Hey guys
Finally, I've finished the penultimate story of the first set of Ketchum Academy one shots.
At 12007 words, this is (once again) the longest chapter yet, so I'll cut the bullshit now and come back at the end.
Enjoy.
"For the last time Dylan, the banner should be further to the right! We need it perfectly above the entrance since it's the first thing we want the students to see as they walk in! What part of that is not clear to you?" Dawn yelled at the man on the ladder as he groaned, unhooking the large banner and moving it further along horizontally.
From his position in the stands, Paul eyed the ongoing conversation with some interest. He knew better than to get in the way of his girlfriend when she was organising something. It was incredibly entertaining watching all her other hapless "helpers" getting increasingly enraged under her leadership.
Not that Dawn wasn't working as hard as anyone else of course. She'd been up late several nights in a row conceptualising the theme and decorations for this year's Spring Ball and it showed. Even in the light of day it looked impressive. Paul knew it would look even better in the dark. As it turned out, coordinators made for great home designers.
On his lap, his Rotom phone buzzed with a new message. He looked down to read it: Heya, Brock here. I've got the prizes, but I'm stuck in traffic. I'll be a bit late.
Paul cursed. He'd ordered the prizes from Reggie and sent Brock to pick them up, promising to cover one of his lessons later that week in exchange so that he could go out on a date with Nurse Joy. Paul silently prayed to Arceus that the traffic was lighter than it seemed. He couldn't deal with another delay.
As Paul looked up from his phone, he felt a familiar head resting against his shoulder. "Hey," Dawn said, clearly out of breath from all the yelling she had been doing.
He slipped an arm round her waist. "Hey," he replied simply. "Are you taking a break?"
"Yep. What about you?"
Paul grimaced. "Not really, but I'm not doing anything beyond waiting for Brock."
"You're paranoid about something screwing this tournament up, aren't you?" Dawn asked, as the couple stood up and began to exit the arena hand in hand.
"Yeah." He dipped his head slightly. "I've managed to get fifteen of my students invested in this idea, even if I'm bribing them with test results, and it'll be screwed over completely if he doesn't get here soon."
"Ah," Dawn replied. "By the way, you know that one showcase in Anistar this weekend?"
"Yeah, sorry about that." Paul felt incredibly guilty. Dawn had been on something of a success streak, with a Princess Key and two runner-up positions at her last three showcases but she had opted to not perform in the Anistar showcase. It was a few days after the Ball, but she didn't like the prospect of planning both a dance and a performance at once.
"Don't be. I'd take being here with you over losing to Serena any day."
"What makes you so certain you'd lose?" Paul asked.
"Baking round." Dawn spat. Neither of them were that good at cooking on principle, Dawn having relied on Brock for quality food and Paul on Reggie. They had been together for four years and yet they were both still living in the trainer diet of takeout and just-add-water ration packs. Not that either of them complained.
"Are you really not that mad?" He stopped and turned to stare his girlfriend in the eyes.
"Not at all, especially not after all the work I put into this," She reached out and straightened his collar. "You know that I love spending time with you right?"
Paul was beyond glad that none of his pupils could see him. Speechless and blushing wasn't really the vibe he wanted them to get from their teacher.
Dawn smirked and dove in for a quick but passionate kiss. "Besides," she said, reaching around to her skirt pocket and pulling out several differently sized slips of paper. "We'll still be going anyway." Upon closer examination, he realised she was holding a pair of first-class train tickets.
Paul gave her a skeptical look. "Are you sure we have..."
"...Money? Nope! But I'm sure we can make up the budget in other ways."
Paul gave a small grin. "Well I'd love to come with you." He was about to embrace her when he was interrupted by a loud set of footsteps.
Brock turned round the corner, panting heavily. "Am I interrupting anything?" he asked between breaths.
"Kind of," Paul replied awkwardly.
"It's alright, you got here at least." said Dawn, "Paulie here was waiting for you, so I'll leave you two to get down to business."
She ignored the death stare that Paul gave her. She'd never used that pet name before, but she was most certainly going to do it again.
"I'm sorry, there was a Ponyta on the road. It got scared off pretty quick. Anyway, I got the prizes," he gestured to Toxicroak, who was hefting a large metal briefcase.
Paul and Dawn trotted back the way they came, leading Misty to the arena. Once they got there, she approached the judging table, placing her briefcase with a thud.
"Oooh," Dawn cooed excitedly. "What's in there?"
"Wait and see," Brock replied, smirking. He unclipped and swung up the lid of the case to reveal a trio of scarlet pokeballs. "This good enough for you?"
Paul let out one of his rare chuckles. "We'll see," he said ominously.
Max stood and looked at himself in the mirror. He fixed the collar of his white shirt before quickly slipping on a dark green tuxedo. He straightened the bottom of the garment before nervously taking off his glasses and replacing them with a pair of sunglasses.
He looked in the mirror and frowned. May had said that the sunglasses "went well with the outfit" but he had never disagreed with her more.
You're right, they're lame. Just wear your regular specs.
Max sighed. "What did I tell you about reading other people's minds?"
Ralts psionically chuckled, teleporting onto the edge of the sink. You appreciate the communication, don't you?
"Um, yes," Max replied, raising an eyebrow as he swapped his sunglasses for his normal glasses again.
Well, I need access to your mind in order to perform telepathy, so...
"Ok fine," Max sighed. "You can look into my mind if you want to. Just don't do it to anyone else. I could seriously get into trouble if you do."
Not even Bonnie?
"Especially not Bonnie."
Fine Ralts answered before frowning. You're worried, aren't you?
Max shook his head. "How can I not be? If this fails, then..."
...Don't focus on failure. Just think about literally anything else. The fairy type reached up and started fiddling with his trainer's sleeve, inspecting the fabric. The jacket looks good on you. He spoke. Max wasn't going to argue with the sudden change of subject. I wish I was more prepared. I don't have anything nice to wear.
"Oh thanks," Max replied. "Don't worry, your dress is fine enough."
Ralts gave an insulted gasp. This is NOT a dress! He exclaimed. It's a kilt, thank you very much! Perhaps making a point, he straightened the garment out, pouting.
Max blinked incredibly slowly. "I'm sorry, I..."
Don't worry. I'm sorry for being touchy about it. I've been teased about it a lot and I understand that I do look a lot like my mother or sister.
The psychic type gazed up at the door as Mightyena rose to her feet from where she sat by the bed. Let's go. Your friends are waiting for us. He then turned to his companion, who was leaning defeatedly against the wall.
Come on Max. He said encouragingly. You've got a girl to save.
The ballroom was spectacular, something none of the students had ever seen before. It was hard to believe that this was the same sports hall that they'd done their physical education in. No, this must have been a completely different room, if it was even a room.
It seemed less like a hall and more like an open forest. The lights overhead gave the impression of gentle moonlight as they filtered down and were reflected by a group of strategically placed mirrors to evenly distribute light around the area.
