Chapter 6: Violent Audition

Neil wiped the sweat from his brow. The sun overhead was relentless hanging overhead in the cloudless sky, but that wasn't the source of his perspiration. Standing across from him stood Claire's Tyranitar, Disaster. The green, dinosaur-like Pokémon stood taller than a grown man and its spiky body gave it a look beyond intimidating.

And that was before Disaster started moving.

Disaster lived up to his name. The moment he came out of his Poké Ball, he summoned a powerful sandstorm that gave Neil trouble for quite a while until it eventually subsided. Every step sent tremors through the clay ground they stood on. Every swing of his claws or spiked tail sent powerful shockwaves over the battlefield that made Neil feel  as if he would be blown over. When the Tyranitar roared, it shook Neil to his core. It was a Pokémon any trainer would be afraid of facing. Not that he expected anything less from the Pokémon raised by his girlfriend. Every move needed to be planned with care. Even a small miscalculation could result in a swift and painful retribution.

He was glad he chose Route 13 as their training spot. The massive clay plain didn't house any buildings except for the power plant, but that was miles away from where they were. There was no danger of hurting anyone or destroying any property. They had only just begun their training session and already the landscape was dotted with craters large enough to fit a car into.

Neil turned to his Dragonite, Sentinel. Her light orange scales, round and friendly-looking face, and disproportionate wings made her look more innocent than she actually was. But there was no denying she just as intimidating. Her wings were small, but were still powerful enough to carry her through Disaster's sandstorm and move her at unbelievable speeds. The large dragon Pokémon was more than a match for any Tyranitar.

“Disaster, let's show 'em what we're made of! Use Stone Edge!" Claire cried.

Her Tyranitar, Disaster, roared before slamming a clawed fist into the ground, sending several small, pointed, rock spires to erupt from the ground. The attack moved in a straight line toward Neil's Dragonite.

The powerful dragon-type Pokémon flew to the side to dodge. With another flap of her wings, she was airborne, hovering over the battlefield.

“Use Thunderbolt!" Neil ordered.

Sentinel fired a fierce bolt of electricity from her antennae.  The air filled with the sound of crackling electricity. Neil felt the hairs on the back of his neck and arms stand on end. Without waiting for an order, Disaster slammed another fist into the ground, creating a ring of rock spires appeared around him. The thunderbolt struck the improvised rock shield, nullifying it.

Neil pumped his fist in the air. “Nice try, but you fell for it! Sentinel, use Aqua Tail!"

Sentinel flew down toward the now trapped Tyranitar, her tail glowing with the energy of her attack. 

Claire's face fell. She clearly hadn't counted on her strategy backfiring. “Quick, use Iron Defense."

Disaster tucked his head and raised his arms in defense. Sentinel slammed her tail hard enough to crack the ground and shatter the rock spires surrounding him. The Tyranitar's face showed he definitely felt the impact, but the look in his eyes showed he wasn't even close to being finished.

“Now that we got you at close-range, let's see you dodge this!" Claire shouted. “Use Brutal Swing then follow-up with Stone Edge!"

“Sentinel, move—"

Neil didn't finish his order in time. Disaster violently whipped his body and hit Sentinel in the face with his tail. He then slammed his fist into the ground, sending more rock spires rushing out of the ground toward Sentinel. The Dragonite managed to right herself in midair and steered away from the attack, sliding to a halt on ground. Disaster rushed in, eager to press the attack. His claws glowed with a bright aura.

Neil recognized the attack immediately as Dragon Claw, an attach that was very effective against dragon-types. “Quick, Sentinel, counter it then use Aqua Tail again."

Disaster swung at the Dragonite with his claws. Sentinel grabbed her opponent's arm and flipped the Tyranitar over her shoulder, causing everyone to open their eyes wide with shock. Disaster hit the ground with enough force to cause a small quake. Neil and Claire had to shield their faces from the bits of clay that flew in all directions and maintain their balances. Through the red haze, Neil saw Sentinel quickly follow-up with a powerful tail slam to the downed Tyranitar, forcing him further into the ground.

Even after taking the super-effective water-type attack, Disaster was quick to return to his feet. A fierce aura again shrouded his claws as he stared fiercely at Sentinel.

“You'll need to do better than that," Claire said tauntingly. “Disaster, Dragon Claw."

Her Tyranitar moved with amazing speed, catching Neil and Sentinel off-guard. The first claw swipe scored a direct hit, but Sentinel recovered in time to catch the second blow. Disaster tried to shake himself loose by using his free claw, but Sentinel caught that one as well. The two titanic Pokémon were locked in place, each one pushing against the other with tremendous force. They glared fiercely at each other. The ground beneath them began to crack under the pressure.

“Looks like we're in a stalemate," Neil said.

“Looks like it," Claire said.

“Except, my Pokémon doesn't need her arms to attack," Neil replied, smiling. Turning to his Dragonite, he said, “Use Thunderbolt."

Sentinel loosed another stream of electricity from her antennae. The attack not only struck the Tyranitar, but her as well. Both Pokémon continued to glare at each other and refused to give up ground despite the powerful electric-type attack assaulting them.

Claire tilted her head in confusion. “Are you crazy? You're damaging your own Pokémon."

“True. I guess we'll just have to see which Pokémon caves first."

“Too bad it won't be mine," Claire replied proudly. “My Pokémon also doesn't need his arms use his moves. Disaster, hit her with Stone Edge."

Neil's face paled. Stone Edge was super-effective against a flying-type like Dragonite, and there was no way Sentinel could dodge the attack at that range.

Disaster slammed his tail into the ground. Another rock spire shot out of the ground, catching Sentinel in the chin and sending her flying through the air. She didn't recover this time and hid the ground with loud thud! and shrouding her body in cloud of red dust.

Claire cheered to see her finally had the upper-hand. “Keep up the pressure! Hit her with another Stone Edge!"

Just as Disaster raised a fist to launch his attack, something shot out of the dust cloud. The Tyranitar stopped his attack and put up his guard. As they were distracted, Neil saw something else shoot out of the cloud straight into the air. The first thing turned out to be a small boulder Sentinel hurled as a distraction. The dust cleared, and the Dragonite was nowhere to be seen. Neil smiled as both Disaster and Claire looked around in a panic.

They fell for it, and now it was going to cost them.

“Dragon Rush!" Neil cried.

Everyone looked up to see Sentinel streak through the air, her body enveloped in a violent red aura. The aura shrouded her body almost like an ethereal armor, making her look like even more intimidating.

Disaster could only stare as the ball of rage streaked toward him. Claire's mouth hung open in shock.

When the attack landed, it send up a wave of rock and dust that enveloped the area around them. Neil threw his arms over his face and stood his ground against the powerful shockwave that threatened to knock him over. He couldn't hear anything over the wind rushing, and it was impossible to see what was going on. When it was over, a fine red cloud had settled over them.

Neil choked as he called out to the others. “Claire? Sentinel? Disaster? Is everyone all right?" He wanted to move and look for them, but he didn't want to risk walking past them in the dust cloud or tripping and hurting himself in the confusion.

Suddenly a powerful gust of wind blew the dust away, revealing Sentinel standing in the middle of the battleground with Disaster. Claire was already running towards the two Pokémon. Her hair and clothes were covered in dirt, but she seemed fine.

Neil let out a sigh of relief. With two pseudo-legendary Pokémon clashing like that, it was too easy for things to get out of hand. “I think that's enough. If we continue this battle any longer, we'll reshape the whole area."

Both Pokémon seemed disappointed to cut their match short, but they relaxed and the fierceness vanished from their eyes. Claire wrapped her arms around her Tyranitar as best she could.

“Now that was a battle!" Claire shouted. “I think we lost this one, but I'm so proud of you. If you battle like that the Pokémon League, that championship is already won."

“Trust me: those battles will be more intense than anything you've ever done," Neil said. “These sparring matches will feel like a cakewalk compared to that. I thought you would be used to intense battles by now. Didn't you compete in the Kanto League?"

“Nah. I had some family problems and we needed to move before I could I finish my league challenge. But the Pokémon League will be a cakewalk. There is no way some random stranger is gonna give me a harder time than my boyfriend who I know is the best trainer there is," she said, inching closer and closer until their lips touched.

Disaster groaned loudly at the display of affection.

“If you don't like it, you can go back in your—" Claire shouted over Neil's shoulder. Her expression suddenly changed to one of bewilderment as she stopped mid-sentence. “Can I help you?"

Neil turned around to see a man in a suit standing several feet away. His first thought was how did the man manage to get so close without them noticing. Route 13 was just miles of barren clay with little cover; they should've spotted him coming from miles away. The only explanation he could think of was the man took advantage of their battle to approach unheard and unseen. It brought Neil to his second thought of how the man knew they would be there. They didn't tell anyone that they would be spending the day sparring, nor where they planned to do it.

Immediately, Sentinel jumped between the mysterious man and her trainer, growling loudly. Neil patted the Dragonite on the shoulder to calm her down. The man hadn't done anything threatening, so there was no point in being hostile… yet.

“You always make a point of watching people like some kind of weirdo?" he asked. “What do you want?"

It was hard to tell with the distance between them, but the man didn't seem bothered by his comment. “I'm looking for Neil Léonide," he shouted.

“Who's asking?" Neil shouted back.

“I bring a message from the Kalos Champion, Sharon Harris. She wishes to meet with you at the Hotel Richissime in Lumiose City."

“Wait, seriously? Neil, you never said you knew the current Champion," Claire said.

“I don't."

“But she mentioned you by name."

“I know. I don't get it either."

“Why does Sharon want to talk to Neil?" she asked the man.

“I'm afraid that's between Ms. Harris and Mr. Léonide. Mr. Léonide, if you'll follow me please."

Neil motioned to the Dragonite standing next to him. “Actually, I can manage on my own, thanks. You said Hotel Richissime, right?" He didn't really trust the man. There was always the chance the man was lying about the whole thing. Anyone could drop the champion's name which still left the question as to how the man knew him specifically and what he wanted.

“That is correct. Please do not keep Ms. Harris waiting." The man bowed one last time before going back to the black luxury sedan in the distance.

When the car started to drive away, Claire asked, “What was that about? You're not actually going to see her are you?"

“I actually thought he was scamming us, but he doesn't seem at all worried that we're going on without him. I guess that means Sharon Harris really wants to see me." A smile slowly crept across his face. The Champion asked for him specifically. That was an honor within itself. Just being seen with even a former Champion would cause his popularity to skyrocket. Even though he still thought she was a glory-seeker, it would still help his reputation. “C'mon, Sentinel. Looks like we have to cut our training session short."

He hopped onto the back of his Dragonite and looked back to notice Claire hadn't moved. “Claire, what's wrong?"

She looked away and started playing with her hands. “It's just… well… do we have to ride Sentinel to get there?"

Sentinel turned her head with an angry huff. Neil couldn't help but laugh, causing Claire's ears to turn pink.

“You can't be serious. She's not that bad."

“You're not the one who throws up afterwards."

“She'll be gentle this time, won't you, girl?" he asked the Dragonite. Sentinel suddenly became interested in the clouds floating overhead and didn't respond. Neil poked her and said through gritted teeth, “I said: You will be gentle, right?"

Sentinel groaned and rolled her eyes; it was the best he was going get out of her. Claire seemed skeptical, but she called Disaster back to his Poké Ball and climbed onto the Dragonite's back anyway. She wrapped her arms tightly around Neil's waist and buried her face in his back.

“Okay, Sentinel, take us to the Hotel Richissime in Northern Lumiose. Wait, Sentinel, no!"

