The air was heavy with the smell of smoke, sweat and sin. It made her hair heavy and stick to her face. Thin fingers clung to the powered railing, cold to the touch. Amanda bit her lip as she stared at the battle arena below, lit with bright flickering strobe lights. She had to admit the constant flashing hid the bloodstains well.

I am uncertain about this.

Goh scoffed, "Ash can handle anything Bella dishes out."

Amanda resisted rolling her eyes at their nativity. She wouldn't say anything. Correcting them will be redundant with everything that was about to go down. They'll learn. They'll learn. They'll learn that not all Pokémon battles are these clean spectacles of power and love. Down here the players didn't fight fair. Not giving them an outlet in the city, made them slink into the shadows, fall into a place where no rules can be broken, since they're already breaking all of them.

Ash wasn't ready for this. That was just a plain fact. Amanda wasn't a fool she knew her cousin had incredible skill in the ring. But skill didn't win the battles in this place. It was cunning, and how far you were willing to go to win. Fatal hits, no refs, battle enhancing drugs, everything was allowed in this hellhole of an arena.

"You don't like this," Uncle Aaron whispered.

Amanda shook her head, "This isn't going to work."

"There's always a chance Ash will succeed."

"Even if he does, Bella won't hand that necklace over."

"Even if he wins."

"Even if Ash wins…Bella never loses."

"Why can't I be on the field with Pikachu?" Ash asked the weird human in front of him with far too many rings in their nose.

They looked at Ash with a very confused expression, "Do you have a death wish?"

Ash's brows furrowed, "What no?"

"Then stand where we tell you to stand. Humans stay out of the kill zone," They said in a tone as if Ash were child, and then walked out of the small chained interior pocket Ash stood in.

Okay this a definitely on the weirder battle fields Ash had been on, and he's had to deal with a lot of weird battle fields. The illegal battlefield was a round ring, with two chain link fences topped off with barbed wire, that made a little track around the field's edges. There weren't places for the trainers to stand. No lines marked the gravel arena bed. Behind him he could feel the hot breath, and throbbing souls, of spectators pressing up against the other fence. It definitely felt unofficial.

Ash looked at Pikachu and Riolu, his Pokémon giving him determined expressions. They were ready to win.

"Let's do this," Ash said.

Pikachu leapt from his shoulder into the starting position, Riolu standing next to the mouse, the door on the inner fence just ahead of them. Bella decided on a double battle, last Pokémon standing give the trainer the win. Michal had showed him how the arena worked, when the announcer called the door would be opened via a remote electrical lock and piston hinge. Riolu and Pikachu would enter alone, while Ash stayed in the space between the two fence rings.

The music stopped, and the strobes shifted in color from red to white.

"We have a very special battle for you ladies and gents," A man mic-ed up on the DJ stand said in the middle of his crowd of loudred, "We have a challenge to the throne!"

Ash could hear the crowd begin to whisper, as surprise and anticipation rippled through their beings.

"Tonight, We shall bare witness to our beloved queen! Bella the brutal!"

A cheer rang through the warehouse.

"Vs. a newcomer! Please welcome to the bloody battlefield, Ash Ketchum!"

Noise was made at his name aswell, but it was almost like…they weren't cheering for him to win…they were cheering for something else…

"Pokemon please take you're marks!"

Ash locked eye with Bella from where she stood across the battlefield. Her serviper was coiling around her neck and shoulders, while the black Charizard, and Sylveon stood ready at the gate.

"Get set!"

She smirked returning her snake to its pokeball.

"Battle!"

Just a second before the gates open, Ash watched as the blond threw a small capsule on the ground. It shattered, and a cloud of purple was released into the air. Charizard and Sylveon began to twitch and thrash, and the gates opened.

Chaos descended on the battlefield. Ash watched in horror as Pikachu and Riolu were locked in the arena with near feral Pokémon. Charizard and Sylveon were in a frenzy of bloodlust. They weren't battling with any sort a strategy or even a move set. They just zapped, snaped and swiped at Pikachu and Riolu, trying to draw blood and sweat from his Pokémon. Amanda was right, they weren't fighting for a win, they were fighting for kill.

Ash was caught off guard, there was no reading an opponent in this situation, there was only reaction to make sure you were not fatally shot. All he could do was call dodges since there was no turns or breaks to call for attacks. All Ash wanted to do was get Pikachu and Riolu out alive.

Through the chaos Ash found himself glaring into those cold brown eyes once more. Bella was just smiling on the other side of the arena, playing with the necklace charm. How could she be okay with this? How could she call herself a Pokémon trainer, giving her Pokémon what ever that gas was and letting them go wild.

