Chapter Eleven: Rivals
The turn of the year brought the near-end of their winter break and served as a reminder that Aaron still had a class or two to sign up for, fortunately none of which were calculus-related. Thoughts of that sort had taken the backseat to everything that had happened over the last few days, ranging from boisterous meals to enjoying the New Year's fireworks with his team.
But eventually, classes resumed, and thus his schedule returned to school and work. At least his courses weren't much harder than the previous semester, leaving him with a similar agenda. With the exception of one thing, that is.
"You think they'll let me tag along?" Nora asked.
"I mean… it shouldn't be a problem. In classes, you'll have to be in the ball, but other than that…"
"Great," she cheerfully replied.
"What's the sudden interest in coming to school with me?" Aaron asked. "None of the others have ever really wanted to join me during the day." While tagging along with their trainer did introduce the possibility of midday battles, that was something they could seek out on their own time at the park without being confined to a ball for several classes – not including his shifts at Megamart afterwards. But Nora simply shrugged with a wide smile when he brought that point up.
"Well I won't be able to come with you the days you work. Need to make dinner, after all. But I'd like to tag along some on Fridays at least. Since that's the day you're most free, it would give us some time to wander about."
"That and meet with Nathan," Aaron replied. "Remember, our meetups are on Fridays."
"Of course."
"In that case, I see no harm in it. There are tons of things to do there. I mean, the gym is the only facility I make use of, but there are pools, a movie theater, a bowling alley… come to think of it, all that crap is probably why our tuition is so high…"
"Then I look forward to making use of them with you," Nora said. She pressed herself against him, initiating one of the small hugs that had become very common the past week. Aaron released a content sigh. Things had turned out far better than he could've hoped with Nora. All the pain from her previous trainer seemed to be lost along with her meekness. The real Nora was still modest, but he had learned she also had her playful and even downright mischievous side at times. Years of indifference had made the typhlosion bottle up such emotions, but now she felt comfortable enough around her new family to display them. He wouldn't forget the incident a few days ago where she slipped the smallest bit of chili pepper powder into Krista's rice, causing the audino to swear as she retreated to the bathroom.
He still often wondered about Pierce. The frequent calls told him that he was doing well, that training was intense, but the krookodile was in his best environment. But despite that, Aaron frequently had that small mental note. That feeling that he was responsible, and that deep down, he had failed the ground-type as a trainer. But maybe things did work out for a reason. After all, it's what led Nora to him.
Nathan waited at the table for his guest as Adira casually sipped at her warm tea. The spices and ginger tickled his nose, and had it not been for the fact that he had become used to the scent, he would have found it unwelcome. He certainly had once they had first come to know each other. Now he drank it occasionally, too.
Aaron was carrying his tray towards the table, laughing as he spoke with Nora. 'This is unexpected.'
"Yeah," Nathan replied to his wife. "I see the shy and reclusive typhlosion didn't last long…"
'It's wonderful,' was Adira's reply. Once the two joined them, Nathan nodded, curious as to why they were late. While he usually wasn't too finnicky about specific timing, this was nearly fifteen minutes after they usually met.
"Sorry," Aaron said, clearly knowing what he was thinking, "we got a bit caught up…"
"Uh-huh."
"…We went and saw a movie. Well, we were trying to see a movie, but this dude kept answering his phone." Nathan rolled his eyes.
"That's incredibly rude." Aaron and Nora looked at each other and began laughing. Nathan glanced at his wife, then back to them. "What have you done?"
"Well at first, we kinda counted it as lost. I didn't exactly want to get in a fight today, even though I could've taken the guy. So I came up with an idea for a little game…"
"Oh no…"
"I wanted to see how many pieces of popcorn we could slip into his hoodie without him noticing," Aaron replied, shaking his head. Nora had nearly buried her face from laughter, and Nathan was wondering how they'd managed to not drop their trays on the way here. "I kept going and he was just talking away!"
"This couple beside us was about to cry," Nora said giddily. "The girl took a picture and managed to send it to us." Aaron pulled out his phone and slid it towards Nathan after finding the single text message.
"Arceus…" Nathan replied, seeing what looked to be a third of their popcorn bucket piled high in the guy's hoodie as he casually held his phone to his ear. "And how did that end up."
"With us having to run outta there when he turned his head and slung popcorn all down his back." Once the two of them had managed to control their laughter, Aaron continued. "He was ready to fight, but we ran into the janitor's closet before he could see us. Heard him yelling through the building, and when we eventually stepped out, there were still pieces of popcorn down the hallway."
"You're going to get hurt one day," Nathan said with a laugh. "But not today, it seems."
"Besides, I'd protect him," Nora said. "Well… not with fire, but you know…" Adira rolled her eyes but was smiling nonetheless.
"I'll be honest, I thought things would take a little bit longer."
"What?" Aaron inquired.
"You know, for the two of you to warm up to each other. She's only lived with you for what, two months?"
"Two and a half," Nora stated. "And they've been the best I can remember."
"I'm glad that's the case." Adira signed an agreement, and before long, everyone shifted their focus towards their meals. Aaron set about his quickly, much to the typhlosion's humor, and then his eyes widened.
