Shifters and Shadows

by What Lies Beyond

My friends and I are in the Kalos region trying to stop Cipher, which has been resurrected once again. They have stolen Pokemon from many Trainers to use in their Shadow Pokemon army-including my own. But it isn't easy for us to try and get them back. There are those that are after us, too. Why? Because of what we are. We aren't your average Trainers. We're Shifters.

21. Chapter 19: The Contest--Eliminations

Okay, I lied. Not on purpose, mind you. But this chapter's taking a little longer than I thought, and life's kept me busy, so I haven't had quite the time I wanted to work on this. Plus, for whatever reason, this chapter wants to be written in two parts, or at least it did. I'm most likely going to update this chapter once the rest of it is ready, though the part currently in progress may end up as the final Contest Chapter. But today marks the first anniversary of Shifters and Shadows, so I wanted to get a new chapter up for you guys. It's been an awesome journey so far, and I cannot tell you how much it means to me that all of you are here, even if my updates have been anything but regular.

Seriously, you guys rock. Thanks for everything.

Disclaimer: I don't own Yuki, Silver, Solar, Fang, Megan, or Candy. Nor Pokémon in general, but we all know that.

Chapter 19: The Contest—Appeals

Though everyone in the Contest Hall had gone outside for lunch—he could see the picnic tables from the window—the figure remained in his hideout, thanking Lady Luck. He had found a place to lay low, to rest, and where his presence would hopefully remain undiscovered. He had found enough change in his pocket to raid the vending machines, and spread on the floor in front of him was his lunch: a bottle of water, a package of chips and one of cookies, and two chocolate bars, a luxury he had not seen in years. And his greatest find: A cup of instant raman, which he had found still packaged and unopened in the trash—and with an included fork. There was even a Spelon berry, which he had discovered, slightly squashed, inside his jacket pocket. Pouring half the bottle of water into the ramen cup and setting it on the windowsill to soak up the sun and hopefully heat up a bit, he squeezed the berry into it and ate the pulp, enjoying the burning sensation it caused. The figure idly recalled that he had hated Spelon berries when he was younger. Still, times change, and it had been that fruit which at times had been the only thing to sustain him, so what had been the point in hating it?

He tore open the bag of chips next, opening it silently even though the building was empty—old habits died hard. It wasn't the most healthy of meals, he reflected, but he could not afford to be choosy, and he burned calories quick enough for it not to matter.

Setting the empty bag aside, he took a moment to check on his noodles. Still soaking.

By the time they were done, the figure had finished the rest of his meal, though it seemed the Contest was still on break. He settled on the sunlit patch of the floor, soaking in its warmth, and twirling his fork in the now-spicy noodles. He knew he could probably find an exit out of here, and though it appeared his pursuers had been thrown off his trail by the heavy rain last night, he wasn't going to risk it. Not now, when he had a chance to rest and recover.

Besides, he wanted to see just how this Contest was going to end.

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Lunch had started out as an outdoor buffet provided by one of the local restaurants, but when Jake not-so-discreetly left a plate of his fruit-salad sandwiches—I had no idea how fruit salad and sandwiches even managed to be compatible, but Jake could pull it off in the tastiest way—on the table, other trainers got the same idea, and it soon became something of a potluck event. There was more food than you could shake a stick at—and Ren had tried. Now she was levitating a number of cream puffs, directing them with her wand in a series of twists and turns. Every now and then one would bob in its path, and Ren would quickly focus on it, correcting its flight and at the same time developing her new Psychic-Type abilities.

I glanced back down at my Pokédex, frowning. Even the 'Dex had no clear-cut answer to offer me on what had happened during Eris's Appeal. Whatever that torrent of water had been, it wasn't a listed attack. Could it have been a manifestation of his Torrent ability? But such abilities normally only activated if a Pokémon's stamina in battle was nearly gone or if their life was in danger…

"Kitt, you've been staring at your Pokédex for the last ten minutes. Something wrong?"

I looked up at Jake as he sat down, balancing a plate of food in each hand. "I still can't figure out what happened. There's nothing in the 'Dex."

