Viola Almach belongs to Ariesbird
Ryuu Sinclair belongs to Tendou Souji
Jaret King belongs to Aggies 2015
Seria Day belongs to Kittynip
Chapter was originally posted to ao3 on 2024-06-03
Arcanine were known to be quick on their feet, and that reputation had earned them legends throughout the entire world. They were powerful by their very nature, and his Arcanine never failed to remind him of that fact, or provide perspective for an opponent.
Shinobu was no different.
The two of them had sat there for a moment that felt like hours, long enough for Jaret to take in Arcanine's tensed form, and bared fangs, his tell-tale sign of his fury and protective nature and it was especially pronounced this time around.
Jaret blinked and a crashing impact brought Jaret's attention to Shinobu, and to Arcanine's bulk against Shinobu's forearm. The attack would have normally flattened any other opponent, which meant that Shinobu really was strong, or at least deflected the brunt of the attack. Jaret saw the force also run through the Pokemon's frame; Lucario had done more than he had let on. Jaret seized the opportunity.
"Close Combat!" Shinobu fell back and Arcanine followed, falling into a pattern of swipes and dodging. Arcanine was relentless, and Jaret counted at least 4 solid blows. It was slight, but Shinobu was slowing down. A blow had sent Shinobu sliding backwards, arms crossed and body tensed to stay upright; Jaret was going to end this now. "Flamethrower!"
Shinobu grunted, and stepped away, skipping back from the first blast of fire, and then from the subsequent two after.
"Use your Flamethrower." Shinobu grounded himself, then obliged with a stream of fire that clashed into smoke. Arcanine's response was immediate and he took to his speed, speeding to Shinobu's flank with a confident curve of his lips, then cast another blast of flame. Shinobu went by it, and Arcanine responded even faster, the blast shifting into shortened spats that became a barrage. Shinobu made distance like Jaret figured he would, and then let loose another stream of fire that swallowed the bolts of fire and Arcanine along with them; Jaret smirked.
The fire billowed at first, then warped before it burst apart, with Arcanine crouching just below Shinobu's sight, glistening gold and in his guard.
"Our turn! Flamethrower!" Heat, scorching orange and light swept over Shinobu, who held strong before the force of the flames threw him from his feet all together. The Pokemon slammed into the dirt, rolling to a smoldering stop at Ryuu's feet; Jaret's eyes caught Ryuu's scowl. "Next?" Ryuu didn't respond, and Jaret watched him, face twisting as he knelt down to his Blaziken with his camera in hand. Jaret's blood burned at the sound of the shutter.
"You're taking a photo now? And of your downed Pokemon!? What the hell is wrong with you!?"
"Didn't you hear me earlier," he retorted sharply. " Every moment is perfect for a photo, no matter the circumstance."
"So not even your Pokemon are off-limits," Jaret spat, and Ryuu's expression shifted; the glare would have cut him in half if it could.
"Vulnerability is something not to be toyed with." The camera slipped into his jacket and away from view. "If you're that set on being obtuse, then this battle doesn't need to happen. You're frustrated."
"Who are you to tell me what to do? You agreed to the battle!"
"And I'm saying now that we should end it. There's no reason to take this any farther than what it's gotten to. Besides, you don't seem all that enthralled."
"If we get this battle on the road, I can prove you wrong." Ryuu's frown deepened as he took a ball deftly into his hand as it came to size. Jaret's face tightened and Ryuu was all the more silent.
" Jaret," Viola. "Ryuu has a point. I don't think either of us thought his Blaziken would be that strong…"
"I got it," Viola drew back a bit. He had said that a little pointedly. "I promise this won't take long. I just have to get his read, then the rest will be easy."
"Are you sure?"
"Positive." She stepped in closer and Jaret kept his eyes forward, even as her eyes dug into him.
"Even if he already has a read on you?" His eyes, like thunder, came down to hers. The words dried in his throat; there was nothing he could say. "I think the battle is going to be a lot longer than we'd like if we don't cut it short," Viola added. "We don't know how long Virgil will have to go without sleep again, and we have to get to Ecruteak, don't we?" Something in him shook, and Jaret turned away, to Arcanine, crouched low and ready to spring , and then, back to that immovable and irritating Ryuu; the ball sat comfortably snug in his hand.
Looks like that might be his ace.
"I see," Ryuu flipped the ball upright. "You're serious about this battle."
"Of course I am," Jaret snapped. "You haven't been taking this seriously this whole time!?"
"That's for you to decide." Ryuu's finger slipped over the button and the form sprang to life. It sifted through the air around Ryuu, impossibly eloquent and subversive for what the Pokemon was supposed to be. The rough scales and crimson wings had only ever been used to force anything against it to their knees. Pidgeot had been on the end of that fury once, and somehow had managed to gut out the win. A dragon tamer had told Jaret that 'Salamence were the Gyarados of the sky' and Pidgeot's battle had burned that comparison into his mind.
Ryuu's Salamence would have done nothing of the sort. It swirled once above them, then softly a second time before coming to a lull in the dirt. The Pokemon yawned, then glanced to and fro, his eyes finally settling on Jaret. Jaret slipped a glance over to Arcanine. His guard had eased a bit. More than anything, Arcanine seemed confused. Jaret turned back.
And caught sight of a snoring Salamence.
