Just a fair bit of warning, this chapter gets pretty dark. As in, there's death.

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"And the winner is. . . Leon Heyer of Postwick Town!"

His readheaded opponent fell to her knees as the stadium erupted in cheers. She stared at her hands with an empty expression. Where did I go wrong? I was so close. . .

"Hey, Rose!" She flinched as Leon spoke her name, and lifted her head up to meet his gaze, her eyes narrowed. Leon didn't seem to notice though, and rushed to his friend, a gray Cinderace and an orange Charizard following him.

The boy stopped in front of her and held out a hand to lift her back up to her feet. "That was an amazing battle!" But not amazing enough, Rose thought bitterly. She frowned and took his hand.

"Thanks," she murmured as he pulled her up. There was no denying the sparkle in his eyes at the thought of being one step closer to being Galar's next Champion. She quickly drew her hand back and turned away. "Come on, Cinder," she called her rabbit. He looked at Leon worried before chasing after his Trainer.

Raihan ran towards Rose and patted her back as she entered the locker room. "You did great!" He congratulated her, grinning his signature grin.

"Leave me alone," the girl grumbled. She shook off his touch and moved over to a corner, sitting against a wall. Cinder sat a few feet away, pulling his knees up to his chest and watching her from the corner of his eyes.

Raihan took one glance at her defeated form and gulped nervously. "I'll go get So." Then he was gone, leaving Rose all alone with Cinder and her thoughts.

The match was supposed to be easy. Six Pokémon each, with a limited number of returns. Once you return a Pokémon, you can't battle with it again. That rule was largely added because of the backlash of Pokémon fighting to their deaths, like they had a few years ago. This still didn't stop Pokémon from dying, though; some Trainers refused to switch their Team members, and thus ended the lives of several Pokémon.

Rose had been careful this battle. But while she still kept her full Team of six, two of them had barely been touched by Leon's own Team. It almost didn't seem fair, having lost with two perfectly capable Pokémon still unharmed.

Cinder scooted closer and patted her back, as if reading her thoughts. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"It's not fair," she whispered, "Now I have no chance of ever becoming Champion."

"Rose!" She looked up for a second as Sonia came running into the locker room. A white Boltund followed at her heels, a gift from the Trainer who had just defeated her sister. The Electric-Type bounded ahead, rushing to Rose and licking her face happily. The girl said nothing and pushed the dog away from her. Boltund tilted her head and glanced back at her Trainer. "Go play, Cloud," Sonia told her before her Boltund ran off to go play with some of her toys. Cinder nodded to Sonia and stood up to follow Cloud.

Sonia took Cinder's spot beside Rose and rubbed her back. "What's going on?" She asked her twin softly.

Rose didn't answer and hid her mouth between her legs, which she had hugged to her chest. "Where's Rai?"

Sonia frowned slightly and blinked. "Raihan? He's out battling Leon right now. He came by to get me, and then they called for his match with Lee."

Rose didn't move.

"Look." Sonia sighed. "I know you're upset about your match and all, but don't let it get to you, alright? Because honestly, I don't think it's worth it to get so upset over this. I mean, look at me. I didn't even make it this far, and you're in the top three contenders for the Championship. Shouldn't you be proud?"

Again Rose was silent, causing Sonia to bite her lip in worry. Rose was always loud and ready for a fight. She never held anything back, and was so composed when in front of others, especially Sonia.

But looking at her now, she seemed almost like a husk of her former self. She was silent and still, and seemed to want to be left alone. It's almost like she'd been replaced.

Sonia huffed and stood. "Alright, that's it. Let's go and see Raihan and Lee's battle." She grabbed her sister's hands.

"Huh?" Rose's head shot straight up as she tried to pull herself free from Sonia's tight grip. "No! I can't!" Her cries only made Sonia more determined, and she called to Cinder to have him help her lift Rose up to her feet.

Cinder leaned down and wrapped his arms around her waist, slinging her over his shoulder.

"Traitor," Rose growled. "You know, someday when I'm older, you're going to regret treating me like this— both of you." But as it was, she and her nine-year-old limbs could do little to slow down her Cinderace.

