The Child of Thorns
Silence covered the table as Inyssa and her mother shared what could be described as a pleasant breakfast if one had a proclivity for describing things in a sarcastic manner.
Between them were a bunch of sugar packages, a silver platter with freshly baked pastries, Johanna's purse and anything else she could find and unconsciously put in front of her. One of her hands grasped the cup of tea she'd ordered out of habit while the other one gently stroked the fur on Kuro's back. The Shinx purred softly in his sleep, sending vibrations and jolts of electricity to her lap.
She took a sip of the tea. Flavorless and rough. It coated her mouth with an unpleasant, sandy feeling similar to that of eating a bad apple. She wondered if she even liked tea, and if not why did she keep fucking ordering it.
She looked at the table on the other side of the room, where Barry and Sarah talked energetically about something she couldn't hear. Couple of damn traitors, she thought to herself only half jokingly.
"I never expected you to have such a cute team of Pokemon," Johanna spoke, startling her. "You've taken good care of them."
Inyssa stood there frozen, not knowing exactly what to say to that, and then looked down to the rest of her Pokemon eating alongside her. Shadi and Bret shared their meal respectfully, locked in a conversation she couldn't understand, while Steven pecked at the pellet of dry food he'd taken with him to the top of her hat.
Both Enma and Hao had refused to come out, although for different reasons. She arched her brow; she'd have time to take care of that later.
"I chose them for my team because they're strong. Cuteness has nothing to do with it."
Her mother let out a deep sigh, probably restraining herself from rolling her own eyes. "I heard about the trial," she added, attempting to change the subject. "I'm really proud, sweetie."
Inyssa looked down, suddenly very interested in the silverware, "Yeah, it was kinda rough but I managed," she took another sip of the tea and almost choked on it. "Did Fantina tell you about it?"
Now it was Johanna's turn to look away, and Inyssa took that opportunity to study her expression carefully. Heavy bags adorned the underside of her eyes, which were ever so slightly bloodshot, and while her face looked as soft as ever she noticed more than a few new wrinkles at the edges of her mouth and cheeks.
"Yes," she replied still looking down, her hands resting on top of her leg. "We've been… in contact, recently."
"Did she also tell you to come here?"
Inyssa didn't need a response, her mother's mannerisms told her the answer by themselves. She closed her eyes and tried to summon that familiar fire in her belly. She wanted to be mad at the Gym Leader for trying to interfere where she had no business doing so. She wanted to feel furious at her mother for appearing out of nowhere and turning the day of her victory sour, but she just couldn't.
Maybe she was too tired. Maybe something had changed while she was inside that dungeon, but for the first time in years being angry at her took actual effort. And effort was something that was low on supply that morning, to Johanna's fortune.
"Well, it's good she did so," Inyssa crossed her arms as she reclined in the stiff, wooden chair. "You'll finally get to see me fight, and after I beat Fantina effortlessly you'll have to stop worrying about me so much."
The woman looked up, and she felt a small stab in her chest at the sight of her expression brightening, even if it was just a little. She uncrossed her arms and took the cup of tea to her lips, perhaps too abruptly.
"I can't wait," she leaned forward, uttering her words with a sweetness Inyssa barely remembered from long ago.
The beat of her heart turned painful. One. Two. Three, faster than she would've liked, "I'll have to thank Sarah later for giving you a free ride. Sometimes I wonder how that woman gets shit done without drowning herself in caffeine and energy drinks," she chuckled to herself, deciding that rambling for a bit was better than concentrating on what happened behind her chest. "And I'm glad she's here too. The bigger the audience the better, and it'd be a shame if her only memory of my prowess as a trainer was that time I lost to Gardenia."
Johanna nodded, a tinge of nervousness dictating her every action, "Yes, Sarah is too good for this world. I'm sure she could've watched the match online but she chose to be here anyway for both of you."
Her cup froze midway towards her lips, and she lowered it slowly while she tried to process her words.
"Online?" she tilted her head to the side. "What do you mean?"
Johanna stared at her with a confused expression, and after a few moments her eyes opened wide and she gulped.
"Oh. Oh dear…" she put her hands together as her fingers played with each other nervously. "Fantina didn't mention it to you? About… the way her fights work."
Inyssa watched horrified as her mother explained it to her. All of the gym matches would take place in the local Contest Stadium, and they would be televised. Not only that but each contestant was required to wear an outfit designed specifically for the occasion, which wasn't negotiable as she was told very strongly.
She was pretty sure her entire body had turned to ice, which surprised her when she moved forward and she didn't shatter into a million pieces; not on the outside at least. She tried to swallow, but her throat was dry as sandpaper.
