章 118: Third Match
Inside the city of Mallowville, Max and his team were now on a fifteen-minute break before the semi-finals of the tournament could start. As the girls were chatting, Max accompanied them for a short moment before getting lost in his thoughts. His next opponent would be Rory, who was a prick, but quite strong as a trainer nevertheless. Even though Scarlet claimed that she could beat him single-handedly, he began to think about some eventual strategies if something unexpected were to happen. He then quickly realized that it was mostly to hide his worries, as with any strategy he can come up with, Scarlet would have been thinking about it way before him and was already ahead. So giving 'orders' is useless to her.
[It doesn't have to be the case. Being in the heat of action reduces my analytical power a little, so you can be helpful by taking the time to think.] Scarlet said into Max's mind.
[Are you genuinely thinking that, or you're just saying that to make me feel better?]
[...Both.]
[Ah. Fuck you.] Max jested. [Honestly, I still don't get why people try to tame and train psychic-type pokemon. With their intelligence, they don't need any humans to battle efficiently.]
[Indeed, but some of those pokemon still want that as they can evolve and get stronger in a safe environment. Also, pokemon battles are a human thing, so one has to be the face of it. Pokemon aren't allowed to battle on their own without a human to supervise them.]
[Well, with reasons on some aspects. If one goes full haywire, it's an invitation to disaster.]
[Hm… For that part, I can understand. But hey, just don't mess with us and everything should be fine.]
[Yes, Scarlet, pokemon are superior. We know.]
[Hihi. But you know…] Scarlet said, putting one hand on one of Max's thighs. [It doesn't make you less valuable.]
Max then turned to look at her loving and gorgeous sapphire eyes.
[To me, you're like a treasure to cherish and protect.]
[I like hearing you say that, but sometimes, I can't help but wonder if you mean it in a pet way, or…]
[What? No. As a pokemon, I may be stronger and better than you in many fields, but your life is as valuable as mine, if not more. Despite the strength difference, I see us as equals.]
[That, I don't doubt. However, for most, it's easy to get carried away.]
[I'm not like most. You should know it by now.]
[True. Still, my usefulness in the next fight will be comparable to an ornament.]
[What about moral support?]
[Haha, true.]
[I'm serious.] Scarlet said, not laughing. [It may not look like that, or say otherwise even, but… I like it when you encourage me.]
[Really? You don't fight that often, so how come you got to like that?]
[Because I like your encouragement in general, so there's no reason it wouldn't be the same with battles.]
[I guess.]
[Besides, hearing your voice might help me stay in control.]
[Just might?] Max said, looking at Scarlet funnily.
[Yes. Can't have everything in life, am I right?] Scarlet replied almost proudly with a grin.
[*Sigh*]
[However, this time around, it's personal.] The gardevoir said in a more serious tone. [That ugly insect must learn his place in life.]
[Are you talking about Rory?]
[Who else?]
[Well, I admit he's kind of an ass…]
[Not only does he think that he's bigger than he actually is, but he's mean to you, and that, is something I have zero patience with.]
[I doubt it's personal. He seems to be the kind of douche that is mean to everyone in general.]
[I don't give a shit. He can be an asshole with others, I couldn't care less, but not you. He should just-... Gha! I'll stop here. He's not worth getting mad over.]
[Holy shit. That was the most mature thing you ever did.] Max teased.
[Me shoving my fist into your ass will be the next one.]
[Ooh! Don't tempt me. I might like it.]
[You probably would. I have my way to make you love everything I do.]
[Like brain trafficking?]
[Exactly. If I make you a vegetable, I could do whatever I want and you wouldn't be able to say no to anything.]
"Phfahaha!" [You crazy bitch. That was dark, but pretty hilarious.]
[Great, because I love seeing you smiling.]
[Tsk. Way to make it cheesier than necessary.] Max replied, a bit flustered.
[Hihihi.]
[But please, be careful anyway. He might pull out some dirty trick if he sees you getting the upper hand.]
[Don't worry. I'm ready for any kind of eventuality, even that. I want total annihilation, so I won't let myself get surprised. He's gonna see who's really in charge here.]
[...Alright. Just try not to destroy the stadium.]
[Shouldn't there be a dome preventing that?]
[Yes, but I always wondered if there's an actual limit to what it can withstand. I mean, it's sturdy enough to contain the most violent and devastating of fights, but you never know. I wonder if it can withstand the power of a legendary pokemon.]
[It depends on the legendary, but the question can be asked indeed. Not much in this world can be compared to their power. Plus, no human ever captured one, so we will probably never know.]
[That, we don't know. None may have been recorded, but maybe managed to capture one, like a Suicune.]
[Ah. You're just saying that because you wish you could fuck a Suicune.]
[What? That's ridiculous.] Max retorted, slightly overdramatizing.
[Is it, now?] Scarlet said, looking at Max funnily.
[Yes, and I'm rather shocked that you think that I only think about sex.]
[You're right, you don't. You only think about it fifty percent of the time. One percent being food, four percent being video games, and the rest being sex with us.]
[How dare you?]
[What? Am I wrong?]
[No, you're right, and that's the problem. You shouldn't be allowed to know that.]
[Hehe. Scarlet the outlaw breaks the rules again.]
[For a change.] Max jested with rolling eyes.
At this instant, some microphone noises could be heard in the stadium before the voice of the presenter replaced the noises.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back! I hope you took the time to steady your composure because the real event is about to begin! Our next match will oppose Max and Rory, two competitors that have made a really good impression so far, plowing through the first matches fairly easily! However, this will be the end of the road for one of them. So, ladies and gentlemen, get a hold of your seat, because two forces of nature are to collide and there might be some collateral damage. Who will come on top? One way to find out! To the competitors, it's time to come down and put your skills to the test."
To that, both Max and Scarlet left their respective chairs to leave the bleachers.
{Come on, Scarlet! It will be an easy fight for you.} Bonny encouraged her.
{Yeah! Too easy.} Sally followed.
{Just try to not kill anyone.} Luna jested, making Scarlet roll her eyes.
Despite being in her camouflaged green appearance, Scarlet was getting some attention as they were leaving the spectator floor. Since it was mostly for Max anyway, she did her best to ignore it. When down the hallway to the exterior, Max began to feel a bit nervous.
{Why so nervous?} Scarlet asked while floating next to him.
"I'm not nervous, you are. That feeling ain't mine."
{It ain't mine either.}
"Tss. Goddamnit. We're so connected that we can't tell which emotion belongs to whom now."
{We're practically one entity now, so maybe we can say that that feeling belongs to both of us at the same time.}
"Yeah. Let's go with the simplest explanation."
