Emerald Fist by Obsidian Blade
Chapter XII: Matilda

The rain came down in steeply angled sheets, making our cover useless. Jay and I were scrunched up against the trunk of an enormous oak tree, shivering in the bitter October cold. Soaked to the skin, I clung to the thought of buying a jumper in Goldenrod like Hades to a prime piece of meat. If only I'd had the money before we left Ecruteak! But no, it had taken three wins against amateur trainers like me to gain myself any cash whatsoever, and the loss that had meant that I would only be able to afford a single fluffy jumper was still hot in my mind. It had been so damn close…

"Polienix, Powder Snow attack!"
My arms were covered with gooseflesh as I watched Polienix gather the small amount of power necessary for the chosen attack, the skies overhead hidden behind a grey carpet of sullen cloud. The cool breeze whipped my opponent's bright pink mohecan against her shiny scalp, giving her a wild and slightly crazy look.
"Omela," she barked to her small brown mammal Pokémon, "Get in a quick attack and cut her off!"
The Omela, a four legged creature with short sandy fur covering its lightweight frame and a tail of medium length that swished cautiously in the dirt, leapt forwards in a blink, its large, Rapidash-like ears pressed against its skull as it sped towards Pol.
"Watch out!" I cried to my first Pokémon but she was already reacting, abandoning the concentration necessary to complete the attack as she leapt out of harm's way with a few hard flaps of her icy wings.
Her assailant soared past, the dark brown, bristly fur that ran down its back in one thin line shaking in a way similar to the Mexican wave as its small, delicate paws struck the ground.
"Mellll…" it growled threateningly as it swung around, large charcoal eyes narrowed in concentration.

"Quick, blind it!" I called in perfect unison with the other trainer, Mel, as she screamed out an order for headbutt.
I felt a smug sense of satisfaction as her face contorted in anger at my luck; she clenched her slender hands so hard that the masses of bracelets that covered both arms from the wrist to the elbow shuddered and jangled together. As Omela's lithe form bounded from the ground it found itself quickly blinded in a whirlwind of sand whipped up by Polienix, who swerved out of the way yet again.
"Woo-" I started to whoop, before Jay cut me off mid-shout with a grab to the wrist. "Don't be stupid," he warned urgently, shaking his sandy hair out of his eyes as the wind picked up a notch, "Watch what's going on!"
I blinked, only to hear Polienix's cry of pain as Omela's tiny jaws snapped shut on her blue and white tail feathers. Ignoring my shouts for her to do this and do that, Pol forced herself higher into the air, the other Pokémon writhing its whole body as it tried to inflict maximum damage. The pressure across my sweat-soaked brow increased as the wind speed continued to rise, massive black storm clouds rolling in from the west. Mel had started to shiver harder than I was - voluminous blue jeans and a strapless bright pink top weren't really the warmest of clothes - but both of us were too busy watching our Pokémon to complain.
Seeing that Polienix was beyond my control at the moment, the previously outgoing and confident girl cupped her hands to her mouth in fear.
"Lo-mo!" she yelled up at the squirming mammal, "Let go! Don't go any higher!"
But it seemed that her attempt was hopeless too, the air was now blowing franticly and wailing like a Meowth with its tail on fire. There was no way Omela could hear her.
"Pol!" "Lo!"
"Nooooooo!"

Suddenly my Pokémon let out an extra high squeal of pain as a clump of her tail feathers were ripped loose, allowing her to regain her head as Omela fell back to the safety of the ground, landing easily on all fours despite the brewing storm. Both of us let out sighs of relief, although I could feel the question Jay was shooting me silently. Mel and I exchanged glances, then nodded. Let's make this damn fast, alright?!
"Scratch!" I commanded as Polienix swooped low to hear me.
She made an easy bank, using the rabid wind as an extra boost to propel herself back at Omela, but suddenly I realised that Mel was… was smiling. Something was definitely up with that… but what? Gritting my teeth, I tried to focus on the positive side of things: namely Polienix's amazing speed at the moment! She swooped in like a rocket, wings barely open and sharp talons held ready for the strike. But suddenly Omela jumped, shooting up with the stolen feathers still clutched in its maw and performing a complicated twist in the air to aim itself down. Polienix's horrified expression mirrored my own; her wings flailed as she tried to regain height but it was too late - her body smashed uncontrollably into the ground beneath the descending mammal.
But it wasn't done yet. Kicking both back legs out fiercely as its eyes gleamed with the look a Pokémon normally gets when praised (although I was entirely certain that Mel hadn't opened her smiling mouth), the little beast tore a pained cry from Pol as it sent her skidding a few more feet.
"Polienix…" I moaned, my shoulders drooping for my Pokémon.
"It's the feathers," said Jay suddenly, barely audible over my shout as Omela's tail wrapped around the bird's left talon and twisted her through the dust.
"You have to get the feathers out of its mouth, Polienix!"

