With the Pokémon Summer Camp having come to an end, the heroes were now on their way to Dodge Junction and the Grand Desert. They had been travelling for several days, just now leaving the forest as they all smiled at a new sight.
"There it is!" Spike cheered as he pointed at a Pokémon Center in the distance, the building just beyond a hill. They then saw an arrangement of small mountains just past it, showing that the Grand Desert wasn't too far away. The group quickly ran down the hill next, getting to the mini-hospital in no time.
"Welcome to the Pokémon Center," Nurse Redheart announced as they entered the building, "What can I do for you today?"
"Can you take a look at our Pokémon?" Doc asked as everyone took out their Pokeballs, Redheart nodding as her Wigglytuff placed two Pokeball trays on the table. Flash loaded all of his onto one with Twilight and Doc putting theirs on the other while Springer and Peewee followed Wigglytuff into the back room.
The group soon sat down around a table as Flash asked, "So how far do we have until we reach Dodge Junction?"
"Not far," Twilight replied while showing them a map. "The quickest route cuts through a small town on the other side of the mountain. Once there, it's a straight route to Dodge Junction."
"Then the Grand Desert..." Flash added with a giant smile.
"Flash, you've got some serious issues." Spike barked back, "You're almost addicted to going the most dangerous route wherever we travel!"
Flash rolled his eyes at this, "Oh, I wouldn't say that. I mean, it's not like I'm always leading us into danger."
"Ghastly Gorge, Underground Tunnel, Everfree Forest...need I go on?!"
Twilight shook her head, "Spike, it's not like it's always Flash who does that. I plan the routes, remember? Besides, we're the ones that go along with it regardless of the danger."
Doc nodded in agreement, making Spike sigh and slump over, "You're all crazy..."
But before anyone could counter the teen, the center's doors swung open as a trio of trainers ran in, "NURSE REDHEART!" They all turned to see the trainer's carrying Pokémon that were covered in burn marks. "PLEASE HELP!"
Redheart let out a long sigh, "Oh no, not again." She switched on her radio, "Wigglytuff, we have three more for the burn ward."
"Wiggly!" scratched a voice back on the radio, the Pokémon soon appearing with a line of wheel beds. Each trainer placed their Pokémon on them, the nurse soon helping push them back to the ward.
Seeing this, Flash and the others decided to follow, gasping as they entered the burn ward. Inside was a room filled with Pokémon, all with burn marks covering them. There were Sandshrew, Tyrogue, Vigaroth, Luxio, Purrloin and many more, trainers all sitting beside them in worry.
"What happened here?" Spike asked, only for Nurse Redheart to walk in with some bandages and Burn Heal.
"Trouble is what happened. It's been going on for over two weeks now," the nurse replied as she began to patch up the newest patient, "Recently, a Blazard has taken refuge up in the mountains. Whenever it sees another Pokémon, trained or wild, it attacks without warning."
"That's horrible," Twilight commented as Flash pulled out his Pokedex and typed the name into it, an image appearing on the screen.
It was around 4 feet tall lizard-like Pokémon, it's head appearing similar to a Lizash's though its snout was longer with its cheek fins pointed to the back of its head. The creature stood at around four and a half feet in height, standing slightly hunched over. The body was mostly orange, but its lower jaw, cheek fins, the front of its neck, chest, stomach and the underside of its tail were light yellow. Its hands and feet appeared to be wrapped in yellow gloves and boots, though they had holes that allowed its claws to stick out. The monster also had a bright red kit shape on its forehead, shoulders and knees while its orange ears were long and sharp with bright red tips along with its tail.
Name: Blazard
Category: Flame Lizard Pokémon
Type: Fire
Info: The evolved form of Lizash. Blazard uses a magnesium flame, which can reach temperatures of up to three thousand °C. They can usually be found in mountainous areas where they can mine the magnesium needed.
"Looks tough," Flash added while putting the dex away, "But nothing I can't handle."
They all turned to the teen as Twilight asked, "Flash...what do you mean by that?"
"I'm thinking we go find this thing and stop it before it causes any more problems. Maybe one of us could even catch it."
"Seriously?!" Spike yelped, "Again with running headfirst into danger?!"
"That's the only direction I travel," Flash responded, smirking before leaning against a wall, "Besides, you don't have to come if you don't want to. You guys just stay here and prepare a victory party for me when I get back."
