ã€ŠLike No One Ever Was (Pokemon SI)ã€‹


 Chapter 1

    The beginning was surreal, like a lucid dream. Or maybe she was the one dreaming, and I was the one dreamed of. It was hard to comprehend, or really focus when I was that young. As such, I skipped through most of my childhood without a care, seeing ¡®me¡¯ doing things, but not connecting that with myself. It wasn¡¯t until I was running outside one day that things really clicked for me. That I remembered who I was - or had been.

    ¡°Young Miss, please stop running around! You¡¯ll get dirty and catch a cold!¡± One of the maids called out to me, and I stopped, more in puzzlement. Catch a cold in this weather? Hardly, it¡¯s the middle of summer. Hot sun with a cool breeze is my favorite weather anyways. I opened my mouth to retort, reply that I¡¯d stay clean, she should know that I hated getting dirty anyways but-

    It felt like the world tilted sideways, and it did in a way as I reeled and fell over, suddenly losing control of my bodies as the memories hit me. That¡¯s what they are, memories. Not a dream. I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m someone else.

    I tried to bite back my tears and stop myself from hyperventilating as the maid rushed over, fretting over me. She¡¯s massive. Why do I have a giant maid? I thought for about one second before the obvious clicked into place. Right, I¡¯m a child now.

    ¡°Are you ok Miss Nemona? Oh please be alright, I¡¯d hate for your parents to come back and see you hurt.¡± She said, more to herself than me. Still in a daze, I let myself be led back inside, barely noticing some of the strange animals outside.

    On the way, I caught a glimpse of my house. Even taking into account my smaller size, it was massive. A sprawling estate with an excellently tended garden, beautifully kept. There were paths set to walk between the greenery and admire the flower beds and the trees, large enough that one really could take a stroll through it, especially with the stairs that led down the other side around the mansion. The elegant tiles right at the front and antique stained glass all around the front door and set within the wooden door to make a small window served as the cherry on top to this very rich pie.

    It¡¯s not right. My home has a beautiful garden, but the space is limited. My mother kept everything together and took care of it. It might not have been as precise and orderly as this, but it didn¡¯t feel as artificial either. I wasn¡¯t truly confused anymore about that. I knew the difference, but just felt the need to grumble to myself. Not quite ready to mourn what I had lost.

    The front hall was quite a grand thing, a large open space living room. Ridiculously large, really, since it was big enough to go to the back end of the mansion. It definitely wasn¡¯t crowded, but had enough to not feel empty, rugs and lamps placed strategically by paintings hung on the walls. The largest of them was of a very strange pale blue swan captured head on to make its eyes look odd, sticking out at the sides. Cabinets filled with a modest amount of books on either end of the living room itself, with hallways branching off to doors on either side to the rest of the manor. Chairs, a large L-shaped couch and table were set up in the center of the room to relax, and there was even a small kitchenette in there to grab snacks, but what really caught anyone¡¯s attention was the window.

    It took up most of the back wall, the curtains pulled fully open to reveal a breathtaking sight. Just off the small hill the mansion was situated on was a vast beach leading to a glittering ocean as far as the eye could see. Off to the side, I could make out a few palm trees poking from below. A real beachside mansion. Wow.

    Butlers and maids set about their chores here and there, tidying up in places. Or maybe just trying to look like they were working at my sudden appearance. I distantly noted all this as the maid quickly led me through to the left side of the building. What was her name again? Nemona¡¯s memories, or, I guess mine, make me think it''s Leah?

    She took me into the true kitchen, where she rummaged in the cupboards for first aid supplies before inspecting. You probably could have just asked me if I was hurt first, before getting that out. I didn¡¯t say that, however, and decided to throw her a bone. ¡°I¡¯m fine Leah, not hurt, so don¡¯t worry.¡±

    My voice sounded odd. It was an odd thing to fixate on, but it just threw me off a bit, to hear my voice and not see it as my own. Leah didn¡¯t seem to believe me, quickly inspecting me, ruffling through my hair to make sure I didn¡¯t have any scrapes. Eventually though, she accepted that if she couldn¡¯t see anything, I probably wasn¡¯t actually hurt.

    ¡°Alright, fine, I believe you. But no more time outside, ok? I know you just moved here, but it¡¯s dangerous to go wandering off by yourself,¡± She said sternly.

    We just moved here? Right, we did. Details on the rest of my history and family were still a bit vague and blurry for the moment, but I did recall moving here a few months ago. Wherever ¡®here¡¯ is. ¡°Ok. Can I look stuff up on the computer?¡± Even trying really hard to pronounce the words well, I found I was talking with a bit of childish lisp. Leah looked suspicious instantly.

    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

    ¡°You just want to stay inside?¡± Then, as if realizing that might give me the chance to go back on what I asked for, she turned around and said ¡°That¡¯s fine, young miss! Stay in the den, I¡¯ll see where your phone has run off to.¡±

    If I didn¡¯t have vague memories of how much ¡®I¡¯ like to run about places I¡¯d wonder about how wise it is to try and ¡®distract¡¯ a child with electronics. Then again, she¡¯s probably doing her best while my parents are off with their jobs. The pieces were hard to put together, but given how lavish the estate was, I was pretty sure both my parents had very high paying jobs.

    The kitchen proper had marble counters and stainless steel for the center island where much of the prep work was done, further selling the opulence of my new life. I could hear the television on in the den, one of the rooms just past the kitchen, but for the moment decided to get a better look at myself.

    Climbing up on a stool, I stood on it and looked down at my reflection. It wasn¡¯t the best mirror, but given how well the staff kept things clean, it was good enough. I was small, obviously, being five or so years old. My age also meant I had a bit of that ¡®baby pudginess¡¯ left on my cheeks. I was wearing a dress that was frilly and pink enough to make me want to tear it off. Freckles were a new thing, just a few of them dusting the bridge of my nose. I had always thought freckles were cute, so I didn¡¯t mind that change, unlike the rest of it (i.e. being five years old again). The short black hair wasn¡¯t very noteworthy, but the two small locks of green hair that struck out from it along with my vibrant amber eyes, were.

    With the time I had to settle down, I started trying to puzzle things out logically. I don¡¯t think they would have dyed one lock of hair for me, so this is probably natural. Definitely a different world I¡¯ve been reborn in. I¡¯ve got a wealthy family at least, which is nice¡­ hopefully. Still can¡¯t remember too much of dear old ¡®mom¡¯ or ¡®dad¡¯ here, but not sure if that¡¯s just the memories being fuzzy still or they really aren¡¯t around that much.

    That thought had me instantly thinking of The Realm in Exalted. Hands off, but incredibly wealthy nobles that can afford tons of servants to look after and basically raise their kids? Check. Anime hair colors? Check again, with special thanks to the Dragonblooded and how their elemental features could change stuff like hair even more as time goes on.

    I did my best not to panic, but I was really hoping that it wasn¡¯t the case that I was reborn in Creation. The Dragonblooded might seem like the top dogs, but there were beavies of threats waiting in the shadows to tear them, and the entire world, down. Solar and Lunar exalts might kill me just for being a Dynast (if I was one), to say nothing of the other monsters, all of which could likely manage even if I did get chosen to become an elemental demi-god.

    Okay, step 1: Exalt. Step 2: Get five pairs of artifact short daiklaives. Step 3: Heavy artifact armor and that one hearthstone to treat it as medium, or more likely, medium artifact armor. Step 4: Find teacher to learn Thousand Blades Style and Fire Dragon Style. Step 5: Profit. Step 6: Don¡¯t die to assassins in my sleep, or poison, or other rivals in the Realm, or just Celestial exalts that can kill me anyways-

    My totally reasonable plans were derailed by a small fragment I heard from the television in the other room. ¡°-what an impressive use of Aura! His opponent is on the backfoot now. Luc-¡± I didn¡¯t catch the rest, but it had me thinking again.

    Right, a television, no way I¡¯m in Creation. Unless it''s a Modern Shard? - No, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s quite right.. Aura¡­ is this RWBY? Or rather, Remnant? I thought about that for a minute and tried not to freak out even more. Crud, Remnant is even worse than Creation. Both are besieged by horrors trying to kill all mortals and end the world, but at least people are (generally) winning in Creation. How would I beat an insane immortal witch? Trick her into the Never After (which itself needs Ambrosius to make a portal), something something, big tree make her not my problem?

    Things were surprisingly peaceful, however, which had me thinking that this might not be Remnant, even with the mention of Aura. A manor like this would definitely have a security system to deal with the Grimm. Also there weren¡¯t any Faunus among the staff, which traditionally they were kinda given those jobs. Hmm, no Faunus at all might mean I¡¯m in pre-Salem times Remnant. In which case, genocidal brother gods to worry about, but on the plus side, magic! I waved my hands out trying to conjure a lightning bolt, before thinking about where I was or the damage it would cause. Thankfully, nothing happened, beyond me nearly losing balance on the stool.

    My antics were interrupted by Leah coming back into the room. ¡°Oh, there you are. Please get down from there,¡± She lightly scolded, taking me off the stool. ¡°I found your phone, you can play in the den. Kevin will be using the kitchen shortly to prepare dinner.¡± I was a bit distracted from her words as the red ¡®phone¡¯ flew out from behind her and hovered in front of me. The back had a smiling face with large blue eyes and a grin.

    ¡°Bzzt - greetings Nemona. I was just charging on one of the docks since I thought you would be outside. What do you wish to look up, bzzt?¡± The Rotom Phone asked me as it flipped over to show the screen.

    I blinked as the pieces finally slid into place. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m in Pokemon.¡±

 Chapter 2

    Leah had obviously misheard me and said ¡°Yes young miss, this is a Pokemon known as Rotom. It¡¯s-¡±

    ¡°Really strong! It can possess things and have different forms. Wash Rotom has the least weaknesses, only to Grass I think. Heat Rotom has only two, but it has a ton of resistances!¡± I exclaimed exuberantly. Rotom is so cool a Pokemon, I always loved having one on my teams in the¡­ games.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ correct.¡± She was a bit surprised but rallied back quickly and settled her face back to a neutral smile. ¡°Your father will be happy to hear you know so much. Why don¡¯t you go wait in the den as you look up whatever you want to look up.¡± It was less a suggestion and more an order I numbly followed as I was dealing with this new information.

    Inside the den, I saw the television showing a tournament, where a Lucario was fighting against a Tinkaton. Or maybe a Tinka¡­tuff? The hammer looks kinda small. Unbidden, a fan image of a ¡®dynamax¡¯ Tinkaton popped into my mind, a meme of where only the hammer grew larger. The humor of that mixed with my own sadness as I really tried to deal with the fact that I was stuck in a not-so-fictional feeling world and started to cry.

    ¡°Oh no! Bzzt. You seem to be upset. Shall I grab the staff-¡± Rotom said, reminding me of their presence.

    ¡°N-no!¡± I quickly said, reaching out as if to grab him before he stopped drifting towards the door. I¡¯m glad that no one else heard my outburst. I also guess that¡¯s why they were fine with me searching up whatever - Rotom is sorta the perfect child lock, able to both redirect, block, and report on anything I search, or even anything that happens to me.

    It was creepy, in a way, but seeing the back of the phone case and the obvious worry in its eyes, I couldn¡¯t be upset with it for wanting to help me. I need to find out more about this world, just- figure things out.

    ¡°I think I heard about a trainer, Ash Ketchum-¡±

    Rotom answered immediately ¡°Bzzt, Ash Ketchum from Pallet Town, the champion of Alola and reigning champion of the Master¡¯s Eight tournament.¡±

    It looks like I¡¯m out of anime town at least. It was a relief in many ways - I hadn¡¯t watched the anime in years and while I¡¯d be tempted to get involved in the craziness and help ¡®save the world¡¯ a bunch, I wasn¡¯t sure I wanted to leap into that. Out of curiosity, I decided to look up ¡®Who is the current Paldean champion?¡¯

    That turned up a couple of different results, as I was reminded that Paldea had multiple trainers with the ¡®champion rank¡¯, rather than one champion. Skimming over some of their battles and team compositions, they seemed decent, but very few of them seemed ¡®champion¡¯ material, at least in my eyes. The ¡®los Primero¡¯ did seem slightly better, with a pseudo legendaries in Baxcalibur as his ace.

    Blake Hogan. Never heard of this guy before. A bit more digging revealed why. Paldea hadn¡¯t had a great run with champions in tournaments abroad the past few years. Oh sure, our ¡®champion ranks¡¯ did really well as elites in the other tournaments, but the bigger events, like the conferences and Masters Eight, they didn¡¯t rank highly.

    When I went to play some of the videos, Rotom pleasantly surprised me again by sending the video straight to the television, casting it without my input. ¡°Thanks, Rotom.¡± Then I set about watching. There were other things I could be doing, panicking about my situation chief among them, but I decided to push that away for the moment and just enjoy myself.

    These battles are fun. I enjoyed the games enough but¡­ they were just games. So cool to see how they¡¯re done for real. Terrain was employed quite well in these high level battles, using even little things like ground types breaking up the ground just to interrupt movement and reposition. There were still very flashy destructive attacks too, of course.

    ¡°What Move was that?¡± I wondered aloud as I saw a Zangoose move like she was going for a Slash, but then just sorta grab and squeeze the Mighteyena with her claws only.

    ¡°That was ¡®Crush Claw¡¯, I believe.¡± Rotom said. ¡°Though I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t know all the specifics of the move, I¡¯m a Rotom Phone, not a Rotom Dex.¡± I blinked. But don¡¯t they all have the app?

    ¡°What moves do you know?¡±

    ¡°Oh Bzzt, I have a decent knowledge. Absorb, Accelerock-¡±

    ¡°No no no,¡± I laughed. ¡°What moves do you know?¡± That seemed to flummox the phone for a moment.

    ¡°I am capable of Astonish, Double Team,¡­ and I can probably do Thunder Shock.¡± It eventually said, the matches still ongoing as we spoke. Ouch, not a lot there. Rotom automatically gets a really strong attack in any form, but there¡¯s only so much that one Move can do in a fight.

    ¡°Have you ever thought about battling? I bet with some training you could even wipe the floor with guys like that,¡± I said, pointing to the screen. Admittedly, I had waited until it showed a Grass Type that I felt fairly confident Rotom could beat with most of their different forms. Honestly, kinda surprised someone used an Arboliva to a tournament this high. I mean, clearly, this world is not the games. Pokemon aren¡¯t limited to four Moves at a time and a small cliff isn¡¯t an impenetrable barrier. Even a Pikachu can be worthy of World Champion, but¡­ this trainer doesn¡¯t look like she knows what she¡¯s doing.

    Her Pokemon was getting blasted around by the Turtonator her Alolan opponent had out, not able to mount a proper defense let alone offense. Arboliva¡¯s ability was at least triggering to set up the field, but that was when the other trainer started dancing¡­

    ¡°¡­ Ohh! It looks like Arboliva has been hit by a powerful blast and is out!!¡± The announcer said after Inferno Overdrive wiped out not only the olive pokemon, but also the field, burning down the Grassy Terrain she had tried to set up.

    Rotom looked at me dubiously. ¡°Thank you for the support young miss, but I don¡¯t think I¡¯d ever do something like that.¡±

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s just cause you don¡¯t know any Z-moves.¡± My own words gave me a sudden realization. That¡¯s why we aren¡¯t doing well in the high level tournaments - we don¡¯t have the Terra Orbs! Just like the Pokedex App, they haven¡¯t been invented yet.

    It was hardly the only reason, admittedly. Kanto, Johto, and Sinnoh didn¡¯t have an abundance of Mega Stones or any Z-Crystals and I assumed they were doing alright. It does mean I can¡¯t rely on my knowledge of the world perfectly though. My knowledge in¡­ Nemona¡¯s body.

    Nemona was a canon character in the latest mainline console Pokemon games, and arguably one of the most important. As you play the game, she¡¯s your Rival, one of the first other characters you¡¯re introduced to. She teaches the player the ropes of how to play the game, and brings you to the school and encourages you to fight gym battles and go against the Elite Four¡­ so that in the end you can fight her, the Champion. Her battle tendency was legendary, much meme¡¯d upon on the internet, but she¡¯s definitely no slouch in a fight, constantly pushing the player until they can become a champion too.

    What does it mean to be a major character? I¡¯ll be involved in helping shut off the Time Machine, going down to Area Zero with the ¡®player character¡¯, Arven, and Penny. Should I change things? Can I change things?

    My curiosity piqued, I researched the topic, curious to see what would be said about the mythical ¡®Great Crater of Paldea¡¯ in this world. To do that I grabbed toward my phone, before stopping as it hovered in front of me. ¡°What can I help you with, bzzt?¡± Right, my phone is sentient now, that¡¯s something I have to deal with.

    ¡°Uhh, just wanted to look some things up on the inter- on the PokeNet.¡± I hastily corrected myself. ¡°Umm, I¡¯ll just type them in myself, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± They didn¡¯t object, easily allowing me to hold their case and begin typing. I was just too used to doing so in my past life to try just asking Rotom to search everything up. In many ways, the PokeNet was similar to the Internet, though from a quick glance there were less search engines and social media. Many videos were available, mostly on Pokemon and I saw that Rotom was streaming such highlights from Pokevid, the videos uninterrupted as I trawled through the online world for information about the most dangerous place in Paldea.

    A plethora of warnings, restrictions, and recommendations to avoid were the first thing that hit me, popping up on the first search. After acknowledging that I knew all the risks, what I got was a League site saying how any exploration to the Great Crater had to be League approved, and it didn¡¯t sound like they approved of missions often or easily. The last time they had approved of a mission to the bottom, Area Zero, had been Heath¡¯s expedition, 200 years ago.

    On the other hand, considering how often historically any trips to Area Zero, trying to claim its ¡®treasures¡¯ have ended up just pouring money and lives down the drain, I do see where they¡¯re coming from. Still, potential revocation of trainer license? That¡¯s harsh. Then again, the price of failure there is usually death, so they have to hit you with something scary like potentially losing all your Pokemon to try and keep you out.

    ¡°Surely you aren¡¯t considering going to the Great Crater, Nemona?¡± Rotom asked nervously, reminding me of his presence from the back of the very screen I was typing into. ¡°If you¡¯re looking for any rare Pokemon, I¡¯m sure your parents can buy them for you.

    I frowned. ¡°No, I¡¯m not going there. At least, not for a long time, till I¡¯m grown up.¡± Or however old I¡¯d be by the time Arven decides to go down there¡­ again. Maybe I can at least pre-empt the first trip that would end up hurting Mabostiff?

    That was still a lot to deal with so I elected to not do so. Which meant having to deal with the other thing I was trying to avoid. I¡¯m in a different world. Different (plot relevant!) body. How did this happen? What should I do? More than just future plans, I had to think about how to blend in. I would probably get put in an asylum if I tried telling Nemona¡¯s parents I was a thirty year old who ended up inside their daughter¡¯s body. If they don¡¯t think I¡¯m some Psychic or Ghost type possessing her at least.

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    That worrying thought had me quickly scrambling to look up how likely such things were, as well as discreetly try and see how much of a ¡®deathworld¡¯ vs. ¡®anime world¡¯ this version of Pokemon was. Rotom will keep track of what I search at least, so I can try and search around for info on types of Pokemon in the wild, statistics, and stuff like that.

    Despite Ash existing and all, it wasn¡¯t a perfect anime world. There were certainly disappearances every year from young, inexperienced trainers out on their journeys. The numbers overall weren¡¯t bad, however. Only a dozen or so every year from the Great Treasure Hunt. That¡¯s pretty impressive considering just how big Uva Academy is, and how many people of all ages are considered students. The school, unsurprisingly, had some of the best records for such things. I knew it wasn¡¯t a perfect picture, especially since they hardly advertised ¡®people die here every year¡¯.

    Further investigation muddied the waters, however. So, a lot of the students, especially the older ones who act more as researchers, might not even leave the school library. One guy mentioned his ¡®treasure¡¯, a dusty old research scroll from the age of Paldean Kings and Queens found buried in a part of the library, and no sign he went anywhere else during that time. But also, some of the records show students disappearing off the records after the Hunt¡­ but only because they went and found their treasure, which turned out to be like, a desire to be a baker or something and dropped out.

    Still, I thought I had pretty good chances of surviving in this world, provided I kept my wits about me. There¡¯s not a lot about specific types or regions to avoid either. Basic generalizations existed, Ghost types being ¡®spooky¡¯ and often seen as pranksters, for instance. Grass types having a tendency for nurturing personalities, etc.

    ¡®Gimmieghoul¡¯s are such pests. One of them confused me for a moment, forcing me to empty out my purse looking for a coin, then ignored all of my Poke Coins! I had to spend so long picking them back up.¡¯ One blogger angrily posted. Huh, I guess no one has managed to evolve one into a Gholdengo then. Understandable - in the game you¡¯d need to farm the specific coins off nearly every chest in Paldea to make enough. If all the Gimmie¡¯s hoard part of the gold, no one could see what they evolve into.

    The fact that the possession wore off, seemingly naturally, was also surprising to me. I investigated further and saw that most types of mind control or subversion were either ignored by people or quickly broken. Maybe humans developed natural defenses against such things? Like they did to other attacks? Changing tracks, I started looking at more wilderness videos than battle ones. It was still very Pokemon centric, but outside of the professional arena¡¯s they demonstrated that people could survive a stray attack or two.

    ¡°Wow, that Magnezone is pretty strong,¡± I idly commented, having watched some nature documentary-esque videos as I researched. This one showed a Magnezone near the top of the ridge to the Great Crater scaring off some Braviary that flew by with some type of electrical attack I couldn¡¯t name. That was about as close as any official videos got to the Great Crater, and even that one repeatedly warned the dangers and that they had a team of Rangers standing close by off camera. All this and Arven still snuck into the Great Crater. How desperate was he to see his parent?

    ¡°They can release powerful discharges of lightning, bzzt!¡± Rotom helpfully supplied. ¡°Do you want a Magnemite when you¡¯re older?¡± A pattern was already forming as I looked up the different Pokemon, especially any I stopped on or seemed interested in. Rotom would ask me if I wanted that Pokemon. I figured it was the equivalent of asking a kid ¡®what (job) they wanted to be when they grew up.¡¯

    ¡°Nah. They¡¯re pretty tough and strong, but the double weakness to ground is killer- It¡¯s rough. I really like Electric types that can eliminate their only weakness, like Eelektross or Rotom.¡± I think that Magnezone can use Magnet Rise as well to do that? But they¡¯re pretty slow from what I remember, and time wasted in a battle is killer. ¡°If those Braviary¡¯s were better trained they could have hit it with a few Fighting moves and taken it out.¡±

    On that note, I looked up how much a Life Orb cost and if it was a thing here, recalling that Braviary had Sheer Force which could combo well with it. Immediately after reading the price tag, I closed the tab. That is a lot of zeroes. I know I¡¯m maybe rich now, but I¡¯d feel guilty buying that¡­ Even if Life Orbs are pretty cool.

    ¡°Dinner time!¡± Leah¡¯s call came out, and I blinked, realizing that hours had passed in my research.

    ¡°Coming!¡± I yelled back and started scrambling for dinner. The sudden reminder made my belly growl and I was quite aware of how hungry I was all of a sudden. Washing up in the kitchen, I made my way through the house, running to where I recalled the Dining Hall to be. By the time I got there, I was puffed from the running. Okay, I know this house is big and I¡¯m a kid now, but that¡¯s kinda ridiculous. I have got to work on my stamina.

    When I looked up, I took in the Dining Hall, getting the full picture of it beyond my blurry baby memories for the first time. A long table, capable of seating a dozen on each side was in the center of the room, an elegant tablecloth draped on top of it that looked fancier than some tapestries hanging on castle walls. Above it hung an elegant crystal chandelier that I could now recognize was in the shape of a Dragonair. Off to the sides stood a few butlers and maids, ready to take care of any request and bring out the food and plates to and from the kitchen. At the very end of the table three people were sitting down.

    The two adults were dressed in some of the most garish outfits I¡¯d ever seen. The woman was wearing a shoulderless dress suit, held up by a thin circular strap around her neck and had her white and dark yellow hair up in a bun. The man beside her had something close to some of the martial arts gi¡¯s I¡¯d worn in my previous life, but too fancy and flimsy for any combat sport. The cut of the robes wasn¡¯t right for it either, and the shimmery gold quality to it and the belt didn¡¯t work. His darker yellowish hair is put in a bob cut. Both of their outfits were made of a silky, eye-catching gold material with black diamond trim and patterns. Wait, there¡¯s only one set of characters that can be this flashy. They¡¯re¡­

    ¡°Surprise! We caught a quick flight back and made it in time for dinner.¡± O¡¯Nare, my mother in this life, said, clapping her hands together.

    ¡°Yeah, and I had to wait for you and now Nims,'''' the third, much younger person at the table said. I turned to look at her. She was about nine or ten years old, wearing a dark blue skirt and white blouse with lace trim that weren¡¯t anywhere near as gaudy as our parents, but still screamed ¡®incredibly wealthy¡¯. She had long white hair, like O¡¯Nare, but it hung loose down to her shoulders, with a single lock of red, much like my green ones, though on the opposite side.

    It took me a moment to realize she was talking about me, at which point Billy - our father - said ¡°Such stoicism, Cyan! That¡¯s the Glitterati way, pushing through the hardships! But your sister is here now and the chef has cooked up some delicious lobster for us, so we don¡¯t have to wait any longer.¡± He motioned to the chair on the other side of him and I rushed up, sitting down.

    The meal was delicious, cooked to absolute perfection and I was ravenous. Enough so that I was nearly distracted from the fact that I¡¯m a member of the Glitterati family. Oh boy. This is gonna be a wild trip.

    As we ate, Billy and O¡¯Nare, or rather ¡®mother¡¯ and ¡®father¡¯, regaled us with their trip to Johto. ¡°The dancers put on a splendid show. And the use of special effects, to mimic the ¡®burning of the sacred tower¡¯. Incredible!¡± Billy said.

    ¡°Indeed. The girls were so in-synch with their eeveelutions.¡± O¡¯Nare commented. Okay, so that is a term here, good to know. Then she turned to us. ¡°What have you girls been up to?¡±

    Cyan sat up straighter. ¡°I¡¯ve been studying the economics books you gave me. I¡¯m already on chapter five. I think Nims has just been rolling around in the dirt.¡±

    ¡°Hey!¡± I said, affronted by what she said. I don¡¯t think even the original was that bad, just overly focused on battles. ¡°I¡¯ve been looking up tons of stuff.¡± My childish lisp snuck in once again as I wasn¡¯t paying enough attention, unfortunately undercutting my words. Billy and O¡¯Nare didn¡¯t seem to mind, but Cyan looked a bit disbelieving.

    ¡°Oh yeah? What¡¯s the relationship between supply and demand then?¡± She asked. Our parents - Still so weird to think of them like that - tried to explain that I was too young, but I cleared my throat.

    ¡°I was mostly looking up Pokemon stuff, but the amount you have, or supply available, determines how much can be charged for it, or the demand, and vice versa, right?¡± Really not the best at Economics, but I think that sounds about right.

    Billy clapped his hands together. ¡°Well done, dear. Our daughter, the little genius. As expected of a Glitterati scion.¡± I blushed at the weird praise, while Cyan looked a bit shocked. Both him and O¡¯Nare then launched into a lecture, explaining the reciprocal nature of both in much greater detail. They just seemed like ditzy tourists in the DLC, but I guess they don¡¯t each run a massive national company by being dumb¡­ at least when it comes to the details of those jobs.

    ¡®Mother¡¯ was the president of Paldea Realty, while ¡®Father¡¯ ran the Rotom Phone Company. When he brought up an example using his company and the phones they made, Leah chimed in from the side. ¡°Nemona is actually quite interested in Rotoms. She mentioned some facts that even I didn¡¯t know about earlier today.¡± The adults all turned to me, curiosity piqued, and even Cyan was looking at me questioningly.

    Guess there¡¯s no way to squirm out of this. ¡°Uh, yeah. I just think they¡¯re really cool in how they can change types based on what machine they possess. And they can also enhance the machine to use really powerful attacks based off of some appliances. That plus their Ability, Levitate, covers any weaknesses from the Electric side they always have, which makes them great battlers!¡± Was that too much? I hope it wasn¡¯t.

    Billy practically had stars in his eyes, holding a hand up to his face as if awed by my ¡®brilliance.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s¡­ correct! Rotom can do so much for us, it¡¯s incredible! We designed the Rotom Phone to make best use of all of their incredible abilities - a regular machine would be burnt out in just a day being possessed by them. We actually make the Rotom Battle Catalog as well, and a number of other appliances for them to use. Not many Rotom¡¯s like battling, however.¡±

    I wonder why? From what I looked up most Pokemon enjoy fighting, in the wild or with trainers helping lead them. They say that all Pokemon have that drive to grow stronger, though few actually seek out to permanently hurt other people or Pokemon. Though that¡¯s almost always followed by a warning on how territorial some Pokemon can be and to be cautious when traveling in the wilderness.

    Dinner was finished and I was soon sent off to bed. It felt early, but given how crazy everything had been so far, I was happy to take the excuse.

    The bedroom was almost castle-like to my memories from my old life. . A bed that reminded me of royalty took up the center back end of the room. It was adorned with silky curtains that gleamed almost marble-like as I could see the burl wood frame inviting me to sleep. There was an open box of toys on one side, with a mess of plastic Pokemon scattered nearby. Adorning another corner was a small table fit for a child¡¯s tea parties with matching chairs. The closet (if you could call it one) was bigger than my old apartment. Clothes both fancy and functional lined the walls, and I wondered how much money went into the entire furnishings of the room. Thousands of dollars, or whatever the equivalent was the minimum cost for the extravagance in front of my eyes.

    Leah quickly ushered me to bed, closing the curtains and cutting out the moonlight that had been streaming in. I didn¡¯t resist, flopping down into the bed, too overwhelmed to even resist her unnecessarily tucking me in. Think that¡¯s enough for tonight. Let¡¯s see if I can wake up and find it was all a crazy dream tomorrow.

 Chapter 3

    It was not a dream, I found as I woke with a start, sweating and gasping for breath. It was hard to recall, the details slipping like water between my hands, but I remembered being out of place.

    I was in an exam, for some university course that I had, somehow, missed half the classes for. I couldn¡¯t understand the questions, and I¡¯d have to tell my parents, but I hadn¡¯t been in university for years now. I told my family about it, but they asked why I looked so weird. Then I walked up to a full-length mirror (a mirror we¡¯d thrown out and remodeled the room years ago) and I saw-

    Then I woke up here and - It¡¯s all wrong. My room, my body, my home¡­ It¡¯s all gone.

    The tears started flowing and I was crying, trying to hold back sobs that might wake up anyone else. It was still fairly dark, only a sliver of moonlight through the window illuminating my room, so I assumed they would all still be asleep. Not that my attempts managed much¡­ but no one came anyway.

    One upside to an enormous house I guess. I thought, in between remembered flashes of friends and family that I¡¯d never see again. I managed to quiet myself down, but did not get back to sleep by the morning.

    ***

    ¡°All right, time for your lessons today, Young Miss.¡± Leah said with a smile plastered on her face. I understood why - it was hard to get me to focus on these things. Before, it might have been because I was an average, hyperactive young child. Now¡­

    ¡°If two Pawmi are charging a battery with ten volts of electricity each, and then another Pawmi starts charging it too, how many volts of electricity are they charging the battery with?¡±

    ¡°Thirty.¡± Now I¡¯m just bored. Still, it shouldn¡¯t be too much longer- Rotom made an alarm sound, hovering up in the air. ¡°Ah, lesson¡¯s over, thank you Leah!¡± I said, scrambling up, halfway out the door before I felt her hand on my shoulder.

    ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going, Young Miss?¡± She asked in a deceptively sweet tone.

    ¡°Outside? The lesson¡¯s done so I was just going to run a bit-¡±

    ¡°Excellent, I¡¯ll let the majordomo know and we can head out together.¡±

    The staff took care of us very seriously, so I was under constant surveillance when I went outside. We walked off the estate and up the path to a nearby hill. The grassy plain rolled gently out before us and there was a long stretch of smooth ground that made for a decent running track, a few trees serving as makeshift markers to help me measure distance. Beyond that was another house, currently being renovated, and in about a decade? Would serve as the home of one the greatest trainers to grace this land, the player character.

    ¡°Could we go a bit further-¡± I began before she interrupted me.

    ¡°No, Young Miss,¡± she said firmly. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should wander farther away from home than this.¡± I bit back a groan and all the counterarguments sprang to the tip of my tongue. They won¡¯t do any good. I¡¯ve tried before, but she¡¯s adamant on making sure I don¡¯t get into trouble.

    With a small sigh, I dedicated that frustrated energy to running. My new body was strong, and part of me wanted to practice martial arts, and split trees apart with my newfound strength!... The other, more sensible part of me recognized that I was only super strong by the standards of a five-year-old in my world, so I¡¯d still need to grow a bit before I could do anything like that (and that Leah would freak out if I tried in front of her). The trainer part of me was analyzing my weaknesses and knew what I needed to work on.

    After a few minutes of stretching, I began running, doing suicide runs, (approximately) 100 meter dashes, and laps around the hill. These runs were often interspersed by rest breaks, as my stamina was, frankly, terrible. Is this just part of being a kid again? No, I feel like even a normal child¡¯s body wouldn¡¯t get dead tired from a minute of running. At least the view is nice.

    From where I sat, I could see the hill, sloping down towards my house and branching off on different routes towards the major cities of Paldea. Other hills rose up, blocking my view from here of the nearby Los Platos or Mesagoza, but I saw the top of the giant Pokeball tower from the pinnacle school off in the distance. On the other side, I was treated to an endless expanse of blue, the sea stretching out seemingly forever, sparkling in the sunlight. Saying it was nice, was probably an understatement, the view was spectacular, here and down at the beachside home.

    Something else I found catching my eye even more than the gorgeous natural terrain around me were Pokemon. This location was supposedly quiet and calm compared to others (likely another draw and why my parents moved here), but there were still Pokemon all around me. In the skies, Wingulls sang freely and soared through the air, drifting lazily by, while Fletchings swooped around them, racing each other. On the ground, Lechonks milled about nibbling on grass, tiny Scatterbugs (yet still gigantic by my still adjusting standards of ¡®bug¡¯) tried to avoid being underfoot of the pig-like Pokemon or chased off by the more territorial Tarountula hanging down from tree branches. Out on the ocean, Buizel drifted on the surface, frolicking playfully with Finizens leaping out above the waves.

    I can¡¯t believe I missed all of this, even while I was disoriented remembering¡­ everything. Those thoughts still haunted me at times, especially at night, keeping me up and asking questions I had no answers to. ¡®How did I get here?¡¯ ¡®Why am I here?¡¯ ¡®Am I even myself still, or Nemona? Is she dead, or does she just have my memories? Is there a difference?¡¯ However it had happened, no one was showing up to give me the answers, so I just had to keep on moving forward every day. Admittedly, an easier thing to do when you live a life as blessed as mine.

    After an hour of exercise, I was marched back inside, as none of the maids or butlers wanted to spend hours on end just watching me run around, get tired, rest, and do it all again, over and over. Of course, while my body was busy, I was thinking and planning. I went straight online once I was done with my bath and no longer so sweaty.

    Politics (international and local), technology, business, geography, history, and of course the factor that tied them all together and more: Pokemon. I had so much I wanted to learn about this wonderful world and began voraciously devouring every scrap of information I could get.

    Some things were easy, a quick search on the Luugle (one of the main search engines the ¡®Pokenet¡¯ had) found the answer easily, for things like ¡®Results of X or Y tournament¡¯. Others I had to look through a few more articles. If I wanted to find ¡®common migratory patterns of Girafarig in Paldea¡¯, I¡¯d have to look up a few different posts on forums and other sites and cross reference that with the Map App to get a clearer picture. And even then, that¡¯s only because Girafarig is fairly common. Locations of Dragons like my beloved Axew are much closer kept secrets, with information on them scant.

    I suspected there was some group intentionally obscuring this knowledge since I knew from the games that there was a lake in the north that had tons of Dragons roaming about, and plenty of Dragon trainers too. I suspected the latter was obscuring the former. Wasn¡¯t Hassel part of a clan about that too?

    Unfortunately, as much as I liked the game, I was pretty casual and thus did not seem to be blessed with the perfect knowledge that other self-inserts gained. Isn¡¯t that why the genre exists in the first place? Future/meta-knowledge is the biggest cheat anyway, and I don¡¯t even get all of that or the random superpowers everyone else gets? Unfair!

    Aura was something I looked up extensively too, but to little avail. Most references about it were oblique, hidden things. Mentioning great trainers doing great things through ¡®physical and mental focus¡¯ or ¡®bringing out their hidden potential to save the day.¡¯ Hardly anything that would give me a place to begin. Honestly, I¡¯m not too upset about it. Even at its best, it doesn¡¯t feel like it lets you do much that a Pokemon wouldn¡¯t be able to do better. Still, if I can find a teacher, I would like to learn it. Just seems cool to have, and every trick or skill or edge I can get, I want to aim for.

    Anise, another of the maids looking after me and the house, came in to tuck me in for my nap. She was a bit older and a bit less enthusiastic about looking after me, unlike Leah, so when I said ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll go to bed now,¡± as I sat on the bed, I knew I didn¡¯t even have to pull the covers over me before she had closed the door again and I could go back to my online explorations. To be fair, sometimes I do actually nap. Never really liked napping in my old life, but a child¡¯s body works differently, and sometimes with the nightmares I don¡¯t get as much rest as I¡¯d like at night.

    Today however I was feeling fine, and so I motioned for Rotom to come back to me. ¡°Bzzt, are you sure you should keep on searching online? If I knew what you wanted I could compile some search results for you, Young Miss, bzzt.¡±

    So weird to be referred to as ¡®Young Miss¡¯ here. Feels¡­ like nobility or something, very much not what the majority of my memories are like. But I know Rotom means well and is just trying to help. ¡°No thanks, I¡¯m not even sure what I¡¯ll want to look up next. There were some forums I wanted to respond to as well.¡± Rotom gave out a digital sigh but allowed me to peruse the sites. I knew if they actually wanted me to stop, they would just tell Leah or my parents.

    My current search had to do with them, actually. My ¡®parents¡¯ had been so enamored by the performance they saw in Johto that they decided to buy nine Eevees after their trip, wanting to get their own set with the eight known evolutions and one base for their own little troupe. Not terrible in theory, but they¡¯re not home often enough to see their daughter¡­ uh, daughters I guess (still weird to think that about myself, but getting less). Let alone form the close bonds needed to evolve three of them into an Umbreon, Espeon, and Sylveon.

    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Besides, I¡¯d hung out with the Eeevees. While it was hard for me to communicate exactly with Pokemon, with a bit of trial and error, I got the impression that the Eevee¡¯s in question had different goals. Two of them were happy as they were, a third ambivalent. The fourth, fifth, and sixth were all hell demons ¡®energetic¡¯, and wanted to become Jolteons to be the fastest things around (and would often race each other to that end). The seventh wanted to be a Leafeon, and the eighth and ninth might have wanted to be Flareons, given how closely they huddled to the fireplace or oven.

    I brought up my concerns with Leah at lunch today, and she just waved me off. ¡°Oh yes. I imagine the Master and Mistress of the house will get bored of them soon and offer them to their friends or have Hamber sell them to someone else. Perhaps they¡¯ll even offer some to the staff; I think Anise has been eyeing one of them. I raised an eyebrow at that. Anise has been eyeing the Leafeon wannabe not because she wants an Eevee or Leafeon, but because he has the fluffiest tail of the group and wants to use him as a duster. I was more perturbed by how easily they talked about buying or selling Pokemon.

    In practice, buying or selling a Pokemon was seen as ¡®acceptable¡¯ because you were paying the person for ¡®facilitating a good match¡¯. Akin to how you¡¯d pay a matchmaker, but on a more platonic level. Or at least I will always hope so and take great pains to avoid any parts of the Pokenet that go further than that. My worry came from the fact that the regulations I looked up to ensure these laws were upheld were¡­ lax, to say the least.

    Both human parties have to sign an official document and send it into the League for any official sale. But there¡¯s nothing from there that guarantees any investigation of the matter! You could easily be putting a Pokemon where it doesn¡¯t want to be, giving it to someone abusive. And there are clearly people who capture Pokemon, fellow sentient creatures, solely to sell them off! I tried posting some of my concerns online, to see if there was something I was missing or if others agreed with me that we needed better protections, but got a bunch of people shouting me down instead.

    Things like: ¡®Pokemon are way stronger than humans, wtf are you worried about?¡¯

    I¡¯d answer: ¡®A lot of Pokemon in their first stages are weaker or easily trapped, especially if the people catching them use other Pokemon to keep the newly caught ones in line.¡¯ Which is kinda horrible to think about, but Pokemon are fully capable of thinking for themselves, which means they¡¯re just as capable of being bastards to each other as people are.

    They¡¯d counter: ¡®If the Pokemon doesn¡¯t want to be there, they can just break out of the ball whenever they want.¡¯

    I¡¯d respond: ¡®They could be hundreds or thousands of kilometers away from their homes with no way to get back.¡¯ Master Balls exist too, and while those are supposed to be highly regulated by the League, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if people with enough wealth and connections could get some. When I asked Leah about them, she just said they ¡°were very fancy¡±, which makes me think she¡¯s seen them before.

    Also, I¡¯d be accused of things like: ¡®Are you just a Team Plasma wannabe? We won¡¯t give up our Pokemon again for some mad scheme, loser.¡¯

    I¡¯d say: ¡®I do not agree with anything Ghetsis or his cult at the top tried to do, but the base idea of trying to make sure Pokemon are protected is a good one, and one we should take steps to achieve.¡¯ At least that maniac is gone. Most of the really evil teams have been dealt with already in this world. Pretty sure Rainbow Rocket never showed up in Alola this timeline though, so I should keep an eye out if they pop in with a bunch of failed other evil team bosses (and Ghetsis).

    Some more moderate posters said: ¡®Don¡¯t they track how Pokemon are traded? You can¡¯t trade more than a couple dozen every year, so why would anyone try and get involved in that?¡¯

    I¡¯d argue: ¡®Some rare Pokemon are traded for vast sums each. Also, there¡¯s no limits on how Pokemon are gifted to others, which means you could ¡®give¡¯ them to people working with you, letting you catch and trade hundreds through proxies.¡¯ I understand not wanting to limit how Pokemon that are passed on within families as people would get quite upset if they had a beloved Pokemon in their family they grew up with and wanted to take on their journey. But some of the ¡®top rated¡¯ traders seem suspiciously like there¡¯s one barely legal poacher and a bunch of cousins and close friends working with them.

    One interesting reply: ¡®Pokemon are to be protected from abuse. If you see someone hurting a Pokemon or other suspicious activities, then please report them to the League right away, and we¡¯ll do our best to investigate.

    Edit: and thank you for the information on traders that might be looking to skirt the rules, I¡¯ll look into that.¡¯

    Gratefully, I said back: ¡®Thank you for the hotline number, I appreciate it.¡¯ At least someone is taking my claims seriously. Ah, this user is tagged as an Official Member of the Pokemon League, username¡­ League_Official_Geeta, that makes sense. Huh, guess she isn¡¯t a Champion rank or Chairwoman yet. I wonder when that¡¯ll happen?

    Eventually, I gave up on trying to scream into the void and stopped posting on the forums, though I did keep a bit of an eye on them¡­ by which I meant I had Rotom look into it. I felt guilty, but Rotom quickly tried to reassure me. ¡°Bzzt, it¡¯s no problem young Miss. I can automatically alert you if anything comes up. I often scroll these forums anyways- ahem. I mean bzzt, that I¡­¡±

    I waved him off. ¡°It¡¯s fine if you want to spend some time online. I know I do plenty of that too. What do you tend to look up anyways?¡±

    Rotom blushed, which I was not aware was something they could do, possessing a phone and all. ¡°Just some stuff looking into artificially created Pokemon bzzt. Porygon can also inhabit machines like I can bzzt, but in an entirely different way. Bzzt, I also like listening to Rhyme¡¯s raps.¡± They admitted.

    ¡°Cool.¡± Rap wasn¡¯t my favorite genre of music, but I did like some of the Youtube ciphers back in my old world that had some Pokemon-based raps and Rhyme was pretty good at what she did. ¡°She¡¯s a Ghost type gym leader too, right? Makes sense you¡¯d like her.¡±

    ¡°Actually, you¡¯re mistaken, bzzt.¡± I blanched as I realized that was a bit of future knowledge I¡¯d mixed up again. ¡°It¡¯s her sister, Tyme, that''s the Rock-type Gym Leader though, so that¡¯s an easy mistake to make, bzzt.¡±

    Hearing the sounds of footsteps approaching the door, I quickly assumed the position of a good, sleeping girl for Anise to ¡®wake¡¯ me up for dinner.

    Dinner was an interesting affair, to say the least. While I was getting used to the extravagance of our home, and I could definitely appreciate the delectable food, my family was a different story¡­

    ¡°And earlier today, I think I saw¡­ a commoner,¡± Billy said in tones one might use to say they had encountered a Legendary, to a level of shock from his wife which matched that, who gasped out loud.

    ¡°No! Really?¡±

    ¡°Yes! It was just for a moment, I think they mumbled something about getting lost from the touring group, and by the time I had rubbed my eyes in disbelief, they were gone!¡± Despite being in an anime-esque world, somehow a giant drop of sweat did not appear on my forehead at the ridiculousness of this all. They do know they¡¯re surrounded by commoners right now, don¡¯t they? The staff counts too.

    I looked over at Leah, who caught my glance and slowly but firmly shook her head and raised a finger to her lips, warning me to keep quiet. Laughing, I took a quick sip of water, to hide my reaction, and my new ¡®sister¡¯ rolled her eyes. Either at me or our parents, it was hard to tell.

    The topic moved on, and they addressed us. ¡°Girls, why don¡¯t you tell us about your days?¡± O¡¯Nare brightly asked myself and Cyan.

    Cyan spoke up first, eagerly puffing up with pride. ¡°My tutors taught me algebra. They said I was very advanced for being able to solve for ¡®X¡¯ right away.¡±

    Billy clapped his hands together. ¡°Yes, bravo! Truly you¡¯re a shining star of the Glitterati family.¡±

    ¡°Those lessons will do you well in calculating the values needed, for income tax or phone shipments.¡± O¡¯Nare added. ¡°Have you decided which business you want to pursue?¡± Jeez, isn¡¯t that a bit much? She¡¯s only ten.

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± The white-haired girl said, frozen like a deer in the headlights. Yes, I¡¯m still going to call them ¡®deer¡¯, regular animals exist in this world too you know! They¡¯re rare, and we can only eat meals like this rib-eye steak because our parents are so rich, but still. A lot of the phrases wouldn¡¯t even translate well - ¡®sheepish¡¯ works because sheep are often a little nervous and can¡¯t conjure lightning to electrocute you! And also don¡¯t grow up to become a kangaroo dragon thing. Man, the Mareep line is pretty weird, though kinda cool.

    Seeing that my sister was still floundering, I decided to step in. ¡°I had a good day today,¡± I announced loudly. ¡°I ran a lot and lasted a bit longer than yesterday, and then I looked up a bunch about Pokemon battling.¡±

    I knew Cyan looked up to our parents a lot, which is why she never wanted to disappoint either one of them. They were also busy enough with work that we basically only saw them at dinner time.

    Despite that, she didn¡¯t seem to appreciate my save, sneering in a manner that would be subtle¡­ for a ten-year-old. ¡°What good is looking up Pokemon battles?¡±

    ¡°Plenty, considering I¡¯m gonna be the Champion.¡± I fired back. You can have both of our parents'' companies, battling is all I need. Well, not all I need, but, I mean who could get reborn into Pokemon and not want to ¡®be the best?¡¯ We all gotta want that, at least a little bit. Part of that desire might also be coming from the original Nemona, I didn¡¯t know. I doubted I would be quite as crazed about battling as her (or at least, would probably conceal it better if I was), but this was definitely what I wanted.

    ¡°I think you mean ¡®champion ranked trainer¡¯,¡± Cyan tried correcting, though she was still a bit off-balanced by my declaration.

    ¡°No, not just Champion ranked, the strongest Champion. I¡¯ll be the next La Primera!¡± The title Nemona always should have had in the games, being a far greater challenge than Geeta was. Honestly, I felt like the only reason she wasn¡¯t declared as such was because Geeta didn¡¯t want there to be that much pressure placed on a teenager''s shoulders. But I¡¯m not really a kid, am I? I¡¯ll be able to take it all on when the time comes.

    ¡°Oh how magnificent! With your drive you¡¯ll make for an excellent champion!¡±

    ¡°How spectacular! Aim for the top to always push past your limits!¡±

    Billy and O¡¯Nare exclaimed and I could practically see the stars in their eyes. Isn¡¯t this a bit much for a child just randomly saying they want to be a Champion? I mean, they aren¡¯t wrong here, I have the drive and the skill to do so, especially if I get started now - did they see all of that instantly from just a few words? I eyed them suspiciously for a moment before shaking the thought away as silly.

    Abruptly, Cyan pushed her chair back. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry any more,¡± she mumbled, her eyes growing wet. Before she could break out into tears she rushed off, practically running from the room.

    ¡°Hmm, well it is good not to overeat when you¡¯re at your limit,¡± O¡¯Nare said. I (barely) resisted the urge to face-palm. Yeah, they love us but they aren¡¯t the most perceptive. Not that noticing the problem helps me solve it. How do I live up to Nemona¡¯s potential while not stifling her sister¡¯s?

    It was a question I couldn¡¯t figure out the answer to over dinner, or before I went to bed that night. Despite that and other things weighing me down, I was happy with the day. Every day I¡¯ll grow and learn a little more, until I become¡­ me, whoever that is.

    ***

    That was the average day I¡¯d settled into in the first few months of having my restored memories, but it couldn¡¯t stay that way forever.

 Chapter 4

    With a grunt, I managed to shove the last toy into the box, the container practically bursting at the seems(but all the toys placed in such a way that wouldn¡¯t damage any of them, of course), before closing the lid shut. Then I began pushing it over to the corner of the room where my little kiddie table was.

    ¡°Bzzt, are you sure about this?¡± Rotom asked hovering concernedly over me. Grunting, I pushed the box over to the corner.

    ¡°Whew.¡± I know my stamina still isn¡¯t great, but I can understand being tired at pushing that thing around. It was like a treasure chest full of toys! An adventuring party could easily find 100 gold pieces worth of children¡¯s toys in there. I chuckled to myself before waving off Rotom. ¡°Nevermind just thought of something funny. As to what you were saying, it¡¯s fine. I need to make some space for the new desk that¡¯s coming in today, and it¡¯s not like I¡¯m throwing the toys out or anything.¡±

    That statement was half true; realistically, I could have easily fit the desk into my room and had a corner full of plushies, spin tops, action figures, and more. I¡¯d been hesitant to move, even touch any of them at first. As days passed, I grew to accept my situation, at least enough to start living and interacting with the pieces of Nemona¡¯s life before I remembered everything. Treating everything like a mausoleum had been depressing.

    I even tried playing with them. Unfortunately, children¡¯s toys just weren¡¯t that interesting to me anymore. Many were probably just bought on a whim and made of cheap material. I had fleeting memories of her, or maybe better said would be my past self, seeing an add of t.v. or a toy in a stand and asking for it immediately. This is why my room is so full of junk!! Even the better ones just weren¡¯t that fun to play with. Nothing like Lego existed in this world, which was the first time I was actually disappointed with it compared to my previous world.

    Grabbing a pen and paper from the small table, I wrote down: ¡®Note to self - make Lego¡¯. It joined a pile of other papers I had there. Several other half-formed ideas and plans were there. Stories, some ¡®original¡¯ and others adapted from my world were being plotted out. It was difficult as many themes didn¡¯t fit this world or needed adjustment to fit and hopefully one day achieve the same success they had in my world.

    Rotom had offered to help, and I did take them up on it a lot, transcribing some of my ideas, but I liked writing. The act of putting pen to paper, or keystrokes to keyboard, helped me better envision what I wanted and was thinking of. This was part of why I was getting a desk, I was writing so much that I needed a place to properly sit down and work.

    Looking at my messy table, I started gathering and organizing the different papers into their piles. Mostly it was based on how far developed they were and the like, but there were some personal papers like a journal I¡¯d taken to writing. I never really wrote in journals before outside of school assignments, but I figured this would be good, to look back at once I¡¯d been here for many years (and all signs pointed to me being in this for the long run). It also helped remind me in oblique ways about my future/past meta-knowledge. Of course, I had more direct notes on those things, legends, and myths that I knew to be oh too true, but those papers were hidden away.

    Like the locations of the four Treasures of Ruin. The Beads, Tablets, Vessel, and Sword. While I know that others can research them and theoretically find the seals, I don¡¯t believe anyone has yet, much less know where all the stakes are. Admittedly, my memories on the stakes locations are vague, but I also know the requirements for how one could pull them out. You could just take a child to them and have the innocent kid release powerful Darkness on the land. Not that they don¡¯t have an effect already.

    I had previously theorized that humans had developed resistance to Psychic powers or Ghostly possession over time, but I have since revised that. While it was likely somewhat true, it was only to the same degree that people in this world were naturally a bit tougher. There were much greater signs of such danger and more stringent laws and countermeasures in other countries. Some professors had theorized that Paldeans were simply more ¡®naturally¡¯ resistant to such things, but I had other ideas on the matter. Historical accounts list the old Kings and Queens of often being despots and make allusions to them using Psychic Pokemon to coerce their rivals. But that all ended a thousand years ago. The same time the Treasures were sealed.

    It was all conjecture on my part, but Legendary Pokemon had a significant effect on the world around them. Who was to say that even sealed, the four Legendary Dark type Pokemon didn¡¯t have a similar effect on Paldea? Their energies were diffuse, so not enough to stop or even weaken such attacks in battle, but slowly would break down any mental hold a Ghost or Psychic type might establish over a few hours or days.

    ¡°What¡¯s ¡®Lego¡¯?¡± Rotom asked, peering down at what I just wrote.

