Like No One Ever Was (Pokemon SI)

[unlawfulwaffle362]

Kieran for sure getting Hydrapple.

 

[Pakisabi]

Thanks for the chapter .

I quite enjoyed this kitakami arc. Keep up the great work

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter and interlude

 

[Ar7]

I thought about that, but it feels weird/slightly dishonest, especially since this story is safe for work. Idk.

Click to shrink...

Praise ye be, oh rarest of rare, an honest SFW writer on QQ!
I hate those people who whine about "low attention rates" and then post their clearly not NSFW stories over there. They're a blight of this world! I just hate lying, I'm biased and exaggerating, objectively they're just bad.
You, however, are very good. I like you.

But since I was baited in the middle of my reading into writing this comment, may as well react to the adjacent story bit that is definitely already developed in the story and my comment would be extremely late posted otherwise. It still is, but now I at least have a reason to mention it.

Oh and uh, some stuff that might be interesting if you've seen some of the other media. Don't worry if you don't know however; I started writing this story before watching Pokemon Horizons, so it'll all be just as much of a surprise to Nemona as it is to you.

Click to shrink...

I'm eagerly anticipating the moment Nemona realises she's closely interacting with yet another Team. XD

 

[Skyfyre]

Praise ye be, oh rarest of rare, an honest SFW writer on QQ!
I hate those people who whine about "low attention rates" and then post their clearly not NSFW stories over there. They're a blight of this world! I just hate lying, I'm biased and exaggerating, objectively they're just bad.
You, however, are very good. I like you.

Click to shrink...

Thank you!
Yeah, there are lower rates on the SFW stuff here, but it's not like I don't also post this story on SB and SV and the like and it's more honest to have LNOEW here.

I'm eagerly anticipating the moment Nemona realises she's closely interacting with yet another Team. XD

Click to shrink...

Haha, yeah, might take a while. The Explorers aren't entirely incompetent at hiding themselves/appearing reasonable unlike other Teams, and there's a lot of plotlines to juggle. Still, she is fairly wary of them at this point.

 

[Skyfyre]

"I need your help, Nims!!!" Cyan's voice rang out from Miles' case in a shrill tone.

"Gee sis, how are you doing? We don't see each other nearly as much now that you're at school. Oh, calling to ask how I'm doing? Thanks, that's so kind of you-"

My sister cut me off, countering in an affronted tone "We talked just last week. Now, please will you help me train my Pokemon?"

I blinked, surprised by her sudden request. She hasn't mentioned anything like that in the past month she's been at Uva Academy. I wonder what changed? "Sure, I'd be glad to help. Just two questions: Aren't you stuck at the Academy and why are you suddenly looking to train up your team?"

She groaned "Ugh, don't remind me. The course load is super heavy at Uva. The teachers are trying to shove as much information as they can in our heads before we go out on our Treasure Hunt since that's basically a full term of class where we aren't guaranteed to be studying anything."

Maybe you shouldn't have filled up your schedule with so many courses then? She complains so much about me overworking, but I've seen every course she applied for. Uva was unusual in that it covered a vast age range, and had the aforementioned Treasure Hunt, so student schedules were far more flexible and varied than a Primary or Secondary school would have been in my first life.

Continuing, Cyan explained. "Mindy- well a bunch of other girls on my floor were talking about how much more successful they were going to be in collecting Gym Badges during the Treasure Hunt than me. Which is just ridiculous, she's just jealous that I did better on our chemistry paper than she did-" I tuned out the next part of her rant, well aware by now of how she could go on and on about little details like that.

"Alright, so you want to prove some mean girls wrong, I can get behind that. I could send you a training plan, but it would be better to see your Pokemon and train in person." I vigorously defended the advantages of guided training. Each pokemon has their own personal flaws which you then iron out slowly over time while bolstering their strengths.

Chuckling, my sister said: "You just want an excuse to show off your new battlefield to me again,huh?"

"Yup," I admitted shamelessly. It's so cool! I can't believe my parents got me a Conference tier battlefield for my birthday and had it installed while we were out on vacation! I mean, I can, in fact, canon Nemona had one in the game, which honestly was kinda weird just sitting there on the beach. "Huh."

"What's up?" Cyan inquired, making me realize some of my thoughts were slipping out loud.

"Just thinking up training plans," I fibbed, distractedly. It's odd, thinking about how something in the games might have felt odd in my last life but just feels awesome and perfect now. I guess it's just a sign of how I'm becoming a different person.

It was to be expected, everyone changed over time and circumstance, and I'd had plenty of changes to both. Some slight melancholy feeling still lingered, but I pushed it to the side to focus on my sister's new training, barely catching Cyan saying how she was going to cram her studies and skip dinner to take a quick flying taxi over in the evening. Then she hung up before I could chide her for skipping dinner.

"Rude," I said to myself. Technically, I was speaking to the Pokemon I had out with me, but…

Gligar was drifting along, upside down above the battlefield, completely tuning me out. Carbink on the other hand was floating a foot away from me, staring unblinkingly, with no sign they understood what I was saying.

Taking a step back, I clapped my hands together. "Alright! Cyan is coming over in a few hours, so let's try to get some good training in before then, how about it?"

The two newest Pokemon on my team seemed… at least interested in the thought of more training. "Let's practice some of the TMs I gave you. Notch," I said to Carbink, named after the mark on one of their ears (and a lack of resistance or reaction to any nicknames I offered). "Set up Reflect as quickly as you can. While Ace?" I tried, to Gligar's immediate disapproval. "Ok, we'll shelve that name for now. At the same time, you will attempt to break it with Psychic Fangs. Make sure to give them time to actually form the barrier, ok?"

She rolled her eyes and nodded as if I hadn't needed to tell her that three times in training so far. "After you two have done that enough to get tired, we'll switch with Notch attacking with Body Press while Gligar practices evasive maneuvers."

Both of them complained, Gligar shouting her name and stomping the ground hard enough to crack it, while Notch tilted slightly on their side. Given how little Notch emotes and how much Gligar overreacts, I feel like this is probably an equally large reaction from both of them. "We'll practice other things later!"

With the two of them still a little reticent, I explained. "Over dinner, Gligar can hold the new Toxic Orb, with a few Antidotes sprayed on her throughout the meal, while Notch can practice their Psychic control with the minerals they'll have. Good?"

They perked up quickly, with Notch's ears flapping up a little and Gligar… immediately latching onto Notch and sinking fangs covered in pink Psychic energy into their rocky body. "Dammit! What did I just say about waiting?!"

After a short lecture (to which Gligar did look at least a little chagrined, before eagerly switching back to her usual aggressive self), I watched their progress.

Notch was raising Reflect very quickly, able to surround themselves in a near-invisible barrier in a matter of seconds. The Move is very similar to Light Screen, which Carbink learns naturally and Notch already knows. They can almost summon Reflect as fast as Light Screen now, which will be good. Carbinks are naturally slow physically, but their minds are just as fast as any. Notch becoming capable of learning these mental Moves speedily will be a key factor in their success in battles, to make up for that issue.

Gligar herself had little issue keeping up even as her opponent used Moves at the speed of thought, however. Her natural speed let her zip around, twirling through the air before curving around and striking into Notch once more. Her small fangs ripped through the barrier surrounding the Rock Type and her attack left small gouges on Notch's body.

I've got to keep an eye on that, Notch doesn't understand self-preservation enough and has seriously pushed themselves in the past. Gligar is only piercing Reflect about seven times out of ten, and only half of the attacks break the barrier entirely, though she's getting good power out of the Move. That will be helpful for the future when she evolves.

Gligar could learn any of the fang Moves through Technical Machines, but she'd naturally learn all the elemental ones upon evolving into Gliscor. My hope was that Psychic Fangs would give her a good grounding in those attacks and also be something useful for the future.

My training method might have accepted using my family's money to its fullest, but I still had no desire to 'waste' any of it. Especially since my savings were massively depleted trying to get everything I needed to start our first round of training for my new Pokemon and to continue to up the power of my older companions.

Notch had been given more TMs to learn than I had expected after a bit of research had uncovered Body Press and what it could do. I only used Carbink in Gen 7, and they were great during my fairy mono-run in Ultra Sun, but a very defensive set-up Pokemon. Body Press is huge, giving us a way to leverage their incredible defenses. With that also came Iron Defense to make them even tankier, and thus hit harder. Reflect to round out the defensive barriers Notch could raise. Stealth Rocks for arena control, and finally Psychic, Notch's personal favorite.

I had nearly picked Dazzling Gleam in the checkout cart until Notch pushed my hand away repeatedly and made it clear there was a different Move they wanted to learn. It had still taken me some time to understand the fae Pokemon's intent, but after we went through the list of Moves they could learn, I eventually figured it out. In retrospect, it makes perfect sense that a Pokemon obsessed with wanting to gain hands would seek out a Move that lets them manipulate things telekinetically.

Psychic was a powerful Move, and would take a ton of practice for a non-Psychic Type to control it on a precise level, but I had faith in Notch. Glancing back at them, I saw the Fairy try to conjure up Reflect once more as Gligar dived down for an attack, but after half an hour of repeated assaults, the Psychic energy failed to manifest in time. Gligar clamped on and sunk her teeth in again, invoking a minute wince from Notch.

"That's enough!" I called out sharply. The two of them disengaged, awaiting my verdict. "Notch, keep your eyes open while making the barriers. A couple of times I noticed your eyes scrunched up a bit. That might help concentration, but in a fight, you'll need to keep your awareness on the battlefield. Otherwise, just keep working on the power of your Reflect, you've nearly got it mastered."

With the easy critique down, I turned to Gligar, standing patiently on the battlefield. "You're doing well with Psychic Fang, though I noticed you always latch onto the face before biting. Going for flyby attacks should improve your speed-" Seeing her shaking her head vigorously, I stopped.

"What's up?"

"Gligar! Lig. Ar ar." She said, mimed a swoop to open air, and then kicked with her legs.

"Oh, I see. A hit-and-run would slow you down or limit the power of the attack and you use your feet to kick off after landing on the foe to speed away." My guess was confirmed by her nod.

"Alright then, in that case, keep on latching but work to avoid landing on spots where the opponent has an easy time striking you back." Gligar gestured a pincer at Notch as if to say 'nuh-uh.' "Even Carbink's have natural defenses on their bodies. They can fire beams from the crystals on their bodies."

Gligar's eyes widened at that, whipping around to stare at her teammate. Notch closed their eyes and lifted their ears up in the approximation of a smile that I believed was far more sinister than it outwardly appeared.

"So for the future, when you latch on, try to avoid landing on the crystals on their body." With a shiver, she agreed. Not that Notch knows Power Gem yet, but it is a Move they're famous for.

"Also, just be careful about your partner while training," I lightly chided. Gligar looked downcast, a little guilty at that reminder of her last attack. "I understand your instincts will be to lunge in when you see a weakness, but you need to have the control to pull back if you see they're in danger."

"Li gar," she argued mildly. It was hardly as heated as our previous spats or disagreements, but it was clear she was still quite headstrong. With Notch it's the opposite problem, they won't speak up even if they're hurt or they think they have a better battle strategy or way to use a technique. Still, I should focus on the fact that both of them are improving in those areas, slowly but surely.

Speaking of that improvement, while I still couldn't understand Gligar nearly as well as I did Dun, I thought I understood the gist of her point here. "Yes, having drive is important in a battle, but with control, you'll be able to use the most of your power no matter what situation. If you let yourself get carried away, you could end up falling into a trap." Could also end up seriously hurting someone you don't want to hurt. Or maybe just someone I don't want to hurt, I've noticed those arguments don't work as well for her, and I have to focus on pragmatic reasoning.

Casting my gaze past the battlefield and over to the beach, I saw Dun and Miles practicing their own Moves perfectly, not needing my direct supervision at all. I know it's unfair to expect Pokemon I've barely known for a month to be as well-behaved and trained as them, but boy is this a lot more work. Still, I wouldn't trade my new friends for anything… even if they're driving me mental.

"Dun, come over here for a second!" I shouted, and they ceased slapping the waves with their tail, slithering over to my side. He looked eager as he slid over the battlefield. Happy with how his training is going, looking for a match, or just both? It was hard to tell sometimes who was happier with my birthday gift, myself or Dun, but it was clear he adored fighting on it.

The smooth surface of it is certainly nicer than the sand. Cooler too - even with the hot sun beating down on it, the battlefield maintains an even temperature that's only impacted by Moves. Even most of those, except for terrain Moves and the like don't last long, the field 'resetting' to base conditions over time. It's a marvel of engineering and I can still barely comprehend how all of it works.

Alongside the actual Battlefield, I got a hefty guidebook detailing its construction and how it worked. Most of any potential issues that could crop up the book said to call an engineer to fix, but I was tempted to try myself (even if I knew given how sturdy it was that it would take a lot of use for something to go wrong accidentally).

"Dun, I'd like you to use Tailwind to help Notch keep up with Gligar for the next part of their training, and to keep an eye on them as I check in with Miles." My starter nodded dutifully, even though I knew it couldn't have been his favorite job in the world. For her part, Gligar slumped a bit, recognizing that with the Tailwind boost, she'd have to work to avoid Notch landing a physical Move on her.

"After that's done, I think we might wrap up before dinner with a little two v. one. Dun versus Notch and Gligar."

"Dun dun dun," the land snake grinned viciously, while Gligar hissed in fear. She's learned to watch out for my starter. Well both of them have really, but it's hard to get a read on Notch. Even now they just stared at me, not reacting to the announcement at all.

With those two in good hands (or rather wings?) I went over to Miles. They were in their Wash Form, firing out jets of water into the ocean. There were no aquatic Pokemon nearby, however, and for good reason, as I saw one of the blasts make a large patch of ocean water around where it hit bubbled, steam rising above it.

"The new Drive the company gave you working well?" I asked, to which I got a cheerful buzz from them. They opened their washing machine front door to let out a far larger blast of cold water chilling down the water temperature before raising the hose that floated out the back and firing a scorching hot jet of water out of that.

Not all the ideas I pitched worked perfectly, but this one honestly worked even better than I thought. Miles has gained Scald in this form without even losing Hydro Pump! The theory the 'egghead squad' came up with is part of why it's so easy to add on is due to how regular washing machines can run hot or cold loads.

The experiments with Refrigerator eventually turned into a straight-up ice machine and snow blower. They weren't all bad, giving access to Hail and Snowscape, but unfortunately, they lost Blizzard in the process. Drone and Radio Forms still needed work, but I was happy to see some results already.

A crunching sound behind me drew my attention, and I pivoted to see that Notch had landed a nasty hit on Gligar's right-wing, grounding the FlyScorp Pokemon. If it's not one thing, it's another. "Hang on a moment," I called out, pulling a Potion from my bag.

***

Dinner proceeded as usual (Gligar needed three Antidotes and still nearly puked from the poisonous energies the Orb leaked out and Notch nearly sent a piece of Iron they were supposed to be eating through a window when their Psychic control slipped), with Arven regaling myself and my parents about a local youth soccer team he joined.

That's nice for him. I remember playing soccer when I was a kid in my old life, all the way to a young adult. It was fun, even if I never got very far with it. Not something I have time for here though, not with all my training. Speaking of that…

"You know Arven," I said sweetly, turning to the boy across the table as I finished my dinner. "We haven't done enough training recently."

"O-oh. I hadn't noticed," he said nervously, his green eyes not meeting mine as his gaze darted around the dining room as if looking for an escape.

"Yeah, it's been a shame, Dun and Miles have been a bit too strong for Maschiff… but luckily I've got two new Pokemon that he could play great with." The dog in question raised his head up from behind the table giving me a plaintive whine that I ignored. "Plus, Cyan is coming over for some training soon, so you can warm up against her."

Arven slumped as he heard me talking about this like it was a done deal. Billy and O'Nare cheered it as 'such fun' and made sure to ask me to let them know about future times my sister would be coming over. They must be missing her as well. Even if they're busy with their work and wouldn't have much time to see her, a few texts and emails a day aren't the same as seeing someone in person.

We left for the beach to see Cyan descending from the Flying Taxi. "C'mon, hurry up!" The white-haired girl called out, seeming just a tad manic. "We've only got a few hours of training before I have to go back."

"Are you alright?" I asked, a little concerned at how she was acting, which is why I was surprised when she ran forward and wrapped her arms around me. "Oh." Surprised, I made sure to hug her tight. "What's wrong?"

"'M fine, I guess. Just…" She disentangled herself from me. "I thought it would be fun, to have so many other kids to hang around. We always just had our tutors but never got to make friends. The people at Uva though, they're mean."

Arven gasped beside me as if that was the biggest accusation one could make, which surprised me until I remembered that he was eight. Cyan, for all her maturity, is only thirteen too. Still, I wonder if this is a sign of the bullying that would become rampant in a few years. "Not to sound like a cliche, but did you talk to the teachers about it?"

My sister nodded. "The teachers didn't care at first. It was fine at first, I was just getting used to things, but then this group of girls led by Mindy," she said the name with such venom I did a quick check to make sure she hadn't become part Seviper. "She started teasing me and calling me names, hating me just because of our family! Which was the only reason why the teachers cared when I eventually brought up my name."

Sighing, she looked out at the ocean. "Now they leave me alone, but everyone does. The rest of the kids won't talk to me and they'll still make comments in the hall, anything deniable they can say to make digs at me. Like how 'rich kids might start with powerful Pokemon, but they never get far in the Gym Challenge.'"

"And you want to prove them wrong. Well, it probably won't solve your issues with the other kids," I warned. She set her fiery gaze on me and shook her head.

"Maybe not, but it's a good sign of your commitment and drive regardless. And I just want to show off to them. I want to get five badges in my first Treasure Hunt!" She declared boldly. "I know you could do something like that easily, so will you help me?"

"Of course! I'll turn you and Arven into powerhouses the likes of which the world has never seen!"

"Leave me out of this," the boy moaned, unable to free his wrist from the iron-like grip I had it in. He had tried to escape during my talk with my sister but ~~prey~~ friends couldn't get away from me that easily!

"First off, let's release your Pokemon and start them with some warm-up exercises. Then we'll go over your strategies for taking on the gyms." Cyan released her three Pokemon, Popplio, and her newly given Quaxly from Uva were released on the Battlefield, while Horsea was let out in the water not so far away.

I released all of my team, directing Miles to keep an eye on Horsea in the water. I doubt she's in too much danger there, but if any of the ocean Pokemon tried to start a problem, Miles could deal with it. It does raise another issue, however.

Popplio and Quaxly were set to run laps around the arena while Horsea swam a small circuit in the ocean. Maschiff already had some training, so I told him to run on the beach for more resistance. "Alright, let's talk about the biggest hurdle first: You're a Water Type specialist."

"Is that a bad thing?" My sibling tensed up a bit, suddenly nervous.

"No, but it does present a slight problem in Gym Battles. Except for Water Type Leaders, most Gyms only have to have small sections of water on their arena. This limits the movements of some of your team." Looking out on the field, I saw that the blue-and-white duck-like Pokemon Quaxly was starting to outpace Popplio, despite her starter having been with Cyan longer.

"Even Water Types that can go on land like Popplio are going to be slower than they would be in the water, only a few like Quaxly will be just as fast."

The teenager grimaced. "I've heard rumors that Kathy is super tough to face too."

"Oh? I thought you'd go up against Brassius first since he has a Type advantage and all. Good on you for saving him for last."

My statement confused her because she frowned, and Arven chimed in with the same confusion. "Wait, why would she be facing Brassius last? And why is it better to face a Gym Leader with Type advantage early on?" As I turned to face him he mumbled "Thought that it would be tough to handle a Gym Leader with Type advantage when you don't have the Moves or experience to deal with it."

"You're absolutely right! Unfortunately, Gym Leaders get tougher at higher levels too. Facing an Eighth Badge Gym Challenge is always going to be tough, but it becomes incredibly tough when they have the edge on you. If you haven't had much practice then facing them early on can be like running headfirst into a wall and block out a lot of young Trainers, but with a bit of work they're like a small hurdle to hop over. Really, just having a coverage Move clears a ton of the challenge for the first badge."

"So, what should I do to beat my first Gym Leader, Brassius?" Cyan said without a hint of joking in her voice.

"Noooo! You were supposed to be the chosen one! Face on the greatest challenges rather than take the short and easy path!" My wails were cut off by my older sister poking me in the forehead.

"Dolt. If anyone is the 'chosen one' it's you. I just want to get as many badges as possible and shut up those girls at school. Now tell me how to win!" She demanded.

"Ugh. Well, there's no guaranteed strategy to win a Gym Battle or everyone would do it." Or rather, any strategy that does exceptionally well gets patched up by the leaders. However, if she's looking for a strategy designed to win as much as possible… With a sigh, I admitted: "You should face Brassius then backtrack through Mesagoza to face Kathy."

"Usually, most students start out in Mesagoza and loop around one way or the other across Paldea to complete the Gym circuit." Left unsaid in my explanation was that few Trainers actually made it all the way through on a loop. Which is part of why I think Paldea has fewer top tier Trainers - the Treasure Hunt style 'circuit' simply gives less time to take on the Gyms than other regions' circuits, even if theoretically our Gyms are open all year round.

Continuing to address my sister's question I said. "Brassius has only been the Gym Leader for a couple months, and he almost always has a Sudowoodo he Terastalizes into a Grass Type on his first Badge challenge. Your Water Types can force out that Terastalization early. With only two Pokemon for most of that level challenge, you can use Popplio and Quaxly who can both walk on land, and both learn Moves that Grass Types are weak to."

"As for Kathy, she's not quite as new, having trained under Kofu and having a year of experience already. Still, she'll be less used to the nuances of a second Badge challenge than a first, since most of the people that have faced her were first badge challenges, or were much later ones. She's likely to err on the side of caution and use a slightly lower challenge than she might otherwise."

Both Arven and Cyan were looking at me wide-eyed as I finished, my sister even having whipped out a pen and paper and jotting down notes. "Whoa, how do you know so much about Gyms and the like? I get that you're a battle freak but this is something else." Before I could answer she cheered "With this the Gyms are going to be super easy!"

Shrugging I responded "It's just a lot of analysis of different battles, and don't think it'll make every win easy - all Gym Leaders are tough."

"Where do you find all those battle videos?" Arven inquired.

"Poketube. Almost all Gym leaders post videos online of the different challenges they give." Though they tend to post challenges a few months out of date, changing up basic strategies every so often. But most Gyms gather large crowds who watch in person so you can find lesser quality but more accurate footage with a bit of searching there and on Forums like Pokemon Trainers Online.

I continued. "Plus, I hear some stuff from Hassel. Oh, speaking of which, make sure to say hi to Brassius from me. He's Hassel's friend, the one who critiqued our comic."

"He's that artist friend Hassel had? Huh." Cyan commented while Arven just looked a little lost.

"But back to the training - having a solid strategy for the future means nothing if you can't utilize it. We need to work on the strength of your team's Moves, and ways they can leave large sections of water on the field for Horsea to use. She'll be able to float once she becomes a Kingdra, but that's a long ways off."

With the warm-ups done, I started organizing the two children and eight Pokemon between us into their drills. "Here we go!"

***

"So this is Artazon," I commented as we stepped off the flying taxi by the southern entrance to the city. The barriers that defined it were more natural than man-made, with hills and cliffs rising along the sides guiding development inward.

The most notable trait of the city was how green it was. Even amidst a bunch of shops and stands in the center, there were massive flower beds and benches all around to let people appreciate the abundant nature around them. This extended to the roads, while some were brick, many others including some major pathways, were dirt paths, with large expanses of grass beside them.

Even the playgrounds had very nature-inspired designs, with flowers and vines painted on the sides of the wooden jungle gyms. Of course, the most prominent aspect of this was the new Gym Leader's latest art piece, 'The Surrendering Sunflora.' It was a statue carved of the named Pokemon, its body bending backward as if it cowered against some unseen force high above. I know from the games that it's supposed to be about Brassius' own struggles with his art, but I can see why people are currently speculating about it being some unknown Pokemon that's menacing the Sunflora.

The Gym Building was fairly easy to spot, the modern building sticking out like a sore thumb against the rest of the city's general architecture. It's taller than most of them too, with only the big windmill matching it for size nearby.

I was tempted to just head straight to the windmill, suspecting that Brassius would be hosting his battle in the arena in front of it, but since I couldn't spot him standing up there, I figured we had time to go to the official building. Plus I don't have an excuse to tell my parents why we'd go there first anyway. Not that I'd likely need an excuse, given how distracted they are.

The Glitterati couple were awed at the sights… of all the regular folks, doing regular things. Veggie dogs from a cart nearly left Billy hyperventilating, and I had to drag them along before we would waste too much time here. Cyan's match should be happening soon, she messaged us that she was just taking on the Gym Challenge.

She hadn't elaborated on what the challenge was, however, and my meta knowledge couldn't help me here. While Artazon had a thriving population of Sunfloras, both naturally and from the prior Gym Leader, Brassius hadn't made several Sunflora statues yet. In fact, there are quite a few empty spaces I can see around the city. No hedge maze, for one. I guess those must be places where some features the old Gym Leader built up were. I could see a few trainers measuring those plots and sketching the land out.

Stepping inside the Gym Building itself, I saw a number of citizens hanging around. Some were just there to watch the battles on the televisions inside, others were trainers (mostly students) waiting to challenge the leader, and a few others were people with requests to make of the Gym Leader.

Billy and O'Nare marched straight to the front of the line, and I followed in their wake, nervously stammering out apologies for my parent's actions. At the desk, Dad asked the receptionist

"Where is our daughter, Cyan? She's supposed to be battling the Gym Leader and we must see it."

"Excuse me, sir, but there were other people waiting-" the receptionist began, before a door leading to the back with 'staff members only' written on it, opened up. A green-haired man I'd seen once before in this life, and only over a screen in both lives appeared before us, dynamically striding forward.

"Mr. and Mrs. Glitterati? I'll be battling your daughter shortly, if you wish to watch, then follow me." He declared, stumbling for a second as he passed by my parents and saw me. "Ah, Nemona, it's good to see you as well."

We trailed after him, having to jog every so often myself to keep up with his brisk strides. "Good to see you too, Brassius. Congratulations on your artwork, and of course, on becoming a Gym Leader."

A soft chuckle came from the man. "I should be thanking you, the artwork you submitted to me helped inspire me to break me out of my creative rut. From there, it wasn't hard to take on greater challenges."

"You mean Hassel convinced you," I quipped, keeping my tone light even as my mind raced. Did I really-? No, no way. He would have become a Gym Leader regardless, with that same statue he made, even. I didn't impact that by sending him a few bootleg Spider-Man comics… probably. I can't be certain that this isn't earlier than he would have been Gym Leader, admittedly.

"Yes, Hassel did suggest this would be a good way to kick off my fresh start, and so far I have to agree. The challengers have already given me so many new ideas that I can barely keep up, especially with all the other duties calling to me as a Gym Leader." I couldn't see his face, but he waved an arm out at the scenery around us.

"Are the duties extensive? I noticed the Gym building was fairly large, even though you don't battle there."

He 'hmm'd.' "Somewhat. There's definitely been a learning curve. Most of the activity there is that of the Rangers, who use the upper parts of the building as a base. It gives them a place to stay when fresh out of the wilderness and helps us and the rest of the League coordinate with them if any situations should arise."

Huh. Hadn't thought of that, but it makes a lot of sense. The Rangers have alerts they send out to our phones every so often, for cases involving truly dangerous Pokemon nearby, or unusual situations. For more general updates on how things are going in the ecosystems beyond our little cities, having the Rangers connect with the Gyms would work well. Especially for if they need a bunch of proverbial firepower immediately, the Gym Leader can be on tap.

We reached the battlefield, a crowd already starting to gather around. Most of them were people native to the city, but there were a few tourists and enthusiasts from other cities. With the Treasure Hunt just starting, people knew that this was one of two Gyms that would be seeing tons of immediate attention, and many fans wanted to get the first scoop on who was going to perform well on this 'circuit'.

Brassius bid me farewell as he began getting in position, which entailed climbing up the windmill. The maroon jacket he wore must have a surprising amount of lean muscles because even with slightly jutting out bricks for a path up, it still appeared to be a tough climb.

My parents arrived, panting and out of breath from the brisk jog across the city. "Where did he-" O'Nare began to ask before she pointed at something on the other end of the field. "There!"

Turning around, I followed her gaze to see my sister, stepping up to the green arena, looking around confused. She was wearing a black checkered jacket over her Fall school uniform, the late Winter weather just brisk enough to justify it. Right as she saw us, her eyes widening in shock, Brassius leaped down, flipping through the air and landing in a three-point stance before the girl.

"Wh-what?!? Mom, Dad? What is going on? Nemona?!" My sister wailed, caught off-guard and trying to process all of this.

Our Parents decided to help by simply cheering Cyan on. "You got this! Show the world your Glitterati might!" "We love you, baby girl!" My sister just blushed, brushing the singular red lock of hair out of her face. The sound of Brassius' snapping whip brought everyone's attention back to him (though he didn't crack it anywhere near my little sister or else we would have had words).

"Miss Glitterati, are you ready to begin with your Gym Challenge?" He announced, his voice not raised but carrying loudly and clearly across the arena.

"I- yes! I'm ready to battle!" Her voice squeaked a little but there was a burning determination radiating off of my sister's Amber eyes. She drew her Pokeball and readied herself. Brassius stood up, mostly hiding a wince as his leg twinged. I guess jumping down like that isn't very kind on his knees, but he's probably fine. We see him doing that in the games, and that's years from now, so I guess he just gets tougher? Thank goodness for anime-tier bodies.

The Gym Leader and challenger took their places, each of them releasing their first Pokemon. Brassius revealed a small yellow and black sunflower seed-looking Pokemon, while Cyan chose her starter.

Popplio gave a proud cry as he slapped onto the arena, water already forming beneath his flippers. The Grass Type facing him shook their leaves dismissively.

"Let's begin!" Brassius declared, starting the battle. Cyan capitalized on this, her first command leaving her mouth almost before the Gym Leader had finished announcing the start.

"Aqua Jet!" Like that, Popplio was off, racing ahead with conjured water pushing him forward. A sharp note had his head surrounded by a bubble of water as he smacked into the Grass Type, knocking the small Pokemon up into the air.

"Good job keeping the initiative, but do you have the follow-up?" I questioned out loud. My voice was low, and with how focused my older sister was on the battle, I doubt she would have heard me even if I had been shouting, but she answered with her next move in any case.

Pointing up at the Sunkern in the sky, she shouted "Ice Beam!" Gathering pale blue energy in front of his nose, Popplio aimed at the falling seed. Just before they hit the ground, he unleashed the beam, and while Sunkern did their best to avoid the shot, lacking any means to maneuver mid-air, they were still hit by the ray of sheer cold, ice crystals coating their body.

"Hang on, Sunkern!" Brassius called out, and to my amazement, the weak Grass Type managed to tank the hit. They gave a defiant cry as they righted themselves from the fall, shivering as it was from the cold.

Brassius proved he didn't get the position of Gym Leader for nothing, following it up with a quick "Grassy Terrain!" Sunkern scrunched up their tiny black eyes and green energy radiated out of them, hovering just over the ground. They let out a small sigh of relief as it had already begun to heal their wounds.

"Icy Wind, wipe it away!" Cyan called out, and Popplio spread his flippers out wide, waving them hard, whipping up the frigid wind that washed across the field. Sunkern winced as it was barraged by it, more ice crystals forming on them, and all around on the field. It wasn't enough to wipe away the terrain effect Sunkern had conjured, but I thought I saw it fluctuate for at least a moment.

