moved.

        “ But glitches happen all the time, so wouldn’t it be hard to say         that there’s any set system? I dunno, this glitch we’re looking at— “          And she points to a literal absence of light existing in a set space          before them, a rigidly set space of darkness—                                            “ It seems pretty dang glitched-out to me. “

Despite the void, his expression brightened.

  “There’s a system - a method - to it,     if it’s something you can replicate over and over!    If you can’t, well... that’s just a plain ol’ irregularity.    Less fascinating than glitches, if you ask me.”

He rubbed the back of his neck as the inky darkness remained as deep and foreboding as ever. He had seen such a darkness before. It usually accompanied a sickly feeling that felt like he was about to fall off the edge of the world, a feeling that he didn’t want to experience ever again.

Well, it looks like Lance nodded off at his desk again. It’s a bit early to crash, but it’s been a long week.

Do you …   Let him sleep       Wake him up

Cal brushed his bangs away from his eyes in disbelief. It was unlike Lance to leave himself with his guard down, especially on a day just before that day.

He had come with some papers from Professor Oak. It was a list of trainers that had completed the Kanto gym circuit in the last quarter, which in turn meant that they were now qualified to challenge the Indigo League. Lance was to sign his acknowledgement of the new challengers, but right now...

         “ Okay look, ‘glitches in the matrix’ is a really pop-culturey               sounding metaphor that not everyone is wise on. Like… what               are you even going on about, y’know? “ 

             ( She had never seen the matrix. )                              “ The x-axis or the y-axis? Which                           matrices are we even dealing with? “ 

              “ I’m just sayin’, that sounds pretty ridiculous. “

Sometimes, there was a flash of lightning behind those lifeless eyes. Someone he knew used to call it a ‘manic glint’ and would say something about ‘battling potential,’ but Cal thought very little of it. He wasn’t the one looking at himself, and therefore, he wouldn’t know.

The match had been close, with the foreigner’s team claiming victory despite Cal’s unorthodox strategies.

“Good match,” he smiled, conceding the fact that his opponent had been a good fight. 

He rarely battled outside of the Trainer’s House, but then again, he almost never left the Trainer’s House if he could help it.

There was a sigh at the other end of the door. They didn’t leave, holding onto the knob tightly, still trying, wishing, willing, it to move.  

She had heard the news and had come running as soon as she could, the contest forgotten. In the back of her mind, she recalled the face of her long time rival staring at her as she chose to leave in the heat of it all. 

She’d only caught her breath then, placing her forehead on the door. Her actions finally came to a halt. What could she say to him?  

Three flawless kills in a row. He was good at this game, wasn’t he? Predicting his opponent’s next move was his forte, if he had to describe his strategy. It wasn’t about having the strongest fighters on his side of the battle. It was all about using what fell into his lap.

The doorknob finally stopped jiggling. Maybe he could get a fourth flawless -- hmm. Perhaps the main reason he got those kills was because of the noise. Efficiency happened during times of distraction, according to experience.

“Daisy, Daisy! I got a hat in the mail! It’s blue. I think you call it a fedora? … oh, it’s slightly torn. Can you help me patch it up? I don’t want to go on a journey with a broken hat. It seems like a bad omen. Sorry.”

“Hello? … yeah, it’s me. I’m back in Kanto. I was in Johto. Oh, why? … Professor Elm had an errand for me. Yes, he – hang on. … I have an incoming call from – your grandfather, actually. I’ll phone you back in a bit.”