situations just like this one,” he had said earlier, but River didn’t think it was an emergency. She saw it as a well earned victory. Cedar was tired now, but when he woke up he would be even stronger than before. For now though, he sat beside Micah, sleeping heavily and soundly

River was surprised a little, because she found that she wasn’t jealous. She only admired Micah and Cedar, and the way they took responsibility for the little brown furball that was dancing around the perimeter of their camp. They selflessly risked everything, just for the sake of one little pokemon.

The Eevee turned, and with a bright mew she pounced over to Micah, her savior, landing in his lap. “What am i going to call you?” he mumbled, petting her. Micah had insisted on renaming his new teammate, and River wondered if he would name the Eevee after a tree as well. A moment passed in silence, and Micah lifted the Eevee up, holding her underneath the front legs. He raised to eye level.

“Autumn,” He said cheerfully, “I’ll call you Autumn.”

The pokemon seemed delighted, but River was curious.

“Why ‘Autumn’?”

“Because she reminds me of leaves gliding from the treetops at the threshold of the season.”

“Wow. Who knew you were a poet?” River teased.

“There’s plenty you’ll have to learn about me.” He grinned widely and settled Autumn back into his lap.

“Autumn,” River breathed, a serenity easing over her as she said it. “It’s a good name.”