Pleased now that she had her sister following her, Sonia whistled to Cloud and left the locker room. Rose said nothing as Cinder trailed behind Sonia, still holding her over his shoulder.

The match was still going on as the four of them took their spots in the front row of the stadium. Cinder set Rose down beside Sonia and sat on her other side, making sure that she couldn't just run off.

Both boys were down to their last Pokémon: Leon's Charizard and Raihan's Duraludon. At the far side of the battlefield laid a Pangoro, unmoving. Bright red burns and scratches covered its back. Whoever it belonged to would have to mourn its death after the match.

The sight made Rose feel sick, but she also knew there was nothing she could do. After all, people all across the region lived to see such bloodsport, and even with the rules less severe than they were, people still cheered when their side's Pokémon killed an enemy.

However, as she brought her gaze upwards, she noticed that the other end of the stadium had a whole empty row of seats. That's where the Gym Leaders would normally sit. . . Curious and confused, she turned around to talk to the person behind her.

"Hey, Sir? Do you know where the Gym Leaders went?" Her voice was uncharacteristically softer than usual.

He grunted. "Why, yes. They mentioned that they had to go stop some threats out in the Wild Area. They all left about ten minutes ago, along with Champion Mustard."

Rose nodded. "Alright, thank you." She turned back around, just in time to see Charizard fly right into Duraludon, his wings coated in silver. The Iron Wing hit, and Raihan quickly returned his ace Pokémon before it could crash to the ground.

"And once again, Leon Heyer remains victorious! He could easily be the strongest Trainer in all of Galar, as he has yet to lose a single match!" Sonia snorted in amusement from beside Rose; she was probably thinking of when Cloud had fainted his Charizard in a single battle. But that was also an unofficial battle, so hardly anyone knew about it.

"Leon will face off next against the Champion himself, Champion Mustard, once he is finished over in the Wild Area!"

The audience erupted into cheers and chants of Leon's name. Cameras flashed all around as the two rivals shook hands in the center of the stadium, one accepting his defeat and the other welcoming his praise. No one seemed to notice as the Pangoro was carted off of the field.

Sonia nudged her sister's side. "You should go down there too; they're trying to get pictures of the three strongest challengers!"

Rose rubbed her arm. "Then shouldn't you go up there too. . ?"

Sonia shook her head. "You're stronger than me in battles. Besides, someone's looking for you out on the field." Rose followed her gaze and sure enough, Raihan was looking around in the stadium's crowd. "Go on!"

Rose sighed, knowing it was pointless arguing with her sister. She stood. "Come on, Cinder." She led her Cinderace down the stands, leaving her other Team members behind at her seat.

Raihan's face lift up as he saw her, and he rushed over to her side. "Glad you're better!" He greeted before grabbing her hand and practically dragging her to the center of the field.

The older boy wrapped his left arm around her shoulders, while Leon placed his right hand on her upper back. They posed and smiled for the cameras in front of them, their respective Pokémon grinning from behind them.

"I'm really sorry about the battle," Leon muttered through a smile. Rose didn't respond, and just kept her smiling façade on her face. Inside, she felt empty, like every part of her old self was gone.

And she didn't try to stop it.

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Photos had finished about ten minutes later. The whole event went into intermission as they all waited for the Champion and Gym Leaders to return.

Leon, Raihan, and Rose all left together to go to a small café, where they met up with Sonia and a few other Trainers they had met from their Gym Challenge.

Rose broke away from the other two to sit down with her sister and Vanessa, a fisherman's daughter and swimmer from back in Hulbury. Her short black hair was pulled back into a braid that rested on her shoulder, and her cerulean eyes shone as she looked at her friend.

The two chatted for several minutes about the latest fashion and other interests, with Rose only half-listening. She absently gazed around, spotting Cinder trying to beat Charizard in an arm-wrestle over in the corner of the small building. At the adjoining table, Leon and Raihan were going over in full detail their battle to Piers and Gordie, another friend they had met on their travels. His navy blue eyes watched the two from behind a pair of glasses.