{Hehe. Please, master. Never change.}
With a caring look, Max appeared on the battlefield, with a thunder of clapping and cheering exploding at their arrival.
{Holy shit. I wonder how it will be when we reach the finale.} Scarlet commented, a bit annoyed by the noises.
"Probably even more deafening than that."
{*sigh* Sometimes, I question some of my own decisions.}
Shortly after Max appeared and was about to get on his side of the battlefield, Rory appeared as well, a bit later than Max.
{But almost all the time, I always get a reminder of why I made it in the first place.} Scarlet said, glaring at the human she was now despising.
"Come on. All that hate is bad for your health and heart."
{Hmpf.}
When in place, Rory glared at Max without a word, showing an arrogant but determined expression.
"A gardevoir, huh?" He finally said. "I hope you're not that kind of trainer."
Silently, both Max and Scarlet only glared at him, but not without the urge to go there and punch his teeth out from the latter.
"Will it be your fighting pokemon?" The referee asked Max.
"Yes." Max simply replied without looking away from his opponent.
"Alright. She can move forward."
Hearing that, Scarlet simply walked near the middle of the battlefield.
{I hope he gets what he deserves.} Bonny said as she briefly looked at Rory.
{He will. Honestly, It hurts to see that I was like that a while ago.} Aurora remarked.
{Yeah. You were such a pain in the rump.}
{Thanks for the honest reminder.}
{Hihi.}
Now in position, Scarlet crossed her arms and glared at Rory, making sure to make him understand how hateful she was towards him. Not looking concerned, Rory chuckled.
"Alright, I'll play that game." He said while taking out a pokeball. "Let's see what you've got." He added before releasing his ferrothorn.
Not even caring, Scarlet didn't even unlock her gaze from Rory despite the presence of a hostile pokemon.
"Ready? Set. Fight!" The referee called out.
{It's showtime.} Bonny commented while the rest of the team was anticipating the upcoming battle, with May and Sally being overly excited.
"Let's start with a welcoming greeting," Rory commanded his pokemon.
With a small groan, the ferrothorn used a powerful Pin Missile and launched thousands of metallic spikes at Scarlet, briefly hiding her under the cloud of projectiles. Almost immediately, all spikes got deflected by the shield of Scarlet's Protect.
"It was kind of expected. Plan B."
In a wide and heavy movement, the ferrothorn used a few Power Whips, loudly slapping Scarlet's shield. With her arms still crossed, Scarlet didn't even react.
"Seems like a solid physical shield. Let's go special, then."
Softly groaning again, the ferrothorn raised its three limbs and made a thick black cloud appear above Scarlet, making Max lift his head.
"Impressive, isn't it? It's hard to teach a move that isn't the type of your pokemon, especially when it's a powerful one. Witness the power of our hard labor, Thunder!"
In a flash, an extremely loud and powerful lightning bolt struck Scarlet, burning the grass around Scarlet instantly. Then, Rory's arrogant smile dropped when he saw Scarlet unscathed, electrical veins running across her shield.
"...I see. I guess I'll have to go up a notch again." Rory said, starting to take the game seriously.
"Maybe it's time for you to get into it. The spectators are gonna get bored if you don't do anything." Max told Scarlet.
{*sigh* I guess you're right.} The gardevoir conceded, uncrossing her arms. {I'm a little disappointed, though. I expected a harder fight.}
Then, all of a sudden, a burst of raw power emanated from Scarlet while her entire arms burst into fire.
"...Fire Punch?" Rory mumbled.
Moving a leg forward, Scarlet retreated her hands and put her palms near each other while condensing fire energy.
"Shit!" Rory exclaimed.
The next second, Scarlet pushed her hand forwards and used the strongest Flamethrower Max has ever seen, with the girth of the stream of fire being a few meters wide. Totally engulfed in fire, the ferrothorn disappeared from everyone's sight, with the end of the stream hitting the dome's wall. The attack lasted for nearly ten seconds before the gardevoir stopped. Once back in view, the ferrothorn was already looking in bad shape, its three limbs barely holding him up.
{Wow…} Scarlet said, briefly shaking one hand. {Tough as a nail, I see. Oh well, it's not like it matters much.}
Pulling out a strong Shadow Ball, Scarlet tossed it in lobbying as a way to mock him before it exploded on him, KOing the pokemon.
"...T-The ferrothorn is unable to fight anymore." The referee called out, a bit astonished by the speed of the battle.
Then, instead of looking scared or surprised, Rory looked at Scarlet with raging eyes, as if she just declared war and he conceded to it. Amused, Scarlet replied with knife-throwing eyes of her own. With a clenched jaw, Rory recalled his pokemon.
"It's gonna be like that, huh? You have seen nothing yet." He growled before choosing another pokeball.
"Hehe. Fun fact: You haven't either." Max mumbled.
Rory's next pokemon was a kommo-o.
"Of course, he has a dragon-type," Max mumbled some more while rolling his eyes. "He's edgy as fuck." [Okay, Scarlet, don't-]
[Use any ice-type move yet until I know how fast he is. It was already the plan.] Scarlet said before he could say anything.
[Alright. Keep up the good job, love. You're doing great.]
[...Thanks.] the gardevoir replied with a tiny but warm smile.
"That gardevoir's defense is strong, but a bit cocky. Get some boost before she tries something."
With an aggressive cry, the kommo-o used Dragon Dance, building up energy to increase its attack and speed. Oddly, Scarlet didn't react and let him do so with crossed arms.
"...Again," Rory commanded after his pokemon had boosted himself.
For the second time, the kommo-o used Dragon Dance to increase his combative power. Just like last time, Scarlet didn't do anything. Same when he did it for a third time.
[Umm… Scarlet? Maybe you want to stop or beat him before he gets too strong.]
[Don't worry. All he does is in vain. I just want to piss him off as much as possible.]
[Heh. Such evil. Don't get ahead of yourself too much, though.]
[Relax, master. I know what I'm doing.] The gardevoir reassured him, sensing his insecurity.
After a little while, the kommo-o was at his maximum power capability.
"I don't know what game you're playing, but you just shot yourself in the foot. Charge now!" Rory commanded.
Then, as if he teleported, the kommo-o was on Scarlet and used Dragon Claw. However, the gardevoir actually teleported and reappeared in the air, meters above the ground.
"Why you… Are you gonna fight for real or what?" Rory blurted in annoyance.
Not answering, Scarlet just glared at him with an arrogant smile.
"...Tsk. It doesn't matter. Go get her." Rory commanded.
Using Dragon Claw again, the kommo-o jumped at Scarlet at an alarming speed. However, due to the distance and thanks to her speed, Scarlet managed to dodge the hit by hovering to the side in a flash.
