Chương 67: Interlude 6.5: Well, he might as well try anyway

Cynthia stiffened at Johanna's words, her eyes drifting toward the audience before snapping back to her before they could make it all the way.

"You think I don't know that?" she said, her lips pursing.

"But it's fine, I can handle it. It's not the first time I've had bad press." Johanna's laugh died at those words. She blinked, her eyes moving back to Cynthia.

"Bad press?" she repeated, letting the words hang for a moment.

"You think this is going to be bad press? That they're… what? Going to write a hit piece on you or something? Over this?" Cynthia shot her a look.

"What else would it be? This was almost the same situation as when I beat Byron. I crushed a Gym Leader without breaking a sweat. Obviously, that was less…" She hesitated.

"Less like this. But even so—" She trailed off, searching for the right words. When none came, Johanna spoke.

"Cynthia, that was nothing like this," she replied slowly.

"I mean, I understand why you'd compare them. They were both sweeps, sure. But you've said it yourself—Riolu had to work for his win against Byron. Durant pushed him, and you admitted the match got closer than you would have liked. Roselia didn't take more than two hits this entire fight. That was a match. This was something closer to an adult beating up a chi—" Cynthia stiffened, something close to anger flashing in her eyes as she took a step toward Johanna.

It was as clear a signal as Myst was going to get that the conversation was about to derail. Before Cynthia could say something she would regret, he reached out and touched her elbow, shooting Johanna a warning look.

"Johanna, please." It didn't even take a second for Johanna to instantly deflate.

"Sorry. That was a poor choice of words. I just…" She hesitated, like she was wondering if continuing was worth it, before she slowly opened her mouth.

"What I'm trying to say is you really shouldn't worry that much. Sure, in broad strokes it's similar, but you can't look at it like that. The media's always chasing the next story." She stopped, watching Cynthia for a reaction. Cynthia stared back at her, her expression revealing nothing. Johanna glanced toward Myst instead, an uneasy smile tugging at her lips. He could only shrug. She hesitated again but eventually turned back to Cynthia.

"Just imagine it like this." She continued finally, "They could write another hit piece about how you're going around crushing Gym Leaders with bought Pokémon or whatever, but they've already done that. That conversation's been had. Unless you do something completely outrageous with an even more expensive Pokémon—or give them something else they can attack you with—running that same story again just isn't that interesting anymore. They could spin you using Riolu, because it's a super rare Pokemon. But a Roselia?

You think the public will react the same way? At some point people will start pushing back on the narrative, or worse, just ignore it." Cynthia remained silent for several seconds. Then she gave a slow, visibly annoyed nod.

"…I guess I can see that. Roselia is one of the most common Grass-types in Sinnoh. Not exactly as interesting as a Gabite or Riolu." Johanna's uneasy smile turned a touch more genuine.

"Exactly. So this isn't just going to be about you. It's going to be about you and—" She jerked a thumb over her shoulder toward where Andre stood with a staff member, taking a drink of water as a case was set on a nearby table.

"—him." She shrugged.

"If I had to guess, any story coming out is either going to be that he's getting too old… or that the new generation has arrived. The headline won't be about who won. It'll be about how you won—and who you beat." Cynthia glanced toward Andre before letting out a quiet sigh.

"I guess I can see what you mean. But…" She stopped herself, then shook her head.

"Can we just change the subject? I really don't want to think about that right now." Johanna didn't hesitate for even a split second to nod.

"Yeah, of course. I just wanted to say that you don't need to be worried, but we don't need to talk about it more." Cynthia let out a relieved breath. One second passed. Then two. Then five. Silence settled over them. Myst glanced between Cynthia and Johanna. They were still looking at each other, neither able to find a new subject and neither willing to return to the one they had just abandoned. His lips quirked up for some reason at the sight.

Still, rather than joining them in the search for a new topic, he turned and let his gaze drift toward the battlefield. It settled near the center, where a Gym Assistant was finishing the reset—regrowing the grass and repairing the damage to the ground. Cynthia followed his gaze. A second later her eyes lit up, and she opened her mouth as she turned to him.

"Actually, how about we talk about what your plan is Myst? I didn't have time to talk about it before I had to battle, but you have the same problem I do, right? With Andre refusing to let you…" She trailed off. For a moment, she simply stared at him. Then her eyes narrowed.

"…challenge him at the fifth-badge level," she finished. A cold look spread across her face.

"You know, that's another thing. What was your plan?" Myst paused, his eyes flicking back to her. Oh. Right. The badge thing. Johanna turned to her, looking a little surprised.

"Wait, he didn't mention it to you either?" Cynthia smiled.

"He didn't. All of that time training together, and I didn't even know he was thinking about it—never mind that he actually decided to do it." Her smile, if it could even be called that, thinned.

"So, Myst, can you tell me why you didn't say you had decided to challenge Andre at a fifth badge level?" Myst opened his mouth, about to point out that this was all just a little unfair. He was supposed to be battling in a few minutes. Surely that entitled him to focus on something other than explaining himself. In fact, he had already started to say exactly that before stopping himself. Because in another world, that excuse might have worked.

If he were actually about to challenge Andre at the fifth-badge level, Cynthia wouldn't have dreamed of distracting him when she thought he needed to focus. She probably wouldn't even have been in this mood in the first place. And even if she were, she would still have been trying to calm him down, doing everything she could to leave him with as little to worry about as possible. But right now? In the current situation? He had a feeling neither of them believed there was even the slightest chance he would lose.

"Ehhh..." He stalled, trying to assemble something resembling a reasonable explanation while Cynthia simply waited, that same thin smile still fixed on her face. He was saved by the bell.

"Would Myst Terri please approach the field!" the referee called. A grin spread across Myst's face. He took a quick step backward, glancing toward the referee and the small Natu now perched on his shoulder before turning back to Cynthia with a helpless shrug.

"Sorry, that's me. I'll tell you afterward, okay?" Cynthia's expression cracked. For a moment, she stared at him as though she wanted to grab him and force him to stay until he explained himself. She opened her mouth— —and stopped. Her gaze moved from him to Andre, then back again. Her mouth slowly closed as her shoulders slumped. It was as though all the fight and frustration drained out of her at once, leaving her empty again.

