Chapter 62: Briv VS Kay
The morning came gray and damp, mist curling off the canals like breath from sleeping lungs. Aethelburg's crystal towers caught the weak light and threw it back in muted rainbows, but the streets remained quiet—too quiet, the kind of quiet that made Briv's skin prickle.
He stood at the window of their rented room, watching a lone vendor set up his cart in the plaza below. Patricia was still asleep, her blond hair fanned across the pillow, one hand curled beneath her cheek.
Briv dressed without waking her.
The inn's common room was empty except for Samuel, who sat cross-legged on a cushion near the fireplace, his eyes closed, his breathing slow and rhythmic. Doduo stood beside him, both heads swiveled toward the door when Briv entered.
"Morning," Samuel said without opening his eyes.
"How'd you—"
"Your footsteps. Heavy. Thinking too much."
Briv poured himself a cup of cold tea from the pot on the sideboard.
"Where's everyone else?"
"Axel's on the roof. Nicola went for a run. Dariana's still asleep—she was up late with Eevee, working on something." Samuel finally opened his eyes. "Kay's in the garden."
Briv paused mid-sip.
"He's still here?"
"He never left."
---
The garden was little more than a narrow strip of green wedged between the inn and the neighboring building, but someone had filled it with potted plants and a small stone bench. Kay sat on that bench, his blond hair dark with mist, staring at nothing.
Briv hesitated at the gate.
Then he pushed it open.
Kay looked up.
For a moment, neither spoke. The distance between them was more than physical—it was history, it was Nicola, it was the way Kay had left and the way he'd come back and all the things that hadn't been said.
"Morning," Briv said.
"Morning."
The silence stretched.
Kay broke it first. "She won't talk to me."
"I know."
"I don't blame her." Kay's voice was quiet, measured. "I was an ass. I knew what I was doing when I left, and I did it anyway. I told myself it was for her own good, but that was bullshit. I was scared."
Briv sat on the opposite end of the bench.
"Scared of what?"
"Of being not enough. Of being too much. Of staying and finding out she didn't really want me." Kay laughed, but there was no humor in it. "Turns out I found out anyway."
Briv didn't respond.
He didn't have the words.
Kay looked at him. "You're good for her. I can see it. The way she looks at you—" He stopped. Swallowed. "I'm not saying that to be noble. I'm saying it because it's true, and because I need to say it out loud."
"You still love her."
It wasn't a question.
Kay nodded.
"Yeah. I do."
The mist thickened. Somewhere in the city, a bell tolled.
"Then why don't you fight for her?" Briv asked.
Kay's jaw tightened.
"Because she's not a prize. She's not something I can win or lose. She's Nicola. And if she doesn't want me—" He exhaled. "If she doesn't want me, then the best thing I can do is let her be."
Briv studied him.
He'd expected anger. Resentment. The same sharp-edged arrogance Kay had worn like armor when they'd first met. Instead, there was something raw beneath the polished surface.
"I don't hate you," Briv said.
Kay blinked.
"I thought you would."
"I wanted to. For a while, I did." Briv shrugged. "But you didn't do anything to me. You did it to her. And that's between you and Nicola."
Kay nodded slowly.
"I know."
They sat in silence for a while longer, watching the mist curl around the plants.
Then Kay spoke again.
"Battle me."
Briv turned.
"What?"
"A battle. Three on three." Kay's eyes met his—blue and steady. "I need to know if I'm still good enough to stand in the same room as you people. I need to know if I've got anything left."
Briv considered.
The rain had stopped. The mist was lifting. Somewhere upstairs, Patricia was waking up, and somewhere on the roof, Axel was watching.
"Alright," Briv said.
---
The training yard behind the inn was small—a rectangle of packed dirt bordered by low stone walls—but it would do. Axel descended from the roof without being asked, Rotom flickering at his shoulder like a living flame.
"I'll referee," he said.
Briv nodded.
Kay nodded.
The others gathered—Patricia first, her hair still damp from sleep, then Dariana with Eevee in her arms, then Samuel with Doduo on either side. Nicola came last, her running clothes soaked with sweat, her face flushed. She stopped when she saw Kay.
Their eyes met.
Then she looked away.