(Wow. I didn't realize she was that fast.) Max thought.
"Again!"
For a couple more times, the kommo-o tried to get Scarlet with Dragon Claw but missed every time.
"Ghra! That's not even a fight! Get down from there and fight me already."
"It's called strategy," Max told him. [But he has a point. Maybe we should get offensive before it gets too boring.]
[*sigh* Fine.]
Teleporting again, Scarlet reappeared inches away from the Kommo-o and struck him with Ice Punch. Within half a second, Scarlet acknowledged that despite knowing he felt it, he was slightly tougher than she expected, so she chained another Ice Punch.
However, the reaction time and speed of the dragon-type pokemon were such that he was already on the move and dodged the second hit. He then tried to get Scarlet with Dragon Claw again but dodged by moving backward. The gardevoir then went for Zap Cannon, as electric-type moves are pretty fast, but the kommo-o denied her by instantly getting on her with Headbutt, to which she had to use Protect.
[Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to let him buildup speed after all, huh?] Max commented.
[Shut up.] She commanded him before teleporting away, in the air. {You moving that much is getting rather annoying.}
Then, just like Fire Punch, she engulfed her arms with ice energy and accumulated a lot of power before aiming at the kommo-o with Ice Beam. Naturally, he dodged it, but touching him wasn't Scarlet's goal. After the kommo-o dodged, the entire ground surface of the dome got covered in ice, transforming the battlefield into an ice rink.
{How's that?} Scarlet said, descending near the ground level, unaffected by the ice since she was floating. {Now, if you could just stay put…} She added while raising an arm, about to use Ice Beam again.
However, the gardevoir didn't expect in the slightest that the kommo-o could almost move at full speed even on the ice and got hit in the sides by Dragon Claw, pushing her a few meters away.
{Shit! What the…}
Raising her eyes, Scarlet quickly understood why her adversary could move that freely: His claws from his hind legs were piercing and sinking into the ice, allowing him to run and stop at will.
"Bring her down to her knees," Rory commanded.
In a flash, the kommo-o was on Scarlet and used Close Combat. Fortunately, Scarlet had the time to raise a psychic barrier to protect herself. However, the power of the kommo-o was such that his last movement broke through Scarlet's shield, making her endure at least half of the damage.
{Ghnn!} Scarlet growled in annoyance.
She then raised her eyes again to glare at the dragon/fighting-type pokemon, rage starting to fill them.
{Alright… enough playing around.} She said while straightening her back.
"Oh my. He managed to make her go all serious. That's an achievement on its own." Max mumbled.
Briefly balling her hands into fists, Scarlet raised her hands in the air before quickly dropping them down. With intense psychic energy, she activated Gravity with such power that the entire terrain inside the dome got unleveled by a couple of inches. Instantly, the kommo-o center of gravity got a lot lower, pushed a bit down by his own augmented weight.
{Well?} Scarlet started, slowly floating near him. {How is it, to feel roughly twenty times the earth's gravity? A bit annoying, I'd assume.} She taunted.
"Gravity… it doesn't matter. We still have the increased attack. Dragon Tail."
In a swift movement, the kommo-o tried to hit Scarlet with draconic energy emanating from its tail, but Gravity slowed him down quite drastically, allowing Scarlet to dodge very easily. Instantly, Scarlet countered with Ice Beam, which this time, he couldn't dodge.
"Damnit…" Rory growled. "Quick! Use a move that isn't affected by gravity." He ordered.
Despite being partially encased in ice, the kommo-o managed to put his claws on his own body and use Clanging Scales. The noise was so horrendous and powerful that it damaged Scarlet, forcing her to drop Gravity. As she was covering her feather-like ears, the kommo-o charged at her and hit her with Headbutt, propelling her against the dome wall.
[Scarlet!]
[Gha…] she expressed slight pain and annoyance while dropping to her knees.
"Finish her," Rory commanded.
Before the gardevoir could retaliate, the kommo-o was on her and on his way to beat Scarlet with Dragon Claw. However, Scarlet didn't give up yet and quickly used Flash, blinding the kommo-o temporarily and making him miss his attack. Since a kommo-o had really good vision, it quickly came back to normal after a few seconds. Unfortunately for him, it was more than enough for Scarlet to be barely an inch away from him and land a Hypnosis. Instantly, the kommo-o's brain stopped responding and was put into a comatose state.
{Phew! Finally! He stopped moving around.} Scarlet said before slowly floating backward. {Time for a little rejuvenation.}
When a few meters away, Scarlet focused and used Recover, regaining a big portion of her energy.
"Hey! Can you hear me?! Move!" Rory commanded his pokemon. "We are so close to winning!"
{Ah! So you think. You were never even close.} Scarlet said before using Recover again, now roughly back to full health.
Even after that, the kommo-o was still under the influence of Hypnosis and immobilized.
[Well, since I have time…]
Focusing again, Scarlet used this time Calm Mind to increase her special attack and defense. A little while later, the kommo-o finally snapped out of Hypnosis and shook his head. When fully back to his senses, he looked at Scarlet, who had used Calm Mind three times, and saw her charging an attack.
"Move!" Rory ordered.
{Too late.}
With enhanced power, Scarlet gave everything and shot an empowered Ice Beam. Not only was the stream larger and filled with more lasers, but the impact was so strong that it encased the kommo-o entirely inside a tiny ice mountain, covering half of the dome.
{Good fight.}
Scarlet's final move was Psychic, breaking everything that was ice into pieces while eating away the remaining energy of the kommo-o, finally KOing him.
"The kommo-o is unable to fight anymore. Two pokemon down for Rory, only one remaining." The referee called out.
"Hnng! For fuck's sake." Rory grunted before recalling his pokemon.
[*sigh* You really played with fire back there.] Max commented.
[And? You know I love living dangerously.]
[No, you're not. You just like being cocky and provocative sometimes.]
[Useless details.] Scarlet replied nonchalantly.
As the crowd was calming down from Max's victory, Rory selected his last pokemon and released a swampert.
"I admit that your gardevoir is decently strong, but it ends here. My swampert has a record of only seven defeats in over a hundred battles. He's unbeatable now."
{Really? How interesting.} Scarlet said, intrigued.
By the look of him, the swampert looked like a solid fighter, making Scarlet anticipate an exciting and worthy battle.
"Come on. Let's do it!" Rory exclaimed before putting a hand in one pocket.
Then, in a bright light, Rory's swampert changed into his mega form, a bigger and a lot more ripped version of himself.
"Start with a nice Aqua Punch," Rory ordered.
Wanting to seize his power, Scarlet stood still and blocked the attack with Protect.
*Bang*
With a loud impact noise, the hit moved Scarlet backward a couple of inches away.
