CYOA 2 – To The Victor Go The Spoils – Chapter 39: Darkness Encroaching (Patreon)

Last time: Hanzo and Cole made up in a spectacular fashion.

Warnings/content: Pokémon typical violence

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Hanzo finds Lúcio on the docks just behind Lavender Town, watching his team play in the water and letting his feet dangle himself.

Hanzo sits down with him, but something keeps niggling at the back of his mind. Like something is wrong. He looks around until Lúcio becomes aware and turns around as well, peering off to every side.

“What’s up?” he asks eventually.

Hanzo shrugs one shoulder. “I don’t…” then it suddenly hits him and he turns to Lúcio. With an almost accusatory tone he says: “Where is your music?”

Lúcio always has his little loudspeaker going; adjusting the volume to whatever is appropriate, but never really turning it off. Now there is no music, though. Just his Pokémon playing in the water and the soft sound of nature.

Lúcio laughs but it does not sound as free as usual and his eyes are… guarded, somehow. For the first time Hanzo notices that he holds himself a little stiffly.

“I just… didn’t feel like it,” he murmurs. He drags his toes through the water and splashes it on his Pokémon.

Hanzo looks down at his own feet. He’s rolled his pants up and the water is nice and cool against his ankles. He asks in a low voice: “What do you mean?”

Lúcio shrugs, visibly searching for words until settling on: “I can’t really put my finger on it, you know? That place just gives me the creeps. The whole town does. It’s dark and morose.”

Hanzo nods slowly. He wouldn’t really call it creepy but he has a feeling that Lúcio is a little more sensitive in that regard anyway.

“It feels like that dude’s Pokémon are always watching me. Like it feels like every shadow in there is living and breathing somehow.” Lúcio shudders bodily.

Hanzo opens his mouth, about to tell him that that is nonsense, but… he closes it again, frowning. To be honest, he kind of gets it. He doesn’t know know Reyes, but the guy just has a dark aura around himself. And given that he did send his Gengar out to scout Mt. Silver for them, it does not seem out of the ordinary that he would have a whole slew of surveillance Pokémon posted throughout Lavender Town.

“I don’t think he does it maliciously,” he finally says slowly, though honestly – that’s just him hoping as much. He really wouldn’t count on it at the end of the day.

Lúcio’s immediate nod puts him at ease, at least.

“I don’t think so either. But it’s still creepy. And that whole Pokémon Tower there is just… I dunno. It’s not my vibe, man. I don’t do well with creepy stuff and that Town is creepy all over.”

Hanzo can see that. Lúcio is such a happy, bouncy fellow; the antithesis of the Town at their backs.

“It kind of is, yes,” he murmurs. They’re quiet for a moment, Hanzo feeling his nerves starting to climb thinking about how he’ll have to fight Reyes tomorrow; and how daunting that is even before calculating in that he still got the guys cum in his guts.

His gaze bounces around the playing Pokémon, looking for something – anything – to take their mind off of things. Finally he bursts out “Can I ask you something?” at the same time that Lúcio says: “Hey dude?”

They glance at each other. Lúcio is the first to start grinning; all handsome with his dimples and warm brown eyes. Hanzo feels himself answering the grin.

He lightly nudges Lúcio’s side. “You first.”

“Well I had just been thinking about some stuff and had been meaning to ask… why are you continuing your journey?”

Hanzo can feel the grin from before faltering as he frowns slightly and asks: “...Excuse me?”

“I just mean-” Lúcio shrugs and looks down at the water again. His expression is thoughtful. Hanzo can feel himself relaxing again from the immediate tightness that had gotten a hold of him. “We never really talked about it. I just always assumed that you went on the journey because your father said so – and because you wanted to show him that you could make it. But like… that’s just the vibe I got from you. That big looming presence, you know? Cause you sometimes had these like looks on your face and I was wondering if you were about to have a panic attack-”

He cuts himself off and shakes his head, then shrugs. “I’m just wondering, is all. It’s a difficult journey. I sure wouldn’t have been in half the places I got to had I not been trailing along.”

Hanzo opens his mouth, then closes it again, brow furrowing as he thinks about Lúcio’s words. He turns back to the front, feet slowly moving through the water. Truth is…

“You made up with your dad, right? So like… there is no need for you to continue.”

“I suppose at this point it’s just pure stubbornness,” Hanzo says slowly. “I’ve come this far… so why should I not continue?”

