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Ever Play Competitive - Chapter 16
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Beta: Gerald of Revea
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Beta: Gerald of Revea
-Cloud-
"You…" I muttered, cradling Dracovish's Pokéball. "I forgot about you."
The only protagonist I've ever battled before was Red, and ever since, he's been a headache.
Wes didn't seem nearly as strong as Red. Already, he has shown four of his Pokémon. And the last match was a close battle, only barely eeking out a victory.
Image of Wes
"You…" I muttered, cradling Dracovish's Pokéball. "I forgot about you."
The only protagonist I've ever battled before was Red, and ever since, he's been a headache.
Wes didn't seem nearly as strong as Red. Already, he has shown four of his Pokémon. And the last match was a close battle, only barely eeking out a victory.
Image of Wes
From looking at his previous battles, the strongest Pokémon I've seen him use is Tyranitar. Not only that, he had no issue with mega-evolving him either.
Despite watching his last two battles, I didn't recognize him at first; the name was unfamiliar. I never met him during my time in Orre either.
It was only now, looking at him up close, that everything started to click.
"You're not even here for my team either. Just one. Isn't that right?" I asked, but he didn't answer.
I was starting to hate the Silent Protagonist. Not Wes in particular, just people that embodied the title. I'd have a better conversation with a brick wall.
I scanned the crowd, eventually landing on another familiar face. Wes's little sidekick, Rui, who met my gaze with her own.
I never finished Pokémon Colosseum. I didn't even touch its sequel. But both were unique in a single aspect. You could steal other trainers' Pokémon.
Luckily, I already knew who he was here for.
"No matter what, you'll never get him," and for a brief moment, I felt my heart stop.
Because Wes took my words as a challenge, grinning with the widest smile I have ever seen.
I lead with Dracovish, just as I had with my last two battles. Wes sent out his Tyranitar.
'Focus Sash?' I wondered, surprised that his Mega Stone was missing. But it already clued me in on the strategy he was going to use.
A sandstorm quickly followed, partially obscuring my view of the battlefield. Wes was more prepared for this, sliding his visor down.
I took a breath to try calm myself down. The crowd didn't matter in a battle: just me, my Pokémon, and our opponent.
"Let the battle begin!"
And I didn't hesitate. "Fishous Rend!"
"..."
Despite Wes's silence, Tyranitar started to charge his move, his claws extending, darkening. But he was far from being faster than Dracovish.
In an instant, the attack connected, shattering all of Tyranitar's defenses in a single move. It would have knocked him out too, if it weren't for the protection that Focus Sash provided.
Despite the undoubtedly excruciating pain Tyranitar was in, he pulled through, hitting Dracovish back with Knock Off. The effect worked as intended, as Dracovish's Choice Scarf fell onto the field before blowing away in the wind.
Before I could give the call for Dracovish to finish him, he returned Tyranitar, ending the first clash before it got to its climax.
"Not bad," I commented, returning Dracovish as well. He got a little chaffed from the Sandstorm, but that was to be expected.
He still could have done better. I've yet to see a single trainer use F.E.A.R.
It was a solid plan. Taking away Dracovish's choice scarf made it much slower. If Fishous Rend doesn't go first, it does half the damage I usually do with it. Dracovish took a chunk out of Tyranitar, but Dracovish got nicked pretty badly as well.
I sent out Eggman. It was clear that Wes expected that, considering he sent out Flygon.
While Eggman had Special Defense and Health in spades, it had a measly defense stat. That's why my Chansey wasn't a Blissey. With an Eviolite, that boosts the defense stat dramatically.
Flygon is primarily a Physical Attacker, though it was closer to say it was a jack of all trades.
'Why use Flygon of all Pokémon?' I couldn't help but wonder, but I was quickly broken out of my musings.
"Let the round, begin!"
"Toxic!"
Almost all my battles with Eggman went the same way. Toxic, Protect, soft-boiled. Throw in a Seismic-Toss for good measure, and the battle will be over quicker.
But there was a key part of that formula that was missing.
My opponent always went first. Its par for the course with a Chansey's low Speed stat.
Just as Eggman was halfway into casting Toxic, did I realize why Flygon wasn't moving first.
"Shit," I scowled, watching my own tactics being used against me.
Dragon Tail smashed into Eggman, and my day was ruined.
"Bastard," I muttered, watching Eggman return back into his Pokéball. I'd be hoping to beat at least five three-on-three battles using just two Pokémon, but I didn't account for moves like Dragon Tail.
The power of Dragon Tail rolled its dice, choosing between my five other Pokémon to be sent out..
That Pokémon was my starter. Dovahkin.
Chatot is a Pokémon everyone underestimates. I don't blame them; I was no different. At the start of my journey, I thought he was strong because he was a high-level.
At the time, I didn't know he was so much more than that.
My first thought was that he was a partner Pokémon. Then Meowth started to tell his story.
A land with no humans. The Guild. The exploration teams. Meowth thought it was an unknown region; I knew better.
I've played Mystery Dungeon before. The game works on a different set of mechanics. The Pokémon of this world and the Pokémon of that world were created differently. Normal rules don't apply to Dovahkin.
Including what moves are considered strong.
"Fury-wuh?" I was cut off from giving my order by Wes, who had returned Flygon into his Pokéball.
And started walking away from the battlefield.
"What?" I muttered, slightly confused. "Hey! We have a battle to finish!"
Wes continued to walk away, and soon he was out of sight entirely.
"W-Wes has withdrawn from battle, the victory goes to Cloud!"
"You've got to fucking kidding me," I scoffed, turning away from the battlefield, to a mixed applause from the audience. "Waste of time, space, antimatter-everything. The bastard doesn't even have the willpower to finish what he had started."
As I headed away from the battlefield, Dovahkin silently perched on my shoulder, giving me an unimpressed look.
"You deserve better than that," I growled. "Bastard snubbed you. Us. Everyone is going to think you are weak."
