Chapter 26: Tipping Point
Viridian Forest, Kanto, 35 Years Ago
The forest was cold.
This late into the winter season, snow had started to fall and clung to the treetops. A crescent moon hung high in the sky, illuminating the otherwise impenetrable darkness of the forest. This late at night, no Human nor Pokemon was foolish enough to wander.
Most were holed up inside their homes or dens. Sitting around a warm fire laughing with friends and family. Maybe sharing a warm meal or just huddled together in the safety of each other's company.
All except for one boy.
This boy –barely ten years old– trudged through the forest with a tired expression and long, flowing black locks. At his side walked a young Meowth;a healthy beige fur coat covered her body while a glinting coin sat atop her head. If the sting of the cold air bothered her, then she didn't show it. As for the boy, his fogged breathing was the only thing that showed the effects of the cold on him.
The pair had already been walking for hours at this point. It'd be another few days before they escaped this desolate place– maybe even longer if they got lost or held up by territorial Pokemon.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his small flip phone before flicking it open. No reception… he wasn't surprised. Those old cell towers barely worked in the heart of the city. It was stupid to hope they'd work this far into the boonies.
This was No-Man's Land; the deepest part of the forest with trees so tall he couldn't see the top and Pokemon so rare they could only be found here. A place of natural beauty and great temptation for any Trainer… if it weren't for the danger.
This was Beedrill territory.
They'd already passed multiple warning signs urging them to turn back. He would if he could. He didn't fancy being on the pointy end of those creatures' stingers, but he didn't have a choice. If he tried to turn back, his mother's men would make him regret it, or just outright kill him. Hecould never tell what that crazy old hag had running through her head.
He shook his head. No use getting worked up over this. Either he made it out the other side to continue his journey or he wound up some hungry Beedrill's dinner.
Either way, he'd never have to deal with that Leccaculo again, a win-win in his book.
Still, Beedrill weren't the most dangerous thing right now. Most of their hives were hibernating through the winter. Only a few workers and warriors would be awake to protect and maintain it. As long as he didn't actively antagonize them, they'd leave him be.
No, the real danger was freezing to death in his sleep. He needed to find somewhere safe and get a fire going.
He glanced down at his Meowth, grabbing his mitts together with a huff. "See any good places we can make camp?"
Meowth looked around, sniffing at the air. Her tail slowly wagged back and forth as she walked, tongue darting out from between her lips. "Hard to say. I can't smell anything dangerous, but they could have hidden themselves. Sleeping prey is always easier to kill than anything else."
Giovanni nodded along to her words, mentally running a tally of any Pokemon capable of that in the area.
He'd always been… different from the rest of his family. For some reason, he could hear Pokemon talk instead of whatever it was that everyone else heard. Most people looked at him like he was crazy. A few of the older, racist kids would even take it as an excuse to beat on him.
The only one who'd ever seemed to believe him was his Nonno. He vaguely remembered an argument between the old man and his mom. Something about being a Child of the Forest?
It didn't matter. He never saw the man again after that, and his mother cracked down hard whenever she caught him talking to Pokemon. So, it became his dirty little secret. He toed the line and became the good little soldier his mother wanted, even if it was never enough. A perfectly sane and well-adjusted boy.
The joke was on her. She really shouldn't have thought so little of Pokemon. They may not have been Human, but that didn't mean they were stupid. Ask the right question with the right incentive? Congrats,you just turned a flock of Pidgey or a mischief of Rattata into a dedicated spy network.
"Well, we'll just have to pick a spot then and switch off on watch." Giovanni said. "I'm sure Nidoran and Rhyhorn won't mind helping out-"
Meowth stopped short, holding up her paw while she sniffed the air. A low purr rumbled from her throat as she crouched low to the ground. She stalked forward through the underbrush on all fours, ears folded close to her head and tail tucked between her legs.
He knew that look.
The boy followed her closely, careful not to trip over any stray roots or snap any twigs with his footsteps. Pickpocketing lessons may not have been useful for guiding him through the forest, but the grace and silent steps it taught him always came in handy.
Then he spotted it. At the other end of a small clearing was a tiny Weedle. Its horn was stuck in the trunk of a tree. Try as it might, no amount of wiggling could allow it to escape.
He really should just let this play out. There were probably thousands more Weedle just like it in the forest, and Meowth could use a nice snack before they settled in for the night. But… he had a better use for this one.
Meowth wiggled her butt, paws flexing on the ground beneath her. Just before she could pounce, the boy reached out and snatched her by the scruff of her neck.
"What gives!?" She hissed, swiping uselessly at the air.
The sound drew the attention of the Weedle. While it couldn't fully turn its head towards them, there was no mistaking the fear in the way it scrambled to pull its horn from the tree trunk.
"H-hark, pitiful creatures! You face the most fearsome of all Weedle warriors!" A girlish voice cried out from the insect, trying her best to sound intimidating. "Turn back and I shall spare your life!"
It was almost adorable how she thought that might work.
"Come on! Lemme at it!" Meowth whined. "I promise not to get any blood on your clothes this time!"
Weedle's high-pitched squeal showed what she thought of that courtesy.
"How thoughtful." He drawled. "No, I've got a better idea for her. Besides, I don't need you getting sick again. Weedle don't agree with you."
"But they taste so good and their screams are funny…." Meowth crossed her arms, refusing to look at him. "Can't we just kidnap some other Weedle for your idea and let me have this one?"
"Have you seen another Weedle the entire time we've been in this forest? Because I sure haven't." He set her down. "Now behave or it's back into the ball for you."
She grumbled, but nodded and didn't try to attack the Weedle.
The boy walked up behind the Weedle, wrapping his arms around their wriggling body. "I'm gonna help get you out. Don't try to attack or run. Otherwise, I'll let Meowth here loose. Understand?"
"Y-yes! I understand!" The little thing trembled.
Rolling his eyes, Giovanni tightened his grip on Weedle's hairy body and planted a foot on the base of the tree. With a grunt of effort and a heave of his muscles, the Bug-type popped out with a satisfying snap of wood.
Weedle shook her head, sending stray bits of bark flying. "Thank you, Human. I was stuck like that for hours."
He quirked an eyebrow. "And nothing tried to eat you?"
She blinked. "This is Beedrill territory. Nothing passing through would be caught dead trying to eat one of us… except stupid cats, but that's besides the point."
Meowth's eyes dilated, tailing dragging back and forth. Her claws flashed. "What was that, meat?"
Weedle shrank away. "N-nothing!"
The claws retracted. "That's what I thought."
"As thanks for freeing you and protecting you from my friend, you can help us find a safe place to camp out for the night." He said.
"That should be easy. There's a couple places the hives patrols only check once a week to make sure things are alright. Luckily for you, they did that yesterday." She spun around in his grasp, pointing east with her horn. "Go that way. There's a small river outlet you can sleep at."
Rescuing this little thing was already coming in handy.
"What are you even doing out here, anyway?" The boy asked as they began their march through the woods. "Shouldn't you be hibernating with the rest of your kind?"
Weedle shifted in his grip, eyes darting around. She was conflicted. "It's… hard to explain."
He shrugged. "We have time."
She narrowed her eyes. "I don't even know who you are."
A smile stretched across his face. "I'm Giovanni Sakaki Cassano. More importantly, I'm the person who got you out of that bind."
The Weedle stared at him suspiciously. "And that means I'm just supposed to trust you?"
"Would you rather he give you to me?" Meowth hissed at his side.
He sighed. "Meowth, no." He shook his head. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. I was just curious."
The little insect was silent for a moment. "I was exiled from the hive." She eventually said.
He frowned. "Why?"
"I criticized the queen. I said that we should take advantage of the other hives hibernation to attack and take their territory." She said.
Meowth's eyes glinted, a chuckle escaping her. "Ruthless. I respect it."
That was a first. He didn't think he'd ever seen Meowth do such a quick 180 on her opinion of something she once saw as food. Not that he believed that'd stop her from eating Weedle, but it was still impressive.
"And she threw you out because of that?" He asked.
"She said that I was dangerously reckless and arrogant for questioning her authority. She said that if I was that eager to wage war, then I should get to it. Then she had some of the workers fly me out here and toss me away." Weedle grumbled. "I guess I should be grateful. They normally eat anyone who speaks out of turn."
He wouldn't call this a much better turn of events. Freezing to death wasn't much better than being eaten alive, and there was every chance that could still have happened when she was exiled.
"I see… I'm sorry to hear that. We know what it's like to face the wrath of our mothers for going against them." He told her.
Weedle looked back at him, blinking. "We?"
Giovanni nodded, reaching down to stroke Meowth's ears. She leaned into his touch. "When I first met Meowth, she was the runt of the litter. Her own mother tried to kill her. Said that she was too weak and didn't want her infecting the other kittens."
A silent hiss escaped his partner. "She wouldn't know the first thing about weakness. A pampered house cat like her. Bah!"
He chuckled. "Fortunately for my friend here, I was around to stop that. Nursed her from a young age myself and made sure she grew up strong. Now, she's leagues above the rest of her litter."
Meowth licked her lips. "I wish you'd brought a camera to record when I dominated them. That was the most fun I'd had in ages."
"What about you?" Weedle asked.
"My existence is an inconvenience to my mother, I'm pretty sure." Giovanni drawled. "There's only so many times someone can slap you around or call you useless before their disdain really starts to sink in."
He still remembered the freezer and that damned bastard Pryce's laughter whenever the door shut.
"But recently? I wanted to go on a journey and see the world. See what life was like outside of her shadow." Giovanni smiled bitterly. "She… didn't take it well."
That was an understatement. Screaming matches, threats of beatings and stays in the freezer, promises to disown him from the family if he tried; she'd pulled all the stops to make it clear what she thought of the archaic practice of going on a journey.
She was an idiot. The more she hated the idea, the more he wanted to do it. Just to spite her. Besides, she couldn't disown him. As much as she may have hated him, she needed an heir to stay in power in their family.
And he was her only living son.
A fact he loved to remind her of every chance he got once he'd gotten old enough to realize what that meant.
Weedle looked down. "I see… I guess none of us can go home, can we?"
Not without the strength to back-up their return. That was the thing about turning your back on where you came from. They'd never take you back – all you could do was carve out your own place in the world.
Just like he wanted.
"Say… why don't you come with us on our journey?" Giovanni offered. "You can help us get out of this forest and we'll help you get stronger. Then, you can come back and dethrone that wretched queen of yours. Maybe even take her place."
Weedle was silent for a while. Neither Giovanni nor Meowth pressed her on it. This was a big decision for her and it truthfully wouldn't affect them either way. If she stayed, then whatever happened was on her head. If she came? Then he had another trusted teammate at his back.
"Alright… I'll join you." Weedle eventually nodded. "It's time I left this forest and showed the world what I'm capable of."
He smiled. "And I promise to do everything in my power to help you reach your throne, my queen."
He was a man of honor, after all.
His word was his bond.
"You are the single biggest disappointment that I have ever seen in my life. I wasn't so sure before, but after that complete fucking embarrassment ya call a battle? I'm on the verge of hanging myself just to make sure I never have to breathe the same air as ya again."
Ash groaned, burying his head in the palm of his hand and leaning over the table. "Pet, please."
"Ya got some balls asking me for anything after that shit show." The disgruntled agent slammed a bottle of whiskey on the table, jostling the scattered silverware. "I oughta knock yer teeth out yer damn skull!"
At the moment, he and Petrovic were seated at a table in one of the fancier private hotel rooms in the city. Looker, Anabel, and Drew had all joined them for a nice dinner. Pikachu was sitting on his shoulder, sipping on a packet of ketchup while Latias and the rest of his team lounged around the room with their own sweet treats.
It'd been a few hours since his match with Drew and they'd all been called together. At first, Ash assumed it was something about their mission here… but now he knew better.
This was just an excuse for the others to bask in Petrovic's misery.
Looker leaned back in his chair, sipping at his coffee. Ash could smell the whiskey mixed in even from the other side of the table. "Nobody likes a sore loser, Petrovic."
Anabel rolled her eyes, twirling some spaghetti on a fork. "He doesn't even have any room to complain. He's not the one who was fighting."
Petrovic's eye twitched. "Do ya have any idea how much money I had riding on this?"
