"Ladies and gentlemen," a young woman announced, "welcome to Nimbasa Gym!"
The lights burst on, and the crowd instantly erupted into a roar. Door blinked several times, not out of surprise but instead out of blindness; it took several seconds for her vision to resolve and for the battlefield in front of her to come into view.
And what she saw in front of her was unlike anything else she had ever seen. A catwalk stretched before her, and its glassy surface reflected the brilliant lights set along its sides. At its edges, Companions sauntered forward, flaunting yellow dresses and cream-colored fur coats before turning abruptly to face one another like a wall of models. Behind them, rising up from either side of the catwalk, were rows upon rows of theater-style seats. Every single row was filled to capacity with screaming fans, each either clapping or pumping their arms in excitement.
Swallowing hard, Door turned her eyes back to the catwalk, staring straight ahead at the stage far in front of her. There, waiting in the center of the wide-open space, was Elesa, and next to her stood a Companion in a League referee's uniform. Above the gym leader, a vast screen took up the entire back wall, projecting Elesa's calm and confident smile for the audience to see. Out of the corner of her eye, Door saw one of the closest Companions turn its head to her, and in the next instant, the image of Elesa's face was replaced by Door's own.
She didn't need the giant screen to know that her face was paling.
"Oh," Door breathed.
"Welcome to Nimbasa Gym indeed," Geist chuckled. He stepped up beside her, with Red floating just over his shoulder. "Surprised? Nimbasa Gym is considered to be the second real challenge in the Unova Circuit, and Elesa is a veteran trainer. It's not unusual for gyms to be publicized before the match happens, especially if the gym leader is as popular as Elesa is. That may be why she asked you to wait a couple of days before she battled you."
Door swallowed again. "Isn't it a bit much, though?"
"Not really. Rosa Alvarado had the same treatment, I've been told."
He punctuated this with a wink, to which Door responded by straightening her back. Then, with a deep breath, she stepped forward, passing the first row of Companions. The lights behind them changed to a brilliant green, and the same female voice that had started the show boomed through the loudspeakers.
"We have an exciting match for you today, folks!" she said. "Yes, just in case you weren't satisfied by yesterday's match, another challenger has emerged to take on our very own Elesa Priestly!"
Door clenched her jaw and pushed forward, past the next set of Companions and then the set after that and the set after that. With each set she passed, the lights behind them shifted. Gold. Blue. Pink. White. All the while, she focused on the stage straight ahead. Her eyes steadied on Elesa, not on the screen above her, and she pushed the thought of the crowds out of her mind. She didn't want to think about them right then, about how many eyes were on her at that moment.
At the same time, the announcer continued.
"Hailing from Nuvema City, this up-and-coming trainer possesses the knowledge to rise above the Striaton Gym, the wisdom to outsmart the Nacrene Gym, and the creativity to conquer the Castelia Gym. But does she have the power to defeat the Nimbasa Gym, or will our shining beauty defend her title for the second time this week? Just wait and see, folks!"
At that, Door arrived at the stage and rested her clenched fists at her side. Geist stood next to her on one side, and Red floated at her other. Together, the looked up at Elesa, who regarded them by tilting her chin up and casting a smirk onto the trio. Next to her, the referee Companion smiled, then opened her mouth and continued.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the Companion boomed, "put your hands together for today's challenger, Door Hornbeam!"
The crowd erupted into another deafening burst of cheers. Door gritted her teeth and tried her best to push the spectators back out of her mind. How many of them recognized her last name, she wondered? Her mother kept her out of the limelight all throughout her childhood, but everyone knew her grandmother. That thought only heightened the twinge of nervousness she was already feeling, and she couldn't help but think about the crowd again. She shuddered and took a deep breath, trying to look calm and collected for the gym leader.
Elesa smiled broadly, and Door knew by the look in her eyes that she could see right through her act.
"Welcome, Door," she said. "Glad you could make it. I've been looking forward to our battle, ever since Hilda told me about your skill."
Door forced herself to smile. Reaching behind her head with one hand, she extended her other and chuckled.
"Well," she said. "Hopefully I'm not gonna disappoint."
