Blue flames swirled across the field with the Twister, like a divine dragon breathing fire.
"Are you sure it's all right to trap your own Clefairy in there with your opponent's?" A Zhen asked with a smile from the other side.
"...What?" Unease washed over me, and I suddenly realized the danger. "Oh no! Hagu-"
"Too late. Psybeam."
The pillar of blue fire glowed red, then exploded.
"Butterfree and Dratini are both unable to battle! It's a draw!"
The announcement echoed through the room.
"No way. A Zhen only has one Clefairy left?"
"That girl... who is she?"
The chatter around me distracted me. Little Agatha was already asleep, and Hagu had exhausted his strength... but I had no Awakening, so I couldn't wake Little Agatha right away.
If possible, I didn't want to send him into battle.
"Sorry. I need your help." I tossed my only red-and-white Poké Ball.
"Pichu!" Xiao Chao readied himself for battle.
A Zhen took a quick look at his Pokédex. "You've got a pretty good Pokémon, haven't you?"
"Then I'll send this one out last!" A Zhen threw his third Poké Ball.
"Chirp-"
Just as my brother had predicted...
"Xiao Chao! Uh... ah..."
I had tried to come up with a plan in case A Zhen sent out Tanabata. But...
"Ah, I... um..."
A child's hands, plucked feathers, Tanabata's pained expression... they churned through my mind, and my limbs grew as heavy as lead.
"No... I, I can't." I couldn't hurt Tanabata. I didn't dare.
"...Swablu, Fury Attack." As before, A Zhen wouldn't wait.
"Pi!" Xiao Chao was pecked again and again.
But I didn't want to hurt Tanabata.
"Pi..." Xiao Chao turned to look at me, then faced forward and didn't look back. "Pi... chu-"
Xiao Chao used Thunderbolt on his own. The