Chaotic Fun

Max and his team have drifted away from their next gym battle and set their sights on a side objective; The MallowVille tournament. They must win that in order to receive a ticket to the Ullos amusement park. To reach it, they had to take public transportation to get there faster if they were gonna make it within a few days' time. For the next week, Max and the gang had resorted to taking the bus as their main method of transportation, since they were last in a heavily wooded part of Rados. Some of the girls had begun to wonder if they were ever gonna make it to the tournament in time, given that buses didn't travel all that fast. Luckily, Max found the nearby town of Carpoose, which had a bullet train station that was headed towards MallowVille, among many other locations. Max was now ordering the train ticket as the girls waited for him in a corner of the station.

"Thank you very much," Max said to the man behind the counter at the station, ticket in hand. He then went to join his team and showed them the ticket. "Next stop, MallowVille," he announced with enthusiasm.

{Awesome!} Sally exclaimed, strangely excited to take the train.

"Hold your horses, Sally, I got us our own private car and we'll have to share different seats. That's why the ticket cost so much," Max waved with a hand, calming the cinderace.

{We'll manage. May and I don't take up a lot of space.} Scarlet commented in her green-colored disguise.

"May can basically sit on anyone. Looks like your size is useful." Max told May with a playful smirk.

{Only when you need it to be.} May more or less disagreed with crossed arms.

{I'm sure we'll take up less space if Luna sits on master.} Bonny jested.

{Oh my. I don't want to crush our little tike.} Luna refused, with no one being sure if she was playing along or not.

{Who knows, he might actually like it~.} May commented, amused.

"Girls, we're in public, come on now. Anyways, the train's about to leave, so let's get to it, yeah?" Max jested before heading outside.

The group made their way to the magnetic bullet train and stepped inside alongside a few more humans, where they got into their designated seats within their own private passenger car. Since May was the smallest and could sit on anyone, she left her usual spot to someone else and sat on Dusk, leaving Max's lap available for Scarlet who was the lightest of the group, leaving some a little jealous. Luna, Dusk, and Aurora were sitting on one side of the car, while Max, Scarlet, Bonny, and Sally were sitting on the other.

{Hihi… I've never taken a train ride before. It looks so cool.} Sally expressed as she looked out the window, eager for the vehicle to start.

{It's kinda fun. This one's so smooth and relaxing since it's a more advanced train.} May shared. {Very different from a standard train… A bit bumpier, but still smooth overall.}

"Really? How do you know?" Max asked curiously.

{My stupid old trainer had to take one to visit some family one time.} The mawile replied somewhat bitterly. {Literally the best thing he's ever done for me.}

Max looked down at May with a raised eyebrow at the mention of her former trainer. "Uh huh…Weird that he'd let you out, though."

May let out a sigh and shrugged. {Wouldn't be surprised… The only times I was out of my ball was when there were some attractive girls around.}

"Tsk. What an ass. Using you as some trophy to attract chicks. Oh well, human girls are boring anyway, I speak from experience," Max said, briefly stroking Scarlet's hair who let out a pleasing squeak.

{Yes master, please keep going about how superior pokémon are.} Scarlet asked seductively.

Max let out a chuckle as he removed his hand from her head. "No thanks, I don't want you to wet my pants on a public train."

{Tss, you're such a tease.} Scarlet complained, making Bonny and Sally giggle.

Suddenly, the door to the car slid open and a man in uniform approached Max. "Ticket, please," he asked courteously.

"Oh! Uh, sure. Here you go," Max replied, handing him the ticket.

After checking the ticket, the man looked at Max and Scarlet with a hint of suspicion at how they were seated, with the gardevoir replying with a dirty and intimidating stare.

"*ahem*. E-Everything appears to be in order, e-enjoy the ride," he said before nervously tugging at his coat and hastily leaving the car.

{...How long will we have to stay here?} Scarlet asked, already annoyed to her core.

"The train moves pretty fast, so we should reach MallowVille in half an hour, more or less."

{Good.} the gardevoir replied as they heard the train's horn blaring outside.

"*sigh* Poké-Man Wonderland, here we come," Max said before the train started moving.

{Aye, sir!} Sally exclaimed enthusiastically while raising a paw.

{Huh? Poké-Man wonder-what now?} Aurora inquired, confused.

"Poké-Man Wonderland. It's the actual name of the amusement park. Ullos is just the island name."

{Ah. I see.}

{Weird ass name if you ask me.} Scarlet commented.

"Good thing we didn't, then." Max jested, making Scarlet poke his sides.

Being a magnetic train, the group felt little to no movement despite the speed they were traveling. It was a soothing train ride nonetheless, with various members of the group either talking amongst themselves or appreciating the passing scenery. In Max's case, however, he was busy comforting a ticked-off gardevoir after she basically gave the ticket counter the death stare. Two stops later, they reached their destination in less than twenty minutes, some in a better mood than others. After stepping out of the vehicle, Max noticed that MallowVille appeared to be a medium-sized city with a few skyscrapers scattered about. While it was not as big as BoonTown or Lamellion, it was still large enough to pass as a city from how much larger the buildings were compared to a village or town.

Max placed his hands on his hips as he gazed towards the distance. "Okay, girls. Since the tournament is only in a few days, we'll have to rent a room for the time being."

{Naturally.} Scarlet conceded.

{Where does the tournament even take place?} Aurora asked curiously.

{Supposedly it's all in this big human sports stadium, which has been temporarily reserved for pokemon battling.} Scarlet explained.

"I think this one is mostly used for football and soccer," Max pondered.

{Maybe.} Scarlet replied, disinterested in anything human-related. {So, hotel first?}

"You know it."

Max and his group took a while to search for a place to settle until the tournament. Unfortunately, most of the hotels were already booked full, as expected, leaving them to wander the city more than usual.

{For fuck's sake…} Scarlet complained as they were exiting another hotel. {Can't they just sleep on the streets or something?}

"Looks like we're not the only ones who're hyped about this event."

{I don't care, you're the most important one here.} the gardevoir said, irritated by the inconvenience.

"Might as well look at the more expensive hotels, since we can easily afford it now," Max pointed out. "I doubt every trainer around here is as rich as us."

{At least that way, we'll be extra cozy around each other.} Bonny mentioned.

"That, too… Can you pass me the tablet please, Love?" Max asked politely.

Despite trying to contain her frustration, Scarlet was at least calm enough to materialize the tablet into Max's hands. After looking up a 'high-luxury' hotel that had vacant rooms and a balcony with a great view of the city, Scarlet put the tablet back into the compressed module, everyone making their way towards it. They walked for a couple of minutes passing by various stores and food joints until they arrived at a peculiar scene.

{W-What's going on?} Sally asked in an uncomfortable tone.

At the entrance of a back alley, the group saw a small group of police officers and a few detectives walking back and forth past yellow tape marked "keep out" condemning the alley. Around it was more yellow tape and traffic cones blocking a small part of the sidewalk, forcing people to walk around it.

"I don't know," Max replied as he approached the tapes.

"Move along sir, nothing to see here," a police officer near him demanded.

"Sorry officer, can I at least ask what happened?"

"A murder had taken place here, now keep walking. Don't want to tamper with the crime scene, do we?" the officer requested more or less politely before going somewhere else.

"Damn. I wondered what happened," Max wondered as they walked past the scene.

{For once, it's not me.} Scarlet joked.

"I don't know… That's just what the killer would say," Max said, playing along.

{Really? Well, feel free to interrogate me any time.} Scarlet coaxed. {You may need to be very… persuasive.} She added with a seductive smile.

"Is that a challenge?" Max responded in kind before the two began to stare into each other's eyes.

{Wait until after we get to the hotel, guys.} Aurora interrupted.

"Oh, right. Sorry," Max apologized before he and the group resumed their walking, going around the crime scene. Max wanted to at least take a quick peek, but the number of officers around the entrance of the back alley made it impossible.

"It couldn't hurt to at least see what went down," Max muttered to himself in thought, Scarlet immediately catching on to his curiosity.

{...I'm not sure about murder, but it's not something that a human can do so easily, if at all.}

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

{A human male got sliced into multiple pieces.} said the gardevoir. {Arms, legs, chest… Shing! Sliced right off his body.}

"…How do you know that?"

{Since you wanted to know so badly, I did a quick scan of one of those so-called "officers'" brains and I saw the scene clearly.} Scarlet confirmed, pointing to her head.