"That's one of the reasons Fantina called me here. She's too busy preparing for the fight, so she asked me to choose something for you to wear on that day."
A bright memory came to Inyssa, that of one of her mother's performances back when she was a famous Contest star. She remembered the small blue top she wore, with a fuzzy jacket around it which failed to cover her midriff, and a frilly skirt with very tight shorts below. She suppressed a heave at the thought of… no, she wouldn't…
"I am NOT going to…"
She was interrupted by her mother's hand being raised, "I know what you're thinking and no, you don't have to wear anything you don't like."
That calmed her nerves a bit, "Are you sure? I don't want anything that like… you know…" she looked away as red tinted her cheeks. "You know."
"No need to worry," Johanna couldn't help but chuckle at the sight of her blushing. "Anyone who thinks fashion involves only dresses and revealing outfits is a complete fool. The best clothes are those who fit not only a person's body, but also their personality. Half of a someone's beauty comes from how comfortable they feel, and how that feeling exudes from their body outwards." She nodded to herself, a hint of smugness in her expression.
Inyssa raised an eyebrow, "You… sure seem to know a lot about that."
"It's… it was my passion, Niss," the woman's shoulders lowered. "Fantina taught me everything I know."
"Well at least not all of her passion was rubbed off on you. That woman is unbearable, and her tackiness knows no bounds."
A slight blush covered Johanna's pale cheeks, and Inyssa wondered why. Was it something she said? The woman's hand went to the untouched cup of coffee in front of her.
"Everyone has hobbies," she opened one of the packages of sugar and poured it in as she spoke, "Fantina just happens to be very dedicated to hers."
Inyssa watched in horror as the drink became more sugar than coffee. "That's why her hair forms an X behind her head?" she muttered to herself, "it's like she has a nest of Murkrows in there. Seriously, I could go to a hairdresser and ask them to fucking kill me and they'd give me something better than that."
"Niss, don't make fun of her." Her mother pointed at her with her well manicured finger. "Besides, you two have a lot more in common than you'd think."
She snorted. "Yeah right, I have in common with her about as much as I have with a Dunsparce. You're both crazy about fashion and I wish you'd keep it to yourselves. I wasn't made to wear cool outfits like you."
Johanna tilted her head forward and showed her a reassuring smile, "Niss, I'm sure you'll look wonderful in the clothes I have in mind for you."
"Oh come on," she couldn't help but laugh at her mother's words. "You don't have to pretend, mom. Contests are for people who are…" she almost choked on the words, but forced herself to let them out, "…good looking."
"Oh honey, you are…"
"I said don't bother," she repeated, her tone almost a growl. "I'm not in the mood for being lied to."
Johanna blinked a few times, confused, "Do you really think…? Niss, you are beautiful. Anyone can see that…"
"Will you cut it out already?" she hit the table with her fist, making it shake. "If there's something I hate is people lying to my face. Yeah you're right; anyone can see I didn't get your good genes, not that I wanted them in the first place!"
Inyssa couldn't stop the words from coming out, nor the clear poison behind them. She bit her tongue, and quickly looked down to her lap. There it was; the slip up she knew would happen if she spent long enough around her. She tried to chuckle, tried to make it seem like a joke, but to no avail. She felt those familiar needles pricking the inside of her skin.
She looked up towards Johanna. Her lips quivered for a moment and a shadow danced over her eyes, stealing some of the light behind them. Her mother seemed to age ten years in those seconds alone.
She needed to get away before she ruined the small progress they'd made, "Anyway… I should probably get going. Me and Barry wanted to try some Kalosian food for lunch and there's a good restaurant nearby," she lied. "And we have a lot of training to do afterwards, so…"
She grabbed Kuro from his belly and put him down, which prompted the small cub Pokemon to stretch lazily and give her a look of irritation that almost made her feel bad.
"W-wait!" her mother almost tripped on the foot on the table as she stood up. "I mean... sorry, I know I don't... I can't really stop you," she curled her fingers together, avoiding her eyes. "I just... thought we could talk a bit more. About..."
She stopped, apparently not being able to say her next words. Inyssa didn't need a translator for that particular silence; she knew exactly what her mother wanted. She let out a small sigh and placed a hand against her head, barely brushing Steven's wing. Below, her Pokemon did a terrible job at pretending not to be listening to their conversation.
"You want to talk about what happened in Floaroma and Eterna."
Johanna's lower lip trembled as she lowered her gaze to the floor, "I want to talk about a lot of things but …yes, especially that, if you want to. I know I have no right... after everything that's happened but..."
Inyssa choked on the anger trying to rise from her chest to her throat. She concentrated on her face, on her expression. She looked for any sign of her mother trying to manipulate her by guilt tripping her, but that didn't seem to be the case. Her worry was genuine, as was her sadness.
