A Certain Unfortunate Trainer

by NeoShadows

Kamijou Touma was your average Pokemon Trainer in Academy City. Except he had no Ability or Pokemon as a lowly Level-0 with a weird right hand that brought him misfortune. But upon meeting Index, a girl who memorized a library of forbidden books on Pokemon myths and legends, that normal school life would change. When Science, Magic, and Pokemon meet, a story is told.

12. In The Pale Moonlight of Defeat

Hey, hey! It's NeoShadows back with more!

We can go over the same crap that's usually responsible for my lack of updates, but who cares? I can vent to my bartender; I do. Hmm, beginning to wonder if I'm leaning into alcoholism. But who can say no to a cute girl who can make an awesome Whisky Sour?

Anyway, we're finally back to the conclusion of Toxic Hazard's arc! And man, what an ending, huh? From what I've read in the comments, it was a very hard-to-read ending. Some had an inkling about Yuri, others didn't. But for her to have been the ACTUAL BOSS? I kinda sprinkled in hints she was connected, possibly their breeder or something, but to be the one to have had a hand in creating the gang at all? And the way she parted with Touma with blood on her hands?

Gotta say I enjoyed it. Chef's kiss there.

...Am I a masochist?

But now we move on to the wake of the Toxic Hazard arc and fall back onto Index's story at last!

Two; only two chapters left before we close things up.

So, let's break out our reading glasses and get to scrolling!

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Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to A Certain Magical Index or Pokemon. All rights are reserved to Kazuma Kamachi and Game freak.

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Chapter 12: In The Pale Moonlight Of Defeat.

Why_Did_You_EVOLVE?

It didn't take Anti-Skill and Judgment long to respond to the metal shutters sealing Kokyu Tower's visitors from escaping to move. Before the authorization of heavy-duty equipment capable of shearing through thick layers of metal known as The Dragon Jaws could be utilized by the anxious adults or talented Teleport espers of Judgment could sneak in, the walls retreated back into the tower without a scratch inflicted. Wary adults and anxious members of Judgment approached the entrance to the Battle Facility, Pokemon at the ready and shields drawn in case of any surprise attacks.

Toxic Hazard's message had been heard by all those outside Kokyu Tower. It had become public news within ten minutes of the terrorist attack. News outlets were a buzz with whatever details they could snag revolving around the story of a Skill-Out gang having taken control of Academy City's Level-3 Battle Facility and released a deadly airborne toxin known as Level Toxin lethal to espers. If you were a student or an adult, you were surely seen with your eyes glued to either your phones or the news blimps that relaid the escalating situation.

Nothing was heard after the threatening announcement made by the boss of Toxic Hazard. Using a teleporting esper or Pokemon who had also undergone the Power Curriculum Program was an ill-advised plan due to the gas threatening their lives or causing their ability to malfunction. All either Anti-Skill or Judgment could do was stand aside with anxiety stockpiling with every second that ticked closer to the deathly hour marker.

Imagine the relief of those worried and panicked figures of justice as the shutters fell.

There hadn't been any need for gas masks as they swiftly moved in. A few members of Judgment and Anti-Skill who had originally been visiting the mall on their days off had radioed the changing situation. It was unknown who had been responsible for the neutralized gas but the threat of Level Toxin had vanished. Not a trace could be found when researchers were brought in to test the air quality of the tower.

By some laughable miracle, the fatal toxins had utterly disappeared in a matter of minutes.

Immediately the members of Anti-Skill and Judgment went about clearing the mall of the remnants of Toxic Hazard. Very few of the small armed gang of delinquents specializing in Poison-type Pokemon remained as the straggles were defeated by many of the Trainers who had been poisoned by their hands. Medical care was provided to those students and Pokemon who had been harmed in all the chaos as the cleanup of the incident began. Other than superficial wounds, none of those who had breathed in the terrible toxins were in need of emergency aid.

Due to how severe the incident had been due to the threat of unknown substances harming the biology of Academy City's most invested of resources, one of the city's most respected and professional doctor had been requested to the scene as the people and Pokemon were secured.

Heaven Canceler, an old man with balding gray hair, whose face closely resembled a toad Pokemon, sighed in exasperation. Outside of the glamorous tower, ambulances and Anti-Skill squad cars were seen crowding in proximity to the entrance to create a pseudo crowd shield to keep the curious populace back. Of those ambulances that were set up as mini doctor's treatment rooms, said doctor could be found treating one of the students who had been injured in the chaos.

"How many times does this make it? Summer break's only recently begun and I've seen you a total of two times in the week alone. If this keeps up any longer, I just may have to inform the nurses to prop that silly little plaque outside your usual room. I know Etsuko-chan has been caught several times attempting to place the plaque in your usual room with a stubborn pout on her cherub face."

"..."

"Your wounds are of the typical sort; bruising, nicks, burns, some sprained fingers. You have lost a rather unhealthy amount of fluids, so you'll have to let the IV provide some essential nutrients for just a bit longer. Be sure to drink plenty of water, even sports drinks due to their electrolytes and vitamins, eat a proper meal, no cheap greasy fast food, and try to stay out of any more fights. You said something about discomfort inside? Most likely light internal bleeding. Don't move too hastily and get some rest. The damage to your ear canals will repair itself with the medicine I've provided, so don't stick your finger in there, and don't listen to any music with headphones for several days. Understood?"

"…"

A weary sigh was heard from the old man.

Where was a sexy and cut Nurse Joy when you needed one?

Setting down his stethoscope upon the gurney his patient sat atop, the balding doctor crossed his arms over his chest as he looked upon the gloomy boy.

Kamijou Touma's head was bowed. His arms were limp and fell between his legs like a child being punished. Though he was wounded, the only bandages required for his open wounds were hidden by his beaten white button uniform shirt, gauze in his ears, and the cut on his lip. Considering the trouble he was involved in, it was a wonder Heaven Canceler wasn't ordering the boy's extraction so he could be treated in the hospital.

The high school boy would be fine. He could leave at any moment and return to his dorm with a few aches and pains that countertop pain relief medicine could soothe. For once, he wouldn't be seeing the delinquent-like boy sitting in his usual hospital bed for days. It should have come as some relief to Heaven Canceler.

Except for the emptiness in that usually bright-eyed boy's features.

The doctor's expertise knew there was something wrong with the boy. Heavy bruising on the upper body, a busted lip, two lightly sprained fingers, dehydration, internal bleeding- though not severe to warrant surgery, burns brought by electrocution, damage to the eardrums, and some mild poisoning to finish off the diagnosis. All of which were easily treatable even outside of his hospital.

Physically speaking, the spiky boy would pull through as he always did. No question there.

Problem was that what plagued his favorite patient was not a wound even the likes of himself could ever hope to treat with the wonders of technology or medicine.

In the background noise of sirens, Anti-Skill personnel, and their Pokemon, students being treated and cared for, and the annoying arrival of the news media attempting to butt in like it was their business, the world seemed so crowded and loud, blaring with activity born of countless individuals.

All while the boy who had a hand in bringing about such a lively scene went ignored as he wallowed in his own misery. Just as he always did.

"I'm not sure I care to know what happened here. From what I've garnered it seems an up-and-coming Skill-Out gang known for their tactics involving poison and carrying a majority of Poison-type Pokemon, attacked the Level-3 Battle Facility with a unique noxious gas designed to solely harm espers and their Pokemon. They'd gotten their hands on the security protocol of the tower, held themselves up with everyone inside as hostages, and more than likely were attempting to steal whatever dangerous trinkets or information the Brain had underneath their sleeve. But thanks to the off-duty members of Anti-Skill and Judgment who found themselves involved and their efforts, the boss of the gang was apprehended. Rumor is that the poison was neutralized by a rare Pokemon; most likely a Galarian Wheezing."

From the expression on Heaven Canceler's face, it seemed he was doubtful of the official story given in the wake of Toxic Hazard's downfall.

Level Toxin harmed the members of Judgment, leaving them as weak and ill as any other student with a superpower. Even their Pokemon shared in their sickness due to taking part in the Power Curriculum Program.

Anti-Skill was powerless against the thugs of Toxic Hazard who wielded their Pokemon as deadly weapons in large numbers. Those grown adults lacked their high-tech gear and their Pokemon found themselves stricken with Poison via Level Toxin even though they hadn't taken part in the epser program.

Who had gone to save the day was unknown to even Touma who had been responsible for beating down the false figure head's known as Garrick Flynn and Gomi Gio. Luminescent green bulbs born from a familiar sensation found in the presence of the smoking red-haired Magician known as Styl Magnus, had cleared away the fog of malice and saved countless lives.

Lastly…

A thin and frustrating line cut across Touma's face.

Gomi Gio, the instigator of Toxic Hazards terrorist attack and mastermind of the noxious gas of deadly toxins, hadn't been apprehended. The villain wasn't cuffed, and neither was he led to the back of a heavily armored Anti-Skill van set for a holding cell. He wouldn't be left to stew in his defeat, reflect on where he went wrong, or ponder the words a normal high school boy had beaten into his head.

There would be no chance of turning over a new leaf.

The dead couldn't change or be saved.

Yuri Sumire, leader and founder of Toxic Hazard, had assured the defeated boy would never have the opportunity to see the error of his ways.

Kamijou Touma had failed to save either leader of Toxic Hazard. At some point in the unfolding events inspired by toxic individuals, he screwed up. If this incident could be described as a visual novel with multiple dialogue options and actions which would affect the story then he had selected the wrong choice. There had to have been other options in front of him.

When he had spoken to the worried-faced onee-san known as Yuri before heading off to battle Gomi, he could have said anything. He didn't have to say anything. Boxes after boxes were laid in front of him to choose which would have led to a kinder ending where everyone could have walked away with a smile! Three words, four words, five words!

Hadn't there been a better option to select than the one where he had proclaimed violence was the right answer?

There was. It had been in his hand at one point.

Just before Gomi had made his announcement over the speakers, Touma had been in possession of a unique Key Item detailing the blueprints of Toxic Hazard's nefarious plot to spread Level Toxin throughout the building. In his hands, he had held a different option other than using his fists to resolve the chaos. Surely, if he had put some thought into it, maybe talked to Yuri first or searched out for those who worked in Kokyu Tower, then there was a possibility he could have solved everything without having to make even a fist.

Instead, he had crushed that Key Item in his hand and indulged in his wrath. He had chosen violence simply because he was accustomed to it.

In the Pokemon world, there were certain Pokemon who found themselves undergoing evolution by simply interacting with a certain type or species. The tough little Fighting-type known as Pancham he had encountered a few days ago came to mind. An adorable little cub who wanted to be tough and powerful would find itself undergoing a metamorphosis when it would hang around a Dark-type Pokemon. Something about Dark-types would spark something in the little try-hard's body and completely change its nature.

He stared at his right hand and balled his fist.

Humans weren't Pokemon. Pokemon weren't humans. But in ancient times the two species couldn't be distinguished from each other. Wasn't this no different?

The lovely Fairy-type onee-san who desired to care for troublemakers and steer them onto the right path had evolved because she had interacted with a Dark-type high school boy who could only ever spread misery. His nature had corrupted her innocence and convinced her to mirror his violent ways to achieve her own goals.

She had killed her best friend because she had been inspired by Touma's words. Because he had solved the chaos by fighting and hurting others, she believed she could do the same.

Meaning he had reached this Bad End due to his own poor choices.

Just as in Mitsuari Ayu's evolution, he was at fault for the sticky darkness swallowing another person into its starving maw.

A comforting hand laid on the frustrated and solemn boy's shoulder.

Touma didn't look up, eyes set on the ground as he grit his teeth.

"Biiiiiiiii!"

A popping sound was heard from what could only be a Pokeball. No sooner did a small form appear below his feet from the beam of red energy releasing it into the world.

An oval pink body with cherub cheeks, sweet and innocent eyes, and a pink childish ponytail. A rock resembling an egg was stored protectively in her pouch as if it were a baby Kangaskhan. And small stubby arms reached out in an attempt to touch the gloomy boy.

The Pokemon was known as Happiny. A friendly Baby Pokemon who imitated its evolution by nursing egg-shaped rocks and adored taking care of even large beasts as Garchomps with a happy giggle.

The little nurse was Heaven Canceler's Pokemon. One who commonly revealed herself in the presence of children in the hospital who were in pain or recovering from surgery. To the Seismitoad faced doctor's amused chagrin, the adorable Playhouse Pokemon would escape her capsule so that she could relieve whatever stress or grief his patients were feeling; old or young.

Far too many times had this unfortunate spiky boy found the Happiny pop-up to greet him. Her childish expression and reaching hands struggling to touch his face, causing her to pout cutely in frustration due to their height, was a sight he'd memorized far more than whatever Komoe had been teaching him this day.

Touma bit his lower lip.

His throat quivered.

He sniffed and cleaned his eyes.

His chest felt hard and some unknown pressure was strangling his heart.

Yet for whatever reason, he couldn't help but pick up the happily squealing child.

"Hap! Hap! Habbiiiiii!"

Tiptoeing on her stubby little legs, the bright child gently patted the unlucky boy with a miserable expression as if to tell him everything was okay. Those innocent eyes grew soft as she spotted the dampness swelling in those steely blue orbs.

Pokemon were apprehensive when they first encountered this unique Dark-type. A foreboding aura leaked from his body, warning of a terrible disaster ready to spring. Very few cared to shrug off what they sensed as an omen. Small Pokemon would see him no differently than a Grimsnarl.

Yet such an adorable Pokemon who couldn't fight and had no desire to learn any type of harmful Move, had never once skirted away. Not even when they had first met all those years ago.

Just like then, when a lonely child covered in scrapes and bruises had been seated on the examination table because of the latest misfortune he wrought, the bright Happiny had gleefully swept his dark aura aside with little effort to comfort him.

Heaven Canceler wore a small smile as he watched the spiky boy rub the ponytail growth atop his little nurse's head.

"If you're not feeling well, in any way, you can visit the hospital for treatment. If you were anyone else, I would all but command that you be taken back for further care. You're different though, so I know better than anyone in this city that you can return to your normal ordinary life without any fuss. I'm sure Etsuko-chan would disagree and all but demand you go back so that she can care for you herself."

Etsuko, the Joyful Child comforting Touma's face, nodded stubbornly but came off as cute rather than stern.

"Habiiii! Bi, bi, bi! Bi, hap, hap, habiii!"

Through watery eyes, Touma smiled and laughed at the hopping Pokemon in his arms. If she were her evolution, Chansey or Blissey, she would have dragged him back with her Trainer to his home away from home.

"Sorry, Etsuko-chan. But this Kamijou-san can't go with you two. Maybe next time; though I'd rather not have to visit you and everyone else because I'm a bloody mess."

"Bi! Bi, bi, bi! Hap!"

"Internal bleeding is not a good enough reason to see the doctor! I'm not coughing up blood or pissing red, so there's no need to be strapped down to the gurney. It's mild at worst, so I just need to let the blood reabsorb into my body."

"Hap, hap! Habiiiiiiiiiii?"

"Oi, I ain't your Seismitoad faced Trainer; I'm into Dorm Manager Onee-sans, not nurses. Even if the ladies back there are sexy and cute, you can't use them to lure me back with you two! And what the hell does that have to do with my condition?"

"Ah, summer days. It was during my first year abroad in Kanto that I learned how sturdy examination tables were and the hidden devious quirks of Nurse Joys. I also learned how flexible the human body can be. I passed my female anatomy exam with flying colors."

"No one wants to hear your creepy reminiscence, you dirty old man! Wipe that wistful grin off your face! N-Nuuuuuuuurrrrsssseeeee! I want a curvy and mature nurse in her late twenties to take care of me, not this filthy doctor with a generic fetish!"

"Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"

"Oh, I thought you adored Dorm Manager Onee-sans? But it seems your first thought immediately goes to a nurse to give you affection and care; I must finally be rubbing off on you."

Touma had to restrain himself from pummeling the smirking old man who found a glaring Happiny stretching his cheeks like he were a rubbery Ditto. Their antics garnered the attention of the people close by; doctors and nurses who were familiar with the trio shaking their heads with amusement and others confused by the sight of a Happiny threatening to stretch out the balding man's cheek with a fussy pout as a spiky boy held his trembling right fist back.

"Are you sure you're fine?" After calming down his energetic assistant with her favorite sweat candy, Heaven Canceler returned to patching up his patient.

Etsuko patted Touma's right cheek cheerfully with a grin and candy in her mouth, her warm hand firmly planting the gauze over a wound. Even if she were a child, her Trainer had raised her to perform first-aid and even aid him with lesser injuries; an action which had always helped to entertain and bring a smile to his patients' weary faces.

Touma patted the jubilant Pokemon's head affectionately, causing her to clap her small hands together with an adorable squeal. With a few bandages on his face, he hopped off the gurney to stand back on his feet.

Inwardly, his heart and thoughts were a mess.

This was not the ending he had desired. This Bad End had left him hurting. He was reminded once again of his failure to protect those who had wandered into his life and eased the blank space in his heart. A wound burned in a place he couldn't touch or see.

Gomi Gio was dead.

Yuri Sumire had wandered off into the darkness with blood staining her nurturing hands.

These failures were his to bear. No one else in this world had a right to accept them.

But…

"Caww!"

Flapping black feathered wings beat above their heads. A pair of ruby-red eyes gazed down upon the many humans and Pokemon until they came upon a familiar bed of soft spikes. What could only be described as a smirk crossed the bird of misfortune's beak.

Zenchou dropped down to plop himself upon his new nest, cawing pleasantly as he began nestling himself in a comfortable spot.

"Caw, caw, caaaaaaaaw."

Touma's eye twitched irritably at his newest tenant.

"The hell do you mean there's no place like home? I'm not some free dorm you can pop into whenever you damn please! This Kamijou-san isn't accepting any appliances for shelter above his head!"

"Caw, caw."

"C-Cheap?! You son of a bitch. And what do you mean it's a shithole anyways?!"

Heaven Canceler found himself staring dumbfound at the strange sight in front of him. It wasn't every day you saw Kamijou Touma talking so animatedly to a random Pokemon as if they were schoolmates.

"Biiii?"

Zenchou stopped his bantering with the annoyed human to glance at the Pokemon in his new property's arms. He tilted his head, squinting his eyes at the egg-shaped blob of light pink whose big round eyes stared up at him. Immediately his gaze honed in on the precious stone in the baby's pouch.

And then proceeded to lean down and snatch the egg with his thieving beak.

What an asshole.

"Biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"

"Caw."

"Don't just steal an adorable girl's treasured item so flippantly, you feathered bastard! Give it back or else I'm seriously going to slug you!"

Heaven Canceler chuckled to himself. Hands slipping into the pockets of his white coat, he stood by and watched the humorous sight of a simple high school boy begin to wrestle with an ominous bird over an egg-shaped rock all while his adorable child bawled like a newborn and pounded her small fists at the bird, only to hit her favorite patient.

