Strolling to Petalburg City

Now this was surprising. Ralts had never seen a Pokemon so focused that it would stand there and take hit after hit without budging. But Ralts could sense something was building, and it needed to be stopped lest the Psychic type be prepared to take a good deal of damage. Again, it focused its power into its only offensive move. Ralts used Confusion!

Ralts had hoped that last attack would put a stop to whatever the Seedot was doing, but it only made matters worse for the Psychic type. When Seedot unleashed his stored power, Ralts could only stare in shock as the attack rushed forward and hit its little body. It flew back several feet before landing on its face, struggling to get back up.

Its energy had been spent. It couldn't manage any more attacks now, and it didn't want to try moving at all. The Ralts closed its eyes, accepting defeat.

Wild Ralts fainted! Seedot gained 8 exp!

Although still very tired Seedot started jumping around, running back to Damon. The small pokemon was overjoyed that it had been useful to Damon. "Good job little one," complimented Damon the acorn pokemon with a smile on his face. He picked him up and placed him on his shoulder to rest. Sableye was also surprised that Seedot had done such a good job. He gave the tiny pokemon thumbs up and then started following Damon, who had already started walking towards Ralts.

The young boy stopped before the psychic pokemon and looked down to it. Damon pulled out a pokeball from his bag, then glared at it. Then looked at Ralts and then the pokeball again, his eyes shifted from one to other several times till he finally made up his mind. "Alright Ralts, if you want to come with me simply stay in the pokeball, if you don't then simply struggle a little," started the boy explaining, "You see, I am aiming to beat the entire Hoenn region and would really need a psychic pokemon like you in my team. So what do you say, you up for it?" Damon didn't really wait for a verbal answer. He simply pressed the pokeball against Ralts' head after which the item opened. The red light sucked the pokemon and after that the pokeball started wobbling . . .

It was typical for a Pokeball to wiggle after pulling a Pokemon in, but something was a bit different about this time. Though the ball was indeed wiggling, it seemed quick to flash and remain still, signifying that the Pokemon had been caught.

Apparently, Ralts was willing to join Damon's team. Perhaps something about seeing Seedot's determination appealed to it? Or maybe it was Damon's friendliness? Whatever it was, Ralts was convinced that this boy was a decent Trainer.

Ralts was added to your team!

((Same deal as last time. PM me with personality info and a nickname if you'd like.))

Damon was right in believing that his Sableye was intimidating most of the wild Pokemon in the area, but there was one other thing that the forest Pokemon found even more frightening...

As Sableye turned to see what was coming out of the woods, the sounds of many Pokemon could soon be heard. Three wild Zigzagoon dashed out of the bushes, but they seemed frightened, like they were fleeing from something.

Soon after, Damon would catch the scent of smoke in the air. Though weak, it was obvious that something was burning nearby, and it was frightening the wild Pokemon to no end. Wurmple hurried down from the trees they were in, Poochyena barked and howled as they moved their packs away from the faint glow in the forest, and all kinds of birds were calling out as if to warn everyone of the impending disaster.

It was clearly obvious that a forest fire had broken out.

The fire wasn't necessarily huge, at least not enough to be considered out of hand, but just large enough to fill one's vision from side to side. The problem was that it was spreading-- fast.

Most of the Pokemon in the area had already fled, their cries being carried off into another part of the forest. The smoke was growing thicker and the fire crackled louder, devouring anything that could burn away into ash. If Damon were to look up, he wouldn't see the sky from where he was standing, he would only see black clouds.

Not all Pokemon had fled yet, however, as there were a select few who stayed behind. Water types, they were, namely Marill and Corphish, using whatever water-based attacks they had to try and keep the flames from spreading. It was helping, if only a little, but it wouldn't be enough to put the entire wildfire out. Still, that didn't deter them from trying. A Water Gun here and a Bubble attack there, it was obvious that some were not willing to give up on their home.

Damon quickly took in the situation. He had never seen a fire so big in real life and didn't really know exactly what to do. It was only logical that the fire in forest would spread fast and he had to try and put a stop to it.

The fire was hot and although being there only for a short time Damon was already sweating. He did notice the braver water pokemon who were trying to protect their home. He noted that they were trying to stop the spreading. He yelled to encourage them, "Keep up the good work! Try making the area around fire wet so it wouldn't spread, don't shoot your water aimlessly into fire!" He didn't really know if the pokemon heard him but nonetheless he kept out giving them instructions, "Also don't let the fire spread with trees!" Damon didn't really know a way to help out, he simply watched from the distance how brave water pokemon did their best to keep the fire under control. He was keeping an eye on the situation very carefully though. He was ready to help anyone who would be in danger.

The Pokemon took notice of the Trainer and listened as he shouted out some instructions. Some of them seemed a bit frightened that he was near their homes, while others could tell he was trying to help. One of the Marill looked to the others and did its best to translate what it understood when Damon spoke. "Mar, Mar-ill! Marill!"

It became obvious that they got the message. Some of them began spraying the surrounding area with water while others aimed high at the trees, dousing every hanging branch they could see.