Large faux tree trunks divided the eating area, where various long wooden benches were set up, from the dance floor. They were covered in crinkled brown paper with what looked like genuine vines entwining them which made them look like mighty oaks as they towered above the gawking teenagers. Each trunk was bond to the others by an interconnecting web of bright yellow fairy lights that flickered on and off like Volbeat and Illuminise
The dance floor shimmered, reflecting the lights ahead to seem silvery white in appearance. Behind the vast expanse stood a stage into which a turntable was inserted. This was flanked by two speakers that played soaring orchestral music as they entered. Above the turntable, the banner read:
WELCOME TO THE FIRST KETCHUM ACADEMY SPRING BALL
Dawn grinned proudly from where she stood near the back of the room. The students piled in with all the expressions she was hoping for: shock, surprise and a heavy buzz of excitement. This was the same reaction she had always hoped for in her contests and performances. All she needed was a heavy dose of romantic energy, which she knew would come later once they actually began to dance.
She looked back towards the dining area, noticing Paul approaching her, a small smile on his face. "I'll admit," he said "That this is a very impressive party you're throwing."
"Thanks," Dawn giggled before turning back to the students as they began to disperse. "Well, are you going to introduce me to them?"
"Not personally no but..."
"Of course, got to keep up that serious impression am I right?" Dawn teased. "Seriously Paul, you've told me quite a lot about these students, most of it not good mind you, and I want to put names to faces,"
Paul gritted his teeth to prevent getting too flustered before taking a deep breath and gestured to one student wearing an elegant black and white checkered dress. "Well that one's Hilda..."
"...she's the lazy one that's more interested in grooming..."
"I wouldn't say that to her face," Paul replied in a hushed tone. "Anyway, that one with the Zangoose is Brendan..."
"...He's the one that smashed your window last year, right?"
Paul nodded before pointing a finger at a boy and girl. They had fairly stylish costumes, the boy wearing a long black dress shirt and the girl wearing a knee length black and red dress, both of which were covered in lots of elaborate gold symbols.
Both outfits seemed grand but serious, less like something worn to a party and more like the two teens were playing at being champions.
"The boy's Red right? The brat..."
"...Don't call him a brat..."
"But that's what you called him..."
"I know," Paul grinned. "I have a right to. You've never had to endure teaching him!"
"Fair, I guess," she shrugged.
"He's been improving though. I think Leaf's been rubbing off on him."
"Oh, is that Leaf?" Dawn pointed at the girl with long hair, "Miss "moderately above average," she quotation-marked the air at that statement, mimicking Paul's voice before collapsing in a fit of laughter.
Paul smiled at his girlfriend's attitude. How Ash had never seen her as more than a friend was something of a mystery.
Almost all the teenagers had entered the room at this point. Only a single couple were straggling at the back, consisting of a tall boy with floppy black hair and a shorter lemon blonde girl.
Dawn scoffed. If Red's suit was pretentious, then the tall boy's suit was on a whole other level. It was sparkling white; with the most disgustingly shiny gold highlights she had ever seen. It looked disturbingly like the crap they were expected to wear at the Battle Maison.
The girl on the other hand was wearing something more reasonable for a school dance. That wasn't to say that she didn't look good, her long purple gown contrasting splendidly with the yellow of her hair. She seemed unfazed by the wonder of her surroundings, her eyes fixed not on the decorations but instead nervously flitting around the room, as if she was assessing potential threats or searching for escape routes. Dawn frowned, her brow furrowing. "Who're they?" she asked, concern in her voice.
Paul's tone, which had been at least slightly lighter than normal, suddenly dropped back to its regular serious state. "The boy's name is Calem. He's Sycamore's kid. Maybe a little too bold but alright otherwise. The girl is Bonnie. She's... complicated."
He grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. "Can I ask a favour?" he asked, his tone slightly more hushed.
Dawn nodded. "Ask away," she looked at her boyfriend worriedly. "Is everything alright?"
Paul sighed. "Bonnie and Calem started dating over a week ago," he explained "She's... changed since then. She was the most excitable and talkative girl ever beforehand. Even when she was struggling with family troubles (which she had refused to elaborate on) she remained passionate about the things she cared for. Now, she's... different."
"I understand," Dawn replied. So that explained Bonnie's weird reaction to entering.
"She's not the only one," Paul nodded at someone and Dawn looked over her shoulder to see a similarly terrified boy with glasses and a Mightyena at his heels. He looked somewhat recognisable, though Dawn couldn't place from where.
"Max's been acting weird lately as well." Paul continued. "He's the one with the glass..."
"I know him,"
"Do you?"
"Yes. His older sister is in the Hoenn Contest Circuit."
Paul sighed. "Look, as a teacher I want to know what's going on with Bonnie, but I feel so weird prying into their social lives. Drama was never my strong suit to begin with, was it?"
"Say no more," interrupted Dawn. "I'll see what I can find out,"
Paul dove in, passionately meeting her lips with his own. They stayed there for what felt like an inordinate amount of time, arms wrapped gently around each other.
Eventually, however, they had to separate for air. "Thank you," Paul said. "For everything."
"It's the least I can do for the person who gave up their way of life to support my own." She separated from him before offering him her arm. "Your shirt looks good on you by the way,"
Paul nodded in thanks, accepting her arm with his own as the couple walked towards the teachers table, ignoring Brock's shrill wolf-whistling and the surprised gasps of the shocked students.
Max felt strange watching his teacher kiss. Whilst teachers being mushy was nothing new (Max had found Brock's sentimentality irritating when he was single but now it was downright nauseating), everyone else seemed to find it amusing for the constantly emotionless member of staff to suddenly open up like that. Max was one of the students that wasn't shocked by the whole ordeal. Paul was human, after all.
Something about it felt incredibly relatable as well. He remembered how he suppressed his feelings for Bonnie, and it had caused him to fall down Calem's rabbit hole.
Seeing Paul display his affection as passionately as he did was reassuring for Max. He stared at the couple as they sat and ate, Dawn making conversation with Brock, Joy, Miette and basically anyone else who would listen whilst Paul just nodded along to everything she said in silence. He smiled softly. It was good to know that even the seemingly coldest people had feelings too.
The food was good. Really good. Ketchum Academy was used to eating well, having one of the famous Striaton trio on the faculty, but something about this meal felt incredibly nostalgic. The stew was Brock's own travelling recipe, made even fancier with a more expanded set of ingredients, and dessert was oddly similar to the lava cookies that May had once insisted on buying when they visited Mount Chimney. Something about the meal took him back to a simpler time on his journey, what would have been the happiest time of his life if it weren't for Bonnie.
Speaking of Bonnie, she did not sit with them during dinner. She sat with Calem, who was in an animated conversation with Brendan and Hilda. She was silent, but at this point that was nothing new. Max understood what it was like around Calem.
What was more surprising however, was the amount of attention she was paying to him. Between each spoonful of stew, she would shoot a glance at him, before swiftly returning to eating before her partner could notice. There was a mysterious look in her eyes, one of terrified hope.
Something about that look made Max's heart jump up and down in his chest. He knew the weight on his shoulders, the things that Calem would do to both of them if he failed tonight. However, the look also made him feel hopeful himself, like she believed wholly in him.
It didn't help that she looked drop dead gorgeous, even with a few spots of stew splattered on her cheek.
Following dinner, the students were ushered onto the dance floor, presumably so the catering staff could clean up. The first song was one Max didn't recognise: a piece of irritating Kalosian pop music that made some of the native students roll their eyes in annoyance. He had previously prepared himself for the fact that he would know next to none of the songs: it was an aspect of the culture he wasn't too familiar with.
