Jeffery

We both stood across from each other, Gengar looking at me with a mischievous grin. 

"No, this isn't right–" I muttered, stepping back as I tried to unravel everything that's happening.

"You're not Jeffery- The Jeffery I know would never act like this!" My words seemed to strike a nerve with him, turning to me with a scowl that could kill him.

"Well, the Jeffery you know ain't here!" He snarled, pointing towards me in his fit of rage. "Gengar, use shadowball!" 

Gengar let out a ball of dark energy, sending it flying across the field, it dug up the earth as it made its way to me, Eevee jumped in front of the blast, but it went straight through her not affecting her at all.

I ran out of the way, the force of the explosion hitting the concrete pavement pushed me forward, causing me to skid across the floor before slamming into a stand.

"H-hey! Don't you kids know better than to not battle in a place like this!" the owner yelled at me when I landed on his stall, ruining his produce.

My heart started to race a million times a minute, and the feeling I felt all the way back then started to come back, as if something was grabbing at my heart, the pain I felt for Jeffery as he died, the pain I felt when I left both him and Chloe behind, it all came back in fear, a fight or flight response. Tears welled up in my eyes as I pleaded.

"Jeffery… What's gotten into you?! Why are you doing this!" Gengar charged another shadowball causing me to dash out of the way Zoura and Eevee both looked at each other in concern before chasing after me, my mind dead set on getting out of there but part of me still want to go back and talk to him.

I took a harsh turn, hoping to evade him somehow, my heart racing a million times a minute as I ran down the dark alleyway.

Zorua's ears perked up before headbutting me in the knee, the force caused me to stumble onto my knee, barely avoiding a hand that came out of the wall next to me.

I quickly got to my feet and turned behind me, seeing Jeffery walk ot of the wall, a shadowy portal closing behind him before he turned to me.

"Running is useless you know…"

I gritted my teeth at his claim, Zorua and Eevee charging at Jeffery, Eevee using swift and Zorua using shadowball. 

Gengar appeared from the floor and glared at them their bodies going stiff and hitting the floor with a hard thud.

"Zorua! Eevee!" I shouted after them, pulling out their pokeballs before returning them

red streaks of light back to their Pokéballs, my hands trembling. Jeffery took a step closer, his eyes gleaming with a malevolent intensity that I had never seen before.

"Why, Jeffery? Why are you doing this?" I pleaded, my voice cracking. He didn't respond, only tilting his head slightly as if considering whether I was worth a response.

My mind raced, searching for any explanation for his behavior. This wasn't the Jeffery I grew up with, the one who stood by me through thick and thin. My heart ached at the memory of his laugh, his smile, the way he always knew how to make things right. But the person standing before me was a twisted shadow of that friend.

"Like i said before.." he finally said, his voice a chilling whisper. "I just want my friend back, and I don't care what it takes..."

Gengar hovered beside him, its grin widening as if savoring the chaos it was causing. I knew I had to act fast.

Summoning every ounce of courage, I stood up straight. "I don't believe that, Jeffery. I don't know what's happened to you, but this isn't you. And I'm not giving up on you."

His eyes flickered with something—was it doubt? Anger? Regret? I couldn't tell, but I had to hold on to the hope that somewhere, deep inside, my friend was still there.

I grabbed two pokeballs from behind me and toss them both to the floor, both kabutops and charmeleon coming out of them.

Jeffery's eyes widened when he saw his pokemon, his mouth left agape as he was about to say something but it was cut off.

"Charmelon, Kabutops! Aqua jet and flamethrower!" The both used their moves at the same time, a puff of steam filling the battlefield.

Jeffery coughed and waved his hand about, hoping to dispel it, and by the time it cleared, I was already gone.

"Fuck…" he hissed. The sound of a phone vibrating in his pockets catching his attention right after.

With an exasperated sigh he answered. "Who is it–" He muttered, turning to the otherside and walking.

"It's us boss!" Ares's voice peaked through the phone "Where are you? We've been looking all over! You should tell us when you leave the pokemon center."

"I was just meeting a friend is all–" He said nonchalantly, digging into his pockets for a cigarette.

"I thought we werent supposed to let them know who we are!!" Jeffery flinched as she shouted into his ear, holding up the cigarette to gengar who uses wilo wisp to light it.

"Relax alright? He doesn't know who i work for, using the cloak he'll be non the wiser…" he muttered putting it to his lips and taking a deep drag, rolling his eyes at her concern.

"I hope you're right.."