"I want you to promise me." Mother said. Her Golett paced behind her.
She gestured to the couch and I sat.
"You know you're adopted." I nodded. "Lacunosa town…" She hesitated. "Promise me you'll never go there."
I cocked my head.
"Where's Lacunosa town?"
"Promise me!" She grabbed my shoulders. Her eyes darted between mine.
I looked past her at Golett. It was watching me.
Nathan was standing behind a chair on the far side of the room. He disappeared behind the chair when I noticed him.
Mother brushed my hair out of my face.
"Please." There was a knock on the door. Mother hurried to open it. Juniper was there.
She frowned at me. Mother moved, blocking her view of me.
"I came by to check on you," Juniper said. She leaned in close, whispering something. Mother gasped.
"But, Anthea said—" Juniper hushed her.
"It will be okay." Mother whispered something else. I watched, lost. Nathan sat down next to me.
A few months later, she was gone. I don't know what happened. Mother left in a hurry one day before the sun was up. She approached me in bed, talking about our promise.
"Don't forget. Never forget our promise!" It was the last time she spoke to me.
It was dusk when Juniper showed up at our door. Cheren's parents were with her. Nathan and I were taken into their home. Nathan left a year later.
Anthea.
Lacunosa.
The promise.
The figurine.
Kyurem.
Kenya poked at the figurine.
"I've never seen a pokemon like that, why don't you just ask Juniper what pokemon it is? Isn't she like the pokemon dictionary?" The two of us were sharing a table in a Nimbasa diner. She set the figurine on the table.
"I just…" Kenya raised her eyebrows. "I have a bad feeling." She frowned.
"I'll admit, that thing does kind of weird me out." She admitted. "But you can trust Juniper."
I questioned the statement. "Either way you have a battle to focus on."
She glanced at a clock on the wall.
"A battle you're gonna miss if you don't hurry."
I picked up the figurine and inspected it again.
"Come on, let's go!" I got up. Kenya rushed me across the city.
We arrived at the stadium ten minutes early. A few people cheered for me as I made my way inside. I found my way to the waiting room. Cheren, Nathan, and Skyla were all already there. There were only four chairs.
I sat down next to Cheren.
.
.
.
"I'm Nathan, this is Andrew." Nathan dropped his suitcase on the floor. Cheren was standing in the doorway of our new bedroom. He nodded.
"Cheren." I sat down on my new bed, yawning. Cheren watched us for a few minutes before disappearing into the hallway.
"How long will we be here?" I asked.
"I don't know," Nathan said.
"When will mother come back?" He ran a hand through his hair. "Nathan, I don't like it here."
"Just shut up!" Nathan shouted. "Leave me alone."
"When will—"
"She's not coming back!" Nathan rushed across the room, shoving me. "It's all your fault! You stole my mom!"
.
.
.
Nathan reached out, patting my back. I glanced over my shoulder at him.
"You nervous?" He asked. I nodded.
"Me too," he admitted.
"I'm not," Cheren said.
"Thanks, Cheren."
Alder started speaking a few moments later.
"The first match between Cheren and Andrew will begin soon." Cheren and I got up.
"Come on, Andrew," he said. I nodded.
The two of us made our way out onto the battlefield. The battlefield had been completely repaired.
We took our places.
We sent out our pokemon.
"Please begin."
"Dewott!"
"Tranquil!" Tranquil took off, crossing the battlefield.
Dewott brandished its shells.
Zebstrika crackled.
"Musharna!" Musharna used hypnosis, Zebstrika fell over. Dewott dodged Tranquil's attack.
Archeops went after it.
"Dewott, aqua jet!" Dewott spun, shifting into a missile of water.
It flew straight at Musharna. Musharna used psychic, hurling Dewott into the air. At the same time, Tranquil used steel wing on Archeops.
Zebstrika was still asleep.
"Pignite, use it." Pignite's body started to steam. Cheren blinked. Pignite had learned a new move.
It had forgotten ember to learn it.
Work up. Dewott landed, recovering quickly.
"Mushrarna, hypnosis!" Dewott avoided it, lunging.