Well, I could hardly stop her from getting TMs and using them if she wanted, but I'm glad about the compromise we reached about making sure Cyan helped Popplio master most of his natural Moves too. While it didn't quite work out here, having Icy Wind as well as Ice Beam offers more versatility and should be useful-

"Sorry miss, what were you muttering?" A boy about my age asked, pulling me out of my apparently out loud thoughts. Glancing over at him, I saw he was wearing glasses and the same uniform my sister was. He had brownish-orange hair and before I could answer he was turned back to the battle, excitedly gasping at some of the attacks my sister's starter was unleashing upon Brassius' Pokemon.

Ugh, so embarrassing, just call me Midoriya. Still, there's something wrong here. How is that Sunkern standing? I wasn't one to dismiss a Pokemon just for being unevolved, but Sunkern were noted for being especially weak before they evolved. There were other factors, like the Grass Type having decent speed in enacting some Moves, but just sitting there a lot of the time and not having the power I would expect from a Pokemon capable of weathering those Moves Popplio was using. In fact, he's not using any attacking Moves at all.

The answer came to me in a flash, and I opened my mouth to shout it out, to warn my sister, before I caught myself. No, she needs to win this on her own. I've given her all the training she needs, if she can't beat an Endure/Grass Terrain combo, that will be on her. I silently prayed that she would figure it out before he managed to pull off the Bide that he had been subtly building up.

Thankfully, she did, cutting off her attack just as the seed Pokemon started to glow. "Sing!" Popplio popped up on his tail and began belting out an enchanting melody, the words causing a light mist to spread out through the air.

As Sunkern launched itself through the mist at Popplio, their eyes almost instantly shut, the first of Brassius' Pokemon crashing into Popplio from the inertia, but with much less force than he would have otherwise been hit with. Before Popplio could fully take out his fallen foe, Brassius recalled them.

"Well done. You impressed me with your artistic skills, both before and during your Gym Challenge, but now I see you're a capable battler as well," he complimented Cyan.

My sister blushed at the praise. "Thank yo-"

"But now we will find out if your skills are truly avant-garde!" Brassius dramatically shouted, catching my sister off-guard. "Go, Sudowoodo!" From another Pokeball, he released a Pokemon that looked eerily like a tree. I knew better, however, and that the thin brown Pokemon with green orbs on its 'hands' was actually a Rock Type.

My sister knew that as well, which is why the first thing she called for was another Aqua Jet. The musical sea lion Pokemon slid across the ground like it was a waterslide, but before he could connect with Sudowoodo, the opponent split into two, identical copies staring him down.

Popplio crashed through the fake, popping it into smoke as he slid on by. Before he could regain his bearings, Brassius shouted "Substitute, again!" Another fake appeared, and then they split off again, forming more substitutes.

"Ahh! Where's the real one? I-" I winced as Cyan froze up, it was painful to see my sister acting like this.

You know the answer to this, we've practiced it! "C'mon, big sis!" I yelled above the crowd. "You can do this!!"

Her eyes snapped to focus. "Right! Popplio, Hyper Voice!" Once more Popplio lifted himself up on his tail, but this time his words were no melody, but a discordant screech.

The sound created watery waves in the air, washing over the field and crashing through all of the substitutes, as well as the real Sudowoodo itself. The ace of the first badge challenge wouldn't be bested so easily and quickly righted itself.

"Avant-Garde, truly! But allow me to show you the fruits of my passion as well, Terastalize!" Pulling out a Tera Orb, he tossed it over his Pokemon, where it broke open and crystals engulfed Sudowoodo. When they shattered, the Pokemon was a Rock Type no longer, with a crystalline sheen coating its body and crystal flowers in a crown above its head.

"Icy Wind, freeze him in his tracks!" The wind bit harshly into the new Grass Type before they managed to lift some rocks out of the ground and use them as a barrier.

"Whoa! She reacted to the Terastalization instantly!" The boy beside me commented, frantically typing some notes on his phone.

"She should, we've been practicing it for a long time." At the wide-eyed look behind his glasses, I added "I'm Cyan's sister, by the way. Nemona," I introduced myself.

"I'm Hohma. This is so cool! I'm too nervous to battle Gym Leaders myself, but I love watching them. I can't wait to tell everyone online about this! I think she's going to go far."

I chuckled softly at that, not disagreeing in the slightest. She's come a long way, I thought as I saw Popplio level Ice Beams across the battlefield. Even as they were blocked by rocks and more stones were tossed at him, Cyan was unfettered.

"Aqua Jet through the rocks, then Ice Beam again!" Chaining Moves together for a combo, good. That saves on time in a battle and lets your Pokemon enact the strategy you need. From the flashing of Brassius' wild eyes, however, I saw that Artazon's Gym Leader was about to teach her the weakness of such tactics.

"When she breaks through, Wood Hammer!" Sudowoodo raced forward, its body wiggling weirdly with how tall it was with such stumpy legs. The oddity of its movements in no way weakened the power of its blow though, as it reared back, letting Popplio crash through the stone on a wave of water before hitting it with its arm. The arm was wreathed in thick green energy and came down like a hammer blow atop poor Popplio's head, sending the Pokemon sprawling.

Even Brassius grimaced a little, but he shook it off to say "Return your Pokemon and release your next- what?!" Everyone's attention was on Popplio, the small Water Type pushing himself back up. That would be surprising enough on its own, but he was also glowing.

In a flash, he grew drastically. His skin became a paler shade of blue, while the ring around his neck moved down to his torso, with several new rings joining it.

"Popplio…" Cyan breathed out, a grin slowly stretching across her face. "No, Brionne, Ice Beam!" Her evolved starter let out a cry of victory, unleashing a point-blank ray that burst out like a brilliant cone as it hit the Sudowoodo.

When we could blink our eyes clear of the icy mist that had exploded out from the field, the sight before us was of Sudowoodo trapped in a massive block of ice. There was silence, before slowly, Brassius started clapping.

"Congratulations Cyan. You have won, your first Gym Badge!" With that, the crowd went wild, and no one was cheering harder than me or our parents.

Spoiler: A/N:

Cyan has earned her first Gym Badge! Most of her run is going to be glossed over what with her not being the main character and all, but I hope that was an enjoyable and informative snapshot of what it'll be like.



These next few chapters are going to cover a large chunk of time over the year before we get to Nemona's ninth birthday, so just know that some of it won't be perfectly in order with the previous chapters. I'm hoping to show you different little pictures of her life before we move on to the next big arc.



Oh, and because I forgot to put it last time (and it'll be a while before it shows up again), the mask that Nemona and Co. crafted is called the Highflying Mask. It turns Ogerpon into a Flying/Grass Type, turns Ivy Cudgel into a Flying Type Move and gives her the Super Luck Ability (as well as the 20% damage boost all the masks give). When she Terastalizes with it on, she becomes a pure Flying Type, with the Embody Aspect Ability increasing her Evasion by one stage.

Nemona's Current Team:

-'Dun' (Dudunsparce, Male, Normal Type, Starter)
- Tera Type: Normal
- Held Item: None
- Abilities: Run Away, Serene Grace
- Moves known: Flail, Mud Slap, Rollout, Glare, Body Slam, Poison Jab, Earthquake, Bite, Yawn (Invisible Version), Last Resort, Hyper Voice, Protect, Thunder, Hex, Agility, Air Slash, Giga Impact, Tailwind, Roost, Ancient Power, Drill Run, Hyper Drill, Triple Yawn, Ice Spinner, Solar Beam, Lunge

- 'Miles' (Rotom, Genderless, Electric/Form dependent Type)
- Tera Type: Electric
- Held Item: None
- Ability: Levitate
- Moves Known: Astonish, Confuse Ray, Thundershock, Double Team, Hyper Voice, Protect, Thunder, Rain Dance, Will O' Wisp, Nasty Plot, Hex, Sunny Day, Substitute

- 'Gligar' (Gligar, Female, Flying/Ground Type)
- Tera Type: Flying
- Held Item: None
- Ability: Hyper Cutter
- Moves Known: Poison Sting, Sand Attack, Harden, Knock Off, Fury Cutter, Acrobatics, Bulldoze, Quick Attack, Psychic Fangs, Poison Tail

- 'Carbink' (Carbink, Genderless, Rock/Fairy Type)
- Tera Type: Rock
- Held Item: None
- Ability: Clear Body
- Moves Known: Harden, Tackle, Guard Split, Flail, Ancient Power, Light Screen, Reflect, Iron Defense, Body Press, Stealth Rocks, Psychic, Smack Down

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[unlawfulwaffle362]

Nemona is spreading! She's infecting the others with battle mania!

 

[Skyfyre]

Tightening my belt one last time, I stepped out of the changing rooms and into the massive auditorium. I wonder what they use this place for when they aren't hosting national martial arts tournaments?

"Hey! Looking good Nemona!" Dendra called out from across the room, waving at me from the bleachers. Jogging over, I dodged around the other competitors getting ready and idling about on the outskirts of the tournament mats. None of the matches had started yet, but there was some unspoken tension in the air driving most of the children away from those arenas.

Each of us is waiting for this moment, to test ourselves and see how well we can do. If we've honed our bodies enough to- eww is that kid picking his nose with his finger? Oh god, he ate the booger, eww eww eww. Really hope I don't have to spar against him, I know we'll be wearing gear, but still.

So, not everyone was taking it quite as seriously as I was, but there was still a general feeling of excitement in the air. Especially from my 'fans'. I picked up the pace as Mom started cheering beside Dendra, somehow even louder and more enthusiastic than the teenager.

"I'm really glad you're here Mom, but you can probably save the cheering for when I'm actually in the ring," I said as I reached them.

"Oh, but you look so adorable in that 'gee.' Besides, with your father unable to make it I have to cheer twice as hard for the both of us." O'Nare countered and I consciously refrained from sighing. She's like this because she cares- well, no. She's like this because she's weird, but she shows support (however unusually) because she cares.

"Osu! She does look great in her gi," Dendra said, subtly correcting my mother's mispronunciation. "How ya feeling, champ?"

"Like I'm not the champ," I deadpanned, waiting for a beat to add: "Not yet, at least."

"Haha! That's the spirit." The older girl was excited, though with my quick eyes, I did pick up on how her gaze would dart down to my new green belt.

We've been training for over a year now, but given the master-apprentice style training we've been doing, we never focused on ranks before I entered this tournament. I actually had to talk her into giving me this belt rather than entering as a White Belt. Not that she needed a ton of convincing to accept that I was a cut above the beginner class. She needed a bit more for Green, since with how the competition range worked, this meant I could be facing other kids up to Brown Belt level, the level before Black Belt.

Gazing out at the other martial artists, seeing some of them practicing and stretching, I wondered how many of them were appropriately judged. In my world I know some schools would deliberately under-rank fighters for tournaments like this, just to try and win prizes, I'm curious how much of that is true here. Generally, I find this world to be so much kinder and more honest than my old one but… people are still people, and some are still willing to act cutthroat and cheat for a tiny bit of prestige, no matter the universe.

"We've got fifteen minutes before the matches start, let's get that blood pumping! Osu!" Dendra snapped me out of my thoughts, releasing her Meditite. The Psychic Type ran me through some of the stretches I knew by heart, but the familiar practices helped calm me down.

Touching my Aura helped calm me down, felt like lifting any burdens I held and tossing them aside like I could float on air. Which, I could. I made sure not to do so here, however. Good way to get accusations of cheating tossed around. Aura may not be widespread knowledge but Psychic powers are. Also, I don't think most of these kids know how to actively use their Auras.

Unconscious use was common enough amongst fighters, or even just very physically active people in this world, so I didn't try to fully tamp down on my Aura.I could do that, and it honestly felt odd and a little unsettling, both in how much weaker I was and how my senses were dulled, but also in that it felt like I was trying to hold my soul separate from my body. For this tournament, I just held the sense of it being there, feeling it without guiding the force in any way.

It helped settle my nerves, which was a good thing because there were delays, so the tournament took closer to thirty minutes than fifteen to start. Eventually, a slender woman in a sharp business suit stepped onto the middle of the floor, microphone in hand. "Welcome, competitors, friends, family, and fans, to the 137th annual Paldean Youth Karate tournament. I am Hannah So, and I'll be your announcer for the day."

There was a round of polite applause before she continued, outlining the different events. There were form and weapon rounds, and the different sparring divisions, divided by age and belt level. I'd be competing in the Green to Brown Belt under twelve divisions.

The brackets were posted up and I saw my name as the second match and began putting on my gear. The rules mandated us kids wear helmets, mouth guards, gloves, and footguards. The gloves were pretty light, with open fingers and padding that covered the wrist, going over the knuckles. The footguards were a bit like foam shoes without a sole and extended up the leg to cover just below the knees. All my protective gear (save the clear mouthguard) was black and shiny.

Longer hair sure is a hassle, I thought as I pulled my ponytail through a small hole in the back of my headgear. Maybe I should cut it? I don't have to keep with Canon Nemona's hairstyle, do I? I hope no one thinks I'm completely new just because of the gear and me not having participated in any of these before. The extra height from the growth spurt I'd recently had was appreciated, but the new rounds of clothing shopping weren't.

"It's over, three points for Lilah Evergreen!" The announcer called and I turned my eyes to the middle arena where that fight was taking place. A girl about my age stood victorious over a boy a year or two younger whom she had tossed down. The referee made sure the fighting stopped and motioned for each competitor to bow to each other, which the boy did slightly more begrudgingly after standing up than his victorious counterpart. Then they cleared the arena and it was my turn.

"Wish me luck," my voice was slightly muffled behind my mouthguard, but they both understood me. Mother jumped to cheer for me again, dusting my cheeks crimson. You can at least wait till the fight begins!

Dendra just said, "Break a leg, Osu!"

"Isn't that for actors?"

"Why would an actor need to shatter a tibia?" The confused martial artist asked, and I groaned, not sure if she was playing me or if she truly didn't get that saying.

I was saved from having to find out by my name being called, and so I walked up to the stage, directed to one corner by the referee. On the opposite side my opponent, 'Bill Watkins' stepped up to the stage.

"You're kidding me. You're under twelve?" Possibly a bit rude of me to ask, but he's like six feet tall! The 'boy' in question simply nodded, then after a second in a deep voice added: "I turned twelve right after the check-in last week."

Right, I remember that. It went by pretty fast, just a standard registration, and check for the weight ranges for some of the older divisions too. Something we unfortunately don't have here.

He was quite broadly built as well, and while it was hard to tell underneath his black gi, from the few signs I could see he was quite muscular as well, especially around his upper half.

I should aim for the legs then, those are likely his weakest area. I'd been unsure about the matches being point-based, but it might just work out in my favor now. If he's just a really big kid, he might not be that well-trained, his teacher's just relying on intimidation- The announcer's voice cut through my thoughts, dashing my hopes. "Our second match, we have the independent Nemona Glitterati versus the reigning champion, Bill Watkins of Eden Martial Arts!"

Behind Bill, a man with a tuft of hair and an eyepatch over his right eye, and a jagged scar enthusiastically cheered his student on. Spurred to action, I could hear my Mother and Dendra cheering just as hard for me.

The referee called the two of us to our marks, each of us giving a bow to him and then to the other. With that done we each took a stance, getting ready. Bill's stance placed his guard a little low, though given the size difference between us, it was probably a smart call. Could I strike at his face? Maybe, but not accurately or fast enough that he wouldn't block. I'll need another strategy.

The bell rang and the time for strategizing was over, the large boy moving in slowly. He sent a few punches my way, each powerful and clean, but no true commitment behind them. Doing the same myself, we tested each other out. Eventually, I went for a roundhouse kick against his thigh, only for him to catch it with a meaty palm.

With a chuckle he lifted my leg, likely figuring I'd be caught off guard or that he could throw me. Instead, I used it, letting him support my weight as I lifted my other foot and snapped it straight up, bypassing his guard and smashing the ball of my foot into his jaw.

He immediately dropped me and I broke my fall on instinct, slapping my arms palm down against the ground. Rolling back up, the referee called the point in my favor, stepping in between us and waving us back to our sides. Bill rubbed at his chin as best he could through his helmet, eyes watering a little.

He took a moment to shake it off, and once we both confirmed we were ready to begin again, the signal was given and he was back at it. This time he rushed in, sending a flurry of blows at me from every angle. Blocking as best I could, I tried to avoid letting him box me in, but that just led to taking heavier shots, his longer reach was able to compensate for any evasive maneuvers I pulled off. My arms are going to have some nice bruises after this, I winced as his punches hammered into me.

He wound up for a haymaker to finish up his combo, and I saw my opening. Ducking my head slightly I raised one arm and lowered the other, going for a double punch, one aimed at his head and one aimed at his body. In truth, only the body one had power behind it, but I hoped the head strike would get his attention.

Instead, he pivoted and moved his feet rapidly, changing what would have been an overhand strike into a straight that slipped past my guard and rocked my head back. Blinking back stars, I dimly heard the referee call the point.

God, that guy hits like a truck. Resisting the urge to 'shake it off' (fearing it would only make my throbbing head hurt worse), I calmed myself down, taking some deep breaths and refocusing. That stung, now it's time to get my head back in the game.

The next round was similar to the prior. I met him back with more aggression this time, but it just led to my bones getting rattled further. Striking low with a kick he simply backed up, avoiding the roundhouse and rushing in while I was turned. Spinning around with the force, I moved to meet him with a spinning back-kick.

Bill grabbed me by the ankle and roughly threw the leg aside, showing he had clearly learned from last time. Pulling back for a punch I raised my arms up to block on instinct… and he smashed my guts with the other hand.

Breath escaped me as I doubled over. My opponent was already walking away as the point was called. Swallowing back some bile, I slowly uncurled, nodding to the referee as he asked if I was still able to fight. Not entirely sure about that, to be honest, but- no, I'm not giving up here. I'll see it through to the end, even if I lose.

Calling on my Aura I centered myself, feeling slightly rejuvenated. It's no Roost, but it helps. If I used it more, I might- no, I don't need this to win. I'm not the best at 'seeing' Aura, but I think I could feel it if Bill had some significant power here. He's bigger and stronger than me, I can deal with that.

The referee asked again if I was fine to continue and I nodded sharply, getting back to my spot, an idea in mind. The bell rang once more, and this time I took the initiative, rushing in with my flurry of straight punches. Though deceptively simple, the sheer rush of very fast attacks caught Bill off-guard, especially with my 'combo' showing no signs of ending.

Pushed back, the large boy tried to pivot into a hook punch to get around my onslaught. In response, I instantly gave up on the punches, dropping low. Placing one hand around the heel to prevent him from stepping back, I rammed my shoulder into his knee. With nowhere left to go, Bill toppled backward, arms flailing outwards as he did so. With a vicious grin on my face, I rolled myself forward, over his body to lie half-sprawled on his torso, arm cocked back. Letting loose, I struck the still-dazed boy in the face.

"Break!" The referee called, pulling me off of him. 2 - 2, all tied up. This is the last point, either way.

"You can do it, Nemona!" "Go get him! Show that big dumb jerk what you're made of! Break his face!" The cheers behind me brought a smile to my face, and I readied myself. Can't let them down in my first match.

We squared up, circling around each other for a quarter of a minute, slight shifts in our stances countered by the other, before on a shared impulse, we each moved in. His punches were as fast and strong as ever, so I moved to deflect them, trying to avoid taking them head-on as I maneuvered him around me. Given the differences in our weight, it was more me pushing myself around him, but it still served the job of getting me around him.

He was no slouch in defense himself, at one point catching a hook punch of mine with the edge of his wrist. From there he launched an open-palm strike at my head. Catching his arm with my blocked hand, I pulled his forearm down, diverting the blow and shifting my body to punch with my free hand. While I had opened up his guard somewhat, Bill's other hand was free to slap mine and transition into another punch, which I maneuvered around by circling my arm to push off against him.

Whenever I had an opening around him, I tried to strike past his guard, however, any punches or kicks I attempted to land were blocked or dodged, as he'd react to my new placement and shift around almost as soon as I moved there. Then I'd have to deal with his nearly overwhelming offense once again.

Both of us were sweating and breathing heavily as the announcer called that thirty seconds were left in the round. Forget what happens if we go to the end of time in a situation like this. Whatever, worry about that later. Bill was looking to wrap this up as well, my fellow competitor pulling back for a big swing.

Fool me thrice- well that ain't gonna happen! Rather than be deterred, I step in, pushing ahead to where the blow would come from. My guard was still up just in case he pivoted, but he didn't have any real power he could throw behind it. Instead, he switched into a cross from his other hand, which I weaved under, moving in closer. As I did so, I let my arm drop into a hanging punch that caught him in the gut with enough force to crack a brick wall.

He simply wheezed a little, taking a step back. What is this guy made of? I didn't have time to ponder that as the referee stepped in and both of us shifted back on reflex. It took me a moment to realize what the man was saying, and what it meant. I scored the match point… I won! I won the match!!

I caught myself as Bill bowed to me and quickly returned the same, making sure to bow low to try and show respect and make up for getting distracted. I didn't think he noticed as he swiftly turned away. He stoically marched away, brushing past his teacher and fellow students before collapsing in front of a giant man in the bleachers.

"I'm sorry Daddy!" My defeated foe cried out, his voice still eerily deep as he wailed. The man in question simply hugged his son tight, telling him he 'did a good job' and 'fought well.' Right, easy to forget that guy is somehow, only just twelve.

Awkwardly, I shuffled off the arena, returning to my Mother and Dendra. "Osu! That was incredible! What a passionate fight!" Dendra cheered, pumping her fists up. When she saw me grimacing lightly, she asked "What's wrong?"

"My head is a little sore," I said, slightly downplaying the throbbing pain I felt. My sensei wasted no time in helping me remove my helmet, pulling out an ice bag and pressing it against my head. A small hiss of relief escaped me as I held onto it.

"I can't believe the nerve of that boy! To strike you so hard, why I should-" Before my Mom could utter any threats I tried to wave her down.

"It's fine! He fought well, it was a clean match." Looking over I still saw him clutching his father, and I frowned. "I should go thank him for it." Quickly leaving, hoping it would defuse O'Nare's overprotective streak, I walked over to him.

With the mats being used for practice or events I had to walk all the way around, getting a look at some of the other competitors. Some of them are using some pretty advanced techniques, I noted as I passed by a girl flashing a blunted sword around, the blade flowing like a whip through the air. Off to the side, I saw an older teenage boy pulverizing a couple of cement blocks his teacher had placed between two wooden stands.

I wonder how many of them are using Aura, knowingly or not? It was a difficult aspect to measure. At least for me. Some of them more than others would radiate an ever-so-slight sense of 'danger', but unless I saw the person sitting down, I couldn't tell if it was my Aura telling me that or just environmental cues. Or even then if I'm not just imagining the feeling and there actually isn't anything 'special' about someone.

Finishing my long route around, I climbed up on the bleachers on the other side of the room, walking towards Bill and his father. The boy was still sniffling, but the father turned to face me.

"Is there a problem, ma'am?" He stood up as well, his towering height covering one of the lights high above and shadowing his face so it was hard to make out the details, though I could see that his buzzcut hair was short and gray, a slightly lighter shade than his son's.

Tone is standoffish but slightly deferential. Maybe an undercurrent of worry? Probably recognizes who I am/knows who my parents are. I dressed pretty casually, so often people wouldn't recognize me, or wouldn't connect the Glitterati name with two of the biggest companies in Paldea. Those who did either tended to act fawningly or nervously.

Adopting a bright, child-like grin I chirped "I just wanted to thank your son for an incredible match! This is my first tournament and what an awesome way to start it!"

Bill stopped sniffling at that and turned around to face me. "Thanks. You did very well too." Then after a few seconds, he bluntly tacked on. "You need more confidence."

Keeping the ice pack on my head, I nodded. "Yeah, that's fair. Still a little nervous about all of this." We fell back into silence and I wracked my brain trying to think of something else to say, to leave it less awkward than this. Since he offered me some unsolicited advice I can do the same, right? "You might want to work on dealing with opponents that get in close," I offered.

"I will! Not many kids our age are brave enough to rush in like that." Not brave enough, or not reckless enough? Either way, I let out a laugh and felt Mr. Watkins relax beside us. We happily chatted a bit more before I left, heading back to my side of the arena.

***

The following matches passed by far less eventfully. There were out loud wonderings about if my victory was simply luck, but those whispers quickly died down as I won match after match.

A few competitors gave me some struggles, but my unique style and more advanced strategizing skills usually backed them into a corner. A few got a point off of me, and the wiry boy, Miguel got two with an aggressive style that matched my Vertical Run and other strikes, but in the end, I managed to eke out a victory with a duck and sweep as he went for a high kick.

"How do you feel?" Dendra excitedly asked me after I stepped off the podium and received my (comically oversized) trophy. The teenage girl was bouncing around, joy radiating off of her. I smiled, more in response to her happiness than my own feelings.

It's nice to win, definitely. But after all that work I put in, I should be feeling on top of the world, right? And I'm just… proud of my achievement. Whatever's bothering me doesn't matter. "I feel great! Thank you so much, sensei. I couldn't have done it without you."

The introspection could wait, I decided as I adopted a broad grin and waved at the fans, chatting with some of the other competitors. A lot of the other kids were interested in what I learned, and while I didn't have many answers for them about my previous styles, I was able to point them toward Dendra.

My teacher was swamped with requests and excited demands from energetic martial artist kids, leaving her a little overwhelmed. Good. It'd be nice if she gets some more students. She had Tulip and myself, but she's been too lonely for too long.

O'Nare boldly strode through the crowd declaring "Ah, my daughter, you shone so brightly today! True Glitterati brilliance flowed through you! Unfortunately, even shooting stars must pass by, so we have to leave." Grabbing my hand, she gently pulled me forward, cutting a path through the throng of people.

"Thanks, Mom," I whispered to her once we were near the exit. She saw how I was feeling and gave me an excuse to leave.

"It wasn't a problem at all, my dear. You did remarkably today, oh I'm so proud of you," She said, hugging me tightly, which I returned. "Oof, so strong now. Our little girl is growing up so fast. I'll have to show your father the videos as well!"

"Send it to Cyan too. I know she's in the middle of school, but hopefully, she'll have time in between her classes."

"I'm sure she will- oh maybe she'll have time to pop by for dinner tonight and we can watch it as a family..." My mind drifted as my mother eagerly gushed about how great the tournament was. I'm glad I won, but I feel like something is... missing? I don't know, probably just tired.

***.

I did feel a little better after I got home and sent messages to all of my friends about the tournament. All of them had tons of encouragement and praise to shower me with, which felt nice. The full night's rest and a large breakfast the morning after helped, too.

Also, it's just nice to realize how many friends I have now. Arven, Friede, Amethio, Lacey, Carmine, and Kieran… When did I meet so many great people?

Tulip saw the trophy in person, the model coming over to my house for our next training session. "Very impressive, you did quite well."

"Thank Dendra, she's the one who taught me." For some reason, I thought I caught a flash of red on the model's cheeks. "Some of those blocks against Bill would have been impossible without all the training she gave me… why didn't she compete in this tournament?" I didn't think about it earlier, but she could have competed in the under-eighteen contests.

"The coaches aren't supposed to be competitors." Tulip shook her head. "Don't worry about it, she's had more than her share of victories there. I'd say I'm glad the bragging is done with, but now she just brags about you." The elegant teen had an airy tone, but the small upward curve of her lips belied the enjoyment she derived from Dendra's exuberance.

"Uhuh. So, what's next, teach?" There was an ever-so-soft sigh, unhearable by someone with normal perceptions. Likely caused by the fact that she can pierce whatever facade I put on and feel all the emotions behind it. Now she's looking at me sharply, no with an odd expression- she's reacting to me reacting to her reacting me. Aghh.

"I was going to say we should begin with your Aura Sight, but you feel unbalanced right now." She sat down on the edge of the cliff we had been standing on, overlooking the vast ocean that stretched out to the horizon. Usually, it would help, and I suppose it still does, a little. Just not enough to make up for the rest of the turmoil I'm dealing with.

A lesson I'd had beaten into me several times was not to try Auric Techniques when in the wrong headspace. Even if my time with Tulip was limited, she would shut down a lesson if I was trying to push when I shouldn't. Something I'm grateful for, even if it can be frustrating at the moment.

While 'Aura Sight' was supposedly a common technique, as far as those went for Aura Users to learn, my attempts with it had been less than fruitful. Any enhancement I managed for my vision just extended my normal eyesight even further, let me pick out even more details. Handy, but not what I'm going for. To see the more esoteric invisible energies of this world is what the Technique should do.

I wasn't lying to Arven when I said it took a lot of hard work. Even with my prior breakthroughs, it felt like nothing else came any easier. I could at least console myself with the steady, if slow, progress I was making overall.

Sitting beside her, I just let the cool wind wash over me. "I've been making good progress with my air manipulation," I mentioned, raising a hand and letting a 'blade' of air shoot out in front of it. "About as sharp as a butter knife currently, but I'll make something like an Air Slash one of these days."

The teen beside me didn't prompt me or say anything, letting me come to things in my own time.

"Everything's fine. So why do I feel so…" I searched for whatever it was that I was feeling. "Constrained? Wound up?"

"Maybe you need a chance to spread your wings?" Tulip suggested, raising a hand, pointing up to the Wingulls above.

"Hah. Maybe. That trip to Kitakami was good, might do something else like that." Doesn't quite feel like the right answer, but that's all I've got for now.

Spoiler: A/N:

And here we get to see some of Nemona's martial arts training paying off. This is a bit of a theme for this arc, wrapping up some of the stuff Nemona did before we move on to the next big thing, and I hope you enjoyed it.

Nemona's Current Team:

-'Dun' (Dudunsparce, Male, Normal Type, Starter)
- Tera Type: Normal
- Held Item: None
- Abilities: Run Away, Serene Grace
- Moves known: Flail, Mud Slap, Rollout, Glare, Body Slam, Poison Jab, Earthquake, Bite, Yawn (Invisible Version), Last Resort, Hyper Voice, Protect, Thunder, Hex, Agility, Air Slash, Giga Impact, Tailwind, Roost, Ancient Power, Drill Run, Hyper Drill, Triple Yawn, Ice Spinner, Solar Beam, Lunge

- 'Miles' (Rotom, Genderless, Electric/Form dependent Type)
- Tera Type: Electric
- Held Item: None
- Ability: Levitate
- Moves Known: Astonish, Confuse Ray, Thundershock, Double Team, Hyper Voice, Protect, Thunder, Rain Dance, Will O' Wisp, Nasty Plot, Hex, Sunny Day, Substitute, Foul Play, Trick, Discharge

- 'Gligar' (Gligar, Female, Flying/Ground Type)
- Tera Type: Flying
- Held Item: None
- Ability: Hyper Cutter
- Moves Known: Poison Sting, Sand Attack, Harden, Knock Off, Fury Cutter, Acrobatics, Bulldoze, Quick Attack, Psychic Fangs, Poison Tail

- 'Notch' (Carbink, Genderless, Rock/Fairy Type)
- Tera Type: Rock
- Held Item: None
- Ability: Clear Body
- Moves Known: Harden, Tackle, Guard Split, Flail, Ancient Power, Light Screen, Reflect, Iron Defense, Body Press, Stealth Rocks, Psychic, Smack Down, Trick Room, Dazzling Gleam

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Skyfyre]

"Giratina went down to Zapapico, looking for a soul to steal. They were in a bind, they were way behind, they were willing to make a deal. When they came across this young lass on fiddle, playing it-"

"Why is Giratina trying to take someone's soul, bzzt?" Miles asked, interrupting me.

With a sigh, I said "Well, the cultural connotations of 'devil' don't exist in this world. Here it's just 'bad', an archaic phrase for what monster, what some people would call violent Pokemon in some regions back before they had Pokeballs or properly bonded with them. And that's just for general 'devils', not THE Devil, which has religious connections."

"Dudun?" My adorable land snake asked from the rock he was basking on nearby. Dunsparce and their evolution could regulate their heat, but Dun still enjoyed relaxing in the sun. I was quite content to let him rest after a hard day's training, and it gave me a good excuse to stretch my legs while working on songs.