"Are you kidding!? This is your main Pokemon?" Ryuu blinked in surprise, then grinned.
"This isn't exactly what I had planned." Ryuu's hands flashed, the camera coming and going from sight. "But he was probably just cramped in his ball. Sagark does love his flight, after all."
"Well, if he wants to be lazy, then don't blame me. Arcanine!" Arcanine snapped to attention, and crouched in anticipation. "Morning Sun!" Ryuu shifted as the light shore up from Arcanine's feet. It was the same response every trainer gave Jaret when he called for it. Arcanine's glint had woken him up and Sagark sat indolent. He climbed to his feet with a yawn, smacking lips and low eyes, and righted himself after what Jaret was sure was at least a full minute; it was a good thing Jaret had thought to boost his next move. It was time to make due on the promised quickness. "Flamethrower!"
Flames cut forward one moment and then burst into smoke the next. Jaret narrowed his eyes; something had canceled out the attack. The smoke suddenly picked up pace, spiraling in on itself and toward a single point that Jaret had managed to make out as a body .
The smoke blasted toward Arcanine, like a bullet. Arcanine went by it and closed in, fangs crackling and flashing gold as Arcanine leapt into the dissipating fog. Jaret heard a blow connect and Arcanine came barreling out from the shroud. Arcanine rolled with the blow, turning effortlessly back onto his feet, and Jaret turned his attention back toward the smoke that had cleared and a small Pokemon stood at what had been the core of swirling smoke.
What could a Riolu possibly know that had turned smoke into a bullet and sent Arcanine rolling backwards in defeat? Ryuu strolled forward.
"Ah, I was wondering when you would show up, Kaito." The Riolu snickered. "None of that," Ryuu refuted coldly. "But…I suppose if you win, prize money is paid. It might be enough to cover the fine you've racked up." Kaito took up a stance, and Jaret frowned.
I gotta fight him…?
"I wouldn't underestimate him," came another flat remark. "If you're as good of a trainer as you say, I'm sure you know this. He's who you're supposed to be battling next." Jaret was quiet, and Arcanine took action. Kaito went by a bolt of fire that Arcanine sent his way, and then, stepped by and away from Arcanine's swipes when he closed in. Kaito moved and dodged every which way and Arcanine followed closely on his heels.
It was Lucario versus Shinobu all over again, even if the Riolu was more obnoxious by comparison. Kaito slipped under and by Arcanine when he took a lunge at him. Arcanine bounded from the earth expertly and whirled around to catch a stream of fire bursting towards him. The blast broke into skitters over the earth wall Arcanine had kicked up, who was already running upwards, then over the wall.
Kaito brought himself to form and with it, his own wall. Arcanine was fluid, holding his speed masterfully as he flipped against the wall, sprinting along it and back to the earth. He whipped around the wall. Kaito was there, and moving fast, enough to startle Arcanine. Arcanine inhaled and Kaito leapt toward and over Arcanine, pulling onto the Pokemon's mane to drag him and the rising Flamethrower into the dirt. Kaito didn't stop when he landed. His eyes honed in on a single target, and that target was Jaret.
Kaito leapt for him with his paws outstretched, and Jaret slipped by him. Kaito tucked into a smooth roll and was back on his feet and after Jaret a second time. Jaret held his ground the second time around and attempted to grab hold of Kaito on his second jump. But Kaito was agile, and a paw snaked around an arm, and when Jaret swiped after him with his other arm, Kaito had already leapt from him, behind him and into a tug on his backpack. Jaret whirled in the opposite direction and Kaito flung from his back and landed with a resounding thud.
"Hey! What the heck is your Riolu's problem!?" Ryuu paused.
"...Do you have anything that's worth anything?"
"Worth anything? You mean, that Riolu of yours is a thief?" Ryuu shrugged.
"It's more obnoxious than anything."
"That doesn't make it any better!" Jaret turned toward the sound of footsteps, back to Kaito making his third attempt. This time, Arcanine came between them and Kaito's surprise had barely registered in Jaret's mind before he was swallowed by fire.
The blast sent Kaito barrelling away and rolling to a stop at Ryuu's feet, like Shinobu earlier. Jaret watched Kaito struggle to his feet, nearly slipping in the process. Kaito watched the two of them with sharp eyes, taking up a trembling stance that Jaret was sure he wasn't going to be able to maintain for long.
"Arcanine, maybe that Fire Blast was a little overboard…' Arcanine rumbled, half-admission, half scoff. "But still, he's up and it looks like he's not going to let it go. Whatever he thinks we have, he's not going to stop until he gets it." Arcanine sighed. Kaito had stepped forward to meet them head-on; Jaret was sure he was going to collapse then and there. "I know. It feels unfair, but…if they're not gonna back down, then we can't either." Jaret sighed, "You ready?" Arcanine nodded. "Alright." Jaret bade a hand forward. "Another Fire Bla–" Jaret paused and his eyes went a little way behind Kaito and a bit beside Ryuu.
Sagark stood at full attention now, wide awake and eyes entirely focused on Arcanine. His steps rumbled thunder as he made his way before the two of them, and in front of Ryuu and Kaito. Was that Salamence actually going to fight? Jaret's eyes went down to Arcanine for a fleeting moment. His fur bristled at the sight of the dragon and flickered in the slight breeze.
