Written Story Teen [MW2] The Villain - Mirror Roads

[Fennec]

After countless centuries of indulgence and wrongdoings for the sake of power, it began to pale. Is this new world a punishment for all she'd done wrong? Or was it a forge, made to break her down and rebuild her into something new? Something better?

Perhaps, it was both.

Spoiler: Rules

The Normal MW2 rules
But the run is done blind.

Spoiler: Content

Chapter 1
Valor Interlude 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4

Rating may change but is as is because of language and possibly violence.

 

[Fennec]

Spoiler: Chapter 1

The smell of burning flesh still in her nose, Melody woke up and felt completely oddly disoriented. This wasn't the typical disorientation of beginning a new life however, but something else. Her heart was still pounding as if it was trying to break out of her chest and she was covered in sweat. What was going on. A low rumble to her side and she looked down, looking at the small creature. Rhythm her brain provided. Her first ally in this world, even if something was different with it. But what was it? For all intent and purposes, it looked like a typical Larvitar,but she wasn't wrong like they were. The disorientation was slowly passing. She was in an odd world, one of the strangest she had ever visited. The pokemon were not as they should have been, though they were, having odd typing and abilities. This wasn't the first time it had happened, of course, but it had never been twisted to this level or to all the pokemon. It was as if some demented Gods had twisted the natural order to suit his needs.
Enigma. Her memories reasserted themselves, except for why she'd been waking up in the middle of a Violet town.
“What the fuck is going on here,” she snarled, hating the way her heart refused to settle down and the way the fading smell of smoke lingered and made it hard for her to breath. “Rhythm. How long was I out?”
The green pokemon growled something her trainer couldn't understand and sighed when Melody didn't understand and scratch at the ground five time.
“Five minutes?” she asked, “Then why am I aching so much?”
The Larvitar shook her head and pointed up, but only once. So the next measurement up?
“Five hours? And those pricks just left me on the ground here? The pokemon center is right across the street! Unbelievable!”
Rhythm looked uneasy, glancing left and right, almost as if she was afraid. That's when Melody remembered. The people of this world were empty. Devoid of thought, meat puppets waiting for their masters to direct them. At first, she had tried taking control of them as she had done in countless other world. But their were no strings to pull, no mechanism to manipulate, only a cold and starving void that pulled at her consciousness and left her cold for days afterward. It was then that Enigma had introduced themselves. She'd recognized them for what they were as she tuned out their explanation. A villain that was deluding themselves into thinking that what they were doing was inevitable. She knew because she'd been that villain for a long time before embracing it. But that had been weeks ago. What had bothered her was that this time, she didn't have a situation she could take control of, that she could manipulate to gain power. She was just a girl, an average one at that, as she had been so many years ago that the memories of that time had been lost to the ages. But perhaps if this aspect had changed, other things had changed. Perhaps this time she didn't have to be the villain. She shook herself, refusing to get lost in thought like some child.
“A good fight would clear my head,” she muttered.
So far everyone she'd ran into had been a joke, falling before her pokemon like magikarp confronted by a hungry pidgeot. Though now that she thought about it, magikarp might be better suited in this travesty of a world than the ones she'd encountered before. Even the so called gym leader had barely qualified as a speed bump. As she walked the streets of Violet city, she could feel the weight of the empty eyes staring at her.
“Come on Rhythm,” she said to her pokemon. “Let's get out of this place. There's nothing left here for us.”
The larvitar chirped in agreement as she followed her training. It almost sounded like words this time and Melody smiled. Soon, she'd be acclimatize to this world and be able to understand what her pokemon were saying and she wouldn't have to rely on charades to know what they were trying to say. She was halfway out of town when a gust of wind blew through town, smelling of decay and colder than her heart had been. She felt the attention of every dead eyes on her and shuddered. From around her the voice of the shells rose as one, a discordant voice that grated on her already frayed nerve.
“Brace yourself, Villain. They come for you!”
From around her she heard the rustling of approaching pokemon. She didn't need to be a genius to know what was going on. She'd been in enough ambush to know what was coming. All she needed to do was find a place to make a stand. . . but where?