"Oh yeah! Since this is your first time here, you haven't tried their mac-n-cheese. It's what this dining hall is known for." He quickly jabbed some with his fork and extended it to her without thinking, to which she only barely paused before taking it into her hands and trying it.
"Hmm… not bad at all," Nora said, before playfully adding, "but I think I could do better."
"I'm sure you could." She returned the utensil. Nathan's mind wandered while he ate, and upon casting a glance towards his wife, he noticed that she was on the same page. It definitely was an interesting turn of events, but considering all that had happened, it wasn't the most surprising.
Once he was done, seeing that Aaron had finished his minutes prior, Nathan decided to resume conversation. "You mentioned a while back that you were looking at getting a new laptop."
"Yeah. Mine's been running a bit slow the past year. Had it since the beginning of high school. That and the fact that Marcus accidentally jammed the space bar, so it can be a pain to type with sometimes. Figured it's about time."
"Does it still work fine?"
"Yeah," Aaron replied. "Why do you ask?"
"I'd recommend holding onto it, at least for another year." He took a drink, momentarily dodging his younger friend's questioning gaze, before continuing. "Guess you haven't been keeping up with the news." Aaron shrugged.
"You know I don't, man. But what's going on?"
"Santagua, that's what. They closed down most of their industry, including lithium exports, until further notice. Probably as a bargaining chip to work out better financial deals. And they aren't the only country that's done something like this in the past months, either."
"Alright," Aaron said. "And that means what exactly?"
"Most electronics use lithium-ion batteries. You can expect prices to go up massively." He sometimes said things, forgetting that his friend wasn't exactly as knowledgeable on such topics.
"Well shit."
"They've got about a quarter of the world's lithium mines. While the Australian regions have more, Santagua has historically been subject to more exploitation, meaning cheaper lithium. And tech companies have already cried out for their governments to do something. The way they're going about it, you'd think they're ready to send their own private armies and secure the mines by force." He folded one of his hands against his chin, then shook his head. "Best to wait for prices to drop again. No need to pay an extra three hundred dollars than you need to. I'd offer to get you one for your birthday and Christmas gift, but I've got something a little more permanent in mind." He could tell by the look that Aaron gave him that he was curious.
"Alright, well… I appreciate the heads up."
"Say, when is your birthday?" Nora asked.
"January twenty-fourth."
"Yikes, that's only two weeks from now," she said.
"No more paying Darian to buy beers for me. That and I can throw away the fake ID." He looked over, only to meet Nora's accusatory stare. "What? You can't play by all the rules." She shook her head in disbelief. Then a small smile appeared on her face.
"Just thought it was interesting you'd say something like that in front of campus security." Aaron stiffened up, then glanced over his shoulder, trying to play it cool. He released a defeated moan upon seeing nothing of the sort. "And besides… if you're old enough to serve in the military, you should be old enough to drink."
"Agreed," Nathan replied. "Though both ages should be raised to twenty-five as far as I'm concerned."
"What now?" Aaron asked.
"It's a known fact that the brain is still undergoing significant development during your early twenties. Maybe some people never grow up, but at least it doesn't hurt to have all the hardware in place, you know?"
"Screw that." Nathan shrugged, though he should have expected Aaron to respond in such a way. In a way, he'd proven the older trainer's point.
"And yet you can't deny that you yourself have undergone significant development in the past years. You aren't the same person that you used to be." Nora looked at Nathan questioningly, though he felt like it wasn't his place to go into specific details.
"Yeah, well… I guess I reached the point where I had no choice but to be better," Aaron replied.
"And has this lifestyle not had a more positive impact on you than the previous one? Maybe less 'fun' as some might say, but far better for you." Aaron didn't respond. Nathan sighed, then continued. "I know I said you don't reach adulthood when some magic number is hit. I'm just stating that it's strange how there are different age requirements when it comes to potentially life-altering choices. Somewhere between sixteen and eighteen for sex, seventeen and eighteen to join the military, eighteen to vote, but twenty-one for alcohol, cigarettes and guns. Well, most of those aren't legal in Unova anymore, but the point still stands. Pretty dumb if you ask me, and not just because of the age gap, but because people really tend not to be mature enough to do any of those things at those ages. Not when the consequences of all of them can be so severe."
"I see…" Aaron looked like he was uncomfortable with the conversation.
"Let's say you'd had a car back during the party days," Nathan continued. "Given your level of responsibility at the time, would you have driven back? And tell the truth on that one." Aaron paused with his mouth open but the response didn't come. Nora looked at him, hoping for an answer, and eventually it became clear that Nathan wasn't about to let the topic go without a reply.
"…I had some designated drivers."
"Because you didn't have a car, and it probably wasn't hard to convince someone less popular to wait for several hours for you," Nathan replied. His wife nudged him under the table, then signed a response of her own.
'I think he gets the idea. No need to make him feel bad.´ That wasn't the point though; it was to make him think.
"I'm not even saying you should quit drinking," Nathan said. "Just that I think it shouldn't be legal until a little later in life. But that's not the current law, of course. You're a lot more responsible with it now – ignoring the whole underaged side of things – than you used to be, but laws aren't made with the best citizens in mind. They're made to keep the worst in control. And a lot of people get hurt or killed from drunken stupidity, especially those who are young." Adira grabbed his hand, softly squeezing it, and Nathan got the message.
