Author’s note: This is a first for me. I rarely write vignettes, action’s more my style. So no matter how bad it may seem, remember, this is probably my worst. ^_^  I named the story after my Arcanine, named (duh!) Emberstorm. She’s my strongest Pokemon (so far, lv. 89) and I thought why not a fanfic dedicated to her?  I also saw Gary’s Arcanine, and thought it looked more like a slave than a friend. I also hate Gary, so guess why…
Send comments to chustang@fcmail.com

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Emberstorm
by Chustang

 
Chapter 1
“Blood Flames”

Darkness. Sweet darkness.
 In the flames of pursuit, the hideout of darkness was its own utopia. Only a few, flamed sunbeams dared to enter through the slitted board overhanging the burrow.  And, highlighted in the light, was a shuddering ghost of anguish. The Arcanine sickly let her limp tongue lay out of her jaws and her eyes were foaming with blood. Scars lay, bleeding, around its neck like cruel jewelry from the punishing hand of her master. Why they were there, she did not know. She had done everything her master asked. She had tried to win against his rival, and he knew deep in his heart that she truly tried, she truly did. But the Pikachu’s Thunder had proved more potent that her refined liquid grace, and her master’s heart proved twisted and cold.
 The Pikachu had, after promptly dispatching her, been greeted with love and joy from his master. The dark haired rival caught him in mid jump and lavished him with overjoyed screams and hugs, and the Pikachu, although jaded, gave his trainer a victorious Thundershock, which his master almost enjoyed. They raised their fists to the sky, and the roar of the crowd hailed the crowning champs.
 But as she had turned to her master for his affection, his usual good spirited smiles and strokes, the Evil was waiting. The Evil that all Pokemon hated and feared. The Evil that changed their trainers into hating, flame-eyed monsters that knew only anger that only pursued to draw blood and inflict pain, the Evil that made her Trainer stab his fingers into her throat, with a deadly chokehold, drag her into the forest, and beat her. He punched her, slashed her throat, and destroyed her dreams and spirit. But the worst punishment was that she could see that there had never been any real love, and she had been just a pawn of destruction. There was no love for her in his eyes. Even though the Arcanine was exhausted and fading back and forth from blackness, she had twisted violently from his grasp, lashing fangs at his exposed flesh.
 With a furious screech, the boy had clutched his mauled hand, blood leaking from between his fingers. Yet, despite the pain, he had managed to wrench a Poke Ball from his pocket, smearing blood over his jeans, and fling it at her. He was a death monster, made of flame and hate. The orb had split with a crack of angry energy that cascaded out and formed into the towering figure of a Gyarados. It had paused as it saw her, but lunged loyally forward as its master commanded it to attack with Bite.
 And that’s the way the onslaught had ensued, brutal and swift. There was no mercy on either creature; once the Arcanine realized the lie she had believed, she had attacked viciously. Claws on fangs, strength on strength, teammate against teammate.
She had finally yielded, after fainting every Pokemon until his Nidoqueen had been injured, and fled.
 In the burrow’s protective darkness, a pitiful whine emitted from beside her. The danger was even greater now that she had rescued her newly hatched pup. The cute, trembling Growlithe leaned against her side, his panicked blue eyes shining in the dawning sunlight.  Suddenly, they froze, ears pricked alertly. In the distance, the sinister echoes of footsteps neared and fury bubbled dangerously in the mother Pokemon, herding her pup toward the back wall of dirt. Although tired, she lashed out her claws, curled them back, and flung a pile of soil back behind her. She made progress quickly, and the curious puppy joined in, imitating the Arcanine. As she drove further into the earth, the blood around her eyes stung like demons and her body screamed from the strain. Her heart thundered for mercy, a ticking clock that counted the seconds ‘til the Evil pursued.
 About ten feet into the constructed tunnel, the bloody Pokemon gathered the earth and packed it into a barricade to seal the tunnel. Then she turned to nuzzle her dirt-smudged offspring, and it yipped softly and nuzzled in returned. The two waited in silence, shivering against each other, one in wrath, the other in fear.
 But it was shattered. A low, ominous hiss tempted them to fear as it continued to waver through the tunnel. It was drawing closer.
 The Arcanine tensed, and the infant Growlithe let out a low, pleading whine.
