Chapter 77: A Bigger Bunny!
The morning came slow over Aethelburg, the crystal towers catching the first light and fracturing it into a thousand cold rainbows across the floating bridges. Mist clung to the canals, thick and pale, and the distant sound of the monorail hummed through the air like a half-remembered melody.
Patricia stood alone in the training yard behind the inn.
The yard was small—just a rectangle of packed dirt bordered by low stone walls, with a few wooden posts that had been chewed and clawed and scorched over the years by countless Pokémon. Frost clung to the shadows, and her breath misted in the cold air.
She hadn't slept.
None of them had.
But she was tired in a different way than the others. Tired of waiting. Tired of watching Briv pull away from her. Tired of the silence that had settled between them like a wall she couldn't climb.
She looked down at the Pokéball in her hand.
Buneary's ball.
She'd been thinking about this for days.
"Let's go," she whispered.
She pressed the release.
---
Buneary materialized in a flash of white light, its small body landing softly on the packed earth. Its large curled ears twitched, and its big round eyes blinked up at Patricia with warmth and gentle intelligence.
"Bun?"
Patricia smiled.
"Hey, little one."
Buneary hopped closer, its nose twitching. It pressed its fluffy head against Patricia's leg, and Patricia felt something loosen in her chest.
"I know things have been weird lately," she said. "I know I've been distracted."
Buneary looked up at her.
"I'm sorry."
Buneary shook its head.
It didn't need an apology.
It just needed her.
---
They started with stretches.
Patricia had learned this from Dariana—the importance of warming up before training, of preparing the body for the demands ahead. Buneary mimicked her movements, its small body bending and twisting with surprising grace.
"Good," Patricia said. "Now, let's work on your agility."
She pulled a small rubber ball from her pocket.
Buneary's ears perked up.
"You remember this game."
Buneary nodded eagerly.
"Same rules. I throw. You catch. But this time—" She paused. "No hands."
Buneary tilted its head.
"Just your ears."
Buneary's eyes widened.
Then it grinned.
---
The first throw was easy.
Patricia tossed the ball in a gentle arc, and Buneary leaped, its ears unfurling like ribbons, and caught the ball between them. It landed gracefully, its prize held tight, and looked back at Patricia with triumph in its eyes.
"Good," Patricia said. "Again."
She threw faster.
Buneary caught it.
Faster.
Caught it.
Faster.
Caught it.
---
They trained for an hour.
The ball flew through the air in increasingly erratic patterns—high, low, curving, spinning—and Buneary chased every single one. Its ears snapped out like whips, catching the ball mid-flight, redirecting it, sending it back to Patricia with surprising precision.
Patricia caught the ball and paused.
Buneary was breathing hard, but its eyes were bright.
"You're getting faster."
Buneary nodded.
"But speed isn't everything."
Buneary tilted its head.
"Let's work on your power."
---
She led Buneary to the wooden posts.
The posts were thick—old oak, scarred and splintered from years of training. Patricia ran her hand along one of them, feeling the rough grain beneath her palm.
"These are your targets," she said. "I want you to hit them. Hard."
Buneary looked at the post.
Then back at Patricia.
"Bun?"
"Use your ears. Use your body. Use everything you've got."
Buneary nodded.
It turned to face the post.
It lunged.
---
The first hit was weak.
Buneary's ear connected with the post, and the wood barely moved. Buneary stumbled backward, its ear stinging, its eyes watering.
Patricia didn't rush to comfort it.
"Again."
Buneary hesitated.
"Again."
It lunged.
The second hit was stronger.
The third was stronger still.
By the tenth, Buneary was panting, its ears raw, its small body trembling with exhaustion. But the post was dented—a visible mark of its progress.
"Good," Patricia said. "Now do it again."
---
They trained until noon.
The sun climbed higher, burning away the mist, and the yard grew warm. Patricia shed her jacket, and Buneary's fur was damp with sweat.
But they didn't stop.
Buneary hit the post again and again and again, each strike harder than the last. Its ears were bleeding now—small cuts from the rough wood—but it didn't complain. It didn't slow.
