Lilian’s face was cold like stone. Nina could tell that her friend was not happy about having one of her aces be crushed so early in the match.

  Her next pick was her Ampharos, who emerged floating leisurely in the flooded arena. “THUNDER!!!!” Lilian roared.

  “PHAaAaA!!!”

  Nina and her friends winced and averted their gaze as the arena exploded in blinding light, the acrid smell of burnt copper permeating the air. And in the aftermath, only the sizzling yellow lightbulb Pokemon remained while her opponent Hitmonchan splayed listlessly in the water, skin burnt black from the overwhelming attack and fainted after having been weakened by Malachite in the match prior.

  “I wonder how Lil’s been conditioning her Ampharos.” Nina mused. “That level of power is abnormal even compared to her usual style.”

  Kerry seemed to frown a little in response. “Ohm tells me that it’s possible to supercharge an Electric Type by linking them to a power generator and overwhelming them with an influx of electricity. But even for Electric Type Pokemon, the amount of pain involved can be… excruciating. I hope that’s not what Lilian’s been doing…”

  Their conversation was soon drowned out by the noisy shoutcaster. “Nevermind, folks! I take it all back! Second round goes to Lilian Blackthorn in a SHOCKING reversal. Just ONE move — a single burst of Thunder and Leader Chuck’s prized Hitmonchan is now down for the count! Both trainers are now one Pokemon short!”

  “Gahaha! Feisty little pup aren’tcha?!” Chuck laughed. “Let’s see how you handle this one — go, Breloom!”

  “Breee!!!” The mushroom Pokemon appeared with an adorable squeal, nearly sending Nina to the moon.

  “Look at ‘em, Kerr. It’s so cuuuute!” That delicate little face, goofy looking mushroom cap and stubby T-rex arms. Nina desperately wanted to jump down there right now to nibble at its pointy beak.

  “You always said you wanted a Grass Type.” Kerry remarked. “I mean I know you have Dhelmise and all. But why not get yourself a Shroomish as well?”

  “Hmm… Not sure if they can be found around these parts. It’s likely that Chuck got his in Hoenn. I wonder if Erika migrated any near Celadon City... I’ll have to look it up online to see.” The other girl mused.

  Shroomish weren’t exactly rare Pokemon, so if they could be found within Indigo, Nina definitely would go and catch one. Not to mention how hardy they were as well, unlike other Grass Types.

  Kerry chuckled. “Just be careful when you’re cuddling with them. Effect Spore means that their skin is hazardous to touch. It’s not as bad as Sir Clodington, but steady buildup will affect your health.”

  Nina deflated at the nurse girl’s warning. “Then nah… I change my mind. There’s no point if I don’t get to squish ‘em and nuzzle against that adorable mushroom head.” One uncuddle-able Pokemon was enough to grate at her.

  The first thing that Breloom did when it took to the field was drill down into the ground with Dig, creating a hole that helped accelerate the draining of the flooded arena.

  In the meantime, Topaz the Ampharos set up an Electric Terrain, buffed up with Agility, scattered Light Screens all around the arena and began accumulating energy via Charge. All in a single instant.

  Then, the ground exploded — literally — as Breloom emerged in a cloud of Poison and Stun Spore.

  “AaAaAaAM!”

  Storm clouds churned once more and Thunder flashed. The blinding light coupled with the toxic haze made it almost impossible for anyone to lay eyes upon the arena.

  “Breee!!!”

  The only indication that the match was ongoing was the desperate cries of the two Pokemon slugging it out for supremacy.

  “AmphAaAaAaAa!!!””

  “BRELOOOM!!!!”

  And after one last round of determined cries — silence.

  The two Pokemon were side by side. Ampharos laid prone on the ground, bright yellow exterior bruised and battered. While Breloom stood shakily, fungal exterior charred in various shades of grey and limbs spasming from pain.

  “Third round goes to… LEADER CHUCK!!!”

  “””WOOOOO!!!””” The audience had no idea what just occurred, but they cheered nonetheless.

