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Chapter 12: The Price of Fame

Only two weeks had passed since the battle between Sharon and Maya, and there had been a noticeable change in Kalos. Neil couldn't quite put his finger on it, but things felt tense like a bag that had been overstuffed and was close to bursting. It wasn't surprising, the battle caused a rift between trainers half supporting Maya, the other half supporting Sharon. Several fights had broke out over heated debates, and Neil suspected it was only going to get worse until someone new came along and distracted everyone from the situation at hand.

If he was going to bring Sharon down, he couldn't bring Noxis with him meaning he had to defeat the Champion with only five Pokémon instead of a full team of six. It wasn't unheard of, but he didn't like the look of Sharon's Espeon, Velvet. Unlike Sharon's other Pokémon, Velvet was beyond skilled and the way she didn't show any emotion during the battle against Maya was unsettling. A Pokémon like that would require serious planning.

Research into Sharon's past battles revealed Velvet was always her trump card. No matter how dire the situation was, Velvet turned things around and pulled out a win. Before the Espeon, Sharon's battle record was average, then overnight she became near unstoppable. It's possible she set it up that way though Neil had no idea why. The reason didn't matter. He had to bring down that Espeon if he was to stand a chance at winning.

But right now, he wasn't worrying about Sharon or the title. First, he needed to establish a name for himself. He wasn't going down the same road as Maya; his name was going to be known throughout Kalos as the most powerful Champion in the world.

The book his parents had published without his permission was the first step. It had gotten way more attention than he expected. It just hit the shelves yesterday, and already three stores were sold out. Everyone he passed walking down the street were talking about the book, reading it, or both. It felt nice even though no one knew he was a co-author. He didn't mind. Once his name became known, people would make the connection on their own.

"So how's the reception on the new holo caster?" Claire asked.

Neil started at the sound of her voice. He had completely forgotten he was talking to her. "It's way clearer than the last one," he said, smiling. "I wish I had upgraded sooner." Light stood on her hind legs and barked happily at Claire's hologram.

Claire's hologram smiled warmly at the Jolteon. "Hi, Light. So, Neil, I guess having your old one smashed wasn't the worst thing in the world?"

Neil rolled his eyes. "I said I was sorry. Yes, I overreacted, but could you blame me?"

"I guess not. But you still need to remember anything Noxis does is only to impress you. Don't be too hard on her."

"I know, Claire. Listen, you haven't told my parents about Noxis and the investigation have you?"

"Of course not. That's something they need to hear from you and you'll tell them when you're ready. Although I did tell them that you insisted on going to Lumiose City alone."

Neil chuckled nervously. "You didn't really do that, did you? After that scare at the Pokémon League, they would flip."

"Maaaybe," Claire replied in a sing-song voice. "Why don't you ask them yourself? Here, your mom wants to talk to you."

"What was that, Claire? I can't hear you. There must be a bad connection." He quickly ended the call before Claire could respond. He stuffed the holo caster in his pocket and ignored the disapproving look Light gave him.

Avoiding an awkward conversation with his parents wasn't the only reason for ending the call early just like he didn't tell Claire his real reason for coming to Lumiose City alone. He wanted to help that researcher, Walter, and he didn't want Claire trying to talk him out of it. Claire had a serious problem with Pokémon research though she never explained why. She would lose it if she heard anyone had even approached him for research.

Neil double-checked the address he was given and looked up at the building. It didn't look anything like the kind of place where a respectable scientist conducted research. More like the kind of place where shady deals went down. All the windows were covered on the inside making it impossible to see into the building.

Neil gathered his courage and pressed the buzzer on the door's intercom. It was possible Walter was on a tight budget. He remembered the scientist saying his research was struggling. Walter's voice quickly replied, "Neil! Glad you could make it. Please come in."

A loud buzzing alerted Neil the door was unlocked. He returned Light to her ball and went inside.

The inside of the building looked nothing like the outside. It was one large room, filled with the latest equipment. Everything was wiped down, the light reflecting off the pristine equipment hurting Neil's eyes.

Walter approached him, a slight skip in his step and a wide smile on his face. "Hello, Neil. Thank you so much for agreeing to help me. I assure you, I will not forget this. I'd like to introduce you to my assistant, Daniel Andrews." He gestured to the man next to him.

The other man was much younger, likely around Neil's age. Daniel had short blond hair and watchful green eyes. He was also completely different from Walter. The young man exuded confidence as if the he had the world figured out while Walter seemed more like the nervous absent-minded type on anything not research related. Neil didn't want to be rude, but his first thought when he looked at Daniel was this guy was a complete asshole. Still, he didn't want to cause problems, so he offered a handshake.

Dan looked at Neil's hand before accepting Neil's handshake. "Hello, Neil. So you're the man who saved our research. Honestly, you couldn't have come at a better time. Dr. Bradshaw was going to pull the plug on the whole thing."

"Come on, Dan. Don't be so dramatic," Walter chided. "Dan, why don't you show Neil around? I need just a few more moments to get everything ready."

Dan smiled at the back of Walter's head as the doctor walked away. The moment Walter was out of earshot, Dan turned back to Neil. "He doesn't want to worry you, but this project is dangerously close to being shut down. I would've been out of a job if you hadn't come along."

"Is it that hard to get access to a poison type?"

"Not really difficult, but Dr. Bradshaw is so hung up on playing things safe. The man just doesn't understand that in the pursuit of science, you have to take risks."

"Some risks aren't worth taking though. And working with toxins does sound kinda dangerous."

Dan flagged away Neil's concern. "It's not like he's making a bomb or something. This research could do so much for modern medicine. Did you know that because of the toxins in their bodies, poison-type Pokémon are far more resistant to toxic gasses and chemicals, and even certain diseases. Do you have any idea the applications that could have?"

Neil shrugged. He didn't really get it. Even if this research bore fruit, it could be years before it led to anything. But he knew this research was important, and if it did work, his name was going to the top of the list. The idea of him being their last hope was a little unsettling though.

"Well, I'll help any way I can," Neil said. "But I want to ask you a few questions before we do anything."

"Of course. Ask away."

"I read that Salazzle poison is extremely dangerous. I'm not breaking any kind of laws by helping you am I? I don't have a researcher's license--"

"Neil, don't worry about it. There is an international law forbidding experimentation with Pokémon venom. You need a special permit to even get your hands on it, and they do not give those out freely. However, the research is purely theoretical. We're just going to scan your Salazzle and learn what enzymes and compounds her poison contains. From there we can formulate a hypothesis and run simulations without ever touching a drop of Salazzle venom. It's all perfectly legal, and you have nothing to worry about."

"Okay, everything is set up," Walter called. "Neil, just place your Salazzle's Poké Ball in the machine there and we can get started."

Neil followed Dan to the large machine in the middle of the room, a large flat table with small indentations on the surface to keep the Poké Balls from rolling off. It reminded him of those machines the nurses used at the Pokémon Centers.

