Chapter 91 -The Red Queen

  With Patrick’s brave and selfless sacrifice, the evil Red Queen was weakened and cornered.

  “End the Queen. End this madness.”

  Their voices rose in unison, chanting, demanding.

  And so it was.

  In one fell swoop, Marowak, their dark knight, lifted his bone club high and—

  BAM.

  Off with its head. Off with this game.

  Celeste traced her thumb over the Pokéball in her hands, her voice dropping to a whisper.

  “That would be a nice story, wouldn’t it, Pat?”

  Maybe that’s the version she’d tell him later. The one where he got to be the hero. The one—

  “Don’t—What in the—Ariana! Why is it you and your Pokémon keep throwing our turns away?!”

  “Oh, fuck off, old man. Rebel was in that thing’s reach! You expect him to just sit there and get toasted like—? Like… you know…”

  “Let’s just avoid acting rashly. What about that?”

  Celeste bit her lip, staring at the Pokéball in her hands.

  If she looked up, she’d have to leave the story behind. The one where Pat was the hero, and they all celebrated his victory. The one where they laughed—really laughed—and Powder and Aria were themselves again. Where Shy wasn’t just lurking in the shadows, but fully there with them.

  Where they were a team. A family. Whole. Together.

  Something shifted nearby. The game hadn’t stopped just because Celeste was sad. No one was waiting. Not her friends, not the other side. But she still couldn’t bring herself to care. She still couldn’t stand up and pretend to play.

  A gentle tug at her leg pulled her back.

  Shy had sunk back into her shadow, though their golden eyes glinted faintly against the dark. They pointed toward the square on her diagonal, moving with an unexpected urgency. Celeste only tilted her head slightly.

  It was enough to catch a glimpse of Delphox’s red fur settling inches away.

  “Shit,” Ariana muttered. “Why’s it following us?”

  Celeste took a slow, deep breath and finally—finally—lifted her head.

  The board had shifted.

  With Delphox’s latest move, it was now in range to strike her. But once again, it had choices. This time, Ariana’s Murkrow shared the chopping block.

  “Back one square, Rebel. Now.” Ariana yelled, not even sparing Celeste a glance.

  Nebula, surprisingly, cared.

  “Negative. The Murkrow can fight,” the bug said. “While Celeste...”

  Celeste barred her teeth. Everyone was talking around her. Like she could still break more than she already had.

  “I don’t want another Pokémon getting hurt because of me,” she muttered, pushing herself upright. She carefully rolled Pat’s ball down her palms and into her pocket—the same one where she’d hidden Powder’s for safety.

  She didn’t want to play without Pat.

  That was all she could think about.

  But she didn’t say that.

  Instead, Celeste lifted her chin, set her shoulders. Put on a mask.

  “Rebel, to… H1?” Her voice was steadier than she felt. “It’s H1, right? The square beside you—”

  “Celeste, don’t be daft!”

  Blaine’s voice cut through the air, Nebula’s buzz rising with it, drowning out whatever thought she had left.

  “I can’t run, and no one can stand in the way,” she tried.

  Ariana nodded. But for the briefest second, Celeste could have sworn her fingers were twitching. Still, that didn’t stop her. “Yeah. Rebel, H1.”

  But Rebel…? For some reason, Rebel never moved.

  He just stared at Celeste, big, watery eyes blinking up at her.

  Seriously?

  She’d seen Murkrow twitch and caw and follow Ariana’s every command without a second thought. No hesitation. Not when Ariana told him to steal Powder. Not when he was ordered to fight. But now? Now he was getting sentimental?

  Come on, they didn’t even know each other that well.

  “Rebel, move!” Ariana’s voice rose sharper this time.

  Rebel just tilted his head.

  Ariana sucked in a breath. “That was a lot of fire Delphox just made,” she tried again.

  He flapped his wings but stayed right where he was, hovering in place.

  Celeste opened her mouth, unsure what she was about to say. Then, without thinking, her head snapped to something else.

  “Nebula?!”

  Rebel still hadn’t moved. Neither had Celeste.

  The Orbeetle took the turn instead.

  Blaine let out a small smile, his gaze settling on Nebula as she hovered towards the square by the Delphox. She’d stop by its side and taunt it, just like Pat had, no doubt.

  Celeste’s breath caught. “You’re weak to fire,” she blurted.

  Caleb didn’t miss a beat. “She’s strong against Psychic.”

  Nebula buzzed, rather pleased with herself. “And I’m also smarter than anyone else here.”