  Lilian returned her Ampharos with a shaky breath while Chuck raised a hand to declare his Breloom’s withdrawal. “Gahaha! Not bad! Not bad! That was real close, Blackthorn girl! Let’s see what else ya got!” The man had a savage grin on his face. It seemed that Lilian had succeeded in earning Chuck’s acknowledgement.

  Nina watched as Lilian steadied herself. Then, with a powerful flick of her half cape, the Blackthorn girl returned the smile and expanded her next Pokeball.

  “And would you know it, Leader Chuck just declared a draw to the round. How exciting, folks! What impeccable sportsmanship! Let’s see what our two trainers have in store for us next!”

  While the caster was shouting all sorts of inane nonsense to hype up the crowd, the screen showed a processed and abridged version of the previous round. Which mostly involved Topaz blasting Breloom from various angles while Breloom bounced around with Poisonous explosions from its tail and relentlessly struck at its opponent with empowered headbutts.

  “Aww… Breloom’s stubby lil’ hands aren’t long enough to punch anything so it has to use its headcap like a battering ram. How adorable!” Nina swooned.

  “Why did Chuck withdraw his Pokemon though?” Justin asked. “Seemed smarter to just leave it in and stall for a bit.”

  “Sportsmanship. Just like the caster said.” Nina answered. “Chuck acknowledged that the round came down to the wire and willingly conceded it as a sign of respect — he’s a Fighting Type specialist, not Poison. And besides, it wouldn’t have mattered anyway, given who Lilian’s going to send out next.”

  The girl gestured towards the ruined arena, air still thick with Poison and pollen, pockmarks of muddied puddles and uneven craters littered the ground. “Chuck would likely prioritize clearing the air. But Lilian has a Pokemon that can use it to her advantage…”

  In a flash of light, both trainers sent out their next Pokemon at the same time. Chuck’s was a Hitmonlee while Lilian sent out Sapphire, her Dragonair.

  “NAAAIIIRRR!!!”

  “NIIIIITE! DRAGONITEEE!!!” Nitey cheered like a groupie in an idol concert, a happi printed with cutesy graphics of Lilian and Sapphire on his back, and glowsticks in his hands which Nina had no idea where he got from. Likely the work of Alfred given that the old butler was in a similar getup, looking quite ridiculous in contrast to his stoic bearing.

  With a confident gaze, Sapphire briefly glanced up at her mate’s fervent calls and waved her tail orb in acknowledgement before locking back in on her opponent.

  Shed Skin, the ability to isolate toxins in their scales and expel it via shedding. In addition to Marvel Scale which boosts a Pokemon’s constitution when under threat by abnormal status conditions like Poison or Paralysis. Within this toxic mess of an arena that Chuck created, the man had inadvertently empowered Sapphire and disadvantaged his own Pokemon.

  “I wonder how Hitmonlee breathes?” Justin mused right as the referee declared the continuation of the match.

  Hitmonlee opened by spinning on a single leg, to create a cyclone that began sucking in all the airborne impurities. Meanwhile, Sapphire charged forth with a Dragon Rush and crashed into her opponent like a freight train.

  What happened next could only be described as a deadly, one-sided dance. Where Nitey often used his Dragon Dance evasively like he was taught by his seniors, Sapphire used hers offensively, seamlessly weaving in Dragon Tail and Aqua Tail amidst a perpetual field of Thunder Wave to keep the wily Hitmonlee in check.

  But Chuck’s Hitmonlee was no pushover either. By taking on a loose defensive stance, the kickboxing Pokemon minimised damage like a stalk of grass amidst a tempestuous storm; leaning, swaying and occasionally tumbling to survive the onslaught. All the while, his Type Energy continued to cycle, trying its best to burn away the encroaching toxins and stimulate Hitmonlee’s muscles to counter Sapphire’s Thunder Wave.

  On the other hand, Sapphire just continued to Shed Skin while getting stronger and faster with every stroke of her tail. By this point, the Dragonair was basically glowing purple with accumulated Type Energy, her scales so thin as to be luminescent.

