Tainted Glory
By Evan Drake

Chapter 17: Neil VS Sharon

Neil held up the piece of Ampharosite and watched the way it
glowed in the sun’s light coming through the window. The tournament was easier
than he expected. It still didn’t feel good. After what happened to Ian, he
almost dropped out himself. Part of him still wondered why he didn’t.

I should’ve gone after him. Some
friend I am.

            The
devastation on Ian’s face as he was laughed off the field was burned into Neil’s
memory. He wanted to make sure Ian was all right, but doing that would’ve meant
he couldn’t finish the tournament.

            It
surprised him that he would think that way. That he would put a battle before
one of his friends. Even more worrying was the lack of guilt. Sure, he felt
bad, but nowhere near as bad as he expected to.

            Not like
I have much room to complain now.

“Neil Léonide? The champion is
ready for you,” the receptionist said. “You may use that elevator to reach the radiant
chamber. Good luck.”

Neil nodded and headed for the
elevator. It was actually happening, he was challenging the Champion of the
Kalos region. Turned out that “loophole” Gwendoline mentioned was real after all.
All he had to do was flash his eight gym badges and they allowed him entry to
the Pokémon League to challenge the Elite Four. The battles were tough but
manageable. Even Siebold, who specialized in water-type Pokémon, wasn’t as
difficult as Neil expected.

He just wished the circumstances
were different. This moment was supposed to be special. His friends and family
cheering him on, Claire waiting for him in the Hall of Fame. Instead, he was
alone. No one even knew he was there. No one waited for him on the other side
of the door. No one would see. He specifically requested that his battle be
kept private. This fight wasn’t about fame or promises. This was to protect
Claire from the dark side of Pokémon training.

Even knowing it was all business,
his chest swelled with excitement. Neil Léonide, Champion of Kalos. It had a
nice ring to it.

The elevator ride was long. For
every second he ascended, more of the Kalos region spread out beneath him. It
almost felt like climbing a mountain. I wonder what Maya was thinking as she
rode this. He quickly pushed the thought from his mind. Knowing her, she
thought only of crushing her enemy and nothing more.

The elevator’s doors opened leading
to a massive chamber. He had seen it on TV, but seeing it in person was another
experience entirely. The place reminded him of a throne room. Massive
stained-glass windows, covered in large white curtains flowing from an unknown
breeze, surrounded the chamber. The light pouring through gave the whole place
an otherworldly feel. In the center of the floor was another massive painting
drawn in abstract symbols of the various Pokémon types.

It felt like standing on sacred
ground. The story of how the Kalos Pokémon League came to be entered his mind
and the thinking of how many unworthy trainers passed through these halls, defiling
its true purpose, made him grind his teeth. Maya opened the gate, and Sharon made
sure they never closed. He intended to make this place pure again.

            Sharon
stood on the other side of the battlefield, staring at him viperously. Next to
her was her Espeon. The small feline Pokémon’s face showed no emotion as she
swayed her forked tail in the air.

            “Is this
really how you want to play this?” Sharon asked.

            “I don’t
have a choice. Someone I care about is being dragged into this, so it’s either
her or me.”

            “You
couldn’t think to warn me?”

            “And give
you a chance to plot against me? I’m not stupid, Sharon.”

            Sharon’s
gaze turned even icier. Somehow Neil managed to remain stoic. They were never friends,
and he had the sneaking suspicion she planned to stab him in the back at some
point.

            “Fine,”
Sharon said, her voice and expression neutral. “Just so you know, I won’t be
going easy on you like I was with Maya. I made that mistake once.” She pulled
back her jacket, revealing two Poké Balls clipped to her belt. Both balls had
black upper hemispheres with a yellow U on them. “Not this time.”

            Neil raised
a brow. “Really? You’re so confident, you think you can beat my team with just
two Pokémon?”

            “I will not
lose my title, and especially not to some self-righteous upstart like you!” She
threw the Poké Ball into the air, releasing a large, bluish Pokémon onto the
field. He recognized the Pokémon immediately as a Nidoqueen. The Nidoqueen
glared at him down her blunt snout.