A normal Chatot is weak. No sensible trainer will have one in this tournament. Dovahkin was not normal. I doubted there was a hundred Pokémon in the world stronger than him. Not with what he can do.
Dovahkin looked exasperated, his body moving as if giving a silent chuckle. A quick laugh escaping him before he could stop himself.
He didn't care about that in the slightest. He knew he was strong; others knowing that mattered not to him.
"I know, I know," I mumbled, feeling my anger start to dissipate. "That doesn't mean next time will be different."
Dovahkin rolled his eyes, nudging the side of my head. Shortly afterwards, a small smile crept onto my face.
We both knew I was getting worked up over practically nothing. Red already knew about Chatot.
I doubted any other Pokémon has taken out half his team in a single battle.
My mind wandered back to Wes, and his intent on making me reveal my third Pokémon.
I let out a snort of my own.
All this, for a Pokémon I didn't even have with me in the first place.
Despite watching his last two battles, I didn't recognize him at first; the name was unfamiliar. I never met him during my time in Orre either.
It was only now, looking at him up close, that everything started to click.
"You're not even here for my team either. Just one. Isn't that right?" I asked, but he didn't answer.
I was starting to hate the Silent Protagonist. Not Wes in particular, just people that embodied the title. I'd have a better conversation with a brick wall.
I scanned the crowd, eventually landing on another familiar face. Wes's little sidekick, Rui, who met my gaze with her own.
I never finished Pokémon Colosseum. I didn't even touch its sequel. But both were unique in a single aspect. You could steal other trainers' Pokémon.
Luckily, I already knew who he was here for.
"No matter what, you'll never get him," and for a brief moment, I felt my heart stop.
Because Wes took my words as a challenge, grinning with the widest smile I have ever seen.
I lead with Dracovish, just as I had with my last two battles. Wes sent out his Tyranitar.
'Focus Sash?' I wondered, surprised that his Mega Stone was missing. But it already clued me in on the strategy he was going to use.
A sandstorm quickly followed, partially obscuring my view of the battlefield. Wes was more prepared for this, sliding his visor down.
I took a breath to try calm myself down. The crowd didn't matter in a battle: just me, my Pokémon, and our opponent.
"Let the battle begin!"
And I didn't hesitate. "Fishous Rend!"
"..."
Despite Wes's silence, Tyranitar started to charge his move, his claws extending, darkening. But he was far from being faster than Dracovish.
In an instant, the attack connected, shattering all of Tyranitar's defenses in a single move. It would have knocked him out too, if it weren't for the protection that Focus Sash provided.
Despite the undoubtedly excruciating pain Tyranitar was in, he pulled through, hitting Dracovish back with Knock Off. The effect worked as intended, as Dracovish's Choice Scarf fell onto the field before blowing away in the wind.
Before I could give the call for Dracovish to finish him, he returned Tyranitar, ending the first clash before it got to its climax.
"Not bad," I commented, returning Dracovish as well. He got a little chaffed from the Sandstorm, but that was to be expected.
He still could have done better. I've yet to see a single trainer use F.E.A.R.
It was a solid plan. Taking away Dracovish's choice scarf made it much slower. If Fishous Rend doesn't go first, it does half the damage I usually do with it. Dracovish took a chunk out of Tyranitar, but Dracovish got nicked pretty badly as well.
I sent out Eggman. It was clear that Wes expected that, considering he sent out Flygon.
While Eggman had Special Defense and Health in spades, it had a measly defense stat. That's why my Chansey wasn't a Blissey. With an Eviolite, that boosts the defense stat dramatically.
Flygon is primarily a Physical Attacker, though it was closer to say it was a jack of all trades.
'Why use Flygon of all Pokémon?' I couldn't help but wonder, but I was quickly broken out of my musings.
"Let the round, begin!"
"Toxic!"
Almost all my battles with Eggman went the same way. Toxic, Protect, soft-boiled. Throw in a Seismic-Toss for good measure, and the battle will be over quicker.
But there was a key part of that formula that was missing.
My opponent always went first. Its par for the course with a Chansey's low Speed stat.
Just as Eggman was halfway into casting Toxic, did I realize why Flygon wasn't moving first.
"Shit," I scowled, watching my own tactics being used against me.
Dragon Tail smashed into Eggman, and my day was ruined.
"Bastard," I muttered, watching Eggman return back into his Pokéball. I'd be hoping to beat at least five three-on-three battles using just two Pokémon, but I didn't account for moves like Dragon Tail.
The power of Dragon Tail rolled its dice, choosing between my five other Pokémon to be sent out..
That Pokémon was my starter. Dovahkin.
Chatot is a Pokémon everyone underestimates. I don't blame them; I was no different. At the start of my journey, I thought he was strong because he was a high-level.
At the time, I didn't know he was so much more than that.
My first thought was that he was a partner Pokémon. Then Meowth started to tell his story.
A land with no humans. The Guild. The exploration teams. Meowth thought it was an unknown region; I knew better.
I've played Mystery Dungeon before. The game works on a different set of mechanics. The Pokémon of this world and the Pokémon of that world were created differently. Normal rules don't apply to Dovahkin.
Including what moves are considered strong.
"Fury-wuh?" I was cut off from giving my order by Wes, who had returned Flygon into his Pokéball.
And started walking away from the battlefield.
"What?" I muttered, slightly confused. "Hey! We have a battle to finish!"
Wes continued to walk away, and soon he was out of sight entirely.
"W-Wes has withdrawn from battle, the victory goes to Cloud!"
"You've got to fucking kidding me," I scoffed, turning away from the battlefield, to a mixed applause from the audience. "Waste of time, space, antimatter-everything. The bastard doesn't even have the willpower to finish what he had started."
As I headed away from the battlefield, Dovahkin silently perched on my shoulder, giving me an unimpressed look.
"You deserve better than that," I growled. "Bastard snubbed you. Us. Everyone is going to think you are weak."