While they were on the bus, Aaron remained quiet for the most part. A few streets were left before their stop, but he hardly noticed where they were. Nora pressed against his side, clearly concerned, but he wanted to play it off.
"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked. "You've been acting off ever since dinner."
"Is it that obvious?"
"Yeah." The typhlosion rolled her eyes. "Did Nathan upset you?"
"A little," Aaron replied. That much was true. "And… I don't think he was meaning to. Nathan's one of the best people I know."
"Okay. So then what gives?"
"He was right." Aaron sighed.
"But you aren't like that anymore, right?" she asked. He shook his head. "Well, there you go. That's all there is to it."
"What do you mean?"
"You can't change the past. All you can do is be better now. And I happen to think you've done an amazing job at that." Aaron laughed; up until now, he had been the one comforting her, trying to get the typhlosion acclimated to her new home. Funny how the tables had turned. Her wide, beaming smile became contagious to him.
"That is, of course, when I'm not stacking popcorn in people's hoodies, right?"
"No, that just makes you better," she giggled. "That guy had it coming."
"Heh. He really did." Aaron put his arm around her, pulling Nora into a sideways hug. "Thanks, Nora."
Alexander rose from his kneeling position, and no sooner had he done so, a slim tail wrapped around his neck. A few rumbling laughs came from the powerful creatures before him. "Hello, Genesis." The mew had taken a liking to him ever since she had been rescued by Omega. Though right now, her timing was not ideal. "As much as I would like to play, the legends and I have something to discuss." Her juvenile demeanor was a welcome escape from the grim nature of the situation at hand, but now was not the time.
'Okay,' her voice said within his head. He paused for a moment, not wanting to offend the feline, but also feeling that she would be a bit out of place in such a conversation. Lunala picked up on the situation and came to his assistance.
"Come with me, little one. They should not take long."
'Thanks, Lunala.'
'Think nothing of it,' she said. 'Fill me in on the details later.' Genesis nuzzled Alex before flying off with the legendary. Without any further distractions, he deemed it a good time to start.
"I'm sorry about the interruption," he said. "Seems I can strategize a war against an entire planet and yet overlook the fact that a mew can fly…"
"All is well," Groudon said. "Now, what concerns you?"
"The other legends. Kyurem, Necrozma, and Eternatus, mainly – though Eternatus shouldn't be an issue after the invasion." Regardless of how powerful that creature was, no individual would be able to withstand the combined strength of the legends that had aligned with Omega. "Mainly, I am concerned about Necrozma."
"As you should be," Rayquaza stated.
"Right. And given the bad history he has with the people of this world, I am worried that he may intervene if only for retaliation…"
"A logical concern," the serpentine creature continued, "but you are forgetting one thing: we are not like your kind. Revenge is limited to mortals."
"But punishment isn't," Alex retorted.
"True, but it would stand to reason that the people of this world have faced theirs. For decades they have assumed complete annihilation was their price to pay."
"I see… but how can we be sure?"
"I suppose there's no way to know for certain." Zekrom had decided to speak up. "But one thing is for certain: without being fused to either Solgaleo or Lunala, he must be in perpetual agony." Alex paused. He knew the history between the so-called 'Blinding One' and the people of this world, and how, in the end, his very essence was spread throughout the dimensions. The very stones used to create the Z-rings that trainers used to enhance their pokémon's moves.
"Then maybe we could help him. I know I can't right the wrongs of the Megalopolans, but it could be a start. I don't expect him to fight for us… not in a million years. But maybe he could look past their transgressions and at least stay out of it." The black dragon smiled at the human.
"A fine answer. I've come to expect nothing less from you. But your solution would come with its own problems," Zekrom said.
"Securing the Z-rings…"
"Exactly."
"I see no problem with that," Alex replied. "I'm sure the trainers won't be fond of having their toys taken, but those belong to Necrozma as far as I'm concerned. I could utilize the trainer database to see who all is in possession of them, and once the invasion begins, send a few hundred squads to locate and acquire them. As for Eternatus… I'll need everyone on board for that plan. That creature has had over thirty years to recover its strength."
"And what will you do once we have defeated Eternatus?" Kyogre asked.
"I'm… not sure. I can't lock it up and force it to serve us. That would make me a hypocrite and no better than the ancestors of the Megalopolans. But I also cannot afford for Galar or any other government to use Eternatus against us. We still don't know the full extent of its abilities, and the incident thirty years ago only took place shortly after it had woken. Eternatus could be far more powerful than we anticipate." That's why they weren't taking any chances with this particular mission. "Once we subdue it, we will figure out where to go from there. As much as I detest the idea of not having a course of action planned out ahead of time, we still aren't sure what Eternatus even wants with our world. But if it is simply to feed, and that creature has no reservations about ending life on this planet to do so, then I have no problem imprisoning it or sending it to another universe."
"Neither do I," Solgaleo stated.
Aaron was more than a little curious. His birthday had been two days prior, and that night, Nathan had sent him a few text messages. Instead of their usual meeting time, he wanted to meet as soon as Aaron got out of class. That didn't strike him as odd – he'd be meeting his parents tomorrow – but it was that last text that had.
Bring your entire team.
