My chest burned. I tried taking a breath, only to find that my body was unresponsive. I tried twitching a finger, but felt nothing. I tried blinking an eye, only to discover that my lids were already shut. I tried opening them, but they acted like they were made out of lead. I was drowning. I was going to die.

A voice interrupted my silent despair, as though summoned by it. A soft, feminine voice, that seemed to be choked with sorrow.

"I'm sorry."

"I'm so sorry."

"This is the best I can do."

I felt my body pulling at itself, twisting and changing. I was beyond pain now, almost beyond feeling anything. It was like a gentle nightmare.

"I'm sorry..."

The little consciousness I had left begin to buzz and slip away. In the back of my mind, I felt that I was not going to wake up. Something forced my lips to smile, as if my mind was trying to take some sort of victory from my short life. I didn't have a great deal of time, but I did manage to sift through my fear to find a comfort that put my whole being at rest, taking with it what was left of my defiant insomnia.

"At least she's alright..."

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

I heard running water. My body ached and I felt as cold as ice. My back was lying on soft soil, my head propped up on what felt like a pile of straw. I didn't want to open my eyes.

Damn. I was tired.

Slow and steady warmth began to spread from the base of my spine, which seemed... different to me somehow. This heavenly feeling seemed to pass through me like a relaxing waterfall, forcing me to flex my fingers and toes, which also felt odd to me, yet natural all the same.

A sharp howl broke into my ears. It was distant but it forced my eyes open. I looked up into trees, beyond their leaves an orange, dying sky. I tried to sit up and felt my spine uncomfortably pulling at something. Strange... it never felt awkward to sit up before.

I looked down between my legs to see what I was sitting on. I took a breath so sharp my diaphragm protested with a hiccup.

It was a tail. My tail. An orange thing with a yellow underside and a tapered, dimly glowing tip. I followed it to my stomach, seeing the same color pattern. I brought my hands to them to feel them, see if they were really mine, and saw that my hands were scaled, clawed things. Rubbing them along my tail and chest, I could feel the texture of leathery hide.

A sudden explosion disturbed my frightened senses.

My tail had caught fire!

I was on fire!

I let out a yelp, sounding to my ears like a chirping bark. Jumping to my feet, which felt both natural and strange, I leapt towards the running water I heard before. It was a nearby stream, clear as crystal and reflecting the deep golden sheen of the sky. Before leaping into it, something stopped me. I wasn't afraid of water, but something in the back of my mind told me that being on fire was better than a cold river.

I struggled, taking in deep breaths, trying to force my body to leap in, but I couldn't. When I stopped fighting against myself and my fear began to wane, I noticed that the fire didn't hurt. In fact, the flame seemed to warm my body. I remembered how horrible I felt being cold and how warmth seemed to give me energy and strength. I relaxed.

As I took that one, deep breath, the flame on my tail shrunk, forcing my body to calm itself. I released the air from my lungs in a hot, dry sigh. My tongue felt like old, brittle wood on the verge of splintering. Looking at the water, I decided that a drink would do me some good.

I knelt, my rounded belly touching the forest floor as I reached for the rushing spring water. I tried cupping some in my claws, failing on the first few tries and forcing me to think about just dipping my head in the water for a drink. It felt heavier than I was used to, though, so I decided to give it one more try.

Success!

A small pool of clear liquid stared back up at me from my scaled claws. I drank it down, feeling its cool quantity spread from my core and further fuel my inner flame. I took another sip, this time swishing it around my mouth before swallowing. I went to take a third, but my arms froze.

In that water, two deep, dark blue eyes stared back at me, as if the small pool that I was holding held two smaller oceans. Surrounding them was a large, round, burnt orange head. At first I thought it was just the dying sky falling into my water, but I opened my mouth to take a sip and saw some of the orange become red. I let the pool grow still so I could make out what I was seeing. What I was.

"Huh," was all that I could say at the moment, letting the water drool back into the pool.

"I'm a Charmander."

My mind was slowly beginning to click and spin.

"...I'm a Charmander?"

I looked back to my tail, watching its flame start to grow again. I tried to sway it from side to side, and watched as it obeyed me, softly rocking back and forth, tail flame swinging like a torch or a large lighter.

Then, I kinda, sorta freaked out, bringing my hands to my face and feeling the reptilian beak my features had adopted.

"...I'm a Charmander!"

"This isn't right! Is it? Was I always a Charmander?" I couldn't remember. "Oh, God, I can't remember! I can't remember anything!"

My loud wails echoed enough that some birds were startled from the tree branches.

"Okay, okay, calm down. One plus one equals two..." I gave a nod, certain that was right.
"Alright, alright...the square root of eighty-one is nine." That, too, sounded right. "Good, good, I still know math." I was feeling a little more confident. "Oh. Um, name! That's right, my name! My name is..."

"..."

"...Fuck."

"At least I still know that word. Damn it! Hah, that one too." My tail wagged a little behind me. "Fantastic. Every little victory counts, I suppose."

I tried desperately to shroud my budding fear with humor, but I couldn't remember who I was, or where I came from, or... anything.

I could feel a great deal of knowledge start coming back to me, but nothing pertaining to my identity. My nerves were shot and I clutched my head in frustration. I felt like a schoolbook without a cover. Only then did it really hit me.

I was alone. I looked around, discovering that I had been pacing back and forth this whole time. I sat against a tree, feeling the bark on my scales, realizing that it was real, that this was not a dream, not a fantasy, not a nightmare.