"Oh. Well, thanks I guess. Sliced into big pieces, you say…"

{I don't want to alarm you, but I don't think this is a human's handiwork. They are too weak and the cuts are too clean and large for a human to exert enough force to cut a human that efficiently.} Scarlet explained.

"So you're thinking a pokémon did this?"

{Seems that way, yes.} she replied with a nod

{That's really scary.} Sally commented uneasily.

{I agree.} Dusk said, taking a nervous glance at her surroundings. {Whatever did this, they could still be on the loose.}

"Alright, then we'll have to be extra careful around here, at least until the killer is found," Max suggested in a serious tone.

It took the group another few minutes before finding the hotel they were looking for. As Max was checking in at the counter, Max spoke again to the young-adult male working behind it.

"Good afternoon, sir," the receptionist greeted, Max waving back.

"Hi there. So we're here for the tournament, how exactly do we apply? Do we show up at the stadium the day of, or…?"

"Oh, I'm afraid you're a bit too late for that," The man replied as he stopped typing on his computer. "Contestants must have their names on the list one week before the tournament starts. The last day to apply was a few days ago."

"...Are you serious?" Max retorted disappointingly.

{What is it?} Scarlet asked while joining next to him.

"*sigh* We're too late. They won't take new participants anymore," Max answered with his head in his hand, understandingly frustrated at the situation.

{What?} the gardevoir replied before then looking at the receptionist and asking in telepathy. [Is there no way for us to get in?]

"Well, you can still try. There are some participants who cancel beforehand for one reason or another. If you're lucky, you can take someone's place," the man responded honestly.

Max lifted his head as his hope had returned. "Yes! We still have a chance," he exclaimed.

[Where do we need to go?]

"To the stadium itself. There's a box office at the main entrance where contestants can sign up and reserve their spot," the receptionist replied, pointing out the door.

"Great, that'll be our next stop. Let's just quickly drop our stuff in the room and we can get a move on."

{You go on ahead. I'll take care of our luggage and I'll join you right after.} Scarlet proposed.

"Really? Thanks, Scarlet. Is it okay if my gardevoir drops off my stuff in the room?" Max asked the receptionist.

"As long as she's accompanied by one of our staff, of course," he replied with a nod.

{Whatever.} Scarlet replied with rolling eyes, a bit annoyed.

"Awesome," he exclaimed before turning to Scarlet with a thankful smile. [Thanks a lot, Love.]

[I ain't doing this for free, y'know…] Scarlet told him with a grin.

Flashing her a grin as well, Max booked his room and thanked the receptionist before leaving with the rest of the group.

"Alright, now where's that stadium…?"

{...It just occurred to me; Shouldn't you take care of that thing you keep forgetting first?} Aurora mentioned.

Max tilted his head in confusion. "What thing? Did we miss something?"

{This guy….} The lucario muttered, facepalming. {Your trainer's license, you dolt.}

"...Oh. Well, shit," Max cursed, now feeling like an idiot considering he has been lectured about this not too long ago.

{I doubt you'll be able to enter that tournament without one.}

{Good point. Without that, we might as well say goodbye to our amusement park ticket.} Bonny said, crossing her arms.

{We should consider ourselves lucky to have come so far without it.} Luna commented.

"You're right, but where do I get one?" Max asked out loud, making all his companions groan and facepalm, with Sally mostly copying. "…What?"

{Are you serious, master?} Bonny scolded.

{Y'know Max, you're the one who's supposed to keep track of stuff like this.} Aurora sternly pointed out.

"Well, it's kinda hard to focus with you girls distracting me all the time," Max said as he tried to make an excuse.

{You're not seriously blaming your negligence on us, are you?}

"No, I…" Max stuttered, noticing that all his girls were looking at him with accusing eyes. "...Okay, fine. I messed up again, are you happy now?"

{Just a little.} Luna told him in a motherly tone. {You must own up to your mistakes as well as learn from them, like a good little tike, alright?}

Max drooped his arms in shame but reluctantly looked up at Luna, realizing she and the girls were right. "Okay…" he muttered.

{So what now?} May asked.

Max straightened his posture. "*sigh* I would ask around, but it wouldn't be wise with all of you around. I ask the wrong guy, they get the wrong idea and he snitches on me for having pokémon illegally."

{Ooh, you got that right.} Bonny conceded.

"I need the tablet to find the place, but Scarlet is the one who—"

{...Did somebody say my name?} Scarlet asked, half a second after appearing next to them.

"Ah, good. Can you get me the tablet?"

{Sure, what for?} Scarlet asked while materializing the object.

"…I need to search something up."

{Like what…?}

"..."

{...Hello?} Scarlet called out before looking at the others.

{He's looking up where he can get his trainer's license.} Sally answered.

Scarlet looked at Max with a deadpan expression. {Seriously? You're now just thinking about doing that?}

"Spare me your lectures Scarlet, I'm trying to focus."

{Oh my god…} Scarlet expressed with very discouraged eyes. {Talk about embarrassing.}

"Memememe- Shaddup," Max mocked while scrolling through the page. "...Ah. It says here that you can apply for a trainer's license at any pokémon center."

{That's convenient.} Dusk said, pleased by the news.

"Well, looks like it's off to the pokemon center, then."

Changing their destination once more, Max and the group headed towards the local pokemon center, which luckily was only a few blocks away.

"Okay, girls. I think it's best if you all wait out here," Max requested as they approached the building.

{Why?} Sally asked.

{Master isn't supposed to have pokémon, remember?} Scarlet explained.

{Oh.}

{You should probably take off your belt as well.} The gardevoir added.

"Ah, you're right," Max conceded, taking it off. "I guess it doesn't really say 'beginner trainer' if I have one, huh? Can you hold this for me, Bonny?" He asked before handing it to the lopunny.

{Sure thing.} The lopunny agreed.

{I should probably tag along with you.} Scarlet pointed out.

"Why?"

{Think about it; I'm a wild pokemon in good health, so I can pretend to be a family pokémon that you've been taking good care of. It might convince them to give you a license.}

{That's smart.} Aurora commented.

"Indeed. There's a lot going on in that head of yours, like always," Max said, vigorously yet affectionately caressing Scarlet's hair.

{Nothing new here.} Scarlet replied in glee.

"Let's get going, then. We'll be back in a bit, this shouldn't take long," Max said to his team before leaving for the pokémon center.

{*sigh* At least that's gonna be taken care of, finally.} Aurora commented before she and the group found an empty bench to sit on. Meanwhile, Scarlet and Max entered through the front gate and walked towards the counter as a female nurse finished helping another guest.

"Hem… Hi there," Max engaged.

"Hello, do you have an appointment with us?" replied the nurse behind the desk.

"Actually, I want to be a pokémon trainer, and I heard I can start here," Max lied.

"Oh, you're applying for a license. Yes, you've come to the right place," she told him, pointing behind Max. "Just wait in the waiting area and I'll send someone to help you right away."

Max nodded while turning towards the waiting area. "Got it, thanks," he told the nurse.

The two of them waited for a few minutes watching the staff members do their jobs before a middle-aged doctor with a clipboard approached them.

"I take it you're the one who wants to become a pokemon trainer?" he inquired.

"Yep, that's me. Been looking forward to this for a while now," Max acted, the doctor believing his lie.

"Then follow me, if you please…"

As Max stood up to follow the man, Scarlet failed to contain her snickering.

[Stay in character, Scarlet.] Max communicated telepathically.

[I'm sorry, everything about this is just so ridiculous.]

[You think? Personally, I think it's not ridiculous enough.] Max retorted playfully as they approached the doctor's office and sat down at his desk.

The interior was similar to the office Max sat down in back in the BoonTown pokémon center, although there were not as many books on the shelves to his sides.

"Is this gardevoir yours?" The doctor asked as everyone took a seat.

"You could say that yeah. She's been in the family since I was in elementary school. She was so cute as a ralts," Max told the doctor, coming up with the short story on the spot. "My parents caught her one day and gave her ball to me as a birthday gift, telling me to care for her as much as possible for when I become a trainer. Fast forward to a few days ago, I moved out of my parent's home, searched for a place to apply, and now… Here I am."

{Pretty good story so far.} Scarlet commented with a tiny smile.

