Author's Note: Hi everyone! I just wanted to take a second to thank you all for your incredible support and so many kind words. I can't tell you what all of the positivity means to me. I had so much fun writing this little fic, and I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. Bless you all!
The rush of sunlight was sudden and unwelcomed. Karen whined as brightness washed over her courtesy of her husband, who swept their curtains apart with but a flick of his wrist. The blinding colors of morning filtered into their bedroom and she turned her face into her pillow, trying to hide from the rude intrusion of daybreak.
"William," Karen muttered sleepily, her speech slurred by the pillow, "I will kill you."
"I love you too." Already Will's voice was high with laughter, never minding the early hour. He smoothed a hand over her messy waves, careful not to snag his fingers on the night's many tangles. She slowly began to stir beneath his gentle touch, shifting her body and stretching her limbs. He pressed a kiss to the back of her head and softly whispered, "Good morning."
"There is nothing good about the morning," Karen yawned. She drew in a deep breath and rolled onto her back. Slowly she blinked the sleep from her eyes, willing for the violet-and-ivory blur hovering above her to look a little more like her husband. He finally came into vision, and a small smile teased her lips as she drank in his handsome features. "Kiss me and make it better."
"I don't know…"
"Will!"
He grinned that terrible grin of his, full of mischief and charm and everything that made Karen's heart go weak. Then he kissed her, and the rest of her being surrendered to his wiles. He tasted exactly like the hot chocolate he had every morning: warm and sweet and dusted with cinnamon. As much as the sugary drink made her gag, the flavor on his lips made her hunger for it—for him. She kissed her husband with tender slowness and her fingers danced lightly down his bare sides, tracing a line over each rib, every muscle. His company definitely made her waking hours a bit more bearable.
"I suppose even mornings have their merits," Karen decided aloud, her voice still weighted with tiredness. She gathered herself into a sitting position and tucked her head beneath his chin, letting her body rise and fall in time with his. Will's fingers braided in her hair and she gave a contented sigh.
"Karen?"
"Mm?" She shifted slightly, gazing up at him through half-lidded eyes. "What?"
"Do you want to battle?"
Interest danced like a flame in Karen's tired eyes, but it faded as quickly as it came, like a candlelight dispersed by a kiss of wind. It was Sunday—that meant the Pokémon League was closed to challengers, and the five trainers that embodied the penultimate challenge were left to their own devices. "I'm pretty sure we're the only ones here. Lance is probably with Clair, Bruno is definitely at the dojo in Saffron, and Koga…" she shrugged. "Who knows?"
Will let out a small laugh. "Do you want to battle me?"
Karen balked. "I'm sorry, what?" She heard his words with perfect clarity, but they rang strangely in her ears. They were partners in battle, yes, but rarely opponents. She could count on one hand the number of times they had legitimately fought each other; each had ended in her easy victory. Together, they were a nigh unbeatable force of mental prowess and brutish power. Against each other, though? Karen had every possible advantage over Will, and he knew that.
"You heard me. Unless you're scared."
She looked up at him with a wicked grin. That sounded like a challenge, and Karen had never been down to shy away from one. "All right, master psychic. I'll fight you," she purred. "My place or yours?"
"Yours," Will answered swiftly, sweeping a piece of her hair behind her ear. "If I'm going to dethrone the queen, doesn't it need to be in her castle?"
Karen mouthed his words back to herself and laughed lowly. She liked it when he was this cocky. She curved a hand around his neck and planted a kiss to the side of his mouth. "I like this false confidence of yours," she murmured, this time capturing his lips. "It's sexy."
Thanks, but it's not false, he whispered to her mind as he stole another kiss from her. This one was slower, more deliberate. It smoldered, and a fire ignited between them. Will pulled his wife up in his arms; Karen's legs locked around his waist, pushing their bodies together. We could just stay here, actually, we could definitely just stay here…
Oh, no, Karen shot back, You challenged me. And I, Karen of the Elite Four, dark-type master, second-strongest trainer in all of Johto—
—About to be third—
—married to a silly, but strangely attractive psychic, who has developed illusions of grandeur in his mind—
We'll see who is delusional after our battle. Hopefully Lance won't completely kick you out of the League. I promise I'll still love you even if you have to open up your own gym after this. Being a gym leader is completely prestigious, you know, almost as good as being a member of the Elite Four…
Will?
Mm?
Shut up and fight me.
Twenty short minutes later, Will heaved open the chamber doors that led to Karen's arena. Her stadium was dark, illuminated by the soft glow of an artificial moon and the hundreds of little stars that glistened around it. It was nothing like the psychic labyrinth where he hosted his challengers, a maze of invisible walls and trick mirrors designed to challenge the psyche and disorient the mind. Karen's tactics were much more overbearing than that.