I was here, in this forest, alone, without a shred of identity. I felt like crying, but I was too old to cry. Was I? I certainly felt as helpless as a child at this point and, looking up to the looming tree I sat against, I definitely matched the height of someone who shouldn't be out on their own.

I curled my tail into my lap and watched the fire slowly shrink back to the size I deemed 'normal.' In its flickering blades, which didn't burn at all against my scales, I hoped to find some sort of comfort. Staring at fire always seemed to calm me down, even though she really hated when I-

Wait, who hated it? Who was I just thinking about? I tried diving back into my mind but it was as helpless as trying to remember a dream. Still, I suppose I did find a bit of comfort in that lost knowledge. To have lost it meant that I at least an identity before... whatever it was that happened.

I smiled, only to have it torn away from me with another howl, this time closer. It sounded like at least two canines coming from the direction of that mountain, growing closer and closer to my position at about five feet a second, obviously running.

...Wow, that was pretty cool. I didn't think my hearing was that good. Maybe it wasn't before. Everything did seem a bit awkward. Still, it wouldn't take them long to get here and, as small as I was, I probably looked like a treat to whoever was making those noises.

I got up, thinking which way to go. I needed shelter, food, and fresh water. Therefore, I should follow the stream up and gather whatever food I could find along the way. However, the stream seemed to come from that mountain. I couldn't abandon the water, though, so maybe I should just be careful and try-

"Help me!"

A shrill cry shattered my plans and forced my head to turn towards its source. The bushes were starting to rattle before me as something moved closer and closer. I thought of hiding but my fingers twitched. Someone needed help. If they're not hostile, that meant that they could give me some info. If I help them, maybe they'd help me.

Wait... what was I thinking!? Someone needed help! There should be no reasoning behind my actions!

I braced myself as the bushes in front of me opened up and spit out the being running through them. I saw a purple flash of fur as it tripped and rolled, letting me get a glimpse of a white underbelly as it did so, as well as a long tail that was curled at the end and two large, round ears that now perked themselves in my direction.

It was a Rattata, a female one. I could tell from her short whiskers, taking into consideration the cry I heard earlier. She looked up at me with crimson eyes, and then turned her attention back behind her. She ran over to me and hid behind me, tail shivering and ears folding against the side of her head.

"Please, you have to help me! I didn't do anything wrong! Please!"

I was shocked, to say the least, and it wasn't because I could understand what a Rattata was saying. I figured that if I was a Pokémon and I could understand myself, than it should go either way, right? Speaking to a Pokémon didn't feel awkward at all to me.

Maybe I really was a Charmander.

I turned around. "What's wrong?"

"They're chasing me... they're insane! I was only thirsty!"

"Who is? Who's chasing you?"

The question answered itself with another, much closer howl. An instant later, two gray shapes rushed through the same bushes as the frightened female. Poochyena. Their yellow eyes and red irises saw me and their legs skid to a halt. The Rattata was trying her best to hide, but bless her heart, her tail was sticking straight out behind me.

The two little beasts looked me in the eyes, one of them a little larger than the other. The bigger one stepped towards me.

It spoke... like a girl. It could have been a child, but it definitely sounded like a female. "Move outta tha way, kid."

The other one stood in equal defiance but near the female, as though feeding from her courage. I didn't have that luxury, a quivering ball of fur my only ally in this. However... her fear actually gave me strength. I found myself a little angry with the things chasing her, despite not knowing their rhyme or reason.

No, whatever their rationale was, that was no excuse for their actions. Her fear was so overwhelming that she looked on the verge of tears.

"What's going on here?"

"None of your business, scalehead," the female piped up again. I felt like I should be insulted. I wasn't.

"This Rattata asked me for help. She is scared half to death!"

"Then we are only half finished with her," she barked back, and I heard a little whimper from behind me.

"What did she do to bother you?"

"You a villager?"

"A what?"

"A villager! You know, a tame little juice-drinking 'I'm so much better than you' kinda guy. You look like one, and I sure don't remember there being wild Charmanders hiding out in these woods."

"I don't see what difference it makes." I replied. Part of me wanted to ask the female more questions about what she was talking about, but most of me was still angry at the fright they had instilled in the young one behind me.

"If you're wild... no, any Pokémon should understand what territory means," she said, the other one behind her taking a step forward. This one's voice was deeper, but still a little childlike. I guessed it was a guy. "We caught that rat drinking from our water!"

"Your... water?"

"That's right! We claimed that pool for ourselves, then this little furball just indulges herself in our hard-earned treasure!"

Hard earned. Right. Chances are they just found the water. The Rattata behind me shivered again. "Um... I did try to apologize. I was just... really thirsty. I was lost in the dungeon so long, I..."

"Shut up, bucktooth!" The male barked at the rodent behind me and she squeaked, ducking against my back. I really hoped she didn't get too close to my tail.

I stood before the two gray balls of unnecessary fury, taking deep, silent breaths. "It seems that if she apologized, then it should be alright. After all, she was thirsty. Is there something against sharing to you guys or something?"

"...You really are tame, aren't you?" The female blinked and cocked her head. "If we let her drink without consequence, then what? We'll have to concede to every other punk who wants a sip, which means our small pool will get dirty! We might even get Shroomish! Do you realize what their spores do if you drink them?"

"Hah, yeah, Tin got messed up, didn't he? Poor guy couldn't speak for a whole day."

"That was an exception," the female said with a little huff, tossing her head to the side. "I really don't like hearing him speak anyway."

Another voice entered the clearing, this one sounding even younger, but still barely masculine. "That's messed up, sis."