"Your fault for making a bad bet." Looker shot back.
Ash jerked back as Petrovic jabbed a hand into his face. "This son of a bitch is a Pokemon Champion! He literally stands at the apex of the competitive circuit! He has a god damned Legend on his team, even if she is fucking useless!"
Latias held up her hand from her position on the couch, flipping him off without even looking.
"Screw you too."
The purple-haired agent pushed on, completely unfazed. "How the fuck did he lose!? This should have been a done deal!"
Drew snorted, flipping his hair and grinning. He twirled a simple corn dog in his hands. "What can I say? I'm just that good."
"No. Shut the hell up. I don't even wanna hear another word out of yer rat mouth." Petrovic growled.
Looker took a long, slow slurp of his coffee. Just to annoy Petrovic even more, he let out a satisfied sigh. "And how much did you bet on Ash?"
"Hundred grand."
Ash choked on air. "W-what!? How!? Why!?"
The baleful glare Petrovic sent his way could have melted steel. "Because for once, I thought I'd have some faith in my team. Should have known the power of friendship was bullshit!"
That wasn't the important part!
"Where did you even get that much money?" He demanded to know. "Please tell me you haven't been robbing banks and scamming people between missions!"
Anabel scoffed. "Asking for a lot there, aren't you?" She muttered.
Petrovic rolled his eyes. "Relax, brat. I didn't steal it. Not all of it, anyway. Most of it's what Interpol paid me."
Ash balked. "Interpol can't possibly pay that well!"
The other agents all stared at him like an idiot. Seconds ticked by as no one knew how to break the silence. The pit of shame in his stomach steadily grew as he watched the disappointment in their eyes grow.
Even his Pokemon looked shocked!
"Ash… have you not looked at the bank account Interpol set up for you?" Drew slowly asked.
He awkwardly coughed into his hand, unable to meet their eyes. "I… may have forgotten to do that?"
Petrovic slammed his fists on the table. "How!?"
He held his hands up in surrender. "I've been busy training and trying not to die! Not really any time to worry about where the money comes from!"
If the card worked and the cash was taken, then who was he to question it? He barely did anything without Interpol providing for him, anyway. Most money went towards food more than anything else.
Petrovic looked like he was about to blow a gasket from sheer annoyance. In a rare display of solidarity, Anabel patted him on the shoulder and leaned forward. "Ash… please take a look at your bank account. For our sanity."
Shrugging, Ash held his wrist up and tapped away at his Poketch to log into his bank account. He didn't see why they were making this such a big deal. The pay couldn't have been that good-
His jaw dropped. "Holy… that's a lot of zeroes."
"Interpol pays its people well, Ash." Looker said.
"Yeah. We're a lot of things, but ain't none of us about to go running into the fire for slave wages. If we wanted to kill ourselves for a pittance and constant disrespect, we'd go work in the service industry." Petrovic said.
Drew chuckled. "Pretty sure Interpol is less dangerous to our health."
"This is more money than most Trainer's see in their entire career." Ash muttered.
Unless you were in the top percentile of Trainers winning tournaments and dominating Gyms, then the truth was that most Trainers struggled to keep pushing forward. Training Pokemon wasn't just physically difficult, it was expensive. Food, medicine, Pokeballs, travel expenses; all of it cost a pretty penny.
If people knew what Interpol was giving its agents, Ash felt confident saying most Trainers would jump at the opportunity.
"Ya starting to see why I'm pissed I lost so much because ya choked at the finish line?" Petrovic asked.
"Lay off him, Petrovic." Drew snapped. "He did a hell of a lot better than you would have."
A scowl crossed the veteran's face. "Ya wanna try that again, pretty boy?"
"Just stating the facts. You'd have been knocked out of the battle in the first ten seconds." Drew retorted.
"Why ya little- I'm gonna teach you some manners!" Petrovic surged to his feet. "We'll see how cocky ya are when yer choking on yer teeth!"
Anabel sighed, grabbing Petrovic by his sleeve and dragging him down. "That's enough. We've got more important things to worry about than your fragile pride."
The older man grumbled but obeyed, crossing his arms like a petulant child and flopping into his seat.
Sometimes, Ash really did worry about that man.
"So, what's on your mind, Ana?" Ash asked.
Looker nodded. "Yes, please tell us. Something's been troubling you since Ash and Drew's battle earlier today."
His friend frowned and leaned forward, her hands cupped in front of her. "It's about the battle. Ash… I think May knows."
His blood froze. For a second, the world around him vanished. All he could hear was his rapidly rising heartbeat. His vision swam and the urge to vomit nearly overwhelmed him.
Just when it nearly overwhelmed him, something tickled the back of his mind. Artificial calm washed over him in waves, suppressing the anxiety and steadying his heartbeat. It was familiar – like a warm and comforting hug.
He looked over towards his Pokemon to see their concerned faces. Latias' golden eyes flashed blue, filled with Psychic power. Regret flooded through their empathic link – she regretted using her powers to calm his emotions.
He managed a tiny smile and a flood of reassurance. He may not have liked Psychics messing with his head, but she was different. He knew she was just trying to help.
Taking a steadying breath, Ash shook himself out of this state. The others all looked just as concerned as he felt, but didn't say anything yet. What could they say?
Ash reached over and grasped his glass of limeade, downing it in one gulp. "Are you sure?" He eventually asked.
"During your battle earlier, I felt a lot of emotion coming from her. Surprise, recognition, anger, regret, panic; everything. It kept spiking the longer the match went on." Anabel told him.
Looker frowned. "What did you do, Ash?"
Ash didn't answer right away. He replayed the fight in his head to try and figure out what could have given him away. And when he found his answer? He was about to stab himself with the fork on the table out of sheer annoyance with himself.
"I used moves and strategies from my time traveling with her. Those rings of ricocheting lightning I made? I created that technique for the last Contest she and I performed in while we journeyed together."
Granted, that had just been a simple performance to amaze a crowd. Figuring out how to turn it into something viable in a battle was another matter entirely.
Drew pinched the bridge of his nose. "Arceus damn it, Ash."
Looker downed his drink in a single gulp. Then he looked down at his mug, yoinked a Pokeball out of his trench coat, and released Croagunk. "Break into the liquor cabinet. Find me the strongest stuff they have."
Croagunk nodded, hopping towards the bar of the hotel room.
Petrovic tapped his chin. "This ain't too bad… I mean, sure. It ain't great, but it's possible someone else could come up with it. Ya just gotta sell it if she asks."
Drew nodded. "He has a point. Electric-types are always finding new ways to manipulate their lightning for Contests. I think we could convince her, if we play our cards right."
Ash couldn't meet any of their eyes. "It wasn't just that. There's… one other thing."
Looker held up a hand to silence him. He looked towards the kitchen where Croagunk had begun stacking chairs atop one another to climb on the counter. "Scratch what I said before. Just bring me all the bottles you can carry."
A loud smack reverberated through the room as Anabel facepalmed. "Damn it, Looker, please…."
"It was my final move against Drew. The Thunder Armor." Ash told them. "I used that technique during my battle against Tate and Liza's gym. As far as I know, no one else in the world has ever managed to pull it off."
"Ash…." Anabel trailed off.
"Ya inbred chucklefuck, why the hell would ya do that!?" Petrovic demanded.
"I'm sorry!" He held up his hands in surrender. "I just got so caught up in the battle that I forgot about everything else."
It was the first time in over a year since he'd actually felt normal. The first battle that could make his blood pump and take his mind off the stress of what his life had become. Not some life or death struggle to survive, or a desperate defense with lives at stake.
Just a simple battle with nothing on the line.
He missed that simplicity more than anything. The chance to give in and just go with the flow? How could he have possibly resisted?
"I don't know whether to be annoyed you blew your cover for our battle or proud I could impress a champion." Drew said.
Croagunk hobbled over, depositing a massive pile of bottles next to Looker's chair. He grabbed a bottle of pure sodabe – easily over a liter. Looker snatched it up and unscrewed the top, tossing it aside.
"I'd be laughing if it wasn't me who'd have to clean up this mess." Petrovic groaned. "Oi, Looky, ya wanna chime in here or-"
Looker's hand snapped up, holding up a finger to silence him. Their glorious leader tilted his head back, audibly chugging the alcohol like water. It wasn't until the entire bottle was drained that he slammed it down on the table, shaking his head.
Latias looked on in horror.
"Why do you hate your liver?"
"The liver exists for a reason. The occasional stress test won't hurt it." To his credit, Looker didn't slur a single word. How long that'd last was anyone's guess. "Now, Ash... I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and forgive you. I know you didn't mean for this to happen."
A sigh of relief escaped him. "Thanks, boss."
"Anabel, how certain are you she knows?" Looker asked.
"There's not a doubt in my mind. I know what I felt." Anabel said.
Looker nodded, snatching up a bottle of whiskey now. "Drew, Ash, how do you think she'll react?"
"May's not the type to fly off the hinges and do something rash. If she hasn't tried to expose or confront him yet, then she's thinking it over. Might even be trying to convince herself all of this is in her head." Drew said.
"Any chance we can help with that?" Looker asked.
"Short of a Psychic messing with things? No. Anything we do would just make her suspicious." Drew replied.
"And we're not messing with her head." Ash snapped.
No one deserved to lose their sense of control and agency like that. Least of all one of his oldest friends.
"Well, we gotta do something. We can't have her exposing ya in the middle of the tournament." Petrovic pointed out. "That'd ruin this whole operation."
Ash grimaced. "I know. Look… if May really does know and she hasn't done anything yet, then it means we have time. Maybe I can fix this."
"How?" Anabel asked.
He took a breath. "Maybe I can talk to her."
"Out of the question." Looker snapped. "We can't take the risk of you pushing her over the edge and making things worse."
A sigh escaped him. "Then what are we going to do?"
"You're going to keep your head down and prepare for your match tomorrow – and specifically avoid doing anything that might tip her off anymore." Looker ordered, forcing himself to his feet. "I'm going to make preparations. We need to be ready if she does blow your cover, but I'm hoping I can prevent that."
"How?" Anabel asked.
"Nothing you need to worry about." He gestured for Croagunk to follow him out the door, bringing the various bottles with him. "Enjoy your night, you four. I'll see you all tomorrow."
The moonlight reflected off the calm ocean waves. The water gently crested up the side of the pier before receding and repeating in an endless cycle of push and pull. This late at night, most people were out enjoying the festivities or grabbing dinner at fancy restaurants deeper in the city. No one was taking the time to just sit and watch the water.
None except for May.
The top Coordinator was sitting on a bench with a clear view of the horizon, brow furrowed, and her mouth drawn down in a dower frown. The beauty of the ocean's grey waves and the illumination of the moon would have left most people speechless, but May hardly even noticed it.
She stared down at a simple red and white Pokeball in her hand. Glaceon's, to be specific. Her hand tightened around the ball.
She knew. Her partner knew that Spartan was Ash the entire time and hadn't told her! Glaceon may not have been able to speak Human, but she wasn't stupid. If she'd wanted to, she could have found a way to tell her the truth.
And yet… May sighed, closing her eyes and looking up towards the night sky.
It wasn't like Glaceon tried to hide it. She'd practically glued herself to Pikachu's side the instant she knew he was here. She'd only ever done that with Ash's partner, but May had willfully ignored it. Buried her head in the sand and came up with excuses.
Anything other than face the truth.
She kept replaying it all in her head. Every word he said during his battles or when they'd been alone together. The complete opposite persona of who she'd once known. Even his battle style was different. Far more brutal and ruthless than anything she'd seen from him in the past.
If it hadn't been for those moves in his battle against Drew, May didn't know if she'd ever have realized who was beneath the mask.
The question was… what was she supposed to do now?
"May? Is that you? What are you doing out here so late?"
An older, more husky voice broke through May's contemplation. She looked back over her shoulder to see Cynthia standing behind her, a worried look in her eyes. More importantly, she was wearing an absolutely eye-catching scarlet dress that highlighted her bountiful curves.
"Oh. Hey, Cynthia." She said, "I was just thinking is all."
"Must be something important if you're staring so intently at Glaceon's ball." Her older friend said.
"You could say that. I just have a lot on my mind." She trailed off.
