Capítulo 11: Kara Auralis

El eco de mis pasos reverberaba en el corredor rocoso mientras perseguía al herido Zubat, preguntándome qué clase de locura me impulsaba a seguir a un Pokémon que claramente estaba en serios problemas. Mi corazón latía con fuerza en mis sienes y cada respiración se convertía en un jadeo. El aire en la cueva era pesado, cargado con un ligero olor a humedad y tierra antigua. Las linternas y los focos instalados en la Academia iluminaban débilmente las paredes, proyectando sombras irregulares que se balanceaban como si estuvieran vivas.

El pasillo se abrió en una cavidad más amplia y mis pulmones ya pedían a gritos un respiro. Sin embargo, no tuve tiempo de recuperar el aliento cuando vi una escena de caos absoluto en la penumbra. Un gigantesco Rhydon, con su amenazante cuerno y piel rocosa, estaba dando cabezazos y cargando indiscriminadamente. A su alrededor, varios Rhyhorn se sumaban a la confusión, derribando a entrenadores y Pokémon por igual. La conmoción era tan abrumadora que era difícil concentrarse: cuerpos retorciéndose en el suelo, gritos fragmentados, el estruendo de rocas que explotaban y un temblor terrible que sacudía la caverna cada vez que el Rhydon desataba su furia.

Algunos entrenadores habían formado pequeños grupos para atacar de forma coordinada, pero los contraataques del Rhyhorn eran brutales. Vi a un Magnemite disparando Thunder Shock y a un Poliwag intentando Water Gun, todo en vano. La resistencia de estos Pokémon de tipo Roca/Tierra era evidente con cada impacto prácticamente ineficaz. Peor aún, el Rhydon parecía desproporcionadamente fuerte, pero había algo peculiar en su mirada: cuando se acercaba a alguien como para asestarle un golpe final, dudaba un momento, visiblemente receloso de causar un daño real. Un escalofrío me recorrió el cuerpo al pensar que podría percibir que matar a alguien haría que la Federación de la Liga Pokémon lo eliminara sin piedad.

Antes de que pudiera acercarme, vi a un chico caer de rodillas, con el brazo fracturado o dislocado por el golpe de un Rhyhorn. El Pokémon se preparó para acabar con él con un placaje, y el chico soltó un grito desesperado. Me quedé paralizado, al darme cuenta de que no llegaría a tiempo para empujarlo o enviar a Dozy a protegerlo. Pero justo en ese momento, un destello verdoso surgió de la nada, formando una barrera hemisférica que bloqueó al Rhyhorn. Detrás del escudo fugaz apareció un Xatu, su plumaje brillando con un aura psíquica. Sin dudarlo, el ave soltó un agudo grito, y en un abrir y cerrar de ojos, tanto el estudiante herido como su Pokémon desaparecieron, teletransportados lejos del peligro. Suspiré aliviado, aunque mis piernas temblaban por el horror que acababa de presenciar.

No tuve mucho tiempo para pensar en la escena. Un Rhyhorn cercano me notó, tal vez porque me movía torpemente y era un blanco fácil. Sin dudarlo, cargó contra mí a toda velocidad, sus pisadas atronadoras, levantando polvo y fragmentos de roca. Un pánico helado se apoderó de mí y busqué la Poké Ball de Dozy. Pero mis reflejos no fueron lo suficientemente rápidos; el Rhyhorn me golpeó con una fuerza inmensa, arrojándome a un lado.

El impacto me obligó a soltar un gruñido y mi Pokébola salió despedida de mi mano, rodando hasta perderse de vista. Me ardía el costado y me dolía la cabeza por el golpe. Con la vista borrosa y el estómago revuelto, me obligué a incorporarme, al menos parcialmente. El Rhyhorn ya se estaba preparando para otro placaje y me di cuenta de que si no hacía algo de inmediato, me aplastaría. Traté de alejarme, pero me fallaron las piernas. Un escalofrío me recorrió la columna: estaba a merced de esa roca viviente.

