Eliana was sitting on her bed relaxing, it was one of her rare day off. Raichu was sleeping on her lap, purring slightly. Starmie was spinning near the window, soaking in the first rays of the morning sun. Kirlia was meditating in the corner, a picture of serene concentration. The room was quiet, peaceful. It was a rare moment of stillness in the whirlwind of her new life.
Her phone buzzed, a sharp, insistent vibration that cut through the tranquility. Eliana glanced at the screen. It was a message from Gabriel:
[Meet me at the arcade in an hour, it's super duper important!]
Eliana frowned, yes Gabriel texted her quite often but it was never so vague. Not to mention him using the word "important" could range from a new food at a restaurant to getting a new Pokémon. A flicker of curiosity sparked in Eliana's mind, it's not like she had anything to do today, might as well see wha Gabriel wanted. She gently nudged the sleeping Raichu off her lap and stood up.
She didn't bother changing, her standard clothes were fine. She started walking to their usual arcade on the outskirts of Saffron City. It would usually take Eliana only twenty minutes to get there but she had a little detour to make. So if she wanted to be on time, she'd have to leave now.
Eliana took different route from her normal one, a path that wound through some of the city's more… colorful districts. The further she got from the pristine gym, the more the city showed its true colors. The gleaming skyscrapers gave way to grimy brick buildings, their windows boarded up or covered in layers of graffiti. The air grew thicker, heavy with the smell of exhaust fumes and something else, something acrid and vaguely metallic. Places like this were where the teenager could truly let loose, Sabrina dint care as long as she didn't expose herself.
It was in one of these narrower, less-traveled alleyways that she felt it. A prickle of awareness, a sensation of being watched. It wasn't the usual, subtle observation from Theo or the analytical glances from Izabel. It was focused, predatory, and it was coming from all sides. Eliana stopped, her posture staying relaxed but her heartbeat began to race with excitement. The smile that usually played on her lips widened before she quickly hid the expression.
"Come out, come out, wherever you are," Eliana chirped out, her voice a casual, singsong taunt that was meant to draw out her hidden observers. "Or are you scared?"
A rustle of movement from a rooftop above. A shadow detaching itself from a doorway up ahead. They were revealing themselves now, confident in their numbers.
A burly man with a scarred face and a greasy ponytail stepped out from behind a dumpster, cracking his knuckles. He was followed by two others, each with the same hungry, thuggish look in their eyes. From the fire escape above, another pair of criminals leaped down, landing with a heavy thud that echoed in the confined space. Five in total, an organized ambush.
"You're in the wrong neighborhood kid," The lead man said while cracking his knuckles.
"Am I?" Eliana asked tilting her head to the side with feigned curiosity.
"The kid's got guts," one of them chuckled, his voice a low growl.
"Guts won't save her," another chimed in, unclipping a Poké Ball from his belt. "Boss says any bratty kids sticking their nose where it doesn't belong needs to be taught a lesson."
Eliana's smile returned, but this one was different. It was colder, sharper, and entirely devoid of warmth. "A lesson?" she mused, tilting her head. "I love lessons, y'know I'm a very fast learner!"
Eliana took a few steps forward, taking stock of what all the five men had. Any money or Pokémon to sell would be nice. While Sabrina provided all the necessities, she didn't exactly give Eliana an allowance. "But I have to say, your setup is a little cliché. Five against one in a dirty alley? It's been done to death."
She was stalling, but not out of fear. She was savoring the moment, tasting the anticipation in the air like a fine wine. Her mind reached out, a delicate, invisible tendril of psychic energy. She skimmed their surface thoughts, a quick, effortless scan.
The lead man, name was Rico, was thinking about the reward. He saw this as a simple job, a way to make some quick cash and please a bigger boss. He was underestimating her, seeing her as just another easy target. The others were similar, a mix of greed and boredom. One of them, a skinny guy with nervous eyes, was thinking about a woman named Selene. He was hoping this would be over quickly so he could get back to her. That was… sweet, in a pathetic kind of way. The others were much the same. None had anything valuable to sell much less any Pokémon worth stealing. Just a couple of PokéDollars but she'd still take it.
Using Pokémon would draw too much attention, Eliana thought, moving her hand to her chin. Guess I'll have to do this the old fashioned way.
"Alright, boys, let's get this over with," Rico said, taking a step forward. "Let's not make this any messier than it has to be."
He lunged, his movements surprisingly fast for a man of his size. His fist was aimed at her face, a haymaker meant to end the fight in a single blow. Eliana didn't even flinch, she simply raised a hand in a casual, almost dismissive gesture.
Rico's fist stopped, inches from her face. He grunted, confusion and disbelief warring on his face. He pushed, straining, his muscles bulging, but his arm wouldn't move. It was as if he'd hit a wall of solid steel. The other thugs stared, their jeers dying in their throats.
"What the…?" one of them stammered.
Eliana took a step closer, her smile widening. "You see I actually have somewhere to be," she said, her voice a soft, conversational purr, "So I don't have time to play with you all like I normally would."
Eliana tilted her head, capturing the other four members. She had been wanting to try something out for a while now but never had a test subject to use. While Sabrina hadn't taught her how to transform people into dolls, she did teach her how to shut down someone's brain. It would be a nice change, to not have to clean up blood from her clothes and hide from authority figures. It would also be much easier to hide the bodies, blood alway left a trail.
The lead thug let out a choked gasp as he tried to move but found himself completely immobile, not just his arm. He could see the fear in the eyes of the other four, they realized that they had messed with the wrong person.
"See, this is what happens when you mess with someone way above your level," Eliana chided, her tone light and breezy. She was enjoying this, the thrill of absolute power, the way their fear washed over her in a palpable wave. She walked over to the skinny one, the one who was thinking of Selene. He was trembling so hard his teeth were chattering.
"You were in a hurry to get back to someone," she said, tapping a finger against her chin. "A lover? A wife? Doesn't matter. She'll be waiting for a while."
With a flick of her wrist, the man's eyes rolled back in his head and he crumpled to the ground in a heap. Dead, within a split second, Eliana smiled, This really is convenient, time to do the rest!
The remaining thugs tried to run, but their legs wouldn't obey them. They were frozen in place, prisoners in their own bodies.
"Please," one of them begged, tears streaming down his face. "We didn't mean it! We'll leave you alone and never bother you again."
"I know," Eliana said, her voice dripping with false sympathy. "But no witnesses can be left alive."
One by one, they fell. Each death was a whisper, a silent, invisible command that snuffed out their consciousness like a candle flame. They collapsed onto the grimy pavement, their bodies limp and lifeless. In less than a minute, it was over. Five bodies lay scattered in the alley, their faces frozen in masks of terror and disbelief.
Eliana looked down at her work, a small, satisfied smile on her lips. She hadn't broken a sweat, her clothes were spotless, and there wasn't a single drop of blood to be seen. It was clean, efficient, and utterly exhilarating.
Eliana chided the Eletric mouse,
She closed the sewer lid, her expression one of mild distaste. The alley was quiet again, save for the distant hum of the city. She looked down at her hands, a faint, almost imperceptible tremor in her fingers. It wasn't from fear or exhaustion. It was from the sheer, unadulterated pleasure of it all.
She shook her head, a wry smile playing on her lips. Time to go, Gabriel is waiting, she said to herself, turning and walking out of the alley as if nothing had happened.