He didn't have any desire to question Kamijou Touma about what had led him here. In all the time he had treated that reckless boy who wore his heart on his vulnerable sleeve, never once did he pry into his personal matters. A doctor had no need to listen to stories unless they would aid in treating their patients' wounds.

Whatever troubles plagued the spiky boy, he was confident he would pull through. He'd done so many times before. Why worry now?

So long as he came back to him with a pulse, no matter how light it may be, Heaven Canceler would ensure his troublesome patient would be able to continue on with his normal life.

[-]

Yumiya Rakko breathed a long sigh of relief from a safe distance away from the many Anti-Skill vans crowding around the entrance of the Level-3 Battle Facility. She stood alongside the white habit nun at a snowcone and frozen treats shop decorated with pictures of Vanillush, Alolan Sandshrew, and Dewgongs, watching as many of the defeated Skill-Out grunts proficient in Poison-types were moved into heavily guarded prison vans. Index slowly nibbled on a Sandshrew-themed icicle flavored with blueberry juice and other sweet color dyes, her innocent eyes looking out for any signs of the spiky boy they had gone in with.

It was over. The lousy plot of an arrogant low-tier gang in order to bully its higher-ups for recognition or power had come to a close.

Her amber eyes grew a shade darker as her thoughts turned vile.

What a pathetic display. Was this all those zeroes could amount to? Chemical warfare? Even with Pokemon to help them oppose espers and adults, they had only been able to take them all by surprise and hold territory for nearly two hours.

No one had died. Well, that was the official report.

The clean-up crews of Academy City's dark side were very efficient and quick when it came to cleaning up unsightly garbage. Not even Anti-Skill could beat them in the discovery of a corpse. With a combination of next-gen technology and Pokemon, a gristly corpse could disappear in a matter of minutes. Leaving no trace of any blood or even skin cells behind.

She didn't need to be told a clean-up crew had hidden in with the scurrying adults entering the building. It was possible they had already slipped in before they did. As the one who had killed her fair share of grunts and Pokemon, she had known of their presence when she hadn't heard any mentions of a single death in the reports being given out in the wake of Toxic Hazard's defeat. Such was how things went in Academy City.

An incident like this would be blowing up all over the news but it would not be as tragic as it should have been. All in order to protect its lovely image in the eyes of the world.

Not that it mattered to her. As a member of the dark side, it worked in her favor.

"Is Touma going to be okay?"

After all, it allowed her to easily slip back into the innocent world she adored.

"I'm sure he'll be fine, Index-chan! Kamijou-san looks like a tough boy, so I'm sure he'll be back soon with just a few bandages for all his troubles."

"...But he didn't look fine."

Yumiya bit her bottom lip at the sadness in Index's tone.

She'd seen it too.

Those dark blue eyes had been broken by despair.

The final stage of the battle instigated by Toxic Hazard led to their defeat. All at the hands of a measly boy. Zero had battled against Zero and he had stood out as the winner.

How had he done it? With just two Pokemon at his side, against a boss of a rising gang who was proficient with Poison-types, and suffering from the effects of Level Toxin, how had the older boy scored a deafening win all by himself?

No. Perhaps that wasn't the question to be asked.

What had led to his victory over a powerful and cruel opponent to cause him to walk out with what looked like red eyes once drowning in tears and regret etched on his face?

A dark depressing aura had swallowed him whole. Something had transpired on the final stage to nearly crush him. Yet despite the regret, he had gathered the courage to make his way back to them while covered in wounds and dirt.

'It's over. Let's just go home.'

A member of the dark underbelly of Academy City's darkness felt her heart painfully twitch.

Those words had been said so tiredly, so hurt, so regretful, so worn out.

The beaten-down older boy had seen an ugly ending even though it had led to what others would call victory.

Such a naive boy. Had he truly thought he could gain a fairy tale ending on such a crushing and grueling battlefield?

Credit was to be given. She would have never thought the Level-0 would have defeated the head of Toxic Hazard. Even if it was a small gang of powerless delinquents who only had Pokemon and cheap poison weapons to make them out as threats, he survived and even stood at the final stage with only two weak 1st Stage Pokemon that weren't even his. With no supernatural ability, two Wild Pokemon who had no reason to listen to his commands, and being poisoned by Level Toxin, it was clear to all that the zero should have lost.

Yumiya was suspicious.

'He's experienced. An ordinary student wouldn't be able to handle the situation as well as he had without fearing for his life or cowering at the first sign of malice. When we met another, he was covered in various wounds, meaning he'd already fought his fair share of grunts. He's been involved in fighting, he's crossed paths with groups like Toxic Hazard, he's capable of enduring pain and even the effects of a debilitating gas, and was even able to capture one of their top-ranking members all on his own. I didn't see any hidden tools on his person, no Pokeballs, he's a Level 0, so is it that he's well-trained in hand-to-hand? No, even if he was a black belt trained under the tutelage of a Meinsho or an experienced boxer who constantly trained under a Hitmonchan, it wouldn't be enough.'

Just who was the spiky boy who had wandered into her life out of nowhere? Was he like her?

Such a thought was quickly discarded. A member of the dark side of Academy City wouldn't have been so defeated as he had.

"Caw!"

"If you think you're getting a treat after what you just pulled, you must be dreaming. Don't pout! Those watery red eyes of mischief don't work on me when I know just how much of an asshole you truly are! Tch. Fine, I guess even troublemakers deserve a reward every once in a while."

"Caw! Caw!"

Yumiya's thoughts on the boy were interrupted by the very subject of her intrigue walking over. Difficult as it was amid all the other pedestrians creating a wall between the Level-3 Battle Facility and them, she eventually spotted the high school boy and a Murkrow wandering out of the crowd. Both their eyes searched the area until they picked up on the white beacon of a nun who stood out amongst the populace of Academy City like a Snorlax among Rattata.

"Index! Yumiya-san!"

Those broken dark blue eyes no longer seemed so sullen. Was it the sight of the two girls he had been separated from since the beginning and the end of the incident without any injuries the reason why he was so relieved and happy? Even though he was bandaged up and filthy with dried specks of blood?

Even the skilled sniper found it kinda embarrassing to be at the center of an older boy's attention. She meekly looked away as he met the two outside the ice cream shop.

Killing boys was much easier than actually speaking with them.

"Touma! Are you alright? You're not hurt too badly, right? Nothing's broken? Do you feel sick?"

"You know, I'd feel a lot better if you didn't prod my bandages like that. Since when can you act so motherly? You don't exactly have the proper body type to play such a role or go 'Ara, ara, ara'. Even if your fussy antics do cause my adolescent heart to thump a little, don't cheapen my fantasies. Ghrk! Don't gnaw my hand, you damn Gibble! And you, Zenchou! Stop cackling and help your brother in misfortune pry this little girl off his aching hand already!"

Yumiya truly had no words for the odd display she was witnessing. A Galar Sister was biting down on the hand of an older boy like an angry Pokemon would to their master, all while the older boy tried to shake off the growling nun as a Murkrow sat atop his head and pointed his feather at the boy while he laughed his ass off. Even in a strange and advanced region-city like Academy City, such a sight was out of the ordinary.

'How does he do it? How did he walk away from the battle, from whatever tragedy he witnessed, and step back into the normal world so easily?'

Even Yumiya, who had grown proficient in slipping back into the ordinary world despite the blood on her hands, couldn't have done so without a hiccup here and there.

Everything about the boy she had met confused her. She didn't understand him. She felt there was more to him than the generic picture an artistic Smeargle had painted out to be in her eyes.

But such curiosities would have to wait.

She felt a rumble in her skirt pocket. As the teary-eyed spiky boy now turned his eyes to her for help to pry the chomping nun girl off, she gave him an apologetic expression and mouthed 'Sorry' as she checked her phone. She couldn't help but find herself displeased at the message.

SCHOOL was in session.

A direct order from the #2 Dark Matter wasn't anything to merely pretend not to read or respond to.

Even if the message itself was sent from a certain rich dress-wearing girl, Yumiya understood its contents and meaning all too well to know better. No matter how much it annoyed her, she had no choice but to drop whatever it was she was doing so that she may help the organization in whatever mission they were assigned by their controller.

Even in this world of Pokemon, there were some jobs those miraculous creatures of science and nature couldn't complete. At least, not without the command and help of espers.

With a heavy sigh(an action that caused her large breasts to rise up to the notice of the blushing spiky boy) Yumiya knew she would have to cut her time with her new friends short.

Friends.

To think she would be stepping back into the underbelly of Academy City with such warm knowledge and fact in her heart.

With an apology accompanied by an unhappy pout on her face, Yumiya explained she would have to leave her friends.

"Aww! Really? But I thought we could all go out and get lunch together! I heard about this interesting buffet where an Octillery cooks all your food on a grill with a flashy display of knives and even tosses your meals into your mouth like you were a Seal!"

"And who the hell do you think is paying for your extravagant meal?! Do you see any Meowths anywhere who can spam Pay Day upon this poor Kamijou-san? What Pokeyen Komoe-sensei left us is enough for a decent meal and we are giving her change bac-...I-Index-san? W-Where are the panties and bras you bought? Don't tell me you left them behind in all that chaos!?"

"Of course not! I was careful to hide them in my Walking Church. I had to use some spare pins but they're right here!"

"So it wasn't a failure. I didn't get beat up by a bunch of thugs, had my heart broken, or get ridden around like a Mudsdale by a Pervert King and cursed piece of future kuurage chicken, for nothing? Yes! Take that, misfortune! You may have brought me to my knees in tears but I still walked out of this disaster with a pair of panties and bras clenched in my battered fists!"

"Touma! Leave my underwear alone! They're not some Gym Badge that you can raise into the air like some kind of hard-won prize! P-Put them down this insistent before Lord Arceus strikes you down with Judgment!"

Again, Yumiya The Sniper, had no words for the scene transpiring before her very eyes as she watched Touma proudly show off a pair of cute frilly white panties in the air. It was almost as if he was flashing the middle digit at a god that didn't exist, all while a teary-eyed Index begged the older boy to stop. Not even the troublemaker, Zenchou the Murkrow, had anything to add on as he was gawking at the audacity of his not-Trainer.

Anti-Skill and several members of Judgment were already noticing their antics and giving them looks of disgust and even fear in the eyes of the younger ladies. She could have sworn she noticed a hot-shot Anti-Skill officer audibly pump a beanbag shotgun.

Suddenly she didn't feel as saddened to leave her friends as she originally thought.

Getting over his small victory, and now nursing the new bite marks all over his forearms and face, Touma turned back to Yumiya with a thankful smile. A gesture that left the pig-tailed girl feeling flustered for some reason.

"Thanks again, Yumiya-san. For everything. If we hadn't stumbled onto you, if you hadn't led us around, if you hadn't protected Index...I honestly don't know what I would have done."

A pang of remorse hit Yumiya.

"But it's my fault, isn't it."

She was going to reveal a truth that may just destroy the fresh bond she had created. And she had no idea why she felt obligated or wanted to say it.

"If it wasn't for me, you and Index-chan wouldn't have been caught up in this mess. I suggested the Battle Facility designed after a mall. I brought you to a place where a bunch of thugs decided to take over the building and released a noxious chemical substance that was harmful to both espers and their Pokemon partners. Because of me, Index-chan was in danger and she was threatened multiple times by guns and scary Pokemon. Even you."

The older boy standing across from her was injured. She didn't understand the extent of the damage he had suffered in Kokyu Tower as he faced off with Toxic Hazard. But she had seen how bruised, bloody, and exhausted he had been at the very end of the battles.

"If it wasn't for me, if you hadn't met me, you wouldn't be so badly hurt. It's my fault."

And she had even seen how miserable and hurt his eyes had become as a result of whatever end he had seen on the stage of the climax. The red in his tired eyes and the faint streaks of tears had been all too telling.

Both Index and Kamijou Touma had suffered through events civilians like them should have never found themselves wading through.

All because they had met Yumiya Rakko.

She had been the start of this terrible streak of cruel events where violence had erupted to reveal the darkness of the city bleeding into the ordinary world of Academy City. Without meaning to, the world she regularly traversed for her own cause had shown its teeth.

Wasn't it obvious that it was al-

"Don't say that."

To the wounded and fatigued older boy, what she had said had been enough for his face to twist into a painful grimace. As if he had tasted an all too familiar bitter pill he had to swallow as part of his everyday routine for an incurable disease. Such an expression had her growing silent as he began speaking.

"It's true this day hasn't been pleasant. Everything had started off so well, we were having fun, but then a bunch of idiots, who thought it would be easier to bite and snarl at those who had nothing to do with their trouble like a pack of wild Pokemon, ruined everything. It was scary; for you, Index, even me and Zenchou."

Zenchou the cool-faced Murkrow scoffed at the accusation. Even if he had felt his heart freeze up when he was under the fire of an ASRL-empowered Toxtricity and his mortar-like sound waves chasing after him.

"I...came across a truly horrific scene. I wish I had been hit with Amnesia just to forget it all. But I can't. What I saw is something I have to remember; I can't forget it, no matter what."

The ending he had achieved was one where he had been left bruised, tired, sick, bloodied, and crying into the dirt of a battlefield reserved for Pokemon, not humans. Even if the conclusion was one where the students, adults, and Pokemon of Kokyu Tower had been cured of the rotten poison breathe of a talented Level 0s, he couldn't find a genuine smile at the final results.

He wasn't happy. He couldn't accept what he saw. And his chest wouldn't stop aching. Today had left him scarred and further lamenting his ill fortunes. Further cursing his inability to be the hero.

But…

"I still got to meet you though."

"Eh?"

Yumiya could have sworn she felt her heart skip a beat. The way the spiky Level 0 stared at her was new. She couldn't recall such kindness sent her way in a long time.

Not since she stopped talking with her sister.

"I'm used to this. I've had thugs chase me around before. I've had people brandish dangerous weapons at my face. Pokemon have blasted me with scary supernatural attacks. Every day is the same old trouble, misery, and bad luck. I can even remember a time when it became so boring and tiring. But...just because it's not a good day, doesn't mean I can't find good things in all the misfortune."

Just like when that middle school boy had come across a fluffy rich girl in a filthy alleyway.

Just like then, he had been beaten to the point he couldn't take another step and failed to comfort a girl on the brink of self-destruction and found he couldn't accept the bad end his action had earned him.

Past the regret, the pain, the guilt, and the tears, he had found the kernels of good in the bad.

He had made friends. Even if he didn't keep in regular contact with them, he had found new bonds he had cherished deeply. And the loneliness in his heart had lessened, if just a bit.

Case in point the dark-feathered asshole currently aiding him.

"Even if things went downhill, we still got to meet you. In all the tragedy, I found a few bits of good I can happily say were worth it. Meeting you; why the hell would you ever have to apologize for that?"

Yumiya found an oddly strange smile growing on her face. She'd never felt such a pleasant heat on her face before. A heat growing more pleasant as the silver-haired nun next to the boy nodded happily with a bright smile.

"Now I have another friend! A pretty and cute one. My first real friend outside of Touma. How could I ever regret that? Even if today was scary, I'd never want to forget it. Luckily for me, I won't ever!"

Her...too?

Yumiya Rakko was Index's first real friend too? That beacon of brightness who exuded an aura better fit for Fairy-type Pokemon; she was lonely too?

The smile on Yumiya's face began to quiver. She was afraid to see her eyes misting over. She didn't want the last impression of herself to her new friends to be a crying child.

"I don't have my cell on me; haven't gotten it replaced since it was broken a few days ago. But I'd be happy to share my number with you, so we can all keep in touch. Maybe next time we can all go out and enjoy a normal outing without things devolving into my usual blend of trouble."

We'll see each other again.

This wasn't good-bye, 'good-bye'.

It was a promise between regular friends to catch up with one another in the future.

Even if her smartphone saved the boy's number, labeled it with a cutesy name, and stored its information in a virtual cloud space to be recovered if she ever lost her device, it didn't matter.

Those ten digits were etched into her heart and would not be lost, no matter the circumstance.

She pressed the flat phone close to her bountiful chest like it were a soft and fuzzy Teddiursa gifted by a loving parent.

"I...I-I...thank you."

"?"

She smiled at the puzzled expression on the spiky boy's face but found the Galarian nun understanding her meek mutter.

From one lonely girl to another, she understood how much she cherished their meeting and the friendship they had gained. In a way, it made the two completely different girls all the closer.

With an utterly happy grin blossoming on her face, the red-cheeked Shidarazaki girl skipped back in order to depart from the scene.

"I'll hold you to that! I promise, once I've finished with all my business, we'll all go out again. And it'll be my treat!"

She waved her hands high up in the air like an elementary school girl who had to return home after a day of play. An action shared by the energetically waving Index and a tired but smiling Touma.

Students, adults, and Pokemon obscured their vision as Yumiya Rakko disappeared back into her own world. By the time all those pedestrians passed by, the lonely pig-tailed girl was nowhere to be seen.

It had been a long, painful, terrifying, and deadly ordeal. But it was over.

[-]

He had no true name.

Well, not to the understanding of those weird humans who had somehow learned how to create fire with their minds in this strange metal forest. He had a name, one spoken of only in his kind's tongue.

But if he were to have accepted a name by human standards, he supposed it would have to be the title his favorite human had gone to call him since they had met.

Kizuato.

He was a rowdy Poochyena who loved to play to his heart's content. A Dark-type canine who had found himself dropped off into a bizarre forest made of metal, plastic, and electricity, and exuded an off-putting scent that tickled at his senses. A world created by humans who were being taught to act like Pokemon(?).

He had no memories of how he got here. He couldn't recall what life he had before he awoke in a cage before those older humans had let him out alongside other Pokemon. And he didn't seem to care either way.

Kizuato was a Pokemon who liked to have fun as any other curious and energetic canine would.

Though he was part of his own pack and had claimed territory in District 7's ever-expansive and hidden alleys, he wasn't one to be tied down to responsibilities. Collecting food, fighting against invading Pokemon and even humans, standing guard over their loot, sleeping the day away; those were all boring matters he couldn't stand. What he wanted to do was search around for some fun and excitement.

Maybe it was because of his carefree and rowdy nature that he would occasionally find himself getting into numerous fights with other Pokemon and even humans.

The scar on his right eye was a souvenir of a particularly rough battle. He was fortunate not to have lost the vision in said eye and only suffered the odd sky-blue coloration in his pupil.

After once again ignoring his duties from the leader of his pack, the bored hyena pup roamed the streets for his latest bout of fun.

He could root around the garbage by one of those food-serving structures humans frequented. Maybe get some pity from a pretty girl who would feed him a tasty warm morsel.

He could sneak into a store and snatch a few shiny rocks. Maybe some human would chase after him for a game of Catch The Thief.

He could wander into one of those fun battlegrounds Trainers gathered around in to practice their battling skills(or, rather, their Pokemon's battling skills). Maybe he could battle a few of those entitled and proud Pokemon who had been captured.

Or better yet.

A spiky boy came to mind.

