The man might have looked cool headed from the outside, but inside he was on the edge. First, he had failed the mission given to him and Charlotte by their boss herself. Second, all of his men had fled after being chased off by two puny brats. And now a third brat had traumatized his partner and would have killed her if it weren't for Wigglytuff's intervention.
He had barely survived himself using Electivire as a scapegoat while he hid inside a wardrobe to shake off the boy who had pursued him. Now, there was only one thing left to do, escape with Charlotte, no matter the cost.
"Hey, kid!" he called, clutching Electivire's Poké Ball tight in his palm. "I'm sure you recognized me from the forest, but we really need to go. So how about you let us leave, huh?"
He waited, but the boy didn't answer clearly just murmured to himself in a low, broken rhythm.
You're in my way… why are you in my way? Why is everyone in my way…
The man let out a slow, bitter breath as his face dropped the kind guy act and thought. This kid's no different than dead.
He turned to Electivire and gave a sharp gesture. The beast nodded, fists clashing together, sparks cracking as it built a charge. ThunderPunch. It stepped toward Alex with heavy strides, lightning crackling in its fists.
The man, meanwhile, moved toward Charlotte, who was still crouched behind Wigglytuff. The pink Pokémon's body trembled as she wrestled with a choice. Keep the Charlotte in check so she can't ran away or rush to save Alex. The man noticed her hesitation and stepped directly in front of her, blocking the way, waiting to see what she would do.
Alex's mind was so fractured that he didn't even register Electivire standing over him, fist raised high. He just stood there, lost in the chaos of his own thoughts.
At the last second, Wigglytuff let out an angry sniff, jumped forward, and took the blow head on. Lightning tore across her face as Electivire's fist connected, followed instantly by a second punch that sent her stumbling.
While Electivire kept Alex at bay, the man ducked under Charlotte's arm, pulling her to her feet.
"You're late," she spat, struggling to steady her legs.
"We need to get out of here. Now," he cut her off, scanning the ruined deck.
"Why?" she pressed, glaring at him.
"The Doctor called me. Said a top officer from the International Police is already on her way here." His tone sharpened with urgency.
Charlotte froze, her eyes widening. "A… top officer? That means—"
The man gave a grim nod. "Yeah. There's only one in Kanto." His voice dropped lower.
"Dexholder Blue."
Charlotte's shock deepened, but he let go of her arm and moved ahead. She lingered, scanning the wreckage, until he finally stopped and turned with a raised brow.
"What are you looking for?"
"…I can't find Rapidash's Poké Ball," she admitted, forcing a half hearted smile.
He blinked. "Are you serious? Did you check your pockets?"
"Yes! It's not there!" Her voice sharpened. "What are we going to do?"
His hand dragged over his bald head in frustration. "Do you have any other Poké Balls?"
"If I did, would I be panicking like this?!" she snapped. "This was supposed to be a quick, simple mission, so I only brought Rapidash!"
He sank into thought for a moment before making his decision. "…Then we leave it. I'll tell the boss I ordered you to abandon it."
He grabbed her hand, trying to pull her toward the exit. But she stopped him and twisted his arm, revealing the scars that ran along it.
"You remember what the boss did to you last time you failed at the forest lab, don't you?" she said coldly. "Don't you dare try to play scapegoat again. If you do, I'll kill you myself."
He smirked faintly despite her words. "I'll try not to."
They turned toward the exit but froze.
The boy was already standing there, blocking their path. His blood had dried, his right arm was burned away, and the stench of scorched flesh and sweat hung heavy around him. His presence was a wall they couldn't move past.
The man stepped forward, raising a hand. "Hey, kid. I think we've had enough for one day. If this keeps going, we'll both end up in bad places, you in a grave, me in a jail cell. How about we call it a truce?" He adjusted his mask, making sure it stayed fixed to his face.
Alex lifted his head, his empty eyes meeting the man's. "Why were you in my way?"
The man said nothing at first. Instead, he glanced back at Charlotte, who cowered behind him, still trembling with fear at the boy's stare. He sighed.
"Fine." He grabbed Alex by the burned collar of his coat, hauled him off balance, and hurled him into the ground. "You were in our way too. Now we're even."
Alex lay there, dazed, before his thoughts snapped apart like glass.
Am I in your way? No. No. No. No. NO. NO. NO!! The thought cracked and multiplied, each time sharper, splintering into pieces that cut against his skull. NO. NO. NO. Until the word wasn't a word anymore but a jagged scream in his head, a thousand shards grinding together to torture himself.
The scream tore from his throat, raw and broken, echoing into the air. Charlotte froze, looking back not with fear but with pity.
"Let's go," the man urged. "Blue must be close."
He turned away, dragging Charlotte with him. But she hesitated, looking over her shoulder one last time at the boy who was breaking down before her. For a fleeting second, her eyes softened.
Then she turned away.
And as they left, the sunlight bled into darkness, the sky swallowed by a rising, violet wall.