In the centre of the room, Brock spun Joy around, both of the adults looking more than happy than Max had ever seen them. That was good; Max knew how hard the last few years had been on his old friend and it was reassuring to know that he had found solace in someone else. He wondered what Brock would say about him and Bonnie - that was a thought best left for when they got together, if they got together at all.
Probably best to leave that for after he had enacted his plan as well. Arceus knew how bad the teasing would be.
Brock wasn't the only person dancing, however. A bunch of the couples were. Not all of the couples were romantic of course and Leaf was busy carelessly jumping up and down with her Nidorina. She and Red had a mutual no-dance agreement, and he was currently sitting just down the wall from Max, staring at her wordlessly.
Max grinned. It was admirable the mutual respect that the estranged friends had built for each other in such a short space of time. It was just a few weeks ago that Red had refused to even consider his battle partner worthy of his time but after the incident in the woods everything had changed. They'd settled for "just friends" for now of course, but through their little heart-to-heart, he knew that Leaf liked Red and if anyone might be able to crack through Red's dense, Ash-obsessed shell it was her.
Speaking of Red and shelled animals, the most adorable sight seemed to be playing out in the corner nearest him. Paras stepped tentatively into the centre of the floor, mushrooms pulsating rapidly with nervous excitement. Accompanying him was Hilda's Venipede. The Poison type was wearing a massive pink bow strapped across her midsection, so that she looked a bit like a birthday present.
The two small Pokemon swayed awkwardly, slightly off the beat of the music, not losing eye contact as they did so. As the song came to an end, they lightly touched their heads before Venipede scuttled off, leaving Paras to wander in flustered embarrassment back to Red.
Seeing this display of Pokémon being cute made him think of Bonnie. She'd have probably at least smiled at it; she always adored the adorable after all. His eyes scanned around the room, looking for her but for once he couldn't make her face out among the crowd. That is, until he found who was standing next to him.
Bonnie was still, trying to not pay attention to herself. She looked silently out at Paras, a tear forming in her eye. Max frowned. She was obviously troubled by something.
"They're making you think of Dedenne aren't they?" He asked.
Bonnie jumped at hearing his voice, obviously not being aware of his presence. "W-What do you mean?" She squeaked awkwardly.
Max sighed. "Listen, I fully know..."
"Found you!" Bonnie flinched and Max cursed internally as Calem approached. "You look cute from a long distance, you know?" He grabbed her wrists and brought his face as close to hers as he possibly could without touching her. "And even cuter close up..."
"W-What do you want?" Bonnie stammered. She was clearly trying to be determined, but it was so obviously not working.
"Simple," Calem gave the signature creepy grin. "It's our dance, honey. You need to come with me."
"S-sorry Calem," Bonnie gave a nervous smile. "I-I don't really want to."
"Oh, come on," he stepped forward, leering over her. "Remember what you promised..." His voice was the same creepy sing-song tone he used when he had Trevenant out.
Max was sick of this. Mustering up all the bravery he could and with one hand slowly drifting to Mightyena's ball on his belt, he approached the couple. "She said she didn't want to," his voice raised as he stepped between them, staring Calem straight in the eye.
Calem raised an eyebrow and chuckled "Oh, is that so? I suppose she wants to dance with you instead then?" He chuckled. "At least I've been spending time recently, unlike you."
He leant over, so that his mouth was inches away from Max's ear. "You're on your final warning Maple," he whispered venomously. "You even try to interact with Bonnie again and I swear to Xerneas..."
"Ahem," He was interrupted by a woman clearing her throat behind him. The woman had blue hair tied into an elaborate braid and was wearing a beautiful blue-black dress decorated with turquoise stars. In her arms, she carried a very irritated Piplup. Next to her strode a Lopunny wearing a brilliant sky-blue frock.
"Excuse me," she began, addressing Calem. "But as you are otherwise single, I was wondering if you wanted to dance with my Lopunny?"
She quickly glanced at Bonnie and Max that read as "Get out of here now!" Not needing to be reminded, the pair began to slowly pace away from Calem, who was stepping backwards awkwardly as Lopunny eyed him up.
"I'm sorry," Calem politely replied. "I'm sure your Lopunny is nice and all but..."
"Oh, go on!" Dawn replied, trying her best not to seem like she was stalling for time. "You don't seem like you're dancing with anyone else..."
"As a matter of fact, yes I was," Calem began. "Right honey?" He turned around, only to find that Bonnie was not there, and neither was Max.
All of a sudden, Calem's gentlemanly demeanor crumbled as he noticed Bonnie running along the edge of the hall to the dining area, dragging Max with her by the wrist. The Kalosian trainer's face flushed a bright shade of crimson as his hands balled into fists.
"Oh," Dawn said teasingly. "Because from the looks of it, she really didn't want to dance with you."
Calem didn't respond verbally. Instead, he just violently shoved Lopunny into the wall and ran off after the other two trainers.
Dawn turned sadly to her Pokemon. "I'm sorry that I had to use you for that," she said. "I hope you understand."
The rabbit Pokemon stood up and straightened out her dress, nodding in forgiveness.
Bonnie fell into the storage room with a clatter. Max wasn't far behind her, tugging the door shut as quickly as he possibly could. Both friends let out a shaky sigh of slight relief.
"W-will he find us?" Bonnie stuttered nervously.
"I hope not," Max replied. "I think we're safe."
She nodded, awkward silence once again falling between them.
Max couldn't help but look his crush up and down. Her violet gown seemed to suit her really well, even after being crumpled from all the running. The gold of her necklace, a gift from her father he thought, gleamed brightly against her skin. And even though it was slightly smudged by tear marks, her makeup still made her beauty radiate outwards even more. He blushed and looked away. Was he checking her out? Since when was he this creepy?
"Do you think he's gone?" he asked, breaking the ice.
"I hope so," Bonnie replied.
Max reached for the handle of the door giving it his best shove. The door remained stubbornly in place. He tried pulling it instead before gritting his teeth. "I think it's jammed," He stated.
"Oh,"
"I guess we're stuck here for a little bit," Max could detect the irony of the situation. Being trapped with Bonnie was the kind of cliche crap that May obsessed about! He silently thanked that she wasn't here to humiliate him over it.
"I could use a few minutes away from the ball anyway," Bonnie smiled weakly, making Max's heart melt. "I-It was getting a bit intense in there, especially with Calem bearing down on me,"
Max didn't know how to respond to that. After giving it a few seconds of thought, he tentatively opened his mouth again. "Look Bonnie," he began. "I know what happened between you and Calem. You know, with Dedenne and everything."
"That's why you've been avoiding me right?" She looked up at him. "Because he told you to..."
"...Yes. He threatened me into it."
"That note from the Trainer Life class." Bonnie's face turned stern. "You didn't seriously..."
"Yes," Max looked solemnly at the ground, trying his best to avoid eye contact. "I'm sorry. I wanted to know what was going on because I..."
"You were worried about me," Bonnie gave a weak but reassuring smile. "You shouldn't feel sorry. In fact," She continued, sadness seeping into her voice. "I'm the one that should be sorry. If I had been braver than we wouldn't have gotten into this mess in the first place."
