Footprints. Everyone had them. It’s as basic a fact as they come. One which shouldn’t give you any pause, unless you were a hunter or tracker. Maybe police looking for where a fugitive had run off to. And ferals, of course. Ferals followed footprints in search of prey, but they weren’t like the civilised. Civilised Pokemon shouldn’t care for footprints, and they certainly didn’t feel ashamed of theirs.

Which made Blitzer feel all the worse, staring at a trail of his own prints running through the snow. Large enough to flatten a Rattata if he wasn’t careful. Flat and too round, like his feet were shaped from clay. If not for the huge claws, what use would they have? Sure, they were insulated from the snow. But how could you walk on these? The claws would do most of the work.

Why else did he need to have claws on his feet? To hunt? Some hunter he was, with that belly, that tail and those arms. Everything was too large, everything. As if his clumsy behind could do more than throw his body weight on top of whatever opponent he faced. Then the claws came out.

Blitzer groaned, his wings twirling. The only part of his body with any agility, it seemed.

‘I hate myself.’

Sighing, he walked back to Whitepond. He’d gotten all of one field’s length away to the north. Sisu said they’d leave tomorrow, and something inside him wanted to explore while he had the chance. Freedom came at a price. And he never got to enjoy it for long.

But morale ran out before time; the weather, the lack of goals, as well as what he’d become wore him down. Every glance at his body, every time his tail struck the ground way too far behind, every gust reminding that his wings existed, it was too much. On occasion, his heart even skipped a beat. Deep growls rang in his ears, like a predator preparing to pounce… only to realise he was making those sounds by breathing.

‘How can I even show myself like this…? How do I… live without scaring anyone?’

By the time Blitzer reached Whitepond, he was fighting back tears. It felt as if there was an animal inside him, clawing to get out. How long could he keep that side of him locked up? He might not have killed Sisu or Sefonia that night. Would they all be so lucky next time?

A Soldier called out to him as he entered. “Are you alright,” or something in that vein; Blitzer didn’t know. He gave a simple ‘yeah’ as an answer, then found the nearest place to sit down. That happened to be a log bench; or what resembled one underneath a coat of frost. Maybe it was for construction and someone just left it here. He didn’t know any better. Northerners might as well have been aliens, with their homes, food and accents.

Nevertheless, he wanted to sit somewhere. And so he did, careful to prevent his tail from setting any fires.

‘What do I do…? I can’t just… show myself anymore, can I?’

Contemplating by himself as the snow fell, and Pokemon passed by without a care in the world, Blitzer was at his wits’ end. No one looked at him. No one seemed to mind the Charizard lumbering among them. But was that real, or a surface level comfort? It had to be the latter. He couldn’t help but imagine how they actually felt, worrying about him. With his fire - One wrong move with that tail and he’d burn the whole village down. Like Greenfield burnt down once - in his head.

But in truth, no one was more concerned about Blitzer than Blitzer himself, for all the wrong reasons. Sisu, Sefonia and Speedy all wanted to cheer him up. Blitzer thought he didn’t deserve any cheers. He thought back to when being a Charizard was exciting. Back then they all seemed like strong, heroic Pokemon. Saviours. Protectors. Charismatic heroes. But he was none of those things. The only other Charizard he met was none of those things, either.

So what was he, really?

He pressed one of his claws into his belly, then pushed with intent of drawing blood. His scales turned out to be more than a match, however. He groaned.

‘I can’t even stop myself…’

After a minute of pushing, he gave up. He couldn’t help but crack up as a tear slid out of his right eye.

‘I used to like the idea of evolving… I didn’t think I’d be this… ugly…’ A sigh left his throat. ‘I have to talk to someone… Sisu said talk to Sefonia, right? Maybe she’d-’

He winced for a second. ‘Would she even want to see me like this? I… don’t know, and I… don’t want to upset her. When did we last even talk…? With no one between us? What can I do…?’ he reasoned, slowly lifting himself off the log. Did he want to have a heart to heart right now?

His heart warmed up, in spite of the wind.

Yes, yes he did.

Off he was to the town's northern edge. Sisu had told him of the church and its clinic, and that Sefonia was staying there to recover. Though she wasn’t in bad condition, that didn't stop him from rushing to a nonexistent emergency. Snow crunched under his feet. It wasn't quite running, but fast enough to put watching his step on the backburner. Hopefully, no small fry were out and about.

