The Festival of Fire had raged on days before they arrived in Cinnabar and would continue to do so for weeks to come. Abby should have been captivated by the food stalls; by the nuts dipped in honey glaze and paprika dust; by the golden fries coated in simmering chilli and gooey cheese; by the fresh watermelon slices coated in a dusting of chilli powder and a drizzle of lime juice. She should have been entranced by the music; by the bright melodies of trumpets; by the harmonious fluttering of guitars; by the elastic rhythms of a strange instrument with five strings. She should have been in awe of the spectacles; of the prowling men garbed in paper growlithe masks who played tricks on passerbys; by the organised groups who piloted giant paper mache puppets of Moltress; by the confetti that filled the air and streets with all the colours of the sun. But instead, Abby trailed after Green and Joy, giving her attention to the cobbles passing beneath her feet.

Green and Joy had only met last night and yet, they were chatting like old friends. I suppose that’s what happens when you fuck someone before even getting to know them. What influence can social barriers possibly have when you’ve seen the other person at their most vulnerable? They weren’t just chatting. They were laughing too; brushing each other’s bare shoulders and picking confetti out of each other’s hair. Never once did they spare an ounce of attention for her. Not that she wanted it. The last thing she wanted was to be kissed in front of all these people. 

Everyone was staring at them. Well, at Dragonair. As people tended to do. Even he gave her no attention as he floated lazily above the crowd, out of reach of curious hands. Hundreds, maybe thousands of people were looking their way and yet, Green and Joy felt no shame in sharing the occasional kiss. It made no sense, the way Green could do that; to get someone she didn’t even know to sleep with her. Sex is the most vulnerable you can be. When you're naked, nothing can hide you; nothing is hidden. Every part of you is on full display, free to be judged. How can she get complete strangers to trust her like that? No, how can she trust complete strangers like that?

*** 

The store of Nurse Joy’s guide was tucked away in a side alley on the outskirts of the city. If it weren’t for a blinking, neon sign, the place would have looked like any of the other short, stout buildings that formed the alley walls. Over the top of the walls, Cinnabar Volcano loomed high, scraping the clouds. A billowing smoke stack pierced the fluffy blanket of clouds, carving out a niche for itself.

The alley had no path to speak of, only a gutter and narrow shoulders of mossy concrete. A foul, murky liquid trickled along the gutter. Abby’s stomach curdled to think of what could make the water look like that. At least, the grimers enjoyed it. The little, sentient piles of sludge played in the filth as if they were at a gorgeous lakefront instead of a disgusting gutter.

Even in a cramped, smelly alley far away from the action, elastic music danced with sweet, spicy smells in the air.

Abby thought about trying to talk Green out of it again. After all, what was the point in throwing the belt in a volcano when a dump would do just as well? Or better yet, it could be donated to someone who couldn’t afford a leather belt with magnetic, titanium pokéball holders. Jackson for one . Ultimately, Abby decided against it. There was no point in startling another argument only to achieve the same result. Green was too stubborn to be talked out of anything, let alone something she felt so justified in doing.

Holding her tongue, Abby followed Green and Joy inside the dingy store. There was barely enough room for the three of them to stand. Everything was clean, to Abby’s surprise. Dragonair floated through the doorway and drifted absentmindedly towards an organised display of brochures. Behind the counter sat a woman with short, red hair shaved down to stubble at the sides. She had a thick lip ring engraved with draconic runes. When she looked up from her work, a grin spread across her lips.

“Babe! What’re doing here?”

Joy rounded the desk and threw her arms around her neck. “Bringing you some customers.”

Green looked ready to turn and run. As she should. A small part of Abby felt she deserved it but, as a scowl replaced the woman’s grin, she stepped in front of Green all the same. As naive as Green was to put her trust in a stranger, she didn’t deserve to get pummelled over it.

“You haven’t been fucking my girl, have you?” The woman asked.

“I… I…”

Joy punched her arm. “Don’t do that. What have I told you?”

The woman broke out into hysterical laughter. Joy punched her again, which only worsened things.

“I- I’m sorry, what’s happening?” Green asked in a tiny voice.

“Alex is playing a very. Mean. Prank.” Joy accented each pause with another punch.

Alex swatted at her as Joy were tickling her. “Come on! It’s funny!”

“No, it isn’t.” Joy stepped away from her and gave Green an apologetic look. “We’re in an open relationship. Please don’t think you did anything wrong.”

“Did you show her a good time?” Alex asked.

Green quickly turned from bewildered to smug. “You could say that.”

Joy clasped her hands together. “Oh, it was wonderful! It’s been so long since I’ve been to an orgy.”

“An orgy, eh?” Alex pulled Joy onto her lap and nuzzled her neck. “And where was my invite?”

As Joy giggled, Green shrugged. “I’m not about to say no to an extra person for the next one.”

“So there’s a next time? Well-”

“We’re looking to climb the volcano,” Abby said.

Her voice hung in the sudden silence, like a shout in a library. All three pairs of eyes turned on her as if they’d only just noticed her presence.