"Rose?" The young redhead started as her sister waved a hand in front of her face. "Woah, sorry," Sonia said sheepishly, noticing Rose's flinch. "You okay?"

"Yes," Rose replied, meeting her gaze. "Sorry, what did you say?"

Sonia frowned and looked at Nessa for a second. "Are you sure you're okay? Normally you'd be all about talking with us." She tilted her head. "Are you still thinking about your battle. . ?"

The younger twin flinched like she had been hit with a Steel Wing attack. "I- I've got to go." She stood up and made her way to where Cinder was, ignoring her sister's calls for her to come back.

She passed by Leon right as he received a phone call. She glanced at the name for a second before he answered it. Mitzi. . ? The Fire-Type Leader resided in Motostoke, and also acted as the self-named "communications expert" for the Pokémon League. Why would she call him though. . ?

She finally reached Cinder, who was holding his arm gingerly after apparently losing against Charizard.

Suddenly Leon hung up his phone and jumped to his feet. "Sonia, Rose, Raihan!" He called their names. "Get your Pokémon and come with me! I'll explain everything on the way!"

Rose glanced around the others, confused, but returned Cinder to his Poké Ball and followed them outside, leaving the other three staring after them in confusion.

"Get out your flying Pokémon," Leon instructed, already climbing onto his Charizard's back.

Sonia blinked. "What about a Tax—?"

"There's no time!" Leon interrupted. As the three began calling out their birds, he went on. "There's been some unusual activity over in the Wild Area, and the Gym Leaders are having trouble fending it off. So they need our help, since we're the strongest Trainers in the region!"

I'm not strong at all. I can't battle. . . Rose bit her lip as she got onto her Corviknight's raven wings. Sonia did the same with her golden Corviknight, and Raihan with his Flygon.

They agreed that Sonia would lead the way, since she had the best sense of direction of the three of them (not including Leon, of course). And with that, they took to the skies, leaving Wyndon and rushing over to the Wild Area.

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Rose never liked the Wild Area. It was always just too. . . open and wild. Pokémon loomed everywhere: in the skies, in the water, in the grass, even hiding in trees. It just seemed like wherever you went, dangerous creatures waited, lurking in the shadows for their chance to strike.

And, looking at it now, it was worse than she could have ever imagined.

Red clouds filled the sky, and red beams of light towered upwards. Wild Pokémon were nowhere to be seen, giving the surreal sight an even eerier vibe.

"What do we do?" Raihan murmured, looking around at the sight

Leon glanced at him. "We go and fight some Pokémon. Mitzi said they're in the red beams."

Raihan nodded. "Alright, then." He smiled. "Let's go!" The two raced away towards a nearby beam, leaving Sonia and Rose by themselves.

"You coming?" Sonia asked, tilting her head at her sister.

"I just don't know if. . ." Rose confessed, biting her lip.

Sonia sighed. "You're fine, Rose. You're plenty strong, as your battle today showed us all. Don't let one loss ruin who you are."

"It's not just today!" Rose snapped. She quickly caught herself and lowered her head in shame. "I'm sorry. It's just that I've never been able to best Lee or Rai in a battle, and today was no different. And with everyone watching me out there, I just felt completely different." She raised her head. "I don't know if I'm the same person anymore."

Sonia blinked. "I'm sorry. . . Do you want to talk about it on our way to help Lee. . ?"

Rose shook her head. "You go on without me." She took a breath. "I'll catch up with you guys."

Once Sonia left, Rose looked down at her hands. I just need to have faith. So's right, I can do this. She ran off in the opposite direction from the other three, looking for a red beam to fight by herself.

She finally reached one and jumped through it, finding herself in a large cave-like world. She quickly released Cinder as she began to explore the area. Dark red fog swirled around, and when she finally looked up, she found herself facing a huge Gyrados.

This Gyrados was a giant, well over 200 feet long. It roared in pain, thrashing about in an uncontrollable manner. Then it stopped. It had spotted her. With a cry of fury, it fired a powerful Hydro Pump straight at her and her Cinderace.