A small gasp escaped her when Cynthia jumped over the back of the bench and took a seat next to her. Crossing her legs, Cynthia draped her arm over the back of the bench. "You can talk to me if you want, May. I'm a good listener."
She couldn't meet Cynthia's eyes. "Oh. Thanks for the offer, but I don't want to be a burden. You must have plans for the night if you're dressed like that."
"Just some last minute plans with an old friend of mine." Cynthia chuckled. "He just called out of the blue saying he wanted to meet."
May's eyes flickered over her stunning dress, quirking an eyebrow. "Just to meet?"
The blond Champion smirked, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Looker's always been an open book to me. I can tell when he's got a lot on his shoulders and needs someone to help ease the tension."
May wasn't touching that with a ten-foot pole. She didn't need to know what Cynthia and her boyfriend got up to in their private time.
She valued her sanity, thank you very much.
"Well, then it sounds like you should get going. Don't want to keep him waiting." May said.
Cynthia snorted. "Nice try. Looker can wait a little longer." She flicked May's nose. "Now, spill. Let me help."
"I don't even know where I'm supposed to begin." May groaned.
"Then keep it simple." Cynthia smiled, patting her on the shoulder. "We're friends, May. I only want to help."
May stayed silent for a moment, just staring out at the water. Slowly, she set Glaceon's Pokeball down in her lap and tilted her head back to gaze up at the night sky. Not a single star could be seen over the lights of the city.
"It's about Spartan." She eventually stated.
"Ah, the festival's resident man of mystery." Cynthia gave her a knowing look. "I should have guessed he'd be the one causing you all this trouble."
May narrowed her eyes. "And what's that supposed to mean?"
"Only that there's nothing to be ashamed of. Lots of women are into bad boys." Cynthia grinned. "It's funny, though. I always pictured you as more the boy next door or knight in shining armor type."
Note to self: Replace Cynthia's next Castelia Cone with mayonnaise flavored ice cream and hot sauce.
"Are you done?" May asked.
"I'm just saying. Everyone saw the two of you the other day. Not hard to see why people might draw conclusions when Hoenn's dear princess takes interest in the festival's walking enigma." Cynthia sang.
"Really regretting talking to you." She groaned.
"I'm just teasing." Cynthia laughed. "Come on. What is it about Spartan that's got you troubled? Does it have something to do with his battle earlier today?"
"Yes… no? It's hard to explain." May said. "I just learned a secret of his and I'm not sure what to do."
"Must be a pretty bad one if it's got you brooding by the waterfront." Cynthia pointed out.
That was an understatement. Her closest friend returned from the shadows behind a mask. A man she admired more than anyone else. A hero who saved her life on more than one occasion… and a monster who butchered a woman in cold blood.
What was she meant to do about that?
"It's… I can't tell you what it is. Not until I've decided what to do." May said. "But if everyone knew what I did? It'd put a lot of people in danger."
"I see. Sounds like a tough situation." Cynthia looked out towards the water. "Have I ever told you about Looker, May?"
May blinked. What was with the sudden change in subject? "He's your boyfriend. Travels the world for his work with Interpol, right?"
Cynthia nodded. "That's right. How much do you know about what Interpol does?"
She shrugged. "They're like the Rangers, right? Travel the world helping and protecting people?"
"Close. Rangers focus on the environment and problems revolving around Pokemon. Interpol focuses on more… Human concerns." Cynthia explained. "We actually met during his mission in Sinnoh. He was tracking Team Galactic at the time."
"Really? You told me before that you helped bring them down." Alongside Ash and Dawn, as May recalled. "Did he end up saving you?"
"Since when have you known me to be the damsel in distress?" Cynthia quipped. "No, it was the other way around. He got himself captured and I had to save him. He'd be lost without my help."
May chuckled. She should have guessed. Cynthia wasn't the type to sit back and let other people handle things. She was always the first to run into the fire when danger sprung up. It wasn't surprising to hear she'd seen what Galactic was doing and made it her personal mission to stop them.
Just like Ash….
"Why are you telling me this?" May asked.
"Patience, May. Good things come to those who wait." Cynthia chastised. "Anyway, Looker tried to keep his job a secret after we started seeing each other. There was always some excuse whenever he disappeared for months without calling."
"Sounds annoying." May said.
Cynthia huffed. "Oh, trust me. I was close to losing my patience and siccing Garchomp on him until he spilled the beans." Her easy-going smile morphed into a frown. "Then he showed up on my doorstep half dead."
Her eyes widened. "What happened?"
"A mission went bad. I never got the full story, but from what I did get? He and his people were betrayed in the middle of a job. He barely made it out alive."
"That's horrible." May mumbled.
"Bastard wouldn't even let me take him to a hospital. Said it'd be too dangerous." Cynthia said. "I patched him up as best I could. He slept for three days before I was able to get anything out of him."
"It says a lot that he went to you." May said.
That kind of trust… May envied it. Romantics always said when the end drew near, the heart yearned for hearth and home. If Looker really had come that close to death, then him going to Cynthia in his time of need spoke volumes about how he felt for her.
There had only ever been one person May might have felt that way about.
"After he was healed, he disappeared for a while. Didn't see or hear from him for over a month. I'd actually started to believe he was dead." She shook her head. "Then, he showed up at my apartment one night promising me answers. From sunset to sunrise, he'd give me complete honesty."
"That's a big step forward." Especially for someone as secretive as him.
"It was. He told me everything he did for Interpol. How he started working for them, the hell he puts his body through for them, the dangers lurking in the shadows." She closed her grey eyes. "The lines he's had to cross for them."
"What do you mean by lines?" She hesitated to ask.
"Interpol deals with the darker sides of Humanity. Most of us Trainers and Rangers are used to dealing with the black and white of good and evil. Interpol has to keep things grey." Cynthia explained. "Sometimes, their agents… have to cross lines that would haunt most others."
May frowned. "Like what?"
"It's not my place to say. Looker revealed them to me in confidence and I'm not about to break his trust." Cynthia shook her head. "My point is that I know what it's like to learn a dark secret. The crushing weight it leaves on you to do something."
That didn't even begin to describe it.
"I don't know what Spartan's is. But if it means anything, he's like Looker."
May blinked in surprise. "He is?"
The older blond nodded. "He's an Interpol agent. I've seen him with Looker and some others that I know of. If I had to guess, then he's only even in this tournament on their orders."
May tightened her hands in her lap, closing her eyes. "I see."
That complicated things.
"If Looker trusts him, then so do I." Cynthia squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "If you want, I could talk to Looker about what's bothering you? Or maybe set up a meeting so he can put your worries to rest?"
It was tempting. So very tempting. If she could just get some answers to make these conflicting feelings in her stomach go away. If Looker was the kind of man Cynthia said he was, then he'd give her the truth.
He must have had a good explanation for why he was working with Ash. Maybe he didn't know who Ash really was under the mask? Maybe Ash had always worked with Interpol and that Burk woman had been a criminal of some kind? Or if she dared to hope… even innocent?
Reality crushed that hope without remorse.
May had seen the photos of the victim's mangled face. She'd seen him covered in blood and watched the leaked footage of his assault on the woman. For months, she'd listened to police, politicians, and psychologists all come together to condemn and villainize him.
Even despite all of that, she'd refused to believe it. All of his friends and family had kept their faith in him. It was why they went down to the police station to speak with him and see if there was anything they could do to help.
She'd looked him in the eyes as they all asked if he'd truly done it… and felt her heart break when he didn't say no.
How could anyone be expected to keep faith after that? When all the evidence and experts pointed so strongly to his guilt? When even he couldn't muster up a defense or denial for what he'd done? Was she meant to stubbornly bury her head in the sand and ignore it all?
Was there truly any hope in believing Looker could explain it all away? What if everything she'd been led to believe was true and he just didn't care? If Interpol had willingly taken a murderer into their ranks and then set him loose at this festival meant to bring people together?
What was she supposed to do?
She knew what her head was telling her to do.
She also knew what her heart was screaming at her to do.
So, why the fuck couldn't they just agree?
"Thanks, Cynthia. I'll… think about it." May gave her friend a bitter smile. "We'll talk tomorrow, okay?"
"Whatever will help, my dear." Cynthia stood up. With one final gentle squeeze to her shoulder, the Sinnoh Champion walked off. "Don't let this keep you up, May. I've always found a good night's sleep helps clear your head when making decisions."
Sleep, huh?
Somehow, she got the feeling she wouldn't be getting any sleep for a long time.
The night came and went uneventfully. Morning passed just the same, and as the sun reached its apex in the sky, noon had arrived. And along with it, Ash's match against Max.
Even from inside his locker room, Ash could hear the excited chanting of the crowd. The water in the cooler shook every few seconds from the sheer volume let off by the stadium. Even with his mask dampening the sound, he could still feel it in his bones.
The excitement for his next match was real.
Before yesterday, he'd carried the reputation of the unbeatable dark horse of the tournament. Now that Drew had shown he could be beaten, though? Everyone was eager to see just how far he could be pushed and if anyone else could topple the mystery contender.
At this point, it didn't matter. Win or lose, he'd already captured everyone's fascination with his strength. When Team Rocket struck, it was guaranteed they'd target Latias. He just needed to keep up the façade a little bit longer.
The door to the locker room clicked open. He turned and froze at who he saw.
May stood there, hands clasped at her side and eyes darting around nervously. Any doubt he'd had about her knowing who he was – any hope that Anabel had gotten her reading wrong – vanished in that moment. He was lucky the mask obscured his face because there was no way he could have hidden the terror that spread across it.
"Hey, Spartan… Can we talk?" She asked.
Well, that was already better than he'd expected. No shouting or unleashed Pokemon had to be a good thing… right?
"Shut the door." He told her, nodding.
May nodded mutely, shutting the door behind her as quietly as she could. For a moment, neither of them said anything. Whether out of fear or uncertainty, Ash couldn't say. As the silence dragged on, he almost considered praying to Arceus for a miracle that would get him out of here.
Almost.
That piece of shit would probably leave him trapped in here with her if they heard that prayer, just to see him squirm.
"So… I have a favor to ask, Spartan." May eventually said.
He blinked. A favor? So, she wasn't here to confront him about his identity? "What is it?"
"You've been a strong Trainer this entire tournament. One of the best. You've decimated all of your opponents without giving any of them any room to breathe." May said.
He shifted in his seat, unable to meet her gaze. "I'm… glad you think so highly of me."
"You're fighting my brother this time." May pressed on, as if she hadn't even heard him. "I want to ask you… please go easy on him."
Ash didn't say anything.
"He's got a fire inside of him. He's trying to be the best Trainer in the world. Not because he wants fame and glory, but because he wants to make someone proud. Someone he respected more than anyone in the world. All he wants is to live up to their legacy and make him proud."
Ash nodded. "I understand. Norman is a strong Trainer and a good man. I can see why Max would push himself."
May laughed incredulously. "Not our dad. Maybe a long time ago that'd have been him, but not anymore." She said, "There was… an old friend we traveled with a long time ago. He left a mark on Max."
It didn't take a genius to realize who she was talking about.
"I don't want to see that drive crushed. So, please… go easy on him." May begged. "I'm not asking you to throw the fight. Just don't treat him as ruthlessly as you do everyone else. Show me there's more to you than everyone says."
Her words were like a dagger to his. Not one mention of who he was, yet the unspoken plea was deafening. If Petrovic were here, he'd tell him to get over himself and crush Max. Looker and Anabel might be more sympathetic, but they'd still prioritize the mission.
They weren't here, though, and this wasn't their choice.
It was his.
"Alright."
Max's heart hammered in his chest.
This was it: the toughest match of his journey so far was ahead of him. He'd done all he could; his team was as strong as they could realistically be. He'd reviewed every one of Spartan's matches, and he'd gotten a good night's rest.
He was as ready as he'd ever be.
Yet, even knowing how heavily the odds were stacked against him, Max wasn't afraid of failure. This was the chance to test himself against a truly powerful foe. He might not have been able to win, he was damn sure gonna make Spartan fight for it.
"Weeeeeelcome, ladies and gentleman, to the next grand match of the Falling Star Festival!" The walls shook as the announcer's voice reverberated throughout the stadium.
