Rematch

Rematch is a VGC AU written by Moon for her series Lunar Hearts. It uses the same (or similar) characters, but is set in a real world setting where both main characters participate in competitive Pokemon video game battles.

Prologue: Sheer Cold
Prologue: Sheer Cold

'''Luna tells herself she hadn’t expected to get this far in the tournament. After all, it’s the World Championships, and it’s only her third year of playing VGC. But she can’t help but feel her heart sink as her Cresselia’s HP bar drops to zero, and she sinks down into her chair. As she takes off her headphones, she can hear the crowd cheering. Cheering for the fact that she just lost. '''

'''Luna really wishes she could wipe that cold, emotionless expression off of her opponent’s face. Both players stand up and she extends her hand, shaking Gladion’s numbly. He doesn’t acknowledge her at all, and Luna forces herself to inhale sharply in an attempt to control her temper. She needs to get out of there, before things just get worse. Luna’s fingers fumble as she unplugs the cords attached to her 3ds and scurries off of the stage quickly.'''

'''“What a dominant round for Gladion Aether!” The commentators’ voices are quiet from backstage, but Luna doesn’t miss a word, despite her attempts to block them out. She lost. She lost by a landslide. Everybody knows it, too. To come so far and then be eliminated in such a fashion is what hurts the most. '''

'''Gladion was right. She didn’t stand a chance. He may not have said it outright, but Luna vividly remembers the cold, confident, and dismissive attitude he had written all across his face when the first battle had begun. And then once Luna’s Garchomp was off the field, his Xurkitree was free to run, sweeping the entire rest of her team after a few Beast Boosts. Regardless, Luna had forced herself to be optimistic and told herself she could still come back. Win game two, and then force a game three. It didn’t happen. '''

'''She knew it was over when Tapu Fini went down, leaving only Cresselia against both Incineroar and Metagross. Luna wasn’t stupid. That last flare blitz had done it, and Luna lost. She hadn’t come close in either match. Either Gladion was really, really good, or Luna just sucked. As she leans against the wall backstage, part of her believes the first one. But there’s another side of her brain that puts it down. Instead, it’s determined to convince that she should have won. Luna should have won. '''

'''“Usually, we would share an interview with the game winner, Gladion Aether, but he seems to have left already, so we’ll instead be moving onto the TCG semifinals…” That hits Luna hard. She gets absolutely and utterly destroyed, her opponent can’t even muster up a  “good game,” and then leaves before his postgame interview even begins. He has some nerve, that’s for sure. Luna forces herself to stand up straight, and shoves her 3DS in her pocket. After letting herself throw a little pity party for herself backstage, she’s quick to leave the area. '''

'''As she walks, Luna can’t help but recall every single mistake she had made in her match. The missed predictions, the risks she should have taken, and choices she should have made. And on the other hand, Gladion executed flawlessly. He was one step ahead of her at all times, knocking out Pokemon after Pokemon until victory fell right into his hands, far out of Luna’s grasp. There were so many things Luna could have - should have - done. '''

'''Luna’s phone dings with a text from her sister back at home, and she ignores it. Funny enough, she doesn’t want the “nice try” or “good game” Silv likely sent her. Even the “I’m sorry” wouldn’t do anything to help Luna’s disappointment at this point. Yet that’s the exact same acknowledgement she had wanted from Gladion, and the kind he had failed to deliver. Why Luna sought it out from him - and just him, in fact - was a mystery. Was it just because he was her opponent? Or was it because of the closed off, ice cold demeanor he always seemed to carry with him? All Luna knew was how extremely angry she was, and how frustrated she was with her performance. And how disappointed Locust was bound to be. She could only assume he'd come find her when he learned what happened, considering he'd been knocked out before Top Cut. Sadly, he was not exactly a comforting presence.'''

'''Luna finds a seat in the last row, sits down, and lets herself slouch. She tells herself she’s being ridiculous - Gladion’s a good player, and he deserved to win. Luna knows her skills aren’t on his level yet - her last battle just proved that. But why - why - can she not shake this loss from her mind? The logical, sensible part of her mind says it’s because it’s Worlds. The biggest stage she’s ever fought on by far, and this placing in the Top 8 is the farthest she’s even made it in a tournament of this scale. Luna should be pleased with the result - and sure, she is. But if Luna had lost two rounds ago, in her Top 16 match against some random guy from Kalos, she can’t help but feel like that would have been better. There was something about Gladion - something about the cold, edgy, boy from Alola with the funny haircut that really, really, got on her nerves. If she hadn’t faced him at all, the results surely would have been much better - or that’s at least what Luna is forcing herself to believe. '''

'''Luna’s mind remains completely on her last match for the rest of the day. In fact, she has no reaction to Gladion’s loss in the semi finals to Moon Fuyuki, a 16 year old girl also from Alola with an impressive record under her belt already. Instead, she burns the image of his disapproving glare into her brain, alongside the replay of Cresselia’s HP bar dropping to zero. She remembers the stiffness in his hand during both of their handshakes, before and after the round. '''

'''Most importantly, Luna recalls his username from the team preview. XXglazioXX. Where it comes from, Luna can’t be sure. But it fits him, actually. She may not have spoken to her opponent, but it fits him, for some unknown reason. Luna has a feeling she’ll see it again. When she does, she’ll be prepared - or at least, that’s what she wants to believe. She won’t know until it happens. '''

-

'''As the months pass, the image of Gladion’s username and expression remain vividly in the back of her mind. Luna doesn’t forget how it felt to lose like she did, in front of thousands of people. She certainly doesn’t forget Gladion Aether, his aggressive playstyle, or his dominance in both of their matches. '''

'''Suddenly, Luna’s playing skill drops. She’s struggling to place in even a Premiere Challenge, the smallest live event one can enter. When she’s on stream, the “World Championships Top 8” under her name does nothing but haunt her. She finds herself falling short consistently, the expectations of the audience weighing her down. Her confidence levels plummet. '''

'''Luna immediately ascribes her failures to Gladion. If he hadn’t beaten her back then, none of this would be happening, right? Luna tells herself that Gladion is the reason her confidence is at an all time low, and the reason she can’t seem to hit her stride again. She doesn’t know if it’s true - there’s no way to. But Luna reassures herself that if nothing else, having somebody - or something - to blame helps take the weight off of her shoulders a little. '''

'''The 2019 season is off to a rocky start, to say the least. But maybe Luna will do better in the online competitions. Maybe the pressure of not having an audience watching her every move will help her win the CP she desperately needs. Maybe XXglazioXX will finally stop messing with her. Maybe - just maybe - Luna can win again.'''

 Then she can finally move on.