He set the plates down in the grass, leaning over to look at the screen of the device. After a moment, he reached out and punched a few buttons, flipping through the information. "You're right. Huh. Well, if it wasn't an attack, perhaps it was Torrent?"

I shook my head. "I thought of that already. But neither of the conditions for the activation of that ability were met. It's about as likely as Eris pulling the water from the pipes underneath the building."

"Maybe not…" Jake said, rummaging around in his pocket. "This was found just offstage."

He pulled out a crystal, or what at first appeared to be one, about the length of my thumb. But when I took it, I discovered that despite the warm weather and being in Jake's pocket, it was freezing cold. Almost like…

"Ice?" I asked. He nodded. "Never-Melt Ice. It won't melt at all, so legend says it that it originated as a blessing from Regice. Plus, it enhances Ice-Type attacks, so that probably was part of the myth, too. But it's been proven that a Water-Type can sometimes produce a crystal of the stuff in their bodies, especially if they learn an Ice-type attack. Most of the time, it stays in their water sac, though Nurse Joy said sometimes it'll come free and the Pokémon will spit it out. I guess that's what happened to Eris, though it makes me wonder how long he's had that crystal, based on its size. Normally, they're much smaller. Guess it means he'll be exceptionally strong."

"Guess so…" A light bulb went off in my head. "Wait a second. Can this thing influence how fast a Pokémon learns an Ice-type move?"

"Maybe. I'm not sure."

"Well, that would explain how Eris mastered Ice Beam in two days, for one thing… but that also explains what happened! The crystal lodged in his throat, cutting off his attack and his breath, and his body reacted by activating his Torrent ability! Though it still doesn't explain where all the water came from…"

Jake shrugged. "A physical manifestation of his ability? Who knows. Though I heard a janitor mention that all the sinks and toilets in the bathrooms briefly erupted at about the same time, scaring a particularly superstitious woman who was reapplying her makeup. Apparently it didn't take that long to clean up, but they've been trying to figure out what caused it, so maybe it was the pipes…Hey. Look at that Pokémon."

I turned. Approaching the buffet tables was a Pokémon I had never seen before. It looked kind of like Ren, only taller, and with a narrower head and muzzle. Three tufts of fur emerged from each ear, and unlike Ren, this Pokémon's fur resembled a mage's robe rather than a tunic, mostly grayish-violet, but with accents of reddish orange and white. The fur of its face and neck, as well as the fur that flared out over its shoulders was greyish-blue, and I saw that it carried a wand like Ren's which it tucked into its sleevelike arm fur, rather than in its tail, which protruded from the back of its "robe", and wasn't as bushy as hers. It also lacked a differently-colored tailtip.

"I've never seen that Pokémon before. Jake said, watching the strange Pokémon. "Any idea what It is?"

"None." I said, scanning it with my Pokédex. "It's obviously pretty powerful, though, so its Trainer has to be here somewhere. It looks kinda like Ren, don't you think?"

"Could be an evolved form, though the color's wrong. Maybe it's a Shiny?"

"Quite possible. In fact, it's pretty like—"

"Delphox, the Fox Pokémon, and the Evolved form of Braixen." The Pokédex chirped, cutting me off, "It stares into the flame on the tip of the branch it carries to achieve a focused state and see into the future, and it is capable of generating a fiery vortex of 5,400 degrees Fahrenheit with its psychic power."

The 'Dex image for Delphox had a similar color scheme to Ren, so the one that we were watching had to be Shiny. Flipping through the data screens, I quickly confirmed this, before Jake drew my attention back to the Delphox. "It's headed towards Ren. I wonder what it wants with her."

The Delphox had stopped, and was observing Ren as she juggled the cream puffs. Without alerting her to its presence, it lifted another cream puff from the table with its own telekinesis and maneuvered it into the group, before letting it fall. Ren reacted quickly, attempting to catch the pastry and add it to the little swarm, but instead lost control over all of them, and the cream puffs fell to the ground, where they burst and spilled filling everywhere. A couple bounced off of Ren, so there were splotches of cream in her fur, and one landed between her ears. She looked up nervously as the Delphox approached, then began to circle her, scrutinizing her from every angle.

"What's going on?" I asked. "It looks like Ren's getting evaluated or something."