Patricia watched.
She saw the way Buneary's body moved—the way it coiled before each strike, the way it transferred its weight, the way it followed through. She saw the determination in its eyes.
She saw something else, too.
Something growing.
---
"Stop."
Buneary froze mid-strike.
It turned to look at Patricia.
Patricia walked to it, her eyes soft.
"You're hurt."
Buneary shook its head.
"Don't lie to me."
Buneary's ears drooped.
Patricia knelt.
She reached out and gently touched Buneary's ear, feeling the small cuts, the warmth of the blood. Buneary flinched, but didn't pull away.
"You pushed too hard."
Buneary looked down.
"You always push too hard."
A tear slid down Buneary's cheek.
Patricia wiped it away.
"I know you want to be strong. I know you want to protect me. But you don't have to hurt yourself to do that."
Buneary looked up at her.
"You're already strong," Patricia said. "You're already enough."
Buneary's lip trembled.
"You're my partner," Patricia said. "My friend. And I love you."
Buneary burst into tears.
---
Patricia held it.
She held Buneary against her chest, feeling the small body shake with sobs, feeling the wetness of tears against her shirt. She didn't say anything. She just held it.
The sun moved overhead.
The shadows shifted.
And something began to happen.
---
Patricia felt it first—a warmth spreading through her chest, radiating outward, flowing from her heart into the small Pokémon in her arms. It was gentle at first, like the first breath of spring after a long winter.
Then it grew.
Buneary stopped crying.
It looked up at Patricia.
Its eyes were glowing.
"Buneary?"
The glow spread.
It enveloped Buneary completely—a soft white light that pulsed with warmth and love and something deeper, something that couldn't be named.
Patricia's breath caught.
The light intensified.
The air hummed.
And then—
---
Buneary was gone.
In its place stood something else.
Something taller. Sleeker. More powerful.
Lopunny.
---
The Rabbit Pokémon stood on two legs, its body covered in soft brown fur, its ears long and elegant, its eyes large and intelligent. It was graceful in a way that Buneary had never been—poised, confident, beautiful.
It looked down at its new hands.
Then it looked at Patricia.
"Lo?"
Patricia stared.
"You evolved."
Lopunny tilted its head.
"You evolved."
Lopunny's eyes widened.
It looked at its body again—the long legs, the sleek fur, the powerful ears. It flexed its fingers. It took a step. It nearly fell.
Patricia laughed.
"Easy."
Lopunny caught itself.
Then it laughed too—a sound like bells, light and joyful.
---
Patricia stood.
She walked to Lopunny.
She reached out and touched its cheek.
"You're beautiful."
Lopunny leaned into her touch.
"You evolved because of me."
Lopunny nodded.
"Because of us."
Lopunny's eyes glistened.
Patricia pulled it into a hug.
They stood like that for a long time—the trainer and the Pokémon, the human and the friend—wrapped in each other's arms, the sun warm on their shoulders.
---
They trained again that afternoon.
But it was different now.
Lopunny moved with a grace that Buneary had never possessed—every step was deliberate, every motion was fluid, every strike was precise. Its ears snapped out like whips, and the wooden posts shattered under the impact.
"Again."
The post exploded.
"Again."
Another post fell.
"Again."
---
By sunset, the training yard was a wreck.
Broken posts. Scattered debris. Dust hanging in the air like smoke.
Lopunny stood in the center, its chest heaving, its body gleaming with sweat. It didn't look tired. It looked alive.
Patricia walked to it.
She put her hand on its shoulder.
"Good."
Lopunny looked at her.
"You're ready."
Lopunny nodded.
"For what?"
Patricia smiled.
"For whatever comes next."
---
They returned to the inn.
---
The common room was quiet when they walked in.
Briv was at the table, Grotle at his feet, Luxio curled on a chair beside him. He looked up when Patricia entered, and his eyes widened.
"Buneary?"
Patricia shook her head.
"Lopunny."
Briv stared.
"Holy shit."