A fun human who always reacted to Kizuato's presence with a funny face. One who put up an entertaining fight whenever they clashed. Who argued with him, scolded him, berated him, and treated him as more than just a random wild Pokemon. A boy whose very aura felt as if it was rotten and cursed by the breath of Giratina.

Whenever Kizuato was bored of his usual routine, he would stumble upon such a fun human. And they would fight, chase one another around, argue, and, on rare occasions, even share a tasty treat by a large metal machine full of goodies.

Stopping to relieve himself on a rack of parked bicycles, and snickering as a group of angry boys tried chasing after him as they walked outside to see his handiwork, the scarred pup continued on his afternoon stroll with his thoughts wandering to said fellow troublemaker.

Kizuato was in need of some fun. He wanted someone to play with.

And as he couldn't help but think of the spiky teen, he found a familiar scent wandering by.

A large crowd of humans and Pokemon were gathered outside a giant shiny tower. Bulky cars wearing metal scales like Aggrons were opened so foul-smelling boys and girls could be shoved in. The territorial humans in weird clothing who fought beside Pokemon, and the humans who fought like Pokemon, could be seen scattered around like they were preparing for another fight. All sorts of activity could be seen and almost overwhelmed his senses.

Among all the clashing scents, Kizuato caught a ribbon of familiarity slip by.

And he couldn't help but grin.

Turning his back to all the boring activity that carried a scent of poison, the bored dark pup put his nose to the ground, happily wagged his tail, and decided to let the trail of aromas guide him to his next play date with the funny human he adored to mess with.

[-]

The rails of the story clicked.

And returned back to their original track.

[-]

When Touma, Index, and Zenchou had finally made it back to Komoe's apartment complex, noon had already set in and the shadows of the coming night slithered at every corner on their way back. The days' events had left them drained and exhausted.

Upon the middle-aged woman opening the door, the three worn-out figures collapsed into the doorway in a heap of limbs. If Komoe hadn't swiftly stepped aside at the last moment, she would have found herself crushed beneath the weight of those children who didn't care if certain parts of their bodies were touching each other.

Not even the ever-cool and uncaring asshole known as Zenchou bothered to leave the pile as he found himself tangled in Index's sweet-smelling silver tresses. He could only groan weakly as he let his muscles relax.

"Waahhh! W-What happened to you three?! You're all dirty and look like you've walked out of a warzone! And you, Kamijou-chan! Are those bandages I see underneath your shirt? W-what happened to your ears?! Does any of this have anything to do with what was happening in District 7's Battle facility earlier today?"

Touma was too tired to respond, content with laying back on the floor and doing his best to ignore the fact that Index's face was smothered into his chest.

A set of dark eyes belonging to the ever-tough Magmar, Oni, appeared above their collapsed forms. The duck-like demon of flames quirked a brow, scoffed, and wordlessly picked them all up with his strong arms like they were traveling packs. He was gentle when setting down the fairy-like Index.

Like heavy cargo he had been lugging for hours, Oni threw both Touma and Zenchou aside.

"If I wasn't so haggard, I'd have some nasty things to say to you."

"Caw, caw, caw."

"Going a little too far there with the insults. But I agree in spirit; fuck you."

"Caw."

Before the Magmar could throw down with his burning fists at the disrespectful brats his adorable master had taken in, a beam of red energy captured him and returned him back to his Pokeball.

Komoe walked over to the tired and battered troublemaker with a puffy pout on her cherub cheeks.

"I really wish you wouldn't antagonize Oni-chan like that. He's a very sensitive child. He'd probably treat you nicer if you weren't always acting up like this."

"Only you would see that brute as sensitive like he were a bullied Pichu. You do know his fists can burn through steel if he really wanted to? And that he uses said fists to beat me stupid?"

Removing the Slakoth imitating Zenchou from his face, Touma was met with Komoe's stern face.

Cute but still stern face.

He sighed a long sigh at the expression demanding he explained himself.

"We did it. We fought long and hard, and some of us were put through the wringer and may have even cried a little, but we did it. The Important Key Item known as Index's bras and panties has been collected."

"Kamijou-chan, it isn't appropriate to show off such sensitive and private undergarments to your teacher as if you won a prize! Those shouldn't even be in your hands, let alone removed from whatever wrapping or bag they were stored in! They're not socks!"

"M-my panties…"

"Give those back to the sniffling young flower this instance! They're not yours to spin around your finger in victory!"

A pair of frilly white panties were thrown to the too-tired-to-move Index and landed on her face.

Zenchou snickered weakly and patted his fellow bad luck brother on the shoulder.

Little Komoe counted to five, breathed deeply, and returned to staring at the troublesome boy who couldn't meet her eye. Her shoulders slacked slightly, catching a hint of something worrying in her student's normally lethargic gaze.

Guilt.

Shame.

Hurt.

Sadness.

As the adult who was in charge of watching over such a common troublemaker who wore his heart on his sleeve, she had caught the hidden pain he tried to hastily bury.

Komoe wasn't an esper. She was far too old to have undergone the Power Curriculum Program and gain a supernatural ability to read the emotions of others like an empathetic Pokemon like Kirlia. She lacked anything to sense what her beloved student was feeling.

But not everything had to be so logical and cold.

She had known the spiky-haired boy long enough to pick up when he was upset.

"What happened? Don't tell me you three really were caught up in the mess involving a group of Skill-Outs using a bio-weapon to terrorize Kokyu Tower?"

Touma smiled bitterly.

"Would it be hard to believe if I said no?"

"Kamijou-chan."

Telling the sweet teacher of the events of Toxic Hazard's attacks wasn't something he wanted to waste his time with. She didn't need to know.

It was over. The gang of Poison-themed thugs had been defeated. The bosses were beaten. People and Pokemon had been saved. And that was that.

The finer details of the plot didn't matter.

All that mattered was that it was now over and they made it back.

With a grunt as he sat up from the floor, he knew he would have to say something in order for his teacher to drop the case.

"We were there. We met a new friend while we were out, she took us to Kokyu Tower to shop, and we found ourselves caught in the middle of Toxic Hazard's attack. Per my shitty bad luck, I found myself fighting a few of their members and got hurt. Thankfully someone had been working behind the scenes to stop the spread of the poison gas and even released an antidote to counteract its effects. Anti-Skill and Judgment were then able to break in to put a stop to the gang's attacks before any more harm could be done. And that's that. The day was saved and we were able to score a few pairs of silky, frilly, and cute underwear for a nun."

A sweet yet soured smile.

Grape-red eyes of vermilion twisted by violence yet brimming with kindness.

A loving figure of nurture dyed by toxic ideals for the happiness of boys and girls.

Charred flesh with a foul aroma of sizzling red juice.

"Index got her underwear, I punched a few assholes, and the day was saved by an unknown hero. Nothing else happened."

His eyes glanced to the wall on his far left and his muscles tensed anxiously. He licked his cut lips, tasting traces of dried blood.

Next door was the idol of his dreams. A woman in her early twenties who dreamed of becoming a teacher who was adored by her students, remembered all of their names, their birthdays, their dreams and ambitions, and would take time out of her own schedule to aid even the dumbest of slackers with their school work. Sweet, caring, teasing, and kind. Surely someone whose only thoughts to a problem would be to sit down, take the troublemaker's hand in their own, look them in the eyes, and talk to them about their troubles until the late hours of the day.

Dark crimson splashed over the ideal fantasy, sullying its innocence.

Was she back? Or had she run away with her tail between her legs?

There...there was no way in hell he was spoiling the image Komoe held of such a person. He wouldn't ruin the illusion.

Komoe was unsatisfied with the spiky boy's answer. But the way he tried to avoid her eyes, the way his eyes were cast down in a gloomy shadow, and the way his lips were drawn in a thin line, told her not to poke at the sensitive issue. Prying the wound open would only damage him further right now.

Small hands resting on her waist, she sighed in defeat and instead went about a more important matter.

Dark blue eyes swimming with doubts, pain, and regret were thrown wide open as he felt a warm aura envelop him.

"I'm just happy that you're safe. You don't have to tell me anything else, say anything else, or do anything else. Whatever you've been through is over now. So, just rest and relax for once."

The woman who was the size of an elementary schooler hugged the spiky boy's head to her chest as any mother would to their child. She patted his spiky locks reminiscent of a rebellious Pokemon, giggling as they tickled her face.

Touma fought back the lump in his quivering throat.

"Yeah. Thanks."

It was over. It was time to mo-

KNOCK, KNOCK.

"Oh! That must be Yuri-chan's friends! I didn't think they'd be finished packing so soon."

Touma's heart was struck by Icy Fang and left frozen.

He couldn't move.

He couldn't breathe.

Even as Komoe let go of his head to answer the door, he couldn't will his body to follow her.

He would have to thank Zenchou for picking up the slack. The bird of misfortune flapped his wings and flew after the short pink-haired teacher in his stead.

The open door revealed an older boy standing outside the apartment with two gray Pokemon who appeared to be made of pure muscles.

Intense blond hair greeted them, bright as the beaming rays of light created by a Sunny Day. The sides of the older boy's hair were cut like a buzz cut yet the top of his hair was swept back in soft spikes. He wore a prep school uniform, similar to the uniform he had seen a certain Level-3 Noise Amp false boss had been wearing when Touma had first met him. He had sun-tanned skin and ocean-blue eyes, telling of his heritage being of either Unova or Kalos.

The college boy blinked upon the door opening by itself and stared dumbly at the frozen spiky-haired boy, the silver-haired nun who was laid on her back with her limbs spread out, and the flapping Murkrow glaring deathly daggers at him, before finally leaning his down to find the cutely face titling Komoe front of him.

"Ah, sorry about missing ya, Ms. Tsukuyomi! Kinda forgot how short's ya were. Didn't mean to offend ya!"

He laughed brightly, grinning stupidly at the huffing short teacher.

Just by going off the way he spoke, his lack of either understanding or caring about honorifics, and his bright aura, one could tell the college boy was a friendly person who was popular with people. The good-natured popular boy who had a large circle of friends of all social circles gathered around him due to his kind and free nature.

It took Touma a moment to realize the friendly college esper held a neatly packed cardboard box in his right arm. Behind him, the two heavyweight Machokes lifted even larger boxes in their Silicobra arms like they were pillows being brought over to a sleepover.

"Crucible-san! It's not polite to address adults by their first names, let alone without a '-san' at the end. You should be old enough to understand these basic social ethics."

"Aww! But that just seems so dry and lame; I also thought Tsukuyomi was your last name. Still weirds me out that Academy City let a tyke like you be a teacher. Ya got's a big head on ya, don't ya?"

"I'm thirty-Why do I have to explain how old I am?! I'm old enough to be your mother!"

"But you're cute as a Buneary. Ma likes to smoke and drink, so she's losing her youth. She see you, she'd go a red Cherub of jealousy and use Rage."

"So do I! I like beer and drink a pack of smokes a day!"

"...Alcohol and nicotine are bad for kids your age, ya know? Stunts the growth process, especially in certain areas...heh."

At any moment, Touma felt that a bloodbath would be unleashed by the hands of the puffy-cheeked teacher.

With a nonchalant shrug, the bright blond boy went back to his original train of thought, adjusting the box held at his waist.

"Anyways, thanks for getting the spare key for us. This would have taken longer since the landlord is out but you having a spare was lucky! Since the landlord already got Sumire's email and gave us approval, all that's left to do is return the key before we go on our way. Even with the two big guys helping out with the move, nothing was broken or damaged. Oh! And Sumire also says to tell the landlord to keep the deposit; says she doesn't need it."

"Did she really have to go so suddenly? It just seems so random and out of nowhere."

"From what I heard, she got a scholarship or something to a fancy university. Can't remember which one but it's got these strict rules such as living in dorms. I think she applied, believing there was no way in hell she'd get in; should have seen her face when she got the letter. Jumped with joy so high, you could see her plump breasts going in sexy leaps."

"Well...she always was a hard worker and extremely dedicated to her lessons. She deserves an opportunity to advance to greater heights in a place that nurtures her desire to be a great teacher. I just wished she had the time to say goodbye in person, so we could celebrate."

"As you said: she's an extremely dedicated chick. She's already going over lots of new material required for the next semester, so she can't waste any time. I'm sure she'll stop by and see you once she's settled in, so don't cry, kiddo. You girls can party another time."

The conversation between Komoe and the college boy known as Crucible-san went out with Touma in the background, his mind numb to everything being said.

He grit his teeth.

Fingers curled into a trembling fist once more.

"Where did she go?"

No amount of self-control could stop his words from shaking with raw emotion.

Komoe, oblivious to his state of mind or the deeds Yuri had committed hours ago, answered.

"Oh, that's right! I suppose you wouldn't know? Yuri-chan is moving into District 5! Apparently, she was accepted into a special and highly privileged college. Crucible-san and a few other of Yuri-chan's friends arrived to tell me the news and needed the spare key she had left for emergency cases so that they could quickly take all her belongings to her new living quarters. Unfortunately, she was too busy to tell us in person but Crucible-san did give me a personal message!"

An uncomfortable noise was heard.

Was it his teeth threatening to break?

'You already had a lie ready to go, huh? Were...were you always planning this? Did I accelerate your decision? Or did I make you choose this with my inspiration?'

Liar.

He wanted so much to call that gorgeous young woman a filthy liar.

"Ohhhhh! Don't tell me, is this Touma then? What luck! I was hoping to run into the guy Sumire wouldn't stop gabbing on and on about."

Adrenaline erupted from the core of his shaken heart.

Fatigue melted away.

Strength returned to his tired limbs so that he could stand back up on his own two feet.

Steely blue eyes glared into mirthful ocean blue, clashing directly to create sparks in the air.

Touma had to thank Komoe for retrieving Magmar to his capsule. If that flame-bodied Pokemon were here, he was sure he would have ignited the room.

Having some idea of why Touma was glaring furiously at him, the college boy smiled brightly and motioned with his neck to the outside.

"Mind if I borrow him, Ms. Tsukuyomi? Sumire left me another personal message to deliver if I were to come across Touma during our packing. Kinda an intimate conversation. You know? Special words between a girl and a boy, kind of deal?"

Komoe's mouth opened wide in a shocked triangle and blushed.

"Touma?"

He didn't pay it any mind.

With a small smile to the confused Index and a nod to the glaring Murkrow standing guard, he followed the college-aged esper out of the small apartment.

Neither boy said a word to another as they walked down the stairs, followed closely by the bulky Fighting-type Pokemon. Humming could be heard from the ever-carefree boy leading the way ahead. The only one creating any tension between the four would be the quiet spiky boy who couldn't let go of his tight fist the entire way down.

By the time they hit the bottom and stood outside the apartment complex a few feet away, Touma couldn't keep silent any longer.

Words erupted from his throat before he could even think.

Before he knew it, his fist was already swinging.

"Where the hell did she-!"

Something struck his face.

A small orb hit him directly on the nose like a baseball thrown in a half-heart attempt of a fastball. The force would leave a bruise and sent him stumbling back, eventually falling over onto his backside with a grunt.

Was that an attack?

"Calm down. I ain't looking for a fight and you don't even look like you're in any shape for a rumble. Stop acting like a pissy Primeape. I'm only the messenger, so don't shoot me."

The college boy's cheery demeanor hadn't dimmed. He continued speaking down to the groaning high school boy as if they were friends. Even as he noticed Touma get up and prepare himself for a fight, he moved his hand up to signal for the glaring Machokes standing behind him to stand down.

"You probably got a lot to ask me, but I ain't got the answers you're looking for. I'm just here to move the girl's stuff to some disclosed location. That's all I know. Hell, Sumire and I aren't even friends. I got a nice look at the sexy chick but I've never spoken to her directly until now. Fighting me won't net you any secrets or important information to wherever she's decided to slither away to."

Crucible spoke confidently. He wasn't worried at the prospect of the spiky boy attempting to lunge at him again. He was most likely a talented esper. He was also a Trainer, having Pokemon of his own to do his battle if he so liked. With two second-stage Pokemon who could bend steel beams with their bare hands, he had little to worry about when it came to a pissed-off high school boy who didn't even have an esper power or even Pokemon to battle with.

He was just here to move a few boxes and leave behind a personal message from the girl who had decided to become a villain.

Whatever it was he had to say, it left the confident esper unsure and scratching the back of his head.

"She had fun."

"?"

Crucible cleared his throat. He didn't appear to be used to saying such delicate and heartfelt things without a cheery grin.

"When she met you, she had fun. Talking with you, joking with you, teasing with you; even if the time you two had spent with one another was incredibly short, she enjoyed every second of it. You were the kind of boy she dreamed of helping, of teaching, and guiding their way into being a better person. She loved who you were and how bright you were despite how troubled you were."

Crucible's face scrunched up distastefully.

Not at the words he was speaking. But at the fact that he was the one saying it for someone else, who he wasn't even well acquainted with.

"Which is why she has to cut her ties with you here. Where she's going, a kid like you can't follow-"

Don't follow me.

Those unspoken words hit Touma harder than anything else he had endured today.

"Shut up."

And he couldn't accept them.

He wouldn't!

"Do you really expect me to just give up? To obediently nod my head and cry about my failure? Screw that! I refuse to just let her go further down the blood road she's embarked!"

Translucent blue.

A wall of see-through glass snapped to life with a crackle of dry ice between the two boys before Touma's explosive steps could cross the distance between them. Durable glass cut the space in front of him like a giant knife cutting a slice of cake and stood at ten feet high and twenty yards wide like a castle rampart. The sudden birth of the tough-looking wall took him back as it seemed to glare at him.

Crucible grinned widely at the look of surprise on Touma's face. He leaned close to the wall in amusement before giving his creation a sturdy knock of his knuckle.

"Didn't I tell ya I ain't got the answers you're looking for? I'm just the muscle and face here. Truth is, Sumire's long gone now. Her tight little ass has already sunk into the safe crevices of the dark underbelly of a world only beasts like the fabled rebellious Pokemon known as Giratina can be discovered. Ya ain't ever seeing her again. And if you do? Well, even I can tell the evolution she's gone through isn't anything pret-!"

Crucible's words were halted by the shadow of a naked fist smashing into his wall of energy.

Next thing he knew, he heard glass breaking with a violent crash and heard an unpleasant crunch.

Was...was that his nose?!

His Level-4 ability had been smashed apart. A blunt fist plowed into the center of his face and knocked him backward.

Said naked fist responsible for demolishing his protective wall grabbed him by the neck of his uniform. He was kept from falling and left dangling in the tight grip of a wild Pokemon who exuded a malevolent aura.

"What are you going to do? Are you going to beat me stupid like you did Garrick?"

Red swam down Crucible's broken nose. His vision swam. And he felt a sickening heat spreading from his nose to cover his entire face.

How he was able to keep grinning brightly was a mystery. As if pain meant nothing to him and would happily crack jokes if he were to be beaten stupidly.

Touma's left arm was thrown back, ready to follow suit with another Mega Punch. Anger had utterly overtaken him. His failure and guilt continued to poison his rational thoughts. He was almost terrified to see what kind of face he was making.