"Maybe the Delphox wants her to join its coven?" Jake replied, not taking his eyes off the strange confrontation. It was well known that a number Braixen and Delphox—and the occasional Fennekin—would sometimes come together in the wild and forma a group known as a coven, where they would train together to enhance their powers. The behavior was less common among captured Pokémon, because the coven members would likely belong to different Trainers, but it had been known to occur.

"Somehow I doubt it." The Delphox was still circling Ren, who was starting to fidget, no doubt unnerved by the almost predatory examination. Every now and then the Delphox would reach out with a claw and pinch or prod at my Braixen, reminding me of Cameron's stories of his obnoxious aunt, who would do the same at family gatherings to evaluate if the kids were growing up to her standards. "It looks more like Ren's failing whatever test it's giving her."

The Delphox was muttering to itself, its calculating gaze continuing to hover over Ren, who was doing her best to conceal the tiny shivers running through her body. With a sudden flick of the wrist, it snatched Ren's wand, turning it over in its paws as it examined it. While recovering, Ren had carefully stripped away the bark and fire-hardened the stick she had claimed, polishing it on her tail-fur. But even from here, I could tell it was extremely rough compared to the wand the Delphox carried—despite the other having retained most of its bark, the stick it had been made from had come from a tree with smoother bark, allowing the wand to be polished anyways. Apparently, each wand was unique to the Pokémon that created it, and typically was used the rest of their life which meant that there was a code among Delphox and its evolutionary relatives to keep their paws off another's wand unless there was a good reason. Something told me that this was not going to end well.

The Delphox barked something at Ren, who flinched, then responded, her voice low and trembling. Another question was asked and answered, and the dialogue between the two went on for several minutes. When it ended, there was a moment's pause, and I noticed that a lot of people had stopped whatever they were doing to watch. The Delphox noticed, too. Before anyone could react, it raised Ren's wand high…

And snapped it in two.

There were gasps, human and Pokémon alike, as the Delphox flung the broken ends of the wand—connected only by the thinnest sliver of wood—at Ren's feet, then turned to leave.

"I don't believe it…" Jake whispered. "That's the ultimate sign of contempt. Breaking a wand is usually only reserved as punishment in the communities in the wild…and only as the strictest punishment. It messes with their psychic abilities, you see…"

I stopped listening to him at that point. Ren looked pathetic standing there—fur splotched with cream, broken wand at her feet, eyes brimming with tears. She bent down to pick up her wand, and even though she lifted it with the greatest care, the two ends separated, and something in me snapped. I stood up so fast I knocked my plate over, and I would have gone up to that Delphox an gotten in its face—nobody messed with my friends and Wildkin like that!—but someone else beat me to it.

Sloan.

The scarred Combusken pushed past Aaron and Eris, who were doing their best to offer support to Ren. She stomped right up to the Shiny Delphox, grabbing its attention with a blistering insult. When it turned, Sloan shoved her face into that of the Delphox, despite the height difference. Her mangled voice only accented the angry tone of her screams as she yelled at the Delphox, who was looking slightly surprised. However, it soon recovered, and with a wave of its paw, Sloan was thrown back, crashing into Aaron and Eris, who in turn were pushed into the buffet tables, sending food flying everywhere.

Sloan was the first to recover despite the strength of the Psychic attack and its supereffectiveness. She pulled herself from the wreckage, disregarding the food clinging to her feathers. She sped forward and slashed the Delphox across the face, one claw drawing blood.

"Hey! Whose ugly Pokémon is messing with my Delphox?"

The shout drew all attention to a guy who pushed his way through the crowd. He looked about nineteen or twenty, his dark hair slicked back and his white suit spotless despite the fact we were eating outdoors. His hazel eyes were cold and calculating, much like his Pokémon's. It was obvious from the get-go that this guy was a jerk.

He stepped up to the conflict, pulling out a silk handkerchief and handed it to his Delphox, who dabbed at the scratch with distaste. At the same time, I approached Ren, who pulled away from Eris and Aaron and slid as close to me as she could. I placed my hand don her shoulder, not taking my eyes from Delphox and its Trainer. Sloan was growling under her breath, tensed and ready to fight, and Eris and Aaron stepped up to stand on either side of her, forming a barrier between us. They too were rigid with anger.