Max smiled, looking up. her face was glowing with a stoic, determined smile. "W-Well if I'd have been braver, then I would have asked you out before he even had a chance,"
Her eyes widened "Max, are you saying..."
"Yes," Max looked away, blushing furiously. "Y-You're under no obligation to return the sentiment, I just wanted you to know." He trembled. Had he screwed up? He silently prayed that he hadn't, knowing full well that the best friendship of his life could be at serious risk.
Bonnie giggled. Was that a good sign or was it awkward? "Well I..."
THUMPTHUMPTHUMP! Max recoiled from the door with surprise at the interruption, the tension of the moment absolutely ruined.
"Hello?" He heard Red's voice.
"Um, hi?" Max called back.
"Is that Red?" Bonnie asked over his shoulder. Max nodded in response before turning back to the door.
"Red, could you please help us? We're kind of stuck in here!"
"Um sure, I'll see..."
"...What's going on here?"
"Is that you Leaf?" Bonnie yelled.
"Wait Bonnie, what're you doing in the storage room?"
"I'm not sure why she's in there. Max is in there as well." Red replied. Something about his response was incredibly amusing to Leaf, causing her to burst out laughing.
"Do you know anything about romance Red?" She scoffed. "If two people who like each other a lot are trapped in a room together, then they probably want privacy."
"But Max said that..." Red's protest fell on deaf ears.
"I'm sorry that Red ruined your moment guys." Said Leaf through the door. "We'll give you twenty minutes and then come back."
"Wait no!" Max yelled. "Let us out!" He pounded the door desperately with his fist as he heard Red's grumbling, and the click of Leaf's heels disappear into the music.
Max sank down to the floor defeatedly. "Pesky girl!" He muttered sharply.
Bonnie giggled, her face lighting up suddenly. "We definitely need to pay them back at some point."
"Oh, believe me, Leaf is number two on my revenge list, after Calem of course."
Bonnie sighed as they sat in silence, the tone having darkened considerably from the mention of the Kalos trainer.
"Look," Max said calmly, breaking the silence. "I have at least... half a plan for standing up to Calem but I'll need your support. Can I count on it or..."
She crouched next to him, looking him dead in the eye. She was smiling.
It was not an awkward, ironic smile, nor a smile that was clearly meant to be hiding anything. It was just her usual, bright, cheery, slightly mischievous grin. One that Max hadn't seen since the ordeal with Calem began.
"Max, you are the single best friend I ever have. Scratch that. You're more than a friend to me. Ever since I met you, you have always been so kind and helpful to everyone I know."
"You stick up for Red even when he's being difficult. You try your best to get along with Leaf even though I know she irritates you. Ans your sketch of me was one of the most beautiful and thoughtful actions I have ever seen in my life."
Her eyes had emotional tears as she stared into his. "So yes," she continued. "If you want to show Calem up for everything, he's done for us then I will support you all the way."
Max didn't know how to respond to that monologue. His logical, intelligent brain went into complete overdrive. Beautifly danced around his stomach as he felt his heart palpitate. What did she mean by...
"T-Thanks," was all that he could manage to say. "I'm glad that I've got such good friends to rely on." He stood up, turning to the door. "By the way I'm sorry for what I said earlier. It came out..."
He was cut off by Bonnie's passionate arms wrapping around his midsection. "Don't be," she whispered in his ear.
"If you had asked me out, I would have definitely said yes."
The arena was decorated like the sports hall, with the support columns repurposed into tree trunks and the edges of the stands wrapped with vines and fairy lights. However, whereas the dance floor had been lit with a soft, moonlight glow, the main battlefield basked in the bright, harsh shine of floodlights that caused the students to be temporarily blinded as they entered.
Once everyone's vision had been restored, they saw Paul stand on the stands behind the table, which held a silver case filled with three pokeballs.
"Welcome students," Paul began, his smile warm but his voice cold and serious. He was wearing a simple black dress shirt and trousers, almost like he was attending a funeral. "Today certain volunteers among you will be assessed on the quality of your teamwork in a series of double battles." He rolled up his sleeves. "I'm glad you could make it here tonight."
Paul nodded as Electivire set up the projector. "As promised you will be graded on your performance, strategy, teamwork and bond with your Pokemon. The overall winner of the tournament will receive one of the three prize pokemon," he gestured to the case on the judges table that contained the dive balls Misty had brought. "The third one will go to my collective pick for the non-winning student that put in the best effort."
"Anyway," he continued, turning to the slideshow. "Here are the matchups for round one." He flicked to the first slide, revealing four school portraits.
"Will Red, Leaf, Nate and Rosa please prepare yourselves?" He commanded. "Everyone else, either go back to the dance or sit down in the stands."
As soon as he said that the room came alive with noise as students began to clear the arena. Red adjusted his cap on his head, crouching down to meet Paras in the eye.
"Ok Paras, our first opponents use a Cottonee and a Blitzle." He explained "We're going to disable the Blitzle first so that Nidorina can dispatch the Cottonee without interference." Paras nodded sternly.
"Remember," he added. "Use Spore well and you'll do great."
"Wow Red, that was almost a compliment!" Leaf remarked over his shoulder.
Red looked back at her worriedly. "I wasn't too harsh, was I?"
Leaf shrugged "Not sure, I guess it depends on who you ask."
"And what do you think?"
She rested a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I think you're certainly improving."
"T-thanks I guess," Red could feel his face heat up as he turned to face her. He hadn't been failing to notice how good she was looking tonight. "I think your hair is really pretty tonight. Have you done something with it?"
Leaf's blush was slightly less obvious, probably due to the fact that her face was naturally warmer than his. "That was definitely a compliment, wasn't it?" She teased, flicking it over her shoulder for emphasis. "I actually combed it for a change. I usually just don't think much about it."
"I see," Red was about to make another comment about her appearance when they heard a startled yelp. They turned around to see Calem storming off, sucking his thumb with a pained expression on his face. Once he removed his thumb from his mouth, a small bloody bite mark visible on his hand.
Following him was Bonnie, who looked threatened and jumpy as usual. In her arms she carried Dedenne, who had a smug expression on his face.
"Hey guys," she greeted them. "How's things?"
"Good," Leaf replied. "I see Dedenne got better. It's nice to see him again."
"Oh yes," Bonnie frowned, "Calem still has his pokeball though..."
"...Wait, what?" Red asked, raising an eyebrow. "If your Dedenne was ill, why would..."
Bonnie's eyes widened in realisation. "Shit!" She exclaimed. "Shit, shit, shit! Max hasn't told you, has he?"
"Hasn't told us what?" Leaf asked. "Look, Bonnie if this is some sort of couple's secret then we won't intrude."
Bonnie shook her head. "I guess you could call it a couple's secret but it's one that you two probably should know. For your own safety." She turned to Paul, who had been glaring at them impatiently.
"Sorry sir," she called out to the teacher. "I know that Red and Leaf were going to battle now, but can I borrow them for a sec."
Paul scowled. "You have five minutes," he spat. "We're already behind schedule."
Calem stood in the stands, watching Bonnie intently. His thumb was beginning to stop bleeding, but it still stung horribly. That Dedenne of hers had incredibly sharp teeth. The little rat was just like his trainer: an incredibly cute little thing with a rebellious streak that needed breaking in.