The warning came too late. Sentinel gave her master a mischievous grin before kicking off the ground with tremendous force, shooting into the air like a rocket. Claire's screams were quickly drowned out by the wind rushing in Neil's ears. The world around them quickly melted into a blur of color, making him feel nauseous. Sentinel performed several loops and spins as she streaked through the sky. Neil made a mental note to seriously scold her later; she was flying recklessly on purpose because of Claire's comment. Whether Claire screamed the whole way, Neil didn't know. The rushing wind drowned out any other noise, but Claire did manage a powerful death-grip around his chest until they reached the destination.

It didn't take long for them reach the hotel. Hotel Richissime wasn't that far from Route 13, and Dragonite had impressive flight speed. Sentinel circled around twice to decelerate enough for a safe landing. Neil had to catch Claire to keep her from falling off. She jumped down and rushed to the nearest trashcan, barely making it before emptying her stomach. Neil ignored the bystanders whispering, jumped off Sentinel's back, and rounded on his Pokémon with all the fury he could muster.

“What the fuck was that?! I told you to be gentle! You could've snapped our necks!" he half-shouted, unable to scold her at full volume because of Claire's strong grip hurting his ribs.

Sentinel rolled her eyes and grumbled under her breath. Neil could feel the heat rushing though his body as he glared at her. She would never hurt him intentionally, but for some reason she got reckless and a little hostile whenever Claire was involved.

“Sometimes I just don't understand you! You do this every time! Just get—" the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end and he stopped short. Suddenly he felt as if they were being watched. He began looking around. A few people standing nearby were watching with equal parts amusement and wonder, but they weren't the source of his uneasiness. This feeling was more like sensing an unseen presence. His first instinct was the man from before staged an ambush in front of the hotel, but it didn't make sense to do that on such a crowded street.

Now wasn't the time for useless speculation. There could be any number of people who saw Sentinel's reckless flying and were watching from one of the hundred windows surrounding them. He turned back to Sentinel and said slowly, “Get back in your Poké Ball. I'll deal with you later."

Sentinel looked worried as she realized maybe her defiance had gone a little too far. Neil didn't want to hear whatever excuses she was going to come up with—none of which he would understand anyway. He recalled her back to her Poké Ball before going to check on his motion-sick girlfriend.

Claire had just finished regurgitating the last of her lunch when Neil placed a hand on her shoulder. “I ever tell you how much I hate that Dragonite?" she asked.

“Only every time we go flying. Look, I'm sorry about her. Next time, we'll use Ember, or we'll just take the extra time and rent a car or something."

“Works for me." She straightened up, wiped her mouth with the back of her sleeve, and started toward the hotel. “Come on. Let's go see what 'Ms. Harris' wants with you."

Neil thought about asking Claire to sit this one out; she was unsteady as she walked and still a nasty shade of green. But he also knew there was no chance of that happening. Neither of them said it, but he knew Claire didn't believe him when he said he didn't know the current Champion.

Hotel Richissime was the most expensive hotel in the entire Kalos Region, and it was apparent the moment they walked through the door. The furniture was lined with expensive leathers and gold trims. The marble columns and floors were polished and spotless, and the lush carpet looked brand new. Everyone in the hotel lobby stared at them as they approached the front desk. At first Neil believed they were simply being nosy until he noticed he and Claire were covered with dirt from their battle in the desert, and their hair was mess thanks to Sentinel. Claire still looked a little green from the flight over and he doubted he looked much better.

The concierge behind the counter, an older man with a head full of grey hair, greeted them with a suspicious look as they approached. “Please tell me you two are simply here to ask for directions and you are not the temps I requested."

“Actually, we're neither," Neil replied, keeping his temper in check. “I'm here to see Sharon Harris. Can you tell me which room she's in?"

The concierge laughed until he saw Neil and Claire weren't smiling. That wiped the smile right off his face. “You're serious? I'm sorry, young man, but if you think that I'll allow any random street urchin to pester the Kalos League Champion especially looking as if they were raised by a herd of Diglett—"

“My name is Neil Léonide, and Champion Sharon asked for me personally," Neil interjected angrily. “I'm certain she left a message with you telling you I would be coming."

The concierge gave them a haughty look. Clearly he didn't believe a word they said. “I'll need to see some I.D. to confirm."

“Not a problem." Neil fished the I.D. out of his pocket and slid it across the counter. He didn't even attempt to hide the smile on his face when the concierge saw he was telling the truth.

“M-Mr. Léonide, I'm so sorry my rudeness. Ms. Harris is waiting in room 406. I'd be happy to have someone escort you—"

“That's okay, we'll manage," Neil said, snatching his I.D. out of the man's hands. He placed an arm on Claire's shoulder and led her to elevator.

Claire's nausea worsened on the elevator. Neil worried she was going to blow chunks again, but she held it together although she did lean on him getting off the elevator.

The wide halls were empty as they searched for Sharon's room. He was glad there was no one around to stare at them and speculate. When they reached room 406, Neil knocked on the door.

“Just a moment," someone called. The voice was calm, but there was an undertone of finality to it, almost as if saying waiting was non-negotiable and not to knock again.

A few seconds later the door opened, revealing who Neil assumed was Sharon Harris. Her face reminded him of a doll's. It was smooth without a single blemish, and her features were the perfect size and properly aligned with her the shape of her face. He had never met her before, but she had the air of a trainer about her. She also struck him as someone who was used to getting what she wanted.

Her piercing grey eyes widened as she looked over Neil and Claire. “Are you two all right?"

“We're both fine. We were just training on Route 13," Neil replied casually, waving away her concern.

Sharon nodded although she looked worried about letting them in. Normally, Neil would be put off by it, but this time he understood her concern. Housekeeping would likely be very unhappy to see the trial of dirty footprints they were leaving behind.

Sharon quickly corrected herself, reverting to a neutral expression. “Mr. Léonide, I'm glad you accepted my invitation." Sharon's piercing grey eyes scanned Claire. “Who is this? I assume you're an acquaintance of Mr. Léonide?"

“Just 'Neil' is fine," Neil said.

“Yes, and I am Neil's girlfriend, Claire Bedford. I think that makes me more than an 'acquaintance.' " She stumbled and held a hand over her mouth as she turned a nasty shade of green.

“Is she all right?" Sharon asked, pointing at Claire.

“She just has a little motion sickness, it's nothing serious," Neil said quickly. “Can we come inside?"

Sharon gave Claire one last look before stepping aside and allowing them into her hotel room. They were immediately impressed by the size. Their hotel room could easily fit twice into this one and still have room left over.

“Please, have a seat. Can I get the two of you anything?"

Neil guided Claire to the sofa. “I'm fine, but can you get some water for Claire?"

Sharon crossed the room to the small refrigerator in the corner and pulled out two bottles of water. She gave one of the bottles to Claire and sat down in the armchair across from the sofa. “I've heard a great deal about your family. I consider it an honor to meet a member of one of the greatest trainer families in Kalos."

Neil's brow rose. It sounded like she was a legacy as well, but he couldn't remember hearing her family's name anywhere. It was possible she wasn't originally from Kalos. “I don't want to be rude, but why am I here?" he asked.

“Straight to the point? I hear you are friends with Maya Martin. I want to know about her. Which Pokémon she favors, her battle tactics, and any weaknesses I should be aware of."

Neil clenched his jaw and didn't answer. Once again it came back to Maya. I don't even advertise my connection to her, but I still can't get out from under her shadow. But more importantly, how the hell does she know about me and Maya?

Claire spoke up. “Why do you need Neil for that? I'm sure there are plenty of vids that show Maya's battles."

“I know, and I've watched them. The problem is, Maya likes to use unconventional means to somehow turn a disadvantageous situation to her favor. Without knowing the exact methods behind her strategy, I can't formulate a counter strategy."

“How unconventional could her methods be that no one can figure them out?" Claire asked, turning to Neil.

Neil didn't answer. His dreams of improving his reputation were shot. If Sharon knew about his connection to Maya, it was only a matter of time before everyone else did. Then he really wouldn't hear the end of it. “So that's what you called me here for? To give you battle tips?" he asked. He was annoyed, and he made no attempt to hide it. “If you had just called, Ms. Harris—"

“Call me Sharon."

“—I would've told you that I haven't spoken to Maya in years, so any info I did choose to share would be outdated, Sharon."

Sharon's expression remained neutral. Neil was certain she wasn't listening to a word he said. “But you still know her better than anyone."

Neil sighed. Scratch that—she was listening, she just didn't care. “No. I thought I knew her. We used to be close friends. But being on the road with someone for four years reveals parts of them you'd rather not see. If you really want my advice: don't battle her."

He ignored Claire leaning away from him and continued to watch Sharon. She still looked as calm as she did when he first saw her. It was starting to piss him off. It was as if she was convinced he wasn't going to say no.

Sharon leaned forward in her seat. “I'm the Kalos Champion. If I back down from my own challenge, do you know what that'll do to my reputation?"

“Maybe you should've thought of that before calling people out on TV."

Sharon clenched her jaw and a silence fell over the room. It was the first time she showed any real emotion, and it was a little unsettling. It made Neil think of those moments in the movies when someone said something wrong and something violent happened to them. “Neil, I don't know what happened between you and Maya, but I do know that you don't care much for her. So why are you protecting her? Do you know what she's done?" She pointed to the envelope sitting on the table between them. Neil opened the envelope and found a several pictures inside.

Neil looked at the photos and his stomach flipped. Claire leaned over and her face paled.

“I think I'm gonna be sick," she said, tossing the picture to Neil.

“Bathroom is through that door over there," Sharon said.

Claire disappeared into the other room, slamming the door behind her, but her retching could be heard from where they sat. Neil did his best to ignore her and turned back to the pictures.

It showed a Sylveon, or what remained of one. The Sylveon in the photo looked more like a failed science experiment than a Pokémon. A large chunk was missing from one of its long ears, its left eye was missing, and its ribbon-like feelers resembled a moth-eaten scarf. Four jagged lines ran across its sad face and down the side of its neck where another chunk of flesh was missing. The white fur covering its body was laced with jagged pink scars and markings from where it received stitches. In several places, its fur was gone completely and replaced by a discolored patch as if something burned it.

Neil wanted to take his eyes off the pictures, but he couldn't. It was like something out of a horror movie. What fuck, Maya? I know you've done some dark shit, but you've never done something like this before. How badly did you want to become Champion?

“That is the result of Maya's last battle as Champion before she stepped down," Sharon explained. “The poor Pokémon survived, but it will never battle again. The League paid off the trainer and covered up the incident to avoid shame." She sat on the sofa next to Neil. She placed a hand on his arm. She spoke in a gentle voice, but her gaze was hard and cold. “Someone who would do something like this to a Pokémon does not deserve the honor of being called Champion, and they certainly shouldn't be allowed to step down and avoid punishment. You seem like a nice guy. You shouldn't have to bear the same of being lumped-in with a person who could do something like this. Help me take her down and keep your family's name clean."

Neil tore himself away from the pictures and faced Sharon. “You have these, so why do you need me? Why not just go public and have her name stricken from the Hall of Fame? Hell, you could probably get her license revoked with something this bad."

Sharon shook her head. “Because I can't do that without revealing that the League covered it up. Imagine the scandal that would cause. It would have lasting effects on every trainer in Kalos—maybe even the world. Do you honestly think they'll allow that?

“The League isn't on trial here. Maya Martin is. I won't let one bad trainer drag the rest of the world down with her. I will defeat and publicly humiliate her in front of everyone. That's why I need your help. I'm certain I can beat Maya, but there is more at stake than just taking a hit to my reputation. I can't take chances."

Neil rose from his seat and walked over to the window. Below, Lumiose City glittered under the sun's rays. Small shapes of people and cars moved through streets below. What do I do? I don't think of Maya as my friend anymore, but can I really sell her out to save my own skin? But that Sylveon… No friend of mine would do that to a Pokémon. If Maya is that far gone, is she someone worth protecting? Should I at least try to save her since were friends once. Should I try to talk to her and get her side?

