At Inferna's remark, Kuro snapped his claws dramatically, and the grassy clearing shimmered, just like the chamber at the Ruins had done. Ember growled quietly, her eyes scanning the surrounding area, silently taking measure of the alterations. Lush grass beneath their feet was replaced with white sand, realistic enough for the Charmander to feel individual grains of the stuff beneath her feet. The trees surrounding them seemed to fade away before her eyes, and others transformed into decorative pillars, forming the structure of a small battle arena.

Like at the Ruins, a silvery guardrail materialized around the perimeter of the illusionary stage, barring the onlookers from direct interference. Ember heard Avis make a coo of admiration, her red eyes widening with interest, which only caused the Charmander's scowl to deepen.

Inferna snorted contemptuously, her icy blue eyes observing the changes to the area with far less enthusiasm than Avis. "How unnecessary," the Charmeleon sneered, giving Kuro an annoyed glare. "This territory was perfectly suited to battle without your..." she paused, considering the right word to use.

"Embellishments," Kuro supplied, earning another glare from the Charmeleon, which he politely ignored. Ember looked over her shoulder uncertainly, making mental notes of how much space was between her and the guardrail, but also taking the opportunity to check on Adrian. He was still struggling a little against the odd chains, but the links had dissolved into a peculiar silver-grey energy that swirled around his arms, allowing him more mobility, but still restricting him from reaching for any of his Pokeball or other possessions.

Avis was circling Adrian, presumably on his request, while examining the energy chains. As the trainer looked up, he met Ember's eyes, and the Charmander saw an expression of tremendous concern on his face. It wasn't concern for himself, or even his situation, but concern for her. She couldn't blame him for that anxiety; her own body was shaking from a mixture of apprehension and fear, and it was rare for Adrian himself to be unable to assist his Pokemon when they got into a troublesome situation.

However, as they held eye contact, even without words, Ember could understand the message he was giving her. She was not to worry about him, but to focus on her own fight. His expression was still grim, but it was exactly the reassurance that she needed. If Adrian was not in any danger, then she could devote her attention to her battle with her mind at ease. The energy chains seemed to have no other purpose than to prevent Adrian from withdrawing her or sending out Aureia to support her. Just as Inferna said, there would be no interference from him this time.

With a soft growl, Ember faced forward, and saw that Inferna was watching her closely, her body held at a relaxed variant of a battle stance, so relaxed that if it hadn't been a parallel to Ember's own stance, she might not have known that Inferna was on guard at all. When that thought crossed her mind, it likewise occurred to her that this was deliberate, to give the opponent the impression that they could get a first strike advantage, only to have it turned back on them with dire consequences.

The two Char-lizards made eye contact, silently confirming the other's resolve to battle. Even in Kuro's imaginary environment, the flames in their hearts burned as powerfully as their tails. Inferna's mouth twitched into a smirk, goading Ember into action.

Ember darted towards the Charmeleon, purple flames erupting from her right claws as she swiped at her mother's stomach. Her eyes widened in surprise as strong claws seized her wrist, ending her assault before it could make contact. Operating entirely on her instinct, Ember jabbed her left paw forward, but Inferna's free arm slapped it down, then pitched her head forward, striking Ember's muzzle with enough force for her to literally see stars on contact.

Avis cried out in alarm, and Ember groaned, dimly aware that she was lying on the ground, bright spots still exploding in front of her eyes, but Inferna had evidently released her grip on the Charmander's arm, allowing her to push herself up again. Her legs swayed briefly, but she recovered quickly, reassured that she was still in the fight. Inferna was smirking widely, her tail flame burning with even greater intensity in her excitement.

Ember feinted another charge, only to yelp in surprise as a fireball exploded against her muzzle, the fireproof scales negating the worst of the flames, but the impact and heat still forcing her eyes closed. Realizing what was about to happen, the Charmander flailed, lashing her claws out in front of her in a desperate attempt to deter the Charmeleon. Just as her eyes were able to fly open again, sharp claws raked across her shoulder, but as she pivoted to retaliate, Inferna shoved her forcefully with both paws, sending the Charmander sprawling across the sand.

"I hope that's not the only entertainment you can provide," Inferna sneered, stepping back and allowing Ember to climb back to her feet. The Charmander's bright blue eyes were narrowed at the evolved fire lizard, tiny wisps of smoke leaking from the corner of her mouth. Her heart was pounding in her chest, and her claws flexed aggressively, but Inferna remained nonchalantly amused.

Ember took a small pace closer, keeping her claws at the ready and watching Inferna's movements with a critical eye. So far, she had discovered that she couldn't fight the Charmeleon head-on. Inferna was every bit as fast as she was, if not faster, and her reach was longer. The Charmander's best bet was to take advantage of the difference in their size.

