Cinder and the Fire Stone

TWO

I dreamed a gigantic Arbok was crushing the life out of me, and woke gasping to find 
Cinder asleep on 
my chest. "You jolly well can't do that when you're an Arcanine, laddie!" I scolded, 
tipping him off. 
Bouncer and Ricky were curled up together, looking very cute. I stretched, stiff from 
sleeping on the 
ground. "Vermilion City today, gang!" I told them. "Set to get a badge?" Secretly I was 
worried; 
Lieutenant Surge was notoriously tough, and none of my Pokémon were particularly 
strong against the 
electric types he favoured. 

It was a glorious day. We marched along in a line: Cinder at the front, then Bouncer 
hopping along on 
her strong hind legs, then me. I was keeping the other two in their Pokéballs to conserve 
their strength. 
Cinder's fur glowed red-gold in the bright sunlight. He was looking better than ever, and 
I thought 
what a handsome Pokémon he was.

I could see the outskirts of Vermilion City, and thought I could make out the sign of a 
Pokécenter. It 
was hot, and my thoughts turned to the refreshments I would buy when I reached the 
town - lemonade 
with lots of ice, or maybe an ice-cream sundae. I would treat the Pokémon too; Cinder 
was crazy about 
chocolate milkshakes and Ricky adored Coke, though it made him sneeze.

Soon we were sprawled in the grass in a park, slurping cold drinks. Ricky flicked his tail 
idly and 
Cinder batted it with his paw. Ripple had swum joyously in the fountain and come 
leaping out to shake 
herself all over us. 
"Right, guys," I said, "time to think of a strategy for beating Lieutenant Surge. He has one 
tough 
mother of a Raichu, for your information."
"Rai!" 
"Shut up a minute, Bouncer. Ripple, you're weak against electricity so it can't be you. 
Raichu on 
Raichu I don't want to risk; it could go either way. So you're out, Bouncer."
"Chu!" 
"Just drink your lemonade and be quiet! It's got to be Ricky or Cinder. Ricky's Super 
Fang or Cinder's 
Flamethrower. Hmmm..."
Cinder gambolled up and put his paws on my chest. His tail was wagging and he whined 
urgently. 
"You want to fight Surge? What do you think, Ricky?"
"'Aticate." The rat Pokémon didn't seem too bothered by the prospect of not battling 
today.
"That's settled then." I said, and stood up.

"Let me in! I want my badge!" I yelled through the keyhole of the Vermilion City Gym. 
An eye looked 
back at me. 
"Then tell me the password," said the eye, or its owner.
"I don't know the password! I'm sure this is illegal! Let me in!" I launched a kick at the 
door. 
"Here! What's all this about?" barked a voice. It was a policewoman, an Officer Jenny.
"They won't let me into the gym because I don't know the stupid password!" I said 
indignantly. Cinder 
growled agreement. The officer knelt down and whispered in my ear: "The password is 
'password'."
I rolled my eyes. "Thank you," I said, marching up to the door again.

The walls were hung with military insignia, banners, sabres, muskets and paintings 
commemorating 
famous battles. I stared around me, feeling very alone; all my Pokémon had been put 
away so as not to 
reveal my tactics. 
"Ten HUT!"
I snapped to attention involuntarily, then remembered I wasn't in the army and I didn't 
have to take 
this.
"Yo!" I replied with a parody of a salute, deliberately baiting the man in battle-dress who 
had appeared 
from the shadows and was glaring at me.
"Right, cadet! One Pokémon each, no quarter asked or given! Raichu - attack!"
The big orange rodent appeared out of nowhere and belted towards me. Frankly, I'd 
expected more of 
an introduction than that. Caught off guard, I fumbled my Pokéball and dropped it to the 
floor. Cinder 
spilled out, looking wildly around.

"Cinder agility!" I said quickly, and the Growlithe shot out of the way of the attacking 
Raichu.
"Ha! You haven't even evolved your Pokémon! Your little Growlithe doesn't stand a 
chance!" 
bellowed Surge. I narrowed my eyes.
"Megaaaa...PUNCH!"the Lieutenant commanded.
"Dodge it and bite'm!" I countered. The Raichu sailed towards Cinder, furry fists at the 
ready, but 
Cinder had play-fought Bouncer enough times to evade the attack and nip the Raichu in 
the side as it 
flew past. "Chuu!" it squealed in surprise.
"Megaaaa...KICK!" Surge was at attention, barking out orders. 
"Ember!" I called. Cinder produced a beautiful Ember which scorched Raichu's little feet 
as they came 
for him. It tumbled over and licked its hind paw rapidly. I was about to send Cinder in for 
the kill, 
when -
"Raichu, thundershock NOW!"
"Keep up the agility boy!" I called. As the Raichu braced itself Cinder zipped around it, 
not allowing it 
to draw a bead on him.
"Now show it your Flamethrower!" Cinder screeched to a halt and drew in breath for his 
most powerful 
attack, seeming to swell to twice his size. His eyes glowed.

And the Raichu released its thundershock.

"CHUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"

Cinder jerked backwards and hung in the air for a second, all his fur on end. Surrounded 
by spikes of 
yellow light, twitching from the volts coursing through his small body, he was 
unconscious before he 
hit the ground.

I watched as if paralysed, then sprang forward with a yell of "Cinder!" Surge put his 
hands on his hips 
and laughed. I picked up my fainted Pokémon, clutching him to my chest.
"You'll never get anywhere if you don't evolve that little Growlithe!" was the 
Lieutenant's parting shot 
as I dashed out, heading for the Pokécenter. 

"Bet he's not even a real Lieutenant!" I muttered, holding Cinder's paw. The Growlithe, 
prone on a 
hospital bed, managed a feeble tail-wag and blinked at me from under the bandage round 
his head.
"Is that why you want to evolve, boy? Do you really want to be a big bully like that 
Raichu? Can't you 
just stay like you are?"
Cinder's eyes filled with tears and he whined softly. I squeezed both his paws, then began 
pulling his 
ears in the way he liked. I tried to soothe him by singing an old rock n' roll number: "So 
please don't 
ever change, No don't you ever change, Promise me you're always gonna be-ee, As 
sweet as you 
are..." My voice wasn't as melodious as a Jigglypuff's, but it had the same effect: Cinder 
was asleep.
"Leave him now, Skip," said Nurse Joy behind me, making me jump. "He'll be good as 
new in the 
morning."