"Well, not as such, no. I'm hardly an expert, but that religion I don't think explicitly ever said that the Devil ever stole souls. There was plenty of propaganda and related literature that claimed that he would do so, it became quite a popularized myth."

"Bzzt, those myths persisted for thousands of years, correct?" I nodded at Miles' question, wondering where they were going with this. "Why did no researcher ever study the Devil and find out the truth in all that time? No matter how elusive such a being is, it feels odd that they could interact with people enough for such stories to be formed about them without-" They stopped sporting a small frown at my laughter.

"Sorry, sorry, I just forget how different things are in this world from my own. From my first," I corrected myself. "Here, the legends and myths are almost all real. Pokemon you could, theoretically, reach out and touch. Some even work alongside or for Trainers."

Sure, there are plenty of crazy rumors on the PokeNet, different 'mythical' Pokemon that turn out to be a Bunnery with a smudge of dirt and covered in leaves or have no more evidence to back them up whatsoever. Most of the stories that get a big following, however, do have some proof, if often faint.

Continuing, I said: "Those myths and religions, they didn't have the hard proof you'd find of such things here. A lot of believers, and some of what they said definitely could be true but… nothing like a clear photo of an angel." That was a reference to a photo Turo had sent Arven and me not so long ago, caught from a setup he had placed in the lighthouse. While his son had been sleeping through a storm, a Kantoan Zapdos had indeed stopped by, caught in glorious focus with the lightning and rain raging around them.

We hadn't found any sign of it in the days to come of course, but there was no sign that the Professor had doctored the footage. I highly doubt he's the type of man to do that anyway. Besides, he's busy with his work down in Area Zero right now, that's something I'm still on a clock to deal with. Without answers for that issue, I decided to focus on my music, for the moment.

"So yeah, the Devil, and sometimes lesser devils, steal souls. There aren't a lot of Pokemon that have lore related to that, so I figured Giratina could work with their connection to Distortion."

"Gli li," Nightwing said, swooping above me. The Gligar was quite happy with her name after we finally settled on it. It had come about as a result of situations like this, where I'd explain to the full team details of my past life and world and she'd instantly latched onto that name when I brought up superheroes. Not that any of my explanations about why it didn't quite fit worked for her. Pointing out it was the name of a guy, of a superhero, one who was deeply connected with others, a contrast from her own more aloof tendencies, none of that matters. Well, if she finds it cool and likes it, good for her.

"Darkrai was a possible choice as well, but too sleep-focused," I explained. "Look, the song is about a music duel with your soul on the line and a prize of a fiddle made of gold. It doesn't have to make a lot of sense-"

"Gar," Nightwing said, rolling her eyes. Conveying both the messages of 'can sure see that' and also:

"How does Giratina play an instrument? Well, obviously they- well I- maybe in Origin Form with the tentacles-? Gah, forget it."

"Sparce, dudun." My starter said, flipping up to glare at Nightwing. It wasn't nearly enough to Paralyze her, and she even stuck her tongue out in response, but I also spotted how she started drifting a bit farther away from my starter.

"I appreciate it Dun, but she wasn't bullying me. It's just a bad song to adapt. Plus, I'd need to learn to play the fiddle, and I've already got my hands full with drums and piano practice on top of my guitar and singing." Which is a shame, it was one of the first songs I truly enjoyed when I was young. While my music tastes have grown plenty since then, and honestly country isn't one of my favorite genres overall, I'll always have a special place in my heart for that one.

With a heavy sigh, I pulled up the list of potential songs and crossed it off. There were several others alongside it for a variety of reasons. Most of them, like 'We Didn't Start the Fire,' just had lyrics that were very difficult to fit into a Pokemon world; songs had a lot of little cultural references to them, things I wouldn't have consciously noted before. Others were rejected for being too difficult, or not remembering enough of them.

I'm certain my memory has improved drastically in this world. I probably could have only remembered the choruses of a couple of these songs at most. Is that an impact of my Aura training? Increased studying from a young age? Or are humans here just built different?

These questions were hard to answer, especially with no way to make unbiased comparisons, but occasionally plagued me nonetheless.

Even with my enhanced memorization, it wasn't enough to recall every song perfectly, a few of them relegated to a scant line or two in my head. Going down the list of ones I felt I could recall (that weren't crossed off, or the few I had checked as guaranteed), I found some old favorites.

"Hmm, Back in Black is good, but a little odd for a first album. Lot of stuff by Metric and the Beaches here, but some of the content doesn't feel right for a little girl to be singing about… then again, I did put Eat Your Young here, and it took surprisingly little adaptation." The look on Hassel's face when he heard it was a hilarious mix of pride and incredibly disturbed. "What about Take me to the Kaptin?" I wondered aloud.

To give them context, I explained to my team "It's about someone asking to be taken away from their world, to explore the mysteries of space and other planets. We only barely had space travel in that world, not too dissimilar from this one, actually, but there was tons of fiction on the topic." I never asked to be taken here… at least, as far as I can remember from my foggy memories of when exactly I ended up here, but I can't say I'm dissatisfied with the result.

Notch, the quietest of my Pokemon in such discussions turned and blinked at me once before gazing back around at the seal off in the distance. There were rolling hills of grass, small pools where Woopers and Clodsires played in, and other aspects of nature. All of that would (and had) gathered Notch's attention, enraptured as they were with the outside world after eons of having existed in the same cave. The seal, glowing violet lines sticking out of the cliff face, ancient chains wrapped around the portal to constrain the Ruin within… I could see why my Pokemon had been so caught by it. Why Notch in particular was focused on it even after having come here a few times.

The Darkness that comes from it, it's almost palpable despite the distance and whatever arcane sealing method the ancient Paldeans used to contain the Treasures of Ruin. With a shiver that only was partly due to the cool breeze washing over me, I turned away from the ominous barrier and back to my music.

"Ok, this looks like a pretty good list." Nine songs were confirmed, some of them I had already made versions of, like 'Let Her Go,' 'Bones,' 'Eat Your Young,' 'Vienna,' (which would be called 'Unova' in this world), and 'Oh the Places You'll Go.' On the list of ones I had yet to make were 'Take Me to the Kaptin,' 'I Beg to Differ [It Will Get Better],' 'Live and Learn,' 'The Pretender,' and of course, 'Celestial.'

"Should I add something from Ok Go as well?"

"Ligar." "Dun, spar." Ehh, bzzt." Were the non-committal responses from my more vocal team members, at most indicating a desire to train more. Most of that coming from Dun. He was and is always happy to hear my music, but he had hoped that it might have helped him master Boomburst. Sadly, that hadn't been the case, with the Move still well out of reach from my adorable starter.

"Nah, I'll save that for a second album, if I make one. Maybe just post some of my other songs as singles." Plus I've got that other thing for the first album. There are no lyrics, but it should make for a kick-ass battle theme.

With a yawn, I stretched out on the grass, staring up at the clear blue sky above. I'm happy to be bringing these songs from my old world to life here, and my parents and Hassel are so enthusiastic about it, but it's been a ton of work, even with all of their help. Miles is chipping in tons too, with the overlaying of tracks and working out the synthesizer… And all of them putting in at least as much effort as I am makes me feel bad about feeling worn out with it all, but there's no denying I'll be happy when this album is done.

Miles started ringing and I groaned. "Is it another record label looking to sign me on?" It's not just the making of the music that's tough work, it's everything else. I've needed to find a publicist who's trying to set me up with interviews to promote my album, and there are meetings with record labels to see who will be producing my music, arranging studio time to record it, etc., etc.

"No, bzzt. It's Amethio," They said brightly, and my malaise immediately fell away.

"Oh cool! Haven't heard from him in a while, put him on." We traded messages back and forth every so often, but we hadn't had much time to visit each other recently. Can't even blame The Explorers for that, at least half of it is on me for my schedule. He wasn't too upset, understanding my situation, and had mentioned focusing on his training recently.

Turning around, Miles' screen showed Amethio, the boy staring at me intently with his purple eyes. "Nemona. I'm ready to battle."

"Oh cool, who you battling?" I asked.

"Wha- I'm battling you, of course!" He shouted, caught off-guard by my response.

"How was I supposed to know?" I responded, faux-innocently. "You didn't say any greetings or anything like that to me when you started this conversation."

His pale cheeks grew rosy, embarrassed by my call-out. "Ak- I- Whatever, you knew what I meant!" He accused, pointing a gloved finger from across the screen at me. While I couldn't see much of the background, it was clear that he was in the base.

Some fresh air would do him some good, I decided. Laughing, I nodded my head. "Yeah, I did. Hey, you should come over here so we can battle. I got a League standard arena for my birthday!"

The young Explorer was a little caught off-guard by the sudden shift in conversation but recovered quickly, used to me and my antics by now. "Ok. When are you available?"

"Whenever basically. You could come over now, even!" Battle battle battle battle- calm down brain. It was hard to remain unexcited when this would be the first time in almost a year since he had promised/demanded a battle from me. From the smirk tugging at his lips, I bet he felt similarly.

"Might take me a few hours to get Spinel to agree to let me use his Beheeyem, but yeah. I'll see you soon!" With that, he ended the call.

"Alright team, let's get ready! We've got a battle to win." That provoked cheers from all four of my Pokemon, even a few chimes from Notch. Best bring your A-game Amethio, because we've been working hard too.

***

The seal wasn't so far away from my house, but it still took us a while to trek back, and when I got there, I heard Amethio's voice coming from inside. Wow, that was fast, guess Spinel was in a good mood.

As I entered I heard him talking to Hamber. "...At least I won't ever need his help ag- Nemona!" Seeing his face brighten up at the sight of me was nice.

"Amethio!" I ran over and gave him a hug, which he returned eagerly. Probably a little touch starved over at the Explorers. I just wish I could convince him that they aren't a great group to be with.

"Ahem," my majordomo cleared his voice. "Please try not to track in mud to the house, Young Miss." He gave a significant glance at my shoes as he said so, which weren't overly muddy, but I had spent a long time outside with them.

"Aheh, sorry about that. Since we're heading out though, I'll just keep them on for the moment,"

I explained, stepping slowly back to the front mat while pulling Amethio along. "C'mon, let's go!"

We ran down to the back of the house where the Battlefield was on the beach. "Ta-da!" Throwing my hands out, I presented it to Amethio who said:

"I guess it looks alright." He tried to look unimpressed but I could tell he was jealous! Or maybe I just think everyone should be jealous of it, he does have training facilities like this in their base, I just like having my own so much.

"Speaking of looking only 'alright', how long are you going to rock the grunt outfit?" I asked as we walked down, taking our places on opposite ends of the arena.

He lifted his nose slightly. "I'll have you know that I'm very close to getting my own customized uniform. And stop calling them 'grunt' outfits! We're not an evil Team!"

"Uhuh, sure thing, can't wait to see what your customized Admin uniform looks like." I taunted, sticking my tongue out at him.

Amethio didn't rise to my bait, instead sneering and firing back "Whatever it looks like will surely be better than your sweatpants and t-shirt 'look.'"

"What's wrong with this?" I said, waving my hands at my outfit. It's comfy!

With a frown, he replied "It hardly says 'here's a great trainer.' It's not striking enough."

Drawing a Pokeball from my belt I responded "I'm glad you think I'm a great Trainer, haha." Inwardly, I did note that he had a point and that I would need a better style for when I became Champion. Though canon Nemona always did well enough with the school uniform, I suppose.

Turning my focus back to the battle at hand I asked Amethio "How many Pokemon and switches for this battle?"

The older boy thought about it for a second before saying "Two Pokemon, no switches." He held up his own Pokeball opposite mine. Less scratch marks or wear and tear on it. Probably Dreepy's Pokeball then.

The Pokemon I had chosen would be a good counter for either of his, so I wasn't worried either way. That didn't stop me from being a bit shocked as he released a far larger Pokemon than I had anticipated.

"Drakloak!" The Dragon Type cried out as he floated above the arena. He had four stumpy paws attached to his ghostly body and lower half, with a wide, angular face, akin to a fighter jet.

Chimes filled the air as Notch stared defiantly at their foe. Though given Drakloak's reaction, I think my Pokemon might have said something outrageous and/or offensive, rather than merely 'defiant'. A reminder about how Fairy Types and Dragons don't usually get along.

"So this is your Carbink," Amethio muttered, staring at the Fairy Type. "You mentioned catching them in Kitakami."

"But you never mentioned evolving your Dreepy! Good job." I can see why he felt ready for a rematch, pseudo-legendaries are extraordinarily hard to train. We've been working hard too though, and I don't plan on losing.

"Rotom, could you count us in?" Amethio asked his Rotom Phone, who agreed, floating over off to the side of the arena.

"Bzzt, on the count of three, two, one, begin!"

"Iron Defense!" "Double Hit!" Our first orders came simultaneously, but his Pokemon could enact them much faster, Drakloak zipping across the battlefield to slam into Notch with his oversized head twice. My Pokemon was battered around a few meters but stopped themselves before coating their rock and crystalline body in a steely sheen for a moment.

The Move might not show any lingering physical signs, but I knew that for the rest of the battle, Notch would be twice as hard to hurt. Not that this stopped Amethio from trying again, calling out "U-Turn!"

The Dragon sped across the field again, cutting across Notch's side before whipping around back to Amethio on the other end of the arena. "That's not going to cut it! Stealth Rocks," I told Notch while plotting out how the battle would go down.

His Drakloak is fast, but a Physical attacker. Carbink's defenses are just too good for Amethio to beat, especially since I don't think his Pokemon learns many Moves that are very effective against Notch. The only shame is that Body Press can't do anything to Drakloak, or likely much to his next Pokemon, who is the one we have to prepare for. It's his next Pokemon we have to worry about, which if I'm right, will be a problem. After all, if Amethio had put so much effort into evolving his second Pokemon, what were the odds he hadn't done the same for his starter?

"Phantom Force," Amethio had recovered and was going back on the offensive, his spectral Pokemon slipping through to the Distortion World for a brief moment to attack Notch from hidden angles.

I did not care, not in the slightest. "Keep on chucking out rocks, you got this." I encouraged, while also giving Notch our hidden code to switch to layering Spikes on the field, in addition to the Stealth Rocks they had already placed down.

Drakloak shot out of the ghostly world like a rocket, barely a meter away from Notch, slamming hard into them before slipping into another shadowy portal he conjured just beyond the Rock Type. The Move did more damage than any other attack Amethio had tried, a few minute cracks forming on Notch's surface, but I wasn't worried. They can take a lot more than this, and I'm getting a better idea of his attack patterns.

This continued for almost a minute before I felt that the preparations were complete. "Dazzling Gleam, there!" I pointed out to empty space, off to the side of Notch where I felt Drakloak was most likely to appear. My aim was slightly off, the Dragon Type emerging just a bit above where I pointed, but it hardly mattered. The wide range of the Fairy Type Move caught him in a sparkling pink blast that knocked him off course and sent him spiraling down.

"Get out of there!" Amethio shouted, the boy looking a little panicked.

"Psychic, don't let him flee!" I countered, a vicious grin on my lips. The telekinetic forces pressed down on Drakloak and began crushing them before they slipped through to the Distortion World once again.

Phantom Force doesn't let someone remain there forever, they'll get forcibly shunted back to our world soon. But where- ahh, doesn't matter. I'll just hit everywhere.

"Shine on you crazy diamond!" With that order, I thought I sensed a feeling of joy from my Carbink, despite the little facial signs I could read to gauge their expression. It was also hard to see anything else as Notch began spinning around, emitting Dazzling Gleam as they did so and doing their best impression of a disco ball.

Our foe appeared from a clever angle, striking from underneath and shooting up, even getting lucky enough to connect the blow against Notch. The hit wasn't nearly enough to shake my Fairy Type from continuing their assault and Drakloak ended up blasted by the Dazzling Gleam as they passed, sending him spinning away. With a harsh croak, he righted himself, staring warily at his foe.

Damn, he's still in the fight. I thought with how frail the Dreepy line was that would be enough, but I suppose that's the downside of Notch's top-tier defense; he just doesn't have a great offense. Still, we aren't in a bad spot here. It would take several more attacks to take them down, while Drakloak would fall with even a glancing blow from here.

A fact that Amethio seemed aware of as well, as he ordered his Pokemon to stay away. "Dodge around, Agility!" Not a bad plan, Dazzling Gleam, and Notch's other Moves can't reach all across the arena, and he'll be able to get across it in a flash to chip away at us. But we've got another option.

"Trick Room!" I crowed, revealing the final piece of our setup and my trump card. As the spectral Dragon began blurring around the field, an odd tile-like pattern slowly enveloped the entirety of it.

"Hex." At Amethio's command, Drakloak began rapidly gathering Ghost Type energy - only for the dark purple flickers to slow to a crawl as the Trick Room locked down fully. Notch casually floated out of the way of the attack, now moving remarkably faster than their enemy.

"Psychic, finish this." The telekinetic force slammed Drakloak against the ground once, twice, before tossing the unconscious Pokemon back to his trainer. Wincing, I tried to shake that off. A little brutal, but Drakloak shouldn't suffer any serious injuries from that.

There was a slight shake to Amethio's hand as he recalled his Pokemon, but the stoic young boy centered himself, staring us down. "I should have known this wouldn't be easy, but we aren't losing this! Go, Armarouge!"

The fiery Pokemon burst onto the Battlefield, his yellow armor shining brightly in the sun. The connection to his unevolved form was apparent, but there was also a drastic difference between the two. He stood almost three times as tall as he did before, taller than I was now, with his fiery 'hair' billowing out the top of his head like a ponytail. The yellow armor covered his torso and had two separate pieces forming bulky pauldrons that covered his shoulders and halfway down his arms, which I thought could turn into cannons.

Of course, the moment he hit the field, he was also pelted by literally hundreds of rocks and jagged spikes that were scattered around it. With a cry of pain, he fell to one knee, trying to shake off the surprise hit, his armor splintered in several places.

"Flash Cannon!" He called out, and my suspicions were proven correct as the pauldrons shifted down, forming twin cannons aimed at Notch, glowing with Steel Energy down the barrels. Of course, given how slowly he was moving, I had time to give my own command.

"Power Gem!" The crystals on Notch's body began glowing once more, this time shooting out a far more focused, clear set of beams at the Fire Type.

Armarouge twisted his body to avoid two of them, but a third struck true, cracking his armor further and eliciting a howl of pain from him. Pushing through the pain, he still fired his cannons, the Steel Type blasts smashing into my Pokemon and sending them hurling through the air.

Recalling Notch before they could land, I knew they had been defeated. "Impressive, you took Notch out in one blow." Admittedly Drakloak landed several shots before, but that one shot did the majority of the work. He's quite strong, not that it matters here.

"Go, Dun." My Dudunsparce landed on the field, and without any prompting from me, zipped across the field, charging toward his weakened enemy. "Aqua Tail," I called out as he neared the Fire Type, looking to end this while we still held the advantage.

"Dodge!" Amethio called out, to no avail. His Pokemon moved like molasses within the Trick Room, and Dun's tail, spinning and coated in water that did the same, drilled into Armarouge. Amethio's starter fell and couldn't get up, my own giving a proud victory bellow.

"Still so far to go…" Amethio muttered bitterly, before recalling his Pokemon.

"Hey, don't be upset, you did great," I said as I ran across the arena to him. "You evolved both your Pokemon and they were way stronger than before!"

His face twisted before he sighed, smoothing out his features. "I guess. You're just so far above me."

Awkwardly I scratched the back of my head. "I mean, I'm training up too, always getting stronger as well. But I don't think I'm outpacing you - I know I could have taken on both your Pokemon with Miles or Dun alone before, but I don't think that's true anymore." That elicited a real smile on his face, and when I offered my hand for him to shake, he accepted it.

"That's true. I worked so hard to evolve Drakloak…" he trailed off. I noticed. He was way stronger than Dreepy but I feel like he might have pushed too early for an evolution. Didn't feel as strong as some of the ones I've seen online or heard about from Hassel. Then again, it's not my place to comment on how another Trainer trains his Pokemon. If they're happy with him, then it's all good, and you don't get the kind of dedication they showed without them being at the very least content with their Trainer.

"Want to stay for dinner? It'll probably take a while for Spinel to teleport you back." I offered, and to my surprise, Amethio shook his head.

"I won't need his help anymore. I found an old Technical Machine for Teleport and taught it to Armarouge. Now that we've been here, we can come back whenever we want."

"Awesome!" I cheered, hugging the boy again and eliciting a small blush from him.

"Gah, get off of me," he said, but I noticed he made no motions to push me off. Still, I released him.

"That's great, we can train so much and hang out together, I think Arven would like to see you again too-" I began rambling before he stopped me with a hand held up.

"I'll be busy with the Explorers, but yes, we can 'hang out' more. But first, there's something I want you to tell me: What drives you so far? I know you want to become a Champion ranked Trainer, but there's something more than that driving you. I want to know what it is."

A bit much for you to demand when I don't get to know what you want with the Explorers. Still, it's not like I can't give him a vague idea. "There's something I wish to prevent, a calamity on the edge of the horizon. I don't even know if I'll need to fight against it if I might be able to resolve things just by talking to the right people but… if I can't, then I'll be ready. And if not, I'll be ready for anything else the world can throw at us," I finished, patting Dun's head.

"I see. Thank you."

"No problem, what are friends for?" The smile on his face was a memory I'd treasure for the rest of my days.

***

"... And those are all the songs I had planned for my album," I said, taking a deep gulp of water to try and soothe my throat after all that singing. Hassel nodded, having held most of his comments until I was finished.

"It will certainly be a diverse set of songs," the man said diplomatically, which almost caused me to snort.

"Yeah, that's fair. These are the ones I feel the most confident with though, so I'm gonna make those. Any… notes? Suggestions?" My music tutor had already heard at least parts of those songs and read all the scripts I had written for them, already giving me plenty of little tips and advice, so the question was just for any last-minute thoughts he had about them.

He shook his head and smiled. "No, everything I've heard so far fills me with high hopes. I think you'll be an excellent musician someday. It's a shame that I won't be able to help you on your path for a while, but truth be told, I don't believe you need much more help from me." Today was the last day Hassel would be my music tutor, mentioning other obligations. Reading between the lines, I thought it had to do with Brassius' newfound fame.

Being a Gym Leader makes you a national celebrity, and in many ways elevates your standing even on an international level. He was a famous artist before, but now must be getting tons of commissions and requests, which he has to juggle alongside his Gym duties. Getting a hand from Hassel will probably help ease his burden until he learns how to juggle it on his own.

"Please, I feel like I have so much more to learn, could spend my entire life just studying music."

"Then why don't you?" He challenged, firmly but not unkindly.

"Same reason you don't, I imagine," I fired back, meeting his gaze. "You're an artist, a musician,... but you still want to train Pokemon. An Elite Four, one of the best Trainers in Paldea. I heard you even went up in the rankings recently, jumping ahead of Dandylion."

He sniffed. "There aren't solidified 'rankings' for our League; all four of us are experts in our Types." Hassel then undercut his own point slightly by adding "I did defeat her in a private bout recently, admittedly."

"Hah! And you even have a slight Type Disadvantage against her Steel Types too."

"There are ways to train around that," he said, sporting a small frown before suddenly asking: "May I see your training?"

"Bwuh? I mean, sure, if you've got the time." He usually leaves promptly after a lesson, well, after giving me time for a few questions at least. Felt like I've learned almost as much about Dragon Types as I have about music from him.

We went outside and I released my team who looked expectantly at me and curiously at Hassel. Miles was fairly familiar with the man, since they helped with a decent amount of the mixing and song composition, and Dun would often hang out in my room while we practiced, but Nightwing and Notch had only seen him once or twice.

"Alright team, today we'll be training as usual, but uh, we've got a special guest this time. Don't worry about him too much though, let's just do what we usually do." None of them had any complaints (or if they did they kept silent about them), so for a moment we just stood there, awkwardly staring at each other until I continued. Gah, this is so weird. Usually, when someone watches us train, they at least take part in it themselves, or aren't a freaking Elite Four member!

"Let's start with our usual jog around South Province. Here we go!" I took off starting to jog along the beach, while most of my Pokemon took to the air. Dun remained ground-bound, but I knew he could fly if he wanted to, though he flew so slowly I would have outpaced him had he done so.

"You're going to run… the entire… province?" Hassel inquired, gasping a bit as he tried to keep up.

"No, no," I waved him off as I kept on running. "They're just making a wide loop, stopping before Mesagoza, no further than the marsh or the edge of the river separating us from Cortonado. We're just going to do a smaller one the that keeps them in sight,, we won't even go past Los Platos. Get ready to jump!" I cried, bringing his attention to the cliff we were approaching.



Bending my knees, I sprung up, vaulting over the four or so meter-high barrier with ease. "Haha! No ledge in the world can stop me!" I declared, exhilarating in my triumph over old game design that wasn't even relevant in my past life for the region.

Hearing a click behind me, I glanced back to see that my music tutor hadn't followed, only to see him rise from below the cliff atop the back of his Dragonite. "I'll follow from here," he shouted over the wind his Pokemon's wings kicked up and I nodded. Makes sense, he probably wouldn't be able to see my team from such a distance, and this is about seeing them in action. I wonder if they'll run into any trouble today?

It was rare, but venturing out further around South Province increased the chances of running into a territorial Pokemon. There were no issues this time however, no Pokemon disturbed - or at least none disturbed and fast enough to catch up to my team.

After our jog had gotten us warmed up (at least for all of us but Notch and Miles, who didn't experience fatigue in the same way), we met up back at the beach, the warm-up taking us about half an hour. I gave them their next directions as I went through a few cooldown exercises.

"Nightwing," I turned to the Gligar and tossed her the Toxic Orb from my bag (using the thick gloves Vance had given me to hold onto it). "Your endurance has improved a fair bit, let's keep it up. We're hoping for fifteen minutes before the Poison sets in, but don't worry if it happens sooner. Just work on fighting while carrying the Orb."

"Gar!" She eagerly drifted around, holding the Orb close to her body. Good so far, we'll see how well she can fight with it using Dual Wingbeat. It might be stronger than Acrobatics while holding onto the Orb, but I think there will still be a learning curb to using that TM Move effectively.

"Notch, practice precision with Miles. Psychic to pin Miles, while Miles uses Substitute to escape." They both 'nodded', inclining their levitating bodies then got to work.

"Dun, we're out of Throat Spray, so no Boomburst practice today." Dun pouted but didn't make any grumbling sounds… which might have only been because of Hassel's presence. "Help out Nightwing with her training. Use Coil and Roost to tank her attacks," I said while making a subtle swirling motion with my index finger. Dun got the message, grinning evilly for a second before wiping the smirk off his face as slithered forward to challenge Nightwing.

I waited beside Hassel, wondering if he was going to say anything, but he seemed content to just spectate passively.

Alright, just focus on my team. And speaking of which, it looks like Nightwing is feeling a bit too comfortable in the sky. "Hurricane." My command (and Dun's instant use of the Move) caught Nightwing off-guard, the Flying Type suddenly spinning wildly in the air. While she managed to catch herself, beating hard against the whirling winds whipping around her, the Orb slipped her pincers and began to fall to the ground.

Luckily the winds kept it aloft for a moment, so I was able to divert Notch's attention for a moment to grab it with Psychic. "Well done," I praised their control at holding it perfectly in the air without cracking it, before turning to Nightwing. Once Dun stopped his Move, the flying scorpion Pokemon dived down, snatching her Orb close to her body and glaring at me.

"You can't expect that it'll always be easy to hold on to. Expect constant changes in the environment and attacks in a battle." Besides, it's not like I wouldn't be the one out of pocket buying you a new one if you broke it. I doubted that logic would get me far with her, however. At least she didn't look keen to argue with me over it and just went back to attacking Dun (with a bit more gusto than before he had summoned up a miniature storm to rattle her).

The training continued like that for a while before Nightwing's wings grew a bit shaky and Notch and Miles were getting sloppier with their Moves. Clapping my hands together I announced, "Good job everyone, let's change things up."

I couldn't resist glancing at Hassel, the man still standing impassively in the background, not saying anything before shaking it off. He's just reserving judgment until the entire thing is done. Gotta follow my own advice and not worry about it.

"Let's play a little game of tower defense." Plucking a pretty seashell off the ground, I placed it at the edge of one side of the arena. "Dun, you're on defense. Don't use Protect, but any other Moves are fair game. Miles, Nightwing, Notch, you three have to work together to try and break the shell. But you only get a certain amount of time each run, if you haven't broken the shell before I call for time, you have to go back to the start. Finally, you only get to use one Move each."

Dun's tough, but even he needs an edge in a three-vs-one that favors the attackers so much. Plus, I can help the others train their newest Moves.

"Nightwing, you've got Gunk Shot. Miles, Shadow Ball. Notch, Stone Edge. That all sound good?" Not that I suspect there would be a problem, but it's good to check in with your team while training.

They all made noises of agreement as I stepped off to the side. "Ready? Ten seconds, go!"

The 'team' of three rushed ahead from the starting line, firing attacks in an attempt to overwhelm Dun. The nature of the arena made conjuring temporary garbage easy, Nightwing creating it and then smacking it across the terrain with her tail. Mile fired off expanding balls of shadowy energy and Carbink terrakineticly ripped up 'stones' from the ground in a line towards Dun, and the shell behind him.

My starter met the attacks easily, a Flamethrower deflecting the Gunk Shot before slithering around to reposition himself between the shell and the Shadow Balls. At the same time, he slammed the ground, the Earthquake rippling across the arena like a wave and breaking all the stones Carbink had tried to force up.

With a hiss of disdain, Nightwing zipped around to the other end of the arena, trying to land a quick Gunk Shot at the shell. Dun had no problem stretching out for a quick Lunge, which while ineffective, easily knocked Nightwing off course. At the same time, he revved up his tail, reversing course for an abrupt Drill Run that tore up the repeat Stone Edge Notch had used.

Miles tried to play it smart, firing Shadow Balls from above downward, making use of all three dimensions for the fight, but Dun was once again able to neutralize it with his body, each attack making a small explosion that barely scuffed his scales.

Shouldn't those attacks usually go through him- oh! He's using a proto version of Hex on himself! It doesn't have to travel far or aim the attack to intercept when he puts his body in the way. The meeting Distortion energies forced the Shadow Balls to explode, but his Normal Typing still makes him pretty much immune to that damage, letting him shield the shell quickly, clever.

"Time!" I called, not too awed with my smart not-so-little snake to forget about the time limit I had set. Both sides stopped, moving to their separate sides while the field fixed itself back up. When everything was ready, I called for them to begin, this time for fifteen seconds.

The three Pokemon got a little closer on their second attempt, almost forcing Dun to crush the shell with his own body, but he managed to twist out of the way at the last moment before time was called. It continued like that for a while, with Dun still in the lead but the others eking out a few wins. And only a few disqualifications for them trying to use Moves that they aren't supposed to, Nightwing is getting a better hold on her emotions every day.

"What's the point of this drill?" Hassel asked, startling me. After being silent so long I forgot he was there! "My apologies, while it seems like an interesting form of training, I'm curious as to what your goal here is," he explained.

"Well, it's not just one goal- ah there!" I exclaimed as Nightwing launched a Gunk Shot well over Dun's head. My first Pokemon, distracted by stopping the Stone Edge and Shadow Balls from getting too close dismissed it, not realizing that this time the three of them were working together. While Dun's Earthquake stopped the rocks jutting out of the ground from getting closer, the last one Notch had made rose quite tall and at an angle - perfect for the 'missed' Gunk Shot to bounce off of and down onto the shell.

"Teamwork," the Dragon Trainer surmised and I nodded. Giving the three of them a moment to cheer their victory I waited to grab another shell to go more in-depth with my mentor.

