This will be a one-on-one battle! The participants will use two Pokémon and have two switches. Trainers, ready your Pokémon!

  Since yesterday’s revelation about Noivern’s proficiency with Telepathy, she’d taken on a role as referee for the practice matches between Drake and I. The spiel she gave sounded impressively official, and some part of me wondered where she’d picked up that specific syntax.

  A much larger part of me was focused on the arena.

  Warmups were over, and we were onto our first match of the day, and I was intent on proving that we could keep up with the dragon master, in spite of whatever esoteric codes he decided to use.

  “Go knights!” “Gabite, get out there!” Drake and I called at the same time.

  My partners flooded the field, assembling in their default formation facing Drake’s newest helper.

  Gabite was a fresh addition to the training circle, having turned up this morning shepherding a few Gible. The baby dragons were training in the basics with Cutter under the watchful eye of Silvette, Drake’s Altaria, while the former champion had recruited the older land shark for our training matches.

  I observed the blue dragon carefully as she ambled onto the battlefield. At just over a meter, she seemed small for her species, probably freshly evolved. A long, jagged fin erupted from her scaly back, and two large protrusions budded out on either end of her saurian head. Wicked claws emerged from her wing-like arms and digitigrade legs, and a variety of spikes and spines made attacking her physically a daunting prospect.

  She settled into place in front of Drake, and we both turned to Noivern, who looked over the assembled battlers in turn, and then beamed out to us without preamble, Begin!

  Already used to the mischievous Dragon’s sudden starts, both Drake and I hurtled into action. “Focus up!” “Charge now!”

  My knights immediately began using Focus Energy. The move was basically necessary since we didn’t have any ranged attacks available. The additional concentration would help my knights avoid the dangerous parts of Gabite’s anatomy.

  Drake knew we needed the time to set up, and he wasn’t keen on giving it to us. The Gabite hurtled forwards in a loping sprint that gave little indication of how she intended to attack. Was she going to Slash out with her vicious claws? Or maybe some sort of Take Down or Dragon Tail?

  Drake simply stood still with his arms crossed, giving no indications either way. It was possible that his earlier order had already included some sort of hidden command, or that he was leaving the actual move up to Gabite’s discretion. Either way, he wasn’t the one I needed to focus on.

  I looked closer at the incoming Dragon-type, doing my best to observe her movements closely. In the end, last night’s late-night cramming session paid off. The telltale hints of brown energy rattling off her claws let me shout a warning, “Lance, cover!”

  The Gabite leapt into the air, and then came down with a crash, causing rippling waves of energy that would have sent my knights sprawling, had Lance not gotten a small Protect up in time to block the Bulldoze.

  The bought time let my knights complete their Focus Energy, which meant it was our turn to take the offensive. “Headbutt!”

  Alyssa, Lance and I had workshopped some possible codes last night, but my knights already had a hard enough time with clear orders for now. Someday, we’d work our way up to hidden orders, and I definitely had some plans on the form that might take, but it wasn’t going to be the work of a single night.

  My knights charged forwards, starting slow, and moving at increasing speed at Lance’s urging.

  “Defend yourself!” Drake called out, and Gabite obliged, lashing out with a series of Slashes, trying to repel my knights’ assault. In the end though, Gabite only had two arms, and six upcoming Falinks to deal with. A few good hits saw the Dragon-type sprawling back, but she was far from out. Blue flames collected around her snout, and her throat started bulging.

  “Scatter!” I yelled, just in time for a blinding flash of azure flames to come pouring forth from Gabite’s maw.

  My knights dove, hurling themselves in their predetermined directions, and Percy drew the short straw, the stream of blue flames washing over him as Gabite picked a target to focus on. “Get in close!” I shouted over the churning sounds of our foe’s Dragon Breath, and Lance relayed my order, making sure the rest of the troops could hear me.

  The Dragon-type’s assault was cut short by a barrage of Falinks, each of my remaining knights slamming into the dragon and surrounding it. As the stream of flame cut off, I saw Percy stagger, making to join his brothers, but unable to. I suppressed a wince. I’d learned quite a bit about Dragon-types and their moves over the last few days, including the little tidbit that Dragon Breath could overwhelm a foe’s system with Dragon-type energy, creating symptoms that were similar to electrical Paralysis.

  “Percy fall back until you shake it off!” I shouted. Slowed as he was, he’d disrupt the formation if he tried to join it, for all intents and purposes spreading his symptoms to the rest of his brothers.

  He hesitated, unused to being addressed directly, but Tristan reiterated my order, which earned a nod. The second-in-line wheeled, and trundled to the edge of the battlefield, planting himself and focusing inwards, trying to cleanse his system.

