Chapter 48

Cherry was surrounded by enemies.

On all sides of her, there were humans and human Pokémon looking around, talking to each other…plotting. Hundreds of them, all around her, packing the stadium with assailants that could come after her from any direction. Their voices were like thunder, roiling through the crowd.

How did I do this before?! She thought in anger. All she could remember from the last match was the fight itself and waiting for the crowd to clear away after it was over. Entering was a blank. Her mind had gone numb in its defense and it wiped itself clean.

Now her fear had changed to anger. That was good. It meant that she was growing stronger. The fire of her rage filled her and gave her strength as she scanned for assassins. After all, she was a fire-type human Pokémon. The stronger the fire burned, the more power she possessed.

But her situation was growing worse. Heads were starting to turn towards her. They peered closely with baffled expressions. Some began to point and whisper to each other. What were they plotting next? There would be nowhere to run if they chose to attack…dammit!

She walked back-to-back with Maple, shuffling through the stadium towards their seats. The older Leafeon-girl was her only friend in the world and therefore the only one she trusted to watch her back, even if she thought it was silly that Cherry required it of her.

Mark, on the other hand, was several aisles ahead of them, frantically scouting for seats. She was growing angrier at him as he failed to achieve anything. It was his fault that they were in this horrendous predicament. Sure, she had agreed to come, but why did he not know that the stadium would fill to capacity half an hour before the match began? He had watched Aurum hadn't he? Was there not a similar crowd at every match one of the Four competed in?

"OVER HERE!" a dark-haired girl stood on the bench at the very top of the stadium, "MARK! MAPLE! OVER HERE!" Looking more closely, Cherry recognized that Lily was, in fact, not a murderer. Still, she followed Mark with caution, mentally damning the people behind her that kept shouting at her to go faster.

Cherry felt comforted by the height of the position. She had a very commanding view of the rest of the stadium and the sight of the field made the world feel more open. Better still, she had chosen to sit right next to the aisle. If she needed to run, she would be the first out of her seat, down the stairs and out of the stadium.

Mark sat next to her, asking stupid questions about whether or not she was okay.

By Arceus, couldn't he tell?! She had just been through Hell for the second time in one day, who would be "okay" after that?!

Next to Lily, Shinobi crouched, rather than sat, on his seat. The human Absol and Meganium, Silver and Aroma, had returned, but they acted as though they were in a separate world, populated only by the two of them. As a result Lily was even more solemn than she had been previously, but the arrival of the three newcomers gave her some comfort.

"It's good to see you again!" Lily said enthusiastically to Maple. Even if they were both just a few feet away, she had to believe that she was alright. Maybe if she smiled a lot the pain wouldn't show.

"It's good to see you, too!" Maple hugged Lily in greeting and she noticed that the human girl hung on for a little bit longer than what Maple had expected. She didn't want to let go.

Maple looked at her sad eyes and thought about asking what was wrong. Then she remembered and her eyes widened with the realization of what Lily must be feeling as Silver and Aroma sat together, so close by.

She didn't know how badly something like that could hurt, but using her eyes, she asked Lily if there was anything she could do. The other girl shook her head very slightly and smiled. She was asking Maple to move on. Reluctantly, Maple pulled away.

"So, what have you three been up to?" Lily asked, with as much good cheer as she could manage, when Maple had sat down next to her. Maple was immensely eager to answer her questions.

Cherry began to grow bored as the time ticked away. The match would start in just another few minutes, but she was starting to see enemies in the crowd, again.

But then she realized what time of day it was and she leaned back to take in the color of the sky.

As the match was approaching, the sky had turned into the warm orange and red of sunset. It was the first time in over three months that Cherry had seen it. This was her favorite time of day. It would only last for a few minutes. A brief flare of color before the sun went out for the night.

Only a fire Pokémon could truly appreciate this time of day. And here she was, at the very best place that she could be to enjoy watching it. She felt like she could enjoy her freedom again.

