Chapter 11: No Honor In Blood

I was nervous as hell watching Dorian stare down Sharon’s
Espeon. The last time he battled here, he went berserk and almost killed his
opponent. If he did it again, now, in front of all these cameras, my career was
done. Worse, the League would claim he was too dangerous and try to make me
give him up.

            I pushed
the thoughts away. I needed to be in the present. Daydreaming was the first way
a trainer lost a battle. “Dorian, let’s kick things off with Flamethrower!”

            Dorian
didn’t move. He continued his staring contest with Velvet.

            I chuckled
nervously. “Dorian, please don’t do this to me now. I know you do things at
your own pace, but I really need you
to take this seriously.”

            Dorian
continued to ignore me. I was ready to throw something at the back of his head.

            “Looks like
you’re having trouble. Perhaps you should forfeit,” Sharon taunted.

            I wanted so
badly to tell her off, but I also didn’t want her to have the satisfaction of
knowing things were falling apart on my end. What are you doing to me, Dorian? We’re so close to ending this! Why
are you choosing NOW to act out?

            Sharon’s
smile widened. “I guess I’ll attack then. Velvet, use Dazzling Gleam.”

            Velvet
stared at Dorian, her tail swaying in rhythm. I snorted into my hand. “I guess
I’m not the only one having trouble,” I said.

            Sharon
didn’t share my amusement. She glared at me as if she wanted to run across the
field and punch me in the face. “Velvet, unless you have fallen in love with
this Houndoom, I suggest you obey me.” Velvet looked back and Sharon stepped
backward looking like a child who just mouthed off to their parent.

            “Um,
ladies? You know the match has started right?” the ref said.

            I ignored
the ref and said to Dorian, “What’s up with you? You don’t normally act like
this.”

            Dorian gave
me an annoyed look. I knew immediately what it meant. He didn’t want to battle.

I was pissed. All that work and
preparation, and it ended in a forfeit. The years I spent training, the things
I threw away to get here, and this was what it all amounted to? I didn’t want
to accept it, I couldn’t. Forfeiting after coming this far was no better than
throwing it all away.

But what’s the
alternative? I thought. I can’t force
Dorian to battle, and even if I could, what kind of trainer would that make me?
I did things I’m not proud of, but I never forced my Pokémon to do anything
they didn’t want to. I remembered the journal Neil, Patrick, and I kept as
kids: Trainer Rule #24: Defeating an opponent and winning a battle are not the same thing.

I laughed at myself. “Fine, Dorian.
I don’t know what changed with you, but we’ll do it your way,” I said. I told
Sharon, “I forfeit.”

            Sharon
looked as if I just told her she wasn't wearing pants. “Wh-What?”

            “Dorian
doesn’t want to battle,” I said simply. “I can’t force him, so I give up. You win.”

            Sharon
shook her head. “Don’t you mock me! Not once in your career have you ever
forfeited a battle. Now, when you clearly have the advantage, you give up
without even trying?”

            “Take it
however you want, Sharon, but no one’s mocking you. I have no other Pokémon
left. End of story.”

The ref spoke first. “Well, uh,
since Maya has forfeited, I guess the winner is—”

            “I will not
accept this!” Sharon cried. She glared at me, but Velvet was strangely calm. The
Espeon never took her eyes off Dorian. “I know you’re not done. You finish this
battle, right now!”

            I fought to
keep from laughing. “Really? I thought you couldn’t stand me? So what
difference does it make if I lose by forfeit or not? Unless…you secretly
respect me after seeing me in battle?” I asked tauntingly.

            Sharon’s
jaw dropped and her face turned red. I couldn’t tell if she was pissed or
embarrassed. Either way, I found it hilarious. I patted my leg and headed for
the elevator with Dorian following, laughing the whole way.

            As we rode
the elevator down, I turned to see if the bird Pokémon were still perched on
the roof. All the bird Pokémon outside were still sitting there, staring up at
the elevator. They all took flight at once. Even in the elevator, the sound of
their wings flapping made me cover my ears. The elevator got dark as the sky
darkened. I backed against the elevator door. Dorian stepped in front of me.
The Pokémon didn’t fly into the window. They split into smaller groups and
scattered across the sky then it was quiet All of the good feelings from
embarrassing Sharon were gone. I stayed flattened against the door until it
reached the ground floor.

            I really
wanted to get my team looked at before heading out, so I went the Center inside
the building. The moment I entered the room, a reporter shoved a mic under my
chin. “Maya Martin! Hi, Chandler Goldman. I’m with the Trainer’s Daily Report. Your match against Sharon was spectacular.
If you I could have a moment of your time—”

            “I need to
treat my Pokémon. Move,” I said, shoving the reporter out of my way. I
approached the nurse behind the counter and handed her my Poké Balls except for
Dorian since he didn’t do any battling. Dorian planted himself between me and
the reporter.

            Chandler
didn’t seem to take the hint. He appeared right by my side again still wearing
that same fake-friendly smile but did so from a safe distance. “I understand
you’re busy, but many people all over Kalos—myself included—are wondering why
you chose to forfeit the match when it was clear you had the upper hand. I’m no
Pokémon trainer, but I do know not many psychic-types can hold their own
against a dark-type.”

            I sighed
and faced him. “Look, I’m tired. My Pokémon are tired. Sharon won, I lost. Go
and bug her if you want an exclusive.”

            Chandler’s
smile fell. He leaned in and whispered. “I get you’re tired, but my boss is
jumping down my throat to get something.
Please, just one question. That’s all I ask.”

            I wanted to
tell Chandler I wasn’t answering any questions, but then I realized I had
nowhere to go until my Pokémon were done being treated which meant this guy
would pester me until I finally gave in.

            Dorian
stepped between the reporter and me and growled. “Looks like my Houndoom isn’t
in the mood to answer questions,” I said.

            “But—”

            “He’s
asking nicely. You keep bothering me, and he’ll stop asking.” I never had to
worry about Dorian attacking someone, but I didn’t think Chandler would see
through my bluff.

            Chandler
held up his hands and backed away. When he had backed up several feet he turned
and left the room, slinging curses that echoed through the hall.

            I smiled
and turned to the TV hanging on the wall. There was a breaking news story about
the massive flock of Pokémon that sat on the Pokémon League. Researchers were
saying they’d never seen anything like it and had no idea what drew the Pokémon
here or what made them fly away. There were tons of theories from weird radio
signals to a sudden change in their environment. Eventually, I got bored of
listening to the endless speculation and started thinking about my next move.

            I owed
Dorian for opening my eyes. I didn’t have to prove anything to anyone. I held
my own against the current Champion. Whatever point I was trying to make, I
made it. I wasn’t coming back to the Champion seat regardless of how things
turned out. Gwendoline wanted me to lose anyway. She got her wish. Everyone was
happy. Sharon wasn’t, but screw her.

Dorian lifted his head and growled.
I turned to him, surprised. I thought that annoying reporter was coming back,
but we were the only ones in the room. I couldn’t ignore him, he wasn’t the
type to just bark and growl at nothing. I listened and heard muffled screaming.

I jumped to my feet and headed for
the nearest exit. I was almost knocked down by the rush of people desperate to
get away from something.

I had no idea what they were
running from, but that could wait until later. “In here, quick!” I shouted.
People immediately began filling through the door. I stopped a man as he was
running inside. “What’s happening?”

“I don’t know,” the man said,
panicked. “Pokémon are attacking people and everyone is running in a panic.”

Before I could ask any more
questions, I heard a loud roar. I peered over the top of the crowd and saw a
Tyranitar stomping toward the crowd. The screams of terror turned into piercing
shrieks as people began pushing harder.

