Cynthia used the split second that they hesitated to sweep her eyes over the flock of Vigoroth.

  Twelve, no, thirteen of them were clearly visible.

  All of them looking more than happy for a fight.

  “Vigo-!”

  One began.

  “Vigo-roth!”

  Another said.

  That was all they needed to gather their courage.

  Like a switch had been flipped, they surged forward in a chaotic mess.

  Cynthia’s heart skipped a beat, but she held her ground, instincts kicking in before fear could take root. When battling a group of Pokémon in the wilderness, there was often no time to formulate a strategy, no chance to plan.

  You just had to react.

  A lot of trainers couldn’t handle that, unprepared for anything beyond the structured, duel-like battles of the League.

  But Cynthia wasn’t most trainers.

  And Queenie didn’t need direction.

  With a growl, she lunged forward, blue flames licking at her maw as she aimed to draw as much attention as possible, freeing Cynthia to focus on the most important parts of the battle. Usually, that would have meant coordinating Riolu and Queenie to defend herself while counterattacking.

  Right now?

  Cynthia needed to have Myst focus on defending himself so she could take care of the horde.

  “Have Rei def-” Cynthia started.

  “Quick Attack!” Myst’s voice cut her off.

  To Rei’s credit, she didn’t hesitate.

  Cynthia just wished she would have.

  Rei vanished in a flash of white and by the time her eyes caught up the Vigoroth was already gone. She had moved across the entire field in a split second and slammed feet first into the Vigoroth at the front of the pack, sending it flying.

  Cynthia’s eyes widened.

  Fast.

  No.

  Insanely fast.

  Still, that kind of speed came at a cost.

  Rei’s attack might have taken out the first one, but where one fell two more appeared in its place. Their eyes shone with glee as they reached for the bunny, claws alit with Normal type energy.

  Cynthia’s heart skipped a beat at the sight.

  Then, like she had given up, Rei’s large eyes widened, shimmering with unspoken tears. Her entire demeanour shifted, becoming small and helpless, like a baby Pokémon facing down predators.

  The Vigoroth hesitated. Their ferocious faces softened, confusion flickering in their eyes for a split second.

  It cost them.

  Rei’s expression changed in an instant, flipping from victim to predator. The pitiful look vanished, replaced by a menacing grin.

  Her ears flared with a vivid reddish-orange glow.

  Double Kick.

  With movements too swift to follow, she parried both attacks, her ears striking their claws with a sharp crack.

  Then, using the momentum, she spun backwards, bouncing out of their reach while rubbing some salt in their wound by the way of her waving paw.

  Both of them screamed in rage, but before they could even think about chasing her Queenie’s Dragon Rage arrived.

  They both screamed in pain as the Dragon Type energy ate away at their Aura.

  Cynthia exhaled, a smile tugging at her lips.

  Just for that smile to be wiped off her face as a Vigoroth escaped Rei and Queenie, rushing straight toward her.

  “Low Kick!”

  Riolu snatched its legs out from under it, sending it crashing face-first into the ground. Then, before it could gather itself, Riolu reacted like she had taught him… by immediately smashing a Force Palm into the Vigoroth’s back, drawing a pained shout.

  Before he could finish it off, though, he vanished, reappearing in front of Myst to block another Vigoroth from jumping him.

  How did we get this far apart?, Cynthia wondered, suddenly noticing the considerable distance between them.

  Though, before she could process what that meant, she heard Queenie let out a pained groan, and her focus snapped back into the fight.

  “Slash around yourself to make some space!” She yelled.

  …

  Cynthia wanted to say she managed to keep the chaos contained, that the battle didn’t devolve into a free-for-all where Riolu had to throw himself in front of wildly charging Vigoroth to defend her and Myst.

  Unfortunately, that would be a lie.

  It wasn’t even really anybody’s fault.

  Everybody was fighting in the best way they knew, the way they had been trained to do.

  Rei continued to use hit and run tactics, picking away at the Vigoroth who were isolated or distracted

  Riolu fought with the virtue of pure technical skill, using every trick in the book.

  Queenie?

  She overwhelmed her opponents with sheer power. Standing in the middle of the fray, she shrugged off every Slash thrown at her, retaliating with Dragon Rage or brutal Slashes of her own.

  They were all doing their best.

  It was just unfortunate that their training didn’t include fighting with another trainer.

