Like No One Ever Was

Dendra POV

“I can’t believe I did that. I can’t believe I did that. Please tell me I did not do that,” Tulip whined as she flopped face-down against her couch. I just laughed as I glanced down at my best friend. She was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, her lavender hair wild and looking nothing like the elegant model she presented herself to the public as - and often acted like even in private.

Tulip gets too focused on appearances sometimes, forgetting that she looks great no matter what! However, I can see why she would have cared if some tabloid had snapped a photo of what she did before coming back here to crash.

Of the few people who knew Tulip was friends with someone like me, they’d suspect she had a bigger house than I did, but it was the other way around. Her parents had started with very little and built their way up to their software firm becoming something of note (helped in no small part by their daughter’s efforts). They definitely could have moved somewhere bigger, but were generally quite content with their home. ‘It’s where all our memories are’ Mrs. Floette would say.

And why I prefer to hang out here or at the dojo now rather than wait in the dusty tomb of memories that used to be my home. Why’d they have to go on that trip? Why did a storm have to sink their boat? And even then, 90% of the passengers survived, why did both my parents have to- Meditite opened his eyes from where he’d been meditating in the corner to give me a ‘look’. The one that said ‘You’re spiraling again.’

I gave him a quick smile back, alongside some positive emotions. “Hey, why don’t you go talk to your dad?”

“You’ll be okay?” I suppressed any wince at his psychic ‘voice’. Meditite worked hard on his control and it was a testament to his training that he could converse with a non-Psychic like myself, even with the ‘volume’ being a bit much for prolonged conversations.

“I’ll be fine, thanks.” He nodded, standing up and wandering outside to talk with Tulip’s Gallade. She had given me his egg after… the accident, to help me deal with everything. And it worked. I should at least be able to help her out with this.

Sitting beside her on the plush couch (just because they wouldn’t change homes with their newfound money didn’t mean that they wouldn’t upgrade to some of the nicest furniture on the market) I started rubbing Tulip’s shoulders.

“Hey, it’s okay, Nemona was fine. Better than fine even, she figured out how to use her Aura! And it was all because of you.”

“All because I pushed a little girl off a cliff,” she moaned and I winced. The wince was more due to the look one of her parent’s Floettes was giving us from outside the window. Her family was named after the Pokemon and had a long line of them. Despite her specialization in Psychics, Tulip’s parents had given her a Flabebe to start her journey, and was now a Floette as well.

Ostensibly their Floettes were here to watch over the house and tend to the garden, but I got the impression that they were also there to make sure nothing ‘untoward’ happened with me there. Which feels really unfair - we both have our trainer’s licenses, we both count as adults. Tulip gave a small whimper beside me.

Oh right, helping out Tulip. Yeah, ok, I can see how it sounds bad when you put it like that but…

“It worked though. She managed to use her Aura and not get hurt. And you had Gardevoir waiting nearby just in case she hadn’t. Nemona was so excited that she jumped off on her own right after.” And then a few more times after that.

She flipped over to face me, no longer burrowing her head into the fabric. “The other times it didn’t work and we did need Gardevoir to catch her. I have no idea how that girl can be so reckless.”

“So wasn’t it great you had the foresight to keep Gardevoir out for that? As for how she can be so reckless, well I think her Aura Type kinda explains that.” That’s only if everything else didn’t already. I like Nemona, but her sense of restraint is thin at best.

“It’s not exactly recklessness, but I get your point. I’m surprised she’s having such trouble with it. Usually, after you’ve unlocked your Aura for the first time it becomes easier.”

I shrugged. Aura wasn’t something I knew how to use all that consciously. Fighting Type energy tended to be fairly subtle and instinctive in most cases anyway, so while Tulip had told me I had some, I couldn’t tell the difference between it and my regular strength. “Maybe she’s trying to do too much at once? I’m sure she’ll get the hang of it with enough practice.”

“True, she’s persistent enough that I’m sure she’ll master it in time. Honestly, she knows everything I do at this point, she can probably study on her own, so it doesn’t matter that she’s going on vacation now. What about your classes?”