"Rock Tomb!" Archeops attacked Tranquil with a volley of stones and rocks.
Tranquil took a few hits, spiraling towards the ground.
"Tranquil, go after Dewott!"
"Dewott, razor shell!" Dewott slashed Musharna with its shell before I could shout an order. Dewott slashed several more times, knocking Musharna out.
It turned on Pignite. Pignite was still using work up.
I returned Musharna.
"Tranquil!" I called out. Tranquil outmaneuvered Archeops, getting down low as it flew for Dewott.
Archeops dove after it.
"Pignite, flame charge." Pignite caught fire. It jumped, a fireball, rising into Archeop's path.
Pignite slammed into Archeops, knocking it towards the ground. Pignite followed Archeops, landing hard on it.
Archeops was knocked out. Cheren returned it.
"Aerial ace, Tranquil!" Tranquil flew at Dewott. "Pignite, go after Zebstrika!"
"Dewott, stop Pignite!" Dewott used Aqua jet, cutting Pignite off. Tranquil chased after it.
Zebstrika woke up, jumping up.
"Thunder, now!" Cheren shouted. The bolt of electricity cut across the battlefield and knocked Tranquil out instantly.
Pignite attacked Dewott. Dewott stayed out of Pignite's range. Zebstrika fired another thunder. Pignite used flame charge, quickly getting out of the way. Pignite was getting faster.
"Keep using flame charge!" I ordered. Pignite targeted Zebstrika, it broke into a run.
"Aqua jet!" Dewott spun into a missile of water, intercepting Pignite. The impact knocked Pignite off its feet.
Pignite struggled to get up.
"Zebstrika!" Zebstrika crackled. Dewott advanced, brandishing its shells.
Come on!
Pignite's voice caught me by surprise.
We can do this!
I couldn't hesitate now.
It wasn't about Alder anymore.
This was about pride. Giving anything but our absolute best would be disrespecting everyone who battled in this tournament.
It was a strange feeling. I'd won and lost battles before. This was different. I don't think I'd ever enjoyed the intensity of a battle.
"Arm thrust! Watch out for Zebstrika!" Pignite was moving at impossible speeds. It dodged another bolt from Zebstrika and went after Dewott.
Dewott threw a few slashes, Pignite shrugged them off and pummeled it. Dewott dropped its shells.
"Zebstrika, get in there, wild charge!" Zebstrika crossed the battlefield, crackling with more electricity than before.
"Heads up!" Pignite jumped out of Zebstrika's path. Zebstrika gave chase, trailing Pignite across the battlefield.
Dewott recovered its shells. Zebstrika was a problem. It could keep up with Pignite with little effort and it could hit like a truck. Just like in Driftveil, I had no answer for it.
"Go for heat crash!"
"Aqua jet!" Suddenly, Dewott shot across the battlefield.
"Pignite!" Pignite turned, meeting Dewott's charge with a heat crash.
Dewott collapsed.
Zebstrika descended on Pignite, knocking it into the air.
Was Dewott knocked out? Pignite landed on its back. Cheren didn't miss a beat.
"Thunder!" A bolt of lightning struck Pignite. Zebstrika whinnied, stomping a hoof. Neither Pignite or Dewott got up.
"Looks like Pignite has been knocked out," Alder said. "Cheren is the winner." I walked onto the battlefield, returning Pignite.
Cheren returned Zebstrika and Dewott. He met me in the middle of the battlefield.
"You better not lose now," I said. I crossed my arms, feigning aggravation. Cheren smiled.
"I was always going to." We left the battlefield. Nathan's battle with Skyla was beginning as I made my way to the entrance. I watched them send out their pokemon on a nearby television.
"How could you!" Kenya shouted. She appeared at the end of a nearby hallway. A few people turned their heads. She ran over to me and grabbed my shirt collar. "You said you'd win!"
I shrugged, sighing.
"I said I'd try." She groaned. I glanced past her at the tv screen.
Nathan had already knocked out one of Skyla's pokemon.
"It's up to Cheren now."