Lopunny stepped forward, its ears swaying, its eyes bright.
Briv stood.
He walked to Lopunny.
He reached out.
Lopunny let him touch its ear.
"How?"
"Friendship," Patricia said. "High friendship."
Briv looked at her.
"It evolved because of you."
"Because of us."
He nodded.
Slowly. Carefully.
"That's incredible."
"I know."
He looked at Lopunny.
"You're beautiful."
Lopunny purred.
---
Nicola entered.
She stopped.
"Congratulations."
Patricia nodded.
"Thank you."
Nicola walked to Lopunny.
She studied it.
"Strong."
"Yes."
"Fast?"
"Very."
Nicola smiled.
"Good."
She turned to go.
"Nicola."
She stopped.
Patricia said: "Thank you."
Nicola looked at her.
"For what?"
"For being there."
Nicola didn't respond.
She just nodded.
Then she walked away.
---
Dariana came next.
She saw Lopunny and gasped.
"Oh my god."
Lopunny turned.
Dariana rushed forward.
She dropped to her knees.
"You're gorgeous."
Lopunny tilted its head.
"Can I touch?"
Lopunny nodded.
Dariana reached out.
She ran her fingers through Lopunny's fur.
"Soft."
Lopunny purred.
---
Axel was last.
He stood in the doorway, his green eyes unreadable.
"Lopunny."
"Yes."
He walked to Lopunny.
He studied it.
"Good."
Patricia looked at him.
"Good?"
He nodded.
"Strong. Fast. Loyal."
He paused.
"You'll need all three."
Patricia's eyes narrowed.
"What do you mean?"
Axel didn't answer.
He just turned and walked away.
---
The night deepened.
The inn grew quiet.
Patricia sat on the rooftop, Lopunny beside her, the city glittering beneath them.
She looked at Lopunny.
"I'm proud of you."
Lopunny leaned against her.
"I'm proud of us."
Lopunny closed its eyes.
Patricia closed hers.
---
The League was twenty-seven days away.
And the hunt was no longer just for a stone.
It was for survival.
---
Samuel sat alone in his room.
His Pokémon were gathered around him—Doduo, Sudowoodo, Nosepass, Ambipom, Hippopotas, Carnivine. They sat in silence, their eyes on their trainer.
Samuel looked at them.
"I failed you."
They didn't respond.
"I trained you. I pushed you. And I still lost."
He lowered his head.
"I'm sorry."
Ambipom reached out.
It touched his cheek.
Samuel looked up.
Ambipom shook its head.
It wasn't his fault.
It was just—
The truth.
---
Niklaus Eterngust stood in his hotel room.
He looked out the window at the city below.
He thought about Samuel.
He thought about the match.
He thought about the way Samuel's Pokémon had fought—with heart, with determination, with everything they had.
He thought about the way they had lost.
He closed his eyes.
"They're not ready."
He opened them.
"But they will be."
He turned away from the window.
---
The night deepened.
The city glittered.
And somewhere in the darkness, the Eclipse Squad was moving.
---
Revan Stormcloud stood on a rooftop.
He looked at the inn.
He smiled.
"Soon."
He vanished into the night.
---
The League was twenty-seven days away.
And everything was about to change.
=====
The rooftop door creaked open behind her.
Patricia didn't turn. Lopunny's ear twitched, but the Pokémon stayed pressed against her side, warm and solid. Footsteps crossed the gravel. Then Drew Saturday sat down beside her, her white hair catching the moonlight like frost on glass.
"Couldn't sleep either," Drew said.
Patricia shook her head.
They sat in silence for a while. Below them, Aethelburg hummed its endless song—canals gurgling, monorail sighing, distant laughter spilling from taverns. The crystal towers threw their light upward, competing with the stars.
"That's a beautiful Lopunny," Drew said.
"Thank you."
"Evolved today?"
Patricia nodded.
"Friendship evolution." Drew's pink eyes flicked to her. "Those are rare. Special."
"She's special."
Lopunny purred softly.