  While I’d been directing Percy, a part of me kept my eyes on the ongoing scrum in the middle of the arena. My knights had Gabite surrounded, and were making use of the numbers advantage. One member would feint in, and when Gabite tried to focus on them, another would slam into her from behind.

  The Dragon-type would need to do something to break the encirclement, or this battle wouldn’t last much longer.

  Sure enough, a quick call of “Break!” from Drake heralded a return of some familiar brown energy collected around Gabite’s legs.

  “Knights, brace!” I called out, immediately refocusing from Percy on the broader battle. Lance relayed my warning, and instead of getting disrupted by the ensuing Bulldoze, my knights planted themselves and rode out the waves of Ground-type energy, before continuing their assault.

  “Switch!” I heard Drake shout from the other side of the battlefield. A moment later, a telepathic tone rang out, the timber almost making me wince. It sounded like a high-pitched bell, or a particularly obnoxious siren, and it had the intended effect, each of the battlers halting in place.

  Gabite growled, but heeded the command, stalking off of the battlefield. My knights regrouped. Percy, having mostly recovered, rejoined the formation, and the six of them stared out across the field at their retreating foe. They didn’t have long to look though, as a new battler stepped forward to replace the pugnacious Dragon-type.

  Or rather, floated up. The shimmering Drakloak let out an intimidating croak that I had learned was his species’ version of a fierce battle cry. The Dreepy perched above his head let out a much smaller chirrup, following his elder’s example.

  Drakloak was an odd Pokémon. A floating, spectral creature, its teal ‘skin’ was faintly translucent, and its head had a strange, bowed-out ‘L’ shape. The creature lacked real limbs, instead having vestigial appendages, and a faint, shimmering tail. It also kept a Dreepy, its pre-evolved form, perched atop its head at all times, the two apparently sharing some sort of strange symbiosis.

  My eyes narrowed as I watched the Ghost-type take the field. My knights were woefully under-equipped to deal with the spectral threat, which left me only one option.

  Resume! The telepathic command beamed out. Just a second later, I shouted, “Switch!”

  My knights and the Drakloak, both of which had been beginning to maneuver, jittered to a stop as Noivern sent out another telepathic pulse. All eight of the Pokémon on the battlefield looked at me with varying degrees of perturbation, but I ignored it as I recalled my knights. “Sorry,” I whispered to their ball. “But you have so few options for fighting a Ghost-type right now. It’s something we’ll work on soon, I promise.”

  The ball in my hand was still for a few moments, before rolling in acknowledgement. I let out a sigh of relief, and then threw the ball for my other Pokémon for this battle. “Well, Pikachu, it's your turn. Hope you’re ready to win the rematch too.”

  “Pikachu!” Alyssa’s partner huffed in a way I thought was a bit disdainful. She stepped onto the battlefield with a put-upon air, seemingly just going through the motions.

  “Hey, focus up. Just because you won yesterday doesn’t mean today will be the same. Alyssa’s expecting you to give it your all, just like you do when you’re training with her.”

  Invoking my best friend got Pikachu’s head a bit more in the game. She focused in, sparks of electricity discharging off of her cheek pouches as she eyed the Drakloak floating in front of Drake. The Dragon-type’s beady eyes were narrowed, and I was quite certain that he was intent on getting revenge. He’d be coming at us way harder than he did yesterday.

  Begin! Noivern projected again, and this time, when the competitors burst into motion, neither Drake nor I intervened.

  For his part, Drakloak focused in, his eyes glowing with intent. An accompanying glow appeared around Pikachu, and I called out a warning. “He’s locked on, Pikachu! There’s no dodging the next attack!”

  I got an acknowledging call back from the Electric-type, who screeched to a halt to focus on building up a charge instead.

  Fire now!” Drake called, and Drakloak spewed forth a strange tide of green energy. The roiling flow of power let out a high-pitched whining noise, sort of like static coming from a thousand speakers at once.

  I wasn’t sure what move that was, but it looked like bad news. “Protect!” I ordered Pikachu, who obliged with a solid barrier of scintillating green energy. The strange attack washed over the shield, fading away with a howl. “Now, Thunder Wave!”

  With the way cleared, Pikachu shot forth a barrage of yellow sparks focused on the Drakloak. The Dragon-type, familiar with the move after yesterday’s bout, didn’t wait for a command from Drake. A quick application of Quick Attack got him out of the way, the Dreepy on top of his head letting out a cry of exuberance as the pair darted around the battlefield.

  “Discharge!” I shouted. “Don’t give them anywhere to run.”

  The smattering of sparks coming out of Pikachu erupted into a fusillade of energy, bolts flying in every direction, trying to pen the speedy dragon in.

