Hail Kinak,
I rush through the lush jungle when a singal ray of light is seen beaming down from ahead. I knew it symolized the forest's edge. Eagerly, I run to it and come out into cilicization. I rejoice at the site of a Pokemon Center and rush in. After my pretties are rested, I stepped out, looking for somewhere to go. My recent badge winning had made me hungry for more, and the Fushia Gym (obviously) was not too far away. Also in the area was the Safari Zone, and my ticket is not doing me any good by sitting around in my pocket. As I walked long the forest's border to get to the place I had in mind, I hear a rustling. I turn my head the right and see a bush shaking. Cautously, I draw near it. Slowly, I part the leaves and branches with my hands. Behind the green blades I see...
"You?!?" we both cry out. It was that girl I met at the docks. The fisherman's daughter, from what I could tell from her garb. "My name is not you, either," we both spoke in unison again.
"It's Jackdaw."
"It's Diane."
"Fancy meeting you here," I say with a piercing gaze.
"Well, I just came here from Celadon," she explained. "Apparently, all of Erica's Pokemon were badly maimed by a Flareon that belonged to some nerd!"
"Hey, I'm known," I said with unusual joy, then her words hit me. "Nerd?!" She smirked. "So you came all the way down here just to get me back for beating you to a few gym leaders and delaying your fights with them, or are you here to stop me from getting a Soul Badge before you?" She scoffed.
"I could care less about what badges whoever gets when," she declared. "I followed you to fight your Flareon!"
"What? You want to battle Cinder?"
"I don't care about its name," she snapped. "I just want a chance to fight it." She grabbed my collar and pulled me to her face. "And you're going to give it to me!" The dark orbs in her eyes grew colder. They seemed almost to give off a hypnotic wave with their twilight glow.
"O-o-o-kay..." I finally stuttered out. She released her grasp of my coat, turned, and strolled down a good few yards down from me. She produced a Pokeball and tossed it in field. My choice was apparent. Cinder rose up, as did a Golduck, in the battle field. Immediately, the two got into a battle stance, and attacked. Golduck placed its webbed hands on its forehead, setting the small jewel on it ablaze. Cinder lunged forward, ramming the duck in the belly. It seemed unphased by the blow, but no one paid any attention to that fact. Cinder broke its slide, and charged back at it. Now, the gem radiated an even brighter ruby light, and its eyes were a blank white. He plunged down at the Golduck, forcing it earthward. He flipped and rolled right off it back to his feet, facing it for another assult, but what his eyes revealed to him, filled him with uncertain awe.
The Golduck's limbs hung loose at its side. Even his head was unnaturally suspended, as if on puppet strings. Sluggishly, the creature trudged towards him as if some invisable puppeteer commanded it. Scared out of his wits, the only thing Cinder could think to do was bring it down. His shoulder crashed into it again, once more knocking it down. As Cinder replanted his footing, all watched as the limp limbed Golduck rigidly got back to its feet. A laugh echoed from Diane's corner of the battle field.
"Fool," she taunted. "Orc is a special Golduck. I won him as a prize in a tournament long ago. He possesses the secret skill long forgotten by most of his species!" Her giggling continued.
"Thanks for telling me, idiot!" I mockishly thanked her. She ceased in the middle of one of her laughs, stopped to think, and then just stood silent with her arms crossed focusing on the battle. "Okay, Cinder, no more time to mess around. Prepare to fire!"
His deep coal eyes twinkled at those words. He dropped his jaw, exposing the row of sharp fangs his mouth bore. Sparks began to gather in front of the opening, and soon a giant ball of light was forged. Whipping his head back then forth, the fiery globe was hurtled. Winding and twisting wildly, it spun through the air, and finally touched down at the ground between Orc's legs. The ball erupted in a magnificent blighting explosion. A burning cloud screened all things within the blast. Shrapnal and chunks of hearth were shot away, whizzing by all those around. Cinder cracked a smile as he still saw the blast bursting serveral more times. I began to rejoice, and almost ran to hug Cinder, but Diane wore a smug smile on her face. There was something perplexing about it. She lifted one hand, and snapped her fingers.
In a devastating force, all of the blast was cleared away. The fire, smoke, debris, everything was pushed away. Golduck stood in the newly cleared patch of scorched land holding its arms outward, his eyes and jewel burning even more than last time. His body was untouched by the flame. The encrusted ruby let off a mischievous shine, and Orc threw his hand forward. Materializing from the air before him, a jet of water lanched to Cinder. The beam was nearly four fold what I was used to seeing. The stream struck Cinder with such force, it knocked him back into a tree of the near by forest. His back slammed into it, cracking the bark. The water still propelled forth, almost drowning him. Orc called off the attack, and Cinder fell face down to the field. He toiled to get to his feet, but flatten back down, panting heavily.