A normal Chatot is weak. No sensible trainer will have one in this tournament. Dovahkin was not normal. I doubted there was a hundred Pokémon in the world stronger than him. Not with what he can do.
Dovahkin looked exasperated, his body moving as if giving a silent chuckle. A quick laugh escaping him before he could stop himself.
He didn't care about that in the slightest. He knew he was strong; others knowing that mattered not to him.
"I know, I know," I mumbled, feeling my anger start to dissipate. "That doesn't mean next time will be different."
Dovahkin rolled his eyes, nudging the side of my head. Shortly afterwards, a small smile crept onto my face.
We both knew I was getting worked up over practically nothing. Red already knew about Chatot.
I doubted any other Pokémon has taken out half his team in a single battle.
My mind wandered back to Wes, and his intent on making me reveal my third Pokémon.
I let out a snort of my own.
All this, for a Pokémon I didn't even have with me in the first place.
-Dovahkin-
Cloud was very fond of throwing things.
He noticed it throughout his journey with him. It could be a Pokéball, a flat rock, or a match with Leon. It was a tell of his. He was either bored out of his mind or deeply in thought.
This time, it was a Pokéball—Bison's.
Bison has always been the Pokémon Cloud has had the most trouble with, though, through no fault of his own. He was likely the Pokémon Cloud spent his most time training with, though not to get stronger, (even if that was a byproduct of it.)
He has tried consistently to help him. Each time, he has failed.
But he hasn't given up. Not yet.
"It doesn't make sense," he heard Cloud mutter, snapping him out of his musings. "He's a protagonist too. Why is he so different from Red?"
Humans had a word for this. Ah yes, profiling. It would do Cloud well to break that trait.
He did agree with Cloud with a few of his rambles. Yes, the battle did end prematurely. Yes, If Wes could truly 'steal' Pokémon, he would have been detained and captured shortly after the first Pokéball was thrown. Yes, not every 'protagonist' has to battle the same way.
He hasn't missed Cloud's rants, but he would be there for his trainer. It is what any true friend would do.
"I need a drink," Cloud groaned, and like magic, one appeared.
"I thought the same thing," Sonia smiled, glass of water in hand. "You looked like you were going to think yourself to death."
If two Pokémon of the opposite gender were stuck in the same house for months on end, there would be at least a dozen children running about. Cloud and Sonia haven't even kissed yet. It's why he has dubbed his master's love life a lost cause.
Alas, since Cloud met Sonia, he has noticed how much happier he has been. Sadly, that did divert his focus from the important task at hand.
Finding a way for both of them to return home.
"Just about," Cloud shook his head, taking the glass. "I'm going mad thinking about it."
"Recognizing you have a problem is the first step toward solving it," Sonia nodded, getting a snort out of Cloud.
He could already see Cloud mentally slotting 'Silent Protagonists' into his list of problems, just below Red and Alcoholism.
"And the second step is throwing all your ideas at it and seeing what sticks."
As much as he criticized the brute-force tactics other trainers used, he was willfully blind to his own hypocrisy.
He eyed the Pokéball in Cloud's hand. He has tried that tactic over and over again and achieved the same result each time. Hoping for a different result won't change anything.
If anything is going to change with that boy, he's going to need professional help.
"Dova?" Cloud asked as he perched on the armchair. "What's up?"
He gave Cloud a hard stare, gesturing towards the Pokéball, then pointing to Sonia.
"...You think she can do it?" Cloud asked, giving him a firm nod.
Cloud was a battling savant. He will give him credit for this. Choose any Pokémon in the world and he would know three different methods of defeating it.
Flip the coin, choose any Pokémon in the world, and Cloud would struggle to list three different methods of healing it.
"But-" Cloud started, making him frown "Oh come on, that would be-" he gave him a lidded stare. "Alright! Fine!" Cloud capitulated, making him hum in satisfaction.
"That was certainly a fun byplay," Sonia smiled at the two of them. "Though I feel I'm being left out of something important.
"Not for long," Cloud grunted. "Are you busy today?"
"Of course I am," Sonia rolled her eyes, "But I can make time. Is there something you need help with?"
"Not something," Cloud corrected, shaking his head. "Someone."
Cloud was very fond of throwing things.
He noticed it throughout his journey with him. It could be a Pokéball, a flat rock, or a match with Leon. It was a tell of his. He was either bored out of his mind or deeply in thought.
This time, it was a Pokéball—Bison's.
Bison has always been the Pokémon Cloud has had the most trouble with, though, through no fault of his own. He was likely the Pokémon Cloud spent his most time training with, though not to get stronger, (even if that was a byproduct of it.)
He has tried consistently to help him. Each time, he has failed.
But he hasn't given up. Not yet.
"It doesn't make sense," he heard Cloud mutter, snapping him out of his musings. "He's a protagonist too. Why is he so different from Red?"
Humans had a word for this. Ah yes, profiling. It would do Cloud well to break that trait.
He did agree with Cloud with a few of his rambles. Yes, the battle did end prematurely. Yes, If Wes could truly 'steal' Pokémon, he would have been detained and captured shortly after the first Pokéball was thrown. Yes, not every 'protagonist' has to battle the same way.
He hasn't missed Cloud's rants, but he would be there for his trainer. It is what any true friend would do.
"I need a drink," Cloud groaned, and like magic, one appeared.
"I thought the same thing," Sonia smiled, glass of water in hand. "You looked like you were going to think yourself to death."
If two Pokémon of the opposite gender were stuck in the same house for months on end, there would be at least a dozen children running about. Cloud and Sonia haven't even kissed yet. It's why he has dubbed his master's love life a lost cause.
Alas, since Cloud met Sonia, he has noticed how much happier he has been. Sadly, that did divert his focus from the important task at hand.
Finding a way for both of them to return home.
"Just about," Cloud shook his head, taking the glass. "I'm going mad thinking about it."
