Prologue

A long, long time ago, all across the land, places where Poke’mon lived were all in grave danger.

The sky would turn red. The ground would be alight in fire. Houses would turn to ash. Though the Rescue Team Academies did everything they could to help it was rare for any Poke’mon to survive these cataclysms, which became known as ‘Firestorms’.

However, far in the Electro Hills, as a grove that once housed a village burned under the onslaught of fire, a lone Pikachu crawled away. Battered, bruised, family gone, the sad and broken Pikachu could only wander, calling for help in the night, until at last he collapsed in the mud miles away, alone and starving.

That may have been the end of the tale, were it not for a little brave Vulpix that found the poor boy.

The Vulpix was named Vexa. She took the Pikachu boy to her cave home at Lookout Point, nursed him to health and became friends with him. In return, the Pikachu boy could only give his own name: Rexii.

The two became fast friends, despite Vexa’s shyness, and Rexii found a new home with the Vulpix.

But all was not well. Soon, Rexii had to visit the nearby Culpa Village where he learned of Vexa’s reputation; that she was cursed as a Vulpix associated with the fire demon. Rexii was furious, refusing to believe even for a moment that his friend was anything like that.

The only one to stick up for the child with so much conviction was a Garchomp named Oluz. The frightening warehouse worker turned out to be a Poke’mon with a heart of gold, protecting Rexii and Vexa from the ire of the Culpa Villagers…and even mentoring and taking care of the two.

It was Oluz that directed Rexii toward the Ceralyn Rescue Guild, to take the hurt he felt from the loss of his parents and turn it into a desire to save others. Vexa was less sure but followed along anyway, wishing to make more of herself than just the ostracized girl.

But it wasn’t meant to be. Once Rexii and Vexa arrived in the big city to join the Ceralyn Rescue Guild they were rejected and thrown out because of their lack of experience. And there to rub salt in the wounds was a rather coarse and rude Sneasel girl, Skylie. She was a local of Culpa village’s upper crust that had flown her home to be a famous Rescuer, and she vowed to be seen as worthy by the Guild before either the Pikachu or Vulpix.

Defeated, Rexii and Vexa could only return to their home. Vexa was inconsolable, worried she’d only ever be a cursed girl to everyone and nothing more. It wasn’t until the next day they learned from Skylie’s father that the Sneasel had gone missing, out to perform a mission up in KinDin Town to impress the Adventure Guild. Both worried and seeing a chance, Rexii decided to go out and save Skylie. Vexa, while hesitant, ultimately agreed.

At last, the two were faced with their first adventure, battling into the depths of a Mystery Dungeon formed in the fields of KinDin, rescuing the stubborn Skylie (and her ‘client’) from a rampaging hoard of Gogoats. Now with the blessing of Skylie’s dad…and a blessing from Rexii as an act of good will, all three children were able to join the Ceralyn Adventure Guild!

But a disastrous first day followed, full of embarrassment, failure and dejection. Worst still, their only victory was stolen from them by none other than Skylie, who took all the credit for themselves.

But before they could wallow in their dejection something even worse happened.

There, far to the east, fiery clouds were gathering, right over Culpa Village. Rexii recognized the clouds and, though the guild urged him to remain where it was safe, ran for the village he’d come to call home.

It was there, Vexa in tow, that the Pikachu came face to face with the Fire Demon. It was a fire-spirit of pure malice and hatred for the world that burned the village to ash. Not even Oluz was spared.

Rexii had lost his family twice to the Fire Demon. Enraged, the Pikachu vowed to stop at nothing to destroy the harbinger of destruction. Likewise, the Fire Demon promised to begin its fated thousand year purge of Poke’mon so that the world could begin anew.

The Ceralyn Rescue Guild was busy now, rushing to each new disaster in the wake of the Fire Demon. Rexii always put himself at the forefront of each new horror, with Vexa always at his side to help. Soon, even the Vulpix, the girl that had been so ostracized by the world, came to want to save that same world.