            What the hell is that doing here? Tyranitar
don’t even live in this area. I pushed my way through the crowd toward the
Tyranitar. Just one could tear down the whole building. I didn’t know what the
police were doing, but I had to buy time until they got here. A
dark-and-fire-type like Dorian was a bad matchup against a dark-and-rock-type
Tyranitar, but he was the only Pokémon I had. The others were in the nursing
center, and even if they weren’t, they were in no shape to battle.

            I ran
across the grounds away from the crowd. The Tyranitar noticed me immediately. He
roared and stomped toward Dorian and me. At
least one part of the plan is working. Maybe I can lead it into the trees. If I
battle here, someone could get hurt.

            A bolt of
lightning struck the Tyranitar in the back. He stopped moving and looked back
at the new intruder. A trainer with long hair faced the Tyranitar. I almost
thought it was Ian until I saw this trainer was a blond and a woman which was
weird because she looked just like him. Standing next to the woman was an
Ampharos. One look at the Ampharos told me it was female.

            “That’s
right, big boy. Let’s see how you deal with prey that fights back.”

            What is that woman doing? One missed attack,
and that Tyranitar will be firing into the crowd!

“Ion, use Thunder Wave!” the
trainer cried.

The Ampharos fired a small bolt of
electricity at the Tyranitar. The Tyranitar went limp on the ground almost
instantly. The trainer threw a Poké Ball at the Tyranitar. The Poké Ball
bounced off its target.

My stomach dropped. Either the Poké
Ball was defective or the Tyranitar belonged to a trainer which meant my job
just got harder. The Tyranitar was already fighting against the paralysis. We
had only a few moments before he was moving again.

“Hey, we need to lead him way from
here!” I shouted.

“Don’t sweat it! I’ll have him down
in two shots! Ion, use Focus Blast!”

The Ampharos fired an energy blast
the Tyranitar. He took a direct hit and howled. He started thrashing wildly, making
the ground shake. People nearby screamed and a few fell over from the quake.

Damn
you lady! “Dorian, Flamethrower!”

            Dorian
fired a quick Flamethrower attack at the back of the Tyranitar’s head. The
Tyranitar whirled around, his eyes filled with rage. There was something about his
eyes. He didn’t look pissed at Dorian, he just looked pissed. Whatever his
problem was, he was angry at the world and didn’t care who was on the receiving
end.

            I whistled
for Dorian to follow and ran away from the crowd toward the trees. I didn’t
need to look back to know the Tyranitar was following me. I could hear the
trees behind us being snapped in half or uprooted in rage.

            I turned
and faced the Tyranitar when we reached a clearing large enough to battle in.
He glared at us and was beginning to foam at the mouth. What the fuck could piss a Pokémon off this much? I thought.
“Dorian, be careful not to kill him.”

            Dorian gave
me a disapproving look and turned back to the Tyranitar. The Tyranitar roared
and a bright began forming in his jaws.

            Of all the Tyranitar in Kalos, I had to
fight the one that knows Hyper Beam? “Dorian, intercept him with Sludge
Bomb!”

            Dorian
launched a dark ball of sludge from his mouth. It hit the Tyranitar in the face
and exploded, making him cry out and stomp around while trying to clean the
sludge from his eyes.

“Good job! Now use Hidden Power!”

Wave after wave of light slammed
into the Tyranitar, each hit driving him back. Eventually he had enough and a
dark aura shot from his body, intercepting Dorian’s Hidden Power. It provided
enough of an opening for the Tyranitar to use Rock Polish to boost his speed.
Dorian tried to catch him with Hidden Power again. Instead dodging, the
Tyranitar ran into the attacks. Thanks to the speed boost from Rock Polish, he
was gaining more ground than he was losing.

He eventually closed the gap.
Dorian and I leapt out of the way as the Tyranitar slammed a fist into the
ground hard enough to shake the surrounding trees. I lost my balance and fell
over. The Tyranitar honed on me, snatching me up by the shirt and slamming me
into a tree. All the air rushed out of my lungs. The Tyranitar roared in my
face. I was glad I couldn’t breathe so I wouldn’t smell his bad breath.

This
is easily the craziest thing I’ve ever done. I took Dorian’s empty Poké
Ball and slammed it into the Tyranitar’s eye as hard as I could. He screamed in
a way I’d never heard a Pokémon cry out and dropped me. The Tyranitar was
snatched backward. Dorian had grabbed him by the tail and pulled him away from
me. I had no idea Dorian was strong enough to move a grown Tyranitar, but I had
to think about that later.

There was a definite change in
Dorian. The way he growled sent a chill through me. He looked like walking
shadow as if his fur swallowed all the light around him. He stepped in front of
me, planted his feet, and fired a stream of fire at the Tyranitar. There was
something off about the attack. The fire seemed…darker somehow as if it
swallowed the light like Dorian’s fur. The Flamethrower knocked the Tyranitar
through the air. He slammed into the ground and slid to stop. Dorian rushed
back to me and started checking me for injuries.

“I’m fine,” I said as I struggled
to my feet. I was still a little winded, but I was fine. “If I didn’t know any
better, I’d say you were worried about me. Don’t worry, I won’t tell the
others.” Dorian scoffed and turned away.

I slowly approached the Tyranitar.
He was still alive—that was good, but Dorian’s last attack knocked him out.

“Damn, I didn’t think your Houndoom
had that much power.” It was the trainer from before. She came walking casually
through the trees with her Ampharos.

“Were you watching me?” I asked,
offended.

“A little. I was gonna help after I
saw the Tyranitar take a hold of you, but you handled it pretty good on your
own. I guess it’s true what they say about the Champion title being earned.” She
held out her hand. “Name’s Bella by the way. I know who you are Champion Maya
Martin.”

Before I could say anything, I
heard a low growl. I turned and saw the Tyranitar struggling to his feet. Blood
dripped from his teeth and there was a shiny burn on his chest from Dorian’s
attack. He stood up to full height and glared at us, the rage still never
leaving his eyes.

“Tough bastard,” Bella said. She
sounded impressed. “Looks like I get to show you my skills after all.”

“Something’s wrong,” I said. The
Tyranitar was fighting back too hard. Any other Pokémon would’ve been stopped
by its injuries. It was as if he just didn’t care. That destroying everything
was his sole purpose in life and he would gladly die for it. I whispered to
Bella. “You have any fast Pokémon?”

“I have a Zebstrika, but what good
is speed against this thing?”

“I want you send it into town,” I
said. “Tell it to look for a woman named Cassandra Knowling. She has a Lucario
with her at all times.”

“Between you and me, we can handle
this,” Bella said, nettled. “If you need her so bad, go yourself. I can handle
things until you get back.”

“I need her because she may be our
only chance of stopping this Tyranitar without someone getting killed.”

The Tyranitar roared, getting our
attention. I noticed too late he was preparing another Hyper Beam.

“Get down!” I shouted and dove to
the ground. I felt the heat of the attack pass over me. All I heard was the sound
of the beam tearing through everything in its path. The heat of its energy
burned my back and arms. In an instant, it was over. I quickly jumped to my
feet. Luckily, the Tyranitar was facing away from town. The Hyper Beam had
cleared a path wide enough for three people side-by-side.

“We need Cassandra here, now!” I
shouted. “Dorian, Sludge Bomb!”

Bella swore and released her
Zebstrika from its Poké Ball. At the sight of the Tyranitar, the Zebstrika
whinnied and stamped it’s hooves on the ground, sparks shooting from its black
and white striped fur. “I need you to run into town and find someone named
Cassandra and bring her back here.”