"I'll say it again," the Delphox's Trainer snapped. "Whose hideous, foul-mouthed excuse for a mange-ridden rag thinks it's funny to mess with Delphox?"

"Sloan was no more messing with your Delphox than any other Pokémon." Michael said, picking his way through the wreckage. "And I don't know if you noticed, but that Delphox just snapped Ren's wand. So who's messing with whom now, may I ask?"

"You're a Coordinator, right?" I added, barely containing my anger. "Don't you think that having your Pokémon attack my Pokémon qualifies as sabotage? Your Delphox needs a wand too, right? Imagine if the positions were reversed. How would you and Delphox feel?"

The Coordinator sniffed. "Delphox doesn't need to worry about that. He evolved long ago and has only gotten stronger. Now, your Braixen…what a weakling. It can't even levitate a bunch of cream puffs. When did it Evolve, yesterday?"

"Ren evolved last week, nearly giving her life to defend another Pokémon much weaker than herself, and since she recovered she's been training hard. She spent hours on that wand. At least apologize!"

"To Sloan, too." Michael added, an edge in his voice. "She cannot help her appearance no more than you could. Though less hair gel might improve your looks."

The guy sneered. "As if I'd apologize to you twerps. I look forward to destroying you in the Eliminations rounds. Come on, Delphox." He turned to leave with his Pokémon, who made a rude gesture over its shoulder at Ren. And that's when I heard him mutter, "Stupid girl. Looks like she was raised in the woods or something. Utter barbarian. No doubt she never learned proper etiquette or Pokémon training."

I saw crimson. Before I knew what happened, I ran forward and slugged him as hard as I could in the shoulder—he was at least a half a head taller than I was. He slapped me across the face, so hard that the handprint burned. "Why you little—" He snarled. "I outta—"

"Don't you ever talk about me like that." I hissed. "My upbringing is none of your concern."

His eyes gleamed in triumph. "So you admit it then. Little forest girl with no concept of how the world works. How I pity you."

"I understand the world a lot better than you." I snarled. "You spoiled Society brat. You've probably never had to work a day in your life. You don't know what it's like to go hungry, or cold, or to be picked on by someone who's stronger. You see everyone who isn't like you as inferior. In the forest, everyone's got an equal chance. And I'm a better person for it, and a better Trainer. I understand how a Pokémon sees the world. I understand how a human sees it. And I can take all that knowledge and apply it, and in the long run, I'll be better off than you, with your mansion and money, even if I spend the rest of my days in the forest without a single penny to my name!"

"You're getting rather irritating." The Trainer said, a low growl in his tone. "And you attacked me, which is in itself an offense. I normally avoid hitting members of the fairer sex, but it's obvious the rules don't apply to you, and someone needs to put you in your place. Now, if you give me a moment, I'm sure I can pound some sense into your thick skull…"

"ENOUGH!"

We both flinched. Striding towards us was Mr. Contesta, a scowl on his face, and I drew back instinctively from his anger. "Fighting between Coordinators and their Pokémon is strictly prohibited." He said. "Now what exactly is going on here?"

I knew I was in a heap of trouble, and I ducked my head in shame. "I'm sorry, sir. I apologize. I know I should not have punched…er…."

"My name is Alex, you little wretch."

Mr. Contesta shot him a look, saving me the effort. "..Alex, then, and I know I let my anger get away from me. But," I felt a flicker of anger rise up again. "My Braixen was minding her own business when his Delphox approached her, harassed her, and snapped her wand! My friend's Pokémon confronted him, albeit somewhat rudely, and was attacked as well, flung back into two other Pokémon and the buffet table. Alex then insulted her in front of her Trainer, calling her ugly. I know that doesn't seem like it's a problem, but she's a rescue with an abusive past, so it is. He refused to apologize for his and his Pokémon's rudeness, and then called me a barbarian because I'm from the forest! And...well, that's when I lost it. I'm very sorry, and if you want to disqualify me, go right ahead."

"I see. Alex, I'd like to hear your side of the story."