"You'd better," she mumbled, glancing away.

"And…" Her lips pursed, almost forming a pout.

"It's not that I'm mad. I just…" She trailed off. Myst didn't really need her to finish. By now, he knew her well enough to understand. This wasn't really about him. Hell, if he had to guess, she barely cared that he hadn't told her. It was just one more thing on top of an already shitty day. Something to distract herself with, something else to be mad at. His grin softened.

"Seriously, it was a spur-of-the-moment thing. I wasn't hiding it from you or anything. I had my reasons for it, but I'll explain afterwards, okay?" Cynthia just nodded glumly.

"…I know." She didn't say anything else, just letting out another quiet sigh. Myst waited for a second, opened his mouth, then closed it. He wanted to say something, but he could also feel the referee burning a hole in his neck. In the end he gave her a smile, before he started to turn, taking a step toward Andre, forcing his thoughts to shift towards the battl—"Wait." Cynthia caught his hand. He paused, glancing back at her.

"Cynthia I can't—" She rose onto her toes, gently pressed a kiss to his lips, then pulled away with a blush. He froze.

"For luck." She mumbled, cheeks burning.

"And... because you deserved one." He could only stare at her as she made her way back to Johanna. A smile broke across his face. She could be hot, obviously. But standing there like that, all flushed and embarrassed, trying so hard to act casual while refusing to look at literally anyone? Well, she could also just be— So. Fucking. Cute. … Myst had only just reached his designated spot when Andre's voice carried across the field.

"I feel like I should ask—how do you compare to her? Better? Worse?" His eyes flicked toward Cynthia before returning to Myst.

"Don't say better. I don't think my old heart can take it." He finished dryly. Myst paused at the sudden question, then caught himself and shrugged. Rather than answer, he pulled Rei's Poké Ball from his belt and released her before reaching for Navi's.

"How about we just say you shouldn't underestimate me?" He released Navi and shot Andre a grin.

"Not that you can't. Just, you know, do so at your own peril or something." Rei immediately turned her attention upfield, sizing the Gym Leader up, while Navi let out a sound of agreement, her horns glowing faintly. Andre's gaze dropped to the two Pokémon, eyes lingering for a second on Navi's coloration, before returning to Myst. He let out a quiet sigh.

"I wasn't planning to. Not after your girlfriend's performance." Myst paused, his hand stopping halfway to Swadloon's Poké Ball. But he didn't blush at the comment—not like he might have only a week ago. Instead, he had to suppress the grin threatening to split his face in two. Girlfriend. There was something about hearing someone else say it. He had to admit, he liked it. Andre didn't seem to notice. He merely shook his head and continued.

"First those two specialists, and now the pair of you. Most Circuits are fortunate to produce even one trainer of that calibre. This one appears to have at least four—and that's without accounting for the three I've heard mentioned on the eastern side. I guess this year is going to turn out to be quite a show." Before Myst could even think about answering, the referee standing in the middle of the field cleared his throat.

"Sir, you do have a schedule." Andre paused, then let out another sigh.

"I do, don't I." His hand dropped to his side, but he didn't pull out any of the Pokeballs, his eyes instead dropping to Rei and Navi.

"You released two Pokémon in advance. You're not going to use them? Or are you planning to ask if you can do a double battle or something?" Myst, having given up on stopping his smile, blinked.

"I can do that?" Andre nodded easily, his eyes lifting to Myst again.

"You can ask, though I'd probably have to say no. Unfortunately, none of my Pokémon at this level are trained for double battles." He paused.

"But judging by your reaction, I suppose that wasn't what you had in mind… Which means you've revealed two members of your team for no real reason. Not exactly a common strategy, considering the information you're giving away." His lips quirked.

"But I'm guessing you're simply that confident, hm?" Myst glanced down at his feet before looking back at him.

"Honestly, I didn't even consider that it might give you an advantage." He hesitated.

"And, no offence, but the battle ends the moment either Rei or Navi steps onto the field. They're mainly here to watch and cheer on my last Pokémon." Rei let out a yawn at that, though her gaze remained fixed provocatively on Andre, as if daring him to disagree. Andre raised an eyebrow. He opened his mouth to respond, stopped, then glanced toward the referee instead. Myst wouldn't have called his expression sheepish, exactly, but it was at least apologetic.

"Sorry. You can begin." Andre said. The referee smothered his irritation, gave his boss a short thumbs-up, and stepped back into position.

"This is a Gym battle for a third badge. It will be a three-on-three match. Each trainer is permitted one switch. No additional rules apply." The referee raised a hand toward Myst.

"The trainer on the right is our challenger, Myst Terri, from Stillnoidea Town." His other hand swept toward Andre.

"And on the left, Gym Leader Andre Lenoir of Hearthome City." He lowered both hands.

"Trainers, release your Pokémon!" Andre didn't waste any time, raising the Poké Ball he had grabbed from his belt the second the referee finished speaking.

"Sableye, show them how you play." The Poké Ball sprang open in a flash of red light, and Sableye materialized near the center of the field. It landed in a low crouch, one claw pressed against the grass, its gemstone eyes glittering beneath the shadows of the surrounding trees. The moment they locked onto Myst, a wide grin spread across its face. A grin it smothered almost as quickly as it appeared.

Sableye straightened onto both legs and glanced around, as though searching for the trainer it was actually supposed to face. When no one else presented themselves, it looked back at Myst and gave him a slow once-over.

"Sableye," it drawled, the cry sounding almost like a scoff. Myst's smile widened, and a quiet laugh slipped out at the little Pokémon's grandstanding. Still, rather than dignify it with a response, he simply raised his own Poké Ball.

"Swadloon, let's make them dance." Red light spilled across the grass, gathering into Swadloon's adorable form. The Grass-Bug type settled onto the field, her leafy hood hanging low over her face as she stared across at Sableye. She studied the Ghost-Dark type for a moment. Then her mouth curled downward. If Sableye had looked dismissive, Swadloon looked outright disappointed.

