"Do not be dismayed by the brokenness of the world. All things break. And all things can be mended. Not with time, as they say, but with intention. So go. Love intentionally, extravagantly, unconditionally. The broken world waits in darkness for the light that is you." ― L.R. Knost
"Are you sure you want to do this? You don't have to volunteer for this kind of experimental procedure anymore, and you know you are going to be bedridden for at least three days after, right?" Richard asks me, standing aside as a team of doctors prepares the 'medication', verifying my vital signs and ensuring that everything appears in order for the procedure.
"Yes, I am aware, Rich," I say, rolling my eyes. "It's going to suck for a few days, but the benefits are just too good. If I'm going to be sent out to do field work soon, then I will take every advantage I can while I'm still here." I say with finality
Richard lets out an exasperated sigh, his body language conveying his frustration. Despite his disagreement with my decision, he stands firm and remains in the room. He promised to watch over me throughout the treatment, even after I told him that it was unnecessary.
The nurse approaches, carrying a syringe in her hand. She examines the needle closely, ensuring that no air bubbles remain. With a gentle tone, she reassures me that my vital signs are stable and asks if I'm ready for the injection. She positions the needle above my arm, waiting for my confirmation before proceeding.
I confirm my readiness and, a moment later, feel the familiar cold metal sting as the needle pricks through my skin. Despite having spent a long time in the lab, I still find the experience of getting shots unpleasant. Although my first field assignment is scheduled for sometime in the next two months, the league is notoriously slow in approving anything related to me, so I had doubts.
In the meantime, I've been looking into and volunteering for several experimental Pokémon training programs being conducted at Site 6 to help prepare me for whatever tasks the league may assign me.
The first step was injecting me with a pseudo-pathogenic virus called Pokerus. Catching the virus would usually be a disaster in the field, as it would render infected Pokémon out of commission for three to five days. Depending on the environment and how rapidly the disease spreads among a person's Pokémon, it could even be deadly.
Typically, a vaccine containing a 'dead' version of the virus is administered to newly captured Pokémon during their initial medical examination to prevent unwanted infections. Kirlia had gotten his shots when he was still a young ralts, so he would spend the time while I was sick in stasis within his Pokeball.
Kirlia wouldn't be far from me, though, as I'd hidden his Pokeball in my tangled mane. Having him always at my back was like an inseparable security blanket at this point.
It is not widely known, but the virus known as Pokerus can actually benefit those infected with it. For example, if a Pokémon contracts Pokerus, its growth will be greatly accelerated, and any training it undergoes will be almost twice as effective. Better yet, these positive effects continue even after the Pokémon's immune system has fought off the virus.
Scientists are still trying to understand how the virus works, and much of it remains a mystery. Despite this, stasis technology breakthrough has allowed the league to secretly use the short-lived 'live' virus in specialized accelerated training programs like the one I am currently participating in.
As a result, the league's special ops ace trainers have been able to readily train up newly captured Pokémon to elite levels in a matter of months rather than years.
After receiving the injection, I didn't experience any immediate effects for the first five hours. However, by the fifth hour, I started feeling a wave of shivers and muscle cramps, which quickly escalated into an overwhelming feeling of sickness. My entire body felt sore and weak, making it difficult to move or even stand up.
The next day was a blur, as I was in a state of delirium and confusion. My memory of that day was fragmented and incomplete, as my mind was clouded by the effects of the injection. However, on the third day, as I started to feel better, Rich was comfortable enough with my recovery to show me a funny video that one of the other staff members had taken of us while I was at my worst.
At one point in my delirious state, I had grabbed onto Rich like a teddy bear, holding him close to me licking his face affectionately, like a mother cat taking care of her kitten.
"Ugh, no wonder my mouth tastes like ass. Jeeze rich, you could at least wash your face once in a while." I bemoan with a tired chuckle
"Well, excuse me! I was sitting here watching over my ungrateful friend all night. So I didn't have time to shower yesterday." Rich snarks back
That stopped me in my tracks. Rich had stayed with me throughout the whole process, never once leaving my side except to use the bathroom or eat. An entire medical staff was watching over me, and he still chose to stay. And here I was, being unappreciative of his kindness.
