Chapter 94

Huh?

Cherry stared at her hand. Was she really…?

But Mark said…

Was he wrong? Was she really…evolving?

The light coming from her hand grew dimmer and dimmer, and then stopped. Around her, the entire stadium sat in hushed silence. The entire tournament had stopped to watch.

Cherry didn't feel very different. Her hand looked the same as it had before. She didn't feel stronger or more energetic. The pain from Shinobi's attacks was still there. There was only one way to know for sure.

She put her hands up and touched her forehead. Slowly, she worked her hands backwards. If it hadn't really happened, she didn't want to find out. It would be there. She knew it was, but…what if she was wrong?

The Charmeleon-girl flinched when her fingers touched something solid on the top of her head. She was shocked to find it there. But as the realization of what it was sank in, she was overcome with joy.

Cherry smiled again as she put her hands on her horn. It stuck out only an inch or two above her hair. She rubbed her hands up and down the small piece of bone that hadn't been there thirty seconds ago.

"Congratulations, Cherry," Mark called from behind her. Still rubbing her hands over the small horn that told the world that she was a Charmeleon, she turned back to her trainer, who made it possible.

"Thanks," Cherry nodded, "but…how?"

"I have no idea…" Mark shook his head, but still smiled.

Cherry was so happy she thought she might start crying. She was a Charmeleon; one step closer to a Charizard and one step closer to her dream of flying. She looked up towards Alfred Silph's box and waved, hoping that Claire could see her.

Mark could breathe easier after that. Shinobi was down and Cherry had even evolved. He was sure Maple could win against Silver. He would switch her in and give Cherry the rest she had earned.

He looked across the field towards Lily. She had been very quiet since Cherry had beaten Shinobi. Not once had she told them to hurry up and get on with it. She hadn't even sent out Silver yet.

"We're ready when you are," Mark said into the microphone.

"Right…" Lily agreed, "Silver!"

The human Absol appeared across the field. His hands were in his pockets and he let out a long sigh as he looked at the field.

"I thought you said Shinobi would take care of this," Silver reminded his trainer.

"I know…" Lily admitted, meekly, "He almost did…"

"Wait…" Silver spied Cherry, the weakened opponent that had beaten Shinobi, "he was against a fire-type? Why didn't you Baton Pass to me?"

"Well…" Lily hung her head, "I thought you wouldn't…want to…"

"Lily, we've done it a hundred times," Silver could hardly believe it, "I would've done it again."

"Really?"

"Yes, really," Silver turned to face his trainer, "whatever happens out there," he nodded towards the stadium wall, behind her, "stays out there. In here: we fight. So, trust me."

"Oh…alright," Lily nodded. Silver was always so cool and confident on the battlefield. Why couldn't he be the same way all the time? She felt like such a basket-case. She should have stuck to her usual plan and trusted Silver to do his part. If they lost, it would be her fault.

"Silver," she called out, "I'm sorry…"

"Worry about that later," Silver shrugged as he turned back to the field, "I can handle the rest."

Across from him, the little Charman-…no, wait, there was a horn on her head. She was a Charmeleon. Well, no matter. It made little difference to Silver. Whatever she was, she had been slashed again and again and was still dripping blood. Yet she was grinning and wagging her tail as if it was the best day of her life. Silver really did not understand women.

She was just a little kid, but Shinobi couldn't take her down. That left her to Silver. The board still showed no losses on Mark's side. That meant that the Leafeon-girl was still in this. She wouldn't be a problem either. Silver would just have to handle this without Shinobi to Baton Pass a few boosts of speed and a Swords Dance to him. He'd be fine.

He bent his head forward as he raced towards the Char…meleon-girl. He moved fast as he anticipated the order before it came.

"Suckerpunch!" Lily called.

Silver grinned at the order. It was his favorite tactic for finishing off a weaker enemy. All he needed now was-

He skidded to a stop. His opening was not going to come. The trainer hadn't attacked at all. Instead, the Leafeon-girl was standing in front of the Charmeleon one. They were switching places.

"Hi Cherry," Maple greeted, "did you beat him?"

"Uh-huh," Cherry nodded and grinned.

"Awesome!" Maple exclaimed, "Wait…is that…?"

"Uh-huh!" Cherry nodded again and her grin grew wider.

"A horn?!" Maple bent forward to look at it.

"Uh-huh!" Cherry was fit to burst.

"Sweet, holy Arceus!" Maple swept the smaller girl off of the ground as she picked her up and hugged her. The two spun in a circle for a few seconds, laughing together.

Above them, Mark smiled as he watched his two Pokémon-girls together. He could feel it. Everything, absolutely everything, was going to be okay.

"Hey!" Silver called to the pair, "HEY!"

