(...Wait isn''t this a bit early?)


    <hr>


    Levincia stood bright in the morning—tall whitestone houses near luminescent, and glass-walled offices near reflective in the sunlight. Everywhere one could look, advertisements on billboards sat just across residential balconies. Offices renting ad space next to bright painted homes.


    Iono was waiting for Linh and Poppy at the cities main road.


    "Hey-hey!" She waved at them, "What a surprise—it''s everyone''s favourite Poppy! What are you doing here, Poppy?"


    "I''m here," Poppy waved back, both arms full throttle, "To challenge you! And this is Linh!"


    Linh half-waved.


    "Oh, what a surprise! I never could have guessed—my schedules too packed!" Iono''s grin turned sly, she lifted a leg daintily. "Or is it?"


    "Is it?"


    Iono laughed. One of her hands came up, and that yellow oversized coat flopped over her mouth. "We can battle now, if you want—follow me!" And she walked off, briskly. She hummed a tune that the decorative magnemite-hair accessories copied.


    <Iono>


    The arena for battle was a large court held over the ocean—connected to the ring the audience watched from by two large bridges.


    "Ladies and gentlemens!" Iono''s voice skipped up and down—a scenery chewing performance. It came from nowhere—from speakers hidden. "Are you readyyyyy!"


    Linh stood at one side, uncomfortable with the number of cheers and eyes—there were far more people flocking to Iono''s matches than the last two. And this was streamed online too.


    Suddenly, Iono appeared—a bolt of lightning eye-searing came down. On the field opposite Linh. The flash blinded, and when the eye readjusted, Iono was suddenly there.


    "Your eyeballs are MINE—caught in my Electroweb! Whosawhatsit?" Iono posed, "Iono!"


    Behind her, a trapdoor closed—the seams disappearing in the arena.


    "Today''s challenger is prowling hard like a Luxray! Iiit''s Linh! Yayy!" She did not look at Linh, instead, at the streaming drone floating just behind her. She moved constantly—arms pumping up and down playfully.


    The camera drone—a rotom-phone—sped towards Linh at an alarming pace, and he jerked back as it closed in. It stopped, and drew back just enough for Iono to walk into frame. "How''re ya feelin'' about this battle, Linh?" She asked the camera.


    Linh looked at Iono, not the camera. "Battling stage fright a bit, actually. It''s—"


    "Oh no! But surely once the battle starts and your heart'' pumping it''ll all clear up!" She looked to the left, away from Linh and camera, "Thank you—LordyRai for the five-hundred. ''Let''s get this show on the road!'' Just what I was about to say!"


    And Iono was skipping across the battlefield again, a quick-pace conversation that left Linh reeling.


    Iono took a stance, Pokéball in hand. A moment later, Linh copied her, "Allllright! How strong is our challenger? I ''unno! Let''s find out together—go, Wattrel!"


    Linh exhaled, and threw. "Casket."


    Casket and Wattrel faced eachother. Tiny graveyard dog against tiny electric petrel. The referee, silent ''till now, coughed into her fist, and raised her flag. "BEGIN!"


    And it began.


    "Start with—" "STRAFE ''EM!" Iono belted, clear and stark and louder then Linh.


    Wattrel soared high, with this static trail from his feathers. Periodic in his flight, circling Iono''s side of the battlefield, he paused. Hovering in the air. Motionless, each flap of his wings formed pale almost-blue crescents of air, slashing towards Casket. Air Slash. Before he moved again.


    Casket popped backwards as the leading one hit her paws, and she yelped. Dodging with a run.


    "Down!" Linh snapped. "Shadow Sneak—limbs! Hit it when it pauses!" Casket heeded, and sunk into her shadow. Her shadow dragging her away from the blasts. In her wake Shadow Sneak peeled up paws. Paws that stretched far, towards Wattrel.


    Wattrel dipped and dived—but the moment he stopped to fire back, two paws slammed into his wings. He squawked.