Will's breath, the only audible sound in the room, echoed oddly in the quiet. His eyes strained, but he couldn't make out much. There was a faint shadow directly in front of him—the platform where his wife would soon stand. Beyond that, and all around it, there was only black. The silence and darkness of it all was suffocating, made to wear at minds much weaker than his own.
Of course, Karen had her own methods for breaking Will, for stealing what mental strength he had. The sound of her heels meeting the ground made him jump from his reverie. His eyes shot to the opposing side of the battlefield, where a series of lights sprang to life around his wife.
She'd changed into a long dress of pale yellow. It glowed against her pale skin with the same luster as the moon that hung over their heads. The silky fabric clung to her every curve; every step made the material glitter, like a mirror of the tiny stars that dotted the ceiling. A crescent-cut shape in the fabric exposed her navel and the soft skin around it, an impossibly smooth plane that Will desperately wanted to run his hands all over. Karen had gathered her long hair into a messy kind of updo, showing off the collarbones he so badly wanted to trace, the neck he wanted to kiss as he gave all of himself to her…
"What's wrong?" Karen called out sweetly, noting the tightness in her husband's shoulders, and elsewhere on his person. "Am I distracting you, my love?"
What was supposed to be laughter came out of him sounding more like a gasp, and Will cleared his throat while Karen giggled. "Do you dress this way for all of your challengers?"
"Only the ones I'm married to," Karen chimed happily. Her fingers absently curled around the pendant that hung around her neck, a tiny orb cradled in the curve of a wire-woven, crescent moon. It was her key stone, the physical proof of the bond she shared with her beloved Salem. The Houndoom stood faithful by her master's side, her whip of a tail wagging back and forth. Around her neck was a similar moon charm. While Karen's sphere glittered with all the colors of the rainbow, Salem's mega stone was made of black and red swirls. Theirs was a bond not many trainers could boast: two hearts melded as one, so smooth that even their breath seemed to rise and subside in rhythm.
Suddenly Will became very aware of the bracelet on his left wrist, and his fingers softly traced the band. Karen caught a glimpse of the piece and stared askance at her husband. It matched his wedding band in color and pattern, but there was something else there—a gem of some kind, a multi-colored marble. "What's on your wrist?"
"It's just a bracelet. Lucian gave it to me."
Karen didn't seem completely convinced. She couldn't remember the last time the brothers gave each other anything but a hard time. Still, it wasn't worth dwelling on. She had a battle to win. "Are you ready?"
"Of course I am." Will folded an arm over his stomach and the other behind his back, bowing slightly. His hair fell messily in his eyes and he brushed it back not with a hand, but a swipe of telekinetic power. "What kind of husband would be if I didn't let my wife send out her Pokémon first?"
Karen smirked. She reached out to the small pillar that held her Poké Balls during League matches—all but Salem's—and selected a small, crimson sphere from among the remaining five. The ball spiraled through the air in a blizzard of red, a fireball streaking through the dim arena. It cracked open not an inch before it smacked the ground. A brilliant light burst from within, dancing and spinning to form around a small Pokémon. The bright light ebbed and faded, revealing the red-and-cream coat of a Flareon. The fire-type trilled happily, her bushy tail twitching in excitement.
"Soleil?" Will arched an eyebrow. Karen had deviated from her usual team; she loved her Flareon dearly, but rarely used her in League battles. He sighed and swept a hand through his long hair, messing it again. She was trying to balance the type advantage her team obviously had over his. "I swear to Arceus, Karen—"
"She hasn't battled in a while," she said innocently.
Will mumbled something along the lines of 'sure' beneath his breath and reached for his belt. He could feel his wife's gaze on him, predicting his next move—naturally, he had to throw her off. His fingers hovered over the Poké Ball that contained the obvious choice: his Slowbro, Mirabella. He hesitated for a half-second, then grabbed for the ball behind hers. Streaks of red, yellow, and black criss-crossed over the green globe, and the colors spun brilliantly in the air as Will threw the Poké Ball into the arena. The device halved and one of Will's twin Xatu landed on the arena floor, her wings spread wide.
Karen's mouth dropped. Why wouldn't he choose his only water-type?
"Toccata?"
"This is Sonata, actually," Will corrected her with a smile. "You're trying to take it easy on me. Don't."
She shot him a frustrated look, then sighed. She wouldn't win this argument, but at least she would win the battle.
"Soleil, use Flare Blitz!" Karen cried, her high voice echoing in the vast dark. Flames wreathed the Flareon's body, starting at her paws and snaking up her limbs and torso. When her figure was totally consumed in fire, she charged straight at the Xatu.
"Sonata, use Ominous Wind!" Will shouted back. If the Xatu moved, Karen didn't see it. The Pokémon's tribal-like runes began to gleam strangely, and just as Soleil crashed into the psychic-type, a horrible wind swept over the arena. Both Pokémon staggered back, down but not yet out of the fray.