"So you're finally gonna take me seriously?" Silence.
"Kaito was serious.'
"You also said obnoxious," Jaret shot back. " That Riolu battles like a thief. Copycat, Mind Reader," Jaret frowned. "Still, it took longer than I thought it would." The air shifted and his eyes came back to the dragon.
Sagark's wings started slowly, then fluttered as Sagark hovered in space for a moment. Sagark was going to be a bigger test than Shinobu, and Jaret was going to clear it with flying colors; a poke-ball swung softly and un-noticed at his waist.
Sagark rose, sharp as wind and the slash passed Arcanine when he went low with a well-placed and well-executed sway. Arcanine recoiled and glistening fangs came down; Sagark's wings roared to life and forced distance between them. Arcanine shuddered, and Jaret smirked as he watched the shiver move through his Pokemon from mane to tail.
This was going to be the real battle.
Arcanine moved first and Sagark followed and was already skyward when Arcanine threw fire his way. Sagark was incredibly adept in the air, going by three bolts before he swooped in, and turned an impressive evasion when Arcanine shored up a wall to catch him what he thought would have been flat-footed. Sagark twisted and zipped around the wall and slashed with hooked claws, and Arcanine responded to that just as masterfully as Sagark had to him.
Each of them were as fast as and present to the other, and when Sagark spiraled through a burst of fire to strike at Arcanine again, this time with a pulsing shockwave, and then again with another hooked claw, a reality struck Jaret: Arcanine was clearly at a disadvantage.
Arcanine's chest swelled with air as he slipped just beyond Sagark's reach, enough for Flamethrower but they were going to need more than that.
"We need a blast, Arcanine!" Arcanine reached deeper, his breath pinching before he exhaled forward, spewing symboled fire that overtook and swallowed Sagark whole. Sagark burst from the flames, staggering but ascending higher. Smoke trailed from his wings as he made a wide turn and honed in again on Arcanine. The smoke danced on the edge of his wings, still odd as they maintained shape and an epiphany struck Jaret: those trails weren't smoke.
"Stone Edge." Sagark's wings flashed and the smoke— rock shards— scattered forth toward Arcanine. Another wall of earth shored up between them and Stone Edge broke into dust upon impact. Sagark descended over the wall, barrelling down on Arcanine with the hooked claws again and dug into earth when Arcanine leapt from his space. But Sagark was surprisingly sprightly, bounding from the dirt in an excellent arc and pursuing after Arcanine as his body at first shimmering in cyan light, then bursting into blue flames; it had become a dragon in itself.
A Dragon Rush at that range was going to hurt. Jaret's hand went to his waist but stayed over his ball of choice. Pidgeot still needed time to recover, something he had surmised before battle started, and the reason why Jaret refused to lead with him first, even at the Pokemon's urging.
But Arcanine couldn't fly, and it would only be a matter of time before Arcanine would burn out before that fact. Jaret had to do something; he ignored the ball that swung and tapped on his side.
"Morning Sun!" Arcanine's body caught light and Sagark let out a sharp cry when the gleam crossed his vision but kept forward. Arcanine yelped at the impact, twirling toward the earth. The yelp twisted into irritated and impressed mutters and grumbles. Arcanine caught himself on rising earth, finding Sagark winding back around a third time all the while still burning. Arcanine inhaled and sparks of his Morning Sun sharpened into gold; they were going to win.
"Fire Blast!" Crested fire spewed forward, jetted onward by a stream of flames even stronger than before; Morning Sun had amped Arcanine's Fire Blast as high as Jaret had ever managed, and the combination of the two at this level was not something he employed often: there was usually never any need.
But Sagark, and by extension Ryuu were different, a fact made clear as Sagark emerged from the Fire Blast winded and without his Dragon Rush, but utterly incensed, eyes honing in on an shocked and exhausted Arcanine before shrieking fury and diving toward him, claws bursting yet again with the hooked dragon energy from earlier.
How does he still have that much energy…?
The two of them really were something else, and Ryuu battled with something else entirely, familiar in fundamentals but foreign in its tightness. Jaret couldn't think of anything else other than a "malevolent restraint". Jaret cursed under his breath, realizing that they had taken their gamble a little too soon; his attention was abruptly pulled down to the ball violently at his waist before it snapped open, throwing blind light across his face, turning him away, and sending thunder through his chest and into his ears.
Thunder? In broad daylight? His eyes brought the world back into focus, and his first sight was Viola, standing bewildered and gaze locked past him; there hadn't even been a flicker of attention toward him. He grimaced. Arcanine was tough, but he hoped that the blow hadn't been too bad. He turned back around, fire in his veins as his mind raced with who to bring out next.
And froze when he caught sight of the same thing Viola did.
Arcanine stood as strong as he could, visibly winded as the tension began to seep from his body. The surprise was still there, etched into the corners of his expression, but he was also relieved. He probably learned faster than Jaret that Sagark was simply a bad match for him.
But it would be a better one for the Pokemon that had taken the full brunt of Sagark's Dragon Claw, his own claw brimming with energy. He threw Sagark's claw askew, and his other claw came by, freezing the air as it did. The claw pulsed with ice when it struck Sagark, sending him flying away and partially frozen into the dirt.