Instinctively, I threw the upper part of my body to the side, attempting to at least dodge a direct hit. I felt the sharp air from its horn graze dangerously close to my abdomen, and in desperation, I reached out to push away. My crystallized nail scraped the Rhyhorn’s armor. It was a brief touch, a mere superficial scratch, but I felt a sharp vibration in my finger, as if a channel of energy had suddenly surged through it.

The Rhyhorn stopped mid-charge. I watched in disbelief as a purplish blot spread from where my nail had touched. The Pokémon shook its head, trying to resume its charge, but something seemed to impede its movement. Its limbs slowed, and a tremor ran through its rocky back. My mouth fell open: it was my venom, unintentionally injected with that scratch, weakening it.

With a groan of effort, I moved out of the way. The Rhyhorn kept trying to attack me but moved sluggishly, as if each step weighed three times as much. One of its tackles grazed my leg, painful even in its weakened state, but I managed to stay on my feet. A metallic taste of fear filled my mouth; if not for the venom, that Pokémon would have crushed me in seconds. Now, however, its strength was fading rapidly. After one last attempt to charge, it collapsed sideways, panting, foam spilling from its mouth as tremors shook its body. I stared at it, torn between guilt and relief, remembering how lethal the toxicity I wielded could be if not controlled.

As I caught my breath, I scanned the surroundings. Other trainers were still in trouble, many trying in vain to subdue the Rhydon. I saw attacks flying: bubbles, sparks, physical strikes. Yet the colossal Pokémon, despite taking damage, refrained from killing or causing serious injuries, holding back in a strange way. With every charge, its eyes betrayed absolute terror, as if it knew that taking a human life would mean its own execution. The thought was chilling—the certainty that the League Federation would not hesitate to destroy a Pokémon turned killer.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed peculiar shadows sliding along the cavern walls. Sinuous, small shapes distinct from those cast by the lights. They reminded me of the strange shadow my grandmother’s Gengar cast, so I guessed they were weaker Ghost Pokémon.

Suddenly, I caught a flash: the same Zubat I had been chasing darted through the chaos, flapping unevenly past the Rhydon. For a moment, it seemed to consider attacking the rocky beast, but perhaps survival instinct prevailed, and it continued flying at full speed toward what appeared to be a side exit or secondary tunnel. I cursed myself for getting distracted in an unplanned battle. I had to follow it. But before I could move, something enormous and fast stormed into the cavern.

I saw a silhouette—or rather, a blurred figure—rushing at ridiculous speed. The Rhydon turned to face the new threat, and the ensuing collision was deafening. The blurred figure’s charge was so forceful that the Rhydon stumbled backward, trampling the remaining Rhyhorn. Dust and fragments of rock fell from the ceiling with the impact.

Almost immediately, alongside the blur, a Machop and a Mankey emerged, launching themselves at the remaining Rhyhorn. The strength of these two small fighters was remarkable. They coordinated to execute Karate Chop, Low Kick, and Fury Swipes alternately, destabilizing the rock Pokémon in seconds. The combination of Machop’s solid punches and Mankey’s aggression was devastating.

The Rhydon, stunned, turned to face the figure that had struck it. The dust cloud cleared slightly, and I saw a dark-skinned girl—noticeably muscular and dressed in a sports top and leggings with wavy sky-blue stripes resembling waves. Her shoulder-length dark blue hair bounced as she moved.

She let out an almost amused snort and assumed a karate stance, fists raised in guard. A blue aura crackled faintly around her body, like a robe of energy. Each of her breaths made the aura sway in a mesmerizing rhythm. In a commanding voice, she addressed the Rhydon:

“Are you the one who’s going to entertain me? Wonderful!”

Without hesitation, she launched a series of punches and kicks at the Rhydon, which, out of sheer surprise, paused its assault for a second. The girl moved with the agility of a Fighting-type Pokémon, and each strike echoed with a “crack” that left the onlookers stunned. She seemed to laugh as she attacked, genuinely enjoying the fight. I could swear there was a hint of childlike joy in her eyes, despite her fierce demeanor.

