NSO Chapter 47
I don't own Pokemon.
Cleo sat idly at the dining table. With a sandwich in her paw, she was thumbing through her phone's Messages app. The only chat open was with her mother, and it was filled with her texts from yesterday. She hoped today would bring at least one reply, but the lack of notifications quashed any before they had time to form.
Mom
(Missed video call at 7:57 pm)
Cleo: Whoops that was an accident. Hope you're doing well over there though 7:58 pm
Cleo: Is there any time we can video call? 10:25 pm
Cleo: Good night 11:43 pm
(Today)
Cleo: Good morning 8:02 am
Cleo: I miss you. 8:03 am
"Mom hasn't been replying to my messages." She muttered.
"Maybe she's busy," replied a voice across from her.
"Probably… I'm just worried about–"
Cleo immediately shut her mouth once she realised who she was talking to. Without another word, the Vaporeon stood up from the table, stuffing the rest of her breakfast in her mouth. Neither Pokemon tried to maintain eye contact as she stormed off, her pawsteps heavy on the staircase.
"Looks like someone's in a good mood today." Sensing that the storm had passed, Julley poked his head around the kitchen doorway. He held two cups tightly in each paw, moving slowly to prevent the milk and cereal inside from sloshing out.
"She's happier. And she talked to me, which is a plus."
"Do you think she's starting to forgive you?" The Lucario slid a cup over to Zoey, sitting on the adjacent chair that she had pulled out for him.
"Not a chance. You saw what happened. Something must've happened yesterday."
"Maybe she read your note."
"I don't think she'd act this way if she did. Perhaps she wants me to say it."
"Perhaps." With the unspoken course of action hanging heavily between them, both Pokemon took a sip of cereal.
It was a long, slow sip in a single breath… intending to outlast the other's attempt. Zoey's lips were the first to separate from her cup, nearly spluttering as she slammed it on the table.
"Fine," she dabbed her milk-logged fur dry with a paper towel. "I'll find time to talk to her." She looked up only to see Julley's snout still lodged in his cup.
"How are you still drinking?"
His stony expression crumbled, a widening smile exposing previously sealed lips pressed against the ceramic rim.
"I never started."
"You–" Zoey wanted to empty her remaining breakfast on him, but resisted the temptation with a defeated sigh. "You're right. But you have to help me start the conversation."
"It's the least I can do." Julley finally took a swig, and Zoey relished seeing his face transform from a triumphant expression into one of disgust.
"Ugh. My milk turned cold."
"You're welcome."
…
"Help me thank your mother for allowing us to use her lawn."
"Uh…where's Gayle?"
What was up with her mouth today? That was none of her business to ask, and the dread of realisation was only sinking in after Cleo had blurted out the question. "I mean, I haven't seen her around a lot, and I was wondering about—"
At least Kelli was good-natured enough to entertain her verbal blunder.
"She's in therapy and getting better. It's not cheap, but I'm willing to clock out a few extra hours later so it's not a burden for Clint."
Clint? Right… the Decidueye.
"Anyways, I trust you already know about this feature of your lawn?" Kelli pushed aside shrubbery to reveal a box planted within the topsoil.
"How did you—"
"The same way I know you have experience in physical and special combat through your involvement in many fights alongside my son, especially the one against your sister." Flipping open the top of the box, Kelli pushed the red button contained inside.
The ground rumbled. A recognisable clanking of turning gears signalled Cleo to step back as the lawn started to flip, four inches of grass and dirt inverting to reveal flat rubber of equal thickness. The synthetic side locked itself into place and a cylindrical machine started to rise from the centre of the circular floor. Its top face was slanted at an angle like someone had sliced a log diagonally. A panel on its body slid open, revealing a small tray of ten multicoloured buttons.
"Alright. Cleo, come on up," Kelli was already on the flipped lawn, gesturing for Cleo to take a look at the panel. "You should already know that this," She pointed at a blue button. "Activates the battle mode of this arena. So here's a new button you can try out if you feel like training." She pushed a white button directly underneath the blue one.
The cylinder's top face had a screen and it glowed brightly, showing a start-up display.