And so he told it, with enough subtle variations and the occasional embellishment that I began seething inside again. He was obviously trying to twist events so Ren was the instigator, and that by that default, I was the Coordinator at fault. He finished his tale with the slightest of smirks on his face, and I would've been lying if I had said I hadn't wanted to hit him again. Evidently, the feeling was mutual. And I could feel Emma's rising temper through the link, as well as Michael's growing irritation and David and Jake's concern. Cameron shot me a warning.

If you don't get your temper back under control, you're going to do something stupid. Don't make this any worse than it is.

Obediently, I forced myself to take a calming breath. Alex was a human. Only a human. There was no way he could have understood. Meanwhile, Mr. Contesta was regarding Alex and I with a thoughtful look. "Normal Contest rules would force me to disqualify you both right here and now," he said, and I cringed. I'd really screwed up this time. "However…"

Alex perked up when he heard that, but did not speak. "However, I would like to hear the events as they occurred from an observer's point of view. Now," He turned to Michael. "From your perspective, what happened?"

"Well, I might not be the best person to ask, considering my Combusken is the one who jumped into the argument, and I've spent the last couple of months traveling with Kitt." Michael admitted. "But I can confirm that Ren was minding her own business. And that Alex called Kitt a barbarian. The circumstances of her upbringing can be a sore topic at times—people tend to make assumptions."

"I see. And you, did you witness the confrontation?"

The kid Mr. Contesta addressed looked a little nervous. "Uh…sorry, no. I didn't see anything until food started flying. But that guy was awfully rude."

"The Braixen was minding its own business, though I suppose it could've practiced with something other than cream puffs."

"I think the Delphox reacted reasonably to the Combusken getting in his face, though the Trainer's reactions left a little to be desired."

"Not sure what that guy said, but it didn't seem to sit well with her. She shouldn't have hit him, though—he was right to slap her."

A few more spectators chimed in, before Mr. Contesta quieted them with a wave of his hand and turned back to the two of us. "I've made my decision. Both of you were two compete in the first round of the Eliminations anyway, so I will allow You and your Pokémon to settle this in that match. But keep this in mind: the two of you are walking a very thin line right now. Any form of misconduct and you will be removed immediately from the Contest. Do I make myself clear?"

"You do, sir." I replied. Alex muttered something under his breath that I assumed was a similar acceptance.

"Good. Lunch will be over soon; I suggest you and your Pokémon get ready for your match. Kitt, you should find a damp towel and begin working the cream out of Ren's fur." He turned to leave, and I remembered something. "Wait, please!"

Mr. Contesta paused mid-step. "What is it?"

"Ren's wand was snapped" I said. "Won't that affect her battling?"

He frowned. "I suppose it will. And considering you don't have time to begin searching for the material for a new one…"

From inside his jacket, he pulled out an exquisite mahogany wand, its color rich and vibrant, the wood carved in an abstract pattern of curved lines, which stood out in charcoal-colored relief. The wand was smooth and polished, gleaming faintly in the sunlight, and one end had been worn by use. He handed it to Ren, who took it with awe, before gripping the worn end and waving it, getting used to the weight and balance. With a gesture, a couple apples rose from the wreckage of the destroyed table, and they bobbed and weaved in the air for a moment before settling back down. My Braixen gazed at the wand she held with wonder before pushing its end in her tail and drawing it, watching it burn before extinguishing it. Like with her previous wand, there was no evidence of fire. She tucked the wand away, before bowing low to Mr., Contesta, thanking him.

"It's a beautiful wand, but…are you sure it's okay for Ren to use it?" I asked. "I mean, she really likes it, but it's your possession. Is it really okay for her to use it?"

He nodded. "And she may keep it if she wishes. A Braixen or Delphox's wand is usually only tuned to the individual who creates it, but that wand was always…unique, as was the Pokémon it belonged to. I am sure that she would be glad to know that there is one now who can put it to good use."

He spoke in the wistful tones of one remembering an old friend long gone, and it was a moment before he pulled himself from his memories and back to the present. "If you'll excuse me, there are some matters now that must be taken care of before the Contest resumes. I id you and your Pokémon both good luck." With that, he left.