Both of them jumped to the sides, narrowly dodging the attack. Mist covered the air around them, mixing with the red fog. Rose bit her lip, her thoughts beginning to cloud up in her panic. "P-Pyro Ball!"

Cinder hooked a nearby stone on his foot and juggled it a few times, igniting the rock on fire, before kicking it towards the Gyrados. The attack seemed to have had very little impact on it.

Rose mentally yelled we at herself. Of course it wouldn't do anything! Gyrados was a Water-Type. And her other Pokémon were nowhere near strong enough to challenge this beast. She growled. "Bounce! It's our best bet!"

Cinder gave her a look of trust before launching himself into the air.

Gyrados took this time to fire another powerful Hydro Pump at Rose, which actually hit its target. She was flown back from the impact, her body completely sore from the highly pressurized water and from being slammed into the ground.

She slowly looked up, now noticing Cinder falling back down, his body completely straight as he dove towards Gyrados like a missile. The Gyrados also lifted its gaze, noticing the enemy coming towards it. Rose barely had any time to scream before Gyrados had fired another Hydro Pump attack, this time straight at Cinder. With no way to dodge, he was hit head-on, and sailed through the air, landing with a hard thud on the rocky ground.

"Cinder!" She wailed. Ignoring her pain, she jumped up and ran towards her partner. She barely even noticed as Gyrados created a mini-tornado right behind her.

She reached her Cinderace's side, noticing that his gray fur was soaked and had bruises and cuts from his fall. "Cinder," she breathed, stroking the soft fur on his forehead.

He weakly opened his eyes and glanced at her, a bit of water trickling down his mouth. "Ace. . ." He whispered, his voice sounding distorted. He was drowning, Rose realized. His organs were full of water and he couldn't breathe. Her lip quivered and her eyes filled with tears as she took her starter's paw in her hands, knowing it was already too late to do anything. She watched as he took a final, shaky breath, and then went still.

He was gone.

Rose screamed, her emotions that she had kept bottled up inside her now exploding from her. She screamed of anger, pain, and sadness. But above all, she screamed for her herself.

How useless she was as a Trainer. How she could never battle and win against her friends. How she had lost her best friend, and it being her own fault.

Her young body couldn't take the stress anymore, and she began to shiver, her movements uncontrolled and her eyes wide as she took in everything in her mind.

A hand landed on her back, but she didn't stop her shaking. She just stared at her deceased Cinderace in shock. Then arms wrapped around her, encasing her in a hug from behind. She relaxed slightly, and leaned into the embrace.

The person let go of her and spun her so that she wasn't looking at her rabbit, and instead at them. Raihan's teal eyes met her own green ones, and suddenly she was hugging him again. He seemed a bit surprised at first, but rubbed her back in an effort to help her calm down.

She only noticed the fight going on for a second, with Sonia battling Gyrados with Boltund, and Leon with Charizard. And then her mind became dark as the realization of what happened finally hit her.

She fell unconscious in Raihan's arms.

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She made a promise that day, to never fight in a battle ever again. She became quieter, having lost all her confidence and motivation.

She vowed to never hurt another creature, be it human or Pokémon, and instead devoted her time and studies to medicine. She worked tirelessly, always feeling a thrill of pride when she was able to nurse a Pokémon back to health. But that was sometimes laced with the guilt that she couldn't save her partner's life.

She eventually moved to Sinnoh, where she worked with a team of people, devoted to help injured Pokémon. She made friends there, and saved hundreds of lives.

And now, she may just be a husk of her former self; prideful, excited, and skilled at battles. . .

But she wouldn't have it any other way.

•••••
Okay, I apologize for it being so sad. I really do. I have grown to fall in love with Cinder while writing this, and knowing that he would die in it only made me feel worse.

Other than that, I really hope you enjoyed this.

If enough people ask, I might do another special chapter, with another of the small group as kids.

Also, I'm really trying to get back into the habit of posting a chapter a week, especially with this extended break (thanks, virus).

Thank you for reading, and I'll (hopefully!) see y'all next week in chapter 12.