"Hah!" Diane cried, "this is the mighty Cinder? This is a joke, right? Please tell me you have another Flareon in that sack of yours, and that this one isn't the right one. Please tell me that an actual challenge awaits me?" My face, usually emotionalless and cool, was in a state of total rage. Not the ‘run around thrashing' rage, but complete and utter determination. All of my focus was on her demise. This lightened, though, as I looked down at Cinder, not even able to stand. "Or are you ready to admit defeat?" she finished. I dragged my eyes from Cinder to her. She was actually startled by the look I had. Almost scared.
"Cinder," I began, "doesn't know defeat, and neither do I." Her expression returned to her normal confident look.
"Well, then, let me help you two." She aimed at the Golduck. "Orc, let's teach." Her words ended in a sick smile. He seemed to respond.
Orc raised his still arms high above his head. His head gem fired a crimson ray into the heavens, growing wider as it ascended. The sky filled with disheartening rain clouds. They unbound their fury, sending bullets of rain down to earth, each one pounding hard on the ground. I had to shield myself with my arms from the celestial blows. Diane stood still, braving it. She must know what is about to happen. As the rain feel, a sphere undetectable to the human eye filled with water. This went on until the ball was many fold the size of Orc's body. His hands dropped away from it, and it seemed to go on a path of its own.
The gigantic orb sped to where Cinder lay. Cinder, lifted his head from the mud in time to see it coming for him. He did not like the idea of losing and was not about to start now, not after all he has done. In a blink of an eye, it seemed as if he had pulled himself from the mud, which was draping all over his body, and sprinted straight to Orc. He had barely escaped the intense rushing waters. Cinder hit Orc head on in his scranny legs, knocking him forward. Before he could fall, Cinder brought up his hind legs and lashed out, tossing Orc like a ragdoll against a border tree. In the time it took all of this to occur, the watery blast Orc had released was still splashing into the ground.
Once more, Cinder was catching his breathe, wheezing deeply. His mud drenched fur was being wiped clean in the violent rain that still persisted to fall. And, once again, Orc's transparent reservoir began to overflow. This time, it seemed as though Cinder was too weak to evade the blow, but that did not stop him from trying. He bellowed a feral growl as tongue of flame gathered in his maw. The two stood with masses of antipode elements. With his feet planted firmly in the mud, he clashed to control its power. Preparing for the recoil of its discharge, Cinder shut his eyes tight and was tossed backward, almost breaking his neck. The blast travelled throught the rainy sky, evaporating the hurled drops feet before they even touched it. It spiraled wildly, weaving back and forth. Orc had his hydraulic crusher targeted at Cinder, but the aimless ball proved more threatening to him. He ordered it strike the flame; however, its erratic pattern made it a troublesome mark. His water ball shot right pass the fire and made another unsuccessful hit. Making a rather wide turn, it still was seeking the flame, even though the blow would be delayed. The inferno, on the other hand, spiraled to Orc. Apparently unaware of his surroundings, the ball zipped passed and landed behind him. The thundering blast did not even move him forth. His webbed hands returned to his head, and yet another destructive sphere was summoned. He stared down at Cinder with grim eyes. Cinder only responded with a smile. Orc was soon to realize the cause of his glee.
The fireball Cinder had launched was never intended for Orc, but a tree behind him. It was broken in two by the blast and was crashing down on him. Once he was pinned by the massive tree, as if that was not enough, the orb he had assembled, too, collapsed on him. Very much weakened, Orc still had to face the second ball he had sent. The one that was homing Cinder's flame. It at this time was spinning out of control since its target was lost. It slammed upon him, causing him to blacked out.
"That wasn't a win from skill," Diane complained. "That was pure luck!"
"No, ‘twas strategy," I pointed out.
"What strategy? Letting your opponent defeat themselves?"
"How else would you expect to defeat a foe stronger than you?" I riddled her. Her angry pout lifted and was replaced by a quiet understanding. "Cinder knew there was no logical way for him to win against your Pokemon," I said as I knelt down my Cinder, rubbing his head. "Even though he'll never admit it, he knows it's true. So, since he lacked the power for a victory, he let the problem take care of itself. You'd be surprised how many times this has happened."
"Well," she said as she retracted Orc from beneathe a tree. "It won't anymore." She slapped me on my back.
"What does that mean?"
"It means," expounded her, "from now on, you won't be so lonely on your travels."
"You don't mean," I was afraid to ask. She shrugged.
"How else am I to learn." She smiled. "Come on, let's go."
I withdrew Cinder, and continued my path, shaking my head.
From the desk of Jackdaw