"…Swad." Sableye's expression faltered.

"Sable? Sableye!" Swadloon sighed and glanced back at Myst.

"Swadloon?" Do I have to? Myst let his eyes move back to his own Pokémon, and just raised an eyebrow. …Really? Swadloon pouted, but still turned back toward the battlefield. Her leafy cloak swished with the movement, briefly revealing the glimmer of something hidden beneath it. The referee raised his hand once more.

"Let the battle—" Then dropped it.

"—begin!"

"Slow!" Andre barked. Sableye responded instantly. White energy surged through its body, and its gem-like eyes seemed to swell within their sockets. Its grin stretched impossibly wide as its body began to twitch and contort, hunching lower with every sharp, jerking movement. For a heartbeat, it no longer looked like a Pokémon at all, but a shifting mass of shadow and gleaming gemstones, pitching farther and farther forward as though it might collapse into something monstrous. Scary Face.

Swadloon hesitated at the sight, her leaf-like hands going still as her eyes widened and— —Sableye exploded forward. Its collapsing posture snapped into motion as both legs drove against the ground. The white Normal-type energy that had surged around it peeled from its body as Ghost-type energy swallowed it whole, leaving nothing but a living silhouette racing forward. One moment, Sableye stood at the far end of the arena. The next, it was upon Swadloon, hurtling forward in a full-body tackle. Shadow Sneak.

Myst barely managed to track it with his eyes. Even knowing which move it was using—and exactly where it would reappear—his gaze almost lost it. Trying to shout a command now would have been useless. So he kept his mouth shut as Swadloon's large eyes widened and her leaf-like arms flew open in a desperate attempt to respond. But, by the time she had gathered enough Grass-type energy for Razor Leaf, Sableye was already upon her. There wasn't enough time to even raise it, much less parry the incoming tackle.

Razor Leaf finished forming. Sableye's body brushed against hers— Crack! —and instantly vanished. Sableye didn't even have time to cry out before Swadloon's Razor Leaf struck it square in the chest and launched it backward. It flew several feet before crashing into the ground hard enough to leave a shallow crater beneath it. For a moment, Sableye didn't move. It stared blankly up at the sky and let out a low groan of pain as it forced itself around. Swadloon didn't let it regain its footing.

As the initial effects of Scary Face faded fully, her eyes narrowed and another Razor Leaf formed beside her. She swept one arm outward, revealing a web of intricate threads that snapped around the leaf and drew taut, pulling it back like an arrow against a bowstring. Sableye scrambled off the ground. Crack! Sableye didn't even have time to raise a hand. It didn't have time to think about dodging, much less deflecting.

Never mind the humans watching—even most of the Pokémon saw nothing more than a green blur tearing across the arena before it slammed into Sableye's side in a violent burst of emerald light, ripping it clean off its feet. The impact hurled it backwards for the second time. Its limbs flailed helplessly before its back crashed into a nearby tree, dropping heavily to the ground beneath it. Still, despite taking a second direct hit, Sableye gathered itself more quickly this time.

It scrambled to its feet and lifted its head just in time to see another Razor Leaf finish forming beneath Swadloon's arm.

"Detect!" Andre snapped. Sableye's eyes flashed just in time as the Ghost-Dark type jerked its head sharply to the left. An instant later a green blur screamed past its face, missing by a hair. The Razor Leaf curved through the air and struck the barrier directly in front of Andre. The shield flared into view beneath the impact, violent ripples racing across its surface before the emerald blade slowly disintegrated against it. He didn't so much as blink.

"Harass." Sableye dissolved into shadow once more. This time, however, it didn't charge Swadloon directly. Instead, its silhouette began circling her, darting erratically across the field. Whenever Swadloon lost track of it for even a fraction of a second, Sableye's shadow lunged toward her. The instant her gaze found it again, it veered aside and resumed its relentless strafe. It took Myst about two seconds to realize what Andre was doing.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. He had assumed the command was meant to sneak in a series of glancing blows, but Sableye was quite literally harassing Swadloon. To keep the Ghost-Dark type in sight, she had to turn constantly while it raced in circles around her. Sableye had no intention of attacking. It was trying to make her dizzy. Myst opened his mouth, ready to order Swadloon to spread String Shot across the battlefield.

Before he could get the words out, however, she turned too sharply. Her feet tangled beneath her, and as the spinning finally caught up with her, she stumbled. The Razor Leaf she had been holding tore loose with a sound somewhere between a crack and the snap of a bowstring before burying itself in the ground. Sableye capitalized immediately, skidding around to face her. Ghastly Fire-type energy flared around its claws and split into three wisps of blue flame. Will-O-Wisp.

"Protect!" Myst snapped out instead. His voice reached Swadloon just as the flames did. Emerald light erupted from her body, expanding into a translucent barrier that enveloped her completely. The three blue wisps struck it a heartbeat later and unraveled on contact, their ghostly flames dissolving into drifting sparks that scattered harmlessly across its surface. The barrier lingered for the briefest instant, shimmering like polished glass beneath the fading green light.

Then it fractured into countless motes of emerald radiance that drifted into the air before fading away, having perfectly absorbed the attack. Swadloon reappeared as the barrier faded, one leafy hand pressed against the ground and her eyes fixed on Sableye. She looked a heartbeat away from forming another Razor Leaf and knocking the Ghost-Dark type out. But she didn't. Her body trembled once as the aftereffects of Protect held her rigid, leaving her unable to move.

Sableye dissolved into shadow and tore forward in a straight line. It slammed into her with the full force of its body, ripping her from the ground and carrying them both into a violent tumble across the grass. Shadow Sneak. They hit the ground rolling. Sableye recovered first. Ghost-type energy erupted around one claw, stretching into jagged violet talons as it slashed downward. Shadow Claw.

Swadloon smashed one leafy hand into Sableye's wrist, knocking the attack aside just enough for the talons to glance off her cloaked arm instead of tearing across her face. At the same time, her other arm swept upward with the motion, green energy flaring around it as a Razor Leaf formed in the blink of an eye. The blade slammed into Sableye's stomach at point-blank range. The Ghost-Dark type cried out in pain as the impact ripped it away from her and hurled it across the grass.