Max took a deep breath to calm his rapidly beating heart. He stood up, tightening the straps of his Pokeballs on his belt and marching out of his locker room. Light shined through the hallway from the entrance to the arena.
"It's a fine afternoon for some wanton violence, and today's Trainers promise us nothing but the best!"
Max rolled his eyes, even as the crowds' cheers grew louder. He doubted most of them were even listening. Announcers were just there to hype up fights and keep people only listening filled in.
He just needed to wait for his name to be called. Then he could join the thousands of others tuning the man out.
"In the blue corner, we have a boy standing in the shadow of giants! A Trainer carrying the legacy of legends on his back! Son of the famous Norman Maple, Hoenn's strongest Gym Leader! Brother to Hoenn's Princess and founder of this very festival, May Maple! Give a warm welcome for Max Maple!"
Max scowled even as the crowd cheered for him. It was always the matter where he went or how high he flew, he was never recognized for what he'd done, he was never recognized for what he'd done. He was only ever the weaker, less important runt chasing after his more important family members. Why bother paying any respect to him when there were so many more worthy?
Well, you know what? Fuck them.
He'd prove them all wrong. He'd rise so high that he'd become even greater than his dad and sister could ever hope to be. His strength would eclipse anyone else's – enough to make even Ash stand in awe of what he was capable of.
That day was coming quicker than any of them realized. This match was just another stepping stone on his journey.
After taking a moment to smooth his features and simmering emotions, Max emerged from his end of the tunnel. He waved along his path, only stopping when he spotted some familiar faces in the front row.
May was obvious in her support, a tiny flag waving back and forth in her hands. At her side was Rosa, far more enthusiastic with all her shouts and cheers. Max stumbled when she winked at him, his face lighting up like a forest fire.
He hoped to any Legend listening that his mom hadn't seen that. He wouldn't survive the questions and teasing that would follow.
Most surprising, however, was that Pryce had also come to show his support. The man had a harsh reputation and rarely ever actually attended tournaments, so the fact he was here spoke volumes. The two exchanged a brief nod before Max continued on his path, eventually coming to a stop on the blue side of the battlefield.
"And in the red corner, we have the man of mystery himself! The masked demon haunting the nightmares of all his opponents! Women want him! Men want to be him! Give it up for the one and only Spartan!"
While Max's cheers had been a respectable volume, people absolutely lost it for Spartan. The cheering was so loud that Max winced and covered his ears, convinced people on the other side of the city could hear this. It was almost impressive. This kind of excitement was normally only reserved for Champions – the best of the best.
And in all honesty? Spartan may well have been in their league. With how effortlessly he seemed to tear his way through the competition, he was at least in the same ball park.
Max wouldn't let that get him down. At the end of the day, he was just another mountain to climb and throw himself against.
A dark chasm separated the two of them. Now that the tournament had entered the quarter-finals, the battlefields were becoming more complex to help spice things up. A roulette spun on the monitors above the battlefield. Max watched with bated breath, waiting to see what it would land on for this climactic battle.
In the end, it landed on an image of a boulder and a dew drop.
The ground shook, grinding gears echoing from within the darkness. The battlefield slowly ascended into the light. On Max's side of the field was a sizable lake of deep blue water with small, circular platforms spread across the surface. On the other side of the field, a small mountain range had sprung up into existence.
A spark of excitement lit inside of him. This was going to be good.
Max blinked when Spartan inclined his head respectfully. As much as he may not have liked the man, he wasn't some poor sport. Plastering a jovial and respectful smile across his face, he sent the man a confident thumbs up.
Just like he'd seen Ash do all throughout their journey together.
"This will be a six-on-six Pokemon battle between these two titans of the competition!" The announcer shouted. "No more holding back! From on, we're giving nothing but the best for our glorious audience! Battle begin!"
Max moved first. Snatching a ball off his belt, he tossed it into the air. "Time to show them what we're made of, Dusclops!"
The imposing phantom of shadows and bandages hovered over the lake, their singular red eye glaring at Spartan and flexing their massive hands.
Spartan reached into his coat, grasping a Pokeball between his fingers. "Lilligant, stand by for battle."
The living plant materialized atop one of the mountain tops. She looked around for a moment before her gaze settled on her opponent. She gripped the sides of her floral dress and curtsied respectfully. Dusclops returned the gesture of respect, one fist resting in the palm of another as they bowed.
Max moved first, thrusting his fist forward. "Use Mean Look!"
Dusclops' eye glowed before launching a ring of red energy straight towards Lilligant. Before she could think of reacting, the ring closed in around her and splashed against her flesh. A dark aura washed over her, trapping her within the battlefield before vanishing.
"A bold move! Most Trainer's would be begging for Spartan to switch out his team, but young Max is keeping him contained! Just what does the lad have planned?" The announcer shouted.
Spartan didn't say anything. Roots sprouted from beneath Lilligant's dress, burrowing deep underground.
Just like Max predicted he would.
"Curse!" Max instructed.
Gasps rang throughout the stadium, but Max ignored them. Spectral nails wrapped in bloody bandages materialized around Dusclops. The nails simultaneously dug into their flesh, forcing the phantom to their knees as a cry of pain escaped their lips.
"What is this!? A bold strategy indeed! Not just trapping Lilligant on the battlefield, but forcing her into a no-win situation! Is this the first of Spartan's Pokemon doomed to fall, or will he find a way out from under this cruel strategy!?"
Cruel? That was one word for it, but Max preferred to think of it as effective. He knew he couldn't win this battle in a contest of strength. He needed to get crafty, and Pryce had emphasized that during their training yesterday. He still might not be able to win even if he could outthink his enemy, but he'd damn sure do better than any of the others.
He felt Pryce's eyes on him. A rush of resolve flooded through him.
The harsh rays of the sun bathed the stadium in light, forcing Max to wipe some sweat from his brow. Across the field, a set of spectral nails appeared around Lilligant and dug into her supple flesh. Her knees buckled but did not bend. Nor did a single sound escape her lips as the pain washed over her.
She was tougher than she looked, he'd give her that.
A frown crossed his face. This wasn't like Spartan. While no one would call him stupid, this wasn't his style. Every time he fought, he went full-steam ahead with an unstoppable offense. Any defense or preparation was short and fast, and almost always used to prepare for his next thrust past an enemy's guard.
What was he planning?
"Shadow Sneak!" Max ordered. "Don't give them a chance to think!"
Shadows grew beneath Dusclops' spectral form, extending across the battlefield and surrounding the plantoid. His ghost sunk into the shadows with an almost imperceptible hiss. Across the field, Lilligant tensed her muscles.
Tendrils lashed out from the shadows, striking at Lilligant from all sides. Vines erupted from her back, clashing with the shadows and keeping them at bay with a furious defense. Dusclops slowly rose out of the shadows behind her, coated in its darkness and lashing out with their disembodied fists.
Lilligant spun on a dime, elegantly dancing out of the way by a hairs breadth at the last moment. She hopped back, ducking and weaving around each attack launched against her. She landed back on the ground, wincing as spectral nails once more dug into her flesh.
"By Arceus, I don't believe it! The Maple boy has Spartan on the back foot! How will- what's this!?" Came the announcer's voice.
Max watched as thorny roots sprouted from one of Dusclops' hands, wrapping around their bandaged body and tightly binding them together. The roots dug into the bandaged body of the specter, digging into it and drawing a pained gasp from them. Vibrant green energy was siphoned away to Lilligant, who now stood a little taller.
Leech Seed.
He scowled. "Will-O-Wisp! Try to burn them off!"
Orbs of levitating blue fire appears around him, splashing over the vines and setting them all ablaze. Yet no matter how hot the fires burned, the roots remained. They weren't even burned or scorched from the flames!
Down below, Lilligant continued to heal her wounds beneath the rays of the sun – a flower blooming in photosynthesis. Even when spectral nails dug into her flesh, the wounds were already healing over before they had disappeared.
"Fine then. If we can't wait you out, we'll knock you down!" Max growled. "Shadow Sneak into Fire Punch!"
Shadows spread across the battlefield and surrounded Lilligant again. When Dusclops apparated out of the darkness with blazing fists, however, the Grass-type didn't try to much their strength. She bent backwards and somersaulted over the blows, displaying her far superior flexibility and agility.
She landed behind him, a giant tendril of verdant energy sprouting from her back. It coiled around Dusclops' body, squeezing so tight their spectral eye flashed pale white. Life energy was rapidly sapped from the ghosts struggling body, held aloft in the air for the entire stadium to see.
When the nails appeared this time, they couldn't even pierce her flesh.
The tendril disappeared, dropping Dusclops unceremoniously to the ground. Lilligant turned towards the crowd, elegantly bowing for all in attendance.
"Dusclops is unable to battle!" The announcer narrated. "Looks like even on the defensive, Spartan is still leagues above the competition.
Max felt a flare of annoyance at the announcer but didn't let it show. He returned Dusclops to their ball, whispering a quiet thanks to his partner. Even if they hadn't done much damage, they'd still set Lilligant up to fall.
It was all they could hope for.
"Mawile, you're up!" Max tossed the next ball into the arena.
The tiny faerie materialized on one of the floating platforms. They blinked the sleep out of their eyes, glancing around the arena before their gaze landed on Lilligant. A haughty scoff escaped their lips before they turned their back on them, bringing around their massive set of second jaws and chomping as an intimidation tactic.
Lilligant seemed unphased.
"Swords Dance!" Max ordered.
The snarling second maw smiled, flashing their deadly fangs as Mawile snapped their fingers. Half a dozen spectral swords appeared and spun around them at a rapid speed before crossing over their head. They disappeared just as a red aura surged around the Steel-type.
Across the field, Lilligant glowed with a bright white energy. She danced around the battlefield and hopped from rock to rock, leaving behind afterimages everywhere she went. Her hips swayed, dress twirled, and seeds were tossed everywhere she went – burying them into the dirt.
That move looked like a Quiver Dance, but what were those seeds? Quiver Dance couldn't do that.
More nails appeared around Lilligant, digging into her skin even with Dusclops down for the count.
"Use Swords Dance one more time!" Max ordered.
While Mawile followed his command, Lilligant looked towards the sky and closed her eyes. She held her arms high, embracing the blistering rays of the sun. When the nails dug into her again and tore through her body, her flesh quickly knitted itself back together thanks to the power of the sun.
Synthesis. Not a bad idea for countering the effects of Curse, especially with this kind of sun hanging over them. It left them open for attack, though. For as long as they were focused on countering the damage done by those nails, they couldn't actively fight back.
Especially when any life-stealing moves like GigaDrain were next to useless against Steel-types.
Time to go on the offensive.
"Fire Fang!" He shouted.
The sharp fangs of the massive set of second jaws set themselves alight. Mawile lunged forward, hopping from platform to platform until they reached stable ground. They made it maybe halfway to Lilligant before dozens of roots erupted from the ground beneath them.
The roots wrapped tight around their limb, suspending the feral faerie in the air. Mawile snarled and tried to snap at the flora holding them hostage, but dozens of more vines sprouted from the ground and clamped those jaws shut.
Damn it! There was no way for them to move! Fine, then! If they couldn't move, they'd just have to use it to their advantage!
He thrust his fist into the air. "Iron Defense!"
Mawile's body glowed a bright white and turned to solid metal, glinting in the sunlight. The roots raised them up high and slammed them into the ground hard enough to crack the earth. The seeds Lilligant had sprayed across the battlefield before sprouted, latching onto Mawile and coiling around their limbs.
A tiny growl escaped them as the seeds started to leech her strength and siphon it away to Lilligant. Even as another set of nails came and went, the energy stolen from Mawile helped mitigate the damage.
"It looks like the young Maple is in a bit of a bind!" The announcer declared. "If he can't think of some way out of this, he can kiss his chances goodbye!"
Jackass….
"Metal Burst!" Max said. "Destroy the roots keeping you hostage!"
Mawile continued struggling against the vines, even as their life energy was sapped away to the plantoid on the other end of the field. Their body glowed a blinding white and their artificial carapace creaked under the strength of the roots. A mighty roar escaped them followed by a painful clang of metal, energy bursting from Mawile's body and ripping through the roots with ease.
