Chapter 12: Zero Hour

*BRRRNG*

…

*BRRRNG*

After the bell stopped ringing, I slowly approached the Greninja’s position, still ready for anything in my battle stance.

However, the Greninja just stared back at me with an honestly creepy stillness. (He was just giving his attention, nothing more. Inside, he was probably somewhat startled.)

I stopped my movement once I was decently close. I would be ready for anything this trickster tried to pull.

And yet, he just sat there.

We were just silently staring at one another for what seemed like a couple of minutes. (Though in the Greninja’s case, he might have been focusing on my eyes if any good guess were to say.) Although the brief resting time was something I welcomed, my heart started to pound a bit.

 

Having enough of this nothingness, I broke the silence with my echo voice. “Well? I’m here. Alone. What do you want from me?”

His head tilted slightly upon hearing the question, hardly affected by my sudden shift in tone. “…What do I want?” he asked in a collected manner. “What could you mean by that?”

“Answer the question,” I demanded. (“What? ‘What could you mean-’ Come on!”)

The Greninja took a deep breath before stating his answer. “…Such a broad question, so many possible answers. How about…” His gaze sharpened into a glare. “I want you to get out of here and forget everything you saw.”>

The response made me blink. (“What? But then…why and how?”) My gaze narrowed, but I maintained my stance.

“Did I stutter?” The Greninja sternly asked, maintaining that harsh eye-contact.

I settled my stance and straightened. “Ah- Then what was the point of all this? Why abduct Lucy?”

Suddenly, the Greninja’s expression softened as he closed his eyes and then chuckled to himself. “Hehehehe…”

“It’s only logical. So what are you laughing about now?”

“Ah hahahaha!”

I frowned as my fists tightened.

 

Within a few moments, the Water-Type calmed himself down. “Ha ha hah…hah…You truly have no idea, do you? Especially surprising for someone of your breed. So much spark wasted away, and you don’t understand why you’re even here?”

My brow furrowed. “I understand enough. You took the fledgling just so you can…test me? Why?”

The Greninja sighed and stood up. His figure seemed quite average, albeit skinnier than most of his kind. And then there was that jacket of his. Torn and slit in several areas. It was a wonder how the ensemble was holding itself together (much like catacombs perhaps). He stared into my eyes. With our similar height, we basically would have stood as equals had it not been for our different origins.

“You misunderstand, Zeraora,” the Water-Type stated.

I bared my fangs in a hiss.

The leader remained unphased by my sound and continued with a scoff. The Greninja turned his back to me and started walking toward the path’s edge. “Allow me to rephrase it in words you legendary morons can understand. The fledgling wasn’t kidnapped. She came here of her own volition. That is the truth you’re seeking.”

My mouth went agape for a moment. I didn’t believe it. How could I believe it? It had to be a lie. (At the same time, the reactions thus far seemed genuine.)

I shook my head, trying to remind myself. “No! That is most certainly a lie. You must have coerced her into coming. There’s no other explanation.”

The Greninja shook his head, not even bothering to turn around. “So adamant. I, Shiro Hayashi, am indeed telling the truth. You have my word.”

“Like I’d trust your word, scum.”

Shiro turned back with only a quiet growl. “Do I have to spell it out to you?”

I only glared back at the Greninja, refusing to budge a muscle. I refused to believe it (and yet Ivory was somewhat correct). There was just no way it was possible. It was wrong, logically wrong. (The thoughts and memories stirred around. All the way to Midnight, Lucy somehow eluded all detection. Just vanishing with no trace. Of course there was the obvious question.) (“What in the world is going on?”)

Shiro sighed. “Perhaps I was wrong in thinking you’d be different and more…reasonable”

I closed my eyes for a moment. (“…There was only one way to find out, but first, I might as well do what’s ‘deemed necessary.’”) I focused my gaze on the Greninja, dropping my echo voice. “Reasonable? As if! You’re the one spouting nonsense! I came here for two reasons, and you’re one of them.”

The Greninja blinked. “And the other?”

I readied a stance. “It won’t be your problem.” Despite my fists and arms starting to shake, I knew now wasn’t the time for hesitation. Just knocking this guy out was the only priority on my mind.

With quick and brief hand motions, he punched his hand with a loud clap. “…Hmmph, but I’m afraid I can’t let you do that. You barged into this place, unannounced, unprovoked. You hurt dear friends and allies of mine. And that, I cannot tolerate.”

“So?” I remarked. “You’re the ones holding Lucy captive, you know.”

“And I regret that mistake,” Shiro stated.

“Quit lying.”

“I told you that is no lie. But you seem to think you’re above that, just like every other legendary. Using a child and our empathy against us.” He pointed at me. “You truly know no shame, just like that mayor.”

“Stop blaming me!” I spat back. “What do I have to gain?”

Shiro glared back at me. But then suddenly, “Oh I see it all too clearly. You’re just a clueless pawn, a soldier with orders. They say ‘jump’, you jump and never ask questions.”

I blinked at the statement, but shook my head to concentrate. “What’s with the assumptions?”

“Oh no no no. These are not assumptions. I did not hesitate to electrocute the loyal people I worked with. People that fought with blood, sweat, and tears to overcome their limits. People with their own story. People I grew to enjoy the company of.”

Shiro crossed his arms. “And here you are now, destroying years of hard work for a noble effort. You’re the monster here, not me.”

(He may have seen the effort as monstrous. Perhaps he was right. Perhaps mistakes were made, but me, monstrous? No. I wouldn’t fight without reason.) I took my battle stance. I may have been confused, but I wasn’t going to let him distract me anymore. I may as well have been talking to the wall. “I’m not playing your game.”

