Chapter 17 - vs Rey

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Celeste stood on one side of the small beachside battlefield. As usual, Aria was by her feet, ready to take down the world.

The morning had kicked off on a high note—confidence high, breakfast down, and a brief chat with Nurse Joy before heading to the beach for the battle. Yet, the moment she spotted the gathering crowd, her heart did a wild leap toward her throat.

Rey sidled up, slinging an arm around her. “You don’t mind the public, do you, Celeste?” he asked. His smile was smug and his eyes glinted. “Mother and I are trying to attract more trainers to our shop, so we are doing some demonstration battles with discounted ice cream. A great trainer like you can handle a few spectators, right?”

Glancing around the arena, Celeste bit her lip. Crowds. Great. She could totally—absolutely—handle them.

…Probably.

“If it’s too much, we don’t need to battle. You can always apologise. Your friend’s job will be safe and…” Rey pulled her closer and whispered in her ears, “I can think of a few ways you can make it up to me.”

Celeste opened her mouth, but closed it again, choosing instead only to wiggle herself away. “Lets just get this over with,” she muttered.

Rey’s laughter rolled smoothly as he sauntered off to his battle position.

The public around was loud, but not all that enthusiastic. Their lazy stares drifted over and their chatter skirted anything but the match. Luckily, their equal disinterest in Rey and Celeste eased the tension. Still, it was nice to see Delia’s encouraging smile among all the other faces. Surprisingly, Luan stood by her side.

“I’ll officiate.” Olga stepped into view, as commanding as a Salamence, her Vanilite equally daunting. She crossed the arena, standing firmly between the two. “Three-on-three. No switching. First to knock out the opponent’s team wins.” Her gaze fixed on Celeste, expectant.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out.

She felt frozen.

Though Celeste had been with Aria for some time, their battling experience was limited to a single friendly match back home—against her buddy Rai-Rai and his Trapinch. They’d lost, sure. But it had been no biggie. The only one watching was Professor Magnolia, and it was all in good fun. The worst she suffered was losing remote control rights, doomed to watch Lyra and her Raboot take on Gym Leader Kabu.

“Celeste.” Olga’s voice cut through, sharp and impatient.

She snapped back, focusing on her breath. Her cheeks flushed, but she managed a slow nod. Whatever you say, she thought, but held her tongue.

“Very well.” Olga turned her stern gaze on her son. “No funny business, understood?”

Rey laughed, and Celeste cringed.

“Don’t worry, Mother. This won’t take long.” He plucked a pokéball from his belt. “Shall I entertain our customers a bit? Seems fair, given my opponent’s… shortcomings.”

Olga merely narrowed her eyes at him. Celeste bit back words, her jaw tightening. Yes, she’d lost before, felt nervous as heck now, but she was ready for this.

“I’ll pick first,” Rey declared with a smug grin, “as a gentleman should.”

The crowd clapped half-heartedly as Rey juggled his Pokéball, tossing it lightly before finally letting his Pokémon out. He flashed a cheeky wink at the crowd, snagging a few more unenthusiastic claps.

This is not a goddamned contest, Celeste wanted to shout. Instead, she let out a strained, high-pitched giggle.

Breathe iiiiin. Breatheeee ooooout. Breeeeathe in. Breatheeee ooooout.

Across the field, Rey’s Pokéball opened, and out popped a tiny green Pokémon. Surprisingly, it wasn’t the fearsome beast she expected but a harmless looking plant. Armless and adorable, it bounced around, its leafy neck ruffling and eggshell cap dancing.

“Capsaa!” it squeaked, letting its single tooth peek from its beak.

A grass Pokémon that looked young, huh?

Celeste’s fingers brushed against Powder’s Premier Ball. It was cool and smooth under her touch. An ideal match for her Vulpix, yet… should she risk it? No. Powder wasn’t battle-ready. She glanced instead at the Eevee by her side, giving her a nod.

Aria was the better choice. An easy win to take the lead. Heck, if all Rey’s Pokémon were like this, her Eevee might sweep the match all on her own.

Aria sprang into the field as Olga lifted her hands high. “Battle…” Her voice boomed, then with a sharp drop of her arms, she commanded, “begin!”

Breathe in. Breathe out. In. Out. Breatheeee.