He glanced down at Bonnie, a serious expression on her face as she rushed through her conversation with her friends. They were talking about him. He knew it. Their reactions, Leaf's sympathetic gaze and the stink-eye aimed by Red in his general direction, told him everything.
His non-pained hand clenched right into a fist. Why was she so disobedient tonight? Wasn't a relationship built on loyalty?
There's a difference between loyalty and submission, you know?
Calem shook his head, looking around for the source of the noise. He couldn't find it. He shrugged. It was probably just his mind playing tricks on him.
Red and Leaf returned to the battlefield, fidgeting with the pokeballs in their belts as Bonnie walked towards the stands, getting nearer to him...
...Before striding past him completely and sitting down next to Max.
Max! Just hearing that name made him shake with rage. Why did she still want to be around the grade-obsessed know-it-all, over the boy who constantly told her what she wanted to hear, who loved her with all his heart? Why did he have to resort to threats just to win her over?
Get over her, she really doesn't like you, especially after what you've done to her.
"Shut up, whoever you are!" Calem snapped. He looked around rapidly. Ralts was sitting next to him, twiddling his thumbs casually
"You're Max's new punk, aren't you?"
Perhaps.
"Listen," Calem's voice was poisonous as he glared down at the tiny fairy type. "I am this close to ripping your precious trainer into pieces, in some way: mind, body or soul." He pinched his fingers for emphasis. His smile was once again Gengaresque. "And I'll do it all whilst Bonnie is watching. After all, what would she do then?" He used his height as an advantage, swelling his chest to make himself seem more intimidating.
Ralts stared up at him, eyes wide. Then he burst out laughing.
You've not thought this through, have you?
Calem raised an eyebrow, dumbfounded. Recomposing himself, he scoffed. "Of course I have, why?"
You have a Trevenant, right? It's a powerful Pokemon, no doubt but is it on the level of, I don't know... Paul's Electivire?
"You think that Paul would try to stop me? May I remind you who my dad is? Paul knows that he could get sacked if he so much as lays a finger on me."
Ralts rolled his eyes. I see.
"And besides not even Electivire will be able to stop what's under this building."
Yeah, I've seen it. Cute trick. Do you think that Max will actually fall for it?
"Of course,"
Oh, come on! Even I'm seeing flaws in it!
Calem chuckled. "What do you know about strategy, you dress-wearing twat?"
Like I just said, not much. But I do know this. Ralts glare was as cold as steel. You work on assumptions. You assume that Bonnie likes you just because you like her. You assume that you have power over her because you control her Dedenne. You assume that you can be bailed out of any situation just because Sycamore is your father.
Unlike you, Max is logical. He can see the truth. He just needs to find it first. Ralts giggled mischievously. Like the fact that I'm distracting you, for instance.
Calem looked down at the pokeball in the small Psychic type's hands. A pokeball with a Voltage badge sticker.
"Why you little..." his face was purple in rage. "Honedge, Fury Cutter now!"
The sword Pokemon swung forward, the edge of its blade glowing green. Ralts winked before disappearing into thin air.
And just so you know, this is NOT A DRESS!
Those words reverberated around Calem's mind as he looked over to where Max and Bonnie were sitting. Ralts suddenly appeared on Bonnie's lap, handing her the pokeball. Calem cringed at Bonnie's elated expression and turned away before he saw them embrace.
Yveltal below, he wanted Max dead. And of course, he always made sure he got what he wanted.
"Alright class," Paul began, once he had gathered all the competitors in the arena once again. "I know the first round was quite testing for a lot of you, but I am satisfied with most of your performances."
He flicked open the projector again. "That being said, I would like to highlight some notable issues with some groups." He turned to Calem with a terminal glare. "Firstly, making your Pokemon take unnecessary hits is already an idiotic strategy, but using your partner's Pokemon as a living shield goes down to a whole other level of stupid."
Calem opened his mouth in protest, but Paul cut him off again before he could say anything. "Trust me Calem, I've tried it, and it doesn't work. I'm sorry but a relationship that is built on internal violence is not a strong and healthy relationship. And that goes for more than just being battle partners."
At that last comment, the teacher's eyes turned to fix on Bonnie. She smiled. Did Paul somehow know what was going on between her, Calem and Max? It wouldn't be surprising if he did, his girlfriend obviously knew. That gave her a strange sense of reassurance - she would much rather have had Calem against her and Paul on her side than the other way around.
Paul then shifted to Max. "The one other thing that I wanted to talk about was focus. Most of you don't have that much double battle experience and some of you are clearly getting overwhelmed by the whole thing."
Bonnie saw Max shift his gaze down to Mightyena sadly. He had managed to barely scrape out a win in the first round. His focus had been off, and his performance was more than a little sloppy, but she didn't care. Even at his worst, he still looked quite cute.
"Anyway," Paul continued. "For those who managed to progress to the second round, you have twenty minutes to prepare. The first battle of round two will be between Red, Leaf and Max. You are all dismissed!"
Red walked straight towards the other side of the room, Paras at his side. Leaf followed, turning around to Max as she went and giving an encouraging smile. Max nodded back. He didn't hide the fact that he didn't appreciate all of her teasing, but he knew that she really didn't mean it.
Still, he needed payback for what happened in the cupboard.
Mightyena approached Max, Ralts clinging onto the dog's head. So, he began. What's the plan?
Max used a knuckle to shove his glasses up his nose. "Well," he began, "I helped them develop the strategy, so I know a couple of things on how to defeat it."
I'll trust you on that, the psychic type nodded.
They were interrupted by a woman's voice over the microphone. "Now begins the first battle of the Ketchum Academy summer ball tournament semifinals!" Max turned to see Dawn standing on the podium yelling into the microphone.
"Wait, what happened to Paul?" Red called out.
"Paul's over there," she gestured to her boyfriend, who was sitting in the stands with a clipboard. "The dance was kind of getting boring without a partner, so I decided to help out here instead."
"I see," Red replied, adjusting his cap.
"Anyway," the coordinator continued. "This match is between Max Maple of Petalburg City and..." she paused as she turned to the Kanto trainers. "Sorry, I just realised you're both adopted. Do you have surnames or..."
Leaf gave a forgiving smile. "It's ok. I guess you could call me Leaf Fuji. I'm from Lavender Town. It's not an official surname but I guess it's the closest thing I have."
Red stood there for at least twenty seconds, fingers playing with the bill of his hat, a look of drop thought and worry on his face. "Red Ketchum," he replied hesitantly as some of the more invested members of the crowd gasped. "Pallet Town,"
Dawn's mouth gaped open, and her eyes went wide. Max chuckled. So that was how Red and Ash were related. He never knew. That explained so much, like how...
Focus Max! Ralts interrupted his stream of thought. Remember what Paul said about concentration. You can inquire about your friend's family later! Max quietly apologised and returned his gaze back to Dawn.
Slowly composing herself, Dawn began again. "The battle between Max Maple of Petalburg City and Leaf Fuji and Red Ketchum of Lavender town and Pallet town begins now. Choose your Pokemon.
Max nodded, fixing his glasses. "Mightyena, Ralts, come on out!"
Mightyena bounded onto the field, Ralts clinging to her back before jumping off, assuming a battle stance.
Red pointed a finger forward, gesturing to Paras to approach. The skittish bug type stepped forward with great trepidation, shaking slightly as he looked up at the growling Mightyena. Nidorina trotted up on his left, snorting.
Dawn raised her arm. "And begin!"
"Mightyena, use crunch on Nidorina!"
"Block with Poison Jab!"
The hound sprang forward, fangs clamping down on the poison type's arm. In response, several poisonous spurs were unsheathed from Nidorina's wrist, causing Mightyena to leap backwards, yelping in pain with several needles stuck in her muzzle. The dark type flinched in agony as poison began to seep through her body.
Ralts turned to his trainer. They're going to press their advantage. Should I intercept?
"Endure, then Fury Cutter!"
Max nodded as Paras came flying forward towards Mightyena, shell glowing silver and forceps glowing green. Ralts flickered out of sight before suddenly reappearing on the bug type's right, blindsiding him with a flaming fist. Paras cluttered to the right, Endure keeping him conscious despite the super effective hit.
"Take Down!"
"Mightyena, Duck!"
Whilst Paras was intercepted, Nidorina managed to slip past Ralts. Mightyena, who had gotten the last of the needles out of his snout, dropped flat on the floor as the poison type flew over his head, tripping and falling over.
"Now get up and use howl!" The dog stretched, nose to the air as she let out a mournful cry, beginning to glow red from a heightened physical attack.
Realising the danger, Red was quick to respond. "Start to gather Spores then release them on Mightyena!"
Max gritted his teeth. Mightyena was his main source of muscle. Ralts was powerful and intelligent enough to focus on his own, but he was a lightweight who was at severe risk from super-effective fury cutters from Paras. If Mightyena went down to sleep prematurely then he'd definitely lose. The problem was that Spore was one of the most infamously hard-to-dodge moves known to man. He needed a backup plan fast.
"Ralts,"
Yes? The reply bounced around his head.
"How fast can you teleport between Paras?"
It'll take me about 2 seconds, I reckon.
Max grimaced. The air above Paras was turning a shade of mustard yellow with the sheer quantity of spores produced. It would be a long time before they would reach Mightyena. "Then prepare to do it, quicker than you ever have before!"
Ralts gave the telepathic version of a frustrated grunt. Fine. He said, and then he disappeared again. One and a half seconds later, he could just about be seen in the dense spore cloud.
"Fire Punch!" Max yelled but he got no response. Ralts collapsed onto his knees, eyes glowing crimson. The crimson gleam was reflected in the eyes of Paras. Then, the spore cloud petered out as both Pokemon collapsed, eyes closed and breathing slowly.
Dawn quickly turned to Paul. "What are the rules on sleeping Pokemon?"
Paul shook his head in response. "Just consider them fainted,"
She nodded before raining her arm again. "Then Paras and Ralts are both unable to battle!"
Red looked up to Max in confusion. "What just happened?" He yelled in protest.
Max's eyes lit up with realisation. "Synchronise," he replied, "If Ralts is affected by a status condition, then his opponent is as well."
Red was about to snap in response, when Leaf put a reassuring hand on his arm. "That was a good strategy Max," she replied. "Shame it won't win you the match though. Nidorina, use Take down."
"Steady yourself, wait for her to approach." Max commanded. Nidorina tucked onto all fours and charged forward. "Now use crunch, do not aim for the arm!"
As soon as Nidorina was within touching distance, Mightyena pounced. Teeth buried in the poison type's ear as she yelped it pain.
"Iron tail!"
Using all of her strength, Mightyena flipped Nidorina over her shoulder, using the momentum to land a point-blank strike with her metallic tail. Nidorina let out a faint whimper before collapsing.
"Nidorina is unable to battle. The victory goes to Max!"
The arena was filled with polite applause as Max returned his exhausted Mightyena and flicked Ralts behind the ear in order to get him to wake up. Looking back up, he saw Red approaching him.
Red's cap was tilted down over his eyes, his bottom lip shaking slightly. He lifted a hand to Max. "G-good game," he spat, clearly trying his best to keep a straight face.
Max shook hands. It was clear that Red was trying his best to remain gracious about his loss. He wasn't as good at behaving when he lost as Ash was, but it was good to know that he was improving at controlling his emotions.
Somewhere behind him, Max noticed Leaf gazing at their interaction softly, her smile slowly turning into hysterical giggling as Bonnie charged up from behind him, crushing him in a hug.
He let out a winded gasp as she released him from her embrace. "Bonnie, I..."
Bonnie grabbed his collar and lightly leaned in to kiss him on the lips.
"Well done, Max, I'm impressed." That was all she said as she pulled away.
Max was too much of a flustered mess to respond. He forgot all about the tournament, all about his friends (Red had calmed down enough to manage to snap a picture of the kiss and was casually texting it to Leaf) and all about Calem. All that mattered in that moment was the kiss. It was elating.
He didn't notice Calem's malicious smile, or the Honedge that had managed to cut a specific pokeball from his belt.
The second semi-final was agonisingly dull.
Calem and Bonnie faced off against Ethan and Lyra and their Marill and Phanphy. Marill went down to Thundershock almost immediately, but Phanphy was stubborn. After losing his partner almost immediately, Ethan commanded his Pokemon to do literally nothing but stay in defence curl the entire match.
A combination of the continuously boosting defences and the really inconvenient ground typing meant that the tiny elephant took basically no damage from the weak Metal Claw and Play Rough attacks but due to his trainer's stress no damage was actually dealt to the other side. The match eventually went to a timeout, with Paul declaring Bonnie and Calem the winners for actually trying.
After that battle, Paul announced that there would be a far longer break before the finals and that contestants were free to return to the dance floor.
Red sat in the corner on his own with a pensive look on his face, eyes fixed on Paras, as the bug type bobbed happily up and down to the music.
"Hey," came a familiar voice from his right.
Red turned to see Leaf sitting peacefully next to him, he tensed up a bit in surprise "I'm sorry but how long have you been sitting there?" He asked.
"Quite a while," she answered casually.
"You're really good at sneaking up on people like that. Where did you learn?"
"I learned a few things from a friend,"
"I see," Red turned back to Paras.
Her face then suddenly became more sincere, though her smile persisted. "You alright?" She asked caringly, reaching out and shifting a few strands of hair out of his eyes, causing Red to blush lightly from the physical contact.
"Fine," he stuttered, "It's just been a tiring day."
"You're telling me," she replied, readjusting his hat before pulling away. "You know, I think you did really well back there. Both on the battlefield and off of it."
Red scratched the back of his head. "Oh, it's nothing. I tried my best."
Leaf was about to say something else when they were interrupted by someone clearing their throats. Max stood there, clearly looking worried about something. "Hey!" She replied, irritation in her voice. "We were having a moment here!"
"Consider that repayment for refusing to help us out of that cupboard," Max replied snarkily.
"Speaking of which," She smirked "Where is your Juliet?"
Max surprised her by completely shrugging off her teasing. "In the toilet. Have you seen Ralts?"
Red and Leaf shook their heads. "Have you tried back in the arena?" Red asked. "That was where I saw him last."
"No, I..." Max froze. "Will you please excuse me for a second?" he asked before dashing towards the door that led to the arena.