---
Kay pulled his first Poké Ball from his belt.
"Ready?" Axel asked.
"Ready," Briv said.
"Then begin."
---
Kay's first Pokémon hit the field in a burst of red light that solidified into a creature of molten stone and soft flame. Magcargo crouched low, its shell glistening with volcanic heat, its body pulsing with slow, deliberate warmth. The air around it shimmered.
Briv's hand moved to his belt.
"Piplup," he said. "Let's go."
The Water-type materialized in a flash of blue light. It stood small and still, its feathers gleaming, its eyes fixed on Magcargo with an expression that was part fear, part determination.
Magcargo radiated heat.
Piplup didn't flinch.
"Begin," Axel said.
---
Kay moved first.
"Magcargo—Rock Slide."
The air above Piplup darkened. Stones materialized from somewhere—cracked boulders sheared from the earth itself—and plummeted toward the small blue Pokémon.
"Piplup—Agility!"
Piplup exploded into motion—a blur of blue and white that swerved left, right, left again—weaving through the falling stones with impossible grace. One clipped its wing. Another grazed its tail. But it emerged from the barrage intact, skidding to a stop at the edge of the field.
"Water Gun," Briv commanded.
Piplup spat a stream of water at Magcargo.
The water hit the Pokémon's molten shell and evaporated instantly with a hiss of steam.
Magcargo didn't move.
"Lava Plume," Kay said.
The ground beneath Magcargo erupted.
A pillar of molten rock and fire surged upward and outward, spreading across the field in a wave of liquid heat. Piplup had nowhere to run—the flames consumed the dirt, the edges of the stone walls, the air itself.
Piplup screamed.
"Piplup—!" Briv's voice cracked.
But Piplup was still standing.
Its feathers were singed. Its breath was ragged. But it was standing.
"Bubble Beam!" Briv shouted.
Piplup opened its beak and released a torrent of pressurized bubbles that cut through the steam and struck Magcargo square in the face.
The molten Pokémon flinched.
"Again!" Briv said. "Keep it up!"
Piplup kept firing—stream after stream of bubbles that exploded against Magcargo's shell, cooling the fire, hardening the stone, slowing the Pokémon's movements.
Kay's eyes narrowed.
"Magcargo—Body Slam."
Magcargo launched itself forward—a wall of stone and heat that crashed into Piplup before it could dodge.
Piplup was hurled backward.
It hit the stone wall.
It didn't get up.
"Piplup is unable to battle," Axel said. "Magcargo wins."
Briv recalled Piplup with shaking hands.
"You did good," he whispered. "You did so good."
He looked at the ball for a moment longer.
Then he reached for his second.
"Monferno—your turn."
---
Monferno exploded onto the field in a blaze of orange fur and blue flame, its tail whipping behind it, its eyes burning with barely contained aggression. It looked at Magcargo and grinned.
Magcargo looked back.
The temperature in the yard rose ten degrees.
"Begin," Axel said.
---
Monferno moved before Briv could speak.
It vaulted forward, its tail flaring, and slammed a Mach Punch into Magcargo's shell before Kay could react. The impact sent the molten Pokémon skidding backward, leaving a trail of scorched earth.
"Magcargo—Lava Plume!"
The ground erupted again—but Monferno was already airborne, leaping over the flames, somersaulting through the steam, and landing behind Magcargo with its fist already cocked.
"Flame Wheel!"
Monferno curled into a ball of fire and rolled directly into Magcargo's exposed back.
The collision was seismic.
Magcargo stumbled forward, its shell cracking, its flames sputtering.
"Finish it," Briv said. "Close Combat."
Monferno exploded into a flurry of punches and kicks—each strike precise, brutal, relentless—hammering Magcargo from every angle until the molten Pokémon collapsed under the barrage.
It didn't get up.
"Magcargo is unable to battle," Axel said. "Monferno wins."
---
Kay recalled Magcargo with steady hands.
He didn't look frustrated.
He looked almost relieved.
"Tropius," he said.
His second Pokémon materialized in a swirl of green light—a massive creature with broad, leaf-like wings, a long neck, and golden fruit hanging from its chin. Tropius let out a low, rumbling cry and spread its wings wide, casting a shadow over half the field.
