I made my way back across the savanna with my head held high. It must have been sometime in the afternoon, the sun had entered it’s slow descent.
Maybe I lost, but I did my best, and I got a bowl of very yummy mint chocolate chip ice cream! I also got a fucking Pokédex, even if it is a slightly cursed fireman version, and I got a real Pokémon battle! I felt… good, I think!
I was definitely out-strengthed and outplayed, but I had new drive to get my own Pokémon someday, and play around with the fucking silliest cheating strategies my brain could come up with! I wonder if Calem has any tricks up his sleeve!
The power of someone with their own Pokémon in this world was something I could hardly comprehend, but facing it in battle was something else! I wonder how Sam would stack up against the gym challenge! It’s still strange that a firefighter has an ice type, and a variant that shouldn’t exist at that, but it felt like it fit somehow. Like Vanniluxe should have always had flavours. Wouldn’t that be cool!
Was this what Ash and Calem were talking about, again, back on the plane? I had a type advantage, but it wasn’t enough to sway the battle in any meaningful way. Types are absolutely important, but was playing your hand smart, and striking at the perfect moment the more important factor at play?
Sam made sure to incorporate two quad effective steel type moves into his moveset against Carbink and I. One was a status move, but still! And, a dark type move also changed the dynamics of the whole fight in an instant!
Maybe battles can’t be summarized so easily. This wasn’t the kind of battle I know from the games.
Carbink only has their 3 starter moves, as far as I know, so it won’t be too easy to play around with anything just yet.
Still, I have my ideas! Any sort of strategy will give me an edge in this tournament, I can feel it! Hear me out on this.
Carbink knows harden, tackle, and rock throw. A status move, and two physical attacks. Common for a starter, but limiting when it comes to cheats, right?
My one idea that I came up with just now? The ol’ BONK technique.
Here’s how it goes! If an enemy tries to get close to us, with tackle or something, any close quarters move, I’d have Carbink use tackle up into the sky! Or up diagonally, whatever gets Carbink above the opponent.
Then, they’d use rock throw straight down! With the help of gravity, it would pack a punch! It would be hard for the enemy to dodge if they’ve committed to an attack and missed! Their momentum would become predictable, and we’d get the drop on them, literally! An absolute cartoon classic!
I’ll run it by Carbink when they’re healed up. What’s a good name for it… maybe rock drop! Or maybe a move name that doesn’t give anything away to the opponent, like rock dodge!
We could get even sillier, though! One tackle diagonally up, and a second tackle diagonally down! That’s more of a combo move than a cheat, but I bet Carbink could use it to go right over long ranged moves and get in close. That one would be called… uh… bridge tackle! I’m good with names, I swear!
That kind of idea is surely on-topic enough for a mid-tournament discussion. I wonder if any of Carbink’s previous rental trainers came up with anything interesting? Would Carbink entertain the idea?
Maybe we’ll catch our next opponent off guard like Sam did to me!
My train of thought was broken as the healing pad station platform thingy came back into sight.
…
And directly in front of it, in my way, was a hole. A fucking HUMAN SHAPED HOLE that led directly into the savanna dirt like a cartoon character had fallen from a great height!
“Oh, hey Oliver!” Called a familiar voice. Not too familiar, though. It wasn’t the massive mad scientist golden rule nurse who was supposed to be there. The guy was nowhere to be found. His Jigglypuff too.
It was Alexa! I hadn’t seen her since she was on the plane, what was she doing here?
“Uh… the nurse had to… go to the bathroom! Yeah! That’s why he’s gone” She said, followed by a brief horribly awkward pause. I wasn’t thinking too much about where the nurse had decided to go, but I was now. I was unconvinced.
“Alexa… how did you get here?” I decided to ask. I know teleportation was at play here, but she’s a reporter, and she got to Kalos at the same time I did. How did she end up in the exact place where the nurse was supposed to be? Don’t you have to like… study and go to school to be a nurse in this world? You can’t just show up! How do I keep running into characters I recognize? Can I stop risking the stability of the main timeline for like five seconds!?
“I… will be your nurse for right now! Yeah! Do you… need you Pokémon healed?” She said, visibly sweating.
“Hang on, are you a nurse? Why don’t we just… wait for the real nurse to get back?” I questioned, feeling like something’s off here.
“Um… because the other nurse… guy who was here earlier… is at the end of his shift. Yup, the shifts have rotated, and so I have rotated in!” She said, making hand symbols to display that she had indeed been rotated into being the current nurse, changing her story.
“Are you sure? Aren’t you a full time journalist, and not a nurse?” I replied, getting more confused by the second.
“Yeah, I’m just writing a story… on being a nurse! Which… I have studied for, in my free time. I’ve written about it in my previous… writings, and news reports. You’ve seen them, right?” She replied. I had a feeling I was being lied to for some reason.
“Alexa, are you trying to change the subject?” I asked, wondering how she’s trying to very obviously avoid the elephant in the room.
She immediately glances to the hole, and then back to me “Nope, of course not! Just step onto the platform, and hand me your Pokémon, and we can be on our way!” She said in a slightly concerning tone.
“Uh, Alexa, by any chance-”
“Yeah? What’s up?” She interrupted with a smile.
“Um… is the nurse… in that hole?” I said, pointing towards the human shaped hole. It’s shape was suspiciously close to that of the nurse.
“Hmm? Which hole? The ground seems normal all around here. I don’t think there’s a hole” She said, looking everywhere but where I was pointing.
“The human shaped hole. The one on the ground over here” I said, pointing to it again. Looking into it, it just kept going down into the fucking void, and had no visible bottom. The edges were perfect. Even the shape of the hair.
“Oh! Yeah… that hole! I mean, anyone could have done that. He wouldn’t go into the ground or anything, he used the teleporter like normal!” She said, trying to explain away the hole.
“Are you sure, Alexa? Did you see who made this hole?” I replied, with my mouth full of ice cream, which I was still eating.
“Okay! Yeah, he made the hole. He went to the break room! Which is… down there! Yeah! It’s a great shortcut!” She said, changing the story again. What in the world was happening here?
What was Alexa doing here? In the show, the main group doesn’t see her again until they make it to their first gym battle in Santalune City! That’s also where you meet her in the games, and the gym leader Viola is her sister! She probably goes there after this. The specifics of what happens here are probably not too important for the big picture, right?
“The break room is… underground? And you… dig? To get there?” I asked in confusion. Looking up, I just see sky. How the fuck did the nurse manage to fall through the floor like this? The hole just leads into pitch darkness. Are human shaped holes common fall craters in the Pokémon world? I don’t remember that being a thing here.