As noisy as the crackling fire was, it was hard for one to keep in touch with any of his other senses. But listening very carefully, one would be able to hear a faint cry from within the blaze... It didn't sound like a Pokemon, but rather a human child.

The Water types all stopped to listen to the little Ralts as it explained the situation to them. None of them quite understood why Damon would ask this of them, but they knew he meant no harm, so they did as he asked. A couple of them doused the Trainer until he was soaked to the bone while a few others began clearing a path as best they could.

On the other side of the wall of flames was a young boy, crying as he searched for a way out. He was surrounded as far as he could tell, so he simply remained still, curled up in an effort to make himself smaller. But listening carefully he thought he could hear another human voice... Was it just his imagination? He didn't care at this point, so he immediately began calling out. "Help! Somebody help me!"

The water was really refreshing, currently while being out of the flames he didn't feel hot at all. As he was being sprayed by water he shouted, "Good job Ralts!" The pokemon had done a really good job, he had explained the plan to water pokemon perfectly. He watched as some of the water pokemon cleared a path for him, he was ready to go in but thought he waited just 10 seconds more.

His waiting idea imminently got canceled when he heard the cries of help. Damon instantly dashed into the blaze, trying to avoid fire as much as possible. He tried following the voice, eyes weren't much use in such situation as the intense heat made him close them. He tried memorizing the path he had taken but he was still moving in quite a hurry. Every second was important. "I'm here!" shouted Damon just so the boy wouldn't give up. In the next few seconds he managed to locate the child and without any thinking he simply grabbed him on his lap and started making a run for it.

It was blazing hot, Damon had never felt such heat. Also his back hurt, it was probably in flames. Those few seconds felt like minutes for Damon but he made it out! He dashed trough the flames which were weakened by the water pokemon. He ran several meters away from the fire and then dropped the boy on the ground, he then imminently went on ground himself and started rolling because his shirt had probably caught fire. His upper left back and left shoulder hurt a lot. Still there was a smile on his face, even in that pain he was smiling because he had probably saved a life.

The Water Pokemon had lost sight of Damon when he bolted into the flames. They hadn't expected him to move so fast, so they were unable to be of much help after he disappeared from view. They were relived when they saw him emerge, though, now accompanied by another young human.

The boy rolled over and looked up at Damon, trying to catch his breath. His face was pale and his eyes were red, but he smiled too, happy to be alive. "Th-thanks a lot, mister..." he panted, then sat up and stared at the flames.

The Pokemon seemed to be doing better in controlling the fire, since it wasn't spreading so much anymore. They knew it must have been because they wet the entire area, like Damon had told them to do. In an effort to thank him, one of the Marill walked over to Damon and gently began spraying him with water. He seemed to like it the first time they sprayed him, so maybe he'd appreciate another good soaking.

Damon was simply laying there on his stomach. He was still heavily breathing, after all it wasn't everyday he would run trough flames. After a little time he tried turning his head towards the boy while at the same time pulling the jacket from around his head. "No problem, did what anyone else would have done." Damon kept on simply laying on the ground when suddenly feeling the refreshing stream of water hitting his body. It felt nice . . .

"Thank you little one," thanked Damon whoever was doing it. After a moment or two he started speaking again, "Hey boy, try searching for a water bottle, there should be one around here," told he to the boy, his voice was quieter than it had been before the whole bravery thing. "Also tell me how is the situation looking." Without moving at all he simply waited for response.

The boy looked around, rising to his feet and walking along the edge of the flames, being sure to keep his distance. He did not want to go anywhere near that fire any more, but he wanted to help Damon. After a bit of searching he found the water bottle and brought it back to the Trainer. "Here, mister. Is this yours?"

While waiting for a response, the boy took another glance about to take in the situation. "It looks like it's going down now..." he trailed off, catching the sound of other voices in the distance.

It sounded like there were other humans approaching from the direction of the city. Their voices were growing louder by the second.

"I think he went this way..."

"There's the fire! Follow me!"

It seemed as though Sableye had indeed made it to the city and found help.

Damon smiled, "Yeah that's the one, drink if you are thirsty," said the boy. As soon as he heard human voices from the distance he started getting up. He used his right hand to push himself up and then got on his feet. Damon now examined the situation with a smile on his face, yes the forest fire had been terrible but it just created a good feeling that all the pokemon had worked together and kept the fire under control. Also he had most likely saved a child's life which was quite a feat.

Damon didn't really like the way he looked, he was soaking wet, his pink dress shirt was dark from several places and a humongous hole had been burned to it's left side. His jacket on the ground wasn't in much better state, at least it didn't have any holes in it though. Damon's face was covered in some kind of black dust and he had burns on his upper left back and left shoulder. He acted tough in front of all those Pokemon, and he didn't really want to greet Sableye looking like some kind of loser. "Good job everyone! Help is here!" shouted the boy to all the pokemon who had done an awesome job. He then patted on the child's back as well, "Nice one staying alive there and all." Now he simply waited for the whole party to arrive . . .