With a heavy sigh, he faced Sharon again. “Can I think on it?"

“Of course. I don't expect an answer right now. I did drop a lot in your lap after all. I'll give you three days to think on it." She pulled a small business card out of her pocket and placed it on the table. “This is my personal number. If I don't hear from you by then, I'll assume your answer is no."

Neil remained by the window. “What happens if I say no?"

Sharon tilted her head in confusion. “I think you have the wrong idea, Neil. I'm not threatening you. As I said before, I'm quite confident in my Pokémon. With or without your help, I will defeat Maya Martin." She rose from her seat and joined Neil in staring out the window. “Pokémon trainers spend years, even decades training to become Champion. The Champion should be a role model, someone that younger trainers aspire to be. I can't stand by and let someone dirty that. It's my duty as the current Champion to usher in the next generation of Pokémon trainers."

Neil's brow rose. For some reason, he felt like Sharon wasn't talking to him. “I honestly never thought about the Champion that way," he said sheepishly.

“Most people don't, but they never become Champions. It's only the ones who understand the weight that comes with that title who truly have the power to stand at the top." She turned to Neil with an innocent smile on her face. “ A word of advice: Seeking power is dangerous. You need a set of rigid guidelines to keep you in check or else there's no limit to what you'll do."

Claire exited the bathroom and Neil was quick to leave with her. She said nothing the entire trip back outside.

Neil walked silently down the street by Claire's side. 

He couldn't get the images of the maimed Sylveon out of his mind. Should he have done something different? Maybe they should've just given the pictures to the Abuse Division and let them sort things out. During his journey, he had come across many of abusive trainers, and he had always done what he considered the right thing. But this time felt different. Somehow public humiliation didn't feel like the right way to deal with this. But what other way was there?

Sharon did have a point. Exposing it would also bring to light that the League covered it up. If it came out that the League allowed one of their Champions to abuse Pokémon, it could lead to Pokémon training being outlawed in Kalos or extremely tight guidelines being enforced that would make life hard for everyone. But even knowing that, did it really make it okay to keep up the lie? By hiding this information, did it truly make him any better? He was grateful Claire wasn't pushing the issue and making him talk about it.

Claire was also unusually quiet. She had no more bouts of nausea after leaving the hotel, indicating her stomach had settled. She stayed close to him, watching the ground ahead of them. Several times she shifted as if about to say something, but remained silent. He thought about striking up a conversation, but what could they talk about?

Neil decided to break the awkward silence anyway. “Hey, Claire—"

“I heard what you and Sharon were talking about," she quickly interjected. “What I don't understand is why you need to think about it. Seems like a no-brainer if you ask me."

“Hold on. Maya and I may not be talking to each other, but we still used to be friends. She was never that kind of person."

“That was how long ago?" Claire asked, her irritation becoming clearer. “People change, Neil. Maybe the Maya you knew is gone."

“Well, until I can confirm it, I'm not believing anything just yet."

“What's there to confirm? Unless those pictures were fake, we have all the confirmation we need. This isn't like you. Normally, just the mention of someone abusing their Pokémon sets you off. "

Neil sighed heavily. “I just need to be a hundred percent certain. Maya's not just any friend. We've known each other since we were three; there's a lot of history I can't just ignore."

“Sounds like an excuse to me."

“What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Claire stopped and glared at him. “You know full-damn-well what it means!"

Neil could feel the eyes of passersby on them. He wanted someone to step in and try to be the savior so he had an excuse to let out his frustration on them. It would be better than fueling the argument with Claire right now. “Can we not have this argument right now? I have a lot on my mind."

“Yeah, deciding whether or not to defend a Pokémon abuser. Man, that's a real head-scratcher."

“You know, what? Fuck you, Claire. Let's see how easily you can make a choice when it's someone you know."

Claire opened her mouth to say something, but instead she broke eye-contact and stared at the passing traffic. “When I was a little girl, I learned the hard way how cruel people can be to Pokémon. I don't care if the person being accused is you. Anyone who abuses a Pokémon is dead to me." She spun on her heel and stormed down the street. The small crowd that had gathered behind them quickly parted and pretended to be interested in everything else on the sidewalk. A few bystanders gave him angry stares, obviously taking Claire's side despite not knowing anything about the situation.

Neil shoved his hands into pockets and stormed off in the opposite direction, daring someone to say something. Sometimes, I just don't understand her. What the hell does she want from me?

He looked up to see Café Bataille across the street. This is as good a place as any to get away from my problems, he thought as he crossed the street.

The café wasn't nearly as crowded as the last time, and the few trainers inside took no notice of him. For once, he was grateful not to be well-known. He quickly found a seat at the end of the counter and put his head down.

“Wow, I didn't expect to see you back here so soon," Marcus said. “I thought you'd be locked up in some hotel room with your girlfriend."

Neil tried to keep his annoyance in check as he lifted his head. “Well, I found out the hard way that women are annoying."

Marcus laughed. “You're just learning that now? Well, you're in the right place to forget your lady troubles, my friend. Nothing like talking shop with a fellow trainer to make you forget how alone you truly are. Speaking of lady troubles, how'd your meeting with Sharon Harris go?"

“It wasn't what I was expecting. Turned out she just wanted—Hold on. How do you know about that?"

“How do you think she knew your name?" Marcus replied, smiling. “She came here asking questions, and I figured I'd help out."

Neil narrowed his eyes at the café owner. Did Marcus also know about the Sylveon? Did Sharon tell him, and that's why he chose to help out? Up until now, Neil had never questioned Marcus' uncanny knowledge or how quickly he obtained his information. Now he was wondering just how much he really knew about the man.

Marcus never gave Neil a reason to doubt him. Neil saw no reason to start now. “Hey, I have a question: If you had to choose between your ex-best friend and your principles, which would you choose?"

Marcus scratched his chin as he thought about it. “That's a tough one. I assume there's no way you can protect both? Ex-friend or not, there's history there. I can't say I want to throw them under the bus. On the other hand, I don't think anyone should lightly abandon their principles. What about this ex-friend? Do I still care about them or are they dead to me?"

“It switches back and forth."

“I see. So is the friend guilty of something or are they just a casualty?"

“In a way, it's a bit of both. I trust the source, but I just don't see Maya doing something like that." He swore under his breath as he realized he just gave it away. He quickly looked around to see if anyone eavesdropping caught on to the nature of their conversation. The few customers were all sitting at tables away from the counter, and they were all locked in a serious conversation. All of them had the same worried expressions on their faces as they whispered to each other. Neil's brow rose. “I miss something? Why's everyone so nervous?"

Marcus' eyes looked serious and somber behind his square-rimmed glasses. “Several trainers have gone missing over the last couple of months; it has trainers on edge. It doesn't look like the disappearances are connected, so I haven't been putting too much thought into it."

He leaned on the counter and his expression softened. “But back to your problem. Everyone has to make a decision like this at some point in their lives, and it's always a bitch. Unfortunately, there's no right or wrong answer. It's your call. How do you feel about the situation?"

“I feel like I should stand by my principles, but she deserves a chance to tell her side. She should have that much. The problem is I haven't spoken to her in… well, years. I actually still don't want to see her again. Just thinking about it pisses me off."

“Was the fight that bad?"

“You remember a few years back when Bleu Plaza got wrecked and they spent several months repairing it?"

Marcus nodded. Neil could see in his face when he realized what was being said. His eyes widened and he whistled. “You two did that?"

Neil nodded, his face grim. “We were pretty pissed off at each other. That battle's not something I'm proud of."

“Damn. No wonder you don't want to see her again. I'd hate to see what kind of damage you two would cause now."

Neil chuckled humorlessly at the remark. If he and Maya battled again, it would definitely have to be somewhere in the wild. “Let's talk about something else; I'm sick of talking about her. You know about any tourney's coming up?"

Another customer approached the counter and asked for a cup of coffee. As Marcus filled the customer's order he said, “There is a small tournament being held a month from now. Winner supposedly wins an Amphorosite mega stone."

“Mega stone, huh? I think I'll pass. Ampharosite only works on Ampharos, and I don't have one."

“It'll still be good publicity regardless," Marcus said. “Besides, you can always give it to the runner-up if you win."

Neil grumbled under his breath. The idea of entering a tournament just for kicks didn't sit well with him. It felt like a jerk move to deprive other trainers of something he had no use for in the first place. “Nah. I think I'll sit this one out."

“I figured you'd say that. That's why I took the liberty of registering you already."

“You did what?!" Neil looked around and noticed the other patrons were staring. He dropped back into his seat, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. “Why would you do that?" he hissed under his breath.

“Because you won't," Marcus replied. “You'll never become the type of trainer you want to be if you don't put yourself out there."

“But—"

A loud crash from the kitchen cut the conversation short. The entire café fell silent as everyone turned toward the door.

“What the hell was that?" Neil asked.

Marcus shrugged and the two of them headed through the door behind the counter. Pots, ripped open food packages, and half-eaten food were scattered all over the floor, and the back door was ajar. Before Neil could begin speculating, another pot fell. They turned and saw a slender, black, lizard-like Pokémon sitting on the far counter, its five-fingered feet gripping the edges of the counter as it tore into a piece of meat. It stared right at them as it ate. It's purple, slanted eyes scanned them as if confirming something. The purple flame pattern on its chest and stomach glowed dimly as a low rumble came from it.

Neil froze when he looked into its eyes. A familiar feeling of being watched crept over him and a sudden thought jumped into his mind.

Those are the eyes I saw in the alley two days ago.   

“Neil, I want you to go stand by the back door in case it tries to make a run for it," Marcus whispered.

Neil jerked and noticed Marcus had begun inching back toward the door. It watched his movements carefully, its tail held high and slowly swaying behind it like a metronome.

“Hold on, Marcus. We have no idea what that Pokémon is." He started reaching for Pyrus' Poké Ball. “Maybe I should—"

Marcus held up a hand, stopping Neil in his tracks. “If you toss out a Pokémon, you'll only spook it." Marcus' expression was serious as he continued to back away. Its tail swaying increased in frequency as the gap between them widened.

Neil swallowed and watched the Pokémon carefully. This was bad. He didn't know what Marcus was planning, but that thing was getting nervous. What if it attacked them? This room was too small to risk getting into a battle. It would tear them both to pieces.

The only thing Neil could think to do was to follow Marcus' suggestion. He began to move toward the back door, his hand still clenching the Poké Ball. The unknown Pokémon followed his movements with its eyes, seemingly ignoring Marcus.

Once Marcus placed a hand on the door, it hissed and dropped to the floor. Before either of them could react, it moved with amazing speed, rushing up to Marcus and clamping down on his leg. Marcus screamed and tried to pull away, but the Pokémon shook its head, knocking him off-balance. He fell sideways onto the floor, and the Pokémon jumped on top of him.

“Marcus!" Neil raised Pyrus' Poké Ball over his head. The Pokémon fired a multi-colored beam from its mouth, hitting him square in the chest and sending him sprawling into the corner. Pyrus' Poké Ball flew from his hand and landed in the middle of the floor next to a ruptured bag of flour. Struggling to catch his breath, he could only watch as the strange Pokémon snatched up Poké Ball and ran out the back door.

Neil struggled to his feet and followed it, releasing Light from her Poké Ball as he went.

“Neil! Neil, wait!"

He ignored Marcus' cries as he hurried down the alley. The unknown Pokémon left a surprisingly easy trail to follow. Bits of food littered the ground every few feet. Following the trail made Neil uneasy. It wasn't uncommon for some trainers to use their Pokémon to lead people into ambushes, although doing it in the city was uncommon. Light stayed close to his side as they searched for the Pokémon.

I swear if whoever's responsible for this thinks they're getting out this city with Pyrus, they got another thing coming, he thought. I'll tear this whole city down if that's what it takes.