Neil felt Noxis' ball shaking as he plucked it from his belt. "Hey, it's going to be okay," he whispered. He stroked the ball to help soothe her. "I wouldn't let anything bad happen to you." He placed the ball in the middle of the machine and stepped back.

Walter typed commands on the keyboard and the machine came to life. Neil squeezed his hands together as he watched the flashing lights and listened to the rapid beeping. It was just a routine scan, but he still couldn't' shake the anxiety.

After a few minutes, Walter said, "Aaaand done." The room became quiet as the machine powered down. "That's everything we need. Thank you so much for your help, Neil."

Neil retrieved Noxis' Poké Ball from the scanner and returned it to its place in the holster on his belt. It was still shaking. He placed his hand on it hoping to calm the Salazzle down. "Is that it?"

"Yes, that's all. I know it doesn't seem like much, but since we are based in Kalos, it's annoyingly hard to get access to exotic Pokémon. Even if I had a lab in Alola, getting the necessary permits would be a huge pain."

A big grin adorned Walter's face as he looked at the console. "Dan, you will not believe this! Just look at these readings! My earlier projections were completely off-base. But with this we can--"

"When he gets like that, he's lost in his own world," Dan interjected. Sure enough, Walter had walked off and was pouring over scattered papers on a desk, not even acknowledging that no one was listening to a word he said.

"On behalf of Dr. Bradshaw, Neil, I thank you so much for agreeing to help with our research," Dan said. "I know I have no right to ask, but I was hoping you could do us a favor."

"I have no problems with helping out," Neil said. "What do you need?"

Dan checked to see if Walter was looking at them. The man was so wrapped in his research notes, he wouldn't notice if the building caught fire. Dan pulled a small vial containing a dark liquid out of his lab coat. "I was wondering if you could test this new serum on one of your Pokémon. Don't worry--it's perfectly safe. It's just we've been working on this new sensory enhancer for a while now, but we can't make any more progress without actual data."

Neil took the vial. It felt strange holding it like he was doing something wrong. "What does it do?"

"It simply augments a Pokémon's senses and combat awareness. All you have to do is give this to one of your Pokémon before a battle and record any changes in their behavior."

"I know I agreed to help, but the League doesn't take kindly to illegal enhancers--"

"Don't worry about that. So long as you don't participate in any official League matches you'll be fine. Better yet, there are Under tournaments held in Lumiose City all the time. You could enter one. They don't run checks on the Pokémon entered, so there's no risk of getting caught."

Neil didn't want to say no, but he was still under investigation. It was just routine; he had nothing to worry about, but it still felt like playing with fire. Under tournaments weren't illegal, but some Leagues frowned on them. And Kalos was one of those Leagues. I should be fine. As long as I don't advertise entering Under tourneys, the League is happy to look the other way. "Sure, I can give it a try."

Dan smiled. "Great! Now the only thing you need to be careful of is Pokémon tend to become more aggressive. This is perfectly normal and a side effect of their combat instincts being heightened. This is my card. Call me when you use the serum and take notes if you can. Also, don't tell Walter about this. He wouldn't agree to this, and technically it is an illegal experiment. So the fewer people we let in on this the better."

"But won't we get in trouble if this does work out?"

"Don't worry about that. Once we prove the serum works, we just need to get permission to do it officially."

Neil nodded and left the lab. Already his mind was working with ideas. Under tournaments weren't illegal, so he could still use it to gain some publicity and help out at the same time. Once the League officially approved it, he could use it in his battle against the Elite Four and Sharon.

But first he needed a practice battle to make sure there was nothing to worry about. And Café Bataille was the best place to go to find an opponent.

Neil released Light from her ball and headed to Café Bataille. The place was way more packed than Neil expected.

Marcus was the first one to notice Neil's entrance. "And there he is! The man who wrote the trainer's guide!"

The crowd erupted into applause. Light proudly accepted the accolades, but Neil stood there stunned. He was quickly surrounded by people shoving their hands and copies of Rules of a Trainer in his face. He eventually snapped out of his stupor and approached the counter, ears burning with embarrassment.

"Hey, back off the man!" Marcus cried. "There will be an autograph signing latter in the afternoon!"

Neil breathed a sigh of relief when the crowd thinned out. Even Light looked grateful for the breathing room.

"Thanks for that," Neil said. "What was that about anyway?"

"I might've let is slip that the co-author of one of the best selling books in the region is a frequent customer of mine," Marcus replied innocently. "But enough about that. What brings you by here today?"

"Just looking to relax," Neil said. With his face so well known here he chose not to challenge someone to a battle. If things went south, he could never show his face around here again. "I'll just have some water for Light."

Marcus passed Neil a small bowl filled with water. Neil sat the bowl on the floor next to his Jolteon.

"I hear Gwendoline Barbara is looking for someone to dethrone the current Champ," Marcus said. "And that a certain someone close to you is next in line."

Neil raised a brow. "I didn't think she was advertising that."

"She isn't. But information is the business I'm in." He leaned on the counter. There was an air of seriousness about him that made Neil nervous. "My advice, Neil, stay away from her. She's the connection between the Kalos Pokémon League and the rest of the world. Always two steps ahead of everything, just about anything that is done in the League goes through her first. She can make or break any trainer's career if she had the mind. You'll want to stay on her good side if you want to have any hope of making it as a trainer."

"Thanks for the advice, but why warn me?" Neil asked. "I already turned her down."

Marcus raised a brow. "And you're not still planning on helping Sharon get back at Maya? Or possibly planning on becoming Champion yourself?"

Neil stiffened. If Marcus read him that easily, what's to stop Sharon or Gwendoline from doing the same?

"No, you don't need to say it," Marcus said. "I just hope you know what you're doing."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, do you really need to get in the middle of this? Sharon and Gwendoline have been at each other's throats for a while now. It might be better to simply let those two wear each other out and just swoop in when the dust clears."

"Thanks for the advice," Neil said. He had no intention of backing down. He had a personal stake in this besides just wanting to make a name for himself. Gwendoline was trying to get Claire involved, and this was his best chance for putting Maya in her place.

She might have helped write Rules of a Trainer, but she wasn't going to bask in the fame it provided. He was going to see to that.

He patted the vial of serum in his pocket. Just you wait. You're days are numbered. I'm going to teach you what it truly means to be a trainer.

****

"Okay, everyone, let's take a little break," I said. I turned around and saw Taylor and Ian on all fours, breathing heavily. Their Pokémon stood around them, panting. Of the eight Pokémon between them, only Abby wasn't worn out. My team looked at them annoyed. That battle with Sharon had them fired up, but they were forced to take it easy because of Taylor and Ian. I rolled my eyes at my "disciples." I could understand Taylor's team not being well-trained, but Ian should know better especially with him always supposedly running off to train."

"I think...I'm gonna...pass out," Ian wheezed.