{Ooh! Very interesting.} Scarlet said, quite amused while raising her fists.
The swampert went for another Aqua Punch, but Scarlet dodged and deviated a little before counter-attacking with Ice Punch as an uppercut to the chin. Despite the super effectiveness of the move, the swampert barely flinched.
"Don't let her get away!" Rory blurted out.
Quickly, the swampert grabbed Scarlet into a bear hug and tightened his grasp.
{Gha!} Scarlet exclaimed in surprise, quickly lacking air.
Before he could do any real damage, Scarlet teleported away, a few meters above the ground.
[Should we make you mega evolve as well?] Max asked.
[No need. He's strong, but not that much. I'll manage without that.]
"Reduce her stats a little," Rory ordered.
Quickly inhaling, the swampert exhaled with Screech, making a strong teeth-grinding noise, reducing Scarlet's defense as she was holding her feather-like ears.
{Bloody hell! My ears will end up bleeding at this rate.} The gardevoir complained.
"How so? You don't even have ear cavities." Max pointed out.
{Shut up.}
Scarlet then charged up two Shadow Balls and tossed them at the swampert.
"Attack while defending."
Upon hearing his master's command, the swampert used Muddy Water, blocking Scarlet's projectiles before continuing its trajectory toward Scarlet. Then, the gardevoir used Reflect and tossed the attack back at the swampert, who blocked with one arm. Next, Scarlet went for Gravity again, nearing the gravity inside the dome to twenty times the earth's again before chaining with Ice Beam. To Scarlet's surprise, the swampert dodged the beam rather easily, as if he was barely affected by gravity.
{What the…}
"A normal swampert has great strength, but that power goes beyond anything when they mega evolve." Rory taunted.
In the bleachers, Bonny was looking at the match with high anticipation.
{That round seems to excite you more than the others.} Aurora remarked.
{Yeah. I wish I could have been able to compare my strength to his, to see who is the strongest.}
{I get how you feel. He looks hella strong.}
After dodging a couple more Ice Beams, the swampert has been commanded to use Rock Slide, materializing rocks above Scarlet after slamming the ground. Instead of dodging or blocking, Scarlet used Telekinesis and stopped the fall of the rock before tossing them at the swampert. With his steel hard fists, the swampert destroyed every rock he had been thrown. After shattering the last one, he got hit by a strong Energy Ball through the dust and rumbles of the rock, dealing four times the initial damage. Having a better defense than special defense, he felt it quite a lot.
"Godamnit! A grass-type move? Just how many different types of moves does that gardevoir know?" Rory growled softly. "Go for Dig!"
Instantly, the swampert dug and went underground.
{Dig, huh?} Scarlet said, floating above the freshly made hole. {Nice move, but it leaves you rather exposed.}
Then, the gardevoir went to prepare a move and attack through the hole. Then, suddenly, a powerful stream of water came out of the tunnel, propelling her near the top of the dome.
{*Phwa*} Scarlet expressed, wiping the water off of her face. {Hydro Pump from underground, huh? Quite clever, I admit.}
Then, before she could think of anything, a powerful water geyser burst from the ground at Scarlet. Luckily, she managed to dodge it easily. However, as soon she moved, another geyser appeared under her, also aimed at her. After dodging again, another one popped out. Flying all across the battlefield, multiple Hydro Pump geysers invaded her aerial space, gradually annoying her more and more.
{Alright. Fuck you with your water.}
After another dodge, Scarlet stayed really close to the geyser and shoved an arm inside with difficulty due to the pressure. Instantly, the geyser changed into ice, the entire stream getting frozen solid. She held the arm until the ice went underground. When she guessed that it must have reached the swampert, she pulled her arms away from the block of ice. Shortly after, the swampert emerged from the ground, not looking very good.
{What's wrong? Can't bear a little cold?} Scarlet taunted, slowly descending toward the ground.
Staying frosty, the swampert just glared at the gardevoir with balled fists, awaiting his next command.
"Enough child's play. Time to boost your powers."
With a brief and low-pitched growl, the swampert raised his head and activated Rain Dance, making the weather inside the dome rainy.
{Ah. Jokes on you, I like rain. It makes me so nostalgic.} Scarlet said a bit haughtily.
"Get her."
Obeying, the swampert then used Hydro Pump once again. However, despite her attempt to dodge, the stream was larger than usual and Scarlet got hit nonetheless.
{Ah, I almost forgot. Rain Dance makes water-type moves stronger. But there's something you didn't think through.}
Raising one hand over her head, Scarlet used Ice Beam on the black cloud above them, changing the rain into hail. Now, not only was the swampert's water moves not powered up anymore, but he was also taking damage from the hail.
{No matter what you try, I'll always be a step ahead of you.} Scarlet said while looking at Rory.
"Tsk. That's annoying, but we can deal with flying adversaries. Just throw stuff at her."
Sinking his arms into the ground, the swampert retrieved a huge rock and threw it at Scarlet with Rock Throw.
{N- Shit!}
Used to a certain speed of projectiles, Scarlet didn't expect to see that rock fly at her at such speed and had to block with Protect in extremis.
{Phew! That was close.} Scarlet mumbled.
Immediately, a few more rocks followed, which Scarlet managed to dodge this time.
{I got a bit careless. Those inflated arms aren't for show. Anyway, I think I've had my fun long enough now. Master's gonna start thinking it takes too long. Time to show a bit of my true power.}
Slightly clapping her hands, Scarlet raised them above her head and created hundreds of Energy Balls, all hovering above her. Dropping her arms, the Energy Balls then quickly descended towards the swampert. Despite his best effort, the swampert got hit by a couple of them, taking heavy damage. As soon as her barrage was done, she launched another one, with the swampert getting hit by more due to his fatigue. When the particles were gone, Scarlet saw the swampert, lying on his belly and trying his best to stand up. Descending, Scarlet landed right next to him.
{Good fight I guess.} The gardevoir said before finishing him off with an Ice Punch to the jaw.
Unable to take it anymore, the swampert got KO'ed before reverting to his normal form.
"Rory's swampert is unable to fight. Rory is out of pokemon. Max has won this match and therefore, will participate in the grand finals." The referee announced, making the crowd go wild.
[Nice match, Scarlet. You totally rocked it.]
[...I guess so.] Scarlet replied before glaring at Rory for a short duration, walking to Max.
As he briefly saluted the spectators, Max headed back to the bleachers with Scarlet tailing him. Still, on the battlefield, Rory had his hand balled into fists with a clenched jaw.
"That… motherfucker. He just… it won't end like this."
"Sir?" The referee said, wanting to get his attention.