The unknown Pokémon was no stranger to the city. The way it navigated the back alleys was impressive. They hardly ever crossed a major street and almost always avoided crowds. It worried Neil how well this Pokémon knew its way around. If it ran wild in Lumiose all this time unseen, that it suddenly got bold was not a good sign. If it belonged to someone, that they were able to keep up the same scam all this time was not a good sign. He shook his speculations from his mind figuring now was not the time to worry so much about finer details. Once he recovered his Flareon, he could figure things out.

They eventually reached a small alcove created by the surrounding buildings. The alley they came through was the only way in or out without climbing through a window or flying. Piles of garbage and several large boxes lined were scattered around as if someone had tried to build something. The place stank something fierce, so Neil pulled his shirt over his nose to keep from gagging. But beneath the stench, there was another smell. A sweet smell that reminded him of some kind of perfume, but not quite. It seemed closer to a sweet smelling flower or candy. Whatever the smell was, it was somehow relaxing. Light whined and tried to cover her snout with her paw. Neil felt sorry for her. With a heightened sense of smell and no relief from the powerful stench, it had to be torturous for the poor Jolteon.

Just another reason to finish this up as quickly as possible, Neil thought. He scanned the area for signs of the unknown Pokémon or Pyrus, but found nothing.

Light barked and led Neil to one of the far corners where a makeshift tunnel had been made leading to a broken basement window of the one of surrounding buildings.

Neil peered through the broken window, but even in broad daylight, it was difficult to see anything.

The idea of going into a Pokémon nest was unsettling as it was dangerous, but Neil swallowed any fears and crawled through the window. There was no time to wait for the police to arrive; he would be lucky if he found Pyrus alive. His Flareon wouldn't go down without a fight, but knowing next to nothing about that strange Pokémon complicated matters.

The basement was dark, even in the middle of the afternoon thanks to the windows being covered, and stank worse than the alley. The smell burned Neil's nose and made him want to vomit. He didn't even want to imagine what Light was going through. He blinked away the tears caused by the burning stench and used the flashlight on his keychain to see. If it weren't for the smell, he would've chuckled at all the times he laughed at other people for carrying around keychain flashlights. He had a flashlight in his bag, but the bag was now back in Café Bataille.

There was no mistaking the building they entered was abandoned. Either that, or the people who lived there had some serious hygiene issues. More discarded food containers, rotten meat, pieces of broken furniture, and other random junk covered the already cracked and dirty floor. A thick curtain of dust hung in the air, making it harder to breathe on top of the stench. The walls were falling apart and full of holes. Weeds were beginning to grow through cracks in the floor.

Neil swept the flashlight's beam around the room, eventually finding a doorway on the far side of the room. He took two steps in the dark and tripped. He tried his best not cry out in pain as he fell on top of weeks' worth of old food and trash, but it made little difference since the fall itself was noisy. Groaning quietly, he sat up and found himself face-to-face with a human skull.

He cried out and leapt to his feet, his heart hammering furiously in his chest. Light snarled and jumped in front of him, the electricity surging through her body crackling loudly and her body shining enough to light up the room. He regained his senses and told Light to calm down. She stopped snarling and relaxed though the room was plunged into darkness again.

At least now he knew the source of the smell. The skull had been down there for quite some time. Most of the flesh had been stripped off it—most likely by the strange Pokémon. With a shaking hand, he swept the flashlight's beam around the room again. Hidden among the food containers and other debris were bones. It was hard to tell who the individual bones belonged to, but another full skeleton lay among them. All of the skeletons' clothes were worn and weathered—just like those of a Pokémon trainer.

Neil's blood ran cold as a thought ran through his mind: I'm not the first human this thing has led down there, he thought. It's been leading people down here, killing them. That's why no one knows about this thing. Because no one has found the bodies.

He stood there for an unknown amount of time, letting the thought sink in. Among the bones he saw no Pokémon skeletons, meaning humans were its chosen victims. It chose him and led him here to kill him. That changed things. It wanted him to follow and knew he would enter through the basement. He needed a plan. The other trainers it led here had to put up a fight. He scanned the walls and the ceiling for signs of battle. There were none. That means it relies on sneak attacks. Jumps the trainer before they have a chance to realize what's going on. But I've been down here for a while now, and haven't been very quiet about it. Why haven't I seen it yet?

As if to answer his question, there was the sound of scuffling above their heads. Neil wasted no time heading through the doorway in the hopes of finding a flight of stairs. That's why the strange Pokémon hadn't attacked yet. Pyrus had gotten free from his Poké Ball and was fighting back. Neil knew he needed to hurry if he was going to make it in time. The time for subtlety had passed. The Pokémon already knew he was there anyway.

He found a flight of stairs on the far side of the other room. He hurried across the room, keeping his head on a swivel, checking all directions—including the ceiling—for signs of an ambush. It hadn't occurred to him there could be more than one of those mysterious Pokémon before going into its nest.

Now he wished it had. No one knew where he was, and even if he called the police right now, it would take several minutes before they arrived.

Nothing happened while they were in the basement. When Neil and Light climbed the stairs, the loud creaking of rotted wood echoed through the building. He ignored it and rushed the stairs two at a time. He knew he was likely rushing into an ambush. He had no way of knowing what was waiting at the top of the stairs. Only saving Pyrus mattered. He would kill that Pokémon if it did anything to harm his Flareon.

Nothing greeted them at the top of the stairs. The upstairs were much better than the basement, there was more light, the floors were only covered with a blanket of dust, and while it still stank, the smell was nowhere near as pungent. The building the unknown Pokémon had chosen to make a nest of turned out to be an apartment building. Neil swore under his breath. It could be hiding in any one of the many rooms in the dozens of apartments. The scuffling sounds had ceased and there was no telling which room the Pokémon were in.

But I could hear them fighting from the basement, he thought. That has to mean they're on the first floor.

It wasn't the best theory, but it was all he had and there was no time to think of a better way. Neil approached the door of the closest apartment. He would search every apartment in this building one-by-one if he had to. He wasn't leaving without his Pokémon.

The inside of the apartment confirmed his first theory that the building had been abandoned. Part of the ceiling had come down in the middle of the room and the only piece of furniture was a run-down armchair in the corner.

Neil made for one of the three exits, his heart hammering against his chest and his palms slick with sweat. Don't panic, don't panic, don't panic. Don't. Panic. He thought. The old floorboards creaking with almost every step didn't help matters, nor did knowing next to nothing about the Pokémon he was going up against. Not its type, the attacks it could use, or its ability. There was going to be a fight, and it was going to get ugly. Light was silent and stayed by her trainer's side.

The doorway led to a short hallway. There were three open doors at the end of the hall. In the middle of the hall sat a red Poké Ball with a flame design.

Neil rushed down the hall and picked up the Poké Ball. The moment he did, something lunged toward him from the left. He instinctively held his arms over his face. Something struck him hard in the chest, and he flew into the wall. The air rushed out of his lungs and he slid to the floor with a soft groan.

He looked up to see the unknown Pokémon standing over him just before Light tackled it. The two snarled and bit at each other, rolling around the floor in a yellow and black ball.

Neil struggled to his feet and heard another loud bark. He spun to see Pyrus limping out of the room the strange Pokémon just left. The Flareon noticed his trainer leaning against the wall and hurried to him. Before Neil could enjoy the reunion, Light whined, snapping them back into reality. Light was laying on the floor, and the unknown Pokémon stalked toward her. As Pyrus rushed toward them, his body erupted into flames. The unknown Pokémon noticed too late and took a direct hit. There was a fierce explosion and the Pokémon was flung through the wall.  

Neil rushed to the injured Flareon. “Good one, Pyrus. But maybe next time try using an attack that doesn't hurt you as well."

Pyrus grunted to struggled to his feet. Light nuzzled Pyrus' cheek as a way of saying thanks. They both faced the opposite door, their fur bristling.

The unknown Pokémon staggered into view. It's right arm hung limp at its side, small droplets of blood fell from its fingers. Even with its injuries, it glared at all three of them with fierce determination. A familiar low grumbling echoed through the hall.

It's already at the end of its rope, he thought. His stomach knotted. Its determination, it was the same never-ending attitude she had. “Why? Why are you pushing yourself so hard? What is driving you?"

The strange Pokémon narrowed its eyes at him then opened its mouth to launch another attack. Light moved first, firing a small wave of electricity from her body. The strange Pokémon cried out and its body went rigid. It fell flat on its face. It continued to stare daggers at Neil as its body trembled, determined to break through its paralysis through sheer willpower.

Neil pulled one of the spare Poké Balls he kept from its holster. It was an old habit he learned years ago to always keep a spare Poké Ball handy in case something happened to the ones he already had. He never imagined he would need to use it in this situation.

Capturing it was his only option. He didn't know why this Pokémon was so determined, but if the battle dragged on any longer, he might kill it by accident. He tossed the Poké Ball and it struck the strange Pokémon, snatching it inside. The Pokémon was paralyzed but the ball still rolled violently around even popping into the air a few times as its prisoner struggled to break free. Eventually the ball the stopped rolling and the distinct clicking sound of the ball locking echoed through the hall followed by a heavy silence.

Neil quickly recovered the Poké Ball and recalled Pyrus back to his ball. He tried to recall Light as well, but she refused. “All right. You can escort me out of here, but I need you to go back to your ball if we're gonna get to a Pokémon Center," he said.

The front door of the building had been boarded over, but Neil had no intention of going back into the basement. He released Sentinel from her ball to smash through the door instead. It scared a few people who happened to be walking by at the time, but Neil ignored them. He climbed onto Sentinel's back, recalled Light to her ball, and told his Dragonite to take them to the Pokémon Center near Magenta Plaza.  

****

Neil had never felt more tense in his life than he did sitting in the Pokémon Center's nurse's quarters. At least an hour had passed since arriving, and the nurse still hadn't returned with his Pokémon.

When he had first arrived, the nurse wanted to check him in as well. Pokémon Centers didn't normally treat humans, but the nurse argued this was a hospital, not an auto repair shop. “We don't send potential patients to 'see someone else' just because we treat Pokémon," she had said. He didn't think there was anything wrong, but the nurse wasn't having it. After several minutes of trying to convince her he was fine and to look after his Pokémon, he realized she would not be persuaded to potentially risk his life, so he gave in. Other than a few bruises, he was fine. Satisfied, the nurse sent him to the waiting room to wait.

Another nurse complained that Sentinel was too large to have walking around the Pokémon Center, but the Dragonite threw a fit when he tried to put her back in her Poké Ball. To avoid an incident, he and Sentinel were taken to a rest area where the nurses take quick naps. To pass the time, he tried calling Claire, but she didn't pick up or return his call. She was clearly still angry with him from their fight earlier. He also called the police and told them about the skeletons in the basement of the abandoned apartment building. The 911 operator told him to stay at the Pokémon Center so someone could come by to take his statement. Since then he had been playing the waiting game.

There was no TV in the room, only the cots the nurses slept on, so his mind ran a mile a minute. Sentinel had fallen asleep in the corner, so talking to her was out. What worried him was the Pokémon he captured. When a Pokémon started attacking humans it was often put down. The rangers may try to relocate it if they deem it necessary, but Neil doubted this would be the case. It had attacked two people, one of them being him, killed at least two more, and stole a Pokémon. Once he handed it over to the Rangers, they would likely put it down. That idea didn't sit well with him. He couldn't explain it, but he felt the situation wasn't so black and white. It was its eyes that unsettled him the most. He was certain they were the same eyes that were watching him in the alley a few days ago. The Pokémon had been watching him. It likely had come to café looking for him, and it was determined to kill him or die trying. Neil raked his brain for an explanation of why a Pokémon he never met was attacking him, but came up blank.