  If anything, the Drakloak sped up, Quick Attack transitioning into Agility. We needed to land some Paralysis, now.

  “Get in close!” I ordered, which was an order Pikachu seemed to like.

  With a jet of motion, Pikachu unleashed her own Quick Attack, appearing right next to Drakloak at priority speeds. “Grab on and Nuzzle!” I called out.

  “Take it and Infest!” Drake called back.

  Pikachu latched onto the Drakloak and rubbed her cheeks on the dragon, causing yellow sparks to skitter across the Ghost-types spectral skin. I cheered internally as I saw Drakloak seize up, but Pikachu’s attack didn’t go unanswered. That same tide of odd green energy erupted from the Drakload’s mouth, washing over Alyssa’s partner. Pikachu grit her teeth, and retaliated with a fast Discharge. The Drakloak let out a cry of pain, and swerved, trying to wrench the sparking mouse free. Pikachu held fast for one second, and then two, and then three, putting her superb physique to work. It was only after nearly seven seconds of continuous Discharging that she was finally forced to break off her attack as Drakloak literally hurled itself into the ground to break the Electric-type’s hold.

  Pikachu scrambled upright, but I could tell something was wrong. She suppressed a wince as flashes of that same roiling green energy erupted periodically from her fur, and her ears kept twitching, like she was hearing something on the edges of her perception.

  For his part, Drakloak floated up, and then stuttered in place, unable to float properly as he was wracked by the Paralysis caused by Pikachu’s attack. Unfortunately, before I could order Alyssa’s partner to continue her assault, Drake shouted out, “Switch!”

  Noivern acknowledged the call, and Drakloak stiffly floated away from the arena, as the Dreepy perched on his head spat a raspberry at us.

  Gabit marched forwards to take his place, and I readied my call even as the Ground-type approached. While Pikachu wasn’t without options against the land shark, I wanted to preserve her to deal with the Ghost-type Drakloak.

  Right after Noivern gave the signal to resume, I shouted switch, and held out Pikachu’s ball. A familiar beam of red light erupted from the metal sphere, hurtling towards Alyssa’s partner, but to my utter shock, that green energy tore out from Pikachu and deflected the seeking red laser.

  “Infestation,” Drake called out from the other side of the arena. “A curious move. Bug-type, it slowly drains the health of any Pokémon hit by it, and it prevents them from switching out, like Mean Look or Sand Tomb.”

  I felt my eyes widen as I Cottoneed on to Drake’s trap. He now had us pinned. Pikachu was stuck in a bad matchup, and even if she beat Gabite, Drakloak could mop up after, and then demolish my knights using his type advantage..

  My mind raced, looking for a way out, and part of me fixated on Drake’s exact verbiage. Infestation was a Bug-type move. Drakloak was a Ghost and Dragon-type, so his use of the move probably wasn’t perfect. Maybe the Infestation would fade if we stalled long enough?

  It was a chance we’d have to bet on. “Pikachu, Gabite is immune to your electric attacks, and if you hit her with a physical move, you’ll hurt yourself. Use Charm and keep your distance. If you stall long enough, I can switch you out.”

  Pika!” The Electric-type shouted back at me in defiance.

  “Do you want to win or not?!” I called back, irritation filling my tone. “I promise, this can work, you just need to trust me.”

  The Electric-type shot a look over her shoulder, and all I saw in her eyes was doubt. I didn’t have the relationship with Pikachu required for this type of strategy.

  “Gabite, don’t give them time to work things out. Lock them.” Drake called, disrupting our starting contest. The land shark hurtled forwards, dirt and grit surrounding her in a swirling vortex. She hurled it forwards, and Pikachu desperately threw herself out of the way, barely dodging the grasping dunes of the Sand Tomb.

  “Double Sub!” I called out. “Then you can Iron Tail!”

  I hoped that the offer of an attack at the end would get Pikachu to follow directions. Maybe the incentive was enough, or maybe the realities of facing down an angry Ground-type had penetrated Pikachu’s stubborn brain, but she listened to these instructions. A swarm of Pikachu’s appeared, illusory doubles flooding the field. One of them was real, and another was a substitute, further obfuscating our opponent’s senses.

  Unfortunately, our strategy wasn’t anything Drake hadn’t seen before. “Sweep them away!” The former champion commanded with a wipe of his arm.

  Gabite jumped into the air, and then came down, sending out pulsing ripples of Ground-type energy as she used Bulldoze again.

  Most of the illusory doubles faded, though a few leapt into the air and avoided the attack. The remaining clones and the real Pikachu converged on the Dragon-type, tails glowing the Steel energy. A half-dozen Iron tails impacted Gabite, though only one of them had any actual heft. The rest of the illusions faded, as two Pikachus leapt away from the reeling land shark.