Alex spoke next, drawing me from my thoughts. "Well. I never thought I'd see the day when a Judge would stoop to aiding a Coordinator. But don't think that that fancy wand will prevent you from losing." He stalked off, snatching a plum from one of the surviving tables as he went.

I glanced at Ren. "He sure is sour today. Well, no matter. We can still beat them. C'mon, Ren, let's get you cleaned up." I plucked the cream puff from her head, before heading back into the Contest hall, where I knew I'd be able to find a sink and some paper towels, Ren following silently.

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As it turns out, cream is not the easiest of substances to remove from a Braixen's fur. Due to some property of said fur, the cream will soak in and dry rapidly, creating clots that are rather difficult to remove save cutting them off. And since I wasn't going to do that, I spent the next ten minutes with Emma, trying to untangle and clean the mats in Ren's fur. It wasn't easy, considering Fire-Types have an ingrained aversion to getting soaked—natural water is one thing, but attacks, even low-powered ones are another, and you're still not going to find a Fire Pokémon swimming unless it has to or actually enjoys it—and Ren would twitch every time we rinsed the clot and tried to comb it out, but we managed, even borrowing a blow dryer to help speed up the process. I was just finishing combing out the last cream-caused knot in Ren's tail when my pager went off.

Emma was packing up the hairdryer, and she glanced up as I unclipped the little device from my belt. "Guess it's time, then? At least Ren's clean."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ren draw the mahogany wand from her tail and perform a few sweeping motions with it. There was a certain tension in her body, though what the exact cause was, I didn't know. "Yeah. Time to face off against Alex and his Delphox."

"You don't have to use Ren. You registered three Pokémon, remember?"

"Eris is still worn out, and I want my third Pokémon to save their strength." And I wanted to keep their identity secret for now. Even though Emma and I were nearly as close as sisters, we were still both competing against eachother. And a good Coordinator, like a good Trainer, always kept an ace up their sleeve. "Besides, if Ren bailed, she'd never live this down. And I don't want her to feel like she's inferior because of what that uppity Shiny said to her."

Something in Emma's gaze hardened. "I know. Don't forget, I lived on the streets."

"And I in the forest. I understand, Emma. There were those there who did not like what I was, too."

We shared a moment of understanding. Life in the streets of the Hoenn cities was difficult, especially for little kids. Emma had lucked out; she had had an older brother to look out for her until the day he disappeared, and had gained a lifelong companion through a simple act of kindness, one who had risked his life to save hers. But the forest upbringing I had known had had its own darker side, and I too had been lucky to have been found by Grandmother Ninetales when I was still too young to be anything but helpless. Other Pokémon might have left me, not wanting anything to do with a human child, especially one who was Shifter.

The pager buzzed again, signaling that I had precious few minutes to make my way back to the stage. Ren tucked the wand back into her tail and took the pager from me, before setting off at a steady trot out of the room and down the hall. I sent the equivalent of an easy smile and a shrug through the link—it's hard to explain, even to another Shifter like Michael, since I think only the five of us who were at the Tree that day can do it.—and followed her, every step taking me closer to the battle that would lay Ren's honor on the line.

I caught up to her backstage, and took back the pager just in time to present it to the stagehand checking the pagers, who confirmed that I was on time and turned the little device off. She told me that the pager would be reset and returned to me if I won my match, then ushered me onto the stage.

Alex and Delphox were already there, waiting on their side of the field with arms crossed. As Ren and I stepped up to the edge of the field on our side of the stage, Delphox called out to Ren, his tone insolent and mocking. Ren bristled, reaching for the mahogany wand.

"Ignore him, Ren,' I murmured. "He doesn't know what he's talking about."

Ren relaxed, but at that moment, Alex called out, "Well, Forest Girl, you made it. And here I thought you'd have gone back to your pathetic roots and saved me the trouble of beating you," and I had to bite my cheek to avoid responding, because I knew he was trying to get me angry, so I wouldn't be thinking straight during the battle. And if I wasn't thinking straight, Ren and I would be at a disadvantage, and Alex knew it.