An exhale staggered from Jaret's lungs. He had to have gotten too caught up in the battle to forget he had a Pokemon like him. He had come out, with eyes and muscle every bit as honed as Sagark's, along with every bit of his attention.
"I thought so," Ryuu remarked. "Arcanine is strong, but I knew there would be more than just him." The ice shattered and Sagark flew back in, visibly shaken from the Ice Punch but eyes seething .
"Jaret," came Viola's voice from behind him, tinted with something strange. Disbelief? Apprehension? Fear ? No, none of those. It was agitation . "You really have a fight on your hands now."
"Yeah?" Viola nodded.
"That Salamence is livid, and if you know anything about them, he's not going to stop until he crushes you or levels everything here…Even if he is different from the typical ones." Jaret winced at that, but nodded. "I forgot. Salamence are native to Hoenn, aren't they?" Viola nodded. "Then it looks like I really gotta' make due on my promise. Me and Dragonite will make it quick." He threw a thumbs up behind him."It's a promise."
He had just made his way back into the city when thunder had slowed him to a stop. Thunder during broad daylight wasn't an anomaly entirely, but it still wasn't something that happened often. In fact, there had been thunder, the loudest crash of thunder he had ever heard, but there had been no lightning.
"...What was that…?"
"I don't think now would be the time to worry about whatever 'that' was." He recognized the voice immediately and turned to curling hair and low eyes settled amusedly on him; he had hoped the alley would've been a one-off occurrence, but the curve of her lips nearly melted him; he held strong.
"Came back to mess with me again?." He scanned over her, eyes moving from bottom to top and down again to that smirk of hers. "Didn't you hear me earlier? Blue-bloods like you love Palm Hills. Backwoods Violet Town shouldn't do it for you." Juliet rolled her eyes.
"You just can't seem to make friends can you?" Virgil grunted; Juliet scoffed. "And 'Violet Town'? You're from Johto and you can't even get the name right?"
"That's because Palm Hills is a gated community. Big families and rich people are scared of real life. How many of them do you think would actually know Violet City as 'Violet City'?" Juliet chuckled.
"Well, to start, you're looking at one, and if I remember right, weren't you there when we met in that alley? I bet the blueys over in Palm Springs probably don't even know what an alley is…" She paused. "At least, not the way we do. The joke's not lost on me, by the way." Another chuckle. "So, you wanna' know why I'm here?"
"Probably to throw yourself at me, since that looks like the theme every time we've met so far." Juliet laughed and she made her way over to him with a slow, graceful amble, freezing him into place when her fingers came to his chest. A satisfied smirk spilled again over her lips.
"And what if I did," came her sly retort. She was walking her finger up his chest now, every step a shockwave of a shutter that Virgil pressed against the roof of his mouth. The alley came back to him when her fingers formed around his chin to direct his eyes into hers and reminded him that she and her touch were already deep in his blood.
Her blow came hard, knocking Virgil flat on his back. She cracked her knuckles as he shook his head in a daze. She smiled sweetly and the fog in his mind cleared immediately. Anger forked his eyes down at her.
"As if I haven't heard that before. Now that I've gotten your attention, I think you might want to hear me out." Virgil grumbled and climbed to his feet.
" What, " Virgil spat, and Juliet leaned against one of the buildings, arms folded and this time, expressionless.
"Count how many poke-balls you have on you." his brow came up skeptical. "I'm serious."
"And why would I do that? Did you steal one?"
"No, but someone else did." Virgil scoffed.
"Like who?"
"You mean you didn't see her at the Rising Moon? "
"I'm looking at her," Virgil shot back.
"Then you're clearly blind ." Virgil muttered under his breath; he thought that had been a good response. "I meant the other one."
"The other one?" She nodded once and Virgil saw memory dawn into her face. "Oh, I forgot. You left early. Where did you go, anyway?"
"None of your business," Virgil snapped; she giggled.
"Ooh, I'm shaking in my boots. Come on, you should know by now, this 'blue-blood' is a little different."
"Or maybe she's just like all the others and thinks she's unique." Juliet shrugged.
"Maybe, but I doubt it." A pause. "Where're you headed now?"
"Away from you. "
"Without one of your Pokemon?" Virgil glared.
"Look, I'm kind of busy so how long are we gonna' do this!?"
"Probably until you actually take a look. But, you don't have to if you're really in that much of a rush. From the way you treat him, I wouldn't be surprised if he decided to stay with her." That had convinced him, and his hand went to his waist, fingering at each of the five capsules on his belt, and all of them holding familiar weight except one.
Dewott's ball was empty. He turned to her with sharp eyes.
"How long have you known about this? And who is 'she' supposed to be?"
"Seria Day? From Blackthorn? You know, contestant No. 28? " Memory dawned on him. "I was there right around the time when it happened. How else would I know?"
"And you couldn't have told me sooner!? Did you set me up?"
"Set you up? If I wanted to steal anything off of you, I would've done it by now. And, why do you think I'm here ? " She sighed. "To be honest, I'm surprised that you're this worked up over your Dewott. You were pretty damn aggressive with him from what I saw."
"...So you weren't that far behind me?"
"You move fast, so you've gotta be chasing after that 'thunder' for a reason." Virgil was quiet for a long moment, only finding enough will to muster up a small "yeah". And then he was moving past her, deeper into the city and toward the contest hall where he was certain the thunder had come from. A rosy shudder brought him to a stop just before diving onto the main way to and through Avila Square, turning around and expecting what was becoming a quick normalcy between them. He was certain that Juliet would be gone, so his breath caught when he found her still there a little ways away but walking after him, arms over her chest.
