Chapter 25

The morning of the second day of the tournament was another warm, cloudless day. Trainers and guests alike poured out of the hotel, splitting off to watch the next match, train for their own, or simply explore the shops and enjoy the beautiful weather that Himitsu Island offered.

As always, the main square rapidly filled with trainers and their human Pokémon. This time, however, Mark felt as though he could enjoy it a bit more than yesterday.

"Did something happen between you two?" Kim thought that she didn't really need to ask it, but it seemed like the appropriate question. It was what most people would ask in a situation like this, despite how unnecessary it was.

All the signs were there, Kim wasn't blind, after all. She didn't need somebody to point out how Mark and Maple both blushed whenever their eyes met or how they directed everything they had to say to each other before anyone else. And she certainly didn't need to be told that they were both much happier than they had been the day before.

Once again, they glanced at each other before Mark responded, "what do you mean?"

"Just spill it," Kim sighed, but still grinned, "it's cute and all, but seriously, I haven't seen somebody act this obvious since I was twelve."

The two glanced at each other, again. A moment later, they reached out and held each other's hands.

"Was that so hard?" Kim's voice was scolding, but she was really fighting back laughter, "you both are so weird…"

"Sorry," Maple apologized, flushing with embarrassment.

"It's fine," Kim let herself laugh a little bit, "so, what the hell did you call us out here for, anyway?"

Their incessant glancing was starting to get a little annoying, "Aurum let us train with him, yesterday," Mark took a turn at responding to Kim, "he wants to check our progress by challenging somebody."

"Sorry," Kim shook her head, "saving my energy for the tourney." Volt, who had been silent all morning, twitched his ear but displayed no further response. He stood apart from the others, lost in thought.

"Well, actually, Maple just thought it would be nice of us to invite you along," Mark explained with the embarrassed tone of someone attempting to un-invite someone from a party, "we didn't really think about battling you."

"So, you just wanted somebody to brag to?" Kim wasn't altogether too surprised that she felt a little jealous of the two. Training under Aurum had been a dream for many human Pokémon trainers. Although she never specifically thought about it, Kim had to admit that it would be nice to put on her résumé.

"No, it's not that…" Maple stumbled over the words, trying to pick the right ones, "The thing is…well, it's just that…you're the first human girl I ever met. So…can we please be friends?"

Maple's big eyes were filled with hope and Kim thought it would be a shame to dash it to pieces without a damn good reason, "Sure. We can be friends. I don't see why not." Maple beamed and hugged her, but forgot to let go of Mark's hand. The movement resulted in Mark being flung around behind Kim and causing an unexpected group hug.

Volt took a moment to consider the unusual sight. He realized that he probably should've felt left out, but he was still working out how he was going to break the news about Lionel's betrayal and repeated lies without sounding paranoid. Sooner or later he would have to tell them, but he also needed to be sure that they would listen. He had to be careful.

"Alright, alright," Kim disentangled herself from the awkward grouping, "when's Aurum getting here, anyway?"

"Up here," a childish chirp sounded above their heads. The three looked up to see Billow floating upside down a few meters above their heads.

"The hell…?" was all Kim could manage to say.

"Hi, Billow!" Maple waved cheerfully, unfazed by Billow's current position.

"Hi, Miss Maple," the tiny Drifblim-girl waved back, "master Aurum says he wants to watch from up there," she pointed to the roof of a building a few blocks west of them, "he says he doesn't want to get in your way."

"Get in our way?" Mark raised an eyebrow, "what's that supposed to mean?"

"Too many people," Billow chirped, "master doesn't like crowds."

That sounded odd, at first, but after another minute, Mark decided that it probably made sense. He didn't have much fondness for crowds either, and the square seemed even more packed than the day before. It would probably be just a matter of time before someone recognized them and challenged the only competitor with a single human Pokémon. He wondered how many people really did resent that.

"ANYway," Billow rocked her head back and forth, grinning playfully, "fight whoever you want and master will come get you when you're done." She floated directly upwards for another few meters before leveling out and drifting off towards the building she had indicated as Aurum's vantage point.

"You guys have some weird taste in friends," Kim said as she watched Billow float away.

Mark ignored her and started looking around the square. Most of his life, he never really challenged other trainers. Of course, he had to challenge Gym Leaders if he wanted his badges. But when it came to challenging people on the street, Mark usually waited to be challenged.

What made the situation particularly strange was that the square was probably crammed with trainers. He could walk up to any random person and they would most likely be a trainer.