Along with Mark and Maple, Cherry had spent the day preparing for her new life as Mark's second human Pokémon. They had started by visiting the Pokémon Center. There, Cherry had received her physical and was registered for the tournament.

While they were there, the Blissey-nurse confirmed the results of Maple's blood test. From that, they had determined that she was sixteen-years-old in human years, though she was barely two-and-a-half, in reality. Still, she was older than Cherry, who already knew her age to be just ten years.

Mark had asked if it was alright for her to compete despite her young age, but the nurse smiled and told him that any willing, human Pokémon as young as eight human years was allowed to compete in the tournament. He had been dumbfounded by the idea that while Maple was still very young, she could potentially fight someone that was only half her age. Cherry, however, liked the idea because it meant that Mark could no longer hold her back from a match because of her age. Blood or no blood, she was a Pokémon and she would fight.

After Cherry's physical, Maple ecstatically led the way as they shopped for clothes for Cherry. She had no idea why the Leafeon-girl had been so damned happy about it and her enthusiasm started to become annoying. She clung to Mark through most of it, despite the fact that they were only there to shop for clothes for Cherry. Mark, on the other hand, remained distant as he planned out the fight against Lily long before Cherry's training had begun. In the end, the outing was over quickly after Cherry dejectedly chose several outfits that were only slight variations on her current tan jumper.

This helped bolster Mark's personal theory that most human Pokémon did not really care about their clothing. Instead, they just relied on the instinct to wear something that made them look like what they were before evolving.

After the trip was finished, Cherry noticed that Maple had also become more distant than usual. She could pick up on the subtle changes in her mood easily, but she still had no idea what was causing it.

It might have something to do with Mark and how much attention he was giving her. Cherry had asked Mark if they were married last night, but Mark had stammered out a "no." Maybe Maple wanted to be married to Mark but he didn't really want to marry her.

But, really, it was all just confusing to Cherry. She didn't really have any idea how marriage worked, she just knew it was something that people did when they loved each other. She thought that Mark and Maple loved each other, but maybe she was wrong…

Anyway, being back at the stadium gave both of them something else to focus on. Mark was here to watch PureBlueSky, and maybe meet him afterwards. Maple was here just because she loved watching Pokémon fights, whether they were part human or not.

Cherry forgot about them both as she gazed up at that beautiful sky. It had been too long. She decided to make a promise to herself to watch it every day that she could. Another day over. Her first day of freedom.

Alex paced the locker room in the stadium. He held his arms to keep from shaking, but his right index finger still nervously tapped his left arm. After a while, it started to hurt, but no matter how hard he tried, it wouldn't stop doing that.

"You're running out of time," Whisper had told him the night before, "I told you to find me an opponent. Where are they?"

"You'll get your opponent," Alex had told him, "tomorrow night."

"Will I, now?" Whisper asked from the shadows of the hotel room, "You've said lies like that before. How do I know you're not lying again?" Whisper was playing games with him, threatening him.

"It's PureBlueSky," Alex told him, "the former champion. The strongest opponent that you could possibly ask for."

"You didn't answer my question," Whisper sneered. He paused for a few seconds, soaking in Alex's fear. He sighed before continuing in a mocking tone, "What happened to us, Alex? We used to be such good friends…"

"You turned into a monster," Alex told him, coldly.

Whisper broke into laughter.

"A monster, you say?!" he cackled, "You mean this ridiculous halfway point between Pokémon and human? Well, if you didn't notice, I'm not the only monster that you have."

"I didn't mean that," Alex stood his ground, "the others evolved to protect me from you. They are not monsters. But you are."

"Protect you from me?" Whisper laughed even harder at this suggestion, "and what good are they going to be in stopping me? Like those three can even touch me. Not even Dozer stands a chance!"