“Moody, Sunny Day,” Rey commanded without hesitation. His Pokémon twirled, radiating a golden aura that spiralled skyward, intensifying the sunlight above them.

Celeste squinted against the sudden brightness. She needed to keep focus and not waste time. “Aria, use Swift,” she called, hoping to maintain distance and minimise danger.

“Counter with Bullet Seed,” Rey snapped back instantly.

Great. Celeste barred her teeth, watching the Grass-Type pelt Aria’s starry barrage with seeds that burst on impact, kicking up a cloud of sand that enveloped Pokémon, trainers, and spectators alike.

The absence of any protective barrier was irritating.

She coughed, her eyes stinging as she strained to make out the battlefield. When that failed, she tried to recall what she knew about the opposing Pokémon. Capsakid was clearly a Grass-Type. The image of Capsakid Seasoning flashed in her mind—her dad’s favourite condiment. Was that helpful? Not in the slightest.

“Again!” Rey’s command sliced through the sandy haze. His voice was loud, but calm. He wasn’t waiting for it to clear, it seemed.

Prompted by his command, the Capsakid unleashed another volley of seeds. Celeste couldn’t see the impact, but Aria’s pained yelp said enough. She needed to focus solely on her Pokémon now, visibility be damned.

“Out of there, now!” she shouted, heart pounding as her Eevee stumbled out of the dust, bruised and battered but otherwise fine.

Breathe. In. Out. Breathe. In. Out. In.

“Aria, Quick Attack—as fast as you can!” Celeste decided to ditch caution. Distance clearly wasn’t sparing them from Rey’s aggressive strategy. It was time to hit hard. Capsakid couldn’t possibly be that sturdy.

“Take the hit, Moody. Then eyes.”

Eyes? The fuck was that?

The Capsakid planted itself firmly, absorbing the Quick Attack without flinching. It chirped and locked its gaze on Aria. A sharp glint passed through its eyes, and Celeste tensed, recognising the move—Leer. Aria faltered, slowing down as she backed away, unnerved.

Rey’s smirk widened. “You know what to do. Don’t let go.”

Capsakid didn’t break eye contact as it expelled a plume of dark smoke, lunging forward to Bite and clamp down onto Aria’s neck.

Relentless. Rey didn’t seem like the type to be idle between moves—which was a good lesson more suited to another time.

Aria grunted and hissed, squirming to free herself as Capsakid’s teeth sank deeper with each of Rey’s calls. Whenever Celeste tried to think of something else, he’d yell another command, almost like he didn’t want to give her respite—which was probably right on the mark.

With a deep, steadying breath, Celeste shut her eyes and exhaled loudly, steeling herself for the next move.

“Aria, think back on our training at the beach!” she yelled, desperately trying to come up with a plan. “Drag it down with you.”

The Eevee’s ears flicked. Gritting through the pain, she scrunched her face, wrinkling her nose and mouth, and began to dig furiously, sand flying as she burrowed deeper.

Rey let out a laugh at the sight. “Your big plan is to use Dig? Might want to check out your type charts.”

Celeste ignored him as she watched the two Pokémon disappear into the sand. Just as she expected, the hole collapsed on top of them. She knew well that ground attacks might not be effective, but her beach training had shown that few creatures enjoyed sand clogging their mouths, noses and whatever other hole they had. It was worth the shot, even for a plant.

“Now, Dig out with Quick Attack.” Her voice roared just as soon as Aria disappeared from sight.

Like a cannon, Aria exploded from the ground, catapulting the disoriented Capsakid into the air.

Rey’s face tightened. “Bullet Seed. Do. Not. Waste. Time.”

Before the spicy plant even hit the ground, it recovered, shooting up the blasted seeds. This time, they missed their mark completely. Celeste smirked. Sand must’ve got into its eyes—like a Sand Attack. Hah. Not bad.

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“Pin it down! Hit it with Swift, non-stop!”

Celeste could learn from others, and she could be relentless, too.

Her tactical shift paid off. As Aria pelted the floundering Capsakid with stars, she felt a surge of pride. It wouldn’t last forever, but maybe just long enough to make a difference.

Capsakid struggled against the onslaught, writhing on the sand, while Rey watched with a dismissive glare—the same look he’d given Celeste on their date. His eyes flickered with discontent, but he issued no orders, nor did he recall his Pokémon. He just stood there, watching it struggle until it finally stopped, limp.

