• An addendum to Rule 3 regarding fan-translated works of things such as Web Novels has been made. Please see here for details.
  • We've issued a clarification on our policy on AI-generated work.
  • Our mod selection process has completed. Please welcome our new moderators.
  • Due to issues with external spam filters, QQ is currently unable to send any mail to Microsoft E-mail addresses. This includes any account at live.com, hotmail.com or msn.com. Signing up to the forum with one of these addresses will result in your verification E-mail never arriving. For best results, please use a different E-mail provider for your QQ address.
  • For prospective new members, a word of warning: don't use common names like Dennis, Simon, or Kenny if you decide to create an account. Spammers have used them all before you and gotten those names flagged in the anti-spam databases. Your account registration will be rejected because of it.
  • Since it has happened MULTIPLE times now, I want to be very clear about this. You do not get to abandon an account and create a new one. You do not get to pass an account to someone else and create a new one. If you do so anyway, you will be banned for creating sockpuppets.
  • Due to the actions of particularly persistent spammers and trolls, we will be banning disposable email addresses from today onward.
  • The rules regarding NSFW links have been updated. See here for details.

Like No One Ever Was (Pokemon SI)

GameFAQs Guide to beating Nemona Glitterati 2: Double Battle Boogaloo
Just when I think I'm out… she pulls me back in. Yes, that's right, we've got our new DLC, exploring Blueberry Academy. We get to meet a bunch of quirky new students, try out the synchro machine for funky Pokemon walking animations, get a bunch of new Pokemon to collect including all the regional starters in the expansive Terarium… and we get another battle against Nemona.
This one is optional after you invite her to the Blueberry Academy three times, and we actually get a bunch of fun interactions with her, talking about her past, how she used to go to BB before graduating and attending Uva/Naranja. But that's all stuff you can find out in game, let's talk about how to beat her.

As this is battle is within BB and she was a student there, she's facing you here in a double battle. Nemona will lead with either a Wash Rotom and Gliscor or Dudunsparce and a freaking Diancie (She even mentions having a mega stone to mega evolve them but says she won't use it because you don't have one which on the one hand is nice, but on the other I really want to see megas again!). And you won't know who she's sending in before the match as it randomizes it every time the battle is initiated so you can't save scum to line up your team right.
Both of the initial teams have different area Moves to spam. Gliscor has Earthquake, taking advantage of Rotom's Immunity to avoid hitting her partner. She also has Taunt, Protect, and Dual Wingbeat. Her Ability Poison Heal and a Toxic Orb to constantly heal over the course of the battle while locking her out of other status conditions after the first turn. The Rotom is in Wash Form giving them only one weakness (and one usually checked by the dual wingbeat of her partner). It has Electroweb for speed control, with Hydro Pump to give them high single target damage. Will O Wisp Burn will cut most Pokemon's Attack, while Pain Split gives them a recovery option, alongside Leftovers.

On the flip side, Dudunsparce has Hyper Drill to make use of his surprisingly high attack and punish anyone that thought they could Protect/Detect to avoid the onslaught of his partner. If that doesn't work he has Glare to cut down an opponent's speed with Paralysis, Helping Hand to boost his partner (despite not having hands...), and Roost to keep him in the battle longer. And what a partner he's paired with Diancie uses the insanely broken signature Diamond Storm to hit both foes with a 50% of a Defense boost by two stages. This fuels their Body Press, making it hit even harder. Moonblast rounds out her offense and makes use of her Fairy STAB. Trick Room turns the abysmal speed those two share into a boon. Dudunsparce has a Lum Berry for a one time status block, while Diancie has a Babiri Berry to cover taking quadruple effective Steel attacks at least once.

So this might not seem great, but you might think of just preparing for one team. Like hey, maybe Gholdengo would be good against the Dudunsparce and Diancie team? Wrong, or at least wrong half of the time. See, there's a 50% chance that either of the leads you see on a given team are actually her Hisuian Zoroark in disguise. This greatly changes things, as you can think that you're going to be clearing out Dudunsparce with a Fighting move only to watch it whiff. Or letting him boost a Move of hers that would have been resisted if they replaced Diancie. H-Zoroark has Hyper Voice for spread STAB damage and Bitter Malice for single target STAB with a nasty attack debuff on top (also, when did we start getting base 75 power Moves with guaranteed stat drops?!) Burning Jealousy is there to give her more coverage, is another spread Move, and will punish you if you want to/have already set up. She's built for speed and power, with her EVs maxed out in speed and special attack, and she's got Protect too, to help keep the disguise going and to stall out things like Sucker Punch for a turn. Her Focus Sash helps with that, so even though she's frail, you'll need two hits to take her out.

The final Pokemon on Nemona's original team is Lucario. She's got a lot of offense with Close Combat, Meteor Mash, and Extremespeed, boosted by her Life Orb. Her last Move is Swords Dance, letting her setup to sweep you, if given a chance. Nemona will send Lucario out a bit later, usually to plug any holes you've poked in the offense going on so far.
Like your previous fight against her Nemona will feel free to switch her team around and Tera whenever she feels necessary. And on that note, here's what she has going for her team.
Tera List:

  • Dudunsparce Tera Ghost (Stops Fake Out and gets rid of Fighting weakness)
  • Diancie Tera Grass (feels weird, but it covers most of her weaknesses as well as giving Nemona something against powder Moves)
  • W-Rotom Tera Electric (Boosts Discharge damage and takes away weaknesses)
  • Gliscor Tera Ground (Boost Earthquake damage, not quite as badly affected by Ice after)
  • H-Zoroark Tera Normal (Pretty rare to see this one, opens her up to Fighting and Normal attacks but gets rid of Dark weakness and boosts Hyper Voice)
  • Lucario Tera Fighting (loses a lot of resistances but also all of her weaknesses while gaining new ones to Flying, Psychic, and Fairy. Also powers up Close Combat)
For this battle, you'll probably want to just pick a starter set and prepare for that, just reloading until you get the right starter set. It's very possible to have answers for one set, and even for either of the two starting Pokemon possibly being her Zoroark in disguise to start. It's a lot more difficult to try and deal with 5 potential different Pokemon to start. If you absolutely feel the need to do so, make sure to have Protect and other stall Moves to get a clearer picture on what she's throwing at you first, then respond. Priority Moves like Sucker Punch can do a lot of damage as she doesn't have many counters to those either.

She lacks most methods to remove your buffs, terrain, entry hazards, or weather (thankfully), but given how hard she'll hit, often nailing both Pokemon on your team twice, Nemona will quickly tear through your team if given the chance. There's no competing weather or terrain setters so any Pokemon with Abilities that can set up those up for you without giving up a turn are quite handy.

Your Pokemon for this battle are going to vary wildly, it really depends on what combos you have ready. While her Pokemon are decently fast, Gen 9 metagame is insane so a lot of Paradox and Legendary Pokemon beat her for speed, which is good… unless she sets Trick Room up. Room Service may be an item you can consider using for those Pokemon. Here are a few others that we've found generally handy:

Scrappy Flamigo is a solid counter to H-Zoroark and Dudunsparce even if they Terastalize. Storm Drain Gastrodon can block Rotom, and can threaten Diancie and Lucario, and even Gliscor with Ice attacks. Maushold can be either an offensive threat with Technician Beat Up/Population Bomb and Wide Lens to threaten all but Diancie and Lucario, or as a support with Friend Guard and Moves like Helping Hand, Follow Me, Encore and the like. Rillaboom sets up Grassy Terrain to limit the effectiveness of Gliscor's Earthquake, while also threatening Diancie. Palafin outspeeds all but the H-Zoroark, so you can Flip Turn easily, or just switch out if you're scared of that with a bunch of support options in Haze, Encore, and Taunt, as well as just insane stats once Zero to Hero is triggered.

Incineroar or any Intimidate Pokemon are generally traps here. Nemona has three physical attackers, but only one (Gliscor) can be affected by Intimidate. Lucario has Inner Focus which stops flinches and Intimidates as of this gen, and Diancie has Clear Body making them immune to all stat drops from enemies. You can aim for a Trick Room team of your own, but that can be difficult to set up given how much offense Nemona has, and you need your team's speed to be really low so that Dudunsparce and Diancie can't take advantage of it themselves.

It'll be a tough fight, but try it a few times, get a feel for how she tends to respond and do your best to predict her Moves and switches because she will be prepared for you. If you show up with two Pokemon that know Steel Type attacks, don't be surprised if she swaps her Diancie for Rotom as you try to double tap them, etc. With enough perseverance you'll emerge victorious.

After all of that? She'll do the trade like every other mentor you can call into the club does, with Nemona offering a Shiny Dunsparce. Which might not seem like much until you learn it's guaranteed to evolve into a three segment Dudunsparce, saving a bunch of time for collectors… or not depending on how long it took you to beat her, haha.


The second one of these! This time we get to see her original team in double battles (those are going to be fun/complicated to write). I originally planned to have Nightwing use her Fling → Acrobatics strategy I have in the story, but with how long it would take to set up Toxic Orb self poison, Fling to get rid of it, then Acrobatics, it just seemed too easy to see through in a video game and made Nightwing way too open to counter play. Miles' Moveset got changed around dramatically as well, as I realized I was hewing too closely to what their Moves are now, in the story. Which works there, but wouldn't in a double battle, especially in a game with move limits and the like.
 
Lex Sedet in Vertice Crossover Omake: Part 1
I have some exciting news. King crimson over on Sufficient Velocity has just posted a lovely omake over on their quest Lex Sedet In Vertice: A Supervillain in the DCU CK2 quest, and with their permission, I'm crossposting it here. This is the first part, and even without specific knowledge of their fic, I think you'll enjoy it too (but definitely do check the quest out if you have the time, it's great).

Like No One Ever Was Crossover omake Part 1
Cassandra Luthor (several years in the past)
Cassandra Luthor was born to be better. There was no ifs, ands, or buts about it, Cassandra was a Luthor which meant that she was better than virtually everyone else. Of course as Father's chosen heir, Cassandra had to prove she was the best. LexCorp was an industrial titan, easily cornering the power generation market in Unova, as well as the far less public facing weapons industry. They'd attempted to enter into the phone market but were beaten out by the Glitteratis. LexCorp had better hardware but raw machines couldn't compete with the Rotom-Phone's versatility.

She hadn't thought much of the Glitteratis at first. They were competent enough but there was nothing especially exceptional about them. They were too soft where it counted and whilst others might underestimate them, Cassandra could easily see through their facade. They'd be beaten and conquered before long. Cassandra had risen up to each and every challenge her father had placed before her, a bunch of tacky, would-be business rivals would fall just the same as everything else.

The eldest daughter, Cyan Glitterati, wasn't a real peer in any way that mattered. A weak soft-hearted little sheep coddled by over-indulgent parents. She wasn't nearly as imbecilic as other children her age, but that by no means put her on Cassandra's level. Cassandra would easily run roughshod over her if need be, especially in any relevant field that required drive and competitiveness.

The younger daughter, closer in age to Cassandra appeared to be the same at first. A foolish little girl strutting around with her parent's toys and playing the video darling for tapioca brained masses to coo over. The girl's musical ambitions were equally insipid, a bunch of mealy-mouthed sentimental mush. Cassandra paid it no mind, she had tutors upon tutors and countless academic and practical subjects to master in order to prove herself a worthy heir. And Cassandra would prove better but her perception of Nemona did change with time.

Somehow the Glitterati girl proved to be a remarkably competent battler. Cassandra could acknowledge that much. In a real fight Cassandra was confident she would win, real fights didn't have judges or rules and Cassandra excelled at interpersonal violence, but in an official match it was far less clear.

And official matches were important. Being able to succeed in the various leagues against gym leaders was a sign of competence and was internationally lauded. Being able to defeat Elite Four members and even champions would open up countless doors. Cassandra liked battling and alongside her starter Nibbler, Cassandra was confident that she could dominate the actual league, but so far it appeared Nemona might have a leg up on her.

The last straw was when Nemona took on the gym leader Clay and won. Cassandra had plans. She was going to attend Blueberry Academy eventually, it would be useful for connections at the very least, and she wanted a debut wherein her battling prowess wasn't in doubt. The plan was to take on several gym leaders in a row, and then come to the Academy before going on to clear the league as the youngest to ever do so. Of course Nemona had to go and beat a gym leader first. Now when Cassandra did take on Clay, her debut would be marred as Nemona had already done it first at a younger age.

It was infuriating, that all of Cassandra's plans would be thrown off by an outside factor but that was fine, Cassandra could pivot. She would prove she was the best one way or another. Now it just meant that she had to crush Nemona first.

Cassandra promptly accelerated Nibbler's training. She'd evolved her starter into a Gabite on her own following the instructions experts on LexCorp's had provided, but it was clear that it wasn't fast enough. He was bred to be the ideal battling Garchomp eventually, and Cassandra greatly enjoyed spending time with him, but she also had to learn to take over the company. As such there was only so much time she could spend training him. From now on Nibbler would be regularly trained by the best money could acquire. She was confident that Father could get some of the Dragon Tamer Clan in Opelucid to contribute. Nibbler would have a whole team of professionals dedicated to ensuring that he was the best. Cassandra would still train with him when possible but this would make sure that Cassandra came out on top.

Of course Nibbler on his own wouldn't be enough. Cassandra had an entire team to fill out. She had some ideas on what to do and sooner or later she'd be able to get the best breeders to provider her with the best eggs and she'd have the best team possible. Those new members would need to be trained up as well, but Cassandra could deal with it. There would be some struggle in finding time to ensure that Cassandra herself did not become the weak link, but Cassandra was confident she could manage.

Cassandra smiled as she prepared her arguments for Father to set things in motion. She was going to crush Nemona and prove to everyone that she was the best.

Nemona Glitterati (a few months later)
It wasn't often I took the time to think about how far I'd come. There was always something to do or somewhere to go, and that naturally meant there wasn't a lot of time to spend navel-gazing. Still as I was hiking in the wilds I couldn't help but think that I'd come fairly far.

I was going to take on the Elite Gauntlet and the Champion soon and I'd proven immensely successful in the Paldean League. True the Paldean League wasn't considered as intense as some other regions, but it was still a solid accomplishment. I had an excellent team, and while there were rough patches, like with Radiance, we were coming together as a unit remarkably well.

Raifort was still on the loose and Turo was still a problem but I'd made friends and come out on top. The future wasn't certain but I was confident we could take it on regardless.

I was getting ready to keep heading further when I spotted someone approaching me. I wasn't used to being famous still, and it was a little weird to be approached in the middle of nowhere, but it couldn't hurt to be friendly to a fellow trainer.

As she got closer I got a better look at the person in question. A dark haired girl, about my age approached us. The boots and the fingerless gloves she wore seemed practical at least but while I still didn't get fashion, my sister had chatted about it enough that I could vaguely recognize that the other girl's collared shirt and slacks were expensive and likely some kind of designer brand. The luxury balls tied to her belt only further solidified the impression that whoever she was, she wasn't shy about throwing around money.

It might be a little hypocritical but it felt a little weird to encounter some rich girl out in the middle of nowhere. That wasn't a thing people normally did. I couldn't recognize who she was off of my time on the internet looking into previous trainers, and my general metaknowledge of the games was also drawing a complete and total blank. It was certainly a surprise.

"You're Nemona Glitterati, right?" The girl asked, her voice flat and level. She seemed to kind of have a resting scowly-face. It was kind of cute on a kid, but I could see her coming off as intimidating or scary to other people my age. She wasn't nearly as bad or as aggressive as some other kids I'd encountered on my journey so I just assumed she was kind of bad with people.

"Yeah?" I asked somewhat confused but hoping to get to the bottom of things quickly. The other girl remained placid but I could see a bit of a competitive spark light up in her eyes.

"My name is Cassandra Luthor" the girl semi-dramatically introduced herself. She seemed to expect me to recognize her name but I was drawing blank. Maybe she was the daughter of someone who worked with my parents? I could figure it out some other time though as the other girl continued her declaration.

"I've come to challenge you to a pokemon battle" Cassandra stated. I was certainly interested. A weird rich girl tracking me down to battle me wasn't something that I was expecting but it wasn't overly unpleasant. I hadn't planned on a battle but I wasn't opposed to it one way or another.

"Alright, sure" I responded. "How many badges do you have?"

Cassandra seemed to get visibly irked by this question.

"None but don't think that means you can afford to hold back, I want to beat you at your best!" Cassandra declared. Badges weren't a surefire way to tell how capable a trainer was but it was still a decent shorthand. The fact that Cassandra had none made me pretty sure she was new on her journey. I figured I could afford to take it a little easier. I wasn't going to underestimate her, but I'd be putting Bahamut out first. This was a friendly match against a rookie, I could afford to take things a little easier.

"Got it" I answered "Ground rules for the match?"

"Six on six standard Unovan League rules" Cassandra responded before handing me a blocky device. I couldn't make heads or tails of it as the design was well past the level of tech I knew how to work. Apparently Cassandra picked up on my lack of knowledge because she quickly came over to assist.

"It's basic battleshield tech" Cassandra grumbled "You plant it on the ground in front of you, activate it and then we can go all out without needing to worry about hitting each other"

Huh, neat. I revised my assessment of Cassandra a bit, she was definitely some wealthy tech guy's daughter. Once the battle was done I'd have to ask her for one of these, it'd be nice to be able to recreate gym conditions out in the wild.

We each took up a spot a fair bit away from each other and readied ourselves for the battle.

"Go, Bahamut!" I shouted as I tossed the relevant pokeball. Bahamut let out a roar as he loomed over the battlefield. If Cassandra was at all unnerved by facing down a large pitch black Haxorus, she didn't show any signs of it. She merely ran a hand through her hair and smirked before tossing out her own ball.

"Snowy, you know what you have to do"

With a name like Snowy I was expecting some kind of ice type, an Alolan Ninetales or an Abomasnow would've made sense to me. Instead Cassandra apparently named an Annihilape of all things Snowy. I was kind of curious as to the story behind that.

The Annihilape let out a ferocious howl as it seemed to size up Bahamut. It was time for the match to begin.

"Bahamut, Aerial Ace!" I cried out, deciding to take the initiative. Cassandra did say she wanted me to try my best so I figured I might as well set the tempo. Bahamut leapt into the air and gathered flying type energy around himself before then diving down.

The blow easily connected with the Annihilape which made no move to dodge. The fact that Cassandra was entirely unreactive, just smirking a bit lead me to believe that either she had no idea what to do and was relying on strong pokemon someone else had given her, or she was setting some kind of trap.

"Leg breaker low sweep!" Cassandra called out, confirming that it was a trap.

The Annihilape lashed out and swung its foot outwards, breaking Bahamut's balance and sending him tumbling to the ground. I didn't quite know what Cassandra's game plan was but I know that I needed Bahamut to get up and get distance.

"Dragon pulse!" I commanded.

"Dragon breaker" Cassandra calmly responded.

Bahamut heard my command and did manage to fire off a purple pulse of power but the Annihilape danced around it and closed the distance, promptly landing an ice punch hard enough to turn Bahamut's head.

The Annihilape promptly then grabbed one of Bahamut's tusks and roughly pinned his head to the floor. At the same time the Annihilape began to repeatedly strike the back of Bahamut's head with ice punches.

Cassandra's strategy made sense in hindsight but I needed to come up with a counter to it. As is, she'd used Annihilape's strength and Bahamut's body type to pin the Haxorus to the ground in such a way where Snowy could hit him, but he couldn't hit the Annihilape back.

"Bahamut use breaking swipe, try to weaken its hold!" I cried. I wasn't sure it would work but Cassandra had completely thrown off my intended strategy by using a strategy that would only work against pokemon with the same body type as Haxorus. Still I needed to try something.

Bahamut unfortunately wasn't listening to me. Getting pinned to the floor and repeatedly punched was frightening and he was openly panicking, firing off moves and desperately trying to get free. They were connecting but there wasn't any sort of strategy and the Annihilape seemed to be content taking the blows.

Bahamut was a big fully evolved dragon but at the same time he was still pretty young. Something like this was a little too intense for him.

I made my decision promptly.

"You did good Bahamut" I reassured him as I recalled my Haxorus and thoguht of what my next move was going to be.

"This is not a switch" I informed Cassandra "I'm retiring Bahamut from the rest of the match"

Cassandra seemed taken aback by this before her smirk once more reasserted itself.

"I thought you were better than that" The other girl taunted "One thing goes wrong and you immediately fold? You might as well give up now"

"Thanks but no thanks" I responded to the other girl, doing my best to ignore her attempted taunt. "You caught me off guard but it won't happen again"

"I'm sure you'll find some other excuse for your loss" Cassandra fired back. I did my best to ignore her taunts as a game plan settled in my mind.

I grabbed Phantasm's ball and readied myself. I hadn't gotten to see much of the Annihilape but I knew it was fast and strong. However I know that a Hisuian Zoroark would be immune to both its fighting type and ghost type attacks, and Phantasm's illusions could be used to bait both Cassandra and the Annihilape into using fighting type moves by making them think they were fighting Dun, against whom such moves would be super-effective.

"Alright Dun, you're up to bat" I loudly called out. Phantasm quickly set up an illusion of Dun calling out.

Cassandra kept grinning, confident she was going to win but I wasn't intimidated. This match was far from over.

"Snowy, cloud cover!" Cassandra yelled as soon as the battle began. The Annihilape promptly slammed its fist directly into the ground, kicking up a massive amount of dirt and dust, obscuring it from view. Phantasm meanwhile had kept the false Dudunsparce in place while invisibly moving to the right.

When the Annihilape burst out of the cloud of smoke at frightening speeds, we were ready for it.

"Blizzard!" I yelled as Phantasm moved her illusion to make it seem as though Dun had dodged the attack. When Phantasm and the illusion were aligned, Phantasm let out an icy wind attack, faking that Dun had launched a blizzard attack.

The Annihilape wasn't quick enough to dodge and instead it rushed after what it thought was Dun, constantly trying to connect with a fighting type move as Phantasm peppered it with icy winds. The Annihilape slowed down and I decided to switch tacks.

I signaled to Phantasm to use shadow sneak to close the gap and get in close. The Annihilape swung its fist but the move completely missed.

"Night slash, full swing!" Cassandra commanded, causing the Annihilape to charge its fist with dark energy as it swung its arm in a full 360 degree motion.

"Abort and shadow ball" I fired back. Phantasm promptly stepped out of range of the Annihilape's attack and launched a sphere of dark ghostly energy directly into the Annihilape. The ghostly pokemon stumbled back before it regained its balance. It then lout out a massive earsplitting rage filled shriek.

I was ready to exploit the Annihilapes anger when a red beam struck the pokemon. Cassandra had recalled her pokemon.

"I'll be making a switch now" Cassandra said as she placed the luxury ball back on her belt before picking up a different one. "Hunter will be dealing with your Zoroark now"

From the luxury ball, a male Pyroar with a resplendent fiery mane burst forth. It did not roar and instead seemed to stare at "Dun" with snooty disdain.

If she'd figured it out that quickly it was probably better to change things. Most of Phantasm's ranged options were something a Pyroar would either be resistant or immune to. Yes I did still technically have Hyper Voice to fall back on, but I figured I'd be better off saving her for later, especially since Phantasm was my best answer for Annihilape.

"I'll also make a switch then" I replied, causing Cassandra to frown "Notch, come on out!"

Notch swiftly appeared in a flash of white light. As a Carbink, Notch wasn't the most expressive but I could tell they were ready for a fight. Cassandra meanwhile seemed utterly unmoved by what was going on. Where she'd been frowning before she now seemed to be grinning again. The battle swiftly began once again.

"Noble Roar!" Cassandra ordered and the Pyroar let out a bellowing roar in response. This seemed like an amateur mistake. Notch was resistant to both fire and normal type moves. In theory boosting up her Pyroar's offensive moves was the right play, but Notch could easily hold out against it for quite a while. If Cassandra wanted to try breaking through Notch, I was happy to set the field and punish her for it.

"Light Screen!" I called out in response. Cassandra meanwhile merely ordered another noble roar. It felt like I was missing something but I wasn't sure what. I'd underestimated her once and Bahamut had got taken out fast. Still I couldn't spend too much time dwelling on hypotheticals and what-ifs, I had a battle to win.

I gave the order for stealth rocks and then for three layers of spikes, all the while Cassandra continued to order more and more noble roars, boosting up Pyroar's offensive capabilities. The ground was littered with hazards and I was fairly confident that I had managed to get things to work out. Maybe Cassandra had made a mistake. She was still entirely focused on buffing Pyroar.

As such I made the call to try and go for an iron defense, raising Notch's defensive capabilities. Yes Pyroar were typically special attackers and iron defense boosted physical defense, but the increased damage of body press, which should be Notch's most powerful move as it was super effective against normal type pokemon like Pyroar, did offset that.

"Hunter, no more nobility" Cassandra commanded. I took a second to ponder what that meant, as it wasn't a straightforward command. That one second was all it took for Pyroar to let out a massive full bodied roar which promptly forced Notch back into their ball. I couldn't help but grimace again as once more I was put on the back foot. I had to come up with some way to throw Cassandra off her rhythm or else I'd end up losing the match.

Cassandra Luthor
Cassandra was ecstatic as she saw the grimace on Nemona Glitterati's face. She delighted in seeing the other girl lose her composure. It was satisfying seeing that the time spent practicing and studying how the other girl might choose to battle and having it pay off. She'd finally be able to prove that without a doubt she was the best.

Then the other girl let out a smile.

"Don't count me out just yet!" Nemona said "I'm not giving up!"

Fine. It was all fine. Cassandra would just need to knock her down again. She'd knock her down again, and again, and again, and again until she utterly, totally and completely crushed Nemona. She'd make Nemona regret continuing to battle. Cassandra had set the stage and now she was going to beat the other girl effortlessly, and utterly one-sidedly.

When the other girl sent out a Lucario, Cassandra was still confident she'd end up winning. Yes Lucarios were impressive and their fighting type capabilities did match up well against Pyroars but Pyroar's fire type attacks were super effective against steel types like Lucario. Cassandra was going to melt Nemona's pokemon if a single attack so much as grazed it.

Cassandra focused on the battle as Nemona promptly mega-evolved her Lucario. The blue jackal-like pokemon was enveloped in a cocoon of energy before bursting out in a new more powerful form. Cassandra scowled. She'd looked into mega-evolution and found it lacking. She'd purchased a mega ring and the appropriate stones and attempted to do so with Nibbler. It should work with a Garachomp and Cassandra was certainly bonded with her starter. And yet no matter what she did, Cassandra couldn't get the mega-evolution to work.

She ultimately came to the conclusion that all those people talking about bonds being the key to mega-evolution were lying in order to protect their secrets. By saying that the key to the technique was friendship, they'd waste everyone else's time and keep the real secret to it hidden. When it didn't work, they could just claim that whoever attempted and failed just didn't love their pokemon enough. Well Cassandra wasn't going to give them the satisfaction. She didn't need mega-evolution, it was a dumb gimmick hidden by protectionist liars. She'd win on her own terms in her own way. She wasn't going to open herself up to some ridiculous notions that she didn't love her own pokemon enough. She'd just demonstrate that mega-evolution was nothing more than a crutch for people who couldn't get strong with their pokemon as they were.

Cassandra refocused her attention back to the fight proper.

"Flamethrower" Cassandra commanded, and Hunter promptly responded letting out a billowing stream of fire. The Lucario still managed to dance around the fire, bounding off of the rocks put into play by the Carbink earlier. Annoying. Still no matter, Cassandra would win in the end eventually.

"Hyper voice" Cassnadra commanded as Hunter let out a mighty bellow in response. Unlike flamethrower this move was significantly harder to see and as it traveled in a cone rather than a stream like flamethrower it was significantly harder to dodge.

The Lucario ended up getting clipped and Cassandra heard a cry of concern from Nemona. Cassandra wasn't done yet.

"Fire Blast to finish it!" Cassandra ordered as her Pyroar promptly shot out a searing hot cavalcade of fire, directly at the Lucario which hadn't quite recovered its footing. This match was over.

"Endure it Athena!" Nemona cried out right as the move connected. Cassandra readied another fire blast. She'd end it one way or another. Then she heard Nemona command the Lucario to use detect, enabling it to avoid the follow-up.

Cassandra wasn't worried. She just had to get more accurate with her attacks and wait till the Lucario got burned. She had her Pyroar fire off another torrent of fire and this time the Lucario endured it again. Once more and once more further the same pattern emerged. Cassandra kept up the pressure but Nemona's Lucario just would not go down. Fine if that was the game she wanted to play Cassandra would flip the table and win anyways.

"Will o' Wisp" Cassandra commanded, hoping to end this. Hunter let out a small collection of dancing blue ethereal flames which flickered towards the Lucario. Unfortunately the Lucario managed to avoid them once more.

Nemona made a move to try and use Dancing Sword and Cassandra moved to cut her off at the pass.

"Taunt" She ordered, with Hunter promptly letting out a mocking purr towards the Lucario, staring down at his inferior. It appeared to work as the Lucario was properly enraged.

No more power-ups, no more enduring, no more dodges, Cassandra was finishing things now, this was checkmate.

"Earthquake!" Nemona suddenly cried out. Cassandra outwardly kept cool as Pyroar leapt into the air to avoid the shockwave. Apparently they'd both forgotten the Lucario had that move. Hunter let out a pained yowl as he landed atop some of the spikes scattered earlier.

An aura sphere promptly shot out towards Pyroar. Cassandra immediately ordered Hunter to intercept the move with his own flamethrower. She was not going to lose this! She was still in control.

"Extreme speed!" Nemona followed up and the Lucario blitzed right into Hunter's space. The blow itself wasn't all that damaging but the problem was that now Hunter had to turn to get at Lucario. As a Pyroar all of Hunter's most powerful moves were launched from his mouth. With the Lucario standing to the side, Hunter wasn't able to leverage his most powerful attacks.

Cassandra wasn't going to be caught out like that by any fighting type moves, she wasn't going to give Nemona the chance to ruin everything again.

"Dig and get out of there!" Cassandra ordered. Hunter quickly disappeared under the ground, having learned to rapidly dig in order to escape close ranged pursuers. Cassandra knew that Nemona wouldn't be able to hit Hunter with any fighting type attacks.

"Alright then, earthquake" Nemona ordered, seemingly pivoting plans. Cassandra felt rage. How could she have forgotten about earthquake? Now that Hunter was underground, he could no longer dodge it and he'd take extra damage. Somehow some way Nemona had managed to get Cassandra to make a mistake.

Her poor Pyroar was promptly pushed out of the earth and sent flying through the air, his fur matted with dirt. Once more he was hurt by the spikes and stealth rocks the stupid little pebble Cassandra had outmaneuvered had set up. Cassandra wasn't going to let this go. Nemona wanted to play the game of undodgeable attacks? Cassandra would give her an undodgeable attack.