"The Eliminations Round of the Camphrier Town Contest is about to begin!" The announcement cut off whatever barb Alex was going to use to try and rattle Ren or I. "Our first match today is between Coordinators Alex and Kitt, and their Pokémon, Delphox and Braixen. There will be a five-minute time limit, and the match will end when one of three conditions are met: When the Pokémon of either Coordinator has fainted, when either Coordinator has run out of points, or when the time limit runs out."

Alex's Delphox stepped onto the field; with a nod, I had Ren do the same. We couldn't afford to be a step behind, not in a situation where honor was on the line, and our opponent was much stronger. I could already tell it would take everything the two of us had learned in order to keep up with Delphox and Alex. I pushed everything but the upcoming match from my mind, narrowing my focus, and felt myself settling into the same battle awareness I drew upon in my Pokémon form. I smiled inwardly. It was rare that I could draw upon this instinct when in human form. Still, I knew the saying—know thy enemy. And though I didn't know this particular opponent well enough to predict his strategy, I'd be able to react to and counter it. And the battle awareness would only aid in that.

"—Five minute match will start on my mark. And…Begin!"

"Mystical Fire!"

Alex hadn't wasted any time. The second the battle began, Delphox had drawn his wand and inscribed a flaming circle in the air. An intense blast of fire rocketed out of the middle, so fast I couldn't tell whether the Pokémon had breathed the flames or not.

"Ren! Fire Spin, quick!"

As soon as the mahogany wand had left Ren's tail fur, a tight spiral of flame lanced out from the tip. The two attacks met on our side of the field, and though at first the Fire Spin was holding up against the more powerful attack, it soon began slipping backwards. I could hear the sound of points decreasing on the board, but ignored it. "Try narrowing your flame, Ren. Punch through it!"

My Braixen concentrated, and the attack coiled in on itself, becoming tighter, and as I hoped, more focused. It managed to drill right through the Mystical Fire attack and strike Delphox, though Ren and I both had to jump out of the way as the remnants of his attack hurtled across the stage. I recognized the window of opportunity we had, and took it. "Psybeam!"

"Oh no you don't! Show 'em what a real attack looks like! Psychic!"

The Psybeam suddenly halted, shook violently, then doubled back in on itself and separated into dozens of small darts, which Ren was hard-pressed to avoid. I could see the smug grin on Alex's face as he called, "Too easy! Give me some challenge, will ya?" Delphox was swaggering back and forth, no doubt calling out similar insults to Ren, who was shaking. If weren't careful, we were going to lose right here.

"Careful Ren! He's up to something. Let's try another Fire Spin, maybe we can get him to slip up…Ren?"

Something wasn't right with my Pokémon. Ren seemed to be listing to one side slightly, but she didn't appear injured. Her movements when she brandished the mahogany wand were jerky, and when she used Fire Spin, it veered off course. She stumbled slightly, turning to the side, and that was when I saw it. Ren's gaze was unfocused; she appeared to be looking at a spot several feet to the side of her opponent. It hit me then what had happened, and I swore under my breath. Alex hadn't just been taunting us. He'd had Delphox use Swagger without being noticed! Unless Ren snapped out of it quick, the match was over.

"Now, Delphox," Alex called, "Shadow Ball!"

Oh no… "Ren, Protect, quick!" I yelled. My battle awareness had shattered; my reaction was panicked, not controlled. I hadn't figured out a way to counter that attack, and though Ren wasn't weak to it, at that level it would still do a ton of damage. And with her Confused, I couldn't even guarantee that she'd be able to get the force field up in time, and even if she did, all the training we had done still rendered the attack unreliable at best. It was a last-ditch effort to save my Braixen and everyone who watched would be able to tell. It was only a matter of time, and Ren and I were fighting a losing battle.

A wave of green shimmered into existence; the flickering Ghost-Type orb exploded against it and filled the stage with smoke. Delphox was clear of the explosion, but Ren was lost within it. The look that Delphox and Alex shared spoke volumes: in their mind the match was over. A quick glance at the scoreboard seemed to confirm this: My points were dangerously low, while Alex was only missing about half of his. Just over two minutes remained on the clock. But I wasn't about to give up. There just had to be a way to turn this around.