Lúcio nods, leaning back and looking into the orange sky. Somewhere at the horizon is a tiny boat that might be a little fishing vessel or a huge luxury cruiser. Hanzo can’t tell; perspectives on sea are difficult.

“You know what? It’s as good a reason as any. I kinda like it more than the other one, you know? Makes it feel more like you want it and not somebody else.”

Hanzo nods slowly, lost in thought, rubbing his chin as he thinks about Lúcio’s question. It is true that in the beginning he just went out because of his father’s expectations – and also because Genji had been so excited for it and he had not wanted to be less accomplished than his little brother.

Over the course of his adventure he has really grown to enjoy the journey, though. He has lost that tight edge from the beginning that had made him desperate enough to offer his body to Baptiste just so his journey wouldn’t end before it had really begun.

It’s good that things have turned out the way they did in the end. He has grown enough as a person at this point to admit that he enjoyed (and still enjoys) those little sexual adventures he’s been on.

He can be a slut and still be a Pokémon Champion.

“You look pleased with yourself,” Lùcio suddenly says. He is not grinning anymore but giving Hanzo an honest smile. “You changed a lot since the first time we met. I like it!”

“And you have not changed at all,” Hanzo replies mildly. “I like that.”

He lets that stand for a moment before he continues with a chin jerk toward Politoed idly floating in the water: “That hasn’t changed as well. I had thought you would have caught him by now. Do you not want to?”

For some reason, Lúcio looks shy at that. He does not answer immediately, just looking down at his feet in the water. Eventually he starts haltingly: “I do want to catch him. Kinda. But I just… I dunno. I’m not a fighter. That’s fine for the other three-” he gestures toward his Lombre, Kricketune and Whismur, “-they’re lovers, not fighters. But Politoed seems like… kind of a waste? To just have as a pet? I feel like I’m stealing opportunities from him if I were to keep him for myself.”

Hanzo rubs his chin again, eyes following the Pokémon in question idly make its rounds around the other ones splashing about. At times he comes close enough that Hanzo would be able to touch him if he so chose.

“That’s not like you at all.”

“What is?”

“To be second guessing yourself like that. Especially since it’s usually you and Cassidy that get my head back on straight,” he says with a wry, self-deprecating grin. “But fair enough. Would you like to hear my opinion on the matter?”

Lúcio braces himself on his arms again, his expression bemused but his voice belying his curiosity: “Sure thing, Professor Pokémon. Let’s hear it.”

Hanzo clears his throat, gesturing toward Politoed. “When we met, he just about came close enough to be able to hear your music. And I think for a good while he was mostly in it for that…

But now I could reach out and pet him. And I don’t think he wouldn’t mind, either. Hell, there’s no music going and he’s still here.” He is quiet for a moment, listening to the sound of water splashing and bird Pokémon screeching before ending, maybe a bit lame:

“I think he’s grown exceptionally fond of you and the lifestyle you’re living.”

Lúcio does not reply. When Hanzo peers over at him, he does not look exceptionally brooding either – in fact, he looks rather satisfied.

Hanzo smiles a little to himself and nods. Whatever Lúcio might end up deciding on, it will be moot anyway. He does not think that Politoed will leave him for any other trainer, caught or not.

They sit for quite some time more before it starts getting so dark that Lúcio mutters about wanting to go back before all the ghosts come out to play.

.oOo.

It only occurs to Hanzo that he hasn’t seen a gym building in Lavender Town until Reyes approaches him sometime the next day and says without preamble: “We can fight now if you’re ready.”

Hanzo, having been focused on Byte to figure his latest addition to the team out, nearly jumps. He straightens up quickly, briefly looking Reyes over. He looks comfortable in his usual beanie and loose sweats wear. He is not exactly slouching but there’s something loose and relaxed about him as he looks just past Hanzo, eyes unfocused, that gives Hanzo a sensual ping.

Taken off guard by his own body’s reaction, Hanzo finds himself dragging his palms against his thighs and needing a second to process what Reyes had said.

Getting a grip on himself, he nods firmly before realizing… “Where… is the gym?”

Lavender Town is a rather small settlement. He had been around the whole place the other day checking everything out, so…

The corner of Reyes’ mouth twitches and he jerks his head toward the open door of his little home. “Come. I’ll show you.”

Hanzo starts to follow him after calling Byte back into his Pokéball (which was a little difficult as the small Pokémon really got excited at the mention of a fight, bouncing around in wild zigzag patterns).