Monferno's grin faltered.
"Begin," Axel said.
---
Tropius moved first.
"Air Slash."
The grass-type's wings beat once—twice—and blades of compressed air screamed across the field.
Monferno dodged the first.
Ducked under the second.
Took the third directly to the chest.
It flew backward, hit the ground, and rolled.
"Monferno!" Briv shouted.
Monferno pushed itself up, shaking, its flames wavering.
"Flame Wheel," Briv said.
Monferno curled and rolled—a spinning disc of fire—straight toward Tropius.
"Solar Beam," Kay said.
Tropius opened its mouth.
The sunlight bent around it.
The beam fired.
Monferno was caught mid-roll—the solar energy blasting it sideways, hurling it into the stone wall with a crack that made Patricia flinch.
Monferno didn't get up.
"Monferno is unable to battle," Axel said. "Tropius wins."
---
Briv's jaw tightened.
Two down. One left.
He reached for his final Poké Ball.
"Shinx," he whispered. "I need you."
The ball burst open and Shinx materialized in a crackle of blue electricity—small, fierce, its fur standing on end, its eyes locked on Tropius with absolute focus. The star on its tail glowed.
Tropius loomed above it.
Shinx didn't back down.
"Begin," Axel said.
---
Kay moved first.
"Earthquake."
Tropius slammed its feet into the ground.
The earth buckled—waves of force rippling outward—and Shinx was thrown off its feet, tumbling across the dirt.
"Shinx—Charge!"
Shinx scrambled upright and closed its eyes. Electricity crackled across its body—gathering, concentrating, building—until its fur blazed with white-hot light.
"Now—Spark!"
Shinx launched itself at Tropius—a missile of electricity and fury—and slammed into the Grass-type's chest.
Tropius staggered.
Shinx bounced off, landed, and immediately launched again.
And again.
And again.
Each hit was faster, harder, more devastating than the last. Tropius tried to counter—Air Slash, Solar Beam, Earthquake—but Shinx was too quick, too small, too relentless.
"Enough!" Kay shouted. "Tropius—Body Slam!"
Tropius threw itself forward, its massive body descending like a falling tree.
Shinx didn't dodge.
It ran toward the falling Pokémon.
"Shinx—Discharge! Full power!"
Shinx's body erupted.
Electricity exploded outward in a perfect sphere—blue and white and blinding—and when Tropius hit the ground, it hit a Pokémon that had become a living lightning storm.
The impact shook the yard.
The electricity consumed everything.
When the light faded, Tropius lay on its side, smoking, unconscious.
Shinx stood over it, panting, its fur still crackling.
"Tropius is unable to battle," Axel said. "Shinx wins."
---
Kay recalled Tropius.
He looked at Briv.
Then he smiled.
"Octillery," he said.
The final Poké Ball opened.
Octillery materialized in a burst of red light—a squat, red cephalopod with bulging eyes, thick tentacles, and a cannon-like mouth that swiveled toward Shinx with mechanical precision.
Shinx's ears flattened.
"Begin," Axel said.
---
Octillery moved first.
"Octazooka."
Octillery's mouth contracted.
A blast of pressurized ink shot across the field—black and thick and impossible to see through.
Shinx dodged left.
The ink followed.
Shinx dodged right.
The ink followed.
"Shinx—Discharge!"
Electricity exploded from Shinx's body—and the ink ignited.
The explosion was blinding.
Shinx was thrown backward, its fur singed, its eyes watering.
Octillery hadn't moved.
"Again," Kay said.
"Octazooka."
Another blast.
Shinx tried to dodge.
Too slow.
The ink caught it in the chest and sent it tumbling across the dirt.
"Shinx—get up!"
Shinx didn't move.
"Shinx is—"
Shinx moved.
It pushed itself to its feet—shaking, bleeding, barely standing—and looked at Octillery with eyes that burned like coals.
Briv's heart surged.
"Shinx," he said. "One more. Everything you've got."
Shinx nodded.
Then it ran.
"Octillery—Hydro Pump!"
A torrent of water erupted from Octillery's mouth—a fire hose of pressurized death that carved a trench in the earth.
Shinx ran through it.