Taking a breath to steel herself, Ember darted towards Inferna, purple flames engulfing her left claws this time, and she raked them towards the Charmeleon's right side. Inferna met the advance with her own glowing claws, but hers assumed the blue fire of Dragon Claw.

Sparks of flame popped and hissed as their burning claws clashed, some purple, some blue, and Inferna's mouth curled into a wicked grin as she pushed against Ember's claws, the crackling of the elemental flames growing louder. Ember gritted her teeth, her forehead furrowing as Inferna slowly began to push back against her, forcing her arm back, away from the Charmeleon and closer to Ember's body. No matter how much effort Ember put into slowing the steady movement towards herself, it was an uphill and inevitably struggle.

Seeing no other option available, Ember crouched down, tucking her body into a smaller, denser shape. With the sudden removal of resistance, Inferna's momentum caused her to stumble forward, her foot catching on Ember's body and tumbling over with a grunt.

This maneuver cost Ember more than the satisfaction was worth, for she had neglected to notice the vicious claws protruding from the Charmeleon's foot. Although Inferna did fall over with minimal dignity, her foot claws struck Ember when she tripped, drawing a crimson cut across Ember's scales on the way down.

Despite the injury, Ember seized the chance to strike while Inferna was down, but she only had time to rake her claws once across Inferna's thigh before receiving a vicious kick to her left leg, and the positions were reversed in what felt like an instant. Inferna was back on her feet, breathing heavily with barely restrained excitement, and Ember was on the ground, vainly attempting to recover her footing before the Charmeleon could strike.

The strike never came. Once again, Inferna waited for Ember to rise, but the moment the Charmander's two feet were grounded, Inferna closed the gap between them and shoved her backwards. Ember snarled as she hit the ground for what felt like the tenth time since the battle had started. The sand cushioned the fall, but nothing could prevent the repeated indignity of falling on her back, and the burning humiliation of her opponent just waiting for her to get back up.

"You're entertaining, but for the wrong reasons," Inferna mocked, her icy blue eyes glittering. Ember snarled again, rolling over and climbing back to her feet, her claws readied in case Inferna attempted the same trick again, but either Inferna wasn't trying the same thing twice in a row, or she was pausing her attack to continue mocking Ember.

Ember growled and lunged, and Inferna darted towards her, facing the charge head-on. Searing pain flashed across Ember's face as the Charmeleon raked her twice with her claws, acquiring some scratches of her own in the process, but the strikes to her face obliterated any focus Ember might have had to employ Shadow or Dragon variants to her claws, and Inferna's scales were more than capable of resisting such feeble scratches.

Ember clutched her face, tears running down her cheeks and agitating the cuts. She could definitely tell that such marks would not be permanent, but the pain was another matter entirely. The stinging of her injuries sent a surge of hatred through her body, and it was with defiant bravado that she raised her eyes to glare at Inferna with all the contempt she could muster. The strength of her tail flame almost doubled, and every breath she took was accompanied by a furious growl.

Inferna snorted, unimpressed by Ember's attempt at intimidation. "Too naive!" she sneered. "Is this your first time fighting another claw combatant? You can't fight me head-on in your unevolved state!"

"Watch me," Ember spat, but even she knew her bravado was hinging on desperate. Her eye twitched as she forced her paws away from her facial scratches and she flexed her claws aggressively. Inferna snorted again, but there was no real amusement in her tone now.

"Will you charge me again and be reminded of my superior reach?" Inferna asked coldly. "Or perhaps you'll use your smaller size to get under my guard, only to discover your firepower is lacking, and my retaliation swifter than your retreat. To get so close to me without a compensating tactic is a death wish in battle. I thought you learned this when we last fought. Whatever pitiful training you've undergone in the last two years wasn't even enough to evolve."

"I don't want to evolve," Ember growled.

"What."

It wasn't a question. Inferna's response was flat, as if her disbelief was so great that she couldn't even put emotion into the word. Ember continued to glare at Inferna in silence, privately relieved for the chance to catch her breath. Inferna's incapacitation did not last for long, however.

"I can only wonder what untold skill you must have to justify a lifelong handicap," Inferna sneered, but there was something else within her eyes as she gazed at Ember, a softer emotion mingling with the coldness of her gaze.

Any reply Ember might have had was interrupted by the swiftness at which Inferna resumed the battle. She moved in a blur of motion, slashing her claws viciously at the Charmander. Acting on reflex alone, Ember batted one of Inferna's arms aside, and stabbed her free paw into the Charmeleon's gut. Inferna hissed in pain, but as promised, her retaliation was swift and merciless. One paw tightened into a fist and struck Ember in the side of the head, dazing her and knocking her off-balance. Without giving her the slightest chance to recover, Inferna dug her claws into Ember's shoulder, drawing blood as her claws easily broke through the already damaged scales.