It hit the ground on its back, skidding several metres before finally rolling to a stop—the third time it had been thrown across the field in this battle. But this time, the damage showed clearly. A faint haze of dark aura flickered around its body, bleeding from its outline in thin, unsteady wisps. The energy was barely visible beneath the shadows of the trees, but it trembled around its torso where the Razor Leaf had struck, refusing to settle completely.

Sableye planted one claw against the grass and tried to push itself upright. Its arm buckled beneath it. It caught itself, remained there for a moment, then forced its shaking legs beneath its body and slowly struggled back to its feet. Unfortunately for it, Swadloon was already standing. One leafy hand was raised, String Shot stretched into a taut web between it and her cloaked body. A week ago, Swadloon might not have formed a strong enough Razor Leaf in time to blow Sableye away.

A week ago, her lack of battle experience might have caused her to panic when Sableye mauled her at close range. Myst couldn't help but grin. But this wasn't a week ago. Andre didn't even give a command as Sableye dissolved into shadow once more. He could see there wasn't any point. It managed a single step before Swadloon's Razor Leaf struck, turning it into a streak of green and violet as it was hurled backward across the field.

A fraction of a second later, Sableye slammed into the barrier surrounding the arena, rebounded, and face-planted into the grass. It didn't try to get back up again.

"Sableye is unable to battle!" the referee declared.

"Gym Leader Andre, please release your second Pokémon." Myst let out a slow breath as he glanced back up at Andre, who was already recalling Sableye. That could have gone so much worse.

"I'm guessing Sableye isn't trained to respond to Protect?" Myst asked, a faint smile tugging at his lips. Andre secured Sableye's Poké Ball on his belt before reaching for another.

"That obvious?" Myst nodded.

"Considering the state it was in after taking two of Swadloon's Razor Leafs directly, there was no way it was winning that exchange. The damage it dealt with Shadow Sneak wasn't even close to what it could have inflicted over the rest of the battle with Will-O-Wisp. Or Thunder Wave. Honestly, even Confuse Ray would have been more valuable." Andre began to raise a hand, then paused.

"I wouldn't…" Andre cut himself off and shook his head.

"Never mind. You're right. If I had to choose, I'd rather Sableye slow her down for my next Pokémon." He let out a small sigh.

"But I don't normally train Pokémon used at this badge level to think beyond defeating the opponent in front of them. After all, most battles at this level are decided by which Pokémon is stronger, not by long-term strategy. One of the Sableye I use for higher-level badge battles might have recognized that it couldn't win the exchange and chosen to make a deliberate sacrifice play instead. This one just isn't quite there yet." Andre pressed the button on the Poké Ball in his hand.

Red light spilled across the field, gathering into the ragged form of a Banette.

"But let's continue, shall we?" Andre said.

"Banette, let's show them how frightening we can be." The referee raised one hand, glanced between the two Pokémon to confirm them both ready, and then brought it down.

"Begin!"

"Hara—" Andre didn't make it through the command. Banette didn't even have time to blink. Crack! A Razor Leaf tore through the air and slammed into the center of its chest. Banette's cloth-like body folded around the impact before snapping backward, its arms flinging wide as the force ripped it from the ground and hurled it across the grass. Swadloon's eyes were ice-cold as another Razor Leaf formed beside her.

She swept it beneath one arm, and before Banette could even push itself off the grass, the second blade screamed across the battlefield. It missed by less than a hair. Realizing it could never regain its footing and dodge in time, Banette let its body lose all substance and sank into its own shadow an instant before the Razor Leaf arrived. The emerald blade tore harmlessly through the space it had occupied while Banette remained submerged. For a second, its shadow lingered motionless on the spot.

Then it abruptly accelerated—not toward Swadloon, but to the left, sweeping around her in a widening circle much like Sableye had before it.

"Arena," Myst ordered instantly. Swadloon stopped trying to track it before she had truly begun. Instead, she raised both leafy hands and unleashed String Shot in every direction. Silk latched onto trunks, roots, stones, and patches of grass, crisscrossing the battlefield in an instant. Dozens of nearly invisible threads stretched around her, so fine that they could only be seen when the light caught against them.

Banette didn't waste the opening though, the instant Swadloon stopped following its movement, the Ghost-type cut inward and surged straight toward her. It burst from its shadow a split second after the web had formed, one fist already raised as Ghost-type energy flooded around it. Shadow Punch. Swadloon didn't have time to turn, but she didn't need to. A string attached to her back pulled taut, wrenching her backward and into the air like an actor hauled up by a stage wire, carrying her clear of Banette's fist.

And, even as she swung away, Grass-type energy gathered beside her and condensed into a deep green bladed leaf. The instant Banette realized it wasn't going to reach her, it reversed course. It sank back into its shadow and slithered away across the ground, trying to escape once more. It just wasn't quite fast enough as the Razor Leaf came crashing down from above with such force that, rather than simply carving into the ground, it detonated on impact.

Earth and shattered stone erupted skyward in a violent spray as a crater burst open beneath Banette's shadow. The shadow itself rippled violently, then collapsed under the shockwave. Banette was ejected from its shadow, hurled high into the air and sent tumbling end over end. Still, somehow, its head didn't follow the motion. Like a rag doll, it rotated a full one hundred and eighty degrees on its limp neck, snapping to face Swadloon even as the rest of its body continued spinning.

Its stitched mouth split impossibly wide. S ̷̞̍c ̷ ̒ ̜r ̷̢̀e ̸̃ ̡e ̷̺̈́e ̵̉ ͎e ̴̽ ̧c ̶ ͎͆h ̶ ̟͐! ̷̺̍' A piercing, unnatural shriek ripped outward as visible shimmers raced through the air like ripples across the surface of a lake, distorting the space between Banette and Swadloon. Swadloon recoiled as wave after wave of compressed Normal-type sound crashed into her. The Razor Leaf forming beside her flickered apart, its energy scattering as she clamped both leafy hands over her head.