"Shadow Ball!" By her trainer's command, an orb of purple energy pooled in the center of Soleil's mouth. The Flareon exhaled sharply and the violet ball volleyed toward Sonata with momentous force. The shadowy blob connected squarely with the Pokémon's chest but the Xatu simply stumbled back, gaining her balance with relative ease.
Will smiled broadly; Karen whispered a curse. "Psychic!" he ordered, and Sonata's eyes flashed brightly. A telekinetic burst issued from the Pokémon's body, slamming Soleil. The Flareon cried out, struggling to stay on all fours. A long second passed and the fire-type buckled in defeat. Will's chest seized in pride. They were winning.
"You did good, Soleil. Come back," Karen said, and in a burst of red the Flareon returned to the ball in her hand.
"What did you call yourself earlier, my love? 'The second-best trainer in all of Johto?'"
Karen huffed. Her pride wouldn't let her entertain the idea of defeat so quickly. Their battle had just begun, and she was trying to go easy on her poor husband. Not anymore. From her pedestal she selected her next Pokémon, encased in a glittering green Poké Ball. Small black triangles ringed its center. Will shuffled uneasily on his feet. He wasn't expecting this particular challenge so quickly.
The ball hurtled through the dark and a mass of light emerged from its opened halves. Karen's Tyranitar roared, and the plateau trembled slightly beneath the pressure of her feet. The earth groaned and an unusual wind whined, kicking up a small sandstorm that drew a curtain of dust over the arena. Flecks of dirt buffeted Sonata, though the psychic-type did not sway or even flinch. Her eyes remained open, unblinking, her body primed for her next command.
"Zenith, use Crunch!"
"Grass Knot, Sonata!"
The Tyranitar lunged forth toward the Xatu, his maw gaping open. Sonata did not shy away from the coming blow. She raised her wings skyward and a greenish glow issued from between her feathers. Long, prickly blades of grass sprouted beneath Zenith's feet, twining around the massive Pokémon's ankles and tripping it easily. With a startled roar the Tyranitar fell to the ground, and the stadium shuddered under its mass. Sonata stood inches from the great Pokémon's face, just before its gritted fangs and flaring nostrils, and still the bird seemed unfazed.
Will couldn't help but chuckle at how utterly ridiculous the sight before him looked, with his slender Xatu staring wide-eyed at the thrashing Tyranitar. What started as a little snicker turned into a full-fledged belly laugh, and even through the swirling dust storm, he could feel Karen's eyes on him like a pair of ice-colored daggers—the same kind of glower on Zenith's snarling face.
It's probably not a good idea to compare your wife to a Tyranitar, Will noted, and promptly decided to keep the comparison to himself. "Dazzling Gleam!"
"Rock Slide!"
Karen held her breath, knowing that a fairy-type move on her already-downed Pokémon would be disastrous. Boulders formed between the tips of Zenith's claws and the Tyranitar slung them at the Xatu with incredible effort, striking the psychic-type directly. Sonata screeched, an awful sound that reverberated through the arena, and crumpled to the ground.
That was incredible, Sonata. You were amazing. Will recalled his Pokémon to her ball and held the device for a short moment, marveling at how much the first of his two Xatu had grown. He returned it to his belt and reached for the Poké Ball he passed over earlier. It wasn't as intricately decorated as Sonata's. The top half was a rich aqua, the bottom one white. A net-like pattern webbed across the greenish-blue color. This was the first Pokémon he'd ever captured, and no measure of fancy decorating could ever be as beautiful as that memory.
"Go, Mirabella!"
By the time the Slowbro emerged from the streak of white that spilled out from the Poké Ball, Zenith had righted himself. The sandstorm raged on but Mirabella seemed as oblivious as always, her wide eyes vacant and her mouth hanging open in what one could presume to be a smile.
Karen hesitated. He'd answered her perfectly: her Tyranitar's dark typing gave him an advantage over Mirabella, while her water classification gave her one over over Zenith. Neither Pokémon moved with haste, and Zenith was already injured. She had to traverse carefully here, lest Will gain any more of an upper hand than he had already.
Is there a problem, love? Will's voice floated into her mind, a beautiful melody over the rush of Zenith's hurricane of dirt and dust.
Of course not, Karen shot back, but even her thoughts sounded flustered. "Zenith, use Crunch!"
"Rain Dance!"
The ceiling might as well have opened up to usher in a storm cloud. The downpour came hard and fast, soaking the field, the trainers, and the Pokémon. It crashed over the swirls of sand and silenced them. Zenith faltered, caught off-guard by the deluge; Mirabella didn't blink, but as the rain water soaked her pinkish body, her mindless smile grew broader.
"WILLIAM! You did that on purpose!" Karen shrieked, yanking her long, soaked hair from its bun. It fell all around her in water-darkened ringlets, clinging to her and to the slinky dress she wore, which apparently turned a little see-through when wet. Despite the cool rainfall that soaked him to the bone, Will suddenly felt very overheated. Tactical error. Definitely a tactical error.