  Her satisfaction only grew when she reached the square beside the Delphox and then kept going.

  She didn’t stop at its side. She glided forward, through her diagonal, past the fire-type and right beside Celeste. But she didn’t stop there either. She moved another square, straight toward the Slugma Pawn in front of Celeste.

  Celeste blinked, the heat from the molten slug already rising, prickling her skin.

  Magma bubbled beneath it, spreading toward her square. The air shimmered with the heat, and before she could react, Shy’s grip tightened around her ankles, pulling her back. Then, before any stray magma could splash her, Nebula caught the Slugma, lifting it telepathically. The Pawn jerked upward. Its liquefied body dripped molten rock, each drop vanishing into smoke before it reached the board.

  It didn’t even get a chance to struggle.

  Without hesitation, Nebula blasted it with a Psybeam. The energy hit like a hammer, and the Slugma’s form wavered—then puff.

  It never touched the ground again.

  When Nebula finally settled into her captured square, she turned, meeting Celeste’s disbelieving stare. “I told you before, risk and reward,” the Orbeetle said, pointing at her. “You are very low risk, but also very low reward.”

  She flicked her head toward Rebel, who fluffed his feathers as the Delphox took its first step toward him.

  “He is low risk, but a moderate reward. He could take a few Pawns, at least.”

  Ariana wouldn’t stop cursing.

  And Celeste? She felt awful for them. But also, now that she was out of immediate danger, a little relieved.

  At least no one had let her throw Pat’s sacrifice away.

  Before the Delphox even reached him, Ariana had already grabbed Rebel’s Pokéball, ready to recall him. She was set to end this battle before it even began.

  But turns out, Rebel wasn’t.

  The dark bird let out a loud caw, wings flaring as he summoned a swirl of Night Shades.

  By Celeste’s side, Nebula tilted her head.

  “That’s brave,” she observed. Then, after a beat, she added, “He knows he can’t win. But he wants to weaken the Delphox so someone else can take it out later. That’s the best way he knows to protect Ariana, just like sacrificing himself was the best way Patrick could protect you.”

  Celeste’s chest tightened.

  She watched as Rebel’s attack took hold. Shadows coiled around the fox’s tail and paws, gripping tight, dragging it down.

  The Delphox collapsed. For a moment, it actually looked like he’d done some damage.

  Then its eyes flared open.

  The fire-type grabbed its staff, summoning flames so bright they burned the shadows away.

  It stood back up, tall, unshaken.

  Rebel, still ducking and weaving past Ariana’s desperate recall attempts, launched himself forward with a Wing Attack.

  But it was too late.

  The fire had already built.

  A blast of flames shot straight into him.

  Celeste winced as Rebel crashed to the board, burned and twitching. He couldn’t dodge anymore.

  This time, the red beam from Ariana’s Pokéball finally hit.

  She recalled him before anything worse could happen.

  “You all must be fucking happy!” Ariana yelled, taking a few steps back as the fox reached her side. She tiptoed to the edge of her square and shouted, “How the hell do I get out now?”

  And then… she relaxed.

  It was sudden and made no sense, but her shoulders dropped, and the tension in her face melted away. Celeste frowned. Was it because Ariana could just move out of the way?

  And then it hit her.

  Damn.

  If Ariana moved, Blaine would be vulnerable.

  Her throat felt tight. “What happens if we lose the King?” she whispered to Nebula.

  The bug hovered closer. “I… my plan was to save you. I didn’t really think ahead.”

  “Seriously?!”

  Nebula’s eyes darted around wildly, their swirling so erratic Celeste swayed just watching. She caught herself, steadying her breath. Whatever was happening to Ariana, at least she was still frozen in place. A few minutes earlier, and she would have bolted from her square.

  Across the board, Blaine tried to coax her. “Move. I’ll be fine,” he said, as if she cared about him.

  But she did nothing.

  Well… not nothing.

  Ariana laughed.

  “Delphox are so ridiculous. OoOHHH look, imma wizard with a staff! Pffft. Nerd!”

  Blaine had no words to that.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Celeste, however, did.

  She’d spent enough time with Delia and Lori since arriving in Cinnabar to recognise this sudden shift.

  “Rebel isn’t here anymore,” she simply said.

  Nebula lowered herself. “Her mind is under the Unown’s influence…” The Orbeetle’s hum echoed in Celeste’s head as she closed her eyes, focusing. “If Hab is protecting Caleb, I should be able to protect her, but… I can’t make a connection to Ariana.”

  A pause.