    ¡°Oh, It¡¯s an idea I had for some toys. They¡¯re designed in interconnecting colorful plastic bricks of different shapes and sizes so you build them together to make all sorts of structures. Ideally, they¡¯d be sold in pre-designed sets, with instructions on how to make a certain or a couple of different designs. But you could also buy bulk pieces and mix and match pieces from sets to make anything you want!¡±

    ¡°Why are they called ¡®Lego¡¯ though, bzzt?¡± They asked. Ah, right, can¡¯t say it¡¯s knowledge from a toy company from another world.

    ¡°Uhh, because they need to be sturdy to connect well, but that also means that the bricks will sometimes get stuck together when you¡¯re trying to disassemble them. So you might yell ¡®let go¡¯ alot.¡±

    ¡°I see,¡± they said in a tone that indicated they very much did not. Still, they added ¡°bzzt, this seems like quite an inventive idea. I look forward to seeing you develop this.¡± It¡¯s just an idle thought, not sure if I¡¯ll have the time to start a big company like that or anything. But I could ensure that Bionicle lasts longer- no, I have to focus on becoming the Champion!

    ¡°Right. Thanks, Rotom.¡± Then a message sound interrupted both of us. ¡°What was that?¡± It was unusual for anyone to send me a message, at least beyond Billy or O¡¯Nare occasionally letting me know directly that they wouldn¡¯t be able to make it back home in time for dinner/before my bedtime. If they even remembered to send that. They try to see us every couple of days or so, and I get how their jobs would keep them busy. Still not sure it¡¯s the best for raising kids, no matter how pampered we are. At least they aren¡¯t forcing me to wear the same gaudy outfits they do. Even outside of vacation wear, Billy and O¡¯Nare¡¯s outfits had way too much gold for my tastes.

    ¡°Bzzt, it looks like they¡¯re planning on changing your schedule. You¡¯ve been doing so well and flying ahead in your studies that they¡¯re planning on teaching you the same curriculum as the Young Master.¡± Rotom was beaming while I was internally despairing.

    No no no, this is bad. It means I¡¯ll have less time to write in my own notes and plans. Sure, it means I can avoid the dreaded ¡®finger painting¡¯, but I was pretty much able to do that already, just asking for a brush whenever given that as part of my ¡®studies¡¯. It just caused my tutors to ¡®ooh¡¯ and ¡®aww¡¯ over how smart I was¡­ which is probably part of why I¡¯m stuck with this! More importantly though, Cyan¡­ My new sister, Cyan, was the one any of the staff referred to as ¡®Young Master.¡¯ She was nice enough, but had been getting more and more upset recently, and directly proportional to how much people had begun praising my ¡®brilliance¡¯.

    She¡¯s quite intelligent and diligent for a ten-year-old. I can totally see how she¡¯d end up taking over for her parents - our parents - in the future. It¡¯s hardly fair for anyone to compare her to me though. But how do I avoid that?

    ¡°Hey, Rotom, can we go see Cyan?¡±

    ¡°Hmm bzzt. She is in the middle of her studies right now¡­¡±

    ¡°Which means it¡¯s perfect for me to see what it¡¯ll be like! C¡¯mon,¡± I said, quickly moving past any of their concerns and to Cyan¡¯s room. Knocking once, I entered.

    Her room was fairly similar to mine. Way too big, a light fixture far too fancy to be in a child¡¯s bedroom, and with a massive bed and walk-in closet. Where it differed was the fact that it had a bunch of bookshelves about three feet high, filled with a variety of books, and on top of which sat her toys. The walls were also painted a light blue, which I thought looked better than the orange in my room. It also had a desk where Cyan was sitting at, having turned to glare at me.

    ¡°Nims, what do you want?¡± She asked, seeming annoyed by my intrusion. She had been hunched over a set of books on mathematics. In my best ¡®little sibling¡¯ attitude, I hopped up onto her desk (which was large enough that even with her books spread out it had space and the structural integrity for me to sit on it).

    ¡°I wanted to see what you¡¯re doing. Rotom said I¡¯m gonna be studying the same stuff as you are, so I wanted to see it.¡± Rotom diligently floated up, a look on their ¡®face¡¯ that tried to show how they had tried to stop this and how discomforted they were by it all. For just a set of eyes and a mouth, they do a surprisingly good job of it.

    ¡°What!?¡± Cyan shrieked. ¡°How could they think- you¡¯re five!¡± She said, as if that explained everything. In a way it kinda does, but I just need you to play along a bit.

    ¡°Yeah! Ooh, what¡¯s this stuff?¡± I asked, looking at one of the sheets she¡¯d been working on. It was mostly multiplication or division, but there were a few algebra questions on it too at the bottom.

    She snatched the paper out of my hands. ¡°This is far too advanced for you. Do you even know your multiplication tables?¡±

    ¡°Uhh, Rotom, bring up multiplication tables.¡± I said, doing my best to sound innocent.

    ¡°Yes young mis-¡±

    ¡°No! Rotom, stop that!¡± Cyan yelled, stomping her feet. I noticed she was wearing little white shoes to go with her white sundress today. ¡°That¡¯s cheating.¡±

    Rotom looked torn between the two of us, before eventually something in my expression caused them to turn to Cyan. ¡°Yes, Young Master. I¡¯m sorry Young Miss, but you¡¯ll need to solve these problems on your own.¡±

    Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°Aww,¡± I faux pouted for about half a second before perking up again. ¡°Alright, what are the questions?¡±

    Cyan looked a bit dazed at the quick turnabout but quickly recovered. ¡°Fine, if you have seven great balls, and you sell them for seven hundred Pokedollars each, how much will you make? Ah, going for a word question right away to trip me up. 4900 is the answer, but I don¡¯t want to get it right. 7700? 770? Those seem like answers a child would get and be completely wrong¡­ but that might be a bit too suspicious, given they¡¯re only thinking of moving me up so far in the first place because of how smart I¡¯d shown myself to be.

    My attempts at ¡®disguising¡¯ my intelligence had thus far not gone well¡­ mostly because I gave up trying less than a week in. There was just way too much to learn to hold myself back that much! But I needed to, here. After a minute of seeming deep in thought about the question, I said: ¡°Four hundred and twen- no, four thousand two hundred.¡±

    Rotom looked surprised, while Cyan was gleeful. ¡°Nope! It¡¯s four thousand nine hundred,¡± she proudly declared. She gave me a few more questions of lesser difficulty. I got some right, but plenty wrong before my sister said ¡°I think this might be a bit much for you. Now quit bothering me so I can get back to work.¡± Then in a softer tone, she added ¡°We can hang out after, ok?¡±

    ¡°Okie dokie,¡± I responded cheerfully before heading out. Alright, that¡¯s one problem dealt with-

    Rotom waited until outside the hallway to cut into my thoughts. ¡°That was very kind of you, Nemona.¡±

    ¡°H-huh?¡± I stuttered turning to face the Plasma Pokemon.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, bzzt. I won¡¯t tell your parents about this.¡± ¡®About the fact that I purposefully failed at answering those questions¡¯. I¡¯m surprised that Rotom saw right through me. ¡°I still think you¡¯ll be moved up to some more advanced material though, if not surpassing Young Master quite yet,¡± They continued.

    Part of me felt bad that I hadn¡¯t been nearly sneaky enough. I knew I¡¯d be different with all these memories in my head, but had hoped that some things would just be brushed off as growing up, or like my working out, be seen as close enough to Nemona¡¯s usual hyperactivity to be waved off. Mostly though, I was just glad to have an ally by my side.

    ¡°Thanks, Rotom.¡±

    ¡°Ahem.¡± We both whipped around to see Cyan glaring at us.

    ¡°Ah, Cyan. Uhh, how much of that did you hear-¡±

    ¡°All of it!¡± She snapped walking angrily towards me. I took a step back, caught between fight-or-flight instincts. ¡°You barely left my room before you started bragging about how you tricked me!¡±

    Tears were starting to well in her eyes and I needed to deflect her anger fast before it spiraled out of control. ¡°You were out of my line of sight! That meant you stopped existing!¡±

    ¡°Wha- No! You have object permanence, I know it!¡± Sticking out my tongue a bit might have helped her deductions along there. Her rage evaporated (for the moment) and was replaced with exasperation and annoyance, she grabbed me and we wrestled for a moment, as siblings are wont to do.

    She was much taller and stronger than me, but I had grappling experience from over two decades of martial arts practice. I didn¡¯t try to use any serious moves (she was just trying to noogie me after all), but even with a better understanding of weight, force, and joint motions, I was just able to avoid getting pinned down too long, not turn the tables on her.

    After a minute of that, we were both panting, tired. Damn, I guess low stamina runs in the family. ¡°Hah, hah. How can you be better at this too? It¡¯s not fair.¡± She whined, and I heard a small sniffle too.

    Well, she¡¯s not angry now, but sad isn¡¯t much better. Maybe I can clear things up¡­ without revealing too much of myself. I don¡¯t think she could handle it if she found out I was someone else reincarnated as her sister. Or her sister given all these other memories, or whatever. A part of me also wondered if I was just using that as an excuse because I didn¡¯t want to see how they would react, but I shut that part of me up.

    ¡°Can we talk in your room?¡± I asked. She frowned but nodded, and we walked back inside.

    She sat down on her massive four-corner bed, making it clear that despite the vast amount of space on it, there was no room for me. ¡°What do you want? To rub it in my face how much smarter than me you are?¡± Sullen, but not back to angry, yet at least.

    ¡°No, I just¡­ wanted to explain. You¡¯re intelligent too, and you don¡¯t need to compare yourself to me.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know all those stupid little facts that you know!¡±

    ¡°If they¡¯re stupid, why does it matter if I know them?¡± I countered.

    ¡°Argh! Because everyone else thinks that you¡¯re so great, and they¡¯re all looking at you and talking about you. They don¡¯t look at me that way.¡± Close, but we aren¡¯t at the heart of the issue. I think I need to push a bit to get her to bring them up first though.

    ¡°People are dumb. They think that knowing some things are ¡®worth¡¯ more than other things.¡± A nuclear physicist might say that knowledge of Pokemon was frivolous, but how would they fair if they then ended up in this world? ¡°Besides, they¡¯re only acting that way because it¡¯s new. Give it a bit, and they¡¯ll all just take it as fact, be disappointed when I don¡¯t live up to the new expectations they set for me.¡±

    That was something I was actually worried about, and part of why I still wanted to learn so much. I liked living up to expectations, doing the right thing. This was all fake, though. A bit of extra experience and maturity didn¡¯t intrinsically make one a genius, so I have to keep on studying and learning to try and present myself as the genuine article. Though, to be fair, I enjoy learning too. It¡¯s an incredible world here.

    ¡°So you say. Mom and Dad are still paying attention to you and not me!¡± Cyan spat out.

    ¡°They¡¯re¡­ honestly they aren¡¯t paying great attention to either of us. They don¡¯t see me any more often than they do you. And they care about you and what you do too! They¡¯d be thrilled to have you running the Rotom Company and the Paldean Realty Group!¡±

    ¡°But what if I don¡¯t want that?! I just want them to, to notice me.¡± That got her to curl in on herself, tucking her legs up and wrapping her arms around her knees.

    I took it as an invitation to sit with her on the bed. ¡°That¡¯s a tough one. They do care for us, but they aren¡¯t the best at noticing¡­ things.¡± Understatement of the century. ¡°Just try to be yourself and talk to them when you can. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll appreciate anything you do.¡±

    ¡°Stop showing off then.¡± My sister grumbled and I huffed in response.

    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m trying to. Honestly didn¡¯t want this in the first place, happier just to try and discover things at my own pace, hopping from topic to topic as I could find them online.¡± It was hard to just focus on one thing, and I¡¯d find my mind would drift to something else if given a moment. I¡¯d had that problem somewhat in my old life, but it was amped up now, in Nemona¡¯s child-body.

    ¡°Try harder,¡± was Cyan¡¯s unhelpful ¡®advice¡¯. She blew the few red strands of hair that had fallen down out of her face and added ¡°I wish I had something super cool that I could show off too. What happened to make you so smart and, and¡­ self-assured.¡±

    ¡°Hey, none of that. You¡¯re plenty smart too.¡± Not many other 11-year-olds would use ¡®self assured¡¯. ¡°As for seeming confident, that¡¯s all it is.¡± Lowering my voice as if letting her in on a big secret I added ¡°It¡¯s that way for everyone else too. No one really knows it all, some people are just better at pretending than others.¡±

    ¡°What about mom and dad?¡± She shot back, able to argue back even while feeling down on herself.

    ¡°They don¡¯t know everything either, they just¡­ are so good at pretending they fool themselves.¡± Hope that was a polite enough way to say ¡®your parents are kinda idiots.¡¯ Our parents. Shit. When that did not cheer her up, I added ¡°Look, we just have to show them something cool you can do too. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll appreciate that.¡± Of that, I had no doubt. The Glitterati¡¯s weren¡¯t malicious, just a bit oblivious.

    ¡°I can¡¯t do anything better than you, so what¡¯s the point?¡± She said, her words muffled as she found a pillow on her bed, and was lying face-down on it.

    You¡¯re better at guilt tripping than me, I thought but didn¡¯t say. With a sigh, I calmed down and tried to think of something that would help. Getting up, I marched over to her desk, and after a moment of cursing my currently tiny body, climbed up on top of the chair to look at her work.

    ¡°You won''t find anything special there,¡± she moaned. In one way, she was correct - her work was quite good but hardly ¡®special¡¯. I could spot a few tiny errors in some of her math here and there. But in the margins on her pages, I saw something quite interesting.

    ¡°Wait right there, I¡¯ve got something I need to show you.¡± Without waiting for a response, I rushed into my room, grabbed some of the papers I had sorted, and then ran back. ¡°So, I had this idea for a comic, about a guy who was-¡±

    ¡°Is this just you doing more bragging?¡± She interrupted me.

    ¡°No, I was getting to it. So I had this idea for a superhero comic and- well look at my drawing.¡± I held out two pages to her. One was her studies with an intricately drawn flower in the corner, while mine was¡­

    ¡°That looks like a fine Magmar to me,¡± Cyan cocked her head to the side, trying to figure out what the problem was.

    ¡°Uhh, that¡¯s supposed to be a man in an Ariados themed costume.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, oh. So, I¡¯m not the greatest artist, at all. But I have visions, ideas of stories I want to tell. They could use your help to make them come to life. Can we¡­ can we work together on this?¡± Can we stop being enemies? Please?

    The white-haired girl sat still for a minute before she got up and shook her head. Not in disagreement, but more like she was shaking out all the bad thoughts from before. ¡°Alright, tell me what you want to see. Your ¡®vision¡¯.¡±

    ¡°Awesome!¡± I pumped my fist in the air. ¡°Ok, so Petey Parkour is bitten by a mystical Spinarak one day, and after feeling sick for a bit, he suddenly finds himself imbued with incredible powers¡­¡±

    ***

    ¡°Hey, mom, dad, we have something to show you.¡± I said before we sat down for dinner. Cyan was standing by my side, looking pretty nervous, but there was a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

    ¡°Oh? What do you have for us?¡± O¡¯Nare asked.

    Pulling out the comic from behind my back I presented it to them. ¡°Ta da!¡± It was only a dozen pages long, and she hadn¡¯t had time to color any more than the front page of our first issue of the ¡®Amazing Fantasy¡¯ comic, but there were the fruits of our labor.

    Billy joined her as they took the papers and started reading through them. They were for one of the first times I¡¯d seen them, completely silent. Cyan¡¯s grip on my hand tightened and she looked about to say something, probably to apologize, but I shook my head. Don¡¯t worry that it¡¯s bad. You did a great job with Spider-Man.

    ¡°This. Is. Incredible!!!¡± Billy and O¡¯Nare exclaimed together.

    ¡°We need to put this in a glass case so it never gets damaged!¡± O¡¯Nare said.

    ¡°We need to start a magazine company and start selling this to the world right away!¡± Billy declared.

    They grabbed us both in a big hug as they each made ever prouder declarations, though with different ideas from them. Are they just coming up with a bunch of stuff and bouncing off each other or arguing? Hard to tell, they¡¯re too happy about it.

    ¡°No, no, it¡¯s just a first try, we haven¡¯t even got any villains or anything in there yet- it¡¯s not even fully colored!¡± Cyan rambled. From the way her face was as red as the one non-white lock of hair she had, I could tell she was embarrassed. The wide grin she couldn¡¯t help but keep on her face showed how happy she was, though, and I couldn¡¯t be happier either. Maybe it¡¯s not so bad, being reborn into this family.

 Chapter 5

    My schedule did change a bit with my tutors giving me more advanced assignments. Occasionally they¡¯d come in person, but most just held the sessions over video call. I wasn¡¯t sure if it had to do with the Ghost (Type) within the machine or some other technical advancement in this world, but such video calls went very smoothly and never had lag or connectivity issues.

    More things than just my study curriculum changed. Honestly, doing the work of a third grader wasn¡¯t all that different for me than that of a kindergartener. Especially with Rotom helping cover for me, I can still spend tons of time looking up battles and stuff!

    As one would expect, battling was not like it was in the games. One glance at competitive matches showed that. ¡°Look at Champion Iris go! This is her Hydregion¡¯s fifth Draco Meteor!¡± Despite that, the three-headed monster gave a mighty cry, the attack rained down as strong as the first attack had, only looking a bit more winded than before. Stat changes aren¡¯t as permanent or strictly defined as they are in the games. Some boosts only last a little while, some debuffs can with the right training, just tire out the Pokemon a bit more instead.

    No turn order or Move set limitations like that meant that people fought in very different ways. Oftentimes I¡¯d see someone give an order to do an attack that wasn¡¯t super effective, or even was not very effective, just because it was faster, or had better range than an attack that in a turn-based game, wouldn¡¯t have been the right choice. Of course, sometimes even in professional battles, mistakes are made, or adapted around.

    It was a subject of much debate in online communities, looking back on big matches to see what strategies were good, the best for the time, or actually incorrect, all viewed through the lens of hindsight. I decided to try and watch a lot of these famous battles before researching what people thought of them after the fact, comparing my insights at the moment to those of the wider world later.

    ¡°Bzzt, that¡¯s the third Iris video you¡¯ve watched in the last hour. Do you really like her?¡± Rotom inquired. I¡¯d gotten more used to the device I was watching, asking me questions and occasionally commenting on what I was doing. It was actually quite nice, having a friend constantly around and interested in what I was into.

    ¡°Hmm? Oh, she¡¯s fine. Her Pokemon are what are truly impressive though.¡± Admittedly, I really liked Dragon Types - hardly an uncommon sentiment from kids my age¡­ but I wasn¡¯t exactly ¡®my age¡¯, was I?

    Oh well, they¡¯re cool as heck. Maybe I¡¯m ¡®basic¡¯ for liking Dragon Types, for Charizard being my favorite starter, but they¡¯re popular for a reason.

    ¡°Her Hydergion is quite, uh, something, bzzt. Do you like it?¡± They had an odd lilt to their voice as they asked the question as if they were nervous or something.

    ¡°Oh, it¡¯s pretty cool.¡± Hydregion was definitely up there on my list of favorite Pokemon. Almost all of the pseudo-legendaries are awesome. ¡°A shame that it¡¯s got that double weakness to Fairy though. But, to be fair, most dragons have one double weakness.¡±

    ¡°They do, bzzt?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Dragons are naturally weak to Ice, and a ton of them are dual Flying Typed, which also has that weakness- oh, it¡¯s here!¡± I interrupted my train of thought to focus on the main star of this video. Gleaming in greenish-yellow scaled plating, a black underbelly, and crimson-tipped claws and tusks, Haxorus gave a mighty roar as he entered the field.

    ¡°Dragon Dance, then use Dragon Claw!¡± The Unovan champion shouted, and her dragon followed the command with grace. It managed to make the sinuous movements of dragon dance align with dodging the opposing Gengar¡¯s Shadow Balls, and then rush ahead at lightning speed with its glowing claws, rending into the ghost and knocking it out in seconds.

    ¡°Woohoo!¡± I cheered, watching her Haxorus sweep the rest of the team. I already knew how this battle was going to end, having seen the results online before, but it was fun to watch, and informative. The end results didn¡¯t let me see the techniques and tricks used to achieve those results.

    ¡°You really like Haxorus, don¡¯t you.¡± It wasn¡¯t so much a question as it was an observation from Rotom, but I explained a bit more anyway.

    ¡°Oh yeah, they¡¯re probably my favorite Type of Pokemon. So fast and strong, a physical powerhouse! Here, he¡¯s using Outrage, one of the strongest Moves a Dragon Type can learn¡­¡± I rambled on as the match continued, extolling the virtues of Haxorus. The one reason I didn¡¯t mention loving them for was probably the most relevant, however.

    Haxorus was one of my most memorable team members from the games. I trained up an Axew in Pokemon White on my first playthrough. The XP balance was wack in that game, so it took forever to train him, but I wanted a Haxorus for the Elite Four. Then came N with his giant castle summoning trick, and I fought through Plasma and captured Zekrom. I thought I had to put Zekrom on my team, but when I tried to refuse, I found out I could! So I boxed Zekrom, and kept my original team up against N. Haxorus was up first, against Reshiram, and when he managed to just barely beat a Legendary on his own¡­ It was incredible. One of the greatest moments I¡¯ve ever had in a game. And now I get to live it for real!

    As the video ended, Rotom reminded me ¡°Bzzt, you¡¯ve got some more work planned with Cyan, don¡¯t you? You should probably get changed out of your pajamas.¡± They not-quite reprimanded. On the one hand, it was past noon, but on the other, my new pajamas were super comfy. On the third hand, so were my other clothes. On the fourth hand, to round out the Machamp dilemma-based metaphor, I hadn¡¯t had to go out yet today as I just had some online assignments I completed early on, but could probably change now.

    Dismissing Rotom who had some ¡®things to discuss with Leah¡¯, I got changed. My caretakers had taken note of my sudden changes (mostly just chalked to ¡®growing up¡¯) and made sure to start buying fewer dresses, thankfully. These days I wore pretty much just cargo pants and t-shirts. Hoodies when it was a little chilly. It was colder when I first remembered my past life, but as summer was coming and it got warmer, I started wearing shorts more often. It¡¯s funny, I didn¡¯t like shorts at all in my old life, at least not on me. I don¡¯t mind them here. Might change as I grow up though. A prospect I was still dreading, but there wasn¡¯t anything I could do to avoid it.

    Getting changed, I walked over to my sister¡¯s room and found her in there watching a stream. Not wanting to interrupt her and knowing it was about five minutes from the end, I just settled in beside her, pulling up the other chair in the room. She loved streamers, as I found out and with our much-improved relationship, she would invite me to watch some with her.

    Iono was already around, and had a sizeable following but wasn¡¯t super popular yet, still a little too early for her to hit the ¡®big leagues¡¯. Likewise, she wasn¡¯t a Gym Leader either, but I knew much could change in ten years.

    I wasn¡¯t too keen on any of them, but there were plenty of streamers Cyan adored on the Pokenet. She liked this one streamer called ¡®Garbinator¡¯. His gimmick seemed to be reviewing things and either calling them ¡®Spicy¡¯ or ¡®Garbodor¡¯, and would toss whatever the product or CD was of the bad stuff to his Garbodor, who would happily chew it up. I get the idea of listening to someone else review the thing, but these are pretty much just reaction videos that cover 90% of the show, spoil everything, and somehow get more views than the original content! I don¡¯t even like watching sports that much since it means I¡¯m not there, doing the cool thing. Watching Pokemon battles was fine though, since it could give me more ideas on how I¡¯d train up my future team.

    I invited her to train and go on runs with me a few times, but she gave up after one outing. She barely even did as much as I did, and that¡¯s like, half of what I could manage working out back in my first world! Admittedly, half of what a fit adult could do is probably pretty impressive by most standards. Something in me churned every time I¡¯d see a video of the massive destructive powers a truly experienced Pokemon could manage. I might not be able to do that, but I know there¡¯s so much further that I can go than where I am now.

    After the stream was done, Cyan turned to me and said ¡°Why do you have to wear stuff like that?¡± She said glaring down at my cargo pants. ¡°It¡¯s so unfashionable!¡± She didn¡¯t sound as scandalized as the first time she had seen me in them, but this was clearly a battle she wasn¡¯t going to give up right away.

    ¡°They have pockets! So many pockets.¡± I countered eloquently, showing her the many pockets I had. I didn¡¯t have anything to hold in them right now, but it was the principle of the matter.

    ¡°I need to show you real fashion sometime. Whatever,¡± she sighed before pulling out some of the comics we had been working on, and the story-boarding ideas I had given her. ¡°I had some issues with this.¡±

    ¡°Yeah? With what?¡± Does she not like the constant alliteration? It might be a bit much, but I have to be true to the source material!

    ¡°Doc Octillery betraying Petey. I really don¡¯t like it. She was a good person and a mentor to Petey, it feels like the betrayal comes out of nowhere!¡± Cyan crossed her arms, pouting.

    ¡°Well, it is meant to be a shocking swerve. Gotta keep the readers hooked for the next issue.¡± I argued.

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it just a rehash of what happened with Curtis Corners before he becomes Lizardon?¡±

    I stopped at her argument, realizing she did have a pretty solid point there. ¡°I mean, I didn¡¯t have Curtis as much of a mentor to Petey as Octavia was, but you¡¯re right. I do kinda need Doc Octillery to make the Savage Six, hmmm¡­ oh! I know, Doc Octillery will seem like she¡¯s turned against Petey, but actually she was being controlled by the Green Grimmsnarl!¡±

    She smiled, mollified by my suggestion. ¡°Good idea, you said the Green Grimmsnarl was gonna be his archneme-nem- enemy, right? That can help, umm foreshadow their rivalry. And then Octavia and Petey can fight him together.¡±

    ¡°Yeah!¡± I cheered and we got down to writing. It was a fair bit of actual work, figuring out the art, panel layouts, speech bubble placement, colors, and everything else to fit with the plot. I didn¡¯t mind though, it was a lot of fun, to hang out with my new sister and our parents adored our work.

    Later that day, Leah asked me what my favorite Pokemon was. I¡¯d often get asked which ones I liked and had opinions (to the point that people usually stopped asking me that), but she insisted, even when I tried saying I liked all of them.

    ¡°Well, Rotom might have already told you, but I like Haxorus a bunch.¡± Can¡¯t exactly mention Legendaries or Mythicals as my ¡®favorite¡¯ then, and I¡¯m guessing Ultra Beasts and Paradox Pokemon fit into those same categories. Legendaries definitely fit the name in this world, and were often revered as such. You wouldn¡¯t just throw out the name of a being in some lands worshiped as deities as your ¡®favorite¡¯. Oh sure, there were some people that could fight Legendaries with their whole teams, or even their ace Pokemon. Of course, those people were Champions or World Champions. Even then, it¡¯s never a guaranteed thing.

    She blinked, suddenly sweating a bit. Is the heat getting to her in that maid uniform? ¡°Ah, yes, Rotom did mention that. Just¡­ wanted to confirm¡±

    I started rattling off their strong points, explaining just why they were so great to her. ¡°... Dragon Dance can boost their speed and attack, or Swords Dance for even more power. Usually you need a few Technical Machines or ways to teach them Moves to have coverage against Ice or Fairy Types, but that¡¯s not hard. There¡¯s a bunch of other strong Moves they can learn from TMs like Earthquake-¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes. Thank you, Young Miss. By the way, did you finish that test I gave you?¡±

    I frowned, trying to remember her giving me any test and not recalling it at first until I figured out what she meant. ¡°Oh, you mean the Pokemon quiz thing you gave me? Yeah, I finished it a while ago.¡± Searching through my desk I found it and passed it back to her. ¡°It was fun but really easy.¡± The questions were pretty basic things, like asking what conditions like Poison and Burn did to your Pokemon, if Berries could help a Pokemon recover, and the most basic of Type match-ups. ¡°Let me know if you find any tougher ones.¡±

    She had a weirdly strained smile on her face. ¡°I should have expected it was too easy to challenge you, Young Miss. Excuse me, I have some arrangements to make. Perhaps Hamber can help¡­¡± She muttered to herself. Weird, wonder what that was about? I thought about it before putting the discussion out of my mind. It was only later that I realized the significance of it.

    ***

    My birthday was something I had to be told about the week before it would pass and marked the sixth month since my ¡®memories¡¯ had come back. Some days, I wondered if my ¡®past life¡¯ had all just been a dream. Other days, the nightmares of everything I¡¯d lost were in full force and I had no such doubts. ¡®My¡¯ birthday was one of those days, and I woke up grumpily from such a fitful night. I tried to conceal it and act like nothing was wrong, but Leah saw through me pretty easily, remarking on it at breakfast.

    ¡°Someone¡¯s a Grumpig today.¡± She said as she poured syrup over my pancakes. Perhaps I was just getting spoiled, but that hardly even felt like a special ¡®birthday breakfast¡¯ at this point. ¡°But don¡¯t be upset, it¡¯s your birthday today! And we have an extra special surprise for you today.¡±

    ¡°Will B- Mother and Father be coming home early?¡± I hated how desperate I sounded there. It¡¯s still hard for me to even call them ¡®mother¡¯ and ¡®father¡¯, but a part of me hopes they¡¯ll be here for a birthday that doesn¡¯t even feel like it¡¯s mine. God, I¡¯m such a mess. Or should I say ¡®Arceus¡¯ now?

    No divine intervention came to correct me on the proper ways to address them, so Leah continued, her smile dipping for just a second. ¡°Sorry, it looks like work is keeping them busy, honey. But they really wanted to be here.¡± I already knew Cyan would be busy, she was away on a trip to the Sevii Islands but had spent a day hanging out with me before she left and gave me a fancy notebook.

    ¡°I know, thank you, Leah.¡± I tried to sound thankful, and I was! I knew I could have things a heck of a lot worse than being reborn into an incredibly wealthy family in a near-utopic world of adventure and discovery. But my thoughts still plagued me.

    After I finished the meal, I sat at the table and on a piece of paper from my new notebook, started idly writing a poem.

    Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.

    ¡®Once, there was a Maiden¡­

    ¡­ who was always looking forward to the way things would be.

    She said, ¡®Someday, I¡¯m getting out of this place.¡¯

    ¡®Someday, I¡¯ll kill the boy that put me here.¡¯

    ¡®And while I wait, I don¡¯t much mind,.¡¯

    ¡®Cause it¡¯s better to dream tomorrow than be there.¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯m holding at bay,¡¯ she said, ¡®what I know to be true.¡¯

    ¡®That I¡¯ll never get out. I won¡¯t let my dreams die!¡¯

    ¡®I¡¯ll hang on to hope,¡¯ she said, ¡®until time itself ends. But-¡¯

    ¡®There¡¯s always an ending,¡¯ said Time.¡±

    Leah peeked over at what I was writing, and I let her. I had taken to writing tons, as well as my training and studying. A desire to keep a hold of the knowledge I held from the other world before I forgot or it got muddied. Everything from books to TV. shows, and songs, I tried to write down as many ideas and reminders as I could. The songs were often only half-remembered, maybe only the chorus written down, but I hoped to be able to find someone with the musical talent to recreate some of my favorites someday. Others, I wonder why there¡¯s any point holding on to scraps of a world far gone.

    She seemed fascinated and a bit disturbed by what I had written. I wonder what she¡¯d think of the stuff I actually keep hidden? Information about Pokemon, mostly Legendaries, that would qualify as state secrets at least. It was an amusing idea, but not one I would ever do. I wrote any of the more important stuff in a code and hid it in a shoebox in my closet. I hardly had perfect knowledge of this world, or even Pokemon media in general, but I¡¯d played through most mainline games and there was a lot of dangerous stuff you could pick up there.

    Honestly though, what I was most worried about if she, or anyone else ever found out those notes would be the notes about myself. Or rather, the girl Nemona would have been without me. Would they see me as just an imposter, masquerading as their daughter, sister, or friend? Hate me for lying to them about who I was, call me a fraud for relying on my knowledge and maturity, passing it off as fake brilliance? Despise themselves for not noticing, as if anyone could suspect something like this? Or maybe - well, best to just leave that Pandora¡¯s Box shut.

    ¡°This is quite a¡­ vivid poem, young Miss.¡± Leah eventually said, bringing me back to the present. ¡°Quite imaginative.¡± Her smile was brittle like she didn¡¯t know how to respond here¡­ so she changed the topic, quietly pocketing the paper. ¡°Do you want to see your gift?¡±

    That perked me up a bit, and I nodded, washing up and following her to the living room. In the time I had been eating and writing, the other staff had set up party decorations. Others were shaking their heads, checking the furniture and walls. Are they planning on doing renovations? What really caught my eye however were the two gift boxes sitting on the table in the middle of the room. One was a square box, the other rectangular.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s a bit early, we wanted to keep the surprise, but go ahead, open it.¡± Curious, I sat down on the couch and opened the box. Within it was a gleaming white orb. A red line runs almost all around it with a white dot in the center.

    ¡°A¡­ that¡¯s a¡­¡± I was speechless. A Pokeball. I¡¯m getting a Pokemon already?!

    ¡°It¡¯s a Pokeball! Happy Birthday!¡± Leah said, and the other butlers and maids cheered as well. ¡°That¡¯s a Premier Ball, so it¡¯s extra special.¡± I wonder what actually makes a Premier Ball special compared to a regular Pokeball? I took the ball in question and held it reverently. As I did so, I noticed a small card in there as well. It said on it ¡®Nemona Glitterati: Junior Trainer License¡¯ with a bunch of different information, like my birthday, eye color, identification number, etc. as you¡¯d expect from a government-issued ID.

    ¡°What?¡± I asked, still a bit shocked by it all.

    ¡°That¡¯s a Junior License. For gifted young kids like yourself, you can own a Pokemon! Only one though, until you upgrade to get a full license.¡± Leah said.

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s incredible. But shouldn¡¯t I have to like, pass a test or something to get this?¡± I thought I remembered something about that online. Anise just waved me off as she passed by, hefting of all things, a heavy dog bed. If the dog was nine feet tall and needed a bed made of titanium mesh.

    ¡°You already did, Leah and Rotom had you take it,¡± the plump maid said as she dropped the bed in the corner. I opened my mouth to argue, but then closed it, remembering a conversation I had with Leah a while back, where she asked me a bunch of general questions about Pokemon and what to do in the wild. That was it?! I mean, a lot of it was just common sense stuff and I have been looking into it, but still. I guess Rotom recorded it all and they had it sent into the League.

    Leah chimed in too. ¡°You already know so much about Haxorus, I¡¯m sure this will be a breeze for you.¡± It sounded like she was trying to convince herself there, more than me.

    I puffed out my cheeks. I mean, I probably would pass any test set for a kid, but still! There¡¯s a bunch you need to know for actually caring for a Pokemon. Even among Type specialists, there are huge variances for each Pokemon from dietary needs to- wait Haxorus?

    I must have said the last part out loud because Leah nodded. ¡°Yup! You said it¡¯s your favorite Pokemon. So your parents decided to get you a Haxorus for your birthday.¡± She had a big grin on her face, but her left eyelid twitched a little as she said that, I distantly noted.

    ¡°A Haxorus,¡± I repeated. ¡°Not an Axew?¡± She just nodded her head.

    ¡°The other box even has a couple of the Technical Machines you mentioned, and a carrying case for when you get more.¡± I opened it up numbly, still trying to process that, and saw that it indeed had many of the moves I¡¯d mentioned to her. Earthquake, Poison Jab, Iron Head, Body Slam, Shadow Claw, etc. were all in there.

    ¡°So there¡¯s a Haxorus in here?¡± I asked again, holding up the Premier Ball. Outwardly I was remaining calm, inwardly, I was screaming. A freaking Haxorus?! I mean yeah, I love them, they¡¯re really cool, but I never expected to just be given one!! Let alone my whole feelings on the matter of gifting/trading Pokemon, I always thought I¡¯d catch like an Axew and raise them up! Maybe earn the respect of a rowdy but well-meaning Fraxure and form a close bond through battle? I don¡¯t know, just not that I¡¯d have a fully evolved Dragon as my first Pokemon! Ahhhh!!!

    ¡°Oh, no. The Haxorus is being shipped over for tomorrow when your parents can see you catch it.¡± Leah then turned to address some of the other staff. ¡°No, we should probably move the bed over here so the Haxorus can lie in the sun in the afternoon, most Dragons are cold-blooded after all¡­¡± A part of me was touched that she had put that much thought into this. That all of them were working so hard to try and get me an incredible birthday gift. The other part of me¡­ This wasn¡¯t what I wanted. It¡¯s not how I hoped any of this, my Birthday, or my first Pokemon catch would go.

    With all the adults busy, I slipped out of the room, and then out of the house. Finally free. Huzzah. I wandered down the path to where the cliff was. I wasn¡¯t a hundred percent sure if this was the cliff from the start of the games, where the Player would meet the box Legendary, but it could have been.

    Looking out I saw the vast, glittering blue ocean, stretching out to the horizon before me. Behind me were lush fields, trees filled with berries, and flowers well in bloom. It was springtime and you could feel how alive the world felt. Pokemon scampering about in the fields, or flying ones letting out their cries as they flew over the ocean, the sounds of the waves splashing in drifting up.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, bzzt?¡± Rotom asked, having followed me. They are an insightful one. I wonder what they know, or at least suspect about me? I¡¯ve always sorta wondered what other people are actually like, but I don¡¯t think you could ever get a perfect picture of who someone else is. Not even if you were a Psychic.

    ¡°Nothing. Nothing is really wrong. I mean, I guess I¡¯m worried about a lot of things, but that¡¯s not new.¡±

    Rotom looked upset. ¡°Bzzt. Did- did you not want a Haxorus? We were so sure-¡± I waved them off.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that. I appreciate the effort. I just- I want to make sure that any Pokemon that is going to follow me on my journey wants to be with me, you know? Someone prepared to battle by my side, be my companion, help me through thick and thin, and be willing to let me do the same for them. I don¡¯t know what this Haxorus will be like. If they¡¯ll respect me or even if they wanted to be here for this.¡±

    ¡°I see bzzt¡­¡± We sat there for a moment in silence, simply taking the world and our thoughts in. ¡°Would-¡± I interrupted Rotom as something down below caught my attention at the same time. Slithering about on the sand, I saw a yellow snake-like Pokemon shifting back and forth. It seemed confused and lost.

    ¡°Hey, I think they¡¯re in trouble. Let¡¯s help!¡± I ran to the edge and Rotom nervously followed me.

    ¡°What are you, bzzt, doing?!¡± It cried out as I approached the edge.

    ¡°Help me down!¡± I called out and jumped down. There was a screaming in my ear that I¡¯d later recognize to be Rotom¡¯s as it raced ahead of me. I caught on to the phone case with my free hand and suddenly my momentum was greatly decreased as I drifted down the rest of the way, Rotom still screaming and panicking as I did so. That was awesome. I feel so alive!

    Of course, before those screams died down and Rotom recomposed themself, we garnered the attention of the Dunsparce I had seen down below. Immediately the winged snake turned and faced us, shocked and afraid, but from the angry set of its eyes, not unwilling to defend itself if need be.

    Holding my hands up in a placating gesture I said: ¡°Easy there. We just saw you and thought you might be in trouble. Do you live around here?¡± I don¡¯t think Dunsparces lived here in the games, but I could easily be mistaken. Even if I wasn¡¯t, Pokemon here hardly stick to so closely defined areas and routes in absolute fact.

    Dunsparce shifted a bit, looking around. Is he¡­ embarrassed? I think he might be looking for a home here. But why? ¡°I don¡¯t think this is the best place for you to make a home.¡± His head slumped down at that and I thought I might have seen a tear fall from one of his eyes, though it could have just been the salty spray. I hastily amended ¡°I just meant that any tunnels you made would be hard to make into a proper nest in the sand and the water might wash them away. I could help you try and find somewhere better, if you want?¡±

    Offering a hand out to the Dunsparce, he slithered closer, a hopeful expression on his face. One that I unfortunately soured with my next words. ¡°Do you have any family nearby?¡± I had just been thinking that he might have fallen off the cliffs or taken a path down and gotten a bit confused.

    He instead thrashed about angrily, kicking up sand with his tail and moving back and forth taking different postures. It took me a moment to realize that he was acting out others from his family, or whatever group of Dunsparces he had been in before. They were glaring at ¡®him¡¯ or dismissing ¡®him¡¯ with sweeps of their tails before eventually a group of ¡®bigger¡¯ ones (he puffed himself up to represent that, and I noticed that he was actually a bit on the smaller end for Dunsparces) drove him off. He then rolled over and flopped around a bit, which I hoped was just him being lost and confused and not that they had actually pushed him off a cliff! That¡¯s super mean, even if Dunsparces are very tanky.

    ¡°That sucks,¡± I said bluntly. ¡°But I think I could help you, if you¡¯re willing to let me.¡± He looked curious at that. ¡°We can help you get out of here and find a proper home.¡±

    There was a soft flutter of his tiny wings. I got the impression of a ¡®sure, nowhere better to be.¡¯ Seems like telling me his story tanked his mood huh?

    ¡°There¡¯s better places than the beach for you to lie on. The sand is coarse and rough, and it gets everywhere. We¡¯ll get you fixed up in a great home. And I¡¯m sure one day you¡¯ll show those jerks that pushed you out what you¡¯re really made of.¡±

    ¡°Dunnn¡­¡± the Dunsparce mournfully said, clearly disagreeing with me on that point. But I refused his denial!

    ¡°No way, you could be really great one day. Dunsparce are incredible, and I can already tell you have the traits to be strong one day.¡±

    ¡°Really? Bzzt.¡± Rotom said, hovering in between us. ¡°How can you tell? What- Bzzt. What makes someone strong?¡±

    ¡°A desire to be strong. More than a desire really, a drive. And I can tell Dunsparce has that! When we first landed, most Dunsparce would try to run away, but this guy here, he got ready to defend himself!¡± I turned to the Pokemon in question. ¡°I¡¯m pretty weak too right now, but I want to be the best, like no one ever was. And I¡¯m going to be. I¡¯m gonna work hard and become the best Champion this world has ever seen!¡±

    At that moment, something crystallized for me. I¡¯ve been feeling morose about what I¡¯ve lost or what didn¡¯t work out, but honestly, I have a great life. Dunsparce¡¯s tale illustrates that well. So, I¡¯m done worrying about the past. I loved the people in my first life, and I¡¯ll do my best to never forget them. Remember everything my friends and family have taught me then¡­ but I won¡¯t be weighed down by that regret either. If I want to be the best, I gotta give it my all. And I honestly do want that. I want to see how far I can go.

    Turning down to Dunsparce I said, ¡°Actually, if you want, you could have a home with me.¡± I held the Premier Ball down for him to inspect. ¡°This is a type of Pokeball. They serve as stasis pods for Pokemon and a way to easily carry you around and let you relax while I travel. But it won¡¯t be all relaxing! I¡¯ve got a ton of training to do if I¡¯m to reach the top, so that means you¡¯ll have tons too.¡±

    Rotom looked on in shock. Dunsparce just tilted his head to the side and said ¡°Dun.¡± The meaning was pretty clear this time. ¡®Why? Why me?¡¯

    ¡°Like I said, I think you can do great things. Any Pokemon can, if they have that desire. They¡¯re all blessed with near-limitless potential.¡± Even a small electric rodent could fight Gods and win. ¡°So if you want to, I¡¯d like you to be my Pokemon, and I¡¯ll be your Trainer. Of course, if you don¡¯t want, I¡¯ll still help you out of here and find a good home, I totally understand-¡±

    ¡°Dun! Sparce Sparce!!¡± A big smile burst on his face, tears definitely flowing down his eyes this time as he raced ahead. He moved faster than I thought a Dunsparce could go, ramming into the Premier Ball. I wasn¡¯t sure he actually knew how Pokeballs worked, but by chance, he hit the trigger and in a flash of red light, was sucked in.

    ¡°That¡¯s- you caught a Dunsparce?¡± Rotom said, a little disbelieving at the same time as I held my hands up in the air.

    ¡°I caught a Pokemon! Woohoo!¡± I turned around, beginning to run back up, barely noticing what looked like a tunnel off to the side by the cliffs. ¡°C¡¯mon, let''s go tell everyone!¡± Rotom sighed but floated after me as I burned through the energy only a child can have, running back home.

    Bursting through the door was a bit of a shock to everyone, and even more so when I opened the ball and revealed my Pokemon. ¡°I caught my first Pokemon!¡±

    Dunsparce gave a loud cry as he was released, then looked around, taking in the strange surroundings and bunch of new people. He seemed a bit frightened at first, slinking back half a foot before shaking it off and slithering in front of me. Aww, so brave! Unnecessary, but still a nice gesture.

    The staff were whispering amongst themselves, but Leah was the first to approach me. ¡°That¡¯s wonderful dear, but you can only have one Pokemon with a junior trainer¡¯s license. You¡¯ll have to release him to get your Haxorus.¡± I could swear at that moment the other staff suddenly glared daggers at her, for some reason.

    ¡°No! I wanna keep Dun!¡± I picked him up and hugged him close to my chest as if someone was going to try and take him away from me. Leah, if anything, seemed relieved.

    ¡°Welp, if that¡¯s your choice then. Ok, let¡¯s take all the Haxorus stuff back everyone!¡± The staff was in a surprisingly good mood, not a word of complaint at having to take back the stuff they spent the morning bringing in. I did stop them when they went to take back the Technical Machines, however.

    ¡°Wait, I can still use those! I think Dunsparce can learn a lot of those moves actually.¡± Earthquake at least, and I think Poison Jab too? His tail can definitely be used for jabbing, even if Poison-Type energy wouldn¡¯t come too naturally.

    Leah was surprised. ¡°Really? You still want to battle with¡­¡±

    ¡°Dun will be a great battler! Dunsparce and Dundunsparce are super tanky, so they¡¯re great at powering through attacks, and as a Normal Type can learn a lot of different moves. Hyper Drill is a super powerful attack of their Type that can pierce the heavens!¡­ Or at least break through any Protect, which is still very impressive given the power it boasts. Oh, you don¡¯t mind if I call you ¡®Dun¡¯ for short, right?¡± I asked the Pokemon in my arms and it nuzzled closer to me. It might not be the most imaginative of names, but if he likes it, that¡¯s good enough for me.

    ¡°Dun! Dun Dun!¡± I laughed at his enthusiastic response.

    ¡°I¡¯ll take that as a yes, then.¡± You know, I think today is a pretty awesome birthday.

 Chapter 6

    Surprisingly, that wasn''t the only uncomfortable party I attended that year that ended with me getting a lifelong friend I didn¡¯t expect. Which isn¡¯t that much, but it is weird that it happened twice.

    My first notice of the party was the day of the event when I saw we had twice as many staff, as usual, running about.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± I asked as I saw it, coming back inside from a training session with Dun. Right now I was just working on the basics; dodging, closing distance, and how quickly he could burrow and resurface. It was pretty easy for him to drill through the sand, but still took two seconds to get fully submerged. Once we got that time down to half a second I¡¯d get him started on soft dirt.

    The technical machines had gone great, he¡¯d been able to learn a lot of them. Body Slam, Poison Jab, and Earthquake all gave him amazing coverage and power. Unfortunately, he was still pretty young and I could tell he couldn¡¯t use them to his full potential (though he was showing exceptionally close results for the first one; the matching Type energy went a long way in his Moves), so I decided to focus on the basics to start.

    Build up a solid foundation and work on the more advanced stuff from there. I think that sounds right. Surprisingly, there wasn¡¯t a ton of information online about how to begin training a young Pokemon. Or rather, there was, but little professional and verified, beyond the generic tips of things like ¡®trust in your partner¡¯, and ¡®make sure to care for their well-being.¡¯ Perhaps there is no ¡®best way¡¯ and the Professors and the like don¡¯t wish to guide potential trainers down limited paths.

    Mom smiled as she turned from directing the staff to look at me. ¡°Nemona hunny, we¡¯re hosting a little house party today. Some very famous and important people will be coming.¡± I questioned the ¡®little¡¯ part, as I saw the giant Swanna ice sculpture being carried behind her. Even more shocking was the fact that Mom was wearing an elegant and tasteful red dress. Wow, this must be important if she isn¡¯t wearing her usual tacky gold stuff. And apparently, she has some inkling that such clothing wouldn¡¯t be appropriate for such an event.

    ¡°Oh, ok. Should I just stay in my room then?¡± She blinked at my question.

    ¡°Whyever would you do that? Stay and enjoy the fabulous party.¡± She swung a hand out, waving it around the room at the decorations about. One of the regular staff would have been hit by her arm, but expertly ducked under the blow without tipping the tray he was carrying and went on as if nothing had happened. Nice professionalism.

    I bit back a frown. I really don¡¯t like interacting with large crowds. ¡°I just- I thought you might want to talk adult stuff and wouldn¡¯t want me bugging the guests.¡± I tried to weedle my way out of it, but to no avail.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you won¡¯t be a bug at all, so well behaved my dear. As expected of my daughter.¡± She gave me a soft, encouraging smile that made it hard for me to hold the forced interaction against her (especially when Billy and her had been quite understanding about me canceling the Haxorus order and missing out on seeing me catch Dun). Then her grin broadened. ¡°Besides, there will be another kid your age too. One professor is bringing his child along.¡±

    ¡°Yay,¡± I said with as much false enthusiasm as I could inject into my voice. A kid is even worse than an adult. I might have a reasonable conversation with adults if they overlook how young I look. With another kid, it¡¯s just going to be awkward.

    ***

    As I expected, the party was quite boring. All the adults were far too quick to ¡®coo¡¯ and ¡®aww¡¯ over me, and pretty much no one actually bothered to try to interact with me on anything approaching an intelligent level. In spite of the fact that my parents are busy bragging over how ¡®smart¡¯ I am!

    I let out a sigh and tried to not let it bother me. Probably for the best anyways. I doubt even if one of them would be willing to talk to me on their level that I¡¯d actually have anything I¡¯d want to do with them.

    The party was an event for the famous and wealthy to come and mingle. Most of them were important business people like my parents and were more than happy to talk about stocks or ¡®funny¡¯ anecdotes that only (to me) showed how out of touch they were with the common folk. Admittedly my only view of how the average person lives their life in this world is through the Pokenet and what I can glean from T.V., but I still think I have a better view of things than most of this lot.

    One face that had me do a double take was that of a young man with delicate features and long blue-hair. Outside of his parka and over a decade younger, I didn¡¯t recognize the man until I heard someone call his name. ¡°Grusha! So glad you could make it. I heard you placed second in the Glassedo Slope Grind.¡±

    He smiled and greeted the Galarian man in a business suit who walked over to talk to him. So this is what he¡¯s like before he was a Gym Leader. Before the accident that cut his snowboarding career short. He looks happy. He was far more open than the Icy gym leader I remembered from the games.

    Before I had the chance to introduce myself and ask him about his Pokemon and/or snowboarding, another guest arrived, and this one I recognized instantly. His coat was in a slightly different pattern than the one the AI wore in the games, but it had the same color scheme as his body suit, black, purple and some lighter purple highlights. He didn¡¯t have a 5 o¡¯clock shadow but his hair and face for the most part were the same from the games.

    Professor Turo. The Real one, not an Artificial Intelligence made in a fit of paranoia down in Area Zero. By his side, holding on to his hand was a young boy that could only be Arven. His hair didn¡¯t fall down to cover one of his eyes yet, but he was just as recognizable to me as his father.

    My parents went up to warmly greet him. ¡°Ah, the esteemed Pokemon Professor. It¡¯s a pleasure to have you here,¡± my mother said.

    ¡°Ah, the pleasure is all mine. And thank you for allowing me to bring my son along as well. Finding a sitter on short notice would be difficult and well...¡± He trailed off before giving a small gesture for the young boy to introduce himself.

    ¡°That¡¯s O¡¯Nare for you; her generosity knows no bounds!¡± Billy declared loudly. Geez, can you simp any harder? Still, it was nice to see that they loved each other so much. More interesting to me though was the way Turo¡¯s gaze intensified at the mention of O¡¯Nare¡¯s ¡®generosity.¡¯ My musings on that matter were cut off as I turned to watch the nervous boy stumbling over his words introduce himself to my parents.

    ¡°I-I¡¯m Arven, nice to meet you,¡± he practically whispered. I noticed him clutching something for comfort and saw that he had a Pokeball in his hand. Turo frowned slightly at his son¡¯s shy behavior, which is when I decided to step in, pushing through the crowd to approach them.

    ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Nemona.¡± I offered my hand for Arven to shake. He took it, hesitantly, but still looked a little overwhelmed. Okay, think. What did Arven like in the games? Mabostiff? Probably shouldn¡¯t release him in here though. Sandwiches? ¡°If you¡¯re hungry, we have some appetizers over there.¡± I pointed at where one of the butlers was carrying a tray of cucumber sandwiches. He perked up right away and started walking over.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    ¡°You must tell us all about your research.¡± My father faux-whispered. Turo chuckled good naturedly.

    ¡°Well, I can hardly say everything or else I¡¯ll have nothing to write my papers on. But I do think this will be quite a revolutionary discovery. It has to do with the phenomena of Terastalization-¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s where some Pokemon are randomly found to be a different Type than they¡¯d usually be in the wild.¡± I interrupted. He blinked, eyeing me a bit more closely.

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s correct. The effect will often wear off with time, or when captured in a Pokeball.¡± I did my best not to grit my teeth at ¡®captured¡¯. Right, this is the guy with 7 Master Balls at least to capture all the Paradox Pokemon. Hmm, I wonder why he just used a regular Pokeball for the other Miraidon? ¡°I¡¯ve been studying Terastalization and believe I¡¯m close to a breakthrough that will allow us to utilize this in a more controlled fashion.¡±

    ¡°Wow. How long have you been studying this?¡± O¡¯Nare placed a hand on my shoulder at that question.