    Linh glanced away, to see Iono''s response.


    She wasn''t paying attention. "Thank you, Douglas Douglas, for the ten thousand! Wattrel, use Thunderbolt now!" she suddenly snapped, off-handedly.


    This time, Wattrel shot through the air again. And the static that trailed after him collected into bolts of lightning. White-bright, loud enough to ripple the seas below. Casket could not hear her barks, as the lightning streaked through the paws, and slammed into her.


    "Again—no." Linh frowned, seeing the paws slow down whenever the lightning flashes, and hitting where Wattrel was, not where he will be. Too far away to reach and too slow to hit—reset for something better—"Go for Roar—force him out!"


    Casket snapped into the shadows, and came out on the other side of the battlefield. As Wattrel dove to find her again, she built up a rumbling growl in the back of her throat and—


    "Air Slash turbulence—Anyways~ Douglas Douglas says: Hi Iono! I—"


    Before Wattrel could dive into the ground, and before Casket could make her roaring barks, Wattrel stopped and spun. His wings outstretched, light blue energy forming slashes in the air. Slashes overlapping and criss-crossing. Colliding as they ripple outwards, and colliding with the sound-wave of Casket''s Roar.


    And the Air Slashes went through. Casket rolled out of the way of one, hopped over the second, and got the third straight up her nose. She sneezed.


    "Limbs, again!" Linh ordered, "He''s not movin—" "Back to lightning, Wattrel!" Iono spoke over him."


    And Wattrel was darting away again. Thankfully, chased by paws. Casket heard her Trainer.


    But again, the static trailing behind Wattrel fell away and formed Thunderbolts. Speeding past and through the chasing Shadow Sneak.


    "Not working," Linh hissed. His voice came sharply, "Casket, get ahead of him—then make a cage!"


    Casket barked affirmative, and in between one searing flash and the next, disappeared into her shadow. It darted quickly across the floor, wavering weirdly. Darker and lighter as Thunderbolts formed and faded.


    Then, Casket rose before Wattrel—with a full spread of inky paws rising up. A wall in front of her!


    Wattrel chirped, and swung out of the first paw, rose above the second, but found the last three wrapping in a long, long sphere around him.


    "OH MY GOSH, HATSUNE MIKU IS RAIDING ME!?!?" Iono fully turned away from the battle, "I''m your biggest fa—I mean, hey viewers! Nice to meet y''all! Ello, ''ello, hola! Ciao and bonjour! Welcome to my stream! We''re—"


    A full shadow-limb sphere curled around Wattrel. Held at an angle by a spear of paws. An umbilical cord to the arena.


    "—A variety channel covering a very big array of content! In particular, Gym battles on mornings Monday to Friday—"


    And then Casket was gone—no! Casket rode up the paws—sunken down to her hips and shoulders, her chin parting the short furs of the inky Shadow Limb. She passed into and through the cage of limbs. Casket tackled Wattrel with a bark, and her teeth clamped on his neck. The entire cage unfurled, revealing both tumbling towards the ground.


    "—Games in the afternoon, and your votes on weekends! Nine to five, Central Paldean! Now—back to the show and—ooooohhh that looked like it hurt."


    "TAKE HIM DOWN!" Linh yelled, "Dig him underneath!"


    Down and down they tumbled until impact. Concrete under bird. Bird under dog. Not much of a sound, as both were very small and very light Pokémon. Nor much of a plume of dust. Revealing Casket as she pressed Wattrel into the ground, and her paws scrabbled at the stone.


    Digging a hole, dragging Wattrel under. Shadow Sneak formed paws of night, sealing up the exit.


    "Clever, Challenger! Isn''t he clever, Chat?" Iono laughed, "Like this, Wattrel has no space to escape! And even with his Flying Type, Dig is sure to do something while he''s grounded!"


    Linh glanced at Iono again. She was grinning.


    "But that doesn''t matter—BLAST STRAIGHT THROUGH!" She bellowed. Her cry was louder then the Thunderbolts, loud enough that it could be heard from under the stone.