Elesa grasped Door's hand and shook it, and Door felt the snap and tingle of electricity. Somehow, Elesa's hand was colder than Door had expected.
"I doubt you will," Elesa replied.
"Right." The gym Companion stepped forward and shook the official referee flags at her sides. "Miss Hornbeam, welcome to Nimbasa Gym. Our standard rules are simple. This is a single battle, switch style, no time limit. The challenger may use as many pokémon as she wishes, but the gym leader will only use three. Fauxkémon and items are permitted for both sides. Only the challenger may seek guidance from their Companion, but their designated Companion may not interfere with the battle otherwise, including to transport pokémon from the storage network to the arena. Fight cleanly, within the boundaries of the battlefield. If these rules are acceptable to you, please confirm and take your place in the challenger's box."
Door glanced at the Companion, then back at Elesa. "W-what? Oh! Yeah, I guess."
"Well, then best of luck, Door," Elesa said.
With that, Elesa turned and walked to one end of the field. Door took another deep breath, then made her way to the other. As she walked, Geist and Red trailed after her.
"So, what's your strategy?" Geist asked.
"Knives all the way if I can," Door said.
Geist gave her a strange look. "Not Red?"
Door shook her head, keeping her eyes on the challenger's box and not the crowd behind it. "Nah. Just make sure Red's out of the way. I just want him to watch."
"Watch?"
She forced herself to smile. "Yeah. I remember what N said about him. Let's see how interested he is in me after the match."
Geist blinked at her. "Whatever you wish, Door." Then, shaking his head, he added, "I should warn you about something, though."
Door took up position in the trainer's box at the end of the field. Pulling out Knives's poké ball, she glanced at her Companion, who stopped at her side. "What?"
"Elesa is known for using emolga," Geist told her. "They're flying-types."
At that, Door forced herself to grin. "Thanks for the tip, Geist, but everyone knows that. Luckily, I've thought this through, and seeing as I can't use sandile to take down her other signature pokémon, we'll have to settle for Plan B: Knives all the way."
"Plan B? You must be serious about this." He patted her shoulder. "Well, then, best of luck. Call for me if you need me."
Geist swept his hand away from Door, motioning for Red to follow. Together, the Companion and the pokémon moved behind Door, off the edge of the stage, and to a bench set up just below it. Door gave them both a thumbs up with her free hand before turning to the battle.
"If you're ready, Miss Hornbeam, the gym leader traditionally offers the challenger first pick," the referee stated.
She took a deep breath. "Right. I'm ready. Knives! Let's—"
"Just a moment."
Door stopped, mid-wind-up, to blink at Elesa. The gym leader smiled and motioned to the referee Companion. As soon as the referee was by her side, Elesa lifted her hand at her side, and a holographic panel appeared next to her.
"Nervous, Door?" she asked.
"Um." Door's eyes flicked from side to side. Wasn't she supposed to be starting this battle?
Elesa cocked her head and tapped a few keys on the panel. In the center of the battlefield, a neat crack split the gym floor in two, and the floor slid apart, revealing a smooth, red expanse of earth underneath. As this new floor rose to take its place, domed holographic projectors emerged along its sides and shot outwards until they hovered several feet from the edges of the battlefield.
"What place makes you the most comfortable?" Elesa asked. "Woods? City? Describe it to me."
"I…" Door furrowed her eyebrows.
"Door," Geist whispered harshly to her, "she's giving you the option to customize the field. It may help with the crowds and give you an advantage."
"Crowds?!" Door squeaked. "I'm not afraid of a bunch of people staring at me! Where did you get that idea?!"
Looking back at him, Door saw a deadpan expression on Geist's face. Then, with a smirk, he said, "Well, all right. Then pretend you're not nervous and choose a field you'd like to fight on."
"A-a field? I don't know," Door said. "I-I guess … the beach?"
"Good choice!" Elesa exclaimed.