"So you're just going to leave your Dewott with her," she asked when she caught up to him but Virgil shook his head.
"To be honest, I'm not worried. He's stubborn, and has his eyes set on something with me. He'll be back before long." Another pause. "I just hope that Seria will be able to adjust for her sake." Juliet shrugged.
"Well, since you have that much faith in him, I won't pick your brain about it. But since you're on your way to the Zephyr Hall, I might as well tag along if you don't mind?" For the first time, Virgil turned to her with hard eyes.
"If that's what you want, then come on."
They came to a halt at the sight of the cluster of people. The whole of them were packed together with heads tilted up to the sky; The air cracked with thunder once then twice that sent some ducking for cover. Others stood unbothered and stared up to the sky in awe. That could wait; the first thing that mattered first and foremost was to find out the trainers that were causing so much chaos. The contest hall had been blocked off from the outside by the local law enforcement and they had all settled into their positions to monitor the battle, which meant that the battle was still a competition rather than a fight. Pokemon belonging to the "600 club" were the only Pokemon that would warrant a response like this ; the trainers had to be strong. Juliet slipped into the space next to him.
"Looking for the trainers, right?" Virgil nodded. "Thought so. So, how do you expect to get through all those contest fans?" Virgil rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"That's a good question. They're all pretty stuck on the battle. It's a little surprising, since their contest fans and all." Juliet shrugged.
"I guess, but the battle is pretty showy, even without a Coordinator's touch. The only thing that could maybe tear their attention away from the 600 club would be another contest." Virgil suddenly had an idea.
"Or, a coordinator, right?" He turned to her with a grin. "You know, I think I've thought of something."
"Yeah?" Virgil nodded.
"Oh yeah…" Her eyes went wide when he pointed a finger at her.
"Wow, the 'Princess of Sinnoh'? Here in broad daylight?" She turned to him with a livid glare just as the fans turned their way. "I wonder what she could possibly be doing out here on her own?" They had swarmed her too fast for her to say anything, but Virgil had read the "you asshole" she mouthed at him as he slipped loose with a snicker. He was surprised that something so off the cuff had worked so well. She had been messing with his head enough as it was anyway, and helping him out was the least she could do. Virgil kept his pace forward.
And was thrown askew by a burst of wind and thunder . A Salamence whirled over him and seconds later, so did a Dragonite. The sound had left his ears ringing and his legs weak, alongside the realization that the both Pokemon that had nearly ended him were dragons and members of the 600 at that. His eyes followed the dragons as they fought, shockwaves flying and air crackling with strength. There was a reason why there had been a crowd gathered there in the first place.
"Virgil," The voice snapped him out of his awe, following it to Viola, eyes and expression subtly tinted with an urgency that brought him in closer. He froze for just a moment to take in a taut Jaret. He focused on the battle with every bit of his being, and Virgil wondered if Jaret was even aware that he had made his way onto the scene.
He had never seen Jaret so intense before. Not once in Happy Town, and not even when they battled at last year's conference. His eyes flicked over to Jaret's opponent, who watched the battle stern and unfazed. The dragons clashed, the air pulsed, and Virgil ignored the startled cries of some of the fans. The blue-blood was probably going to show up again soon.
"Any idea who's who," he asked.
"Dragonite stands with Jaret. Salamence doesn't." Virgil turned to her in disbelief. "That Dragonite is Jaret's, and he's been in the 600 club this whole time!?"
"I guess so," Viola responded flatly. "And so is his opponent. Jaret's really strong, but up until now, I don't think I've ever seen him so sharp."
"Yeah, no kidding." She frowned.
"I don't like it."
"Don't like what?"
"The sharpness. We haven't talked much, but this doesn't seem like him."
"...You're not wrong…" A second clash brought on more cries and more than a few others running away for safety altogether.
"How long have they been battling?"
"For a little bit. Jaret challenged him to a full battle."
"A full battle? What's he being that reckless for? I thought he wanted to get to the Silver Conference! " Viola shrugged, her frown still there.
"I don't know, but I doubt he'd tell either of us until he's calmed down."
"Losing his first badge he's gotten this circuit would only make it worse…" A third burst.
"Dragonite!" Jaret's cry brought both of them back to the battle, catching sight of Dragonite spiraling toward the ground. He flipped to catch himself, but Sagark was already barrelling down again. Dragonite pressed forward and into the hooked claws of energy, stopping Sagark's Dragon Claw completely in place. With a grunt, Dragonite heaved, twisting to toss Sagark skyward. Dragonite stomped, digging his feet into the dirt, and the two of them saw Dragonite swell with muscle, sheening pastel, then burst into a maelstrom of blue flame. Dragonite saw only one thing, and so did Jaret. " Dragon Rush!"
"Sagark." Sagark screeched fury that forced Viola to cover her ears and rooted Virgil to the spot. Sagark did the same, muscles swelling as the light caught his scales. Sagark stalled in the air for a moment and watched Jaret's Dragonite as his flames grew into a dragon that encased him. Sagark flapped his wings once, and then again before bursting into violet fire himself to challenge Jaret's Dragonite. Jaret's opponent gave his command. " Dragon Rush."