Eventually, his thoughts began running in circles, so he decided to check the registration of the Pokémon he just captured. According to the Pokédex, the Pokémon was called a Salazzle. He did some research on his phone and found they were highly unusual Pokémon. For one, their pre-evolved form had males and females, but only the females evolved into Salazzle while the males didn't evolve at all. They were also highly poisonous. They secreted a unique poison that affected steel-and-poison-types both of which were immune to poisoning.

Neil wondered if that was how it killed its victims. Once they entered the basement, one whiff of its poison gas would put them down. Pyrus was likely the only reason it didn't get a chance to spring its trap.

“Excuse me, young man?" a voice asked.

Neil snatched his head up to see the pink-haired nurse standing in the doorway. The wrinkles in her face contradicted her youthful, bright blue eyes. It gave Neil the impression she was tough old-woman, but still caring when she needed to be. Neil straightened up in his seat and quickly slipped his phone back into his pocket. Sentinel opened her eyes and watched the woman.

“Before you ask," the nurse said, holding up a hand to silence the barrage of questions he was ready to sling at her, “All three Pokémon are fine. They will make a full recovery."

Neil sighed and slid back into his seat. “That's a relief." Noticing she didn't have any Poké Balls with her, his stomach knotted. “I'm assuming there's a 'but' coming up?"

“Yeah, that'll be where I come in," came a male voice that Neil recognized. Just as he had guessed, the face of his cousin, Seymour appeared behind the nurses shoulder. Unlike the nurse, Seymour's age of being in his early-thirties showed in his face. Seymour had blonde hair which he intentionally kept long and messy as a way to “defuse the seriousness of his work." Now his hair was slicked back and he wore serious expression looking more like a professional.

Neil could feel the beads of sweat sprouting on his brow. He looked for a sign in his cousin's green eyes, something to tell him that the situation wasn't as bad as it seemed, but he found nothing. His cousin worked for the Pokémon Abuse Division. If he was showing up now, it meant the nurse found signs of abuse. This was not good. Even if found innocent, just being investigated for abuse would kill a trainer's reputation.

Neil jumped to his feet. “Hold on a second. I never—"

“Mr. Léonide, sit down," Seymour commanded.

“But—"

“I won't say it again!"

Neil fell silent and slowly sat down. He had no idea if his cousin showing up was a good or a bad thing. You show up late to everything else, but now you decide to show up on time, he thought.

Seymour straightened his stripped shirt and faced the nurse. “Thank you, Miss. Could you give us a moment?"

The nurse nodded and disappeared from the doorway. Seymour came inside and closed the door behind him.

“Before you give me the bad news, can you at least promise not to tell my folks?" Neil pleaded. “I think they should hear it from me."

To his surprise, Seymour began laughing. “Dude, you should've seen the look on your face when I came in. I wouldn't be shocked if you pissed yourself!" He stood there roaring with laughter until tears streamed down his face. He then straightened up, wiped his eyes and said, “Anyway, you're not in any kind of trouble, so you can relax."

Neil fought the urge to punch him. “If I'm not trouble, then why are you here?"

Seymour's expression became serious. “That Pokémon you captured, the Salazzle, the nurse found signs of abuse when she was treating it." He took out a tablet and turned it on. “She took some x-rays and the results weren't pretty. She found several remodeled fractures on its arms and legs as well as needle marks, and it shows signs of malnourishment."

That would mean she was tied down while they injected her with things, Neil thought. After she somehow got loose, she's been hiding out in alleys on the run. She's pretty tough to have survived this long, I'll give her that. Turning to Sentinel, he noticed she was frowning. He recalled her to her Poké Ball. He didn't know how much of it she understood, but the last thing they needed was a pissed-off Dragonite in the middle of a crowded building. “You still haven't said what this has to do with me," he said.

“Dude, you captured it. That makes you suspect number one. Or you would, if the registration hadn't shown that you captured it this afternoon. Your off the hook, but as she is now officially captured, we have to investigate."

“I get that, but you know what'll happen if word gets out that I'm being investigated."

“Neil, calm down. I told you: You're not being investigated."

Neil wasn't buying it. Sure, officially he wasn't under investigation, but he knew no one would bother making that distinction.

Seymour sat next to Neil and said in a hushed voice, “Okay, look. The point is, you're supposed to fill out a special form when dealing with abused Pokémon in case they have an episode or something. You sign some papers, and you go through a probationary period where you can't use the Pokémon in any official League battles. After three monthly visits, if the Pokémon is adapting nicely, it's taken off probation and you never hear from us again. Or you can skip all of that and sign it over to us now."

“What happens if I sign her over to you?"

“It's evaluated and then either sent to a day-care to be picked up by another trainer or given to the rangers to be released into the wild. If it's decided it can't survive in the wild, it'll be sent to a sanctuary to live out its retirement there."

“What about the bodies?"

Seymour's brow rose. “What bodies?"

Neil looked around the room. He knew they were alone, but he felt the need to confirm it. “I-I think she's killed people. I found bodies in the building she was hiding in."

Seymour started pacing around the room. Every few steps he would mumble under his breath and resume pacing again. Neil patiently waited in his seat for an answer. He didn't like seeing his cousin get serious; it was never a good sign. Finally, Seymour stopped and turned to Neil. “Okay, what did the cops say?"

“They're supposed to be sending someone to take my statement, but I haven't heard from them yet."

“Okay. Now did you see it kill anyone?"

“No."

“Then how do you know? Neil, let the cops do their investigation. If they decide your Pokémon was involved, my boss'll get a call, and we'll work from there. Until then, don't tell anybody anything. When they come to take your statement, tell them about the bodies, but nothing else, understand? Not what you think, only what you saw."

Neil nodded. He thought about handing the Salazzle over to the police, but after learning that she had been abused, he wondered if that was the best thing for her.

“Good. Now what are you gonna do about this Pokémon? You taking it, or you'd rather give it up now?"

Neil thought back to the eyes watching him in the alley two days ago. It was most likely the Salazzle, watching him. She knew he would be at the café. What if she went there looking for him? It seemed the only reason she would even risk going to a place filled with Pokémon trainers despite being wary of humans. At first he thought she was trying to kill him, but now he wasn't so sure. If she really wanted him dead, she could've spewed her poison gas at any time even with Light and Pyrus defending him. What if the Pokémon wanted to be captured?

“A Pokémon chooses its trainer," he mumbled. He couldn't help but smile at those words. When he was younger, he used to say things like that all the time believing it made him sound cooler. He looked at his cousin and said, “I'll take her."

“You sure? Abused Pokémon are harder to raise, just so you know. You have to be very careful with them and very patient."

 “Yeah? Well, a good trainer never shies away from a challenge. Besides, she's already been abused and treated like trash. I'm not gonna abandon her just because of her history."

Seymour looked as if he wanted to argue, but instead he smiled warmly and went to the door. “Looks like the Pokémon chose right. I had a feeling you'd say that, so I'm glad I brought the papers with me. I'll be right back with your Pokémon and the forms you'll need to fill out." Before leaving, he pulled a small business card out of his pocket and gave it to Neil. “That's for a support group for trainers in your position. If you ever feel like you need help, don't be afraid to reach out."

Neil received the card and thanked Seymour for the help before leaving the Pokémon Center. Signing the papers didn't take long. After setting up the three monthly follow-up appointments he was finally able to add the newest Pokémon to his roster. Shortly after his cousin left, a uniformed officer appeared to take his statement. Judging from the officer's attitude, he didn't fully buy into Neil's story. Neil swallowed his annoyance and did as Seymour told him, telling the officer only what he saw and nothing else. After asking him the same question for the fifth time, the officer was convinced Neil wasn't trying to pull a prank and told him he was free to go.

Neil had been inside the Pokémon Center longer than he thought.  The sun was setting and the street lamps were coming on. He wanted to introduce the Salazzle to the rest of the team as soon as possible, but figured it would be better to go back to the hotel room for a shower and a change of clothes. He called upon Ember to fly them back to the hotel.

On the way there, he wondered about how he was going to introduce the newest member to the rest of the team. She would also need a name. Pyrus and Light would likely be a little miffed she was there, but they would open up to her eventually. Sentinel was the biggest problem. She designated herself his personal bodyguard; if she felt the Salazzle was a danger, she wouldn't hesitate to react. He also worried about his team configuration. With the Salazzle, he had three fire-types in his party making the team extremely vulnerable to water, rock, and ground-type moves and Pokémon.  He would have to choose a sixth Pokémon to counter his weaknesses or reconfigure half his team.

Once he entered the hotel room, a much needed shower was all he could think about. Not only was he covered in dirt, sweat, and dust from the battle in the apartment building, but he was still dirty from his training session with Claire in the Lumiose Badlands. There would be plenty of time to figure out the rest after he got cleaned up.

Claire was sitting on the bed, wearing only a t-shirt and underwear, watching TV when he came in. He expected her to give him the silent treatment when he came in, but when she looked at him all her anger drained from her face.

“What happened to you? Are you all right?"

“Yes, Claire, I'm fine," Neil said. He grimaced as he slowly removed his jacket, suddenly aware of how sore he was. “It's nothing serious. Listen, I have a lot to tell you, but I really want to take a shower first."

“You can talk and bathe at the same time," Claire replied pushing him toward the bathroom.

“I was kinda hoping to do this alone."

“Too bad. I want details. Plus, I've already seen you naked."

Neil rolled his eyes and decided not to fight it. He told Claire everything that happened while he showered: the attack at Marcus' café, how he cornered the Salazzle in the abandoned building, the research he did in the Pokémon Center, and finally the conversation he had with his cousin. Claire was surprisingly quiet throughout the entire explanation. All he could see was the blurry outline of her body outside the shower door. He began to wonder what she was thinking.

When he finished the story, she was still quiet. He thought about breaking the silence and asking if she were okay. Her blurry shape was still visible on the other side of the door, so he knew she was still there. Eventually he decided it would be best to leave her alone for now and rinsed in silence. The moment he stepped out of the shower, she hugged him, almost knocking them both back into the tub.

“Hey, if you want sex that badly, you could at least take your clothes off first. You're getting wet," he said jokingly.

“Shut up," she said, her voice breaking. “I'm so sorry. I saw you were calling me, but I ignored it because I was mad at you. You were risking your life, and I was being a total bitch. You could've died today, and the last thing I said to you was, 'I want to be alone.' "

The smile slid off his face and he returned the hug. “It's fine. I know you care about me, and besides, there's nothing you could've done. I didn't even wait around for the police to show up. If anything, I'm glad you weren't there. It meant I didn't have to worry about you getting hurt."

            She wiped her eyes on her sleeve, but refused to look at him. “But I really am sorry for taking my anger out on you. It isn't an easy decision. It's just… when I saw that Sylveon. It hit a little too close to home for my taste."

“What does that mean?"

“Doesn't matter. What matters is I'm sorry."

Neil chuckled. “You said that already."

“I know. It's just my grandfather always said, 'A person's worth is measured by whether they can keep their word. Don't say you'll do something unless you plan to follow you plan to see it through no matter the consequences.' I sometimes forget that it's a lot easier in theory than practice. I also forgot that thinking like that sometimes makes people see me as a heartless bitch."

Neil pulled her close and kissed her forehead. “I never once thought of you as a heartless bitch."

She smiled and slowly slid her hands over his wet body. “I know you're just saying that to make me feel better, but I'll take it. So, I know you just took a shower, but seeing you naked is a bit of a turn-on."

Neil smiled back and gently pushed Claire away. “Sorry, but I wanna introduce Noxis to the rest of the team and get her settled."

“Wow. Did you really just blow me off for a Pokémon? And where did you get the name 'Noxis?' "

“I thought it up in the shower. I got it from the word 'noxious' which means—"

“I know what noxious means. But are you sure you don't wanna fool around first? It's not like your Pokémon are going anywhere."