For an instant, her aura flashed into view around her body, its surface trembling and rippling in time with the shriek. Then Banette hit the ground. Hard. Its body folded against the impact before bouncing once across the torn earth. Even then, its mouth remained stretched open, the last remnants of the scream rasping from its throat as it forced one arm beneath itself.

"Long game." Andre's voice snapped out. Banette forced itself off the ground. Rather than chase Swadloon, it thrust one ragged arm forward. Frosty blue light gathered around its body, the air dropping sharply in temperature before erupting outward in a biting gale. Icy Wind. A torrent of icy wind swept over the field, carrying razor-fine shards of frost that hissed through the air toward Swadloon. She didn't even try to dodge.

The gale crashed into Swadloon head-on, frost racing across the layers of leaves wrapped around her body as icy shards battered her from every direction. She simply hung in midair, glaring back through the storm. Her Aura rippled around her once more, its flow slowing as Grass-type energy gathered beside her. An emerald blade tore into existence, the size of her entire body, the Grass-type energy deep enough that it seemed to shine on her, coloring her yellow parts green.

With a single motion, dozens of threads anchored to the surrounding trees snapped around it. They pulled taut, dragging the blade backward until every strand trembled beneath the strain. She let go. Crack! The threads snapped straight, and the emerald blade vanished. A heartbeat later, the remnants of the Icy Wind split apart as the Razor Leaf tore through them, leaving a hollow corridor in the storm. Banette didn't move.

Her stitched mouth only stretched wider, splitting into a wild, impossible grin as the Ice-type energy around her surged. The blade reached her. It carved through the storm, through her body, and— —met nothing. Banette's figure ruptured into mist. The Double Team afterimage scattered in the Razor Leaf's wake as the emerald blade tore through the air. Banette's laughter rang out a second later as her real body emerged barely a metre away.

Her stitched mouth stretched into a wide grin as she turned her attention back to Swadloon, Fire-type energy beginning to gather around her. At the sight, Myst couldn't help but— Smile. THRWANG! The sharp report of dozens of strings snapping taut rang out. Instead of striking the barrier, the Razor Leaf jerked to a sudden halt. The web of Grass-type threads stretched to its limit before violently recoiling, completely reversing the blade's momentum. Banette didn't even have time to stop laughing.

It happened in less than a heartbeat. One moment the blade had missed. The next? The returning Razor Leaf slammed into Banette's back with enough force to hurl the Marionette Pokémon across the arena like a discarded toy. She struck the barrier surrounding the battlefield so hard that it bowed outward. Spiderweb cracks raced across its surface. The entire shield shuddered beneath the impact, waves of energy rippling through it as Banette rebounded and began to tumble back toward the field.

Andre recalled her before she could hit the ground, but his eyes remained fixed on the barrier as the fractures rapidly sealed themselves. For a moment, nobody said anything. Even the referee stared at the place where the barrier had cracked, blinking as though he couldn't quite believe what he had seen. Myst glanced toward the referee's side of the field and the small green Natu perched on his shoulder, its body sagging slightly.

"…I'm suddenly very glad Roselia never aimed that move toward the stands," Andre muttered under his breath, before he tore his gaze away from the rapidly mending barrier and looked toward the referee, who had only just managed to collect himself.

"Banette is unable to battle," the referee announced, his voice slightly slower than before. His eyes flicked toward Swadloon, lingering on her for a moment.

"Gym Leader Andre, please send out your final Pokémon." Myst forced his eyes away from the referee as Andre reached for his final Poké Ball, focusing instead on Swadloon. All things considered, she hadn't actually taken many direct hits. Against Sableye, only the Shadow Sneak had truly connected, with the Shadow Claw having glanced off for the most part. And even against Banette, while Icy Wind had done real damage, she was still definitely able to fight more. But that wasn't really the problem.

Myst let his gaze linger on Swadloon as she drew in one heavy breath after another, her body trembling slightly. The problem was that he could see how much she had slowed. Every movement took just a little longer than it should as she lowered herself to the ground. He pursed his lips at the sight. … This was going to be hard. Swadloon had neatly sidestepped the loss of speed by barely moving under her own power.

Rather than running or dodging directly, she had relied on her threads to pull and launch herself around the battlefield. After all, moves like Scary Face were usually most dangerous in the instant they struck, when the sudden disruption dulled a Pokémon's reactions. Most of the time, unless a Pokémon relied heavily on speed, the lingering effect caused by its disruption of Aura flow was almost negligible. Swadloon cared even less than most.

It hardly mattered if she couldn't cross the battlefield on her own feet quite as quickly as before. Speed had never been the foundation of her strategy. But it was still, fundamentally, a slowing effect. Movement speed wasn't the only thing it affected; it was simply where the effect was most immediately obvious. Once enough similar effects began to overlap, everything else would eventually start slowing with it. And Banette's Icy Wind had obviously pushed her past that point.

Not only had it been a sustained hit, not only was it super-effective damage, but it also naturally imposed another slowing effect on top of the one already disrupting her Aura. Add Screech weakening her ability to withstand physical blows, and… Myst lifted his gaze from Swadloon. He could bet twenty on it being a physical attacker. Andre stood on the other side of the field with the same calm expression as before, his final Poké Ball already raised.

"Dusclops," he said, "let's give her a well-deserved rest." Red light spilled out from his Poké Ball before condensing into a broad, heavy figure. Dusclops emerged from the glow, its single red eye immediately locking onto Swadloon. Myst slowly raised an eyebrow.

"Why do I get the feeling you planned this from the beginning?" he called.

"Stacking speed reductions, weakening her physical defence, then bringing out something slow enough not to care and strong enough to take advantage of both?" His gaze flicked over Dusclops's heavy frame.

"Feels a little deliberate, doesn't it?" Andre didn't so much as blink. Instead, a small smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"Well, what can I say? I was hoping to avoid being swept twice in a row. Once was quite enough." He paused, then reached up to tug thoughtfully at one end of his moustache.