 

Just as I said this, the sound of footsteps made their way to my ears.

A brief glance showed a group of thugs entering the garden, ready to attack, but then…

“Do not interfere!” Shiro announced, “I will deal with the loathsome intruder myself!” The Greninja adopts his own crouching fighting stance. One hand up front, the other at his side.

I told the Greninja, “Your move, sunshine.”

Rather than attack, Shiro stepped to my right, inviting me to take my place on the other side.

I cautiously obliged, keeping a sharp eye on the Greninja and rubbing my paws on the way.

 

Once I finished stepping to the left side, I reinforced my defensive posture once more.

Shrio continued to stare at my posture, clearly trying to find a weakness.

The two of us could barely see each other twitch.

After what felt like an eternity, the Greninja suddenly vanished with a whoosh of wind.

My heart stopped for that brief moment when Shiro soared to my personal space with a ready kick.

I tried a simple uppercut with my left paw within the split-second, but he jumped on it and used it as a backflipping stool.

Just as I stepped forward to regain the balance, my chin was greeted with an incoming knee.

The blow nearly knocked me on my back had it not been for a neatly-timed handstand. Using a handspring maneuver, I sprang toward Shiro with a drop kick.

Sadly, he predicted the movement and jumped over, knocking me back up with a Water Shuriken to the back.

 

The attack caused me to tumble forward, but the Greninja kept rushing at me with a low stride.

So I opted to let out a small Thunder Shock from my fingers as I turned around.

The explosion pushed him back, dealing some decent damage, but it also blew me backwards onto my hide and right into the flowers. (The energy waste didn’t help either.)

Shiro landed gracefully, dusting himself off. “Hmmph. So that’s how you got here so quickly…how bothersome.”

He tossed a Water Shuriken at me and I quickly pulled out a pair of Iron Spikes.

Like I did once before, I batted the projectile away with a swipe of the spikes, but the Shuriken was evidently far stronger than those the Acelgors used earlier; the spike shattered in my hands and I was left with a very obvious opening on my part.

Shiro quickly exploited my opening with a kick to the gut that sent me into a nearby stream of water.

 

I splashed down into the knee-high pond. It didn’t take long for me to come out coughing, expecting another attack.

To my surprise however, the Greninja was not at the shore; there were only on-looking gang members watching my spot.

A splash came from behind and before I could react, my head was shoved back into the waters again. I tried to stand, but the Greninja’s foot kept my head pinned down.

(“This guy really is gonna test fate, geez!”) I struggled, trying to find some other way to get out. Even a newcomer to Electric-Types knew where this was going. (“Is this guy nuts? If I shocked him here, he’ll get…”) Then it hit me, it was my survival or his life here.

Shaking didn’t work. Pushing up? No good, the ground was slippery. Air was running out fast. He really wanted this choice to happen. But then a rather odd thought came to me. (“This is a bluff. He’s scared.”)

(Having enough of the indecisiveness, I let loose some frustration.) Before I realized it, the pressure on my head released itself and my body sparked.

Wasting no time, I rose up out of the water and coughed.

As this happened, Shiro made a remark from farther behind. “I see. You do have character, after all.”

 

Turning toward the source, Shiro stood on another shore behind me, shaking the water off his feet.

I gritted my teeth. He knew I could hear the words. (He knew it would insult a legendary.)

“Now,” Shiro said. “Show me what else you’re hiding.”

Once I caught my breath, I jumped up and used Thunderbolt toward the water to boost myself up to speed. But just as I reached the shore, Shiro started leaping up the nearby tree.

“Get back here!” I shouted.

“Come,” he replied. “The night is young.” He hopped up several branches.

With a violent hiss, I clawed high up the tree and its branches to follow the Greninja.

---

I quickly found myself in a rather precarious area with many thin branches and the sound of Shiro’s movements. My blinks were starting to slow; my body leaned slightly for a moment. 

I shook my head and looked around. …Nothing. “Show yourself!”

No reply, but then…

*WHOO-PHIOOO!*

I was startled as a spike whistled by my ear. I leaned over, nearly falling off the branch I was on.

I barely grabbed my foothold when…

*PRFF!*

I was kicked from behind by Shiro, causing me to fall short distance onto another big branch. 

Shiro rushed for another hiding spot while I was down. So I flung one of my own spikes toward the Greninja’s path.

Instead of surprise, Shiro simply gave me a dull side glance as he whacked the projectile out of the air with his own Iron Spike. And just like that, he kept going.

 

I stood up at that moment and searched. The bright glow and raining petals of the trees made it difficult to see, let alone find Shiro. Aside from quick, shadowy streaks, I didn’t have much to work with.

A whistle sound.

I ducked as another spike rushed above my head. I started moving from branch to branch. (“There has to be something I can do, but where is he though? I can’t just keep tossing lightning around either…”)

A sharp pain hit my shoulder as a spike shattered on it. Dark-Type energy blasted out as well, causing me to drop to one knee as a result. I winced as the pain settled in.

“Ergh, Dang it,” I muttered with a slow huff.

“Oh? What’s the matter?” Shiro inquired from a distance, “Don’t tell me you’ve grown tired already. I know there’s more, so much more.”

My ears kept swiveling about. (“Oh shut up, you.”) I took a deep breath and waited patiently.

A branch shook and then another…and another…

(“Hmmm…”) Thoughts circulated. More particularly…performance was a subject on my mind. (“These foreign ideas, they helped before…”)

 

My ear swiveled, a sound from behind. I promptly turned around with a single-handed Scratch swipe.