"Do you want my jacket? I… you look… cold," he stuttered.
"No, but maybe you should take it off anyway. You look pretty hot," Karen grinned wickedly, placing her hands on her hips. "Crunch!"
Will cursed as the Tyranitar lurched forward. He doubted he would be so lucky for his Pokémon to escape the crushing move for a third time. "Surf!" he cried out, and Mirabella gave a contented wag of her Shellder-covered tail.
Zenith clamped down on the Slowbro's body just as a rush of water swamped the area. The Tyranitar roared as the miniature sea, fed by the continuing downfall, broke against its body in waves. Mirabella reacted to the strike a long moment after the Pokémon released its grip on her belly, wobbling back and forth on her two feet. Zenith struggled over the waves that swept over the field and, combined with the unrelenting assault from above, finally succumbed to the water attack.
Will very nearly yelled out in victory, but his words got trapped in his throat as the rains let up suddenly, snuffed out as easily as the sandstorm before. The shock of the bite fully registered in Mirabella's mind, and the Slowbro tipped over in defeat.
Both trainers reeled at their simultaneous defeat and carelessly reached for the next of their Poké Balls. Neither noticed the similar-looking balls the other had grabbed, one black and one purple, Will's marked by the sun and Karen's the moon...
"Zephyr!"
"Karina!"
Their voices rang out in unison, and at once surprise registered on both their faces. Their Umbreon and Espeon stood on opposing sides of the arena. Karen's look of shock quickly settled into one of contentment. How could they possibly lose this matchup?
"Zephyr, use Pursuit!" Karen shouted. Her Umbreon raced across the battlefield in a zigzagging pattern, a sneaking shadow in the dark arena.
"Use Reflect, Karina!" The gem in the center of his Espeon's forehead shone brightly as she concentrated on setting up the barrier. The wall was nearly invisible, especially in the dimness of the room. Zephyr hit it full-speed and staggered back, a little disoriented but otherwise unscathed. The distance between the two Eevee evolutions was a lot smaller now.
"Feint Attack!"
"Dazzling Gleam!"
Zephyr crouched low, the yellow rings on his body pulsing with the radiance of the moon. He lunged for Karina just as a powerful flash emitted from her gem. For a moment, day overcame night and the arena lit up in a brilliant burst of light. The Umbreon's body collided with the Espeon's daintier form, and the blinding ray of fairy-type energy overcame Zephyr. Psychic and dark-type alike stumbled from the attacks, both of them weary yet unwilling to give up on their beloved trainers.
Karina's purple eyes shifted back to Will, and her forked tail swished—a wordless communication between Pokémon and master. Zephyr, his pointed ears flattened against the curve of his head, slowly gained his footing back.
"Toxic!" Karen ordered. Vile liquid gathered in the Umbreon's mouth; it spat the toxin out at the Espeon, badly poisoning her. Karina whimpered, and Karen winced at the sound. She loved all of Will's Pokémon as much as her own, but his Espeon was something special. They'd raised their Eevees together, they even evolved on the same day—the very same one that Will proposed to her on. The damage wasn't permanent, of course, but she took no pleasure in seeing the Espeon hurt.
"Hang in there, Karina! You're okay!" Will called out. Karina shook her head and whined lowly, trying to keep her mind focused even as the poison traveled through her. "Use Signal Beam!"
A light purple ball of energy formed in front of the Espeon's head, causing her gem to pulse the same shade of violet. The attack exploded outwards at Zephyr, striking the Umbreon and draining him of his energy. Zephyr whimpered as he lumbered to one side, then the other; despite his will to stay standing, the Pokémon finally collapsed.
"Zephyr, return!" Karen smiled gently as the darkly-colored Poké Ball came to a close with her Umbreon safely inside. Her fingers briefly traced the little moons that circled the middle of the ball, a silent 'thank you' to the Pokémon that she loved so dearly. She replaced the ball on its stand and selected her next: a solid sphere of deep purple, just a shade darker than Will's beautiful eyes. The Poké Ball whirled through the air and separated well before it met the ground; Karen's Gengar burst from between the two halves, a wildly mischievous grin on her face.
"Oh, Arceus," Will groaned. Like a moving shadow the Pokémon disappeared from sight and even though he couldn't see her yet, he could feel the ghost-type's presence by the sudden coolness that surrounded him. Beatrix—Trixie, Karen usually called her—was a prankster of a Pokémon. She loved her tricks, hence the nickname, but most of all she loved to steal things. Her favorite item to snatch just so happened to be the black mask he usually wore. "I don't have it, you goofy Gengar!" he exclaimed, gesturing to what appeared to be thin air. He already knew the ghost-type planned to spring up behind him. "See? No mask!"
Beatrix suddenly appeared in front of him, upside down and frowning, and Will gave a start and a yelping sound that caused Karen to roll with laughter.