“She’s got blue hair and travels
with a Lucario,” I said.

I had no idea how much Bella’s
Zebstrika understood, but it ran into the trees. The Tyranitar tried to follow,
but a quick thunderbolt from Ion turned him back to us.

“Did it ever occur to you how this
Cassandra is gonna know why a Pokémon she’s never met is running up to her?”
Bella asked.

I didn’t answer. Cassandra would
know because the Zebstrika would tell her. All I had to do was hold out until
she got here. Easier said than done though. This Tyranitar was on his last leg,
but I couldn’t just let him tire himself out and risk another Hyper Beam.

“Listen, I think we should keep him
pinned between our Pokémon,” I said. “That way—”

“Ion, use Focus Blast!”

Ion launched a blast of energy at
the Tyranitar who ducked and retaliated with Fire Blast. Dorian jumped in front
of the attack and took the hit, his Flash Fire ability absorbing it. The
Tyranitar immediately followed up with Stone Edge. Our Pokémon jumped out of
the way.

            “Dorian,
Flamethrower.”

Dorian blasted the Tyranitar with a
stream of fire. The Tyranitar roared in pain and slammed a fist into the
ground, causing a row of rock spires to shoot toward Dorian. The Tyranitar
continued wildly slamming his fists into the ground, sending rock spires in
every direction. Dorian and Ion tried firing attacks to intercept, but the
Stone Edges were shielding him.

            “Ion, knock
those rocks away with Focus Blast,” Bella cried.

            “Wait,
don’t!” I shouted.

            Ion fired
an energy blast at one of the nearest spires. It exploded, shattering several
rocks and sending shrapnel everywhere. I held my arms over my face, but I felt
the little rocks cutting into my arms and cheeks. I lowered my arms and saw Ion
laying on the ground, a large piece of rock sticking out of her leg. The
Tyranitar was already bearing down on his prey. I turned to Bella. She was out
cold on the ground a nasty gash across her forehead. I crawled over to her and
checked for a pulse. She was alive for now but I might kill her myself if we
survived this battle with the Tyranitar.

            Dorian
leapt onto the Tyranitar and bit down on the side of his face. The Tyranitar
howled and started thrashing about. He kicked and knocked large rocks
everywhere. I grabbed Bella and dragged her away from the battle. We were
dealing with a Tyranitar, a Pokémon known for tearing down entire mountains, so
there was no such thing as safe. Once I pulled Bella what I figured was a good
enough distance I ran back to the battle.

            Dorian was
standing in front of Ion. Her leg was bleeding bad. She tried to stand up, but
she cried out in pain and fell over. I couldn’t get to Ion with the Tyranitar
in the way. If this battle continued any longer, she could get caught in the
crossfire.

            “Dorian,
Hidden Power!” I shouted.

            Dorian
blasted the Tyranitar in the chest hard enough to knock him onto his back. Dorian
leapt on top of him and hit him point-blank in the face with a constant stream
of fire. The Tyranitar tried to shake him off, but it was clear he was too
weak. Dorian wasn’t stopping although it was clear the fight was over.

            “Dorian, that’s
enough!”

            Dorian
stopped his attack and walked toward me. The Tyranitar continued to lay on the
ground and whined pitifully. I tried to look at him, but it made my stomach
turn. I could barely recognize his face. He didn’t look like the rampaging
Pokémon that tried to kill us just a moment ago.

            “Thanks for
saving my life,” I whispered. I couldn’t blame Dorian this time, not for doing
what he had to. I was more pissed at myself for not being able to do anything
else. I fished out of my bag some bandages and a full restore and went over to
Ion. I pulled the rock out of her leg and bandaged it. She kept trying to get
up and looked around for her trainer. I didn’t try to console her. I checked
Dorian next. He tried to resist, but I wasn’t having it. He had a few scrapes,
but nothing was broken.

I was about to go check on Bella
again when I heard Cassandra call out to me. She rode up on the back of Bella’s
Zebstrika. She hopped off and stared at the Tyranitar. “That your work?” she
asked.

“I didn’t have a choice,” I said.
It was true but it sounded like an excuse.

“I know, Maya. I wish I had gotten
here sooner, but there’s nothing we can do about it now. The best we can do is
get this Pokémon some treatment.” She looked around. “Where’s Kirin’s trainer?
The Zebstrika, before you ask.”

“She’s this way.” I led them to
where I left Bella and found her standing up already. She had torn off the hem
of her shirt and pressed it against her head.

“Looks like backup arrived,” Bella
said, disappointed. “Guess you were right. Too bad the fighting’s over.”

Yeah,
no thanks to you. I thought. “The
Tyranitar’s hurt bad. We need you to ride into town and send help then get
yourself and your Pokémon looked at.”

Bella smirked and stroked her
Zebstrika. “You don’t like me much do you?”

“No,” I said flatly, my voice
rising. “You’re reckless and don’t give two shits about whether anyone gets
hurt. You’re Pokémon took a nasty hit because you got carried away, and that Tyranitar
might die because you wouldn’t listen!”

“Maya, that’s enough,” Cassandra
said.

Bella continued to wear that smirk
on her face. I wanted to slap her. “Looks like the Huntress isn’t as
cold-hearted as everyone says. But then you shouldn’t believe everything you
hear. I’ll see you around, Champion Maya.” She climbed onto the back of her
Zebstrika and rode off.

I watched her ride away thinking, What the hell is that bitch’s problem? I
then turned to Cassandra. “Please tell me my family’s okay.”

“First, everyone’s fine. Second,
I’ll gladly answer your questions, but we have to get you treated. You’re
bleeding.”

I touched the cut on my cheek. It
had bled a little, but nothing serious. “I’m not leaving that Tyranitar,” I
said firmly.

I sat by the Tyranitar while
Cassandra explained what happened. According to her, the Tyranitar started
rampaging just before my match with Sharon ended. According to rumors, someone
was in the park training and something went horribly wrong. No one knew where
the trainer was. Cassandra had her hands full trying not to get swept into it
all. People panicking did more damage than the Tyranitar did. She passed at
least a dozen streets packed with car wrecks on her way here. After the
Tyranitar started rampaging, my mom called Cassandra and begged her to save me.
“Your mom was beyond hysteric,” Cassandra said.

I sighed and called my mom on the
holo caster. She answered on the first ring. “Maya? Baby, please tell me that’s
you.”

“Yes, it’s me. I’m okay.”

My mom started crying loudly.
Greg’s hologram replaced my mom’s. “I’m glad to hear you’re okay, Maya. It’s
been pretty tense here. Taylor mentioned going out to help and Cadence
threatened to knock her out and lock her in closet. I don’t think she was
bluffing. There was talk of evacuating the city, but Cadence said she wasn’t
leaving without you.”

Greg’s hologram disappeared and my
mom appeared again. “Maya, I’m sorry, but I can’t do this. I know this is your
dream—”

“Mom, are we really going to do
this now?” I asked, struggling to keep my voice even.

“You’re not a parent!” Mom shot
back. She was already close to tears. “I already lost one child to this , and
now this happens. What if that was one of your Pokémon? If something happens to
you—I can’t. I can’t go through that again. You already did it. You’re the
Champion, what else is there?”

I looked at the Tyranitar on the
ground. He wasn’t moving. I sighed and turned back to the holo caster. “I’m
sorry, Mom, but there’s no point. That Tyranitar rampaging had nothing to do
with me. I wasn’t safe regardless of what I chose to do. At least as a trainer
I can fight back and protect myself. I saved lives today. I wouldn’t give that
up for anything.”

“I don’t care. I don’t care if it’s
selfish, hearing my daughter is a hero isn’t a reward for going to her funeral.”