She tapped a few more keys, and the projectors flared to life. A blue light rushed out from each of them, bounced off invisible walls a few feet from each side of the battlefield, and traced upwards to form a massive box of glowing, white walls around them. Pixels trailed along the walls, quickly forming the images of white sand dunes winding across the battlefield and for miles before and behind Door. A warm, salty wind bent fields of tall, wispy beach grasses to Door's left, and to her right, rolling, bottle-green waves crashed against the shore. Almost directly overhead, a hot sun hung in a cloudless, blue sky.
And then, all at once, Door felt … relaxed. She couldn't hear the crowds anymore. She couldn't feel their gazes or see the giant television screen with her face on it. All she felt was warm, salty air, the sort that almost reminded her of something.
Hoenn. Home.
"Better?"
Door almost jumped out of her skin at the sound of another person's voice right over her shoulder. She looked back to see Geist smiling down at her.
"The crowd can still see you," he told her, "but don't worry. The hologram will hold no matter how intense the battle gets. You won't be able to see them, and more importantly, they won't be able to hear me."
"What?" Door asked.
He nodded towards the field. "Better get started." Straightening, he stood next to Door. "My user accepts this change."
"Wonderful!" Elesa exclaimed. "Then please send out your first pokémon!"
Door inhaled through her nose and closed her eyes. She tasted the salt and felt the sunlit warmth, and as she did, all thoughts of the crowd outside the box eased out of her mind.
"Okay," she said. Flicking open her eyes, she held her poké ball aloft. "Okay! Knives! Let's go!"
With a flash of light, Knives materialized in front of her owner. She tilted her head at the sight of the beach stretching before her, and she trotted forward, cooing in curiosity. Elesa smiled as her first opponent approached.
"Not bad," she said. "But let's see how it stands up to this! Coco, go!"
Elesa raised her first poké ball in the air, and it cracked open and released a burst of energy. In a brilliant shower of light, a small, black-and-white pokémon sailed forward. It chittered and extended its tiny legs, spreading its flattened skin flaps enough to hang in the air. Door smirked at the flying squirrel. Her mind was already flicking through the calculations, comparing her rabbit's bulk to the fragile-looking rodent before her.
"This will be quick," she said. "Knives, flatten it with Secret Power!"
"Coco, Volt Switch!" Elesa ordered at once.
What happened next was a blur to Door—a literal blur, in which Elesa's emolga became nothing more than a streak of golden light. The streak shot at Knives with a bang, and before Door knew it, her rabbit was flat on her back and squealing in pain. Elesa swept her arm up and held her emolga's poké ball aloft, just a split second before the streak struck the device. As soon as her emolga retreated, Elesa whirled around and tossed a second poké ball into the air. This one released another burst of light, and soon, Door was looking … at another emolga.
"Don't let it fool you!" Geist shouted. "That's a second emolga, not the same one you were just facing!"
Door glared over her shoulder. "You don't say! Here I thought she Volt Switched to the same pokémon!"
Geist gave her an apologetic grin. "Sorry. Here's something useful: that's Elesa's usual strategy. Electric-types are remarkably fast, and Volt Switch forces Elesa to switch out pokémon every time its user lands a hit. She uses this to her advantage by constantly shuffling her pokémon before her opponent can take out any one of them while dealing damage at the same time."
"And how is that fair?!" Door snapped.
Geist shrugged. "Because it's legal."
Door growled and turned back to the battle. At that moment, Knives, who had watched Door over her shoulder with concern, finally pushed herself to her feet and glanced uneasily back at the emolga. This one wore the same confident grin as its twin as it bobbed in the air. Behind it, Elesa smiled and waited. Waited, Door realized. Elesa was waiting for Door to make her next move. For Door to order Knives directly into another Volt Switch.
"So what do I do?" she muttered.
"Think about it," Geist replied. "No strategy is iron-clad. If the gym leader won't let you attack directly, what other options do you have?"
Door closed her eyes and frowned. What options did she have? Sure, Knives had non-offensive moves. She was an audino, after all. But none of them were fast enough to take out Elesa's emolga. Door had prepared for the speed of Elesa's electric-types; she had known thanks to years of watching Hilda King's battles which pokémon this gym leader was likely to use. But how could she have forgotten that Elesa's team could use Volt Switch? How could she beat that?
