Chapter 2

The arena was pitch black. A solitary figure walked into the high ceilinged room. The only illumination was the soft, eerie glow of amber; rings on her Umbreon who skirted close to her legs, equal parts protective of its Trainer, and terrified for her.

“I thought we could settle this once and for all.” She breathed hard into the darkness. Her voice echoed, and for a second she thought they were in fact alone. She waited for an answer. Nothing came. “Malva!” she cried out.

A low rumbling growl answered her. Karen took a step back, as her Umbreon stepped forward, rings glowing brighter.

“Scared of a little darkness?” taunted Malva from somewhere deep in the back of the room.

Confident now, that her opponent was indeed there, “I prefer it with the lights on.” Karen replied coolly.

“Well,” suggested Malva,. Karen could hear her boots on the hard concrete floor coming closer. “Let’s light it up!”

Two eyes glared red, and then its horns burst to life. Malva’s Houndoom roared, bellowing out a gigantic tongue of flame which snaked its way around the room setting alight a dozen torches on high pedestals across the boundary of the arena.

Malva stood there, proud as ever, statuesque in her glory. Flames licked across her Houndoom’s mouth, baring its teeth, hunched right next to her. The hound practically exuded fear, thought Karen. Typical theatrics.

“Try not to make that mongrel look uglier by flashing your Keystone.” Karen jested, aware of what Malva wore on her wrist.

“Don’t flatter yourself. Your little mutt won’t be too much trouble.” Replied Malva. Houndoom left her side and walked in front of her, fangs ablaze. “Let’s begin?”

“With pleasure.” Karen pointed at Houndoom as her Umbreon jumped to the middle of the arena. “Toxic!”

Umbreon snarled as an indigo pulse warped out of its body and wrapped around Houndoom, effectively poisoning it.

“Really? We only just started.” Smiled Malva, belittling Karen on her predictability.

“I don’t intend to stay here long.” Replied Karen, brushing off her gray blonde hair from over her shoulder.

“Neither do I.” Malva tweaked her vividly pink tinted glasses. “Dark Pulse!” Black swirls of dark energy blasted out of the Houndoom’s mouth hitting Umbreon square in the face, sending it smashing across the room. The smaller Pokemon whimpered after the intensity of such a hit. Karen ground her teeth in fury.

Just then Houndoom visibly winced in a purple streak. The poison was already working. She smiled, knowing it would only start to get worse.

“Umbreon, Double Team.” She commanded and the Pokemon. Her Umbreon concentrated hard tensing up every muscle in its body, copies erupting every few feet from it. Soon the entire arena was filled with the soft glow of amber from each Umbreon – the original, successfully shuffled.

“Not as dumb as you look.” Commented Malva. “Houndoom, Nasty Plot.” Black energy rumbled around, and Houndoom’s eyes glared a deeper red than before.

“Go Umbreon.” Not missing a beat, Karen ordered. “Payback!” Her Pokemon charged headfirst into a powerful tackle from all sides knocking the charging Houndoom across the room. It barely got its footing as it hurtled, but lost it as the purple surge of the Toxic rippled through its body once again.

Malva saw the effects of the poison on her Pokemon but knew it had way too much fight in it to worry. “Fire Blast!” she commanded. Houndoom opened its mouth wide as the blazing attack charged and shot toward the herd of unnerved Umbreon. “Dodge it!” yelled Karen, but it could not. The expansive fiery inferno hit all its targets at once engulfing the them in bright flames. Shadows of the fire danced on the tint of Malva’s glasses and she smiled, contemptuously at the raw power her Houndoom just displayed. And that was even without her having to ‘flash her Keystone’.

The flames subsided and the original Umbreon stood there, charred ground all around it, smoke rising from its singed body. But standing nonetheless.

Karen was prepared for this. “Moonlight.” She almost whispered under her breath. Umbreon looked up at the sky and howled most deceivingly sweetly. A white light emanated from the ceiling showering glimmers of light onto the Pokemon, revitalizing it.

“I had no idea you were such a romantic.” Malva jested with an imitable grin.

A wave of rage coursed through Karen as she looked at her opponent. “What can I say Malva? Even the most deplorable among us deserve some affection.” Said Karen.

Houndoom winced in pain again, doubling down as the poison really hit to the core. Karen quickly reacted “Umbreon, Payback!” Newly energized, Umbreon leapt head first into Houndoom sending it flying across the room. This time Houndoom did not catch its footing and smashed into the wall.

“Thunderfang.” Malva stated. Despite the fact that her Houndoom was running on low energy, she did not react to it in the slightest. Perhaps this was just another example of her signature heartlessness, Karen thought.

Houndoom leapt at Umbreon sending a sharp electric shock through a gaping bite, practically sizzling with power. A critical hit. Umbreon fell in a crumpled heap onto the floor.
“Moonlight!” Karen exclaimed and her weakened Umbreon once again looked up at the ceiling as the white light began to glow.

“That’ll be enough for tonight. Fire Blast!” said Malva. Before the glimmers of light could even reach Umbreon, it was hit full throttle with another blazing inferno, faster, bigger and brighter than before! Smoke covered the entire arena as Karen braced herself at the impact of the powerful attack. Malva, on the other hand stood very still, unperturbed at the intensity of her Houndoom – the blast of the heat she felt assured her of victory.

As the ground cracked and crumbled beneath the arena, Umbreon lay there, unable to battle, its glowing amber rings no longer alight.

Karen stood there. Disappointment stung her eyes but she held her ground, her head bowed in defeat, hands clenched into fists at her side. This woman did not deserve to see her ‘lose’.

A slow clap started from above them. A tall man in a lab coat, looked down upon the arena through his steel rimmed glasses.

Karen could not take the humiliation. She retrieved her Umbreon back in its Pokeball, turning around to walk away without a word. Every cell of her body was ablaze with anger.

“When will they learn?” asked Malva, throwing a Pecha Berry concealed in her waist pocket to her smoking Houndoom who gulped it down in one bite.

“They won’t. But that’s why I have you my dear.” Replied Colress. He smiled gently, knowing that this was exactly what she needed to hear.

Malva beamed, uncharacteristically and ran out to pat her Houndoom for a job well done. She looked up to see Colress walking away.

As he closed the door to his private study behind him, he mouthed the words – “Why would I tolerate you otherwise?”