Chapter 31: Raid

  Noizy, my Zubat, fluttered around the upper part of the cave, trying to find an angle to get close to Lapras. At the same time, the massive sea Pokémon lifted its neck, and the Squirtle perched on its shell aided it by firing Ice Beam attacks. They seemed like an improvised duo, almost as if Squirtle were Lapras’ offspring—though their species had nothing to do with each other—defending it fiercely. The scrawny reptile was cunning: every time Noizy swooped down, it conjured another icy spark, forcing my Zubat to ascend again with agile twists to dodge.

  —“Noizy, keep your distance for another second!”—I shouted, sweating from sheer nerves. To my right, Ethan and his group provided covering fire with coordinated attacks that, at first glance, seemed efficient.

  Ethan’s three closest companions—Antonio, Tadeo, and Cira—led a joint assault, methodically trying to corner Lapras. Antonio commanded his Scyther to strike with Quick Attack and Fury Cutter in rapid bursts. The green insect zigzagged, slashing at the air with precise but ineffective strikes that failed to fully pierce Lapras’ thick skin. Tadeo, always composed, controlled his Onix carefully: the massive serpentine Pokémon emerged from the ground using Dig and, at his trainer’s signal, hurled debris with Rock Throw, aiming at Lapras’ flank to block its escape route. Meanwhile, Cira had her Pidgeotto flying overhead, flapping its wings with Gust and Wing Attack to try and unbalance Squirtle.

  Further back stood Neva, Rayna, and Faviola. Three girls, three very different Eevee: one fired Ice Beam, another generated electric sparks using Thunder Shock, and the last unleashed a modest flame with Ember. The Eevee trio moved cautiously, trying to clear an opening at Lapras’ rear. While they showed some composure, you could see in their eyes the unease of facing such a massive opponent.

  Ethan, at the center, remained on standby, waiting for his opportunity. His Munchlax launched physical attacks like Body Slam and Tackle, already worn out from the relentless battle. I observed Ethan critically, trying to figure out when he would unleash something devastating like Hyper Beam, but he seemed more focused on analyzing the situation rather than supporting his frontline allies.

  In contrast, Kara was right in the thick of the action. Her two Fighting-type Pokémon, Karate the Machop and Box the Mankey, moved aggressively and with unwavering determination. They coordinated their attacks to harass both Lapras and the Squirtle riding it. Every time the sea beast let out a growl and struck with its fin or launched a Water Gun, Kara jumped back with incredible agility, dragging Machop and Mankey with her. Her eyes glowed with a bright blue aura, which I recognized as a manifestation of her Fighting-type strength.

  Meanwhile, Vera hovered slightly above the ground with her Abra, Sage, keeping a safe distance as she erected Protect barriers to shield Kara and the others from the relentless flurry of icy attacks. Each time Squirtle fired Ice Beam or Aurora Beam with deadly precision, Vera raised her hand, and Sage reacted: a pink glow materialized in the air, deflecting the ice attack before it could hit Kara or the close-range fighters. Even so, the battle was intense, and I could see the exhaustion in Vera’s shoulders from maintaining such a constant defense.

  Amidst the chaos, I desperately wanted my Noizy to get close enough to Lapras to use Chatter—a sound-based attack that, while not lethal, could confuse most opponents. The problem was that tiny blue-shelled menace: Squirtle seemed to have an instinct for counterattacking the moment Noizy approached. It didn’t matter how much Tadeo and Antonio maneuvered Onix and Scyther to box in Lapras—there was no clear opening for my Zubat to break through.

  —“You need to get closer!”—I suddenly heard Vera’s voice in my head. I blinked, startled by the telepathic link she had established with Kara and me. “Trust my strategy. I’ll move the necessary pieces, but I need Aspen’s Zubat and Kara’s Pokémon ready for a direct assault.”

  —“Direct assault?”—I thought, confused, without speaking aloud so as not to reveal our telepathic conversation. I could sense Kara’s tension too as she responded mentally with a simple, “Got it,” while locking her sights on the Water-type beast.

  At that moment, Vera nodded at Sage, whose irises glowed a deep pink. I recognized that hue: Gravity.