The bushes rattled as a third Poochyena stepped into view, making me wince. Damn... three at once, and I knew my partner wasn't going to be of help. She was terrified. It was that, though, that made me feel a little stronger. I knew a bit about Poochyena... apparently. They put on a tough act, but if you don't back down, they're easy to scare.

I watched them talk amongst themselves. "So, Tin," the male said, looking at the late arrival with a wicked smile. "Finally caught up, did ya, little bro?"

"That wasn't funny, Ten!" The littlest one barked. "I tripped and you kept on running! You too, sis!"

The female smirked, showing a single, gleaming fang from under her little lip. I had to admit, it was kinda cute, in a 'cuddly psychopath' sorta way. "Only the strong survive, Tin."

The younger male shrunk a little with his ears folded back. The older one frowned. "...Wow, Rin. That was pretty cold."

She simply wagged her tail and turned her attention back to me. "Now! I've waited long enough, Charmander. If you're so concerned about her, then let's make a deal. You give her to us now, and we promise not to kill her." There was another wicked smile from her lips. "I'll just take a chunk of her ear off, so she doesn't forget her place as a pathetic coward."

The Rattata started sobbing behind me, making my heart hurt. These guys were scaring her so bad that even my presence wasn't enough. I was glad she didn't try to run away, though, I wouldn't have been able to stop all three of them if they tried to run past me. Hell, I wasn't sure if I could stop one! I knew what a Charmander was. What I was. It didn't help me understand how to be one, though!

I couldn't back down, though, so I took a step forward, bracing my chest and head towards the trio in defiance. "Sorry, but I don't think you're going to lay a paw on her."

The older male, Ten, I think, jerked back and cocked his head, as if he couldn't understand what he heard. The little brother Tin chuckled. "Oooo, he said noooo."

Rin was shaking with anger, her claws digging into the ground below her. "What did you say? I don't care who you are, there is only one of you! Why do you want to help her? You don't know her, do you?"

"Why?" I mimicked Ten and cocked my head. When I had first thought about saving her, I had a reason. Now, with that Pokémon sobbing behind me out of fear, I felt ashamed of even thinking about explaining myself.

"'Why' is not a question anyone should ask when someone needs help."

"Sir..." the Pokémon's choked whisper reached my ears, or the equivalent thereof, as she stopped crying. I don't know why I said what I did, to be honest. It just seemed to roll off my tongue so well. Anything that seemed easy for me to do was a welcome change from my current situation of stumbling around.

"...Rin," Ten said in an almost-whisper, a twinge of fear in his eyes and voice. "He sounds like a Team Member. You sure we should be messing with this guy? If there are others around..."

The female didn't hear him, though, still focused on her own anger at being defied. She was obviously the alpha of her little pack and I imagined that undermining her command was probably not the smartest thing I could have done.

"Fine then," she said, seeming to almost instantly regain her composure. She looked at me and smiled... gently, her eyes sparkling with what had to be some sort of demon dwelling within her tiny, furry body.

"If you like her so much, then we'll have your hide instead!"

I winced. I'd been afraid of this. She seemed a bit more rugged than I remember a Poochyena being. I needed to take it up a notch, to be more intimidating. I changed my stance slightly, whipping my tail to my left side and letting the flame burn beside me. The younger brother jumped at the sudden motion and Ten folded his ears back. I needed to do something, anything.

Ah, right, Charmanders can breathe fire! That would show these little punks...

I took air into my lungs and felt a rumble build in my chest. I watched as the little furballs squirmed a bit. Even Rin braced herself to jump out of the way. Hah, it was working, I could feel it! Now they'll know fear! I braced myself, opened my mouth...

And released just about the cutest growl you've ever heard.

It was like the sound a hungry cub would make as it begged for scraps with his paw up, or a puppy pulling on a piece of rope.

There was a silent pause as all parties just stared at me. The three dogs had their yellow and red eyes trained on my face. The only heat from that attack was the one swelling up in my cheeks, turning my scales a bright red.

Then, Tin snickered. "K-k-n... what was that? A burp?"

"...Sir..." I felt the Rattata's eyes burning into my back. Whatever confidence I had instilled was being slowly bled out of her. Damn it! I don't want to hear her cry anymore!

Tin set off a fairly embarrassing chain reaction. Ten erupted into barking, canine glee, and Rin had a clearly amused expression on her face. She was grinning, teeth gleaming like little daggers as she suppressed her own laughter just to add a bit of fear to my humiliation.

"Aw, you sound like Tin when he was a pup," she said, making the youngest brother stop snickering and open his maw to protest. He didn't get past "Hey-" before he was ignored and interrupted by his sister.

"You must still be a hatchling...hah, tell you what, we'll take it easy on you. We'll beat you to an inch of your life, and beat the rest of it out of that rat! She's probably older than you are, anyway. Maybe that coward should be protecting you!"

I snarled. Was that a Growl attack? Is that why the opponents pulled their punches against a Pokémon who used it? Pity? Did they feel bad about going too hard on something... so cute? Damn... I was trying to set up a tough image and I dashed it all in one fell swoop.

But... if I knew Growl...

Then I knew another attack.

My snarl turned into a smile. "Well then, if you think I'm so cute and defenseless..." I extended my claws and held them out at either side.

"Then please, step up, and let me prove just how helpless I am!"

The mood instantly flipped. We were back on neutral ground and that was as good as I was going to get. We all tensed up, the laughter stopped as if their glee had dropped out of their mouths like lead. Six piercing eyes glared at me from the front, and the two behind me drew away slightly, huddling up against the tree that I had been sitting against.