“Where are Cole and Lúcio?” he finds himself asking. His skin is crawling for some reason. He has no idea where Reyes is leading him. His house is way too small for any type of arena, so…

What?

Reyes doesn’t turn around, his voice calm and uninterested as he replies: “Dunno.”

The vibe in the house has changed. The many shadows seem… darker, somehow. The energy around him is oppressive and almost crackling with energy. Hanzo swallows thickly, his hand moving to the Pokéballs on his belt. Part of him wants to balk at the whole thing. He hadn’t really thought about the fight yet – about what team composition to use.

But his Pokémon don’t seem to be sharing his qualms. They are warm against his palm, occasionally vibrating with eagerness. All except Alfonse, of course. Hanzo doesn’t think he’ll ever see him spoil for a fight.

Reyes led him through the entrance hallway into the kitchen. There is a door in the corner that Hanzo hasn’t noticed before, though he also has only been once here last night when getting himself a glass of water.

There’s a thick padlock holding the thing closed. As Reyes gets out a key from his sweats, Hanzo’s skin begins to crawl. He follows him, though. Legs feeling like heavy logs, he takes heavy steps following after Reyes, eyes focused on the back of his neck.

There are stone steps leading even further down into absolute darkness. Hanzo spots a thin handrail on the side. His hand shoots out, grabbing it tightly.

Reyes speaks as they descend, his voice almost amicable; like he is not aware of the creepy surroundings: “Same rules as everywhere else. Three against three. Except-” Hanzo can barely make out that he’s lifted a hand, one finger outstretched: “You can freely change between your three chosen Pokémon. I want to see you adapting to the fight. Be tactical.”

Hanzo makes a small noise of comprehension. He has to take care not to topple down the stone steps. The hand rail he’s grabbing on to feels rusty and brittle against his palm.

The sound of Reyes’ steps changes in the darkness they have descended into. He must have stepped down on the ground – or so Hanzo hopes. He is just in the process of twisting around to peer up at the awfully small looking rectangle of the door when the gym leader’s fist hits a light switch.

A few lamps reluctantly flicker on with an orange light. It seems like they are fighting to stay alive, a low electrical buzz coming from the few that have managed to lurch to life.

It looks so completely different down here… like a dungeon of some sort.

Where nobody can hear you scream, a teasing voice in the back of his head says. It sounds suspiciously like Cole. Where is the bumbling idiot when you need him, anyway?

Hanzo looks around slowly. The darkness seems to encroach despite the orange light given off by the lamps. Hanzo swallows thickly. His hand is pressed against the Pokéballs on his waist, thumb rubbing against the little embossed flame on King’s Pokéball.

Reyes throws him a small look but either does not see anything worrisome or he does not particularly care to play Hanzo’s nanny, so he turns and starts walking again. Hanzo follows, his nerves relaxing at the lack of attention.

King’s Pokéball becomes almost too hot to the touch; like he is trying to make his flames light up the dingy hallway through the Pokéball. Hanzo keeps his hand pressed against it anyway.

The hallway is long. It’s eerie; especially when he starts to realize that Reyes seems to have tunneled under most of Lavender Town. He has been sitting beneath the area like a huge spider the whole time. The thought makes Hanzo’s skin crawl again.

Reyes is not talking anymore. He has given Hanzo the rules. He has fucked him a day prior.

Everything is said and done, really. He has no need to make conversation. He’s got what he wanted off of Hanzo.

Now it is Hanzo’s turn to take what he wants.

He inhales deeply, watching as Reyes pushes open a heavy looking metal door. Behind it is a large cavern. An arena has been drawn onto the ground. Hanzo can barely make it out in the flickering light. He feels nearly blind as he turns on stiff legs and makes his way over to the far side. The huge shadows in the corners seem blacker than black. They seem to be vibrating.

Are they laughing at him?

He turns to face Reyes who seems the only solid thing in the universe at that moment; standing there like a rock, unmoving. He’s too far away to make out anything of his face. Hanzo slowly curls his hands into fists.

He waits – and just when the moment stretches on long enough to be uncomfortable, the shadows all around the room really do move. They rush past him, kicking up a cold gust of wind that tugs on his clothes and his hair.

They all coalesce around Reyes. Darkness interspersed with huge, grotesquely distended smiles and bulging eyes. Hanzo nearly takes a step back but forces himself to remain right where he is.

He forces himself to look until his brain finally starts making sense out of what he is seeing: a wall of Pokémon has assembled around Reyes. Ghost and Dark Types alike are milling about him, stalking into the back and slipping out into the front seamlessly like water.