"That, and a couple other things. For Dun, it's a chance to see how much power he can bring to bear at once. His stamina is absurd, but he needs to be able to use that power in fast bursts for battles. It's also good training for any exploring we might have in our journey; sometimes I'll need one of my Pokemon to protect me or something for a few moments from wild Pokemon before we can flee or bring the rest of our team to bear."

"For the others, it helps them practice teamwork and timing, like you said. The time limit wasn't really helping them given Dun's stamina, but in these later rounds, they're learning how to time their attacks together better. Their plans are improving, but Dun is also using more Moves like Agility and Coil to boost himself up in between rounds."

That was something that caught Nightwing's keen ears who pivoted to glare at Dun. For his part, he just whirred his tail around, glowing with an ever so faint light pink energy, the only sign of his Agility. Must not be that strong if he's not moving with it, though that might be on purpose. Even Dun can't afford to spend the energy to buff up to the max every round.

"Oh, and this helps the others practice their new Technical Machine Moves, which they've learned not too long ago." Dun had a few new Moves he could practice as well that weren't suited to this exercise, but I was trying to hide those from Hassel. Besides, he's always been the best at picking up new Moves. I think he has strong offensive Moves from almost all the Types by now.

"... That is, remarkable," Hassel said after a minute of silence (during which I'd grabbed another shell and placed it back on the spot). "How much longer are you planning on training?"

Taking a moment to measure how winded my team appeared I replied "Another fifteen minutes or so." He gave a small, ill-timed sigh of relief right before I continued. "Then we'll do some meditating, take it easy for a bit. Some more Move training, mock battles with commands, and reflex training, then we'll cool down. Miles will play some highlights and battle analysis while I heal and care for them. A bit of grooming, that sort of stuff. Then we'll have dinner!"

"It's been almost two hours so far, and this sounds like this will go on at least two more hours," he said dully.

"Yup, that's about right." I chirped, before turning to my Pokemon ready to go again. "Alright, thinking thirty seconds this time, oh, and Dun? Feel free to use Last Resort now. Ok, go!"

Nightwing and Miles turned to stare at me in horror. Dun demonstrated why that was a mistake a millisecond later as he came shooting in, surrounded by star-shaped energy as he bashed into the former. Going on the offense, he zipped around, bashing Notch and Nightwing around while flying back just as fast to intercept any attacks sent towards the shell (mostly from Miles, who couldn't be hit by Last Resort in his Ghost form).

After the first round of Last Resort, they rallied back, and the score became more even, working together to take advantage of the unguarded shell if he got too daring. When I called for a stop, all of them were exhausted from their efforts.

"Great work everyone! Just find a place on the beach to relax and start cycling through Type energy of all the Types you can access. Don't hold onto it or try to shape it into Moves, just feel it and let it go." To be honest, I wasn't sure how much that form of meditation I'd come up with helped them, but it didn't seem to hurt or be tiring, so I felt it was a decent use of break time between the more active portions of their training.

Hassel cleared his throat. "It seems I underestimated your dedication as a Trainer, for that I must offer my most sincere apology." My attempts to wave it off were intercepted by him, the older man continuing. "No, this is a serious mistake on my behalf, as your tutor and a Trainer I have failed. The only means I can see to rectify that is by recognizing your potential in a manner only a Trainer can" Staring at me intently with his ringed yellow eyes he declared: "I challenge you, Nemona Glitterati, to a battle!"

Spoiler: A/N:

Nemona would be in for quite the shock if she knew how much her offhanded actions had changed Horizons canon, haha. Armarouge may not be able to learn Teleport naturally, but it hasn't been a TM for a while, so I figured if that TM was around, it wouldn't be unreasonable for Arma to learn it. Hope that in any case the Amethio battle was fun, and we've got quite the dozy of a battle next time as Nemona prepares to face an Elite Four.

 

[AshKing]

Did you upload the same chapter twice?

 

[ComradeKremer]

Repost?

 

[Skyfyre]

Did you upload the same chapter twice?

Click to shrink...

Repost?

Click to shrink...

Whoops, somehow mixed them up, the right chapter is up now

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Epitome of Eccentricity]

I think she'll take out one of his pokemon

 

[Valthorix]

Oh boy, Nemona's first taste of the Big Leagues. I expect she's gonna get taken apart pretty thoroughly but I hope dun gets at least one solid hit in. I think he might have a chance of putting one of Hessel's team into the red at least, maybe a lucky KO.

 

[Skyfyre]

Unfortunately, we couldn't have our match right away. Hassel was busy and had to leave not long after he threw down the gauntlet. We arranged to have the match in a few days time, a week before my birthday. We also set out the ground rules: four vs. four Pokemon, two switches each, Terastalization allowed, and held battle items too (though given his remark about 'if I wished,' I felt like it was a handicap he was giving me here).

One good thing about the extra time (beyond the chance to rest up after that training session) is that it's given us the chance to prepare a few new tricks that Hassel won't be ready for just from having seen our training before. I just don't know if it will be enough. In the back of my mind, I knew it wouldn't; he was an Elite Four, and I had no (official) Gym Badges. I shoved such doubts down, refusing to focus on them. The only thing that matters is that we try our best.

Hassel arrived on dragonback, his Dragonite serving as his ride once again. Finally, I've had everything set up for the past fifteen minutes and just been fidgeting here, waiting. Which was more on me than him, as he was perfectly on time - I was just too excited to wait.

"Hello there, Nemona," he said, his words snapping me out of my thoughts. Inclining his head slightly towards me before dismounting onto the beach, he recalled his Dragonite. My parents and the staff knew about this fight ahead of time, but I'd asked not to have them crowding around; the battle at hand felt like it would be best suited without any peanut gallery gasping over us. Which just means they're watching us from the giant window up in the living room in my house, but that's fine. No one is out here to distract us. I think even most of the wild Pokemon scattered when his Dragonite dropped down.

"I've been looking forward to our match," Hassel began after I was silent for a minute, taking slow, steady breaths. "As your tutor, it's been my job to look after you and guide your growth. While I hope this match helps you improve, I think I'm going to put that focus aside and devote myself entirely to defeating you!" He ended his declaration by pointing out a finger at me with one hand, grasping a Pokeball with the other (distantly, I noted that it wasn't Dragonite's Pokeball he was leading with).

I couldn't help it; I flinched back. The sheer force his presence held was a stark contrast to the stern yet caring teacher I had dealt with before. Part of me wanted to avert my gaze from his, as if showing submission to the dragon before me might spare me.

But I didn't avert my gaze, my grin widening even as my hands shook. "Thank you. I can't wait to show you everything I have. I hope you're ready!" Pulling out a Pokeball with one hand, I grabbed a remote out of my pocket as well, pointing the latter at a boombox I had set on a rock nearby.

"Do you have some music to accompany our battle?" He blinked, his draconic visage flipping over to a musician's joy in an instant. Something about my expression must have given the game away because he guessed, "Is this a new song? What's it called?"

"Yeah, fun little bonus track I wanted to add to the album. No lyrics, but as for the name? Megalovania." I like Nemona's champion theme too, but… I'm not her. Not exactly. Admittedly I'm not Sans either, but hey, I figure the skeleton would be cool with someone being too lazy to pick their own theme. With a press of both buttons, the music started, and I released my first Pokemon.

Miles took to the field, lightning zapping off their refrigerator body. The music was good, but I couldn't appreciate it as much as Hassel was, my feelings more in line with Miles. Their lilac plasmic eyes narrowed in concentration as they stared down the foe Hassel had just released. I meant for this to be my battle theme that strikes fear into the hearts of anyone challenging me, but despite the music being on my side, I feel like I'm the kid about to have a bad time.

With glistening yellow-green scales and a red-tipped axe blade jutting out of his mouth, Haxorus gave a mighteous roar. His red eyes locked onto the form of his foe, and he snorted dismissively. But he keeps his gaze on us. Just a ploy to try and rile up enemies, or too well trained to let his feelings get in the way of ending matches quickly?

In any case, Miles didn't let that get to them, focused as they were on the strategies we had prepared. Haxorus wasn't the best choice for them to face, but hardly the worst. I won't use a switch right away then, only if things get bad.

"We will begin on the count of three." I wanted to grit my teeth at him giving me yet another advantage, but knew better than to complain. Especially when I know it'll still be an uphill challenge. "Three, two, one, begin!"

"Will O Wisp!" I led with seeking to cut the output of Haxorus's physical Moves down greatly. My opponent sought the opposite, calling for a buff.

"Dragon Dance." Skillfully, the Dragon Type weaved his sinuous body around the battlefield, moving between the myriad spectral flames Miles was conjuring while speeding up. And getting stronger too; I can't let him run away with the game like this!

"Blizzard," I called out, and Miles complied, opening his refrigerator doors to unleash a massive storm of ice down upon the field. Opening the doors also revealed the item I had given Miles and the reason for the power of their Move.

Over the howling winds and ice, I caught Hassel mutter "A Life Orb." The slight clenching of his hands at his sides was the only sign of worry he had as his scaly Pokemon desperately raced around, trying to avoid the worst of the Ice Type attack. The bad news was he succeeded, only getting a bit of frost coating his body and moving so fast that his Dragon Dance must have completed as well. The bright side was that he'd had to rush through some of the wisps and was now Burned.

"Close Combat," Hassel said, his calmness a stark contrast to the vicious glee on his Pokemon's face. Crapbaskets!

Ripping my Tera Orb out of its case, I hurled it out over the battlefield, where it burst into light and a massive crystal block encasing Miles. Haxorus didn't let that stop him, rushing up and smashing through the crystal to hit the Pokemon within, revealing Miles with a lightbulb crystalline crown above their head. Repeatedly, the Dragon slammed my Pokemon back with claw strikes, knees, and tail slaps in a frantic yet controlled manner.

"Ro-to-to!" Miles gave out a pained sound as they were pushed back. At least it wasn't as bad as it could have been with the Ice Typing defensively. But with Terastalization, I still get to use it offensively.

"Blizzard, don't let him escape!" Miles was more than glad to pay Haxorus back for the pain inflicted on them, blasting everything in front of them with a wide cone of cold. The speedy Dragon tried to dart past and slip away, but my second Pokemon had been learning from my fourth; they don't need to outspeed their enemies if they can catch them in the attack by just redirecting their bodies a little.

Haxorus was fast, but he couldn't cross the arena and get around Miles before they turned a bit to the left and released a storm upon him. The Dragon collapsed to all fours as the Move hit him directly, moaning in pain. But in a flash, where I barely had time to realize he wasn't finished yet, Haxorus had scuttled forward like a bug. When underneath Miles, he jumped up and slashed hard into the Rotom, sending them spiraling through the air.

By the time Miles had managed to control their flight again, Haxorus had once again run behind Miles. "Substitute!" I shouted a split second before the Elite Four member shouted "Dragon Claw!"

Miles split off, leaving behind a duplicate for the Dragon to tear through with his sharp claws. Turning, my Pokemon tried to track their foe, but he was already on the move, keeping well away from the frigid cold Miles could conjure.

"Substitute again." Once more, the Move saved Miles from an untimely end, and despite the burn sapping away at Haxorus' strength, the Dragon Type carried on relentlessly.

"Discharge," I called out, changing up the tactics. Despite the obvious weakness of the Move against a Dragon Type, Miles didn't hesitate, unleashing a widespread burst of electricity all-around, inflicting further wounds on Haxorus. With the Tera boost and regular STAB, the Move can compete even with Haxorus' Resistance. With this strategy, I'll be able to whittle him down while Miles can avoid the counterstrikes.

Haxorus jumped up to attack Miles again, claws gleaming in the sunlight. "Subsiwhoops," I said, watching as Miles was 'driven' towards the ground, away from the claw. As Haxorus' clawed feet began glowing with brown energy, Miles flipped around by the handle, smacking Haxorus in the back of the head with his heavy refrigerator body.

The force of the Foul Play sent the Dragon's head into the ground at about the same time as his feet hit, the Ground Type energy released through them shaking the whole arena in a massive Earthquake… which only hit its own user, Miles pushed up higher in the air, away from the churning earth. I know your game plan! I've had a (virtual) Haxorus before, I know they get Mold Breaker and Earthquake, we aren't falling for that one.

Haxorus was more cautious from the point on but didn't hesitate to push himself back up and maintain pressure. Without any more openings, we were forced back into the same Substitute-weak Discharge pattern.

A few more iterations of this passed, with Hassel occasionally calling out for Breaking Swipe or Dragon Tail rather than Dragon Claw. With a bit of direction on my end, Miles weaved around all those different attack patterns, zapping Haxorus with Discharge twice more.

"Your foe is weak; flood the field with dragon fire, Dragon Rage!" Hassel suddenly shouted, and I realized how right he was. Life Orb and Substitute have both been exhausting Miles, and Dragon Rage will cut right through their tough body in a second.

"Protect!" I instinctually countered, and it worked well. As blue flame poured out of Haxorus' mouth and began 'jumping', bouncing off the arena floor to hit everything, Miles conjured a honeycomb forcefield around themselves.

The heat was sweltering, and even from behind the arena's barrier, I felt myself sweating. For a second, I wondered if Miles could hold out, but then Haxorus' attack suddenly cut off, the Pokemon spasming. Paralyzed and Burned, here's our shot!

"Blizzard! Slipping around, Miles opened up the refrigerator doors once again, the ice and wind pouring out. Haxorus stumbled, trying to run away, but they couldn't possibly outspeed the cold.

… The recall beam from Hassel's Pokeball could, however, pulling Haxorus back and out of harm's way. "Switch. Your Pokemon is artfully trained, I can see that I'll need to change the beat if I'm to survive. Go, Baxcaliber."

The icy Dragon towered onto the battlefield, looking a little less sleek than the prior Pokemon but no less dangerous for it, the massive spine on his back promising a swift end for anyone impaled on it.

"Draco Meteor." Hassel's voice was casual, as if he was going out to get milk from the store. A drastic underemphasis considering Baxcaliber spit a flaming rock up high in the sky where it broke apart into several smaller meteorites raining down on the battlefield.

My momentary hesitation, caught off-guard by the special attack and the dramatic nature of the Move cost me. While I still called for "Protect!" It was too late, and Miles was struck down by the attack, knocked out.

Recalling Miles, I stood in shock, trying to plan out my next strategy. Ok, so I lost Miles and I used Terastalization up without taking out any of his Pokemon. That's fine, this is fine. I am ok with the state of things. I just need to deal with Hassel's ace. Nightwing is right out with double Ice Weakness, and Dun is good, but he'll have a hard time matching this guy physically… best tip the odds in his favor first.

"Go, Notch!"

The Carbink took the field, narrowing their bright blue eyes at the Dragon before them. Despite facing a foe that naturally countered them, there was no hesitation or weakness from Baxcaliber as Hassel gave his command. "A new song requires us to dance to a different beat, Iron Head!"

Lowering his ice-covered face, the Dragon charged at Notch, a steely gray sheen covering his head as he did so. "Trick Room," I called out, causing Notch to ignore the threat headed their way and focus on setting up the necessary Move. Right before he connected with my Pokemon, I heard a crunch sound and breathed a sigh of relief, glad that they remembered the drills we practiced before.

They were pushed backwards, with some significant cracks forming across their body. Nothing debilitating, however, all because of the green stain now coloring Notch's white mane. I knew he'd have some Steel Moves handy to deal with my Fairy. So glad I gave them a Babiri Berry for this fight.

I also knew that the effects of the Berry wouldn't last long, which is why I got worried when Hassel ordered his Baxcaliber "Again! Her tempo won't last." However, as the Dragon Type sped towards my Pokemon, just before he could reach them, the momentum abruptly slowed down.

"Dodge it!" I cried, and with the Trick Room now fully in effect, the distorted dimensions allowed Notch to speedily zip around Baxcalliber's attack. Well, they still both look like they're moving as fast as they regularly are, it's just that Notch is covering distance in less time than our opponent- ugh, Trick Room is weird.

Not that I wasn't grateful for its properties right now, as it turned what would be a losing match into a winning proposition. "Body Press!" Notch circled halfway around the Dragon before throwing their own body into his side, the impact leaving a sickening crunch.

"Back off, Icicle Crash," Hassel said, his lips pressed in a thin line as he glared at the psychic 'room' our Pokemon battled in, as if it had personally offended him.

"Power Gem, break through his attacks and pin him in." My words were easier said than done. In spite of Notch's best efforts, Type advantage, and the 'speed' they held here, the sheer power the Dragon had was enough to break through the Rock powered beams Notch was firing and even clip them a bit.

Still, they managed to hone in on Baxcaliber, moving to hit them again when- "Switch!" Hassel called out once more, using his last switch to save his ace Pokemon. His next Dragon had a deceptively flimsy-looking purple and brown body. It had two flippers/wings and a tail with a red crest on top of its angular head.

"I hadn't planned on using Dragalge for this battle, but you forced my hand-" He began, his soft words cutting off as he saw my glare. I appreciate the praise, and I'd love to hear it after the match, but right now, I don't want him looking proud of me like a student, I want him to see me as a challenge and face me with nothing held back! His eyes narrowed, and he did so.

"Water Pulse" was Hassel's first command, and his Dragalge carried that order out with remarkable alacrity, an unfortunate effect of the Trick Room I had set up. Notch still dodged the attack, only a bit of the rings of water their foe had sent at them splashing onto their rocky body.

I forgot that he had a Pokemon that slow, this will complicate things. "Psychic, keep the mouth away from you," I told Notch, who attempted to put pressure on the Poison Type. As the telekinetic field took a hold of them, the seaweed-looking Pokemon thrashed about, ultimately able to resist the power Notch could put out.

"Drown out their noise, Hydro Pump!" Hassel declared, and there was no dodging this time. A massive stream of water poured out of the Dragon's mouth, cutting across the field and slamming Notch back into the far barrier on my side. Rock and even a few slivers of crystal chipping off their body, drawing a sympathetic wince from me. It's hard to tell how much Notch actually feels about a lot of things, and I know the crystals can recover with time, but any time those get damaged, they get noticeably upset.

Part of me wanted to recall them right away, while the rest of me knew we needed more set up for the next team member to take over, so I compromised. "Light Screen!" There, that should help protect Notch against further attacks while shielding the next one to come in too.

Of course, Hassel had his own plans for that. "Toxic Spikes," he announced, changing from offense to match our set up. Shit! Do I swap fast before-? No, let Notch get the barrier up, then switch.

The moment the pink light of the nearly invisible Light Screen flashed into place, I was swapping out my Pokemon. "Switch! I choose you, Dun!" The instant my land snake hit the field, the poison-coated spikes rose up and shot into him. None of them penetrated deep, but from the purple discolorations growing on his scales where they impacted, I knew he was Poisoned.

"Get in close, Ice Spinner!" Dun rose up to his very impressive full height and began spinning on his tail, ice swirling around him as he approached Dragalge. Dun was unfortunately a bit faster than his foe, which meant for the time being, Hassel's Pokemon was able to outspeed him, dodging the attack.

"Venoshock," the Dragon Trainer's words heralding their counterattack. With a flap of its flipper wings, Dragalge shot out a barrage of pinpoint Poison energy into Dun, the attack reacting nastily with the Poison already in his veins. And that was with half of those shots stopped by the Light Screen. An Elite Four's Pokemon are no joke. But neither is Dun!

"Let the bodies hit the floor!" Dun took the command for what it was and let his whole three-segment body slam against the ground with resounding force. Hassel hadn't paid close enough attention, and his Pokemon was too close to dodge as the Earthquake rippled throughout it, chunks of the ground rising to smack hard into Dragalge.

With an extra little kick to the Move from the Expert Belt tied around Dun's middle section. Like all my other Pokemon, I'd given Dun an item to hold for this battle as well. After debating long and hard, I realized he needed an item to best make use of his diverse Movepool. Other items might have boosted the super effective Moves he could have used against all or most of Hassel's Dragons, but a fight isn't like the games where you can just spam the best Move over and over. Flexibility in how you attack plays a huge role.

Dragalge was hurt by the attack but hardly out of the fight, floating up much higher above the ground to avoid future Earthquakes. "Triple Yawn." With a deep breath, Dun released the clouds, one after another, to begin floating towards his foe. During that time Dragalge blasted Dun with streams of water that I was sure could cut through steel (and did cut small gouges in the arena), but he weathered the blows well. In part due to the screen, which will run out soon, but not before—now!

"Glare!" I shouted as Trick Room ended. The sudden change, slight as it was in their relative speeds, threw Dragalge off, leaving them open for the full force of Dun's terrifying gaze. They remained floating but shuddered in the air, caught for a moment by that Move, which was enough to let the Dragon Type be enveloped by the previous clouds Dun made.

Chancing a glance downward, I saw Hassel staring off impassively at the battle. He's not worried. Welp, that leaves me worried.

"Once more, with feeling, Venoshock!" He cried out while making a subtle downward motion with his hand. Dragalge obliged both, dropping out of the clouds and raining poisonous vengeance upon my starter.

"Protect," my command, letting Dun shield himself from the blow at the last moment, the venomous attack bouncing off his shield. Feels like a waste to not utilize the Light Screen while it's here, but all I have to do is not take any damage for a bit, and it's lights out for him.

Hassel then surprised me by giving an unusual command. "Smokescreen." Even as Dragalge's eyes were drooping and they drifted down to the ground, they coughed out a copious amount of smoke to cover their prone form. That's an odd Move. In high-level battles, you pretty much never see it; too many Moves can disperse the smoke or just hit everything in the area regardless. Plus, your Pokemon has to stay in the smoke for it to help them avoid any attacks as well.

There were some advantages I realized, especially with his Pokemon asleep for the time being, but it was still odd. Not that I let the strangeness stop me from shouting "Earthquake!" Right as the other Trainer whispered something that sounded a lot like-

As the arena shook from Dun bashing his body against it, a globe of nasty-looking purple liquid flew out from the smoke, arcing in the air to land straight on my starter. An agonized hiss was elicited from him and a frustrated one from me as the pieces clicked into place and I realized why Hassel was so unconcerned before.

Sleep Talk! None of the battles I've seen him in before showed that his Dragalge knew that Move! Shit damnit!

"Blow the smoke away, Hurricane! Then charge in and go wild," I told Dun, who started beating his six wings frantically. The heavy winds dispersed the smoke and picked up the sleeping Pokemon, crashing them against Hassel's end of the barrier. Still sleeping, they gathered a pulse of energy in front of them, the beam firing hard into Dun.

He was breathing heavily, panting as he raced across the field to the other side, Poison and prior attacks taking their toll. Drawing on that pain, he started thrashing about, destroying everything in his path (which was mostly just chunks of ground already torn up). Whipping his own body around, he beat the sleeping Pokemon hard, each hit eliciting cries of pain despite the slumber.

Dragalge was knocked out in short order, but Dun continued his attack. Though Hassel quickly withdrew his fallen Pokemon, Dun thrashed about, trying to utterly destroy enemies long gone.

"Outrage, a powerful Move, and I can't deny the strength of your Pokemon," Hassel quietly admitted. "But he lacks the heart of a true dragon to conquer the terrible anger within and wield that power fully! Go, Haxorus!"

I smirked, knowing we had a plan in place for situations like this. Without a single command, Dun began to settle down, curling in and flapping his wings down. Confusion is one of the tougher statuses to deal with. Just trying to 'push through it' can often lead to you hurting yourself more. But then we stumbled on the fact that when Dun tries to use Roost, he can't hurt himself! He'll just focus on healing up the damage Haxorus deals until the disorientation is gone.

Hassle however, had different plans than hurting us. At least, not immediately. With a sad shake of his head, the Elite Trainer said "Dance." His Dragon began going through a complicated power-up routine, but this time the dance was less sinuous with sharper steps, slashing around his axe-tusks violently.

Oh no. Ohnoohnoohno. That's not Dragon Dance, that's Swords Dance. "Earthquake!" I called out, desperate for Dun to land a Move. Hassel's Pokemon had pushed through the Burn, but was still severely weakened from the beating they had taken before. If I could land a good hit or two…

But it wasn't to be. Dun was too well-trained. He pushed out any outside disturbances while confused, brushing off what might be tricks of his mind in confusion and simply focused on healing himself.

Our opponent didn't give us much time either, launching into an attack as soon as his first Swords Dance was done. "Show her the power of a Dragon. Outrage!" With a mad gleam in his red eyes, Haxorus, stomped the ground, cracking it from sheer force as he pushed off, charging towards Dun. Slapping Dun aside with a vicious tail blow, the Dragon disrupted his healing, sending him flying through the air. Disoriented, Dun tried to recover while I shouted out different attacks for him to use, but to no avail; Haxorus continued the assault not letting up for a moment.

Haxorus ripped into him, his claws tearing apart what meager defenses Dun could raise and batting aside any offenses he tried with the axe-shaped tusks. My starter fell, defeated - and Haxorus instantly stopped. Oh sure, he stomped the ground nearby and roared in victory, but there isn't an ounce of confusion in his little red eyes! How did Hassel do that?

There wasn't time to wonder about that further, as I had to recall my starter and send out my next Pokemon. Haxorus was weak from the previous battle, but I knew that Notch wouldn't be a great choice here, unable to deal with the Dragon Type's prodigious speed and power (especially since I knew from past study that this Haxorus knew Iron Head and Iron Tail). With the Swords Dance further powering him up, there was only one choice that was able to deal with this mighty foe.

"Nightwing. Dig," I gave my order instantly as I released her, and it was almost too slow. She materialized, gem bouncing on the strap around her neck as she tore through the arena floor with her pincers, diving into the hole right before Haxorus trampled over the spot where she had been.

"Earthq-" Hassel stopped himself, and his Pokemon, who had one large foot raised, ready to stomp the ground, gently placed it back down, awaiting future orders. "Get ready for her to jump out at you, dodge it." Smart. Earthquake is a good Move for dealing with Pokemon that try to hide underground, even most Ground Types being hurt by the shifting earth as they burrow beneath. But that won't help you against her. Gligars are creatures of both the ground and the sky, able to traverse freely through the earth and any gaps between. He can't hurt us under there, but when she leaves...

And leave she did have to, tearing up the arena floor to lunge out at Haxorus. The Dragon Type was already jumping out of the way, having sensed her movement through the ground below, to which she gave an eager chase. "Acrobatics!" I shouted, and the gem on her neck cracked, breaking apart and becoming dust on the wind in response to her channeling the innate Flying Type energies she commanded.

The Dragon tried to attack, slashing at her with claws and his tusks, whipping his tail around. It was an impressive flurry of blows, and any one of which landing would spell disaster but miraculously, none of them did. Spinning around Haxorus in the air, Nightwing dodged his blows while dealing her own. She struck at him multiple times, tail and pincers battering him from every angle.

The Dragon hit the ground with a heavy thud, swaying once, twice, and then collapsing forward, defeated. Hassel returned his Pokemon, nodding appraisingly. "It seems our music has died down," he said with a gesture at the boombox, which had stopped (only having prepared one song to play to start things off). "But we can make our own noise, Noivern!"

A huge black bat-like Pokemon with purple tips on her wings and underbelly emerged on the field. It was hunched over, her wingarms touching on the ground as well as her clawed feet as she roared at us. I was less worried about the sound from her throat and more from the large speaker-like ears above her head.

"Boomburst." There was a faint frown on Hassel's face as he said the word, as if he felt sad that he had to use it. I couldn't think more about it, however, as a near-physical wave of sound washed over me, bringing me down to my knees and clutching my ears.

I used my Aura to tone down my hearing, fully blocking out any sounds for the moment while I recovered. Blinking my eyes open, I saw Nightwing doing worse than me, throwing up and collapsing on the ground. The barrier must have taken the worst of the attack from hitting me while she got blasted by the full deal.

I managed to gather my thoughts together and stood up while waving off the now very worried-looking Hassel. I gave him a thumbs-up to try and convince him further, hiding any more winces of pain, my head ringing. See, I'm fine. Wow, even Nightwing's fine, or at least getting back on her feet… and charging at the bat that just blasted her recklessly out for blood.

She tried to latch onto the Noivern and sink her fangs in, but the Dragon Type swatted her aside, rising up to fly over her.

"Switch!" I called out, my ears still aching as I recalled Nightwing. My former music tutor looked a little concerned, for both the state of myself and my Pokemon, but he allowed the fight to continue. At least Notch being a Rock Type will give him an excuse not to use that Move. I've got to be more careful with my Aura. At least I can use it to try and speed up my recovery.

Notch took the field, and thankfully none of the Toxic Spikes jumped up to hit them - unlike in the games, if too much damage was done to an area, such hazards wouldn't react to a new Pokemon entering, even one without Levitate or the Flying Type.

"Dazzling Gleam!" Then I quickly amended my strategy by shouting "Disco style!" As Noivern began racing around them, launching distorted spheres from her ears. She hissed in pain as some of the pink light struck her, speeding away as the Shadow Balls she had made rocked into Notch, chipping off more of their body.

Nevertheless, they persisted, even firing a few Power Gem beams off at Noivern as they retreated. Excellent initiative! They didn't do much, unfortunately, as the bat swerved around all of them with ease. That thing is way too damn fast. But Notch isn't in any shape to set up Trick Room… at least not do that and not get knocked out. If it gives a chance for Nightwing to win…

"Trick Room," I intoned duly. 'Sacrificing' a Pokemon to win didn't feel great to me, but it was the only path I saw for victory. My Aura had been cycling through me, helping me recover and feel better, but my hearing remained wonky for the moment. Because of that, I couldn't tell if Notch chimed anything at me, but they did glance back, and I could see one blue eye questioning the call, before hardening with resolve as they expanded their psychic energy over the field once more.

Hassel and Noivern weren't just going to stand by and let us, however. He gave some command to her, and she flew across the field, sinking her fangs deep (deeper than I would have expected) into their rocky body before tossing them aside. Flapping their wings furiously, powerful gales with Shadow Balls mixed within hammered against Notch.

Against the onslaught, they wobbled before hitting the ground, defeated. Just as I raised my Pokeball to recall them, I saw the Trick Room flash, pinky tiles settled into place around the arena.

"You did it. Thank you," I mumbled to them inside their Pokeball after recalling them. The challenge before us was still great, but now we had a shot. "Go, Nightwing!"

The Gligar popped out, still angry but no longer in the uncontrolled rage they had been in before. "Acrobatics!" She swooped in slowly, but much faster than the glacial pace Noivern was moving at. Viciously, Nightwing harried her foe, flying circles around the bat. Sniping at her wings and smacking her tail into the larger Pokemon's face, she brutally assaulted her, all while gracefully avoiding the Dragon's counterattacks.

Hassel gave a command, yelling something I couldn't make out. Whatever it is, it's probably bad news. Let's finish this before he can enact it. "Ice Fang" was my simple counter, along with the fact that it just took his Pokemon so much longer to react in the Trick Room than mine.

Already in close quarters, Nightwing latched onto the Noivern and began biting savagely, her fangs covered in an icy mist. The bat screeched, and I winced, holding my hands up to my ears as it fell, before Hassel recalled his Pokemon.

This… this is it! His last Pokemon. If he Terastalizes, he'll lose the resistance to Ice attacks, and if not… well at least we still have Acrobatics. I'm on a timer with Trick Room, but if I can whittle him down beforehand, maybe Poison him, we might win this!

Then his ace hit the field, and in an instant, icy shards shot out from his mouth, impaling Nightwing and taking her down. What- Ice Shards. What I would call a 'Priority Move', not that they call those that here. What do they call them ag- focus! While her carapace was heavily cracked all over, Nightwing struggled back to her feet, pushing through the pain to charge back in.

"Lunge!" I shouted, desperate to turn her reckless retribution into something that might turn things around. Nightwing was trained well enough to instinctively respond to my order, using the Bug Type move to pounce at Baxcallibur's shoulder, eliciting a grunt of discomfort from the Dragon Type.