       I didn't understand what he was on about - feathers? How on earth could a bunch of fluffy quills make a difference in a fight? Perhaps Jay was going mad… But then again, it was probably worth a try.
"Use peck attack to grab those feathers!" I ordered Pol, although I was uncertain if she even had the strength to jump, let alone perform a precision move.
Omela seemed to have predicted this choice of moves. As my first Pokémon struggled to force herself up on the front edges of her wings, it ran back and away, halting in front of its trainer's feet with a catch-me-if-you-can glint in its large black eyes. Although I bit my lip nervously, Polienix's normally naďve and happy face morphed into a mask of determination: she was going to pull off this move.
       Hauling herself to her clawed feet, Polienix flapped her wings and threw herself forwards, beak snapping at the feathers held captive in Omela's maw. Like a fox, the other Pokémon dodged swiftly out of the way, dancing around Mel's legs before leaping over Pol as she dove forwards to attack. With a squawk the bird pivoted sharply, racing clumsily after her quarry with a combination of waddling and half-flight.
"I-I'll.. G-g-get you!" she panted after the forth failed attempt, one that found her in a sweating pile in the dust.
Spitting out the stolen feathers, Omela simply strode confidently over to its fallen opponent.
"Molaa," it crooned silkily, with a sparkle in its dark eyes that read "yeah right" to any and all.
Before I could do anything to stop it, the Janeran Pokémon bit down hard into Polienix's shoulder, drawing one last keen of pain from the beaten bird before her head dropped in a dead faint.

I winced at the memory, scanning the sodden earth around us for something to divert my attention from the painful loss. Ah, how inspiring. The sight consisted of mud, mud, puddles, mud, grass, mud, tree root, mud, small shiny red- what?
"Hey, do you see that?" I inquired inquisitively, nudging Jay in the side with my elbow and pointing.
Raking his soaking blond hair out of his eyes with one hand, my companion's nose wrinkled as he peered along my arm. He stared for a second, before giving me a sideways look.
"Raven Thomas, this is a most amazing discovery," he finally whispered, my eyes widening at his words.
"Really?"
"Why of course," he gestured at the ground, "You've discovered… mud."
My expression of hope snapped clean off in an instant, replaced by the more commonly seen scowl.
"Shut up, dogface," I growled, moving away from the tree to take a closer look.
Brushing my hand over the tiny patch of colour that was peeping through the sludge, I felt my hopes plummet again at the sight of red and white; something that looked suspiciously like the foil top of a yoghurt pot. If I had to give Jay the pleasure of being right… but perhaps not. As I pushed more mud away, a gleam I more commonly associated with Pokéballs glinted through, although whatever it was definitely wasn't a Pokéball - too flat. Digging my fingers beneath it, I pulled out a small, smooth gadget that fit easily in the palm of my hand and a saturated piece of dirty paper. Styled similarly to a standard Pokémon-catching device, the centre button was made of shiny black plastic and the words "HD Realspec" were carved into the top and bottom lobes.

"So, what is it?" Jay enquired, obviously having noticed my grubbing about like a human Grumpig.
"Oh, it's just-"
I glanced at the paper.
And froze.
"N-nothing much."
Hearing him coming up behind me, I tucked the paper into the waistband of my trousers and covered it with my shirt before he could see it.
"Just this weird, uh, thing."
I held up the 'Realspec' in one wavering hand, feeling my forehead break out into a cold sweat. I felt sick, all thanks to that… that thing.
Warm fingers brushing mine as he took the offered item from me, Jay frowned at the look on my face and the pale pallor of my skin.
"You alright?" he questioned as I gathered my strength and stood.
I nodded, too shocked to process more words and speak. On reflection, there was no way he could have missed my queer reaction even in the rain, but at the time I took it as a blessing when he held a hand out beyond the protection of the tree and into the full downpour of the water.
"Okay, but I doubt this is letting up any time soon," he squinted into the dim distance before pulling a face, "We should keep going."

I nodded numbly, a dull ache of terror starting up in my stomach as I followed his lead. We walked. As the rain spat insistently into my amber eyes, I started to sew reason into my torn sense of reality. Okay, so it wasn't a good thing. Maybe… maybe there was only one of it. Maybe it was a joke between friends. Maybe it was someone else…
…maybe my father was actually putting in the effort to find me. Because, stuck between my midriff and the waistband of my jean shorts, was a poster very simple in design.

WANTED
Raven Thomas
Gender: Female
Height: 5' 8"
Weight: 67kg Last seen outside Malmarsh fighting dojo wearing a loose white t-shirt, long jean shorts and with bare feet. Has stocky frame and knows various martial arts skills. Amber eyes are most prominent feature. If seen, please call (024) 76 67 3442. Reward offered to any providing information!

Beneath the huge "WANTED" was printed a copy of an old photo of me, taken when I had gone on holiday with my friends Samantha and Elliot. We'd gone down to Seasalt for one week of the summer holiday, but had managed to time it badly. It rained every day we stayed there and only stopped the night after we left. The photo had been taken when I was sitting on the edge of one of the cliffs guarding Seasalt's harbour, rain coming down in a style similar to the precipitation I was currently enduring. I remember Sam had come up behind me, telling me to stop being such a freakoid and come in from the rain. When I turned around I'd been blinded by the bright flash of her disposable camera, and the result was this very photo - the wind tossing my hair into wild turmoil as I glanced over my shoulder with a sceptical expression on my face. It had been a worthy holiday, but now its memory was helping the police trap me down. How lovely.