"Burn it all down!" Cassandra cried out. "Full power!"

Hunter knew the command and promptly launched a ball of fire up into the air. Nemona seemed confused as to the move. This was the advantage of using more obtuse commands instead of conventional attack names, trainers who were used to familiar cues would get thrown off. Cassandra had hidden that she'd ordered a sunny day to be used first.

Unfortunately for Cassandra, Nemona was also good enough that the momentary confusion didn't slow her down much as the Lucario continued to race in. There was no commitment to extreme speed but Cassandra knew she and Hunter were running out of time.

Hunter managed to leap into the air just in time to avoid a drain punch from the oncoming Lucario. This was it. Cassandra figured, now the Lucario was finished. Cassandra couldn't help but giggle a little bit, giddy from how she'd still managed to overcome Nemona after everything that the other girl had pulled out. Mega-evolution, a Lucario that wouldn't go down, and Cassandra making mistakes like forgetting about earthquake and it still wasn't enough. Cassandra was going to win!

Hunter launched a blisteringly hot overheat attack at full power right down into the arena they were fighting in. It had taken Hunter months of specialized training but these full powered wide range overheats should be completely unavoidable from the angle he'd jumped at. Lucario was as good as gone.

Cassandra smirked as the massive attack hit the ground and the barrier flickered to life as flames washed against it. Everything burned and Cassandra had come out victorious.

The fire slowly cleared and Cassandra was ready to let Nemona know of the futility of continuing to fight when she saw that the Lucario was some how still standing. Hunter was winded the massive overheat had a side effect of completely exhausting him. He was a sitting duck. Cassandra did her best to hide her horror as Nemona ordered a drain punch and the Lucario promptly knocked out her Pyroar.

Cassandra bitterly returned Hunter to his luxury ball.

"You should have won, you did everything right" Cassandra whispered, unwilling to let the other girl hear her moment of weakness "I messed up and I'm sorry you ended up losing because of my mistakes"

Cassandra didn't dwell on her frustration for long. She considered how the Lucario could have survived that last attack. She wracked her brains for a few seconds before coming up with an answer. The Lucario must have shaken off the taunt from earlier and been able to endure. It was irritating but at least it meant Cassandra could bring it down if she just blitzed the Lucario. She was still going to come out on top, she just had to not make any more mistakes.

"You doing okay over there?" Nemona asked, seemingly out of kindness considering Cassandra had taken a while to pick her next pokemon.

"I'm perfectly fine" Cassandra said as she imagined landing a fist right in the middle of Nemona's stupid face. She wasn't going to let the girl with the green fringe ruin this for her or get into her head. "I just was contemplating my next move"

Cassandra knew what had to be done.

"Ravager, come on out!" Cassandra called as she tossed out her next pokeball. The luxury ball activated and her red Scizor emerged, almost completely ignoring the various rocks and spikes she landd on. As Ravager's wings beat and she rose above the ground, her carapace gleamed in the mid-day sun like bright red battle armor. She looked more than ready to fight while the Lucario looked tired and worn down. Cassandra was still in control.

"I'll make use of my last switch then." Nemona stated as she returned the Lucario back to its ball. "You're up Nightwing!"

Nemona's Gliscor popped out of the ball and soon happily flitted about. Fine then, this was still within what Cassandra had expected of the match. She was going to win this. She'd planned on using Drakul to crush the ground type but she was confident that Ravager could wreak some havoc first. All of the research she'd done showed that the Gliscor didn't have a fire type move beside fire fang and if she played things carefully that would never be a threat. This was still Cassandra's battle to win.

Cassandra prepared herself as the battle began in earnest once more.

"Vacuum Wave!" Cassandra commanded. She would've preferred opening with a harder hitting move but at least now she could see if Nemona had a way to retaliate at range. Ravager promptly snapped her claws shut at a massive speed, leading to a blast of pressurized air flying towards the bat-like pokemon

"Tailwind!" Nemona fired back. That was enough to seal in Cassandra's mind that Nemona's Gliscor didn't have a ranged option to deal with long ranged attacks, save perhaps for earthquake, whose viability as a response had been nullified through Ravager's flight. That meant that she didn't need to bother with using struggle bug to weaken that option into nonexistence. She could begin the beatdown now.

Of course the tailwind likely was an attempt to increase the Gliscor's speed to enable it to close the distance, but Cassandra already had an answer prepped for that.

"Tailwind in return" Cassandra answered. A turbulent wind picked up and Cassandra saw the spikes and stones the Carbink had set up earlier rescatter across the field. Ravager seemed unaffected so she paid them no further mind, she had a fight to win and time spent second guessing herself would cost her in the long run. Now though the speed was equalized which meant that Nemona's Gliscor wouldn't be able to rely on raw speed to close the distance.

"Air cutter barrage!" Cassandra continued. Arguably swift might've been the more optimal attack, due to its homing properties, but Cassandra preferred the increased likelihood of hitting a weakpoint for extra damage that air cutter brought to the table.

Ravager seemed to enjoy using her wings to shape crescents of violent wind to fling into the Gliscor. The large scorpion-bat was getting hit every so often but the damage wasn't all that impressive. Cassandra was relying on a lucky strike and sooner or later Cassandra would get it if things stayed the same.

"Quick attack!" Nemona called out, clearly hoping to use the speed of the attack to catch Cassandra off-guard and allow for the fight to be shifted into close quarters. Cassandra was well aware that Nemona had at least three pokemon with moves that involved incredible amounts of speed in a short burst, the Lucario, the Gliscor, and her strange Zoroark. Three was a large enough number that Nemona was going to use one of those techniques eventually. As such Ravager had been trained to use quick guard, an attack designed to specifically block those techniques, automatically without any input from Cassandra.

Cassandra smiled as the Gliscor bounced off the brief energy shield Ravager had formed.

"Bullet repositioning into head grip" Cassandra promptly announced as Ravager moved to executed the command.

Her Scizor promptly used bullet punch, not to strike the Gliscor, but instead to reposition behind it. From there Ravager could promptly used her claws to grip the Gliscor's head, keeping it so that it couldn't turn and land any bite based attacks.

"Bring it down" Cassandra commanded as Ravager moved to pin the Gliscor against the earth to limit the space it could use to struggle.. She would've preferred having Ravager fire flash cannons at the back of the Gliscor's head, but she couldn't afford to have Ravager's grip weaken and give the Gliscor the chance to break loose as the other pokemon was wrestled to the ground slowly but surely. For now the ball was in her court so Cassandra figured she could afford to engage in some taunting, to try and distract Nemona and prevent her from calling out useful command.

"Seem familiar?" Cassandra mocked as Ravager seemed to solidly get the upper hand "The last time you had a pokemon in this position you had to recall it, give up now and save us both some time and suffering"

Nemona seemed unphased by the trash talk and merely quipped back.

"I think you're going to regret making comparison's too quickly" the other girl singsonged as Ravager finally pinned the Gliscor to the ground. What was different? What had Cassandra missed? She couldn't afford to make mistakes, so what had Cassandra not seen that Nemona seemed to have observed. Cassandra's eyes quickly swept back to the fight.

"Let loose an earthquake!" Nemona commanded right as she realized what was happening. The Gliscor hadn't been panicking the entire time. It hadn't had a fun time getting pinned as it was, but now that Ravager was touching the ground to pin it in place, Ravager could no longer dodge the Gliscor's earthquake attacks. In a way Nemona had turned Cassandra's pin into a double edged sword, as if Cassandra sought to maintain it, the fight would turn into a battle or endurance. While Ravager was strong, she couldn't heal over time like the Gliscor could and Ravager's best attacks were physical attacks that couldn't be pulled off easily while pining the Gliscor in place. Cassandra grimaced.

She ordered Ravager to enter into the air, weakening the pin but once more allowing Ravager to avoid the opposing Gliscor's earthquake attacks. Cassandra hoped this would be enough

"Breaking swipe, from the tail!" Nemona promptly cried out, finding a clear cut weakness in the current pin. Ravager didn't have the room to fully lock down the Gliscor and it showed as the move promptly connected, once, twice and then thrice. Ravager's grip slackened and the Gliscor resumed thrashing, slowly breaking loose of Ravager's grip. The fight would be over for Cassandra. She didn't want to deal with any potential fire fangs from this close up and Ravager's weakened attack meant she likely wouldn't deal much meaningful damage if this did turn in to a slugfest. She could try and gain range again but that was unlikely to work when the distance had already been closed. Cassandra needed to retreat.

"U-turn, you've done your job" Cassandra ordered. Ravager appeared displeased by the order but did as Cassandra bid, unleashing the bug type attack and promptly returning to her ball. U-turn was a fairly unique move in that it more or less allowed a pokemon to switch out of the field and back into its ball without counting as an official switch in these sorts of regulation matches. This meant that Cassandra still had one switch left while Nemona had none. It also meant that Cassandra could afford to have Ravager soften up her opponent and then retreat as Cassandra sent out her intended counter.

The Gliscor annoyingly enough seemed to have not taken too much damage but that was fine. Now Cassandra had the fight she wanted. Drakul would utterly and entirely crush the other pokemon and Cassandra would finally be able to offset her mistakes and make it so that Nemona needed to keep up with her rhythm. Not wanting to give the Gliscor any more time to heal, Cassandra promptly tossed out her next ball and in a burst of white light, Drakul emerged out from her Luxury ball.

Drakul was a Gyarados but she wasn't just any Gyarados. She was the biggest, meanest most aggressive Gyarados money could buy. Cassandra was fairly certain if she'd been bought as a Gyarados, and not as a Magikarp, Drakul would've never followed Cassandra's orders. As it was it had still taken Drakul longer than Cassandra had liked to realize that Cassandra was still in charge. Still the obedience issues had been worked out and now Cassandra's big danger noodle knew who the boss was.

Drakul also knew that as the boss following Cassandra's orders was the key to victory. There was a plan in place for this Gliscor and they were going to execute it perfectly. Drakul let out a massive roar as Cassandra contemplated the sheer size disparity between the two of them. Drakul could fairly easily swallow Nemona's Gliscor whole.

If the other girl was intimidated by this at all she showed no signs of it. The black and green haired girl seemed to still be grinning at some mistake that Cassandra hadn't noticed yet. That pissed Cassandra off.

Just what did she notice that made her think she could win such a lopsided match-up? Cassandra let the glower on her face fester. She'd wipe that stupid smirk off the Glitterati's face. Cassandra Luthor didn't lose! Especially not to two-bit, plan ruining, mega-evolution hiding, spoiled little princesses who looked at her like a Mandibuzz eyeing its next meal.

"Crush them into paste!" Cassandra screamed, forgetting entirely about decorum for a short while and just giving into instinct. The earth rumbled as Drakul roared in response and yet Nemona stood unflinching.

Cassandra Luthor didn't lose!
 
Interlude XIII - PTO New
Thank you to my 45 Beginner Tier Patreons and an extra special thanks to RageLord and Nodal_Gravity, my Ace Tier Patreons!

■​

Welcome to the Pokemon Trainres Online message boards.
You are currently logged in, Nemona_Glitterati
You are viewing:
• Threads you have replied to
• AND Threads that have new replies
• OR private message conversations with new replies
• Thread OP is displayed.
• Ten posts per page
• Last ten messages in private message history.
• Threads and private messages are ordered chronologically.

■​

♦ Topic: Nemona Glitterati
In: Boards ► Up and Coming Trainers in Paldea
Dragonmyfeet
(Original Poster)
Posted On Feb 7th 2016:
So, everyone knows that the Treasure Hunt is the start of the new Gym Circuit season, but not everyone gets the memo. Mostly it's just old folks, random off-season tourists and the like who bother trying their hands at the Gyms before then. Never tend to get that far or make much of a splash, often ending before the season really begins.

Still, this new girl might be looking to change that. We aren't too far off from the Treasure Hunt and she just wiped the floor with Katy. Nemona is also posting musical videos accompanied by her best battle moments, so we get a chance to see what she's like before the official full match videos come out.

So, what do people think? She's young, but personally, I think she's got some talent.

EDIT: By popular demand, here's a list of her full team with a bit of a write-up on what each one is like:

'Dun' Dudunsparce with three segments, her Ace and crazy hard to put down

'Nightwing' Gligar. She's got Poison Heal and almost always carries a Toxic Orb to Poison herself

'Athena' Lucario capable of Mega Evolving. Really strong and skilled with some unusual techniques

'Phantasm' a Hisuian(?) Zoroark. Can make illusions like a regular Zoro, but has a different typing, probably Normal/Ghost

'Miles' Rotom with a variety of forms, some of which haven't been released on the market yet

'Notch' Carbink with a slight notch on one ear… Yeah

'Bahamut' Shiny(!) Haxorus, the newest Pokemon on her team



(Showing page 1 of 151)


►BadBisharp
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
She's actually Cyan's little sister, and we all know how well that girl tore up the challenge last year.

►SinnohSurvive
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
Wait, you can challenge the Gym Leaders at any point in the year? Yet Paldea still has the lowest number of Ace Trainers out of any region, lol.

►GoodraFan
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
Oh, shut up! Look at how many Champions we have, the most out of any region. You haven't had anyone clear the Elite Four since Cynthia.

►SinnohSurvive
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
If you need to compare our Aces to your Champions, it's pretty clear who the real winner is :smugShuckleemoji:

►LightItUp20
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
Wow, thread derail three posts in, great job. Why don't you two cool it if you don't have something to say on topic?

As for the girl herself, I want to reserve judgement. Yeah, Cyan did good last year, but that doesn't mean we can expect her little sister to do the same. Plus, she's only like 8, right?

►ZingZapZow
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
If you call losing to Tyme almost three times 'good.'

EDIT: Look, i'm sorry, I just get tired of hearing her fans online shill her. She's not bad, just alright. I'll stick with reserving judgement on Nemona though

►Dynamix (Temp Banned)
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
Have any of ya'll seen teh videos she's dropped? forget about the battles those tracks are dope

►Waylon (Old Timer)
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
I've seen the clips and they look good but... well she's posting them herself and they don't show the full battle. Are we sure she isn't editing them to make her look better than she is?

►Sh3ppard
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
Can't believe how overhyped she is. A dunsparce, really? I turned off the vid as soon as I saw that.

►Bigleafenergy
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
Then why are you commenting here? That Dunsparce did great. And her Carbink looked so cute!

►NoManIsAnOrangeIsland
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
@Bigleafenergy Not just cute, that thing was killer! Did you see the way it snapped her Ursaring's arm like a twig?! How is this the first time I'm seeing that Pokemon?

►MurderOfChivalry
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
That's a Dudunsparce, and she has another on her team. I've fought her starter twice, and there's no way that guy would have been as weak as the videos shown. Not sure why she's playing mind games by naming them the same thing.

Edit: Plus, it's a ghost Tera Type. The real Dun is Normal Tera Type.

►Atticus_Roads (Verified Blueberry Academy Student)
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
I agree, Dun did better against me in the Junior Tournament a few years ago, though this Dudunsparce does seem unusually adept at dodging... There's something fishy going on there, but her skills aren't something I'd call to account.

@NoManIsAnOrangeIsland A couple of reasons why you haven't seen it before. For one, they are quite rare. Maybe not on the level of a Larvesta or Kommo-o, but still, quite rare. Secondly, they aren't super great battling Pokemon

No, seriously. They're super tanky, sure, but they can barely deal damage. Better than say a Shuckle, but lacking ways to boost their offense or enough tricks to make them good set up. The reason why you don't hear about them more often is that most tanky Pokemon just aren't appreciated by new Trainers who are more focused on big offense.

The Typing is the final nail in the coffin. Rock/Fairy isn't bad, but a defensive Pokemon with a double weakness to any type is one that won't last long above mid-level battle

►Lost_Girlz
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
Wait, you two both fought her- no. way. MurderOfChivalry are you that cheater, Freddrick von Grough? She beat you twice?! When was the second time? You can't even battle Haha lol.

►MurderOfChivalry
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
Whatever. I just can't battle in official League sanctioned matches for a few years. Doesn't mean Corvi and I have quit our training. We'll be back then and beat everyone, even her.

►GoodraFan
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
@Atticus_Roads Wait, then how did Notch hurt that Ursaring so badly then if they aren't strong?

►Atticus_Roads (Verified Blueberry Academy Student)
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
@GooFan I believe that must have been Body Press. It's an unusual Move that uses how physically tough you are to hurt the foe, not your offense. It's a fun trick, but anyone worth their salt will just see it coming and weaken your defense (leaving you both more open and less powerful) or use a Type that resists Fighting Type attacks. I don't expect we'll see much more of that Pokemon. She'll probably toss them and put something better on her team once it loses.

►GurdurrMyLoins
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
I've actually been a long time fan of Nemona's. She hasn't done much since that Junior Tournament a few years back, but there's a vid that circulated of her fighting Clay in Unova, let me see if I can find it.

Edit: Here it is link

►MrMilotic
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
My word, that's quite the fearsome battle. And this was two years ago?

►Jasminetea43
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
I've been looking at what her family (not Nemona herself, the girl isn't too active here aside from impassioned speeches on Pokemon Rights) posted, and even if it was cut to make her look better, that must have been tough. Katy used at least five Pokemon

►Farmsted54 (Olive Rolling Champion)
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
I was there for her Gym Trial, then followed some of the other Cortonadians to watch Katy wallop this cocky girl. Didn't think I'd need to film it, and boy am I kicking myself now. The pastries she made might only be alright, but she's a crazy battler!

She was doing so many tricks I could barely even keep up! And by the end, she just swept right through the second half of Katy's team. I know she's a new leader, but Katy's been good. Honestly, a lot of us thought she was too tough on new Trainers, but well think twice now

►adriontompkins
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
Let's not go singing her praises too early. She did well in the junior tourney but that was years ago, and there was some controversy over her Tera Orb. We'll see how far she makes it this time

►CountryGal27
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
Let's sing a little more! I want to hear her voice beat it out.

Edit: Holy Karp, she's got a whole album already?! I gotta get that

►ProletariatPatriot (Banned)
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
Ah, another rich person using their money to make more money. Can't you Wooloos see what she's pulling here? She just bought that team with her parents money, she's nothing special. And this is all just some publicity stunt for her album (and I saw that list; half the songs have other artists doing the work for her. Just shows how unfair things are for us poor folk

►IceShredder
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
Seriously? Did you read nothing from befre? Of course not, expect you didn't listen to the album either. She's clearly been a Trainer for a while and working on it

►ProletariatPatriot (Banned)
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
Still doesn't excuse her getting those rare Pokemon. You wouldn't see the rest of us walking around Paldea with the crystal rock thing or a Gliscor

►Dynamix (Temp Banned)
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
I listened to it, and the album has some good songs on it. Even with others helping, her voice is heard throughout all of it

►NEOPower
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
You talking about her Carbink? Yeah, it's rare, but not that uncommon. Not tat strong usually either, just really tough. And Gligars are a dime a dozen, Razor Fang not that expensive.

►Hater4Lyfe
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
Maybe they're common where you're from, but I've never seen a Gligar irl in Paldea. That being said, well, even I have trouble believing that she's just 'buying' a strong team. I mean, her starter is a Dunsparce.

EDIT: No shade, he was pretty strong back three years ago nad is strong now, but it's not what you expect when you think of someone buying a tough team.

►Havin'AKarablast
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
That's true. A Dudunsparce, Rotom (from her match against Clay), a Carbink, and a Gliscor (plus maybe another Dudunsparce?) Those are all decently tough Pokemon, but it's not like a team of fairys led by a Galarian Rapidash like you think of rich little girls getting… or the team full of Dragons you'd expect a battle maniac kid to get

►BrawnyBookworm
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
@Farmsted54 I think you'e forgetting just how vicious Nimona was. Like, she's tough but also scary! Katy was begging her to let her Heracross leave the sand tomb, someone coulda got seriously hurt.

►shiftgear
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
Ok, lot to deal with, little to go off of. Lat's see how well she does next time around - and hopefully someone will record the whole thing this time

►SinnohSurvive
Replied On Feb 7th 2016:
If there's a next time*

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 ... 149, 150, 151


(Showing page 17 of 151)


►GurdurrMyLoins
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
@SinnohSurvivor Wow, only a week to be proven wrong, we didn't even have time for the thread to give us the warning box about posting. That's gotta be some kind of record, to win two badges so fast

►SinnohSurvive
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
It was at least ten days! And besides, the match ain't over yet, we're still streaming.

►GurdurrMyLoins
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
10 days? Is that really the hill you want to die on? If so, feel free to join Oberon there

►FairyFury6
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
As if! Oberon will never lose! Just wait and see, he always turns it around

►CrossHera
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
Annnnd it's over. Nemona's breaking all sorts of records in how fast she prove people wrong, haha.

►MrMilotic
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
Even Kingambit couldn't beat that Dudunsparce, damn. I can definitely believe it when people say that other Dudunsparce wasn't her starter after seeing that thing fight. Like, holy miltank, that's insane. Did anyone know that the Dunsparce liine could be this tough?

►IceShredder
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
@MrMilotic Nemona, apparently

►MrMilotic
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
Touche

►Superpower8 (Verified Eight Gym Badges)
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
Sorry, I know the Dunsparce is great and all, but did you SEE THAT FREAKING RIOLU?!? I never knew you could get a Riolu that strong without them evolving

►ProletariatPatriot (Banned)
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
Yet another sign of the Glitterati family corruption. If she had properly raised that Riolu it should have been a Lucario by now. Clearly she bought it off some rich breeder and had someone else train it up for her, all because she wanted a 'cool' Pokemon. Well, sucks to be her

►DakraiestNight (Moderator)
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
Those insinuations are getting close to a personal attack, have a warning and a temp thread ban.

puts mod voice away I do have to say that this looked fun, though I'm not as big a fan of her taunts. Did she really have to needle Oberon so?*

►JuliaFiere
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
It's probably just kayfabe, putting on a show. Oberon does the same thing. Honestly, I'm all for having a popular Heel in Paldea

►Galile (Banned)
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
Wow, poor showing from Oberon, I expected better from him. Thought he was the last of the real Gym Leaders left after all these women (and Brassius) showed up and snapped up the new spots. I don't expect much from the new girls, except maybe Grusha, and the rest are just old washed up has beens… and Larry :/

►HelenaJ
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
Hate to agree with the asshole above but Oberon has kinda fallen off, hasn't he? Not too many challenges last year, and he got smoked here. His ace couldn't even win after her ace had been tired out fighting 3 of his other Pokemon!

►Gurumin
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
I think that's more a sign of how strong Nemona is, rather than a weakness on the Gym Leader's behalf

►KarmaKecleon
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
@JuliaFiere A nine year old heel? Wow, scraping the bottom of the barrel. Guess that's what you get in Paldea, though.

►IceShredder
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
@Galile You- you know Grusha's a guy, right?

►Galile (Banned)
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
What? No way. Ugh I feel uncomfortable. What is that sick-

Rest of rant cut off. Banned: Off topic and general signs of offensive attitude here and on other threads

►GurdurrMyLoins
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
I think this means we now have a full lineup of her team? Dun (Dudunsparce), Miles (Rotom), Riolu (obvious), Notch (Carbink), Nightwing (Gliscor), and… second Dun? (Dudunsparce? Assuming she doesn't have some way to change Dun's tera Type and didn't have him throw the match against Katy).

All in all, that looks like a pretty solid team. There's not really any good answers or Types that shut down the majority of her team, and any weakness by one or two of them is usually covered by one or two others. Miles seems like the lynchpin, despite how little we've seen of them. Assuming they have all the different Forms available (a fair assumption I think given everything else), Miles has good coverage to fill in against any gym.

►OrdeliaVonFerrem
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
*Inserts meme image:

Man asking 'show me Dun!'

Picture of Dun, met by man going 'No, the REAL Dun'

Identical picture of Dun. Man going 'Perfection'*

►JuliaFiere
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
@KarmaKecleon: Seriously? Why are you even on this board? And do you want a ban too?

►KarmaKecleon
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
I was born in Paldea, so I do like to check int here. And like, on a global scale, Paldean Trainers do tend to underperform (that's just the statistics don't @ me!) But fine, I guess I was being too harsh. I still think it's weird, but Nemona is pretty strong, so maybe she'll prove to be the exception? I could see her going places in a few years.

►NEOPower
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
Eh, maaaaaybe. Still feels too early to count for me; it's easy to have a strong initial showing but not be that good overall. These were the Gyms that had the least time to prepare for her.

►Sh3ppard
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
Yeah, just like having a more skilled family member doesn't make her as strong

►Cyan_Glitterati (Verified Uva Academy Student) (Verified Eight Gym Badges)
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
@Sh3ppard 'As strong' as me? Hahaha

Edit: Oh, you're serious. Allow me to laugh harder hahahahahahah-

►Sh3ppard
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
What, don't believe in your little sister? How many badges do you think she'll get?

►HohmaScoop
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
I talked to her during her sister's first Gym match, and she seemed pretty sharp. Knew tons about the Pokemon battling

►Cyan_Glitterati (Verified Uva Academy Student) (Verified Eight Gym Badges)
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
To clarify (and stop people spamming my DMs) - My sister refuses to go easy on me. Has some stupid philosophy about it, stating how 'by never holding back, it means that every step closer you get is clear and obvious proof of your growth' or whatever.

Anyways, that's just to help you know why I have never beaten my sister in a fight. Not even right after I beat Tyme, my eight Gym Leader, and right before she started her journey. She's the one who got me into training and helped me learn how to be a trainer. Her training regiment was… tough, but it made me a lot stronger, strong enough to win eight badges. But as tough as she was on me, she's twice as tough on herself.

►Jangmore-o
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
Damn.

►Laylalala (Verified Uva Academy Student)
Replied On Feb 17th 2016:
Ugh, I wish everyone would stop fawning over her. You're only talking about her because it's not treasure hunt time yet. Soon there'll be tones of flashy new trainers on the scene

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 ... 149, 150, 151


(Showing page 54 of 151)


►PewterPowerPack
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
Looking at these vids, again and she seems crazy strong. Most of her victories are against large teams (except that tie in a one vs. one against Iono), and she appears to only use like half her team (and a third here). Are Gym Leaders there just so weak, or is that she's some crazy prodigy I need to bet all my life's savings on at Gambling.com?

►Dragyourpult
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
@PewterPowerPack I assume you're joking, but don't endorse gambling like that or you'll get the mods down on your head (especially since we're talking about a Paldean Trainer and they have strict rules on that sorta stuff).

As for how strong she is, well I might have an explanation for that. And I hate to bring up the tired point of 'buying her way to victory.' but… did you see the items her Pokemon had? Toxic Orbs, Clear Amulet, Expert Belt? Think her Rotom had a Life Orb too. Those are expensive items to be using and could be giving her a serious leg up in these fights.

►MrMilotic
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
Besides, you don't want to gamble on the matches; if you're looking to make it big, buy in stocks from her parent's corporations before a big match

►Jangmore-o
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
Huh? I get she's their daughter but how does her winning a Pokemon battle affect the stocks of a realty and phone company? Even if she counts as like, endorsing them, you don't see huge market fluctuations from anyone Leon endorses when he wins, right?

►MimiGimmieGhoul
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
@Dragyourpult: So? Gym Leaders can use items too.

►GurdurrMyLoins
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
Battle Items which, to be clear, can only be used at 6 Badge Challenges or higher. So we're all agreed now that she is in fact facing on tougher challenges?

►BenjaminBurton
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
@GurdurrMyLoins Yeah mate, think we all agreed on that when we saw her whoop Oberon's Ace Kingambit. No one's even brought that up since her Brassius fight anymore.

►FairyFury6
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
She didn't whoop him! Oberon just took it easy on her or something! She barely won!

►MrMilotic
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
The difference there is in who Nemona is. She's not just a sponsored trainer, she's their daughter. She has huge personal connections to her parents and their companies (which will be hers some day). Each win is people measuring up how likely it is she'll be a Champion Ranked trainer in the future. It's important because that's the kind of power that lets her influence things to get more tax breaks, government contracts, etc. for her companies when she grows up.

Mod Interrupt: This is getting close to crossing a few lines, the least of which is being off topic of Nemona's role as a Trainer. Drop it.

►WinGulliver's Travels (Pokemarket Clerk)
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
@MimiGimmieGhoul It's not that simple. Gym Leaders have huge teams to meet all sorts of challengers. There's tons of land, buildings, training, stabling, and feeding costs already involved in the Gym program. Getting them spend a bunch every year on Battle Items, including some of the top end ones? For dozens of Pokemon per Gym? No way, not gonna happen.

►Dragyourpult
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
Wait, Battle Items don't go bad (excpet Berries). Why can't they just give it as a one time thing?

►WinGulliver's Travels (Pokemarket Clerk)
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
@Dragyourpult That's a common misconception. While there are several Battle Items that are durable, few can withstand the rigors of continued battling - training is harsh in a way that really only Pokemon can endure.

Have you ever tried to fit a Steelix with an Assault Vest? I have. It was a huge hassle, took the better part of the month to get that Ace Trainer hooked up. And at the end of the season? She came right back with the tattered remains and asked for a new one (as well as demanding it be covered by her insurance, which it wasn't, and that was a very unpleasant conversation to have while her Steelix loomed over us).

►MimiGimmieGhoul
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
Couldn't you just give them all berries? Iono did that and she managed to tie with Nemona when no one else did!

►WinGulliver's Travels (Pokemarket Clerk)
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
Some are, in some regions, sure. Honestly, slapping a Sitrus Berry on all 6h Badge and above Gym Pokemon could work but… well, as I heard one Elite say 'Sitrus Berries are what you give a Pokemon when you have no idea what else to do with them.' The advantage would still be with the challenger, who (if they have enough money) can tailor their items to perfectly match their team

And that's why I hope no one says she's a bad Trainer for using items. I've seen dirt poor Trainers that could barely scrape together enough Pokedollars for a Pokeball plan out team compositions brilliantly, and billionaires that wouldn't know the right end of an Antidote without having it explicitly shown to them (seriously). And vice versa.

►Slacking & Weezing G-A-S-S-I-N-G (Double Battle Ace)
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
And from what we've seen, I'd say she uses her items well. Expert Belt to help Riolu punch up against the Fairys, Clear Amulet on Dun shut down tons of Oberon's strategies… And if you watch the Iono clip, you'll see her Gliscor getting poisoned and healing from it as the fight goes one (plus using the Toxic Orb afterwards to Poison her foes is a nice touch).

You might not like that she has a bunch of money to spend on her team, but that doesn't make her a bad trainer just because she does so.

►ProletariatPatriot (Banned)
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
Pshaw. Stop trying to justify her Tauroshit. She has all the money to get the rarest Pokemon and best items. How is this fair to other trainers? How's the little guy supposed to compete against that huh?

