Like No One Ever Was (Pokemon SI)

[Skyfyre]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

""Yes"" we declared in unison.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

***

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

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

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

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

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

***

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"It was nothing short of true Glitterati excellence."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Spoiler: A/N:

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

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

If you have anything to say, please don't hesitate to leave a comment down below or on the Discord to talk about it. And if you like the chapter and want to toss me a bit of money, I have a Kofi and a Patreon, subscribers to the later get early access to the next ten chapters. Thank you, and I hope you have a great day.

 

[Lillie Jones]

thanks for the chapter