"Recognizing you have a problem is the first step toward solving it," Sonia nodded, getting a snort out of Cloud.
He could already see Cloud mentally slotting 'Silent Protagonists' into his list of problems, just below Red and Alcoholism.
"And the second step is throwing all your ideas at it and seeing what sticks."
As much as he criticized the brute-force tactics other trainers used, he was willfully blind to his own hypocrisy.
He eyed the Pokéball in Cloud's hand. He has tried that tactic over and over again and achieved the same result each time. Hoping for a different result won't change anything.
If anything is going to change with that boy, he's going to need professional help.
"Dova?" Cloud asked as he perched on the armchair. "What's up?"
He gave Cloud a hard stare, gesturing towards the Pokéball, then pointing to Sonia.
"...You think she can do it?" Cloud asked, giving him a firm nod.
Cloud was a battling savant. He will give him credit for this. Choose any Pokémon in the world and he would know three different methods of defeating it.
Flip the coin, choose any Pokémon in the world, and Cloud would struggle to list three different methods of healing it.
"But-" Cloud started, making him frown "Oh come on, that would be-" he gave him a lidded stare. "Alright! Fine!" Cloud capitulated, making him hum in satisfaction.
"That was certainly a fun byplay," Sonia smiled at the two of them. "Though I feel I'm being left out of something important.
"Not for long," Cloud grunted. "Are you busy today?"
"Of course I am," Sonia rolled her eyes, "But I can make time. Is there something you need help with?"
"Not something," Cloud corrected, shaking his head. "Someone."
-Sonia-
Cloud had always been close-lipped about his past. She never pressed on it, but that didn't mean she wasn't curious.
He didn't speak about his family. She didn't know which city he was from. She didn't know where he learnt to battle or find legendary Pokémon.
Cloud has layers, and she has been slowly peeling back each of his layers as she spends more time with him.
But with the more layers she peeled back, and the more she learnt, the less she knew.
Psyclone had teleported her and Cloud to the most remote and picturesque village she had ever seen. She had never been to Orre before, nor did she know Cloud had been either. But she knew it wasn't known for being a lush green region. Despite this, Agate village seemed to be an exception.
"This is nice," she smiled, enjoying the atmosphere. "We should go on these walks more often."
"We'll have plenty of free time after the tournament," Cloud winked at her. "I'm getting a bit nostalgic going down this path again."
So Cloud was used to going down this walking trail. Did he grow up here? Why did- "Why are we doing this?" she asked, coming to a standstill. "From the conversation with Dovahkin, I thought it would be less…peaceful."
"There's something I need your help with, something I can't fix on my own," Cloud admitted, making her perk up. "And you wouldn't understand it. Not without seeing it first."
A few minutes later, they arrived at an unnatural clearing. There was a stone platform, at least thirty feet in diameter, its circular shape broken by rigid, angular cuts that made it resemble a gear more than a ruin, but that wasn't the main attraction.
In the middle of the platform stood a monument of carved stone rings, etched with precise grooves that looked less like decoration and more like the components of some ancient mechanism.
"Pretty neat, isn't it?" Cloud commented, stepping up onto the platform. "I've been here more than a few times, but it's hard not to find wonder in a place like this."
"Cloud," she asked hesitantly. "Which legendary is here?"
"There isn't one." Cloud huffed, shaking his head. "Not that I know of anyway. But we aren't here because of any legendary Pokémon," Cloud said, grabbing a Pokéball from his waist. "It's because of him."
She knew which Pokémon Cloud was showing her; the Ultra Ball had lost a lot of its yellow coloring from constant use.
Cloud's Lucario was special for all the wrong reasons. They have the natural ability to sense and read the aura of people. They can feel emotions. Intentions. They are said to be one of the best judges of character.
Bison was the polar opposite of the average Lucario. It was malicious; it didn't care about hurting others, in fact, it seemed to revel in it. The Pokémon scared her. More than she likes to admit.
"Do you know how to evolve a Riolu?" Cloud asked out of the blue, tossing the ball in his hand.
"Love, friendship, trust, all rolled into one," she paraphrased. "When a riolu evolves, it means you will have a friend for life."
"That's right," Cloud nodded. "And that's the problem."
She paused, looking at him slightly puzzled. "Why does that matter?" she asked softly, curiosity and something like caution in her voice.
"I didn't meet Bison as a Riolu. I caught him how he is."
That…certainly explained a lot about his temperament, was the Lucario older than she thought? But that type of grief shouldn't lead to malice. Especially for an empath. "What happened to his original trainer?"
"I never met him. The first time I met Bison, he was trapped in a cage, being used as a lab experiment by…not very good people. I freed him," Cloud chuckled softly, looking nostalgic. "And I found out how getting hit by a Force Palm feels like. He's been with me ever since."
She…had so many questions she wanted to ask. She would get there eventually, but with each answer came a thousand more questions. "Is that why he's…what he is?" she asked softly. "Who did this to him? Are they gone?"
"Behind bars," Cloud clarified, making her sigh in relief, glad to have some peace in mind.
"Did you ever find out what they did to him?"
"Bison wasn't the only one," Cloud revealed, making her stomach drop. "The group that did this are called Cipher. They wanted to turn Pokémon into unfeeling, uncaring machines." He paused. "They succeeded."
If she knew this was the type of conversation she would be having with Cloud today, she didn't think she would have gone with him. She could barely stomach the thought of that happening to one Pokémon, but the idea of it happening to even more made her stomach twist into knots.
"These Pokémon are called Shadow Pokémon. These Pokémon have had their emotions forcibly closed off from them. This made them more powerful, sure. But it also made them a wildcard. With Shadow Pokémon, you trade power for control. Sometimes, they won't listen at all. Other times, they can even attack you. But you need to remember something. They aren't doing this because they want to. They are acting this way because they were forced to.
"How do we help them? How do we help get their emotions back?"