TRAINING ARENA v1.0.5–FULLY OPERATIONAL
A wave of green light shot out from the base of the machine. It spread to the perimeter of the circle and retreated just as quickly, the floor it left behind a white, foamy surface overlaid with black grid lines. A blue beam of light shot out from the screen of the machine. It separated into smaller beams in a starburst pattern, each beam arcing downwards to create a dome around the circle. Lines appeared on the curved surface as rings of increasing diameter, so the entire arena was covered in the same gridlike pattern on the floor.
"TRAINING ARENA READY. PLEASE ADJUST THE SETTINGS. POKEMON MAY NOW ENTER THE ARENA." A loud, flat voice blared.
"There's no need for additional settings right now, so we can leave this thing alone." Kelli turned around from the machine to properly make eye contact with the Vaporeon.
"Cleo, welcome to your first training session. Whether there will be more to come, time will tell. As an Espeon, it is only appropriate for me to teach you how to properly face battles of the mind, and from the mind."
"I am referring to Psychic attacks, which are actual threats in any battle because they are wholly based on their user and can come from any direction." While Kelli was talking, Cleo felt something tap her left shoulder. She turned slightly to see what it was, jumping in surprise when she rocketed skywards, landing back on a pink platform that had lifted her into the air.
"This adds unpredictability, especially when you aren't anticipating them." The translucent platform lowered into the floor and disappeared.
"Proper, powerful psychic attacks are ones of pure concentration. Those require the most focus, while smaller, faster attacks are generally weaker. That does not mean you can take them easily. Enough raindrops can erode a mountain."
"Now, with what I've told you, how would you theoretically face an enemy using strong psychic attacks?"
"Uh…" Cleo was caught off-guard by the sudden pop quiz. "Try to attack them first? Before they finish charging up their Psychic?"
"Right. Theoretically. But let's put a pin in that approach first and move on to something lighter." Kelli spaced herself a few metres apart from Cleo.
"Another way Psychic is unpredictable is in the variety of damaging forms. Projectiles, beams, blades… almost impossible to read when facing off against strangers. However, no Pokemon in their right mind will only attack with a single attempt. Small attacks come in swarms, and once you know what they are, reacting to the rest should be simple."
Five purple balls appeared in a row perpendicular to the Espeon. They all converged on Cleo's location, whizzing past her after a single sidestep.
"Always keep an eye on all Psychic attacks."
Five forces struck the back of her head, a stinging sensation left behind with every hard impact. Cleo was on high alert now, whipping around the moment she caught the tiniest glimpse of purple in her vision. She dodged the balls again, this time watching them carefully so she could duck when they boomeranged around.
"You have to be aware of your opponent too." A pink ray zipped past Cleo's face, barely missing her nose by a hair's breadth. Startled, she blinked, now noticing a ball of light that hung above Kelli. It was the source of her next attacks: Lazers zigzagged through the air as they homed in on their target. Cleo didn't take her eyes off them either, making sure each pink line had completely dissipated before turning her attention back to Kelli.
"Good job, Cleo. Your final test on light attacks is to stop me from using them." There was no more elaboration offered. The Espeon's eyes glowed a bright blue and the barrage truly began. Balls pelted Cleo in every direction. Three large lights above Kelli blasted lasers nonstop, the beams splitting into thinner rays that ricocheted around the arena whenever they struck a ball. There were balls and there were beams that refracted from the balls to create more beams that bounced around the battlefield in a pink whirlwind, all raining down upon the Vaporeon. She tried to get closer to Kelli, but for every one step forward she was forced two feet back.
Cleo found herself pressed against the walls of the arena, almost considering giving up. There was no way she could dodge her way out of this. There wasn't enough water around to use her moves, and wouldn't the attacks just pass through the water anyway?
Frustration was starting to take over. Why was this a 'simple test'? Why did things turn out this way? Why wasn't mom replying to her? Why did… everything have to be so difficult?
Cleo yelled, swiping the air in her fury. She could see the droplets of water secreted from her pads, a wide streak of water that hung in the air. The transparent liquid solidified instantly under her icy breath, now a sheet in front of the Vaporeon which projectiles collided with in an explosion of pink and white shards.