  Cynthia gritted her teeth.

  It was an annoying thing to realize, that while she had trained to fight free-for-all’s, she hadn’t trained her Pokémon to do so with an unstable element.

  In her ideal world, Queenie would be the spearhead, engaging the horde head-on, while Rei and Riolu kept the rest off their backs. Then they’d close the distance to present a single unified target, allowing Queenie to defend them while Rei and Riolu went on the attack. It was just a better use of resources, with neither of the smaller Pokémon being suited for defense.

  Unfortunately, she had no time to communicate any of this, and so Myst had sent Rei on the attack as well.

  Which left Riolu alone to pick up the slack.

  Panting with effort, Riolu darted across the battlefield, using Quick Attack for all it was worth. He weaved through the chaos, striking with pinpoint accuracy to defend Myst while also defending Cynthia. His movements were precise, every step calculated, but it was wearing on him.

  Cynthia’s heart twisted as she watched him appear in front of Myst, his two short arms barely deflecting a Slash from a Vigoroth with a burst of effort.

  “Argh!” A low groan came from Queenie, and Cynthia snapped her head that way.

  ‘This was getting out of hand.’

  Queenie grunted as another Slash hit her fin, and three Vigoroth slipped past her without her noticing.

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  We’re winning, but too slowly, Cynthia thought.

  “Queenie, left! Dragon Rage!” She commanded.

  “Help her out!” Myst voice rang out at the same time.

  ‘Wait what.’

  Cynthia barely had time to raise a hand before Rei blurred forward, smashing into and then through a Vigorth, just as Queenie’s Dragon Rage tore through the space it had occupied moments before.

  Her speed had carried her out of the way, but that had been close.

  Lucky... too lucky, Cynthia thought, gritting her teeth.

  This was getting out of control, they would win, but they had to win cleanly. And that?

  That was something she could see it slipping through her fingers. Even worse, she knew why. She wasn’t adapting fast enough. She was too used to leading alone, too rigid in her strategies. It wasn’t Rei or Riolu’s fault.

  It wasn’t even Myst’s.

  It was hers.

  ‘You’re better than this,’ she berated herself, eyes darting between the chaos. ‘You’re supposed to be better than this.’ Cynthia had always prided herself as an exceptional battler. That was the part that had come natural to her.

  So, it felt grating to realize that she should have really tried out some doubles.

  Even so…

  ‘Focus. Adapt. Move.’

  She couldn’t just hesitate, something needed to be done and soon.

  So, Cynthia started thinking.

  What was the main problem?

  She wasn’t close enough to Myst.

  What was the solution?

  Get closer.

  Easier said than done of course. In the chaos, they had moved further apart. From an initial three meters, they were now closer to six... but six meters was something she could close in seconds.

  Cynthia looked around the battlefield, gauging how viable the plan was.

  At any given moment, at least six Vigoroth surrounded Queenie, while four others either attacked her and Myst or were distracted by Rei. If Queenie could hold off just one of those attacking her and Myst, Rei and Riolu could handle the rest.

  Which made it doable.

  She could make it.

  “Queenie, Dragon Rage! Rei, Riolu, cover me!” she shouted.

  Then she took off.

  It took one moment before anybody reacted to her moving.

  It took two before she regretted her actions.

  She thought the Vigoroth were focused on them before, but as soon as she moved, it was like she became a beacon.

  She didn’t attract four.

  She didn’t attract five.

  All of them turned toward her like sharks sensing blood.

  It was honestly probably disobedience that saved her.

  Queenie reacted not with Dragon Rage, she instead used the sudden lapse of attention from her opponents to charge up her strongest attack. Blue-purple energy exploded from her talons, forming swordlike claws.

  Dragon Claw

  Then she instantly smashed them into two of the Vigoroth closest to her.

  Eight still got through.

  Five meters.

  Rei appeared between two of them, an Ice Punch on each ear freezing two of them to the ground.

  Six left.

  Four meters.

  Riolu struck with Force Palm, then spun to sweep another off its feet.

  Four left.

  Three meters.

  Queenie unleashed a fully charged Dragon Rage, having it curving around her teammates like a snake.

  Two left.

  Two meters.

  Cynthia threw herself to the side as a Slash flew past, barely avoiding it. She hit the ground hard.

  One left.

  One meter left.