    Silence, before lightning struck. Not from above. But below—right where they were. It was like a mine going off—a plume of ex-ground and a crater blown outwards. And a bird flying up, and a dog coated in soot flung out. Casket landed in front of Linh, and rolled all the way to his feet.


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    He looked up, at the still visible blast of lightning, surrounded in a helix of light-blue winds. A combination move of some kind? He looked down, at Casket''s smoking body. A strong one, at that. She whuffed, then fainted. He recalled her, feeling faint himself.


    Wattrel alighted on the arena, and turned back to Iono. A little hop dance with joyful chirping. Praise-seeking.


    "Thank you Sakamoto-mander for the five hundo—gracias, gracias! ''I just want to say—''" Iono, naturally, had her attention elsewhere. Wattrel looked down, and scuffed the ground, frustrated.


    Linh sighed, he held up Casket''s Pokéball. "Sorry girl."


    "Challenger, send out your next Pokémon," the referee reminded.


    "Right, right. Go—Kaolin!" A teapot formed. Staring down Wattrel.


    "—Glad you liked it Sakamoto! Tune in next week for—" "Teatime, then him him hard!" Linh snapped, straight away.


    Iono laughed as she watched Wattrel get engulfed in the fast moving clouds. "What''s this now? Hey Zoners, what''s this?"


    The mist cleared to reveal Wattrel sitting on a bird stand, singing to himself in sweet chirps. Before him was a plate on a high table, stacked with bird seeds. And above him, Kaolin, Shadow Ball spinning in its grasp.


    Wattrel blinked, started to rise with a screech, and then was blown over by the blast. He fainted.


    "Oh wow—that''s, never seen that before! I th—Thank you! Grashu for the twenty-kay!" Iono looked aside, recalling Wattrel in the fluid motion. "No message! O-kay? Moving on," she snapped back to Linh, "Nice work, Challenger! Now can you handle the frog? Go, Bellibolt!"


    A frog appeared. An electric frog. Big, round, bulb-shaped. Smooth dark green skin with splotchy orange spots. A black tummy with an electric-yellow belly button. And on either side of his head, eyeball-white globes. Not his eyes, electricity emitters. His eyes were the blank yellow spots just above his mouth, pulsating slightly.


    Kaolin waved, and offered a seed from the illusory table. Bellibolt blinked back slowly, one eye at a time.


    "Kaolin—Nasty Plo—" "Stall!"Again, Iono spoke louder, and more affirming, then Linh. And Bellibolt acted before Kaolin did. Raising his arms and miming a pane of glass before him. A glass pane that appeared, translucent and floating. Light Screen, to weaken and block projectiles.


    "Nasty Plot," Linh repeated, and Kaolin jolted up. It acted. It schemed, and power formed and refined its mind. Stitches appeared on the ceramic, hidden from view. Substitute woven into Nasty Plot, with Iono unaware. Ideally.


    "Oh neat, Substitute. Y''know it takes a lot to train a Pokémon to blend that into other moves. Usually not worth it!" Iono chirped. Her eyes were on the battle entirely, watching Kaolin carefully as it schemed. "Muddy Water, Bellibolt. Block what it does."


    Linh frowned, annoyed, "Stored Power."


    Kaolin spat out its many pink lights. Fairy lights drifting and swaying.


    Bellibolt stomped the ground until seawater rose up. Seawater carrying silt from the sea floor. Turning it sandy-brown. These blasts raced across the ground in blobs rising up. Mini slimes lurching across the stage. They aimed towards the lights, and surged in straight lines until they swallowed the Stored Powers up. Collapsing both. Or missed entirely with the lights agile movements.


    The lights that survived the swathes of Muddy Water then impacted against the Light Screen, and detonated without harm.


    Really need a way around obstacles. Linh thought. "Magical Leaf, curl up and around."


    Kaolin, fuming with clenched fists, flung tea leaves out. Quickly, they curled up and high.