The pain he felt brought a vindictive smirk to her face, and I knew she was back with me, no longer mindlessly lashing out. This was good as it was Hassel's chance to counterattack, and I dimly heard what he said.

"Let them behold the majesty of a Dragon! Jump over her!" Baxcallibur followed the command, performing an impressive standing backflip over Nightwing. The obvious Move is Glaive Rush here… except he know we're faster right now and will just dodge and counter when he's open, so clearly he's not going for that.

With a hiss, I called out "Protect." The Move wasn't great, especially when I was on a timer for advantage in the fight and not him, but I didn't have a choice. I knew it was a trap, but not which trap, so I didn't know how to counter it.

An instant later, and I was thankful that I had made that choice, as several icy spears were conjured from Baxcaillbur's dorsal blade and shot all around the area where Nightwing hovered, the Dragon Type continuing his flip over her head. The ice, which would have otherwise immediately taken her out, shattered as it met her Protect.

"U-Turn," I shouted out as the barrier she conjured faded away. Our foe was turning around from where he landed to face her, but she shot ahead, slamming into him and returning back. The odd, skittering motion of the Move, even in the air, let her avoid the retaliatory Ice Shards Baxcallibur spat out at her.

There was no Pokemon left for her to switch with, and no switches left either, but U-Turn still had some surprising applications in a fight like this for repositioning and unexpected movement. Such a trick would not work twice, however, so I called for another Lunge.

If we can weaken him physically a bit further then she might be able to tank another attack, or at least a glancing blow. Then- The same kind of barrier Nightwing had recently called around herself now encircled Baxcallibur, the Dragon weathering our latest assault… and waiting out the last of Trick Room, the dimensionally distorted space fading away.

"U-Turn, get out of there!" I cried, trying to think of how I could win. He's on his last Pokemon, victory seems so close…

"O great dragon, take this Tera Jewel as your crown!" Hassel dramatically declared, holding aloft his own Tera Orb and tossing it above his ace Pokemon. The crystals shattered to reveal the red and blue dragon-looking 'crown' now attached to the top of Baxcallibur's head.

With a mighty roar, his Pokemon leapt up, flipping in the air above Nightwing, before dropping down fast, faster than gravity should have carried him. She was already moving away from the blow, so his dorsal blade didn't land head-on, but even the glancing blow sent my Pokemon skidding against the ground.

This was the moment, I realized. As his Baxcallibur awkwardly lifted himself off the ground, I knew we'd have had a chance at winning the battle there, with an all-out assault launched when he was vulnerable. But there was no way we were making it through that attack, and he knew it too.

Slumping to the ground, I recalled my final Pokemon. I had lost my first battle against an Elite Four.

***

All in all, I was actually happy with my performance. Sure, I had lost (which I was a little upset with), but it was an epic battle! A fact that is a bit easier to focus on with my hearing slowly coming back to me.

The staff had been watching from the windows and ran down to check on me… and also to berate Hassel. I should probably help him out with that. Getting up and pushing aside the other maids and butlers, I walked up to the Elite Four member nervously staring down an irate maid.

"It's fine, Leah. Neither of us expected that Boomburst would cut through the barrier like that." My half-fib wasn't that convincing, but with a 'hmph' sound she stepped to the side, allowing me to thank Hassel.

Giving him a small bow, I began with, "Thank you so much for this battle. This was... Incredible."

He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you sure you're alright? That attack hit you pretty hard, I'm so sorry-"

"No no, it's fine. I just have sensitive ears. Usually it's not an issue, but I'll keep that in mind for Boomburst. Did you know Dudunsparces can learn that as well?" He shook his head, looking mildly surprised. "We've been trying for a while but- well I can't wait till we reach your level."

Hassel nodded in silent contemplation, looking at me strangely and I couldn't tell what he was thinking. If he felt I was reckless, dumb, or had done well. When he offered me his hand I didn't hesitate to shake it. Then he started sobbing.

"That was- marbelous!" He wailed and I froze, not sure what to do as he kept on shaking my hand. "Sush fire, from sush a shmall dwagon!"

"Aha, thank you. You were incredible too," I complimented him while pulling my hand back. "I can't wait to battle you again." My slightly ringing ears picked up a groan from Leah as I said that, but I couldn't help myself. That battle was awesome! This, this is why I wanted to be a Trainer! Maybe not the Boomburst thing admittedly, and there were a few other decisions I'd make but-

Hassel cleared his throat, and I stopped mumbling my thought, realizing the man had recomposed himself as well. "I look forward to our next battle too. And as to what you said, I believe you shall indeed reach my level soon." There was an odd expression on his face, awe and pride mixed with anticipation and jealousy. I couldn't decipher it further before he finished with "Next time we battle it will be during your League challenge, and I expect that day won't be long from now."

Then, with a broad grin, he released his Dragonite, hopping on their back and flying off. "And I eagerly await the release of your album as well! Brassie and I adore your songs, Miss Nemona!" Like that, he was gone, flying off to the horizon.

Leah stomped up, tsking. "I can't believe how reckless that was. You best not be thinking of trying to fight him again right away, Young Miss."

Despite her stern tone, I couldn't help the broad grin on my face, the battle high still coursing through me. "You don't need to worry about that, I probably won't be fighting the Elite Four any time soon."

My words didn't reassure my maid, instead causing her face to grow pale. Grabbing me close, she started scrutinizing my head closely. "Did you hit your head? Have a headache?" Turning to the others, she shouted, "I think Nemona has a concussion! We need to get her to a doctor!"

Pushing her off, I groaned. "Leaaaah. I'm fine. I don't have a concussion."

Placing her hands on her hips, the young woman asked, "Then why are you not jumping at the chance to battle Hassel again?"

"Well, that's because-" I stopped, falling silent. There was no way to explain why I couldn't go on a journey yet. That I had future knowledge of certain events I didn't want to disturb.

The maid looked down at me, frowning, before she leaned down and gave me a hug. "I don't always understand why you know so much, what drives you, and why you feel you can't do some things. Which makes it all the more frustrating when I do understand the recklessness you display…" she muttered mostly to herself before getting back on track.

Looking me straight in the eyes, she said. "Whatever you want to do, we'll support you. Within reason, of course, but your family, the staff,..." She trailed off for a moment before saying, "I'll support you. I know you well enough by now little girl to know you won't give your reasons, but I think you're ready. Bright enough to go to school, skilled enough to explore the land, and strong enough to take on any challenge. The only thing holding you back now is you."

I openly gaped, caught off-guard. Don't know why I am, Leah's always been there for me. The rest of the staff too, but not as close as her. I saw the others behind her, acting particularly interested in the arena, not crowding in on the moment or reprimanding her for overstepping.

The only one who wasn't was Hamber, the majordomo, looking a little displeased about the situation but not saying anything. Worrying, but a problem for later. Could I really just go on my journey? There's so much more to do, so many things I might bump off the wrong course, changes I'd make that would ruin my future knowledge. I might change things for the better too.

"I will think about it." I promised. There was a lot to look at there, but even as I said it, I felt a call pulling at my Aura, my very soul. My gaze drifting over to the edge of the horizon and all the adventures that might lay beyond.

Spoiler: A/N:

And so we have Nemona's first battle against an Elite Four, a nice capstone for the fiftieth update, and gives Nemona much to think about for the future. I think this was our biggest battle to date, so I hope you liked it, as well as the song she chose as her 'battle theme.'

I notice a lot of people here thought she was going to get bodied harder than she did - yeah, she lost, and it's clear that Hassel could have gone even harder, but Nemona is a fairly strong Trainer. The timeskips might not be clear here, but we're only a week or so off of her ninth birthday, so it's been a year since she met Notch and Nightwing, and three years since she's been training Dun.

 

[Spearow]

Can you add an spoiler with her pokemon names and some info somewhere? it can be a spoiler either in the start of the chapter or the end, as she gets more pokemon its going to become a bit confusing to keep on what moves, ability and sometimes even the species of her pokemon in the future, just a suggestion, that other fict, the new normal does that and i really like it.
Something simple like this:

Spoiler: John's Team

Tyrant - Slaking
Vordt - Ursaluna
Smough - Snorlax
Klee - Blissey
Port - Mantine
Zephyr - Pidgeot
Klaus - Wyrdeer
Luna - Clefable
Pixel - Porygon-Z
Euphie - Sylveon
Ornstein - Obstagoon
Wraith - H-Zoroark
Winston - Lickilicky (Shiny)

or something like what used to be done in Jordinio Version, the author stopped posting the info later, but i liked that a lot, really miss that extra info.

Spoiler: Jord Trainer Card

Pidgeot - Male - Keen Eye
Gust, Sand Attack, Quick Attack, Peck, Wing Attack, Steel Wing, Rain Dance, Roost, Double Team, Agility

Fearow - Male - Sniper
Peck, Astonish, Razor Wind, Double Team, Steel Wing, Rain Dance, Throat Chop, Roost, Toxic, Protect, Hyper Beam

Poliwrath - Male - Swift Swim
Water Gun, Hypnosis, Mega Punch, Rain Dance, Psychic

Raticate - Male - Guts
Quick Attack, Focus Energy, Bite, Hyper Fang, Mimic, Iron Tail, Rain Dance, Water Gun, Jump Kick

Chansey - Female - Healer
Heal Pulse, Aromatherapy, Gravity, Sing, Pound

Beedrill - Male - Sniper
Poison Sting, String Shot, Harden, Twineedle, Agility, Toxic Spikes, Mega Drain

Victreebel - Male - Chlorophyll
Vine Whip, Razor Leaf, Sleep Powder, Slam, Stun spore, Poison Powder

Bellossom - Female - Chlorophyll
Poison Powder, Stun Spore, Sunny Day, Sweet Scent, Razor Leaf, Leech Seed, Sleep Powder

Butterfree - Male - Tinted Lens
Tackle, String Shot, Harden, Stun Spore, Headbutt, Electroweb, Sharpen, Rollout, Confusion, Gust, Supersonic, Poison Powder, Sleep Powder, Teleport

Milotic - Female - Marvel Scale
Splash, Tackle, Dragon Breath, Hypnosis, Water Pulse, Disarming Voice, Life Dew, Recover, Aqua Ring, Iron Tail, Surf, Ice Beam

Shiftry - Male - Chlorophyll
Hurricane, Extrasensory, Dark Pulse, Mega Kick, Razor Leaf, Leaf blade, Bide, Nature Power, Sunny Day, Solarbeam

Golbat - Male - Infiltrator
Mega Drain, Wing Attack, Supersonic, Leech Life, Hypnosis, Venoshock, Poison Fang, Haze, Steel Wing, Shadow Ball, Heat Wave

Clefable - Female - Magic Guard
Pound, Sing, Gravity, Life Dew, Psychic, Metronome, Thunderbolt

Golem - Male - Sturdy
Tackle, Rollout, Sand-Attack, Defense Curl, Mud Sport, Stealth Rock, Explosion, Rock Throw, Flamethrower, Earthquake, Rock Polish

Charmeleon - Male - Blaze
Scratch, Growl, Ember, Flamethrower, Metal Claw, Mega Punch, Seismic Toss, Counter, Fire Spin, Dragon Dance, Dragon Rush, Blast Burn, Iron Tail, Quick Attack, Swords Dance

Persian - Male - Technician
Scratch, Growl, Slash, Fury Swipes, Bite, Fake Out, Power Gem, Taunt, Play Rough,

Meowth(x7) - Male - Pick Up
Scratch, Growl, Slash, Fury Swipes, Bite

Meowzie(Meowth) - Female - Pick Up
Scratch, Growl, Slash, Fury Swipes, Bite

Krabby - Male - Sheer Force
Water Gun, Iron Defence, Vicegrip, Stomp, Guillotine, Metal Claw, Mud Shot

Raboot - Male - Libero
Ember, Quick Attack, Double Kick, Headbutt

Snivy - Female - Overgrow
Vine Whip, Attract, Leaf Storm, Leaf Blade

---

Jord Trainer Card​

Name: Jord Odhar
Age: 13?
Town: Viridian City
₱: 2,806,187
Pokemon Owned: 27
Badges: 2
Ribbons: 0
Carry Limit: 12
Pokemon On Hand: Pidgeot, Fearow, Chansey, Victreebel, Bellossom, Milotic, Charmeleon
Pokemon at Viridian: Poliwrath, Raticate, Beedrill, Meowth (x7), Meowzie, Persian, Krabby, Raboot, Snivy, Golbat, Golem, Shiftry, Butterfree, Clefable

Its just a suggestion

 

[Skyfyre]

Can you add an spoiler with her pokemon names and some info somewhere?

Click to shrink...

So I do often add that in the text at the end, but its one of the more awkward features to cross post over from Royal Road so I haven't done that every chapter. Once I've fully caught up here, I plan on making an informational post like I have on SB and SV that gets updated with all the Moves they know and the like.

 

[Valthorix]

Damn she did way better than I was expecting. Sure she's been training for a little over a year but carbink and gliscor aren't exactly powerhouses and they're new. I did not expect her mons to be close in raw ability except for maybe Dun, but even then I wasn't expecting him to be nearly equal.

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Skyfyre]

"So, I've told you all about my past and the possible future of this world. With that in mind, should I go to school?"

The four Pokemon in front of me looked a little confused before they all started speaking (and chiming) up.

"Ok, ok, calm down, one at a time. Nightwing, you first." I pointed to her, mostly because she was sitting to the far left of me in my room, with Miles on the right, and I felt I'd get the most fruitful conversation from them to go off of after hearing the rest.

"Gligar, ar, ligar." Nightwing said in a huff, looking off to the side.

"You're interested in getting to fly around more, fair." I didn't expect much more from her, and honestly, she's learned a lot of patience in the time we've been training together. But even so, it's in her nature to want to fly free. A part of me wondered how much that was true for my own nature, given my Aura.

Notch chimed out next, and I still had trouble understanding them, especially on such a nuanced topic. "You're saying I shouldn't go?" I tried, getting a low chime to indicate I wasn't right. "That I should be careful?" The sounds that followed after probably meant 'close enough.'

Before Nightwing could start an argument with Notch over that, I turned to Dun. "What are your thoughts on the matter?"

My starter frowned, flopping a bit on my bed, and said, "Dudun."

You trust me no matter what, huh? "I appreciate the support."

Miles was next to speak and began by saying, "I understand your concerns, bzzt. The threats in the future are real and, on a personal and public level, could have huge repercussions. But are they truly tied to you going on a journey?"

"Maybe? If I'm at school early, that might shift things regarding Penny and Team Star. Or I might miss out on them entirely if I graduate early." It was possible to spend longer at Uva Academy, with even adults being 'students', but the curriculum was vastly different for such courses, so I wouldn't have the time to be close to the canon characters. And it means leaving Arven on his own as well.

Notch looked confused at me, so I explained, "Most people go on journeys in Paldea during their time at Uva Academy. The costs of such trips are subsidized by the school during their annual Treasure Hunt."

"Sparce," Dun pointed out, which made me stop and think for a moment. Huh. I guess he's right that with my family I don't need to wait for that. Heck, Cyan managed to get five badges during her Treasure Hunt but was able to take Flying Taxis to other cities through her final term of the first year at Uva and just got her eighth badge.

"Ok, fair point, I could go on my journey now without going to school. There is still the question of if I should go to school or not. I could just travel the world for the next few years, but... I'd also like to learn more. And yeah, I'll learn through travel too, but there are a lot of subjects, especially scientific and mathematical, that I won't be able to learn about as easily outside of a classroom. My tutors have been great, but there's so much more I want to study."

"Dunsparce," Dun spoke up, which provoked some discordant chimes from Notch. Huh, wonder why that riled them up so much? If I'm reading him right, it's a legitimate question, even if I disagree.

"I get that idea, Dun, but I think we can't just say that everything will be butterfly-effected away. No, I don't care if it's called 'the Butterfree effect' here, this is talking about my personal timeline, so I'll use my original world's phrases!" Letting out an exasperated breath, I got back on track. "Grusha got injured snowboarding just like he would have originally."

"Could that not be a one-off occurrence, bzzt?" Miles pointed out, drifting back and forth in the air, their version of pacing in thought. "And even were that true, Grusha was someone whom you had never before interacted with. You could attempt to take early action even now and resolve the issues at Uva Academy."

"Like I've tried with Turo. I interacted tons with him, and he still seems set on the same path as ever, no matter how many subtle nudges I give him. And overt could be just as problematic.

"Gli," Nightwing expressed her displeasure, her tail angrily whipping about over my bed sheets.

"Hey! Careful with that, I don't want you damaging the bed." She looked entirely unimpressed with me. "Fine, yes, I'm needlessly worrying, but it's hard! Every bit of future information I spend, the less valuable the rest of it becomes. I- I'm just worried. I want to go on adventure, I want to go around Paldea as my first journey; it's my home. But the moment I begin, it's all going to feel... real. Every change I make deliberate, not just something that happened in the moment."

I've always been bad at starting new things, hesitant to change course. But I can't let those fears hold me back. I've already made changes to the world, and while they might not have paid off much yet, I can't act like they won't impact the future. If going out now means I miss out on being the student council president or being close to Penny during the Team Star stuff, I'll find ways to deal with things then.

Dun brushed up beside me encouragingly, and I scratched the top of his head. "Thanks for putting up with me, guys." Taking a deep breath, I said, "I've made up my mind! I'm going to go to school and go on a journey, even if it's early. Whatever problems might occur, I'll deal with them later."

"Bzzt, that's great to hear! We support that decision, but if you have any doubts, it's not like you have to go to Uva Academy right now? You could travel to a different region and study there for a while before coming back to Uva, bzzt." Miles offered, and I scratched my chin, thinking about it.

"Uva Academy is quite prestigious, but I'm sure there's plenty I could study at other schools. Let me look into that." At my words, Nightwing anxiously hopped off of me, tapping her foot on the wooden floor.

"Yes, yes, we'll still get some training in." The team had recovered well from their defeat at Hassel's hands, but within all of my Pokemon burned a fire to prove themselves. And that same fire is within me too - I want him to see just how far we've come.


***


After a few days studying, I'd narrowed my options down to two choices. First and foremost came Uva Academy. It had the advantage of being near home, but several others as well.

Uva Academy had been around for almost 800 years. A bastion of knowledge and a major reason why we still had details of the empires and kingdoms that had been around thousands of years before even it (though the exact figures could be scarce and subject to some guesswork in some cases). That might not seem like a lot from the perspective of someone in a Poke-less world, but it was a huge deal here.

Pokemon could help people rebuild from nothing, make grand civilizations… but they could also destroy them just as fast. Oftentimes faster, and people sometimes didn't understand (or didn't care about) the whims of Legendaries, god-like Pokemon that could and had utterly destroyed them in times past. It was also possible that such nations could destroy themselves, the greed of men pushing people against each other. Either way, such devastation tended to leave few records left for successor nations, and those nations often did not care enough to keep detailed records of the past.

Paldea was different, with luck tending to cause any cataclysm to avoid the stores of knowledge and great pains taken by the people of the ages to retain them. The works that the Academy had stored, reproduced, and then advanced on in all those generations kept Paldea at the cutting edge of academic and technical prowess. We might not be seen as incredible battlers, but there's a reason why students come from around the globe to study at Uva Academy. Few can match it for the level of education it can give. With that in mind, it wasn't surprising that we had three full Pokemon Professors within a single generation (Friede, Sada, and Turo).

A bit of checking had also shown that it wouldn't be that hard to make sure I would be close to Penny and the others when we got near canon. I could be a teacher's assistant instead of the student council president and intervene when the other kids tried to bully them. Hopefully, the details around all that were pretty sketchy in the games.

Given the prestige and proximity, there were few other schools, even in all the known regions, that could compete with Uva Academy. Blueberry Academy 'in' my birth nation of Unova was one of them, however.

If Uva was on the cutting edge, Blueberry was on the bleeding edge. It was a massive state-of-the-art facility that covered everything a student could need. They had a heavier focus on battling and technology than Uva, with less on history and arts, but both schools boasted incredibly in-depth courses on everything under the sun. I'd hardly be missing out in either area, though I couldn't deny that the battle opportunities there sounded tempting. Double Battles offer up so many more intricate strategies and combinations, I kinda wish more places had them. They even had their own Elite Four! Wow, that sounds awesome. Kinda weird that they have that though, since Unova has their own League too…

Looking into it deeper, I was able to piece together why. Blueberry Academy had been around for quite some time, but in a rather different form than before. Back a few decades ago, they were an ordinary, if advanced, school. Then they suddenly shifted, becoming more isolated from the League, building a new facility. With the help of scientists like Colress and others from Paldea, the new so-called 'sister school' of Uva was built not on Unova's shores but rather off of them. They had a submarine to shuttle them to and fro the main land, with most of Blueberry Academy existing underwater.

That's both incredibly cool and dumbfounding in scope. Underwater cities have often been an idea of science fiction, and with the power of Pokemon, I can totally see it happening, but still. Blueberry Academy is enormous! Their largest level is a vast multi-biome dome that's nearly the size of Galar's Wild Area!! What the hell? I mean, so freaking cool, but seriously, that must have taken so much work and money to make. And for the rest, they have tons of facilities to teach, learn, and live. Their own currency in 'BB points', heavy ties to another nation, their own Elite Four... If they had a Gym Circuit, they'd probably qualify as their own region in the eyes of the League.

I imagined that all of this was very intentional, even if no brochure or history book came outright and said it. What Team Plasma did terrified a lot of people. Evil Teams rose up many times in the past, and often with heinous goals, but none got as close to achieving them as Plasma did. None managed as much lasting, wide-scale harm. A lot of people and Pokemon were separated, and the Unovan League fell before N and Reshiram, even if he was stopped shortly after. It's clear that Blueberry Academy was quite unimpressed with this, and so they went out of their way to make themselves as independent as possible. Not completely splitting off from Unova either, I noted. There were likely a number of complex political reasons why people on both sides chose to retain those ties, but I couldn't discern them from a quick outside glance.

What I could figure out was that this was an incredible place. Possible civil strife aside (and even that was something I doubted would be happening imminently, with the knowledge that DLC I never got around to playing would take place there and doubting Nintendo would ever go that deep into such a complicated issue), it seemed great. Everything I could want to study there, and all the battles I could ever desire.

I didn't remember much of my childhood there, but I did technically have a dual citizenship in Unova, for however much that mattered, too. Not that I thought there would be any problems entering the academy from that end. The only issue was my age.

Today was my ninth birthday, and looking over the online application forms, I saw that Blueberry Academy did have an age limit. I'd need to be at least ten to go to Blueberry. For all of the fancy stuff to explore there, it doesn't give you the means to participate on a Journey/Gym Circuit while you're there. From what I had read, most students in Unova either did so before applying to the academy or after they finished.

"Young Miss," a knock came at my door, and I straightened up, closing my laptop.

"Come in." Leah entered, smiling at me.

"Look at you, all dressed. Are you eager for your birthday party?"

"Yeah! Are they all here yet?"

"Not yet, silly girl. They should be here by noon, though. And Arven has already arrived with-" She was cut off by my hug. "What's this all about?"

"Just wanted to thank you. I wouldn't have even thought of inviting Carmine, Kieran, and Lacey if you hadn't suggested it." I was going to talk with them online today, but it was Leah who pointed out that my parents could easily afford flights for my other friends to come over for my birthday.

"It's no problem at all, Young Miss. As I was saying, your friend is downstairs, and he's got Professor Turo on a call from Area Zero, looking to wish you a happy birthday."

Blinking in surprise, I quickly sped out of my room. "Best not keep him waiting then, thank you!" I shouted as I literally flew down the stairs. In the large living room, Arven sat on the sofa, his Rotom Phone extended out and hovering horizontally like a tablet.

"Hey Arven," I got the boy's attention, waving to him as I walked around behind the couch to see Professor Turo on the screen of the phone. "And T- Professor Turo, good to see you." While the man on the screen appeared just a bit too animated to be a machine, the background behind him was eerily familiar. The messy desk and scrawled diagrams on the chalkboards in the background gave me flashbacks to the game I played a lifetime ago.

"Nemona!" Arven cheered and turned to look at me while his father nodded his head and said the same.

"Happy birthday, Nemona. As is customary, I have a gift for you." He pointed at a plain brown box Arven had by his side. Cautiously, I held it up. What could this be?

Before I opened it, the man added, "Additionally, my son, I have something in there for you as well. The rest of the package is for Nemona, alongside a machine that should arrive at her house soon; however, the Pokeball is for you."

My curiosity piqued, I began ripping off the brown paper wrapping covering it and opening the cardboard box. Inside was an ordinary-looking Pokeball and several glimmering crystals, each one housed in a smaller glass case. Eighteen of them, to be exact.

"Are these Tera Crystals?"

"Indeed. While they have generally been considered merely a curious geological phenomenon-"

"You can use them to change a Pokemon's Tera Type!" I exclaimed, leaving Turo blinking in surprise.

"That is correct. How did you figure that out?" He questioned.

"Oh, uhh, I just kinda assumed. The Gym Leaders of Paldea recently have had a bunch of Pokemon with different Tera Types, to match their Gyms but also give Type diversity in battles. It was too common a trend to just be naturally occurring, and said natural occurrence of Tera Pokemon in the wild could be easily explained by the crystals that pop out of the ground all around Paldea." I 'explained'. Having the answers already makes it easier to work backwards and come up with the reason for why that might be.

The Professor nodded, his hand rubbing against the bristles on the side of his face. Looks like shaving takes a bit less of a priority down in Area Zero than all the science he's doing.

"Your hypothesis is correct. Technically, mere exposure over a long enough time will do for changing a Pokemon's Tera Type, but I've developed a machine that can streamline the process. All you will have to do when it arrives is place your Pokeball and the Type of crystal you want in the machine, and it should change their Tera Type. I've attached some instructions." True to his words, I saw a small booklet inside the box.

"Well, all I can say is thank you. This will be a huge boon when battling. Notch, that is my Carbink, had a huge problem with Hassel's Dragons and the Steel Type Moves they knew. I used a Nabiri Berry, which helped a bit, but if I could free them up for a different held item. Fairy Feather? Or maybe Lax Incense? No, Light Clay, if the screens lasted longer I could have done so much-"

My rant was interrupted by the sound of Arven's laughter, making me realize I was going off on a tangent. Professor Turo was smiling, and I felt an odd kinship to him. I always feel nervous when getting someone a gift and so happy when I see that I've gotten them something they really like. And I love this - my battle against Hassel was so tough because of the limited usefulness of my Pokemon's Tera Types against him. The double weaknesses that my two newest Pokemon have were especially crippling. The best I could do with either of them would have been removing one half of the weakness and not actually getting too much of a boost in damage against his Dragons.

"I'm glad to hear you like it. My battling skills are lacking, so I wasn't sure. Now, did you say you had a Carbink? Where did you find them?"

The man seemed oddly curious about my team, but I figured there was no harm in answering. "Kitakami. I went there on a family trip. Caught a Gligar as well there, actually."

"Ah, I see. I thought you might have found one here in Paldea."

Scratching the back of my head, I racked my mind. "That would be quite the find, wouldn't it? I don't think they're native here, are they?"

Turo's eyes lit up. "While I didn't believe so before this experiment, I've found signs that there might be Carbinks dwelling deep, deep within Area Zero."

"Where there are tons of Tera Crystals! I found the small pack of Carbinks in Kitakami right beside Crystal Pool, which has a massive Tera Crystal at the bottom of the lake! They said that the crystal came from the sky millions of years ago - or at least, that was as best as I could interpret from them. None of them had ever left their little cave in eons before Notch joined me."

"Fascinating. I wish I could explore that region to see if that is true and what implications it might mean for our own Area Zero." There's my chance, yes!

"I mean, who's to say you can't? Might be good to get out of Area Zero once in a wh- for a bit of a longer trip. You could even take Arven with you to Kitakami; the people there are quite friendly." Debatable on some of those points, but if he could just leave Area Zero...

To his credit, Turo had visited his son a couple of times in the past year. To his detriment, however, it was only a couple of times, and he never stayed long. I knew they would have phone and video calls fairly regularly, which was nice, but not enough for a growing kid.

The man frowned, pausing for a moment and even running a hand through his messy hair. Sighing, he said, "Unfortunately, I cannot. Not while I'm studying here, and there is still much to do. The League poured quite a bit of funding into this project, and I need to see that it pays off." Dammit! I know you're lying; the League doesn't want you researching time travel, they don't even know half the shit you're getting up to! Studying the crystals in Kitakami could totally be worked into a comparison with the crystals in Area Zero, and the League would be thrilled at whatever discoveries you could get on Terastalization, which is why you're down in that pit in the first place!

Holding back on screaming all that at him, well aware it wouldn't help, Turo continued. "I have made great strides, however, and in more than just those Tera Crystals. Open the Pokeball, my son."

Arven, who had been holding on tightly to the Pokeball, eagerly pressed the button on the red-and-white ball, pointing it at the open space in my large living room. Out of it popped a metallic-looking purple Pokemon. While I knew it could take on the form of a motorcycle, the swell of its neck and uncoiled lashing tail behind it showed the more draconic nature of the Legendary beast that had suddenly made itself known within my home. The barely contained electrical energy pouring out of it would have made the power this creature had apparent even if someone didn't already know this was one of the strongest Pokemon on the planet.

"Miraidon…" He's begun using the Paradox machine already. I thought I'd have more time, but I don't. He's going to bring in more Paradox Pokemon until-

"... Nemona, how do you know that name?" The Professor's voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I saw the usually composed man openly gaping at me. Usually I might have relished the look of horror on his face (and the joy on his son, ignoring us and utterly enraptured by this new Pokemon), but my mind was racing at ten thousand kilometers a second, trying to figure out what exactly I could say to cover this up.

"Uhmmm, they sure do look like a Miraidon, don't you think?" I tried.

"Well- yes, that is why I named them that, but how could-"

"So it makes perfect sense then!" I said brightly, hoping my bullshit could let me push past this conversation for the moment so I could come back to it more prepared.

Luckily, Arven swooped in to (inadvertently) save me. "You got me a Pokemon, Dad?!?" He screeched his question, forcing the man to refocus.

"Ah, yes. That is an incredibly rare Pokemon I found in Area Zero called... Miraidon, as Nemona 'deduced.'" The man didn't use finger quotes for the word (mostly because that would have required him to take both hands out of his pocket, something he almost never did), but I could tell he was thinking them really hard. "You mentioned how lonely things could be up there. I still haven't achieved my goal, but Miraidon has proven quite friendly, and I hoped they might help you feel less lonely."

Aww, so sweet. A shame that when he pulls the next one through, it's going to rip him to shreds. Or electrocute him? I don't actually know how the other Miraidon killed him, but it won't be pretty.

"Thank you so much, Daddy!" Arven shouted, the boy leaping up and opening his arms as if to hug him, then remembering he was just on the other end of the screen. "I'll take really good care of Myrideon and feed them all the tastiest foods. Oh, what does their diet uh subsist of?" It's cute to see him try and remember the words I use to explain that stuff to him. He cares a ton, and I think he'd make a great dietician or chef someday. Still, there weren't any problems with Miraidon in canon, so I don't think he'll accidentally do anything wrong in raising or feeding him here.

"I am uncertain as to the exact nature of their diet. Pokechow works just fine." Arven wrinkled his nose, and while I made no outward sign, I agreed with the sentiment.

Sure, it works 'fine,' just like ration bars work 'fine' for humans. Technically enough to get by on, but they'll prefer other food. Or at least some of the more specialized varieties of Pokechow. The bags that were divided by Type and/or by further characteristics got a lot more expensive.

Turo seemed to notice and offered, "Why don't you experiment? See what different foods they like and take well too, within reason, of course. You can tell me all about the results of your research." The small boy's face lit up at that, and I bit back a sigh. Of course Arven is happy to be doing something 'important' for his father, but I'll be the one making sure the reports he sends are properly labeled and detailed.