The nudge of Jay's elbow into my arm brought me back into reality, feeling slightly less stunned than before.
"There it is," he said, managing a nod even as he squinted through the rain.
I peered through the screen of water in the direction he was looking, only to find that Goldenrod was closer than I'd expected. Towering through the gloom, its unique skyline stood out against the clouds, a mixture of spiked spires, blocky apartments and domes of the like I'd never seen back home. But it was a city alright, even if it appeared far more modern than its sprawling Janeran cousin.
"That's Goldenrod?" I asked needlessly as the sound of shoe sole on brick indicated that we were now on manmade ground.
The pale brick road had risen out of the mud without my noticing and as we walked further the first buildings - residential things whose windows blazed golden squares of light - started to materialize out of the downpour like great square wraiths. Slowly they built up; bigger buildings more closely packed together replacing the initial structures as we got closer to the main part of the city.

It took about thirty minutes to walk all the way in, Goldenrod was that big, and by the time the familiar red roof of the Pokémon centre peeped into view from between two skyscrapers that feeling of worry was settling in the pit of my stomach once again. Together we traipsed inside, the typical centre smell washing over us as the blue glass doors slid closed behind us with a hiss.
It was the biggest Pokémon centre I’d ever seen, bigger than even the one back home. Up and down escalators trundled on their way against the right hand wall, a doorway that peeped out beneath it going into the lounge area, if the arm of a maroon sofa I glimpsed through the gap said anything. The floor was squeaky clean as we walked forwards, dripping water onto the shining tile, but a bored looking old lady dressed in a blue apron over her pink floral print shirt and worn straight leg jeans walked right over and started to clean up behind us with a mop.
The main desk was massive too, manned by two nurses and a Chansey, and the sound of cutlery and chatter blared through from the door to the left. What stood out most, however, was the number of people stood about. The place was packed! As Jay and I joined the surprisingly short line to get to the counter to have our Pokémon healed and to book in for a few nights I looked around to see trainers leaning against the walls, Pokémon nattering in groups, the large canteen that was now visible through the double doors packed out and people sitting on the floor in the lounge.

As we reached the desk, the nurses taking people's Pokémon and handing others back mechanically, Jay spoke up to the nearest human attendant.
"Is there a particular reason why it's so crowded in here?" he asked the weary nurse, "And is there any way we could get two rooms for the night?"
Rubbing at her violet eyes and pausing to push an escaping lock of sea blue hair out of her face, the nurse stepped forwards to get out of her red haired Sister's way.
"It always gets like this when it rains," she explained with a yawn, "And as for the rooms…"
She tapped something into a nearby computer as the Chansey dashed over to take our Pokémon before scurrying off to have them healed.
"We have one room," the nurse finally said, "Two beds, one bathroom, one night. Do you still want it?"
The two of us exchanged glances before nodding in mutual agreement. It would keep us out of that damn rain, even if it was only for one night.

* * *

Early the next morning found me straddling a swing sideways, my forehead resting against the cold metal chains that supported the stiff black plastic as my hair, which I'd left down out of sheer laziness, did its best to become thoroughly entangled with the chain. My breath billowed out from my mouth in great clouds of steam and my muscles buzzed with the remaining adrenaline from my morning training as I stared blankly at the sheet of paper I tapped against one hand. I'd woken at four in the morning with that itching feeling at the back of my neck that told me going back to sleep was not an option. I had dressed quietly in the same clothes I had worn the day before, taking care to remove all but the empty Pokéballs from my belt before leaving the room. I didn't want company as I released myself upon the streets, walking aimlessly with hands shoved into pockets and head down in thought. My wanderings had eventually led me to a small empty lot that had been commandeered by the local kids and turned into a playground, swings and all.
And so, after a few brisk exercises in the moist gravel, I had ended up mulling things over on the swings. I was damn confused, to say the least.
I mean, he was looking for me… who else would have created such a poster? But did that mean he missed me as me or me as a future investment?
"No duh," I muttered, hopping from the swing to pace back and forth, "There's no question there. But-"
I snarled and glared at the sheet. After checking the Pokémon centre billboard as well as every other place I passed on my early morning walk, I had been reassured that the damn thing hadn't been spread around yet. But, from the photocopied quality of the poster I held, I could tell that this wasn't the master copy. I could just see my father hunched over the post office photocopier, looking terribly out of place as he fed ten pence pieces into the slot. What should have been pretty damn funny seemed morbid under these particular circumstances. My name and face would soon be pasted everywhere! I had to do something about it!

