Chapter 29- Brutal

Nexon’s art of battling(?)

A battle is as much between the trainers as it is between the Pokemon. (Deep!)

I just got my Basic badge from Cheren. The fight itself was easy but it also showed me that the battle is not only between the Pokemon. Trainers are also involved in something like psychological warfare, trying to confuse your enemy where you can. Him calling for Psychic to a Herdier definitely threw me for a loop, and seeing he meant Psychic Fang opened a new way of fighting. I need to see what I can do with that.

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I jolted awake with a start, completely drenched in cold sweat. My first action as I did so was to check my legs, arms, and neck for any sign of a red snake or chain. It was a disorienting sensation not knowing whether it was a dream or reality. Once I made sure that there was nothing red on me I collapsed back on the bed. The sticky sensation from the sweat was unpleasant but I had neither the strength nor the will to do anything about it.

It also seemed that I woke up my partners since both of them made their way closer to me not long after I laid back down. I even spotted Tia’s head peaking over the edge of the bed. In the end, it was their presence that grounded me back to reality.

That was by far one of the worst nightmares I ever had…

I lay there for a while, trying to go back to sleep. Yet every time I tried it was a yawning void that greeted me. after trying, and failing to fall back asleep I decided that a shower was the best way to spend my time. My Pokemon looked at me, none of them able to fall back asleep. The only saving grace is that I at least didn’t wake Mathew up.

The shower did help me clear my mind, but it also made clear that there was no going back to sleep for me. I stealthily made my way out of our room, the only light at my disposition was the screen of my phone. As I walked toward the door the three of them decided to follow me out. Not that I would complain since I would very much welcome the company.

It was still too early to see anything in the corridor but without the risk to wake Mathew up, I turned on my flashlight and made my way toward the lobby. There, at least there was some light, and one clerk who gave me raised eyebrows while I simply waved that everything was fine. He shrugged and went back to his reading.

The storm was still above us but at least the worst of it seemed to have passed. It actually seemed bearable now. It was then that I decided that a walk would be more than welcome. Skoll looked horrified at the idea while Tia looked ecstatic and Nike was simply concerned. I wasn’t surprised since as a psychic type she most likely felt my panic when I woke up.

Going for a walk also meant that I had to go back to the room to get changed into heavier clothes. While I was at it, I grabbed my fancy pair of glasses that were about to see their first uses for their intended purpose. I was also glad that I decided to grab the mask that came with it back then because I had no scarf to cover my mouth.

Once I was ready I retreated to the entrance and let the guy there know that I was just stepping outside. He did look at me like I was crazy but in the end, he nodded once I told him that it was just so my companions don’t get worried. Tia was the first to reach the outside, happily stomping ahead. Skoll hesitated for a while before deciding to stick with us. Nike had already made her way onto my neck taking advantage of her small size to nestle in my hood.

I was glad that I already fixed the mask to the goggles before exiting because even if the wind was more subdued, it was still enough that the grain of sand would get irritating. Stepping out felt like taking a shower only instead of water it was sand. Not very pleasant.

Yet the empty streets are exactly what I needed right now. Locating an empty bench near the entrance, I made my way to it, trying to gather myself. The scene kept repeating in my head, alternating between looking for hidden meanings or convincing myself that it was just a dumb dream.

I am sure it was just a dream…but… Red Chains… If I remember, didn’t the madman from Team Galactic try to use it to control Dialga and Palkia? And a Pokemon from Hisui popping out of seemingly thin air. But then why would the chain try to bind me? As far as I know, I control neither Time nor Space nor am I a Pokemon. It must be just a nonsensical dream after all…

I let out an uncomfortable breath that I noticed I was holding. The next few minutes are spent trying to enjoy myself with my Pokemon surrounding me. Tiamat seemed to be marching at her own drum and generally having fun. Skoll is the most miserable one and uses my body as a protection against the element while Nike is almost back to sleeping.

I heard the doors of the Pokemon Center open and when I turned my head, I was surprised to see the old Absol slowly making his way toward us. I watched him gingerly making his way toward us. The leg that had the gash on it was treated with more care as his walk seemed lopsided. What’s more surprising is that he is slowly making his way straight toward me.

I can’t lie, my heart did skip a beat. It didn’t matter that I knew they were just myths, Absol is an intimidating Pokemon. I hate to admit it but with their appearance coupled with their ability, I could understand how the rumors took root. Yet that uncertainty was just fleeting. In addition, when none of my Pokemon reacted I knew that nothing would happen.

