Chapter 17 A desperate wish

  The sun was already high in the sky by the time Wendel was called for his next match.

  The crowd was restless as he walked out onto the field, he forced himself to stand straight. Opposite him stood Kyle, he was easily a foot taller than Wendel but that was mainly due to him being two years older.

  “So, you’re the freshman everyone’s been talking about,” Kyle called, his voice carrying. “Third Wing isn’t a playground. Time to show you what a real trainer looks like.”

  Wendel’s jaw tightened. “Bring it on.”

  The referee’s flag dropped.

  “Gretchen, come on out.”

  The Noibat spread her wings wide, letting out a sharp screech that rattled in her throat.

  “Let’s do this!”

  With a flash of light Kyle released his first Pokemon.

  “Glalie it’s time to play!”

  The huge ball of ice hovered a few feet off the ground, all around him snowflakes fell as the moisture in the air froze instantly.

  “Okay Gretchen let’s start out strong, use Dragon pulse.”

  Gretchen’s wings flapped once to maintain her elevation and a purple glow started to come from her mouth before she spat a crackling Dragon Pulse towards Glalie.

  “Glalie Light Screen.”

  A shimmering barrier of energy appeared before Glalie.

  The impact caused the barrier to crack, but it held. Kyle’s eyebrow rose ever so slightly.

  “Ice Beam!”

  “Pull your wings in tight and fall!”

  Instantly the mental command was obeyed, no sooner had gravity started pulling her back down before she felt the chill above her. “Good job, now hit him with an Air Slash.”

  With a wave of her wings a blade of condensed air was sent right back at Glalie. It easily cut through the weakened Light Screen. Crashing directly into Glalie.

  With a muffled thump a slab of ice slid off of Glalie exposing the rock below.

  Kyle’s grin didn’t falter. “Not bad. Not bad at all, let’s see how you deal with this...Glalie Icy Wind!”

  Glalie inhaled a deep breath, when he exhaled freezing wind came forth. Instantly the temperature dropped, and crystals of ice filled the air.

  “Gretchen run!” Wendel shouted as he rubbed his arms from the cold.

  Wing beats became frantic as she tried to evade the attack. Her wings were the first to freeze. The thin membrane slowly became encased in a layer of frost and the tips of her wings started to blacken as frostbite set in.

  “I know it hurts but try and circle back. Hit him with a U-turn.”

  Wendel felt a mental nod as if in agreement. Gretchen banked hard to the left, but her movements were slow. She flapped harder, trying to build up speed as a green energy built up around her.

  Slowly Glalie turned, never taking his eyes off of his target. “This fight is yours Glalie, Ice Beam again.”

  A bluish light started to form in front of Glalie.

  “Gretchen Now!”

  She extended her left wing out to act like a sail and pulled her right wing in tight to her body, causing her to turn and head directly at Glalie. She slammed into him before he could fire his attack.

  Glalie flew backwards and rolled through the fresh snow on the ground. It packed around him increasing his size by nearly a third.

  “Glalie, get up and use Blizzard.”

  Gretchen bounced backwards right for Wendel. With practiced ease he recalled her with one hand and threw Cecilia’s ball with the other.

  With a flash of light, the Gardevoir appeared.

  “Cecilia, it’s an ice type. Teleport close and use Fire Punch, don’t let him even move.”

  Instantly she vanished, reappearing directly behind Glalie. Her fist was already engulfed in roaring flames as it struck into his back, knocking him directly to the ground.

  A second later Cecilia was right next to Wendel’s side.

  The referee’s flag went up. “Glalie is unable to battle! Winner Wendel!”

  Kyle’s smirk only widened. “Not bad. Let’s see how you handle this.”

  “Go Gengar!”

  The ghost emerged in a swirl of darkness; its grin was wide and eerie.

  “Stay sharp and watch out.” Wendel murmured.

  “Poison Jab!” Kyle barked.

  Gengar lunged, claws glowing a venomous shade of purple.

  “Teleport!”

  In a blink, Cecilia vanished, reappearing on the other side of the field. Gengar’s claws slashed through nothing but air.

  Gengar turned and fell but never struck the ground. His entire body disappeared within his own shadow.

  “I can’t sense him”, Cecilia sent, alarm rising in her thoughts.

  Wendel scanned the arena wildly. “Where is he—?”

  Gengar’s laugh echoed from everywhere and nowhere, before his form spilled out of Cecilia’s own shadow. His poisoned claws ripped her gown and cut into the skin on her back, hurling her forward. She skidded across the dirt, coughing and wincing in pain.

  “Shit, that hurts…damn poison.”

  “Hang on! Counterattack—Shadow Sneak!”

  A tendril of her own shadow slipped into darkness and shot across the battlefield.

  It craned back and struck like a whip across Gengar’s back. With a loud hiss he grit his teeth in pain.

  A look of pure surprise was across Kyle’s face for a second before he yelled out another command.

  “Sludge Bomb!”

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  The corrosive orb hit Cecilia in her leg, her body trembled as the poison burned her skin.