That took about twenty excruciating seconds.

On Celeste’s side of the battlefield, Aria panted heavily. On the other, Olga checked the Grass-Type before announcing in an emotionless voice, “The Capsakid is unable to battle. Eevee wins. Rey, choose your next Pokémon.”

Breathe in. Breathe out. Why was her heart pounding even faster now?

Some more people applauded Celeste’s victory. Mumblings about the battle floated around, yet none except her two very loud cheerleaders truly celebrated her first victory against another trainer. Delia and Luan were the sweetest. She won a match, though, not the battle.

Do. Not. Let. It. Get. To. Your. Head.

Why did this have to feel so amazing?

She refocused on Rey, who dismissed the crowd with a scoff and plucked another Pokéball from his belt. Much like Powder’s, this wasn’t the traditional red and white, but something green with red markings instead.

“Hope you enjoyed this moment. It’s as far as you go,” he sneered, his smirk fading into a series of twitches. Still, he took his time, theatrically lobbing the Pokéball into the air, his mother silently watching without urging him to speed things up.

As the light from the Pokéball faded, Celeste’s breath caught. Aria reacted even more dramatically, snarling at the new challenger. Across the field stood another Eevee, her fur a shade lighter than Aria’s, shimmering under the intensified sunlight. Her creamy collar fluffed up, nearly obscuring her face. Celeste knew Eevee too well to have trouble identifying their gender. She flicked her tail confidently and twitched her ears.

The arrogance of her expression outmatched Aria’s by far.

“Mag, let’s demonstrate what a true Eevee is capable of,” Rey declared, drawing a renewed interest from the crowd.

Aria responded with a series of barks and growls, yet the opposing Eevee, Mag, merely observed her with disdain.

Olga, ever impassive, signalled for the battle to continue.

Rey smoothed his hair back, chest puffed out. “Go on, then,” he instructed simply.

With a deceptive blink of innocence, Mag charged, launching into a Tackle.

Celeste didn’t want to give the opponent space. “Aria, Quick—”

But before she could issue the full command, a second Tackle sent Aria tumbling. Celeste clenched her jaw, thinking fast as Aria scrambled back to her paws. Rey’s silence was disconcerting, to say the least. Why couldn’t he have the decency to spell out his strategy?

Before she could regroup, Mag leaped over Aria, pinning her firmly. She finished her assault with a fierce Bite, aimed at the same spot previously wounded by Capsakid.

Aria’s cry of pain tightened Celeste’s chest. Mag was already gathering dark energy for another strike, and there they were, helpless.

Breathe out, in, out, in, in, out. Think.

“Sand and Quick Attack, like we did with Dig!” Celeste’s voice cracked as she cried the command, her breaths coming in gasps.

Aria whimpered under another vicious Bite but obeyed, her hind paws stirring the ground to kick up another cloud of sand.

Rey let out a smooth yet piercing laugh. “Really? You think that silly plan of yours will work twice? Pull back.”

On cue, his Eevee jumped back, dodging the sandy shroud effortlessly. It didn’t matter if it didn’t work. Aria finally got the chance to stand back up, and Celeste had to be smart about her next play. Also, she needed to be quick about it.

“If you can spot her, hit with Quick Attack! Go both ways!” she called out, her voice straining.

Through the dissipating sand, she caught Rey’s scowl and couldn’t help but smirk back. Two could play cryptic.

Her eyes moved back to Aria. Celeste hoped she got what she meant. The Eevee coiled her hind legs beneath her, launching through the remnants of the sand cloud. On the other side, Mag tensed, her paws igniting with speed as she charged forward.

The two Eevee collided midair.

That was it—both ways. Aria had understood perfectly. The plan wasn’t just to strike Mag, but to use the momentum for an escape. And her Pokémon, the bestest, coolest, smartest Eevee in all the world, cranked it up a notch.

Aria used Mag as a literal springboard.

Brilliant.

Celeste watched in awe as her Pokémon seized Mag’s head with her front paws and pushed against her back with the hind ones. With a burst of strength, Aria hurled herself backward, sending Mag crashing to the ground with a resounding thud.

Rey groaned aloud. “This isn’t how it was supposed to go.”

Mag glanced at her trainer with her ears down. At Rey’s impatient gesture back to the battlefield, she shook her head and recovered herself with a snarl of her own.