The old Pokemon simply made his way toward us. Once he reached me, we held each other’s gaze for a short while and I couldn't help but stare at him intently. His gaze seemed almost…sympathetic? After fixing me, he jumped onto the space next to me. He was opposite Skoll, meaning exposed to the wind yet he didn’t seem to mind. Unhesitatingly, he laid his head on my thigh before seemingly going back to sleep.

“Well, at least one of us is relaxing,” I said failing to suppress a chuckle.

Who would have thought that fearsome Absol would be just cuddling with a random trainer? If not for my inability to do so, I would have pulled out my phone to memorialize it. Without even paying attention, I started to pet the so-called disaster Pokemon. His fur was surprisingly soft and I could only assume that the people from the quiet Village were taking care of them. It sounded like Absol were maybe something similar to a mascot.

Thanks to an additional fluffy creature, my mood soon stabilized. The dream was still in my mind but there was nothing I would be able to do about it. Except maybe on the lookout for red snakes. Is there even a Pokemon like that?

My musings were interrupted by a growling and looking down Absol was the one that initiated it, shortly followed by Skoll. Yet surprisingly, they weren’t growling at each other but rather something in the air. At that moment, the storm that seemed to have calmed down until now picked back up stronger than ever. The lighting and thunder intermingled to create a disastrous symphony that drowned the senses.

Yet Absol was still growling at my side, his teeth now fully exposed. Skoll was also growling but it seemed to be more out of fear. Then dozens of shadows materialized around me, all growling. No, not shadows but Absol. A dozen of Absol appeared from seemingly nowhere, all growling and generally being aggressive.

A flash of lightning split the sky.

By now, even I realized that something was afoot. Tia was back next to me and also seemed to do her best to seem intimidating. With the new arrival, Skoll found his courage back and his features contorted. Yet the most noticeable for me was Nike since I sensed her going from sleepy to alert as psychic power churned.

Lightning stroke in the distance.

One of the Absol slowly backed up to my side and started to push me toward the entrance. All the while with its gaze locked onto the sky. The old Absol no longer looked as frail, but rather seemed about ready to rip the first thing in front of him. I finally decided to follow their gaze and see the origin of their outburst.

A brilliant arc illuminated the sky.

Only this time I saw it. Floating calmly in the middle of the raging winds, a figure, simply observing the situation. At first glance, I mistook it for a part of the sandstorm. With the visibility reduced, I could barely make out forms.

Another bolt hit, closer than previously.

There, illuminated by the fleeting light caused by lighting, a figure stood. A humanoid figure watched, arm crossed on its chest. Piercing orange eyes followed our retreat. Even though I could see the horns, a Pokemon of that shape in the desert, there could be one option but…

There is no fucking way this is Landorus right?

Truth be told, I was unwilling to go back out just to be sure of it. As soon as I crossed the door, I picked up Tiamat and bolted further in. The clerk looked at me like I was crazy, but that was the least of my current worries.

For a solid 5 minutes, the Absol were still outside posturing against a freaking legendary Pokemon. That alone was madness. But was the entire storm the doing of Landorus? There was no way right.

By the time my heartbeat calmed down, any thoughts of the nightmare had all but vanished from my mind, replaced by the most recent events. Soon after, the old Absol walked back into the Pokemon Center, almost nonchalantly. It locked eyes with me before coming closer and continued afterward toward the indoor arena. Did it try to console me? That was definitely an experience.

“Well kid, looks like the patriarch took a liking to you.” The clerk finally spoke up.

“The patriarch?” I asked, feeling overwhelmed by the series of actions since waking up. Or even since going to sleep.

“Ya, the old guy.” He clarified. “Some people say that it’s only thanks to him that the village still stands. Who knows if you are lucky, he might let one of his brats travel with you- Argh!”

Before he finished his sentence, he jumped in fright before cursing under his breath and stomping his feet. I was about to ask what happened when an Absol jumped over the counter while snickering to itself.

“Meet one of the brats in question and personal bane.” He said while lunging to catch the dark type, only for it to jump on his head.

It was still laughing and the sight of the clerk faceplanting seemed to amuse him even more. The man rubbed his nose and decided that his best option was to ignore the Pokemon.

“Does it happen often? An Absol following a passing trainer I mean.”

“Meh, from time to time. He is still very protective of his clan,” he continued unperturbed by the Pokemon swatting at his hand.