“There’s always more to practice in karate, osu!” I shouted out, punching my arms into the air. Tulip rolled her eyes fondly but didn’t disagree. “Nemona has the basics down fairly well though, so taking a few weeks off for this shouldn’t set her back.”

Sitting up, Tulip nodded. “And what about your financial situation? I know you don’t have any other money coming in…”

“It’s fine. More than that honestly.” Nemona had been quite sneaky in how she paid me. We had argued over the payment, and she brought up a bunch of numbers and figures to support what had seemed like an outrageous amount, but it all checked out. Only recently did I realize that she had paid me a reasonable wage for a martial arts instructor… if they were teaching a class of a dozen or so students. She’d probably argue that she was ‘paying for an exclusive teacher, so of course that costs more’.

It was something we’d be having words about when she got back, but for the time being (and since I knew she wouldn’t be taking any of that money back) I had used my extra cash on something important. “I actually got you a present.”

Pulling out a small black case from my back pocket, I handed it to my friend. “Oh? What’s the occasion?” Which caused my jaw to drop. Is she pulling my leg? She didn’t just- she did, she forgot!

Stifling a giggle, I answered “It’s your birthday, silly. Did you really forget your own birthday?”

“I- I was busy, there’s my modeling and training Nemona and-” I stopped trying to hold back my laughter, howling out loud at that until a cushion hit me in the face. Pulling it off, I saw another of the couch cushions hovering beside her, a smirk on her beautiful face.

“Oh, it is on!” I declared, swinging my cushion at her. The ensuing pillow fight was brief but exhilarating. In the end though, while I got a few good shots in, I found myself pinned beneath a pile of pillows.

“So, remind me, why are Psychics better than Fighters?” She asked playfully.

“Because they’re cheaters,” I stuck my tongue out at her until she lifted the last cushion above my head. “Whoa whoa whoa, uhhh don’t you want to open your present first?”

“I suppose I could see what started this… whole…” Her voice trailed off as she opened the case, her telekinetic hold on the pillows breaking as well. Standing up, I saw her looking in awe at the bright, pale yellow stone within the case.

“You said you were thinking it was time Floette evolved, and I happened upon a good deal at Porto Marinada.” After spending a few months hunting for it, but details. “So, happy birthd-” The rest of my words were cut off as she embraced me. Ok, maybe I’m not that upset with Nemona for giving me a bit extra.

***

Hassel POV

“That girl!” I said, opening the door to the studio/apartment with a small bang. Inside, the left wall was covered in plants of all shapes and sizes. Shrubs cut into elegant patterns and others left to grow wild in their pots— flowers arranged in garish and subtle blends of color.

To the right led to the living space, the bedroom, and the kitchen/living room. In the back sculptures, most of them incomplete and abandoned stood, scattered about. Most importantly though, it was also where my friend Brassius was, giving a loud sigh as I interrupted his latest project.

“I know I said to make yourself at home, but did you need to make such a racket?” Before waiting for an answer, he put down the clay and turned to face me, brushing his hands off on his apron. “What did Nemona do this time?”

Part of me was glad that I hadn’t truly interrupted him; if he’d been truly engaged with a project, he’d just yell at me to leave him be for a bit. Still wish he could get over his slump, however. I could instantly see why he’d stopped working on this project. The Donphan sculpture he’d been working on, despite being technically accurate, lacked the spark of life his earlier pieces had.

“She made a song.” He shook his viney green hair at that, not understanding why that frustrated me. I need to explain more. In lue of words, I took out the CD player with the disk she had made and pressed play.

“... Only need the light when it’s burning low,

only miss the sun when it starts to snow.

Only hate the road when you’re missing home.

Only know you miss her when you let her go…

And you let her go.”

There was silence in the studio for a good minute as Brassius processed what he had heard.

“That’s- that’s incredible! I thought her work with that comic, while rough around the edges, was good, but this… What a poignant dive into the tribulations of a trainer. Losing a Pokemon is always one of the most heart wrenching experiences for any trainer, and to express that in song so clearly-! Not to say that there isn’t room for improvement, but for a young girl on a guitar who only started learning a few months ago, this is-”

“Amazing? Incredible? Not something worth sighing over and saying it’s ‘good enough for now’?” I interjected and Brassius took on a more somber expression.