    "Water Gun—I missed a donation? Where?" Iono withdrew a phone from somewhere in her massively oversized coat, and flicked her finger across the screen.


    Up and down the tea leaves spun, and Bellibolt did nought but lean back slightly, and spit streams of water from his mouth. This was still enough, and with precise aim, the host of water streaked across the leaves. Unbalancing them and sending them falling. Sodden. But one Magical Leaf dodged, and swung low, into the barrier and—


    —through, slower and thinner. It swiped across Bellibolt''s body once.


    Mere scratches. Linh grumbled to himself.


    How to get hits in? Past the moves, past the wall?


    Got it. Linh grinned, teeth sharp, "Now—"


    "—You lie!" Iono laughed, "Silly Zoners, quit your lyin—TERRAIN NOW!" Iono snapped, command cracking like thunder. Bellibolt raised an arm surrounded in electric arcs.


    "—Teatime!" Linh ordered. Then he blinked. Yet he had no more time to ponder, before Kaolin brought its hands together.


    The mist spread, the mist faded. Bellibolt sat on a low stool, with a plate of crickets before him. His arm already coming down, into the plate and into the—


    —through the table. Crickets and wood scattered everywhere, both hissing into mist, as Bellibolt hit the ground with a thundering punch.


    Literally, the sparks travelled out of the arena and back, and settled in every inch of the concrete.


    Electric Terrain—prevents sleep, and empowers Electric Moves.


    Linh shook his head, "Never-mind that—continue!"


    And Kaolin compressed all of its power into one Stored Power. One pink light made of power twicefold. Forming and flying too close to dodge. Too close to block. It flew true and Bellibolt—


    —Bellibolt didn''t faint. Instead, the blast impacted against his stomach, and bent it nearly concave. Yet as it flexed back out, a whirr came from inside. Like a dynamo spinning up. The Ability, Electromorphosis; After an attack, energy is stored to empower Bellibolt''s next.


    "Thank you Kammy Kong for the two hundred. ''Do the funny.'' That''s a great idea Kammy! Doing the funny—Bellibolt! THUNDER!"


    All of the previous Thunderbolts? The lightning? The bolts of eye-searing, ear-deafening light? Power that flinches, that overwhelms?


    All of that was nothing against Bellibolt''s Thunder. Mind-blanking, gut-unsettling, heart-thumping. Noise and light that halted traffic, rattled the surrounding building''s windows, and carried charge all the way down to the ocean underneath. Underneath it all, was a feminine voice, unheard by all bar one. "Strike twice!"


    When Linh''s awareness came back, all that was left, was Bellibolt. Kaolin''s teapot, spinning on its spout on the ground. And Iono, giggling, rubbing the blindness out of her eyes.


    "But—but Substitute?"


    "Two Moves beats one Move." Iono grinned, then her eyes darted to the side. "Oh! Squeaker Nelson has donated twenty thousand! ''Iono, I''ve lost gallons to you.'' Ha?" Iono smiled, lips pressed together, she blinked many many times. "Well I hope you find it. Next—Linh! Send out your next Pokémon, yeah yeah?"


    Linh took a breath, then exhaled, incensed. "Menace—Disable!"


    "Oooh!" Iono cried, watching Menace appear mid-scathing insult, "That''s really good Chat! Bellibolt! Reflect and Light Screen!"


    "Nightshade, veil yourself. Then pelt him down. Keep moving and do not get hit." Linh ordered.


    Menace rasped, and disappeared. Illusions so thick and heavy that even as Menace rolled and shot, Bellibolt had no idea where they were coming from. Not truly.


    "Muddy Water!" Bellibolt responded with stomping surges of water—swiping across the floor. Every angle, every patch.


    None hit, bar one. And in response a green glowing vine shot out of nowhere—crossed space non-euclidianly—and snapped onto Bellibolt. Strength Sap, disguised by the illusions.