User has been banned from thread and given a temp ban from the site. Keep the discussion on topic, if you have a complaint about the regulations, post them in a different category

►JadenVocalizer
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
Wait, Gliscors can heal from being Poisoned? I'd never heard that befre

►Cyan_Glitterati (Verified Uva Academy Student) (Verified Eight Gym Badges)
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
I think my sis called it their 'hidden ability'. And before any other jerkwad accuses her of 'buying' the best Ability, they had to train hard for it! Nightwing for a year with Toxic Orbs and a mountain of Antidotes before she could master it.

►MrMilotic
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
@Cyan_Glitterati: That's a nice try, but the fact that she has access to all those resource for training does kinda show she has a leg up on other Trainers. Not saying that she didn't work hard; she clearly has! But she gets some stuff that the rest of us don't.

Though hey, while I have you here, mind telling us how she got that Zoroark variant? My daughter has been begging me to get one just like it, and I haven't been able to find anything.

►Laylalala (Verified Uva Academy Student)
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
She'll get shown up soon enough, just you wait. Iono only gave her that badge out of pity probably.

►Cyan_Glitterati (Verified Uva Academy Student) (Verified Eight Gym Badges)
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
Beats me. That's the one Pokemon I don't know how she got. She met Dun on the beach one day, Miles was her Rotom Phone for a while, Nightwing and Notch she met on our trip to Kitikami, and Athena was Dun's sparring partner in the wild for a few years before joining the team. But Phantasm? No clue. She just disappears after having a bit of a meltdown (on her birthday), then comes back with a weird looking Zorua. I've asked her a dozen times, but she won't say anything

►NoManIsAnOrangeIsland
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
@Cyan_Glitterati: Do you think that means there are some of those Hisuian Zoruas nearby where you live then?

►Cyan_Glitterati (Verified Uva Academy Student) (Verified Eight Gym Badges)
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
No, she had a friend's Pokemon teleport her somewhere first. And I asked him, and she said she ran miles away from wherever they teleported too and she never told him either. Its so weird

►GulperConscience (sock puppet) (Banned)
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
Of course you won't say anything - this is how the top 1% oppress us! By hoarding secrets and power. I bet within a few years the Glitteratis open up their 'exclusive' Hisuian Zorua ranch-

Following rant cut off by mod. Not the place for political discourse, have a permanent ban, for this sock puppet account and your original account ProletariatPatriot

►Superpower8 (Verified Eight Gym Badges)
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
Athena? Is that a new Pokemon?

►Cyan_Glitterati (Verified Uva Academy Student) (Verified Eight Gym Badges)
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
No, that's not her new Pokemon, it's just the name her Lucario took for herself.

EDIT: Whoops. Also, I don't know. Nemona has her own plans but she can alter and shift them on the fly. Last I heard was that she's going to battle Grusha 'soon.'

►Superpower8 (Verified Eight Gym Badges)
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
Her Riolu evolved?!? And such a cool name too!

►HohmaScoop
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
Is she going to be fighting another Gym in the near future or are we looking at another month long wait? Like, no offense, but she blitz through 3 Gyms, then takes a month long break, fights Iono and has been gone for another couple of weeks

►HohmaScoop
Replied On Mar 24th 2016:
New video dropped right after I posted that! And it's against Grusha!!

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 ... 149, 150, 151


(Showing page 102 of 151)


►HailOverSnow
Replied On May 2nd 2016:
So, anyone else find Nemona to be… kinda weird?

►ZingZapZow
Replied On May 2nd 2016:
Ohmyarceus YES!

Edit: Look, I'm not 'disrespecting' her or whatever, but she's weird

►IceShredder
Replied On May 2nd 2016:
This disrespect is getting really old. She's one of Paldea's top trainers and I'm sick of the slander against her.

►BenjaminBurton
Replied On May 2nd 2016:
Okay, maybe we could be more constructive here everyone? On both sides. With that being said, I think we can all admit, it's unusual how well she's done, how she strategizes. I've seen plenty of kids nearly twice her age still spamming out attacks with barely a thought for how effective they are

Edit: Yeah, I call eighteen year olds 'kids'. Your all whippersnappers to me!

►Windinmyhair
Replied On May 2nd 2016:
Yeah, gotta agree with all of this. And I've met her in person and honestly, when you get past that 'arrogant/cocky challenger' vibe you see from her gym performances she's even weirder

►IceShredder
Replied On May 2nd 2016:
Seriously? Tell us more. What is she like outside of Gym Battles? She doesn't post here or do much in cities, always off training in the wilderness for weeks or even montsh with no word

►Windinmyhair
Replied On May 2nd 2016:
Alright, so I'm doing my standard deliveries, winding down for the day, when I see her out nearby Alfornada. She doesn't seem to busy training her weird Zoroark so I approach. The Zoroark growls a bit, but nemona calms them down and I introduce myself

Anyways, I challenged her to a battle (sue me, I wanted to see how I stacked up against a famous trainer). She looks me over for a moment, and I swer it was like she was peering into my soul for a moment. But then it's over and she's all smiling and says 'sure'.

So we battle, and yeah, I'm pretty proud of my Cyclizar, but she thrashes me good. Afterwards I make a comment wondering about how I could improve. She responds, going on a long list of what I could do to make Cyclizar both stronger and work better with the rest of my team (didn't even know they had a Hidden Ability or how I could use that with Shed Tail before). It's a bit blunt, buit she's not rude or anything, so I thank her for it and decide to talk with her some more.

It was weird. It felt like talking to an adult in a kid's body most of the time. She chatted about Sinnoh's new inland fishing regulations and if that would affect trade here, I barely heard about that on the news! Let alone question how that might affect old clans Sinnoh had and ancestral rights to those waters or the like. I mostly 'hmm'd' and nod along politely if I brought up kids shows or games. Like, she knew enough about them, could mention some by name, but she didn't get… excited. Not like kids do. She was guarded in a way that kids don't really get, and it got worse the more I picked up on it, like she was reading my uncomfortableness (and I was trying not to show it at all; i've got a good customer service face for tips!).

Before we parted ways I asked about how lonely it was to travel on her own and Nemona looked confused. I asked further if she had anyone she traveled with anyone else and she just laughed and said she 'had eight friends with her at all times'. When I clarified if she traveled with humans and pointed out how it was different she just… stared at me before mumbling something about chatting with some friends online before leaving.

I dunno. Shes great at battles for sure, but she doesn't feel right you know?

►Beafangurl
Replied On May 2nd 2016:
Now that you mention it, gotta agree. Like, she doesn't show up in public a lot, but you remember that interview she had with Iono? Gril was painfully rigid, and aggressive sure, but also just a little too bright. And what was her deal with anti poacher stuff? All kinda old timey. Are we sure she's not a psychic that took over a little girl's body?

►Jangmore-o
Replied On May 2nd 2016:
@Windinmyhair: I'm sorry eight Pokemon?! Can we go back to that??

►SirSchmoopy
Replied On May 2nd 2016:
Eh, par for the course with Glitterati's, honestly. I met her parents at a dinner party, and while they weren't overly serious or anything like that they were over the top to say the least. But as ridiculous as their antics could be, somehow in that time as half the party was dissing them behind their backs, O'Nare scored three new development deals and Billy poached a top engineer to his company. So yeah, they're kinda weird, but they're also really good at what they do.

►RitchieRich
Replied On May 2nd 2016:
Oh yeah, I think I remember that party. Hey now that I think about it, Nemona doesn't really go to those kinds of events, does she? Wonder why

►SirSchmoopy
Replied On May 2nd 2016:
I've seen her once or twice at a gala or fundraiser. Didn't really pay a bunch of attention (before she became famous ya know) but she didn't seem to

►Fairy_King (Verified Gym Leader)
Replied On May 2nd 2016:
I think this thread is getting close to a derail. Yes, the purpose of it is to talk about Nemona as a Trainer, not to pick apart her personality for being too 'weird' for you or if she's making enough friends her age.

@Windinmyhair As to why she's so against poachers, I would hazard a guess that it's because she fought and captured poachers on the outskirts of Alfornada in the past.

►Beafangurl
Replied On May 2nd 2016:
Oh damn, didn't realize. Kinda thought there weren't any poachers about, you don't hear about them a tone these days

►ZingZapZow
Replied On May 2nd 2016:
poachers came after her? Ouch. But I mean, kinda get it. She's got a bunch of rare Pokemon can't say I wouldn't be tempted

Mod warning: Do not post comments that sound encouraging of criminal behavior, especially that kind here. You haven't broken any rules yet but don't push it

►Jasminetea43
Replied On May 2nd 2016:
Okay, let's change topics. To this! Here's a link to a phot I snapped of Nemona out in Medali. I think she's going for her eighth badge guys!

►Laylalala (Verified Uva Academy Student)
Replied On May 2nd 2016:
Oh shit, I gotta get over there

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 ... 149, 150, 151


(Showing page 148 of 151)


►GurdurrMyLoins
Replied On May 9th 2016:
And the news just dropped. Right on the heels of her epic battle against Larry, it's announced she'll be fighting the Elite Four!! They're calling it an 'elite gauntlet'? Sounds cool in any case

►IceShredder
Replied On May 9th 2016:
I'm just happy we have a really promising young Trainer here. Hopefully she could be the next La Primera!

►LightItUp20
Replied On May 9th 2016:
I've always thought she was going places.

►Jangmore-o
Replied On May 9th 2016:
That would be awesome!

►Laylalala (Verified Uva Academy Student)
Replied On May 9th 2016:
I can't wait, this is gonna be so cool! I was the one who filmed her match against Larry, you know?

►Sh3ppard
Replied On May 9th 2016:
Ugh, stop being such a fangirl. Doing alright in the Gyms doesn't mean she's going to be great in the long run. She's been doing worse against the later Gyms, and we've all seen hopefuls wipe out agains the Elite Four. And taking on the Gauntlet? That's just crazy.

►WinGulliver's Travels (Pokemarket Clerk)
Replied On May 9th 2016:
@Sh3ppard: I mean, harder gyms are supposed to be tougher, and even against Larry and Kofu, it's not like she was ever down to her last Pokemon

Also, anyone think that she might be willing to sponsor my Pokemart?

►JuliaFiere
Replied On May 9th 2016:
Woohoo! Kick their butts!

EDIT: Uh, considering she's a bajillionare and a music sensation? No, I don't think she'll sponsor your Pokemart

►ZingZapZow
Replied On May 9th 2016:
Always great to see your favorite Trainer make it so far. I'll keep on rooting for ya, Nemona!

►HohmaScoop
Replied On May 9th 2016:
Do you think she'll give me an interview once she becomes a champion? That would give my blog so much numbers

►PewterPowerPack
Replied On May 9th 2016:
I'm so hyped! The gauntlet challenge will be great

►KarmaKecleon
Replied On May 9th 2016:
Everyone is, I'm planning a big watch party with all my mates

►Laylalala (Verified Uva Academy Student)
Replied On May 9th 2016:
Ikr? Classes are pretty much cancelled here (okay, we technically still have to go, but the teachers are pushing us to get our homework all done for then and most of them are planning on having us 'study' the matches for the classes).

►Waylon (Old Timer)
Replied On May 9th 2016:
Let's hold our Ponyta's okay? We all want her to do great (having kicked out or converted most of the haters), but I've been burned a few too many times to just trust that she's going to be the best trainer ever

►BadBisharp
Replied On May 9th 2016:
Why you gotta harsh the mood? We're just trying to have a good time!

►GurdurrMyLoins
Replied On May 9th 2016:
I think she's going to do great, but in any case we'll gt some cool battles either way. Can't we all just focus on that?

►NoManIsAnOrangeIsland
Replied On May 9th 2016:
@GurdurrMyLoins: No

►GurdurrMyLoins
Replied On May 9th 2016:
🙁

►SinnohSurvive
Replied On May 9th 2016:
Ok, can someone tell me what the big deal about the 'Gauntlet' is? Is it some Paldea only thing? Not meaning to harsh on anyone's vibes or anything, I'm just curious

►Dragyourpult
Replied On May 9th 2016:
@SinnohSurvivor: Hardly, but I can see why you'd think that. The 'Gauntlet' come back from the early days of the League, I mean real early, Samuel Oak early.

See, back then, they were establishing the rules for finding a replacement if a Champion didn't want to step down. Generally it was agreed that any challenger would have to defeat the Elite Four first, then the Champion, which fits with regular challenge rules. But then Sammy had the 'bright idea' to run at as one consecutive event: Back-to-back battles against the Elite Four, and then the Champion, all in a single day.

Yeah… as you can probably already see, there were some holes in this plan. The idea of a Trainer that could beat all the Elites and Champion at once either implied a really weak bunch of Elites or a crazy strong Trainer. And even then, as soon as that Trainer became Champion no one would be able to topple them. The bar was just too high

Because of that they changed it to the Conference System, with Elite Challenges that are usually space a few months apart, to give the Ace Trainers time to prepare and rest up inbetween matches. Except, when I say 'replaced' I mean 'added on,' - Gauntlets were never removed from official challenge methods. And now a nine-year old is aiming to take on the best Paldea has to offer.

►SinnohSurvive
Replied On May 9th 2016:
That's wild. Has anyone ever done a Gauntlet challenge then? Does she stand any chance?

►Dynamix (Temp Banned)
Replied On May 9th 2016:
Galar does things a bit differently, so we don't quite have a Gauntlet, but the tournament at the end of the Gym Circuit does a pretty good job of tiring out any challengers to the Champion, even with a full day to rest before that match. Also, I think Alder managed a Gauntlet back in the early days.

►Superpower8 (Verified Eight Gym Badges)
Replied On May 9th 2016:
1000% Athena sweeps, just like against Tyme

►GurdurrMyLoins
Replied On May 9th 2016:
@Superpower8 (Verified Eight Badge Trainer): I can't tell if you're trolling or you legitimately believe that… like yeah, her Lucario is strong especially with Mega Evolution, but that's hardly a guarantee for success. Can she even Mega Evolve for those battles? I heard she had to ask for permission against Tyme which is why she had to Terastalize against larry

►Havin'AKarablast
Replied On May 9th 2016:
C'mon, don't make it sound like she 'had' to Tera as if it's so much worse than Mega Evolving

►ZingZapZow
Replied On May 9th 2016:
@Dragyourpult: Wait, seriously? Why's she doing it then if it's so hard?

►Gurumin
Replied On May 9th 2016:
The current top champion of Paldea, Miguel Worthington, uses Mega Evolution for his ace Salamance, so I think she'll be allowed to use it. She's also made good use of both Mega Evolution and Terastalization in her past battles, so we'll probably see that here.

►Atticus_Roads (Verified Blueberry Academy Student)
Replied On May 9th 2016:
@ZingZapZow: I can't answer why exactly she did it, but I can explain the challenge a bit better and many reasons why it isn't as terrible an idea as it looks.

- The rules for Gauntlets have been adjusted over the years. Instead of having to face on the full team of every Elite, you only need to battle four of their Pokemon each. In addition, you only need to win three of the Elite battles to take on the Champion

- On that note, Nemona has at least seven Pokemon. Special exceptions from Hassel apparently. Not sure why, but in any case it gives her a bit of an advantage in enduring the Gauntlet; each extra Pokemon on her team gives the others more rest time

- Medicine has improved alot from the early days of the League. Better Potions and Elixirs will let her recover more in between each match. The Gauntlet is set to start in the morning and conclude late in the evening, so even with the fights happening 'in a row' there will still be some breaks between the matches

And here's a few more for why it's still a bad idea:

- She only has to take on four of the Elite's Pokemon at a time, but she only gets to use four herself. Some of them (like a certain Legendary wielding turtle fanatic) have single Pokemon that are a lot stronger than others, which gives them an edge here.

- Having more Pokemon on her team divides her training time. Against the Elites and especially the Champion, she'll need all the power she can get in individual matches. And in Paldea's Gauntlets, you need to beat a Champion Ranked Trainer to earn the rank yourself, while in a regular run, you would just need to defeat all the Elites to earn the rank. All the advertisements of the event show that she's going to be facing on Miguel Worthington, the Top Champion, too.

- Finally, it's still just way harder to take on all of them at once. As many mitigating factors she might have, the Gauntlet is just a harder challenge, for no real gain (except maybe time, but I just don't get why she'd be rushing this).

►Sh3ppard
Replied On May 9th 2016:
Welp, it's been a good run, but it looks like she's gotten too big for her britches. Time for her to get smacked down and maybe try again next year

►Dynamix (Temp Banned)
Replied On May 9th 2016:
Oh just shut up already asshole

Receive a temp ban. They might be down on the Trainer here, but Sh3ppard's comments aren't out of line; insults are

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 ... 149, 150, 151


(Showing page 151 of 151)


►GoodraFan
Replied On May 9th 2016:
Okay, it's gonna be tough and all, but speculating on the overall outcome feels like way too much. I wanna hear what people think about specific standouts: That's right, tell me which Pokemon you think is going to do the best! Or be surprising, etc. Personally, I think Bahamut is gonna be a stand out. We haven't really gotten a chance to see what he could do ever since he evolved against Kofu

►Hater4Lyfe
Replied On May 9th 2016:
Gotta be Dun, that not-so-little guy has been the strongest. I don't think he's been knocked out in any of her battles even

►Havin'AKarablast
Replied On May 9th 2016:
Phantasm, though maybe not in the way youd think about it. Two of Nemona's Pokemon (three sometimes if what we suspect about Boombox Form is true) are weak to Fighting Type attacks, while Phantasm is immune. Just having Phantasm on her team constantly puts her opponent in a guessing game - do you try for a super-effective attack but risk it failing entirely or test out the waters with something that's probably weaker? And she's so good at maintaining the illusion that it's hard to tell.

►Superpower8 (Verified Eight Gym Badges)
Replied On May 9th 2016:
… Do I really need to spell it out? Oh well, best make it clear: ATHENA!

►GurdurrMyLoins
Replied On May 9th 2016:
Gonna pick Miles for 'best overall'. While not quite as flashy or tanky as some, they're very good at most aspects of battling. The fact that they can be different Types without forcing Nemona to use her Terastalization is huge too

►WinGulliver's Travels (Pokemarket Clerk)
Replied On May 9th 2016:
Bit of a Spectrier pick here, but I've got sources (my second cousin who works for the League) that Nemona does indeed have a secret eighth Pokemon! That's the secret weapon she's been saving up for this battle, I'm sure of it

►Jasminetea43
Replied On May 9th 2016:
Nightwing. She's pretty tough and can constantly heal, that's gotta be help for a long series of battles, right? She's quite fast too, constantly swooping around the arena

►Bigleafenergy
Replied On May 9th 2016:
I hope it'll be Notch. They look cute and they were really strong too against Katy and Grusha

►Atticus_Roads (Verified Blueberry Academy Student)
Replied On May 9th 2016:
@Bigleafenergy: Hate to burst your bubble, but I don't think we'll be seeing much of them. Nemona has been using Notch less and less as time goes on; we didn't see them at all against Larry, and they would have had Type advantage defensively (and offensively with Body Press). She might not have dropped them entirely, but I think Nemona's moved past using her weakest team member, at least in serious battles.

►UmbreonEnthusiast
Replied On May 9th 2016:
Wow, this thread has been blowing up recently. I don't have time to go through all of it, but from what I can see a Paldean Trainer is making an unusual challenge? Why is this so crazy?

►Farmsted54 (Olive Rolling Champion)
Replied On May 9th 2016:
It's crazy because she might actually do it. Paldea hasn't seen someone like her since before the League was even a thing, really. So there's a lot of people out there that are hoping that this will be the moment, the chance for us to have our own household name like Cynthia, Leon, or even Ash.

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 ... 149, 150, 151



■​

♦ Topic: A New Thread
In: Boards ► Music & Movies
ViridianRoadie
(Original Poster)
Posted On Feb 14th 2016:
Fresh Start', the name of one of the most pushed albums in recent history, sung (and composed), by Nemona Glitterati, at age 9. There are eleven songs on this album:

'The Pretender'

'Live and Learn'

'Let Her Go'

'Unova'

'Take me to the Kaptin'

'Bones'

'Oh, the Places You'll Go'

'Eat Your Young'

'I Beg to Differ [It will get Better]'

'Celestial'

'Megalovania'

There are a lot of mixed feelings about this album (especially how often it shows up on the Rotunes home page), but despite her connections and age, this looks to be a promising first album for the young musician.

It has an eclectic range of genres, giving something for everyone. There's also a lot of up-and-coming groups and musicians featured in many of the songs that help give it an extra kick to bring it to the next level. That's not to say that Nemona doesn't shine in every song; her voice is there front and center in every number.

But those same strengths can lead to some of the weaknesses I feel it has. It has something for everyone… so the album as a whole is for no one. If you enjoy the upbeat pace of 'Live and Learn', then you probably won't be as big a fan of the haunting 'Eat Your Young.' Same goes for the rock out mix that is 'The Pretender' alongside the lullaby-esque tune of 'Oh the Places You'll Go.' There's also cases (in my opinion) where despite some genuine talent, the young girl's voice strains to hit certain beats right, like the song was written for someone else.

All in all though, I highly recommend that you check out this album, no matter what you have to say, it's an incredible first album and I'm looking forward to hearing more from Nemona in the future. But that's just the opinion of one amateur music critic, what do you think?

And for the love of Arceus, please don't post that dumb rumor that she had someone else write the music for her - it has been debunked several times. Hassel was only her tutor and said she wrote all of the lyrics herself (with some help from her Rotom, 'Miles'). The other artists participating in the project said much the same (with a member of E.X. letting slip in a hot mic on an Iono stream that she can 'be quite [the] little tyrant when it comes to preserving the image of [her] songs).

Addendum: This does not mean that any of the artists that collaborated on the project are unhappy with the results. All of them have publicly thanked her for their inclusion and she's done the same for them. Having a minor complaint about a co-worker doesn't mean you hate every part of what you've worked on together (sweet Palkia above, can't believe I have to spell that out for some people)



(Showing page 1 of 13)


►Toxitricks89
Replied On Feb 14th 2016:
She wrote all of these? Wow, that's some talent. Even if she never makes it big as singer, she'd be set as a songwriter if this is what she can do at nine

►AlolaWow
Replied On Feb 14th 2016:
I am captivated by Let Her Go. I've never had a song that so perfectly captured the feeling of when my starter Vulpix went off with a mate. I'm so happy for her, but the hurt has remained in a way I couldn't really ever articulate… until I heard this song.

►Muskter!
Replied On Feb 14th 2016:
Seriously? Why are people shilling this so hard? Some rich girl buys the talents of a bunch of other artists and we're expected to make her even richer?

►WeavilConundrum
Replied On Feb 14th 2016:
Well, looks like someone did no research whatsoever before jumping to conclusions. The artists all accepted payment before the album was released for their work and get exposure from their involvement, with many of them thankful for the opportunity. And the album itself gives the Glitterati no money - all profits go to charity and non-profit organizations like the Aether Foundation.

►HaxorDeezNuts
Replied On Feb 14th 2016:
Seriously? Wow, that's pretty noble of them

►Muskter!
Replied On Feb 14th 2016:
Just shows the length rich people will go to buy fame

Mod Warning: (User has been warned, this is a discussion about the music, not your personal assumptions about the artist/production team)

►Angelica37
Replied On Feb 14th 2016:
I gotta be honest, Eat Your Young gives me the creeps. Why would a little girl even sing about that? Just harkens back to the bad old days, of evil teams and poachers, and even the wars.

►Avery_Rottingham
Replied On Feb 14th 2016:
@Angelica37 I think a lot more people should be aware of those things! They weren't so long ago, and it's not like Teams are over and gone with; the criminals just don't call themselves that anymore, so it's only edgy counter-culture punks that make people think all those problems are gone

►MorpekoHUNGRY
Replied On Feb 14th 2016:
Take me to the Kaptin felt a bit unusual, but I'm really jamming on it

End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 11, 12, 13


(Showing page 2 of 13)


►CowgirlRockstar
Replied On Feb 14th 2016:
SHE SIGNED MY ALBUM!!! Ahh, this is sooo awesome!

►NimbasaLady
Replied On Feb 14th 2016:
Might be slightly biased, but 'Unova' has to be my favorite by a long shot.

►Harriet90
Replied On Feb 14th 2016:
@Avery_Rottingham I guess people could stand to be more aware but… do we have to learn about ti from a little girl singing about 'war drums' and eating children? Honestly, a lot of the album, even the nicer parts are a lot more mature than I'd expect from a girl her age

►RadialAttack
Replied On Feb 14th 2016:
'What if I say I'm not like the others?

What if I say I'm not just another one of your plays?

YOU'RE THE PRETENDER!'

►CuteHat3nna
Replied On Feb 14th 2016:
I can see what you mean about it not being for everyone. I enjoyed listening to it all though. There were songs like I Beg to Differ that I don't think I would have checked out without being beside songs like Celestial and oh the Places you'll Go, but I still ended up enjoying

►Galr-ade4Eva (Official Spokesperson for Gala-rade)
Replied On Feb 14th 2016:
These beats are rocking! Any word when she's going to make music videos for them?

►Hargreavance
Replied On Feb 14th 2016:
So you can fill them with ads for your shitty energy drink? Sorry (not sorry) but you're out of luck, Nemona is off doing the Gym Circuit, so she won't be making any videos made any time soon

►SuperSmithy123
Replied On Feb 14th 2016:
Darn. I was hoping we might get some sort of lyrical version or the like for Megalovania. It's really cool but… why doesn't it have any lyrics? And why is it called that?

►Hargreavance
Replied On Feb 14th 2016:
Someone will probably come up with a cover version of it with lyrics soon enough. She's super chill about people using her music. Just make sure to give her credit and you can make and even sell your own cover on RoTunes

►HaxorDeezNuts
Replied On Feb 14th 2016:
On the bright side, while we wait, she posts clips of her battles with parts of her songs accompanying them! They're pretty awesome and a Nice stand in for a music video. Heck, by the end of her run, they might have enough clips to make a whole music video out of those.

End of Page. 1, 2, 3, 4 ... 11, 12, 13



■​


This was quite an update! I've been working on it for a while; originally it was supposed to go where Billy's Interlude was, but I realized that a big forum post worked better at the end of her journey than near the beginning (which meant expanding it a good deal).

Sorry about the update being a bit late. Formatting it was a bit of a pain, and it's definitely going to look better on some sites rather than others, but I hope it'll be clean and easy to read on all of them. At least I didn't have to do any grammar or spell checking here, because I could just assume that any mistakes made were a part of people being bad at that in the hypothetical online space.

And now I guess I'll ask all of my real online readers: As we begin the Elite Gauntlet, what part are you looking forward to the most?
 
Last edited:
Chapter 76 New
Thank you so much to my fifty Beginner Tier Patreons and an extra special thanks to RageLord, Nodal_Gravity, and Exalted Requiem, my Ace Tier Patreons! I really appreciate the support.

After talking it over with Mr. Wailani, I agreed to hold off on immediately publishing my method, at least until the League could place some protections over Carbink colonies. Carbinks are already rare enough that they're usually limited in how many can be caught by Trainers, but they're hardly the most sought after in the world. But when people find out they can become Diancies, Legendary? Poachers will be crawling out of the woodwork to get at them.

That was no reason to put off getting the paperwork ready, something Friede helped a ton with on the ride back, giving me pointers, showing me sites to help in citing all the relevant articles I had reviewed in our many attempts before and including this, and commiserating with my frustration at how arduous a process it all was.

Perhaps it just feels that way in comparison to enjoying the fruits of our labors, I mused, watching Notch float around excitedly, spinning around in the air. While not really any more or less maneuverable than they had been as a Carbink, the change was still something to get used to, and something we had spent the rest of our time on the trip practicing with.

Stretching, I got up from the desk I'd been hunched over in my cabin. Think this is about as much as I'll get done today; I'm too excited about getting back home to sit still either. "Want to get ready for our landing?" I asked Notch.

['Yes! I'm quite eager for our upcoming challenge,'] they declared, pounding their fists together with a delighted gleam in their eyes.

"Haha, me too, but we've gotta stop by home first." Both for a few last-minute preparations as well as to let Miguel and the others finish up their end of things. I didn't know any specifics, but the League had said they'd be ready within a few days, and I hoped that meant nothing tragic had occurred on their end in the time we'd been away.

Stepping out onto the deck, I took in the fresh air, distantly smelling the salty breeze from the sea down below. Glancing around, I saw that all of the Rising Volt Tacklers were gathered on the deck, along with my sister.

"Sorry I haven't been able to go over the Brave Olivine with you any more," I said to Orla, approaching her first. "We've just been so busy-" she waved me off.

"Don't worry about it; I get it, it's exciting! That's why I joined Friede in this madness after all, to get to experience all this crazy stuff he's researching."

Suddenly, a thought came to me. "Wait, if you're up here, who's looking after the engines?" Every time I've seen her before except for mealtimes, she's been down there.

"While I love looking after her, the Brave Olivine doesn't need constant attention. Plus, if anything goes wrong, I can trust Metang to keep an eye on things, not that anything's likely to go awry while we're docked."

"You're docking here?"

"Yup," Friede brightly cut into the conversation, Captain Pikachu perched proudly on his shoulder. "We've got some repairs to handle, so we thought we'd stop here for a bit."

"Ah, ok. Do you want to stay at our house while you wait then?" I offered. Sure, they live on their airship, but it would be impolite not to offer. My sister gave me an odd smile but quickly nodded.

"Yeah, you should stay here before you have to go."

***

Even just being back for a few days has been so relaxing. As many adventures as we've had and await us on the road, nothing beats being home. I stretched, getting out of my comfortable bed. I couldn't lay there forever after all, and even if it was rather early in the morning.

The message had come in a few days prior that all of the Elite Four and the Top Champion would be ready on this day. This will be the day we've been waiting for. Clapping my hands together, I woke up my team, the majority of whom were out, sleeping on my bed or around my room. "You guys ready?"

A chorus of happy cries greeted me from, like, half the team. The other half gave groggy growls, but I (with a good deal of help from Dun and Miles) got them fully awake and ready for breakfast. Usually I'd be fine with just ambling down to the dining room however we looked, but we had planned to head out straight after the meal, and since this was a big event.

Bigger than I had anticipated, at least. Going from what little had filtered back to me from online discussions and even commercials advertising it as the 'challenge of the century,' it felt like all of Paldea would have their eyes on us. Which is good. If I can prove we're strong to everyone, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that will give me more leverage to pressure Turo to stop… or for the League to stop him, if need be.

With such expectations riding on us, we needed to look good. "Come on, the brush won't kill you; can't you tank blows from Bahamut's axe blades?" I teased Nightwing as I applied the polish to her exoskeleton. "If I suffered through my sister forcing me into a fashion trip the day before last, you'll survive this too." My prickly Gligar bristled but calmed down, allowing me to finish making her look presentable.