She was giving me room.

A fight was unavoidable.

"So, the child has claws," Rin said with a smirk. "Cute. I wonder, though, if you know how to use them?"

"Care to find out?" I bluffed like a madman. I only knew that I could use Scratch. How... well, it's now or never!

"Sure. This should be fun!" She laughed, even her cute series of short barks appearing menacing given the situation. "Alright, boys, the pup wants to fight like wolf. Let's answer his little call with one of our own!"

There was another pause, and then the clearing was ringing with a ghastly howl split from three canine throats. It seemed to melt Ten's doubts about fighting me, and Tin's fear also disappeared. It only made the female alpha seem more intimidating as she brought her head back down.

"Now, my brothers: Attack!"

My heart leaped into my throat as all three came at me, the two males branching to either side. I was not safe, I was not confidant, and I was certainly not ready.

But I was able, and someone needed help. That was all I needed.

Ten got to me first, arriving on my right side. He looked like he was about to rush me head on, so I whipped my flaming tail in front of his face. I didn't feel it hit, but he nearly tripped over himself as he jumped back, fearing the flame. Maybe they were as timid as I thought.

I only had one tail, though, and even that wouldn't keep Ten at bay forever. The youngest brother thought he had a chance when my tail left the side he was attacking from and charged me full force. Without thinking, I reacted by throwing my left arm out and swiping it against the pup's muzzle. He yelped and rolled out with the hit, and I smiled. I must have hit him with a Scratch!

Only... something was different. I don't think I hit him with my claws...

However, that's when I made another mistake. I turned to face the female, just in time for me to get a face-full of debris. My eyes burned and I swiped blindly in front of me, but I couldn't land a hit. She did, though, or maybe it was her brother. I couldn't tell, and I felt like I had been punched in the stomach as I staggered back, so I wasn't in the best condition to think right then. It must have been a Tackle attack, whoever did it.

I wiped and opened one burning eye and saw them regroup, the youngest rubbing the side of his face with a paw with slowly-fading fright present on his features. He had almost run away, but his sister's victory over me must have bolstered him. Damn!

"As I thought, you don't even know how to use those claws." Rin laughed as she crouched for another attack.

"Tell that to your brother."

"Poor little lizard," she said with a grin. "You hit him, sure, but anybody can land an attack. It takes skill to do it right!"

"So, skill is throwing sand in someone's eyes?"

She grinned and pawed her claws in innocent circles in the dirt on the forest floor. "Aww... you wanted me to fight fair? Oh, wouldn't that have been nice? Who would have thought that a Dark would play dirty?"

Her condescending remarks hurt harder than the assault I had sustained. Dark types were famous for wicked tactics and attacks. She was experienced, too, if she knew how to use Sand Attack.

"Now, I'll show you how things work outside the village, runt. Watch and learn, if you can stay conscious!"

I braced my half-blind self against another attack and saw them charge me again. I tried to place another Scratch on the trio, but I whiffed again, but what I did see surprised me.

Rin charged me headfirst and collided in the same spot as before, only this one hurt a lot more. A buzzing pain crept from my belly to my fingertips and toes, ringing in my head and making me lose my balance. A second attack hit me on my right, and a third on my left.

The little vision I has was now blurred with pain. To make matters worse, that last attack knocked me to the ground, and my scaled arm skinned itself on a protruding rock. It stung like fire, which I thought was supposed to be my friend in all this.

Am I loosing allies already?

"Well, that's it for you then, isn't it?"

I sat up to her voice. I was now sitting beside the Rattata. I couldn't see her save for a purple splotch in my vision, but I felt her little claws on my uncut shoulder as I sat up against the tree behind me. My body felt... more sensitive. Dangerously so. Even the bark seemed to scratch at my scales.

"What are you talking about," I said to my half-seen attackers, trying to brace myself against the tree behind me. "I'm still awake, aren't I?"

"Pup," she said with a sigh, shaking her furry head. "Your barrier is gone. Even us pure-blooded wild-hearts know what that means."

I had to think for a minute. My barrier? It came back to me as slowly as the small trickle of blood running down my left arm. Pokémon cannot be hurt unless they are first attacked enough to lose the energy type barrier that surrounds them. It's what keeps them safe from the otherwise extremely dangerous world they live in, where you can step on a fox's tail and have it roast you alive.

Once the barrier is gone, though, Pokémon are fair game, forced to obey the laws of flesh and bone like any other creature. I was crippled, literally defenseless.

"You can feel it, can't you? You don't want to fight anymore. Nobody does once they lose their defense. This is your last chance to run away, lizard. I suggest you take it, if you want that fire of yours to keep on burning another day."

I turned my attention to my tail and confirmed it; the bright flame that I had stared at moments before was gone. Already I was feeling a little colder. There was a small voice in the back of my mind saying that she was right, that I had to run away. I would die if I didn't! It's hard to find out who I am if I'm dead.

But I couldn't run.

No, I wouldn't run.

There wasn't a chance I was going to run.

As soon as I stood back up, my vision was starting to clear up again. My body ached and my mind was trying to take away my will to fight, but I wouldn't let it. I snarled and opened my claws again, and they just stared at me.

Ten cocked his head. "...Why isn't he running?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, flexing my weak left arm as I braced myself for another round of punishment. "Why would I run away? You're the ones who need to back off, not me."

"I...Idiot!" Rin stuttered, shaking her head as if I would vanish like a waking dream. "I'm...I..."

I looked to the Rattata while the female stared at me in disbelief. I didn't know what I was doing to surprise her, but now was my chance.

