Theater seats weren't made for swordsmen.
That was the only conclusion Ren could reach as he shifted in his seat for the fifth time, arms crossed tightly as the velvet curtain fell for the final time.
Beside him, Mila sat transfixed, her wide eyes shimmering like she'd just watched the divine reincarnate.
"…That was beautiful," she whispered, clasping her hands.
Ren blinked slowly.
"They danced… midair… with fire and illusions for forty-five minutes," he muttered. "Then the knight dies. For no reason."
Mila wiped a tear from her cheek. "He died because he loved her. He knew she wasn't real, but he chose to believe in the dream."
Ren leaned back with a sigh. "Yeah. That's definitely what the playwright was going for."
The crowd applauded as the actors bowed, a pair of Gardevoir on stage using Psychic to shower the room with soft glowing petals. Mila clapped with a smile, Ren only half-heartedly joining in.
The moment they exited the building, Ren let out the sigh he'd been holding for the entire last act.
"I can't believe I sat through that."
Mila smirked. "Admit it. You felt something."
"I felt regret. For every minute I could've been training."
Mila laughed and gave him a playful bump with her shoulder. "You're hopeless."
---
They stopped at a small street-side restaurant with lanterns hanging from the rafters and the smell of roasted vegetables and sweet berry glaze thick in the air. The warm golden glow of the place contrasted sharply with the chill of dusk settling across Ravios.
They sat near the window, a quiet table tucked against the corner where they could see the busy street below. A waiter brought them fresh bread and butter before disappearing again.
"So," Mila said, finally pulling her eyes away from the passing crowd. "Other than training every hour of the day, what have you been up to lately?"
Ren shrugged, slicing his bread. "Not much. Braviary's wing recovered from the Vince duel. Lucario's been... sharper. More focused. I've started working more with Fraxure. Trying to iron out the aggression."
Mila nodded. "Ivysaur's vines got tangled in one of the gate towers last week. We had to untangle him from a Starly's nest."
"...Again?"
"It was the third time. At this point I think he just likes it up there."
They shared a chuckle, quiet but warm.
Mila rested her chin on one hand. "It's been a while since we had a quiet day like this."
"Could've been quieter," Ren said. "Without the ghost romance."
"Stop. You loved it."
Ren raised a brow. "I tolerated it."
Mila grinned.
---
The food came quickly hearty stew with steamed bread and a pitcher of chilled berry cider. They ate slowly, the conversation drifting between mundane Academy gossip and whispered rumors of the next official tournament.
Then, Mila leaned back in her chair and glanced at Ren.
"Have you… heard from Shion at all?"
Ren paused mid-bite.
He looked up slowly and shook his head. "No."
"I was hoping maybe he sent you a letter."
Ren gave a noncommittal shrug. "He used to. Months ago. Then nothing."
Mila exhaled softly. "Yeah… same here."
There was a quiet moment.
The sounds of the town filtered in through the windows clinking glasses, distant flute music, the occasional bark of a Growlithe.
"I miss him and riverleaf ," Mila said suddenly. "A little, anyway..."
Ren said nothing.
She continued, "Back in Riverleaf… the three of us always stuck together. You were always talking about becoming a knight. Strongest trainer in the continent ."
He looked down at his drink.
"And Shion… he'd just smile. Always supported you. Even when you beat him every time in battle."
Ren's lip twitched into the barest smile.
"He never gave up."
"Right?" Mila leaned forward. "He didn't have big dreams. But he… I don't know. He was always there."
They both sat in the silence for a while. Not uncomfortable, but reflective. Like standing in the echo of a memory.
"I wonder what he's doing now," Mila said quietly.
"probably farming " she added
---
Just then a sound shattered the peace.
A low, thunderous BOOM ripped through the air.
The glass on their window rattled violently.
Screams echoed from the main road.
Ren was on his feet instantly. His chair clattered to the ground. From somewhere outside, smoke began to rise dark, thick, and curling into the sky.
"Stay here," he said immediately, grabbing his coat.
"Ren!" Mila called out, standing.
But he was already sprinting toward the door.
---
Outside, panic had already begun to spread. Citizens ran in every direction, clutching bags, Pokémon, children. The street they'd passed only minutes earlier was now veiled in black smoke.
From somewhere in the chaos, a terrified man shouted, "a pokemon is rampaging at the market district!"
Ren reached for his belt and released Lucario in a flash.
The aura Pokémon stood ready, eyes scanning the smoke as its sensors flickered.
They locked eyes, nodded once, and ran into the smoke together.
---
Smoke veiled the cobblestone streets in a shroud of chaos. People screamed and scattered, knocking over fruit stalls and carts, fleeing from the epicenter of destruction that had torn through Ravios's marketplace.
Through the thick gray haze, Ren sprinted, Lucario at his side, both moving with precision despite the disarray.
And then, like a mountain rising from the earth it emerged.