But would any random person be a good opponent? What exactly did Aurum want out of this?

Mark started stumbling through the crowds, Maple close behind him. With some luck, somebody might recognize them and challenge them. Of course, as Mark wandered and tried to look as if he was going somewhere, no one did. He was starting to wonder if he should give up and hold a sign over his head that said "Human Leafeon seeks sparring partner, inquire within." It would certainly be faster, but it might make him feel more like an idiot than he already did.

"You lost, or something?" a young man called from a table near one of the outdoor cafés that lined the square. His hair was jet black and a short, stubbly beard grew like grass sprouts in an otherwise empty field, on his face. He was well-dressed, at least Mark had been told that people who were well-dressed looked like that. But his smile showed genuine kindness, even if it was unintentionally condescending.

"Umm…not really," Mark replied, trying to cover up his poor attempt at being casual.

"You sure?" the hipster responded, "you've been walking around in circles for a while now."

"Right…" suddenly finding himself backed into a corner, Mark decided to come clean, "are you a trainer?"

"Yeah…" he didn't say it, but his tone suggested a follow-up of 'isn't everyone here a trainer?'

"Okay," Mark nodded, "well, you see, umm…this is Maple," he gestured to the girl at his side rocking on her heels, "we're looking for an opponent to…train against."

The hipster blinked a few times before responding, "are you challenging me to a battle?"

"Yes," Mark nodded, glad to finally have the words out in the open.

"Sure," the young man responded, "just give me a second." Tilting his head back, he downed the coffee he had been drinking and stood up. "What's your name, anyway?"

"Uh, Mark," the young boy answered.

"Nice to meet you, Mark, Maple," the hipster nodded to each of them, "my name's Alex. I'd be more than happy to battle you."

"Oh, thank you," Mark said, "I'm not at all used to challenging people."

"I never would've guessed," Alex smirked, "back up a bit, would ya? There, that's good. Coraline!" Alex dropped his Pokéball and a human Banette appeared in front of him.

"Oh…dammit," Coraline squinted in the early morning light, "it's too early for this."

"Come now, just a quick fight and you can go back to sleep," Alex attempted to console her, "for me?" Coraline looked over her shoulder and couldn't help but melt in the presence of that smile of his.

"The things I do for love," Coraline was careful to speak too quietly for Alex to hear her.

"Wow, I didn't think you'd actually find somebody at the rate you were going," Kim teased Mark before stepping forward, "I'll referee if nobody minds."

"Go for it," Alex agreed, after another few seconds he added to it, "best looking referee I've ever had." Coraline's pale skin immediately turned scarlet and she forgot about how early it was.

"Okay, Maple," Mark encouraged, "let's do it." Maple skipped out in front of him and waved to her opponent. Coraline raised an eyebrow; she wondered how many blond-bimbo Pokémon girls there were in the world.

Kim moved to a spot roughly halfway between the two trainers and stood off to the side by a good ten meters. All around them, the crowd was both dispersing, to give them room, and bunching up, to get a closer look. When she was satisfied with the size of the battleground, Kim raised her hand.

"Begin!" she shouted.

Maple closed her eyes, feeling for the Red state. With a human Banette as her opponent, the battle would be a fairly even match-up with no obvious type advantage. However, Coraline undoubtedly had a good deal more experience as a human Pokémon than Maple did. That meant that the Red state was going to be her biggest advantage. It might even win the fight for her.

"Start with Will-o-Wisp," Alex commanded. His voice was even and thoughtful. He didn't rush into things by nature. He needed to test Maple before he knew how to proceed.

Coraline cupped her hands and concentrated. After a second, a spark of blue flame appeared in her hands then gradually grew into a brightly burning fireball. She opened her eyes and aimed it at Maple. She blew at the back of the fireball and it began to drift towards Maple. Weaving and bobbing, it drifted through the air like a moth searching for a light source. Will-o-Wisp was not a fast attack, but its strange pattern made avoiding it difficult.

With the blue fireball at thirty meters and closing quickly, Maple still had not activated the Red state. It was there, she could feel it, but something was wrong. She couldn't concentrate. It wasn't just training anymore, this was a real battle. It was a real battle with a whole crowd of people watching her. She needed the Red state, but she couldn't reach it. Meanwhile, the ball of flame was getting closer.

"Maple, move," Mark said in a harsh whisper, "forget the Red state, you have to move."

"But…" Maple opened her eyes and saw that the Will-o-Wisp was now just ten meters away.