I hung up. There was no point in
trying to talk to her like this. I felt sorry for Taylor. Mom wasn’t going to
let her continue her training career now. I
ran away to become a trainer and put my family back together. Instead it’s the
very thing that’s driving a wedge between us. Irony really is a dick. My
plans for vacation were shot. There was no way I could enjoy myself on a long
distance vacation knowing what I was putting my mom through.

I stroked Dorian while we waited
for the police to get here. Normally, he was more distant. Today must had
shaken him as well. It didn’t take long before emergency responders found us.
After a quick check, they confirmed Dorian and I were fine, but the Tyranitar
had already passed. I knew he would’ve been put down if the police captured him,
but I still felt guilty for not being able to save him.

I went with Cassandra back to the
League building to pick up the rest of my team. The lobby was packed with
people who all started clapping the moment I entered the room. I ignored them
and continued to the treatment area.

The moment I entered the nursing
station, I was tackled to the floor by a blue blur. Aqua whined loudly and
shook in my arms. I hugged Aqua tight and stroked her back, trying to soothe
her. “Hey, it’s okay,” I said. “I’m fine, see? I would never leave you, Aqua. I
won’t let you go through that pain again.”

I picked her up and carried her
into the back. I could hear shouting and a Pokémon crying out that sounded a
lot like Dust. I broke into a run.

In one of the examination rooms,
Dust, still bandaged from his battle with Sharon’s Pokémon, was screaming in a
panic, flapping his wings and stomping on the floor, trying to make the four
nurses in his way to move. The nurses were trying to calm him down and stay
away from his claws although he wasn’t trying to hurt anyone.

I quickly went over to him. “Dust,
I’m okay! Calm down, buddy.” Dust quieted down and gave a soft warble.

“Thank goodness you finally came!”
one of the nurses said. “I don’t know how we were going to handle him if
something happened to you.”

“I’m real sorry about this,” I said
sheepishly. “Have any of the others been giving you trouble?” I got my answer
before the nurse responded when Arbor and Maude ran into the room and jumped on
me. I noticed Sunny wasn’t with them.

“There’s your answer,” the nurse
said. “We had to sedate your Volcarona. One of the nurse’s hair caught fire
when she started lashing out.”

“I’m really, really sorry,” I said
again.

“No, we understand. Your Pokémon
were worried about you and given the situation I couldn’t blame them. I’m just
glad they didn’t do anything too reckless to go look for you.”

It took some convincing, but I was
able to recall my team to their balls except Aqua and Dorian. Every time I
recalled her, she would bust out and jump into my arms again. Dorian was just
being Dorian, but today I couldn’t blame him. I carried Aqua back to the hotel.
My arms were gonna be sore tomorrow, but I didn’t care. Aqua kept her face
buried in my chest until she fell asleep.

The city was noisy, filled with
blaring sirens and emergency responders barking orders to each other. There was
a lot of work to be done. Smoke was everywhere, cars were piled on top of each
other. I wondered how much of the damage was done by the Tyranitar and how much
was from panic.

The moment I entered the hotel
room, I was swept into a crushing hug. I didn’t fight it. I was surprised when Neil’s
parents, Samuel and Jocelyne Léonide joined in. Sparks barked happily and squeezed
between everyone. Aqua was still in my arms. She squirmed and whined but made
no attempt to get loose.

“When did you get here?” I asked
Neil’s parents.

“Just before the match started,” Mrs.
Léonide said. She was the first to break away. “We heard on the news that you
led the Tyranitar away. You had us all scared witless! Don’t you ever do
something so reckless again!”

I flinched at her outburst. If it
was this bad coming from her, I hated to find out what my mom planned to say.

“Well, what did you expect the girl
to do, look the other way?” Mr. Léonide asked. Mom and Mrs. Léonide gave him
such a dark look he hid behind Cassandra.

“Anyway, we wanted to help you, but
after that multi-car pileup we just couldn’t ignore those people,” Mrs. Léonide
said. “Now I understand the need to help people in danger, but your Pokémon
were just in a battle, why did you think they could handle a rampaging
Tyranitar?”

“I had Dorian with me,” I said. “He
hadn’t battled Sharon, so I was okay. And this other trainer helped out, too.”

“Speaking of your battle with
Sharon, why did you forfeit?” Greg asked. “It was clear to everyone you were in
the lead. You would’ve won.”

“I just wanted to get out of the
spotlight,” I said, shrugging. I looked around and noticed Ian and Taylor were
missing. “What happened to Ian and Taylor?”

“They’re out on the balcony,” Mom
said.

I nodded and laid Aqua on the bed
before going outside to where Ian and Taylor were. Ian leaned against the
railing, staring out at the city. Normally, it would’ve been a great view, but
now all could be seen was the destruction caused today. Taylor sat in one of
the chairs, hugging her knees. Her Absol Abby sat perfectly still next to her. Flux
and Lulu stood next to Ian, also looking at the world below. “Hey, whatcha up
to?” I asked.

Flux and Lulu cried out happily at
the sight of me. Taylor jumped out of her seat and wrapped her arms around my
neck. “Aunt Maya, I was so scared! I thought…I thought…”

I returned the hug and tried to
soothe her. “It doesn’t matter what you thought. I’m here and that’s all that
matters.” I turned to Ian who hadn’t turned around. “How you holding up?”

“I’m fine,” he mumbled.

“You don’t sound okay,” I said. I
leaned on the railing next to him.

“I should’ve been there to help you,”
Ian said softly. “When I heard the people screaming and saw the fires, I…I hid
up here. Like a wuss.”

“Ian, no one expects you to be a
hero,” I said. “You’ve never dealt with anything like this. If you had went out
there—”

“But what about you?” Ian said,
frustrated. “How many times have you dealt with this? You didn’t think twice
about helping out. I saw the video, you went right after that Tyranitar.”

“Yeah, and it was stu—Wait, there’s
a video?”

“It’s already gotten half a million
views,” Taylor said. “I can’t believe you challenged a Tyranitar with a
Houndoom. Glad he wasn’t the one I faced during our battle at the Under.”

 You should be since he wouldn’t’ve went easy
on you like Sunny did. “I’m just glad you guys are okay. I heard things
went wild here when the Tyranitar lost it. I know you wanted to help, but you
shouldn’t be so quick to put your Pokémon in danger.”

“You say that, but we know what
would’ve happened if you hadn’t,” Ian said.

Before I could say anything, Mom
came outside with her holo caster. She seemed to be talking to someone. “Yes,
she’s right here. Maya, it’s your dad.”

I looked at the holo caster in her
hand then back at her and shrugged. “So?”

“Maya, I get you’re still angry with
him, but doesn’t he deserve to know you’re still alive?”

“I’m pretty sure you told him. Why
do I have to talk to him?”

Mom sighed in defeat and looked
down at the holo caster. “She’s still being stubborn.”

“I can hear her,” Dad said. He
sounded upset. Good. “I guess I’ll try talking to her later.” Mom ended the
call and my dad’s hologram disappeared. She let out a long, defeated sigh.

“I still don’t get why you forgave
him,” I said.

“I didn’t blame him because what
happened wasn’t his fault,” Mom said.

“What about remarrying less than a
year after the divorce was final?” I asked, my voice rising. “What about fucking
up my childhood, but playing daddy with someone else’s kids? What about
disowning Taylor without even bothering to check if she was his grandkid or not?”

Mom didn’t answer, just headed back
inside. I saw in her eyes she was hurt. I turned to Ian and Taylor, daring one
of them to say something. They both stared at the sky. I sighed and leaned on
the railing.