    ¡°Our daughter is quite the little genius; her Glitterati intelligence shining like the brightest star in the land.¡± My mother praised me, and I cringed a little in embarrassment. ¡°Still, you probably don¡¯t need such questions at a party, Professor.¡±

    ¡°Nonsense. An inquisitive mind is the sign of a budding scientist; I¡¯d never reject such curiosity.¡± He gave a winning smile to my parents, which seemed just a bit too unreal. Not that they noticed. He¡¯s up to something. To me he said ¡°I¡¯ve been studying this for almost eight years now, along with my team and my wi- my ex-wife.¡± A bit of real strain showed on his face at that, but he quickly pushed it aside. ¡°I¡¯ve heard how smart you are, young lady. I¡¯m sure if you keep up your studies and stay sharp, you might become a Professor someday too.¡±

    ¡°Nah.¡± I answered instantly, much to the surprise of the adults. ¡°I mean, I might want to, way off in the future. But I want to be Champion first. That means I have to study as much as possible; knowledge is power afterall.¡±

    He blinked, taking in my statement. ¡°Knowledge is power¡­ a fascinating idea, and one that may be more correct than you know. Especially if I complete my research.¡±

    ¡°If?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m hoping to get a bit more funding to complete my project and unveil it to all of Paldea.¡± He gave a significant glance at my parents. They caught it and began walking further into the living room, settling by the couch and table.

    I wasn¡¯t directly told off, so I sat down on a chair opposite the professor. ¡°So, you want their money. Why should they give it to you?¡±

    O¡¯Nare considered it for a moment before agreeing. ¡°That¡¯s a wonderful idea, my dear! We¡¯ll host a little interview right now.¡±

    Billy blinked before raising a hand up to cover his face. ¡°Why, from the mouths of babes! Such wisdom from our youngest daughter! And so great of you to notice it as well, my dear wife.¡± He said to O¡¯Nare before turning to Turo. ¡°We could do this at a later date though, if you¡¯d rather enjoy the party.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll have plenty of time to enjoy ourselves afterwards.¡± I doubt that, or rather, doubt that you care about that. No, this is the only reason why you came to the party in the first place, to get more funding for your research.

    ¡°As for why you should sponsor me? You¡¯d be able to put the Glitterati name on the biggest scientific discovery of the century.¡± Bold, especially since Mega Evolution was widely announced only about a decade and a half ago. Still, if this is the Tera Orbs, it¡¯s not that big an overstatement. I felt he was probably also overselling how much their - our - name would be put on this discovery. Glitterati might be mentioned as one of the sponsors on a couple of papers he wrote while he would get all the public acclaim.

    ¡°What do you plan to do with the sponsorship money, exactly? The methodology you plan to use in your research and the like?¡± My knowledge meant I knew what he was going after already, but I wanted to find out more about what he was like as a person. The game only showed you an AI that had definitely diverged from his base personality, and a glitchy protocol.

    ¡°I plan on touring a number of dangerous and exotic locales within Paldea. The study is on Terastalization, so me and my team will set up in areas where such Pokemon undergoing the phenomena have been commonly noted to study and compare them. These findings may be the last piece we need to finish the project.¡±

    ¡°I see. Are you planning on going to the Great Crater?¡± I steepled my fingertips together, staring him in the eye. Billy, who had been looking on amused at my efforts, started coughing on his drink at that.

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe I¡¯ll need to delve that deep. However, I do confess that I think there is much to be explored within the Crater. Using records from previous attempts I¡¯d like to make an expedition within at some point¡­ but that¡¯s far off. Another project to look forward to.¡±

    Right, he¡¯s all about the ¡®future¡¯ stuff. ¡°You¡¯ve already started this project. Why do you need more money now?¡±

    The smile he¡¯d kept in place this entire time dimmed a notch. ¡°There have been complications within the project structure. My¡­ former wife, Professor Sada, has left. Without her aid we aren¡¯t as far along as we could have been. It¡¯s sad, but we have to move on. Always looking forward.¡± Darn it. I don¡¯t really have anything else to probe with or try and undermine things here. I really don¡¯t want Arven to grow up without a father for most of his life though¡­ like he will entirely with his mom¡­

    ¡°Do you wish you could go back to when you were with your wife.¡± I asked suddenly. Turo¡¯s face darkened immensely, his hand suddenly clenched in a fist.

    ¡°Nemona!¡± Billy shouted. Apparently, even for the Glitterati, that was a breach of decorum too far. Which was my point, but I was hardly going to admit to that, so I just turned to him and gave him my most innocent face. Kids say dumb stuff without realizing it all the time, so it¡¯s totally believable that I did that here and not at all me trying to get Turo to publically lose his cool and not get his funding, right?

    The gambit failed, however, as a second later Turo let out a deep sigh and waved down my father. ¡°It¡¯s fine. All questions are legitimate searches for knowledge, I can approve of that.¡± To me, he kneeled down to look me in the eye and said: ¡°No. I loved her, and the times we shared, our memories, and our son, have been some of the greatest treasures in my life. But science marches ever onward. You never know what new treasures will await in the future, which is why even though I¡¯ll always love what we had, I can¡¯t stop striving forward.¡±

    I was stunned into silence. That was really well said¡­ and proof that I¡¯m never going to be able to turn Turo away from his dream. No way to keep Arven¡¯s father around.

    Billy started clapping in response, and other guests followed my father¡¯s suit. ¡°Wonderful! That¡¯s simply a splendid way to look at things! Why, my dear O¡¯Nare often says similarly when closing a deal. Speaking of, there¡¯s a great construction team she hires for specialty jobs that I think would be perfect for the ¡®waypoint stations¡¯ you were talking about¡­¡± Their voices blended in with the rest of the crowd as they started chatting again. I¡¯ll never forget the victorious gleam in Turo¡¯s eyes as he walked away with my father, though.

    I definitely need to make apricorn Pokeballs or something like that off the system whenever I go to the Great Crater.

    I wasn¡¯t the only one sighing sadly, as I noticed out of the corner of my eye young Arven was doing the same. He was also lightly touching the Pokeball he had at his hip, likely seeking a small measure of comfort.

    ¡°Hey. You uh, have a Pokemon too?¡± I said, holding up my own Pokeball. Establish a point of commonality and most kids open up pretty fast. I was proven correct when that immediately caused him to brighten up.

    ¡°Yeah! Maschiff is my best bud. We run around and play all the time and he helps me make food and stuff when dad¡¯s busy.¡± Seriously? Already letting things go at home, I see. It didn¡¯t improve my opinion of Paldea¡¯s foremost Professor any more, but I let it go for the moment.

    ¡°Wanna go play outside then?¡± He looked eager, but hesitant, glancing over at our parents. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I think they¡¯re busy.¡± Considering they¡¯re busy unwittingly helping make your life miserable, playing with you now is the least I can do. ¡°Rotom can let us know if they need us anyways.¡±

    The phone in question hovered, smiling at us. ¡°Oh wow, you have a Rotom Phone? That¡¯s so cool!¡± Arven cheered.

    ¡°Be careful - you¡¯ll give them a swollen head. And that¡¯s bad, because they¡¯re pretty much all head already!¡± Rotom pouted at my joke and I stuck my tongue out to let them know I wasn¡¯t serious. ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s go.¡± I led the three of us out of the stuffy house party to the beach where Arven could play and actually be happy. I hope you¡¯ll get to keep on to that joy for a while longer. And that I haven¡¯t somehow made this situation worse.

 Interlude I - Rotom

    A feeling of fullness encompassed my artificial body, and I formed my spectral eyes as I exited sleep mode. ¡°Charge at 100% bzzt,¡± I announced as I floated off the charging dock. There were a couple of docks all over the house for any of the Rotoms that needed a quick charge, but the one I was currently resting in was in Nemona¡¯s room, currently bereft of my owner.

    Not her newest companion, however, Dunsparce. The bulbous Normal Type was looking up at me from the ground where he slithered. His large head tilted to the side and his eyes narrowed. ¡°Ar?¡±

    I roughly translated that as ¡®What are you doing?¡¯. ¡°Bzzt, I need to recharge and take electrical charge, much like you need to eat food.¡± Or whatever it is you call when you messily shove your face in a bowl of pate.

    Dunsparce glared at me harder, clearly sensing the disdain I felt for him. Some of the staff called Nemona¡¯s starter ¡®sleepy¡¯, but they didn¡¯t see the training he went through. When she said he could be strong it awakened some killer instinct inside the land snake. That, or the Technical Machines helping bring out newfound power.

    ¡°Un, dun dun, arce.¡± That disdain was clearly returned by him. What was not crystal clear was exactly what he was saying there. I got the gist though.

    ¡°Bzzt, I don¡¯t just ¡®sit around all day,¡¯ my duties are quite important to the Young Miss.¡± I said primly. Dun simply snorted before turning tail and slithering off to explore the rest of the house.

    Why that little-! I fumed for a moment before going out to find Nemona. She was downstairs having breakfast, talking animatedly with her sister about some of the fantastical story ideas she had.

    Leah, one of the maids most often in charge of the Young Miss while her parents were out, glanced over at me as I waited nearby. ¡°Rotom, is something wrong?¡±

    ¡°Why would you think something was the matter, bzzt?¡± That was a trick I had learned from humans - deflect answering a question by asking one of your own.

    I didn¡¯t have long to feel proud of myself however as she had a follow-up. ¡°Well, you¡¯re discharging a bit of electricity.¡± Immediately I shut that down, embarrassed at that lack of control. Dammit! I hope I haven¡¯t damaged my case. No matter how I felt about Dun, that didn¡¯t justify my lack of control.

    ¡°Is the case fine?¡± I asked, nervously. None of the sensors I was connected to read any damage, but I couldn¡¯t be sure. Not without leaving the phone.

    The maid peered over the case. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. You seem stressed, is it anything to do with the Young Miss?¡± Leah inquired.

    Blinking, I asked, ¡°No, why would it be?¡±

    ¡°Just- she¡¯s been acting different as of late, hasn¡¯t she?¡± It was true, over the last few months she had been behaving differently. Nemona was demonstrating intelligence and forethought, which seemed astounding. I could hardly deny that. I¡¯d heard plenty of praise directed toward her, and even about her when she wasn¡¯t around (even when the gossipers in question didn¡¯t know I was listening in), so I assumed the praise was genuine, not over-inflated for one reason or another.

    Humans in the outside world were complicated, with many different unstated rules for their social conduct. I understood why most other Rotoms didn¡¯t bother trying to interact with their owners so much. Or maybe it¡¯s just that the owners don¡¯t really reach out to them. Nemona is always dragging me into conversations, talking with me about battles we¡¯re watching or what people are saying on forums.

    It was incredible to see the change that had overtaken her, so much so that I started looking into the concept of ¡®human Evolution¡¯. I know that every book listed humans as a species without an Evolutionary line, but it really feels like they do, but maybe more of a mental component? What I¡¯d searched said that they didn¡¯t, it was just a gradual process in body and mind, through puberty. People are weird. They take so long to Evolve, and they call it something else instead. But young girls and boys look barely any different, but if you pay close attention, once they¡¯re finished ¡®puberty¡¯, they actually look fairly different, like Lechonk.

    As it became more apparent, I observed a few flashes of worry or confusion among others at her development. Nemona was taking the same classes as her sister now, but generally doing them faster than even her older sibling. Maybe it¡¯s not like an evolution, but more a ¡®mutation¡¯? Some Pokemon, like ugh, Dudunsparce can rarely develop that trait. I disliked the comparison to that boor, but I was proud of my owner. This was just more proof that she was special, like I knew she was going to be, even before I met her.

    She didn¡¯t seem to feel the same way, and when just with me revealed her thoughts to be far more self-critical. She would say that she was no ¡®true¡¯ genius, and other disparaging comments. Conversely, if she made even a tiny mistake on her homework, she¡¯d say things like ¡®How did I fu- screw this up?! I should be better than this.¡¯ And then there were her occasional nightmares¡­

    ¡°Bzzt, I feel she¡¯s doing fine,¡± I lied. Nemona might have her own issues, but I knew she wouldn¡¯t appreciate me airing them out to someone else. In addition to her newfound intellect and wit came a sense of caution. Occasionally she¡¯d cut herself off when talking about some topic, some Pokemon, or location that she felt needed to be kept secret. Nemona trusts me, but there are some things she won¡¯t let even me see. A few notebooks she writes in she keeps more hidden than the others. I could probably snoop around and find them in her room if I tried but¡­ I didn¡¯t want to do that. For multiple reasons.

    Before she could press, Nemona came up to us having finished her breakfast. ¡°Hey, whatcha talking about?¡±

    ¡°Rotom was just making sure that their phone case was alright.¡± Leah said. I glanced over at her quickly and saw she was trying not to worry Nemona. I wasn¡¯t going to reveal her secrets, but she probably didn¡¯t need to worry about Leah worrying about her either.

    ¡°Yes, bzzt. I discharged a bit of electricity and wanted to be sure my casing was fine.¡± Nemona gave me a once over as well before sticking her thumb up.

    ¡°Looks good! We can double check the internals if you think you have any issues, but the outside looks fine. Let me know if you ever want a new phone case or anything.¡±

    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t that be your choice, bzzt? If you want a different color phone-¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t really care,¡± She interrupted me. ¡°And even if you picked something I didn¡¯t like,¡± her eyes darted over to glance at a family photo, her parents wearing their usual bright gold outfits. ¡°It¡¯s your body. It should be your choice what you want to look like.¡± She smiled at me and I smiled back. I knew it, she really is the best.

    The phone was my shell, my connection to the world. I was raised on a nice enough farm but was told alongside my siblings how important it was to be good. To do what your owner asked and if you were well-behaved you could be chosen to get a phone. An electronic device, just for you to possess!

    We had been trained a bit on lesser phones and old ¡®junk¡¯ electronics, which had still felt like the best thing ever since breaking out of our eggs, so the idea of something better? A device that wouldn¡¯t break down as we controlled it, could connect us to the entire world? It drove almost all of us on the farm to be on our best behavior. Which was good, because our handlers always warned us of how naturally mischievous we Rotom could be, and we¡¯d have to be very careful to not let those tendencies upset our owners.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    I, of course, was the most proper and well-behaved of all of our ¡®batch¡¯. A few others chafed at the rules we were given, but not me. I was going to get a specialized phone, no matter what. But even I hadn¡¯t imagined that I¡¯d be chosen by the President himself. For his youngest daughter no less! The joy of that was only eclipsed by how good it felt to be in a proper Rotom Phone.

    It was¡­ like living blind all your life and then suddenly being given eyes. It was surprisingly durable in the casing (even if I was still very careful with it), my natural electricity flowed through it perfectly, and even floating with it felt just as easy when outside a device. It was perfect! It also gave me access to things well beyond itself.

    The world was so, so, so much vaster than I had ever realized. The farm we had been raised on? A square kilometer inside an even larger building, inside a city much bigger than that. The outside world was incredible! So many different Pokemon in this world, not just the other Rotoms and Dittos they had on the farm or the occasional Greavard the Rotoms could spot-guarding it.

    As part of her ¡®not-an-evolution¡¯ changes, it seemed like my owner, the Young Miss, had begun feeling the same way. She would eagerly go over videos looking at the wilderness of Paldea, explorations of different Pokemon habitats, and especially battles. She once spent ten hours in a day just going over a battle forum, looking up the pros and cons of different battle items! Nemona (and myself for letting her) did get mildly scolded for going that far down the Buneary hole and forgetting other things like lunch that day.

    ¡°Hey, can you call Arven?¡± Nemona asked me out of the blue. Perhaps not ¡®out of the blue¡¯. Lost in thought as I had been, I had missed Leah leaving and Nemona planning out the rest of her day.

    ¡°The boy from the party?¡± I asked. I remembered her getting his phone number - only a regular phone, not a Rotom Phone, I noted with some disdain, though recognizing that most children were not like Nemona.

    ¡°Yeah! I wanted to see if he could come over and hang out. Do- do you think that¡¯s fine?¡± She suddenly asked, appearing nervous.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s fine, bzzt.¡± I replied, a small slip of electricity leaving the end of my voice. While it had been unintentional in the first designs of the phone, it was now built into our devices. Apparently, it helped humans to differentiate our voices/selves from the rest of the audio we could create. It also had a ¡®cute¡¯ charm to it, supposedly. ¡°I don¡¯t see why Arven would have a problem with you asking, at least.¡±

    ¡°Oh, yeah, it¡¯s not Arven I¡¯m worried about, it¡¯s his dad. He might have been upset by something I said at the party. Also I don¡¯t know how long it would take for Arven to get here.¡± She said, frowning lightly as she often did when deep in thought.

    Someone disliking Nemona? Feels quite unusual. In addition to her intelligence, she had an uncanny insight to her that let her understand most people she dealt with. Many times she would explain in a show how others would interpret and respond to someone¡¯s actions or words, and was often proven right as the plot unfolded. ¡°It probably doesn¡¯t hurt to ask, bzzt. A flying cab could carry him over fairly quickly in any case.¡±

    She blinked, snapping her fingers as if suddenly realizing: ¡®Oh right, I¡¯m rich, I can easily get a flying cab to pick him up quickly.¡± Flying cabs don¡¯t cost that much. But Nemona can be weirdly miserly considering the family she was born into. Not that I would tell her that, and if I did, she¡¯d probably just say she was being practical. ¡°Right, thanks Rotom! Let¡¯s call Arven.¡±

    I put the call through for the young miss, thinking through my own thoughts while letting her talk to the Professor¡¯s son.

    ¡°Sounds good, see you later Arven! Can¡¯t wait to see how Maschiff battles!¡±

    ¡°Wait, wh-¡± Nemona hung up on him, not noticing the sudden panic in his voice. She was smiling brightly.

    ¡°Alright, looks like he¡¯ll be heading over right now. I can get all my studies for today done and might even have some time to look up some more battle videos before me and Dun spar against Arven and Maschiff.¡±

    ¡°Bzzt, you¡¯re planning on having your first battle? How exciting, bzzt.¡± I said, trying to inject an enthusiasm I couldn¡¯t quite feel into my digital voice.

    Nemona shrugged, surprisingly. ¡°I mean, I doubt it¡¯ll be a real battle, just us practicing some Moves in the sand. It¡¯s good experience but¡­ it¡¯s not the same. I¡¯ll have proper matches someday though. Where Dunsparce can shine and show the whole world what he¡¯s made of.¡± She had a faraway look in her eyes like she could already envision what that future would be like.

    ¡°What made you choose Dunsparce, bzzt?¡± I had to ask. She could have had her pick of any Pokemon in the world. Said her favorite was Haxorus, but then turned it down in favor of, well, a worm. I tried not to look down on Dunsparce, but he was a fairly common ¡®mon. Rough around the edges, to say the least.

    Nemona looked curiously at me. ¡°I said before, didn¡¯t I? It¡¯s all about his drive.¡±

    ¡°Is ¡®drive¡¯ really everything, bzzt? Certain things like type-matchups can¡¯t be overcome. You can¡¯t use electricity on a Ground type, after all.¡± Nemona is not a normal child. It was something I had thought about privately several times, but I was reminded of it again when she lit up with the biggest smile on her face at my denial.

    ¡°There are all sorts of Abilities and techniques that go into a Pokemon Battle - strategy is hugely important. But more than that,- wait, come ¡®ere.¡± She made grabby motions with her hands and I obliged, floating over. Sometimes she liked searching things up on her own rather than just asking me. Apparently, that was just part of what made her quite ¡®independent¡¯, according to the adults in the house. Independence is supposedly a good thing, spoken of well for her and the people, but we were always told on the farm that it wasn¡¯t good. Could lead to us acting erratically, and that was bad.

    ¡°Brock vs. Ash, bzzt?¡± I questioned aloud as she continued to type, searching for something to no avail as she groaned. ¡°What are you looking up?¡±

    ¡°I wanted to show you a video, but I guess they didn¡¯t record all the gym matches then. But I can just tell you the tale. It¡¯s about Ash Ketchum, and his first gym battle.¡±

    I turned around to better ¡®look¡¯ at the young miss as she told her tale (I could see through the camera on the screen side, but that wasn¡¯t as accurate as the plasma eyes I could project off of the back case). ¡°Ash Ketchum was just a boy at the time, facing off against his first gym leader at eleven years old. Well, technically his second gym leader, but Misty wasn¡¯t acting in capacity as a leader at that time, whatever.¡± She waved her hands wildly as if to push away the distracting thoughts and I had to hold back a snort at her display.

    ¡°So, Ash is facing off against Brock, but all he has are his Pidgeotto and his starter Pikachu. Wait, I think he had Butterfree too? Or maybe it was Metapod at this point, but I don¡¯t think he used it in their fight, either one.¡±

    ¡°Bzzt, either one? Did Ash challenge him again to a higher level battle later on?¡± I had studied gyms and the like as well, and learned that it was something Gym Leaders would occasionally offer to ¡®ace¡¯ trainers. To fight against the teams they reserved for 8 badge holders, or even beyond sometimes.

    ¡°Haha, nope. The first match, Ash lost, badly.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± It was hard to imagine the World Champion losing so badly. I¡¯d seen some of his matches alongside Nemona, he was incredible.

    ¡°Yup. It¡¯s like you said, the type matchup was too much. Brock was the Rock type Gym Leader, and a lot of Rock types in Kanto are Ground type as well. The perfect counter for his team. But he didn¡¯t let that get him down!¡± She raised a finger up in the sky. ¡°He trained Pikachu, and in their rematch, managed to win, zapping Onix with a powerful Thunderbolt!¡±

    ¡°What? Bzzt, that makes no sense? How could that have hurt such a sturdy Ground type?¡± I spun around in the air, trying to make sense of this all.

    ¡°No idea!¡± Nemona cheerfully exclaimed. ¡°Well, there was something about a sprinkler system ¡®weakening¡¯ the Onix first. But whatever it was, it was their determination, Ash¡¯s and Pikachu¡¯s that pushed them through that day. Every Pokemon has great potential in them, the capability to change the world, reshape it to their whim even. You just have to bring that out.¡± She let out her last words like they were a whisper and I could practically see the stars in her eyes. I see. This is why people call it ¡®childlike¡¯ wonder. Now I¡¯m left wondering¡­

    ¡°Oh shoot! I¡¯ve gotta go study before Arven gets here.¡± She raced off and I drifted after her.

    ¡­If I had been brave enough, and had enough drive to say that I wanted to be her first Pokemon, would she have picked me? In the end, I still said nothing, smiling on as she cheerfully greeted her ¡®new friend¡¯. I just hope that she doesn¡¯t evolve past me someday.

 Chapter 7

    ¡°Maschiff, bite that snake!¡± Arven called out. There wasn¡¯t any anger however, but more desperation. Dunsparce practically scoffed as the scared dog approached, a little bruised from the previous efforts of our training.

    ¡°Barrel roll away, then give him a hard stare and Bite yourself!¡± Dun, my clever little land snake, rolled around Maschiff¡¯s lunge, kicking up a spray of sand where he moved before using Glare that caused the Dark type to freeze up. That moment of paralysis gave Dunsparce time to Bite into Maschiff, causing the dog to howl out in pain. I rolled my eyes, knowing from experience that it wasn¡¯t that bad, and that the dog would definitely play the drama card if he needed to.

    True to the point, he turned around and tried biting back at Dun a moment later. Hmm, doesn¡¯t look like he¡¯s doing nearly as much damage as Dunsparce did. Is it Dunsparce outpowering him that much? No, or at least not to explain all of it. I don¡¯t think Maschiff is actually even using the Dark type energy - not the Move Bite, but just a regular bite. That would explain the lack of power.

    These things weren¡¯t perfectly guaranteed, but there were signs, things you could look for in battles to get a good ¡®feel¡¯ for how strong a Pokemon was, how good they were with a move, etc. I still counted myself as a bare beginner in that regard, but the lack of dark energy surrounding Maschiff¡¯s teeth before it moved in to bite was an indicator even I could pick up on.

    ¡°Throw him off with a Flail!¡± I shouted out, and Dunsparce followed the command, thrashing about until Maschiff let go. Likely due to a combination of both the Paralysis lingering from Glare and from the pain. The dog whimpered, slumping down a bit. Hmm, probably not too faked this time. Might as well call it.

    ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡± I called out at the same time as Arven shouted it out, rushing over to Maschiff¡¯s side. The dog Pokemon whimpered into him as he held the Dark type protectively. ¡°Why do you gotta beat us up so much?¡± He cried.

    ¡°To give us good training,¡± I responded easily, pulling some Potions out of my pocket. I gave Dunsparce a few sprays from one before scratching the top of his head, reward for a job well done, which he preened at. Arven still looked worried, even as I walked over and gave him a Potion to use on Maschiff. ¡°He¡¯ll be fine, don¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°What if it¡¯s not enough for him to get better? What if he¡¯s hurt permanently? Say something, bud!¡± Maschiff was not saying anything, however I wasn¡¯t nearly as worried as Arven. Partly because I had a better angle and could see the dog sneaking a few of the treats out from Arven¡¯s back pocket. Yeah, definitely mischievous enough for a Dark type.

    His words did remind me of some of my worries for the future, not that he could know any of that. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll do my best to ensure you and Maschiff never get hurt like that. Arven noticed what his sneaky puppy was doing then, and changed his expression from worry to anger. Maschiff just gave him a big grin, mouth full of treats while I laughed out loud.

    ¡°I think he¡¯ll be fine. But you gotta be prepared for your partner to get hurt in a battle,¡± I added more seriously. That¡¯s one of the hardest parts of being a trainer, I think. You love your Pokemon, help raise them as much as they teach you, and then you have to watch them get hurt as they fight others. Sure, there were as many guidelines as possible to keep things safe, and Pokemon, even moreso than the humans of this world, were incredibly durable. It didn¡¯t mean invincible, however, and just the idea of seeing their friends in pain or struggling was probably enough to cause some people to quit the gym challenge.

    Arven grumbled a bit ¡°I- yeah I guess. I still don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever be as good as you though.¡±

    ¡°You totally could!¡± I shook my head vigorously. ¡°That¡¯s what training is all about, getting better and constantly improving.¡± Arven admittedly wasn¡¯t as strong as Nemona in the games, but that doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s bad. Just was focused on other stuff there. ¡°You were right to call the fight there though; Maschiff was pretty much beat by that point.¡±

    ¡°Oh. So we¡¯re done now? Yay!¡± He exclaimed, the boy and dog happily jumping around.

    ¡°Hey! If you¡¯ve got that much energy we could totally go for another round.¡± They both immediately wilted, and I sighed. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll call it here. Let¡¯s go inside and get cleaned up.¡± I recalled Dunsparce to his Pokeball, and Arven did the same with Maschiff.

    When I first caught Dunsparce, I¡¯d been worried that he wouldn¡¯t like being ¡®stuck¡¯ in a ball, so I had him out pretty much all the time. While fun for me, I actually found he doesn¡¯t seem to mind being in his ball much, generally enjoying the rest state the Pokeball brings. It also has the side benefit of immediately clearing off all the dust and sand that was sticking on to him.

    ¡°Why?¡± Arven asked about the ¡®getting cleaned up¡¯, uncaring of the sand that was now covering his clothes, nor of the sweat he had from the exercise we did earlier. Not that he didn¡¯t complain plenty about it at the time, even when doing half of my sets. Like I told him though, it¡¯s important to train our bodies alongside our Pokemon. You never know when you¡¯ll need to rely on your own power in the sudden life-or-death moments that can happen when exploring.

    Rotom mentioned that I¡¯d been focusing too much on such possibilities whenever I searched those statistics up, but I couldn¡¯t help myself. I wanted to be as prepared as possible! I also couldn¡¯t deny the desire to go out and explore everything this world had to offer. It all seemed so incredible!

    Rather than answering his question, I gave Arven a hand up and we walked back to the house from the beach where we had been training. Anise had been assigned to watch over us, but was just waiting at the top of the stairs, not too worried about us. I¡¯d like to say that I¡¯d built up a level of trust among the staff in the year since I¡¯d regained my memories, but given how easily they trusted Arven ever since I started inviting him over, I felt there was another factor.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    Owning a Pokemon. It was a huge cultural and societal symbol here. In the eyes of many, once you had a Pokemon, you were an adult. Or close enough, even if you were young. The Junior License that we had definitely did not make us legal adults or anything like that, but there was just a higher level of recognition from the adults once you had a Pokeball, I noticed.

    That wasn¡¯t to say that they trusted us completely. They still made sure to watch over us when Arven came over, especially when our Pokemon ¡®battled¡¯. We¡¯d sparred a few times, but I couldn¡¯t really consider it a real ¡®battle¡¯, not compared to what I¡¯d seen from the videos. A lot of them watched our first battle, the majordomo even recording it for mom and dad. Now, the staff would only leave one person watching over us when we battled now, possibly after seeing that I wouldn¡¯t use any of the more advanced moves against Maschiff.

    ¡°Why do we have to battle every time I come over? We musta¡¯ fought a hundred times and I¡¯m still no closer to beating you.¡± I winced a little at Arven¡¯s words as we started trudging up the stairs.

    ¡°We haven¡¯t battled that many times; you¡¯ve only been over like a dozen times.¡± Arven immediately screwed his face up in concentration, holding his fingers out to start ¡®counting¡¯ that out, trying to see if ¡®a dozen¡¯ came close to ¡®a hundred¡¯. I reached a hand back to grab him as he started to overbalance, pulling him back before he could fall down the stairs.

    Oww. He¡¯s not that heavy, but that twinged my wrist a bit. Hope that I don¡¯t have those issues with my wrists in this life. ¡°Ahh! Thanks Nims!¡± Arven cried out, all grumpiness from before forgotten.

    ¡°No problem.¡± Not sure how I feel about him picking up my sister¡¯s new nickname for me though, or about the nickname in general. I elected not to say anything about that though as we walked back to the house, instead focusing on the battle. ¡°Look, I won¡¯t make you battle any more if you don¡¯t want to, but I think it¡¯s good. You¡¯ve improved a bunch already.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± He sounded skeptical, but I could hear a hint of hope poorly hidden in his tone well.

    ¡°Definitely. Remember the first time we fought? You and Maschiff just cringed so much Dun was pretty much able to just flop on top of him.¡± His face grew a bit red as he remembered that. ¡°But you did so much better this time! You gave proper commands and fought for about as long as your partner could. That¡¯s a lot of improvement. It¡¯s just¡­¡± I paused for a moment as we reached the door to my house, searching for the right way to convey my message. ¡°I¡¯m constantly working on improving too, you know?¡±

    ¡°Do¡­ do you think dad¡¯ll be proud of how much better I¡¯ve gotten?¡± Arven asked nervously as we got inside and I resisted the urge to sigh. He¡¯d get the wrong idea if I did, that I was sighing at him rather than his father.

    ¡°I think he¡¯s plenty proud of you anyways. But you shouldn¡¯t train to try and get praise from him, or even to surpass me or whatever.¡± Turning to look back at him I said. ¡°Whatever you want to do, do so for yourself. Put your all into it, and don¡¯t worry so much about comparing yourself to anyone else. So long as you try your best, that¡¯s all that matters.¡±

    An easier thing to say than to do. I know I find myself looking at professional matches and wondering if I¡¯ll match up, how I could possibly reach those heights, etc. But the lesson is a good one. Even if I never manage to make it as far as the original Nemona¡­ I want to try. To become strong and see everything this world has to offer. If I¡¯ve got a second life, might as well make the most of it, right?

    Arven was looking a little dazed. I wonder if I pushed him too hard today? Nah, he¡¯s a kid, he¡¯ll spring back just fine. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll take the upstairs shower, you can use the guest one.¡± I said, and Anise moved to direct him there. Arven had some spare clothes since he said he might be sleeping over anyways. The boy claimed it was just because ¡®[we] had such good food,¡¯ but I felt it had far more to do with how lonely he got.

    There was still no word yet on the Tera Orb, but I felt it could only be a matter of weeks at this point, assuming we were anywhere close to the canon timeline of when they¡¯d be invented. Hopefully, Turo will be finished soon and can spend some more time with his son. At least before he tries to make his time machine. I was surprised that he let Arven come over so often. Thought it might have just been neglect, not caring about where Arven went, but apparently he encouraged Arven to come over. I guess the Professor isn¡¯t as upset about what I said at the party as I thought he might be?

    I washed quickly; I had always preferred fast showers and being in a different body just increased my desire to get done with that fast. I wonder when I¡¯ll feel comfortable with that? I¡¯ve started calling my family ¡®mom¡¯ and ¡®dad¡¯ even internally more often. I guess you can get used to anything with enough time.

    After getting clean and getting dressed I went down to the dinner table to wait for Arven but he didn¡¯t show up. After a few minutes I started looking around to see if he¡¯d gotten lost (the house was fairly big after all) and found him in the kitchen, intently eyeing all the work the cooks were doing.

    I couldn¡¯t help but let out a laugh after that. Looks like Arven is still gonna be a sandwich obsessed kid, despite any changes I make. Arven whirled around, panicking a bit.

    ¡°Ah, I was just-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± I waved him off, but the head chef was looking a little disapproving at the ruckus I made. Ouch, guess Arven is more trustworthy than me. Or at least less of a disturbance to their work. Not wanting to make a scene, I said ¡°C¡¯mon, let''s go. I¡¯ve got a few videos to show you before dinner.¡±

    As we left, I called Rotom up. ¡°Hey Rotom, do you remember the videos I mentioned?¡± The Rotom phone floated up dutifully.

    ¡°Of course, Young Miss.¡± I bit back a frown. Hmm, Rotom¡¯s felt a bit odd recently, but I don¡¯t know why. I¡¯ve asked a few times, and they¡¯ve said ¡®it¡¯s nothing¡¯ or things to that effect, but still. Maybe they¡¯re feeling overworked or underappreciated? I¡¯ll try to give them a break in the future.

    ¡°Ok, so in this video we get a comparison of two 1st badge level trainers fighting. I think you¡¯ll get to see some huge benefits from- hey wait, don¡¯t groan! Just one battle video to sum up today¡¯s training! Then we can watch some meme videos and that cooking show you like.¡± He gave a cheer, echoed by Maschiff, who popped out of his ball to do the same. I sighed, but wasn¡¯t actually upset.

    I¡¯m glad I can reach out to Arven. Even if I can¡¯t change much, I¡¯d like to be able to give that kid a better childhood.

 Chapter 8

    Did you hear?¡± Cyan asked me out of the blue one morning while we were having breakfast.

    ¡°Hmm? What?¡± I asked, still a little confused and waking up.

    ¡°About Tera Orbs! They¡¯re the-¡±

    ¡°Turo finished it?!¡± My sister blinked at my abruptness. ¡°Ah sorry, you were saying?¡±

    She let out an exasperated huff of air at my interruption while I just shrugged. ¡°Probably should have realized you would already know about it. Got your little boyfriend to tell you all about it, huh?¡± Her teasing tone made me retch internally at the insinuation. Eww. Not my age, not my type.

    ¡°He¡¯s not my boyfriend.¡± My tone was as deadpan as it could be.

    "Whatever you say," she taunted again, before giving up when I didn''t respond to her prodding. I think she''s just looking for something, anything, to tease me about.

    Things have gotten better with us hanging out more and working on comics together, but that just means I have to deal with the standard big sibling teasing inherent in having a big sister..

    It was certainly a different dynamic to deal with. Back in my first life, I was the one with the younger sister. My situation being reversed meant I didn¡¯t fit into the role well and was still trying to figure out how my new dynamic sometimes worked.

    ¡°Hello?¡± Her voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

    ¡°Ah, sorry about that.¡± I said, scratching the back of my head. Hmm, my hair¡¯s getting long, should probably get it cut soon. ¡°You were saying?¡±

    She shook her head, her white bangs falling around her face. ¡°Arceus above, I swear your head seems stuck in the clouds sometimes. Yes, the Tera Orb! Professor Turo just unveiled it as his newest invention. The news said it was going to revolutionize battles or whatever, but I guess you know all about that already.¡±

    ¡°No, I really don¡¯t. Turo told Arven barely anything.¡± Technically true, and that¡¯s really stretching ¡®barely¡¯ from the pretty much nothing he told Arven. Still, I don¡¯t need Cyan questioning Arven about that at some point when she sees him. ¡°Please, tell me about it.¡±

    ¡°Fiiiiiine.¡± She groaned and acted like it was a big deal but quickly scooted beside me, directing her own Rotom Phone to show us the news. A quick glance at the time showed it really was recent. This happened fifteen minutes ago?! Of course I hadn¡¯t heard of it yet!

    In the video, Turo looked a little bit more haggard than I¡¯d seen him before, but that was mostly concealed by the sheer exuberance and energy he had, unveiling his new device.

    "The Tera Orb is my team''s creation to harness the natural power of Terastalization! The ability to change a Pokemon''s type at will, a marvelous new advancement in battling! All in the palm of your hand." He lifted his hand out of his pocket at that moment, revealing the shiny black orb.

    With his free hand, he held a Pokeball and released a Porygon Z from it. Then, taking the Tera Orb, he threw it above the Porygon where it burst into light and the Pokemon was transformed. Crystal energy surrounded it and on its head, in the shape of a large gem with a few smaller gems sticking out, was a crystalline crown. ¡°The future is here, and I can¡¯t wait to share it with all of you.¡± His speech dramatically concluded, the reporters burst into a stream of furious questions.

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s pretty incredible.¡± I said, half-tuning out the rest of the interview.

    Cyan frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t sound like you think it¡¯s incredible.¡±

    ¡°No no, don¡¯t get me wrong, this is huge. In terms of battling it adds a whole new dimension onto how you fight. A couple of dimensions, really. Defensively you can change your typing to completely flip the script on incoming attacks, and offensively everyone knows how much of a boost Terastalized Pokemon can have in the wild. There¡¯s also the question of duration, how long it lasts, when will be the best time to use it-¡±

    ¡°Ok ok, no need to nerd out on me you Pokefreak.¡± I puffed my cheeks out at that. ¡°So you think it¡¯s big news you just¡­ weren¡¯t surprised by it.¡± I¡¯ll have to be careful with the things I let slip, Cyan¡¯s actually quite intelligent herself.

    ¡°I guessed about as much when I met Turo. The rest I just studied up a bit on my own, but there¡¯s still too little information to say how this will affect things,¡± I hedged. I had some theories of my own, like how it might lead to increased trade and tourism with Kitikami, the only other region that had Terastalization naturally, but that was mostly due to my unique knowledge.

    Our attention was suddenly caught by something Turo said as the press conference was wrapping up. ¡°... I¡¯d like to give a big thanks to my team for their tireless work on this project, I couldn¡¯t have done it without them. We also could not have achieved this without the work from generous sponsors, like Billy & O¡¯Nare Glitterati.¡± Mom, Dad, just how much did you give him? Am I going to have to worry about him getting his ¡®time machine¡¯ up and running ahead of schedule?

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s our parents for you, always knowing the best projects to invest in! That¡¯s their Glitterati brilliance.¡± I cringed for a moment before I saw Cyan giggling, revealing she was just doing a bit, not actually trying to copy our parents like that.

    ¡°Geez, don¡¯t worry me like that! You were acting so cringey,¡± I said, now laughing as well. We both fell into hysterics for a bit, just laughing at their mannerisms. If it had been anyone else, I might have been upset by them making fun of my (admittedly goofy) parents, but it was something we could share as sisters.

    I wonder how my real- first life family is doing? I don¡¯t remember death or the like, so it could just be my memories and mind implanted in Nemona¡¯s head, but maybe I did die. If I did, I hope they managed to move past it. It wasn¡¯t the first time I¡¯d had such thoughts, but it intruded like an ice cold knife cutting through my cheer in the moment.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, do you really think I¡¯d be that bad?¡± Cyan asked, and I did my best to pretend like everything was still fine, and that I wasn¡¯t for reasons utterly unexplainable to her, terribly sad.

    ¡°No, no, you just did a really good job in your impression.¡± I quickly changed the topic, trying to use forced enthusiasm to cover up my sudden melancholy. ¡°Hey, want to see what Dun can do? He¡¯s gotten really strong, and I can¡¯t wait to see him battle.¡±

    My sister rolled her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t you battle with Arven tons? I saw those fights.¡±

    ¡°You saw one fight- not even! You left halfway through!¡±

    She looked sheepish at that. I will not call it Mareepish! Sheep actually exist here! And Mareep are much tougher than them. Wool is pretty tough, and an even greater deterrent when electrically charged too, something wild Mareep knew. Plus,such  packs often had more experienced Flaffys or even Ampharos leading them.

    ¡°Alright fine, I¡¯ll watch you and Dunsparce train a bit.¡±

    ¡°Excellent!¡± I cheered, scarfing down the rest of my breakfast. We raced outside and down the stairs, my sister outpacing me with her longer legs. The shore was as gorgeous a sight as ever. Sparkling blue ocean stretching out as far as the eye could see, soft golden sand beneath our feet. Chatots chattering away above us.

    ¡°Haha, I win!¡± Cyan said. I opened my mouth to argue that we hadn¡¯t ¡®officially¡¯ declared a race, before thinking better of it.

    ¡°All right, here¡¯s your prize. Let¡¯s go, Dunsparce!¡± I declared dramatically as I clicked open his Pokeball.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to throw it?¡± My sister (un)helpfully added as Dunsparce reared up and¡­ yawned lightly. I was excited for a split second before realizing that wasn¡¯t the Move, he was just a little sleepy.

    ¡°Hush you.¡± I said to her before bringing up Rotom to record this. ¡°Can you help us? I want to show off what we¡¯ve been practicing.¡± My sister kneeled down and scratched the top of his head, something Dun leaned into a bit. He hadn¡¯t been as big a fan of hers at first, but I realized that was because she tried to hug him, and he only accepted hugs from me. Anyone else trying to hold him like that got him agitated. Once I told her that, she made sure to respect his boundaries and appreciated the head scratches.

    ¡°... Of course, bzzt. You two have been working really hard.¡± Rotom replied hollowly. Hmm, something is definitely up with them. I¡¯ll talk to them about it after.

    ¡°Thanks! Now, Dunsparce, time to really show Cyan here what you¡¯re made of. You ready?¡±

    ¡°Sparce!¡± He affirmed, instantly shaking off the sleepiness, a fire in his eyes. Cyan took a few steps back to give him room to show off the fruits of his labors.

    ¡°Alright, let''s start off with a Poison Jab on that tree.¡± I pointed at one of the palm trees standing about three times my height. Dunsparce eagerly slithered ahead, spinning around and jabbing it deep with the point of his tail. The purple ooze that coated his tail right before the impact spread quickly through the tree, giving it a withered look as it started to turn gray.

    ¡°It¡¯s weakened, follow it up with a Body Slam!¡± Sure, Dunsparce already knows it¡¯s weakened from the attack, but the commentary helps when showing off.

    He wrenched his tail out, then threw himself into an all-out slam into the poisoned tree, smashing it to bits. I raised a hand up to shield myself from the splinters as it cracked and broke into a thousand pieces.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°God job, now finish things off with your biggest move. Earthquake!¡± I made sure to point at a boulder that was sitting on the beach (and may have been there from our efforts training days beforehand, breaking off a chunk of the cliffs nearby).

    Giving a small trill of victory, Dunsparce raised himself up into the air on the tip of his tail before flopping down. The impact was much heavier than one would think was physically possible however, the Ground energy was infusing the blow. The sand rippled violently beneath our feet, sending Cyan stumbling, and then falling as the aftershocks hit. I was a bit more prepared for it, managing to ride it out by lowering my center of gravity moving with, not against the waves. We weren¡¯t too close to take any major impact from it though. The boulder on the other hand? It was right beside Dunsparce, the waves spreading from the sand straight up through the rock, breaking it apart with ease.

    ¡°Th-that was¡­¡± Cyan said, shakily getting up.

    ¡°That was awesome! Great job Dun!¡± I ran over to give him a big hug, ignoring the sand that had been kicked up.

    ¡°Dun dun!¡± He wiggled gladly in my arms, puffing himself up a bit with pride. He should be proud, it took a lot of work to get to that point. We¡¯ve been training for months now, getting him used to different terrains like earth and rock vs sand. He could do more damage to the ground/anything on solid ground at first, but could spread the effects further and faster with the sand. Now he¡¯s about on par with both and I think I can say he¡¯s entirely proficient with the Move. Same for Poison Jab, and while it isn¡¯t as ¡®flashy¡¯ as the other two, I think he¡¯s mastered Body Slam.

    I turned around to Cyan to show off how great my Pokemon was some more, maybe demonstrate some of the more finicky maneuvers we were working on, but I saw a look of shock in her eyes at something behind me. She raised her hand to point at it as I was already whirling back around. There was movement and an angry screech from the rubble, then a burst of rock and water sliced through it and towards me.

    My vision spun around me, the impact leaving me dazed and confused. I could barely tell that I was laying on the ground. A pained yell from Dunsparce caught my focus, ignoring the aches and what felt like a scrape above my eyes.

    Wrenching myself up from the me-shaped divot in the sand, I saw the battle at hand. Sand and water were kicked around as Dunsparce interposed himself between me and three red squiggly worms poking out of a rock. What? Wait, that¡¯s Wugtrio!

    My starter wasn¡¯t doing well, not using Moves beyond the occasional Flail as it panicked. My head was still spinning, Cyan screaming her head off in the background didn¡¯t help but I pushed that aside as I rose on shaky legs. I was still trying to put the situation together, but one fact was clear to me was that Dun would be in trouble if I didn¡¯t give an order to my Pokemon immediately. ¡°Body Slam!¡±

    Dunsparce stopped thrashing about in confusion and launched itself at the wormy trio, slamming hard into them. Wugtrio recoiled, shifting back and I used the opportunity to steady myself. What the heck is going on here?! We were just training and suddenly this wiggling menace appeared. It- it hit me. I wiped away a small trickle of blood dripping down towards my eyes. I¡¯ll deal with how this happened later, I can¡¯t let Dun lose!

    Wugtrio approached again, rearing back to slam its heads onto Dunsparce. ¡°Roll away!¡± I called out and Dun avoided the blow. One Wugtrio head turned to glare at me, recognizing me as a potential problem, while the other two were focused firmly on my Pokemon.

    ¡°Follow it up, Body Slam again.¡± I shouted, and Dun tried to do so, but Wugtrio easily circled around him, firing off rings of water. The problem made itself apparent, clumps of sand sticking to his scales and slowing him down. Some of the thin mucus surrounding the Wugtrio had stuck onto Dun from his contact and dragged him down, more sand sticking to him. The frequent water blasts didn¡¯t help either, making him flinch and making more space between the two.

    What do I do? My mind froze, for some reason stuck on the screams Cyan was making. Tearing my eyes away from the scene for a second, I yelled out to Cyan. ¡°Go inside, get help!¡± Cyan cast one fearful glance back at me and bolted, running up the stairs. Good, that¡¯ll keep her safe and I can focus. And if I fail, we might need an adult here.

    ¡°I- I¡¯ll go help the Young Master!!¡± Rotom said, floating after my sister.

    ¡°Right, good,¡± I called back, distractedly, turning my attention to the fight. At least they¡¯ll be safe I thought as I saw the beatdown that was taking place. Dunsparce was still valiantly trying to get close, but Wugtrio was running literal circles around him, blasting him each time as he went. Dammit, he can¡¯t take much more of this! I instinctually moved towards him, causing two things to happen.

    First, Wugtrio immediately stopped, trying to backpedal at my approach. Right, it still sees me as a threat! Better not get close though, it hit me pretty hard last time. The second was that getting a better look at Dun, I could see that he was actually doing a lot better than I thought. It still wasn¡¯t great, he was bruised in more than a few places, but I could tell he could still take a few shots. The Water Pulses aren¡¯t hurting him much! Wugtrio must not be a great special attacker.

    My brave land snake used the opportunity Wugtrio¡¯s sudden stop had given him to try and close the distance. I could already tell it wouldn¡¯t be enough though, Wugtrio was still too fast and Dun too slow. ¡°Jump up and drift!¡± We haven¡¯t perfected that yet, but he¡¯s already close. Just need the Wugtrio to back up and not try anything tricky.

    Dunsparce launched itself through the air, leaping towards Wugtrio. Off the ground, the mucus didn¡¯t have anything to catch on to and slow Dunsparce down. It also meant his move was very telegraphed, the three heads of Wugtrio giving something near a scoffing sound as it backed up and to the side slightly. Which is when Dunsparce flapped his little wings as hard as he could! Gliding and curving through the air, he fell on Wugtrio with a heavy Body Slam.

    The aquatic Pokemon gave an enraged screech, suddenly changing tactics. Instead of backing up, it charged ahead, a jet of water propelling it past Dunsparce, knocking him on his side. He easily rolled back, but Wugtrio was on him again in an instant.

    Rocketing around, Wugtrio kept on striking at Dunsparce, much faster than he could react to, circling around and striking him from a new angle each time he tried to get back up. Damn, is that a Priority Move? I can barely keep track of him with my eyes¡­ Eyes that¡¯s it!

    ¡°Glare then jab when he closes!¡± I shouted as quickly as I could. We¡¯d practiced the maneuver enough that Dun knew what to do even while getting battered. He opened his eyes fully, staring with all his hatred at all three pairs of eyes atop its wobbly heads. The Wugtrio involuntarily halted its approach, its muscles seizing in fear as its momentum carried it closer to Dunsparce without any of the usual power behind its Moves. Spinning around, Dunsparce tried to Poison Jab it with his tail, purple energy surrounding the appendage.

    Wugtrio managed to still pull off a speedy reversal - of direction and speed, not the Move, but still ended up grazed by Dunsparce¡¯s tail. Not Poisoned though, it still looks too hearty for that.

    ¡°Wugtrio!!!¡± All three heads shouted angrily as it renewed its assault. This time it was keeping a close eye on the tail, which meant it would sometimes abort its attacks early or only strike grazing blows. It was still enough though, Dunsparce was heavily panting between taking blows, and Wugtrio¡¯s speed was too great even with the Paralysis.

    Sand sprayed near my eyes a few times, but otherwise the battle was kept away from me, letting me think and evaluate the conditions. That mucus keeps on slowing him down too¡­Wait I¡¯ve got it! There was one surefire way to get rid of a debuff like that. It¡¯s risky, but I can¡¯t let him keep on getting hit like this!

    Holding up my Pokeball, I recalled Dunsparce. His opponent disappearing in a red beam of light confused Wugtrio for a second, which was all I needed to release Dunsparce again, right beside Wugtrio, free of any mucus.

    ¡°EARTHQUAKE!¡± I yelled as loudly as I could, as if that would enhance the move, then jumping into the air. I think he¡¯s resistant to it, but there¡¯s no dodging this one. Dunsparce performed the move without question, slamming into the ground multiple times and kicking up massive waves of sand, like miniature tsunamis radiating out through the beach.

    Wugtrio was already moving away, but caught off guard so close to Dun, it wasn¡¯t able to escape the wide-ranged attack. The Move bashed it around, causing the three heads to smack into each other repeatedly. It swayed around as the Move subsided, one head dropping limp, then the second, and finally the last, draping over its rocky body? Shell? In any case, we had defeated it.

    Despite the fact that I hadn¡¯t been involved in the fighting, I was panting nearly as hard as Dun was. I can¡¯t believe that just happened! It was moving so fast and we barely- that Earthquake was amazing, I can¡¯t believe it did that much damage to a Water Type. Wait, are Water Types not resistant to Ground? Damn it, they aren¡¯t! To forget something so simple¡­ I had panicked so much I forgot basic facts like that. Definitely something I have to improve on.

    Shaking aside those thoughts for later I rushed over to Dunsparce. ¡°Buddy, you ok?¡±

    ¡°Spar! Un.¡± Dunsparce responded, still warily eyeing his fallen foe. He still placed himself between me and the fainted Wugtrio, breathing heavily and seemed pretty bruised up. Nothing worse than that though, nothing permanent, I think. Pokemon are really tough, he should be fine with some time to rest and some Potions. The Wugtrio too.

    ¡°I think he¡¯s beaten.¡± Sure, I couldn¡¯t see swirly eyes like in the anime, but it looked pretty thoroughly defeated. Dun nodded, slithering back to my side. He glanced up at his Pokeball but made no other moves towards it, desiring to remain on-guard while the Wugtrio was still near, even if it wasn¡¯t conscious.

    A few seconds later, others arrived. Staff members and Cyan were rushing down the stairs to us, my sister giving out a cry for joy when she saw that Dun and I were alright.

    ¡°You¡¯re ok?!¡± My sister cried out, running over to hug me, eliciting a small ¡®oof¡¯ from me.

    ¡°Yeah, we won!¡± I gave a weak cheer. I¡¯m really happy, but boy was that stressful and painful. I hope we don¡¯t have to do anything like that again soon. Leah and the others soon surrounded me too, fretting over my wounds. They pulled out handkerchiefs to dab at my cuts, poked and prodded to check for other injuries and generally ignored my attempts to wave them off. I know I look like a mess but I¡¯m fine now!

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe that monster attacked you!¡± Cyan said, stomping over to the downed Wugtrio. If it wasn¡¯t for two of the staff accompanying her, Pokeballs at the ready, I might have been a bit worried about the Wugtrio possibly getting back up while she was too close. ¡°We need to have it-¡±

    ¡°Safely relocated!¡± I interrupted her.

    ¡°Why? That thing attacked you for no reason!¡± She demanded and I blinked, caught off guard by her anger before seeing the worry behind her anger, biting her lip and hands clenched into fists. She saw her little sister just get hurt and couldn¡¯t do anything about it, of course she¡¯s upset.

    Recognizing that, I discarded any high minded, philosophical arguments on why not to hurt a downed foe. ¡°I don¡¯t think they did attack us for ¡®no reason¡¯.¡± Very rarely was a Pokemon so aggressive, and even the ones that were more violent tended to be more on the highly territorial side than actively malicious. So why would it have jumped out from- oh.

    ¡°They were probably living in that boulder there.¡± We had knocked it down several days ago, so it wasn¡¯t hard to believe that another Pokemon could have taken up residence in some nook inside the big rock. ¡°When we destroyed it, they saw us as attacking them and destroying their home.¡±

    ¡°I- fine,¡± she crossed her arms. ¡°But let¡¯s make sure it¡¯s placed far away from here.¡±

    ¡°No disagreements here.¡± She was still frowning, but there wasn¡¯t anything I could do about that. Her and the others were worked up into a frenzy worrying about me and it would take a few minutes to calm down. I was helped by the fact that I saw the battle end, but I¡¯d still probably have the jitters for a few hours.

    So close to serious injury over an accident. I wonder if I might have been able to communicate with them, if we could have worked this out without a full fight¡­ but then again, if I¡¯d tried to hold off on fighting back, Dunsparce might have lost too.

    I resolved to worry about could-have-beens later, and for the moment just be grateful that everyone was alive and well.