Twilight rolled her eyes at this, "Don't think I'm letting you go off alone. You'll need someone to pull your butt out of the fire, possibly literally." Flash did a small shrug in response as Twilight pushed her glasses up, "But let's be smart about this. We'll talk to the other trainers first, see what they can tell us about this thing. The more we know about it, the better chance we'll have of beating it." Flash nodded in agreement, the two beginning to question them while Spike and Doc stood there.
Spike turned to the older teen, "What do you think about all this?"
Doc shook his head, "I'm not sure. I think there's something not quite right about this. It just feels...off."
It was here that Flash and Twilight finished their questions, now knowing that Blazard could use Fire Punch, Flame Burst, Dragon Breath and Iron Tail. They walked into the main hall next as Wigglytuff pushed a cart out with their Pokémon on it. "Hey, bud!" Flash told Springer as he hopped off the cart, "Enjoy your rest?"
"Riolu ri!"
"Good, cause I'm gonna need you at full strength." Springer tilted his head at this, "You see buddy, there's a big bully that needs taking care off." He took the rest of his Pokeballs and looked down at them, "You guys ready for a battle?" He felt each of his Pokeballs wiggle in his grasp, the Pokémon inside ready for whatever was to come.
"Rio ri!" Springer cheered as Flash leaned down and patted his head.
"Thanks bud! Now, let's go find us a Blazard!" The two ran out of the center in a full sprint, the others following suit. As they did this, a teen with light purple skin and red hair while wearing a mainly red jacket and black pants walked out of the center as well.
He sighed as he watched them leave, slowly following as he said, "Blazard..."
It didn't take long for them to arrive at the base of the mountain, quickly beginning their climb up to the last area the Blazard was last seen at. Flash, Twilight, Spike and their Pokémon were on the lookout for the Blazard while Doc was tinkering with Twilight's journal.
"Be ready for anything," Flash told them. "That Blazard could jump out at any moment."
"We know," Twilight added. "We'll likely only have a second between it appearing and attacking, so we can't get careless."
"Isn't trying to find a dangerous Pokémon already being careless?! Maybe it'd be better if-"
"I knew it!" They heard Doc exclaim, the group turning to him as stared at the journal.
"What's up?" Flash asked before Doc showed them the journal.
"Its just like I thought! These mountains don't contain any magnesium." Twilight gasped at this, but Flash and Spike just stared blankly at him, making Doc sigh, "Blazard uses magnesium to create fire, but this mountain doesn't have any. Why would it live somewhere that doesn't have its natural source of fire ignition?"
"Huh...guess you got a point." Flash added as he scratched his head, "Why would it be here if it can't use its main source of power?"
Twilight rubbed her chin in thought before looking back at the forest that they had just came out of, "Maybe it goes into the woods to eat nuts or avocados? That could help his magnesium intake."
Doc shook his head, "No, as the number of nuts or avocados it would need to consume to use its flame would be insane."
"Then why would it stay here?" Spike asked, all of them shrugging in response.
But as they did this, Springer's ears flared up as his eyes went wide. "RIOLU!" He spun around and formed an Aura Sphere, tossing it upward as a fireball shot out of nowhere, slamming into the orb. Everyone covered their eyes as the attacks exploded, forming a cloud and shockwave that almost pushed them off their feet.
"Whoa! What was that?!" Flash yelled as they all looked up, now seeing the Blazard atop a higher ledge. "There it is!" Flash yelled before pulling out a Pokeball, "Riptide, I choose you!" He tossed the ball into the air, opening to reveal Flash's Spranitor.
"Tore!" He roared as he landed in front of him.
"Nice choice," Twilight added. It was then that Blazard leapt off the ledge and landed a few feet away, getting into a battle stance as it stared Riptide down.
Flash pointed ahead and ordered, "Water Gun!" Riptide unleashed a stream of water, only for flames to ignite inside Blazard's mouth.
"Blaze!" It spat out a fireball, the flames colliding with Water Gun before cutting through the water, creating a blast of steam. Seeing this, Riptide leapt out of the way, the Flame Burst hitting the ground into an explosion of fire.
"Whoa!" Spike yelped as they all worked to dodge the embers, "What the heck was that?! How'd that beat Riptide's Water Gun?!"
Doc began to backpedal as he answered, "At three thousand degrees, even water would have a hard time putting out flames like that." They turned back to Blazard, watching it raise both fists as it breathed fire on them, making a pair of fire fists.
"We're not done yet! Rock Smash!" Riptide raced at the monsters as his legs started to glow, jumping at the Blazard as it threw a punch. The two attacks collided, quickly pushing bock back as Riptide spun like a top, ready to use his other leg as Blazard used his other fist.