There was a slight fluctuation of light from Turo's side, indicating someone had entered the room down in his lab. Quickly, I asked, "If you find any Diancies or signs of them down by the Carbinks, could you let me know? I'm working on finding a way to induce the mutation in Notch."

"Fascinating," he said distractedly, but seeming honest. After turning to the other person off-screen for a minute (the sound muted during their talk), he said, "Apologies, children, but I must go now. There's an urgent matter that needs my attention. Goodbye."

With that, the call ended, and there was a flicker of a frown on Arven's face before he shook it off, vigorously slapping his own cheeks. "Enough of that," he muttered to himself before brightly turning to his newest Pokemon.

Said Pokemon was simply looking around the room with incredible curiosity. What was the world it was from like? Or at least, what memories do they have of them? I remembered reading a lot of debate online on the existence of the Paradox Pokemon and whether they were actually from the past/future or just figments of the Professor's imagination brought to life by whatever strange forces existed in Area Zero.

Pressing a Pokeball, I released Dun while simultaneously tapping for Miles to come out of my pocket. "Hey Arven, why don't we play some games? Get to know your new Pokemon, Miraidon."

Arven's sharp intake of breath covered the hiss my starter let off, recognizing this Pokemon for the sign it was. "That sounds awesome!"


***


We played some games, at first trying the indoor ones, but then going outside as Miraidon clearly didn't get the idea of Pokeoply or how one was supposed to play it.

To be fair, a lot of Pokemon are more instinctual and active about this stuff. Miles was the most 'cerebral' of my Pokemon, often doing crosswords and word games with me in the morning. Dun could do such activities and board games, but would only really do so for me and had more interest in physical games like sports or activities like training. Notch seemed to enjoy novel experiences above all else, no matter what they were, and Nightwing...

Gazing over on the beach, I saw my overly competitive Gligar diving down to 'tag' Miraidon on the snout before flying above the motorcycle Pokemon's head. Sticking her tongue out, she taunted the Electric Type, laughing at the Paradox Pokemon. Nightwing isn't the brightest Pokemon out there, enjoys physical activities the most, and is a sore loser. It made game nights a bit difficult for the first few months until I just asked her if she wanted to play with the rest of us, and she indicated 'no' and I stopped trying to force it.

"Behind you," I called out to Nightwing, who had turned away from Arven's newest Pokemon, assuming herself invincible. Her eyes bulged nearly out of her head as she saw the Legendary Pokemon changing forms. Pulling its body in, Miraidons back legs shifted to become jets, and it extended the electric streamers by its head into wide wings. Shooting upwards, it rocketed past Nightwing, sending her tumbling through the air as it brushed by.

My competitive flying scorpion didn't take that lying down, and after regaining her bearings, she shot off through the sky, chasing after Miraidon.

"Whoa! Did you know they could do that?" Arven exclaimed, pointing up at the aerial game of tag that was now taking place between our Pokemon.

"It's certainly surprising." My non-answer was a little distracted as I kept a close eye on them. I don't think there will be a problem between them, but the other Miraidon was quite territorial, and Nightwing can sometimes be a bit too aggressive. She'd improved a lot with that under my training, but she was always going to be a tad more aggressive than my other Pokemon.

Luckily, my fears were overblown with the two of them engaging in a bit of roughhousing but having a good time before they called their game quits, landing down. I got the feeling Nightwing had declared herself the 'winner' of their impromptu game, simply because she still had the energy left to do so, while Miraidon's eyes had dimmed and they gave off a few whines. Looks like the stamina training paid off. Also, the speed training too. I expected her to be more maneuverable in the air, which she was, but she also kept up or slightly outraced Miraidon in some of the longer stretches. Considering I vaguely remember that box cover Legendary being quite a fast Pokemon, that's a testament to her experience. Or his inexperience. Or both.

"Let's get this guy inside, shall we? They seem tired out, and it's getting close to our lunch time too." I offered to Arven, who eagerly took me up on that idea.

"Yeah! What do you think they like to eat?"

Hiding a sly grin as I recalled my future knowledge, I suggested, "Why not try making them a sandwich?"

"You? You of all people are suggesting I make a sandwich?" Arven asked incredulously as we strode inside the kitchen as if we owned the place, much to the shock of the chefs. Well, pretty common for us, less so with a large, overly curious Pokemon behind us.

"Sorry! Could we use some space to make Arven's new friend a sandwich?" I asked them, while Arven tried to ensure Miraidon stayed outside, giving up as they kept poking their head inside to smell the food.

Turning back to Arven, I said, "I have no problem with most of the ingredients in a sandwich; I just don't like mixing them together. Besides, that's just a personal thing, and I know sandwiches are common here in Paldea, so might as well give Miraidon a try with the local cuisine."

He thought about it for a moment, nodding sagely as if all of my reasoning made perfect sense to him. "Ok then, let's get to work!" He pumped a fist up in the air as he cried out before grabbing some ingredients. "Yeeeeeeart! Hwacha! Hyah!" He grunted as he worked, and I couldn't help but grin at the infectious joy that radiated off from him.


***


While none of our culinary masterpieces caused quite as large a reaction as seen from the in-game version of Miraidon eating the protagonist's mother's sandwich or a Herba Mystica sandwich, they nonetheless seemed quite happy with our results. He polished off at least a dozen of them before the doorbell rang.

"That must be the others!" I yelled as I raced across the house to open the door. Alas, for all my speed and Aura, I couldn't beat Leah's sixth sense for these things, arriving right as she was opening up the door.

"Happy Birthday!" Lacey cheered, the girl rushing past Leah and glomping onto me.

"Oof. Hey there," I said, hugging her back, then disentangling myself to see her properly. She looked much the same as before, wearing a pastel pink dress and her gold and green hair clips above her ears. She was also carrying a small gift bag in one hand. Behind her, literally popping into existence, Amethio appeared alongside his Armarouge.

The older boy waited politely to be let inside, returning his Pokemon to his Pokeball, before greeting me. "Nemona, it's good to see you," he said, looking down at me. Wow, he's out of that old grunt uniform.

Amethio was wearing a predominantly purple outfit, with a dress shirt and black slacks, each highlighted with a bright purple stripe on opposite sides. He had on dress shoes and small black gloves. He was much taller than last I saw him as well, probably having gone through a growth spurt. Well, I probably will have another one soon, or a couple of ones. I remember Nemona was one of the taller characters in the game, only beat out amongst the kids by Eri and-

"Are you sure you're going the right way?"
"Of course I am, shut up, Kiki! It's not my fault this land is so confusing."

Catching those two distant voices on the wind, I let out a fond sigh before telling Miles. "Hey Miles, could you go and guide the last two guests here? They should be about halfway in between us and the Lighthouse."

The Rotom floating beside me said, "Sure thing, Nemona, bzzt." Then zipped off out the door and up the path between mine and Arven's house.

Turning to Amethio, I said, "Sorry about that, just trying to wrangle everyone together." I gave him a quick hug, which he stiffly accepted, somewhat unused to the action. "It's great to see you again too, both of you. I'm so glad you could make it. Oh, and feel free to have your Pokemon out and about; we've made sure to make the house safe for them."

"More like safe for the artwork and expensive furniture from half-a-dozen children and their Pokemon." Wow, it's impressive how Leah can discontentedly grumble, all while keeping a beatific smile on her face. The maid gracefully stepped by us, grabbing the gift bag from Lacey as she did so.

Lacey cheered and released her adorable Drilbur as we walked to the kitchen, chasing after her mole Pokemon, who was eagerly sniffing everything out and exploring the new house. Amethio hung back a bit and shook his head. "Armarouge teleported us from a fair distance away, so he needs a bit of time to rest up." Then, in a smaller voice, he added, "Should I- I didn't bring a gift with me, I'm sorry-"

Waving him off before he could continue, I said, "It's fine. Really, I'm just happy you're here. If you want to give me something, well, you can owe me a battle later!" I said with a grin that was absolutely not 'too wide' or 'like a Sharpedo' no matter what my friends said.

When we got to the kitchen, Amethio and I bumped into Lacey, who had stopped, frozen. The boy turned to yell at her for that before stopping himself. "What is… that?" He asked, staring at Miraidon, standing overtop of a plate covered in sandwich crumbs.

"They. Are. Gorgeous!" Lacey squee'd, rushing forward to examine the Paradox Pokemon. "What's their name? I've never seen a Pokemon like this before, and Daddy battles all kinds! Are they a boy or a girl?" As she peppered Arven with questions, she turned her head to look closer at Miraidon, who turned their head in turn, seeming just as fascinated with the girl as she was with them.

"Uh, hi. This is Miraidon, the super cool Pokemon my Dad got for me! Genderless, I think?" Arven's answers just led to more questions from Lacey, only interrupted by delighted giggles when Miraidon stretched their head out and licked the girl lightly.

"So that's the kind of reach a Professor has. Miraidon…" Amethio muttered, committing the Pokemon to memory. Ah right, the Explorers might be interested in that. Hopefully not, however. While the Pokemon might be seen as strong and 'rare', it won't have any legends attached to it. There's no reason for the Explorers or any other nefarious group to try and take them.

I heard them marching through the house behind me, so I wasn't surprised when Carmine and Kieran entered the kitchen. "Hey guys," I waved at them as they crowded in the kitchen to the sight of Arven being hounded by Lacey, Amethio and I talking to the side, and Drilbur riding atop Miraidon's back. "Welcome to the party."

"What- oh, yeah, Happy Birthday, and whatever." Carmine said with a small blush. "We left you our gift with the maid. Can't believe you guys have maids here." She seemed a bit overwhelmed with the whole experience. Fair, considering her whole home could fit into our living room.

"Is this everyone?" My sister asked, entering the room. I nodded, and she said, "We've got some snacks and stuff set up in the living room; c'mon, let's go there so you can let the chefs work in peace."

"Chefs too? Wowzers," I caught Kieran saying quietly as we moved over to the living room. The staff had set up long tables to the sides, piled with everything from the fanciest of treats to dollar store chips. Most of the furniture, besides a few couches, had been moved back or out of the room to give us and our Pokemon plenty of space to hang out. There was still a television attached to the wall, so at my suggestion (and Cyan's groans) we started playing recordings of her gym matches on it.

"You got lucky with that evolution there," Amethio pointed out as we reviewed Cyan's latest battle, which only occurred a few weeks ago.

My sister scoffed, "That was just the result of all our hard effort!"
"Primarina!" Her starter cried out in support as well.

Six of one, half a dozen of the other. They really have worked hard together this past year, but that was the third time Cyan went against Thyme, and without that evolution there, I don't think she would have won her eighth badge. I didn't voice those thoughts aloud, however, simply taking in the enjoyable sights of all my friends and Pokemon hanging out together.

Cyan had her whole team out, which consisted of Primarina, her fully evolved starter, elegantly lounging behind his trainer. Off to the side, her Kingdra drifted about, sampling a few Pokesnacks from the bowls laid out. Toxapex was climbing the walls, hanging off the ceiling, and generally enjoying cheering on her past self in the fights on screen and lurking over Quaxwell sitting underneath, the duck-like Pokemon carefully brushing the top of his head with his wings.

Amethio sat across from my sister on the couch, his Drakloak floating by his side. The Ghost Type was content to just watch what was going on, joined by Poltchageist, Carmine's starter, who was mixing different drinks within its clay pot body. I will never get that, but then again, there are people who drink juice straight out of a Shuckle's body, which I find even more disturbing.

The Kitakami kids were sitting in chairs near the coffee table. Carmine would constantly poke Kieran, pointing out stuff that was clearly happening on the screen, while her brother barely gave a token effort to waving her off, clearly used to this behavior. At their feet, undisturbed by the siblings' antics, Poochyena and Applin lay, looking out the window.

Lacey, Arven, and myself sat on a plush chaise lounge chair. The other two children were getting crumbs everywhere, while I was trying not to, an attempt with increased difficulty as Miraidon kept on bumping into the seat. Not on purpose, just as a result of getting used to this environment and being distracted, conversing with Maschiff and Miles.

Notch hovered above us, glaring down at the Paradox Pokemon - because they were a Dragon or because of the meta knowledge I had shared, I didn't know. Thankfully, the new Pokemon didn't notice, too caught up with their surroundings and unfamiliar with Notch's subtle body language. I'll have to tell them to knock it off. Speaking of which..

Nightwing hung off the back of the chair, and I wondered if anyone else noticed how she would lightning fast zip out a pincer to grab food from any plates as people passed by her. I should teach her Thief, though she does already know Knock Off. Plus, with all the work we've put into mastering her Hidden Ability, we haven't had time for her to learn the more supporting Moves she has access to. Assuming she sticks around after I give her the gift I picked out.

"Does everyone in Paldea wear that uniform while battling?" Carmine bluntly asked my sister as the videos had transitioned to showing some other students in their Gym battles.

"No, that's just the student uniform. You're still supposed to wear it on the Treasure Hunt, and for the battles after I decided to keep it consistent." Cyan responded. My sister was wearing a skirt and tank top currently, happy to be out of the school uniform for summer. I don't really get that, it's not like the uniform is uncomfortable or that she has her own 'style'.

Style was something important in this world; famous people and especially Trainers were known for distinctive signature outfits they constantly wore, like Steven Stone's suit, Cynthia's black dress, or Ash's cap.

"Seems boring to have everyone wearing the same thing like that. We might have uniforms, but at least we get a greater degree of customization at Blueberry Academy."

Carmine's words caused Lacey to whip around, jostling Drilbur in her lap. "Did you say Blueberry Academy! Are you going there?!"

"We-well, not right now," Kieran stuttered. "But we'll go when we're older. Our parents went to Blueberry, so they would have wanted us to go, probably." His voice died down as he spoke, barely a whisper at the end.

If Lacey recognized any of the subtext or delicacy of the topic there, she didn't show it, trampling over the topic with the lack of care only a child can have. "That's wonderful! My father will likely send me to Blueberry as well in a few years."

Carmine grinned. "I knew you were a smart one," she said to Lacey. "Nemona should join us at Blueberry instead of getting stuck with Uva uniforms."

"Hey! Our uniforms might not be the best, but we have the best school in any region! We have the most Pokemon Professors out of anywhere!" Not exactly true, but it's true that more people who have become Pokemon Professors have studied at Uva than any other. Because Uva is so well known for it's education, the best and brightest are often sent here to learn before going back to their home regions.

Arven cheered alongside my sister, standing up from his seat. "Yeah! My Dad went to Uva, and he's the smartest man alive!" Debatable. Very debatable.

A glance over at Amethio had the older boy quirk an eyebrow before shaking his head. He clearly wants nothing to do with this, and fair. Homeschool boy doesn't have a horse in this race. Seeing the other kids standing up to match Arven, I decided to intervene. About as good a time for this anyway. Besides, Dun is glaring at them yelling over the battles he's still watching.

"I'm applying to Blueberry Academy next year," I said loudly enough to be heard over the arguments and videos. It shouldn't have been that shocking, but for a few seconds the room was so quiet that you could have heard a penny hit the ground. "I've been doing a lot of research, and Blueberry Academy looks cool for a variety of reasons-"

Before I could extrapolate on those reasons, Carmine started cheering, and my big sister groaned. "Ha! In your face!" The Kitakami girl jeered.

"Sis…" Kieran pulled at his sister's arm, hoping to get her to show a bit more tact. He was grinning brightly at me though, so he seemed pretty happy with the news too.

"I can't believe you're betraying us," my sister sighed dramatically, and I rolled my eyes in response.

"Oh, this is going to be so fun going to school together!" Lacey clapped her hands together. I mean, that would be fun, but...

"Uh, won't I be graduating before you go to school? Any of you, actually," I added, looking at both her and my friends from Kitakami. "The school can accept students as young as ten, but the usual age students enroll is fourteen to sixteen."

"But- I- we'll just go early too!"

"Are you sure? It's going to be a lot of work to study that hard." I questioned the tall girl, ignoring the fact that it wouldn't be all that much work for myself. Not that I plan on slacking off there, but there are going to be other things taking up my attention this upcoming year.

Carmine was undaunted; if anything, she was even more enthused by my 'challenge.' "As if I would possibly let my rival surpass me! Kiki and I will study day and night if we have to!"

"Aw man," her brother said, slumping his shoulders as he resigned himself to that fate.

"Your rival? If anything, she's my rival." Amethio bristled, the older boy making his presence known and reminding us all that he wasn't that much older than the rest of us.

"I'm gonna go all-out too! Let's go to Blueberry Academy together!" Lacey cheered.

The mood seemed like it might have cleared up, were it not for the sight of Arven out of the corner of my eye. The young boy stood there, his fists trembling at his sides and expression blocked by his hair, until he turned suddenly and cried, "No! You can't just leave like that." Looking into his eyes, I could see tears already starting to well up in them. "All of you going off to some foreign school."

Carmine frowned "Well, don't blame us, just come along too." She said insensitively, and I winced. The boy himself started crying too. I love Arven like a brother, but we both know that he's just not some super genius and especially has trouble with book learning. He won't be able to make it in such a course.

Amethio gave an attempt of his own, perhaps correctly intuiting that Arven wouldn't be able to enroll at Blueberry. "Don't get so fixated on this school stuff, you'll learn plenty outside of it."

"Hey buddy, it'll be ok-" I tried to reach out to him only for him to knock my hand away. The action was so shocking that I couldn't even stop it.

"Arven!" I said sharply, my raised voice causing Miraidon to move to his Trainer's side, growling lowly - and almost as instantly, Dun had interposed himself between me and the Paradox Pokemon, glaring up at him. Dun might not be the fastest of my Pokemon, but he's sharp enough to pick up on such growing tension and ready himself to intervene.

Arven continued, too caught up to listen to me. "No! It won't! You're just going to leave me, like- I won't let you! You still haven't applied yet, right?"

"Well no, there's a whole year I have to wait, and we can hang out a ton then-" I tried, but Arven stared me dead in the eyes.

"I challenge you to a battle! If I win, you have to stay here." The Professor's son declared, while all the other children looked on uncomfortably. There was an etiquette (as well as actual laws) to what you could demand from a battle, and anything more than pocket change was seen as crass at best.

And unbeknownst to him, he has the power of a Legendary on his side, albeit an entirely untrained one. Part of me just wants to reject this, that it isn't right. But the rest of me... for the rest of my plans, I'll need to face incredible challenges to stop the future. Possibly even face another Miraidon. And hopefully, just maybe, I'll be able to reach Arven through our clash.

"Fine, I accept," I said to the surprised gasps from the rest of the guests. "Let's go down to the beach; we'll fight there."

Arven blinked, as if he hadn't thought that would happen, before scrunching up his face in confrontation. Maschiff looked up worriedly at his Trainer's side but dutifully marched after the boy as he stomped off to the arena.

I followed, the other kids awkwardly trailing behind. I recalled most of my Pokemon, mentally preparing for the fight. On the surface, Nightwing and Notch are the best suited to this battle, each one immune to one of the Types that Miraidon has. However, Miles in Mow Form has double resistance against the Electric Type and a few Moves that I think will be better suited to win this fight.

Taking my place opposite Arven, I fiddled around with my bag for a moment, getting what I needed ready. I could hear the boy gulping, the weight of this match pressing down on him now that he had a moment to think. He believes this is hopeless, he's never won a battle against me before. But still, he's trying. He'll give it his all, so I have to do the same.

"Are you ready or what?" He asked, nerves getting the best of him as he snapped at me. While some small part of me was upset at his behavior, I understood all too well where it was coming from.

"I'm ready," I pulled out the lawn mower from my bag, tossing it up for Miles to shoot out of my phone and possess. The red lawn mower was surrounded by a green plasmic field as my Rotom took control of it. Miles looked confused for a second before its teeth settled into a jagged grin, recognizing my strategy. Facing our opponent straight ahead, I asked. "How about you?"

Arven hesitated for a moment, and I got worried that I might need to hurry him up for my plan to work before he put Miraidon up first. "Alright, Miraidon, let's win this battle!" When Miraidon, now fully recharged and back in battle mode, entered the arena, electricity danced all around them.

With a tap of my foot, I triggered the arnea barrier as well as an automated battle countdown to speed things up. Small speakers from the edges announced, "Battle begins in three, two, one, start!"

"Trick!" I immediately yelled, hoping it wasn't too late, and thankfully, it was not. Glowing a faint pink Psychic energy, the Toxic Orb within their body was shot out of Miles' spinning front blades. Miraidon was entranced, instinctively snatching it out of the air and holding it in their mouth.

"What?" Arven said, looking confused, before recognizing what the orb was. "No, spit that out!" Miraidon looked confused, like they didn't understand the command, still proudly holding it in their mouth. The Trick was indeed part mental trick, and it was hard for Miraidon to shake off, at least until it was too late.

After a moment, they did spit it out, but that was only in response to the pain, the virulent poison spreading from their beak-like metallic mouth. Miraidon whimpered, and I felt a little bad for the Pokemon, who might have never experienced anything like that before pushing those thoughts away. We'll heal them up later. Pokemon are naturally good at battling and dealing with stuff like this, none of this is going to be permanent.

As I rationalized, Arven recovered. "Whatever, just hit them!" He shouted, pointing at Miles. The Paradox Pokemon let out a burst of electricity that ripped through the entire arena, giving no room to dodge. The barrier flashed and wobbled slightly from the sheer force, and Miles winced as the electricity coursed through them, in spite of their resistances. Damn! I knew that they'd be powerful, but without any training... well, I can fight smarter, not just harder.

"Eerie Impulse." An odd sound was coming out of Miles, the electrical currents from the Terrain Miraidon had created reacting weirdly nearby. For the Paradox Pokemon's part, they began growling and shaking their limbs, like they were trying to brush off an unpleasant sensation.

"Shake it off! Use umm, Dragon Pulse!" Miraidon squinted their digital eyes for a moment before opening their mouth wide and letting loose a stream of multicolored yellow and purple-ish fire. Miles took this attack about as well as the first, wobbling in the air. Damn, my debuff strategy will only work so well, I need to put them off balance before trying anything else.

"Confuse Ray!" The glowing balls of light Miles conjured hit Miraidon smack in the face, leaving them dazed.

"Dragon Pulse, again! We're so close!"

Miraidon was still fixed onto my Pokemon, so I decided to counter with a quick call for "Protect!" It was close, the Dragon Type attack nearly hitting Miles before the shield came up around them, blocking the strike.

While we would have been open for a follow-up attack, Miraidon's gaze began to slip, darting all around the arena. Firing Dragon Breath up in a wide arc that completely went around us, I called out "Hex," thinking I could get some damage in.

We did, the conjured shades surrounding the Dragon Type and causing them to thrash about in pain. But that same pain freed them from the Confusion that had been ailing them and led to a fierce counterattack. Great gouts of dragonfire mixed with pulses of electricity, consuming the whole field.

Miles cried out in pain before I tried, "Protect!" The new forcefield held for a few seconds, but under sustained barrage from a Legendary, it broke and Miles was knocked out. Returning them to their Pokeball, I considered my options.

They're badly hurt by all that poison. I might be able to just stall them out by having Gligar burrow underground. "Go, Nightwing! Dig!"

"Stop them!" Arven desperately shouted, and Miraidon complied in a very basic manner. Bursting forward and scooping Nightwing up with their claws, they tossed her up in the air before they could sink beneath the arena.

"Dragon Blast" was Arven's follow-up 'command' and one that had me frowning. C'mon Arven! You know that's not a real attack. Miraidon understood it well enough to continue blasting dragonfire at Nightwing, who artfully dodged around the worst of the attack, only getting clipped here and there.

"Keep at it, just dodge them." While Miraidon could keep them from digging down, they couldn't do so and hit Nightwing with their shots while doing so.

Miraidon wasn't looking so great either, wincing more as the poison wracked their body with no recourse. "Gah, just- hit everywhere!" Arven's frustrated command led to Miraidon letting off a great burst of electricity, which I thought would do nothing… only for Nightwing to flinch in pain as the Shockwave hit her.

"What?!" My mind raced for answers. How did they- damn it, Pikachu managed to shock Ground Types too, they're a Legendary. Type matchup charts are merely a suggestion for them. And if they can hurt a Ground Type like that, then maybe...

With a reckless idea taking root in my head, I shouted, "Sand Attack! Tailwind, together!" Nightwing had fallen close enough for her to dive down and smack the ground with her tail, launching a bunch of sand at Miraidon's eyes while simultaneously flapping her wings furiously to kick up the wind behind her.

"Shockwave!" Well, at least he's calling out the correct attacks now. That was all I had time to think before the lightning sparked off the dust in the air, creating a massive explosion.

"What? What did you do?" Arven demanded, looking around in shock. Miraidon was shaking off the blow, only a little hurt by the attack and looking more confused than anything.

"It's called a dust explosion. A spark can trigger it when there's large quantities of dust in the air. Usually, this doesn't happen from Ground Type Moves, their nature neutralizing the effect, but Miraidon is so strong that they're actually overcoming that. I'm taking what you used against Nightwing and using it against you!"

"Stop it," he sniffled, and suddenly I felt bad about how smug I had been acting. "You and Dad and Mom, you're all so smart, and you keep on leaving me! It's not fair!"

My heart broke a little. "Arven, I'm not leaving you. We'll still have plenty of time to hang out during summer breaks, and we'll call and message each other tons too."

His sniffles dried up. "And you're not leaving for a year, right? We can play for all that time."

"We'll play together tons, maybe not all of it. I do want to go on my journey before I go to school-"

"Or you can just stay here and never go to that dumb school!" Ignoring Carmine's 'Hey!' in the background, Arven continued, commanding his Paradox Pokemon. "Take Down that- wait, where'd she go?"

Miraidon mimicked their Trainer, scanning the field but not seeing the Gligar anywhere. Then the ground it was hovering above shifted, causing them to look down for just a moment as Nightwing burst out of it, the earth and her body slamming into the Electric Type as she blasted up.

Miraidon let out a howl, following the Flying scorpion with some vicious blows, heavily beating into her. Outrage? Shit, they're pretty much grappling, too close for Protect, at least for Nightwing, she's not as skilled with the Move as Dun or Miles.

"Ice Fang" was my last ditch attempt to stop the onslaught, and it worked. Her Ice coated fangs sunk into the Dragon Type and caused them to recoil, falling back down. "Bulldoze!" I cried, and Nightwing swooped after the falling Pokemon, beating them into the ground.

With one last, pained screech, Miraidon collapsed, half buried under the ground, defeated. Arven slowly recalled his Pokemon before trying to send out Maschiff. Trying being the key word, as the small dog Pokemon shook his head, refusing to move forward. "C'mon, don't be afraid!" Arven tried to cajole him, but Maschiff still stubbornly refused.

"He's not afraid," I said calmly, causing Arven to turn around as he saw me walking across the arena towards.

"Hey, you're supposed to stay over there," Arven shot at me before turning back to Maschiff and stopping. He sees what I'm seeing. Maschiff isn't shaking in fear or hiding behind Arven's leg.

"With how much Miraidon beat her up, this is probably the best shot he's ever had against us, and Maschiff is giving it up. Because he knows this isn't right." Arven's starter nodded his head, barking in agreement at my words.

He looked up at me, crying. "You're not going to leave me alone? You promise?"

"I promise. You will always be welcome at our house, and I'll always try to make time for you, no matter how far apart we are. And besides, you'll never be alone, because you'll always have your Pokemon by your side, too." I gestured at Miraidon's Pokeball and at Maschiff. The dog leapt up to Arven - and started glowing.

All of us gasped as the dog grew in size, his fur becoming darker and shaggier. He also grew much heavier, nearly quadrupling in weight as he flattened the boy, knocking him down and licking the tears off his face.

"Oof! Oh Arceus, you're heavy now," Arven groaned, but there was still a smile on his tear-stained face as he tried futilely to push Mabosstiff off.

We all laughed a little, the mood of the group brightening as the situation was resolved. Nightwing returned to her Pokeball and I was just about to suggest we go to the music room so I could play some stuff for them when my phone started ringing.

After a second, I remembered I would have to pick it up since Miles was still knocked out and not possessing it. Pulling it out of my pocket, I saw the caller ID. "Oh, it's Friede. Probably just looking to wish me a happy birthday," I said, more for the benefit of the group than myself.

"Hey Friede. Oh, why could you be calling me on this da-"

"I did it!" He shouted from the other end, exuberance clear in his voice.

"Oh, umm, great for you. What is it exactly that you did?"

"Well, it's more like what we did- wait did I forget to acknowledge you on these papers? Whoops, I'll fix that," he said manically. "You gave me the inspiration and advice I needed to run a successful project to recreate a Hisuain variant of Pokemon!" Oh neat, I'm glad I helpe- "We have a new Hisuian Zorua!"

"What." My blood ran cold as my mind raced, thinking back to our prior conversations. I said it had the best Typing but I never told him how to- did he, did he actually torture a Zorua to death? Kill it and make it hate him so much that it came back to life as a Hisuian Zorua!?

I tuned out his meaningless exclamations of joy and self-praise, interrupting him to ask, "Where are you?"

"Oh? I'm over at this abandoned mansion slash Zoroark reserve; it's not far from Zapapico, I'll send you the coordinates." The phone 'binged' alerting me to the message I got with the location.

"I'll be there soon."

"Uh ok. No rush or anything, oh, and happy birthd-" I hung up on him, taking a deep breath.

"FUCK!" Yelling at the sky unfortunately, did nothing but cause all the other kids to fall completely silent. Racking my brain, I tried to think about how this could have happened.

Everything I've done to stop one mad Professor from messing with the future, and I go and help another revive past horrors to the world. Ok, stop catastrophizing; everyone is staring at me and freaking out because I'm freaking out. Just... take a deep breath and assess the situation. Which I can't do accurately from here.

"Are you alr-" I marched by my sister trying to reach out to me and stopped right before Amethio.

"I need you to take me here," I said, shoving my phone in his face. "Does Armarouge have any teleportation locations nearby there?"

"Wh- just Zapapico, which is several kilometers away... and you still want me to take you there, don't you?"

"Yes." I answered tersely.

"Wait, what's going on? We should go with you to whatever this is," Cyan said, still looking a little freaked out at me.

Lacey nodded her head. "If it's serious, we can come too and help."

"No, you can't," Amethio said, shaking his head as he released Armarouge. "That's a pretty far jump, even with just me and Nemona going there. We can't take the full group."

Arven had managed to push Mabosstiff off and gathered with the others, wondering what was going on. "Nemona?"

"Sorry everyone, I have to- screw it, I'll explain later. Let's go." Grabbing on to Armarouge's hand with Amethio on the other side, my last glance was of my friends' and sister's worried faces before we blinked out of existence.

Spoiler: A/N:

Thank you all for being so patient with me as we (finally) start going towards the Journey part of the fic. This arc has been about Nemona moving past her worries, which I know plenty of people have pointed out weren't as big an issue as she was making them to be, but I know myself and that it takes me a while to start such large endeavors. Hopefully this extra large chapter... and the cliffhanger, makes up for that, haha.

