Hello there,
Before I get started I want to issue a couple of warnings and worries associated with this chapter.
Firstly, trigger warning for blackmail and kidnapping. This chapter features both of these subjects and I am slightly apprehensive asto how it turns out. I'm confident that this story can remain ranked at T in terms of age rating, but if people feel too uncomfortable and like I should raise it to M I am happy to listen.
Secondly, on a slightly lighter note, this is the first truly romantic story I have ever written. I've tried my best to keep romance to implied relationships and ship-teasing in the past, so expect it to read less like Romeo and Juliet and more like the Star Wars Prequels. Any advice for future romance writing will be greatly appreciated.
Enough rambling, let's get on with the story.
"There's no sense in going out of your way to get someone to like you,"
- Ash Ketchum
"Settle down!" Paul snapped at the two idiots who were sitting at the back of the room, causing the whole classroom to shake with fear. No one liked it when Paul lost his patience with them. Max could feel Red shaking in his seat.
Paul sat back at his desk, rolling up his sleeves as he began to take the register.
"Leaf?"
"Here!"
"Brendan?"
"Here!"
Paul continued calling out people's names from the front of the class. Losing interest, Max felt his eyes drift around the room until they locked onto Bonnie, where they instinctively stopped.
She sat facing the front, attentive and alert, her fingers nervously fidgeting with her pencil. Her hair was done in a braid today, looping around over her left shoulder. He couldn't help but notice how good it looked like that, gleaming in the sunlight. He cringed slightly - why the hell was he thinking about his friend's hair? That was weird.
Looking into her eyes, Max knew that something wasn't right. She seemed troubled, frightened even. Her shoulders were shaking and her eyes were wide. She politely answered "Here!" when Paul called her name before she began to look desperately around the room again. He hadn't seen her this worried since the incident with her brother.
Max slowly followed Bonnie's gaze until he realised that she was looking at Calem. The professor's son was giving her his signature weird look and strangely enough Bonnie didn't seem annoyed by this. Instead, the only emotion in in her eyes was pure, undistllled fear. He gave her a sly, slightly corny wink which she missed completely as she quickly swivelled round to face the front of the class again.
Max felt the same sickly feeling in his stomach that he always did when Calem was around Bonnie. Why did seeing the boy make him feel so ill? There wasn't a great deal of bad blood between the two and, while he despised unnecessary and unwelcome flirting, that had never stopped him from becoming close to Brock...
It was something about Bonnie, he decided. Something that made him feel like Calem was a danger to Bonnie in some way that he was failing to protect her from. If that was the case then why was he so protective all of a sudden? It couldn't be that...
"MAX MAPLE ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?" Paul's yelling was enough to snap him out of his thoughts.
"Oh, um yes sir," Max stammered in response.
Calming down, Paul ticked his register. "First warning for lack of concentration," he mumbled under his breath. Max stared at his desk, avoiding eye contact with the teacher.
Paul finished the register in as quick and efficient of a manner as possible. He then spent some time fussing with the projector before walking back to the front of the room and addressing the class.
"Greetings," he clicked to the first slide of his slideshow, which displayed a poster for the Spring Ball. Max groaned. How many times did they need to talk about this stupid party?
"I'm aware that you're probably all bored with hearing this but it's only a few weeks before the Spring Ball. you all know I will be holding a doubles tournament this year and your progress will add on to your battling grade," He flicked to the next slide, which showed a signup sheet, seven of the eight slots being filled. "I have room for one last pair. If you and your partner wish to sign up and haven't yet, please talk to me before the end of the week. Thank you!"
"H-hold on!" Bonnie stammered, waving her hand. "Can you keep on that slide for a few minutes?"
Paul sighed in an irritated fashion. "Fine," he said, standing back so that the class could look at the board to see who was partnered with who.
Max gazed down the list of names. Apparently, Brendan had asked Hilda out and Nate was going with Rosa, which Bonnie had fully expected. Third from the bottom, Max noticed that Red and Leaf's names were down together, which caused him to chuckle.
Max was surprised at how much he had enjoyed the gossip in the lead-up to the ball. Before coming to Ketchum Academy, he would have been caught dead engaging in relationship drama - that was his sister's job. But since he'd arrived, he'd become kind of interested in the subject. He blamed a combination of being a bystander to school affairs, the more romantic culture of Kalos as a whole and Bonnie.
Mostly Bonnie.
The final item on the list was the one that shocked him the most. At the bottom, in black ink, as clear as crystal, was written the following:
Group Seven: Bonnie Citron and Calem Sycamore.
Max looked back, staring at Bonnie with confusion. Why? Of all the boys she could have chosen, why go with Calem? Why go with the boy who clearly didn't treat her the way she wanted to be treated?
He felt like he was going to puke.
The lesson felt like it took quite a lot longer than it actually did. Max tried to concentrate but, as expected, he failed spectacularly. Even though he enjoyed the theoretical battling lessons more than most did, he couldn't stop the agonising twisting feeling in his stomach.
Bonnie and Calem! There had to be a longer story there, there just had to! There was no way that Bonnie would consider asking out that creepy flirt, over anyone else. Over him.
Max realised something. Was he becoming jealous of Calem? Probably. Did he have any strong reason to be jealous of Calem? Not really. Then why was he jealous of Calem?
