Fiery Lands and Stormy Seas (Pokemon Watty Award Winner 2014)

Chapter 29

CARSON

I only have one shot at this, Carson Brightflame knew. He couldn't take it anymore, but at least he didn't have to see them be eaten anymore. Tomorrow, however, the last of the prisoners from Slateport would be executed. He didn't understand why he felt like he wanted to help the Slateport men, but then again, he hadn't understood why it was he had the desire to free Swampert like he had.

Just like Swampert, he had to free the last of the Slateport men. By all accounts he knew he should not try to help him. After all, hadn't his father ordered an attack on them just a few weeks past? No, that had been Mauville, he remembered, and Swampert and the Slateport men weren't from Mauville.

More than anything, however, he wanted to take any satisfaction he could away from Starfall. Starfall had killed his father and brother and stolen the lava-stone throne. Carson knew there wasn't much a ten year old hostage could do in this situation, but even the satisfaction of ridding Salamence of a meal of human flesh was pleasing to him. For tomorrow, Starfall would be angry.

The Wingull had come back to his tower cell and perched in the window high above where the first glimmers of moonlight began to seep through the bars. The Pokémon nodded and pecked its beak twice on the stone to signal the start of the plan. Carson had worked out this plan with the Wingull and Pyro, his Torchic.

"Are you ready, Pyro?" he asked. The little orange chick nodded its head determinedly. Carson smiled and observed his Spirit Pokémon's little wing. Even though he had plucked the blood-stained feathers out, they fuzz that should be yellow growing back in the bald spot came out red. Maybe I didn't pluck the feathers right. Maybe Pyro has an infection, he thought, though he didn't share these feelings with the Torchic.

Carson beckoned to the Wingull on the ledge and it flew into the tower room and picked up little Torchic and carried it outside. He knew where his Spirit Pokémon was headed: Carson's old room in the palace, and the secret tunnels inside the fireplace that led down to the prisons. He only hoped that they put the last prisoner in the same cell that Starfall had held Swampert in.

Starfall is going to be so mad when he finds out that the last prisoner is gone! The thought made him excited. And who would ever suspect little Carson, safely guarded day and night in a tower prison?

Carson went back to his bed and shut his eyes. He wasn't going to sleep, no. The little Prince had learnt a great many things in his dreams in the last few days. He had finally learned to listen when the stone giant called to him in his dreams. It didn't take him long anymore to make his way through the dark, sandy tunnels. And for the first time a few days ago, the stone giant had spoken to him.

The stone giant had taught the would-be should-be Prince how to see through the eyes of his Spirit Pokémon. He had woken that morning after he had learned to find that he had shrunk, and it had taken him a few moments to realize that he had become Pyro. He couldn't control where Pyro went, but he could see through his eyes. When he saw himself sleeping, he finally woke up.

He had practiced this skill with Pyro for the last couple of days to pass the time in his tower cell when his idea had come to him. Thankfully, the Wingull that came to visit most every day was willing to participate as well.

And so it was now that Carson shut his eyes and focused, reaching for Pyro. Pyro was far away now, so it was harder than it used to be, but eventually he opened his eyes and saw what the Torchic saw. He was in the tunnel again, going down... down... down. He turned his head to see Wingull hopping along next to him.

Not only could Carson see through the eyes of Pyro, but he could feel a heat from deep inside his heart. It made him excited to release the heat into a little ball of fire that lit up the tunnel that spiraled downward.