Inferna spun on her heel, her strong tail whipping around and striking Ember in the midriff, bowling her over and forcing the wind from the Charmander's lungs. Ember wheezed, glaring up at the Charmeleon, one of her paws clutching her stomach, the other grasping her injured shoulder, doing her best to stem the bleeding.

"How dare you squander your potential, you meaningless little maggot," Inferna hissed. Her gaze was colder than anything Ember had even seen before, and the resulting chill more intense, as if ice had somehow entered her blood from the open wound and was traveling through her veins, freezing every inch of her body from the inside.

The Charmeleon's scarred eye twitched as she glared down at Ember, the intensity of the stare rivaling that of a basilisk. It seemed to freeze the Charmander in place, keeping her trapped and unable to do or say anything in her defense.

"Get up," Inferna ordered. Ember didn't move, part of her intent on defying any command issued by the Charmeleon, no matter what it cost. When Ember refused to comply after several seconds, Inferna spun, her tail swinging around and striking the Charmander across the muzzle. Ember cringed from the blow, tasting a bit of blood in her mouth, her vision blurry from tears of rage and pain.

"Ember!" Avis yelled, and the Charmander closed her eyes in shame, the scratches on her face burning as her tears rolled down her cheeks. She had forgotten about the fact that Avis and Adrian were watching this fight. Neither had seen her performance two years ago, and it was by sheer luck that Adrian had come across the conflict in time to rescue her from the ordeal back then.

Ember's body shook and she buried her head in her arms. The pain was just too much. The tempest of agonizing emotions gnawing at her soul. Fear, hatred, sorrow, and even anger, all coming together and overwhelming her mind.

"Ember, come on, don't give up like this," Adrian's voice urged her, breaking through the storm of her emotions, only to be ripped away by the metaphorical wind, losing all impact on the way. There wasn't anything she could do to fight back. Two years of training, of telling herself that she'd be able to surpass her mother someday...it all amounted to little more than the same. More pain. More shame. More bitter truth that she was nothing. An unwanted parasite leeching onto some semblence of love or hope.

Through the haze of her tear-stained eyes, Ember could see the sand fading away, becoming replaced by grass once more, but she didn't dare lift her head. She didn't want anyone to see her tears falling, or hear the way her breath was catching in her throat with a humiliating, sobbing wheeze. She was expecting another blow from Inferna's tail at any moment, or the agonizing sting of claws stabbing through her scales again. Something painful at any rate, to officially declare the fight as Inferna's victory.

"Ember! Are you okay? Answer me!" Adrian urged, his voice becoming more desperate, practically pleading for the Charmander to respond, but the will to fight had been completely drained from her body, and she didn't even lift her head to acknowledge the shout.

She could feel another presence approaching her from above, and she waited with bated breath, expecting the worst. Something touched her, and she flinched, but soon realized that the touch was feather soft, and gentle.

Everything else had gone silent, and this allowed another sound to fill Ember's mind. A soft melody, so quiet it sounded like a tune being whispered by the wind, and swirling around her mind and heart, easing her pain, gradually lifting the burden from her chest. The soft touch enveloped her, lifting her from her prone position and draping around her body, embracing her. It was the softest thing Ember had ever felt, softer than any pillow, any mattress, and warmer than any blanket. It was like being wrapped in a protective cloud, and being rocked into the lulls of the greatest sleep imaginable. The melody continued to play, growing in volume, as if it were being hummed directly beside her. It was familiar, it was beautiful...and it was safe.

Ember shivered, and buried her tear-streaked face into Sorin's chest, wrapping her arms around him tightly. The Altaria continued to hum, his wings rocking her gently, his voice soothing the soreness and pain clinging to her body.

Sorin was the only one she'd ever let see her cry, and the sheer beauty of his humming voice, and the overwhelming relief at having him here, in one of her darker moments, was all that was needed for her to break down completely. It didn't matter how he was here, or why he was here. All that matter was that he was here, and that she needed him. In her mind's eye, the Altaria fixed her with a small smile, unbothered by the tears soaking his cloud-like wings. They both knew the emotional storm would pass before long.

"Feeling better?" Sorin asked her quietly, as the last of her tears subsided. Ember sniffled a little bit, but nodded, still holding onto him tightly. There was a short silence, and then Sorin coughed awkwardly. "Um...you do realize that I technically interrupted your battle, right?"

Ember mumbled an affirmative. Sorin fidgeted awkwardly.