“Yup!” Replied Alexa, with enthusiasm on her face. “Enough about the ground, you’re ready to get to your next battle, so step up here and lets get your Pokémon ready!” She continued. Maybe she just forgot where the nurse went or something.
Despite how strange she’s acting, I trust Alexa. Ash and his group trust her. She tends to be eccentric and forgetful, but she’s notably a support character who cares about the people around her. I’ve seen the show. If I was dealing with Malva, the reporter who’s secretly with Team Flare, that would be another story. With Alexa, I’m in good hands.
It was a little odd that she didn’t check her Holo Caster for the green check mark go ahead thingy like Nurse Joy did, but maybe I’d been good to go for a while, and she saw it earlier.
I decided to drop it. I’d be fine.
I carefully stepped around the suspicious hole and onto the platform, where I handed Carbink’s Pokéball over to Alexa. She probably knew what she was doing better than I did.
The healing station wasn’t the one from the games. Instead of a centerpiece or a contraption where you place your Pokéballs and get them healed in a matter of seconds, it was a bunch of shelves and counters. They surrounded a plush orange table a white Pokéball logo on it, the signature Pokémon center colours.
I guess healing in this world is done in real time, like in the show! Luckily, my rock bunny buddy didn’t actually take any direct damage according to Sam, who’d taken them out with two powerful status conditions! Could they be cured easily? I was especially worried about the automized weight, would Carbink be okay afterwards, there wasn’t much of a precedent for Pokémon inflicted with that one in the show!
Weaponizing weight… It practically takes away all movement and forces you to the ground! Hitting the ground does damage too, especially when a relatively light Pokémon like Carbink is affected by it! Not every Pokémon could have their weight so easily tripled, I wonder what Sam does when his Vanilluxe is up against a heavy opponent? Plus, there’s probably downsides to making your Pokémon lighter in this world to balance things out.
Alexa expanded the Pokéball/ to full size again, and released the rock bunny onto the table in a burst of light blue light! They looked to be in the same state as before, landing heavy on the healing bench, not floating, and meeting my gaze with sad blue eyes eyes full of worry, unable to say anything. I decided to try and help them calm down, but I kept it brief to respect their wishes.
“Hey Carbink! Our old nurse… went on break, so Alexa will be healing you this time! Don’t worry, you can trust her, I can vouch for that” I said, not wanting to get into any silly details like how the nurse seems to have dug himself into the fucking abyss! Or rather, slid into the ground? Thinking about ways the human shaped hole could have been made was really off-putting to me, not helped by everything else strange about this situation.
Alexa seemed to cautiously look around, checking the shelves while keeping her eyes on me. Was something about my appearance worrying her? She couldn’t see my lack of a face, right? She’s a journalist, she’d definitely ask me about it if she could see anything strange.
Plus, if anything did actually worry her, she had three Pokémon, one of which is a massive sound system dragon! Don’t Nurse Joys usually use one of their Pokémon as assistants?
“Alexa, by the way, where are your Pokémon? May I see the other ones you have!” I asked, kinda wanting to see them. I’ve seen plenty of cute Pokémon so far, but the massive cool ones haven’t been around!
Vanilluxe got close, being a third stage, and being 4 feet tall in their dex entry, huge for an ice cream, but plenty of Pokémon tower over people! I think Sam’s Vanilluxe was bigger than normal, but it was hard to tell, I didn’t pay too much attention to that, more surprised by it being mint chocolate!
Surprisingly, Gogoat and Noivern are both only around 5 feet tall in their Pokédex entries, but can be much taller in the show, even towering above other characters!
“Oh… uh, I don’t have any of them on me right now, they’re back home safe! They’re safe. Just relaxing” She said. Didn’t she usually keep Helioptile out, and on her shoulder? I also wasn’t convinced by her tone. Were they in danger or something? Probably not, I’m just overthinking this. The Pokémon world is usually a safe place, unless you’re in the wild, being careless, or facing down an evil team!
Alexa had her camera case around her back, which is where she keeps her Pokéballs, but there was no way to tell if she had them on her. For some reason, she was also wearing her camera and microphone headset. It made sense, if she was doing a story on Pokémon nursing, but could you really just film a session without patient consent? Was she recording right now? What about confidentiality, did that even exist in this world? Could real life veterinarians like… film the stuff they’re doing without telling anyone and post it? Surely they’d need permission somewhere, right?
Alexa also seemed kind of lost, randomly looking through shelves and drawers. Eventually, she found a stethoscope, and pressed it onto Carbink’s stone. Did the rock bunny have a heartbeat? They probably did. Do Pokémon have organs?
She kept glancing back to me with a worried expression. Was she even paying attention to Carbink? Was I doing something strange? I was just standing there.
“Hey, Oliver, mind waiting back behind the counter over there?” She said, pointing towards the other side of the counter. I’d been standing on the wrong side of it, right by the healing station. I guess you’re not supposed to do that? I was kind of curious to know how the healing worked, it was harder to get a good view of the shelves and everything from back there.
“Yeah, no problem!” I shrugged. Whatever helped the healing along. I took the few steps I needed to take to get to where I was supposed to be, and decided to just stand back, relax, and slowly have my ice cream.
Alexa didn’t go back to checking Carbink. She took off the stethoscope, and moved over to the screen on the counter, and pressed a few more buttons. Maybe she was logging some data or checking some info?
I wasn’t particularly worried, and was more interested in trying to figure out what Pokémon nurses do. Yeah, when Alexa posts her story on this, I’d be interested in giving it a read. I wonder if Carbink will get paid for being in it somehow! Maybe in cookies? How does that work?
“By the way, where did you manage to find a bowl of ice cream, Oliver?” Alexa asked, ever curious. I guess she didn’t see the end of my battle. Are they supposed to watch it? It would give them all the information they needed on what happened to the Pokémon.
“Oh! Sam, my last opponent gave it to me! It’s really good!” I said. I wonder if I should offer any to Carbink, they do have a sweet tooth. I already gave them the cookie though, so it’s probably fine.
Battling, summoning rocks, and being pierced by intangible icicle popsicle bullets probably builds an appetite. I wonder if any of the shelves around here have snacks or Pokémon food in them! We have to eat at some point, right? Food other than the stuff your competitors gift you, of course. I wonder how I can pay Sam back for this? I didn’t see any ice cream at the airport shops.
In the background, back at the healing station, I saw Carbink’s gems begin to softly glow. They were filled with a dim orange light. I thought they were meant to be blue, or just reflective mirrors!
