Half-Truism
Despite having lived in Saffron for many years, Reiko could barely believe the sheer size of the city they were flying over.
Below, Jubilife stretched in all directions for miles and miles, like a dark grey carpet that had come to rest on top of the land. The light of the moon had a hard time breaking through the smog floating above the buildings; not that it would have done any good, as half the city was lit up like an Ampharos' tail despite night having arrived hours ago. Cars and people flooded the streets, seemingly not realizing what time it was. Reiko looked up from Knives' back, and felt a chill as she couldn't to see a single star in the sky.
How can people live like this? She thought, horrified. They're like Durant in a nest…
Not like she had time to ponder much about those things. Under her command, Knives veered down and slowed his flight as they approached the dot marked on the map of her Poketch. The echoing booms of music and screaming made it toward her as they flew in between the skyscrapers, approaching what she instantly recognized as the bad side of town. About thirty percent of the houses and buildings were abandoned, their windows shattered and dim light gleaming behind them, probably from someone's makeshift bonfire. The streets were broken in some places and a bunch of dodgy folk flooded the sidewalks, looking all around like they expected to get ambushed.
Reiko smiled as they landed. Now this, she was more familiar with.
From the pocket of her jeans she grabbed both Knives' pokeball and a snack for him to munch on before returning him back to it. Then, a few seconds after, a strong gust of wind fell over the street. Palmer and his Salamance landed a few feet from her, sending out clouds of dust and smoke everywhere.
"Hide that fucking thing, will you?" she hushed angrily. Palmer made a sour face and returned his Pokemon to his ball. "You're supposed to be the incognito part of this mission or whatever. They can't know you're in here."
"I can't be the only person with a Salamance in all of Sinnoh," he replied. "Besides, this place is almost empty. Everyone's probably inside their homes or at the club already."
"Let's hope no one recognizes you with all the lights and music going on," she whispered. "Come on, should be around this corner."
As inane as any statement could be, considering the ground-shaking booms of music coming from said location toward them, accompanied by occasional flashes of multi-colored lights trying to escape the place. The building itself wasn't as big or as ornate as Reiko had expected. Little more than two steel warehouses stuck together under a bridge connecting the two halves of the city; the street under them vanished into a sea of blackened soil and grass, not to mention full of empty beer bottles everywhere. A few bouncers in dark clothes were sprinkled around the perimeter of the club, and at the very top, close to the ceiling, a gigantic sign shone like a miniature sun, if the sun changed spastically in color every few seconds.
"Rosita Storm," she whispered under her breath. "Feel like I've heard the name before…"
"Can't say I've been around these sorta places much." Next to her Palmer walked with his hands behind his head, trying to appear calmer than he was. She sensed hesitation in his voice. "It's probably best if we stick to what Cynthia said and try to recruit this Nox guy as diplomatically as we can."
She shot him a glare full of poison. "I don't need you to tell me what to do. I'll take care of this."
"Reiko, I'm just saying…"
"I'll talk to Nox." She cut him off, almost snarling her words. "You stay back and cover my back, if you can even do that. And if things go south, we just release our Pokemon and make a way out for ourselves." She took a deep breath, shaking her head. "Not our fault if we screw this up. What the hell was Cynthia thinking, sending me on a mission like this?"
To that, it seemed, Palmer had no answer. He didn't say anything else as they approached the entrance of the club. Wisps of artificial smoke obscured the inside and gave shape to the beams of colored light that flashed from within, matching the rhythm of the electronic music.
One of the bouncers raised a hand toward them once they were a stone-throw's away from the entrance. He was tall and imposing, with a bald head and a jaw like a shovel.
"Yeah, yeah, we know." Reiko interrupted him before he could say anything. "How much to get in?"
For a moment the man seemed annoyed that he had been interrupted, but as he heard her speak his eyes went slightly wider and a smile stretched across his lips. He let out a deep laugh.
"Ah… new around here, no?" He spoke with a deep, almost intelligible accent. "Don't worry, lady. No payment to enter here."
Reiko and Palmer exchanged a look, and for the first time she was too stunned to be angry at the man. What kind of club didn't charge money to enter? How the hell did they make any profit, then?
Maybe that's why the place looks like shit, she thought.
"Well… that's great, then," Palmer finally said, clapping his hands with a smile. "Here, let's…"
He took a step toward the entrance but, as it had happened before, the bouncer raised a hand toward them, his expression turning darker.
"No pokeballs inside," he said. "You leave them with me."
There was a short pause. Reiko blinked, looked at Palmer and then back at the bouncer. "I… what?"
The man gestured with his eyes to his right. There, on top of a dingy steel table, rested a few boxes full of belts, each one containing from one to six pokeballs. Three of them were full, with only one half-way filled.
"Boss' orders. You bring anything you want inside… but no pokeballs." He raised his chin, frowning. "Got it?"
"I don't think so," Palmer replied immediately, his brow furrowing.
"Yeah, there's no way I'm leaving any of my partners here with you," said Reiko. "How do I know I'll get them back? You could just steal them for all I know."
The man shrugged, his expression that of someone who had heard those words many times before.
"That's rules. You give me the pokeballs, I give you a voucher with number in it so you can get them back later," he explained. "Don't like it? Then scram. Line's forming behind you."
Reiko looked over her shoulder; a group of four teens (probably not legal, judging by how small they looked) stood behind them, impatiently tapping their feet on the ground and taking drags of their cigarettes.
She exchanged another look with Palmer, his expression mirroring hers, and pursed her lips. This was a bad idea. No, scratch that; she had bad ideas every single day and acted on them with wild abandon. This… was a terrible fucking idea.