That sentence unnerved him. Was this another invitation for a battle? It sure seemed like it, and Aaron wasn't fond of the idea of being embarrassed in such a manner again. But it wouldn't be hard to convince his team to come. Marcus was always enthusiastic for a battle, Aster never would turn down a chance to meet with Naomi, and Krista could always be swayed by a meal. And while he wasn't about to make Nora battle – if that even was what Nathan wanted – she had stuck to his side ever since Christmas.
Classes served no other purpose than to increase his anticipation. Nathan said it was a more significant gift. But what would that have to do with bringing his whole team? Words merged together into an almost incoherent blur, and when class was finally dismissed, Aaron was one of the first ones out the door.
Just got out. Where are you?
About half a minute passed before he got a response.
Arena.
That didn't serve to lessen his initial suspicion anymore. Hopefully his team wouldn't be too upset with him over another loss.
There weren't many people in the arena on account of the timing; most were likely at the cafeteria or had simply left for the day. Like last time, one of the three battlefields was in use. Nathan sat on the bleachers, though Adira wasn't here today, and nodded upon seeing him. A sleek wooden case, no wider than a shoebox and half its height, was at his side.
"Alright, now you've got me really curious," Aaron admitted.
"Let your team out."
"So we're battling, then? I don't seem to recall that working out in my favor last time."
"Just let 'em out and we'll go from there." Aaron paused for a second, but his hand eventually fell to his belt. His four pokémon were released from their confines, and no sooner had he done so did Nora make her way to his side. Aster looked around curiously.
"How many did you bring?" Aaron asked.
"Same three as last time."
"Great. So we're getting swept by a charizard again?"
"Maybe. Maybe not," Nathan answered, his hand resting on the case.
"And why would it be any different than last time?"
"Well, you all have been training far more," Nathan said. "…And last time, you didn't have this." Everyone fell silent as the older trainer handed Aaron the wooden box. It had a shiny metal latch on the front. Aaron sat down beside his friend, his pokémon all but hovering over him, and opened it. What he saw inside caused him to freeze up.
A mega bracelet. Another article was on each side: a sleek, pink band to the left and a sturdy bracelet on the right.
"Holy shit…" He looked towards Nathan, who only nodded. "Uh… how…?"
"I've had those for some time." The lucario's eyes were wide, and a subtle flick of his tail betrayed any attempt of hiding his excitement. "Go ahead guys. Try 'em on." The lucario carefully grabbed the bracelet clearly meant for him, placing it directly behind the spike on his left hand. Aaron wordlessly retrieved his own, still clearly in shock. These were nearly impossible to find, and only the wealthiest could afford the few that remained. Most of them were owned by champions or renowned gym leaders across the regions or were passed down from previous owners, though most circuits didn't allow for their use. Nora helped him fasten it to his left hand.
"I don't… know what to say."
"A 'thank you' would probably be a good start," Krista stated. He cut a glare towards the audino; she shrugged.
"I don't know if that covers it…" Aaron said. "This is amazing."
"I'm glad you like it. But I do think it's worth mentioning something," Nathan said. "Marcus."
"Huh?"
"Your mega evolution can come with some potential complications."
"What do you mean?" The lucario looked concerned.
"Lucarios, if not adequately prepared for such a transformation, have been known to lose their minds in the adrenaline rush. You need to be completely in sync with Aaron to even attempt it."
"Oh, then there isn't anything to be worried about," Marcus said, relieved.
"Still, I've got a countermeasure on standby just to be safe." Upon seeing the strange looks that he was getting, Nathan clarified. "Trina knows hypnosis."
"Well, she won't have to use it. Aaron and I are as close as they come." This caused the younger trainer to laugh, but he nodded.
"Alright then. Well, hope y'all don't mind an audience. Once word gets out that there are megas on the field, people are bound to flood in."
It wasn't long before the two trainers found themselves on opposite sides of the field. Just as he had last time, Nathan sent out his charizard first. It was then that Aaron realized something: Aiden was wearing an anklet. Facing his other leg, a small stone was embedded into it.
"So you too, huh?"
"Don't be nervous," Nathan said. "Just don't make the same mistakes. Always learn and adapt."
"That's easy for you to say…"
"You aren't used to facing other high-caliber trainers. But at some point, you cannot rely on the strength of your pokémon alone. You have to think outside the box – be unpredictable. Part of the reason Aiden was able to punish your team was because they assumed he was trained like most other charizards: a striker incapable of taking many hits. But you know differently now." Aaron took a deep breath.
"Who wants to go first?"
"Do you even need to ask?" Marcus stepped forward, and through their connection, the lucario's trainer could feel his excitement. He was more pumped now than Aaron could ever recall. If he failed to bring Aiden down, Krista could always serve as a backup, especially if that stone happened to be the X variant. Aaron crossed his arms as the two took their spots opposite of each other. He wasn't about to be fooled by the charizard's friendly demeanor. Not after last time.
"Alright Marcus," Aaron stated. "Let's take him down."
Nathan was the first to act, tapping a small ring on his right hand. Aiden grit his teeth as the changes began. Marcus watched in awe as the charizard's body swiftly began glowing. His wings had completely changed form, and while his height remained the same, Aiden's skin took a far darker color. Regaining his bearings, the charizard shook his head, then released a blue puff of flame from within his mouth.
"That… looked painful," Marcus said, his ears lowering.