At that moment, the Zubat, perhaps driven by its trained survival instinct, decided the greatest threat in the room was the girl with the blue aura. It released a piercing screech, an acute sound that ricocheted off the walls and hit our eardrums like needles. Everyone flinched, including the girl and the Rhydon. The echo of that screech left us dazed long enough for the Rhydon to halt its attack, and the girl frowned, her legs slightly unsteady.

“I’ll take care of the Zubat!” I shouted, my voice trembling, taking advantage of the mutual distraction between the girl and the Rhydon. I rushed to retrieve Dozy’s Poké Ball, which had rolled away after the Rhyhorn’s charge. I managed to find it among some cracks and held it tightly.

Even with my head buzzing from the screech, I pressed the button. A reddish flash formed Dozy, my Alolan Grimer, whose gelatinous body gurgled softly, as if groggy and confused. It looked at me as if asking what was going on, but I nodded firmly.

“Dozy, we need to catch that Zubat. I trust you!”

Dozy tilted its head, a bubbly sound escaping its mouth in acknowledgment. Immediately, its body began to glow with golden specks, a clear sign of the move Swift, a technique of sharp stars that unerringly track their target. The Zubat, still flying erratically around the cavern and letting out occasional screeches, saw the stars heading its way. Its instinct kicked in, and it performed a quick feint, dodging some of the stars. Several struck the rocks, leaving splinters on the walls, but a couple managed to graze its wings, making it shriek in anger.

The Rhydon, meanwhile, was shaking off the effects of the screech, and the girl was thrown several meters by the Pokémon’s tail. She crashed into some debris, though an aura of light blue energy cushioned part of the blow. Even so, a loud thud echoed as rocks scattered, and she coughed through the dust.

“Hey!” she exclaimed with a mix of fury and amusement. “Brutal!”

I watched as she stood up, a trace of sweat and dust on her face and a bit of blood on her lip, though it didn’t seem to affect her determination. The Rhydon, now fully aware, roared with a mix of rage and fear. She approached me, her eyes gleaming, and extended her hand to help me up, though I was already on my feet. Seeing the confusion on my face, she spoke with a sense of urgency:

“How did you poison that Rhyhorn over there? Do you have anything that can hurt this big guy?”

I recalled the small crystal spike I had formed earlier in the toxic gas-filled cave. It had worked on the Rhyhorn, though it was barely the size of a thumb and dangerous for anyone to handle. I held it carefully, avoiding pricking myself, and showed it to her with a mix of nervousness and hope.

“Here, try to stab him with this if you can. Be careful, don’t let it pierce your skin—it’s poisonous!”

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She took it between two fingers, raising an eyebrow incredulously. The spike looked tiny compared to her firm, calloused hand from martial training. She gave me a slightly amused smirk.

“Don’t you have anything bigger?”

“No…” I murmured, feeling a bit offended. “It’s all I could condense from my venom. Please, don’t prick yourself—it’s quite potent.”

The girl nodded with a daring smile, as if fear were a foreign concept to her.

“Alright. I’ll try to stick it in when I get close. But first, I need to distract him.”

Behind us, a loud crash resounded. The Zubat had unleashed another screech, though not as intense this time. Dozy fired Swift again, and the bat dodged with acrobatic maneuvers. I couldn’t lose sight of it—my goal was to catch it or at least neutralize it before it escaped. The girl, meanwhile, licked her lips and turned to the Rhydon with a fierce gleam in her eyes.

“I’m Kara Auralis. You?”

“Aspen… Aspen Meloc,” I stammered, my voice trembling with fear and adrenaline.

“Alright, Aspen. I’ll handle the Rhydon. You go after that Zubat and do what you need to do. Then we’ll deal with those rocks blocking the exit,” she added, pointing to a partial cave-in at the back wall, likely caused by the ongoing battle.