“Maya, the police are here!” Mom
called.

The
cops? What do they want? I thought. Ian and Taylor were giving me the same
confused look. I went back inside. There was a woman with teal hair wearing a
police uniform standing by the door.

The cop approached me and held out
her hand. “You must be Maya Martin. My name is Officer Jenny.”

I didn’t shake the woman’s hand.
“What do you want, lady?”

“Maya!” Mom scolded sharply. “I
taught you to show respect!”

“Sorry,” I mumbled. “What can I for
you, Officer?”

Officer Jenny sighed and I saw in
her face that whatever she had to say, she didn’t want to say it. “I’m here to inform
you that while we appreciate what you’ve done, we’ll have to ask you to leave
the city as soon as possible.” There was immediate outrage from everyone in the
room.

“Hold on, after all she’s done,
you’re kicking her out?” Mr. Léonide asked. “That’s some thank you.”

Officer Jenny remained
straight-faced. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad Maya saved those people. I shudder
to think of how things would’ve ended if she hadn’t acted. If it were my call,
she’d be getting a medal. The problem is Pokémon trainers are not licensed to kill
for any reason. The Tyranitar she battled died as a result of injuries
sustained by her Pokémon. By law she should’ve been arrested. The League has a
strict No Deaths policy. They can’t afford to play favorites, especially with a
Champion. They would have no choice but to launch an investigation and possibly
strip her of her license.”

“But the law allows for the use of
lethal force in self-defense or to protect someone else,” Mrs. Léonide said.
“I’m pretty sure you’ll find dozens of people who’ll say Maya saved their
lives.”

“We also have dozens of witnesses
who’ll say Maya led the Tyranitar away from them,” Officer Jenny replied. “By
all counts, she had already protected them. Killing the Tyranitar wasn’t
necessary.”

“It was a damn Tyranitar!” Greg
countered sharply. “Anyone within a ten-mile radius was in danger!”

Officer Jenny remained calm and
collected. “And I’m sure an investigation would conclude that, but the League
doesn’t want it to go that far. Maya’s a hero, period. They don’t the want the
stress of having to drag her name through the mud just to make a point.”

Officer Jenny turned to me. “The
official story is that after you led the Tyranitar into the woods, the police
arrived and subdued it. This way, we do not have to take any ‘official’ action
against you. I suggest you stick to that story and not say anything else to the
press.”

“So she risks her life and you just
swoop in and take all the credit? Who do you—” Mr. Léonide began. His wife stopped
him before he could tell Officer Jenny what he thought of her.

“It’s okay, Officer. I understand,”
I said. This needed to end before someone said something stupid and left here in
handcuffs. I was actually grateful that I didn’t have to deal with publicity of
all this. I wasn’t a hero. I was selfish. The only reason I got involved was
because I was there. If I was back in the hotel with my family, I wouldn’t’ve
budged.

“Before I go, I just want to say thank
you for what you’ve done. Despite our actions, we are grateful.” Officer Jenny
bowed and left the hotel room. Mom gently closed the door behind her.

“That was rude,” Greg said. “Maya
risks her life and that’s the thanks she gets? A ‘thank you and get out.’ ”

“She’s right. If word got around
that Maya killed that Tyranitar, it would put the League in a bad position,”
Mrs. Léonide argued. “They don’t want trainers to think it’s their job to save
the world.”

“If people knew what being a hero
really got you they’d never help someone again,” Cassandra said. I was shocked
to hear Cassandra say that. She was always pushing “do the right thing.”

“Let’s just start packing,” I said.
I was tired and really just wanted everyone to drop the subject. I didn’t wanna
be praised anyway. Not when things could’ve ended differently. The Tyranitar
didn’t have to die the way he did.

Everyone was quiet as they gathered
their things. I could feel the tension as everyone had something to say, but
also didn’t want to be the first ones to break the silence. Once we were all
packed and heading out the door, Cassandra pulled me to the side.

“The Tyranitar had something to say
before he died,” she said. “He said, ‘I’m sorry, Master. Please forgive me.’ ”

“Did he ever say who his master
was?”

Cassandra shook her head. “If I had
to guess, I’d say his master was likely the first victim.”

“He killed his trainer? But why the
apology afterward?”

“Maybe he didn’t mean to. You said
he was so pissed he wasn’t seeing straight.”

I nodded and fell silent. Whatever
set him off, it had to be serious for a Pokémon to lose sense of itself.

            There was
no way all of us were going to fit on one elevator, so we decided to go down in
pairs. Neil’s parents went first. Cassandra and I stood at the back of the
line. While we waited for our turn, Cassandra leaned over and whispered, “We’ve
got a serious problem. You heard about the trainers disappearing around Kalos?”

            “I heard
about a few. But so what? I already looked into some of them when I searching
for Bryce. There’s no connection.” The next elevator arrived and Ian and Greg
got on.

            “This time
there is. Pokémon have been attacking their trainers. That’s why those Pokémon
were perched on the roof of the Pokémon League. They were confirming something.
They wouldn’t tell me what though.”

            I slowly
turned to Cassandra, silently pleading that she would tell me it was all a
joke. The serious look on her face said she wasn’t. “Pokémon are turning on
their trainers? But why?” Mom and Taylor rode the next elevator.

            “I don’t
know. I have a theory; I just hope I’m wrong.”

            “Care to
share?”

            Cassandra
pressed the elevator call button. “Not until I know for sure. I don’t want you
to panic.”

            “Too damn
late for that!” I hissed. There was no one around to hear us, so I didn’t
bother lowering my voice. “My mom is dating a Pokémon trainer! What if
something happens?”

            “Maya, I
promise you’ll be the first to know once I find out what’s going on. Just trust
me for now.”

            I stared at
Cassandra. Her eyes pleaded not to push the issue. The old me would’ve refused
to drop it, but I wasn’t that childish person anymore. Cassandra wouldn’t keep
me out of the loop without a good reason. I had to trust her judgment. The
elevator arrived. I got on it without another word.

****

The weather sure is
beautiful out here, Neil thought. He had been walking for hours, yet he
didn’t feel the least bit tired. He wondered why he never bothered to take
walks more often. Most of the time it was go from one destination to another.
He rarely went walking just for the hell of it.

            His team
walked with him. It was rare he roamed the streets with all of his Pokémon at
once. But today was so quiet and peaceful, and the streets were near empty. Everyone
except Garden seemed at peace with things. He’d tried telling the Breloom to
think of walking as exercise, but she wasn’t buying it. Light sniffed and
yipped happily at everything around them. Pyrus and Ember happily examined
things from a respectable distance. Sentinel didn’t respond to her environment
and stayed by Neil’s side along with Noxis. Neil wished he had brought Claire
with him, but she was off watching the Championship match. The whole town was
watching the match which explained the empty streets on such a nice day.

He wondered how the battle was
going. Right about now, Sharon was likely putting his ex-friend in her place.
Or at least that’s what he hoped for. Maya was never the type to go down easy,
and she got fierce if someone challenged her pride. Win or lose, people would
be talking about the battle for years.

             The thought angered him. She didn’t deserve to
be number one. Not after throwing away her friends and her family for a stupid
title. All because of some title, nothing else mattered. Her past sins didn’t
matter. It was sickening.

            Then what changed? He thought. Maya wasn’t always like that. She was
fiercely loyal, and always stood up for her friends. When did you fall into the
dark? Was it something I did? Because I didn’t protect you like I should have?
Neil grumbled under his breath. There he was again, trying to take blame. No
matter what he did or didn’t do, Maya made her bed.

            “Excuse me,
Neil Léonide? I would like a moment of your time,” a woman asked.