"This thing right here," Cloud tapped his hand against the monument. "This place acts like a purifier for Shadow Pokémon. I've helped a few Pokémon like that already."
'So the effects are reversible,' she noted, but that still begged the question. "Then why haven't you tried this with Lucario?"
Silently, Cloud walked to the center of the shrine, the ancient stones beneath his boots echoing in the quiet. He placed Lucario's Pokéball inside a carved circle etched into the monument, faintly glowing with residual aura. The air around the shrine seemed to hum, as if responding to his presence.
The ball quivered, rocking slightly on the etched pattern. Then, with a soft pop and a flash of light, Lucario materialized in the clearing, his fur ruffling as he shook off the sudden displacement.
Lucario looked around, ears twitching, eyes alert, clearly bracing for a Pokémon battle, but found himself wanting.
She watched in fascination as a soft green light enveloped him, swirling and pulsing like living energy. She could have sworn she saw a faint outline of an atom shimmer around him as threads of purple energy lifted from him, dissipating into the air.
She watched as the energy began to fade, and she thought she could see a change in him. The sharp edge he had carried, the tension that had made him look ready to strike at any moment, was gone. He no longer looked like he expected the first thing he saw to challenge him. And his eyes… they were no longer hollow, distant, or guarded. He simply seemed…normal.
And then he started to scream.
A wave of force radiated from Lucario, and she stumbled back, bracing herself against a nearby tree. The energy swirled around him in chaotic arcs, fierce and untamed, yet unstable, as though it had never been held this way before. She could hear the ground starting to shift in protest, leaves leaving their trees as the force of the energy concentrated.
He howled. He cried. He roared.
She watched, morbidly fascinated, as the color of the energy began to shift. The fierce green softened, taking on a deep purple hue that seemed to calm Lucario, coaxing him into heavy, ragged breaths.
But just as seemingly as things calmed down, just as suddenly, the energy flared again, this time appearing dark red and larger than before.
Lucario spun toward Cloud with a snarl, aura crackling in his paw as he charged. Panic spiked in her chest, and she fumbled for Dragapult's Pokéball. But it was all for nothing.
Cloud had already returned him.
Her hands were trembling as a wave of relief collided with raw adrenaline. Slowly, she slid down the bark of the tree, her legs feeling like jelly, barely able to hold herself upright. "What…what was that?"
"Attempt number 31," Cloud sighed, rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Every other Shadow Pokémon that I've come across, I've brought them here to be cured. Every other time, it worked. But this? With Bison? For a few moments, it works. He's no longer a Shadow Pokémon. I can feel it. But somehow, it reverts. Like the purification never happened in the first place."
His own Pokémon tried to attack him, and he's treating it like it is just another Tuesday. As much as she wanted to scold him, she knew it wouldn't lead anywhere. She wasn't cut out for getting herself into dangerous situations every other week.
"That's probably why Dovahkin wanted me to ask you for help," he said, turning to her. "I've tried this for years on my own. It's gone nowhere. I need someone better at this than me."
"And Cyclone hasn't fixed it?" she asked, making him wince.
"They do not get along," Cloud scowled, "He would help for any other Pokémon, but not Bison."
"And you think I can fix this?" she asked, confusion leaking into her tone. "I would love nothing more, but this isn't my area of expertise. History is my forté. Biology is a hobby. What you are describing? This is psychological or energy-based corruption. I have no experience with this. You would be better getting help from-"
"If anyone in the world can do this, it's you." Cloud smiled, reaching down to offer her a hand. "If you don't believe you can do it, just believe in the me that believes in you."
'Of course he has to say something like that,' Sonia slowly closed her as she felt the adrenaline rush start to dissipate. 'Saying something like that is just unfair.'
She didn't understand how, but Cloud seemed to always know what to say to make her feel better. Like she could do more than she knew possible.
'And isn't that true already?' she shook her head fondly, taking pride in her own work. Without Cloud, without his insights, she knew she would have never found out about Same-Type Defense Bonus.
But none of that came close to what was actually important.
"I'll do it," she relented, taking the offered hand, making his smile widen. "On one condition!" she watched his smile falter, "I won't be working on this alone."
"Psyclone won't-" Cloud started, but she interrupted him. "Not Cyclone, someone I know. Someone who knows much more about this than I do."
Cloud hesitated; he didn't like outside help of any form, but this wasn't something she was willing to negotiate on.
She needed to know as much as possible to help Lucario as quickly as possible. If aspects like the long-term effects were unknown. Then he could be living on borrowed time. She wasn't going to prolong Lucario's suffering.
Cloud went quiet, clearly not liking the answer. "Do you trust this person?"
"With my life."
"That's enough for me."
'How does he keep making me do this?' she couldn't help but wonder. Her workload was already pilfering over the edge. It was hard balancing this tournament, the streams, and her own studies, but now she was adding another project on top of it.
'Because he's worth it.' A part of her admitted, making her face flush.
Cloud had always been close-lipped about his past. She never pressed on it, but that didn't mean she wasn't curious.
He didn't speak about his family. She didn't know which city he was from. She didn't know where he learnt to battle or find legendary Pokémon.
Cloud has layers, and she has been slowly peeling back each of his layers as she spends more time with him.
But with the more layers she peeled back, and the more she learnt, the less she knew.
Psyclone had teleported her and Cloud to the most remote and picturesque village she had ever seen. She had never been to Orre before, nor did she know Cloud had been either. But she knew it wasn't known for being a lush green region. Despite this, Agate village seemed to be an exception.
"This is nice," she smiled, enjoying the atmosphere. "We should go on these walks more often."
"We'll have plenty of free time after the tournament," Cloud winked at her. "I'm getting a bit nostalgic going down this path again."
So Cloud was used to going down this walking trail. Did he grow up here? Why did- "Why are we doing this?" she asked, coming to a standstill. "From the conversation with Dovahkin, I thought it would be less…peaceful."