  “Tch. This ain’t good. Time to end this!” Chuck called. And with a masterful feint, his Hitmonlee dodged out of one of Sapphire’s bigger swings then retaliated with Fake Out, followed by an application of Double Kick and leaped off Sapphire’s angry snout into the air to execute on a High Jump Kick and Axe Kick combo.

  “Nitey strats, Sapphire!”

  “NAAAIR!!!”

  Sapphire’s tempo shifted. Her dance, previously sharp and forceful, now took on a gentler cadence as taught to her by Nitey, allowing the descending Axe Kick to wash over her like flowing water where it impacted against the ground in an explosive crash instead — because it did not matter how powerful an attack is if it could not hit.

  The entire arena shook in the aftermath, like a Golem had just rolled in with an Earthquake. Until the dust cloud was abruptly subsumed by a burning flare of Dragon Breath, the most powerful that Nina had ever seen.

  Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

  “LEEEE!!!”

  Chuck’s Hitmonlee cried out in agony, his joints locked and bound in place by Sapphire’s Wrap as the Dragonair spewed fire from her maw, like some sort of sinister bonfire fueled by a twisted, burning effigy. The dark purple flames burned, setting alight the raining debris and licking at the high ceiling. A result of Lilian’s Dragonair unleashing all of her accumulated Dragon Type Energy in one concentrated go.

  “You better not be naughty, Nitey. Or else, Sapphire’s gonna cook your tail~”

  “Niiite…” Nitey shuddered while Nina giggled.

  Hitmonlee squirmed and struggled to no avail — Sapphire’s hold was simply too sturdy to break. The spectacle continued until Hitmonlee’s hardy skin began to crackle and pop, prompting Chuck to withdraw his Pokemon before he came to serious harm.

  “That was not very nice of you, little Kangaskhan…” The Gym Leader chided.

  Lilian scoffed in response. “In a Pokemon battle, might makes right. Your defeat lay not by the superiority of your opponent, but by your own inadequacies.”

  Chuck cackled “Gahaha! Spoken like a true Blackthorn! Make sure to remember those words when I make you eat them later.”

  “””WOOOO!!!””” The audience erupted at the shade being thrown by both trainers — nothing quite like a good round of trash talk to end the round.

  “Things are starting to heat up, folks! Round three goes to Lilian Blackthorn! Will our feisty lady be able to maintain her momentum or will Leader Chuck make her eat her own words?! Find out after this word from our sponsor, Assault: Umbra Myth?.”

  ***

  Assault: Umbra Myth? is an immersive online experience with everything you'd expect from a brand new RPG title. It's got an amazing storyline, awesome 3D graphics, giant boss fights, PVP battles, and hundreds of never before seen champions to collect and customize.

  “I never expected to get this level of performance out of a mobile game. Look how crazy the level of detail is on these champions!”

  Assault: Umbra Myth? is getting big real fast, so you should definitely get in early!

  There's also an upcoming Special Launch Tournament with crazy prizes! And not to mention, this game is absolutely free!

  Using this special exclusive code, you can get 50,000 Silver immediately, and a FREE Flying Type Champion as part of the new players program, courtesy of the Assault: Umbra Myth? devs.

  Code: MANCEWHITEPRICK

  ***

  “Aaaand we’re back! Just to quickly recap, Leader Chuck sent in his Annihilape to replace his fainted Hitmonlee while Lady Lilian subbed out her Dragonair for a Charizard in response. The two Pokemon are now duking it out for supremacy. Who will win? Who will lose? Stay tuned to find out.”

  “AAAAPE!!!” Annihilape howled, and the shadows came to life.

  “CHAAAR!!!” At the same time, Charizard roar summoned spiralling pillars of flames to erupt all around the arena, turning the space into a living purgatory.

  Annihilape’s eyes glowed red in Outrage as it shot into the air to grasp at Garnet the Charizard. The rage dominating the berserker’s mind made it utterly unfeeling towards the oppressive heat searing into its skin.

  But Garnet would not be cowed so easily. He twisted and turned, executing all sorts of deft maneuvers to evade his opponent’s grasp. All the while, laying into the Annihilape with a Dragon Breath and Flamethrower combo.

  “Break the world, Ares!”

