Chapter 4: “Vera Espern”

The echoes of chaos still resonated in my ears. The air in the library had become unbreathable after the series of psychic attacks, and white dust floated around me, made of shredded paper and fragments of broken shelves. It felt surreal to think that just minutes ago, I had been calmly looking for a book about Alolan Grimer to learn more about its moves. Now, everything was in disarray.

My breathing was so erratic that I could barely process what I was seeing: an aisle filled with flying books, torn pages, and the viscous trail that Grimer had left as it moved to protect me. My legs were still trembling—a stark reminder of the adrenaline coursing through me. I couldn’t take my eyes off that girl with dark burgundy hair and pink eyes, who seemed ready to finish me off without any explanation. Her Abra floated beside her, its tail stiff and expression intense, even though its face always appeared sleepy. For some reason, the atmosphere felt heavier, like an invisible weight pressing on my back.

The first attack had come without warning. In the blink of an eye, she had lifted a stack of books that levitated as if they were alive. Then, with a flick of her hand, she hurled a torrent of sharpened pages at me, hardened by her mental power. It was as if the paper had turned into blades. I barely managed to step back and let out a choked gasp. My heart sank as I watched those pages slice through the air with a deadly whistle.

Grimer—whom I sometimes call Dosy—reacted before I could give an order. He opened his huge mouth and inhaled with a snort that sounded like a growl of warning. Without hesitation, he placed himself between me and the blades, letting his gelatinous body take the full brunt of the attack. The pages struck his semi-liquid mass with a harsh, almost metallic sound. A few pages stuck to his surface, sinking in slightly. Others fell uselessly to the floor. I saw my Pokémon tremble from the impact, but he stood firm, resisting. I realized he was using Stockpile—he had swollen his body, storing the energy he could absorb. That move reinforced his consistency, allowing him to better withstand the damage.

I stood frozen, unable to comprehend why I was being attacked. I tried to shout for an explanation, but the girl took another step forward, her gaze filled with icy hatred. I felt an invisible pressure on my neck, as if someone had tied me with a psychic noose. I struggled to move fluidly and could only attempt to shield Dosy, who was inflating himself again. I noticed this was his second use of Stockpile—his body shook with a faint bubbling sound. If he went too far, the accumulation could backfire.

Another wave of pages rose from the floor, glowing with a bright pink light. I braced myself, expecting to see my blood splatter across the room, but Dosy swelled even more and blocked the attack. However, I noticed shallow cuts that slowly closed as his viscous substance self-repaired. My Pokémon let out a pained whimper, and it felt like a punch to my stomach. I didn’t want to hurt the girl, but I also couldn’t let her destroy us.

I tried to stammer something like “Stop!” but my throat wouldn’t cooperate. The air was thick with a strange energy that weighed heavily on my chest. Meanwhile, her Abra had floated a few inches closer, its eyes glinting faintly. A psychic force shoved me backward, slamming me into a shelf. Books tumbled down on me, and I managed to get up, coughing from the dust.

At that moment, Dosy let out a deep, wet growl that reminded me of boiling mud. He swelled for the third time, shaking his head furiously. I knew what he was about to do: with so much energy stored, the next logical move was Spit Up. That technique released all the accumulated force, firing it as a mix of toxic fluid and dark energy. It wasn’t lethal on its own, but at such close range, it could cause serious damage—and the girl would end up badly hurt. I didn’t want to escalate things that far, but I didn’t know how to stop this madness without getting us killed first.

The girl seemed torn between stabbing me with more paper blades or slamming me into the ground again with telekinesis. She raised her right arm, and several scraps of paper began vibrating in the air again, forming a lethal fan around her. Panic gripped me once more. I opened my mouth to plead with her to stop, but the telekinesis strangled my voice. Dosy, on the verge of releasing his attack, let out a dry roar. I saw him open his mouth wider than usual, revealing a swirling mass of stored energy. A dark, unstable substance mixed with a purple aura churned inside him.