 Chapter 9

    ¡°Oh, how could this have happened? To our darling daughters!¡± Father wailed, hugging both of us tightly.

    ¡°But look how they handled the dangerous situation with such aplomb! Such ingenious!¡± Mother responded, looking at us in awe. We just squirmed awkwardly in Billy¡¯s grasp until he let us go. It was a short-lived reprieve, followed by O¡¯Nare hugging us just as tightly. It really wasn¡¯t that clever. I just beat on Wugtrio until she was defeated.

    Our parents had raced back after they heard about the incident. It didn¡¯t look like they were going to be too upset towards us, which I was quite grateful for as Anise and the other staff had already chewed me out.

    I hadn¡¯t tried to ¡®escape¡¯ their watchful eyes in a while - not since my birthday party almost half a year ago now. Technically, I hadn¡¯t been trying to on the day we fought the Wugtrio either. I just got so excited about showing off Dunsparce to Cyan that I hadn¡¯t thought to inform the staff before we left and no one managed to notice us before we were gone.

    Hopefully none of them get fired over it. Hamber was quite upset about it all, but I think he¡¯s reserving judgment until seeing how my parents react. Hamber was the majordomo of the house. He had gray hair with a weird L-shape that covered his left eye, which was either somehow the natural pattern of his hair, or a very carefully maintained style.

    I didn¡¯t interact with him much but he mostly seemed to co-ordinate the staff with Billy and O¡¯Nare¡¯s wishes, in the time he had been with us. He had come to my parents highly recommended from¡­ someone, couldn¡¯t recall who, and been given the position of majordomo straight away, not long after we moved here.

    Billy let us go, taking another good look at us. I had a few bandages still from a few cuts and scrapes from the incident a few days ago, but nothing serious, and Cyan was fine. ¡°I suppose it should be expected of our Glitterati daughters to deal with dangerous situations so handily, even if it still brings me worry.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re fine,¡± I insisted, trying my best to look serious, though I was sure it seemed more like a pout on my childish face. ¡°The Wugtrio was just scared, and Dunsparce managed to protect me. She¡¯s been moved somewhere safe, so there¡¯s no worries.¡± It¡¯s a shame I was getting looked at/basically grounded when the Ranger they called came in. I¡¯d have loved to ask them about their job. One of the staff used a Pokeball to keep Wugtrio safe and sound in stasis till they arrived, but then it must have been handed off to the Ranger, having the automatic connection broken from the system that records the captures. Then I guess they move the Pokemon to a new location and break the Auric signature connection that a Pokeball has with the Pokemon? Argh, so many questions.

    My thoughts were interrupted by O¡¯Nare saying something worrying. ¡°Hmm, maybe we should put a fence around the property, to stop any more wild Pokemon from getting too close.¡±

    ¡°No!¡± I shouted instantly. Both my parents turned to me looking curiously at me for an explanation. ¡°Uhh¡­¡± I stalled. I can¡¯t just say that it¡¯s because I want to be closer to the wonderful nature of this world. That¡¯d be selfish, given that we did have a dangerous incident. But still¡­

    ¡°It would ruin the lovely view of our estate,¡± I tried, sheepishly. Mother¡¯s eyes widened in surprise before smiling at her for that.

    ¡°Such brilliance, as to be expected from our daughter.¡±

    ¡°Cyan made sure to get help right away,¡± I pointed out. A small fib, but Billy and O¡¯Nare already pay enough attention to me.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, we have such amazing daughters!¡± Cyan¡¯s beaming smile in response to the praise was almost blinding. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t last long, her smile dropping with mother¡¯s next sentence. ¡°I will have to tell everyone in the realty group about you!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re leaving already?¡± She asked, crestfallen as O¡¯Nare nodded. She soon mustered back up and asked ¡°Have you decided where we¡¯re going on vacation?¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m afraid we won¡¯t be able to go on a family vacation this summer. The Paldean Realty Group is simply swamped with requests. In fact, I really must be getting back right now.¡±

    ¡°Ah, you¡¯re so punctual!¡± Billy said, raising a hand up as if to shield his eyes from his wife¡¯s ¡®brilliance¡¯. ¡°It reminds me that I¡¯m needed back at my company too. We¡¯re working on a new ¡®Terastralized¡¯ Phone Case.¡±

    That clicked together a lot of pieces for me. Right, Turo name dropped them during his press conference. With all the buzz surrounding this new item, everyone must be sucking up to them, making new deals¡­ they¡¯ll be busier than ever.

    My parents had one more surprise as before leaving, father handed me a shiny black orb, about Pokeball sized. ¡°Wait, this is-¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, it¡¯s a Tera Orb! The Professor was so grateful to our little donation that he offered you one.¡± I raised an eyebrow at the idea of their donation being ¡®little¡¯ - I¡¯d seen the zeros on that cheque, before getting caught up with the issue at hand. How did he send it so fast- oh right, I live in a world where beings that can fly faster than the speed of sound or just outright teleport can work delivery jobs. Then I caught on to the second half of that sentence.

    ¡°Me specifically?¡± I didn¡¯t realize I¡¯d made that big an impact on him, or that he¡¯d remember me that much. Or if he did, it wouldn¡¯t be anything good.

    ¡°He said he wished he could pay us back for our donation more, but yes, he was quite interested in you too. He said you were very intelligent and he¡¯d expect great things from you.¡± Why do I feel like Peter Parker after Norman Osborn takes an interest in him? ¡°Go on and try it out,¡± Billy encouraged, giving me the instructions on how to do so. I could see Hamber in the background sighing and quickly gesturing to some of the other staff to clear space in the living room for us to do this.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°Ah, ok.¡± I released Dunsparce, who looked around a bit confused at my parents being here before yawning. Stifling a yawn myself - Am I just tired, or is he getting close to learning that Move? It¡¯d be a huge add-on to his arsenal - I told him what we were doing. ¡°We¡¯re going to try the Terastalization thing, ok Dun? Let me know how it feels.¡± I didn¡¯t expect there would be any problems even ¡®early on¡¯ in the Tera Orbs usage but felt I should mention it anyway.

    Dunsparce remained ever undaunted, eager to try out this new technique - it had been what everyone had been talking about online, and we¡¯d been stuck inside since the Wugtrio attack, it had been what we¡¯d been looking into a lot.

    The ¡®button¡¯ around the orb was what you used to start the Terastalization, though it didn¡¯t really need to be pressed, just lightly brushing it with my thumb was enough to start the process. The sphere was shaking around violently in my grip, enough that I had to grasp it with my other hand to keep a hold on it as the energy built up. After two seconds I was losing control of it, so I lifted it up and clumsily tossed it up above Dunsparce, where it cracked open and released a blinding amount of light. In an instant, Dunsparce was covered in a bunch of crystal blocks before they broke open and revealed the shiny, jewel hat-wearing Dunsparce beneath.

    ¡°Duuuuuun!¡± He roared out, wiggling in glee, my parents, sister, and myself watching in awe. It was honestly breathtaking to see in real life and not on a Switch or TV screen. Even the much-maligned ¡®jewel hat¡¯ thing looks less derpy in real life. Though, that might just be due to Dun¡¯s proportions compared to other Pokemon.

    My starter was busy reveling in the transformation. It didn¡¯t look like the hat slowed down his movements or unbalanced him at all, which was nice. I didn¡¯t order any attacks inside (and so soon after the Wugtrio incident wasn¡¯t going to suggest going outside), but I knew he¡¯d be stronger like this. Body Slam was already his strongest Move, but now it could be an incredible damage dealer against any non-Ghost, Steel, or Rock types.

    Cyan cooed over how ¡®adorable¡¯ Dunsparce looked, which had him a little upset (not that she picked up on it) until I praised his strength, which had him back to preening at the attention. He flexed and posed, and our Rotom Phones took some photos and videos of Dunsparce being Teratalized for the next few minutes before it finally wore off.

    When it did, the crystal sheen seemed to disintegrate off of him, coalescing back into the Tera Orb. Huh, I kinda forgot about where that went in the excitement. Did it become a part of Dunsparce or just like, disappear to a pocket dimension? I really need to learn more about the science of this world. Picking it up, I could see the shine that had been inside it had diminished, leaving the black ball very dull.

    I wondered how I was going to be able to re-use it now, but Billy answered before I could even ask. "Ah, Professor Turo mentioned that you won''t be able to use it again until it''s recharged. Don¡¯t worry dear, some of our engineering department has been hired to help install charging stations at Pokemon centers throughout the region." My eyes widened. He says it so easily, but this sounds like a massive undertaking that probably involves more than just the Rotom Phone Company. I guess that''s another part of why they''re so busy.

    ¡°Oh, that reminds me,¡± Mother snapped her fingers, turning to face Hamber. ¡°We¡¯ll need to do a bit of remodeling to install one of those recharger things here, so Nemona can use hers more. It shouldn¡¯t take too much room in the living space, just a pedestal to place it on. Maybe by the entrance?¡± I tuned them out a bit as they discussed some of the architectural details, the remodeling needing to be done for the new wiring and the like to accommodate it.

    That cannot be cheap, this is cutting-edge technology! Government contracts are being done to upgrade the Pokemon Centers¡­ though, considering who we are and the additional crazy amounts of money my parents must be making right now, they can probably afford it. My mind still boggled sometimes at the sheer amount of money I had been born into in this life.

    They quickly left after that, heading back out to manage their busy companies that made them said money. Dunsparce got recalled to my Pokeball, in good cheer and generally healthy, but looking a little puffed, like he would at the end of a good workout session.

    I noticed Cyan was glued to her phone, looking over the video she had made of Dunsparce¡¯s first Terastalization.

    ¡°How¡¯s he look?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Good,¡± she said happily, but I saw a small frown on her face. Not upset, really, but, like something was bothering her, even if she didn¡¯t truly understand it. ¡°The video is getting a ton of views already, we¡¯re over 10,000 and count-¡±

    ¡°You could get a Pokemon too, you know.¡± I trailed off awkwardly after suddenly interrupting her. ¡°I think Mom and Dad could get you a Tera Orb as well, if you wanted.¡±

    Cyan looked consideringly at me, then back at the video she¡¯d taken and already posted for the world. ¡°I mean, I guess? It does sound fun¡­ but I¡¯d need to get my Junior License, and I haven¡¯t studied that stuff like you.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, well, you¡¯re almost eleven. You could actually apply early for a full trainer license. The requirements for that aren¡¯t much more than the Junior License.¡± It was a bit of an archaic rule, and there wasn¡¯t the ¡®tradition¡¯ that you had to go on a journey in Paldea as soon as you got your license, but it was an option. ¡°I could help you study for it! Uh, if you wanted.¡±

    She scrunched her face up cutely, deep in thought before finally nodding. ¡°If we¡¯re not going on vacation this year, then at least I can get a Pokemon! I want someone cute! And friendly. And-¡±

    ¡°Lets focus on making sure you pass first, ok? But yeah, we can discuss who you¡¯re looking for in a partner and find someone to suit you.¡± To be fair, Pokemon as different species do have certain traits they tend towards, so looking for someone who will be compatible with you isn¡¯t a bad idea. I just hope she takes into account their feelings as an individual too.

    I realized that Cyan had already marched off to her bedroom to begin studying and ran after her.

    ¡°Bzzt, are you sure this is a good idea?¡± Rotom asked, floating by me. I stopped to answer them.

    ¡°Aha, well it will be a good deal of work,¡± I admitted. ¡°But yeah, I think it¡¯s worth it, it¡¯s nice to see her happy, and working towards a goal for herself rather than being upset that our parents are busy.¡± Rotom looked at me oddly, so I tried explaining it further. ¡°When there¡¯s something that¡¯s bugging you but there¡¯s nothing you can do to fix it at the time, it helps to focus on something else until you can address the problem.¡±

    ¡°Bzzt, what if there¡¯s nothing you can do in the long term either?¡± There¡¯s that hitch in their voice¡­ something is up.

    ¡°Then you have to change your approach, find a new angle to deal with the problem. Nothing is insurmountable if you put your mind to it.¡± Not in this world, at least. ¡°Is there some issue you have? I could help-¡±

    ¡°We should go and help the Young Master with her studies, bzzt.¡± They cut me off. I gave them a skeptical glance before nodding slowly.

    ¡°Sure, sounds good.¡± Definitely something going on here, but I¡¯ll let them handle it on their own¡­ for now. If they¡¯re still acting odd after we¡¯re done helping Cyan, I¡¯ll confront them more directly. ¡°Thanks for all the help Rotom, I really appreciate it.¡± I added, before running off after my sister.

 Chapter 10

    ¡°Argh, why is this so complicated?¡± I complained to no one as I slumped over my desk. With all the writing I had been doing in my notebooks my parents (or more likely the staff) had ordered a mahogany desk for me. I¡¯ll probably outgrow it in half a year, tops.

    ¡°Perhaps because you decided to look up the construction of an incredibly complicated machine, bzzt?¡± Rotom answered dryly.

    I let out a heavy sigh. ¡°I mean, yeah, I guess. But this is old. The ZERO-One is decades old by now.¡± This was part of why it was easy to just look up the schematics for it - Professor Oak had freely published them.

    ¡°True, bzzt. It looks like Professor Mirror has made a far upgraded version with his own research survey. It can even hover and teleport-¡±

    ¡°Shut upppp,¡± I groaned. Well, I probably needed this wakeup call. Everyone has been praising my ¡®intelligence¡¯ for so long that I started to get a swollen head. Then I look up stuff like this and see how far out of my depth I am.

    My studies with Cyan at least were going well so far. While she was technically ahead of me on other topics, we both knew that Pokemon were a field I knew far more than her about. To her credit, she hadn¡¯t complained or been grumpy about me being ¡®better¡¯ than her here, and just tried to take in everything I could teach her. I got to learn a few things too. Little details I had missed in my self-guided studies thus far or hadn¡¯t memorized thoroughly enough. No matter how panicky I get, I¡¯m never going to let basic type match-ups get the better of me again.

    However, there were still times when my sister was busy, just focusing on reading the material she¡¯d need to apply for her full Trainer¡¯s License or her other studies (she was adamant that this wouldn¡¯t cause her to fall behind in her other subjects). Which left me free to do my own studies. Seeing the construction of the advanced machinery for the Tera Recharge Station inside our own house, I decided to try my hand at some of the mechanics of this world.

    Should have remembered just how advanced this world is. Even excluding Pokeballs, the technology of this world is insane. It gave me a newfound respect for the title of ¡®Pokemon Professor.¡¯ To achieve it, you basically had to be an omni-disciplinary scientist, existing on the cutting edge of physics, biology, engineering, and even sociology, as a bare minimum.

    I suppose there¡¯s a good reason why they¡¯re respected worldwide, in a similar way to Champions, even if in different fields. Kinda crazy to realize that Professor Oak did both. The idea that some people had of me potentially reaching that level seemed crazy. They don¡¯t know that I¡¯m a cheat, coasting on knowledge ahead of my years.

    That sprouted a small worry in me, of failing drastically as I got older, but that was only a small part of my worries. I could and would deal with that by applying myself further right now, learning as much as I could about the world. Whether or not I¡¯d reach the level of Professor didn¡¯t matter, not as much as stopping Turo.

    He was the real deal. Researching some of the things he¡¯d done, even as a child at Uva Academy¡­ it felt insane, and it highlighted just how dangerous he could be. And I¡¯ll have to stop him. Hopefully, we¡¯ll have the ¡®Player Character¡¯ with us too, but I still want to be more prepared. I don¡¯t think trying to counter-hack the Pokeballs will work if Penny can¡¯t manage it, but it won¡¯t hurt to look the basic designs up.

    I cleared the ZERO-ONE schematics before bringing up some of the standard Pokeball ones. Pokeballs had been around so long that they weren¡¯t copyright protected or anything like that, though it was technically illegal to make one of your own that wasn¡¯t connected to the League¡¯s systems.

    ¡°Are you sure about this, bzzt? Pokeballs may be smaller than that transport relic you were looking at, but they¡¯re still quite complicated. Bzzt, maybe try something easier to start?¡± Rotom helpfully suggested.

    ¡°Oh, I know it¡¯s gonna be tough. This will be a long term project, but I still want to start. If I¡¯m to be a good trainer, I should know a bit more about where I¡¯m putting my Pokemon beyond just, ¡®on my belt,¡¯ right?¡± I paused before adding ¡°Can you bring up some dietary and nutritional guides as well? Thanks Rotom, I should probably know what I¡¯m feeding my Pokemon as well, and it¡¯ll give me something to talk with Arven about.¡±

    I might still have a long way to go, but I¡¯ve got time and a plan. For now, that¡¯ll have to be enough.

    ***

    ¡°Name three Pokemon commonly found in grassy fields.¡±

    ¡°Uhh, Lechonk, Tarountula,... Budew?¡± She said, and I double-checked my answer card even though I knew Cyan was correct.

    ¡°Yes, those are all correct. What should you do if your Pokemon is injured and you don¡¯t have any Potions on hand?¡±

    ¡°Call a Flying Taxi.¡± That¡¯s not the right answer, but it is a reasonable attempt in the real world.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, but the Taxi might not get there in time. What can you do to try and make them better in the meantime?¡±

    ¡°Oh, right! See if I can find a Berry to feed them, like an Oran or a Sitrus Berry.¡±

    ¡°Correct! Alright, here¡¯s a trickier one. When riding a Cyclizar in Glassedo Mountains, what should you always bring with you?¡±

    ¡°Ummm, a camera to take pictures of all the gorgeous sights?¡± I facepalmed at her last answer. So close, but not quite there.

    ¡°No, you should take Freeze Heal and heat packs. Cyclizars are commonly ridden for their speed, but they get cold very easily. With how icy it is on those mountains and how many Ice types there are, you need to make sure your Pokemon doesn¡¯t freeze while carrying you. Dressing warmly is probably a good idea too.¡±

    ¡°Ah, right. So, how did I do?¡± Cyan asked as she saw I was out of cue cards.

    I stretched out in the chair I was sitting in. ¡°Not bad. You got 16 out of 25.¡± She let out a whimper that made me wonder for half a second if Maschiff was here. ¡°Hey, that¡¯s not bad! We¡¯ve got a month to get that up.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I need to get twenty two correct to pass.¡± She was still biting her lip, a bit worried.

    ¡°And you¡¯ll do great. Look how much you¡¯ve already improved from a month of practice.¡± Admittedly, there¡¯s only ¡®up¡¯ to go from getting three questions right, but saying that won¡¯t help. ¡°Hey, what Pokemon do you want to get once you get your license?¡± Hopefully, this will distract her a bit. Understanding your weaknesses is one thing, but she¡¯s just beating herself up here.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    That did seem to distract her, Cyan¡¯s mood flipping around as she considered the question. ¡°Oh that¡¯s a tough one. There¡¯s a lot of cute Pokemon out there, like Skitty or Amaura or Swablu¡­¡±

    Stifling a chuckle I said ¡°True, they are very cute, but you should also think of how they¡¯ll get along with you. Every Pokemon is their own person, but certain lines have different tendencies.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I don¡¯t know. Are there any Pokemon known for being beautiful, artistic, and very intelligent?¡±

    ¡°I- uhhh,¡± scrambling to try and pick a Pokemon that embodied all of those traits. ¡°Well, Smeargle¡¯s are known to be great artists.¡± When she made a face at the idea, I added ¡°They can learn almost any Move too by sketching it out, so even though they aren¡¯t the toughest they can be tricky battlers-¡±

    ¡°No offense Nims, but I¡¯ll leave the battling to you.¡± I had to resist sighing and acting like an old Grognard and pointing out that ¡®not enough young people are taking the gym challenge these days!¡¯ In truth, plenty of people still at least attempted it and in an era of peace it was hardly a requirement for everyone to go through those challenges to secure their future. After a moment she added ¡°I¡¯ll think on it, but maybe not my starter. They seem kinda weird.¡±

    They do have a kinda odd appearance, I get it. As much as I believed in the potential inherent in any Pokemon, that anyone could do great and every Pokemon was probably someone¡¯s favorite, I had my own preferences too. There were some Pokemon I probably wouldn¡¯t seek out to join my team because I thought they looked dumb and were generally weak.

    ¡°Fine, as for intelligent, most Psychic Types are pretty smart. Gardevoirs are known for their beauty as well. Florges are rather pretty and have been friends of royalty in the past, helping them make beautiful gardens.¡± I had always wondered why king/war criminal AZ had a Floette, but looking it up, it was apparently quite a common thing for royalty in Kalos, back in the day. ¡°Oh, and there¡¯s Milotic. It¡¯s not particularly noted for intelligence or artistry (though it definitely could be great at both), but it is said to be the most beautiful Pokemon.¡±

    With Rotom¡¯s help, I pulled up a few images of the Pokemon in question, which Cyan was instantly awed by. ¡°Whoa, that Gardevoir looks so elegant. Oh man, Florges are so beautiful, I know a model who has one just like that! And that Milotic is gorgeous! How hard do you think it would be to get a Milotic Egg?¡±

    ¡°It would be a Feebas Egg first, it needs to evolve to become a Milotic. And I don¡¯t know. They aren¡¯t native to Paldea though.¡± She thought about my words, looking over the Pokemon a few more times before nodding her head.

    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll think on this, but for now I¡¯m going to go over the book a bit more. Do you have anything else to do or are you going to drool over Leon some more?¡± She said, referencing a battle video I¡¯d tried showing her earlier that day.

    ¡°Wha- I was admiring Cynthia¡¯s battles, not Leon¡¯s, he just happened to be her opponent in one of the videos you saw.¡± She snickered anyway, but I maturely ignored it. ¡°But no, I¡¯m gonna do some more training!¡±

    ¡°Alright, just make sure you tell-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll tell Leah, don¡¯t worry.¡± I learned my lesson very well, thank you. It had been a month since the ¡®Wugtrio incident¡¯, so things were calming down around the house, but people could still get a bit antsy about me heading outside.

    After leaving her room, I did indeed tell Leah about what I was doing and she made sure to accompany me outside. The house was kept in quite fine order as usual, so she didn¡¯t have anything else she needed to be doing there. They can get super obsessed with dusting and keeping it spotless at times. Like, I know that¡¯s a lot of their job, but still.

    I breathed in the fresh air easily, sprinting down to the beach, Leah trailing behind me. We did plenty of training on the trails or in the grass too, though never too far from home. The beach was just my favorite spot for it due to the wide open space it provided. The sand was annoying, but I almost always had a shower from how sweaty I¡¯d get after training regardless.

    ¡°Hey Dun, ready for another session?¡± I said.

    ¡°Dun.¡± He responded. Hmm, a bit less enthusiastic than he usually is about this, but still agreeing. I was getting better at reading Dunsparce¡¯s mood and what he meant now, but it still wasn¡¯t perfect; one time I had mistaken a stomach ache for being depressed, much to my chagrin (and Dunsparce¡¯s amusement, after the fact).

    I thought I had an idea about why he was feeling the way he was now, but decided to hold off on questioning him until after our training. ¡°Ok Dunsparce, I want you to give me the biggest yawn you can. Try to imbue it with as great a feeling of ¡®sleepiness¡¯ or tiredness as you can.¡±

    To his credit, the Dunsparce really tried, the winged snake giving his best open-mouth yawn. Without any wild Pokemon around, I was the test subject for that Move to see how well it could work. Which was not fairly well, to be honest. I wasn¡¯t ¡®letting¡¯ any potential Move work on me, but I wasn¡¯t an active combatant either and I was not feeling at all tired. This will need some work before it¡¯s viable in battle. I wonder what¡¯s the big issue, I remember Yawn being a Move that Dunsparce can learn naturally.

    After a couple dozen more attempts that only got a slight yawn of my own in return, I decided to table the Yawn training. He¡¯s fully awake now and the frustration he¡¯s feeling will only be counterproductive to attempting the technique. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s work on your flight technique.¡±

    Dunsparce perked up a bit at that, wiggling in anticipation. The ¡®flight¡¯ training was difficult in its own way, but I could see why my adorable winged snake liked it more than Yawn training; at least with this, the more effort he put in, the more apparent results he got.

    ¡°Go for longer wing flaps over shorter, rapid motion,¡± I suggested. He still had to flap his wings fairly fast, but I thought I saw a bit more air time between his jumps.

    He was still a ways away from ¡®true¡¯ flight, but his control and maneuverability had improved by leaps and bounds. By shifting his tail he could change his direction easier in the air while his wings worked to keep him aloft. Maneuverability is key in Pokemon battles. Dunsparce isn¡¯t very fast, so this will just have to be one of the tricks he has to keep up with faster Pokemon.

    ¡°Good job, that was better than last time we did this drill.¡± Dunsparce made a disagreeing sound. ¡°No, it was definitely better. Rotom, he lasted longer than before, right?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s correct, bzzt. Dunsparce remained aloft for 1.3 seconds longer than he did in the longest stretch last week.¡± For some reason, Rotom¡¯s affirmation just had Dunsparce arguing with the plasma Pokemon. Though there always seemed to be a bit of tension between them. I wonder why?

    Crouching down I said to Dunsparce, ¡°I know it might not feel like much, but you¡¯re improving every day.¡± He opened an eye skeptically before flopping down a little. I continued, deciding to share my hypothesis. ¡°You improved tons early on, but now you¡¯re wondering why it¡¯s suddenly slowed down so much, right? I think it¡¯s cause you haven¡¯t been battling much.¡±

    He raised his head, looking at me confused. ¡°So, we can improve your base fighting ideas, your mobility, your Moves, and even your technique,¡± I said, the last category being my sort of ¡®catch-all¡¯ for fighting concepts that didn¡¯t fall into the other categories or things like Ability or Type. We¡¯d been working on a few such concepts, like teaching him to block with his tail if an attack came close and he couldn¡¯t get out of the way. ¡°And those have gone well, but there¡¯s a theory that Pokemon grow best when pushed in battle. Whether it''s fighting for your life in the wilds or for glory against other trainers. You get to learn and experience more from those challenges than any self-imposed conditions can give. So that¡¯s why we¡¯re going to do that.¡±

    Dunsparce suddenly seemed to shrink in on himself, before doing his best to give me a resolute nod, but he was still shaking. Huh? Why¡¯s he so scared- I thought for half a second before realizing what I had said. ¡°We aren¡¯t going to go out in the wilderness and risk our lives!! I was just talking about finding some other trainers, maybe a low level tournament.¡±

    He let out a huge sigh of relief. Silly guy. Jeez, we¡¯ll go exploring eventually, and there will be some risks, but I want most of our training to be controlled and safe. Man, I can barely keep my eyes open right now¡­ I nearly drifted off for a moment before snapping out of it. ¡°Dun! Right there, that sigh! It was almost like Yawn! It must be more than just a feeling of tiredness - you need to project a sense of safety into the move, so the other Pokemon feels that and would be naturally inclined to rest.¡±

    Dunsparce perked up, doing a jump, flipping in the air with joy at the breakthrough. That didn¡¯t help his subsequent attempts at the move however, his exuberance hindered his attempts. Still, I think we¡¯re on the right path and things are gonna go well.

 Chapter 11

    ¡°I passed I passed I passed!¡± Cyan screamed, running into my room. Guess she¡¯s back from Alfornada. I thought she¡¯d be back later with the fashion show there. She was grinning broadly and had probably been running as soon as she was dropped off from the flying taxi into my room, her hair a little messier than it usually was (which reminded me that my hair was getting pretty long and I¡¯d want to get it cut short for the summer).

    I smoothly shifted away one of the notebooks I had been working on as I turned to face her. ¡®Legendary Pokemon and where to find them¡¯ would raise enough eyebrows on its own, even without me cross-referencing the lore of this world and my meta-knowledge.

    ¡°That¡¯s great! Have you decided on-¡±

    ¡°A Popplio,¡± she declared firmly.

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s a good choice. I¡¯m surprised though, I didn¡¯t think they were ones you were looking at?¡± I inquired. Not that I¡¯m complaining, mind. Any of the Alola starters are really cool and strong.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t at first, but when you mentioned Milotic I started looking into some other aquatic Pokemon. Primarina is almost as beautiful as a Milotic, a great singer and dancer, and even as a Popplio they¡¯ll be able to travel with me on the land way easier than a Feebas could.¡± Thinking ahead, that¡¯s a good sign.

    ¡°Sounds good, but how do you plan on getting one?¡±

    She waved my concerns aside. ¡°I already reached out and I¡¯ll have an egg sent from some five star breeders in Alola.¡± She said, pointing at her phone. ¡°Oh! I¡¯m so excited, my Primarina, she¡¯s going to be the most beautiful singer in the world! Did you know that they¡¯re really hard workers?¡±

    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t,¡± I admitted. Always so much to discover in this world. ¡°Well, good for you, I know you studied tons. But if you want to evolve her to a Primarina, you¡¯ll need to train her plenty.¡±

    ¡°Urk! That¡¯s true. Could you help me with that?¡±

    ¡°Of course, I¡¯d be happy to!¡± My sister froze at my words, or maybe the smile on my face.

    ¡°Nevermind, I take it back, she can remain a Popplio forever.¡± I glared at her for a second before my expression broke at the sight of her own twitching lip and we both broke out into laughter. She trusts me, and honestly, I trust her too. We¡¯ve come a long way from where we started.

    ¡°Just remember that your Popplio might not always perfectly get along with you-¡± I began before she interrupted me.

    ¡°And to put in the work and understanding yada yada,¡± she waved my concerns off. ¡°I get it.¡± I scratched the back of my head sheepishly. I guess I did go on a bit about my views there when I was helping her study. In my defense, I don¡¯t get many captive audiences people who I can talk to about this.

    I still went online at times to see what kinds of views people held on that, but most of the talk was dominated by the Tera Orbs. Months later the ¡®hype¡¯ around them still hadn¡¯t died. ¡®My¡¯ video had gone viral right away, and still got tons of likes and views, being one of the first, but several more had joined since, getting way more views. Most commenters were nice, but some were really rude, especially being upset about the fact that I had Dunsparce, of all things. I did my best to ignore those people.

    In part, I suspected it was because there hadn¡¯t been a big tournament with them yet, so everyone was waiting to see how well they could do. Overseas, people were waiting to see how this stacked up against Z-Moves, Dynamax, and Mega-Evolution.

    ¡°Alright, alright. I¡¯m surprised you¡¯re back so early. I thought you were going to see Tulip¡¯s fashion show.¡± She wasn¡¯t a gym leader yet, but Tulip was still a model and a rising star, according to my sister at least.

    ¡°I know, but I just got so excited I had to come back here and talk about Pokemon!¡± She paused as she realized what she said. ¡°Oh no, now I¡¯m going to be an obsessed Pokefreak like you!¡± She wailed.

    ¡°Hey! It¡¯s not like people like Tulip aren¡¯t interested in Pokemon either. She¡¯s actually a really strong Psychic Type specialist- and she¡¯s gone.¡± My sister immediately started running back out of my room and down the stairs at that.

    ¡°Oh wow, I gotta get back then. If I hurry I can still get there in time to watch the show and maybe ask her some questions about beauty and Pokemon tips!¡± She shouted as she rushed down the stairs. With a small groan, I got up from where I was sitting (tired from having already done a workout for the day), and chased after her.

    ¡°Wait up!¡± I said as we got outside. She already had her Rotom Phone out and was using it to call the Flying Taxi down.

    ¡°Hmm? Do you want to come with me?¡± I paused, considering it for a moment. It¡¯d be interesting to get to talk to Tulip before she becomes a Gym Leader. But on the other hand, I¡¯m not sure how much of a chance I¡¯d get, and it¡¯ll mean sitting through a boring fashion show beforehand.

    I thought it over for a moment. Fashion shows aren¡¯t really my thing, and I honestly doubt we¡¯ll actually manage to get that much free advice from Tulip about battling at the end of a fashion show. Spending more time with my sister however, wouldn¡¯t hurt. ¡°Sure.¡±

    ¡°Ok- oh, our ride¡¯s here.¡± Cyan pointed up, and the taxi was already descending down. Wow, that was fast. Perks of a rich family, I guess. Flying Taxis would often come to help people out for free, or very little cost, if they found a trainer stranded in the wilderness. They could also be used for transport from city to city for a standard fare, though for extra pay like my family could afford, apparently, you could get them to come much faster than they¡¯d otherwise be.

    ¡°Wait, I left Rotom recharging! Just a second,¡± I said, running back through the house to grab Rotom off their charging dock. 47% charge. That could last a couple of days, we should be fine.

    ¡°Wha- young miss?¡± They said, a bit shocked as I woke them from their slumber.

    ¡°Sorry, gonna head to Alfornada wanna come with?¡± I blurted out. They blinked for a second before they slowly bobbed up and down.

    ¡°Bzzt, that would be acceptabl-¡± Grabbing them, I raced back outside. ¡°Wait-!¡±

    I ran and jumped into the Flying Taxi that was already beginning to take off. ¡°Geez! You couldn¡¯t wait one minute?¡± I complained as I rolled over the side of the basket and inside the taxi.

    ¡°Nooooo. The fashion show starts in five minutes!¡± Cyan complained putting her hands on her hips.

    ¡°Oh, are you going to be able to make it?¡± At my doubts, the pilot just chuckled. He was a middle-aged man with an aviator''s cap and goggles. I¡¯d seen him a few times when I¡¯d been on the Flying Taxi before, and knew he often covered this area of Paldea.

    ¡°Not to worry young missies. My Squawkabilly team will get you there in the blink of an eye. Double time fellas!¡± He called out to the four birds above us, and we suddenly rocketed ahead. I fell back a bit, holding on to the edge.

    ¡°Wow, that¡¯s impressive. How do they coordinate so well?¡± I shouted over the wind. All four of them moving at once in synchronization like that must take a lot of work. Just one bird pulling just a little bit too hard or lightly would unbalance the whole thing.

    ¡°They chatter and communicate with each other. Also comes from finding the right balance, I find. I¡¯ve got mostly White plumage Squawkabillies, they¡¯re very team-oriented, with a Yellow plumed one to lead the others.¡± He explained.

    I nodded thinking about it for a few minutes. My silence prompted Cyan to speak up. ¡°Pokedollar for your thoughts?¡±

    ¡°Just thinking about team-building. Pokemon battles are more than just a series of one vs. one matches, they¡¯re all about how your team functions as a whole. You could easily have a team entirely weaker individually than your opponent, but still win because you organized them better.¡± Rotom hovered in as well, slightly interested too.

    ¡°How so, bzzt? Should not the strongest team win?¡±

    ¡°Well, there are set-up moves, ways to put an opponent at a steep disadvantage even if your first Pokemon loses the fight. Controlling the terrain so that your other Pokemon can continue to use it well even after a Pokemon has fainted, etc. Also just switching around to gain type advantage.¡± Really, I¡¯m just scratching the surface of how complicated full-scale battles can be. A lot of the videos I¡¯ve studied have shown even things I wouldn¡¯t have expected, like an errant Ice Beam that ¡®missed¡¯, can be critically important to the match, 3 or 4 Pokemon later when an opponent has trouble keeping their footing on that section of the battlefield.

    I didn¡¯t have time to get into it any further because we were already arriving at Alfornada.

    We crested over the rocky ridge separating Alfornada from the rest of Paldea, getting my first glimpse of the city. It was clearly bigger than it was in the games, with more buildings and people stretching out further towards the ocean in this world. Still, it held a rather picturesque image.

    A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    Hmm, no, not ¡®picturesque¡¯ exactly. It still feels secluded and cozy, however, with the ocean spread out in front of it and the rocky cliffs supporting its back. The largest building by far was a cylindrical one with a flat top, and a large set of stairs winding up around the outside of it to reach the top.

    I think there¡¯s a Dark Type gym leader here currently? I hadn¡¯t kept up too much with the current gym leaders since a lot of them would have changed by the time I was anywhere near challenging them. Larry and Kofu were the only ones who were currently Gym Leaders, and the former wasn¡¯t an Elite Four yet.

    There were plenty of amenities, but it wasn¡¯t a huge city. Part of me wondered what led to it being built in the first place, as isolated as it was. If it had been built onto the water I¡¯d understand it as a port connection, but it very purposefully doesn¡¯t extend that far. Maybe it was the victim of one conquest or another that stalled out. If the leader of an empire, warband, or budding nation fell, then the people in the new colony might have just settled down on the spot, now wanting to take their chances with the chaos and anarchy further away or closer in. There were a lot of cases like that in Paldea¡¯s history.

    ¡°C¡¯mon, we¡¯re here. Stop daydreaming and let¡¯s goooo!¡± Cyan said, taking me out of my thoughts, and causing me to realize we¡¯d landed.

    ¡°Ah, sorry. Thank you for the ride!¡± I said to the taxi man, and then repeated for the Squawkabillies as I clambered out, then rushed after my sister. I had a bad habit of getting lost in my thoughts if I wasn¡¯t doing anything important at that exact moment; there was just so much to discover! So many new things to think about. Even as I followed my sister, I was wondering what kind of Pokemon lived around here.

    The fashion show had already begun by the time we arrived, but only by a couple minutes, and (after a bit of name-dropping from Cyan), we were allowed inside. The fashion show had a catwalk the audience was gathered around it, much like I was ever-so-vaguely aware was the case in my previous life.

    What was more unusual was the lighting which was largely handled by Pokemon hanging near the rafters. Occasionally they¡¯d do Moves or something like that to modulate the lighting as different models walked up and down. And the models could be very different indeed as some of them were Pokemon!

    The Pokemon admittedly seemed to just be wearing accessories usually, not full outfits like the models, but it was another element of integration I hadn¡¯t anticipated. There were plenty of (thankfully smaller) Pokemon out of their Pokeballs watching the show too. I even saw one Pikachu sitting atop a girl¡¯s head, lightly tugging at her hair and excitedly pointing at a Ponyta in an ascot that had just pranced onto the stage.

    With it being acceptable, I decided to let Dunsparce out too. He gave a confused noise before I picked him up off the ground to get a better look at what was going on¡­ which still left him confused. ¡°It¡¯s a fashion show,¡± I explained. ¡°They¡¯re wearing fancy clothes and accessories. Let me know if you like any of them.¡± Fashion wasn¡¯t my thing, but I didn¡¯t want to deprive my Pokemon of that if they wanted anything like that.

    Dunsparce adopted a look of intense concentration at that, making a few approving sounds at some of the different Pokemodels. I wish I could tell the connections though. The Riolu had little booties on and the Hariyama had large rings, none of which Dunsparce could wear. Only the crown the Dolliv was wearing-

    ¡°Wait, those are just Pokemon you want to battle against,¡± I said, suddenly realizing how Dun had taken my words.

    ¡°Spar, sparce!¡± He agreed happily. If I wasn¡¯t busy holding him, I would have facepalmed. As it was, I laughed out loud, which attracted a few stares from people nearby and a glare from my sister (though it wasn¡¯t loud enough to draw too much attention away from the show). ¡°Du?¡± He asked, curiously, and I shook my head.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. Fashion isn¡¯t my biggest thing either.¡± I put him back in his ball (since he was decently heavy for my childlike body to hold up) when I saw her enter. A cloud of pink smoke filled the stage at first, created by a Florges and Kirlia standing just backstage. Out of it, Tulip strode onto the catwalk, to much excitement from the crowd. Tulip was wearing a long, dazzling dress with a small train, many symbols of different types woven into the fabric and glittering in the light.

    ¡°Impressive. I wonder what type of move they did to make that. Maybe Misty Terrain?¡± I wondered aloud. The ground around the catwalk wasn¡¯t lingering with the pinkish energy I would have suspected from that, but Tulip did have an ethereal air about her. Possibly a variant of the move.

    A lot of trainers, pretty much all of them really, invented ¡®variants¡¯ of standard Moves for their Pokemon after a certain point. These Moves tended to be harder to copy and replicate than the standard ones Pokemon could learn, naturally or through Technical Machines. Things like Ash¡¯s ¡®Counter Shield¡¯. Announcers and the like would hype them up a lot, but on closer analysis, they were often fairly similar to other ¡®base¡¯ Moves (understandable given the vast plethora of techniques out there) with just a few trade-offs. Sometimes the trade-offs could even be mostly unfavorable, so it was something I¡¯d have to be careful of when looking at creating my own. That¡¯s a long way off, however. I still have to get the basics mastered before I¡¯d even want to begin something like that.

    Tulip strode effortlessly on the catwalk, staring out straight ahead. For a split-second, however, I thought her gaze met mine. My hand moved to raise Dunsparce¡¯s ball as if to answer an unspoken challenge.

    Then the moment broke and she turned around, abruptly pivoting at the end of the catwalk and strutting back down it. Right, that¡¯s silly. She wouldn¡¯t be ¡®challenging¡¯ me in the middle of a fashion show! Still, I thought I felt¡­ something there.

    Tulip was young (only 16), but was very much the ¡®star¡¯ of this show already, so the show was dying down after her debut. Cyan went on and on about her earrings and her dress, a million different details that had completely missed me. At least she¡¯s having fun. It¡¯s nice to see her so happy after how hard she had been pushing herself to study. She also chatted with some other girls, a bit older than her, talking eagerly about the show.

    When Cyan marched over at the end of the show and demanded a backstage pass to talk to Tulip, I figured the security team would turn us away. However, just name-dropping us as ¡®Glitterati¡¯, and we were escorted in. Really? Is it that easy?! We could have been anyone and just pretended we were rich. Though I guess it is true, and the security team for her is kinda not necessary either, with Tulip having a very strong Pokemon team of her own.

    Going backstage, I saw several models removing makeup or otherwise relaxing after the show. Several assistants ran around them, helping clean things up, giving advice, gathering up accessories, and more. It was enlightening to see how many people were involved in prettying someone up and how different the models looked with even a bit of the makeup off and preparations removed.

    At Tulip¡¯s door, the security guard knocked and said ¡°Two young VIPs to see you, Tulip.¡± Something about the way he said that makes me think they have different codes for different people looking for the models. There was silence save for some shifting inside before she responded.

    ¡°Send them in.¡± He opened the door, letting us inside her dressing room before closing it behind us. Tulip was sitting on a chair, her Kirlia and Florges standing on either side of her. She smiled warmly at us. ¡°So nice to see such budding beauties. Did you enjoy the show?¡±

    ¡°Yes!!¡± Cyan squealed. ¡°You were so pretty Ms. Tulip, your dress looks fantastic, and the way you made an entrance, just wow! I¡¯m Cyan, and this is my sister, Nim- Nemona¡±

    My sister gushed a bit more about Tulip¡¯s show. She was more knowledgeable than me but sounded ¡®rough¡¯ in her praise - as to be expected from an eleven-year-old girl who wasn¡¯t a professional. She also talked about how she¡¯d be getting a Popplio soon and talked about how beautiful Tulip¡¯s Pokemon were as well (as I hadn¡¯t seen any Florges or Kirlia in person before, I didn¡¯t really have any point of comparison, though I did assume they were well looked after). Throughout Cyan talking her up, I felt Tulip''s gaze on me.

    ¡°Thank you so much dear,¡± she said to Cyan. ¡°This was my biggest show to date, so I¡¯m glad you enjoyed it.¡± She turned, taking a small set of makeup from her desk and passing it to my sister. ¡°This is the new product La Oran is promoting. I think you¡¯ll quite like it.¡±

    Cyan made a noise so high-pitched that I was surprised that humans could make it, hugging the kit close. Is that something different to Poke Humans, or just me unused to preteen girls? ¡°Thank you thank you thank you!!¡±

    The model smiled at her before turning to me. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have anything for you. Though to be honest, I don¡¯t know of any makeup that would fit your wild aura.¡±

    ¡°You know about Aura? I¡¯ve been looking all over for information about that-¡± I stopped as she started giggling.

    ¡°Ah, sorry for that. I was merely speaking about your emotional state, not that power which you speak of.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Sorry for assuming-¡± I began embarrassedly before stopping myself. ¡°Wait a moment, how would you have seen my ¡®emotional state¡¯ without Aura of your own?¡± I mean, she is a Psychic Type specialist, they often have Psychic powers. Is that separate from Aura, or just one aspect of how it can manifest?

    Cyan looked between us, a little confused. ¡°What are you two talking about?¡± We were spared from answering her as someone kicked the door in.

    ¡°Tules, you looked great out there!¡± A young woman with long black hair tied in a ponytail burst into the room, heedless of the security team that had tried to stop her. She was wearing a martial artist¡¯s Gi, a black belt firmly tied around her waist. ¡°Oh? Who are you pipsqueaks?¡± She asked, looking at us.

    Cyan puffed up indignantly. ¡°Who are you to ask us that, after barging in here, you, you brute!¡± Dendra (as that was only whom I could assume this would be) seemed taken aback by that. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tulip struggling to conceal her laughter while discreetly waving away the security team.

    ¡°Cyan, Nemona, this is my old friend, Dendra. Dendra, these are two guests who saw my show. I was just giving them some advice.¡± Tulip turned back to us. To my sister, she said ¡°Try some natural, simpler beauty techniques to start with your Popplio when you get her. A crown of flowers, maybe coral or a ribbon given Popplio¡¯s aquatic nature, can do as much to bring out one¡¯s beauty as the most expensive accessory, and it gives her a chance to feel out what she will like.¡± Solid advice, questionable source, given the big fashion show and all.

    I stared her straight in the eyes as she turned to me. ¡°For you, I¡¯d say the best way to bring out your, and your Pokemon¡¯s, natural beauty will be in battle. Show off your true self there.¡±

    Dendra clapped her hands behind us, reminding me of her presence. ¡°Ooh, I know of a great tournament for a youngster like you! They¡¯re hosting a beginner¡¯s tournament in Mesagoza in a month. Only people with less than two badges, however.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯d be perfect then, we¡¯ve been looking for just such a challenge. Thank you Dendra-sensei.¡± I said with a small bow to her. She clutched over her heart, uttering something along the lines of ¡®too¡­ cute¡­¡¯ Gazing back to Tulip¡¯s amber eyes I said. ¡°If you can, please, watch me do well there, and see my ¡®natural beauty¡¯ shine.¡±

    Unspoken was my request: ¡®If I do well enough, tell me what you know about Aura.¡¯ I don¡¯t really have any leverage to enforce that, but I¡¯m hoping if I do a good enough job, she¡¯ll be willing to tell me what she knows about that mystic art. Aura had been something I¡¯d looked into, but it appeared thus far as if there was little widespread information traded about it - but enough hints that it definitely existed. Psychics were somewhat well known, if only due to flashy Gym Leaders like Sabrina.

    Ever so slowly, Tulip nodded. ¡°I think I would like to see that indeed.¡±

    Her martial artist friend let out a whoop of joy, pumping her fist in the air. ¡°Alright, we¡¯ll be cheering you on, Nemona.¡±

    I nodded my new goal set firmly in my mind. Time to enter my first tournament.

 Chapter 12

    With the tournament less than a month away, I got hard into training. Obviously, Dunsparce and I had been training before, but this would be a huge step up in intensity for us, so I needed a plan.

    Step 1? ¡°Mother, can I train further out in the wilderness? Dunsparce needs a bit more variety in his training.¡± I asked, ever so innocently at the dinner table on a rare night when she was with us. The staff behind her, especially Leah, were a bit surprised and looked like they wanted to say something, but O¡¯Nare just clapped her hands together.

    ¡°That sounds like a wonderful idea, dear. Looking at a different plot of land can always help invigorate me when I¡¯m having trouble with a different area. It¡¯s the Glitterati way to seek out new answers by looking at problems from different angles,¡± She declared proudly.

    Cyan and I just shared a look at that. I do appreciate Mom¡¯s support, but I don¡¯t think self-aggrandizing is necessary. A flicker of sadness appeared on O¡¯Nare¡¯s face before she quickly swept it away which made me wonder for a moment if she could read minds.

    Later on, after we left the dinner table and her eyes lingered on the spot Billy would have been, I realized what it really was. She¡¯s used to him chiming in whenever he says something like that, praising her. She misses him too. It was an easy thing to miss, but I could forget sometimes that the extra work and busyness were hard on them as well.

    Step 2? ¡°I¡¯ll need a tent, a dozen Hyper Potions, some Super Potions, Oran and Sitrus Berries-¡± I began listing off the items I¡¯d need for my ¡®training expedition¡¯ as I¡¯d dubbed it.

    ¡°No!!¡± Leah interrupted, hands planted on her hips. ¡°We can¡¯t let you spend a fortnight out in the wilderness on your own, and we can¡¯t spare the staff to have someone go out there with you.¡± I convinced my mother, but Leah is the one I actually have to convince, no matter what O¡¯Nare said. She¡¯s not just going to let me run off without a good argument.

    ¡°But c¡¯mooooon,¡± I eloquently reasoned. She remained unmoved, her features as if cast out of solid iron.

    ¡°You have no experience out in the wilderness.¡± In a softer tone, she added ¡°You have the makings of an excellent trainer, I will admit, and I know you might feel stifled here-¡±

    ¡°Whaaat? No, I don¡¯-¡±

    ¡°You started off this training expedition idea by doing all of your tutoring assignments planned out for the next two weeks in the same amount of time as you usually do a regular session of schoolwork.¡± Her tone implied that it was a point we¡¯d be getting back to. I¡¯ll likely have to move up a few grades/curriculum levels again. That shouldn¡¯t be too bad though, Cyan and I are on much better terms now.

    She continued ¡°You have some knowledge, but you need some practical courses before you even think about living in the wilderness for a while.¡± That¡¯s¡­ honestly a good idea. I¡¯ll look into that after the tournament. ¡°Even then, it wouldn¡¯t hurt to just¡­ slow down a bit, young miss. I wish¡­ you didn¡¯t feel the need to rush ahead all the time.¡± Her voice was wistful, with a tremor of pain in it, and I winced.

    ¡°... I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t want to worry you or anything. And I plan on taking it easy after this. But I really need to train hard for this tournament - it¡¯s important.¡± I held my hand up to stop her before she could just deny me. ¡°I see your points too, however. So maybe leave the tent and I¡¯ll go out on my own, and come back before sundown every day? I¡¯ll go no farther than Los Platos too.¡± Los Platos was a small city, really a town, an hour or two away from our house.

    She frowned, looking not fully convinced, but not shooting me down either. ¡°I¡¯ll take Rotom with me too, and a portable charge pack. They can call you and/or a Flying Taxi if anything gets too bad. Plus, I¡¯ll have all those other supplies to make sure Dunsparce is in good health.¡±

    After a long minute of staring me down, Leah finally sighed. ¡°Fine, you can do that. But I¡¯ll be going with you for the first day, and I want you to give me an overview of where you¡¯ll be training.¡±

    Step 2.5? Accept that most plans can¡¯t be rigidly followed and need some adjustment. ¡°Deal!¡±

    Step 3? The training itself. Which is how Dunsparce, Rotom, Leah, and I found ourselves in the hills outside Los Platos.

    ¡°Spin! Spin to win!¡± I called out as Dunsparce did his best to drill through a very solid rock we¡¯d found beside the path. Despite how fast his tail was going, he couldn¡¯t fully pierce through it to the base of his drill tail before losing steam and flopping down beside it. Hyper Drill training is going well. I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll be anywhere near ready to use it by the time of the tournament, but that¡¯s fine. Hyper Drill is what he needs to evolve, so that¡¯s a pretty long-term goal at the moment.

    ¡°Alright, now parry!¡± Dun raised his tail to counter an imaginary blow. That¡¯s good, he¡¯s getting fast enough with that idea that he could probably deflect a Move he saw coming but couldn¡¯t have run away from in time.

    ¡°Burrow!¡± At that, he lowered his tail, drilling it into the ground and retreating beneath the surface. When I gave that command, without any other direction, he was just supposed to rise a few meters in a random direction from where he came from. A moment later, I saw him rise, but only about a meter away from where he went down. Hmm, might need to work on that. His sensing of the ground still needs some fine-tuning.

    ¡°Well, it certainly seems like he has the basics down,¡± Leah commented from the side. For some reason that seemed to upset Dun, the snake doing an odd hiss I interpreted as a scoff. Is it because Leah isn¡¯t a battler? No, some part of his own performance is unsatisfying to him¡­ Ah, it¡¯s the burrowing. I realized as I saw him burrow again, even though I hadn¡¯t given the command. I hadn¡¯t told him to stop either, but it definitely showed frustration with that.

    Dunsparces were an interesting Pokemon. Called the ¡®land snake¡¯ Pokemon, they were often found on the land but had tiny wings for limited flight and gliding which let them learn a few Flying Moves. They were also known for access to many Ground Moves despite not being Ground Types and would live in intricate burrows underground. And come to think of it, I found him on the beach, no burrow or tunnel nearby. There was a lot to unpack there, and I didn¡¯t want to air his ¡®dirty¡¯ laundry in front of Leah, so I just moved on to the next element of our training: Battling.

    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s go for another round. Against¡­ a Fidough!¡± With that command, I sprinted off, Dunsparce following quickly after me, with Leah following less quickly. No break in between. While the purpose of this training was battle experience, having him run these drills helped keep his fundamentals up, as well as help simulate how exhausting a tournament could be.

    The ¡®Annual Junior League Tournament¡¯ was, despite the low level of the event, still a huge tournament. The flashiest and best-attended tournaments were the ones for 8 badges and ¡®Elite/Champion rank¡¯ trainers. While there were lower-level events, they tended to be local affairs, and not very watched due to the low levels of the trainers. There were some exceptions, however, like how Tyme ran a big tournament every year up in Glaseado Mountain for every trainer with five badges or less. It was called ¡®the up-and-comers tournament¡¯ or something like that.

    This would be another big one, mostly just due to its location. Mesagoza, the city past Los Platos was massive. I could see part of it, past kilometers of grassy hills and plains, but I couldn¡¯t see the whole city from where I stood on the trail. The size alone meant a lot of people could attend, but the other factor was the school. Plenty of the students would be more researchers or scholars than trainers but still have had their partner Pokemon with them for years, even if they only had one, two, or no badges. Being so close, a lot of them were likely to attend, as well as all of the serious/dedicated new trainers.

    Knowing how big this was played a part in why I wanted to push Dunsparce so hard. I felt confident he could take it, however, and he proved it by leaping ahead on a wing-assisted jump past me to land in between myself and a Fidough I spotted.

    She was crouched low, growling at us as we made our entrance. The bread-dog Pokemon had taken a step backward at Dun¡¯s landing but wasn¡¯t making any further moves to back up past the tree she stood beside. I wonder why it won¡¯t move from here? I can¡¯t make out anything that would make the area special to her. Then again, I¡¯m hardly a Professor of Fidoughology.