"Hey, Rich…Thanks for staying with me. I appreciate it, really. You don't have to stay, you know. I'm already feeling a lot better than yesterday, and I know you are probably busy with other projects."
"Ya ya, I know. You won't be able to get rid of me that easily, though, I'm afraid. You may not be on my official docket anymore, Echo, but that doesn't mean I can't take time off to conduct my own side studies." Rich says with a smile while pulling a diagnostic readout from the medical equipment monitoring my vitals and stapling it to his lab notebook with a flourish.
"Oh, I can just feel the love here, Rich. Why must all my friends be mad scientists?" I groan toward the ceiling
"Hey, I resemble that remark!" He retorts back
Despite the feeling of sickness, I was grateful to be lying under the warm blankets with good company beside me. As the days passed, my health gradually improved, and by the fifth day, I had almost completely recovered. On these last few days of my sickness, Rich kindly lent me his laptop, which I used to browse the internet. I was more interested in passing the time than accomplishing anything in particular.
With a smirk, I changed his default browser to Foxfire. Not just because I thought it was funny for me to use but because I actually preferred it.
Really, it was his fault for using Explorer in the first place!
A message popped up on the screen as I was trying to access a new forum I had recently discovered. This prompt was a common measure used by many websites to prevent computer bots from flooding their sites, but its wording was somewhat amusing, given my situation.
I couldn't help but grin and complain loudly that the site was discriminating against Pokémon and wasn't allowing me to log in. When Rich leaned over to see what I was talking about, he rolled his eyes and playfully punched my shoulder when he saw that I was complaining about the "Verify you are human" prompt box, which had a simple check box underneath.
As I delved into the depths of a dark Pokémon care guide thread, I stumbled upon an intriguing article that provided invaluable tips and tricks for trainers regarding psychic/dark cohabitation.
I found myself engrossed in the article, and after reading through it, I made a mental note to purchase some "full incense" as it had received glowing reviews for its effectiveness in preventing certain kinds of…dietary 'mishaps'. Perhaps it could be used to prevent me from drooling all over the place when Kirlia slept near me.
After a while, my boredom led me to search 'Zoroark' in the browser just to see what would pop up, and I clicked on the first link that appeared. My jaw dropped in shock as I scanned through the page, only to find that it mostly contained basic information on my species' abilities and habitats. After confirming that there was nothing else to the page, I took a deep breath and turned to Richard for an answer to my burning question.
"Why is my picture on the index page for the Zoroark Pokedex entry?" I ask calmly, rotating the screen to show Richard a picture of me peacefully curled up in the dog bed from my old enclosure.
I didn't really mind, but it still felt strange, sort of like having a baby picture shown to the whole world. They could have at least used a better picture than this one.
I am aware that the league wishes to conceal my true nature, but they were still obliged to include my species in the Pokedex by interregional law, which meant they had to add a picture of me. This was done to ensure the safety of the public in case they came across the species in the wild.
"Ah well, you were the only Zoroark the league had at that time, so it's been the default image for a while." Rich states distractedly
"At that time?" I ask leadingly, catching onto his word choice.
Richard froze, his face contorting in realization as he became aware of what he had just implied. As I listened to him, my heart started racing with apprehension. I had not received any information about the capture of any new Zoroark, and the thought that my children might have evolved filled me with dread. Early evolution like that could only be triggered by intense high-stress situations. If that were the case, I would not hesitate to give the league hell for not telling me.
"Ah, sorry. I didn't mean to hide it from you; it's just that I didn't know how best to bring it up with you. It's not like I can just say, 'Hey, Echo, want to see this video of a hunter squad cornering, beating up, and capturing your cousin.' It just doesn't fall into normal conversation easily." Richard replies with a nervous laugh
Oh, thank Arceus. If something had happened to my kits I'd have gone straight feral on the league.
