Episode 34: World of Sunrise
"What's with all the crowds?" Kayla wondered as the group returned to the academy. I was expecting some sorta party waiting for us considering we just took out Zude… maybe they dunno yet.
"Leave it to me!" Kari squeaked, scooping Kayla up into her arms. She grew bigger and shuffled her way into the large crowd of Pokémon, which only smushed Kayla against the bodies of Rhyperior, Milotic, and other bigger Pokémon. They were in the cafeteria, specifically the area underneath the balcony where the bar was. Here, a new bulletin board had been set up, an electronic one with a screen resembling a wooden pinboard.
"Oh, it's one of these again. What's the big deal?" Pola twirled her hair.
"This is a huge deal!" the green-eyed Riolu beside them exclaimed. "We finally got authorised to have an Ephialtes rank outlaw board!"
Ephialtes rank… they're the class of criminals too dangerous for the authorities to catch, Kayla recalled, thinking about it. They're in a class of their own because for various reasons, the criminals on them cannot be graded with the normal mission rank system. It's usually reserved for Netherworld higher ups, bounty hunters, assassins, anyone at the very top of the criminal scale. At least, according to Mum. Why would RSE suddenly get one?
"Rumour has it someone here took out a Netherworld General, so HAPPI finally recognised us," the Riolu's Treecko partner answered her thoughts.
"Oh? I wonder who that was?" Kayla puffed out her chest, but Pola pinched her to keep her down.
"Actually, it's because we don't have Mathildaath to worry about anymore," Riolu corrected. "I guess I get it. If teams here can beat her, there's no reason they shouldn't be helping with Isnomia's other big baddies."
"Shh! It's updating. We're getting our list already," Pola said. Kayla didn't notice the other two on Kari's back. "Who's our first big bad, huh? These guys pay out wicked sums to anyone who can catch 'em!"
Silence fell as the crowd eyed the board impatiently. Loading bars filled the screen, followed by a corkboard with an animation of pins landing on it. Stylised posters slid on next, with the instruction to tap a PET on them for more information.
Kayla scanned the faces quickly. Most of the posters didn't have mugshots, while some didn't even have names. Those that had faces were carefully painted portraits showing the roughest, most intimidating Pokémon she could imagine. All of them were fully evolved, and all of them seemed to have weapons in hand. Basic descriptions of threat were made clear at least, and just as she expected, most were suspected to be part of Netherworld. Pola was right too, as the payouts for each mission were in the tens of thousands range.
Even clearing a single one of these would make us rich, Kayla smirked. The crowd erupted into chatter, with many breaking off. "So, which one are we using to boost us this time?"
"You actually wanna take one of these? So soon?" Pola groaned.
"After today of all days, you're still doubting our power?"
"I wanna take a break. I can't do this shit day in and day out," she slumped. Kari's stomach rumbled, turning all eyes to her.
"And that too!" she blushed. "We're gonna get paid big time from today, right? Can we have another big fancy dinner? Ooh right, I didn't even get to get you guys those fancy cakes last time!"
"Yeah. For once, I'm down! How about you, Shannon? Join us for big cake!" Pola said. "Uhh… Shannon?"
Kayla was about to make a snarky comment until she saw him. To say the Pachirisu was exasperated was an understatement. His teeth were grit, his eyes had piercing red glints, his fur crackled with static that caused it to sharpen like needles and ruffle out of place – his whole form was an exhausted mess. He was grumbling something even she couldn't hear, so she followed his eyes to the outlaw board.
"That one… in the corner…" he grunted devilishly.
"This one?" Kari tapped her PET on it without looking.
"WHAT KIND OF WANTED POSTER IS THIS?" he shouted at the top of his lungs.
"I've never heard you so angry before. Aside from the… uh, art style, what's the big deal? Do you know this Pawmot?" Kayla wondered. Shannon choked suddenly, and the glints in eyes his returned to their usual orange.
"No… nothing's wrong. I don't know them," he sighed and folded his paws. "Just… for such a high-profile outlaw, you expect something more… you know… just read it."
"Kaylaaaaaaaaaaa," Kari's voice became shriller than usual.
"What, what, what, why's everyone freaking out now?" she cried. Kari showed her the PET screen, and her paw was pointed at the reward. One glance and Kayla's eyes left their sockets. "T-t-t-twenty million?"
"I'm not going mad. Twenny million smackaroos!" Kari squealed.
"Lemme see that!" Pola snatched the PET from her. "Holy shit it's actually twenty mil. With that sorta money, we wouldn't need to be a team at all! For the rest of our lives!"
"There must be some kinda catch," Kayla said, taking a seat at a random table. "Let's see here… Their name is Genius. Young adult believed to be around the 20 range. Female, stronger than an average Pawmot, possibly extraordinary, yada yada yada… er… what? She… turned into an Entei?"
"You're reading that right, ain't ya?" Pola raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, Entei. The legendary Pokémon. There's even a drawing of it in the deets," she said. "So the high price is because there's a lotta stories about her being able to turn into different legendary Pokémon. There's apparently stories of her turning into Articuno, and even Xerneas. They don't think she's a Zoroark because the powers of the legendaries are real. I dunno about you girls, but this sounds to me like…"
Their serious faces said it all, but no one replied for a moment.
"You don't have to come out, but… there are still disturbances, aren't there?" Kayla said worriedly.
"Yes. There are. And you are correct. A Pokémon changing their form in the real world is exactly the sort of thing that would cause a disturbance," Jirachi's voice spoke to them telepathically.
"Ugh, man. We're never gonna get a break, are we?" Pola slumped back in her seat.
"Hey at least we know right away who we're lookin' for this time. And we get a big reward for it, too," Kari pointed out. "Right now though, we get to have a little party for ourselves! What'chall havin'?"
"Hmm... sh-should we really do this?" Shannon said. "I-I mean, uh, this Pawmot. If they can turn into legendary Pokémon, they're more dangerous than even Mathildaath. Netherworld are dangerous yeah, but they're just ruthless big shots, nowhere near as powerful as a legendary Pokémon. We're talking, Pokémon that created the seas and earth and everything."
"Yeah this is sorta a league all its own," Pola agreed.
"Girls, girls… I can't believe you're still like this," Kayla winked at them and posed playfully. "You saw what I did in the desert. We took down the archfiend and now a Netherworld General. We're literally the sole reason that new board is there. Those missions are for us."
Pola groaned hoarsely. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. But seriously, can we take a few days or somethin'? You said you'd take it easy already!"
"This is easy," Kayla posed again.
"Wow. Yeah. Okay, I'm not arguing with this. Just count me out," Pola said.
"Hey the sooner we get it over with, the sooner—"
"Shut up, actually shut up! I can't stand you right now. You're being a real show offy bitch, y'know that?" Pola snapped.
"Well that came outta nowhere," Kayla rolled her eyes. "I'm being real. Isn't that your thing, telling it how it is?"
"Man, the moment you learned you were a Dreamer you've been non-stop gloating. I thought I was a showboater, turns out I didn't meet a real one."