    Completely unnecessary, given Menace''s resistance to water. But Menace is a cruel creature, and Linh was in less of a mood to temper him.


    And then, whistling. Whistling from above. Bellibolt looked up just in time to see a cluster of massive seeds descend. Seeds likes coconuts, with a seam in between glowing green.


    They exploded as they cascaded down on Bellibolt. Seed Bomb.


    Bellibolt fell flat on his ass, eyes dim, fainted. Menace reappeared to laugh. Rough and rasping.


    "Thank you Pingos Ploght! It''s good to see you again—where''ve you been dude?" Iono laughed. "Anyways—catch you later. Cuz I''m getting pressed hard! Go—Luxio!"


    "Back into safety," Linh commanded, "No need to risk anything."


    "You know what to do, Luxio." Iono stuck her hand out of her sleeve, and made a shooing motion. "Go! Have fun!" She turned to her chat.


    The first thing Luxio did was stamp his paws on the ground, yellow irises flashing in time with the yellow bands on his blue fur. And with a wave of his star-pointed tail, a wave of lightning shot out. Shockwave.


    It rippled through the air and tore at the illusions, all of them. At once.


    Revealing Menace, grumbling as the static struck against him, rattling some seeds loose.


    A moment later, Menace rasped something scathing. And Luxio''s shoulders drooped slightly. Spite.


    "You can do that?" Linh asked, "Uh—get moving! Scatter up!"


    And Menace was rolling away. Illusions spilling out as false copies of tumble weeds. Different paths, different motions. A fractal of decoys. Each decoy shot a single seed out—Bullet Seed. One then two then four then eight shot. Volleys of seeds.


    Luxio watched them approach, he shifted his stance, and then dodged.


    "Disable the Shockwave—quick!" Disable targeted the last Move a Pokémon used—regardless of when.


    Disable landed—and Luxio''s next Shockwave fizzled out as he landed.


    But Menace did it with a rasp. One his copies did not. Luxio''s ears flicked, and he moved. Paws stirring up dust, leaving it sticky with static, and Luxio pounced towards Menace. Teeth dark with Bite.


    Linh snarled, "Seed Bombs—danger close!" Or in other words. Use Seed Bomb to throw yourself away from them. Menace rasped, and from his branches tiny seeds fell. Seeds which grew many many times their size, engorged upon Grass energy. Rolling out onto the ground as explosive piles Luxio was falling into.


    "Protect—Thank you Knightnwl for the six hundred, ''Thank you for the streams!'' No—thank you! Without my viewers I am nothing!" Iono laughed.


    Boom. A Bramblin flung high in the air, and down, and bouncing away. And as the smoke cleared, it revealed Luxio. Unharmed, in a hexagonal shield. It faded.


    Menace rasped angrily. A bit singed, but not too much. Resisted, and self-inflicted, the Seed Bomb did little. Even so, Linh winced. Not cost-effective at all.


    "Now—slow him down!" Iono ordered.


    "Seed Bomb again! Zone him out!" Linh ordered, a second later.


    Menace aimed before Luxio, Seed Bombs making craters to halt Luxio''s dash.


    Luxio did not move, and when the smoke cleared, smirked at Menace. Feline teeth curling back, threateningly. Bared teeth, nasty gleam. Both eye and teeth sparked white light, which formed a sharp line between Luxio''s gaze and Menace''s eyes. Scary Face, slowing Menace down.


    Linh squeezed his eyes shut, and rubbed them, frustrated.


    "Dive in!" Iono snapped her fingers, smile all teeth.


    "No WAI—" And Menace shot a brace of Seeds, rolling pitifully away as Luxio dashed forwards. Teeth sharp and dark and so brutally falling onto him.


    Menace fainted.


    Linh recalled him in silence. He grimaced.


    "And—thank you btpˉˉbtp! Twenty five gifted subs! What a guy!"


    Linh put away Menace''s Pokéball. And lifted up Meiosis''s.


    He looked between Luxio and Iono. Then down at the Pokéball.