Then, she made a subtle gesture with her hand. Her lips parted, but she said nothing—only exuded pure rage through her glare. The paper blades flew toward us, and I was certain that if Dosy didn’t fire, we’d be shredded. In a split second, my Pokémon unleashed Spit Up: a jet of viscous energy fired with cannon-like force. The toxic mixture whistled through the air and collided with a barrier created by the Abra, reinforced by floating books the girl had pulled together as an improvised shield. I watched as covers shattered, pages were soaked in the foul fluid, and droplets dripped to the floor. A few splashes hit her arm, burning through the fabric and leaving a dark brown stain. She gritted her teeth and stepped back, never taking her eyes off me. A corrosive vapor rose from where the substance had landed.

I seized the moment of confusion to catch my breath and finally shouted:

“I’m not part of the Poison Clan! I don’t want to hurt you!”

Those words echoed in my mind, a mix of pleading and panic. She still had her hand raised, ready to unleash another attack. But my words—or maybe just the image of me looking so defenseless—made her pause for a few seconds. I watched as her glowing pink eyes still burned with resentment, though she no longer advanced.

Dosy, after releasing the Spit Up, was utterly exhausted. His body deflated and spread out partially across the floor, panting with his mouth open. Even so, he managed to keep one eye on the girl and her Abra, trying to protect me despite his condition. The silence that followed lasted long enough for me to rise slowly, kneeling next to my Pokémon.

The next thing I felt was strange—a tingling in my head that made me blink rapidly. I realized she was trying to read my mind or control my movements again because it felt like a psychic wave was crashing against my consciousness. But as soon as that wave reached my brain, I noticed another shift: Dosy moved as best he could, positioning himself between my back and her line of sight. His semi-melted Poison/Dark body interrupted the psychic force she was using to invade my mind.

“Tch…” I heard her hiss impatiently. “Damn dark affinity…”

She straightened up slightly, clutching her injured arm with her free hand. A few scraps of wet paper still floated around her, though fewer than before. Her Abra, its narrowed eyes still focused on me, stopped exerting the pressure that had slowed us down. It floated closer to her, almost as if it were trying to calm her down. I stood there, drenched in sweat, trembling, unsure if she would attack again. I used the brief truce to speak, even though my voice was shaky.

“I don’t… know who you are. But I’m not going to hurt you. My name is Aspen. And… my Pokémon is Dosy.” I swallowed hard and took a deep breath. “I’m just here to study… nothing else.”

She finally tore her gaze away from Dosy and fixed it on me. Her lips trembled with a hint of uncertainty. She was breathing heavily, clearly worn out from the energy she had expended. After a long silence, she finally spoke a name in a hoarse voice:

“Vera Espern.”

She didn’t say it kindly. It was more like a warning—as if to make sure I knew who would kill me if I ever crossed her path again. Her Abra floated at her side, its posture confirming the sentiment. I tried to explain myself without getting too close.

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“I swear… I don’t know why you think I’m part of the Poison Clan. I have no connection to… Koga or those ninjas. I’m just a student. I came here for a book about… Alolan Pokémon.”

She frowned, her glowing pink eyes still shimmering with that strange hue, though less intensely than before. She lowered her arm slightly, and the floating scraps of paper fell to the floor. Abra tilted its head slightly, as if it were also exhausted.

“The Psychic Clan has been following me,” she whispered after a pause. “They’ve been trying… to control me for a long time. I know they hired assassins from the Poison Clan. Sometimes they show up without warning and… silence anyone who meddles in the Psychics’ business. I thought you were one of them.”

I swallowed hard, unsure how to respond. I could hear the acidic dripping of Dosy’s earlier attack and the crackling of the ruined books. Dosy’s breathing was still labored, but he no longer seemed ready to attack. I nodded cautiously, trying to show her I understood her fear.

“Seriously… I’m not involved in that. I don’t know anything about clans or who hires who.” I lowered my voice. “I’m sorry for what happened. But… you were about to kill me…”

She narrowed her eyes, avoiding my gaze directly.

“I’m not stupid. If you’re not part of the Poison Clan, how do you know about Koga and the ninjas that control it? And how does someone with poison immunity not belong to the Poison Clan?”

Feeling nervous and unsure how to lie convincingly, I stammered, “H-how do you know I’m immune to poison?”

For a moment, Vera’s cold, serious expression softened, replaced by a look of disbelief—like she was watching a Slowpoke try to eat a rock.

“You were lying on top of a Grimer without getting poisoned. You were literally sitting on a mass of toxic sludge, idiot. Plus, you know Koga is the leader of the Poison Clan.”