"Well, come on, Rich. Tell me, how many Zoroark the league managed to capture so far? If I'd known you guys were trying so hard to capture more of my kind, I'd have given you tips." I reply wryly, fully dispelling Rich's reluctance
"Yes… well, the league did manage to catch a pair of Zoroark in northern Sinnoh a little while back, and it's a mating pair, so the hope is to start a breeding program with those two."
I am delighted to hear that news. It's something I've been wishing for a long time. The thought of my female kit being forced into a breeding program to save our species from extinction never sat well with me. However, I am perplexed why Rich would assume that I wouldn't welcome this news with open arms.
"The only other capture was by a movie producer from Verbank who managed to catch a Zoroark here in Unova. The thing I said about there being a video of your cousin being captured is quite literally true. The guy hired several elite hunters to scour the western border forest with him. He made a short nature documentary that is now in the early screening phase of production. We know the Zoroark is fairly closely related to you based on the capture scans sent to us. Likely no further off than a second cousin."
"Okay, that's actually quite interesting," I said, pondering the implications of a public figure now owning a Zoroark. "So, a private citizen has acquired a Zoroark and is making a documentary that chronicles its capture. How does the league feel about this? Do we expect a flood of novice trainers going into the wilds unprepared to try and catch their own Zoroarks?" I ask worriedly
"This is not the first time a rare species has been discovered in remote areas. The league is treating it like any other Pokémon that gets brought to the public's general attention. So far, they've just been sending out warnings to caution rookie trainers from venturing too deep into the wild and stuff like that. Follow ranger-patrolled areas, etcetera, etcetera, you know how it is." Richard says.
I had never considered that my species would become known to the public before I revealed myself. However, considering the number of Pokémon enthusiasts who spend their days searching for new entries in the Pokédex, it really shouldn't be surprising that something like this happened.
"The league does not anticipate any significant problems from this, especially given the rarity of dark-type specialists. As for the movie directors' captured Zoroark specifically, well, it is a male and cannot directly contribute to the repopulation initiative, so the league has no issues with him keeping it. Our sources suggest that the movie producer intends to use it in his upcoming shows to save money on special effects, of all things."
Huh. Now that wasn't a bad idea. Maybe when I retire from active duty, I can also get into the special effects industry. It's hard to imagine living such a mundane life, but it is something to keep in mind that I have other options should I choose to pursue them.
Rich then handed me a tablet and showed me a news article featuring a picture of a jovial, plump man sporting a safari outfit. The man was side-hugging a battered and obviously recently captured Zoroark. The description below the picture stated that the new species was known for its elusive nature.
As I scrolled further down, I realized the article was a promotional piece for the man's upcoming nature documentary, ' The Hidden Species of the World.' The league seemed pleased to let the man provide free publicity for my species, especially given our apparent tendency to easily bond with humans based on the director's own experience with his Zoroark, which was something not normally seen in dark-type Pokémon.
"Huh. I wonder if the league will ask me to hunt for more Zoroark?" I hadn't thought of going out myself for that kind of thing, but I'd probably be an ideal candidate for the job.
"Maybe. Guess we will have to wait and find out." Rich says with a shrug
After putting up with my constant questions for a while longer, Richard finally had enough and decided to leave my room to get some well-deserved rest on a proper bed. I expressed my gratitude to him once more before he left, and then I continued browsing for a while longer before finally settling down to sleep.
As I drifted off, I couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation for the next few weeks of training that lay ahead. Despite some lingering doubts about whether I would be ready for it all, I felt a surge of confidence and determination as I finally closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.
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After receiving a clean bill of health from the doctors, I could finally take off the medical gown I had been wearing. I was a bit confused as to why I had to wear it in the first place since it didn't provide any modesty protection. However, I knew that it was just a procedure that had to be followed. Once I was declared healthy, I took off the gown with satisfaction.
Since I had not yet received my ranger uniform back, I assumed I wouldn't need clothes for the next few weeks while I underwent the rest of the training program. This was probably for the best, considering how thrashed any clothes would be if I wore them through training.