The water tore at its fur, its skin, its bones—but Shinx kept running, kept pushing, kept fighting.
"Now!" Briv screamed. "Discharge!"
Shinx's body exploded with electricity—more than before, more than should have been possible—and it launched itself at Octillery like a thunderbolt.
The collision was apocalyptic.
Electricity and water mixed, exploded, consumed—and when the steam cleared, Shinx stood over Octillery's unconscious form, its body smoking, its eyes barely open.
"Octillery is unable to battle," Axel said. "Shinx wins. Briv wins the match."
---
The silence lasted five seconds.
Then Patricia was running across the field, scooping Shinx into her arms, laughing and crying at the same time. Dariana was clapping. Samuel was whooping. Even Axel cracked something that might have been a smile.
Briv walked to Shinx and knelt.
"You absolute legend," he whispered. "You beautiful, impossible, incredible little—"
Shinx licked his face.
Briv laughed.
He held his Pokémon close.
---
Kay approached.
He stood over Briv, his expression unreadable.
Then he extended his hand.
"That was a battle," he said. "A real one."
Briv took it.
"Thank you."
Kay shook his head. "No. Thank you. I needed that." He looked at Shinx, at Briv, at the group gathered behind them. "I needed to know I could still lose and survive."
He let go of Briv's hand and stepped back.
"Congratulations," he said. "Nine wins. That's something."
Briv nodded.
"It's something."
Kay turned and walked away.
He passed Nicola on his way out of the yard.
Their eyes met.
Neither spoke.
But something passed between them—something fragile, something unfinished.
Then Kay was gone.
---
Nicola watched him go.
Her jaw was tight. Her hands were fists.
Patricia approached her slowly.
"Hey," she said.
Nicola didn't respond.
"You okay?"
"I don't know." Nicola's voice was hoarse. "I don't know what I feel. I don't know what I want. I just—" She stopped. Exhaled. "I need to think."
Patricia nodded.
"Take your time."
Nicola looked at her.
"Thanks."
She walked away.
Patricia watched her go.
Then she turned back to Briv.
He was still holding Shinx, still smiling, still surrounded by the others.
But his eyes found hers across the yard.
She smiled.
He smiled back.
---
Later that night, Briv sat on the balcony of their room, Shinx curled in his lap, Monferno dozing on the railing, Piplup nestled against his knee. The city lights flickered below—on and off, on and off—but the towers held.
Patricia joined him.
She sat beside him, her head on his shoulder.
"Nine wins," she said.
"Nine wins."
"One month until the League."
"One month."
She looked at him.
"Are you ready?"
Briv watched the lights.
"I think so."
"You think?"
He turned to her.
"I know so."
She smiled.
He kissed her.
The city hummed.
The night deepened.
And somewhere in the darkness, the Eclipse Squad was watching.
Waiting.
But so were they.
The countdown continued.
=====
The countdown continued.
---
Nicola didn't sleep that night.
She lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling, listening to the city hum beyond her window. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Kay's face—not the way he'd looked when he'd left her, but the way he'd looked in the training yard.
Quiet. Broken. Human.
She hated it.
She hated that she still cared. She hated that a part of her wanted to run after him, to demand answers, to shake him until he explained why he'd thrown away three years like they meant nothing.
But she didn't move.
She just lay there, breathing, thinking, feeling the weight of everything she hadn't said pressing down on her chest.
By dawn, she was dressed and out the door.
---
The streets of Aethelburg were waking slowly—vendors rolling out their carts, trainers stretching in the plazas, Pokémon flitting between rooftops. Nicola walked without direction, her hands shoved in her pockets, her hair loose around her shoulders.
She ended up at the Alburth estate.
She didn't remember deciding to come here.
Her feet had just... carried her.
She stood at the gate, staring at the house, the gardens, the training field where she'd watched Patricia battle Hannah just two days ago. The memories felt distant now—like something from another life.
The door opened.
John Alburth stepped out, a cup of coffee in his hand, his gray-streaked hair still tousled from sleep. He stopped when he saw her.
"Nicola."
She didn't speak.
He descended the steps slowly, his expression unreadable.
"I didn't expect to see you here."
"Neither did I."
They stood in silence.
