The Warlock

Kaden stood in the dark, bouncing back and forth on the balls of his feet like a fighter preparing to step into the ring. His eyes were pressed closed and his fists hung clenched at his side. As he rocked up and down his heart thumped savagely as if it were trying to punch through his chest. The silence of the empty hall hung over him in a dense cloud and he felt like a lightning bolt waiting to snap out into the wind.

The door before him thumped twice before it began to slide upwards. Amber light slid into the room and chased away the silence as thousands of voices rose at once. Kaden squinted once the lights washed over his face and after a deep, steadying breath, he marched forward. The faceless crowd greeted him with a rumble that shook him down to his core.

“Warlock! Warlock! Warlock!” Seventy-thousands people cried out in unison. Kaden “Warlock” Ward fought a smirk pulling at the edges of his mouth, still finding the nickname humorous. The world had deemed him “Warlock” because everytime the nineteen year old stepped into the arena, it was simply magic.

Subconsciously Kaden’s right hand pressed against the outside of his coat. It wasn’t to try and steady his thumping heart or to salute the crowd, rather, he needed to feel the edges of the eight metal gym bandages pinned inside his jacket. The badges were a physical reminder that Kaden wasn’t here by chance or a fluke. No. He had earned this. Just like he would earn the American PokéCup here at SoFi Stadium.

Kaden’s wavy and hazel hair was pushed out of his face and the sides were shaved clean. Tall, lean, and determined, he strode to the edge of the arena, looking as if he had done it a thousand times, ignoring the camera drones that swooped down beside him and casted his face across the enormous screen above him, and millions of other, much smaller screens across the world. Stepping into the half circle painted across the ground, he eyed the three Pokéballs that awaited him, each floating weightlessly over a black table.

In this specific tournament, the largest in America, each trainer was only permitted three Pokémon per match. Each Pokémon, and the order in which the trainer uses them, must be predetermined and cannot be changed throughout the duration of the match. Pokémon stay in the arena until they are no longer able to battle, and cannot be substituted out at any time. It’s a brutal tournament. Probably why it’s the most viewed television event of the year.

Only twelve trainers were permitted into the American PokéCup each year, and Kaden was the youngest by far. With each Pokémon needing to be selected before the match, it was crucial to know one’s opponent. But no matter how much you studied the other trainers, each decision proved to be a tremendous gamble. Thankfully, Kaden had a slight advantage for the first round--although he was in the worst seed, he was paired against Dwayne Oar, the Gym Leader from Boulder, Colorado. As the city’s name suggests, Dwayne primarily uses rock and ground Pokémon. Kaden chose his trio based on that knowledge.

“It won’t be like last time, kid,” Dwayne, the barrel-shaped man, called across the arena with a wink. His bald head caught the flare of the flood lights above and he scratched at his bushy beard. His mustache had been twisted into a handlebar shape and he sported his usual steel toe work boots.

“It’s good to see ya, Dwayne,” Kaden said genuinely, winking back. “If I beat you again, do you have to cough up a second one of these?” He opened his black jacket and tapped the brown and orange badge with his pointer finger.

Dwayne grinned and his mustache twitched twice, “You know I like ya, kid. But I’m gonna like squashing you infront of all these folks a lot more.”

The stadium lights flashed crimson, fell into single beams, then honed in on the arena at the center, leaving the fans in darkness.

“Hey, Kaden,” Dwayne called out in his deep, gravely voice.

“Ya, boss?”

“Welcome to the big leagues. Good luck.”

Kaden couldn’t help but smile, “Ya, you too.” Then perfectly on cue, the battle music thundered in and the crowd sprung to their feet.

In unison, Kaden and Dwayne’s hands fell to their first selection. The moment Kaden felt the weight of the sphere, any nerves trapped in his belly scattered.

“Give ‘em hell,” he whispered to the Pokéball before spinning it through the air just above his hand, then catching it again. He and Dwayne both slung their warriors into the field. Both balls snapped open at their center, then released a whip of white energy.