They finally stopped spinning and looked at him.

"Battlefield," he reminded them, "remember?"

"Oh…" Maple came back to herself as she looked at Silver. And she remembered what she had to do. "Right…" she set Cherry down and narrowed her gaze at the Absol-man. The Charmeleon-girl faded from the field, leaving them alone.

"Alright, let's be smart, Maple," Mark called from behind her, "you can win, but it's not a sure thing. We'll need to be careful."

"Right, right," Maple agreed. But she was hardly paying attention. She was too busy focusing on her opponent who had lied to and hurt his own trainer. His trainer who was also Maple's friend.

She blinked and let the Red State run through her.

"Whoa…" Silver took a step back, "what the hell is up with your-"

"Shut up!" Maple screeched. She ran right at him.

"Protect!" Lily called.

"Swords Dance!" Mark ordered.

Silver obeyed, but Maple did not. As Silver held up his hands to create the barrier, Maple continued her charge. She swiped at the semi-transparent barrier over and over, but her tail bounced off harmlessly.

"Maple, I said 'Swords Dance!'" Mark called down to her, "what are you doing?" Not once, in the entire time that he had trained her, had Maple disobeyed an order in battle. What was happening?

Silver managed to keep his Protect barrier up until Maple's flurry of Leaf Blades finished. When the girl stopped to catch her breath, Silver let the barrier fall and took a few more steps back. He had never imagined that such a small, slight thing would be so…vicious.

Her eyes were nothing but red. They seemed to burn as wild and violently as a brush fire. There was no way to tell where she was looking, but Silver knew. She was looking at him, she was looking into him. What the hell was he fighting?

"Suckerpunch!" Lily called.

"Swords Dance, Maple! Swords Dance!" Mark wasn't trying to win as he shouted the order. He just wanted Maple back again.

Silver saw at once that Mark's desperate command changed nothing. Maple came at him, ready to start slashing again. Seizing the chance, he darted forward and struck Maple on her cheek. The blow forced her head to twist to the side, but not a single drop of blood fell. Silver had nowhere to run as her tail whipped around and slashed across his ribs. He stared in disbelief as a thin trail of his own blood welled out of the wound.

He bounded backwards, keeping his hand over the open slash mark. If she hit him just once more, he'd be down. But that wasn't what worried him. What worried him the most was that he was suddenly convinced that she wouldn't stop there. Whatever she had done to herself, it made her want to kill him.

Maple stood where she was and blinked a few times. Her head was foggy and her cheek hurt a little bit. Had Silver hit her? He must have.

There was a gap in her memory, as if time had skipped ahead through the last few minutes. She must have blacked-out, like she had against Coraline…

She realized that the Red State must have taken over. She was in control again, but only barely. She began to worry, but then she saw the expression on Silver's face. He was only a few feet away and he was clutching his chest. Apparently she had slashed him after he had hit hurt. He was staring at her in stark terror. She could use that.

"What's wrong, Silvy?" she taunted, "Not used to seeing a girl that's stronger than you?"

"I've seen plenty, thank you," Silver shot back. He was part Pokémon. Gender made no difference when it came to strength in battle. He had other concerns. "What the hell was that?"

"What was what?" Maple titled her head in faux-confusion.

"Your eyes," Silver squinted as he watched her, "they were nothing but red a second ago…it's still there, just not as strong."

"Oh, none of your business," Maple teased.

"Are you going to kill me?" he asked.

Maple stared blankly, for a moment. Silver was serious. He was genuinely afraid that Maple meant to kill him. It made her stop for a moment.

The Red State used to scare her, but after she used it a few times, it became easier and easier. She always had control. And if she lost it, it was back after only a few moments. But why did she lose it?

Before the blank spot, she remembered getting angry. She had been angrier than she had been in a long time. Then she just needed to stay calm. If she could do that, then she would be perfectly fine.

"Swords Dance, dammit!" Mark's commands were more like pleas, "Swords Dance!"

"Oh, right!" Maple had nearly forgotten that Mark was even back there. She closed her eyes and spun in place as the phantom swords materialized around her.

"Night Slash!" Lily called.

Silver took the chance as Maple finished her Swords Dance. He leapt into the air and flexed his whole arm. His forearm became covered in the snow-white fur of an Absol as he slashed down the center of his target, leaving a trail of dark shadow behind. At last, a few droplets of blood hit the grass as he dealt some real damage to Maple.

"No," Maple shook her head and ignored the pain, "I'm not going to kill you, Silver. I just want to teach you a lesson."

Silver bounced back. His chest pounded as he watched her eyes. They could change back at any moment. What could he do? With a Swords Dance boost, she'd barely have to touch him. He began to sorely miss Shinobi. He could use a Swords Dance of his own. The only trick he hadn't used was Psycho Cut and that was useless here.