  The atmosphere inside the cave suddenly grew dense. The air became heavier, sticky—as if a force was pressing everything down toward the ground. Lapras let out a coarse roar, lowering its head involuntarily under the increased pressure. Squirtle, disoriented, almost lost its footing on the wet shell, slipping for a moment.

  —“Now!”—I shouted, seizing the opportunity. I signaled for Noizy to dive. But just a fraction of a second before launching, my Zubat was also affected by Gravity. The poor Pokémon lost control, plummeting toward the rocky floor.

  —“Noizy!”—I shrieked, stepping forward in horror.

  But a familiar hand acted first: Kara, with her incredible strength and reflexes, had understood what was happening in an instant. Her bright blue aura crackled in her eyes as she leaped forward and caught my Zubat mid-air before it could crash against the rocks. Even with Gravity weighing down on her, she moved with surprising finesse.

  —“Relax, Asp,”—Kara said through gritted teeth, smirking.—“If you can’t get close, I’ll do it for you!”

  With Noizy secured in her left hand, Kara sprang into action, leaping across the frozen platforms and jagged rocks. Meanwhile, Lapras struggled against the pressure, and Squirtle lined up another Ice Beam aimed directly at Kara. For a split second, I feared they would freeze both her and my Zubat solid, but Vera quickly conjured another Protect barrier, deflecting the icy attack. I saw Vera’s head droop slightly, her exhaustion from maintaining so many defenses becoming more apparent.

  —“Come on, Noizy, attack!”—I shouted at the top of my lungs as Kara reached Lapras’ flank, just a few meters from its powerful fin.

  She extended her arm, giving Noizy a clear line of sight.

  —“Chatter!”—I commanded, focusing all my energy.

  But something felt different. Instead of the usual chaotic, disorienting noise, I felt a strange pull in my stomach, a tingling in my throat as if I were losing my voice. Suddenly, a violet flash flickered in my vision, sending chills down my spine.

  Then, the Chatter attack erupted.

  But it wasn’t just noise. It was a wave of poisonous sound, an amplified distortion that spread like an infectious disease throughout the cavern.

  Lapras bellowed, shaking violently. Squirtle clutched its head, eyes squeezed shut in terror. Both displayed clear signs of confusion: stumbling, wobbling, as if the world around them had started spinning uncontrollably.

  But the real horror came next.

  The Chatter didn’t just affect them—it struck everyone.

  Kara’s Machop and Mankey groaned, grabbing their heads. Kara herself trembled for a second, her blue aura flickering. Antonio and his Scyther recoiled in pain. Onix from Tadeo let out a wail, crashing into the cave wall. Pidgeotto spiraled down, while Cira screamed its name. The three Eevee collapsed, whimpering. Even Ethan clutched his ears, his Munchlax stumbling beside him.

  Everyone was suffering… except me.

  I stood there, untouched by the chaos I had caused.

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  —“What have I done…?”—I whispered, horrified, watching the cave full of people and Pokémon writhing in agony from my newly discovered venomous sound attack.

  For the first time, I felt truly dangerous.

  The most surreal part was that I felt nothing—not a single hint of disorientation or dizziness from the venomous Chatter attack I had unleashed. It was as if Noizy had channeled my poison-based energy into its sound waves, sparing me entirely.

  I turned my gaze to Vera and saw that she had managed to protect herself just in time by raising a Psychic Shield, shielding both herself and Sage from the attack. Kara, on the other hand, had been briefly affected—she let out a low growl and staggered—but her aura pulsed intensely, immediately snapping her out of the confusion.

  Meanwhile, Noizy, after releasing such an overwhelming attack, collapsed in Kara’s arms, unconscious from the overexertion.

  I barely had time to react before a sudden movement caught my attention—Lapras, still confused and writhing in agony, let out a deep, guttural cry and prepared to charge forward with a reckless Headbutt, directly toward Kara and my Zubat.

  Kara instinctively raised her forearm, bracing herself. Despite her aura shielding her, Lapras’ sheer force sent her skidding several meters back, scraping across the ice. Mankey and Machop were still too confused to come to her aid.

  —“I… I can’t hold on…!”—Kara muttered through clenched teeth, struggling to stay on her feet while still cradling Noizy in one arm.