Suddenly, I heard familiar sound of crackling in my head, some invisible connection being formed. Carbink was still weighted to the ground, but taunt must have worn off. Did Alexa heal them somehow already? I didn’t see her actually do anything interesting yet. No healing items were used as far as I could tell.
It was their telepathy again. Somehow, the grainy monotone voice in my mind sounded a lot weaker than it did earlier. I was starting to calm down, but it got me genuinely worried for them as it sputtered and clipped.
How bad did the weighted status condition feel? I don’t want to imagine what would happen to me if my body stayed the same but my weight magically tripled, and I don’t even have floating powers.
“O-oliver… dodge right…” Carbink warned.
I didn’t take it seriously in time. I thought Carbink was just out of it, repeating one of my battle commands from the earlier fight. In truth, they must have had a better grasp on the situation than I did.
Of course, since I didn’t dodge, I felt the world begin to start spinning. The area behind the counter is where the teleport tiles are, warping tournament contestants from one healing platform to the next.
“Too late! I hope you enjoy your final meal, Oliver! Say cheese!” Replied Alexa triumphantly, as if she could somehow hear the telepathy Carbink spoke to me.
I tried to process what was happening, but the spinning kept getting faster and faster. The world around me converted into a blur of colours like a kaleidoscope. The sound of violent wind rippled through my ears, like I was going through a wind tunnel. And just as quickly as it began, it went silent, and the world faded to black.
…
And then, all at once, it popped back into existence.
Of course, I was somewhere else. The brief loss of senses had caused me to drop my ice cream, which clattered to the ground with a series of clangs that echoed around the open space. The mint chocolate chip ice cream splattered all over the floor.
What in the world was happening? Why did Alexa warp me to the next area without my Pokémon.
Plus, with her ominous warning, it kind of sounded like she was a villain sending me to my death or something. She wouldn’t do that, though, so what was she playing at? I can’t continue the tournament without Carbink. You only get one rental Pokémon.
Was this part of the tournament? It was for Ditto Day after all, maybe something silly was afoot.
But… Carbink sounded so genuine. Were they really acting?
It was strange, I couldn’t explain this. Instead, I decided to take a look around.
Where was I?
I wasn’t teleported to another healing platform. It was a similar platform, but it just had the counter. On the other side of the counter, where the healing station used to be, were a handful of comfy looking plush recliner chairs. Each of their arms could expand out into a wooden tray table, and they all had cupholders.
One of the chairs had a popcorn bucket on it’s table with an image of Cyndaquil on the front. It was dark, but thanks to some lights on the floor of the platform, and some spilled pieces, I could tell that the popcorn inside was bright red. I imagined a cute little scene of a Cyndaquil using the fire on their backs to pop some popcorn! I love the little fire mouse! It’s strange, Cyndaquil and Pikachu are both meant to be mice Pokémon, but they look so different you wouldn’t even know!
Beyond the square platform was another strange terrain type. This time, I was standing in the middle of a beach! It was hotter than the savanna, but lacked the warm wind, as a nice cool ocean breeze blew past me instead! I could hear the waves in the distance, and seashells littered the area. It was getting a bit tricky to imagine all these places as battlefields within the same stadium.
No nurse was around to greet me. Even if they were, what would they say to me? I had no Pokémon for them to look at, and couldn’t be a part of the next match. Either way, if I find the battlefield, I find people. Maybe they’ll explain what’s going on.
I was about to close my eyes and try the trick the mad scientist nurse taught me, but I didn’t have to.
The air was already charged with the anticipation of battle. I could almost feel it ripple along my skin.
“Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to another Ditto Day Duel!” Called a judge. Looking to my right, I saw a man with an extremely impressive beard stationed as a battle judge, with the purple eyeball logo shirt, the red and green flags, and a Magmar at his side!
He was directly to my right, and looking around further, I appeared to be in the middle of a fucking battlefield!
And the two fighters were both familiar faces.
“This will be a one on one battle, with both challengers using their rental Pokémon! On the left, we have Calem of Vaniville Town! On the right, we have Serena, also of Vaniville Town! Both trainers have one win, and one loss under their belt! One will go home, and one will move on! Let’s give them both a mighty round of applause!”
A massive cheer exploded from the invisible audience all around us. It might have been even louder than the one before the battle between me and Sam. This battle was probably nail-biting, whoever gets defeated here is out for good.
This must have been both of their third matches, and they had the same record I did. I’m glad my match with Serena didn’t rattle her enough to cause her to lose her second fight.
This meeting felt important. Calem and Serena. I wonder if they knew each other already. Calem’s house is probably in Vaniville Town, but he hasn’t gone there yet. Maybe they’re meant to meet here, but don’t know that they’re neighbors until later.
But, why was I standing between them? Were they going to wait until I got out of the way?
“There will be no substitutions! The match gets decided when one or both Pokémon are unable to battle, or when someone from either side calls forfeit! All battle items are prohibited! Alright you two, send out your Pokémon!” The judge said, raising his green flag high into the air.
“Fennekin, let’s do this!” Called Serena enthusiastically, sending the tiny fire fox out in a flash of blue light.
“KIN!!” Called Fennekin. Her battle cry and stomp were a lot more powerful than her entrance in the wetlands.
Calem took out his Pokédex, and scanned Fennekin. When the hell did HE get a Pokédex!? Well, he was probably part of the superheroes or something, he’d have access to one. He already had a Holo Caster after all.
It’s hologram screen expanded, and it’s robotic voice buzzed to life.
“Fennekin, the fox Pokémon. Type: Fire. Code: Apparition and Ignition. These tiny foxes love playing with, and snacking on, sticks, twigs and branches. They also enjoy consuming them as snacks to fuel their internal furnace. When nearing evolution, strange psychic phenomena may occur in their vicinity. They may also begin storing a stick they are most fond of in their large, fluffy tail. The criteria they use to chose their favourite stick is unknown, but it becomes irreplaceable, and imbued with energy”
What did that code stuff mean? I remember Calem mentioning something about a code when I told him about my encounter at the airport. Was his dex modified somehow? They’re not supposed to say anything like that. Nobody other than me seemed to acknowledge it.
“Litleo! One enemy!” Called Calem, before sending out a tiny fire lion in another flash of blue light. Was Calem meant to have a Litleo? It was just a rental Pokémon, but it felt a bit odd. Shouldn’t he have a Froakie or Chespin?
Also, that battle call reminded me of what Sam had said earlier. One enemy. Was there some sort of connection there? I don’t think that’s a battle call used in the show. Is it a superhero thing? Is Litleo secretly a superhero or one in training? Was Sam a superhero too? He certainly looked like he could be one between his disguise-like outfit and his strength!