"Fascinating," the doctor replied, taking this all in. "You seem like an ambitious young man, so what I'm going to do is give you some paperwork to fill out. Also, if you'll allow me, I would like to examine your gardevoir. Just a simple physical examination to see if she's in perfect health, which will help move things along with your application."

"Well…" Max said, looking at his pokemon.

{Nailed it.} Scarlet boasted.

"...What will you be doing to her, exactly? She doesn't like being touched by strangers," he asked, concerned about Scarlet's dislike for humans.

"Just some basic tests, nothing too time-consuming; Making sure her weight is correct, checking for physical deficiencies, as well as observing anything that might hint that she's been abused in one way or another," the doctor explained. "All necessary to ensure the pokémon's well-being."

"Okay then, now it all depends on her," Max said, looking at Scarlet again. "Are you okay with being checked on for medical purposes?

{...*sigh* If it makes you an official trainer faster…} Scarlet complied as she shrugged her shoulders.

"Great. I think we're good," Max reassured the doctor.

"Excellent. Here's the form for you to complete," said the man while handing Max a few stapled papers. "Now miss, if you would follow me behind those curtains then we can get started," he added while standing up and motioning Scarlet to follow.

"Good luck," Max nagged playfully with a grin while Scarlet stood up as well.

{Eat my ass.} The gardevoir retorted with an annoyed voice, Max grabbing a pen to fill out his application.

"Have a seat, miss," the man instructed.

{You touch me in a place I don't like, you're gonna lose a finger.} Scarlet said, making Max smile in amusement.

"Okay. Let's start with the top."

The form was rather easy to complete with Max doing so in a few minutes. It mainly consisted of standard info such as age, birthday, height, weight, and so on, along with a few free-answer questions relating to pokémon care and how he sees them as a species. Paying too much attention to the form to hear them, Max grew curious as to what Scarlet and the doctor were actually doing in there. He had hoped that she wouldn't do anything too bashful, but knowing how she is, he wouldn't be surprised if she punched him in the face for touching her crest or something.

"I know you're sensitive there, but bear with me for a minute," the doctor apologized.

{Hrrrgh… Do your filthy hands have to go everywhere?} Scarlet complained as he trailed his gloved hands along the base of her crest.

"Crest sensitivity appears to be normal. Don't worry, we're almost done here," he reassured as he went down her body, towards her special place. "All that's left is to see if everything down here hasn't been…"

*Thud*

A sharp groan can be heard from across the room as Max saw the doctor fall to the ground. "…I think we're done," he said with a pained hiss.

After hearing the doctor's chair, both he and Scarlet reappeared from behind the curtains. As Scarlet sat next to Max with her crossed arms looking quite displeased, the doctor sat down in his chair covering his left eye.

[What happened?] asked Max worryingly.

[He tried to touch me in a place only you are allowed to.] the gardevoir scoffed.

[He's a pokémon doctor Scarlet, he's just doing his job.]

[I don't care! My vagina is perfectly fine, so he doesn't have to stick his nose nearby.] Scarlet snapped back, getting madder by the second with Max rolling his eyes.

"Alright… I think we can safely say that your gardevoir is in top shape, strong too," the doctor said as he rubbed his eye, not sounding too upset.

"Sorry about that," Max apologized.

"No worries, young man. You warned me, so it's on me. Anyways, let's take a look here, shall we?" The man said, grabbing Max's form and quickly surveying the answers. "...I see. You seem to have quite a bit of knowledge about pokémon and how to properly care for them. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were already a trainer," he jested, letting out a chuckle.

"Ahaha… Yeah, my uh… my dad used to be a trainer when he was my age," Max lied. "He taught me a few things here and there while raising Scarlet here.

"Ah, I see. From how healthy your gardevoir is, it would seem pokémon training runs in the family."

"Yes. Quite a bit, sir," Max replied, briefly looking at Scarlet due to the irony of his words.

The doctor hummed to himself as he skimmed through Max's application, now on the last page. "...Well then, everything seems in order, now there's just one last thing. As a precautionary measure, I will now have to ask your pokémon one very important question; are you willing to put your safety and wellbeing in the hands of this man? As a psychic-type, can you confirm that this man has only the best intentions for you? Are you able to trust him?"

Scarlet briefly looked at Max and back at the doctor before nodding. [With my very life.] she told him telepathically with confidence.

"Then by the power invested in me by the MallowVille Pokémon Center, I hereby dub you an official pokémon trainer Congratulations, sir."

"Yes!" Max exclaimed softly with a small fist pump.

The doctor then stood up from his chair and walked to the door. "Let's go print out your ID card at the entrance, then."

With a dimwitted smile, Max stood up as well followed by Scarlet, to which they all headed back to the front counter. With Max behind, the doctor talked a bit with the nurse and left.

"Alright, mister Max," The female nurse started, looking at the front page of his form. "Everything is in order, except for one minor detail."

This made Max look at her confusingly. "What is it?"

"You didn't write your last name."

"Ah. Sorry about that. I'm not really proud of it and I rarely fill out forms, so it just slipped my mind," he excused.

"It's okay. Just tell me and I'll just add it."

"Elms… It's Elms," he said with disappointment.

"Mister…. Elms. Alright. All that remains is taking a picture to put on your card."

"I'm ready."

"If you could just look at the wall behind me…"

"Hem… sure."

After doing as instructed, Max tried to spot what appeared to be a small camera, but between many gadgets that filled the wall, Max didn't spot it as he heard a subtle "click!"

"...Good. All done, just a moment…" the nurse muttered as she typed on her computer.

A couple of seconds later, a nearby machine began to make soft noises. With the nurse walking over to it, she grabbed whatever came out the other end and walked back to Max.

"Here you go, Mister Elms, your official ID trainer card," The nurse said while handing Max a card that had his picture and was displaying various information.

"Sweet," Max said, happily taking his ID card.

"Good luck on your journey," The nurse wished with a smile.

"Thank you very much," said Max while looking at his card, he and Scarlet left the pokémon center shortly after.

{Finally. We're done with that.} Scarlet said, relieved.

"Agreed. Not only am I now legal, but we can finally go participate in that tournament."

{Can't have them all, I guess.} she muttered to herself.

"What do you mean?"

{Oh nothing, don't worry about it.} she said dismissively, waving her hand.

"...Alright. I can't wait to show the girls," he stated as he walked to his team sitting on a bench a few feet away.

{Oh. That was quick.} Aurora commented when he noticed him.

"I guess we really made a good impression, Look at this," Max said, showing them his newly acquired trainer license.

{Wow. Photogenic as usual.} Bonny commented, grabbing the card.

{You look really nice in that picture.} Dusk said with a smile.

{So, your last name is Elms?} Luna shared.

{...It is?} Aurora said, looking at Max like everyone else.

{Elms, like the tree, or…?} May pondered as she stood on her toes to get a better look.

"So what if it is, what's it to you?" Max asked a bit too defensively.

{Nothing really, I just never realized that you had a last name.} Bonny commented.

{Crap! We should've asked you beforehand!} Sally complained, feeling a bit dumb.

{In our defense, it never really crossed our minds.} Scarlet reassured them.

{Yeah, but… Every human has one. I can't believe we never thought about it.} May said, a bit ashamed.

"Come on, girls. It's no big deal. It's the same as my dad's, so of course, it's not something I'll boast about," said Max, desperate to change the subject.

{Max Elms… Not half bad for a human.} Aurora said, smiling a little.

Now Max was starting to become visibly uncomfortable. "Okay guys, now you're just making this weird."

{What? We just want to appreciate you more.} Bonny said.

"Then how about you appreciate everything about me but my last name? There's nothing to like about it," he blurted out in a louder tone than he would've preferred.

{Alright, geez…} The lopunny retorted, giving back the card with rolling eyes, a bit hurt by his outburst.

"Fuck I- *sigh* I'm sorry. There's a reason why I prefer just to be called just 'Max,'" he apologized.

{We get it. Now, about the tournament?} Scarlet said.

Max cleared his throat and put that fiasco behind him. "Okay girls, I think it's time to show everybody here what you're really made of," Max replied enthusiastically, clapping with an open hand and a fist. "It's time to go all out, guys."

{Haha, now you're speaking my language.} Bonny stated, standing up vigorously.

{I don't know what to expect, but I'm ready to face any foe.} Aurora said, standing up as well, alongside everyone else.