"The battle may be untimed," Elesa called, "but it still has to move, Door. Your next order, please."
"I know," she said. "I know! I just need to think!"
And then, to her, it felt like every sensation she was feeling on that fake beach faded a little. She couldn't explain how—perhaps it was simply because she was so focused on the battle right then—but above everything else, she heard her Companion's footsteps draw closer to her.
"Door," he said, "I can give you another hint."
She balled her hands into tight fists at her sides. "What?"
"A hint," Geist said. "Listen. Do you know what emolga's primary ability is?"
Door's heart sank at the realization. "Static."
"Very good. What does it do?"
She swallowed. "If an opponent uses a physical attack on an emolga, there's a chance the emolga will send an electric shock through that pokémon, instantly paralyzing it."
"And what is it called when a pokémon is paralyzed?"
"I don't know—status?"
"You studied. Final question. Audino are slower than emolga, and when it comes to directly damaging techniques, Knives only knows Secret Power and Dig. But that's not all she knows, is it?"
Door's eyes snapped open, and she glanced back at Geist. He stood behind her with his arms crossed. When his partner looked at him, he tilted his head and smiled.
"That's right. There's a reason why I'm telling you this," he said. "Good luck."
With a smirk, Door snorted. "Don't need it. Thanks for the tip." Then, turning back to the battle, she said, "Knives! Secret Power again!"
"Chanel, Volt Switch!" Elesa responded.
Just like its partner, Elesa's second emolga shot across the field, surrounded by crackling electricity. Knives had no time to react before she was struck in the chest, but this time, she dropped to a knee onto the sand-covered floor instead of her back. The emolga shot back to its poké ball, and a second later, its twin took the field again.
"Now's your cue, Knives!" Door shouted. "Prepare your Secret Power!"
Knives extended a paw, and a bright, pink orb swirled within her claws. She swung this orb directly into her chest, allowing the pink light to envelope her. Across the field, Elesa raised her eyebrows and smirked.
"I'm not sure what you're planning, Door, but I think you've already figured out why Secret Power is going to be tough to use on my pokémon," she said. "Coco, Volt Switch!"
"Knives, lean forward!" Door replied.
The audino swept herself onto her feet but leaned forward. Coco swung itself backwards, then shot forward like an electrified pebble from a slingshot and plowed into Knives's chest. Knives yelped as her paws slid out from under her, but instead of being driven into the ground onto her back or a knee, she fell forward—directly onto her opponent. Pink light and golden bolts of electricity lit up the gym with a deafening bang. Door flinched, turning her face away from the battle briefly. Then, cautiously, she looked back, just as the light faded.
Knives and Coco stood inches apart, on all fours and with teeth bared on the sandy floor. Both pokémon looked ready to leap at one another again, but the emolga's posture looked off somehow. It trembled and shook, and its face was flatter than it had been a moment ago. Door exhaled at the sight.
"Almost there," Door muttered.
"Chanel, Volt Switch!"
Door straightened. "Knives! Get up and—"
Before she could finish, Knives was on her back again with a squeal, and Chanel was replaced by Coco. Realizing Elesa had taken advantage of her moment of distraction, Door balled her hands back into fists and growled.
"Knives! Can you get up?!" she asked.
It took some effort, but Knives stood and winced. Shaking off the shock of being struck, she looked back with a smile and a thumbs up.
"Interesting tactic," Elesa said. "Forcing Chanel to come to you. Shame you couldn't knock him out."
Door furrowed her eyebrows. Him. One of the emolga was male. Suddenly, Geist's advice made sense. There was a reason why he had told her what he did. He knew that if Knives learned Secret Power, then by the logical progression of which techniques audino learned when, that meant she should have known…
But would that actually work on a fauxkémon? Door swallowed. No. She had to trust Geist. He wouldn't tell her something that could cost her the match.
"Knives, brace yourself again!" Door snapped.
"You're going to have to do better than that," Elesa replied. "Coco, Volt Switch!"