“LEO!” Called the lion cub with just as much intensity, a tiny sparks of fire coming out of their mouth.
Serena pulled out her own Pokédex, and did her scan.
“Litleo, the lion cub Pokémon. Once these hot-blooded Pokémon become strong enough to battle, they are kicked out of their prides. They say you can tell how many strong opponents they’ve faced by the size, colour, and temperature of their mane”
Serena’s Pokédex was more straight to the point, just as it was in our battle, like dex entires were supposed to be. I wonder if this Litleo was kicked out of it’s pride at some point. It’s mane was bigger than it’s normal sprite, but it was still pretty small.
I couldn’t help but feel saddened at that Pokédex entry. Being forcefully removed from your home was a bit of a sore spot right now.
A second round of cheers came from the audience as the air was filled with thick anticipation.
“Whoa! We’re from the same town!? I’ve never seen you before!” Commented Serena, with a surprised look on her face.
“Oh… yeah, I just flew in from Kanto today! I haven’t even had time to move in!” Replied Calem.
I wonder why he was in the Kanto region in the first place. It probably doesn’t really matter, it never came up in the games. A lot of them start with you moving to the actually important region from some mysterious second location you never hear about. Why not have it be the same place Ash came here from, it just fits.
A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.
“Well then, welcome to Kalos! If you’re sticking around for the whole tournament, wanna travel back together? I can give you a tour!” Said Serena to Calem. For some reason, neither seemed to have noticed me standing directly between them yet.
“Thanks for the offer, but I’ll be staying in the city for a good while. If you’re sticking around for the tournament, you should tune into my battles, they’re gonna be good” Calem responded, ending off with an antagonizing trash-talk kinda tone. His grey eyes somehow seemed to get more cloudy than normal. Was he not going back to Vaniville? Doesn’t he have to start the game there?
“Oh you’re in for it now! Hope they give you good seats when I’m done with you!” Replied Serena, matching the energy.
Something on the battlefield continued to shift. In everyone there, and the air itself. Just what was this feeling?
“Let’s have a good, clean match! Let the battle begin!” Called the ref, noticing, and swinging the green flag down.
“Uh, hey! Guys! I’m right here! Don’t start yet!” I called, finally able to speak up. I was standing in the middle of an active battlefield surrounded by two tiny animals capable of fucking breathing fire! What the hell is the ref thinking!?
Nobody acknowledged it. Nobody cared.
“Fennekin! Ember!” Called Serena, pointing forwards, directly at me.
“Ember right back!” Called Calem, with a less dramatic point, also at me.
Both embers were far more powerful that the tiny ones Fennekin used last time. They were each massive misshapen fireballs, curtains of pure, hot, deep red flames bigger than my head, and coming right for it.
“FUUUUUUUUUUCK!” I screamed as I leapt off the platform, hoping I could dodge the magical flames! What else could I do, why were they attacking me!?
I’d expected to land in soft sand, but instead, I hit the ground with a painful clang. I had landed on some kind of cold, hard metal.
I looked down, and the places I had touched the ground fizzled out, revealing a sheet of smooth metal underneath me.
I lifted myself up, and some of the sand fizzled back into reality. Well, not exactly reality…
The sand was a hologram.
I looked back up to see that I was still in the ember blast zone. The flames collided, and blasted out in a smokey explosion! It engulfed me, but I felt no heat, or damage, and the sound of the blast wasn’t as loud as it should have been either. It was like I was watching a loud 3D movie. The deep red and smoke fizzled out when it hit my face. More holograms.
“Uh… hey! Guys? What’s going on here!?” I called out, hoping that someone would hear.
Nobody responded.
I shakily stood back up to my feet, and started walking through the smoke over to Calem. If anyone knew what was happening, it was him. It had to have been the real him. He looked so real. Just like Serena, and the Pokémon.
But before I could reach him, I bumped head first into a cold, hard wall.
“Ow!” I exclaimed. In that brief instant, the world glitched, and floating in the air was smooth metal.
I put my hand to my forehead, the bump luckily having been softened slightly by the bandage Spinda had put up there earlier. Good thing I hadn’t taken it off yet.
I touched the air in front of me with my hands, but I kept hitting metal, popping into existence wherever my palm landed.
I tried walking side to side. The wall was still there. Eventually, I hit another wall, perpendicular to the first. I kept going.
The wall was a box. There was metal all around me. All the way from Calem, around the battlefield, to Serena, and back again. Cold, dark metal. I couldn’t go anywhere. There was nowhere to go.
I felt trapped. I was trapped. Where the hell was I!?
“CALEM! SERENA! ANYONE! HEY! LET ME OUT OF HERE! WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS PLACE!?” I cried, but nobody heard me.
Well, someone might have.
I heard a voice from behind me. It came from the seating platform. They must have warped in at some point.
“You joined this tournament, haven’t you checked the website? For the reasonable price of P$5400, you’ll be able to book yourself a beginner level deluxe skybox. Welcome to the skybox view, Oliver. You get to see it free of charge” They said. Their voice was incredibly similar to Sam’s. Deep, and confident. Sam’s was more muffled, of course, and slightly less rough.
I turned around to face him, and surprisingly, saw another fucking familiar face! I wasn’t expecting to ever cross his path, but since I managed to get myself trapped somewhere I wasn’t supposed to be, I was grateful to see him.
It was Blaziken Mask, in his full superhero outfit.
“THANK FUCK!!” I yelled. He just stared at me, and I couldn’t really tell through his mask, but I think he raised an eyebrow. I cleared my throat and toned it down.
“Uh… I mean, am I glad to see you! I think Alexa accidentally warped me here or something, she was acting strange. I didn’t mean to sneak into this place or anything, do you know how to use that thingy to warp me back? Also no, I haven’t checked the website. Where are people finding it?” I decided to ask, wanting to explain the situation. I assumed that this was his skybox, and he just went away for a second and came back to find me stuck here! I noticed that he already had my name. Maybe he saw one of my battles?
“Warp you back? I don’t think so. Why are you here, Oliver?” Said Blaziken Mask, with an alarming serious in his voice.
I started panicking. Did I really have to convince him of my story? I didn’t have any evidence, did I? He’s a good character, though, so it shouldn’t be too hard to convince him.
“Whoa, I didn’t come here on purpose, I promise! I just finished my second battle with a fireman named Sam, and when I got to the warp pad, this reporter named Alexa was there in place of my nurse! She took Carbink, told me to stand behind the counter and sent me here!” I said, trying to control my breathing.
Blaziken Mask stood there unconvinced. I needed evidence.
