Obsidian Dragons

The Pokemon of Plasma Village knew well the tales of dangerous Pokemon living within the mountains. Their mothers and fathers, aunts and uncles, they always said as they were growing up, "do not go into the mountains! For there are large and terrifying Pokemon, and the Ninetales will eat up any Pokemon who does not heed their warnings."

And for generations this went on, until no one could remember the origin of this warning. Eventually it became a silly tale to tell young children to spook them back into going to bed. Children and adults alike trekked farther into the mountains, taking up territory for themselves and one day a warning floated down the mountains in the form of a capsule with a tiny, rolled up paper inside.

"It says not to return," a small Pancham snorted, nudging his Shelmet friend. "I bet it's one of those stupid
Golem, they're always trying to scare off us kids from getting the
good treasure!"

"Maybe they're doin' it for a reason," the Shelmet said. He shrugged and his face paled when Pancham gave him a look. "I mean, well. Yeah, how dumb!"

"Ya know what? I think we should go up there and talk to 'em face to face and show 'em who's boss! You in?"

"Y-yeah! Of course. I'm always ready for adventure!" Shelmet gave a gleeful bounce.

That night they gathered up their friends who weren't being total babies and when none of the adults were looking they dashed off into the mountains. Climbing them was hard work, but they reached one of
the main paths by the time it was midnight with plenty of time to
spare.

A Treecko wheezed and rubbed her forehead. "Is this really gonna be worth it?"

"Yeah! If ya don't be a little baby," Pancham snapped. He rolled up his sleeves and romped right onto the path, following
the footprints and handprints of the Geodude line that passed through
here every day.

But when they reached the place the Golems were the days prior, there wasn't a single soul there. Pancham stomped around, shouting and throwing his hands to the sky, while his friends stood around him looking at each other. One gestured back down the path, suggesting they runaway while Pancham was overtaken by his tantrum, but Shelmet
shook his head.

Treecko puffed out his cheeks. "Me and Totodile are gonna stay," she whispered. The Totodile in question scowled, horrified. He wasn't scared of these Pokemon, oh no, he was just tired and wanted to rest. And why would he talk for him anyway? "We
gotta prove ourselves."

One of the Pokemon, a small Bagon, shook her head. "No, I'm gonna leave. I'm leavin' right now, cause my mommys are going to be angry." She huffed, stomping on back down the path.

Treecko called out to her, saying goodbye, but when she reached the pass, three dark figures stood in her way. Behind them flowed long bushy tails and the light of the moon glinted off their bright red eyes. "Get back here!" Treecko cried suddenly, rushing away from the group. Pancham stopped, astonishment and anger on his
face.

"Why are you being such a baby--"

Another figure dropped down, giving Pancham a long, slobbery lick. "My, my, my. What do we have here?" Pancham froze, trembling. "Look at that, lads! We got ourselves *dinner*."

One of the figures jumped from the dark, a Ninetales with creamy-white fur and orangish-red socks. She whacked the Bagon into a wall and opened her mouth, dousing Shelmet with fire. Shelmet screamed and collapsed.

"S-s-stop!" Pancham cried, trying to puff out his chest and whirl around to face the Ninetales behind him. "Don't eat me! You can't eat me, I'm all rough and sick." He faked a cough to push his point. "Eat them!"

He was pushed to his back, a paw covering his face. The Ninetales
grinned, saliva dripping down his lips. "Enough! Akane, Cedric, all of you, feast!"

As the Ninetales swooped down to take the first bite of Pancham's arm, the mountains shook. They shook so violently that all of the Pokemon fell to their sides or their backs and boulders came tumbling down the mountainside.

"Release these children, they are not yours!" Blue flames surrounded them. The children looked up to where the voice came from, the top of a nearby mountain. Two dragons of pure black roared and flew down, dragging the Ninetales through the fire by their tails.

The Ninetales that held Pancham was slammed into a wall. Another was flung off the mountain. One by one the Ninetales fled, whimpering like kicked dogs, until none were left in the area.

One dragon knelt on the ground beside them, shaking their head. Pancham looked at them with tears in his eyes. "We didn't come soon enough to help your Shelmet friend. Forgive us. Leave back to your home now and never return. We will ensure your safety until you are there."

Treecko and Totodile took off without another word. Bagon stared up at the dragons with wonder in her eyes, wondering what they were. They looked like Charizard! But blue flames came out their mouths and their bodies were obsidian black. She didn't look away until Pancham, carrying Shelmet's body, ran away down the mountain path.

Both dragons followed them, keeping to the skies and close enough that they could fight. When the children reached the base of the mountain and finally the town, the dragons roared and looped around back to the mountains.

Pancham cried for weeks. Months. He often looked back to the
mountains, as did many of the folks in the village, and sometimes he could hear those roars. At night, when he was unable to sleep, he
would sometimes look out his window to see two blue flames reach into the sky.