Drew stretched her legs out, crossing them at the ankle. Her tactical suit rustled. She looked relaxed—but Patricia had learned to read people, and Drew's stillness was the stillness of a coiled spring.
"You've been training hard," Drew said.
"Trying to."
"I watched you earlier. From my window."
Patricia glanced at her.
"You're good," Drew said. "Really good. But you're holding back."
Patricia's jaw tightened.
"I'm not—"
"You are." Drew's voice was calm, clinical. "You fight like someone who's afraid to lose. Not someone who's fighting to win."
The words landed like stones in still water.
Patricia stared at the city.
"I don't know what you mean."
"Yes, you do."
Silence.
Lopunny shifted, sensing the tension.
Drew turned to face her fully.
"Let's battle."
Patricia blinked.
"What?"
"A proper battle. Three-on-three. Right now."
"It's the middle of the night."
"So? The training grounds have lights. I checked."
Patricia looked at her.
"Why?"
Drew smiled—a small, knowing thing.
"Because I want to see what you're really capable of. And because—" She paused. "—you need to see it too."
---
They descended to the training grounds.
The eastern field was bathed in floodlights, the packed earth gleaming like hammered bronze. The stone walls cast long shadows, and the observation posts stood empty and silent. Drew had been right—the lights stayed on all night.
Axel was already there.
He leaned against the wall, Rotom hovering beside him, its orange body flickering with barely contained energy. His green eyes tracked them as they approached.
"Word travels fast," Patricia said.
"I heard it from Rotom. He heard it from the electric grid." Axel shrugged. "This city talks."
Drew stepped onto the field.
"Three-on-three. Standard League rules. No substitutions."
Axel nodded.
"I'll referee."
Patricia hesitated.
Then she stepped onto the field.
Lopunny followed, its ears swaying, its eyes bright.
---
Dariana appeared at the edge of the field.
She'd been running—her hair was wild, her face flushed, her hoodie half-zipped. Glaceon padded beside her, its pale blue fur shimmering in the floodlights.
"I heard there was a battle."
"You heard correctly," Drew said.
Dariana's eyes lit up.
"Can I watch?"
"You can do more than watch," Drew said. "I need a third."
Dariana blinked.
"What?"
"I have three Pokémon. I need someone to battle with Patricia. Tag battle. Three-on-three."
Dariana looked at Patricia.
Patricia shrugged.
"I'm in," Dariana said.
---
They took their positions.
Patricia stood at one end of the field, Lopunny beside her. Dariana stood at the other, her hand on Cranidos's Pokéball. Drew stood across from them, calm and composed, her white hair glowing under the lights.
Axel raised his hand.
"Trainers, ready?"
They nodded.
"Begin."
---
Drew moved first.
"Manectric."
The ball opened in a burst of electric blue, and Manectric materialized with a crackle of static. The Discharge Pokémon stood tall and lean, its yellow and blue fur bristling, its mane crackling with electricity. Its eyes locked onto Lopunny.
Patricia's heart hammered.
"Lopunny, ready?"
Lopunny nodded.
"Dodge and counter."
---
Manectric lunged.
"Thunder Fang."
Its jaws crackled with lightning as it lunged for Lopunny. Patricia's eyes tracked the movement—fast, but not impossible. She saw the way Manectric's body coiled, the way its paws dug into the earth, the way its head tilted slightly to the left.
"Now."
Lopunny pivoted.
Manectric's jaws snapped shut on empty air. Lopunny spun, its ears whipping out, and caught Manectric across the flank. The Electric-type yelped and skidded sideways.
"Good," Patricia said. "Again."
Manectric recovered fast.
"Discharge."
A wave of electricity exploded outward. Patricia didn't panic.
"Detect."
Lopunny's eyes gleamed. It moved like water, flowing around the blast, the electricity crackling past its fur without touching it.
"Into the gap."
Lopunny lunged.
Its ear connected with Manectric's jaw. The Pokémon stumbled back. Lopunny pressed forward—strike, dodge, strike, dodge—a blur of brown fur and whipping ears.
Manectric faltered.
"Thunder."