"That was weird," said Red after a few minutes of confused silence.
They soon noticed that they hadn't been the only ones watching him leave. Calem soon followed him, Honedge floating behind.
They turned to look at each other, realising what that could mean. "That's..." Leaf began.
"...Not good," Red finished. "We need to get someone on this. I'm not letting anyone mess with my friend. You go get Bonnie; I'll find a teacher to help us. Get to the arena as quickly as possible."
"On it," Leaf replied. "By the way," she added. "I like it when you get that serious. It's a lot like Paul in a way. A cuter version of Paul of course"
She gave him a wink before sprinting off in the direction of the girls' toilets.
Help me, Max!
The psionic voice blasted through the young trainer's mind as he continued his mad dash to the end of the hall. He silently thanked that he'd managed to heal up Mightyena after their battle with Leaf and Red. He felt like her muscle may be needed.
What could have happened to Ralts? It wasn't like there was anything wrong with the arena. Was he injured?
It's... Calem... he...
Max reached the end of the hall, shoving open the doors. What he saw made his heart stop.
Ralts was there, limp and unconscious in the grasp of a much larger Pokemon.
Trevenant looked even scarier indoors. Its horns scraped the ceiling as it stood eerily still as ever, moans and silent screams constantly oozing from the cracks between the wooden armour.
Max... I'm... sorry... I underestimated... him.
Max looked up at the body in the grass type's tight grasp.
Get out of here... while you still can... before... he... arrives.
"Thank you Ralts," An all-to-familiar voice came up behind him. "You did your job well, you pathetic bait." Calem strode past the paralysed Max, voice taking on a playful tone. "I warned you what'd happen if you disobeyed. And now I'm going to enjoy this..."
He was interrupted by the sound of rapid footsteps as Red, Leaf and Bonnie piled into the arena, clearly in shock of the monster in front of them.
Paul and Electivire came in shortly afterwards, ignoring Trevenant entirely and striding straight up to Calem, looking beyond furious. "What the hell is going on?" He asked. Red physically shuddered at the tone of his voice, but Calem was unfazed.
That was when Max noticed the root that had burst up from the ground and was beginning to curl around Paul's leg. The root tightened suddenly, pulling him downwards with a grunt. He hit the ground with a thud as three more roots sprung forward and tied themselves around his other legs, leaving Ketchum Academy's undisputed strongest trainer hopelessly spreadeagled to the floor.
Calem chuckled. As he looked down at his teacher. "You like this treatment, Paul? Trevenant's spent the last few months attuning to the forest surrounding this school. Every single tree root beneath this building is now under my control." He reached down to Paul's belt and began unclipping his pokeballs. "I'll be taking these for the time being. I can't let you get in the way of my plans." He sorted through for Electivire's pokeball and returned the Pokemon before it could hit him with Thunder punch.
"You bastard!" Paul spat. "Once the rest of faculty finds out then..."
"Sorry Paul, but faculty can't stop me. You really think that the headmaster would believe that his own son would do something like this? I wonder how Dawn would react if she had to quit coordinating because her pathetic boyfriend lost his job..." Calem smiled sinisterly as he turned to Red and Leaf.
Both Kantonian trainers were slowly becoming entangled in a slightly different manner to Paul. The roots hid them from the waist down, preventing them from moving their legs. A second creeper tied their hands thoroughly against their backs.
Calem approached Leaf first. Whilst Red was struggling and screaming, she was silent, her lips a tight frown. She knew full well that protest would give him the ego boost he wanted. Her stoic tune changed immediately as he snuck a hand into the vines around her waist.
Leaf yelped, squirming wildly as Calem slowly removed her pokeball and retreated his hand. His smile had an immature, perverted factor to it. "You thought I'd go further, didn't you? Well don't worry, I just needed your Nidorina. I wouldn't dare to do anything like that. Besides, a gentleman only goes for higher quality girls anyway." One eye shot around to Bonnie at that statement.
"Listen here!" Red yelled. "You lay another finger on her, or anyone else in this room and I swear to God I'll..."
"Oh," Calem looked him dead in the face, raising an eyebrow. "You'll do what exactly? Please tell me what the brother of the mighty Ash Ketchum would do in this situation."
Red didn't respond.
Calem's laugh was enfeebling. As he turned around. "I'm letting you keep your pathetic bug. That way, you can stop me, once you figure out how. I'm sure if Ash were here, he'd have already figured out a brilliant solution! A joke like you on the other hand..."
He turned away from Red and looked back up at Max and Bonnie. The couple had used his distraction to run up into the stands. High above the ground, they were completely free from the roots.
Calem clapped his hands loudly. "Your friends are in danger down here Maple, and this is what you do, running away like a coward?" He shook his head disappointedly. "I was hoping for a fight, but you gave me nothing." He looked Bonnie dead in the eyes "So this is the person you chose, honey? Him over me."
Bonnie didn't cringe at the comment or the demeaning name. She just stared Calem directly in the eyes. "Have you ever actually killed someone?" she asked coldly. "Because I have. Not that I had much choice mind you, it was between him and the entire region. And I'm sorry, but I don't think you'd have the guts to."
Calem snapped, breaking down completely. "Enough talking! Trevenant, kill Max! I don't care how; I just want him dead!" He screeched over the noise of his Pokemon.
The tree reared up on its back two legs, slamming down with earthshaking force as the floor of the arena came alive in a carpet of roots and vines which surged upwards through the stands towards them. Once the plants had started moving, Trevenant scuttled behind them, smashing and tipping over chairs as it went, one had still firmly clenched around the still somehow conscious Ralts.
Bonnie grabbed Max's wrist, running as fast as she could through the stands. "So," she began, yelling over the crashing of the foliage behind him. "What's the plan?"
"Currently, the plan is nonexistent," Max explained nervously as Mightyena (whom he had released as they were running) swatted a root away with iron tail. "Any ideas,"
"Not really," Bonnie replied, stumbling slightly. "You're supposed to be the idea guy!" She replied in frustration.
"W-Well Trevenant is grass type and there are multiple fire and bug types here..."
"Yeah, none of which we have! Play rough!" At the command, Dedenne leapt forward to hit the next root with a glowing purple fist. Bonnie surveyed the room trying to find the best course of action. Her eyes fell on the open silver briefcase at the judge's desk, where the three prize pokeballs still sat.
"I think I've got a suggestion," She yelled, gesturing at the case.
Max shrugged. "It's the best hope we've got." He said, turning straight around.
"Oh no you don't! Fury Cutter!" Out of nowhere, Honedge swung out in front of them. It would have decapitated Bonnie if Dedenne hadn't jumped in front at the last second. The little gerbil laid still on the ground, breathing ragged from the cut across its chest as Bonnie reached out and returned him to his pokeball.
Behind him, Max heard a startled yelp. He turned around just in time to see that Trevenant had finally managed to catch up with them. The great tree swatted at Mightyena, sending the Dark type flying with a howl as it crashed onto the arena floor, being immediately tied down by roots upon making contact.
Calem was sat in the horns of the monster, way beyond the point of insanity. "Poor, poor Max!" He taunted. "Who's going to help you here? Paul? Red and Leaf? Bonnie? You Mightyena? This little dress wearing scamp here?"