“Got it,” I agreed. “But… be careful. If that spike pricks you, it could…” I didn’t finish the sentence. The Rhydon roared, and Kara Auralis charged it with an almost gleeful laugh, taking up her guard again.

At that moment, the Rhydon fully recovered from the screech’s effects. Seeing Kara so confident, it grew even angrier. The atmosphere grew tense, broken only by the groans of weakened Rhyhorn and trainers writhing in pain. Kara struck first, sprinting at full speed with an intense blue aura surrounding her fists and feet. The Rhydon reacted with a violent Headbutt, resulting in a brutal impact that shook the cavern, but Kara managed to block part of the blow with her left forearm, her mysterious energy propelling her. A muffled thunder resonated, and for a moment, both combatants remained locked in place.

Taking advantage of the distraction, Dozy and I focused on the Zubat. I couldn’t let it escape—I’d trained too hard to master Swift and endured too much during this race to return empty-handed. The bat moved erratically, trying to evade Dozy’s golden stars. It even seemed to know a soundwave attack that disrupted accuracy, but I, with a clearer mind, gave Dozy precise commands:

“Don’t stop firing Swift, Dozy. Try a Bite when it gets close!”

Grimer gurgled in agreement. Another flurry of stars shot out, tracing bright arcs toward the Zubat. The bat performed incredible aerial maneuvers, slicing through the air with its wings, but finally, one of the projectiles hit its tail, eliciting a screech of pain. It was forced to descend, losing altitude and coming within my reach.

“Now, Dozy!” I shouted.

Grimer propelled itself with surprising speed, opening its mouth for a Bite. The Zubat responded with a whip-like sonic wave, forcing Dozy to retreat with a hiss. Even so, the bat was no longer in peak condition—it had been injured for days and faced multiple battles. Its flight grew more labored, giving me hope that I could pin it down.

To my left, I heard a loud crash. Kara, still grappling with the Rhydon, kept taking hits that pushed her back, but she always countered with a kick or punch cloaked in her sky-blue aura, breaking parts of the Rhydon’s armor. Suddenly, our eyes met; the girl wore a wild grin, clutching the venomous spike I’d given her. She seemed to be waiting for the perfect moment to stab it into the Rhydon.

Meanwhile, the Zubat, radiating hatred and perhaps a hint of desperation, let out another screech to see if it could stun us. I had to cover my ears, as did many trainers lying on the ground. Rocks fell from the ceiling. Fortunately, Dozy clung to its resolve and fired another Swift, striking the Zubat mid-flight. The impact sent it tumbling through the air, and I reflexively pulled out an empty Poké Ball from my backpack.

With nervous fingers, I adjusted the Poké Ball in my hand and threw it with as much accuracy as I could. I watched the sphere arc toward the bat, which was still struggling from its previous wounds. My heart pounded, knowing that if I caught it, I’d gain a valuable ally—or at least, that’s how I saw it.

Then, something completely unexpected happened: two students dressed as ninjas emerged from the shadows with terrifying agility. They moved just in time to intercept the Poké Ball’s trajectory, slapping it aside and sending it rolling harmlessly across the ground. Their appearance was bizarre; they weren’t wearing the Academy’s standard uniforms but dark, form-fitting outfits with red accents and forehead bands. Their eyes were bloodshot—or perhaps it was an effect of exertion.

The Zubat hovered in the air with a faint flutter, as if recognizing its supposed protectors. One of the ninjas pulled out a Full Restore and applied it to the bat without hesitation, spraying its damaged wings. A faint light enveloped the Pokémon, closing most of its wounds. To make matters worse, a pink aura formed around it, increasing its speed. I could see the anger and determination in its tiny eyes; it was clear that it had become even more dangerous.

Without warning, the Zubat let out a sonic roar—the same one that had previously disabled its own colony. The echo reverberated through the cavern, so powerful that even the two ninjas stepped back, blood dripping from their ears, though they maintained their composure. The cave erupted in chaos: many trainers, still grappling with Rhyhorn or the Rhydon, fell to the ground clutching their heads. A sharp pain shot through my eardrums, and I almost screamed in agony.