"It was." The lucario was having second thoughts about this, but Aiden shook his head.
"It shouldn't hurt you too much. Dragons tend to get the worst of it." The fighting-type nodded towards his trainer, who similarly raised his new bracelet.
Marcus felt the surge of energy coursing through him. He found himself experiencing pain, especially in his legs as bones both shifted and elongated, but once the changes were done, he had never felt so alive. Every sense had been dialed up. Marcus looked at his hands, feeling stronger than ever before, and laughed.
'This is awesome!' he telepathically said to his trainer. 'I am never taking this thing off!'
"Well, you seem to have not lost your mind, so that's a positive," Nathan said, returning Trina for the time being.
Aaron nodded, then thought about something. 'Wait… Nathan said we needed to be unpredictable. Why should I yell out commands and let him know what we're going to do?'
'Good thinking,' Marcus replied. He formed the usual bone staff, though it materialized much faster than it ever had before. The lucario was looking forward to this.
'Hit him with dragon pulse!' Marcus clenched his paw, firing a blue blast without warning. The second he did so, Aiden stomped the ground. The lucario jumped over the swift wave as rock sediment had formed into a boulder which absorbed his attack. 'Swords dance!' Marcus absorbed the energy around him, completing the move in record time. This time, there was no Trina to stop him from doing so, and as he dodged the rocky projectiles, the fighting-type smirked.
"Using telepathy, huh? That's definitely a step in the right direction," Nathan said. "Aiden – dragon dance." The charizard snorted, taking off and flying around the battlefield, similarly drawing in energy from his surroundings before landing in front of Marcus. The dragon's body radiated with power.
'Not even he should be able to withstand you for long. Extreme speed.' The lucario became a blur. He swung the construct, slamming it into Aiden's side with more strength than he'd ever imagined. He dodged a fiery slash, spinning around and catching the dragon under the arm. His opponent grunted, backing up before stomping the ground. Marcus jumped the earthquake attack, intending to land a potential final blow. Aiden blocked the bone staff and shoved him back down. Before his feet landed, an attack was ordered.
"Fire kick." A searing pain shot through his left thigh, and Marcus immediately went to the ground. He cried out.
"Shit!" he yelled, clutching his leg. He looked up, shooting an almost accusatory glare at the dragon as he used heal pulse on his leg. It took the edge off, but as he stood up, he nearly toppled over.
"Marcus! Are you okay?!"
"I'm fine," he muttered.
"What the hell happened to the defensive charizard?!" Aaron yelled.
"See, that's your second issue," Nathan said. "You're letting your perception cloud the reality in front of you. True, Aiden may have been primarily trained as a support, but that doesn't mean he isn't an offensive threat. You can have both."
"Yeah, but—"
"He just used dragon dance right in front of you, Aaron. That should have been an indication." The trainer swore to himself. His friend was right, and now Marcus was severely limited in close quarters. "Aiden, use flamethrower."
'Protect and aura sphere.' Marcus barely had time to construct the weak barrier before his opponent flew towards him. The lucario managed to hurl the energetic attack, landing an almost point-blank hit in Aiden's face. He rolled onto the ground but showed no intention of staying there. 'Again!' Aiden closed the distance between them, guarding his face with his wings before attempting another fire punch.
Marcus sidestepped it despite the soreness in his leg, delivering a sharp uppercut into the charizard's gut. Aiden winced. It was all the time he needed. Putting all his strength into the swing, he brought the staff into the back of Aiden's knee. He roared out in pain. Marcus punched him near the collarbone, causing him to fall back. That's how it felt last time!
'Finish him with aura sphere!' Aiden rolled aside. Dirt shot up from the battlefield as the attack narrowly missed. Before he could follow it up, Marcus found himself dodging a blue flamethrower.
"Not bad at all," Nathan commented. "That was impressive. But I think it's about time to wrap this one up."
"Agreed," Marcus said, his digits clenching the bone staff tightly.
"Aiden, brick break and fire punch."
'Dark pulse – target his eyes!' Marcus nodded, readying the attack, but when the charizard leapt into the air, his aim wasn't accurate enough. The attack collided with Aiden's chest and didn't do much. Time crawled as he landed right in front of the lucario.
"Brick break." Mindful of the spikes, Aiden launched slash after slash which Marcus blocked with the bone staff. He deflected, then collided it with his opponent's wrist. Aiden growled but kept going until he found an opening.
Marcus fought the urge to hurl as an open palm caught him under the ribs. Then the world around him spun as a swift heat struck his other side. He rolled to a stop, trying his best to push himself up as Aiden slowly came closer. Get up Marcus!
"You know what to do, bud. Fusion."
"What?" Aaron asked aloud. Marcus paused in his uncertainty, only brought back by the dragon's thunderous stomp as he planted himself firmly in place. A scorching blue twister formed around him and he began to panic.
'MOVE!' Aaron yelled into his mind, though it did no good. The heat began growing immensely, being sucked in from the atmosphere around them as he folded over, gasping for breath. An unbearable oven that singed his hairs. He yelled as more pain scorched through his body than he'd ever thought possible. Tears streamed from the lucario's eyes as he curled up defensively.
He had resumed his normal form, and seconds later, once the suffering had come to an end, Marcus found himself within the confines of his ball.