"There's something I need your help with, something I can't fix on my own," Cloud admitted, making her perk up. "And you wouldn't understand it. Not without seeing it first."
A few minutes later, they arrived at an unnatural clearing. There was a stone platform, at least thirty feet in diameter, its circular shape broken by rigid, angular cuts that made it resemble a gear more than a ruin, but that wasn't the main attraction.
In the middle of the platform stood a monument of carved stone rings, etched with precise grooves that looked less like decoration and more like the components of some ancient mechanism.
"Pretty neat, isn't it?" Cloud commented, stepping up onto the platform. "I've been here more than a few times, but it's hard not to find wonder in a place like this."
"Cloud," she asked hesitantly. "Which legendary is here?"
"There isn't one." Cloud huffed, shaking his head. "Not that I know of anyway. But we aren't here because of any legendary Pokémon," Cloud said, grabbing a Pokéball from his waist. "It's because of him."
She knew which Pokémon Cloud was showing her; the Ultra Ball had lost a lot of its yellow coloring from constant use.
Cloud's Lucario was special for all the wrong reasons. They have the natural ability to sense and read the aura of people. They can feel emotions. Intentions. They are said to be one of the best judges of character.
Bison was the polar opposite of the average Lucario. It was malicious; it didn't care about hurting others, in fact, it seemed to revel in it. The Pokémon scared her. More than she likes to admit.
"Do you know how to evolve a Riolu?" Cloud asked out of the blue, tossing the ball in his hand.
"Love, friendship, trust, all rolled into one," she paraphrased. "When a riolu evolves, it means you will have a friend for life."
"That's right," Cloud nodded. "And that's the problem."
She paused, looking at him slightly puzzled. "Why does that matter?" she asked softly, curiosity and something like caution in her voice.
"I didn't meet Bison as a Riolu. I caught him how he is."
That…certainly explained a lot about his temperament, was the Lucario older than she thought? But that type of grief shouldn't lead to malice. Especially for an empath. "What happened to his original trainer?"
"I never met him. The first time I met Bison, he was trapped in a cage, being used as a lab experiment by…not very good people. I freed him," Cloud chuckled softly, looking nostalgic. "And I found out how getting hit by a Force Palm feels like. He's been with me ever since."
She…had so many questions she wanted to ask. She would get there eventually, but with each answer came a thousand more questions. "Is that why he's…what he is?" she asked softly. "Who did this to him? Are they gone?"
"Behind bars," Cloud clarified, making her sigh in relief, glad to have some peace in mind.
"Did you ever find out what they did to him?"
"Bison wasn't the only one," Cloud revealed, making her stomach drop. "The group that did this are called Cipher. They wanted to turn Pokémon into unfeeling, uncaring machines." He paused. "They succeeded."
If she knew this was the type of conversation she would be having with Cloud today, she didn't think she would have gone with him. She could barely stomach the thought of that happening to one Pokémon, but the idea of it happening to even more made her stomach twist into knots.
"These Pokémon are called Shadow Pokémon. These Pokémon have had their emotions forcibly closed off from them. This made them more powerful, sure. But it also made them a wildcard. With Shadow Pokémon, you trade power for control. Sometimes, they won't listen at all. Other times, they can even attack you. But you need to remember something. They aren't doing this because they want to. They are acting this way because they were forced to.
"How do we help them? How do we help get their emotions back?"
"This thing right here," Cloud tapped his hand against the monument. "This place acts like a purifier for Shadow Pokémon. I've helped a few Pokémon like that already."
'So the effects are reversible,' she noted, but that still begged the question. "Then why haven't you tried this with Lucario?"
Silently, Cloud walked to the center of the shrine, the ancient stones beneath his boots echoing in the quiet. He placed Lucario's Pokéball inside a carved circle etched into the monument, faintly glowing with residual aura. The air around the shrine seemed to hum, as if responding to his presence.
The ball quivered, rocking slightly on the etched pattern. Then, with a soft pop and a flash of light, Lucario materialized in the clearing, his fur ruffling as he shook off the sudden displacement.
Lucario looked around, ears twitching, eyes alert, clearly bracing for a Pokémon battle, but found himself wanting.
She watched in fascination as a soft green light enveloped him, swirling and pulsing like living energy. She could have sworn she saw a faint outline of an atom shimmer around him as threads of purple energy lifted from him, dissipating into the air.
She watched as the energy began to fade, and she thought she could see a change in him. The sharp edge he had carried, the tension that had made him look ready to strike at any moment, was gone. He no longer looked like he expected the first thing he saw to challenge him. And his eyes… they were no longer hollow, distant, or guarded. He simply seemed…normal.
And then he started to scream.
A wave of force radiated from Lucario, and she stumbled back, bracing herself against a nearby tree. The energy swirled around him in chaotic arcs, fierce and untamed, yet unstable, as though it had never been held this way before. She could hear the ground starting to shift in protest, leaves leaving their trees as the force of the energy concentrated.
He howled. He cried. He roared.
She watched, morbidly fascinated, as the color of the energy began to shift. The fierce green softened, taking on a deep purple hue that seemed to calm Lucario, coaxing him into heavy, ragged breaths.
But just as seemingly as things calmed down, just as suddenly, the energy flared again, this time appearing dark red and larger than before.
Lucario spun toward Cloud with a snarl, aura crackling in his paw as he charged. Panic spiked in her chest, and she fumbled for Dragapult's Pokéball. But it was all for nothing.
Cloud had already returned him.
Her hands were trembling as a wave of relief collided with raw adrenaline. Slowly, she slid down the bark of the tree, her legs feeling like jelly, barely able to hold herself upright. "What…what was that?"
"Attempt number 31," Cloud sighed, rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Every other Shadow Pokémon that I've come across, I've brought them here to be cured. Every other time, it worked. But this? With Bison? For a few moments, it works. He's no longer a Shadow Pokémon. I can feel it. But somehow, it reverts. Like the purification never happened in the first place."