I tried my best to continue the conversation, if only as a distraction, but eventually, we ran out of topics to broach. My Pokemon were still trying to distract themselves as well, since they essentially bore the presence of the legendary, even if they were partially shielded. Well, there was one exception in Tiamat who was almost star-eyed and that was perhaps the most emotions she showed yet. I guess that would make sense given the common ground type.

In the end, I decided that eating was a better use of our time. By now there was no going back to sleep for me, at least not anytime soon. Just as we were done and about to head for a training session, a new voice sounded.

“That’s one heck of a storm, isn’t it?” a male voice asked

When I turned around, I saw a young guy about my age, making his way toward me.

“Tell me about it,” I answered. The storm hadn’t calmed down since it picked back up.

“Sorry to be upfront but do you mind a battle? I don’t think I’ll be able to go back to sleep with that storm.” He said while also eying my Pokemon.

I was a bit taken aback by the abrupt request but after thinking about it there was no issue. If anything, a good battle is something I needed.

“Sure, I was actually about to get some training so might as well,” I answered with a smile.

“Neat! What do you of two on two with no switches?”

“Works for me.”

“Ahem! Do you guys need a referee?” the clerk asked looking hopeful.

Once we agreed, a huge smile split his face, and hurriedly pulled out a sign that said, ‘Referee duty’. I almost chortled when I saw the sign, but it did make sense that they had one prepared for situations like this. With that, we all made our way to the training area. The same old Absol was relaxing again, only this time he was not alone and two more were next to him.

Once we got in position, the referee quickly asked if we were ready, and we sent out our Pokemon. Unfortunately, I was already at a disadvantage given that he saw all of my Pokemon but there was nothing to it.

From my side, I sent Nike in the hope that the excitement of the battle would give her a breakthrough for Misty Terrain. Once I saw the Pokemon he selected I winced. This wasn’t going to be pretty and I didn’t say that for me. Of all the Pokemon he could have sent, he selected a Croagunk. Yet he seems oddly pleased with himself as if he did a big brain move. I couldn’t help but sigh discreetly.

The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

Another one who thinks Nike is a Fairy type. Well, might as well use it to my advantage.

It was surprisingly common for people to mistake Nike for a fairy type, or even a fairy and psychic type. Heck, even I made the mistake when she hatched and was only reminded by the dex entry. But it would also be useful. I quickly changed my expression by frowning slightly.

“Nike, we are going for this. Use Disarming Voice.”

“Poison Sting!”

The commands were issued within a fraction of a second of the other and the Pokemon did not need more encouragement than that. Both attacks flew out nearly instantaneously and collided mid-air. That honestly would have been fine if the attack used by Nike hadn’t been sound-based.

While it is possible to break the stream of an attack like Flamethrower, just because the attack collided didn’t mean that the sound would stop. Especially a wide-range attack like Disarming Voice. That isn’t to say that the attack continued unimpeded however since the brunt of it had already been nullified. The remnant of the attack was still enough to force Croagunk to cover the holes he used as ears but nothing more.

“If that doesn’t work, set the field!” my opponent shouted.

That made a genuine frown appear on my face because I had no idea what it meant. But when I saw globules of poison lobed off in the air I understood. The move was not targeted at Nike herself but rather at the field on our side as I recognized Toxic. However…

“Send it back.” I declared even if it was unnecessary.

Nike was already frowning and a sort of Psychic film formed on the batch of the Toxic before it was sent back to the source as Magic Bounce activated. As much as I enjoyed the look of confusion on the guy’s face, the battle was not a simple one but rather one where I was trying new things.

“Misty Terrain!” I called out

“Don’t let her.”

As Nike focused on gathering the fairy power inside her and spreading it around, a dark sphere erupted with Croagunk at its center, quickly followed by mocking laughter echoing through the entire arena. Yet contrary to the trainer’s expectations, the Taunt only affected his Pokemon as Nike’s antenna shone briefly. That was an interesting interaction since I had no explanation of how that would work. I could only attribute it to Type Energy, or maybe Infinity Energy, or whatever else existed.

Regardless of the why, Nike continued to try and spread her influence on the arena as if nothing had happened. That, however, was cut short by the Croagunk stomping his feet and charging forward under the effect of the taunt.

“Whatever! Knock her out with Poison Jab!” My opponent shouted in frustration. At least he was fast enough to adapt to his Pokemon’s reaction, I will give him that.

“Abort and dodge to the side. Mystical Fire!”

Finally raising her head, the Croagunk was already upon her, and with a mighty croak, proceeded to send her flying with a fist coated in poison.