"Alright, what the hell was that?" he asked.
"You of all people should know," Nathan stated matter-of-factly. "The best trainers always make their own moves."
"Yeah, but what the fuck was that?"
"Combination of twister, fire spin, and overheat if you want to get technical."
"Then let me have a go," Krista said. "You know he can't manage a hit that strong again, and dragon moves shouldn't have much of an effect on me." Aaron nodded, and she resumed the place of her fallen ally. She was far more observant than one might think.
When the change started to occur, the audino found that there was no pain at all. A thin, coat-like fabric materialized over her body, and her fur changed its color into a cream-gold.
"When you let Marcus out, be sure to tell him he did great. I could tell Aiden felt a few of those."
"Whatever. Krista, you think you can finish the job?"
"You know it," she said, her eyes narrowing. It felt like she could take on the world. But she knew not to get ahead of herself. Not like Marcus. The audino had a plan; hopefully, Aaron would be on par with it.
Before any command was issued on either side, she used calm mind.
"Stop her, Aiden. Steel wing." Not this time, she thought. Before he landed the attack, Krista rolled underneath him, feeling the dragon's sleek scales glance her body.
"Dazzling gleam!" Aaron commanded. A bright, radiant shine came from her body, forcing Aiden to shut his eyes and take off. She launched the attack, and while he managed to blindly avoid a few, one connected with his midsection.
"Use barrier!" The few precious seconds Aiden was distracted provided her with enough time to coat herself with the protective layer. Now, she dared him to come close. A great call on Aaron's part.
"Dragon dance, then iron tail." The dragon did as he was told, closing in and readying an attack as he drew energy in once more. As the dark blur closed in, Krista readied herself.
"Stored power!" She launched a pink wave from her body and enveloped the charizard. He fell out of the air ungracefully but surprised the audino by rolling to his feet despite his bulk. She barely registered the incoming tail until it was too late. A loud smack sounded as air was forced out of her lungs. Having been slung several yards to the side, Krista scrambled back onto her feet.
Aiden kneeled, a bright light encompassing his body once more, and reverted back to normal. But he was still standing. "Earthquake, then flamethrower."
"Surf!" The audino grasped water from the nearby channel and used it to block the incoming fire. Dust clung to her, clouding her vision and making it hard to breathe. The audino's footing was unbalanced, and Aiden capitalized on that, dodging the blast of water. A shriek sounded as his claws slashed across her chest, tearing through the light coat and shooting a fiery pain through her body. She wasn't waiting for the order. There was no time.
Krista used dazzling gleam, catching Aiden off guard. The second he flinched, his vision consumed by the bright light, the audino acted. "Thunderbolt!" She leapt over a blind attempt with his tail, launching a nasty arc of electricity into the dragon. He cried out, wildly thrashing about in a futile attempt at stopping her, but Krista made sure to keep her distance.
Eventually the pain got to him. Aiden fell to a single knee, wings tucked behind him and growling weakly in pain. She ceased her attack.
"I think… I'm done," he said. He smiled, looking proud of the audino.
"Good job Aiden," Nathan said, returning the charizard. "And you too, Krista." She crossed her arms, glad that she had managed to succeed where Marcus hadn't. And with her brand new mega, too!
"That's right – you did amazing!" She smiled back at her trainer, who was clearly just as proud of the feat as she was. But now it was either Trina or Naomi, and while the audino had fought – and defeated – members of both species before, something told her that it wouldn't be so simple this time. Not with this team.
Trina took the charizard's place. She sized the audino up, curling her lips into a grin as her feet left the ground. "That's a shiny new coat you've got there."
"I know!" Krista toyed with the cloak. The "fabric" was soft and delicate between her digits yet had amazing properties in retaining her protective barriers.
"It's a shame I'll have to dirty it up a bit." The espeon levitated over the field, tauntingly out of reach; Krista would have to be fast and precise to land a hit on her.
"You did well by commanding Marcus with telepathy. Now let's see how you react to the same."
"Shit," Aaron murmured under his breath. He should've seen that coming. People had filtered into the arena to watch the battle. Seeing mega evolution in person was a rare phenomenon, and that along with the fact that he wouldn't be able to hear a more experienced opponent's commands made Aaron nervous.
Trina circled around overhead. Illusory copies trailed the original, creating a constant blur, and soon Krista lost track of which one was the original. Dammit, she thought.
"Let's see how good you are at guessing games," the espeon stated.
"Light screen!" Before she could form the barrier, Trina attacked, launching a multitude of dark orbs from every direction. Krista sprinted, dodging and ducking as she went, hurriedly trying to finalize her defensive measure in case she was hit. And she was. It slammed into her from behind, sending her face first into the ground. Dust clung to her front.
"Told ya."
"Oww…" Krista said, getting up. The attack itself hadn't done much, but faceplanting sure stung. "You coward! Come down here and fight."
"Mmm… I don't think so." Each of the copies appeared to say it, but the sound only originated from one source. Her eyes darted wildly around, searching for the actual espeon in all the movement. One rushed towards her, causing her to flinch, before phasing through the fairy completely.
"Move!" She only narrowly rolled away from a similar attack aimed for her backside. This was going to be a frustrating fight.