Everyone watched as the two turned into a blur, throwing punches and kicks in rapid succession until Riptide was finally smacked backward,"Spran!"
"Aqua Tail!" Flash countered, Riptide's tail now consumed in a spiral of water. Blazard immediately responded as its tail glowed silver, spinning as Riptide did a front flip. Both tails smashed into each other, knocking both back again. But as this happened, Riptide landed with ease as Blazard staggered back.
"Flash, it's off-balance! Keep pushing!" Twilight yelled, Flash nodding back before covering his ears.
"Echoed Voice!" Riptide took a deep breath before letting out a mighty cry, spreading across the field as it slashed Blazard's large ears.
"Zard!" It cried as it stuck its fists in its ears.
"Now, Water Gun!" Riptide stopped screaming before unleashing another stream of water.
The fire-lizard opened its eyes at this moment, now seeing the water coming, "Blaze!" It thrust its hands out, blocking the water while still feeling the sting. It slowly pushed him back, only for blue and white flames to appear in its mouth. "Blaze...ZARD!" It roared as it fired the flames, burning right through the water as before overwhelming Riptide.
"Look out!" Flash tried to say, but it was too late. The Dragonbreath consumed Riptide, knocking him back with a scream.
"Tore!" He cried, Flash catching him before he could hit anything.
"You okay?" He asked, Riptide doing a low weak nod, "You did good," he took out Riptide's Pokeball. "Take a break." He returned him before saying, "Those fire attacks are tough. I need someone who's pretty much immune to them. Viper, I choose you!" He tossed a new ball into the air, unleashing his newly evolved fire snake.
"Carrr!" Viper hissed, ready for battle.
"Zard!" Blazard roared again as it ignited another Dragonbreath in its mouth.
"Flamethrower!" Viper fired a blast of flames, both attacking's meeting before coming to a standstill. And as the fire slowly died for both, Flash ordered, "Flame Wheel!" Viper leapt and bit his tail, spinning into a flaming steamroller.
Blazard breathed fire in its fists in response, then catching the wheel before stopping it in its tracks. The two pushed at one another for several seconds, only for Blazard to push Viper back. "Hack!" He cried as he broke out of the flames, landing in front of Flash as well. Blazard then sucked up some breath, the others getting ready for the flames before-
"BLAZARD!" Everyone turned to a new voice, now seeing someone running up the path.
"Heath Burns?" Doc asked, recognizing him as the opponent he faced in the Hoof Cup. "What is he doing here?"
"Wait..." Twilight looked back at the Blazard, the beast stopping its attack to look at the incoming trainer. She then spun back to yell at Heath, "Is that your Lizash?!"
Heath came to a stop, his gaze still on the monster as he replied, "Yes."
Everyone went wide-eyed before Flash yelled, "What the heck?! You've just been letting that thing attack a bunch of people?!"
"Of course not!" Heath barked back before walking in front of the group, "Blazard, this has to stop." Blazard growled as Heath reach for his belt and pulled out a Pokeball, "See? It's fixed. You can come back now."
"ZARD!" Blazard fired a Flame Burst back, Heath's eyes going wide until he felt someone tackle him.
"Look out!" They hit the ground as the fireball exploded, embers flying everywhere. And as this happened, Heath looked up to now see Blazard was gone.
"No!" Heath picked himself up as he yelled, "BLAZARD! Come back!"
Everyone exchanged glances as he kept yelling into the distance, Doc then asking, "Heath...what's going on?"
Heath looked back at them, only to let out a long sigh.
A little amount of time later...
Back at the Pokémon Center, the five were all sitting around a table in the cafeteria as they listened to Heath's story, Springer, Peewee and Viper also there.
"It happened about two and a half weeks ago. After the Hoof Cup, my Pokémon and I all went on a training journey. We spent days training, pushing ourselves as much as we could....then it happened."
Two and a half weeks ago...
"Flame Burst!"
"ASH!" Lizash fired another fireball, this one striking a Crawlder. The rock beetle cried out as it fell back from the blow, giving Lizash an opening.
"Now, Iron Tail!" Lizard spun around as its fluffy tail began to glow.
"Liz...ASH!" He slammed it into Crawlder, sending it flying.
"YES! Way to go!" Heath cheered as Lizard turned and let out a happy bark. He then hopped into Heath's hands, both now cheering before Lizard's body started to glow, "Whoa!" he yelped, accidentally dropping Lizard.