“Sorry, but I really want to do this before it gets too dark out. Besides, I usually feed them around this time anyway." He toweled-off, grabbed the change of clothes, he left next to the sink and began getting dressed.

Claire mumbled something as he left, but he didn't hear it. He grabbed his laptop, Poké Balls, and the bag of dried Pokémon kibble. He was surprised to see Claire gathering things too.

“You're coming with? I figured you fed your team by now," he said.

“She tried to kill you, Neil," Claire stated. “Until I feel otherwise, I'm not leaving her alone with you."

Neil knew better than to argue with her. He was actually grateful to have Claire along. It was the first time releasing Noxis from her Poké Ball since capturing her, and while he was certain she didn't want to kill him, he wasn't a hundred percent sure.

The hotel often had guests who were to Pokémon trainers, so there was a space out back for trainers to practice battle techniques or have quick matches with one another. There was also a kitchen where trainers could borrow bowls of varying sizes to feed their teams, and a stove for anyone who wanted to give their Pokémon a cooked meal. No one was outside when Neil arrived which he was grateful for. Given Noxis' current rack record with humans, he didn't want to have too many people around her so soon.

He walked to far edge of the practice field and released all five of his Pokémon at once. Pyrus and Light took one look at Noxis and moved to protect their trainer.

“Hold up, you two. Noxis is a part of this team now, so be nice. Noxis, this is Pyrus, Ember, Light, and Sentinel. Everyone this is Noxis."

Light barked enthusiastically, her way of saying “Hi." Sentinel simply nodded her head. Ember and Pyrus both turned away. Noxis stood there, showing no reaction to anything Neil said.

Neil tapped the two fire-types on the head. “Hey. I know you were just fighting each other, but that's no reason to act like that. And you don't even know her, Ember. You didn't give Light such a hard time when I captured her."

Ember and Pyrus dropped their heads and made mournful sounds which Neil assumed was their way of saying “sorry."

“Okay, now that intros have been taken care of, why don't you all hang out while I get your food together? I have a few things I need to figure out first, so Noxis will begin her training tomorrow." He looked over his shoulder at Claire. “You gonna bring out your team, introduce 'em?"

“It's not good to overwhelm her," Claire said. “Plus, I think she needs to make friends with your team before word about her spreads. If my team senses yours being hostile, they won't like her."

“Good point," Neil said as he lined up the bowls on the ground and began pouring food into each one. Once he finished, Pyrus approached the first bowl, but Noxis quickly jumped ahead of him. She crouched over the bowl hissing at the surprised Flareon. Pyrus quickly recovered and returned the threat with a loud growl. Light also growled and stood beside Pyrus. Ember and Sentinel stood in front of Neil and Claire.

Neil nearly dropped the food bag and stepped between the warring Pokémon. “Everyone calm down. Noxis, I have enough food for everyone. See?"

Pyrus, Ember, and Light relaxed. Noxis continued to stare at everyone as she slowly pulled her bowl away. Once she was out of anyone's reach, she began eating, still watching to make sure no one was sneaking up on her.

Neil finished filling the rest of the bowls, trying to keep his anger in check. “What kind of sick bastard makes Pokémon fight for their meals?" he grumbled under his breath. Twice, he nearly over-filled one of the bowls, and he came very close to kicking one in anger when he tripped over his own feet. Ember nuzzled her trainer, most likely in an attempt to lighten his mood.

He sighed and rubbed her snout. “Thanks for that. I just can't believe there are people out there who would torture a Pokémon for their own amusement. Go ahead and finish your food."

Ember continued to stare at him and didn't budge.

“Ember, really. I'm fine."

“You sure?" Claire asked. “You don't look like you're not a person who's fine."

Neil sighed and leaned closer to Claire. He lowered his voice and said, “Can we talk about it later? I don't want the others to see me upset. Especially Noxis; I think she'll get scared if she sees me upset."

Claire nodded in understanding. She and Neil sat on the bench against the wall and Neil took out his laptop. There was still room for one more Pokémon on his team, but with three fire-types and two flying-types, he had to be very careful about his next choice.

A grass type would be his best option. His three key weaknesses were water, rock, and ground-types—all of which were vulnerable to grass-type moves, and grass-type Pokémon were resistant to water and ground-types. Grass types were weak against bug, ice, and fire-types which were easily countered by his other Pokémon. The only question now was which grass-type to add to his team.

He went to the International Pokémon Database to view the list of known grass-type Pokémon living in the Kalos Region. There was a surprisingly long list of Pokémon to choose from. He carefully reviewed the list, weighing the potential strengths of each Pokémon with his team.

Eventually he stopped when he saw Breloom could be captured in Kalos. A Breloom would be a perfect match for his team. As a grass-and-fighting-type hybrid, it was resistant to all of his major weaknesses and held an advantage over them as well. He could also capture a Chestnaught if he came across one, but they were harder to find. If he remembered correctly, his friend, Patrick, had a Breloom named Garden. Patrick's family would still have it. He could ask if he could add her to his team.

“I think that would be a good fit," Claire said. “Easily counters just about all of your weaknesses, but wouldn't it be easier to switch out some of your team?"

“Ember was my first; she and I were born together. Pyrus is… He represents a connection I can't lose. He also stays."

“So it's down to Light and Sentinel then. The problem is you still have three fire-types."

He turned to his team. They all continued to eat, not taking any notice of the conversation. “Light's immune to electric-type attacks—which is helpful because both Ember and Sentinel are flying-type hybrids—and she has an advantage over water-types."

“But she still increases your weakness to ground-types. You'd be better off taking a water-type instead."

“That's where Sentinel comes in. She learns a wide variety of water-type moves. Her versatility is very helpful; makes up for the disadvantages."

“You don't want to give any of them up."

Neil turned back to his Pokémon. “When I was a kid, I heard a lot of stories about a trainer who traveled the world with a single team of Pokémon. I know it's just a kid's story, but I always wanted to be that trainer—I still do. Each one of my Pokémon was more than just a convenient addition to the party. We have memories together. We've shared joy, and fear, and pain. They've even saved my life a few times. It just feels… wrong to put one of them away because it's convenient."

“Neil, trainers swap Pokémon all the time. It's not like it's permanent," Claire replied, chuckling. “You can always swap them back if you need to."

“I know, but I think I'll stick with my team for now. I like fire-types anyway. Plus if the Elite Four, the strongest trainers in the region, can pull off being type specialists, I can do it too."

“So like Malva, you would be a fire-type master," Claire said, smiling. “There isn't a fire-type gym here. Maybe you could start one."

“Maybe I could. I got a few family members I could call."

He turned back to his team and noticed Noxis was still standing over her food bowl that was now empty. She was watching the Pokémon who had lain on the ground some feet away, deep in conversation with one another.

“Uh, what's going on?" he asked. “When I said hang out, I didn't mean exclude your teammate."

Everyone jumped at the sudden sound of his voice then all of his Pokémon except Noxis shifted their weight and glanced nervously at each other. Noxis' eyes went wide and she bolted toward the group almost knocking down Light in the process.

“Hey, Ember, can you come here?" Claire asked.

Ember looked worried as she approached. The other Pokémon looked nervous as well.

“You're not in trouble," Claire said. “It's just I need to ask you to do something."

“What is it?" Neil asked.

Claire ignored him. “I need you to talk to Noxis. She's been through a lot, so she's slow to trust anyone. You're Neil's first Pokémon so the others look to you to lead. If they see her getting along with you, maybe they'll open up too. Just remember to be gentle with her, okay? I don't think she's had many friends."

Ember tilted her head and trilled quizzically, but she still nodded in understanding. She then walked over to Noxis. Noxis huddled closer to the bowl when she saw the Charizard approach. Ember stopped a few feet away and warbled something in Pokémon. Noxis warbled back, and the two Pokémon engaged in conversation. Neil couldn't understand what they were saying, but he could tell it was a little awkward. Noxis didn't seem hostile anymore which was an improvement. Eventually, the Salazzle relaxed and stopped protecting her empty bowl. The others noticed what was happening and stared blankly.

Neil's jaw dropped. “Wow. You're pretty good. I hadn't thought of that."

“You've obviously never been the new kid before, or it's just easier for you to connect to people. It's easier to make friends one at a time. Don't forget, we have no idea what her past relationships with other Pokémon were like. We'll need be careful how she interacts with others."

He shrugged and went back to his research. “She'll open up eventually once she's been around us long enough. If she didn't want to, she wouldn't've chosen me as her trainer."

“Neil, I really think you should take this more seriously—"

“Don't worry about it, Claire. I know you're worried because capturing her was a little dangerous, but I've been around Pokémon my entire life. I know what I'm doing."

Claire didn't say anything else although she kept giving him disapproving looks. Neil assumed she wanted to avoid an argument and didn't press the issue. Besides, he really wanted to get as much research done as possible before going to bed. First was a back-up plan in case he couldn't borrow his friend's Breloom. It turned out Breloom weren't as common as he believed, but he marked down the areas where they last sighted as a starting point. Next was finding out which moves Salazzle could use. He needed to run a few drills with Noxis to determine which moves she knew and whether he needed to teach her new ones.

After another hour, he ended the research session and checked on his team. Ember and Noxis were still engaged in conversation. The Salazzle still kept a protective grip on her bowl, but she was noticeably more relaxed. Pyrus and Light were chasing each other around, ignoring everyone else. Sentinel was taking a nap, and it hadn't avoided Neil's attention that she had moved closer to him and Claire as a precaution. The moment Neil stood up, she lifted her head and looked around. Neil ignored the Dragonite as he moved to collect the empty food bowls left lying around. When he reached Noxis, she turned to him, and Ember tensed.

“It's okay. I just need the bowl back," he said.

Noxis didn't move or respond. He took that as her acceptance and reached for the bowl, she recoiled and closed her eyes tightly. Neil froze and the whole area became silent. He could feel the others staring at them. He chuckled nervously, and quickly scooped the bowl off the ground. He then recalled his entire team to their Poké Balls. His ears burned with embarrassment as he rejoined Claire. “That was so embarrassing. What if someone else was around to see that?"

Claire, had suddenly become interested in the night sky, turned to him with a look of fake confusion. “What? I miss something?"

“I appreciate you trying to make it less awkward, but I know you saw her reaction."

“Don't let it get to you, Neil. She'll feel safe around you one day."

“I know. She just seems so different from when I first saw her."

“When you first saw her you weren't her master," Claire explained. “Now that you caught her, the rules have changed. As far as she's concerned, what master says—or does—goes."

They went back to their room first making a quick stop to return the bowls Neil had borrowed. Once back in their room, they both undressed and climbed into bed without a word. Neil had no idea what time it was, but he felt exhausted. In all the excitement he had forgotten to call and check on Marcus. He made a mental note to call in the morning. As he lay there in the dark, he couldn't stop wondering about Noxis. With nothing to distract his thoughts, he couldn't stop thinking about the Salazzle's past relationship with humans.

Unable to fall asleep, he rolled over and poked his girlfriend. “Hey, Claire?"

He couldn't see Claire, but he heard her shifting in the bed. “Hmm?"

“I don't understand. Noxis somehow got away from her captors only to go to a place where a bunch of trainers hang out. It's like she was begging to be captured again. I don't understand why she would do that."

 “There's a lot of reasons for that, Neil. I don't know why she wanted to be captured again. The only reason I can think of is she doesn't know any better. After being dependent on humans for so long, what other life is there? Besides, does it matter? You captured her, so now you can make sure she gets the care she needs."

“I guess. But then why fight back so hard when I found her?"

“Maybe she didn't want to look weak."

His brow rose. “I don't get it."

“Neil, as a trainer, you wouldn't want to capture a Pokémon that seems weak, right?"

“Well, no. Catching a weak Pokémon means you have to take that much more time to train it."