Luckily we don't actually have to do too much for her; no fur to brush or the like, just washing the mud off and then the polish. Each of my team had different reactions to being pampered; Dun would sit stoically during the scale shiner and appreciate the end result, admiring himself in the mirror. Haxorus enjoyed the idea, but had trouble holding still and started fidgeting halfway through. Athena liked it if her tail was any indication but tried to act aloof while getting brushed, as opposed to Phantasm, who would eagerly lean into each brushstroke, obviously enjoying the (lengthy) effort of untangling her wild mane.

Notch was just kind of unsure what to do with their new body, wildly trying out a number of accessories before deciding to go for something simple for their debut, just using some gem polish. "You'll be fine; this is going to be flashy enough," I said, pointing at the one article they were wearing.

['That is true. It was providence that we were able to get it fitted in such a quick time,'] my lovable little religious fanatic declared.

"That, or a bunch of my parent's money," I said. Still feel a little guilty about using it, but I am wearing logos for both of my parents' businesses, and this is supposed to be a well-watched event, so maybe that helps make up for it? I hope so; Cyan is better at figuring out the probability of how much of an impact advertising makes for a business.

"Thank you for helping make that for me," I said, gesturing at the last, extravagant piece of my outfit, draped casually over the back of my desk chair for the moment. Notch smiled and nodded, adjusting their vest, and I turned to the last members of my team.

For Miles, their appearance was covered by the appliances they could possess, and as part of our preparations, we'd fixed up and ordered upgrades from the R&D team. They were set and instead helped me in corralling the others. Radiance… did not come out for this, still sulking after last night. And it had been going so well.

***

"How are you doing?" I asked my Paradox Pokemon. We sat out on the beach, with Notch hovering beside me.

['Fine. This world is… odd.'] Iron Moth's words as transmitted to me by Notch were slightly distorted, like a radio out of tune. Not sure if that is a result of Notch's translation or just how they telepathically 'sound.'

The dramatic transformation Notch had gone through had given them more gifts than just hands - they could now speak perfectly clearly into anyone's mind nearby. Reading or interpreting thoughts back was harder, but even that hurdle was solved with a few days of trial and error, letting them link me and Radiance so we could communicate more clearly.

It wasn't something the future Pokemon was too happy with, but however it worked, they were more willing to trust it than a Psychic attempting to do the same. Even if we only use it a little bit, that will still be huge for us communicating better, I thought, taking in every motion and gesture that accompanied Radiance's words. Learning how to understand a Pokemon is a process that takes time, keying their body language to the words and emotional state they want to convey, so a conversation like this is practically a Rosetta Stone for understanding them.

"Odd how?" I inquired, and Radiance didn't speak for a few seconds, shifting back and forth, the six wings on their back slowly spinning around.

['I can't say, exactly. Memories of before I was brought here are… hard. But the impressions left to me are all wrong. These buildings, too short, too noisy, too… full of life. The Pokeballs are weird as well. Cramped yet comfortable, I'm aware inside, but everything is muted.'] There were things Radiance wasn't saying here, I realized. Those 'hard memories' could be a sign of them truly being conjured by that machine, something I know they detest the idea of. Though if they are true, does that mean that everyone will be gone by the time Radiance would be born?

It was a sobering thought, but one I wasn't going to get bogged down in right now. "Do you not want to stay in a Pokeball all the time? We can totally do that-"

['No, I won't let it beat me.']

"It's not really a case of the Pokeball 'beating' you…" I began, but their wings 'buzzed' with electricity, likely indicating irritation.

['I said it's fine. I'm not weak; I'm the strongest.'] They deliberately averted their gaze away from me and the rest of my team as they said that. The last word also felt off in my mind, as if I wasn't getting quite the right translation of it.

"Why do you think you need to be the strongest? You have potential, a ton of it, but you don't have to be the very strongest - heck, you don't need to fight at all if you don't want to."

They gave an affronted ticking sound, like gears moving quickly. ['I thought you said you wanted me on your team.']

"Of course, but that doesn't mean you have to fight. So far everyone who's joined me has - I'll admit, we do spend a lot of our day training, but that doesn't mean you have to. You can hang out, practice art, anything really." Having a hobby even if they do want to battle wouldn't be a bad idea - even I can't train every second of every day.

['Anything?']

"Anything that doesn't involve hurting other people," I clarified. Can't really backtrack the fact that I have set out certain restrictions for them, but they all basically revolve around that point.

To Radiance's credit, they didn't immediately respond, thinking it over. ['My first clear memories are of violence. Escape from that 'lab' you've spoken of was a blur. The place was filled with 'Pokemon' but none of them were like me. They were aggressive and attacked. I fought back, instincts taking over as I burned them.']

['The land was beautiful there, but wrong. On occasion, location and duration felt twisted. Not right. I flew higher and higher to escape and found myself still attacked. Some tried to stop me, but they could not overcome my determination to leave, and I made it out of {that large pit}. Above, I found the world to be so much different than the pit. Still wrong, but in a way I understood.']

['The strange Pokemon of the land outside would assault me too, but less aggressively. After demonstrating my might-'] Yikes, really don't want to touch that issue. ['They gave up attacking me. Many bowed, calling me a {god}. The desert was the home of my ancient ancestors, or so I heard; I made a home there. There were some who would challenge me, but I easily bested them… until you came along.']

"And you lost," I finished for them, mulling over everything Radiance had said. And all the things they didn't, too. Wild Pokemon look up to Alphas and Natural Tera Pokemon, something they'd perceive as a Legendary? Yeah, that would get a lot of god worship. And in a whole heaping of confusion and a sprinkle of despair as they found themself lost in a land that was nothing like what they knew, you have all the ingredients to explain Radiance's mood swings and lashing out.

There wasn't a lot I could do to fix that now, however, or at least, not more than I was already doing. Amelia's words urging patience came back to me, and I knew they were right. Radiance just needs time to adjust. We've set boundaries and otherwise been helpful and kind, and hopefully they'll learn to relax. In any case, I should be happy at how far we've come, not upset at how far we have to go.

['I want to battle, like you do,'] they said suddenly, drifting over to the battle arena installed nearby. ['You do not fight like they did- like I do. Yet you are strong. Stronger than I am.'] Not as much dissatisfaction from them there as I thought they would have, though I guess they've had a few weeks to get over being beaten. Or maybe, that's the crux of it all. The reason why they don't want to go back.

Were they seen as weak from what little they can remember pre-Time Machine? Or maybe just average in that world. It would explain some of how they'd been feeling - the brutal environment of Area Zero taught them to use violence easily, and then Radiance was worshipped by those outside the Crater… until I beat them and proved that even in this time, there were those stronger than them
. It certainly answered a number of questions about their odd behavior, but I decided not to press on their past. It was clearly something they wanted to avoid talking about right now.

"Sounds like you've got a goal in mind, awesome. I think with a bit of polish you'll be an incredible battler."

['Truly?'] Notch carried across a faint hint of hope in the translated voice, matching what little I could read off of how their body raised a few centimeters in the air.

"Oh yeah. Radiance, you're probably the strongest Pokemon I've caught at the time of catching. With the right focus, you'll grow a ton and be able to take down anyone! Honestly, most of it will just be giving you the right orders in battle; you're strong and have a good mix of Moves you've honed; it's just a question of using them right."

Technical Machines will help for sure, but much like Phantasm, I'm going in blind as to what Radiance can learn. Worse than that, honestly - Phantasm is a regional variant and not one that strays too far Move-wise, so I was still able to use Unovan Zoroarks as a base. With Iron Moth, while I know they're similar to Volcarona in many ways, they're also very different.

['If I was the strongest to begin with, then I could be the strongest overall?'] It was clear how important this question was to them, and Radinance's eyes narrowed on me as I hesitated. I don't want my team's goals to come into conflict.

"I'll do everything in my power to take you there, but the rest is up to you." A slight grinding sound had me frowning. "It's true. Becoming the very, very strongest is a tough road to climb, no matter how hard you work at it. Dun seeks that goal as well, and even within this team, you'll face impressive challengers to those heights, let alone everyone else in the world. If you work with me, I will make you strong though, I promise tha-"

['Good, direct me to defeat {them},'] Radiance declared, all six wings floating out and turning to point at Notch. The Diancie blinked for a moment, pointing at themself, getting distracted by their own finger for a second, and then back to Radiance. The surprise caused a slight 'disconnect' in our telepathic link, and I missed the next few words Radiance had to say, but they looked aggressive towards Notch. At least they only have an aggressive posture and aren't actually attacking outright.

"Okay, we can give it a shot. Remember that this is just training, though; neither side is looking to hurt each other seriously - especially not the night before the big day! I'll give you orders." I told Radiance. "Notch, you know what to do." Here goes nothing, I thought as I put up the barrier around the arena and took my place just outside it.

Radiance fought hard, and listened to me well. Despite everything we tried however, they were soon defeated, the Paradox Pokemon lying on the diamond-sprinkled ground of the arena, defeated. Notch isn't just a Legendary, but also a terrible match-up for Radiance. Too tough to easily hurt, no good ways to take advantage of Notch's weaknesses yet, an Ability that stops things like Acid Spray from hurting them, and Radiance is weak to their Rock attacks on top of it.

As I saw Radiance struggling to rise, amidst the field of spiky rocks and fae mists, I waved for them to stand down. "Enough, this was a fine first showing. Besides, I don't want to tire Notch out too much before the big day, this was just to get a baseline."

My words had the opposite effect I intended, the Iron Moth shot up, narrowing their eyes at me. Sighing, I added, "Radiance, I was never going to be sending you into this Gauntlet, it's not an indictment of how well you did against Notch." Especially since if it was I'd only be fighting with one Pokemon.

That triggered a wild wave of fire and heat, poison seeping out their body and helping melt the ground further as they raged. Used to these sorts of outburst, I quickly called on my Aura to float above the toxic ground and shield myself with cold air. Even that was only enough to deal with the spillover, a Psychic reinforced diamond shield conjured in front of me by Notch in an instant.

"Enough of that!" I shouted and slowly, they stopped their tantrum, in favor of giving me a confused and slightly hurt beep. Radiance is wondering if they're strong enough, but that was never the question.

"I'll use you plenty in later matches, I promise! But we need to get you integrated into the team and used to my battling style. Plus, more importantly," I quickly added before they could raise a complaint about that. "We need to deal with Turo first. Hopefully, if all goes well, we can convince him to stop what he's doing. But if I can't then we'll need to stop him, and I don't want anyone getting the bright idea to go down into the Great Crater because they saw you in this match."

It's on the League's record, and the Violet Book is common enough that someone will spill the info online, even if I lied. There's still a risk that it might happen when using Radiance afterwards, but hopefully we can control it, maybe put some more rangers on guarding its boundaries. At the very least, once Turo's equipment is removed there's no chance anyone will find out about his time/paradox machine.

They knew this - we had talked about this - but clearly my Paradox Pokemon wasn't happy. Slumping, Radiance nodded their head in defeat. I tried to give them a comforting pat on their head afterwards, but they ducked under it and delicately pressed the button of their Pokeball, recalling themself. You don't need to be so grumpy about it if you agree with me.

***

Shaking aside that one dour spot on an otherwise exciting day, I gave everyone a once over. Seeing everyone was presentable, I latched on the last article of clothing I'd be wearing for the day: a cape.

At my sister's insistence, I'd added it when we'd gone out. We did some little things, like manicures and getting my haircut to make me look a bit less like a feral child (back to rocking the classic Nemona ponytail), as well as changing my hoodie into a shirt. The shirt followed the same design scheme of the hoodie with a Pokeball pattern on it, but instead of being red and white, it was gold and white, matching the dress pants I was wearing too. Each of them had logos of the Rotom Phone Company and Paldean Realty Incorporated on that, but the cape made my parents even happier.

They claimed that was due to me 'showing off my dazzling Glitterati potential,' and it did indeed dazzle. The cape was a glittery, diamond-encrusted piece that felt insanely over-the-top… but it had made Mom and Dad happy. Even Cyan told me to 'own it' when I felt like it was trying too hard. If it works for Lance, then it can work for me too, right? Though he didn't have a Diancie to make something this sparkly. At least it will look dramatic when I conjure a dramatic gust of wind.

Projecting a boldness I didn't quite feel, I led my team down to the dining room. Leah greeted me at the entrance. "Young Miss, your meal is ready." She waved an arm out at my place at the raucous table. It says something about how insanely large our dining room is that it can fit mine and Cyan's whole teams, our parents plus the Rising Volt Tacklers, and some of their Pokemon, even if just barely.

"Thank you, majordomo," I said, still feeling out the word in my mouth, trying to get used to it when addressing her. Then I paused and added, "Really, for everything, thank you, Leah."

She blushed and responded, "It's no- It's been a pleasure, watching you grow every step of the way. And now to see you on the cusp of becoming a Champion…" She shook her head, half fondly, half in wonder. "But why do you speak like this will be the last time we'll talk?"

"Ah, just feels like it'll be the start of a new era, or maybe a new chapter of my life after this challenge, win or lose." She chuckled at my response.

"You sound so grown-up already." Someone who didn't know me as well might ask me to 'stop trying so hard,' but she just smiled. "Whatever happens, I'll see you tomorrow, and if I'm not overstepping, I'll say that I'll be proud of you. I might have to look after the house, but," she paused, leaning in to whisper to me. "All of the staff will be watching and cheering you on from here."

I gave her a quick hug before joining the others at the table. Orla and my father were eagerly chatting about various engineering, Mother fussing over Cyan, and Arven with Murdoch complimenting the chef and carefully tasting each dish. Friede was the first to catch sight of me, followed quickly by Captain Pikachu, who was small enough to sit at the table instead of having a dish off to the side like some of the larger Pokemon, waved at me, causing the others to notice my arrival.

""Nemona!/Dear!"" Billy and O'Nare called out, rushing around the table before I sat down, glomping me in a hug.

"Mom, Dad, I'm glad to see you too." Despite me having been home for a while, they had been busy with work, so we hadn't really had the chance to catch up before now. Part of me does feel a bit, I don't know, irked? By how much time they spend on their jobs (more for Cyan's sake than my own). But I know they worked extra hard to clear everything in their schedules for today, my big day. And honestly, I'm not much better; so much to do, so many plans to advance, so little time.

"Sorry about the damage outside; Notch's new strength was a bit more than expected, and with Radiance going on a wee rampage… well, the arena is going to need some repairs." More than what it could fix on its own at least.

"Don't worry about it," Billy waved my concerns away. "We're just happy to see how much you've grown." They let me go to get a better look at me, looking on in awe as if it had been years instead of a few days since I'd talked with them (on video chat admittedly).

"Indeed! You must have sprouted up a foot, just like a Glitterati to rise up to their full potential." O'Nare said, and I laughed. They're so silly… but they really do care.

"Can't have been more than six inches since I started, and less since I saw you last." I have been growing, though, getting cramps in my legs at night. Doubt it'll stop any time soon, given Nemona was one of the taller characters in the game. I didn't want to talk just about myself, however, and quickly asked, "Did Cyan tell you she was thinking about getting another team member? Alola had a bunch of Water Types she was interested - which shouldn't be a surprise, what with Primarina as her starter."

Cyan scoffed. "You're the Alola-obsessed one." Barely a second passed before she added, "The islands and all the Pokemon there do sound pretty cool, though. But I still want a trip to Kalos first!"

I shrugged, clearing my throat from the food I had wolfed down. "Sure," I had controlled the last family vacation with our trip to Kitakami. My sister simply gave me a look and I added, "It's fine! Really, just, you know, don't see the great appeal."

"Don't see the- Kalos is one of the most beautiful regions in the world! Lumiose, the city of light, the city of love! Did you know they did a huge urban redevelopment not too long ago? It made the city even better…" She rambled on about it until the topics shifted, all of us talking about all sorts of things until the meal was finished. Miles discreetly floated by and displayed the time. Almost 9 AM; we'd best get a move on.

Standing up from the table, I announced, "Thank you, Friede, Orla, Ludlow, and Murdoch. I appreciate all the help you've given me. I hope whatever you're planning next goes well, but for now we have to head off for my Gauntlet."

Arven had finished the meal and was already standing by my side. As if we'll leave without him. He's been pretty clingy since I got back, but I can't blame him. The young boy had been staying with us ever since I returned, and Leah had mentioned he'd been by a few times even when I'd been on my journey.

"We can come along with you; we actually have plans to watch something amazing near Mesagoza." Friede said, and something about his words had me pause, glancing up from my food around the table. While perfectly innocent, there was just a hint of mirth shared by Friede, Orla, and Murdoch that keyed me to what was going on (not Ludlow, though that might have just been due to his facial hair obscuring much of his expressions).

"... You guys are sticking around to watch my Elite Challenge," I said, less a question and more a confirmation. My traitorous sister laughed anyway.

"Yeah, no duh." Okay, yeah, I probably should have seen this coming. The doorbell rang, interrupting any further mocking, and she sprung up. "Oh, I'll get it." She never gets the door; she always lets one of the staff do it, so why- no way. Did they really…?

My suspicions were confirmed as I focused my hearing and heard a familiar scuffing of shoes. Despite Cyan's lead, I raced ahead of her, opening the door. "You guys came all the way here?" I asked Carmine and Kieran.

The Kitakami kids looked much as I remembered them, just a bit taller than before. Kieran scuffed his foot nervously at the entrance. "Well, yeah, we wanted to see your big battle; you've been working hard for this. You're gonna kick their butts!"

Before I could say anything to that, Carmine added, "It was a long trip, so you best not let us down!"

"Aww, love you too," I said, my words earning a blush from the tall girl. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised at this. Any other guests we're about to be receiving?" I asked my sister, but she shook her head.

"Unfortunately not. I tried to get Lacey onboard, but she had a party or something she'd already agreed to go to, and Amethio said he was busy with Explorer stuff. It's a shame," she said with a wistful sigh. Does she… have a crush on him?! I mean, he's a bit older than me, so I guess it isn't crazy, but still, so weird to think of.

So I decided not to do that and instead quickly sent out a message to my distant friends telling them I was about to battle the Elite Four and asking for them to wish me luck before chatting with everyone else.

"So, anything new with you guys?" We chatted regularly on my journey, but I'd dropped off a bit since the Alolan trip had happened. Plus, there's always things you miss when you aren't talking in person.

Carmine puffed up at that. "I'll have you know that I managed to evolve Poltchageist into Sinistcha! It took a lot of work to find the right Teacup for them, but worth it. I bet I could even give you a run for your money now." She declared boldly, arms crossed in front of her.

"I thought you were busy spending your time studying. Aren't you worried about getting into Blueberry?" I asked as I led them inside.

"Blueberry Academy is a top-tier educational institution, but it's also one of the best places to hone your battle skills; the untamed Terrarium, regular student tournaments, and the Elite Club all serve to hone your skills as a Trainer. I can't let either brains or brawn falter if I'm to surpass you!" There was a dangerous gleam to her yellow eyes.

"Mhm," I said noncommittally to get a rise out of the fiery girl. "Not really sure that the Terrarium counts as 'untamed' though, considering the whole school is man-made." Kieran snickered at his sister's sputtering in response.

"We've been studying hard too, though it'd be fun to battle again sometime." He wasn't as bold as his sister, but the twinkle in his own eyes told me he was just as excited as her.

"Looking forward to it, let's have some matches when we get into Blueberry." Kieran beamed brightly, and even Carmine gave a soft smile at my easy confidence in them. There's no doubt in my mind that they'll make it to Blueberry. They might not have the memories of a past life, but they're both quite bright too. Honestly, it's far more impressive what they've managed with so much less than I've had.

"What's this about a blueberry?" Murdoch asked, and my sister answered.

"Just my sister being stubborn and going to school all the way in Unova rather than the far superior Uva Academy." Any maturity to her response was slightly undercut by the raspberry she blew my way.

Which is better than Arven's grumbling. I still have several months until I go over there… assuming everything goes well with talking down Turo. That thought loomed over my head and made me feel bad every time I saw Arven and knew I was keeping it from him. I still did my best not to let it show, though - no reason to taint these happy memories with my worries for the future.

It's fine; if all goes well, he won't ever have to know. His father's name doesn't need to be dragged through the mud. Still, if the worst does come to pass, I'm glad he's talking to his mother again, which seems to be going well? Baby steps there, but still, if they're patching things up, I'm happy for him.

"Both of them are good schools, and like I told Arven, I'll study at Uva after I'm done at Blueberry. But that's all far in the future; for now, I've got to focus on becoming a Champion." Hardly the most subtle of topic deflections, but if it doesn't end up with Arven in tears again, I'll take it.

We needed two Flying Taxis, even of the larger variants, to carry our entire group (I had suggested taking the Brave Olivine over, but Friede muttered something about 'Geeta' and 'scary,' so I let that idea drop). My sister, having planned this all out, had already arranged for two of them ahead of time.

Our family was in one of the taxis while Kieran, Carmine, and the Rising Volt Tacklers were in the other. With a farewell wave to the staff below, we were off, soaring through the skies towards Mesagoza and the League Building.

I'd have felt a bit apologetic about leaving the Kitakami siblings with a bunch of people they didn't know, but almost immediately I heard Carmine 'challenge' Friede to a test of his knowledge, declaring the man to be 'too young' to be a Pokemon Professor. Kieran was shyly talking with Murdoch, bonding over their 'food-based' Pokemon and discussing some of the cultural dishes they had there. Sounds like they're getting along fine.

"You doing okay?" Cyan quietly inquired. Mother and father were quickly sending off last-minute messages to work to ensure that any sudden details would be covered while Arven was entranced by some Flamigos he saw flying by, leaning out the edge of the taxi to get a better look at them.

"Ah, yeah, I'm fine. Really, just thinking. But I feel… ready. This is it; this is our time." I truly felt that way. As much as a million different thoughts and strategies swirled within my head, I was confident in the strength we had. After everything they've been through, I know my Pokemon are strong enough to win, so all I have to do is see them across the finish line. Easy, right?

…Well, easier said than done. Honestly, the real thing that takes the burden off of my mind is knowing that this isn't the
real battle; it just helps. Convincing Turo to shut down the Paradox machine is the biggest challenge. This is just where I prove I have the chops to force it shut down, if need be.

***

The first difficulty came in landing down. The Flying Taxis weren't that large, but the grassy hill was swarming with reporters and fans. At least I think they're fans, given the signs they're holding up with my name on them- oh, that one has a cute drawing of Dun! A few League Officials cordoned off a landing spot for us, holding back the people that tried to swarm us the moment we touched ground.

Geeta walked up to us as we disembarked. "Sorry about that. We knew this event would garner much attention, but we hadn't realized how many people would be here to get 'close to the action.'"

I gave her a small smile, somewhat distracted by all the noise around us. People were loudly cheering my name, but also reporters were desperately shouting, hoping I'd turn to answer their questions. Said questions ranged from reasonable ("Who do you think will be your greatest challenge among the Elite Four?" "What are your strategies to take on Martha's Spiritomb?") to the intriguing ("Will you be competing in the next junior karate tournament after this?" "What was the greatest challenge you faced thus far?") to the pretty obvious but understandable, ("Will we be seeing any Mega Evolutions from you?" "Do you think you can win?") and the truly ridiculous ("Is it true you're secretly Hassel's child?!" "Did you fly to Alola to elope before the Gauntlet?").

"Thanks," I said, shaking away the distractions and purposely reigning in my Aura so my senses weren't as sensitive. I'll have to get used to that later. Not just people peppering me with questions, but also having to answer them, rapid-fire. Maybe if I thought of it like a battle?

If I was a little overwhelmed, Carmine and Kieran were utterly gobsmacked. There's hundreds, possibly thousands here; probably more people on this small hill than in their entire village. And these are just the people who came in person, probably mostly Mesagozans unless I have some really die-hard fans here; most will just watch it on the TV or online later.

"Pretty cool building, right? No Oni Mountain, but Paldea has some cool places too," I said, giving Carmine a low ball, which she instinctively responded to, snapping back.

"That's right; Kitakami is the greatest! But, uh, your home is pretty nice too, I guess. We could visit someday, so you don't get lonely." Kieran nodded along, mutely. Wow, that's practically Carmine-speak for 'I love it here!' Still the words did the job of getting them moving, and they followed the others into the building.

"Your friends and family can stay in a lounge we've prepared," Geeta informed us, leading us to said room. It was fairly plain, but there were plenty of chairs and a couch for them to sit in, facing a large screen TV. It was also already occupied by three familiar figures.

"Tulip? Dendra? Gothorita?!" I was flabbergasted for a second before shaking my head and rushing forward and giving Dendra a fist bump (which she returned so hard I was pretty sure I'd end up with a light bruise). To Tulip I dipped my head slightly in respect. "I didn't expect to see you two here. Admittedly, because someone was hiding everything from me and I thought we were done with surprises after breakfast," I turned to give a mild glare at Cyan.

Like, on the one hand, I really appreciate it, but on the other, she knows I don't like big surprises like that! Dendra cleared her throat, speaking up. "We thought about joining you but someone likes her beauty sleep, so we just teleported here." Tulip gave her girlfriend a playful swat as the vice chairwoman strode forward.

"Yes, it might have cleared some issues up had you arrived with Nemona's party," Geeta stated calmly.

Tulip's response was sweet, but the smile she gave didn't reach her eyes. "I'm a Gym Trainer, there should have been no issues with my entrance."

"It was quite irregular, especially with your girlfriend and an uncaught Pokemon in tow." Wow, I didn't realize you could glare daggers at someone while smiling like that, but they've both mastered that skill. For some reason Arven looked quite awkward, taking in the scene. I could hardly blame him; however, the tension between them was palpable even without being a Psychic. Speaking of Psychics…

"And how are you doing?" I inquired, crouching a bit to be on eye-level with Gothorita. She gave me a blank look, betraying no emotions, but extended her ribbons around my hand. Feeling what she was trying to tell me was difficult, but the empathetic communication Athena practiced made it a little easier to decipher her feelings. "You're still unsure?"

"But super excited to watch your matches, osu! She's got quite the spirit, so we just had to bring her along for this."

"Thank you," I told my sensei before turning back to the Pokemon. "I'll do my best. Not sure if you'll be able to feel me from here, but I'll be close by, and you'll be able to watch me from the screen."

"That's correct, the matches are set to stream directly here," Geeta explained while I tried to extricate myself from a clingy Psychic. "Relax and get ready for a great show," she said, gesturing to the television before. "In between matches, Nemona, you can join them here to rest and recuperate. We'll also have small breaks planned for lunch and dinner in the cafeteria. Does that sound good?"

They all nodded (and I had managed to gently get my hand loose and wrench my shadow away from Gothorita), so Geeta continued. "With that settled, let's go to your first match."

"Against Daisy, right?" I confirmed, walking to the doorway with the vice chairwoman. She nodded, and I paused at the door to wave goodbye to the others, my eyes watering a little. "Uhh, thank you so much for the support. It means… more than I can say and-" My voice cracked, and they responded enthusiastically.

"You got this!"

"We're rooting for you!"

"Show them true Glitterati spirit out there!"

"We love you, dear!"

"Give them the taste of defeat!"

"You'll do great, osu!"

"Have faith in your strength; your true power cannot be denied."

"Go kick their butts!"

"D-don't hold back!"

"Hah, yeah, will do." With that, I was off, heading towards my first Elite Challenge. Well, I guess it counts as my third if we count my battles against Hassel and Miguel, but… the first real one.

Geeta was silent as we walked through the corridors, only speaking up when we entered the elevator. "It's impressive how far you've come in a short time. I've known you had talent since we first met, but even I didn't anticipate how far you'd rise since."

"We've known each other about three years now," I pointed out. "It's not that crazy to be taking on the Elite Four after that much time spent training. Or is it just doing so at my age that's impressive?"

She inclined her head. "That's impressive too, but even without that, there are only so many Trainers that can make the jump to challenging the Elite Four and Champion in such a time."

"Hey, save that kind of talk for when I win," I said back with a smirk, glancing over at the tall woman. Not a hint of what she's really feeling, even here. Geeta's never been unfair to me, but it's hard to tell what she's thinking.

"I'll make sure to mention it then too, but I felt I should recognize your growth up to this point. Saving the recognition for after you succeed feels somewhat hollow." There was a pause, and the only sound was of the elevator descending until we reached our floor.

"Well, I appreciate the support," I began, then stopped as the woman shook her head. "Ah right, that isn't what you were doing, was it?"

"Correct. You have plenty of people supporting you already." I smiled as I followed her down the corridor, thinking of everyone who cared for and believed in me. It's strange; I was so closed off when I first awakened to my memories in this world, and it never felt like I was desperately seeking out friends, but now I have so many.

Rather than take me to the big double doors at the end of the hall, Geeta motioned for us to go down a side door. At my questioning glance, she explained, "There's just a small check to go through before you begin your first match." I was slightly wary, looking inside the doorway to see a small room with a computer and desk off to the side but mainly dominated by a large machine at the center and back of it. The thing was bulky and vaguely hexagonal, coming up to my shoulders, with six indent slots at the top of its points. Wires led out the back through the wall, and there was a small inactive display screen in the center.

"Please place your Pokeballs in the machine," Geeta said, gesturing to the strange device. "It will scan them and make sure all the Pokemon within are indeed registered to you. It also saves us some time in registering them as Champion-tier Pokemon when someone wins." Hard to believe anyone would show up to a match like this with Pokemon that weren't registered to them, but people can be crazy. That, and/or the League just made it policy to do so preemptively.

There were only six slots, so I had to wait for all of them to be scanned before taking them out before putting Bahamut's ball in. Each Pokemon scanned quickly displayed their ID and my Trainer ID on the screen.

The vice chairwoman tilted her head slightly to the side. "Are you not going to register the last member of your team?" She asked, staring at Radiance's Pokeball.

"Nah. This one isn't quite ready for battles of this level yet." A decent enough excuse for the time being. Even partially true, though more for fear of them lashing out and getting someone hurt in a match than their own power, however. If they listened to me well, I don't think a single Pokemon in the Elite Four could stand up to Radiance.

With the scans done, I took the time to switch Miles out from their phone (noting the 'Go Nemona! I'll be watching your matches online!' and 'Good luck,' texts from Lacey and Amethio) to a combat-ready Form. Drone and Boombox Forms are good, and I do want to show them off here, but for Daisy, there's only one reasonable option. I'll use the other one in future matches.

Geeta nodded. "Very well, let us continue." Leading me back out and down the hallway, she asked, "Do you have any rivals among your friends and family? Someone who pushes you further than ever before?"