“Look there!” I said, pointing to my bowl of ice cream, which was splattered and on it’s side next to the counter, leaving a trail of ice cream right by the hero’s shoes.
“I got that ice cream after the battle! It came right from Sam’s Vanilluxe, he gave it to me after the fight! It hasn’t even had time to fully melt yet! I didn’t want to teleport at all! Please, I just want to get back, I want to see Carbink” I continued. Yeah, what was happening to Carbink right now?
Why did Alexa do this to me? She’s supposed to be trustworthy!
“You seem to misunderstand. I know you didn’t trespass into this room. However, you are still a trespasser here. Are you playing games, or have you simply forgotten?” Said Blaziken Mask, a tinge of anger being suppressed in his voice.
“Um, Blaziken Mask?” I replied, confused.
Before I could ask him anything, he continued.
“You don’t belong in this world, Oliver. The longer you stay here, the more dangerous it will be for everyone, including you. You don’t understand what your presence here means. You asked where you are? This is your coffin. If you have any care for this world, then you won’t fight back, and you will leave willingly” Said Blaziken Mask, with finality.
He raised his right foot, and stomped it down on the metal platform with a loud clang! Somehow, from the impact, a fucking circle of flames spread out, igniting the platform with growing tendrils of bright orange flames. They rose up, revealing a metal ceiling above us with their heat!
The force of the fire shockwave knocked the red Cyndaquil popcorn over, flinging pieces of popcorn everywhere. They all landed on metal, piercing through the hologram. The popcorn bucket quickie burst into flames, the smiling Cyndaquil printed on the front quickly turning into dark ash.
Even my ice cream bowl slowly started bubbling and melting! How fucking hot was that fire!? I know that steel is weak to fire in this world, but still!
“Litleo! Use Tackle!” Called Calem from behind me. I watched, frozen, as the lion cub ran through my chest, and directly into the expanding radius of flame.
The room had begun heating up like a microwave. I could feel the heat radiating off the bright flames, and could hardly even look at their brightness. Blaziken Mask just stared down at me from behind the counter, which was also melting. So were the chairs.
Some of the sand ground around the platform fizzled out, revealing the cold metal underneath. It was starting to heat up too, beginning to glow! The ceiling above the platform began to glow as well. The metal rippled, and began to deform.
Then, Blaziken Mask started slowly walking towards me, stepping right onto and over the melting counter, standing in the flames just fine. He was quickly hidden behind a curtain of dark black smoke, which rolled across the ceiling.
I finally got my voice back. It sounded afraid, even to my ears.
“W-wait! Please, think about this! I don’t know what’s going on! We can talk! If there’s a way to get home, I’ll do it! Just cool it! P-please don’t do this!” I said, finding myself backing up into the wall, and then into a corner to escape the inferno.
Blaziken Mask exited out of the fire and smoke cloud, and turned to face me.
“There’s no time. One of you needs to be gone by tonight. I’m sorry. I don’t know how to get you back to wherever your home is. This is the best I can do for you. I’ll make it quick, just close your eyes” He said, the finality in his voice rattling me to my core.
He took a deep breath in…
And launched a fucking stream of fire that put both Litleo’s and Fennekin’s embers to shame right at my face!
I somehow found the strength in my legs to fall and roll over to the side, away from the torrent. I almost got away, but the flames grazed my right arm.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!” My scream echoed around the room, over the sound of the crackling flames. It was the most painful thing I’d ever felt in my life, worse than my worst cooking accidents.
The flamethrower had connected with the corner of the wall, creating a massive and ever growing crack that had taken out a massive amount of the hologram. The bright orange flames were still burning, feasting on the metal. They were only growing, right along with the crack, threatening to engulf me.
The room must have been lit up by the holograms at first somehow. That light was quickly going out, replaced by the light of the orange flames. It coated the room in a horrible, eerie glow that reminded me of the orange light from my lantern.
It reminded me of the bear.
I could feel it. The bear’s eyes were fading into the back of my mind. He was watching me, even now.
My legs forced me to crawl my body over the smooth metal ground to the opposite corner, clutching my arm at the tricep. Tightly.
And… I heard a strange squish. My arm didn’t feel normal.
It was on fire. I flailed and rolled around to try and put it out, but it was no use.
I’ve never been on fire before, but I think it’s meant to burn your skin. That wasn’t happening.
My arm was melting like a candle, softening into goop. Droplets of flesh dripped to the ground.
Strangely, this reduced the pain.
I could still feel and control my arm just fine, but it was goopy now. It rippled and flowed. Just like the bear. The pain of the burn was reducing by the second. The flames weren’t spreading.
This wasn’t a normal fire injury. What the hell happened to me?
Was this my body? I stared down at my melting arm in horror.
“W-what have you done to me?” I asked, wondering if Blaziken Mask was behind this. “How the fuck did you do any of this!? Where’s Blaziken? Where the hell is this fire coming from!?” I said, trying to rationalize this.
He hadn’t sent out Blaziken. The fire came directly from him.
I saw Litleo and Fennekin battling amidst the flames behind him. Calem and Serena were still calling commands, but the audio system must have gotten corrupted. I could only just barely make out garbled voices beneath the static.
“Blaziken’s off taking care of the friend that you came here with. If both of you leave Kalos today, the chances of us saving everyone will be much higher” He replied. I think I heard a bit of sorrow in his voice, but I didn’t care.
He was going to kill me.
And… the friend that I came here with?
I ran it through my head. Who was he talking about? I only met three people on the plane here.
Alexa was the one who sent me to this room. I don’t know how she played into this, but she was definitely working with Blaziken Mask somehow.
Then there’s Calem. He was on Blaziken Mask’s side, right? Plus, he’s safe. He’s battling Serena right now. I can still glimpse him through the pieces of hologram that remain.
Speaking of Calem…
“Please! Listen!” I called out to the hero. It was getting hard to breathe now. It was heating up, and the smoke had coated the ceiling, and began lowering down. So much of the hologram was gone and broken.
I tried to make an appeal “I have plans to go eat at a restaurant with Calem after this! He trusts me! You guys work together, right? And there’s Spinda too! I still need to thank him! Just please, give me one more day at least! Or an hour! Anything! Let me go, don’t do this!” I cried.
It was getting harder to speak. My throat had begun to hurt, either from my screaming, or because I was starting to inhale smoke. I let out a few horrible sounding coughs. It didn’t help much.
With a terrible metal grinding noise, the entire hologram flickered off, only the glowing metal and flames remained to give us light. We were alone in the orange light. Or… was the bear here, lurking in the darkness?
“Yeah, I figured. If those two knew what I was up to, they’d try to stop me. I was very careful with who I told about this. Trust me, this is for their sakes too” Blaziken Mask replied dismissively.