"Is it really showboating if I got the results to back it up?"
"It's not even you! I'm the one whose fire took out Zude, your shit just stunned her!" Pola stood on the table to shout.
"And if I hadn't knocked her down with Blaze Kick, you'd be running with your tail between your legs!"
"Maybe you ought to try that sometime, might give you a better figure, tubby!"
"Oh here we go, it's always the same thing with you. Fat this, tubby that, I'm faster than you!"
"Of course it is, do you have any idea how embarrassing it is taking orders from a fat cu—"
"STOOOOOP!" Kari shrieked, pushing the duo apart. "You're both embarrassing! We're in the middle of the café, guys!"
Both girls gasped and sat back, and blushed at the number of eyes on them. They puffed out their cheeks and turned away from each other, making Kari sigh.
"Aww, tonight was supposed to be us celebrating, not being mad at each other," Kari whined. They still didn't even look at one another. "Mnng, I'm just hungry, you guys probably are, too. Can't we just eat something and talk it out?"
"Fuck that. I'm outta here. Go stuff yourselves like Tepig or whatever," Pola spat and stormed off. Kayla blew raspberries as she left.
"Kayla, she's really upset!" Kari cried.
"Why's she being so moody about this, anyway? It's twenty million Gald on the line, this is the sorta thing she wants," Kayla argued.
"Right after taking down a renowned terrorist?" Shannon spoke up at last. Kayla gave him a look. "And also right after taking down the archfiend? And then letting that archfiend join the team? Where every scenario we could've wound up dead?"
"Uh, we all agreed on this," Kayla was confused now.
"With social pressure, sure. You really are just doing what you want and hoping we go along with it," Shannon clarified. "You're our leader. Think about what we want and compromise."
"Yeah, and that's—"
"Rest," Kari said calmly. "Pola wants to rest. I know her really well, Kayla. She was stressed going into the Mathildaath thing, and then we haven't taken a break at all. Can't we take even a little break?"
Coming from her, the suggestion finally felt honest, especially with her prodding her paws together. Kayla took a moment, and then smiled. "Hmpf. We have to find out how to find this outlaw anyway. If we get May on that, it's gonna take a few days."
"Does that mean…?"
"What do you girls want to do in the meantime?" Kayla cocked her head, keeping her cool smile.
"Aww, you're the best, Kayla!" Kari leaned across the table to give her a light hug. "I'll go see if she wants to come back out for cake! Be right baaack!"
"Wait but you're the one who—" Kayla was left hanging, and sighed. "Guess we wait. I was in the mood for something sweet, too."
Settling back down, a surprising quiet fell. It was the evening after all, late enough for the nocturnal Pokémon to start their days. The crowd from earlier had all but dissipated, leaving behind chilled ghost or bug Pokémon. The nocturnal Pokémon seemed to be more interested in their own discussions at other tables rather than hassling the chefs. What was strange was Shannon, however. He was quiet despite his earlier arguments. He didn't seem to notice Kayla lean on the table at him, fixated deeply on his PET.
"You do know this Pawmot, don't you?" she eventually asked, half-lidded.
"Urk- I—" he flinched. "No. I don't. But I—"
She kept staring at him with that half-lidded smirk of hers, and then he sighed tiredly.
"I'm fairly sure this poster is mistaken. She's an extraordinary Pokémon yes, but turning into legendaries? Being a Dreamer? I was with her for long enough that I'd have noticed something like that if it was true," he lowered his voice.
"Oh wow. I was just teasing you; I didn't think you'd actually know them," she sat up in surprise. "So who're we talking… part of your herd? Weird relation to you know who?"
"Nothing like that, actually. She's…" he began. Whatever he was thinking, it made him shake his head and growl. "Forget it. It's not important. It's my business, basically."
"Huh? Don't you trust me still?"
He sighed to himself as he weighed his response. "It's just my stuff. Nothing to do with Ditto or Team Daybreak. All that's important is that we should leave her alone."
"With a reward that big and the possibility of her being a Dreamer, I'm not gonna do that, Shannon. Unless you tell me what's up," Kayla challenged.
"Then you'll be disappointed that you've wasted time. That Pawmot is not a Dreamer," he looked her in the eyes as he said that, and she almost felt intimidated. Shannon's eyes seemed to be glowing brighter ever since he saw the wanted poster, but she couldn't read why.
In fact, her inability to read him at all scared her. No tail wagging, his usual tone and volume, and eyes devoid of any obvious desire or thoughts. All that was clear was that he was thinking. With him refusing to talk to her about his goals, and his main goal being dark as it was, he had every potential to have something horrible in mind with this Pawmot. For the first time ever, that scared her as ill thoughts brewed. He had tried to kill Pola before, after all.
Wait but he said he was with Pawmot for really long… if I recall, he was here in Isnomia for several months, too. That's got to mean something good… if at least they're comrades or something… she continued to stare at him, hoping to get something. He went straight back to staring at his PET, however. "You're really interested in her, though. Do you want to see her or something?"
"No. Nothing like that," he hurriedly returned his PET to his tail.
She sighed. "After everything, you still don't like talking about yourself, huh?"
"It's not as big a deal as you think. It's a dead end chasing this Pawmot, that's all."
"… A Pawmot worth twenty million Gald?" Kayla was half-lidded, and he flinched. "C'mon, what's the worst little old me could do?"
"Look, you have more important things to worry about, like your team."
"And you're part of the team. This is me worrying."
"No it's not!" he snapped. "It's you being nosy and greedy for things that don't concern you."
"This goes both ways, buddy. I – we know so little about you that we have to dig for scraps like this," she reasoned. "You never really speak up about yourself and stuff."
"Why can't I just stay the way I am?" he folded his paws.
"This is getting us nowhere," she huffed and sunk back in her seat. There was a long pause. "You don't hate us, do you?"
"… No. I don't. I've told you why it's awkward for me. And even though you say I can be myself, I just can't. Or it's more like, this is me. This is what I'm like," he answered.
"You're not giving me much to work with, you know," she groaned.
"Good. The more on business we are, the better."
"You say that, but then you feel so strongly about this Pawmot, or Pola liking you, or us taking a break from missions and stuff. Uhh, what else is there, you're kinda nuts about nuts, putting them in everything you eat," she argued. "You're there, but you try not to be, and I can't deny I'm a bit afraid, Shannon. You just, hide yourself whenever you come up. I don't get it. I wish we could be proper friends, because we really do want to."
For once, it looked as though she got through to him. Every word had him show teeth and let out a light huff, as if he wanted to argue. By the end, he was drawing a tissue across the table as if he pondered his words. And then, for the first time ever, he looked up at her and the glint in his eyes had dimmed. Shannon looked... gentle. Gentle and handsome, like an innocent young man who wouldn't touch a Joltik out of fear of hurting it. He almost had the warm smile to match it, but he was too embarrassed to look her in the eye or not blush.
"You girls promise you won't get uncomfortable and stuff?" he asked.
"Why would we? And we spoke about this before. If you did do something, I wouldn't mince words. You've seen me and Pola," she smiled, trying not to embarrass him. He leaned away, still trying to avoid eye contact.