  “…We need another plan.”

  And then—silence.

  All Celeste heard in her head was her own thoughts, and not the Orbeetles.

  “Come on, move.” She focused on Blaine instead, listening as he insisted with Ariana, but he wasn’t having much luck.

  “Nah, bet I can kick it in the nuts.” Ariana threw up a fist, drunkenly punching the air. “’Cause I’m the fucking greatest, y’know.” She swayed slightly, grinning at no one. “Actually, fuck off. I don’t give a damn if you know. I know. I’m fucking awesome.”

  This would be almost fun to watch if not incredibly dangerous.

  “Caleb, quickly! Before she does something stupid!” Nebula’s voice flared back up in her mind.

  Wait—did she say Caleb?

  That made no sense. Caleb couldn’t fight. He wasn’t even positioned anywhere useful.

  But he just smiled.

  With no hesitation, he stepped forward, moving in the L-shape his Knight role allowed. When he stopped, just in front of the King’s position, he glanced at Blaine, who looked just as confused, adjusted his glasses, took a deep breath, then dropped a Pokéball onto his own square.

  A flash of red and out came his Sharpedo.

  The fish wasn’t exactly mobile, its body taking up most of the space, but Caleb barely seemed to care.

  Instead, he fixed his eyes on the Delphox and grinned.

  “You take Ariana, and we take you.” He threw his arms out. “Double advantage, baby!”

  To her side, Celeste heard a satisfied hum.

  “You and your shadow being together gave me the idea.” Nebula’s voice curled around her thoughts. “You still have all your Pokéballs. I just knew this would work.”

  Celeste nodded, though still tense. It hadn’t worked yet.

  The Delphox studied Ariana. It stared at her for an excruciating moment. One second. Two. Three. Then—

  Then it turned!

  Not to Ariana.

  But to her.

  The fire-type took a slow, deliberate step toward Celeste, moving into range.

  Her eyes widened.

  “Plan…?” she started, voice rising, shooting toward Nebula. “Come on, you got to have a plan!”

  —*——*—

  “There is no other option. You have to move into the Ponyta.”

  “Celeste, no one else can take this move to protect you. Don’t let Patrick’s and Rebel’s sacrifice be in vain.”

  “You have to let your ghost fight.”

  Fight.

  The voices blurred together, overlapping until she couldn’t tell who was speaking. At first, she tried to block them all out. But even when she listened to no one, her own voice remained.

  You can’t let Pat’s sacrifice be in vain.

  Celeste bit her lip.

  You can’t just leave things the way they are. Powder and Aria are counting on you, too. Will you give up this easily?

  She couldn’t.

  She needed to get out of this. If only to take Pat to the Pokémon Centre.

  Her breath steadied as her eyes refocused, fixing on the patch of shadow stretched from her feet and across the polished board. Shy’s form trembled at the edges, shifting like the smoke curling from the Pokémon surrounding her. Their eyes showed, even though people were clearly looking. Their golden irises, dim but wide, flicked toward the Ponyta.

  This decision, to attack, and who to attack, wasn’t hers alone. They were both in this together and moving was as much Shy’s choice as it was Celeste’s.

  “Can you fight?” she whispered, pretending no one else could hear her.

  Shy hesitated.

  Then, slowly, they nodded.

  Celeste swallowed, following their gaze from the Ponyta to the Delphox, then back again. “Yeah, I don’t think we have much of a choice,” she murmured, fixing on the Ponyta. Then, a little more self-conscious, “Do you want me to… give you battle commands?”

  She braced herself for hesitation, maybe even resistance. She expected the same look they’d given her Pokéball just days ago when she thought about offering it to them.

  Instead, Shy nodded again.

  For a second, the glow in their eyes brightened with… excitement?

  But Nebula noticed.

  The bug hovered closer, fascinated with the ghost. But the moment their eyes met, Shy pulled back. The glow in their gaze died out, and they sank deeper into the shadows, slipping toward the part of the square that stretched across Celeste’s back.

  Celeste scowled, and with a huff, she turned away from Nebula.

  “So… what are your moves?” she whispered, refocusing on Shy.

  They paused.

  Then, to her surprise, they punched the air. Or… whatever medium a shadow inhabits.

  Celeste blinked. “…Okay. So… punching?”

  That didn’t seem very ghostly. And definitely not something they could do while stuck in her shadow. But Shy took a few more empty jabs, a lot like Bruno’s Primape.