    Leah moved to stop me, but I slipped away to introduce myself to the Pokemon. ¡°Sorry for intruding, but we want to spar!¡± I said, stopping a good distance away from the growling dog. She lowered her growl, switching from ¡®aggressive¡¯ to merely ¡®wary¡¯, but made no other signs of acceptance.

    Understandable. Plenty of Pokemon are eager to test themselves, but many are wary of other Pokemon aggressively attacking them. Some just want to be left alone too. I gave Dun a slight shake of my head, showing this battle was off. ¡°Alright, sorry for disturbing you.¡± Holding my hand out, I grabbed an Oran Berry Leah placed in my palm from her own backpack.

    The Fidough immediately straightened up, eyes fixed on the Berry. Tossing it to her she jumped towards it, grabbing it out of the air with her mouth and scarfing it down. Instantly, her energy did a complete 180, the Fidough trotting up happily towards me.

    My maid and I shared a chuckle at her antics. ¡°Well, not sure why that got you so happy, but glad to see there¡¯s no hard feelings,¡± I said. The games had not been very accurate about how things worked in the world, as you couldn¡¯t just run down wild Pokemon and beat them up to make your team tougher. Well, maybe you could, but it¡¯d be an asshole thing to do. Also, I think you¡¯d start running into problems as the wild Pokemon would soon start running away from you. Or the other way and you¡¯d get a bunch of them or some of the stronger ones looking to drive you out.

    Not wanting any of those situations but still needing to train Dunsparce up with actual battles, I¡¯d come up with this strategy of asking politely. Giving treats also helps a lot.

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    Fidough hadn¡¯t backed away yet and was sniffing curiously towards Leah. ¡°Hmm, you want a bit more? Well, I could give you three more¡­ if you agree to spar Dun here.¡± I offered, waving a hand down at Dunsparce who had puffed back up, looking interested again.

    The wild Pokemon backed up a step, eyeing Dun up before barking three times. ¡°Is that a yes?¡±

    ¡°Fi.¡±

    ¡°Awesome! Alright, let-¡±

    ¡°Fi!¡± she interrupted me, pawing the ground violently. Huh? She looked so ready to battle though- oh.

    ¡°You want four?¡± She barked in what I assumed was agreement from how pleased she looked. ¡°That¡¯s highway robbery¡­¡± I muttered under my breath before shaking my head. It¡¯s fine, I have oodles of Berries, all preserved and safe in Leah¡¯s bag - Sliph Co. really makes some miraculous stuff. ¡°Fine, you¡¯ve got a deal.¡± Leah laughed again and outright snorted before hiding it behind her professional demeanor, but this time I felt she was laughing at me, not the dog.

    She took a battle stance and I backed up to make room for her and Dunsparce to fight, Leah stepping even further back. There wasn¡¯t a signal or referee, so she took the initiative, pouncing towards Dun. Not fast enough to be a Quick Attack, Tackle then? Or maybe she¡¯s just going for a Bite.

    Fighting wild Pokemon added an extra layer of difficulty to battling, in that you couldn¡¯t hear or respond to what Moves were going to be used. I considered it good training for dealing with the more skilled trainers, that would disguise or conceal which Moves they were calling out to their partners.

    ¡°Meet it with a Body Slam!¡± I called out, and Dunsparce did so eagerly, smashing into the Fidough as she collided with him. It was indeed a Tackle, and while Dun looked a little bruised from that exchange, the dog was battered, rolling far away on the ground. She got back up shakily, and when I saw she was still good to go, ordered Dun to Body Slam again.

    He did so, but there was a split-second of hesitation as he followed my order. I¡¯ll have to explain what I¡¯m doing later. Ah, and here¡¯s the weakness of a lack of Trainer commands. I saw Fidough rushing back in and tackling again. Despite being outmatched and off-balanced, she couldn¡¯t think clearly of any options other than rushing in, or ways to change up her strategy.

    She tanked the hit better this time, not getting sent as far away, but still hurt badly. ¡°Now, Poison Jab!¡± I called out, seeing her dazed and Dunsparce in close. Eagerly, he gathered the purple energy around his tail and struck deep into her doughy body. She gave a painful cry and toppled over, defeated.

    ¡°Oh my,¡± Leah whispered out, as Dun puffed up with pride. He¡¯d been nervous at the start of the day, but after a few battles was getting much more comfortable, even eager at the thought of a fight. It helped him to realize that not every challenge would be as tough or potentially deadly as the Wugtrio was. He¡¯ll learn in time though that there¡¯s still so much further to go, that there might not even be a peak, no limits to what a determined Pokemon can achieve.

    ¡°She¡¯ll be fine, Pokemon are pretty tough,¡± I reassured Leah. Still, I took out some of the medical supplies I was carrying and moved over to help her. First, I made sure she wasn¡¯t poisoned, seeing no lingering purple spots on her bread-y flesh, and then gave her a Revive to get her back on her feet. She promptly responded to waking up by biting me.

    ¡°Oww.¡± I hissed out while waving Dunsparce and Leah off with my non-bitten hand. They¡¯re always keen to protect me, which I do appreciate, but I don¡¯t need it here. She¡¯s just confused.

    Blinking her eyes a few times as she fully realized what was going on, she let go, backing away a little nervously from Dunsparce glaring at her and Leah towering over her. ¡°Dough.¡± She said, a tad nervously.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I answered, shaking out my hand. She hadn¡¯t even pierced the skin, not a real ¡®Bite¡¯ Move, and without that, Fidough¡¯s teeth weren¡¯t that sharp. ¡°Alright, thank you for the battle, here are your berries.¡± Leah nodded stiffly and tossed them over to her (and a bit farther away from us, forcing the dog Pokemon to move away from me to get them, I noted), where she happily began devouring them.

    Once we were away from the dog Leah immediately scolded me. ¡°That was reckless. Young Miss,¡± she tacked on the end, for the bare semblance of keeping to our stations.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, look it didn¡¯t even break the skin.¡± I said, showing her my hand. While there were a few pink imprints from where she bit, there was no bleeding.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t change the fact that it was reckless,¡± She crossed her arms. This is more emotional than logical. And honestly, she is right, I could have been more careful there.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯ll be more careful in the future. I wanted to make sure she was alright, but I could have kept my distance after using the Revive, I¡¯ll make sure to do that in the future.¡± Leah still wore a frown on her face, but I saw whatever rebuke or lecture on the tip of her tongue fail to break out loud as she eventually just nodded jerkily. Alright, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s going to ban us from the training just from that then, and the rest of the day has been pretty good so far.

    ¡°C¡¯mon Dun, let¡¯s go. Try and glide as we move,¡± I told him as we started walking down the grassy path. Most of the Pokemon nearby had vacated after seeing that battle or were flying high above freely.

    ¡°Arce?¡± He asked as I walked away. He still had trouble hovering just above the surface without losing any altitude, but he was getting better at maximizing the length and time between landing on the ground.

    ¡°So, that was me trying to simulate dealing around another Trainer¡¯s commands,¡± I began to explain, understanding what he was getting at. I¡¯d tried asking any of the few wanderers on the path if they had Pokemon/wanted to battle, but no one was interested. It felt odd, but this location was chosen by my parents because it was very calm, in addition to being picturesque. As such our only battles had been against wild Pokemon, which Dun handled quite well.

    ¡°We ¡®fought¡¯ that other Fidough before, and you took him out with a single Poison Jab. But, if a trainer hears me say that and knows that they¡¯re weak to the Type of Move, they might command their Pokemon to abort and move away. By trading in with those blows, we can lower their guard, then strike with a Super-Effective Move when they get in close.¡±

    He was silent for a moment, nodding his head to agree, while trying to remain stable in the air. Then, after landing said ¡°Duuuuuuun?¡± While looking up hopefully at me.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I believe the glutton desires some berries, bzzt.¡± Rotom said, disapprovingly. They were out and about, recording the battle and Move practice footage so we could review it overnight. Rotom has been mostly silent so far, and I thought it was because of Leah, but now I¡¯m thinking there¡¯s something else going on. Dun lashed his tail out aggressively in response, hissing at Rotom.

    ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll try and deal with that later, but please try and get along?¡± They both reluctantly nodded. ¡°As for a Berry, you don¡¯t want to fill up before dinner at home, right?¡±

    Being a Pokemon Trainer was a journey of many discoveries, I was finding out. Seeing what was over that next hill, learning a new Move, uncovering something lost¡­ and learning that your starter had a very expensive palette. In the almost year since I¡¯d had him, Dunsparce had come to adore the meals we got from our chefs at home, and would now turn his nose up at the PokeKibble sold from basic stores. It was all caviar, filet mignon, and artisan salads for Dun.

    Still, if he¡¯s begging for Berries, he must be pretty tired. It wasn¡¯t all that surprising, we had been training since sunrise and gave me a good idea of where to aim for by the end of the month. Let¡¯s see if we can get him to go all the way through a day even harder than this by the end of this focus session without needing a Berry. I think that¡¯ll mean he¡¯ll be able to compete all day in the tournament without problems. The tournament might have more intense fights than a day of training, but it would also have more break times.

    I asked for a Sitrus Berry from Leah knowing they gave back the most energy. ¡°This should help give you some energy for the rest of the day, then we¡¯ll have a big feast when we get back home, ok?¡± Dun cheered loudly, eagerly taking the Sitrus Berry I offered him.

    We went through the last few exercises I had planned for the day, which were mostly just practicing Moves and one bout against a Tarountula that quickly conceded under the might of Dunsparce¡¯s Body Slams.

    ¡°So, what do you think?¡± I asked my watcher after the day was done and we stood just outside the gardens of my home, trying to hide any nervousness I was feeling.

    She pursed her lips together. ¡°I think it¡¯s still a bit risky, but if that¡¯s the average routine you¡¯re planning, I think things should be safe enough here for you to train on your own. Promise me you¡¯ll stay in touch throughout the day and if anything dangerous occurs, you¡¯ll run away.¡±

    ¡°I promise.¡± I even mean it, though we may have different opinions on ¡®dangerous¡¯. While it was an average day of training for us, I¡¯d probably place it on the lighter end of things. Which is important when working out! Just¡­ we¡¯ll have harder ones too.

    ¡°Alright. Rotom, I¡¯m counting on you to keep her honest.¡± She said before heading inside.

    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am, bzzt.¡± They replied, only for Dun to roll their eyes and mock them.

    ¡°Narce un dun.¡± They said smugly, causing Rotom to gasp in shock and anger. I understood why, assuming I was understanding what Dun was saying.

    ¡°Bzzzzzzzzt! At least I¡¯m not a disobedient runt!¡±

    Dunsparce Glared at them, and it was strong enough that I¡¯m fairly certain Rotom would have been Paralyzed if they weren¡¯t an Electric type. ¡°Enough of that you two!¡± I said, stepping in between them. ¡°Dun, there¡¯s no reason to call Rotom a coward, I was fine with them leaving to get help with Wugtrio. And Rotom, it was rude of Dun but there was no need to be cruel right back.¡± The two of them averted their gazes, from each other and me, looking a bit ashamed. ¡°Why are you guys sniping at each other so much?¡±

    My land snake gave off a complex answer of ¡°Dun Spar, Un, Ce, Sparce,¡± which I could not understand. Rotom just turned away from me.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Dun, I don¡¯t understand what you mean. Rotom, can you help - fairly - translate?¡±

    ¡°Bzzt, it¡¯s difficult¡­¡± A small hum of electricity followed as they trailed off. Difficult for you to translate, or difficult for you to talk about? There was more going on here between the two of them than just being tired after a long day. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d get anywhere by pushing at the end of a long, worry-filled day either, though.

    ¡°Can we both agree to put any dislike of each other aside for the time being? I need us all on the same page for the tournament. Dun, you¡¯re doing great and I¡¯m really proud of your progress. Can¡¯t wait to see where you are at the end of this training, you¡¯re going to be so tough, no one would dare mess with you.¡± He gave a happy warble at that and muttered his name as a semi-sincere apology to Rotom. The kind of ¡®I still think you¡¯re wrong, but sorry for being a jerk¡¯ tone.

    To Rotom, I said ¡°Thank you for coming out here like this every day. I know it might not be as exciting for you, but we really appreciate the help. And if you ever want to talk about what¡¯s going on, we¡¯re here for you too.¡± This was joined by an exasperated but encouraging sigh from Dun. Definitely a lot more going on here. He¡¯s pissed at Rotom but also wants them to do¡­ something?

    To my surprise, Rotom froze up at that. ¡°Bzzt, I- it¡¯s no prob-¡± They paused for a good minute, and I¡¯d be worried that they were out of power if they weren¡¯t levitating easily. ¡°Please give me a bit to formulate my answer, bzzt. I have¡­ a lot to think about.¡±

    Yesss! They¡¯re opening up about what¡¯s gotten them so weird. I tried not to let that show on my face, not wanting to pressure them now that I was making a breakthrough. ¡°That¡¯s fine, take your time. Just remember not to lash out at others because of what you¡¯re feeling.¡± Despite speaking to Rotom, my words were clearly for the two of them, and they both nodded.

    It¡¯s not instantaneous, but we¡¯re making progress, slowly and steadily. In a bunch of different areas. Slowly and steadily, we¡¯ll overcome any challenge that comes our way.

 Interlude II - Leah

    A small crack of light illuminated Nemona¡¯s room, showing her form, faintly twitching beneath her Pikachu themed bedsheet. I moved to open the door further, but Rotom hovered up from where they had been charging, doing a small shake to indicate it wouldn¡¯t help. It flashed the time towards me, showing it was still an hour too early for her to wake up.

    With a sigh, I gently closed the door. Walking back down the hallway, I bumped into Hamber. ¡°Oh! I¡¯m sorry sir.¡±

    He didn¡¯t look ruffled by the impact. ¡°It¡¯s nothing. Care to join me for a midnight cuppa?¡± The older man asked, and I nodded.

    The house was quiet at this time of night. Most of the staff was gone and the few live-in members like myself had gone to sleep. It gave the place a very deserted feel, and with how dark it could be, might even make you think it was haunted, though I knew better.

    In the kitchen we could have the lights on without potentially disturbing anyone else, and he began fixing us up some tea. ¡°Why were you up so late?¡±

    ¡°I could ask the same thing of you.¡± I fired back before biting my tongue. He was just curious, and as my boss, I shouldn¡¯t be so rude to him. The job here was a great one, by most metrics. Very easy chores to handle most of the time, plenty of free time in the day, and even the girls were well behaved. Well, mostly. I guess that¡¯s the real crux of the problem.

    He didn¡¯t take any offense, steeping the tea bag and responding ¡°I like to take a midnight stroll of the property occasionally. Gives a different view of what we manage from day to day. Plus, this is an excellent time to give Greavard a walkie.¡± The dog in question poked his shaggy head out of a wall, gave a quiet bark, and walked to his food dish. His faithful hound Pokemon (and his other Ghost Type, a spooky Dusclops) was why I knew that the mansion couldn¡¯t be haunted. A shame. If it was just that, then there might be an easy fix to Nemona¡¯s nighttime troubles.

    Hamber didn¡¯t press the question, but I caved in a few seconds. ¡°I¡¯m worried about Ne- the Young Miss.¡± Have to remember to be detached, professional. I¡¯d already noticed that the young girl treated my words as more rule defining than her parent¡¯s. It¡¯s nice that she respects me that much, and I get that part of it due to how overly permissive the Glitterati parents are, but I need to keep in mind my station, especially around the majordomo.

    ¡°She seems quite lively and intelligent. What¡¯s the issue?¡± I gave my superior a look at that as we were both well aware that there was more than that going on in our young charge. Why does he even need me to spell it out? Clearing his throat, he added ¡°Despite how it may seem with the tight ship I run, I¡¯m not omniscient. You might have seen something I haven¡¯t or have some concerns I could put to rest.¡±

    At that I winced. With how seamlessly he¡¯s integrated into the household, I can forget he hasn¡¯t been with us for too long. Only since the Glitterati family moved to Paldea. He might not get how Nemona was before now.

    ¡°Oh. Well, it has to do with¡­ a lot of little things, I guess. She¡¯s smart. She¡¯s always been a bright young girl, but recently, it¡¯s downright unnerving how much she seems to understand. The battle skills are one thing; most kids are obsessed with battles at her age, she just has a better head for strategy than most.¡± Better than mine even. I watched a new elite four battle with her and she accurately called out how Hassel, the newest of the Elite Four was setting up his opponent for a crushing defeat in ways I completely missed. ¡°Her skills at reading people are eerily good for her age too.¡±

    ¡°True, but being intelligent isn¡¯t a bad thing. The Young Master is also quite intelligent for her age,¡± he countered.

    ¡°No, but Young Master doesn¡¯t have the same¡­¡± I searched for the right word, having no desire to insult Cyan or Nemona. ¡°Drive. The Young Miss has a drive that pushes her constantly. If she¡¯s not looking up mechanical engineering online, she¡¯s studying history. If she¡¯s not looking into the past, she¡¯s working out - not just running around playing, actually working out.¡± That¡¯s weird, kids shouldn¡¯t be thinking to do that, not without someone else trying to encourage them to do so, and no one here is.

    ¡°She watches international news and argues about civil rights on forums, and of course, the training. She trained for hours every day before the tournament, now it is sun-up to sun-down, every day! And the nightmares-!¡± He placed a finger to his lips and I cut myself off, realizing my voice was starting to rise.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t mean to be acting hysterically, but I just worry about her.¡± I took a moment to calm down as he poured the tea for both of us. Oh! This is nice, he remembered I liked this Pinap blend.

    ¡°I noticed. Looking up books on child psychology was not the subtlest hint,¡± he said dryly and I blushed. ¡°Many children have grandiose dreams, few realize what it takes for those dreams to become reality at that age. Some will grow into maturity in time, others find different paths. It seems like she¡¯s a bright young girl, intelligent enough to realize what her goals will take and determined enough to pursue them anyways. You might be a bit young to remember it, but back in my day there was the occasional tale of children becoming champions as teenagers.¡±

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, we all know about Ash and the like. But the nightmares, how she acts like there are huge problems that she has to tackle by herself¡­ I¡¯m worried about her. There are other things too, like her poetry, how I¡¯ll sometimes catch her humming a tune to songs I¡¯ve never heard, or her stories. She used to have such wonderful tales.¡±

    He tilted his head slightly at that. ¡°I¡¯ve heard she still has quite the imagination. She writes that comic with her sister, no?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s true but¡­ it¡¯s different now. She talks less about the world and more on other things. Everything from board game ideas to philosophy.¡± It was quite disconcerting to logically argue ethical values and the difficulties of using consequentialism as a set of moral guidelines with a girl less than seven years of age. I shook my head, trying to figure out how to best say it, figure out what exactly I even meant that bugged me so much. ¡°The stories were the biggest change. They¡¯re full of detail and internally consistent, but often feel like she¡¯s trying to fit the story in, like a round peg in a square hole. Before she had far more fanciful, freeform stories, about Legendaries and rare Pokemon, epic journeys.¡±

    ¡°Like?¡±

    ¡°Oh, things like Groudon and Kyogre fighting with ¡®Primal Revision¡¯ or something like that before Mega-Rayquaza stopped them. And then something about a meteor and an ¡®alien¡¯ Pokemon? Which she was insistent was different than extra-dimensional Uber Beasts.¡±

    He opened his eyes fully from his usual slit-gaze, or at least the one I could see that was not hidden by his hair curl. ¡°Really? That does sound¡­ quite fantastic. I might ask her a bit about that.¡±

    ¡°Good luck. Any time I try asking her about such stories, she Clamperls up, and claims she doesn¡¯t remember anything like that, or forgot. But I can read her well enough to know she¡¯s lying. Do you think she¡¯s embarrassed about her previous stories?¡±

    He took a moment to think it over. ¡°That could be the case,¡± the majordomo didn¡¯t sound very convinced, however. ¡°Have you tried asking her about these changes in character?¡±

    ¡°I- no sir. I¡¯ve hinted at it, and she refuses to talk to me about it. I¡­ even asked Master O¡¯Nare and Master Billy to ask, but they haven¡¯t had the time to bring such things up.¡± I bit my tongue at how it seemed like they didn¡¯t care. Of course they laughed off my concerns as silly, it¡¯s not like I have anything concrete. Distortion, it might even be that I¡¯m just working myself up over nothing.

    Hamber let out a heavy sigh at that. ¡°I wish you had talked to me about it first, but it does seem like there is something bothering her. However, we can only help her if she wants to be helped. You can lead a Mudbray to water, but you can¡¯t make them drink. Trying to pressure her further might be less than helpful.¡±

    There was silence as I finished my tea, taking it all in. ¡°You¡¯re right, I¡¯m sorry. I just worry about her. All of them, really.¡±

    ¡°As do the rest of us. I¡¯ll inform Masters Billy and O¡¯Nare that they don¡¯t need to pressure her and we¡¯re keeping an eye on the situation. Please, if anything else worries you or the situation worsens, come to me and I¡¯ll see what I can do. For now, just support her.¡± He tapped the table for a moment, thinking before he said ¡°Why don¡¯t you accompany her to the tournament? I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll appreciate having you there to cheer her on.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Considering Nemona¡¯s parents would be there, that meant I would basically be getting paid to take a day off and have some fun watching the tournament.

    ¡°I insist. We must support our charges in any way possible. I¡¯ve noticed the Young Miss has come to rely on you a great deal.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that, she feels so independent already.¡± I shook my head. ¡°In any case, thank you for the talk.¡± As I spoke he finished his tea, getting up from the table. ¡°I think I¡¯ll try to be more open with her, in the future. At least that way we can avoid things like the Haxorus incident again.¡±

    The older man rubbed his hands together. ¡°Indeed, it was quite the kerfuffle canceling the shipment of such a dragon, but she found her new partner so quickly that you were able to do so. Despite how mature they can be, children can also be fickle at times too.¡±

    ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t that. Nemona has some unusual standards, I¡¯ll admit, but she sticks to them pretty firmly.¡± Whenever asked about a specific Pokemon, she would always preface her opinions by saying how even if she didn¡¯t prefer some Pokemon over others, they were all great. Some of the Pokemon she liked were rare, or strong. A few were generally seen as cute. But some weren¡¯t overly popular, like Dun, who she would often extol the virtues of. ¡°I think when she realized what was happening, she didn¡¯t believe she¡¯d be able to handle a fully grown Dragon.¡± She hadn¡¯t put up much decorations in her room since moving, but the fact that she had a big poster with a bunch of dragons, including a Haxorus front and center implied she hadn¡¯t given up on that dream.

    ¡°Yes, that would have been a bit much for her, no matter how smart she is. Luckily you managed to alert them and stop the transfer before the Haxorus would have been delivered here.¡± He gave a thin smile. ¡°It would have been a bit more difficult for me to find a Haxorus a good home than it was those Eevee¡¯s the Masters bought.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I feel she underestimated herself. Given the training I saw her put her Dunsparce through? I believe she would have brought even a fierce Pokemon like Haxorus into line.¡± He blinked, surprised.

    ¡°Really now?¡±

    ¡°Yes. The drills she had Dunsparce running were quite intense, drilling through boulders and snapping apart small trees with his body. And I think she might have even been holding back a bit on the training that I oversaw.¡± Rotom is watching over her though, and they¡¯d tell me if she was doing anything too crazy. ¡°Still glad she didn¡¯t end up taking the Haxorus though, at least for my own sake. I¡¯d have a heart attack every time I saw a Pokemon like that running through the house like Dun does.¡±

    Hamber made an agreeing sound, but seemed focused on my first point. ¡°Hmm, I¡¯ll have to review her battles as well, when I get the chance. Might introduce her to some associates of mine that share an interest in battling and exploration.¡±

    ¡°Oh? That sounds nice, she could use some more friends. She gets along well with that Arven kid, but she doesn¡¯t have anyone else she really plays with.¡± Mostly what they did was battling (the Young Miss certainly has a one track mind), But I had also seen them talking about science or the world, or occasionally cooking together. At least they both seem to have fun together.

    ¡°Happy to help. Have a good night, Miss Odale.¡± He left and I let out a long yawn. Probably for the best that I let this rest. I¡¯m glad he invited me to air things out. Really takes a load off my mind.

 Chapter 13

    Huffing, huffing, "Gawd, why is that?" "Such a long climb?!" I groaned as I pulled myself another inch or so up the cliff.

    "Gee, it''s almost like this is so off the beaten path because no one goes up here for a reason, bzzt." Rotom drawled sarcastically. They were hovering lightly next to me as I made my way up the hill. A quick glance down revealed that it would be a long fall from where I was, but I wasn''t too worried about the fall. No, what worries me, uff, is if my grip slips and I have to try to climb back up this cliff.

    All of a sudden, a bit of dirt was pushed out of the side of the cliff, splashing dirt all over my hair. A spinning tail stuck out of the newly made hole. "A little close, Dun!" I shouted at him.

    He gave a muffled reply and pulled himself back into the tunnel to begin boring a new path. Dunsparce was natural at digging tunnels and moving underground, but there was a certain skill to making them in battle.

    Specifically, the ability to sense where was a safe area to return to, and to judge the position of their enemies by the vibrations in the ground. Exceptional ground types like Diglett could even get an idea of where a flying enemy might be just by the vibrations of the air hitting the ground.

    This level of acuity would probably be too much for Dunsparce to handle, but I was hopeful that with time and practice, he''d be able to use it as another method of avoiding attacks and maneuvering around the battlefield. He trained it while I trained my strength and stamina to reach this peak.

    "Bzzt, I really don''t think you need to try this, young lady," Rotom said again, this time much more sincerely and with less of a smirk. "Especially with the way you were this morning..." I grimaced at the memory.

    Waking up early wasn¡¯t something I enjoyed, but I could get used to it. Last night was bad though. Thoughts had been swimming through my mind, of different battle strategies, options to pursue in training, and the mounting pressure¡­ it took me till well past midnight to get to sleep.

    The sleep that followed was restless, with my dreams being plagued by visions of my past, friends, and family that were slightly distorted and off. Or were they even? Are my memories of them just going to fade into indistinct blurs over time?

    Altogether it left me in a very tired and grumpy spot to wake up early too. Still, training had to go on. We only had a few days left before the three-day long ¡®break¡¯ I had planned before the tournament where Dunsparce would only go through light training. I didn¡¯t want him to get too stressed or overwork something right before the big day, so we were just going to stay home then. That might just be me being overly cautious and basing things too much on my previous life experiences. Pokemon recover a lot faster than I did when training for a martial arts tournament. Still, I think that it¡¯ll be good to give him time to decompress a little. Too much cramming isn¡¯t a good thing.

    The flip side of that meant we had to put our all into the training right now, which is something I reminded myself of repeatedly as I scaled the cliff. Eventually, I pulled myself over the top, rolling on the grassy slope with a flop. ¡°Ahhh, never doing that again.¡± I groaned, just taking a moment to relax. Dunsparce had already drilled up to the top and Rotom was floating around looking disappointed but not worried for me, so I figured I was in no imminent danger.

    My clothes were filthy, even more so than usual for my training, and I couldn''t wait to get home and take a shower.

    I cracked one eye open for a split second, trying to guess the time of day from the position of the sun. Only 10:00 am? I moaned again before I felt... something.

    It didn''t feel like touch or heat, more like weight without substance. I scrambled up and saw the green hills rolling down and up. A few other cliffs jutted up here and there, but they were much smaller than the one I had climbed to get here in the first place.

    It was a vast, elevated expanse of land that stretched far beyond Porto Marinada. In this wild area, I could see all kinds of Pokemon. Foraging, exploring, some mingling and greeting each other. Many of them were of different types than the more common Pokemon below. The one that caught - no, demanded - my attention was a large, feline-like Pokemon with greenery built into its body. A Leafeon. Rare enough, but what made it special was the crystalline glow and the crown of flowers sprouting above its head.

    It watched us intently from a cliff a few hundred meters away before leaping over and landing near us in an instant. It''s fast! And not only fast, but graceful as well, I couldn''t help but admire their movements.

    It was one thing to be able to move that fast, but there were Pokemon that had sheer speed. To then land so elegantly? That took skill. The kind of skill that would take years to master under the best of circumstances. So it was disconcerting to see Dunsparce gathering violet energy on his tail, ready to attack the Grass-type.

    ¡°Aha, not this time, buddy,¡± I said, waving a hand for him to stand down. While it¡¯s good that he¡¯s got a handle on his type matchups, this is not a fight we could win. This whole area, stretching out for a few kilometers, was wild, truly wild, not like the trails or nearby them that trainers would travel through. While wild Pokemon weren¡¯t necessarily violent or aggressive, they followed their own rules, and I could tell that this Leafeon was the one who set down the rules of this place.

    ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Nemona. We¡¯ve come to train against some of the Pokemon here, if you¡¯ll allow it.¡± I moved to offer the Terastalized Pokemon a Berry, but they just shook their head. I guess a Grass type wouldn¡¯t have much problems foraging. Heck, one this strong might just be able to make whole Berry Trees instantly. The plants in this world grew unnaturally fast, with trees able to sprout up 3 meters and be laden with fruit in less than a year since planting, even without a Pokemon tending to them.

    They gazed out at some of the Pokemon gathered around in the pseudo-valley below. A few of them were looking back, mildly curious at what Leafeon was doing. Glancing back at Dunsparce, they pointed with their paw at a pack of blue and black-furred canine creatures gathered around. Riolu! Wow, those are pretty rare, I¡¯d never have imagined there would be a pack of them so close to where I live. ¡°Eon.¡± Then they hopped away to another high point, settling down to watch us.

    ¡°Well, that sounded like permission,¡± I idly commented as I brushed some of the dirt off of me (a mostly futile process) and began walking down to the Riolu. ¡°This should be a good challenge for you, Dun. Riolu are Fighting Types, your one weakness.¡±

    Rock and Steel types could be hard for him to hurt as well, but we¡¯d already covered how to use things like Earthquake to check those counters. The enhanced damage he¡¯d take from Fighting Types, especially using Fighting Moves, was a lesson he had to learn firsthand, and better to experience it for the first time now rather than in the tournament.

    ¡°Bzzt, are you sure this is a good idea?¡± Rotom asked nervously, eyeing not only the Leafeon but also some of the other powerful Pokemon around. There were a lot stronger Pokemon here than the ones on the route. We could see some Swablu and even saw a few Altaria gently drifting around.

    "It should be all right," I said, trying to keep my voice even. "We''ll do some training, then get out of their hair."

    ¡°I believe most of the Pokemon here had fur, not hair, bzzt,¡± Rotom said, which caused me to giggle.

    ¡°Fair.¡± I stopped conversing with Rotom as we approached the group. Of the slightly more than half dozen of them, three of them stepped forward. The biggest one had a small scowl on his face but seemed more concerned with how the smaller two were looking at him. The other two just seemed wary and confused.

    Do they have Telepathy? No, I think that¡¯s just Lucario. I need to catch one of those. Something about my thoughts caused a slight shift in their stances.

    Ah, but they do have Empathy though. Welp, I¡¯m being honest about what I want. It should be fine.

    ¡°We¡¯d like to challenge you. Anyone who¡¯s willing to spar against Dunsparce here is free to try. We¡¯ll heal up anyone after any round.¡± I explained. This had mixed results. One of the smaller ones stepped back at that, uninterested, but another Riolu¡¯s ears perked up at that from where she had been meditating, stepping up to meet us.

    The big one swaggered forward, ready to fight, and I stepped back to give Dunsparce room. He flexed a little, extending out small but sharp-looking claws. Calling ¡°Begin!¡± The two Pokemon rushed at each other, Riolu reaching Dunsparce first easily, and striking with his Metal Claw.

    Dunsparce cried out with pain but didn¡¯t let that stop him from Body Slamming the Fighting type right back. Riolu was shocked at the force the land snake had dealt him, staggering back. ¡°Poison Jab!¡± I yelled, Dunsparce quickly capitalizing on the opening to stab Riolu with his tail. The Riolu stumbled back a bit, growling at us, before whimpering and falling to one knee, raising one paw in surrender and another clutching at the prick from the Poison Jab.

    ¡°The fight is over!¡± I called out, quickly rushing over with Potions and Antidotes. I tended to Riolu¡¯s wounds first, as he was the worst hurt and not wanting the Poison to get any worse. Our sparring partner collapsing on us would probably not make the others here happy. Not that it would entirely be our fault - this Riolu was weaker than he was trying to display himself as. An important reminder that being bigger was never a real determiner of power in this world.

    Dunsparce puffed up a bit with his victory, but I could see him still warily watching the other two Riolu out of the corner of his eyes. Good, means he isn¡¯t letting it get to his head.

    After the healing was done and the first went off to lick his wounds, the second Riolu stepped up, letting out an adorable a fierce battle cry. ¡°Go!¡± I called out, and the two of them moved toward each other, but this time the wild Pokemon was a bit more hesitant in their approach.

    The Riolu¡¯s speed was still much greater, however, and they eventually struck to the side. Dunsparce countered as we¡¯d practiced, spinning his drill tail to ward her off, but that was the opening she had been waiting for! Sliding to the side, she struck his unguarded flank.

    Darn it, a feint! ¡°Quick, keep her off balance, then plow in!¡± Dunsparce took in the command instantly, flopping on the ground to make an Earthquake. He wasn¡¯t putting his full power into it, so it only jostled the Riolu around a bit, rather than doing any real damage, but he could also fire it off faster this way. That close to him, the Riolu had enough trouble staying standing, and no chance of dodging the Body Slam he launched into her.

    ¡°Wow, that was incredible,¡± I said awed, and Rotom decided to chime in too.

    ¡°You have trained him quite well, bzzt.¡± I was glad to hear him being civil, and even complimentary towards Dun after how abrasive they had been before. There was something more than politeness or even honest respect to their tone though. Maybe wistfulness? I didn¡¯t have time to decipher it further though.

    ¡°Thank you, but it¡¯s not just that- harass her! Keep up the pressure! - see what he just did there? He figured out a new way to combine his techniques. Using the aftershocks of the Earthquake, he propelled himself ahead, empowering the Body Slam, that¡¯s why she took so much damage from it. I never taught him that, he just figured it out on his own.¡± My mind was already whirring with ideas on how to incorporate it into our training now, though.

    Rotom went silent after that, and I couldn¡¯t tear my eyes away from the fight to see how they were emoting to that. Dunsparce was tearing up the battlefield, pushing Riolu back, but they were used to it enough that they could dodge the attacks. I also noticed, the last challenger intently watching her fellow¡¯s motions. She¡¯s going to be the toughest fight yet, I¡¯m sure of it. I can¡­ feel it? Somehow, I just know it.

    The current combatant finally gave up the defense, springing off a nearby tree to land a heavy blow with her paw that had Dunsparce rolling back in pain. ¡°That¡¯s a Fighting Type move, they¡¯ll hurt a lot, but you gotta get focused!¡±

    My encouragement didn''t work right away; she followed up with another strike of the same kind - not a low kick or a sweep. Maybe a rock smash? It seems pretty weak, all in all.  - and Dunsparce was once again knocked backwards, staggering in pain. I had a moment''s hesitation before I saw the steely glint in his eye.

    As Riolu, grinning with her success charged heedlessly in, I called out, ¡°Jab now!¡± She had no chance to reverse her momentum before Dunsparce swiveled, jabbing in with his tail, instantly covered in the purple poison energy. She swayed for a moment before collapsing in a heap on the ground.

    I took the time to patch everyone up again (Potions were amazing) and checked in on Dunsparce, to see how he was doing.

    ¡°So, that was your first time taking on your Type weakness. I don¡¯t, can¡¯t, know what it¡¯s like to be hit by that, but I¡¯m proud of you for pushing through.¡± Dunsparce gave a bright almost ¡®chirp¡¯ like sound at that praise. ¡°There¡¯s no shame in calling it here if you think you aren¡¯t up for another fight.¡± Before I could get the words out he was vehemently shaking his head.

    ¡°Alright then!¡± I pumped my fist up. ¡°Just know that this will be a lot tougher than the other fights, so give it your all,¡± I cheered.

    ¡°Duuuun!¡± He cried back, tail beating lightly against the ground in anticipation. I think we both know that we aren¡¯t going to be coming back here again for a while. That was a tough climb up, too tough for me to have tried it, if I¡¯m being honest. And while the Leafeon has been accepting of our presence so far, I think it¡¯s more as a ¡®rare curiosity¡¯ than accepting us as frequent visitors to its domain.

    Not that I thought that they would hurt us, but I was pretty sure he could bar any paths we tried to get back up. Today would be the only chance we got at this.

    With that in mind, I could see why Dunsparce wanted to push it to end on a high note, taking on the toughest challenger¡­ of the small pack of Riolu¡¯s we actually had a chance against. Still a big deal to us!

    The final Riolu stepped up, no battle cries or bravado here, just a calm, measured gait as she stepped forward. Dunsparce wiggled his way over to square off against her ¡°Go.¡± I said and she began immediately. Not running towards my Pokemon, but instead punching the air. The force created ripples in the air, flying out and smashing straight into Dun! Dammit! I forgot that the Lucario line can do ranged Fighting Moves like that.

    Dunsparce was valiantly trying to advance through the attacks, but there was no point - she could easily outpace him even if he wasn¡¯t trying to dodge the attacks (and given her precision, I doubted dodging would have worked either). Let¡¯s slow her down a bit. ¡°Glare!¡± I called out, and Dunsparce responded, fixing her with a killer stare.

    Her muscles immediately contracted, spasming and causing her next attack to go wide, despite Dunsparce stopping for a second to use his Move. The fact that it remained slightly cohesive despite the Paralysis was impressive.

    ¡°Poison Jab!¡± I called out as Dunsparce closed in. Riolu tried to dodge but still ended up grazed by Dun¡¯s tail as she retreated, her muscles still moving too stiffly. Dunsparce tried to follow it up with some Body Slams, landing solid hits as she moved to get away, but I saw her landing a few point-blank Fighting Type air bursts of her own. Darn, why can¡¯t I remember the name of that Move? It¡¯s not Aura Sphere, it doesn''t deal nearly enough damage for that.

    In fact, it was doing a fair bit less than I had first been worried about. Sure, it still hurt Dun, but he was tanking the hits well and dealing back more than he was taking now that the Paralysis slowed her down too much to move.

    She proved herself to be a cut above the other Riolu, when she ducked down, perfectly dodging a Body Slam. Then, half kneeling and holding a forepaw to the ground, she was surrounded with green energy, the grass swaying all around her.

    ¡°Huh?¡± I said, looking confused, and Dunsparce did much the same. Our mistake, as she suddenly rushed towards him, blurring across the battlefield. He got knocked up into the air, flopping back down as she blew by him.

    ¡°Shake it off! Earthquake into Body Slam!¡± He tried to do so, but with the power of Trailblaze (That¡¯s the name of that Move! How did she learn it?) speeding her up, the Riolu was able to partially go back to her old tactics, dodging around and firing air bursts at Dun. Occasionally, with her muscle spasms and the shaking ground, Dunsparce was able to get close enough to land a hit, but those were coming fewer and farther between as she used Trailblaze to speed up.

    ¡°Whack a mole! 60 degrees, four meters!¡± Dunsparce drilled through the ground, hiding underneath the ground. Riolu aborted her latest charge, looking confused and wary. Almost exactly where I had planned, Dunsparce burst out of the ground beside her and swung his body around to smack into her. She bent back with the blow, but not enough to avoid it¡­

    ¡°BARREL ROLL!¡± I shouted desperately, sweeping my arms in front of me as if that would somehow help him move faster. The Riolu twisted back, taking the force of the hit she had taken into a devastating Counter that Dunsparce barely avoided. We were both somewhat shocked, but he had reacted fast to my shout, pushing himself away, propelled ever so slightly (but critically) by his little wings and just evading the strike that cracked the earth through its sheer force.

    Riolu was breathing heavily, that last shot had taken a lot out of her, but she wasn''t done yet. Dunsparce, for his part, looked quite battered. The fight would seem to be in my favor, but with a lack of ranged attacks, I felt it was tilted in her favor, even though she was on her last legs. Whack a mole won''t surprise her again, she''ll just detect next time (I''m almost sure that''s how she dodged before Trailblaze). We can''t catch her in melee with her speed boosts...it''s not perfect yet, but we''ll just have to try it.

    ¡°Dun, Yawn,¡± I called out, hoping that the general weary state of both fighters would be enough. He let out a massive Yawn as she struck him with an air burst. He let out a cry from the pain as the compressed air glanced off his side. Used to the pain of a super effective Move, however, he was able to rush forward, even as Riolu swayed from the drowsiness.

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    ¡°Earthquake!¡± Despite the proximity, sleepiness, and Paralysis, Riolu had enough celerity to jump into the air and avoid the Move. ¡°Body Slam.¡± I knew now how fast Dunsparce could push himself off of an Earthquake now, so he¡¯d probably have time to hit her and at least tie, assuming he couldn¡¯t take one more hit.

    Riolu elected not to meet him head-on, however, firing out a burst of compressed air to the side to push herself mid-air out of the way, rather than aiming at him. Smart, could have worked too, if he missed and overextended, but despite the look of them, those wings aren¡¯t decorative. ¡°Glide! Swivel and crash into her!¡± I called out before Dun could drift past her.

    The blue-furred Pokemon gave a small yelp of surprise as Dunsparce spun around mid-air and dived toward her like a ballistic missile. His large head slammed into her and she was down for the count, giving out a cry before hitting the ground, rolling around a bit, and lying still.

    She doesn¡¯t have the swirly eyes. It was a truly minor complaint, and probably made sense that it wouldn¡¯t be a thing actually in the real world, rather than in the anime, but still. It would definitely be handy for telling when someone has fainted or not.

    It was pretty clear in this case though, that she had fainted. Dunsparce wasn¡¯t doing much better overall, swaying a little and very bruised up. Despite his exertions and injuries, however, he was proudly calling out his name for the world to hear, triumphant. Good for you, buddy. I used a Revive, crumpling up the sharp-smelling crystal to bring Riolu back to clarity and then applying a few Super Potions to tend to some of her wounds.

    She accepted the first few sprays, letting out a sigh of relief at that, but soon enough waved me off, before I was even finished, walking off stiffly. Pride? Or maybe something else. In any case, she was quite skilled, especially for a wild Pokemon. I¡¯ll have to keep that in mind, that more than just raw ¡®elemental¡¯ power, wild Pokemon can have plenty of skill and tactical knowledge too. She walked past her pack, ignoring them even as they were excitedly chatting amongst themselves, sometimes acting out making motions about different parts and Moves of the battles. The last fighter went to a nearby rock with a flat top, sat down, and began to meditate.

    I used the rest of the potion on Dun and pulled another Super Potion to tend to the rest of his injuries. He gave a happy warble before the three of us (including Rotom) turned to face Leafeon as they stepped towards us again. ¡°Lea. Fe.¡± It wasn¡¯t said harshly or in anger, indeed, they seemed amused at our fights and maybe even slightly glad for what we did for the pack. However, it was clearly time for us to go.

    ¡°Thank you for this,¡± I said, giving them a bow of my head. Dunsparce followed suit, and then followed me and left.

    ***

    After the battles, we headed back down to the Pokemon Center beside Los Platos to get Dunsparce checked up. Potions were great, but it really helped to get properly looked at in a center after a couple of tough battles.

    The Pokemon centers were a bit different in Paldea than in other regions. Part of that was the advancements in technology we had to allow for more compact centers with less space needed to be taken up, while still having all the standard amenities. That is, a healing machine and a small shop - you could trade in ¡®rare finds¡¯ for money or League Points, but there wasn¡¯t a direct Technical Machine Machine. Perhaps a later creation, like the Pokedex App, or maybe just an ease of game mechanics. They don¡¯t have the ¡®Choice¡¯ Items here, so things aren¡¯t 1 for 1.

    The other side of the Center¡¯s design was an attempt to try and have further reach across the vast land. The cities were somewhat scattered, so for a weary explorer, it made sense to have more numerous, compact, safe places to rest up in than just one Center per city. Despite how the remoteness would seem like a potential risk from wild attacks, I knew that there was a barrier built into the edges of each Center. From there, a metal dome could pop up and seal the place off.

    It wasn¡¯t perfect - if some really strong wild Pokemon decided to break through, I couldn¡¯t imagine much in this world being able to stop them. But each Center¡¯s locations were carefully chosen by the rangers to ensure that they would be in relatively stable locations in the wild, while also being well-spaced and accessible for travelers. The small area of the Centers also made it less likely for wild Pokemon to consider it an infringement on their territory. It was kinda crazy to consider all the work and consideration needed to create these basically outposts, but people found a way. I knew all of this from the research I had done on the Centers in my ongoing frustrations studies into the advanced engineering of this world.

    ¡°Your Dunsparce is looking fine, Miss.¡± The Nurse Joy said, taking me out of my thoughts as she grabbed the Pokeball out of the healing device and passed it back to me. ¡°He¡¯ll probably still be a bit tired however, so take it easy for the next bit,¡± she warned

    ¡°Got it, thank you. We went through some pretty tough training this morning, so taking a cool down for the afternoon sounds good.¡± I responded.

    ¡°You¡¯ve been training hard; I¡¯ve never seen a Dunsparce so¡­ fit before.¡± She had a slightly confused expression on her face. I guess there aren¡¯t many trainers that use Dunsparce, especially since Larry isn¡¯t even an Elite Four yet. Not because they can¡¯t be strong, but because most would rather run away first than fight, so few people catch them.

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re competing in the Junior Tournament up at Mesagoza in a week and a half. We gotta work hard if we want to do well! But, I have no doubts. Dun is great.¡± He must have heard me in his ball because it wiggled a bit in my hand.

    The Nurse smiled. ¡°It¡¯s great to see a young trainer with such a close bond. I might go and see you battle there.¡± Oh wow, I hadn¡¯t realized my few visits had made such a big impression.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you live here?¡± I asked and she gave me a smirk.

    ¡°I don¡¯t live in the Pokemon Center, Miss Glitterati.¡± I scratched the back of my head sheepishly at that.

    "Ah, sorry. I guess I forgot how close it was." Looking out over the hills, it was easy to see the massive walls that surrounded the largest city in the land - perhaps even the largest city in the world. "Even when we''re training, my guardians don''t want me traveling too far from home." There was a suspicious look in her eyes at my unbelievably dirty clothes that told me she had some doubts about how well I had followed the rules. I studiously refused to answer the unspoken question. Instead, I changed the subject.

    "I guess you don''t live ''here'' either," I said, waving my arms around at the Pokemon Center. ¡°But what about the nurses and shopkeeps in the more remote Centers?¡±

    ¡°Well, you¡¯re right in that I live in town, but there is a shelter beneath the center.¡± She admitted. I was surprised at first, but it made a lot of sense. They probably have a similar dome-type structure going underground all the time. It would stop any Pokemon that might accidentally burrow into it and give them more space to use. ¡°It¡¯s kind of cramped, even for a few people, but it gives trainers that are really exhausted some place to rest without calling in a Flying Taxi. I¡¯m glad I don¡¯t get stationed out there - they get more time off and get rotated out by the taxis and rangers, but I¡¯ve heard from my colleagues that it can get pretty rough.¡±

    I almost asked her why she got into being a Pokemon Nurse¡­ but held my tongue. It felt too personal, too awkward. Or maybe that¡¯s just an excuse for not being good at talking to others. In any case, I thanked her and gave my farewell, searching for a good spot to rest up.

    I liked picnics as much as the next¡­ well, the next non-Paldean because they seemed a little obsessed with them. I get that they¡¯re good for eating outside and that the dimensional pockets in my bag plus easily foldable tables make for an easy enough setup outside, but I don¡¯t know. Seems like a bit much to do every day when you¡¯re on the road. Though, I knew it was just because I didn¡¯t like sandwiches. Maybe I can blame it on being Unovan? And hope no one calls me out on it? I thought as I took out the meat and bread keeping them separate as I put the deconstructed sandwich on my plate.

    Releasing Dun by his food bowl, I sat back and Rotom floated up, knowing well that I¡¯d want to review the battles. Dunsparce liked it too, but he tended to be a bit more focused on the food right after training than the video. We both were there, but it helps to be able to go over things slowly, without the rush. A different angle also helps.

    ¡°Pause it right there.¡± I said, right as the Riolu in our final battle was crouched. ¡°Now play it at half-speed.¡± I saw the green light bloom beneath their feet before they shot forward, ripping up the grass as they went. ¡°That was a well timed Trailblaze.¡± I totally forgot that Riolu could learn that. Can''t believe I let myself get stuck in thinking she''d just use Normal Moves, or Moves of her own Type.

    ¡°Trailblaze, bzzt?¡± Rotom inquired.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s a Grass Type Move that does decent damage, but more importantly, makes you faster each time you use it. I didn¡¯t even realize that Riolu could learn it.¡± I recognized the Move this time from a few times I¡¯d seen it in televised matches. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Isn¡¯t Trailblaze a TM Move? Yeah, I think it is. I guess that means that Riolu had a Trainer once. I wonder why they¡¯d leave the Riolu- Or maybe I¡¯m looking at it wrong. Technical Machines can¡¯t be learned by every Pokemon, they¡¯re limited, which means that aside from the device, there has to be a base level of compatibility with the Move in question. And while TMs can help teach up a Pokemon on a new Move fast with modern technology, they¡¯ve had Move Tutors to help Pokemon learn Moves outside their base set as long as Hisui at least. Who¡¯s to say that only humans could help a Pokemon learn a Move outside their common knowledge? Like say, a natural Grass Tera Leafeon helping a Riolu learn a Grass Move without a TM.

    ¡°Dun Du?¡± Dunsparce asked, lifting his head from the bowl. I got the feeling that he felt the bowl was ¡®inelegant¡¯ after seeing our plates, but given his body, plate eating was¡­ messy, to say the least. My answer was to get him a very fancy, gold-plated bowl. Was it gold-plated, or did they just make the whole thing out of gold? That feels like overdoing it, but I did ask my parents¡­

    Dun shook me out of my thoughts again. ¡°Sparce.¡± He rolled his eyes slightly at my absentmindedness, while Rotom suppressed a giggle.

    ¡°Right, sorry. Just thinking we might see a lot of that Move in the tournament, so it was good luck to practice against it here.¡±

    ¡°Bzzt, why do you believe you¡¯ll see it often in the tournament? It¡¯s a rather rare Move from what I can recall of the professional matches you¡¯ve reviewed, bzzt.¡± Rotom said, puzzled.

    ¡°That¡¯s right, good memory Rotom!¡± The ghost in the machine smiled at my praise. ¡°It isn¡¯t used a ton in the higher level stuff, but given this is a low level competition, the trainers will only have 1 badge at most. Mesagoza is situated with two gyms nearby on either side. The Bug Gym to the West, and the Grass Gym to the East.¡± As I spoke, I pointed out with my arms to the horizon on either side of the massive mega-city.

    ¡°The Gyms will often give TMs as rewards for winning, and the TM for the Grass Gym? Trailblaze.¡± At least, I think so. Brassius isn¡¯t even leading that Gym right now, let alone if the rewards change based on badge level or other factors not in the game I never considered¡­ whoops.

    It was too late to take back my hasty words now, however, Rotom gasping in surprise while Dunsparce nodded his head in determination, just taking it as a matter of fact that I knew everything. Rotom, however, questioned me (though I suspected it was more on reflex rather than not really believing me). ¡°How do you know that, bzzt?¡±

    ¡°Haha, well, I¡¯ve just been studying a lot?¡± I scratched the back of my head awkwardly. That¡¯s not good enough to cover my meta-knowledge, I need something better. ¡°Just, they say your Journey, or Treasure Hunt here, is a really big deal, so I want to make sure I get it right, you know? I¡¯m probably overthinking things, but it doesn¡¯t hurt to make some plans for the future.¡±

    ¡°Right, you probably have everything planned out, bzzt. Like every member of your team and how you¡¯ll beat all the gyms.¡± Rotom said, an odd inflection in their voice.

    ¡°Hmm? Oh, nothing like that. Sure, I have Pokemon I like and think are particularly cool, but I don¡¯t have any specific plans set in stone or anything.¡±

    ¡°Bzzt, I¡¯m sure your parents could arrange for you to get any Pokemon you¡¯d want.¡±

    ¡°Arce?¡± Dunsparce added, turning up from the video to look at me too.

    I shook my head. ¡°There are too many Pokemon in the world that I¡¯d love to train for that to work out. And some, even my parents couldn¡¯t buy for me.¡± Like Legendaries or ancient Pokemon like Hisuan Zorua. Not that I¡¯d really want them to try to, for a lot of reasons. ¡°But more to the point, whatever type of Pokemon I could want, I wouldn¡¯t be sure they¡¯d be compatible with me. That¡¯s what¡¯s most important. Any Pokemon can be strong, I want ones who will,¡± I paused for a second almost feeling embarrassed before admitting: ¡°I want ones who will be my friends too. You can¡¯t buy a love for adventure, a desire to get stronger, or a kind soul.¡±

    They were both staring at me now, Rotom having flipped over fully to face me and I felt my face flush feeling incredibly embarrassed. This is why I hate talking. I get overly dramatic. ¡°Uh, but yeah, that¡¯s why I don¡¯t have a team planned out in advance. I don¡¯t know what any Pokemon I meet will be like, and even that isn¡¯t a guarantee; I could meet someone who was great, but not at all what I had thought a friend could be like.¡±

    ¡°Am- am I your friend?¡± Rotom stuttered, losing their usual verbal tic.

    ¡°Wha-? Of course! You helped me out so much, and you¡¯ve got a great snark and dry sense of humor- wait.¡± I looked at Rotom, realizing what they were asking. ¡°Do you want to be on my team?¡±

    ¡°... Yes.¡± It took them a moment to say it, but their face was determined and serious.

    ¡°Of course! I¡¯d love to have you on my team. This is something you¡¯ve been thinking about for a while, haven¡¯t you?¡±

    ¡°Ever since you mentioned Rotom being ¡®strong Pokemon¡¯, bzzt,¡± they admitted. Oh jeez, that was something I said on literally the first day I got here. Can¡¯t believe I missed that all this time.