Alex looked away from Whisper's shadowy form in the corner of their room. He was right. Whisper had been his first human Pokémon to evolve, seeking greater power and then getting drunk off of it. In just a few weeks, Whisper was beyond Alex's ability to control. The things he had seen him do…

But then Cascade, Coraline and Dozer, his Seaking, Banette and Snorlax all evolved. Their power doubled, even tripled but it still wasn't enough to stop Whisper. Even the sturdy Dozer couldn't hope to stand against him. He grew too fast, became too powerful. In the end, his other human Pokémon fell behind and could no longer control Whisper either. So Alex had no choice but to seek out opponents to satisfy Whisper's bloodlust.

Alex found himself looking for other trainers on a constant basis just to keep Whisper satisfied. One here, two there, Whisper defeated every opponent with ease and only wanted more. Each victory brought him closer to losing himself completely to his bloodlust.

Alex had sworn to himself to keep Whisper out of battle, but his time was up. The tournament was the only option Alex had left. The strongest trainers in the world gathered together in one place. Now he had his chance to get Whisper off of his back.

But…would that work?

Win or lose, one match wouldn't satisfy Whisper. If he won, there would be other fights and stronger opponents to face. If he lost, well…Alex had no idea what would happen if he lost. Maybe it would humble him, discipline him and teach him that he needed Alex if he really wanted to be as strong as he wanted. It was a childish, romantic ideal, but Alex had to hope. Alex had no way to rid himself of Whisper. If Alex couldn't satisfy him, there was nothing stopping him from leaving. And next time it would be permanent.

And if that happened, people were going to die.

Alex shuddered.

Just a few more minutes, just a few more minutes, he thought over and over again.

But when those minutes were up, he still wasn't ready.

The waiting was always the worst part of it.

You had to come an hour early for a Pokémon match that likely wouldn't last longer than thirty minutes. And the crowds, they started coming even earlier. It was madness.

Just three matches in a day? Ludicrous.

Even forgetting that there was only one stadium that had to be repaired in between matches, it was still ridiculous. The Evolution Cup, as Silph had so called it, was a tourist trap, with PureBlueSky and the rest of the Four as the main attraction. Even Sky had no idea what possessed the man to create something so over-the-top.

Nope, Sky was just a tool. Not that it mattered; he would happily take Silph's money as long as he left him and his human Pokémon alone whenever the tournament wasn't being held. The Four were damned close to being nothing more than petty employees fighting over a yearly bonus. A victory by one of them was virtually guaranteed.

But, honestly, PureBlueSky didn't care about the politics behind the tournament. He hadn't agreed to come with Ian? No, Evan. Alan? Dammit, he couldn't remember…

Anyway, he had agreed to come with the boy because of his own human Pokémon. It was a chance to have a real fight again, rather than just training. They could spar with each other all they liked, but what they really needed was something new, something different. And okay, maybe the competitors at this tournament were a little…behind the Four, but they were getting stronger every year. Human Pokémon were evolving all around the world, and very quickly at that. Soon, Sky wasn't going to be as alone as he felt, right then.

That was an understatement. Sky didn't feel lonely right then, he felt lonely all the time. He was always on the outside, never quite finding his own niche to fill. He decided that that was why he missed the Four so much. The Four as a whole, and especially RiverofTears. She made him feel like he belonged somewhere; with her. Now…even his home in Sinnoh didn't welcome him the way that it used to and his own human Pokémon were abandoning him, one by one.

So, here he was. Trying to start again. He was trying as hard as he could, but he still saw River everywhere he looked.

Move on, he often thought, trying to command himself, drop it, dammit. You have to forget what happened and move on!

Of course, it didn't work. He didn't know why, but it didn't.

"Sir," the stadium attendant came back to get him, "we're ready to begin."

PureBlueSky stood up. He didn't want to go back out there. But what other choice did he have?

"Is that?"

"Must be…"

"He looks…different."

"Not what I pictured. Not by a long shot…"

"No, that's him. I recognize him from before."