"Also, can we drop the Pola thing? I'm not interested in her. At all. So it's not happening," he requested.
"I'll speak up next time," she nodded.
There was another long pause, but it was him taking a deep breath this time. Still with that gentle look, he finally turned back to her. "I'm not used to this, but fine. I'll put some more effort into it. But I would still like our objectives to stay separate, if that's alright with you."
"One step at a time," she nodded again. Yet another pause came between them, until he cleared his throat.
"Erm, Kari's been a while… I should probably get us supper. Can I get you anything?" he stood up.
"Oh right, good call. Kari'll probably get mad if we eat without her, but she is taking her time on this one… I'll go get her. You just er, grab something I won't have to be fed," she said dismissively, getting up as well. "I'll be fast!"
He watched her dart down the hallway, and then sighed to himself. "What have I gotten myself into?"
Kayla almost used Quick Attack out of habit, but the lack of crowds meant she could settle into a steady skip instead. Shannon's promise left her elated, even though it was just her curiosity being sated. She knew it was cheeky and selfish on her end, but she also didn't have to reveal those intentions, and him being friendlier couldn't be a bad thing.
His gentle look was stuck in her mind as she slowed to walk. His gentle look and their recent endeavours. Him being older and so strict on doing his own thing, and yet still managing to be there whenever she or the team needed him, it just dawned on her how much he had brought to her life. Messing up against the Shedinja, her headache at the Waking Wake, even when she was panicking in front of Mathildaath, he was there for her, and didn't hesitate to do what he could to help. And all she did in return was make him throw up with her wild waterslide dream.
Kayla sighed. She wanted Shannon around, and she wanted him to know he could count on her just as much. If she could make a mental note to not trigger his motion sickness, she would happily do her thing with the Dream World and have him catch up in his own way. Like a hero and partner who each had their own independence. From what she knew of him underneath his cold dialogue and mission, he was a guy she didn't mind being around at all. Above all else, he was cu—
She stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes were wide and she was shaking. Oh gods. Is THIS what Mum meant? Ew, ugh, pull yourself together, Muffin! That's the kinda rubbish Shannon wants to avoid. Gotta be mature about this…
She shook her head and glanced up. The dorm was in view, and the door was ever so slightly ajar, enough that light peeked out. Kayla slowly edged closer, but stopped when she heard Kari and Pola's voices.
"… I never realised you were so upset about this," Kari said softly, prodding her paws together.
"Figures you wouldn't notice, being all chummy with her," Pola grumbled.
"Ch-chummy? What am I doing?"
"Don't think I don't see you! The carrying, the hugging, the- everything, you kinda agree with her on everything! Don't ya think she's running us ragged?" Pola argued. She was laying back on her bed, idly kicking her feet.
"Not… really. I don't feel tired or anything. Just hungry," Kari smiled.
"Then go back out, see if I care."
"Pola…" Kari said.
"What?"
"… You're really upset. More than I thought. Maybe I should throw a party for you!" Kari perked right up.
"Heh. Thanks, but last time… you know what happened last time," she went half-lidded.
"Last time we had a party? Oh, you fried the piñata, all the gummis inside turned all crunchy! That was delicious!" Kari threw her arms up.
"Fried the- oh yeah, that was last time, wasn't it? I meant the time before, when you got drunk and flooded the bathroom," Pola had a villainous smile. The mere mention made Kari turn bright red.
"I thought we said we wouldn't mention that anymore!" she squealed.
Kari's been drunk before? Kayla's eyes were wide. I can't imagine it. She'd be so hyper!
"It's fine, it's still between us. But if we tried to do that again, Shannon and fatty would probably kill all the vibes. I can't do shit around them," Pola went back to kicking her feet, and tucked her arms behind her head. "Every day it's just work this, dream world that, Netherworld this, don't drink that, big bossy whatever crap. And now that she actually knows how to use her powers, it's nonstop showing off. I can't stand it anymore."
"Hey at least prom was pretty fun, wasn't it?"
"For you, yeah. I almost died. Literally."
Kari went completely quiet.
"More than anything else, it's just the showing off I can't stand. I actually kinda want some big guy to come along and give her a smack or something, just to kick her down a notch," Pola's tone deepened. "She says she wants to have fun and do cool shit, but the only one having fun is her. And I guess you, since you like food so much."
"I really had no idea this was hurting you so much," Kari turned away, playing with her paws. "I-I… she's right, it's not cool to drink and stuff when you're too young. But there's lots of other fun stuff we can do, like—"
"You used to get me, what happened, man? You're on her side, and lemme tell ya now, you are not changing my opinion," Pola rolled over, leaning on one paw.
"I… I-I dunno what to think. I wanna keep everyone happy. It's true, since you stopped going out and stuff, you've gotten way stronger, and you're way cooler, now," Kari began to ramble. Pola raised a brow. "But if you're not happy, then we have to do something. Everyone deserves to be happy! Especially you. We've been through way too much for me to leave you behind."
"Way to flatter me," the Plusle rolled her eyes.
"Hey no I mean it! Kayla'll listen to me," Kari urged. "We'll get everyone together again, Mog included. And then we'll uh, er, I dunno, we'll think of something! But it'll be a proper holiday. We could go to the beach, or go clubbing somewhere special. And we'll find out how much money we got from Zude too, I'm sure we can go big with this!"
"Oh gods, fuck, right, May and that lot stayed on the team, didn't they?" Pola realised. She pulled at her ears and fell back into the bed, throwing a little tantrum. "Rrrargh, this is so fucking dumb, those stuck-up assholes will never let me have a good time!"
"We can go without 'em!" Kari squeaked. "I was just throwin' words out."
"Yeah, but they'll get all bossy when we come back. Especially May, I'll never hear the end of it," she argued. With a sigh, silence fell. Kari fidgeted while Pola stared at the bed above her, a miserable haze emanating from her. "Kari… what are you supposed to do when no matter what you do, you're wrong, but everyone expects you to know the right thing to do?"
"I dunno. If I dunno something, I always ask," she answered dumbly.
"… Gee thanks. Always the profound one, aren't ya?" Pola rolled her eyes. "But when you just know Pokémon are gonna be assholes to you for asking, why bother?"
"… I still ask. Everyone thinks I'm dumb anyway, so there's no difference," Kari said a little quieter. Pola's eyes shot open. "If I know what to do and I can do it, we can all be happy in the end, so it works out, doesn't it?"
"… I'm going to bed," Pola grumbled, turning her back.
Kari sighed. "Sorry. That sounds like a good idea right now."
"Kayla?" a soft voice made the Buneary jump. She breathed sharply through her nose, but it was only Mog.
"Oh, it's just you," she breathed out, hoping to hide that she'd been eavesdropping. The Swoobat stood frozen at a distance, mouth hovering as if she couldn't utter a sound. "What's up? How'd everything go for you today?"
Mog still didn't respond. There was a longing gaze, and Kayla's heart began to race. Before she could ask, Kari peeked out of the dorm. "Oh hey you two! Yeah uh, I'm gonna have to call it on the cake again tonight I'm afraid."