Okay, so it wasn’t Alexa or Calem.
There was only one person left who I’d met on the plane here.
Was it Ash? Had he sent Blaziken to fucking attack ASK KETCHUM!? This world needs him!
“No! WHAT THE FUCK! You can’t mean Ash, right!? You didn’t send Blaziken to get him! You can’t! He actually belongs here! You’re supposed to save Ash! YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO SAVE-”
Oh no.
No.
This is the first day Ash gets to Kalos.
On his first day, he meets Clemont. He has a battle with him, and meets Team Rocket. Then, they get saved by Froakie, and rush him to the Pokémon center.
Next, Team Rocket attacks them there, and accidentally locks a device around the neck of Professor Sycamore’s Garchomp.
The pseudo-legendary flies around the city, randomly firing hyper beams. After much destruction, Ash manages to free the dragon from the device.
Then, Pikachu’s footing crumbles, and the mouse is sent tumbling towards certain doom. Ash leaps after him.
And seconds before they hit the bottom, Blaziken Mask swoops in, and saves the day.
What time is it?
Blaziken Mask is here with me right now. I’m causing him to be away.
What would happen if Blaziken Mask wasn’t around to save Ash?
…
Tears began streaming down my face as the reality of the situation had set in.
I just saw Ash this morning. The real Ash, the person I had spoke to on the plane. He talked to me about his dreams, and he was determined to improve himself.
He was real. I couldn’t see him as a character anymore.
I knew the story. I could have warned him. How could I be so stupid!?
This world is real. The damage those hyper beams is going to do will be real. What would happen if they hit anyone?
And Ash, he takes the brunt of everything. If nobody saves him, he falls from Prism Tower, and he… hits the bottom, Pikachu in his arms.
There’s about to be a disaster in Lumiose City today. I will be right in the middle of it.
Part of me wishes I’d run away when I got here. I’ve seen the Pokémon in this world. I could only imagine what a Garchomp would look like.
But that part is crushed underneath the guilt. I forgot all about it.
But I can’t feel guilty yet. Maybe I can still stop it. I can tell Blaziken mask about it, and maybe he’ll get there in time.
Plus, if I ran, what is Alexa and Blaziken Mask tracked me down? I’d also be leading them away from the city.
There was no way for me to win. Maybe I should have kept quiet. Maybe then, nobody would have figured me out.
I think Ash falls at sometime just after sunset. I don’t know how big the city is, but there’s gotta be enough time for Blaziken Mask to arrive despite being detoured with me. There has to be enough time.
“No, not Ash, obviously. You can’t fool us. we did our research on him, a powerful trainer who’s been at it for 6 years. No, I mean the faceless-” Blaziken Mask tried to calmly explain. I was hardly listening, and didn’t let him finish.
“Okay! You need to get to Prism Tower to catch Ash! No, better yet, go to Sycamore’s Lab! Protect Garchomp from Team Rocket, they put a device around her neck and she runs wild! It’s going to be a disaster and you need to save Ash! Save everyone!” I yelled. It was getting hard to talk between the smoke, which I could now strongly smell, the heat, and my face and mouth slowly softening and melting into a gooey mess.
Blaziken Mask ignited both of his legs at will somehow, and began approaching me. His footsteps glowed on the metal. The glowing orange flames roared as he got closer.
“Alexa and I know. Don’t worry, Ash and everyone else will be safe. Know that you’ve saved numerous lives today. Wherever you go next, I wish you the best”
He slowly raised his leg up for an axe kick…
And that was as far as he got.
I wasn’t able to learn what the Pokémon superhero, Blaziken Mask, truly meant. I wasn’t able to hear about his plans. I wasn’t able to know if he had truly planned to do good or evil.
He wanted me dead. I don’t know why. Maybe I could have gotten some sort of answer from him.
Instead, just as the kick began to come down towards my head, I heard a strange noise.
“Fwooooo” Came the sound, from the seating platform. It sounded like someone had blown out their birthday candles.
And with it, all the fire in the room went away, plunging the space into cold darkness.
The smoke was gone too. The air was clean again.
The feeling of the bear watching me was gone.
But the dread was even stronger.
Someone was here to join us.
Slowly, a single, dancing spire of bright red flame ignited from the ground up, like a swirling cone.
And in the center of it was a large, hunched over, shadowy silhouette. The flames provided little illumination. Much of everything else was shrouded in darkness.
They stood behind the melted counter, hands on their hips. They walked over to one of the plush recliners, the one least burnt, and sat down comfortably.
“Oh my, April Fools, Meyer! For shame! Were you really about to kill the poor crying, melting child huddled up in the corner of your cold, metal, doom chamber?” They chimed. Their voice was fucking horrifying. They must have been using some kind of voice modulation device because their voice spoke into two separate tones at once, which were both randomized every word or so! It sent chills up my spine.
Blaziken Mask didn’t say anything. I think I heard quiet, disgusting choking sounds from him. The kick never finished. Had the strange figure done something? I didn’t have the strength to call out.
“Any more orange, and you’d be winner winner bear dinner! You of all people should know that faceless, even new ones, can’t be so easily dispatched! You couldn’t finish me off from day one! And now, I’m strong enough to beat you. Don’t worry about your Blaziken, I took care of everything!” The said, followed by a haunting modulated chuckle.
Nobody else said anything.
“You should know by now what happens to those who wear a gifted crown. We’ll escape this false world, but not the way YOU want” They said. I couldn’t tell the emotions behind their voice thanks to that horrible eerie voice changer.
The message was followed by a sickening crunch, followed by the sound of creaking and cracking metal. It came from right in front of me.
The figure didn’t move a muscle. The noise came from Blaziken Mask, but it was too dark to see what happened. A horrible, rumbling vibration rattled through the floor. Had he fallen over?
I lay in place, and just stared up at the figure.
Who was this? They knew Blaziken Mask was Meyer.
Nobody is supposed to. Sycamore doesn’t piece it together until after Ash clears his fifth gym, and Meyer’s own kids, Clemont and Bonnie, learn even later, after the Kalos league!
Plus, they know. They know about the bear. Was the bear somewhere in the skybox room before the fire went out? No, nobody is able to see it.
Blaziken Mask sent his Blaziken to deal with someone who came here with me. Did they mean…
Am I not alone here?
“H-hey. Fire guy? Do you have… a face?” I asked, finding a shaky voice. It was dark, but my body felt back to normal, no dripping or anything. The fire was out. I squeezed my arms, and they felt normal.