"Come on, Trix! Leave Daddy alone!" Karen giggled as the Gengar floated back to her, still pouting. "I promise you can steal his mask later, okay?"
"Thanks, love," Will laughed and tried to ignore the warm feeling that nested in the pit of the stomach from being called 'Daddy,' even if it was to an obnoxious, mask-stealing shade of a ghost Pokémon.
Karen didn't need to be a psychic to read the change in emotion on his face. She smiled softly to herself, then laughed as Trixie made lazy somersaults in the air, frowning in an overdramatic fashion. She was just like her trainer, always itching to battle.
"Trixie, use Hex!"
"Try and dodge it, Karina!" Will cried out, but it was too late.
She was slowed terribly by the poison, and Trixie moved with unparalleled speed, gliding in and out of the waking world effortlessly. When she was but a few feet above the crippled Espeon, her eyes flashed purple and red. Black energy built between the three digits on her hands and Trixie hurtled it toward the psychic-type with great force. The shadowy blob slammed Karina, causing the Pokémon to at last crumple in surrender.
Karina's glimmering Poké Ball expanded to fill Will's hand, and he smiled as the Espeon raised her head up as the familiar streak of red enveloped her dainty body. I'm proud of you, baby girl, that was great, he said as he carefully returned the device to his waistband. They were tied now, both down three Pokémon and with the same amount remaining. Trixie really was as tricky as her name suggested. Her typing made her susceptible to psychic moves, but his Pokémon were inherently weak against ghost-types. He snatched a familiar-looking ball from his belt, a green sphere covered in intersecting patterns of red, white, and black. Will threw it to sky and his second Xatu broke free of her confines.
Toccata was younger than Sonata, and as far as Xatu went, a little more lively. She spread her wings wide and took to the air above the stadium floor, gliding around circles around Trixie, who looked a little baffled by the bird Pokémon's behavior.
"Dark Pulse!" Energy built between Trixie's hands again, this time in the form of a black beam that shot out of her palms and at the soaring Xatu. The energy seared the edges of Toccata's wings, but the flying-type managed to escape the brunt of the dark blast.
"Future Sight!" Will called out, and Toccata hesitated mid-air to ready her attack. Her eyes shimmered blue and a strange force skimmed over the field, an invisible current that gave the air in the room an odd feel.
Karen grimaced, her chest going tight—it was unnerving, a bad omen she could do nothing to combat. She chewed at her lower lip and shouted, "Shadow Ball!"
A purplish sphere formed between the Gengar's hands and she released it easily. The ball twisted and spiraled through the air, bursting toward Toccata with frightening speed. The move struck her head-on this time, and the psychic-type crashed to the ground.
"Toccata!" Will held his breath as the Xatu strained to right herself. She had taken on significant damage, but still she managed to her feet. He grinned brightly and commanded, "Psychic!"
"Dodge it!" Karen yelped, but even shadow weaving didn't offer Trixie a refuge from the telekinetic force that Toccata created. It slammed the ghost Pokémon with unrelenting power. To add insult to injury, a rainbow-colored orb materialized out of what seemed to be no where, crashing into the Gengar's back and draining her of the energy to battle. "Come back, Trixie," she murmured, a faint smile on her lips as her Gengar retreated into her Poké Ball. "Don't worry, I'll help you steal Daddy's favorite mask later."
"I heard that," Will called across the stadium, never minding that swell of warmth that came over him again.
Karen grinned and blew him a kiss, then took her last Poké Ball in her dainty hands. Will quickly recognized it as belonging to one of her newest Pokémon, an Absol she caught the last time they visited the Sinnoh region to see Lucian and Cynthia. She cared little for the old tales that painted the Pokémon as a herald of destruction. Really, the only thing her Absol seemed intent on destroying were Poké Puffs.
"Go, Nyx!" she shouted, and the disaster Pokémon leapt from the Poké Ball as it halved. She landed gracefully on all fours, giving a gentle shake of her head. The Absol was quiet, especially for one of Karen's Pokémon, but loving and fiercely protective. She could move with impressive speed, something that didn't bode well for Toccata's present state. "Night Slash!"
Nyx moved like the wind, and delivered the final blow to the Xatu in one fast, smooth motion. Toccata stumbled back and Will recalled her to her Poké Ball, murmuring an 'Amazing job' to the brightly-colored sphere before returning it to his belt. Here they were again, tied. Will resolved that even if he did manage to lose this battle, he could take pride in knowing that he had never come this far before.
He claimed the next Poké Ball from his waistline, a light yellow orb with jagged green lines at its top and bottom. It twirled through the air in a blur of color, then a streak of light broke apart the two halves and came to form around a tall Pokémon. Will's Exeggutor, Florentina, teetered on her two large feet, her trio of heads bickering quietly amongst each other. Even in the dark he could see Karen's lips pull back into a grin, and he laughed lightly to himself. She underestimated them.