Seconds later, its form morphed into a humanoid appearance as it revealed Blazard. Heath let out a laugh at this, running up to hug him, "Awesome! Congratulations Blazard!"
"Zard!" It roared, unleashing a burst of fire that set Heath's shoulder on fire.
"Hey!" He pulled back and started patting the flames, "Watch where you're breathing!"
"We kept training after that, but something was different."
"Gligar!" The Fly Scorpion Pokémon soared at the two, Blazard just missing the Steel Wing it was using.
"Flame Burst!" It heard Heath order, raising an eyebrow before looking back at Gligar. Then to Heath's surprise, Blazard breathed fire onto its fist. "Wait, what are you doing?!" Blazard leapt up and smashed its fist into the Gligar's chest.
The Pokémon screamed in pain as it was thrown back, unable to glide as it collapsed.
"What the heck?!" Heath yelped, "Was that Fire Punch? Why'd you use that?! I mean, it's cool you learned a new move but, you shouldn't have used it without me telling you!"
Blazard just growled back, turning to see Gligar picking itself up.
"I figured it was just a one-time thing, but then it kept happening. He would use a different attack from the one I asked for, then remain in place to take an attack when I told him to dodge. Then, it happened..."
"Icy Wind!" Blazard leapt to the side, avoiding the freezing air from the opponent's Stompice.
"Fire Punch!" Blazard ran while igniting its fist, smacking the Stompiceback. But as it did this, Blazard suddenly breathed, flames appearing in its mouth.
"What are you-wait!" Heath yelled, but it was too late.
"BLAZE!" It launched a Flame Burst, an explosion soon following as it struck the Stompice head-on.
Stompice cried out as it fell to its feet, the opponent barking back, "Hey, you can't do that! Your Pokémon's supposed to wait until you give an order!"
"I know...I'm sorry." he turned to Blazard. "You can't keep doing this Blazard. You have to listen to me." Blazard growled back before looking back at Stompice, seeing it was getting back up.
"Zard!" It then slammed a Fire Punch into it again.
"Pice!" It screamed, only for Blazard to hit it again and again.
"What are you doing?" The opponent yelled, "Stop that crazy thing!"
"Blazard, return!" Heath responded as he pulled out his Pokeball, the red light hitting Blazard in the back, sucking it into the ball. But before Heath could relax, the ball opened as Blazard appeared again.
"Zard!" Blazard roared as it charged at Stompice again, Heath returning him before he could hit Stompice. But like before, it broke out and tried to attack as Heath kept recalling it.
"You're Blazard's nuts!" The opponent barked as he returned his Stompice and ran off, right when Blazard broke out once again. But seeing the opponent was gone, Blazard turned to glare at Heath.
"What is wrong with you?" He asked, pointing at Blazard's defiance. "You need to listen to me!"
"Zard!" Blazard growled as Heath held out the Pokeball.
"You're staying in here until you learn to listen to me again!" But before he could return Blazard, flames appeared in its mouth.
"BLAZE!" It fired a Flame Burst at Heath, who leapt away with wide-eyes. The force of the blast knocked him off his feet, the Pokeball flying out of his hand and slamming against a rock.
He moaned as he picked himself up, turning to glare at Blazard, "You're in big trouble now!" Blazard said nothing before running away, going to a mountain in the distance. "Wait!" He reached out and grabbed the Pokeball off the ground, pointing it at Blazard, "Return!"
But no red light appeared.
"What?!" He yelped as he looked down at the Pokeball, now seeing it covered in several large cracks, three inside mirrors now broken. "Oh no..."
The Present...
"After that, reports kept coming in of trainers and Pokémon being attacked by Blazard." Heath looked down in shame, tears about to appear as everyone else just shared glances.
"I can't believe Blazard would do that to you," Flash said.
Spike nodded in agreement, "Yeah. He seemed so obedient during the Hoof Cup."
"He was," Heath replied as he slumped over, "This didn't start happening until after he evolved."
"That makes sense," Doc added as Spike and Flash tilted their heads at him, "It's not unheard of for a Pokémon's personality to shift after evolution."
"Really?" Spike asked.
Twilight nodded this time. "Of course. Evolution can be a seriously stressful process. Every cell in a Pokémon's body is being rewritten, including brain cells. It makes sense that the Pokémon they become would have a slightly different personality. I mean, think about Riptide. After he evolved, he became much more mature than when he was an Aquana."