"Yes! I knew you had it in you! Keep it up!" The shout spurred on Cleo's slow progress towards her. Despite the chaos swarming her, she focused on the steady rhythm of setting up shields before her, ready to produce another once the former was obliterated. Step by step, shield by shield, she finally made her way before Kelli. Although the projectiles and lasers had stopped, Cleo felt like she was facing a larger problem. All was quiet in the arena, and Kelli's closed eyes added to Cleo's creeping sense of foreboding about the calm before a storm.
The three lights had not disappeared but merged into one bright sphere. It was growing in volume, already several times larger than the Espeon that created it.
How do you face an opponent using strong Psychic attacks?
It couldn't be what Kelli wanted her to do, could it? Cautiously, Cleo padded up to Kelli. She raised a paw… and bopped the red gem on Kelli's forehead.
The pink light faded instantly.
"Quick thinking. However, keep in mind that if you leave an opponent charging an attack for too long, distracting them will have no effect. Now, are you ready to deal with heavy attacks?"
The exercises were similar to the previous test. Kelli charged up a large Psychic, while Cleo had to make it past smaller obstacles to stop her. With each test passed, Kelli dished out little pieces of advice regarding her performance.
Projectiles.
"Setting distance between opponents allows for more efficient dodging. Just be aware that your opponent can take advantage of your reactivity to force you into undesirable situations. "
Hurdles.
"Never show your opponent you have exhausted yourself."
Maze.
"Good job thinking out of the box. If the maze has a ceiling just remember that never repeating the same path twice will eventually lead you to the exit."
More projectiles.
"You really know how to handle these, huh? Don't get too overconfident with other opponents. They're not me."
More projectiles?
It was the same rain of balls, down to the number and pattern. Kelli had her eyes shut, charging up her attack like usual, but nothing new stood in between the two Eeveelutions. Cleo almost cracked a smile. She knew that there was a moment when the balls would stop, and a clear pathway to the Espeon would be revealed. All she had to do was block this next wave of projectiles. Cleo's paw eagerly clawed downwards in the air…
…Jarring pain shot up her arm, eliciting a gasp of shock. Ripples spread across a now visible pink surface.
"Don't rush into something once you see an opening to attack! It may be what your opponent wants you to do."
Shaking her aching paw, Cleo directed an Ice Beam at the psychic shield. It froze easily, brittle enough to smash through. She approached the remainder of the course a lot more cautiously afterwards, even though there seemed like there were no new surprises.
Cleo stepped in front of a motionless Kelli. She reached out, ready to end this like all the other tests prior.
Her paw stopped millimetres away from the gem, unable to move forward any further. That should have been such an obvious warning that the Vaporeon was too stunned to consider. Caught unaware, Cleo could only watch the opening of lilac eyelids, white pupils trained on her.
A platform lifted Cleo off her paws, ascending faster than before. Her legs were pinned to the platform under the speed and suddenness of elevation, laying limp as she watched Kelli grow smaller below her.
Things were moving so fast. The platform was no longer there to support her. Cleo had barely begun to register that fact when something else slammed into her flank. The world spun while she spiralled through the air. Was that a giant punching glove? She was faintly aware of plummeting, the air whipping madly against her frills. She could see the ground pretty well, especially with how it was rushing up to meet her face at alarming speeds and—
"Cleo!"
The Vaporeon's fall was halted abruptly as a pink glow enveloped her from tail to toe. It was slowly carrying her over to where Kelli stood, planting her paws back on the arena floor. They felt weak, and Cleo was surprised that she didn't collapse once the pink glow disappeared.
"Are you alright? You have to be capable of taking counterattacks and dishing them out."
"Uh-huh."
Kelli sighed. Cleo's unfocused eyes, her dazed response… she probably wasn't able to take in any more advice for the time being.
"Maybe you have to work on that, " Kelli pressed the same white button on the machine again. The dome and floor retracted back into the cylinder, returning the arena to a plain circle of rubber again.
"This ends today's lesson. If there's one thing you should take away from this, Cleo, remember to only enter situations you know you are capable of handling."
…
"Cleo, we have to talk. Even if you don't want to, that's fine, just hear me out, okay? Julley and I are returning to campus tomorrow, so it'll be a long time before we get to talk face to face again.
I want to apologise. From the beginning, I shouldn't have encouraged taking Sylvie on. I was trying to do what I thought was right and didn't consider what consequences it would have on you. That was selfish of me, and so was everything I put you through until now. Those dumb competitions when we were young, how this turned out… I'm sorry.