            I don’t
remember ever seeing her use a Nidoqueen before. Neil was surprised by the Pokémon’s
intimidating aura. Her red eyes seemed to be looking right through him. The spikes
running down her back seemed pointed and dangerous. Even the way her thick tail
brushed along the floor looked more like a heavy club than an appendage.

            It wasn’t a
good sign. When a Pokémon gave off an intimidating aura like that, it was very
powerful. This Pokémon wouldn’t go down easy.

All of that trepidation vanished
when he noticed she was missing half of her left arm. “Are you making fun of
me?” he asked, fists shaking at his sides. “You’re only using two Pokémon, and
one of them is handicapped?”

            Sharon
smiled. “Think of it as giving you an advantage.”

            It still
bothered him. Since she was using a handicapped Pokémon in an official League
match, she had to get the Nidoqueen certified for battling again. That proved she
was capable, but he couldn’t shake the feeling it was done to mock him.

            “Fine. Have
it your way. Let’s go, Garden,” Neil cried.

The Breloom appeared on the
battlefield in a flash of light. Neil was really glad he had recruited her.
With her Poison Heal ability, she was the perfect opponent for the
poison/ground type.

“Nina, use Toxic Spikes!” Sharon
commanded.

The Nidoqueen roared and launched
little purple spikes onto the battlefield.

Neil fought the urge to smile and
give away his strategy. With Poison Heal, Garden would recover any damage she
took. All they had to do now was outlast their opponent. “Get in close and use
Force Palm!”

Garden launched herself halfway
across the battlefield in a single leap. She landed in the toxic minefield and
continued her charge uninterrupted.

Even with one arm, Nina held her
own and redirected Garden’s strikes while angling her body to avoid any vital
spots from getting hit. Neil ordered her to keep up the pressure. Force Palm wasn’t
the best move to use on poison types but it could cause paralysis if used
correctly. Once that happened, the battle was as good as won.

Garden threw another punch, but
instead of blocking or dodging, Nina caught the strike.

“Now, use Venom Drench,” Sharon
said.

            Before Neil
could say anything, the Breloom was drenched in what looked like a toxic
substance. Garden sputtered and struggled but couldn’t free herself.

             “Garden, use Spore!”

            Nina
immediately broke the hold and leaped back just avoiding the cloud of spores
that surrounded Garden.

            “Now use
Bulk Up,” Neil said.

            “Earth
Power.”

            Nina’s body
began to glow and Garden leaped into the air just as the floor began to shake.
The Nidoqueen rushed forward into the path where Garden was going to land.

            Neil
intended to make the most of the advantage. “Use Seed Bomb!”

            Nina
stopped her charge and adopted a defensive stance as Garden rained down several
hard-shelled seeds onto the battlefield. Garden landed neatly in front of the
Nidoqueen. Nina immediately aimed a punch at the smaller Breloom who flipped
into the air again, this time landing on Nina’s back.

            Before Neil
could say anything, Nina reached up and grabbed Garden’s tail and swung her
around in the air.

            “Garden,
try to aim your Seed Bomb and knock yourself loose!”

            Nina
slammed Garden face-first into the ground. A sickening crack filled Neil’s
ears. Garden gave a strangled gasp of pain. The Nidodqueen flung Garden across
the field like throwing a pebble. She slid along the floor until she slammed
into the wall. She continued to lay there and made no attempts to get up.

            “What were
you saying about beating me?” Sharon asked in a deadpan voice.

            Neil glared
at her as he recalled Garden to her Poké Ball. That didn’t go as planned. I
didn’t think she could take down Garden that quickly. This isn’t good.

            “All
right, Sentinel, you’re up.” He threw the Dragonite’s Poké Ball into the air. She
materialized in the air and hovered over the battlefield, staring down at Nina
who didn’t look impressed.

            “Make sure
you don’t touch the ground,” Neil warned. “Toxic Spikes is everywhere.”

Sentinel gave a short nod.

“If you two are done strategizing,
can we get on with this?” Sharon asked.

It took everything Neil had not to
tell her off. “All right, Sentinel, use Dragon Dance.”