My face turned red with embarrassment, and I blurted out without thinking, “Dosy is an Alolan Grimer—they aren’t toxic on the outside! And everyone knows Koga; he’s part of the Elite Four! That doesn’t mean I’m from the Poison Clan. It’s like calling you a Psychic just because your hair floats like Sabrina’s.”

The moment the word “Sabrina” left my mouth, I noticed a tremor in the air. It was subtle at first, like a change in pressure, but it immediately turned into a psychic pulse that pushed me back two steps. She opened her eyes wide, and I saw intense rage forming in her expression. Her burgundy hair began to rise slowly, as if an invisible breeze was giving it life. A pink luminosity concentrated on her forehead, forming something like a third eye.

Abra let out a sharp sound, almost a shriek, and floated to her side, moving its limbs nervously. I felt the crushing psychic force return to my chest. The floor trembled, and pieces of shelves rose into the air, spinning around me. I was too tired to move quickly. Dosy tried to lift himself again, but he had no energy left after the triple Stockpile and Spit Up.

The light on Vera’s forehead pulsed, growing into spiraling pink waves. The sensation was suffocating, like being thrown into an underwater whirlpool. A sharp pain stabbed at my skull, and I had to brace myself on the floor to avoid collapsing. I thought she would smash me against the ceiling or break my bones with a mental blast at any moment.

“I-I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to…!” I tried to apologize, but my voice was drowned out by the clatter of objects colliding.

The psychic energy around her condensed even further, and I noticed her Abra watching her with concern. It seemed like Vera was about to push herself past her limits, on the verge of releasing a devastating outburst. My vision blurred, and I braced myself for a final blow that might shatter me. But something else happened: Abra acted in a critical moment. I saw it grab Vera’s torn clothing, and an intense pink glow enveloped them both. It was the unmistakable sign of Teleport, a sudden flash that expanded outward, forcing me to squint.

The noise ceased abruptly when the glow faded. All that remained were the remnants of fallen shelves and the crash of books piling on the floor. The girl and her Abra were gone, leaving me in monumental chaos.

I stayed on the floor, gasping for air, the metallic taste of stress heavy on my tongue. My body felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. Dosy was sprawled next to me, a living puddle, his gaze unfocused. I quickly checked him to make sure he was still breathing, running my hand gently over his gooey surface. He responded with a faint bubbling noise, more like a sigh of exhaustion than anything else.

When I finally managed to stand up, the dust had started to settle. Overturned chairs, shattered shelves, shredded or stained books—all surrounded me in the aftermath of the battle. I wondered how I could possibly explain this to the Academy staff, but I was too dazed to think clearly. Stumbling over the debris, I searched for my backpack, which had been tossed aside during the chaos. That’s when something caught my eye: two thick volumes with metallic covers lying near a toppled pillar. One was titled Encyclopedia of Moves and the other Encyclopedia of Abilities. Their edges were slightly singed, but they looked almost new.

I picked them up carefully, wondering if they were part of the library’s collection. As I flipped through a few pages, I noticed handwritten notes in the margins. They looked more like personal annotations than library markings. The pages were full of observations on psychic control, resistances, and references to the energy dynamics of Poison- and Psychic-types. A lump formed in my throat as I wondered if these belonged to Vera. She was probably consulting them when I interrupted her—or perhaps they were part of her private studies. Either way, they didn’t have the library’s stamp, which made me think they had been hers from the start. I decided to take them: if they were hers, maybe I could return them later, or at the very least, they might help me understand her situation.

Looking around, I braced myself for the possibility that someone might show up at any moment demanding answers. Trouble seemed inevitable. But I forced myself to breathe deeply and gather my thoughts. At least I was still alive, and so was Dosy. Vera Espern and her Abra had vanished in that flash of light. I had no idea where they had teleported, but I hoped she could heal her injuries in time. I didn’t want her dead… even if she’d been seconds away from killing me.

With unsteady steps, I moved toward my Pokémon, lifting him as best I could despite his weight and sticky texture. Dosy looked embarrassed—if a Grimer could even show embarrassment—about not being able to do more. I stroked his head gently.

“You did great,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “Thank you for saving me.”

He let out a deep “blorp” that sounded almost like a sigh of gratitude. For a moment, we exchanged a tired glance. My back ached, but I couldn’t leave him there. The library now felt like a giant trap, filled with all the visible destruction.