"But what the hell can I do?!" I exclaimed furiously, throwing my hands up in the air and accidentally dislodging one of the three Pokéballs clipped to my waist.
I tried instinctively to catch it, but the ball slipped from my fingers and bounced on the ground, bursting open and spilling red light from its centre. I opened my mouth to swear at my bad luck as a small, eight-legged creature formed in the dirt but shut up as a piercing cry split the air.
"Huuuuuuumaaaaaaan!"
"Arina, stop!" I demanded as she dashed away towards a small gap in the wire fencing that surrounded the playground.
That curse finally reached physical status as I dashed out the gate and swung around to cut her off. The obnoxious arachnid had already wriggled through and was racing straight down the middle of the road, I realised to my dismay as I dashed after her. Apparently coordination was no problem as she sped down the streets like a bullet, eight legs pummelling the ground as though she were fleeing some sort of demon.
"Go away!" she cried as I accelerated into a full sprint, hoping to catch her before she made any trouble.
I was gaining, I realised with a savage grin. No bloody spider was going to outrun me! I bent slightly, so that I was just on the edge of my balance, in preparation to dive forward and grab her when Arina swerved a sharp left, careening into an alleyway. Caught entirely by surprise I overshot, tripping over my own toes and grabbing at the smooth stone of a wall, bashing my nose against it as I attempted to slow myself down.

Rubbing my injured face, I stalked back to the alley in question, Pokéball in hand and eyes blazing fury.
"Look, you spineless Spinarak, either you get back here or I'll…."
I trailed off, staring at the sight down the alleyway. A girl of about my age was backed up against the left wall, crouched defensively with her long blonde hair getting into her defiant brown eyes. Three men stood encircling her, their postures oozing sinister intention and their balaclavas meaning business. But what mattered most to me, at that very moment, was the fifth figure; a woman who stood a tad shorter than me and held up the struggling shape of a certain spider between thumb and forefinger.
"I suppose this is yours," she commented dryly, her voice muffled through her dark green balaclava but still obviously youthful.
"Yeah, I suppose she is," I responded slowly, uncertain as to how to act.
In Malmarsh I would have gone for them straight away, but I had no idea how strong Goldenrod criminals might be and no home nearby to run back to if I messed up.
"Shame," she murmured apathetically, before tossing Arina to the nearest man.
He reacted instantly, drawing her back in one meaty hand with eyes narrowed at the wall, but he wasn't he only one with quick reactions. Before the thug of a man could smash Arina to bits I charged forwards, grabbing his wrist from the air and forcing it down. With a yelp of surprise he released Arina, allowing me to pull his arm back so far his knees buckled and he tripped over my leg, just missing his haughty female superior. The woman in question scowled, ordering the other two to get rid of me as she strode over to the girl and shoved her up against the wall, demanding something from her in angry tones.

The ally was narrow, but I was used to this sort of thing after taking on similar situations prior to this event. Due to their size, my opponents were going to suffer a lot worse than I from the claustrophobic surroundings. Still, I stepped back as the two of them came towards me, shoulder to shoulder. One of them was rubbing his hands together in a greedy "what fun" manner but the other betrayed no emotion through his actions. It wasn't hard to tell which one would be worth paying that extra bit of attention to.
Striking as hard as I could, I lashed out solidly at the overconfident man and caught him in the sternum before he could do anything to stop me. But hell! That hurt! What was he, made of steel?! While I was slowed by shock, the other man closed in behind me, one fist thrusting into my side like a piston before I realised what was happening. I yelped, spinning to face him instead, but the first guy caught me in the face with a bludgeoning blow as I moved. Red hot pain lanced through my chin and cheek and I gasped, just barely avoiding yet another strike as I staggered back into the wall. Either these guys were bloody good or I was… I was…
'L-losing?'
But why?! As I moved to dodge a powerful kick I tripped straight over the extended arm of the man I'd thrown onto the ground; he latched onto my ankle and down I went, all knowledge of how to fall deserting me as I crashed to the ground. I heard a scream and rolled, yet again just in the nick of time as a foot barely missed my head.

'How is this happening?' I despaired mentally as I was thrown between the two men and their previously grounded companion like a limp rag.
I couldn't even think of how to string together an attack, despite the fact that I had gone through the basic routines but half an hour before. And here I was, my nose streaming, temple stinging and mind reeling, unable to so much as throw a punch.
'Looks like I was right all along, father,' I thought dimly, 'I'm not going to be your champion fighter.'
As if that defeatist little thought had woken up his all-pervading presence in my head, Brutus Thomas' voice leapt into action, laughing darkly.

Now then Raven, if I've told you once, I've told you a million times… NEVER GIVE UP. Keep your eyes on your opponent, find that weak spot…

Despite the weariness in my muscles, his guidance acted much like a switch in my mind, forcing my limbs to carry me out of harm's reach and into a position in which I could see them all without turning my head. The guy who I'd thrown was favouring his left leg, I realised, and the cold, professional man had wrenched his wrist throwing a punch, if the way he flexed the joint experimentally was anything to go by. The third and largest fighter still had that swagger in his step but his breathing was kept light: apparently that early blow to the sternum had done more than just injure my hand.

Now beat back the two weaker opponents, before concentrating on the strongest.

