Double battles were a very intricate fighting style for Pokémon.
While a lot of experience in this was mostly limited from the games that I would play, it was very clear to me that this was also the case here. Either from simple strategies like rush tactics by focusing one combatant down and leaving the other opponent alone to be taken on in the same manner, or more complex approaches like synergizing with your teammate by having one main attacker and the other for pure support.
These were concepts I was taught in the competitive environment in the games, and they were just as viable here.
I was happy that my first foray in this style was in the form of multi-battles, meaning I didn't have to worry about shouting out commands for two Pokémon at once.
This had its pros and cons as well. While I may not feel overwhelmed from having to manage more Pokémon, I had to still rely on someone else to be sure we won. Especially since I didn't know quite what I was doing.
This was made abundantly clear to me from the last battle we had.
Teamwork was important here like normal double battles, and making sure your own commands didn't interfere with your ally was just as crucial. It was excellent we had spent a lot of time training to make sure this didn't happen. I certainly didn't envy Clarice from having a partner like Bradley.
Now the only worry I had was analyzing our opponents and figuring out how their Pokémon, abilities, and strategies interacted against ours. I at least had some knowledge on this, even if it wasn't exactly reliable.
We sat here in a waiting room, separated from the other competitors. I should have been watching the TV that was provided in each of our rooms, trying to scout out our opponents.
The waiting rooms themselves weren't all that spectacular. They were roomy enough to where we could still relax, but the only furniture happened to be a bench that Amber and I were sitting on. Sneasel and Dusk were currently on the floor, sharing a water bottle we were given by a manager for the event before we headed in here.
Sneasel was holding the bottle up to Dusk so she could easily drink from it easier, since we weren't given a bowl for her to drink from. It was a spectacular example of teamwork, one that we had built up over the past few days.
I really, really, needed to get a phone…
I was at least thankful we didn't need to have our Pokémon checked up thanks to how 'smoothly' our first match had gone…
This gave us more time to relax. At least, that's what I wanted to say we were doing. But…
I turned my eyes away from the TV to look at Amber out of the corner of my eye. Before, she was at least pretending to watch the battle. Now, however, she was merely staring straight ahead with that same faraway look. Her arms were crossed and she was tapping one of her fingers on her arm.
It was really odd trying get a read on her. I couldn't decide whether she was nervous or simply anxious. All I knew is that it bothered me.
This was very odd behavior for her considering she was the one that was prone to starting our conversations, rather than letting us stew in silence.
I sighed.
While it wasn't something I liked to do, I was going to have to try and make some small talk in hopes of figuring out what was wrong.
"So…" I began, trying to sound as natural as possible. "How was your day yesterday?" I could feel myself sweating, knowing how awkward I sounded.
"You mean when, instead of training, you ditched me to do who knows what?" She questioned with a hint of venom, her faraway look immediately dissipating.
I flinched, as if struck, not expecting for her to give a response so swiftly and forcefully. I recovered quickly and narrowed my lack luster eyes in reply, fully prepared to have an argument if it meant keeping that fire in her eyes.
I was surprised instead to hear her sigh when she saw my reaction.
"I'm only joking… I don't want to actually fight about it. I just wanted to tease you. You're not one to usually start a conversation, ya know?" She explained. "What's the occasion anyway?" She looked at me with a foxy smile.
I smirked back if only to play along with this little ruse.
"I was just curious. Besides, is it not enough that I wanted to grace you with my heavenly voice?"
"My, yes, when you actually decide to inform us on what goes on inside that big head of yours, it's like a gift from Arceus." She snarked back with a frown, shaking her head in exasperation. "By the way, that kind of line only works when you don't look creepy when you smile." She lifted up a finger like she was lecturing a child.
I frowned when I heard her last comment. I was already starting to regret opening my dumb mouth.
"You were right in the end…" I heard her softly speak up.
"About taking a break?" I would gloat about how that was usually the case, but I wanted to keep the conversation on track.
"Yeah…" I looked over to see Amber gazing at the TV, a small nostalgic smile on her lips. "Sneasel and I even went to an ice cream shop we hadn't visited in about a year. We used to go there all the time before…" She looked down as she trailed off.
It went without saying that this was before she became dead set on winning against Whisper… That's probably around the time where she started training a lot more.
"An ice cream shop? Not that I'd be surprised, but do Sneasels enjoy cold food?" I interrupted whatever she was thinking about.
I was actually a little curious on the biology of Pokémon. Do ice-type Pokémon prefer all their food to be cold? Or was it unhealthy for them to eat hot food? I assumed they could eat most things, by the fact that she fed Sneasel that kibble I see all the time, but I still wondered about their personal preferences.
This could be important for the future when I inevitably pamper my Pokémon!
My curiosity seemed to prove distracting enough to Amber at least.
Amber hummed, putting a finger to her chin in thought. After a moment, Amber shrugged and looked down to Sneasel who was staring up at us, probably because we were talking about her.
"I'm no Pokémon professor, but Sneasel at least has a bit of a sweet tooth. She really loves ice cream the most though." She said this, smiling at Sneasel. This smile was completely serene. It was a smile born of affection, devoid of any mischief or ulterior motives.
It was wholly genuine.
"Sneasel!" Sneasel smiled back and let out a cheer, jumping up and down in excitement. Dusk joined Sneasel in her enthusiasm by running circles around her, perhaps thinking it was some kind of game.
Amber let out a full blown laugh when she saw this. Her laugh decorating the many lively barks that Dusk was making.
I couldn't help but smile at this myself. Those two must have known each other for a long time.
"Maybe we should go there after the tournament?" I offered. Dusk let out a happy bark at my idea.
"Oho~ Are you asking me for a date? How forward of you!" Amber's smile morphed into the foxy one I was used to. "This is the reason why people call you loverboy~"
I could only blush in response to her teasing.
No, they're going to call me that because of the stunt you pulled during my registration, woman!
"Besides shouldn't we go there when we win?" Amber's foxy smile dropped to a normal one, a hint of uncertainty in her tone.
I looked up at the TV to see a Zorua dodge out of the way of a Zigzagoon and Bidoof that had tried to take it down through a coordinated pincer attack. The Zorua had the same ghost of a smile that its trainer perpetually wore as its two enemies clumsily ran into each other.
Throughout our talking, the other matches had gone by and left us with Whisper and her partner's. This meant that our next match would be up not too long from now.