Neil stopped and turned to the
voice. A woman sitting in the back seat of a black luxury sedan was staring at
him. She definitely not from Aquacorde. Her green business-like outfit alone
looked like it cost more than most of his neighbor’s rent. His first instinct
was kidnapping, but his Pokémon weren’t showing any hostility toward the woman.
“Yes, I’m Neil,” he said weakly. He felt like he had been called into the
principal’s office.

            The woman
smiled warmly. Her smile was friendly, but her eyes hid a more serious nature,
something Neil found unsettling. “I already know that, Mr. Léonide. My name is
Gwendoline Barbara. I really need to speak to you about an important matter.”
She opened the car door. “It is a rather…sensitive subject, so I would prefer
to do this in private.”

            Neil stared
at Gwendoline, dumbfounded. He’d never met her, but he knew her name. She oversaw
public relations and communications for the Pokémon League. What was someone
like her doing tracking him down? It couldn’t be for anything good. Several
questions ran through his head. Did she know about the abuse investigation?
That couldn’t be right. He was a nobody. What did she care if he was
investigated for Pokémon abuse?

He decided to check his
speculations until Gwendoline confirmed them. His body moved on autopilot,
recalling his team to their balls except Pyrus who refused. Gwendoline didn’t
object to him bringing his Flareon into the car. A canine Pokémon Neil
recognized as a Furfrou sat in the car with Gwendoline, it’s white fur trimmed to
resemble a top hat and tie with cuffs around the legs. Gwendoline wore a
similar green outfit minus the hat. On any other Pokémon, Neil would find the
look ridiculous, but for Furfrou it somehow pulled it off. Pyrus stayed by Neil’s
side and eyed the Furfrou suspiciously. The driver pulled off the moment Neil
sat down. Neil again reminded himself this wasn’t a kidnapping.

            “I bet
you’re wondering what this is about,” Gwendoline said. “Well, I won’t waste
your time and get straight to it. I’m looking for Claire Bedford and I have it
on good authority the two of you are dating.”

            “Hold on,
Ms. Barbara—”

            “Call me
Gwen.”

            “Okay,
Gwen, I don’t want to sound rude, but have you been spying on me? How could you
know Claire and I are dating?”

            “There are
many ways to acquire information,” Gwen said calmly. “Also, the training
circuit may not know, but you aren’t as discreet as you think. The man in the
Poké Ball Emporium had a few choice words to describe your behavior. But we are
getting off-topic. I have something very important I wish to discuss with your
girlfriend.”

            “And that
something would be?”

            “I’m afraid
that’s between me and Claire.”

            “And I’m afraid you’re gonna need more than
that if you want me to tell you where my girlfriend is.”

            Gwen
studied Neil’s face as if looking for a way to dissuade him to drop the
subject. Neil refused to budge. He doubted she wanted to harm Claire, but for
someone in Gwen’s position to seek out any trainer, it had to be something
serious. He would be damned if he was going to throw Claire into the ring
without knowing why.

            Gwen
eventually sighed and said, “You see, our current Champion is less than ideal,
so I need Claire to become the next Champion.”

Neil felt all the air rush out him.
He had to have heard her wrong. “I’m sorry? You want Claire to battle Sharon
for the title?”

            “Yes, that
is correct.”

            “But why?
The League Conference is coming up. Whoever wins can challenge the Elite Four
then—”

            “Actually,
winning the League tournament is not required to challenge the Elite Four,”
Gwen interjected. “It’s a prerequisite trainers imposed themselves. As it cuts
down on the number of challengers, we’ve allowed the ‘rule’ to stand. There is
also no reason to wait until after the League Conference. Now that Claire has
all eight gym badges, she is free to challenge the Elite Four whenever she
chooses.”

            “Wow, I
didn’t know that. But why Claire? There’s literally hundreds of other trainers
to choose from, including me.”

            “I’m sorry,
Neil, but with you currently under investigation, any attempts to push you into
the spotlight would do more harm than good.”

            Neil
stiffened. Gwendoline knew about the investigation. He shouldn’t be surprised
given who she was, but he couldn’t help his nervousness.

            If she
knew, who else knew? All it took was one slip, one person to open their mouth
and he could kiss his career as a trainer good-bye.

            “Do not
worry, Neil. Your connection to Claire is known to only a few, and your
investigation is held in the held in the strictest of confidences. There should
be no danger to her—or your—reputation. Claire is extremely popular among
trainers,” Gwen explained. “Should she defeat Sharon, she’ll easily be
accepted.”

            “Why do you
need Sharon to lose her title so badly,” Neil asked.

            “The
problem is Sharon drew attention to someone whose popularity was
well-contained,” Gwen said confidently. “I was informed not ten minutes ago, Maya
forfeited the match. However, the word spreading already is Maya won. Thanks to
Sharon Maya is at the front of every trainer’s mind.”

            “So you’re
worried about someone digging into Maya’s past and finding out about the
Sylveon.”

Gwen’s Furfrou shifted, making
Pyrus’ fur rise. Gwen appeared not to notice. Neil considered return Pyrus to
his ball. It would be better than the two Pokémon fighting in the car.

Gwen spoke again, bringing Neil’s
attention back to the current situation. “So you know. As someone so close to
Maya, it shouldn’t be surprising, but she didn’t strike me as the sharing type.”

Neil leaned back in his seat. “So
it’s true. Maya maims a trainer’s Pokémon and the League covers it up to
protect their precious image.”

Gwen’s expression turned cold. When
she spoke, her voice was just as icy. “You really don’t know anything do you,
boy? The Pokémon League has always been anything but political or corrupt. Pokémon
training is a sacred bond between a Pokémon and a human. The League will do
whatever it takes and protect that legacy.”

Neil scoffed. “A sacred bond? I
think you’re putting a little too much thought into this.” He was surprised
when the Furfrou gave him a look as if saying, “You’re one of those.”

“I’m surprised to hear such a thing
from a trainer,” Gwen said. There was an undertone in her voice. Neil couldn’t
tell if it was annoyance or disappointment. “Did you know after the great war
3,000 years ago, Pokémon battling was banned in Kalos? There were no such things
as trainers and leagues. It was such a heinous act, anyone accused of Pokémon
training was put to death. It took nearly 1,000 years before the ban was
lifted. A young trainer with the help of their partner Pokémon saved a village and
the wild Pokémon from bandits. The poor trainer was beheaded for breaking the
law, but their sacrifice inspired others. Trainers became traveling warriors,
dedicating their lives to defending others and protecting the region from
humans and Pokémon who would do it harm. Many trainers and their Pokémon died
on these journeys. The people of Kalos honored their sacrifice by lifting the
ban and holding a ceremony once a year. At the festival’s end, the warriors
would spar with each other and the winner would be crowned the festival
champion. Over the centuries, things changed, but that festival eventually
became the Kalos League Challenge we have today.”

“We thought you weren’t going to
waste my time,” Neil spat. “Now I have to sit through a history lecture?” He
was more sour that he didn’t know any of that and Gwen made him feel foolish.

“Ms. Barbara, you need to hear
this,” the driver said, alarmed. The driver turned up the radio and what Neil
heard next made his blood run cold.

“I repeat, a wild Tyranitar is
attacking the Pokémon League,” the reporter said. “People are running scared to
the building for shelter. It’s absolute chaos out here. And I—oh god! It’s
coming this way! Move! Get outta my way!”

“Stop the car!” Gwendoline demanded.
The driver brought the car to a screeching halt. “I need to make some calls. We’ll
have to continue this conversation later, Neil.” She handed him a small
business card. “When you finish relaying our conversation, have Claire call us
with her decision.”