  The last Vigoroth reached for her with glowing white claws.

  ‘What a stupid fucking idea this was.’

  She closed her eyes, bracing for pain.

  An arm wrapped around her, jerking her back. A grunt rang out, then something warm and wet splattered against her face.

  Blood.

  She hadn’t panicked before.

  Never.

  Not when she got lost in the caves outside of Celestic at six years old.

  Not when she got outed as the granddaughter of Professor Carolina at her first gym battle and had every battler there make backhanded comments about her.

  Not even when she was chased by a swarm of Dustox large enough to blanket the sky and forced to dive into the river for cover.

  But when she opened her eyes and saw Myst’s body collapse onto her-

  She almost screamed.

  The Vigoroth let out a victorious roar, but Rei slammed into it before it could attack again. Her adorable, menacing charm was gone, replaced by a frantic, vicious fury.

  “Bun... buneary?” Rei’s voice cracked, eyes wide and lost as she looked at her trainer.

  That did it.

  Cynthia felt herself panic.

  “MYST!”

  She scrambled out from under him as he collapsed to the ground without a sound. Her eyes locked on the wound almost immediately, a deep gash running down his right arm.

  For a second, she just stared, watching the blood drip steadily from it.

  Blood.

  Too much of it. Too red. Too real.

  Her mind went blank. She knew, in a distant, detached way, that people got hurt in the wilderness.

  She’d known it happened.

  She just hadn’t known.

  The blood dripped steadily, staining the grass beneath him. The soft patter snapped her out of her trance.

  Suddenly, everything was painfully clear.

  There was no time for panic. She had to move.

  “Rei,” she called, her voice low but steady, sounding almost foreign to herself. “Take care of the rest.” She threw her backpack off her shoulders, letting it fall to the ground. “I’ve got him. He’ll be fine.”

  Rei hesitated, eyes flicking between Myst and the circling Vigoroth. Cynthia forced herself to smile, even as her hands shook.

  “It’ll be fine. Promise.” She whispered.

  That did it.

  Rei’s eyes hardened with resolve. She spun around and launched herself at the Vigoroth, a white blur of speed and vengeance.

  Cynthia’s hands fumbled as she tore through her backpack, spilling its contents. Clothes, food, useless, all of it. Then, finally, a pink box tumbled out, a cartoon Chansey smiling up from the lid.

  She hadn’t wanted to pack it. It was embarrassing. But her grandmother’s lectures about being prepared had worn her down.

  Now, she could have kissed her grandmother for being so stubborn.

  Inside, bandages and ointments lay neatly organized, but they wouldn’t be enough. Not for this.

  Her eyes locked on the real treasure inside. A dark red vial nestled in the corner, its glass shimmering with faint energy.

  Not a potion. Something far rarer.

  An emergency Aura booster. A Heal Pulse in a bottle.

  Her grandmother had called it a miracle in a can, capable of supercharging a humans Aura to heal even life-threatening wounds. Cynthia had scoffed at the cost, thinking it was overkill.

  She wasn’t laughing now.

  She yanked off the cap, revealing the nozzle, and aimed it at his arm. She pressed down.

  Nothing happened.

  Her heart skipped. She pressed again. Harder.

  Still nothing.

  Panic surged, cold and sharp. Her vision blurred as she pressed it again and again, praying for something to change.

  It didn’t.

  “You... need to twist the cap,” Myst’s voice croaked.

  Her head snapped up, eyes widening. “You’re awake?” Relief flooded her so hard her vision blurred. She quickly wiped her eyes, not wanting him to see her cry. “You... you idiot. Don’t scare me like that.”

  His lips twitched, a shadow of his usual grin. “Just... took a nap.” His voice was weak, hoarse, but his eyes flicked down to the bottle still clutched in her trembling hands. “But yeah, I think you need to twist it.”

  She looked down, spotting the twist-lock mechanism. Of course, she knew that... Hands were still shaking, she managed to turn the tip, hearing a faint click as it unlocked.

  She didn’t hesitate. Aiming at his arm, she pressed, and a surge of liquid sprayed out. It sank into his wound, glowing faintly as the torn flesh knitted itself together.

  Myst’s body went rigid, his face contorting with pain.

  “You... couldn’t have warned me... it’d burn?” he grunted, clenching his jaw.

