Pokemon: The Yellow Guardian

| Combusken POV |

Okay.

Stay calm.

Stay collected.

You've been left behind before.

You're totally not abandoned.

They didn't forget you.

…Right?

Right??

A bush rustles.

Immediate violence.

I lunge, claws glowing, and deliver a flaming kick to whatever's inside. It squeaks. Loudly.

Oh.

It's a Wurmple.

…

Oops.

I give it a Berry from Rio's stash. He won't miss one. The Wurmple, now mildly roasted, wiggles away in a daze.

Good deed done.

I puff up my feathers and stomp forward with purpose.

Mission: Protect Hoenn from anything that looks weird, mutant-y, or annoying.

Goal: Get un-forgotten.

Backup Goal: Become a Legendary. Somehow.

An Hour Later...

Everything is on fire.

I didn't mean to.

Well — maybe a little.

That black Skitty looked at me funny, okay?

Now there's smoke, and I've kicked five trees, and I think I might be lost. Again.

I stop and sniff the air like a hunting predator.

Then immediately get distracted by a butterfly.

I peck at it. Miss.

Then squint at my own shadow suspiciously.

…Peck.

Ow.

"Hmph. Still evil."

I resume stomping.

[Random Encounter!]

A weird Pikachu with glitchy eyes and way too many teeth jumps out of the tall grass.

It screeches.

I screech back.

It lunges. I panic-Flamethrower. So do some trees. Everything explodes.

When the smoke clears, I'm upside down in a crater and the Pikachu is a fine layer of ash.

I give a victorious squawk.

Then pause. Look around.

Realize I don't actually know what a "Xeno" is supposed to look like, Rio talked about them but i don't remember what he said... Something about not giving them hugs?

"Wait… was that a Xeno-Pikachu?"

"...Or just a regular Pikachu with dental issues?"

Shrug.

Too late now.

Combusken Status:

Direction: Unknown

Mission: Vague

Juice Boxes: 2 remaining

Brain Cells: ½ and she's not listening to it

I find a broken Pokédex near a smashed Pokécenter, I squint my eyes as a blue light passes over me. It lights up with static and reads:

"Combusken – The Young Fowl Pokémon. Sometimes confused. Often on fire."

I puff up proudly. "That's ME."

Kick.

The Pokédex dies screaming.

I hear a screech from the other side of the abandoned town, I feel the ground shake as I realise, I don't think I should be here whenever that thing arrives...

I make camp under a tree. Well. What's left of a tree.

A Wingull perches on a branch.

I glare at it.

It glares back.

We have history.

It opens its beak.

I pre-emptively Flamethrower the entire tree.

No mercy. Not this time.

In the distance, something howls. A big Xeno-something. Maybe a boss?

I sip a juice box, upside down, watching sparks fly off my still-smoking talons.

My feathers are singed, my beak's chipped, and I've forgotten why I started any of this.

But one thing's for sure.

If another bird shows up?

I'm kicking it.

Just in case.

...

Today's the day.

No distractions. No trees to kick. No Wingull to roast, sadly...

Mission: Secure more juice boxes.Sub-objective: Maybe stop the purple things from eating all the berries.Stretch goal: Kick something new.

I sneak through the brush like a professional. Silent. Deadly.

Snap.

A twig.

I freeze.

Two pairs of beady eyes stare up at me from the grass.

One is a wild Zigzagoon. The other's a scared little Seedot.

They're covered in scratches. Smudged with soot.

I blink.

They blink.

I slowly lower my foot from a mid-air kick.

...

"…Not a Xeno?" I ask.

The Zigzagoon tilts its head. The Seedot trembles.

My stomach growls. I forgot breakfast again.

I give them a grumble and toss them each a berry. They flinch. I don't blame them.

"Eat. I'll burn anything that tries to eat you first."

They eat. Slowly.

I nod and keep walking.

They… follow me.

Five Minutes Later…

I stomp through another clearing, eyes peeled, flames ready. I hear scampering behind me. I whirl around.

Now it's four Pokémon. Seedot. Zigzagoon. A burnt-looking Poochyena. And… is that a Skitty with a bandaged tail?

Where did they come from?

"Did I say 'follow' me? No. Did I say 'worship' me? Also no. Shoo."

The Zigzagoon hides behind my leg.

The Skitty starts purring.

I am losing control of this narrative.

[Random Encounter!]Xeno-Shroomish appears! Its spores crackle with static and the air smells like that flying screen's battery acid and May's regret.

The wildlings scatter.

I sigh.

"Fine. Bird rage it is."

DOUBLE KICK!FLAMETHROWER!

A small wildfire begins. Again.The Xeno-Shroomish explodes like overcooked soup.

I turn around — and the wildlings are watching.

A few more have joined. A Lotad. A Taillow (not evil, surprisingly). And one human toddler, uhm... Where are its parents.

I squint.

"Why are you clapping?"

The lotad starts clapping. Slowly.

One by one, they all join.

Combusken Status Update:

Followers: 9

Understanding of leadership: 0

Snack count: 1 juice box, 7 stolen berries

Confidence: Astronomical

Brain activity: Buffering…

Later, we take shelter in a ruined tree stump. I build a small fire. The wildlings gather close.

I roast a Berry. Offer it to the Kid. It smiles in awe.

This is power.

This is fear.

This is…

My camp.

I nod sagely. "This is now base. Don't pee on it."

They nod back like I've spoken ancient wisdom.

I peck at a stone for emphasis.

The Skitty copies me.

I might be starting a cult.

In the distance, something screeches.

I stand slowly.

The wildlings shrink behind me.

Something big moves in the fog.

I step forward. Fire crackling across my claws.

My heart beats loud in my chest. Maybe from fear. Maybe from juice box sugar.

Either way—

If anything tries to eat my new minions?

It's getting double-kicked into next week.

(To be continued)

Man, I can't even come up with a joke for this chapter, I'm just depressed. I knew I should have saved the chapters locally.