"I got myself and Barry in trouble. More than a couple times. It was my fault, and no one but me should take responsibility for it." For the first time Johanna's eyes met with hers, and Inyssa's voice quivered a bit. "And I'm sorry for worrying you, but I couldn't just stand by while Team Galactic did such horrible things next to me. I had to interfere; I wouldn't have been true to myself otherwise."
Her mother's eyes started to water. She looked down and smiled to herself, "Yeah... I guessed that was it. I wouldn't have expected any less of you." She bit her lip. "I just… worry a lot. I know I'm really bad at showing it but Niss I promise I'm trying to get better and I'm so s…"
"Don't."
She didn't realize she'd raised her hand to stop her until she saw it with her own eyes. She slightly shook her head and took a step backward, attempting to calm her nerves. This wasn't good enough. She had to act properly if she wanted this to be different from all the other times she'd spoken with her.
"Look. Things have been... complicated, to say the least. I've been through some stuff and I don't think I've... had enough time yet, to properly process all of it." She paused to take a breath, almost not believing she was saying those words. "And even less time to think about... us." She put emphasis in that last word. "So I don't think I'm ready to have this talk yet. I'm sorry for not writing you back, and I promise I will from now on, but I still need to sort some things out before... well, you know."
Johanna seemed ready to burst into tears, whether from happiness or something else Inyssa wasn't sure, but managed to contain herself enough not to do so in front of her.
"I understand," she nodded, and formed a crooked smile that extended to her eyes. "Take all the time you need, sweetie. It's the least I owe you."
Inyssa nodded as well, mostly because she didn't thought she'd be able to say anything else without her voice breaking. And without another word she turned around and went to look for Barry, a storm of emotions raging inside her.
Sarah observed carefully as her son ran from their chair to the exit of the Pokemon Center in the time it took her to blink. Inyssa followed, three of her Pokemon tailing behind her like baby Psyducks and one of them sleeping on top of her hat. She smiled at the image, and even that small effort made the muscles in her face hurt.
She got up and walked towards Johanna, her entire body loudly protesting at every step. She pushed the mountain of exhaustion as down as she could, and tried not to think about the hours of work she'd have to make up for later. Right now her friend needed her, nothing else mattered.
Her fingers gently sat on top of the woman's shoulders, "So... how did it go?"
Johanna took one of her sleeves and started cleaning her tears with it, until se realized what she was doing and grabbed a napkin instead.
"Better than I expected," she said after clearing her throat. "Worse than I wished."
Sarah knit her eyebrows, trying to decipher what the hell that meant, "Well... you know what they say, happy medium and all that. Silver lining."
Johanna crossed her arms and let out a long, premeditated sigh. As perfect and elegant as the rest of her, "I suppose. Let's hope the outfit I have in mind for her will win me some mother points. Maybe I'll finally get her to wear something other than that damned hat."
She laughed. A short, weak laugh that sent pain through every fiber of her being, but one that she enjoyed nonetheless. She leaned against one of the stone pillars close to her, and its cold stuck to her back like the sweat under her clothes. Everything itched, everything hurt. The past weeks had been cruel, giving her more work than she'd ever done in her life and very few opportunities to check on her son and the people she loved.
All thanks to Team Galactic. The name turned sour in her mouth, and the frustration and tiredness rose from the depths of her chest until she was barely able to control them. She was starting to understand how Inyssa felt, and she wasn't the one who had lost a Pokemon to them.
Which brought her to Johanna. She looked up at her friend and found her still with her arms crossed, a scowl adorning her face. She didn't need to be a psychic to know what was bothering her.
"Did you tell her?"
She decided cutting to the chase would be the best course of action.
Johanna wrinkled her nose, and her hands grabbed on strongly to her biceps, "No, I didn't," she sighed again, closing her eyes for a few moments. "How could I? She's happier than I've seen her in years."
"She doesn't need to hear it right now, but at some point..."
"Are you two sharing secrets without me!?" A voice spoke behind them.
Sarah turned around to find Fantina's face only a couple inches from hers. She jumped back a bit but was ultimately too exhausted to be scared. Johanna on the other hand let out a high pitched shriek as she jumped in place and almost tripped on one of the chairs.
"Good morning Fantina," Sarah smiled without much enthusiasm. "Nice of you to join us."
"You scared the soul out of me!" Johanna protested, punching their stalker lightly in the arm. "Were you eavesdropping on us!?"
Fantina scurried to hide behind Sarah, never losing her smile, "My dear Johanna, perish the thought! I just happened to pass by after I finished grading the trial goers and I wished for a nice cup of coffee on my way home!" Her tone made it clear as crystal that she was lying. "All of them failed, by the way. Hurrah for me!"