I observed one of Zorua's paws glow a deep purple, raking its claw against the backs of the two Normal-types in one fell blow, a Piplup watching this from their side of the field in complete boredom.
The announcer quickly called the match in Whisper's favor.
She truly didn't need a partner to win this.
"I'd be fine going there regardless…" I muttered. I wasn't at all confident of us winning. All I had learned from the exchange was that Zorua and Whisper were pretty good at improvising, and using their opponent's own tricks against them.
"Ahhh… That's not what you're supposed to say…" Amber cheekily said with a slightly dull edge. "Then again, I can hardly blame you. I'm not too confident either..."
That faraway look was on her face again as she stood up from the bench.
It was our turn to fight the next match.
Standing up to follow, I silently cursed when I noticed Sneasel sidle up to her own trainer with a worried frown.
My attempts at conversation did very little.
I am so useless…
Perhaps it was because of the talk we had, or maybe because my own nerves were starting to show, but I could feel a weight hang upon my shoulders as we stood once again on the dirt battlefield.
The bleachers were a lot livelier.
I looked over to see that it was filled with more people, the usual crowd most likely already aware that the first few rounds were a bust and deciding to join in for the last few rounds. Scanning the faces of the audience, I managed to pick one out of the crowd to see Looker staring at the field with an observing gaze, his arms crossed. When he noticed that I had seen him, he gave me a small encouraging smile with a nod of his head.
This managed to lift some of my nerves as I nodded back and looked across the field to our opponents.
They were oddly dressed individuals to say the least.
They both wore baseball caps with sunglasses, even though we were indoors. The one on the left had a blue cap with a matching pair of sunglasses. He had a slouched posture, and a weird tic where his foot was bouncing like he had drank one too many coffees. In one of his hands he held a Pokéball, while his other hand was conspicuously in his bottom jacket pocket.
He seemed to be finagling with something inside it, but his hand never left.
The one on the right, with his red hat and glasses, had a confident air about him as he smirked at us from his side of the field.
I don't know why, but these two seemed really familiar to me…
This was weird, since I had only been in this world for all of a week.
Why was the pit in my stomach coming back?!
"Trainers, please release your Pokémon!" The announcer shouted out, ignorant to my dilemma.
As one, we released our Pokémon with a pop, each one appearing with a bright flash of white.
I recognized each Pokémon that was sent onto the field.
That is, to say, I had personally met each one.
While Dusk and Sneasel did their usual posturing, I looked across to see a Houndour and Shinx.
I realized in shock that our opponents were Ray and that crazy knife guy.
Knife guy was probably messing with his knife in his jacket pocket as some sort of weird habit he had!
I quickly turned my head to look at Looker who seemed to have the same thought as me. He gave me a questioning gaze as if asking me if his deductions were correct.
I nodded my head, but put out a hand and gestured for him to sit back down when I saw him get up to most likely do his job.
He shot me a questioning stare.
Damn it! The whole point of him being here was so that he could actually have a break.
Duck these stupid punks!
I'm guessing they were here for the prize pool. Not only that, but they must have been from out of town considering Whisper's reputation should have kept them far away. That or they were really egotistical, which wouldn't surprise me.
Whatever the case, I wanted to at least make Looker's job easier for him by incapacitating their Pokémon so he wouldn't have to subdue them himself.
Just call it me returning a favor.
Plus I could be pretty spiteful myself.
"Amber, we're doing it." I muttered low enough for her and our Pokémon to hear.
One of Dusk's ears nonchalantly twitched. This was a trick I had taught her to nonverbally show me she understood the command I was giving her.
Amber merely looked over at me with a raised eyebrow.
"Do you know something I don't?" Amber questioned lowly with narrowed eyes, not seeing the threat these two posed.
While I might be inclined to agree, after that Flash stunt they pulled before, they clearly knew how to fight as a team. If they had any confidence to win this tournament then they shouldn't be underestimated.
"I know these guys. Just treat them like serious opponents…" I informed her, trying to hint at their identities.
"Hmm? I thought you didn't know that many people…" Amber began and looked at our opponents in thought. After a few seconds she widened her eyes in realization. I had already informed her of my little run in with these gang of punks when we first met. "Oh…"
I nodded my head at her reaction and steeled myself to start giving commands.
"If both teams are ready," The announcer began with a raised hand, looking between both sides of the field to see no one object. "Then let the battle between Amber Rose of Jubilife City, Aster of Loverboy City and Tom and Jerry of Sunnyshore City… BEGIN!"
These two were cautious enough to use fake names too.
Too bad they were unlucky enough to end up in a tournament with me.
"Houndour, Ember on the Sneasel!"
"Shinx, tear that Sneasel a new one with Thundershock!"
I smirked at this. Rush tactics were a very common strategy in doubles, with good reason. But this was something I was expecting and I made sure Amber and I trained for moments like these.
They were playing right into our hand.
The Houndour gave a bark before breathing in with a quick breath and exhaling out a ball of fire towards Sneasel's direction.
Shinx's body sparked with electricity as it discharged the lightning stored in its fur towards Sneasel.
I watched in great satisfaction as Sneasel, without any commands from us, gave a foxy smile and slid under the fireball before propping herself back up quickly to sidestep the torrent of static. The two opposing Pokémon let out sounds of frustration at seeing this.
"Snea-sel!" Sneasel seemed to taunt them as she began to rake her claws together, sparks flying off as she used the move Hone Claws.
It was a move in the games that raised the attack and accuracy of a Pokémon. Dusk, during Sneasel's acrobatic display, had run over to Sneasel's side.
She bent her head down before raising it up towards the ceiling.
"AWOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Dusk let loose a haunting Howl, Sneasel joining in with a shout of her own, their bodies beginning to glow a faint red.
Howl may be a move that boosted the user's attack, but in a double battle it also boosted your partner's.
I was so glad that my game knowledge was proving useful.
"The hell kind of pussy shit is this?!" Knife guy shouted with disdain, stomping the ground now with his bouncing leg. "What's the plan, boss?!"
"Tch! Two can play at that game!" Ray began with a sneer. "Houndour, Howl!"
I flinched a bit when I heard that command. Oh, right, Houndour could learn that…
Houndour bent his head down.
Thankfully, Amber reacted to this turn of events far more smoothly than I.
"Sneasel, Taunt!"
I watched as Sneasel beckoned at Houndour with her newly polished claw, a sinister snicker escaping her.
"Snea-sel~" Sneasel sang out.