    ¡°Ah. Sorry about that, I always thought you didn¡¯t want to fight. Which is fine,¡± I added quickly. ¡°You can still be our friend, even a part of the team if you don¡¯t want to fight. You already do a ton helping organize my days and record the matches-¡±

    ¡°I want to get stronger. To fight in matches, to help you become a Champion rank!¡± They declared proudly and I couldn¡¯t help but grin broadly. ¡°But¡­ I¡¯m worried that I won¡¯t be good enough at it, bzzt. I don¡¯t have good fighting instincts like you, or Dun,¡± they added begrudgingly.

    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem! Or well, it is, but it¡¯s dealable like any problem. No one is a perfect fighter to start, and I get that it¡¯s scary. You¡¯re willing to take the first step though and that¡¯s all that matters. We can work on your skills, help develop your reactions from here. Oh man, we¡¯re going to do great. I know it¡¯s a bit late so we¡¯ll have to do some training in these last few days, but I think I¡¯ll be able to use you in the first few rounds. I¡¯ll stick to Dun in the latter rounds-¡±

    ¡°Bzzt, I don¡¯t think that will be possible.¡±

    ¡°No, I really think with even a few days you could fight in at least the first round-¡± I tried to explain before Rotom interrupted again.

    ¡°Actually you won¡¯t be able to use me because you won¡¯t be able to register me with a Junior license, bzzt.¡± I put my hands in my face, utterly embarrassed at the idea that they were right. ¡°But I appreciate it, bzzt. I¡¯m- I¡¯m going to become stronger, be the strongest Rotom in all of Paldea!¡± They announced with a shaky voice. Dunsparce rolled his eyes, but I could tell there was a fondness there - he wasn¡¯t upset with Rotom now that they had revealed their feelings.

    ¡°Heck yeah you will! We¡¯re gonna train you to the bone till you can crush anyone!¡± I cheered.

    ¡°Bzzt, I worry I have made a grave mistake,¡± they moaned while I laughed and Dunsparce made a huffing sound that I knew was his equivalent.

    Alright, I¡¯ve got my second Pokemon! Even if I can¡¯t use Rotom in the tournament, this is awesome. It was days like this, filled with unexpected treasures and incredible discoveries that made me so glad to be reborn in this life. Reborn, right¡­

    ¡°Actually, there¡¯s one last thing. Something I should tell you about myself before you join. Honestly something I should have told both of you long before.¡± I pulled my knees in closer and Dun tilted his large head at me. ¡°I¡¯m not- not from this world. Or maybe I just have memories from a previous life, it¡¯s confusing.¡±

    ¡°What do you mean, bzzt?¡±

    ¡°You remember how I suddenly changed, that day that I told you Rotom could be strong and started getting really into battling?¡± They ¡®nodded¡¯ by hovering up and down. ¡°On that day I suddenly found myself reborn in this life. Or maybe just I had memories of my old life, I still have fuzzy memories of my childhood here before, so perhaps I was always Nemona? But before that I was- well it doesn¡¯t matter. One day I suddenly realized I was in a strange new world.¡±

    Before I could go on, Dun slithered over and bumped me in the side with his head. ¡®You matter, you¡¯re important,¡¯ was the message I got, and I gave him a watery smile, scratching the top of his head. ¡°Thanks. I was¡­¡± I told them my name.

    ¡°Bzzt, that¡¯s a nice name. Should we call you that?¡±

    ¡°It was. But I¡¯m Nemona now. Oh! What about you Rotom? If you''re on my team, do you want a name?¡±

    They were silent for a long moment. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be opposed to a name, bzzt. It has to be the right name, though.¡±

    ¡°So, ¡®Sparky¡¯ isn¡¯t going to cut it?¡± They gave me a very flat look in response and I laughed. ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯ll work on it. If you guys still want to be on a team with me. I know I shouldn¡¯t have hid this from you two, for so long but¡­ it¡¯s hard.¡±

    ¡°Dun?¡±

    ¡°My parents? What could I tell them? Sorry, I¡¯m not really your daughter? Or I am, but I remember being raised by an entirely different family? No, I just- I can¡¯t tell them. Maybe it¡¯s cowardly, but even if they accepted me, I don¡¯t think I could deal with the way they would look at me after. It¡¯s easier with you guys; you¡¯ve mostly only known me as I am now.¡±

    ¡°Do you know how this happened, bzzt?¡±

    ¡°No clue. I mean, realistically, Arceus probably had some of their thousand hands in this-¡±

    ¡°Bzzt!¡± Rotom gave a surprised buzz. Name-dropping god might have been a bit much.

    ¡°Uh, I didn¡¯t get any divine messages from them or anything but, well in my past life there were a lot of stories. Games, media, merchandise, etcetera. That¡¯s how I ¡®come up¡¯ with a lot of my ideas. Just trying to remember great ideas - or ideas that I felt had a lot of squandered potential - and bring them to life here.¡± Rotom gave a wide ¡®O¡¯ face, everything clicking into place.

    Not sure if they truly believed me before this, but I think they do now. ¡°One story I never told and never will to anyone else, was the story of one of the largest franchises in my first life. That of Pokemon.¡±

    Rotom made a small gasping noise while Dun narrowed his eyes in concentration, trying to puzzle it out. ¡°There were different versions, games and television shows were the biggest but each part of the franchise portrayed a world with fantastical creatures with incredible abilities, working side-by-side with humans. It was an incredible fantasy¡­ until I found myself living in it.¡±

    ¡°A world without Pokemon? That sounds as crazy as a world without humans, bzzt. No offense, Young Miss.¡± Rotom tacked on to the end.

    ¡°Hey, none of that now. You¡¯re on my team now, so just call me Nemona. And there¡¯s a couple of games that covered worlds without humans and just Pokemon, though I never played them much.¡± Hope that Mystery Dungeon stuff never becomes relevant to me. ¡°Which is the other reason why I didn¡¯t tell anyone. They¡¯ll think I¡¯m crazy, or if they do believe me, they might want to use the knowledge I have on this world for their own ends.¡±

    Most of my knowledge of Legendaries and the like is out of date, or maybe never accurate to this world, and a lot of it I can¡¯t say for sure yet. But some of it is definitely, dangerously accurate.

    ¡°Bzzt, that¡¯s a lot-¡±

    ¡°Dun un.¡±

    ¡°I was getting to that, bzzt!¡± Rotom angrily buzzed at my starter, who huffed smugly back. ¡°It makes sense why you didn¡¯t tell us.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s still not right! Other people I might keep it secret from, but you¡¯re my team. My closest friends. That was just the explanation, not an excuse. I shouldn¡¯t have kept this from either of you.¡±

    ¡°Arce, ar?¡± Dun said, wiggling his body oddly and glancing down.

    ¡°What are you- oh. Do I know how strong you will be? That¡¯s- I¡¯ve got a guess. See, when I said I knew about this world, I knew about¡­ the original Nemona¡¯s team. She was a champion, probably the strongest champion in Paldea, and she did have a Dunsparce on her team. I can¡¯t tell if you¡¯re the same Dunsparce she would have picked up without my memories, or ''my'' existence, whatever the influence was. But it doesn¡¯t matter. That day on the beach, I wasn¡¯t thinking about that life or what could have been. No matter who you are, I stand by that promise to make you the strongest.¡±

    ¡°Dun spar, dunsparce.¡± He said happily before crawling into my lap.

    ¡°Huh? Sorry, I didn¡¯t quite get that one.¡±

    ¡°Bzzt, I believe he was saying that it doesn¡¯t matter who you are either, he stands by his promise to be your Pokemon too.¡± The sly smirk Rotom gave me told me that they felt the same way.

    ¡°You guys¡­¡± The tears dripped down my face, but they were happy and I let them fall freely, hugging Rotom and Dun close. This is truly an incredible world I live in, to have such wonderful friends. I¡¯m so glad to be here.

 Chapter 14

    The day of the big tournament finally came, and with it an onset of sudden nerves. Little thoughts, that I wouldn¡¯t do well, that they¡¯d call me a fool, that I¡¯d get Dun hurt, etc. lingered in my mind. Nothing that could stay for long though, or fight against my excitement for this day.

    I know, realistically I¡¯m not likely to win the whole thing, but I really hope I do well. Both for the good feeling of doing well, and also for showing off to prove myself to Tulip. Learning about Aura was hardly the most important thing in this world when Pokemon could manipulate it so much better than people, but it still seemed really cool.

    Plus, making a good impression on a future gym leader and teacher wouldn¡¯t be bad I thought as I finished up my breakfast. I just had a bowl of cereal today, something light before we headed out to Mesagoza.

    Leah was standing behind me as usual, but this time dressed in casual clothes rather than her maid outfit. Her white sundress had a floral design to it with a matching sunhat, the outfit brought together by a dark blue jacket she wore overtop the dress. I liked it, but it was weird, like seeing your teacher at the grocery store and remembering they had a life outside of the professional setting you usually saw them in.

    My sister had a dark skirt and a pink blouse, a combination she had tried to sell me on previously which I had refused vehemently. I had a white T-shirt with red stripes and pale blue cargo pants. Unassuming, but you didn¡¯t need a cape or something extravagant like that to be a champion. I¡¯ve still got a long way to go on that road, but this is a big step down that path.

    Dunsparce was finishing up his meal on the ground beside me (a mix of pate and Kalosian toast that he loved) when my parents entered the dining room, one after another. They were both dressed in golden business suits, rather than their more casual, still gold, and ridiculously expensive ¡®regular person apparel¡¯.

    That clue meant I wasn¡¯t surprised when they started tripping over each other with excuses.

    ¡°So sorry dear, an emergency at work-¡±

    ¡°Sudden recall of a new phone model-¡±

    ¡°Wild Pokemon were missed on the site, now the workers are in danger-¡±

    ¡°Somehow we only have five workers at the factory right now? I need to-¡±

    ¡°Hopefully it won¡¯t take too long-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll try to be back for your later matches-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I said with a smile and if there was any bitterness in it, I wiped it away in the blink of an eye. They aren¡¯t my par- not my first parents. Shouldn¡¯t hold them to the standards of my first ones. My mom and dad were always there for me, but I hardly had the life of luxury I have here, where I can get anything I want just by asking for it. That¡¯s just the trade-off in life (lives?), right?

    Leah stepped up ¡°I¡¯ll keep a close eye on the Young Miss and Young Master while you¡¯re out, and record any of the matches you miss to watch later.¡± Billy and O¡¯Nare thanked her profusely, then each of them gave me and my sister a hug and a kiss on the head, before running out the door.

    Things were awkward as we finished getting ready after that. Not because I was upset, but I think because Leah and Cyan were worried that I was, and didn¡¯t know what to say about it. Eventually, as we went outside to the Flying Taxi Leah had arranged to pick us up, my sister asked me ¡°Are you excited for your first tournament?¡±

    No duh, I am. Excited, nervous, happy, so much more. I didn¡¯t say that though, wanting to keep the snark to a minimum (and fearing my nerves might make me sound worse than I was). She was proudly carrying her Popplio Egg which had arrived during my training time in an incubator with straps to let her carry the egg like a (very secure) backpack. The incubator was filled with water, to help better simulate the aquatic environment a Popplio would be born in. Still feels weird that she was just able to order that, but I guess that¡¯s how things are in this world. Plus, the rancher said the Primarina mother was very specific in wanting her egg to go to someone ¡®absolutely loaded¡¯, and my family does fit that bill.

    ¡°Yeah! I¡¯m not sure how tough it¡¯ll be, but we¡¯ve trained hard and will give it our all!¡± I had reviewed the past five years of this tournament since it was a big enough event to be televised and well-discussed. Unfortunately, it being open only to the newest trainers meant it was very hard to measure. A few years back, the tournament was swept by some Alolan girl who didn¡¯t have any Badges but had completed the full set of island trials. Z-Moves are crazy strong, I¡¯m amazed that the barriers held against most of them (though I think they reinforced them midway through that tourney). I¡¯d like to go to Alola someday, and try my hand at the trials. Plus Alola has some great Pokemon.

    If I would go, it¡¯d be sometime in the far future - that tournament had been the last straw and led to Paldea equating the island trial to gym badges earned, much like many other regions had as trade and travel with the island nation grew more common. Some Alolans complained about that, feeling that the Island trials weren¡¯t the same as Gym battles, so treating trainers who passed them as having the same experience disadvantaged them on foreign soil. This was true, admittedly; the island trials were about forging a connection with the land around you, and any battle experience was incidental¡­ However, it was also true that most trial goers gained a good deal of battle experience and a Z-Ring and Z-Crystals, so they had plenty of advantages beyond some newbies with a first-stage starter.

    As we stepped into the Flying Taxi, the driver asked ¡°Where to today, ladies?¡±

    ¡°Please take us to Professor Turo¡¯s house, then to Mesagoza.¡± Leah said. The trip took a while since Turo (and more importantly, Arven) didn¡¯t live nearby in the Lighthouse where the Player met them in the games. At least not yet. I wonder if I¡¯ve rippled that away?

    I hoped I hadn¡¯t, but it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal if they didn¡¯t move closer; I could easily fly over whenever and had gotten Arven a Rotom phone for his birthday last month. Still not super thrilled about the idea of gifting people living, thinking creatures, but at least with my father¡¯s position, I was able to give Arven a tour of the company and let him meet all the Rotoms. He found the one that clicked with him most and really wanted to be his phone, so I think that¡¯s all good.

    The flight passed by fairly quickly, with Leah and Cyan asking me about my strategies for the day ahead. I told them a couple of the tricks we¡¯d practiced and the like, but couldn¡¯t say much more about my ¡®strategies¡¯ than that. ¡°Tournaments are a lot trickier than Gym battles. You don¡¯t know what Pokemon all the other competitors are coming in with and there isn¡¯t much of anything to study. So I¡¯ll have to adapt somewhat based on what my opponents can bring out.¡± There was a flip side to this of course - Gym Leaders had very strong teams, all their Pokemon kept to the highest standards, and each of them a master of their Typing, and thus able to counter much of the common (and at higher levels, even the uncommon) tricks used against them.

    My biggest concern is a Ghost Type with Levitate, like Ghastly, Misdreavous, or even a Rotom (though Rotom is a lot less of a concern because it¡¯ll lose the Ghost Typing when it possesses an appliance). Earthquake and Normal Type Moves won¡¯t work on them and the only other Move we¡¯ve mastered, Poison Tail, will be not very effective. Dunsparce can use Bite, as I learned from some of my matches with Arven after he copied Maschiff, but we didn¡¯t focus on practicing that during our big training stint. Might have been a mistake, but you can¡¯t do everything. The fundamentals we¡¯ve improved are probably more important anyway. Hopefully his current abilities will be enough to give him solid coverage for this level of tournament.

    A finger poked my cheek, disrupting my thoughts. ¡°Oww,¡± I complained, more from surprise than any real pain.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fall asleep before the tournament,¡± Cyan chided in response, causing me to bristle.

    ¡°I wasn¡¯t falling asleep, I was thinking-¡±

    ¡°Children.¡± Despite how lightly she said the word, her tone of voice was firm. ¡°No fighting.¡± A ¡®she started it¡¯ welled up on the tip of my tongue, but I shoved it down.

    That¡¯d just be immature. Besides, it doesn¡¯t matter. Focus on the battles ahead. ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± I said my sister begrudgingly followed suit.

    When we touched down in front of Arven¡¯s house, I was mildly surprised to not see him waiting for us. He¡¯s usually so eager to come out and play. The house in question was a fairly ordinary brick house on the outskirts of Medali. If I didn¡¯t know it was the Professor¡¯s house, I never would have guessed from how normal it looked, but I was well aware of how past the red tile roof and white and beige bricks were all manner of half-finished devices and paperwork stacked to the ceiling from all the work Turo brought home with him.

    Going up to the red wooden door, I knocked. I wasn¡¯t tall enough to see through the glass cut into the top of the door but could hear the sounds of conversation before Turo of all people opened the door.

    ¡°What are you doing here, Young Miss Glitterati?¡± He asked cooly, looking down at me, Arven standing behind him, slowly putting the pieces together.

    ¡°I have the big tournament today,¡± I said, more to Arven than to him. The boy¡¯s eyes darted back and forth between me and his father.

    Arven spoke up. ¡°Oh right, I forgot about that.¡± He probably got too excited over his dad being back in the house with him. I shouldn¡¯t intrude on their time together.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. You¡¯re busy right now, we¡¯ll hang out later.¡± I tried to say before being interrupted by Cyan, who had apparently followed me.

    ¡°What? No, it¡¯s not fine! C¡¯mon, this is your big day sis, you¡¯ve been training hard for ages for this!!¡± I almost face-palmed at that. Damn, I really appreciate the show of support sis, but this is not the time for it. Arven making close bonds with his dad could be important for the sake of the world. And even if not, at the very least this is some of the precious time he¡¯ll get with his dad before he gets way too engrossed in Area Zero. I couldn¡¯t say that out loud, however, and before I could think of something reasonable to deflect away, Turo asked me a question.

    ¡°You¡¯re participating in a tournament today? Will you be using the Tera Orb I sent to you?¡±

    ¡°Uh, I wasn¡¯t planning on it. The Junior Tournament rules state that I can¡¯t use battle items-¡± I began before he interrupted me.

    ¡°Tera Orbs have recently been ruled as ¡®Enhancements¡¯, and would not fall under the limits for battle items.¡± That would make sense. For most ¡®Enhancements¡¯ at least part if not all of the items are held by the trainer, and they involve dramatic shifts to battles when activated. Z-Moves, Mega Evolution, Dynamax, and now Terastalization all fit under that description. Battle items are held by the Pokemon and give much more minor passive boosts, though those are still significant in a close fight. ¡°I would be most interested in seeing you use it in a tournament setting,¡± he continued, and I could practically hear Arven¡¯s heart breaking behind him. Despite it being worded almost like a request, the man was already walking past me and Cyan, towards the Flying Taxi.

    ¡°Uh, sure, I can do that. C¡¯mon on Arven, it¡¯ll be a big multi family outing.¡± The boy did seem to perk up a bit at that, eagerly following after his dad.

    We got aboard and tried to pay for Turo and Arven to join us in our taxi, but Turo insisted on paying himself. Hmm, he begged pretty hard for our parent¡¯s money before, but that was before he made it big. I can see him not wanting to be more in our debt, or anyone¡¯s debt. He feels like a proud man. That was extrapolation on my part though; he was pretty difficult to get a read on. Nonetheless, I tried to pry a bit with some casual conversation during the flight.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t know they had made an official announcement about the classification of the Tera Orbs yet. I¡¯ve been busy training the past month, working really hard to get Dunsparce ready for this tournament.¡±

    He raised an eyebrow ¡°The announcement was made a few minutes before you arrived.¡± It was that recent?! ¡°I thought you might be an associate or reporter come to ask me questions about it.¡± It was subtle, but there was a slight hint of frustration in his tone.

    ¡°Not a fan of the press?¡± I pressed.

    ¡°I have no problem with the news; reporting groundbreaking facts to the wider public is a noble endeavor. My issue comes from when they sully their ¡®reporting¡¯ with a fixation on asking about ¡®feelings¡¯, printing ephemeral fluff pieces instead of hard facts.¡±

    Awkward¡­ It seemed that most of the other passengers felt the same way, no one talking for a moment until Leah spoke up. ¡°Well, hopefully they¡¯ll be able to report on Young Miss Nemona¡¯s excellent battling skills today.¡± I blushed at the praise.

    ¡°I¡¯m really not that great yet.¡± Real professionals do a lot more than me. Hidden commands, or variations on their spoken commands, planning out full team strategies to face other teams, how to deal with switches mid-battle, etc. All leagues above where I¡¯m at. Despite that, I wasn¡¯t truly disappointed with myself, just having a realistic measure of how much further I¡¯d have to go.

    ¡°¡®Yet¡¯. You speak as if you will become great with time?¡± Turo asked, and even Arven jumped in at that.

    ¡°She will! She¡¯s really good at battling, probably the best! Besides you, I mean.¡± Ah, he still has that fatherly worship. Still has the belief that Turo can do no wrong. I really don¡¯t want to break that innocence, but I¡¯m pretty sure I¡¯ll have to someday. Otherwise, he might blame himself for all of Turo¡¯s screw-ups.

    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

    ¡°You misunderstand; I¡¯m not doubting her capabilities, but a scientist needs to come into any experiment with an open mind. Even as they present their hypothesis forward, they must be aware that the experiment may turn out differently than expected. So it is for the best that one reduces any biases they may have.¡± The other kids just looked at him confused and even Leah gave him a second glance (and a pitying one at Arven, which the young boy missed, focused on his father).

    Unknowingly, he was hitting on an issue I was quite worried about. Everyone might talk me up now, but that¡¯s just because I¡¯ve got an adult¡¯s mind in a kid¡¯s body. The real Nemona, for all that people made fun of how obsessed she was with battling, truly was incredible. A very strong champion, and at quite a young age given she didn¡¯t have the advantages I do. I worry sometimes that even with that, I won¡¯t match up to her, won¡¯t be able to make it as far as she did, will screw up the ¡®plot¡¯ of the games. But¡­

    ¡°I guess the only way we¡¯ll find out is by seeing.¡± I muttered, gripping my Pokeball tightly. Despite my words, I had faith. Even if I can¡¯t match up yet, I believe in my Pokemon. They¡¯ll do great.

    The rest of the ride was fairly quiet, with Arven trying to get his father¡¯s attention, telling him stuff that he and Maschiff had done while he was out. He didn¡¯t seem too engaged but was nodding along. I was deep in thought, thinking about my strategies and how I¡¯d approach things.

    You would think that with just one Pokemon the strategies wouldn¡¯t get too complex, and while I¡¯m sure they paled in comparison to full 6 v. 6 team battles, there was a lot to consider. Potions healed up tons and I was well stocked, but some hits would take time and dedicated resources like Pokemon Centers to fix up. On the other hand, I had to keep in mind Dun¡¯s energy. He was going to be fighting in a lot of battles in a row, and not having the endurance to go on would be as bad or worse than being roughed up from a previous fight.

    Me fretting over these minutiae was mostly just nerves, I could admit. Dunsparce was a naturally tanky species, and our recent training had given him plenty of endurance. We can do this.

    Lost in thought as I was, I barely noticed as we landed down, really taking in Mesagoza for the first time.

    The massive proportions of the mega city were even more pronounced within its borders. People and Pokemon milled all over the city. The streets were built with solid bricks, wide enough that some even rode their Cyclizars within the city itself, though there were strict speed regulations to avoid accidents.

    Buildings rose up high all around, offering housing, shopping, and all manner of entertainment. Given the topography of the city, how it all sloped upwards till the peak where Uva Academy sat, the height of the buildings on the lower levels didn¡¯t interfere with the view. And what a view it is. You can argue that the Pokeball at the top of the Academy is garish or not, but it sure is eye-catching. It¡¯s rare to see a building, an institution that can survive that long in this world.

    I tore my gaze away from that structure to the street I was stepping onto. Mosaic tiles made up many segments of the street in beautiful patterns. There were two towers at the gates beside us that in times past I imagined served as watch towers for danger, but now were used for ornamentation. Clotheslines hung all above the streets and between the buildings, decorated with colorful triangles that waved in the wind, and street merchants sold balloons and candy in stalls nearby. Is this for the tournament or something that¡¯s just set up year-round here? I could see several fountains nearby as well, above the steps where we landed, and above them was the central plaza. The main battle court.

    ¡°Sorry I couldn¡¯t get you closer,¡± the taxi man said and I blinked my eyes, bewildered. We¡¯re already fairly close to the main battle field and people on the street are being forced to go around us. Is this just because we¡¯re rich and have a Pokemon Professor with us?

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, thank you,¡± came my distracted reply, still a little overwhelmed by the size of it all but regaining my bearings and stepping forward to the arena. Pushing through the crowd took a bit of work, especially as Leah understandably wanted us all to stick together (a particularly difficult challenge because Cyan kept on getting distracted by the stores and attractions nearby).

    The press of people grew greater at the central plaza, many people gathered to spectate the tournament. The staff had set up stands for people to sit in, but many were watching from the ground, or for a few, in the air, on the backs of flying Pokemon. One of them was even flying on a Charizard! That¡¯s quite a rare sight in Paldea.

    Leah stepped back with the others to watch as I joined the line to the registration pavilion. There were a few adults in the line, but mostly the other competitors seemed to be teenagers. I was easily the youngest person there, and could already feel a few eyes looking at me questioningly.

    ¡°Miss, do you need some help being shown around?¡± One of the staff came up to me in line and asked. She was wearing a white shirt with red highlights, evocative of a Premier Ball, like the rest of the staff. Given her shockingly pink hair, I suspected that she was also a Nurse Joy who worked at one of the Pokemon Centers nearby.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m just waiting to get my registration affirmed.¡± I had already registered online weeks ago, but this was another check they had to make sure that everyone who signed up would actually be here.

    ¡°Oh.¡± She said, seeming surprised before just nodding and leaving me be. The boy in front of me however heard me and was decidedly more critical.

    ¡°You¡¯re competing? Go back home and play with your dollies, this is a serious tournament.¡± He scoffed, turning around to face me. He looked to be about 15 years old, proudly wearing the Uva Academy uniform with three Pokeballs on his belt. He had dark eyes and a sharp angular nose, his expression one of disdain as he looked down at me. His hair was black, short, and spikey.

    ¡°I know it¡¯s serious, that¡¯s why I trained hard. I might be young, but-¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re just a little brat who is going to fail hard and get your Pokemon hurt.¡± That caused me to clench a fist in anger. It¡¯s one thing to think I¡¯m not ready, but to say I¡¯d be hurting my Pokemon¡­ That was a major insult in this world. ¡°Don¡¯t come crying to me when your Lechonk or whatever gets hurt,¡± he said, turning his back to me.

    ¡°Who are you to say that about me?¡± I asked, wondering where this jackass got off on saying things like that. He didn¡¯t respond to me, but instead to the man at the front desk taking in our registrations.

    ¡°Freddrick Van Grough,¡± he enunciated, and the pieces clicked into place for me. The Van Grough family was a fairly wealthy one, with heavy market control over high-grade fertilizers and Berry Tree seeds. I think I saw his parents at the party my mother and father held. It would explain why he had such an over-inflated opinion of himself.

    After the boy received his name tag and left with a smirk, I stepped up to get my registration sorted out. ¡°Your name, miss?¡±

    ¡°Nemona Glitterati,¡± I said as I passed over my ID. I didn¡¯t want to raise any special attention to myself but had to say my name, so I waited to see any reaction from him. He just raised an eyebrow at that but didn¡¯t say a word, checking it with the system.

    Behind me, a girl spoke up ¡°Don¡¯t worry about what Freddrick said, he¡¯s a jerk.¡± Turning around, I saw a young girl, 12-14 wearing a purple sundress.

    I¡¯m really not ¡®worried¡¯ about the blowhard. Which might be me judging him too early, but hey, he did the same to me. What I said though was: ¡°Ah, thanks. I¡¯m Nemona.¡±

    ¡°Tracy,¡± she said, holding out a hand to shake. ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t worry about what he said. It doesn¡¯t matter how well you do, and the staff won¡¯t let anyone get injured.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but frown as I took my hand back. She¡¯s nicer about it, but she¡¯s underestimating me too. And she only spoke up against Freddrick after he left.

    I was spared from having to interact with her further by the registration man clearing his throat. ¡°Yes, I see you here. Go to battle court #4 for your first match.¡±

    ¡°Not here?¡±

    ¡°No, this arena is reserved for the top 8 contestants.¡± I nodded. That makes sense, even with the entry fee of 5000 Pokedollars (expensive for a lot of beginner trainers), they still have a lot of slots filled up, even with a hard cap of 512 contestants. Looking around I could see a lot of the people waiting around that looked like trainers themselves. Probably people on the waitlist hoping to get in if slots opened up from trainers that couldn¡¯t make it.

    Tracy cleared her throat and I realized I was holding up the line. Stepping out I rushed out to Leah and the others. ¡°It looks like my first battles aren¡¯t going to be here but at arena #4.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s that?¡± Arven asked, and I opened my mouth¡­ before closing it again. ¡°Wha- I can¡¯t believe it! You don¡¯t know where to go?¡± He laughed at my plight.

    ¡°Shut up,¡± I muttered before sighing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I forgot in my excitement. I¡¯ll have to go back and ask someone.¡±

    ¡°No need, bzzt.¡± Rotom floated up, a map of the city already loaded on the screen and then they stretched out to tablet size to give me a better view. It always feels so weird that they can just do that, but I suppose it¡¯s not really that much weirder than, say, them being able to conjure up a swarm of lethal leaves when possessing a lawn mower.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said as I looked at the map and saw the park where the fourth arena was. Wow, they have a lot of parks, arenas, and poke centers within the city. Guess they need them though, for events like this, and everyday convenience in a city this big. ¡°Alright, we need to go that way,¡± I told the group, pointing in the direction we needed to go. ¡°It¡¯s pretty far, so we need to move fast to get there in time.¡± Before I could take the first step, Turo spoke up.

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe we need to leave. They¡¯re setting up viewing screens here so we can observe your battle with ease.¡± Leah frowned, clearly not happy with this idea, but seemingly unwilling to speak up against him. Is it because he¡¯s a Pokemon Professor? I knew they were a big deal, but I never realized that they would have this much sway. But then again, Paldea is a bastion of knowledge; a Pokemon Professor is akin to how many regions would treat a Champion. I¡¯ve just never seen him that way, because in my eyes, he¡¯s a Professor second, and a potential enemy first.

    Turo frowned down at me, and I was shocked at getting the man to show real emotion, however minutely. Whatever expression I had must have been something else to get that. What he was going to say was lost to the wind, however. Looking up, I saw the Charizard I had seen before landing down beside us. On his back was a young man with shockingly white hair and a cocksure grin. He had a heavy brown jacket with yellow lining and blue goggles over his eyes, useful gear for someone who flew around a lot.

    ¡°My partner couldn¡¯t help overhear you. I could help take you there,¡± he offered. I was immediately put on edge. A kind offer, but I¡¯m still a child, and any offer like that gets my ¡®stranger danger¡¯ senses tingling.

    ¡°Professor Friede, I hadn¡¯t expected to see you here. Congratulations on becoming a Pokemon Professor, by the way,¡± Turo comments, causing me to blink in surprise. Another Pokemon Professor?! And who is this ¡®Friede¡¯ guy? I¡¯ve never heard of him before.

    Friede took off his goggles to get a better look at us, frowning slightly when he saw Turo. ¡°Hardly that great an accomplishment compared to you. Your Tera Orbs are all that anyone can talk about in the Academy.¡± Pieces click together in my mind. Well, that might explain why he¡¯s down here, watching a beginner tournament.

    Leah is the one who breaks the tense silence, using his sudden entrance to grab my hand and ask: ¡°Could you fly me there to the arena as well, Mister Professor?¡±

    He turned away from his standoff with the other Professor to look questioningly at his Charizard, who gave a small roar in response. ¡°Looks like he says yes.¡± He gave her a wink too, which caused the maid to blush heavily. Leah noooo. You can do better than this guy- ok he¡¯s a Pokemon Professor, young, and objectively good looking I suppose, so maybe he is as good as it gets, but don¡¯t flirt in front of me!

    With his guidance, we climb on to the Charizard first, him hopping on after us. I marveled at the feel of his scales beneath my hands. They were tough, but not overly rough with heat radiating off of them. It was incredible, and the kind of thing you just couldn¡¯t get from the games or shows.

    Charizard turned his head to glance over at me and I realized I was being a bit obvious. ¡°Ah, sorry mister Charizard, I was just admiring your scales. They seem really strong.¡±

    He let out a happy roar in response, breathing out a small Flamethrower in the air as we flew. No one was nearby us, but several flying Pokemon made sure to give us an extra large berth at that. Looking down on the city from this close, I could really appreciate how big and beautiful it was.

    ¡°You like Charizard, do you?¡± Friede asked, and I blushed a bit, though likely not for the reasons he was thinking. I know it¡¯s kinda ¡®basic¡¯, but yeah, Charizard is my favorite of the Gen 1 Starters. Venasaur never really got me, and Blastoise is cool and all, but Charizard is just awesome.

    ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re pretty cool. I wouldn¡¯t mind getting one on my team eventually.¡± Both Leah and Rotom by now knew that didn¡¯t mean ¡®go out and buy me a fully grown Charizard¡¯, just ¡®I might catch a Charmander if I see it and it¡¯s compatible with me and my team.¡¯ Charizard himself gave another roar of approval.

    ¡°Oh? Who do you have on your team now?¡±

    ¡°Just Dun. I only have the Junior License right now. One day though¡­ I¡¯m gonna be a Champion. Be the greatest, like no one ever was.¡±

    ¡°Impressive. It¡¯s good to have a goal like that. Have you thought of what you¡¯ll do after, though?¡± Friede asked.

    ¡°Probably be drowning in work from the responsibilities of being Champion,¡± I joked, which got a chuckle from Friede and an exasperated sigh from Leah. ¡°I don¡¯t know what comes after. I¡¯m eager to see it though, the greatest battles that could take place. And hey, if it gets boring I might try to become a Professor, too.¡±

    ¡°Ha! Maybe I should have thought of that,¡± Friede said. ¡°Perhaps if Professor work gets stale I¡¯ll try my hand at becoming a Champion too.¡±

    ¡°Char! Zar zard!¡± His partner chimed in.

    ¡°What do you think? Think we could be Champions?¡± He asked me. I didn¡¯t just blurt out a response, instead closing my eyes and trying to focus on the feeling Charizard emanated. It was hardly like a scouter telling you about someone¡¯s power level, and Pokemon could hide it or it could be missed if you weren¡¯t observant/familiar with the species, but there were some tells about how strong a Pokemon was.

    Like the Leafeon atop the cliffs near my house, there was a sense of power that came from Charizard. More than just heat, or the strength of his wings flapping (though both were counted to that measure too), he was strong. Maybe not Champion level yet, but he hadn¡¯t slacked in his training either. The potential was there, with absolute dedication. There was something more to the power he had as well, some quality to it that just seemed to slip my grasp. I didn¡¯t mention it since it didn¡¯t seem bad, just different.

    ¡°Yes, he could definitely be part of a Champion team.¡±

    ¡°What, you don¡¯t think we could take on the Elite Four by ourselves?¡± I openly scoffed at that.

    ¡°Of course not! You need a whole team of incredible fighters to be a Champion. They have to be well-rounded, able to support and balance each other out.¡± Both the adults behind me were quiet at my sudden impassioned outburst, but before anyone could say anything else, we had arrived at the arena.

    It was in the center of a park, much greenery in this section of the city. Parts of the park were shaded from the tall buildings and streets that wound upwards beside it, giving it a minor sense of seclusion. There were benches nearby, but most of the other contestants and the audience had to stand to watch the battles.

    Jumping off Charizard (and eliciting a shocked cry from Leah), I ran over to the nearest official. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Nemona, I have a match here. I hope I¡¯m not too late.¡±

    ¡°No, a couple of people are running late, so we¡¯re postponing the matches for half an hour. This event never runs on time anyways,¡± he complained and I stumbled. So all that rushing around was for nothing?

    Marching back to Friede and Leah I said ¡°So apparently the event isn¡¯t starting yet. Sorry for rushing over.¡±

    ¡°No worries. I think I¡¯ll stick around to watch; gotta see what future Miss Champion can do.¡± The Professor said, and I nodded my head resolutely. This is the time to show everyone what I can do. I don¡¯t think that Dendra and Tulip are here, so they¡¯re probably waiting at the Central Plaza. To really impress them, I have to get to the top eight, at least.

    My first challenge to that came as match pairings were called and I saw a familiar name as my opening opponent. Tracy, a little out of breath from running over here confirmed it as she looked from her phone and around the crowd, locking eyes with me. Here we go.

 Chapter 15

    Despite my eagerness (and my nerves, wanting to get it over with fast), my match with Tracy was not up first. The first match was between two young teenagers, each one with a Fuecoco.

    ¡°Looks like we¡¯ve got a mirror match to start,¡± the announcer began (I hadn¡¯t heard her name, too focused on Tracy). She had a clear, booming voice that carried through the entire park. There was a Farigiraf who had been chewing grass beside her that stopped at the sound of her voice, raising his head and making a near perfectly translucent barrier over the field.

    ¡°Frasier, Rossica, are you ready to battle?¡± The announcer asked, to which both teens gave a loud ¡®Yes!¡¯ in response. ¡°Then let the tournament¡­¡± She paused, looking at her Rotom hovering at her side, likely letting her coordinate with the other fields. ¡°Begin!¡± She shouted suddenly. I watched the match carefully. I don¡¯t know if they¡¯ll make it up to the fourth round where I would face them, but I should keep an eye out anyways, just in case they¡¯re a serious threat.

    Both of the trainers scrambled, caught off guard by the sudden announcement. ¡°Eh, ah, Ember!¡± Rossica called out. Hmm, it has same-type-attack-bonus, but the other Fuecoco will resist it. Perhaps her Fuecoco is heavily focused on special attacks?

    ¡°Not so fast! Fuecoco, counter it with your own Ember!¡± Fraiser said, grinning. The two small fireballs their adorable little crocodile-like guys spat out met in the center of the field, canceling each other out.

    ¡°Ember!¡± They both cried out again, and once again the flames clashed equally.

    ¡°I don¡¯t get what they¡¯re doing,¡± I muttered out loud.

    Friede crouched down to talk to me on a more even level, a fact that made me irrationally upset for a moment. I can¡¯t wait till I¡¯m tall. Nemona was pretty tall from what I remember in the games, I think only that one wrestler girl was taller. ¡°Oh? What¡¯s got you confused? Professor Friede knows everything, after all.¡±

    ¡°I very much doubt that,¡± I said dryly. ¡°No offense, it¡¯s just¡­ the world is a big place, full of mysteries no one¡¯s ever seen or have been lost to time. But anyways, this fight,¡± I gestured at where the trainers were both calling out for the same attack again and again. ¡°They aren¡¯t changing anything up. Are they both endurance specialists and hoping the other one will tire out first?¡±

    He just let out a small chuckle at my confusion. ¡°Nah, they just don¡¯t know enough about battling yet.¡± I just tilted my head. How¡­ how do people not know this?! I mean, I¡¯m not expecting kids to be geniuses but¡­ Looking at the battlefield, I saw the two Fuecocos both panting heavily.

    ¡°Let¡¯s finish this, Ember!¡± Rossica called out.

    ¡°Yeah, go Fuecoco!¡± Fraiser pointed his finger out at their foe.

    The two once again met in the center without either side winning, but that was clearly the end of their stamina, both of them wobbling. Rossica¡¯s Fuecoco fell, defeated, but Frasier''s Fuecoco just barely hung on, standing shakily.

    ¡°The winner, Frasier!¡± He let out a cheer, running towards his Fuecoco and hoisting him up high. The Fuecoco gave a tired cheer of his own. It looks like it did come down to a stamina contest in the end. Not that I think either trainer was cognizant of how this would end.

    ¡°I¡¯d be embarrassed with a match like that,¡± Friede scoffed. In many ways, I agreed with him. But looking out at the field and seeing Rossica rush up to her partner, hug them tight, and whisper her own words of encouragement and praise...

    ¡°They both have a ways to go, but everyone has to start somewhere. This was a good match.¡±

    ¡°Everyone might start ¡®somewhere¡¯, bzzt, but you started a lot further than them.¡± Rotom stated loftily.

    Urk. I get that you¡¯re trying to show me off for a Pokemon Professor Rotom, but I don¡¯t need the scrutiny surrounding my past and sudden behavior changes. The Pokemon world is filled with mysteries, but I suspect even the people here would be skeptical of ¡®I remembered my past life.¡¯ Plus, I just didn¡¯t want to. At least not with this Friede guy I didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°I mean, even for me, I didn¡¯t know everything instantly. I had to study a lot.¡± I got the feeling that my childish voice and appearance made me stress how much it sounded endearingly adorable, rather than agonizing, given the type of smile Leah gave me. It really is a bunch of work! ¡°And even now, I¡¯d hardly say I know everything about Pokemon or battling.¡±

    ¡°Well, keep on training hard and you¡¯ll get there,¡± Friede said. I shook my head.

    ¡°Nah. There¡¯s way too much to learn. So many ways I can grow. I could spend a hundred lifetimes and not get close to knowing it all. ¡®The only thing I know is that I know nothing.¡¯¡± It was a quote from a man others called wise in my past life. I¡¯d only just scratched the surface of this world in my time here, but I knew that saying to be oh-so-true here too.

    Friede¡¯s face became serious for a moment, straightening up and frowning down at me. ¡°Is that so?¡± The question wasn¡¯t really for me, I could tell. Just something he was pondering to himself. Not knowing his situation, I just turned back to the battles going on the field.

    The other battles tended to be a bit more interesting, with some back-and-forth going on. The plays were still decently low level, as would be expected, but trainers would call out dodges and switch up their Moves to try and break stalemates/get out of bad spots. It was impossible to tell for sure, but I¡¯d bet that most of the more advanced commands came from Trainers who had earned their first badge.

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    Most of the Pokemon are either regional Starters or are a bit rarer than the ¡®common¡¯ ones. A Dhelmise swung horizontally through the air, sweeping into a Sprigattito and hitting it so hard into the psychic barrier that I winced. The small feline Pokemon didn¡¯t seem critically injured and her trainer immediately rushed her off to the Pokemon Center.

    ¡°Atticus wins! What an impressive showing!¡± The announcer exclaimed. The young boy smirked, recalling his Dhelmise and waving to the crowd. He had dark blue hair, tinged with yellow at the ends. That¡¯s probably the weirdest thing I find about the anime hair here. The fact that individual parts like just the ends of someone¡¯s hair can be a different color ¡®naturally¡¯. I reached up at one of my own two green locks of hair. Not that I can say anything or I¡¯d be the one looking weird.

    In about the middle of the round, my match was called up. I took my place on one end of the battlefield while Tracy took hers at the other. ¡°Hey, uh, don¡¯t worry Nemona, they¡¯ve got really good healers here. Just try to have fun.¡± Resisting the urge to frown was difficult. I could appreciate encouragement, but she was just looking down on me.

    Both of us drew and held up our Pokeballs waiting for the signal from the referee. There were several specific rules for battling like this. Technically you could ask for them in casual battles, but they tended to be ignored or forgotten there, but were strictly enforced in big tournaments like this. One of them was that trainers had to have the Pokeballs held out before releasing their Pokemon to prevent a trainer ¡®accidentally¡¯ lagging behind their opponent in releasing their Pokemon to see what the opponent sent out and then picking out there.

    You could have your Pokemon released already, but you had to make it clear that you were going to start with it if that was the case. The move was colloquially called the ¡®Ketchum Clause¡¯, and was seen as a bold tactic in high-level play. Either a cunning strategy that caught your opponent off guard and caused them to second guess themselves¡­ or more likely, an arrogant strategy that backfired as the opponent out-maneuvered your lead. Of course, plenty of people here are leading openly, but it¡¯s not really about them being strategic or arrogant here, too low level for that.

    The referee gave us the signal and we both released our Pokemon. Dunsparce landed on the field with a small roar, eyes fixed ahead at his opponent. Which was a small odd engine-looking thing.

    The top of its body was made of steel and looked very much like a motor vehicle engine with something that looked like a tailpipe out the back. It had yellow eyes on its sides and the bottom half seemed rocky with four stone-like wheels.

    A few people ¡®ooh¡¯d¡¯ at her Pokemon, something that seemed to upset Dun. I guess it¡¯s because her Pokemon is relatively rare compared to a more ¡®common¡¯ Dunsparce. ¡°Don¡¯t worry Dun, you¡¯re the strongest out there and we¡¯ll make everyone see that.¡±

    ¡°Dun dun!¡±

    ¡°Trainers, are you ready?¡± The referee asked, and we both nodded. ¡°Begin!¡± He shouted and we both launched into giving commands.

    ¡°Alright Varoom, let¡¯s make it quick!¡± The Varoom¡¯s wheels spun as it raced ahead and I distantly noticed that it was a good deal slower than Dun. Odd, Dun¡¯s weakest area is his speed. I didn¡¯t have too much time to focus on that however as I had already given my command and was watching it take effect as well.

    ¡°Earthquake!¡± Dunsparce immediately slammed his body into the arena, sending cracks branching out a few feet in various directions from where he landed and making the entire arena shake. More than just the arena, actually; I could feel my feet shifting and saw the spectators in the park gasping and trying to keep their balance.

    Varoom had it the worst, each bump of the ground beneath it hitting hard into its body. Its path became uncontrolled as it was jostled around, spinning out around Dun, and crashing into the barrier at my end of the arena.

    I drew a breath ready to give another command- then stopped as I saw that the Varoom was lying on its side, not moving. A shocked silence descended over the field before the announcer stammered out ¡°Wh-what an upset! A surprising victory for Nemona Glitterati!¡±

    Cheers erupted out of the audience and a grin started to break through on my face. We did it! We won our first match! I hadn¡¯t expected it to be that easy, but that¡¯s double Type weakness for you.

    My good mood was interrupted relatively quickly by Tracy running forward, tears in her eyes. ¡°Varoom! Varooooom!¡± She dived down to cradle her fallen Pokemon. Worry filled me for a moment that her Pokemon might have been seriously injured, but I saw that its weird metal mouth extrusion thing seemed to be wheezing and it was just knocked out.

    Still, not wanting to be rude I offered ¡°Do you need a hand getting to the Pokemon Center?¡± Rather than look relieved, she whipped around to glare at me.

    ¡°I don¡¯t need help from a cheater like you!¡± The sheer venom in her voice made me take a step back, aghast.

    ¡°What- but I didn¡¯t-¡± TM Moves are totally legal, I checked!

    ¡°How else could you have beat Varoom with only one attack?¡± Rather than wait for an answer she grabbed up her fallen Pokemon and marched off.

    I was still a little distracted by all of that so Dunsparce had to slither over and nudge my leg so I would make way for the next battlers (though they had to wait too for some of the staff to fix up the field from the damage we made).

    ¡°You did great!¡± Leah cried out, sweeping me into a big hug. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so proud of you.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile at her joy, but something must have shown in my eyes as she put me down. ¡°What¡¯s wrong sweetie?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. I mean, I¡¯m really happy we won! Just¡­ I wish she didn¡¯t have to be so upset about that. And we didn¡¯t cheat!¡± I pouted. I had never liked being accused of dishonesty or unfairness in my prior life and I didn¡¯t like it here either. ¡°Learning Moves from Technical Machines isn¡¯t cheating.¡±

    Friede just chuckled, a tinge of bitterness in his voice. ¡°That¡¯s just how it is, kid. People don¡¯t think you can do anything, that it must all be a trick until you outright prove them wrong. Then they turn around and start sucking up to you.¡± Ouch. But I suppose this guy must have been hailed as a prodigy - a true genius, not a fake like me - from the start. Must be rough for a kid growing up like that.

    Leah glared at Professor Friede for a moment, causing him to take a step back. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about any of that, young Miss. I¡¯m sure that other competitors will act with a bit more dignity in the future.¡±

    ¡°Thanks.¡± I wasn¡¯t truly convinced by her words, but just knowing that she was in my corner was nice. Besides, this is it. I took my first step as a trainer, and it was a success. That¡¯s what I¡¯m going to focus on.

 Chapter 16

    It was somewhat easier to relax waiting for my next round now that I had a win under my belt. Hmm, should I wear a belt when I become Champion? Like a wrestler - no wait, Leon has that, and he¡¯s kinda tacky.

    My next match was against a teenager with a Houndour, which ended fairly quickly thanks to Earthquake again. The Move didn¡¯t damage the arena or extend past it this time, but that was due to the Farigiraf extending its barrier to permeate the battlefield itself (something that the referee had scolded her about, and the Farigiraf had rolled her eyes as if to say ¡®how was I supposed to expect that?¡¯ before fixing it for all future matches).

    The match after was a kid about my age with a Maril, his knees shaking as he approached me. His few stuttered commands were easily countered, and the Maril was taken out with a well-timed Body Slam (didn¡¯t even need Poison Jab). Am I really that scary? I hadn¡¯t thought so, but Dunsparce was stronger than most others. A few others were starting to get increased attention and even some bets were placed on the ones who looked like they were real contenders.

    Paldea had some surprisingly strict gambling restriction laws. In this case, any official bets were capped at no greater than the entrance fee to participate. I thought that was another reason why the entrance fee was so high for such a comparatively low-level tournament; it let the gamblers bet a bit more while keeping the numbers down low enough that they could run the whole thing in a day. There were other loopholes as well, like being able to bet on one competitor per each round.

    We were reaching into the afternoon as round three was finishing up, though the fact was that each round took less long than the previous ones due to having fewer people. Despite that, I was certain we¡¯d be well into the evening by the finals.

    Spectators were taking note of me, but I still wasn¡¯t the favorite to win yet. Likely, it was due to my age, or perhaps Dunsparce not being as striking in appearance as some others. Currently, it was a toss-up between Atticus and his Dhelmise and Katherine, an older foreign girl with a formidable-looking Golisopod, both of whom were just about to fight.

    ¡°Who do you think will win?¡± Friede casually asked as we watched the match. We¡¯d chatted a bit in between my bouts, and I think he was surprised to find someone as knowledgeable as myself given how young I looked.

    ¡°Atticus. The Golisopod isn¡¯t battle-hardened enough yet.¡± The Golisopod was a giant pale blue bug with thick armor plating covering its body. Pokemon evolution would clear up scars and injuries like that, and tellingly, Katherine¡¯s Pokemon bore no battle wounds.

    ¡°Oh? But doesn¡¯t it take a lot of work to evolve a Wimpod into a Golisopod?¡± Leah asked and I blinked with surprise. She blushed and added, ¡°Ever since you¡¯ve become so interested in Pokemon young Miss, I¡¯ve been researching them too.¡± I smiled. It¡¯s sweet of her to put such care and attention towards my interests.

    ¡°It does, and I¡¯m not saying they¡¯re not strong but-¡± Friede cut me off.

    ¡°He still has the instincts of a Wimpod, to run and flee whenever hurt, warring with his newfound strength and power. That can be trained out, but it takes time and the Golisopod has to get used to the pain it can take in battle.¡±

    I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at his interruption and nodded. ¡°Yeah, that.¡± So far, he hasn¡¯t been hurt enough for it to be an issue, but Dhelmise is in a different league than everyone else they¡¯ve faced thus far. Bug/Water vs. Ghost/Grass doesn¡¯t favor either side Type-wise either. If switches were allowed it wouldn¡¯t be bad, but as is¡­

    ¡°Use First Impression!¡± Katherine called out, and her Golsiopod scuttled up, moving both fast and in a way that was hard to track. The Bug Type gave out a roar and raised its large foreclaws, causing the Dhelmise to flinch back, opening itself up to some swift strikes from its four smaller claws.

    ¡°Hit it back with Grassy Glide,¡± Atticus called out cooly and Dhelmise did just that. Laying down a sheet of seaweed, it slid across the field and into the Golisopod.

    They exchanged blows like that a few more times, but Golisopod had nothing as powerful as his First Impression to follow it up with, and eventually after taking a powerful Payback, the big bug ran back to Katherine, cowering.

    ¡°Wait no, get back in there! Golly, please!¡± She begged, to no avail. He just shook his head and tried to shrink down further as Dhelmise menaced closer. ¡°I- I surrender!¡± She called out, returning her Pokemon.

    ¡°The winner, Atticus! Folks, this kid is on a winning streak! Can nothing stop his climb to the top?¡± The announcer said as the crowd cheered him on. The preteen basked in the praise before smugly walking off.

    ¡°Looks like your prediction was right. Are you worried about him?¡± Friede inquired. It was understandable since he was my next opponent, but I had relaxed a lot more since the beginning of the event.

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll win.¡± Besides, this last round told me everything I needed to win. It¡¯s easy to get worried when everyone is unknown, but I¡¯ve got a handle on how he fights.

    ¡°Kinda arrogant,¡± Friede responded, causing me to scowl.

    ¡°Takes one to know one! You assume you know everything!¡± Leah sighed off to the side as we started arguing.

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°I do. Or near enough. I know everything there is to know about Pokemon.¡±

    ¡°Oh really?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Ask me anything.¡± He challenged, crossing his arms. He¡¯s one of the few people who doesn¡¯t look down on me due to my age. I shouldn¡¯t screw that up. But¡­ I kinda want to wipe that smug smile off his face. Whatever, it¡¯s probably fine. If he gets distraught over being proven wrong I wouldn¡¯t want to know him anyways. He might be a Pokemon Professor, but I have Isekai cheats!

    I thought about it for a moment, trying to think of something that would both stump him and be provable. It was a difficult exercise in these more modern times with plenty of technology and open borders of the world. Knowledge was eagerly exchanged between the League Nations, and even beyond. Something like ¡®How was the mythical Pokemon Magerana created?¡¯ might not work because it''s something no one knows about and something like ¡®What types can Charizard Mega Evolve into?¡¯ would be too well known.

    ¡°Well?¡± He asked impatiently.

    ¡°Alright. Dual Typing can cover a lot of weaknesses in either Type, especially when immunities overlap with what would be the other Type''s weakness. What is the only Pokemon that has 3 Type immunities and only one Type weakness?¡± As he opened his mouth I quickly realized my mistake and added ¡°And two resistances!¡± Almost forgot about Spiritomb there. It¡¯s a cool Pokemon and very tanky for a Ghost Type, but given what I know it would be so hard to control. Of course, the one I¡¯m thinking of would likely be worse.

    ¡°That¡¯s- uh hmm. Three immunities has to be part Ghost Type at least¡­¡± He pondered it for a moment before shaking his head. ¡°That¡¯s a nice try, but Dhelmise has more weaknesses and resistances than that. In fact-¡± I held my arms up in an ¡®X¡¯ cutting him off.

