Chapter 9 - Sootwood Tango

The battle had started quickly - far more quickly than either trainer was ready for. Ekans struck first, hitting the trainer with a cheeky sideswipe before dashing off into the woods. The trainer flinched from the impact, but between Ekans holding back and the man's armor, he was hardly hurt. But it delayed him enough for the gym leader to ready his own Pokémon. The two Pokéballs opened, revealing Raichu and Scyther. Havila winced, her hand moving down to cover her eye. The pain was evident on her face. "Leader! That Pokémon….there's something wrong with it!" Lucian nodded. It could only mean one thing: this was a Shadow Pokémon.

"Raichu, use - " Lucian was interrupted as a burst of energy struck his shoulder. Lilligant hissed at him. "Hey, I'm trying to -"

"Don't lose focus, Gym Leader!" The man barked as Scyther launched towards Raichu. Both Pokémon were fast, almost too fast to keep up with. The two danced between attacks. "Swords Dance!"

"Agility, then Double Team!" Both Pokémon launched into their attacks. Raichu flooded itself with electricity to increase its speed, then in a burst of smoke created a dozen identical after images. Scyther sharpened its blades and roared before launching a Slash.

"You focus on speed, huh? You can't keep hiding forever. Use Agility as well, Scyther!" Scythe's wings beat faster, as it prepared to lash out.

"Nuzzle!" Raichu sprinted forward, faster than the Scyther could respond. Raichu gently leaned again into Scyther, pressing its supercharged cheek against the foe. Despite the low power of the move, it struck a weakness in the Bug Flying type Pokémon. And it sent a shockwave through its body, slowing it down immensely. "There - it's over now. It's no use dragging this out."

"I completely agree: Scyther, use Shadow End!" Scyther roared, the electricity surrounding it bursting outward. A dark aura erupted from Scyther and it lunged forward, intending to kill. Just before Scyther made contact, its wings gave out and it fell to the ground. The Paralysis had taken hold.

"Now, finish it off - Volt Tackle!" Raichu dove from the top of a tree, its body coated in electricity. It rammed into the paralyzed Pokémon and the burst of electricity caused a small explosion. The once-dense underbrush was blown away, leaving a scorched patch of dirt. Scyther was nowhere to be seen. The buzzing of wings caught his attention. Scyther dashed out from behind a tree, its blade raised to strike Lucian. His Pokémon moved faster, intercepting the attack and saving its master. Lucian and Raichu were knocked away.

"Damn you…tsk, we're running out of time! Forget him - deal with the target." Scyther nodded and turned towards the weary Lilligant. It raised its Scythe to strike with its razor sharp blade. Raichu let out a grunt, jumping off of Lucian and ramming Scyther with another Volt Tackle moments before Lilligant was hit. The two Pokémon stared at each other. Raichu was worn out, but Scyther looked fresh and ready for blood. There was an uncomfortable silence while Havila slowly opened her burning eyes.

"Leader! The energy around Scyther is getting stronger." The trainer opposite Lucian looked down and cursed. He was out of time.

"Scyther: Shadow End!" The Pokémon dashed forward towards Raichu. The mouse Pokémon waited until the last possible second before moving to the side and lining up a brutal Mega Kick. Scyther was launched airborne. "Air Cutter!" The trainer roared, but Scyther was frozen in place.

"That was a King's Rock - Raichu stunned your Pokémon. And now it's over. Thunder!" Raichu smirked and let loose a burst of electricity, slamming Scyther to the ground. It howled, forcing itself to its knees.

"Scyther!" The man yelled, his face twisting in rage. He paused, his teeth grinding. "...return…" he muttered, putting Scyther back inside the Pokéball. Lucian let out a soft sigh, until the man reached down to his hip and drew a gun. He pointed it directly at Lucian, his hand steady on the trigger. "You brought this on yourself." Havila gasped and took a step back. Even though neither could see the other trainer's face, they felt his gaze. His finger trembled against the trigger. "...it's not worth it."

The trainer lowered his gun and stepped back into the shadows. Despite his brightly colored armor, it melted into the shadows almost instantly. He gave one last warning before leaving. "You've made an enemy today, gym leader. Watch your back. Cipher is always watching." As the sound of his footsteps vanished into the ambient noise of the Sootwood, both trainers let out their collective breath. Raichu flopped onto the dirt below and let out a long sigh. Lucian gently pat its stomach and smiled.

"You did good buddy. Get a rest." The Lilligant behind him was breathing heavily. Barely breathing, in fact. Its arm was extended, trying to shoot another attack towards Lucian. Nothing but dark sparks came out. Why was Scyther so different? They had managed to take it out far more easily than the Feraligatr or Heracross. Havila stood behind Lucian, hiding from Ekans.

"What…what do we do? Lucian, she's -"

"I know…" Lucian took a step forward, reaching slowly into his bag. Lilligant forced itself to its feet and raged. The sparks got stronger briefly, an orb of shadow energy forming. Lucian stopped, revealing a medicine vial. "You're hurting. It's just medicine." Lilligant froze, glaring at him with untamed hatred. Lucian stood firm, drawing closer. He pulled the cap off the Antidote and approached. Lilligant hissed at him before flinging the attack at his hand. The attack stung and left a sizable burn. Significantly weaker than the previous attack. It also shattered the container, spraying him with the medication. Lucian rubbed his chin and stared down the wild Pokémon. He didn't have much time left. He rummaged through his bag again and produced a Peacha berry.