“Nike! Are you ok?” I asked worriedly after she landed.

The focus needed to try and pull off the Terrain was too much to use even in a training match like this one. So, for now, I will have to shelve that. Thankfully, she slowly stood up from where she was lying. However, all was not ideal since I could already see her panting, her fragility to physical blow once more showing itself.

Even if it was for training, there is no need to have her exhaust herself. I guess it’s time to get serious.

“Nike you can continue right?” I asked a bit worried I decided that too late.

“Hate!” she answered in a forceful voice.

I smiled as I felt her determination wash across our bond. It was time to reciprocate. I nodded at my opponent as a thanks for not attacking anymore, which he answered with a nod of his own. It was only courtesy to let him get the next move, which he quickly grasped.

“Croagunk, once more with Poison Jab!” he pointed forward.

It seemed he quickly noticed Nike’s weaker physical aptitude and decided to take advantage of it. Too bad he wouldn’t get the chance to act on it. Nike stood at the ready, mind fixed on the opponent in front of her. I patiently waited for the moment they wouldn’t be able to react before issuing my command.

“Now! Psybeam, Rapid Fire!”

The Croagunk was already in reach and had even reared up its arm in preparation for the punch, but alas, he only hit the ground. Before the hit could connect, Nike had disappeared in a flash of purple light and was now standing behind the attacking poison type. Before it could turn around, three beams of psychic energy slammed into its back and sent it sprawling to the ground.

That was a demonstration of why type advantage, while not always relevant, was a factor to never neglect when in a battle. With three psychic attacks, even if they were more centered toward speed rather than power, were more than enough to deal with the dual poison and fighting type.

“Croagunk is unable to battle. Send your next Pokemon when ready.” The clerk announced.

Croagunk disappeared back in his capsule in a flash of red while Nike stood uncharacteristically serious. My opponent for his part fixed his Pokeball before he finally spoke up.

“She is not a fairy type, is she?” He asked. It was clear that it was a rhetorical question, but I still answered.

“Not yet.” I shook my head. “Only her final evolution is fairy/psychic”

For half a second after I was done, I regretted telling him that since he could deduce her type from there. Very few Pokemon completely change type when evolving after all. The next instant, I reminded myself that this was just a friendly match, not a gym battle or anything like that. Sure, it meant that if we fought again in the future, he would be more prepared, but he would certainly have searched for it online.

And obviously, the guy caught on as a peculiar glint entered his eyes. “ Well, it is only fair that I now strike back. It's your turn, Haunter!”

Well, that’s not good.

Out of the thrown balls came an ethereal Pokemon. The ghost-like entity was mostly purple, with two bony, clawed hands that seemed to be levitating on their own accord, given that they were not even attached to the body. Overall, it gave the impression that the Pokemon was nothing but an apparition rather than a real creature.

As soon as it appeared, a red, oversized tongue poked out of its mouth and its smile seemed to split its face in two. Two eyes stared in different directions as it made one of the most horrific grimaces one could imagine before chuckling to itself, bursting into laughter soon after. It was the embodiment of the word ‘ghost’.

Despite her best effort to appear composed, a bit of unease leaked out from my bond with Nike. It was after all her first real experience against a ghost type. It was, after all, one of the types the most complicated to train due to their very nature. Gengar itself is said to often drag children to the underworld. Even if their habits of feeding on life force are frequently exaggerated, it doesn’t hide the fact that they are some of the most unpredictable Pokemon types. In that vein, Dragon, Fairy, and Dark types are also often considered hard.

I did my best to send a soothing feeling to Nike, and at least her fear receded and slowly was replaced by a sort of grim determination.

“Begin!”

“Psybeam!” I called instantly, unwilling to let them take control of the rhythm.

“Lick!” came the voice of my opponent.

Nike lost no time, sending a fully powered Psybeam in the direction of her opponent. Yet to our combined frustration, the ghost simply laughed as it leisurely swayed left and right, dodging and ducking under the psychic beam. Then all of a sudden, he moved straight to the ground and disappeared. Of course, I knew that it simply merged with its shadow, going from a 3D plane to a 2D, but before I could call out to Nike, it was already emerging from behind her.

In an amused fashion, it taped on her right side, causing her to swivel in a hurry and redirect the beam. By the time she turned, it was already on her left, and faster than she could react, its tongue stretched out, wreathed with the telltale sign of Ghost type energy, before dragging it across her. Even from my position, I could see Nike shiver as the ghostly energy spread out, even interrupting her focus on her attack.