His own Pokémon tried to attack him, and he's treating it like it is just another Tuesday. As much as she wanted to scold him, she knew it wouldn't lead anywhere. She wasn't cut out for getting herself into dangerous situations every other week.
"That's probably why Dovahkin wanted me to ask you for help," he said, turning to her. "I've tried this for years on my own. It's gone nowhere. I need someone better at this than me."
"And Cyclone hasn't fixed it?" she asked, making him wince.
"They do not get along," Cloud scowled, "He would help for any other Pokémon, but not Bison."
"And you think I can fix this?" she asked, confusion leaking into her tone. "I would love nothing more, but this isn't my area of expertise. History is my forté. Biology is a hobby. What you are describing? This is psychological or energy-based corruption. I have no experience with this. You would be better getting help from-"
"If anyone in the world can do this, it's you." Cloud smiled, reaching down to offer her a hand. "If you don't believe you can do it, just believe in the me that believes in you."
'Of course he has to say something like that,' Sonia slowly closed her as she felt the adrenaline rush start to dissipate. 'Saying something like that is just unfair.'
She didn't understand how, but Cloud seemed to always know what to say to make her feel better. Like she could do more than she knew possible.
'And isn't that true already?' she shook her head fondly, taking pride in her own work. Without Cloud, without his insights, she knew she would have never found out about Same-Type Defense Bonus.
But none of that came close to what was actually important.
"I'll do it," she relented, taking the offered hand, making his smile widen. "On one condition!" she watched his smile falter, "I won't be working on this alone."
"Psyclone won't-" Cloud started, but she interrupted him. "Not Cyclone, someone I know. Someone who knows much more about this than I do."
Cloud hesitated; he didn't like outside help of any form, but this wasn't something she was willing to negotiate on.
She needed to know as much as possible to help Lucario as quickly as possible. If aspects like the long-term effects were unknown. Then he could be living on borrowed time. She wasn't going to prolong Lucario's suffering.
Cloud went quiet, clearly not liking the answer. "Do you trust this person?"
"With my life."
"That's enough for me."
'How does he keep making me do this?' she couldn't help but wonder. Her workload was already pilfering over the edge. It was hard balancing this tournament, the streams, and her own studies, but now she was adding another project on top of it.
'Because he's worth it.' A part of her admitted, making her face flush.
-Cloud, the next day-
"Ladies and gentlemen!" I smacked my hands against the table, a grin on my face. "Champion vs Champion, who will come up on top and why is it Cynthia?"
If Steven beats her, I'm going to look really fucking stupid.
In a lot of the battles I've watched, I could tell pretty easily who could win. In this case? I'm not certain.
I give it an 80% chance Cynthia wins. Steven is one of the stronger champions; he would give me some trouble in a battle.
I had my fourth battle earlier today, and it couldn't have gone better. Being paired against Flint, who only had fire-type Pokémon with him, made the battle a breeze.
Unfortunately, that didn't help me with another problem I was having.
Cloud: Hypocrite or Idiot - Third Pokémon Revealed?!
There were more than a few articles similar titles. I've had had several streams going over different Pokémon and whether or not you should use them for competitive battling. I've had Chatot firmly in the "Do Not Use" category for a while.
Even some of my chat have turned against me. Some think I didn't plan on using him for the tournament, others think I have some strategy up my sleeve involving him. Others thought I was a hypocrite for bringing a 'weak' Pokémon to the tournament.
Dovahkin was an exception to the rule. But then everyone thinks their Pokémon is the exception to the rule. So I was more or less staying silent about it.
People will learn what Dovahkin can do. But not today.
"Alright chat, so what do we know about our challengers and the team they have?" I ask, starting my PowerPoint presentation. "Looking at their past battles, we can see the fighting styles of the both of them. Cynthia isn't shy about her team. She has used Spiritomb, Togekiss and Lucario in her past battles. Steven on the other hand, has beaten all his opponents using Metagross, and Metagross only. He starts by Mega-Evolving, using Power-Up Punch, and-"
"You piece of shit!" a familiar voice snarled, making me jump. "How could you do this to me! I thought we were friends!"
I stared at Leon with a blank face.
"Well? What do you have to say?!"
"What did I do this time?"
"This!" he said, waving his hand at my computer. "Guide to Cynthia, Guide to Steven, why do you have these!?" He asked with tears in his eyes. "And not one for me?!"
"It's for strong trainers only," I turned away to hide my grin. "Maybe one day I'll make one for you."
I already had one for him, I just haven't covered his battles all that much. Leon has had some the easiest battles in the tournament, fighting people I've never even heard of or Gym Leaders that were out of their depth.
'It really does suck Larry isn't here,' I couldn't help but think. He automatically qualified as an Elite Four member, but didn't care about the tournament at all.
"Maybe one day you'll have a chance of beating me," Leon said dropping the dramatics and ruffling my hair, "Just because you think I'm unbeatable doesn't mean you shouldn't try. Or let other people get some direction on how to give me a challenge."
"Stop that," I smacked his hand away, making him laugh. "I'm not worried about beating you. Not with your shit team anyway."
"My shit team folded yours in half."
"I took down half of them using Pokémon I've had for less than two months."
"Excuses, excuses," he sighed. "Hopefully you give me a bit more of a challenge this time. So, you are going Team Cynthia on this one?"
"All the way," I agreed, allowing the change in topic. "Don't get me wrong, Steven is strong, he's nearly as strong as you. But the gap between him and Cynthia is a mile long."
"Hey look! Steven’s coming out now!"
"Finally," I grinned, fired up to have Leon as my unexpected co-commentator. "10,000 Pokédollars says Cynthia doesn't lose a single Pokémon."
Leon grinned back at me, "You're on!"
"Ladies and gentlemen!" I smacked my hands against the table, a grin on my face. "Champion vs Champion, who will come up on top and why is it Cynthia?"
If Steven beats her, I'm going to look really fucking stupid.