  Cecilia’s face contorted in pain, and she grabbed her leg above the wound and squeezed.

  Gengar didn’t let up his attack; he ran forward another Poison Jab aimed directly at her.

  “Cecilia he’s coming, Psychic now!”

  Her right arm rose and her eyes began to glow with a purple tint.

  Gengar slowed but didn’t stop, Cecilia channeled even more of her strength into her attack. When Gengar was less than two feet away his entire body went rigid.

  With a grunt of effort, she flexed her hand and sent Gengar flying. Slamming him into the arena wall with enough force to crack the stone. “Wow he’s strong, that was full power”

  Gengar slid down the wall and landed on the ground face first.

  “No kidding. Good job stopping him, are you okay?”

  “I’ll manage, what’s our next move?”

  “Set up a Light Screen and then Calm Mind”

  A wall of energy appeared in front of her.

  She let out a deep breath and closed her eyes trying to calm herself.

  What Wendel or Cecilia had failed to notice was that Gengar had slipped back inside his own shadow and was no longer lying on the ground.

  Just as Cecilia had closed her eyes a Shadow Punch struck her between her shoulder blades and knocked the wind out of her.

  “Finish her! Sludge bomb!”

  Gasping as she fell Cecilia turned her head back and saw Gengar, a ball of purple ooze already formed before him.

  Her eyes locked on Wendel’s just as a beam of radiant pink light shot out of her and went straight towards the sky.

  “Tell Gretchen to kick his ass.”

  The mass of poison collided directly with her face.

  She screamed as she collapsed to the ground before passing out.

  “Cecilia!” Wendel shouted as he started sprinting across the field, quickly returning her to the safety of her PokéBall.

  The referee’s flag went up. “Gardevoir is unable to battle! Victory goes to Kyle!”

  Wendel dropped to his knees, his chest was tight, and his knuckles white as he clutched her PokéBall.

  The crowd’s cheers and applause felt distant to Wendel, a dull roar against the hammering in his chest. He remained on his knees, gripping her PokéBall as though letting go would shatter her entirely.

  Annabelle had been watching from the stands. Her eyes widened as she saw the second Sludge bomb hit Cecilia directly in the face. She instinctively rose to her feet, a hand flying to her mouth.

  “Cecilia—” she started, but no words seemed enough.

  Wendel stood and returned to his place. Grabbing Gretchen’s ball he threw it out.

  “I know you’re hurting, and your wings are frozen but give him hell.”

  With a flash of light Gretchen landed on the field.

  In a condescending tone Kyle spoke up “Really? Just give up already your Noibat is already exhausted.”

  In that moment a bright pink glow slammed into the ground and enveloped Gretchen. The Frost covering her wings melted and her injuries healed instantly.

  Gretchen held both wings in front of her staring at them in disbelief. “How?”

  Before Wendel could respond. “Wendel, I….” From within her mind, she screamed.

  Gretchen leaned forward and the tips of her wings brushed the ground, her body arched and she dug her talons into the ground, kneading the dirt between them.

  Gasps and cheers came from the stands as a blinding white light enveloped the small Noibat.

  Wendel looked away and closed his eyes. He could still feel Gretchen’s mind, but it was filled with pain and seemed far larger than before. What is happening to you…

  He couldn’t see, but sounds of scraping filled the air, then the ground shook as rock was crushed.

  Then a deafening roar drowned out everything else, Wendel was forced backwards a step as he covered his ears.

  From high above in the stands Headmaster Jorgen lept to his feet and grabbed the railing in front of him as He fumbled with his Pokédex. “Fantastic! That Healing Wish, triggered her Evolution.”

  A roar shook the arena walls and dust fell from the ceiling. From his vantage point he watched as the small Noibat’s body had more than quadrupled in size. Jorgen let out a booming laugh “It’s about time!”

  The light started to fade, Wendel turned to look at Gretchen.

  But where his small Noibat once was, now stood a massive dragon. She was almost as tall as he was, but the most impressive things were her wings.

  Each one had to be at least seven feet long and they were tipped with three razor sharp talons.

  With a loud crack her tail slammed into the ground kicking up dust. Wendel’s eyes followed the fur that ran up the center of her back and ended at her neck in a large mane.

  Gretchen lifted one wing and started admiring it like it was a stranger she had just met.

  “Gretchen…”

  She craned her neck to look back at him. “Yes, master”

  His eyes grew large in surprise, her mental voice was deeper, and it lingered in his mind like smoke.

  He gulped “is that still you in there?”

  “Gengar! Poison Jab!” Kyle shouted.

  “Now is not the time.”

  In a blur of movement she spun, the talon on her left wing glowing with energy.

  Her Dragon Claw swung towards Gengar’s Poison Jab.

  Her claws passed harmlessly in front of Gengar, her new body was faster. The Poison Jab struck the back of her wing.

  With a hiss Gretchen pulled her talons close to her face and lept backward. “I’m so fast now.”

  “We are going to have to re-learn everything, for now get airborne.”

  With a flap of her wings, she rocketed skyward.

