I am so so so so so so soooo sorry for taking this long to post the last chapter! :( Y'all probably were sad and I'm super sorry for making ya wait so long! I had so much going on...but at last I give you the final chapter of Flash Fire! Hope you guys like it!

Chapter Eight

The journey back to the pack was an interesting one. Raiden showed Vera various new fighting moves to make sure she could handle fending for herself should he ever not be there for her. Whenever she tired and began to lag behind, the Arcanine would wordlessly sling her onto his back and continue on while she rested.

When night would fall they'd find a place to settle down for the night and Raiden would curl protectively around the Ninetales. She'd fall asleep to the gentle sound of his breathing softly in her ear.

Arriving home was a happy little reunion. Mina charged at Vera once she saw her, squealing in excitement. The Flaaffy, like her usual self, radiated cheerfulness as she observed the couple. Her little, pink arms flailed in the air as she greeted them with vigor. After a minute of gushing she paused, squinting her eyes at them, nodded, then turned away singing about love being in the air. Vera rolled her eyes in exasperation. She loved that sheep but man was she something else!

Iwao was the next Pokémon pack mate she saw. Her eyes met his. He grumbled something under his breath, something that sounded strangely like 'welcome back'. Vera's eyes widened and she shook her head, a smile curling her lips up. She teased the grump until a light blush colored his cheeks.

One thing that worried the vixen, though, was the disappearance of Kenta. The little Teddiursa was nowhere to be found. Even though Raiden reassured her that the bear cub was more than capable of taking care of himself, the fire fox couldn't help but worry. Vera went to bed uneasy. She had a strange feeling in the pit of her stomach that wouldn't go away. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't shake the feeling.

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A month passed—no sign of Kenta. For the first week Vera searched for the cub whenever she could between helping with hunting parties and helping Mina find herbs. Her hopes of finding him diminished when no signs indicated that he'd return. What worried her more was that Mina told her he hadn't been seen since the time she and Raiden left on their journey to Vera's brother's house. Disheartened, the Ninetales gave up.

She was padding through some underbrush when a tantalizing scent hit her nose. Curiosity peaked, the vixen followed the smell until she found a bush full of ripe rawst berries—her favorite.

Just as she was about to pluck one off the bush with her teeth, the leaves started rustling and a shadow cast over her. A booming growl ripped out of the creature's throat in a clear warning and a second later she was tackled to the ground by a heaping brown form.

Panic made her heart roar loudly in her ears as she was slammed into the ground. She couldn't get a good look at what she was facing but man was it a big Pokémon!

"AH!" She squeaked, breath escaping her lungs with a whoosh. Her bad leg was pinned at an awkward angle and pain shot through the limb. A whimper escaped her throat. The figure froze from on top of her and suddenly the pressure was gone.

Blinking dazedly, the Ninetales slowly rose to her paws. She turned her head when a 'THUD' sounded from behind her.

A large Ursaring sat where she looked, staring at her in what appeared to be shock. Its nose twitched as it took in her scent and its eyes met hers. The chocolate irises of the bear seemed to melt and suddenly she was being squeezed between his thick arms.

"Uhh, erm…" Vera sputtered, confused beyond belief. The Ursaring buried his nose in her pelt and inhaled again and again, drinking in her scent like it was the best perfume in the world.

"Vera…" Its voice rumbled. Something clicked in her brain and suddenly she knew.

"Kenta!?" She yelped in awe. "You evolved!"

The great bear nodded his head and pulled back to look at her. His eyes shone brightly as he took in her features.

"You are little now." He boomed.

"Yeah, well you are big now." The fox chirped, cuffing his ear lightly. They laughed and ate berries, catching up with one another. Apparently after Vera and Raiden left, Kenta decided he wanted to become stronger too. They talked about their adventures until dusk before Vera decided she should head back.

"Will you be coming back too?" She asked, hoping that he would but knowing deep down that it was his time to move on from the pack and have more of his own adventures.

The Ursaring shook his head solemnly and she nodded.

"Well then…goodbye Kenta. Maybe our paths will cross again someday." She murmured, tails drooping to the ground. He pet her head in apology.

"Goodbye Vera." He sighed, and they went their separate ways.

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Vera and Raiden were surprised when four months later, they found out she had become pregnant. She had gone to Mina because she had been experiencing weird sensations in her stomach and had been very emotional when the Flaaffy told her the news. When she told Raiden the news he beamed in happiness and pride.

Sure enough the next few months rolled by and Vera's tummy grew with each passing week. Rai treated her like a queen, always asking her if she was comfortable or if she needed something to eat or drink.

"Raiden I'm no disabled, I'm just pregnant." Vera huffed one night, rolling her eyes at the Arcanine. They were stargazing, laying on their backs and watching the night sky above. Once one would find a figure in the sky, they'd point it out to the other and vice versa.

When the Ninetales had trouble standing back up due to her enormous belly, Rai hovered over her worriedly.

"Settle down, I'm fine." She laughed, finally getting to her paws.

"Mina said any day now…" Raiden fretted, glancing at his mate worriedly. He wasn't looking forward to knowing that she would be in pain when giving birth.

"I'm tough. I'll be fine, relax." Vera licked his cheek gently. She was exhausted and it showed with how sluggish she'd been moving lately. Even walking from the den to the fields felt like she'd run a thousand miles.

"I know, but-"

"No buts! I's time to sleep and am too tired to listen to you worrying like a mother Swanna." The kitsune chastised, trotting back to the den. The Arcanine shook his head and went after her.

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The next day Vera went into labor. Mina shooed the anxious father out of their shared den, telling him sternly not to go in until all the cubs were born.

It felt like eternity until the first little cry was heard. Raiden's heart leapt for joy when he heard the sound. He was so tempted to see his child but held back, knowing Mina would rip his head off if he would.

After a stressful four hour wait, the sheep Pokemon finally came out.

"You may go in now." She smiled happily, nodding toward the entrance.

Raiden bounded in, his eyes immediately finding the figure laying in the corner with three cubs nestled into her stomach.

Vera looked at him exhaustedly, but with pride shining in her crimson eyes.

"Come see our sons." She whispered, touching her nose to his when he trotted over.

"What are their names?" He asked. His eyes scanned over the mixed breed cubs. The legendary was practically glowing.

"Sitka, Takeo, and…Kenta." She named them, kissing each on the head as she named them. The mates looked each other in the eyes.

"I love you." Raiden murmured, nuzzling the female adoringly.

"I love you too." Vera whispered.

And they lived happily ever after… THE END

'Sniff' I love happy endings! I'm actually very surprised I finished a story for once!