Which ones… is he going to use?

.oOo.

The flickering of the light is maddening to Hanzo. It keeps him on edge, always drawing his attention as it moves in the corner of his eyes despite the wave of Pokémon ominously looming on the other side of the arena.

His hand is pressed against the Pokéballs on his hip.

Reyes’ voice is soft as always but carries over to him surprisingly well when he calls: “Do you understand the rules of this fight?”

“Yes, sir!” Hanzo barks. His feet are shifting on the roughly hewn stone, getting more comfortable as his blood starts pumping faster.

“This arena does not have water space. Keep that in mind.” Reyes sounds bored as he says that, idly scratching his stomach. His eyes are not visible in the shadow of his hoodie. As far as Hanzo knows, he could just as well be about to take a nap.

The wall of Pokémon behind him is eerily silent despite the numerous eyes blinking at Hanzo.

“Then lets get this show on the road.”

Reyes shifts his stance like Hanzo has, though there is no tension in his muscular body. He outstretches one arm. Hanzo stares at his hand, the small hairs on the back of his neck standing on end.

“Chandelure. Go.” He snips his fingers.

The fight has begun.

.oOo.

Out of the wave of Pokémon, a shape slips out and floats onto the battlefield. Before Hanzo’s eyes, the Chandelure playfully wiggles its candles at him before they suddenly burst aflame with an eerie blue flame.

Hanzo doesn’t think – he just does. He plucks a Pokéball from his hip and throws it.

If Reyes has any opinion to his choice, he does not voice it. He just stands there like a rock, immovable, watching as the bright light that briefly illuminates the underground arena, settles into the shape of Alfonse who does not look pleased to be out in the open but at least does not cower from the Chandelure.

He turns his head to peer behind him at Hanzo who in turn nods back at him, trying to be encouraging.

“An Alpha Pokémon… interesting,” he can hear Reyes’ observation from the other side. “...but it will not be enough.”

He stuffs his hands into the pockets of his sweats and speaks an order that is so unhurried that Hanzo does not recognize it at first for what it is. His skin prickles, watching as a stream of thin, blue fire rushes toward Alfonse who pulls back into his slimy shell at the last second.

Even so, being a Dragon Type, the fire does not nearly enough damage to be worrisome. For now.

Alfonse is not fast, though he tries his best to fight off the Chandelure’s attacks. The battle quickly slows down to a crawl; it becomes a war of attrition that Hanzo is bound to win eventually – and he can tell that Reyes doesn’t like it. Whether it is the slow pace the battle has been immediately subjected to, or the fact that he will be losing if he doesn’t change it up: he suddenly gives the Chandelure a very odd order: “Lights out.”

Hanzo frowns, gaze flicking from Alfonse trying to awkwardly hit the enemy with a stream of Dragonbreath, up to Reyes. He follows the other’s gaze to the Chandelure, bouncing light as a feather in the air and dancing out of Alfonse’s attacks.

It twirls around itself once. The discordant sound of metal clicking against each other fills the underground arena before suddenly what little light had been illuminating the place, is turned off completely.

Not a flickering, or even the residual hum of electricity – just complete silence and abject darkness.

Hanzo feels his skin crawling. All of a sudden he is unsure of his position in the arena and vertigo makes him feel like he is about to topple to the ground.

“What is happening?!” he calls out into the eerie quiet of the room. Is Reyes even there anymore? Him and his army of Pokémon? They do not make a sound. Not even their glowing eyes are visible any longer.

Close to him, he can hear the wet jiggling sound of Alfonse who is retreating to the position of his trainer’s voice. It’s a creepy noise in the darkness, causing the small hairs on Hanzo’s arms to stand on edge.

“Let’s spice things up a little.” Hanzo flinches at the sudden voice. Reyes has to still be standing right where Hanzo saw him last, but with the complete darkness his ears are playing tricks on him and the voice bouncing off the moist walls of the underground makes the other seem much closer than he really is. “I want to see your instinct at play and not you brute-forcing your way through a challenge, sweetheart. Go on and put a bit of effort into it!”

The endearment just drips with sarcasm. It sets Hanzo’s teeth on edge since it just feels like a much meaner version than Cole. He curls his hand into a fist. Before he can reply, Reyes’ voice silkily warns: “And don’t break the rules, babygirl. I can see everything that’s happening, you know.”

