Patricia charged and was greeted by a string shot to the chest.

Cale snickered. "Heh, got you."

"Ooh," the commentator announced. "Looks like Patricia is in a bit of a pickle."

But then Cale tried to pull and his face was as red as a tomato.

The crowd loud.

"Looks like Cale doesn't have the strength to move her!"

While Cale struggled to pull her, Wade leaped in the air.

"Always said body alterers were pathetic," Wade said, throwing poisonous darts at Patricia. Patricia managed to step back causing Cale to stumble over and hit the golden bridge.

"S-sorry," Patricia mumbled.

The darts were inches away from her, one millimeter away from her toes.

"You're good," Wade said, throwing darts at her again. Patricia blew them away with wind.

"But not good enough," Wade said.

Patricia noticed a dart stuck in her knee, upon noticing it she keeled over. Her body suddenly went numb and she could barely move her fingers.

The crowd winced. The commentator also let out a wince.

"Looks like Wade hit her with the stun spore," the commentator exclaimed.

Jenna let out a concerned gasp. Paul shook his head in disappointment.

"Looks like the dynamic bug type duo have their win in the bag if they can just get her into the water or on the other side of the bridge."

It was like the flow of magic had stopped; she couldn't course her magical energy into the feathers on her armlet. She tried to speak but it was as if her mouth was clamped shut with glue.

Wade kicked Cale." Get up thing. I don't think I'll be able to carry her on my own."

Patricia tried moving her body but it was like she was fighting a waterfall, her body was unbearably painful as she tried to move her finger, her toes, anything.

Cale got up. "Man, she gave me the works."

"No, you were just pathetic."

The two boys heaved as they picked up Patricia as Patricia tried to fight the paralysis coursing through her body.

"Don't worry," Wade said. "It's not fatal, one Cheri Berry and you'll be fine."

"That's not what you said during our practice," Cale said.

"Cause you're a body alterer."

They were just mere minutes away from the bridge. Some of the crowd looked in eager anticipation, others already resigned knowing Patricia lost.

And Patricia? she would have resigned. She would have accepted defeat. But that was the old Patricia.

She thought about Carlotta, she thought about Sean, she thought about the kindness of Jenna and the goofball that was Martin and she thought about Carmen. Carmen who was hurting, Carmen who would go down an awful path if she wasn't strong enough to protect him.

And she moved her toe.

"Alright Cale," Wade said. "You just have to drop her off right..."

A burst of wind suddenly pushed Wade outside the bridge.

"What the...?" Wade sputtered, dumbfounded.

The crowd let out a wild cheer.

"LOOKS LIKE PATRICIA IS BACK!"

Cale, unable to support Patricia's weight on his own dropped Patricia on the ground. Buried underneath her weight, Patricia used this as an opportunity to get up. Fighting against the paralysis, Patricia moved her body, first her toes, then her feet, then her legs. She got up, her body askew but still she got up. Cale tried launching a string shot but it was useless, one gust of wind and he was on the other edge of Nugget Bridge.

"AND THE WINNER OF THE FIRST ROUND IS THE TIMID BEAUTY, PATRICIA!"

The crowd let out a roar of approval, even Jenna got up from her seat. Patricia let out a weak smile before collapsing on the ground.

The audience let out a gasp.

"Ooh," the commentator winced. “Paralysis does that to a person. We'll get some medics and we'll see her in the next round!"

The crowd let out a cheer, from amidst the commentator’s booth, Zeke smirked. This was going to be interesting.

...

Bill's lighthouse loomed tall in the distance, standing even taller than the mountain behind it. In the distance they could hear the muffled cheers of the Nugget Bridge Challenge, the bright lights and large crowd could be seen all the way from Route 25 like a star in the sky.

But Carmen didn't care about that. Carmen cared about what was in front of him.

Stationed around Bill's lighthouse were Team Rocket grunts, the big red R sticking out like acne. They patrolled the stretch of green land around the lighthouse.

Atop a small rise in the mountains was Elaine and Carmen. Carmen was more than ready to slash through the Team Rocket members but Elaine stopped him, suggesting a stealthier approach.

