Defeated

The professor straightened his back. He fiddled with the little microphone pinned to his white lab coat, “Welcome to the World of Capmon…” He recited. A graphic appeared on the flashing screen behind him. I tapped my boot against the ground as he droned on. “This world is inhabited by creatures called Capmon…” The little children filling the museum exhibit gasped. I covered my mouth to hide my yawn.

Professor Fresh earned his doctorate in zoology when he was nineteen. He’d been a leader in the study of Capmon for more than fifty years. I was his granddaughter, the second greatest Capmon Trainer ever born. Grandpa loved giving this little speech to children. I didn’t see the purpose. You didn’t have to tell a kid, no matter how young, that there was water in a pond.

A month ago, I had defeated the greatest opposition in the world at the tender age of ten. I was lauded as a champion and registered in the hall of fame… for a day. My Capmon had no time to rest before our rival waltzed in to challenge me for the title. It wasn’t a fair fight, and I thought that kid must have cheated. Maybe he hid a potion in his hat, or he didn’t wait his turn correctly. No, I just lost. I didn’t know how, but I did. Now, I was here, acting like a babysitter while my grandfather gave the same stupid speech.

I leaned back against the side of the screen, crossing my legs. My fingertips ran along the slick, aluminum tops of the Capture Balls on my belt. I kept hearing one word or another from my grandfather as he played some video behind him. In one frame, I saw a long, oozing ghost wrapping itself around a little, purple critter with broad thorns across its violet scales. I’d seen this one before, the Gremcar always won. I never knew how a weak Nidrat was meant to stand a chance, anyway.

Finally, I pinched my fingers around one of the Capture Balls. It expanded as I pulled it off my belt, clicking into its full size. Holding onto them as the metal grew to full size was a matter of technique. When you grabbed them, they’d fit between two fingers, then in a second they’d be the size of the palm of your hand. I’d seen many lesser trainers fumble them onto the ground during this moment. My wrist twitched as I clutched it. I casually flicked the ball into the middle of the exhibit.

Schlick! Peerless white light materialized outside of the ball, growing into the shape of a three-meter high beast. As the light dimmed, the monster left behind vaguely resembled the Nidrat. He had the same color of dull, purple scales. The spines on his back, pointed blades. They could easily take someone’s eye out. Two long tusks hung down from my Capmon’s mouth. “Gramps,” I said. The empty Capture Ball whirred as it flew back into my hand. “Why not show them a real Capmon?”

The children gasped and reached toward it. If it was a wild Nidlord, they’d be asking to get eaten by it. My Nidlord was rather more of a stuffed animal. He was a diva who loved attention more than I did, and he would get offended if someone wasn’t petting him constantly. That’s why I chose him for this.

Grandpa sighed. He walked around the side of the Nidlord and loudly yawned, “Well, it’s not every day we have a former champion here,” his old voice was cutting. My Nidlord growled at the comment. When he woke up after our battle and learned we weren’t champions anymore, he was inconsolable. I didn’t think anyone could take it worse than I had.

One of the kids stood up sharply. He can’t have been older than seven or eight. A Capture Ball hung heavily in his palm. “Champion Cyan!” He called out, “Battle me!”

I rolled my eyes, “I’m legally not allowed to refuse a battle…” I sighed, “So, save your little Wibble or Cattalett or Mousatta. Don’t challenge me.” He didn’t back down, instead, he stood firmly like he actually had a chance.

I shouldn’t have smiled, but I did. If he wanted to learn, I’d at least respect his courage. The crowd gasped as Nidlord lifted his tiny Capmon off the ground. Nidlord pinched it in his claws, then dropped the puny opponent into his mouth and swallowed it. He held his muscular arm out and flexed for the crowd. The ivory claws on his feet scratched the hardwood museum floor as he stomped dramatically.

I didn’t bat an eye, the kid’s Capmon would be fine. If they were killed in battle, their Captureball could be used to revive them at a Capmon Hospital as long as more than a couple days hadn’t passed. The real danger to a trained Capmon would be if their trainer was hurt or killed. They could stay dead if that happened, so trainers agreed to never attack each other directly. It was usually more of a gentleman’s agreement than a real rule, but even criminals tried to follow it.

I recalled Nidlord, casting a beam of light from his Capture Ball that sucked him back into it with a pop. It hadn’t been a challenge, but at least I wasn’t bored and Nidlord was full and satisfied. “Anyone else?” I reached for one of my other Capture Balls.

“No, no…” Grandpa threw his wrinkled hands up defensively, “I think we’re about out of time.” The kids booed and jeered at his stopping of the attraction. I smiled. He didn’t get to finish his pointless speech. That was a win for me. I smirked at the kids, then strutted outside like nothing had happened.

My Capture Catalogue buzzed to life as I flicked open its teal cover. I clicked one of the buttons repeatedly as I scrolled through the list of known Capmon. I still needed a dozen or so, and that was just of the ones humanity knew existed. Nobody had ever made a complete collection of every species of Capmon. My rival and I were in an unofficial race to do so, and I’d been dedicating my last month to it. He was still one or two ahead of me with the contest in its last hour.

I walked along a trail I knew all too well. This one was the Serene Forest, one of the first places new trainers were challenged to begin their journey with Capmon. There were rumors that kids would disappear here, sometimes. Some large Capmon probably existed deep in the woods, so it wasn’t unthinkable for someone to get hurt. It was unthinkable to me.

I kept scrolling through the Capmon Catalogue without looking where I was going. I noticed I’d walked off the main trail, but I didn’t think much of it. I’d wandered around in these woods dozens of times, and… I tripped. There was a tree stump half covered by foliage. I stumbled straight through the bushes, and beyond them I was looking down at nothing. I fell straight down the side of the cliff and my back struck the ground with a thump.

I barely caught the sight of the gray rocks under me turning red as I blacked out.