In response, the figure snapped their fingers a few times in such a way that it looked like they were miming a lighter. After a few quick goes, tiny sparks shot out, and a small flame appeared over their thumb. It was an even brighter red than the rest of the fire, and this one had more illumination.
They slowly moved it over to their face…
And…
It wasn’t there. It was just smooth skin. The way the wavering fire light and shadow danced across the empty canvas made it look horrifying, like something out of a nightmare!
“It’s like lookin’ in the mirror, huh?” They said, with another voice modulated chuckle.
Mirrors?
“W-where’s Carbink? How did you get here!? Did you see them on your way here!?” I asked, somehow finding the guts to raise my voice!
In the brief, dark silence that followed, I began to regret my decision. Though, the figure didn’t seem to mind.
“Ah, to get attached to a strange creature so quickly. Tsk, tsk. Oliver, take a lesson, will ya? If anyone finds out for certain that you don’t have a face, THIS will happen again. I won’t always be around to help you. I know people can’t see your face, but say the wrong thing to the wrong person, and you’re dead. No second chances” They said.
Was that true? Did Alexa or Blaziken Mask manage to find out that I don’t belong here? They said they did their research on Ash. What if they tried to research me, and noticed that I was off the grid. Had they read the form that I handed into the desk guy? Did my lies on the plane come back to bite me?
Or did Calem already know, and he chose to tell them? He said he could see my face.
No, Calem saved me, right? Along with Spinda.
What if he just wanted me to let my guard down, and join the tournament to end up in their trap. Could I trust anything he’d told me? What if he’s the one who knocked me out? He was at the airport with me, and he disappeared. Could he have been tailing me, waiting for me to drop my guard?
What truly happened to the nurse who fell through the ground? Did Alexa or Blaziken Mask get rid of him for helping me?
And what about Sam? He had the knowledge to ask me if I had a face, and I admitted it to him outright. Right after that, I ran into Alexa. Would he have the time to tell anyone?
And if he didn’t just then, what’s stopping him from telling now? Or better yet, wait for nightfall, and bash my head in with the ladder he carried around?
I couldn’t ignore what was about to happen to me in this lonely metal room.
He could have even poisoned the ice cream. I wasn’t even thinking about that. Hopefully I’m okay! I ate so much of it!
I couldn’t help it. The fatigue, dizziness, nausea, and now the stress had gotten too much. I just started silently crying. The tears just fell out of my eyes, but I couldn’t move anymore.
I almost died.
What would have happened if Blaziken Mask had gotten to me, and had driven that flaming kick attack into my skull?
What would have happened if he had left, and let me slowly melt apart in that burning room as I desperately tried to hold myself together?
…
I didn’t say anything, so the figure continued.
“Carbink is fine. I’ve also taken care of Alexa, you should have seen what she wanted to do to that little rock. The police of this world are gonna have a real head scratcher on their hands when they find her, much less ol’ Meyer here! Alexa’s not actually a nurse, obviously, but I know what I’m doing. I healed Carbink back up for you. Feel free to finish the tournament if you wish, or call forfeit, and take your leave. Though, you’ll need to get to your next battle soon” They said, in a hundred voices.
What in the world had they done? I was starting to get afraid of them but… they saved me. I owed them my life. And, did they really heal Carbink?
What exactly could I trust in this world?
“Are you really…” I said, trying to word the question.
“A human?” They suggested. “A human who woke up in the Pokémon world? A person being hunted down by a creature from their mind AND multiple fictional characters? Someone who’s willing to cheat the system to save another human’s life? Someone who knows about the bear that followed you here? Yes. I have something of my own bear, actually. I’m surprised that a second human’s made their way here. I was trying to keep tabs on Ash, Serena, and Calem, and look what I found! Lucky for you, huh! MWAHAHAHAHAHAAA!” They said, ending with a bellowing laugh that sounded even louder than my scream earlier. The voice modulation made it sound robotic and chilling.
So they were another human. I wasn’t alone here. Someone else was going through the same things I was, and they had experience. How long had they been stuck in this world?
And how long had the people here been after them?
“Why did Blaziken Mask attack me? Will anyone? I already told someone about my face. That firefighter Sam, from that last battle. Is he going to come after me!?” I asked.
If I had to fight just about anyone in this world seriously, that would probably be the end of me. And that’s without whatever the fuck Blaziken Mask was doing with his fire powers. Have you seen Ash’s ridiculous strength feats!? What if I caught a Pokémon, and it found out, and attacked me? I have a feeling that battle wouldn’t end well.
“So many questions! Yeah, I was nothing but questions when I got here too, I’m sure you have a laundry list! You should probably find the answers yourself, they’ll stick better! But hey, what the hell! My answers are: I dunno why, yes absolutely everyone will, and oh yeah Sam’s right outside!” They said with their infinite voices. They also spoke in randomized tones, I couldn’t tell what they were feeling as they spoke.
Right after they finished, a massive, echoing clang bounded through the room. It came from the wall opposite me, the wall behind where the fire figure was sitting.
I had to cover my ears, but the fire shadow was unflinching. In fact, they’d grabbed some horribly burnt popcorn and began chowing down.
“Yup! My ol’ pal, Sam Ocles is already here, right on schedule! In about a few short minutes, that firefighter will bust through the wall, and if we’re still in here, well… let’s just say that I have no plans to stick around!” They said, their modulated voice sounding like they were chewing and talking at the same time.
“You… know him? And you’re worried? Didn’t you just take out Blaziken Mask?” I asked, wondering what this person’s deal was.
“Geez, more questions!? Well yeah, I know of him. Fires should know their firefighters after all. And don’t underestimate ANYONE here. Even no-name characters can be strong! This world has kinda plopped a few extra schmucks into the mix just for the extra challenge! Plus, I was only able to take out Blaziken Mask because you were around! If Meyer knew I was coming, knew more about my powers, or if you didn’t do such a good job of guilt tripping him into letting his guard down, we’d both be dead right now! Hehehehee, what a rush!” They added.
A second clang rang through the room, louder than the first. I think the wall dented a little.
“Hang on. What happens now!? We need to save Ash! He’s supposed to fall from Lumiose Tower! Blaziken Mask is supposed to catch him! What did you even do to him!?” I asked, still wary. They saved my life, but at what cost?
“Pffft-MWAHAHAHAAA! Come on Oliver, think for yourself! It’s that kinda thinking that got you into this mess! We need to save him? Yeah right, if he gets the chance, he’ll kill us! The more important someone is to the story, the more dangerous they are! You can’t trust faces when you can’t even find your own! This world isn’t a game! You’re not surrounded by your childhood heroes, or your friends. Underneath those faces are a horde of cold-blooded killers just waiting to isolate you somewhere good and punch your ticket to the Pokémon graveyard!” They said. Despite their voice changer, I knew that they were amused.
