"Go, Lightning!"
Sektek woke abruptly as Slick's fingers wrapped around the red dome window, the Poke Ball detatching from the Trainer's belt with a click. Sitting upright, the Pikachu grabbed his volt charm before glowing light surrounded him and swept him out into the battlefield.
Landing with a thump on the grass, the Pikachu found himself crouching before a Zigzagoon and its trainer. Another forest, another Pokemon; but this was no dream, no memory. "Ziggu ziggu!" barked the raccoon, baring its teeth at Sektek, who gulped.
"Lightning! Thundershock!" ordered Slick, pointing at the Zigzagoon. Sektek faltered for a moment. Lightning? Ah, right; his other name. He clenched his paws and shot sparks at his opponent, who howled as the electricity flashed through its body.
"Hang in there, Zigzagoon! Tail whip!" ordered the other trainer. The Pikachu cringed as he heard the sounds linked with tail attacks, expecting a stinging tail blow. But instead, the Zigzagoon let out a soft woof and gently brushed its tail against him.
At once, the Pikachu's leg muscles slackened, softened; he tried to tense, but couldn't. What did the Zigzagoon do to him? "Shake it off! Zap it again!" ordered Slick. Still worried, the Pikachu seized the Zigzagoon as it started to run, sending a strong jolt into its body.
Yipping, the Zigzagoon reeled back with tottering steps. "Keep at it! Take him down!" called the other trainer. Quickly, Sektek tried to duck as the tiny raccoon lunged at him, but his foe was too close; he was knocked off his paws, landing on his back in the mud.
"Tail swipe him!" Grunting, the Pikachu scrambled to his paws and swung out with his tail, striking the Zigzagoon across the muzzle, sending the raccoon skittering away with another howl.
Falling forward, Lightning's paws hit the dirt. His chest heaved for breath, his rapid pulse approaching a steady vibration. "His guard's down! Scratch him good, quick!"
As the Zigzagoon rushed in for another blow, the Pikachu thought he saw another swish of brown fur-a lighter, softer brown-but before he could get a good look, the Zigzagoon's claws came down on his back, snagging at the Pikachu's fur.
"Yeah! Don't let up!" hollered the opponent trainer as the Zigzagoon circled back around, still panting. "Aim for the cheeks!"
"Careful, Lightning!" called Slick, cupping his hands around his mouth. "You're both on the ropes! One more shock should do it!"
Barking loudly, the Zigzagoon leapt up at Sektek again with raised claws. Sliding under his foe on his back, the Pikachu released a strong burst of electricity up into the Zigzagoon's belly. "Piii-KA!"
The Zigzagoon squealed as the electricity shot through its body, all its nerves firing at once. As he tumbled past the raccoon, Sektek could faintly smell burnt fur. "Zigzagoon!" cried the other trainer as his Pokemon collapsed to to the ground.
As the dust cleared, Sektek slowly got to his paws, wincing at the cuts on his back, but feeling satisfied. The other boy knelt down by the unconscious Zigzagoon, patting its head before returning it to its Poke Ball with the click of a button.
"Good game," said the other trainer after a moment, crossing the battle ring and shaking Slick's hand. "I did my best, so no regrets. The name's Eddie. How much did we wager again?"
"500 Pokedollars, I think," said Slick awkwardly. His shoulder grew tense, eyes avoiding the other trainer; but he held a somewhat friendly expression-or so Sektek thought, anyway-while Eddie counted out the money. "I'm Slick."
Leaning on his trainer's leg, Sektek let out a relieved sigh, body still warm and throbbing with his rapid, rodent's heartbeat. Brushing down his filthy fur, he glanced around for that other Pokemon, but saw no one. Had it just been the Zigzagoon?
Eddie frowned at Slick for a moment, then grinned. "I live over in Petalburg, see," said the boy as Slick tenatively accepted the money from him. "Well, I guess I'll be seeing you!"
Retying his shoes, he rose up and jogged off down the forest trail. As Eddie's footsteps faded, Slick's shoulders finally relaxed, expression growing warm, voice loosening up.
Sqatting down, he smiled and gently scratched Sektek behind the ears. "Good job, Lightning," he said. "Looks like you've got the upright slash covered. That makes seven techniques!"
Content, the Pikachu slowly closed his eyes. For once, he was pleased with his performance, his every step fluid, anticipating his opponent's movements. Perhaps, he was finally embracing the world as he saw it.
Probably not enough to best Elias. The Grovyle always prevailed over him, always without leaving a scratch on the Pikachu. "But of course," Elias would say. "[i]A bloodless victory takes more skill than simply battering down your foe's will. This is the difference between domestic and wild.[/i]"
Domestic. Wild. As he returned to his Poke Ball, Sektek stared at his volt charm, troubled. Why? Why did Elias care so much about whether he called himself domestic or wild?