 

[Second]

I’m still absolutely in love with your concept. Role reversals and redemption stories are both SUPER COOL, and this is a good start, starting in the middle of things with Mel passed out in the middle of town until some aspiring hero jumps out at her. From this alone I can tell Mel’s gonna have A Time and I can’t wait to see it

 

[Fennec]

Spoiler: Valor Interlude

Valor drifted in the void between worlds, aware of himself, of his thoughts and nothing else. Here he was at peace for a short time. No one to demand he help them. No thankless peasant to turned on him the moment he didn't have anything left to give, when he was vulnerable. Here there was no betrayal, no self-sacrifice required of him to save another world in which he had no stakes. How many times had he died at the hands of the people he'd been trying to save, how often had he been dragged to a world to stop his nemesis simply because she was there. Unable to trust anyone, to bond with anyone for he would be gone as soon as he beat her. He had been alone for so long, with only that bitch capable of understanding what he was going through. And he'd learned early that he couldn't reason with her or try to get close. And so he'd first isolated his heart. It had been the work of many lifetime, and though he felt the emptiness, it was better than the pain. Loneliness was comforting in its own way and this was why this was his favorite part in the endless cycle. The void, the emptiness, the waiting. Here he was alone.
I can help, if you like.
The peace wavered. He could have sworn he'd heard a voice. But it was impossible. He was alone in the void. He always had been.
Very few things are actually impossible for me. I am called Enigma, and once again, I can help.
“Help,” Valor scoffed. “How many people have tried to help me with breaking this curse? How could they even help at this point? Do you know how long I've been doing this?”
For a moment blessed silence and Valor relaxed. It either had been a figment of his imagination or an anomaly. But then.
If you're asking about those who genuinely wanted to help, three-hundred and ninety-two. Overall offers number around six hundred. They couldn't help like I can for their understanding of the situation and their meager powers were not up to the task. As for how long? Seventeen thousand, three-hundred and sixty-eight lifetimes, of varying lengths. The passage of time in those realm was different than in others so an exact amount of time is not possible. This is the most accurate number anyone could give you.
Valor was taken aback. Even he didn't know the numbers, having lost tracks what felt like eons ago. But this Enigma spoke with absolute certainty and the words had the ring of truth to them. He decided to take the bait. After all, what else was there to do while he waited?
“Very well, Enigma. Tell me how you propose to help me?”
I can break the cycle. I can free you from this eternal struggle with your nemesis. I can give you the revenge you so richly deserve against your eternal enemy in a world that needs no hero. And finally, once you are satisfied, I can give you what you want most of all.
Not for the first time, he was tempted by what was obviously a trap of some kind, but Enigma's words were tempting in a way nothing else had been before. Other villains had offered him power, riches, solitude but he had been compelled to refused every time, knowing deep down that in the end the rewards would be hollow.
“What – what is it that you can give me? What is this thing that I want most of all?” he asked, taking the bait.
Complete oblivion, Enigma said, hiding the satisfaction in their voice. Valor would make a powerful Blade and his honor would ensure he stayed loyal. All I need from you is to help me with something.
“And what is that?”
I need you to play the Game.

***​

Valor had been following her since she awoke to her new reality. For once, she had no advantage, no situation to take advantage of. The deck was stacked against her at every turn. It was interesting to watch her from the beginning. The way she figured things out. The frustration as she realized she was on her own and the cycle was not working as it once had. For the first time in decades, a smile touch his lips, and it was a cold thing. She had no idea he was following. He watch her catch and grow her team without being aware that he was there. She was so sure of herself, of her abilities. She had no idea what was coming for her. Did she? The reckoning that was coming her way was long past overdue. Perhaps there was a God after all, and he would not let them down.

 

[Fennec]

Spoiler: Chapter 2

They came from all sides.