    ¡°It¡¯s not a Ghost Steel Type, I know. Dhelmise is not the Pokemon I¡¯m talking about.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± Leah asked. ¡°But it looks so- I mean, it¡¯s an anchor.¡±

    ¡°True, and it¡¯s reflected in its Steelwork Ability, but it''s a Grass Ghost Type.¡± Seeing Friede was still stumped, I told him the answer. ¡°I was talking about a Hisuian Zoroark.¡±

    ¡°A wha- Zoroark is a Dark Type. Sure, they can cast illusions to pretend to be other typings, but that doesn¡¯t count.¡±

    ¡°The modern day Zoroark, yes. But in Ancient Hisui, the Survey Corps discovered a regional variant.¡± Or more likely, the settlers created a Regional Variant, through hate and mistreatment. ¡°Hisuian Zoroark is the only recorded Ghost Normal Type. It¡¯s arguably the strongest Dual Type combination out there.¡± Friede didn¡¯t look convinced so I added: ¡°You can check out Laventon¡¯s notes.¡±

    ¡°Where did you get the chance to read an ancient Professor¡¯s notes?¡± Friede asked, bewildered. To be fair, I get why he is treated that way. There wasn¡¯t really the designation of a ¡®Pokemon¡¯ Professor before Samuel Oak and the Global League made them a thing, both culturally and officially. However, Laventon is often cited as the precursor to that system and it¡¯s widely believed he¡¯d be one if the League had been in place when he was alive.

    I was spared from answering that question by Leah chiming in. ¡°The Young Miss is a member of the Glitterati family and they have been quite supportive of her goal of becoming a Champion ranked trainer. However,¡± she added with a steely gaze at me. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize that she had obtained that particular rare research material.¡±

    ¡°I mean, I haven¡¯t ever laid eyes on his work personally, but I¡¯ve seen images of it through a screen. There¡¯s a lot of stuff online.¡± Very true, especially online in my first world where I played through Legends Arceus.

    Rotom had a question of their own to ask as well. ¡°Bzzt, Is a Hisuian Zoroark actually the strongest Pokemon out there?¡±

    ¡°No. Ghost and Normal pair well together, but Steel and Bug have more resistances which might be worth even the double weakness to Fire. And Type combination isn¡¯t everything, you know? You could get Electric and Water in Wash form, which might not seem as strong on paper, but then you add in your Ability Levitate and you have even more resistances and only one weakness. Then there¡¯s each species'' strengths and deficiencies, the Moves they can learn¡­¡±

    My rant was interrupted by a chuckle from Friede. ¡°I think if you became a Pokemon Professor you¡¯d specialize in battling.¡± I blushed at the joke. Technically, ¡®battling¡¯ is the domain of Trainers, so it¡¯s not something Professor¡¯s would ¡®specialize¡¯ in. Too broad a field as well, with how battling is such a major facet of Pokemon''s lives. Kukui came close with his in-depth study of Moves and practical application with his team though, and I can¡¯t deny battling is something I¡¯ve been fixated on. But the history of this world is interesting as well. Not sure what I¡¯ll study after I become a Champion.

    Deflecting, I asked, ¡°What do you specialize in?¡± There wasn¡¯t a requirement to specialize in any particular field for a Pokemon Professor. Indeed, most of the tests for achieving the title instead required an incredibly broad field of knowledge. Still, most Professors would make a name for themselves in a field they felt a certain affinity to.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± he admitted and I could see his mask of arrogance crack for a moment, revealing a young man, unsure of his life. He was told he was a genius his whole life, and just as he made his biggest achievement, everyone¡¯s attention was grabbed by someone more successful in the field. Turo¡¯s Terastalization Orbs took the world by storm and now he¡¯s just kinda¡­ adrift.

    ¡°Well, no rush. There¡¯s a lot to study in the world. I-¡± I cast a glance at Leah before continuing. ¡°Honestly, achieving Champion level is only a means to an end. Sure, I want to be in the big tournaments, fans cheering my name, yada yada. But what I truly desire is strength. The strength to travel anywhere and everywhere I want, to uncover every hidden secret across the world. To just¡­ see it all.¡± I lacked the words, to fully describe exactly how amazing I found this world to be. I couldn¡¯t tell if I was put here for a purpose or not. If there was one thing I could decide for myself, it was that I absolutely loved it here, and wanted to enjoy every bit of it I could.

    Friede had a strange expression on his face, one I couldn¡¯t decipher, but I thought there might be a sense of wonder there. Before he could say anything, the announcer called out ¡°Nemona Gliteratti and Atticus Ordale, take your places on the field.¡±

    ¡°Alright, gotta go,¡± I said, quickly turning and racing off to my next challenge. Not sure how much I got through to him, but hopefully that¡¯s one Professor who¡¯s convinced to look a bit more into the wonder of the world. I¡¯ve just gotta convince the other one to look into it a bit less.

 Interlude III - Cyan

    ¡°Go Nemona! Woo!¡± I cheered loudly as her Dunsparce smacked around a Marill, sending the blue ball-shaped Pokemon bouncing around the arena.

    My cheers were mostly lost amidst the other cheers (and a few curses) of other matches at the same time. I think I hear a few more people cheering for Nemona now, though. It was still faint, but as she won more often, more people in the crowds here started saying her name.

    ¡°Awesome! Go kick someone else¡¯s butt!¡± Arven cheered, and not for the first time today I wondered if she hadn¡¯t lightly traumatized the young boy. Oh well. I¡¯m more surprised by how otherwise normal her friend/relationship with him is.

    My little sister was adorable, bright, and incredibly weird. I was allowed to use Rock Throw - I freely accepted that I was weird too. Other kids my age (and especially hers) weren¡¯t as driven as we were. We were born for greatness, and that meant putting in the work to achieve those results.

    A memory, possibly my first one, flashed into my mind. It was of Mommy smiling as she saw a drawing I¡¯d scribbled out, praising me for my work before she had to head off to her important job. A smile touched my lips at the memory, but it changed to a frown as I thought about it more.

    I get that they¡¯re busy with their important jobs, or trips to relax from those jobs, but did they have to miss this? I¡¯d never been upset at them missing my recitals or the like, but it felt different when it was Nemona they couldn¡¯t see.

    How funny, a year ago I would have been mad at how much attention they were paying to my sister. Back then I thought she was just showing off, spouting useless trivia while I did ¡®real¡¯ work. When we made that comic together I realized that she wanted me to succeed and be noticed by Mommy and Daddy too. And as we started hanging out more, I realized just how hard Nemona works.

    Which makes them missing this suck even more. I let out a small sigh and shifted the incubator on my back around. She doesn¡¯t think it was bad for us to wait here, right? No way, she¡¯s been winning all these early fights, and I¡¯d get so tired if I had to run all over to that other field and back.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Are you tired?¡± Arven asked in response to my sigh, and I blinked. Didn¡¯t realize he would notice that.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m fine. And I¡¯m not tired. We¡¯ve got these good seats and will be right near the action when Nims wins and the quarterfinals start.¡±

    ¡°That might not be correct,¡± Turo said suddenly. ¡°Not the seats comment, these foldable bleachers have actually proven much more comfortable than I anticipated. Nemona however, is unlikely to win this round.¡±

    ¡°What!?¡± I shrieked. How can he say that?

    ¡°While I¡¯m no metallurgist, I think the flexibility of these bleachers comes from an alloy designed to mimic the inherent traits of Melmetal-¡±

    ¡°Daaaad,¡± Arven whined out before I could explode. ¡°We don¡¯t care about that sciency stuff, why do you think Nemona is going to lose?¡± He frowned, the otherwise hard-to-read Professor looking like he had been personally insulted.

    Quickly shaking it off he said, only a bit colder: ¡°While she might stand a chance if Atticus uses his Staravia, he¡¯ll likely choose his Dhelmise, recognizing it as the better choice versus Nemona¡¯s Dunsparce. Though even then, she¡¯d still be disadvantaged from the Staravia¡¯s greater maneuverability and speed.¡±

    ¡°But Dun is so strong, he¡¯s beat Maschiff so many times.¡± The dog Pokemon in question at his feet gave a small whimper, remembering their matches.

    Turo gave his son a small smile. ¡°Be that as it may, Dun faces many disadvantages against Dhelmise in particular. As a Normal Type, his strongest Moves won¡¯t work against Dhelmise because of its Ghost Typing. The other Move he has utilized the most thus far is Earthquake, which is not very effective due to the Grass Typing. That dual combination, plus the sheer physical strength and variety of Moves Dhelmise has, I can''t see any other outcome than Nemona¡¯s defeat.¡±

    Has he actually been watching these matches? I thought he was just fiddling around on his tablet and recording the fights on his phone, but it looks like he was paying attention. Don¡¯t get why he¡¯s so focused on the tech instead of cheering, though. His son was starting to look worried, his belief in Nemona¡¯s overwhelming strength warring with his belief in his father always being right.

    It probably doesn¡¯t help that a lot of that terminology is going over Arven¡¯s head. I knew because a few months ago it would have gone over mine. It was only with the tutoring Nemona had given me to get my trainer¡¯s license. Which is why I know that she¡¯s still going to win. She knows all of this stuff and looks way too confident not to have some crazy plan ready for this.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry Arven. Like you said, she¡¯s really strong and has been training super hard for this tournament. Think about all the training you¡¯ve done with her, then times it by ten and she¡¯s worked at least that hard.¡± The young boy gaped and shivered at the very idea of someone working that hard. ¡°Nims is gonna win this whole thing, no problem.¡± I glanced over at the Professor, challenging him to deny my words.

    He shrugged. ¡°There are unpredictable elements in any experiment.¡± It was a non-answer to hedge bets, but he didn¡¯t seem to think it was likely, nodding to himself as he glanced at his tablet.

    I don¡¯t get what¡¯s going on with those two. I had overheard Nemona talking to him at the party where she became best friends with Arven. Everyone else was willing to wave off her words as just ¡®things kids say,¡¯ but I knew better. She was deliberately trying to upset him. But why?

    ¡°Why don¡¯t you show me some of what Maschiff has learned after the tournament?¡± Turo asked his son, causing Arven¡¯s face to light up like a Lanturn.

    ¡°Really?¡± The boy asked and the Professor nodded his head, a goofy smile of his own on his face. Unguarded, in a way Nemona couldn¡¯t be.

    Oh sure, my little sister could talk endlessly about any topic that interested her. She was way more open than the stoic Professor generally. It¡¯s a miracle his son didn¡¯t inherit that from him. But as much as Nemona is generally more engaged and considerate than him, there¡¯s a gap I see with her. A space between her that no one can seem to close. Not me, not Leah, not even Mommy or Daddy.

    Before I could get more frustrated with Nemona and her weirdness, I got distracted as I saw her battle about to start on the screen. She and her opponent had been called up for their round and were releasing their Pokemon.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get this, Dun!¡± The yellow-winged snake gave a roar for the crowds, one that a few of the audience there returned with their own cheering.

    Across her stood a tanned young man with long blue hair, accented with yellow tips. His t-shirt cut a slight v-frame on his torso and honestly looked quite cute. Sorry pretty boy, I¡¯d be rooting for you if it wasn¡¯t my sis you were facing, but as is, you¡¯re going down!

    ¡°Go, Dhelmise!¡± The seaweed-encrusted anchor-and-wheel drifted onto the battlefield, glaring balefully from one of the eyes on its wheel at the smaller Pokemon. I hope Dun will be alright. I know what I said and how much Nims trained him, but looking at it live¡­ that anchor looks scary.

    ¡°Contestants ready?¡± The referee asked, and they both nodded. ¡°Begin!¡± The older child, Atticus, took the lead, shouting the first command.

    ¡°Rapid Spin!¡± Before the Dhelmise could even begin to whirl around, Nemona gave a counter command.

    ¡°Earthquake!¡± Dunsparce slammed into the ground, causing it to shift and bounce up and down. Dhelmise lowered itself, moving perpendicular to the ground as the anchor began to spin around the wheel. Before it could build up speed, some of the earth rose and hit it, disrupting its movements.

    ¡°Gah!¡± The boy cried out at his Pokemon taking a hit. Despite his exclamation, it didn¡¯t look like the Dhelmise was all that injured. But maybe I¡¯m just not seeing something they are. Nemona had a sharp grin at the exchange. Atticus wasn¡¯t done yet, giving another command. ¡°Alright, go for Rapid Spin again, but go high above the ground.¡±

    Nemona called out for an Earthquake again, clapping her hands together as she did so. She didn¡¯t give any more commands as the Dhelmise hurtled in, but, when it tried to cut in diagonally at Dunsparce he jumped well over the ghostly sea wreckage, the movement of the ground helping push him up.

    ¡°That Dunsparce is impressive,¡± Turo commented as we watched him try to lash out with a Poison Jab at the Dhelmise under my sister¡¯s commands. The anchor was lightly grazed before managing to back away, even with the Dunsparce chasing after it, gliding through the air by furiously beating his wings.

    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

    ¡°Told you~¡± I sing-songed, enjoying watching Dun¡¯s assault on the bigger, very solid-looking anchor. It¡¯s crazy how powerful a little guy like that can be. Nims would be the first to tell me that though - she can wax poetic about ¡®the infinite potential within all Pokemon.'' About how even an electric mouse could fight a god and win. The weight of the incubator on my back felt heavy, and I wondered if my Popplio could be that strong.

    ¡°That being said, my preliminary hypothesis holds.¡± Turo finished, and by the time I had parsed his words, Atticus had made a comeback.

    ¡°Frustration!¡± He shouted, and Dhelmise¡¯s ghastly eye narrowed, the anchor body swinging out from the wheel briefly to catch Dunsparce by the hook. Slamming into the little snake hard, it sent Dun flying across the arena and crashing into the barrier at the edge. He flopped on the ground, giving a pained cry and we could see a nasty red mark where the anchor had hit.

    Atticus flashed a brilliant smile as the tables turned. ¡°Ha! You¡¯re no match for my Pokemon.¡±

    My sibling remained undaunted. ¡°As if! Dun would never give up so easily. C¡¯mon, get up buddy. No matter how tough, you can do this!¡± Dunsparce rolled back onto his belly quickly before wincing and trembling.

    ¡°Oh no!¡± Arven cried out, biting his nails. I shook my head, knowing where this was going.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know that wince,¡± Cyan said with a smirk. ¡°That¡¯s how he looks when Nemona stops our chefs from giving him a third dinner.¡± And he certainly doesn¡¯t wince like that because he needs the extra meals.

    ¡°Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you! Alright, Frustration again!¡± The Dhelmise glided across the battlefield at the behest of his trainer, in a collision course with Dunsparce. At the last second, Nemona gave her command.

    ¡°Dodge!¡± Despite the bruising from before remaining, any signs of weakness in his movements disappeared as he rolled to the side, deftly evading the powerful attack and catching the other side off-guard with the sudden speed. ¡°Poison Jab!¡±

    Dun¡¯s tail lashed out into the wheel of the ghost, causing it to recoil before moving in for another swing of its anchor. ¡°Counter!¡± The call wasn¡¯t for a Move, but instead for Dunsparce to start spinning his tail and then raise it to deflect the anchor before it could crash down on him, pushing it to the dirt beside. ¡°Earthquake!¡± Again, the ground shook, dislodging the anchor.

    ¡°Go Nemona, wooo!¡± I cheered, hearing Arven and a few others cheering along. Most of the crowd here was focused on Nemona¡¯s match, this one being the most exciting by far of the ones being broadcast to the central battlefield right now.

    Turo wasn¡¯t cheering at all, however, his face looked like it was carved out of marble as he impassively watched the match. Occasionally he¡¯d glance down at his equipment, type in some new code, then go back to watching.

    ¡°Great job Atticus!¡± Cheers like that had me whipping back to the match, to see that something had happened. Some crunching sound that had likely been Dhelmise breaking one of Dun¡¯s wings, the left one sticking out at an odd angle. The Dunsparce looked a bit roughed up in general, something that incited Atticus¡¯ fans to shouts of joy.

    ¡°C¡¯mon Nemona, you can do it!¡± I cried out as loud as I could as if my words could reach her from here. They didn¡¯t, but Atticus gave a command I couldn¡¯t hear and something unexpected happened. The Dhelmise shrouded itself in a dark purple energy that swung into, and harmlessly through, Dun.

    ¡°Huuuuuuh?! What happened?¡± Arven shouted, echoing out loud my internal confusion.

    ¡°Another Poison Jab!¡± Nemona called out, and with the time from his failed attack before letting her Pokemon recover enough to strike back. Dhelmise was wary of that now, and reeled back, but was still grazed by the magenta-tipped tail.

    Clearing his throat, the Professor explained. ¡°Dhelmise Ghost Typing protects it from Dunsparce¡¯s Normal attack, but that protection goes both ways. As a Normal Type, Dun is immune to Ghost Type attacks.¡± Right, Nemona mentioned something about that when testing me on Types. I never got that, what regular people just ain''t afraid of no ghosts? And why do they resist Bugs?

    ¡°Gyro Ball! Crush it!¡± The anchor spun fast as it rose up into the air, looking like a solid circle for a moment.

    ¡°D- Tank it and Bite!¡± Dunsparce clenched up but didn¡¯t move, letting the Dhelmise slam into him. He gave a pained cry, before coating his teeth with a barely visible black aura and latching into the metal anchor. Dhelmise wailed but didn¡¯t flee.

    ¡°Lock him down, then Mega Drain!¡± Seaweeds extended from the anchor to stop the snake from fleeing and then began to pulse with light green energy. ¡°Haha! Now my Dhelmise will heal while your Dunsparce is drained to nothing!¡±

    I was worried, it actually looked like this might be the end but Nemona was smiling on the screen, for some reason.

    ¡°It¡¯s over. Dun, wiggle out your back half.¡± Dun was quite slippery (something I¡¯d found out when he¡¯d wiggle out of my grasp with ease in the early days), so despite being wrapped up, he was able to comply with the command, even though the pressure holding him down was on his neck now. ¡°Poison Jab repeatedly! Aim for the seaweed!¡± Nemona cried out, a vicious look on her face.

    His tail jabbed back and forth, striking into the dense clumps of seaweed multiple times. The energy being transferred between the Pokemon took on a magenta tint as it was absorbed into the ghost.

    ¡°Ack! Dhelmise, retreat!¡± Dhelmise broke off the seaweed and floated away. There was an odd sway to its hovering compared to before and it had one of its steering wheel eyes closed in pain. ¡°What? What¡¯s wrong?!¡± Atticus demanded wildly.

    ¡°Your Pokemon has just been Poisoned, that¡¯s what¡¯s wrong,¡± my little sister taunted back. It¡¯s odd, in that it¡¯s not odd. Nims has a certain presence to her, that makes you forget that she¡¯s basically bullying someone almost twice her age. ¡°His strength is being sapped away every moment.¡±

    ¡°Fine then, I¡¯ll end this fast! Dhelmise-¡±

    ¡°Dun, dig down.¡± Nemona interrupted him, holding a hand out, pulling it back, and then splaying her fingers again. The land snake quickly spun his tail and started drilling through the ground.

    ¡°Grrr, fine, wait for it to return and take out all your anger on it!¡± Atticus commanded, and Dhelmise got ready, looking for anywhere it might pop up from. And looking. And looking¡­

    ¡°Hey, what gives? You can¡¯t hide forever!¡± The boy pouted as his Dhelmise gave a pained cry, the poison taking its toll.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct, I can hide for 30 seconds at most before I¡¯d be disqualified,¡± Nemona explained, without giving any further comments. The look in her eyes made it clear she wasn¡¯t going to either.

    ¡°You¡¯re fighting dirty! Cheater!¡± Nemona frowned at the name-calling, clenching a tight fist, but didn¡¯t engage with him beyond that. The crowd over on my end started doing the same, booing her.

    ¡°Hey, shut up! It¡¯s in the rules, if he doesn¡¯t have a counter, it¡¯s on him!¡± I shouted at them, realizing after my outburst that I¡¯d stood up at some point. Some of the crowd turned towards me, jeering- then Turo stepped in.

    ¡°The young lady is correct, it¡¯s an entirely legitimate tactic. Let¡¯s go back to watching the match in peace.¡± His tone and fancy Professor¡¯s coat brooked no disagreement. Some of the adults looked guilty when they realized my age, a few still shot daggers at me with their eyes, but everyone quieted down to watch the match conclude.

    ¡°Fine, Dhelmise get ready for when-¡± At that moment (25 seconds into the count as shown by the referee), Dunsparce popped back up. The poisoned ghost had turned slightly to face its trainer before he had resurfaced and thus wasn¡¯t prepared to crush him right away.

    ¡°Outmaneuver!¡± Nemona called out, and Dunsparce fled the enraged Dhelmise. Not just fleeing, however. Whenever the Dhelmise got too close, he¡¯d spin his tail and get ready for another Poison Jab, forcing the larger Pokemon to back off and try to hit it from another angle, giving Dun more time to evade and keep his distance.

    Losing his cool, Atticus grabbed big clumps of blue hair on either side of his head and yelled

    ¡°Screw it! Giga Impact!¡± Everyone, even the crowds watching here gave a shocked gasp at that as pale green energy emanated in a semi-sphere in front of its body. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s so bad, but if they¡¯re all worried for Dun¡­

    Nemona was panicking as well, for the first time in this tournament. Throwing her arms to the side as if to add force to the motion she screamed ¡°BARREL ROLL!!¡± Dunsparce obeyed without hesitation, launching itself into a tumble that took it a third of the way across the arena.

    Dhelmise rocketed forward with great speed, but little accuracy, missing by a fair margin as it drove itself into the ground, tearing up large chunks of dirt before it hit the barrier and broke through that too.

    Some of the in-person spectators dove to the sides, but it didn¡¯t get near any of them. The friction from the ground and the barrier bled off enough speed that it only went a few feet past it before collapsing to the ground, defeated.

    All was silent for a moment before the referee called the fight, and the crowd erupted into cheers. Even the people booing her name a moment earlier were cheering her on now. Everyone loves a winner.

    Sometimes adults didn¡¯t realize just how much I heard, and how much of that I understood. So many times there would be some man calling Daddy a ¡®Drifloon headed fool¡¯, or disparaging Mommy¡¯s bold style of dress, out of their earshot. Such comments quickly changed with the recent success of the Tera Orbs and their companies.

    Or maybe they were just won over by my little sister and her last-minute victory. I didn¡¯t care too much, just happy that Nemona grabbed victory and would be moving on to the quarter-finals.

    Cheering alongside us, I saw Turo clapping politely as well. He also muttered something to himself, but I couldn¡¯t hear it over the din.

    ¡°What was that?¡± I shouted.

    ¡°Ah, your hypothesis was proven correct, well done.¡± He stated loudly over the crowd, without seeming to strain.

    I blinked, surprised at how cordial he was. ¡°I thought you hated Nemona.¡± Now it was his turn to look surprised.

    ¡°Why would you think that? Did she say something?¡±

    ¡°No, but- ah never mind. I guess you guys are over the party stuff, huh?¡± I scratched the back of my head, a nervous habit I was starting to pick up from my little sister.

    ¡°That. Yes, I¡¯m entirely over it. More than that, in fact, I¡¯m grateful. Her introduction helped me create my greatest project to date, a Spoink board to further marvels of science. To say nothing of the data she just gave me¡­¡±

    ¡°Woohoo! That was awesome Nemona! She was all like ¡®nuh-uh¡¯ and then ¡®bang¡¯ ¡®pow¡¯! And then, then she was all ¡®I¡¯m so cool, dodge dodge¡¯!¡± Arven recapped the fight (and inaccurately at that) we had just seen, blissfully ignorant or inured to just how creepy his father sounded.

    Weird, maybe that¡¯s why Nemona dislikes him so much? Oh! ¡°Tulip and Dendra are here!¡± I exclaimed as I saw the elegant model and her friend on the other end of the crowd. Waving to them, I rushed over. I wonder if Tulip will have any more tips for me? Today is going great!

 Chapter 17

    The first thing I did after the referee called the match was race over to Dun, drawing a Super Potion from my pocket. I sprayed his bruised body and he gave a small hissing sound as the scrapes were stung before sighing in relief. Already I could see the wounds starting to close up, the bruising fading. His dislocated wing even snapped back into place.

    The technology in this world is incredible. I knew that partially it had to do with the innate recovery ability Pokemon had as well as natural agents like Berries having potent healing properties, but there were a lot of astounding healthcare advancements they had here as well.

    After seeing my Pokemon was taken care of, I turned to my opponent. The Dhelmise was being recalled to his Pokeball but the older boy didn¡¯t look worried.

    I gave Dun a moment to give a victory cheer for the fans before returning him to his ball. He¡¯s become a real attention hog, huh? Well, I suppose it¡¯s not bad for him to have his own priorities to strive for in our march to the top. I¡¯ll make him the most famous Dunsparce in the world if that¡¯s what it takes!

    Walking over to my opponent I offered my hand to shake. While they weren¡¯t the biggest sticklers on propriety here given some of the kids¡¯ ages, it was the proper thing to do. Atticus walked up to me, sighing. ¡°Can¡¯t believe I lost to a kid like you.¡±

    A frown appeared on my face as I went to withdraw my hand. He saw it however and leapt ahead, shaking it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I got caught up there, it was a good match. You did well.¡± Not disparaging me or Dun? And an actual compliment? Alright!

    Smiling, I shook it back and the crowd cheered at the show of good sportsmanship between us two kids. ¡°Thanks. You pushed me hard too, that Dhelmise is a real powerhouse.¡±

    ¡°You want it?¡± He said as we stopped shaking hands, and I blinked as if he¡¯d suddenly spoken French. Or rather Kalosian, a small part of my mind added. The rest of it was trying to understand what he was saying.

    ¡°I wha- no- I couldn¡¯t even, I¡¯m a junior trainer, I can¡¯t have more- why?¡± I stammered.

    ¡°Ah, a shame. Oh well, I¡¯ll find someone else who wants them.¡± Then he turned around and began to walk off.

    ¡°Why?¡± I asked, loud enough to make it clear to him that I still wanted to know. It wasn¡¯t quite loud enough to reach the crowd over their cheers though. He half turned back and said:

    ¡°I make it a point not to use someone who¡¯s lost. Later.¡± Then he just kept on walking away.

    Clenching my fists, I resisted the urge to scream, marching back to Leah and Friede. ¡°You did wonderfully!¡± She said, and I tried to smile at that, not wanting to trouble her with my dark thoughts. She¡¯s right; objectively, that was an incredible battle.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± I glanced up at the board and saw that there were still plenty of matches before the next round would begin. ¡°I¡¯ve gotta go, I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± I turned to leave, but before I could take a step Leah¡¯s hand squeezed tightly on my shoulder.

    ¡°Where are you running off to?¡±

    ¡°I was going to go to a Pokemart and see if they had a Throat Spray. Dun¡¯s voice sounded a bit off when he was chanting his name at the end there.¡± Even spraying some of the potion in his mouth hadn¡¯t helped fix him. Because of my strategy that had his throat pressed under a Dhelmise. I think it was the right choice in that fight, but still. It sucked to have to tell Dun to get hurt. Logically, it was the right choice, but emotionally¡­ well I could see why many trainers never made it very far in their journeys.

    ¡°Don¡¯t go running off by yourself, we¡¯ll go together.¡± She glanced over at Friede, unwilling to ask him directly, but clearly hoping he¡¯d offer to give us a ride.

    He gave the kind of long-suffering sigh only a teenager could before offering to help us. ¡°I can give a ride to the Delibird Presents, they might have a shipment of Throat Spray.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said.

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem. This has been much more interesting than the paperwork I¡¯ve got back at my lab.¡±

    As we hopped onto his Charizard for another flight I asked ¡°What are you writing papers on?¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Just boring busy work, double checking other scientific papers for inaccuracies.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not- ok it might be boring,¡± I admitted. ¡°But it¡¯s essential work! Too rarely do those sorts of things get peer-reviewed and retested properly, which can lead to all sorts of incorrect information entering the public domain. They also get used in basing other studies wrongly, wasting more time, spreading biases-¡± I cut myself off as I heard Leah and Friede chuckling behind me and realized I was ranting again.

    ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want to be an academic after all?¡± Friede teased. Turning, I stuck my tongue out at him.

    ¡°Nope, you can handle all that stuff. Besides, you saw how me and Dun battled, do you think we¡¯re fit for a desk job?¡± Maybe I¡¯m showing off, but I feel we¡¯ve earned it. That battle was tough! I was so worried I¡¯d freeze up or call out the wrong command, but I think I did alright, and Dunsparce did great. For the first time today, I was feeling confident about not just ¡®doing well¡¯, but winning this whole thing.

    ¡°Ha, I suppose you¡¯re right,¡± Friede said as Charizard started to land. It had only been a short flight over. ¡°Those Throat Sprays are pretty expensive, you might be better off just going to a Center for treatment after the tournament.¡±

    Leah smiled serenely as she stepped off. ¡°That¡¯s kind, but the Young Miss has no concerns on the monetary front.¡± Friede scratched the back of his head awkwardly, likely having forgotten for a second that Leah wasn¡¯t a relative of mine, but someone hired by my family. In fairness, since we went on this outing she isn¡¯t in her regular maid uniform so she just looks like an average older sister or cousin cheering on a family member.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯ll be fine. I¡¯m not going to hesitate over spending a bit extra to keep my Pokemon in tip-top shape. Not like some people,¡± I muttered, but Leah¡¯s sharp glance indicated that she heard me. ¡°I hope your paperwork goes well and that you get the chance to do what you actually want to do soon.¡±

    ¡°What I want to do¡­¡± he pondered. ¡°I''ve heard some rumors about the next project your friend Professor Turo has been trying to organize. Maybe I¡¯ll go join him. Would be interesting to explore-¡±

    ¡°You don¡¯t want to go on his next mission.¡± There wasn¡¯t a trace of my previous joviality in my voice. I knew that I was a child, my appearance and high pitch could make it hard for adults to take me seriously but I needed him to listen to me now. ¡°He¡¯s going down a path that leads only to ruin.¡±

    He gulped audibly, giving me an odd look before shaking his head. ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind. I¡¯m going to get some chow for Charizard, could use a stock up.¡± Then he and Charizard flew off not very far away, just to the regular Pokemart up the winding street.

    ¡°What was that all-¡± Leah began.

    ¡°We better get Dun his medicine before my next match starts.¡± I cut off Leah¡¯s words before she could question me on the subject, walking into the store. If she pressed me on the matter I¡¯m not sure I could fake child-like ignorance and shake it off, I¡¯d probably give in to proper manners and tell her something. Whatever I¡¯d tell her would just lead her to ask more questions and I really don¡¯t want to break down about my past life right now.

    Delibird Presents was a very colorfully decorated store, blue and red prominently painting the walls and ceiling with white trim and flooring to match the store¡¯s mascot. Rows of shelves covered the floor, knick-knacks, gadgets, and toys were stacked on them. In between aisles, there were often large cubes holding all manner of miscellaneous gear piled within. On the back was a glass case lining the entire wall with all manner of powerful, pricey battle items, evolutionary stones, and rarities for collectors.

    Trash and treasure are all bundled up in one place. There wasn¡¯t really any place I can recall like this in my home, especially not in a smaller store like this one. Shaking myself out of my musings, I went to the front desk right away. It would be easy to lose myself here for hours if I had the time; there was a time and place for everything, but not now.

    The sales attendant was a sandy-haired, bespectacled young man in a blue uniform with a small Delibird name tag pin with the name ¡®Dave¡¯ on it. ¡°Hello little lady, what can I do for you today?¡±

    ¡°My Dunsparce got his neck crushed a little by a Dhelmise, do you have any Throat Sprays in stock that can help him?¡±

    He blinked, a little surprised at the request. ¡°Uhh, yes, we¡¯ve got something that can help. Are you hoping to use sound-based attacks in battle soon?¡± He asked as he stepped around the desk and walked to the glass case.

    ¡°No, just something so his neck won¡¯t hurt and he can cheer out his name when he wins.¡± Not many people know about Dunsparce learning powerful sound Moves. He might be a student at the academy, working here part-time.

    He smiled at that and took out the keys to the case. Looking closer I could see a dusky tint to the glass. Probably some Dark Type-infused glass, to stop Ghost or Psychics from stealing the expensive stuff. I wonder how they ¡®infuse¡¯ objects with Type Energy anyway?

    If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. In that case, you probably just want the Throat Spray Lite - it should handle any issues he has in regular speech and any lingering pain.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good, thank you.¡±

    Opening the case he pulled out the Throat Spray. In many ways, it looked much like a Potion. Regular Throat Spray had a neck brace and buttons so that a Pokemon could use it mid-fight for optimal effectiveness, but this one wasn¡¯t a Battle Item so it was just a red bottle with a slightly different spray nozzle than a Potion.

    ¡°That¡¯ll be 10,000 Pokedollars, ma¡¯am.¡± I blanched a bit at the price. That¡¯s over double what it costs to enter the tournament!

    Before I could say anything, Leah stepped forward and said ¡°We¡¯ll transfer the money right away. Rotom?¡± Rotom flew out of my pocket, hovering in front of the cashier, who didn¡¯t have his own Rotom Phone but a credit reader that apparently could receive money via Rotom transmission.

    A glance at the screen as the transaction was done showed me that it wasn''t my account they were using. "You have access to my parent''s accounts?"

    "Not exactly Nemona, bzzt. There''s a limited fund I have permission to access on your behalf, and that fund was created by your parents."

    "Wow, ok, thanks. Hmm, you know with how much you help me and the money, how does the name Pennyworth sound-"

    "Bzzzzzt," Rotom buzzed in instant denial. I had told them about Batman, so it wasn''t a case of them not getting the reference - in fact, I think it made the rejection stronger.

    "Static? You''ll put a shock to their systems!"

    "Better, but still not clicking, Young Miss." Leah gave a small smile at the byplay between us, not saying a word.

    With the spray in hand, we left, walking briskly up the street to where Friede had gone. Rotom was showing me some of the match streams beside me, so I knew we weren¡¯t in any danger of arriving too late. It was a lovely day and I was doing well in the tournament, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel discontent.

    A fact that Leah noticed, asking ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Young Miss?¡± I can¡¯t tell if she¡¯s really good at reading people, or if I just have a terrible poker face.

    ¡°It was my last opponent, Atticus.¡±

    ¡°Did he say something mean to you?¡± Leah generally had a kind, soft face, but in the moment her eyes took on a killer steely glare.

    ¡°No, that¡¯s kinda the worst part. He was perfectly nice to me, but wanted to toss aside his Pokemon just because he lost a match with them!¡± Being disrespectful to Pokemon was a huge hot-button topic for me, but there was more to it than that.

    I nearly thought about turning down the Throat Spray when I saw the price. It was just for a moment, and being money-conscious isn¡¯t a ¡®bad¡¯ thing, but¡­ I¡¯ve got tons of it. I shouldn¡¯t be holding back on my Pokemon in any way. Atticus used plenty of Technical Machine Moves as well, and I''m sure I''ll face others at the top that have their own advantages.

    Leah smiled kindly down at me. ¡°I can see that means a lot to you. I¡¯m glad you care so much, it¡¯s easy for some people to¡­ take things for granted.¡±

    I nodded, the words resonating with me. ¡®Some people¡¯ like rich people. And more than even them, really. It¡¯s hard to truly appreciate a world as spectacular as this one without a frame of reference of a world without Pokemon.

    She continued. ¡°Keep a hold of that, it¡¯s good to care for others. But you can¡¯t let their actions drag you down. Just do the best that you can do.¡±

    I puffed my cheeks. Annoying to be talked to like I¡¯m just a child, even if I am one right now. Even more annoying, she¡¯s entirely right. Sighing, I tried to let go of my frustration. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. I don¡¯t have to deal with him right now, so he shouldn¡¯t get to live in my head rent-free.¡±

    She chuckled. ¡°You are your mother¡¯s daughter.¡± I blinked, not understanding for a second before remembering where I was (why that wasn¡¯t a common saying). Who I was (the parents I had lost and the ones I now had).

    ¡°Right. Now let¡¯s make both my parents proud by winning this tournament!¡± That was just a saying from my first world, not meant to be a reference to O¡¯Nare Reality.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re already proud.¡± That was true, though I could see how she might think that I¡¯d need the encouragement if I was a six-year-old. My parents missing this probably doesn''t help that. Truthfully while it was annoying, I knew how my Glitterati parents could be and could handle it a lot better than most children.

    We waved down Friede who gave us a ride back on Charizard and we were at the arena with plenty of time. I made sure to thank the fire-breathing lizard for his aid. I might have made it running there and back, my stamina has improved tons over the past year with all the exercise I¡¯ve been doing, but I would have been dead tired after.

    Looking at the board I could see that there were only four trainers left here, but this was the last battle we¡¯d have in this arena - the two winners would move on to the central arena for the quarterfinals there.

    Letting Dunsparce out of his ball he gave a weak ¡®Dun¡¯ that turned into a cough partway through. ¡°Hey buddy, got you something to help with that.¡± Pulling out the Throat Spray, I gave one shot down his throat.

    ¡°Spar? Sparce Un!¡± He gave a happy shout, wiggling his body adorably. A girl watching nearby glared at us. Right, she¡¯s our opponent for the next round. She was a teenager with long pink hair.

    ¡°Rosemary Mato vs. Nemona Glitterati!¡± From the way she stiffened up at the other name being called, I assumed that she was my next opponent. From what I could recall, she had a Bronzor with some impressive psychic capabilities. Could be a problem, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s worse than that Dhelmise.

    The crowd seemed to think so too; I could hear snippets of the bets being placed, and they were weighted far more heavily in my favor than they had been before. Leah¡¯s been making quite a bit off of each win, good for her.

    Rosemary had her arms crossed, standing on the other end of the field, chin jutted out while she looked down on me. She was trying a little hard, but I could tell she was nervous and trying to hide it. ¡°Trainers, ready?¡± The referee called out, and the roar of the crowd died down to a light buzz of murmurs. We both nodded, I motioned for Dun to move forward, and she released her Bronzor. The Pokemon was a blue metal disk with two eyes near the middle and some bumps on the sides. It floated a few feet above the starting ring.

    ¡°Begin!¡±

    ¡°Body Slam!¡± I yelled, and Dun charged ahead. The space between them was too great, and she had the chance to give a command of her own.

    ¡°Confusion!¡± A pinky-purple energy surrounded Dun, holding him in the air and eliciting pain.

    Damn it, they¡¯ll just telekinetically bash him around until he faints. I¡¯d seen Rosemary do that in her previous matches. ¡°Break out of it!¡± I snapped, just saying something while I wracked my mind for an answer.

    To my surprise, he did just that, thrashing around mid-air to break through the energy field holding him. Impressive. I hadn¡¯t thought he¡¯d get a lot of leverage from there. Must have underestimated his flight again or maybe just his strength in general- no! Focus! ¡°Continue your attack!¡± I yelled out and he flew into Bronzor, knocking it back a bit through the air¡­ but doing little else.

    The battle continued that way for a minute, the Bronzor hurting Dun with Confusion for a moment before he¡¯d break free and Body Slam at the Bronzor. Despite its range advantage, it drifted even slower through the air than my Dunsparce, but its Steel body meant his Normal Type attacks weren¡¯t very effective either.

    All of a sudden, Dunsparce stopped listening to me, and after breaking free from an attack, started ramming his head into the barriers. While I was pleased to see the attacks were strong enough to force the Farigiraf managing them startle and have to focus on maintaining them, I generally wasn¡¯t pleased with the situation. Eyes are glazed over, he must be Confused. ¡°Snap out of it!¡± I shouted. It might not be super helpful, especially if he isn¡¯t hearing me correctly, but I have to try something.

    Thankfully, that proved to be enough, and his vision focused, taking in reality as it was again.

    ¡°Body Slam!¡± He hit the Bronzor again, it and its trainer not expecting Dun to break free so soon. It didn¡¯t do nearly enough to take our opponent out, however, and Rosemary called for Bronzor to retreat, setting up the same pattern we had been in before.

    I can¡¯t use Poison Jab because it''s a Steel Type, and Levitate keeps Earthquake away. Should I Terrastalize? I won¡¯t be able to recharge my Terra Orb before I get to the quarterfinals. We might even win this through attrition anyway without it, though if Dunsparce gets confused again- wait, it¡¯s levitating, but it might not be Levitating!

    ¡°Spin your tail and hit the ground with all your might, Mud Slap!¡± I yelled, testing my theory. Halting his advance, Dunsparce started rotating his tail like a drill before hitting the ground at an angle and sending mud spraying through the air.

    A few globs of dirt smacked into Bronzorm hitting it in the eye and causing it to wince. Now¡¯s my chance! ¡°Body Slam them into the ground!¡±

    Dunsparce leaped up, twisting and landing like he was a wrestler about to elbow-drop someone.

    He had no elbows, or arms, but the weight of his body was still a formidable force to hit his foe with, driving the Bronzor into the ground.

    ¡°Confusion!¡± Rosemary countered, seeing that his Body Slam had shaken loose the dirt in Bronzor¡¯s eyes. Another difference between the games and real life. Debuffs, arena traps, and the like won¡¯t last forever and can be cleared off by other Moves, depending on how they work.

    The energy field surrounded Dunsparce as he landed, trying to hold him in place. Worse, I could see his eyes growing glassy.

    I ignored it as I gave my command, knowing time was of the essence if I wanted my strategy to work. ¡°Finish it off, Earthquake!¡± Dun reared up and smashed the ground with a heavy thud, shaking the arena. Bronzor tried to free itself and did manage to leave the ground before the quake hit, but the shifting earth rose to smack the metal disk around, sending it tumbling through the air where it dropped down, and fainted.

    ¡°The winner, Nemona Glitterati!¡± The announcer cried out as the ref gave the signal, and the crowd cheered. I recalled Dun instantly, before releasing him again.

    When I released him, he was a little confused by the sudden change back and forth, but no longer Confused. The Pokeball reset his Aura to clear that condition and now he could bask in his well-deserved praise. To be fair, I¡¯m doing a little basking too.

    Leah came up to me, patting my shoulder. ¡°Well done Young Miss. You¡¯ve made it to the quarterfinals.¡±

    ¡°Congrats, that was quick thinking there,¡± Friede added.

    ¡°Thanks! I was so worried because Bronzors can know Levitate, but then I realized it might not have that ability mastered yet, so I tested it out with Mud Slap and-¡± I stopped myself as I realized I was rambling. ¡°Thank you, for supporting me.¡± Hearing the crowd chanting my name is nice, but knowing Leah is in my corner helps when I second-guess myself.

    ¡°Of course. Shall we?¡± She asked, gesturing to the path out.

    I waved Dunsparce over and he slithered up, going back into the Pokeball. ¡°Yeah.¡± I¡¯ve done alright so far, but here comes the big test, if I can make it in these last three rounds. Victory, fame, and even a potential shot at Aura lessons await.

 Chapter 18

    When we got to the central battle court, the atmosphere was different. People were tired from cheering throughout the rest of the day, but there was a buzz of excitement as we neared the last few rounds. The crowd was also larger than before, spilling out down the stairs and streets that led to the arena. Some of these people are just interested in the conclusion of this tournament, so they weren¡¯t watching before.

    The path cleared up as we walked through, people pointing at me as I passed, whispering. Part of me wanted to listen in and hear what they were saying about me, but I knew it wasn¡¯t important and would just be distracting.

    The crowd gathered around the rainbow mosaic arena, all standing outside the large ring that encircled the battlefield. The ring itself was made of colorful tiles, each one with the color and symbol representing one of the 18 Types. I saw Cyan, Arven, and Turo standing near the Steel tile. No sign of O¡¯Nare or Billy, figures.

    I ran over to my friend and sister, suppressing a shiver from a cold breeze that passed. ¡°Did you guys see all my matches?¡±

    ¡°Yes! You were amazing, sis!¡±

    ¡°Dunsparce is so strong! So, uh, you surely don¡¯t need to train against Maschiff anymore, right?¡±

    ¡°Haha, thank you. And no way you guys are getting out of training that easily,¡± I told Arven, the young boy wilting.

    The Professor loomed over our little huddle. ¡°You¡¯ve done well. You surpassed my expectations for you.¡±

    ¡°... Thanks?¡± The sad thing is, I think this is him trying to be supportive.

    With the ¡®pleasantries¡¯ out of the way, he began grilling me. ¡°I noticed you didn¡¯t use the Tera Orb. Why?¡±

    ¡°Uhh, well Dun¡¯s Terra Type is Normal, so it wouldn¡¯t have been helpful against Dhelmise, and I gauged that I wouldn¡¯t need it against the Bronzor. The rest weren¡¯t really much of a challenge,¡± I admitted. That sounds harsh, but it is true. ¡°There aren¡¯t any recharge centers nearby and I wouldn¡¯t want to give away my trump card so early on.¡± I¡¯m looking to impress Tulip, after all. Using it this early would have been a huge misplay, can¡¯t believe I almost did that.

    ¡°Huh? But I thought Terastalization made Pokemon super strong, wouldn''t that have helped against Dhelmise at least?¡± Cyan asked. Arven looked confused as well, and Turo at least was curious as to my answer.

    Clearing my throat I began a mini-lecture on the subject. ¡°Terastalization isn''t like Gigantamax or Mega Evolution, it doesn''t make a Pokemon inherently stronger, it just gives them an additional Type, replacing their old ones.¡±

    ¡°But aren''t wild Terastalized Pokemon super strong?¡± Arven interrupted.

    ¡°That has nothing to do with them being Terastalized. Though it is commonly co-related to strength in the wild; perhaps the relationship flows the other way? Power drawing in the natural Terastalization?¡± I muttered part of that mostly to myself, but from the sympathetic smile Friede had, I knew they had heard me too.

    ¡°Anyways! Terastalization doesn''t make a Pokemon inherently stronger, and Dun¡¯s Tera Type would be just as ineffectual against Dhelmise¡¯s ghostly immunity.

    ¡°That''s a shame, sounds like Tera Orbs won''t be that helpful,¡± Friede said with a sly look at Turo.

    The older Professor didn''t change his facial expression, but from how he roughly grabbed and adjusted the lapels of his lab coat, I knew he was ruffled by Friede¡¯s jab.

    If it were just the two of them I''d let them verbally duke it out, but¡­ Arven¡¯s little face looked so worried, I couldn''t help myself. Taking a deep breath, I said:

    ¡°Actually, it''s possibly more impactful for competitive battling than any of the other Power Up methods. While it might not make the Pokemon stronger, their Moves are greatly impacted. Terastalization replaces your base Type or Types with whatever your Pokemon''s Tera Type is. But those base Types can still enhance the Moves your Pokemon uses. So an Ice Tera Haxorus could use Ice Fangs as well as any Ice Type while Terastalized, but could also use Outrage as strong as any Dragon Type. By stacking up Types, like Dun¡¯s Normal base Type with his Normal Tera type, his Normal Moves can become much stronger than they would be before.¡±

    ¡°Okay, so it can still be strong,¡± The young man said, waving off Turo. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t explain why you feel they''re more impactful than a well-timed Z-Move or a powerful Gigantamax,¡± Friede pressed.

    ¡°That''s because of how they can change things up defensively. Offense is very strong but pretty straightforward. With Pokemon that have different Tera Types, or even just matching one-half of their dual base Types, their Weaknesses, Immunities, and Resistances all change drastically. It flips entire battle strategies on their heads! And that''s to say nothing about Abilities interacting weirdly with new Typings; Mismagius¡¯ Levitation isn''t a big deal regularly but on a Tera Electric Pokemon?¡± I shivered. Iono is definitely a wake-up call boss in the games.

    Turo was distracted for a moment, greeting his fellow professor when Cyan said ¡°Hey, Tulip is already here! I was just talking to her.¡± She pointed out at the crowd.

    Turning to follow her finger, I spotted Dendra and Tulip standing on the other side of the battlefield, a more incongruous pair you couldn¡¯t find. Dendra was dressed in a martial arts gi while Tulip was wearing a dress that looked like it could (and maybe actually had), just come off a runway with a Vivillion hairclip adorning her head. The former caught my gaze and started yelling loudly, waving at us. Tulip looked embarrassed at her friend¡¯s enthusiasm but gave me a calm wave as well.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go talk to Tulip and Dendra now,¡± I told the others, and without waiting for them to respond, walked off, my sister following close behind. As I crossed the arena, I noticed a few people staring and pointing at me.

    ¡°That was awesome! You¡¯ve got some real fighting spirit, little lady!¡± Dendra exclaimed, ignoring or not noticing the newfound attention we were getting.

    ¡°You guys saw my previous matches?¡± I asked.

    ¡°We only arrived recently, but they¡¯ve been replaying some highlights and you¡¯ve shown up often,¡± Tulip adds. She had a small frown on her face like she was sorry about that, but I got her being busy. I¡¯m asking her to offer a lot, without having shown how good I am yet.

    ¡°Osu! Nemona was awesome! She was all like wow, pow, waacham!¡± Tulip and I shared a look, and I understood how she could be embarrassed and endeared to her friend all at once. Dendra didn¡¯t stop there though, actually having some insight into my matches. ¡°I never knew a Dunsparce could learn Moves like those!¡±

    ¡°Dunsparce have a really wide range of Moves they can learn, a lot of people don¡¯t realize. That, and we trained really hard to master those Technical Machine Moves.¡±

    ¡°Why would you need to do that? Doesn¡¯t the machine give your Pokemon all the information they need?¡± Cyan asked. Tulip looked curious as well, waiting for my response. There¡¯s no way a future gym leader doesn¡¯t know this, right? This might be a test then, to see how much I know. Of course, I could be overthinking it too. She was too composed for me to read anything, so I figured I¡¯d just explain my reasoning anyway.

    ¡°The Technical Machine teaches them the basics of how to perform the Move, yes. The Type energy they need to channel and how much but-¡± I shook my head, having trouble explaining it in those terms until a glance at Dendra¡¯s gi gave me an idea.

    ¡°Ok, see, it¡¯s like throwing a punch.¡± I demonstrated, throwing a quick jab in the air, using my mixed martial arts knowledge from my first life. ¡°If you just show someone untrained that punch, they might try to copy it and get it all wrong.¡±

    Again I threw out a jab, but this time I purposefully did it wrong. No pivot of my feet or lean of my shoulder for extra reach, wrist held not straight, elbow bent, and thumb in my fist. It was so improper that Dendra twitched painfully at the sight. ¡°Ah, sorry about that. Uh, so the Technical Machine walks them through all the steps they need to do the Move right.¡± I demonstrated, using my other hand to push and adjust all the parts into place. Dendra let out a sigh of relief.

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    ¡°Just like a punch though, you need to practice a Move thousands of times to make it muscle memory. So it comes out sharp! Clean! Powerful! And Fast! Every time.¡± With each yell, I threw another punch in the air.

    The two of them were silent, Dendra¡¯s face was unreadable and Tulip¡¯s was contemplative. I hope that impressed her a bit. Obviously, I plan on winning this too, but showing my knowledge here will help with convincing her as well.

    Dendra spoke up first, turning to her friend, and then in a dead serious voice said: ¡°We need to adopt her.¡±

    ¡°Wha- Dendra, no!¡±

    ¡°Dendra YES!¡± She countered, a maniacal gleam in her eyes.

    ¡°Who¡¯s this ¡®we¡¯ you¡¯re talking about?¡± Tulip said, hands on her hips. ¡°I¡¯m not taking her in, and you shouldn¡¯t either. You¡¯re fifteen! Also, what about her parents and sister?¡±

    The martial arts enthusiast completely ignored the latter points and focused on the first ones.

    ¡°So, you¡¯re just gonna leave me to be a single teenage mother?!¡±

    ¡°What- I- gaaaaah!¡± The model cried out, embarrassment and frustration taking over as she clutched at her head, a light dusting of red covering her cheeks and for once it wasn¡¯t well-applied makeup. Dendra had not been quiet, and people were whispering and snickering at the incident.

    Personally, I couldn¡¯t help but laugh at the comedy routine, it was hilarious! What caught my eye though was the way Tulip¡¯s hair clip ornament flapped its wings repeatedly as she got flustered. There was no wind, and her body motions shouldn¡¯t have been violent enough to cause that. Aura. That mystical power I want to learn.

    Luckily, Arven, Turo, Friede, and Leah followed after me, foiling any attempted kidnapping Dendra was planning. ¡°Greetings, I am Leah, charged with keeping Young Miss Nemona safe from harm. Who might you be?¡± The maid asked the older girls.

    ¡°Dendra, and this is Tulip. I gave Nemona the idea to compete here, but wow! Osu! Even I didn¡¯t realize she¡¯d be this good.¡± The enthusiastic girl replied while Cyan was busy pestering the elegant girl beside her.

    ¡°We met them at the fashion show Cyan and I went to,¡± I explained to Leah before a booming voice cut over all the chatter in the area.

    ¡°Welcome, friends and fans, to the final few fights on the eve of our 27th Junior Mesagozan Tournament!¡± All eyes turned to a middle-aged man in the center of the arena dressed in a striking red suit, microphone in hand. ¡°I¡¯m Larry Goldsworth, and I¡¯ll be your announcer for this evening.¡± Evening it was indeed, with the sun just starting to set now. ¡°Our contestants are all here, so without further ado, I¡¯ll call them forward. Gary Rickroll, Nemona Glitterati, Frederick van Grough¡­¡± Hearing my name, I jumped. Why was I surprised at that, I knew this was coming. Argh, nerves. Just focus, we¡¯re almost done.

    I joined the others forming a line in the center of the arena, to give everyone a good look at us. Cameras were flashing and the crowd cheered us on. It was hard to focus on any one person out there, especially with Freddrick, sneering down at me. Clearly, he had remembered our previous encounter and still wasn¡¯t impressed with me.

    Admittedly, my stature was a bit less impressive than the others here, everyone else was a teenager. I held myself with pride regardless. If anyone wants to look down on me, then they¡¯ll just get to see what I¡¯m made of.

    ¡°... Let¡¯s begin the first match of the quarter-finals, Iris Canin vs. Nemona Glitterati!¡± The others dispersed, and we took our places at either end of the arena. Iris had short pink hair, matching the bubblegum she was chewing, blowing out, and popping loudly. I was surprised at her name, but it¡¯s not that uncommon. A lot of kids get named after champions. There are tons of Lances and Alders out there, a ridiculous amount of Cynthias¡­ She looks like she¡¯s projecting confidence, and she is but, she¡¯s slightly nervous underneath too. The bubblegum popping is just a bit forced.

    ¡°Alright kid, give me all ya got!¡± She yelled out, as much for the crowd as it was for me. I just nodded, no great pre-battle banter coming to mind and I didn¡¯t want to embarrass myself by trying something off the cuff.