Max stopped just outside the classroom and waited for his friends to come out. Red was the first to leave, followed by Leaf. Finally Bonnie was the last to exit the classroom, notably not accompanied by Dedenne.
As soon as she appeared, Max ushered her over "Can I please have a word?" He asked.
Bonnie snapped out of her anxiousness. "Yeah sure, what's up." She smiled brightly. Despite his artistic talent he had never managed to get that smile to a suitable standard on paper. It was just too frustratingly... perfect to draw.
"I um," one might think he was stuttering and stopping from teenage love. But in reality he was trying to process the best way to ask such an important yet awkward question. "Why are you going to a semi-romantic ball with the creep who pops up randomly to flirt with you." wasn't exactly a question he could randomly throw out there, at least not without sounding jealous or clingy.
"Nevermind. I-it's nothing," he quickly stammered, cheeks flushing in embarrassment.
"Ok then," Bonnie replied, raising an eyebrow. "Well if it ever comes up as a topic of conversation, just let me know." She giggled at his awkwardness. He couldn't put a finger on why, but he really liked her laugh as well. It was girly, but not as high pitched as Leaf's or the other girls in his year, and therefore considerably much more pleasant.
"So," Red interjected the two of them looking at Bonnie inquisitively. "You and Calem, right? Any particular reason why you're going with him?"
Max may have appeared fine on the outside but inwardly he was growling in frustration. How come Red could say something like that so casually, but he couldn't? He knew that he would probably do a better job than him of talking to any other person, but suddenly when it came to Bonnie, Red was the social Butterfree and he was left tongue-tied.
When did talking to Bonnie become so... hard?
Bonnie's emotions suddenly took another drastic shift, from bright and cheery to nervous and jumpy. "Oh there's nothing between us," she said, putting on her best fake smile. "I-I just really wanted a battle partner and he asked me out. I swear there is nothing more..."
She squeaked as a hand was placed on her shoulder from behind. It wasn't surprising whose hand it was. "That wasn't the story I heard, was it honey? I thought you were the one who asked me out, right." Calem leered at Bonnie's friends, eyes instinctively fixing on Max with a smug grin. His grip on her shoulder tightened slightly.
"Oh, y-yeah I guess you were right." Bonnie was probably aware how much her cheerful facade was cracking. A few weeks ago, she would have shrugged off that arm and told Calem in no uncertain terms to go away and not come back, maybe with some sparks from Dedenne for good measure. But now, Bonnie just instantly froze, giving Calem free reign to touch her as he willed.
"I see," Max began, trying to use his usual serious tone. "Well, I was going to do some studying at the library. We've spent a few days training, so some theoretical work would probably do us good. You guys up for it?" He turned to his friends.
Red nodded "Normally I wouldn't say so but I know you're right. Leaf?"
He turned to his old friend. Leaf had been leant against the wall behind them, watching the interaction between Max, Calem and Bonnie silently with some interest. She shrugged "If it's what you guys are doing then I'm game."
Bonnie nodded. "I think I..." she felt the hand on her shoulder tighten again.
"Sorry guys," Calem interjected "But we were going to do some last minute training, right honey?" Max didn't need his glasses to see the venom behind Calem's smile.
Bonnie trembled under his grip. "H-he's right. I'm really sorry." The two trainers nodded there goodbyes before turning around and walking in the direction of the school stadium.
Red groaned. "What a prick!" He muttered.
"The feeling's mutual," said Leaf, shaking her head. "Right Max?"
Max was lost for words. He was understandably furious at Calem, but that wasn't the only thing in his mind. Why was Bonnie so scared of Calem all of a sudden? Why did she submit to all his demands? Was there something going on that he didn't notice?
He sighed. "Come on," he said, leading the way to the library.
"So does anyone know about Paras's status moves?" Red asked, scanning through data on his Pokédex.
"I'm sorry, what did you say?" Max put down his notebook and shifted his glasses slightly. However, he was focussing less than his companions were. The events of this morning had gotten to him somewhat and he felt a weird... emptiness in his chest.
Red sighed in exasperation. "Paras. Status moves. Which ones can it learn?"
"Well it depends," he began "Paras can learn a ton of status moves from what I've read. What do you want to do?"
Red removes his new black cap (It blended in better with the school uniform than the old red one did) and scratched the back of his head. "There was this move he did when we were fighting in the fire that I forgot to scan with the Pokédex. Paras kinda glowed silver and managed to withstand a flamethrower that should have killed him. It sounded like a normal type move..."
"Its called Endure. It makes the user survive lethal damage with the very last of their energy."
"Oh, I see. Thanks a lot Max," Red said gratefully. "You're smarter than you want to admit."
"Oh I don't know. I was a bit of an arrogant know-it-all when I was younger," Max replied bashfully. "I try not to be that nowadays, especially after meeting you guys. And Bonnie of course."
"I'm not surprised," Leaf remarked. She'd taken to hanging around them following the incident in the forest. Red never told either Max or Bonnie that they went as far back as they did. "Speaking of which, you ever notice how weird Bonnie was acting back there?"
Red nodded "It's not particularly surprising. Wouldn't you act a little funny if you were forced to endure training with Calem for one hour straight?"
"But why Calem though?" She asked.
"To be honest I completely believe the story that she told." Red answered. "Her initial one at least, before Calem butted in. Bonnie loves Pokemon and battling as much as the rest of us do and would probably want to sign up as soon as someone asked her. Calem likes her and is really pushy about it. It makes sense that Bonnie would just go with him." His crimson eyes turned to Max. "Even if he wasn't her best choice."
Max stared down at the formless scribble he had been making in his notebook without really thinking. Though Red's assumptions seemed reasonable, something about the situation implied that something more sinister was going on.
Leaf nodded. "What is surprising though is what happened to Dedenne." She remarked.
Max nodded. It was strange how Bonnie had not been seen with her trusty companion all day. The Gerbil Pokemon usually accompanied her wherever she went, and it was weird to see her without...
...In the distance, the trio heard the ringing of a bell.
Red fixed his cap on his head again and stood up, placing a hand on the table so that Paras could crawl up his arm onto his shoulder. "We should be going." He said before turning to leave.
Max nodded, fitting his notebook and pencil case in his bag. Slinging his bag over his shoulder, he was about to follow Red when...
"Hey wait up!" He turned back and saw Leaf once again struggling to remove the pokeball from its clasp on her belt. She released her newly-evolved Nidorina before jogging up to meet him.
"Sooo..." She began, a teasing tone in her voice. "What's the deal with you and Bonnie?"
Max scratched the back of his head, confused. "What do you mean by that?"
"You know," she responded. "There's clearly something going on between you two..."
"...What do you mean something?"
"Mew above Max, how dense are you?" Leaf doubled over in laughter. "I'm asking if you like her?"
"Red's gotten to you, hasn't he?" Max snorted. "Don't listen to him. I see Bonnie as a friend. A good friend, sure, probably my best friend in fact. But she is just a friend. Nothing more."
And yet as he said this, Max felt a strange sensation. It was akin to guilt, as if he had told an absolutely massive lie.
He really didn't want to talk about this. If he didn't know what he was feeling towards Bonnie, then how would Leaf? And why explain this to Leaf of all people? Why not Red or Bonnie or Brock?
"How do you feel when around Bonnie?" Leaf asked, probably detecting whatever he sensed.
"What do you mean by that?" Max responded with a question of his own. He was bluffing and judging by the look in Leaf's face, she knew.
"Ok," she spent a second thinking, placing a finger on her chin. "Would you describe spending time with her as similar to when you're around Red?"
"Oh very different," Max responded. "For all of his good traits, Red is still quite obsessive. We rarely. talk about anything but Pokemon or Ash. Not that that's a bad thing." He added.
"With Bonnie, I guess it's more... personal. We've both been fortunate enough to travel before we were old enough to own Pokemon, we were both lucky enough to know and journey with Ash and we both have had impactful interactions with Legendary Pokemon..."
"...And because of that, you feel like you can trust her more than with Red, because she knows what you've been through and therefore probably understands what you're going through better than he does?" Leaf cut him off.
Max's eyes widened. "How did you..." he gasped.
"...Know what you were going to say? Simple. If you asked me the question I just asked you, I'd say the same thing about Red."
"Oh," Was all Max could say in response to that statement. So the feelings that she had for Red were the same that he had for Bonnie, or at least she claimed that they were. Interesting...
A brief minute of awkward silence followed between the two mutual acquaintances.
"Look, Leaf," He sighed "I know you're trying to help me, I really do, but I don't have feelings for Bonnie, at least not in the way you think."
"If this is about the thing with Calem and the Ball..."
"...Which it isn't..."
"...Then I suggest that you let it go. She and him aren't a thing, and they'll be other times to ask her out. Don't give up until it's over and all that."
"It's not even going to attempt to ask her, ok?" He stammered, fists tightening and voice raising in pitch. "What part of 'good friends' do you not understand?"
He let out a sigh, calming down again as he took off his glasses and started to wipe them with his handkerchief. "Now I'll admit that I do feel something for her, whether that feeling is love is unimportant, but even if you're right I'm not asking her out, I'm sorry."
"You know what your problem is?" Said Leaf; her voice and gaze stern but her grin persisting. "You lack confidence. If you were braver, then you would be able to at least admit that you knew what you were feeling about her. You might even have been able to ask her out to the Ball. Then I guarantee that you and Bonnie would both be in a better place. Calem wouldn't even be a concern."
"I see," Max raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "And how would I gain this confidence?"
Leaf shrugged. "You're talking to a sheltered orphanage girl here. You expect me to have relationship advice?"
"...I-I wasn't asking for..."
She calmed down and crouched to pet Nidorina. "In all seriousness, the way I'm approaching it right now with Red is with large amounts of blunt honesty. Lots of teasing seems to help too. That way, it's less awkward if you turn out to be in her friend-zone, 'cause you can just call it banter."
Max nodded "I see, thank you," he smiled for a minute before his gaze hardened again. He knew that was poor advice.
"I'm still perfectly happy in sticking in the friend-zone, for now at least."
Leaf chuckled. "Keep telling yourself that," she replied mischievously. She then turned around and ran to catch up with Red, who had been waiting impatiently for them outside of the Trainer Life classroom.
Leaf apologised for being slow and then stood on her tiptoes to whisper something in Red's ear. Max didn't care what she said, he had had more than enough of her nonsense for one day, but it made Red chuckle before approaching him.
"I'm sorry about her. I know that she can be incredibly annoying." he admitted. "But I think a lot of what she says is true, even if you aren't brave enough to admit it."
"Red, I..."