And yet… it didn't look as though they had any other choice. Sighing, Reiko unclasped the trainer belt from around her waist and handed it over to the bouncer. Fire formed in her stomach as soon as it slid from her fingers, but she contained her rage, if barely. Palmer followed her example, looking not much happier than she was.
"Good." The man handed a small voucher to each of them. "You can go inside now."
They did, though not before stealing one last, almost desperate glance at their pokeballs now resting atop a pile of their peers, as if they were worthless garbage. Reiko felt her clasped hands start to shake, and had to breathe in deep to calm herself. The hallway leading to the inside of the club was barely wide enough to accommodate both of them as they walked.
"He took our pokeballs, but didn't even flinch at that sword on your back," said Palmer, his voice barely audible over the music.
"It wouldn't make a difference," she replied. "Even if I had a real sword or a gun or anything, that still doesn't even compare with the kind of trouble you could cause with a single Pokemon."
"I guess you're right," Palmer sighed. "Doesn't leave us in a great spot if things go badly, though."
She couldn't argue with him there. Now they had nothing to defend themselves with if Nox and his passé happened to have their Pokemon with them (which, knowing how these underworld folk worked, they probably did). It seemed diplomacy really was the only option on the table right now.
Reiko rubbed her eyelids, tired. "Look, change of plans. Stay around while I go talk to Nox. If things go south, make a distraction and I'll come get you. We can get out with the runestone Cynthia gave me if push comes to shove."
"What… kind of distraction?"
"Punch someone. Topple a table. Break a bottle over a bouncer's head." She shrugged. "Whatever helps to get eyes on you. Improvise." She frowned. "I'll do the same."
The inside was about as chaotic as Palmer had expected, considering what he'd seen and heard from the outside. A sea of people flooded the dance floor as the lights flickered on and off with the rhythm of the music, the only thing visible in the darkness being the fluorescent bracelets and necklaces most of them wore. About half the dancers had some drink on their hands, and about half of those didn't look old enough to be drinking them.
Kids these days...
He looked around as they walked, keeping his eyes open for anything that could lead them to Nox. A long counter was set up against the south wall, behind which a group of three teenagers with skimpy outfits and bright-colored hair served drinks to customers with a bored look on their faces. The bathrooms sat at the opposite wall, and not too far from them was a hatch leading down a flight of stairs. Two bouncers stood at each side, arms crossed.
"Look. Up there."
He pointed up, and Reiko followed him with her gaze reluctantly. There seemed to be a second floor to the club; a balcony of sorts. Not many people up there, and those who were seemed preoccupied with things other than dancing. Three or four bouncers, a few men with expensive-looking clothes smoking cigars and…
Reiko's eyebrows formed a bridge over her nose. A lonely, round table rested on the middle of the balcony, behind which sat a single person, surrounded by guards. They couldn't see his face from where they were, but they didn't need to.
There you are.
"I see him!" she shouted. "I'll go up, you stay here and see if shit goes wrong!"
"Wait, wait!" Palmer reached toward her with his hand, but recoiled it as soon as he realized what he was doing. "What… do I do in the meantime?"
"Fucking… dance, or something!" She flared her nostrils at him, shaking her head. "What kind of question is that!?"
"I'm… not a great dancer."
"Then go get a drink! Improvise, for fuck's sake!"
She didn't give him a chance to say anything else; her red hair made a whip behind her as she turned around and headed directly for the stairs. Palmer could do little but sigh. There she went, walking past two confused bouncers and directly toward what he assumed was Nox' table.
If this place isn't set on fire by the time we leave, it'll be a miracle, he thought. Maybe I do need a drink…
The booms of electronic music drilled into his eardrums as he made his way to the counter. Dear Mew, was this what kids listened to nowadays? Then again, it's not like he'd ever been in touch with modern music even when he was a teenager. His kinds of adventures tended to involve more reckless stuff like throwing himself off cliffs and climbing volcanoes, not night clubbing.
Maybe I'm just getting old, he thought as he took a seat in front of the counter of the bar. It's gotten so hard to keep up with the youngsters of today.
"…do you want?"
He perked up, blinking, and found one of the girls waiting in front of him, chewing her bubblegum in what could only be described as an impatient manner.
"Oh, sorry. What did you say?"
The girl rolled her eyes, under which rested dark bags. "Asked you what you wanna drink, pops."
P-Pops? He felt his spirits sink. I'm not… I'm not that old, am I?
"Well… what do you have?" he asked, forming a polite smile.
"...you for real? I just gave you the fucking menu, dude."
Startled, Palmer looked down and indeed found a square piece of paper resting in front of him, listing off a few drinks and their prices.
"Ah… sorry. Let me take a look."
"Sure, whatever."
The more he read of the list, the less idea he had of what they served at this bar. All the drinks had weird, nonsensical names like The Hyperbeam or The Molten Camerupt, and not a single one detailed what it was made with, nor how much alcohol there was in it. There was only price and name, which he found to be an... interesting business decision.
Well… he was thirsty, and he had to make a decision at some point. He called over the waitress –who in the meantime had been attending someone wearing an oversized black overcoat, their face hidden in shadows– and grabbed some money his pocket.
"Finally decided?" The waitress' voice strained as she spoke, impatience clear in her tone.
"Uh, yeah, is there… anything in this menu that's under eighty proof?" asked Palmer "Or at least not that intoxicating?"
She stared at him, one eyebrow raised and her hands frozen where they previously were cleaning a glass to pour a drink into. A dry laugh escaped her lips.
"Sure, I think we have some sparkling water in our geriatric menu. Comes with a free bowl of oatmeal porridge and a suppository for me to shove up your arse. How's that sound?"