Sentinel began moving and twisting
her body in a mystic dance that defied the shape of her body. It was
mesmerizing to watch as a red aura enveloped her.

“Use Hidden Power,” Sharon said.

Sentinel just managed to cancel her
dance to dodge the wave of energy Nina sent her way. She continued to fire wave
after wave of energy, stopping Sentinel from starting up Dragon Dance again.

 “All right. Get in close and use Dragon Rush.”

            Sentinel flipped
into the air avoiding another shot of Hidden Power. At the height of her jump,
she streaked towards her target like a missile. There was no time for Sharon to
give a command, and she didn’t attempt to. Sentinel slammed into the Nidoqueen.
Nina stayed on her feet, but the force of the attack drove her backward. Neil
cringed at the sound of her claws digging into the floor. But she wasn’t
stopping. Sentinel roared and flapped her wings, the aura around her increased
in its intensity, and Nina slid backward faster.

            The two of
them slammed into the wall. Sentinel continued to press her attack.

            “Disable,”
Sharon said calmly.

            “Sentinel,
m—”

            Nina looked
the Dragonite in the eye with an intense stare. Sentinel went rigid.

            Shit!

            “Hidden
Power.”

            Sentinel
was struck in the chest with a wave of energy at point-blank range. She flew
through the air and landed on her back. Nina wasted no time jumping onto her
prey. Using her powerful legs to pin Sentinel’s arms down, she drenched the
Dragonite in the same dark liquid she used on Garden.

            Sentinel
thrashed beneath her captor but the Nidoqueen was unfazed. Eventually, Nina got
off on her own. Sentinel was slow to recover and get up. Her face dripping with
the dark liquid, she wiped her eyes and spat on the ground.

            Neil ground
his teeth. Something was wrong. Sentinel was playing tough, but she clutched at
her chest and her breathing was irregular. He whirled on Sharon. “What did you
do to her?!”

            “This is a
battle. I’m not obligated to give you tips. Perhaps you should’ve studied
Pokémon attacks before coming here.”

            Neil
growled. Sentinel was in no condition to keep going, but she was his best shot.
With Toxic Spikes active, none of his other Pokémon could even touch the field.
Ember could fly, but he wanted to save her for Sharon’s Espeon. Velvet held up
against Maya’s mega evolved Mawile, so taking her down wouldn’t be easy. He
could use Noxis to remove the Toxic Spikes, but sending a fire/poison hybrid
against a ground type was suicide. And he wanted to keep Noxis out of this if
he could help it. Her probationary period was over, but he didn’t want her
first match to be against a Champion.

            “Sentinel,
are you okay to keep going?”

            Sentinel
spat another glob of liquid on the ground and nodded.

            “She can
barely stand,” Sharon said. “Call her back.”

            “Worry
about your own Pokémon. Sentinel, use Fire Punch, and don’t hold back!”

            Sentinel
charged forward, her fists covered in flames. Neil’s jaw dropped. The flames
covering her fists were weak and her punches were sloppy. Nina dodged them
without even trying. He was certain she was just showing off at this point. She
probably didn’t even need to dodge.

            Sharon
sighed heavily. “I might as well tell you if it means I don’t have to watch
this pitiful display. The move Nina used is called Venom Drench. It weakens any
Pokémon that has been poisoned, making them easier prey.” She rolled her eyes
and sighed again. “And now that you get it, I can end this ridiculous battle.”

            Nina dodged
another punch then drove her fist into Sentinel’s gut. Sentinel fell to all
fours. She was then struck in the back with another wave of energy and knocked
to the floor.

            Neil swore
and recalled Sentinel to her Poké Ball. This was bad. He was already down two
Pokémon and her one still showed no signs of slowing down. With Toxic Spikes,
none of his Pokémon could even touch the floor without falling victim to Venom
Drench. Then there was still Velvet to deal with.

            I have
no choice. I need to force her to switch now. If she brings out her Espeon, the
Toxic Spikes will wear her down. It’s my best option. “You’re up, Ember!”

            Ember burst
from her ball and took to the air. Neil wasted no more time activating her
keystone. The mega bracer around Ember’s neck glowed bright and she was
enveloped in a cocoon of light. The air around him howled and whipped the curtains
into a frenzy. Sharon and her Pokémon looked on, stone-faced.