All he knew was that he was hurting.

And he wanted someone else to share in this cruel misery.

The left punch never came.

A much stronger, tougher, and more powerful hand had threatened to crush his wrist in its grip.

One of the Machokes at Crucible's command hadn't stood still in all the action. The Fighting-type had quickly moved to restrain the furious wild beast. The Pokemon's stern red eyes glared warily at Touma, silently warning the boy to step down or else.

Amused, Crucible spoke brightly despite the bloody nasal drip in his voice.

"So, this is the brat who inspired that sexy sweet hearted Chansey of a beauty to slaughter that charmless Emboar? It's no wonder she evolved into a sinister typing as Dark; Ya can't even stand still for a heartfelt talk without resorting straight to violence, can ya? Such a naive girl...she never stood a chance. What a toxic brat."

Physical blows hadn't struck him back.

Supernatural power wasn't called upon to strike.

Not even the tough Pokemon threatening to break his arm had attacked.

But the words spoken by the friendly esper who hadn't even attacked first, who only threw an object at him because he thought he was in danger, admitted to not wanting a fight nor possessed the information he longed for, and had only utilized his ability to protect himself at the first sign of danger, had struck a critical hit to Touma's heart.

Shame colored his face.

Really, this was nothing more than his own desire to inflict pain upon another person because of his inability to save one girl. Such violence was what sparked Yuri's descent into eventually killing her best friend instead of sitting down to talk with him. At the first roadblock, he didn't even hesitate to brandish his fist with anger.

At what point had he grown so despicable?

His grip on the bright-haired boy slacked until Crucible could remove himself.

"I'm guessing by the sorry face you're making, you're willing to listen now? Good, cause I'm not sure I could take another Mega Punch like that again. Seriously, is your esper ability based on Brick Break? That would make sense."

With a handkerchief covering his pinched nose to stop the flowing blood, the college esper decided to take a seat on a nearby bench. He waved his hand at the Machoke restraining Touma, allowing the unresponsive spiky boy to drop his hand without any more struggle.

Whatever drive to fight had been doused. He couldn't will his throbbing right hand to make another fist.

Again and again, he was further proving those old phantoms of his miserable childhood right.

He wasn't anything heroic as a Lucario. Not even Zenchou the Murkrow was as vicious.

Having stopped the bleeding and cleaned his face, Crucible continued speaking.

"I'm sure she said plenty to you already. You must realize there's no going back from here. She was the boss of Toxic Hazard and let a whole bunch of unsettling incidents go without punishment even before she stepped back from it all and let Gio take the reigns. Unintentional or not, she hurt people. Whatever innocent, sweet, nurturing, loving, beautiful image you have of that hot piece of ass you got in mind; throw it away."

Gone was the friendly smile. Replaced by melancholic expression sharing the same deep-seated hurt resting in Touma's own core.

At this moment, in a world of science inhabited by espers and Pokemon, only those two boys shared the world where a boy's tears and regrets held little weight or power.

"From another Slowpoke to another: Save yourself the heartbreak, ya failure of an Escavalier."

You're not a chivalrous knight.

You can't protect anyone.

Whether you accept it or not, you'll fail.

You can't save her.

Just like when Touma had come across a sheltered fluffy-haired girl and failed to stop her descent into a path of destruction.

Playing hero would only result in more suffering.

With a pained grunt as he got back up on his feet, Crucible stared at the now unresponsive Touma with an expression akin to sympathy. As if he had an inkling of what he was going through.

"She had more to say to you. A lot more. But...are you strong enough to listen to those heartfelt farewells without fooling yourself into believing you can save her?"

"…"

Maybe it was kindness from an older boy to a younger boy. From one kid who may have found himself crying but had found his pain ignored by a world that kept spinning by without any consideration for what he lost.

Whatever the reason, the bright blond boy refused to speak on behalf of the teary-eyed woman.

A brown cardboard box, a good fifteen inches wide and twenty inches tall, was gently placed a few feet from the silent spiky boy. It appeared sturdy and gave no indication of what may have been carefully packed inside. Out of all the packages already taken away or held by the two Machokes, it was the single box that Crucible had decided to hold onto instead of leaving it in the hands of anyone else. On top of the mystery box was a single key that gave off a brief gleam from a stray ray of sunlight as the sun set overhead.

Nothing else had to be said between them.

The two Machokes went back to Crucible's side, awaiting the college esper's command to depart to their next task. Everything was packed and gone, except for the exception of what little they carried.

"She left that for you. Can't say what it is. Just be careful with it and decide for yourself whether you can accept the parting gift of a woman who broke your heart. Oh, and be sure to return the key to the little tyke playing as a teacher. I'm a man of my word and I did promise to give it back."

The college esper known as Crucible left.

Back facing Touma, he walked away from the apartment building with the two Machoke trailing behind him like bodyguards. Minutes passed by and he eventually disappeared without any trace into the expansive world of Academy City.

Touma had no idea who he was.

Was the boy part of whatever unknown organization Garrick had briefly mentioned? What were his ties with Yuri and Toxic Hazard? What did any of that have to do with moving the Level-0s possessions out of her dorm in a matter of a few hours?

He stared down at the pavement with a bitter grimace.

It was over.

Just like back then, he couldn't change what was already done.

All he could do was focus on moving forward with regret and pain. And try to not fail again.

Wasn't there currently a young girl who was being hunted down by Magicians for something as ridiculous as possessing over a hundred thousand forbidden grimoires in her memory? Hadn't he originally been occupied with protecting her sweet smile first? She was all alone, she had no friends, no family, not even a Pokemon. That fairy tale girl from a world of magic was lost in a region designed as a city where her beliefs were spat on and treated as fiction.

Kamijou Touma was the only person who understood her troubles and had decided he would protect her from whatever troubles were hounding her to the ends of the earth.

Grieving and growing angry at failing to save another person while he still had someone else to save; how fucking pathetic was he?

He took a few steps forward and picked up the rather hefty mystery box. He couldn't explain why but he felt as if he had to be extra careful when moving around with it. As if one wrong move would cause something horrible to happen to whatever fragile item was inside.

Yuri Sumire had left it behind. Just like she had with him. Where she was descending, she had no desire to drag it along with her blood-splattered hands with a smile on her sweet face.

With a deep breath, Touma spoke to no one as he returned to his original goal.

"I'm not...I'm not strong enough right now, Yuri-san. I don't think I can accept what you did or why you did it. Even if I'm the unforgivable bastard to have inspired you onto this violent path, acted as the stimuli to add a Dark-typing to your evolution, and failed to reach you at the very end; I won't forgive you. I don't give a damn about your desire of doing it for your dream of a world where we can play without worrying about Levels, Abilities, or the expectations of adults poisoning our fun or saving others from a system designed to create losers at the bottom."

Right now, it was over.

Toxic Hazard had crumbled without its boss or admins. Most of their members had been detained by Anti-Skill and Judgment. No one remained up top to keep their goals and ambitions in check. Even if a few of its members decided to take whatever embers remained to further their own goals, it wouldn't be the same strand of vile toxins that had been able to bring an entire tower of espers and Pokemon to their knees.

No one was left to fight or defeat.

Yet Touma still felt inclined to ball his fist against an unseen wall.

These feelings were unable to reach the woman who had shown him even a powerless idiot could strive to protect others, so he would have to channel these unstable feelings to protect the snow-white-skinned girl who fell onto his unlucky balcony.

He wasn't done fighting. Grieving over a loss and his own uselessness could come when he no longer had any reason to keep fighting.

The lonely boy who continued to fail to protect the random people who wormed themselves into his scarred heart made a vow. One he had failed to make when it came to another girl he had failed to follow after and save from drowning in her own darkness.

"I'll stop you. This time, I won't fall short of reaching your hand."

From the mystery box held in his arms, a wiggle could be felt. Almost as if his feelings had been heard.

[-]

A very important detail had been forgotten in all the drama of the day revolving around Pokemon, poison, Level-0s, and hard-fought battles.

"Kamijou-chan, before we sit down for dinner, I think it would be best for everyone if you took a bath."

Filthy boy Kamijou was in dire need of a hot shower.

What was once a pristine and white clean school uniform shirt had been ripped in several places. Specks of blood could be seen here and there. Dirt stained a good half of his clothing. What he believed was food(pasta?) from his battle with Byoki formed a greasy splotch on the back of his shirt. And let's not forget the puking episode that left him incredibly sweaty, not to mention the bits of puke clinging to his shirt.

It was no wonder the dominatrix Trainer looked at him with disgust. Foul lines of odor must have been exuding from his body like a happily skipping Trubbish.

Because of the rank smell, he was giving off, a teary-eyed Komoe had kicked the spiky boy out of the apartment with a new clean uniform to change into and some Pokeyen for the public bathhouse. Until he was smelling like Roserades, he wouldn't be allowed back.

And, of course, not wanting to be left out of the fun of going to something as strange and foreign as a public bathhouse, the fairy-like Index had followed after nasty boy Touma with a grin on her face.

Komoe's apartment lacked basic facilities such as a laundry room or even a basic bath. She was fortunate to have a room with a kitchen and bathroom. Not all teacher's salaries were equal. Not to mention she was teaching in a low-funded school that lacked espers above Level-2. Because of her low income, she could only afford a cheap apartment complex that could only house one person.

So, they would have to journey to the public baths tonight.

Wash bin in held to her small chest like a dinner plate, and Zenchou taking a seat upon her head(after Touma had swatted him off due to the asshole plucking a few hairs in the name of making his seat more comfortable), the esper and nun duo were walking down the quiet and peaceful streets as night settled in.

Touma couldn't help but find his eyes discretely wandering over to the cheery Galarian nun and her surprise protector.

'Was...was Zenchou always like this? The asshole of the skies, who regularly steals food and random items from us espers, causes me nothing but trouble and further piles onto my misfortune? Far as I knew, he never liked people in general. To him, they're just objects for his amusement.'

How surreal. To see one of his bullies act like a watchful Stoutland. And to stick around even though he had no reason to stick around?

'Just like then, huh?'

Another flash of a bittersweet summer returned.

Those were happening far too frequently these past few days for his liking.

'I wonder if that's why I'm doing this again.'

Just like then, Touma had worked alongside Zenchou to protect a pair of girls from a large threat no middle school boy could have stood a chance against. It was also around that time that their relationship had kinda mellowed out.

Sure, Zenchou still regularly picked on him. The Dark-type still went out of his way to find ways to get him into trouble with others by sneaking stolen items into his school bag or even flapping his wings to create gusts of wind to flip skirts up, leaving girls to brand him a pervert by association. Not a day has gone by where they wouldn't come across another and get into a brawl. All they ever did when around one another was insult the other and fight like idiots who didn't even understand why they disliked the other.

One day, Kamijou Touma and Zenchou the Murkrow crossed paths and decided they couldn't get along.

Yet they always found themselves helping each other out in these tough times.

Just like always, when this incident was over, they would part ways too.

"Touma, Touma, Touma~!"

The same went for the happily chanting girl walking by his side.

Nothing guaranteed she would be staying with him forever. Solving her troubles wouldn't develop their relationship into anything more meaningful. Just because she would be saved, didn't mean she would decide to move into Academy City just to be his friend. Nothing so cliché would happen at the very end of this story.

In fact, wasn't it strange?

"Touma! Hey, hey! Komoe said something about Academy City's Kanto and Johto-themed baths having coffee Moomilk~! I've never had that before! What kind of flavor coffee is it? Is it like a Kalos cappuccino? Can we try it?!"

A sweet and naive girl with a beautiful smile was following this miserable boy around like she was his Starter Pokemon. She looked at him as if he was her only friend. As if she had no one else to talk to and was starved for attention of any kind. What would take most people years of encounters, interactions, special moments, and general interests to gain such affection was so readily offered by a girl who had only recently come to learn his full name.

Never before had this spiky child of misery been so confused.

"Coffee milk is a common item you can find in just about any generic public bath in Academy City; more so in Kanto and Johto. It really isn't anything special. Go out to any convenience store, and you can probably buy a bottle for yourself. Doesn't Galar have anything similar to that, like, coffee tea or something?"

The puzzled boy realized everything about the silver-haired nun continued to confuse him. To him, she gave off the aura and appearance of this small Mythical Fairy Pokemon who could still be found skipping about even at the ends of the world. She was unique and one of a kind. Like a foreign Pokemon of another region caught wandering the fields outside of its natural habitat.

Now that he thought about it; what did he know about Index?

What were her likes...other than eating?

What was her favorite color?

Did she have a particular style of music she enjoyed above all others?

Did she have anything specific she wanted to do with her life?

Had she more than one Pokemon other than the wandering Wooloo known as Blewog?

How did she find herself in Academy City of all places; a floating landmass created by intellectual humans with its own unique bio-domes replicated from handpicked environments?

For a girl who had memorized over a hundred thousand forbidden grimoires concerning knowledge inspired by Mythical and Legendary Pokemon...why did she act so naive in the first place?

An answer was given, one he couldn't swallow.

"I don't know. Other than some knowledge of my home country, its leaders, my organization, and other basic and common knowledge all Galarians are privy to, I can't remember a thing about Galar. It's like I was struck with Amnesia and forgot all but important pieces of who I am. All I can remember was that I found myself in the back of some strange cargo boat with a lot of foreign Pokemon before being let out outside of Academy City's walls. It was scary at first."

An inexplicable chill fell over the high school boy as he stopped. Even Zenchou found himself blinking and craned his face down to stare at the naive nun.

"What...what are you talking about? Are you saying...you don't remember anything; at all?"

"Not a thing! Other than my name, my responsibilities, my affiliation with the church, and my magic name, I don't recall a thing about my past before now."

So...that's why?

That's why such a bright child grew so genuinely attached to a loser like him. Because she didn't know anyone else or had any kind of comforting connections with anyone but one Pokemon who commonly wandered around? Who had only known she carried an impossibly large and expansive library of toxic magical books and was being hunted down relentlessly like she were an extremely rare Pokemon?

Someone so sweet and bright had no one else. And she had wandered into his life by mere chance.

'How? How are you so bright then?'

Like she was made of light itself, the scary events and knowledge she was all alone hadn't stained her. Even though she had every reason to use her situation as an excuse to strike back at the world, she didn't. Instead, she had found the strength to smile a childish and naive smile as she moved on.

Tragedy hadn't cracked her or twisted her. She wasn't disillusioned as any normal person would.

Was that her faith in god then? Did such a flimsy being that science rejected give her such strength?

Or was it something more?

Just thinking about it caused him to scowl deeply.

'God damn it.'

Such an answer said spoken of so naively by a girl who acted as if she was heading to watch her first live Pokemon battle greatly displeased him. From what he knew of memory loss it was categorized by two different causes: major shock to the brain or the brain sealing its own memories due to the heart being unable to bear it. It was a serious condition, not one anyone could simply smile away as if it were a small scratch.

Such an unseen wound couldn't be treated by this weak and powerless boy. He felt angry at the magicians who may be linked to her memory loss, but he truly felt an even greater frustration at himself who couldn't even do a thing to help her. Touma was the first person Index had met and gotten to know in over a year. No wonder she was so clingy and affectionate with this loser.

Really, it pissed him off.

"Touma? Touma?! Are you ignoring me? Don't tell me you're angry that I kept that from you."

"I'm not angry."

"If so, then why is your face scowling like a Charizard ready to burn down a village?"

Try as hard he might to feign ignorance, apparently, his silent anger could still be seen on his face.

"Caw, caw?"

"Don't you start either! See?! I'm fine! In no way am I secretly upset about anything at all. Stop staring at me with such a dry look, Zenchou! Ya want me to pluck a few feathers off?"

Traitorous Zenchou the Murkrow took Index's side: the bastard.

"If you're not angry then is it because you're going to a public bath with a girl? Are you anxious? You are a pubescent boy after all."

Now it was Touma's turn to look dryly.

"As if. Where do you even get such a lame idea as that? Unless you're secretly a magical girl who can suddenly transform into a curvy big-breasted onee-san in a skimpy sailor suit that leaves nothing to the imagination then I have nothing to be anxious about. Meek and busty Yumiya-san has more of an appeal than a girl with a child-like body like yours."

Blunt and curt as always.

Zenchou slapped his feathered wing over his forehead. Being a bird of misfortune, he could already tell what was to happen next.

"…"

"Huh? Why are you staring at me like that? A-are those tears? Why are your lips quivering?"

"Touma…"

Misfortune and bad luck had nothing to do with this. His own mouth was responsible for his troubles.

"I hate you!"

"Ghack!"

Alongside the invisible arrow of a cute girl saying she hated him, the upset and teary-eyed nun proceeded to leap into the air and chomp down onto his head like she were a Gibble. Adding onto the pain, Zenchou followed suit with a series of pecks to the insensitive boy who couldn't tell he hurt a maiden's feelings.

Not even this lousy bird was that rude.

[-]

Left on the street a groaning mess of bite marks and peck marks with the occasional black feather on his body, Index and Zenchou had left the idiot known as Touma behind as they proceeded to make their way to the public baths on their own. Having lived in the city long enough to know the directions, the Dark/Flying-type led the huffing maiden as they abandoned him.

Ungrateful brats.

Even as he got back up on his feet to follow them, the huffy nun would turn her up at him like a snooty high-class lady and run off. He almost felt she was leading him on as every time he got close to her, she would repeat running away. She would never completely disappear. Not only was he catching glimpses of her but he could hear Zenchou's cackling too.

Maybe it was better that he didn't chase after her too intently. Anti-Skill and Judgment would label him as some creep who was chasing after an innocent girl. And he had no intention of being cuffed tonight, or ever.

Unless there was a busty middle-aged woman involved. He would go for that.

Since they were heading to the same destination, and Zenchou was there to guard her like some loyal Stoutland, there wasn't any need to worry.

"I wonder how long that rude bastard's going to continue playing nice with that Galarian nun?" he muttered as he stared up at the dark sky.

His pace grew considerably slow. A sense of melancholy struck his already hurting heart.

This was only temporary. Once the issue concerning Index's troubles with those magicians hunting her down for her knowledge came to an end, wouldn't she go home? Even if her memories were gone, she still knew she belonged to a church where she guarded their grimoires against dangerous individuals. She had a place in this world. As a member of Neccassarious, wasn't she expected to return home and continue whatever duties they had for her?

Index would have to leave at the very end. This was a fact. When all the fighting was over with, and nothing was left to protect her from, they would have to part ways and end with both of them smiling at one another like, 'Thank you, for everything! I'll miss you but I'll never forget the time we shared, no matter how short it was! Don't worry, even if you grow to forget me, with my semantic memory, I'll surely remember those fun times for the both of us!'

And then things would return to their ordinary same old, same old. Touma would go back to struggling to graduate into the next year and dealing with his bad luck and Zenchou would return to causing him trouble whenever they crossed paths. Once again, things would return to their normal routines.

Science and magic did not mix. This wasn't anything similar to humans and Pokemon who could co-exist despite their glaring dissimilarities. Their worlds simply couldn't tread into either one's territories. It was only logical that they would have to part ways.