  In response to Chuck’s call, Ares the Annihilape forcefully stomped down on the ground, each step causing the entire arena to quake as the ground broke and splintered, jagged earth upturned to smother the raging Inferno. Then, with a powerful heave, Ares grabbed hold of a broken arena fragment and flung it high into the air, pelting Garnet with rocks and debris.

  “Hmm… Stomping Tantrum and Earthquake, maybe.” Nina mused. “And that Flamethrower and Dragon Breath combo looks nice too. Something to work on with Nitey when we have the time…” Not that it was a priority since it didn’t mesh with her Dragonite’s style.

  Garnet sneered and eviscerated the flimsy projectiles with a condensed Fire Blast. However, amidst all that chaos, his opponent had snuck close with Phantom Force and took advantage of the diversion to doll out a Shadow Punch.

  “ZAAARD!!!” Garnet burst into flames with Overheat to throw off the stubborn primape holding onto his wings, but the anger consuming Ares made him impervious to the pain as he continued to Thrash and lay into the Charizard with his Ghost imbued Rage Fist and Close Combat.

  Rage Fist was a move that was fueled by pure spite, getting stronger for every hit that its user took. And Annihilape had taken a lot of hits so far.

  “Crush him, Garnet!”

  Lilian’s Charizard spun, round and round like the world was within his embrace, the flame on his tail taking on a purple glow. Then, when the momentum reached its peak, Garnet flung himself down onto the ground with the intent of crushing Chuck’s Annihilape beneath his weight — A Dragon Dance empowered Dragon Rush that was executed using the principles of Seismic Toss.

  The world shuddered and the audience cheered, fiery dust and debris brushed against the arena’s Psychic barrier. Four rounds in and the Cianwood Arena was absolutely ruined at this point; smoke fuming, dying embers and craggly surface. The terrain had been utterly transformed from when they first began.

  “A groundbreaking display from both Charizard and Annihilape! Such POWER! Such FEROCITY! Lady Lilian has really done her family proud today, folks! As expected of our region’s mighty overlords! Once again proving that even the youngest of their hatchlings aren’t without fangs of her own!”

  As the caster was rambling, the dust finally settled, to reveal both unconscious forms of an Annihilape and a severely bruised Charizard — that round was a draw.

  Another round of cheers from the audience as both trainers returned their fainted Pokemon, Lilian doing so with a trembling fist, opting to wait for Chuck to pick first. Which the man was happy to do as he summoned a Poliwrath onto the scene, prompting Lilian to send out Sapphire yet again.

  The moment that the Dragonair was released, she flooded the arena once more, though the water was shallow and murky. A rainstorm formed, washing away the ashes of the previous battle.

  “Isn’t it a bad idea to make it rain?” Justin frowned. “Since Poliwrath has Water Absorb and all.”

  Nina shrugged. “Even if Sapphire doesn’t do it, Chuck’s Poliwrath will. Better to have the elements be in Sapphire’s control than not. ‘Sides, Electric is super effective against Water. She can just overwhelm Poliwrath’s passive healing through brute force — perfectly in line with Lilian’s usual style.”

  And overwhelm them she did as Thunder roared at the Dragonair’s call. Meanwhile, Poliwrath, in a stroke of genius, rolled its body around in the mud to form a natural layer of insulation against the element. The trace amount of Ground Type Energy wouldn’t completely mitigate the shock of the Electricity, but it should still help to lessen the sting.

  The battle was a close one. Chuck’s Poliwrath was extremely wily, sliding around the muddy terrain like it was skating on ice while Sapphire’s tail strikes glanced off its slick and bouncy exterior. In the end, Lilian had to resort to Outrage and Draco Meteor right as Poliwrath was about to charge in with a Dynamic Punch to clutch the round in a draw — the meteorites landing after Sapphire had fallen.

  “And yet another draw! What a close match this has been, folks! Both trainers are down to their final Pokemon! Will Chuck prevail once again or will Lady Lilian walk away with the badge?!”

  Chuck’s final pick was a Medicham which Nina found to be absolutely fascinating. “A Fighting and Psychic hybrid. I wonder how a Pokemon like that will fight?”