Before Houndour could lift his head, a fire lit up in his eyes at this display of foxy smugness.
"BRAAH!" It let out a bark before letting loose an Ember, completely disregarding his trainer's orders.
Seeing this coming, Sneasel was able to easily side-step with her superior agility.
"Dusk, Howl!" I gave another command to capitalize on Amber's initiative.
I was glad to have a partner like her on my side.
"Damn it all! Shinx, stop that stupid pooch with Spark!"
"Shinx!" Shinx shouted out, its coat becoming electrified once more, yellow eyes alit with vibrant energy. It began to barrel down the field towards Dusk, the electricity surrounding it tearing up some of the dirt along the way.
But knife guy was completely unaware that we had a plan for this as well.
Without even needing to give a command, Sneasel's clawed hand became surrounded in a hoary frost as Dusk's Howl filled the arena once again.
At the last moment, when Shinx would hit Dusk, Sneasel side-stepped into the way, punching the wall of lightning, her body glowing an even brighter red from Dusk's assistance.
While rush tactics were a popular strategy, so too was buffing and then sweeping.
Seeing it in action brought a wicked grin to my face.
We spent all of our training practicing these maneuvers without needing to command our Pokémon. By not telegraphing what we were doing, our opponents would become complacent and, before they knew it, we would be able to gather our strength and take them out in one blow.
Dusk's job was to support, while Sneasel's was to defend her and strike when they saw a chance to finish their opponent. We even had counters for other people's attempts at mirroring us or even trying to prevent our set-up in the form of Sneasel's Taunt.
"Houndour, Fire Fang while their Sneasel is busy!" Ray commanded, an unpleasant frown on his face.
Ray seemed to have finally caught on to what we were doing. He tried to strike down the seemingly defenseless one of our strategy now that Sneasel was in a locked battle with Shinx. One that Sneasel was easily winning.
But, as I said before, Howl didn't just help the partner.
It also buffed up Dusk!
"Dusk, finish this with a Thunder Fang!" I shouted as I threw my hand out dramatically. Not that it was really helping at all.
I will admit I was getting a little into my first real battle…
Houndour was already at Dusk's side, its maw engulfed in raging flames as it bit into Dusk's side with a snarl.
Dusk let out a pained growl with grit teeth before headbutting the hound off her easily with her increased strength, her teeth glimmering brightly with a blue shine.
Like an executioner, she clamped her jaw onto Houndour's neck with finality. Completely silencing any barks or roars he could make. Houndour's body spasmed as electrical currents shot through him.
I turned my gaze from Dusk to see Sneasel's claw easily holding back the sparking Shinx as her other claw became suffused in icy mist. With a foxy smile, Sneasel suddenly let Shinx slip past her. This surprised the feline as it suddenly did not have anything stopping its charge, causing it to stumble as its electric aura dissipated.
Sneasel capitalized on this over-extension with brutal efficiency as she punched the Shinx in its side, ice coating it in a brilliant sheen.
The Shinx at least tried to defend itself by shining a bright Flash of white towards the Sneasel.
But thanks to Hone Claws it was useless.
The power boost from not only two of Dusk's Howls, but also her Hone Claws, was enough to bring down the cat in one blow.
"Houndour and Shinx are unable to battle! Aster and Amber Rose are the winners and will be moving on to the final round!" The announcer declared his judgment.
"How the hell did we lose to that damned weak-ass pooch!?" I barely managed to hear knife guy shout out, the crowd cheering in excitement.
I looked over at their trainers to see that knife guy's glasses had slipped over his nose to see an absolutely terrifying maddened gaze peering at me with anger.
I shivered.
Do I just attract crazy people!?
Ray merely cursed under his breath and returned his Houndour, quickly making to leave. He was, however, stopped by a man in a brown suit holding up a badge, an imposing Toxicroak by his side.
"Would you two gentleman care to follow me?" Looker's tone was polite, yet I could tell he wasn't really asking.
Ray looked around in panic for any routes of escape, only for Toxicroak to walk up to him with a loud croak of warning. This caused Ray to back down in fear as he didn't have a Pokémon to defend himself with.
Ray held out his hands in reluctance as he was cuffed by Looker. Knife guy looked like he was about to start something, despite the large amphibian threatening them, but backed down when Ray told him to knock it off surprisingly.
"The weak don't get to make a fuss, Leon." I heard Ray speak up, a certain amount of conviction in his tone.
Apparently he still had his pride I guess…
I sighed and looked around at the bleachers to see if I could find their third accomplice, but he was nowhere to be seen.
Well, at least that problem is somewhat sorted.
I just prayed that calm guy with the Zubat wasn't the vengeful sort…
I could feel myself sweat off to the sidelines of the battlefield where we just had our match, my nerves returning full force despite a landslide victory against two roguish enemies.
We would have returned to the break room we had been in earlier while we waited for our Pokémon to get checked up, but we didn't bother when Whisper's next opponents had forfeited from the tournament. According to the staff around me that I had questioned, they had said they had other things to do that day.
While that might have been a good excuse, it was clear they thought they had no chance at winning and wanted to save time by bailing to use their time on something more productive.
I took a deep breath.
This was the big moment. This is what we had spent this entire week training for, where all of Dusk's unspoken promises would hopefully come to fruition.
I looked across the field to see Whisper and her partner standing on the opposite side from us. Both groups away from the cameras that were capturing some kind of indie band playing some rock music like some sort of half-time show to kill time, while the final round of the tournament was setup.
I even vaguely noticed a yellow and purple Toxtricity as a member of their band, strumming on its strange flaps on its chest.
The music was actually quite nice. I might have even enjoyed it if my anxious body could just relax to listen to it.
Whisper seemed to notice my inquisitive staring and her smile went even wider. She bent over, struck a rather provocative pose with a wink, and blew me a kiss. I even saw her mouth the words 'love you'.
I blushed and turned back to watch the impromptu rock show, shaking my head.
That girl truly had no shame.
I looked over at Amber to see that same faraway look on her face.
I thought about trying to say something encouraging to her as the music finally came to an end. I knew it would be pointless considering our conversation from earlier did nothing to bounce her back to the Amber I had known.
Sure, a week wasn't all that much time to get to know someone. But when I thought back to that diner and those genuine tears, and then to that break room and that genuine smile, I knew that those were the true Amber.
Not this husk of a person who looked like they weren't really here.
The staff gestured for us to move. We made our way to our rightful places on this dirt field, one of the staff handing me Dusk's ball and Amber hers.