"X-Scissor!" Nyx cut through the space of the arena in a streak of white, her thick claws primed.
"Protect!" Will called, and Florentina gained her balance on the still-damp ground. The leaves sprouting from her head began to twitch and glow oddly, and a shimmering force shot out from the tips, forming a barely-visible shield around her body. Nyx's claws struck the wall and barrier threw the Absol back, but the swift Pokémon managed to land on her feet.
Karen hesitated before giving her next command, and Will read her intentions without sneaking a glimpse of her mind. "Low Kick!"
"Sucker Punch!" Karen ordered, and Will let out the breath he'd been holding. He was right about her motives for hanging back. Nyx moved with mystifying speed, her claws lightly aglow as they connected with the Exeggutor. Florentina stumbled back, but not without delivering a sharp kick to the Absol's legs, knocking them out from beneath her. Nyx toppled to the ground, a low whine escaping her bared teeth.
Perhaps the sound she made was what gave Absols their unlucky reputation. The awful screech echoed off the walls and created ice down Will's spine, and the noise seemed to pain Florentina more than the actual attack did. Her three faces grimaced. Even Salem, normally undaunted by even the most terrible of sights and sounds, shuddered as her teammate's cry rang through the arena. Her thin tail roped around Karen's waist, the spaded tip hanging loosely over her dress's moon-shaped cutout as she drew her owner closer. One of Karen's dainty hands blindly trailed over the Houndoom's face and horns, and the Pokémon nudged against it in appreciation.
Nyx pushed herself to all fours and finally the sound ceased, though Florentina's heads waggled back and forth as she tried to rid her mind of its echoes. Karen saw an opportunity as the Exeggutor struggled still and she cried out, "Night Slash!"
"Leaf Storm!"
Karen underestimated the time it took the psychic-type to regain focus of her triplet minds. The leaves on Florentina's head began to glow green as she gathered energy, and the dark-type trainer sucked in a breath as she braced for her newest Pokémon to take a debilitating hit. She'd seen Florentina use this move before. She'd seen it alone turn matches in her husband's favor.
Winds began to whip around the Exeggutor's head, quickly forming a small cyclone. Florentina tipped her trio of heads in the Absol's direction and the tornado of green shot toward Nyx, catching the Pokémon in a whirlwind of gusts and leaves. The force of it all was enough to not only lift the Absol several inches off of the ground, but hurl her back against the opposing wall of the arena with such strength that the entire room shook. Nyx cried out and staggered to her feet, but they soon folded beneath her. The Absol fainted, and Karen let out an audible gasp.
"No!" she shrieked, her fingers curling into fists. She wasn't accustomed to losing—one could argue that Karen was in fact an incredibly sore loser. She would contest that it didn't happen often enough for such a stupid argument to be made in the first place.
Will grinned as Florentina seesawed on her large feet, her faces smiling gleefully as a streak of red returned the Absol to her place of rest. Is something the matter, my love? You seem so flustered.
I—shut up! I'm not! Karen shot back, and Will laughed so hard that the sound echoed in the stadium. His victory would be short-lived, she knew, though it didn't make his cockiness any less infuriating. She wouldn't fall to his jests, though, she never had before and she certainly wouldn't start now. After all, there wasn't a Pokémon on his team that could best her Salem.
"It's up to you now, baby girl. You can do this," she said, her fingers smoothing the sleek fur between her Houndoom's horns. Salem lovingly nudged her head against Karen's stomach before leaping off of the platform and onto the floor beneath, embers already flaring in her mouth. Karen's hands found her moon pendant and her fingers brushed over the iridescent orb.
A brilliant light erupted from her keystone and surrounded Salem, whose mega stone shone with the same radiance. The Houndoom's body began to shift and evolve. Her curved horns turned upwards, gaining a few inches in the process. The bony armor that hugged her back grew in size and gained jagged edges, and even the spade of her tail split into two pointed ends. Her claws grew thicker and sharper, and glowed the same red color as the fire that brewed between her lips. Her mega evolution complete, Salem looked back at her trainer in understanding and let out a chilling howl. Will shuddered at the unnatural pitch of the sound, and silently wished for Nyx's ominous whine to fill the room once more.
"Flamethrower!"'
"Light Screen!" Will countered, hoping Florentina could suppress the barrage of fire long enough for them to get an attack in. It was a hope wasted; Salem's Flamethrower engulfed the telekinetic wall as if it were mere fuel, and overcame it easily to knock out the Exeggutor. Florentina toppled over in the most unmajestic of ways, her three faces dazed as she returned to her Poké Ball in a shining beam of red.
Karen laughed her haughtiest laugh, now more than ever sure of her victory. Salem snorted happily, the fork of her tail swishing in the air. "Come, my love," she called across the battlefield, "The sooner I beat you, the sooner we can go back to bed."