In the blur of battles, this was what stuck to her the most. Her team handled them, but time and time again one would almost get taken out by one of the feral pokemon lunging out of a corner or from behind a building. Her heartbeat increased as the battle raged and the adrenaline flowed through her veins. The rush of battle, the cries of her enemies, it wasn't something she had expected to experience in this world. A wicked smile blossomed on her face as she felt the adrenaline flow in her veins. Her ivysaur barely blocked a scythe from an enraged kabutops aimed at the back of her head. She hadn't seen it come at her but Treble had. Something had to be done about this and soon.
“Time to change the playing field,” she muttered to herself. “Adagio, I need you to make sure they can't sneak up on us.”
Her pokemon had been with her for only a short time, but they had a good idea on how she did things and they all moved closer to her. The attacking pokemon paused, as if sensing a shift in the trainer. Melody's smile grew wider as she recognized the uncertainty in their eyes. She'd seen it over many battlefields, during many wars and she never grew tired of it.
“Adagio, use psychic, and pour everything you have in it. I don't want a single building left standing. ”
The octillery looked a bit uneasy at first, but shrugged it off, an impressive when you had eight arms. Adagio began to grow out of his skin, his tentacles splitting and stretching before splitting again. As he grew bigger, he started to become translucent and it became obvious that the giant pokemon was only a psychic construct. The tentacles wrapped around buildings, knocking out savage pokemon when they got in the way. The real Adagio glanced at his trainer, as if asking if she was sure. The former ruler of countless worlds nodded and watched in awe as the psychic construct squeezed. In all her years Melody had experienced many things. Wars, natural disaster, terrorists attack against her regimes. Even with all that, she had no words to describe the simultaneous destruction of every building around her. When the dust settled and she managed to get back on her feet she stood in awe of the distraction around her. Of the attacking pokemon, there were no signs and she assumed they had all fled at the show of force.
“Holy shit, Adagio. You don't fuck around do you?” she asked impressed and turning to look at her partner.
Her elation was short lived however. Adagio was slumped and seemed to have shrunk in size and lay unmoving. She was next to him in an instant, feeling her heart rise in her throat when she realized he was still breathing faintly, completely and utterly exhausted, unable even to move.
“Oh Gio,” she said an unpleasant sensation in her stomach. “I'm sorry. You didn't have to go that hard.”
Crescendo scoffed and growled in disgust and she almost understood what the charmeleon said and it wasn't flattering if the tone of voice was anything to go by. Anger that her pokemon would dare to give her attitude warred with shame at what she'd done without thinking. To her surprise shame won and she knelt next to her barely conscious pokemon. He had almost killed himself in order to do as she asked and it was her fault. She knew that her octillery tended to do exactly as she asked. In any number of her previous lives, she would have killed to have that kind of loyalty but there was something sweet and innocent about the pokemon that made it much less satisfying. The octillery needed a place to rest, and so did the rest of her team, after the fight. Unfortunately, Adagio had done an excellent job of destroying every building and the ruins didn't offer much in terms of shelter. Her lips curled in disgust. She would have to find a good spot to camp outside. Like some commoner. She'd done it before, but always in comfort and with other people to do the setting up for her. She would have to do everything herself it seemed. After many hours she managed something resembling a camp. It didn't meet her standards, not by a long shot, but she was sweaty, tired and ached everywhere. She was dimly aware that her efforts were laughable and she'd probably forgotten many things in the process, but it wasn't her fault. Always she'd had servants or slaves to do it for her and had other things on her mind. As she curled up in the sleeping bag she'd scavenged in the ruins. As she drifted into sleep, her team curling up around her, she smiled at the thought that no matter what kind of hardship Valor was enduring if she was struggling this much. He'd always had it worse than her.

***​

Valor was taking his ease, sitting in a comfortable chair in front of a roaring fire that warmed the room to the perfect temperature, a book in hand. He let a contented sigh as he turned the page to the last chapter when a knock got his attention. A knock at the door interrupted him and he considered ignoring it and finishing reading, but he was reminded as to whom it might be at the door, and put the book down.
“Come in,” he said as gracefully as he could muster.
Someone who looked like servant did so, someone who looked naggingly familiar to the hero but whom he couldn't place for the life of him. He was comforted by the sight however and assumed that it was Enigma's way of putting him at ease.
“Master Valor,” the 'servant' said. “The Master wants to know what you plan on letting your presence known to your opposite number. She has been here for a few weeks already and grows stronger.”
He stared in the golden eyes of the simulacrum talking to him and shrugged.
“She knows that I'm here in some fashion. But she doesn't know where, nor when our path will cross. Dictating the terms of our encounters is something I've never had the opportunity to do before. Always I've played her game, fallen for her tricks. Not this time. I'll meet her just before she enters Union Cave. Get her guards down before she goes in. You don't expect an obstacle so soon after another. And in the meantime, I am familiarizing myself with this world in a way she can't.” He paused for a moment before a smile that wasn't very heroic spread on his face. “Let's see how how the bitch likes it when the shoe is on the other foot for a change. Was that everything?”
“Ah, yes, Master Valor. That was everything.”
And he vanished in a cloud of smoke. Valor shook his hand as he closed the door, before returning to his book, wondering how much experience Enigma has at relating to other people. He'd found the prospect of talking directly to the being daunting when he'd first arrived in this world, sacrilegious somehow. An entity of Enigma's power didn't consort directly with the foot soldiers. He had messengers and servants to do it for him. He knew the servant was Enigma, and that Enigma knew that he knew. But the “deception” made him feel better, both because he was wasn't addressing a God directly, but because the God in Question saw it fit to humor him.
“Now, where was I?” he asked as he settled back down in the chair.