"Hmm, Kieran might get there some day, and Amethio certainly tries, oh! Rika was pretty good when I fought her last." Shame I won't be fighting her here today, though, but she was finishing up her Gym run only two years ago and is still a teenager; I guess it's a bit much to expect that she'd be an Elite Four already. Those thoughts caused a slight realization to click into place. "Huh, yeah, I guess I can't say there's anyone who fits that role." At least not yet; we're still a bit more than a half decade off of canon, unfortunately, assuming the protagonist even is there.

"That's a shame; finding a proper rival could help you rise even farther and give you new goals to reach for."

"Eh, might give me more motivation, but I'm not really lacking on that front." The fate of Paldea is pressure enough, thank you. At the slight frown on her face, I continued.

"There's always something higher to reach for, some new goal to attain," I said, stretching my hand up in the air, as if trying to grasp something ephemeral. "Once I've become a Champion, I'll just set my sights even higher."

"And when you reach the top?"

"A trick question, that; there is no 'top.' Not really. It's like 'utopia' or 'infinity,' a goal you can constantly strive for but never truly reach. That isn't to say that progress isn't important or worthwhile, however," I quickly added.

She surprised me by chuckling. "Sorry, it's just always a fresh perspective and something unexpected with you. It's good; it forces me to think in new ways."

"I see," I replied, nodding my head, coming to a stop before the main doors. Well, I don't truly see; there's still a lot I don't get about Geeta, but… "If you're looking for a match, I'd be happy to give you one some time after this."

"I hardly think I'd make a good rival for you, but I'll keep that in mind. Now, let's not keep them waiting." With that, she opened the doors, revealing the rather bland room with big light blue tiles making up the walls and floors. The room was a large, square shape with a slightly smaller gray rectangle within, the lines and Pokeball pattern on it marking it as the arena proper. Rotom Drones, far smaller than the version Miles had, hovered around the outside, recording everything taking place here. There was a man I didn't recognize with a mic standing off to the side. And across from me on the other end of the arena stood Daisy. Go time.


Sorry to leave it on this cliffhanger here, but this chapter was getting super long. Don't worry though, next time for real, her battle against the Elite Four begins!

... Don't have much else to say, mostly just been playing a ton of Silksong. I even added a channel to discuss it on the Discord to talk about it. And if you like the chapter and want to toss me a bit of money, I have a Kofi and a Patreon, subscribers to the later get early access to the next ten chapters. Thank you, and I hope you have a great day.
 
Station Six-Two-Five: The Reuben New
"Hello, everyone!" exclaims a man wearing a long, black coat from his spot at what appears to be a desk for news. "And welcome, WELCOME! To Station Six-Two-Five: The Reuben, my place and yours for all of our world news!"

The man is on a screen. Could be a television, phone, or whatever screen, but definitely a screen. In the bottom-right corner of said screen, the number "62.5" is displayed, encased in the middle a cartoon rendition of a sandwich, between bread, cheese, and sauerkraut. Or maybe the period is actually an olive?

An Absol to the man's left comments, "Bso." Her comment both affirms and corrects the man's words. A faint knocking sound can be heard from off-screen.

The man nods. "You're right: in Paldea. I'm your host, 'Jack'," the man called Jack air-quotes.

On the screen, an overlay appears beneath the man, showing the name "Jack" on top of a subtitle that reads "The Man They Call 'Jack'".

"And next to me on my left is my dearest friend and co-host, Rules!" Jack beams and positions both of his arms as if to showcase the Absol.

"Absol," Rules states.

An overlay appears beneath the Absol, showing the name "Rules" on top of a subtitle that reads "It's spelled 'R-O-U-X-L-S'.".

"In today's exciting news, the Paldean League released notice of THE CHALLENGE OF THE CENTURY!" Jack starts. The knocking sound is less faint; louder.

"Abs," Rouxls confirms.

"We were all wondering when Nemona Glitterati, Paldea's most surprising nine-year-old, would take on the first member of our Elite Four."

"Would she take a break beforehand?!" Jack asklaims.

"Sol," Rouxls declines with a shake of her head.

"Would she continue her training?"

"Bso," Rouxls bobs her head in a "sort-of" motion, "lab."

Jack stares at Rouxls, surprised. "Really? Where?"

"Alola," Rouxls explains.

"Huh. Well, then. A surprise is in store for us all! You can almost hear the excitement!" Jack holds his hand up to his ear. The not-quite-as-faint knocking sound has turned into a light pounding sound, joined with some light shouting of unintelligible passion.

Jack goes back to his previously-lost thought, "The League has announced that young Nemona will be taking on the Gauntlet Challenge, a format rarely seen in our time!"

"Abs."

"Indeed; it seems like she going for a major challenge. Certainly fits what we know of her, her having taken on our nation's Gym Leaders at their highest levels."

"Sol," Rouxls corrects.

The pounding gets louder, and the voice gets more intelligible: a human female-sounding voice, "D----t, Jack! - -ol- y-u -o- can'- do th-- ---more!"

Jack and Rouxls glance at each other, stare towards the camera (which nods), and continue, both shrugging, "Iono aside."

"In just a few days, we'll get to see this musical, battling, trash talk-flipping prodigy show off her skills!"

Rouxls nods in agreement and shifts her gaze away from the camera to an area off-screen to Jack's right.

"And hopefully, we'll get to see Nemona face off against El Primero himself: Miguel. This… Friday! Monday!... Wednesday?" Jack looks beyond the camera. "What day is it gonna be?"

"Gothitelle," the cameraperson answers as a flash of red emits from stage right onto Jack's right.

A shout can clearly be heard from said right, "Flamigo, on my mark!"

Jack stands up and points at the camera, "Right! That day!" An overlay appears over the desk, stating the day and date of Nemona's Gauntlet Challenge.

Rouxls crouches into a battle stance, humming as music from Nemona's hit lyricless song "Megalovania" starts playing from timestamp 1:52.

"Well, Paldea, that's all the time we have for today! Next time you see us, we'll excitedly recap the results of Paldea's Centurial Event!" Jack gets into a sprinting stance, facing towards his former left.

"I've been Jack, she's been Rouxls, and you've been great."

"Go, Flamigo!" the female voice roars, and what sounds to be a door breaking down breaks down.

"Bye-bye!" Jack laughs, sprinting stage left.

"Sol-sol!" Rouxls barks teasingly to the audience, the Flamigo, and the human woman wearing a bright yellow jacket. Rouxls does a Backflip 180 and follows Jack, a smirk on her face.

The camera briefly stays in place until Jack and Rouxls are off-screen, the Flamigo and woman are on-screen, and the angry woman glares at the camera.

The camera view lowers to the ground. Both the camera feed and the music cut off as "Megalovania" reaches timestamp 2:36.


This lovely omake comes courtesy not of me, but of Ectomanom! Thanks to them very much
 
Chapter 77 New
Thank you so much for my 61 Beginner Tier Patreons and an extra special thanks to RageLord, Nodal_Gravity, and Exalted Requiem, my Ace Tier Patreons!

There were some definite signs of familial resemblance the Elite Four had with her niece, Poppy. They shared the same glossy black hair and eyes that seemed to sparkle with an internal light. But the similarities ended there - Daisy's hair was tangled, long, and wild, matching her rugged appearance.

She was a buff woman, wearing a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt with a blue vest over top. The belt she wore was heavy-duty with several pockets and Pokeballs attached to it. Hanging from her neck was an odd, blocky steel key attached to a simple necklace. It's a good balance of both unique enough to be distinctly 'her' image, while also being something that wouldn't feel too out of place if she was hiking in the wilderness.

"So, you're Nemona, huh? Glad to meet ya kid." Actually, we met once briefly many years ago. I didn't correct her, though, feeling that would be rude. "Even gladder to beat ya." I gave a small chuckle at that.

"We'll see how glad you are after I'm done with you; didn't come all this way to be stopped by the first bump in the road."

"Oho, it looks like our competitors are showing sparks already," the announcer declared, stepping forward. Honestly, that's pretty friendly as far as banter goes. He continued, heedless of my thoughts. "I'm Kain Lenon and I'll be your announcer for today, giving all the folks at home commentary on this epic, once-in-a-decade spectacle!"

Kain waved out an arm at me, and the Rotom Drones immediately flew over, focusing in. "Nemona Glitterati is our challenger, shining so bright I can hardly bear to look at her, wowzers! She's one of the youngest Trainers in Paldea and the youngest to ever earn all Eight Badges from Paldea. Now, Nemona stands here today, looking to become the youngest Trainer to ever hold the rank of Champion."

"To do that though, she must first overcome the beautiful, the boisterous, Daisy Chase!" He gestured out to the Elite, who did some obligatory flexing and posing for the cameras as they focused on her. Kain turned back to me. "The Elite Gauntlet is one of the toughest challenges that one can take on to challenge the Elite Four. Do you think you can manage it?"

I tried not to let any uncomfortableness show on my face as the attention turned back to me. It's times like this when I feel my physical age the most. I can't strike some dramatic pose or the like; I'd just look silly or cute. That being said, I still did my best to look confident, straightening and pulling my hands out of my pockets.

"A lot of people have asked me that, and I wouldn't have done this if I didn't think I could win. Admittedly anything can happen in a battle, but going in with a losing attitude is just self defeating - and would be insulting to my team. For anyone who harbors doubts about this, my age, or whatever, all I can say is wait and see."

He clapped a few times. "That's Nemona for you viewers; always cool and collected. We haven't seen a Gym Leader shake her yet. But the Elite Four are on another level! Still, don't fret if the worst happens; as this is a Gauntlet challenge, Nemona only needs to win three of her four battles against the Elite Four in order to earn the right to face the Top Champion!"

Geeta took this moment to step in. "Indeed, there are some special rules for these matches. Each will be a Four versus Four battle, with two switches for each side. Battle Items are allowed, as is a single type of Enhancement Effect for each Trainer."

"Ah, thank you. This is Geeta, the vice chairwoman of the League. She'll also be acting as the referee for today. So many important figures here today, when we might see history in the making. Isn't this exciting?" He asked, semi-rhetorically (since the viewers could hardly answer him). At least it's over with, I thought as he stepped back from the arena, leaving things to us. I pushed aside his gnattering to focus on the match.

Despite my 'cool' composure, I could feel a bit of sweat in the palm of my hands as I raised my Pokeball at Geeta's signal. Sure, it is the first fight, and I've prepared as best as I can and could even afford to lose one, but… I am nervous. There's so much riding on this; losing a match would leave me on the backfoot entirely for the rest of the Gauntlet, and she's still an Elite. What if-

I breathed out, banishing the doubts as I released Dun. The Magnezone floated above on the opposite side, crackling with power, the three sets of magnets on its side spinning slowly, and one loose, smaller magnet hanging off a cord, gaining charge. My partner landed on the field, glaring up at Daisy's shiny UFO-looking Pokemon. I have my partner by my side. Nothing major will go wrong now. "Trainers, are you ready?" Geeta asked.

""Yes"" we declared in unison.

"Very well. We begin on the count of three, two, one,... begin!"

I waited for her to make the first Move, to commit to a play. It wasn't a long wait, a quarter of a second, and she was shouting, "Electric Terrain!" Oh wow, this makes my job easier. Spinning the magnets slightly faster now, Magnezone began infusing the ground with electrical energy, which would then boost their power, in defiance of any laws that would state Energy is supposed to be conserved. Man, if I could use Radiance here, that would turn this match into a slaughter… Possibly literally. Oh well, this is still shaping up nicely.

"Earthquake!" I called out, and Dun flopped onto the ground, sending waves of dirt rippling up to swallow Magnezone - but not before Daisy's Tera Orb cracked open above her Pokemon. "What?" So early… did she Tera into Flying or something? That would remove her weaknesses- My thought stopped as the attack cleared, and I saw her Pokemon.

They were dinged up by the blow, Terastalization only having limited the damage a little bit. This was because of the large steel axe Tera 'hat' above the Magnezone's head. Really? Terastalizing into a Steel Type… "Flash Cannon!" Daisy cried, and I realized I didn't have time to question the Elite's choices.

"Barrel roll," I called out calmly, and Dun began rolling their body away from the blasts of Steel Type energy that were being shot out from the spinning magnets. Each missed attack crackled, giving off odd quick surges of lightning where they struck. All of their STAB Moves are boosted now. That's fine though; we still have the upper hand, especially with Dun's Expert Belt boosting his attacks.

"Up in the air and Flamethrower!" Dun stopped rolling and immediately leapt into the air, opening his mouth and releasing a gout of flame at our first foe. The Magnezone's attacks missed from the sudden change in elevation, and when they tried to fire back, the pain from the flames and Dun's unusual aerial movement caused their follow-up attacks to miss.

"Tri Attack, cut through their path," Daisy called, her voice only a hint tight. The three magnets attached to her Pokemon's body rose up, spinning to launch separate waves of ice, electricity, and fire that combined into a single bright beam.

"Tri Attack right back!" I cheered. Probably not the brightest Move, but worth it to show off like this. My starter curled his tail around, raised his head, and used his wings, creating the same kind of attack to clash with Magnezone, the beams cancelling each other out.

Of course, this movement also stopped his flight, so he crashed back to the ground. Magnezone's body was a little scorched and dented, but they had enough juice in the tank to strike Dun with a quick yet potent Thunder, and I winced. Okay, not Paralyzed, we're still good. They're out of Earthquake range, but not too much beyond that.

"Drill Run," I announced. Dun's tail whirled to life, tearing a path through the arena to below where Magnezone floated. The motion flung dirt up high around, smacking hard into the Tera Steel Pokemon, even as they tried to dodge away. Magnezone let out a screech of pain, and I smiled. We're getting close; now to set things up a bit more.

"Ice Spinner, sweep em up," I said, then covered my mouth, yawning. There was a glint in his nearly shut eyes as Dun followed the command, rising up to his full, very impressive height of almost five meters tall. Magnezone's main red eye widened in shock as Dun spun towards them, icy shards flying off of my starter's body.

The impact did little damage to the Steel Type, but it did eliminate the Terrain, as well as putting Dun's head right beside Magnezone. Our foe attempted to float away but was too slow to avoid the large cloud Dun Yawned straight onto them.

"Thunderbolt," Daisy snapped out, sounding frustrated. I didn't miss the way she grabbed a Pokeball as she gave the command either. Good, let's see who the switch is.

"Protect," I countered, running down the clock further. As her Pokemon wobbled in the air, we both knew it was time, and she called for her first Switch.

"Switch. All right, your foe's weak now, get him!" She instructed her other Pokemon, releasing them after she recalled Magnezone. With a proud, triumphant shriek, a sleek, steel-coated large bird burst onto the field. Unlike the usual metallic avian of the region, this one was mostly colored in light grey save for his wings, which were split into four 'sheets' each. The top section of each and the backs were grey as well, but the underside of the other three on each side were a bright red. Atop his angular head was a sharp fin, like a shark's.

Skarmory. Didn't expect that, and he looks decently rugged and tough too. She must have been saving him for a while. Oh well, realistically, this will go about the same as it would if she had used her Corviknight. "Roost."

At my command, Dun dropped down and curled up, wings fluttering lightly before stilling. Before our eyes, the shock burn marks left from Magnezone started healing. Rather than press an attack, however, Skarmory shook his wings, and tiny rocks scattered around the field.

"Stealth Rocks? Bold choice, thinking you'll force me to take Dun off the field." I mean, I was planning on switching anyways; this is just an annoyance I'll have to deal with. "Flamethrower."

Dun attempted to burn away the bird, but this go-around didn't work as well as it did against Magnezone. Skarmory was faster and able to better maneuver around the gouts of flame Dun breathed out. "Air Cutter!" Daisy shouted, and her Pokemon began weaving cutting sweeps of his wings at Dun as he dodged between. While it did slow down his dodging a tad, the slight flinches from the blows he landed made up for it.

"Hurricane, catch them in place, then bring the Thunder." The Flying Pokemon screeched in outrage as Dun, with his tiny wings, began flapping them hard enough to whip a storm around the bird. Pulling his wings in tight, Skarmory immediately attempted to cut through it, and while it was fast, the drag of the wind was enough to still let Dun zap him hard.

No Paralysis from that; we can set the stage a bit further. I actually didn't want to knock Skarmory out just yet, but weakening him would help set the stage for my big combo. "Glare!"

"Close your eyes!" Daisy shouted, almost at the same time as I had said it. Skarmory wrenched his yellow eyes shut at her command, ignoring the fierce Glare Dun gave and drifting through the air remarkably well on sound alone. At my baffled look, she laughed. "What, do you think we haven't been studying for your matches too? Can't get predictable."

"Hmph, well, guess I better show you something new then. But first, Ice Beam!" Skarmory opened his eyes and attempted to roll out of the way from the attack but couldn't dodge the chilling beam as easily as he had the Flamethrowers before. While those attacks covered a larger area, Ice Beam was faster and traveled further before petering out.

The attack isn't as effective against a Skarmory either, but tradeoffs. Let's do… one more attack here. "Blizzard!" I cried as Daisy gave an order of her own. A howling storm of ice and snow quickly enveloped the field, which Skarmory dove into, energy surrounding the front of his body as he dived in, striking into Dun.

The blow hit Dun hard and forced him off the offense, but the cleared snow showed that Skarmory had taken some blows too, landing hard on the ground and not immediately taking off. The reason for that was because of the ice coating his wings, and while the large bird plucked at a yellow berry hanging on a strap around his body, the berry only healed his wounds, not removed the ice.

"Switch," I said clearly, and Daisy paused, her eyes narrowing as I recalled my starter. Skarmory didn't make any Moves, but Pokemon didn't have to stop moving, and so he took to the air. Slower than he'd be without the ice, though. Alright, this is perfect.

"Alright Notch, the stage is set, it's your time to shine!" I declared, tossing Notch's Pokeball above the arena. In a flash of light, they materialized, shining brightly and earning a shocked gasp from Daisy. Even Geeta was staring with her jaw hanging open.

Notch twirled around once, showing off their Legendary self for the Rotom Drones recording the match. They looked much like they had on the day of their transformation, but over the white 'dress' their tightly wound fluff formed the appearance of, they were wearing a bright red, heavy-duty Assault Vest.

Notch finished their show by declaring, ['Let's do this!'] And slamming their fists together. The action also caused the Stealth Rocks, which had been flying towards my Pokemon to stop mid-air before the hazard fell to the ground, entirely ineffective. It wasn't even a proper Move, more like the equivalent of flexing a muscle for them. That's the power of a Legendary for you.

"Ugh, just like Juan." Daisy muttered the real name of her turtle-obsessed fellow Elite, snapping back into focus and giving commands as the battle began again.

Not before I was able to call out, "Diamond Storm," though, since I'd never paused. Her order for a Steel Wing was worrisome, but we had an answer for that. Two answers, in fact.

The first came in the flurry of sharp, hard shards of diamond that filled the airspace, both cutting into Daisy's Pokemon and coating Notch like armor. This wasn't enough to deter the charge of an Elite's Pokemon however; the Skarmory dove down through the storm, wing glowing as he neared Notch.

The Tera orb I tossed over Notch's head was our second answer. Before he hit, my Pokemon was Terastalized, Skarmory's wing smashing through the crystals that formed around them but doing little damage to the Fighting-type Pokemon now within.

"Well, I guess that explains the cape!" The announcer said, sounding almost breathless and still a little dazed. "Here, I thought it was just because her parents were loaded." I tuned out his chattering as I gave my next order.

"Diamond Storm once more, take that bird out of the sky." Notch waved a hand out, large, spiky chunks of diamond forming in Skarmory's path as the Elite Pokemon curved through the air, circling around to gain elevation for another diving run again. He tried to dodge the attacks, moving surprisingly nimbly for an avian of his size, but to no avail as Notch simply moved the gemstones in response. Each blow cut through even the Steel Type's armored form and shattered the diamonds, the splinters absently rising and adding themselves to the sparkling suit of armor Notch was building around themself.

It's almost too bright to look at; the natural shine from Terastalization becomes dazzling with all the diamonds covering their body. "You're something else, kid," Daisy said, the buff woman shaking her head. "But don't think we're out of this yet! Terastalization comes with its weaknesses too; show them just what we mean, Knightwing. Brave Bird!"

I blinked for a split second, surprised at her calling the name of one of my Pokemon before I realized that it was simply the name of her own Pokemon. "Endure it," I said. Notch wouldn't be able to use the Move even without the vest, but they can still brace for a hit.

Knightwing swooped down, diving fast and slamming hard into Notch, this time connecting with the Super-Effective STAB attack… and stopping cold against their large hands. My Pokemon had their new diamond-encrusted appendages held up, holding the Skarmory back by the head.

He reeled back, the impact hurting him far more than Notch. Not something they show you in the games, but hitting a Diancie with four defense boosts, aka, a Wall of Diamonds, hurts you more than your foe, even if recoil damage is supposed to be lesser. Not that Notch had taken no damage from it; I could make out a few minute cracks running along their body and armor.

Not letting the reckless charge go unanswered, Notch flipped the far larger Pokemon over, tossing them over their head and onto the other side. Knightwing squawked in shock, unable to right himself as Notch flew over their prone form.

"Body Press!" I cheered more than ordered, Notch clearly on the same page as I was. With a raised elbow and a look of glee in their eyes, my Pokemon dropped down, slamming into the Skarmory so hard that a small crater formed beneath him as his body crunched under the force Notch brought to bear.

He gave a slight wheeze but made no motions to rise as Notch floated off, wiping imaginary dust off their hands. "Daisy's Pokemon is defeated; please choose your next Pokemon, Daisy," Geeta declared crisply. In the background I could hear the announcer going crazy over Notch, but I tuned him out.

What's your next move, Daisy? You're down your best bet to take out Notch, one switch left, and that Magnezone is too badly hurt to risk against a buffed-up Legendary. Do you do something unexpected or- "Bronzong, your turn to shine!" The Elite's voice interrupted my thoughts and confirmed them. The Pokemon looked like a very large ancient bell, with eyes at the base and long, thin arms extending out from the handle at the top.

"Smack down," I ordered immediately. Part of me was tempted to switch out right then, but I was hesitant to give up the defense boost Notch was currently rocking.

The slower Steel Type Pokemon attempted to get out of the way of the rock Notch had conjured but was much too slow, leaving them pinned under a boulder. It did little damage to Bronzong's tough body; however, it did cancel out the Levitate they had been using.

"Body Press into Stomping Tantrum," I cried, and my Diancie threw themself over at the stuck Pokemon - only to be frozen mid-air, a blue glow surrounding them. Glancing down, I saw Bronzong waving its arms up at Diancie, clearly holding them in place with Psychic. Two can play that game, literally.

"Notch, use your own Psychic to break out of it, then Stomping Tantrum!" There was a sound like shattering glass as Notch handily tore off the power constraining them, then dropped straight down. When Notch hit the floor, a large chunk of ground was sent flying straight at the Bronzong, the Steel Type letting out a distressed wail as the super-effective attack hit. Never pleasant to take a Move you're weak to like that, especially if you have an Ability that usually protects you.

"Body Press, let's finish this." I called out before seeing a gleam in the Elite Trainer's eyes. A trap? But how?! Her Pokemon is pinned… and she didn't try to fix that! If she could hold Notch in place, then they could easily have tossed aside the boulder.

"Reverse course!" My warning came a second too late; Notch had already landed upon Bronzong, slightly caving in the Steel Type's coned body, but in response they had released a subtle wave of pink spirally energy at my Pokemon.

Notch leapt off of Bronzong, pushing with their hands, but the way they floated away was wobbly for a second before it stopped and they fell to the ground. "Oh? What's this? Nemona's Pokemon was doing so well - what could have felled a Legendary Pokemon?" The announcer spouted off.

"Hypnosis," I hissed, running through the options in my head.

"That's right! I've had a bit of experience dealing with a Fairy Type as strong as yours, and a point-blank Hypnosis usually gets the trick done," Daisy gloated. She says that, but it still must have taken a fair bit of training to get her Bronzong strong enough to manage that. She's not an Elite for nothing… but she is still the weakest Elite.

I crossed my arms, simply standing there. "You, uh, aren't going to recall them?" Daisy asked, and I noted the slight perspiration on her brow.

"Hypnosis only lasts so long, and I've seen what you can do." And more importantly, what you can't. Despite having STAB and being Super Effective against Notch's Tera Type, the Psychic they used did practically no damage. It was a testament to just how tough Notch was. With the Assault Vest on top of that, they could tank even powerful attacks with ease, and the Diamond Storm armor made my Pokemon even tougher physically.

The woman across from me gave a great heaving sigh, and rather than order any attack, called out for a "Switch." Recalling her Bronzong she used her final Switch of the match, sending out a Pokemon I hadn't expected. It looked like an engine block with purple highlights on the pipes and a singular yellow in front. The shiny steel engine part of her was connected to dark purple stones, as if carved in the facsimile of a car.

Revavroom. Well, I guess that explains why she didn't bother setting up Trick Room before switching. Trick Room was something I used often with Notch, and for all the new power they had as a Diancie, their speed hadn't increased as a result of the change. In spite of that, they were still fast enough to outspeed most of Daisy's Pokemon. That's why I felt comfortable giving them the Assault Vest for this battle; they wouldn't need to use Trick Room or Rock Polish to keep up with any fast hitters she had.

I still felt there were tricks I had to deal with the one speedy Pokemon on her team, but as the Steel Elite called for a "Shift Gear," I knew I had to switch.

No point in letting her set up. "Get in there, Miles!" I called out as I returned the dozing Notch. There was a flash of a grimace on Daisy's face as she saw my Rotom enter the stage. More specifically, her displeasure was at the red oven they were possessing.

"Debilitate, suite four." At my command, Miles raised their plasmic arms, conjuring weak yet crippling jolts of electricity around the field.

"Dodge it! Fire off Gunk Shots," Daisy countered, and the Revavroom's engines made a loud noise, tires screeching against the ground as she raced off. I knew their speed was impressive, but this is something else. I marveled, watching as the car-like Pokemon zipped this way and that, somehow avoiding the Thunder Waves Miles was creating. As she did so, she'd use the motion of the drifts and swerves to knock conjured balls of garbage up at my Pokemon.

Miles did their best to evade them, but eventually a shot hit them, knocking them through the air for a moment. Ugh, we need to change strategies- no, this is still the right call. We just need to focus. "Concentrate, study their pattern, and continue the first half of the plan." Miles narrowed their plasmic eyes, and I focused with them, as if hoping I could predict where the Revavroom would go. Wouldn't help even if I did. I'd never be able to relay the information to Miles in time to make use of it.

It didn't matter though, as Miles was more than capable of doing so on their own. A slight pause in their attacks, then three Thunder Waves in quick succession; two to cut off the other paths Revavroom could take, and as they drifted and launched another Gunk Shot, ended up careening into the third.

Already I could see how her wheels seized up and she began to spin out of control. She managed to realign herself, using the time Miles spent recovering from the Gunk Shot that clipped them to control her motor functions once more. She was still slowed from the Paralysis however, which gave us time to go on the offense.

"In close, Overheat!" Daisy had enough time to grit her teeth before the wave of heat hit her (and me, Geeta, and the announcer). If it was bad for us outside the arena, it was brutal for the Revavroom, who let out an agonized screech as she raced out of the inferno, her engine looking slightly melted.

"No Filter Ability?" I clicked my tongue at Daisy. This is why you're the easiest of the Elites here; no counters to a common Type. While her team was definitely strong enough overall and she had good options to deal with Fighting and Ground Types with her Corviknight and Bronzong, the weakness to Fire was a rather glaring hole in her defenses from everything I'd studied.

"Keep at it, Overheat again," I called out, and Miles gleefully followed the Revavroom. She tried to escape again, but it became clear she couldn't outspeed my Pokemon while Paralyzed, even with the speed boost.

Rather than continue a futile chase, Daisy decided to do as much damage as she could. "Reverse course, Jab them!" Revavroom's wheels screeched loudly against the floor as she turned as hard as she could, adding a slight hop to jump up to where Miles bore down on them.

As the Overheat burnt the air all around Miles and distorted my vision of what occurred within, I thought they had escaped the attack, but a discolored purple splotch on their body revealed he'd been hit. And more than that, Poisoned. This will be rough going forward.

Despite that, the Overheat had done enough damage to take Revavroom straight out of the fight. It was quick, but very strong, Super Effective STAB attacks were dangerous for a reason. Plus, I think she focused more on making them dodgy rather than good at tanking attacks, especially like the ones Miles can put out.

The downside to the powerful attack was that Miles was now exhausted, but I had a plan for that. As Daisy recalled her fallen Pokemon and sent Bronzong back in there, I responded immediately. "Uproar!"

Miles let out a loud screeching sound, confusing and annoying our foes, but doing little damage as the sound reverberated around. "Psychic, crush them." Miles continued to make a racket even as their body was telekinetically gripped by the Psychic. Good enough, I hope.

"I'm withdrawing my Pokemon!" I shouted, my voice just barely hearable over the noise. I recalled the still screeching Miles and, at almost the same time, released Notch. The Uproar faded away quickly, but there were still echoes, enough that my Diancie, upon release, blearily woke up.

"Crud! In close, Hypnosis!" Daisy shouted, forgoing all subtlety in favor of speed.

"It's no use!" I declared, throwing my hand out, a motion which Notch mimicked. Psychic power crashed down on Bronzong, pinning it to the ground. The Steel Type narrowed their eyes in anger, pushing back and beginning to rise with their own Psychic power. "Smack Down, then Sand Tomb."

While able to resist in a contest of pure Psychic strength, the Rock Type energies that let Notch telekinetically lift up a stone and drop it upon Bronzong were too strong for them to resist, especially with Notch putting their full effort into keeping our enemy pinned. Sand rose up around them, wearing down at the Steel Type. The Bronzong struggled but was unable to escape or even launch any effective counterattacks at that distance.

It was hardly a flashy finish, but with no counters left, they were worn down and defeated. Daisy at least had the sense of mind to toss up a Rain Dance before her Pokemon fainted however, which would give her a slight edge when she sent her Magnezone back out. "Thunder!"

"Go in hard, Body Press," I called as Notch was struck by a powerful lightning bolt amidst the heavy rain inside the arena. It chipped their body a little, but it was hardly too much for them to deal with.

Daisy countered, "Keep up the barrage and throw in Magnet Bomb as well!" The sky became a field of death as bombs and lightning rained down, nearly as plentiful as the water pouring over the arena too.

"Diamond Shield, deflect and ascend." At my command and Notch's power, the superhard hard stones coalesced in the air, forming powerful barriers to soak up the force of the explosions as bombs and bolts struck it. The attacks smashed aside parts of the barrier, but Notch could repair it just as fast as they could damage it, all while steadily pursuing the enemy.

