carsonfanficwriting

[carsonfanficwriting]

Image from Chapter 2 of "Embers: A Pokémon Fan-Fiction" by CARSON RODKE, available on Wattpad and A03. Art credit to @lambdraws. Read an excerpt below:

The sky had been dark for hours when Greyson finally felt his eyes start to get heavy. Succumbing to exhaustion, he allowed himself to drift off, knowing dreamland these days was just as bad as the real world.

But he did not dream. His vision was just as dark as his room when he suddenly jolted awake, except for a small light in his doorway. Greyson rubbed his eyes, trying to bring the darkened shapes around him into focus. He stared back at the light source and gasped.

Fully awake, he reached over to his bedside table and clicked on the lamp. His eyes did not deceive him in the darkness. Titus was standing in his doorway, the light emitting from the flame on the Charmeleon's tail. Titus' head drooped down to the ground, eyes staring up at Greyson. His friend let out a quiet whine.

"Titus!" Greyson exclaimed, shoving the blankets off him and jumping down from the bed. He ran to the Charmeleon, collapsing to his knees as he pulled his friend close, holding him tightly. His ribs ached beneath the bandages on his chest as his breathing grew heavy with sobs. Greyson felt no pain as his body shook from emotion. He held Titus, squeezing him gently.

But Titus did not return the embrace. In fact, he didn’t do anything. He just stood there, arms to the side, head down. After a moment, Greyson got the sense that something was off. “Titus,” Greyson said, pulling away, holding the Pokémon by the shoulders. “Look at me.” 

Titus continued to stare down at the ground as if fixed by paralysis.

Greyson looked Titus up and down, searching for any explanation for his friend's motionless, and that's when he saw it. Titus' tail flame was static. It did not flicker like a flame but glowed like a light bulb. Greyson, still on his knees, backed away in horror. "You're not Titus," he said with wide eyes.

“Who are you?” He demanded of the creature.

The faux Titus remained facing down, motionless. 

“Who are you?” Greyson yelled.

The Charmeleon finally looked up, eyes full of hurt. Tears poured down its face, lips quivering. Then it opened its mouth and cried. Faux Titus collapsed on all fours, burying its head in the carpet as it wailed. The imposter kneeling before Greyson glowed a soft blue, and the figure began to change shape.

Greyson heard footsteps running down the hall to his room, and Aira appeared just in time to watch Faux Titus morph into a sobbing Zorua. The small gray fox continued to wail as Greyson stood up. 

"What the hell, Zorua?” He yelled.

“What happened?” Aira asked, standing in the doorway.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” Greyson continued to shout at the distraught Pokémon at his feet. “You think it's funny to wake a person up in the middle of the night and play a sick joke or something?"

"Greyson, calm down," Aira said, raising her arms and stepping into the room. 

Greyson stared daggers at his sister. “Did you send her here? ‘Go cheer Greyson up by showing him an illusion of his kidnapped friend.’ Is that what you told her?”

“No, Greyson, I would never. I don’t think she meant to-”

“I don’t give a shit what she meant! She used her illusion powers to make me think Titus was back. I THOUGHT HE WAS BACK!” Greyson strained his voice with the sentence, tears welling back up in his eyes. He stared down at Zorua, still wailing away.

"Greyson," Aira stepped forward cautiously. "Look at her." Greyson stared down at the little Pokémon, burying her head into the carpet. "Do you really think she finally came out from underneath my bed after a week to anger you?"

Greyson’s rage turned to regret. He collapsed down on his knees, staring at Zorua. 

"In the past," Aira continued, "Zorua loved to use her illusion abilities to play with Titus. Out of all the Pokémon in this house, those two were probably closest to each other. They both came into our lives around the same time, and they were both so young. They've grown together. I'm sure Zorua misses Titus just as much as you do."

Zorua stood up slowly and walked over to Greyson as Aira spoke, burying her face now in Greyson’s lap. The sobs grew silent, but she continued to shake as tears poured down, dampening her snout and Greyson’s legs. 