"Hey," I whispered so the rodent's ears could pick it up. "I'm going to charge them. In the confusion, I want you to run, okay?"

"Sir? Ah!" She nearly jumped and placed a paw on my foot. "N...No! Please, I'm... not worth this much trouble! You're already hurt!"

I just huffed out a chuckle and shook my head, making the canines turn towards me again, their attention caught by the Rattata's protests. Again, I felt familiar, yet foreign words spill from my lips.

"One life is worth the same as any other. If you can't defend one, then you shouldn't defend any at all."

"Sis..." Ten said, growing a little closer. "He... I know he's a Team member now. Only they're that crazy, you know? If we hurt him anymore, then we-"

"Shut your whining maw, Ten!" She turned spat at her brother, making him shrink back. "This runt is asking for it by interfering with the natural flow of things outside of the town. The law is on our side, so quit being a little bitch!"

"Yeah, Ten," said Tin, chiming in with his sister to make himself seem a little more important. "Don't be such a bitch."

Now was the time to strike as they got into another little sibling quarrel. I raised my right claw, my left seeming a little heavier now, and started running. I had to attack, to buy some time for her to escape. I needed to succeed now. I needed to win.

...No, I just couldn't lose.

A glimmer of light faded into the right corner of my eye, but I didn't pay any attention to it. All I was focusing on was the fact that I was three steps from my target, Rin. Tin noticed me first and barked, giving his sister just enough time to watch me swipe across her nose.

My right arm had an arc of tiny white lines stretching from my claws, barely noticeable, but apparently very affective. She yelped and jumped back, and I used my unbalanced, disoriented momentum to swing my tail in front of me again, letting me turn to see if the Rattata had ran when I gave her the chance while my fire kept the brothers at bay for an instant.

She had.

The fear factor of my weakened flame quickly died and I was slammed hard in my back, sending me soaring almost all the way back to the tree. I managed to roll out of the way of another encounter with the rock, landing me sitting back up beside it.

*Well, this is fantastic.* I mentally chastised myself. *Here you are, with no memory or sense, about to get your throat torn out by three angry puppies.*

My mind tried to question why I had done this, but couldn't find the words. After all, it seems I had forgotten the word 'Why.'

Still, I did pull a little victory out of this: the life of a complete stranger.

*At least she's alright.*

My eyes widened for an instant. I thought I had remembered something...

"You bastard! Agh, right on the nose!"

"Heheh, he got ya!"

"Hah, now who's the bitch?"

"Get after that rat or I'll rip out your throats! Leave the lizard to me."

So many familiar voices; the only ones I recognized. Funny, how they would be the ones to do me in. I wasn't dead yet, though, and there was a sharp stone beside me... If they came near me again, I'd have to...

A blur shot past my eyes.

*What was that?*

Three glittering flashes of gold burst into existence, seeming to fall from the tree I was nearby. They landed between me and the Poochyena, making all three of them jump back. I would have jumped too; if I felt like I could do anything other than keep myself sitting up. I strained my vision and made out the round shape of a golden coin.

"What... what is this!?" Rin sniffed the object and looked towards the tree. "Show yourself! Cowards!"

"Ooo, puppy has quite a temper!" A cute, yet sour female voice rang from the tree, making me want to turn around, but knowing that in my state that was a bit impossible. "And calling me a coward? Pot, meet kettle, nya-ha~!"

I heard a "thunk" behind me and the trio stepped back. Leaves and sticks clicked and shifted as whoever it was made their way closer to me.

"There, there, little dragon," said the now nearby-voice in a softer tone as two white, furry paws wrapped around my chest and patted me in a little hug. "It'll be alright now. Isis is here to save the day!"

I should have been afraid. There was another stranger standing behind me. But... her fur was warm, and warmth was life to my cold-blooded body. I could have fallen in love with a hot stone at that point, so I had no objections to letting my head rest up against her shoulder and letting out a sigh of relief.

"Aw, poor thing is exhausted," she said, one of her paws gripping my arm. "And bleeding! Ah, this won't do. Lay down, let momma take care of you."

My head was gently forced against the ground, allowing me to see my chipper savior. Her fur was all white, save for two small brown patches on the front of her feet. Worn from her shoulder to her waist was a blue scarf, little patches and what appeared to be bone-like needles protruding from them. As I watched, she began rifling through the package. She looked to me and smiled, and I got a good look at her face.

Between two slit, shining pupils rested a golden coin, and her whiskers shot out like little white rays of sunlight from her face.

My brain told me she was a Meowth, but I knew better. This was an angel.

Ten barked. "Damn, another one. We should split, now!"

"Who is the alpha here, Ten?" Rin snapped at him. "It's just a little cat. We can take care of-"

"You'll do nothing of the sort," said another, deeper voice. It had some bass to it, but still sounded youthful, like a street-hardened teenager.

We all turned our heads to watch the bushes to my right start to wiggle. The first that came out was a Rattata... the one that I had saved! Or, at least I thought I did! What was she doing here!? I thought I told her... to...

Wait...

Ah, of course. There was someone else. I doubted that voice could have come from her.

Behind her, with pale blue skin, stood what I knew to be a Machop. He looked like a little, pudgy human with a short tail, and three horns curling from the center of his forehead to the back like hard hair. His waist was covered by a loincloth, the front of which was emblazed with a white fist surrounded by a wispy cloud wracked with bolts of lightning. On his hip was a small badge, like a little egg with a white, feline head painted on the surface. One side of the face had a little red mark going down across where one of the eyes would be.