When the bat finally stopped its screeching, one of the ninjas, shaking his head from the blood in his ears, looked at me with disdain:

“You, fat boy, do you really think you’re going to steal this Zubat? It belongs to someone far nobler and more talented than you. Don’t even dream of catching it.”

The other ninja, also bleeding from his ears, pointed a short knife at me:

“Get lost, or we’ll tear you apart.”

I was enraged. I could feel the veins in my arms swelling and the venom bubbling under my skin. A flash of purple crossed my vision as I realized my eyes were glowing a faint violet. Heat rose through my chest, something I rarely felt with such intensity. Beside me, Grimer also grew agitated. Its eyes narrowed in aggression, and its gelatinous body churned as if ready to attack.

“You idiots think you can stop me just because you’re dressed like ninjas!” I shouted, fury overtaking my usually calm demeanor. “You don’t know who you’re messing with!”

The ninjas exchanged glances and laughed dryly. The Zubat, floating nearby with its pink aura, flapped lightly, watching everyone closely as if it didn’t fully consider the ninjas its allies, despite being healed by them.

Meanwhile, the dark-skinned girl was forced to look away for a moment as she was struck by another tail swipe from the increasingly frantic Rhydon. She crashed against the cave wall with a gasp. The Pokémon roared angrily, punching the ground and scattering debris, and she got back up with labored breathing, yet her expression was pure determination. Despite her bruises and split lip, she seemed to enjoy the fight.

I glanced at the situation: Kara Auralis, as she had introduced herself, was single-handedly holding off the Rhydon. The other trainers, incapacitated by the previous attacks, were focused on helping their Pokémon. No one else would interrupt my confrontation with these two ninjas.

“Dozy,” I growled, “attack them with Bite or Swift, whichever you prefer.”

Grimer gurgled and launched itself diagonally, trying to catch the ninjas off guard. Several golden Swift projectiles shot out from its slimy body, aimed at both masked figures. Despite the blood dripping from their ears, their reflexes were impeccable: the ninja with the knife deflected a few stars with his weapon, while the other performed a somersault, dodging most of them. However, a few stars grazed them, cutting the fabric of their torsos and arms. They let out low grunts of pain, their murderous gazes fixed on me.

The Zubat, with its increased speed, flew near the ceiling, emitting a threatening hum. I wondered if it would unleash that destructive screech again, but for now, it seemed to hold back. One of the ninjas rushed toward me at full speed, attempting to slash at me with his knife. I stepped back, and Dozy intervened to bite his arm. The ninja spun around, delivering a kick that forced Grimer to release him. A growl of frustration escaped my throat: these two were too skilled in close combat for us to defeat easily.

“I won’t let you take this chance from me!” I shouted, the venom in my veins pulsating. I felt the tip of my nail harden, ready to inject its toxin if I managed to scratch their skin.

“You’re delusional,” retorted the other masked figure with a cold smile. “You think you can steal the plans of someone far above you.”

“Then try me!” I exclaimed, my voice reverberating, slightly distorted by my anger. I felt a tingling in my eyes, a purple glow enveloping my pupils.

Grimer, crawling with tenacity, lunged again. I managed to dodge a slash from the knife and tried to claw at the ninja, but he stepped back in time. However, I noticed their movements weren’t as fluid as before—the bleeding from their ears and the effects of the Zubat’s screech were taking a toll. Even so, they still held an advantage over my clumsiness.

Before the fight could be decided, the ninja closest to the Zubat turned his head. He probably sensed that the Rhydon was about to be defeated by the girl, and more trainers would arrive if they stayed too long. A fleeting glance passed between the two masked figures, and suddenly, one shouted:

“We’re leaving!”

“Zubat, come!” ordered the other.