I expanded the ball, my grip on it tightening anxiously. It felt heavier than usual as I realized the full weight of what this battle signified.
Why did I have to be the one to be here?
Why couldn't it have been someone else?
Where the hell was Ash Ketchum to pull out some horse garbage strategy and bring this whole arc to a happy ending that everyone could be satisfied with?
Why did whatever horse garbage Pokémon decide to bring me to this world?
I could feel myself begin to panic, the sweat from my hands almost causing me to lose my grip on Dusk's ball.
"Trainers, please release your Pokémon!"
Fate, uncaring as usual, wouldn't let me sort myself out.
It brought me some comfort that, when I released Dusk, that she let out her usual confident howl.
Sneasel, on the other hand, didn't cross her arms as usual with a foxy smile. She instead opted to leave both hands at her sides as she stared down the Zorua that appeared in front of her with a narrowed gaze, trying to defeat the tricky fox-like Pokémon with her gaze alone.
The Piplup from the mysterious trainer came out with a shout of its own name. I recognized its trainer as the one I had seen at the mart the other day. It realized it was still partnered with Zorua and sat down with a pout.
I wasn't sure what the deal with Whisper and her partner was.
Did she only let people partner up with her if they promised they wouldn't help, so she could fight alone?
What was the purpose behind doing so? Just for some extra challenge?
The reasons may elude me, but I knew that we should try to take advantage of it as much as we could.
"Same strategy as usual." I said softly. Amber nodded her head while Sneasel and Dusk's ears subtly twitched.
"Hey, Arthur!" I heard Whisper shout from her side of the field in a smug tone. "Go ahead and do whatever the hell you want!"
I widened my eyes at this while Amber gasped from our side of the field.
I could even hear people in the crowd whisper at this proclamation.
"Frickin' finally! I won't let you down, my guy!" The mysterious trainer, Arthur, spoke up with a thumb up.
I shivered when a toothy manic smile spread across Whisper's face. It was a bloodlust filled smile that promised pain and torment for any who dare oppose her.
I narrowed my eyes at Whisper only for her to stare right back unflinchingly, her smile growing ever wider.
If Amber's gasp was anything to go by, and the audience's reaction, this was beyond abnormal.
I'm not exactly sure what I've done to piss off Whisper, or whatever god sent me here, but fate was determined to give me no reprieve.
Screw it, let's play dirty then!
"Dusk, Sneasel, be prepared for some Dig tactics by that Piplup!" I purposefully shouted out that helpful tip.
"How in the heck did you know about that!?" Arthur's dismayed shout rang through the stadium.
He was probably planning to use it as some sort of trump card, since he only bought it yesterday. I was thankful he didn't seem to notice me at the store like I did him.
I tried imitating Whisper's manic smile myself.
"Oh, I know plenty about what your Piplup is going to do."
If the unsure expression that appeared on Arthur's face was any indication, I had struck critical mental damage before the battle could even begin.
This was all just a bluff on my side. I could even feel Amber's questioning gaze on me, but I refused to look at her to not give up the ruse.
If he had watched our previous battle, and the teamwork we showed off, this would hopefully dissuade him from using Dig to draw out the battle. Him thinking we would be prepared to counter it. Unlike us, Arthur and Whisper did not train together before this tournament.
Even if Arthur seemed gung-ho enough about this tournament to probably want to train with an unhinged person like Whisper.
He even prepared himself by buying a TM for the tournament yesterday, even with the probable condition that he wouldn't even lift a finger in their battles. This was either because he was ignorant to Whisper's reputation or because he liked to be prepared for every eventuality.
Whatever the case, I was clearly worming into his psyche bit by bit.
Call it dirty or dishonorable.
I like to call it useful and practical.
I was leaving nothing to chance if I could help it.
"If both teams are ready then," The announcer began with a raised arm. "This will be the final round of this week's tournament. Whoever wins will be crowned the champion of Jubilife City's Doubles Saturday Smash! Now, let the battle between Amber Rose of Jubilife City, Aster of Loverboy City and Whisper Rose of Jubilife City, Arthur Redford of Hearthome City… BEGIN!" The announcer flew down his arm with finality.
Sneasel immediately ran in front of Dusk to obscure the pooch's body from the enemy and began to sharpen her claws, Dusk letting loose a Howl as their bodies began to tinge with red.
Without giving a command, we were able to gain the initiative and use it to buff ourselves up. It was a useful and powerful strategy we had devised with many different scenarios we had prepped for just in case the enemy team was able to counter it.
Let me just say right here and now that there was a counter for just about any strategy you could devise. There was never such a thing as a fool-proof plan. It should also go without saying that some counters were better at neutralizing certain threats than others.
'No plan survives contact with the enemy' was a common phrase.
"Shimmer, Burning Jealousy!" Whisper commanded her Zorua with a shout of bloodlust.
I paled in horror when I heard this.
That's some Sword and Shield DLC horse garbage! Where did she go learning that move?!
Not to mention it counteracted our strategy perfectly.
It was a fire-type move that hit both targets in a double battle, and was guaranteed to burn any Pokémon that had its stats raised during that turn. Let's not even mention the fact that this move was super-effective against Sneasel.
Shimmer lifted her head up as heat began to generate around her whole body.
"What's that?!" Amber lowly asked as she looked at me with both confusion and fear.
I could see that faraway look in her eyes again.
"To keep it simple, if you get hit by that you'll be burned!" I shouted out hurriedly to explain.
"Sneasel , dodge it!" Amber shouted out a panicked order.
A torrent of dark red flames shot out from under Shimmer, snaking along the ground towards Sneasel and Dusk.
I focused on Sneasel to see her finish sharpening her claws, her hands shining under the artificial lights of the stadium. I could tell that she wouldn't be able to dodge it after being given the command far too late.
I cursed under my breath before giving my own command.
"Dusk, Tackle Sneasel and send her into the air!"
Dusk did as I commanded with no hesitation and barreled her entire body into Sneasel, using her snout to shoot the icy weasel into the air. Dusk gave a pained yowl as her feet became engulfed in the sea of flames, leaving red marks on her legs.
She was definitely burned.
It was with great reluctance that I admitted we would have to abandon the strategy.
But at least Sneasel was okay.
"Piplup, Peck the Sneasel on their way down!" Arthur commanded.
Arthur wasn't going to be ignored.
The small penguin charged across the battlefield, its fins outstretched and their beak glowing a bright white.
