Chapter 14
Aftermath


After Krokorok collapsed, we tied them up with the rope Machop gave us and carried them back to Amari Village. We debated about whether to give them an oran berry, with how severe Krokorok's wounds were, we decided it was too risky not to give them one, since their wounds might get infected and stuff. They remained unconscious for the entire trip.

When we got back to the village, we were met with gasps and stares. After a brief explanation of what happened, up to when Krokorok's power backfired, Krokorok was taken to Elder Torterra's house, with the innkeeper Audino to examine their wounds. It turns out Audino is a trained doctor.

Snivy and I are sitting in Torterra's house, while Krokorok, Torterra, and Audino are in another room, behind a massive door. It's weird, being inside a house built for such a large pokemon.

After a minute or so of silence, Snivy speaks up.

"So, do you think that the... thing you did worked?" Snivy asks.

I think for a moment. "I don't know. Krokorok is still alive, at least, and the flames got smaller and smaller before dying out, but I'm afraid that might just be because Krokorok was getting weaker. It makes sense to me, that Krokorok's desire might be connected to the Wildfire, but I just don't know enough about it to say anything for sure."

"Yeah... Well hey, we can ask Krokorok about it now, after Audino and Torterra are finished with them! We can learn more about the Wildfire, although it sounded like Krokorok got it from some other pokemon, not from Volomans..."

"That's right. I guess that means it really can spread from person to person."

"Wow, that's scary... Wait, does that mean WE might be infected?!"

"Uh oh, maybe?! I don't know, but Neither of us have used fire at all, so-"

Suddenly, the huge door to the other room opens, and Audino walks out with a small box of medical supplies. They shut the door behind them, then turn to us. "Well, good news; Krokorok will survive." Snivy and I breathe a sigh of relief. "They have second degree burns all over their body, and even have some internal damage. I know you said their power 'backfired' but what exactly happened back there?"

"It's... complicated," I say. "During the fight, Krokorok's power made them burst into flames. We managed to find a way to stop it, though."

"Is Krokorok still unconscious?" Snivy asks.

"No, they woke up while I was treating their burns. They didn't answer my questions, though, probably because of either the pain or just general uncooperativeness. Or both. Torterra's questioning them now, so hopefully their mood will change."

"Alright. Thanks," Snivy says.

We say our goodbyes and Audino leaves, and Snivy and I continue waiting.

After around 5 to 10 minutes, Torterra leaves the room. "Ah, hello there, Jamie and Snivy. I didn't expect you to still be here. Was there something you wanted?"

"Uh, yeah," I say. "We want to talk to Krokorok. Do you think we could do that?"

"Yes, I don't see a problem with that. Krokorok was being difficult for a while, but they've calmed down a little. I have to ask, what happened in those woods? They claim they're done stealing forever, but they don't seem to regret what they did in the slightest, and they refused to give any explanation about what happened, including about their burns."

"Um, well... That's pretty personal," Snivy says. "I'm not sure we should say..."

"Basically, Krokorok's had a pretty rough life," I say. "I don't think we should say why, but I think you can trust them when they say they'll stop stealing."

"Well, rough life or not, that doesn't undo the damage Krokorok has caused. Speaking of which, they said that all the stolen money was knocked into a river during the fight?"

"Oh..." That's... not the whole truth.

"Yeah," Snivy says, "it was a pretty intense fight. Mudkip managed to land a really good hit, and it ended up knocking Krokorok into the money, and, well..."

"Well, that's very unfortunate. I suppose I'll have to tell the village that the rivers might just start running with gold soon!" Torterra lets out a laugh. "Oh, and one more thing," they say, suddenly turning serious. "Jamie. Snivy. What you did was incredibly dangerous. Your safety is far more important than any amount of money. Please, never do something so reckless ever again."

Snivy and I fall silent for a few seconds. I had forgotten that Torterra wasn't just being cowardly; they were trying to be responsible for others' safety. They just didn't want us to get hurt... "Oh, um. I'm sorr-"

"No." Snivy says. I turn to see them almost glaring at Torterra, a serious look on their face. "I'll decide what my safety is worth, and if I do something reckless, that's my choice, and my safety on the line. I'd never accomplish anything if I always avoided danger, so I'll judge for myself how much I'm willing to risk."

Torterra sighs. "You young ones always have so much left to learn. Snivy, the most painful way to learn a lesson is to make a mistake, so listen to me now; there are things in this world that are far too painful to lose, that you'll never be able to get back. You are right, of course; the choice to take risks is yours. But I urge you, realize what you can't afford to lose in your life before it's too late."

I look back and forth between the two. Snivy looks tense, almost angry, while Torterra simply stands there, awaiting a response. I feel incredibly uncomfortable. Thankfully, after a few silent seconds, Snivy sighs and relaxes. "Alright. I'll keep that in mind."

"Thank you for listening. Now, if you'd like to talk with Krokorok, feel free to do so for as long as you need to."