Doc then turned to Heath, "You said your Pokeball was damaged?" Heath nodded, "How badly?"
"Pretty badly," he took out the Pokeball, everyone now seeing it looked like it was in perfect shape, "I had it fixed and figured this would all end when it did. But...well you saw what happened."
"So that's it," Doc muttered as he asked Heath to explain the repairs, only for Doc to sigh, "Sorry to sound harsh Heath, but Blazard isn't your Pokémon anymore." This made everyone go wide-eyed, Doc crossing his arms, "My apologies, but you needed to know."
"But...what do you mean? How is he not my Pokémon anymore?"
"If a Pokeball takes enough damage, the link it has to the Pokémon can be broken. That's why Blazard won't listen to you. As far as it's concerned, it's been released."
Heath shrunk in his seat, his face blank as the words sunk in. "I...I can't believe this." The others saw tears start to apper in his eyes, Twilight moving over to pat his shoulder.
"It'll be okay."
"Yeah, don't worry about it." Flash added as he patted the other shoulder, "If Blazard's wild again, you can just catch him again. Then you guys can work through your issues." The others all nodded again, "And we'll help you do it, right guys?"
"You bet."
"We're in."
"We won't stop until you and Blazard are back together." Heath showed a small smile before looking down at Springer, Viper and Peewee, all giving him nods.
"Oh...thank you."
"No problem," Flash felt something slither up his leg, looking down to see Viper. His tail was wagging, making Flash chuckle, "Brings back memories, huh? Don't worry, we'll help him."
But as he said this, a barrage of loud voices suddenly rang out from the main room. "What's that?!" Twilight asked, the group turning to see a group of trainers running to the center's entrance.
They got up and followed the group, now seeing it was the many trainers and Pokémon that Blazard had attacked from before. "Hey, what's going on?!" Spike yelled at the crowd, one of the trainers turning to them.
"We're gonna go find that Blazard and take it down!"
"All of you?!" Doc added.
"Better chance of finally stopping that thing," another said. "I'm hoping to also catch it!" This made Heath's eyes go wide before he turned to rush out the Center, Flash and the others following suit.
"Heath, where're you going?!"
"I have to find Blazard before that mob does! If someone else catches him, I'll lose him forever!" Heath screamed as he kept running, the others starting to pick up the pace.
But as they ran, Twilight pointed out something, "Wait...we don't know where Blazard is right now!"
A bulb went off in Flash's head, pulling out a Pokeball. "Skyler, I choose you!" He tossed the Pokeball into the air, releasing the Flying-type.
"Wingust!" He took to the skies, Twilight and Doc pulling out their Pokeballs.
"Owlicious/Steeledge, GO!" They unleashed their Flying-types, the three turning to their trainers as Flash showed them his Pokedex.
"We need you to find this Pokémon!" The three saw the image and nodded before flying up, the others now reaching teh mountain. They began their search, twenty minutes of no luck soon passing before Heath started resorting to simply screaming Blazard's name to the echoing mountain.
"BLAZARD!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, "Please, answer me!"
But there was no response, causing him to sigh.
"Don't worry," Flash told him. "We'll keep looking until we find him."
Heath just shook his head, tears about to appear again as he moaned, "Even if we do, would it matter?" The others exchanged glances, looking back to see despair filling his face, "Blazard isn't the same Pokémon I knew. He isn't Lizash, the Pokémon I met so long ago."
The Past...
"Here you go son," Heath's dad said as he handed him a Pokeball.
"Cool!" The ten-year-old cheered as he opened the ball, unleashing the Lizash. The fire-lizard shook its head before looking up at Heath, a giant smile on the kid's face. "Wow!" He crouched so they were at eye level, "Hey there, I'm Heath." Lizash tilted his head in response, "So, wanna be friends?"
"Ash!" It responded as it jumped up into his arms, knocking the kid onto his butt but making him laugh all the same.
The Present...
"We were never apart after that. We played, ate, slept...we did everything together. We were best friends....but-" tears started to flow down his face, "But my friend is gone now. He turned into something I don't even recognize."
"What are you saying?" Doc asked with a bit of fear in his voice.
"I'm saying that maybe...maybe I shouldn't try and catch Blazard. Maybe I...maybe I should just leave him here."
"You can't do that!" Flash instantly replied, "Even if he's different, he's still your friend! He's still your Pokémon!"
"Is he really?!" Heath barked back, "Didn't you see how he was! He doesn't seem to remember anything!"