Taking quick inventory of myself, I found that I had just about enough strength left in me to pull off such a stunt. It might be a long shot — my head, chest and neck were already aching and my breath was coming in great gasps — but I might… maybe I could…

Bah, forget the maybes. Gathering my remaining reserves and promising my aches and pains a hot shower when Arina and I got back to the Pokémon centre, I forced myself to strike quickly and accurately, kneeing the slowest man sharply into the gut and causing him to double up in pain. The second proved more difficult: he danced around my first punch and barely missed the bridge of my nose as his quick retaliation strike went a bit too high.

Focus, it's not hard.

Clenching my jaw I jabbed at him twice in quick succession, wincing almost as much as he did as my fist struck his bruised chest. He wasn't as close to out as his companion was, but I grabbed what time I had and spun to focus my attention on the more professional fighter who I'd accidentally let get behind me while I pushed the offensive on the other two.
My attempt to land the first hit as I turned was doomed to fail, however, as he was already doing the same thing. Absolute agony ripped through my right arm to the shoulder as our knuckles collided with a mighty crack. I bit down hard on my lip until I drew blood, forced to draw back and waste precious time as the pain numbed my right arm.

Concentrate, Raven…ignore the pain, use your left fist or feet and take him out.

'Erm, how about not,' I nearly refused out loud, knowing full well that I was about as good as fighting with my left than Raijin was at admitting he was wrong.
Besides, the pain was making me nauseous.

Apparently that didn't apply to my opponent, however, as he leapt back into the offensive after only a second' hesitation. His knuckles had actually split on the fist that had collided with mine but he seemed indifferent to the fact, his grey eyes narrowed in the slits in his balaclava as he powered the left forward and repeated the action with the right as I dodged the first blow. The second smacked me right below the ribcage, driving all the air from my lungs as I staggered back against the wall, grabbing a nearby bin to regain my balance as Arina scuttled out from beneath it.

Use the terrain!

Unthinkingly (which was fortunate, I wouldn't have considered such underhanded tactics normally as I wasn't really a street fighter as such), I snatched the silver metal lid from the bin I was leaning on and smashed it into the side of the other guy's head with all my might.

He staggered, for a second looking nothing more than simply confused, before his eyes rolled up in his head and his legs gave way beneath him. I stared at his fallen form, dropping the lid and gasping painfully as the woman ringleader released the shirt front of the girl with a snarl of "she hasn't got it." Ordering the other men to pick up their fallen comrade, she gave me a parting glance of curiosity before all four of them disappeared.

I crumpled.

Barely aware of the other female as she flopped against the wall opposite, I leant my head back and simply breathed.
'That wasn't me,' I knew all too well, 'It… was him. I can't fight without his goddamn help!'
The truth was quite crippling; especially as it hadn't seemed to effect me during the brief fight in Beechgrove forest. Maybe it was time… maybe his advice had been fairly fresh in my mind at that point.
Squeezing my eyes shut for a moment, I forced the roar of all the different questions to quiet down and snatched Arina's Pokéball from where it had ended up at my feet. Opening one eye just enough to see her dark eyes peeping out at me from beneath a skip across the alley, I returned her before she come make another race for freedom. My head ached.

"Uh, hey…" came an uncertain voice from overhead.
Tilting my face up to look up at the girl I'd 'accidentally' saved, I found her peering down at me with a concerned expression. Her blonde hair, jaggedly cut, had a black streak down the left side that she'd shoved behind one ear and her dark, almost black, eyes blinked at me with a slightly guilty glint to them.
"Are you… alright?"
I gave a noncommittal grunt and accepted a helping hand to get me to my feet, snapping Arina's Pokéball to my belt in the process. Now standing up, I saw that the other girl was slightly taller than me and had a willowy frame that made me look even more brick-shaped than ever.
With I sigh I assured her, "Yeah, I'm okay."
She smiled with relief, although I noticed her eyes were still showing signs of nervousness.
"My name's Karen," she informed me by means of introduction, "Yours?"
I hesitated for a second before raising and lowering one shoulder stiffly.
"Raven," I said simply before my curiosity got the better of me, "D'you often mix with that sort?"
Karen's lip curled with distaste, "No, not really… Look, I think I owe you one for what you did just then. My family's well off so… well, name your price."

I stared, feeling my jaw go slack but finding myself incapable of snapping it back into place.
"You want to pay me?" I demanded incredulously, not sure whether this was a blessing or a way of practically whoring myself.
She took a step back and held up her hands in means of apology.
"Gawd, sorry, did I offend you?" she back-peddled quickly, "I didn't mean it to sound like I thought you were poor or anything, but you're obviously a traveller with that accent and I know how stressful the road is and the Holodome just reels in the money and you did help me out so I thought-"
I was my turn to hold up my hands, cutting her off with a quick, "No, no, you didn't offend me; I was just a bit… surprised."
That same relieved expression settled over her face as Karen and I stepped out of the alley and into the street, just in time for the sunlight to spill over the roofs of the buildings behind us and set the windows across the road alight. Wincing as the brightness seared my retinas and caused my head to throb even more painfully, I raised my throbbing right hand to shield my eyes.
"What is a "Holodrome", anyway?" I inquired, suddenly realising that part of her outburst was a mystery to me as we wandered back towards the central parts of the city.
A smile of sheer pride settled on Karen's face at the mention of the Holodrome despite the rather traumatic events of minutes ago, only to be quickly replaced by one of surprise.
"You must be from far away," she exclaimed, eyes wide, "The Holodrome is THE biggest thing at the moment."

