Reign of Rain [Pokemon Watty Awards 2015]

Chapter 33

CARSON

He knew that he was supposed to stay in the secret base under the roots of the tree, but he couldn't resist. Almost as soon as Solomon had left him, he and Pyro had climbed out from the roots, and continued up the trunk of the tree. Carson Brightflame was newly eleven years old, yet he was still small enough to remain unseen, hidden amongst the leaves of the trees.

The cold rain came first, and then the battle. Carson shivered as the wind blew the branches and rustled the leaves of the branch he was sitting on. The water soaked him to the bone as it dripped down through the tree top and drenched his hair to his forehead. Pyro sat huddled on his lap as the boy shielded him from the rain.

He could see out into the bay. Carson's heart skipped a beat as he watched Solomon and his Sceptile glow a bright green, and emitted a flash of light upwards towards the sky that cut through even the darkest clouds. He felt a rush of excitement, and even Pyro was in awe as Solomon was now Sceptile, but different.

The Hero was faster than Carson would have ever believed, leaping from the dam to one of the Wailmer. Carson's mouth dropped as he noticed how Solomon almost was able to predict the enemy soldiers' moves before they happened. The Hero's reflexes were like lightning.

Carson looked down at Pyro, at the cute little Torchic sitting in his lap. Will we be like that, too? Carson wondered. He couldn't wait for the excitement.

But all the excitement died down when Solomon was on his own, in the middle of the bay. The thunder rolled again, and Carson was scared. It was then that he saw the true enemy that the Stone Giant, Regirock, had warned him about.

With each movement of the beasts' monstrous flippers the sky seemed to churn. Wherever its eyes moved the rain fell in great sheets, like a waterfall from the heavens. Carson knew that Solomon needed his help. One Hero wouldn't be enough.

Carson looked around on the beach and in the jungle, no battles were being fought on land yet. The Sootopolis ships still sat out in the bay. Occasionally, a man on a Gyarados could be seen circling them, ready to send the forward march. It was almost as if Solomon and the beast that brought the storm was a show, a display of power... He had gotten those same feelings when Starfall would go into his power-hungry tirades while sitting on the throne of his ancestors.

"We should go back under the tree," he said to Pyro nervously. "They have no hope." Carson felt guilty. If only he were older. If only Pyro was fully evolved... Solomon had said that might be the final key to unlocking the true Hero within.

He didn't move from his branch. His eyes were glued to Solomon, standing there. Move, Carson tried to coach from his perch. Do something. But it looked like the green Hero couldn't.

Carson's attention was broken by screaming. He turned away from the bay towards the jungle where the sound was coming from. Emerging beneath him were soldiers clad in grey. Carson watched in horror as they attacked Solomon's green armored soldiers, who were waiting to engage the Sootopolis men on the ships.

Carson held his breath, not daring to breath, hoping that they would never find him in his treetop sanctuary. He saw a couple of Foretree soldiers hold their ground and defend themselves... But then a shadow crept up behind them and pulled them to the ground for the men in grey to leap on top of them.

Everywhere Carson looked, the battle was being lost. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to scream out to Solomon out in the bay for help. When he saw Solomon kneeling on the head of the beast that controlled the weather, he felt once again that this would be the day that he died... Until the beast roared and a great splash of water came from where the Hero and his enemy were.