"Aunt...Maya, I love you, but...are you trying...to kill...us?" Taylor asked. She leaned on her Bayleef, Herb. The green, dinosaur-like Pokémon huffed in annoyance and tossed the large leaf on his head.

"You two said you wanted to train," I said. "Honestly, I'm surprised how out of shape you both are. Ian, I thought your Pokémon at least would be better than this. Did you two never go jogging with your Pokémon or anything? A good trainer trains with their Pokémon y'know."

"Well, no," Ian said. "I kinda just ride to every gym, y'know?" Flux rolled his eyes. Ian's Pidgeot, Gale shot Ian an irritated look then started preening her feathers for the fifth time. Of all Ian's Pokémon, she was the most vain. The large bird Pokémon made a point of checking her brown feathers or getting into a fuss whenever her yellow and red crest was messed with. It was annoying, but I couldn't blame her. If her feathers got too dirty, it would affect her ability to fly.

"That you actually believe that even though your dad is a famous trainer is very sad," I said. "Anyway, when you two sissies catch your breath, we're going for another run."

"C'mon, Aunt Maya. We ran around Beacon, like, twice already!" Taylor whined.

"Actually, that was just one lap," Ian said. "Look, sensei, can we just call it a day? We're worn out."

"Nope. We agreed to run two laps," I said. "C'mon, you're Pokémon look ready for another run."

"Yeah, they can also spit fire and fly, but you don't see us trying to do that either," Ian shot back.

I chewed the inside of my cheek. "Hey, Butter, Ian looks kinda down. Why don't you give him a hug and make him feel better?"

Before the Goodra could move, Ian bolted down the path. Maude fell over on her side, laughing hysterically. It didn't take long before Arbor, Herb, and Scorch joined in. Lulu glared at them while Flux just sighed and shook his head. Butter whined and hugged his tail.

"That was very mean," Taylor said.

"No, this is mean," I retorted with a wicked smile. "Hey, Butter, why don't you give Taylor a hug instead? She looks down, too."

"You bitch!" Taylor screamed as she took off running behind Ian.

Butter looked hurt that they ran away from him again. It was the third time today I did that to him. I walked over and patted his belly.

"Don't worry about it, big guy. How about I give you a treat when this is over?"

That lifted Butter's spirits. He warbled happily and went jogging down the path. I noticed Lulu was giving me a disapproving stare.

"Don't look at me like that. I will give him a treat when we get back. Besides, it's gotten Ian motivated. He's entering a tournament soon, he needs to double-time it if he's gonna be ready. We haven't even started sparring yet. Now let's catch up to your trainers before they get themselves lost." I wiped the slime off my hand on a nearby tree and started down the path.

Ian and Taylor made it about 40 yards before they ran out of juice again. Butter had caught up to them and swept both of them into a hearty hug, a big smile on his round face. They were both quietly crying, the tears mixing with the sweat and slime covering their faces.

I laughed the entire walk back to Beacon. I kept my promise to Butter and gave him a special helping of Lumiose Galettes, his favorite. I relaxed on the back porch while Taylor and Ian got cleaned up. It took three hours, and they threw out the soiled clothes and used an entire bottle of shampoo each. Even after they finished cleaning up, Taylor still kept complaining about the smell.

"I think I'm gonna need to shave my head," Taylor said. "It feels like it's still in my hair."

"It'll go away after a few days," Ian sighed. "Just remember to wear a scarf or something when you go to bed or else the smell will soak into your pillow."

"I hate you, Maya," Taylor grumbled.

I smiled. "If you think that's bad, you should've been here the day we found out that mago berries give Butter gas."

Ian and some of the Pokémon shuddered. "I thought we agreed never to talk about that."

"You have to admit, it was pretty cool how big that bubble was." My smile dropped. "Until it burst."

"Okay, can we talk about something a little less gross?" Taylor asked.

"Actually, I've been meaning to ask why I've never heard of you sooner," I said. "With a cool looking Absol like yours, you'd stand out."

"Yeah, I don't remember seeing you use Abby in The Under tournament, either," Ian said. "And didn't you have a Mismagius?"

"Missy was borrowed from a friend of mine. Abby isn't a battling Pokémon, so I needed a third in order to enter the competition. Cypher can't battle and maintain the illusion at the same time," Taylor replied. She stroked the back of Abby's head. Abby closed her eyes and leaned into Taylor's hand. There was a pang of jealousy in Cypher's face just before she turned away. "My mom only used her in Pokéathlons. Even when she gave Abby to me, she said I was never to use her in battle."

I raised a brow at her. It seemed weird for Taylor's mom to give her kid a Pokémon she couldn't use in battle. Even if Abby was only to serve as a bodyguard, she would need to battle once in a while to keep her skills sharp. Looking at the Absol, it was clear she had been well-trained. It was a shame to see that skill go to waste.

Taylor sat on her knees. "Hey, Ian, we should have a battle. I wanna see how much stronger my Pokémon have gotten from this training."

Ian sat up, choking on the water he was drinking. Flux and Scorch looked at us, hopeful, Lulu looked worried, but Butter, Herb, and Gale didn't seem to be listening. When Ian stopped choking, he looked wide-eyed at Taylor. "Where did that come from?" he asked.

"You've, like, known Aunt Maya a lot longer than me, so I wanna see how strong you are."

"We haven't really been training that long," Ian said nervously. "And, uh, my Pokémon are pretty tired from our run today--"

"Ian, it's just a sparring match," I said gently. "You'll be fine. I'll call it off if things get out of hand." I didn't like the idea of pushing him, but he needed this. If he broke down in the middle of the tournament, he wasn't bouncing back.

"Uh, I'm really tired. Maybe later."

I looked at Ian's team. Flux looked the most disappointed about not being able to battle. Lulu looked relieved making me wonder if Pokémon could suffer from anxiety or PTSD or something. I started to believe Ian wasn't going to Lumiose City to train.

You're gonna hate me for this, but it's for your own good. "As your sensei, I command you to battle."

Flux made a pumping motion with his arm. Ian's jaw fell. "You can't do that!"

"Are you gonna ignore a direct order from your sensei?"

Ian flinched. "N-No, of course not."

"Then take Flux and go over there and battle."

Ian hung his head like a scolded child and did as I told him. Flux followed behind him, smiling as if he just won the lottery. We didn't have a designated battle field, so I had Taylor and Ian stand far enough apart for a battle.

"Okay, you two," I said. "To keep things simple, this will be a three-point match. You only get a point when you land a direct attack. One Pokémon each, and no substitutions. Understand?" When they both nodded I added. "Then choose your Pokémon."

Flux didn't even wait for Ian to choose him before stepping forward. Taylor took a moment to choose her Pokémon but eventually settled on her Zoroark, Cypher.

"All right, Cypher, we haven't battled in a long time, so let's make this a good one!" Taylor cried. Cypher replied with an eager bark.

"Begin!" I shouted.

Taylor acted first. "Cypher, use Agility!" Once her Zoroark had moved within range, Taylor followed with, "Now use Flamethrower!"