“Ha, should have known,” Dwayne half-laughed, half-cursed, as Kaden’s Pokémon began to take form. The energy beam snapped back and revealed a massive Feraligatr with great red spikes down its spine--one of Kaden’s most trusted team members.

“I guess neither of us surprised each other, huh,” Kaden shrugged as he snatched the Pokéball from the air that automatically returned to him and he glared at Dwayne’s hulking Rhyperior--it’s club-like tail fell into the stone and cracked it as if it were made of glass, shaking the whole arena.

“Alright, Chomper,” Kaden called to his Feraligatr, a nickname he had first given the beast when he was only a tiny Tododile. “Just like we talked about. Keep your distance and drown him.” Chomper nodded his huge head in understanding, then snapped his maw twice.

The referee on the terrace, holding a red flag in one hand and a green in the other, slashed his arms in an X--signifying the beginning of the battle.

“Rhyperior! Rock Blast, now!” Dwayne barked. The monster pulled back his two giant arms, then drove his claws into the earth. The colosseum jumped beneath everyone’s feet. Rhyperior pulled his fists from the ground, drawing up boulders and gravel. He then thrusted forward and sent a blitz of rocks and shrapnel at Feraligatr.

“Iron tail!” Kaden commanded, slashing his arm through the air. Feraligatr stomped into a sturdy base as his tail was outlined with a platinum glow. He pivoted and swept his tail in a vicious arch, brilliant silver trailing after Feraligatr’s attack. His tail reduced the stones to rubble and dust. “Good. Keep him back. Hydropump!”

Feraligatr reared back his head, opened his maw, and the crowd roared as a sapphire orb formed between his fangs. Feraligatr lurched forward and released a torrent of water strong enough to punch a hole through steel. The hydropump cut across the arena and Feraligatr slid back on his claws from the force.

“Dodge it, Rhyperior! Move!” Dwayne cried frantically. But Rhyperior isn’t known for its speed. The huge, rocky beast, slid to the left, but the jet of water caught his shoulder. He went crashing into the earth, and the world shifted and jumped again.

“Hydropump lands and it's super effective!” A female announcer’s voice ripped through the stadium and the cheers were deafening.

“Chomper, finish him! Ice Fang!” Kaden growled. Feraligatr rushed forward, maw open.

“Up, big guy.” Dwayne said just loud enough for his Pokémon to hear. With a great effort, Rhyperior forced himself up slowly as frost trailed from Feraligatr’s mouth in a white cloud. Dwanye roared, “Hammerarm! Right in the kisser!”

Rhyperior came up with a vengeance, his right arm shimmering with orange fury. His clawed fist caught Feraligatr right in the chin, forcing his jaws shut with a horrible crunch.

Feraligatr stumbled back, looking dazed.

“Crap--” Kaden snarled, realizing he forgot his own rule in the excitement of the battle; Keep your distance. Drown him. “Get back, Chomp--” another hammerarm slammed into Feraligatr’s head. Kaden’s Pokémon struggled to keep his footing as he was battered by Rhyperior’s rocky fists and mace-like tail over and over.

“Rhyperior has Feraligatr on the ropes!” the female announcer declared. “I’m not sure how much more the gator can take!”

One of Feraligatr’s fangs was knocked clean out of his mouth and it skipped over to Kaden’s feet. Kaden’s face flushed red with rage, he wished he could dive in and swap places with his partner. Especially because he foolishly sent Feraligatr into the range of Rhyperior’s fists.

With each bone-breaking strike, Kaden’s vision flashed black, snatching his mind far from the arena. There, at only nine years old, he suddenly hid crouched amongst towering weeds. The summer sun sent beads of sweat running down his neck and his shoes were caked in mud. His left hand quietly scratched behind the ear of his Growlithe, who was poised to pounce at any second. In his right hand waited a crimson and white Pokéball, entirely vacant.

A tiny flock of Pidgeys noisily swept over head, causing them both to flinch.

