The Mightyena growled; a low, menacing bark. As if readying itself. The matted, black and grey fur moving slowly in the wind. Yellowing teeth visible between the pink gums and black jaw.

“I’m gonna show you how tough I am. Then ya’ll be all mine!” The bandit said, laughing a cold and high-pitched laugh. Adriana looked, both disgusted and annoyed. She reached down into a pocket and pulled a Pokéball from the depth. “Sure. Whatever. If you even make it that far.”

She threw the ball and it burst open. From the white light within, a purple ghost appeared and landed on their battlefield, floating a few inches from the ground. A wide Cheshire-cat smile and crimson red eyes staring at his opponent.

“That’s a pretty good Pokémon, maybe I’ll take that too. You wont be needing it after you’re my girl. I’ll protect you all day and night.” He grinned a devilish grin, almost as large as the Gengar that stood before him.

“You’re repulsive. I can’t wait to break you,” Adriana muttered, looking appalled.

“I’ll take the first move, then! It’ll be over in one. Mightyena, Crunch!” The mutt rushed forward, fangs bared – ready to strike. With a powerful leap, he jumped into the air.

“You know what to do,” Adriana said, nodding her head. At once, Gengar opened the ghostly mouth, wide. Far wider than it’d seem possible. The purple body lit by an aura of pure crimson. “Night Daze!”

The man pointed, hand out as if ready to speak his next command. But, paused in confusion. “What the hell… Gengar can’t u--”

Whatever else had had said was drowned by the attack that followed. The crimson aura began to expand outwards into something like a forcefield of intense energy. Before the man, or his Mightyena could react further. The aura burst like a balloon, expelling the swirling, mixed purple and crimson energy outwards.

The Mightyena flew backward, clearly dazed and shocked by the strange attack. Slamming into his trainer, both bandit and dog fell to the hard ground. After a second, he stood, wobbling. “You stupid… Gengar can’t learn Night Daze! Y-you cheating...” His face was tomato-like and filled with anger.

“As I said, I can’t wait to break you."

The man snapped his finger. The resulting sound echoed through the almost silent side-street.

“Boys. Back up! Now.”

Other men began to emerge from the shadows, where they had been hiding and watching from afar. Now, finally able to join in. Now their leader had called upon them. They all seemed to be wearing some kind of scarf or hood obscuring their faces. Most held knives in their hands or lead pipes. Others had Pokéballs which they threw up into the air and caught, deftly.

“Gotcha boss man. We’ll watch your back. Don’t you worry,” several of the bandits muttered as they slowly moving in and encircling Adriana. There was no escape.

Thomas Benoit

Adriana showed very little fear of the arsenal of weaponry pointing at her, plus a number of Pokéballs holding whatever nasty critters lay within. Not to mention the still-moving Mightyena, who had quickly recovered himself and was clearly eager for a second chance at a battle.

“Can’t face me alone? Had to call in your entourage?” Adriana said, rolling her eyes a little. “Not much of a first date, hmm.” The sarcasm rolled off her tongue as quickly as the men were advancing and closing in around her. Giving her little room to manoeuvre and even less to run.

“My dear, this is far past a date.” A devilish grin crossed over the hooded man’s face as he took a knife from the nearest thug and held it up. The silver glinting in the dim light cast by a broken and old street lamp.

‘Gengar’ looked to Adriana for instruction, unsure what to do. But before Adriana could give an instruction. Several things happened in rapid succession.

A Pokémon appeared from overhead. Falling like a great shadow onto the alley. Three long black heads, each ending with a large jaw filled with sharp teeth.

On the back of the Hydreigon stood a man. The man threatened to attack and seemed ready to go ahead with it. Judging by the way, the black dragon was charging up to attack. Something was oddly familiar about the voice. Even if it spoke far colder than Adriana had known it.

“What do we do boss?!” One of the lesser thugs said, literally shaking in his boots. “Run, now,” the lead thug said, recalling the Mightyena into the ball. “I—I… we’ll get you for this. Girl. Mark our words. You won’t hear the last of us.”

Like the infestation of cockroaches they truly were, the men scattered and ran. Some climbed over the nearby brick wall and rolled over, onto the bins beneath. Some fell back into the shadows and into the dark alleyways which mazed their way across the outskirts.

“Pfft. I could have dealt with it myself. I still had my Zoroark and Gengar too,” she said, coldly., approaching the man to continue to barrage him with her anger. “I don’t need, no god damn hero trying to sweep me off my feet like I’m a damsel in d–”

“Ugh” It wasn’t until Adriana had made it around the black dragon, did she catch the face of the man. “Why are you here. Why would it be you! Don’t you have more important things to be doing than to be ‘helping’ me out of scrapes,” she spat at her older brother.
“I was enjoying taking them down. I’d just take ‘em out one by one. I don’t need a protector, no more.”

Thomas Benoit

How could it be? Out of everyone that could have seen her predicament and come racing to her rescue. Even if she thought the phrasing was stupid, and the damsel in distress trope outdated. Why out of everyone on this earth, did it have to be her older brother.

A new burst of fury threatened to explode from within her, roaring for freedom. But for now, she kept it under control. “I don’t care about them. I’d have taken them out, easily. They’re just stepping stones to get stronger. Anyway. I don’t need back up or help. I’m quite content with working on my own.”

“Help just slows you down.”

Adriana stepped forward, so they were only a short distance apart from one another. The ‘Gengar’ looked from one to the other. The girl who face has contorted with great anger. Her older brother whom looked cold but concerned. “Don’t worry, Zoroark. It’s nothing. Just old buisness,” she said, coldly. “You may stand down.”

With a slight pop and some acrid black smoke, the Gengar shifted back to her usual form, the black and red fox, Zoroark. It bowed its head to Adriana and stood back. “I caught Zoroark, as a Zorua. The day I left. She led me on my journey. Gave me a new look, even a new purpose.” She moved a hand through her hair, brushing it away from her eyes. “Not that I had one before… locked up in that house. Like a pampered princess. Watched and guarded, under lock and key. Not like you cared.” She spat the words at him, as if they were bullets from a pistol aimed into his chest.

Thoroughly infuriated by this entire situation, Adriana pushed past Thomas. Stopping just short of the circle of light cast by the dull, smashed lamp post. “So, what happened? Did you bang into a door or something?” A nasty sort of smirk crossed over her face.

“Looks like you’re the one who has a lot to learn to me,” she said, coldly. “I haven’t let myself get into any situation, I can’t handle.”


Thomas Benoit