"Thump—"
No miracle came. The Pidgeot sank to the ground with a contented smile on its face, motionless, no longer able to fight.
Its Trainer was thoroughly furious, and there was nothing she could do about it. She wanted to call Vance underhanded, but a thing like that was a tactic in its own right, a way of fighting.
Clouding the mind, lulling the spirit to sleep and the like were the strong suits of Psychic and Ghost types, and were allowed even in formal competition.
Having lost now only meant her own craft was not good enough. There was nobody else to blame.
"Kirliaaa—"
With the Pidgeot dealt with, Kirlia had come to understand a different way of fighting as well, one that seemed to save both trouble and effort.
Its Telepathy Ability let it feel out what was in an opponent's mind by nature, which helped it put them to sleep or charm them.
Turned on a real fight now, the effect was very good indeed.
Kirlia was well pleased, and thought that when they got home it would train that side of itself a great deal more.
Thanks to Draining Kiss, Kirlia's strength was still full and its condition excellent; another round would be no great trouble, so it chose to stay on and fight.
"I'm counting on you, Nidoqueen."
"Nidooo—"
For the last of them, she sent out a level 49 Nidoqueen.
"At least my Nidoqueen is female, and strong-minded with it. It won't be swayed so easily — not like this useless Pidgeot."
As she said it she took out the Pidgeot's ball and swore at it.
"A Nidoqueen. A fine Pokémon, that."
Vance said it with a smile. With a line-up of that strength, making the last 128 last year would have been no trouble at all.
But she had run into him, and this was as far as she would go.
Troublesome as a Nidoqueen was to handle, there was still room to work with.
And this one did not have the Sheer Force Ability either, only the ordinary Poison Point, which did not add much to its strength.
............
"Young Master Kai, Young Master Kai, we've got it all. Here's everything on him."
Over on the other side, Kai Farrow's two hangers-on came hurrying up with the material they had gathered, in a rush to speak.
But the Young Master Kai the two of them were addressing did not answer them. He was watching the field closely, thinking something over.
"Young Master Kai, we asked around. This one comes from an ordinary family, heh heh."
"Never mind that. He's a Psychic as well."
Kai Farrow said it. He was proud and high-strung, but he had an eye for these things; in the moment Vance had lifted that Kirlia, he had known what Vance was.
So his mind about going after Vance wavered, and yet he could not let it go, and at the same time the sense of threat in him grew stronger.
Because he was a Psychic, and so was she!
In the previous round Vance's hand had been hidden, and only a few had seen it; this time a great many people could read what he had done.
"Ah. Like that, is it."
The two of them looked at each other and spoke with their eyes. They had gone off to gather information earlier and had not noticed any of this.
"Young Master Kai, there's still an opening. Look — the lad's an orphan, a Celadon City man, ordinary as they come all his life, nobody behind him to fall back on. There's still room to work with."
One of them said it.
Seeing how it went, the other came in on the same side.
This would never do. If Young Master Kai drew back, would that not make the information the two of them had gathered worthless?
And then they would be out of pocket, and would not get the payment they were after.
"He's a Psychic, though."
"That's not the point, Young Master Kai. Your house is an Elite-Four-class house. What is there to be afraid of? Potential is only ever potential, and until it's grown into something it's nothing much. Think of the ones we've dealt with before. Weren't they all like that?"
"Quite so, quite so. Think what you are, Young Master Kai, and what he is. What class of man is he, to set his eye on Young Master Kai's woman?"
"Nobody ever amounts to anything on his own. And apart from the dumb luck of coming out a Psychic, that's all he is. There's only him in his family, nobody to lean on, and the one standing he has is League-Certified Trainer. Nothing to worry about."
"That's the way of it. And besides, Young Master Kai, it's precisely because the man is a Psychic that he has to be got rid of. Don't you think?"
Hearing the two of them put it like that, Kai Farrow felt a jolt in his chest. Yes. That was exactly why he had to be got rid of.
"Ah — Young Master Kai, Miss Cerise is coming over."
One of his men tugged at him to let him know.
He looked up, and she was walking slowly towards him. She was as lovely as ever, every movement of her full of charm, and even the slight frown on her brow was beautiful.
"Cerise, have you come to find me? Come to cheer me on? Ha ha ha, I knew it."
Kai Farrow went to meet her wreathed in smiles, and got all of that out before she had opened her mouth.
"Kai Farrow, don't flatter yourself. I came here to tell you that there is nothing possible between us. Let it end here."
Cerise said it coldly, and the words froze the smile on his face on the instant.
"Why — why? Is it because of him?"
Kai Farrow's face was all disbelief as he pointed at Vance out on the field.
"No. It's that I don't like you. Stop coming to bother me. As for him—"
Cerise looked out at the field as well, at Vance directing the Kirlia and taking the upper hand by degrees.
"He is a good friend of mine, and he has nothing to do with this."
With that she turned away, done with talking to him, took a few steps, then stopped and turned back.
"One more piece of advice. You had far better not provoke him."
And she went straight off without turning her head.
"Fine. Fine. Fine."
Kai Farrow's face was black, both fists clenched so hard that they creaked.
The two behind him exchanged a glance and came forward to speak to him.
"Young Master Kai......"
"Nidoqueen is unable to battle. Kirlia is the winner. The victor is the competitor Vance."
Out on the field the thing had been decided as well. After a hard fight Kirlia had beaten the Nidoqueen, and Vance had taken another win.
Kirlia was panting, and sat straight down once the referee announced the result. It was worn out, and had very nearly not held on; that Nidoqueen had been terribly hard to handle.
Still, it had won.
The girl opposite Vance did not even shake hands. She burst straight into tears, recalled her Nidoqueen and ran out.
"That was a bit like bullying."
Vance said it helplessly. Her three strongest Pokémon, swept through by a single Kirlia — it was only natural that she should feel wretched.
When it hurts inside, a good cry sets it right.