 

[Fennec]

Spoiler: Chapter 3

Melody woke up cold, stiff and aching, with a vile taste in her mouth. The fact that this had taught her a lesson in thinking about the ramification of her actions before doing what she wanted didn't improve her temper one bit. Rhythm chirped inquiringly at her and she only grunted, too tired still to think any coherent thought. Throughout the night she'd jumped awake several time thinking she'd heard something sneaking closer. She was certain she'd spent worse night in the past, she just couldn't recall any at the moment. She hadn't been that spoiled in her previous incarnations, had she? No. Privilege, certainly, but not spoiled. It was too early to think about this and so she focused on her aches and woes. As if waiting just for that, her stomach growled loudly, informing her that she had skipped dinner last night and that breakfast should not be skipped either.
“Alright, guys,” she said. “Let's find something to eat before I lose my mind. How hard can it be?”
Foraging as it turned out, was much harder than she'd anticipated. She knew enough to stay away from mushrooms, even though there was a plethora growing around, but she hadn't realized that the same applied to berries. She found a bush and grabbed a handful, her mouth watering in anticipation. They were mere inches from her mouth when Crescendo let out a strangled cough and smacked the little fruits out of her hands.
“No! Bad!” she said, and the reluctant trainer perked up. She'd heard words! She was sure of it, even if it wasn't super clear yet.
“Why are they bad?” she asked. “Treble seems to be enjoying them.”
“Dumb Melody. Berries fine for Ivysaur. Poison to others.”
She had heard the charmeleon speak, and, though she was still cold, tired and hungry, she was cheered by the progress. Or she was losing her mind. Either was possible at this point. The cheer was short lived though. She was getting hungrier by the minute and she wasn't accustomed to the feeling and cared little for it. How could children forage so easily when she was struggling so much? It was Adagio that ended up finding something edible. A small, gnarl apple tree stood in the shade of much taller trees and had a few apples. After glancing at Crescendo to make sure it was okay and getting a gruff nod, she bit into one. It tasted disgusting and she realized the apples weren't quite ripe enough. She choked down the apple though, and the next two, feeling somewhat nauseated by the end of it, but at least she wasn't hungry anymore.
“Alright guys,” she said, sitting with her back to the tree that had fed her. “We have two choices. Either we backtrack to Cherrygrove and get some real provisions so this,” she said, gesturing to the pitiful shelter and apple cores at her feet, “doesn't happen again. Or we can press south and hope we reach civilization.”
Her pokemon looked at each other and began growling and chirping at each other too fast for her to make out anything but an odd word here and there. Finally, they seemed to reach a consensus and turned stopped. Treble took a step closer to her and gave himself a shake before he spoke.
“You understand us now?” he asked.
“If you don't speak too quickly, I do. Still rough, but enough that we can get along.
“Good. After talking we decide that you decide. You're trainer, your call,” he said before sitting down. Crescendo scoffed, obviously having some thought of her own, but had been overruled.
This wasn't anywhere near as helpful as she had wanted and she realized that she'd been trying to avoid making a decision. When was the last time she'd ever asked for anyone's opinion? The fact that they were pokemon had nothing to do with it. Even a few cycles ago, when she'd run amok in a different pokemon world, during a different time, they'd been tools and allies. But she had come to realized that her decision hadn't been up to par lately. Since she'd reached this wretched world. Maybe something had changed with the cycle. Always, she'd been setup in a winning position, the deck stacked in her favor. She had thought this was the same, but this was the hardest time she'd had that she could remember. What if. . . what if she was living a normal life this time?
“I'm sorry to bother you, but are you going to eat those?” a female a melodious voice asked. She and her pokemon nearly jumped out of their skin in surprise and turned to see a Lapras looking at the remaining apples that had been plucked.
“I. . .huh. . . no. You can have them,” the trainer stammered and watched as the Lapras [/i]swam[/i] in the dirt to the apple and gulp them down with happy noises. When she was done, she turned back to the befuddled trainer and pokemon.
“Thank you very much for your kindness, young trainer.”
“Ah. . No problems. How come I can understand you so well? I'm still having problems with my team but you. . . there's absolutely no issues there whatsoever.”
“I'm not sure, young lady. But Lapras are known to be social animals, excellent at communicating. Perhaps this has something to do with it,” she offered gently, looking around. “My, what in Arceus' name happened here? I'm fairly certain there was a city here, not ruins. Is it another anomaly in this strange world? And is that. . .is that your camp? You're not very experience, are you?”
“You can say that again,” the charmeleon muttered.
“I was attacked by a swarm of pokemon and I had to defend myself,” she said, feeling curiously defensive. “It's not like anyone real lived here. I didn't hurt anyone. They people weren't really alive...”
“Oh. I agree with you there my dear. This side of Union Cave is said to be under some curse. The unliving they're called. Still, a bit more foresight would be advisable in the future, don't you think? Perhaps it would be better if I were to join you. You seem like a nice enough young lady, and honest and you look as if you need help.”
“Oh. Huh. . . I never had a pokemon straight up offer to join me before. I always had to capture them before.”
“If I'm any judge, you are still a young human, barely older than a calf. Just because something hasn't happened before doesn't mean it can't. It would be my pleasure to join you for however long we're both in this strange world.”
Melody hesitated for a moment, the truth on the tip of her tongue, but she stopped. Who would believe her? And the truth was long and involved and she had a feeling that the Lapras would be less enthusiastic in joining her if she was made aware of her unique circumstances. There would be time later if she changed her mind.
“Oh of course. I'd love to have a Lapras on my team,” she said at last, reaching out for a great ball and holding it in front of her. The blue pokemon tapped the capture button and vanished within. “Welcome to the team . . . Harmony.”