  As it turned out, not as interesting as she thought. The Medicham mostly used its Psychic Aura as some form of Qi, empowering but not in an overt way. Mostly, the meditate Pokemon used it to either confuse or discombobulate its opponent’s senses with timely applications of illusions or some sort of Psychic and Focus Blast combo.

  Although, Nina did notice a gleaming anklet adorning the Medicham’s leg housing a Mega Stone. But whether it be out of principle or respect for a junior, Chuck opted not to go that far. Which no doubt Lilian had mixed feelings about.

  In the end, it was up to Jade the Gabite — Lilian’s final Pokemon. The fight was respectable, but against the Medicham’s Psychic senses, digging into the ground was a futile affair, effectively sealing the majority of the land shark’s advantage.

  And in comparison to a Pokemon specially trained in a Fighting Type Gym, Jade’s melee prowess was severely lacking to say the least. The Gabite’s ferocious claws could barely scratch Medicham as it seamlessly wove between the Ground Dragon’s glaring gaps with uncanny prescience — eyes shut with an almost serene smile on its face the entire time.

  By the end of it, a gentle, almost caressing, Psychic imbued Force Palm was all it took to send Lilian’s Gabite hurtling towards the arena wall, completely fainting him in a single move.

  The crowd went wild and the caster cheered as the referee declared the Gym’s victory — heralding yet another notch in the Star Crusher’s sash.

  “Do you know why I’m giving this badge to you?” Chuck asked when Lilian accepted the starless, fist-shaped Storm badge with a flabbergasted look on her face.

  “I… No, I… I failed. I am unworthy.” Lilian quivered while frantically shaking her head, the aristocratic side of her upbringing blaring alarms in her suspicious mind.

  “Gahaha!” The Gym Leader responded with a jovial laugh and a hearty pat on the girl’s shoulders. “Because I can see that you try. I can feel your earnest diligence and your dedication to your Pokemon.”

  Chuck lowered his stance, to look Lilian straight in the eye. “And most importantly, I can feel your love for our region and your commitment to its betterment.”

  Lilian shuddered, eyes quivering as she took in a sharp breath.

  “Haha! I did say, didn’t I?! All will be revealed in the ring!” Chuck beamed triumphant, hands on his hips. “And frankly, I’d rather a devoted, if slightly lacking, Champion than a strong but callous one.”

  “I…” The girl breathed, thumped a fist against her chest and steeled her gaze to meet Chuck’s. “I, Lilian Blackthorn, shall endeavour to meet your expectations, Master Chuck.”

  “Gahaha! Don’t celebrate just yet, princess! This ain’t gonna be without strings… 4 months! I expect you to stick around for another 4 months while I whip your ass into shape!”

  Lilian frowned. “But the conference… I still need time to pursue the other Gyms…”

  Chuck assuaged the girl’s worries with a confident grin. “Heh. By the time that I’m done with you, girl, those other Gyms ain’t gonna be a sweat!”

  Lilian smiled and thanked the Pokemon Master’s magnanimity with a humble bow. “Then, I shall be in your care, Master Chuck.”

  “””WOOOO!!!!”””

  The audience roared while Lilian’s friends cheered hard on her behalf, the wholesome display of camaraderie resonating deep within their chest.

  “I’m glad for you, Lil…” Nina mused as she beheld the determined gaze of the Blackthorn girl. “Even Alfred’s smile looked more genuine than I have ever seen.” But speaking of the old butler, Nina called out to him. “Mr Alfred, I would like a moment of your time if you please? It’s about Team Rocket.”

  ***

  That night, the girl approached the ornate wooden door and gave it a few good knocks. In anticipation of his mistress’ prolonged stay in Cianwood City, Alfred had procured a villa for her comfort and they were kind enough to house Nina and her friends during their stay in the city. And now, she was at the precipice of the room that would function as the butler’s office in the interim.

  “Welcome, Miss Jones. Please, do come in.” Cordial as ever, Alfred had welcomed her at the door and beckoned her inside with a wide gesture.

  “Thank you, Mr Alfred. And I’m sorry for the bother.”