Some of the shards have to fly off and attack Magnezone too, but with an attack like Diamond Storm that's offensive and defensive, Notch is able to shift it more one way or the other, and as such, use it as a makeshift Protect, even while wearing an Assault Vest. As such it wasn't quite as good at blocking as the ultimate defensive Move, but still more than enough to block most of the attack.

Magnezone attempted to hover away, but they weren't the most maneuverable, and Notch quickly had them backed into a corner. Eating another Thunder for their trouble that was aimed around the barrier, Notch stopped creating or controlling the diamonds and rose above Magnezone before dropping down hard on them.

They gave a metallic screech, and given the sound waves were visible, I knew they were both in pain and attempting a Move against Notch. Not that it will work; Notch still has Clear Body; their 'stats' can't be dropped. "Body Press again," I ordered, strategizing as I saw how the end of the fight was shaping up.

"Discharge, zap them off of you!" Waves of electricity radiated off of our foe while Notch rose up half a meter just to drop back down upon them. They hit Magnezone like a rock, but I didn't miss how awkward the landing looked, more like a frat boy belly flopping into a pool than a professional wrestler diving atop someone.

Notch was paralyzed by that attack. Oh well, this is fine. Daisy's Pokemon was tough but already doing badly from the fight against Dun. I could see in her eyes when the calculation was made. Such decisions could be quickly reversed, so I decided to give her a bit more motivation. "Notch, use Stomping Tantrum!"

The command was simple and quite reasonable given the circumstances. Magnezone was low to the ground, easy prey for a Ground Type Move like that to take them out. It's so reasonable that you won't think it's a bluff.

I was correct; as Notch drifted off of Magnezone, ostensibly to get room to use the Move I said, she gave me a fierce smirk. "You've got some mettle to you, Nemona. Looks like we'll be going out, but not without a bang. Explosion!" Magnezone had started glowing when his Trainer had begun talking (some quick hand sign she had made the signal), so by the time she finished, he was primed to blow.

The explosion shook the arena and kicked up a great cloud of dust. "What's this? It looks like Daisy's last Pokemon has used Explosion! This marks her defeat, oh, but what a price for victory our challenger must pay! How will she handle the rest of the Elite Four with her Legendary defeated?"

"Pretty easily," I commented back. "That Move wouldn't have taken Notch out even if we hadn't gotten our defenses up in time," I finished as the dust cleared, revealing my Pokemon mostly unharmed by the blast, a wall of chipped diamonds between them and the fallen Magnezone. That being said, it would have hurt a fair bit if they had gotten a direct hit on Notch with that, so I'm glad I read it right and gave Notch the signal to block it.

We had several hidden gestures and secret codes, but one of the simplest I'd found was to call out my Pokemon's names before the Move. Because it was so ubiquitous and worked with everyone on the team, I'd had that strategy keyed to Protect, the one Move that every Pokemon on my team knew. No one else on my team would have been able to turn an offensive Move like Diamond Storm into something resembling the ultimate defensive Move though.

"The winner, Nemona Glitterati!" Geeta declared, and just like that, the match was over. It was a rather odd atmosphere shift with that. Sure, the battle was over with the arena's barriers shut down, but since everyone was watching via the Rotom Drones, there were no cheers, whispers, or exclamations. At least, none that I can hear. I decided to give them a wave through the cameras, Notch enthusiastically joining and carrying on after me once I went to shake Daisy's hand.

"Good match," she said sincerely, a tight grip that I did my best to match on her shake. "Hassel's been talking you up, and I gotta say, you didn't disappoint."

"Thank you." I paused for a moment before lowering my voice and inquiring, "Are you not allowed to Tera outside of your specialty?" There had to be better options than Magnezone simply reducing their Electric weakness. Sure, it limited the damage I could do with Earthquake and the like, but that still left them pretty open.

Her eyes widened before she chuckled lowly, letting go of my hand. "Yeah, you figured it out. The new policy is we've gotta stick to our Type Specialties." She shrugged as if it was no big deal while I had to resist clenching my fists in anger. Ugh! So dumb; things like this are why people online diss Paldea as weak. Our Elites shouldn't be fighting with a hand tied behind their backs! Honestly, I found the Type Specialization enforcement overly restrictive in general, and we had one Elite Four who currently flouted that, specializing in a… different manner.

"That needs to change," I stated, and she laughed deeper.

"You're on the right track then! Keep on trekking down this road, and perhaps you'll be able to." I nodded before recalling Notch and turning around, marching back out. One down, three more, and a Champion to go. I still had a few butterflies in my stomach, but I couldn't deny the smile that was on my face. I had done it: defeated my first Elite Four.

***

Geeta raised a hand for me to stop, looking at a sudden message on her Rotom Phone. With a sigh so soft I doubted anyone else would hear it, she said, "Please wait a minute. There's been a slight issue at the main entrance."

When I raised an eyebrow, the vice chairwoman gave me a smile that was half bemused, half frustrated. "You caused quite a stir, revealing Notch like that there; I don't think anyone was anticipating it. Your fans and a fair number of reporters tried to breach the building looking to get to you."

"I- what? Seriously?" She nodded, typing rapidly on her phone. "I didn't think I'd cause that big a- well, okay, I figured it would be a bit of a surprise, but I didn't think they'd try that!" Seriously, I get that this is a big deal and all, but c'mon.

"Partially, it's on us. You registered the Pokeballs of all the Pokemon you were planning to use today with us, and they all matched the Auric signatures that had previously been registered to your Trainer ID. We hadn't expected something so… dramatic to change." Hadn't expected my trip to Alola would pay off, or just surprised because I've been keeping quiet about it? Could be either.

We waited a few more seconds before Geeta's phone made an alert sound, and she nodded. "It's all clear now; they've corralled the main entrance. Let's go back to your family; I'm sure they're dying to see you."

***

"You did it/woohoo!" Cyan and Arven cheered, rushing up to me. Kieran, Carmine, and Dendra weren't far behind, wildly exclaiming and peppering me with questions.

"Guys, guys! Give me some space," I half-said, half-laughed, still riding high on the euphoria of my first victory. As they backed off a little, I released Dun, Miles, and Notch into the open space. "Besides, save your praises for them; they did all the hard work."

My Pokemon preened at the praise and the potions and ethers I handed out to let the kids help them recover. While they were busy getting pampered, Athena released herself from her ball, her arms crossed. "Lucario," she grumbled. 'I didn't get to fight her and you said I would.'

Sighing, I clarified. "I said you might get to fight in the first round. We won pretty handily here, so we didn't need you for that battle. Don't worry though, you'll be first up next round." I quickly pacified the Fighting Type.

She huffed but accepted that, moving over to taunt Dun and brag about how much better she was going to do than him. He shot back about 'being a team player' and how he'd crush way more of the Elite Four's Pokemon than her. Despite the fact that they've gotten together, they still have that rivalry between them. It's good; it has them push each other to new heights. Still, I should intervene before they start trading blows and scar each other before the real battle or start mating and mentally scar the kids here.

Prying them apart, I returned the team to their balls, save for Notch, who had drifted over to Gothorita and was conversing with the Psychic, who had a worried look on her face. "How's it going?" I asked, and it was Tulip who provided an answer.

"Gothorita is having trouble foreseeing how your next match will go. It can be a troubling experience for Psychics, especially those unfamiliar with Dark Types."

I cocked my head to the side. "What about you? Can't imagine they're pleasant for you either given your… specialty." I kept my voice low and casual, not wanting to give away her secret but still curious. We all see the world so differently. I love my flight and everything I can do with my Aura, but I do have to wonder what it would be like to read someone's mind. To truly understand another person in a way no one else could. And yet even with that, there are exceptions.

"It's not as bad as you might think. I hardly reach out as far as Gothorita does casually." She furrowed her elegant eyebrows, adding telepathically: 'I wasn't always as strong as I am now. I hear that for those who are more gifted than I, it can be difficult. They're so used to relying on those senses that when they cut out, it can be difficult.'

Dendra ran back to hug her girlfriend and continue talking about the fight, and I used the opportunity to move closer to Gothorita, offering my hand for her ribbons to wrap around again. "Did you have fun watching the first match?"

She nodded her head mutely, and Notch piped in. ['Oh yes, she was just telling me about how fun it was to watch us 'beat up the blockhead.' It was my first serious fight with this body, and I had a ton of fun too.']

"Battling can be a lot of fun," I said lightly before reassuring her. "You might not be able to predict what's going to happen next since Martha is a Dark Type specialist, but don't worry. Nothing bad is going to happen there. And it's part of the fun of battling, to not know what comes next, to think on your feet and react."

The Psychic Type looked skeptical, and I just chuckled. "It's okay if you don't see it yet; just keep an open mind." The look she gave me in response was blank, but the wave of feelings accompanying it felt like she was mildly bemused and annoyed at my wording.

In a great bit of progress, she let me go on her own accord, and I drifted towards my parents, hugging them.

"Oh honey, you handled that battle so masterfully!"

"It was nothing short of true Glitterati excellence."

I smiled bashfully at their declarations. "I did pretty well. The others will be more prepared for me, however." On that note… I pulled out a Babiri Berry and tossed it to Notch, grunting as I caught the Assault Vest they tossed back. Feels like a shame to buy an Assault Vest to only use it for one match today, but it's the smart play. I can't keep my Enhancement Effect only for Notch, or even just limited to Terastalization, but the Steel Type double weakness is something every Elite Four will be able to leverage against us from here on out.

That thought lingered enough that I couldn't help but voice it. "Are you really okay with me spending all that money on an Assault Vest just for one battle today? And the other one that might not even see play?"

O'Nare smiled down at me. "Of course we're fine with it; we may not know much about battling, but in business you take every edge that you can get. If you say it was useful to you here, in the biggest battles of your life, then of course it's worth it."

"Besides, we'll get far more than that back in how much our stocks rise in response to your flawless victories," Billy added before paling at his wife's gaze. "Not that I've been checking those since we got here!" At my questioning look, he added, "We agreed to have no checking work-related things so we could focus entirely on your matches. We know you're giving it your all, so we will too!"

I chuckled. "Thank you." It's true that I'm giving it my all; even now plans and schemes are running through my head. My mind ran through Type match-ups and strategies, thinking about what the future would bring before I shook it clear. I've spent enough time thinking about these already - Nothing has changed so far; I'm just going in circles now.

"Still, I think right now the best way for us to prepare for the next round will be to take a small break, so let's relax a little," I said to the group at large, holding up my phone. Miles swiftly left their battered oven body to possess it. "Why don't we play some games to pass the time?"

The children got excited at that, Kieran shyly optimistic, Carmine declaring she'd 'crush everyone else.' Arven was his usual sunny self, and my sister tried not to act too eager but soon entered a spirited debate on which game we should play from my library of games. Damn, I barely even remember buying some of these. Really gotta try to finish the single-player campaigns at some point. Maybe after all this, when I can afford to spend a few dozen hours on them.

Eventually, with a bit of nudging from the adults in the room, we settled on a party game, linked up all our Rotom phones, and began the first round. In no time at all, the quiet waiting lounge was filled with uproarious laughter and mild cursing. This is fun; we should do it again some time, and not just as a way to pass time between incredibly important and stressful Pokemon battles.


This might seem like a bit of a weird cutoff point, and I'll admit that it is! But as I was writing the chapters, I realized that the next one fit best as an interlude rather than from Nemona's POV (and the one after, which I had originally thought could be an Interlude, worked better as a chapter with Nemona's thoughts at the forefront).

Since I had already written about Nemona walking back and hanging out with her family, I decided to include that here at the end of the previous chapter. Both because it explains things we wouldn't see in the next POV, but also just felt like it would be a waste to cut out. In any case, I hope you enjoyed the first battle of the Elite Four! It went pretty well, but we'll have tougher battles as it goes on, don't worry.

If you have anything to say, please don't hesitate to leave a comment down below or on the Discord to talk about it. And if you like the chapter and want to toss me a bit of money, I have a Kofi and a Patreon, subscribers to the later get early access to the next ten chapters. Thank you, and I hope you have a great day.
 
Last edited:
Interlude XIV - Drayton New
Thank you so much for my 67 Beginner Tier Patreons and an extra special thanks to RageLord, Nodal_Gravity, and Exalted Requiem, my Ace Tier Patreons!

POV - Drayton

"Happy Birthday!" A pair of six-year-old twins cried as they raced through the doorway of my house. Burgh matched my long-suffering look as his husband chased after the boys (Ren & Len). They've got so much energy. People said that all kids had tons of energy, but I certainly couldn't remember being that hyped up four years ago.

At least that's the last of them, I thought as I closed the door. We had a large house, easily big enough for everyone my parents had invited to my birthday party. In addition to the latest arrivals, we had Lenora and Hawes and their daughter (Hailey); Clay and Lacey (who I'd met a couple of times before); and Skyla with her newborn son (Adrian). Brycen was standing stiffly in the corner, his eyes constantly tracking the kids running about while talking to my parents. He had brought his nephew (Hubert, named after some former champion), and Iris had even taken a bit of time off to attend. Being a Champion sounds like a lot of work. I like battling, but hopefully when I become Champion, I'll just be able to focus on that and leave the rest to someone else.

This was part of what led me to my current situation. Since they knew I was a good battler with Duraladon, they thought it might be nice to talk to the kids of former Gym Leaders and the like. Most of them aren't even battlers yet. Possibly not ever for some. I winced just thinking about how enthusiastic Hailey had been, going on and on about archeology when I'd talked to her.

With all the guests gathered, my Ma clapped her hands, forcing everyone to look at her. While she never became a Gym Leader or Elite Four, she was still an Ace Trainer and, more to the point, a Dragon Tamer. She had a certain presence to her that forced everyone to look and listen.

"Glad to see that everyone is here. Now let's get started with the games!" The other kids cheered loudly, save for Lacey, who cheered after the fact, looking a little distracted.

We beat the piñata, which was fun enough (and funny when Len accidentally hit Ren while blindfolded), and we got some candy. As we were gathering up the candies, Lacey mentioned, "Did you know that in other regions they use Pokemon for the piñatas?"

I blinked, gazing down at Ghetsis' broken head, pulling a Snackers bar from it. "No, I didn't know that. Haven't they had Evil Teams too, though?" I swear I saw a Cyrus piñata in the shop too.

"Yeah, but the practice originated in Paldea, and they use Pokemon for the pinatas there. I think they use them everywhere but Unova, actually."

"Huh. Wonder why it's different here?" She shrugged, just as lost as I was, and I quickly dismissed it. Eh, just as fun to break in Ghetsis' face, and the candy probably tastes the same no matter what.

After that we had 'pin the tail on the Mudbray,' which was fun, even if I thought Lacey had to be cheating somehow to pin it in the right spot so often. Everyone was kind of tired after that, so Ma and Pa suggested we have cake, a suggestion us kids eagerly leapt on.

Ah, that hits the spot. Now if I could just take a nap… I toyed with the idea of just taking a quick nap but nixed the idea when I saw my parents hovering around. Ugh, I gotta be a 'good host' and all. Casting my gaze around the living room and kitchen, I saw the guests generally all settled down, slowly picking their way through the rich cake. The twins were fidgeting, the adults were chatting quietly, Lacey was hunched over in the corner, and Hailey was spinning a fidget spi-

Hold on. "Watcha got there?" I asked, sliding up behind the pink-haired girl. Lacey shrieked, jumping in surprise.

"N-Nothing!" She said, holding her arms out in an exaggerated 'X' formation. Shame she forgot about the phone in her left hand while doing so. Reaching over, I plucked the Rotom Phone from her grip, earning a shocked gasp from the girl as she scrambled to try and get it back.

"Livestream of Nemona Glitterati's Elite Gauntlet?" I read aloud. "What's this 'Gauntlet' thing, and who's Nemona?"

"Nemona's my friend! She's from Paldea. Look, I'm sorry I wasn't paying attention at your party, but she's doing her Elite Challenge right now." She was pouting so hard I was tempted to taunt her a bit more, but I also saw her right hand clenched tight into a fist. Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. I passed her the phone back without any fuss.

"Is she any good?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

"Oh, she's, like, super strong. She's our age and will be going to Blueberry next year with me."

"With us," I groaned. "Please tell me she's not as… 'peppy' as you?"

"Wha- how is someone like you going to Blueberry already?! I had to study my butt off for this, and I was still super nervous about the early entrance exam."

I shrugged. "It's just answering questions on a piece of paper, not that hard." Seeing her eyelid twitch, I took a step back, bumping into something solid. Turning around, I looked up to see the stern visage of my grandfather.

"Don't diminish your accomplishment; we're all very proud of the work you put in, grandson." His bushy beard/mustache shifted as he spoke. Despite the words of encouragement, I stuck my hands in my pockets. Yeah, but I wouldn't have even been trying this early if you hadn't forced me to! One didn't say 'no' to Drayden easily, however, even if his days as a professional Trainer were over.

Drayden continued. "I overheard you talking about Nemona. That's Hassel's prodigy, correct?"

"Yeah, that's right! How did you know?" Lacey asked, cocking her head to the side.

Iris chimed in. "Hassel… he mentioned her before, didn't he? Said he was going to 'fight her again someday, at full strength.' I didn't realize this would be the day they did battle once more." She'd probably fit in great with my family then. They're all for dramatic rematches and showing off strength. I like training and all, but sometimes my cousins will just brush off my planning as 'scheming,' especially if I use people in it. But what's wrong with that?

"Nemona is a Dragon Tamer?" I've talked to Hassel a few times before whenever he's visited; he seemed pretty cool, if a bit sobby. The various Dragon Tamers and Dragon Clans around the world might be seen as relics in the modern, League-dominated world, but their name still carried weight. More importantly, we made efforts to use that modernization and stay in touch with each other. It kept bloodlines strong and let us trade minor clan secrets and arrange mates for our Dragons.

"Ehh, not really?" Lacey responded, shaking her hand back and forth. "She has one Dragon on her team now, but that was one of her latest captures, even if she's had Bahamut for a few months now. And Hassel taught her more music than training, though they did a bit of that too. Her match against him is up next after Martha, which is starting in a few minutes."

My brow furrowed. "Wait, is she taking on multiple Elite Fours in the same day?" It was Drayden that answered.

"That's correct. Taking on the gauntlet involves fighting the entire Elite Four and Champion within the span of a day. When I was a lad, I saw Alder take on the gauntlet and be the first to emerge victorious from it since Oak founded the League."

""Whoa…"" we said in unison before I glanced around. A few other kids were playing around with toys or sitting kinda bored. "The party is dying down; do you think we could all watch this upcoming match?" I asked, and Grandpa stroked his beard, as if considering it.

I can see the gleam in your eye, though, old man; you wanna watch it too! Even a retired trainer like Drayden never truly forgot the thrill of battling. "Very well, let's play it on the television then. Do we have the channels for it?"

"Ugh, she's got a Rotom Phone - we'll just Rotocast it to my laptop, which is linked to the projector." He blinked, a little perplexed by the technology but rolling with it as we gathered the others over by the couch. Lacey's Rotom Phone connected easily, throwing up the images on the blank wall, the attached speaker systems delivering the sounds as some last-minute reports were aired by people going over Nemona's last battle and speculating on the upcoming match. Sounds like she already won one battle.

For a moment, as the screens changed from the analysts going over stats and other details with way too much vigor, I wondered if something was wrong with the signal. Then I realized it was simply that the room was shrouded in darkness. A haunting voice cut through the gloom. "Are you ready, young challenger?" The malicious set of giggles that followed after set me a little on edge, though I did my best not to show it. Just another Elite Four, big deal. See people like her over here all the time.

"Martha has laid out the challenge for Nemona- oh, what's this? Nemona's playing her own original theme for her own entrance!" Huh? Is the sound broken? I mean, we can hear what they're saying just fine, but there's no music playing.

"Aww, the sound must be broken. I'll play you some of her songs later; they're great! She worked really hard on that album before starting her journey," Lacey informed me excitedly, and I turned to blink at her.

"Seriously? Whoa, that's pretty cool." Being a musician and aiming to become a Champion at the same age as us? That's crazy. Everyone said I was a 'genius' and could do so much if I 'applied myself.' Is that what I'd really be capable of? Eh, but that sounds so stressful…

"I was born ready. Bring it," Nemona replied, and the lights flicked on, revealing the room clearly. The room was fairly boring, honestly. Light blue tiles for the walls and floor, with a utilitarian arena in the center. I mean, I guess it works, but I can't imagine the fans getting too excited over something so plain for the biggest battles in the region.

On the far end of the arena was a short woman with dark skin and purple hair. The jet black dress and black frilly shawl made it pretty clear that the dark open was her trick and what her Type specialization was. To the side of the arena was some announcer with a microphone.

Entering as the challenger was Lacey's friend, Nemona. She was our age, wearing a hoodie that was Pokeball themed. She had a golden Dunsparce necklace, and her black hair was tied up in a ponytail, with two unruly green strands sticking out to the front and to the side. Her skin was quite tanned and looked weathered; the little hints of a Trainer just finished with a great Journey that couldn't be hidden, no matter how much make-up or prettying up could be done for the cameras. There was a determined look on her face, her amber eyes gleaming fiercely in anticipation of the match.

"Snrk!" I had to stifle a bit of laughter at seeing what Nemona was wearing however. It's just so gaudy! White and gold color scheme with a diamond cape? Must be so expensive too.

"Don't laugh at her, it's just not right!" Lacey demanded, crossing her arms in an 'X'. Even she caved after a few seconds under my incredulous stare. "Yeah, it's a bit much right now, but this is her image as a 'Champion,' she'll grow into it. Or at least she hopes to; her parents were apparently really excited about it." Lacey muttered the last part just barely hearable to me. Maybe she will, but it just looks like a kid pretending to be an adult now.

I didn't say anything further though, watching back as the referee, a tall woman, briskly strode over to take her place at one side of the arena. On her other side was a boombox, hovering in place beside the girl. The plasmic eyes projected in front of it gave away that it was a Rotom.

"Fashion aside, Nemona looks… experienced," Drayden quietly commented from behind us. Yeah, that's one way to put it. Drayden was hardly one to mince words, but I could agree that there was a certain presence to the girl, one I usually only felt from the most experienced Gym Leaders and Elites.

"These are two tough cookies, let me tell you folks, but only one person can win! Will age and experience trump youth and vigor? Let's find out!" After the announcer was done with his piece, the referee spoke up.

"Trainers, ready your Pokemon." They both nodded, raising a Pokeball. For the smallest fraction of a second, I caught her eyes flickering over to the odd Rotom Appliance floating beside Nemona that was belting out the beats. Guess they're a battler on her team too. I imagined that the decision to leave them out wasn't just for the sick soundtrack they were playing but also to make the Elite wonder if Nemona was going to field them at any moment. Even a split second of hesitation could cost you in a high-level battle, but it also shows off the Pokemon she has, especially what Form the Rotom is in. Then again, I've never seen a Rotom in a boombox before.

Despite myself, I was intrigued. Lacey can be a bit annoying and too energetic for me, but she's got a good eye for battle. I'd be surprised if she didn't, given the shared profession of our fathers, but still. Let's see if her friend can live up to the hype.

Once they both had their Pokeballs at the ready, Geeta told them to, "Release your Pokemon." Nemona clicked open her Pokeball, sending a Lucario she called "Athena' out into the fray, while Martha revealed a large skunk-like Pokemon with purple fur and his tail curled up and lying over his back.

The moment Geeta finished the count and shouted, "Begin!" They were in motion. Nemona stomped the ground as a signal, and Athena followed right along, stomping the ground as well. Her Pokemon's stomp was a bit more dramatic, launching up waves over dirt to envelop and batter her foe with an Earthquake.

Skuntank skittered back, trying to ride the waves of earth crashing into him. Glaring angrily, the Poison Type spat fire - literally. A line of flames shot out from his mouth, scorching Athena's fur.

The Lucario rolled to the side, out of the line of fire, and Nemona called, "Beam." Clapping her paws together, she fired a massive steel-grey beam of energy at Skuntank, knocking the skunk Pokemon into the arena wall. "Follow up, pin, and drain!"

Her jackal-like Pokemon was panting hard and standing on wobbly legs; whatever attack that was she just used had drained her almost as hard as it hit her opponent. Nonetheless, she followed the order, rushing over to where Skuntank was falling in a blink of an eye. Then, she conjured a glowing blue paw, clearly modeled off of her own paw, and the construct only went up to the elbow before fading into indistinct sparkles. It was also the size of her own body and followed the motion of her left paw, swinging down with the real limb and pinning her enemy in place.

The Skuntank was pinned, his head and tail forced away from her as she began striking in with a bunch of punches with her right paw, each strike creating a series of small green flashes flowing from Skuntank to Athena, rejuvenating the latter.

I was a little overwhelmed, trying to keep track of it all. Was that first move just a really strong Flash Cannon? No, too strong and tiring for that. She jumped across the arena with Extremespeed and is using Drain Punch now, but I've got no clue what the other Move she's using to keep them stuck in place is called or what all it does.

Skuntank munched down on a yellow berry he had hidden in his fur, which helped him survive the onslaught. No matter how he thrashed, though, he couldn't escape Athena's grip, and after a few seconds, Martha called, "Switch!"

Recalling her Pokemon, the Elite stared at Athena, a frown on her face. She reached for one Pokeball on her belt before shaking her head and grabbing another. Tossing that one high above the field, she released a bird with black plumage, a splash of red feathers on the underside of their wings, and at the end of their tail. They had a patch of white feathers around their breast and atop their head; the black feathers seemed stylized like a fedora.

"Whoa, they got so many weird Pokemon," Ren or Len said. Guess they haven't gone outside of Unova much or seen some of the less common Pokemon here. Then again, if it wasn't for all the studying I did, I might not have recognized that Honchkrow either. Especially one so small! They look more like a Murkrow than a Honchkrow.

A flap of their wings brought down a massive wave of heat, and I was reminded that size wasn't everything as the attack crashed down over the Steel Type. She gritted her teeth, firing back with a large Aura Sphere rocketing towards the bird.

From there an artillery battle began, the Honchkrow using surprising speed and their aerial advantage to launch Heat Waves and Air Cutters down upon Athena. For her part, the Lucario fired rapid-fire Dragon Pulses, Aura Spheres, and Flash Cannons at the bird, dodging with Extremespeed to practically teleport out of the way from attacks coming down.

"Whoa, how can they use all those Moves? Is the bird a Fire Type?" Hailey asked, and I shook my head.

"Naw, Dark and Flying. Those are the strongest Moves they can use, but a lot of Pokemon have a pretty diverse Move set." She nodded slowly, looking at me like I was some sage delivering ancient wisdom. It's not that complicated, is it? Brushing it aside, I focused back on the match.

The devastation rained down on the battlefield and arena barrier for several minutes, causing both to shake. Neither Nemona nor Martha appeared to be gaining the upper hand at first, each Pokemon getting chipped away at a steady pace, but slowly it became clear that Athena was doing better on the exchanges than Honchkrow. Even with having to use a Move to dodge the majority of Honchkrow's attacks, Nemona's Lucario was just fast enough to gain an edge.

Seeking to reverse that, Martha changed tacks. "Tailwind." As Honchkrow let up on the assault and began whipping up the wind around them, the challengers leapt into action.

"In close, Ice Punch!" At Nemona's command, Athena bounded up, easily leaping up to Honchkrow's altitude, one paw pulled back and glittering with frost. Honchkrow dived down, spiralling through the air while continuing their setup Move. "Reel them in!"

Nemona's follow-up order saw Athena creating a thin whip out of Aura, lashing it around the Honchkrow's leg and pulling the squawking bird back, right into an Ice Punch. The Dark Type flinched heavily at the impact but managed to complete the Tailwind.

Suddenly bolstered, Honchkrow pulled Athena back down from the Aura Whip, using it to crash her into the ground. Nemona's Pokemon landed with a heavy thud, cracking the already torn-up arena ground. Getting up, she narrowed her eyes, tracking the Honchkrow darting this way and that through the air.

"Switch!" The girl on the screen said, recalling her Lucario and tossing out a large Gliscor. "Nightwing, you know the drill!"

As her Pokemon began dodging around acrobatically, I frowned. "Why did she recall Athena?" She was a good choice against a Dark Type Elite, and even with the Tailwind up, it looked like she had a fair bit of fight left in her.

My question wasn't really directed to anyone, but Lacey had the inside scoop. "Oh yeah, Nemona mentioned that. Something about wanting to make sure Martha doesn't use her Tyranitar? There was some combo she had with it and a Cacturne that Nemona didn't want to deal with."

And by keeping her Lucario in the back, she can threaten it if Martha uses her Tyranitar. Clever. Of course, for that to work, she needs to keep her remaining Switch in play until she's seen all of the Pokemon Martha is using.

On the screen, both the Honchkrow and Gliscor whirled through the sky, dancing around each other. The wind blew violently around them, both the Pokemon having set up with Tailwind by this point. Usually in battles like this, there was a bit of a delay, so the crew would splice in close-up shots and the best angles for the audience, but the cameras were having trouble keeping up with how fast they were moving about, so they just hung back to show the entire arena. From that view, I could see how the Gliscor was outpacing the Honchkrow, her bat-like wings better able to glide on the turbulent currents than Honchkrow could.

With the advantage in her court, Nemona called out, "Fling!" Her Pokemon glided above the Honchkrow and lazily dropped an orb atop the bird's head, barely bothering to infuse the attack with Dark Type energy. It was clear that the point of the attack wasn't the damage but the purple noxious liquid that broke out when the orb shattered, oozing over the Honchkrow's head and causing a purple discoloration to seep through the Honchkrow's feathers. I noted that same discoloration on the Gliscor, who had obviously held on to the Toxic Orb too long.

The big bird angrily squawked, pivoting mid-air and firing a sharp wave of wind with a flap of a wing. The blow was well aimed, hitting Gliscor much harder than would be expected. The flying scorpion Pokemon fired back with a powerful Acrobatic flurry driving the other Flying Type back.

"That's an impressive combination," Drayden commented, and I turned to him. Grandpa doesn't give out compliments like that easily, so what did she- A glimpse of the fight drew my attention back to the match, and I saw how Honchkrow was flapping harder, the poison draining their vitality, while Gliscor was cackling, her own wounds already starting to heal.

Poison Heal! She gave her Gliscor a Toxic Orb to Poison her own Pokemon, then when she's done with it, uses Fling to Poison the enemy too.

Honchkrow gave out an odd screech that was tinged with Psychic Type energy. Whatever the Move was, it seemed to have really set off Gliscor, the other Pokemon furiously chasing after and chomping the bird with fangs crackling with electricity. Somehow she didn't seem quite as tough as she was before.