"...Fuck!" He exclaimed before recalling his pokemon and leaving the field.
With boiling blood, he got inside the stadium and was on his way to leave.
"Piece of shit tournament. My team is gonna hear about that, they can be sure of that."
[...You should try to see if the problem isn't you first.]
Stopping, Rory got a bit startled by the sudden voice ringing in his head. He then looked around and saw Scarlet, with crossed arms and resting against a nearby wall.
"What was that?"
[I said that instead of picking on your pokemon, you should try to figure out where the real problem is, which is obviously you.]
"...What do you want? Did you come here just to rub your victory in my face?"
[Well, kinda, yes.] Scarlet replied a bit arrogantly.
"Alright, now that you're done, you can leave me the fuck alone and go back to that little prick. I had enough of all this bullshit."
[You better watch your tone with me, human, and how you qualify my master as well.]
"Or what?" Rory retorted with crossed arms as well. "You're gonna attack me? Hah! Just you try. Do that and your ass will end up right at Almondo instantly."
"Pff, Hah hah hah!" Scarlet laughed. [Humans… None of you get it.] She said before walking near him and glaring at him a few inches away. [All of you think that you're at the top of the food chain and the pinnacle of evolution, but in reality, you're just a subspecies compared to us. If humans still exist, it's because we are allowing it. If we wanted to wipe humanity off the planet, it would take us at best five working days to do so. So do me a favor and shove that misplaced pride and arrogance back in your ass and shut the fuck up. I had enough of your toxic speech.]
"Tss. Who do you think you are?" Rory challenged. "Five working days? Wake up, girl. Do you think that humans are that defenseless? Get real. I know someone that works in military development and trust me, they know what they are doing. If you were to start a war, we might suffer from some casualties, I admit, but we would prevail. You wouldn't start to believe what they hide from society."
[Please, I didn't come here to hear some delusional bullshit. I just wanted to say congrats on your pathetic loss and to be more respectful to my master. He's a nice human and he doesn't deserve to be bullied by a loser such as you.]
"Funny how you talk like I would care."
Then, Scarlet balled her hand into fists, her jaw slightly clenched.
[Don't test my patience, human. You're just a little rat that I could easily disperse all across the hall if I wanted to.]
"And then you would be wanted for murder. You don't win in any scenario here."
[I have my way, don't you worry.]
"*Sigh* This conversation is so pointless," Rory complained, briefly pinching the bridge of his nose. "I just don't get what you're trying to do. We'll probably never see each other again, but here you are, trying to intimidate an "inferior" creature. You have way too much time to spare, girl. You're just ridiculing yourself right now. God! Seriously…" He said before turning to leave. With his back facing her, his shoulders jumped with a tiny snigger.
[Do you think I'm joking?]
"It doesn't matter in this situation. You talk big, but I think you're forgetting your place. You creatures are made to serve us. It always has been that way. You know what 'pokémon' stands for, right? You are tools, nothing more."
As he was walking away, Scarlet glared at him, anger rising fast.
{...That little SHIT!} She loudly exclaimed when he was out of sight, hammer punching the wall next to her, lightly fissuring it. {He's so fucking lucky that I'm trying to stop killing for master. But yet… just one…} She said, lifting her eyes towards where she saw him last. {...No, Scarlet! You promised him. Just… GhnnnaaAAA!} She loudly growled in utter rage.
With all of her muscles tensed, she took rapid and deep breaths to calm herself down. Her anger wasn't originating only from his punchable attitude and personality, but also because she did make a fool of herself. Not only her intimidation didn't work, but what did she try to prove? It's as if a human adult tried to look superior in front of a child. She didn't regret protecting her master, but she realized that what she just did wasn't really necessary.
{...Fuck, I hate humans.} She growled some more before turning to float away towards the bleachers.
A minute later, she joined her group and sat next to Max.
"Where were you? You almost got me worried."
{Bathroom.} The gardevoir lied.
"Ah. Okay. Anyway, I can't wait to see the next match. That little dude, though."
{I know, right?} Bonny agreed.
{He and his team are quite strong and coordinated.} Aurora mentioned.
{Though, the trainer seems to lack a bit of confidence.} Dusk pointed out.
{Maybe he's just the very introverted type of human.} Luna guessed.
{Why would he come here then?} May asked.
"The prize, like everyone else. A ticket to the best amusement park in the world could make the most depressed and/or solitary human come out and fight."
Max then noticed that Sally was rather down, her head resting against her paws while looking at the empty battlefield. Luckily, she was close enough and he could pet her between her ears, getting her attention.
"Everything's gonna be alright. We're gonna win, don't worry."
She then smiled bashfully.
{I hope so.} She said, not so enthusiastically.
"You did well, Sally, just like everyone else. Don't lose hope."
{...I'll try.} She replied before looking back at the battlefield.
Unable to do more than that, Max pulled his arm away, but not before briefly scratching Dusk's chin, making her lightly moan in contentment. While petting May, who was sitting on his lap, he and the girls waited for the next match, which arrived a couple of minutes later.
Again, it was the short and shy guy, named Billy, against another trainer. This time around, Billy had more trouble dealing with his opponent. His first pokemon got beaten by his opponent's second pokemon, but won the match with his second one, but not without a bit of a struggle.
"That's it, folks! That was the last match of the semi-finals!" The representative exclaimed. "What a journey! All matches were more explosive than the last one. But it's not over yet. All that remains is the grand finals, which will oppose Max against Billy, two trainers that smashed the competition! Was it even fair?! Well, it doesn't matter as one of them will bring justice. And just to make this last match extra special, it will be played at 9 pm this evening, so take that time to recompose yourself and rest. I have a feeling that you're gonna need it, especially since, this time, it's gonna be a six-on-six pokemon battle. See you later!"
As soon as the representative was done with his speech, the stadium slowly got emptied.
"9 pm? Why?" Max wondered.
"This tournament is a show to start with, so they want the spectators to get what they bargained for," Julia explained.
"Make sense, but it's still a long time. It's only almost 4 pm."
"Maybe you can take that time to get a good rest and prepare yourself nicely."
"True. And six on six… I knew it."
"It was to be expected as a last match," Julia mentioned.
"I guess so."
{So? Who are you gonna choose?} Bonny asked.
"I don't know. It's more about who won't be participating… Oh well, I'm getting quite peckish, so might as well think about that later."
{Me too. That last battle drained me a little.} Scarlet mentioned.
{How? You barely did anything to win those battles.} Bonny pointed out, amused.
"Haha!" Max laughed. "I bet she uses more energy flying around than in the actual fight. She's too powerful."
{I already told you to stop doing that.} Scarlet retorted, looking away in embarrassment, her cheeks slightly red.