Flux jumped out of the way of the surprise attack and looked back to Ian for instructions. Ian just stood there, staring wide-eyed at the battle.

"Well, if you're not gonna say anything, I guess I'll, like, win this thing," Taylor said. "Cypher, use Double Team and cut him off then hit him with Night Daze."

Multiple copies of Cypher formed a ring around Flux. Flux tried to counter with Thunderbolt, but the attack passed through the illusion. Cypher reappeared behind Flux and hit him with a wave of darkness. He landed face-first in the ground, but was quick to get back up, retaliating with another Thunderbolt. Cypher dodged the attack easily with another Double Team.

I sighed and said, "Gale can you slap your trainer for me?"

Gale pecked Ian on the top of the head. Ian cried out, holding the top of his head. "Ow! What was that for?" he asked. The Pidgeot tossed her head and smiled.

"Focus. You said you wanted to become a great trainer and honor your mom, remember?" I asked.

Ian slowly turned back to Flux. I saw the gears turning in his head as my words got through to him. Eventually he nodded and turned back to the battle.

"Sorry about that, Flux," Ian said. "Let's teach this girl to respect her elders. Start with Magnetic Flux."

Flux yipped happily. The jewels on his head and tip of his tail began flashing and his whole body began to glow.

"I don't know, like, what that move does, but it won't save you!" Taylor cried. "Cypher get in close and use Flamethrower!"

"Confuse Ray!"

Cypher ran in close and fired a large stream of fire from her mouth which was a big mistake. It blocked her view of Flux so she didn't see the flashing lights until it was too late. She stumbled about as if drunk, swinging randomly at nothing.

Ian pumped his fist in the air, a goofy smile on his face. "Gotcha now! Flux, use Electroweb!"

Flux fired a large electric ball toward Cypher. The ball expanded into a wide net, pinning her to the ground.

"That's enough; Ian wins," I said. There was no point in continuing the battle. With Cypher confused and pinned Taylor's only option was to call her back.

Flux's attack wore off. Cypher shook her head clear and sat on the grass, looking mournfully at her paws. Taylor walked over and stroked the Zoroark's mane. "Hey, you did, like, really great. I'm the one who messed up."

"That was great, Flux!" Ian cried, running to his Ampharos.

Flux snorted and punched his trainer in the gut the moment he got within striking range. Ian doubled over, gasping for air. Flux said something angry in Pokémon speech then stomped off. Lulu, Butter, and Gale sadly watched Flux leave.

Wow, and I thought my Pokémon were a handful. I walked over to Ian and helped him get up. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Ian wheezed. "What the hell is his problem? We won the battle!"

"I think he just didn't like that it took you so long to get your act together. Look, Ian, I get you're worried about your Pokémon, but you have to trust them."

"I do trust them."

"When you seize up in a battle like that, it doesn't look like it."

Ian sighed and hung his head, his dark hair blocking any view of his face. "I know. I'm really trying."

"I know you are," I said. It was true. Ian was always front and center at every one of my battles, he kept a notebook in his room filled with notes on his favorite trainers and move strategies, and he was practically glued to his laptop, researching Pokémon moves and abilities. Once he got his confidence back, he was going to become Champion one day.

I heard a curious hoot in my ear, scaring the shit out of me. I screamed and jumped to my feet, almost tripping over Dorian standing right behind me. All the Pokémon jumped and looked around for my attacker. "Dammit, Ghost!" I yelled. "Will you stop doing that?"

Cassandra's Decidueye tilted her hooded head and cooed questioningly. Since she was a ghost-type, I should've been used to her appearing randomly, but she always caught me off guard. I think it was a trait of being a ghost-type. It didn't help that with her brown wings at her side resembling a cloak and her piercing yellow eyes peering beneath her leafy, green hood, she looked like an assassin. She looked badass, so long as I knew where she was. Cassandra and Delphine came running up, leaning on each other and laughing.

"That was a good one! That was so worth it!" Cassandra cried, tears streaming down her face.

"Will you grow up?" I asked, annoyed.

"Sorry, I just needed to do something about all the tension around here. You've been real serious ever since you got back."

"I haven't been that serious," I argued.

"Maya, I have a Lucario. You've been serious."

I flagged her off and walked back to the porch to join Aqua and Arbor. They were running around the porch playing some kind of game. Taylor had already set up camp with her Pokémon. Scorch and Herb joined in whatever game Arbor and Aqua were playing. Cypher lay by her trainer's side, still moping. Abby remained by Taylor's side as well, watching the Pokémon play.

"Aw, those two make the cutest couple," Taylor cooed. "I wish I had a pair of Eeveelutions."

Arbor and Aqua tilted their heads and made a sound that was a cross between a disgusted snort and a confused wine. Sparks sighed and hung his head, but I could tell he was smiling. I fought the urge to laugh.

"Um, Arbor and Aqua are brother and sister," I said.

Scorch shot an amused look at his trainer. Taylor covered her mouth with her hands. "I'm sorry, I didn't know. But that is sooo much cuter."

"You are such a girl."

"I am a girl! Anyway, where did you find them?"

"I'll tell you later."

"Aw, c'mon, Aunt Maya! Don't be a tease. Please?"

"She's not gonna leave you alone until you answer her," Cassandra said.

I sighed and rubbed my forehead. "Fine. But I don't wanna hear a peep out of you for the rest of the day."

Taylor made a motion across her face as if zipping her mouth shut then sat on her knees like a preschooler eager for story time. I noticed Ian and his team had also gathered and were staring at me.

"You guys want to hear it, too?" I asked.

"Yeah, you never talk about your past, sensei," Ian said.

"I told you to stop calling me that."

"And we told you not a chance," Cassandra said, sitting down in the empty seat next to mine.

I rolled my eyes at her. "Cassandra, you already know this story."

"But I never heard your version."

I chose not to respond to that and started the story. "So my friends and I were just heading to Geosenge Town after beating the gym leader in Cyllage City--"

****

We had been traveling on Menhir Trail for what felt like weeks. My feet and legs hurt. I would've loved to stop walking, but this place gave me the creeps. It was lined with hundreds of different sized stones which people said where the gravestones of all the Pokémon who died in some big war a really long time ago. Whether it was true or not, it felt like walking through a graveyard.

"Face it, Neil, we're lost," I said. "I saw that exact same stone three times already."

Neil sighed and sat on a nearby stump. "It's getting dark. We might have to spend the night here."

"Wait, you mean actually sleep here? Uh-uh. No. I am not sleeping in this creepy place."

Patrick threw his arm over my shoulder and said in a heroic voice, "Don't worry, ma'am. I'll protect you."

"Did you just call me 'ma'am?' " I growled. Patrick quickly released me and walked over to Neil.

"So, what about the map?" Pat asked.

"I can't make sense of this stupid thing," Neil whined. "It says there's a path near here, but I don't see it."

"What about the GPS?" I offered."