“I was going to say Avante-Garde, but yes, I see your point. I wonder why she looks down so harshly on her own work. Do her parents…?” He trailed off, understanding that such a thing could be a very touchy topic. Technically they’re the ones who are paying me and I work for them, not Nemona. Admittedly, being the newest member of the Elite Four means I have a bit more pull to my voice than the average music tutor, but thankfully I have no worries there.

“Shower her, and their other daughter, Cyan with praise. They only have great things to say about the both of them. The staff have all had similar comments, remarking on how exceptionally bright Nemona is.” I slumped down on a free stool in Brassius’ studio, still trying to solve the problem that was my student.

The green-haired man gave me a thin smile. “I can understand the concept of being your own worst critic. The comic she made with her sister was quite striking, from the issue I read.”

“Oh?” I had enjoyed it quite as well from what I had read, and what I’d been told, but I always loved to hear Brassius’ analysis on art as well.

“The dialogue is corny, but full of heart and enthusiasm, fitting for what I know of the genre. The story has an interesting blend of complexity and simpleness, enough that I could see a larger epic being woven in the background, but also enjoy the issue on its own for what it was. Text block placement could be hit or miss - occasionally I felt it was well done, other times it could have been structured better. The artwork is what makes it captivating, however. While simple, the designs of the heroes and villains are very unique. The choice to use the primary red and blue color scheme for Spinnarak-Man was bold.”

“Nemona was the one who came up with the designs. Her sister drew them and gave some input, but young Nemona conjured up the designs, the story, all of it in her head. And she has even more stories in her head or partially written.”

“That sounds… incredible,” Brassius said slowly, taking off his apron and cleaning up a bit before throwing a tarp over the half-finished sculpture he was sure to abandon. Pulling up the other stool he said “Teaching a genius, even one of her caliber shouldn’t be daunting, not to the ‘Dragon Guardian of the Elite Four’.”

I chuffed at that, not quite a laugh. “I told you that in confidence.” Not the phrase, but the fact that I'm embarrassed about it. Pomegranate didn’t give me any directions beyond ‘Introduce yourself, make it flashy!’ So I announce myself as that on the spot in my first Elite Four defense challenge, and the very next day I see shirts with that catchphrase and my face being made!

“Are we not ‘in confidence?’”

“Touche.”

Brassius cleared his throat. “As I was saying, I don’t think her level of talent, or even her peculiarities would disturb you this much on their own. And even if they could, you would simply drop her as a student and take up a new one.”

“... I could do that.” It was an unusual thought for me. After leaving my clan, I had nothing to my name for some time. I’d scrape by with odd jobs teaching, commission pieces, and the help of friends willing to let me stay with them. Now, I’m a member of the Elite Four, and can more than pay off my share of the rent.

“Technically, I don’t have to teach at all. Do you ever wonder why I do so? Why all of us Elite Four and Gym members have our little hobbies?” I asked Brassius, and he looked stumped. Darn, now I’m tempted to ask him to hold that pose so I can make a portrait.

“I thought for you it was just taking some time for yourself to enjoy your hobbies, but you’re correct, all of the Gym Leaders do have something like that eating at their time. It makes for interesting trials when I see them on TV, but I admit I haven’t given it that much thought, never been involved with that sort of thing.”

I hid a smirk at that, covering it up by taking off my jacket. Funny, since Artazon’s Gym Leader is looking to retire, and you’d be on my list to replace her, my dear friend. I wasn’t going to tell him that however, not until he got over his slump. He hardly needs more pressure right now.

“We have those interests and make sure to spend time on them as a way to ground us. Powerful trainers in Paldea share an unfortunate trait.” Then, switching tracks for a moment, I said “You remember how I mentioned that Nemona rarely used Pokemon in her songs, and when she does, she frowns like it doesn’t fit right?” He nodded. “It’s unusual because she loves Pokemon. Adores them to pieces, will talk for hours about them if I give her the chance.”

Literally. I tried offering that to her once and she went on for an hour about the sociological and ecological similarities and differences between Drampa and Cyclizars and how their Normal Typing, Main and Secondary, might have affected their general species temperaments in comparison to other Dragons. We now have a hard ten-minute cap at the end of every lesson.