For a second time, Knives stood, grinding her hind paws into the floor. At the same time, Coco shot at her, cutting across the field like a lightning bolt before plowing into Knives's chest. The audino dropped to a knee with a strangled cry, and Coco shot back to Elesa, retreating once more into safety. Once more, Chanel took to the field and floated with jerking bobs above the center of the field.
"Move now, Knives!" Door shouted. "Attract!"
Knives struggled to her feet as one of her paws found her lips. She gave her palm a kiss and pulled it away, and as her paw moved, a heart made of pink light swirled onto her palm. At the sight of it, Elesa visibly stiffened.
"Chanel, dodge!" Elesa shouted.
Her emolga shuddered and dipped to the side, but somehow, he managed to soar skyward again. Knives shoved her palm against the heart she had created, and it shot through the air like a pink bullet and engulfed the flying squirrel. All at once, he fell like a pink comet back to the floor, only to pull up at the last second, moments before he would have crashed. For a few seconds, he skimmed along the sand dunes until he landed on the center of the field, and there, he lay, keeping his wide eyes on the audino.
"Chanel, get out of there!" Elesa demanded. "Volt Switch!"
The flying squirrel didn't move. He remained there, paws grasping at the floor and eyes glued onto Knives. Door grinned and looked over her shoulder.
"Hey, nice tip," she said.
Geist crossed his arms and inclined his head. "It's what I'm here for. Right, Red?"
Beside him, the yamask merely bobbed. His eyes were fixed in fascination on the battle, and upon seeing his expression, Door couldn't help but grin with confidence.
"That's right," she said. "You can trust me."
"Chanel, break free and use Volt Switch!" Elesa ordered.
Door snorted. "I don't think so. Knives! Secret Power one more time!"
Once more, Elesa's emolga refused to do anything else but stare at Knives. In as cute a manner as she could muster, Knives twirled on one foot as she extended an arm above her. Pink light whirled up her body and into her palm to form a glowing, rose-colored ball. She stopped, facing Chanel as she held the ball in front of her chest. Leaning down, she kissed it, pressed it into her skin, and let it wash its rosy light over her body. Once it ebbed around her, she bound forward in one graceful leap after another until she came within feet of her opponent. Then, Knives jumped up and threw her entire body onto Chanel. He crunched beneath her, and the pink light burst into a dazzling explosion.
When the light cleared and Knives rolled off her opponent, Chanel lay there, unmoving. But this time, there was no light in his glassy eyes—no admiration in his dented face. The gym Companion ran forward, peered at the squirrel, and raised her arm—the one closest to Door.
"Emolga is unable to battle!" the gym Companion announced. "Match goes to the challenger!"
Elesa smiled and held up a poké ball to recall her emolga. Glancing across the battlefield, she gave Door an approving nod.
"Good thinking, disabling my emolga like that," she said. Then, after slipping one emolga's poké ball into the pocket of her pantsuit, she brought out a second. "Unfortunately for you, the other one may just keep you on your toes a little longer. Attract won't work on her, after all!"
She tossed the next ball into the air, and once again, Door found herself staring at Coco. Balling her hands into fists again, Door leaned forward a little. Sure, according to Elesa, Attract wouldn't work on this one, but what about the one after it? What about that third pokémon?
"Coco, Volt Switch!" Elesa ordered.
"Oh crap, wait!" Door stammered. "Knives—"
The emolga shot straight at Knives before she could finish, and for a fourth time, the audino took a surge of electricity to the chest. She squealed as the bullet of light shot back at its source, but Door set her teeth. This was it. This was the third pokémon. She knew what it was thanks to the records of Hilda King's battle and of Rosa Alvarado's battle and of every other battle Elesa had ever recorded. But that didn't stop the feeling of dread from settling into Door's stomach when Elesa's next pokémon emerged from a burst of white light.
Because before her, in the center of the battlefield, a six-foot-tall zebra towered over her pokémon.
Eying the zebstrika, Door took a deep breath.
"Geist?!" she shouted.
"Male!" he snapped back. "You've got this, Door!"
"Really hope you're right!" Door replied. "Knives, Attract!"