Max grinned. "Booyah! We got this! Nice job, Mawile-"
A ball of pure fire – wider and even larger than Mawile's second set of jaws – crashed into the faerie. It exploded on contact, kicking up a cloud of smoke and debris. The heat was so intense Max had to wipe some sweat from his forehead.
When the smoke cleared, Mawile laid unconscious in the center of a small patch of scorched earth. Across the field, Lilligant held her head high and smiled for the crowd of onlookers.
"Mawile is down for the count!" The announcer said. "There must be a lot of happy betters on the edge of their seats right about now!"
"How!?" Max demanded to know. "Lilligant is a Grass-type! They can't learn Fire moves!"
Max didn't expect to get an answer, so imagine his shock when Spartan pointed towards the blazing sun hung above them.
"Weather ball." Came the simple response.
Max's eyes widened. Of course! How could he have been so blind? Spartan wasn't someone who ever let anything go to waste in a battle. He'd thought the Sunny Day earlier had just been to boost Lilligant's healing, but it must have been a two-pronged strategy.
With the kind of versatility Weather Ball gave them and the control those roots beneath the battlefield afforded them, Max was screwed. If he tried to fight from a distance, Lilligant had more than enough options to fight back. And if they tried to get in close? Those roots and seeds scattered across the field would make them a sitting duck.
That was only if they stayed on the ground, though….
Max returned Mawile to their ball and closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he snatched another off his belt and reared back. "Altaria, give us your strength!"
The ball opened in midair, revealing the fluffy cloud of a dragon to the world. His dragon flapped their wings, somersaulting through the air. A melodic hum filled the silence of the stadium. Max felt his muscles relax just listening to the song.
He'd have to thank Lissia for giving him one of her Altaria's eggs. His had been a vital member of his team ever since they'd hatched as a Swablu.
"Flamethrower!" He ordered. "Bathe the field in fire!"
Altaria let out a shrill shriek, rearing back their head before spewing forth a stream of flames. It washed over the battlefield, scorching the earth and even setting the seeds scattered over the ground alight. Just before the flames reached Lilligant, a domed barrier sprung up around her and shielded her from the blast.
Perfect.
"Fly up into the air and use Perish Song!" Max shouted.
Altaria nodded, flapping their wings to give themselves a boost to their height. Golden energy lined their body as a haunting melody pervaded the arena. Like oily snakes slithering across your body and nails drilled into your ear, it hurt to listen to but was impossible to tune out.
Once the protective barrier around her came down, Lilligant looked up and listened to the foreboding song of the dragon with a curious look in her eyes. To his surprise, the plantoid started to dance – hopping back and forth from one foot to the next, swaying her arms from side to side the entire time.
And to his horror, Altaria began to mimic that movement up in the sky.
"Snap out of it, Altaria! Don't let them confuse you!" Max said. "Use Acrobatics!"
It was no use. Altaria shrieked at some unseen enemy in the air and spun in place. Their body glowed and they dived down to the ground, slamming straight into the side of the sheer rock face. They cried out in pain as something in their wing snapped upon impact.
"Altaria!" Max cried.
Lilligant didn't stay idle while this happened. The instant Altaria tumbled to the ground, roots sprung up from the ground and coiled tightly around their limbs. Held aloft in the air, no amount of struggling could break their grip. Not even the spectral nails reappearing and digging into Lilligant's flesh could free them.
His fist tightened. "Hurricane!"
He didn't care how strong those roots were, they wouldn't be able to withstand hurricane-strength winds. Those things could rip up trees and tear through anything in their path. This should have been nothing.
None of that mattered if Altaria wouldn't listen to him, however.
The fluffy dragon squawked in a panic, lashing out and piercing their already broken wing with their beak.
Lilligant swayed with the wind, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. An angelic, soothing melody echoed through the stadium. Max felt his muscles relax and the tension in his gut ease – the same as everyone else watching. Her voice was so alluring that he could listen to her forever.
The same couldn't be said for Altaria. They screeched in agony as the sound reached their ears, thrashing and clawing at the roots holding them in place. Try as they might, however, nothing worked. By the time the song came to an end, Altaria had gone still.
Lilligant gently placed the fallen dragon on the ground, retracting her vines and wincing as yet another set of nails impaled themselves into her flesh. She turned to the crowd, bowing one last time.
"What an amazing turn of events! Even cursed and doomed to fall, Spartan and Lilligant still manage to clutch victory from the jaws of defeat! Just how many more of little Max's team will they defeat before she's brought down?" The announcer declared. "Let's hope he can channel the skill of his family for this next match or the young Maple is doomed!"
Young Maple… little Max… that was all he was to these people. They'd written him off completely. A loss waiting to happen. The only reason anyone cared to watch was because just like a train wreck or sinking ship, they needed to see it in detail.
That wasn't what hurt the most, though; he'd accepted his loss already. No, what hurt the most was the fact they kept comparing him to his family.
As if he'd been his dad or sister that he wouldn't be losing. That they'd somehow find a way to win, and the only reason he was losing was because he was weak. Inferior. An embarrassment.
But that wasn't the worst of it. He could handle all the low expectations and constant comparisons from the crowd and analysts. It came with being part of a famous family. The one thing he couldn't stand, however, was being underestimated by his opponent.
That was all Spartan had done this entire match. Hold back his full strength. Refuse to go on the offensive like he always did and just react to everything Max did instead. It was like Spartan thought he didn't even need to try to beat him.
It burned him that he wasn't even proving any of them wrong. Three Pokemon down and multiple moves to stack the deck in his favor, and Spartan had still managed to dominate the match. No excitement, no surprise, not even any witty banter.
Just sheer disinterest.
He snarled, hands tightening into fists. "STOP MOCKING ME, DAMNIT!"
"STOP MOCKING ME, DAMN IT!"
The entire arena went silent. Ash's gaze drifted past Lilligant and the unconscious Altaria to his young friend. The normally smug, confident aura he held had been wiped away. In its place were wide and angry eyes, a snarl of bared teeth, and a fist gripping tightly to his hair.
Ash shared a look with Lilligant before he responded. "I'm not mocking you."
How could he think that? Ash hadn't said a word this entire match!
"Don't lie to me!" Max furiously returned Altaria to their ball. "You've been taking it easy on me this whole fight! Or are you going to try and deny it!?"
Ash didn't say a word. How could he? Even if this mask hid his face and distorted his voice – even if Interpol had trained him well – you'd have to be an idiot to believe he was putting his all into this fight.
But he supposed that was his fault, wasn't it? May had asked him to go easy on Max and Ash was doing it the only way he knew how. Less aggressiveness, holding back on the strength of his attacks, not even any real plan for the fight.
Short of completely throwing the fight, this was the best he could do. It let Max show off his skills and land some good hits. Better than most others he'd faced so far.
Max wasn't stupid, though. He was an analytical fighter. His old friend would have studied all his matches in the tournament so far and figured out how Ash fought so he could plan against it. Going against that profile only made him suspicious.
And apparently tugged at threads of insecurity Ash hadn't known Max had.
His silence only made Max even more angry. "Figures. So, what? You think I'm not worth going all out against? That I'm too weak to be any kind of threat!?"
That couldn't have been further from the truth.
"Well, screw you! I may not be a Champion or some big shot League winner, but that doesn't mean I'm weak!" Max growled. "Stop messing around and fight me like you mean it! Or I swear to any god listening, I'll bring you down! Go, Mightyena!"
The fearsome black hound was released from their bowl, growling and barring their fangs at Lilligant. The plantoid barely even acknowledged their existence, however, instead turning to Ash and tilting her head aside.
"Master? What is the plan?" She asked.
That was the question, wasn't it? May had come to him and asked for a favor, even despite knowing who he was beneath the mask. He'd given her his word that he'd go easy on him. She didn't want him to break Max's spirit.
But… looking at him now? This wasn't helping. All it did was make Max feel weak and useless. Like an afterthought on his own journey. More than anyone else, Ash knew what that felt like. Lots of people had demeaned and ignored him during his journey. It'd pushed him to become better and succeed, but if people had still underestimated him after all that?
He might have reacted just like Max was now.
He held up his hand. "I forfeit Lilligant's place."
Across the field, Max blinked. The crowd was just as shocked as him. "What?"
"You've already beaten her. Perish Song and Curse will take her out soon enough. All I'm doing is sparing her the pain." He held up her ball. With his verbal seceding her place in the match, the locks on it were overridden. The plantoid returned easily enough, her holographic picture on the board above greying out.
One of his down for half of Max's team. A pyrrhic victory at best, but a damn sight better than most others had pulled off.
Ash reached into his trench coat, plucking a Pokeball from inside. "You were right. I was taking it easy on you before. I didn't want to discourage someone with your potential."
"You really thought I'd be happy fighting you at anything but your best?" Max asked.
"I see now that I was wrong. Everyone who thought you were weak was wrong."
He chucked the ball onto the field. The towering form of Bewear materialized. In an instant, the air in the field felt heavy – as if there was a massive weight on their shoulders. Bewear looked up, cracking her neck as her gaze settled on her opponents.
"It's time I gave you my full effort."
He couldn't breathe.
The air was heavy, weighing down on Max's shoulders like lead weights. A part of him wanted to run, but his legs wouldn't move. Sweat ran down his brow as he audibly gulped. Across the battlefield, Bewear loomed over them all – a towering mass of pure muscle and fur.
If he was this scared, then Max could only imagine how Mightyena must have felt. With barred fangs and flattened ears, his faithful hound put up a good front. Max didn't miss the slight tremble in their hind legs, though.
Fear was only natural in the face of such a strong foe, though.
And wasn't this exactly what he'd wanted? The chance to face Spartan at his best and be taken seriously. He couldn't go getting cold feet now. Not when so much was on the line.
It was time to find his courage.
"Mightyena, Play Rough!" Max ordered.
A deep growl escaped the canines lips as they flattened their body. Mightyena sprung into action, propelling themselves forward on powerful legs and leaping through the air towards Bewear. With fangs barred and claws extended, they were a terrifying sight.
They didn't even make it halfway before Bewear reached out, snatching them out of midair by their throat. She reared back, slamming Mightyena into the ground and knocking the wind out of them.
Mightyena let out a sharp whine of pain, spit flying from their mouth as their back cracked the stone beneath them. Bewear raised her foot up high and brought it down on Mightyena's skull, caving in the ground and burying it beneath the earth.
"Mightyena!" He cried out.
It was no use. Mightyena was down for the count. As if to emphasis this, Bewear grabbed their tail and dangled them in the air above the ground. With almost casual dismissal, she tossed them across the field.
Mightyena's unconscious body rolled to a stop at Max's feet.
The pit in his stomach grew.
"Mightyena is unable to battle!" The announcer shouted. "Not even ten seconds on the field and Max's Pokemon didn't stand a chance! Looks like the little man got exactly what he wanted and is starting to regret it!"
Max clenched his hands into fists, digging his nails into his skin hard enough to draw blood. Damn it… why did they always mock him? Why was it never enough!? Was he destined to-
"Ignore them."
Max blinked, looking up towards Spartan. "What?"
"Ignore them." Spartan repeated. "That announcer is a washed-up has-been who can only make a living by tearing others down and being white noise to people doing better things."
"Hey!" The announcer shouted.
He went ignored.
"Ignore the crowd, the news, the fans; all of it. None of it matters." Spartan continued. "Block them out. All that matters is how far you can push yourself, and if you can feel proud of what you've done."
"That's easy for you to say." Max muttered under his breathe.
A shame the mics in the arena broadcasted it to the world.
"You don't need to prove anything to anyone." Spartan's voice never wavered. Even distorted as it was, there was no hesitation or disdain hidden beneath it. "Stop comparing yourself to others. Don't force yourself to live up to anyone else's legacy. Just be the best you can be."
The stadium was silent. No one – not the announcers, the audience, or even Max – knew what to say. Spartan had always pushed and prodded at his opponents. Pried at their mental weaknesses and used it to press his attack.
So, why wasn't he doing that to Max? Why was he giving him advice and trying to help him? It didn't make any sense. Nothing about Spartan did.
"That's it? It's that easy?" Max asked incredulously.