    On the signal from the referee, we both raised our Pokeballs, ready to battle. The referee for these matches was a League Official. She was a tall woman with deep blue eyes and long black hair with a few golden streaks in it. Her Espathra was creating a powerful barrier around the multicolor arena. She looks familiar, but I can¡¯t quite place her¡­

    On the command to release, we both did so and I snapped my focus back to the battle. Dun flapped his little wings eagerly, eyeing his opponent, a Floragato. It was a green bipedal cat-like

    Pokemon, with a pink spinning disk in one of its hands. A lot of people had starters here, many of them being students of Uva Academy, but none of the previous contestants I had seen had evolved them.

    ¡°Trainers ready?¡± The referee asked, lifting her hand in the air.

    ¡°Yes,¡± we called out in unison, and the noise from the crowd died down. Or maybe it didn¡¯t, and I just ignored it, my focus solely focused in front of me.

    She brought her hand down as if to chop through the tension between us. ¡°Begin!¡±

    ¡°Floragato, Magical Leaf!¡± Iris yelled, and her feline-esque Pokemon waved his yo-yo thing around, a vine acting like a string to wind it out into the air and from it, conjure up a plethora of leaves all around. Dunsparce was charging ahead, and I encouraged him.

    ¡°There¡¯s no dodging, just plow through, Body Slam!¡±

    ¡°What?!¡± Iris was surprised by my tactic, and while several leaves hit and cut into Dun, it was less than would have hit him if he¡¯d tried to dodge in the center of the maelstrom. Floragato was sent tumbling through the air from the impact.

    After the leaves cleared I saw a few minor cuts on Dun, but nothing deep, while our opponent was shakily getting back on his feet. ¡°Slam it again!¡±

    Dunsparce raced after the injured Floragato but even hurt, the cat was much faster, dodging around Dun¡¯s pursuit.

    ¡°Hone Claws, get ready!¡± Iris called out, her bubble gum blowing forgotten about as she was pushed back. Floragato began waving his claws around, dark energy sharpening them, even as he weaved around the Body Slams aimed his way.

    Damn, can¡¯t let them set up! ¡°Glare!¡± With a killer stare, Floragato froze up mid-way through his Move, early tripping over his own feet. Cat-like grace was enough to avoid falling, but not to avoid Dun¡¯s follow-up Body Slam.

    This time, Dun landed right beside Floragato, so I shouted ¡°Poison Jab, now!!¡± His tail darted out fast, driving into Floragato¡¯s side. The Grass Type gave a cry so pained that I winced a little, and from the way there was a slow purple tint spreading throughout his fur, I guessed that he had been Poisoned by the attack as well.

    Floragato gave a quick Scratch and retreated away from Dun. I held up a hand, indicating for Dun to wait and see what Iris¡¯ next move would be. Rather than call out any desperate, last-ditch attack, she drew her Pokeball and recalled her starter. ¡°I forfeit.¡±

    There were gasps from the crowd as they heard that and the referee called the match, but I understood where she was coming from. Floragato had been swaying on his feet from the Poison and hits, and his muscles were still clenching from the Paralysis. By that point, they didn¡¯t really have a chance.

    ¡°There we have it folks, our first winner of the quarter-finals and the youngest competitor to ever make it to the Semi-Finals, Nemona Glitterati!¡± Larry called out and the crowd burst into cheers.

    Walking up to the center of the arena, I waved to all of them alongside Dun (well, I waved, Dun just sort of bobbed his head around to the same effect). We stopped waving as Iris walked up to us, extending out a hand to shake.

    I took it, and the crowd gave renewed cheers and applause for the good sportsmanship. ¡°Hah. You did good, kid. Where did you learn to be that strong?¡±

    ¡°Just trained hard near my home,¡± I replied with a small shrug. It was technically true if leaving out relevant bits like my reincarnation which helped out a bit. Can¡¯t even be sure that¡¯s the only thing though. I feel like I can react faster in this world, and think better under pressure. Is that just part of living in this world, or part of being Nemona?

    ¡°Well, good luck kid, you¡¯ll need it.¡± The warning sounded earnest, not petty, but I didn¡¯t get what it referred to until I saw the next battle.

    Freddrick van Grough was up against Helios Denver. Helios had short magenta hair and wore the Uva Academy uniform as well. His Pokemon was a large Lechonk, while Freddrick released¡­

    ¡°Oh my,¡± Leah said beside me, summing up my thoughts entirely as we saw the arrogant boy reveal a gigantic bird. Its wingspan was over five meters across, and those wings were covered with literally iron-sharp feathers. It towered over the Lechonk, glaring down with beady red eyes that made me want to fall on my knees, despite not even directing its attention towards me.

    To still somehow stand up to the Corviknight, Helios and his Lechonk were very brave. And very stupid. The battle began, and Corviknight furiously pecked at the Lechonk, interrupting any attempt to tackle it. Then the bird picked it up in its claws and lifted the little pig Pokemon in the air, before hurling it to the ground.

    The only order Freddrick gave out was at the end. ¡°Hurricane.¡± Up high, the Corviknight flapped its wings hard, whipping up a heavy gust that turned into a terrifying storm. The winds lifted Lechonk off the ground and around through the air, spinning them several times until they were flung into the barrier and collapsed, defeated.

    Luckily, the referee¡¯s Espathra caught the fallen pig with its psychic powers and gently lowered it to the ground. Ah, right, Iris came from the same battlefield as him. And I have to face that in my next round. Oh boy.

 Chapter 19

    ¡°Nemona, are you¡­ ok?¡± Friede asked worriedly, waving a hand in front of my face. It was unnecessary, but I understood why; I¡¯d been staring at Freddrick and the Pokeballs on his belt ever since the match ended with laser intensity. All the adults looked nervous, but Cyan and Arven were excited, watching the matches. No fear that I could fail. Wish I could say the same.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I bit out, running through plans in my head. Dammit, I have no good ways to fight a Corviknight. How did an entitled prick like that- oh, right, probably his family. Focus. Steel-Flying is a nightmare for Dun to deal with, it¡¯ll resist any of his STAB Normal Moves, and outright ignore Poison Jab and Earthquake, two of his best non-Normal Moves! Not to mention, that bird just looks incredibly tough. To be expected from a fully evolved Pokemon, but still.

    The tournament was a beginner¡¯s tournament for a reason - it wasn¡¯t expected that anyone would be showing up with a fully evolved Pokemon. Of course, they could hardly put in a rule that outright forbade it. Some Types and specific Pokemon lines evolved very fast or had no evolutions. Excluding a Pokemon from being on your team just because it belonged to your family before was also dismissed. They could be your beloved family friend, how could someone ask that you give them up or restrict them from going with you on every step of your journey?

    By that same standard though, it was considered quite rude and more than a little cheap to show up to a tournament with a Pokemon that you hadn¡¯t had a major hand in training. I suspect that was why the referee was giving Freddrick such a dressing down for his ¡®reckless behavior¡¯, not that the young man seemed to care.

    That Lechonk won¡¯t be permanently hurt, though that speaks more to the incredible health care tools available to Pokemon than Freddrick¡¯s ¡®restraint.¡¯ Dunsparce is a lot tougher, but that also means that he¡¯ll be more likely to push past his limits. Plus, the jerk definitely has it out for me, so he¡¯ll be sure to go harder.

    ¡°You can drop out, you know. It¡¯s not wrong to be afraid.¡± Leah¡¯s gentle voice cut through my thoughts. I glanced down at my Pokeball, wondering if I should ask Dun if he wanted to battle before discarding the idea as foolish.

    He would be offended if I¡¯d even ask him. Dun is the type that would fight a Legendary to prove how strong he is¡­ I might need to pull him out of danger someday. But not today. Today was his moment to shine, to show what months, nearly a year of training had done for him. As if sensing my feelings from within, the ball shook a bit, as if in anticipation.

    ¡°No, we¡¯ll fight.¡± I gave her a determined nod and smiled at my friends (and sister) before catching Turo¡¯s curious gaze.

    Am I teaching him the wrong lesson here? To push on, despite great odds. Sure, sometimes you need to do that, but other times, the most determined thing you can do, is quit. I sighed. It wasn¡¯t my job to keep an adult from making a terrible mistake; my job was to win this battle.

    I lacked the focus to spare on analyzing the other battles, just making a plan for the next one.

    Occasionally, I¡¯d whisper a bit of my strategy to Dun in his ball. While it wasn¡¯t great for carrying out a full conversation, this was just a slight adjustment to the plans we already had, so he¡¯d be ready when the time came.

    Soon enough, it was time, with the announcer calling up the first match of the semi-finals. ¡°It¡¯s Nemona Glitterati versus Freddrick van Grough! Two of our most surprising competitors. Can the young prodigy beat the experienced student?¡±

    He hardly seems experienced, from what I¡¯ve seen. Turning brightly to face my opponent at the other end of the arena I shouted ¡°Let¡¯s have a good match!¡±

    ¡°I doubt it,¡± he sneered back, actually earning a few boos from the crowd. ¡°Oh, come off it!¡± He yelled back at them. ¡°She¡¯s got a Dunsparce. What¡¯s it gonna do, bore me to defeat?¡± Shaking his head, he added ¡°It¡¯s a shame that this is what the once great Glitterati family has been reduced to. Was that really the best Pokemon your parents could get you?¡±

    ¡°I found Dun on my own, he¡¯s my choice of starter.¡±

    Frederick crossed his arms. ¡°That¡¯s even worse! What¡¯s the point of having money if you can¡¯t get the best?¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry; I¡¯m fighting with the best Pokemon in this tournament.¡± I smirked as I heard a few gasps and ¡®oohs'' from the crowd at my banter. It took Freddrick a moment longer to get my meaning there, and he dropped his arms, hands clenched in fists.

    Before this could go any further a new referee stepped up and cleared his throat. ¡°Trainers ready?¡±

    I released Dunsparce in response and he did the same for Corviknight. The massive avian stared down at Dun, who met it with a fierce glare of his own. The fully evolved Pokemon gave an odd squawking sound like she was laughing at Dun.

    ¡°In that case, let the battle¡­ begin!¡± As the last syllable left his mouth, Dun made his Move. Flooding his eyes with Normal energy, he turned his glare into a Glare, one that sent even the advanced Pokemon stumbling and twitching backward.

    The moment that Move was complete I shouted ¡°Belly flop!¡± Dun slammed the mosaic ground, causing it to rise in chunks and shake, slamming into Corviknight, still too Paralyzed to get off the ground. Usually, a Flying Type was immune to Ground-Type attacks because they could fly up and had a near instinctive sense to avoid even the more airborne Ground Moves.

    Here, where she couldn¡¯t flap her wings properly, the Move hit her hard. Freddrick rallied, crying, ¡°Get off the ground!¡± It was a valiant attempt, as she struggled to flap her wings, the Corviknight trying to push past her muscles not working. To her credit, she managed to get a few feet off the ground¡­ before Dun Body Slammed her down from above, the earth-shaking helping boost him up and distracting our opponents from his movement.

    Corviknight shrieked and tried to knock Dun away with an awkward wing sweep as she fell, but Dun easily slipped around the Paralyzed and disoriented bird. ¡°Earthquake!¡± I called out, Dun moving to shake the ground again.

    ¡°Get off the ground already!¡± Frederick shouted, and this time the metallic bird lifted itself, above the shifting ground. As the arena settled, I saw Corviknight was dirtied, but not much more than that. The attacks did so little to it? I knew Body Slam would be resisted, but I thought Earthquake might have- no, it looks like even if the attack connects, even with the Steel Typing, the Flying half makes the Move not very effective, maybe less.

    In the background, I heard the crowd cheering me on, shocked gasps at how well I was doing/how poorly Freddrick was faring, but I was less optimistic about our odds. That surprise attack didn¡¯t do nearly as well as I hoped, and now I have to see what his response will be.

    Freddrick didn¡¯t hesitate in calling out his next Move, and I had to fight to keep the smile off my face as I heard it. ¡°Hurricane!¡± Rising higher till Corviknight floated almost twelve meters above the ground (the limit on how high one could fly above the ground when not facing another Flying Type in this tournament) she began whipping the wind around.

    ¡°Go to the center!¡± Dun dutifully moved into the center of the gathering storm, having plenty of time to reach the Eye with Corviknight¡¯s movements slowed by the Paralysis. The winds were moving so harshly that I could barely see anything within them, but since Dun wasn¡¯t crying out in pain or panic, I assumed it was fine.

    ¡°Gah, stop that! Iron Defense!¡± Freddrick called out and I bit back a curse. The winds died as the gleaming feathers grew brighter. I have to stop that!

    ¡°Dun, taunt,¡± I called out, covering a hand over my mouth. He read the signal easily and rolled over, Yawning and closing his eyes. ¡°Man, didn¡¯t realize you were going to be so boring,¡± I taunted. ¡°We might as well take a nap.¡±

    Whether from thinking we had used a different Move or from falling to my own taunt, the angry boy changed tracks. ¡°Corvi, forget about that, Fury Attack!!¡±

    The powerful Pokemon twitched as she let go of the energy she had been gathering to defend herself. From the sigh that escaped its beak, I knew that twitch wasn¡¯t from being Paralyzed. This battle would have been so much harder if we were fighting that Pokemon without Freddrick.

    For balance reasons, the games had Pokemon of too high a level traded to or caught by you refused to follow commands, but that didn¡¯t work that way in real life. Here, Freddrick''s family Corviknight was loyal to a fault and followed all the orders he gave out. And that fault, his ineptitude as a trainer, is the lever we¡¯ll pull on to win this fight.

    ¡°Roll around and get away!¡± Dunsparce gave up pretending to be asleep and tried to get away, but this time with the aerial advantage, he only managed to dodge twice before Corviknight¡¯s talons clawed into him twice.

    ¡°Yes! Now grab him!¡± The opposing trainer commanded.

    ¡°I-uh- Body Slam!¡± I stammered out. Dammit, did it not work? Dun is in a terrible spot here. I hadn¡¯t seen a way out of it, however, so a last-second attack was all I could call out to get some damage in before he was inevitably grabbed.

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    Dun squirmed within Corviknight¡¯s talons, but he couldn¡¯t slither out of this tight grip. All he managed to do was make small lacerations on his own body, struggling against the sharp claws.

    Freddrick laughed maniacally. ¡°See how helpless you are? You should have forfeited while you had the chance.¡±

    ¡°Uh, I still could. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s any rule about when you give up.¡± I pointed out, and everyone, even much of the crowd, paused.

    After a moment Freddrick, red in the face, said ¡°Well? I¡¯m waiting!¡±

    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m not going to. Just like, you were wrong.¡± A beat passed and I caught the droop of Corviknight¡¯s head and added ¡°Thought you should know.¡±

    He gave an inarticulate scream of rage. ¡°You-you- you little brat! Destroy that worm.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll have you know, he¡¯s more a snake, and now is his time to strike!¡± I countered as the Yawn finally took full effect and the big bird landed with a clanging crash as she fell to the ground, asleep.

    ¡°What?!¡± The boy at the other end looked confused and worried. ¡°How did you do that?¡±

    Not wasting any energy on him, I spoke to Dun instead, my Pokemon slipping out of the now relaxed grip and ready for payback. ¡°Body Slam, as many times as you can!¡± He threw himself at the sleeping bird, crashing into her several times. Dents started forming on her steely feathers, but she remained sound asleep through the onslaught.

    It couldn¡¯t last forever, though. Eventually, either Dun¡¯s attacks or Freddrick¡¯s increasingly desperate pleas got through to Corviknight, and she woke up with a start. Her wing slapped out, tossing Dunsparce across the arena. That was more due to the differences in mass between them than the damage it did, but I couldn¡¯t deny that Dun was looking a little roughed up.

    Ok, a lot roughed up, I admitted to myself as I took in his wounds. He had tiny cuts all over his body, a nasty-looking abrasion on his tail, and one of his eyes was swollen, probably bruised.

    Dun gave as good as he got though, Corviknight¡¯s metal wing feathers were bent and broken in places, and she had a small crack on her beak. She was glaring down at us both with angry red eyes and I knew that even if Freddrick kept on underestimating us, his Pokemon wouldn¡¯t be anymore. I gripped the ball in my pocket, ready but not willing to use it quite yet.

    ¡°Hurricane, blow them away!¡± Well, I guess even if he doesn¡¯t underestimate us, he can still make poor choices. On the surface, it seemed like a solid play, especially since Corviknight had managed to shake off her Paralysis and could direct the stream of wind too fast for Dun to dodge if he tried to move into the center again.

    ¡°Ride it! Don¡¯t fight against it, float like a leaf on the wind!¡± The heavy winds picked him up, but rather than let them send him spiraling out of control, he flew with them. Adjusting his trajectory with his own tiny wings, he rose through the air until he shot off near the top, propelled into a heavy Body Slam that snapped the Corviknight¡¯s head back.

    As Dunsparce and Corviknight landed back down, both of them were able to catch themselves before they hit the ground, though it was a close thing in Corviknight¡¯s case. She snapped out of her daze at the last second, but from the way she was holding herself, it looked like that had put a serious crick in her neck.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t use Moves your Pokemon aren¡¯t suited to,¡± I told Freddrick.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Corviknight had no mastery of Hurricane. What did you do, just teach it to her from a TM and never practice it?¡± I teased him again. Probably true, but that raven is no joke. She was already adapting the Move and if she kept on pelting us from above, we¡¯d lose. Dunsparce doesn¡¯t know any ranged Moves that can hit a flying target and he won¡¯t be able to close. If it was someone else I might let them tire themselves out with repeated powerful Moves, but that Corviknight just has too much experience and strength to lose that way.

    ¡°Wing Attack, then dive in and Fury Attack!¡± Dual wing beats sent a burst of air too quick to dodge, knocking Dun into the corner beside me. As Corviknight advanced on him, I gave out commands of my own.

    ¡°Parry the claws, then Body Slam!¡± Dodging would have been useless, so Dun turned around and spun his tail drill, knocking into the claws that came his way. Turned around, he couldn¡¯t see the attacks, instead following the motions of my free hand as I directed him on how to block every talon that reached down to rend him.

    After a quarter minute of attempts that Dun expertly blocked, Corviknight backed off for a moment, which gave Dun the chance to turn around and fulfill the second part of my command. Spinning back around, he jumped up at the low-flying bird, and with his wingbeats, pushed ahead to hit Corviknight.

    The impact resounded throughout the arena, leaving a small dent in the solid metal armor plating in front of her chest. The pain was not enough to stop her from grabbing Dun in her claws as he fell, however.

    ¡°Yes! Rip him to shreds! Drill Peck until he¡¯s dead- defeated.¡± Freddrick quickly corrected, seeing the referee suddenly turn to glare at him. The man still gave him a warning, but it was clear he wasn¡¯t going to be disqualified for that slip of the tongue, so I focused on the battle. Dun was struggling under the assault, waving his tail around wildly to deflect against her beak and other claws, but without leverage, many strikes were getting through and he was starting to bleed profusely from the pecks.

    ¡°Bite the feet! Force her to let you go!¡± The dark energy gathered around his jaws was faint, but stronger than it usually was. Desperation from the pain helping him align more with the Type energy of the attack, he bit down hard, and Corviknight let him go. Not wasting the opportunity, I pulled the ball-shaped object out of my pocket and pressed the button.

    The Tera Orb shook violently with the power contained within and I gripped it with my other hand. Spinning around once, I gathered the momentum needed and tossed it out, over Dun, where it exploded in a burst of light, right as the last sliver of sunlight faded beyond the horizon.

    The light was accompanied by the usual crystallization surrounding Dunsparce, causing his foe to stumble back, squawking in surprise. The crystals shattered and revealed Dun covered in a prismatic sheen and a large clear gem resting above his head like an oversized hat.

    ¡°Why, I can¡¯t believe it! Folks, we are witnessing Terastalization firsthand!¡± The announcer called out, and the crowd was going wild. Frederick was seizing with rage or disbelief. Either way, he wasn¡¯t ready to stop us.

    ¡°Body Slam, show that oversized crow your true power!¡± I told Dun. He complied with gusto, leaping forward with newfound energy, hitting Corviknight hard enough now to send her stumbling back. Again and again, he attacked and she was on the back foot. She tried to grab him again, but this time Dun¡¯s attacks were strong enough to break through, and she let him go after he snapped one of her talons with his gem-covered head.

    ¡°Just- just attack!¡± The van Grough boy screeched eventually and she did just that. Corviknight was flying off the ground, holding one of her claws gingerly, but she didn¡¯t let that stop her. Furiously, she¡¯d Wing Attack, Peck, and (with her good leg) claw at Dunsparce. With Terastalization adding on to his power though, he was giving as good as he got, despite the Type resistance.

    After a minute of brutal attacks on each side, they broke off, one last Wing Attack whipping up the winds and making space between them. The two of them were breathing heavily, panting as they glared at each other. Dunsparce¡¯s bulbous body was swollen, more so than usual. One of his eyes was so puffed up that I was pretty sure he physically couldn¡¯t use Glare till it healed. He was bleeding all over from the numerous peck and claw attacks having ripped through his scales. Nowhere critical was injured, but I didn¡¯t like how it looked.

    On the other side, flying high above, was Corviknight. Dents all over her armor, feathers torn and bent, matching one of her talons, which she held gingerly even while flying. The damage she took was more bludgeoning than cutting, but there were still a few trickles of blood dripping down from her feathers. Despite it all, the determination and confidence she held from the beginning of our fight hadn¡¯t left her steely gaze.

    It¡¯s much more¡­ real than the bruise effects they showed in the anime. I couldn¡¯t help the giggles that escaped my mouth at the absurd thought. Something that my opponent took offense to.

    ¡°You think this is funny, huh? Do you think you could possibly win? NO! I refuse, I¡¯m the greatest, it¡¯s my name that will rise to the top! The van Grough¡¯s are in no one¡¯s shadow!¡± I blinked at his unhinged rant. Dude has issues. ¡°That¡¯s it, Corvi, Sky Attack!¡±

    ¡°It looks like this will be the end, everyone! How can Nemona hope to survive¡­¡± The announcer rapidly commented, my focus was on the battle in front of me.

    In the darkness of the night, the usually dark-steeled bird became a glowing beacon, rapidly surrounded by a harsh light. Something about the radiance forced my gaze away, down to the other source of light. Dun was covered in wounds, staring up at the bird turning to a descent position. Am I just getting him needlessly hurt by continuing this? He¡¯s fought well, no one could judge him poorly for this. I still have a second left, I could recall him-

    My thoughts cut off as I saw his gaze, his one good eye firmly facing upwards. This is his moment. Everything he¡¯s been training for, almost a year now we¡¯ve been together, to prove that promise I made to him on the beach true. I can¡¯t take that away from him now.

    ¡°Hit her with everything you got!¡± I shouted as Corviknight dived down. Dun leaped up to meet her, but something changed midway through his jump. Rather than losing momentum, it increased, a star-like energy surrounding him and propelling him forward at greater speeds.

    ¡°It¡¯s so bright! I can¡¯t make out who won!¡± Larry cried out, most of the fans averting their eyes. I didn¡¯t, but still couldn¡¯t make out what exactly happened, just seeing them pass a moment after.

    Dun kept on rising for a few seconds, like a comet falling in reverse while Corviknight crashed through the ground, her landing kicking up mosaic tiles into the barrier. Gravity soon took hold of my Pokemon too, and he crashed down as well, landing with a heavy thud.

    Silence filled the arena, everyone staring with bated breath at the two unmoving Pokemon.

    ¡°Unbelievable! It appears that both Pokemon are unable to battle! It¡¯s a ti-¡±

    ¡°Un.¡± The sound was faint, but enough to be heard by Larry and the referee before he could swing the flag in the center to call the match. ¡°Un. Arce,¡± Dun said, slightly clearer as he shakily rolled over. Then, trembling, he planted his tail into the ground, raising his body to stand on it, as tall as he could. Taking a deep breath, he announced to all of Mesagoza ¡°DUUUUUUUUUUUNNN!!!!¡±

    He started to fall over but before he could hit the ground I was already there, running and sliding to catch him. ¡°You did it! You did it!¡± I shouted, hugging him close and then holding him up for the crowd to see. They roared in response, cheering and hollering, my friends and sister jumping up and down. I could barely even make out the referee calling the match in my favor.

    ¡°Sparce.¡± He replied tiredly, leaning into my arms, a content smile on his face. I started pulling out potions with one hand while still holding onto him. They stopped the worst of the bleeding, though I would still have plenty of his blood staining my clothes, and didn¡¯t care one bit. There was technically another match we had to win to win the tournament, but I couldn¡¯t worry about that right now.

    ¡°You did great, Dun. Just like I said, you¡¯re gonna be the best.¡±

 Chapter 20

    Freddrick stomped off well before I could even offer a handshake, muttering about how this was unfair. I barely noticed, cheering a few more times before returning to my cohort. ¡°That was truly spectacular, Young Miss,¡± Leah greeted me. ¡°I¡¯m sure your parents will be thrilled to see you in action.¡± She said, putting away her phone before excusing herself to go off and collect her winnings.

    ¡°Excellently done, a wonderful use of Terastalization.¡± Professor Turo congratulated me as well. He put his own Rotom Phone away. Was he recording the match as well? I wonder why. Turo seemed quite pleased, and I wasn¡¯t going to question it. His fellow Professor was a bit more critical, though.

    ¡°You pushed Dun pretty hard, will he be alright?¡± It was true, he looked pretty rough even after the healing items I had used on him.

    Holding him up to look him in the eyes, I asked him ¡°How¡¯s it going? You did great so far, if you don¡¯t-¡± he was starting to squirm in disagreement. ¡°No really, you beat the strongest Pokemon here.¡± Dun quickly glanced over at Tulip¡¯s compact mirror at her side. ¡°Besides yourself, of course,¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°We can bow out here and it wouldn¡¯t be bad at all.¡±

    He thought about it momentarily before shaking his head, still keen to go on. ¡°Dun, Dunsparce!¡± Friede ruefully shook his head at that before nodding in understanding. He might have been surprised that we went that far, but could accept Dunsparce¡¯s desires and my efforts to achieve them.

    ¡°Alright then, just one round left,¡± I said, glancing over at the arena where the other semi-finalists were getting ready. They had a Pawmi and a Clodsire. The Pawmi could be a problem, but the Trainers seem equally skilled, so the Clodsire will probably win due to Type advantage, and we have ways of dealing with a Clodsire.

    ¡°Yeah, we got this. Rest up buddy, you¡¯ll need your strength for what¡¯s coming.¡± Returning him to the ball, he could rest slightly easier in there, though the Potions had already had a huge effect. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s going to be that hard - no one else in the tournament was anywhere near as strong as that Corviknight. Still, good to keep him hyped and in the zone.

    ¡°Heck yeah, you got this! That was so cool. I never saw the point of battling before, but I might want your help in teaching Popplio a few Moves when she hatches¡± Cyan admitted.

    ¡°Sure thing sis.¡± Inwardly I was already thinking about the kinds of Moves that Popplio could learn. They gain the Fairy Typing once they evolve, but they can probably learn a bunch of those Moves as well early on, good to get them used to it. Plus, they probably have access to most voice-based Moves, beyond Boomburst.

    ¡°That was incredible, Terastalization is amazing! I want to try it too, Dad!¡± I gaped at Arven¡¯s words. Did he not give a Tera Orb to his own son?!

    He blinked. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were interested in battling, my son.¡±

    ¡°Well, I mean Nemona will probably push me into it anyways. And it looks really cool!¡± At that, Turo smiled.

    ¡°I¡¯d love nothing more than to teach you all about Terastalization.¡± Arven cheered, pulling out a Tera Orb from his pocket and releasing Maschiff, excitedly telling him the news. Ah, maybe I jumped the gun in assuming the worst there. Arven already has a Tera Orb but just didn¡¯t feel confident using it on his own.

    Watching the tender moment, I wondered if I was wrong about other things. If there was still a way to pull Turo away from his ruinous experiments. My thoughts of the future were dragged back to the present by Dendra and Tulip moving closer.

    ¡°Osuuuu! That was an epic, blood-pumping battle!¡± The martial artist girl cried out, punching the air excitedly. Even the fashionable girl beside her had lost some of her cool and was looking on at Dun and I with awe and worry.

    ¡°It¡¯s not to my taste, but I was right; your beauty shines the most when you battle.¡± There was an odd shimmer in her eyes. She¡¯s viewing my Aura, isn¡¯t she?

    I hadn¡¯t won the tournament yet, but I couldn¡¯t help but ask: ¡°Soooo, what did you think?¡±

    The fashionable teenager let out a heavy sigh and I felt some trepidation. ¡°I¡¯m really regretting making that deal.¡±

    ¡°So you¡¯ll teach me? Awesome! Wait- why are you regretting this?¡±

    Shaking her head, she clarified. ¡°Because I fear - no I can tell - you¡¯re going to want to learn everything, and truthfully I know little on the topic. I have a gift for it, but I only learned the basics before pursuing other goals.¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± Right, that makes sense. While she¡¯s had little displays of power, she¡¯s no Sabrina. I didn¡¯t think she could read my thoughts, but she might have felt something there, her eyes narrowing.

    ¡°Ah, I mean that¡¯s fine. Anything you can teach me would be appreciated.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome. It might take a while, but I¡¯ll try to track down my old teacher and see what more I can learn.¡± I notice she¡¯s not mentioning Aura directly. Maybe it has something to do with the Professors being around?

    Her friend offered her support as well. ¡°Osu! And I¡¯ll be happy to train you too! I might not know everything she does, but I¡¯ve got some solid conditioning plans in mind for you and your Pokemon.¡±

    ¡°Thanks! I¡¯ve- that sounds super cool.¡± I corrected myself before I could say something wrong. Right, ¡®Nemona¡¯ hasn¡¯t had any martial arts training, while I have almost twenty years under my no longer-existent black belt. I might be able to tell Dendra I trained before, but Cyan would know I was ''lying'' about that. Still, this is going to be awesome. Honestly, I¡¯m almost as excited for the martial training as I am for the Aura stuff.

    The semi-final match ended, with the Clodsire winning as I expected (It almost certainly had the Poison Point Ability given the way the Pawmo had been staggering after it had laid its fists on him, I¡¯d be ready for that).

    Then again, Clodsire¡¯s trainer has familiar green hair and she¡¯s wearing a button-up shirt¡­ I think that might be Rika! I hadn¡¯t expected to face a future Elite Four today, but in any case, I was pumped up. This is gonna be great!

    Surprisingly, they didn¡¯t call for the next match right away, most of the officials were busy somewhere else. It was getting later in the night, the full moon rising above us, but I didn¡¯t care. I was riding a buzz like I got from a great D&D session and was sure that I wouldn¡¯t be able to fall asleep for hours after.

    My friend and sister were cheering me on, excitedly chatting about the matches. Turo and Friede debating the matches and their merits. Dendra and Tulip discussed some training plans and exchanged their phone numbers with me. Leah returned, smiling smugly as the bookies reluctantly handed over the money and barred her from making a bet on the final round.

    Which is when it all came crashing down. ¡°Attention everyone, we have an announcement to make,¡± Larry said in an oddly somber tone. What was even more attention-grabbing were all the different referees gathered beside him as well, including the head judge. This doesn¡¯t feel like they¡¯re just about to announce the start of the finals.

    ¡°We have deliberated and decided that Nemona Glitterati is disqualified from the 27th Junior Tournament.¡± Whispers spread through the crowd like wildfire.

    ¡°What do you think she did?¡±

    ¡°I knew there was something wrong with a girl that young making it this far.¡±

    ¡°Will the rest of the tournament go on?¡±

    I could barely comprehend what was going on, my mind struggling to put it together. ¡°Why?¡± My words came out as a broken whisper that Larry definitely couldn¡¯t have heard. Nonetheless, he did elaborate.

    ¡°After much consideration, the judges have decided that Nemona¡¯s use of the Tera Orb broke tournament rules, and therefore-¡±

    ¡°Wait a moment!¡± I shouted, finding my voice again, and stepping forward. All eyes turned back to me and I could feel their stares weighing me down. ¡°I didn¡¯t break the rules, there was nothing against Enhancement Effects being used here, only Battle Items, but Tera Orbs were ruled as an Enhancement Effect.¡±

    ¡°I- uhhh¡­¡± Larry looked at a loss, glancing between me and the head judge, who stepped up and grabbed Larry¡¯s microphone. The head judge was a tall man with long white hair and a thin mustache.

    If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Some places may have ruled it as such.¡± There was a quick glance back to one of the other judges, the familiar-looking woman who oversaw my quarterfinal match. It was easily overlooked, but it was clear there was some dissent at the judge¡¯s table. ¡°Tera Orbs were not listed as such in our rules.¡± At the end of the day though, he had the final say.

    He continued. ¡°As such, your act of throwing it onto the field counts as interference by the Trainer, thus costing you the match. Given your age and inexperience as well as, ahem, difficulties in rule interpretations, we will not be placing this on your record. It has no bearing on your ability to compete in future Junior Tournaments. In light of the error in this breach not being called immediately, we will be giving both you and Miss Delcroft the reward prize fitting for third place.¡±

    The Pawmo¡¯s trainer perked up, seeming pleased with that. The rest of the audience generally nodded along as if this was reasonable. As if this was in any way shape or form right. I shook in place with barely constrained rage, but they didn¡¯t notice, already moving on.

    Larry took the microphone back from the dry head judge. ¡°Thank you Mr. Rovali. This was a tricky situation, but don¡¯t fret for what it means for the finals. Luckily, young Freddrick van Grough is ready and able to compete, despite the injuries Corviknight took.¡±

    The smug boy stepped forward, snatching the microphone out of the announcer¡¯s hands.

    ¡°Corviknight can¡¯t be put down by some worm.¡± But she was! Dun beat your Pokemon into the ground!! I wanted to scream.

    ¡°Thank you for that,¡± Larry said, taking the microphone back. His words were much less sincere this time, especially since the mic caught him muttering ¡°What is with everyone grabbing my mic?¡± Then he cleared his throat. ¡°Ahem, with that little issue out of the way, who¡¯s ready for the finals?¡±

    It took maybe a second longer than usual, but the audience was soon cheering again. Like nothing had ever happened. Like all of our sweat and tears up to this point didn¡¯t matter. Like Dun, struggling to prove himself to the world meant nothing.

    Amidst the din of chatter and cheers, I heard Freddrick¡¯s voice, whispering to the head judge as they walked away from the center. ¡°Thanks for helping me out Uncle, I owe you one.¡±

    ¡°Yes well, don¡¯t try to make a habit out of it. Geeta was quite obstinate¡­¡± The older man whispered back.

    Seeing red, my body started moving forward. Visions of me grabbing Freddrick and punching his smug, dumb face danced in my head. Taking him down and just wailing on him, fists and elbows until I broke his- ¡°Nemona, stop!¡±

    Tulip¡¯s panicked words snapped me back to the moment and reminded me where I was. Halfway across the battle court, making a beeline for Freddrick. The crowd was whispering, wondering what I was doing. My friends looked confused, all except for Tulip, who looked worried for some reason. Then it clicked for me, remembering she could sense my emotions. Could See all the rage and anger I was feeling and likely guessed what I was about to do.

    Like a glass of cold water splashed in my face, I brought myself back under control. My emotions were boiling under the surface but the shock was enough that I could wrestle them back under control. Turning, I started walking away before Freddrick taunted me. ¡°Gonna run off and cry, little girl?¡±

    Blinking, I realized tears were welling up in my eyes. The temptation was there to turn back around and lay into him. Verbally, physically, whatever. But it wouldn¡¯t be right, it won¡¯t help things. With great effort, I kept on walking, off the battlefield and through the crowd.

    Picking up speed, I ran until I made my way off the main plaza. Behind me, I could hear the others calling for me but couldn¡¯t bring myself to go back. Everything that happened was so embarrassing, and then I made an even bigger fool of myself, what would they think of me? So I ran. Of course, that¡¯s the problem with running - there¡¯s always an ending.

    My ending was a bench on a side street nearby, as I was caught between having nowhere else to go but not ready to go back. There were few people here at this time of night, and those that did pass by either didn¡¯t notice a small girl silently crying on a bench or didn¡¯t make it their business.

    A minute or two passed until a tall shadow loomed over me. Looking up (and up and up) I saw the referee from before looking down from me atop her Espathra. ¡°You gave us quite a scare there.¡±

    ¡°Any other admonishments you want to throw my way?¡± I spat out bitterly. Some distant part of my mind recognized that was uncalled for. The rest was angry and sad. The fact that she paused at that didn¡¯t help matters. ¡°Oh wow, you really do.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ would advise caution in your future matches. Personally, I felt you pushed your Dunsparce too close to the line.¡±

    ¡°What the hell do you know?¡± She raised an eyebrow at my vitriolic words. Wow, tell a referee she knows nothing about her job, great job me. I should try to shove in the other foot next. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I¡­ I pushed him hard, but he¡¯ll be fine. He needed this.¡± Or at least I thought he did.

    She gave a tilt of her head, partially conceding the point. ¡°Perhaps.¡± She got off her Pokemon and we were both quiet for a moment.

    I was always bad with awkward silences and this one being interrupted by my sniffling didn¡¯t help, so I broke first, asking her: ¡°Why are you here? Don¡¯t you have a tournament to preside over?¡±

    ¡°My fellows don¡¯t seem to care for my opinions.¡± The bitter words slipped out of her mouth, seeming to surprise even her. ¡°Apologies, I meant to say that I was sent to look out for you. We care about the well-being of every participant in our tournament. I¡¯ve also been authorized to give you your reward for achieving third place.¡± Her Rotom Phone floated out and my Rotom did the same, a small buzz from each as the transfer was received.

    ¡°Yay,¡± I said, lifelessly. Rotom gave me a concerned look but decided not to say anything with the referee around and floated back into my pocket.

    ¡°You did quite well, you know.¡± She tried to encourage me. ¡°Getting third place in your first tournament is quite an achievement, especially at your age. 50,000 League Points is nothing to sneeze at either-¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t care about that! It- It doesn¡¯t matter how far we made it. If Dun had been taken out by that Sky Attack, if it had been a bit faster than him, though really it was already so fast, that Corviknight was sooo strong, but it didn¡¯t and he wasn¡¯t and he won and if it was fair he should be the winner still and- and-¡± I was babbling and breaking down. ¡°And then Freddrick just goes up to his uncle, the head judge, and gets me kicked out-¡±

    ¡°Wait, what?¡±

    ¡°Freddrick, that jerk was thanking the judge after his speech.¡±

    ¡°I¡­ didn¡¯t hear that.¡± She admitted and I looked at her oddly. You were so much closer to him than me though! But¡­ how did I hear that from so far away? I didn¡¯t imagine it, did I? Before anything more could be said on that we both heard Leah exclaim as she saw us, running down the street towards us. ¡°Ah, it appears your caretaker is here. I¡¯ll leave you in her care, but I hope you aren¡¯t disheartened by this experience. You have much potential.¡± I nodded fiercely, blinking out the last of the tears out of my eyes. This may have ended on a sour note, but I¡¯m still going to be Champion someday. Nothing is going to stop that. She added, ¡°Rest assured that I will be looking into this match. There were a few discrepancies that need to be investigated.¡±

    ¡°Good evening,¡± she said as a farewell to Leah and me, while the maid wrapped me up in a near bone-crushing hug.

    ¡°Oh you¡¯re alright, thank goodness. Do you know how worried we were? What were you thinking, running off like that?! It¡¯s going to be ok, you did fine¡­¡± She alternated between berating me and trying to console me. She¡¯s as frazzled as I am.

    ¡°Can we go home?¡± I asked tiredly. I knew I¡¯d be chewed out for running off (and rightfully so), but I couldn¡¯t deal with that at the moment.

    ¡°... That¡¯s fine, Young Miss. We¡¯ll need to find the others first, they¡¯re looking all over Mesagoza for you.¡± I whipped out Rotom and began sending out texts to all of them, letting Dendra, Tulip, and Arven know I was fine but heading home and telling Cyan where I was. ¡°Oh, so now you can use your phone?¡±

    ¡°Bzzt, apologies ma¡¯am,¡± Rotom offered. ¡°It appears I was still in ¡®Do not disturb¡¯ mode and missed your prior calls.¡± Leah calmed down, accepting the excuse. I wasn¡¯t sure that they were being truthful about missing the messages, but I understood that they were just trying to give me a minute to calm down, which had actually helped

    Very quickly I saw a familiar Charizard flying over, Friede and Cyan on his back. They landed and Cyan jumped off, running over to hug me. Leah went up to the young Professor and thanked him. I picked myself off the bench to do the same, my sister holding onto my hand.

    ¡°Thank you, Friede. You helped me out a lot today and I deeply appreciate it. Sorry tha-¡± he cut me off raising his hand.

    ¡°It¡¯s no problem, honest. It was good to get out of the lab, and I learned a lot today. You¡¯re quite the insightful young girl.¡± I couldn¡¯t resist a small dismissive huff at that. I¡¯m really not. He wrote out his number and exchanged it with me. ¡°If you ever need a hand or want to ask about anything Pokemon-related.¡±

    ¡°You might be the one needing my expertise,¡± I said, sticking my tongue out. My puffy red eyes probably took away from the friendly teasing and just made me look sad, but Friede laughed easily.

    ¡°I might just take you up on that. Have a good night.¡± Waving us goodbye, he flew off and we went and hailed a flying cab.

    Leah told the cabbie to go fast, and they did, rocketing us home so fast I had to double check

    we didn¡¯t have a mega-Latios flying us (we did not). When we got there, the house was quiet, with most of the staff on site sleeping for the night. Hamber greeted us, letting us know that my parents were still out and I just mutely nodded, marching up to my bedroom.

    Here, Dunsparce popped out of his ball, wondering what was going on. ¡°Dun dun, ar?¡±

    ¡°Hey there. Sorry, but it looks like we won¡¯t be in the finals. We uh, got kicked out.¡±

    ¡°Unn! Arce dun?!¡±

    ¡°They said Terastalization was against the rules- I know, I know! We checked it should have been ok- but¡­ Freddrick was able to get the judge to rule his way, so we¡¯re out.¡±

    ¡°Dunspar! DUUUUN!¡± He squirmed around angrily, crashing about the room, and knocking over the chair to my desk. I winced but a part of me wanted to do the same. I think he¡¯s more likely to hurt the room than himself, but I should still stop him.

    Scooping him up into my arms his tail-drill whirred angrily, but I gave him a look of warning and he calmed down enough for me to climb into bed. There was still rage radiating off of him, but he made no other moves in my arms and I just lay there in my bed as I slowly drifted into unconsciousness.

 Chapter 21

    When I woke up, I could see through the dim light that my room was something of a disaster zone. There was the damage Dun had caused, but also the fact that I hadn''t focused on keeping it tidy before the tournament. But that wasn''t the first thing that caught my attention.

    "Billy? O''Nare?" I asked as I saw them both on the bed, lying on either side of me and Dun.

    "Dear?" O''Nare asked me blearily, looking tired and a little confused.

    "Uh, Mom, Dad, what''s going on?" I asked, sitting up. Dun made a sleepy croak and I moved him to my side. My parents, rumpled and wrinkled from sleeping here, were dressed in their usual work clothes. My clothes were pretty much the same, but at least mine wouldn''t need ironing.

    Billy answered me, shaking off his own sleepiness. "Ah, Nemona, dear, after we got back, we heard from the staff that you might be a little upset, so we came over here." So they decided to sleep here to cheer me up in the morning. Despite everything else, it brought a small smile to my face.

    "What happened to you guys? You got back later than us." Considering that they had to leave in the early morning, this must have been a pretty big deal.

    "O''Nare was in the midst of a delicate dispute with some Pokemon that were being displaced by a construction crew at one of her projects. It was quite a tense situation!" Billy announced, waving his arms to emphasize the supposed severity of the situation.

    My Mother shook her head vehemently. "No, it was your father who showed true Glitterati skill in stopping the poachers'' attack on the Rotom phone company!"

    "What- I thought it was a recall? And what was the situation with the Pokemon living where the construction team was? Wouldn¡¯t the rangers have cleared any wilderness construction ahead of time?¡±

    ¡°They had checked but hadn¡¯t seen anyone living there, but who could have suspected that there was a small clan of Zoroark living there!¡± O¡¯Nare still had bags under her eyes but animatedly threw herself into recounting the story about the mistake, how she¡¯d had to fly out to deal with the situation personally.

    The Zoroark clan had apparently demanded to speak to the ¡®leader¡¯ of the construction team¡­ which the people there had decided was the President of the Reality conglomerate. Did they really feel that the Zoroark needed to talk to Mom, or did they just kick the problem up the chain?

    O¡¯Nare didn¡¯t seem to hold any such doubts, acting as peppy as ever. ¡°The Zoroark matriarch calmed down after I explained it was all a big misunderstanding. They even agreed to leave the area and move to another site so the team could continue their work.¡±

    ¡°Really? Just like that?¡±

    ¡°I had another development that got canceled part way through and was sitting without any buyers, quite a secluded location, perfect for the Dark Types. I offered it to them and they agreed!¡±

    She was simplifying a fair bit, I imagined. There was probably much discussion over the matter, having to calm the riled Pokemon down, show them the site, and convince them to pack up and move all over there. ¡°We¡¯re now in the process of converting that location to a

    Reserve, to ensure that no one else moves in on the pack. We also get to make use of a place we couldn¡¯t and turn it into a tax write-off,¡± she finished

    How charitable and pragmatic all at once. My father was just in awe of her, stars in his eyes as he gazed lovingly at his wife. ¡°What wondrous business acumen! Turning what would be a terrible trial into an opportunity! You¡¯re a shining star of the Glitterati family.¡± He leaned over me to give his wife a quick kiss.

    ¡°Oh, no more than you! How daring to face off against insidious thieves? How dashing to fight them off?!¡± She leaned over and returned the favor with a quick peck of her own. I don¡¯t need to see this.

    ¡°Ahem, what happened at the Rotom Factory?¡± I pressed, hoping to get them back on track.

    Billy cleared his throat, and I saw his eyes flit upwards as he began mentally putting it all together. ¡°Well, we were told that there was an issue with one of our new mid-range phone models and needed an emergency recall. I came down to check on the matter when I noticed one of the boxes wasn¡¯t in the right area. I tried to move it back only to hear someone call out ¡®Ouch!¡¯

    Naturally, I apologized to the person inside for the rough handling. But then I realized that someone was inside there! People aren''t supposed to be inside boxes! I asked them who they were and they said ¡®I¡¯m just a Rotom.¡¯ But there was no ¡®bzzt¡¯!¡±

    At that point, I couldn¡¯t resist face-palming. Dun copied me, coiling around and slapping his face

    with his tail. My father continued unabated.

    ¡°I tossed open the lid to reveal not a Rotom, but a man crouched inside! He stepped out, announcing himself as a poacher, describing his vile scheme of how they had faked the recall, using it to slip inside the factory. He capped it off by proclaiming that he and his compatriots were going to steal the Rotoms! I declared that I would stop him!¡±

    ¡°Wait, but you don¡¯t have any Pokemon,¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Yes!¡± He announced proudly, puffing his chest out. ¡°This was a fact that the poacher noticed as well. He released his Krokorok and threatened me, and I boasted that I was so dangerous that I didn¡¯t need any Pokemon to defeat him, quelling him into submission¡­ until one of the other thieves came in to check in on what was taking him so long. She told him to get on with it and called my bluff.¡± After a moment of incredulous silence he added: ¡°So I ran!¡±

    He described how he ran in and around the facility, bumping into and evading a total of five would-be thieves. My mind started playing the Scooby Doo music as I imagined Billy running about.

    I can¡¯t believe how ridiculous my parents are. Holding back laughter I ended up still snorting at his antics, catching a quick glance shared between them out of the corners of my eyes. Their faces softened and I saw their over the top ¡®shock¡¯ and ¡®awe¡¯ at the events being recounted shift for a moment to smiles full of love and tenderness as they looked down at me. I guess they heard at least some of what happened to me.

    ¡°... eventually, they had me cornered, right outside the Rotom farm itself. All the poachers had powerful Ground Types chasing me, but I had a secret weapon.¡± O¡¯Nare squealed in delight, clapping her hands together as the story reached the ¡®dramatic¡¯ finale. ¡°I had grabbed some of the discontinued Wash Appliances and put them in my Sliph Co. bag. As they moved in on me, I-¡±

    ¡°Wait! Why are the Wash Appliances discontinued!?¡± I interrupted. Billy blinked, caught a bit off guard by that.

    ¡°Oh, well they tend to get water all over the place. Trainers just didn¡¯t like that one as much I guess?¡± He offered. I refused to have any of it.

    ¡°It¡¯s one of the best Rotom Forms! With Water/Electric Typing and Levitate Rotom only has one Weakness, four Resistances, and an Immunity! It¡¯s only rivaled by Heat Rotom which has 2 weaknesses but a bevy of resistances¡­¡± I realized I had stood up on the bed at some point and was just ranting. ¡°Sorry about that.¡± Sheepishly I moved back to let him speak. It must have shown, for he smiled at me in the way dad¡¯s do.

    ¡°Not a problem, it¡¯s wonderful to see you so enthusiastic. And I agree, it¡¯s a remarkable form - when I opened the doors to the farm, I also tossed in the washing machines, which a few brave Rotoms possessed, and then washed the poachers clean out!¡±

    ¡°Good to hear. Did you find out why there were so few employees there to handle the recall?¡±

    ¡°Ah yes,¡± He held up a finger dramatically as he remembered that important detail of the story. ¡°When the police came and apprehended them it was revealed that the ringleader of their group was an employee we were in the process of letting go. Adrion Blanchard, he hacked into our system before we were done, arranging the whole thing. He set it up so the recall notice would come through at the same time that he arranged for almost everyone else working there to be given forced time off. The police even found Sharpedo Jet Boats stashed nearby for a quick getaway so they could flee the country!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ incredible.¡± Perhaps a bit silly in how it all turned out, but I mean it. They both did good things yesterday while I¡­ Both of them hugging me pulled me out of my thoughts.

    ¡°We¡¯re so sorry we couldn¡¯t make it to your tournament, dear. We know how hard you¡¯ve been training for it-¡± I cut my mother off.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡±

    They shared a disbelieving glance before moving on, clearly opting to discuss ¡®it¡¯ (i.e. me) privately. ¡°You must tell us all about it now, though. We want to hear how it all went, and umm¡­¡± He trailed off, obviously searching for the words to ask about why it ended so badly, but in a way that wouldn¡¯t upset me.

    ¡°It went well-¡±

    ¡°Dun dun!¡± My starter countered angrily.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t let me finish! It did go well, at first. All the way up until the end. We got disqualified because the referees-¡± I grumbled barely coherently about my disdain for them before regaining my composure. ¡°They made a decision on Terastalization and said that I was disqualified for using it in the semi-finals, even though it hadn¡¯t been outright stated in the rules.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°No!¡±

    ¡°This is terrible!¡±

    ¡°We should call these officials and explain that they need to undo this immediately.¡±

    ¡°I-¡± A part of me was tempted, a large part that wanted to burn Freddrick and everything he owned to the ground. But that¡¯s not right, it won¡¯t help anything. ¡°No, don¡¯t try to undo it or anything.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure honey?¡± O¡¯Nare asked. ¡°This sounds wrong. It-¡± Her voice broke for a moment. ¡°It sounds like it hurt you.¡±

    I gave her a small nod. ¡°It sucked, yeah, but we can¡¯t fix this. Please don¡¯t try to ¡®undo¡¯ the ruling.¡± Even if they could get it reversed, no one is going to appreciate me getting the win like that, and the moment has already passed. Worryingly, they might well be able to force the officials to undo that; they had a lot of economic power in Paldea and together they might be able to cause the officials to undo this, or try some other forced rematch type situation.

    I already got a firsthand account of how having friends in the right places can alter outcomes that should be set in stone. It wouldn¡¯t make me a better trainer though, wouldn¡¯t help me learn Aura, or even earn me any respect, ¡®winning¡¯ like that. Dun hit the bed a few times, lightly enough to not cause an Earthquake, but I could tell he wasn¡¯t happy with this. Me neither, buddy.

    Scratching his head to soothe him a little, I said ¡°I thought I heard the head judge and my last opponent conspiring after the match. Freddrick called him ¡®uncle¡¯, but there¡¯s no way his uncle could have been allowed to rule for him, right?¡±

    ¡°Freddrick¡­¡± My mother mused. ¡°The Van Grough boy?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I fought him. I told one of the other judges, maybe she¡¯ll be able to find something out about that.¡± They shared a look, some unspoken communication passing between them and Billy said:

    ¡°We¡¯ll look into it. That cannot stand.¡± There was a steel to his voice, matched in my mother¡¯s gaze that reminded me that they led massive international companies, and what it might take to lead them, silly stories aside. ¡°Our connections can find any sign of foul play and expose them.¡±

    ¡°Th-thank you,¡± I stammered out, wiping at my watery eyes. It might not fix everything, but getting Freddrick and the head judge to see justice would be nice, at least. ¡°I might want to hear about those connections later, but for now,¡± I moved on, wanting to focus on brighter things.

    ¡°The battles were really good though. I think Leah has some videos of them if you want to see them.¡±

    ¡°Actually, she¡¯s already transferred the files to me, bzzt,¡± Rotom announced, making their presence known as they floated over in front of us. Stretching out to tablet size, they loaded up the first video. ¡°Bzzt, would you like to watch?¡±

    ¡°Oh yes! This will be fantastic, to see our daughter in her first official tournament battle.¡± O¡¯Nare said, Billy heartily agreeing.

    ¡°It will be a spectacle for the ages!¡±

    ¡°My first match isn¡¯t super impressive. Wait till we get to the later rounds.¡± With my implicit permission, Rotom began playing them and we settled in to watch. From the first Earthquake to Dun¡¯s last ditch attack against Corviknight they were gasping and ¡®oohing¡¯ in awe.

    I didn¡¯t think I needed them. ¡®Parents¡¯. Not in this lifetime. I already had a perfectly good set, once upon a time. Why would I try to replace that? So I told myself it didn¡¯t matter if these people were busy or weird. But sitting here with them, watching them cheer on past me¡­ it¡¯s nice.

    ***

    By the next day, pretty much everyone in the house had seen my battles, my parents showing them off to all the staff.

    Everyone seemed pretty impressed with my performance. It made me feel a little better about how things had gone. Hamber even raised an eyebrow! Maybe both eyebrows, hard to tell with his weird hair. