Light in the Dark

CHAPTER 4: Battle

If people could live off of memories, this morning would have kept me healthy for the rest of my life. Ruki and I walked from booth to booth taking in all of the foreign sounds, smells and tastes that the market had to offer. As we walked, I explained everything I saw to Ruki. I was the eyes for both of us.

Eventually we approached a loud mouthed man wearing baggy pants, sunglasses and nothing but a small green vest as a shirt. In his booth there were several plushies of different pokemon. I immediately regreted telling Ruki this.

"I want one! What pokemon are there?" he squealed, jumping up and down. I sighed.

"A skitty, a pikachu, a muril, a teddiursa, a vulpix, an eevee...."

"I want the eevee!!!" he squealed, almost pulling me to the ground as he yanked on my arm.

"But I.."

"EMBER I WANT THE EEVEE!!" he yelled, his tantrum now attracting the attention of people nearby.

"Alright, alright!" I whispered aggressively. "I'll get you the damn toy." mentally and internally wincing I reached into my bag for my money as I dragged the still screaming Ruki to the booth.

"How much for the eevee?" I asked, no sign of amusement showed for my brothers rampant behavior.

"Now that little missy," The man said, wagging his pointer finger in my face, " has no pricetag."

"Well what can I do to give it one." I questioned through gritted teeth.

"You'll have to win a pokemon battle." The man said, turning away from me and directing his attention to his evidently very amusing nails. "against me." I sighed outloud this time.

"What if I don't have any pokemo...."

"No need to worry!" The man said, pulling back a sheet to reveal a glass case jam packed with pokeballs. "Folks I think we have another competitor!" My eyes grew wide, I hated being in the spotlight. I began to shrink away, but the newly formed wall of spectators and a cheering Ruki kept me in the forming arena. I shrugged off my backpack and brushed my hair to cover my eyes.

"What are the rules?" I asked boredly.

"Plain and simple, we both choose a pokemon at random and the better trainer walks away victor." The man said.

"Alrighty, sounds easy enough. But tell me one thing." I asked peering into the glass case of pokeballs. "Tell me your name so I know who I'm beating." The man's face blushed with anger. He tilted down his sunglasses so I could see his eyes.

"The name's Tray, and I wouldn't get too cocky just yet miss...?"

" Ember." I said softly as I picked up a pokeball that seemed promising.

"Alright then miss Ember, let the battle begin!" He said doing an unnecessary spin as he picked a pokeball of his own and threw it into the air above our unspoken battle ground. With a flash of brilliant red light a poliwrath appeared before me. Sighing for what seemed like the millionth time that day, I threw my own pokeball into the air with much less excitement than Tray. With the same bright intensity of the first pokeball, another pokemon appeared before me. I grinned.

" I guess I'll assume ladies first," taking a small step in front of me and pointing toward the bird pokemon I called, " Pidgeotto, use sand storm." The bird crowed in recognition and took to the sky. Flapping its wings until a great cloud of dust overcame the water type, leaving it dusty and shielding its eyes. I sent a smirkish look towards Trey, daring him to send his attack. With new determination and strange ballet like kick he called to poliwrath.

"Use bubble beam now!" Poliwrath jumped into the air, it's muscles sending it to the same height as pidgeotto. A burst for crystal bubbles erupted from the pokemon's stomach.

"Dodge it then hit him with a wing attack." I squinted up into the sky as I called this to the flying type. Amazingly he heard the command, dodging with only a millisecond to spare, pidgeotto flew at the water type with one beat of its wing, hitting it with immense power. I stared as poliwrath spun back down to the ground, not flinching as a dust cloud shot out from under him as he collided with the earth. It had be a critical hit, yet the pokemon still stood up despite his injuries.

From where I was standing, I swear I could hear the sound of teeth grinding. I shoved my hands in my pockets. "Ready to give it up Trey? I'm starting to feel bad for that poliwrath." I teased. Trey's only response was his next command and a sassy snap of his fingers and pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

"Now use submission!" I could see a grin on Trey's face as I changed my stance to a more aggressive one. The attack hit full on, damaging the bird. I winced, though faltered slightly, he was still flying. I puffed a breath of relief.

"Alrighty pidgeotto, lets make this attack our last!" I called upward, finally giving in to the adrenaline of the battle. "Give it everything you got with a steele wing!" I called, feeling my own spirit from the battle travel up to my partner in crime. With another crow, the flying pokemon dove towards the poliwrath with a burst of silver feathers. As the attack made contact, a cloud of dust erupted, shielding the results of the match. The once thin crowd of viewers now blocked the normal flow of the market isle, a unanimous gasp erupted as the dust cloud covered them as well.

I stood crouched in anticipation as the seconds ticked by.

One-one-thousand...

two-one-thousand...

three-one-thousand...

four-one-thousand....

With a powerful flap that sent the remaining cloud into oblivion, pidgeotto burst into the sky, wings extended. Leaveing the poor water type in a sad, fainted heap in the ground. The crowd burst into cheers. Trey called poliwrath back to its pokeball, an appreciative smile on his face. I decided then that he was okay, because no one likes a sore loser, which he proved not to be.

Pidgeotto landed beside me and let out a victorious coo.

"Good job buddy, you were great." I smiled, squatting down next to him and patting his head. "It was awesome fighting with you, I hope we can again someday."

"Crooo!" The bird responed. I giggled as I returned him to his pokeball. As I stood, I was confronted by Trey and the small plushie.

"I'd have to say the same to you. Here," Trey said extending the plushie to me. "As promised. That battle was inspiring! Not to mention totally refreshing! I feel like I just spent ten hours at the spa! Except now I'm totally exhuaseted and a trip to the spa sounds amazing right now."

"Thanks," I said exchanging the plushie for pidgeotto's pokeball. "You've got some great pokemon here. Thanks for the battle, it was fun." I turned and headed toward Ruki as the crowd dispersed. "As promised ya weirdo." I sighed, handing the plushie to the over exaggerated smiling kid.

"You're the best Emi." Ruki giggled cuddling my winnings.

"I'd have to say I agree with you on that." A soft, unfamiliar voice said from behind me. I turned to face the stranger.

Thinking back, I wish I hadn't turned to him. For little did I know that small movement was the beginning of an adventure that would change everything as I knew it.