She was still tough enough to win, however. Even as Martha ordered Honchkrow to keep their distance and fired back with some strong Night and Air Cutters, even firing a Chilling Water from their beak and landing an insane number of critical hits, Gliscor kept up the pressure. Ice and Thunder Fangs ravaged the bird, and a final Acrobatics took Honchkrow down, the bird crying a mournful dirge as she fell.

As Martha's Pokemon fell, Gliscor started to slowly recover again. I couldn't waste time wondering what had stopped the healing before as Martha released her third Pokemon. This one was obviously part Ghost Type from the swirling miasma face that rose out of an Odd Keystone on the ground.

Hailey sucked a breath in. "Whoa, tha's a Spiritomb! They're made of a hundred cursed souls and are super-duper rare."

"Really?" I asked suspiciously, and Iris laughed.

"That's how the legends go, anyways. They're quite rare and a handful to train from what I've heard. I think Mrs. Bitterleaf has more than one of them on her roster." We all quieted down as the battle began in earnest, with Nemona ferociously, recklessly, ordering her Gliscor to attack the Spiritomb.

She's not using any Super-Effective Moves here, though. I guess Gliscor just doesn't have any? But still, shouldn't she be playing it safe? I winced as her Pokemon flew into a powerful Sucker Punch, the Ghost Type rearing their head back and then slamming it into Gliscor. For her part, Gliscor just viciously powered through, scraping and striking at the Spiritomb - before suddenly falling unconscious.

"What!" Lacey shouted, jumping to her feet. "No fair! That's not right!" She declared, her arms crossed in a big 'X' sign. The adults around chuckled lightly.

"She got hit by an ol' Perish Song from that there Honchkrow; that's why Nemona's Pokemon fainted." Clay explained to his daughter. That must be why she was fighting so aggressively too; she knew she was on a timer.

"Nemona is down her first Pokemon. Who will she bring out next?" The announcer declared, and she paused, thinking about it (or acting like she was thinking about it) for a moment. Both the Tailwinds had already died down by this point, so she didn't need to be in a rush.

With a lazy toss, out popped an honest-to-Arceus Legendary Pokemon. The oddly swole Diancie glittered and spun onto the field in a way that set me and the rest of my family on edge. I know theoretically that Nemona must be good to make it that far, but I'm also confident in my own Pokemon. Now, I'm wondering if I'd really be able to beat her in a fight, if it ever came to that.

"She has a Diancie? What the-" My father cut off a curse as he remembered where he was and how many children were around. He still twitched slightly as he looked at the screen.

"What in tarnation?" Clay muttered. "You never mentioned that your pal caught a Diancie," he accused his daughter, who looked up from the couch at him, confused.

"I've told you about Notch before, Daddy."

"Plenty. You went on about how cute Carbinks were; it's why I got you one for yer birthday. But that's no Carbink."

"Well, they were one. Look, they got the same notch on their ear as they had back before she transformed them."

Lenora cut in. "That's impossible. I'm sorry, but we would have heard about it if-"

"Well yer gonna once she tells y'all about it," Lacey said, slipping into the same accent her father had. "She's going to tell the whole world about how she did it. It's pretty simple, honestly. Now shh! The match is getting to the good part!"

That brought a whole new weight to the room as the adults (and myself) realized just how momentous an impact this would bring to the world. "Lacey, are you saying—" Iris began.

"I said shhhhh!" The girl said vigorously, crossing her arms in a big X towards our Champion before spinning back to the screen, only to see that everything had gone dark. "Aww man! Now we can't see nothin'."

I had been only paying half-hearted attention to the antics thus far, my eyes glued to the match. The darkness was some weird 'signature technique' (according to the announcer) and the latest in a long line of tricks Martha had tried against Nemona.

Spitting toxic at the Diancie had just led to them blocking the glob of Poison with a conjured wall of diamond they then battered into Spiritomb. When the Ghost Type sent out a series of Dark Pulses, they were crushed by a Moonblast that looked like it summoned the very celestial object down (and if I hadn't seen the Roseli Berry Martha's Pokemon was chomping on before it hit, I would have been amazed at how they survived it). This darkness, while a really cool/annoying trick, was beaten just as handily, the field lighting up in a series of flashes as Notch's Flash Cannon ricocheted around a bunch of diamond walls they had conjured, chasing away the darkness before striking Spiritomb.

"Finish this, Dazzling Gleam!" Nemona cried triumphantly. As she did so, I saw the slightest smirk form on Martha's face. Uh-oh.

"Bond" was the simple counter, but it was one that had all the adults gasping. As the light sparkled from the Diancie, a shadow stretched out from Spiritomb, racing towards Nemona's Pokemon, connecting the two of them.

Lacey's friend didn't seem surprised, just calling for a fast "Switch!" She clicked her Pokeball, sending out a recall beam at Notch, only for a spectral chain to rise up from the shadows, wrapping around Notch. It didn't seem to hurt or hamper the Legendary's movements; however, when the recall beam hit, it fizzled out.

Spiritomb was met by the full force of the Dazzling Gleam, falling unconscious, and at the same time as they did, Notch dropped to the ground too, like a puppet with their strings cut.

"What!?"

"Booooo!"

"How did she do that?"

"I see… very tricky."

"Maybe a variation of Spirit Shackles?"

"But to combine it with Destiny Bond…"

"Pah! Downright disgraceful, those kinds of tactics."

"Every weapon is a tool in your arsenal to be used."

The adults (and a few of the children) went into rampant discussion over that latest turn of events. I tried to tune them out, paying close attention to Nemona. The camera only showed the back of her head, but from the way she was clenching her fists, I could tell she was seething at the turn of events.

Slowly, I watched as she untensed, releasing her grip and recalling her Diancie smoothly. She whispered something to the unconscious Legendary within the Pokeball as Martha led, putting her Skuntank back in the fight. Nemona tossed out another Rotom, this one in a different Form than the one floating beside her.

The new Rotom was possessing a drone, but unlike the ones that were hovering around the arena with light, spindly bodies, Nemona's had thick plating and a sleek design. Lacey brightened up as she saw it, clapping her hands together. "So that's why the announcer was going on about the music!"

I cocked my head to the side. That was kind of weird, but what does she mean by that? Deciding just to watch, Nemona led with a Hyper Voice, the Rotom darting around quickly and bombarding the already weary Elite Pokemon with soundwaves.

"Night Slash, cut that fake open," Martha declared airily.

"Oho, it looks like Nemona has tried to play tricky, using her Zoroark, Phantasm, to replace Miles. But her unique Zoroark appears to be weak to Dark-type attacks, not resistant like most Zoroarks. You'll have to get up earlier in the morning than that to fool the devilish Martha Bitterleaf!" The announcer handily explained the situation, answering the unasked questions I had on why she had chosen that strategy.

Skuntank was surprisingly nimble, managing to close with the 'unique Zoroark' and slashing into it with a Dark infused swipe of his claws. They hit, but only lightly scraped into Miles' side, before the Pokemon flew away.

"You'll find I'm an early riser," Nemona quipped, snapping her fingers, the signal for Miles to release a strobing Will-O-Wisp that bewildered and Burned the Skuntank.

"Huh?"

Lacey eagerly explained, "See that Rotom over there?" She said, pointing at the Boombox Rotom beside Nemona. "That was Phantasm all along. It's why they heard the songs, but we couldn't; auditory illusions don't travel over a recording!"

Skuntank was slammed with another Hyper Voice as Miles floated above the Poison Type before Nemona switched tactics. "Bring the Thunder!" She lifted a hand in the air, holding a bright orb, tossing it down over her Pokemon.

"Wow! Nemona's going all out! She's using her Terastalization!" The announcer described the events unfolding around us. The parents immediately launched into another quiet debate over the merits and downsides of Terastalizing here while the kids were caught up in the spectacle. I had to admit that I was too, just a little. Wow, so pretty, I thought as the Tera Orb burst into sparkling light above Miles, creating a thick lump of crystals around them, before they burst out of it, all sparkly and bright, with a crystalline lightbulb with a lightning bolt symbol attached to the top of their head.

The thunder that followed was so bright that I had to blink the spots out of my eyes as it flashed onto the screen. The Skuntank crumpled to the ground for a moment, the top of his fur scorched from where the bolt struck down. "Belch," Martha called out, her face twitching as she was suddenly put on the back foot.

Skuntank spat out a long stream of corrosive liquid, melting off the paint job and some of the metal on Miles' temporary body.

"Roost," Nemona countered, her Rotom hovering down and recovering. So that's what the Drone Form does; neat.

"Acid Spray," Martha shot back, using likely one of the only Moves she had left to debilitate Miles. Other attacks could do more damage, but that Burn is slowly sapping Skuntank's vitality as well as his physical strength.

"Substitute, then Thunder." With a 'poof' sound, a plush duplicate of Miles was conjured in front of them, shielding them and taking the brunt of the Acid Spray attack. They adjusted it as they flew back into the air, interposing the Substitute between themself and the Poison attack Skuntank continued to send their way.

Marth was fast, switching her Pokemon so quickly that I wasn't sure she had dodged until the announcer yelled, "That was a close one!" It looks like it paid off; she managed to just barely destroy the Substitute and avoid the counterattack.

"Let's end this; show them the might of tyrants, oh ancient queen; go, Tyranitar!" The pale green scaled beast landed so heavily the room shook for a moment. The new Pokemon looked large and grizzled, her body riddled with cuts, including a large one diagonally across the blue of her belly. I remembered a tidbit that any injuries there on a Tyranitar were ones that lingered from when they had evolved from Pupitars, but only if they were injured at the time of evolution, which, given how often that Pokemon shed their skin, was rare.

It was hard to pick out more than that with the sandstorm that suddenly engulfed the field, obscuring vision, but I did manage to catch the life orb hanging around her neck. It glowed slightly as she raised a stubby arm up, a large pillar of stone rising up to strike Miles, the Rotom narrowly drifting out of the way.

They struck back, conjuring another bolt of lightning down from above, but the Tyranitar dodged more nimbly than I believed to be possible. "Turn out the lights," Martha called out, clearly unwilling to get into a slugfest when the Life Orb was draining her Ace's health with every Move.

As Tyranitar raised her arms, darkness descended upon the field once more. Nemona called out for another Thunder, but as the Move failed to illuminate the darkness for even a second, she used her last Switch, recalling Miles and sending Athena back out. Something we could see as the camera feeds suddenly switched to show everything in glowing green, outlining the Pokemon and people within the room.

"We anticipated something like this might happen here, folks, which is why these cameras are all equipped with night vision, to let you fully appreciate the spectacle that is this fight!" The announcer informed us. "But the trainers are as blind as anyone here, so they don't get that advantage."

Martha chuckled darkly at that while Nemona snorted derisively. "Think you'll find we're just fine here. Extreme Drain Punch." The Elite Four woman gasped, trying to give another command to dodge, but was too slow. Despite being unable to see, Athena blurred across the arena, stopping on a dime to land a hanging punch right into the Tyranitar's stomach.

That looked like she was aiming for the crack on her belly. But how did she see that? The night vision gave us the basics, but we still missed a lot of pieces, like the sparkles of light that would accompany a Drain Punch.

Tyranitar was pushed back, roaring in pain. With a stomp of a heavy foot, he shook the ground, but Athena was jumping away before it landed, hovering over the roiling dirt.

"Show them what you got," Martha's generic command had Tyranitar shifting about in ways that I only recognized from intense familiarity.

"Tyranitar can learn Dragon Dance?"

Drayden nodded at my question. "That's correct, they have a wide range of Moves they can learn." He quieted down upon seeing Athena pushing her hands out behind her, somehow changing her trajectory mid-air and spinning to land a high jump kick down upon the Tyranitar, the blow earning a loud 'CRACK' as it broke some of the mighty Pokemon's armor.

In spite of that (and her foe), Tyranitar spun around, smacking the prone Athena with her long green tail. Whatever Move it was, it hit pretty hard, forcing Nemona's Pokemon back a good ways. She recovered quickly, pulling herself back up. "Athena, Aura Sphere, keep 'em back." The Lucario followed the order, tossing their palms out repeatedly.

The night vision couldn't show everything clearly, but I could see how the pseudo legendary was being forced back. "Get out of there," Martha called, lifting her hands up, and Tyranitar leapt into the air, above Athena.

"Now's our chance, Circle Throw!" Nemona called out gleefully. Her arms, she's reaching out, almost as if she knew where the Tyranitar was, but not quite perfect. How are both of them doing that though? Seeing through pitch-black darkness should be impossible, and I don't think they're cheating. Lacey wouldn't be friends with someone like that.

Just before Athena could grab Tyranitar's tail, Marth shouted, "Emergency Block!" A Protect rose up around the Tyranitar, blocking the attack. It also stopped her own attack, so Athena swiveled to the side, dancing away as her opponent landed with a heavy thud.

"Drop it, lack of vision isn't stopping them." At Martha's words, the pitch-black darkness ended, the cameras switching back to normal. Tyranitar certainly looked more winded than she had been before, while Athena looked like she was doing as well as she had been at the end of her first round. That Drain Punch must have helped a ton. It's proportional to the damage you deal, and Tyranitar is weak to Fighting from both her types.

As if summoned by my words, she pulled forth her own Tera Orb, tossing it above her Pokemon. The Tyranitar went through much the same process as Miles had, but the crystal jewel thingie hanging above her head was a jagged purple face, mocking yet smug, with a yellow star in the corner.

"Oh! Martha was in a corner but out comes her own Terastalization! How will Nemona deal with this upset?" The announcer's words had the other kids on edge, and even the adults were leaning in close. This is it, the decisive moment that decides the battle.

Stomping forward, the Terastalized Pokemon charged towards Athena, one paw raised high. The Fighting Type ducked under the blow, landing a quick Force Palm into the side of the lumbering beast.

She roared, stomping the ground to create a powerful earthquake, smashing into the Lucario. Off-balance, Tyranitar followed, a vicious grin on her face as she jumped over to Athena and hitting her with a powerful Knock Off, the blow smacking the shiny amulet hanging around her neck to the ground.

Athena was staggered by the blow but managed to tough it out. "This is it, Reversal!" Baring her teeth at the Tyranitar towering above her, Athena grabbed it by the hand, tossing the Terastalized Pokemon over her shoulder in a pseudo Judo throw, the ground shaking from the impact as if one of them had used another Earthquake.

"Dance!" Nemona called suddenly panicked, and I saw why when Tyranitar lashed out. Despite how badly she had been hurt, the green Pokemon was still fighting hard, just enraged now more than anything. Of course, my eyes were trained enough to see the real damage she'd taken, how her motions were jerkier than usual, and the way her eyes were unfocused.

One hit, even a glancing blow might have knocked Athena out, but she spun and twirled around each strike. Her own power seemed to rise as she did so, emboldened by the near misses. "Close Combat, finish this."

"Assurance." Even more energetic, Tyranitar leaned into the blows, finally headbutting Athena as she punched and kicked away at her foe. The Tera boosted attack smacked Athena away where she crumpled in a heap, unmoving. On the other hand, Tyranitar fell from her own attack and tried to push herself up on shaky limbs before collapsing down again.

"Both contestants Pokemon are unable to battle. Trainers, send out your next Pokemon," the referee declared while the announcer was howling in excitement, exclaiming how amazing and close a battle this was.

"Nemona's got this," Lacey said, her voice tinged with fear but also belief in her friend.

"Oh yeah, easily," I agreed watching the screen. Both of the combatants recalled their fallen Pokemon and sent out the last, already battle-weary Pokemon. However, Skuntank looked a lot worse than Miles, even before counting their Terastalization. But does she have the next match? That's the real question at this point.

"Trainers ready? Begin!" The instant the referee called it, a dozen bolts of lightning struck down from the sky, striking Skuntank and defeating him. It was so shocking that the referee paused for a moment, giving time to see the Aftermath of Skuntank's defeat. Glad TV doesn't come with smell, I thought, snickering as Miles wobbled in the air, the noxious stench released upon Skuntank's defeat impairing them for a moment.

Only for a brief moment though, as they managed to steady themself, hovering proudly as the referee announced, "Martha Bitterleaf is out of useable Pokemon. Nemona Glitterati is the winner!"

Cheers rang out from everyone around, and even I could be bothered to clap a few times for the good show they just put on. That was… something else.

"She did it, Nemona won!" Lacey screeched right beside my ear and I pushed her off (which accidentally sent her toppling off the couch, though she barely noticed).

"Yeah, yeah, we noticed. That wasn't a bad battle, fun to watch. Maybe we could watch the next one?" I asked. Iris spoke up as well.

"Yeah! Can we, can we?" She asked, practically hopping up and down with excitement.

"Control yourself!" Drayden barked out," "You're a Champion for Kyurem's sake." Iris, pinnacle of maturity that she was, stuck her tongue out at her former teacher.

My Ma sighed at their antics as she considered my request for a moment.

"The next match is in a few hours, correct? It might be better to open the presents and let the others go home first; we don't want to keep the twins up too late. You can watch it later with us, though." Burgh sent Ma a grateful look, but I caught the way she tapped her nose while holding her chin. Right, we'll be rooting for Hass in the next round, not Lacey's friend.

Everyone seemed pretty happy, the victory of 'our' Trainer bringing good cheer to everyone. The parents gathered the presents on a coffee table for me to open while in the background, it switched from the announcer to other fight analysts/commentators going over 'plays of the match' and what the odds would be like for Nemona going forwards, other details, etc.

As they were getting ready, I said to Lacey, "You said she's coming to Blueberry next year?" At her nod I added, "Well, I suppose if she's going to be at Blueberry Academy too, things can't be too boring. Plus with her and you I won't be the only one joining early."

"Kieran and Carmine are aiming for it too. Last I checked they seemed well on their way to making early entrance too. Ok, Carmine was more like 'I will surpass all of you' with, like, three exclamation marks in the group chat, but for Carmine that means she's doing okay…"

Not too boring indeed. Something I hadn't admitted even to my folks was how worried I was about fitting in at the academy. Being younger and 'smarter' than most of the others I knew was likely to ostracize me, but hearing that there would be a bunch of other gifted kids there was nice. And more than nice, it makes me feel like I've got something to aim for. A challenge. I might not be at the 'challenging the Elite Four level' yet, Nemona, but you better look out; your challenges aren't going to end in Paldea.


Wanted to save the Lacey interlude for later but still wanted to give an outside viewpoint of the match. Drayton worked to see most of what was going on while still giving a different viewpoint. Plus, this gives us an early view of him before we get to BB.

Let me know what you thought of it down below or on the Discord to talk about it. And if you like the chapter and want to toss me a bit of money, I have a Kofi and a Patreon, subscribers to the later get early access to the next ten chapters. Thank you, and I hope you have a great day.
 
Last edited:
Chapter 78 New
Thank you so much for my 71 Beginner Tier Patreons and an extra special thanks to RageLord, Nodal_Gravity, and Exalted Requiem, my Ace Tier Patreons!

"What an exciting match, Elena! Riveting to the final strike." The voice came from Arven's Rotom Phone, and I didn't have it in me to tell him to turn it off as we relaxed in the lounge, once more waiting between matches. We'd already all left to get lunch in the cafeteria as soon as I had returned from my match against Martha, and now we were waiting for my next bout.

"Indeed, Hugo. Nemona certainly didn't disappoint here," the other 'battle analyst' said. "Still, this round was much closer than the previous one. Why do you think that is?" She 'asked,' lobbing her co-host an obviously prepared question. I get why there's such a long break in between, and really, every minute spent resting is to my advantage, giving my team time to rest up, but still. I wish we could just go back into the fight, no more needing to wait.

I pushed those thoughts down, keeping half an ear out for what the analysts had to say. Doubt it'll be anything too useful, but you never know. Maybe they'll have something that will give me a flash of insight I was missing.

Hugo said, "Well, Martha has always been a roadblock in the Elite Four, stopping many a challenge. She used to be ranked second strongest among the Four, and I think we can see from her performance today that she lost that slot to Hassel due to how strong he's become, not any slip-ups on her part."

"Indeed," Elena chirped. "That Destiny Bond was a very tricky maneuver that took the rug out from under Nemona's feet. I feel like she doesn't have the practice dealing with a tricky Trainer like Martha, her team specializing in power."

"Really? Doesn't her team seem to be based around versatility?"

"Hmm, you could say that, but it still leads to the same goal. We've seen a good spread of Moves from all of Nemona's Pokemon, but it all serves to let her hit harder. She excels at finding a Move that her opponent can't easily deal with, like a Super Effective attack, and hammering it in. None of the Moves she's taught her Pokemon lack strength behind them, but we see little of the customizability that other Trainers of her caliber might focus on."

Excuse you?! Miles and I worked plenty hard on their Confuse Wisp, and we used that in the match, thank you very much. Hugo nodded his head. "I guess we'll see then how she fares against Hassel, another power-type Trainer. Will she still have the energy to push through the Dragon Guardian of the Elite Four?"

I grimaced at that, even as that point hit its mark. The words aren't anything I haven't thought of before. Hassel will be a challenge. Dragon Types had been somewhat nerfed over the years, but they were still the most common pseudo-legendary Type for a reason; as a whole, they tended to be immensely powerful.

There was too much in that fight with Martha I wasn't prepared for, and now Athena won't be up for the next round. I was sure she would argue the point if I raised it, but the fact of the matter was that she had put a lot of herself out for that battle. Hmm, maybe I just save her for the finals? No, I'll likely need her against the last member of the Elite Four, especially if I'm bringing in others to cover her absence against Hassel.

I was also hesitant to use Notch in the next round, even with them being a very convenient answer to much of Hassel's team. Despite Destiny Bond being less draining than the beating Athena took, it's still enough that I want to give them a break. Do I save them for Miguel? But that leaves me without a good answer for Turtle's Ace. Ideally I'd like to keep Dun and Notch in fighting shape for the El Primero, but that was looking less and less possible.

"How's the planning going?" Tulip asked deceptively lightly. I blinked, stretching out from the table I'd been hunched over, my hands clasped together and held over my chin as I thought. She must be here to stop me from spiraling further.

"Everyone has a plan till they get punched in the face." That got a bark of laughter from Dendra, and I adopted a small smile. "We're at that phase right now. Just improvising at this point."

"You look like you have everything under control," Kieran muttered, flushing a little as I glanced over the room at him.

"Of course she does; I'd hardly expect my rival to let this slow her down, or she'd hardly be a challenge fit for me," Carmine declared boisterously.

"I'm glad to hear your confidence in your Pokemon's abilities. Looking forward to a match in the future." Carmine looked a little uncertain for a second, gulping for a second before she regained her composure.

"I've- I mean, there's a lot of studying to get into Blueberry. But I'll beat you in every test we have to take! And then I'll focus on training up Sinistcha!" Her bluster came back towards the end, and I chuckled.

My sister cut in. "Speaking of training, what were some of those Moves Martha was using? I tried looking them up, but I couldn't find out what they were called."

Shaking my head, I said, "They might not have official names yet, being Custom Moves and all." At the confused looks I was getting, I explained. "Sometimes Trainers can invent their own Moves for Pokemon on their teams; I call them 'Custom Moves' to differentiate them from Moves any Pokemon of that kind can learn, either naturally or through TMs."

"Wait, if they can't be learned those ways, then how…?" Arven's voice trailed off, his face scrunched up in concentration as he tried to puzzle out my words.

"Well, they aren't normally learned through a Pokemon's development in the wild. Theoretically it's possible to use them, because they do then use the Moves, but- it's a pretty unique process. Technically, some of the current Technical Machine Moves started out as Custom Moves before the Trainers and researchers figured out how to make the process easily learnable to a broad set of Pokemon. Like the Psychic Noise, Martha's Honchkrow used to shut down Nightwing's healing for a bit. That Move started out as a Custom Move until they figured out how to make it into a Technical Machine." I don't know how they made it into a TM, though; I'll have to look that up later.

"Hmph, why don't you have any Custom Moves?" Carmine demanded, and I looked at her aghast.

"Wha-bu- I- gah! Custom Moves aren't the end-all and be-all of a fight! Pokemon can be plenty strong just honing the basics! Also, I do have Custom Moves; I showed off three of them in that fight!" I shouted, waving three fingers in her face.

Kieran stepped in to defuse the situation. "O-oh, wowzers! What Custom Moves have you made?"

Sighing, I stepped back. "You saw The Hand and Force Whip from Athena in that battle. She also knows Dancing Sword, a combination of Detect and Swords Dance, to protect her from harm. Miles used Confuse Wisp there, and Dun has some variations on Yawn."

"What about that Move that Notch used to stop the Stealth Rocks?" Friede asked, joining the conversation.

"That wasn't really a Move; Assault Vest would have prevented any non-damaging Move anyways. It was more, hmm… More like the difference between flexing a muscle and throwing a punch. It had a buildup of energy, but little direction or technique to it."

"Osu!" Dendra cheered at my explanation, and I smiled. Mostly, at least. I'm leaving out how a Pokemon would need Legendary-tier strength to pull off what Notch did in that manner, but the general gist of it works.

"Do you think Martha's Moves could be taught as TMs?" Cyan asked. "She had the weird chains on Destiny Bond and whatever that darkness effect was."

['Annoying'] A psychic voice rang out in my head, and I turned to Tulip before seeing her shaking her head. Glancing over and down, I saw Gothorita chiming in. ['Couldn't see you in there'].

"Heh, yeah, it was annoying, wasn't it? I'd imagine it would be even worse for a Psychic Type." Answering my sister's question, I said, "I think the darkness effect could be taught as a TM. She has multiple Pokemon on her team that can use it, including her Umbreon she didn't use this time. It feels like a Terrain effect to me, something that decreases the accuracy of non-Dark Types and slightly powers up Dark Type attacks. Though it's not perfect." I suspect that it also makes Dark Types more evasive within the darkness, further hampering attacks against them, but Notch overpowered it, and Athena could ignore it with her Aura Sight.

"That altered Destiny Bond though… I don't know. That was a new one; she's never used it in a match before." I suspect if there hadn't been such a big hubaloo about my Gauntlet, she would have saved it to challenge The Great and Powerful Turtle for his spot. "It uses some form of Arena Trap-like effect to stop switches out, and it was from her oldest Spiritomb. Maybe one that was originally sealed by exorcists in the past and learned how to manipulate or copy its cage in some part?"

As I saw people staring at me, I shook my head. "Sorry, just thinking out loud. But no, I don't think that Move can be copied." At least I hope not; it was a pain to deal with. "In any case, I should be focused on Hassel."

"Why do you sound so worried?" I frowned at Friede's words. Do I really look so worried? Didn't mean to, but I'd be lying if I didn't say it was weighing heavily on me. "From everything we've seen, it looks like you're doing well."

I sighed, not able to admit the full truth. This feels like a test I can't just pass, one I have to ace. Like… if I do this, I can prove that I'm capable of stepping up to the role the protagonist took - more than that, even. That I can step in to prevent things from ever getting bad enough to need their actions, that I can save Turo from himself. Of course I would continue to try even if I burnt out here, but then I'd need to rely a lot more heavily on others, which would be 'messy' for several reasons.

I could tell them part of my anxiety, however, so I did so. "Hassel was my teacher. Music teacher, admittedly, but still. I learned a lot from him and even battled him before I began my journey." I let out a long breath. "I lost that fight. I'm hardly going to claim a perfect record, but my losses have been rare, to say the least. I know I've gotten better since then, but he's also improved his own standing in the Elite Four too." And honestly, the Turtle's specific trump card leaves the last member of the Elite Four at a significant advantage over Hassel. I heard even Miguel had serious difficulty beating that guy. So it's hard to pinpoint exactly how strong Hassel is now.

"Basically, with this match I'll find out not just how much I've grown, but how fast my rate of growth is. If I'll be enough," I concluded, catching the barest hint of a frown on the young adult's face. Right, seems weird to be this obsessed with getting stronger at such a young age.

I quickly brightened up, plastering a smile on my face. "But I'm sure it'll be fine. I've got some ideas, and I know my team will do great."

***

Once more, I stepped forth into the battle chamber. Hassel was waiting for me already, standing much as he usually did. He was wearing a green suit jacket over his black and red vest, with beige dress pants. Fancy, but not overly so. I wonder how he chose that as his 'definitive' look? I wondered how a lot of Trainers did, if they tested things out vigorously or just had a vibe and went with it.

"Our challenger arrives! We've talked about how Nemona is a rising star in the music industry, but we haven't mentioned that she was taught by Hassel himself!" The enthusiastic announcer told one of the Rotom Drones as I took my place on the stage. "In a way, this will be more than a chance for a would-be Champion to face off against the Dragon Guardian of the Elite Four, but a battle between student and teacher. Can Nemona keep up her winning streak against the one who taught her?"

"Good to see you again, Hassel." I said, smiling slightly at the man as I tried to push down the butterflies in my stomach.

"You as well. I'll admit that I've been quite eager for our rematch." He grinned broadly as the announcer shouted something meaningless at the 'revelation' that we'd fought before. Studying him, I could tell that he was being honest about that; there was much eagerness and anticipation in his gaze. But that wasn't the only thing he was feeling.

Pride and determination were clear as well, but digging deeper, I saw flickers of uncertainty buried within him as well. I don't think he's uncertain of how well I'll do either. Himself, then? But why?

I could only speculate if he was worried about being humiliated or not making a good showing or the like, but the fact that even he could feel that way helped center me. Intellectually, I knew everyone got nervous, that at some point everyone was afraid in their lives. Seeing it makes a difference though. Knowing that he can be afraid right now but push past that fear helps me do the same.

"Me too; but don't think it'll end like last time!" I cheered brightly.

"We shall see," he said with a smirk, before dropping it and staring at me intently. "I'm sure you've heard people talking about how winning this will make you the youngest Champion ever, but that isn't what you said you desired, was it?"

My confusion only lasted a second as I recalled our first meeting and what I'd said then. "That's right! This is just a step on my path to being the greatest Champion ever." I punctuated my words with a stomp of my foot, the dramatic action/declaration earning a shocked gasp from the announcer. "Now I'll prove it to you." Holding up a Pokeball, I pointed it towards my former music teacher.

He matched me, drawing his own Pokeball and we stared each other down. Any hesitation was gone now; there was no room for doubts here. Geeta called out for us to release our Pokemon and we did so, Hassel sending out his Noivern, while I revealed Notch, sparkling on the battlefield.

The Elite's eyes widened at the bold choice, and I smirked. Weren't expecting that, were you? Now let's see if it pays off. Objectively the situation looked good, and it looked like I might be able to force him into an early switch - of all of Hassel's Pokemon, this one was the least equipped to deal with Notch.

"Trainers ready?" We both nodded, neither of us taking our eyes off the battlefield. "Then we begin in three, two, one… begin!" We were both flying into action the instant Geeta gave the signal.

"Boomburst!/Diamond Storm!" He and I called, and as I heard his command, I resisted the urge to curse before shielding my own ears with a quick application of Aura. Damn, his instincts are good, I thought as the sound washed over everyone. Over and through Phantasm, obviously not doing anything to them as they pretended to be Notch.