"Look, just sit with Bonnie for one lesson. Talk to her again like you used to. Maybe find out what the deal is between her and Calem. Just try to relieve some of the tension between you two. That's all you need to do." Red smiled, an action he had been doing an awful lot more of after his ordeal in the forest. He then went back to Leaf and they entered Cilan's class, leaving Max alone in the corridor.
Max sighed as Bonnie turned the corner, looking a lot more relaxed now that Calem wasn't tailing her. Her smile was as radiant as always and her uniform was crumpled and slightly dirty, not as orderly as other girls due to the amount of physical activity she did outside of school. Something about that made her seem even cuter, in Max's eyes at least.
Even after everything Leaf and Red said to him, he remained resolute in his thoughts. He didn't want to be anything more than friends with Bonnie. He didn't want to like her. And yet, something at the back of his mind began to ask a question:
What if he did like her? What would he do then?
"Today, as we're almost at the end of the term, we're going to wrap up the module on wild camping..."
Max's pen nervously ran across the paper. Just as in Paul's lesson, he was losing focus and was instead making random notes on the behaviour of Cilan's Pansage, as it sat at the computer in the corner, clicking to the next slide when demanded but its trainer. Next to him, Bonnie fidgeted with her pen nervously, her eyes flicking between him and the front.
Max had sat next to Bonnie in so many places and on so many occasions but it had never been this awkward. They'd usually be excited whispering, the passage of notes or at least some form of communication between the two. Finally, mustering his strength, he turned to the back of his notebook and scribbled out a little message, just to make sure she was ok.
Hey Bonnie.
Are you alright?
He passed the note to her. She gave a small smile as she took it, uncapping her pen and quickly writing a response.
Fine. How are you?
Good thanks. Just worried about you.
Don't be. Nothing's going on. Bonnie raised a suspicious eyebrow as she passed the note back.
Good. Max gave the next part of his message some thought. He decided to change the subject now and ask about Calem at a later time.
How is your brother? Still alive?
Yes he is in one piece. I've got him a keeper!
Keeper! There was that pesky word again! Max knew he would have to find out what that meant. However, he knew that it was too embarrassing and so he wouldn't ask.
Really? Are they a good keeper (If such a thing exists)?
Bonnie was doing a remarkable job at holding in her laughter. Yeah. She's doing a great job distracting him from his work.
Good. So a keeper was someone who spent time with you? Like a good friend, or a boyfriend...
No! The idea that he liked Bonnie was specifically Red and Leaf's. Clemont couldn't think the same thing as well. Could he? Time to change the subject again!
How's Dedenne? I haven't seen her all day.
Bonnie let out a yelp as she saw his latest message. She stared at it long and hard, with a look in her eyes like she was about to do something she really didn't want to do, before looking back at Calem and tentatively putting pen to paper.
He's fine.
Are you sure? I haven't seen him all day.
Yes. He's just sick that's all.
Max didn't buy that. He really didn't buy it. But he didn't want to cause an argument, so he didn't respond. He tried to concentrate on Cilan's lesson, and once again failed spectacularly.
Despite his dedication to study, Max had always lost interest when it came to Trainer Life as a subject. The entire topic was about the domestics of Pokemon training: the cooking, camping, cleaning, Pokemon centre etiquette, how to speak to strangers and other things like that. It was boring on its own, but it bored Max and Bonnie the most of all because it was already stuff that they had picked up from their journey with Ash.
Directly across the classroom, Max noticed Calem staring at him, his mouth a thin straight line and his silver eyes containing a mix of jealously, rage and subtle interest. Seeing this obviously intimidated Max but a secret part of his mind, the same part that was convinced that he liked Bonnie, was leaping for joy at this reaction. He picked up his pen again.
How are you strategising for the Spring Ball?
Badly.
Don't sweat it. You're a great trainer. I bet you'll get to the finals.
She grinned brightly, a crimson blush adorning her cheeks. That's sweet of you! Have you found a partner yet?
Taking a deep breath. Max inwardly cursed. Why did he open that goddamn can of Wurmple? Oh well, he may as well ask her now.
Nope. Why are you going with him?
She made an irritated noise. I told you earlier.
There's more to that story, I know it.
It took her a long time to think how to respond. You wouldn't understand.
At this point, he was also getting frustrated. Why are you so scared of him all of a sudden?
I'm not.
You are!You're not standing up for yourself when he flirts with you and you do everything he says.
"Could I please have a volunteer to come front to explain the four different basic tenants of wild camping?" Cilan's voice interjected from the front. Unsurprisingly, most of the class kept their hands firmly down. All the students did in fact, except for one.
"Do you mind sir?" Calem asked, raising a hand.
"Not at all," Cilan answered. "What's your recipe for this?"
Calem rose and attempted to stride to the front. However, he missed his footing as he stood up and tripped over the leg of Max and Bonnie's desk, as he collapsed, he knocked Max's notebook to the floor. He scrambled around for a second before standing up again and offering the book to Max.
"Sorry about that Max, here's your book."
"T-thank you, I guess." Max gave him a suspicious look. There was something fishy about that trip.
"It's alright," Calem replied. "Anyway, the first tenant of wild camping is..."
As Calem began to show off his knowledge at front, Max looked through the dropped papers, sorting them out. But something was missing.
He turned frantically to Bonnie, mouthing out "Note?"
She shook her head nervously. This was bad. Oh please don't say that...
Surely enough, when Calem had finished at the front, he sat down and pulled out a slip of paper from the pocket of his blazer. Max gritted his teeth as Calem tucked it into his workbook.
The rest of the lesson flew by quickly. Max didn't try to interact with Bonnie again, their argument getting too awkward for him to even think about interacting.
Ten minutes off of the end of the lesson, he felt a tap on his right shoulder. He looked back to see Brendan trying to get his attention, the same piece of paper in his hand that Calem had taken earlier. "It's from Calem," he murmured.
Max nodded his thanks to the fellow Hoenn trainer. Opening the piece of paper. He showed it to Bonnie, whose eyes went wide with what had been added to their message.
At the bottom, Calem had written the following:
Max, come meet me behind the school once class is over. It's important.
Bonnie snatched the note from Max's grasp, frantically writing.
Don't go. Under any circumstances.
Why not?
You don't want to know. Just trust me.
For once, Max didn't trust her. He wanted to find out more.
Max got behind the school building five minutes after the lesson ended. Bonnie had, of course, protested and Red had wondered where he was going but he had ignored both of them. He was a man on a mission.
Using the school messaging system, Calem had given him precise instructions of where to be. He was currently standing behind in a small patch of ground somewhere between the teachers car park and the bins. Though close to the car park it was deliberately out of sight, presumably so the teachers couldn't see them. That was suspicious.
Max wrinkled his nose from the stench of the garbage around the corner. He checked his watch anxiously. Calem was ten minutes late.
Ten minutes turned into twenty minutes. Getting bored, he released Mightyena. "How you doing girl?" He said, ruffling the dark type's fur. Mightyena barked happily, tongue lolling out of her mouth.
Somewhere behind him, someone coughed.
Immediately, Mightyena jumped away from him, fur bristling. A slow growl escaped from the Bite Pokémon's jaws.
"Ah Maple, I should have expected to see you here," Calem said, approaching slowly. Max slowly turned around, face souring.
Calem's arms were placed commandingly behind his back as he walked forward, his school uniform replaced with a blue sporting jacket and red cap, with a pair of sunglasses on his forehead. His smile was eerie, not his usual holier-than-thou smirk or the creepy grin he gave around Bonnie but an inhuman Gengaresque smile, one that told Max that he should run away as quickly as possible.
Behind him floated his Honedge. The blade of the possessed sword had been fully unsheathed and was gleaming in the sunlight. Max could see the sharpness of the cutting edge. His rational brain calculated how fast the pokemon could end him if Calem wanted it to.
Calem continued to pace forward, practically pressing him against the wall. He tried to hide his emotions, not wanting to give this jerk the satisfaction of seeing him afraid. However, he was doing a poor job of it, his bottom lip beginning to tremble slightly.
"So," Calem began, his voice hard and smooth. "There was something you wanted to ask wasn't there?" He forced his face into Max's, looking the other boy directly in the eyes.
"Give me some room," Max quietly demanded. He was completely ignored and pushed further so that his back was touching the hard brick wall behind him. Was it bricks? It felt more like wood...
"That wasn't a question, was it?" Calem's threatening silver glare belied a hidden intent. "Want to ask again?"
"W-what is your deal with..." Max murmured.
"I can't hear you!" Calem taunted, "Speak up!"
"What do you want with Bonnie?"
The squeak seemed to satisfy the professor's son, who chuckled. "Why don't you turn around?" He asked. Not really want to deny him, Max slowly spun around...
...Only to find out that what he bumped into wasn't a mere wall. Towering over him was a pokemon, or at least that was what Max assumed it was.
It was among one of the most terrifying pokemon he had ever seen.
Not even the many Legendaries Max had seen in his time were as threatening as the pokemon in front of him. Groudon and Kyogre created fear in what they could do, and they inspired awe through their sheer mass alone, but they couldn't conjure the same terror as this pokemon could create by standing still and doing nothing. A more fitting comparison would be to a pokemon like Banette or Spiritomb but neither of them had as much of a hulking physical presence, being a limp doll and a cloud of gas respectively.
The creature's typing was obvious: grass and ghost. The pokemon's outer cuticle was rough and thorned like bark, it's head was crowned with a set of imposing branch-like horns and it stood on a set of eight root-like legs, one of which was pinning a bloodied and unconscious Mightyena to the ground. The pokemon had a pair of thick arms that extended into massive grasping claws, made to crush anyone who went against its master.
The whole body cried of grass-type brute strength. However, this aspect of its biology was combined with the imperiously sinister aspects of the ghost type: the way it's scarlet cyclopean eye tore into his soul, exposing all his deepest fears and regrets; the way that it stood perfectly still, seeming more like a featureless statue of a tree than any Sudowoodo; the silent screams and groans that oozed from the cracks in its wooden shell, only heard when under the goliath pokemon's gaze. This pokemon had a singular purpose: to break things, both physically and emotionally.
Max was petrified, lacking even the courage to run. He just stood there, trembling as Calem circled him, his maniacal expression the only thing that could ever be more demonic than the snarl of the pokemon he commanded.
"Trevenant, I would like you to meet Max. I'm sure that you'll both become great friends." Calem sneered. The cursed ent reached forward and Max felt his shirt strain as it grasped his collar with one arm lifting him up until he was staring into that singular crimson orb of an eye. "Do you know much about his kind?" Calem casually asked, somewhere beneath him. Max didn't answer.
"Trevenant are a ghost and grass type pokemon that command the power of entire forests. They are supposed to be guardians, protectors if you will of the Kalosian Ecosystems, kinda like a mini-Zygarde if you will. Not this one though," Calem continued, his tone getting progressively darker.
"This one doesn't have a forest to protect. It's a rogue. A killer. It could rip your arms off if I commanded it to, or consume your soul and remove every aspect of your personality, leaving you an emotionless husk."
"Not that I would ever do that to you, of course," He added, chuckling. "You're too valuable for that. Whatever would Bonnie say if she found out? She'd not want to be around me for certain."
Bonnie! The sound of the name snapped Max out of his fear-induced trance. He suddenly began thrashing around, still to scared to speak, as the monster tightened its grip.
"I'm sorry, where was I?" Calem snapped his fingers. "That was it! You asked me a question and I intend to answer it. Now, what do I want with Bonnie? That's a simple question." Trevenant turned Max around, keeping him in place with a pair of claws pinching his collar, so that Calem could stare him in the face.
"Bonnie is beautiful and smart and funny and talented. In short, I like her, a lot more than I want to admit." Calem clicked his fingers a second time and Max felt a cold metal object pressing against the side of his neck.
"I'm aware that you like her," given the situation, Max didn't argue that statement. "And I'm aware that she likes you too." His tone was playful and teasing before suddenly shifting to cold and hard. "Which makes you an obstacle."
Trevenant shoved him forward, within physical reach of Calem's grasp. The tree then let go as Max felt his lapel grabbed by the other trainer, pulling him in close.
"Listen here," Calem said in a violent whisper. "Before next week, I want you to speak to Bonnie. Tell her that you don't care for her and then leave her. I do not want you to be seen around her afterwards. If that means that you have to stop hanging out with your friends then so be it."
"If you do not do this, I will ruin your life in every way. I could easily turn anyone I wanted to against you, take everything that you hold dearest. I won't kill you, at least not until Bonnie's forgotten all about you, but I know I can make you want to die. Oh, and and before you snitch me out to some authority figure, remember who my father is and what he could do to his educational life if he finds out. Do you understand?" Calem growled, his emotional face stern and silver.
A moment of tense silence followed.
Max gave the slightest nod.
Calem laughed, tossing him to the ground as he returned to his usual personality. "Then we're in agreement."
He reached for his hat, pulling his sunglasses over his eyes. "I'm sorry. It's such a shame that I have to take away something else that Bonnie holds dear. But if it's what I need to do to get her to behave then I will do what I must."
As he stood above him, Max could notice that there were three balls strapped to his belt. All three were the standard Red pokeball, but two were unmarked, presumably the pokeballs for Honedge and Trevenant. The third pokeball, Max recognised all too well.
It was decorated with a sticker depicting the Voltage badge of the Lumiose gym.
Maxed gasped silently. Dedenne hadn't been sick. He had been kidnapped!
"You broke so easily," he commented domineeringly, his classic,smug smirk returning to his face. "I didn't even need to take your Mightyena." There was the confession.
"At least Bonnie put up a fight. You really are a lightweight aren't you? A hopeless coward."
Calem began to walk away, Honedge sheathing itself and floating behind it's master. Trevenant scuttled over his tired body, looking back at the tired boy with a look of pity before turning around to follow the other Pokemon.
Max collapsed next to his already fainted Mightyena.
Unbeknownst to either Calem or Max, a small white figure was watching their confrontation, eyes glowing pink. It had seen everything.
Max stood silent in the hallway of the girl's dormitory.
He knew Bonnie was in. She had to be. He hadn't wanted to talk to her around her friends, that would have caused too much argument. No, this had to be just him and just her. The others would find out what was happening later.
His hands trembled, clutching a sheet of paper tightly.
It read the following:
Dear Bonnie,
I know it's weird that I'm just giving you a note and then leaving but I feel like I have to do it like this. I'm worried that if I did this in any other way, I'd screw up somehow and then it'd be awkward.
Truth is, I don't want to hang out with you anymore.
I am, and have always been, a scared and anxious child. I cannot get through any tense situation without breaking down. Though my pokemon are strong I will always be as weak as they come.
Someone like me really doesn't deserve someone like you. You are the kindest, smartest and prettiest girl I have ever met and Calem is lucky to have you.
Yours sincerely,
Max
Max wasn't proud of the opening. Then again, he wasn't proud of any of this letter. He may have been the one writing it, but he knew that this was Calem's letter first and foremost. He had insisted on seeing it before he sent it, made his own additions and subtractions to the script. Max was simply doing his bidding, just as much of a toy to him as Bonnie was now. A toy being controlled by fear, and fear alone.
Leaf's words from yesterday danced around in his mind, the same troublesome back corner that had been bothering him all week, telling him that for no logical reason, he liked Bonnie and hated Calem. The part of his mind that had led to him attempting to reason with Calem, to step out of line. The part that had led him on the destructive knife-edge to where he was now.
The letter was disgusting, a slander against him. Any excuse to make Max seem smaller and less adequate was always jumped on with glee. That was Calem's strategy of course: make competition or rebellion seem impossible by making all his competitors and rebels feel small and inadequate about themselves.