  The blast of wind knocked Wendel over.

  “Gretchen! You’re too much now.”

  She banked hard to the right and did a corkscrew through the air, before pulling a hard backwards summersault. She started laughing “This is awesome!”

  “Gengar, Icy Wind knock her out of the sky!”

  “It’s still a battle! Hurricane, blow it back at him!”

  As the Noivern’s wings beat the air into submission the arena was filled with a torrent of wind. Students and teachers alike held onto their hats and seats.

  The dense cloud of frozen vapor was redirected right back at Gengar, He took a step back and fell into his shadow once again.

  “Gretchen watch your shadow he’s going to attack from below!”

  “He will have to catch me first!” with a thunderous flap of her wings she increased her speed.

  “Gengar, Ominous Wind.”

  Gengar jumped out from her shadow and a gust of wind spread forth from his arms. It was an unnatural sight; the air itself was black and reeked of death.

  It sent Gretchen tumbling through the air end over end. She smacked into the ground with a heavy thud.

  Gengar’s entire body glimmered as all his stats were boosted.

  “Great, now he’s even faster and stronger too.” Wendel mumbled to himself.

  “Gengar keep pushing, you have her on the ropes! Dark Pulse!”

  “Gretchen, Dragon Pulse to counter.”

  In the Center of the field the swirling vortex of dark energy and the shockwave collided. The blast took Wendel off his feet. He couldn’t see anything as darkness had enveloped the center of the field.

  Wendel cupped his hands and shouted “Gretchen stay alert! Watch the shadows.”

  “Everything is shadows now!”

  “Come on Gengar let’s dazzle em!”

  “Gretchen he’s coming!”

  “I can’t see! Where from?”

  “Behind if I had to guess, just get airborne again and run.”

  She pushed off the ground and flapped her wings once, just as she cleared the darkness, she saw him. He was hovering just on the edge of the darkness, but he was covered in a pink glow that seemed to have little shooting stars flying through it.

  “Now! Dazzling Gleam!

  “Oh fuc….” Was the last thing Gretchen thought before a blinding flash of light slammed into her.

  She hit the ground and bounced twice before coming to a stop in front of Wendel.

  The referee’s flag went up. “Noivern is unable to battle! Victory goes to Kyle!”

  The arena erupted in cheers and applause.

  Kyle raised his hands and waved to the crowd, basking in the applause as he made his way towards Wendel. “I can see now how you managed to beat Kolt. But you’ve got a long way to go before you get to the top of Third Wing.”

  Wendel recalled Gretchen and met the older boy. “Thanks, you’re Gengar is something else.”

  Kyle reached back and rubbed his neck. “You should have seen him as a Gastly he was so awkward, we’ve come a long way.”

  Wendel laughed “Yeah, my Ralts was scared of everything but now look at her.”

  A smile lit Kyle’s face. “They grow up so fast don’t they.” He stuck his hand out and Wendel grabbed it, shaking it before he turned to leave.

  As he walked away, he had a smile on his face even though he had lost. Ignoring the crowd, he made his way towards the infirmary.

  The sterile scent hit him as soon as he stepped inside. The nurse looked up and smiled.

  “Careful with her,” he instructed as Wendel gently handed the PokéBall over. The metallic click sounded sharp in the quiet room as the nurse opened the PokéBall.

  She appeared on the bed; his gaze went to her leg it was red and covered in blisters.

  “Cecilia…” Wendel whispered, crouching beside her. “I’m so sorry. I… I didn’t expect—” His voice caught in his throat as he looked at her face.

  The top of her head down to her nose was bright red, blisters oozing clear fluid were everywhere.

  Traces of purple poison clung to her hair. One drop fell onto her cheek. A quiet hiss rose, and a puff of steam curled into the air as it burned her skin.

  “Step back, young man,” The nurse said firmly, though her tone carried reassurance. “We’ll take it from here.

  Quickly she got to work rinsing the affected areas off. “I’m going to need another hand here.”

  A second nurse walked in already sliding latex gloves on.

  How bad was it when she went down?”

  “She… she screamed before passing out,” Wendel admitted, swallowing hard.

  The second nurse nodded, taking her pulse and checking her vitals quickly.

  Wendel’s hands were clenched. “Is… is she going to be okay?”

  Nurse Meryl offered a reassuring smile. “She’ll be fine, your Gardevoir and Noivern are in safe hands while we work. There’s no need for you to stick around, what they need is rest, not more stress.”

  “I… I just…” Wendel hesitated. “I don’t want to leave them alone.”

  “I understand,” the nurse said softly. “But she’s in the best care. You’ve done your part by getting her here. Why don’t you go watch the rest of the matches? We’ll alert you if anything changes.”

  Wendel exhaled slowly, finally allowing himself to rise. He gave Cecilia one last glance. “Okay… okay. I trust you,” he murmured, his voice still tight.

  As he left the infirmary, a weight lifted slightly from his shoulders, but the tension lingered.

  “Annabelle made it to the semi-finals; I wonder who she is up against” he mused to himself.