"Before Zorua came to live with us, the people at the Pokémon shelter said she was abused by her former owners, remember? Zorua is scared for Titus. I'm sure she understands, more than any of us could imagine, what he might be…" Aira could not finish her thought. Her voice caught in her throat.

Greyson stared down at Zorua, then slowly extended a hand, running his fingers through the tuft of red fur atop her grey head. "Zorua," he said, lifting up the bottom of her jaw so she would face up. "I'm sorry," he continued, staring into her light blue eyes. "I'm sorry I yelled at you. I understand what you were trying to do."

Zorua stood up on her hind legs, placing her front paws on Greyson’s chest. She reached up and licked his nose lightly. Greyson put his arms around her, giving the fox a gentle squeeze, and they shed a few more tears together. 

After a moment, Aira spoke. “Why don’t you let Zorua stay with you here. I think it’ll be good for both of you.”

Greyson nodded at his older sister in agreement. He picked up Zorua by the stomach and held her against his chest, the pain starting to return as the adrenaline running through his body died down. After placing Zorua on the bed, he swallowed some painkillers and got back under the covers. Aira walked over and clicked off Greyson's lamp before returning to her room.

Zorua nuzzled herself under Greyson’s blanket, finding a spot against the side of his abdomen. In the darkness, Greyson could see a little lump under the comforter, rising and falling slowly as Zorua breathed. He reached under with his arm and ran his fingers through Zorua’s soft fur.

They stayed like that all night, sleeping together. Even as the nightmares inevitably returned for them both, they at least had each other.

Want to read more? Follow these links:

Wattpad: https://www.wattpad.com/story/307882827-embers-a-pokémon-fan-fiction

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/39030972/chapters/97631718

[carsonfanficwriting]

Keep scrolling to read an exclusive preview of “Embers: A Pokémon Fan-Fiction”, available on Wattpad. New chapters released every Tuesday and Friday…

CHAPTER 1

THREE YEARS AGO…

As the bell tolled, signaling the end of another school day, the beginning of the weekend, Greyson Arche rushed off-campus as fast as his legs could carry him. Greyson ran, no need to say goodbye or, "Have a good weekend," to his peers or teachers. He didn't even bother texting Aira. She might not notice his short detour into Gaia Forest if he hurried.

Greyson wanted to get a head start on his weekend homework. Not the boring maths or language arts homework, but his biology homework. Locate, photograph, and write a detailed paragraph about seven different Pokémon species living close to Helios City within the forest. That was easy enough.

The Prasino Region was littered with various Pokémon, every type and combination imaginable. Prasino was home to numerous universities, scientific research facilities, and museums, emphasizing the region's Pokémon varieties. Gaia Forest, Prasino's largest and most famous biome, stretched out for hundreds of square miles to the East of Helios City. Much of the region has yet to be explored, but some scientists believe there are at least 10,000 Pokémon for every human in Prasino based on Gaia Forest alone.

Greyson's school was about a mile away from the border of Gaia Forest. Of course, nearly everything in Helios City is only miles away from the forest's edge, except for its Western border, which is lined with the ocean. There were all kinds of hiking trails leading in that tourists, visiting scientists, and Pokémon trainers could use with which to navigate the vast woodland.

Greyson set out on his favorite trail bordered near his home. Once he got close enough, he could step off the path and be in his backyard after walking a hundred yards.

Seven different Pokémon species, he thought to himself. There were easily seven different Pokémon species within a seven-foot radius. The Pokémon living near hiking trails of Gaia Forest were used to people coming and exploring their habitats. Some might even approach you if you carry treats.

As Greyson walked down the path, he spotted the typical Pokémon anyone might see if they only spent five minutes on the trail. A group of Shroomish waddled through the tall grass, blending in with the greenery. A Surskit danced across the stream to Greyson's left. A frightened flock of Fletchinder took to the skies as a Flapple cried out from a branch below. These were all typical scenes, and Greyson photographed them with his phone, but he wanted something more.

