Kazuki stops, not even five steps from the entrance of the Steppes.

“What,“ he says“ “the fuck.“

But nothing is amiss. The Steppes are the same. He blinks several times, rubs his eyes against the inked blossom on the back of his hand, black dots in his vision. Yet, there“s still something wrong.

“Mrow?“ He tenses and looks down at Sprigatito pawing his ankle. The cat“s appearance is the same too, looking at him with big eyes, yet again, something feels off.

A warm paw pokes his cheek and he hisses, pulling it off, Pansear by his shoulder growing impatient. “Relax! I only stopped for a second.“ Videogame bullshit, he tells himself. Maybe the servers are acting up or something“s off with his equipment. He“ll deal with it after this.

“Keep an eye out for those spiky rabbits,“ he instructs, pouring his attention into his surroundings, his steps a little faster now.

The fire lands, the buzzing growing loud enough to the point Kazuki has to cover his ears as the Magnemite weathers the flames. When the embers die out, its chassis is smeared with ash, yet otherwise unharmed.

Its body begins to glow. Harshly.

“Ah, fuck.“

He moves, but does not dodge in time.

The Spark attack is less of a spark as it is a miniature lightning strike. When Kazuki comes to, he“s crouched on the ground. Pansear is not on his shoulder. Sprigatito is lying on the grass, legs sticking up, and feeling lightly fried.

Pansear faces off with the Magnemite. His fur is singed, but the tuft on his head is still burning brightly, regarding his opponent with a mix of determination and fascination. He breathes in and launches another Incinerate, trying to stay ready on his feet for the next attack.

Their visit to the shrine is brief“ Kazuki being on a warpath. When they return to the Steppes, they find the Magnemite still floating at the same spot, staring at them.

It almost looks smug to Kazuki, despite having very little expression.

Pansear takes the stage again. He shakes his fur, still feeling phantom spikes of electricity, but is far from ready to back down. He doesn“t launch immediately, watching his opponent until the Magnemite begins charging another attack, before getting to his feet and running full-tilt—out of the battlefield.

The Magnemite, glowing with sparks, begins floating after him.

Pansear is conscious. Pansear is in pain.

He lies on the ground on his back, his head throbbing, the parts of him aching where he had collided with unforgiving dirt, but he is miraculously awake. He listens, keeping even his breathing low. He can hear a feline“s loud cries mixing with his trainer“s voice.

He can hear buzzing.

He can feel the fur on his face stand as Magnemite slowly descends above him, light already shining behind his eyelids.

He gathers up the fire in the pit of his belly and sends it flying upward in a fountain of embers. Again, the Magnemite erupts into ear“piercing metal screeching, and it’s only by a split second that Pansear manages to roll out of the way before his opponent crashes into the ground he had lain in, gritting his teeth as one of the magnets pins his tail.