“Don’t screw this up,” he said from under his breath. Gone were the smiles and pleasant attitude. Then, louder, he ordered, “Double Kick!”

“Aria!” Celeste’s voice cracked as she watched her Eevee attempt to dodge. Damn. Aria was slowing down, fatigue setting in. The first kick struck her square in the face, but she held firm. The second blow, however, sent her sprawling into the sand.

For a moment, Aria struggled and tried standing up, but it was no use. In the end, she was out.

“Celeste’s Eevee is unable to battle,” Olga announced, without a shred of emotion in her voice.

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

Tears threatened falling down, but Celeste wouldn’t grant Rey the satisfaction. Poor Aria, so brave yet so battered. Maybe she should just concede? She’d tried her best, after all. Could her Slowpoke even win? Would she even dare to send Powder in?

When she motioned towards her Eevee, ready to pick her up in her arms and run away, Aria twitched. Her best buddy was beaten bad and clearly unable to battle further, but she was not out. She looked up at Celeste, shooting her a meaningful glance. Don’t you dare. Her eyes said it all.

Acknowledging her Pokémon, Celeste nodded slightly and forced a smile, more for Aria’s sake than her own. Winning felt amazing. Losing, who would’ve thought, sucked.

“Thank you.” She aimed her Pokéball at Aria. “You were brilliant.”

Across the arena, Rey basked in his triumph, his smug smile courting the crowd’s cheers—more enthusiastic for his victory than hers—not that it mattered.

Gathering her resolve, Celeste grabbed Slowpoke’s Pokéball. Her hand trembled, and she pretended it was because it was still injured somehow—again, not that anyone would care for it, but she didn’t want to appear weak.

“Pat, your turn.” Her voice came out creaky. She didn’t put any flair in releasing him.

As usual, when her Pokémon came out, she was greeted by empty stares and blinks. She still found it endearing, even if her face reddened a bit.

With Olga’s signal, the match resumed. This time, Rey didn’t rush. He very visibly made a show of holding back laughter before finally letting it burst forth, his Eevee mimicking him to a tee.

“A Slowpoke?” he snickered. “You can’t be serious.”

Celeste bit her lip, refusing to dignify that with a response. Nah-uh. It was time to take the lead. “P-Pat, Water Gun,” she called out, her voice betraying her.

She waited for the move to come.

It didn’t.

A few more moments passed and… still nothing.

Damn it, Pat.

Rey was in stitches. Fuck him. “You are a really shitty trainer,” he said, struggling between fits of laughter.

Breathe in.Breathe out.Breathe in.Breathe out.Breathe in.

Celeste clenched her jaw, her lips pressed into a line so thin they hurt. Mag and her smirking trainer looked down at them so condescendingly that she wanted to scream. Worse part of it was that as soon as they got back on the offensive, this would be over. Their arrogance was the only opening she had left. Once it closed, her Slowpoke couldn’t outrun an Eevee. And Powder… she couldn’t bear the thought of sending in her precious Vulpix.

Now or never.

If this entire thing was about buying time, there was one way she could get it.

“Pat, Yawn!” Celeste commanded with urgency.

Rey wiped a tear from his eye, still chuckling. “Enough joking around. Mag, Bite. Don’t stop until that Slowpoke is out.”

The Eevee, it turns out, was even cockier than her trainer. She continued to smirk, slowing her pace to a casual stroll as she approached Pat, who remained startlingly passive. Then, just as dark energy began gathering in the Eevee’s mouth, he moved. A Yawn so deep resonated through the arena, sending sleep filled bubbles drifting into Mag’s face. When they burst, the sounds echoed over and over again, making even Celeste slightly drowsy.

Mag snapped irritably but continued her approach, unfazed. She bit into Pat’s tail, then his ear, then his legs—each bite more vicious than the last, until Pat finally let out a delayed cry of pain.

Celeste couldn’t watch. She squeezed her eyes shut and tightened her grip on his Pokéball.

Breathe.

She lifted his Pokéball and called him back before the opposing Eevee could continue her assault. Tears welled up in her eyes as Pat disappeared in a flash of red light.

“Sorry I let you down, buddy,” she murmured to the Pokéball, debating whether to continue or forfeit.