Then John spoke again.
"You look like you haven't slept."
"I haven't."
He nodded, as if that made perfect sense.
"Come inside. I'll make you breakfast."
---
The kitchen smelled like fresh bread and brewing tea. John moved with practiced ease—cracking eggs, slicing fruit, pouring juice—while Nicola sat at the table, her hands wrapped around a mug she hadn't touched.
"He's gone," John said.
"I know."
"He left this morning. Said he needed to clear his head."
Nicola's jaw tightened.
"Did he say where?"
"No." John set a plate in front of her. "But I don't think it matters. He'll come back when he's ready."
"And if he doesn't?"
John looked at her.
"Then he doesn't."
The words landed like stones in still water.
Nicola stared at her plate.
She wasn't hungry.
---
"Battle me."
John raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"A battle. Three on three." Nicola's voice was steady. "I need to hit something."
John studied her for a long moment.
Then he smiled.
"Alright."
---
The training field was still damp from the morning mist, the grass slick underfoot, the air cool and sharp. Axel appeared from somewhere—Nicola didn't ask how he always knew—and took his position at the edge of the field.
"I'll referee," he said.
Nicola nodded.
John nodded.
---
John pulled his first Poké Ball from his belt.
"Shuckle," he said.
The ball opened, and a small, yellow creature materialized—its body encased in a thick, rocky shell, its limbs stubby, its eyes barely visible beneath the rim of its carapace. Shuckle didn't move. It just sat there, patient, immovable, radiating a quiet, stubborn resilience.
Nicola's hand moved to her belt.
"Magnemite," she said.
Magnemite materialized in a crackle of electricity—its metallic body scarred and worn, its single eye cold and calculating. It hovered above the field, its magnets humming with controlled tension.
"Begin," Axel said.
---
John moved first.
"Shuckle—Withdraw."
Shuckle pulled its limbs into its shell, sealing itself completely. The rocky carapace hardened, glistening with a faint, protective sheen.
"Magnemite—Thunder Shock."
Electricity arced from Magnemite's body and struck Shuckle's shell. The electricity crackled across the surface, then dissipated, absorbed by the rock.
Shuckle didn't react.
"Again," Nicola said.
Magnemite fired again—a stronger blast, a focused lance of lightning that struck Shuckle dead center.
The shell absorbed it.
"Shuckle—Power Split."
A pulse of energy rippled from Shuckle's shell and washed over Magnemite. Nicola felt it—a strange, draining sensation, as if Magnemite's strength was being siphoned away.
"What the—"
"Power Split averages our attack and defense," John said calmly. "Shuckle's offensive stats are pitiful. Yours are not. Now we're even."
Nicola's eyes narrowed.
"Fine. Magnemite—Magnet Rise."
Magnemite rose higher, its magnets spinning faster, its body crackling with stored electricity.
"Shuckle—Toxic."
A glob of purple sludge shot from Shuckle's shell and splattered against Magnemite's body. The poison seeped into the metal, corroding it, weakening it.
Magnemite shuddered.
"Magnemite—Thunderbolt!"
The electricity came faster this time—a blinding arc of white-blue light that slammed into Shuckle's shell and sent the small Pokémon skidding backward.
Shuckle didn't fall.
But the shell cracked.
"Again!" Nicola shouted.
Magnemite fired.
The shell cracked further.
"Shuckle—Rest."
Shuckle's body glowed. The cracks in its shell sealed. The damage vanished.
"No," Nicola breathed.
"Rest restores health and cures status conditions," John said. "But Shuckle will be asleep for two turns."
Nicola's eyes lit up.
"Magnemite—Thunderbolt. Full power."
Magnemite fired everything it had—a continuous stream of electricity that hammered Shuckle's shell, cracking it, breaking it, tearing through the rock like paper.
Shuckle slept through it.
When it woke, its shell was in ruins.
"Shuckle—Encore."
Shuckle's body pulsed.
Magnemite froze.
"Encore forces your Pokémon to repeat its last move for three turns," John said.
Nicola's jaw tightened.
"Fine. Thunderbolt."
Magnemite fired.
Shuckle endured.
"Thunderbolt."
Magnemite fired again.
Shuckle endured.