"Oh. Oops. My bad." Max apologized, not sounding that sincere.
"Did I miss something?" Julia asked.
"Ah, it's just that Scarlet doesn't like compliments when there are too many people or pokemon around her."
"Aww. That's so cute." Julia expressed, touched by the gardevoir's sensitivity.
However, Scarlet didn't find it very amusing and glared at Julia.
"Haha. Sorry, I couldn't help myself. Anyway, I'm hungry too, and I know just the place. Come on." The female human said before standing to leave the bleachers.
"You're familiar with this place?" Max questioned, following her alongside his team.
"More or less. I've been here just a few times, but it's enough to discover the best cantine ever."
"Damn! That's a nice idea. Been a while since I had some greasy junk food." Max said, briefly rubbing his hands. "And before you say anything, Dusk, no I don't dislike your food. Your dishes are divine, but sometimes, I don't mind some unhealthy food. You could say that's a little human sin."
{I… Okay. Thanks for reassuring me.} Dusk replied. {How did he guess?} She whispered to Luna.
{He knows us in our entirety.} The zoroark whispered back. {And all without being a psychic type.}
{Yeah. I wonder… maybe… no. That's just silly.} Dusk mumbled.
A few minutes later, the group was outside.
"So? You still want to stay until the end?" Max asked while being guided by Julia.
"Of course. I didn't watch your matches just to leave at the very end." The other trainer replied.
"Hehe, I guess so. But if I lose, you would have stayed for nothing."
"No, I won't. It will still be worth it. Besides, you won't lose."
"How can you be so sure?"
"How can I be so sure? How can you even ask something like that?" Julia inquired, sounding almost upset. "You're the one who should see victory already, not me."
{Ah! She got you there.} Scarlet mocked playfully.
"Pff. No, she didn't." Max retorted, slightly triggered.
{She kind of has a point, though. You're the first one who should believe in your victory.} Aurora mentioned.
"I know, and I do. I have total faith in your strength. However, I just don't want to scream victory until I beat that guy, Billy."
"I admit that he seems like a tough opponent. Just like you, he didn't seem to have struggled to get to the finals."
{From what I saw, you two are on another level compared to everyone else in that tournament.} May pointed out, sitting on Max's shoulder.
{What do you mean?} Sally asked, a bit lost.
{We've all been with Master for a while and we encountered many trainers, but I've been on a trainer journey for a while before meeting Max, so I know that topic a little. Max and that human Billy participating in that tournament are almost like two adults entering a child's playground to beat the crap out of the kids there.}
May speaking with such maturity was so rare that it was astonishing the group every time.
{So you think we will meet our match?} Bonny said.
{I'm pretty sure we'll win, but his pokemon and we are roughly in the same mold.}
{...Well, for my part, I don't mind a little challenge.} Scarlet said. {If you want to be the best, you have to destroy the best.}
"Or just beat the best," Max suggested, a bit amused. "No need to get all tyrannical."
{Where will the fun be then?} The gardevoir replied, making the laugh lightly.
"Anyway, let's get over that again after we eat."
{Yeah. Food first.} Bonny shared.
{And there goes Bonny's priorities again.} Aurora nagged playfully, making the group laugh lightly again.
A little while later, they reached a rather popular cantina, where a rather long line-up could be seen. Despite the speed of each of the orders, Max, Julia, and Scarlet reached the ordering area half an hour later, with the others waiting at a table. With Scarlet having memorized what the girls wanted, Max placed his own order. He insisted on paying for Julia, but she refused categorically every time, claiming that she can pay for her own stuff. A bit surprised by her stubbornness over that specific matter, he dropped it and waited for his stuff to be prepared. Having quite the order, it took a while before they received their orders. With Scarlet carrying everything, they joined the rest of the group.
{Finally!} Bonny exclaimed, suddenly filled with joy as soon as she saw them.
{It smells… weird, but not that unpleasant.} Aurora commented.
"Trust me, I suggested to all of you something you might enjoy," Max said while distributing the food with Scarlet's help. "It just sucks that it didn't have anything for you. Again." He added while looking at his gardevoir.
{I'm used to it. Don't worry.} Scarlet replied, sounding neutral even though Max knew she was slightly upset.
{Why is there never food for Scarlet anywhere?} Sally asked, sounding more offended than the gardevoir.
{Psychic-type specific food is an uncommon thing and rather expensive, so not many human places bother much. But just like Dusk, most psychic-type can be accommodated with more regular stuff, like meat and such.} Scarlet explained while sitting at the table, oddly keeping a small box for herself.
{Oh. That still sucks.} The cinderace concluded.
{What's that, then?} Luna asked in curiosity, pointing at her box.
{Something that can more or less accommodate me.} Scarlet answered, opening her box and revealing something that resembled radioactive jello.
{Are you sure? It looks like something that might kill you or any of us for that matter.} Bonny commented.
{Well, from what we have been told, this shit is something that a psychic-type like myself may or may not ingest.}
{May or may not?} Aurora repeated. {It sounds quite ominous.}
{There's a fifty/fifty chance that it's either nice and mildly nourishing, or it can go horribly wrong.}
{And when you say you say it can go horribly wrong…} May said, expecting Scarlet to elaborate.
{Something similar to an allergic reaction, but more violent with me puking everywhere and dying in my own vomit.}
{Why are you risking it?} Sally asked, almost horrified.
{Because I'm hungry.} Scarlet simply answered.
"That's a solid point," Max said with a smile.
{You don't seem very concerned.} Sally accused.
"It's fine. I'm sure she's exaggerating."
{...Maybe a little with the dying part, but you heard her. I can violently reject it.}
"Well, there's nothing you can eat besides that around here, so-"
{What about the stuff outside of this city?} Dusk proposed.
{Outside? You mean, like, in the wilderness?} Scarlet questioned, at which Dusk nodded while Max quickly translated everything to Julia, who was lost. {No way. I want to eat at the same place as master. I want to share everything with him. Also, I don't want to eat somewhere else while everyone can enjoy junk food.}
{...*sigh* I get your point.}
{Anyway, enough. The sooner I try, the sooner we will be fixed.}
Taking a fork, Scarlet dug into her meal and took a bite.
{The taste isn't exceptional.} She commented while chewing.
After swallowing, the entire group stopped moving and stared at Scarlet.
{...}
"..."
{...}
{...}
"..."
{...}
*Anticipation intensifies*
{...}
{...}
{...I think I got the winning ticket.} Scarlet said after an everlasting moment of waiting.
"Phew. I admit my heart skipped a few beats." Max said.
"She likes living dangerously, doesn't she?" Julia mentioned with a smile, to which Scarlet only shrugged her shoulders.
