A Rivalry Renewed

For a second, stepping out into the light, I'm as blind as a Zubat. I squint into the bright sunlight, grimacing a bit, hand over head as I stagger out of the cave. Rune follows with Pich, who's meekly sitting on Rune's shoulder, with him holding her close.

Gaile and Crypt bolt for the Pokemon Center, and I run after, determined not to lose anyone else.

It's a long time later when Rune and the others file in, all of them every bit exhausted as Pich, although luckily not as bruised. This is around when I realize Mimsy is nowhere to be found. I groan and facepalm as hard as possible, stomping back into the cave. Luckily, Mimsy isn't too far in.

"I got lost." she protests. "Please don't be angry..."

"I'm not." I tell her, smiling to show that everything is okay. "I just don't want you to get hurt. Everyone wandered off in the cave, including Rune." Who should've known better, I think to myself, but I don't dare utter it out loud.

When I get back, everyone else is sitting around, waiting for the more serious injuries to be addressed.

I sit down next to them, sinking into the plush pillows of the Pokemon Center. Bronze is out, probably locating somewhere for us to stay for the night. Arceus, why did I never travel with him before (excepting that one time in the forest)? This is a hundred times better than just travelling with my Pokemon and I, even if everyone seems to keep getting lost.

There have been a lot less deaths, that's for sure.

It's still light out, but I didn't get much sleep last night and I'm absolutely exhausted. I sink deeper in the comfy pillows, hugging one of them, and then Chrona hits me with a Vine Whip.

"Wadda-"

"Wake up!" hisses Chrona under her breath.

Someone is standing over me, but it's not Bronze. It's that girl with the skates and her Lucario- Korrina. I blink, and then roll over, still tired.

Chrona hits me with another Vine Whip. "Lilly!"

"So tired..."

"You and me both." says Korrina. She grins, "Unfortunately, this is the only time I have an opening. You're the one who's interested in Mega Evolution, right?"

"Oh uh, yeah." I say, hoisting myself off the couch. "That's me."

"See, Shalour City here is famous for the Tower of Mastery, where trainers from around the region go to learn about Mega Evolution. All of your friends are already there, so... you might wanna get a move on!"

I get up and follow her, my eyes still burning from the daylight while she roller skates circles around me, yelling things at bewildered strangers.

It's not too far away, so we make it there in about ten minutes. It's an enormous tower, with a huge statue of what must be Mega Lucario in the center. An old man sits there, discussing something with Bronze.

Bronze turns to me, smiling. "Looks like everyone else is here, too!"

Sure enough, there's Shauna, Trevor, and Tierno. I flinch just seeing Shauna- why did she have to be here? I... I don't...

I'm in love with Bronze.

Don't think about it, I tell myself, but there's something unnerving about her just being there.

She smiles and waves, and the guilt crushes me immediately.

"So, good news and bad news." Bronze continues, "Good news- we're licensed for a Mega Bracelet, the other item needed for Mega Evolution. Bad news... they've only got one."

"I'll just work on the Pokedex." Trevor says.

"I'm out as well." Tierno adds, putting his hands up. "I don't have any Pokemon who can mega evolve."

Wordlessly, Shauna steps back.

Bronze looks at me and bites his lip. "Hey, Lilly... if you want to have a battle to settle this, we could definitely do that."

"Sure." I say. "That's great."

"Right then, I'm coming at you. Go, Pacifica!"

Pacifica steps forward, and I choose Crypt. "Crunch!" I yell, hoping he's a high enough level to have the move, but he uses Bite instead. It produces the same effect- Pacifica flinches and we have time for another attack. "Bite again, then!" I say, and he steps forwards and bites her, throwing her like a ragdoll.

Bronze flinches too, visibly, but this time Pacifica doesn't look as rattled. "Disarming Voice!" Bronze yells, and her ears... well, it's hard to explain, but Espurr ears cover these little holes on their head, and as soon as she opens them this terrible noise comes out.

Crypt snarls, his eyes twitching and then Pacifica keeps advancing, and soon the noise is in my head too. "Use Dragon Claw, try to close the holes!" I say.

Crypt shakes his head, unable to advance, and Shauna yells from the side, barely audible over the screeching- "Disarming Voice is a Fairy type move!"

Fairies. Fairies.

The new type.

Strong against Dragon Types.

I recall Crypt, sending out Gaile. He lunges forward, his huge ears flattened, and finishes Pacifica with a final Bite. Her ears close and she stumbles over, defeated.

"Shruikan!" Bronze says.

He wouldn't send out a Water type against an Electric type unless he was planning.

Planning what? I don't know, so I go straight ahead and use Thunderbolt. Shruikan dodges. He's fast, but so is Gaile. Lightning soars everywhere, one bolt narrowly missing the statue. "AIM!" I tell Gaile, who looks back and nods.

He focuses one powerful bolt and hits Shruikan right in the leg, and he falls. Two more hits and Bronze calls him back.

"Well, here we are... Nephthys!" His Absol comes out, the doom bringing Pokemon with suave white and black fur and a wide, terrifying grin.

Gaile lunges past her with Quick Attack, and she dodges, swiftly, and he slams against the wall. He turns around, snarling, and uses Thunderbolt, which is quickly deflected by her horn.

"Fight me!" pants Gaile. "You can't win by dodging!"

"Come a little closer then." Nephthys taunts.

Gaile steps forward, and then, jaws cloaked in electricity, hurtles towards her. Her horn glows a dark black, and then she swings it down. There's a loud crack and then silence.

Critical hit.

Gaile's mouth is open wide in fear, and now his back is at an odd angle, the skin punctured by bone.

"What's wrong?" Crypt asks, anxious. "Why isn't he getting up?!"

"Oh shit. Lilly... Lilly!" Bronze says, but I'm not responding.

I try to draw him back and he won't go into the Pokeball. Knowing what it means, I send out my next Pokemon. "You know what to do, Chrona."

Even Nephthys is terrified by the still form in front of her, so she doesn't see it coming. Vines growing all over her, Leech Seed combined with Poison Powder. She sits there, shuddering, not even trying to move.

The battle is over in seconds.

The hot tears running down my face stay there for hours.