Patrick wobbled away from the campsite. The soft breeze was a reprieve from the hellish suffering he was subjected to for the past few days. Zigzagoon lost its pep and walked by Patrick on edge, glancing everywhere searching for any danger. In the corner of his eyes, Pancham stalked them behind the bushes.

  “Can we cut this whole thing short?” Patrick cut through the silence. “Just stop stalking us and come, Pancham. Even Rose lumped you in with us.”

  Pancham jolted in place. It left its hiding spot and pointed at Zigzagoon and at its own chest. It bumped its fists together. A very obvious declaration for a duel. Patrick let out a sharp sigh.

  “Really? After everything we’ve gone through? You still want to fight Zigzagoon?” Patrick shook his head, the movement heavy. “Is this really how deep your hatred and rivalry goes?”

  Pancham shook its head vigorously. It pointed at itself a few times, and whenever it pointed at Zigzagoon it crossed its arms.

  “This is for you?” Pancham nodded. “So, it isn’t because you hate Zigzagoon but because of your deep-seated honor?” Patrick rubbed the creases in his forehead. “Fine. Go for it.”

  I still don’t know Pancham’s level. Patrick leaned on a tree nearby, resting his left, injured, heel on the dirt, but, judging by how much time it wasted just stalking us, Zigzagoon’s probably got the upper hand. Pancham has the type advantage, though.

  They circled each other, searching for openings. Their fur was puffed and their growls rumbled through the ground. A few Skwovet and Rookidee stood on branches observing the infamous duel between the species.

  Pancham exited the stalemate first. It roared—a measly one compared to its master’s—and charged Zigzagoon, its arm glowing rusty red. Zigzagoon dashed diagonally in a blur. Wind ruffled Pancham’s fur as it punched the air. Eyes glowed white as Zigzagoon Leered at Pancham’s back. Blue, drooping, jagged lines signified the stat drop.

  Zigzagoon’s head glowed a blinding white, merging with its white fur. It charged like a bulldozing Tauros with a Headbutt. Pancham jumped over the charge and Taunted like a Matador once it landed.

  Despite himself, Patrick cracked a wan smile.

  Zigzagoon glared at Pancham, waiting for its eyes to glow, for blue lines to droop, but nothing. Taunt inactivated all non-damaging moves. It shook its head, throwing its confusion away and shook, a rumble growing within its throat.

  Waves of red and black lines escaped Zigzagoon’s mouth as it Snarled. Pancham tried to dodge to the side but the sound followed it, homing with Zigzagoon’s eyes. Pancham took the brunt of it but shook it off like it was nothing. A not very effective move, after all. Pancham shook its fingertips and as it hopped on the ball of its feet. It Taunted once more, despite knowing full well that the previous Taunt’s effect wasn’t over yet. And Zigzagoon fell into the Taunt headfirst.

  It rushed over, its short legs putting one step after another rapidly as its head glowed white like a falling meteorite. Pancham mirrored the view as its entire body glowed white with a Tackle. But at the last second, before the clash between the two unstoppable forces, Pancham feinted to the side.

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  Its arm glowed rusty red as it pushed it deep into Zigzagoon’s side. Pancham buried a four times effective strike into Zigzagoon. A croak escaped as Zigzagoon folded in half. It whimpered as it got back up on its feet.

  Zigzagoon puffed up its fur and roared. A huge ghostly tongue appeared and Licked Pancham from its feet right up to its face, dragging the leaf in its mouth with it. While the tongue occupied Pancham, Zigzagoon went for another Headbutt.

  Pancham readied its rusty red arm and used Arm Thrust.

  They clashed. Both parties flying off to a tree opposite one another and scraping their backs on the bark as they slowly fell.

  Patrick sighed. “Is this what you wanted? Just more pain and a waste of our time?” He buried his hands into the fanny pack Rose gave him. “A waste of Potions is—”

  A blinding light cut Patrick short. Zigzagoon at the foot of the tree got sucked into the light. Heat emanated from its location, blasting its surroundings. The Pokedex shook twice in his pocket, but he didn’t feel the need for confirmation now. He already saw this once.

  His mouth crept up in a smile. Evolution.

  Zigzagoon’s body stretched out, longer and longer. A tongue laid out of its mouth, huffing and puffing. Two tufts of white appeared over its same star shaped markings that encircled its eyes. Patrick got out his Pokedex in awe.

  “Linoone, the Rushing Pokemon. It uses its long tongue to taunt opponents. Once the opposition is enraged, this Pokémon hurls itself at the opponent, tackling them forcefully, recklessly challenging opponents stronger than itself.”

  “Same ‘Ol Zigzagoon. You grew, changed name, but you’re still the same Pokemon.” Patrick smiled. “I guess the fight wasn’t that useless.”

  He remembered that he didn’t check Thievul’s Pokedex entry:

  “Thievul, the Fox Pokemon. It secretly marks potential targets with a scent. By following the scent, it stalks its targets and steals from them when they least expect it. With a lithe body and sharp claws, it goes around stealing food and eggs. Boltund is its natural enemy.”

  “Another natural enemy? Can you guys just chill out?”

  Thievul rolled its eyes. Patrick sighed and walked over to treat Pancham’s wounds with the Potion. Linoone was already bouncing around, so Pancham was the only one who needed treatment.

  Pancham sat on the grass pouting. It crossed its arms and glared at Linoone.

  “Oh, come on. The fight ended. Yes, Zigzagoon evolved, but it ended in a draw. You both got slammed into trees. Now can you please stop this whole duel ordeal?” Pancham puffed its chest and nodded once.

  ***

  A large tower leaned forward haphazardly in the distance. It was quite close to Dappled Grove but Patrick hadn’t spotted it back then—probably with the imminent danger that encompassed him from all directions. He assigned it as his goal and marched towards it in a sluggish, excruciatingly slow pace. Shadows drooped and the sun set a few minutes ago, but the cold was unprecedented.

  It was eerily cold, way too silent, even for the Wild Area. Two eyes glowed yellow behind a tree, surrounded by a skull. Patrick shivered. The dirt shook beneath them in timed intervals. In the direction of the thuds, a huge boulder of a Pokemon…just walked. Its eyes glowed yellow and a few scripts had the same hue on its body. It circled the watchtower solely, as if standing guard for an old, forgotten relic.

  Patrick shook his head. Despite having the type advantage, this seemed way over their level. Something slithered behind them, and the whole forest seemed like it was moving, trees and all. A cold spider ran down Patrick’s spine as he pieced the puzzle. This wasn’t a tree or a forest. It was a Pokemon. Trevenant.

  A single red eye stared from within an opening in its top. Two long, thick branches extended out into hands. Roots made up its feet. It shook the ground with every strike of its roots. Patrick looked at the cane in his arm, its surface rough, leaving splinters in his hand. And looked back at the Trevenant. His mouth crept up in a smile, and he thought that he looked like Rose when he ordered him to kill Milo.

  He needed a new cane, a better, stronger one. One imbued with ghostly powers.

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  What is your favorite Pokemon rivalry? Or what rivalry do you think makes sense but isn't canon?