To my surprise, I soon found myself being escorted out of my hospital room by Emily, the security director. The only times I'd really met her in person were during my initial interview with her and after the Rotom incident. I didn't know if I should feel awkward or not, considering that I was technically naked in front of my boss at the moment.
"Hello, Emily; I see Fangs is doing well." I manage to say while fixated on the now-evolved Galvantula clinging to her like a living backpack.
I understood that Joltic, as a species, like to cling to hosts to feed off static electricity, but I did not think that behavior retained itself after evolution. Maybe Emily just liked having her Pokémon close at hand at all times?
"Thank you, Echo. I see the treatment went well. How are you feeling? Are you still up for the follow-up assessment?" Emily responds neutrally
"Yes, I feel fine at the moment. Honestly, I didn't know what to expect after the treatment. I feel the same as I did before the procedure. Maybe Dustin read too many comics as a kid, but I was hoping for something more dramatic, like a visible increase in muscle mass," I say as I stretch my arms from side to side.
"That's to be expected. Pokerus does not generate results in and of itself. It's merely a growth accelerant."
"Right. Anyway, I'm ready for the follow-up. I assume there is going to be a battle assessment of some kind right? Oh! Does that mean we are going to use the 'real' training fields?" I ask excitedly, trying not to bounce with each step
"You'd be correct. I'll be escorting you top-side to one of the open-field training grounds. It's been a while since you've been above ground, so this is something of a special moment I suppose. I also wanted to talk to you about a few things while we make our way up."
"Sounds good to me. Lead the way." I say, barely constraining my enthusiasm
After spending quite some time underground, I eagerly looked forward to stepping outside and feeling the sun on my skin. The thought of taking a deep breath of fresh air filled me with excitement. As a dark type, living underground didn't bother me much, but I felt the need to experience the world above. It would be refreshing to walk on the soft grass, feel the cool breeze on my face, and bask in the sun's warmth again.
We didn't take an elevator as I expected. Instead, we went towards a massive staircase that appeared to stretch upwards endlessly. The size of the staircase suggesting that it would lead all the way to the surface. I'm unsure why we would take this route when the elevator would have been simpler.
"Echo, I wanted to ask you a few personal questions while I have your undivided attention. This stairwell isn't a monitored space, so I would like you to be honest with me 'off the record', " Emily says seriously, slowly taking the steps upward.
The reverb in the stairwell made the statement a bit more ominous than she probably intended, but I replied nonchalantly regardless. If she wanted my honest opinion on something, I wasn't afraid to give it, regardless of whether it was recorded.
"I'm all ears, Emily," I say, stepping side by side with her as we slowly ascend toward the surface level.
"I want to know what's driving you to push yourself like this echo. We would have given you more time if you were so worried about your first assignments. Subjecting yourself to pokerus, while scientifically valuable, was hardly necessary."
"Not sure what you mean, Emily. Is trying to improve myself a crime all of a sudden? I figured the league would be happy with my volunteering for this battery of new training regimens." I reply with mild amusement
"Oh, some people definitely are. But you also have to understand that your mental state is a tense subject with the league's higher-ups, and volunteering for that kind of treatment throws up a number of red flags in the air, especially for those who are worried you feel pressured into the role of a ranger."
Huh, I hadn't really thought of what my actions would look like from an outsider's perspective. I just wanted to become as strong as I could as fast as I could manage. Some part of it was probably the natural Pokémon battle drive in me, but a greater part of my decision stemmed from my desire to feel useful, be appreciated for my contributions, and find purpose in the value I bring.
If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.
"I understand, Emily, but this is the path that I want to take. If I wanted to do anything else, I would have talked to you about it. I know the league would probably try to accommodate me if I decided to do something else, but I really do want to follow Dustin's legacy." I say with finality
Emily nodded. As I looked up the stairwell, I realized we had only made it a quarter of the way. Emily, seeing my restrained desire to bolt up the stairs, stopped at the next landing and gave me a considering look.
"Want to see who can make it to the top fastest?" she said with a spark of challenge in her eyes.
I quickly assessed the situation to see if she was serious and then took off past her. I didn't know why she would pull a challenge like that out of nowhere, but I wasn't going to deny an easy victor-
"Come on, keep up, Echo, no time to lose!" Emily shouted above me from the other side of the guard rail, suspended midair over a 50-foot drop.
She was using her galvantula as a living rappelling harness, and the giant bug was shooting webs up three to four floors at a time and pulling them both up at insane speed. Emily's own efforts of landing both feet on the handrails and jumping off accelerated the maneuver in huge bursts of upward speed.
If the crazy woman fell from there, she would drop all the way to the ground several stories down. Yet she was laughing maniacally as she shot ahead of me.
Is this just how she always acts when there are no cameras around her?! The security Director was fucking crazy!
Even running on all fours and pushing to my limit, I still didn't catch up to her. When I finally got to the final floor and tackled my way through the door to the outside, I had already lost by several seconds. On the other side, she stood nonchalantly, her arms folded as if nothing had happened.
"You, *Gasp*, cheated!" I say half crouched on the grass, barely able to catch my breath between words.
Then, I realized that quite a few people were out in the field looking in our direction. I recognized most of them as coworkers, like Carter from my enclosure captivity days and Ontaro from the ghost research sector.
"To be fair, I never specified a rule set, so I can't have cheated," she replied cheekily. "Now, come along. We have a special trainer who has been waiting to test you."
As I looked around, I noticed a person waiting at one of the squares designated for trainer battles. She was dressed in black and wore a large sun hat along with black sunglasses. My guess is that she is a baroness or something from Kalos, as trainers from other regions don't usually dress like that. Her attire seemed impractical, to say the least, and I could barely see her face.
As I was walking, I noticed Ontaro controlling a four-propeller camera drone using hand gestures and verbal commands. I sniffed the air and realized that the drone was being possessed by a Rotom. I was happy to see the success of the ghost sector with the Pokémon and smiled. Ontaro noticed my smile and gave me a thumbs-up, to which I waved back before letting him continue his work. I walked up to the mysterious trainer with Emily beside me, and she greeted me with an appraising gaze.
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Echo. I apologize for my lack of decorum, but I have been eagerly awaiting the chance to battle you for days now. As you can imagine, it took a lot of effort to get here, including signing numerous NDAs and filling out lots of paperwork. Would you mind if we skip the formalities and get straight to the battle?" The trainer spoke with eager anticipation and barely restrained battle lust.
With a grin on my face, I eagerly accepted her challenge. Emily gave me a brief rundown of the battle rules, but I was too excited to pay much attention. I couldn't wait to see what kind of Pokémon my opponent would use first. The Rotom drone hovered overhead, ready to record every moment of the match.
My challenger announces, "Go, Lucario!" as she throws a Pokeball into the air unleashing a powerful monster of its species.
The trainer instructed Lucario to attack with a bullet punch with only a hand gesture. This caught me off guard as only psychics and elite trainers could accurately command their Pokémon nonverbally. The fact that I didn't sense any psychic abilities from her earlier meant that this trainer was highly skilled.
Dodging the bullet punch to my chest, I jumped back to create some distance between my opponent and me. Acting on instinct, I created an illusionary blanket of darkness that covered the entire area. I could see through the darkness, but I hoped it would blind my opponent.
However, before I could even finish thinking of what to do next, Lucario broke through my illusion and slammed me into the ground with another bullet punch to my face. In the split second before impact, I noticed Lucario had closed its eyes and wasn't even seeing my illusions!
'Aura sight!' I cursed internally before dispersing the illusions and rolling out of the way of another punch directed at my face.
The Lucario charged towards me with fierce, unrelenting force that left me completely on the back foot. Its lightning-fast movements made it almost impossible for me to dodge or gain any distance. I tried to strike back with concentrated dark pulses and slashes, but that only made the Lucario hit me back harder.
