The elevator was called given the temporary keycard. Lilith rode up to her floor as all the memories of the space returned. A short walk and she was at the door, wondering idly if Bianca would be there to greet her. It was also the place she had met Absol, leading to many emotions swirling around her.
She longed for those times, sometimes wondering why she was alone. Her ideology over the past few days had shifted wildly, not even considering such thoughts before. The one thing that stayed true however, was her passion for battle. With Absol given the all clear and Sableye starting to mesh, the team was starting to look like one.
The door swung inwards, yet nothing happened. No loud greeting followed by a charge into a hug. The living room was as cramped as she remembered, but felt a little less warm. No traces of anyone could be seen, a small feeling of sorrow settling into the air.
“Hahh.” Lilith let out a sigh.
Sableye jumped out of her shadow and jumped around with curiosity. It was the one character trait all Pokemon that she had met seemed to have in common. They had a childish innocence that only ever came out when they were calm.
She shook her head of the sad thoughts, moving towards the kitchen.
“Come on!” She complained, reacquainting herself with the space fully.
No matter how much she searched, no food could be found. She had been hoping to have a nice home cooked meal and revel in the nostalgia, but instead would have to choke down her field rations.
“How people eat this is beyond me.” She exclaimed, knowing full well she too was a participant.
Everything had to be checked, even opening the freezer to check and see if anything escaped her first inspection. When nothing jumped out at her, she became disappointed.
“At least I can use a plate and fork…” She mumbled.
She shifted her focus to the upper cabinets, being the place plates and cups were held. The big blue rimmed saucers were in the exact same place she remembered, plucking the top one off the shelf.
“Aww come on!” She complained once more.
When opening the cupboard directly to the right, many things were missing. Tall glasses appeared to be relatively untouched while mugs lay scattered about. It was clear almost immediately that some were missing.
“Hmm” She let out a grunt, looking for her go-to chalice.
Using her leverage, her body swung up onto the counter, getting a better look at the space She shifted around the other objets until she was satisfied it was gone.
‘Darn, I really should have taken that when I had the chance.’ She thought, not wanting to steal initially.
Her favorite mug was missing.
The dining experience had been ruined. Not being able to find anything was disheartening. With the drop in morale, she left the kitchen while Sableye jumped in to inspect the room.
They traded places with her heading down the hallway. A nagging feeling ate at her while turning the door knob before her. The feeling was familiar, sliding right into place. She pushed forward, ready for the worst.
“Damn it! Who stole my pillow!” She shouted.
Everything in the room was practically untouched. It was exactly the way she had left it, minus one soft and squishy object. The other objects held a sense of familiarity, being able to notice the change almost instantly. Even the large wooden box she once used to store Absol’s baby supplies was still there. Lilith frowned as she searched the rest of the room for anything else taken.
The more she searched, the less she could find out of place. The amount of things she had left behind was minimal, even considering her rushed exit. The remaining stuff were wardrobes and bedding, leaving nothing particularly desirable.
With nothing else out of place, she stopped her search. Her next stop immediately after was across the hall. She had never been in Bianca’s old room, finding it completely empty, not even having a bed. The entire room looked to be gutted, leaving many unanswered questions.
“Did Bianca ever live here?” She wondered
Light started to peek through the windows, signaling that morning was rising. She needed some sleep. Absol was let out of her balls and jumped around excitedly, recognizing their surroundings. Sableye joined the duo in her room, settling down for the day.
Absol took over the end of her bed, while Sableye took up a position underneath. He had been relatively low maintenance considering his species' known eating habits. She read online that their favorite food to eat were gemstones. Their main diet consisted of hard rocks, and that’s what she would stick with for the time being, unable to even consider such a pricey alternative.
The absurdity of her situation rolled around her mind as she tried to get back to sleep.
***
Lilith woke up well into the evening.
The sun had yet to set, but she still needed to go and schedule her Gym challenge. It wasn’t open 24 hours, so she would have to work with their schedule and when they were available. The sooner she got there the better.
“Ahh, my neck.” She sighed.
The city had woken up and was already settling down to sleep during her hibernation. She walked out the front door, waving goodbye to Phil before the familiar streets greeted her.
Loud city noises assaulted her, the main offender being cars. The occasional person walked by but most drove the small streets. Absol stood by her, watching her surroundings while Sableye decided to stay in his Pokeballs for the duration of the trip.
Lilith walked around as she retraced her steps, having walked the path many times before. Her mind wandered while her body took control, knowing the direction by heart. The school was located right next to the Gym, so she could have found it with her eyes closed.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
The ugly orange exterior was one she would have liked to forget, but what caught her eye more was a particular Trainer. Many walked in and out of the Gym, but one stood out due to the Pokemon who walked by his side.
A large bear towered over everyone else, standing just under three meters tall, only barely fit through the front door. The pure white polar bear had to crouch down just to clear the ceiling. The air chilled everywhere he walked as ice had formed over his face and mouth, functioning like facial hair.
Beartic walked with his Trainer up to the reception area as Lilith followed behind. It was her first time seeing the creature, which would have looked adorable if not for its intimidating size. She knew he was strong, but couldn’t quite feel his star level, being weaker than Bisharp but stronger than anything else she knew. That didn’t stop the sudden urge to reach out and touch the Pokemon’s soft fur. Her level head won out in the end, waiting patiently for her turn.
Lilith inched closer to the Trainer in front of her.