It... The voice cut through Calem's mind. It was clear, loud and angry.
Is... Not... A... DRESS! And in Trevenant's grip, Ralts began to glow.
Trevenant released the evolving Psychic type, letting it land in the ground, robe shortening into something resembling a kilt as the hair and robes lengthened. The newly evolved Kirlia stood up, hands brightly aflame. He turned back to Max, grinning as he looked him in the eye.
There's a fire type in one of those pokeballs. Go get it. I'll hold this foul beast off for you. Max nodded hastily, not even bothering to look back as he and Bonnie raced down the steps to reach the briefcase. All three of the pokeballs were unmarked.
"Kirlia!" He yelled at his Pokemon who was busy teleporting between Trevenant's Wood hammers. "Which one is the fire type?"
His calls fell on deaf ears. Even with post-evolution euphoria, Kirlia was still fighting for his life, ducking and weaving between the larger Pokémon's fists and hoping to land a couple of stray fire punches which were not doing much damage.
"I don't think you have time to choose!" Paul shouted from his place on the floor. He was right. Trevenant may have been engaged with Kirlia but that didn't stop Honedge, who was rapidly gliding towards them, blade unsheathed.
Bonnie nodded and grabbed the leftmost pokeball quickly, tossing it to reveal a Froakie. "Not that one!" She cried as the tiny blue frog looked around in confusion before getting into a shaky battle stance. "Bubble!" She ordered as the water type began spitting high-velocity pulses of water at the sword Pokemon, aiming to hind his approach.
Max made a mad grab for the middle one, revealing a Treecko. "Not this one either!" He said reaching out for the third one when...
"Shadow sneak!"
At the command, Honedge disappeared, slicing through the bubbles at rapid speed. He slammed head on into the final ball, causing it to roll off the table and go missing under the roots.
That was it. They'd lost the fire type, their one hope of actually powerful super effective damage.
Max froze, eyes full of terror as he looked upwards. Kirlia teleported to his feet and immediately fell on one knee, clearly exhausted. Trevenant leapt up from the stands, landing with a crash in front of them. From his horns, Calem remained jovial as ever.
Max felt the warmth of Bonnie's hand in his. His legs shook, not only from nerves but also from the warm buzzing sensation emanating from his chest.
She continued looking forward, eyes fixed on Calem "Just so you know Calem," she spat. "If you kill Max you will have to kill me as well." Max knew the bargain Bonnie was playing. It was a dangerous one.
"Really Bonnie," Calem raised an eyebrow. "Would you really rather die over being my girlfriend?"
"Of course I would you psychopath!" She yelled. "After all you've done, I don't think I want to be on the same earth as you! Especially if I knew that Max would be with me in death."
Max's heart finally overcame his head. "Bonnie," he said. "I like you,"
"I like you too."
And that was how they died. Two low-level starters, an overexerted fairy and two hopelessly in love trainers destined to die to a power-crazed tyrant.
This is it
This is where it ends.
That is, if Calem hadn't made a fatal underestimation.
One second was all it took for a large grey shape to slam full force into Trevenant, the grass type screaming in pain as it collided helplessly with the wall.
Calem was sent flying forwards, hitting the ground with a thud. The three trainers looked up to see an utterly brilliant sight.
There, silhouetted in the blinding floodlights, one hand on the bill of his cap was Red Ketchum.
"Aerodactyl," he spat. "Use Aerial Ace!"
The ancient beast let out an earth-shattering screech, rising upwards into the air before flying back down on the felled Ent.
Aerodactyl pinned its prey to the ground and, viciously and without any mercy or command from its trainer, began to bite down onto the neck.
A horrible noise filled the air. It was like a combination of splintering root and a man in agony. Trevenant fell limp.
Silence filled the room for at least five minutes.
Red ran forward and grabbed Bonnie and Max in a massive hug. Not wanting to be left out, Ralts mustered the last of his energy to teleport into the middle of the huddle, throwing his arms around Max and Bonnie's necks.
Upon release, the three friends took a deep breath. Afterwards, Max was the first person to speak.
"Ok so please explain what the hell happened there!"
Red shrugged. "I have Paras to thank." He nodded to the bug type, who was busying himself with slashing the cords binding Leaf. "Calem really didn't think things through when he decided not to confiscate the one Pokemon with sharp forceps for cutting through tree roots."
Upon getting free, Leaf ran over and grabbed Red in another large hug. "Congratulations on winning your first ever 1v1, mister lifesaver!" He froze, his face turning the colour of his name.
"Honedge Fury Cutter!"
Max was about to say something when he was suddenly interrupted by Calem's yelling. "This isn't over!" The black-haired trainer screamed. "I'm going to..."
"Flame burst," yelled another voice, way too tired to even be angry at this point. Honedge came flying towards them, blade extended only to collide face first with a ball of fire that sent him clattering to the floor unconscious. Paul reached down to pet the Charmander at his feet, having retrieved it from beneath the roots.
"You're even more pathetic when you're losing compared to when you're winning." He commented.
Calem's eyes were the shade of blood at this point. His clothes were torn, and his face was covered in dirt and sweat. "Listen here!" Calem said, striding towards Paul. "Once my father finds out about this, he'll, he'll..."
He never finished his sentence. Before he could, a metal fist swung from behind, knocking him out cold. There, standing behind him was a man in chrome blue armour with a large dark helmet and glowing white eyes. It was someone everyone in the room knew but very few of them had met: the infamous vigilante Nightshock.
"And that's what you get for messing with my sister," he cried. The armoured figure then looked up at Bonnie, noticed her hand wrapped around Max's and bent down on one knee informs of the bespectacled trainer. "You're definitely a keeper!" He exclaimed, dropping the cold superhero facade for the opportunity to embarrass his sister.
Bonnie groaned, rolling her eyes as everyone else blinked in confusion. Of all the ways that this eventful night could end, why did it have to be like this?
A week after the ball, it was common knowledge throughout the academy that Bonnie and Max had started dating.
They spent a few days off of school, acting as witness against Calem in court. Predictably, Professor Sycamore did not want to support his son after what he did, and Calem received a 20-year prison sentence for Pokemon theft and attempted murder.
Paul gave away the Treecko and Froakie to Bonnie and Max respectively. Surprisingly, Red rejected the offer of a Charmander (he said something about "not wanting to step on Ash's footprints") and so it eventually went to Leaf.
As for Paul, he and Dawn had a very romantic weekend watching the Anistar showcase live. Whilst there, they ran into the Kalos Queen and Dawn's rival Serena. She was holding hands with a quietly confident nerdy kid with blond hair and a faulty prosthetic arm. He took Paul aside to ask for a favour:
"Please don't tell Bonnie that I'm here with Serena. It's been nice to be the one teasing her for a change and I really don't want her to turn the tables on me!"
Hey guys, it's me again.
Since you have come this far, I have a large set of questions for you:
- I was always planning five to six one shots, but I've been enjoying writing this alternate version of the anime that I want to continue. Should I continue past chapter six and if so, which characters would you like me to focus on?
- If I should continue, what would you prefer to see: another series of one shot like this one or a longer ongoing story?
- How do you feel about how I treated Calem. What did you think of his jealous tyrant personality and did I go a bit too far to make him unlikable in a few places?