After all, this was what he was fighting for.

For the innocent and naive girl who resembled more of a Munchlax than a nun to return home with a smile on her face. This was the rightful conclusion to their time together.

Even so, he couldn't help but feel his heart tense with dread at the happy ending.

The girl who had wormed herself into his heart would disappear again.

Bitterness simmered in his aching heart.

Once again, he would be alone.

He had known as much from the beginning that this was the inevitable outcome, but still…

Touma stopped in the middle of the empty intersection with a sullen scowl.

"...Wait."

An empty intersection.

A completely empty and devoid of any human, Pokemon, or car in sight intersection. Not even the faint shadows of a small Pokemon like Pidove hanging on the street lights or a Rattatta scurrying about in the background could be found as he spun his head around. Being only around 8 o'clock, it was odd to notice this street so empty. Even if the students and adults of the city were turning in for the night, the Pokemon normally seen at night would at least be out and about.

Something was wrong with this picture. In fact, he felt something ominous in the air slip in. An unnatural phenomenon had fallen over the area and felt as if it stretched farther than he could imagine.

Years of dealing with supernatural events had left him to pick up on such small details and even feel a chill trickle down his neck.

Swallowing his saliva, the tense high school boy walked a bit further. He sought some kind of contact, some kind of sign, some kind of clue.

Alone, he was alone with every step and found no tell-sign of life as he walked further head the streets. He couldn't spot Index's back or hear Zenchou's cackling. As if they had faded away when he wasn't looking.

Stopping on a major road with three lanes in each direction where several businesses could be found and an overpass, the sense of paranoia grew ten-fold and screamed that things were wrong.

What was going on?

"Have you finally taken notice? What you're seeing is the effect of Styil's Opila rune. A magical sigil has created a people-clearing field that also affects Pokemon. For whatever reason, those who would normally cross through the boundaries we have set up over a large radius will have a subconscious need or desire to leave the area. I suppose for one of the science side, it's similar to giving one a suggestive thought through a psychological power."

The empty world he found himself in had been invaded. A soft yet stern feminine voice spoke out to him, striking his senses like a small pocket knife stabbing into his side.

She appeared in the span of time it took for him to blink.

She looked like a professional Pokemon Trainer. She wore a small short sleeve shirt beneath a midriff revealing a white and blue long-sleeved cropped jacket, tight-fitting runner's pants that accented her curvy physique along with bottom-cut jeans, sneakers, and a Pokemon-themed baseball cap. Long dark hair flowed from the back of her neck, tied back in a ponytail that gently swayed in the light night breeze, nearly making one guess her hair was a deep grape purple.

Touma stared.

And stared.

And stared some more to the point the cool-faced beauty tilted her head to the side.

This was a tense situation, for sure. A random woman appeared out of nowhere and declared she was an acquaintance of the Flame Magician hunting Index down, Stiyl Magnus. No doubt, she was another magician who could use a supernatural power based on the myths, legends, and fables of Pokemon. And she had cleared the surrounding streets of anyone who might get in the way of the battle to come.

Still…

'Lewd. Everything about her is lewd! The way the open neck of the cropped jacket reveals the way the small blue shirt is strained by her large boobs! Her slim naked stomach left out in the open. The way those runner's pants perfectly show off the lines of her long legs; one of her pants legs is cut off all the way to her thigh! Grk! Is this the fabled Erotic Ace Pokemon GO Trainer Aogami was spouting about?! When she cutely tilted her head like some naive child, her breasts jiggled!'

If it wasn't for a certain object appearing to glare back at him, he would have continued ogling the hottie.

An eastern Johto blade could be seen holstered behind the woman's slender waist like it were a pistol. It looked like was over two meters long and sheathed in an elegant black scabbard, speaking of its authenticity as a true eastern blade hailed from a time of shoguns and daimyos. Just the sight of the deadly weapon, one far more deadly than a supernatural creature everyone in the world could call upon for aid, a Pokemon, caused Touma to feel a sharp chill in his chest.

"神浄討魔."

"?"

Did she say his name?

For whatever reason, it sounded weird. As if she had gotten the characters of his kanji jumbled up or something.

One Who Purifies God and Slays Demons; Kamijou no Touma.

Seriously, where did she get such a freaky name from?

"Such an interesting name from one who doesn't even know the teachings of any God. Would it count as a True Name then?"

The way she was speaking was far too casual for Touma's liking. As if she were trying to make idle conversation with a random person sitting next to her on the bus. All while her Tyranitar sneered down at him.

Touma swallowed the ebbing sense of fear and spoke.

"Who are you? Another magician like that flame bastard?"

Subtly, the sword-wielding Trainer narrowed her eyes.

"My name is Kanzaki Kaori. Let that be all that I have to say concerning my name; I'd rather not reveal my Magic Name next."

'Fortis931; I Prove Why My Name Is the Strongest Here.'

A Killer Name. A proclamation that there were no restrictions, no pity, no regrets, no sympathy; nothing would hold them back from extermination the opponent who stood in their way.

The memory of that night, of that battle against the flame-haired magician and his burning-bodied Houndoom, bathing the male dormitories in flames, caused an unpleasant sweat to form on the palms of his hand. Even if Touma had won that fight, he could still feel the wrathful burns flare up on his body. It hadn't been an easy fight and if he hadn't discovered Innocentious's weakness, he would have surely died.

That was just the prologue battle.

For whatever reason, he felt the strange air around Kanzaki was far more denser and crushing than the flame priest.

Whether it was a sixth sense he had gained after coming into several battles, he could tell without any knowledge or hints.

Battle.

Once again, that damn word resounded in the air like a bell dong.

"Give me a fucking break."

Touma spat lowly. His body was tense and he felt a tremor shake his body like a metal pole struck by a bat.

Kanzaki's face seemed to have registered hearing the small growl even though he was sure no one within a yard of him could have.

"You're partners with Stiyl, right? Then you're part of the same ruthless organization that thinks it's perfectly fine to chase down a naive child and cut open her back like a Scyther hunting a Rattata. Just another damn idiot who attacks, attacks, attacks, attacks!"

To be perfectly honest, Touma was scared. He felt himself shudder at the pressing aura the calm-faced beauty exuded just by standing perfectly still in the abandoned street. Like an overleveled Super Boss found wandering the first stage of an open-world game.

Imagine Breaker felt small in his hand despite it being the bane of all supernatural powers and the system of god.

Yet again, another battle was ready to commence.

And he was sick of it.

"If you have come to such a conclusion on your own, whether from the mouth of Index or putting it together yourself then you must know why I'm here. I will say this simply; return Index to me at once. Or-"

"You'll fight me? You'll beat me? You'll cut me open? Fling a fireball my way? Poison me with some strange magical spell? Release your Pokemon to do the dirty work for you, or let them join in?!"

Frustration seeped into his words as fought to quell the shaking in his legs.

He was tired.

Today had not gone the way he had hoped. The happy times he was enjoying with Index, Zenchou, Yumiya, and Aogami had been poisoned by the release of a terrible gas created by a group of Level 0s known as Toxic Hazard. He had fought against an Admin of the poison-themed Trainers, battled against Level-0s and their Pokemon, been poisoned by Level Toxin, and ultimately found himself on the final stage of the chaos as he faced off with the supposed Boss of the Skill-Outs. He had been beaten by human fists and harmed by supernatural powers by Pokemon, and even found himself bombarded by a sound-based esper ability that popped his eardrums and messed with his organs. Nothing but battle after battle had come his way.

Even worse, he felt his finger slip from grasping the hands of someone diving into the abyss.

Physically and emotionally, he was beaten. All he had wanted to do was forget about it and simply enjoy going out with Index for a bath before heading back to Komeo's for a home-cooked meal.

But it wasn't over. One side of this story had come to an end and now the second half was rearing its face without any regard to his fatigue or heartbreak.

"Take your so-called kind warnings and eat shit. I've been through a lot today, so my normally high patience with you assholes has hit rock bottom. I've already run the gauntlet this far, so why would I stop now?"

He really didn't feel like being in the talking mood to try and understand the threatening woman and was declaring he would continue his battle.

But then she spoke softly with an emotion he couldn't believe.

"I know. I know you've been through a lot thus far. With nothing but your fist and the aid of two Wild Pokemon, you battled against an entire organization of Espers and their Poison Pokemon. Though I didn't see the final battle, I know you've been through a great deal of suffering and heartache.

Pity.

The samurai Trainer was speaking as if she had witnessed his struggle throughout Kokyu Tower from behind the scenes. She almost sounded sorry for him.

Even so, she reached for the two-meter-long eastern blade.

"I've observed you from afar for some time now. Up until this moment, I've allowed you the kindness of staying by her side, acting as her protector, guarding her, to ease her heart with silly moments. But time is running short. She's already approaching her limit, so I can no longer be allowed to be moved by my bleeding heart."

An uneasy pressure sent his heart racing like galloping Rapidash.

"I know you won't back down. Nonetheless, I felt it was only polite to give you the chance to let go and step back for your own safety. You're in no condition to be acting the hero again, but I had to try. That ends now. If you do not bow out, I will reveal my Magic Name and put an end to your pointless struggle."

Tremors caused the asphalt beneath his feet to rumble and shake. It felt as if a Pokemon had unleashed an Earthquake onto the field. Before he could properly react to the shaking earth, he felt a sting on his cheek.

A second later, the air on his left was sliced by an invisible blade traveling at what must have been super-sonic speeds. The sheer force of the attack even as it purposely missed its target was powerful enough to blow him off the side as if he had been tackled by a Machamp. Like a Hyber Beam, the path of slicing destruction continued to travel and cut through the road with ease, going as far as to cut down several cars and the side of a convenience store like a knife to a cake.

Touma struggled to keep himself from being knocked by the aftershock, nearly tripping as he held his wet cheek. He found blood from a deep cut on his cheek that traveled up to his earlobe.

10 meters. She had attacked him from over 10 meters?! All without making any motion of doing so? Was this some kind of speed-type spell? Or something unseen?

It had to be magical. She was a magician just like Stiyl. Unlike Espers and Pokemon, her supernatural powers were based on magic theories. So, all he had to do was use Imagine Breaker!

Getting his bearing together, Touma glared back and took a step forward.

A faint trail of light, like a fading Flash Cannon, swept above the air over his head.

In the background of this new battlefield, he pictured one of the many wind turbines scattered across Academy City being sliced cleanly through. One of the spinning fans fell to the earth with an explosive thud and went as far as to scatter a dust cloud that swam below his ankles.

Such frightening speed caused his body to freeze.

'I-I couldn't see it. This isn't anything like when a Pokemon uses Extreme Speed. Were my eyes playing tricks with me? Is her magic centered on her sword and not an element like Stiyl?'

His brain went into overdrive in breaking down the physics and tells of the sudden attack. Even as he felt his breath grow shallow and his knees tremble, he kept his eyes focused on the calm sexy woman's figure. He grit his teeth as he balled his right hand.

The attack was hilariously fast in a very depressing way. He wasn't sure he had even come across Speed-type espers and only ever tangled with fast Pokemon. But if he could hone in on the pattern, the movement of the attack, the path, or the activation of the spell then he could win.

"It's pointless. Please, don't force my hand any further than need be."

There!

The samurai woman's hand twitched as she gripped the sheath of her sword. All he had to was-

An instantaneous flurry of invisible steel blades was fired like Bullet Seeds.

A great deal of unseen slashes struck across all directions around Touma, slicing across cars, street lamps, signs, roads, buildings, and trees like thin Hyper Beams. A hurricane of violence cut the scene in intervals and sent debris flying everywhere as a storm had been summoned.

Touma threw up his forearms as he was soon pelted by debris erupting in his face. It was like he had stumbled upon a grenade and was struck by shrapnel rather than the explosion itself. Bits of gravel dug into his arm to the point blood was already seeping down his arm.

He was only hit by the spray of the frightening attacks. And he was already bleeding again without ever taking a step.

Pain pricked at the small wounds his defensive move had earned him but he ignored the tiny rocks in his skin to stare at the area of slicing carnage.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5…

He found several lines crossing over in random intervals like nails from an enormous Pokemon. They were the hints he was searching for in order to properly come up with a plan to deal with the spell.

7.

A total of seven lines littered the area around him. Was that her limit? Could she fire more than seven attacks? Was it like Rock Blast or Bullet Seed, where the number of attacks was random? He saw her hand blur like a bug in a video game, so was the activation dependent on her hand? She hadn't let go of the hilt at all since the attacks began.

"How many more times must I repeat myself? I would like to avoid speaking my Magic Name, so hand her over."

Another roar of the wind being sliced was heard as Touma caught a glimpse of seven flashing lines barrel towards him. Once again, the scenery was sliced into by a blender of invisible blades.

Close by, an SUV was chopped up into three odd sections and soon erupted into flames. Amid the pelting spray of debris striking him from several angles, Touma was forced to leap away as the vehicle exploded. A scrap of hot metal raked against his shoulder, causing him to swallow a cry as a burning laceration was left behind. Black smoke bellowed from the wreckage of the destroyed SUV, the light of the flames casting twisting shadows around Touma as he held his burning cut over his shoulder.

"It seems you noticed it. You really are adept at battle despite your status as a Level-0. What you saw was Nanasen. An attack created by the incredible speed of my Shichiten Shichitou that can kill you seven times over in an instant. Rather than an instant kill, it is far better suited to be labeled as a certain kill. Don't kid yourself into thinking you could avoid it if I was serious."

Missing on purpose?

Was she just playing with him then?!

"Don't screw with me!"

He swept the cloud of hot smoke obscuring his vision aside with his right hand and tried to make his move.

Again, seven water jet cutting blades were scattered to slice up the street. Dust and smoke were torn apart as the cuts traveled across the asphalt like nails, flinging knuckle-sized chunks of rock everywhere to smack into Touma before he could take the first step.

He felt the wind knocked out of him as a large piece of the buckshot spread debris flew into his stomach with the force of a Mach Punch. And for a moment, he could have sworn he blacked out.

'F-Focus! She's incredibly fast to the point she would make speed freaks like Ninjask and Arcanine look like Metapods! She's got an AOE attack in the form of those super-sonic blades fired like they were bullets. She hasn't moved a step and is keeping a distance. Why is that? She's a magician, without a doubt. Meaning she's using some kind of magical means to unleash her attacks.'

Even as he struggled to regain his breath, Touma took that first step amid the floating dust of sheared stone and debris scattered around him. He was analyzing everything he could to pick apart the trick the deadly magician was using to keep at a distance.

"Hand over Index. Do not make me repeat myself again."

All she was doing was repeating herself over and over again! Like a machine set to only one setting, she refused to do anything else but the same pattern that wasn't getting her anywhere.

The second step followed as he clenched his fist to the point he heard his bones groan.

He took a third and steeled himself for the next volley of flying slashes. He could see her eyes narrow again as her fingers twitched over the hilt of her long blade.

In order to beat this magician, in order to make it back to Index, in order for this shitty day to be put to an end! He simply needed to cross the distance between them and bash his fist into that arrogant cool beauty's face!

A terrifying roar was heard in front of him. The wind was chopped to bits by seven invisible blades charging straight towards him like a stampede of Taurus. An odd moonlight blue sheen could almost be seen as he could actually track the attack this time.

Whether the samurai girl's speed was dipping or he was starting to familiarize himself with the attack pattern, it didn't matter as Touma exploded forward himself.

Magic would be destroyed no matter its specs. Imagine Breaker had proven it could crush even that new supernatural world's logic and gifts with just a touch of his finger! Why would he hesitate now? The path to victory would never be achieved if he ran away or hesitated now!

As his explosive charge came face to the face with the converging seven strikes, all he had to do was throw his hand forward and attack. There was nothing to fear now!

One of his fingers, the pointer finger, touched the supernatural attack.

Blood quickly splashed out onto the pavement.

[-]

Kizuato was a curious puppy. Like any other young canine Pokemon, he was a creature who found the world itself as a curious and interesting playground that was never short of fun surprises for him to prod. And prod he did!

Whether it be those strange large humans who tried to be discreet in the shadows as they moved in armored platted behemoths that apparently weren't Aggrons, no-good brats skulking about his territory, or even other Pokemon who were acting suspicious, he couldn't help but trail after those poorly discreet idiots and see what they were up to. Because of such troublesome curiosity, he couldn't contain for his own good, it had led to him having to occasionally clash with those humans and Pokemon who didn't take kindly to a random pup poking his nose into their business because he was bored.

At one point, he had even been scolded by a weird Stoutland who was somehow able to smoke a cigar for trailing him. Old men were the worst.

Kizuato was no stranger to danger. In fact, he adored it. Nothing but excitement and fun could be found when one swiped at a hive of Beedrill! The chase, the fight, the run, and even the loss.

You could say the Dark puppy was a thrill seeker...or just an idiot. Both; both were good.

Letting himself be taken in by the scent of his favorite human plaything, Kizuato soon found himself crossing paths with another odd human.

She was a strange female human with those curious lumps of fat on her chest; far bigger than any he had encountered. She dressed like those self-glorious Trainers who thought they were tough shit just because they had captured Pokemon to substitute their lack of claws or fangs. But she felt different.

Weird.

Out of place.

Curious as he was, he found himself distracted by the eastern woman who was inspecting an odd carving on the side of a shoe store he frequently invaded for a new chew toy.

"It all seems to be in place. All the runes are properly functioning and should soon activate to cover a mile. The necessary preparations are now set, so all that's left to do is wait for him to cross into our territory."

She was talking to herself; weirdo. Kizuato tilted his furry head at the woman as she leaned down to touch the slightly glowing carving on the wall.

Seeming to notice his presence, the pretty-faced lady glanced back to find him staring at her. He wagged his tail.

Like many of the human female species, she melted and lost whatever cool composure she previously held.

"Aren't you an adorable little boy? What are you doing sniffing around here? Don't you have a Trainer?" she said sweetly with a bit of caution in her voice.

Kizuato snorted cutely at the question.

"Then you're by yourself? Then you should run along now, little one. Things are about to…" she made a strange face as if she wasn't happy with what was ready to happen, "Become hectic. Here, you can have this tasty berry if you promise to go back home."

Kizuato wasn't sure where the pretty lady whose body lines spoke of her clothing being tight pulled out the juicy Oran berry from. But he took it nonetheless with a smile and ran off.

Glancing back, he saw the tall woman smile kindly before her face shifted into a rather icy and stone-cold mask. She waited several minutes until she couldn't see anyone and then proceeded to walk ahead past the shoe department.

Being a troublemaker, Kizuato did not leave the area and waited for the nice yet scary lady to disappear. Coast clear, he proceeded to walk over to where she had been crouching.

Glowing blue letters could be seen carved into the wall. He sniffed the strange symbol with intrigue.

In the back of his mind, he felt something tell him to leave. He had plenty of things to do besides investigating a letter similar to Unknown that meant nothing to him. Wasn't he hungry? What about the promise of playing with a few of his friends later? Ah, right, his pack leader was hounding him about meeting their horde quota, so he should get back to scavenging and thieving.