  One of the Pikachu’s was wincing, and a flash of green energy erupted from her.

  Drake didn’t miss a beat, shouting, “The one on your left!”

  Gabite reacted instantly, lashing out with a Slash that took Pikachu across the chest. She flew backwards, slamming into the arena and tumbling a few times. She staggered to her feet as the Substitute ran over to her, the two quickly jumping back and forth to obfusticate their identities.

  That had been a big hit, and now outlasting the Infestation probably wasn’t on the table. Which meant I needed Pikachu to do as much damage as possible. “Pikachu, go all out with Iron Tail and Brick Break!” I commanded, trusting her to know how to make the most of her moves.

  “Stall!” Drake ordered.

  Both Pikachus charged forwards, even as Gabite charged up some sort of move. I narrowed my eyes, trying to figure out what was coming. The swirling dirt gave me enough warning, and I shouted advice. “A Sand Tomb is coming. Sacrifice the Substitute!”

  Sure enough, a grasping dune came pouring forth out of Gabite, reaching for Pikachu. “Get the real one!” Drake ordered, but it was to no avail, as the Substitute leapt in the way of the attack, disappearing into the Sand Tomb even as the real Pikachu dove around it, landing and then erupting in a Quick attack that slammed her into the dragon.

  Both Pokémon stumbled, but Pikachu recovered first, lashing out with an uppercut Brick Break that took Gabite right in the belly. The Dragon-type staggered, falling to one knee, but she wasn’t out of it. Unprompted, azure energy began accumulating around her maw.

  At this range, there was no dodging, but we weren’t without recourse. “Here comes Dragon Rage! Deflect it with Iron Tail!”

  The beam of dragon fire poured forth, but thankfully, and to my earnest surprise, Pikachu listened to my command. She whipped her steel powered tail around and it sliced through the flames cleanly, letting only the barest edges of the attack singe her. “Now finish this!” I ordered.

  Pikachu dove forwards, bringing her rear appendage down on Gabite’s head. The land shark staggered under the hammer blow, swaying almost drunkenly, before collapsing forwards in a heap, syn expended.

  Gabite is unable to battle! Noivern beamed out.

  Pikachu had time to let out a victorious cheer, before another eruption of green energy coursed through her. With a cry of pain, the Electric-type also collapsed in a heap, leaving two unconscious Pokémon on the battlefield.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  After a few stunned seconds, Noviern acknowledged, Pikachu is also unable to battle. Trainers, send out your remaining partners.

  Drakloak smugly floated onto the battlefield as Drake walked over and bodily lifted the slumping Gabite. Somehow, he seemed unaffected by the land shark’s rough skin as he set his shoulder under the exhausted Pokémon’s, helping her limp over to the edge of the battlefield, where she was set on by a few awed-looking Gible, who chattered excitedly at her.

  I recalled Pikachu. “Thanks for giving it your all.” I told her, before releasing her again on the edge of the battlefield. She was obviously worn out, but with her syn exhausted, the Infestation had faded, leaving her unharmed. It only took a few moments for her to rouse, and she looked at me in askance as I knelt next to her. “You beat Gabite,” I confirmed for her, “but got knocked out by the Infestation afterwards.”

  The spunky little Electric-type nodded glumly, and I gave in to my urge to reach out my hand and pet her comfortingly.

  She gave an indignant squeak, and tried to summon up some electricity, but her stores were currently dry. “You did a great job,” I reassured her, “I shouldn’t have put you in a position where you’d get hit by that move. I didn’t know how disabling it would be.” I acknowledged.

  Pikachu gave me the stink eye for a few moments, as if trying to determine if I meant what I said, before letting out an acceding huff.

  “Take a good long rest,” I directed, “We’ve got more battles today.”

  She nodded, and I stood up to return to the battlefield, palming my knights’ ball. “This is going to be tough,” I warned them as I approached the arena, “But Drakloak is Paralyzed, so he’s going to be hugely slowed down. That gives us a chance.”

  The ball in my hands shook in acknowledgement, and then split open, my knights taking to the field once more.

  Are both trainers ready! Noivern beamed out. I confirmed we were good to go, and Drake did the same. Then… Resume! The dragon commanded.

  “Lance, it’s all on you! Go Dark. Everyone else, cover him!” I ordered.

  My knights currently only knew one move that could hurt the Ghost-type Drakloak, and really, only Lance could actually use the attack. And only sometimes. Sort of. Barely.

  Someday, Assurance would be a great tool, letting my knights multiply their own power by hitting with the move successively. At least, that’s what Abigail had assured me in the advice she’d sent. Unfortunately, for now, my patterns’ mastery of the move left a lot to be desired. Currently, Lance could infuse his hits with a little bit of Dark energy. Sometimes.