When my gaze remained blank she shook her head disbelievingly and started to explain.
"It's my mother and father's creation, based on a dream of mine. There are plenty of people who simply can't go on a Pokémon journey, due to age, disabilities, lack of funds, lack of determination…" her eyes shifted guiltily to the ground at that last reason but she quickly covered it up, "Anyway, we decided that everyone should at least be able to fight Pokémon battles, even if they don't have the strength of character or whatever to train them. So we created the 'Dome, a place where you can hire, purchase and train holographic Pokémon."
Holograms? The thought struck me as strange, perhaps even wrong, but I kept my lips sealed shut as she continued on.
"It means that you don't have to tackle personality clashes either," the girl was saying excitedly, "If your Pokémon's too arrogant, shy, foolish... whatever! You can just modify it to make things easier. Say," she stopped, grinning at what she obviously thought was the most tremendous and gobsmackingly amazing idea in the world, "How about I show you, give you a go?"
To tell the truth, I was feeling pretty uneasy on the inside. Although there were (many) times when I had to fight the burning desire to rip Raijin's ego right out of his head and stomp on it a few times, having an emotionally blank thing fight in his place sounded entirely wrong. But the few manners I had made it impossible for me to just say no to Karen's offer, she was trying to be nice, after all.

A simple nod set our course through the city but I didn't take in much of the surroundings, just doing my best to time my "ah" and "yes, of course" responses correctly as Karen babbled along beside me like a cheery little brook. My head was aching particularly badly now but the pain in my arm was letting up so I simply concentrated on walking through the slowly growing crowd of businesspeople as they set out to work.
We followed a number of small but busy roads before suddenly hanging a right that brought us out into what must have been the main street. With four lanes for cars, two lanes for buses, tram tracks running down the central island and casinos, cinemas and other such entertainment features lining the extra-wide pavement I could only wince at the thought of this place at night time. I absolutely abhorred neon lights and large crowds.
Still, we trundled along the pavement, passing a huge clock on the face of a towering hotel skyscraper.
"Seven-thirty-five in the morning," I mumbled, just as Karen stopped abruptly in front of a particularly strange structure.
Stumbling to avoid walking straight into the other girl, I peered up at the massive dome that squatted between the bulk of a twelve-screen cinema and a block of foreign restaurants. Perfectly symmetrical, it was mostly dark grey aside from the gleaming silver supports that arched but a foot over its surface and the round-roofed porch that housed twin glass doors.

"This is it," Karen told me, strolling confidently over to the doors while saying, "It's closed at the moment, so we'll get the place to ourselves."
She tapped in some sort of security code as I stared up at the great metal dome sceptically, suddenly and totally randomly wishing I had Hades or Polienix at my side.
'Soulless Pokémon,' my conscience whined, something I swatted at lamely with the retort, 'Soulless machines, doofus.'
"Well, come on!" Karen encouraged, obviously overjoyed at the opportunity to show off her family's masterpiece, "What're you waiting for?"
Tugging at my wrist, a physical contact I would have felt more comfortable without, she shepherded me into a massive arena just as partitions that had previously separated the area into portions slid away into the walls almost noiselessly. The place was huge and quite badly lit, but as Karen detached some sort of gadget from the wall the air right in front of me buzzed and, slowly but surely, started to change colour.

I stepped back in bewilderment as a simulated forest appeared out of nothing, filling the chamber until I could no longer see the unsightly grey steel through layers of foliage and a pale blue sky beyond that. Seeing my look of amazement, Karen stepped up beside me, two purple things in her hands.
"You wanna catch something, or just battle?" she asked with a grin, almost daring me to test the generator's capabilities, "I swear it'll be just as good as anything real."
"How about we just battle, I have to do enough groping through long grass as it is," I confided, using the excuse to avoid staying in the building for too long.
The steady whir of heavy machinery started up in the walls and floor once again as Karen handed me a purple device. Slightly longer than the length of my hand from wrist to fingertip, it had a rectangular central screen set into the plastic. Coming of from that were two grips, one housing a directional stick and pad while the other contained enter and cancel buttons and two others whose font I couldn't read in the green light of the forest simulation.
Glancing up from my inspection of the gadget I found that two regulation trainer's platforms were rising from the floor; Karen had already latched onto the top rung of the ladder leading up to one of them and was allowing it to carry her to the top with the ease of a practiced gym leader. Not wasting any time, I jogged over to the other one and started to climb, keeping the screen in my injured right hand as I climbed up and over onto the platform.

They shuddered to a stop in unison, leaving the two of us facing over a swiftly morphing landscape. Although it still held traits of the original, the new environment looked like someone had cut a massive square out of the trees and foliage, leaving an uneven field with the occasional tree stump protruding from the ground. Although they were faint, I could just make out the boundary markings of a proper battling stage.
"Choose your Pokémon," intoned the infuriatingly steady and calm voice of a computer.
Instantly the screen I held lit up, presenting me with a Pokédex-style list of every Pokémon I could ever want. My former inhibitions drizzled away sulkily as I felt myself being won over by the sight of all these creatures: from Spearow and Scyther from Kanto to Typhlosion and Tyranitar from Johto, Cacnea and Castform from Hoenn to Moloch and Monswoon from Metone… even Magcat and Meren from my home continent of Janera.