You're probably ignoring me. You probably want to leave this room and get as far away from me as possible. I can understand that. I've brought so many problems upon you, and no amount of apologies is enough to make up for that. Do whatever you think helps you best. Just… please… don't rush into another relationship right now. It's happened too many times in this family, and I… I don't want you to make the same mistake too." Zoey blinked profusely to rid herself of tears welling up in her eyes.
Julley blinked back.
Zoey groaned, throwing herself onto the bed he sat on.
"Now you just need to tell her."
The pillow smushed into her face muffled another loud groan.
"I don't think I can do it." The voice was small from behind the pillow. There were comforting pats on her back, but they did nothing to ease her nerves. "I've done too much for her to want to listen. Maybe I should just leave quietly."
"Listen to yourself. Zoey Torrent, admitting defeat. Sure, we may have screwed up. Horrendously. In ways we could never have imagined."
"Not helping."
"But this is your last chance to try and set things right between the two of you. No matter the result, she'll know that you cared."
"I guess so." Zoey got up. "You're good at giving these speeches."
"Well, I do know how to... bolster morale." Julley waved a pillow in front of the Glaceon.
"That's a stretch." She rolled her eyes, but a small smile crept onto both of their faces.
"It worked, didn't it? Well, the arena's been turned off for a while. I'll go check on Cleo."
"What about Cliff?"
"Still sleeping. Looks like he's tuckered out from yesterday."
Left alone, Zoey looked at the floor, trying her best to mentally recite her 'script'.
I'm sorry.
I want to apologise.
Don't be like me.
Don't rush.
Don't rush.
Don't rush don't rush don't rush
Julley rushed back into the room, urgency obvious in his frantic whispers.
"cleo—going somewhere—last chance—hurry." He doubled over, wheezing. There was no way he could answer any questions like this and just gestured wildly towards their open doorway.
A rustling noise came from the living room, growing louder as Zoey descended the staircase.
"Cleo, I…huh?" Zoey's train of thought immediately derailed at the sight of the dining table. Items were scattered on the wood, being stuffed into an already half-full rucksack.
"Where…where are you going?"
"Out." Cleo weighed a heavy-duty torchlight in her paw, slotting it into a side pocket.
"This late? What about dinner?" Zoey's subconscious started to cook up theories like usual, but there was no need for sleuthing. Just one reason, the one she was most afraid of, came to mind.
"It's a boy, isn't it?"
The air grew tense, that word hanging heavily between them. Cleo shoved in a small blanket, abandoning everything else as she zipped up her bag.
"I'm leaving." The Vaporeon slung the bag over her back, but her start towards the door was blocked by a body.
"Cleo, you don't have the correct headspace for this! Think about what you're getting into!"
"Did YOU think about what you got ME into with YOUR half-assed plan?!" The sentence was spat out with a snarl, and Zoey shrank backwards at her sister's bared fangs.
"I-I—" This was an opportunity to transition into her apology, but the retort was a stick jammed between her mental gears. She spluttered, no words coming to mind.
"I thought so." Cleo pushed past the Glaceon, placing her paw on the doorknob.
"I just don't want you to make the same mistakes we—I made!"
"What, is making a friend a mistake?"
The two Eeveelutions locked eyes. They both knew.
"Is he just a friend?"
Cleo opened the door. Was that a hint of blue, streaking along the sidewalks? She may have imagined it but not the pleading in the voice behind her.
"Please, Cleo." She had been reduced to a whisper, begging her to stay. To listen. To look back.
Cleo faced the lawn.
"Don't come after me."
…
Cleo had no reason to care about slamming the door or the fact that her books were gone. Good riddance, she would have said. Something better awaited her elsewhere. She bounded off into the light of the setting sun.
…
Zoey couldn't look away from where Cleo had stood. She was fixated on that one spot, the rest of the world muffled and insignificant. The second that ticked by mattered not when she stared and stared, as if she tried hard enough, Cleo would manifest herself back on the doormat.