…

…

…But my strike missed. All I struck was a leaf. I felt extra weight on the branch. (“Gaaaah! Seriously?!?”)

“Amateur,” Shiro remarked in disappointment.

I turned to my left, only for my side to get a solid kick, which also knocked me off the branch.

(Shiro swung around the branch with his tongue and used the momentum to provide a substantial kick attack after the whiffed counter. Clever tactic.) After knocking me off, the Greninja jumped and slashed at me with spikes once more.

I hastily made a Scratch web with my claws in response, barely pushing the Water-Type back.

 

However, the force of the clash sent me through several branches before I finally landed on somewhat solid ground.

I was holding on tightly and looking down.

The other branches and petals made it impossible to tell how high up I was. Either way, there was a big problem. (“Shocks would be nice, if I wasn’t tiring myself out too…There’s gotta be something he’s not considering…”) 

I winced as I noticed a lingering tiredness. I was starting to feel a little worn down, far more than usual. Whatever I was going to do, I needed to do it quickly and efficiently. (There was one idea. A risky idea, but it’d be far better than swinging blindly.)

 

With some inspiration in mind, I pulled myself up and ran toward the smaller branches.

“Don’t tell me you’re running now…” Shiro taunted.

I irritably tossed a spike to my left.

“Don’t you see how- Agh!”

“…Finally!” I huffed. I was getting sick of Shiro’s talking. Didn’t expect a lucky hit out of it, but a hit was a hit.

A water whoosh came my way, a Water Shuriken.

 

I hopped up a couple more branches to get out of the way.

Again and again more silent projectiles, each failed attempt to hit me was met with an increasingly frustrated growl (just as desired).

 

Finally, I managed to jump through a wall of petals and branches. I was surprised with not only a clear view of the garden, but also the short-lived dead end.

I quickly stopped myself, nearly hugging a thinner part of the branch. The branch hung over the edge of the central building. The visible ground below shot away from my gaze and my heart started rapidly beating.

With a strong shiver, I tore myself away from the edge and turned around. And there was the Greninja with the entrance I used behind him.

I stood up, but the branch was wobbly where I was (as if the body wasn’t wobbling enough from all the prior blows).

“Hmmph, quite precarious, just like you,” Shiro said, “No more ground to use, no more fleeting ‘morality’, just a fragile will like the branch you stand upon.” 

I squinted back at the Greninja. “And I’ve just about had it with that blasphemy tonight.”

Shiro shook his head at the statement. “Blasphemy? Hmmph!”

With an enraged huff, I made a short stride before crouching in preparation for a jump.

Shiro kept a sharp glare aimed at me as I did this. He looked prepared to jump as well.

I made a short hop while the Greninja leaped up high, too high. (“Heh, serves him right for relying on assumptions.”) I took the chance to run beneath him.

Shiro noticed my tactic and swiftly tossed several spikes toward the branch wall.

However, I was not aiming to flee again. Instead, I ducked and turned around once I was behind him.

I raised a sparking fist to make even more light.

The tree’s glow combined with the bright light of my incoming sparks created too much for Shiro to gaze at as he landed. As a result, he winced. That moment was all I needed.

I rushed at Shiro with a basic wind-up punch. (No matter how obnoxious he was, he was not worth wasting a full-powered Mega Punch on, let alone the full power of Zeraora.)

The punch dealt a heavy blow on Shiro’s chest, knocking him off the branch.

The momentum would have sent me off as well had I not held onto the branches with my tail hanging below. 

With Shiro a small distance away from the branches, I assumed he had no way of saving himself. So, I decided to slowly crawl back as he fell.

 

Just as my back turned however, a strong weight suddenly pulled me downward by the tail. 

I barely grabbed on the branch with a clawed death grip. Even then, something kept pulling on my tail. (It was Shiro. He probably used that ridiculously long tongue of his…ewww.)

Try as I might, I just couldn’t bear the pain as my claws slowly lost their grip. And then I fell. My heart skipped several beats over.

 

With quick breaths, I turned around to see Shiro pulling a wing-shaped wand from his robe. My mind was too scattered to think much. All I knew was that it was a way out for Shiro and I needed a ride.

I fired off a Thunder Shock to propel myself to the Greninja.

Right after Shiro shot the wand’s projectile, I latched onto him with a death grip. In doing so, I caused us to spin around at a quick rate.

In time, the wand’s projectile hit its mark as evident by the very sudden pull that disrupted our fall.

---

Within mere moments, we crashed through a window, hit the ceiling, and tumbled a fairly long distance before I was thrown off of Shiro. (More accurately, he kicked back after a few punches to the face.)

Landing in a tumble did reduce damage. Certainly better than becoming a Machoke-sized Grimer splat, but at the same time, it was a hard landing. The action of standing up alone was a struggle at first. My breaths were stilted and my legs were still shaky from the fall.

Shiro too looked like he was in some pain. (He definitely took some damage from that fall, no doubts about that.)

I took a deep breath and cracked my knuckles.

The Greninja followed suit with his own breath, clenching a fist.

I shakily readied my fighting stance once more. “I may not be used to everything here, but you’re still a villain.”

Shiro growled, mimicking my stance. “You’re the fool here. You think, you legendaries are so much better than us common folk.”

My fist tightened itself upon hearing the comment. (Any reasonable fighter would have attempted to stay calm, but Shiro’s words left a visceral ugliness impossible to ignore.)

Noticing my twitch, Shiro kept talking. “Struck a nerve? Of course it should. You know how wrong all this is and yet you still do nothing.”