Hanzo doesn’t know how, but the wet jiggling of Alfonse sounds a lot closer now; like he had to be about close enough to touch Hanzo’s leg-

“Alfonse! Stop where you are!” His heart is beating fast. The wet sound stops abruptly.

Slowly, Hanzo goes into a squat, fingers sliding along the rough stone until he feels the indent that has to be the arena’s circumference. And just behind it his fingertip bumps into the warm jelly body of Alfonse, centimeters away from crawling out of bounds and losing.

He exhales in relief. Murmuring a low “Good boy,” he stands up again.

“That’s a nasty trick, Reyes! Is that how you win your fights? You have to blindfold your enemies?”

The answering silence is very loud. Hanzo allows himself a fierce grin. He has to stand his ground.

“Alfonse, come-” He has the Pokémon’s ball lifted but is cut off by a kind of cracking sound. As if in answer – or maybe exactly because of it – a single tiny blue light flickers to life, hovering somewhere in the darkness.

It is followed by another one. And another one.

The enemy Chandelure is reigniting its fire and the result is an eerie light dancing around in the darkness. Somehow its ghost fire does not illuminate its surroundings. It’s simply hovering there and burning itself into Hanzo’s retinas.

“Fireblast. Focused.”

The purring voice sends a shiver down Hanzo’s spine. He watches as the Chandelure starts to charge an attack and nearly fumbles the Pokéball out of his sweaty palm.

“Alfonse, back!” he barks, arm outstretched, instinctively pointing to the ground the moment Chandelure attacks.

It is a thin beam of fire of an intensity Hanzo has rarely ever felt. If at all. He stumbles back, the bright white of Alfonse being called into the Pokéball blinding him even more than the darkness is. A split second after, Chandelure’s attack hits the ground. Hanzo can feel a few hard pieces of debris hitting his legs.

The stream of fire is burned into his retinas even long after it has already vanished.

Closing his eyes, he grabs another Pokéball of all the ones shaking at his hip with barely contained enthusiasm and throws it. Zigzagging right out of the white light comes the newest addition to his team.

He can see his electricity through his closed eyelids and can’t help the small smirk at how enthusiastic Byte is about his first big battle. They have not had too much time to get used to each other yet but… Hanzo is determined.

.oOo.

Byte is fast and playful, zigzagging out of Chandelure’s attacks before they can hit.

Hanzo can feel Reyes thinking about how to get out of this new stalemate, just like Hanzo is wondering about what command to give Byte to finally wrestle Chandelure down.

It’s difficult to come up with a strategy when he is blinded both by the seemingly impenetrable darkness as well as the bright flashes of electricity his own Pokémon is giving off as it dances around the arena.

Reyes is the first to decide on a tactic. “Come back.” The purr has left his voice. He sounds less amused and low-key bored now and more on edge which is good, certainly, but also has Hanzo’s heart pick up its pace as he tries to figure out what is happening now.

Chandelure’s fire goes out just like that; one moment the eerie blue flames are dancing in the shadows, the next they’ve vanished as if clicked off.

There’s only darkness surrounding them. He still tries to see what Pokémon steps out from the shadow wall behind Reyes but all he gets is a headache that rears its ugly head just behind Hanzo’s eyes. Byte, he can see somewhere to the left of him where a few crackles of electricity give away his location, but whoever Reyes has sent into the arena now is either not part fire type or simply has chosen not to give its identity away just yet.

It’s quiet. Reyes doesn’t say a word and his Pokémon must be levitating. As much as Byte had been able to play with Chandelure, he’s just as blind to the darkness as Hanzo is. He is reminded of that fact as he watches his Pokémon twist around itself, shooting a few hesitant bolts of electricity into the darkness on pure luck.

A second later, Byte is suddenly knocked out of the air. Hanzo has not been able to get a glimpse at the attacker; all he sees is his Pokémon smashing into the hard stone floor and awkwardly bouncing away, tottering as he struggles to stabilize himself.

“Careful of the boundaries!” he calls out, voice rough. He tries to remember how big the arena had been in relation to himself but it seems like hours now since Reyes has plunged them into darkness and he’s long since lost all orientation he’s had.

“Are you afraid yet, babygirl?” Reyes asks. There’s a sharper edge to his voice. He wants Hanzo to be afraid. Does it get him off just like the degradation of his erstwhile pupil the other day? Does he have some type of goggles that allow him to watch Hanzo blindly grasp at straws on the other side of the arena?

Anger surges in him, thinking of the possibility. He is not some kind of attraction. Whatever Reyes’ beef is with him, he won’t let him humiliate him any further. But… what should he do?!

Byte becomes more wary of moving after the warning, hesitant to do any larger leaps to try and escape his silent opponent which gets him hit once more, flinging the small Pokémon across the arena, away from Hanzo’s side.

Hanzo swallows thickly. What is he supposed to do? The situation is unfair, to say the least, but he is loathe to start whining about it. He just has to grit his teeth and get through. Should he call Byte back and send out someone more sturdy like King? That would mean that he is locked into his three choices, though, and who knew what else Reyes was able to do?

All of a sudden, Byte vanishes. One moment he is there rolling over the ground on the far side of the arena – the next he is gone and in his absence, the most curious thing happens: Reyes is starting to curse low under his breath.

With his eyesight pretty much gone, Hanzo’s hearing has become a lot sharper. He focuses on the sounds of Reyes apparently struggling against… someone? Something?

“Hey! Call your damn Pokémon back!”

Hanzo won’t do shit. Whatever Byte is doing, it is seriously pissing Reyes off, which is a definite plus in his book – and anyway. Things happen before he’d be able to say anything in the first place.

Like an eerie, crackling shape appearing in the middle of the arena, hovering a good three meter’s above ground. Hanzo squints. It has to be Byte in some way but it is more rectangular and flat? Maybe? It is difficult to make out what with only a few arcs of electricity giving it away.

Reyes barks: “Get it!” But it’s too late for that.

Hanzo hears something high above them stutter to life and a second later, he is being rained upon. A commotion is breaking out. The arena that had seemed so empty and dangerous before now feels absolutely overcrowded with a bunch of Pokémon crying out in surprise at the sudden rainfall.

That’s not the only change, though; the lights are finally flickering back to life as well, allowing Hanzo to finally see what has happened. What is happening.

Standing in the arena, looking like a drowned cat, is an Absol. It’s legs are splayed, probably from the shock of suddenly being accosted by water.

Dancing in the air above is a remote with Byte’s eyes peering out at the top. He’s twirling around himself, obviously very pleased with the mischief he’s done while on the other side of the arena, Reyes’ Pokémon are crawling all over themselves, trying to look for shelter from the water amongst each other.

Hanzo grins; he wants to gloat, but honestly… he should use the moment.

“Byte! Thunderbolt!”

The remote clatters to the ground as Byte jumps out of it to attack.

With the sprinklers still going and puddles quickly forming on the ground, Absol has no way of escaping the attack before it hits with a crack that Hanzo can feel through his legs.

Reyes calls his Pokémon back while the electricity is still crackling, using an actual Pokéball to do so this time. His expression is pinched, clothes now just as soaked as Hanzo’s. He reaches up and pulls his beanie off his hat, throwing it to the side where it lands with a wet splat.

“Well at least you’re finally starting to be interesting, boy!” he calls out. A sharp motion with his arm has the Pokémon behind him finally stop crawling all over each other. The Chandelure has taken refuge beneath a large Haunter but it rather looks worse for wear now that it has been drenched like all the others.

Hanzo grins crookedly. He knows that he should be freezing but right now he is high on adrenaline which keeps him nice and warm as he lightly taps his fingers against the Pokéballs on his belt, debating what route to take now that he’s opened up the fight for himself.

“You sound a bit annoyed, Reyes! So sorry about that… how about we continue the fight? Do you want to send in your Chandelure again?”

Reyes’ mouth twitches; at least there is a brief flash of teeth that looks rather threatening as he stands up a bit straighter. “Don’t get cocky with me, boy. I don’t need more than one Pokémon to rip your team apart. Don’t you worry that pretty little head of yours.”

He moves his arm and following along as if exuded by his very pores is a cloud of darkness blacker than the night. Seemingly unaffected by the water still raining down on them, the shadow moves into the arena.

Byte quickly retreats toward Hanzo’s side of the arena, apparently wary of the new opponent. Hanzo can’t fault him for it but the adrenaline is still hot in his body and his anger keeps it going nicely.

“Don’t worry. You’ve been brilliant so far; you can do this,” he murmurs with a low voice, eyes on the cloud that finally starts to coalesce into the large round shape of Gengar.

He had anticipated this outcome but it still is unsettling to see the Pokémon. It radiates power, its grin huge and discomforting. He has never met a Pokémon that can be so goofy and threatening at the same time as Gengar bounces from one stubby leg to the other, eyes zeroing in on Byte.

Remembering the burned tongue it received just the other day.