"It's no good. I can't get a read."

Patrick pulled a compass out of his pocket and handed it to Neil. "Would this help?"

Neil and I stared at Patrick. Patrick responded with a really big and goofy smile.

"Maya, you go high, I go low," Neil said.

Patrick took off running. We ran after him ignoring the pain in our legs. Too bad for him, he didn't get far.

"Ow! Guys, c'mon! I'm sorry!"

"Shut up and take your beating like a man!" I shouted.

"What she said!" Neil added. "We've been wandering around for fucking hours, and you had a compass?!"

I heard a strange noise behind us while we pummeled Patrick. I spun around just in time to see a brown-furred fox-like Pokémon chasing after a half-eaten iapapa berry. The little Eevee jumped onto the berry only for it to roll between its paws and disappear into the bushes. The Eevee let out a small whine then froze when it saw us staring at it.

"Is that an Eevee?" Neil asked.

I immediately pulled out an empty Poké Ball. "Dibs."

Neil grabbed my arm. "What are you doing?"

"Catching the Eevee."

"No, you're not."

"Yeah, I am. Didn't you hear me call dibs?"

"You can't call dibs on a Pokémon!"

"I just did!"

Our argument was interrupted by the familiar pop of a Poké Ball opening. We turned to see a Poké Ball rolling on the ground where the Eevee used to be.

"Hey, Patrick, what the hell!" Neil shouted.

"You guys were so busy arguing, I figured I'd catch it before you scared it off," Pat replied. He swore when the ball burst open and the Eevee got free.

"It's your fault we're out here," I said. "There's no way we're letting you catch that Pokémon."

"But--"

A loud bark cut Patrick off. Two more Eevees ran through the bushes, both larger than the first one, but they didn't look much older. The biggest one stood in front of the other two and growled at us.

I raised my Poké Ball again. "I call dibs on the big one."

"What part of 'you can't call dibs on a Pokémon' did you not understand?" Neil said through clenched teeth.

"What part of 'I just did' did you not understand?" I shot back.

"Guys! You're gonna scare them off!" Pat said. He carefully approached the three Eevees. He pulled a rage candy bar out of his bag and peeled off the wrapper then handed it to the Pokémon. The big one didn't take its eyes off us as it stepped forward and sniffed at the candy bar. The Eevee then snatched the treat out of Patrick's hand and disappeared into the woods, the other two Eevee following it.

Neil and I fell over laughing. I laughed until my sides hurt and I couldn't breathe. Patrick frowned at us. "You guys can be real jerks sometimes," Pat said.

"Consider it payback for tricking us into wandering for several hours," Neil shot back. "Why would you even think that was going to end well?"

Pat looked at me.

"What? Don't you try to put this on me!"

"No! I meant that--" he stopped and looked up.

Neil and I looked up to see what Pat was looking at. There was nothing in the trees above us. Then I felt a rain drop on my head. I turned back to Patrick with the darkest look I could manage.

"Guys, I am really--" Patrick began.

"Just shut up," I spat. "Let's just find a way to get out of the rain."

It didn't take long before the rain started. It was a light drizzle at first, but then it turned into a heavy downpour and we were soaked in seconds.

There was nothing we could do about it. There was nowhere to take shelter from the rain, so we just continued on. We didn't say anything or look at each other.

Eventually, Neil broke the silence. "Hey, you guys hear something?"

I stopped and listened. It was hard to hear over the pounding rain, but there was a weak cry. We started walking toward the sound.

We came across a large hole in the ground. It looked like the remains of a poacher's trap. We heard the cry again and checked inside the hole. The three Eevees from before had fallen in. It looked about seven feet deep, so none of us could jump down there and climb out. The hole was filling with water, fast. They were already treading the water, trying to climb up the muddied sides.

Patrick threw his bag to the ground and started going through it. "We need to get them out of there! Do you guys have any rope?"

I threw Sunny's Poké Ball into the air, releasing my Larvesta. Sunny shivered in the rain.

"Sorry, I know you don't like being around this much water," I said. "But those Eevee down there need your help. I need you to use your String Shot to lower me down into the hole."

"Maya, is that a good idea?" Neil asked. "What if they bite you?"

"Yeah, maybe one of us should go," Patrick said.

I ignored them and started tying the silk Sunny spit out around my waist. "I'm lighter than both you. There's going to be the extra weight, and I don't know how much this can hold."

"And what if you get stuck?" Neil asked.

"I won't get stuck," I said. I then climbed down into the hole. Patrick and Neil held onto Sunny so she wouldn't slide in.

The smallest Eevee jumped into my arms the moment I reached the bottom. The largest one still looked skeptical.

"Look, I don't have time to play games with you. I'm trying to help you," I said, using the same tone my mom used on me when I was being a pain. "You can come with me or you can stay down here and drown."

The small Eevee in my arms barked to the others. The middle one was convinced, but the largest one was still being stubborn. It turned around and tried climbing the walls again, leaving muddy streaks.

I sighed and scooped the Eevee into my arms with the other two. It squirming made it very hard to hold along with the other two.

"Hurry up and pull me out!" I shouted.

Neil, Patrick, and Sunny started pulling us out of the hole. The larger Eevee wouldn't hold still. I didn't want to risk squeezing them too hard, but I couldn't drop him either.

"What is that?!" Neil cried.

I snatched my head up, but I couldn't see over the top yet.

"Pat, hold on to Maya, I'll draw it away!"

"Neil, wait! Shit!" Patrick shouted.

We started sliding back down. I tried bracing my feet against the walls, but they just slid in the mud. The Eevees whined and started to panic.

"Guys, what's going on?" I cried. I didn't get an answer. There was nothing I could do. I couldn't climb out without leaving the Eevees behind, and that wasn't happening.

I held onto them as best I could, pressing them against my chest and trying to soothe them. "Don't worry. We're going to get you all out of here," I said. The large Eevee calmed down and the other two followed his lead. I sunk my legs into the soft muddy walls and braced the Eevees on my legs to take of the weight off my arms.

Eventually, we were pulled up again. I was so glad to be able to see the rain-soaked plains again. Patrick and Sunny laid in the mud, not even caring about getting dirty. There was no sign of Neil.

I set the Eevees down and started untying myself. My arms were so sore. The three Eevees sat there and stared at us.

"Where's Neil?" I asked.

Pat groaned and rolled over. "A wild Hawlucha appeared, and Neil worried it was going to attack us, so he lead it away. Don't worry about him. He'll be fine. Are the Eevee okay?"

"Yeah, they're fine," I said. I wanted to go looking for Neil, but I didn't want to leave Patrick alone.

It didn't take long before Neil came back, but it was still raining. He was nursing a cut on his arm.

"You managed to get her out," Neil said. He motioned to the cut on his arm. "Don't worry about this. It's not as bad as it looks." The middle Eevee walked over and licked Neil's hand.

"Hey, look at that, he likes you," Pat said.

"Wait, how can you tell it's a boy?" Neil asked.