Excited murmurs filled the stadium as a young man walked out from the left hand side locker room. He walked a few steps, his eyes darting over the crowd, scanning each face, looking for something that wasn't there. Every single person was staring at him.

PureBlueSky didn't know what to do, so he waved.

The stadium exploded into cheering.

From high up in the stadium, Mark peered down at the returning champion. At first, he wondered if he was too far away to be seeing him properly, but there was no mistaking it. Even the crowd around him wasn't fully sure, but once the cheering started, he knew. That was him alright.

PureBlueSky did not look like a champion. His frame was angular and bent. He hunched forward while he walked, with his hands jammed into his pockets. His skin was pale and he was far too thin. His hair was a tangle of dull brown that he had to brush to the side to keep his bangs out of his eyes. He dressed mostly in black, which made his stick frame look even thinner.

Altogether, he looked like…well; there was no other way to put it. He looked like a nerd.

"That's him," Mark said to himself, "that's PureBlueSky." He said it without emotion, as he still tried to put together how he felt. Was he disappointed, proud, relieved, amused, or maybe sympathetic? He couldn't tell.

What had he expected PureBlueSky to look like? Some sort of epic fantasy character with a sword slung over his back and a cape blowing in the wind? PureBlueSky wasn't that…far from it.

PureBlueSky wasn't a superhero. He was just a person, like any other.

But that didn't stop the crowd from cheering.

They knew who he was, even if he had changed in the last three years.

This was their champion. This was the man that they had come to see. They didn't care what he looked like, they just wanted to see him battle.

On the opposite end of the stadium, Alex's appearance was nearly forgotten amidst the appearance of PureBlueSky. The crowd was focused solely on the champion. It made Alex feel a little disappointed, but at the same time, at least no one would notice him shaking.

In the third row, he noticed Cara sitting with her own human Pokémon and looking directly at him, cheering away. She must have arrived at least an hour, probably longer, before the match was scheduled to begin. Alex was glad that she did.

He made his way to the center of the field to greet his opponent. But as Alex arrived, he stopped worrying for a brief moment as he looked at the young man coming out to meet him.

"PureBlueSky?" he asked.

"That's me," he answered in a distracted voice, he kept glancing back at the crowd, as if he was looking for someone but couldn't find them. He stopped, momentarily, to look at Alex and read the expression on his face, "thought I'd be taller?"

"Something like that…" Alex replied. The two would have been equal height if PureBlueSky stood up straight, but currently he was an inch shorter.

"Happens all the time," he dismissed Alex's concern.

"Look, I…"

"Oh, right," PureBlueSky shuffled around and removed his right hand from his pocket, "we're supposed to shake hands, right?"

Alex extended his own hand and shook the champion's. There was very little strength behind it. How weird…

"So…" PureBlueSky acted as though he didn't remember what came next, "you ready?"

"Yeah…" Alex nodded, "yeah, let's go."

PureBlueSky extended an unnecessarily long and skinny leg and turned back to his side of the stadium. But before he walked too far, Alex called out to him.

"Hey, uhh…PureBlueSky!"

"Hmm?" he pivoted at the waist and bent back to look at Alex.

"Before we start," Alex took a breath, "I just want you to know that…I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

But Alex didn't answer. Instead, he turned around and began walking to the raised platform on his own side of the stadium.

"Whatever," PureBlueSky shrugged and started walking again.

AN: so, yeah, that line I wrote about Lily faking a smile to hide her pain…yeah, I had to stop writing for a few hours after that one. That one hurt me, too. The poor girl…her man and her best friend are dating each other right in front of her face…it's gonna be a bumpy ride for her…I need to find her a man of her own, now. (Shinobi doesn't count, btw. He's awesome, but I'm afraid that putting him in a dating situation might take away what makes him awesome.)

Anyways, hope you liked the chapter! I will see you again next weekend sometime!

Thanks for reading!