For her part, she made a barrage of crystal-clear shards, the Icy Wind looking so very much like Notch's Diamond Storm, dealing decent damage to the Dragon to boot. The illusion was pointless, however, as with his first Move, Hassel had confirmed which Pokemon she truly was. Of course, you didn't trust in your instincts fully, wanted to double-check that, didn't you? The fact that he had included some signal so his Noivern hadn't used the Throat Spray hanging around her neck alongside the fact that Boomburst wouldn't normally be very effective against Notch anyways cinched it.

Still, as smart and logical as that might have seemed, it was a mistake, one he'll regret. We've been training for the better part of a year; she can do more than just hope someone doesn't see through her illusion. "Encore!" I shouted, and Phantasm dropped her illusion, happily clapping and leering at the Flying bat-like Pokemon.

Alarm flashed on Hassel's face. "Air Cutter!" Not the most powerful Move in her arsenal, but it is quick; a single swipe of her wings and she could use something effectual against us. Not fast enough, however, not for the fastest member of my team, and especially not after being slowed down by Icy Wind. Phantasm's Encore locked in, and Noivern was stuck using Boomburst, wailing sound shaking the ground and making my teeth feel weird.

Not trusting my words to reach her over the din, I gave a swift chop of my hand for my next order. The vicious grin etched on Phantasm's face was the only warning Hassel received before she rocketed into a charge, glowing bright green as she crashed into Noivern, knocking the Dragon into the barrier, our foe falling into a heap in front of Hassel.

"C'mon, don't tell me that's all you got?" I taunted Hassel as Phantasm fell to the ground. She was clearly exhausted from the effort, dropping to one knee, panting heavily. It didn't stop her from cackling at the Dragon she had felled, the wounded Pokemon slowly rising up on their foreclaws.

Rather than respond to me, Hassel called, "Switch." Recalling his wounded, Encore-stuck Pokemon, he sent out Dragonite. The orange-scaled Pokemon gave a proud cry, staring down angrily at Phantasm. Right, I guess she did just hurt his teammate pretty badly. He had a Sitrus berry attached to a cord around his neck.

Hassel didn't let his Pokemon give in to their rage right away, however, using the exhaustion to call out, "Dragon Dance."

I clicked my tongue loudly as Dragonite began spinning around, dancing surprisingly gracefully through the air for a Pokemon of his bulk, the lessons learned as a Dragonair clearly not forgotten. "Feels like you're underestimating us, not going for a strike right away. Let's show them why that's a bad idea," I told Phantasm, who howled in response, rising up to her full height.

A glimmer of rage gleamed in her eyes. She doesn't like being looked down on, that's for sure. Can't say I wasn't tempted to recall her anyways though; a pseudo Legendary with a boost to speed and power is no joke. But still, I don't think we need to switch quite yet.

"Extreme Tail," Hassel's deep voice echoed out over the chamber, and almost as soon as I heard the word, Dragonite was in front of Phantasm, swinging his thick tail around to smack into her… only to hit empty air, Phantasm flipping back over the blow.

"What, you think she hasn't experienced that before? Athena forces her to dodge Moves like that all the time," I pointed out while raising a hand up near my lips before bringing it out and down. Phantasm really wasn't a fan of how much faster Athena could be than her with that Move, especially when Athena started mixing it with Moves that could actually hurt my Hisuian Zoroark. Which in turn pushed Phantasm to get good enough to dodge even those kinds of attacks.

Evasiveness was key for Phantasm; despite a great defensive Type combination, she just couldn't last long against repeated, powerful attacks. That's why she was able to, at my signal, start barraging Dragonite with Hyper Voice and creating dozens of illusory clones to hide among on the battlefield. Of course, the trick to any good shell game is to keep the prize tucked up your sleeve.

"Dragonbreath, don't aim for the clones!" Once again, Hassel's instincts were enough to foil our plans, and part of me wondered if he had some natural skill as a Dragon Aura user, or if it was just experience that let him read us so. Most of me was worried about Phantasm as I saw her get clipped by the burning blue flames Dragonite spewed forth, her illusory clones disappearing as she lost concentration.

"Detect," I called out, and her eyes flashed with blue light, maneuvering around the diving Dragon Claw our foe tried to hit her with. Then all of a sudden, Dragonite stumbled mid-air, looking confused. "Now, Bitter Malice!"

Dragonite, who was currently blinded by the illusion of pure darkness Phantasm had layered over him, had no way of dodging the ghostly tendrils that rose up from beneath and lashed into him, sapping his strength.

Not missing a beat, Hassel called out, "Mist!" The water particles that the Dragon Type created were thick, obscuring any vision beyond a foot in front of me, likely even worse within the arena. And that's not even the main point of the Move, just a side effect to stop us from lowering his attack further.

"Ace," I whispered, trusting Phantasm to hear my words. The grunt from Dragonite a second later had me internally cheering that she had both heard and struck him successfully. Those cheers died as I heard Hassel's next command.

"Draco Meteor, leave no room for escape!" I saw flashes of purple amidst the mist, the meteorites flashing down within the arena, likely striking in and around where she had just been. It's how I would teach her to strike, so I doubt Hassel didn't do the same.

The impacts died down, and I wasn't sure what condition Phantasm was in, but I could hear her ragged breathing, so that was good enough for the moment. "Alright, enough of this mist, Icy Wind!"

"Flamethrower!" Hassel called out in turn, and Dragonite let loose a stream of fire, catching the icy shards and cool breeze headed his way, melting through them. The two attacks also did a great job of clearing the air, revealing where our Pokemon were on the battlefield.

Drawing my Pokeball, I called out, "Shadow Sneak!" Forgoing the Icy Wind she was conjuring, Phantasm dived into her shadow, which stretched out long over the ground, before rising up several meters for her to pop out of it and score a quick cut into the Dragon Type. Dragonite had been too caught up with the Flamethrower to dodge, and as it reared back for a counter, I shouted, "Switch!" Quickly recalling Phantasm before any other attacks could get to her.

As I stowed away her Pokeball and drew another, Dragonite began munching on his berry while making multiple twisters with a few flaps of his wings, chasing out the duplicates. Already? But his health is nowhere near low enough to trigger- right, not a game. Hassel must have just trained his Dragonite to eat the berry quickly rather than wait like most Pokemon would - gives him the most out of Multiscale.

Without a word, I released Nightwing, and she shrieked gleefully onto the stage. Sticking her tongue out in a quick (and subtle) Taunt, she flew past him. He gave chase with speed that belied his size, and I was forced to call, "Protect," to fend off the attack. As the barrier ended, Nightwing swooped down and to the side, making a bit of room for our next Move as I saw that the Poison from the Toxic Orb had finally sunk into her.

"Fling," I said, smirking as I heard Hassel call for a Protect. She cackled alongside me as we saw Dragonite stuck in place, caught between the Taunt and attempting to follow his Trainer's command.

Be nice if we could buff here, but there's no time to waste. Nightwing tossed the Toxic Orb hard at the pseudo-Legendary, who couldn't avoid the Fling from so close. The blow caused him to wince slightly, the damage minimal but the effects vital to the state of this match. The Orb shattered against his shoulder, covering him in the deleterious liquid and causing a ripple to pass over his scales.

Good, Multiscale is down, and he's badly Poisoned. "Acrobatics," I ordered, and unburdened from the Toxic Orb, Nightwing flew rapidly around, striking at Dragonite once, twice, thri- getting grabbed out of the air.

Her look of 'Uh oh' summed it all up before Hassel shouted, "Ice Punch!" Dragonite nailed her with his other meaty paw, this one encrusted with ice that did nothing to harm him but heavily hurt my Pokemon.

Nightwing cried in pain, and I winced but didn't pause in ordering a retaliation. "Ice Fang!" Twisting around in his grip, Nightwing opened her jaw wide, clamping down hard on his wrist. This time it was his turn to cry out in pain from the double super-effective Ice Type attack, letting go of her involuntarily.

Hassel, not impaired by the pain, saw the situation a bit more objectively and ordered, "Wrap. Don't let her escape, then keep up the Ice Punches," he announced coldly. Nightwing attempted to fly away, but Dragonite's speed was still boosted, and he was able to wrap his thick tail around her.

It was tempting to call out for Ice Fang again, but I knew that wasn't the best strategy here. "Protect," I decided, letting Dragonite's icy fists slam against Nightwing's barrier to no effect for the moment. His tail was already around her and continued to squeeze, but it did minimal damage, which was healing already from her Ability. Meanwhile, Dragonite's health steadily dropped even as she raged on, the Poison sapping her vitality.

Drawing things out works in my favor, and while Nightwing is pretty good at taking physical hits, that Ice Punch of his hits damn hard. Let's not fight to a pseudo-legendary's strengths. Of course, to do that, Nightwing needs to break free from his grip.

"Knock off!" My words had Nightwing instantly dropping her barrier, her long tail infused with Dark energy, snaking up and smacking down on Dragonite's, the Move forcing an instant release. With the space to maneuver, she dropped immediately after, narrowly dodging Dragonite's Ice Punch. There might be fancier tricks we could have practiced with Protect, and it has some built-in limitations, but the work we put in to switch between its defense and any other Moves, pays off in its own ways here.

"Quick Attack, make some room." My call sees Nightwing blurring away from Dragonite. Hassel had learned from last time and didn't order an Extreme Speed, (rightfully) anticipating that she'd be ready for such a Move. Instead, he called down another Draco Meteor upon Nightwing, who avoided most of the rocks but was still clipped by one of them, the attack doing more damage than I would have thought.

He's definitely lost some power in his special attacks, but considering he already used one… Right, gotta remember that not everyone will be as drained by such an attack, especially a specialist like him. Bahamut could fire off Draco Meteors even quicker than Dragonite, but he'd be lucky to have his second one at even half power from the first.

"Gunk Shot," was my next order, trying to fire back with one of the few ranged attacks she had that I felt would be effective against the Dragonite. Nightwing sent the conjured pile of gunk flying up with a slap of her tail, but our foe proved nimble enough to dodge the shots. "Swords Dance," I called, trying to switch things up. If he tries to close, we still have a bit of time, and once she gets the boost off-

"Get in there, Haze," Hassel ordered, and his Pokemon did so, diving down while the icy Haze rose up around the arena. This Move was hardly as obscuring as the Mist had been, but it was enough to leave the two Pokemon as silhouettes as they clashed.

"Protect," I ordered again, and as the Haze cleared, I saw Nightwing's teal honeycomb barrier straining against Dragonite's attack. Sometimes you can risk a second one, but here, no. I can tell it won't hold one more time. I could see how ragged Dragonite looked; the beatings he had taken and the constant drain from Poison were taking their toll. But in this position, I knew there would be no escape, not before he could land one blow we couldn't afford to take. "Fine, let's do this. Ice Fang!"

The two of them met in one final clash, Dragonite's Ice Punch striking into Nightwing's side as she latched on with Ice Fang into his neck. Ice spread out across both of them, steadily encasing the two until they were both stuck in a small iceberg. They were also both clearly unconscious from the effort.

"Nemona and Hassel's Pokemon are both unable to battle! Trainers, ready your next Pokemon," Geeta called out. That was unexpected. And unfortunate; I'd hoped that Nightwing would be able to hold out longer. Hassel clearly recognized the dangers in that too, however, which was why he pushed his Dragon so hard on the offense.

The power of a pseudo-Legendary in the hands of an Elite. And that's not the only one on his team. Will his next one be Baxcalibur? Or will he suspect I won't be sending Phantasm out this time and sending Noivern back in? ... No, I know who he's sending out next. It's time. Raising my Pokeball, I stared Hassel dead in the eyes, waiting for the count before we simultaneously revealed our chosen Pokemon.

"Oh? What's this? Both Trainers have sent out a Haxorus! But it won't be hard to tell whose Pokemon is whose!" The announcer exclaimed, waving his hand out at our Dragons. His Haxorus had a normal color scheme, with yellowish green plating and black only on the belly, middle of the legs, and tip of the tail. Bahamut, on the other hand, was only a slightly darker shade of black in those spots, the rest of his armor a sparkling black as well, making the red on the edges of his tusks and claws 'pop' even more.

"Look at the coloration on Nemona's Haxorus! What a majestic creature." Bahamut preened at the announcer's words, and I rolled my eyes.

"Yes, you're beautiful. Now focus." He snapped to attention as Geeta finished counting down.

"Begin!" She announced. Bahamut took a step forward before being almost instantly bowled over by a skittering charge from Hassel's Pokemon. Dammit, First Impression!

"Earthquake!" I countered, letting Bahamut make use of his tail, the only appendage he could use effectively from his prone position, to hammer the ground. It made waves along the earth, shaking the arena and knocking the other Haxorus back while Bahamut rose to his feet.

"Dragon Claw," we both called out. There was a synchronized flash of surprise before I caught Hassel's fierce grin. From how my cheeks felt stretched, I was likely grinning too. Let's see how far you've come, Bahamut.

The two dragons tore into each other, claws flashing with a bluish-purple energy as they fought. The ground shook ever so slightly just from how they based themselves against it, trying to gain more power and leverage. Eventually, Bahamut tossed the other Dragon aside. As he took a step back and slid to a more defensive stance, I saw the damage he'd been dealt.

Too deep. Those scratches on his armor go too deep, especially for the damage he did to Hassel's Haxoruus. "Outrage," Hassel called, coming to the same conclusion I had, his word a challenge. 'For a Pokemon built for sheer power, how do you overcome it when faced with a greater force?'

With skill. "Weave and Dragon Claw." Bahamut met the erratic motions of Hassel's Haxorus, running forward, then rolling under the wild sweeps of the enemy. Performing a Dempsey roll, Bahamut ducked under an axe cut, answering with a vicious claw to our foe's less armored belly. Like that it went on, Bahamut dancing around the enraged blows and striking forth with his own, targeted hits.

Even with all his skill, fighting as best as I'd ever seen him, Bahamut couldn't avoid all of the crazed blows the Haxorus threw out, and even the glancing shots were hitting him just as hard as what he could do in return. I suppose this is the difference between us; Hassel is a Dragon Trainer, and I'm a Trainer with a Dragon. Specialists can bring out the most of their chosen Types. The ferocity and power of a Dragon… and also their pride.

That thought clicked something into place and I realized where the rest of his power was coming from. He's trained his Haxorus to master Rivalry. As Abilities went, I preferred the consistent advantage Mold Breaker gave, but Rivalry could give quite the power boost. Especially if it has a more personal component to it, like the challenge I tossed Haxorus' way when I convinced Bahamut to join my team. Clearly, I'd need to do something to level the playing field between them.

Pulling the Tera Orb out of its pouch, I felt it shake heavily as I activated it, the force still causing my arm to tremble, no matter how much I practiced with it. The force wasn't enough to hamper my throw, however, tossing it up over Bahamut just as the other Dragon's rage died down.

Hassel had trained his Pokemon well, letting them break out of the Confusion that should occur at the end of such a rampage, but even still, there was disorientation as he suddenly calmed down to see Bahamut covered by large crystals. Shattering out of them, Bahamut sparkled even brighter than before, his body covered in a crystalline sheen and the top of his head crowned by a red and blue dragon head Tera Jewel 'hat.'

"Full blade style." Lashing out with his tusks, Bahamut performed a modified Dragon Claw - I couldn't even call it a custom Move or the like, still doing what the Move normally did. Just moreso, using his powerful tusks instead of his claws, which, combined with his Terastalization, let my Dragon do a good deal of damage to Hassel's.

The Elite winced, seeing how much stronger Bahamut was now. His hand reached down to his own Tera Orb - only to be stopped by a hiss from his own Haxorus. And there's that Draconic pride. His Haxorus wants to win without using Terastalization, while mine… okay, Bahamut wanted that too. But I had talked things over with him, and he'd been willing to accept that it might not be in the cards. As strong as he had gotten over the past few months, it had only been a few months, while Hassel had been training his Haxorus for years. So we both knew (and accepted) that he might need an edge to win this. And he really wants to win this.

"Outrage!" I shouted, joy in my voice, matched by Bahamut's joyous roar as he charged forward, using his new strength to tear into the other Haxorus. He fought back hard against Bahamut, cutting and tearing into my Pokemon, even breathing Dragonfire out, but doing little that could match our power.

Hassel waited, letting his Pokemon weather the onslaught at first, before midway through calling, "Protect!" A barrier expanded out from his Pokemon, encircling him and warding off mine. Bahamut continued to rage, unable to stop his attacks even as his tusks and claws simply skittered off the barrier, until eventually, that rage petered out, and he was left with a dazed expression on his face.

Letting out a sharp note, I broke Bahamut's Confusion. He performed a barrel roll to the side, making distance from the other Haxorus. Hassel's Haxorus swung with his tusks, cutting through the air where Bahamut had been standing prior, caught off guard by how quickly he had shaken the Confusion off.

"How did-? Ah, I see. Remarkably clever, Miss Nemona. To use your voice like that… As your music teacher, I couldn't be prouder. But you'll need more than that to become a Champion! Dragon Tail!"

"Iron Tail!" I shouted in response, Bahamut's black tail flashing with grey light as he smashed the Steel Type attack into the other Dragon's Dragon Tail. They clashed for a moment until Bahamut overpowered Hassel's Pokemon.

Reeling back for only a second, the Haxorus tried to lunge back with a Crunch, but Bahamut met the Move with an Iron Head. The sharp fangs of our foe bounced off Bahamut's head with a clanging sound, and he winced back. For his part, Bahamut winced, lowering his sinuous neck to rub at the small fang marks on his head.

"Another clever trick, using Steel Type attacks to nullify a Dragon's weakness to their own Type. Avant-garde, as Brassie would say. But subtlety can only carry a Dragon so far; like with art, your Pokemon needs power, needs passion! Haxorus, you've seen the flaws. Outrage, give them no quarter!"

I pursed my lips, desperately racking my mind as the enemy Haxorus came charging in. Despite the mad rush, I was sure that he'd be ready for what we'd pulled before. No dancing around the attacks this time, and if we try to use a Steel Type attack, he'll just tank the hit and use the opportunity to hit Bahamut somewhere he isn't charging Steel Type energy - and that will hurt us a lot more than it hurts him. At the same time, though, we still can't meet him head-on. He's too strong for that.

My mind flashed back to working on songs with Hassel, and I recalled the end of a session where I flopped over the back of my chair. 'How does anyone make and sell music? It's all just… so much! Trying to compose all the lyrics and attach the right notes and instrumental directions and-'

'Patience,' Hassel had said. 'Like any problem, you take it one step at a time. Break the song down into different steps and do those.'

Right, like that. "Breaking Swipe!" Bahamut struck his tail out, sweeping it around and cracking it hard into the side of the enemy's knee. The other Haxorus staggered but continued his charge, biting, clawing, and hacking into Bahamut.

Bahamut fell back but managed to hold out against the onslaught, and I called out. "Outrage as well, you've got this!" With a fierce roar, he threw himself back, just as hard. No, harder now. He's overpowering him now that he's been weakened by Breaking Swipe.

The drawback was that Hassel's Pokemon had dealt more initial damage to Bahamut. The two Haxoruses clashed furiously, each one striking with as much power and rage as they could, before finally, one Dragon stood tall.

Swaying slightly, Bahamut remained, just barely hanging on to consciousness; the other Haxorus collapsed at his feet. My Pokemon gave a mighty roar of victory, proudly cheering his achievement, and I did the same from the other side of the barrier. "You did it! Woohoo!" I shouted, jumping up and down in joy.

"Indeed, well done, Nemona," Hassel congratulated me. "But this fight isn't over just yet," he recalled his fallen Pokemon as he spoke.

I nodded, waiting to see who he'd send out next. The return of his Noivern had me pulling out my Pokeball. "Switch." Honestly, I could recall my Pokemon and keep my last switch in reserve - Bahamut isn't looking too great right now. Still, I want to honor the effort he's put in thus far. Plus, he could land at least one solid blow against Hassel's Baxcalibur, which might be handy if it gets that far.

"Let's rock this." I said, releasing Phantasm back onto the field. This time, though, she looked exactly like my starter.

"Has Dun mastered this trick yet? Boomburst," Hassel called again, and once more sound flooded the field. This time, Phantasm was prepared for it, and she had 'Dun' writhe in agony slightly from the attack.

Gritting my teeth to sell the act, I cried, "Hyper Voice!" A cacophony of sounds filled the air, making it impossible to hear anything else Hassel was saying. Both our Pokemon were getting hurt by the assault, or so it appeared. Phantasm's ghostly nature made her immune to the damage.

I didn't think I gave anything away on my face, but somehow, Hassel figured it out. I read a curse on his lips before he called for a switch, returning his Pokemon to him. The noise died down, and I taunted, "Don't think you can take Dun? Softening him up won't let your ace beat mine, you y'know." Can I cause him to second-guess himself?

"I doubt we'll know, since he's not there," he said, very unamused. The announcer gave a shocked gasp to the side.

"What's this? Has Nemona outbluffed the Dragon Guardian of the Elite Four once more?" He asked rhetorically, and I resisted the urge to snort derisively. I think this is the first time I've fooled him so far, and even then, only for a few moments.

"You are correct, however," the Elite continued. "In that the last Pokemon you've yet to see from me today is my ace. Go, Baxcalibur!" It felt like the temperature dropped even before his icy Dragon had finished materializing from the Pokeball. By the time he had, rearing back and roaring in defiance, we could all definitely feel it. Hassel's Ace looked much the same as it had last time, with the exception of the large red Assault Vest he was wearing, fitted snugly over his body with a large cutout in the back to make room for the blade sticking out of his spine.

His yellow eyes glared down at the illusion of Dun before Hassel said, "Dorsal." I didn't get the reference until Baxcalibur turned around, pointing his back blade over at us. That's fine; he still doesn't know where Phantasm is-

"Get out of there!" I shouted, seeing the blade twitch slightly. Throwing himself backwards, balancing on his tail, which was making a trail of ice to slide across, Baxcalibur charged with a swift Glaive Rush. The spot he was striking at appeared to be empty air, but I knew it was where Phantasm had been hiding.

Forgoing her illusions, she leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding the sharp blade on his back, but still knocked by the rest of Baxcalibur's body as he charged through. Landing on all fours, her mane flared up wildly as she growled at him.

"Focus, he's open now!" I called out. Phantasm stood up, gathering a large sphere of Fighting Type energy above her. Before she could complete the Move against Baxcalibur, still picking himself up, Hassel's Tera orb soared over the arena, breaking open above his Ace.

As the flash of light and crystals faded, Baxcalibur stood tall, Terastalized. He too had Tera'd into a Dragon Type, which meant the Focus Blast hit and was handily shrugged off by the beast, no longer weak to Fighting.

"Play Rough-" I began to call, hoping to take advantage of his remaining weaknesses, but Hassel's next command stopped us cold.

"Ice Shards." Firing off a quick flurry of ice crystals, Phantasm was battered away, the force enough to send her sprawling against the wall. Not waiting for Geeta to call it, I returned my unconscious Pokemon.

"You did great out there, thanks." All right, it comes down to this: Hassel's Ace vs. my starter. "Dun, let's make some noise!" I shouted, tossing the ball in the air. Dun materialized in the air, sucking in a big breath. Baxcalibur turned to face him and was immediately hit by a full-force Boomburst.

"He did learn that trick, by the way!"

"What?"

"What?"

I gave up trying to communicate with the Dragon Trainer as it appeared he wasn't quite as adept at reading lips as I was. On the field, Baxcalibur was moaning with pain. That didn't stop him from shooting out a series of Icicle Spears at Dun, however, two of them hitting and bruising Dun's scales.

"Ancient Power." Dun waved his tail about, conjuring up a number of rocks, shaped just like the Icicle Spears Baxcalibur had just thrown at him. The rocks flew towards the Terastalized Pokemon, hitting him hard but not giving him a boost. I caught a flicker of confusion across Hassel's face before he pushed past it, ordering Ice Beams at my Pokemon.

Must be wondering why we aren't using Boomburst again. With the Normal Type STAB it was an impressive Move. Unfortunately, while Dun had become proficient in it, he couldn't use it continuously, needing to take a break from any voice-based Moves, and even Yawn, after using it. Doesn't take him a long time, though; we could do it again… but that would give away the limitation entirely.

"Rise up and classic." At my command, Dun jumped into the air, leaving behind the slippery ground Baxcalibur had made with his Ice Beams. "What, didn't think we'd notice you trying to put him on unstable footing? Or, uh, unstable bellying?" That saying doesn't work as well when the person in question doesn't have feet or legs.

What did work was rising up, the new elevation forcing our enemies to look up at him, their gaze going straight to the swirly symbol on his belly, which glowed brightly, Paralyzing Baxcalibur. And that's 'Classic,' i.e. how Glare is supposed to be used by a Dundunsparce. Can't say I'm disappointed with how Dun uses it with his 'resting angry face,' but Hassel would have been well and prepared for that.

"Take Down!" He was decent at improvising regardless, so that command saw his Ace rising up in the air and slamming Dun into the ground. My Pokemon gave a small squeaking sound as he gasped out from the impact, while Baxcalibur grunted as he rolled off of him.

"Protect/Glaive Rush!" We called out simultaneously. Being so close, Dun had barely any time to make a barrier before Baxcalibur slammed into him, but he managed it. The sheer force of it pushed the barrier (and Dun inside it) back to the edge of the arena but only shook my starter up a bit, not really hurting him.

As the honeycomb forcefield faded away and Baxcalibur was left sitting there, wide open, I called, "Dragon Rush, curve around!" Dun made a twisty charge, curling around Baxcalibur's tougher back to hit the Dragon with a surprise shot from the front.

He grunted, launching a Dragon Claw at Dun, who twisted around to avoid the attack. Normally having to turn your back on your enemy would be a bad thing, but less so when you've got a drill there. "Hyper Drill."

As his tail spun up, Hassel called, "Glaive Rush!" Spinning on a dime, Baxcalibur rushed with his own back-facing blade, the two attacks colliding in a clash that kicked up a number of sparks between the two. They held for a second before Dun was overpowered, Hassel's Pokemon pushing past and tossing Dun aside. The dragon gave a bellow of triumph before freezing in place.

"Yawn," I said, my lips twitching upwards. This is it, our chance.

"Get out of there!" Hassel shouted, panicked. Baxcalibur tried hard to make some distance between them, but his limbs wouldn't move, the paralysis catching him in place. Dun wasted no time in rushing forward, rising up to exhale a quick yellow cloud into Baxcalibur's face.

For a moment as he backed away, pushing past the paralysis for a moment, I thought he had somehow resisted the move. But as he opened his mouth to cry in defiance, the sound changed halfway through to a yawn, his yellow eyes drooping.

"Outrage! Go all out!" Hassel cried, and I could commend him on making the most of the situation he was in. If we just sat there and took it, he might still win. Well, sit there and take it some way other than Roosting.

At my hand sign, Dun curled up into a tight ball, his six wings flapping down as he recovered. Just as fast as he healed, possibly even faster, Baxcalibur tore into him fiercely, making the most of the time he was conscious. But the wild attacks couldn't beat my starter down fast enough, and soon, as Baxcalibur spun around confused and tired, he fell, snoring lightly before he even hit the ground.

Seeing the claw marks and rends on my Pokemon, I was tempted to tell him to recover more, but I knew that more than healing, we needed to use other Moves in this short opening we had. Already, Hassel was shouting for Baxcalibur to wake up. No switches left, but he's not throwing in the towel here - Baxcalibur's power is insane, and with the Assault Vest, quite tanky too. So let's change that.

"Breaking Swipe, over and over!" Dun uncurled at my command, his tail slapping out left and right. It cracked in at the snoozing Pokemon's joints and weak points, hitting him all over. He especially targeted the dorsal blade on Baxcalibur, hitting it from the side and denting it in two spots.

This got Baxcalibur to wake up with an angry cry, sweeping Dun away with a Dragon Tail. Where before the blow would have hit with bone-breaking force, it was now more like a buffeting wind, tossing Dun back but doing little damage. The Dragon rose to his feet with a pained grunt, glaring down at my land snake Pokemon.

A thousand different options flitted by his face, the man calculating what he needed to do to recover from this. As he said, "Dragon Breath," I knew he had skipped the one that might have let him win.

"Roost." Once more, Dun settled down, tanking the blows. The fire scoured at Dun's scales, but he regenerated quicker than Baxcalibur could hurt him. Once he had healed enough that I felt secure in our victory, I changed tactics.

"Ice Beam, freeze him down." He could have recalled Baxcalibur, I mused, watching the two send out energy attacks at each other. If he had done so, he might have been able to turn things around. With Dun weakened and tired, maybe his Noivern could have scored a quick K.O., and his aerial maneuverability would give him an advantage over the also worn-out Bahamut. I didn't think such a scenario was likely, but it was possible. Here?

Both of our attacks were hitting the other, Dun curling his long tail around and firing the white-blue beam out around at Baxcalibur from it, while he bathed Dun in bluish-purple flames. While Baxcalibur did slightly more damage as a result of his Terastalization and even managed to cause Dun's muscles to seize up, the Ice Beam was also freezing the Elite's Ace solid.

With a heavy sigh, Hassel pulled up his Ball and returned the frozen Dragon to him. "Hassel has returned his Pokemon!" The announcer shouted. "With only one Pokémon left, can Hassel turn things arou-"

"I forfeit."

"Whaaaaat?" Before the announcer could say anything more, Geeta called the end of the match. Marching across the field, I stopped to scratch Dun's head, a quick reward for all the hard work he did before recalling him. Then I continued until I was standing before Hassel, my hand outstretched.

"Thank you," I said with as much sincerity as I could muster. "This was an excellent fight."

"Indeed. You have surpassed me, and your skill on the battlefield was—it was…marbellous!" He sobbed out, the tears flowing freely as he was overcome with emotion. He hugged me, and I reached up to awkwardly pat him on the shoulder.

Yeah, it really was. I'll always treasure this moment.

And here we are, the rematch versus Hassel! I hope it was worth the wait; this chapter was a tougher one for me despite having a general idea of how it would unfold. Still, I think it turned out pretty good.

I had originally planned on having it take place in the interlude from Drayton's perspective but didn't even get into writing out the battle before I realized that this really needed to be from Nemona's POV. Too much would get missed in her strategies and feelings from someone else's viewpoint for a match that's so important to her. Hopefully you all enjoyed it as much as I did. Let me know how you're feeling about this match and the Gauntlet in general down below or he Discord to talk about it. And if you like my stuff and want to toss me a bit of money, I have a Kofi and a Patreon, subscribers to the latter get early access to the next ten chapters. Thank you and have a great day.
 
Back
Top