Living on the edge of Gaia Forest, Greyson was a little more comfortable within the massive trees than his peers might be. Aira had been taking him out into the forest since he was little, an excuse to get away and distract him back when his father was sick in the hospital. She loved to show Greyson the many different species, having him name them back to her. The creatures fascinated him to no end.

Greyson looked at the time on his phone. He'd only been out for a half-hour but knew he should probably start considering heading home. The sky above darkened with light gray clouds. He'd forgotten that the weather report had mentioned rain this evening in his excitement. But he couldn't leave without photographing something that his peers wouldn't. He wanted to impress his teacher and classmates.

With that goal in mind, Greyson looked at the path in front of him, then turned left, stepping over shrubbery, and continued deeper into the forest.

Branches cracked beneath his shoes, small twigs clung to his jeans, and dirt caked his soles. What he wouldn't give for a Scyther right now with its massive bladed appendages to cut through the obstructions before him. After ten minutes of trudging and spotting only a pesky little Karrablast, Greyson was ready to turn around and head back.

That's when he spotted a small light peeking through the bushes. It flickered a little, trying to break through the gaps in the undergrowth. The light glowed orange and yellow. Perhaps it was another hiker, a Pokémon trainer, like Aira, seeking some unknown prize. Greyson, not wanting to scare away the light source but curious enough to find out what it was, slowly walked towards it. Loose branches threatened to give away his approach, but he stepped cautiously, gently brushing anything away with his foot.

Greyson crouched down as he approached the bush concealing the light source from his vision. Reaching out slowly, he pushed away the leaves. That's when he saw it.

Five feet away, lying curled up on the ground, was a Charmander. The light Greyson saw came from its luminous tail, flame flickering with the slight breeze of the forest. Greyson stared at the small orange lizard before him. It had not yet noticed his presence, but it indeed would once he stepped out into the open. Greyson pulled out his phone and opened up the camera app.

The loss of natural light caused the camera to shift in focus before settling on the perfect shot of the Charmander. Greyson tapped the shutter icon, causing a small light to appear. He had forgotten to turn off the automatic flash. Charmander looked up at the new light invading his space, eyes wide.

It stood up and growled. Greyson stood up above the bush slowly, arms raised. Now he'd done it. Never provoke fire-types, Aira always told him. Not at least without a water-type Pokémon at your side for defense. "I'm sorry," Greyson said, trying to soothe the angry lizard.

The Charmander stood two and a half feet tall, tiny arms outstretched, teeth bared, blue eyes staring menacingly at Greyson. It breathed heavily, and Greyson noticed that it looked skinny, malnourished even. Ribs protruded from its chest, and the creature's stomach was nearly concave. Greyson looked at the tiny creature before him, roughly half his size.

"Hey," Greyson said calmly, slowly. "Do you want some food?"

Greyson wasn't sure if the Charmander could understand him. Pokémon that spend a lot of time around humans come to understand speech reasonably well, even if they can never vocalize words themselves. Wild Pokémon were different. Though they could be taught, they would mostly only understand a human's body language and facial expressions at first.

Greyson slowly slipped his backpack from his shoulders, down his arms, and into his right hand. He made sure the Charmander could see his every movement, carefully unzipping the largest compartment. He reached in slowly and pulled out a small bag of razz berries he had been saving for a snack. Plucking a single berry from its peduncle, Greyson showed the tiny fruit to the Charmander before popping it in his mouth. It tasted sweet on his tongue, the juices exploding between his teeth as he bit.

Greyson plucked another berry, rolling it to Charmander. Bending down, eyes shifting between the berry and the unknown human, Charmander sniffed the fruit, inspecting it. Then, it picked up the berry and popped it into its mouth. Charmander swallowed, convinced the human was not trying to harm it.

"Want some more?" Greyson offered, shaking the razz berries in his hand. Charmander eyed Greyson up and down, then it turned around and walked back to where it previously laid before being disturbed.

Greyson stepped around the bushes, wanting to approach the Charmander. "I can just leave these here for you if you'd like," he said.

Charmander didn't like this. It turned around and growled again at Greyson. It opened its mouth, prepared to spit fire, but only a puff of smoke escaped the lizard's throat.

Greyson turned to run, but he saw the little creature fall forward out of the corner of his eye. Charmander lay now on its stomach, breathing heavily, eyes slowly closing. The flame on the Pokémon's tail shrunk. This Charmander might be in worse shape than Greyson initially thought.

Greyson turned and stepped slowly towards the Pokémon. Its breath sounded shallow, the awful wheezing permeating the air. Greyson watched as Charmander's eyes closed, and the creature lost consciousness. Greyson gasped a little. He couldn't just leave it here, all weak and defenseless.

Carefully, Greyson picked up the creature. It felt light in his arms, matching its malnourished look. Greyson draped its tail over his arm, careful to avoid it from swinging into his clothes or on his skin. "It's gonna be okay," he said to himself, knowing the creature cradled in his arms couldn't hear him. "It's all going to be okay."

Greyson slowly walked back to the path as the rain began to fall from the sky.

(Art Credit: gunter_kinomoto on Instagram)

Continue reading Chapter 1 on Wattpad now!

[carsonfanficwriting]

THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS ARE OUT NOW!

New chapters released every Tuesday and Friday!

https://www.wattpad.com/story/307882827?utm_source=ios&utm_medium=link&utm_content=share_writing&wp_page=create_story_details&wp_uname=CarsonRodke&wp_originator=pJKr8EV99C0BxFAWSFSVCxj2tf2TricUE1sNhopkMA4Jm6mI%2FR91Vy8JiLEd7ew8RDJPxKAvh8r8u7Zbe8TmxZzLZgaW3tLZfV8xXCLjOpCoc5oEeAx8JjK7t1rleUUj

[carsonfanficwriting]

“Embers: A Pokémon Fan-Fiction” Preview

The following is the opener for “Embers: A Pokémon Fan-Fiction”, written by me. The photos above contain the text below set to a background of greenery set ablaze with blue flames drawn by @candykale​. To read more, follow the link below!

***

The first thing Greyson smelled was smoke. The greenery around him was burning. His head ached from the impact he had just sustained. He slowly opened his eyes, but they couldn't seem to take the light anymore. He looked around with blurred vision and saw the burning trees around him. Ashes flew down into his face, threatening to obscure his vision further. Greyson reached back to his head, feeling dampness. He pulled back to look at his fingers. No blood, but who could tell, mixed with the mud caking his hand? Perhaps the mud was a godsend, a cushion preventing skull fracture.

His head certainly did hurt, though, from when he hit the ground. His ears rang from the impact, causing sounds to muffle as if two Cottonee were floating directly next to him on either side of his head. He could make out a few sounds, and what he heard scared him more than the grievous head injury he had indeed sustained. Rushing water, followed by a roar of agony, then, finally, a thud.

Greyson twisted his neck to the right to see the source of the final sound. Mere feet away, attempting to stand back up, was Titus. The Charmeleon was soaked in water, and he was gasping for breath. He couldn't take any more of this. He, like Greyson, was defeated. Greyson looked to his partner, attempting to speak, but his struggle for breath prevented him from uttering more than, "T- T- T-."

Titus' arms shook as the mighty lizard attempted to hoist himself back up. He gave one final push, teeth clenched, eyes squeezed shut, willing himself to stand. Then, his left arm gave out, and Titus came toppling down. Titus exhaled deeply. Greyson summoned all the air his lungs could handle, calling out to his friend. "Titus!"

Then there was another sound. A grunt, like the sound one makes when throwing an object. And, sure enough, a small black ball descended upon Titus, stopping a foot from his defeated body, hovering in mid-air for a split second. Then, the ball halved open, pouring out a bright, white light. The light took shape and engulfed Titus to the point where the Charmeleon could no longer be seen lying on his stomach in the charred grass. The light receded back into the PokéBall until it had all returned. Then the black PokéBall sealed itself shut, landing on the ground. There it lay, motionless. It sounded off a small ping! A signal of a successful capture.

Greyson watched in horror. How could this be? How was this even possible?

The sound of footsteps, muffled by the ringing in Greyson's ears and the soft ground, approached. Greyson raised his head as much as his neck would allow and stared directly at the man Greyson would come to view as his enemy. Through blurred vision, Greyson could barely make out his features. He was young; Greyson knew this. Probably close to his own age. He was also skinny, very skinny.

The man, no, the abductor, approached the Poke Ball, staring directly at it. He reached down and picked it up, smiling a little to himself. “It worked,” he said. He smiled joyfully, staring at the prize in his hand.

To hell with his physical pain! Summoning all of his strength, Greyson prepared to hoist himself up, craning his neck forward, arms outstretched. “Wait! You can’t have Titus!” But then a massive weight pounced on top of him, pinning him back down to the ground. Standing on top of him was the Vaporeon responsible for the destruction around him. It dug its claws into his chest, sinking deep down. Greyson let out a cry of pain. Tears mixed with the fog in his eyes, blinding him further.

The man seemed to take little notice of Greyson or the sixty-pound blue creature on top of him. He only continued to stare at the Poke Ball currently imprisoning Titus. He spoke again, softly. "She'll be so proud of me."

Greyson continued to struggle. He wanted to reach up and grab the Vaporeon by the neck, choking the life out of it until it gasped its final breath. The Vaporeon opened its jaws wide and hissed at Greyson as if sensing his desires. Greyson stared directly into the monster's mouth, fangs sharp as knives coated in saliva, a slimy pink tongue threatening to taste him.

Greyson thought the Vaporeon might attempt to eat him for a split second, but then the man called to his partner. "Come," he said as he proceeded to walk away. The Vaporeon retracted the claws puncturing between Greyson's ribs and slowly got off his chest. Greyson looked up again to see the man and his monster casually walk back into the depths of Gaia Forest, ignoring the trees and shrubbery that continued to burn from Titus' flames.

Greyson painfully rolled over onto his stomach, attempting to stand. He lifted himself up onto his forearms, but the world spun around him. His head felt heavy, his eyes droopy. "Titus!" He called out. "Titus!" But Titus was long gone, taken from him. Overwhelmed with emotion and enervated from the pain at the back of his head, Greyson collapsed onto the ground.

Greyson watched as blue flames rose higher and higher on a nearby tree trunk. They burned hot, as if fresh from Titus' throat. They cooled to a red, then orange, and finally yellow as they reached the leaves. Ashes rained down, blowing into Greyson's face. And with that, Greyson's vision began to grow dark, until finally, his eyes rolled back into his head, and he saw nothing anymore.

***

READ MORE ON WATTPAD:

https://linktr.ee/spacebellhopcarson

[carsonfanficwriting]

Hello everyone, 

My name is Carson Rodke. I’m an amateur writer and I’ve been working on this project of mine for about a year now entitled, “Embers: A Pokémon Fan-Fiction”. It’s a story I’ve put a lot of time and finances into creating, and I’m very excited to share it all with you on Wattpad. 

“Embers” tells the story of Greyson Arche, a seventeen-year-old wannabe Pokémon Trainer whose Pokémon partner, a Charmeleon nicknamed Titus, is taken from him using a solid black PokéBall by an unknown assailant. The following chapters show how Greyson copes with the loss of his best friend and plots his revenge to get Titus back, broken up by several flashback chapters showing Greyson and Titus’ origins.

“Embers” is a darker take on the Pokémon universe, written more for older teens and adults. It does contain scenes of graphic violence, PTSD, adult language, torture, and death. My point being, you probably shouldn’t read this to your small children.

The cover for “Embers” was created by @candykale, an amazingly talented artist who I’ve worked with quite a few times on this project. I’ve also worked with other artists from across the world to bring my story to life, all of which you can see embedded within the chapters of “Embers” before they are seen on any social media.

I really hope you all are interested in this story and want to support my work. Please follow the linktree below to start reading and follow my author page. The first two chapters will be released on April 26th, and new chapters will be released every Tuesday and Friday, all the way through July 13th. Thank you much in advance for your support!

https://linktr.ee/spacebellhopcarson