"You see, Neil, boys have what's called--" I began.

"I know the difference!" Neil hollered, his face turning as red as his hair.

"Can you guys stop arguing for five minutes?" Patrick sighed. The smallest Eevee had sat down next to him and was licking his face.

I shrugged and recalled Sunny back to her Poké Ball. As a fire type, all that rain had to be making her miserable. I noticed the Eevee staring at me curiously. I pulled out an empty Poké Ball and held it out to the Pokémon. "You learn to start trusting humans now?"

The Eevee sniffed the Poké Ball. He hit the button in the center and was pulled inside. He must not have expected to be caught because the ball shook violently when he was caught. The ball eventually stopped shaking and I heard the click as the ball locked.

The other two Eevees stared, wide-eyed. Patrick laughed and held out an empty Poké Ball to his Eevee. It sniffed at the ball just like the other one and was pulled inside. Neil offered a Poké Ball to the final Eevee. This one must had gotten the hint because it simply pressed the button in the center and didn't struggle when it was captured.

We grabbed our stuff and walked the rest of the way to Geosenge Town. It stopped raining soon as we got there, but we didn't care. We bought dry clothes from the closest store, had our Pokémon checked in, and then found a trainer hotel to stay in.

I was so glad to finally get out of my wet clothes. Hopefully I wouldn't get sick later. I let Sunny out of her Poké Ball. She was already dry, but I wanted to use her to warm up. I toweled off and changed my clothes. I toweled the Eevee, too. I checked the registration and found out it was a boy.

When I came back to Patrick and Neil. They had dried off before me and were playing with their Eevees.

"Hey, guys, what do you think the odds are we would run into three Eevees at once?" Patrick asked.

Neil and I groaned.

"What?" Pat asked.

"You do this every time," Neil said. "There isn't a secret meaning behind everything."

"Yeah, don't make it weird," I added.

Pat rolled his eyes. "Come on, guys, we found a family of Eevees. You can't say that's just a happy coincidence." He held his Eevee over his head. "You think it's fate, don't you, little Aqua?" The Eevee squealed and giggled.

"You named your Eevee, Aqua?" I asked.

"Yeah, I want to evolve her into a Vaporeon, so I figured Aqua would be the best name for her."

"Yeah, a water-type named Aqua. How original," Neil said sarcastically.

"Because a fire-type named Ember is_so_ much better," Pat shot back. "And what do you plan on naming your Eevee? We already know you plan to evolve him into a Flareon."

"Five bucks says it's something fire related," I mumbled.

Neil's ears turned pink. "Pyrus," he mumbled.

Pat handed me five dollars. I smiled in response to the nasty look Neil was giving us.

"So what are you going to name yours?" Neil asked.

I shrugged and sat down in one of the chairs. "Haven't decided yet. I still don't know what I want to evolve him into."

"What about a Leafeon?" Pat offered. "Ground and water types are your biggest problem. Having a grass type completely rounds out your team."

My Eevee rubbed against my leg. He seemed to like the idea. I scratched him behind the ears. A grass-type did sound good. I planned to add an electric-type, so a grass type would be the best fit. The problem was evolving an Eevee into a Leafeon was hard. Since he was going to be a grass type, I wanted to give him a name that was plant related.

"Not a bad idea," I said. "But I'm still not calling this fate."

"Well, you guys, can make all the fun you want. But can we at least promise to never break these little guys up?" Pat asked. "They're a family, and it would be wrong to separate them."

All our Eevees tilted their heads. I sighed and looked at Neil. Patrick was right. I was on a journey to put my family back together; I couldn't rip another one apart.

Neil rolled his eyes. "That was a low blow, Pat. But you win; We'll keep the Eevees together."

It was obvious our new team members didn't understand us, but they seemed happy about the news.

****

I finished my story. Taylor stared at me, the same way she stared at the TV when watching a romantic movie.

"That is, like, sooo adorable!" she squealed. "And don't you dare call me a girl!" she added preemptively. I was going to call her a girl, so she had good intuition.

"It is pretty cool though," Ian said. "You and your friends are connected on such a deep level. You became trainers together, you started your journey together, then you found those Eevees together. It does feel a little like fate."

"Oh, great, now you're doing it," I groaned.

"But you mentioned three Eevees," Taylor said. "Where's the third one?"

All the Pokémon--especially Arbor and Aqua--looked uncomfortable. I avoided looking at Taylor and clenched my fists in my lap.

"Hey, Maya, can I talk to you in the kitchen?" Cassandra asked quickly.

I was quick to follow her inside. I didn't feel bad leaving Taylor hanging like that. I wasn't in the mood to explain to her why Neil and I weren't speaking, why we were breaking our promise to Patrick. Not even Ian knew the whole story. Just thinking about it pissed me off.

Cassandra sat at the kitchen table next to her Sneasel, Luna. I always liked Luna. She had a scar over her right eye which was where her name came from. The scar combined with the pitch black fur made her resemble the moon in a starless sky. Luna also liked to keep to herself; a lot like Dorian except she was more approachable.

I joined them at the table. "Look, if this is about talking to Taylor about my past--"

"No, that's your problem, and you'll deal with it when you're ready to," Cassandra interrupted. "I just wanted to tell you that it would probably be best if you didn't battle in The Under tournaments anymore, and you shouldn't tell anyone about your connection to Taylor or Ian."

"I already figured that. Thanks to Sharon, every trainer in the region knows what I look like now. To be honest, I didn't enjoy it much. Those trainers never really gave me a challenge. But what are we going to do about money?"

"Oh, that. We don't need it. Actually, we have more than enough to take care of everything. I just said we needed it to get you out of the house."

I wanted to say something, but she would feed me some line about how stressed I'd been and was taking my anger out on everyone else and I would feel stupid because she was right.

So I chose to change the subject instead. "I know you were watching us like a creep. What did you think of Ian and Taylor?"

Luna said something in Pokémon speech and rolled her eyes. Cassandra laughed and patted the Sneasel on the head.

"Well, of course their movements are obvious. They're technically still amateurs," Cassandra said. "But Ian has a good eye for strategy. Once he gets over his battling anxiety, he'll become someone really skilled. Taylor is green, but she's young so you expect it. Her attack strategy is obvious and she relies too much on brute force. Her Pokémon are well-trained, though. Give her a few years to get her act together, and she might pass us."

"That's what I figured. Ian just needs to battle more, but Taylor is going to need a lot of work. I'm gonna need to start planning training schedules for those two. A jog in the woods nearly killed them."

"Speaking of Taylor, I spoke to her Absol. Turns out Bryce was secretly seeing someone named Dani who found out she was pregnant just before leaving Kalos." She sighed and there was a sad look in her eyes. "I'm sorry, but she couldn't tell me anything about what may have happened to Bryce. Last she heard, he was heading towards Azure Bay."