I soon realized I had to abandon that line of attack before my opponent gained enough retaliatory power boosts to one-hit me. As I struggled to think of a new plan to defeat this monster, a burst of inspiration struck me.
I pondered if I could win the match with a human style of combat since I couldn't match my opponent in speed or power. A grin spread across my face as the plan solidified in my mind. When Lucario charged toward me again, I let it get into my personal space as I prepared to execute my new plan.
Tanking a bone-bruising gut punch, I grabbed the outstretched arm and kicked out one of Lucario's legs from under it. The hit did little to no damage, but it caused the Lucario to go to one knee for long enough that I could twist around and drag the Lucarios arm into a facsimile of a Judo Lock.
As I executed my plan, the onlookers watched in astonishment. Despite being significantly weaker, my strategy rendered the much stronger Pokémon immobile. Lucario's strength was irrelevant, as it did not have the leverage to throw me off. Moreover, I had enough power to dislocate its arm if necessary. As Lucario futility struggled in my hold, I looked at the trainer and asked.
"I think you should forfeit. I don't want to injure your Lucario too badly here." I say while struggling to maintain my hold.
There was a pause before she brought up her wrist to reveal some sort of bracelet.
"Nope! Now we get serious!" She proclaims with a vicious grin
A wave of aura washes over the field, and then I'm thrown back by a burst of power emanating from Lucario's now glowing form. I gaped in shock as the Lucario changed right in front of my eyes.
When Lucario finally rose from the ground, it cast an unamused glare at me for having pinned it for so long. I felt that perhaps I shouldn't a did that.
As it pulled its paws together, a glowing blue sphere of fighting energy formed. Its orange eyes locked onto mine, promising pain. The sheer volume of aura in the air made me freeze in fear. The pressure of the building aura sphere's power made it difficult for me to form a plan of action before the attack was launched.
As Lucario launched its fierce attack at me, I felt a sudden surge of energy within me. My instincts took over, and I found myself mirroring the same stance as the powerful Pokémon in front of me. Feeling its aura in the air, I somehow managed to form and launch an aura sphere of my own. In awe, I watched as our attacks collided in midair, creating a cloud of energy smoke that burst into the air.
I had no idea how I'd managed to create such a powerful fighting-type attack but I wouldn't let it go to waste. The aura pattern I instinctively grasped from the attack was rapidly escaping my mind, but I still managed to repeat the feat. With quick reflexes, I formed a second, smaller aura sphere and launched it through the smoke cloud, anticipating Lucario's next move.
Just in time, the mega Lucario burst through the smoke cloud, only to be met by my aura sphere smashing explosively into its left leg.
With one of its legs injured, I could now barely outrun the relentless monster and avoid its devastating physical attacks. Whenever Lucario attempted to shoot more aura spheres at me, I duplicated the attacks and fired weaker variants with precise accuracy to detonate the stronger spheres before they could reach me.
As I faced off against the fearsome monster, I knew I was no match for its sheer power. Still, I had to develop a strategy that would give me some kind of advantage. I decided to ration my own energy and try to outlast my opponent; it bled aura in waves to maintain its mega evolution, so I would hopefully gain the upper hand eventually.
For what felt like an eternity I dodged around and only struck back when I could get away with it. My opponent retaliated with ferocity, but I held my ground, conserving my energy as much as possible.
Finally, after what seemed like an endless battle, the mega-evolution reaction petered out, and the monster's form began to shift back.
"That's enough." The mystery trainer calls out as the mega evolution dispelled completely
Reluctantly, the Lucario limps back to its trainer to receive a few potion sprays to its injured leg before being returned to its Pokeball.
Flopping on my back with heaving exhales, I lay on the ground, completely exhausted by the protracted battle.
Ultimately, I hadn't even won; that beast of a Pokémon was still fighting fit. It just wasn't fast enough with an injured leg to finish the job. Aura spheres seemed to be its preferred ranged option, and my newfound ability to copy the move as it was being performed allowed me to effectively negate the attack.
