Chapter 6 - "Welcome to Blaze Ranch" (Patreon)

The warning Ren had given to Vivi the previous day stayed in her mind long after the sun had gone down.

Gym Battles in Cresva were nothing like the ones from other regions.

Even after returning to the Pokémon Center in Orange Town, she couldn't stop thinking about the condition Ren had been in after his battle. Bruised, exhausted, serious. Far more serious than usual.

Instead of discouraging her, though, it only made her more excited.

If Cresva Gym Leaders were really that strong...

Then she wanted to face them as soon as possible.

The next morning, after breakfast, Nurse Joy pointed her toward the most important building in all of Orange Town.

The Blaze Ranch.

According to her, it was impossible to miss.

And she was right.

Orange Town was small enough that the massive ranch stood out immediately against the desert landscape. Huge wooden structures rose beside modern metallic silos and storage buildings. Windmills turned slowly under the morning sun while transport trucks moved in and out of the property.

After several minutes of walking, Vivi finally reached the entrance.

But it was not the size of the ranch that surprised her.

It was the man waiting there.

A gigantic figure stood beneath the ranch sign with his arms crossed. He looked like the definition of a cowboy. Broad shoulders, massive muscles, worn boots, a long poncho, and a large brown hat shadowing his face.

Despite his intimidating appearance, the moment he saw her, a huge smile appeared on his face.

—Howdy there, little miss. Reckon you must be Vivi?

The girl blinked in surprise.

—Uh... yeah. That’s me. Who are you?

The man laughed warmly.

—Praise Arceus fer that. Thank goodness ya got yer mama’s looks. Though that dark hair sure screams yer daddy’s side.

Vivi stared at him in confusion.

This stranger knew her parents?

She narrowed her eyes immediately.

—Okay, hold on. First of all, introduce yourself, "Man with no name".

The cowboy burst into laughter.

—Fair enough. Name’s Carlos. Owner of Blaze Ranch... and Orange Town’s Gym Leader.

Vivi’s eyes widened slightly.

So this was the Gym Leader already?

Carlos adjusted his hat.

—Yer mama, Gasú, sent word ahead. Told me her daughter had started travelin’ through Cresva and would probably reach my Gym sooner or later.—Mom told you about me?—Sure did. And honestly? I’m surprised. Cresva ain’t exactly beginner-friendly territory. But lookin’ at ya now... I can already see that same stubbornness yer parents had.

Vivi crossed her arms.

—How do you even know my parents?

Carlos grinned.

—That’s a mighty long story, little miss. Why don’t we walk while we talk?

The two entered the ranch together.

Almost immediately, Vivi found herself amazed by the place.

The Blaze Ranch looked like something out of an old western movie, but mixed with modern technology. Wooden stables and fences stood beside advanced processing facilities, giant food warehouses, and metallic grain silos. Workers and Pokémon moved everywhere carrying supplies and preparing shipments.

Carlos noticed her expression and chuckled proudly.

—Orange Town might look like nothin’ but desert, but the land’s surprisingly fertile. Blaze Ranch handles more food distribution than any other place in Cresva.—Seriously?—Yup. Hard work, though. But it leaves me enough time fer my real passion.

He smirked beneath his beard.

—Being a Gym Leader.

Vivi looked at him again.

—So... "Ginger Django".

Carlos laughed loudly.

—Now that right there definitely came from yer daddy.—You still haven’t answered my question.

Carlos nodded.

—Yer father and I grew up together. Best friends since we were kids. Heck, I was there twelve years ago when both yer parents helped save the world.

Vivi looked genuinely surprised at that.

She knew her parents were strong trainers, obviously.

But hearing someone this important talk about them so casually felt strange.

Carlos continued.

—Haven’t seen ‘em in a long while, but I’m honored their daughter came all the way here to challenge my Gym.

Vivi looked away slightly.—Well... I didn’t come here because of them.

Carlos raised an eyebrow.

—Oh?—Everyone always talks about my dad. Everywhere I go, it’s always “his daughter this” and “his daughter that.” I wanna become stronger on my own. I wanna surpass him someday.

Carlos stayed quiet for a moment.

Then he smiled softly.

—Heh. Sounds exactly like somethin’ he woulda said at yer age.

Before Vivi could answer, something else caught her attention.

On the porch of an old wooden building nearby, an enormous Emboar slept peacefully in a rocking chair.

The Pokémon looked ancient.

Its body was covered in scars earned from countless battles, and its breathing sounded heavy and slow.

Yet even while sleeping, it radiated overwhelming presence.

Vivi stopped walking entirely.

Carlos glanced toward the Emboar and smiled.

—That there’s King Buta. Been part of Blaze Ranch since he was just a tiny Tepig belongin’ to my great-grandfather.

Vivi stared silently at the old Emboar.

—He’s old now. Real old. Doesn’t battle much anymore. Mostly spends his days sleepin’.

Carlos crossed his arms.

—But don’t let that fool ya. That old timer’s still got strength beyond imagination.

Almost mesmerized by the aura surrounding the Emboar, Vivi slowly approached him.

Carlos watched with amusement.

—Funny thing is... when I was yer age, I reacted the exact same way.

He smiled nostalgically.

—My grandpa used to tell me King Buta came from a line of Emboar raised through endless battles. Toughest Fire-types ya could imagine.

Carlos looked toward the sky for a moment.

—He also told me an old legend. Said if an Emboar reaches the end of its life after gainin’ enough battle experience... it’ll be reborn as a shiny Pokémon. Strong enough that even mythical Pokémon would fear it.

Vivi’s eyes sparkled.

Carlos stepped closer to the rocking chair.

—Mornin’, King Buta. We got ourselves a guest.

The old Emboar slowly opened one eye.

Its breathing was rough with age as it looked first at Carlos...

Then at Vivi.

And suddenly, the ancient Pokémon fully woke up.

Carlos blinked in surprise as King Buta slowly rose from the rocking chair and approached the girl directly.

The massive Emboar stared at Vivi for several long seconds.

Then it snorted loudly in her face.

Vivi jumped back in surprise.

Carlos looked genuinely shocked.

—Well I’ll be...

King Buta barely pays attention to anythin’ these days. If he got up fer ya... then somethin’ about ya caught his interest.

Vivi recovered quickly and grinned confidently at the old Emboar.

—You must’ve been insanely strong, huh?

King Buta simply stared at her one last time before turning around and slowly walking away without another sound.

Carlos and Vivi continued deeper into the ranch.

Eventually, they reached a small wooden house near the far side of the property.

Carlos pointed toward it.

—That’s the guest house. You’ll be stayin’ there today.—Today?—Afraid so. Got a lotta shipment work ta finish before sunset. Our Gym Battle’ll have ta wait ‘til tomorrow mornin’.

A confident grin appeared beneath his beard.

—Right at dawn. Like a proper western showdown.

Vivi smiled excitedly.

Carlos adjusted his hat once more.

—But don’t get too comfortable, little miss. Cresva Gym Battles push both trainers and Pokémon to their limits.

He turned around and started walking away.

—Till then, feel free ta explore the ranch and train as much as ya want.

Vivi watched him leave.

The incredible ranch.

The legendary King Buta.

The overwhelming presence of Carlos himself.

Everything about Cresva felt bigger, rougher, and far more exciting than she had imagined.

And as an excited grin slowly spread across her face...

She realized she could not wait for sunrise.