One shout of 'watch where you’re going' aside, little attention came his way. A look or two at best. Fear of dragons was in short supply up north, it seemed.

Which made it all the more curious in his eyes when he turned the corner to the church's street, and saw a Dragonite staring up at the heavens, thin black vapours trickling from most of her body. He didn't quite believe it at first, given how uncomfortable the public's eye could be.

"...Sefonia?"

The Dragonite’s head whipped around, antennae shirked back with a surprised glint in her eyes.

"Blitzer?"

The Charizard was slow to make another move. Gods, if his skin didn't feel too tight, his fire burned too hot, and his voice sounded far too gravelly. What would she think if he came in too fast? His heart pounded.

"I-it's me. Yes."

Ashamed as Blitzer was, with how reservedly tucked back his wings were, the ball was in Sefonia’s court. By the time he looked back up, she was in front of him.

"Sef..."

"Here."

One eyeblink. That's all it took for Sefonia to take Blitzer into her arms. That’s all it took for Blitzer’s emotions to slip.

“I missed you.”

“I… I-I don’t know what to say…”

“You don’t have to say anything.”

The two dragons held onto each other for dear life. The winds may grow harsh enough to bury them, or people might point and laugh. Heck, the cult could descend upon Whitepond like a swarm of hungry locusts, with the Renegade itself helming the charge. It took more than that to break a bond.

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Blitzer leaned the side of his head against Sefonia’s. She did the same to him. Such a simple motion, running one’s claws over scales, gently tracing across the skin. Yet it soothed like a hot spring bath. How tough you fancied yourself, everyone had their softer side. And it wasn’t just pleasant to indulge in it.

Sometimes, you just need each other to make it through.

Sefonia’s grip on Blitzer weakened, as she pulled her head back. “It’s been too long. Way too long,” she said, shaking her head. “How do you feel?”

The Charizard gave a groan in response. “Not good. Not good at all.”

“Evolution not going so great?” Sefonia asked. As innocuous a comment as they came, especially from a fellow early dragon. Blitzer understood that much, even given how bitter that stab to the gut made him.

“I hate it. I… I can’t stand it.” He sniffed. “I don’t feel like myself anymore.”

The Dragonite now fully let go, her tail and antennae drooping floorwards. “That’s… what? How could you say that?”

“I-”

“Let’s go inside, alright? It’s too cold outside.”

She opened the church’s front door, then hurried herself and Blitzer inside. She took him right in front of the altar. No service was being held, and it was decently warm. She took a seat on the floor, and motioned for Blitzer to follow, which he timidly did, keeping his tail close by for whatever warmth it provided.

“You know, we had that talk near Snowviary only a few weeks ago, right? We talked about growing up, living life, that sort of thing.” Sefonia looked away, clutching her blackened arm. “You’re not that much younger than me, we’re both early evolvers.”

Blitzer exhaled uneasily. “...That’s true.”

“And you used to be excited about evolving. You talked about it to your parents all the time, you said. How you were going to be all big and strong. Be this big hero that everyone knew and loved. Right?”

Blitzer’s claws dug into his belly. Suddenly, his whole torso felt a lot narrower around his bones, as if someone was squeezing him like a lemon. For a prayer hall, they were very, very alone. No one else was around to hear them. Sefonia might as well have been a priest, listening to his confessions.

He breathed in deep. “I did. But… it was different back then.” ‘Those days are long over.’

Sefonia leaned forward, placing one of her claws on the base of Blitzer’s neck. “Well, what changed? You used to be so happy talking about it. And I could tell you were excited for it. And this is after going through all those hardships you told me about! Losing your parents and home? That didn’t stop you from having that little bit of optimism. What happened? ”

The Charizard buried his claws under his eyes. No tears had flowed yet. But Sefonia shouldn’t have to see how he really felt. And he could sense that he wouldn’t be able to keep that bottled up for long.

“What is there to be happy about…?” he began, slow and careful with his voice, the bass taking center stage. “I got locked up and thrown into hell.”

“But you’re out now. And you’re going back, right?”

He grimaced. “I have nowhere to turn to anymore. Aside from… you, I guess. And Sisu. Maybe Speedy too…”

“What do you mean?”