  “Not at all. It is my pleasure as always… Shuckle Juice?”

  “Yes, please.”

  After settling his guest, Alfred sat behind his desk with a chunky looking folder at the fore. “Now then. In regards to your request, I have taken the liberty to compile a dossier for your perusal — everything that we know of Team Rocket and their most recent activities are all contained herein.”

  Nina gulped. “May I?” Thanks to Celebi, she knew the broad strokes of what was likely to happen. But the details are entirely blank. “What’s the point of knowing that Giovanni is planning to cross dimensions when I don’t know how or where he’s going to be making that attempt.” Hence, her request.

  Alfred maintained his smile. “Please. At your own leisure, Miss Jones.”

  The girl held back her confusion as she reached out to slide the folder over. “Just like that? No strings or caveats? You’re not even going to ask me why I’m asking for all of this?”

  The old man chuckled. “I recognise a woman with a mission when I see one, Miss Jones. And while I have some reservations concerning your safety, I trust that after all that you’ve been through, you of all people should understand the value of collective action, yes?”

  That last part almost sounded like a threat, an implicit demand that the girl seeked help from her betters before embarking on any reckless undertakings.

  “Y-Yeah… erm, don’t worry. I’ll make sure to consult Misty and my uncle before doing anything stupid.” Nina had endured enough lectures to last an entire lifetime on the matter. “I just thought… You know? After the whole Victor debacle, you guys would be more cautious towards imposters or something.”

  Alfred’s smile faltered. “Yes… that was indeed an immense mark of shame on the League and all the Great Clans of Indigo. To think there exist such thorough methods of obfuscation… But you need not worry, we have since reached out to our colleagues in Sinnoh to help establish precautions — those cretins, to withhold such vital information from us… Even Lady Sabrina, how disappointing…” The butler’s mask of cordiality cracked ever so slightly before he regained his composure.

  Nina distracted herself by taking a sip of her Shuckle Juice and wisely chose not to comment on the man’s momentary lapse.

  “Needless to say, either Hattori or I would have struck you down on approach were there any suspicions that you meant Milady any harm. That said, I trust that you would extend the courtesy of complicity should you find any traces of note?”

  “Ahh… there it is.” Nina nodded. “Of course Mr Alfred, it’s only right that I do. Besides, I have a feeling that we’ll need all the help we can get to take down Team Rocket for good.”

  The one-armed butler affirmed with an approving nod. “Indeed. Giovanni is a man of cunning, Miss Jones. He spent his entire career cultivating the reputation of an honorable soldier but make no mistake, there is no one more devious — a Thievul in human guise.”

  Nina frowned. “If you knew this all along then why didn’t you expose him sooner?”

  Alfred just laughed at the question. “Case in point, my dear. Case in point…”

  That night, Nina sat down in her hotel room with Alfred’s dossier in front of her and a warm and fuzzy Espy in her lap.

  The girl had no delusions about whether or not she could track down Giovanni through the information provided, no matter how comprehensive they were. Especially given that other experts from the League had failed before her. Nina’s intelligence was painfully average without her meta-knowledge.

  However, one thing she had learned was that futuresight required a robust dataset to bolster accuracy. And just so happened, she had access to a mythical tier future seer at hand.

  “Celebi~!” Nina called, summoning the peppy little pixie to her side.

  “Bi! Bibibi!” cried the sentient brussel sprout, her mouth stained purple with Berry juices that she no doubt stole from somewhere.

  “Hehehe… Ready to do some homework, you little rascal?”

  Celebi shuddered, feeling an ominous wave of fear creeping in from Nina’s sinister smile. However, just as she was about to blink out of existence again, she found herself held in place by an unyielding pink Aura.

  “Es…” The Espeon purred, while mirroring her trainer’s smile. Under normal circumstances, Espy wouldn’t have been able to overpower a Mythical Pokemon like this. But with Celebi severely weakened from their recent jaunt in the Embedded Tower, it was more than possible.

  “Bi! Bibibibi! CELEBIIII!!!” Celebi’s cries echoed throughout the night as the shadows loomed, forcing her to settle down and study the folder that Nina laid out.