  It would need to be enough.

  My knights charged forwards, the brass directing his troops forwards to screen Drakloak’s attacks. The Dragon-type obliged, loosing a barrage of spectral flames without any direction necessary from Drake. I didn’t recognize the move, but it was clearly Ghost-type judging by the way it sent two of my knights sprawling. Still, Kay and Galad’s sacrifice wasn’t in vain. My remaining troops arrived at Drakloak, who tried to dodge, but found itself seizing from the Paralysis wracking his body.

  Most of my knights just ran right through the specter to little effect, but Lance glowed with a small amount of black energy that tore into the ghost with a vengeance, causing him to let out a croak of alarm.

  “You’ve been holding out on me Fe!” The former champ called from across the battlefield, a grin on his face. “I was worried you’d be out of options.”

  “We’re still in this!” I shouted back, determinedly. “Knights, show him what I mean.”

  My knights continued their assault. The troops didn’t really do anything, but they were distracting, pulling the Paralyzed Dragon-type’s attention to free up openings for Lance.

  “The big one is the only one that can hurt you,” Drake instructed Drakloak calmly. “Deal with him, and the rest is easy. Get up in the air and Lock On.”

  The detailed directions were out of character, but the warning was appreciated. Even as the Ghost-type laboriously floated upwards, I called out a counter. “Stack up and throw Lance!” I called.

  My knights scrambled atop each other, shoving Lance to the top of the pile and then hurling him at the floating dragon. The brass flew into Drakloak, slamming a black-coated shield into the Dragon.

  An enraged croak erupted from the specter's throat, and as Lance began falling back to earth, a glow appeared around him, matched by the shining coming out of Drakloak’s narrowed eyes. “Knights, block it! I shouted!”

  I could have called for a Protect, but Lance needed all of his energy to do damage to Drakloak, and the defensive move was the most exhausting for the brass, who supplied most of the power for the protective barrier.

  My knights could bodily intercept attacks though, which they did willingly as Lance relayed my instructions. Percy threw himself in the way of an incoming Dragon Pulse, and while it tried to warp around him to get to Drakloak’s locked on target, the beam of draconic energy was flying too fast for the necessary adjustment. The resulting explosion sent him sprawling, unconscious, but we didn’t have time to worry about him. “Keep going!” I shouted. “Stack again!”

  What followed was a repeat of the same series of events, my knights stacking up and throwing Lance, who hit Drakloak, followed by retaliation from the hovering dragon, which the remaining troops screened with their body.

  Lance’s brothers were traded for damage, until just Tristan, Bers, and Lance himself were left. Drakloak hung in the air, panting with exertion as yellow sparks skittered across his vaguely transparent hide. The Dreepy atop his head let out a fierce battle cry that rallied the Ghost-type, but Tristan retaliated, shouting vengeance for his brothers and reinvigorating Lance and Bers. Actually, the transfer of energy seemed very literal, as a white light surrounded the cheering Falinks, flowing away from him and into Lance and Bers.

  That looked like some sort of move, and I filed figuring it out away for later to focus on the battle. “Bers, get him up there! You can do it!”

  With a grunt, Bers shouldered Lance. My hardiest knight swelled with energy, sinking to the ground, and then erupting upwards, his legs acting like springs. At the apex of his jump, Lance kicked off of him, glowing with Dark energy even as Drakloak prepared to let loose another burst of Draconic energy.

  There was no way Lance could reach the specter if that Dragon Pulse landed. I watched with my heart in my throat as the azure power built up around the edges of Drakloak’s throat. Bers and Tristan called encouragement even as the Dreepy on Drakloak’s head let loose a ferocious chirrup. Right before the burst of Draconic power pulsed forth, a thrill of lingering electricity ran through the Caretaker Pokémon. Pikachu’s efforts, bearing fruit in the most crucial moment, as the Paralysis halted Drakloak’s movements just long enough for Lance to salm into him one final time. With a mournful croak, the Ghost-type folded in on himself, crashing to the ground with the brass still atop him. They both hit the metal disk of the arena in a heap, and then a small explosion erupted, as the Dragon-type energy detonated.

  Lance was thrown free, rolling a couple of times, but he staggered to his feet grimly, staring out at the supine ghost. The Dreepy let loose a sad little cry, as Drakloak tried to lever itself up on its spectral limbs. It struggled for one moment, and then two, before collapsing to the ground, completely exhausted.