This isn't you. You were braver than this. Somehow those words popped into his mind. That wasn't what Leaf had said, and he was pretty certain it wasn't his internal monologue. You could never be sure though.
Still something about those words shocked something in him. He remembered back to when he was seven, tagging along on the journeys of those older than him. The adventures he managed without breaking down. The arrogant way that he stood up to Ash, told him what was right and wrong despite having a fraction of the the experience. The Pokemon he had known, befriended, saved.
He'd witnessed the rise of Groudon and Kyogre for hell's sake. And now he was being manipulated like a scared little puppet by a creep with a pair of moderately powerful ghost types. How far had he fallen?
You saved me. Ooook, that was definitely not his inner monologue.
Max froze. What if it was Calem? What if Honedge or Trevenant had some sort of telepathic link to mess with him? The thought of that made him tense in fear, that someone like Calem could have that much control over what he said and did.
You fought to heal me. I would've died if I hadn't found you. Max racked his brain. Who was talking to him?Could he trust what the voice told him? He tried to desperately recall any time when he had saved anyone from death.
You like her don't you? The yellow haired one, I mean. Max sighed.
Max had had enough. "Look," he yelled "I don't know who you are, let alone whether I can trust you, but the one thing you need to know about me is that I am not, and have never liked Bonnie!" The words stung more than any other time he'd said them. It felt not only like he was telling a massive lie, but also like he was insulting or slandering something beautiful and precious.
"W-why are you interested about her anyway. She's with Calem! I never had a chance." Max didn't even question how the thing knew what was in his sketchbook.
Calem's the floppy-haired one right? The one she's with because he holds Dedenne ransom?
"H-how did you?" Max stammered before straightening himself again. "Who are you, where are you and how did you know that?"
In case you haven't figured, I'm psychic. As for who and where I am? I've been behind you this whole time. Or do you not even have the courage to turn around anymore?
"C-cut the creepy shit! Where are you,"
That wasn't a metaphor. Just turn around. The voice commanded. Max's arms began shaking as his eyes widened. I am not a Trevenant. I am here to help you, just as you saved me all those years ago.
Max's head slowly spun backwards. The corridor behind him was empty.
Down here! I'm smaller than you think, you know!
Max tilted his head down, his emerald green eyes meeting the blazing ruby eyes of the Pokemon, which glowed up at him from beneath the rim of the rim of its green bowl cut.
"R-Ralts?"
The psychic type bowed, signifying him as a male. It's good to see you again, Max. I wish I could come under better circumstances.
"How did you find me?"
I've been tracking you for some time now. How did you end up here? You're so much older than spiky-hair was when you traveled with him, and yet you are not on you're journey. Why is that?
"Long story," Max then quickly. Suddenly, he felt the pit of shame open up in his chest. After another minute of awkward silence, he quickly opened his mouth again. "I'm sorry I never came back for you."
Consider yourself forgiven. You had a life to live, as did I. The little creature shrugged. Our paths did eventually cross again. In a flash of light, Ralts disappeared and then promptly reappeared in Max's arms. Well, now that we're reacquainted, we were talking about you and Bonnie right?
"I guess we were,"
Max sat down in the against the wall. If he was in a clearer head-state he would probably laugh at the ridiculous position he was in, loitering around the girl's dormitory with a Ralts he didn't own. He cringed at the thought of Bonnie finding him like this.
You deny caring about her, don't you?
Max sighed. "I care about her deeply. I just don't..."
Really? Then why did you write that. Rants pointed a tiny white finger at the letter, which was laying peacefully on the floor.
"B-because..."
Because that's not what you think. You're lying, speaking on behalf of someone else. And I think we both know who.
"Still, I feel like a stuck record saying this but..."
Stop. I know what you're going to say and it would be a waste of words. What do you have to say about this? A faint green glow encased his hands. This glow seemed to detach from his hands, manifesting into a solid object which fell into the Feeling Pokémon's arms. Ralts then lifted the object up so that Max could see it.
It was a book, battered and dog-eared with a faded green cover. The surface of the cover was rough, almost like sandpaper, and covered in dirt from the time that it had fell out of a tree. Yeh cover read:
MAX MAPLE'S NOTEBOOK - KEEP OUT!
Max was lost for words. "H-how did you get this?" He said, worried his voice maybe raised a bit too loud. This was a dorm after all.
I teleported it. It's a lot harder to do with inanimate objects than with my body. The Fairy-type blushed with pride. It's also harder if you're not in the same room.
"I see. And how do you know about this?"
I've been watching you for some time now. I'm constantly inside the heads of everyone close to you. Ralts smiled slyly. And I know what's on the back page.
Max sighed and flipped to the picture. As soon as he saw it he suddenly felt ten times happier. He looked upon the sketch of Bonnie, the glow in her eyes, the shine on her hair, the beauty of her smile. It paled in comparison to the real thing of course, but her reaction, or at least her reaction before she accidentally fell off the tree, filled him with immeasurable pride.
You put that much effort into that piece of art, more effort than even the portraits of your own family, and you still deny that you like her?
How could argue with that? For the first time, someone had actually shown him some evidence for his feelings for Bonnie. Ralts had spoken to him in a way that the others had not. He suddenly realised what they meant. He had just needed the evidence.
Max remembered how he felt when he was compelled to sketch Bonnie. The desire not just to make a detailed scientific drawing but a piece of art. The Butterfree that had danced around his stomach when he tried desperately to hide it from her. And the strength she made him feel in himself when she finally saw it for the first time.