Now, I just had to figure out how the hell I was even managing to copy the move to begin with.
Three people enter my vision as I stare up at the Rotom drone hovering high above us in the beautiful, cloudy blue sky. The mystery trainer diverts my attention as she gives me a congratulatory shoulder pat before sitting beside me on the grass. She also seemed to be enjoying the fine weather as she smiled up at the sky.
Emily is standing to the side, watching me to make sure I'm okay after the long fight. Surprisingly, the third person on the field was Carter, whom I hadn't seen in a while. I had assumed he'd transferred facilities, and I felt bad for not checking if he still worked at site 6.
On my other side, my old music instructor kneels next to me and opens a bag that smells like heaven. He offers me two small leppa berries and a fat sitrus berry.
"Long time no see, Echo! You put on quite the show! I figured you might want an after-battle snack after all that!" the cheery man says as I gladly wolf down the berries without hesitation.
"Hmmm, I'm glad my performance was up to your standards. Hey, quick question for you. You studied my genes and aura extensively back when I was a lab subject, right? I don't suppose you have any idea how I managed to copy Lucario's aura sphere, do you? I didn't think aura spheres were a genetically inheritable attack, but I can't think of any other reason I could perform it besides my sire being a Lucario."
"Ah, I can answer that, actually." The mystery trainer interjects while taking off her large sun hat and sunglasses.
To my shock, flowing blond hair cascades down from underneath the headwear, revealing a rather notorious individual beneath.
"Champion Cynthia!" I yelp in surprise as the living legend smiles brightly back at me
"Yup," she says, popping the 'p.' "Sorry for not introducing myself earlier, but I figured you might have this kind of reaction. I didn't want you to get distracted during the battle or feel like you didn't have a chance at winning." She says while scratching the back of her head sheepishly
Of course, I didn't stand a chance! She's arguably the top battler in the world…and from Dustin's memories of watching the last league championships, I knew that her Lucario could use 'Life Dew' to heal itself. She'd been going easy on me that entire time!
"I noticed how you analyzed Lucario's aura sphere during the battle, and I've seen that behavior before. You weren't inherently performing 'aura sphere', but rather, I believe you were performing 'copycat'. It's a rare move that you still probably inherited from your Lucario ancestry, but it only allows you to mimic a move that you've seen for a temporary period. You won't be able to retain the attack indefinitely." Cynthia explains.
"Okay, wow, I've never even heard of something like this before. This opens up so many strategies I hadn't even considered before. If I bait an opponent into attacking me with the right moves, I can shift the flow of the entire battle in my favor." I say while thinking of all the ways I could use this newfound ability of mine
It was weird that this was the first time I'd discovered the ability. Still, with how much aura Cynthia and Lucario were throwing around and the fact that stress in battles makes Pokémon learn moves faster, it wasn't actually all that strange. It was just weird being on the other end of the trainer/Pokémon divide since all my memories of conventional battles were from Dustin's perspective.
Another realization occurred to me: if Cynthia could identify the move on-site with such assurance, it probably meant that her Lucario could perform the same, and that wasn't something she'd demonstrated in previous league matches.
"You might have guessed already, but Lucario also knows copycat. It's one of our secret aces, and I would appreciate it if you didn't spread it around if at all possible. Copycat is an extremely rare ability, usually only manifesting in aura-sensitive Pokémon." Cynthia says
"Of course, I won't reveal it to anyone," I say before giving Cynthia a speculative look. "I can't help but wonder why you are really here, though. Surely someone as busy as you doesn't have the free time to travel between regions just to battle with random Pokémon like me, sapience or not."
"Actually, I do have some free time at the moment. I take breaks from league-related work to go exploring ruins, and occasionally, I help train special assets for the league," Cynthia whispered conspiratorially. She then continued in a normal voice, "Many people only see me as a great battler, but they forget that one needs to be the best trainer in order to become the best battler."