    ... One against two. With a Pokémon he hasn''t trained much.


    "Challeng—" the referee began.


    "—I forfeit." Linh''s shoulder hitched slightly.


    "Oh, we''re wrapping up now? Okay—let me just—AND THAT''S A HYPE TRAIN! Thank you NotVeryAnonymous, ten gifted subs! Gareon, Red superchat! Heaper, five hundred! Valen—" Iono babbled, marching away from the battlefield.


    The referee shook her head. "I announce this battle as a victory for Iono!"


    <Iono>


    "So." Linh faced Poppy. "I lost."


    "There, there." Poppy reached over and patted Linh''s knee.


    "Not actually mad?" Linh chuffed. "Well. I''m upset, but not devastated. Where to next?"


    Poppy made a confused noise. Linh shrugged.


    "Where do you want to go next?" he asked again. "I mean. It''s not terrible that I lost. I can just swing back to Levincia after you''re done with them all. I don''t mind getting Iono''s badge last. In fact, it''ll be good. Face my big defeat again at the hardest."


    "No. We''re staying."


    "Really? But don''t you have a Journey to complete? You really want to miss out on getting the next Badge for however many tries it''ll take for me to win?"


    "We''re staying, until you win." Poppy frowned. She crossed her arms. "Also. You will win next time."


    "You sure?"


    Poppy harrumphed, "Yeah! You were so close to victory! Menace could have beaten Luxio. And you should have!"


    Linh leaned forwards in his seat. "For the experience, yeah?"


    "Yeah!" Poppy swung her arms wide, spreading from the receptionist desk to the building''s entrance.


    "... Well. That still left Iono''s last—"


    "So?!?!" Poppy cried, "Meiosis could have beaten Mismagius, she''s strong enough!"


    "I''ve had so little time with her, though." Linh leaned back, puzzled. "Not a lot of training, either."


    "But that doesn''t matter, if you''re quick enough," Poppy stated. "And, that''s not important. Casket, Menace, Kaolin. They all were strong enough to beat their enemy. It was you who didn''t act fast enough."


    Linh blinked, "Me?"


    "You." Poppy frowned. She jabbed her hand forwards, one finger extended. "Point one! Casket, she could have won if she got in first, faster! After Roar failed, and at the start of the battle. You kept on giving commands at the same time as Iono, but her orders are done while yours aren''t. You''re not projecting your presence enough."


    A second finger rose, "Point two! Kaolin. Kaolin lost because it didn''t respond in time when it''s substitute popped! It was still reeling after the Thunder, allowing Bellibolt to hit it again! If you intervened, it could have hit Bellibolt instead!"


    "But the Thunder? It was so loud I couldn''t have heard myself."


    "So what. Kaolin could have. Bellibolt did!" A third finger rose. "Point three! Menace—"


    "—I''m getting it. In those last moments. I was wasting time feeling frustrated about a bad call. Instead I should have tried something else. If I got Menace moving earlier, I could have pressured Luxio away from attacking." Linh paused. "Maybe Strength Sap? The attack drop would have done wonders."


    "Exactly!" Poppy''s frown rose. She leaned back, satisfied.


    "So, react faster, my end. So I can get my Pokémon acting more." Linh scratched his neck, and looked away. "...I could have your help, though. I''m not exactly sure where to start. Also, it''ll be efficient to train up my Pokémon while I''m practising. No point wasting time."


    Poppy glowed up, grinning as if she was waiting for him to ask. "I''ll help you, Linh!" she chirped. "And so will Iono."


    Both of them turned. On the couch to their side, lying down, was Iono. Magazine on her face. With the sluggishness of a nap, she pulled the glossy paper down. "A?" she asked.


    "Iono," Poppy said. "Won''t you help Linh project his presence, and react to things?"


    "I''m busy?" Iono said, she smiled hesitantly, shark-teeth shy.


    "He''ll be a guest on your stream!" Poppy volunteered, without Linh''s permission.


    "... Alright."