“She’s mentioned that her favorite Types are Normal and Dragon. She loves her starter, a Dunsparce as much as any trainer could, but she told me that she got him when awaiting a surprise delivery of a Haxorus for her birthday, because she told a maid that it was her favorite Pokemon.” My eyes were closed for a moment as I remembered hearing that, but I heard my partner slap his hand against his head.

“They wanted to give a child a fully grown dragon?! What were they thinking?”

“Not much apparently… or maybe they just had the utmost faith in her skills. There are times when teaching her, I see that look in her eyes. The one every challenger I face has. A ferocity that can’t be denied.”

“I suppose you would be an expert on that, Dragon Guardian,” Brassius said, but I shook my head.

“Despite what some of my clan may tell you, Dragon Types don’t hold the monopoly on ferocity. I’ve seen the occasional Pokemon encroach on Dragon grounds, Scythers, Gyarados, and the like. Pokemon vicious and aggressive enough to challenge a Dragon.” Not always strong enough to survive the challenge unscarred or unbeaten, but rarely they do. “That’s what I see in her. Plus, she’s not prideful enough to be a dragon.”

“I’ll trust your expert opinion then.”

“Quite. Where was I- ah yes, she had mentioned wanting a Haxorus. She explained to me in that story that she still wanted one, but she wanted them as an Axew or Fraxure, to help raise them and grow alongside them. I offered her an Axew egg, sired by my own Haxorus.”

Brassius toppled off his stool at that, nearly falling to the ground before catching himself at the last moment. “You offered her that?!” Yes, I did. It took a while for my Haxorus to find a mate that would be willing to part with one of her clutch, but I would have been glad to give it to her.

“It’s ah, slightly less binding than a formal apprenticeship would be for someone for my clan,” I added, remembering I had spilled my heart out about all of those aspects of my past life to Brassius before. “But yes, I believe she can go far. Too far.”

With a sigh, I added. “Gym Leaders and Elite Four alike keep up our hobbies to keep us grounded. A part of the community. But more importantly, to ensure we aren’t too drawn towards the Great Crater.”

“All roads in Paldea lead to the Great Crater,” he said, repeating a phrase I had mentioned a few times.

“Yes, it’s something the Dragon Tamers know well too. In our drive to become stronger, we eventually turn our eyes towards that which all rulers, conquerors, and trainers of great strength have been called by. That which has led to all of their ruins, bar one.” And even then, it could be argued that the sights Heath saw within led to his ruin as well, just in a slower fashion than most met their ends.

I continued. “For the egg, I asked that she promise me she wouldn’t go into the Great Crater. I offered a seven-year-old the Pokemon she wanted most, for some far-off promise of not going to a super scary place. Do you know what she did?” Brassius sat in silence, waiting for my answer. “She said nothing for about a minute, struggling with it before shrugging and saying that she ‘appreciated the offer but could not accept.’ When I asked her why, she just said ‘I don’t make promises I know I can’t keep.’” What kind of child thinks that way?

Brassius held my hand and lent support, but he had no answers. Not that I had expected them, or even to a degree, wanted to know what exactly made Nemona Glitterati so extraordinary.

***

Spinel POV

“Why are we letting that brat wander about here?” I asked, trying to keep the anger out of my voice as I stood in the special audience chamber, addressing our leader, Gibeon, directly. We had the large chamber for the more grandiose visits, but deeper underground was a small hallway that ended in a room covered in glass. The inside of that small room was filled with pink mists and I could dimly make out the aged man sitting within. To my side stood Hamber, but I was well aware the butler only served as an additional mouthpiece for our leader on the other side of the glass.

“She could have useful information yet. Ransei is likely unconnected to Rakua, but the Black Rayquaza that warlord had could be the same one that eventually joined Lucien.” Gibeon’s voice could be heard clearly from the other side, though I’d never seen any transmitters. His Zygarde stared at me with its pupilless eyes, and I resisted the urge to flinch away from its gaze.

Down here, there was no chance of Nemona overhearing us. Many soundproofed layers stood between us, and her other tutors were keeping her busy with ‘exploring classes.’ Honestly, this place is such a maze that even if someone were to break into here, it might take weeks to find their way down to this hidden spot.