“Card please.” A male voice asked.
He rummaged around before handing his card to the receptionist. People seemed to love ironic fashion, as he wore a loose shirt that looked like it weighed nothing paired with what looked to be swim shorts. It was a stark contrast to the Pokemon that stood next to him. He wore sandals and looked dressed for the beach while the air conditioning was on.
“5th Gym challenge, public or private?” The receptionist processed the customer.
“Private please.” the Trainer replied, his husky voice catching her off guard.
He looked strong and burly, but had a high pitched voice. They continued their conversation until he was all processed. She looked away as he left the line, not wanting to catch attention.
It was her turn.
She walked up to the receptionist and gave him a smile. Without having to be asked, she handed him the card. The procedure seemed self explanatory, the man gave her a slight smile before pulling up her information.
“Thank you. A rematch of the first challenge I see. That means your opponents will be changed but the levels will stay the same. If you lose this second match then you are liable to a fine, are you sure you want to proceed?”
This was the first Lilith ever heard of an exchange of money for losing a battle. But the more she thought about it, the more it made sense. They took time out of each day to evaluate young Trainer, and if they just rechallenged hoping for an easy matchup then it was counterproductive to the original goal.
To produce strong Pokemon Trainers.
The rest was considered common knowledge, having the teams shift each battle.
“Yes. I accept.” Lilith said.
“Wonderful, these are our open times.”
He turned one of the screens towards her. She scanned the schedule that was split up by day and time, looking for the most convenient.
‘Yes!’ She cheered internally.
The best case scenario had come true.
“I’ll take the open slot for 6 this evening please.” She said with a smile.
“Alright, there you go.” He said after tapping a few buttons.
The receptionist swiped her card, locking in her challenge.
It was handed back to her before getting out of line to start the wait. It wouldn’t be long considering the battle was only in a couple of hours. She was worried that it would take multiple days before she could be fit in. They would have to loaf around, unable to train like they really meant it.
Sableye would be able to make some gains, but Absol had all but stagnated after the crushing victory over Magnemite. She was so close to the second tier that any battle strong enough to challenge her would be the nudge over the edge.
The waiting hall was lively, Pokemon of all shapes and sizes running around. The hustle and bustle was infectious, yet Lilith took a different approach. She set a timer and leaned back in her chair, hoping to catch some extra sleep before the challenge.
“Beep, Beep, Beep!”
Time dragged on until the alarm roused her from contemplation. Sleep never found its way, attaining a meditative posture
‘It’s finally time!’ She thought excitedly.
The energy filling the room hadn’t changed when she made her way to check in. A security guard stood before one of the wings that lead deeper inside. This post looked much more alive than the one she had slipped through, having Gym battles all in one section of safety reasons.
Before she could get too close, one of the guards stepped forward and stopped her before she could enter.
“Gym challengers only.” She scowled, looking down at Lilith.
Her composure held, only to not get kicked out immediately. If she didn’t have the Gym riding on her good behavior, she would have given the woman a piece of her mind.
“That’s me!” She pointed to herself.
The woman looked unimpressed, while the other guard rolled his eyes, seemingly used to such encounters.
“Then swipe.” Her musculature became much more pronounced, pointing towards the side kiosk.
Lilith followed instructions and pulled her plastic rectangle through the small slit. The machine loaded before giving off a ding, a large number appearing on a green background.
“Room 5. Down on the left.” The male guard said as she passed.
It appeared she would be starting early.
‘Wonder why the procedure changed?’ She thought back to her last challenge.
The initial battle had been herded into a different wing with much less security. The Trainers Identities were much easier to confirm, having them in the school right next door.
Lilith brushed off the thought, getting into battle mode.
The halls looked familiar, being similar to the other wings. She kept to the left, following the odd numbers as they counted down until she stood before the dreaded door. The last time she was in one of them, she had lost. It wasn’t her fault, but it still stung.
Lilith pulled together her courage and pushed the door wide. Flashes of their last defeat replayed in her mind, fists clenching in nervousness. All arena’s she had been to had the same layout, being familiar with the surroundings once more.
A Judge stood waiting in the center, the only anomaly. Once eye contact was made, both walked towards each other.
“Are you Lilith?” He asked while looking down at his pad, reading her information.
“Yes.” She replied.
“Wonderful, I have it here that this is a repeat, so we can skip over the rules, yes?” He eyed her, waiting for permission.
Lilith nodded and he continued.
“Wonderful, press here for your matchup” He held out the smart pad.
Lilith pressed the button as a circle with all the different combinations spun round and round. She watched with anticipation, wondering what shoe would have to face off against.
The needle spun in a hypnotic circle, slowing after a few seconds before coming to a complete stop. Two Pokemon had been decided.
Even if it didn’t matter, Lilith couldn’t keep her eyes off the screen. A breath she didn’t even know she was holding escaped once it had been decided.
“Lillipup and Herdier.” The judge read off. “One moment while I request a Helper.”
The minutes went by as the Helper made their way to the arena.
‘Guess I’m getting a shot at revenge.’ She chuckled.
Lilith half expected Sandy to appear once more, but was disappointed when a man showed up in her place. He was tall and bespectacled, reminding her of Cheren in a way. His hair was short but his demeanor was nothing like the confident Gym Leader.
“Set!” The Judge called once everyone was in position.
Her hand shook slightly, but she was ready for her revenge.