"Thunderbolt."
The third blast shattered what was left of Shuckle's shell.
Shuckle collapsed.
"Shuckle is unable to battle," Axel said. "Magnemite wins."
---
John recalled Shuckle without a word.
His second Poké Ball left his hand in a flash of light that solidified into a creature of orange and red—its body segmented, its eyes hollow, its claws sharp, a massive mushroom erupting from its back. Parasect stood motionless, its expression empty, its presence unsettling.
"Parasect," John said.
Nicola's skin crawled.
Something about the way the mushroom pulsed made her stomach turn.
"Magnemite—Thunderbolt."
Magnemite fired.
Parasect didn't dodge.
The electricity struck it dead center—and passed through.
"What?" Nicola's voice cracked.
"Parasect's ability is Dry Skin," John said. "Water attacks heal it. Fire attacks hurt it. Electric attacks... do nothing."
Nicola's blood ran cold.
"Parasect—Spore."
A cloud of green powder erupted from the mushroom on Parasect's back and drifted across the field.
Magnemite tried to rise.
Too slow.
The spores settled on its metallic body.
Magnemite's eye flickered.
Then went dark.
"Magnemite is asleep," Axel said.
John smiled.
"Parasect—X-Scissor."
Parasect scuttled forward—fast, faster than anything that slow-looking had any right to be—and slashed its claws across Magnemite's body.
The impact sent Magnemite crashing to the ground.
It didn't wake up.
"Parasect—X-Scissor."
Another slash.
Magnemite's body sparked.
"Parasect—X-Scissor."
The third strike sent Magnemite tumbling across the field, its magnets bent, its eye still dark.
"Magnemite is unable to battle," Axel said. "Parasect wins."
---
Nicola recalled Magnemite with shaking hands.
She'd underestimated him.
She'd underestimated both of them.
She reached for her second Poké Ball.
"Skorupi," she said.
The Poison-Bug type materialized in a swirl of purple light—its armored body compact and muscular, its pincers sharp, its tail curved over its back like a scorpion's stinger. Skorupi's blue eyes locked onto Parasect with cold, patient focus.
"Begin," Axel said.
---
Nicola moved first.
"Skorupi—Pin Missile."
Skorupi's tail flexed, and a barrage of glowing needles shot across the field.
Parasect didn't dodge.
The needles struck its body—puncturing, tearing, ripping through the mushroom's flesh.
Parasect screeched.
"Parasect—Spore."
"Skorupi—Protect!"
A shimmering barrier materialized around Skorupi, deflecting the cloud of green powder before it could make contact.
"Now—Toxic Spikes."
Skorupi lashed its tail, scattering a layer of glowing purple spikes across the field.
John's eyes narrowed.
"Parasect—X-Scissor."
Parasect lunged forward.
Skorupi didn't move.
The moment Parasect's foot touched the ground, the Toxic Spikes activated—purple energy erupting from the earth, poisoning Parasect's body, sapping its strength.
Parasect faltered.
"Skorupi—Cross Poison."
Skorupi's claws glowed purple, and it slashed them across Parasect's body in a perfect X.
The mushroom let out a wet, horrible sound.
Then it collapsed.
"Parasect is unable to battle," Axel said. "Skorupi wins."
---
John recalled Parasect.
He looked at Nicola.
"You're better than I expected."
"I know."
He smiled.
His third Poké Ball opened.
Nincada materialized in a flash of pale light—a small, insect-like Pokémon with hollow eyes, translucent wings, and a body the color of dry earth. It hovered above the ground, silent, watching.
"Begin," Axel said.
---
Nincada moved first.
"Dig."
It vanished beneath the earth.
Skorupi's eyes darted left, right, searching.
"Stay calm," Nicola said. "Wait for it."
The ground trembled.
Skorupi braced.
Nincada erupted beneath it—claws first, slashing upward—and sent Skorupi flying.
"Skorupi—Pin Missile!"
Skorupi righted itself midair and fired a barrage of needles.
Nincada dodged—faster than anything its size should have been—and disappeared underground again.
"Again," John said.
The ground trembled.
Skorupi braced.
Nincada erupted.
This time, Skorupi was ready.
"Cross Poison!"