I am just glad that she is not a Hatterene yet…

“Get out of there with Teleport!” I shouted to break through to her.

“Mean Look!”

Before Nike could recover and initiate her Teleport, an ominous light shone in the eyes of the Haunter- That was still laughing by the way- before it shot out and enveloped Nike briefly before it burst outward.

Unfortunately for the guy, Nike just demonstrated why their line can be considered monstrous if they wanted to set up: nearly everything you could do to stop them would backfire on you. My best explanation for what happened was that even while being unfocused, she still activated her Magic Bounce, even if it didn’t bounce back. Something like a knee-jerk reaction.

It would be interesting to see if we can figure out a way to stop it from happening.

As soon as she was fit enough to react, She disappeared in another Teleport that got her out of the way.

“Hex!”

“Dodge to the side!” I said once I realized that she was too winded after her emergency Teleport.

As soon as she dived to the side, Ghost type energy gathered where she had just stood and quickly collapsed onto itself. That was a nasty move and I was only glad that it didn’t have any existing affliction to latch onto. Still, the control of the battle had significantly shifted and Nike was busy avoiding attacks instead of counterattacking. What’s more, I could feel the frustration that kept on building.

“Steady!” I called out to try and refocus her. “Grab him confusion!”

While the move had faded in usefulness since learning Psybeam, it was one I took care to often come back to, if only for its versatility. With minimal delay, Nike finally got a hold of the elusive ghost during one of its slip-ups. And it wasn’t an opportunity we would pass on.

“Psybeam, full power!” I called out.

While making her best impression of a certain Jedi who fell to the dark side, the tip of her hat slowly started to shine more and more with psychic power as she charged her attack for maximum effect. If one blow was all we could get, it would be one hell of a blow. The Haunter did try to free itself from the psychic hold under the direction of its trainer, but once more Nike’s training was a plus since it needed her to multitask. Using two moves at once was taxing, but doable. Finally, her most powerful Psybeam yet was unleashed in a brilliant ray of purple. Once it hit-

“Protect! Now!” before the ray could cover the distance that separated the two Pokemon, a globe of energy quickly formed and expanded, with the space between Haunter’s hand as the origin.

In an impressive display of mastery over the move, it quickly expanded and covered its own body while pushing back on the psychic energy holding it, before finally solidifying into the impregnable barrier around the user. The Psybeam smashed into the orb with a surprisingly violent clash, sending some smaller beams to the sides and pushing the Haunter back. Yet ultimately it was not enough and the barrier held.

An exhausted, but unscathed Haunter floated in the air, almost mockingly while Nike watched on.

“Punch now!” its trainer shouted.

“Mov-”

Before I could call out the command the Haunter made its move. Nike was no fool and even without my advice she jumped to the side. That was ultimately useless when the attack emerged from her own shadow.

Instead of rushing forward as you would expect from a ‘punch’ the Haunter quickly made its way toward the ground before coating his fist in energy and launching it toward its own shadow, only for a similar occurrence to play out in reverse when the Shadow Punch emerged from underneath her and sent her soaring in the air before she crashed back on the ground..

Come on Nike! You are not done yet!

I hid my uncertainty and tried encouraging her through the bond, but only silence greeted me back, not even a whisper of will. She was still conscious as I saw her twitching and trying to stand up. But she was completely dazed and drained of energy.

“Riolu! Rio! Lu!” Skoll called out from the sidelines in what I could only interpret as… Scolding? I didn’t speak Pokespeak, but his serious face and crossed arm gave me the interpretation.

“Tapinch pinch-pinch trapinch.” Tia also spoke up. For one of the rare times she did, she was definitely more comforting.

I watched as the clerk analyzed the situation to determine if she was fit to continue or not. He was not a referee by trade, so some hesitation was normal. Skoll returned to watch the match in silence while Tia continued to frequently clack her jaws. Seeing them, there was only one option left for me as their trainer, and most of all, her partner. I let my less important thoughts fade in the background and focused on the single emotion that mattered now.

A quiet confidence.

My opponent was patiently waiting as well but held his Pokemon back while waiting for the verdict. Finally, the man seemed to judge that it was enough and was about the call the round when a hair/limb propped itself on the ground. Tiamat redoubled her clacking while Skoll smirked. I only maintained my confidence in her. She was a bundle of joy but also a stubborn piece of work.

Still shaking, she held strong. The first limb righted itself. Closely followed by the second one. Finally, she made her declaration.