"A lesson?" Silver tried to stall, "about what?" He was afraid to ask. He knew what the answer was. It was the only lesson anybody wanted to teach him.

"You need to stop fighting with Lily!" Maple shouted it, to give it strength.

"Uh-huh," Silver nodded, "and…you intend to beat me until I do it. Is that it?"

"Yes!" Maple shot back.

"Yeah?" Silver taunted, "well, no offense, but the world doesn't work like that. Maybe you enjoy those kinds of fairy-tales, but I don't! Especially since I'm living one and I hate it!"

"You…hate it?" Maple paused.

"Just about," Silver grumbled, "life as a human is a crock. It seems like a nice idea, when you're still a Pokémon. But once you evolve you realize that every dream you came up with was just you being stupid. You didn't understand what you asked for and the world just throws your dreams back in your face. And it's all to teach you a lesson."

Maple hung her head. Was that the truth? Was he right? Only a few nights ago she…she…

"DAMN YOU!" Maple screamed as she charged forward, once more.

"Maple, not yet!" Mark called, "use Synthesis!"

"Protect!"

Silver was much more willing to believe Lily's prediction. A quick glance at Maple's eyes told him how desperate the situation was. He had barely enough time to raise his Protect barrier and defend against Maple's Leaf Blade. Mark's command was ignored once again.

Great, Silver moaned in his thoughts, I just had to say something, didn't I? I just had to piss off the psychotic Leafeon-girl. Son of a bitch…

His barrier lost the strength to hold Maple back. This would be it. If he didn't take her down, it would be over. And he might not live through it.

"Suckerpunch!" Lily yelled, knowing it was their last chance. Mark, however, did not bother giving an order.

Maple's eyes were still glowing when Silver took his chance. Once more, his Suckerpunch scored a direct hit on the same spot he had hit Maple before. A small spattering of blood hit the ground as his blow made the Leafeon-girl bleed.

But then, she turned back to face him. He stared into those glowing, solid-red eyes for a moment. They were so unlike the gentle, light-brown she normally had. For the very quickest of moments, he noticed something in the corner of her left eye. As her eyes shone red with bloodlust, she was also crying.

When the moment was over, Silver felt her tail slash up through the center of his body. He felt the wound open and his blood spray out. The pain hit him after that, but not for long. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.

The Red State continued to surge through Maple's body. It demanded release and satisfaction. It wanted to cleanse away all of the pain that ate away at her from the inside. It wanted blood and death, as well. And Silver's body was lying battered and defenseless in front of her.

She could finish him. She could wipe away the source of so much pain. It would be easy. All she had to do was-

"MAPLE!" Mark screamed louder than he thought possible.

Maple flinched. She hesitated as she stood over Silver's bloody, unconscious body. Her tail was poised and ready to finish the job. But she hesitated too long. Silver's body disappeared from the field as Lily recalled him to his Pokéball.

With no target and nothing to release itself against, the Red State fled from Maple's body. The Leafeon-girl stood up and scrambled backwards, clutching her arms as she shivered. She tripped and fell on the ground. She stared at the spot where Silver had been. Had Mark not…if she didn't…then she would've…

"Maple," Mark breathed long and deep, "return."

Maple vanished from the field and disappeared within her Pokéball.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry," Mark shook his head as he repeated it over and over again.

"It's okay," Lily nodded, dumbly, "nobody got hurt."

"But…we…" he had no words to be able to properly apologize. Silver had nearly died because of Mark and Maple. There was no excuse for it.

"You won," Lily reminded him with a smile, "that's what matters, right?"

Mark shrugged. Lily was only trying to be nice, but he didn't deserve it. The entire stadium was deathly quiet around them. Mark had been declared the winner, but everyone had seen how it had ended. They knew that he had lost control over his Leafeon-girl and she had lost control over herself. Could someone like that compete? Could they be trusted?

"I don't deserve it," he told Lily

"It's okay," she said again, "everything will be okay, if you just hang in there."

"Do you really believe that?" he asked. He didn't believe in much of anything right then.

"Of course," Lily nodded, "I have to."

Mark nodded. Lily was stronger than what he realized.

He turned towards his end of the stadium. Questions floated around in his mind that he was afraid to find an answer for. What had happened to Maple? And why did it happen?

AN: so, that's the end of Mark vs. Lily. It leads the race for the most depressing end to a tournament fight and…it's probably going to stay that way actually…..not 100% positive of that, though.

Anyway, sorry for the delay. Again. Weekends can get in the way of writing from time to time.

I guess that's it, for now. I shall see you Thursday.

Thanks for reading!