Neil took the card when he wanted
to tell Gwen what she could do with it. Right now he needed to get in contact
with his parents. They went up to the Pokémon League to support Maya. The
moment he and Pyrus got out of the car, Gwen’s driver pulled off. Neil shoved
the card into his back pocket and pulled out his holo caster. He dialed his
mom’s number. It rang several times but there was no answer.

“Come on, answer the damn phone,”
Neil muttered under his breath. He barely noticed when his Pokémon burst from
their balls. Pyrus seemed to be filling them in. Neil called several times, but
all he got was his mom’s answering machine.

Neil took a deep breath to calm his
nerves. It didn’t work. He couldn’t stop the feeling his chest was being
squeezed in a vice. He forced the macabre thoughts of his parents crushed under
a fallen building or a Tyranitar’s fists and dialed his father’s number. Only
the answering machine responded.

Neil swore as the tightening
worsened. This couldn’t be happening. His parents were okay, they had to be.
They were skilled trainers, there was no way they would be killed that easily.
The thought reassured him a little. He dialed his father again, but there was
no answer.

“Damn you, answer!” Neil shouted.

Noxis slapped the holo caster out
of Neil’s hands. She then launched a Fire Blast, destroying in in an explosion
of flame. Ember stepped in front of Neil to shield him from the force of the
blast. An intense wave of heat still washed over him.

Neil stared at the charred remains
of his holo caster, the only means he had of confirming if his parents were
okay. He immediately spun on Noxis. “WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!”

Noxis flattened herself on the
ground, her eyes closed tight. Her whole body trembled. Neil stared at her,
nails digging painfully in his palms. “That was the only way I could contact my
parents!” Neil thundered. “I swear if something happened to them and I don’t
get to find out because of you—”

His face suddenly exploded with
pain. The world spun and he lost his balance. That he stumbled into the wall of
a nearby store was the reason he wasn’t on the ground. He turned and saw Ember
standing there, clawed fist raised, her eyes full of pain. The rest of his team
had surrounded Noxis and were giving him reprimanding stares.

“Neil?”

Neil spun around to see Claire
standing a few feet away, her Serperior, Noble next to her. Fear, and shock was
all over her face. Neil rubbed his sore cheek and went to Claire. “Hey, did you
see the news?” he asked.

“Yeah, everyone was freaking out about
it. That’s why I came to find you,” Claire said. “Did you hear from your
parents yet?”

“I can’t get them to answer,” Neil
said, his voice breaking. “She…She broke my holo caster. I can’t even—” He
paced around the sidewalk. He had never felt so helpless in his life. He wanted
to go up there, but Sentinel couldn’t fly at full speed with Neil on her back.
It would take several hours to get there. Even if he got there, he had to track
them down amidst the chaos.

Claire pulled him into a hug. “Hey,
it’s gonna be okay. I have their numbers, so I can call them. Let’s get back to
the house. They might try calling there.”

Neil nodded and went over to his
team. Noxis was still laying on the ground, bracing for her punishment. He
quietly recalled everyone except for Ember. Neil and Claire climbed on Ember’s
back, and she quickly flew them back to the house.

The moment Ember touched the
ground, Neil leapt off her back and sprinted toward the house. He slammed
against the front door before realizing it was locked. He scrambled to unlock
the door and rushed inside. He went straight for the cordless phone in the
living room and checked for any missed calls.

There were none.

Neil sighed in defeat and sat on
the sofa. Claire sat down next to him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.
“They’re gonna call, okay?” she whispered.

Neil nodded and used the remote on
the table to turn on the TV. Thick grey smoke covered the screen. People and
Pokémon, covered in dust, sweat, and occasionally blood, ran through the thick
smoke. Fear was all over their faces. The word’s; BREAKING NEWS: POKÉMON LEAGUE
ATTACKED lined the bottom of the screen. Neil squeezed Claire’s hand.  This is
horrible. What the hell happened?

“As you can see, the entire city is
in chaos,” the reporter said. “There has been no sighting of the Tyranitar, but
its wrath can be felt all over the city. Everyone is fleeing to the League building
for safety. Water main breaks and downed powerlines are creating very hazardous
conditions. Police urge anyone staying indoors to remain where they are unless
absolutely necessary. There is still talk of evacuating the entire city.

“What are they waiting for?” Neil
asked. “Get everyone out of there!”

“They can’t risk the Tyranitar
going after anyone trying to escape,” Claire said.

“I just received word that former
Champion, Maya Martin has led the Tyranitar away from the city,” the reporter
cried happily.

“Is she crazy?!” Claire cried.
“That thing could kill her!”

“I’m more surprised she’s giving a
damn about someone other than herself,” Neil said bitterly.

“I know you two don’t get along,
but she was still your friend once.”

“I didn’t mean it like that. Of
course I don’t want anything to happen to her. It’s just Maya was the never the
hero type. My friend Patrick was always the one telling us we had to help
people because it was the right thing to do. Maya always said it was a waste of
time.”

“Sounds like you’re friend rubbed
off on her.”

Yeah
eight years too late. Neil was saved from further conversation when the
phone rang. He climbed over Claire in his rush to get the phone. “Hello? Mom,
is that you?”

“Neil! Thank goodness! I tried
calling you, but I wasn’t getting an answer.”

“It that Neil?” It was his father
this time. “Neil are you okay?”

            Neil
collapsed into the nearest chair, smiling so wide his cheeks hurt. “Really?
You’re the ones in the battle zone and you’re worrying about me?”

            “We’re
you’re parents, it’s our job to worry about you.”

            “I’m so
glad to hear you’re both okay, Mrs. Léonide,” Claire said.

            “It’s nice
to hear from you, too, Claire,” Jocelyne said. “Baby, I’m so sorry we made you
worry like that. Your father and Cadence are fine, too. Everything is absolute
chaos down here. People are panicking and the police can’t get a handle on the
situation. We haven’t heard word from Maya yet. Cadence is losing her mind
worrying about it. She already lost one child. I don’t think she could handle
it a second time.”

            “I’m pretty
sure if Maya died, they’d send her back.”

            “Neil,
that’s not funny,” Jocelyne scolded.

            “It wasn’t
a joke. Once, she made a cop feel bad for yelling at us. Trust me, she’s so
stubborn, Death is stalling out having to deal with her.”

            “That
sounds exactly like her,” Jocelyne said. He could hear the smile in her voice.
“Listen, Neil, I have to go, but I’ll keep you posted.”

            “Sure, Mom.
Stay safe.” Neil sat the phone on the table and snuggled up to Claire

            Claire
snuggled up to him. “See, everything worked out fine. So when do you plan to apologize
to Noxis?”

            Neil raised
a brow at her. “Why am I apologizing for something she did wrong? She broke my
holo caster.”

            “This has
nothing to do with that and you know it,” Claire shot back, her voice rising.
“You were upset because you were worried about your parents and you took it out
on her. Did it ever occur to you that she was trying to help?”

            “Help? By knocking
the thing out my hand and barbequing it?” Neil said, his voice rising as well.
“Yeah, I felt so much better being left in the dark.”

            “All she
saw was you were getting upset over that thing. She took away the source of
your torment.”

            “None of my
other Pokémon thought to do that!”

            “Your other
Pokémon aren’t trying to impress you!” Claire was on her feet now.

            Neil
remained seated. “Yeah right. If she was with her last trainer, she wouldn’t
have blinked without permission. Now that she’s with me, she becomes bold. I’m
starting to wonder if she really had it that bad.”

            Claire
stared at Neil in shock. “Did you really just say that? Did you not see the way
she reacted when you yelled at her? Ember had to tell you to back off.”