The bat, descended to join them. It was clear they had no intention of letting anyone catch it. My eyes burned with rage as I realized they were going to leave, thwarting my plans once again. The knife-wielding ninja delivered a final kick to push me back and ran toward his companion, disappearing into another cavern.

I stood there, panting, clenching my fists tightly. Dozy let out a frustrated gurgle, trying to track the direction they had gone, but there was no trace. The fight against those two had been brief and chaotic, but enough to show that they weren’t amateurs—they were protecting that Zubat under orders from someone “more noble and talented.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a commotion. Kara was being struck by the Rhydon’s tail, launching her several meters away. She immediately got back up, a thin trail of blood on her lip, but her sky-blue aura still pulsed around her body. With an agile leap, she positioned herself on the beast’s shoulder and delivered several direct blows. I watched as the Rhydon trembled, letting out an agonized roar, until it finally collapsed, panting. It didn’t lose consciousness completely but was no longer able to fight. The dark-skinned girl descended with a gymnastic maneuver, landing a short distance from me with an expression of triumphant exhaustion.

“Hey!” she called out to me, her breath ragged. “What happened to that Zubat?”

I swallowed hard, still furious.

“Two ninjas appeared out of nowhere, healed it, mocked me, and… left. I couldn’t do anything.”

Kara narrowed her eyes, shaking her head.

“I had sensed something strange before, but the Rhydon kept me busy. Those two must be from some clan, I guess. Well, what can you do?” She shrugged, and despite her injuries, she managed a slight smile. “At least we stopped the madness with these Pokémon. We’ve got to keep going, right?”

I mimicked her, noting that most of the Rhyhorn were now incapacitated. The surviving trainers, battered and scratched, breathed a sigh of relief as a few opened a path through the rubble blocking the cave’s exit. I noticed Kara flinch slightly as Machop and Mankey appeared with rocks on their shoulders, helping clear the way.

“Do you need a medic?” I asked, concerned about her injuries.

“I’m fine,” she replied with a hint of pride. “And you, Aspen? Did you achieve your goal?”

I shrugged, holding back my frustration.

“No. That Zubat… it was my target. But it’s gone now. I couldn’t catch it.”

She raised an eyebrow.

“It’s a shame, really. I’m not too interested in Zubat, but that one seemed special to me. It might belong to someone influential… We’ll have to be careful.”

She wiped the blood from her lip and turned toward the newly cleared exit. We exchanged a few more words, but we both understood it was time to move on. The race wouldn’t stop for our drama. We still had a chance to keep going up. Two or three more students joined us, and with several pushes, we managed to get through the narrow tunnel that Machop and Mankey had cleared. A damp air greeted us on the other side, promising that the underground labyrinth continued.

I looked at Grimer, who was slowly following me, exhausted from the battles and the tension. I patted his slimy back gently.

“You did very well, my friend. You and I… will prove that we are nobodies.”

Dozy let out a tired gurgle, but it didn’t confirm my intentions. I felt his lingering frustration and it was contagious. Suddenly, I realized I was just feeling sorry for myself – we hadn’t proven anything, we lost and in an unfair way. With renewed determination, I turned towards the auxiliary tunnel the ninjas had created. Kara, seeing me, smiled and followed me while saying:

“I want to learn the ninja fighting style, so I’m going with you. From what I’ve seen of this test, only a few dozen people will make it to the finish line, and I’m definitely one of them,” she added with a confident smile.

The two of us ran after the ninjas protecting that Zubat I had to capture.

———————-

Far away from that place, at the entrance of the caves, a slender figure with dark red or cherry hair stood near the entrance. Beside her, an Abra floated lazily, almost dozing, while a Mime Jr. clung to her arm with a fearful expression. The girl, with a somber and concentrated gaze, observed the depths of the cavern. Her psychic aura was palpable, slightly distorting the light around her.

A voice over the speakers echoed in the area, announcing: “Class B can begin now.” The girl narrowed her eyes, tilting her head as if assessing the situation. In the blink of an eye, she and her Pokémon disappeared. Teleportation. She left no trace.