“I’ve done the blood tests you asked for, Gibeon,” Hamber began. “Her blood is a match to both her parents, so she can’t be a Faller. I can’t say where she is getting that knowledge from, of things that sound so eerily familiar to the rumors of great events that happened across the regions.”

Tossing the old butler a dismissive glance I chimed in. “And what rumors are those? A few half-heard tidbits from the rest of your staff while you live it up in that mansion? She hasn’t been sharing anything else with us here.”

“I do what my duty requires of me,” Hamber said evenly, not rising to my bait. “Perhaps she would feel more comfortable around us if it wasn’t for your antagonism. She has grown close to Lord Gibeon’s grandson and views him favorably.”

Should I make a statement about Amethio following in his father’s footsteps? No, too obvious, I’m certain they both have counterarguments to make if I tried that. It’s a shame that as sharp as they are, they can’t see the danger in keeping her around for a long period of time.

“She disliked me from the start. And while she may like Amethio, she’ll cut him loose when the time comes. Nemona’s the type who wants to be unfettered.” Like recognizes like, after all.

Turning to Gibeon, I pleaded: “Amethio might in fact be loyal, but he’s still young. More likely to let something about our mission slip to her than the other way around. If we need that knowledge, then let me take it from her. She is clearly wary of us-” I began before Hamber cut me off.

“A situation that arose from your current mistreatment of her. The fact that she managed to resist your hypnosis attempt earlier without noticing should already have shown you the folly of that.” He must be irritated with me to show such little manners. Oh well. You can screw off old man, we’ll have no need for your little fake job once I secure the power of a Legendary on my side.

“It may have been hasty to try to compel her with Elgyem, but I’ve been training him hard and he’s close to evolving. Beheeyems are noted for their ability to control others. We could keep her here, force her to divulge all her secrets, and it might well advance our plans.”

“She might not even know what would be important to our goals.” Hamber pointed out. “If she had the knowledge but was unaware we needed it, even mind control would do us no good.”

“Then we can reveal that information to her, once she’s safely under my sway.” Honestly, how was this supposed to work? We can’t tell her anything because we don’t want to give anything away, but we can’t force her to give us the answers? Waiting around for her to maybe spill the beans is agonizing, especially with the fact that I just know that cheeky brat knows way more but is keeping quiet. “We can’t keep dancing around and playing these games, we need decisive action,” I continued.

“We can’t keep her here forever, it would arouse too much suspicion, and any compulsions would wear off at home. The Glitterati family is too influential a family to disturb lightly. Not over unverified information that might not help our goals.” A sneer grew on my lips at his words.

“Those airheads? Why do you even waste such time playing pretend with them?” I didn’t have the displeasure of having met the two parents, but everything I had read about them in the news indicated that the Applin couldn’t have fallen farther from the tree in regards to them and their youngest daughter.

Hamber appeared as unruffled as always. “They grant me access to several wealthy and powerful figures, those we could not reach from the shadows. While they may not be the sharpest, they have their skills. Besides, my attempts at removing them completely failed, and even arranging for them to happen during her first tournament didn’t drive a wedge between the Young Miss and her parents.” At least he has the decency to look disappointed with himself at that. If I was designing a plan to eliminate someone, I’d succeed.

Crossing my arms, I shook my head. “This is what I’m talking about. Your attempts have been too meek. Disturbing some Zoroark and a couple of common thugs? You could make better assassination attempts than that.”

“Not and keep myself clear of any suspicion. There’s no point in removing Billy and O’Nare to become their daughters’ steward if I’m discovered immediately afterward.”

Gibeon cut in, his expression slightly bored. “Hamber is correct; we do not need to draw the ire of the authorities.” Our leader’s next words cut through the aura of smugness (since his expressions didn’t change a bit) that was surrounding his second-in-command. “The Glitterati are merely useful tools for mundane means, not worth overreaching on our part. Possibly not worth the effort they are currently being given. Maintain your post for now, but I may be reassigning you,” he declared to Hamber, the old man giving a stiff bow of his head in return.