"It's that easy." Spartan stuff his hands into his trench coat pockets. "Now, give me a battle I can be proud of. Show me how strong you truly are."
Max huffed with laughter. Such an asshole… but nothing he said was wrong. Was he too focused on living up to the expectations of others? Did he put too much pressure on himself to live up to his family?
Maybe he did. Maybe Spartan was right. For just this one battle? He'd let go of it all and focus only on giving it everything he could.
He returned Mightyena to their ball before quickly grabbing another from his belt. His trump card. The strongest member of his team and the one who always managed to pull through in the end. If there was ever a time for a hail Mary, this was it.
"Slaking, you're up!"
The ball opened in the center of the field, releasing Slaking in a flash of light. The most powerful primate of the land simply laid there, eyes shut and a light snore emanating from their lips. This Slaking was the child of his own father's Slaking. Just like Max, they came from a long line of greatness. And just like him, they had a lot to prove.
"Come on, Slaking, wake up! We've got a serious fight on our hands."
Slaking grunted, shifting in place and side-eying Max for a moment. Once they saw Bewear, however, that changed. Eyes narrowed and fangs barred as they forced themselves to their feet. A roar escaped them, fists smashing rapidly against their chest in a dominance display.
Bewear just snorted and held her arms out wide.
Two apex predators occupied the battlefield now. The kind that were to be both feared and respected for their strength, even by the strongest of Trainers. Alola's most dangerous predator versus Hoenn's king.
It was every League fanatics dream to see this kind of battle.
Max was right there alongside them. Especially since for once, Slaking didn't seem on the verge of passing out. While his father had trained his own Slaking to be strong and overcome its inherent laziness, Max hadn't quite mastered that.
Not unless there was a strong enough foe to motivate them. There'd be no ignored orders this fight.
"Body Press!" Max ordered.
Slaking let out one final roar before bounding forward, hurling themselves at Bewear. The pink and black back sprinted ahead to meet Slaking's charge. They clashed in the center of the arena, arms straining against one another as the ground beneath their feet cracked and crumbled.
All of sudden, Bewear jerked her head back before slamming it into Slaking's nose. A loud crunched and a grunt of pain echoed through the arena speakers. Slaking stumbled back and tried to maintain their balance, but it was too late.
Bewear broke their bind, raining a flurry of blows down upon her opponents chest. Each one struck with the strength of a battering ram, echoing through the air and pushing Slaking back with every blow.
"Counter" Max shouted.
A red aura surrounded Slaking's muscular form. The instant one of Bewear's paws slammed into their chest again, the great ape's hand wrapped around Bewear's wrist in a vice grip. Rearing back, Slaking howled as their fist slammed into Bewear's face, hitting with twice the force of every blow she'd landed.
They let go of her arm, sending her flying up into the air. As she flew back, the deadly bear righted herself and flipped through the air before landing into a crouched position on her feet.
She slowly stood up, revealing that she was disappointingly in good shape. Her fur had cushioned much of the blow, and it didn't surprise Max that it'd take more than one attack to knock this monster out of the fight.
What did surprise him was the slight trickle of blood that dribbled down her nose from where Slaking had struck. Bewear's tongue darted out from between her lips, gliding over her bloody fur to clean it away.
A collective shiver ran down the spines of everyone in the arena as Bewear started to laugh – not in pain or anger, but amusement. A slasher smile split her lips, fangs barred and smeared with her own blood.
"Um… No hard feelings?" Max couldn't help but ask the bear.
Spartan snorted, shaking his head.
Bewear slowly drew her paw across her throat, looking Slaking dead in the eyes while she did.
"I'm starting to see what Ash meant by Arceus being a cruel god." Max thought to himself.
Sweat dripped from his hair to his cheek. Max grimaced in disgust while wiping his head with the back of his arm when he paused. It was so hot… hotter than it had any right to be. Lilligant's Sunny Day was still up.
He could use this.
Max thrust his fist forward. "Solar Beam!"
Slaking's hands slammed together at the wrist, cupping themselves around an orb of blinding light. It rapidly grew in both size and intensity until the great ape unleashed its full power on Bewear.
Bewear's muscles tensed and she leaped out of the way of the beam, dust kicking up as she did. The ferocious predator landed on an outcropping. The beam of energy followed her path, cleaving clean through the rock in its way. She bobbed and weaved through the path of the energy attack, hopping from surface to surface until she was back on the ground.
A trail of localized fires, scorched rock, and smoke were left behind.
"Hit them with another Solar Beam!" Max ordered again.
Slaking grunted in acknowledgement, gathering more energy between their hands and sending a blast straight towards Bewear. Just like before, the island bear dodged the blast with surprising grace and dexterity – closing the distance the entire time.
As she drew near, Max narrowed his eyes. "Fire Punch!"
Flames engulfed Slaking's hands, forming them into fists. They let out a loud, bellowing laugh and lashed out once Bewear drew near, abruptly ending the Solar Beam just in time to throw a punch.
She moved faster than his eyes could track, effortlessly leaning out of the way of the blow at the last second. Her curled fist slammed into Slaking's chest with such force there was an audible crack of ribs snapping. Slaking's eyes bulged, puke flying from their mouth as they were sent hurling back and tumbling along the ground.
Max tightened his fists. "Protect!"
Even as they lay writhing on the ground, Slaking had just enough strength to summon a protective dome around itself. A desperation move on his part, but it was the only thing Max could think of.
Yet just like he'd seen before, a single blow from Bewear shattered the ethereal shield like it was nothing.
One of her massive paws wrapped around Slaking's ankle, dragging them back and lifting them into the air. She rapidly spun them above her head, drawing groans of shock and discomfort from Max's ace before slamming them face first into the ground.
The earth shattered from the blow and Slaking bounced up, a scream of pain leaving their lips. Flexing her muscles, Bewear hefted them up and spun them around before slamming them into the ground again.
This time, the scream of pain and panic coming from Slaking halted once they hit the ground. They'd been knocked clean out from the strength of the blow. Before Max, the announcer, or anyone else could even process this, however, Bewear did it again – forcing Slaking back into the land of the living when the pain of being slammed face first into the ground again was too much for their body to endure.
"Outrage!" Max cried out in desperation.
It was no use, though. Slaking either couldn't hear him or didn't have the energy to follow through on his command.
Bewear tossed Slaking high into the sky, watching intently as the great ape slowly reached the apex of their ascent and quickly came tumbling back down to the ground. Just before they came back down, Bewear spun on a dime, roundhouse kicking Slaking in the head and sending them rocketing into the far cliff face.
It shattered on impact, sending massive shards of debris flying up into the air. The barriers surrounding the arena were mercifully able to protect the audience from any damage.
Slaking wobbled in place, trying to force themselves to their feet. Before they could, Bewear grabbed the back of Slaking's head and slammed it into the wall. Their cry of pain, surprise, and even a hint of fear were drowned out by the grinding of rock.
And their face was the hammer Bewear used to do it.
By the time they reached the edge of the rocky cliffs and the shore of the lake in the battlefield, Slaking's face was bruised and swollen from the abuse they'd endured. Tightening her grip on the back of their skull, Bewear used the momentum they'd picked up and hurled Slaking through the air, pounding her chest and letting out a fearsome roar.
Slaking landed in the lake with a dull splash. Max reached for his ball to try and return them, but froze when he saw Slaking struggling to lift their head and right themselves in the water.
Even after all they'd endured, they still wanted to fight? Even knowing there was no winning this? Why?
Bewear had noticed Slaking's struggle too. She crouched low, bending her knees and tensing her muscles before launching herself high up into the sky.
It dawned on him far too late to stop what was about to happen.
She came down like a meteor, striking Slaking's chest feet first with enough force that she didn't just force them under the water. No, they shook the entire arena when they hit the bottom of the lake and propelled all the water up into the air, splashing it against the barrier above as it all slowly came raining back down on them.
Max shivered as the ice cold water hit him, but that wasn't what he focused on. His eyes snapped into the now empty crater of the artificial lake. While water poured out of holes in the side to refill it, that wouldn't be for a while yet.
Bewear stood atop the unconscious body of Slaking, one paw raised high in the air above her head. As if this was some great victory she felt the need to pose for. As water slowly started to fill the crater, she snatched Slaking by the arm and tossed them over her shoulder like a limp sack of potatoes.
She jumped out of the crater and back onto solid ground where she laid Slaking's unconscious body before the cameras.
The stadium was speechless for a minute before breaking out into cheers. Even with how brutal that beating had been, everyone wanted to see high-level battles like these without any holding back. Doubly so in Spartan's case.
It was his entire appeal.
Max ignored it all. The cheers, the jeers, and everything coming from the announcer's mouth. He just grabbed Slaking's Pokeball and calmly returned them, whispering a silent thank you for what they'd endured.
So, this was what it meant to fight Spartan at full strength… It was unlike anything he'd faced before. Max wasn't even close to reaching the bottom of these depths. There was no use getting worked up over it, though. This was what he'd asked for.
The respect of someone going all out.
It tasted far better than false hope.
Down to one Pokemon, though, he knew there was no hope of victory. All he could do now was give it his best shot and try to leave a lasting impact on his opponent. He took a deep breath…
And released his partner onto the battlefield.
She was going to kill Max.
Kirlia had known they'd be fighting Spartan – or Ash, as the case may be. A tough opponent when she'd been a Ralts, and an almost unbeatable one now. Victory was impossible, but that didn't mean they'd go down without a fight. They were a strong team, even if no one else ever believed it. She was ready and willing to give it her all.
But why in the hell did Max have to send her out against the damn Bewear, of all things!?
She didn't want to be a bloody pulp!
"You're the last one, Kirlia!" She heard Max call out. "Do your best!"
She wasn't sure it'd make a dent whether she did or not.
A glance up at the scoreboard surprised her, though. Lilligant's photo was grayed out. They'd actually managed to take down one of Ash's team. She didn't know how they'd pulled it off, but they'd done the impossible.
She'd have to steal some of Max's money and buy whoever pulled that off a treat.
You know… assuming she actually survived this.
Kirlia hesitantly looked up at Bewear from across the field. "So… any chance I can convince you to go easy on me?"
Bewear cracked her neck. "No." Her thick accented voice replied.
A depressed groan escaped her. "Can you at least beat me without breaking my bones?"
"I can only promise to try."
… what were the odds Max would forgive her if she just laid on the ground and forfeited?
"Return, Bewear."
Kirlia stared in shock, mouth agape as Bewear's body digitized into the red beam and returned to her ball. She could feel Max's emotions prickling at the back of her mind, and he was just as surprised as she was. The entire stadium was practically flooded with it.
What was Ash doing? She didn't want to look a gift horse in the mouth, but… there was no need to swap out Bewear. It wasn't like Kirlia could actually beat her, even with the type advantage. Ash had never cared about typing during battles either, if Max's stories were true.
So, what was the criminal up to now?
Ash reached into his coat. "Pikachu, stand by for battle."
A ball opened above the battlefield, releasing a familiar face across from her. Pikachu looked almost exactly the same as when they'd last met. Brilliant golden fur that hid the subtle musculature from years of intense battles. Bright red pouches on his cheeks, practically bursting with electricity.
Were it not for the faded scar on his chest beneath the fur, he'd have looked the exact same as the last time they met.
"Kirlia… nice to see you again. You're looking good." Pikachu stood up, winking at her. "Your horns are looking mighty red today. Love the necklace, by the way."
She shifted in place, fingers brushing across the Mega Stone tied round her neck. Flattery would get him nowhere.
"Pikachu." She frowned. "What are you two doing here?"
"Really? That's all I get? Questions right out of the gate?" Pikachu held his paw over his heart. "I'm hurt."
"Just answer the question." Kirlia demanded. "Why are you here? I thought you two were on the run."
"It's complicated. We're not here to hurt anyone, if that's what you're worried about." Pikachu said. "I know that's hard to believe with everything on the news, but-"
"No, it's not. Max and I both believe you're innocent."
He froze. "… Huh. Well, that's a first. Why the frosty reception then?"
"Because you're you?" Kirlia said. "Whatever you two are doing here, it's dangerous. You wouldn't just show up in a mask for one of the biggest tournaments of the year without a good reason."