I gritted my teeth at that slander. It wasn’t worth it. That much I knew. (But the fact was infuriating. He was right for so many reasons, but he didn’t understand. I wish he did, but I knew it was improbable at best.) That fearsome wrath again, my fists were shaking. Attempts at deep breaths were swiftly met with seeing red.

To my inner dismay, Shiro continued. “You claim to be gods and yet you have limits. No, you’re not gods, just imposters. You’re no better than the common pokemon.”

I tried to let out the heated breath and be the better pokemon. (But the rage remained. There was potential, wasted potential.)

And then Shiro crossed the line. “And now here you are, refusing to show everything you stand for. I may be cold and perhaps secretive, but I at least know and represent what I stand for. But you? You’re a lying coward who only lives by orders.”

(My rage boiled over.) With a fearsome and wrathful grunt, my fist sparked up as I lunged at the leader with a fierce punch. (“That’s it! You’ve asked for it!”)

Oddly enough, Shiro didn’t try the evasive tactics I half-expected. Instead, he continued to mirror my movement until our punches clashed (with Shiro’s punch emitting an odd pink glow).

My punch was the stronger one of course.

Shiro reeled from the pain and stepped back.

Before the Greninja had a chance, I kicked him down and then put my paws together to build up a static sphere. “Plasma Fists!”

I swung my paws toward the Greninja, letting out the power in a harsh blast.

*BOOM!*

The blast pushed me back.

When the smoke began to clear, I saw something unbelievable. Shiro was still standing. My eyes widened. (“No, that can’t be.”)

 

The smoke finally cleared. Shiro stood tall and steady, shaking his punching hand off. In fact, he looked better than before.

My jaw went agape at the sight. “What?” (“…Oh no.”)

The Greninja spoke up. “Sssss sssss sssss, you’d think folks would learn after facing me in battle. Oh well, Volt Absorb has its own qualities anyways.”

I was at a loss for words. “Wha-, How?”

With elated eyes, Shiro happily answered. “When it comes to leadership, you must learn how to play the role.”

“………” I blinked.

He sighed in disappointment and shrugged. “…or for the apparently ignorant, Role Play. Perhaps that name is familiar.”

I ignored him and fired off a Thunder Shock at him.

The attack exploded and scattered in a wave of sparks that sent us both away from each other. I tumbled backwards and landed on my feet once again.

 

Looking back at Shiro, he was just standing there with a disappointed stare. He seemed completely unphased by the attack.

He laughed. “Haha ha. I shall take that as a no then.”

I put up my fists. “What?”

He dusted off his shoulder as he explained. “Do you really think the leader of Silspring’s most infamous gang wouldn’t be prepared? I have a day job for a reason. So, I made a trade with Role Play. All I had to do was follow your lead with a little nudge to help you out.”

I hissed at the Greninja. “How low…” (“So that’s why he spat all that. Darn you!”)

Shiro stepped toward me. “I’d say I can make much better use of your ability…and your Plasma Fist’s lingering effects.”

“So what?” I retorted.

 

Before I could say more, Shiro sped straight toward me. I believed it to be a Quick Attack, yet I felt a little conflicted. Sure, apart from the impact, I wouldn’t sustain damage, right? (“Get out-!”)

With a thunderous clap, the Geninja’s kick hit my gut…and there was evident damage.

I was sent soaring toward a pillar, impacting back first before dropping to the ground. “Gwuuuuuh!…Haaaahhhh!” (The kick sent a very clear message.)

I wheezed and coughed at the spot. My arms shook as I tried pushing myself up, barely staying on one knee with grinding teeth.

Shiro started walking toward me. “Now do you get the picture?”

One lucky break, that was all it was to me. I lunged at him with a Mega Punch (much to my better judgment).

Shiro jumped, but I grazed his leg, but then I noticed the sparks. I just healed him again, even if it was slight.

 

I stepped back, maintaining a defensive stance. (“Shoot! Still in the area of effect. Come on, think!”) 

Shiro wasted no time, coming at me with a fearsome barrage of punches and kicks.

I tried to fight back with quick slashes of Scratch, but each swipe sparked. And with each counter-strike, Shiro’s newly stolen ability kicked in. 

In essence, I was healing his wounds faster than I could make them, and the realization left me open.

I was suddenly forced to endure several basic blows, some of which were Electric-powered.

I tumbled back, finally grasping the weight of my grave error. None of my moves could ever work here. Shiro had become nearly invincible and he wasn’t going to just pound my head in, he was going to make me suffer.

In spite of this, I pressed on, attempting to use my own strength. I closed the gap, jabbing at the Greninja’s body.

However, the speed of my punches also produced small sparks out of habit, not that it mattered much. 

Shiro just swiftly slipped away, weaving his head around my punches until he introduced my gut to his knee.

Afterwards, the Greninja kicked me in the back, sending me to the ground yet again.

 

I cursed myself for being so stupid, both with my attack set and in tactics. 

To make matters worse, my head began to sway. A vague weariness starting to take shape. My heart was skipping beats. Deep down, I knew what this meant, no matter how distant it seemed.

“…Dang it…” Was all I quietly muttered. There had to be something. (And there was. Plasma-Fist’s sparky area had a limited range. Sure, it disappeared after a while, but time wasn’t an option. Escape was the best choice. Better to have Scratch and Mega Punch back as available options sooner rather than later.)

Remembering the sparky aspects of my move, I shook myself off and stood up. I then ran away to another part of the building, with Shiro hot on my tail.

Unfortunately, running at full speed would tempt me to leave a sparky trail, which was the absolute last thing I needed.