Aaron tried forming a strategy to deal with this but was coming up with nothing. All of her attacks were ranged, and aside from thunderbolt, would take enough time to travel that Trina would be able to evade. A paw worked its way onto his shoulder, and he looked down at Nora. She motioned for him to lean inwards.
"She's constantly moving. I can see which one it is, but it won't do Krista any good unless she is able to aim ahead."
"How do you—"
"You'll need to stop Trina in her tracks. Break her focus. Dazzling gleam should blind her for enough time." He looked at the typhlosion in surprise. Nora just smiled back sweetly.
"Look at you," Aaron said, clearly impressed. "Maybe you should be the trainer here."
"Well, I may have picked up a few things from Sofia…" Nevertheless, she shyly averted her gaze from the compliment. Aaron smirked, rubbed her head, and returned his focus to the battle.
"A little help here?!" Krista called out in terror. She was getting tired.
"Dazzling gleam – aim up!" She jumped another shadow ball, spinning around and sending a harsh glow towards the dozens of espeons in the air. They all disappeared as Trina flinched, shutting her eyes much like Aiden had from the tremendous light. "Now! Thunderbolt!" Before Trina had the chance to react, Krista attacked. I've got you now, bitch!
The espeon yowled as the jolt caught her directly, causing her to fall towards the ground, only narrowly slowing her descent before contact. Krista wasn't about to let the chance go to waste, hurling another crackling jolt at her foe. She managed to jump aside, barely avoiding the blunt of the attack, before responding in kind. A small yet potent blast of fire was shot at the audino.
"Ugh, of course she can do that," Aaron murmured. But he noticed something. Something subtle. Nathan crossed his arms; his face was stoic. A swift exhale. He hadn't expected that at all. Right now, that was as much an advantage as Aaron could have asked for. "Quick – use icy wind!" Krista thrust her hands forward and summoned a frigid blast. Trina shuddered, then cut through it with another scorching blast, sprinting away and forming more illusory copies.
"No you don't!" Krista yelled, launching another dazzling gleam. Trina closed her eyes and used psywave, though, causing the ground to ripple much like an earthquake. The audino had left herself open in an attempt to shut down Trina's façade. She fell on her rear, quickly using protect as the espeon's eyes shone with aggression. The red gem glowed as time crawled to a near halt.
"Hyper beam," Nathan said aloud.
"NO!" Her trainer's words fell on deaf ears as the barrier was shattered. Krista groaned, trying in vain to push herself up, but fell back down.
Aaron returned her and nodded towards Aster. "Well bud, you're up." Aster was disappointed, hoping that he would have been facing off against Naomi. Last time he hadn't done so well against the beautiful sea serpent, but with all the battles he'd partaken in alongside Marcus, the serperior wanted to show her what he was capable of.
'Aww… somebody's pouting because he won't get to see a certain someone.'
"Get out of my head!" he snapped.
'Hmm… no, I don't think so. You're too much fun.'
"Then I'll just have to wipe that smirk off your face." Aster ignored the crowd that had grown around him. Maybe a few months ago, he would have shied away from such gatherings, but now he was determined to prove himself.
Despite the look she gave, Aster noticed several things. Trina had expended a significant amount of energy in her last attack. Fur was ruffled from the hits she had taken, and a barely audible pant sounded.
"Light screen," Nathan said. Aster slithered towards her as fast as possible.
"Razor leaf!" She leapt between the projectiles, a gleaming light racing across her fur as she did so and began levitating once again.
"Not this time – vine whip!" Aster slung his vines forward. A crack sounded as it impacted her back leg, wrapping around it. Yes! He yanked her down. Trina cried out as she slammed into the unforgiving ground.
"Psychic." She stammered onto her feet, and before Aster could make another move, hoisted him up into the air, hurling him to the other side of the field. He pounded the ground, each impact sending painful shockwaves through his body, and eventually came to a halt in front of his trainer. "Again."
"Aster, use solar beam!" He charged the attack much faster than anyone expected, and Trina's eyes went wide. Several copies were formed in a blur and she took to the air. Aster launched an impressive beam of energy, wildly snaking his head around and cutting through each fake image until he contacted the real one.
"Ahh!" she yelled as she fell, this time into the water surrounding the battlefield. A few seconds later she resurfaced, paddling back to the ground with strained huffs. 'Alright you overgrown weed, you're going to pay for that one.' She telekinetically grabbed him, holding the serpent in place.
"Light him up." A massive flame was hurled towards Aster. Thinking fast, he launched a dragon pulse through the attack, absorbing only a minute amount of the heat before breaking free of her control. He sprung towards her, closing the gap. It happened in such a flash that he hardly made sense his own actions. Bringing his tail around, Aster narrowly missed her body, only to duck another flame. A vine grabbed her and latched on. He intended to choke the very life out of her. Trina lost the air within her lungs as his body tightened around her, but a wicked smile appeared. 'You fool!'
He wasn't able to cast her away fast enough before a hyper beam was fired point blank.
Aster regained his senses several feet away. He shook his head, then rolled back into an upright position. The espeon stumbled onto her feet. "Morning sun."
"Razor leaf! Stop her!" She looped the projectiles around her and flung them back. Aster snaked around them, giving her the time needed to recover, if only a little. Trina stood firmly. Tired, but still there. A dazzling gleam took his sight, then caused him to writhe as the burning light encompassed his body. Aster wildly flailed about, attempting to evade her.