Alex cleared her throat. “Right. Yes, well…”

“Well, what? Surely you’re not busy.” Joy said.

“I am,” Alex said indignantly. “You and everyone else want to climb the volcano. And with the festival and such – I’m booked solid until a week from now. In fact, I’ve got a group scheduled to arrive in an hour or so.”

“Solid solid?” Green asked.

“Solid solid.”

Abby shrugged. “Then we’ll do it next week.”

“No, hold on.” Green shook her head. “Could you check again?”

“I write the ledger myself.”

“Please, just… it’s important.”

Alex gave her an understanding look. “Alright, let me see.” She flipped through a notebook and her finger along each and every line. “You know, I’m surprised you don’t recognise me.”

“Are you a famous trainer?” Green asked.

Alex chuckled. “Kinda. But that’s not why. We’ve met before. We sat together before you challenged Brock.”

“Oh! Shit… yeah, I remember.” Green blushed. “Thanks for that. I would have been a wreck of nerves without your help.”

“Nah, stop. I didn’t do shit. The others, they calmed you down.”

“You brought me over.”

Alex shrugged. “I guess. This business you have at the volcano, is it for your journey?”

Green’s voice shrank. “Yeah… in a manner of speaking.”

What does throwing a damn belt into a volcano got to do with pokémon training? 

“Air!” Dragonair snapped. He shot Abby a withering look a flew from the store.

“Touchy,” Alex said. “He one of yours, Green?”

“He’s…” Abby's tongue felt numb. “He’s mine but, he should only act like if I’m not… if I’m not…” Being honest with myself. But that’s ridiculous! I am!

Alex tsked. “Dragons… Fucking weird pokémon. My damn Turtonator’s been giving me hell for years now.”

Abby answered absently as she poked her head out of the store.

Dragonair was racing amongst the clouds. Dragon Rages blasted enormous holes through the fluffy, white blanket.

“So, you’re a dragon trainer?”

“Tamer.”

“Tamer. That’s cool. Don’t meet many of your sort in Kanto-Johto often.” Alex closed her book. “Sorry, Green. You’ll have to wait until next week.”

Green ran her hand through her hair. “Why the hell does everyone want to climb the volcano?”

“It’s what they’re here for,” Joy said. “The volcano is the whole reason Cinnabar has been closed for so long. People want to see what destroyed this place. Trust me, it’s all people ask me about at the Centre.”

“That, and what your phone number is,” Alex said.

Joy giggled and punched her arm. “Shut up.”

“I could take them.” A voice said from the back.

A boy emerged through a curtain behind the desk. He was the spitting image of Alex; tall, fiery short hair and a jaw that could cut diamond. The only difference was that he was skinny, skinny as a twig. He entered the storefront as if he could conquer the world. His eyes met Abby’s. Every single ounce of confidence drained away at once.

“No. And what I have told you about eavesdropping?” Alex’s exhausted tone suggested this wasn’t a rare argument.

“I- I wasn’t and why the hell not? I’m ready.”

“You’re a kid, that’s what you are.”

The boy ground his teeth. “I’m eighteen.”

“I said no.”

“Dammit, Alex. When was the last time we had so many customers we had to refuse someone? Never, that’s when. You and Pa can’t handle this on your own.”

Alex’s voice sharpened. “I said no, Florian. You’re not ready. You’re too young.”

“ I’m not a kid! ” Florian’s voice hung in the air. His eyes met Abby’s again and his cheeks burned. He drew a deep breath. Composed, he met Alex’s eyes again with a significant glare. “I have eight gym badges and a full team of fully evolved fire pokémon. I’ve travelled with you and Pa up the volcano thousands of times. I know it like the back of my hand; the safe ways, the dangerous ways, the pokémon that live there. I know to avoid storms, strong winds, fog, freezes, heatwaves and ice. I know to check that the sky is clear, that the temperature is between 50 and 70 degrees, that the wind is calm, that it’s a dry day. I can feel an eruption in the air hours before it's announced; just like you and Pa. I’m ready, Alex.”

Alex avoided Florian’s eyes and thumbed the ledger. “Green… you said this was for your journey, right?”

“I did. But, it’s more than simple training. It’s… It’s something more; something far more important.” Green gripped her new, faded leather belt.

Alex chewed on the inside of her cheek. Her face weighed her options. An eternal silence followed.

Florian’s bravado weened under the pressure of such a silence. He wrung his hand as beads of sweat trickled down his brow.

“Fine,” Alex said eventually. “But if anything seems wrong – and I mean anything , Florian – you come right back. Are we clear?”

Florian grinned. “Crystal.”

Alex waved him off. “Go. Prepare. You leave in fifteen. No later. I want you back before the sun even starts to think about setting.”

“Got it!”

Florian turned tail and bolted into the back. As he did, he shot his beaming grin Abby’s way. The way he looked at her, it was as if he’d stumbled across a treasure he long thought lost.

Abby’s heart fluttered.

Thanks for reading! Feedback is appreciated <3 

Next chapter, the group runs into ranger-related problems/author]