Nemona's Current Team:

-'Dun' (Dudunsparce, Male, Normal Type, Starter)
- Tera Type: Normal
- Held Item: Expert Belt
- Abilities: Run Away, Serene Grace
- Moves known: Flail, Mud Slap, Rollout, Glare, Body Slam, Poison Jab, Earthquake, Bite, Yawn (Invisible Version), Last Resort, Hyper Voice, Protect, Thunder, Hex, Agility, Air Slash, Giga Impact, Tailwind, Roost, Ancient Power, Drill Run, Hyper Drill, Triple Yawn, Ice Spinner, Solar Beam, Lunge, Flamethrower, Aqua Tail, Coil, Hurricane, Outrage, Smart Strike

- 'Miles' (Rotom, Genderless, Electric/Form dependent Type)
- Tera Type: Electric
- Held Item: Life Orb
- Ability: Levitate
- Moves Known: Astonish, Confuse Ray, Thundershock, Double Team, Hyper Voice, Protect, Thunder, Rain Dance, Will O' Wisp, Nasty Plot, Hex, Sunny Day, Substitute, Foul Play, Trick, Discharge, Shadow Ball, Eerie Impulse, Reflect, Light Screen

- 'Nightwing' (Gligar, Female, Flying/Ground Type)
- Tera Type: Flying
- Held Item: Flying Gem
- Ability: Hyper Cutter, Immunity
- Moves Known: Poison Sting, Sand Attack, Harden, Knock Off, Fury Cutter, Acrobatics, Bulldoze, Quick Attack, Psychic Fangs, Poison Tail, Slash, Gunk Shot, Dig, Ice Fang, Lunge, U-Turn, Protect, Tailwind

- 'Notch' (Carbink, Genderless, Rock/Fairy Type)
- Tera Type: Rock
- Held Item: Babiri Berry
- Ability: Clear Body
- Moves Known: Harden, Tackle, Guard Split, Flail, Ancient Power, Light Screen, Reflect, Iron Defense, Body Press, Stealth Rocks, Psychic, Smack Down, Trick Room, Dazzling Gleam, Rock Polish, Power Gem, Stone Edge, Protect, Spikes

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[unlawfulwaffle362]

My heart goes out to Arven. He deserves all the family.

 

[Skyfyre]

"Wait up!" Amethio called, trailing behind me already. With a glance behind, I shook my head.

"Just wait there, I'll be back." He cursed (impressively so for someone of his isolated living conditions. Personally, I blamed Coral) and gave up on following after me, unable to match my pace despite his longer legs. With Dun beating the air behind me, I surged forward, racing across the barren landscape.

Immediately upon arriving at Zapapico, I found my bearings and began sprinting across the mines as the fastest route to the site Friede was at. At least the fastest route as the bird flies, haha, I thought to myself, leaping over a ten-meter pit with ease.

The mirth on my face died quickly as I recalled why I was here in the first place. How could Friede, so friendly have- no, don't jump to conclusions. Just focus on getting there and then finding out what the heck happened.

It was a difficult prospect; my mind was constantly thinking about stuff, and at the moment, I found it hard to think about anything other than this experiment. Trying to replay in my mind if there was anything I had given, any clue I'd let slip about Hisuian Zoroarks and their specific 'creation' process.

And I've got Turo up to stuff too. I can't just ignore that problem any more or think I still have time. He's already begun pulling Paradox Pokemon into our time. Miraidon had been a wakeup call there.

Despite Arven not being at the top of his game when he battled me and not being as skilled a battler as me even when he was doing fine emotionally (though he'd improved quite a bit this past year), he had still nearly won. The other Paradox Pokemon might be weaker than Miraidon, but they're still plenty strong and very focused at what they do. I need to aim beyond just beating an Elite Four to match up to them, if indeed I do have to fight.

Part of me still hoped I could talk things out with the mono-focused Professor, but I was worried that he'd ignore or reject what I had to say as well.

Nightwing glided down, returning from where she had flown off to and keeping pace at my side. "Gligar, gli gli." She said over the wind racing in my ears.

"You couldn't see them? That's fine," I said, grunting as a high leap took me over the lip of the canyon and onto grassier terrain. "They're illusionists; they probably have something in place to stop Flying Types from catching them from above." Looking out at the forest, I said, "Let's go," and began marching through, looking for any signs of the camp.

***

It didn't take too long, though a fair part of that was the fact that I had the exact coordinates on Miles, who was able to check them against where we were. Without that, I might have been going around for a few hours, the well-crafted illusions leading me off-course.

Passing through the veil, my eyes took in the small grove. Where before I had been convinced a solid shrub blocked the way, I could see dozens of Zorua, the young kits running around, chasing after each other and making 'spooky' illusions to play pranks on one another. I don't think Tinkaton have that many fangs, i.e., any number higher than zero. Never seen a Flamigo look that demonic, either. I wonder why the illusions covering their home were of a higher quality than the figments they're creating here? Is it a result of them working together, or just the Zoroark leaders being that skilled?

The black-furred fox-like Pokemon ran about on red paws, matching the red tufts of fur on top of their heads and around their faces. Most of the Zorua had darker patches of fur around their necks. A few of their evolutions, the Zoroarks, stood by the main den, watching over their smaller family members. They had a similar coloring to the younger Pokemon, but stood on two legs and generally had a far more humanoid appearance.

Said leaders/parents noticed me the moment I entered, three of them looking over at me and beginning to bare their teeth. In response, I recalled my team (who had been running and flying by my side), gesturing a hand to the white tent set up off to the side, a few scientists exiting and walking to a nearby all-terrain vehicle. I could tell they were still wary of me, they were giving me a chance, seeing me by myself as not a threat to them. To be fair to them, they haven't seen Notch yet. They might get freaked out about a Fairy Type as strong as Notch being this close.

Probably also because my attention was caught by the thin but incredibly wide metal sheet that hung over the area. It was held aloft by some strategic loops of rope and the thick canopy overhead. Something about the dark gray metal felt weird, seeming to flicker in my vision even as I stared head-on at it.

"Nemona!" Friede's familiar voice rang out, the young Professor eagerly waving at me from inside the tent. "Wow, you look puffed, did you sprint all the way here?" His puzzled look was quickly replaced by the enthusiasm that seemed to be nearly bursting out of him. "Come inside! I can't wait to show you her!"

Not trusting myself to speak yet, I nodded, pushing through the flaps after him to enter the tent. Inside there were all kinds of spectrometers and equipment. Desks with papers haphazardly scattered as if they had been recently rifled through, the staff looking for something. The main focus of the room, though, was the Zorua standing on a scale, a video camera pointed at her. They really did it; that's a Hisuian Zorua.

While similar in size and shape to the regular Zorua, her coloration was a vivid contrast. She had pale gray and white fur, with tips of light red. Where the tips of the other's fur would be spikey, hers drifted about, as if caught on an unseen wind. The fur around her mane was thicker as well, puffing up like a scarf. Her eyes weren't the blue of the other Zorua's either, but a shade of amber almost identical to my own.

"What happened here?" I demanded, turning to Friede. He was wearing the same uniform as the other researchers here, save for the goggles pushed up above his eyes. His lab coat was plain, save for a symbol on the breast pocket of some geometric shapes looking not unlike a Tera Crystal cluster found in the wild. I knew it was the Exceed company, from what the man himself had told me, though I knew little overall of their goal here.

"Whoa, someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning," Friede teased, a smile on his face. "I tried to tell you that you didn't need to rush over. The others are going back to the main lab to get some more equipment to test things, as we don't have all the answers anyway. She's the only one that turned so far, and they didn't have any clue why."

"Isn't this your research?" I asked, my brow furrowed as Friede scratched the back of his awkwardly.

"Well, yes, this is my project. I designed the experiment in its entirety - with the advice you gave me. Exceed might bankroll all of this, but they keep me busy with plenty of other studies as well."

"What advice!" Friede took a step back at my shouting, and I took some breaths to calm down. "I'm sorry, I'm just- today has been a bad day, and I have no clue on what is going on here or how this could have happened."

There was concern in the Professor's eyes, and he pulled out two chairs, sitting down in one of them. "Do you need a minute? Whatever's bothering you, we can deal with it. I just thought you'd be happy to know that your theory about Distortion energy and Hisuian variants - or at least Zorua variants - turned out to be true."

Blinking, I recalled the messages we'd sent on the topic almost two years ago. "They were? But that- possibly for others, I thought, but for Zorua, it should be different..." My voice trailed off as I tried to put the pieces together. Could I have been mistaken? I don't know for certain that everything in this world is the same.

Instead of taking the offered seat, I kneeled down in front of the Hisuian Zorua, who looked up cautiously at me. "Hi there. I know this might be confusing, but... did you die before you became like this?"

Friede shot out of his seat. "Nemona! What kind of question is-" Zorua nodded her head, the action small but unmistakable. "-That?" He finished, shoulders slumping as he took it in. "What- how could this happen?"

"I don't know. But I do know how Hisuian Zorua's were made in the past." Snapping his gaze away from the desks and monitors, Friede turned to me.

"You knew, and you never told me?!"

"You didn't let me know that you were even doing this!"

"I forgot!" We both stood silent for a moment before he looked away. "Ok, my bad there. But what is the secret? We've been searching for so long. Until she came along, Exceed was about to scrap the experiment."

Looking around, I asked, "Is this place secure? Anything being recorded here?"

Another concerned glance, and Friede strode about the lab, turning off cameras and other recording devices that might have picked up on our conversation. "What is it? What makes this so bad? Obviously, dying is one thing, but you're acting like it's something worse than just that."

"As you guessed, Hisuian Zoruas are created through death. But not just any kind of death. Back in ancient Hisui, the humans didn't get along with the Pokemon. They would see them as monsters and beasts, driving them from their homes, leaving them to starve. Killing them. The hatred of such cruelty would call the recently slain Zoroarks back into their bodies as-"

I was interrupted by some shrill 'yips,' the Zorua marching forward and shaking her head. "Wait, that's not what happened here? But you did die under their watch, correct?" Nods to both my questions, the second more shaky than the first, with her shivering slightly at the memory.

Sitting down, I patted my lap, inviting her to come up, which she did, quickly hopping up. I petted her, running my hands through her fur and suppressing my own shivers. She's cold to the touch. A sign of her Ghostly nature, I suppose.

While I did that, Friede hunted through some of the papers, his expression more grim than I had ever seen before. "Here it is," he said in a monotone, holding up a few papers and reading them aloud. "Subject 34 beta has shown signs of being sickly from birth, the runt of her litter. Nothing nothing nothing," he skimmed through a few pages. "Questions raised about her health under the synthetic Ghost Plate have been raised with no clear answers. Considered removing the subject from the experiment but suspended pending further approval… What further approval? I never heard about this!?"

Friede regained himself as he looked over at the Zorua snuggled up in my lap. "It ends with saying the subject- sorry, that she had disappeared for a few days before reappearing like this."

"Disappeared for a few days?" I know they're illusionists, but that feels odd to be unaccounted for for such a stretch of time.

With a sigh, Friede collapsed in the chair beside me. "When Pokemon are sick, they'll sometimes try and find some place to wait it out. Some small cave or burrow where no one else will find them. It's not exactly rational, but... it could explain how she died and no one noticed."

"It would make sense," I said, stopping my petting for a moment before the Zorua nipped me. "Ow!" It didn't really hurt that much, but still! I didn't like pets trying to bite me for attention before they were sentient creatures. Looking down at her big eyes, I sighed and resumed my petting, noticing something.

"Your fur is rather tangled; how did it get like this?" I asked, slowly combing it out with my fingers. She answered by crafting a shaky illusion in the air in front of us.

It showed a pack of Zorua playing in the fields, one of them trailing behind, getting tired, but the others would loop around and play with her too, occasionally. But then, as she got more and more tired, she found a small burrow and climbed down it, shivering. The whole scene faded to a blur of white before she emerged, but different; a distorted parody of herself as she was now.

Other Zorua would run away in fear, or when the few brave did play with her, they'd kick her around, too rough. Then she'd lash out and start battling for real before the (exaggeratedly massive) Zoroarks would come and break things up. Then some researchers come by and grab her up, taking her to the tent, where the illusion ended.

Breaking the silence first, I said, "First things first, you aren't a monster, you look gorgeous."

"Ua," she quietly barked, not quite believing me but happy I said it.

"Secondly, you're an excellent storyteller; thank you for sharing that with us. I think we have a better picture of what went on now. I don't think the other Zorua were trying to hurt you, by the way." Not the ones that didn't avoid you at least. I noticed she became more aggressive there too. Just a response to the reactions of her pack, or something to do with her new form? I might have been off the mark about the way Zorua could become Hisuian Zoruas, but I'm pretty sure their signature Move will still be 'Bitter Malice.'

She tilted her head up at me, and I said, "They're all Dark Types. Before you changed, you resisted Dark Type Moves, so a Bite here or there wouldn't be too much of a problem. But now Dark is the only Type you're weak too."

The Zorua still seemed a little confused, so Friede simplified it. "Basically, their attacks hurt you four times as much as they would have before." Her head drooped, and tears started forming in the corners of her eyes. "Whoa, hey, it's- it'll be alright."

"It will. While it's been unfortunate given your situation, your new Typing is really strong. The strongest in the world," I tried to reassure her. She didn't seem overly convinced, hopping off my lap to stare forlornly at the sounds of Zorua playing outside.

Releasing Dun, I said to him and Miles, "Hey, could you two keep her company for a minute?" They went off to cheer her up while I turned back to Friede. "So."

"So," he repeated, seeming just as lost as I did. "Where did you get this knowledge from? Some secret book, a traveling bard, some dark cult-" he frowned as I laughed before smirking and chuckling a bit himself. "Okay, maybe a bit far out there, but still. You gotta give me something."

Biting my tongue, I held back my immediate thought. I don't have to give you anything! "Does it matter where I got my knowledge from if it's right?"

"Is it though? You weren't wholly correct about how Hisuian Zoruas come to be."

Crossing my arms, I retorted, "Not that far off either. Are you going to continue the experiment if I don't tell you then? Killing them in different ways until you see what doesn't stick?"

"Fuck! Of course not." He got up, the motion pushing the chair back a little, the sound drawing the Pokemon's attention off to the side to us for a moment before my Pokemon distracted Zorua again. "I just- I was so hopeful that this would work. It seemed like a miracle, and now I find out it's the exact opposite."

Getting up, I patted him on the shoulder. "... I'm sorry. I was stressed out; my birthday party didn't go great, my best friend got mad that I'm going to a different school, and then you called, and I jumped to the worst conclusion..." I shook my head. "But that doesn't excuse my behavior. I was rude and confrontational to you. You didn't know, you aren't trying to do bad things here."

After a minute, I added "Arceus."

"What?"

"You asked where I got the knowledge from? I got it from Arceus." At my words, Notch popped out of their Pokeball all on their own. "Oh, hello there."

"What," he repeated, his tone flat.

"Notch here tends to get a bit curious whenever I mention Arceus or some of the big legends." At the look on his face, I snickered. "Sorry, sorry. But the long story short is that I did get a lot of knowledge from, as near as I can tell, Arceus themselves."

"Really now?" He crossed his arms, unconvinced.

"Yup. Or at least, knowledge enough to know for a fact that Arceus exists, and the severe doubt that I could have the knowledge I have if it wasn't allowed for by Them. Don't have proof though, and it's not a two-way line of communication here." In fact, the opposite really; I know enough to know that I won't ever be allowed to see Their divine llama-ness. "That is how I know things about how Hisuian Zoruas come to be, or how to evolve an Ursaring to an Ursaluna."

"You know- ah forget it." He waved me off, picking up some papers and stacking them.

"You sure? I'm sorry this didn't work out, and the Ursaluna trick doesn't involve anything terrible, just super obscure-"

"No, it's fine." He said in a tone that told me he was anything but. With the exuberance completely torn out of him, I saw just how deep the bags under his eyes were. "I doubt I'd get permission to run an experiment like this again after I kil- end this one. What am I even going to tell my bosses?" He wondered aloud.

I opened my mouth and closed it a few times, not able to find anything to say. Glancing over at me, he said, "Can I ask you for a favor?"

"Sure, any- I'll try to help."

"So guarded," he muttered, likely not realizing I could pick his words up, and I flinched. He's not wrong. There's a reason why I have few friends, and it's because most people pick up on the fact that I don't act like a child should. Hopefully I haven't driven away some of the few people who looked past that today.

"I really am sorry. If there's any way I can help with your work-"

"I was thinking of quitting anyway," he said casually.

"Huh? Why? Is Exceed a bad company-" The Professor shook his head vigorously.

"Nothing like that, they've been fine to me. Honestly, they treated me quite well considering my age and inexperience. Though I will have to be checking in on some of the supervisors who should have been reporting things to me."

He shook his head, pushing that aside for the moment as he continued. "Before I got word that this had 'succeeded', I'd been feeling like I was just going through the motions, you know?" I nodded my head, and he snorted. "Why am I not surprised that an eight-year-old girl would know that feeling?"

"Blame the llama God, not me."

"Llama, what- nevermind, don't want to know. I take it that's also why you think I should stay away from Professor Turo's research?"

"Yeah, he's already started some stuff that's going to go real bad - for himself and possibly everyone else involved. I've got an idea on how to stop him, though. Assuming I can't talk it out with him. I don't think he'll be as reasonable as you are, unfortunately." I offered him an appologetic smile, and he gave me a sad one of his own. Then he ruffled my hair. Like a jerk! I guess I'll let it go this time.

"Sounds like you'll need a strong team for that. Maybe one with room for a Pokemon with the 'best Type combination'?" He pointed a thumb to the Zorua in the corner of the room, doing different 'impressions' by transforming into Miles and Dun.

"Yeah, I'd love to have her on my team! If she's willing, of course."

"Ha, I think you've made a pretty big first impression on her, no worries there. And it'll make things a lot easier when trying to clear up this experiment if she's not around for any other scientists to try and get their hands on her."

"You sure you don't need any help? My family could definitely help you if you need to get hired by someone else." Laughing, the man gave me a sad smile.

"No, trust me, kid, I'll be fine. I'm just going to think of it as an extended vacation while I find myself." Hesitantly, I nodded, trusting him to have a handle on things if he said he did. I better message him plenty too. I'll make sure we stay in contact so he remembers me if he needs any help.

Walking over to Zorua, I said, "How's it going?" In a puff of smoke, she made the Dudunsparce illusion fade away (it was decent, but I knew Dun better than I knew myself, so even a slight discoloration of his blue scales was a clear sign that it was her to me).

"Zorua, zorua!" She cheered, and I smiled.

"Glad to see that you're having fun. We have to go soon, but!" I quickly added seeing a flash of disappointment in her eyes, and her lips pulled back slightly to show her teeth. "I was wondering if you wanted to join us?"

"Rua?"

"Well, it would entail getting registered to a Pokeball, and then traveling with us. I'm planning on becoming a Champion-ranked Trainer, that's one of the strongest Trainers in the land. So you could learn some stuff about battling too, if you wanted to do that."

She considered it for a moment before looking bashful, glancing over at my other Pokemon and the flaps to the outside. "Are you wondering how well you'd be treated?" She didn't give me a sign one way or the other, so I just continued, "I can promise you that while we might push you hard if you're going to battle with us, no one is going to pick on you, not on my team. I don't think other people will pick on you either; with how rare you are, I bet people will adore you."

Her eyes grew wide at that, and I could practically see the stars dancing in them. Scratch that; I can see the stars dancing there. Unconscious illusion effect? Cute, though something we might need to train her to avoid in battles.

That was all the convincing she needed to leap at one of the Pokeballs on my belt, knocking it to the ground and falling down herself since she both failed to hit the button, and it was Dun's Pokeball.

The land snake slithered up and gave her a mild rebuke, passing the Pokeball back to me with his mouth. Putting it back on my belt (and absolutely not squealing at how adorable Zorua looked with her face scrunched up and pawing at her nose after bumping it), I pulled out a spare Pokeball from my bag.

"You ready?" She nodded, and I clicked the button, the red beam of light absorbing her, the ball shaking for a few seconds as she got situated before clicking. "Alright, we've got a new teammate!"

***

After I talked to the Zoroarks (Zorua and I briefly explained to her parents what was happening and got their blessing to leave), I said goodbye to my Professor friend. Friede thanked me again for helping him and once more brushed off any offers to help, saying that he was going to spend some time in his hometown in Kanto and see some old faces.

Then we marched back to Zapapico, seeing Amethio on the outskirts. "Hey," I said, waving at him. He stood with his arms crossed, stone faced. "Umm, sorry about dragging you out here for this."

"What is 'this' anyway?" He spat out, still looking pissed at me. Fair. I don't want to get into the nitty-gritty with him, but I can probably give him a general overview. Not like I can hide her forever.

Pulling out Zorua's Pokeball I released her in front of him. "This is who we were helping." She looked at him, mildly curious and sniffing around at Amethio's feet.

"Who- is that a Zorua? I've never seen a Zorua looking like that before." His insensitive words pricked Zorua's pride, and she turned her nose up at him (a difficult task considering she barely came up to his knees).

"She is quite special, that's right. Because of that, she was having some issues back in her home, and so, to make a long story short, she's coming home with me." Don't ask any more questions, don't ask any more-

"Does she have a name?" His startled me, coming from a different angle than I expected. "Just, you give names to all of your other Pokemon."

"Uhh no, not yet." To the Zorua, I asked, "Would you like a name?"

"Zorua," was her reply, and I bit back a chuckle.

"I meant a personal name, just for you, not the same as your species name. Some Pokemon and Trainers like them to signify them as 'different' from wild Zorua. It's harder for people to get than Pokemon," I added on at her bewildered look.

"Personal names have different significance and meaning to them depending on what they are. I can tell you all about them later," I said as I saw how her body slumped and how tired she looked. It's been a long day for her already.

After I returned her to the Pokeball, Amethio asked, "Was it really worth it to ditch your own birthday for this? Arven's been messaging like crazy worrying."

"What? But I didn't get any messages." Because Miles isn't handling my phone and I didn't check, damn it! With a sigh, I shot off a speedy message to all my other friends and my sister, letting them know it was fine and I'd be coming back home.

"I didn't mean to cause anyone distress." As Amethio just stood there staring at me, making no moves to release Armarouge, I added, "Possibly. It was possibly worth it. I can't see what could have been, but it definitely helped to get here early."

It'll make it way easier for Friede to bury things so no ambitious and amoral scientists can figure out the connection between Hisuian Zoruas and death. Perhaps the metal plate simulating Distortion energy above them would be enough for any death, but perhaps it would only work on some, and my girl just got lucky. Or maybe she happened to have a sliver of hate in her heart at the time of her death, for her circumstances or whatever, and that was enough, and without that mental state it wouldn't work. No way of telling until it fails, so we best make sure no one tries again.

At my explanation, Amethio's expression softened. "Alright, if it was worth it then, I'll trust you."

"Thank you," I said with a bow. "If you ever need any help rescuing a Pokemon in a tricky spot, call me and I'll come running." The offer was impulsive and possibly reckless, crossing a line I'd put between me and the Explorers, but I couldn't bring myself to regret it at the moment. Amethio helped me, and I trust him, if not Gibeon and his lot.

"Hopefully I won't need anything like that, but I appreciate the offer," the older boy replied, releasing his starter. "Shall we go back, or are there any other disasters you need to intercede in?" The smirk on his face was infuriating, but I let it go, figuring he earned it for putting up with my demands earlier. Might call in that battle soon, though. Be funny to see the expression on his face as Zorua hits his Drakloak with a STAB Ghost Type attack and then is immune to any of his own.

With a flash, we teleported back in front of my house. Opening the door, the kids sitting in the living room scrambled towards us, a barrage of questions washing over me.

"Where did you go?"
"Why didn't you tell us what was going on?"
"Why did Amethio get to go with you?" ("Because it was my Pokemon that helped her get there!")
"You should have taken us with you!"

"Enough, enough!" I shouted, trying to get them to give me some space. I saw my parents and the staff behind the kids (and behind them, Arven, who hung back nervously), looking on worried about me, so I enacted plan #7:

"I'd like you all to meet my new friend. She's a little tired, so give her some space, but say hello to Zorua." With a flash of red light, she appeared in front of them, to instant 'oohs' and 'awws' from the gathered crowd.

"They're. So. CUTE!" Lacey squealed, rushing up to but not directly touching my newest Pokemon (no matter how much I could tell that she wanted to hug the Zorua). The illusionist was cautious at first but quickly warmed up to the pink-clad girl, letting her and the others pet and adore her.

"Sorry everyone, a bit of an emergency with Zorua here... and a bit of me freaking out too much, but I've got a new friend now. I didn't mean to make you worry, but I had to go there and deal with the situation."

"Oh, what a brave Glitterati heart!" Billy praised.
"But to make your dear parents worry so, how Un-Glitterati!" O'Nare scolded.

Then they flip-flopped, with Mom boasting about my initiative and Dad being upset at me throwing off the party.

"Yeah, sorry about that again, everyone." Even with teleportation, I made them wait over at least an hour for me. I tried to catch Arven's eye, him being the only kid not surrounding Zorua, but he averted his gaze. Shit, just another thing to fix.

"The party was mostly just going to be hanging out, but there are some activities we could do," I began to suggest after Zorua returned to her Pokeball, the enthusiasm of having people quite interested in her not being able to entirely counteract the fatigue she felt.

"Open your presents!" Carmine demanded. "We worked really hard on yours, so you better like it. Kiki's been talking about it all month." Her younger brother flushed, embarrassed at his older sister but not disagreeing with her words. The others were nodding along too.

"Uh, ok," I said, a little conflicted. I mean, I get it. On the one hand, that's kinda what this day is about, but on the other, it feels weird to focus on me after I made everyone panic.

We sat around the living room, the pile of presents pushed forward in front of me. As expected, Carmine bossed her way to having me open hers and Kieran's gift first. Ripping off the wrapping paper, I saw a small wooden box, and opening that up, I saw something gorgeous.

"Wow. Or should I say 'wowzers?'" I smiled at Kieran to let him know it was all in good fun before I donned the mask inside. It was turquoise with elegant lines sweeping across it, eyebrows like clouds, and eyeholes in the shape of lightning bolts. While not quite to the quality of the mask their grandfather made for Ogerpon and lacking any Tera Crystals to accentuate it, this is a remarkable piece of work, especially from two kids.

"You should wear it for the mask festival! If you can make it," Kieran muttered, and I grinned before realizing they couldn't see my reaction.

"Of course, I'll definitely find the time to hop over for that." Taking the mask carefully off, I placed it back in the box before opening the other gifts. 'Arven's' gift came from his dad, with the Tera Crystals I had already received and the machine I had yet to. Amethio owed me a battle, but knowing the boy as I did, he was probably analyzing these gifts and would find something nice in the same vein to give me later.

Lacey's present was a set of Pokemon bento boxes. Each one had a cute design on it and could keep the food cool or hot as needed. Practical and adorable, that's Lacey. I let my team (sans Zorua) out to inspect them, and Dun looked quite interested in something that might let us keep nicer food while traveling.

Cyan gave me a collection of books, many of them biographies of champions or collections of stories from famous trainers. "I know you like that sort of stuff; some of it seems unbelievable, like Professor Oak - the old one, not the hot one - meeting world Champion Ash back in time, but-"

"Oh, I remember hearing about that! I don't know any of the details though," eagerly I started rifling through the books to find it. I saw that episode so very long ago. Or was it a movie? Probably a movie, there were dozens of them about all the different Legendaries and Mythicals Ash ran into.

Then came my parents' gifts. Some of these I knew, since I needed their help to order them ahead of time, like a Lax incense large bag of the herbs it burned that would last my team a long time or the Razor Fang I specifically requested for Nightwing. Others were a pleasant surprise, like a set of five differently colored glass flutes.

"I heard they made sounds pleasing to Pokemon, and with your music career about to kick off, I thought you might like them," Dad said as I looked them over.

"Yeah, these look cool, I can't wait to try playing with them." Ok, honestly, kinda overloaded on instruments I'm learning already. Still, I am intrigued. I remember getting a Yellow Flute like one of the ones here in Pokemon Gold. It could remove confusion constantly for no cost. I remembered thinking that was an 'amazing trick' back then when I was not much older than I am now, if at all.

The real surprise, however, came from a small, light pink glass-looking orb. Within the orb was a familiar swirl. "Is this a Mega Stone?"

Mom clapped her hands together. "Indeed, it's a Mega thing! I found it at the auction house in Porto Marinada. It was going for quite the pretty penny." My sister and I blanched at her words, being the only children to get just how much it must have been for her to say that. This must have been millions, maybe even tens of millions of Pokedollars to win this! I get Mega Stones are great, but is it really worth that-

"I hope it's the right one; I heard at the auction that there were multiple kinds of them." My mother continued. "I don't know too much about battling, but I remembered you mentioning Diancie a bunch-"

"This is DIANCITE!?!" Notch whipped over at my shout, staring at the stone in rapt fascination. I had already been holding the stone carefully, but I now had it in both hands, presenting it to them.

"Wowzers… What does Diancite do?" Kieran whispered the second part to his sister, but I answered.

"With a Keystone you can Mega Evolve a Diancie. It's one of the only Mega Evolutions for a Legendary Pokemon!" Technically not true; Mewtwo and Rayquaza both Mega Evolve too, but the former isn't known about, and for the latter, their Mega Evolution is probably like a Hoenn region secret or something.

"Wait, how does that help with Notch? That's a Carbink, not a Diancie, right?" Amethio asked.

"They are, but Carbinks have close bonds with Diancies; packs of them are often led by the diamond Pokemon. There are old studies that say that Carbinks can sometimes transform into a Diancie, but they don't explain how. Mega Evolution is a temporary transformation."

Letting my words sink in for a minute, I got some rope from my bag and, using the survival training Amethio and I took together, made a very secure harness for the Mega Stone, using the rope to loop it around the top of Notch's body.

The Carbink gave the most delighted chiming sounds I'd ever heard, zipping happily around the room.

"Will that make them a Diancie?" Arven spoke up quietly, looking a little puzzled. "Or do you need a Keystone first?"

"No idea! Don't even know if this will do anything to be honest, but this is the first chance we've had to discover anything that even might be related to the phenomenon." To the others, I explained, "It's Notch's dream to become a Diancie, so this is just- amazing." Hugging Mom tightly, I squealed over my Pokemon's chimes, "Thank you so much!"

"Urk! You've got that Glitterati strength. Actually, I don't think any of the rest of us are this strong, can't breathe, dear." Letting her go, she took a deep breath. "Well, I'm glad that gift went well." Seeing all the gifts were now opened, she suggested, "Shall we bring out dessert?"

***

After some more delicious food, great conversation, and me playing a few songs for them, my friends had to leave. Amethio had the Explorers to get back to, and Lacey, Carmine, and Kieran all had flights to take to get back to their home regions.

In the end, I was left with just Arven, the unusually subdued boy, waiting till we had a moment to talk. "I'm sorry!" He blurted out almost instantly after the last maid left the room, cleaning up the party supplies.

"Sorry for what? This morning? It's fine, I get why you were worried."

Biting his lip, he said, "So you didn't leave because you were mad about our battle and me trying to force you to stay? You're not upset?" The boy's green eyes peeked out past his bangs, looking unbelieving at me.

To be fair, it was a little aggravating at the time, but it's over now. And like I said, it's easy to understand where he's coming from, and his age doesn't help matters.

"No, my leaving was just about Zorua. And like I said, I understand. I'm not leaving you forever or anything like that. We'll always stay in touch, even if we go separate ways. And besides, I didn't get to finish my plans; I'll be coming back to Uva after I'm done at Blueberry Academy."

"Huh? "

"I'll probably be enrolling at about the same time you are too," I offhandedly remarked with a grin, which had Arven wiping at his eyes.

"That's cool. I was worried, and then with you running off after I almost beat you, but I guess you had a really important reason to go, saving that Zorua."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. 'Almost beat me?' Ha! You're a hundred years too early for that," I boasted, sticking my tongue out to show I wasn't serious. Also, to hide my own guilt at making him feel bad. Leaving like that- I could have done it a lot calmer. I have to be better than that.

"Hey! You're the one who said Miraidon was super strong!"

"Haha, well, maybe not a full hundred years," I leaned back in the chair I was sitting on, staring up at Notch, still happily hovering around. "Your father has a pretty strong Pokemon there, but Maschiff evolving was huge too."

"Yeah," Arven replied back, scratching the top of his dog Pokemon's head. Mabostiff leaned into it, happily panting. "Though Miraidon is my Pokemon now, Dad transferred ownership already."