"That's fine. Mog had something to tell us, so—"
"No, I didn't," Mog interrupted sternly. She shifted about, and then turned to fly off. "I'm sorry!"
"H-huh? Wait up, what's," Kari stuck an arm out. "Aww, everyone's all foggy tonight…"
You're telling me, Kayla stared until Mog was gone down the hallway. She couldn't hide her concern if she wanted to. What was that all about?
"Er, me and Pola are hitting the hay. Are you joining us?" Kari smiled. Kayla kept staring for another moment.
"Yeah. Lemme go say goodnight to Shannon, and I'll be there. Don't wait for me."
The next morning…
Another good night's sleep. Kayla couldn't remember her dream very well, but she had no doubt it was a good one. Faded voices ended the dream for her, voices she didn't recognise. She got to wake up as lazily as she wanted to. A little drool, a growl from her stomach, a stretch and a scratch on her side, and a quick trip to the bathroom, and then she was up. Kari and Pola were deep in their own slumber, positioned just as lazily and snoring away.
Aww… they weren't kidding on being tired, she smiled at them, and hopped back into her own bed. If last night was any indication, I should let everyone sleep in.
She was about to do her usual round of online bulletin board posting, but then it hit her. The voices that woke her up from her dream were still there. Somehow, they were loud enough to come through the door. Sliding off the bed, she unrolled both ears, catching a cry from outside the window, too. She couldn't recognise these voices. It almost sounded like a crowd of rich Pokémon arguing about something, but she couldn't make out anything beyond muffled words.
"Aaiieek!" Kayla screamed as a huge white rock suddenly flew through their window, shattering glass everywhere. She froze to the spot, one foot shifted back as her eyes focused again. It wasn't a rock; it was a Pokémon. A couple of Pokémon, in fact. Tandemaus, one noticeably taller than the other. They slowly got to their feet in tandem, their beady eyes staring straight into Kayla's.
And then, their mouths grew huge as they screamed. "Squeeeee!"
"Graaaah!" Kayla screamed back.
Her brain was too foggy for this morning. Maybe this was still a dream, or a nightmare. Whatever it was, Kayla broke her scream with a Quick Attack, bashing one of the Tandemaus into the wall. The other one reacted almost as quickly, and chomped down on her arm. There was no pain, but the added weight tipped her off-balance, so she shook herself about to throw him off.
"Stop it, let go already! Kari! Kari, Pola, get up!" she cried. The stupid mouse wouldn't let go however, and had its single fang plunged right into her flesh. White energy flashed from an attack from said fang, and Kayla found herself thrown back against her bed. Her back sent shudders of pain through her, and she sunk to the floor.
Kayla hissed as she struggled to her feet. Both Tandemaus danced on their toes, but seemed ignorant of the raising heads of her friends behind them. Kari dove first, smothering the mice in her stretched body. Seeing that, Kayla forced herself to her feet and put her all into Quick Attack properly, charging just her feet. The moment the mice came free, she shot forward, kicking one straight into the wall. Kari let the other one go, only to smack it into the floor with her tail. Both were knocked out.
"What the hell was that?" Pola gasped, hopping down from the bed. She flinched hard as she just about missed the glass shards. "Our window – aw what the heck man? We have to pay for that!"
"Even if it's not our fault?" Kayla cried.
"Everything in here's our responsibility. What the hell did you do?" Pola flipped a hand at her.
"Nothing! Those guys just came through the window," Kayla snapped. "I didn't wanna wake you girls up."
"You're telling me. Gods, I feel like I just went through a… uh… I dunno, something shit," Pola growled, stretching uncomfortably.
"I'm still sleeby…" Kari yawned.
Kayla didn't argue that. She was, too. The voices were louder and clearer now that they had a giant hole in their window. No doubt everyone could hear the attacks going off and the war cry-like commands being shouted. She moved to hop on the windowsill to check it out, only for a shrill ring and a vibration to come from her fluff. "Oh gods, what is that? Make it stop!"
"Your PET," Kari pointed blankly.
Kayla shivered in discomfort as her PET flew out, turned flat, and opened out a hologram. It was Ashe. "Are you girls alright?"
"Ashe? Er, yeah, we're okay, but we just got attacked by a couple of… er, a Tandemaus? Two mice, basically," Kayla cocked her head.
"No, they're already here. This wasn't supposed to happen…" Ashe turned away.
"Ashe?" Kari said.
"You girls are in danger. We need to get out of RSE. Me and May will catch up to you. Get Shannon, and hurry. Please," Ashe said.
The angst in her voice said it all, so Kayla nodded determinedly. "What's going on?"
"The academy's under attack by Sunrise. I think they're after us because of what we did in Hammock that one time," Ashe explained.
"What? Didn't you strike a deal with the big boss? I thought we were in the clear," Pola complained.
"They did still chase us into the slums," Kari pointed out.
"Whatever the reason, they're after Team Daybreak. I have to protect the kids in the nursery, so I'll catch up to you," Ashe explained.
"Will you be alright? Without your fonic hymns?"
"Don't worry about me. Now that they know where your room is, you can't stay there!" Ashe cried.
"Right," Kayla nodded and cut off the call. "Uh… I guess, grab some food from the treasure box and let's get moving. We'll get Shannon and then run to Repose. They shouldn't attack us there."
"Man, this sucks. RSE's got no room for me to use my moves," Pola warned.
"You won't need to. We can warp out," Kayla smiled. Kari was helping her put on her shirt. "We just need to get Shannon, first."
"What about Mog?" Kari wondered.
Ashe didn't mention her for some reason… but she's with May, so she should be alright, Kayla thought. She was about to answer, but a knock on their door kept her quiet. The knocking quickly turned into banging, putting the team on edge.
"Kayla," Kari whispered, pointing to the window. The others nodded and quickly hopped out.
Outside was a warzone, and that was putting it lightly. There were mouse Pokémon everywhere, all in swarms so abundant that Kayla couldn't count them. Attacks were going off constantly, causing blasts and flashes of energy that were sending Pokémon flying, both the mouse species and the students. Even those that looked like they were winning, the moment they cleared out a group of Maushold, more came right back.
Worst of all, there were fires. Windows were broken, fires raged without control, sirens and shouting filled the air, and heavy gushes of wind blew against the team from every direction. The sound of the dorm door breaking down brought the trio back into focus, and they quickly hugged against the walls in hopes of keeping out of sight. A group of angry Pikachu and Raticate had invaded their dorm, inspected everything, even overturned their beds, and then stormed out.
"This way," Pola took the lead all of a sudden. She minded a few spikes of broken glass from other dorm windows, and stopped by a pipe in a brick corner. "Up here. See that window up there?"
"Why up there?" Kayla asked.
"It leads to a storage cupboard on the second floor. We can use that to wrap around to Shannon's room," she informed. "Look out!"
Kayla whipped around, spotting two Tandemaus leaping at her just in time. She dashed out of the way and then kicked one into the wall, while Kari slashed at the other one. Her attack clashed with its arms, but while the mouse was knocked back, Kari was not, allowing her to stretch forward and knock it down. Both mice were easily defeated.