Not bad except for the last part, Palmer thought, sighing.
Feeling himself age a hundred years, Palmer let his shoulders fall and resigned himself to the fact that this night would simply not take it easy on him. Not surprising, really. And he was stil thirsty.
"…I'll take a Hyperbeam."
Fake it 'til you make it had always sounded like such a pessimistic phrase to Reiko. Why wait? Why pretend? Why not simply assume you had already made it and expect reality to fall in line behind that assumption?
So, as she walked past a bunch of dumbfounded bouncers and sat across Nox –the entirety of the upper floor focusing its attention on her–, she decided to go with a slightly more optimistic motto.
Fake it while you make it, she thought. She reached forward and grabbed a slice of pizza from the table. A group of five bouncers began closing in around her. She paid no mind to them and leaned back on her chair, resting her legs on top of the table while she chewed a mouthful of pizza, eyes set on her target.
"Well, hello there. Do I know you?"
Nox' appearance was different than she had expected, though also not entirely surprising. He couldn't have been older than her; short and skinny with blonde hair down to his shoulders and eyes a green so bright they could have passed for neon. His clothes were dusty and torn-down, but in a 'made specifically to look worn and dingy, yet probably costs more than anything most people could afford' sort of way.
It took Reiko only a second to decide she didn't like him. Which made this a bit more difficult, as she was supposed to take a diplomatic approach to the situation.
"Nox, right? I'm guessing you already know who sent me here." She swallowed and licked her lips. "Mmm…sardines and parmesan; nice."
Every single person in the upper floor had their eyes on her. She did her best to show outwardly that she didn't notice that, even as one of the bouncers raised his hand toward her, eyes narrowed and expression full of danger.
Nox raised a hand, and the man stopped. A thin, cut-like smile stretched across his pale face.
"I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about. Still, I won't be the one to complain if someone as lovely as you wants to accompany me during dinner." He tilted his head to the side, smiling as he said that. His voice was smooth and sweet, with an underlying touch of threat under it, like honey mixed with poison. "I say, is this a public event now? Am I not allowed some privacy while dining with a lady?"
Immediately, both the bouncers and the rest of the people staring at them turned around in a panic, starting conversation amongst themselves and pretending not to be eavesdropping. Reiko smiled; that would make it much easier.
"Please, feel free to take as much as you want," said Nox, gesturing toward the pizza. "It's not often I get interesting visitors, so I'd like to treat you to my full hospitality. This place can be so very boring, you know."
Annoying, cocky and ignorant, Reiko listed off in her head. He probably inherited the business from a family member; there's no way a guy like this could've built up a black market by himself.
"Are you sure about that offer?" she asked, leaning back on her chair. "I could eat a beanpole like you under the table, three times over."
Out of the corner of her eye she noticed one of the bouncers holding back laughter with his back turned toward them. So they were listening. And they didn't seem to like their boss much. Interesting information.
Nox stifled a giggle. "I'm sure you would, but it doesn't bother me. I find appetite to be an… alluring attribute in a woman."
Let's add creep to the list, while we're at it.
"Sorry, but right now I'm more interested in the food than you," she said. "Speaking of which, I'm getting thirsty. You got any good beer in this club of yours?"
"Naturally. Should I assume you prefer blonde? Um…"
She let out a chuckle. "Funny. But no, dark ale is just fine." She took another bite. "And it's Reiko. A pleasure, I know."
Nox gestured at one of the waitresses nearby, who after a few seconds came to the table with a jar of dark beer filled to the top. Reiko licked her lips as she emptied a third of it in a single swing.
At the other side of the table, Nox, raised an eyebrow.
"So… Reiko. Your company is lovely, but I can't help but wonder what you're doing here." His tone turned slightly heavier, the green of his eyes almost gleaming in the darkness of the room. "Places like these… they can be dangerous, if you don't know what you're dealing with."
Subtlety wasn't Nox forte, it seemed. Reiko tried her best not to look bored by his pathetic attempt at intimidation while answering.
"Champion Cynthia sent me," she said. "She knows you've been selling supplies to Team Galactic, and wanted me to negotiate some terms with you."
Nox' glass stopped halfway toward his mouth. He lowered it, raising an eyebrow, and formed a nervous smile.
"And by negotiate you mean…"
"I was told to try a diplomatic approach," she replied. "But… who knows. Night's still young, right?"
To that, Nox raised his glass and nodded, taking a small sip from it afterwards. What the hell was in it, anyway? It was clear and transparent like water, but it didn't look like vodka.
"On that, we can agree." He smiled. "So you're one of Cynthia's puppets, eh? Gotta say, I expected her to send someone long before now; I guess the social pressure is finally putting a dent on her."
"Keep me outta your boring sinnohan politics, I've got no idea what you're talking about," she said. "I'm just here as a messenger. Cynthia's offering you a lot of money if you just switch to her side and spill the beans on where Team Galactic's base is. More than they could ever pay you, I'm sure."
Nox didn't reply for a few seconds, too busy moving his glass around, the single ice cube inside sloshing around as he stared at it. His brow was slightly furrowed.
"And why would I ever do that?" he asked. "It would set a bad precedent if I started betraying my clients. Snitches gets stitches, as they say."
She crossed her arms and smiled. "You know who also gets stitches? Idiots who don't listen when the most powerful trainer in the region tells them what's good for them." She leaned forward a bit, staring straight at him. "Do you really think you and your friends can go up against Cynthia if she comes after you?"
Nox tilted his head to the side, pensive. His golden earring shone against the multitude of colored lights flooding the club.