The three Poochyena were suddenly quite nervous as the Machop began speaking. "So, are these the ones who were harassing you, ma'am?"

"Y...yeah!" The Rattata pointed a paw at the three dogs. "They were the ones who chased me all the way here from Thunderwave Cave and then beat up Mr. Charmander!"

"Is that what you saw, Isis?" The fighting type said, looking to the Meowth.

"Nyahuh!" She nodded, still apparently a little giddy as she pulled a little blue berry out of a bag she carried at the end of her sash. "I came along just as 'Mr. Charmander' here was getting knocked around."

"Why didn't you arrive here sooner? You left quicker than I did."

"Ah! We can worry about that later, can't we? I have to heal him. You do what you do best, Danny boy."

The pale blue Pokémon winced. "Ah, fine, just stop calling me that when I'm about to fight. I need an ally, not a cheerleader." He turned towards the three Poochyena, leaving Isis giggling and crushing the berry into a small cloth.

"Alright, punks, have anything to say for yourself?"

Rin stomped her paw into the ground. "We don't have to explain ourselves to you!"

"Pah, typical Dark type," the Machop folded his arms and took a few steps towards the trio, who took one step back, but remained. "You're nothing but a bully with a chip on your furry little shoulder. Your dirty tactics and sleazy ways make us honorable Pokémon sick to our stomach."

"So?" Ten pushed his head forward, only to shrink back a little. "What...what are you gonna do about it? If you get sick at something so simple, perhaps you should lay off the berries, pudgy!"

"Hah... cute... but no. I'm gonna do the only thing an upstanding citizen such as myself can do," he began, cracking his knuckles and making poor Tin whimper.

"Show you the power of the Legendary Dan, Master of the Lightning Assault, and bring you all to justice!"

I'm not sure if it was his words, his yelling, or the sudden flicking motion of his hands and feet as he set himself into a stance, but the males turned tail and ran. Rin looked back and glared at me before she grudgingly followed her brothers, rubbing her nose as if to make sure I knew what I was going to be punished for later.

The clearing was clear again.

I felt a raspy, harsh pain on my wound and I winced, looking over to Isis. She was wiping my wound clean with her tongue. I winced again, this time just from the image, but there was a certain, feral beauty in it all. I certainly couldn't look away

The Rattata rushed over to me as the Machop let his shoulders sag in disappointment. "Well, shoot, I was going to show them the fruits of all my hard training."

Isis giggled as she lifted her head from my wound, beginning to tie the juice-soaked bandage around my arm. "Well, if you hadn't tried to be all dramatic with the 'Legendary Dan' stuff, they might have not fled. You know how cowardly Poochyena are."

"What good is a battle if you don't let them know who is defeating them?" He scratched the back of his head. "How else will they be able to fearfully spread your name throughout the world?"

"Melodramatic," the female said as she leaned in. "This might sting, so hold still!" She suddenly tightened the bandage against my wound, the juices slapping against my scaled flesh instantly.

It stung.

I didn't hold still.

Instead, I arched my back and gasped, the Rattata looking to me with worry in those big, red eyes before turning to the Meowth.

"Is he going to be okay?"

"Nya~! He'll be fine in just a second. No worries! I'm, a professional, sorta."

I heard the rodent whimper/groan a little at my discomfort. "I'm sorry... this is all my fault."

I opened my mouth to rid the rat of her fear, but the cat had other plans. Pulling a little seed from her pouch, she balanced it on my nose. "Now, put this in your maw," she said, her bunched tail swaying, looking a lot like the Rattata's with the curl at the tip. "But don't bite it until you feel better, okay?"

Confused, but nodding all the same, the seed fell into my mouth. It was tasteless and, for a moment, I was wondering what she meant by 'feel better.' Stuffing it into my cheek, I looked up to her.

"What is it supposed to-"

A ring of light burst into reality around me, making my fingers and toes leap with shock. My tail twitched, my eyes spread wide. If I hadn't have had that seed tucked away in my cheek, it would have slid down my throat and choked me.

After a moment, the light disappeared, and I felt... good. No, fuck that, I felt great! I still had a stinging pain in my arm, but it was like my will had returned to me. I knew I was no longer in danger, and I sat up, glancing at my tail, whose dim fire began to shine like a newly set campsite.

"A revive seed, Isis?" Dan shook his head at the feline, who stuck her tongue out at him. "You know the boss isn't going to like that. Those things are expensive, and hard to find out here."

"Well, I wasn't going to leave him to suffer through the trip back to the city. Transporting him is going to be hard enough."

My head turned to the Meowth to ask a question but another furry face nuzzled against my cheek. "Ah! I'm so glad you're alright, Mr. Charmander."

Mr. Charmander.

...I need a name.

......Badly.

I patted her head. "Same here, for both of us."

"You're not perfect yet, scaly," the Machop sighed and stepped towards me, his presence a little intimidating, making me wonder if that's why the Poochyena decided to run. "You still have some healing to do. Once we port you back, I want you to report to Nurse Chansey for a full checkup, alright?"

"A... alright," I said without thinking. I was still much too dazed and apparently a bit hungry. I didn't even realize that I had eaten the seed. The taste in my mouth was rather... plain.

Isis looked up to the Rattata hugging me and smiled. "So, you ready to go back now?"

She hopped off of me but I felt her warmth lingering. It turned out that it was my own. I was blushing. A blushing Charmander.

Hell, at least I was alive.

The little rat piped up at the question. "Yes, ma'am!"

"Alright, stand still!" Isis said.