Skorupi's claws caught Nincada mid-lunge and slashed across its body.
Nincada screeched.
It didn't go down.
"Bug Bite," John said.
Nincada's jaws clamped onto Skorupi's arm.
Skorupi screamed.
"Skorupi—get it off!"
Skorupi thrashed, slammed Nincada against the ground, tore at it with its pincers—but Nincada held on, its jaws grinding, its body draining Skorupi's energy.
"Night Slash," Nicola said through gritted teeth.
Skorupi's claw glowed dark.
It struck Nincada in the face.
Nincada released its grip and tumbled backward.
Skorupi staggered.
Both Pokémon were bleeding.
Both were exhausted.
"Finish it," Nicola said. "Cross Poison."
Skorupi lunged.
"Dig," John said.
Nincada vanished.
Skorupi's claws closed on empty air.
The ground trembled.
Skorupi tried to dodge.
It was too slow.
Nincada erupted beneath it—claws first, jaws open, striking with everything it had left.
Skorupi flew backward.
Hit the ground.
Didn't move.
"Skorupi is unable to battle," Axel said. "Nincada wins."
---
Nicola recalled Skorupi with trembling hands.
One left.
She reached for her final Poké Ball.
"Starly," she said.
The small bird materialized in a burst of gray and white—its feathers sleek, its crest bold, its eyes sharp and fierce. Starly spread its wings, and despite its size, it looked ready to fight the world.
"Begin," Axel said.
---
Nincada moved first.
"Dig."
It vanished.
Starly's eyes tracked the ground, its head tilting, its wings twitching.
"Wait," Nicola said.
The ground trembled.
Starly didn't move.
Nincada erupted.
Starly dodged—a single, perfect wingbeat that carried it ten feet into the air.
"Wing Attack!"
Starly dove—a blur of gray and white—and slammed its wing into Nincada's body.
Nincada hit the ground hard.
It didn't get up.
"Nincada is unable to battle," Axel said. "Starly wins. Nicola wins the match."
---
The silence stretched.
Then John laughed.
A warm, genuine sound that echoed across the field.
"Six wins," he said. "That's no small thing."
Nicola's breath caught.
She'd known—of course she'd known—but hearing it said aloud, in this place, by this man, made it real.
Six wins.
Halfway to the League.
"I'm proud of you," John said. "All of you."
Nicola looked at him.
"Why?"
"Because you fight. Because you keep fighting, even when it hurts. Even when it's hard." He smiled. "That's what makes a champion."
Nicola's throat tightened.
She didn't have words.
So she just nodded.
---
That evening, they gathered at the inn.
Patricia and Briv were already there when Nicola walked in—sitting at a corner table, their heads close together, their hands intertwined. They looked up when she entered.
"Hey," Patricia said.
"Hey."
"How'd it go?"
Nicola sat down.
"I won."
Patricia's face lit up.
"Six wins!"
"Six wins."
Patricia reached across the table and squeezed Nicola's hand.
"Congratulations."
Nicola squeezed back.
"Thanks."
Briv raised his glass.
"To Nicola. Six wins. And to the League—one month away."
Patricia raised her glass.
Dariana raised hers.
Samuel raised his.
Axel raised his.
Nicola raised hers.
"To the League," they said together.
The glasses clinked.
The night deepened.
And for a moment—just a moment—everything felt right.
---
Later, Nicola found herself on the balcony.
The city lights flickered below. The towers held. The canals shimmered.
She heard footsteps behind her.
Didn't turn.
"Couldn't sleep?" Patricia asked.
"No."
Patricia stood beside her.
"You did good today."
"Thanks."
They stood in silence.
Then Nicola spoke.
"I don't know what I'm going to do about Kay."
Patricia didn't respond immediately.
"Do you love him?"
Nicola's jaw tightened.
"I don't know."
"That's okay."
Nicola looked at her.
"Is it?"
"Yeah." Patricia smiled. "You don't have to know everything right now. You just have to keep moving."
Nicola looked back at the city.
"Keep moving."
"Yeah."
The lights flickered.
The towers held.
And somewhere in the darkness, the Eclipse Squad was watching.
Waiting.
But so were they.
The countdown continued.