Alyssa watched Dante and his Smeargle closely, not taking her eyes off them for even a second.
On the other side of the arena, Edie remained in the area reserved for tournament participants. He would only leave once he lost—or when he won it all.
She knew it was better that way. If Edie were around, he would've tried to stop her from doing what she was about to do.
He would never understand.
This wasn't just anger… it was justice.
Dante sat through three more Pokémon battles, but in the middle of the fourth, his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen, then exchanged a quick look with Smeargle, who gave a silent nod with its brush. Without saying a word, they both stood and hurriedly left the stadium.
Alyssa reacted instantly. She pulled out her phone and sent Edie a short message:
> Edie boy, I had to step out for a bit, but I'll be back before the finals.
Don't miss it. Until I'm back, show them the power of chaos. 🫵🤟
She didn't even wait for a reply. She pocketed the phone and followed Dante, blending into the festival crowd.
The boy moved fast, but his short height made him vanish easily among the people.
At least twenty minutes passed before he finally exited the event grounds. Alyssa followed through the narrower streets, watching his every move.
Dante slipped through dark alleys, avoiding main roads. His cautious behavior only made Alyssa more curious. Her initial plan had been to strike as soon as she found an opening, but something about his demeanor made her hesitate.
Her heart pounded hard in her chest.
Her fingers tightened around Noir's Pokéball, the Pokémon resting inside, waiting for a command.
The tension was suffocating.
After about fifteen minutes, Dante stopped in front of a massive abandoned house, covered in graffiti and broken windows. He looked around, then behind him—Alyssa shrank behind a trash can, barely breathing.
Dante approached a window and, with some effort, climbed inside through the opening.
Alyssa waited a few seconds before moving. Then, slowly, she crept toward the same window and peeked in. The place looked like an old living room, blanketed in dust, with rotting furniture and paint cans scattered everywhere.
Inside, Dante stood facing two teenagers—a boy and a girl—both wearing clothes stained with fresh paint. The smell was strong, almost nauseating.
The girl, dark-skinned with long curly hair, rummaged through a backpack and tossed a can of spray paint to Dante. He caught it quickly.
"Are you sure we're doing this, Rose?" he asked, looking at the can in his hand.
Alyssa frowned, intrigued.
"Of course we are," the girl said firmly. "They invaded our territory, Dante. If we don't show strength, they'll keep thinking they can do whatever they want."
Alyssa leaned on a wooden plank to get a better view—but the rotten wood gave way with a loud crack.
"Crap…" she muttered.
Before she could react, her weight sent her tumbling into the house, hitting the floor with a muffled thud.
The three inside jumped in shock.
In an instant, Pokéballs were in their hands.
"Who's there?!" Rose shouted, releasing a Grafaiai and a Gengar. The other boy sent out an Impidimp, and Dante, startled, stepped beside his Smeargle.
Alyssa rose slowly, brushing dust off her clothes, completely unbothered.
"Damn window…" she grumbled.
She ignored their hostile stares. Then she pulled down her hood, removed her mask, and took off her sunglasses. A cold smile curved her lips.
"Who the hell are you?!" Rose barked, raising the spray can like a weapon.
Alyssa just sighed and tossed a Pokéball lazily. The sphere burst open in a flash of sparks, revealing her Toxtricity, which growled and released arcs of electricity from its claws.
The yellow glow filled the room, casting wild shadows across the walls.
Alyssa slipped a pink brass knuckle onto her fist and stepped forward.
"Who am I?" she repeated with a deadly smile.
"I'm the echo of the screams you ignored… the sweet taste of vengeance."
Her eyes burned with contained fury.
"I am vengeance, bitches."
The silence that followed was broken only by the crackle of Toxtricity's sparks—and the pounding hearts of everyone present.
Dante took a step back, swallowing hard. Rose and the others hesitated, fear flickering in their eyes.
Alyssa just smiled again.
Retribution for everything Dante had put her through had finally begun.