I headed for the exit, cautiously peeking out to ensure no one was in the hallway. A ghostly silence hung over the area, as if the world had paused. I managed to stumble out, clutching Dosy and the two books I’d found. Closing the door quietly behind me, I knew there was no way to hide the devastation inside.

Lowering my head, I let my oversized black-and-purple hoodie shield my face as much as possible. I walked down the hallway, trying to calm myself. My heart pounded in my temples, and sweat trickled down my neck. All I could think about was the battle. What had driven Vera to distrust me so much? Why had she mentioned the Psychic Clan hiring Poison Clan assassins to track or eliminate her? It all sounded too twisted—far removed from the ordinary lessons the Academy was supposed to offer.

As I turned a corner, a chill ran down my spine. I feared that a teacher, a guard, or another student might suddenly appear to demand what had happened. But I saw no one. The area was eerily deserted. I slipped through a side door leading to a staircase. Once I was sure no one was following me, I paused to catch my breath.

Dosy gazed at me with his round eyes. His eyelids drooped as he fought off exhaustion. I felt like collapsing too, but I needed to do something for both of us. Maybe find medical help—or just a quiet spot to sit down. Before I could move, I glanced again at the covers of the books I was holding. My hands trembled, but I managed to keep them steady. They looked expensive, almost luxurious. Skimming through them quickly, I found references to psychic moves like Telekinesis, Gravity, Calm Mind, Psychic, and Psyshock—all of which her Abra had used. On the other hand, there were also sections dedicated to abilities like Magic Guard, which was rare and apparently belonged to her Abra.

I stopped myself from diving deeper into the books right there. This wasn’t the time or place to read. Even so, something inside me told me these texts might help me understand how Grimer had defended against her Abra’s Psychic, and why it couldn’t overpower him. There was so much I didn’t know, and that ignorance had nearly cost me my life.

Clutching the books tightly to my side, I descended a few steps, almost blindly. Dosy, though weak, let out a soft growl now and then, as if reminding me he was still by my side. A flicker of warmth touched my chest—gratitude mingled with the sharp fear that had lingered since the battle began. I couldn’t shake the memory of Vera’s fierce eyes, the way she tried to pierce my mind, and how quickly everything escalated when I mentioned Sabrina. So many questions…

But I stopped myself. I didn’t want to think too much—not here, not on the stairs. I just needed to find a safe place where I could sit, calm Dosy, and maybe find a first aid kit for the cuts on my left arm, which had started bleeding slightly. A sharp jolt of pain shot through me, and I clenched my teeth to keep from crying out.

Out of options, I returned Dosy to his Poké Ball (only then remembering I could do that) and set off. Each step felt like navigating a room full of traps, hoping I wouldn’t be discovered covered in venom and blood. Keeping my gaze fixed on the lower hallway, I reminded myself that my top priority was ensuring my Pokémon’s safety. I’d think about Vera Espern, her Abra, and their overwhelming psychic power later. I didn’t know if we’d cross paths again, but something told me that wouldn’t be the last time her pink eyes would freeze me to the core.

I tasted bitterness—poison and desperation—in my mouth. Still, I couldn’t stop moving. Clutching Dosy’s Poké Ball tightly, I headed for my locker. Nothing would be as simple as I had once thought. And though I didn’t want to admit it, part of me was both horrified and intrigued by the secrets those books might hold. I had a sneaking suspicion that if Vera had clung to them, it was because she was searching for something she wasn’t willing to share with anyone—least of all a stranger like me.

As I moved further away, I could still feel the lingering sensation of psychic energy on my skin, like the itch left behind after an electric shock. But I was alive. That was something. Deep down, though, I knew this encounter wasn’t the end. Vera Espern had vanished in a storm of fury, teleported away by her Abra, and I was left with the injuries—and the books—that somehow tied me to her world. For now, all I could do was pray that we’d be left in peace while we recovered from the nightmare that had nearly ended us.

With unsteady steps and my heart pounding wildly, I pressed forward in silence, leaving behind the shattered library door and a floor strewn with venom and torn pages. My mind was foggy, unsure of what I would do or how I’d explain anything. But at least I’d survived my first encounter with an enraged psychic and her fiercely protective Abra.