"Right... and you couldn't ask your servants to make you coffee," Johanna's anger was short lived as a warm smile slowly formed on her lips.
Sarah felt herself being dragged as Fantina brought them both together and put her arms around their shoulders, "It's just been so long since all three of us had a nice lunch together. Now, tell me..." She ducked her head a bit, an ominous grin forming on her lips. "What's this juicy gossip you two were talking about?"
The mood dropped to the floor as both women looked away from her, instead choosing to focus on the floor or walls of the center, which had become very interesting all of a sudden. The Gym leader didn't fail to notice this, and her smile slowly disappeared as the moments went by.
"Ah... not happy news, are they?" She bit her lip, an almost invisible blush appearing in her cheeks. "Well now I feel bad for wanting to know."
Sarah scowled at her friend, and saved to herself the comment that she should've felt bad about eavesdropping regarding of the mood of the news.
"It's fine," she said, freeing herself from Fantina's arms. "You would've found out eventually, since this is official Association business. There have been a couple of sightings of what we think may be one of Shadi's Pokemon."
For the first time all lightheartedness left Fantina's expression. Her eyes opened wide and she let out a small gasp which seemed to make the air around them a lot colder.
"Where!?" Her tone made it sound more like a command than a question. "Which Pokemon?"
Johanna hugged herself, her voice coming out as a whisper, "Her Charizard, Midir."
"It was seen flying northeast towards Veilstone," Sarah clarified. "When I was notified of it I thought it was just a false alarm. Charizard are rare here, but that didn't mean..."
Johanna stomped the ground, startling her, "It was hers! We both saw the photo, didn't we?"
"Yes, we did," she conceded, "I admit it would be extremely unlikely that another Charizard that gigantic could exist in Sinnoh."
Silence spread through the room as the color left from Fantina's skin.
"That day. They never found her Pokemon, did they?" she asked, her breath cold and harsh.
Sarah nodded weakly, "Nor did we find the two people Shadi was training with. All we came across was the corpse of one of her friends at the feet of Victory Road."
Fantina crossed her arms, and her fingers tapped the inside of her arms in an almost rhythmic manner. She furrowed her brow and her lips became thin and pale. It'd been a long time since Sarah had seen that expression on her friend.
Finally she looked up at both of them with cold determination, "I will give you any assistance you need. If Shadi is still alive... then we must find her no matter what."
Johanna barely managed to contain a sob as she spoke, "Fantina... t-thank you..."
"I appreciate it," Sarah said, "but we'll keep this investigation secret until we have more information to go on." She put a firm hand on Fantina's shoulder. "What I do need of you is to look after the people of this town. Team Galactic has been spreading throughout the region, and I fear for the worst. If the Association is not able to stop them we'll need the help of people like you."
Fantina smiled, and the room grew cold enough to make Sarah shiver. The Gym Leader's eyes were dark as night, and thick shadows covered her entire body as she spoke.
"I will not let them set foot in my city," she declared, her voice sending a painful chill down Sarah's spine. "When the moment comes, you can count on me. Both for finding Shadi and for obliterating Team Galactic."
Three days later Inyssa found herself draped in the outfit her mother had made for her, nervously walking in front of the mirror over and over. She could hear the roar of the Contest stadium's audience out the door and through the hallway leading to the arena.
She stood still in front of the mirror and adjusted her skirt for the millionth time. A wave of reluctant excitement traveled through her body as she laid eyes on herself once more. She'd been trying to think of any defect or bothersome thing about the outfit but she just... couldn't. Even she had to admit Johanna had done an incredible job.
Dark, earth colored boots covered her feet to just below her knees, closing around her green tights laced with intricate vine patterns spiraling upwards through her legs. On top of it she wore a red dress, (not too different in color from her usual long coat) which was well adjusted around her torso and opened up at the skirt and sleeves, adorned with green petal shaped frills at the end of them. And as a finishing touch most of her body was covered in a long black cloak which reached to her ankles, its hood big enough to obscure her eyes when she put it on. Attached to her ear and stuck to her cheek was a small portable microphone that she was assured would only turn on when she entered the arena.
She did a little twirl in front of the mirror and the outfit moved as if it were part of her own body. The colors, the rose motif, the fabric and cut, everything was so perfect and she looked so cool she had to stop herself from jumping from joy. Which was good because the door opened just then, and the rest of the challengers entered the room.
She turned around towards Barry and her heart almost jumped out of her chest. He wore tight black pants and shirt which were torn in various places and covered in strange leather belts. On top of it he had a bright yellow jacket with a fuzzy collar and lighting bolts going from his back to his sleeves. His hair was combed backwards in a rockstar style and his smile was as present as ever.