 Suddenly, the tunnel exploded in flying dirt and rabid screeches and hisses.  A venomous head of fangs and violet fury shot through the dust, aiming for the injured Pokemon’s throat. The Arbok, cape of black and red storm-swirls flared, hit dirt as the Arcanine deftly took the puppy in her mouth, leaped away like lightning, then shot upward, digging furiously. She scraped and strained to cling to the ceiling, but managed to dig a narrow escape route and soon broke the surface. As she hit the ground, legs braced, the cobra mimicked her move, angrily pursuing.  Its sinewy body took the impact, and its eyes were slits of narrow black danger.
 Her master, who was highlighted in blood red sunlight against the east, let a low command carry to his Pokemon’s ears. “Well, how sweet. A mother and child.” His cold eyes were aflame. “Why didn’t you win!! You are my Pokemon, you listen, and you win!!! No matter what! Now you have run away from me when I told you, I TOLD YOU, TO STAY!” He seemed to regain his composure. “ARBOK. Kill.”
 The snake snapped to life at the command, and bared fangs pulsing with deadly toxin. With its cape spread, it was like living nightmare descending. The Arcanine herded her beloved son behind her and she leapt up to meet the assault.  Fury collided with fury and the flashes of color separated and landed before the dog/tiger unleashed a thick flame upon her foe. It shrugged it off with a flurry of Pin Missiles, which dissipated the flames.
 She danced around her foe in a furious circle, trying to confuse Arbok. Yet the subservient hit man was a solid as rock and suddenly disappeared from the circle. The Arcanine halted puzzled but soon let out a scream of rage only a volcano could match.
 The serpent stalked her offspring, eyes dark, and it flashed a dangerous, laughing glance at her. She ignored it and raced for her son. She must save him! If the Evil wanted a life, her son would not be the one to die. Why not the cruel master who killed? Why not the criminal? Why did death always spare the Evil and persecute the innocent?
 Why was it the truth?
 Suddenly, the Arbok leaned over her puppy who was frozen in terror, and she froze as well. The snake’s eyes sparked a warning: One step and her son was his rag doll.
 Time froze in the suspense. Arbok hovered over the hostage. Arcanine stared with eyes of fire. Master watched with coldness. Arbok smirked and began to close its jaws. Arcanine began to leap in wrath. Master’s vengeance was filled.
 “Gary!”
 Everyone froze and turned to spot a human, about her master’s age walking forward from the glare of the sun. As he approached, she saw the rival’s burning anger.
 “What the heck are you doing, Gary! Leave that Arcanine alone! It isn’t its fault it lost. It tried to win.” He walked up to Gary, clenching a Poke Ball and continuing to pound down on his rival.
 “SHUT UP!” All of Gary’s composure erupted into blood flames. He suddenly raised a punch to the dark-haired rival. Blood and groans ensued as the punch landed in his rival’s throat, and he gave him a sharp kick to the chest, which sent him flying into the nearest object. The boy’s body bounced off the rock, unconscious, before he fell to ground.
 Arcanine let loose a howl as she turned her eyes.
 The pup laid dead, its head severed.
 And the whole time, its eyes cried silently for mommy.
 She flung her song of dejection and cruel destiny to the blood red sky, and the tears streaked blood trails down her face. As she faded her song, all hell burned in her body. The Arbok was dead, sliced and mauled to bits, before it took a breath. Blood lay, a sick reminder of the wrath of love and hate over the entire road. And the Pokemon, stood defiant against her demons.
 He killed her son. He shattered her dreams. He hated her.
 And she hated him.
 As she flung herself upon him, a searing pain erupted in her shoulder. It threw her ten feet, stopping next to the groaning body of the rival. The human was drenched in his own blood and his head lolled limply as his body shuddered. She lingered only on him for a second, possibly seeing her future, and saw Gary, the Evil in her life, the monster, brandishing a gun. It clicked lethally. The barrel was leveled, point-blank, at her head.
 “Die.”
 The Arcanine flickered her glance, knowing she had time to escape. She could rescue her son’s body, yet she saw the human drifting toward his death. She saw the life drain from his body and gleam crimson in the light around him.  And she knew, that her son was gone finally. Never again to yip and nuzzle. Never again to breath. Never again to live.
 So, she flung the human over her back and fled.
 And in the blood flames of the cruel dawn, she heard the whimpers of her dead son echoing for all eternity in everlasting death.