  Luckily, Lapras’ confusion worked against it: in a clumsy motion, it crashed into a jagged rock formation, sending shards of ice flying. That was the opening we needed.

  Freed from their confusion, Mankey and Machop saw the opportunity and launched themselves at Squirtle, who was still dazed atop Lapras’ back. The small turtle Pokémon barely had time to react before Machop struck with Karate Chop, followed by Mankey delivering a second Karate Chop, sending Squirtle soaring through the air and smashing against the cave wall.

  —“Karate, Box, finish it off!” —Kara roared, adjusting Noizy’s weight in her grip.

  Without hesitation, her Fighting-types lunged at the disoriented Squirtle, delivering rapid, powerful blows. Meanwhile, Kara charged at Lapras, her aura burning bright as she landed a flurry of punches to its neck. The Water/Ice-type flailed, unable to mount an effective counterattack.

  From the sidelines, Vera had been observing closely. With a sharp flick of her wrist, she raised her hand again. Sage’s eyes gleamed, and the Protect barrier around Lapras suddenly shifted—this time, it clamped down over its mouth, preventing it from launching a Water Gun or Aurora Beam.

  That was my moment.

  With trembling hands, I manifested a small crystalline needle of poison, a move I had barely learned to control. I hurled it with all my strength, aiming for the exposed area just beneath Lapras’ thick scales.

  Vera, sensing my intention, guided the needle telekinetically, ensuring it pierced the soft tissue just behind Lapras’ shoulder.

  The giant Pokémon let out a piercing wail, its entire body convulsing from the poisoning. For a brief moment, I felt a pang of guilt—it wasn’t Lapras’ fault that it had gotten caught in this mess. But I couldn’t let myself hesitate now.

  Still disoriented and poisoned, Lapras struggled but managed to conjure a refreshing blue aura around its body—Aqua Ring.

  I clenched my teeth. That move would help it recover over time. And sure enough, despite its weakened state, Lapras summoned one last desperate surge of strength, using its tail to propel itself backward, creating a wave of icy water that nearly swept Kara off her feet.

  Then, it turned and fled.

  —“It’s escaping!”—I shouted, watching as Lapras slid across the ice, making its way toward the cave’s exit. Despite the lingering effects of confusion and poisoning, it was moving fast.

  Kara hesitated, torn between chasing Lapras or tending to Noizy.

  In the end, she made her decision.

  With a heavy sigh, she pulled Noizy closer, protecting my Zubat rather than pursuing Lapras. Instead of frustration, I felt a deep sense of gratitude toward her.

  —“Here,”—she said gruffly, handing Noizy to me with a surprising amount of care.

  I looked at my unconscious Pokémon, guilt gnawing at me. With a whisper of thanks, I recalled Noizy into its Poké Ball.

  That was when I noticed something else.

  The Squirtle, knocked out from the previous blows, lay motionless on the ground.

  And Ethan—standing over it, Poké Ball in hand, smiling—was ready to claim his prize.

  His team—Antonio, Tadeo, Cira, Neva, Rayna, and Faviola—had already regrouped. But instead of helping to stop Lapras, they were focusing entirely on securing Squirtle.

  With zero hesitation, Ethan threw the Poké Ball.

  The small red-and-white sphere struck Squirtle, absorbing the dazed Pokémon in a beam of light. After three faint shakes… the Poké Ball clicked shut.

  Squirtle was caught.

  —“Well done, everyone.” —Ethan’s voice rang out with casual satisfaction. He held up the Poké Ball like a trophy.

  Then he turned toward us—toward Kara, Vera, and me—his expression unreadable.

  —“You did a fantastic job with Lapras,”—he said smoothly—“A truly impressive effort. I knew I could count on you.”

  Something inside me twisted.

  Kara, fists clenched, seethed with barely restrained anger. Her Pokémon—Machop and Mankey—stood at her sides, victorious yet dissatisfied.

  Vera, equally unimpressed, floated beside me, her Abra perched on her shoulder, a look of disapproval in her violet eyes.

  —“Now that everything is settled,”—Ethan continued, speaking as if the Lapras encounter had been nothing more than a minor inconvenience—“we can work together moving forward. You’ve proven yourselves worthy. It would be an honor to have you with us.”