"I doubt all eight Gym Leaders and the Elite Four could go up against Cynthia… so no, the answer to that question is no." He laughed. "But I seriously doubt she would risk her public image any further by attacking us… so either she's gone off the deep end, which I knew would happen eventually, or… you're bluffing." His lips formed a long smile. "For the sake of sleeping better at night, I'll assume it's the latter."
Motherfucker. So he wasn't as dimwitted as he looked. Reiko shrugged and took a gulp from her jar, pretending not to be surprised.
"I didn't think I'd need to go that far. I thought the promise of the money would be enough to convince you."
"That's where most people commit their mistakes; in assuming I only care about the money." Nox moved a strand of hair from his face, crossing his legs and smiling as he did so. "No, dear, I'm really not interested in Cynthia's offer. To be honest I already have all the money I could ever want."
Not surprising. And not helpful either, Reiko realized as she noticed the shift in the conversation. Judging by Nox' expression, he was losing interest in her. And if she didn't give him what he wanted, she would probably not like the way in which she'd exit the club.
"There's gotta be something you want," she said. "Might not be money, but you wouldn't be in this business if there weren't something. What does Team Galactic offer you?"
Nox smiled a terrible smile, and shrugged. "Entertainment."
Reiko was taken aback. "En…tertainment?"
"Naturally. They're pretty interesting folk; I accepted the offer to help them because I thought it'd be fun to see how far they went," said Nox. "And I gotta admit… I'm impressed."
It took every ounce of will within her not to throw the jar of beer at Nox' face. So he just thought this was all a game? Even though so many people had gotten hurt and died? Even though…
She closed her eyes and sighed, trying to control the storm in her belly. She needed to act calm, for now at least.
"Like I said… there's gotta be something you want," she repeated. "What can we give you that Team Galactic can't?"
Nox took some time to answer, still examining the ice cube inside his glass, gaze distant.
"As entertaining as their endeavors have been so far, I admit that helping Team Galactic has gotten… rather dull lately." He let out a long, dramatic sigh. "So… there might indeed be something you could offer me in exchange of my cooperation."
Reiko leaned back a little, frowning. "Yeah? And what would that be?"
Nox' reply was immediate, "Didn't I already say? Entertainment of course!"
The table was almost toppled as Reiko stood up, cheeks burning and her gaze full of venom. For a moment Nox looked stunned. Then, a second after, he began to laugh.
"Ah… no, no, I didn't mean that kind of entertainment!" He spoke in between bursts of laughter, one hand over his stomach. "Don't get me wrong; you're lovely, but I'm not that kind of man."
"Then what is it?" she asked, tone hoarse and rough. "What kind of entertainment do you want?"
Nox stood up as well, whipping his hair to the side as he formed a devious smile.
"Well… do you, by any chance, happen to be a talented trainer?"
Palmer had never been one to really enjoy alcohol –that was more of Sarah's expertise– but he had to admit that the sweet, pearly-white drink he'd been handed tasted damn nice.
The taste and consistency… was it made with a Liechi berry? Well, whatever it was, he'd already downed two thirds of the glass and the rest would probably soon follow. Not like he had much else to do, really. Dancing was out of the question; he'd probably attract lots of attention due to how awful he was at it, and he couldn't follow Reiko either.
Shaking his head he downed what was left of the drink and sloppily let the glass down on the counter, almost making it fall. Weird… he was usually more coordinated than that. Why were his hands so shaky? And why did the music suddenly feel so much louder and obnoxious?
He blinked a couple times and yawned. Well, whatever. Hopefully Reiko was having better luck than him. He looked over his shoulder almost lethargically, expecting to see the girl's unmistakable red hair up there in the second floor, just like every time he'd looked before.
Except… she wasn't there now.
"W-wha…?"
He found her a moment after; walking through the lower floor with four bouncers surrounding her and whom he assumed was Nox in front. The six of them headed for the bunker entrance at the other side of the room; disappearing down the stairs toward god knows where.
Oh… boy.
"Uh… excuse me, miss?" He called over the waitress once more, voice slightly slurred. "Can I…?"
"Sure, another Hyperbeam?" she asked, tone disinterested. "Those are pretty popular around here."
"What? No, no. I just…" He looked over his shoulder again, frowning. "What's… down those stairs? You know… those at the other side of the room."
"Thanks for clarifying. I wouldn't have known what stairs you were talking about otherwise," said the girl, her voice thick with sarcasm. "And what kind of question is that anyway? How do you come here and not know where that leads?"
He gulped. "I… came with a friend?"
"Ugh…" the girl closed her eyes and sighed. "Down there are the blood cages."
He blinked. "I… beg your pardon?"
"The cages," she repeated, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "You know… for trainers to fight in?"
When Reiko had woken up that morning, the last thing she expected to do was being shoved inside an enormous metal cage –blood and coins littering the floor all over– to battle another trainer for some asshole's entertainment.
Yells and cheers erupted from the stands all around her, the small subterranean room filled to the brim with less than respectable people, all of whom sounded very excited for the fight about to begin. Atop the highest balcony, sitting on his chair and enjoying a fruity drink, was Nox. He smiled down at her, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
All you have to do is win one fight, he had told her. Show me a true spectacle, and I will give you the information you want.
And she had agreed to it, like an idiot. Then again, it wasn't like she had many other choices. And if winning a single Pokemon battle was all it took…
"Silence."
The voice boomed through the speakers, silencing everyone in the room. At the other side of the cage, the person who had given the order took a step forward, hands in his pockets. He was short but lean, with combed back black hair and a tight leather outfit full of tiny pockets and belts, inside which gleamed a multitude of small knives.
He adjusted the small microphone stuck to his cheek, and spoke once again.