Two updates in one day!

 

[Fennec]

Spoiler: Late reply

I’m still absolutely in love with your concept. Role reversals and redemption stories are both SUPER COOL, and this is a good start, starting in the middle of things with Mel passed out in the middle of town until some aspiring hero jumps out at her. From this alone I can tell Mel’s gonna have A Time and I can’t wait to see it

I'm glad you like the idea and enjoyed what you read! Sorry for the late reply - I'm not use to those :) I'm excited about the concept too - we'll see if I can hold the course as I currently have no idea how things will turn out. Redemption/Fall from grace is still the plan, but I will (probably) not be working alone on the whole story! And she's definitely going to have A Time. It's going to be fun.

 

[Argentum]

Damn, I’m loving where the story is going so far! I am quite curious of how you’ll continue to write Melody and her team (and Valor, I haven’t forgotten about him!)

I don’t have much to say about the writing, besides that it is quite excellent! However I admit, it’s a bit hard to read for me due to the lack of spacing. It’s still legible of course, however it makes it look slightly more tedious to read.

All in all, I sincerely love these updates and I can’t wait for more.

 

[Second]

Oooh, Melody's Pokemon can talk now! That will make for a fun dynamic. Melody is... a harsh person, huh; I missed commenting on update two but damn that's sure a way to show your strength Mel. And now she thinks she's been put in a normal life, too.

...oh Melody, I'm so so sorry.

 

[Fennec]

Spoiler: Replies!

Aureum, glad you're enjoying it! And thanks for the feedback! I'll do my best to stay interesting and stuff.

Second, Oh she had no idea what's in store for her. On the plus side, she does have a lot of it coming?

Spoiler: Chapter 4

Union Cave was fast approaching. By her estimate and the map Treble had help her find in the ruins of Violet, she should be there tomorrow afternoon at the latest if she kept going at this pace. She stopped in her track as a troubling thought occur to her. Crescendo and Rhythm stopped a few steps later when they realized that their trainer was no longer advancing.

“What's wrong this time?” the Charmeleon growled. “Are your feet hurting again? Did you think of something else we could have scavenged for in town?”

“Nothing like that,” Melody said thoughtfully. “It just occurred to me that I don't know exactly why we're in such a hurry to get to Azelea town.”

A slight pause as her two pokemon looked at each other, then back at her as if she was speaking gibberish.