Pikachu screamed, and Ash looked at his little buddy feeling his heart stop. The black Charizard had pinned the yellow mouse down with his long stained claws. A trail of red blood showed brightly against yellow fur as fresh cuts along Pikachu's face were etched and left to bleed. Riolu, brave little Riolu, was running towards his friend's aid only for several ribbons to reach out and wrap him up. Squeezing the pup into a vice hold, before the fairy type began to violently throw and drag the pup around the arena.

There was small laugh over the loud music, Ash looked to his opponent trainer.

"I win," Bella mouthed.

Then there was a shatter of glass and a purple smog enveloped the room.

Amanda eyed the battle below with great attention, not because she was enjoying it, certainly no, but because she knew how fast this could go down hill and she needed to be ready when it did. Pichu whimpered into her hearing aid at the carnage unfolding. She reached a hand up to rub her little mouse's head and covered his eyes.

"What is this? This isn't a battle! It's bloodshed!" Goh said in disgust, "Where are the refs?! The safety measures."

"Sorry to tell you this Goh but people here don't have a rule book to follow," Amanda said.

Lucario growled, his paws twitching. Uncle Aaron placed a hand on his shoulder, the meaning clear. Don't do anything stupid. Easier said then done when it was his almost adopted puppy out there getting tossed around like a rag doll.

Riri walked up behind her, and Amanda resisted the urge to fling her fist back and break his nose. She was not in the mood to be lectured.

"What do you want?" She asked in a low voice not taking her eyes off the battle.

"How did you find this place? Or better yet why do you seem familiar with all this?" Riley said.

"It's none of your business."

"I think it kind of is."

"How could any part of my life be your business?" Amanda snapped.

"I'm your brother Mandy, it's my job to keep you safe to keep you out of places like this!"

"Riri, shut up, you don't get to pull the older sibling card. Maybe I could believe it, but after 13 years of nothing? And what you pulled in that office. I know I can't trust you."

"First off I was training, and you shouldn't be that mad at me, when you answered none of my letters."

"Letters?" Amanda raised a brow, "You never-"

There was a scream, and all attention was once more on the field. Amanda watched in horror as Riolu was thrown up to the ceiling the poor pup, was slammed into a network of shotty pipes. Her eyes grew wide as rusted out screws and metal shattered like glass and a purple mist rained down from the dirty rotten heaven from which it came.

"Shit," she growled, ripping pokeballs off of her belt and returning Umbreon and Pichu she locked eyes with Goh, "Recall Raboot now."

Amanda dropped her bag and began to rifle through it furiously.

"What is that stuff?" Goh said, as she heard the high-pitched noise of a pokemon returning two times (good riley decided to follow her advice, she'd hate for Lulu to get hit with this stuff).

Pulling out a long scarf and plastic water bottle, Amanda wet the cloth before turning to Lucario, "It's battle enhancing drug in gas form. They make the stuff and run it through the pipes to ripen it. It makes the Pokémon feral, ready to fight like that. You cover your snout," Amanda snapped wrapping the wet scarf around the aura pokemon's head, covering his mouth and nose.

"Aren't those illegal?" Goh asked looking more and more panicked.

"Once more, no rule book!" Amanda snapped, "And we need to get out of here before-"

Screams came from down below, as purpled smogged up the room. The music suddenly shifted to something far more violent. Random attacks flashed and blasted through the balcony and even the roof, breaking more pipes letting more gas loose.

"-that happens," Amanda said.

The platform underfoot began to shake, coming loose from its supports with a shriek. A large explosion rose up from the ground and Amanda felt herself get thrown back, she flipped over in the air before landing on hard gravel. She choked and coughed as she got to her feet. A large flame rippled nearby, and a large roar echoed nearby, and Amanda knew where she was. The battle arena.

This was her chance.

Amanda bit her lip, closing her eyes. Blackness over taking the purple cloud she was lost in.

"C'mon, c'mon," she muttered, and a smile stretched across her face, at the blue figures developing in the black.

In the swirl of panicked souls that ran and raved around her, she picked out the ones of her cousin, the Pokémon and one more. A soul that dimly flickered with anger and zero regrets, with a large brighter flare of aura hanging from their neck. She knew who it was, and Amanda was not letting her get away with this again.

Her feet were beneath her and she was running within seconds. Gravel crunched beneath her boots. A jolt of blue power flurried through her arm as she griped the chain-link door, and the metal lock exploded and broke. Amanda ran down a short length of a ring between the fences before she caught up to Bella.