"You seem to be new, so it wouldn't hurt to go over the rules." His voice was low and monotone, with no feeling behind it. "Hi; my name is Nico and I'll be your opponent. This will be a one on one battle. We'll both take a random Pokemon from these boxes and fight until only one trainer is left standing."
There was a moment of silence as he placed a hand on the small table next to him, grabbing a Pokeball from the box on top.
"Though this is technically a Pokemon battle, the trainers are part of it too. You can order your Pokemon to attack me or do it yourself; in fact I recommend you do, as the moment a trainer is out of commission they will immediately lose, whether their Pokemon is still up or not. We're not technically allowed to kill each other, 'cause if we do our reward will be cut in half but…" He shrugged nonchalantly. "Accidents happen."
Reiko gave a decisive nod, trying to ignore the knot in her stomach. "Yeah, I know. Nox explained it to me already. I chose my weapon too," she said, pointing with her thumb to the bokken hanging from her back.
"I see…" For a moment she thought she had seen a hint of disgust flash through the boy's face. "Then we better get started, I guess. Choose your fighter."
The room erupted in screams once more as both contestants walked toward their respective boxes, ready to choose a partner for the battle. Coins and drinks flew through the air, landing on the floor of the arena. Gold and red shone together under the strong, artificial lights hanging from the ceiling.
Reiko looked over the box, and frowned. There were only three Pokeballs inside, while Nico's seemed to be overflowing with the things. Was it because he was a veteran at this? Did you win a new Pokeball every time you beat someone? Whatever the reason, she wouldn't stay here long enough to find out.
Knowing better than to worry about her choice, she simply grabbed one at random and headed toward her side of the arena. Nico already waited for her at the other side. He stood with his legs far apart, leaning slightly forward. His eyes were dispassionate, but ready.
"Are you ready?"
Reiko nodded, trying to push her feeling on the matter as down as she could. She couldn't hesitate. Not now.
"Yeah…" She unsheathed her bokken with her right hand, while holding her Pokeball on the other. "Bring it."
The light of their pokeballs opening simultaneously flooded the room for a second, and as soon as it dissipated Reiko could be seen running forward, bokken in hand and a grim look of determination in her eyes. A round, blue Pokemon with extremely muscular arms and a spiral on his stomach had appeared at her side, a creature she recognized well from her days training around the Seafoam Islands. Poliwrath, probably accustomed to this, needed no further instruction to run toward their opponents as well.
The light disappeared on the other side too, leaving behind a creature which Reiko couldn't identify. It looked like a purple balloon with four thin ribbons as extremities and a mouth that was just a yellow X. It's color scheme seemed… familiar. Where had she seen…?
"Use Gust!"
Nico's voice boomed, a sudden and clear anger behind it. The unidentified Pokemon used its four ribbons to push itself up in the air and, after inflating its body to its limits, spat out a torrent of air toward them. Its force hit Reiko off guard; she felt her feet slide free of the ground and the world spun around her as she was sent flying back like a kite, unable to resist the strength of its attack. Gritting her teeth, she landed on one foot and dug the tip of her bokken against the ground, using it as an anchor to keep herself in place.
The wind's roar deafened her to the cheers of the audience. Through narrowed eyes she saw her partner Poliwrath being pushed back as well, his face contorted in effort as he tried to fight against the strength of the wind.
This won't work for him, she thought. As soon as that thing runs out of breath we'll…
She barely noticed the gleam of the knife as it flew toward her. She moved by instinct alone; the edge cut through the fabric of her shirt, avoiding the skin under her arm by mere inches.
Eyes wide, she looked at Nico across the arena. He held one of those thin, silver knives between each finger as though they were claws, and judging by his posture, slightly hunched forward, he was getting ready to throw another one at her.
"Dig!" She bellowed, jumping up to her feet.
Poliwrath anchored himself with one hand and raised the other high before bringing it down with all his strength, creating a hole in the ground. He jumped inside and disappeared, leaving Reiko alone in the arena. She grit her teeth and focused all her attention on Nico, whose next knife had just left his hand and was headed directly to her stomach.
She dived forward, dodging the knife as it flew over her and rolling on her shoulder once it met the ground. Another two knives flew, but she pushed herself to the left with one hand and blocked the remaining one with her bokken, making it bounce to the side. She noticed the wind getting weaker as the seconds went by. Not much longer until…
It stopped. The strange Pokemon, now as prune as a raisin, ran out of air and prepared to inhale again, but Reiko yelled an order before it could.
"Now! Submission!"
The ground creaked under the Pokemon. There was a cloud of dust and small chunks of earth and sand flew everywhere as Poliwrath shot himself up like a bullet, furious eyes set on his opponent. His muscles tensed to its limits, hands closing around the creature with the force of an iron grip.
Or… so had Reiko expected. In reality, Poliwrath's hands phased through as if the Pokemon weren't even there, closing only around the air itself. Both him and his trainer froze, realization dawning on them.
"Looks like you forgot to do your homework. Drifblim are ghost Pokemon," said Nico, not an ounce of a smile on his voice. "Now, throw him!"
The creature's ribbons closed around Poliwrath's wrists like handcuffs, immobilizing him for long enough to throw him halfway across the room. As soon as it had done so, it began to inflate again.
"Shit…" Reiko bit her lower lip, feeling her hands start to shake. "If we can't hit it with physical attacks then we'll focus on Nico!"
A large cloud of sand was raised where Poliwrath landed. He shook his head, veins of anger forming at the sides of his face, and nodded decisively. Unfortunately, they had no time to counter-attack.
"Gust; in a circle!"