Will just looked at his next Poké Ball and smiled at the white-and-green sphere. You can do this. I know you can. Just like we've practiced, okay? The device swelled in his hand and he sent it hurtling through the air. It splintered in two just before it met the ground, releasing a blinding glow that gathered around the form of a tall, bipedal Pokémon. The light slowly shrunk away from the figure and Karen hissed an obscenity beneath her breath as it revealed the Pokémon underneath: Gallade.
"You brought Romeo," she said, a tenseness to her voice. She didn't doubt Salem's strength, but this battle would prove more difficult than anticipated. There was something else, though, something about the way Will was carrying himself that made electricity skitter through her. She didn't trust the way he smirked, the way he winked at her before he… wait, what was he doing?
His right hand pushed up his left sleeve, revealing the dark band Karen had noticed earlier. The bracelet itself was dark gray in color and lightly grooved, like a larger version of his wedding ring but set with an odd, circular stone. She could take in the color of the jewel better now. It wasn't so unlike the one she kept in her moon pendant, a rainbow-colored sphere with a swirl cutting down the middle. Actually, it looked just like her key stone...
"William," Karen breathed, "I will mega divorce you."
"Oh come on babe, you love me."
Karen glared at him, folding her arms over her chest. "My love for you depends exactly on what your next move is."
Will grinned and ran his fingers over the stone. It sprang to life beneath his touch and reacted in tandem with a similar piece of jewelry on Romeo's thin wrist. Karen's mouth fell open as a brilliant burst of rainbow-colored light swallowed the Gallade. Red blades emerged on his stringy arms, and the teal crest on his head extended down his back, resulting in a cape-like protrusion. The prismatic gleam faded away from the Pokémon, revealing his mega evolved form, and he thrust his bladed arms forward, eager to fight.
"I hate you."
"I love you too," Will smiled. "Now Romeo, use Close Combat!"
"Flamethrower, Salem!"
The Gallade charged at the Houndoom from his side of the battlefield, but even his lightning-like movements couldn't outspeed the dark Pokémon. Flames built in Salem's mouth and she breathed them outward, carving a burning streak through the air. The Flamethrower connected squarely with Romeo's chest, but the dual-type didn't stop moving, even as the fire overtook his body. He struck Salem with double blades and the Houndoom howled out in pain, toppling to the ground from the force of the hit.
"Salem!" Karen shrieked, her slender hands tightening into balls. Salem strained to get up, but slowly forced herself to her feet, causing her master to release the breath she'd been holding. "Use Dark Pulse!"
A horrible aurea pooled in the back of the Houndoom's mouth, and the Pokémon released the wave of dark energy with an eerie sound. It hit Romeo with greater force than the Flamethrower had, probably because of the prone state Close Combat left him in. It wasn't enough, though—the Gallade stayed on its nimble feet during the assault, bruised and heavy-breathed, but not yet out of the battle.
We don't have to tell Lance. I wouldn't want you to be embarrassed, Will reached out to her thoughts, and even in her mind his words had that irritating, singsong quality to them.
Shut. Up. Will.
He put his hands up in mock surrender and laughed to himself. "Drain Punch!" he called out. Romeo moved in a single, fluid motion, and one of his arms connected with the Houndoom's shoulder, just beneath the bone collar that ringed her neck. A white glow surrounded the spot where fist connected with fur, and some of the energy drained from Salem went back into healing the Gallade.
"Flamethrower!"
"Protect!"
A telekinetic shield surrounded Romeo the second before the fire would have overtaken him; the flames easily bounced off of the invisible wall. Karen made a strangled, frustrated sound, and Will smiled so broadly that the pull made his mouth sore.
This wasn't over though, not yet. Karen knew she had speed on her side and, coupled with Romeo's stunted defenses, maybe that would be enough. "Salem, Flamethrower again!" she cried, hoping her Houndoom's intense flames could inflict some lasting damage on her husband's Pokémon.
"Close Combat!" Will commanded. It was a risky move, but one he hoped would result in their victory. They just had to hold out a little longer…
Fire brewed in Salem's mouth, and she shot the red-orange stream at the Gallade. It struck the Pokémon hard, but it wasn't enough to hinder his coming attack. The Houndoom yelped as the blades collided against her back, easily forcing her to the ground. Karen tried to speak, to call out to her beloved Pokémon to get up, but her throat snared the words. Salem struggled, pushing herself up and then falling again. And then, with a whimper, she collapsed, her horns and plates shrinking to their normal size.
The lights in Karen's arena came on all at once, signalling the end of the battle. And for the first time in a long time—against her husband, the first time ever—she wasn't the victor.
"What—how?" she sputtered, scampering off of her platform and to her Houndoom's side. Karen knelt down beside her dear Salem, whispering loving words to her Pokémon as she raised to her full height on shaking legs. Her master's fingers traced little swirls over her horns, and Salem gently snorted in appreciation. "You were great, sweet girl."