“Not yet, buddy,” Kaden whispered to his Growlithe, who now shook with anticipation. His square ears were pinned back and his gray eyes scanned the quiet pond before them. For three days now Kaden and his Growlithe had come to this tiny pool of murky water. All day they sat hidden in the cattails and thick brush patiently waiting. They had seen Lotods drifting carelessly across the water. Poliwags splashing and playing chase. Even a Crogunk had passed through once or twice. But those Pokémon were nearly distractions from their true prize.

Finally, bubbles drifted to the surface of the water. Both their hearts began to race. Kaden’s fingers clenched the orange scruff at the nape of Growlithe’s neck tightly, knowing the fierce little canine would bolt at the first sign of life. They sat in silence, both holding their breath.

A tiny blue head, no larger than a man’s open hand, sleepily broke the surface of the water. Its lids blinked open, revealing two ruby eyes. Totodile.

“Wait! Wait!” Kaden snarled as quietly as he could as Growlithe began to drag them both through the mud towards the pond. “We gotta wait until he’s on the shore! Or--or we’ll lose him!” Growlithe ignored his trainer, tiny flames already sliding out the edges of his mouth.

Thankfully, a Butterfree fluttered over the surface of the pond catching Totodile’s attention. Totodile sprung from the water, chomping his jaws manically after the surprised Butterfree. He chased the bug all the way up the shoreline, seeming to delight in Butterfree’s terror.

Kaden could hold back Growlithe no more. He was sent toppling face first into the mud as Growlithe sprung free of his grasp and charged the Totodile.

When Kaden pulled his head from the muck, he screamed, “Growlithe, use tackle!”

Totodile spotted the angry-looking dog as the Butterfree darted off up into the clouds. There was a moment where Totodile thought about diving back into the water and vanishing--but he stopped. He looked straight at the charging Growlithe, and grinned a toothy grin. It was that precise moment that Kaden knew he needed that Totodile.

Growlithe rushed in fearlessly and lowered his head to ram the little croc. Totodile side-stepped, tripped Growlithe with his tail, then blasted him with a Watergun in the gut all before the dog hit the mud...

The crowd groaned in agony as Feraligatr took another hard shot off the chin--and suddenly Kaden’s mind snapped back to the arena where thousands of people were waiting to see what he might do.

“Put him down! Megahorn!” Dwayne barked with a proud grin. Rhyperior roared and the huge drill-shaped horn on his nose began to spin like a tornado.

“Chomper! Let him come! The pond! Growlithe!” Kaden knew that was all he needed to say to trigger Feraligatr’s memory. Feraligatr, fumbling back, suddenly stood his ground and let Rhyperior drive for his chest.

Feraligatr did precisely as he had done nearly ten years ago. He waited for the last possible moment, then slid to the side. But instead of a stubby little tail, Rhyperior’s legs were hammered out from beneath him by a glowing Irontail. The crowd fell silent as if the whole stadium had the wind knocked from their chests. While Rhyperior hung in the air for a split second, Feraligatr once again drew back its open maw, summoning in the power of the tides, then released its full might. The Hydropump crashed into Rhyperior’s chest and blasted him into the ground. The attack drove Rhyperior across the arena, leaving behind a massive trench in the earth.

The stadium remained dead silent and a cloud of dust and vapor hung over the battlefield.

“Rhyperior…” the announcer said expectantly. The dust cleared and Rhyperior’s unconscious body was revealed embedded into the furthest wall of the stadium. “Rhyperior is unable to battle!” the announcer declared! The referee lowered the flag on Dwayne’s side of the stadium and thrusted Kaden’s high into the wind. The crowd joined in with the celebration.

“Thatta boy, Chomper. Good work,” Kaden said over the screaming fans, hiding how anxious he had been moments ago. Feraligatr, looking like he had just been run over by a truck, turned and nodded to his trainer, sporting a tough grin with a missing tooth.

“One down… two to go,” Kaden whispered to himself.