Drifblim opened its mouth and released another, even more powerful storm. They braced themselves. However, the gust of wind… missed them. It curved around the edges of the cage for a moment before looping back in on itself; then, once it did, everything inside that circle became chaos.
Reiko felt herself pulled from all directions, the hurricane they were trapped in blowing with such strength that the mere act of keeping her feet on the ground was grueling, almost impossible. Drifblim seemed to have found its rhythm. The more air it spat out the more it came back to it, allowing it to blow more and more wind as the seconds went by, trapping them inside and leaving its trainer to attack as he pleased.
And that he did, the bastard. Four knives flew at her in succession, wrapping around the cage before assaulting her from the right. She stepped –or tripped, it was hard to tell– past two of them and dodged the other two by jumping forward. Then three more. They came slightly apart, probably trying to prevent her from jumping to the sides. Reiko held her breath and waited, until…
An explosion of pain shook her arm, stealing the air from her lungs. Stunned, she looked to the left and found one of the knives sticking out of the muscle just under her shoulder, a thin line of blood coating its edges.
W-wha…?
Before she could process any more of the pain she saw a figure jump toward her, and a second after the world blurred. Poliwrath pushed her to the side with a shove of his hand, blocking the two knives flying through the air and squinting as they scratched his skin.
Shit! Focus! She yelled inside her own mind, landing a few feet to the side. Her hair flew everywhere, slapping her on the face and obscuring her view. The knives are looping back because of the wind! I can't keep dodging them, I have to stop their momentum somehow!
She rose to her feet and grabbed the bokken with both hands, a flare of pain shooting down her shoulder as soon as she closed her fingers. Lights danced in front of her eyes and her vision blurred. Breathing heavily, she grounded herself and tried her best to ignore the pain.
"Shoot them off the air with water!" She yelled.
It didn't take long for the cage to become a whirlwind of knives. At least a dozen of them flew through the air erratically, forcing Reiko and Poliwrath to keep their eyes peeled for those who came straight at them. Two approached; one from above and one from below. Reiko breathed in deep and jumped up, spinning horizontally as they flew past her and striking one with her wooden blade, throwing it directly to the ground. A stream of water flew past her ear, shooting down another one. Two down. That still left about ten more, and that number was going up.
It felt as though the hurricane were taking the air from her lungs; she jumped and dived and spun all around the arena, unable to stop for even a second as the number of knives increased, leaving less and less space for her to dodge. Blood began to pour from two scratches on her leg and ankle. Poliwrath was breathing heavily, a knife sticking out of his shoulder and another one lodged into his foot.
Four of them came at her from different directions. She allowed herself a moment to think and then drove her bokken against the ground, using it as a lever to help her jump further. Another one came from above; still in mid air, she spun the palm of her hand on the handle of her weapon and kicked it down with all her strength.
I… I can't keep this up! She thought, head spinning. My muscles feel like they're on fire. I need to do something!
She saw the gleam as she fell, but couldn't dodge, still in mid air. A sharp pain burst just above her eye and her vision went momentarily red, drops of blood falling down her face. The sand cushioned her fall somewhat, but did little else as she let out a pained grunt, fingers curling against her palms. The cut above her eye bled profusely. It felt hot on her eyelid and cheek, slowly running down her chin. Hot… so hot…
The metallic whistle alerted her to the knives before her eye could see them. Another five. Coming from all directions. There was no way she could dodge them, not without…
Help me… just this once…
It happened so fast. The blood pouring out of her wounds came to a boil, evaporating instantaneously and covering the outline of her body with a dark red mist. Her wounds closed. Reiko exhaled, a puff of black smoke escaping her lips. The sand under her feet began to crystallize, and she felt as though the entirety of her were about to burst into flames.
Then it moved her. The muscles of her legs contracted with such strength that she rose to her feet in an instant. Her body danced between the flurry of knives, moving with the wind like a flame. Her bokken struck every one of them down, right before the wood disintegrated into a hundred black, smoking pieces, its ash carried into nothing by the hurricane itself.
The crowd cheered. Poliwrath and Nico simply stared, one in awe and the other with panic written all over his face. Reiko allowed herself a moment to smile.
Right until the heat rose. The satisfaction on her face was replaced by agony as she felt herself burn from the inside, the flame which had saved her now turning against her as though it wanted to turn her body to ash. She opened her mouth to breathe but even the air was burnt away before it entered her lungs.
Shit, I'm…! I-I'm gonna die!
Left without options, she trusted her instincts and screamed out the first idea that popped into her mind.
"NAMINORI!"
Thankfully Poliwrath had been raised in Kanto before ending up where he was, otherwise he wouldn't have understood her trainer's order. Wasting no time, he slammed both hands against the ground and summoned a gigantic wave all around him, flooding the entirety of the arena.
Reiko felt it wash over her, taking the pain away like it had never been there. The torrent of water followed the direction of the wind, curving around the arena and swallowing everything within it, turning into an enormous whirlpool. The world spun around her; she couldn't tell up from down or where she was. Though at least the knives weren't after them anymore.
Then she felt Poliwrath's hand close around hers. Her eyes flew open and she saw her partner, looking straight at their opponents past the whirlpool, just over the next curve of the water.
Reiko nodded, and readied herself.
Poliwrath swiped behind him with such strength that the water momentarily boiled, and they were shot forward, out of the whirlpool. Reiko had only half a second to breathe before she saw it. Nico stood in their trajectory, protecting himself with one last knife, a look of terror on his face.
He stabbed forward, but missed the side of her face by half an inch. Reiko grabbed his wrist in mid air, and then everything became a blur as the impact came.