{I'll… I'll do my best!} Sally proclaimed, trying to sound as convincing as possible.

{Me too!} May followed.

"That sounds like a team that's ready to win. Now let's go kick some ass and win that ticket," Max declared.

{Yeah!} Max's companions exclaimed, getting all pumped up.

As they headed towards the stadium, Scarlet noticed that a certain someone wasn't as enthusiastic as the others.

{Maybe… Dusk should stay on the bench this time.} She proposed softly to Max.

"I… I was afraid that it would come to that, given her condition. If she had fought, only you or Luna would have to fight in a six-on-six scenario, but since she's out…"

{...I wonder if you necessarily need to have six pokemon to take part. I mean, it would put your opponent at an advantage, but then again you can't not participate with less than six 'mons.}

Max rubbed his chin as he got to thinking. "True, but… if the rules demand that I do…"

{...I can try to copy Luna's ability and change into another pokemon if I…} Scarlet proposed.

"Get knocked out?"

{...Something like that, yeah. I'm just trying to find a solution, but I'm drawing blanks here.}

"Thanks for your support, love," Max said, putting one hand on her shoulder.

{Any time.} Scarlet replied, briefly caressing his hand.

"Let's see if it comes down to it first," he told her as they walked to the stadium.

It took the group quite a bit to reach their destination, and upon arriving, they were all greeted by an amazing sight. The stadium itself was fairly large as it appeared even larger than the one in CorsoCoast. The upper levels of the stadium had a chrome-colored exterior while the lower levels were glass panels that allowed people walking by to look inside. Everyone was marveled by the architecture of the stadium, and they could only imagine what it was like on the inside.

{Whoa! It's huge!} Bonny commented, impressed by the building.

"It has to be. Those things run one of the best human economy systems in the world that requires lots of space."

{Pokemon battle?} Aurora guessed.

"Yes, but not as much as human sports, like football or baseball."

{I see.}

"Hey! Nice pokémon you have there, dude," complimented a guy with an eevee on his shoulder as they walked by.

"Hem… thanks." Max replied, a bit taken by surprise.

{That was sweet of him.} Dusk said.

{Kinda random, if you ask me.} Bonny corrected.

Max stared at the guy as he moved along, his eevee briefly looking back to happily wave at them. "Is it me, or does that guy look oddly familiar?"

{Now that you mention it, he kinda does…} May replied as she tilted her head to get a better look at him.

{You're overthinking it, little tike. Some humans are actually nice.} Luna pointed out.

Max shrugged his shoulders and brushed that thought aside, his eagerness to compete shining through. "Perhaps. Anyway, let's see if we can still sign up."

Once inside the main lobby, Max asked for directions and got led to the tournament organizing office, passing through the various indoor stands vendors put up. Some were food and beverage stands, others were photo and drawing booths, and there were even a couple of stands selling city merchandise. The group walked along the smooth-tiled floor until they reached the office, where a single man was doing some paperwork behind a desk.

"Hi there" Max engaged with a friendly wave.

"Can your pokémon wait outside, please? We just mopped the floors." The man demanded a bit coldly.

"Hem…" Max hummed, looking at Scarlet.

{...Tsk. Whatever.} Scarlet complied, leaving the room with the girls. {Fucking cockroach.} She growled before slamming the door behind her.

"...Not a pokemon lover, I see," Max said, approaching the desk.

"I have nothing against them, it's just that hygiene isn't their thing," the man shrugged, not even looking at Max.

Max bit his tongue so as to not lash out at the guy. "Depends on who they are, I guess."

"Anyway, what can I do for you?"

"I was hoping that I could enter the tournament that takes place here."

"The tournament? You're a bit too late, my boy. The deadline was about a week ago."

"I know I'm late, but I learned about the tournament after that. Isn't there something you can do for me to enter?"

The man then briefly looked at Max with a tired and bored look in his eyes before letting out a sigh. "Well, normally, I'd say that it's not my problem, but luckily for you, we got two cancellations so far that need to be filled. With one taken just a few minutes ago, I guess you'll be taking that last spot if that's what you want."

Max's eyes lit up. "Awesome. I'll take it."

"Your ID trainer card, please."

"Sure, here you go," Max complied, giving him his new card, and immediately began typing in his information.

"...You just got this today?" The man commented upon noticing the date.

"Yeah. My old one expired, so I had to get it renewed. I got it just in time for the tournament, though," Max lied.

"...Whatever you say," the man shrugged before scanning Max's ID to proceed to the next screen.

After some more typing that lasted a few minutes, the man gave Max's card back.

"Your first battle will be at 5:30 pm in three days," he told him.

"Alright. Thanks a lot."

"Don't mention it. Now get lost, I got work to do," he replied rudely before turning back to his computer, Max already leaving with a displeased look.

{So? Are we "unsanitary pokémon'' officially in the tournament?} Scarlet asked, still upset at the man's comment.

"That guy was an ass, but he still put us in the last remaining place available." Max started before the group headed out.

{Oh. Looks like we arrived just in time.} Sally commented.

"More or less. We got lucky. The list seemed full, but they got two cancellations with one already replaced."

{Fate wanted us to participate.} Aurora jested.

"Yeah. We're gonna crush that competition."

"...Haha. Yeah, keep telling yourself that,"

The group stopped in their tracks and looked toward whoever was speaking to them and saw an arrogant-looking trainer, laying against the wall of the corridor. He appeared to be wearing edgy attire complete with a heavy metal shirt, black jeans, laceless shoes, and a spiky haircut. However, despite his dark attire, the young lad was reading a book about competitive battling, from what Max could tell by the cover.

"What was that?" Max retorted, staring at him with a raised eyebrow.

The guy looked up from his book to look at Max and his team before he resumed reading. "Oh, nothing. I'm saying that overconfidence makes you careless, and carelessness leads to an embarrassing defeat in competitive sports, especially pokémon battling." Max and Scarlet looked rather annoyed with him, briefly exchanging looks before he continued. "I mean, seriously? You're entering a high-stakes tournament with a team like that? Three of your 'mons are weak to fighting, four to ground, and you have absolutely no defense on your team."

"You seem so sure of yourself," Max replied.

The guy folded a corner of the page and closed his book, setting it down by his side. "And for a good reason. I may not look it, but I actually put thought into my team. Yours just stands no chance, especially if you're gonna face me."

"Ah. So you're a participant."

"No shit, Sherlock," he retorted.

"So that's your strategy? Stand here and tell everyone their team's flaws, hoping they'll chicken out. Gotta say, I'm not used to how these modern trainers function, it's confusing to my non-competitive brain," Max retorted, making half the girls giggle.

"Would you look at that? We got a clown over here," the guy said out loud. "Are you missing your makeup Bobo, or did you leave it at the clown fiesta you were conceived in?"

{Watch it, punk.} Scarlet growled before Max stopped her from moving.

"But rest assured; I came prepared for this tournament. As for my 'strategy', I'm only sizing up my competition, getting a feel for who I'll be fighting. So far, I'm not impressed." He then turned to look at his team, or specifically Scarlet, with a smug grin on his face. "A fast enough pokemon who knows Close Combat and Earthquake can completely sweep your team, and as for your gardevoir… Well, let's hope she doesn't fight a Scizor who knows Bullet Punch."

Max let out a scoff at the trainer's arrogance. "That's it, keep underestimating your opponents. It'll just make our victory even sweeter."

"I'm not, don't worry. You seem like you have some competence, so I'll be sure to put in some effort in our battle. But know this… If we ever face off, I'm still gonna crush you."

"Sure thing, buddy. I'll leave you to your edgy delusions now and be on our way," Max replied before resuming his walk with his companions.

"You might as well do yourselves a favor and quit while you still can. I don't plan on participating in the next tournament, so you might have a decent shot then," the trainer said as Max walked away.

{What's up with that one? Did someone punch him in the dick or something?} Bonny commented.

Max looked back at Bonny. "It's assholes like that we need to watch out for. They're the type to think they're all that after getting a couple of wins."

{If he thinks he can take us down that easily, I'm gonna kick him out from his little cloud.} Scarlet said.

"That's the plan, to whoever is our opponent, actually. We're gonna play fair, but we're gonna be ruthless about it."

{Then I suggest that we use whatever time we have to prepare ourselves properly.} Aurora suggested.