I nodded silently, I already figured Taylor had no reason to lie, but it was nice knowing there were no nasty surprises waiting down the line. "It's okay, Cass. I decided to let it go. He's gone and I'll just have to move on."

Cassandra smiled. Not a fake one to make me feel better, but a genuine smile. Lucien came in and said something to Cassandra.

"They're here already? Lucien says the delivery truck is here."

I got up and followed Cassandra outside. I didn't need to go with her, but it was better than sitting around in the kitchen. Even without including the wild Pokémon, we had close to twenty mouths to feed, so we had food and other supplies delivered. The owner of the store we ordered from was someone Cassandra knew. She saved his life some years back, so he sold us stuff for almost nothing.

We helped the delivery guys take the stuff into the basement. We didn't need to, but I liked to keep busy. My mind wandered unless I was focused on something. Mostly it was about Taylor and how much I should tell her about my past.

It had been on my mind for a while now. There was no point in hiding it; she was going to hear things, but that didn't make it any easier. She was always asking questions about me and Bryce and made a big deal out of everything I did. I dreaded the look on her face when she found out the person she idolized so much was a total bitch.

Carrying large bags of Pokémon chow helped take my mind off things. One of the guys helping to unload the truck kept staring at me. It didn't help the guy was way older than me. It started creeping me out. Thankfully, Dorian stayed by my side.

Unloading the truck took almost no time thanks to everyone helping out. The creepy staring guy approached me.

"Um, excuse me, Ms. Martin," the man said. He stared at his feet. "If it's all right, could I have your autograph?" He held out a pen and a book for me to sign.

I fought the urge to roll my eyes at the grown man acting like a teenage groupie and took the book and pen. I had never signed an autograph before and really didn't want this guy to be my first, but since he did just deliver a truckload of Pokémon food, I didn't want to upset him. I scribbled my name on it and went to hand it back to him and froze when I saw the book's title.

Rules of a Trainer: A Handbook to Being a Better Pokémon Trainer. It had the same title as the journal my friends and I kept as kids, but more shocking was our names listed as the authors. "Where did you get this book?"

"It just came out yesterday," the man said. "I was so shocked when I found out. I had no idea you were writing a book. And it is so helpful! The tips and examples in this guide are beyond amazing. It almost makes me want to get a Pokémon of my own and become a trainer."

I handed the book back to the guy. It felt like my body was on autopilot. This can't be happening. That journal was private. Did my mother really go behind my back and publish that book?

"Hey, Maya, you okay?" Cassandra asked. "Lucien said you're upset about something."

I spun around and stormed off toward the house. "My mother and I need to have a talk." I went straight upstairs to my room, snatched my holo caster off the nightstand, and called my mother.

"Hey, Maya, I was just about to--"

"You published my journal?!"

"You found out, huh?"

"When were you planning on telling me?"

My mother sighed heavily. "Honestly, I was supposed to tell you about it sooner, but I knew you would get upset."

"Of course I'm upset! You know what that book means to me! And after you gave me all that shit about Pokémon training being dangerous!"

"Maya, I understand you're angry," my mom said her voice balancing dangerously close to anger as well. "But I won't sit here while you scream at me. Now are you willing to have a calm conversation like an adult?"

I took several deep breaths to calm my nerves. "Yes, mother, we can talk like adults. Would you be so kind as to explain to me why you're such a fucking hypocrite?"

My mother inhaled sharply. It felt good getting under her skin like that. "You're right. I shouldn't have gone behind your back like that after I made such a big deal about you being a trainer." Her voice was calm, almost apologetic. "It's just I didn't want another parent going through the same pain I did. I'm hoping this book will teach trainers to be careful, smarter."

I sat on the bed and hung my head. I'm such an asshole. "I get it, Mom. But why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't think you'd go along with it. And I...I have to do something. You remember that incident at the Pokémon League two weeks ago? A trainer was killed. It happens more often than you think. I'm hoping this book will save at least one life, and spare a family the pain we're going through."

You still don't get it, do you, Mom? When my friends and I started this journal, we were kids who had no idea how the world worked.

"I know I should've gotten your permission," Mom said. "But I've arranged for your share of the royalties to go to you and the sanctuary."

Money wasn't going to make me feel better. She knew that, but I could tell in her voice she didn't know what else to say. Just like the mornings after Bryce disappeared when she would tell me everything was fine, but I could tell she had been crying.

"Look, Mom, I'm sure you're pretty busy, so I'm gonna get out of your way," I said. "I'll call you again soon, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Just stay safe, okay?"

I shut off the holo caster and put my face in my hands. First Sharon and now this. My whole life is a damn mess and I just got shoved into a spotlight. I never wanted to be famous. I never wanted to be anyone's hero. It was a responsibility I didn't need on top of everything else.

It was easier being a nobody. Nobodies didn't need to deal with drama, didn't need to fear drawing the wrong kind of attention, didn't need to walk on eggshells with every little thing they did. Nobodies were forgotten, ignored. Free to live the life they wanted, how they wanted.

But I couldn't go back to being nobody. I gave that up the day I became Champion. I gave it up the day I decided to become a Pokémon trainer. Even if I retired, gave up Pokémon training, and spent the rest of my life living at Beacon with Cassandra, I would never be a nobody again.

I snatched my head up when I sensed somebody standing in the doorway. I was surprised to see Taylor standing there.

"I just wanted to see if you were okay," Taylor said. "We could hear you yelling from outside."

"Don't worry about it." I stood up and stretched, my joints popping in relief. I had no idea I was sitting there that long. "I'm assuming you heard everything?"

"Well...yeah. I can't believe you have a book. I'm so buying a copy."

"I'll do you one better." I opened the drawer to the nightstand and pulled out the beat-up journal. I crossed the room and handed it to Taylor. "Here. A first-edition. It's a little beat up, but it should still be readable."

Taylor slowly reached out and took the book as if it were made out of glass. "You're really giving this to me?"

"Bryce helped work on that book, so in a way, it's partly yours."

Taylor wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into a tight hug. "Thank you sooo much! I promise, I won't let anything happen to this! I'll learn, like, everything I can and become a trainer you, my mom, and my dad will be proud of!" She ran downstairs, holding the book against her chest.

I sighed and looked at Dorian who was giving me a look saying, "Did you really have to do that?"

"What? It made her day. It wouldn't kill you to do something nice for someone. Come on. Let's see what the others are up to."

I headed downstairs and into the backyard. Ian was still where I left him, though Cassandra was with him. They were huddled around Ian's laptop with all of our Pokémon. I knew immediately from the look on Ian's face that something was wrong.

"Okay, let's hear it," I said. "What disaster is coming our way this time?"

Ian stiffened. Cassandra sighed and said, "Show her, she's gonna find out eventually."

Ian spun the laptop around. The screen showed some video of a guy I assumed was a trainer.

"Hellooo, Maya Martin! Look at you strutting around, acting like a bigshot. But I know you. You've been messing around in The Under tournaments. That's my domain. You took down that has-been Sharon Harris, and now you think you're gonna come for my crown next. Well guess what, little girl, I don't go down easy. I'm gonna wipe the floor with your Pokémon and make you regret the day you ever decided to mess with me!"