Water spilled out of the cage in all directions, no longer directed by the intense gusts of wind. The room felt like it held its breath for a moment. Then, once everything settled, Reiko was seen kneeling on top of Nico, her wet hair falling over her face like a curtain and her opponent's knife now pressed against his chest. Similarly, Poliwrath had his opponent grabbed by one of its ribbons, dark energy covering his hands, allowing him to touch it.
Reiko's lips trembled. Her lungs felt like they were about to burst. She spat out a bit of water, and whispered.
"You lost."
Palmer stumbled his way out of the club, his mind going either at two or a thousand miles per hour, it was hard to tell. Everything around him was slightly blurry. His muscles felt as though they weren't doing exactly what he told them. And worst of all, the music felt the loudest it had ever been.
He found the man he was looking for as soon as he walked out the door. The bouncer looked over his shoulder, raising an eyebrow.
"Out already?" he asked, his accent even less clear now that he was drunk. "You want…?
"Poke…things. Balls! Pokeballs, yes!" Palmer gesticulated wildly with one hand, pointing at the boxes behind the man. "I need mine and my friend's!"
"Whoa, whoa, calm, friend." The man raised a hand at him. "Only person who leaves this here can get it back, and only with voucher."
"B-but…!"
"Sorry. Those are the rules."
Palmer blinked a few times, mumbling to himself. If that was true… it looked like he needed to resort to extremes.
"Well… I'm sorry, but I need both those belts back," he said. "I'll have to fight you for them!"
The man tilted his head, then let out a roar-like laugh, placing a hand over his stomach as he leaned forward. He whispered a few things too in between chuckles.
"Oh… man… funny!" He continued to laugh, shaking his head. "Sukin Syn ya…"
Palmer perked up his nose, eyes going wide. He felt his face grow abnormally hot.
"You…"
He moved like a bullet. Palmer's fist flew like an arrow, crashing against the bouncer's nose and pushing the man back against the wall as if he'd weighed half what he did. His knees went weak and he fell like a sack of potatoes, cursing in another language while he held his bleeding nose with both hands.
Palmer, still frowning, walked over to the table and picked up both his and Reiko's belt. Then, just before opening one of his Pokeballs, he looked over his shoulder and whispered:
"My mother was a saint."
"You lost."
Nico's face went from surprise to rage, and before she could do anything he snarled out his response.
"Not yet… Drifblim!" He bellowed, voice shaking. "EXPLOSION!"
A multitude of gasps were heard above, but Reiko didn't falter. She simply smiled, and waited.
Nothing happened. Nico's eyes went wide.
"Looks like… we both forgot…to do our homework," she said between gasps, the sound of her heartbeat in her ears. "Poliwrath's ability is called Damp. Nothing will be able to explode… as long as he's around."
The last of her explanation was drowned out. Screams and claps filled the entire room, bouncing off the walls and into Reiko's skull. It sounded like the laugh of a Mightyena. She fucking hated it.
In the middle of the chaos, she saw Nico close his eyes in defeat and sigh. The back of his head met the ground.
"How did you do that?" he asked, voice barely audible. "How did you dodge that last attack? It looked like…"
He couldn't will himself to finish his sentence. He simply scrunched up his face, eyes still closed, and breathed in deep. Reiko recognized that gesture.
"It's… something I learned in Cinnabar," she said. "An old friend taught me."
Nico let out a dry laugh, though it sounded more like a sob.
"Figures. The knives were the only advantage I had, and even they were taken away."
Reiko frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Come on. You can't tell me you didn't realize." Nico opened his eyes, the slight shine of tears on them. "This Drifblim only knows four attacks: Gust, Hex, Explosion and Shadow Ball. Your partner is immune to three of them. Nox pulled a fast one on me and I didn't realize until it was too late."
Even though her mind was still hazy and her body felt wrung out, Reiko realized that didn't make sense. "But… we chose our Pokemon. It was random."
"You're really naïve for being such a good fighter," said Nico. "I'd bet anything all the Pokeballs in our boxes have only Drifblim and Poliwrath. This is just Nox' way of showing he's gotten bored of me."
Reiko tried to say something, but the room went quiet in a heartbeat. Then she heard clapping from above, slow and loud. Nox' figure met her as she turned around and looked up at the balcony, frowning against the strong lights hanging from the ceiling.
"And here I thought all that bravado of yours was gonna turn up short." Though she couldn't see his face, she heard the smile in his voice. "Who would've thought that you'd end up being such an entertaining fighter?"
His words were met with screams and cheers of approval. A shower of golden coins fell from the stands toward the arena, mixing with the wet soil and blood, glistening like miniature suns. Reiko clenched her teeth, fingers curling into fists.
"What's gonna happen to Nico?" she asked, more a growl than a question.
"Hm? Oh, him?" Nox tilted his head, using a finger to scratch his cheek. "What do you care? You emerged victorious, did you not? All you should be worrying about is coming up here and receiving your reward. I am a man of my word, after all."
More cheers, more laughs. Reiko looked down, eyes covered in shadows. Then she whispered a question toward Nico.
"Did you… choose this?"
The boy looked up, confused. "W-what?"
"This place, what you were doing… were you fighting here because you wanted to?"
He didn't answer for a few seconds, simply looking down at a small group of coins littering the ground in front of him.
"…No. I just… I got my trainer license taken away and needed a way to make money fast. And… this is the only thing I know how to do." His voice was full of sorrow as he spoke. "It was supposed to be just a couple of fights. Never thought I'd end up like this."
Reiko nodded to herself. She closed her eyes and sighed, accepting what she was about to do. Unlike Percy, she'd never been one to worry over what was the right thing to do; she simply took action in the way she believed and worried about the consequences later.