He also remembered when the beef with Calem started, the genuine concern he had from her strange behaviour, the sick pleasure he gained from Calem's jealously. And the crushing sensation he had felt just a few minutes before when he stood in front of her door with a letter he didn't want to write.
He loved her. He couldn't deny that.
However he realised that truth, he soon realised another more uncomfortable one. He stared back to the letter, which now lay discarded on the floor.
"What does it matter whether I like her or not? If I do anything, Calem will..."
He was interrupted with a flash of lightning. Within seconds, the note was reduced to smouldering ash on the floor.
Calem specialises in crushing bravery. Ralts replied, blowing the smoke off of his fingers. Who is the bravest person you've ever met?
"Bonnie," Max admitted, scratching the back of his head.
Precisely. And look what he turned her into. A girl who once helped to stop a genocidal maniac from destroying humanity is now cowering in her room, scared for what he might do to her or her Pokemon.
Max trembled slightly, remembering his encounter with Calem. And Bonnie's was even worse.
"A-and I suppose you have a plan to stop him?"
You're the trainer here. You come up with the answer yourself.
"Very helpful," Max snapped sarcastically. "We can't just tell someone. Threat and kidnapping are serious accusations. What evidence do we have?"
Ralts tapped his temple. We have this.
"You saw it happen?"
Yes. And I have access to you and Bonnie's memories.
"Ok," Max cringed at the thought. "That's a bit creepy..."
I only did it for your good. I hope you understand.
Max sighed. "Fine. Promise never to do that again."
I promise.
"Still, what if he slings Trevenant at me in response?"
Ralts placed a hand on Max's chest. You know how you defeat someone skilled in crushing courage? With even greater courage.
"But I..."
Think of Bonnie. You want to do everything in your power to help her right? You want to rescue Dedenne not because you owe a favour as I do but because you legitimately love her and want to see her succeed and be happy. Funnel that into stopping Calem, and there's no way that that floppy hair could stop you.
Ralts laughed. You're a logical person Max! Why aren't you questioning what he says? Do you really think that he could ruin your life as badly as he claims he can?
Max sighed. "Ralts, I don't know what to say. Thank you so much."
Ralts nodded. You're welcome. It's the least I can do. Speaking of which... He disappeared again.
Max waited a full five minutes before he reappeared. In his little hands he carried a red pokeball.
Years ago, you made a promise and it's about time you kept it. He held the sphere high, offering it to Max. What do you say, partner?
Max grinned. "Welcome to the team," he said warmly.
Ralts nodded. It is an honour to serve you. By the way, do you have an idea of a plan?
"Yes," Max said, courage returning to his voice. "I think I know what I'm doing."
Little known to Max, someone had been listening to the whole conversation.
"Let's hope you do," Bonnie said, putting a hand on her heart as her face flushed red.
Paul stared soullessly at the tournament battle sheet, gazing into the abyss that was the last empty spot on the list.
Seven couples wasn't enough. He needed eight. Then everyone would have an opponent and an actual neat tournament structure could be created.
He could always coerce Dawn into partnering up with him. She was always happy to spend time with him and was pretty involved in the Spring Ball organisation anyway. But no, even if they used weaker Pokemon the skill gap between them and the other trainers was just too great. Besides, if he competed who would referee the matches or give out prizes...
And what would the prizes be? He really hand thought that far ahead. Arceus, there was so much to do! He had to decide on the rewards for winning, get Dawn to decide on the decor for the arena and find himself a decent new dress shirt (he'd accidentally spilled wine down his last one at Brock and Joy's wedding). This tournament wasn't even half organised and it was his fault.
Paul put his head in his hands in frustration. Was this how President Goodshow felt when he organised the Pokemon league every year?
A knock at the door caught Paul's attention.
Electivire, who knew better than to step in on Paul when he was organising something, stepped forwards to open it. Max entered, flanked by Mightyena with Ralts sitting comfortably on his shoulder.
Something in Max's tone seemed different, braver and more valiant. There was something akin to pride in the way he held his chest. Paul eyed the Ralts on his shoulder with interest as it gave a bow in greeting.
"What do you want?" Paul growled.
"Sorry to bother you sir but..."
"...It's ok Max you've just kind of caught me at a bad time." Paul regained his composure.
"I see. Do you still have an extra slot in the spring ball tourney?"
"Yes why?" Paul asked. "You want me to sign you up?"
Max beamed. "If you wouldn't mind sir."
Paul shrugged. "Sure. Who is your partner?"
Max looked at the floor. "I don't really have one. But I have two Pokemon!" He said hopefully.
Paul raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure?" He asked.
"I know how to double battle."
"You do know how difficult commanding two Pokemon at once is, right?"
Max nodded. "I'm aware. It's not something I don't know though. I'm seen it several times."
"Fine," Paul said, scribbling down Max's name into the final eighth place on the sheet. "Anything else?"
Max shook his head, smiling. "Thank you sir," he said, turning to leave.
Paul let out a long sigh of relief. Now, all he needed was a cheap tailor and a new suit. Then he could really get this tournament under way.
Yep, I'm leaving the story there. I've said in the past how the one shots in Ketchum academy have been getting longer and more complicated so I decided to split this one into two parts.
Stay tuned for part 2 and I will see you next time.