"Move," Mark urged her. Abandoning the Red state, Maple watched the strange pattern of the fireball coming at her. It spiraled in and out, leaving a streak of blue behind it as it moved. Maple waited until it was a mere two meters away. She rolled under the blue fireball, flattening herself against the ground as much as possible, but it wasn't enough. The flame caught her left shoulder, burning a wound that caused no significant damage but made her grimace in pain. Involuntarily, she grabbed hold of the spot where it tore into her and bit her lip, trying to will the pain away. The Will-o-Wisp disappeared, its job done.

"Shadow Sneak," Alex commanded. Fighting through the pain, Maple sprang to her feet and watched in shock as Coraline melted into a shadow along the ground. A formless dark shape moved along the ground directly towards Maple. It passed behind Maple before abruptly stopping. Coraline materialized right behind Maple and kicked her in the middle of her back, knocking her forward, but Maple managed to stay on her feet.

"Maple, Leaf Blade," Mark said quickly, seizing the opportunity to turn the tide. Maple's tail glowed for a brief moment before she spun and slashed at Coraline. But the human Banette was just a little too fast and she managed to back up just a split second before Maple's tail would've ripped into her stomach.

"Dammit…" Mark swore. Even with the close range and the element of surprise, Maple had missed. On top of that, Coraline hadn't missed yet, and Mark could tell by Alex's demeanor that he still had something up his sleeve. Maple needed her ace, she needed the Red state.

Maple grabbed her shoulder again as the pain flared up. She had been so close. She could see the fear in Coraline's eyes. That attack would've down incredible damage if it had only hit. So far, Coraline had just kept her distance and toyed with her. She couldn't go toe-to-toe with Maple without risking serious injury. All Maple needed was the Red state. If she got it to work, the fight would be over. She just needed the time to activate it.

"Another Shadow Sneak," Alex said, his voice was contemplative. There was something wrong. It couldn't be this easy.

Coraline once again melted into the ground and moved forward, quick as the wind. Maple tried to anticipate her movement and moved to slash behind her, but this time, Coraline attacked as she reformed. She kicked Maple in the side and bounded backwards, out of Maple's range.

Pain screamed in Maple's shoulder again and she gritted her teeth to keep from crying out. She glared at Coraline, anger welling up in her. What was she doing wrong? She was fighting her hardest and it didn't make any difference. Was Maple really that weak without the Red state? Why did nothing make any difference?

No, she couldn't be this weak. It wasn't possible. Just yesterday she had defeated a human Blastoise in one attack. Where was that power now? Clenching her hands into fists, Maple was trembling from anger and frustration.

The world went blank for a few moments.

Maple blinked and found herself standing over a bleeding Coraline. Two crisscrossing diagonal slashes were cut into her waist, each one an inch deep. Blood poured from the wounds and Coraline coughed up a mouthful before passing out.

The vibrant color and intense fragrance of the blood reminded Maple she was in the Red state, but it was under control. Her enemy defeated in such a violent manner had apparently satisfied whatever needs the Red state sought. Frightened by the pure brutality of it, Maple stood frozen in place. What would have happened if she didn't take control back?

Alex recalled Coraline, his face white with shock. The Leafeon-girl had gone berserk and there was nothing he or Coraline could have done to stop it. His human Banette went down mere seconds after it happened. Just a hideous snarl from the girl that had seemed so sweet just moments ago, and it was over.

However, the young man had seen that before. That berserker rage had come out in the strongest of his human Pokémon. Alex could practically feel Whisper's Pokéball burn with excitement. Another had done it. Another had embraced the most basic of animal instincts and harnessed it for power. The instinct to kill.

But, no, that wasn't quite right. This Maple wasn't quite like Whisper. Alex had witnessed it first hand and he had seen the change in her eyes. She had lost control for just a second. But once the damage was done, once she had seen what she was capable of, she was back again. Fear registered in those big, brown eyes of hers. Whisper never had fear like that in his eyes.

Alex contemplated what to do next. The Leafeon-girl in front of him just became a lot stronger. She would be strong enough to take on Whisper, maybe even win. It would be a little early to unleash him. Alex had planned on waiting until a tournament match, but if he didn't use him, there was almost no chance of victory, now.

Was victory that important? He glanced around the crowd. So many people, it was practically a tournament fight already. Suppose Whisper ignored his opponent and went straight for them? It would be easy to just ignore Maple. Too easy. No, Alex had to wait. The solitary field of the tournament was where Whisper would be unleashed. Not here, where so much could go wrong.