 The Greninja wouldn’t wait though. He closed the gap with Quick Attack, charging in with a kick.

I slowed down in time for Shiro to graze my arm with the attack. The static shock stung a bit. Sure I knew Electric-Types could get harmed by their own type energy, but being healed by the process left me with mixed signals, conflicting to distract.

In retaliation, I tossed another Iron Spike as I kept running. 

The Greninja unfortunately batted it away. 

I was running low on my supply, only about seven left in total.

---

I hurried into the next room, which was some sort of lounge area with chairs, tables, and lamps. It wasn’t the best type of room for the fight, but at least it was away from my Plasma Fist zone.

Upon entry, I quickly turned around and swung my arm at the incoming Shiro.

He saw the attack coming in time and was swiftly slid beneath. 

I jumped at Shiro, intending to strike him with my knee. He rolled out of the way, causing me some unneeded pain on my both legs. (“Zera, why did you do that?”)

My arm was then suddenly restrained by Shiro’s tongue. I could tell he was enjoying his newfound freedom, maybe a bit too much.

I huffed through my nose and yanked him toward me with the organic rope he gave me. Clocking the dummy was at least somewhat cathartic.

Shiro promptly released his grip, but I wasn’t done.

I grabbed his tongue and proceeded to slam him onto the ground…and again onto a lamp, shattering it. Sparks erupted from the device

Afterwards, I tried knocking him down with a Mega Punch after yanking him to me once more.

*BAM!*

The hit connected, strong enough to break through the ground we stood on (Shiro’s prize for breaking my last straw).

 

We fell to the next floor with a trashed hallway.

The Greninja moaned where he was. 

My head felt a little fuzzy, stopping my motion. (“What are you doing? Hurt him more already!”) I glanced at my hands as I huffed. This angry feeling sickened me, it bugged me. I started having second thoughts.

That was when Shiro spun in place, hitting me in the back with a Water Shuriken.

I stumbled forward from the hit and tried to turn around.

But then Shrio gave me a taste of his experience. He grabbed my tail as he sped forward for a moment.

With only as much as a yelp, Shiro quickly spun me around and tossed me to the ground in a tumble.

 

(“Get up! Get up! Stupid Cat! Get up!”) Those thoughts rang through my head as I attempted to recover.

A kick to the gut.

I coughed as I landed on my back. Again I tried to stand, but then Shiro pressed a foot on me to pin me down.

“So indecisive,” he grumbled. “Can’t even make your own decision. This is what broke through years of hard work and training. How humiliating.”

I gritted my teeth and tried to stand only to get kicked down again.

“Stop,” Shiro sternly demanded.  “Before you make a fool of yourself yet again. Don’t make me waste a promising life like yours.”

 

(I felt helpless again. I felt powerless again. I lost myself and failed to see the signs again. I made things worse again. I hated it. I hated it all. The pain, exhaustion, the lost time, all of it. I couldn’t take it anymore. “If I can’t be Zeraora, if I can’t be me, if I can’t be a virtuous light, then fine!” That’s what I thought. This was the perfect opportunity after all.)

With a surge of unbridled anger and thunderous roar, I pushed myself up and knocked Shiro away. 

I stomped the ground. “Shiro, welcome to my world of pain!”

Shiro raised a brow, but I didn’t give him a chance. Everything moved in slow motion.

I pounced on him and started viciously scratching at him with my claws without end.

Though Shiro tried to retaliate, I was through with his mockery. (In fact, I wanted him to suffer.)

(That was when a most promising idea came to mind, something that no one would ever see for what it really is. It was perfect and certain to give the fraud a real scare.)

I was heated to an extreme. Somehow out of instinct, I fired Thunderbolt directly at Shiro. By the time I realized it, it was too late.

The explosion hurled me off the floor and into an overhanging banner.

I frantically jabbed my claws into the cloth, only to slow my descent slightly. I hit the floor hard, ears still ringing from the sound.

 

I winced from pain and shock. The room’s objects turned double with phantoms. A bright orange caught my attention, along with the smell of smoke.

Once my senses finally settled down, I stood up and saw that the second floor was in the midst of a blaze. Unsure of what else to do, I decided to make my leave from the building quickly. 

Just as I started to walk away, my ears twitched to the sound of an Iron Spike.

I quickly jumped to the side and turned to the source, expecting Shiro, but… “…Wha-…What?!?” 

The source in question was something completely unexpected, something no one could have ever expected…

 

The pokemon before me was not Shiro at all. Heck it wasn’t even some generic thug either. It was in the shape of…me. 

A Zeraora with healthier-looking eyes, right there, in the center of the room. He was the shape of my own reflection even, but that was wrong. It had to be wrong. He couldn’t be a Zeraora, let alone the Zeraora. Last I checked, I was Zeraora.

 

The other “Zeraora” just stared at me with a smug grin, yet the pupils of his eyes had this ironically cold and perhaps unnatural glow to them. I couldn’t tell if it was the fire doing that. Either way, he watched as my mouth went slightly agape. And then finally, he spoke in a bold and oddly conflicting tone with his own echo voice. “Surprise, boy.”

I was stunned into stuttering. “Th-, Th-That’s impossible!”

He looked up at the ceiling, still maintaining that smug smile.

Unable to speak, I thought to myself, trying to find some explanation. And yet, nothing. Everything was just blank. My mind broke upon seeing the sight.

 

I inevitably shook my head and stared once more. Then it finally clicked in place. Him. The one I saw the night before. “You!” I called out.

He stared at me with a neutral expression. “….”

I stepped forward. “You’re that guy! Those intrusive moments, that was you!”