            The cocoon
shattered revealing Ember’s mega evolved form. She still had some of her
original appearance but her body was leaner. She had three horns instead of
two. Her wings and tail had grown longer and small wings appeared on her
wrists. A single flap of her newly developed wings sent a powerful gust of air
over the battlefield as she threw her head back and roared.

            The sun
brightened through the windows in response to her new ability.

            “Mega
evolving already?” Sharon asked.

            “Laugh it
up while you can. Ember, give her a taste of your new power with Flamethrower!”

            Ember fired
a massive cone of blue flames onto the battlefield. Nina leaped away from the
attack, but Ember continued to drag the flames across the battlefield putting
the Nidowqueen on the defensive. Neil was impressed that such a large Pokémon
could move so quickly.

            “Find an
opening and use Thunder Punch!” Sharon cried.

            Neil
smiled. She had to be getting desperate if she thought Thunder Punch would
reach a Pokémon in the air.

            The air crackled
with electricity as Nina charged up her attack. She rolled out of the way of
another sweeping Flamethrower and punched the air, firing a bolt of electricity
from her fist.

            Ember froze
and took a direct hit. Neil was shocked as well. “What?! How did she do that?”

            “If you
don’t know that, then you really have no chance of beating me,” Sharon said.

            Ember was
stunned by the blast, but she managed to recover before hitting the ground.
There wasn’t any time to breathe, however, as Nina was already charging another
attack.

            I stand
a better chance than you think. “Use Solarbeam!”

            The two
attacks collided. Neil shielded his eyes from the dazzling glare caused by the
two moves. The cacking electricity made it impossible to find the Pokémon by
sound. But that meant Sharon was in the same boat. It was a guessing game. This
attack had to decide it. Whoever guessed wrong would lose.

            “Ember, use
Blast Burn at full power!” Neil cried.

            He didn’t
see what happened next. He immediately threw his jacket over his head and
turned away. Blast Burn was the most powerful fire-type move. It would give off
an incredible amount of heat.

            The force
of the blast nearly knocked him off his feet. A wave of heat and dust washed
over him. He kept his eyes closed tight and waited for everything to quiet
down.

            He felt
like he had walked into an oven when things finally quieted down and he risked
taking his jacket off. Surprisingly the room hadn’t caught fire and the windows
held up, but a large crater had been made in the floor. Ember hovered over the
battlefield, staring down at the floor. Neil smiled at seeing his Charizard
still standing, but his smile fell when he saw Nina was still standing as well.
Streams of smoke rose from her body but she looked fine. She wasn’t even
breathing hard.

            That’s
not possible. How could she still be standing after all that? Unless…did Ember
miss?

            “Well,
you certainly don’t know the meaning of restraint,” Sharon said. She took off
her shirt and wiped her brow with it. “What do you say we take a break? I don’t
want to battle in a sauna and your Pokémon who were poisoned should be
treated.”

            Neil nodded
in agreement and recalled Ember to her Poké Ball. He rode the elevator back
down to the treatment center alone. During the ride, he went over his options.
Ember couldn’t battle anymore or she would be too worn out to face Velvet. On
the upside, the toxic spikes should be gone so he could use his other Pokémon
without worry.

            The problem
was who could he use? Light was at a huge disadvantage against a ground-type.
Noxis was out of the question. That meant Pyrus was his only option. But even
if Pyrus managed to take down Nina, Velvet wouldn’t go down any easier.

            He couldn’t
afford to lose here. No way was he letting Claire face off against those
Pokémon.

            The nurse
promised to look after Neil’s Pokémon while he returned to the battle then took
Garden and Sentinel in the back. Neil made sure he was alone before releasing
Ember from her Poké Ball. She still maintained her mega evolved form which was
good.

            “I need to
pull out a miracle, girl,” Neil said. He dug out the Full Restore with the
serum in it. “I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to test it, but we don’t have an
option.”

            Ember
warbled worriedly pushed the bottle away.

            “Please, we
don’t have any other options. Sharon’s Pokémon are at a level above what I
expected. Her team is strong and she knows it. That’s why we need every
advantage we can get.”