It was here they met Felis, a kindly Pawmo from the guild…at least he seemed to be. He betrayed the two, trying to blame the disasters on Vexa. Rexii vowed to clear her name, helping victims and putting a stop to the Fire Demon once and for all.

Soon, after journeying across the world to help victims of the Fire Demon, the pair came across the beautiful world of Mew, where she came to help them with how to stop the beast. For a while the mother of all Poke’mon traveled with them under the guise of a Zorua and guided Rexii and Vexa to the sites of Arceus’s universal fail safe, a ritual requiring three talismans to seal or even kill the Fire Demon.

The three Poke’mon journeyed to these places; A place of burning light, a place of suffocating shadow and a place devoid, finding a talisman at each that they would wield in a final battle against the Fire Demon.

But something else was brewing. For after all their time traveling together, as Rexii became the only Poke’mon she was close with…

…Vexa fell in love with Rexii.

The bonds that the Poke’mon began to share, the love in their hearts, became what would deliver the killing blow against the icon of hatred, the Fire Demon, in the center of the scar of the world.

And though the Fire Demon was defeated, the scar left by hatred never fully healed. It had to simply be lived with.

As the years went on, Rexii would go on to become the leader of the Ceralyn Rescue Guild which had become his third and thankfully permanent home. Vexa was always there with him, turning the guild to a powerful force for good in all of Ceralyn.

And thus, Rexii and Vexa’s places in history were solidified and their names became synonymous with valor.

And the years continued. Vexa and Rexii were married on a golden beach, right by the Lookout Point rock where they’d first met so long ago.

In the rebuilt Culpa village the two lived, happily in the spot where sweet Oluz’s house had stood.

And at last…

The world was at peace.

The End

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Vexa was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

Here she stood before me. A strong and proud Ninetails whom I had adventured with and fought beside since she was a Vulpix. Here I stood as a Raichu. I was her husband and she was my wife, as of today.

We stood next to one another on the beach, the waves of the beautiful blue ocean lapping around our legs. The wedding crowns sat light on our heads, my aura berries set within glowing a bright yellow that mixed with the red of Vexa’s. She was the passionate fire, the unstoppable flame. I was the spontaneous bolt, full of life.
Together, I would light the passion of my beloved. She would be the warmth to keep me going.

It’s as it always was.

It made me think of her. Us. All we’d been through.

I thought of when we first met, as children. When my parents, my siblings were taken in a Fire Storm. She found me and housed me. She was alone, just like me. She had ran from a family that no longer loved her and lived, on the outskirts of a village in which she was an outcast. I thought of meeting Oluz, the only man to believe in us. I thought of my family amongst our comrades at the Ceralyn Adventure Academy.

I thought of the hurt and betrayal from friends, from bullies like Skylie and Felis. The patches of rough emotional turmoil. The times I’d thought I’d never see Vexa again. The night we fell in love.

The day we saved the world from the demon of fire, together.

In the aftermath of all of this, we now stood together, in love. I loved her so much, so deeply.

Vexa was my beloved. And I was hers. And I wouldn’t trade my life for anything.

When the wedding was over, the years rolled on. I became guild master for a time before we retired and lived together on the high cliffs far inland, in the same village that had so long ago ostracized Vexa.

As the years went on and on…I had to eventually say goodbye to Vexa.

I felt no sadness the day I found her in our bed, passed on. Only happy we were together when it happened, that it had been painless. I only thought of the adventures, the lives we had led. She had led a full life. She always told me how much fun she had, how she’d not do a thing different. Neither would I.

Now I sit in this quiet house. I don’t feel lonely. I feel as though I’ll meet her soon. I sit in this chair and think of Vexa, that beautiful Ninetales. My wedding feels as thought it were happening before my eyes.

My memories are scrambled these days.

But these moments I relive…these events of my life are nothing but pure bliss of memory.

When the home is quiet, this is what I most need.

And I sit here, in this chair, eyes closed…

…and I see her face again.

And everything is perfect again for a moment.