"In all honesty, though, you can consider yourself somewhat fortunate. You're the first challenger I've faced who seemed suitable for this particular Banette and Dusclops." His gaze shifted briefly toward the field.

"Both evolved far earlier than they should have, and they've been trapped in an awkward sort of limbo ever since. They aren't quite ready for the pace of a fourth-badge battle, but they're a little too strong for most third-badge challengers." Andre's smile widened by a fraction.

"So, in a sense, you almost got your wish." Myst could only shake his head, smiling helplessly.

"Honestly, you should've used them against Cynthia, then. I mean, if you had maybe she would be a little bit less mad." Andre paused before letting out a genuine snort.

"Well, I suppose you're right. But I didn't put quite that much thought into choosing her team." His gaze shifted past Myst toward Cynthia and Johanna.

"Besides, among the Pokémon I use as aces at the third-badge level, Drifblim is by far the strongest. And you saw how well it fared against her Roselia." He nodded toward Cynthia before looking back.

"Though, knowing what I know now, I probably would have—" He stopped. A brief silence settled over the field.

"…Huh." Andre's eyes narrowed slightly.

"You're actually quite good at this. I almost didn't notice you dragging out the conversation to give your Pokémon more time to recover." Myst blinked at him with practiced innocence.

"What? Me? We were just talking, weren't we?" Andre snorted for a second time, then glanced toward the referee. The referee understood immediately. Without a word, he raised one hand into the air.

"Begin!" His arm cut sharply downward. This time, Myst was the first to speak.

"Blade Dance." He gave the command before Swadloon could begin preparing another of her overpowered Razor Leafs, and, to her credit, she adjusted without hesitation. As Dusclops charged forward, Swadloon formed a Razor Leaf beside her. This time, however, she didn't draw it back with her String Shot. She simply caught it in one hand and threw. The emerald blade spun toward Dusclops. It didn't even try to dodge. Instead, it kept charging, one massive arm already coated in writhing black energy. Shadow Punch.

The ghostly fist crashed into the spinning Razor Leaf, knocking the deep green blade aside and sending it whirling wildly through the air. But instead of continuing along its arc, the Razor Leaf stopped dead as the sound of strings snapping taut rang out. Swadloon yanked hard, the thread connecting her to the blade shimmering in the sunlight as it pulled taut, slinging the Razor Leaf back toward Dusclops even faster than she had first thrown it.

Dusclops didn't stop, it twisted its torso mid-charge and simply repeated its previous effort, driving a fist wreathed in Ghost-type energy into the returning blade. BOOM! The Razor Leaf ricocheted away, its connecting thread snapping under the impact. Before it could shoot into the barrier, however, it caught on another strand stretched between two trees. The blade dragged the new thread behind it as it bled momentum, then abruptly reversed direction and came screaming back toward the Ghost-type.

Dusclops barely noticed in time, only the sharp snap of silk recoiling behind it gave the Ghost-type just enough warning to pivot on one foot. Mere moments from reaching Swadloon, it twisted around and hammered another fist into the incoming attack. Cut off from the String Shot tether feeding it a constant stream of Grass-type energy, the Razor Leaf shattered like glass against the Beckon Pokémon's fist. Dusclops snapped around toward where Swadloon had been, but she was already gone.

A strand of silk had pulled her backward through the air toward one of the trees, even as another Razor Leaf formed within her sleeve. She fired it in the same motion. The emerald blade became a streak of green light. Dusclops barely had time to register it before it slammed into its stomach, forcing a low groan from its body as it staggered back a step. Swadloon didn't let up. Two more Razor Leafs formed at once, one beside each hand.

Thick strands of String Shot wrapped around them before snapping taut between the blades and her sleeves. Then she moved. One arm swept outward. The first blade curved around Dusclops and struck from the side. She twisted in midair, silk pulling her into a smooth turn as her other hand snapped back. The second Razor Leaf came crashing down from above. BOOM! Dusclops raised an arm to block, only for the first blade to whip around again and hammer into its ribs.

Swadloon spun with the recoil, drifting between the trees as though the threads around her were invisible steps. Every turn of her shoulders sent one blade outward. Every flick of her wrists pulled the other back in. Left. Right. Above. Behind. The two Razor Leafs blurred into intersecting arcs of Grass-type energy, circling Dusclops like twin blades on chains. Whenever it blocked one, the other chased its exposed side.

Whenever it turned to strike them away, Swadloon redirected both with a sharp pull and sent them screaming back from another angle. She looked less like she was fighting than dancing. Her body flowed through the web of silk without ever touching the ground, arms rising and falling in perfect rhythm as the tethered blades hammered against Dusclops again and again. It could only try to defend as it barely managed to keep up, using its Shadow Punch to force them back. It was beautiful. It was skillful.

And it looked far more effective than it actually was. Myst's brow furrowed as Swadloon continued to wear Dusclops down. In one sense, it was a stalemate heavily favoring her. She was landing hit after hit, and although Dusclops managed to knock most of them aside, a few still slipped through. But there was a reason Myst had shown Cynthia the other technique first. If Swadloon had been firing ordinary Razor Leafs, it might have taken ten clean hits to bring the Ghost-type down.

With her supercharged String Shot technique, another two or three would probably have been enough. Doing this though? Swadloon could feed Grass-type energy into the Razor Leafs through her String Shot, but doing so was inefficient. Worse, no matter how much energy she supplied afterward, she could never restore a blade to the strength it had possessed at the moment of its creation. Put simply, she probably needed somewhere north of thirty clean hits.

Dusclops twisted away from one blade and knocked the other aside, its single eye never leaving Swadloon. Myst frowned. And he had a feeling she wasn't going to get there, so she needed a new strategy. Swadloon faltered for half a second as the effects of the battle finally began to show. One hand pulled its blade back, but the other moved a fraction too slowly to retrieve the Razor Leaf Dusclops had dodged instead of deflected. Dusclops reacted instantly.