She was very, very glad her hood covered most of her face. For reasons completely unrelated to how amazing Barry looked. Absolutely. Definitely.
"Niss, holy Beedrills!" He closed his hands into fists and stomped the floor with excitement. "That's so cool! You look like a flower wizard!"
Percy couldn't help but laugh, "That's... an interesting description. I like it, even if it lacks a bit of class."
"Lots of personality!" Reiko gave her a thumbs up. "I love it."
Inyssa tried to swallow her embarrassment and nodded weakly, keeping her head down. Through the thick fabric of her hood she saw the other two's outfits. Reiko reminded her of an ancient Kantonian warrior: hard leather armor covered her torso and left free the entirety of her arms, wearing below a thick skirt covered in leather stripes. A crimson cloak covered her shoulders and reached down to her brown sandals. Percy on the other hand was the most normal looking of them; all he had to show was a tailored dark blue suit with lotus patterns on it and below it a white shirt and black tie. A silver pocket watch hung from his hip.
"Simplicity is elegance," he shrugged, forming a smile so smug it rivaled one of her own.
Reiko gave him a soft kick in the shin which managed to shut him up, "Yeah yeah we all know you're pretty," she rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "So, are y'all ready for this? You better be if you don't want me to slap some sense into you."
Inyssa lowered her head even more as she heard Barry and Percy confirm that they were indeed ready for the upcoming fight. She took a deep breath and inhaled the lavender scent of her dress. Her favorite, and her mother knew it.
"Inyssa Dawn!" A thundering voice reverberated through the stadium. "Please approach the arena."
She grabbed onto her chest strongly, and tried to calm her nerves as Barry put a hand on her shoulder. As amazing as her outfit was she felt just a bit out of place in it. She missed the weight of her hat and she felt her neck just a bit too exposed without her scarf.
She forced herself to push those insignificant thoughts to the back of her mind. This was her chance; her first official battle in front of the entirety of Sinnoh. She'd trained for this, she'd lived for this. She would not let everyone down at such a moment.
"I'm ready," she growled as she walked towards the door, raising her head proudly.
The stadium was loud. Really fucking loud, and bright too. And probably a few other adjectives she would've thought of if she weren't trying with all her might to make her legs stop trembling.
A sea of unrecognizable faces and screams drowned the podiums and the only thing Inyssa could do was ignore them as she made her way towards her side of the arena. Sarah and her mother were probably somewhere up there, watching, judging. She dared not look up in fear she might recognize them and then she'd have to feel the weight of their eyes on her the entire match.
No, this was just between her and Fantina. The audience was nothing more than background noise.
Said Gym Leader stood across her, standing out as only she could. Her dress was red like hers, although more vibrant and revealing. Similar petal-like folds formed the majority of it and just below the skirt a few very thin frills went up towards her hips. She didn't need to be Gardenia to know what it was supposed to represent: Red Spider Lily, the flower of the dead.
"Inyssa Dawn," her voice came out of the several speakers adorning the sides of the stadium, "welcome to my glorious battlefield."
A snort escaped her lips.
"Dork," she whispered before remembering the small mic attached to her cheek. An explosion of laughter shook the podiums above and she felt her face going red. "Shit, I mean..."
"Quaint as always," even Fantina let out a small giggle as she made a Pokeball appear out of thin air. "It's okay, you don't need to play along with the silliness of this old woman. I'm sure your battling will speak magnitudes louder than your words. Now, shall we begin?"
Ovations rained from the podiums, and she could even make out her name in the chaos that were their screams. She lowered her head a bit, her hood hiding most of her face, and smiled.
She grabbed her chosen Pokeball from her belt, "Bring it on."
Both trainers released their Pokemon, and at that exact moment music began to play.
Inyssa was almost too concentrated to realize, but she recognized the dulcet notes of an acoustic guitar traveling through the air. Of course she'd also want musical accompaniment, she thought. The woman really spared no expense when it came to her performances.
Not that it mattered. She focused on the arena in front of her and saw the two Pokemon emerge from light. On her side stood Kuro, looking different than he'd done just a couple days ago. His body had grown to almost twice its size, and thick black fur covered his neck and the outlines of his face. Fantina's Pokemon was a lot smaller than she'd expected. It floated above ground with its hands behind its back, staring at them with one glowing, red eye. A skull mask covered about half of its entire body.
Inyssa narrowed her eyes as she studied the Duskull, while the sound of the guitar grew faster and more intense with each second. That thing was native from Hoenn, she knew that much. And while It didn't look very intimidating she was sure there was a reason Fantina chose it.
"Your Luxio's fur is dashing," Fantina mentioned excitedly. "You must take good care of him."