  Drakloak is unable to battle. Fe, her knights, and Pikachu are the winners! Noivern cheerily beamed out. My knights and I let out simultaneous whoops of victory, and I tore onto the field, stopping only to snag Pikachu and scoop up my unconscious partners. I practically threw the group of us into a big group embrace, as Percy, Galad, and Kay recovered enough to chirrup curiously about what had happened. “You guys did it!” I told them. “We won!”

  Drake took to the field as well, first treating Drakloak, and then walking over to our group hug. Tristan was regaling those who had been knocked out earlier in the battle with Lance and Bers’ exploits, while Pikachu sullenly tried to wriggle her way free of the scrum.

  “Not bad Fe,” Drake acknowledged as I stood from our conclave to meet him. “Focusing on the Pokémon, not the trainer. Not a bad strategy.”

  I wasn’t surprised that Drake had figured out what I was doing, “I spent a bunch of time watching dragons fight last night. It gave me the insight I needed to win the battle.”

  “Not a bad answer at all. Course, it's got its limitations. Rest up for a few, and then we’ll see what else you’ve come up with.”

  -

  True to his word, in the next practice match, Drake got Sliggoo to conjure up a downpour that completely obscured the slug-like dragon’s actions. He took that bout, but I won the next one when he tried the same trick with a Swablu’s Whirlwind. The resulting cloud of dust was equally obscuring, but I focused on what my knights were doing instead, stalling and boosting until they could defeat the evasive flier in one hit.

  “I think that tracking what your opponents are doing is only half of the equation,” was the conclusion I drew. “It sounds obvious now that I say it out loud, but while reacting to what your opponent is doing is all well and good, it’s important to have your own strategy for winning the battle.”

  My analysis got a nod from Drake. “True enough. Different trainers put different degrees of emphasis on one side of the equation or the other. Some are mostly reactive, others focus primarily on their own gameplan. And of course, those tendencies can shift and change depending on who they're against.”

  I nodded as I feverishly wrote an abbreviated transcript of the advice, capturing the wisdom in the pages of my notebook for later review.

  “The most important thing though, is making sure you and your partner are on the same page. If your Pokémon wants to fight more reactively, and you have a proactive strategy in mind, you’re gonna run into trouble. Figuring out what works best for you and your partner should be your first priority.”

  The former champion gave me a few moments to finish jotting things down, and then clapped his hands. “Alright, let’s get–”

  Before he could finish statement, an echoing cry rang out through the clouds. It sounded similar to the croaks made by Drakloak, but far, far louder, and the noise had an odd, echoing quality to it, as if it were being produced by some sort of chorus.

  The noise snagged Drake’s attention, and his eyes focused on the middle-distance, narrowed and searching for something. I turned to look as well, and in a few moments, a speeding blur became visible. The shape resolved itself into a jet-like silhouette, in a familiar teal hue. The approaching Pokémon reminded me so much of Drakloak that I could only conclude that it was a Dragapult, the Ghost-type’s final evolution.

  The approaching Pokémon was flying fast. It was a bare minute from first spotting the dragon and his arrival at the peak. The Stealth Pokémon floated in front of Drake, apparently familiar with the former champ.

  For his part, the dragon master reached out a hand and fondly rubbed the top of Dragapult’s head, earning a cooing croak of affection from the Pokémon and cries of jealousy from the pair of Dreepy sheltering in the dragon’s horns.

  The Dragapult, his limbs far more developed than his pre-evolutionary form’s, reached into a pouch slung across his chest. From it, he pulled a few letters, handing them to Drake with a friendly grin. The former champ took the missives with an evaluating eye. There was a flash of something in his gaze as he looked at them, but it disappeared before I could puzzle out the intent.

  He turned an equally fond smile on the Dragapult, whispering something to it, and giving some affection to the clamoring Dreepy. The Dragapult looked about, spotting the Drakloak, who was eyeing the more powerful dragon with something approaching awe. With a friendly croak, the older dragon approached its pre-evolution. The pair floated off, a small crowd of Dreepy following them, taking up residence in one corner of the peak.

  I was left blinking, nonplussed. “What was that about?” I asked Drake after a few moments of silence.

  The dragon master shrugged, holding up the missives he’d received. “Mail,” he said simply.

  -

  That was hardly a sufficient answer in my mind, and I was eventually able to pry the story free from Drake.

  The Dragapult was one of his partners, technically. As it turned out, the wily Ghost-type wasn’t really all that interested in battling, but Drake hadn’t realized that until rather late in their relationship. Instead of simply splitting up when the two hashed things out, the pair instead found a different way to partner together, the former champ employing his spectral partner to handle his correspondence.

  Which made a lot of sense when you remembered that Drake had become champion in a time before email had started picking up steam. In those days, actual letters were the order of the day, and having a speedy courier was a huge advantage.