The attack came fast—too fast to dodge fully. Lopunny took the hit, its body convulsing, its fur singed. It staggered but didn't fall.
"Lopunny!"
Lopunny shook itself.
It was still standing.
---
Patricia felt something shift in her chest.
The fear. The hesitation. The wall she'd built around herself.
It cracked.
"Lopunny," she said. "Let's finish this."
Lopunny's eyes gleamed.
"High Jump Kick."
Lopunny launched itself into the air.
Manectric tried to dodge.
It was too slow.
The kick connected with devastating force. Manectric flew backward, slammed into the stone wall, and crumpled.
"Manectric is unable to battle," Axel said. "Lopunny wins."
---
Drew recalled Manectric.
She didn't look upset.
She looked interested.
"Good," she said. "Very good."
She drew another ball.
"Geodude."
The Rock-type materialized in a flash of brown light, its rocky body hovering above the ground, its arms crossed, its expression smug.
Dariana stepped forward.
"My turn."
"Cranidos."
The ball opened.
Cranidos materialized with a roar, its thick skull gleaming, its small body vibrating with barely contained energy. It stomped the ground, and cracks spread through the packed earth.
Geodude didn't flinch.
"Begin."
---
Cranidos moved first.
"Headbutt."
The attack was blindingly fast. Cranidos launched itself forward, its skull lowered, its momentum carrying it like a missile. Geodude raised its arms to block.
The impact was thunderous.
Geodude skidded backward, its arms trembling, its smug expression replaced by something like respect.
"Cranidos, again."
"Rock Throw."
Geodude ripped a chunk of earth from the ground and hurled it. Cranidos dodged—barely—and the rock shattered against the wall behind it.
"Headbutt."
Another impact.
Geodude held its ground this time, digging its arms into the earth. Cranidos bounced off, dazed, and Geodude seized the opening.
"Rock Polish."
Geodude's body gleamed. Its movements became fluid, graceful, fast.
"Rollout."
It curled into a ball and launched itself at Cranidos. The impact sent the Fossil Pokémon tumbling across the field.
"Cranidos!"
Cranidos scrambled to its feet.
It was hurt. But it was angry.
"Headbutt."
"Rollout."
They collided mid-field.
The sound was like a thunderclap.
Both Pokémon were thrown backward. Cranidos hit the ground hard, rolled twice, and struggled to rise. Geodude bounced, cracked the earth, and came to rest.
Neither moved.
"Both Pokémon are unable to battle," Axel said. "It's a draw."
---
Dariana recalled Cranidos.
Patricia stepped forward.
"Lopunny."
Drew nodded.
"Hitmonchan."
---
The Fighting-type materialized in a flash of brown and red. Hitmonchan stood tall and lean, its boxing gloves gleaming, its eyes sharp and focused. It raised its fists.
Lopunny raised its ears.
"Begin."
---
Hitmonchan moved first.
"Mach Punch."
The punch was invisible—a blur of motion that crossed the distance in a heartbeat. Lopunny twisted, and the punch grazed its shoulder instead of its chest.
"Counter."
Lopunny's ear snapped out.
Hitmonchan blocked.
"Fire Punch."
Its fist ignited.
Lopunny dodged—but barely. The heat singed its fur. It stumbled, recovered, and lashed out with another kick.
Hitmonchan blocked again.
"Ice Punch."
The fist came in cold.
Lopunny couldn't dodge.
The impact sent it sliding backward, frost spreading across its fur. It shivered but stayed standing.
"Lopunny!"
Lopunny looked at her.
Its eyes were bright.
"High Jump Kick."
Lopunny launched itself.
Hitmonchan raised its arms.
The kick connected.
Hitmonchan slid backward—but didn't fall.
"Thunder Punch."
The fist crackled with electricity.
Lopunny couldn't dodge.
The impact sent it flying.
It hit the ground.
It didn't get up.
"Lopunny is unable to battle," Axel said. "Hitmonchan wins."
---
Patricia's heart stopped.
She ran to Lopunny.
She knelt beside it.