Looking up, she saw some scattered applause from the audience, their enthusiasm lacking. Made sense. A few Bites and a Yawn weren’t much of a show. Rey revelled in what little attention he had, anyway. Loudly and boisterously, he told them the next battle would be more exciting. “We will find real trainers later.”

Celeste puffed out the air stuck in her lungs.

So what if she wasn’t the best yet? People needed to start from somewhere. She was a trainer, and as such, she’d see this through to the end. She owed it to her Pokémon that much.

With newfound resolve, she took out Powder’s Premier Ball and prayed her little Vulpix wouldn’t get hurt too badly.

“Powder, we’re battling now,” she told the red beam that left her ball. Rey barely acknowledged it.

He peeked at the Vulpix with the corner of his eyes and snorted. “Cute,” he said, but his smirk faltered as a squeal of delight erupted from the crowd.

The apathetic claps and murmurs from before began to stir into something much more lively. People were looking closer now.

“Look at those curly puffs on its head—it looks like snow,” someone exclaimed.

“That is the cutest Pokémon I have ever seen!” another person chimed.

“It’s a Vulpix, isn’t it?” voices rose in a chorus. “But it doesn’t look like any Vulpix I’ve seen before.”

This time, it was Celeste’s turn to snort, a small smile playing on her lips. She had always known Powder was a crowd-pleaser, but witnessing her Vulpix capture the hearts of an entire audience was something else entirely. No one could resist her little baby’s charms…

Or… almost no one.

On the other side of the battlefield, Rey fumed. Celeste just raised an eyebrow in his direction.

“Feeling threatened?” she couldn’t help herself.

He snarled, barely waiting for his mother’s signal. “Double Kick. Make sure it goes down in the first hit.”

Celeste braced herself, and yelled something about dodging—her Pokémon ought to know when to dodge, right? Strangely, Mag didn’t do much. She staggered forward and… tumbled? Her eyes shut as her breathing deepened.

“She’s asleep?” Celeste could hardly believe it. The Yawn had worked, after all.

Her eyes widened. This was her chance.

“Powder Snow!” she yelled from the top of her lungs, but before Powder could act, the glow from Rey’s green Pokéball wrapped around the slumbering Eevee.

“Useless.” She heard him whisper, tucking the Pokéball away.

Powder looked around, puzzled, then turned to her trainer with a chirpy “Pix,” her head tilting, making her curly forelock bob. Celeste couldn’t help but giggle—first softly, then more openly as the audience responded with cheerful applause.

“Go, cutie, you can win this!” someone shouted.

“We believe in you, Powder!” Celeste recognised Delia’s voice among the crowd.

Technically, the sleep victory belonged to Pat, but Celeste wasn’t about to say no to the crowd’s cheers and support.

“Guess we’re tied,” Celeste couldn’t help but to provoke. If his last Pokémon was anything like Capsakid, maybe Powder had a chance? Her gaze wandered from her adorable Vulpix to the now-supportive crowd, then back to her increasingly unnerved opponent.

He was… laughing?

Not that smooth laugh, and not the condescending one either.

“I’m glad you all enjoyed the show so much,” he said very slowly, his attention on the audience, his eyes twitching as their cheers faded. He then turned to Celeste and pointed upward at the unnaturally bright sky. “Why don’t we end this with fireworks?”

She said nothing, just watched as he selected the final Pokéball on his belt.

“Since you all seem so thrilled about unusual Pokémon,” he continued, his voice breaking off, “why not cheer for my most beautiful one? Rarer and more magnificent than any type of Vulpix. All that without trading his fire for… whatever.”

Celeste held a breath. The mention of ‘fire’ didn’t bode well for her Ice-Type. She noticed Olga’s frown on the side, which looked like a terrible omen, but no one else spoke. They all watched in silence as Rey released his last Pokémon.

No fancy throw this time.

“Flame, we will show them. Won’t we?” Rey said, his grin almost childish as he looked expectantly at the audience.

No applause followed. Instead, there was only stunned silence as a creature emerged from the Pokéball. The Sunny Day enhanced sun glinted off its five blood-red horns and shimmered over its white mane. Its blue eyes were unreadable.

Celeste wouldn’t call this creature the most magnificent Pokémon. No one would. Yet Rey was right about one thing—it was bloody rare bug.

“Flame…” he began, voice dripping with disdain. Then, with eerie calmness, he finished, “Overheat.”

Breathe in.