Bloody trainer Nirvana! They were all on level one hundred!

Hungrily I snapped up Salamance, Rhydon and Penagma, the sheer power of the three winning me over easily. Across the arena Karen grinned and, with the press of the enter button on my controller, the draconic bulk of Salamance fazed into being in front of me just as a huge sea creature appeared opposite. Opening its gaping mouth and revealing the full length of two massive tusks, the Walrein let out a long, powerful bellow that caused the blue and white flesh all along its back and sides to vibrate with sound.
"Advantage to player one," the computer quipped coolly as I cursed my bad luck.
"Fight."

       I barely had time to see that the contents of my screen had changed once again, now displaying a list of four moves: fly, flamethrower, dragon claw and slash.
"Walrein, Aurora beam!" Karen ordered, stabbing at the air with one fist.
I panicked as the walrus Pokémon threw back its hairy white head.
"Fly!" I called to Salamance.
With a downward stroke of its sail-like crimson wings, my dragon launched its grey-blue form into the air and soared high into the simulated sky of the arena. The swirling greens and blues of Walrein's beam burst passed it, just missing Salamance's tail as the dragon let out a thunderous roar and plummeted like a stone towards its enemy.
       "Blizzard!" came the order for a retaliation strike as Salamance smacked Walrein over with one massive shoulder.
To my dismay, the simulation didn't seem to need the sort of concentration Pol required to summon ice and snow. Sheets of white and blue tore through the air and battered Salamance's side, frost blossoms unfurling over its scaly holographic flesh as it bellowed and landed with a crash.
       "Flamethrower!" I cried as it picked itself up, looking beaten.
Long white claws digging into the 'earth', the draconic creature lashed its long tail and threw forwards its head, releasing a roaring column of flame that leapt hungrily through the air to lick at Walrein's blubbery sides.
"Walrein!" Karen cried as her hologram got quite singed, "HYDRO PUMP!"
       It was suddenly as though Salamance's attack wasn't wounding it — Walrein simply inflated its huge chest and let rip with a torrent of high-pressure water. The liquid barrelled into Salamance before I could call a counter-order, lifting the huge beast clear off the ground and hurling it into the base of my trainer's platform. Out of instinct I snatched hold of the railing and braced myself for impact, but no angry vibrations shook my dais. In the heat of the action I'd forgotten that these were holographic images, not real living creatures. I breathed a sigh of relief even though I'd just lost the round.

"Trainer one, choose your Pokémon."
At the computer's emotionless request, Karen selected something else and the blue bulk of the Hoenn-originating Pokémon shifted into a plated monster. Its thick tail beating the floor, the dark blue coloured creature let out a roar just as threatening as that of Salamance. It stood on two clawed feet, with a bulky body complete with tan armour over the breasts and abdomen. Two large, rounded ears protruded from the top of its massive head, behind a stubby horn that sat in the middle of its forehead. According to my screen, this was the poison and ground type Nidoqueen.
I didn't have any Pokémon with advantages, but I found myself hesitant to send out a fire type against this brute. So I quickly selected Rhydon, and its grey plated body quickly replaced the fallen shape of Salamance. I noticed with glee that its spiralling horn and long, segmented tail made my Pokémon bigger than hers. It knew only moves relevant to its type and build — earthquake, body slam, takedown and horn attack — so no hope of confusing Karen with a surprise Surf, however.
"No advantage," decided the computer, "Fight."
This time I leapt for the first attack, ordering Rhydon to smash Nidoqueen's head in with takedown. It launched itself into a charge, huge clawed feet throwing up clods of holographic earth in its hurry. But Nidoqueen reacted quickly, lowering its powerful shoulders and meeting Rhydon half way without even being ordered. I frowned at this; did that thing have artificial intelligence?!
AI or no, Nidoqueen met Rhydon with a smash and the two of them quickly locked arms, struggling to shove one another over. The two holograms strained, grunting with heads lowered, as Karen and I watched from the side. Finally she growled, calling out to her combatant.
"Thyat! Pull back and use body slam!"
The Nidoqueen did as it was told, giving a last hard shove before ducking back out of Rhydon's embrace. The other Pokémon stumbled a bit, suddenly finding that it was pushing against nothing, and 'Thyat' took its chance, attempting to slam Rhydon into the ground.
"Horn attack!" I ordered quickly, only glancing down at the screen for a second.
Instantly Rhydon's horn started to rotate, escalating into a fast spin. With one thrust of its slab-like head it thrust the gyratory weapon into Nidoqueen's defenceless stomach, sending the massive Pokémon screaming back in pain.
"Alright, Nidoqueen," I couldn't help but notice a glint of respect in her eyes despite the superior tone to her voice, "FISSURE!"

