[Pokémon] Into the Fire [one-shot]

[Venia Silente]

" Into the Fire "

Taking care of the hatchlings​

My darlings, why wait until SWC when I can have new content for you right now? Here I present for you a small story I wrote for a drabble bingo elsewhere.

Enjoy!

It wasn't often that Kommo-o got to spend much time with his hatchlings. They were already old enough to wander about and now they wanted to learn everything about the world.

Since they were frolicking outside the nest, poking plants and mock biting each other, Kommo-o clanged his scales to end their recess, and the hatchlings rushed in into the den the moment after. They wondered what was going on and when were they going to hassle the bugs outside; Kommo-o scratched the wall and brought them to attention.

"It's warm and sunny outside so we're going to go out and have a relaxed day!" he announced. "I brought something in so you can start learning about the outside world."

Kommo-o led the hatchlings outside, at a cove where he had left a fresh Charmeleon kill. The hatchlings meandered about the Pokémon, nosed it about and took furtive attempts at poking it and scratching it. All in all, they were surprised, they had seen and hassled Charmeleon before, but they had never seen a dead one before.

"Children, this is food," Kommo-o announced proudly.

The hatchlings rattled about. "Food?" "Food?" "Food?" "Food?"

They admittedly were used to softer food, but it was about time for them to grow up.

"M-hmmm. This is the kind of stuff you can kill when you're grown up. See, it's not even a true dragon."

The father prompted at his children to examine the fallen Pokémon, while he scouted the surroundings. The hatchlings took a few tentative bites but all in all didn't seem to like it much; what they did like about it was that it was warm. Two of the younger Jangmo-o in the clutch started fighting over the Charmeleon to drag it back to the nest.

"Can we keep it? It's warm," complained one of the hatchlings.

Kommo-o shook his head. "No, it's food. It's not for keeping."

Another hatchling raised a claw. "But if it's food then it's not going to be warm anymore?"

The Kommo-o huffed. "Afraid not. In a short time it's not going to be warm or yummy like it is now."

One of the children stepped forth and held a claw over her chin. "So, if we don't kill food it stays warm?"

"Uhm…." The Kommo-o tilted his head, his crest clanging a bit. He definitively had no idea where was this line of thought going. "Yeah. Food that's still alive is usually warm."

The children gave him big, pearly, cognizant eyes, nodded and went off their own ways, to play outside and to hush with each other. Content that the hatchlings were entertained, Kommo-o flopped on the ground…

And fell on a well-deserved quickie sunbath nap...

"...Children?"

Kommo-o woke up a few minutes later to a few rawrs in the distance and sounds of alarm from various herbivores. A quickie look around revealed his hatchlings were missing – apparently gone off to adventure.

The father dashed out of the den and looked around. No sight of the hatchlings anywhere nearby.

But he did hear something. Jangmo-o rawrs in the distance… accompanied by what appeared to be Charmeleon growls.

All coming from Area 8… the Charizard den!

"...Oh no!"

Worriedly the father wasted no time in rushing uphill, towards a cave opening that he knew led directly to the den and was the sure path the hatchlings would have taken. Sure enough, he could sniff their scent off a few rocks and logs, and this enticed him to disregard everything else and get to the den fast.

The cave went by in a blur, as the Kommo-o reached the opening of the alcove where the Charmander families lived. And right there, in the middle of the alcove, he saw his hatchlings pestering a couple of Charmander hatchlings, trying to stomp them or ram them, and nibbling at their tails.

"This one's warm!" yelled one of the hatchlings. "Come on, be good food!"

The Jangmo-o rushed at the Charmander hatchling, only for it to spit a few embers right at its attacker's face. Two other Charmander reeled back from another Jangmo-o's attempt to bite at their hands, and joined forces to headbutt him a fair distance off the den area.

Suddenly the air around seemed to heat up, and Kommo-o tensed up. A shadow passed right above him. This was not going to go nicely if the children were not trained on how to actually hunt!

"Children!" the Kommo-o cried.

A Charizard, likely the mother, flew down in front of him, from right above the alcove, and breathed out a wall of flame at the front of the den to keep the intruders away, and then circled about, letting out a threatening roar.

Kommo-o gasped. "ChildREN!!!!"

Kommo-o's entire armour of scales rattled at the threat, and the Pokémon launched himself ahead to assist his hatchlings in what has now become their first hunting attempt.