He had responsibilities to attend to.

For a moment, he was seriously considering leaving it be.

An annoying itch in his scarred eye caused him to rub the irritation with a growl.

The ebbing pressure in his mind withered away and he soon found himself glaring at the mocking glowing symbol. For whatever reason, he didn't like it.

Not to mention the scent of his favorite human continued further ahead. It suddenly stopped here without reason to. As if he simply vanished into thin air like an Abra.

Midnight black claws were lifted up and aimed at the weird Unknown symbol that ticked Kizuato off.

[-]

Imagine Breaker failed. Even as he had come close, face to face with the samurai girl, the roar of the blade wasn't shattered.

Thin blades ate into his right hand like a pulpy fruit being squeezed. Even as he tried to pull his hand back, he felt a suction-like force pull his soft fingers into the blender of steel. It had taken all of his strength to pull his arm back and found himself falling onto his back with blood splashing out from the numerous cuts on his arm.

Thin steel sliced through skin and scratched bone.

His voice was stuck in his throat as he knelt on his knees, holding his profusely bleeding limb in his chest. His eyes were shaking. Fear returned tenfold as he gazed at the calmly staring woman.

From his viewpoint, the way the full-boded moon stood behind Kanzaki's back cast an ethereal glow around her. Because of the glow, he could see it.

Thin wires were spread all over. Steel sleek with red from his wounds gleamed in the moonlight like webbing from a Spinarak.

Imagine Breaker hadn't lost its power or found something it couldn't destroy.

Simply put, its target wasn't supernatural. Like a Ghost-type move hitting a Normal-type, it failed to do anything. His Super Effective move was sealed by what looked like some sleight of hand.

It didn't make sense.

"Aren't you a magician!?" he couldn't help but shout in frustration.

Kanzaki appeared disinterested with his shout, "I've told you; I've been watching you. That power in your hand is not all-powerful. It is similar to type advantage, or Type Theory as you espers call it. Your hand is of a unique element that destroys anything supernatural, so isn't it simply a matter of changing type? Ghost can never defeat Normal and vice-versa, so all I had to was change the type of my attack to flip the tables. In this case, your typing is Dark and I am employing a Fairy technique to counter."

"So, you're just using some kind of cheap trick to make up for your lack of magical attacks?"

"Do not misunderstand. This is simply a technique derived from my true attack, Yuisen. Even before I heard of you from Stiyl, I had already known such a move. And I have many more that do not involve using spells. I have yet to even speak my Magic Name."

Touma felt his body shudder. Kanazaki must have noticed as she seemed to bite her lower lip as he struggled to get back up with blood dripping off his lacerated arm.

"Do you understand now? I can kill you seven different ways, or kill you in one One-Hit-KO. You can not achieve victory here even if you possessed the Blazing Victory Child, Victini. Fighting in your state, after everything you've been through already, will only put your life at risk for some stranger you only recently met. Please, don't make me say it."

Fatigue must have been hitting him because he could have sworn he noticed the samurai girl's hands tremble over her hilt. Was she...pleading with him?

She could kill him in seven different ways or in an instant. He didn't think she was gloating. She wasn't a one-trick Ponyta like Stiyl Magnus. She was on a whole other level than both of them. She was almost mythical.

His right hand would not work. He was beaten and worn out from his battle with Toxic Hazard. And his heart was already in poor shape after losing Yuri. Lacking even Pokemon to aid him, he was completely out of options.

His opponent wasn't even taking him seriously and was even doing their best not to kill him by accident with their overwhelming attack power.

But he still found the strength to clench his bloody fist carved to the bone.

"Screw that."

It felt like he was coughing up blood. But he rejected the overly kind option to give up without having his body mangled.

"What?"

"I said fuck that! Are you deaf, or just stupid!? Even a Psyduck would catch on by now!"

He forced his groaning body to stand up and even tried to swing his useless fist at the stunned woman's face.

The butt of a sheath stabbed into his abdomen like the horn of a Nidoking. How it hadn't pierced the flesh wasn't any short of a miracle. The ramming sheath sent him flying away like he had been hit by a truck. Sneakers screeched as he struggled to keep himself on his feet and found the rubber soles burning through.

With no air in his lungs, he gasped roughly.

The next strike came just as sweet air entered his lungs. The shadow of a sneaker fell over his face, warning of the deadly face kick possessing enough force to cave his skull in. Difficult as it was, he forced his battered body to sway to the right and evaded-

"Nanasen."

Seven gleaming wires roared and crashed into the asphalt on his right. An uproar of knuckle-sized rocks assaulted him as he evaded the face kick, and punched into the sides of his ribs like a barrage of hard fists. This time no amount of fighting to stay on his feet could stop him from being thrown off and falling onto the street.

'I-I-I c-can't breath!'

Air struggled to stay in his lungs as Touma writhed on the street. He felt several of his previous injuries from dealing with Toxic Hazard flare up and add to the waves of pain ganging up on him.

Knuckles slammed into the filthy street, breaking the skin as Touma commanded his twitching limbs to listen to his desire to get back up.

Just as he stood up-

"Nanasen."

An explosive roar sent another spray of debris pelting his body.

"Nanasen."

And again.

"Nanasen."

And again.

From all directions, small fragments and large chunks struck him from all sides. It felt like he was being attacked by six people in a tight alley with brass knuckles. He was trapped in one place by the bombardment of debris from an overwhelming attack that was intentionally missing to avoid straight up killing him.

There wasn't even a window to throw his forearms up to guard his upper body and face. Debris punched into his body with such force that his white school uniform was torn up and stained with blood. Squirts of blood popped up like he had been shot by firearms.

The hurricane of shock waves ceased, allowing the bloodied and bruised boy to stumble back. His legs were quivering and he nearly collapsed to the ground. Drops of sticky red dripped down his destroyed right arm and trails of blood seeped from various open wounds left behind from the pelting debris.

From the point of view of Kanzaki, he appeared drunk. His eyes were clouded, he was struggling to keep himself standing upright, his breathing was labored, and his arms were dangling uselessly at his sides. If the night breeze were any stronger, it would have finished the job and knocked him out.

Surely that was it.

Enough was enough.

If he were a Pokemon, this would be where he would be knocked out and unable to battle.

Kanzaki couldn't bear to see this. She felt her magic was crying.

"You've had enough. This is enough!"

Another Nanasen would drop his blaring HP to zero. She was calling it.

Further violence wasn't needed.

"You've made it this far against one of Galar's strongest magicians. Even in your already wounded condition, you held your own despite being labeled as weak. You fought hard, you even saved people back in Kokyu Tower, and you didn't run away even when you were offered the chance. You're no coward; to a Saint like myself, your bravery is commendable. So, I'm sure, she'd understand."

She'd...understand?

Hazy-eyed Touma stared at the softly smiling samurai girl.

Fingers twitched like a dying Spinarak's legs.

Yeah, sure, Index wouldn't blame him for trying. With tears in her eyes, she would have thanked him for everything he'd done up until now. She would thank Arceus for coming to know him and calling him her first real friend. She would tell him their time together was sweet and she'd never forget it even as she was dragged into the sulfur-hot pit of hell.

No one would blame him for collapsing now.

"Shut up."

"W-What?"

"I SAID SHUT THE FUCK UUUUUUUUUPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP!"

Touma roared like an enraged Tyrantum. His ferocious and raging shout, coupled with his bloody appearance must have been enough to even cause the powerful magician to flinch.

Destroyed or not, he clenched his bloody fist into a fist and leveled it at the face of the samurai woman.

'I know, I know! I know such a naive brat like Index would never blame me for making it this far! She wouldn't curse me out, hate me, or be disappointed. She would just give me that perfect fairy-like smile even though she can't hide her heartbroken expression!'

But it was frustrating. It was almost maddening. A part of his heart felt like it had finally cracked after once again knowing he would lose another smile that had wormed itself into his lonely heart.

"I'm sick and tired of this!"

He sounded as if he were on the verge of breaking into a sob.

"I just...I just wanted to keep them safe. Even though I'm nothing but a weakling who can't even properly protect someone who gave them such a perfect smile…I wanted to try. I wanted to make this last just a bit longer before having to fall back onto those boring and tired rails of misfortune again."

A cluster of gleaming wires didn't assault him as he bore his broken heart. In fact, Kanzaki didn't move or even interrupt him.

She wasn't anything like Stiyl Magnus. Hesitation was there. She had even begged him to stand aside because he was already hurt. In her dark lavender eyes, he couldn't spot so much as a hint of blood lust or hate.

She didn't want to battle in the first place.

Why? Why would she prolong the inevitable when she was so strong then?

"But you're so strong that even when I'm trying my absolute hardest to so much as reach you, it looks like nothing more than the flailing of a child against a Tyranitar! You could have easily beaten me into the dirt if you wanted! From the start, did I really ever have a chance? But you were hesitating, you didn't want to kill me. You weren't mocking me, you couldn't have! I could hear it in your voice every time you told me to stop and just give up!"

Kanzaki Kaori wasn't a machine. She was undeniably human. Even though she possessed this fairy-like aura amid steel eyes, she wasn't heartless. Otherwise, such an overpowered and over-leveled boss could have slaughtered this puny child in one hit.

Didn't that mean she didn't want to do this?

"You're not like Stiyl. You're not like Gomi, Byoki, or Garrick! You don't want to hurt anyone, so why are you okay with slicing a girl's back open?! Don't you see that it's wrong to hunt her down? That is messed up such a girl has had to do nothing but run, run, and run every day?! She doesn't even remember anything past a year. Did you know that? Did you know you were attacking a girl who can't even recall a time when she wasn't being chased down like a Pokemon by collectors or are you bastards the reason why she can't?!"

Why were they willing to hurt such a nice girl who decided to befriend this loser who couldn't even protect a single thing? Was it really because it was their job? Was that all it took for a human to go as far as nearly killing a child who couldn't remember anything but a library of forbidden knowledge?

Someone so strong was willing to do such a horrible thing while someone so weak tried to reject the very idea.

How was that remotely fair?

'If...If I was that strong…if I had her strength...c-couldn't I have?'

He pictured a large toothed water lizard with red fins and a bright grin. A Totodile happily waddled after a small spiky boy like the ever-faithful companion he was despite the cloud of misery children and adults alike had said he spread.

A brown fluffy-haired girl wearing a Tokiwadai summer outfit was close behind. Mitsuari Ayu pouted and made a fussy noise as if she was demanding she be carried all while she held a manga in her well-manicured hand.

A blurry-faced girl with honey-blonde hair soon followed right beside him too. He couldn't attach a name to the mystery girl but she appeared happy with simply walking by him as she blew a cheap emergency whistle with a childish crinkle of her eyes.

One by one, those precious figures in his life faded away. Leaving that spiky boy to continue on his own with a broken heart.

Jealousy and envy boiled in his heart and erupted like magma summoned by a Heatran.

"An idiot like me can't protect a thing! All I can do is lay on the ground and cry even after trying my hardest to keep what he loves most from slipping from his fingers! But you're different. You have power! Even without a Pokemon, you have the power to protect whatever the hell you want without even having to put any effort into it! Unlike me who can only watch you take her away, you could save whoever you wanted on just a whim!"

He hated it.

He despised.

Once again, he had failed to protect the person who had lessened his misery. Just as he had watched Yuri Sumire leave him behind with such a tragic smile on her face, he had to watch Index leave him too.

It wasn't fair. Such an overwhelmingly powerful person was easily beating him down as if what he was doing was wrong. As if saving a girl who was being chased to the ends of the earth was an evil thing to do.

How could someone so strong abuse such gifts to slice a girl's back open because it was her job?

Why was it always like this?

"Why are you doing this? Why couldn't a person like you save her instead?"

He was lamenting while sounding as if he would break into tears. He wasn't even sure why he was revealing such a pathetic side of himself to his enemy.

At any moment now, she would push him aside and his wounds would cause him to pass out. Once again, he wouldn't be able to grasp a lovely girl's hand because he was weak.

Silence.

The attack never came.

"I...I never wanted this either."

If Touma wasn't on the verge of collapsing to his wounds, he would have dropped his mouth in surprise.

Kanzaki Kaori couldn't bear to look at him as she stared at her feet as she bit her lip.

Somehow, his words had struck one of Galar's strongest magicians.

"Because of her Walking Church, I believed my attacks would have failed to harm. I didn't know its defensive properties were destroyed; I never intended to cause her any harm. I've never wanted this. I just wanted to save her too."

Save her too?

Was that a lie? A joke? A ploy to make him drop his already crumbling defensive?

Why did she suddenly sound like she was ready to burst into tears too?

A bombshell was dropped to further puzzle this weak boy.

"I'm part of Necessarius of Galar Anglican Church. I belong to the same magical cabal as Index and am I her beloved friend. And I am only trying to save her before her condition kills her."

...Nothing made sense anymore. What was with this screwy plot?

Kanzaki, and by extension Stiyl Magnus, was part of the same magical cabal as Index? They were part of the same church she was currently attempting to return to. All this time, she was being hunted down across who knows how many regions of this world by members of her own flock? And they were friends? Not associates, co-workers, or random members, but people who she had once been laughing and smiling with?

Lies. These had to be lies! Even if Kanzaki appeared exhausted and every word sounded as if she were coughing up blood, these had to be nothing more than a cheap trick to make him…

Give up? He was already on the verge of collapsing, so that didn't make any sense. Or was she actually that cruel to get his hopes up in making him think he found an ally in the very person who was beating him shitless?

And what was this crap about Index dying!?

"Tell me, do you know of eidetic memory?"

"That's the true secret to her status as being a walking library, right? Even if she acts like an idiot, she can memorize anything she sees in an instant without any effort. Like a passive skill found only in Pokemon. Her perfect memory allows her to never forget, so she's able to imprint over a hundred thousand books containing the forbidden knowledge of myths and legends from all over the Pokemon world."

Touma felt ridiculous even talking back, especially with how crazy it sounded to describe Index's special talent.

Kanzaki must have found it just as crazy as she quirked her lips solemnly to the joke only those who were close to Index would understand.

"Tell me; does she appear as any ordinary girl to you?"

"Yes."

The speed at which he responded seemed to only drain more out of the already exhausted woman.

"In your eyes, she may appear as some common child. But would a common child be able to escape her captors for an entire year all on her own? Even with Blewog at her side, don't you think it would be impossible for some child to evade magicians and Pokemon at every corner in a new city, town, village, or region, and appear so clean and pristine? Not even I, one of Galars top 10 magicians, could evade Necessarius for a month."

She had appeared as if she were a Fairy Pokemon dumped out of a children's book. Hungry but still pure with a perfect smile; like an Alcremie.

Somehow, that idiot child who acted more like a Munchlax and bit like a Gibble when angry had survived all on her own for an entire year and even wound up slipping into the land-locked region known as Academy City.

"Her Pokemon must have-"

"Blewog is an agent of ours. A special companion gifted by our Archbishop to keep tabs on the runaway child, no matter what corner of the world she may vanish to. His duty is to ensure only magicians spot her and acts as a homing beacon of sorts once the deadline approaches its final week. In a way, he should have made our pursuits child's play. But even with that disadvantage, she always slips by. And seeing as this is the last stretch of our pursuit, he has left her side until the final perpetrations are ready. No doubt, he has made his way over to her and is now keeping her distracted from noticing our People Clearing Fields."

That mysterious fluff-ball was actually a homing tracker? Not her partner, but a means of ensuring she was never lost by her hunters? Did that mean Blewog had abandoned Index when she was being attacked because he believed there wasn't any more need to give away her location when she was going to be captured?

"Do you understand? Her innocent appearance hides a sinister intellect that one can abuse for devastating means if given a reason. She's a one-of-a-kind genius who can excel at anything she puts her mind to if given the proper material to study. It's because of her incredibly high potential that the higher-ups fear her. She would put even the Abyssal Dragon to shame."

"What the hell does that have to do with anything? So what? She's a rare genius who could use her talents to do terrible things? Everyone is afraid of her like she was Baby Pokemon who would one day evolve into a Legendary that can smash planets? She's still human! Not a Pokemon you can capture for your own agendas! Even Pokemon are treated better, for fucks sake!"

"She's not the same as you or I. 85% of her brain is filled with the knowledge of 103,000 grimoires. Meaning the 15% left can only perform the calculations and operations that keep her alive. Breathing, blinking, touch, hearing, dreaming, even desires; only a measly 15% can barely manage those ordinary functions any normal person's brain can operate in the background of everything else."

The world felt as if it was spinning all around him. His thoughts were a jumbled mess.

"Why didn't she tell me?"

"She doesn't know this. She is completely unaware of her condition. One that is reaching its limit. As she is constantly absorbing knowledge, no matter how minimal it is or useless it is, that percentage that keeps her alive continues to shrink by the day. It has come to the point she will no longer be able to properly breathe. That time is drawing near."

"But she has a perfect memory! That's a contradiction! If she could never forget anything she says, hears, feels, sees then how is it possible for her to forget such a fatal condition!?"

"Because we erased them. We destroyed over a year's worth of memories ourselves and have continued to do so far longer than even I could recall."

Touma felt his confusion spike into seething anger.

"It's your fault? You're the reason she doesn't have anything but those stupid pieces of junk you call grimoires in her head? You stole her past?! Why? You're her friends! So, why would you do something so shitty?!"

"Because she would have died."

Ah.

That...that somehow stole the seething fire he had felt and left him cold as a corpse. He was sure he had even stopped breathing for a second.

"A normal human's brain will perform maintenance on the date it has collected. Everything labeled as junk will be deleted, or thrown into a trash bin to be later recovered if need be. Such a feature is completely generic and found in all living beings. Not even Pokemon are exempt from this. But her? Think about edict memory again. She can never forget. She doesn't possess the feature to delete backlogs of useless data and can only continue to build up information even as her brain runs out of memory. Because she lacks this feature due to her gift, her brain will soon reach its limit and burst. For her own good," Icy as Kanzaki's words were, she still appeared to burst into tears at any moment as she spat the truth out, "We have to do it for her. We must erase all the data and clean out space for her to regain the 15% required for her to live another year."

A blow far greater than those gleaming seven wires struck Touma and shattered his naive hopes to pieces.

'Ah...I was doomed to fail from the start? Heh. W-Why am I so shocked? Of course, I was.'

A truly broken and accepting smile formed on his lips.

He had thought this was a story of an ordinary boy meeting a cute girl and protecting her from magicians before having to part ways with a bitter yet sweet twinge in his heart at the end of the battle. He had hoped for such a normal yet happy story.

But this? For all his efforts to have to resort to gaining nothing? Saving nothing? Suffering for nothing?

Picturing that bright smile only served to wrench his guts into a dreadful knot.

"How long until it…"

"As I said; the time draws near. The maintenance is performed in yearly intervals and we will soon reach the deadline in three days. Hopefully, we can perform the spell before she beings suffering those terrible headaches."