With only one Razor Leaf still bearing down on it, its body collapsed into shadow and surged forward, slipping cleanly beneath the attack as it rushed her. Swadloon's eyes blew wide open as she realized her mistake. And, instead of gliding smoothly away as she had every time before, she was forced to throw herself backward in desperation before one of the silk lines snapped taut, wrenching her out of the path of Dusclops's charge. It wasn't enough. Dusclops stayed on her.

Every time Swadloon tried to widen the gap, the Ghost-type was already there, relentlessly driving her back and denying her the space to rebuild her rhythm. She gritted her teeth and snapped one arm forward. A Razor Leaf whipped around in a tight arc, screaming toward Dusclops's head. It didn't dodge. A massive hand shot out, and Dusclops caught the spinning blade in its grip. It roared in pain as Swadloon tried to wrench it free, pouring Grass-type energy through the String Shot tether.

Dusclops won the struggle in the end. It jerked its arm back. The silk line snapped taut. Swadloon let out a sharp cry of frustration as the force tore through her stance and dragged her toward the waiting Ghost-type. Myst almost opened his mouth. Almost. There simply wasn't enough time to do anything else than almost. Instead, he could only watch. Swadloon let out a fierce cry as she realized there was no escaping.

Already airborne, she hurtled helplessly toward Dusclops with no time to sever the silk line or redirect her momentum. So, with both hands occupied, she opened her mandibles. Bug-type energy flared between them in a dirty greenish glow as Swadloon twisted forward and clamped down on Dusclops's arm with everything she had. Bug Bite. Her mandibles sank in. Dusclops released a low, hollow groan as the force of the impact drove its arm backward, but its grip on the tether never loosened.

For one heartbeat, the two Pokémon hung there—Swadloon latched onto its arm, Dusclops's single red eye staring down at her. Then its free fist drew back. Shadowy energy boiled around its knuckles. Swadloon's eyes widened. Shadow Punch. The blow slammed into her at point-blank range, and Swadloon's body folded around the impact, her mandibles releasing instantly as the light vanished from her eyes. The punch tore her free and sent her tumbling backward through the air, already unconscious before she began to fall.

Myst raised her Poké Ball and recalled her in a flash of red light before she could hit the ground. The next moment, the referee's voice rang across the arena.

"Swadloon is unable to battle. Challenger, please choose your second Pokémon." Myst didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked down at the Poké Ball in his hand.

"Good job," he said quietly.

"Give it another couple of weeks, and you would've swept." He recalled her, then let his gaze drift to his side. Throughout the entire battle, both Rei and Navi had been watching. Rei in complete silence, studying every exchange with a critical eye. Navi had been the exact opposite, cheering every clean hit Swadloon landed and letting out a horrified screech whenever she took one in return.

Now, though, she hovered only inches above the ground, Psychic-type energy rolling off her in waves as she glared at Dusclops as though it had struck her instead. Even so, her anger was nothing compared to Rei's. The Bunneary hadn't made a sound. She simply stared at Dusclops, her head tilted slightly, ears pinned low, her eyes never leaving the Ghost-type. Then she glanced up at Myst. She didn't need to say anything. Myst didn't argue. Rei looked back toward Dusclops and stepped onto the field.

"So, your Bunneary then." Andre said. His expression remained calm, but there was nothing casual in the way he studied the small Normal-type.

"Not a common choice for trainers like you." His gaze flicked briefly toward Myst.

"Then again, neither are Swadloon or a shiny Kirlia." Myst lifted an eyebrow.

"Really? Why does every Gym Leader try the stalling thing after I did it first?" Andre paused, then slowly shook his head.

"Well, it was worth a try." The referee raised a hand when both sides quieted down.

"Begin!" Rei vanished. One moment, she was lightly bouncing on the balls of her feet, her eyes fixed on Dusclops. The next, a white blur tore across the battlefield. Rei appeared at the far end of it, her body still carrying the full momentum of her charge as a fist wrapped in crackling Electric-type energy slammed into Dusclops face. There had been no pause between the two moves. Not even the briefest hesitation as the Normal-type energy faded from her body and Electric-type energy gathered around her fist.

Everything had flowed together seamlessly. The first blow ripped the Ghost-type clean off its feet, and every time it began to fall, another white blur intercepted it. A crackling Thunder Punch with one foot drove it sideways. An Ice Punch with an ear arrested its fall and sent it spinning. A blazing Fire Punch launched it skyward once more. Rei flowed around the airborne Ghost-type like living lightning, seamlessly shifting from one elemental punch to the next.

Frost, fire, and electricity erupted in rapid succession, each strike arriving before the last burst of energy had even faded. Dusclops was battered from every direction, never allowed the instant it needed to regain its footing or gather type energy for a counterattack. Then, as it was launched into the air again, Andre finally realized that Dusclops couldn't break free on its own.

"Cripple!" Dusclops continued tumbling through the air, but its trainer's voice seemed to anchor it. As its body rolled, its single red eye found Rei and locked onto her. Then it flashed a deep, unnatural blue. Disable. Rei bent her legs again, but the Normal-type energy that should have flooded through her body simply refused to form. Not even a flicker appeared as she pushed off the ground, leaving her to stumble forward under her own momentum. Still, she hesitated for no more than a heartbeat.

By the time Dusclops crashed back onto the battlefield, she was already moving. In the end, it was a brilliant move. It just wasn't enough. Quick Attack might have turned Rei into a bolt of lightning, but it had never been the source of her speed. Dusclops had only just managed to plant one massive arm against the ground and begin pushing itself upright when Rei reached it. Her knee, wreathed in roaring Fire-type energy, smashed into Dusclops's face with explosive force.

Dusclops's head snapped back, but it forced itself to absorb the blow without yielding. Its single red eye spun wildly as it desperately swung back, driving a fist wreathed in crackling Electric-type energy toward Rei. There was enough force behind the strike to make the air buckle around it. It was probably heavier than anything Rei had thrown so far, with the possible exception of her opening blow. It simply didn't matter if it could never connect. Rei didn't dodge so much as redirect it.