I shrugged and paused the video. "I don't care about that. I fell for that once with Sharon, I'm not falling for it again. I don't even know who that assbag is. Besides, the only reason I bothered with The Under was to make money."

"That's not everything," Cassandra said slowly. She played the rest of the video.

"I hope you're ready little Maya for a dose of reality! Because now you're in the big leagues. Your brother was smart to get out of Pokémon training when he had the chance. You should've followed in his footsteps and quietly disappeared and saved yourself the shame of getting your ass kicked in front of everyone!"

"Turn it off," I growled. If it wasn't Ian's laptop, I would've thrown it against a wall.

Ian quickly turned off the video. "Sorry, Maya. I didn't want to show you."

"No, Cassandra's right. I would've heard about it at some point. Anyway, I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that. He's just trying to rile me up and I'm not falling for it again."

"You said the same thing about Sharon," Cassandra pointed out. Several Pokémon nodded in agreement.

"Well, unlike with Sharon, I mean it this time. No more schoolyard bullshit. That guy's not gonna be the first one to talk shit so I need to get used to it."

"Good. We already found three other videos of people challenging you to battle," Cassandra said.

"I'm gonna go ahead and get lunch started," I said. I meant what I said. I was going to be different. Set an example for the trainers who looked up to me. Besides, The Under rankings didn't mean anything in the League. I wasn't going to waste time on something that didn't matter in the end.

"Lucien says there's someone at the door. You mind answering it?" Cassandra called behind me.

I went to the front door. There was a knock the moment I reached for the knob.

The man on the other side of the door wore street clothes, but he just looked out of place wearing them. His clothes were worn, but clean, not a wrinkle in sight. And he carried himself like someone who owned the world and everything in it. His short, red hair was brushed and his goatee trimmed. He had wrinkles at the corners of his mouth and eyes that made him look friendly, but his eyes were cold and calculating.

Standing next to him was a Gardevoir, but this one was different. Instead of a green crest and arms, this one was blue. He had the same calculating look in his red eyes as his trainer. There was no noticeable difference between the males and females, but I got the feeling this was a male Gardevoir although he had the same slender body that resembled an evening gown.

I suddenly felt like a child forced to face their greatest fears. I had never seen his face, but I knew the man. He was the same guy from The Under. The one who was saying that weird stuff about me having forbidden power. He's been following me, watching me. And now he's here, where I live. A lump formed in my throat and nothing was forcing it down.

Dorian jumped between us, snarling, his black fur standing on end. This intense heat radiated from him that felt like standing in front of an oven. The man's Gardevoir tensed as he looked at Dorian.

"You again," I said. I was trying to sound brave, but I felt weak in the knees.

The man didn't seem at all bothered. "Could you perhaps send him away? I would rather not cause a scene. I'd hate for something to happen to this place."

"Aunt Maya is everything okay?" Taylor asked.

"Taylor get back, now!" I cried, my voice full of panic.

Taylor froze, holding the ratty old journal close to her chest as if that's what he wanted. Abby jumped in front of her trainer, growling. She looked as dark and threatening as Dorian.

"Ladies, please, calm yourselves," the man said calmly. "I have no intention of battling. I only came to deliver a message."

"And what message would that be?" Cassandra said. She appeared by Taylor's side. Lucien and Luna stood on either side of her. Her Delphox, Delphine grabbed Taylor and pulled her out of sight. Ian, Lulu, and Flux appeared behind the guy. The guy and his Gardevoir remained calm.

I should've felt safe knowing Cassandra and Ian had my back, but my body wouldn't stop shaking. I would rather face that Tyranitar again than deal with this guy. Dealing with this guy wasn't going to be as simple as a Pokémon battle.

I should've taken this guy seriously the day I first met him.

"Forgive me, Ms. Knowling, but this message is meant for Ms. Martin. I would ask for some privacy, but it would not hurt for you to receive it as well."

"So spit it out and get the hell off my doorstep," I said.

"First, congratulations on your book release. I hear it's already on the track to becoming a bestseller. And your victory over Sharon Harris. I will admit I feared you would were going to do something foolish, but I'm glad to see you have some control over your new power. Any other trainer would've been consumed by it. Even she would proud of what you've accomplished."

" 'She?' " I asked.

"The trainer I mentioned before who also traveled with a Houndoom. That Houndoom to be precise." He pointed at Dorian who took a step forward. I put out my arm and stopped him. This guy hadn't done anything wrong. If I attacked him just because he showed up on my doorstep, I would be the bad guy.

The man continued as if his life wasn't being threatened. "Although, 'trainer' may be a bit of an exaggeration. The semantics aren't important. What is important is you remember your power has grown and it is more important than ever to keep your forbidden power hidden. The world is not ready for it. The less they know of it, the better."

"Maya, what is he talking about?" Cassandra asked.

The lump in my throat made talking impossible. The best I could manage was holding my mouth open like a clueless Magikarp. I really have no idea what this guy is talking about! I don't have any forbidden power you nutcase!

The Gardevoir touched his trainer's shoulder. The man nodded to his Pokémon then turned back to us. "I must apologize. The worst-case scenario is upon us and I no longer have the luxury of being nice. My boss wants results, and I must obey.

"Therefore, Ms. Martin, my message is this: You have exactly six months to obtain the rank of Grand Duchess at the top of the Battle Chateau. Prove to me that you can push yourself higher without succumbing to the enthrall of supremacy."

"Why should we do anything you say?" Cassandra asked.

A menacing grin spread across the man's face. "Because if she fails, I'll kill her family."

Something in me just...popped. I felt hot all over. All the fear, the paralysis from before just vanished. All I heard was the blood pounding in my ears and my own voice thundering through the hall, "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH MY FAMILY!"

Dorian roared and rushed the man. His Gardevoir grabbed his shoulder and they vanished in a flash of light just as Dorian leapt into the air. Dorian attack missed and he landed neatly on all fours. We looked around, but there was no sign of the man or his Pokémon.

The man chuckled, his voice echoing all around. "There's the fiery passion. The girl who can stare into the abyss and not fear the darkness. Remember that feeling, Ms. Martin. Embrace it. That great blaze will shelter you in the coming storm."

A heavy silence fell over us. I spun and punched the wall. I put a nice-sized dent in the wall and my knuckles hurt, but I didn't care. I wanted to vomit. I screamed as loud as I could to chase the fear, the guilt, away. Who is this guy? What did I do? What does he want from me?

"Who was that guy?" Cassandra asked. "What forbidden power was he talking about? How does he know you?"

"I'll tell you later," I mumbled. I needed to get my head straight. I had no idea what this guy wanted from me or what his game was, but I had no choice but to play. That man's eyes. He was serious when he said he would kill my family, and I knew I wouldn't be able to stop him.