  “Anything else?” she tried. “Maybe some of that shadow stuff you did back at Cinnabar Labs? The thing that took me through doors and around stuff?” She paused. “Uh… maybe we could call that—”

  “Shadow Sneak.”

  Blaine’s voice cut through the air. Loud. Deliberate.

  Shy stiffened.

  The Gym Leader barely looked up, though, as if he wasn’t particularly interested. “I suppose your Palossand can’t learn it, can he, Caleb?” His tone was casual—too casual. But the way his eyes flicked toward Caleb told Celeste otherwise. “It’s… a very useful move.”

  Caleb frowned, thinking. Then nodded. “Bit of a niche move. I… battled a Banette that knew it once.”

  Blaine smiled. And from the corner of his eye, stole a glance at Celeste.

  “Yes, not even among ghosts is this common. Mimikyu, Duskull, Misdreavus, and Shuppet’s lines come to mind, but mastery over shadow doesn’t come easily—even to those who can use it.” His voice was measured now, just loud enough. “But it’s quite useful. The Pokémon takes to the shadows and launches a surprise attack. A lot like Dig, though a little faster.”

  Celeste beamed at that. “You saw me training Dig with Aria a bunch, didn’t you?”

  Shy nodded, this time more earnestly.

  “Okay.” She balled her hand into a fist. This could actually work. “I know how to work with Dig. We can do this.”

  She turned back to the Ponyta, then glanced at her ghostly friend.

  “You can do this,” she said, softer this time, making sure her words were meant only for them.

  Then, with a timid ghost at her heels, Celeste made her move.

  —*——*—

  The moment her foot touched the next square, Celeste felt Shy stiffen. Even deep within her shadow, their fear was obvious, with the way they held tighter to her ankles.

  Then, before she could properly process it, the Ponyta charged.

  Its hooves pounded against the polished board, fire flaring from its mane as it closed the distance way too fast. Celeste’s pulse spiked. She took a step back, already knowing she wouldn’t be able to outrun it.

  “Shadow Sneak!” she called, but nothing happened.

  Heat and muscle slammed into her, and when she hit the ground, air knocked out of her lungs, the world tilted.

  “Sh-shadow Sneak,” she coughed the words, trying to roll over before the Ponyta stomped on one of her limbs. Dig, as she was well used to, included a literal hole. Sinking into the shadows was more of a stealth thing. She had no idea if Shy was even trying the move.

  Until it hit her.

  They’d been watching whenever she trained with Aria. Which meant—

  As soon as the Ponyta began her new charge, Celeste tapped the floor, in the exact same way she would do to signal Aria to come out from the ground when she used Dig. And just like that, Shy moved. A shadow hole opened up right at the spot Ponyta’s hinder legs were about to hit the board, but instead of solid wood, they sunk into a pool of shadow that coiled up.

  Shy was pulling, dragging it downward.

  The fire horse whinnied, thrashing, struggling, sinking. Celeste could almost feel sorry for it, but there was no panic in its eyes, and as realistic as the fighting against this pull was, the Pokemon they were battling was simply empty and void.

  They needed to attack.

  “Pull it down and… uh… punch?” Celeste commanded awkwardly.

  She barely saw the result of her command. Just a flicker of movement in the patch of darkness on the ground.

  Then—impact!

  The Ponyta came crashing back, spat from the shadow’s grasp. It staggered, flames whipping wildly as it landed on its side.

  Celeste herself punched the air. Who knew Shy was a fighter?

  But her celebration was short-lived. The Ponyta regained her footing and stomped down, ready to begin its gallop again, only for Shy to grab hold of its legs one more time. The Ponyta let out another whinny, attempting to yank its legs free just as Celeste shouted, “Shadow Sneak, now!”

  The moment Shy released the Ponyta, it stumbled back a few steps and, soon as Celeste tapped the floor, another hole opened up behind it. The horse fell full in, and then…

  Nothing.

  A beat of nervous silence passed until finally—POW!

  The sound of Shy’s punching was almost comically loud, and the Fire-type got lunged out of the shadows before crashing down in a puff of smoke.

  Celeste let out a breath.

  Did they just win?

  Survival had never tasted sweeter.

  —*—-*—

  Nebula’s swirling eyes locked onto the Delphox. She was silent, yet challenging. Now that Celeste had moved, the Orbeetle stood directly in the fire-type’s line of attack. Unlike Celeste, though, Nebula could fight. And she would. But for all that daring, the Delphox seemed to decide this battle wasn’t worth the trouble. With almost deliberate politeness, it stepped one square to the side.