"Good idea," Max replied as they passed in front of a hallway leading outside before an idea came to him. "You know guys, we could do that on the stadium field. I'm curious to see how it looks and we can use the terrain to spar. Besides, I think that I even see some trainers doing that from here," he proposed before taking the hallway.

{I don't think it's very wise.} Aurora interrupted him.

"Why's that?"

{Think about it. Some of them are definitely our opponents, so it wouldn't be smart to show them what we can do right off the bat.}

{She's right.} Scarlet approved. {We're already showing them too much just by walking beside you.}

"Should I… put you all back in your pokeballs?"

{It's a bit too late for that.} Aurora pointed out.

{Well, no big deal.} Bonny said. {They might know our typing, but they still don't know what we actually got.}

"I totally agree, but let's not get carried away. By that I mean you pretty much all have moves you are expected to know. Bonny's Jump Kick, Dusk and Scarlet's Psybeam, Aura Sphere for Aurora, you get the idea."

{Are you trying to demoralize us?} Scarlet accused, half joking.

"No, but I'm a bit scared that we'll get a bit careless."

{Don't worry, master.} May reassured him. {We'll be as careful as always.}

"I don't doubt it," Max said, briefly petting her. "But some of you have moves that aren't commonly known by your species. Like Blaze Kick for you, Bonny. It's not rare, but it's pretty uncommon. That's a move you should keep for when they least expect it."

{Got it.} Bonny acknowledged.

"Great. Let's go find a quiet place and train a little. And after that, how about we go relax somewhere, like a park or pokemon-friendly pub, or something like that?"

{That could be great.} Bonny shared.

{Yay! Fun time!} May exclaimed happily.

{If it's something more pokemon-friendly than human-friendly, then I'm in.} Scarlet said.

"We'll see what we can find."

With that, the group headed outside the stadium in search of a place where they could revise their strategies. Unable to find it within the city limits, they traveled to the outskirts to isolate themselves a little. As Max trained with the group, Scarlet and Dusk went further away on their own.

{So? Ready to get started?} Scarlet said after she felt they were far enough.

{I'm… still really scared that… it'll happen again.} Dusk shared, obviously terrified.

{I'll be here for you Dusk, and this time, I know what to expect. I'll constantly keep an eye on your mental state.}

{...Are you sure… it's risk-free?} The delphox asked, nervously playing with her stick.

{...*sigh* I'd be lying if I told you that there's no risk whatsoever, but… You want this, right?}

{Well… wanting it would be a slight overstatement…}

{You want to be strong to protect our master like everyone else here. But unfortunately, my friend, there's no other way to get stronger than through training, and I want to help you with that. Like I said the other day; You're my friend and I don't want to leave you behind, no matter how risky it seems.}

For a moment, Dusk reconsidered.

{...Is there really… no other way?}

Scarlet shook her head. {I'm afraid not.} she replied as Dusk became hesitant once more. {I left you some time to think about it, but now is the time for you to make a choice.} Scarlet told her.

{...}

{I can help you, Dusk.} she proclaimed, looking into her eyes with conviction while the delphox looked around before making her choice.

{...You promise that no one will get hurt?}

{I promise that I'll do my utmost best not let that happen. You know me, so you know what it means.}

{...A-Alright, then.} Dusk finally accepted.

{Wonderful.} Scarlet said, clapping her hands once in joy. {Let's start at once, then.}

With Dusk readying her stick defensively, Scarlet noticed that she was still a bit shaky.

{Let's start off slow.} Scarlet proposed, to which Dusk nodded.

With a slow and weak pace at first, the two of them began their sparring session. For the next half hour, everything went along smoothly, and Scarlet decided to kick things up a notch. Then, unbeknownst to her, Scarlet increased the intensity of their training bit by bit, to the point that even Dusk didn't notice and increased her power accordingly.

{You're doing great, Dusk.} Scarlet praised her as she was shooting an Ice Beam at the delphox, who was able to dodge the attack, leaving ice traces behind.

{Got you.} Dusk said before counter-attacking with Flamethrower.

Scarlet teleported away behind Dusk before the flames could hit her. As she expected, the delphox turned and took a big back step before retaliating with Mystical Fire. However, the gardevoir chose not to dodge, allowing herself to be engulfed by the fiery pillar. Having used her psychic energy to shield herself from the fire, Scarlet dissipated the attack and launched multiple Shadow Balls at Dusk. Being too fast for her, she had to block them which resulted in her tiring out with each blocked attack. Floating towards her, Scarlet kept up the pressure by continuously shooting Shadow Balls at Dusk, leaving no room for the fire pokemon to fight back. Eventually, Scarlet charged up a big one and released it, finally breaking through Dusk's defense. Now at her limit, Dusk dropped to her knees trying to catch her breath.

{I… I can't… keep up… anymore.} Dusk said, as Scarlet dropped to the ground, also panting a bit.

{You're doing great, Dusk.} The gardevoir praised, allowing Dusk a moment to breathe. {We'll rest for a moment, so if you're still up for it, we'll-

{Ghaaaaa!} Dusk suddenly growled in pain, grabbing her head. {It's… It's happening…}

Wasting no time, Scarlet got on her knees and grabbed Dusk by the face. She immediately saw in her eyes that she was already fighting the other self, preventing it from taking over.

{Calm down.} The gardevoir commanded with an echoing voice, her eyes briefly glowing in blue.

In less than a second, Dusk's face changed into a more neutral expression, one that was practically emotionless.

{...Dusk?} Scarlet called out after a few seconds before waving her hand in front of her. {Are you with me?} She asked, gently tapping on her cheek.

Dusk then shook her head and looked at Scarlet, as if she had come back to earth. However, what she did next caught Scarlet by surprise; she clumsily placed a paw on Scarlet's shoulder.{Scarleeeeet, my friend…! How are you doing today?} Dusk greeted her in a slurred voice.

Alongside her dimwitted smile, Dusk appeared to be a bit stoned, as if she had just smoked something strong.

{Phew. It worked… I think.} Scarlet said, somewhat relieved.

{Wow Scarlet, you're soo red today… What's the occasion?}

Scarlet chuckled at this side of Dusk. {Hehe. Our success, that's what.}

{Huh? I don't get it, what success?} the delphox asked with a head tilt.

{Never mind that. Looks like our training is over for today. Let's get you back home.}

{We're finishing so soon? Why? *Gasp* Did I do something wrong?} Dusk inquired with a finger over her lips, oddly trying to look cute. {Have I been a bad girl~?}

{No, you haven't. Don't worry. Come on.} Scarlet affirmed before helping her friend to stand.

Dusk then began playing with her voice, switching between different tones to sound goofier. {Yes, boss. Hehe, das funny to say. Yes, boss! Hahaha! *snort*.}

Scarlet then floated back to where Max and the others were training with a stoned Delhox in tow. They were able to arrive a few moments later where Max was supervising a sparring session between Bonny and Aurora. The trainer then noticed Dusk holding onto Scarlet, looking around trying to figure out where she was while still blathering nonsense.

{Maaaax! Scarlet thinks I'm a bad girl… Can you punish me to prove her right?} Dusk called out as Scarlet guided her.

"Everything okay over there?" Max asked, raising an eyebrow.

{Yeah, don't worry. I just had to stop her from becoming too excited, you know.}

"Oh… Oh…" Max replied, immediately understanding what she meant as she helped Dusk sit at the base of a tree.

{You rest up now, it's nap time.} Scarlet suggested softly.

{...Alright. Good night, everyone…} Dusk complied, closing her eyes.

"So it happened again?"

{Not quite. I was able to stop it before it happened. You know, she's actually coming along quite nicely, despite that.}

Max crossed his arms as doubt began to creep in. "Tsk. I still wonder if all of this is worth the risk."

{It is, master. I offered her to back down from this, but she chose to keep going.} Scarlet reaffirmed as Max looked at her. {She wants to do her best for you master, like everyone else here. Don't take this away from her.}

"I won't, I'm just… *sigh*" Max sighed before nervously pacing around. "...You're right, she deserves to have a chance." He said after a moment of thinking.

{It's okay, love. I have it under control.} Scarlet assured him, grabbing one of his hands. {Like many, Dusk doesn't want her handicap to dictate her life. She wants to do her best, no matter what.}

"..."

{I promise she's in good hands.}

"I didn't even doubt it. *sigh* I want to respect her choices, so I'll leave it to you."