“Exactly. So, maybe she fought back to show her strength to you, so you would want to catch her. You said she was likely watching you, right? She probably hung around Marcus' on purpose to watch the different trainers and find someone she would want to go with."

Neil nodded in the dark. He understood what Claire was saying, but he still couldn't wrap his mind around it. Of all the trainers that frequented the café, what made him so special? What did Noxis expect to get out of this? He put his head down and closed his eyes, but he still felt restless. All he could think about was how his other Pokémon could've turned out if he wasn't their trainer, and how Noxis could've turned out if he had found her sooner.

“This is really bothering you, isn't it?" Claire asked. “I can actually feel how uneasy you are."

Her voice startled him. Although she couldn't see his reaction, he still felt embarrassed by it. “Really? I didn't think I was that easy to read. Sorry. I know you're trying to get some sleep."

“It's fine. You've never had to deal with something like this before, have you?"

“What do you mean? Deal with what?"

“The dark side of Pokémon trainers."

“I met a few trainers who were assholes, sure, but no, I haven't met anyone who openly abused their Pokémon. Now in just one day, I've had two different situations dumped in my lap."

Claire sighed. It wasn't an annoyed sigh as if she were sick of the conversation, but a tired sigh as if she knew too much and wished she didn't. “Neil, I know it's hard, but you have to look past that. Thinking about what's been done to her will only piss you off. You are her trainer now—that's all you need to know."

Neil smiled. “Thanks for that. I was worried I was gonna be awake all night worrying about that. But now I think I can sleep better." He pulled Claire close and closed his eyes. “I need to get an early start tomorrow if I'm gonna get Aquacorde Town before dark."

Claire sat up. “Aquacorde Town? Did something happen?"

“No, my family is fine. It's just I need a sixth Pokémon to help balance out my team so I figured I'd ask Patrick's parents if I could borrow one of his."

“Isn't Patrick your friend who…?"

“Yeah."

“You sure want to do that now?"

“Why not? Now's a good a time as any. Besides, I can't wait too long to add any new Pokémon to my team or else it'll take longer to train it and get back on track."

He could feel Claire looking at him in the dark. He didn't know why she wanted him to wait, and he was afraid to ask and potentially start another fight. Eventually Claire laid down and let the matter drop. Neil decided to do the same and closed his eyes. The soft sound of Claire's breathing soon lulled him to sleep.

****

The next morning, Neil woke up an hour earlier than he planned to. The pale light of dawn peeked through the gaps in the blinds over the window. He thought about going back to sleep, but he was afraid to. All night his dreams were plagued with images of beaten, maimed, and starved Pokémon. Even with his eyes open, staring at the ceiling, he could still see the images. He rolled over and noticed Claire was missing.

He immediately sat up and looked around. Claire was nowhere to be seen. Thinking she had to be in the bathroom, Neil slid out of bed and got dressed. When he finished changing his clothes, he went to bathroom to check on Claire and found the room empty. Now he was getting worried. The room wasn't large enough for her to hide in, and it was so early in the morning, there couldn't be too many places she'd have gone. After emptying his bladder, he quickly gathered his things and left the hotel room.

The field behind the hotel was the first place he decided to check. Claire was standing in the middle of the field next to her Articuno, Glaciel, brushing its feathers. The large bird Pokémon's icy-blue feathers glittering in the sunrise had a calming feel. It's long steamer-like tail flowed around Claire and itself in an unseen breeze, gently scattering small droplets of ice in its movement. Neither of them noticed Neil's presence as he slowly approached. 

“Damn. I never get tired of seeing that Pokémon," Neil said breathlessly.

Claire turned to him and frowned. “Nice to know you think my Pokémon is prettier than I am."

His ears burned with embarrassment. “No! I-I didn't it mean like that! I only meant—"

            Claire chuckled. “You really need to learn how to take a joke. Anyway, that's enough teasing. We should get a move on if we want to reach Aquacorde before dark."

            “Uh, 'we?' "

            “Yeah, 'we' as in 'us,' " she said, gesturing to him, herself, and Glaciel. “You did plan on taking me with you, right?"

            “Y-Yeah. Of course," he said quickly. He didn't plan on staying in Aquacorde long and hadn't thought about bringing Claire, but he also knew better than to tell her. He called Ember from her Poké Ball. “I'm surprised you're riding Glaciel. Aren't you worried about making a scene flying around on a legendary Pokémon?"

            “It's not a short flight to Aquacorde. I figured it wouldn't be fair to make Ember carry that much weight. Between you, me, and our bags, she'll be worn out."

            Ember trilled happily and licked Claire's face before shooting a that's-how-you-should-treat-me look to Neil. He rolled his eyes at the Charizard and climbed onto her back.

            Claire tossed her bag onto her back before hopping on top of Glaciel. “Hey, while we're there, you think I could meet your folks?"

            “Can't. My parents are vacationing in Unova for the summer," Neil said. He was secretly happy his parents weren't in town. As much as he cared about Claire, their relationship hadn't quite reached the time-to-meet-my-folks level. Sometimes, he thought Claire only said things like that only to put pressure on him. Meeting her parents was unlikely since they lived in another region.  

“Oh. Well, that's okay. I can always meet them later, I guess." Her disappointment was clear in her voice. Glaciel cast a worried look over its shoulder.

Just as Neil was going to tell Ember to take off, Claire spoke again. “Hey, Neil. If you're parents are on vacation, does that mean their house is empty?"

 “Yeah, why?"

“You mean to tell me we've been spending money on a hotel room when you could've asked your parents if we could stay at their place?"

Ember looked at Neil the way a child looks at another when their parent caught them out after curfew. Neil swore under his breath. The reason he didn't ask his parents was because he hadn't told them he was seeing someone. Claire didn't know that. “I could, but I figured it would be rude since they never met you before. Now, come on. We're wasting daylight." He urged Ember to start flying before Claire could ask another question. 

            During the flight to Aquacorde Town, Neil purposely had Ember fly high enough so that people couldn't easily make out what type of Pokémon were flying overhead. Articuno were one of the rarest Pokémon in the world, it would be all over the news if one was spotted flying over the Kalos Region. The world below devolved into a haphazard blend of colored jigsaw pieces. The dark green of forested areas clashed with the brighter green and brown plains that bordered it with the occasional line from a river cutting through it.

The flight to Aquacorde was quicker and quieter than he expected. Neil avoided talking because he wanted to avoid explaining to her why she hadn't met his family and would have to shout to make himself heard anyway. In the silence, other things took over his mind such as the guilt of what he planned to do. He visited his hometown regularly, but he hadn't seen Patrick's parents since his friend's death almost six years ago. Now he was about to show up out of the blue and ask to use one of the Pokémon their son used. He constantly had to remind himself why he was doing it. Why he needed to do it. It wasn't to be selfish, it was to fulfill a promise they had made when they were kids. They each promised to add a Pokémon from the other's party if, for any reason, they were unable to finish their journey. The time to fulfill that promise was long overdue. 

Flying to Aquacorde Town from Lumiose City usually took the better part of a full day since the Pokémon needed to rest in Santalune before finishing the trip. Instead of stopping, Neil decided to squeeze in some extra stamina training by going the full trip. Ember and Glaciel were a little winded at the end, but they made excellent time. The sun hadn't even begun to set yet though it was hard to tell with the blanket of grey clouds shielding it from view. At best, Neil guessed it was still late in the afternoon. 

            Landing without being noticed was impossible. Even though they landed as close to their destination as possible, setting down in the middle of the street directly across from the house. It did little to stop the swarm of onlookers hoping to get a better look at Claire's Articuno. He chose to ignore that he hardly got so much as “Hello" from the neighbors who had known him since he was a child. He left her alone with her “fans" and went to home of Patrick's parents.

            The door opened before the moment he reached the top step. Cassandra and Patrick's mother entered the doorway, her body covered in sweat. She was wearing a dark tank and sweat pants and tape wrapped around her knuckles. Her age was countered by her well-toned body which, strangely, seemed to strengthen her motherly presence. Her dark brown hair being tied into a braided bun contributed to her parental look even with the few strands of hair that had wiggled loose and clung to the sides of her face.

“Neil? What brings you here? Sorry about my outfit; I was in the middle of training. You've gotten taller since we last met." Her smile dropped. “Nothing's wrong is it?"

            “No," he said quickly, something he regretted upon seeing the skeptical look on her face. He began playing with the hem of his shirt. On the flight over he had though up exactly what to say, but now the words had become jumbled and lost in his mind. Even after so many years, he still felt like a child in her presence. “R-Really, nothing's wrong. I just… I wanted to ask you something. Can I come in?"

            Her skeptic expression changed to concern. “Of course." She stepped to the side to allow Neil entry, looked over his shoulder and said,  “Looks like something caught the neighborhood's atten— Is that an Articuno?"

            Glaciel was gone by time Neil looked over his shoulder to respond indicating the Articuno had been called back to its Poké Ball. Claire could be seen maneuvering through the crowd of half-surprised, half-disappointed trainers. When she reached Veronica and Neil, she stopped and offered her hand to Veronica.

            “Hello. Claire Beuford," she said cheerfully.

            “Veronica Knowling," Veronica said, accepting Claire's handshake and shooting Neil a devious I'm-telling-your-mother look. “I assume you and Neil are dating?"

            “Yes, Ms. Knowling, we are." To Neil she added, “She catches on quick."

            “It's 'Mrs.', and 'Veronica' is fine. Neil, why don't you show Claire to the veranda, and I'll bring us some tea."

            “Well actually—" Neil began. His words were cut short by the stern look Veronica gave him. He mumbled “yes, ma'am," and followed a giggling Claire into the living room.

            Sitting cross-legged in the middle of the living room was a female Lucario. Perhaps it was just him, but Neil always thought her fur was a darker shade of blue than most Lucario. Her eyes were closed, and other than one pointed ear swiveling in Neil and Claire's direction when they entered, she didn't acknowledge their presence. Like her trainer, she had the presence of someone older, but her body didn't match her age.

            “Hi, Lucille," Neil said.

            Lucille opened one red eye, looked at Neil and Claire then closed it again.

            “Wow, talkative," Claire said.

            “She's meditating, and she doesn't like being disturbed. I'm sure she misses you, Neil, but you know how she is when she's training," Veronica called from the kitchen. “You two hurry out back; I'll be there shortly.

            Neil tapped Claire on the shoulder and led her to the veranda in the back of the house. He remembered how Lucille was with training. She was the only Pokémon he knew who took training more seriously than the trainer which said a lot given how disciplined Veronica was.

The veranda was exactly as Neil remembered them from when he was a kid minus the rearranging of the chairs. It even still had the same look and feel of something taken out of a catalogue. Everything had been scrubbed clean and polished. It felt like he had walked into a time capsule. Memories of the countless times he, Patrick, and Maya played there as well as the lectures they received for making a mess flashed through his mind. When they sat down, Neil almost wished he had come for anything other than official business.

            “So, what was that look back there?" Claire asked.

            “My mom's been getting on my case about getting married and having kids," Neil said with a heavy sigh. “Looks like I'm gonna hear about it when she finds out about you."

            Claire frowned. “Hold on. You haven't told your parents we're dating?"

            “Have you told yours?"

            “Don't change the subject. This is about you," she said quickly.

            Neil was, thankfully, spared having to explain himself when Veronica appeared carrying a tray holding a tall jug and three glasses. She still wore the clothes from her training, but the tape around her hands had been removed. “Sorry for the wait." She placed the tray on the table between them and began filling glasses. “Neil, before we get to business I have to ask your girlfriend where she found an Articuno. I know trainers—myself included—who have gone their entire careers without seeing one."