The color stormed forward, and the air broke into thunder for the third and last time. The colors swirled together in a spire toward the sky, then dancing into open shapes as it slung aura— fire— out onto and into the city. The spiral had dispersed seconds later, throwing both dragons into the dirt with a massive crash and raining more remnants of fire.
That had been the final bit and the contest hall burst into panic.
Virgil cursed and moved to make his way to Jaret. Viola hooked her arm in the crook of his elbow and yanked him toward her, enough to spin him back around to her and almost enough for him to lose his footing. She held him in the steel of her eyes; he waited.
"There's nothing you can do to help him right now. Do you even have a Pokemon that can fly?" Virgil was silent. "Besides," he followed her glance behind her, to the troop of officers moving through the chaos and scrambling fans, headed by the local officer Jenny. "We have a bigger problem…"
Jenny had been looking by both of them, focused primarily on Jaret. Virgil shifted to rebuff her, and that had seared a poison of a glare into her eyes. Viola figured immediately that this Jenny, for all of her ability to have been awarded the title of Jenny , had let the authority go to her head a long time ago.
"What is going on here," she barked. "There are distinct rules for battles that take place in the heart of the city, and ordinances that dictate which Pokemon are allowed to be used here!" Jenny looked about the space, and was prompt with her response. The troop had already moved to fan out the flames, a combination of water and Fairy Pokemon. Her glare fell harshley over them. "And it's clear to me that the two of you have had something to do with this."
"It…was just a friendly competition between trainers," Viola responded. "We're…actually not from the region and are quite unfamiliar with the local ordinances here. We…didn't really have any idea…"
"It's not an excuse," Jenny snapped. "The Zephyr Hall is a new and endeared touchstone of Violet City. Ignorance is not an excuse for putting it in danger." Viola fought down the urge to bend.
"I understand. Laws are laws, and we may have gotten a little too absorbed by the showcases at the contest. We were actually really impressed with the city's impressive showcase of its regional rising talent." Viola offered a small smile, ignoring another shift in Virgil that implied that he knew what she was up to. She held the smile back from a smirk. "We're…actually on our gym challenge here, and were really inspired and thought to try our hand at what we saw. I can't say it's much or means anything, but we can help you with taking care of any damage that we might have done." Viola watched the thought pass into and through Jenny. She rubbed her chin in thought and sighed, a bit resigned.
"Look, I'll tell you what, if you help us with extinguishing the flames and maintaining the fires, I'll let you all off. It is nicer to hear about how the Rising Moon was so successful…"
I got her! Viola's smile widened, only to falter and dissipate entirely when the shutter of Ryuu's camera fell into her ears. Jenny turned to Ryuu and for a long second stared. The camera slinked from sight.
"A beautiful entrance…" She blinked, dazed, and she scanned over the four of them. The dragons had also gotten back to their feet and immediately poised themselves for another bout.
"You're under arrest," she stated flatly. "All of you."
"Hey, wait a minute–!"
"Decision's final," Jenny interrupted. "I'm flattered that you had such a good time here, but all of you are dangerous. " Her eyes went back to Ryuu and she added. "And weird." Her grip came like iron around Viola's wrist. "Now, don't make this any harder than it has to be—" Jenny was suddenly knocked into the dirt, and Viola found herself struggling for a moment to keep up with where she was being pulled, bumbling behind Virgil as he grabbed a hold of Jaret to pull him along; Jaret yanked himself loose.
"What are you doing?"
"Are you serious," Virgil snapped. "Weren't you listening to that harpy back there?"
"But we didn't do anything wrong."
"She said we were under arrest! You weren't even paying attention!" Viola threw a glance over her shoulder.. Jenny was back on her feet, face bold and wrinkled absolute fury.
"That. Is. Enough !" Her hand was reaching for her waist, and it dawned on Viola that Jenny or any or her troop were without their standard Growlithe. A battle between any of the 600 had never been expected. She was reaching for a personal Pokemon, something she was sure Virgil didn't quite catch, and something that she was sure Jaret wouldn't deem a problem. She slipped free from Virgil, reaching for her belt. A ball grew to size and Viola waited. She was sure she could handle anything and unprepared Jenny could throw at her.
Being ripped from the ground and being made painfully aware of sharp claws pulsing pressure in and around her chest had to be the least plausible thing that could have happened. She strained against the grip to steal a glance down to Virgil, and he was shrinking fast.
"Viola!" A glance to her right, gave her Jaret, snatched up in a claw that looked too small to hold him the way it did. "Who's Charizard is this!?"
Charizard…? She took a closer look at the claws, scaly and split-handed colored burnt orange. The belly was nothing short of a cauldron that pressed heat through the Pokemon and into her very being; she was already dotting with sweat.
We've got to do something… chaos nipped at her mind; she ignored it.
"What about Virgil," she asked, and instead was given someone else's answer.
"Oh, he'll be fine!" She heaved, twisting up to follow the voice; Charizard's grip wound just a bit tighter. At least she could be sure the Pokemon wouldn't drop them. She stared up a little, bobbing her head to keep the sun from peering too far into her eyes when a familiar face swung over to meet her.
It was the winner of the Rising Moon, Juliet Grey. She clicked her tongue then smirked.