"So you...also realize it's still ongoing?"

Again, an affirmative. Sorin coughed again.

"Inferna's kind of glaring at me now."

Ember mumbled something that was definitely not an affirmative, and Sorin laughed, but then fidgeted nervously.

"I'm SO not going to repeat that."

Ember very reluctantly released Sorin, and managed to give the Altaria a weak smile of gratitude. He smiled at her fondly, then turned towards the Charmeleon, who was reclining against a nearby tree with a sour expression. From the corner of her eye, Ember could see two unfamiliar quadruped Pokemon standing nearby, but keeping their distance. One of them had tan fur with active flames burning from her head and backside, and the other had orange, fluffy fur.

"Ember, on the verge of a crushing defeat, is granted her second wind by the timely arrival of another important figure in her life," Kuro narrated, gesturing dramatically. "Inspired by his song and loving embrace, her resolve is rekindled, and burns as strongly as-"

The Zoroark ducked hastily as Inferna spat a burst of flame at him, silencing the narration. Inferna made a threatening gesture with her claws, and Kuro nodded, smiling apologetically. The Charmeleon snorted and turned her focus back to Sorin and Ember.

"I'm finished with you," she spat to Ember, punctuating the venomous statement by stabbing the air with her claws. "Second wind or not, you have no chance against me in your current state. Even if you used Dragon Dance, your resolve is too weak to be of any challenge."

Inferna snapped her claws, gesturing to Kuro. The Zoroark looked confused, and then incredulous, his words heavy with protesting disappointment.

"But...the audience! The build-up, the thrill of-"

"Would you rather be my opponent, Kuro?" Inferna snarled, brandishing her claws threateningly. "Because that can be arranged, and you'll be much more satisfying to crush into the dirt. Anything to make you shut up..."

"Ahh...I think I'll pass on that," Kuro sighed.

"Good choice," Inferna sneered. She turned on her heel, but then paused, glancing partially over her shoulder at Sorin and Ember, a small smirk forming across her muzzle. "Not exactly an unfamiliar arrangement, so I'm sure I don't need to remind you not to pursue me, Sorin, and the consequences in store if you try."

"Blah blah blah, Dragon Claw, blah," Sorin deadpanned. He draped his wings around Ember again, startling the Charmander, but she relaxed, making no effort to get free of the embrace. In the back of her mind, she was aware that this was probably deliberate, to deter her from trying to continue the fight herself. Inferna snickered, and began to walk away, only to pause once more.

"Oh, and Ember?" she said, looking over her shoulder once more. Ember tensed, but didn't answer. The two Char-lizards made eye contact for a split second. "Your value isn't set by others," Inferna stated curtly, facing forward, but speaking clearly. "Hating yourself only ensures you'll never have any. Remedy that before you ever consider fighting me again."

With that enigmatic note, the Charmeleon continued walking, rounding a bend and disappearing from view, until even the glimmer of her tail flame had vanished. Kuro snapped his claws and vanished in a much more dramatic display involving wisps of black energy and his body fading away little by little like a ghost's.

"Ugh, finally!" Adrian gasped in relief, massaging his wrists with a pained expression, the chains of energy binding him having finally disappeared with the Zoroark's departure. "I didn't even know Embargo worked on humans," he muttered.

"Wow, I just realized something!" squealed a bubbly, female voice. Ember shifted a bit and gave the speaker an inquisitive look. The two quadruped Pokemon she had noticed earlier had come nearer, although the fluffier one kept further back, but even with the distance, Ember was now able to identify it clearly as a Flareon, the Fire-type member of the Eevee evolutionary line. The one talking was the one with active flame vents, a Quilava.

"Yeah? Cecilia?" Sorin responded. Ember noticed the short pause between Sorin's first response and the addition of the Quilava's name, making it seem like it was only mentioned for Ember's benefit.

"Is she yours?" Cecilia asked, her eyes widening with amazement as she nodded her head towards the Charmander still draped in the Altaria's wings. Sorin groaned audibly. "Sorry, it just suddenly clicked," Cecilia explained sheepishly. "I was wondering why you were being so cuddly."

"...is everyone learning this today?" Ember wondered. "Avis just found out earlier," she explained, when Sorin looked perplexed.

"I found out yesterday," the Flareon supplied, raising her paw. Ember just blinked in confusion.

"...what?" she asked, bewildered. She took a few seconds of silently wondering whether she had somehow met this Pokemon previously. There was the vaguest hint of familiarity about her, but Ember ultimately dismissed the notion. The only female member of the Eevee line she knew was Aureia, who was definitely NOT a Flareon.

"This is going to be a long, weird day," Sorin sighed.