He scratched his cheek, with a raised brow. “…So?”

His response confirmed it all, he was the one that stalked me and Lucy, the one I saw in my nightmare.

“Well?” I called back, “Why? What are you?”

The other Zeraora’s expression soured slightly. “…….”

“Say something, imposter!” I demanded while rushing forward.

 

In the blink of an eye, he was in front of me, kicking me in the gut.

Another hard landing. Everything about that impact felt wrong. An eerie and heated dampness that shouldn’t be there and yet was.

I took a breath as an odd static rang through my head. (“Dang, he’s fast!”)

The fake Zeraora rolled his eyes as he approached me. “Awwwww, what’s the matter? Still don’t believe me?”

I jumped back and readied my Thunderbolt attack, eager to break whatever illusion this was.

 

Just before I fired, he sped and stopped right in front of me with a nasty grin on his face; he even grabbed my hand, making it so that he got the full brunt of the attack.

And despite the obvious shock and evident shock…he absorbed it. The fake Zeraora absorbed it all.  The grip of his hand, the grin he gave me afterward. It looked wrong, it felt wrong, it sounded wrong, all of him was just wrong, horribly horribly horribly wrong!

I tore my hand away as more static rang out between us.

The other Zeraora chuckled at me. “Am I real enough for you now?”

I stepped back and threw a punch. “Ghh! Hrgh!”

But the fake leaped back and dusted his paws off.

I didn’t know what to make of this…thing. Regardless of what he claimed to be, he had Volt Absorb. I didn’t know where Shiro went, but I needed to end this quickly. The weariness grew closer. No more holding back. (“Alright, faker. Let’s see if you’re just as durable.”)

 

The fake Zeraora smirked. “Good, let us begin.” He charged in with a kicking Quick Attack.

I deflected the attack with my fist, but once again, the impact unnerved me to no end. The feeling distracted me long enough for him to follow with a second kick.

“Gahhh!” I cartwheeled and leapt back toward the imposter with a punch of my own. “Grrr!”

He took the punch and was sent soaring toward the wall. 

With a simple flip however, he landed gracefully and dropped to the ground.

I rushed toward him with my own unassisted speedy charge.

 

The other Zera charged toward me once again with a Quick Attack, but the sight was not pleasant. His stride was not just low to ground, but way too low. His legs were bending out of shape due to how low he was. Combined with that menacing grin, it was enough to make me furrow my brow in disgust.

With a speedy motion, the fake nearly caught me off guard again had it not been for his laugh and obvious opening. 

I punched him in the gut, causing his being to twist and recoil from the blow.

The imposter landed a short distance away, laughing at me.

I wondered out loud. “What in the world are you?”

More static stirred as the faker laughed. “Ahahahahaha! I told you, idiot! I’m the real deal!” From his fur, he pulled several spikes with each and charged forward.

I followed suit and pulled four of my remaining spikes out of my bag.

I tossed one after another at the fake Zeraora as I moved in, hoping to slow him down.

However, the imposter was far more versed in the skill of tossing than I thought. Before I realized it, he sent out a furious gale of Iron Spikes right at me.

I had no choice but to put up my arms and take the assault. The hail of spikes showered on me, shattering on my body upon impact. My paws were beginning to tremble.

Just after, the other Zeraora tossed another spike, this time with Dark-energy, likely Fling.

The spike shattered on my shoulder, forcing me to stumble back as the imposter continued his brutal assault.

 

The faker jumped up around me at an incredible pace. It was almost dizzying to look at or maybe my stamina took a toll. I could only guess it was something like an Acrobatics attack, but it was hard to tell.

Each blocked blow felt too weak to be a move. I saw them as one thing, but my mind was telling me something different.

After taking a few hits, the fake dealt a harsh blow on my right leg, nearly causing me to fall on one knee. I took two more spikes and slashed at his legs. Both of them broke apart upon direct hits.

The imposter stumbled back as I tried to hit him with a straight punch.

He slapped away the attack and then tackled me with his weight. He was a bit lighter than expected, but that observation was cut short when a sharp pain hit my right leg and then again and again and again in rapid succession.

I screamed in pain, pushing the imposter away with an uppercut. “Gaaaaahhh!”

The smirking fake made a smooth landing, holding a bloody spike in hand.

A brief glimpse showed several stab wounds on my bad leg, blood and all. Though the weapon was a small spike, the poked holes still stung and burned. (“Shoot…”)

The imposter threw the bloody spike at me with Fling before charging in. 

I managed to deflect the attack with my Scratch, but it took quite a bit more effort. It was then I noticed my breaths were hot and short. Regardless I readied myself for another tackle, preparing to punch with my right hand, but then.

“Gotcha!” the faker declared from the right.

I blinked and looked toward the source. The imposter was once again low to the ground, sporting a vicious grin and an oddly obvious opening at his right cheek. It was just begging for a Mega Punch. So I took the opportunity.

I let myself fall toward the imposter, swinging a Mega Punch-powered left hook.

Boom! A brutal and well-deserved blow on the fake’s right cheek. The imposter tumbled backwards upon taking the attack.

 

Fueled by desperation, I rolled over, grabbed my last spike, and slashed with it as hard as I could.

The strike drew blood as the spike shattered, but I didn’t stop. I proceeded to Scratch at him a few times before I started missing.

 

The imposter started running for the hall.

Much to my leg’s screaming dismay, I quickly leaped and intercepted him with a punch. I knocked the other Zeraora into a nearby pillar, creating a cloud of dust and smoke from the crumbling structure.

I hurried to the sight and caught a vague shape. It had to be him. So I changed course and tackled him.