Sneasel was completely exposed in the air and had only one direction it could go in.
Down.
I watched as the Piplup neared ever closer and, just before it was right under the Sneasel…
"Sneasel, keep yourself aloft with Icy Wind!"
Sneasel stretched her arms wide, a gust of frigid air blowing past her towards the ground. The winds buffeted the Piplup as it was forced to cancel its move in favor of blocking its eyes with its wings.
I took the opportunity to punish this.
"Dusk, Thunder Fang on the Piplup!"
Before the Piplup could recover, Dusk ran towards the penguin, her teeth glimmering with blue sparks, and bit down onto Piplup's side with a snarl. The Piplup let out a pained shriek as electricity coursed over its blue body.
I had no doubt that if Dusk wasn't burned right now that it would have ended the penguin then and there.
"Shimmer, Knock-off~" Whisper gave her command in a sing-song voice.
"Piplup, Bubble to get that Poochyena off of you!"
Whisper's Zorua quickly closed the gap from their side of the field, her claws glowing a dark purple.
While the Icy Wind did give Sneasel a fraction of more air time, it kept her unguarded for just as long. So when she finally hit the ground, she was met with the backside of a dark infused claw, knocking her backwards with a roll.
Piplup took a moment to follow Arthur's command as Dusk's gnawing caused it to flinch with a pained grimace, but it soon recovered and opened its beak point-blank in the hyena's face. A torrent of blue bubbles shot from it, popping with sparkles of water on Dusk's upper snout.
While it looked relatively harmless from an outsider's point of view, Dusk had a different opinion as she was forced to let go of the penguin when the onslaught of bubbly doom proved too painful for her to bear.
"Latch on again!" I gave a desperate command.
"Escape with Dig!" Arthur commanded at the same time as me.
The Piplup was the first to react as it quickly dug a hole with its wings, Dusk's jaw clamping down with a loud snap on nothing but air. I could see Dusk wince as the burns from her legs began to irritate her, but she stood proudly, awaiting my next order.
Sneasel recovered from her tumble with a Quick Attack, shooting forward towards Shimmer with a raised claw coated in frost with a growl.
Shimmer snickered at this and raised a dark infused claw of her own.
"Dusk, use your ears to track Piplup's location and end it with a Thunder Fang!"
I couldn't get complacent by watching their fight right now. If Piplup decided to target Sneasel then that could prove fatal and allow Shimmer time to manifest another Burning Jealousy.
Dusk's ears began to twitch. She put her nose to the ground and began to prowl around in search of Piplup.
Meanwhile, Sneasel and Shimmer were in a locked contest of supremacy as their claws met each other.
"Snea-SEL!" Sneasel let out a frustrated cry.
"Zorua~" While Shimmer pretended that this was just a game for her.
Sneasel lost the challenge.
Shimmer pushed through the frost, Sneasel's claw returning to normal and was met with a flurry of clawed swipes from the Zorua.
Sneasel let out pained cries while Shimmer sadistically laughed. I looked over to see Amber watch this with a faraway look in her eyes, her balled hands trembling.
I didn't have any more time to play around with this Piplup.
"Howl like you mean it!" I shouted out. Then in a low voice I said. "Be sure to end it."
Dusk heard me as her ears gave a subtle twitch.
Dusk bent her head down.
"Now, my guy!" Arthur signaled for his Piplup to strike us.
He didn't realize this was all just a bait.
What I had said earlier was merely just another code phrase we had come up with to make opponents feel pressured to attack us, not realizing that Dusk could pack quite a punch of her own when our initial strategy was going smoothly.
Good to see it could serve other purposes.
The ground beneath Dusk was unearthed as Piplup smashed into Dusk's underside. Dusk, knowing that this was going to happen, grit her teeth and stood her ground. She tanked the hit and then retaliated with a shimmering jaw of fangs.
I was relieved when the penguin let out one final cry, its twitching body slackening in Dusk's jaw. Dusk unceremoniously tossed the defeated opponent aside and looked over towards Sneasel and Shimmer's side.
Dusk was panting from exhaustion, but still determined to see this through.
Sneasel and Shimmer were currently slugging it out, neither side able to gain an inch as they deftly avoided each other's blows, neither trainer issuing an order.
"Piplup is unable to battle! Arthur, please return your Pokémon!"
"You tried your best, my guy…" Arthur gave soothing encouragement with a sigh as Piplup's unconscious form was returned in a beam of red.
Whisper's maddened smile hadn't died a bit, and even seemed to grow wider when she heard Arthur's Pokémon was out of the running. Her gaze still focused solely on Shimmer and Sneasel.
What a battle maniac…
I turned my head to see a distant glazed over expression on Amber's face. She was probably used to seeing the fight go this way all the time, her Sneasel getting pushed back more and more.
I refused to let her throw herself back into a rut.
"Sneasel, Icy Wind!" I commanded for Amber.
Amber's eyes sparked with life as they widened.
"D-Dusk, Thunder Fang!" Amber stuttered out her own command.
During our training, we had built up an understanding that, when one commanded the other's Pokémon, the partner needed to respond in kind. This was to build up a system where if the other person thought we needed a different move in a different situation then we could properly act upon it.
"Shimmer, Burning Jealousy!"
When Sneasel had hopped back from within swiping range of the Zorua, Whisper had finally saw an opportunity to unleash a ranged attack of her own, now that Shimmer had the space to do so.
She didn't count on Amber giving Dusk a command in her addled state.
So when Dusk ran up with her glimmering maw, I was expecting a clean hit as she tore Shimmer a new one. However, right when Dusk made it to the fox's side, she hesitated with a wince as the pain in her legs manifested itself in that moment.
This gave the Zorua enough time to dodge by using Dusk's head as a spring board to jump into the air.
This maneuver wasn't enough to avoid Sneasel's Icy Wind. Dusk and Shimmer were struck by the chilly gale, bits of frost coating their fur.
Shimmer had gambled that her spring board maneuver would dodge both attacks, but ultimately came up short due to the surprise of it all. It was an ingenious move on Shimmer's part to be sure, she had been trained well.
Burning Jealousy couldn't be used in the air since it appeared to function better when it traveled along the ground, and Shimmer didn't seem to posses any other moves that would allow it to manipulate its trajectory in the air. Shimmer didn't even have a partner to make up for this risky maneuver.
Whisper had discarded a need for such a thing long ago.
Why did she desire to walk such a lonely road?