"That's just the evolution," Twilight replied, "As I said, the process can have a toll on the Pokémon. Its memories are still in there, but they're just...buried. You just need to find a way to get it to remember."
"But he's so...different now!"
Flash shook his head, "Maybe...but that's not an excuse to stop being friends. Everyone might change, and that's fine. I'm not the same person I was ten years ago, and I'm betting you're not the same person you were when you first met Lizash. You've changed since then." He pointed at the teen, "That means Blazard changed too."
Heath tried to respond, only to sigh, "I...I guess you're right."
Twilight did a small nod, "And Lizash stayed with you that whole time, didn't he?"
"Yeah."
Doc pointed at him, "Do you think it's fair to leave him now that he's changed?"
"I...no," Heath looked away as he replied, "But it's like he's a stranger again."
"Then its time to get to know him again!" Spike added, "Maybe your old friendship is over, but there's nothing stopping you from forming a new friendship."
Flash nodded in agreement, "You don't have to forget about who he used to be. Just-"
"Don't let it blind me to who he is now," Heath finished with the others nodding. Heath sighed again as the words sank into his heart, memories of everything he and Lizash had been through flowing through his mind. "Yeah...I should-"
KABOOM!
Everyone turned to the sound of an explosion, now seeing a large smoke cloud fill the sky. "That's Blazard!" Heath screamed as he ran in that direction, the others following.
A few minutes ago...
Steeledge was now doing another circle around the mountain, only to see a bright light appear on the side. "Ledge?" he turned to the sight, only to see a fireball soar up to him. Quickly shifting his wings, he flew backward as it tried to dodge the flames, only for the embers to explode and sear his metal wings. "STEEL!" He screamed as he looked down at the source of the attack, now seeing Blazard as it fired another Flame Burst.
At the same time, the heroes were running at the sound of the loud bangs, only for another group to yell, "The beast is attacking again!" One of the trainers roared, "Let's show it why you shouldn't pick on others!" Everyone else screamed in agreement, following in angry mob form.
While this happened, Heath and the others were getting close to the peak, now seeing Steeledge fly around while trying to avoid the Flame Bursts. "There he is!" Heath yelled as he doubled the pace as Skyler and Owlicious flew down beside them.
"Skyler, go help Steeledge!"
"You too Owlicious!" They both nodded and flew off, quickly getting up to Steeledge.
"Zard!" It unleashed another Dragonbreath, the three countering as the Skyler and Steeledge started beating their wings, firing an Air Cutter. The blades of winds slipped past the fire, only for the lizard to turn and smack the wind with an Iron Tail. As that happened, Owlicious fired a Confusion attack, Blazard sidestepping before firing another Flame Burst. But as the flames began to reach the owl, Skyler grabbed Owlicious, pulling him out of the way of the fireball.
"Blaze..." it took a deep breath as flames ignited in its mouth again.
"Blazard!" The flames died as it turned to see its former trainer running up, "Please, stop this." He tried to step closer, only for Blazard to step back and growl. "Blazard...there's a mob of trainers coming to attack you. You're strong, but not that strong." He pulled out the Pokeball, "Please...come back to me. I don't want to lose you."
Blazard just stared at him for a few seconds, the others watching as they both stared at each other. But before Blazard could give a reply, a bolt of lightning flew down at them. "Zard!" It leapt back, just avoiding the attack as it hit the ground.
"Blazard!" Heath cried, seeing the fire-lizard begin to run off. The others then turned around, now seeing that the attack came from the mob's Luxio.
"Don't let it get away!" One of them yelled.
Flash turned to Heath, "Go get your friend back. We'll hold them off." He nodded and ran off as Flash looked down at Viper, "Go with him, he might need help." Viper nodded before following Heath, the others turning to the mob. "Sorry, you're not getting past us."
This made them go wide-eyed as one roared, "What?! Why are you helping that thing?!"
"Call it a favor to a friend." Flash added as Springer stood in front of him.
"You're either with us or against us," another trainer yelled before their Sandshrew used Rollout.
"Springer, Extreme Speed!" Flash ordered, the Riolu becoming surrounded by blue energy before kicking the Ground-type away.
"SAND!" It cried as it flew back, its trainer catching it as the other Pokémon took its place.
"Sucker Punch!" A trainer ordered her Purrloin.
"Slash!" Another commanded his Vigoroth.
"Bullet Punch!" The third yelled at his Tyrogue.
"Drill Peck!" Steeledge began to spin and morphed into a drill at the three, slamming into them in one fell swoop.