“My life’’s only gotten worse since the last time. I thought I couldn’t feel any worse after losing my parents, but… then Eravate lost it’s way. I lost my best friend, I lost any sense of place in the world, lost my freedom, and… look at me now. I lost my body-”

“Wait, hang on,” Sefonia said. “Your friend? Do you mean George? Where is he?”

There came the first tear, rolling past the Charizard’s claws and over his cheek, before unceremoniously dripping onto the floor, scraping past his belly in the process. His tail flame dimmed to an ember - even a Charmeleon would laugh at how small and weak it looked.

“I lost him when Luminity fell. A building collapsed on us. We were separated. Haven’t seen him since that day… that horrible, horrible day. I don’t know if he’s even alive anymore.”

“That…” Sefonia slouched over; she looked lost, as if regretted dragging Blitzer here to begin with. “I’m sorry to hear that. Really sorry. Maybe he’s found a way out,” she said, sighing. “If Sisu wasn’t lying.”

The Charizard shook his head. “I don’t believe her. Not after she promised she’d get me out of Luminity safely… You’re not supposed to get locked up and beaten daily. She lied.”

The Dragonite sighed. “Give her this much, at least. She never intended for that to happen. But it did. Then she roped me into it. Look at me now,” she said, pinching her sides. What remained of the black vapours flickered around the parts of her body she grabbed, as if a mere touch could shake them loose. “I’ve got nothing left. Nothing besides what she’s offered me, anyway…”

Blitzer looked up; for a moment, his wings unfurled a little, but his energy turned traitor. They went right back to their resting position, like rodents jumping into their hiding ole at the first sign of trouble.

“We’re in the same boat, aren’t we? I-I don’t know boats very well, I’ve never been in one, b-but… that’s the right metaphor, right?” His cheek twitched. ‘What kind of a response is that?! Am I really that stupid?!’

Sefonia cracked up. “Yes it is, you dork. And what does sitting in boats even mean here, anyway? Is someone gonna ban you from using that?”

“N-No.”

“There you go!” Sefonia raised a claw to his chin. “You…”

For reasons unknown, she cut herself off mid sentence, looking Blitzer in his eyes all the while. He had a queasy feeling in his gut. Didn’t know quite what to think. Did she actually like having to sit beside him, or was that a lie he liked to tell himself? Three seconds went by before Sefonia took her claw, then rubbed Blitzer on the chin with it.

“I’m glad to have you here. Honestly.”

Blitzer gulped, before forming the best smile he could. One a Purugly had beat on an ordinary day.

“I’m glad to have you, too.”

The Dragonite put more energy into her own smile. No one showed teeth - it wasn’t that warm inside. “We’ll stick together from now on. Try and… find our way, I guess. Get some answers,” she said, her tail shifting across the floor. In turn, the tip of Blitzer’s tail twitched erratically.

“Don’t know how much that’ll help… I’ve been looking for answers for months now. And all I have are more questions. And more regrets,” he said, holding up an arm. “I don’t like being a Charizard.”

“Why not?”

“Just look at me. And how I sound. Everything I say just sounds… wrong. Like I came from the wild. I look… evil, don’t I? Not a monster, no, but… I still look like a brute. I’m way too big. My claws are too sharp. I’ve got too many teeth, too heavy footsteps… plus, I might turn into a monster. How messed up is that?“

“Oh… with the minerals from Chronos,” Sefonia muttered. Blitzer shuddered.

“Exactly. I swallowed one and… lost my mind. I swear, I close my eyes, and it still feels like I’m there. Biting that Ampharos in the neck. And that’s just the worst of it,” Blitzer rambled.

“But it’s natural,” Sefonia said. “Not the blue fire, but just being a Charizard in general. You were going to evolve one day, anyway. With how active you’ve been, I mean…” She threw her hands up. “We’re very similar in that sense. It doesn't matter if you think it’s too early. You’ve had plenty hit you at an early age.”

Blitzer sighed. “That’s true. Started with my parents, and… that’s where everything unravelled from, honestly… my real parents, I mean. Not Chronos.” ‘He’s not my father. He’s not.’ The dragon breathed in deep. “A-actually. What about your parents? S-sorry if that’s too big of a question, but…”

Sefonia’s face soured in an instant. Her eyes were drawn to the floorboards, her ears tuned in to the sound of a door slamming far away. A few candles flickered nearby; winds howled over the roof of the church.