Julley sat down beside her. She did not stir at his touch but allowed herself to be laid across his lap, her head cradled gently in strong arms. Mittened paws wiped away the ice crystals that clustered around her eyes. Although her jaw had been clenched the entire time, the cold facade was melting away at his comforting presence. Tear after tear squeezed their way past her rapid blinking, hot rivers that ran down Zoey's face and soaked into his thick woollen clothing. There was no swallowing down that lump in her throat; her cries were raw with emotion. Julley cast no judgement or jokes, just tightened his embrace slightly around the sniffling Glaceon.
A warm Pokemon to support her through the harsh snowstorm that raged within. That was all she wanted, and he knew.
…
"I love what you've done with the place."
"You asked, and I listened."
Seph stepped aside to let Cleo admire his efforts. The central pit of the Junkyard had been transformed since yesterday's visit. Fairy lights were strung up along the empty husks of cars, illuminating the small hideout in their friendly yellow glow. A repaired radio was placed on a bonnet, held together by a lot of electrical tape. Objects had been sorted into neat stacks of cardboard boxes. There was one containing multicoloured discs that Seph sifted through, pulling out a grey disc and inserting it into the radio.
"Are those…?"
"TMs. Not everything has to be used in battles, you know. They can just be… beautiful." He glanced at her, their eyes meeting for a second. Cleo hastily averted her gaze, as did he, both blushing furiously. The radio started to play smooth jazz.
Heightened endorphin and dopamine levels detected. You seem to be having fun, Cleo.
Yeah… yeah.
Carpets had been placed over the rough terrain, thick enough to prevent any sharp bits from poking through. The velvet surface felt nice, and so did the evening breeze rolling through the place. Cleo found a 'hill' that wasn't too steep and began laying out a towel she had packed, along with some snacks in her bag.
"Great spot." Seph climbed up the slope. There was a candle in his jaws, which left less space in his mouth to hold onto the large bag of popcorn lugging behind him.
"That's your idea of dinner?" She resisted a chuckle as Seph settled next to her. "And what's with the candle when we have things like this?" She waggled her flashlight in his face.
"I had other food choices, but you wouldn't believe how I managed to burn them all. And the candle…" Seph clapped his paws twice. A shower of sparks flew from his pads when they met, setting the candle's wick ablaze.
"Nice."
"To be honest, we don't need any more light. The stars provide all that we need." Cleo's attention was directed upwards to a breathtaking view. It was nothing like the one outside her window, despite the two locations only being separated by a 15-minute walk. The stars had revealed themselves, tiny twinkling dots peppered across the night skies. The moon was in the thinnest stage of the lunar cycle, a crescent sliver of silver that paled in comparison to the others sharing this breathtaking canvas.
"I've never seen anything so pretty."
"Same here." The Jolteon had been looking at her instead, laughing and ducking to avoid Cleo's playful swipes. "But seriously."
Seph tore open his bag, showing that it was full of…
"Bags of uncooked popcorn. Where are we going to find a microwave in here?"
He picked up a packet. "I've seen a few around, but there's no need for them." There was a feeling of déjà vu from what was happening, and Cleo could not wait for the outcome.
Seph flung the packet above his head. He made a finger gun and pointed at the dark silhouette outlined against an even darker sky.
"Boom."
The Junkyard lit up instantly as a small bolt left his paws, returning to its shadow-shrouded state when it shot upwards. There was silence for a moment, two pairs of eyes trained on the shrinking yellow dot in the sky.
"So, when—?"
POP!
The first one landed on Cleo's nose, making her sneeze. The pitter-patter of a popcorn shower followed, the two of them trying to get as much as they could in their open mouths. Although many kernels missed their mark, small piles had gathered on the Vaporeon's frills, easily accessible to continue stuffing her face. Even more had stuck to Seph's spiky fur, the Jolteon spinning in circles to try and reach the ones on his back.
Cleo laughed again, indulging in the silliness of it all.
And they still had many more packets left.
…
"I blew it. Again."
Julley did not respond, and neither did he stop smoothing down Zoey's ruffled fur. He had no idea what to say. He had been watching from the bannister upstairs, afraid to add fuel to the heated argument. He wasn't any less scared now, afraid for the state of his girlfriend, her sister, and for a multitude of reasons that he could not pinpoint. Fear tingled in the back of his skull all the same.
Cleo seemed pretty set in her decisions.