She leaped on to the blond tackling her to the ground. Bella rolled around, gripping Amanda arms, clawing at her with her long nails. She wrenched an arm free and sent a fist flying into the pinned girl's nose. Amanda opened her eyes and glared down at the blond. She relished at the sight of blood trinkling down Bella's face, but quickly turned her attention to the necklace. Taking advantage of Bella's dazed state, Amanda ripped the necklace off of her, snapping the black thread holding it in place.

Amanda picked herself up, "Don't ever try to hurt my family again," She spat.

"You'll pay for this Gen," Bella growled, as she ran back into the arena.

"Pikachu! Riolu!" she heard Ash screaming.

Ash? Shit he wasn't still in here was he?

"CHUU!" A large bolt of lighting shot passed her in static frenzy.

She startled, almost tripping and falling to the floor. She shut her eyes again and the world of blue returned to her. The Pokémon in the ring were frazzled, their souls flaring in a way that even an amateur like Amanda could interpret as panicked, angry, and in pain. Through the chaos, she found a soul that gleamed like blue fire and ran to her cousin, gripping his arm.

Ash let out a shriek at the contact, "Shut up it's me," Amanda quickly said, "C'mon we need to get out of here."

"Not without Pikachu and Riolu," Ash choked on the gas in the air.

Amanda growled biting her lip and looking towards the four frenzied souls not ten feet away. She rattled through the options at hand. She let go of Ash and reached into the pocket inside of the jacket lining. With purchase her fingers gripped a small soft bag and pulled it out.

"You still have Riolu's pokeball?" She coughed.

"Yeah."

"You handle Riolu, I got Pikachu," Amanda said, before running towards the static like soul.

Oh Arecus what was she doing?! Running straight into the dang fire-fight?!

Amanda couldn't really explain what happened in then next few moments, somehow, she managed to wrestle the feral yellow mouse to the ground and dump the contents of the bag on the little Pokémon. The bright green sparkling powder trinkled down on to the electric type, and Pikachu was asleep in seconds. Amanda was so grateful that she decided to collect Roserade's excess sleep powder.

She breathed a sigh of relief, before a large thunderclap was heard, the world folded around her, and Amanda was dumped onto damp grass, Pikachu in her arms with clean air filling her lungs. Many footsteps were on her in moments, and she waved them off when her uncle and cousin came over.

"Would you quit making such a scene, I told you she's fine."

A voice echoed above her, and Amanda tried not to roll her eyes at the psychic legendary who no doubt just teleported her to this forest area they were in. The nighttime Pokémon chirping loudly throughout the wood drenched in moonlight that surrounded them.

"Are you alright?" Uncle Aaron said.

Amanda coughed, "I need a shower," she handed over Pikachu to Ash explaining the sleep powder thing.

"I'm with you on that," Goh shuttered, "After being in that place…I feel gross. And it was all for nothing since we didn't even get that dang necklace!"

Amanda huffed, pulling out the charm from her inner jacket pocket, "Actually."

Ash let out a cackle, "You got it?! How?!"

"Ran Bella down and punched her in the face," Amanda said taking Uncle's Aaron's offered hand for help getting to her feet.

Lucario chortled, clearly approving of her actions.

"Mandy," Riley groaned shaking his head.

"Oh, shut up Riri, you didn't do shit," Amanda said, "I think this is yours," she handed the charm over to her uncle.

Uncle Aaron held the charm like it was this priceless treasure. Cradling it so delicately, like it would shatter away with a mere baby's breath.

"Is the one we were looking for?" Ash asked.

"Yes," Uncle's voice was slightly choked, "it is. The key to the inner sanctum."

"You must keep it safe now. Anwir is looking for it as well."

"We'll make sure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands, thanks for the save Mewtwo," Ash said.

The legendary nodded before warping off himself.

Goh popped his lips, "Great, just great. Drop us off into the middle of a random forest, great."

Amanda took in the forest around her, a sense of familiarity washed over her, "We're back on the property."

"Good! I need dinner!" Ash exclaimed, Pikachu sleepily beginning to stir in his arms.

Amanda wasn't worried the electric type was waking up. The unprocessed stuff, like in the pipes never lasted long and sleep powder usually overridden its effects.

On tired legs and sore feet, the group picked themselves up from the ground and began walking through the forest part of the Gen family property. Making their way towards the manor, ready to call it a night. Umbreon and Pichu broke themselves out of their pokeballs, halfway home, not wanting to be separated from their trainer, Amanda found herself smiling at their loyalty. Lulu quickly followed suit.

The gravel driveway was noisy under foot as they approached the manor, the large home now mere yards away. Amanda's smile dropped and her stomach sank as she spied an expensing silver car parked out front.

Mother was home.

A/N:

Well I hope yall didn't mind a little badass Amanda, cause these next few chapters are going to be rough on her.