“No way, I spoke to Ash on the plane! He’s the same Ash! He’d never hurt us!” I said, not wanting to believe him.
“Oh? Didn’t you speak to Alexa on the plane too? She wouldn’t hurt you though, right? Well, I guess technically, you could say she only kidnapped you and left you for dead. Not as bad a crime, huh? For some reason, they only try to get you when you’re alone, and isolated. Off-camera, y’know! Luckily, neither of us are alone anymore! Wanna know their weakness?” They said, looking eagerly at me. Well, they had no face, so I couldn’t be sure.
“Not… really. Uh, maybe? Are they seriously all trying to kill us? That can’t be right! Blaziken Mask mentioned that Calem and Spinda would be against his plan!”
A third clang tore through the room. The wall was definitely dented in now, and each clang was getting louder, making my ears ring.
“You’re seriously gonna just trust what that guy said!? These characters will say anything to trick you! He wanted you to believe your death was for their greater good or whatever, just in case you could actually fight back! The weakness of the fake fucking people around here is the same as our weakness. It’s so much easier to die all alone, and the stupid one-note Pokémon heroes are more than willing to trap themselves for me, like a tasty meal sliding itself into my lunchbox! If I didn’t get the drop on Meyer, we’d both be barbeque right now!”
I didn’t know how to respond anymore. This was too much.
“I’m strong, but every single one of the recognizable characters here are on another level. I’ve been training to close the gap for a whole year now, trapped, dreaming of home. But now, home is in sight. For me, and for you too, Oliver!”
“I… I can get home? Is that possible?” I managed to ask.
“Oh yes! Now we’re getting somewhere! Yeah, it’s possible to get home, and it’s possible for you to kill that awful mushy bear too! Gods, that thing looks gross! In fact, if we work together, it’ll go faster!”
A fourth clang interrupted them. This one was even louder, and the metal was starting to give. Thin rays of light streamed in from gaps in the back wall.
“We don’t have much time now. I’ll explain later. For now, just lay low. Don’t mention anything too important to anyone. ANYONE. Especially anyone you recognize from the game or show. There’s a way to get home, but if you want to do that, you have to be ALIVE! And to do that, we need to erase a couple of names from the character roster, y’know! Can’t have them mucking about, ruining our plans!” They said, with definitely too much enthusiasm, and while still eating more burnt popcorn.
“Just continue the tournament, stay safe, and if you can, lure a couple of important characters down a dark alleyway or something! If you find yourself in danger, do that too! I have eyes and ears everywhere. I’d gladly risk my neck for a pal! Once they’re alone, with or without their Pokémon, I’ll handle everything, even the mystery crafting! Oh, I can’t wait to follow the detective on this case!”
“This… case?” I cautiously commented. I was too shocked to say much else.
“Yeah! What? You think I can make bodies disappear? Not in this world! No, they’re gonna get a GOOD detective or two on this one! The longer it takes them to trace either of us back here, the better! You’re in good hands, no need to worry! I’d be surprised if YOU even manage to figure it out before I get you home! If we’re lucky, we can lure out the only detective in this world that really matters, and once he’s in the open, I can track him! After all, this world will surely want to know the identity of the fireball who took out every last major character in one tiny little night! Heheheheee!” They said, their emotions coming through loud and clear despite their horrendous cacophony of voices.
I could hardly take it all in.
“Every… last… character?” I asked, more repeating what they said than trying to engage.
“Duh! You know this season of the show, right? All we gotta do is kick back, relax, and watch the two biggest threats to our lives willingly swan dive off the tallest tower in Kalos and- SPLAT!!! No more Ash or Pikachu! With their importance, taking them out normally would be a nightmare! Geez, plot armour is such a pain, but working around it is so much fun! And it doesn’t even stop there! I have no clue what Serena is doing here, but she starts her journey when she sees the live feed of Ash saving the day! I wonder what would happen to her drive if she got front row tickets to the love of her life’s final battle? I’ll be watching for her reaction, of course!”
A fifth clang echoed through the room, followed by the sound of groaning and cracking metal. The wall was beginning to give way. Through a few small holes, I could see him. Sam. His dark firefighter outfit looked much more sinister than it did during our first meeting.
Was he working away at that strong wall so he could get in here? To finish what Blaziken Mask started?
And the fire figure… they sounded insane. But, they saved me. I trusted the wrong people, and they picked up the slack. They knew so much more than I did about this world. A whole year in a place like this… what would that do to me?
“Who… are you?” I decided to ask the fire figure.
“Glad you asked! I wasn’t done! From now on, you can call me… Blaziken Mask!”
Somehow, the fire overtop their body shifted, and slowly, Blaziken Mask’s outfit faded onto his body.
“Tadaaa! I’m heeeere! Blaziken Mask in the flesh! Defender of justice and destroyer of popcorn! I even give out wearable campfires, free of charge! Think about it, if they find Meyer here, we’ll get to take out Clemont and Bonnie too! With Ash gone, it’ll probably already stop their journey in it’s tracks, but Lumiose City is important to getting home! Can’t have either of those two mucking around!” Their voice began to wiggle and shift, until it was a perfect match for Blaziken Mask. The disguise was eerily close.
“Well, the firefighter’s cue is in a couple of seconds, so let’s wrap this up. I also have something planned for Calem. Don’t worry, he won’t try anything during your battle. Yeah, the tournament is still on. In fact, it’s part of your alibi! good luck with your next match! Carbink will be waiting for you! Oh, what I wouldn’t give to see Calem’s face when he listens to my message! Pay close attention to the difference between fake and real faces. You’re in for a treat, Oliver! See you soon, and look out for the sky dragon!! MWAHAHAHAHAAAA!!!”
The fake Blaziken Mask’s evil laugh was blended with the sound of rushing wind as the entire world began to spin around me. With a final, muffled clang, the metal wall gave way.
More light entered the metal skybox, and the rays began touching our side of the room.
And… laying face up on the seating platform, slumped over the melted remains of the counter, was a man.
I only saw him briefly in the blurry, twisting world. He had short brown hair that wrapped around into a short, brown beard. He wore a dark navy blue t-shirt underneath light grey overalls with yellow buttons. His head was slumped back, facing me. Glassy, brown eyes seemed to stare directly into mine.
It was Meyer. The real Meyer. But, he didn’t look real right now.
The light, darkness, and metal shrapnel all blended together in a greyscale kaleidoscope.
Then, in an instant, it all faded to black.