That left three options; Cascade, Dozer, or just concede. However, Dozer wasn't really an option. It was difficult enough to persuade him to fight in a tournament battle. A random battle on the street was out of the question. That left Cascade. As a water-type, Maple's Leaf Blade would have the same results as it did against the defensively weak Coraline. But Cascade had Ice Beam which stood a solid chance at taking down Maple in one hit. If she got it off.

So, that was it. Gamble on the chance that Cascade might hit, or just give up. One chance…was it worth it? There was only one way to find out.

"Cascade," Alex said, worry laced in his voice instead of the normal calm. His human Seaking appeared, stretching her lithe body and smoothing out her bleach-blond hair.

"Ah…it's so nice out," Cascade smiled, the polar opposite of Coraline. She glanced around for a few seconds before asking, "are we fighting?"

"Yes, we're fighting," Alex sighed, "I'm not going to lie to you. We're probably going to lose."

"Ohhhh," Cascade whined, "that's no fun…"

"We have one chance at winning, Cascade," Alex tried to sound brave for her, it usually helped in these sorts of situations, "one chance and then it'll probably be over."

"O-okay," Cascade stammered, "just…tell me what to do. And I'll make you proud of me."

"Okay," Alex sighed. He signaled to Kim that he was ready. She waited for the murmuring of the crowd to quiet down. Alex was clearly desperate if he called out a water-type against a grass-type. The fight was going to end very soon.

"Begin!"

Maple could still feel her blood pumping through her veins and her heart racing out of control. The pain from the burn on her arm barely registered. The Red state was still in full swing and wouldn't dissipate until she willed it to stop. There was a water human Pokémon across from her. One attack and it would be over. Did she want to make that one attack?

"Cascade, do it," Alex issued his last order, "Ice Beam."

Cascade bent forward slightly and held her hands in front of the tip of her horn concentrating energy for the attack. She blew what looked like frost through her lips and it gathered together between her hands. Her horn began to glow and the attack was almost ready.

Maple had frozen in place, as if she had already been hit by the attack. Ice Beam. There was almost nothing that she feared more than that attack. Red state or no Red state, she wasn't moving. The glow of the Red state began to fade as the fear spread through her.

"Maple," Mark called out to her, "it's alright. It's just an attack like any other. But you have to move!" Cascade finished and a jet of super-cooled water shot from the tip of her horn, directly centered on Maple.

If it weren't for the Red state, Maple would've suffered a direct hit and Alex would've won immediately. But the world's glow seemed to slow time and Maple used the Red state to dodge for the very first time. The jet of water landed on the ground a short distance behind where Maple had once stood and froze on contact.

Maple's movements were a blur as she closed the distance between herself and the human Seaking. She came right up to her, well within range of the Leaf Blade.

"Finish this, Leaf Blade!" Mark called. But Maple didn't attack. The image of Coraline's bloody body flashed briefly before her eyes and she hesitated. She would have to do the same to Cascade. Was that okay?

Dumbfounded by the second chance, Alex didn't issue the command for a second Ice Beam until Cascade had asked him for further orders.

"Uh, Ice Beam," he stammered. At close range, it would be risky, but he was astonished that this chance had been granted him. That girl really was not the monster that he had seen in Whisper.

"Maple, now or never," Mark urged, "Leaf Blade!" This time, with the attack charging right in front of her and her forgotten fear of the Ice Beam returning, she had one more chance. But this time, she wouldn't attack with unrelenting, brutal force. She didn't need that.

The Leaf Blade slashed through the lower portion of Cascade's chest. A clean, half-inch deep cut sliced through her dress and blood began seeping through. Cascade lost her focus on the Ice Beam and the energy dissipated. Her body racked with pain, she fell to her knees, and then crumpled on the ground.

Cascade closed her eyes and the red light enveloped her as Alex recalled his human Seaking. He shook his head at Kim, indicating that he no longer wished to fight.

She declared Mark the winner amidst a chorus of stunned gasps from the crowd.

AN: Alex (remember this guy from almost 20 chapters ago?) is back and he's a hipster. who knew? i didn't, until i forced myself to describe him

oh, and if you haven't noticed, there's been a distinct lack of Gen. V human Pokemon. that's mostly because i first established the story back before black and white were officially announced and i'm still not fully comfortable with Gen. V just yet (i've been playing since the RBY days and it takes us old timers a little while to get used to the new generations).

that being said, i've left slots open for Black/White Pokemon to fill in and Whisper is the first of them (hence his fairly generic name).

i guess that's it. as always, thanks for reading!