It does not need the darkness to hide itself in; the light around it seems to evaporate in a strange and confusing manner that has Hanzo’s head throbbing in pain. He must look away.

“Byte,” he says in a low voice. The Pokémon jumps a bit higher, startled by his new trainer, and twists to peer up at him. “You can do it. You already burned him once; he’s not invincible, okay?”

Byte turns back around. The electricity crackling around his small body becomes stronger, probably bolstered by his trainer’s words. At least Hanzo likes to think so. He hasn’t had enough time to really get to know the latest addition to his team, but what he does know is encouraging at least.

Byte likes to fight.

“Go on. Let’s go 3-0.”

.o.

Hanzo is breaking out in sweat. His body is tense to the point of aching, hands perpetually clenched into tight fists that have his nails digging into his skin. He tries to keep up with the movements of the battling Pokémon but they are simply too fast for a human to keep up with.

When his gaze flicks to Reyes he is startled to find the other staring at him, arms crossed in front of his broad chest and face tight as if set in stone. They’re both still soaked to the bone. The sprinklers have finally stopped some minutes ago but there are puddles everywhere and the cold of the dungeons is creeping down into Hanzo’s very bone.

He wants to get out of here. He wants to get out of this fight, out of this dungeon, and out from underneath Reyes’ sharp, dark gaze. He wants to be with his friends where he knows he doesn’t have to watch his back 24/7 – but all of this, he knows, goes through this one Gengar. This one opponent that stands between him and the last badge before he can finally make his way toward the Pokémon League.

Byte is doing his best, but he doesn’t have anything over Gengar. Quite the contrary; despite being just as fast as his opponent, he doesn’t have the oomph behind his attacks that Gengar does.

Gengar kicks. It connects with Byte, throwing him down to the ground and making him skitter along the floor. He halts himself just before the edge of the arena, then rights himself up, visibly wobbling.

Hanzo inhales deeply. He has to make a decision – now. Especially since Gengar is gathering up some dark energy for the last hit.

His body moves on instinct. In one smooth motion he outstretches his arm, calling Byte back into the ball a split second before a dark energy wave hits the spot where he had been teetering just a breath earlier.

He presses the Pokéball back to his belt, fingers slipping to another one without hesitation. He can feel Reyes’ gaze on him, as well as the Gengar’s once it realizes that its prey has not been hit by its attack.

Hanzo throws the ball. He watches in grim silence as the capsule opens and the light emerging from it coalesces once again into Alfonse.

The Sliggoo looks surprised himself to be back out in the field. The silence following the reveal is loud and Reyes’ next words all the more mocking as he calls: “Did you mess up, babyboy? Got the wrong ball fat fingered? I’m a nice guy – go on and call this sorry little thing back and get your real choice out. That Shiny Rapidash would be a nice opponent for us.”

Hanzo swallows thickly.

“This is my choice,” he says stubbornly, straightening his back. “I do not know if you’re aware of this but the last gym leader mocking my Pokémon had to book a rough loss against my Magikarp.”

It’s difficult to tell over the distance and with the poor lighting, but Reyes’ posture seems to stiffen. “Very well. It’s your funeral, kid.” He turns his head slightly toward his Gengar standing there and scratching its head, thick tongue still dangling out of its widely grinning mouth, though now the grin looks more confused. “Reaper. You’re not going to go easy on him. We’ll be teaching this babe a lesson.”

The Gengar looks over to him dubiously like it doesn’t necessarily agree with Reyes’ order but ultimately shrugs.

Alfonse turns around, peering at Hanzo. Hanzo nods back at him, mouthing ‘I got a plan’, though he is not sure Alfonse can even read lips.

His slimy, jiggly body shudders as he turns around and looks at his opponent. He steels himself.

Hanzo lowers himself into a quick squat as Gengar starts to bounce over to them for whatever it is that it got in mind.

“Make your way over to the biggest puddle you can find, okay? Trust me,” he whispers urgently.

Alfonse shudders again, stronger this time. Is that supposed to be a confirmation that he’s heard him or…? Hanzo hopes so. He stands up straight again, unprepared for the Gengar to suddenly be on them. It rears back one chubby arm, then punches Sliggoo.

Hanzo winces, though honestly… there is not much happening. Alfonse’s whole body jolts backwards, than forward again, jiggling like the jelly that he basically is.

The Gengar looks surprised for a second before its grin becomes even wider – which is a sight Hanzo could have honestly done without.