He placed it down on the ground within reach. The Pokémon swatted it away, strength leaving its body. The berry rolled only a short distance away. Lucian picked it up and dusted it off before placing it in front of the Pokémon again. The look on its face changed from hate to annoyance, then confusion as this process continued several more times. Finally, Lilligant took the berry and held it close, watching Lucian as if hesitantly took a bite. After a few moments, it voraciously devoured the entire thing. Messily too, like a savage. Its breathing slowed, and became more stable. The berries work fast. It didn't mean the danger was gone, but at least the poison was gone. Lilligant was still too weak to do anything other than stare angrily at them. Lucian sighed and gave it an annoyed smile. "You're incorrigible…"

"So what now, leader?" Havila said, her Ekans dragging around a small white box. "This thing looked important. I don't think we need Lilligant now, if she's just going to fight back." Lucian nodded.

"Let's get that to Krane and we'll talk." He looked over his shoulder. The Pokémon had struggled to its feet and was taking unsteady steps towards them. Havila grunted in pain, shutting her eyes. "Hey, what's wrong?!" Lucian put a hand on her shoulder, which was quickly smacked away.

"I'm fine! Damn, just leaving me alone." She took a step back before looking back at Lilligant. She was silent for a moment. "Her aura…is softer now." She said softly, pointing towards the grass type Pokémon. "I don't…she's not hostile anymore." The two looked at the weary Pokémon that stood within arms reach now. If it had wanted to hurt them, it was doing a good job hiding it. It stood nearby, looking at them.

"You're free now. Just don't hurt anyone, and get some rest. You'll be fine." Lucian said with a smile. But the Pokémon stood still. Raichu wandered up and 'spoke' to it. They two communicated - or argued, they were talking too fast for Lucian to get a proper feel - before Raichu turned to its trainer and tugged at his bag. "Is she sure?" Raichu answered to the affirmative and puffed its chest out. Lucian looked up at Lilligant and retrieved a Heal Ball from his pack. He looked at it before turning the sphere around towards Lilligant.

The two locked eyes for a few seconds before Lilligant gingerly touched the capture mechanism. A flash of bright red light surrounded Lilligant, and the Pokémon was pulled inside the Pokéball. It flashed three times and then the ball sealed with a click. Normally, Lucian would have been excited or relieved to have captured a Pokémon. This time was different. It didn't feel like a capture, more like a rescue. And this Pokémon might end up being more trouble than it would be worth in the end. If he couldn't find a way to keep it under control, it might hurt someone. A problem for later.

"Alright, let's head home then." Lucian said, putting Raichu back in its ball and clipping it next to Muk and the newly acquired Lilligant. His only three Pokémon. Lucian shook the thoughts out of his head before following Havila and Ekans out of the forest. The Sootwood was calm on the way out, a gentle blanket of hard-won peace and quiet. Krane would need to assist them once they had rested and recovered. And then they would be one step closer to solving this mystery.

The man walked through the forest in an even sour mood than before. He stopped in a clearing and called the local Admin. The call buzzed for an agonizing thirty seconds before it connected with a soft click. "Yes?" The soft voice responded, full of authority and disdain.

"I was unsuccessful at killing the target or the gym leader."

"It sounds to me like you had a moment of weakness. You should have killed both of them, Cecil. It'll only come back to haunt you." Cecil took a sharp breath, his face burning red with rage. He wanted to snap, but held his tongue. In the silence, the woman on the other end chuckled softly. "No matter. Return to base for debriefing and reassignment. We also need to tend to Scyther. I'll deal with the target myself."

"Of course. My apologies, miss Aisha."

"Did you recover XD-Oh-Three-Five beta?"

"Affirmative. Subject thirty-five beta has been sec-" Cecil put a hand down on his belt and his heart stopped. The container wasn't there. He panicked and looked around. Gone. His jaw dropped. There was no way he had misplaced it, and he clearly hasn't dropped it. He would have noticed if he lost -

His eyes went wide as his fingers grazed against the shredded clip that had held the container in place. That attack, Ekans must have stolen it with Thief. Had Havila been aiming for it? She could see the Aura of a Shadow Pokémon. If the capsule had given it away, she would have known it was important. But then again, when had she captured an Ekans? She hated snakes. And she hated the gym leader - according to Aisha - so why was she helping him? He couldn't help but feel he had been set up. Cecil grit his teeth and bit his cheek. "...negative. The Gym Leader has it." The silence on the other end made him break out in a cold sweat. He heard her breathe in sharply.

"When you return," she began. Her voice was even and quiet. That was more terrifying than anything else she could do. "After Scyther is in recovery, report for Disciplinary Action. Understood, Cecil?"

"Yes Ma'am." He said. The call ended, leaving him alone in the woods.