"There's no point in continuing, Delphox." Alex sniffed. "Let the time run out. That Braixen probably fainted already."

My hands clenched; what he said was most likely true. But there was only one way to tell for sure. "Hidden Power!"

A bright flurry of silver orbs flew out of the smoke and careened into Delphox, sending him stumbling back. I hadn't even known what Type Ren's Hidden Power was going into this, but it looked like we had gotten lucky with a Type that was super-effective against Delphox.

"Keep it up, and stay within the smoke! Don't let Delphox get a tag on you!"`

Alex slashed his hand down in front of him. "Blow away the smoke! Psychic!"

"Move, Ren! And if you see a shot, take it!"

I could hear movement within the remaining smoke, but Ren still became visible as Delphox swept it away. My Braixen no longer had any cover…and it was obvious that she was no longer Confused. Twisting to one side, she launched another flurry of Hidden Power orbs; darting forward and sidestepping a sweep of fire from Delphox's wand, she released another. By this point, to my amazement, Delphox was looking worn out.

"Twenty seconds left!"

I jerked; had I really lost track of time? Ren had to end this, fast. Alex was obviously thinking the same thing. "Shadow ball!"

"Hidden Power!"

The large, dark sphere sped towards the cluster of smaller silver ones, and I realized that it the two collided it would be all over, because there wouldn't be time for a counterattack even if Ren survived the imminent explosion. At this point, it was all or nothing. Hoping Ren would understand, I shouted two words.

"Cream puffs!"

Ren's head came up; with a flick of the mahogany wand a bluish glow surrounded the Hidden Power attack and sent the orbs arcing over the Shadow Ball. Ren leapt out of its way without breaking stride; I had to duck as it soared by. Alex squawked and sputtered in confusion, and Delphox was staring blankly, jaw hanging open in shock.

It proved to be their undoing.

The silver spheres, slammed into Delphox one after the other, giving him no time to recover. He was thrown back to the ground, and his wand left his grip to land clattering at his feet. The buzzer signaling the match's end screeched into life, and for a moment, all eyes were drawn to the scoreboard as the announcer's voice was drowned out by the din. It blazed to life, and I stood for a second, gawping in shock.

Ren had won. Through some freakish turn of luck, she had beaten Delphox just as time ran out. Alex's points had run out; I had a thin sliver of mine remaining. But it was enough to guarantee I would be moving on. And, more importantly, Ren had proved her worth.

A hush drew my attention back to the field. Ren was picking her way past the scorched and soot-stained patches and over to Delphox, who looked up as she approached. I gasped; she was holding his wand, turning it over in her paws like he had her original one. Something Jake had said earlier snuck into my mind. "That's the ultimate sign of contempt. Breaking a wand is usually only reserved as punishment in the communities in the wild…and only as the strictest punishment. It messes with their psychic abilities, you see…" and, unbidden, the remainder of the sentence—which I must have heard—played in my mind "Though apparently, if the disgraced Pokémon can defeat the individual who snapped its wand, not only does it regain its lost honor, it gets something else, as well. It can choose to snap that individual's wand as retribution."

Ren raised her opponent's wand high, turning so every spectator could see what she held. By this point, all the cameras were on her. She gripped it in both paws, and brought it down hard and fast…

.And sent it clattering to the ground at Delphox's feet, turning her back on him in a contemptuous gesture. She began to cross the field back to me.

"What the hell was that?!" Alex yelped, as his Pokémon stared stupefied at the intact wand rocking gently on the stage and within paw's reach. "Don't tell me your Braixen's wussing out now. What, too weak to snap an opponent's wand?"

"No." A clear, feminine voice rang out, and it took me a moment to realize it was Ren, once again facing Alex and Delphox. She was speaking telepathically, though the effort was taxing her strength. It appeared that communicating that way did not come naturally to her, as it would eventually for Anakin. "Too strong. I am stronger than you, for I did not snap your wand."

Either Ren did not want to elaborate, or she did not have enough strength left to say anything else, though I was betting it was more of the former than the latter. She spun, leaving the field to stand next to me, and we bowed while the audience roared its approval. Alex recalled Delphox and stalked off; Ren and I watched him go, each lost in our own thoughts about what had transpired.