It hits Alfonse again and again, though neither as hard as the first time. It seems more interested in the wet slapping sounds it can create and the motion of Alfonse’s body as the waves move throughout the slimy Pokémon.

It looks at the strands of thick half-translucent goop sticking to its hand, then uses the other to stretch them out. All in all it seems to have completely forgotten about the fight it is supposed to have in favor of just playing.

Reyes does not say anything about that, surprisingly enough; at least not for a good couple of minutes while Alfonse just doggedly makes his – very slow – way over to one of the bigger puddles.

Gengar follows behind step by step, slapping and giggling and just all in all having a grand ol’ time.

Finally, Reyes seems to have enough. He heaves a great sigh and rubs a hand over his shorn scalp as he says: “Reaper, go on. Don’t play with your food.”

Hanzo grimaces. Alfonse isn’t quite where he needs him to be yet – but the Gengar plays in his cards by not quite obeying just yet. He still needs to get a few slaps out of his system it seems before he can continue the fight.

Finally, Hanzo sees the light ripples in the puddle as Alfonse touches the water. He exhales. He can just hope that his tactic will work.

“Alfonse! Rain Dance!”

The Gengar turns around to peer at Hanzo; and so does Gabriel. While Alfonse stubbornly keeps his head down and starts to wiggle his little arms and the shell on his back, the other two are just staring at him blankly.

“Are you not wet enough yet, baby girl?” Gabriel calls out. He sounds mildly annoyed despite the crooked grin on his face. All around them, the puddles begin to shiver as Alfonse commands them, aided by his connection to the water, to start release their water droplets into the sky.

First, a fine mist envelops them all. The little drops of rain don’t take long to follow.

As is the understanding dawning on his opponent’s face, Hanzo notices. They share a look that can’t be longer than a split second but feels like an age before they both shout at the same time: “Shadowball!” “Water Pulse!”

Alfonse might not be a water type – but sitting in the puddle and aided by the rain now thrumming down on them yet again, his attack power is more than doubled. He curls himself into a large, jiggly ball of goo, apparently not wanting to look at what he’s doing, while a ring of water shoots out, crashing against Gengar’s incoming attack and smothering it completely.

The residue attack hitting Gengar is probably little more than a tickle; but the odd pulsation of the attack is still enough to confuse the Gengar.

It’s grin slowly turns up-side-down as it looks around in confusion. Hanzo has no idea what it is seeing or hearing; he does not want to find out at the moment. He does not want to wait until Gengar regains its senses and goes back on the offensive.

The rain still thrumming down on them is apparently adding to the confusion as it starts to try and catch the droplets, turning on one stubby leg as it does so.

Reyes does not quite face palm but he rubs a hand over his eyes even so, an annoyed growl to his voice as he calls out: “Snap out of it!”

Hanzo focuses meanwhile on Alfonse. They have to be quick which is, admittedly, not a specialty of the Alpha Pokémon. He has to be brave now.

“Muddy water!”

Alfonse, thankfully, uncurls himself, albeit just a little to at least look where he’s shooting the attack.

Hanzo does not know how exactly it works that there is such a large amount of water appearing on which the Alpha is surfing, but he supposes he does not have to. All he needs is for Alfonse to end this fight before it has a chance of continuing.

Gengar cries out when it is swamped by the muggy wave as he’s not only confused but now also partially blinded. Tottering around, exhausted from its earlier bout with Byte.

Hanzo is about to command his Sliggoo to do it again and again, but Alfonse is acting on his own now. He is unfurling some more, realizing that he is no longer the target of any attacks, he allows himself to go on the offensive, riding the waves of muddy water until the whole area is submersed up to Hanzo’s ankles.

“Oh my fucking…” There’s a twitch in Reyes’ eye that Hanzo can see even at a distance. “Enough! I concede.”

The waves slowly die down, as does the rain. Hanzo is clenching his jaw hard enough to cause a headache just so his teeth wouldn’t chatter from the icy cold all around, clothes sticking to him like a second skin.

Once they can see enough, Alfonse is sitting on top of a prone Gengar who does not look defeated per se but is clearly in no shape to fight anyway.

“My God,” Hanzo whispers softly, allowing himself a small smile while he tries to unclench his body. It makes the cold that much worse, though. He takes a couple wading steps through the water, ignoring Reyes mumbling something about having to dry out the whole damn dungeon.

“Alfonse, you did it!”

Alfonse turns his head toward him, a big smile on his face – and then starts to shine a blinding white as he evolves.