The Rattata gave me a little giggling wink as she sat down, a little bit of red showing from behind her fur. Isis left my side and went to her, picking her own little eggshell badge and pointing it at the rodent. "Team Amethyst: Rescue!"

The egg popped open and revealed a tiny, golden orb. It bathed the Rattata in a beautiful light, which grew and grew in intensity until I could no longer even make out her outline. Then, it faded, leaving nothing behind.

I was speechless. What had happened? I stared, mouth agape, as the female turned her badge to me.

"Nya~ Your turn! You take care, alright? Make sure you let them know who rescued you!"

"Wait," I protested. "What was that light? What are you gonna do to me?"

"Relax! Jeez, you act like you've never been teleported before."

"I haven't!" *I don't think.*

"Huh? Well, if this is your first time, then just close your eyes until you feel the tingling stop. That's what I did!"

"No, wait, I-"

I just sat frozen as she pointed that egg at me and said her Team Amethyst line again. I watched a golden light nearly blind me before I followed her advice and shut my eyes. I was scared, and excited, but mostly just plain confused. I felt a gentle buzz overcome me, and I relaxed, letting whatever it was do its work.

When it was finished, I just sighed, and opened my eyes.

I was surprised by what I saw, given the apparent circumstances of my 'teleportation.'

"Nya?"

A dumbstruck Meowth stood there, mouth wide open as her arm held her now dim badge outstretched.

"What's wrong, Isis?" Dan stepped up, grabbing his own badge off his sash. "Forget how to do it?"

"You saw the light, dummy!" She hissed in annoyance, saying her line again and bathing me in that golden light. I was used to it now, so I just kept my eyes open as I watched it grow and fade, leaving me exactly where I was.

"See? "

"Ah, yours is probably broken," he said, turning to me and mimicking the Meowth's chant. His own badge flashed and failed just like hers, leaving me like a forgotten doll as they started to argue.

"So, is yours broken, too?"

"Of course not! I take excellent care of my equipment, unlike some people!"

"Hey, I'll have you know that you won't find a single speck of dust on any thing in this bag! I cherish every item and clean it until it sparkles like the sun!"

"I think your head has spent too long in the sun, Isis!"

"Hey! Maybe he's wild, you ever think of that? The badge doesn't work on ferals!"

"A wild Charmander? Here? Are you stupid?"

"No, you're stupid!"

I stood, watching them go back and forth like the pooches before them. "Um... guys?"

"WHAT!?"

"Gah!"

I nearly fell backwards. I wasn't expecting another attack so soon!

"Hey, listen, I appreciate the help, really, I do, but... I can walk, so, ah, if you can just point me in the direction of this village, I'll be on my way."

They looked at me with an unsettling amount of focus. If I could sweat, I know I would be able to feel wet bullets running down my scalp.

"You... don't know?" Isis cocked her head.

Dan put his fingers to his chin. "So... you're not from the village?"

"I..." I paused, giving my mind time to click into gear and give me some info about my past. The village didn't even spark so much as a passing memory.

"No... I mean, I don't think so. I don't really know where I come from, to tell the truth."

The Meowth gasped and the Machop took a step forward demanding more answers out of my broken brain. "What!? You don't remember where you come from? What about who you are? What's your name; maybe we can help!"

"Ah... heh... funny thing," I said, rubbing the back of my head and smiling sheepishly, hiding my growing annoyance with the Machop with a bit of shy humor. "I... can't remember that, either."

"Nyaaaa!" The Meowth made an impressive leap over to me, hugging me and rubbing her head into my cheek. "Poor thing! If only I had stopped the fight sooner you wouldn't have been hurt that bad and you'd still have your memories! Nyoo... what have I done?"

"Isis," the Machop crossed his arms. "What do you mean 'stopped it sooner'? Didn't you just arrive on the scene when the Charmander was knocked down?"

"Nyo-" Her tail straightened and her eyes and mouth widened, like a kid who just got caught looting money from their parent's wallet. "I... er... ah, what's the point." She turned, still hugging me, but now facing her partner.

"I got here pretty early, right where Mr. Charmander made a stance to defend our client. He gave a pretty impressive speech, and he seemed like he knew what he was doing, so I just sat and waited. I thought he was a new member of another rescue team, and I didn't want to interfere; you know how a lot of them are. I promised I would if things went sour... and they did."

She looked at me with insanely large eyes, frowning as she looked about to cry. "Please forgive me, Mr. Charmander!"

"Ah... it's not your fault."

"Nya?"

"I... actually woke up here without my memory. I don't know how I got here, what I was doing here, or who I am. It's been that way since I opened my eyes and found myself looking up at the sunset."

There was a little pause, and then one of those hugging paws reached around and bopped me on the head!

"Nya!! You could have told me that before I confessed everything! Now I'm gonna get in trouble for sure! Our leader will have my coin on her mantle..."

She lowered her ears and pouted as she stared to the ground, making me feel a bit of pity for her. She was too cute not to. I looked to the Machop, who was rubbing his temples with his thumb and forefinger.

"So... no memories whatsoever, huh?"

"Not a one," I said. I could explain my textbook knowledge that somehow came with me, but it wouldn't do me any good. I figured it would simply confuse them more, so I let it slide.

"What did you mean by 'impressive speech', Isis?"

"Nya? Oh! You should have heard him!!" She started imitating my stances before I had begun my fight. "'One should never ask 'why' when someone needs help,' and 'one life is worth the same as any other.' It was a little cheesy, but he pulled it off so well! He even had the cutest Growl attack~!"