"Wait, so you mean-"
"Yup," Cynthia says, repeating her earlier reply. "I will be personally overseeing the training program that you and your Kirlia will be participating in for the next two weeks. You signed up to beta test the new experimental training equipment for the league, which, by my presence, you can tell is no joke." She says seriously before continuing
"I need to know how effective and safe it is for the Pokémon using it before I approve its certification for a limited production run. You are an ideal candidate for providing me with direct user feedback." Cynthia chuckles as a glimmer of eager anticipation burns beneath her happy façade.
"I- I don't know what to say other than thank you and when do we get started?" I ask
Her smile turns predatory at my question, and the next thing I know, I'm being fitted with a blue anklet and a red bracer right there in the middle of the grassy field. She didn't even give me time to sit up from my prone position. I hadn't known she had the items on her, but with how enthusiastic she was at the prospect of training me, I really should have guessed.
"All right, let's start out with three laps around the field and see how you feel."
Without hesitation, I get up and start running along the perimeter of the vast grassy field. However, after the first lap, I already sense my energy levels dropping. My anklet and bracer start to feel like heavy weights on my limbs, making it increasingly difficult to keep up the pace.
"NO SLOWING DOWN, KEEP UP THE PACE!" Cynthia yells from the center of the field, watching my movements like a hawk eyeing injured prey.
As I push myself harder, my muscles start to ache. During the second lap, Kirlia suddenly appears from the Pokeball hidden in my hair and grabs onto my back like a baby sloth. I'm unsure why he left his Pokeball, but I feel frustration as his added mass weighs me down.
Through our bond, I sense that he's aware of my growing distress and fatigue. Just as I'm about to return him to his Pokeball, our bond opens up, and a wave of psychic energy rushes into my body. I'm surprised as the energy rapidly dissolves into my muscles like sugar being added to water, giving my body a significant speed boost.
Instead of slowing on the last lap, I rocket forward, blurring around the field using psychic-fueled reinforcement. My perception of the world slows, yet even with my increased speed, I still see Cythia's piercing gaze tracking me without effort.
After the last lap, I relax marginally and ask Kirlia to stop funneling energy to me. This, however, turns out to be a mistake, as the sudden loss of energy promptly causes all my leg muscles to fail. Simultaneously.
As I stumbled and fell, my face skidded across the soft grass. Eventually, our momentum dwindled, and we came to a stop. Kirlia popped his head out from my red mane and cheered as if we had just won a race. I was too exhausted to move and groaned pitifully. Cynthia quickly came over to us and gently lifted Kirlia off my back.
A second groan escaped me, this time in relief as Cynthia gently lifted Kirlia's extra weight off my back. Then, she rolled me over onto my back, causing me to wince.
"Hmm, that was a stronger reaction than I initially anticipated. If the strain is that high, we may have to limit the item usage to one at a time," Cynthia ponders as she affectionately pats Kirlia's head with her free hand.
Cynthia observes with interest, "That boost of speed at the end was unusual. It appeared like the move 'Agility,' which is not typically seen in dark types other than Sharpedo. And even for Sharpedo, it requires a diet rich in Starmie meat to utilize the psychic energy effectively." After examining me for any injuries, she sits beside my head and waits patiently for me to recover my breath.
"Ya, Kirlia boosted me with psychic energy there at the end. I don't think Kirlia and I could transfer energy at a distance as you do for mega evolution, but as long as Kirlia is nearby, he can boost my speed."
"Thats quite interesting. However, I suggest taking caution to ensure that none of your dark energy backflows to Kirlia. Dark energy may have harmful effects on Kirlia, unlike your own body, which is accustomed to processing psychic energy as a source of fuel."
"Ah, good point. I'll try to keep that in mind… I don't suppose we can take a break now?" I ask pleadingly
Cynthia smiles at the question, and for a brief moment, I feel relief before she answers.
"Of course not. I had Carter requisition nearly 5 pounds of Leppa berries to keep you going. We aren't even halfway done with today's training!" Cynthia says cheerfully
The gleam of excitement in her eyes caused me to whimper involuntarily. Sadly, I did currently not have the energy to run away from the battle maniac.