            Ember
nodded and allowed Neil to spray her with the serum. He then returned her to
her Poké Ball and got on the elevator.

            A wave of
cool air greeted him when the elevator door opened at the radiant chamber.
Sharon stood in the same place as before when Neil returned. The only
difference was Velvet stood in the middle of the battlefield instead of Nina
who now stood behind Sharon.

            “I’m
surprised you came back. I thought after seeing my Pokémon’s strength, you
would’ve given up.”

            “Why would
I give up when I’m winning?” Neil asked smugly.

            The smile
on Sharon’s face fell. “You think just because you have four Pokémon to my two
that puts you at an advantage?”

            “I’m not
stupid. You switched out your Nidoqueen. She doesn’t show it, but she must be
getting tired.”

            Sharon’s
silence told him he hit the right mark.

I can’t afford to hold back. I’m
pulling out all the stops. I just hope Light’s body holds out. Neil pulled
out Light’s Poké Ball. “So let’s say we end this? Light, you’re up!” He tossed the Poké Ball into the air,
releasing the Jolteon on the field. She faced Velvet with a strong bark and
adopted her attack stance, her fur sticking out from her body.

“A Jolteon? You’re not going to use
your Charizard?” Sharon asked.

“Why? You scared?”

Sharon’s lips pressed into a thin line. Velvet continued to remain
calm, her tail swaying in perfect rhythm.

“Light, we’re not pulling any
punches this time around,” Neil said. “Let’s start things off with overcharge.”

Light looked worriedly at her
trainer.

“I know you’re not really used to
it yet. But it’s our only option. It’s okay. I believe in you. You got this.”

Light still looked nervous, but she
nodded and faced her opponent. Velvet continued to watch without seemingly a
care in the world. It angered Neil to see the Espeon’s guard completely
relaxed.

Light took a deep breath and her
body began to glow. The crackling of electricity filled the air again and her
fur became spikier than before. Bolts of electricity could be seen running
through her fur.

Velvet’s tail stopped moving.

Sharon’s eyes widened. “What is
that? What did you do?”

“Sorry, but I’m not about to give
you tips,” Neil said smartly. “Light, use Quick Attack!”

In a blink, Light was gone. Velvet
suddenly jerked backward as if struck by something and Light reappeared several
feet away. The Espeon stared in shock.

Neil smiled. He didn’t need to see
it to know that his plan worked. It was still in the experimental stage, but
Light used the electricity generated in her body to stimulate her muscles and
improve her already impressive speed. The problem was the technique wore her
out faster, making it useless in extended battles.

It was the same technique Maya
taught to her Manectric, Sparks who could do it naturally and hold it for much
longer periods. He hated having to resort to a technique she created, but he had no other choice. Losing to Sharon wasn’t an
option and defeating her Pokémon would take verything he had. The technique
wasn’t illegal, and now was not the time to let his pride get in the way.

“What just happened? What did you
do?” Sharon asked, her voice full of panic.

“This is a battle, not a
conversation.” He was enjoying her frustration too much, but he didn’t care.

Sharon’s expression darkened. “It
doesn’t matter. Velvet, hit her with Psychic!”

“Use Quick Attack.”

Just as the orb in the center of
Velvet’s forehead began to glow, Light vanished from view again. A split second
later, Velvet was sent skidding backward and Light stood where the Espeon used
to be.

Sharon’s mouth dropped. Neil couldn’t
help but laugh.

Sharon regained her composure, but
she gave him a venomous look. “So you somehow trained your Jolteon to instantaneously
increase her speed. I don’t know how you did it, but I doubt she can maintain
it for long periods.”

Neil shrugged. “You can try to
stall me out, but I’ll just tell Light not to use it.” It was a bluff. He could
do that, but she wouldn’t be able to trigger it again until she recovered.

“Meaning this will be a war of
attrition then. Either you defeat my Espeon before your Jolteon runs out of
stamina or Velvet beats you.” Her expression turned more serious. “Even if you
somehow manage to win, she’ll be too tired to face Nina. You would sacrifice
your Pokémon like that?”