  Which, of course, meant Celeste was in danger again.

  So was Ariana.

  But Ariana was laughing mindlessly.

  “C’mere, you red piece of shit! Let me show you who’s the real queen,” she slurred, almost delighted.

  Celeste cursed under her breath.

  This time, however, there was no debate about the next move. Nor was there any hesitation. Nebula zipped one square diagonally, planting herself in front of Celeste, tiny limbs braced as if her determination alone could decide what happened next.

  Caleb’s voice cut through the air, sharp and unimpressed. “Well?” He was within range too, his Sharpedo, though a literal fish out of the water, snarling at his feet. “What’s it gonna be?”

  Losing the Queen was risky in any chess match—losing a Queen this powerful? The Unown weren’t stupid, and the Delphox didn’t move. Instead, a Magcargo—the Rook nearest Celeste—slithered forward, sliding all the way to the opposite end of the board.

  Celeste’s stomach twisted.

  Damn it.

  It was hard enough keeping track of all the pieces when you weren’t literally inside the game fighting for your life. This Magcargo, though not as intimidating as the Delphox, had wedged itself into a position where it could strike Ariana next.

  And Ariana…

  She had no ghost to fight for her. She didn’t even have a Pokémon on the board… or a mind of her own.

  “You need to move!” Celeste yelled, hoping to somehow reach the other girl. Before Ariana could respond, however, something invisible struck her mind like a slap. She winced. Nebula, with her sharp eyebrows pointed down in an angry V, just gestured ahead.

  In her defence, it was really hard to keep track.

  Ariana was a Bishop—which meant she could only move diagonally. And since she was at the board’s edge, her options were limited. Ahead to the right? The Delphox Queen stood tall, hopefully too preoccupied with Caleb to make a move of its own. And ahead to the left? Well, there was a free square, then a Fennekin. Which meant she could either fight it directly or she could wait until it undoubtedly came to her.

  This was bad.

  Celeste’s brain scrambled for a solution. “What can she do?”

  Nebula didn’t answer. Which meant the bug didn’t know.

  Ariana, not giving a damn, puffed her chest with the same bravado she wore when being cruel to Celeste for fun. “I’m taking this bitch down,” she said.

  Then—

  “Don’t!”

  The voice that rung was Blaine’s. And Ariana actually paused at it, tilting her head.

  And that was all the time the Gym Leader needed.

  Blaine moved one diagonal forward, landing directly across from the Fennekin Pawn that had been eyeing Ariana, who simply snorted.

  “Ohh, what, you wanna steal my thunder, old man?” She blew a raspberry. “Whatever.”

  Blaine didn’t acknowledge that in any way that mattered. He simply turned to the Fennekin.

  Caleb muttered, “You sure that was wise?”

  It very obviously wasn’t.

  Blaine was the King. He had no Pokémon with him and his Marowak was four squares ahead, completely useless. The enemy Fennekin took one look at him, flames already glowing behind its teeth, and—

  Blaine slipped a Pokéball from his coat pocket.

  With a flash of red light, a Centiskorch uncoiled into existence, filling the square with seething limbs.

  Blaine adjusted his moustache like this was all part of a well-orchestrated plan.

  The Fennekin hesitated, but instinct—or the Unown’s instinct—took over, and it launched a stream of embers. The fire flickered harmlessly over the Centiskorch’s exoskeleton.

  Blaine, ever unfazed, lifted a hand. “Wrap.”

  The Centiskorch lunged.

  The Fennekin scrambled back, yelping, but it was no use—the bug’s burning body curled around it like a living rope. The little fox squirmed, tried another fire attack, then a desperate swipe of its claws, but the Centiskorch simply squeezed.

  “Bug Bite,” Blaine said finally.

  The battle was over before it ever really started.

  Blaine shrugged, brushing soot from his coat. “Brought one of the Gym Pokémon with me. For precaution.”

  Caleb exhaled sharply. “And you only tell us this now?”

  That actually seemed to amuse Blaine. “Mr Raines, you weren’t even supposed to be here.”

  “And why are you here, Leader Blaine?” Ariana asked, louder than necessary. Caleb visibly cringed.

  Blaine ignored them both. He pointed to the square ahead of him. “Here. You come here now, young miss,” he said with all his authority.

  Ariana squinted. “Ooh, demanding.” She swayed forward, hands on her hips. But for whatever reason, she actually complied, skipping into position.

  Caleb turned back to Blaine. “She does have a point.”