One ear, wrapped in Fire-type energy, snapped across the incoming arm and knocked the punch off course. Using the motion to turn, she flipped through the air and drove one foot covered in Electric-type energy into Dusclops's face. Then she landed on the tip of one ear, compressed for the briefest instant, and sprang away before the Ghost-type could retaliate. Dusclops immediately gave chase, desperate to try and hit her.

Rei landed lightly on her feet, but instead of taking off again, she stopped dead and let her eyes widen. She shrank back half a step, her ears drooping as she looked up at Dusclops with an almost pitiful expression, blinking innocently as though she couldn't imagine why it was trying to hurt her. The fierce intent in Dusclops's eye wavered. Its shoulders relaxed by the slightest fraction. The killing momentum behind its charge dulled for just an instant as instinct gave way to hesitation. Charm.

Andre's voice rang out again.

"Blink!" Too late. Rei's expression vanished. The instant Dusclops's hesitated she planted her back foot and twisted through the hips, every ounce of momentum driving into her arm as Ice-type energy erupted around her fist. Frost crackled across her knuckles, the air whitening around the blow, before she buried her fist into the center of Dusclops's body. Ice Punch. BOOM! The impact echoed through the arena. Dusclops's body folded around Rei's fist before collapsing heavily to the ground.

For a moment, one massive arm twitched beneath it, straining as though it might force itself upright. Then the limb gave out, and Dusclops slumped back down. It didn't move again. Slowly, the referee raised his hand.

"Dusclops is unable to battle! With a final score of three to one, Myst wins the Gym Challenge!" Andre pursed his lips as he stared at Dusclops. Then he raised a hand and recalled the Ghost-type before glancing down at the Poké Ball in his palm. For several seconds, he simply stared at it. Then he lifted his gaze to Rei. He said nothing as she made her way back toward Myst's side, his eyes following her the entire way. Only once she reached him did Andre finally begin walking in their direction.

Myst rested a hand on Rei's head when she reached him. She accepted the gesture without looking away from Andre, one eyebrow rising as he approached. The corner of Andre's mouth twitched upward. When he reached them, he drew out a badge and held it toward Myst.

"You know, I thought the most impressive Pokémon I would see today would be that Roselia. A Pokémon with that kind of Custom Move at this level isn't something you see every day, after all. Even your Swadloon's use of Razor Leaf, impressive as it was, didn't quite surpass it." His eyes shifted toward Rei.

"But your Bunneary…" Andre slowly shook his head.

"I don't think I've ever seen finer type manipulation." He paused, glancing briefly toward Swadloon's Poké Ball.

"I had intended to tell you that, exquisite as her use of Razor Leaf was, it might have been a little too elaborate. That there are times when practicality matters more than refinement." His gaze shifted back to Rei.

"But after watching her fight, I've changed my mind." A faint smile touched his lips.

"Your girlfriend might have the best fundamentals I've ever seen. Her Roselia balances flair and effectiveness almost perfectly. But there's something to be said for taking type-energy manipulation to its extreme—for refining moves until they become an extension of the Pokémon using them. You have a style of your own. And I'm not going to lie, I'm curious to see what it becomes if you go all the way." Myst glanced down at Navi and Rei, then back at Andre.

He couldn't help but return the smile as he grabbed the badge.

"Would you believe me if I told you that was all them?" Andre merely laughed before turning away. Myst looked down at the badge in his hand, then toward Cynthia and Johanna. His smile widened into a grin as he hurried over, barely managing to stop himself from skipping.

"Cynthia, come here. We're hugging." He didn't care that Cynthia immediately stiffened or that her eyes narrowed in warning. He wrapped his arms around her anyway, lifting her slightly off the ground and spinning her around. Cynthia managed to look angry for about two seconds longer before a small smile finally tugged at her lips.

"Well, at least we both won," she said with a sigh. … Myst collapsed onto the bed at the Pokémon Center the moment he reached it, letting himself sink into the mattress as the exhaustion of the day finally caught up with him. For several seconds, he simply laid there and breathed. He still needed to freshen up before dinner with Cynthia and Johanna—and prepare himself for the explanation Cynthia was undoubtedly going to demand. Still, for now, he allowed himself to rest.

Even hours later, the buzz of the battle still lingered in his veins, refusing to fade completely. For almost ten minutes, he did nothing but lie there and relax. Then he let out a sigh and pulled himself upright. He glanced toward the bathroom, about to stand, when something inside his open backpack caught his eye. It lay against the bottom bunk he had claimed, and inside was— Right. Myst stared at the letter Cynthia had delivered from her grandmother for several moments before leaning down and picking it up.

The seal was already broken. He opened the envelope again and removed the card tucked inside, letting his eyes drift over the familiar words. One side held a phone number, with a short message written beneath it. If you need somebody to talk to. All paid for. Myst stared at it for a moment before turning the card over. The other side held only a photograph. Cynthia was much younger in it, standing knee-deep in a river as she played with a Feebas in the water beside her.

Her clothes were soaked, her hair clung messily to her face, and she was smiling without any of the restraint she carried now. There was no explanation beneath it. No date, no name, and nothing to explain why her grandmother had chosen to include that particular photograph. Myst flipped the card over again. The number. Then the photograph. He turned it back and forth several times, trying to understand what Cynthia's grandmother had intended him to take from it. The number itself was straightforward enough.

He had understood what it was for even without any further explanation. He just wasn't sure why she had included the picture. Was it connected somehow? Some kind of hint? Or had her grandmother simply wanted him to have a photograph of Cynthia as a child? Myst furrowed his brow. Honestly, what the hell? He fell back against the pillow, holding the photograph above him for another few seconds before lowering it onto his chest. Absentmindedly, he tapped his fingers against it, his gaze drifting toward the bathroom.

He really should… His eyes wandered back to his backpack. But, then again, he had plenty of time before dinner, didn't he? Myst swung himself off the bed. But instead of heading toward the bathroom, he pulled a small sketchbook and pencil from his backpack, carried them over to the room's only desk, and sat down. He opened the book to a blank page, then placed the photograph beside it. For several seconds, his eyes moved slowly over the image. Then he lowered the pencil to the page and began to draw.