"… can't even apologise right…"
Julley never took her as a Pokemon that would get attached to the first new guy she met. She must trust him a lot.
"… shouldn't have pressed for answers…"
However, the incident had muddled the minds of all involved. How was anyone supposed to know what's appropriate right now?
"But what if she gets into trouble?"
"Do you want me to watch over her?"
There were no options to resolve this mess quickly, but the reassurance that Cleo was safe could ease Zoey's worries.
"You can do that?"
Julley's eyes were an intense blue, blazing with aura.
"Her aura's faint, but still trackable. Are you sure you'll be alright on your own?"
"Yeah." Zoey sniffled. "Be careful, okay?"
"Okay. I'll be back soon." Julley set the Glaceon back onto her four paws. Another creak of the door and the Lucario had slipped out into the night.
…
Two Eeveelutions were wrapped in a blanket, a bowl of popcorn between them. The LED lights twinkled around them, alongside the stars they were gazing at.
The TM had finished playing. All popcorn packets had been opened. Silence seeped back into the Junkyard, the lack of sound combining with Cleo's lack of action to create time for reflection.
"What's wrong? You look lost."
"It's my sister. She's caused so much trouble since she returned."
"Even…?"
"Yep. Her plan failed."
"Oh. Well, I think you should try reconciling with her."
"What? Why?" Cleo almost recoiled at the thought.
"Has she tried to make up for what she's done?"
"I guess… although every time we just start shouting at each other. You think it's possible?"
"Absolutely. Love over hate, right?"
Cleo didn't realise her fins were bristling until she felt
"Right."
"So the next time you two talk to Zoey, listen to her apology, okay?"
"…okay."
"Great." Seph moved to replace the disc but hesitated at a tugging on his end of the blanket.
"Can we stay like this? A while longer?"
"Sure, Cleo." He snuggled closer to her, kissing her forehead.
"We can stay as long as you want."
…
Zoey sat on the porch. The last light in Zenith's house—and on this stretch of road—had turned off five minutes ago. Midnight brought with it a sense of serenity, but the amount of fidgeting showed a Glaceon that clearly thought otherwise.
Stay calm.
Cleo's going to be alright. She's smart.
Julley will be able to keep her safe.
Both of them can take care of themselves.
As can you, Zoey.
She looked up at the voices in her head. A black Sports Utility Vehicle blocked her driveway. A Beheeyem and Medicham stood at the fence bordering her lawn, dressed in the characteristic blue uniforms of law enforcement.
They're not the police.
Well, it was worth a shot.
Something whipped past Zoey, hitting the house's front wall behind her with a loud 'thunk'. A police warrant card had pierced the hardwood, quivering from the impact. It was probably fake.
I'm sure you would have recognised that as forged since you study Police Science and Criminal Justice and all. I was looking forward to saying that speech though. Zoey clutched her head. Her mind was under siege from two influences, although the constant voice of one was already enough to inflict a splitting headache.
She had to focus. The Pokemon had jumped the fence, absolutely silent as they strode across the lawn to her. These two WERE NOT THE POLICE. They meant her harm. Get away from them. Get back inside the house. Contact Julley.
Nope. A stationary bubble formed around Zoey, who, unable to react in time, ran face first into the sides. While she was stunned, the walls were easily enclosed around her. Her paws flailed as she was psychically lifted by her tail, dangling helplessly in midair.
The voice had stopped; so had the Beheeyem. He was standing completely still, while the Medicham had taken something out of his breast pocket, aiming it directly at her face. Was that a gas mask? Zoey squirmed against the Psychic, but it clung to her like pink shrink-wrap. Physical means could not free her from psychic bonds.
However, the force holding her was tangible. With the temporary halt of mind intrusion, thoughts were returning in fragments, including what she had seen during Cleo's training.
Frost was beginning to form. It started from her snout and rapidly spread throughout the interior walls of Psychic until the Glaceon was no longer visible, just an ice sculpture in her place.
A ripple of confusion passed through the duo of Psychic types. The Medicham decided to take one step closer.
The ice burst outwards, expanding and thickening at an unexpected rate. As suspected, the Psychic bubble was distended to accommodate for the increasing volume of ice contained within. The unexpected inflation caught the Medicham by surprise. He stumbled back to collide with his partner, knocking them both to the ground. With Psychic gone, the ice ball dropped back on the grass with a muffled thump.