"Thanks. Your Duskull is hideous," she replied offhandedly. "Kuro, Bite!"
"Ulric, you know what to do!"
The Luxio lowered his front legs and jumped towards his opponent, leaving a small trail of electricity as he ran. The music seemed to approach a climax as the electric Pokemon jumped to attack, fangs glistening with dark energy. A soft, woman's voice started singing and Inyssa almost froze.
My dear rose girl... tell me something:
The Duskull's body began to glow too, and she almost didn't realize it due to the surprise of recognizing the music playing around her. She grit her teeth; of course that old hag would find out about her favorite song; she was good friends with her mother after all.
Will your roots take hold of me?
She pushed the thought out of her mind and tried to concentrate on the battle, "Kuro, like we practiced!"
Just before his maw closed around the ghost Pokemon he disappeared, leaving only electricity where his body was before. The Duskull's creepy demeanor turned to surprise. The purple glow evaporated from its body and a shadow appeared behind it.
Winter's wrath will set you free and...
Kuro's fangs closed around his opponent, whose scream was so high pitched Inyssa had to cover her ears. The Luxio didn't seem to mind, as he pinned down the Duskull to the ground, biting harder and harder until it fell completely unconscious. Fantina simply stood and watched, a look of shock on her face.
turn your petals into blades.
"That glow... Destiny Bond, right?" Inyssa spoke, forcing the Gym Leader to pay attention to her. "I took notes on those cheap tricks your Pokemon used during the trial, and I'm not gonna fall for any of them."
Fantina laughed. An honest, cold laugh that made the hair in her arms stand up. "Wonderful, Inyssa. I shouldn't have expected less of you..."
Red as blood and pale as Lady Moon.
"...but this is as far as you go. Atlanta, it's your turn!"
Forlorn fingers reach for...
the sun.
The melody exploded into a frenzy as the new Pokemon appeared on the field. She recognized the disembodied hands and red grin instantly; a Haunter. Quite a bit bigger and definitely more menacing than those she'd encountered in the Lost Tower. Her body shook and shifted with each chuckle that came out of her and her hands opened and closed eagerly, eyes set on Kuro.
Inyssa's fingers closed around the Pokeball until they turned pale, and the music grew even more chaotic.
"Kuro, keep it up!" She yelled, "use Bite again!"
Fantina crossed her arms and smiled, "Sucker Punch."
Rose girl, rose girl tell me something!
The Luxio got into position, but when he raised his head again the Haunter had completely banished. Both Pokemon and trainer looked around confused, although only Inyssa saw Kuro's shadow grow behind him, becoming darker as something emerged from it. She had no time to shout a warning before the Haunter jumped from it and punched him with a hand covered in shadows, sending his body flying halfway across the arena.
What am I to do with you?
Her nails dug deep into her palms as the chorus filled the stadium, "Kuro, run around while looking for an opening! Don't give her any chance to do that again!"
The Luxio's body became a blur as he started to run in circles around his opponent, bright eyes set on his prey and his fangs clear for her to see. The Haunter simply stood in place and laughed, not making any attempt to strike first.
Both Inyssa and Kuro spotted the opening at the same time, and no words were needed as the cub Pokemon stopped suddenly and jumped towards the ghost's back, ready to trap her within his maw.
Tell me, tell me!
Her body vanished once more, and before he could even land another purple fist hit him in the stomach, sending him to the ground.
Is your dream worth all this pain?
Fantina spoke, "If what you want is a contest of speed then I'm afraid you have no chance against my dear Atlanta."
Oh my god shut the fuck up is what she wanted to say, but between the music and cheering invading her ears, the disappointment of having Kuro fall so early and the little bit of self-restraint she had left she decided not to. Instead she focused on how heavy her arm felt as she raised her Pokeball towards Kuro and returned him to it.
Speed. That was the problem she had to deal with at the moment. She needed to counteract Haunter's speed if she wanted any chance to land a hit on her.
This time it was meant to...
Kuro was her second fastest Pokemon, and she'd already promised herself she wouldn't use Enma in battle. Not until he learned his lesson. That only left her with one choice; luckily it was a choice she'd been preparing to make use of during training.
She threw her second Pokeball to the air, "Shadi! Your turn!"
...not become what it once did.
The Kricketune landed on the ground on the tip of her toes, the scythes that were her arms shining under the sunlight. Her eyes met with the Haunter's and her mustache twitched a bit; the only sign of nervousness she would show to the world.
Inyssa couldn't help but smile. She'd come so far already...
But surprise is a gift to,
those without eyes such as mine.
"That's an... interesting choice," Fantina tapped her chin with one of her fingers, "haven't got the type chart memorized yet, darling? You do know that bug Pokemon aren't very effective against ghosts, don't you?"