"Uh, thanks," I say, and Torterra walks off to some other part of the house. We go and open the huge door to Krokorok's room, and immediately hear a voice.

"Ugh, what is it now?!" We see Krokorok laying on a bed. Their skin is covered in burns, and also what looks like a thin layer of some kind of ointment. They barely seem to move their body at all, except to talk.

"Uh, hi Krokorok," I say. "We wanted to talk with you a bit."

"Oh, it you two brats. If you're here to ask for an apology, don't bother. I don't regret doing what I had to do to survive."

"No, we wanted to ask some questions about your fire power, or the Wildfire, as it's called."

"The 'Wildfire', huh? Alright, ask away."

"Well, um... That whole backfiring thing your power did, did I... is that fixed now? Do you think it might happen again, or is it gone for good?"

"Heh... 'gone for good'. I like that choice of words." Krokorok pauses, and I think I see them smile? "I told you about how I got my power, that 'Wildfire' or whatever, but I left out a few details. Back in the desert, I always wanted money. It was everything; food, water, I couldn't get any of that without it. I always wanted it, more than anything, but after I got that power, it was... different.

"I couldn't stop thinking about money, not ever. I would plan heists while I fell asleep, and I'd have dreams about money, and nightmares. It was like a burning itch inside my head, and the only way to scratch it was to get more. When it got harder and harder to find money in the desert, it got even worse. That's when I found out about how it could backfire like it did.

"Fortunately, I was now strong enough to leave my home, but even after I left and was finally able to scratch that cursed itch, it kept going. Every day, my only thought was 'how am I going to get more money?'... But now, I... I-" I start to notice Krokorok's voice changing. It's still Krokorok's voice, but something about it sounds different. Then, when I look at their eyes, it hits me:

Krokorok is crying.

"Finally," they say, their voice choking up, "I'm finally free! I can't feel it at all anymore. My head is finally cured of that cursed fire!" Krokorok stops talking, and simply sobs, smiling the happiest smile I've ever seen as tears roll down their cheeks. "It's been months since I could think clearly, since I could feel joy, and now that fire is finally gone for good! Thank you, you brat. Thank you for saving me..."

Krokorok keeps sobbing, and I'm smiling along with them. I never expected the Wildfire to be so horrible. It's scary, but I feel glad that we ended up saving Krokorok from it. Eventually, Krokorok calms down, and we ask some questions about their experience with the Wildfire. Unfortunately, they didn't know anything about Volomans, nor much about the pokemon they got the Wildfire from, but they did have some useful info.

What we know about the Wildfire now is this: Aside from granting fire powers, the Wildfire also seems to cause obsession, but I don't think it's necessarily about money. The obsession seems to be the 'corrupting desires' bit Mew mentioned. It keeps you from thinking about much else, and from feeling much of anything. Not even just happiness, but any feelings besides anger, frustration, and desire are very difficult to feel. Krokorok also told us that the obsession gets worse over time, as the Wildfire pushed them to take more and more money. And of course, if you can't satisfy the obsession, you get burned.

It really does seem to act like a wildfire; powerful and dangerous, and needing more and more fuel to maintain itself as it grows. Krokorok's fuel was money, and if they couldn't supply that, the Wildfire burned Krokorok's body for fuel instead. Everything about the Wildfire seems to be connected to that obsession, that desire, and so when Krokorok stopped wanting money, the Wildfire disappeared along with their desire.

"So," Snivy says, "what are you going to do now? I mean, after you finish recovering? You're gonna stop stealing now, right?"

"Yeah, I've had enough of that. Of all this, actually; I'm done with money, and done with civilization! I was able to live on my own for months on natural water and the fruits I gathered, and the only reason I kept stealing was to keep that cursed fire satisfied. The only thing money and civilization have done to me is hurt me. I never want to even see another coin ever again!"

Whoa. I'm are a bit shocked, but I guess with everything they've been through, it makes sense for Krokorok to do something as extreme as abandon civilization. At least they won't be stealing anymore. We say goodbye and leave Torterra's house, heading back to the inn. We set our bags down and eat dinner.

"Hey Snivy, about what you said to Torterra back there..."

"Oh, uh, yeah? What about it?"

"Well, I agree with you about it; that it's our choice to take risks, and if we hadn't we wouldn't have saved Krokorok and stopped them from stealing. But, as long as we're partners, it's not just your safety you're risking. When we decide to take risks, let's make those decisions as a team, alright?"

"Oh, yeah, of course! I got a little carried away back there, but you're right; we take risks as a team."

"Alright, thanks."

"No problem Mudkip."

I frown and silently return to my meal.

"Come on, I'm just joking around!" Snivy says, smiling. "You don't need to take it so seriously!"

Soon, we finish our meal and get ready for bed. We decide to ask the villagers if they know anything about Volomans tomorrow. With that plan made, I fall asleep, exhausted from the day.




Thanks for reading. Comments, questions, and criticisms are encouraged.