The phone rang. Neil continued to
stare at Claire, refusing to back down. Claire returned the gaze. The stopped
ringing only to start back up again. Neil broke eye contact and checked the
caller ID. Sharon was calling him.

            “It’s my
mom,” He got up and went out the back door. He checked to make sure the door
was closed so Claire couldn’t overhear and answered the call.

            The first
thing he heard was the sound of glass breaking and Sharon’s furious voice. “Who
does that bitch think she is talking to me
that way?”

            “Hello, is
this Neil Léonide,” a different female voice said. She was strangely calm
despite the furious rant happening behind her. “Ms. Sharon Harris wishes to
speak with you.”

            “Uh, yeah.
Put her on.”

            “One
moment.”

            Footsteps,
then some indistinct conversation. More footsteps, then Sharon’s voice much
calmer than before. “Hello, Neil. I take it you’ve heard the news.”

            “Yeah, that
Tyranitar attacking the city is pretty crazy,” Neil said.

            “Oh please.
There hasn’t been a single report of it killing anyone. People saw a Pokémon
losing its temper and panicked. If it really wanted to attack this city, there
would be way more destruction. But back to the real reason I’m calling you. You
told me Maya would never back down from a fight, so explain why she forfeited
just before the end.”

            Neil did
his best to keep his face neutral in case Claire was watching him. Nice to see your priorities are in order. “I
also told you I haven’t spoken to Maya in years. Besides, if she forfeited that
means you won.”

            “This was
not about winning!” Sharon thundered. “She humiliated
me! On national television!”

            Neil sighed
and rubbed his forehead. “You’re career’s not dead, Sharon. You still have the
title. The next trainer who challenges you will still have to take it from
you.”

            “No one’s
taking anything from me,” Sharon said icily. The phone felt colder in Neil’s
hand. “This is far from over. I’ll be moving forward with the next part of my
plan. Maya will not be reveling in her glory.”

            Neil’s
stomach dropped a little. “But you said if you released that picture, the
League would catch a lot of heat for it.”

            “I’m not
releasing the photo, Neil. I’m talking about something much better,” Sharon
said the glee creeping into her voice. “But I will need your help.”

            Neil’s brow
rose. “Help with what exactly?”

            “Nothing
illegal, I promise you. Just when the time comes, you are to speak honestly
about your feelings toward Maya.”

            “No
problems there. But how will I know when the time comes?”

            “You’ll
know. I’ll keep in touch. Congratulations on your book by the way.”

            Sharon
ended the call. Neil looked at the phone wondering what he got himself into. He
felt dirty. Sharon clearly wasn’t too worried about restoring the good name of
the Champion title. Maybe it would be best if someone took her down, but there
was no way he was asking Claire to do it like Gwendoline asked. He didn’t trust
her either.

            Neil went
back inside. He would have to do it himself. He couldn’t think of anyone else
and couldn’t drag someone else into this anyway. The problem was his abuse
investigation. If even a whisper got around, his career was done. Worse, if
Sharon found out about it and his betrayal she would, no doubt, strangle him
with it. But his biggest worry was Claire. She would be upset he went behind
her back and became Champion and for not telling her about the eight-badge
rule. He decided not to tell Claire about the conversation with Gwen. She
didn’t need to become a part of whatever power struggle was happening. She
would become Champion on her terms when she was ready.

            Claire was
still laying on the sofa in the living room. Noble had been released from his
ball and lay with her, his body curled around hers like a big green barrier.
Claire had changed the channel to an action movie. Neil squeezed between them,
earning him a disapproving stare from the Serperior as he slithered to the
floor.

            Neil
wrapped his arms around Claire, and the tension from before vanished. Or maybe
she wasn’t willing to start an argument given today’s events. They lay on the
sofa, holding each other while the news continued. Close to a hundred people
were reported injured, but no casualties, save one, a trainer named Leo Berardi
was found dead. Police were investigating if his death was related to the
Pokémon attack. Eventually, the news ended and returned to its scheduled
program which was a romance movie about two trainers battling to become
Champions.

            “Ugh, we
just started this movie and I can tell the plot is beyond cheesy,” Claire groaned.
She started flipping through channels. “It’s because of crap like that why I
hate chick flicks.” She eventually settled on a crime drama. “Finally,
something with suspense.”

            Noble
extended a vine and tried to take the remote, but Claire pulled it away. “Just
because you like trashy romance movies, doesn’t mean I have to put up with
them.” Noble huffed angrily in response and laid his head on the floor.

            Neil just
lay there, staring at the screen but not watching the movie. He was glad to
know his parents were okay, but he couldn’t stop worrying about Maya. Stop. Just stop thinking about her. What do
I care if something happens to her? We’re not friends anymore.

            “So what
did Sharon want?” Claire asked. Neil could only stare at her in surprise. As if
sensing his astonishment, she added, “I’m not stupid. Why else would you go
outside to talk to your mother?”

            “She’s
pissed Maya forfeit the match. Now people are saying Maya let her win.”

            Claire
shrugged. “Maybe Sharon should’ve thought of that before she goes challenging
people,” she said, nettled.

            Neil’s brow
rose. “What does that mean?”

            “Nothing. I
don’t think it’s fair how people are judging her without even trying to know
the truth. Sharon just decided she was unworthy. What gives her the right to
decide what people do and don’t deserve?”

Neil sat up. He had to have heard
Claire wrong. “Are you…defending Maya? Just last week, you got on my case for
defending her!”

Claire stared straight ahead,
refusing to meet Neil’s eyes. “Well…I realized my judgment might have been a
little…premature.”

Before Neil could probe further,
the phone rang again. This time it was his mother. He again answered without
hesitation.

“Hey, Neil, honey,” Jocelyne said,
in a false sweet voice. Neil felt an all too familiar chill creep up his spine.
She only used that false sweet voice when she was trying hide how pissed she
was. “Just wanted you to know we found Maya. She’s a little shaken up, but
okay. We’ll be heading back a little earlier than expected.”

“O-Okay. Mom, is everything okay?”

“No,” Jocelyne replied, quickly,
firmly. She let out a long, slow sigh. “It’s a long story. I just can’t believe
how unfair things are sometimes. Anyway, I just wanted to give you a heads up
so we don’t surprise you at a bad time.”

“Mooom,” Neil groaned.

Jocelyne snorted into the phone. “You’re
an adult. I know what you two do when no one’s around. How do you think you
were born?” She hung up before Neil could respond leaving him with this complex
feeling of shock and repulsion.

            Claire
still watched TV as she asked, “So what did your mom want?”

            “Nothing
important,” Neil said. He replaced the phone in the cradle and wrapped his arms
around Claire. “Short version: Everyone’s okay, and she doesn’t want us fooling
around while they’re gone.”

            Claire
nodded in approval, proof she stopped listening after “Everyone’s okay.” Noble
looked back at him, red eyes piercing through him as if looking for something. Neil
wondered if Noble overheard his conversation with Sharon. Even knowing the
Serperior couldn’t in any way tell Claire the truth, it still made Neil
nervous. She didn’t need to know. The less she knew of this the better. That
way if it all came crashing down around him, she wouldn’t go down with him.

            Neil
cuddled with his girlfriend and tried to watch the movie with her, but he was
finding it hard to focus. I’m sorry, he
thought.

            “Don’t be.”

            Neil
started at the sound of her voice. “Huh? Did you say something?”

            “I’m
talking about this movie,” Claire said. “Now be quiet. I wanna if this guy’s
guilty or not.”

            Neil fell
silent and watched the movie. Turned out the guy was guilty.