Inyssa laughed. Maybe because for the first time the woman's taunts weren't getting to her, or perhaps because she had a plan and she couldn't wait to see the look on her face when she pulled it off.
"Sucker punch once more, my beauty."
"Use Bide!"
How could in such a barren garden,
Shadi crossed her scythes in front of her as she received the Haunter's punch head on. The impact sent her a few feet backwards, although it didn't do much in terms of damage. Thin threads of steam started to rise from the Kricketune's body as she gathered energy.
"How cute, but I won't let it work," Fantina sent her arm forward, palm opened. "Shadow Ball!"
appear a child as strong as you?
Haunter opened her mouth and a massive sphere of darkness started to form in front of her. It was easily twice as big as her body and it seemed to be emitting cold towards the rest of the arena. Inyssa grit her teeth, and she felt sweat dripping down her back.
She fired it without warning, and she was pretty sure Shadi couldn't have dodged even if she tried. The impact raised a cloud of dust which flew up towards the podiums, and by the time the wind cleared it she saw her Pokemon standing firm, multiple scorches covering the front of her body.
Pray I never find a foe...
She couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. The Kricketune's skin glowed even more red as she was entirely surrounded by steam. She was having trouble even controlling the energy she'd gathered.
"My my, how scary," the Gym Leader put one of her palms against her cheek, feigning horror. "Still, how do you expect to hit my Atlanta with such a slow, wounded Pokemon?"
Inyssa smiled, showing her teeth to Fantina like a beast flashing its fangs towards its prey.
Pray I never hate someone so much...
"Shadi, send all that energy to your legs!" She ordered. "Fury Cutter, like we practiced!"
Fantina's smile evaporated completely, "Wait, what?"
The red glow that covered Shadi's entire body focused on her tiny legs, and the force of her jump created a small vacuum that sent all the dust backwards. As her body flew to the Haunter she put her scythes at her sides, and began spinning with enough speed to turn her body into a blur.
That I'd send them a rose such as you.
"A-Atlanta, dodge!" Fantina yelled, desperation on her voice. "Don't let it hit you!"
The Haunter vanished into thin air once again, but as soon as she appeared at the other side of the arena she saw Shadi veer her trajectory and head towards her once more, her body a whirlwind of scythes that the ghost Pokemon had no chance of evading.
Inyssa pointed at their foe and decided to take a page out of Barry's book, "Reaper's Waltz, now!"
Shadi fell on top of Haunter with overwhelming strength, pinning her against the ground and slashing her body repeatedly, each strike causing more and more damage until the ghost moved no more.
I'd much rather keep you close and...
"What's wrong, darling?" Inyssa spoke again, badly imitating Fantina's tone and accent. "You do know that Haunter has horrible defenses, don't you?"
The notes of the song almost came to a halt as the Gym Leader returned her Pokemon, expression covered in shadows. They advanced slowly, carefully, and Inyssa could feel a chill of anticipation running down her spine.
…save you from the light you seek.
"I am impressed," she whispered into her mic, her voice soft and musical. "Let's see if you can finish this with the same smile on your face."
Her last Pokemon appeared, and Inyssa had trouble identifying it. It floated just like the last two, and was dark, deep purple. On top of his round head sat elaborate tufts that resembled a witch's hat, and his body looked like a dark cloak floating amidst the wind, its tips a bit paler than the rest of his body. Three red gems adorned his chest.
"Meet , my Mismagius," said Fantina, and Inyssa had to make sure she'd heard that name correctly. "He will be ending the fight now.
Trust me, shadow's kisses are comforting,
Inyssa shook her head as she tried to force herself to look at something other than the beautiful ghost Pokemon in front of her. She had no time to lose.
"Shadi, use the energy you have left from that Bide! Keep attacking!"
and the sun was never meant to love forever.
The Kricketune jumped towards her opponent, eyes beaming with determination. Her scythes glowed with a sinister green light but her body didn't move as fast as before, and Inyssa wasn't sure the attack would be able to connect.
Which it did, cutting the Mismagius in half and making his body dissipate into smoke.
Shadi stared in confusion as a dozen Mismagius appeared around her, slowly spiraling and staring down at her with their gleaming yellow eyes. Inyssa needed more time than she should have to realize that he was using Double Team, and by then it was too late.
All of them jumped towards the Kricketune, who attacked the first one she could and turned it to smoke as well. The real Mismagius appeared behind her, and without warning shot a Shadow Ball point blank into her back. Inyssa gasped and took her hands to her mouth, ice forming in her throat.
May your thorns not lose their edge and,
Shadi fell to the ground, unconscious. Her back was completely black.