There was silence as I blushed a bit. Not only was she doting on the only words that seemed natural to me at the time, she mentioned my Growl as if I had meant to do it. I prayed she didn't discover the truth.

After her little exposition, Dan got us both to explain what happened. I told my story up to the point where I was about to fight, and Isis took over from there, using an impressive flair for the dramatic rivaling only the cheesy speech Dan had given before his opponents had run away.

After our tale, there was a quiet moment, and then, Dan took a deep breath through his nose.

"Ha... alright then!" He basically roared, surprising both me and my feline partner. "That settles it. There are no char families nearby, to be sure, so there isn't a chance that you're from around here. As a matter of fact, I'd say you are feral, as even if you were an old Team member or a villager the badges would have ported you there in an instant. Yep, I'd say that you're from a far away place."

"Nyaa~! Smart thinking, Danny!"

He gave a thumbs-up and a wink. "I'm not just a pretty face."

This was no time for snappy comebacks, no matter how much they burned in my throat for release. After all, all he really figured out was that I wasn't from around here. Duh.

I shifted against the feline's warm fur, only now feeling a hint of embarrassment. She was a Meowth, sure, but she was also a girl... and apparently that was a little offsetting. "So... er... what now?" I asked, my face starting to grow a bit crimson.

"Now?" He repeated my question, pointing at me. "Now you come with us! If anyone knows where you came from, it'd be our leader. She has the connections necessary to pin your location down to a 'T'. After that, we offer your safe return to your loving friends and family and receive a big, big bonus!"

....Money?

The cat gave another gleeful noise but I cast my gaze down a bit. "So... I'm being held ransom?"

"No, my scaly friend!" He smiled at me, waving his hand as if to dismiss my claim. "We simply assume that there are people looking for you and that they'd be so happy to see you again that they'd gladly give up material wealth to see you home safely again. They're not paying us, simply... expressing their gratitude!"

I wasn't sure about that but I was even less sure about something else.

"What if... no one is looking for me?"

I felt a chill wind run down both of their spines. His happy, hyper voice seemed to dwindle to a dull, dreary tone. "Well, that's a possibility... er... yeah..."

"Danny!" Isis hissed at him and hugged me tighter. "Of course someone is looking for him! Who'd want to let go such a precious, helpful cutie like him?"

"...That's...that's right!" His roaring voice returned. "You, my friend, are a model citizen, and I can't think of any conceivable reason for you not to be wanted! Why, I'll bet you have several people wanting your safe return!"

"Yay!"

I wish I could share their enthusiasm. All of their words, about finding my true place, they were comforting, yet... I still had my doubts. But this was the best chance I had at getting back to where I belong, provided... provided they still want me, or provided I still would want them. For all I knew, I ran away from home. That idea... it did seem a bit... acceptable to me.

Two furry lips pressed against the tip of my beak between my nostrils, snapping me out of my thoughts and assaulting me with a returning blush. Isis was smiling happily, bouncing nearly off her feet and gripping me by my shoulders. "It'll be okay!" She said, her eyes flashing with the darkening sun as two small, cute fangs gleamed beneath her lips. "We'll find you a home, and if not, well, then, I'll take care of you! I'll even hire you as my bodyguard! If you promise to protect me like you did that Rattata, then I'll make sure you get paid big time!"

I... smiled. Despite myself, the humorous, yet entirely possible situation lifted my spirits. "Hah... at least I have a backup."

"Nyow that's the spirit!" She stuck her tongue out, turning to her companion. "We're ready to port back home, Danny! How about you?"

"Well, I was hoping to find another revive seed to make up for the one, ah, Mr. Charmander used, but-"

"Nyah, that's right! You need a name!"

"P...pardon?" I stared at the feline.

"A name! You can't remember yours, and we can't just keep calling you Mr. Charmander! So... how about... Scaly? It fits!"

So would a noose. Doesn't mean I'm eager to try one on.

"...No, I don't think that'll work," I said. I'm not picky about a 'hopefully' temporary identity, but I really hoped for one a bit less... er... simple.

"Nyah, then how about-"

"Kero," said the machop, making me turn to him. When I did, he smiled. "Ah, you looked!"

"Of course I looked, it'd be impolite not to when someone is speaking to you."

"No," he said simply. "A child will look to you once you say the name meant for them. I've seen it happen many... more than once. Your very soul cries out to this title, Kero!"

"That... doesn't make any sense!"

"Name something that does right now, Kero," he said, and I had to admit, I was at a bit of a loss. Sense was as alien as that name, and I figure I was too, so...

"Well... does Kero mean anything?"

"Of course," he said, crossing his arms. "It means 'Little Flame' in an old language. It signifies the spark of passion in your tiny heart to stand up for those who would defy you and what you believe in. See? Perfect!"

He made a silly definition sound kinda poetic and the feline's happy face didn't help my mental argument. "Kero! Kero! I like the sound of that. Kerokerokero~!"

"Kero," I said, thinking it over myself. To tell the truth, it wasn't a bad name, at least for now, anyway. It wasn't going to be permanent, I hoped, but it seemed to fit in some strange way. In fact, saying it made me smile! I had a name. It might not be the one I had before, and it might not be special...

But it was mine.

I had something again.

"Yeah," I said with a smile, looking beyond my beaming furry friend and into the setting sun, watching it turn the sky purple before it made its final descent. Despite the night just beginning, I felt that my nightmare was over. I had friends now and a source of information, a beam of hope blasting through the clouds I had placed there myself. As far as the future goes, I can only see as far as the light on my tail flame would allow, but that was enough.

"Kero will do just fine."


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