"Hey. Hey, hey, hey."
Lopunny's eyes fluttered open.
It looked at her.
It smiled.
"You did good," Patricia whispered. "You did so good."
Lopunny closed its eyes.
Patricia recalled it.
She stood.
Her hands were shaking.
---
Drew watched her.
"Your Lopunny is strong."
Patricia didn't respond.
"But you're still holding back."
Patricia looked at her.
"What?"
"You could have won that match. Lopunny had the speed, the power. But you hesitated. You waited for openings instead of creating them."
Patricia's jaw tightened.
"I don't—"
"You do."
Drew walked toward her.
"You're afraid. I can see it. You're afraid of losing, afraid of failing, afraid of what it means if you give everything and it's still not enough."
Patricia's eyes burned.
"So what?"
"So you need to decide." Drew stopped in front of her. "Are you going to keep fighting like someone who's afraid to lose? Or are you going to fight like someone who's fighting to win?"
Silence.
The floodlights hummed.
Patricia looked at the ground.
Then she looked up.
"One more."
Drew raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"One more battle. You and me. Right now. No tag. No partners. Just us."
Drew smiled.
"You're on."
---
They took their positions.
Patricia had one Pokémon left.
Buizel.
She'd been saving it—her fastest, her most aggressive, her most unpredictable. She'd been afraid to use it. Afraid of what would happen if it lost.
She wasn't afraid anymore.
"Buizel."
The ball opened.
Buizel materialized in a flash of orange, its twin tails whipping, its eyes bright and fierce. It looked at Hitmonchan and grinned.
Hitmonchan didn't grin back.
"Begin."
---
Buizel moved first.
"Aqua Jet."
It launched itself forward, water trailing behind it like a comet's tail. Hitmonchan raised its arms to block.
The impact sent it sliding backward.
"Again."
Buizel circled, then struck from the side. Hitmonchan spun, its fist igniting.
"Fire Punch."
Buizel ducked.
"Water Gun."
The blast caught Hitmonchan in the chest. Steam exploded outward, scalding and blinding. Hitmonchan stumbled back, its arms raised to protect its face.
"Aqua Jet."
Buizel struck again.
Hitmonchan fell.
It didn't get up.
"Hitmonchan is unable to battle," Axel said. "Buizel wins. Patricia wins the match."
---
Silence.
Patricia stood frozen.
Then she screamed.
She screamed with joy and relief and something deeper, something that had been trapped inside her for weeks. She screamed because she had won. Because she had finally let go.
Buizel ran to her.
She caught it in her arms.
"We did it," she whispered. "We did it."
Buizel nuzzled her cheek.
---
Drew approached.
She extended her hand.
"Good battle."
Patricia took it.
"Thank you."
Drew nodded.
"You're ready."
Patricia looked at her.
"For what?"
Drew smiled.
"For whatever comes next."
She turned and walked away.
---
Axel stepped forward.
"That's your ninth win."
Patricia looked at him.
"I know."
"You're almost qualified for the League."
Patricia nodded.
"I know."
She looked at Buizel.
---
Dariana ran to her.
"That was amazing!"
Patricia laughed.
"Thanks."
"You were incredible. Buizel was incredible. Everything was incredible."
Patricia hugged her.
"Thank you for being here."
Dariana hugged her back.
"Always."
---
They walked back to the inn together.
The city hummed around them.
The stars shone above.
And Patricia felt something she hadn't felt in weeks.
Hope.
---
The inn was quiet when they arrived.
Briv was waiting in the common room, Grotle at his feet, Luxio curled on his lap. He looked up when Patricia walked in, and his eyes found hers.
"Hey."
"Hey."
He stood.
"I heard you won."
She nodded.
"Three-on-three. Against Drew."
"Damn."
"Yeah."
He walked to her.
"I'm proud of you."
She looked at him.
"Really?"
"Really."
She smiled.
"Thank you."
He reached out.
He touched her hand.
She didn't pull away.
---
The night deepened.
The city glittered.
The League was twenty-seven days away.
And everything was about to change.