Slight hesitation there, old man. Was that from getting close to the girl, or just upset at being perceived as ‘failing’ a mission? I felt the latter was more likely than the former. Hamber’s loyalty to Gibeon was legendary, and why the aging butler had his spot as second-in-command of our organization.

Our leader turned his attention to me, and there was a pressure unlike any other to it. Any other, save one girl a fraction of his age. “As for you, Spinel… your case has been heard and denied. Your methods of trying to rip the information from her are too extreme and would fail even with a Beyheem. Just as we do not need to rouse suspicion from the authorities, I trust that you will not alert her to our goals.” ‘Trust’ was stressed ever-so-slightly, but his piercing violet gaze had me gulping as I realized I was treading on thin ice.

“From everything I have seen of Nemona, she has no direct information relevant to Rakua. While she and her family’s resources may be useful, they are only potential means to an end, and by far not the only means. I remind you that our goal is paradise, we will not risk the promised land for shiny baubles along the way. We continue as we were,” Gibeon spoke with an air of finality in his voice - there would be no further discussion. The ground shook ever so lightly as Zygarde growled, a reminder of the power his own Legendary had. I took it as the dismissal it was, clenching my teeth, turning on my heel, and marching out.

Why can’t they see how infuriating this is? She probably knows nothing useful, but just in case we waste our time teaching her instead of just taking the knowledge? We all know the situation is untenable, dancing around our secrets and hers. It’s ridiculous, and I’m left dealing with her as she mocks and dismisses me in these ‘classes’. She’ll bother maintaining a relationship with Hamber, and Gibeon she’s cautious of, so they don’t see what she really is. It was bad enough teaching Amethio, but at least he believes in our cause.

Nemona, I had no illusions about. She would suck up every scrap of knowledge the Explorers could give her, then leave without an ounce of loyalty. If she didn’t make an effort to be personally annoying to me, I’d almost be impressed at her mercenary nature. She’s far more cutthroat than her buffoonish family Hamber ingratiates himself with.

My footsteps found me standing outside the large training room we had on the base for Pokemon battles. Ideally, I would have more time, but after making that presentation before our leader, they’ll be sure to keep me away from the girl in the future. Opening the door, I strode inside.

The two children, Amethio and Nemona, were battling within. His fiery Pokemon clashed against a Rotom possessing a lawn mower. The boy’s Charcadet has gotten much faster. He’s still slower than my dear Umbreon, but it’s clear that he’s improved from his practice with her.

It was equally clear that Nemona was improving as well. Despite a Type disadvantage, she was whittling away Amethio’s options, Paralysis and Confusion turning easy hits into misses, flying out of reach, and using ghostly attacks to take advantage of Characadet’s debilitations, forcing the Fire Type down in quick order.

As their fight ended, she turned to face me in the viewing box above the battlefield. “Spinel, what are you doing here?”

“Came here to observe your practice with Amethio. I have to say, you aren’t doing nearly as well as I thought. But I suppose it’s to be expected-”

“If it’s to be expected, why is it not as you thought? Are you just bad at thinking?” She interrupted me, and I grit my teeth.

“I was attempting to give you the benefit of the doubt,” I shot back sweetly, plastering a fake smile on my lips. “Such efforts are wasted.”

“We’ve been learning tons! Onyx praised us last week for how much we studied,” Amethio spoke up, the boy glaring up at me. “We got A pluses on our tests.”

“Tests aren’t everything. Onyx is one of the least reliable members of our organization, precisely due to how by the book he is. You need to be able to innovate, and frankly, I’m not certain you can manage that. You’ve still yet to beat her.” If he was anything near as great as his family, then he should have at least managed one victory against her yet, but so far the girl was undefeated.

The young boy puffed up, his childish cheeks taking away from however piercing his gaze might be. “I- that’s just from how tough Nemona is. I’ll show you! Why don’t you face me and I’ll show you how much I’ve learned.”

“I’m curious to see if you’re all talk as well,” Nemona commented, smirking up at me. Laugh it up girl, but soon, I’ll have my way. You’ve walked right into my trap.

Dimming the lights (why did they need to leave the place so bright? Annoying) I said: “Certainly. But if you lose, then you have to leave the Explorers immediately.”