"Do it the quick way," Kari said, scooping up Kayla into her arms. Pola jumped up to her head, and then she promptly stretched her body up to the window. Grabbing onto the windowsill, Kari's rear end caught up to her front as she returned to normal size, letting her climb in.
This really was a storage cupboard. Nothing besides the expected cleaning supplies. Boxes of soap, sponges, some mops, and the like. For some odd reason, it smelt dusty and murky in here, making Kayla crinkle her nose. But the moment she stepped out, an attack just about missed her feet. A Maushold family of four was deep in battle, but only two of them were left.
Kayla didn't hesitate. She grit her teeth and bashed into one, prompting Kari to leap over her and hammer it into the floor, defeating it. They surveyed to find the other mice unable to fight. One was shivering with paralysis, while the two smaller ones were nailed into wall with giant staples.
"Shannon, are you alright?" Pola cried.
"I am. But I'm out of my mind, here. What the heck is going on?" he said, rushing over. He had his Wall Staplers in hand. Kayla glanced between them and the children stapled to the walls, and snickered.
"That's one way to keep kids in check," she commented.
"Oh er, I thought I was improvising, but it turns out these are actually pretty good for this," he remarked, admiring the tools before putting them away. "I should try and lock down enemies more, especially if they're that small."
"As for what's going on… Uh, I don't know. Ashe said Sunrise is attacking the academy, and it looks real serious," Kayla said.
"Why would Sunrise attack RSE?" he was confused.
"I dunno, but whatever the reason, we can get outta here now, right?" Pola interrupted. "We've got Shannon. Shannon, you've got your stuff, right?"
"I do…" he mouthed, looking over his shoulder down the hallway. "Nothing valuable missing, anyway."
"Then let's get going! You two, do your sleepy thing," she bounced impatiently. Kari obliged, but Kayla hesitated. "Oh no, do not be that bitch right now."
"I didn't even say anything!"
"But I know that look. You wanna try and pull some heroic shit again. Ashe literally told us to leave, and you've seen what the Maushold are doing. We can't stay here!" Pola started prodding her.
"I know they said they'd catch up, but I'm worried about Ashe, May, and Mog. Mog especially, she's sensitive right now," Kayla reasoned. "Either way, they're members of the team. We shouldn't leave them."
"It is reasonable," Kari said quietly.
"Rrgghh, grr, AAARRRGGHH! You- stupid- this is why- rrrggghhh," Pola started stomping about, pulling at her ears and hair.
"Hey if you don't care about your friends, be my guest. But right now, the school's under attack by an army of jerks, and if they're after me, then it's my responsibility to do something about it!" Kayla snapped. "Girls, let's go!"
"Kayla, no!" Shannon snapped. His aggressiveness made her flinch. "We talked about this last night. Listen to your team for once!"
"I…" Kayla mouthed. "What's gotten into you? This is an emergency, ain't it?"
"An emergency we leave to the actual heads of the school," he argued. "Gema and that lot are taking care of this; they have to be. We just need to get somewhere safe. Let's get into the Dream World and warp somewhere."
"Man, what's gotten into you girls? Where's your ambition gone?" Kayla posed smugly.
"What about this is ambitious? I wanna stay alive, not have a literal government after me!" Pola said.
"Even if it means them trashing the one place you've been living for the past how long?" Kayla argued. "Look, you girls can run if you want. You've always had that choice. But I'm not gonna sit here and let some self-righteous mobsters have their way with my home. Not when I know I have the power to stop them. If anything, I'll at least make 'em pay for our dorm."
"On one paw I agree with Kayla, but on the other, I know everyone's super tired… Hey wait, we're the heroes of Isnomia, aren't we? Isn't this expected of us?" Kari said, swaying while playing with her arms.
"Rrrggghhh- if some big shit shows up, we're outta here, got it?" Pola thrust a paw at Kayla. "We get Ashe and the others and then get the fuck outta here!"
"Knew I could count on—" Kayla praised, only to freeze at what she was hearing. Lots and lots of aggressive squeaking, alongside rumbling and metal creaking. The rumbling was getting closer, and with it, her heart was racing.
The cupboard door was still open, and through it, a swarm of Maushold appeared from the window in the back. They spilled in like a bucket of insects, only white and squeaky and each one roughly Pola's height.
"Holy shi—" Kayla shrieked as loud as her lungs would allow. She flinched into slamming the door shut, pressing her back against it as hard as she could, but it wasn't enough. That door groaned and began to lean over her, already broken off its hinges.
"Kayla!" Kari cried, pushing with her. It still wasn't enough, but when she stretched herself to latch to the walls beside the door, it held, though it still thumped and rumbled. Both girls were seconds away from being smushed by a pile of mice.
"Sh-Shannon! Wall Staples!" Kayla growled.
"R-right!" he stammered hesitantly, and then rushed in, haphazardly slapping staple after staple all around the outer rim. When he was about halfway, Kayla and Kari broke off, eyes widened and mouths agape. The door was holding, but it clearly wouldn't forever.
"Er, I don't think we're leaving that way," Shannon panted.
"Ye-yeah. If you're doing your thing, let's do it already!" Pola gasped.
"Of all the things to give you a change of heart," Kayla had a cheeky grin.
"Do you wanna drown in a pit of puntable mice?"
"Hey, I'm with you," Kayla took off, and the others followed.
They passed Gema's office, so Kayla dashed ahead and took a peek in, only to find it empty of Pokémon. There was a long table with a map strewn across it, however. Mini figurines of various colours were placed in spots. She couldn't help but stop here, curious about it all. Notably, one of the figures was brown, while another, a tall, green one, was knocked over.
"Huh. Is it just me, or is this?" Kayla asked.
"Oh get your head out your ass. Not everything's about you," Pola turned away.
"But there's a brown one… and a tall green one… and then a bunch of little yellow ones, and a big blue one… with wings…" she muttered. A helicopter? And a pyramid in the desert… that's the Sunbed, right? This almost looks like war strategy or something, but it's a real map of Isnomia, with us as the players. Why would this be here?
"It's like a funny board game. Maybe they were placing bets!" Kari said.
"Why would the headmaster bet on… uh, forget it," Shannon shook his head. "This isn't the time to be speculating over what the headteacher is doing. We can ask him later or something."
"I sure hope so," Kayla muttered.
Kayla dashed ahead out the room, this time without thinking. Some of sense of urgency had flicked in her head, and now her feet were permanently charged with Quick Attack, letting her dart around at high speed. It was so natural to her that she couldn't feel it until she realised that her friends were jogging a distance behind her. They didn't comment however, almost as if they acknowledged that she was their scout for now.
Once they got downstairs, the noise and the fighting started again. Kayla's ears rung as she heard attacks going off everywhere around her, even though they were in a hallway. Orders being shouted, cries echoed down the halls, fires cast a red hue over everything, while cracks, chipped stone, loose metal, wires, and everything else that constructed the academy fell apart around her. This was a world where what was once cosy was being smashed to bits before her eyes.