Zoey lay inside. She should have bought enough time to think—
She gaped as a fist pushed into this hollow space she had carved. The ice around the steaming appendage sizzled. The fist was retracted, and someone looked through the deep hole it had made. Zoey's fur stood on end when she made eye contact, flattening herself against the nearest side.
—Or maybe not. The main door was compromised. An alternate way would be through the back door, which she had not locked.
Another Fire Punch pushed through the ice again, slowly boring a hole next to the first.
His punch could shatter her structures easily, so why were they taking so much time? Right. They had to be quiet. Nothing they did could make much noise, for fear of making too much noise and alerting the neighbourhood.
Her, on the other hand…
I already told you, no. A flurry of small pink stars was shot through the holes, plastering themselves to whatever surface they landed on. There were too many to fend off, and their purpose was known soon enough when one latched onto her nose. Its five sides wrapped themselves tightly around her snout, stubbornly resisting any attempts at removal.
Zoey had been kept preoccupied for far too long. The Medicham was only a few punches away from breaking through her defence. She had to keep it together. Making it to the backyard and back into the house was the priority. Her eyes narrowed at the Psychic muzzle.
No matter. She had other means to battle besides a simple Ice Beam.
Zoey closed her eyes, the dull sounds of battle fading into white noise. Her spirit was Calm, her Mind was focused.
Get to the backyard. Get inside the house.
Zoey Torrent. You have been charged with voluntarily causing grievous hurt.
While annoying, the voice was no longer as jarring. The top half of the ball was raised into the air, ice chips raining down on the Glaceon.
Do you want to say anything about the charge that was just read to you? If you keep quiet now about any fact or matter in your defence and you reveal this fact or matter in your defence only at your trial, the judge may be less likely to believe you. Zoey shrugged off the paragraph, honing in on her other senses. The Medicham placed the hollow hemisphere lightly on the lawn. His knuckles were ignited, licks of flame running up his forearms. The two 'policemen' seemed to be sharing a hidden conversation, nodding at each other before any further action was carried out.
The half-Fighting type kicked off from the edge of the ice ball, one burning fist cocked and ready to deliver a finishing blow.
There was a twinkle in Zoey's eye when she Detected the incoming attack. She leaned back, watching the punch past her face.
The fire was extinguished immediately at the sub-zero temperatures surrounding the Glaceon. Temperatures were so cold that they burned, and Zoey was sure the Medicham felt it when she grabbed his arm, even under his layers of insulation. Ice crystals were forming from atmospheric water vapour, gathering on the fur of her paw to sharpen each strand into icicles. She plunged that paw deep into a kevlar-armoured chest, watching him soar.
This may have a bad effect on your case in court.
Zoey seized her chance. She sprinted for the backyard, dodging around the pink traps and tendrils that shot up from the ground. There was no sound from behind, which probably meant that they were in close pursuit.
She failed to Detect a second time. A Shadow Ball slammed into her nape, face-planting the Glaceon into the ground. Zoey spat out the taste of dirt, about to pick herself up when she noticed a flash of yellow among green grass blades.
It can't be.
…
Cleo's aura was getting stronger, leading into this place called 'The Junkyard'. This must be their meeting place. Julley blinked, then blinked again incredulously at what he saw.
The world was always muted whenever he used aura-vision, but this was not his current surroundings. Instead of a sea of trash, his feet were on a familiar bamboo flooring. Four green walls with leaf patterns on them. A rocket ship bed. Was he being projected into Cliff's room?
The tingling in the back of his head was now front and centre, more intense than ever. Something wrong was going to happen here. He had to return to the Torrent Residence. Fast. Accessing the Leafeon's window from the backyard would be the quickest way.
But what about Cleo? He had returned to reality, staring at the bright blue line snaking over humps of trash. He owed it to Zoey to ensure her sister was safe.
He'd confirm Cleo was in the Junkyard, then rush back.
He could only hope Zoey had dealt with whatever threat had shown up until then.
…
The note. Despite everything, she reached out and grabbed it. It was the note she had written yesterday, placed on Cleo's desk in the expectation she would come across it.