            Neil's annoyance at once again being overshadowed by Claire was overpowered by his curiosity. Claire never mentioned how the Articuno joined her team. He had asked Claire several times, but she never told him. She also had a Suicune named North, and she was vague about the details of its capture as well.

“A gift from my father," Claire said tonelessly.

            Neil and Veronica waited for Claire to elaborate further, but she remained quiet. Everyone sipped their drinks in silence, avoiding eye contact with each other.

            Neil cleared his throat, hoping to steer the conversation away from the awkward silence and back to the original reason for his visit but suddenly found it hard to speak again. He stared at his glass of tea, kicking himself for his weakness.

            Finally, Claire sighed and said, “Neil wants to take one of your son's Pokémon."

            Veronica froze in bringing her glass to her lips. Neil shot Claire angry look. Claire shrugged and sipped from her glass. He knew he couldn't completely blame her for her bluntness; she had always been that way, but she often knew where to draw the line. Did Claire not understand the gravity of the situation? This wasn't like asking to borrow a neighbor's car for a few days. He was going to ask a grieving mother to take one her dead son's Pokémon. It wasn't something he could just drop in her lap at a moment's notice.

Veronica placed her glass in her lap. “I…see. So which Pokémon do you want?"

            “I was hoping to take Garden with me," Neil said. “I need a grass-and-fighting-type Pokémon to even out my team a little more. Plus I…I really want to have someone with me to remind me of Patrick."

            “Your Flareon isn't enough?" Veronica asked, giving him an icy stare. Neil shrank into his seat.

She sighed and said, “I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take my frustration out on you. I just… Garden took Patrick's death quite hard. She trains every day now, pushing herself to exhaustion. Nothing we say convinces her to ease up. Even after all these years, she shows no signs of slowing down. My husband and I worry she's going to kill herself if she keeps it up. I tried having her compete, but she refuses to go. She barely even acknowledges me anymore." She sat the glass back on the tray and placed her face in her hands. “Goodness, it's like dealing with Cassandra all over again."

An even more tense silence fell over the room. Neil sat there, playing with his glass, unable to look at Veronica or Claire. He wished he had never come there and brought it up. In the span of a single conversation, he reminded her of how she lost one child and ruined her relationship with the other. He should've just tried to track down a wild Breloom.

“I'm glad you're here; maybe having a new trainer will give her a sense of purpose," Veronica said suddenly. “You can take her with you, but only if she agrees."

Her words gave him hope, but it didn't alleviate the guilt. “Fair enough. Where is she?"

“She's in her Poké Ball," Veronica said tiredly. “She trained until she passed out yesterday, so she's still sleeping it off. Wait here; I'll go get her." She disappeared back into the house.

The moment Veronica was out of sight, Claire turned to Neil. “Don't do that to yourself."

“Huh? Do what?"

“You know full well what," she said sternly. “Neil, you're thinking this was a bad idea aren't you?"

He quickly broke eye-contact. It was as good as an admission, but he couldn't help the reflexive reaction. He did wish he hadn't come there. It was obvious Veronica was still grieving the loss of her son, and that Breloom was one of the few things she had to remember him by. “I didn't think so before, but now I really feel like it was really selfish to come here."

Claire took his hand in hers and maneuvered around him until she was looking him in the eye. “Look, I know you're not a bad guy. Did you not hear what she said? It sounds like Garden blames herself for what happened. Now I don't know what happened to your friend, but it's obvious that Pokémon hasn't come to terms with it. Veronica is probably still in pain herself. It hurts to see someone you care about in pain, but you don't know how to fix it. But maybe you can. There was a reason why you suddenly needed that specific Pokémon type to balance your team, and your best friend just happened to capture the Pokémon you need. This sounds cheesy as hell, but maybe this was fate."

Neil squeezed her hand, but remained silent. Her words had cheered him up, and he didn't have the heart to tell her fate could suck on a Grimer. He couldn't accept that losing his two closest friends, that the pain their families were going through, were part of some cosmic agenda.

Neil and Claire were quiet until Veronica returned with a Breloom at her side. Like most grass-types, Garden had plant-like features. Her crown resembled a mushroom's cap and the tip of her tail was surrounded by round seeds. Her red claws clicked on the hardwood floor as she walked. The claws at the end of her hands were bandaged as well as her right leg. She looked at Neil and tilted her head.

Neil jumped out his seat and straightened his clothes. He felt like he was more on a job interview than recruiting a Pokémon. “H-Hey, Garden. Remember me?"

Garden frowned and grumbled which Neil took as her way of saying, “What do you want?"

Chuckling nervously, he added, “I hear you've been training a lot. I'm looking for a strong Pokémon to add to my team. Whaddya say to joining me? You can put all of your training to good use."

Garden gave Veronica a quizzical look before turning back to Neil. It was impossible to tell what she thinking behind her black eyes. After an extensive staring contest, Garden grunted and went into yard, pausing at the back door to beckon Neil to follow.

He turned to Veronica and Claire who both shrugged before following the Breloom outside. A gentle breeze blew carrying with it the smell of rain and freshly mowed grass. The yard was half zen garden, and half grassy area. Like the veranda, both sides of the yard were well taken care of. Garden led them to the grassy side of the yard and began stretching as if preparing for a battle.

Veronica planted herself between Neil and Garden. “No! Absolutely not! Garden hasn't fully recovered from her injuries; she's in no shape to battle!"

“Mrs. Knowling, please," Neil said as gently as possible. “Garden wouldn't recommend this unless she felt she had to. I think she fears I'm recruiting her out of pity, so she wants to prove her strength. I don't like it any more than you do, but if I don't allow this, she'll wonder if she's truly good enough."

Veronica's eyes shined with tears. It was unsettling seeing her this way. She didn't look like the stern woman whom Neil spent his childhood fearing getting on her bad side. Instead, he saw a vulnerable mother desperately holding on to what little strength she had left. Eventually, she stared at the ground and stepped to the side, allowing the battle to continue. Garden watched with the same emotionless expression as the woman walked away.

Neil nodded and reached for Light's Poké Ball. As an electric-type it put her at a slight disadvantage, but Neil didn't see another option. Ember and Sentinel had too extreme of a type advantage, Pyrus was also a fire-type and so was Noxis who he had never used in a battle before. When he released the Jolteon from her Poké Ball, she seemed confused by the sight of her opponent—not that Neil could blame her. Garden was putting on a brave face, but her legs were shaking to support her, and she was already breathing heavily.

I'll need to wrap this up quick if I want to avoid hurting her, he thought. I seriously wish there was a better way to convince her to join the team. What is it with Pokémon and finding the need to prove their strength to me? To Light he shouted, “Use Thunder Wave!"

Light fired a weak bolt of electricity toward Garden who jumped to the side to avoid it. She staggered a bit before shaking her head, releasing spores into the air.

Neil recognized that attack immediately as Spore, a move that induces sleep. “Light, get back! Don't breathe that stuff in!"

Light jumped backward away from the spore cloud until there was a large between her and her opponent. Garden stopped her attack and fell to one knee.

“Light, use Thunder Wave one more time."

Garden looked up in time to see another electric wave flying toward her. She ducked under the attack and kicked off the ground, rushing toward Light with impressive speed. She thrust forward an open palm, her arm stretching and giving her more reach than Neil and Light realized. Light's face showed she was caught off-guard, but she still managed to side-step the attack.

“Pin Missile," Neil ordered.

At that moment, Garden shot several large seeds into air towards Light's position. As Light dodged the Seed Bomb attack, Garden moved in, launching powerful Force Palm attacks while staying out of range of her Seed Bomb. Every now and again, she would stop to fire more seeds into the air. Light was able to dodge the double assault, but it kept her unable to use her own moves.

Eventually, Garden stumbled trying to launch another Force Palm attack. Light barked and took advantage of the opening, firing a barrage of needle-like fur from her body. Garden took the full force of the attack and stumbled backward. Just as Neil was about to order Light to use another Thunder Wave, Garden lunged forward ready to launch another Force Palm. Light crouched low preparing to launch herself at her opponent.

I'm not gonna make it. I don't know how much of Light's power Garden can take in her condition.

Suddenly a blue blur shot past Neil and planted itself between Light and Garden. Both Pokémon were stopped dead in their tracks by Lucille. She caught Garden's Force Palm with one paw and stopped Light's quick attack with the other. The Lucario glared at both Pokémon as she barked at them.

“Lucille, what are you—" Neil's words were cut short when Lucille held up a paw shrouded in a pale aura and looked at him with the same stern-parent look as her trainer.

No one spoke as she lectured both Pokémon—especially Garden who stared at the ground. Neil couldn't understand what was said, but Garden seemed hurt by it. Suddenly, Garden lifted her head and shouted something that caught Lucille off-guard. She looked back at Neil before turning back to Garden saying something that sounded like a question. Garden was silent for a moment before nodding, her eyes filled with determination. Lucille nodded and stepped to the side, allowing Garden to approach Neil. The Breloom gave him an inquisitive stare as she played with her bandaged claws.

“I think she's asking if you still want to take her with you," Veronica said. 

“Absolutely. As tired as she is, she still held her own. I could use a Pokémon like that on my team."

The Breloom stared at Neil for a full minute before bursting in to tears. Neil accepted the Poké Ball from Veronica with a smile and recalled Garden and Light.

He turned to Veronica whose face was already wet with tears. “I promise you, I'll take good care of her. No matter what, I'll become the trainer Patrick and I dreamed of being," he said, struggling to keep his voice even.

“I know. Really, I thank you enough for doing this for us. I'm sure Patrick wouldn't've wanted it any other way. Don't worry about making us proud. Just be the best trainer you can be." She wiped the tears from her cheeks and returned at least some semblance of the adult Neil recognized. “I take it you two will be on your way now?"

“Actually, it's gonna be dark before we even reach Santalune plus it looks like it'll rain, so I think we'll spend the night here," Neil said. “Besides, I think our Pokémon need more rest after the long trip."

“You two are free to stay here. I have a spare bedroom you can sleep in. It'll save you money on a hotel."

“Thank you so much," Claire said.

They walked back toward the house. Neil stared at Garden's Poké Ball.

I meant what I said. I will become the kind of trainer everyone can be proud of. The kind young trainers look up to. But to do that, I'll have to stand up for trainers and Pokémon getting a raw deal.

“Hey, Neil, you okay?"

Neil jerked and looked around to see Claire standing next to him looking worried. He only then realized he had stopped walking.

“Yeah, I'm fine." He stuffed Garden's Poké Ball back into his pocket. “Why don't you go on ahead? I just wanna take a minute to think."

“Okay. If you need to talk, you know where I'll be."

Neil waited until Claire disappeared with Veronica and Lucille before pulling out his cell and the card Sharon gave him. He quickly dialed the number written on the card before he lost his nerve.

Sharon picked up after a single ring. “Hello? Who is this?"

Neil swallowed before saying, “This is Neil Léonide. We spoke yesterday aftern—"

“Neil! I'm surprised to hear back from you so soon. I assume this means you've agreed to my proposal."

Neil's throat locked up. Could he really do it? Regardless of whatever issues he and Maya were having, there were once close friends.

The Maya you knew is dead, remember? his mind asked. She turned her back on you and Patrick to go her own way. Since then she's left nothing but misery in her wake. Even if you were to ask her, what makes you think she'll give you a straight answer?  You've seen first-hand the results of what happens when trainers like her aren't held accountable for their actions. So which is it? Are you going to be the ideal trainer everyone wants to be, or are you going to be the silent hypocrite who only worries about himself?

“Hello? Neil, are you still there?" Sharon asked, bringing Neil back to reality.

“Yeah, I'm still here. As for your proposal"—he took another deep breath—“I'll do it."

“Good. When would you like to meet?" there was no denying the pleasure in her voice. It made Neil sick to his stomach. They were essentially plotting to tank a trainer's career. That was nothing to be happy about.