[Lancer had actually kind of liked Shirou, all things considered. Maybe they hadn't met under the best of circumstances, but he'd been a pretty decent kid despite everything. (Lancer didn't really buy into the idea of holding a grudge against your enemies.)]

[Maybe they weren't friends in the strictest definition of the word, but they had always gotten along. There was one four-day loop in that weirdly twisted Fuyuki where he remembered the kid asking about his legend, and talking about it had been a pretty nice way to pass an afternoon.]

[But between the fact that they were just close acquaintances and the fact that he was used to people disappearing, Lancer wasn't too torn up about Shirou Emiya's departure from Johto.]

[It didn't matter, because he knew someone that was.]

[For what it's worth I'm not going anywhere, Arturia.]

[For now...that was certain. Maybe it would change tomorrow, or next week, or next month, but Cu Chulainn wasn't much for thinking that far ahead. He was here today, and because he was here neither Saber nor himself were alone. Now he just had to show her that the Hound of Ulster didn't go down without a fight.]

[video]

[It was a shiny Pichu that turned on the Pokegear today, fiddling with it from where it had been discarded on the floor. He seemed content to pull ridiculous faces into the camera for a minute or two, before a woman's voice rang out and sent him hiding under the backpack just barely in frame.]

This is where the real battle begins!

[Lancer--terrible shirt and all--stood beside an exhausted Zweilous, thrown back from the force of their opponent's last attack. Clair threw back her cape with a flourish, the Dragonite beside her scratched up but clearly ready for more. Making sure his own dragon wasn't seriously injured, Lancer called her back and faced the gym leader with a smirk.]

Afraid you're wrong, young lady. You put up a good fight--a damn good fight, the toughest so far. I wasn't going to do this, but I can't afford to lose today. So I'll take that heart of yours-...

[He shook his head, pausing while he tossed his third and final Pokeball to himself.]

--ah, sorry. I used to say that a lot before I did this.

[That smirk immediately turned to a grin that could just about be called 'feral', full of sharp canines and the adrenaline rush of a good battle. The Pokeball was thrown into the air with a blinding light and-]

Gáe Bolg--!

[The floor shook as something large, solid, and entirely metallic landed soundly upon it, with the deafening roar of a Steelix. Frantically trying to hide further under the nearby backpack, the troublemaking Pichu kicked the Gear and cut off the video.]