There were even symptoms? Had Index already been feeling them but pretending to be fine this entire time then?

That was just like her. Putting on a smile while carrying this powerful burden on her small shoulders. Protecting others without even telling them so.

Once again, he pictured Index's smile and found himself further drowning in dread of what had to be done. A part of him already accepted it.

"You understand now, right? We aren't doing this to torture her or hurt her. We simply don't wish our precious friend to die. Even if she comes to see us as enemies every time she awakes with no recollection of us. And it would be the same for you as well."

Something stabbed into his already cracking core.

"Every time we perform the memory wipe spell, her mind fills in the spots with the knowledge that her library of forbidden books is sought after, that those who appear in front of her as she awakes with no memories are after her. She can't help but fill in the blanks and see us as enemies. You would not be exempt either. Even if you two shared a wonderful few days together, she can't help but wake up and see you as a natural enemy she must evade. There's no reason for you to try and save her when you'll gain nothing in return."

Nothing...in return.

Goosebumps rushed along Touma's skin. A small ember in his soul felt ablaze.

And the sorry state he had accepted was smashed to bits as his mind grew sharp.

"To hell with that."

Fire spewed from his mouth as he erupted and denied the shitty conclusion to this pathetic story.

"I was never doing any of this because I wanted anything in return! She'll forget me? She'll see me as an enemy in the very end? I should have never bothered to save her at all?! Screw your shitty logic! I'm Index's friend, the only friend she's ever known! That means, no matter what, I'm sticking by her side until the very end! So, screw off already! Unlike you pathetic bastards, I won't abandon her simply because she won't remember me! I'm not so fucking pathetic!"

"Shut up! What the hell could you ever understand, you arrogant child!?"

Anger was reflected back in greater force.

Touma wasn't sure when it had happened, but the furious-eyed samurai Trainer blurred right in front of him and slammed the side of her sheath into his lower ribs. He definitely heard a crack. Blood spewed from his mouth as he was sent flying like a baseball.

Before he could even hit the ground, a long leg was thrown up high over his airborne form and dropped down like an ax to send him crashing into the road. Without a doubt, he was sure he heard several bones breaking. Even more blood spilled out of his cut lips amid a wet scream.

There was a sensitive place Touma should have never touched. And the idiot had rammed his words into it.

The cool beauty samurai Trainer was gone, replaced by a furious demon whose wrath put a Primape to shame.

"Do you think you alone have a right to feel anger? Sadness? Grief?! Do you think we're monsters who don't feel a thing every time we have to erase her memories? Do you think we're used to being seen as enemies by that child who used to brighten up our days every time we saw her?! You must think of Stiyl as a cold-blooded Grimsnarl who enjoys sicking his Pokemon after her, but he's not! He adored her and spent all his time playing alongside her with Sulfur when the Pokemon was just a Houndour! Both of them despised having to chase her down and had cried rivers of tears when it first happened! And we've had to repeat this misery every. Damn. Year!"

Her shouts of blistering anger were followed by the butt of Shichiten Shichitou slamming down onto his body with the firing speed of a machine gun. Again and again, the sheath crashed into his body with audible cracks.

'It hurts.'

This was not in response to the blunt-force trauma he was experiencing. But the raw human emotions he was experiencing from the woman above who appeared as if she would genuinely shed tears of blood.

"We tried to be there for her. Every time she lost her memories, we were at her side with photos, journals, and videos to remind her we were her beloved friends. We tried everything we could think of. We spent entire summers trying to keep those memories alive! But nothing worked! In the very end, it was all gone and she could only see us as enemies! Everything was returned to absolute zero!"

It must have been painful. For that one person, you adored to the bottom of your heart to always forget your time together. For all your attempts to keep that bond together, only for it to crumble. And having to repeat it on a loop? Yeah, it must have been beyond painful and couldn't be expressed any more than through tears.

Surely, every time, she must have given them the same innocent smile carrying a heavy burden. They must have memorized it by now and couldn't forget it.

But…

"We couldn't stand it anymore. After having to suffer the same loop of despair and heartbreak, we couldn't stand seeing that girl forget those wonderful times together anymore."

Instead of staying by her side, suffering that pain and tragedy again, they decided to lessen the shock of having to lose those memories and see that smile again. By becoming the enemy.

Because it hurt them and they couldn't bear it, they gave up on making any more happy memories with her for the sake of their own hearts. Instead of continuing to fight this damn misfortune, they gave up.

Something resonated with his pathetic child. Amid the rain of a sheath striking his body with bone-breaking blows, he felt something undeniably burn in his chest.

He had lost too. Maybe it wasn't the same as those two magicians, but he had definitely lost even though he held a power that could break even the systems of god with a touch.

His precious Pokemon, Ayu, a blurry-faced honey-blond girl, and recently, Yuri.

He could no longer regain those precious memories no matter how hard he tried. And it felt as if he would be repeating the same loss with Index and be sent crashing back onto those dreary rotten rails.

But he was still fighting. He was still trying!

Just as the next blow would rain down, a bloody right hand caught the butt of the eastern blade.

"You...fucking cowards!" Touma roared with blood spitting out his bruised lips, "Is that why you decided to quit? Because you were hurting? Because you were crying? That you alone were the ones suffering!? What about Index? Where were her feelings in your childish tantrum?! As her precious friends, don't you know how she must have felt every time she had to part with her memories of you? Or could you only ever think about yourselves?!"

He felt he no longer cared about how this ended. Whether the ending he desired and longed for was reached, didn't matter. All he knew was that he had to reject this.

He had to fight this bull crap revolving around friends having to abandon friends in order to play the role of villains!

"If you were stronger, if you weren't concerned with how you felt, if you had only kept fighting! Then maybe she wouldn't have had to always run away! You could have given her happiness, one greater than her fear, whenever she had to lose her memories, then wouldn't that be enough to ease the despair? All those summers, all those falls, all those winters, all those springs! Instead of counting down the days with anxiety, you could have chosen to fill them to the brim with nothing but fun times. Over and over again on a loop, you could have repeated those bright days if you simply could stomach your own pain!"

They could have saved her.

Maybe not her memories but at the very least her smile!

Blood spewed from numerous wounds on his body as he commanded it to rise. A concerning series of creaks and groans from inside his battered body could be heard as commanded his legs to stand him up. His vision had lost its clarity and he saw the world in a fog. But he held onto the stern scabbard with both his hands and glared at the scowling samurai Trainer's face.

Selfish as it was, as cruel as it was, he just simply couldn't accept this was the only solution to the issue. Not if it caused Index to always have to watch her back and run away.

"You can't...you can't seriously be thinking you can fight? Just look at yourself! There's nothing for you to gain if you push yourself further and further over the edge."

"Didn't I...tell you to shut up?"

"Do you honestly believe I'm the final hurdle? I'm just one slot in the large reserve of magicians on standby. Stiyl is one of those who is ready to leap back into action if the impossibility of me being defeated were to happen, and he's already prepared counters to your right hand. This is pointless, so why can't you just give up and let us save her!"

"You call that saving?!"

Maybe it was. Because of that method, he had been able to meet that fairy-like girl who fell onto his balcony. And that was fine.

But this infinite loop had to stop. Just how many times would they be able to endure seeing that girl's fearful expression seconds before she would lose her memories and wake up to strangers who she believed were after the grimoires she safeguarded?

Not having the answer wasn't enough reason for him to accept their miserable solution that only harmed both parties.

"Why the hell do you have strength anyways? Do you protect people simply because you're stronger? Is that why you save people?! Of course not! We're no different than Pokemon in that regard!" He stepped forward with the hard butt of the scabbard pushing into his pectorals and challenged that powerful magician's ideals.

Just like Pokemon in that regard.

A weak, sniveling, pathetic, and battered Murkrow glared up at the powerful, gifted, blessed, and fortunate Gardevoir.

"Don't lie to me! Because there was something you wanted with all your heart to protect that you worked to gain the power to save them! Because there was someone precious you wanted to defend, you evolved!"

A solemnly seen desire rose up.

I want to be strong too.

I want to have the power to save those I care about without having to sacrifice anything in return too.

I want to have the strength to end these cruel fights and still make those final steps to save them too!

If he had Kanzaki Kaori's strength, her power, her gifts…

Maybe he could have held onto those missing pieces of his heart.

Envy could be heard in every word he shouted with a cry from deep within his worthless self.

"You could do it! Someone as amazing as you could have saved them so easily that everything I've done before would be seen as nothing more than a joke! Compared to this useless idiot who can only ever use violence to solve his troubles and poison others with his violence, you could do more! Why can't you get that, you Slowpoke!?"

One of his hands reached for the collar of the stunned woman and wouldn't let go.

"Isn't that why you acquired this power?! Why you evolved? To protect her smile!? So, why can't you?!"

His destroyed right hand, wet with numerous deep lacerations, threw a straight punch at Kanzaki's face. Red gushed from his fist even though he couldn't even call the blow a fist when it lacked enough force to even tilt her face a few millimeters.

Somehow though, it had caused Kanzaki to stumble back and drop her weapon to the ground. She had even lost the strength to stand and collapsed onto her knees like a defeated child.

The sight of such an almighty woman down on her knees sickened him.

"What the hell are you even doing? You have the strength, the power, the ability, the talents, everything. So...so why are you so…"

All fires, no matter how strong or fierce, would die. Not even the flames on a Charizard's tale could last forever.

Dark spots ate away at his vision as he felt himself sway on his feet.

"Why are you so...useless?"

Just wanting to win was not enough. Having the drive wasn't enough. Being only human, he had his limits and he had hit them long ago in this fight. He had been fighting all day and could no longer muster the strength to keep going.

Just like earlier today, he found himself collapsing to the ground in a pitiable mess of wounds.

Nothing more came out of him but blood soaking through his torn uniform and a faint twitch of his fingers.

[-]

Kanzaki couldn't move.

Not because she had suffered a devastating hit. Not even the Focus Punch of a Machamp could stun her for long. Her body was unlike any others and truly was mythical.

She was a Saint. A human who was born with the characteristics of Legendary Pokemon like Entei, Raikou, and Suicune. She possessed incredible speed, amazing endurance, and ridiculous strength, and could even see across large distances. Her spells were far above the normal imitations most magicians could employ and could be said to be comparable to the unique techniques of Legendary Pokemon themselves. Unlike an Esper who acquired a strange aura matching the fourteen known types, she had been born with an affinity to the attributes of a Fairy.

A measly straight punch from a high school boy could never hurt her.

And yet she was on her knees, staring down at her hands, and felt an odd throb on her face from where the spiky boy hit her.

A few feet away from her lay Kamijou Touma, unconscious with numerous wounds on his battered body as blood leaked onto the destroyed street in a dark crimson puddle.

In a way, she had won. Her opponent could no longer fight. Nothing would stop her from retrieving Index now. She could finally return to saving her friend.

…

What was she waiting for?

For whatever reason, she found herself staring at her right hand. It was shaking terribly.

Kanzaki smiled bitterly as she forced her weak legs to stand.

"Weak? A loser. With words alone, you brought me to my knees and forced me to let go of my weapons. All without ability or even a Pokemon? Index was lucky to have found you."

There was work to do be done. The time to be thinking of such things had long since passed. With the deadline approaching in three more days, Kanzaki didn't have the luxury of allowing that boy's words to sink in any further. For the sake of her precious friend, she had to end these pleasant and fun days.

Picking up her scabbard, Kanzaki was ready for the retrieval of the Index.

She paused, turning back to the boy who was a bloody mess and could no longer fight back. A sense of guilt struck her, knowing she was responsible for further damaging the boy who had already been through so much. Even if Kamijou Touma was her enemy, an Esper who rejected her loving god, and could never agree on her methods of salvation, he was still an innocent bystander who had gotten dragged into their troubles.

She couldn't bear leaving him like this. Not after protecting that child's smile and gifting her with sweet memories. The very least she could do before taking Index back into their care was drop him off at a hospital.

Nodding sternly, Kanzaki took a step forward to the bleeding boy-

Ghostly black.

Without even seeing it, Kanzaki had pictured the attack aimed towards her from straight ahead. A cannon ball-shaped mass of haunting blackish-purple energy shot at her from a new enemy.

Shadow Ball. A Ghost-type move. A manifestation of the souls of the departed, condensed into a shell of destructive energy to spread death.

Hand moving towards her scabbard, Kanzaki commanded her seven wires to spread and intercept the Shadow Ball. Slicing the ghostly ball to pieces, a small explosion erupted and clouded her vision.

Even with her vision obscured, she could hear it. Small paws hit the destroyed asphalt in hurried steps.

A Pokemon? How? Stiyl's Opila runes were in effect and should have turned any human or Pokemon away. It should have been impossible for anyone other than one adept in magic and runes to notice the People Clearing Field. Not to mention break-in. Clearing the smokescreen with a brush of her left hand, she found her culprit.

A Poochyena; a familiar one. Hadn't she encountered a wild one a while ago?

The small dark canine stood in front of the bleeding boy, fur agitated and rising like a mane, and white fangs peeled back in a vicious snarl that clashed with the adorable pup that had wandered over to her in curiosity. Small paws were stamped into the road, refusing to budge so much as an inch as the Dark-type glared down at Kanzaki with his eyes snapped open wide.

Attacking her was a random Pokemon she had met by pure coincidence on the street. Why? And how did the Pokemon bypass the People Clearing Field?

Kanzaki gave the snarling pup a gentle smile in hopes of getting him to calm down.

"Little one, it's okay. I don't-!

"BAAAAARRRRRRKKKK!"

Kizuato didn't let her finish or explain herself. If there was a logical, fair, and reasonable reason for the heavy aroma of blood in the air, he didn't give a damn.

Following his favorite scent into the weird pressured territory had led him to catch the ugly scent of blood mixed in. Dread entered the pup's heart as he rushed further into the empty city block before discovering a haunting scene.

The spiky-boy was laying on a ruined street, silent, unmoving, and painted red. And walking towards him was the pretty lady he had met with a large weapon in hand that the scent of the spiky-boy's blood on the scabbard. Seeing that human, the miserable boy who had always played with him, fought with him, given him treats, and...even give him a name…

Something burst from Kizuato's little heart and caused his claws to tear into the asphalt.

Never before had the irritation in his scarred blue eye been so infuriating.

Kizuato took a step forward to the pretty lady, ghostly blue eye burning in the dark shadows of the night as he snarled angrily.

His favorite human was hurt; badly. So, he would protect that human who always seemed so alone.

"...I take it, he's your friend then?"

Kizuato snorted. Labels were a human thing.

"From what I've ascertained, he does not have any Pokemon. In fact, he seems to forego a partner of his own even if it would make his life easier. He is not a Trainer and has no desire to be one."

And? What did that matter?

"I am not one to be trifled with, young one. Surely even you can sense how different I am than even those Espers who inhabit this city."

Kizuato narrowed his eyes.

Pissed as he was, he could tell. Unlike the humans of this city, this one was more...natural. Natural like him. She had the air of a Pokemon, one far stronger and purer than those humans who could use strange human moves tied to only one element or phenomenon.

She felt more like a Legendary than a mere Pokemon or human. In one measly move, she could slaughter him.

Still, he didn't budge.

Kanzaki bit her lower lip, her hand tense as it rested on her scabbard.

"What can you do? Even if a Pokemon like yourself knew of any healing moves, that boy's right hand will cancel it out. If you were to let me take care of him, I could-"

"BARK!"

Kizuato stamped his paw down in objection, snuffing off the pretty lady who carried an aura of a Legendary beast.

He wouldn't allow Kanzaki to get near his human. She had done enough and he refused to let her touch a hair on his head.

In Kizuato's opinion, she had a choice. Everyone did. Such freedom was one even this Pokemon was allowed and happily indulged in to do whatever he wanted.

The pretty lady decided to hurt his human. If she had regrets then she should have never decided to hurt him in the first place. Too late for apologies; not that he would listen to them. If it meant getting into a fight without even an ember of Victini's fortune, so be it.

Like all things in this world, it all came down to one thing.

BATTLE.

[-]

"That Kamijou-chan! He should know better than to stay out this late even if it's not a school night! I know Index-chan is new to the city but don't you think they're a little too young to be seeing the nightlife of the city? Especially with Kamijou-chan's bad habit to go wandering into naughty situations...just like when we first met."

Oni the Magmar, beloved main partner to the child-sized eternal beauty known as Komoe Tsukuyomi, walked closely by the ranting pink-haired woman through the streets of District 7. Currently, the two were out searching for the source of the cutely ranting woman's ire as the night was now setting in. If not for the countless human-made lights scattered about the city from their strange gadgets and tall metal dwellings touching the clouds, it would have been a very dark night that only nocturnal Pokemon could navigate.

Or Pokemon like Oni who could simply snap his fingers to create a torch; or, you know, use his tail as the torch.

Or his entire body, really.

Where was he?

"-ich is why I won't be drinking anymore...besides beer; sake on the holiday and other mixed alcohols are acceptable too but that's only if Yomikawa is buying. If Kamijou-chan knew I was back to my old heavy drinking ways again, I wouldn't be able to show myself to him ever again! Heaven morning drinking is what got me into trouble and meeting that troublemaker in the first place."

"Fuu?"

"S-Smoking is necessary though! You've seen the mountains of paperwork I have to deal with! And when you have troublesome students like the Delta Force constantly causing a ruckus in class, how else am I supposed to take the edge off? A woman at my age needs a few vices in order to stay young too."

"Fuu, fu, fuu."

"I do not smell like smoke or cheap beer! And what do you mean Kamijou-chan doesn't like Torkoal-smelling ladies? W-Why would I care?"

Ever does the urge to char a certain truant spiky boy burn ever stronger in the chest of Oni the Magmar. How the hell does some loser Level-0 so perfectly perform Attract without even knowing it? The way his adorable Trainer wasn't meeting his flat gaze and was blushing said it all.

The next time he saw that lousy brat, he was going-

"K-Kamijou-chan?!"

It felt like an unusual and alien palpable silence had been popped underneath their feet. Like all the city's sounds, its very heartbeat, had started back up. Oni felt a revolting twang in his core at the strange sensation before following his Trainer's line of sight.

Small feet were heard in all the loud city noise, echoing with each difficult step forward. Weak whining was heard and it sounded as if something heavy was being dragged behind them.

Illuminated by the flickering street lights was a small Poochyena; a well-known hooligan of the city streets who always sought mischief. His fur was matted, cut, and his claws were chipped. Blood stained his gray and black coat like syrup. One of his eyes was shut, leaving only his scarred and damaged sky-blue eye glaring ahead with determination burning his eye despite how worn out and beaten he was.

The blood seeping onto his coat like gooey syrup did not belong to him. Even if his fur was cut and damaged, it didn't appear as if he suffered any serious damage in whatever battle he had been through.

