The Viterals

Chapter 8: The Midnight Raid

The bobbing flames tantalized Bambi. Dying embers slithered underneath the logs in the fireplace, dissipated to nothing. Bambi couldn't look away. She knew she needed to study the book in her lap, but she didn't dare tear herself away from the fire's gaze. That would be too productive.

"Bambi," called a voice on the verge of manhood. "Are you still thinking about the question? It wasn't even one of the hard ones."

The competitiveness in her lifted her out of her trance. "Sorry, Makua. What was it again?"

The boy shook his head. "You have an unhealthy obsession with fire, I think." His glasses slid down his face, and he pushed them up again. Beads of moisture formed on the lenses. He sighed as he wiped them, threw his jet-black hair out of his face. "What species of Pokémon was the first to be created by science?"

Bambi scanned her Origin of the Species textbook.

Makua snapped. "Don't look so easily! Focus!"

Bambi didn't want to focus. She wanted to play. "Let's have a battle," she said.

"Now? It's almost midnight, Bambi. And we have one of our biggest exams of the year tomorrow." Makua slowly readjusted his glasses, looked at Bambi cock-eyed.

"Exactly! What kind of studying is better than the real thing?"

"Me and you battling is NOT going to teach us that Mewtwo was the first Pokémon created by science."

Bambi grinned, her lips pursed together. "Oh, right," she said. "I knew it was Mewtwo . . ."

Makua dove back into his book, and ignored Bambi. He seemed to have given up trying to teach her. She took him in, knew how badly he wanted to reach the top rank in class. Among the 30 students in their grade, Makua was ranked 3rd after half a year. The top ranked student, number two student and Makua were all neck and neck and probably would be until graduation.

Bambi on the other hand was ranked 10 out of 30. She was one of the top battlers but unfortunately her first semester test scores kept her out of the top 5. She opened her book again, determined to be as well rounded as Makua.

"Sorry, what page again?"

Makua didn't look up. "I'm not answering that."

The lights behind Bambi flickered out. Now the only light in the common room came from the fireplace. Bambi saw shadows skirt across Makua's face as he looked up, a genuine look of alarm there.

And then, the crash, and from where Bambi sat, she knew that there was an explosion.

"What was that?" Makua shut his book, held it close to his chest.

Bambi felt herself lunge forward just the slightest. Whatever had caused the explosion was not the result of a Pokémon battle. This was something else entirely.

"Maybe its Mewtwo," she joked. Bambi removed a Pokeball from her belt, pressed the center button, and watched it grow to its full size. "Go, Hower!"

A black dog with two grey back plates, a skull piece on the crown of its head, and braces around each of its four ankles, emerged. It bared its fangs, said, "Houndour!"

Hower glowed bright with an orange-red fire that lit the common room.

Makua rose to his full lanky height. He withdrew a Pokeball, pressed the center button, said, "Go, Aipom!"