"We don't need to have that conversation right now, you know. Just let me handle the getaway from Jenny and everything'll be fine. But let's get one thing straight." Viola stared at her dazed. "I'm not just a princess, got it?" Viola was quiet. "Oh come on. You don't have to be so strung up, do you?" Viola remained quiet and Juliet sighed, and the pinch in her voice wasn't lost on her when Juliet launched into her defense on why her actions were the best for the moment, and that was fine. It gave Viola space to make the most of what little time she had.
She sudden;y had an idea. She twisted again with another heave. Charizard grunted and his grip wound even tighter. The panic came back stronger, and her breaths began to race like her mind.
"I wouldn't move so much if I were you," Juliet remarked. "I told Cas to focus on getting away as cleanly as possible, and that means not dropping the cargo."
"So I've noticed…" Viola managed that response through pure effort, and she looked by and past Charizard and into the sky.
A blue haze zipped through her line of sight and Charizard's howl verberated into her ears. Charizard's claws pressed the air from her lungs for a moment then slackened and Viola inhaled the air voracious just before Charizard's claws fell back into place. Something had hit him, and it earned her enough time for a few precious breaths.
"Viola!" She followed the voice—Jaret's— , and found that he had slipped loose from the Charizard altogether, and was held aloft by a Pidgeot. She turned ahead, locking eyes with a sharp body of blue and red with wings spread wide to hold himself in the air. His eyes broke from hers and fell keenly onto the Charizard: he was not going to let them pass.
Swellow's first foray had been far better than she had thought it would be. Ambushes were always effective. Anyone with common sense could understand that. What really worried Viola was the fact that her Swellow was now in open view, and in sight of an ornery Charizard no less. She could only hope that Swellow would be able to hold his own, especially as she heard Juliet snap out an order.
"Cas, we don't have time for him! Take him out!" The Charizard's belly rumbled with heat, then he roared with excitement.
It was going to be a dangerous fight.
Virgil watched the Charizard grow smaller. He winced a bit when he saw the Pokemon belt flames in Jaret's direction. As overworked as he was, Jaret's Pidgeot had more than enough to give and poked about Charizard's side with another body of…something. It was moving too quickly for him to make it out, but his best guess was that it came down to some flying Pokemon.
They were all in the air fighting and he was there, on the ground, doing nothing.
"You're worried," the man said as he came to a stop next to him, and Virgil ignored the teal dotted at the edge of his sight. He waited until after the first couple of clicks.
"What's it to you?"
"If you're looking for a literal answer, it's nothing to me." Virgil turned to him with a glare, ignoring the tingle in his chest and limbs when the man returned the same look.
"Then why are you even here? You randomly show up, make a whole mess of everything and that's what you say?" The man looked back out, then to his camera, working through the settings before taking aim again. "I don't know what you did to get Jaret so heated, but if you had him like that, then there's gotta be a reason why—-" The camera clicked, and the man looked at his camera with a sigh.
"He did it to himself," came a curt reply. He turned again to Virgil with a glare stronger than the one before, enough to even force Virgil back a step. "He challenged me, and even after I told him it was a bad idea, he insisted on the battle." A pause. "I didn't think I would run into another one of the 600 here, if I'm honest, and I don't think he did either." Virgil scoffed, but the gesture was more for himself than anything.
"Not everyone with a dragon is a part of the 600."
"You're right," he replied sharply. "They're not. But the 600 isn't just exclusive to Pokemon. I'm sure you know this; you seem like you know your stuff. But a winner of a tournament cup and a consistent placer in so many competitions would warrant an inclusion into the 600, wouldn't it?" His glare shifted into a scowl..
"Then what about you? Jaret makes sense, with his appearances and all, but I've never even heard of you. How can someone so random put Jaret on edge like that!?" The man sighed, looking askance and turned to the side. Virgil followed to…
Officer Jenny.
How did we forget about her…? He had made note that a few more of her team had lined up with her. Even without the Growlithes, the situation was spiraling.
"The accomplices will have to wait, I suppose, but you two are going to have to come with me." Her eyes fell on Virgil especially pointed. "You two will have a lot of explaining to do." They both stared. "Did I stutter," she snapped. "Since you're both set on resisting, then I'll have to resort to force."
"...It's unimportant," the man finally said, turning back to Virgil. "I'm just a freelance photographer."
"Hey, don't ignore me!" They both turned back to Jenny, and to two of her team members moving in to surround them. Virgil's hand dropped to his waist, and his mind raced through his Pokemon. Dewott was missing, and he was almost certain that Ampharos hadn't rested enough, and his other two would be less than reliable. That left him with just Lucario. The man stepped forward to meet Jenny and Virgil turned to him with disbelief.
"I'll take care of them." His tone was dark and Virgil's voice evaporated. Was he going to kill them?
Clicking resounded in Virgil's ears and the subsequent light took form. The statue was reposed, floating behind the man, the splotches of color and scrawlings shifting and moving to form a face, and an inexpressive one at that.
The Pokemon had the desired effect, and Jenny's team slid to a halt. Virgil watched the confusion become hesitance, and then escalate to fear, and both of the officers went to their waist, one for a gun, and another for a ball. Jenny moved unaffected and Virgil chalked that up to the Stantler that had formed at her side. She was serious.