A sharp squeak got her attention and she flinched, having to roll her ears down as they rung from how high pitched the noise was. A Raichu and a Maushold family of three had approached, each with angry glares and fangs bared.
"C'mon, this is aimless," Kayla huffed as her friends caught up to her. They prepared for battle without a word, setting off the cries of the mice again. "How're you guys even getting away with this? You don't seriously think you can take us out on your own, do ya?"
Raichu's Thunder Shock attack was her answer, a light beam of bolts that crackled straight towards the group. Kayla hopped away from the attack and charged into the Raichu, knocking it out. Thunder Wave from Shannon and Slash from Kari dealt with all three of the Maushold.
Kayla stared at the defeated bodies for a moment, ears open in expectation of something. No surprise attacks, no one sneaking, no strange technology, nothing. "These guys are as boring as ferals. If there weren't so many of them, would they be winning this?"
"Hey I'll take easy dumb ferals over anythin' else," Pola stretched. "You won't need me for this."
"Still just worries me. Why attack the academy with such weak foot soldiers?" Kayla cocked her head. She left it at that, and ran down the hallway toward the nursery.
Once they got near, Ashe's singing voice came through loud and clear. Kayla waited until the verse had stopped before bursting in, finding Ashe on her own in the middle of the large room. The children were nowhere to be found, but there were countless collapsed mouse Pokémon. Ashe herself was in the middle with her Otamatone held low, panting.
"Ashe!" Kari was first to run over.
"Girls… I thought- I thought I told you to get away from here!" Ashe barked at them, making Kari flinch.
"Friends stick around to help each other. And we're here now, so don't give me any what if scenarios," Kayla smiled. "Looks like they tried to overwhelm you with numbers. Are the children alright?"
"Yes. Gema's legendaries are escorting them through the emergency exit right now. If we take the main exit, they'll follow us," the Jigglypuff replied, still panting. She was sweating, but a quick shake and she looked determined. "Girls, I appreciate it. But we really do need to leave, right now!"
"Not without May and Mog. You can take everyone else if you're worried, but I'm not leaving any friends behind," Kayla frowned.
"… You want to be a hero, don't you?" Ashe asked. Kayla was surprised. "You told us you don't know what to do with your life, but your behaviour at times like this leads me to believe you want to become a hero."
"I'm not exactly a role model," Kayla snickered shyly.
"Not all heroes are. But you can always count on them," she replied. "Always standing up for others and fighting the battles others cannot. I'm not helpless, and yet here you are, wanting to lend your power to me. This is despite I'm the one who promised to protect you."
"Maybe we should save the introspection for when we're out of here?" Shannon stepped in.
"Yes. You're right. But you should know, May contacted me earlier. Remember that she is staff here first before she is a teammate. May and Mog must have escaped by now," Ashe explained.
"Did they tell us where to meet 'em?" Pola wondered.
Ashe turned away. "She seemed to know we'd meet up somehow."
"We said Repose Town earlier, so let's try there," Kayla nodded.
She was a lot slower this time, and checked the hallway before leading the team out. Ashe's words had given her something to think about that she didn't want to. Pokémon regarded as heroes, Isnomia only had fictional ones as far as Kayla knew. The idea of her being one sounded both silly, yet like some sort of attainable, cool rank. It was little different to what she was doing already, except she just needed a great achievement for other Pokémon to start calling her one.
Wait, I already have that, she realised, and perked up. Kari said it earlier. I defeated Mathildaath. We're already the heroes of Isnomia!
The hallways were suddenly empty besides the remaining fires and leaks. There were pipes spraying water to make puddles, loose wires that sparked every now and then, and even the hiss of gas here and there. Yet still, Kayla couldn't detect anyone, not even in hiding. No splashes besides the steps of her friends, no fluttering wings. Nothing until they got near to the cafeteria. The moment the crowd there came into view, Kayla sped up to confront the scene.
"Finally. There you are. The sum of honour," the Maushold beckoned her closer, which only made Kayla and the team stop.
Somehow, she recognised him. Treasure, the bigwig they met in Hammock. Since she'd been fighting his species all morning, she could now tell he was taller and richer than the rest, with a brighter fur coat and an obsessive shine in those beady eyes of his. She couldn't miss that metal pincer latched to his arm, either. His Maushold family were with him, although only the partner had a shield.
There were a lot of other mice Pokémon on his side, however. Enough to fill the entire kitchen area and guard the exit hallways. On her side were some of RSE's stronger Pokémon, but she didn't recognise them, just that they were Pokémon who could clearly hold their own. She could probably blitz through the crowd and make for the exit, or if Pola could launch her magic here, it could wipe out enough of the enemies for them to make a break for it. Ashe's magic could sleep them all at once, even. They had options, and that gave Kayla a cocky grin.
"Oh sorry, didn't know I was the guest of honour here," she began, stepping forward. Her team stayed behind.
"Oh you are, you and your team of pseudo Pokémon. You have been a constant in my side, despite the decimals your kind makes up of the total population. It is time we subtracted you from the equation. You and your fellow freaks!" Treasure swiped his clawed arm aside.
"Uh, hold on. If I'm getting all this, you're talking about extraordinary Pokémon, right?" Kayla asked, and glanced back at her team.
Treasure paused. "Yes. Extraordinary Pokémon. The official term for you off-brand things. Pokémon that cannot live like Pokémon are not Pokémon at all. But you managed to strike a treaty with many that gives you a right to life, under the pretence that you are living things in the end."
"All of a sudden, I really wanna punch this guy. Can I punch this guy?" Pola puffed out her cheeks.
"Your actions broke our treaty, so therefore you forfeit your right. Beyond that, you are simply becoming too powerful. You reprobates need to learn your place," Treasure's tone lowered. "You are below Pokémon. You always will be. And today? Our judgement will ensure you're aware of that."
"Our actions? You really are talking about Hammock, aren't you?" Shannon stepped forward.
"But that was Zude, not us! And we helped you to stop her. We saved everyone and everything we could!" Kari pointed out.
"And who is Zude?" Treasure asked.
"The Arboliva we fought, duh. The one who made the portal and shit?" Pola swished and arm. "Hell; she's in custody now y'know, no thanks to us."
"And this Arboliva is?" Treasure asked again.
"… An extraordinary Pokémon, one of ours. So that's the angle you're going with," Kayla frowned. "It's flimsy logic, but cruddy legal systems will let it slide 'cos it's in your favour."
"You don't get it," one of Treasure's kids said. "Legal systems? You never had that. You're not allowed that. You lot could barely stay within your own space without infighting one another. You're dumber than ferals. You don't have rights."
"What?" Shannon was surprised.
"You had a treaty. That is all," Treasure explained. "A treaty that allowed you to live in your own portion of Isnomia. Now that that treaty is broken, we make our move. Getting rid of you for good. Your inferior rabble can't waste space in our world anymore!"