  “Nowadays, he mostly handles my personal correspondence. Stuff I don’t want anyone at the league reading,” Drake explained, as he focused on the envelopes. I didn’t see what he did, but after a moment, all three of them fell open, their tops cleanly sliced down the middle. “I’ve got a few pen pals out there that I like to keep in contact with, and Rhea loves making the long-distance trips, so it all works out.”

  The fond expression on Drake’s face as he discussed his partner fell to something darker as he perused the contents of said partner’s delivery. With each of the letters, his face became more thunderous,

  “What’s wrong?” I asked, watching the old master carefully.

  Drake balled up the letters, stuffing them all into a pocket of his coat. “Just some warnings from some old friends. About some idiocy going on back home. Let’s take a break for lunch. I need to write some letters.”

  -

  A few different cliques formed as we scattered around the mountain peak to eat. In some ways, it reminded me of some sort of weird, draconic school cafeteria.

  The center of the arena, the cool kids table in this strained metaphor, was occupied by Drake and a rotating cast of his team members and wild dragons, dipping in for a quick word or reassurance before flitting back out again. Cruiser was the only real constant, soaking in the sunlight by his trainer’s side with seemingly little intention of moving.

  My knights, Pikachu, Mana and I formed another group, clustered near the stone staircase leading into the structures built into the mountainside. We were a little softer to the sun than the scaly dragons, and a little bit more worried about an errant bit of wind sending us off the mountain.

  Four distinct groups of dragons formed the last three ‘tables,’ each presided over by a final evolution. The Noivern had ownership of the flying dragons, the Noibats and Swablus flocking around her as she parceled out portions from the absolute stockpile of berries that Drake had brought to bribe the wild Pokémon with.

  An impressive Goodra kept a fond eye over the younger, aerially-challenged dragons. The gloop of Goomy, a pair of Bagon, and the cadre of Gible all surrounded him. The huge, slimy dragon kept a weather eye on the rambunctious youngsters, calling out warnings whenever one wandered too far.

  The third group was made up only of a haunt of Dreepy and their evolutions, headed by Drake’s Dragapult, who was enthusiastically telling stories to the rapt group of dragons. The Dreepy and Drakloak all reacted with great swells of emotion, whirling this way and that as Rhea continued his rendition, with occasional assistance from his own Dreepy.

  The final collection was mostly made up of middle evolutions. The Drakloak that we’d been battling, the Gabite, an Altaria, a lone Fraxure, and a pair of Sliggoo. A Salamence, much smaller than Drake's partner, but still an impressive specimen in her own right, hung out near them, though in her case, she seemed less interested in the surrounding dragons and more intent on stealing coy glances at Cruiser. I hadn’t even known dragons were capable of coy glances, but here we were.

  That ‘table’ had the most friction, with growls and dirty looks abounding. Without Drake’s steadying presence, the concentration of dragons (especially belligerent middle-evolutions) probably would have erupted into violence.

  Under the former champion's august gaze, however, all was peaceful on the peak. No one wanted to risk the monstrous trainer’s ire. Nor that of his partners, who by all accounts had been absolutely tearing through the range’s native population.

  A medley of cries, calls, roars, and populated the peak as we worked our way through lunch. I finished the sandwich I packed, and after making sure my partners were okay, decided to check up on Drake.

  Cruiser gave me an evaluating gaze as I approached the center group, but closed his eyes after a moment, apparently unconcerned with my approach. The huge dragon’s trainer was a bit more distracted, using his Flygon’s proffered wing as an impromptu desk as he penned several missives.

  “Trying to get those written so Rhea can take them back?” I asked, after I was certain that he’d noticed me. “Are the messages urgent?”

  My question got a nod, a few moments of silence, and then a sigh. “I guess they’re not actually that important. It’s not like my words matter anymore anyways.” The second sentence was uttered with enough bitterness to make me feel like I’d just bitten into a Durin Berry.

  “I considered my words. “If they really didn’t matter, people wouldn’t have reached out to you, right?” I asked after a few moments. “The fact that people are trying to tell you about what’s going on means they care about what you think of it.”

  Drake was silent for a while, mulling over my words. “Maybe,” he finally acknowledged, “but my star is on its way out. Anything I have to say on the topic would be the rumblings of a loser.” He sighed, and stood with a groan. I could hear joints crack and pop as the old master climbed to his full height. “Now c’mon. Enough of this. I’ll finish the mail later. Go make sure your partners are healed up. We’ve got more training to do.”

  -

  There weren’t any new lessons for the rest of the day, just reinforcement for everything he’d taught me thus far. Which meant of course that the afternoon bouts were the most fiendishly complex thus far, layering in every lesson the Dragon master had labored to impart on us.