---

Regardless of the incoming weariness, I continuously attacked him as we crashed into hallway after hallway, venting out frustration I never thought conceived.

All the while, the imposter kept laughing. Louder and louder the static in my ears became. Until I finally had enough, I Mega Punched him once more, sending straight into a pillar.

The sad excuse of a “Zeraora” collapsed in a heap, dropping onto his back.

 

Flames and crumbling rubble sounded out. Smoke choked the air we were breathing. The heat gave rise to hot steam.

My vision blurred for a moment, making me blink a couple times. Each time felt…confusing. (“What am I even fighting?”) I shook my head, trying to straighten myself out.

Even still, despite all of it, the imposter laughed out loud and clear for the whole room to echo.

“Ahahaha Hahaha! You know what’s funny? I didn’t feel…any of this, at all.” the imposter continued laughing.

I clenched my teeth in growling disgust. “Urrrrgh!”

My hands started sparking uncontrollably as more loud static rang in my ears, along with that fake’s obnoxious laughter.

 

After a brief glimpse at the roof, I thought of something, something some may consider extreme but anything to shut the moron up.

I walked over to a nearby pillar, placing my hand on it.

“Hey! We’re not done yet!” the fake objected. “We are far from done!”

Sure, I was a decent distance away and the pillar obscured my line of sight, but his voice remained clear all the same, static and all.

I frowned. “Oh! We will be in a minute! Right after I use Plasma Fists!”

“Did you forget, idiot? I have Volt Absorb!”

I huffed. “And who said I was aiming for you?”

I didn’t give him a chance to ponder. I proceeded to clap my attack on the pillar I stood next to, letting out all of my remaining charge.

The resulting explosion sent me tumbling backwards as the pillar shattered to pieces near the imposter Zeraora. The room’s structure rapidly deteriorated around me as I started to run for the entrance, feeling the pain of my wounds every step of the way.

I was certain Shiro and whoever else was there had long since fled. There was a fire after all. I knew the fake Zera would be the only one there now. Despite all of this assurance though, an unnerving scream echoed through the collapsing hall as I leapt through the entrance doors.

Rubble fell behind me, creating a roar of fire that spat me out of the building.

---

With a trail of smoke, I crashed onto the stone path and tumbled. I quickly rolled over, crawled back, and watched as the whole building collapsed into itself.

More alert bells rang out as I caught my breath and glanced at my leg wounds. My eyes forced themselves shut from the pain and the shortness of my breath. I was about to sigh in relief except…

A voice spoke with clarity from behind. “Now that was rather extreme.”

My eyes opened wide as I recognized the voice. (“……No…”) I quickly rolled over and turned around with a fighting stance. I had to be wrong.

And yet, there he was. The same fake Zeraora, standing there with crossed arms and a smug smirk. And all that damage I dealt, all the wounds I knew I inflicted, gone as if I never did anything to him at all. I couldn’t believe it. I knew I made hits on him. I knew it! I had to have hit him! I felt it!

And yet, there he was. He spoke up, “Awwww, frustrated?”

“H-How? W-When?” I stuttered.

The imposter waggled a finger. “Tsk tsk tsk, that wasn’t me you beat up in there. It was a double!”

I shook my head. “No, that-”

“Oh yes. Must I spell it out? A double, a Substitute. Remember the cloud of smoke you made me kick up?”

It finally clicked. Right before we entered the building. The pillar, the dust, the smoke. (“…That pillar, that was when? No, that doesn’t add up, unless…”)

The imposter rubbed his temple and sighed. “Oh boy, you still doubt it. I let you wail on my Substitute with a simple toss. Then while you were busy having your tantrum, I merely followed and hid in the shadows. Oh yes, and of course, I had to play the role. Had to make it loud and clear so you wouldn’t know any better either…all the way through until your exit. Simple and clean.”

(“Was it though?”) I thought. (“There’s just something…off…”) Sadly, no matter how unbelievable it sounded, the explanation filled the gaps so well.

It didn’t matter in the end. I needed to stop him now. I rushed in for a tackle, but then…

 

The imposter’s image blurred in place right before I reached him. I ran through him…or rather, I ran through an afterimage. Despite the smoky look of it, I felt nothing, not even a hint of wind.

He clapped in slow applause from the left. “Oh yeah, forgot to mention I have that little move too.”

I tightened my fist. (“Great, Double Team too. Just faaaantastic! And a user of Techs too. This is bad, really bad.”) I turned to face the imposter, but the sight of him made me wince a bit.

 

Right as I noticed, the other Zeraora’s ears twitched at the sound of bells. “Hmm? Ooohhh, look at the time. We’re gonna be late.”

I barely keep my thoughts to myself anymore. “Huh? What’s that supposed to mean?”

In a very unnatural stance, he leapt backwards, going a fair distance away and landing softly near the wall.

“Hey! Get back here!” I called out.

“Come along, ‘Zeraora!’ You’ll miss the date for sure if you just stand there!” He started running and jumped over the gate.

I was more than compelled to pursue him. Without hesitation, I hurried to the gate and punched them open with all of my strength. The doors slammed open, nearly torn off their hinges. The locking mechanism ripped to shreds by the force of my Mega Punch. I didn’t care, I only had pursuit in my mind.

The imposter backpedaled for a bit before running head first into the nearby woods.

Exhaustion or not, I hurried after him, leaving behind the chaos at the palace. I could only hope Ivory and Lucy were safe in that while I took on this more dangerous threat.

---

The fake Zeraora steered away from the path, forcing me to chase him through the rougher terrain.