"Nice strategy, but let's see if you're fast enough for it." Elesa swept a hand forward. "Armani! Flame Charge!"
Elesa's pokémon reared up on its hind legs, kicking with a wild whinny. Then, he slammed his hooves into the sand, and as flames surged up around his body, he charged at a speed that almost took Door and Knives off-guard. Knives hesitated for a second before quickly kissing her paw. As she drew a ball of pink light from her lips, the zebstrika plowed into her, and the two of them became engulfed with flames and rose-colored light. Between them, the mixture of energies exploded, sending Armani skidding backwards and Knives tumbling towards Door. The rabbit rolled onto her stomach just feet from her trainer, and with effort, Knives lifted herself, pushing her body to its knees.
"Knives, are you okay?!" Door cried.
The rabbit chirped and forced herself to her feet. With an unsteady grin, she gave her trainer another thumbs up. Door bit her lip. She knew Knives couldn't take that much more, even if audino were notorious for their defenses.
"Armani, Volt Switch!" Elesa commanded.
A sharp whinny brought Door's attention back to her opponent. The zebra bucked and reared back onto his hind legs, and he violently wrenched his head away from Knives. When he slammed his hooves back into the ground, a cloud of sand billowed out around him, but he made no effort to emerge from it. Instead, his glowing eyes burned through the cloud of sand as it settled around him, as he stood tall and firm with his ankles buried in the tiny dunes he had created.
Door stared at those hooves as two realizations dawned on her.
"Knives! Dig!"
Truth be told, a reasonable trainer would have thought that Dig, a move that required a pokémon to tunnel deep into the earth, would be a terrible decision in an indoor arena with a retractable dirt floor that couldn't have been more than a few feet deep. Door was not a reasonable trainer. She was, instead, a smart one, and she not only knew how Dig worked but also that Elesa would know too. That was why she had a pair of emolga, after all.
But Door didn't realize just that, of course. She had also realized that sand formed an excellent cushion for concealing something burrowing mere feet below it. Like a sandile in the desert. Or an audino.
And so, as Elesa's zebstrika bucked and whinnied in protest of his own master's orders, Knives hopped into the air and plunged her front claws into the sand beneath her, then tunnelled into the dirt hidden beneath the arena.
Elesa was smiling after that.
"Very good, Door," she said. "Either you got really lucky, or you knew enough to figure out my arena's little secret. Armani, Flame Charge!" With Knives out of sight, the zebstrika bucked his head and whinnied. He reared up on his hind legs, then slammed his front hooves into the floor. Fire rushed up his legs and consumed his body, and as if fuelled by it, he launched forward, racing around the beach in a gallop. As the zebra picked up speed, the fire flared brighter, forcing Door to reel back with its light and heat. Shielding herself with an arm, she squinted at the pokémon. Elesa's zebstrika was going far too fast. How was Knives supposed to get a bead on it?
As if to answer her question, the ground exploded not far from the center of the field, and Knives burst high into the air. Armani, unable to correct his course in time, barreled directly into the hole she had made, his left front leg sinking in deep. Knives came down to smash her entire body into the zebra's shoulder, and with a sharp whinny and a sickening snap, the zebstrika fell over onto his side. He shrieked as three of his four legs kicked frantically, and Door could see why: his fourth leg was stuck in the burrow Knives had made, bent partway up the calf. Knives landed a few feet away, and there, she squatted and waited.
"Clever, disabling my zebstrika like that," Elesa said. "Armani! Calm down and pull yourself out!"
Door grinned. "Disabled, huh? Okay, Knives. Dig again, but this time, do it fast!"
From her squat, Knives leapt into the air like a rabbit, then plunged back into the sand. Armani squirmed and whinnied, desperate to escape, until at last, his leg popped out of the hole. Knives followed shortly afterwards, plowing her entire body into the zebstrika's chest and thrusting him upwards and onto his side. His chest and shoulder caved under her paws, and the light in his eyes flickered off.
The gym Companion wasted no time in raising her arm. "Zebstrika is unable to battle! Match goes to the challenger!"