That triggered the immediate stuttering, the instant denial. How the weak will bark and yap, but when the challenge is made, suddenly they lose faith and cower. People are weak, and when they give in to that weakness is when they lose, the battle decided before they toss out their first Pokeball. Of course, I couldn’t have him actually backing out here, so I added a small jab to my challenge as I walked down the stairs to meet him.

“You were claiming you had learned so much, surely you can back it up. And if not, well then I don’t see why we’re wasting so much time and effort training you here, all for nothing.” That had the boy clenching his fists in anger, glaring up at me with his unusual eyes.

“You’re on!” He cried out, calling his Charcadet back to his side. I smirked, watching as my true target strode over to him, healing his Pokemon and whispering a bit of ‘strategic advice’. Whatever you’re trying to tell him, it’s too late now.

She turned to me as I walked into the arena. “Wait a moment, you’re trying to kick him out and aren’t offering anything either. What happens if you don’t win?”

Frowning, I said, “That seems unlikely, but if I can’t beat him, I’ll take back any unkind things I might have said about him.” There, that should do it. Can we just get on with this farce? Amethio nodded and I smiled.

I didn’t hate him, as much as it was amusing to taunt him. The fact that he was Gibeon’s grandson meant nothing to me. He was too straightforward to be of much use to our organization, but we still had a place even for Onyx as one of our Admins. Amethio’s use here was to get Nemona to do something rash. I wouldn’t be able to kick her out, or even convince her she had been expelled from the Explorers, but I could do so against him.

Once I win, I’ll taunt him a bit, let him beg, before offering him an Arboliva branch. I’ll say if he can find a ‘Legendary Pokemon’, then he’ll have proved his worth to us. He would stand no chance of finding such a Pokemon on his own, and Nemona would never do so if asked. If it was to ‘save’ her dear friend, however, she might act rashly and divulge some of her secrets. Then all I have to do is follow, and swoop right in as they lead me to them. It was almost funny because I didn’t believe the prodigal girl would have done so if Amethio had asked directly. People do so love playing the hero, which makes them easy to play in turn.

Nemona placed herself at the center of the arena, declaring “I’ll act as referee for this match.

This will be a one-on-one battle with no switches. The fight is to the forfeit or the first incapacitation. Agreed?” We both nodded. Her being a referee might technically be in his favor, but I don’t foresee her making any egregious rulings towards him. Besides, I’ve done my homework; she’s been burned once by an unfair judge rather publicly according to the news. I doubt she’d try anything unjust in such a simple match.

“Release your Pokemon!” She called out, stepping to the side of the arena.

“Go, Charcadet!” Amethio pointed his finger out at me and the already-released Charcadet jumped ahead, the fire on its back burning up.

“Umbreon,” I called out simply as I released my starter. The sleek yellow-ringed feline hopped out, glaring wickedly at our opponent. In the darkness, his body was barely visible, save for the ominous yellow lines around his body.

“Trainers ready? On the count of one, two, three,... begin!” Nemona called and the battle began.

“Flame Charge!” Amethio cried out, and his diminutive Pokemon rushed towards mine.

“Foul Play.” Umbreon jumped up as if to strike at him, and as Charcadet leaped up to meet him, Umbreon pivoted mid-air, smacking the Fire Type aside with his tail wreathed in Dark energy.

I may not enjoy getting my hands dirty personally, but that doesn’t mean I’m not capable of it if the situation requires.

Amethio proved he wasn’t completely useless, recognizing that he couldn’t just order his Characadet to charge again. “Trap it in a Fire Spin!” His Pokemon took a deep breath before exhaling a whirlwind of fire.

“Make that kid cower, Snarl.” Umbreon let out a discordant yowl, the sound sending a shiver up even my spine. Charcadet writhed in pain, the flames he was conjuring barely touched my Umbreon. He had enough focus at least to keep a small curtain of flames continuously running over my Pokemon.

The flames were weak, but I knew they’d take Umbreon down in time. “Quick Attack into Bite.” Umbreon blurred ahead, odd afterimages of yellow left behind by his rings as he slammed into the smaller Pokemon. Without letting it be knocked too far away, Umbreon’s head lunged out, biting down into the unevolved Pokemon - only to let him go with a yelp.