  The rejection was immediate.

  —“Work together?”—Kara scoffed, her voice laced with scorn—“Since when does ‘together’ mean you lot ditching us to catch Squirtle while we handle Lapras alone?”

  Vera, cold as ever, nodded in agreement.

  —“I never once saw any of you step in when Kara was nearly crushed.” She met Ethan’s gaze unflinchingly. “Or when Aspen’s Zubat was about to be obliterated.”

  Ethan’s three closest allies—Antonio, Tadeo, and Cira—glanced at each other, silent.

  Neva, Rayna, and Faviola—the Eevee trainers—said nothing. They seemed pleased with their role in the battle, oblivious to the betrayal we had just endured.

  Ethan… smiled.

  —“Our priority was the Squirtle,”—he said, voice unwavering—“Besides, I had full confidence that you could handle Lapras. You’re strong.”

  —“That’s not an excuse.” —Kara’s voice was sharp, her frustration clear. “You didn’t even try to help. You left us for dead.”

  —“Come now, Kara, don’t be so sentimental.” —Ethan’s tone was almost patronizing—“We achieved our goal, didn’t we?”

  He held up Squirtle’s Poké Ball, as if that alone justified everything.

  A chilling silence followed.

  I felt Ethan’s gaze shift to me.

  I knew what he was thinking.

  He still had something I needed—the permit for my Alolan Grimer, Dozy.

  I hesitated.

  But before I could speak, I felt two hands grip my shoulders—Kara’s on one side, Vera’s on the other.

  Without waiting for my answer, they pulled me away.

  —“Aspen isn’t joining you either,”—Kara declared firmly.

  I didn’t resist.

  I could feel Ethan’s smile linger.

  And somehow, I knew this wasn’t over.

  Ethan’s smile lingered.

  —“As you wish.”

  He said it with a carefree shrug, as if he didn’t care. But something in his tone—in the way his eyes narrowed slightly—told me that he was not the kind of person who forgot slights easily.

  —“If you ever change your minds, you know where to find me.”

  And with that, he turned away.

  His group—Antonio, Tadeo, Cira, and the others—followed without question, as if nothing had happened.

  I exhaled. The moment they were gone, it felt like a weight had lifted from my chest.

  Vera, beside me, released my shoulder with a small sigh.

  —“I have something to take care of,”—she muttered. “You two… rest for a while.”

  Before I could ask what she meant, she disappeared in a blink of violet light, teleporting away with Sage.

  Kara and I were left standing alone on the warm sands of the beach.

  The contrast was jarring—from the icy chaos of the cave to the gentle lapping of the waves at the shore. The Wingull overhead glided lazily through the sky, completely unaware of the storm of emotions I was feeling.

  I was exhausted, both physically and mentally. My fingers curled around Noizy’s Poké Ball, feeling the smooth surface as I thought about what had just happened.

  Kara, meanwhile, hadn’t let go of my other shoulder.

  I turned my head slightly to look at her.

  She was staring at me.

  And then, she grinned.

  —“Hey,”—she said, her voice tinged with mischief—“Let’s play for a bit.”

  I blinked.

  —“What?”

  —“You heard me.”

  Her grip on my shoulder tightened slightly, and a shiver ran down my spine.

  —“You need to unwind,”—she continued, stretching her arms behind her head. “After all that mess, your body’s probably stiff. And I’ve got the perfect way to help you loosen up.”

  I stepped back instinctively, my gut warning me that her definition of “playing” probably involved training matches that left people sore for days.

  —“Kara…”

  —“Relax, I won’t go all out,”—she said sweetly—which, for Kara, probably meant she’d only beat me half to death instead of completely.

  My mind raced for an excuse. Any excuse.

  But she was faster.

  Her fingers curled around my wrist, her grip firm but not painful, and a dangerous gleam flashed in her eyes.

  —“Come on, Asp.”

  My heart pounded wildly.

  I really didn’t feel like being her sparring partner, but running wasn’t an option—her grip was like steel.

  A shiver ran up my spine, reminding me that this same strength had made a Lapras tremble.

  I started coming up with a thousand excuses, but not a single one made it past my lips.

  “I have a really bad feeling about this,” I thought, letting out a bitter sigh.