“It’s… complicated. My parents joined the Smaugus before I hatched. Grew up learning everything from them. Fighting, philosophies that matched what the Smaugus believed in. Self sufficiency, strength, respect, and so on. They were very strict. They’d hit me if I didn’t listen.”

Sefonia blew steam out of her nose, folding her arms in front of her chest whilst keeping her wings at bay. “We never had the strongest relationship. Tried to work on it. Did my very best. Ended up shining in battle, which made the other Smaugus take notice of me. Then one day, I was taken from my parents. They approved. Apparently I was a fighting prodigy, and that had to be nurtured. Didn’t see them too often after that,” she said, growling. “You know, I never really had parents. Just tutors and sergeants to follow.”

Blitzer frowned. “They… gave you away? Why? I don’t get it… you were their child, right?”

The Dragonite shot a stern glare straight through Blitzer’s eyes, causing the Charizard to gulp on reflex.

“Yes. And you are Chronos’ child. What difference does that make to him? He threw you away like garbage.” She turned her head away. “Blood means nothing, Blitzer. All this dad this, mom that talk doesn’t matter. They’ve always seen me as a means to an end. They probably want me dead now.”

“...Why?” Blitzer asked, to which Sefonia sighed.

“Same reason everyone else in the Smaugus wants me dead. Because I defected. I’m a traitor.”

‘Oh.’ Blitzer’s heart skipped a beat. If only he had put two and two together. “Sorry…”

“Don’t be,” Sefonia said, turning her head back. “It’s not your fault… It’s not even Sisu’s fault, honestly. I blamed her at first when I woke up. I was all alone, laying in bed sick with this damn essence, right after throwing my old life in the garbage. She might’ve encouraged me to, but I made this choice myself at the end of the day.” She squeezed her eyes shut, then breathed in deep through her nose, her chest rising up high. “I had to follow my conscience.”

“Your conscience…?” Blitzer asked.

Sefonia tilted her head at him. “Well, what else would you call it? I saw the closest thing I had to a friend getting abused and beaten up on a daily basis. And I hated it.”

The Charizard gulped, sucking his belly inward on reflex. “But we don’t even know each other that well, no offence…” ‘I wish I knew more, though.’

“Exactly. Imagine that, living with the Smaugus.” Sefonia sighed, her antennae drooping once more. “It’s something, alright. Realising you never really had any friends. No one ever liked me for me. They liked me for my power, and that’s it,” she said, fidgeting with her claws as her tail thumped once. “You’re different. You do like me for me.”

For having a natural affinity with fire, Blitzer sure felt like he was overheating. “Y-yeah… I mean, you’re cool. You’re like me, only… braver? And funnier. And kinde-”

The Charizard yipped; the Dragonite was pinching him on the arm.

“It’s no competition between us, remember?”

“Y-yeah…” He sighed out. “Do… do you mind if we sticked together for the foreseeable future?”

Sefonia smirked, then went from pinching Blitzer’s arm to pinching his cheek. “That’s my whole plan, dummy. I’d be worried if you wanted nothing to do with me. We’ve both got plenty of questions. We’ve both got plenty to figure out. And we got no one but each other. Why wouldn’t we work together?”

“Mrrrhm!” Blitzer answered. His chops, teeth and tongue were getting in the way of forming proper words; that and the mystery of why the fire on his tail was getting hotter. Actions spoke louder than words, though, and given Sefonia being so touchy, he figured he could return the favour with a pinch of his own.

Instead of finding her cheeks though, she found her other claw.

“Gotcha.”

“Mrhm!”

“You’re gonna have to try harder to that to pinch me- aaaah!”

Before any laughs hit Blitzer’s eardrums, he had the brilliant idea of using both his claws - as it turns out, Sefonia had declared victory too early - Just by leaning forward with his body weight, Blitzer got a claw on her cheek.

“You were saying?”

“Damn it!”

The two dragons laughed, rolling besides each other over the floor. In that moment, it didn’t even dawn on Blitzer that he was carrying his first proper smile in a while.

He was just happy.