"Don't get too cocky, Door," Elesa warned with a smile. She withdrew her zebstrika and held up her last poké ball. "You still have one more obstacle between you and my badge, remember?"
She tossed the poké ball into the air with a flourish, and Coco emerged from the device and soared into the air. Door kept her eyes on it and pressed her lips together for a second.
"Geist?" she called out. "Girl or boy?"
"Sorry, Door," he said. "This one's a girl. Be careful!"
Door huffed. "So no Attract. Fine. She can't use Volt Switch either, so we're—"
"Aerial Ace!" Elesa ordered.
Door choked on her own words. "Whoa, wait!"
Before Door could send out her own orders, the emolga shot at Knives. It was a near repeat of the onslaught of Volt Switches, but this time, there was no electricity. There was only a black and yellow blur rushing down and slamming hard into Knives's chest, only to swerve back up into the air. It happened so quickly that Knives's reaction almost seemed delayed: a screech a second after the strike landed, a slow-motion pitch backwards onto her tail, a slow and sluggish flailing of her limbs as she lay on her back in the sand. Door had to blink a few times before her mind registered that Knives was moving no slower than normal. But the audino was on the ground, and judging by her pained cries, Door knew that she wouldn't be able to handle many more fast-paced strikes.
Luckily, Door already had an idea cooking: one she knew was going to work … largely because she had already seen it. Whether or not Knives would survive it was entirely another matter, however, and she knew that. Glancing at Elesa's emolga, she eyed the way the squirrel bobbed. Coco was in no better shape than Knives, which was something, considering she was a fauxkémon. Her chassis looked flattened, and now that she wasn't rushing at her opponent, Door noticed how she floated erratically in the air. But her expression was just as blank as any other fauxkémon's, and Door knew from the Aerial Ace that she could hit just as hard as ever. So letting Knives take a hit to deal one was a risk. Period.
But it was either that or forfeit.
"Knives!" she shouted. "Can you get up?!"
With some effort, the audino rose her feet. She cast a shiny-eyed glance back towards her trainer and forced a small smile. Door took a breath. This was a risk. This was a big risk. But she knew that out of her pokémon, Knives had the best chances at taking out Elesa's last pokémon.
"It's okay, Knives," she said. "Secret Power, just like before!"
"Again? That's rather courageous of you, Door," Elesa said. "Fine. Coco, let's repeat too! Aerial Ace!"
As quickly as she could, Knives slammed a ball of pink light into her chest and ground her paws into the floor. Coco shot at her, just as she had a moment ago. For an instant, Door held her breath, and the arena seemed to fall into silence.
And then, with a flash of movement and a bang, Coco struck Knives in the chest, and Knives swept her body down, on top of the emolga. Pink light exploded from the pile, and for that half-second, Door was blinded.
Then, the light dissipated, and there Knives lay, face down on the floor. No one said a word. No one moved. Slowly, the gym Companion started forward, her blank eyes steadying on the two pokémon for any signs of movement. Slowly, Knives pulled herself off the pile and sat down on the sand, and with a chirp, she licked her paws and combed them across her face and ears.
Coco, meanwhile, sprawled out on the gym floor. Her head was smashed in, and her eyes were out and lifeless.
"Emolga is unable to battle!" the gym Companion announced. "Gym Leader Elesa is out of usable pokémon! Battle goes to the challenger!"
All at once, the beach disappeared, replaced by the gym and the crowds and the noise.
The gym had erupted into a wave of sound. Door looked up to see the crowds leaping to their feet, hands wildly clapping and waving as each person cheered for her. She shuddered under their excitement but pushed herself to give them a little wave back. Then, with a deep breath, she moved forward, focusing completely on audino, forcing herself to ignore the crowds. When she was close, she swooped down to wrap her arms around her audino, and in her grasp, Knives chirruped and stopped grooming long enough to nuzzle her back.
"Knives, you're incredible," she said.
"I agree," Elesa responded.
Door looked up to see Elesa standing over her with one hand on her hip. Her other hand hung at her side, and her slender fingers played with a small, metallic object.
"Your power dazzled me," she said. "It was just the shocking match I was hoping for, Door, and your teamwork with your Companion was simply electrifying! You're a shining example of a trainer indeed!"