  Blaine’s sigh was deep, tired. “I went outside to look for you three when you vanished from the gym. I… only found the Unown were everywhere. I hoped Celeste planned some foolish escape plan, but fear that whatever happened to the other trainers would befall you, as well. I… I knew it was getting worse.”

  Celeste frowned. “Worse as in…?”

  Blaine didn’t answer right away. He just looked up at the twisted, massive mansion walls around them, at the board they stood on, at the pieces still waiting to move.

  “I realised,” he said eventually, “that if you—if anyone in Cinnabar—had any chance of getting to safety once again, it could be by confronting the root of the problem.”

  Caleb’s voice was flat. “…Fuji.”

  Blaine closed his eyes briefly. “I denied it long enough. But the second I entered this place… I knew.” His jaw tightened. “This world… It’s all like that book Amber likes so much. My best friend’s desperation finally made him cross a line he shouldn’t. I… can only hope to save him from himself now.”

  A stone-like clunk sounded from the other side of the board.

  The other Magcargo Rook had moved—this time placing itself directly in front of Caleb’s Palossand, stopping squarely across from Blaine.

  The Gym Leader sighed. “This is a third-badge Centiskorch,” he muttered to Caleb.

  Caleb gave a small nod. “Hab,” he called, “finally your turn to fight.” The Palossand stirred, sand shifting ominously as it advanced.

  But Caleb wasn’t finished. He glanced back at Blaine, “This conversation isn’t over.”

  Blaine didn’t look at him. Just kept his eyes on the board, on the battle ahead. “What more is there to tell?”

  Caleb’s expression darkened. “You say you want to save him. But what if there isn’t any saving?”

  Blaine’s lips pressed into a thin line. His silence spoke louder than any answer he could have given.

  But then the Palossand reached its target.

  Blaine’s voice, when it came, was soft. “Well, trainer, I think there’s a battle you need to attend.”

  —*——*—

  Caleb was a powerful trainer, just like Lori, one battle away from earning his final badge when all this madness began. Celeste knew he had to be strong. But knowing and seeing were two different things. And yeah, she’d watched Nebula take down that Slugma a few moves ago. She’d watch the Orbeetle train Pat herself. But Nebula was so independent that she hardly felt like anyone’s Pokémon.

  So when Hab’s sandy body began to disperse, swirling outward in a storm that swallowed the entire chessboard, Celeste stared. And when she noticed the spectral shimmer spiking through every grain, heavy with ghostly energy, she gawked.

  The Magcargo, however, didn’t react. It simply gathered heat around itself, glowing and molten.

  “Sand Tomb!” Caleb commanded, pumping a fist in the air.

  And at that, Blaine raised an eyebrow. “You do know what happens to sand when it heats too much, don’t you?”

  Caleb didn’t even blink. He adjusted his glasses, pushed a dreadlock from his face, and kept his eyes locked on the field. “Oh, I know.”

  The ghostly sand spiralled tighter, swallowing the Magcargo whole. The fire-type responded by burning hotter, while its body sunk into the swirling dune until…

  The sand melted and hardened together?

  Celeste’s eyes widened.

  Glass.

  The Magcargo got trapped into a perfect, glimmering coffin, warped and distorted.

  It thrashed, slamming itself against the edges, spitting fire against the walls, but every time it fought back, Hab simply poured in more sand.

  More sand. That somehow turned into more glass.

  Caleb exhaled. “Earth Power.”

  The tile beneath them began to shake.

  A jagged crack split the glass pit. Then another. And another.

  Then the ground moved.

  A deep tremor, slow and somehow inevitable, shook the entire board. Celeste struggled to keep her balance, feet sliding over one another.

  And then—the earth erupted.

  The glass shattered upward, fractured by the golden pulse of power beneath it.

  And the shards—they were just sand in another form—and sand belonged to Hab. When they rained down, he made sure they rained onto Magcargo.

  A thousand cuts sliced through the fire-type’s molten form. Until finally, it was gone.

  Another piece erased from the board in a puff of smoke. Another Unown construct destroyed.

  Caleb adjusted his glasses, barely sparing a glance at the fading embers. He turned to Blaine, voice easy, casual. “Can you pretend you didn’t see that when I finally have my gym battle?”

  Blaine let out a low chuckle. “I make no promises.”

  The board finally settled.

  Then, somewhere in the darkness beyond, another piece moved.

  First things first, these are the moves for today's part of the game: .

  Next part will be the end of this game!

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  Artwork of the Day - The Red Queen Stalks

  You can’t let Pat’s sacrifice be in vain.