"Psyshock."
"Spin around and use vine whip!" Aaron said. Projectiles crashed around him, several slamming into Aster's body and making him wince as he slung a pair of thick vines in a circular manner. He opened his eyes, found her and barely missed her neck. Trina let loose a cascading flame, and before another command was uttered, the serperior formed a twister around him, causing it to dissipate before contact. He charged through it and latched onto her midsection. Her eyes fired with determination, and then they both began to float.
Aster was hurled onto the ground violently. He wildly flailed about, unable to determine up from down, and cried out when the flames licked his skin. The grass-type only barely managed to look up as a final hyper beam impacted his back. He groaned, possessing neither the strength nor the will to get up. Trina lowered herself back to the ground, panting heavily, and her knees buckled.
Next thing Aster knew, he was in his pokéball.
"Yeah," Aaron murmured, "that's about how that went last time…" Nora nudged him encouragingly.
"Hey, I'd say that counted as taking Trina down. I mean look at her." The espeon, though perhaps being dramatic, had rolled onto her side. Aaron looked around. There were hundreds of people in the room, each having wanted to catch a glimpse of the mega evolutions. He felt that if they practiced a bit more with those forms, both Marcus and Krista could become even more formidable threats. And Aster had really taken him by surprise, too. The speed and strength of his attacks had greatly improved since his days of channel surfing and lounging around all day.
The two trainers met at the healing station. "Well, now I have more questions," Aaron admitted.
"Fire away."
"Yeah, that's pretty much it. Why does your espeon know fire moves?"
"Hidden power."
"Of course," Aaron said. "Of course she would have the perfect hidden power type to deal with Aster."
"Well, it's also great for dealing with the bugs," Nathan commented, releasing his team. Both Trina and Aiden were noticeably tired, though the wear and tear from the battle was gone. Aaron similarly released his team.
"And you make your own moves – like that one that Aiden used."
"Fusion?" the charizard asked. "Oh, yeah! We came up with that. Just like those new reactor things, right?"
"That's right, bud." Nathan laughed. "Probably sounds a bit nerdy, but I may have taken some inspiration from my field. At least, in terms of naming things…" He looked up; a lot of onlookers were talking amongst themselves, though no more cell phones were pointed their way. "We made a nice crowd today. Gave 'em quite a show."
"Yeah… that we did."
"And you guys did absolutely amazing," Nathan said, addressing the pokémon. "Marcus, that was some impressive combat you showed. You've definitely improved since last time, and that's saying something." Aaron felt the lucario brighten up from the praise. "Krista, great job with your counterattacking strategy. The two of you managed to take Aiden down, and that's a very impressive feat. And Aster – I don't know where that came from, it's been a long time since I've seen Trina worn out like that."
"Hey, I wasn't down for the count or anything," the espeon stated.
"I beg to differ!" the serperior retorted. The trainers laughed.
"Quite impressive, indeed," Naomi said. Aaron rolled his eyes as his starter attempted not to act flustered.
Nathan took them to lunch. Once they had finished, he gave Aaron a ride back to the apartment. Everyone was stored safely in their balls after a large meal aside from Nora, whose feet dangled over the edge of the back middle seat. She had surprised him in her own way, too, with her quick thinking. Even though she knew how to battle to some minor extent, Aaron would never ask her to do so – much less against a team of Nathan's caliber.
And that led him to that one question. Something that he had noticed this match once Aiden released that devastating attack. An attack that came from nowhere, despite how many hits he'd taken. An attack, that, had he continued to hold it, would have been dangerous to Marcus. He wondered if anyone else had noticed it.
"Nathan?" he asked, staring out the window.
"What's up?" They were nearing the apartments.
"You told them to lighten their blows, didn't you?" Nora's ears perked up as the older trainer remained silent.
"Everything you did out there was legitimate," Nathan said. "You beat Aiden and Trina."
"That wasn't what I asked." Aaron sighed. "But you changing the subject tells me what I need to know." Another pause. Nathan stopped at a red light.
"If you're asking whether or not my team is capable of putting more force behind their attacks… the answer is yes. But there would be nothing to gain from that."
"There's nothing to gain from even small false victories, either."
"You learned quite a lot, didn't you?"
"Well yeah, but—"
"Then there was something to be gained after all. I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but we've all been battling for a really long time – and against really strong opponents, too. If I had Aiden go all out, it wouldn't have accomplished anything aside from bodily harm and massive damage to the arena, neither of which are desirable outcomes." Aaron shook his head, a forced laugh coming out.
"So we aren't even in the same league. I knew that from our first battle, but…"
"Maybe not at the moment," Nathan said, gently pushing the gas pedal. "It took us time to get to where we are today, Aaron. There's no substitute for that. But one day you and your team will be more experienced, and when that day comes… I don't know if that college arena will be able to withstand our battles."
Aaron nodded, encouraged by the idea that he may one day prove a worthy opponent, but that one realization kept gnawing at him, working its way back into his mind no matter how much he tried to dismiss it. Aaron and Nathan were the closest of friends. Brothers, even. But they were not rivals.
Rivals both had a chance of winning.
A/N: Special thanks to FuryWrites for beta reading this chapter.