“Cause that's where the next badge is! We can't go to Goldenrod because we kinda destroyed the only way there when we were fighting all those bad pokemon!” the young pokemon said cheerfully, chipper as always.

“Okay. Fair enough,” she replied. “But I can't remember deciding to go and get the badges. What's the point?”

“Isn't it all you humans want? The Glory and Fame of being the League Champion?” she asked her trainer disdainfully.

Melody shrugged and continued walking deep in thought. It bothered her that she'd embarked on this pokemon journey without a second thought. Almost as if she hadn't been fully in control of her actions, as if someone was pulling her strings. The frown grew deeper and once again she stopped. This time Rhythm and Crescendo stopped almost right away, almost as if they'd been expecting it.

“So I become Champion. That doesn't explain what's in it for me aside from fame. That's such a lame prize. It's a hassle.”

“Who cares?” Crescendo snapped.

“Than what is it you want Mel?” her starter asked.

Melody opened her mouth to answer but nothing came out. What did she want? Her entire existence she had been after only one thing. Power. the ability to rule over others. It had always been what she had been after, but she couldn't remember why it was what she was after. She'd been as trapped as her opposite for as long as she could remember and it had always been so easy until he was involved.

“I'll tell you what she wants,” a deep voice said and all three started at the man that was standing before them. “World Domination, absolute power over everyone and everything, no matter who gets hurt in her quest. She never changes.”

There was something familiar about the man tickling long lost memories. As he approached her, she could make out more and more details about his appearance and he was almost a perfect contrast to hers. Blonde hair so pale it was almost white where hers was so dark it seemed to absorb the light and carefully and tightly tied back. Hers of course tumbled down in graceful waves. Dark eyes looked at her suspiciously and met her own amused golden ones. As he got closer, she knew he would tower significantly over her. He wasn't bulging with muscles, but she knew they were there and he exuded an air of contained strength, of barely repressed menace. But it was his words that identified him, his tone of voice.

“Long time no see, Val,” she said cheerfully, her hands slowly curling around Treble's pokeball.

She wasn't scared of Valor, never had been, he was a hero after all, bound by rules and honor to the point of stupidity. She was cautious however. Every time she'd met him before she'd had the upper hand, more power, more resources at her disposal. She had always been expecting him. This time however, he had been waiting there, almost as if he'd anticipated her and it unnerved her. This wasn't how things normally worked. Knowing things were different and knowing they were were two different things and she didn't appreciate having it shoved in her face.

“You don't seem surprised to see me here,” she said when he was almost close enough to be in her personal space. “Been stalking me have you?”

“In a matter of speaking,” he said and smiled when she wasn't quite able to hide her surprise. “I've been following you since you set foot on this world. You haven't changed one bit have you? After all this time, I thought before that you were becoming softer, less vile but -”

“Blah blah blah. Leave the monologing to the pros, 'kay? I can tell you're going to be bad at it. Just tell me why you're here and then be on your way. We both know it's too early for you to get involved.”

“Too early?” he smirked, and she felt slightly uneasy. “Oh Mel, I thought you were smarter than this. Surely you understand that the cycle has been broken by something more powerful than you. The rules aren't in your favor anymore. After all this time, you're going to get what you deserve and I'm the one that gets the privilege of giving it to you.”

Something about the way he said it, about the malice in his voice was the only warning she had. She released Treble from his confinement as she jumped out of the way. Treble was quick enough. He was barely out of his ball for a moment before he grasp the entire situation. The ivysaur's vines lashed out, grabbing a confused Crescendo and Rhythm and yanking them out of the way just as the ground erupted and heaved under his feet. She watch in horror as her pokemon was engulfed by debris amidst the quaking ground. She hadn't know what form the attack would take. Crescendo got back to her feet and look at where she'd been standing, the ground broken as a Nidoqueen that radiated something wrong stepped forward.

“You BASTARD,” she screeched, forgetting that she was smaller than him and probably was less than half his weight. “I'm going to fucking KILL you!”

She lunged at him with her bare hands, not caring if she got hurt in the process, a rage the likes of which she hadn't felt before burning in her chest, trying to smother the fear of what had happened, of what condition Treble was likely in.

“Oh no Melody,” he said, releasing more pokemon. “I'm afraid there won't be any killing today. Not yet. Just a taste of what's to come. Enigma isn't even close to being finished with his game yet. And neither am I.”