• Fate. It's something any living creature knows about in this world, whether you're a human or a Pokemon. As a Zangoose, well... I've had enough experience to boot. It's cruel, it's ironic, and it is not something that can be tamed. Like me, only I'm not actually cruel, nor ironic. But I'm not something, or someone, that can be brought down easily. I obey, but I don't give in. Ever. Not to my siblings, to my enemies, and especially never to any male who isn't within my family. Our family clan consists of mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, cousins, basically any type of relative there could be. We're all similar, yet different in each way. This pretty much meant that there was no one within the area who could be found as a mate, but that was fine with me. I can't even stand to think about having someone else give me orders on what to do. Unfortunately as I said before, fate is cruel and ironic, and my story tells how it went against my wishes.

    Our family lives in a rocky, rugged area, with little grass. For rooms, we reside in the caves that are naturally formed by a multitude of things. I share a spacious cave with my older brother and younger sister, and my parents reside in the cave next to us, in case anything ever happens. Something did happen once, a long time ago, after a fight with our mortal enemies, the Seviper. Of course, we, being Zangoose, hate any Seviper, but these specific ones we hate even more. Especially my aunt Fury, who is named for her notorious fighting skills, and is my father's twin sister. Her son, who is my cousin, had his arm sliced off by one of the Seviper in battle. For that, she has a special hatred for the Seviper.

    I must return to the present, of course. Standing out in a dusty arena, with pillars of stone marked here and there, I train with aunt Fury, who decided that another female in the family should possess her legendary battle skills. We're both evenly matched, and it's been like this for very long. Her son, whom we all affectionately call Stubby, is watching us battle and train, since he doesn't really battle much himself.
    "Yes, that's it!" Fury calls as I leap back after reducing one of the rock pillars to dust with Close Combat. "Remember that you're vulnerable to attack, since you're going close up to the foe! Now let's see Iron Tail"
    I bolted to one of the other pillars, sprang up into the air, then spinning at the last second to wallop the imaginary enemy with my metal tail.
    "Now let's make it a challenge! I want you to use Focus Blast!"
    I faced one of the other pillars, and focused hard. When I felt that the power couldn't be held in anymore, it was unleashed into a ball of bright energy that hit the stone dead center. Stubby covered his head with his one arm to protect himself from the shards that shot in the air.
    "A true shot!" Fury exclaimed. "Your aim is better every time!"
    "And do you remember what else can be used with Focus Blast?" Stubby asked me. His mother had passed on some battling tips to her son, since it didn't make a difference to her whether he was invalid or not.
    "The flying debris will distract my foes if the shot hits something else," I answered him.
    "You're a smart little kitten, aren't you?" Fury said to me.
    "Smart, but not a kitten."
    "I can see that. You're growing remarkably strong."
    "She's also gotten older, too," came a fourth voice from behind us. Stubby, Fury, and I turned to face my mother, who had just approached us with my father. "Which is why, after careful consideration, we've reached a decision."
    I gave my parents a quizzical look. "Okay, then shoot."
    "Well, you have reached a certain age-"
    "Ugh, don't remind me, please. It's bad enough to know how old I am," I interjected.
    "-And I've decided... well, that you should start looking for a mate."
    I had been listening in a thoughtful way with my eyes closed, but when I heard the word "mate", my eyes snapped open. "Mother, you didn't say 'mate', did you?"
    "Yes daughter, I did indeed. I feel that you shouldn't be alone for your whole life, and that you need a special Pokemon to share it with."
    "Don't I share my life with the whole clan?" I asked her.
    "There are other Pokemon outside of our family, Pokemon who also wish to find someone in which they have to have with them," my father explained. "Someone to stay by you and keep you safe, too."
    "Pardon my interruption brother, but perhaps you were late upon seeing our training session," aunt Fury said, gesturing to the obliterated pillars with a sweeping motion of her red paw. "Now do you really believe that my niece needs someone to protect her?"
    I silently thanked aunt Fury as I looked at my parents.
    "Fury, there are other Pokemon in this world who are just as, and maybe even more, powerful than you or my daughter."
    Aunt Fury's eyes narrowed slightly, which wasn't a good sign. "Oh? It seems you've forgotten why I have gained the name 'Fury'. There's a reason for that."
    "Sister, keep your temper in check," my father warned her. "There is no need to fight amongst family members. Let us talk about this in the caves. As for now, my daughter, stay out here with Stubby."
    As aunt Fury followed behind, I could hear snatches of "-Always the peacemaker", and, "'More powerful'? I'd like to see that."
    "Mother did always have a temper, didn't she?" Stubby said fondly.
    "My mother acts as if she doesn't know me at all," I muttered. "She knows I hate love, or romance, or whatever it is called." That was true. The only love I knew was love between my family, and love of training. As for loving someone who wasn't a family member, I despised that.
    "It's not that bad," Stubby said to me. "I'd like to go out and find a beautiful female Pokemon. Especially if she needs a big, strong Zangoose to protect her."
    I made a gagging face. "Hey Stubby?"
    "Yes?"
    "I really don't want to see my Oran and Pecha berries again."
    He laughed. "You're really against stuff like this, aren't you?"
    I looked at him. "Laugh all you want, but I'm dead serious. It's all disgusting to me. I've heard of great warriors who've fallen victim to romance. And there are those who were slayed just because of a pretty face."
    "You know, sometimes greater warriors emerge from those who are great. Besides, you were born because of romance!"
    I scowled. "Whatever. I'm just saying, if someone came up and asked me to be his mate, I'd just tell him to go jump off of a-"
    "Look, Mom and your parents are coming back," Stubby quickly pointed out. "That was pretty fast!"
    "Good news, niece! We've settled upon a decision!" aunt Fury told me.
    My face lit up hopefully. "I don't have to find a mate?"
    "You still do, daughter," my father said.
    The look of hopefulness fled quicker than an Abra could teleport. "Then what's the news?"
    "After debating with Fury-" (Here, aunt Fury looked victoriously smug) "we've decided on holding a tournament."
    I was caught off guard. "Come again?"
    "If you truly think you are strong enough to defend yourself, then we will hold a contest. Competitors will come to fight against you. If you win, then you will stay here. If, however, someone else is winner, then you shall be their mate. The competition will last five days."
    "It was the only thing I could work out with them," Fury said, casting a rather fiery look at my mother, who coolly ignored it. "But this is where you prove yourself!"
    I turned to the side with one paw on my hip, and the other scratching behind my ear with one claw. It's either this, or I'm forced. At least with the competition, I have a big chance... I turned back. "Yes, I'll do it."
    Stubby slapped my back with enthusiasm. "All right!"
    Mother rushed off, saying, "I will find Smeargle to get the messages ready!"
    Now it was me, my father, and aunt Fury. "I still don't understand, brother," Fury said to my father. "We are warriors, not Pokemon to be given away as mates! Why would you give in to your wife's decision about your daughter?"
    "No... I did not give in," my father said. "I agreed with her as soon as she mentioned it. It is for the best." Before aunt Fury could reply, he left.
    "I couldn't imagine my father agreeing to this," I said.
    "Neither could I," aunt Fury admitted. "But at least you have a chance now. I apologize for not talking them completely out of it."
    "No no, it's fine. This time, I have permission to pound some Pokemon into the ground if they show up." I cracked my neck left, then right.
    "And I'll be there to watch, and if they don't fight fair-" aunt Fury cracked her knuckles with a surprisingly loud sound, "-then I'll step in. But all I can do while it goes on is cheer for you."
    I looked into her black eyes, surrounded by pink. "Pray for my soul, aunt Fury." And with that, I went to my cave.