"Do you see it, Avia?" The man's voice had grown even darker, and was strong enough to root Virgil to the spot, curious and even a little scared. The scribbling on the Sigilyph didn't react. "Good." Jenny was close now, and if this man had a plan, Virgil hoped that it would work soon. "Then, pulse."
The air, thick and heavy, suddenly dropped onto his shoulders, and even breathing suddenly felt strange and all too real. It was a weird experience that kick-started his mind into movement, rapid thoughts.
Would breathing always be this intense?
Would he have to breathe like this forever?
Why was he suddenly so conscious of breath?
Why was everything so slow and why could he hear his own heartbeat?
What. Was. Going. On?
The weight lifted, and the weight in his lungs became nothing. Breathing, he realized, never felt so good. His chest heaved, the inhales coming easy and effortless. It brought him to his knees.
And it brought his attention, even more harshly, onto that man. He didn't look his way, and stared down at the law enforcement team, three bodies sprawled about among each other, with officer Jenny at the top of them unmoving. He turned to Virgil, who scurried backwards as far as he could.
This man was a murderer.
"All taken care of." He had been so monotone, and so… uncaring. Virgil could only muster the strength to look onward. Virgil blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then multiple times, and every time, those bodies were still there. A body forming on the edge of his sight, a shade of purple and black. Virgil refused to turn to it completely; that man had already closed the distance between them.
"Sorry for that interruption…but as I was saying, the question you had about the 600 probably warrants more of an actual answer…" Virgil desperately kept his eyes forward. "But I mean it, I'd prefer it if you just think of me as a freelance photographer." Virgil nodded.
"Y-yeah. No problem. I won't tell a soul about the 600." The man laughed, and Virgil's blood froze. All of the bodies in his terrors were real enough, but never real.
"Thank you." It was a cordial response. How was this man this calm about everything? "But I'm sure the Trainer's FanClub keeps close tabs on them." Virgil nodded; another laugh. "Ah. By the way," Virgil's chest tightened. "Jenny and her troop, they're fine." VIrgil chest wound tighter.
"W-what…?"
"They're fine," Then, he let the air loose, relieved. " It was just a sensory overload and a memory wipe."
"T-then what the hell were you being so scary for!?"
"I wanted to make sure that you'd hold up your end of the bargain," he replied with a small grin and shrug. It quickly fell back into a frown; Virgil figured it was something he did a lot. "Another thing…" Virgil straightened to attention. "Jaret King is strong, but you should keep an eye on him."
"You know his name?"
"Why wouldn't I? He's a part of the 600, so you would think that most of us know each other, especially if the public does."
"You say that but I have no idea who you are."
"The 600 is worldwide. Did you forget?" Virgil pressed his lips to respond; nothing came out. "Silence is all I need to hear…but still…"
"But still…?"
"Please keep an eye on him. He's very strong, but so are all of the 600. He's running with so much pressure at his back…"
"...You think so? He always seems so lax." The man's scowl deepened.
"I suppose we see two different sides of the same person. But he is your friend. I was just another one of the 600 that he battled…" They were silent for a moment as the man turned to his Sigilyph had been hovering at his back, obsessively by his, and more than likely other people's standard as well. It wasn't until he rested his hand on the Sigilyph that Virgil realized that he was preparing to leave.
"Hey, wait a minute!" He turned to him. "You said you were in the 600, and it sounds like you really don't want anyone to know that. Why? Is being in the 600 really that bad?"
"...The 600 earn our places from our strength, and our acquisition and bonds to Pokemon that are unfathomably strong. A lot of us tend to don high-ranking spots in the World Coronation if we were to ever register…" Virgil waited. "Being a part of the 600 is relentless . The fame that comes with it is exhausting and overwhelming. More than anything, it is psychologically heavy , and perhaps even more than the World Coronation, strength matters in the 600."
"So is it just the fame?" The man shook his head.
"It's the perils. Dragonites, Salamences, Baxcaiburs, Tyranitars…These Pokemon are strong , and bow to no one. You can imagine where I'm going with this."
"Poachers." Ryuu nodded.
"And there are a lot of them. The fame of the 600 doesn't just attract singular poachers, but will pull entire organizations to hunt them down."
"You're kidding," Virgil muttered. "You guys can't get help from the league or anything?"
"The 600 aren't officially recognized as anything of the sort. We're 600 trainers, recorded into the databases of all of the competitions and battles that we've ever had officially sanctioned, with near-mythical Pokemon. If anything, the '600' is colloquial." He sighed. "This means that by extension, the people we care about can come into danger if things escalate too far. That's the most important reason for strength, and that might be the heaviest weight of it all …Could you imagine being so strong for so long, and then suddenly not being that anymore?" Virgil was silent. "But speaking of friends, you'd better get a move on. Yours are slipping away as we speak." The man began to swirl with color; a Teleport.
"Wait! Are you really just going to leave!?" The man nodded. "Can you at least tell me who the hell you are?" Spots danced in his sight and Virgil lost his footing as he went down. He struggled to get back to his feet, blinking hurriedly to clear his vision. The light of the teleport was already too bright and obscured the man, but Virgil heard him laughing.
"Remember, I'm just a photographer who wants to capture the world within my photos." The teleport shored upward, flashed magenta then ebbed, leaving Virgil there with nothing but the trainer's oddly familiar phrase.