"Shit," I said in amazement, perfectly aware of the power of that attack. Of course Rhydon didn't appear scared in the least; its holographic body stood in the same relaxed position as before even as the ground started to strain beneath Nidoqueen. Throwing its head back, the ground type let out an ear-splitting cry as unearthly blue light flickered over it, pooling in the pits of its eye sockets as hairline cracks opened up around its feet. With a final grunt it brought its whole left leg up into the air, causing its body to waver on the edge of its balance, before mashing its giant claws downwards.
A last-hope strategy flickered into my head as a gaping chasm shot through the ground towards my oblivious Rhydon.
"Rhydon, run to the left!" I ordered, my voice cracking involuntarily.
To my chagrin, the hologram failed to respond and, in that second of stillness, was caught directly in Nidoqueen's attack.
"What the HELL?!" I screamed as Rhydon finally responded to its enemy's attack, letting out one last cry before being swallowed by the abyss.
"Trainer one victorious," the computer announced as the programme deactivated, leaving Karen and I alone in the empty arena.
"What the hell was that?!" I repeated angrily, "I gave it an order!"
Karen gave me an apologetic look, "Yeah, but not one it was designed to follow… these aren't real Pokémon, y'know."
"Oh, I know all right," my rant continued savagely, "You don't see real creatures staring pain in the teeth and just sitting there, do you? But these are the weakling's alternative, aren't they? I mean, why make anything into a challenge when you can have a mindless battling drone?"

With that I broke into a run, ignoring Karen's yell for me to come back as I headed for the exit. I wanted out, out as soon as bloody possible.
"Woah, watch out there!"
I skidded to a halt just feet away from a tall, lean man who had just come through the sliding doors. With a dark complexion and straight, shoulder-length, black hair he held up his hands defensively, one eyebrow raised as he stared at my red faced visage. Lowering his hands, the man straightened the dark blue blazer of his suit and shot Karen a look.
"What have I told you about bringing friends in here early on?" he demanded of the girl as she latched onto my wrist from behind.
"Ah, dad, she's not really one of my friends," the blonde explained, "It's just I couldn't sleep again so I went for a walk and-"
"You stumbled into those thugs again," her father finished, eyes flashing dangerously.
"Uh, yeah," she responded sheepishly, "But Raven here beat 'em back. It was pretty cool."
His dark eyes flicked back to me again but I made no attempt to even look friendly, amber eyes narrowed and fists clenched tight as I glared at him furiously. To my surprise, however, he simply chuckled.
"I suppose I owe you a thank you," he commented, inclining his head a tad before one hand disappeared into his pocket.
"Here, take this," he held out a card of some sort, gesturing for me to take it with a glance at the few Pokéballs at my waist, "I know how trainers can fall on rough times."
My rage rising even further, I slapped his hand away furiously.
"I don't take charity!" I snarled, easily detaching Karen from my wrist and shoving past her father before escaping out through the glass doors.
As I stalked out into Goldenrod and the chill of morning air, the same sequence played through my head repeatedly: Pol, Hades, even Raijin or Arina struck dumb in the path of a gaping fissure of oblivion. Like a huge snake of death, it sped towards my Pokémon while they stood frozen in place, fear showing in their eyes.

And I knew nothing I could say could help them.

Cold... ;_;
      First off, my sincerest apologies for the long wait, but you should be happy for it. If it weren't for that damn Writer's Block of mine, you would have just finished reading about twenty pages of unadulterated happy-happy slop. Yeah, I was originally planning an anime-style chapter involving Raven saving the smart, pretty and compassionate Karen, battling her in the Holodome and then spending her money on a new uniform. Luckily, by the end of my Block I had decided to go down the more angsty route and add Ray's father to the mix.
      There were, as always, other reasons for the late update... namely my newer fic, Just a Girl, and the towering pile of coursework/tests/homework that seem intent on looming over me in a threatening fashion. To people who have yet to start their GCSE courses: Classical Civilizations is not the good option if you like your hand intact. What we've done so far is basically literary critique of Homer's Illiad and my Classivs-obsessed mind has forced me to fill page after page with my thoughts on hero's honour code and whether Achilles was an evil beast. The result is my writing hand developing some sort of permanent cramp and the rest of me gaining the odd habit of sitting up at ungodly hours in the night and scribbling notes about Hektor's morality onto my douvet. But I digress.

      I tired to submit this update about three weeks ago so as to be able to wish you al a Merry Christmas in time, but it seems hotmail decided not to allow my submission to reach Jolt. Hence my original idea of accepting requests for artwork, one-shots and reviews as a Chrismas present has been shot down in flames. Technology is so often a bummer. Perhaps I'll open myself to requests for Easter or something odd like that, but who knows. I may as well leave my Christmas image in here... just for the heck of it.
      On a final note, I'm currently preparing a ton of artwork to submit to Jolt as a replacement for all the terrible stuff that's currently present on my artist's page. If you're at all interested in that, keep your eyes peeled. Obsidian is currently obsessed with the "effects" you can get in Paint... and so has abandoned Photoshop for it. I'm nuts. ><

~Obsidian