Her vision tunneled onto this tiny scrap of post-it. The back was still sticky, the ink not yet ruined by elements to the point of illegibility.
Did Cleo actually read it?
The paper was pristine.
She must have thrown it out after reading it. She must have. If she didn't…
With what had transpired today, Zoey knew deep down that she didn't.
Therefore it may be better for you to mention such facts or matters now. If you wish to do so, what you say will be written down, read back to you for any mistakes to be corrected and then signed by you.
Cleo, I'm sor—
Wisps of pink gas drifted from the sides of the gas mask. Zoey's eyelids fluttered shut, blacking out on the backyard.
Nothing? Good.
The Medicham stood up from the limp body. He was glad it was over quickly, especially with how their target barely reacted to them in the second half. What was it that extinguished the fight in her?
The Glaceon's paw was still clutching onto a piece of paper. He wrenched the note away from her grip, passing it to his partner. It only took the Beheeyem a moment to Mimic her handwriting, creating a note of his own.
Put this on a table.
Aren't you going to wipe her memories?
Her? A Glaceon with so much pain and turmoil within? To remove what keeps her awake at night? I'd be doing her a favour.
Fine.
I'll put the Glaceon in the vehicle. You should go get the Leafeon while we can.
The Medicham looked down at the battle damage he had sustained. There was a hole punctured through his armour, stopping short of actual flesh. His arm stung so much that he didn't want to know what lay underneath his uniform.
What about the Lucario?
What kind of Psychic-type are you? Go get the kid.
The Beheeyem psychically picked the Glaceon up and floated her over to the van. This discussion was over.
The patio door had been left open, allowing access via the kitchen. All was quiet in the Torrent Residence. The Medicham placed the note on the dinner table and started up the stairs. His eyes kept flitting back to the front door, nervous about an unexpected arrival.
There was some cruel irony in his precautions when a force slammed into his cheek from atop the stairway.
Julley did not show any mercy. Rushing alongside the Medicham as it tumbled down the flight of stairs, his ExtremeSpeed only added impact to the blows he dished out on the airborne body. A volley of Power-up Punches prevented his target from touching the ground, finishing with a two-pawed Meteor Mash into the torn spot in his armour. The Medicham bounced off the floorboards once, before a point-blank Aura Sphere to his chest blasted him out the front door.
The Medicham tried to crawl back onto the sidewalk, but a foot blocked his way. A coarse paw wrapped around his neck, effortlessly lifting him to eye level with the Lucario.
"Where. Is. Zoey?" His fingers would not budge, even as the Medicham tried to pry them away from his throat.
"Three." The pressure tightened.
"Two." He could feel his windpipe getting crushed, and the bones connecting the base of his skull were going to follow.
One. Air finally reentered his lungs as the grip slackened, but it was not of the Lucario's accord. His stare was blank, a moment of shock captured clearly in his glassy eyes. A red patch bloomed on the yellow fur above his heart.
The Medicham dropped onto the lawn. He was a sight to behold. Blue and black bruises dotted his pale-white limbs, which bent in ways unnatural. The body armour had been beaten to pieces from bearing the brunt of attacks. Gaping holes in the protective material showed clusters of purple splotches on his internally haemorrhaging abdomen. Occasional twitches were the only sign that he was unfortunately conscious, and needed medical assistance immediately.
At least this wasn't a total failure.
He recalled his Psychic blade stuck deep within its victim, admiring the fountain of blood that gushed out.
The Lucario fell to his knees, his upper body teetering and toppling soon after… right on top of the Medicham. The Beheeyem watched in amusement as his partner hilariously expended himself to futile results.
Well, time to go.
The Medicham and Lucario were tossed into the back of the van. The Beheeyem got into the driver's seat. He drummed his rapidly flashing fingers against the steering wheel, waiting for a response.
Hello, headquarters. This is B.
Yeah, I can hear you. We have successfully extracted the Glaceon.
The Leafeon? No. M ran into a very hostile Lucario. Sustained heavy injuries. I took care of it. Yeah, I made sure to cover up for him too.
We're going to need a cleanup crew at the Torrent Residence. Situation level… four, maximum. Do not engage with the resident inside.
How much time do they have? About three hours. Honestly, enough to restore this hovel.
Don't worry. She's preoccupied all night.