Despite the obstacles, I tried my best to keep an eye on him.

The imposter hopped from tree to tree at a pace so rapid that he didn’t disturb the branches.

I debated on whether or not I was pursuing the real fake or yet another double. The ghostly nature of his moveset didn’t help either. Substitute and Double Team were truly a terrifying combination. Not invincible, but quite annoying from the tales I heard about.

 

Nevertheless, we reached a small open area away from the palace. I gasped for breath and blinked. My energy had long since run low at this point. I quickly realized my mistake. “…I shouldn’t have- Where did he go?”

“Over here,” the other Zeraora announced, hopping down to the ground.

With us facing each other away from the fire, my brow furrowed. (“I know he’s a fake, but did he always have that lighter yellow color?”)

The imposter shook his head in an apathetic sigh. “Tsk Tsk Tsk, it doesn’t take a genius to tell that you’re running on mere steam.”

I tried to act tough. “Shut it!”

The imposter pointed at me. “Look at yourself. Tired, worn out, and sleepless. Your eyes say it all. I saw it all last night.”

My legs shook slightly. “Why? Why didn’t you just kill me when-”

“Last night?” The imposter shrugged and started pacing around. “Nah, why oh why would I do that? I told you before. Didn’t you listen?”

Those words he spoke…I couldn’t remember. Everything felt so blurred back then, much like now.

The fake raised a finger. “Ah, how about a short reminder? I said I’d make your stay here, a lively one. Ring any bells?”

I remained silent, but I couldn’t resist gritting my teeth at the words, trying to keep myself from talking.

The imposter sighed. “Off in la la land, were you? Quite a fine question, isn’t it? Who are you? A very good question indeed.”

My brow furrowed. Was he seriously trying to derail the conversation? “Wh-Who? Who am I?!? Who are you?”

The fake scoffed with a harsh breath. “Pheh! No, I’m the one asking the questions here. Now, sleep.”

 

As if on cue, something struck my head after the imposter snapped his fingers. A very familiar feeling came to me, a headache. My arms lowered themselves, my legs turned heavy, my vision blurred itself rapidly. The world twisted and turned. Yet the sight of the other Zeraora hardly changed for a moment before following suit.

I could barely slur out some words. “…Wha- What are you…gonna do?”

Despite my weariness, despite all the odds, the fake’s voice rang out through my head as clearly as ever. “Brace yourself. You’ll see. We’ll all see soon enough.”

My knees buckled beneath my weight. My eyes slammed themselves shut. Only one last feeling of weightlessness could be felt at that moment. And then I was gone before I even hit the ground.

---

---

---

Fragment of Knowledge:

The Enigmatic Teacher

Name: Shiro Hayashi

Age: 41

Species: Greninja

District of Residence: Central District Underside

Occupation: Central District Move Tutor/Competitive Fighter

Early Life: Unknown.

The First Visit to Silspring: Shiro Hayashi supposedly visited Silspring sometime before his citizenship was made official eighteen years ago, which is still a curious detail considering visitor policies that have been in effect for decades. No trace and hardly any memory remain of these first visits. Only a few scattered written records of these visits have survived time. Not even the Hourglass Tower contains detailed records of Hayashi’s initial activities according to some scribes.

What is even stranger is the fact that folks witnessed conversations taking place between someone and Hayashi. But upon visiting these fellows, they respond with denial of ever meeting this Greninja, despite what witness testimony said otherwise.

Regardless, Shiro decided to make his home in Silspring and has remained a constant resident ever since. Many have asked about his other name, Hayashi, but he merely dismissed the questions with a simple answer of “preference.”

Rising Star: After gaining his citizenship, he quickly started making a living for himself as a tournament competitor.

With strong close combat ability to complement his speed, Shiro quickly became one of the town’s best, able to withstand damage in difficult situations, unlike others of his kind. In addition, he is also fairly proficient with projectiles and items, especially throwing spikes in conjunction with Fling. All in all, Hayashi is a fearsome opponent, both on and off the battle ring.

Cherri-Rose Dojo: With his ever-growing popularity as a fighter, Shiro would eventually use his earnings to open a dojo for training up and coming battlers and varying species. Unlike most dojos in the Central District, it remains open to all-types, despite the “higher standards of training” folks have mentioned. Extended hours of reps, exercises, and more, all to push battlers beyond their limits.

Controversy: As with any famous figure in Silspring, rumors in the darker underworld stir, and the Cherri-Rose Dojo is no exception. One such rumor being that the dojo is involved in the crime wars. Several gang members, including those of the ever infamous Lunar Stars, have supposedly confessed being former students of the dojo. 

As a result, the reputation of the establishment has taken a hit in recent years. Many of the concerned parents have directly contacted Shiro about these rumors. To these claims, Shiro assured that, 

“The dojo does not involve itself with the future former students as they should be independent enough to make their own decisions. We cannot control what they do after. We teach for the sake of defense and good sportsmanship, not for war or selfish gain. If we were forced to stop operations, it would be unfair if other dojos continued when they too teach about battle ability.”

Extended Interview with Cherri-Rose Dojo Master regarding the “Cloth Wars”

While Shiro’s public statements eased some concerns, other pokemon are still skeptical, especially when considering Shiro’s supposed “habit of vanishing for days on occasion.” Journalists from all over the town have looked into the rumors and investigations details, but reports have varied significantly. This makes the current state of matters inconclusive until further evidence is publicized.

One can only hope that these concerns are only formed by coincidences and nothing else more dreadful.

[End of Report]

Investigation Record Written by Barry – Cinderace Journalist of the Salt District’s Titanic Times