I had no time to ponder this, even as that stray thought whispered inside my head.
It was time for checkmate.
"Sneasel, Icy Wind!" I gave the command knowing that Dusk would be hit by it again.
"Thunder Fang!" Amber gave the command knowing that's what I wanted.
Shimmer knew this and began to flail in the air helplessly to try and diverge her fall in any way possible.
I watched as Whisper's manic smile turned into a grim frown, her eyes turning fierce.
"Go down kicking and screaming." Whisper finally gave a command that wasn't shouted with sadism.
Her voice still sent shivers down my spine at how unfeelingly it was spoken, a chilly voice spoken in a deathly whisper.
Shimmer, hearing this shift in tone, responded in kind with a similar expression. It was amazing how much alike both trainer and Pokémon were. To the point it was kind of scary…
Shimmer tried to right herself in the air, prepping her claw with dark-purple energy. The fox gritted her teeth when the Icy Wind hit both canines. Dusk simply jumped up with an open maw, taking the hit without so much as a wince.
Like a bullet, the speed that Dusk jumped up towards Shimmer shocked me. She hadn't moved that fast during our training sessions and, before Shimmer's Knock Off could be fully formed, she was already right on top of her.
Like a fish jumping out of the water to catch a bug, Dusk clamped her lightning-filled maw around the Zorua's middle, grinding her teeth harshly against her obsidian fur as the fox yelled out a painful shout of its name.
They both fell to the ground in a heap. The crash landing causing Dusk to let go of Shimmer with a yelp of pain, her burns becoming agitated.
Amber and I waited for the judge's call with bated breaths.
"Shimmer, no! We have somewhere we need to be!" Whisper let out a deranged shout, her face filled with desperation. "Don't let it end like this! C'mon, get up! We don't need anyone else to win!"
Whisper's entire body resonated with emotions that I couldn't quite get a grasp on. It baffled me how much this tournament meant to her.
Losing didn't feel good, but to have this kind of reaction unsettled me.
I saw the announcer lift his hand and open his mouth.
I smiled.
We had finally done it!
A week's worth of training was paying off!
We had utilized just about every trick in the book we had devised. The pride I was feeling was something else.
A bright energy began to shine from the battlefield in a brilliant display that put the artificial lighting in the stadium to shame.
My smile disappeared as dread piled up in my gut.
No.
No.
No.
No no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no no!
I watched as Whisper's frown morphed into a wondrous look, unbelieving of the sight before her.
Shimmer's body shifted and morphed like water, her form sculpting itself into an entirely new form. The outline of the energy finally settled on a bipedal shape, forelegs gaining length and sharper claws.
This was horse garbage.
Only underdogs should have this kind of come back.
Not her.
Not someone who has won so many battles.
My frustrations disillusioned me from the fact that Whisper had trained just as hard as us.
But I was only human, and I didn't care.
No, I simply refused this situation to work in her favor.
So, when the bright energy faded away, leaving a black and red fox, a mane of bright red hair tied in a ponytail with a blue crystal-like orb flowing down the top of her head, I issued my final command of the battle.
"Dusk, all in." My command was spoken in a grave tone, knowing that if I didn't intervene that it would end in a terrible loss for Amber.
If fate were to kick me, then I would pull out its hair and strangle destiny with it.
Dusk's ears twitched in agreement.
Shimmer, as a Zoroark, began to look over its new body in wonder as it wiggled her new fingers in front of her eyes curiously.
While everyone gawked at this display, Dusk took to action.
Without Shimmer noticing, Dusk had flanked her side. With a pounce, Dusk began to bite furiously into her arm with many Thunder Fangs.
Even when she winced in pain from her burns, Dusk still kept gnawing into the bi-pedal fox. Shimmer responded by flailing her new appendage around, trying to shake the hyena off. But because her form was new to her she did so very clumsily.
"Shimmer, calm down and Night Slash!" Whisper gave a desperate shout, her smile returning to her face.
Shimmer's claw became cloaked in wisps of darkness, and moved her other claw holding Dusk in front of herself. She flinched in pain as Dusk continued her ferocious onslaught.
She quickly brought the claw down in a vicious chop, silencing Dusk's snarls as she fell to the ground in a grey heap.
"Dusk is unable to battle! Aster, please return your Pokémon!"
I nodded grimly, returning Dusk with a red beam of light. I held onto the ball if only for it to bring me some comfort.
"W-why? Why the hell did you do that!?" Amber screamed, running up to me and grabbing me by my shirt and desperately shaking me.
I looked at Amber's face to see despair and betrayal on her face.
Even with my lack luster eyes, I could see that she was afraid of facing Whisper alone. Especially now that she got a power boost from evolving.
She saw my last order as a sign of me giving up.
I noticed out of the corner of my eye that Sneasel and Shimmer began the fight renewed, Whisper giving orders with sadistic glee once more.
I gave the order because I knew that Dusk was on her last legs. It wouldn't be long before her burns brought her down. Not to mention she still wouldn't be hitting that hard as a result.
It was my final gambit, and one that Amber was currently wasting.
I thought about telling her my reasoning. About how I thought this was the best course of action to obtain victory.
But when I saw that despair turn into that faraway look again…
I snapped.
This girl frustrated me to no end.
Should I offer her kind words of encouragement? Tell her how the power of friendship was the key to everything and that, if you believe hard enough, that anything was possible?
Screw that!
Those kinds of empty, illogical platitudes had no business being uttered from my mouth!
I was a rotten useless person.
I would not forget that any time soon.
So, if she couldn't focus on the battle for her own sake, then I would direct her energy to someone who would.
"You're annoying me." I coldly spoke.
Amber let go of my clothes as if she had been burned, her face twisting into a scowl.
"I-I'm the one who should be saying that!" She shouted at me, tears of frustration pooling into her eyes.
"Why are you acting like I'm the one who's going to make your problems go away?" I asked her with not even a hint of disdain or anger.
"H-huh?" Her frustration turned to confusion as I spoke, but the betrayed look never left.
"I'm just a nobody you met a few days ago. I couldn't even remember my own name. Yet, you're piling on all of these expectations, and putting me on a pedestal, just because I can come up with a few inventive strategies."
"…What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that there's someone who's far more frustrated at your own losses than you. This person probably feels the most responsible for it in fact."
"There's… There's no one like that…" Amber spoke unsure, her eyes becoming lifeless.