They weren't some egomaniacs with a bruised ego or delusions of grandeur, after all.
"Fair enough. That's on us, we deserve that." Pikachu sighed. "I'll explain everything after, I promise. Or if I can't, then May's Glaceon can. But right, we've got a fight to handle. I doubt people want to wait much longer."
True to his word, the audience was getting restless. She could feel their confusion and annoyance rippling off them like waves in the ocean. People weren't used to seeing Pokemon talk in the middle of a battle.
It was a dull affair for them.
"Everything okay, Kirlia?" Max asked.
She glanced back at him, shooting him a quick thumbs up.
"Still can't get the hang of telepathy, huh?" Pikachu commented. "Don't worry. You'll get it. And if not, I'm sure I can annoy Latias until she's willing to help teach you."
A tiny smirk crossed her face. "May's team tells me that was always your specialty." She said. "You'll have to tell me how Ash caught himself a Legend afterwards."
"But of course, dearie. Who am I to deny a pretty face what she wants?" His cheeks sparked. "Ready? I'm not going easy on you."
She bowed, elegantly flourishing her arms at her side. "Always. I'll show you just how far I've come since that day in Pallet Town."
Once it was clear the two were done talking, they waited for their respective Trainers to give the command. Kirlia almost wished she could tell Max who he was battling. Once he got over the shock and relief from seeing Ash again, the excitement he'd feel at getting to battle his old hero would put him over the moon.
Oh well. She'd just have to wait for that day.
"Imprison!" Max shouted.
Kirlia blinked. What good was that going to do? She hoped her partner had a plan because otherwise this was gonna be a short match for her. Her eyes flowed with Psychic energy as she wormed her way inside Pikachu's head.
His mental barriers were strong – far stronger than they'd been when she last saw him. She almost feared she wouldn't be able to break through when she noticed a small crack in his defenses. A lesser Psychic wouldn't have even noticed it, but she was just able to slip through and drive a spike into his psyche.
She snapped back to reality just in time to witness Pikachu clutching his head with a wince.
"Rude." Pikachu grumbled.
She giggled. "All's fair in love and war, old man."
A spike of annoyance hit her and she saw his eye twitch. Pikachu huffed, getting onto all fours as white energy outlined him. Then he took off, faster than the eye could track.
"Double Team!" Max commanded.
Kirlia closed her eyes, conjuring up over a dozen incorporeal facsimiles of pure energy all around her. She only just managed to swap places with one when Pikachu slammed through where she'd once stood, erasing one from existence.
"Confuse Ray!" Max ordered.
Kirlia and her copies all summoned a sickly violet orb between their hands. Rays of translucent energy shot towards Pikachu from all around him. He hopped from paw to paw, deftly managing to dodge a few of the beams but it was too much. One managed to graze him, and once he stopped the others quickly followed.
Pikachu swayed in place, eyes spinning and mouth agape. His tail waved in front of his face. He snatched it up in his hands and bit down as hard as he could, drawing blood.
"Holy smokes! It looks like Spartan's Pikachu is confused! How will he get out of this bind!?" The announcer shouted.
Kirlia grinned as she felt Max's excitement. If she had to guess, this was the first time in this fight he'd gained the upper hand on Ash. It must have been euphoric.
"Psyshock!"
She and her clones all glowed with a vibrant violet energy. They channeled that psychic energy into orbs between the palms of their hands. A beam of pure energy launched towards Pikachu from all sides.
His cheeks sparked. Just before the beams collided, Pikachu's body exploded with electricity. The immense discharge washed over the battlefield, eviscerating the Psychic energy when they collided. It carried forward, scorching the earth and erasing every copy from existence.
Kirlia screamed in agony when the lightning struck. Her muscles seized and contorted uncontrollably, forcing her to her knees. The smell of burning hair hit her nostrils, her vision blurring under the unending assault.
It was like being in hell. Lightning was one of the most deadly forces in the world… and Pikachu was a master when it came to wielding it.
"Kirlia!" Max shouted.
When the lightning finally came to an end, Kirlia had only just regained her breathe when Pikachu sprinted forward. His tail glimmered in the light, hard as steel. It struck her across the face with the force of a speeding bullet.
She blacked out.
When she came to, she was flat on her back at the opposite end of the battlefield on one of the floating platforms. Her ears rang and her vision swam. The excited cheers and jeers of the crowd only just managed to drown out the throbbing headache behind her eyes.
She'd only been out a few seconds, but that was more than enough. It spoke to just how far the gap was between her and Pikachu. It just seemed so… insurmountable.
Pikachu shook off his confusion. "Not bad." He complimented her. "You and Max are a hell of a lot stronger than Ash and I were at your age. And to think, you've only been at this for a year… who knows how strong you'll be in five."
A small spark of pride lit inside her, but it did nothing for the frustration she felt or the disappointment she could feel in Max's heart. No matter how strong Pikachu said they were, it didn't matter.
They still weren't strong enough to win this fight.
"Doesn't help us much now." She said through gritted teeth, struggling to her feet.
"Don't start comparing yourself to me. I've been at this a lot longer than you." He winked. "Trust me. A few more Leagues under your belt, and I guarantee we'll be a much more even match."
A few more Leagues, huh? Maybe. But they wanted to win now. Max needed to prove his strength not just to his family, but to himself. Until he could do that, all he'd ever do was compare himself to his family, to the Champions and Gym Leader…
To Ash.
She would do anything to help him.
Her body glowed a vibrant blue, obscuring her from everyone's eyes. The crowd gasped, but she ignored it all.
Bones extended and thickened. Muscle ripped and repaired itself all at once. Her horns turned brittle and disintegrated atop her skull, only for a single, even larger horn to grow out of her chest. It was horrific and euphoric all at once. Even after evolving once before, she didn't think she'd ever get used to this feeling.
The physical change paled in comparison to the mental, however.
Her mind expanded. As a Kirlia, she'd only ever been able to read someone surface-level thoughts if she was close. Digging deeper was impossible without physical touch. Now? She could hear the thoughts of every person in the stadium. Even more so, she knew that she could force her way into any of their minds with as little effort as breathing.
All she needed to do was try.
As the glow subsided, Gardevoir looked down at her body. She was tall – almost as tall as May's Blaziken and far taller than her Trainer. Her dress was as white as snow, which complimented her scarlet horn and emerald hair nicely.
"You evolved…." She heard Max mutter.
Pikachu whistled, resting his paws behind his head. "Nice glow up."
Gardevoir looked down at her hand, flexing her nimble fingers. She clenched them into a fist – shattering a bolder on the opposite end of the arena.
She could get used to this.
"Very nice." Pikachu said. "You ready?"
"One moment."
Her voice surprised her. Gone was the high-pitched and squeaky voice she'd had before. In its place was something deeper and far less grating on the ears. Nothing but upgrades, this evolution.
Her mind reached out to Max;s, gently slipping by his meager mental defenses. "Max, can you hear me?" She telepathically asked.
He practically jumped out of his skin, frantically looking around. "Who was that!?"
She rolled her eyes, smirking. "Who do you think, numbnuts?"
Max frowned. "Gardevoir? Is that you?"
"Finally caught up, huh?" She teased. "Glad we're on the same page."
"I… can't really understand what you're saying." Max said. "It's like garbled static between every other word."
Huh… looks like telepathy was harder than she thought. No matter. She'd get the hang of it sooner or later once she had time to practice. Until then? Maybe images would be easier. They flowed through her connection with Max.
Confusion warred with alarm before giving way to understanding – all at the speed of thought. Max sent her a nod, a confident grin splitting his face.
Ash had been taking advantage of telepathy the entire tournament. It was time he got a taste of his own medicine.
"Max and I would like to Mega Evolve." She said. "Can we trust you two not to attack us?"
Pikachu hummed, tapping his chin in thought. "Well, we did promise to take the fight seriously and give you our all, so letting you power up would be a bit unfair… but sure. We both wanna see just how strong you really are."
She nodded gratefully and closed her eyes. Simultaneously, Max and her focused their minds and channeled their minds into their respective stones. Max's keystone glowed on his wrist, and soon enough her Mega Stone did as well.
A cocoon of pure evolutionary energy enveloped her. Her dress elongated and expanded around her lithe body. Her chest horn grew, splitting in two and thrumming with power. The facial horns she sported grew and curved upwards, framing her face like the helmet of a war goddess.
The cocoon exploded outward, revealing her to the world. Where before people had been shocked by her transformation, now they stood in awe of her beauty and power. As they shoulder. The very air itself grew heavy under the weight of her Psychic presence.
This was going to be fun.
Her eyes glowed. Pikachu hurtled backwards, smashing through the cliff side. A pained gasp escaped him as she ground his body into the jagged edges of the rocks.
While he struggled to escape her mental hold over him, she raised her hands. Six concentric rings of fire sparked to life out of thin air, aligning themselves with Pikachu's trapped. She cupped her hands together, launching a stream of pure white flame that grew larger each circle it passed through at the electric rat.
Just before the flames struck, Pikachu fired off a concentrated stream of electricity – stronger than any lightning in a thunderstorm. The flames and electricity struggled against each other for but a moment before the lightning sliced clean through the fire, dispersing the flames harmlessly.
Gardevoir had already teleported away by the time the lightning struck where she'd stood.
Pikachu's tail turned to solid steel. He smacked it against the rocks as hard as he could, the force more than enough to dislodge him. He shook off the dust and debris clinging to his body, glaring up at her.
"That was a cheap shot!" He growled.
She smirked. "Is the big bad Champion fighter scared of little old me? A girl's gotta even the playing field somehow."
Boulders across the battlefield shattered into hundreds of pieces. Those shards and every other bit of debris levitated off the ground, swirling around the air before hurtling towards her old friend at breakneck speeds.
Pikachu's eyes widened. Rather than try to block or stop the attack, he crouched down on all fours and started to dig through the floor. He only just managed to avoid her projectiles, the debris smashing each other to smithereens.
Gardevoir raised an arm above her head. The water in the pond behind her stirred, lifting into the air. She slashed the air and slammed her fist into the ground, sending the entire pool of water flooding into the narrow hole Pikachu created to hide in.
He exploded out of the ground, water hot on his tail. He cried out in shock as the water coiled around his limbs, dragging him into its cold embrace and enveloping him within. Pikachu levitated high in the sky above the arena – desperately trying to hold his breath and struggle from its grasp.
"What an amazing turn of events! After an entire match at the mercy of Spartan's powerful team, Max has finally gained the upper hand! I'll bet Spartan regrets letting her Mega Evolve now, folks!" The announcer shouted.
The crowd cheered alongside him. Pride swelled within Max, a smile splitting his face. Gardevoir took great pride in knowing she was responsible for that. Anything for her savior.
A great golden light blinded her, forcing her to cover her eyes with her arm. When it finally subsided, the sphere of water had been destroyed – launched away with explosive force. Pikachu fell to the ground, landing on all four feet and shaking himself dry.
"Alright. Didn't realize that was how you wanted to play it." Pikachu said between hacking coughs. "Guess it's time to fight bitchiness with fire."
She squinted her eyes. "Then stop stalling. I can handle whatever you throw at me." Her eyes flashed. "I dare say I'm stronger than you now."
He snorted. "You wish."
His cheeks sparked as he took off running – too fast for her eyes to track. Too fast for her to get a grasp on his mind or body, either.
She didn't need to wait long for him to reappear.
Gardevoir caught sight of him above her head, his tail glowing like steel. He brought it down on her head, only for it to harmlessly bounce off. Over and over again, he'd disappear from her sight and try to attack from another angle. Each time, she'd conjure up a barrier strong enough to push it away.
"Just give up, old man." Gardevoir told him. "You're not getting past my barriers."
Pikachu grinned. "You know what they say. If at first you don't succeed-"
He leaped above her head, tail poised high in the sky. This time, however, electricity coursed around his body. The silvery shimmer of steel quickly turned to gold as all that power was channeled into a singular point.
When he brought his tail down this time, it sliced clean through her barrier like it was nothing. Her eyes widened in fear.
"Try again!" Pikachu shouted.
His cheeks sparking was the only warning she got. Before she could teleport away, the full force of a Thunder struck her. She tried to scream out, but her voice just wouldn't give. Her muscles spasmed and her vision swam.