"More or less. She's just more stubborn than a mule."
{You have the face of one, though.}
"The dick of one, you mean."
{Pffft! Not even close.} The gardevoir retorted with a smug smile
.
"Does he, now?" Julia said, a bit amused.
{Not really.} The gardevoir replied, moving her little pinky around, making the female trainer laugh.
"Whoa, whoa! That's simply not true and you know it!" Max protested fervently.
With the group laughing as well, they enjoyed their group meal for half an hour and chilled there for another half an hour until they eventually got bored.
"So? What are you gonna do now? The match is still in a few hours only." Julia asked.
"Well, the best would be to lay down a little so the girls can rest as much as possible and me preparing for whatever happens. I guess I can go rent a hotel room."
"Nah, forget that." Julia denied it before standing up. "You have a tent, right? Well, a really high-tech one."
"Yes, like every trainer ever."
"Then no need to bother with a hotel."
"Umm…"
"Follow me," Julia said before leaving the cantina area.
{Geez. That human has some drive in her.} Bonny commented while the group followed Julia.
{Surely her presence will be beneficial for Max.} Aurora replied. {Maybe she could push some confidence in him.}
{Why? I think he has enough already.}
{Well, he does on a couple of aspects, but he could always be a bit less hesitant. That's one of his weaknesses.}
{Hmm… I don't know. I kind of like him being obedient and all.}
At that, Aurora looked at Bonny funnily.
{Just kidding.} The lopunny specified with rolling eyes. {But personally, I think he's perfect the way he is.}
{Maybe… but there's always room for improvement.}
{Perhaps…} Bonny said, shrugging her shoulders.
The group then walked for nearly half an hour until they reached the city limitation and passed it. After another few minutes, they arrived at a place where many tents were pitched near the woods, with some hidden at the edge.
"Where are we?" Max asked.
"Just a little place where trainers decided to stay until the end of the tournament."
"Why here? There are plenty of available rooms inside the city."
"Rich trainers are a minority. You don't become a pokemon trainer for the salary, you know."
"...I guess."
"Besides, trainers get so used to the wild lifestyle that most can't help it."
"Okay. But… is there where we can be… more discreet?"
{Good call.} Scarlet approved. {Attracting jealous eyes is the last thing I want right now.}
"It shouldn't be hard. We just have to go deeper into the woods." Julia stated.
"Let's go, then."
"Go ahead. I'll go hang out with some of my other friends for a moment. See ya." The female trainer said before leaving him.
{So, what do you want to do? We can still go back inside if it's what you want.} Scarlet proposed.
"Nah. Our home is better anyway. The only reason why I don't use it all the time is that I'm not allowed to use it inside a town or city."
{We're right behind you, then.} Bonny said before the group went to search for a more isolated place without getting too far away.
"...Here we go," Max said after he deployed the module in a good spot they found.
Then, as everyone was heading inside, Max got interrupted by Dusk.
{Master? Can we talk?} She asked.
"Sure. Let's go to the bedroom."
With the delphox nodding, they got past Max's companions scattered all around the kitchen and halls and went inside the bedroom. To Max's surprise, he saw Scarlet lying on her belly on the bed, obviously enjoying a nice laydown.
"Umm… Scarlet?"
{Hm?} She replied, her voice a bit muffled by the very bed.
{She can stay. It's not that top secret.} Dusk assured him.
"Okay. Be back in a moment, girls." He announced to the rest before closing the door.
Turning, he joined Dusk, who was already sitting on the bed.
{What's going on?}
{Not much, just… it's Sally. I think she doesn't want to participate in the finals.}
"Why?"
{Her defeat broke her morale a little.}
{Again!?} Scarlet exclaimed, her face still pressed against the mattress.
"If you want to stay, keep those reflections to yourself, please." Max scolded her, making Scarlet sigh in annoyance. "...You mean the match with the trevenant?"
{I believe so.} Dusk confirmed.
"But technically, she won."
{Well, she did but… she be had by-}
"A stupid move that no one can see coming."
{It may be true, but that's not how she sees it, master.}
"Well, she… *sigh* Alright. I'll try my best to cheer her up later."
{She's really insecure about her performance, so it might help. Anyway, the reason why I wanted to talk to you is to propose you if I can take Sally's place in the final.}
"Take her place?" Max repeated.
{It's risky. We already talked about it.} Scarlet intervened while sitting up.
{I know, but we don't have any choice. With Sally out, there's one place missing.}
"True, but…"
{What if you lose control in the middle of the match?}
{I already thought about it.} Dusk retorted, sounding slightly impatient while standing up. {I gave it some thought and I refuse to let my handicap drive me and my life. I don't want to keep preventing myself from doing things I want because of that. Surely one of you understands.}
Looking at each other, both Max and Scarlet were slightly astonished to see Dusk speak up her mind so aggressively. In a way, it made Max quite proud of her.
"I…"
{I already planned everything. If you call me, I'll do my best to win. But if I'm about to lose control, I'll forfeit. Does it sound okay?}
Again, Scarlet and Max looked at each other.
{...I mean, she's a big girl who knows what she's doing. If she stops before anything happens, I guess it's more or less risk-free.} Scarlet conceded.
"Well…" Max said, scratching his chin. "I don't really like the idea, but I approve of your previous point at two hundred percent. To me, it's still a bit risky, but you're right; Your handicap shouldn't stop you from living your life. I accept, but on one condition."
{Sure thing.} Dusk approved.
"I'll let you fight if I have my say in it. If I feel like it's about to get too heavy for you, even before you feel like you're about to lose control, I'm calling it quits."
{Understood.} Dusk acknowledged with a smile. {Thanks, master.} She added before turning to leave.
"Oh, when you leave, can you tell Luna to come here? I have some words of my own for her."
{No problem.} She said before leaving the room.
Scarlet then moved next to Max, dropped her chin on her hand, and sighed.
{The least we can say is that this team is full of rebounds. Always something to catch you off guard.}
"Haha. It's nice, isn't it?"
{Yeah… I've never been the really surprise-liking type of girl, but… thanks to you…}
"Hehe. I get it."
{Also, we really need to do something about Sally. We need to come up with something that could cheer her up more permanently. If she's down for days after a loss, she will fall straight into depression.}
"Well, I don't mind cheering her up every time, but…"
At this time, Luna entered the room.
"...We'll check on that later. Hey, big girl!"
{You wanted to see me?}
"Yes. I don't know if it's a sensitive subject, but as you know, the final will be a six versus six match, so… I'm sure you already know where I'm going."
{*sigh* I do. To be honest, I'm not sure what to think about it. I don't like to fight, but…}
Max then noticed that she was slightly uncomfortable about that topic.