This rotten girl…
"Let me impart some wisdom I learned from a foxy maid," I began with sarcasm dripping from my tone. "Pokémon battles require action on the trainer's part, in other words, vocal commands. There are too many trainers who get wrapped up in their own head and leave their own Pokémon to drown." I finished with a dull tone.
Her eyes sparked again with life when she realized where those words had come from.
"And I give it to you all for free. Aren't I the greatest?" I asked with a smirk, using her own line against her.
Amber didn't give me a response, finally moving her eyes to the only person who mattered right now.
Sneasel took a brutal Night Slash from Shimmer that caused her to skid a few feet back with a pained yelp. She dug her claws into the ground to stop her backwards momentum, tearing up the battlefield as she went. When she finally recovered, she saw a snickering Shimmer.
"SNEA-SEEEELLLLL!" Sneasel let out a cry of frustration and anger towards the ceiling, her arms wide.
Sneasel had borne the pain of loss so many times and, unlike Amber, she was the agent in charge of it all.
The amount of responsibility and shaken pride she must feel had to be immense. I could not even begin to fathom what her nightmares must be like.
All I could do was read in-between the lines and guess at an unforeseeable life, one that I would never lead.
"She has walked this road for such a long time," I began, my dull tone fully back in place. I merely looked on as Sneasel charged back into the fray again with a growl of anger. "It must have been lonely with a trainer like you."
They were cruel words, spoken from a rotten person.
No hero worth their salt would ever dream of saying those words.
Yet, when Amber heard them, the fire in her eyes blazed, her gritted teeth opening a fresh cut on the bottom of her lip. Blood trailed down her chin as those words brought forth an anger I had not seen in her ever.
This was genuine anger.
Not faux rage brought about as the result of mere teasing.
With these lack luster eyes, I could tell that the anger on her face wasn't for me.
It was for herself.
She was the only person who could save herself from her own despair.
"Sneasel, Quick Attack into Ice Punch! Use hit-and-run tactics!" Amber commanded with no hesitation, wiping the blood from her chin. Her eyes exploded with a lustrous explosion of emotions. A switch had been flipped at my thorny words, her focus now solely contained on Sneasel and Shimmer.
"Snea-sel!" Sneasel let out a cry with renewed vigor from finally hearing her trainer's voice, and dashed across the field in a trail of white.
Both Pokémon ran circles around each other as they both tried to get the upper-hand. It was clear that the match was at a stalemate as the Zoroark was unnaturally sluggish, despite its evolution.
Shimmer paused for a brief moment and winced as minuscule sparks of electricity ghosted over her body.
I devilishly smirked at this.
The whole point of that final gambit was to paralyze her, after all, not to deal damage.
A burn for a paralyze.
I'll call us even this time, Whisper.
"Shimmer, get off a Burning Jealousy, no matter the cost!" Whisper shouted out an ultimatum.
Apparently Whisper had her own kind of gambit in mind...
"Sneasel, Icy Punch!"
Shimmer got on all fours, heat beginning to exude from her obsidian fur, the air becoming visible to the naked eye. Sneasel dashed into the Zoroark's range, a claw coated in rime.
"Just kidding~" Whisper said with a teasing lilt.
Without me even noticing, Shimmer had actually been prepping a Night Slash by using the heated air to hide the dark tendrils coating her long claws.
Code phrases were definitely not something I came up with.
I kept my smirk on my face regardless.
Whisper had taken a gamble.
Amber had taken a guarantee.
So, when the frost that was gathered instantly dissipated, and Sneasel dug her other claw into a soft part of Shimmer's body, I wasn't surprised.
Any action that Shimmer took was instantly canceled. The heat, the wisps, even the confident gaze she had when Sneasel drew ever closer into her area, instead replaced with a painful grimace.
Shimmer flinched and was unable to move.
'Icy Punch' was a code phrase, and not a slip of the tongue. It translated to 'prepare an Ice Punch and turn it into a Fake Out'.
While, in the games, Fake Out was a move you could only use on the first turn a Pokémon was sent into battle, that didn't matter in this world as 'turns' were nonexistent. In fact, it was probably possible to use Fake Out multiple times in the same battle without switching out. It just got harder and harder to pull off as the fight would go on, and would leave you overextended to be punished by an aware opponent, hence the code phrase.
Instead of shouting the words 'Fake Out' for the entire world to hear, you would say the words of other moves and make them seem like just slips of the tongue.
But even without being commanded, Sneasel knew what to do next.
Both of her claws became wreathed in a torrent of icy energies as she began to mercilessly beat the Zoroark into oblivion. Punch for punch she continued to batter the fox, not daring to give Shimmer even a fraction of a chance at moving.
The sounds of claws on furred flesh reverberated throughout the arena with loud thuds. I could feel the impact of the blows that Sneasel was sending Shimmer's way, shaking me to my core as I began to realize how powerful these seemingly innocent creatures could become. Films of ice formed on the many spots that Sneasel hit, Shimmer letting out cries of pain.
When we had all thought the match was done and over, Shimmer yet again surprised us all by lashing out with one final desperate blow.
"SNEASEL!" With one final punch, Sneasel dug her frosty claw into Shimmer's midsection.
"ZOROARK!" Shimmer, through all the beatings, managed to infuse one of her claws in wispy tendrils and brought it down like a hammer over Sneasel's head.
The power from both of their final moves caused an explosion of energy that kicked up a cloud of dust from the dirt laden battlefield, obscuring any vision as to what may have been going on inside.
The entire arena was quiet, and even I could tell that a battle like this was probably very rare around here. So when it settled, everyone's eyes turned to the pair of obsidian Pokémon. Both of them were currently laying face down on the battlefield in heaps of fur.
The announcer waited to see if either would make a move to get up, not desiring a draw in such an intense battle no doubt.
"You can do it, Sneasel! I'm sorry I've been gone for so long, but I'm here now! So get up!" Amber cried out desperately as tears streamed down openly from her face. "We'll walk together from now on! No looking back!"
"Shimmer! Don't let your big debut go to waste like this!" Whisper yelled out from her side of the field, but I could sense that her madness from earlier was not quite as pronounced now for some reason. Even still, I could tell she wanted to win. "We have to show the world what we're made of!"
"Snea…selllll…"
I felt hope swell within me when Sneasel began to pick herself off the ground, her expression showing deep exhaustion, determined to not to let Amber's cries of hope go to waste.
When Sneasel finally stood on her two legs, she wiped the tiredness from her face with her paw, a foxy smile replacing it.
"SNEASELLLLL!" She screamed towards the heavens to let them know that she would be victorious here.
When the audience gasped and started whispering, I balked when I saw Shimmer begin to try and get up as well.
"Z-Z-Zoro…ark…" Her words slurred as she struggled to get up, her eyes wincing all the while as her determined and desperate gaze rested on her sole enemy.
"SNEASEL!" I heard Sneasel give a shout of dismay, straight up clonking the fox on the head with her claw several times, followed up by several more from her foot.
She wasn't even using a move...
It seemed to do the trick as Shimmer didn't stir after Sneasel's small tantrum.
It felt like a minute had passed as no one spoke, clearly not expecting this turn of events.
"So should I call the match, or should you?" I was the first to speak up, looking over at the announcer with a deadpan look.
"Oh... right, I'm supposed to be doing my job right now…" The announcer spoke as if he had just gone somewhere very far away. "Ahem! Whisper's Zoroark is unable to battle. Aster and Amber Rose are the winners and champions of this week's Jubilife City's Doubles Saturday Smash! Everyone give a round of applause to our contenders for such a well fought match!" He began to clap.
The audience joined the announcer exuberantly with cheers and whistles.
Amber had won.
I smiled as Amber ran onto the battle field and scooped up Sneasel into a hug, crying into her fur as they sat on the ground. Sneasel gently rubbed the top of her trainer's head with her paw, making cooing sounds.
I returned my Pokéball to its small size as I strode onto the field myself, Whisper and Arthur making their way over as well.
I put out my hand towards Arthur in a sportsmanship-like manner.
"Good battle." I said when he accepted the handshake.
"Yeah, my guy, good battle. Say, how did you know about my Piplup knowing Dig? Are you like some super psychic or somethin'!?" Arthur shook my hand excitedly when he said this, my arm feeling like it was going to be torn off at the shoulder.
"No, I just saw you buying it at the mart the other day." I explained trying to wrench my hand free.
"What!? Really!? My guy, you made it seem like you knew all my moves!"
"That was the point…"
He titled his head in confusion.
I refused to explain more and instead reclaimed freedom of my arm back with a rough yank.
I turned to Whisper, a ghost of a smile back on her face, her hand already outstretched for me to take.
"Good battle." I took her hand without hesitation.
"Yeah, I suppose~ I hate losing, but just this once I'll let you have it."
"How generous of you…" I replied back in a deadpan voice.
"Don't think I didn't notice that your little move at the end paralyzed Shimmer." She gave me a toothy smile.
"Don't think I care that you did." I smirked.
I almost wet myself when she suddenly jumped on me and encircled me with her arms, my eyes widening to the size of dinner plates.
Is she going to strangle me to death!?
When I finally relaxed, I noticed that she was actually just hugging me. I blushed when I realized this and before I could ask what she was doing…
"Thanks for helping Amber…" Whisper spoke softly right next to my head, shivers going down my spine as her breath tickled my ear.
I noticed she used her actual name.
"I didn't really do anything…"
She let out a giggle.
"You did more than you thought you did, dead-eyes!" She yelled out and let me go finally, skipping away with a spin. "Well, I'd go be all buddy buddy with Amy, but she seems preoccupied."
I looked over to see Amber still in the same state as she rubbed her face on Sneasel's soft fur.
"Let her know I don't plan on slacking off just because she won one." Whisper said with a half-lidded smile.
"Sure…" I felt myself sweat when she said this.
Rivals sounded like such a pain…
"Let's bounce, Arty! You owe me dinner for sucking it up so much!" Whisper exclaimed and began to drag Arthur by the shoulder.
"HUH!? I don't owe you anything, my guy! Besides, I was planning to train after watching that intense battle you just had with that Amber girl!" Arthur shouted in dismay as he tried to wiggle free from her grasp "It really got me pumped up!"
"You can't train on an empty stomach, idiot~"
I just shook my head at their antics and walked over to Amber.
She was still in the same position. However, when I walked closer I realized she was whispering apologies to Sneasel the entire time.
My cruel words from earlier must have really dug deep.
As I sat there watching this, would I apologize to her?
Nope.
Every word I spoke I meant.
I was just a rotten person like that.
Instead I extended my hand. She could take it or slap it away.
In either case, I wouldn't be mad.
Sneasel poked her on the head
"Sneasel Sneas."
She finally looked up at me thanks to Sneasel's prodding, and took a look at my outstretched hand.
I didn't smile, fully expecting her to turn it away.
I was surprised when I felt warmth envelop my hand as she took it, and I pulled her up in turn.
"Thanks…" I heard her speak up softly, a gentle smile on her face as she looked at the ground, her face red from crying.
I opened my mouth slightly in awe when I recognized that it was a genuine smile.
She wasn't talking about me helping her off the ground...
"I didn't do much…" I gave the same answer to her as I did Whisper.
These two really were family…
I mean, it was true. Amber did all the heavy lifting during all of our matches.
She giggled at my response, finding it amusing for a reason I couldn't comprehend.
"Then thank you for being you then…" Amber looked into my eyes when she said this.
"Pfft, I guess I'll take that." I shook my head with a roll of my eyes. "I'm the best person at being me of course."
Rotten and all.
Amber began to laugh merrily when I said that, her Sneasel joining her.
I wondered with curiosity if this was how my time in this world would be spent.
In the end, I didn't belong here.
But I could certainly get used to it.
Author's Notes: There you have it, the conclusion to the first arc of the story! Don't expect too many ANs from me as I typically prefer to let my writing speak for itself.
But man, I definitely don't want to have to do another tournament anytime soon. It can be quite a pain having to come up with things for four different Pokémon to be doing at once, but I think I did pretty alright all things considered.
I would like to thank everyone for their support and their reviews. I didn't quite expect this story to blow up as much as it did. I've only written four chapters and already the follower count is in the 80s at the time of me writing this.
It's thanks to you guys I was able to keep the motivation to continue writing this story.
I still have plenty to write about, with several arcs already planned from here. I want to try and get a chapter out every week, but I fully realize that's a good way to get burnt out, so please don't raise your expectations too high!
In conclusion, please send out your reviews and criticisms with how I handled this arc, especially the climax. I was very nervous when writing this up considering how much I had built it up in previous chapters, not to mention my discomfort with writing action scenes…
I just hope many of you aren't disappointed!
Until next time!
Rodney Candle, flickering away~~~