{Thanks, master.} The gardevoir replied before giving him a gentle kiss on the cheek. {Can I watch you give orders?}

"That's not really what I'm doing, but sure."

The group then trained until the evening, when the group decided to wander the city in search of a place to relax a little. After a while of searching, they found a pokemon-friendly nightclub with music, dancing spots, and the like. It wasn't as extravagant as a human club, but it was close. What Max found the funniest was the loudreds dropping various beats alongside some techno music from the DJ.

{It's very loud in here.} Sally commented, not a fan of the club's high.

{That's exactly the point, come on!} Bonny said before pulling the cinderace towards the dancing zone. {Time to go wild.}

{But…} Sally managed to say before she disappeared into the crowd.

{Wait for me!} May exclaimed, jumping from Max's shoulder to follow them.

"And there they go again."

{Why don't we do the same?} Scarlet suggested, holding him by the hand.

Him too, Max got pulled by the gardevoir to dance. Looking at each other, Aurora, Dusk and Luna smiled and followed at a slower pace.

"Since when have you become versed in human activities?" Max asked shortly after Scarlet started to dance.

{You ask me that every time we get into a place like this, I answer that humans didn't invent dancing. In fact, they probably copied it from us, knowing how limited their imaginations are.}

"Yeah, but… humans…"

{Rha!} Scarlet complained with rolling eyes. {We're here to have fun. With you. Other humans are mere decorations at this point. Ugly decorations, but still.}

"Haha. You're a confusing gardevoir sometimes, you know that?" Max replied, very amused.

{Come on, now! Let the beat get into you!} Scarlet requested, forcing Max to dance a little.

"Tsk. Alright." Max complied, trying to follow Scarlet's rhythm.

For a while, the group let themselves go, as well as a few other humans dancing with pokemon. Max and Scarlet danced together for a couple of songs before Max was getting hot and needed a breather.

"Okay. I think I'm gonna take a break."

{Already? We just started.} Scarlet complained.

"Are you kidding? We've been dancing for more than half an hour."

{Yeah. That's what I just said.}

"I don't have your energy, and heat resistance apparently. I'm gonna get a drink to refresh myself and come back later."

{Alright. But don't take too long, though, or I'll go dance with someone else.}

"Eh, nice try. Everyone here is out of your league, so I'm not that worried."

{Pff. Why does it never work?}

"Because I'm the only existing male that you like?"

{...That would make sense.}

"Hehe. Behave, now." Max said before leaving.

{You know me. I create a mess only if I get really bored.} Scarlet jested before putting more energy into her dancing.

While getting away from the dancing zone, Max saw the rest of his group dancing together. All except Dusk. He barely wondered for a second where she was when he saw her sitting on a stool at the barman's counter.

"Done dancing too?" Max engaged, sitting next to her.

{...I didn't dance much.} Dusk replied after briefly looking at him.

"Not in the mood?"

{Hm.} The delphox replied, shrugging her shoulders.

Max then noticed that she had a glass of something in her hand.

"What did you order?"

{I don't know. This gentleman just offered it to me.} Dusk replied, referring to the barman.

"He didn't charge you anything?"

{I think drinks are free for pokemon.}

"Eh. Lucky you. It's always the same with goodies."

{Do you want it?} Dusk said, pushing the glass to him.

"No. I was mostly joking. Besides, I don't really trust a drink made for pokemon."

{Oh, right. I didn't think of that.}

It was obvious that Dusk wasn't feeling well. Max had his doubt about why, but maybe there was something else.

"...Are you sure you don't want to join the others to change your mind?"

{...Yes.}

Quickly, Max couldn't stand seeing his precious delphox that sad anymore.

"How about a little walk, then? Just you and me."

{A walk? You mean, outside?}

"Why, yes. We'll have more space there than here."

{...I appreciate it, but no. You're here to have fun, not to bother with me.}

"Dusk. The tournament is just in four days. I can still come back tomorrow or the day after. You need me, and it's my duty as a trainer to care for you. So I'm gonna ask again; Dusk? Do you want to take a walk with me, please?"

This time, Max's request sounded more incisive. Oddly enough, it didn't affect Dusk the way she expected it. She knows that if she says no again, he won't insist. However, putting more energy in his tone made it clear that he really wanted her to accept.

{...Alright. I just hope it won't make the others mad.}

"They won't, don't worry. They care for you, Dusk."

{...Okay.}

At that, both stood up and headed outside. Along the way, Max wanted to at least advise Scarlet.

"Scarlet?" Max called out through the music when next to her.

{Oh, you're back! Nice!} She said, not stopping.

"I'm sorry, but I'm gonna go out for a moment."

{Huh? Why?} Scarlet asked, now stopping.

"Dusk's mood is pretty low, so I thought that some 'Max time' could help her."

{...Alright.}

"We're gonna take a walk. I doubt it will take that long, but if we're not back before closure, just head back to the hotel."

{Okay. Good luck, then.}

"Thanks. See you later." Max said before leaving outside with Dusk.

{*sigh* Sometimes, I wish he wasn't taking his trainer job too seriously. Oh well…} Scarlet mumbled before starting to dance again.

Once outside, Max and Dusk began to walk in a random direction.

"...You know, Dusk. I like the fact that you broke out of your shell upon evolving, but… I wish you were a bit more assertive."

{What do you mean?}

"You still don't think enough about yourself. And… maybe it's me, but I feel like you became a bit more reserved since you evolved."

{...I'm sorry.} Dusk apologized legitimately.

"See? What are you apologizing about? You are what you are, Dusk. Don't be sorry for that."

{...}

"...I'm sorry. I guess that's not what you need to hear right now."

{...Not really.}

"Ah. Now that's good." Max said with a tiny smile. "It's better than before, but you're still way too afraid to speak up your mind. Why is that?"

{...I don't know.} Dusk replied, looking away.

"...*sigh* Alright. I get it. You can speak as soon as you're ready to. Guess I did it again." Max chuckled.

For a little while, none spoke. Then, as soon as Max sensed that no one was looking, he grabbed one of Dusk's hands. Despite her mood, she showed a tiny smile.

{I still wonder if it was a good idea.}

"What? The walk? Of course, it is. It's like a date, no?"

{Hehe. I guess.} Dusk said, slightly amused.

Again, none spoke for a moment.

{...I… still have trouble accepting the fact that I'm… sick.}

"Come on, now. You're not…" Max started before Dusk looked at him.

It was very subtle, but Max saw in them that she was anticipating an invalidation.

"...Well, I wouldn't call that being sick, but I understand. I can only imagine how hard it must be."

{...It is. All I want is to be useful in any way, but it's like no matter what I do, life just makes me more of a threat.}

"Well, I mean, if you want to protect me, isn't it a good thing?"

{Not if I use that power against you and my friends. I prefer being harmless than hurting any of you.}

"That, I feel you. It would be the same for me… But you know, Dusk, what If, with a capital I, you could control that… side of you?"

{Control? How could I control it?}

"That's not really the question. If you somehow manage to control it and use it only against our foes, would it still be a bad thing?"

{...I… don't really know. I guess it wouldn't, but I would always be scared that it wouldn't last. I could lose control at any time. So, in the end…}

"Still a bad thing."

Shortly after, Dusk shed a tear.

{Why me?} She asked with a slightly saddened voice.

"You know, if it only happens when you push beyond your limit and Scarlet is here to train you while keeping the other you at bay, why so sad about it? As long as she is with you, you have nothing to fear, right?"

{You don't understand. I don't want to have to rely on others. I wish to take care of myself. I want to be independent in whatever I want to do.}

"I get you, but we all need help for something at some point."

{It's not the same.}

"How?"

{Because… just, forget it, alright?} Dusk said, annoyed.

"...Okay. sorry."

For another couple of steps, both remained silent, the sound being Dusk softly snorting. Then, all of a sudden, Dusk stopped.

"You okay?" Max inquired, doing the same.

{Are we walking in a circle?}

"I don't think so. Why?"

{Because I think it's the third time I've seen that car.} Dusk said, referring to the red car they were passing by.

"There's a lot of red cars in the city. It's probably not the same."

{I know, but this one is always behind the two gray cars and before the green one.}

"Are you sure that's what you're remembering?"

{Yes.} Dusk blurted, more aggressively than she anticipated.

"Alright, alright." Max conceded, not wanting to argue. "Maybe it's some coincidence."