With a nervous grin, Door rose to her feet. "Um … thanks?"
Elesa chuckled into her hand, then extended it, palm up, to reveal a badge. Door stiffened as she eyed the golden lightning bolt Elesa was offering her.
"No, thank you for the excellent battle," Elesa continued. "It's my pleasure to award you with the Bolt Badge. Please have your Companion approach and present your badge case."
Door felt a hand on her shoulder. She didn't have to look up to know that Geist was at her side. With a whispered "good job," he stepped forward and spread his hands before Elesa. His holographic screen swirled to life, and Elesa pressed her badge into the empty spot beside Melissa's. The Bolt Badge dissolved into a rush of glitter and sparks, leaving behind its gleaming image beside Door's three other badges.
"With the Bolt Badge, you're halfway through your Unova challenge," Elesa said. "Door, you're a remarkable trainer, so I have full faith in you. Show the other four gym leaders the same sort of skill, power, and trust in your team you've shown me, and I have no doubt you'll make it to the Elite Four."
"I hope so," Door said. "Uh, good battling you?"
She extended a hand, prompting Elesa to broaden her smile a little more. Elesa's hand wrapped around Door's and gripped it, sending waves of electricity up Door's arm.
"Good battling you too, Door," Elesa replied, "and best of luck with your journey. We'll be keeping an eye out for you, you know. Given the events of the other day."
Door hesitated. She had nearly forgotten about everything else that had happened that week. And now, having been reminded about Team Matrix, Door felt the euphoria of winning the battle quickly wear off. Clearing her throat, she forced one last smile and nodded.
"R-right. Thanks," she said.
And with that, she quickly turned away, back towards the challenger's end of the field.
"Hey, Red!" she called. "Come on! Check out—"
Before she could finish, she felt her words jumble up into a hardened ball at the back of her throat. Red was there, floating above the edge of the field as he had throughout the match, but now, he was turned away, with his back to Door. And the reason for that was because he was talking to a pignite in the front row.
The pignite's trainer and her Companion, meanwhile, were sitting next to him, beaming up at Door with proud but familiar faces.
"Hey, Door," Blair said. "Congrats on your win."
—
FILE NAME: CLIO
AUTHOR: Lanette Hamilton
NOTES: From the audio research notes of Lanette Hamilton. Transcript only; sound file has been lost. File transcribed by Bebe Larson.
LANETTE: Project Galatea, mass production notes, day 68. As a follow-up to the previous entry, I thought it would be appropriate to transpose a Urania setup onto a lightweight chassis. This would enable us to produce the cheapest Companion we can, thanks to the lack of a personality core. After all, personality cores tend to be expensive due to the necessary psyche regulatory software, not to mention the extra time taken to configure the core for later adaptation, so no personality core means no expense, right?
Anyway, I'm calling the end result of this little endeavor Clio, after the muse of history. Needless to say, she's, well, a success, technically speaking. The Urania configuration is far more energy-efficient than the Calliope, so I wasn't at all surprised when it only took a few tweaks to get Clio to work. And between the energy efficiency and the lack of a personality core, that should knock both the initial price and price of maintenance down enough for us to market Clio to students and lower income households.
But on a personal note, I don't know. Urania and Clio … they're not exactly unpleasant, but something about them disturbs me. I think it's the Uncanny Valley principle. Sure, Calliope and Erato are likewise artificial humans, but somehow, it's easier to pretend that they're real. But Urania and Clio? Everything about them is mechanical, from the way they move to the way a user has to constantly tell them what to do. Sure, I know that there haven't been any complaints from the researchers who ordered Urania; they want a research tool, not a conversationalist. But if we're selling Clio to the general public, I can't help but wonder how she'll be received. I'm still going to send the plans to the production team, of course—especially now that at least Brigette seems to think it's a good idea—but … the less time I spend around a Clio, the better.
Unsurprisingly, Zero-One is less disturbed by them than I am, but then again, it's within his personality to be a bit more accepting of things that aren't entirely human. It figures that he—
[end recording]