"You hate all extraordinary Pokémon. Don't you care a single thing about this?" Ashe came forward. Kayla admired her determined glare. "Look around you. What about these Pokémon or this place makes us not have a right? You're attacking a school where Pokémon can be nurtured and educated."
"And it's not these Pokémon's fault they're born this way. We still don't know what makes Pokémon like this extraordinary, but it's not like we try to cause trouble," Kari added.
There was a pause from Treasure's side of things now, and even his fellows faced him in expectation. The main mouse never turned away once, staring straight at Ashe. "You. I just realised who you are. You add an annoying pair of brackets to this formula."
He knows her? Kayla refrained from turning back.
"Lady Ashe. Your name comes up in historic tales far more than is realistically possible. The curses you've subjected yourself to made you side with these roaches? You're a pure-bred Pokémon through and through. Why would you do that?" he asked.
Ashe didn't answer, but her face said it all. It almost scared Kayla, seeing that. Ashe's guard wasn't down, but she didn't hold back on the leer she gave him. Her yellow eyes practically glowed with fury, and her mouth was firm. For some reason, bringing up her past made her look as if she could kill, but her usual soft aura remained.
"Well, whatever. If you should side with these things, then judgement will not hesitate upon you, either. By the order of Sunrise, Treasure sentences you to death!" the Maushold finally pointed his pincer.
"You don't care?" Ashe said, her tone as firm and furious as expected. "That you're justifying a hate crime?"
"The time for talk is over. Come, Boogey Tent!" he swiped an arm again.
"Boogey… Tent?" Kayla had a furrowed brow. She was answered by a disgusting belch, and her eyes went to the floor where it came from. Perfectly flat, embedded into the ground was a pair of thin, villainous eyes and a sinister smile adorned with sharp, monstrous fangs. "What the?"
Before she could react beyond a hop and a yelp, purple fluid soaked across the floor of the cafeteria. That purple wrapped around Kayla and company, trapping them in a space. Kayla cringed for the worst, but quickly adjusted, finding it little different to her usual world of battle. Diamond shaped patterns of various pinks and purples scrolled around the team quickly, while the monstrous face from earlier was suspended before them. What did catch her off-guard was the horrible stench that filled the space, making her gag and hold her breath. Even with that, an irritating, nauseous sensation filled her nose, enough to make her heave.
"Don't think of me as dishonourable. I'm at least granting you a quick and painless reprieve," Treasure's voice came from somewhere, muffled by something.
By gassing us to death? Kayla shrieked in her mind, glancing back at the others. They were just as stuck, paws over their mouths as they held on for dear life. Think fast Muffin, fast! I can't sleep without breathing, so I've gotta kill this thing from the inside. He called it a tent, so it's gotta be!
"Mmm! Mmmmm!" Kayla tried to signal to Pola to use fire, but the Plusle shook her head, shocked she was even asked.
Right, she has to cast! Something, anything- Blaze Kick! I've gotta use Blaze Kick! Kayla realised, and got straight to work. By this point she felt herself straining, but she held on as hard as she could with clenched eyes. She started sprinting on the spot, causing sparks and heat to come from her feet. She quickly took off, striking her feet against the floor to turn those sparks into flames. She didn't even know what she was hitting, she just aimed for the monster face, and swung her flaming foot across it as hard as she could.
"Grroooooaaaahhh!" a low roar shook the air as flames streaked across the purple space. An explosion occurred and fire began to spread everywhere, burning the purple world from the ground up. The gas seemed to visually disperse, and the group collapsed to the ground with gasps and coughs.
"What the?" Treasure shouted. "How? How does your group have fire? Fire beyond those accursed spells?"
"Hah… looks like you mean business," Kayla got up, furious at him. "You say that like you knew us. But just like ordinary Pokémon, we can grow. We've got a few new tricks up our sleeves from when we last met."
"Well, it matters not. It just means we'll have to solve this the painful way," he announced. "Men, go! Have fun shredding them shavings!"
At some point, the tent had burnt into a whole new contraption that put Kayla back into her world of battle. The Boogey Tent's face remained, but now it was situated on the ceiling of a carousel, one that filled the entire cafeteria. Instead of funny rideable Pokémon on each of the poles, it was the mice of Treasure's army, each equipped with their own set of sharp tools. Claws, buzzsaws, chainsaws, axes, knives, more that she couldn't recognise before the device started moving.
"What the hell's going on?" Pola shouted.
Bleepy carnival ride music filled the room, alongside another burp from the monster face. The purple gas from before spread around, causing the group to stumble out of formation. They were forced to pay attention however, as the carousel rotating made Treasure's mice fly toward each of them, weapons bared and sinister laughter from each.
Kayla grit her teeth. A slash from the left. Then a pair of scissors heading straight toward her. Stumbling right made her almost fall into a buzzsaw. A pair of knives nicked her and she tripped, falling on her backside. No doubt she was missing some fluff, while blood began to stain her shirt sleeve. Kayla growled and got to her feet quickly, but couldn't even begin to focus. More attacks were coming her way.
This whole setup threw her senses completely out of whack. It didn't matter how well she could hear if she couldn't stand still. The ceiling and floor were rotating in opposite directions to one another, causing the poles and the mice to come at them quicker. Combined with the swirling background and the nauseous gas being spewed everywhere, she couldn't begin to think of how to overcome this. All she could pay attention to were the oncoming attacks, which she barely stumbled away from.
"Kayla!" Kari cried, briefly getting her attention. The Furret had knocked out a couple of mice and latched herself to the poles, but she looked like she couldn't move. "This is the worst funfair ride I've ever been on!"
Kayla watched her rotate into the distance, and then got to her feet. No… this is a different world! One that took the fun out of funfair!
Kayla started running in the opposite direction the floor rotated, which caused her to run in the same direction as the poles and mice. Picking up speed, she was able to catch up with a couple of Maushold from behind. They both saw her however, and after an exchange, faced her with sinister smiles and gleaming blades.
They're not like the ones from before? Kayla realised as she caught up to them. One of them tried to stab her and she ducked, which slowed her down and put her at a distance. "Dang it! There's gotta be a proper way outta this!"
Still running, she glanced around for something, anything. All that she could see were the blurry patterns of her world of battle, the mice and their weapons, and the machine itself. The monster face from earlier wasn't moving, but still kept burping up purple gas. Of course! This stupid contraption's still a machine!
Kayla skidded to sprint in the opposite direction, coming straight at the mice this time. She kept as close to the inside of the carousel as she could, and avoided many of their attacks by simply being too fast. There were some attempts to stab or slash her, and some even held their weapons out, but Kayla could see them coming. To her, everything was beginning to move in slow motion, but she could feel the energy being built up in her feet. She felt like they were being filled with flames that could burst out at any moment.
Just a bit more… faster Muffin, faster! She hissed to herself. Growling with increasing angst, she took a deep breath and launched herself at the monster's face. She expected to impact it like she did earlier, but wound up crashing straight through it instead, blasting through the roof of the machine.
"What the—" Treasure shouted and leaned forward.
Kayla was taken by surprise too, and flailed as she flew uncontrollably. She left her world of battle and splatted straight into the ceiling of the cafeteria, while the monster roared its last roar. She soon peeled off like an unstuck pancake, only to splat face first to the floor.