{I… Maybe, but… haven't you noticed something strange?}

"What?"

{There's… no sound around.}

Max then got all ears.

"...You're… right. I can't hear a single thing. No cars, no industry… no human activities whatsoever." Max said, looking around. "That's… actually tripping. Maybe-"

Suddenly, Dusk's ears turned around towards a back alley. In a flash, the delphox got between Max and the alley, her stick in hand.

"What is it?"

{...Something's coming…}

"Something's…"

Max then inspected the back alley, but couldn't see a thing since it was pitch black.

"Brr." Max vocalized, feeling goosebumps. "We should get going."

{...I doubt we'll be able to escape that easily.}

Suddenly, they began to hear distant noises that were like metal being dragged over the ground. As the noises were getting louder, Max was becoming more and more uneasy, alongside Dusk, who was shaking a bit.

[(Rteag. Ryep ewn.)]

Something tried to speak, but neither Max nor Dusk understood what it was saying. Then, as both were slowly backing away, it appeared from the darkness; An oversized and muscular human male, holding two large swords in each hand. Quickly, Max got aware that his size wasn't natural. The swords he was holding appeared to be a doublade with its tails seemingly fused with his arms. Due to that, his upper half was slightly inflated with something like corruption running all over it. His eyes were pitch black with a psychotic expression on his face.

"Holy… shit." Max said, tetanized. "What is that?"

{...I don't know…}

"It's like he possessed by that doublade."

[(Eedf em losus.)] It said while glaring at them.

"What-"

Despite his size, the possessed human dashed at them with alluring speed and went for a slash. Luckily, Dusk managed to use her psychic powers to shield both her and Max.

{Gha!}

However, the power of the creature was phenomenal. A single blocked strike was enough to make Dusk flinch a little.

{Stay… behind me…} The delphox ordered Max while blocking another hit.

"Scarlet! Now would be the moment to appear to help us!" Max blurted out.

The monster aligned his two swords and attacked with both of them, breaking Dusk's defense and propelling her away, tripping Max on the ground along the way. Max barely had the time to raise his head as the monster had already a sword up to cut him in half. In extremis, Max rolled away to avoid the hit, making the sword cut the asphalt instead with a loud impact noise. Rather slowly, the creature pulled the sword away and turned towards Max. As soon as he was up, Max saw the monster readying another attack. Then, a stream of flames hit it, hiding the upper half of its body in fire. Dusk held the stream for a moment before stopping, to see how much damage she made. To her astonishment, she barely did anything. Switching his attention to Dusk, the possessed human raised a sword and made it glow.

"...Shit," Max said, having a bad feeling. "Duck, Dusk!" He commanded.

At the same, Dusk ducked to her belly while the creature swung the sword. The powerful energy released was such that the air pressure cut the four buildings behind Dusk in half, partially destroying them and making the detached part fall down. Quickly, as the ground was slightly shaking from the collapsed buildings, Dusk stood up. Instead of pursuing Dusk, the monster turned and focused on Max once again. Before it could swing a hit at him, Dusk used her powers to pull Max near her as fast as she could.

"Why isn't Scarlet here already?!" Max exclaimed in panic.

{...It must be because of him.} Dusk guessed. {Maybe he messed with time and space enough to make us unable to use telepathy.}

"Fuck. We have to find a way to get out of here."

{How?! We don't even know where we are.}

"I… don't know either."

The creature then began to walk towards them again.

{...*sigh* I guess I don't have a choice.} Dusk said, strangely sounding calmer.

"What… do you mean?"

{...If I push myself far enough, maybe my 'other me' can help.}

"Are you insane? It's way too risky."

{That's our only option left. I don't know how, but that… thing… it's very powerful. If I don't use all of my powers, we're dead.}

"..."

{...I know it's risky for you, but if I defeat him, surely whatever traps us will disappear and the others will come in time to save you from me.}

"...Unfortunately, it makes sense, and… we indeed don't have much of a choice."

{Take a few steps back.}

Then, after Max backed up a few steps, he heard some weird noises in the distance. Very quickly, Max recognized those noises as claws scratching the asphalt. Over time, the noises were getting louder and louder until it caught the creature's attention. Then, in a ferocious growl, Luna appeared and jumped on the creature, claws first. Even though the monster blocked the hit with his swords, the loud impact was strong enough to slightly push him away. A second after her attack got blocked, Luna jumped away, a few meters away from the possessed human.

"Luna?!" Max exclaimed.

Max was very happy and relieved to see his zoroark, even though he wondered how she found them and got in. He wanted to ask, but seeing Luna's behavior, he knew she simply wouldn't answer. Her murderous eyes were locked on him, her teeth showing, snarling loudly. Not caring at all, the monster swung a sword at her, with Luna dodging and getting between him and Max and Dusk.

{...Go find cover.} Luna told them. {I don't want you around.}

"...Do you-" Max started.

{Now!} The zoroark cut.

{...Come on. We should do as she asks.} Dusk said, grabbing Max's hand.

Instinctively, Max complied and followed Dusk.

{And… don't look at me.} The zoroark requested.

Behind her, Max and Dusk got cover behind the debris of the buildings, which built up quite high. When there, Max peeked his head out.

(I'm sorry, Luna.) Max thought. (I know why you don't want me to look, but no way I'll miss the opportunity to see the real you. Show us what you've got.)

Seeing Max peeking, Dusk decided to do the same. As both Luna and the monster were facing each other, dark energy began to emanate from the zoroark. Her fur went stiff as she adopted a more beastly stance.

{You messed with the wrong human, foul monster.} Luna snarled.

All the same, dark energy began to emanate from the possessed creature, but in a different shape, and stared at each other for a short tensed moment. Then, as soon as the monster twisted an ankle, Luna plunged at the monster at blinding speed with Shadow Claw. Very fast himself, the monster blocked her hit. One-tenth of a second later, Luna attacked with Shadow Claw once more, only to be blocked again. She then unleashed a flurry of Shadow Claw, all aimed at vital points. Unfortunately, as if he was reading her, the creature blocked all of her hits. He used what he thought was an opening and used Slash, but luckily, Luna saw it coming and dodged easily. She went for a counterattack, but the zoroark made the mistake that the monster would only attack with his swords and got kicked in the chest hard, sending her flying a few meters away.

{Ghrr! You mother…} Luna growled before standing up.

The zoroark then took a deep breath before using Smokescreen, blinding the monster completely. Stopping, the creature stayed immobile for a short duration before swinging his swords to ventilate the zone from the smoke. When he regained his vision, the monster was now face-to-face with a tall golurk, towering over the creature from its height. While making unknown noises, the golurk went for a strong punch, which the possessed creature blocked. The latter then went for a stab on the golurk head, but instead of killing it, it messed with Luna's ability and made her revert to her normal form. Instantly, the zoroark countered with a piercing attack of her own; A Shadow Claw to the face.

*rip*

In an instant, the human's head was ripped apart.

"Yes!" Max exclaimed softly as he saw the head flying away.

Thinking it was over, Luna dropped her guard.

*Slash*

Reacting way too late, Luna got slashed across the chest by one of the monster's swords.

{Ghyaa!} Luna growled in pain before landing on her back a meter away.

"No! Luna!" Max exclaimed before rushing towards.

{Master!} Dusk said, following Max.

When they got next to Luna, they saw her starting to bleed quite a lot from her fresh wound, starting from one shoulder and stopping near her hips on the other side.

{What… are you doing here? I told you… to get cover.} Luna said, hardly sitting up.

"I know, but you got injured and…"

{So what? None of you can do a thing for the moment, so get, away.} The zoroark ordered.

"But…"

Before them, the monster was now headless, visible blood pouring out from the opened-up neck. Still, he was on his feet, walking towards them.

"The hell is that thing?!" Max wondered out loud, feeling as if he was in a living nightmare.

{Nothing alive, that's for certain.} Luna said, standing up with slight difficulty.

{Maybe… I should help.} Dusk proposed. {Your wound is bleeding quite a lot. The faster we beat him, the faster you-}

{There's no point in exposing ourselves to danger more than necessary.} Luna replied rather aggressively. {I can beat that thing on my own, but I need space. And I'll be able to focus more if I know you and Max are safe.}

Then, the creature was enough and made a little dash to get closer to them faster and swung a sword once again. Luna barely had the time to push Dusk and Max away before grabbing the sword to stop the movement.