“What?”

“Ha! Umbreon is Burned! Now you’ll-”

“Dark Pulse.” I interrupted. Umbreon was still moaning from the sudden pain, but well-trained enough to open its mouth and fire a ray of darkness out at Charcadet, slamming hard into the Pokemon.

“Cha- Char.” He got up on unsteady legs, fire literally blazing in his eyes. I could see how weak he was, however.

“I see you’ve learned… absolutely nothing. A shame,” I made a show of shaking my head disappointedly. There was a sound of teeth grinding, and I couldn’t tell if it was Amethio of Nemona in the dark. “Oh well. Finish this, Umbreon.”

“Charcadet, do the thing!” A quick glow appeared around Charcadet before sliding along the floor to Umbreon where it did seemingly nothing before the Fire Type was blasted by another Dark Pulse. This time, the Charcadet was blasted into the corner and fell, unable to get back up.

“The fight is over! It’s a tie!” Nemona called out, causing me to whip around in shock.

“A tie!? What are you-” Looking over, I saw Umbreon lying down on the field where he had been standing just a moment ago, just as unconscious as Charcadet. “What happened? What did you do?”

Amethio smirked up at me. “Bond. Destiny Bond.” He met my rage-filled glare for a few seconds before turning over to Nemona “Do I really have to say it like that?”

“Yes,” she lied and I stomped my heeled boot in frustration as they bantered.

To be caught off guard by such a cheap trick! How did Charcadet learn a Move like that? Light suddenly flooded the arena and I hissed, covering my eyes with my cape. Squinting, I saw Hamber standing in the observer's box. It looks like I won’t be getting close to Nemona again any time soon either. What a waste of effort.

Recalling my Pokemon, I started walking away before stopping at the bottom of the stairs as Nemona raced in front of me. “What do you want?”

“You still have to pay off your end of the deal.”

“What? It was a tie. He might have gotten lucky and not lost, but I didn’t lose either.” As the words left my mouth, I saw the biggest grin unfurl on Nemona’s face.

“I’m afraid that the deal was if Amethio loses he leaves, and if you don’t win you apologize to him.” Amethio gasped behind me before cackling. She planned this from the start. Probably whispered the plan to him too.

“By League rules, I should still be declared the winner from any sacrifice Move.”

“Which League again? Hard to tell where we are, exactly” She fired back. The cocky smirk was still on her face, but her eyes were focused. Even here she’s willing to dig for information.

A large part of me was tempted to tell her to screw off, but I felt the specter of death hanging above me, in an almost literal sense. Ignoring the latest question, I turned to face the boy and his freshly recovered Charcadet, I said: “Fine. I’m. Sorry.” The kid was still glaring at me so I added “You are nothing like your father.”

He hissed, the mere mention of his parentage making him upset, while Nemona just looked confused. Before she could say anything else or demand I grovel further I pushed past her and marched up the stairs, shooting one look back to let Amethio know not to spill the beans on his lineage. I could hear them cheering and excitedly chattering with each other before I slammed the door to the observation room behind me.

“That was most unwise, Spinel,” Hamber said the moment the door closed. “Directly going against Gibeon’s orders-”

“I did no such thing. My challenge was for Amethio. The boy might be your pet project, but Gibeon doesn’t care until he proves himself.” Ironic, considering he's the boss's grandson.

“Of course,” The butler said, unruffled. His words agreed with me, but his tone was dry enough to match the Asado Desert. “If you have so much time on your hands to evaluate our youngest members, why don’t you look into the location of the pendant.” It wasn’t a question.

Striding away without answering, I made it to the exit before the pseudo-butler spoke up again.

“What is it about the Young Miss that scares you so?”

“The same thing that should be worrying you: She knows too much about us, doesn’t care for most of us, and is getting too strong.” Much too strong, much too fast. I wouldn’t have been anywhere near as confident challenging her to a head-on fight. I could make some plans to trick and defeat her for now, but how long will that stay the same? How long until one kid can take out our whole operation?

Shivering as I left, my mind turning from elimination strategies to exit ones.