"Our people don't know stealth," Carmen said. "Stealth is a coward’s tactic."

"Stealth is the difference between life and death," Elaine said. "Now tell me, Carmen. Do you want to die?"

Carmen wanted to argue but he decided against it. He would go along with her cowardly tactic if it means revenge against Giovanni. Naga wrapped herself around Elaine. In her hands were a bunch of daggers.

"Keep behind me," Elaine said. "Watch and learn."

"Whatever," Carmen said, rolling his eyes.

Elaine disappeared into the bushes, Carmen followed behind her and into the darkness of the night.

...

Patricia's opponent was someone from her tribe. Or at least someone from another branch. A woman named Pauline and by her side was a woman wearing a purple robe. She had two hard whiskers on her cheek and she had a regal air about her.

"On one side, the timid beauty Patricia returns for her second match!" said the commentator. "On the other side we have Pauline from the Pidgey tribe and Nadia, an heir to the throne of the Safari Zone!"

The crowd were taken aback. Surprised a member of the Nidoran Royal Family would participate in something like this. Normally they didn't involve themselves in trivial matters like this. They usually came to Cerulean for a short expedition to Mount Moon. After that, they normally involved themselves in battle to experience the surge before heading back to Fuchsia for the ritual.

"Will our timid beauty's luck run out or will she manage to defeat these two powerhouses?!"

The lights flashed off and suddenly shone on the entirety of Nugget Bridge.

"LET THE BATTLES... BEGIN!"

...

Carmen watched as one by one, Team Rocket Grunts were plucked mercilessly by Elaine and Naga. Elaine throwing daggers straight at their skulls with a precision that made them fall over like trees and Naga using her teeth as a tether the trees and her tail wrapped around their necks.

Carmen swerved around those corpses, staring at them in a mixture of disgust and horror. Elaine moved from body to body with a ruthless efficiency, plucking out her dagger from the person she killed before moving on to the next person. There was no mercy or sympathy in her eyes, just a cold, merciless stare.

Soon they were by the entrance of the lighthouse, patrolled by only one man.

Elaine turned to Carmen.

"He's yours."

Carmen nodded.

He sneaked slowly through the bushes, the man casting a quick glance at them before walking away.

Soon he was inches away from the man with his claws out.

...

Patricia won battle after battle with scratches and bruises to show for it. In one of the battles she was wrapped around in vines from the Bellsprout seed, inches away from throwing her into the water but after a quick gust of air and a risky jump she was back on the bridge.

After a series of tough and intense battles Patricia finally made it into the finals. After the finals she would win the Nugget and her chance for the Pidgeotto feather her brother had promised.

"Now it's what you've all been waiting for ladies and gentleman," the commentator announced. "The final battle to determine who's going to win the grand prize."

"On one side of the arena," the commentator said, flashing the light on Patricia. "We have the timid beauty Patricia who surprised us again and again with her series of successful solo battles!"

The crowd cheered. Jenna looked on nervously, Martin's face was red from all the beer he had drunk.

"On the other side," the commentator said. "The undisputed champion of the Nugget challenge. A Mankey mage shown to not show any mercy. Please welcome... the bone breaker... MASON!"

The lights flashed on the other side revealing a huge, barrel chested man with muscles that looked like they could break titanium. He had a large, scruffy beard and a frenzy look in his eyes that scared Patricia. He was much larger than Patricia and looked like he could snap her like a twig. Seeing Mason made her want to forfeit and forget the Pidgeotto feather. Seeing Mason made her want to give up.

But then she thought of Carmen, of Carlotta and Sean. They wouldn't want her to give up. And so, she steeled herself, swallowed up her fear and stared Mason straight into his beady brown eyes.

"Are you ready folks?"

The crowd exclaimed.

"I said... ARE. YOU. READY. FOLKS?"

The crowd let out a cheer that could be described as almost manic.

"LET THE FINALS OF THE NUGGET CHALLENGE, BEGIN!"

As Mason and Patricia began their fight, Carmen had his claws out. Ahead of him, a living breathing human being. In his hands, his claws, the man's life.

Carmen took a deep breath and pounced.

To be continued...