"We… should do as she says." Max finally complied.

Dusk then briefly looked at Luna, who was more or less doing a tug-of-war against the creature, fiercely glaring at him.

{...Alright.}

As soon as she was up, Dusk used Flamethrower at the monster, carefully avoiding Luna. The attack seemed to have destabilized him well enough for Luna to escape. The delphox then moved away with Max, hiding behind a car, which was a bit further away.

{Alright, you disgusting aberration. I don't have much time, so it's time to end this.} Luna mumbled.

Gathering energy as much as possible, Luna used Beast Shadow and created a lot of shadowy beasts. As they all immediately charged at the possessed monster, Luna retreated a little and began to rub her glowing claws together. Being too weak, the dark apparitions weren't lasting long against the creature as they were getting disintegrated in one hit one by one. However, they were keeping him busy. As their number kept decreasing, Luna kept rubbing her glowing claws together, putting more and more power into it. Then, as the creature destroyed the last shadow beast without receiving much damage, Luna was ready and got into an offensive stance.

{Now die for good.}

Luna's first move was to use Flamethrower, forcing the monster to get defensive and blinding him. With a powerful single spin, the creature vanquished the flames. However, Luna was already on him and used Night Slash, passing through him with the move. But she didn't stop there. She turned and used it again before the creature could react. Luna then used it again, again, again and again. From Max and Dusk's perspective, it was like she was going faster with each hit. Within a couple of seconds, Luna was looking like she was making a hundred hits per second. Then, after an infinite amount of blows, Luna landed her last one, reappearing behind the creature, one of her purple glowing paws all raised up. As Luna straightened her back, the monster, who was immobile for a moment now, got sliced into thousands of bits. The pieces didn't have the time to fall on the ground as they all disintegrated into thin air in a hellish noise. A second later, their surroundings began to crack before exploding like a broken mirror, making the real world reappear around them, with everything still intact.

"What the… what was that?" Max wondered out loud, looking around, astonished that nothing was, in fact, destroyed.

Further, Max and Dusk saw Luna fall to her knees. Quickly, both stepped out of their hiding spot and rushed towards her. At the same moment, Scarlet appeared in front of him with the rest of the team.

{Master!} The gardevoir exclaimed before hugging him. {I'm glad to see you in one piece.}

"Glad that I am as well, but it isn't really Luna's case," Max mentioned breaking the hug after briefly returning it.

Turning, Scarlet saw Luna on her knees, a paw over her bleeding chest with Dusk, May, and Sally already next to her, concerned.

{Oh no! Will you be okay?} Sally asked, slightly horrified.

{Don't worry about me. Something that superficial won't kill me.} Luna reassured the cinderace.

{...You need care nonetheless.} Scarlet said, kneeling before her.

{...Yeah. A little, maybe.} The zoroark conceded before the gardevoir started to use Healing Pulse on her wound.

"Phew. That was a close one." Max said, dropping on his ass.

{Where's the pokemon that attacked you?} Aurora asked, briefly looking around.

"It… wasn't really a pokemon, and I don't know. It was just there a moment ago before Luna defeated him." Max answered, doing the same as Aurora.

{What do you mean, it wasn't a pokemon?} Bonny asked.

"Hard to say. It kind of was, but not entirely. What attacked us was a human being, but… kind of possessed by a pokemon I recognized as a doublade."

{Possessed?} Aurora repeated, a bit confused.

"Yeah. The guy was enormous and was holding the two swords of the doublade in each hand. What was really strange was the tails of the swords that fused with the guy. His entire arms, shoulders, and upper chest were covered in strange patterns, glowing very lightly."

{...That seemed very strange.} Bonny shared.

{Coming from a ghost-type, not so much.} Scarlet commented. {It was clearly a possession. That's why I hate them. Only they can do such wicked and sickening stuff.}

{Whatever it was, it's not here anymore.} Aurora stated.

"It didn't seem alive anymore, so maybe it just vanished upon being defeated by Luna."

{Given the fact how they exist and that they fused with a human completely, it must have turned into dust.} Scarlet theorized.

"Hm. It's not that devoid of sense. At least it's over, now. How are you doing, Luna?"

{Beside my stinging chest, not so bad.} Luna replied, half joking.

"Hehe. You totally destroyed that thing. Nice work."

{Sorry if I was a bit too aggressive.}

"Don't mind that. I'm used to physical and verbal abuse by now." Max jested.

{Pretty sure you deserve it most of the time.} Aurora jested as well with a smile.

"As if." Max retorted, poking her side, making her flinch a little. "And you, Dusk? Are you holding up?"

{...I… kinda.} The delphox answered, feeling slightly down.

"Thanks for saving me, by the way."

{For… Well, I…}

"If it wasn't for you, I would be dead by now. You really kicked ass back there."

{I agree.} Luna said. {You bought enough time for me to arrive, and that, with a type disadvantage.}

{Huh?} Dusk replied, slightly confused.

{Whoa! You manage to defend master with a type disadvantage against a monster?! That's amazing!} Sally exclaimed, impressed.

{I always knew she had it in her.} Aurora shared, a bit proudly.

{Ah man! I wish I could have seen you fight.} Bonny expressed.

{Well, looks like that, after all, your training paid off.} Scarlet said, looking at Dusk from the corner of one eye. {Maybe you wouldn't have performed that well if you had a few hours less of training.}

"Yeah. Our fire/psychic-type pokemon, which is the best type combination in my opinion, by the way, pack some thwack. She has no one to envy."

{Wha… n-no… s-stop…} Dusk demanded, all flustered and extremely embarrassed.

"What's wrong, my pretty? Unable to face the truth?" Max accused incisively but playfully.

{No… you're… exaggerating.} Dusk affirmed, hiding her face with her hands.

{We are not, Dusk.} Scarlet disapproved. {From what master described, that thing was a monstrosity, and a powerful one. Not only were you able to face it, but you knew what to do. You kept your cool and protected master with all you have. That's a feat not many can accomplish.}

{So true.} Bonny agreed. {I'm pretty sure I would have freaked out a lot more than you if I had to face that.}

{You can be proud of yourself. You're a true psychic-type pokemon.} Scarlet praised some more.

At that, Dusk was speechless while switching her gaze between everyone. Never has she ever received that amount of compliments and praise in such a short delay and simply didn't know how to react.

"Alright, I think that's the maximum she can take," Max said, amused.

{Still…} Scarlet concluded.

{So? What now?} Bonny asked. {Do we head back to the hotel or…}

{...We can still return to the nightclub. It doesn't close until a few hours later.} Scarlet proposed.

{I don't think master, Dusk, and Luna are in the mood to go dance again.} Aurora pointed out.

{...M-me neither.} Dusk followed.

The girls then looked at Max.

"...Yeah, sure. Why not." Max accepted while standing up. "The night is still young, so let's party until the end." He added, briefly doing a light dance.

{Haha. Decidedly, your capacity to turn your back on a life or death situation is on point.} Scarlet laughed lightly.

"When you reach a point where it's almost a routine, you learn to disconnect a little."

{As long as it doesn't make you careless…} Aurora said, not liking that statement completely.

"Of course not, Beautiful. Making abstraction and not caring isn't really the same thing."

{The line between both is thin, though.}

"Perhaps, but hey, I'm less dumb than I used to be."

{And that's a fact.} Scarlet pointed out, making the girls share a light laugh. {Tsk. Damnit.} She cursed.

"What is it?"

{That's annoying. Because of her dark-type, I can't heal her properly with Heal Pulse. It might take a while.}

{I don't mind continuing like this.} Luna shared nonchalantly.

"Do be ridiculous, Luna. You can go back there and bleed all over the dance floor."

{It could make the place more interesting, though.} Scarlet mentioned.

"If your Healing Pulse doesn't work properly, we might as well take her to the pokémon center."

{I think she got it.} Luna said. {If I allow it, I can make psychic-type to affect me a little bit more. It may take longer, but it will work. Besides, how do you plan on explaining that wound?}

"... Fair enough. Alright, we'll wait then."

After that, they waited until the gardevoir was done healing Luna. It took way longer than due to the typing incompatibility, but eventually, after almost half an hour, Scarlet was done and all headed back towards the nightclub. While doing so, Max sided with Dusk and held one of her hands, making her smile and blush even more than earlier.