A Quick Snack

The sun rose over the jagged horizon of the mountains, shining over the rocky terrain. It shone down onto the mountains, into the valley, and over the grasslands.
    Combusken yawned, blinking at the sunlight. He sat up in his bed of leaves, stretching. He walked outside, his cave on a plateau overlooking the valley. He grabbed a vine next to his cave's entrance and started climbing up, getting ready for training.
    Despite the fact that he and his trainer had been separated, and he was free to do what he wanted, the Combusken still trained for a few hours a day. In the morning, he mainly practiced his Ember and Double Kick, burning small plants and smashing standing rocks.
    He looked at the small canyon that formed the roof of his cave, littered with bunches of small, wiry trees and rocks that jutted a few feet farther up than the surface. The Pokemon jumped, kicking the first rock he saw.

Around midday, Combusken finally stopped training. He just sat down, staring at the valley below. He wondered what he should do now, since he got his training out of the way. He was all set on finding a high tree in the forest where he could take a quick nap, but his grumbling stomach reminded him that he hadn't found anything to eat yet.
    Combusken hopped down, landing back in front of his cave. And then he walked away, hiking down a trail that he'd discovered before the trainer had caught him. He smiled a little, remembering his former friend.
    The trainer, who said his name was Elliot, had been hiding in the bushes along Combusken's trail, looking around for any Pokemon to catch. He was disgusted, because after almost three hours of waiting, nothing had showed up! He was just about to leave when Combusken had come along.
    He jumped out of the bush and threw his first Ultra Ball. Combusken noticed just in the nick of time and dodged, the ball bouncing into the river.
    Elliot had grit his teeth and threw two more, hitting Combusken's chest with the second. The ball rolled around on the rocky ground, before stopping right at Elliot's feet. He picked it up, not believing it. He had just caught his first Pokemon!
    The greenhorn Pokemon Trainer had let Combusken out, eager to see what it could do. But since Elliot didn't have any badges, the first thing Combusken did was a swift Double Kick, sending Elliot tumbling into a bramble bush.

Combusken grinned, remembering that kick. It had been so fun at the time to see the Trainer fall backwards into a bush, but after gaining his first Gym Badge, Elliot had finally gotten Combusken to obey him. In fact, the two had become great friends.
    After gaining his fourth Badge, Elliot and Combusken had set up camp, along with Elliot's other Pokemon. Combusken remembered the five other Pokemon Elliot had: Pineco, Bayleef, Magneton, Corphish, and Combusken's best Pokemon friend, Quilava. Maybe that might have been because they were both Fire type. Pineco, Bayleef, and Magneton had all been scared because Combusken had a type advantage, and Corphish had a type advantage over Combusken, and the two had become rivals, both vying for Elliot's full attention.
    Elliot always let Combusken stay out of his Pokeball, because the Fire Pokemon just detested being in there. Anyway, after setting up camp, it had started to rain. Elliot and his companions had ran into the tent, and Elliot let all of his Pokemon back into their Pokeballs, even Combusken.
    Just as Combusken went back into his ball, a tornado had ripped the tent off the ground, taking most of Elliot's equipment, and Combusken's Pokeball. The others weren't taken because they had been safely clipped to Elliot's belt, but he didn't have time to do the same to Combusken's.
    Elliot had tried to chase the tornado, but to no avial. It was just too fast, and even if he did catch up with the tornado, how would he get Combusken's ball back?
    After the storm, Elliot had salvaged what he had left, and had went back home. He put up notices all over about a missing Ultra Ball with a Combusken, but after four months, and no results at all, Elliot was plunged into deeper despair.
    After about six months after he had lost Combusken, Elliot left home again, leaving his other Pokemon behind to help his parents with the house. He was going to find Combusken, and on his own.

Combusken's ball had flew far away, into a forest near where the seventh Gym Leader was. The ball had smashed on a rock high up in the mountains, releasing the Fire Pokemon. Combusken had looked around, but knew that he was a free Pokemon again.
    And now, six months later, he was now used to his new lifestyle in the mountains. Anyway, back to the story.
    Combusken had finally reached the forest. He walked into the tall grass, looking around for something to eat. He was so hungry, and most of the apple trees and berry bushes showed very little fruit, as it was a little past midday, and most Pokemon had already gorged themselves, not to mention Pokemon Trainers aiming for the next town.
    Combusken tripped, landing with a soft thud in the tall grass. He got up, and looked at what he had tripped on. A hole, maybe a den. Combusken peered inside, wondering if there were still any Pokemon in it.
    A Pichu was sleeping soundly, unaware of the hungry Combusken above him. Combusken reached into the den, yanking the Pichu out of its home, and its sleepy stupor. Now awake, the Pichu thrashed about in his claws, loosing very weak Thundershocks. Combusken barely felt anything.
    The fire Pokemon was glad that he had found the small Pichu. Anything larger wouldn't fit in his beak! Combusken dangled the Pichu over his mouth, and dropped it.
    Combusken shifted the Pichu about in his mouth, moaning at the Pichu's taste. His tongue rolled over the unfortunate Pokemon, coating it from head to toe in saliva.
    Pichu loosed another Thundershock, but it was a very weak attempt. It kicked feebly, but Combusken quickly swallowed, the Pichu crying out when it was surrounded by warm, tough flesh.

Combusken was annoyed after eating the Pichu. He was still hungry, the electric Pokemon not doing very much. It struggled for a few seconds, and then its struggling intensified, first noticing the digestion process taking place. After a few minutes, the motions faded away into nothing.
    Combusken was about to leave to look for something else to eat when he heard the bushes behind him rustle. He dived into the tall grass, not wanting to be seen yet. He stared, a Pikachu and a Raichu coming out of the bushes, carrying some berries with them. No doubt that they had been out gathering food for their young, which was now a soup of nutrients in Combusken's stomach.
    Combusken leaped out, looking forward to another meal.

END?