“Hatennaaaa!”

And the world responded.

She did not even finish her declaration that a brilliant light enveloped her body. As much as I would like to say that I acted composed, I was probably grinning from ear to ear like an idiot. Her pseudo-limb made of hair elongated until her feet lost contact with the ground, and kept going. the hair that was previously covering her eyes puffed out while her signature hat adapted itself, losing its previous nub and resembling a more stereotypical witch hat. Last but not least, out of the hat her body grew. From being mostly head and feet, a full torso emerged, and two nubby arms extended from the torso.

“Hattremmm!”

In one final burst, the light scattered and revealed the new form of Nike, no longer a Hatenna but a Hattrem. And what a glorious Pokemon she was.

“Congratulations Nike! You are now Hattrem!” I spoke excitedly, my voice surprisingly hoarse.

“Hatree” came an energetic cry from the newly evolved Pokemon.

“How about? Still ready to go?” I asked, still grinning.

“Trem!” she declared while taking a fighting stance. It was more cute than threatening.

The poor clerk simply looked on with a smile before calling for us to continue.

“Haunter don’t let them fool you. They are still at the end of their rope. Finish it with Shadow Punch!” My opponent shouted, yet a new edge could be heard in his voice.

But he was right. All of that just now was just false bravado. Evolution was almost a miraculous occurrence from my point of view, but it was far from a miracle. Wounds didn’t heal. Energy didn’t replenish. She was still very much as tattered as she was before. But she was much stronger and most of all, faster and with a new trick.

“Charge at it! Protect.” I declared.

One thing about Hattrem is the deceptive speed she had. Sure, she was far slower than a Haunter, but compared to Hatenna it was miles better. And her new braids held more power than even I expected. In a fluid motion, she dashed forward catching the laughing ghost type off guard. Even when it tried to hasten its speed after noticing the change Nike was prepared. In a move straight out of Arnold’s playbook, she went airborne in a massive leap after gathering enough speed. And once there, the protective barrier quickly manifested and solidified.

The shadow punch impacted the barrier and slightly changed her direction upward, but it was irrelevant since it played into our hand. We did a lot of research when we considered rushing for the evolution and one of our findings was that much as I remember, all Hattrem learn a new move upon evolution. It was almost instinctual. With the momentum for the run and the upward boost from the punch, she was positioned just above her opponent.

“Use Shadow Punch! Direct!” this time the edge was more than audible, it was visible.

It was interesting that the move could be used directly, but right now, it didn’t matter. The move that Hattrem learned was super effective in this match-up. Some would even say it was Brutally effective.

Haunter’s fists were wrapped in the same ghostly energy as before but instead of aiming for the ground, his target was a direct shot for Nike. But before I said anything, Nike’s fist-like braids shone in a light they had never shone before. A dark and ominous light. I didn’t need to call the move, yet…I started to understand Burgh’s point. Who doesn’t like theatrics?

“Brutal Swing.”

Taking full advantage of Roxie’s advice on using the interaction of type energy, Nike’s braids smashed against the fist launched by the Haunter. She did take damage, but the Dark type energy coating them meant that she was taking significantly less damage than if she didn’t use it. As if showing that previous clashes were just the beginning, every hit she dished sped up the next. Before any of us trainers could react, she had started spinning on herself and raining blow after blow until they melded together.

To his credit, Haunter held on for a good while, answering with a barrage of his own shadow fists. They blurred and launched to the point where I was expecting him to start shouting “Ora ora” repeatedly. But as valiant as his efforts were, once Nike started resembling a vertical spinning top, he was quickly overwhelmed. And when that happened, Nike was quick to send him crashing against the ground with a final hit on the head.

The dust of cloud that rose from the impact hid the view of the result from us trainers, yet I could feel the mix of emotions through our bond. Jubilation, gratefulness, and an overpowering sense of pride and accomplishment washed over me.

Once the dust settled, the Haunter was completely unconscious while Nike laid on the ground. She was conscious but completely drained of energy. I was even surprised that she managed to hang on that long. Once the result was clear beyond doubt, the referee marked the end of the battle.

“Haunter is unable to battle. The victory goes to Nexon and… his Pokemon.” He said hesitating at the hand.

That was finally the limit of my patience as I dashed forward to my partner.

“Nike! You did it! You actually did it!” I exclaimed while trying, and failing, to suppress a laugh of pure joy.

“Ha- hattrem.” She called out weakly.

Then she passed out.