"Why don't you take a seat?" Max proposed, tapping the bed on his right.
With a nervous tiny smile, Luna obliged and sat next to Max, one paw holding the other on her thighs.
"You know I don't want to force you to participate," Max said, gently caressing her left thigh.
{Yes, but… the psychological barriers I myself established are still very present. Since that moment that destroyed me, I always told myself that I'll only fight if my very own survival is at stake. Just thinking about fighting for fun, or whatever… terrifies me. The last time I let my emotions take over in violence, I lost everything I loved.}
"I feel honored to see your transparency, but Luna, I just want to make you understand that the trainer battle and entering into a fray for getting back who you love are completely different. Okay, the only thing similar is you moving your arms around, but that's pretty much it. No one will die if you let yourself go in a controlled battle. It's for entertainment, not survival."
{...I know… but… It's hard. Every time I kill or just attack in all seriousness, all I can see is my son, dead and…}
Unable to continue, Luna shed a tear, which she whipped off immediately.
"...Every time?"
{Every single time.} Luna admitted.
Max then looked at Scarlet.
"...Does it mean that every time you protected us, you suffered?"
{Not in the heat of action, but afterward, yes.}
"...Wow. I'm sorry, Luna. I didn't realize…"
{It's okay. It's my fault for not being that talkative.} Luna said, looking at the ground.
"Let's not play the blaming game now, shall we? You are what you are. Period. And I love you the way you are."
Max then grabbed one of her paws, getting her attention.
"It's okay, Luna. You won't have to participate. I'll try to do the match with only five pokemon."
{I'm sorry, master, but you can't.} Scarlet told him.
"Why?"
{The rules stipulate that you have to have six pokemon on you during the match. If you only have five, you're disqualified.}
"What? What a stupid rule. What if I want to play risky?"
{I agree, but even I wouldn't be able to wash everyone's brain to think that you have six pokemon.}
Max then looked down and sighed.
"Well, I guess that's it. Shame though, we were so close. I guess it's up to me to tell the others it's over for us."
As Max was about to stand, Luna, forced him to stay sitting with one paw.
{No, you won't.}
"Huh?"
{No way I'm letting that happen. The team wants a victory, and they will have it, whether I suffer or not.}
"Come on, Luna. You can't do that. Traumatizing yourself even more and seeing you in pain isn't worth it. Everyone will agree on that."
{And making me feel like I ruined everything is worth it?}
"It's not about the tournament anymore. Your well-being is my priority. I'll never say it enough."
{Then you're doing it poorly. Canceling the tournament because of me when we're so close to winning will inflict greater pain on me.}
"Well… I…"
With Max lost for words, Scarlet wanted to intervene, but Luna's last statement just made her speechless.
"So what, then? What do you want to do?"
{I'm…}
For a moment, Luna hesitated before taking a deep breath.
{...I'll do it. I'll fight.}
"Despite the pain?"
{...Despite the pain.}
Luna then stood up, crossed her arms, and walked around.
{You're right. A battle and a fight for survival aren't the same thing, so somehow, I have to differentiate them. Put them in two different bags. I don't know how, but I have to do it. I can't run away from my demons forever.}
"I'm… proud of you, Luna, and I agree. But do you think it's a good moment for that?"
{Actually, It's the perfect moment. If given the choice, I'll always avoid it, but if I don't have a choice like now, it will force me to do what I don't have the strength to do on my own.}
"That's quite the unorthodox method to do it. You almost sound like a masochist."
{Why? Because I want to move forwards in an uncommon way?}
"Well… no…"
{Master…} Max heard before feeling Scarlet's hand on his shoulder. {She made her decision. Not respecting it would be rude of you.}
"But…"
Max then rubbed his face while sighing.
"Why do most of the time I want to protect any of you, I sound like the bad guy?"
{You're not.} Luna reassured him, beating Scarlet to it. {You want what's good for us, which is formidable. However, you still have trouble understanding when it's time to drop it. Just like now, you tend to want to shield us from harm, but sometimes, you fail to consider if that very action will in fact do us more harm than not. And I don't blame you. Nobody is perfect.}
"*sigh* I guess I still have so much to learn," Max said, dropping his hands between his legs.
{Don't lose hope, master.} Scarlet reassured, hugging one of his arms. {You're getting there.}
{Hihi.} Luna giggled, leaning forward to rub Max's hair with her paw, as large as his head. {We don't make it easy for you, either.}
"Managing pokemon is supposed to be easier than human relationships. How wrong was I?"
{Do you have regrets?} Scarlet asked.
"Fuck no. You may be driving me closer to insanity every day, but it's still worth it. You bring more to me than anyone else could ever do."
{Glad to hear.} Scarlet said before dropping her head on his shoulder.
{So, we're good?} Luna asked.
"*sigh* I always say to the others that they are big girls that must know what they are doing, so I believe it's even more true for you. It pains me to accept, but… thanks for contributing to the team's victory."
{My pleasure.} The zoroark replied with a warm smile. {And before the match, maybe you should quickly look over the moves I know. As a reminder.} She added before leaving.
As soon as she left, Max let out a very loud sigh and dropped on his back.
{You're doing great, master.} Scarlet encouraged him, laying next to him and hugging him.
"Sometimes, I feel like it's not enough."
{You have seven pokemon with some twists that more or less depend on you, so what did you expect? It's amazing that you reached that far.}
"Still. Poor Luna. I kind of didn't expect that."
{Yeah. She acts so strong and independent all the time that we tend to forget that she's a living being sometimes.}
"About her emotions, mostly, but yeah. Maybe I should do more stuff with her."
{You think you're doing enough already?}
"Tsk. Hard to say. After that, I feel like I don't. If she manages to surprise me like that, maybe I'm not spending enough time with her."
{*sigh* Again with that…}
"What?"
{With your god syndrome. Overall you're getting better, but you still expect to know absolutely everything sometimes.}
"But it's my job to keep you happy."
{Yeah, and it's our job to decide what we wish to share or not. If there is stuff we want to keep for ourselves, then too bad for us. You did your part. You can't ask for more, master.}
Sighing, Max looked at the ceiling.
"...Maybe you're right. Thanks for keeping me on track." He said before turning to look into her eyes.
{Anytime.} Scarlet replied with a smile before exchanging a kiss. {I'll tell you; How about Dusk and I go do a nice and filling dinner for the team? What do you say?}
"That's a fantastic idea. Can I help?"
{No.} Scarlet refused while gently tapping his nose with one finger. {But you can watch if you want, or stay here and relax until we're done. You love surprises.}
"...I do, especially when it's from one of you."
{Good. See you later, then.} Scarlet said before giving Max one last kiss and left the room.
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