"What's happening?" Treasure's partner cried, pointing at the carousel. Loud streaks of electricity sparked all over it, mostly around the hole Kayla had made. It had long since stopped spinning, leaving everyone staring anxiously at it.
"Uh, Shannon? A Protect would be nice!" Pola said worriedly.
He would erect the shield just as blasts started to occur, and soon the whole machine collapsed on itself. The carousel's ceiling clanged to the bottom half before a loud explosion went off, sending the mice flying. Although they were shielded, Shannon and company also went flying and smashed painfully into the wall, where they collapsed.
"My… my machine," Treasure gawked at the mess. "You… you… you reprobates! How dare you?"
Treasure broke into a rant, but Kayla blocked it out. She had left her world of battle, but she knew this fight wasn't over. Yet still, she struggled to get to her feet. She didn't want to show it, but just rolling over left her out of breath. Her eyes blurred with sweat and her body had a horrible burning sensation. It wasn't until she kicked herself to her feet that she realised. Her right shirt sleeve was totally stained with blood, and some even dripped from the wrist, while it made her shoulder area sticky. Her eyes wavered at the sight of it, and then she blinked and faced forward.
I'm supposed to be a hero! I can't let something this small beat me, she complained with a growl. "You really like to hear yourself talk, don't ya?"
That got Treasure to shut up. He glared at Kayla and shook irritably. The others gathered behind her, and Shannon quickly realised Kayla's wound and started healing her. Just the sight of that made Treasure open his mouth wide. "Rrraarrgh! You don't realise what you've done. You've made enemies with the world! The whole of Isnomia. Pokémon will stand against you parasites until we rid of you completely!"
"You're welcome to try. Maybe next time, don't be so tactless and fight me like the Pokémon you claim to be," Kayla replied with a cocky grin. "Anytime you want a rematch, I'll be waiting."
"We're gonna let 'im go? Really?" Kari squeaked.
"Not like we're in a position to give chase," Shannon mumbled, still using Life Dew.
"As much as I don't want to let him go, a more important situation is on our hands," a familiar voice came down the hall. Treasure flinched as Headmaster Gema arrived behind him, paired up with his legendaries, as well as May.
"Gema!" Kari jumped up.
"May, there you are!" Kayla called happily. Wait a sec, where's Mog?
"We've got this in the bag now," Pola put her hands on her hips.
"You… the brains behind this establishment. But the situation's grown too big for your control, hasn't it?" Treasure said, suddenly unfazed. He turned back to Kayla and company. "Well? An archfiend stands before you. Do the thing you are so proud and capable of, and take him down!"
"Huh?" Kayla shifted a foot back. What does he mean by…
All of a sudden, her heart thumped, hard. This atmosphere was wrong. What Gema had just said clicked in her mind, and now, the fact that he was staring right at her. His glass eye was eerily motionless, while his functioning eye laser focused directly into hers.
"Wha…?" Kari mouthed.
"Your region was left alone due to the threat of the archfiend. Well, here he is! Are you going to do something about it?" Treasure explained with a sinister but maddened smirk.
Kayla dared to divert her gaze. May had her usual smug grin with her arms tucked behind her back. Azelf, Uxie, and Mesprit were unbothered, slowly floating around the Tyranitar with their own sense of cocky pride. Returning to Gema, his gaze sharpened, and he let out the lightest of sighs.
"Wha-wait a minute, what the hell's going on? What do you mean?" Pola asked.
"I was hoping it wouldn't come to this," Gema confessed, and hung his head. Just that put Kayla into her world of battle, a very dark one. Her heart raced as flames surrounded the area on all sides, while dark shades of black and red swirled behind them. "We need to secure the target above all else. Girls, keep the students at bay. Let's end this quickly."
"They daren't lift a finger," Mesprit played with hers and a lusty smirk. Azelf snickered while Uxie began to glow with energy. Kayla kept her eyes on Gema, trying to push the millions of questions she had to the back of her mind. His calm demeanour right now only made her heart race. Then she caught his eye twitch, alongside the slightest tap of a nail on his side.
Kayla gasped sharply and spun around so fast everything became a blur. Ashe had her Otamatone out and began to sing. Without thinking about it, Kayla tackled her with Quick Attack, kicking the weapon as hard as she could. Her hunch was correct – despite their PET's friendly fire function should have shielded her, Ashe let out a cry as she was knocked down. Kayla bounced back, and the duo exchanged vicious glares.
Ashe too? Why would Ashe- no, keep it together! Kayla couldn't help but gawk.
"What's going on? Why did—" Kari cried.
"Kari, keep Ashe pinned down. Pola, use a spell! Something, anything!" Kayla barked as quickly as she could, turning back to Gema. She bolted into him with Quick Attack, finding herself held back by his arm.
"Impressive as always, Brunswick. Adapting to a situation you know nothing about. My academy served you too well!" he replied, and then swiped that arm hard. Kayla was thrown to her back, and skidded back into Pola who was knocked out of focus. Kari and Shannon were completely out of their minds.
"Seriously Kayla, what the heck is going on? Why is Gema—" Kari cried.
"Don't question it, just fight! Ah," Kayla shouted, struggling to get up. She moaned as she stumbled off balance. The wound in her arm opened up again, and the sight of blood splattering to the floor made her feel light headed.
"I know what it looks like. Unfortunately for you, I've no choice but to use force," Gema said, and raised his arms high.
Although there was no visual, Kayla could hear it, an extreme amount of energy welled up in his arms, straight to the tips of his nails. She glanced back at her team worriedly, but there was no time. Ashe could sing again if she wanted to, while Shannon and Pola hadn't started casting. Kari was still dumbfounded, but she did look like she could pounce at any moment.
Not that they would have a chance. Kayla couldn't even begin to register it. In the blink of an eye, possibly even faster, Thunderbolt was cast from Gema's nails in the form of a yellow flash. A large lightning bolt struck Kayla and each of Team Daybreak, every bolt lasting no more than a second. And yet, it seared her with immense pain unlike anything she had ever felt. Kayla lost her voice and blacked out for an instant. A delayed cough seemed to keep her alive, but all the sensations came after.
Her whole body was bathed in pain. It burnt so hard she could barely breathe as she screamed in silence, and her other senses dulled. Her hearing muffled, her sight blurred, her thoughts reduced to instinct. She couldn't lose here. She didn't know why or what was going on now, but she couldn't lose to this. She knew it, and with every last ounce she could muster, she stopped her stumbling form from falling with a stomp of her foot.
"Whoa," Mesprit's eyes widened. "A direct hit from Gema? After your scuffle with the mice, too?"
All eyes were on Kayla. Everything blurred and hurt so much. She could hardly utter a moan as what little strength kept her awake drained fast. Her senses remained dulled as well, keeping only Gema's surprised gawk in focus. When even that began to blur, Kayla finally released a moan and helplessly fell to her side. She didn't want to faint, but she couldn't help it. She couldn't move, and everything turned dark.