A Girl and Her Dragon: Blazing HeartOn Hiatus

Sky Above, Water Below

Kayden tried to force the talonflame lower but the bird would just send the embers from its wings down on her. Kayden blinked away the minor pain as she yanked as the bird's legs trying to desperately get it to go where she wanted. The talonflame jerked irritation filtering across its as it swooped lower, the ground still not near enough for Kayden to be even remotely comfortable with if she fell. More embers fell around her burning at her hands, but she couldn't let go. The straps on her backpack were slipping, she just needed it to get closer to the ground.

"Lon." Talonflame growled before diving down towards a large river, the rapids swirling and tumbling around the rocks.

"Wait! Stop, stop!" Kayden screamed as the flame pokemon kept getting closer threatening to drop the young trainer into the rushing water below. Kayden tried to pull herself up against the pokemons talons, but she couldn't. Talonflame dangled her a few feet above the roaring water as the massive stones rose from the surface making the rapids faster. The fire pokemon almost smirked as it gave a low cry, before it slowly started to pull upwards.

A loud splash sounded as an aquajet slammed into the talonflame causing it to drop Kayden. The rapids wrapped around her pulling the trainer under the water for a few moments before she got her footing on the bottom of the river and pushing herself upwards, breaking the surface. The aquajet swerved diving back into the water as arrokuda rushed to Kayden pressing itself against her trying to guide the teenager to the bank.

"Talon." Talonflame snarled as it dove, its wings glowing silver. Breaking away from Kayden, arrokuda jumped as water wrapped around it slamming its talonflame again. Talonflame snarled as it soared upwards, embers fluttering down from under its wings. The rapids pulled Kayden down the river as more rocks sprouted up around her and she tried to get a grip on the rocks or bank.

"Arrokuda!" Kayden yelled as she slipped off another rock. The rush pokemon jetted down the river towards her, sliding into her hands as it tried to push against the current. Kayden coughed a bit as the water tried to keep pushing the two downstream.

"It's coming back." Kayden stated as she saw the flames of the flying type. It was diving at them, fire surrounding its body as it aimed for the trainer and pokemon. "Arrokuda, kick up water." The rush pokemon looked at the trainer for a moment. "Trust me."

The water type broke away from her as it started spinning sending water into the air as Kayden grappled with another rock. The flame pokemon was met with water, putting out some of the flames and causing it to slow.

"Bite!" Arrokuda shot out of the water, its teeth clamping on the talonflame's wing. The fire type screamed as it lost its balance, falling into the water. A wave crashed into Kayden as she struggled to keep her grip on the stone, the water made it too slick. Her grip failed, as the current pulled her the river.

"Arrokuda." Kayden yelled as the rush pokemon got to her as she grabbed its scales holding on as tight as she could. A flash of red came from the water around her and she reached out snatching the talonflame's wing, pulling the bird up and partly out of the water.

"Get your head up." Kayden snapped as the flame pokemon obeyed bringing its head up and fully out of the water. Arrokuda struggled more as the current ripped and tore at the trio trying to drag them further down the river. "Get us to the bank." Kayden begged as arrokuda tried to fight against the rolling water.

"Bol." A loud bark came from the bank. A yellow, white and black pokemon dashed along the bank, its tail swinging as it tried to keep up with the three. Kayden looked at the pokemon for a few moments, as it darted past them leaping onto one of the many stones jutting out of the water.

"Yamper?" Kayden whispered as the realization overcame her. "Arrokuda get us to that rock." The water type pokemon gnashed its teeth as it started to swim to the right closer to electric type. Once they were within range, boltund grabbed the hood of her sweatshirt and started to pull its trainer up and out of the water. Boltund dug his claws into the rock below him trying to keep his balance on the soaked stone below.

"Kayden." Luke yelled as reshiram came to land beside the bank, the legend giving off a small cry. Once Luke was off its back did the dragon type rush forward its teeth taking its trainer as gently as it could up and out of the water. Kayden didn't let her grip loosen on the talonflame as reshiram lowered the two to the ground. Boltund leapt back to the grass tackling its trainer, as it rubbed its head against her chest.

"We are okay." Kayden breathed as she looked up at Luke who had concern covering his features. Relief filled Luke as he gave a sigh of relief before his attention snapped to the talonflame beside his traveling companion. Anger rolled through the teen for a moment before he huffed and slung his backpack off pulling out a potion and towel. Throwing the towel over talonflame, Luke set to work healing the pokemon's wounds as it seemed rather stunned.

"Arrokuda, you okay?" Kayden asked as she looked at the bank as the rush pokemon peaked through the water's surface. "Good."

"Perhaps you should try to catch him." Luke stated as he glanced over at the girl. Kayden looked at the water type for a moment before grabbing an empty pokeball from her side, enlarging it.

"What do you say?" Kayden questioned as she moved to the water's edge and held out the pokeball. Arrokuda spun smacking the ball into the air before aquajetting up after it, hitting the button on it. The red light wrapped around the water type as it was pulled into the pokeball disappearing from sight as the ball snapped closed. Falling back to the ground, the ball shook three times before settling. Kayden grabbed the ball as salandit scurried up to her shoulder as it rubbed itself against its trainers chin.

"Feeling better?" Luke asked as the talonflame ruffled its feathers, and boltund paced around them, electricity sparking against its fur. Talonflame opened its wings stretching as much as it could, satisfied that its feathers were dry.

"Now, get out of here." Kayden snapped as the talonflame took to the air as boltund snorted and marched over to its trainer. Nuzzling against the teens leg Kayden recalled corvisquire allowing the legend to nudge her goodbye before taking off into the air.

"Should we go back to Nessa?" Luke questioned.

"I don't know, perhaps. Kabu was the next leader right?"

"Yeah."

"Let's head towards him and hope we run into Leon on the way." Luke nodded hoping the champion would make an appearance sooner rather than later.