"Discharge!" A girl screeched at their Luxio, the monster beginning to spark.
"Confusion!" Twilight ordered Owlicious.
"Incinerate!" Spike pointed at the Luxio, Peewee jumping off his shoulder as they both fired their attacks, knocking back the electric lynx with ease.
The four saw their first opponents fall, only for several more to appear, Flash looking back at the way Heath went, "Come on...we can't do this forever."
Heath and Viper ran down the trail, the snake on Heath's shoulder as they came close to a full rotation of the mountain. "Blazard!" The fire-lizard looked back, growling as flames appeared in its mouth.
"ZARD!" It fired a Flame Burst, Viper leaping off Heath's shoulder.
"CARRR!" He unleashed a Flamethrower, hitting the fireball before safely exploding between them. As it did this, the trainers down below looked up at the explosion.
"There it is! It's getting away!" one yelled.
"Not happening," the Sandshrew's trainer added before turning to their Pokémon, "Use Rock Slide!" Sandshrew ran to the edge of the mountain side, letting out a cry as blue lights appeared around it, the others gasping.
"Steeledge, use Steel Wing now!" It flew at the Pokémon with glowing wings, but it was too late. Sandshrew launched the lights down the cliff before getting hit. The light faded to show a bunch of large rocks, all knocking more rocks free above Blazard as it turned into a full-on natural rock slide.
"Blazard, get out of there!" Heath screamed as Blazard didn't listen, instead using Iron to knock the rocks away. But as they came down, they soon overwhelmed him.
"Zard!" It cried out as the first rock slammed into him, followed by a tidal-wave of others, "BLAZARD!"
"NOOO!" Heath cried as he watched the landslide push Blazard over the ledge. And when the last rock fell over the side, Heath saw a pair of claws gripping the edge, "Hang on!" He ran over as fast as he could, cracking sounds catching his ears, showing that the side of the mountain was about to give away.
"Zard!" Blazard screamed as he began to fall, only to feel something grip its tail, "Zard?" Looking back up, Blazard saw Heath leaning over the edge, holding its tail.
He grunted under the weight, groaning as he said, "Blazard...hurry! Climb...back...up." Blazard just blinked at him, feeling his body start to slip despite's Heath's grip. The sounds of rocks cracking began to show itself, making Blazard's brain go into overdrive as it saw Heath risk his life to save him.
Viper slithered over and grabbed onto Heath's jacket with his teeth, trying to pull him back up. As this happened, the below battlers were now staring at the sight, the Purrloin trainer yelling, "What the-why's he helping that jerk?!"
Twilight glared back at her, "First off, any good trainer would do that to a Pokémon they didn't like. Secondly, they're friends!"
"He's friends with that monster?!"
"Yes." Flash added with crossed arms, "And he's gonna save him. Just watch."
"Come on!" Heath told Blazard, "CLIMB!"
More of the ledge began to crumble away, Blazard curling up to reach out a claw, "Zard." Heath grabbed his claw, letting go of the tail as Blazard used its legs to dig into the nearby rock.
"That's it! Come on buddy," he and Viper pulled, while Blazard pushed with his legs. The fire-lizard was getting close to the top of the ledge, only for the rock to break apart.
"CARRR!" Viper cried, the sudden jerk making him lose his grip, causing both to fall over the side. "Anahakka!"
"AAAAHHH/ZARD!" The two screamed as they fell over the edge, everyone gasping at the sight.
"STEELEDGE/SKYLER/OWLICIOUS/PEEWEE!" The four trainers ordered, their flying Pokémon flying after them.
And as they fell, Heath pulled Blazard close, "Hold on Blazard. I promise I'll protect you." Blazard just stared at him, unable to respond before looking down to see the ground coming up fast.
Time began to crawl at this moment, Blazard's life flashing through his eyes. It remembered the first time it met Heath on his birthday, Heath being the first thing Lizash saw coming out of the Pokeball. The two bonding almost instantly. It then remembered playing with him, the two friends running around like idiots and laughing the whole time, soon going through memories of their first battle together. More memories came to mind, none of them about before Heath came into his life or when he had abandoned him. How could it have forgotten all those times, the best moments of its life?
Blazard's arms wrapped around Heath as it buried its face into his chest, wanting to say he was sorry. And as the ground was about to hit them...it didn't.