"What about us? Weren't we great?" Will grinned, his fingers closing in on his Gallade's shoulder. Romeo bowed his head in response, smiling softly at his master as he returned to his Poké Ball for a well-earned rest.
Karen did her best to scowl at her husband, keeping her lips pursed in a tight line even as they threatened to pull into a smile. Will's arms came around her but she refused to give into his affections so easily. He peppered kisses down the side of her face and she giggled lightly, "You stop. I'm trying to be mad at you. We're getting a divorce, remember? I'm citing irreconcilable differences, because you beat me."
"I'm sorry, what was that?"
"I'm divorcing you. Irreconcilable differences."
"After that part," Will grinned.
Karen sighed dramatically, as if it caused physical pain to utter those three little words again. "You beat me," she murmured, pressing her lips against his. The next thing she knew, her feet weren't touching the ground anymore. She squealed as Will spun her around in his arms, and Karen slid hers around his neck to secure their closeness. "I love you so much," she smiled against his mouth, and even in defeat her voice oozed with confidence. "I'm still divorcing you, though."
"Yes, yes. Mega divorce and all that," Will said with a laugh, his nose brushing hers. "Give me the rest of the day to make it up to you? Maybe I can convince you to keep me around a little longer."
Karen smiled, stealing another kiss away from his mouth. "I suppose one more day wouldn't hurt…"
Will woke up the next morning without his wife beside him.
He'd rolled over in sleep, even in his unconsciousness expecting her to be there. But his arm smacked empty mattress space and he jumped awake, his breath trapped in his throat. It was a moment of panic that went as easily as it came. He glimpsed the faint glow of light beneath the crack in the door, heard shuffles of movement, and then the unmistakable sound of sickness. He frowned, and with a wave of his hand flipped on the light switch.
Karen stumbled out of the bathroom a moment later, her skin a shade too pale and her arms wrapped around her stomach. She looked at her husband wearily. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to… ugh," she lurched, then turned on her heel and ran back into the bathroom.
Will grimaced as he heard the sickness overtake her again. He couldn't stand seeing her sick and would have done anything to take it away. He pushed himself out of bed and met her in the doorway this time. She swayed on her feet and he caught her easily in his arms, scooping her up bridal-style and carefully toting her back to their bed. Karen whined, burying her face in the curve between his neck and shoulder. He sat with her in his lap, keeping her drawn close to his chest and patting her hair.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine," Karen murmured, though her voice sounded less than sure. "What I was trying to say was, I didn't mean to wake you."
"Don't apologize. I want to be with you if you're sick," Will said, and then a smirk crossed his lips. "You can't just threaten to leave me then get up in the middle of the night, you know," he teased, his lips brushing against her hair in laughter.
"Well, that's what happens when you mega evolve a Gallade. That's probably why I'm sick. This is all your fault."
"Sure it is," Will grinned, and kissed her head again. At least she wasn't so sick that she'd lost her attitude. "Do you want some crackers, or something?"
Karen shook her head furiously. The thought of anything salty made her want to wretch again. "Do we have any orange juice?"
Will blinked. Karen hated fruit juice, especially of the orange variety. And oranges. And the color orange. If it had 'orange' in its name or palette, she probably detested it. "You hate orange juice," he said flatly.
"It sounds good now."
He weighed the peculiarities. His wife was awake before sunrise, she was sick, and she was craving orange juice. Hadn't he seen Salem rub against her stomach yesterday? At the time he thought nothing of it, but now...
"Karen, are you pregnant?"
"W-what?!" she jumped back, not quite out of his arms but enough to put some space between them. "No! No. No… m-maybe. I don't know," Karen took a breath of air and then asked in the same exhale, "Do you want me to be?"
Maybe it was the paleness of her skin or the way dark circles formed little stormclouds under her sky-colored eyes, but Will had never seen his wife look so vulnerable. She chewed at her lower lip. Her fingertips fell from his chest to his knees, and she squeezed them softly, waiting for his reply.
"Karen, there is nothing I want more in this world than to have a family with you," Will said softly, his violet eyes trained on hers. Her expression folded in relief and she sighed, burying her face against the safety of his chest. Will's hands found her stomach and his fingers caressed the soft skin there. I don't know if you're in there or not, little one. And even if you are, I know you can't hear me yet. But I'm your daddy and I love you very much. So does your mommy.
He smiled to himself. That warm feeling nested in his belly again, but this time it ran all through his body. Will pressed a long kiss to the side of Karen's neck, then found her lips with his. "I can't tell you how happy I would be. And even if you're not now, then someday. I love you, Karen."
"I love you, too," Karen sighed. She braided her arms around his neck and her fingers twisted in the ends of his long hair.
"There is one thing, though..." Will began, already starting to laugh.
"What?"
"Do I get mega custody?"