  An exhausting series of five on five battles, featuring my knights, Pikachu, and a rotating cast of wild dragons on my side matched by Cutter, one of Dragapult’s Dreepy, and a few varying wild dragons for drake’s teams.

  Unfavorable matchups, status conditions, stat changes, coded orders, environmental manipulation, esoteric abilities, and overwhelming power. Drake tested my ability to respond to each, and to employ them in turn, never relenting for a moment.

  By the time we reached evening, I was completely wrung out, and my knights and Pikachu were even more exhausted. The back-to-back battles had taken their toll, especially since we hadn’t ended up taking a single of the five-versus-five matches. It was a bitter pill, but not an unexpected one. Drake fought like a man possessed, and for all he’d dismissed the missives he’d received earlier, I still got the sense that something about the mail had gotten to the man.

  He was certainly disquieted, as we packed up to leave. I felt a bit bad taking advantage of the man’s distraction, but the window on the plan that had been percolating in my mind since we’d arrived at the nest a few days ago (and that had crystallized this afternoon at lunch) was closing.

  Noivern, can you hear me? I thought as loudly as I could, trying to project my question towards the towering dragon, who’d been watching over our departure with a keen eye.

  For a few moments, nothing happened, and I was worried that my idea was a bust. Just when I went to turn away, however, a familiar voice spoke in my mind. I can, Hydra Child. I sense a question in your mind?

  I resisted the impulse to nod. And to ask about the odd form of address. I needed to focus on the questions that mattered. Yes. I wanted to know what you think of Drake.

  The Raging One? Noivern pondered the question for a few moments. He is powerful. Very powerful, him and his partners. A true master. I would not mind accompanying him, journeying once more, were he not flickering, guttering like a candle burnt to the quick.

  The confirmation that Noivern had once been a trained Pokémon herself was nice, but not important right now. So you’ve noticed it too. That he’s running down.

  Indeed. Noivern replied. The spark is fading from him. He knows it himself. His time as a battler is coming to a close.

  The powerful dragon said it with such surety, so convinced. I felt something burn in my chest. Isn’t that a shame, though? I beamed at Noivern. The dragon sent back a pulse of curiosity, so I elaborated. Sure, he’s getting on in years, but he still has so much passion, so much love for battling. Even if he doesn’t have the same ambitions he once did, does that mean he should give up? Stop fighting?

  “Fe?” I heard a voice ask on the edge of my perception. It almost jolted me out of my mental conversation with Noivern, but this was too important to abandon. But at the same time, I couldn’t let Drake figure out what I was plotting.

  I focused a part of my concentration on the dragon master, plastering a smile on my face. “Yeah? What’s up?” I asked him, even as another part of my brain was conversing with Noivern.

  It’s always a shame when one as powerful as he burns out, but time comes for us all. Even the most mighty of dragons bows under its weight.

  “Nothing, I guess. You just seemed distracted is all.”

  Maybe, but I don’t think it’s Drake’s time yet. I bet one good spark, the right trigger, and he’ll realize that he’s got years in him left. “Lot’s to think about. Going over the lessons we learned today, trying to figure out how we’re going to win tomorrow. It’s our last chance to take a battle off of you, after all.”

  An interesting theory. What do you propose?

  “Well make sure you get plenty of rest. I’m not afraid to admit that I’ve been putting you through the ringer. If you’re not sleeping enough, it’s gonna screw with your ability to perform.”

  A challenge. You seem really familiar with the Dragon’s Nest. Would it be possible for you to recruit the biggest, baddest dragon around to challenge Drake tomorrow after we’re done training. To show him that he doesn’t need to be done yet? “Don’t worry, I’ll try to get to sleep early tonight.”

  I… suppose I could make a supplication. What would you offer for this boon?

  “You do that. Now c’mon. We should get back.”

  I can’t offer anything personally, but I know that Drake will provide an incredible fight. A battle to remember for decades. Centuries, even. Isn’t that enough? “Alright. Age before beauty though. Also, I might need you to pull me up on Cruiser’s back. I’m beyond sore.”

  Perhaps…. Perhaps that will indeed be sufficient. I will make no promises, Hydra Child, but I will convey a message to our lord. Perhaps if you are lucky enough, or unlucky enough, they will respond.

  “Sure. Give me your hand.”

  Thank you. “Thanks.”

  With Drake’s help, I scrambled up on Cruiser’s back, my sore muscles groaning in protest. The massive dragon took off with a gust of wind, hurling us and himself into the open blue. Behind us, I felt the considering eyes of the Noivern burrowing into my back.

  I really hoped that my plot didn’t explode in our faces. There were so many ways this could go wrong.

  And yet, when faced with the prospect of watching my mentor burn away, the risks felt well worth the potential reward.