She flew back, slamming into the nearby rock face. Her left arm took the brunt of the impact, and to her horror, a loud crack drowned everything out. She stared down at her arm in silence, biting her lip as hard as she could.
She wouldn't scream. Not over this.
Pikachu winced. "That looks bad. Sorry about that."
"I'm fine." She said through gritted teeth, forcing herself to her feet.
"Take a minute to pull yourself together. I'll wait." Pikachu told her.
Arrogant prick… but she wasn't gonna look a gift horse in the mouth. She took a deep breath, collecting the moisture on the ground and in the air with her mind. It all coalesced into a single, large dew drop.
It splashed across her wound, slowly knitting them together. It didn't fix her broken arm, but did numb the pain. Nurse Joy and the Pokemon Center could handle the rest when this battle was over.
A golden orb of energy formed in her hands. It grew larger and larger, pink rapidly overtaking the golden glow. Even with her immense Psychic power, it was so hard to keep it under control.
She'd only get one shot at this.
Pikachu whistled in appreciation. "Hyper Beam, huh? Well, give it your best shot, hot stuff! I'll just dodge whatever you throw at me."
They'd see about that.
Her control over the Hyper Beam started to slip once it had reached full power. She took a deep breath, focused her mind, and then… teleported right in front of Pikachu.
His eyes widened. "Oh shi-"
That was all he managed to get out before she unleashed it all. The concentrated blast of energy was over Pikachu's entire body and carried on past him. The earth beneath them was destroyed and the stadium shook as the energy collided with the far wall.
She continued to pant heavily, even as her muscles relaxed and she allowed her arm to fall to her side. That should have done it. She poured everything she had into that last attack. This close up? There was no way he could have dodged.
"I gotta admit, you almost had me."
She gasped, spinning on her heels. She'd barely turned around before a tail made of steel slammed into her chin, the momentum carrying her up into the air. Her vision swam and her jaw screamed for relief. Before she could even process what was happening, Pikachu was on her chest.
His paws hit her with the force of a drill, each one clawing and slamming at her with the speed and precision of a machine. Just like that, they were sent rocketing in the ground. Yet even as the ground cracked and a cloud of dust was kicked up, Pikachu never stopped his assault.
Not until he'd used her body to cave in the rock and create a new crater in the center of the arena. Not until her body glowed and morphed back into her previous form, the Mega energy leaving her body.
She couldn't hear anything. Not the cheers of the crowd, the cries of the announcer, or any worried shouts from Max. She couldn't even say she felt any pain; just an unending numbness as her body tried to process it all.
The last thing she saw before the dark overtook her was Pikachu atop her chest, fist held high above his head in victory.
The city was abuzz with activity after the most recent battle.
People had been talking about all of Spartan's battles since his debut in the festival, but today was different. Cracks had started to show in Spartans invincible persona. After an entire tournament of dominance, people were starting to see his weaknesses. Drew had managed to do it in a magnificent battle that had set the Contest scene aflame with theories, news coverage, and fan art.
Good gods the fan art….
Yet all anyone could talk about today was his match against Max. While some may have hemmed and hawed at the use of moves like Curse and Perish Song, most people with experience in the League circuit were applauding the young Trainers forethought and strategic thinking. The public at large, however, could care less about that.
Gardevoir's might was what had stolen their attention. Despite her loss, everyone had been enraptured by the strength and dominance she'd shown for most of the fight. More than once during that battle, it looked as though Pikachu would fall.
If anyone had doubted Max's strength before, they couldn't anymore. So many people were taking notice and looking back over his previous Gym victories and tournament battles with a new eye. Even his detractors were forced to begrudgingly admit Gardevoir was strong, if nothing else.
It was everything Max had ever wanted.
And yet… May felt conflicted.
She thought that she'd been doing Max a favor when she asked Ash to go easy on him. It'd give him the chance to show off his skills and avoid watching his beloved team get hurt. Simple, right? What sister wouldn't want to help her little brother?
And for the first three battles, it'd worked. Sure, Max's team may have still fallen to one of Ash's, but he'd been allowed to show off his skills. That was already more than most of the others to face Ash could say.
Max had proven her wrong, though. He'd proven how strong he was. Even after demanding Ash fight at full strength, he hadn't shown any fear. Even when his team had been beaten and broken under that terrifying Bewear, Max had shown them all that he wouldn't be ignored.
It was inspiring… and that was exactly why she felt so horrible. Had she somehow tainted that battle by asking Ash to take it easy on her little brother? Had she insulted and underestimated her brother, just like everyone else always comparing him to her and their father?
Even if Max didn't know – even if he wouldn't blame her if he did – she couldn't ignore the guilt. She'd gotten him a spot in the tournament so he could show the world that he was his own Trainer. To show everyone the strength she saw in him.
And in the end, she was no better than any of his detractors.
She sighed, shaking her head and stuffing her hands in her pockets. No use brooding over it, though. That wouldn't fix anything. She'd just have to redouble her efforts to help Max and make it up to him in the future.
As she walked through the city streets, May was inundated by the sounds and sights of civilization. Vendors selling sweet treats, cheap knock-off merch of the popular stars, and everything else under the sun.
Hell, she could have sworn she saw a man con a young Trainer into buying a Magikarp for the price of an Evolution stone. The kid had already run off before she could even process what she'd witnessed.
Sometimes, she really did wonder how some people got their Trainer licenses….
One attraction caught her attention more than any other, however. In one of the many inlets full of clear blue water sat a stage of performers. They and their Pokemon performed daring stunts and mesmerizing choreographed dances for a crowd of onlookers to the beat of a rock song.
May recognized the band on stage. Koffing and the Toxics, a punk rock band headed by the famous Gym Leader Roxie from Unova. She'd honestly been a little shocked when the ashen-haired woman had agreed to perform, but she was glad for it.
Not only did it bring more eyes to the tournament and therefore more money for charity, but it also pleased the fan inside of her.
What could she say? Rock was one of May's guilty pleasures.
She took a seat in the back row just in time for Roxie to begin a new song, heavy on the bass and the drums. The performers had released a new set of Pokemon – two Sharpedo – and mounted them. As they crisscrossed the water's surface in a dazzling dance, May accepted a bacon-wrapped corn dog from a wandering vendor.
A little indulgence never hurts.
While she sat and enjoyed the ambiance of the festival, her eyes roamed over the crowd. Couples and families alike had come to watch. Most were content to sit and enjoy, but she also saw a couple of children by the railings peering over the edge for a better view.
She chuckled at the childhood enthusiasm, munching on her snack with a hum of appreciation. As her eyes roamed over the crowd, however, her smile turned into a frown when she caught sight of a familiar masked man.
Ash was sitting in the front row. He was alone and none of his Pokemon were with him, but it was hard to miss him. Compared to everyone else, he stood out like a sore thumb. He didn't seem to care, though.
The only sign he was even listening was the slight bob of his head to the music.
May still didn't know what she was supposed to do about him. Logic said she should tell the police and let them sort it out. Her friends would say the same, or at least say she should be the one to bring him in. Her parents would probably even demand she get as far away from him as possible.
Something deep inside kept her from doing that, though. An onlooker would have said nostalgia stayed her hand, but she didn't think so. Not entirely. Ash had done as she asked and taken it easy on Max, but it was more than that.
He'd seen the desire to prove himself in Max and given him the respect he deserved. Despite all the danger to himself, he'd risked it all to help a friend.
Just like her old friend always would.
Could she really reveal him to the world? Condemn him again in front of everyone and put his life at risk? The more she thought about it, the more her stomach churned with discontent.
And yet… a poor woman had died – supposedly at Ash's hands. Did she not deserve justice? Was her life and the pain of her loved ones insignificant just because she didn't know them? Could past good deeds somehow excuse the evil one left in their wake?
May sighed, unhappily munching on her corndog. Why was she having to wrestle with this? These were the kinds of questions a philosophy professor would give to torment their students, and here she was forced to live out the reality.
Why couldn't anything ever be easy?
The show went on despite her internal struggles. Roxie's band tore through song after song with barely a pause between each for a sip of water, each one felt in their bones. The performers released more and more of their water types, leaping and gliding along the water in beautifully choreographed dances.
The crowd loved it the entire time. Cheers and gasps of wonder were let out at every new trick. Many people's phones were out, recording every second of the show for their memories. The children were even bouncing in place and shouting with excitement.
Then it happened.
One of the kids tried to climb onto the railing that overlooked the water for a better view. So close to the water's edge, however, was a dangerous prospect. The child took one misstep, slipped on the watery coating of the railing, and tumbled over the edge towards the water.
Shocked, fearful gasps escaped the crowd. The band and performers came to a sudden halt. Time seemed to slow down as the child fell out of view and into the water below. It happened so fast and was so shocking that no one could react in time to stop it.
Except for Ash.
He'd noticed before anyone else had. Before the kid had even finished slipping over the bars, Ash was already out of his seat and sprinting towards him. Just as the child disappeared from view, Ash hurled him forward along the ground and lashed out.
Slowly, he pushed himself to his feet and pulled the kid up by their ankle. Once they were back on their feet, Ash turned his expressionless mask towards them.
"Be more careful." His synthetic voice told them. "You shouldn't be climbing on things like that. You'll get hurt."
The child sheepishly looked away, but there was no missing the admiration in their voice. "R-right. Thank you, sir."
The child ran off into the crowd where their parents were and the other children by the rails did the same. Without even sparing a glance for the stunned crowd, Ash returned to his seat and sat down like nothing happened.
The band went back to playing their music and the performers continued their show, but there was a new energy in the air. A new focus on the show and those around them. A few members of the audience even whispered their appreciation for what he'd done.
May just closed her eyes and listened to it all.
She knew what she had to do.
The moon was already hanging high in the sky by the time Ash made it back to his hotel. After his match with Max, he'd just wandered around the festival. With no dangerous missions to go on and no more battles for the day, he'd decided to try being normal for a change.
Eating all the exotic and flavorful food from a variety of regions. Listening to some fantastic music and seeing some fantastic performances. Even just taking a few minutes to sit and stare out at the sea. It was… nice.
A good distraction from how hectic the last year of his life had been. No danger to worry about or world-changing attacks to stop. Just a day of fun. He felt so relaxed that he almost felt like he'd be able to get a full night of sleep!
He hadn't been able to do that in a long time.
The elevator dinged as the doors opened at his floor. The best was that since he'd been knocked out of the Contests, he'd actually have a day to rest before his next battle in the tournament. And he fully intended to sleep in, relax, and-
He froze when he saw May standing outside his door. She fidgeted in place, a nervous frown on her face until she spotted him. When she did, she hesitantly raised her hand and waved.
"Hey… I've been waiting for you." She said.
"I can see that." His voice was steady, but he could practically hear his heartbeat in his ears. "Is there something you need?"
"Yeah." She glanced away. "Can we talk inside your room? I'd like some privacy for this."
If this was what he thought it was? Then so would he.
He strode forward, each step feeling like he had a lead weight attached to his ankles. He flashed a card over the lock of the door, allowing them inside with a simple flash of green light. Once inside, he shut the door behind them and stuffed his hands in his pockets.
His bed was still a mess from where he and his Pokemon had laid last night. There was even some empty bowls of ice cream and unwashed plates of food still sitting in his sink from breakfast.
"It looks better than this normally. I promise." He lied without missing a beat.
She glanced up in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
She hadn't noticed? How out of it was she?
"Never mind." Ash said. "What's on your mind?"
May paced around the room, her arms held tightly around her. She stopped by the window, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath before shutting the curtains. When she turned back to him, all traces of nervousness had been replaced by cool determination.
"We're not talking like this." She said. "Take off the mask."
His heart skipped a beat. "I don't-"
"That wasn't a request." May's hands balled into fists. "Please. I need to see your face… Ash."
Time seemed to stand still. A thousand possibilities flashed through his mind. How he could lie his way out of this situation. Where he could run and if he could escape before the authorities caught up. How this might all be a trap he'd already walked into.
None of it mattered.
Slowly, he reached up and pulled his head down. Unclasping the mask sealed around his face, he set it down on the counter. Brown eyes met sapphire for the first time in far too long.
"Alright. Shoot."