  Cynthia’s shoulders sagged, tension draining from her body all at once. She let out a weak, shaky laugh. “You... idiot. I thought you were going to die there for a second, and you’re complaining about the pain?”

  His eyes fluttered open, just barely, a flicker of his usual mischief sparking to life. “I... don’t do dying... too much effort.”

  A sob choked out of her, half a laugh, half a cry.

  …

  As they stumbled into the cave, Cynthia barely had time to catch her breath before Myst all but collapsed onto the floor.

  He’d looked tired before, but now?

  His face was ashen, dark circles shadowing his eyes. His arm was bound tight, the makeshift bandage keeping pressure off his arm. She thought back to the Aura booster and grimaced.

  There was a reason people didn’t simply boost their Aura. The rebound was brutal, leaving them more exhausted than before. If he looked this bad now...

  Her heart sank. This would definitely put a chink in their plan of getting out in under a week.

  Not that it was his fault.

  Even now, she felt her throat lock up as her mind replayed the battle in vivid, agonizing detail. Too many mistakes to count.

  Not planning ahead on how to handle encounters.

  Not asking how he usually fought with Rei.

  Not noticing they were getting split up until it was too late.

  She’d always been confident in her battling, in her strategies. She was supposed to be good at this. But today...

  Today she realized she had a lot to learn.

  “How did that medicine even work?” Myst’s voice cut through her thoughts, startling her.

  She looked up to find him leaning against the wall, a casual smile plastered on his face. It was painfully obvious.

  He was trying to distract her.

  She almost rolled her eyes. And he said her acting was bad.

  Even so, she answered, “It boosts your Aura, giving you similar healing to a Pokémon using Recover or getting a Pokémon to use Heal Pulse on you.”

  He nodded, his expression thoughtful. Then he hesitated, his brow furrowing. “And... what is Aura? Like... Aura, as in Aura Guardians?”

  Under normal circumstances, Cynthia would have jumped on that. What kind of question was that? Seriously, who didn’t know what Aura was? It was only the single most fundamental reason why Pokémon biology and battling worked the way they did.

  As the situation stood?

  “I suppose Aura Guardians are the most famous users of Aura among humans, but Aura is a lot more important to Pokémon...” She trailed off, unsure if she was just repeating something he already knew.

  He waved her on, eyes fixed on her with genuine curiosity.

  She let out a sigh, picking up Rei from the ground. The little rabbit didn’t even protest, instead curling into her, letting her ears rest under Cynthia’s chin.

  “What do you know about Aura?” she asked softly.

  Myst’s eyes went distant, his expression tightening. “I want to say nothing, but... I have a feeling that would be the wrong answer.”

  She softened. “I get it. Amnesia.” She hugged Rei a little tighter. “But yeah, you’re right. You should know. Have you noticed that when Pokémon fight, they only rarely end up seriously hurt?”

  “Yeah... I guess?” His gaze grew distant, exhaustion evident, but he was clearly trying to follow along.

  “Well, it’s mostly because of Aura. Pokémon have a thin... I guess shield is the best way to describe it, but that’s not quite right since they do still get hurt. Just think of it like a protective layer. When they take damage, that shield absorbs the impact, and when it breaks, that’s usually when a Pokémon faints.”

  Myst’s eyes widened, understanding dawning on his face. “So... that’s why they can take so many hits. It’s not just toughness or endurance.”

  “Exactly,” Cynthia said, not really surprised at how quickly he caught on. “It’s why moves look so flashy but don’t leave... well... permanent scars. Aura protects them. But once that’s depleted...” She glanced at his arm, her stomach twisting. “It’s dangerous.”

  He followed her gaze, then looked away. His voice was quieter when he spoke again. “And that... booster... it used Aura to heal me?”

  She nodded. “Well, it supercharged your Aura, letting your body repair itself. But it’s not perfect. It drains you, hard. That’s why you feel so awful.”

  His lips curled into a weak smile. “Yeah... no kidding.” For a moment, silence settled between them, the weight of everything that happened lingering.

  Then, Myst’s eyes softened. “Thanks, Cynthia. You... saved me.”

  She looked away, her chest tightening. “Yeah... well... next time, I won’t mess up so badly.”

  Myst blinked, confusion flickering across his face. But before he could question her, Cynthia buried her face in Rei’s fur, her voice muffled.

  “Just... get some rest, idiot.”