Damon didn't need to tell the boy twice when it came to guzzling down half of the water in the bottle. The kid was obviously thirsty, after being trapped within the flames for so long. He finally stopped himself and handed the bottle back to Damon, apologizing quietly.

The continued to spray the fire from all directions, though a few let out a cheer together, happy to know that they were helping in some way.

The boy puffed out his chest with pride upon being complimented by Damon, and he clenched his fist in an effort to look strong and determined. "I did what I was trained to do in Boy Scouts! 'Cover your mouth and douse yourself with water if possible...'" he said, trailing off into several more quotes from his handbook.

Before long a small group of men came rushing to the scene, guided by Sableye, they found their way to the two boys. One of the men quickly rushed over to the pair. "Are you alright, lads?"

The young camper nodded and pointed to Damon. "He helped me out of the fire, sir." he said.

The man looked towards the older Trainer and noticed the shape he was in. He then looked around and took notice of the Water Pokemon working to put out the fire, and the other men were now shoveling mud and dirt around to put it out completely. The man hid a smile and looked down at the two boys. "Would you like a ride into town?"

After the boy had finished drinking Damon took some himself as well, he only drank about one fourth on the bottle. Sableye was really happy to see Damon again, he didn't put much attention to his clothing or wounds, he was just happy that the boy was okay. "Good job Sableye," complimented Damon his pokemon, "I told you everything was going to be okay." Sableye smiled and put started scratching the back of his head, he was little embarrassed.

Damon then turned towards the man to answer his question, "Don't know about this little one here but I sure would," he stopped for a little to watch the fire burn which was slowly being put out, "Finish up everything here beforehand though, I can wait."

The boy watched as the water pokemon were working together with the man to put out the fire. That kind of sight could only make Damon smile. He started looking for Ralts. When he finally noticed him the one who was making friends with some of the water pokemon. "Hey Ralts, it's time to go back soon," shouted Damon to notify the small pokemon. Ralts then quickly told his goodbyes and ran to Damon. The pokemon was so proud over his trainer, he had been really brave.

"Good job convincing those water pokemon to help me," said Damon to Ralts. That made Ralts happy. The boy then picked up the pokemon and put him comfortably in his lap. He then proceeded to take few steps away from fire so he wouldn't get in anyone's way and once again just waited . . .

The man was a bit surprised that Damon was still so concerned about the fire, but he simply nodded and joined the others in dousing the remaining flames.

It didn't take long, since the fire hadn't been spreading for a little while now. With the Pokemon and humans working together, they put a stop to the forest fire. What remained was an area of wet ash, many trees had been burned and a few seemed at risk of falling over. Some of the Pokemon looked rather distraught, unable to take in the sight.

One of the Water Pokemon stood up, however, and began shouting to the others. It seemed to be giving them a pep-talk of sorts, and when it finished they all turned towards Damon and let out a cheer. A Marill then stepped forward and handed a blue berry to the boy-- a small token of gratitude for helping to save their home. It was known as a Rawst berry, able to heal a burn on most Pokemon when eaten.

The men then led Damon and the young camper back to the main road where a jeep had been parked. As they climbed aboard one of the men looked towards the two boys and asked, "Would one of you care to tell me what happened?" His tone was soft but firm, clearly wanting information on how the fire had started in the first place.

The moment the question left Damon's lips, the boy shrank back, slouching in his seat as he sheepishly nodded. "I-I was camping tonight," he said. "I fell asleep and forgot to put out my campfire... I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to hurt anyone!" He shut his eyes and braced himself for a good scolding, or perhaps even being tossed out of the vehicle.

The man sighed and scratched his head. "Well, you cost many Pokemon their homes, and you certainly caused this young man plenty of trouble." He gestured towards Damon as he looked at the small boy. "You're very lucky he came along."

At this the boy nodded and even cracked a smile. "Mhmm! I'm very thankful that he came along! You and your Pokemon are great, mister!" he said cheerfully, looking up at Damon.

"Indeed," The man nodded in agreement. "Perhaps the city will find some way to reward a hero like you. You just saved Petalburg a lot of trouble by helping to keep that fire under control. If there's anything we can do for you..." he trailed off and gestured for Damon to speak up. He was clearly offering the Trainer a favor of any kind.

A chuckle escaped the man as he answered Damon, glancing at the younger boy. "Oh, don't you worry about that. He'll be helping out as soon as he can. For now, I think everyone could use a good rest."

The camper frowned, but he didn't see any reason to feel sorry for himself. After all, he'd caused a lot of people more trouble than he realized. He glanced up at Damon. "Don't worry, I want to help the Pokemon the same way you helped me. I'll do my best to clean things up!" he said with a grin.

Shortly after that, the jeep would pull to a stop in Petalburg City, right in front of the Pokemon Center for Damon's convenience. The man in the front seat looked back at the older Trainer and smiled. "Here you go, young man. If you're sure you don't need anything else, we'll drop you off here for the night."