"Poliwrath… follow his orders as soon as I'm gone from here," she said. "And you… get ready."
"W-what are you…?"
She looked up, locking eyes with Nox as the cheers began to wane.
"So… all I gotta do is get up there and claim my reward?" she asked, almost shouting.
Nox smiled. "But of course. Just wait there and I'll send someone to guide you up h–"
"There's no need. I can get there myself."
Nox blinked a couple times. "I beg your pardon?"
Reiko grabbed the rune hidden within the folds of her clothing and crushed it between her thumb and index finger. Immediately a glyph of light formed beneath her feet. She clenched her teeth and concentrated; eyes set behind Nox.
The air seemed to shift, and a second after she materialized there. The world itself seemed to come to a pause. Reiko allowed herself half a second to breathe and get used to the weakness and pain now covering her body, and then she moved. Her fingers closed around Nox' wrist and after a flurry of movement he ended up in front of her, arm pulled back and Nico's knife pressed against his throat.
"A-wha…!?"
Gasps filled the room. Two bouncers approached, eyes wide, and raised their hands. One of them held a Pokeball and the other one a gun.
"Stop!" she bellowed, pressing the knife harder. "Make any sudden movements and I'll slice his throat!"
Both men froze. The whole room seemed to be holding its breath, the only noise that could be heard that of the music blasting in the floor above.
"W-what the hell do you think you're doing?" Nox' voice wavered, his eyes full of panic. "I thought we had a deal."
"Guess I got tired of you leading me by the nose," she replied. "I decided I'm gonna take the information I want my way."
He parted his lips to reply, but let out a shaking laugh. "Are… are you insane? I was going to give you that information! Now you've fucked yourself and I'm gonna…"
She moved the knife a fraction of an inch, earning a yelp of pain from him as small drops of blood began to run down the cut toward his collarbone. The two bouncers squinted, hands shaking. The crowd all around her began to whisper.
"Tell me the location of Team Galactic's next disembarkment." Her tone was cold and sharp. "If you don't, I'll slit your throat."
"Y-you wouldn't," said Nox, not sounding too sure. "If y-you do that, you'll never leave here alive."
A cold smile stretched across her face. "Guess I'm fucked either way. Which means I have nothing to lose." Nox muttered a few inentiligible words, but she placed her mouth close to his ear and whispered. "You have five seconds."
"P-Pastoria's side dock!" He yelled out, voice shaking from fear. "A… a week from now at around 9.30 pm! A Galactic ship's gonna land in the n-northernmost spot for about fifteen minutes!"
"And…?
"T-that's all I know, I swear." He breathed heavily. "T-they never tell us anything else except that and the provisions they need."
Reiko considered the information for a moment, then nodded.
"Good. That's all I need."
"L-listen, if you let me go I promise I'll clear a way out for you. Just…"
"Oh, don't worry," Reiko interrupted him. "I'll let you go."
"Really?"
"Yeah," she smiled. "Because now it's your turn to show how entertaining you can be."
"W-what…?"
In a flash, she spun Nox around by the arm and pushed him forward with a kick to the back. His eyes went wide as he fell toward the arena below. A loud thump was heard; probably the most satisfying sound Reiko had heard that night. The fall wouldn't be enough to seriously harm him, but a bruise or two were the least of his problems right now.
Below, Nox coughed and rose to his knees, his entire body shaking. Across him, Nico stared with eyes wide like plates.
"You know what to do," Reiko said below.
She turned around, finding herself with a gun and a Pokeball now pointed at her.
Right… now I have to deal with this, she thought. Maybe I should've thought ahead a little bit.
"What a-are you waiting for you idiots!?" Nox' voice was heard from below. "Shoot her and come get m–"
The building shook. Darkness filled the room for a moment as the lights in the ceiling flickered on and off. Then, making a sound like someone crunching on sand, a huge piece of the ceiling cracked and caved in, falling on top of the cage below, its debris barely missing the two people and Pokemon inside.
Reiko couldn't help but gasp as she looked up, her eyes meeting with those of Palmer's Salamance, the man himself riding on his back. All around the hole created by him were the dancers from the club, looking down with expressions full of wonder and confusion.
"Need a pick me up?" Palmer asked, a lopsided smile on his face. His voice sounded slurred.
Reiko sighed, shaking her head. Great. Just what she needed; to owe that goddamn moron.
"You could say that," she replied. "Make sure you fucking catch me."
Before anyone could react she ran forward and jumped, raising her arm as high as she could. Salamance lowered one of its massive hands, fingers closing around her wrist. Both floors of the club looked in amazement and confusion as she was hoisted up toward the dragon Pokemon's back.
Everything shook as Salamance began to retreat, making his way through the limited space within the club and toward the exit. Far below, inside the cage, Nox spat out orders.
"Don't let them leave! Get them!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, face contorted by rage. "And you fucking idiots, open that door so…"
A swoosh was heard behind him, and then a small stream of water crashed with great force at his side, splashing his shoes and making him yelp as he jumped back. At the other side of the arena, Nico had his hand raised, pointing at Nox. Poliwrath stood at his side, hands balled into fists.
Nox shook his head. "What… the hell do you think you're doing? Get me out of here right now or…"
"Sorry boss. No can do."
Nico took a few steps forward, knife spinning on his hands and eyes as cold as ice.
"If someone enters this cage, they have to fight their way out," he said. "Aren't those the rules?"
Once again he raised his arm, pointing at the box with Pokeballs behind Nox. The blonde man looked over his shoulder, lower lip shaking.
"So go ahead," said Nico, squinting with anger. "Pick your poison, Nox."
High above, the last thing Reiko heard before they flew away was the sudden cheers of excitement from the audience.
