Chapter 12 : Glass Clockwork

Eli breathed in and out, his breathing contradicting his current poker face.

That woman...

what is that gaze? How did she know he was there? Was she an energy user as well?

The energy was the metamorphosis that humans, centuries, if not millennia ago, used to adapt to pokemon's harsh and unstable life. Some developed powers that could go on par with pokemon. It gave the user a more robust physical prowess and a form of energy manipulation that corresponded with the type spectrum of pokemon.

For example, nightmare energy also referred to as dark energy, can help cultivate a dark-type pokemon and can be used to launch mental attacks.

But these powers come at a cost, as all power comes with a price.

For starters, the users of energy were infertile. Nobody knew why, but if a son of a noble house was an only child and they were an energy user, it would not be celebrated but instead lamented.

The Alliance uprooted energy users unless they were high standing or their families had great contributions to the Alliance. Some had conspiracy theories about what happened to these innocent children, but they are all bleak. It was funny—the protectors of truth and the upholders of justice sending kids to their slaughter.

But... there was always a cost with power.

Each separate power had a flaw, something that each type couldn't run away from, no matter what. These flaws lead to Energy users perishing young before they could even bloom and show an impact on the world.... or the alliance gets them.

Poison energy was a form to cultivate poison types. The men and women who possessed the power to resist poisons could help their pokemon create new and improved ones and were keen on medicines. But they lived for a shorter period, as their position energy erodes their bodies, resulting in death. Nobody knows the limits of this life span, but the stronger they are, the more they can resist it.

But none can escape death.

Fire or Inferno Energy was one of the more common types, hailing from the three main types of energy: water, fire, and plant.

The user could control and cultivate flames in their pokemon, but they also had a flaw, like every energy. They were susceptible to the fire they cast and could quickly burn themselves without precise control. The point used to control the flames was much larger than any other type of energy, and they were susceptible to the carbon monoxide produced when a pet is used.

Playing with a red strand in his hand, Eli looked at it.

"I wonder what my flaw will be." He had never heard about this red string, which didn't seem to correspond to any type. One day, however, his flaw will catch up to him, and it will inject its venom into him, whatever that venom may be.

"Chaos." Eli slowly whispered, adding extra emphasis on the sibilance.

Chaos. That was something that related to him. Something he will cause, something he will uproot his father with-

...

Dismissing the strand of red chaos energy, Eli jumped down from the tree he was sitting in, Teddiursa following behind.

Slowly dropping down to admire the piece of art that he had done to the red-haired boy, Eli saw something in the corner of his eye. Something near the care package.

Frowning and approaching with caution, Eli was tempted to put Teddiursa to be his tester of the black item but decided against it.

Slowly walking up to the object around the care package, Eli heard static noises.

Coming closer, he realized it was a speaker, as a crisp voice came out of it.

"Ahh...!" The exclaimed voice resounded in the forest as Eli was put on guard. "This speaker is activated by motion and has a 10-meter radius of detection. That of which I heard two steady pairs of footsteps. So don't even pretend you're not there."

It was a woman from before! Eli clicked his tongue in annoyance but stayed silent.

Should he run? or should he not?

"Who are you?"

"Glad to know the person who took the care package is a complete fucking idiot. That makes it easier." The voice snorted, a sound of disdain being incredibly intense.

"I'm the woman who just stared at you, idiot!" The woman gave a short laugh before it went silent for a few seconds. The muffled sounds came over the speaker. "I'm here for a proposition. Come to the middle, and we can all work together to complete the trial altogether."

"You're trying to rekindle your numbers after your men betrayed you? I would have thought you learned your lesson by now." Eli spoke, an equal amount of disdain present in his voice. "If I do come to you, an ambush to steal my supplies would be the most logical decision right now on your end. And I'm guessing you are sending some of your men to come and get me right now. Adieu."

"You're not a fool! that's a pleasant surprise." The disdain faded in the voice on the radio, replaced with hearty fake laughter.

"I saw your work with the leader of the west care package leader. Incredibly crude. The hamstringing was weak, but I'm more interested in his state. It almost seemed like there was no vitality in that man, and I felt so sad once I realized that my Gastly only had one meal. An energy user?"

"Why would I tell you?" Eli was, in a sense, urgent, as he needed to leave as soon as possible. "Did you plant this device knowing that I was coming here?"

"Of course. I wouldn't waste such a valuable toy on such a suspicion."

"I think our conversation has come to an end." Eli gritted his teeth as he grabbed the speaker.

"Oh, but it's there where you're so wrong. See, my plans on this island are intricate, and a piece of shit like you complicates things."

"Thanks for the warning." Eli put the speaker on the ground before rapidly smashing his worn boots onto the speaker.

But behind every smash, he could hear laughter and rapidly increasing muffled sounds.

"See you soon~."