“I’m not sacrificing anybody.
Light’s gonna beat your Espeon and your Nidoqueen if she has to.”

Sharon laughed. “You have a great
deal of faith in your Pokémon. I guess a good trainer should, but a better one
knows his team’s limits.”

“Shut up! I know my team.”

“True,” Sharon replied calmly,
nodding. “But I do know one thing: While we’ve been standing here talking, my
Espeon has been using Calm Mind.”

“What?!”

“We never put our battle on hold,
Neil. Velvet use Psychic!”

“Light, move in!”

Light vanished from view. She
reappeared near Velvet who was knocked backward, but then Light was knocked
through the air by some unseen force.

Neil was stunned. Did her Espeon
learn how to time her attacks? She learned how to read Light’s movements that
quickly?

Light struggled to her feet. Even
though she was standing, her body shook and the glow of her fur dimmed. It was
a sign the overcharge was taking its toll on her. Unless Neil ended this battle
fast, the Jolteon would be unable to move. She had maybe one or two attacks
left before her body gave out. Less if she took another hit like before.

Thanks
to Calm Mind, that damn Espeon is more resistant. The only way to beat her is
to use her power against her. It’s gonna be tight, but I hope it works.

“Go, Light! Confuse her then hit
her with Shadow Ball!”

Sharon folded her arms across her
chest. “You know what to do.”

Light disappeared then reappeared
behind Velvet. The Espeon ran toward the outer wall. The Shadow Ball slammed
into another wall of light and protected her retreat. The air around Light shimmered.

That was the opening Neil was
looking for. Putting space between you won’t give you more time to react.
“Now, use Quick Attack!”

Light and Velvet vanished. It took
Neil a moment to realize that they had switched places. Light had charged
forward from her new position and ran head-first into the wall. The air around
her shimmered and she was launched into the air. He could only watch as she landed
on her back with a loud crack and became still.

Neil couldn’t breathe. How?
Velvet’s timing had to be perfect to use Ally Switch.

The glow of Light’s fur faded and
her fur relaxed. Neil recalled the Pokémon. She wouldn't be able to move for
days after pushing herself, but he had more pressing matters to deal with. This
was the worst possible outcome. Not only was the Espeon still standing, but had
been buffed with Calm Mind.

Ember was his last option. She was
likely the only one with the power to break Velvet’s defenses. If she couldn’t
win, he would have no choice but to forfeit. No way could he expect Pyrus to
take on both Pokémon by himself.

As if sensing his thoughts, Ember’s
Poké Ball opened and she appeared on the battlefield. A threatening growl
emanated from her and the flame on the tip of her tail blazed fiercely. The
light shining through the window intensified again.

Velvet’s ears twitched and she
tilted her head.

Sharon lowered her arms. “Is
something wrong, Velvet?”

“It’s all up to you, Ember. Start
by using—"

Ember spread her wings and took to
the air, sending a powerful gust of air that cut off the rest of Neil’s
command. With a roar of rage, she streaked towards Velvet.

Her claws slammed into the wall of
light surrounding the Espeon, filling the air with the grating sound of nails
on glass. Neil cringed. Ember began slashing at the barrier with wild abandon.

“Ember, calm down! You can’t win
that way?”

“It would seem your Charizard has
snapped.”

“Shut up!”

Ember was struck by a wave of
energy from Velvet, but she quickly recovered and charged again. She loosed a
stream of flames from her mouth at point-blank onto the barrier. A burst of
dazzling light knocked her back again. Ember recovered even faster than before
and charged again.

“Ember, stop!”

His cries went ignored as she
continuously charged Velvet only to strike the barrier and be knocked back
again and again.

Neil gripped Ember’s Poké Ball. Should
I call her back? If I do that, I might as well admit she lost. But if I can use
this rage to take Velvet down first, my odds will be that much better.

“Neil, what’s wrong with your
Charizard?” Sharon asked. Her voice no longer carried its usual confident and
condescending tone. Now it was filled with fear. “Something isn’t right.”

“Wait, what?”