"Huh/Zard?" The two opened their eyes, both now seeing they were hovering inches above the dirt. They then looked up to see the three Flying-types holding onto their feet/tail, all smiling before letting go. The two then hit the ground, yelping in pain before looking up at the birds as Heath said, "Thanks," Blazard saying the same thing.
"Heath!" He looked past the Pokémon, the other trainers barely in hearing range as they continued, "Are you okay?"
"We're fine! Just a little windswept."
"Okay! We're coming to you!" Heath nodded before getting up and going over to Blazard, the monster panting as it rested its back against the wall of the mountain.
"You okay?" Blazard didn't say anything, just looking away with a frown on its face. "Blazard." It slowly turned to its former trainer, only to see Heath get down into a praying stance with his head on the ground. "I...I'm sorry."
"Zard?"
"I'm sorry I treated you like you were still Lizash. I understand now. You're not the same Pokémon you were before." Blazard just blinked at him as Heath started to get up, "You've changed and that's not a bad thing. I just...I just didn't take the time to realize it. But I want to now. I want to reforge our friendship."
"Zard..." Blazard barely responded as Heath continued to stare at the ground.
"And I've realised I'm not the same person you knew when we first met. I think that evolving helped you realize that I've changed too." He then looked up and stared Blazard right in the eye, "But that doesn't mean we still can't be friends. So please, at least give me the chance to know you again...and you can get to know me." Tears began to roll out of his eyes, "Things can't go back to how they were before but...but that doesn't mean we can't be together anymore."
A full minute passed after that, Blazard just staring at him before tears began to go down his face. "Blaze!" he cried as he jumped into Heath's lap, pulling him into a hug.
"Blazard!" Heath cheered, both embracing each other for another minute until Heath pulled back. "Thank you. Blazard, will you become my friend again?" Blazard nodded back, only to hug him again.
Flash and his friends were still running down the mountain, the rest of the mob following they reached the spot Heath and Blazard had fallen. And as they came around the corner, they saw the two staring at one another before Heath held up the Pokeball. They came to a stop as they saw Blazard lift up his claw and tap it, the ball opening before sucking it inside, slamming it shut before dinging.
Flash let out a laugh as he ran up fits, "You guys made up?"
"Yeah..." Heath replied while nodding, "Thanks to what you said, I was able to get through to him." He smiled down at the Pokeball, "Now I'm ready to start again." He then turned back to the mob, only to bow, "Everyone...as Blazard's trainer, I'm sorry for everything that happened. I promise this won't happen again."
The mob all growled...only to sigh as they saw nothing could be done. One then said, "Well, be sure it doesn't! Get out of here!" With that, the crowd turned to walk away.
And as they left, Heath let Blazard back out.
"Zard?"
Heath crouched down and put a hand on his shoulder, "Good to have you back bud." Blazard nodded in agreement, Doc speaking up next.
"You know, Blazard's evolution might have also changed how it battles. That might have been part of the trouble, giving it orders that went against its own nature."
"Really?" He turned to Blazard, seeing him nod to confirm that, "So that means battling's off the table until we're back in sync."
Flash shook his head, "No, that means you guys need to battle more. That's the only way you're gonna learn how Blazard works now." He turned to the others, "Am I right?" They all nodded, Flash now feeling something poking his leg. He looked down to see Viper, wagging his tail, "You wanna battle?"
"Carrr!"
Flash nodded before turning to Heath, "What do you say?"
Heath and Blazard both smiled as they took positions, "Bring it on!"
Some time later...
Once the battle ended, the heroes said their goodbyes to Heath as they headed off. The sun was beginning to set now, the group now finding themselves reaching the other side of the mountain with the small town half a day away. After this, it was a straight shot to Dodge Junction.
And as they walked, Twilight noticed Spike had a frown on his face. "What's up?"
Spike turned to her, "What you guys said about people changing...does that mean they could change into someone their friends don't wanna be friends with anymore?" Everyone looked at each other, all frowning as Spike continued, "And what about our Pokémon? What if they evolve and start acting like Blazard was?"
Flash shook his head and patted him on the shoulder, "People change Spike, that's just a way of life. But if you're true friends, that shouldn't matter."
Twilight nodded in agreement, "Like Heath did, your friends changing means you just have to get to know them all over again."
"And if you're true friends, then them changing shouldn't matter." Doc finished, "As long as those changes aren't something that could lead to them getting hurt or hurting others, understand?"
Spike smiled back and nodded, "Yeah, I understand." Everyone else than continued to head down the road, all looking forward to their next adventure and how it would help them grow and change for the better. As the journey continues.