"You don't say," I said in a voice that was far too neutral for what I was feeling. Did I change things that much already? This means that Miraidon's Pokeball can't bypass the lock system in the Professor's secret lab! Getting the Apricorn Pokeball technology is an even higher priority now. I can't just have the Player Character with Miraidon as a safety net for beating the AI if things go really bad.

"How long do you think your journey will take?" Arven tentatively asked, and I shrugged.

"Not sure, still need to plan a lot of that out. I want to build up my team and train Zorua a bit. Plus, I need one more team member before I really attempt to take on the Elite Four and become a Champion. Though there's all the Gym Leaders to get through before that, if I can even make it that far."

The boy beamed, "Of course you'll become a Champion; you're Nemona." He explained it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Looking at his bright eyes, I could almost believe I could do anything too.

"Thanks. So, yeah, I won't just be flying from Gym to Gym, but it won't take a whole year. And I'll make sure to call you tons when I'm out, too." The young boy hugged me tightly, sniffling a little as I patted him on the back.

"Sorry again about thinking you were gonna leave me like Mom and..." He said as we broke off the hug, trying to wipe at his eyes.

And his father. He's still missing him. Turo is definitely making more of an effort in this world, but he's clearly still pursuing his Paradise, to his son's detriment. "Don't worry, I'm sure your father will be back for good soon." I'll make sure of that.

***

Gathering my team in my room that night, I told them my plan, mostly explaining things for Zorua's benefit. "So, I've had a vision- hmm not quite right. Let's just say I know some aspects of what might happen in the future. It isn't perfect, and I'm not able to predict what I might have changed already."

The fox-like Pokemon nodded, understanding the point that I was getting at there. I had no idea how a few comments to Friede were going to lead to what happened with her. Would she have lived happily if the experiment was never attempted? Or died anyway, alone and unknown? We'll likely never know. "With that in mind, I was aware that Professor Turo is attempting a dangerous experiment. Similar to yours, but with potentially even worse ramifications."

"Friede didn't know of the risks in his experiment. I'd like to believe that's true for Turo too." Those words provoked a dismissive scoff from Dun. "Yeah, yeah, I know. The guy has tunnel vision in the extreme when it comes to his Paradise Project. He doesn't know that it will lead to his doom, and possibly doom all of Paldea, flooding it with powerful Paradox Pokemon. Pokemon that can outcompete and push through even those that dwell in the Great Crater."

That got Nightwing and Zorua to stiffen up. I'd told all of them (sans Zorua) about this before, but my tone was far more serious now. Before, it had always been some far-off event that only Miles and Dun understood how seriously I was preparing for it. Miraidon being here today is hard proof of this.

"Rua, zor, zorua?" Zorua asked. I didn't understand at first until she showed me a crude illusion of me and Friede talking and smiling. The meeting wasn't all sunshine and joy, but I get the point.

"Turo is a Professor, like Friede, but different too. He's colder and more fixated on this as a goal. There's also signs he's growing more paranoid and less willing to accept what others say. He's built his entire life up to this goal. If we try to stop him, he may view us as enemies."

Glancing out my window I peered out into the night sky, where I knew Mesagoza was. Even I couldn't see it right now, but I knew the League headquarters were over there. "That's another reason why I have to become a Champion. To become strong enough to oppose him, if we have to, and to get more clout with the League to pressure him if need be." I so hope it doesn't come to that, though. I'd be forever tarnishing Arven's image of his father and how the public sees him if it comes to that.

"So with that in mind, I want to ask everyone again if they want to continue with me on this path. It could be treacherous, so I understand if you don't want to stay with me or if you don't want to be part of my battling team. I need to know now though as we prepare for our journey-" I paused as Gligar started pointing at the pile of presents I had.

"Oh, you want the Razor Fang. Yes, you'll get that no matter what, even if you want to leave." I saw a flash of hurt on her face, and she stomped the floor (thankfully without enough force to shake the house). "...You want to become stronger, to help me take on any of those Paradox Pokemon."

"Gli li, gligar!" She nodded. I think that was more 'I'll beat Miraidon on my own next time, and any other Pokemon too!' But I'll take it. As well as the lesson that I need to stop underestimating people, Pokemon, and humans alike. I have so many great friends supporting me; I have to have faith in them, like they've had in me.

Dun and Miles came forth, obviously showing their support for me as well. Notch floated by too, and while it could be hard to tell what they were thinking, from the way they angled themselves to let the moonlight streaming through the window catch on the Diancite resting on their mane, I knew they would follow me to the ends of the earth.

Zorua was last, more hesitant than the others, but she placed a paw on my knee. Looking into her eyes, I saw a fire that burned in them, one that might threaten to burn out of control if undirected. And that she trusted me to help her channel that rage and turn it into something that made her strong.

"Alright then, I guess, it's time. You've mastered your Hidden Ability, and while we need to work on your Moves more, that can come after you've evolved." With that said, I passed the Razor Fang over to her carefully.

She held it up to her mouth, and at the moment of contact, her body began glowing brightly. Everyone was looking at her, Notch in particular, enthralled at the changes that took place. Nightwing grew dramatically, her wings splitting off from her arms and spreading out wide behind her. Her arms grew skinnier, banded in red, while the pincers grew larger. The same was true for her stinger, which stretched out on her now lengthy tail. With a mouth full of far sharper teeth, she cried out, "Gliscor!"

She leapt onto me, grabbing me in a big hug and surprising me. Both with the force of her hug and how light she was. "Did you actually lose weight? But you're like, twice the size you were before! How is that possible?" I wondered, laughing.

She shrugged a clear sign of 'nerd stuff, not my problem,' and let me go, flipping around to land back on the ground. The others swarmed her, congratulating Nightwing while the bat-scorpion-like Pokemon spun about through the air (knocking over a chair and some stuff, still unused to her new body).

There were still all the worries of before, about Turo and the future, but seeing Zorua making illusions of Nightwing's old Gligar form and riding on the evolved Pokemon's back, I couldn't help but feel optimistic. No matter what happens, I'll do great with a team like this.

Spoiler: A/N:

It turns out Friede was not some maniacal mad scientist, shocking right? Haha, ok, I know a lot of you predicted that anyways, but I hope the explanations here made sense and fit well. And now we have Nemona's fifth teammate! Zoroark is a really cool Pokemon and I've loved the Hisuian variant so I think she'll be a fun addition to the team. We've also got Nightwing's evolution too. Did you know that Gliscors are actually much lighter than Gligars, despite being bigger? It's wild. Anyways, thank you all for reading. Next up, an interlude, from a character that I think will surprise you.

Nemona's Current Team:

-'Dun' (Dudunsparce, Male, Normal Type, Starter)
- Tera Type: Normal
- Held Item: Expert Belt
- Abilities: Run Away, Serene Grace
- Moves known: Flail, Mud Slap, Rollout, Glare, Body Slam, Poison Jab, Earthquake, Bite, Yawn (Invisible Version), Last Resort, Hyper Voice, Protect, Thunder, Hex, Agility, Air Slash, Giga Impact, Tailwind, Roost, Ancient Power, Drill Run, Hyper Drill, Triple Yawn, Ice Spinner, Solar Beam, Lunge, Flamethrower, Aqua Tail, Coil, Hurricane, Outrage, Smart Strike

- 'Miles' (Rotom, Genderless, Electric/Form dependent Type)
- Tera Type: Electric
- Held Item: Life Orb
- Ability: Levitate
- Moves Known: Astonish, Confuse Ray, Thundershock, Double Team, Hyper Voice, Protect, Thunder, Rain Dance, Will O' Wisp, Nasty Plot, Hex, Sunny Day, Substitute, Foul Play, Trick, Discharge, Shadow Ball, Eerie Impulse, Reflect, Light Screen

- 'Nightwing' (Gliscor, Female, Flying/Ground Type)
- Tera Type: Flying
- Held Item: Toxic Orb
- Ability: Hyper Cutter, Poison Heal
- Moves Known: Poison Sting, Sand Attack, Harden, Knock Off, Fury Cutter, Acrobatics, Bulldoze, Quick Attack, Psychic Fangs, Poison Tail, Slash, Gunk Shot, Dig, Ice Fang, Lunge, U-Turn, Protect, Tailwind, Fire Fang, Thunder Fang, Night Slash

- 'Notch' (Carbink, Genderless, Rock/Fairy Type)
- Tera Type: Rock
- Held Item: Babiri Berry
- Ability: Clear Body
- Moves Known: Harden, Tackle, Guard Split, Flail, Ancient Power, Light Screen, Reflect, Iron Defense, Body Press, Stealth Rocks, Psychic, Smack Down, Trick Room, Dazzling Gleam, Rock Polish, Power Gem, Stone Edge, Protect, Spikes

- 'Zorua' (Hisuian Zorua, Female, Normal/Ghost)
- Tera Type: ?
- Held Item: Lax Incense
- Ability: Illusion
- Moves Known: Leer, Scratch, Torment, Hone Claws, Shadow Sneak, Curse

 

[Lillie Jones]

thanks for the chapter

 

[Skyfyre]

POV - Riolu
["Human dialogue is in brackets"]



"You know she's not coming, right?" A voice, a material distraction, came from outside the void. I ignored it, beneath my notice in all my otherworldly ponderings.

"Humans are like that, wrapped up in their own worlds. You see them on those little flimsy bricks all the time, totally oblivious to the world around them," the pathetic, ignorant voice continued, trying and failing to disturb my state of perfect oneness with everything.

"Probably for the best though, now you won't embarrass yourself in front of that girl and her handsome Dudunsparce again." My eyes snapped open, and I snarled at her.

"Oh, what would you know?! You sat around here and learned nothing!" Glaring up at my sister, who stood tall above me. Despite the small rock I was seated on, she still towered above me. That was mostly due to her evolution, Lucario staring her long nose down at me.

"I evolved, all because I accepted the bonds of our family while you went and ran off-" She began, before stopping at the sudden entrance of four feet lightly stepping into the corner of our glade.

Leafeon's presence was easily detectable before one could see him. And one could see him from fairly far away given how his body shined and the flower jewel glowed above his head. One might think that would make him easy pickings for a Flying Type looking to swoop down on his terrain, but even those birdbrains could feel the power radiating out of him, the connection to the plant life of all the rolling hills. I could feel it from a mile away. Or at least I could have if someone wasn't distracting me.

I opened my senses, scanning the Aura around me without letting distractions divert me, and found something very interesting. Still far off. Could just be part of Her usual movements, but maybe...

"Peace, children." Leafeon said, offering us each a berry with his tail, which we both took, eagerly devouring the literal fruits of his labor.

"Sorry Father," my sister began, and if she'd ended it there, that would be enough. But of course, it was her, so she just had to go on. "I just felt like explaining how my dear sibling here had wasted her time pining after-"

"I did not waste my time! Apologies, father, but regardless of whether the human shows up here or not, I've gained much in my time away. My power and skill have grown immensely." My pride was something I warred with constantly, and I knew that my last words would be something my sister would latch onto.

"Oh? Then prove it. Prove you're still so much better than us," she shot back with a smile that bared a few too many of her fangs. "Just a quick spar, father, I'll make this fast."

He sighed ever so slightly, more detectable in how the nearby trees swayed in a nonexistent breeze than the motion of his body. Still, our father was hands-off in raising us and more than willing to let us young pups duke it out if need be. The fact that we weren't that young, or even pups in my sister's case, hardly mattered.

Taking my headband off, I took a stance opposite Lucario in the middle of the field. Some of our siblings gathered off to the side, eager to see the outcome of our fight. None of them had made the jump our sister had and evolved, but I could see that plenty of them had grown a bit taller, as if their bodies were getting ready for that change. It makes no difference; I won every fight in our clan for years, even against the biggest and oldest Riolus. I'll win here as well.

That is why I wasn't worried about having barked off more than I could chew. Lucario stared down arrogantly at me, assured in her own superiority. "I'm going to show you just how strong I've become," she barked at me.

"You're strong, yes, but that strength has blinded you. And you still aren't stronger than me." At my taunt, she rushed in, howling. Her claws were raised and gleaming bright, ready to tear into my fur. She's much faster than she was before I left.

Of course, the distance between still meant that my jabs, which made shockwaves through the air. The blows struck into her, driving her to one knee and making an arm fall limp as they ripped into her joints.

"Your bones may be of metal, but the stiffness of them is not the advantage you think it is. Your defenses leave you frail and open to our basic techniques." You never did learn how to advance from Vaccum Wave into Force Palm, did you? At least not before evolving; that opens the door to many techniques previously unavailable, mother always said.

I saw the anger growing in her red eyes and knew my comment had hit its mark, as cleanly as all of my blows. My continued taunting was purposeful, not spiteful. I can feel them clearly now. I need her to use that Move before they arrive.

Pushing herself back up on unstable limbs, Lucario gathered energy in front of her uninjured arm. Aura swirled in a bright blue glowing ball, visible through regular sight and practically blinding to my senses. Aura Sphere, the mark of Evolution and an apex of power I can't reach on my own yet, in spite of all my training.

With a push, she released the Move, sending the orb flying at me, and distracted as I was by taking it all in, the shot clipped me in the shoulder.

Hearing her padded feet racing across the ground, I turned with the blow rather than pushing against it. Using the force, I dodged, her arm striking down at me, and then caught it. Hefting her up by that arm proved more difficult than I had thought, her larger body and heavier bones making it harder to lift her, giving my sister time to lash out with her free claw, cutting down the ridge of my face and onto my snout.

Pushing out the pain, I pulled harder, tossing her up and around in the air. I took a gratified breath as I saw her flailing helplessly through the air. Of course, the bigger they are, the harder my Circle Throw will make them fall. Still, I should make sure the landing 'sticks.'

With a powerful leap, I soared high in the air, reaching the peak of my jump as Lucario crashed into the dirt. She recovered quickly enough that she could have dodged my follow-up attack had she been looking up. Instead, she wasted her time, searching with her eyes on a ground level when she should have been feeling the Fighting Type energies gathering above her.

She had only begun to look up as my High-Jump Kick smashed down on her shoulder, cracking her collarbone. With a sound between a snarl and a yelp, she clumsily swiped out at me, tossing all restraint aside as she attacked, further aggravating her wounds.

All to no avail, as I casually Detected her Final Gambit, letting my sister fall to the grass ground beside me. Father quickly jumped in to ensure that no further conflict occurred and no damage that couldn't be fixed by a few days spent sulking over some Oran Berries.

Not that I would ever stoop so low, of course. Still, it is rather pitiful, such a showing while she's Evolved. I understand that such things aren't based on 'merit' but even so, I can't say my sister seems worthy of such a boon.

With one last glance at her prone form, I turned away, striding off to meet my real challenge, ears hardly twitching at the whispers of our siblings as I passed by. ["That was awesome! You looked really strong out there."]

The words came from a foreign tongue, yet easily understandable. Human body language can be difficult for some to understand, but the words are supposedly easy for most Pokemon to understand. Given the similarities of our frames and my advanced knowledge of Aura, it's even easier for me to connect with her.

The girl stood, happily waving at me, clad in an assortment of cloth garments to make up for her lack of fur. Her teeth were broad and bared, but I knew that to be a sign of happiness, not aggression from their kind. The same observations I made in my travels that told me that also let me know that she was a youngling, with much growth to still undergo before she reached her final stage.

I wondered briefly if Nemona's Aura would grow as much alongside her. While her Aura would be considered weak, a runt among the pack, for a human, she's blazing bright. I could pick her out with my eyes closed amongst the crowded press of the mega-clans that humans crowd themselves into. It had certainly grown much since we had last met.

The majority of my focus was drawn, however, to the handsome Dudunsparce slithering beside her. His scales gleamed brightly in the midday light, hinting at the muscles rippling beneath- slapping my cheeks I snapped out of it. Focus! This is my most important battle, no time to be daydreaming.

His Trainer continued, ignoring my lapse. ["Sorry about taking so long. We got distracted with a bunch of stuff, honestly. Again, really sorry about it taking us a bit longer."]

It was nice to have confirmation that I was not wrong and they had indeed taken more than one solar rotation to return for my fight. Part of me was upset, the taunting words of my sister lingering, but I ignored them in favor of appreciation for the human's immediate honesty.

While humans were not the majority of focus on my travels across the land, barely a blip even, I couldn't help but notice them a few times. And of those times, it was obvious to see how they were so casually dishonest. Over oftentimes petty things, like taking an extra slice of food or sleeping with a different mate.

["Do you need a Potion before our fight? Looks like you got scuffed up."] The human asked me, holding out the strange restorative bottle. Instinctively, I wanted to refuse; Dun was already looking away, bored. As if he'd measured me up and I didn't match up, and that burned. However, I remembered our previous fight, how much I had trained here in these hills, and how effortlessly he had crushed me. He evolved, and unlike my sister, didn't squander the newfound strength he gained, training even harder to reach greater heights.

Snatching it out of her hands, I began spraying the soothing liquid upon myself. Then I walked over and put on my headband before turning to face my opponent. Pointing at the Dudunsparce I shouted at him.

"You should prepare yourself, because here and now you face your greatest challenge! I have traveled all across the land, through the scorching sandy wastes, swimming through Dragon-infested waters, braving infested forests, and leaping over the Great Mountain! My training pushed me to my limits against all manner of other Pokemon, testing foes great and terrible. Not only have I endured rigorous physical trials, I have tested my mind and spirit as well. Seeking tutelage, I learned from the master of Ice, residing in the cavernous depths, and learned Moves beyond your comprehension! I refuse to lose to you once more, so here and now, I declare that I will defeat you!"

My outburst lacked the desired results. Rather than quaking and spinning his tail in worry, Dun rolled his eyes and yawned. At me?! How dare he!?

Nemona's reaction wasn't much better, the girl seemed a little confused but cheerful. ["Not sure what all that was about, but sounds like you're pumped up, awesome! Love the Focus Band too, looking great!"] She formed a fist with a thumb raised out, which I knew to be a sign of approval.

Then she turned to Dun, asking him, ["Do you want to use a Battle Item to make it even then? There's the Life Orb, and you've got that new Expert Belt-"]

"Leave it," he shook his head. "I'll hardly need something like that here." My fur bristled at his words, and I exhaled angrily. He thinks so little of- No, channel that anger. I won't demand or request that he rescind his words, I will make him eat them.

Nemona nodded at her Pokemon, understanding him more easily than she understood me. ["Alright then."] To me, she asked, "Do you mind if I release the rest of my team? I'd like for them to witness the fight as well."

I nodded sharply, maintaining my focus. My whole pack, even Lucario, had gathered on the outskirts of the glen to watch, alongside several other Pokemon that lived nearby, under Father's aegis. A few more bystanders didn't make a difference.

The Rotom floating by the human's side was known to me, but the three new Pokemon that popped out of her Pokeballs were new. Entirely foreign, in fact. I've met several other Pokemon in my travels but never seen any like these.

A she-bat-scorpion hovered above, barely flapping her large wings to stay aloft. She waited the battle with malevolent glee, chattering about how "It'll be nice to see Dun beat up someone else for a change."

This contrasted with the mysterious rocky creature, a number of gems sticking out of their body. They floated perfectly still, making some odd chiming sounds I couldn't understand. It was hard to see their face behind their fluffy white mane, but they appeared utterly indifferent to the proceedings to me.

The last one looked almost like a Zorua, I'd caught fleeting glimpses of those illusionists before. But this one looked off. The fur was the wrong color, and the pattern was slightly different too. Doesn't matter, she's hiding behind Nemona's leg anyway.

Across from me, Dun got ready, flapping all three pairs of wings lightly and rising up on one of his segments. In turn, I took a stance that was deceptively loose, hoping to strike first and gain the initiative I'd need to control the fight against a foe as handsome and powerful as Dun.

The Rotom counted us in, and on 'Begin!' Nemona gave a hurried order. As fast as she was, she couldn't beat me. Throwing my paws out instantly, I launched two quick Vacuum Waves through the air.

Predictably, Dudunsparce evaded the attacks, slithering towards me and weaving between the ripples in the air. Before he could make a melee attack against me, though, my next Move was ready. I lacked the sheer power to fire it off one-handed like my evolved sister, but I'd pulled my paws back so they were by my side, the right held above the left. Pouring in Aura between them, I formed a familiar orb of blue light.

"Aura… Sphere!" I cried out, shoving my hands forward and 'pushing' the sphere into Dun. The Move elicited a shout of pain from him and surprise from his trainer.

["You already know Aura Sphere? That's incredible! Okay, Dun, Triple Yawn, then Glare."] She fired off rapidly, mostly unfazed by my surprise technique.

Dun took in a deep breath and released it, one yellow cloud floating out at me, then two- I closed my eyes then, not willing to risk it any further and get Paralyzed. For another Pokemon, such a strategy might render them helpless, but I could sense Dun's inner energy. Nemona's Aura burned bright for a human but paled in comparison to the raging pillar of power that Dun had. It was so great that it almost blinded me to the same energy in his Moves.

Almost, but not quite. Dodging in between the clouds, jumping over one, I kicked off the ground, charging towards him. The verdant energy of the fields flowed into me, bolstering my speed- only to immediately leave my body as he crashed into me with an antithetical energy of his own.

My training had covered the Type matchups, so I knew that this was Bug Type energy that allowed him to plow through me, knocking me head over heels. The Move he used not only disrupted mine but sapped my limbs of their strength. I'm sure he took some damage from that clash as well, but I'm just sure he can take that damage better than I, even with my innate resistance to Moves like the one he just used.

["She won't look at you but can see where things are- oh, it's Aura sense!"] Nemona said aloud, realizing the nature of my superiority. My body may be hampered, but my spirit is unbroken. Some more Aura Spheres should- ["Use Earthquake! Really tear up the ground!"] Uh-oh.

I had a scant second to think, knowing that in a moment I would be doomed. The field is flat, and I know it by heart, that's what lets me maneuver even with my eyes closed. I might still be able to sense Dun, but if the ground is altered, I'll lose my footing as I try to fight him. Opening my eyes will leave me open to his Paralyzing attack.

With a snap, my eyes opened, blazing with cerulean energy as I foresaw the next few steps of the fight. Many possibilities lay in my defeat. Trying to jump up had me a sitting Pidove, cut down by blades of air. Trying to run away had the earth swallow me up. Forwards was the only path, and so I ran towards Dun, leaping ever so low in the air to avoid certain spots of quaking ground. My foresight also told me when to duck my head to avoid his terrifying gaze.

Skidding along the shifting ground, I made my approach and punched into his side, only to be met by a glowing barrier that stopped my attack cold. He glared at me from behind his shield, impervious to my assault but thankfully not able to launch a counterattack while it held.

Unfortunately, when it did, I was left with few good options. Retreating just put me in the same position as before, but being so close left me vulnerable to his physical might. I didn't see it fully, but I'll have to try copying that.

With a short jump backwards, I struck the ground hard with one of my feet, the impact sending ripples radiating outward from the point of contact. The ground rose up from them, knocking Dun up a meter in the air before he flopped back down.

["Earthquake? Impressive, but the power is lacking. Hyper Voice, then Body Slam!"] The human hadn't caught onto the trick I was using quite yet, but I had nothing to resist Dun releasing a loud wail so close. The pain debilitated me enough that I instinctually covered my ears, a mistake that led to me being crushed by the force of him landing on me.

My bones creaked from the impact, and I felt the headband tighten around the top of my head. Somehow, the extra pressure and slight pain helped me Focus, holding on when I otherwise would have fainted from the force. With shaking limbs, I snaked an arm out from under Dun, pulling it back and pounding repeatedly into his scales with Drain Punch.

He recoiled from the super-effective Moves, and I used that to shakily roll to my feet. My last attack had stolen a bit of vitality into him, but my muscles still seized uncontrollably. No! I can't let this end here! I need to push on, to win this fight, to prove myself!

My body ached, but I forced myself through a dance I knew well, stepping through the motions for Sword Dance. Nemona shouted out some sort of command, and Dun glowed briefly, speeding up as he zipped around the battlefield. I get stronger, and he speeds up. Well, two can play at that game.

Aligning my Aura the same as his, I focused the Psychic energies within me to boost my own speed. ["Copycat! That's how you did those Moves!"] Nemona crowed, a smile on her face as she realized it. No, the smile is in joy and greater understanding of the challenge ahead. Maybe humans do bare their teeth aggressively, and I just didn't notice it behind the joy they share as well.

Dun turned, drilling towards me. I knew from past experience that I couldn't dodge that Move, so I met it head-on, grasping around the base of the tail. The drill point was so long that I could feel it burrowing into my side, even as I held him back from striking through further. My headband tightened, and I hung on.

With a whimper shout of pain, I hefted Dun up, throwing him high up in the air. Such a toss would have carried him well over the hills and out of our vague battlefield. Of course, he quickly reoriented himself in the air, diving back down towards me. Aura Sphere would be helpful here, but I copied too many of his Moves and couldn't hold onto that one from my previous fight.

Nemona shouted something out, and while Dun closed with me, he glowed with ghostly energy, shades shooting out from the ground to surround me. Desperately, I dashed away, pushing my body past the Paralysis slowing me down.

We began trading blows at a distance. Vacuum Waves pelted into him as he wailed, his Hyper Voice feeling like his tail drilling through my brain. Somehow, I held on, scraps of fabric fluttering past my eyes. I ignored them, my focus only on the winged snake in front of me. He was panting, looking tired and beat up, but still fighting. Our eyes met, and we knew this would be our final clash.

His wings beat hard, whipping the air around into a flurry of sharp, cutting winds. I attempted to dodge before I saw the blades swirling around in an odd fashion, not just launched at me. This isn't Air Slash, it's Hurricane!

It was a technique I'd only seen the strongest of Flying Type use, and I could feel my younger siblings cowering in fear at its presence. Father shielded them - not that the fiercest winds got close, but even from him, I could distantly feel a tremor of fear in his being at such an attack. In any other situation, feeling that would be shocking, but here, I could only feel a sense of elation. There was my own terror as well, but that's just what made the giddiness bubble up to the surface. Yes! This is the battle I desired!

I was beset by howling winds on all sides, but there was a fluidity to my movements. I saw each dangerous gust, every sharp blade of air before me. When they threatened to lift me up, I gripped the ground with my feet and found the right path to have the streams push me forward rather than backwards. My quick Detect saw me through the storm, and I was standing before Dun, ready to strike.

He struck first, blasting ahead like a shooting star. The blow slammed into me like I'd been slammed into the Great Mountain - or maybe like I had a mountain dropped on me. Nonetheless, I Endured, my body aligned with my mind and soul for this desperate purpose. To win. To prove I haven't fallen behind my rival.

Dun was just starting to turn back around, realizing the opening he'd given me. Close Combat was the obvious choice to use here, but I saw him and realized it wouldn't be enough. If my strongest Move won't be enough, then I just have to go further!

Grasping onto his body, I threw a powerful kick into his side, followed by a wild haymaker down. Through it, I channeled all the pain I was feeling, all the injuries he had given me. And with one last cry of pain, the Dudunsparce was knocked aside and flopped over, defeated by my Reversal.

On wobbling legs, I remained standing, knowing if I collapsed here, I'd pass out, and I wanted no doubt as to my victory. With one paw raised in the air, I howled out my name, "Riolu!" I did it! The pinnacle of fighting skill a Riolu can achieve. I won…

Everything got a bit hazy after that. Nemona tended to both her own Pokemon and myself, applying Potions and Elixers for us, which helped ease the pain. There was still some of it, and I would guess that my body would ache for many days after, but it was a dull throb, not the sharp, hot spikes of pain I had been feeling before, and I was grateful for the aid. Though I would have fought this hard regardless.

He seemed dazed at first by his loss, but Dun soon slithered up and said, "You did well. I… underestimated you." He hissed out, like it was painful for him to admit that. "It looks like I have a long way to go to become the strongest."

What he said struck a chord with me, my mind flashing back to our previous encounters. I was the strongest out of my litter, and soon, the strongest out of our whole pack. Unlike others, I didn't rest on my laurels; constantly, I would meditate and train, understanding that there were still those who could best me.

Most of those who could were fully evolved Pokemon, or much older than myself. The first time I fought Dun, I had been uncertain this outsider could best me, the rumors of Trainers and their Pokemon ringing false in my ears. Then he challenged my siblings and even managed to eke out a victory against myself.

The defeat stung, but I consoled myself with the knowledge that I would train and surpass him. When he showed up again, it was a surprise, but one I eagerly welcomed. I could prove myself and defeat him. But he was evolved, and more than that, he had just gotten stronger and more skilled than I had.

This was my chance to make up for that, to prove myself, and I did. It feels incredible, that validation of my worth, but... Glancing over, I saw the human and her Pokemon preparing to leave. A few of them teasing Dun over his loss or encouraging him, but playfully. Even Dun seemed more relaxed to have them around, despite scoffing off the taunts or encouragement. Why do I feel like I'm missing something?

Nemona recalled most of her team and turned to leave before she paused. Pivoting, she turned around and walked until she stood before me. "What?" I barked out as she stood there awkwardly, searching for her words.

["Hey, so I wanted to congratulate you again."] I blinked, realizing I must have missed it the first time. ["You were incredible, those moves were so skilled and precise."] She shadow-boxed the air a bit, mimicking my Moves, and I felt a bit of pride at seeing someone else appreciate my efforts.

She continued, ["Unfortunately, I'm not sure if we'll be able to battle you again, at least not any time soon. My team and I, we're planning on traveling across Paldea to face the Gym Leaders, some of the toughest Trainers in the land, and then the Elite Four and a Champion-ranked who are even stronger than them- basically a bunch of tough challenges. And after that, I'm going to school in a different land, so I don't want you to be waiting on us."]

Solemnly, I nodded. That's a little sad, but I don't sense any dishonesty from her. It's not like she's trying to run away from me or cut ties after losing. None of my pack had, but some of the other Pokemon in the larger clan that roamed these valleys would avoid me after I defeated them, not finding the same thrill in a fight as I had.

Nemona wasn't done, however, and what she said next surprised me. ["D-do you want to join us?"]

"What?"

She kneeled down on one knee to stand closer to my level, offering me her hand. ["I think you're strong and skilled. You have a drive for battle and improving yourself. I'm making a team of the best of the best. To be the strongest across all the Pokemon in Paldea, and I'd like it if you could be a part of our team. What do you say?"]

I said nothing, too shocked to formulate a response. I should just say no, right? It's flattering, but it would mean leaving home... though there are others who have already left, and I traveled around for a year already. And I was able to push myself further on that trip than I ever had here, grew so much...

"Show everyone that you're the best out there!" One of my siblings said, and I whipped my head around to stare at the gathered crowd, remembering they were still here.


"Go on, get out of here already." Lucario said, without the usual bite to her voice.
"I've heard Trainer's Riolus become Lucarios in no time at all." One of my brothers said.
"Yeah! Beat all those Leaf Fours and whatever!" Another sibling chimed in.
"We'll miss you!" As if it's a done deal already!


Father spoke as well, his deep voice echoing across the land. "Daughter, you've done well. Now make us proud."

Wiping at some condensation that happened to gather around my eyes, I nodded fervently. "I will, thank you everyone." Then, turning back to the human- no, to my new Trainer, I tentatively took her hand, sealing our bond.

Spoiler: A/N:

And so we have our sixth and final teammate! Riolu has been a long time coming, thank you for your patience with this plotline. Thank you as well for your patience with this story in general as we (finally) reach the beginning of Nemona's journey, over 270,000 words in, haha.

But seriously, thank you everyone for all your support in this. As of this update, this is now the longest story I've ever written, and the most popular by a good margin. We've still got a long way to go, however. In the spirit of looking forward, what are you looking forward to seeing happen most in this story?

 

[unlawfulwaffle362]

Congrats on the milestone of your writing journey! I have a feeling Riolu is gonna "accidentally" fall asleep near Dun a lot.

 

[AshKing]

Great use of pov in this chapter