Ember spun and struck the barrier
with her tail. It shattered and Velvet was swept across the floor. Ember wasted
no time launched towards her downed opponent, jaws open wide with blue flames
licking her maw. Velvet rolled just in time to avoid the bite attack, but she was
struck by a swipe of Ember’s claws. Neil’s stomach dropped when he saw blood.
Sharon’s hands flew over her mouth.

Neil raised Ember’s Poké Ball.
“Whoa, what are you doing?! Ember, that’s enough!”

The red beam from the ball missed
its mark as Ember took the air and streaked towards Velvet again.

Velvet’s fur had turned a deep
shade of violet, her purple eyes had turned red, and her dainty paws and tail
were pointed and dangerous. With a single look, Ember was struck by a shadowy
burst of energy and flung through the air. She hit the ground and rolled for a
bit before reverting to her original form and falling still.

Neil’s body moved on autopilot
making him recall Ember to her ball. This couldn’t be happening. He lost. The moment
Ember drew blood, he forfeit the battle and possibly his license.

Velvet returned to her original
look and walked over to Sharon. Sharon knelt down and examined her Pokémon. “It
doesn’t look too deep, but I want to get it looked at.” She turned to Nina.
“Can you escort Neil to my room?

****

Neil sat on the couch in the Champion’s room, playing with
his hands. He still couldn’t fathom what had happened. Ember had never flown
into a rage like that. But what set her off? It couldn’t be because he was losing.
He had lost battles before and she never reacted that way. Sentinel had the
shortest temper of all his Pokémon and yet even she had never gone overboard
like that.

            He snapped
out of his thoughts at the sound of the door opening. He didn’t raise his head
to see who it was. There were two sets of light footsteps followed by a pair of
much heavier ones.

            “Well, it
would seem Velvet’s injuries weren’t too severe, “Sharon said. She placed a
tray containing his team’s Poké Balls on the table. “Now, what did you do?”

            Neil raised
his head. “What are you talking about?”

            Nina seized
him by the front of his shirt and lifted him off his feet.

            “Whoa,
whoa! Put me down!”

            “I’m
through playing games with you, Neil. Your Charizard was mild one moment then
in an uncontrollable rage the next, and her power had dramatically increased as
well.” She patted Nina and the Nidoqueen dropped Neil onto the sofa. Sharon
then sat next him and smiled sweetly. “So I’m going to ask you again: What did
you do?”

            Neil fought
the urge to move away from her. Even if he did, Nina still towered over him. He
wasn’t going anywhere. “I…I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

            A small sigh
was her response. Nina pinned him to the sofa. He knew he couldn’t shake her
off, but he tried to free himself anyway. “Let go of me!”

            Velvet
hopped onto the sofa next to him and stared into his eyes. His strength left
him and he fell limp. The events from today replayed in his mind along with his
feelings.  It felt like his brain was being
dragged and he felt nauseous. Once his thoughts turned to present, Velvet turned
away and Nina let him go. He sat up slowly but remained on the sofa.

            He heard a
voice in his mind feminine and firm. “So that’s what you did. You must’ve
been desperate to win if you resorted to using a drug when you had no idea what
it would do.”

            He was too
stunned by what he had just learned to react other than staring with his mouth
open.

            The voice
in his head chuckled as Velvet smiled. “You humans are so predictable. Does
it shock you that much to communicate with a Pokémon?”

            He
turned to Sharon and noticed she was gone.

            “I sent
her to her room. No need for her to listen in on this.”

            “H-How--?”

            “Not
important. I’m curious about where you got this serum. You see, it’s effects
are reminiscent of an old concoction that a friend of mine went through great
lengths to destroy.”

            “What?”

            Velvet
sighed and began grooming her fur. It was then he noticed the bandage wrapped
around her torso. Nausea from before returned. She noticed him staring and
smiled. “Don’t worry. I have no intention of telling anyone about
this.” She placed a paw on his arm. “Not unless you need…persuasion to
play nice.”

            Neil pulled
his arm away. This couldn’t be real and yet he knew it was. This Espeon held
his career hostage and in a way, his life. The shame it would bring on his
family if they knew would be unbearable.

            “What do
you want to know?”

            “Let’s
start with that serum of yours.”