Fantina sent her another taunt, but Inyssa wasn't listening, too focused on whether her Pokemon was still breathing. Once she made sure she was the cold covering most of her body evaporated, and she returned Shadi to her Pokeball with a sigh of relief.
She looked up to the Gym leader, and did her best not to show the hesitation she was feeling. Both the song and the cheers and screams of the audience rang in her mind. Her limbs were trembling, and she could feel her breathing become heavier and heavier.
may your soul grow deep and kind.
She smiled to herself, fingers curling into fists. That was the exact feeling she'd been looking for. The exhilaration of a true fight.
Should she send Bret? He was strong but none of his attacks would be effective against a ghost Pokemon. Steven? No, he wasn't fast enough and his aerial advantage would be useless against someone who could float. And Enma wasn't an option either; she had to prove that she didn't rely on her starter to win.
That only left one choice, and she shivered at the thought of it. Another jolt of electricity hit her hip, and her sight went down towards the Pokeball that contained Hao.
Rose girl, rose girl,
She held it in front of her eyes and she could swear she felt power rushing from it towards her fingers and throughout her entire body. Hao was strong, she knew that better than anyone, but she wasn't sure she'd be able to control him. Last time she'd tried had been a couple days ago during training, and the ghost Pokemon had listened to her for only a few seconds before becoming... unstable.
how could you forget?
She felt the hair on the back of her head stand up as she spoke, "Listen to me... I need you. I know you're not fond of me, but I promise that if you lend me your strength..." she closed her eyes and drew a deep breath. "I will let you do whatever you want. Even if you want me to release you, I will say yes to your request."
She threw the Pokeball into the air, its light materializing into Hao. Just like she'd seen before his red body made of plasma shifted and cackled with the white energy that surrounded him. She could not read his expression, as his blue eyes were blank and dull.
Your petals turn black and,
"Oh my..." Fantina spoke, unable to hide the surprise in her voice. "Now that's something I wasn't expecting."
She locked eyes with the Pokemon and pointed towards the Mismagius, "I trust you, Hao. Please help me."
your leaves will burn and wither for this.
The Rotom stared at her for a few moments, and just when that horrible burnt stench invaded her mind and she thought she wouldn't be able to sustain the weight of his eyes, he turned around. No words came out of him, but she somehow understood. He would fight.
"T-thank you..." she whispered, and attempted to smile.
May you see the way out of this garden,
Fantina punched the air forward, lips curling into an unhinged smile, "That's the spirit! We shall end it with this attack: Shadow Ball!"
"Discharge!" Inyssa yelled at the top of her lungs.
may your roots not bind you...
Hao let out a high-pitched scream as electricity erupted from his body, traveling towards the ball of darkness currently heading his way. Both attacks clashed in the middle of the arena and the resulting explosion almost sent both trainers to the ground. The earth beneath her feet shook and a gust of wind hit her in the face as both Pokemon were covered in dust.
until the day you die.
The entire stadium held its breath. As the arena cleared they could see the silhouette of one of the Pokemon laying on the ground.
Oh, my child of thorns...
Inyssa's lip trembled as she saw Hao floating above the unconscious body of his opponent, cackling with the remnants of his attack.
please escape from this garden,
"Well, would you look at that," she heard Fantina's voice in the back of her mind, "looks like we have a winner, folks."
and meet the world we left behind.
The resulting explosion of ovations and screams almost deafened her. Her knees felt made of jelly. She closed her eyes and let out a small laugh that almost sounded like a sob.
She'd won. Her first official battle in front of the entire world.
Without thinking she took the hood off, showing her face to the cameras. She turned toward them, and opened her mouth to speak.
Later that day she had to ask herself why she did what she did. Perhaps it was the euphoria she felt, perhaps it was the hundreds of voices chanting her name. Or maybe she'd been dreaming of doing such a thing since she was a child, and couldn't simply waste the opportunity.
"To the current Champion of Sinnoh!" She pointed her finger towards the sky, a huge smile adorning her face. "I hope you've enjoyed your twelve years of being undefeated, because I'm coming for you." She closed her hand into a fist, so strongly that her fingertips turned white. "I'm going to take your title, whether you like it or not!"
Hundreds of miles from the stadium, inside the Champion's palace at the Lily of the Valley island there was a woman. She sat in a leather couch, and her fingers moved a glass of wine as she saw the battle unfold through her television.
She heard the girl's words, and her body froze. Not because of fear or surprise, but because of something much more primal and dangerous.
The woman's lips curled upwards, and the entire world felt the weight of her smile.
"Inyssa, eh? How fitting," she whispered, savoring the name she'd just heard. "Very well, I will accept your challenge."