A high school boy was hefted on the Dark puppy's weak back. Despite how the boy's body overshadowed Poochyena's little form, the puppy carried over a hundred pounds on his back and held onto him with his teen clamped down onto the red-stained boy's shirt collar like a bag strap. From the state of the boy's torn and once pristine white school uniform, it appeared as if he had been mauled by a gang of vicious Pokemon like he were a delicious piece of savoy meat.

Even in the bloody and lacerated state he was in, Oni couldn't mistake Kamijou Touma's face.

His adorable Trainer acted before he could even ignite his fists in seething fury.

"Kamijou-chan!"

Komoe's short feet couldn't even stop her from crossing the distance and reaching her most troublesome student. A warning growl was heard from the battered Poochyene as she approached but the sight of tears running down the cherry-blossomed-haired teacher had caused the Dark-type's guard to fall.

"Aruuu."

Kizuato cried tiredly, the weight on his back becoming too much at last. His four feet trembled and he collapsed on his stomach with his favorite human on his creaking back. He didn't mind the crushing pressure a bit. His foggy scarred eye glanced up at the small lady standing in front of him, finding comfort in the tears on her face and the worry in her eyes as she reached her small hands to the spiky boy's bruised cheek.

"Kamijou-chan...what happened to you? Why aren't you responding? I-I thought you and Sister-chan and Zenchou-chan were just going out to take a bath. I didn't...I didn't think you would wind up in more trouble just because I told you to leave and clean yourselves up."

"Awooowo."

Tired as he was, Kizuato nudged his nose at the petite fingers caressing Kamijou Touma's bloody face. She was blaming herself. Her tears were a mixture of grief, anguish, and guilt.

Feeling the moist nose nudge her hand, Komoe's teary eyes fell on the little pup shouldering the full weight of a high school boy.

"Poochyena-chan, did you save him? Did you protect him and carry him all this way all by yourself?"

Amazement could be heard in the little lady's voice. Kizuato felt a sense of pride at that. Too bad that was dwarfed by the crushing weight of the spiky boy threatening to break every bone in his body.

All of a sudden, he felt the large body lift up. Alarmed, Kizuato tried pushing himself back on his feet and was ready to snap his teeth at whoever dared to touch his human. A warm hand patted his head gently as if to ease his worry.

A Magmar stood over both Kizuato and the little lady with Jigglypuff-colored hair. In the big and strong Pokemon's arm was the spiky boy, carefully lifted in the Flame-type's arms with the utmost care. The volcano-dwelling Pokemon, whose flames could melt metal and whose fists could scorch even the skin of Graveler, looked to the little pup with a sense of respect for his struggle. And again, Oni the Magmar, patted the foggy eye child's head.

And grinned.

'It's okay, little one. You did well and fought well. It's fine now, so let us adults take care of everything else. We'll take things from here.'

A conversation was made between Dark and Fire.

Even though Kizuato wanted to ensure the human he grew attached to was safe, he simply didn't have the strength. It had all been expended in his attack against the mythical aura woman and in carrying him this far across the streets to the hospital he knew the boy frequented often. Plus the clawed hand patting his head was incredibly warm, lulling him to sleep.

His body was picked up and held in the arms of the petite lady who had a strange scent of smoke and the strange amber-colored liquid he had occasionally found in the dumpster.

"Thank you; thank you so much, Poochyena-chan. I don't think I can ever thank you enough for protecting my Kamijou-chan."

Kizuato wagged his tail with what strength he had left.

As his eye fluttered, he felt drawn into the human's warmth and began to doze off. He yawned, earning a giggle crossed with a sniffle from the little lady who began to follow the Magmar away.

Where to? He had no idea.

But he felt he could trust the human and the Fire Pokemon who both radiated a comforting heat at their mere presence.

[-]

Between The Lines-9.

"What now?"

"…"

Though it was a clear night out in the streets of Academy City, the current atmosphere between the remaining members of Toxic Hazard felt as oppressive and crushing as an elementary school child being promised a ride home after school but found themselves being forgotten and having to walk home, all alone, out in the pouring and crushing rain.

Hidoi Airisu, ex-Admin of Toxic Hazard, the only member of the Poison-themed gang of Level-0s who had managed to worm herself out of the defeated remnants of Operation Level Toxin, found herself conflicted.

It went without saying that their organization was utterly crushed.

Many of the grunts belonging to their gang had been apprehended by Anti-Skill and Judgment. Once the barricaded doors and shutters were released, an army of adults, espers, and Pokemon stormed the mall/battle facility. Like a tidal wave produced by a Wailord, their measly numbers had been swallowed in a matter of moments. Even with Pokemon talented in abusing sickly Poison-type moves, Level-0s were still Level-0s.

All the higher members had been taken out as well.

Byoki had mostly likely been captured and detained.

A nasty rumor had been spread of the fate of their Enforcer, Gebi; dead by a bullet to the skull.

And Gomi…

Conflicting emotions swirled in her heart like putrid bile refusing to leave her system.

Toxic Hazard as a whole had been reduced to a measly two members. And while there were a few strays of the flock who had been unable to join their biggest and most vital operation to date at the scene, it was unlikely they would ever surface under their banner ever again.

Essentially, their group had been destroyed in a matter of hours.

So...what now?

"Hmm, hmm, hmm, hmm~!"

Walking beside Hidoi was a gorgeous and mature beauty. A college-aged esper who, despite her intellect, her personality, her looks, her kindness, and her talent, was no more than another Level-0 with little to no power. A woman with an hourglass figure, a large chest that seemed perfect and not overly big when compared to Hidoi's own breasts, and an affectionate and caring aura normally only ever reserved for the likes of Pokemon such as Chansey.

Toxic Hazard's true boss. The weak and crybaby Toxel who all sorts of toxic Pokemon had found themselves gathering around because of her tears and her smile. A figure who had inspired them all to fight for recognition and respect because she had said they were all worthy of it the same as even Level-5s.

Yuri Sumire, the human Chansey who adored everyone and desired nothing more than to nurture others to be better, walked beside Hidoi with a carefree smile on her lovely face.

All while she had blood stained on her hands.

Even if Hidoi hadn't been there to see it, she had learned of Gomi's fate from the girl's own lips.

'I'm sorry, Hidoi-chan. For everything. But it's alright. I think...I think I've finally evolved. I have the resolve and strength now; thanks to him, I have the courage to finally step in and fix everything.'

With a pretty and kind smile on her face, Yuri had spoken those words to Hidoi just after arriving at the final stage of Toxic Hazard's master plan and patched her up.

She hated the uneasiness in the pit of her stomach as Yuri glanced back at her, her smile as pretty as a fairy's.

Something about those once naive and innocent vermillion eyes had turned sour.

"It's time for a change of pace, Hidoi-chan! Aren't you tired of all this sickly violence? Of these expectations, we've failed to achieve? Of these cold walls and judgmental eyes? Of Levels? Of these toxic adults and their rotten fruits?"

Two girls walked through the streets of a city that had failed to give them something they desired or even protect them from malice. Instead of properly nurturing them, they were fed fruits teeming with questionable nutrients and smelled strongly of chemicals. All in the hopes of maybe, possibly, evolving into something new and unseen.

A sniveling crybaby of a Toxel and an abused Ekans had met long ago. And despite being powerless, the weak Toxel had helped to heal the wounds of the shivering Ekans.

In this forest of plastic, fake sunlight, metal, stone, and artificial green, those two Pokemon had become friends and found solace in one another.

It was because of this bond, this cherished and affectionate link, that the evolved Arbok had decided to stand by the side of the Toxel who had better fit the form of a Chansey.

Even now as that crybaby had evolved into a toxic Pokemon, she would stay by her side. No matter what.

"We've all been poisoned. Fed lies and left diseased with unnatural chemicals running through our veins. All because of those failures we call adults. Because of this rotten environment, we've all strayed from our natural evolutionary lines into abnormal forms who can only think about honing our violent claws. Just like poor Gio-kun. Just like him. And I can't stand that."

Something about those sweet red grape eyes had soured despite retraining their sugary childish gleam.

"I want to change that; I want to cure that. I want to ensure that other children won't ever fall down the same path as Gio-kun, and that boy, have fallen into because of the fruit shoved down their throats. I'm not sure how, I don't know where to begin, and I can't say for sure I'll ever hope to attain the gentle dream he inspired me to capture with my own hands. But I'm going to try. Yes, yes, with my own hands, I'm going to strive to create the kind of aromatic garden devoid of chemicals and plastic, a fun forest where we aren't forced to gulp down strange fruits and can let go of the ambitions and desires of those cold-hearted adults. I want a place where we can all frolic and play, and evolve without strife to poison our forms."

"What are you trying to say?"

A musical giggle was heard like the chime of a Chimecho.

Yuri spun around, her soft and nurturing hands clasped behind her waist, and leaned forward to Hidoi in a way that accented her marvelous chest and brought out a seductive and mischievous allure to her as she grinned happily.

All while something rotten and vile seeped from her puffy lips.

"I want to cure all these children of their poison. Abilities, Levels, The Power Development Program, Academy City, The Board of Directors, and the Board Chairman; I want to murder it all."

Not fix.

Not stop.

Not even destroy.

Not to get rid of.

This was less poison infecting that once Fairy woman who had gained a Poison attribute, thanks to the strange fruit she had consumed.

Dark malice had formed in her loving and warm desires.

Something had caused her nature to change and evolve down a dangerous and vicious path she could no longer turn back from.

The way her grin stretched across her face while retaining its sweet essence as the darkness of the city fell behind her like some ominous background, truly sent shivers down Hidoi's spine.

"If it means a lot to you, you'll bear with whatever misfortune and pain it entails achieving what it is you want. If you want to save someone or anyone, you have to make these difficult choices. Even if it means betraying the people you cherish. So, I too will bear with whatever negatives my choices deliver upon me; just like that boy whose kind nature had to gain violence as he evolved underneath those cruel monster's nurturing to become what he is, I'll stain my own hands to create a world where we can all walk freely without the shadows of those toxic adults dragging us down."

Hidoi found her lips drawn into a thin, thin, thin line.

"I've already begun moving things down that to achieving that dream. Thanks to Garrick-kun, and his friends, we won't need to look hard for a place to begin. But I can't do it on my own. So, would it be alright if you joined me too? I'd hate to do this alone."

"...Okay."

Her adoration for the woman, who had soothed her trauma with affection and joy, refused to let go of this bond. Love did not blind her to the irreversible change in her friend. She knew perfectly well that what was being said were not the kind of words her best friend would have ever uttered this very morning without gasping with a deathly pale face at the very notion.

Wrong.

This...this path was wrong. Even if Hidoi herself was cruel, mean, and vicious; the kind of woman who may have even proposed murder against the very people who were responsible for her scars and the mental trauma her other best friend was plagued with to this very day. If it meant dragging the Chansey-like woman onto that path, forcing her to bloody her hands, and betraying her own morals and kindness, she would never do it.

Yuri had left behind Toxic Hazard in order to evolve into the kind of adult who could steer others away from the dangerous and violent path her friends had found themselves drawn into. She wanted to become a teacher after meeting one who had given her hope that such caring and responsible adults did, indeed, exist. Forgiveness, patience, understanding, empathy, fun, and strength; these were the kind of things she wanted to imprint onto her students who may have never grown to fully evolve and gain supernatural abilities.

Behind the hopeful woman who wished to become a teacher were red stains trailing in the wake of her path forward into the darkness of Academy City.

Surely...even she understood that no teacher, not the kind she had imagined and desired to become, would ever leave behind such stains.

A chitter was heard. The sound of feelers clicking together from atop Hidoi's head.

She wasn't alone. In all that mess and chaos, it seemed the dominatrix woman had found a stray clinging to her. When she turned her green orbs up, she found beady black eyes meeting her with a tilt of his head.

Spinarak; a 'tool' of Byoki, had turned his back on his Trainer and followed a certain idiot boy in his one-man crusade against Toxic Hazard.

Why had the spiteful little bug stuck to her? Why hadn't he chased after the spiky boy instead? Hadn't the Pokemon grown affectionate with the Level-0 and even fought beside him? If Spinarak had truly abandoned Byoki, and vice-versa then he was basically a free agent who could do whatever he wanted now.

Like becoming that boy's Pokemon.

'You could leave, you know? You don't have to follow me down this ugly road. Be with the guy you clearly like and want to befriend, you dumb-ass.'

Silently, a conversation was made between a terrifying Arbok and measly Spinarak who had willingly wandered into her den.

Spinarak chirped an odd series of clicks with his feelers. All the while those beady black eyes of his stayed determined and strong in the face of the viper.

Together, Spinarak and that boy had saved the girl known as Hidoi from her own comrades. They had protected her even though she had treated them rudely and found them annoying. Though that spiky boy Spinarak had grown fond of and even desired to follow whether he went, the little bug found himself sticking himself to the rude girl who his previous Trainer referred to as a bitch.

Just because his new friend wasn't around, didn't mean Spinarak would stop protecting her either. Nothing needed to be said. Spinarak just knew that this was the right move to take.

Because he wanted to make sure both of them, Hidoi and he, could someday find themselves back in Kamijou Touma's life.

'I'll go with you! No matter what, I'll stick by your side!'

Pokemon and humans had no need to use language to break the barrier of communication.

Feelings, desires, and emotions like theirs could easily cross another with just silence.

Hidoi found the tiniest of smiles growing on her face as she followed her best friend down a murky road into the darkness of the city.

Seemed, whether she liked it or not, she had found an annoying boy joining her. Well, at the very least, she had a spare Pokeball on her.

Like the annoying Spinarak, Hidoi would also follow Yuri wherever she went. Even if she didn't agree with where that road led or the stains they found on their person.

---

Battle after battle, after battle, after battle, has exhausted you.

Just like then, you could not close the distance or grasp victory. Because this is your curse.

A joyful Totodile once followed you every step of the way down your rotten path; no longer does that beloved child chase you with glee.

A fluffy high-class girl once prodded you for a piggyback ride and to read manga together; she swims in cold and black waters with a sinister smile.

A blurry-faced honey girl with a whistle...had such a person once existed?

A caring and nurturing older woman once warmed his heart with her ambition far too bright to be anything than a star bite; that star had collapsed and taken a life and now wandered into a dark abyss.

And a fairy-like nun from Galar had fallen on his balcony amid all the misery and boring days and befriended him...

Would this be no different? When you awake, will you be able to bear with the same tired and boring ending you've always accepted?

One last time; BATTLE.

Man, oh man! I can't wait to get to the last chapter of this all!

If I had to say what is the hardest part of writing a crossover with Pokemon and ToAru is; it would have to be having to meld canon and non-canon without it appearing as if I was just slicing bits off of the original story onto my own.

Writing the non-canon is easier. Because I don't have to worry about trampling on what's already there; I'm just filling in new spots that were already open from the start. If I remember correctly, the time between Touma and Index taking refuge in Komoe's apartment went on for three days, ending when Kanzaki appeared. If I had wanted to, I would have just skipped straight to the end; just like that. But that would have been boring. I saw it as a copy-and-paste of the original events but in the Pokemon world.

So, I thought: how could I make it different?

Toxic Hazard was born as the change. In ToAru's Pokemon world, these characters were born because of the unique nature and environment of the current setting. They would not have existed if this was the original world.

When writing the Index Arc, I wanted bits of Toxic Hazard's Arc to kinda bleed in. Not overwhelm or push itself in, but seep in with a sharp flavor. Which is incredibly hard to as I've come to realize. I'm still not sure I did it well, but it's better than most stories I've read that try to do the same. If there's one thing I hate in fanfiction, it's having to read the same old story with only bits of new material copy-and-pasted. And I'd really like to think I did my best to stray away from that here with this chapter.

We finally got to see our favorite frog-faced doctor in the story! When it came to trying to pin down a Pokemon for him, I obviously thought of every healing-type Pokemon. I decided on Happiny because it fit with his want to heal patients and bring a smile to their faces; a little nurse for the doctor who wants to grow up and become a great healer.

That's the thing when it comes to the characters here that I find myself struggling with every now and again; picking Pokemon that suit them and their personality.

And I don't mean type-wise or ability ways in all cases. I never want to just give a certain character a Charizard just because it sounds cool. That's just lame. I want them to fit together perfectly or because it has meaning. Here's an example.

When you look at Touma, you automatically think of a Normal-type. Why? Because he's just your normal high school boy? You give him a Fighting-type because he's a brawler? You give him a dumb Pokemon because he's dumb?

The main thing one thinks of when you picture Touma is Misfortune. In his younger days, he was feared for spreading and causing bad luck. He was abused and harassed because of it. He was seen no different than an Absol, acting as a harbinger of disaster. All this made me think of Dark-types, and not just any Dark-types. Murkrows are seen the same. Putting those two together just clicked thematically, you know?

One of my favorite things to add to this arc would have to be Yumiya. Admittedly, she was added on rather spontaneously but she wound up fitting in nicely in my opinion. I'd love nothing more than to keep her with Touma and Index for longer, but SCHOOL is back in session. Don't worry though, like hell we've seen the very last of her!

Throughout this chapter, I wanted Touma to come off as tired. Exhausted. Completely drained and easily irritable. Since meeting Index, he's found himself traveling this memory lane of all his failures, coming to a peak at the end of Toxic Hazard's demise and even erupting in his fight with Kanzaki. I wanted him to feel his losses more and show that he isn't unbreakable right now; he's still got a lot of baggage weighing him down.

I feel as if he was beginning to stray down a problematic road here.

And then we have Kizuato, the Poochyena making his introduction after a long wait! Compared to Zenchou the Murkrow, he's not a tsundere; he likes the spiky boy and just has a strange way of showing it. Like a dog, he just wants to play. But being a Dark-type, his playful antics can come off as mean and destructive though they lack malice.

From the start of the Toxic Hazard arc, I wanted to bring him back into the story. But he didn't fit in well enough. I felt his introduction would have been unnatural. So, I saved him for this specific chapter.

The very last leg of this chapter which deals with Kanzaki's attack was hard to write since I felt it still stuck too close to the original. I'm still unhappy with it but there was enough of a difference with it to come off as acceptable. Except for her outfit; yes, yes I did have to change it to the rather sexy clothing of a Pokemon Ace Go Trainer. How dare you all judge me.

Will I stick to her new wardrobe; I don't know. I have to think about it and get a gauge from you all.

Ah, there was an interesting box Touma was handed, huh? Wonder what that is?

The Between The Line we end with will be the last of Toxic Hazard, sadly. Their story is done; for now. But the remnants of their group won't be gone and will certainly be seen as the story progresses.

I really have grown attached to Yuri, Hidoi, and Spinarak. So, I can't wait to get back to their story soon. what about you? What did you think of them? And what do you think is their next step after this?

As I said earlier; Two. Two more chapters and we're closing this arc for good! From there, it's going to be original arcs to come. We have some SoL stuff to come before we begin the next arc.

That's about it. Been meaning to upload this sooner; like, on Sunday night, but got caught up in other matters. Works a grind but that's never anything new.

I'll do my best to update, so, please, be patient. Good things come to those who wait.

Remember to Read and Review! It's common courtesy.

NeoShadows fading in and out.