Tainted Glory
By Evan Drake

Chapter 17: Neil VS Sharon

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

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

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

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

            Not like I have much room to complain now.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

            “You couldn’t think to warn me?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Nina, use Toxic Spikes!” Sharon commanded.

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

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

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

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

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

“Now, use Venom Drench,” Sharon said.

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

             “Garden, use Spore!”

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

            “Now use Bulk Up,” Neil said.

            “Earth Power.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sentinel gave a short nod.

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

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

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

“Use Hidden Power,” Sharon said.

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

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

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

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

            “Disable,” Sharon said calmly.

            “Sentinel, m—”

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

            Shit!

            “Hidden Power.”

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

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

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

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

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

            “Sentinel, are you okay to keep going?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

            “Mega evolving already?” Sharon asked.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

            Ember warbled worriedly pushed the bottle away.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Why? You scared?”

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

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

Light looked worriedly at her trainer.

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

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

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

Velvet’s tail stopped moving.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Use Quick Attack.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“Shut up! I know my team.”

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

“What?!”

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

“Light, move in!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Velvet’s ears twitched and she tilted her head.

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

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

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

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

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

“It would seem your Charizard has snapped.”

“Shut up!”

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

“Ember, stop!”

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

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

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

“Wait, what?”

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

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

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

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

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

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

****

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

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

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

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

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

            “Whoa, whoa! Put me down!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

            He turned to Sharon and noticed she was gone.

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

            “H-How--?”

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

            “What?”

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

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

            “What do you want to know?”

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