In a lot of the battles I've watched, I could tell pretty easily who could win. In this case? I'm not certain.
I give it an 80% chance Cynthia wins. Steven is one of the stronger champions; he would give me some trouble in a battle.
I had my fourth battle earlier today, and it couldn't have gone better. Being paired against Flint, who only had fire-type Pokémon with him, made the battle a breeze.
Unfortunately, that didn't help me with another problem I was having.
Cloud: Hypocrite or Idiot - Third Pokémon Revealed?!
There were more than a few articles similar titles. I've had had several streams going over different Pokémon and whether or not you should use them for competitive battling. I've had Chatot firmly in the "Do Not Use" category for a while.
Even some of my chat have turned against me. Some think I didn't plan on using him for the tournament, others think I have some strategy up my sleeve involving him. Others thought I was a hypocrite for bringing a 'weak' Pokémon to the tournament.
Dovahkin was an exception to the rule. But then everyone thinks their Pokémon is the exception to the rule. So I was more or less staying silent about it.
People will learn what Dovahkin can do. But not today.
"Alright chat, so what do we know about our challengers and the team they have?" I ask, starting my PowerPoint presentation. "Looking at their past battles, we can see the fighting styles of the both of them. Cynthia isn't shy about her team. She has used Spiritomb, Togekiss and Lucario in her past battles. Steven on the other hand, has beaten all his opponents using Metagross, and Metagross only. He starts by Mega-Evolving, using Power-Up Punch, and-"
"You piece of shit!" a familiar voice snarled, making me jump. "How could you do this to me! I thought we were friends!"
I stared at Leon with a blank face.
"Well? What do you have to say?!"
"What did I do this time?"
"This!" he said, waving his hand at my computer. "Guide to Cynthia, Guide to Steven, why do you have these!?" He asked with tears in his eyes. "And not one for me?!"
"It's for strong trainers only," I turned away to hide my grin. "Maybe one day I'll make one for you."
I already had one for him, I just haven't covered his battles all that much. Leon has had some the easiest battles in the tournament, fighting people I've never even heard of or Gym Leaders that were out of their depth.
'It really does suck Larry isn't here,' I couldn't help but think. He automatically qualified as an Elite Four member, but didn't care about the tournament at all.
"Maybe one day you'll have a chance of beating me," Leon said dropping the dramatics and ruffling my hair, "Just because you think I'm unbeatable doesn't mean you shouldn't try. Or let other people get some direction on how to give me a challenge."
"Stop that," I smacked his hand away, making him laugh. "I'm not worried about beating you. Not with your shit team anyway."
"My shit team folded yours in half."
"I took down half of them using Pokémon I've had for less than two months."
"Excuses, excuses," he sighed. "Hopefully you give me a bit more of a challenge this time. So, you are going Team Cynthia on this one?"
"All the way," I agreed, allowing the change in topic. "Don't get me wrong, Steven is strong, he's nearly as strong as you. But the gap between him and Cynthia is a mile long."
"Hey look! Steven’s coming out now!"
"Finally," I grinned, fired up to have Leon as my unexpected co-commentator. "10,000 Pokédollars says Cynthia doesn't lose a single Pokémon."
Leon grinned back at me, "You're on!"
-Cynthia-
'Finally, a worthy opponent,' she thought, excitement rushing through her veins. 'Our battle will be legendary!'
Sinnoh was barren for strong trainers; she had marginally better luck in Unova, but was still disappointed.
This tournament had all her dreams rolled into one. It's not the top 1%, it's closer to the top hundredth of 1%. Even still, she was disappointed.
She could see the spark of trainers that could go far. Extremely far. But they never will. They have "lives to live."
It's why she had a soft spot for battle maniacs. It's a shame that most don't have a brain between their thick skulls.
Steven had a brain, which made him a tremendous battler. What he didn't have was drive.
He became champion so he could have the authority to look at more rocks. He's been trying to pawn off his position as champion for years.
But that doesn't change what Steven is. A tremendous battler.
She waited with anticipation as Steven walked to the stage. The anticipation becoming overwhelming. She was almost vibrating on the spot.
She was moments away from c-.
The crowd's roar died in an instant, gasps rippling through the stands.
She watched in slow motion as Steven fell to the ground, seemingly tripping on the air before tumbling to the ground.
For a brief moment, there was nothing but silence in the arena, only for it to shatter seconds later.
"Ow," Steven said without a hint of pain. "I'm injured. Tragically so. I am unable to battle."
What.
"S-Steven is unable to battle!" The referee announced. "The winner is Cynthia!"
Cynthia saw red.
'Finally, a worthy opponent,' she thought, excitement rushing through her veins. 'Our battle will be legendary!'
Sinnoh was barren for strong trainers; she had marginally better luck in Unova, but was still disappointed.
This tournament had all her dreams rolled into one. It's not the top 1%, it's closer to the top hundredth of 1%. Even still, she was disappointed.
She could see the spark of trainers that could go far. Extremely far. But they never will. They have "lives to live."
It's why she had a soft spot for battle maniacs. It's a shame that most don't have a brain between their thick skulls.
Steven had a brain, which made him a tremendous battler. What he didn't have was drive.
He became champion so he could have the authority to look at more rocks. He's been trying to pawn off his position as champion for years.
But that doesn't change what Steven is. A tremendous battler.
She waited with anticipation as Steven walked to the stage. The anticipation becoming overwhelming. She was almost vibrating on the spot.
She was moments away from c-.
The crowd's roar died in an instant, gasps rippling through the stands.
She watched in slow motion as Steven fell to the ground, seemingly tripping on the air before tumbling to the ground.
For a brief moment, there was nothing but silence in the arena, only for it to shatter seconds later.
"Ow," Steven said without a hint of pain. "I'm injured. Tragically so. I am unable to battle."
What.
"S-Steven is unable to battle!" The referee announced. "The winner is Cynthia!"
Cynthia saw red.