The ground trembled as a massive figure stomped into view, casting a hulking shadow through the smoke. Its emerald green armor-like scales glistened with dust and soot, and every step it took cracked the stone beneath its feet.
Its eyes glowed crimson, unnaturally bright, and around its neck pulsed thick, dark purple veins, like something unnatural was feeding it from within.
Tyranitar.
A Pokémon that could shift landscapes and crack mountains. But this one… this one was wrong.
Its roar shattered windows as it swung its tail, smashing a building's second floor like it were paper. Bricks flew. Civilians screamed and ran for cover.
Ren skidded to a halt behind a group of guards and knights who had already assembled a makeshift defense.
"EVERYONE, FORM UP!" one of the captains barked.
Knights called out to their Pokémon: a Poliwrath, a Hitmonlee, a Gallade, a Hawlucha, and several others. Their Trainers were focused, trying to maintain distance and keep the beast contained.
"Kid!" a knight barked, sseeing Ren. "What are you doing here? Fall back! This place is not safe !"
"I'm helping," Ren said flatly, stepping forward, Lucario mirroring him.
The knight gritted his teeth. "Don't be a fool!"
"I'm not. That thing's corrupted. You'll need every capable fighter you can get."
The knight looked as if he might argue again then saw the flicker in Lucario's eyes. He exhaled sharply and barked over his shoulder, "Fine. Stay close. Just don't die."
---
"Poliwrath, Hydro Pump!"
"Gallade, leaf blade!"
" Hitmonlee, High Jump Kick!"
Attacks rained in from every direction jets of pressurized water, glowing green blades, flying kicks imbued with elemental energy.
The Tyranitar roared, enraged, but the attacks actually connected this time striking it across the chest, jaw, and back.
Dust and debris exploded outward.
But when the smoke cleared…
It still stood.
Barely flinching.
Its armor was scorched in places, but its red eyes hadn't dulled in the slightest. Instead, its veins pulsed violently, and it let out a deafening roar.
Then it slammed its tail into the earth.
The ground quaked.
"LOOK OUT!" someone shouted.
Spikes of jagged stone erupted outward in a brutal Stone Edge razor-sharp and massive. The entire district shuddered.
One of the guards was hit thrown across the square like a ragdoll. His Hawlucha cried out, shielding its Trainer with its body as it, too, was impaled by the rocky blast.
Ren's eyes widened.
He grabbed Lucario's arm, and both of them dashed sideways just as one of the jagged spears of rock pierced the ground where they'd been standing.
Dust flew. A piece of brick grazed Ren's cheek, cutting it open.
He landed in a crouch, panting.
"This is insane…"
---
Lucario growled beside him, tensed, watching the monster like a predator analyzing a larger one.
Ren wiped the blood from his face and gritted his teeth.
"We're not bringing it down with brute force…"
He looked up, eyes narrowing at the unnatural glow in the Tyranitar's eyes the twisting purple-black veins like living corruption. This was no normal Pokémon.
This was something twisted.
He closed his eyes briefly.
Then reached within.
Into the place beneath his breath, beneath his skin.
Aura.
A pulse of heat flickered in his chest.
Lucario's aura sensors lifted. They resonated in sync.
Ren opened his eyes and they gleamed faintly blue.
---
"Tyranitar's distracted go!"
The beast was stomping forward, trying to crush the remaining guards. Its tail swept again, colliding with a barricade and sending splinters of wood into the sky.
"Lucario," Ren said, voice calm.
Lucario stood taller.
"Aura Sphere. Full charge. Let's do it together."
Lucario took a deep breath, its paws glowing with building energy. Ren stood behind him, one hand extended, focusing everything every breath, every heartbeat into the sphere forming in Lucario's hands.
The energy pulsed, brighter and brighter. The air shimmered around them.
Then
"NOW!"
The Aura Sphere launched, roaring through the air like a shooting star.
It struck Tyranitar square in the chest.
The explosion shook the buildings. Dust blew outward in a wave.
Silence.
Smoke swallowed everything.
Ren stared, waiting. Heart thundering.
Did it work?
---
The smoke thinned.
And Tyranitar was still there.
Bruised but standing.
Its head lowered. Eyes glowing brighter than ever.
Then it roared, louder than before, shaking loose roof tiles from nearby buildings.
"You've got to be kidding me…" Ren muttered, stepping back.
Then the Tyranitar raised its tail again and smashed it into the ground.
Another Stone Edge, bigger than before.
The veins in its neck pulsed violently, as if they were feeding it more and more power the longer it fought.
Lucario stood ready, but even it looked strained now.
Ren gritted his teeth.
"We can't beat it alone…"
Then the ground beneath him cracked.
"Move!" he shouted and dove as another jagged spike shot up where he'd been standing.
He hit the ground, rolled, and came up covered in dirt and bleeding from the elbow.
Lucario was beside him in an instant.
The battlefield was chaos. More guards were injured. The Pokémon were starting to falter.
And Tyranitar wasn't slowing down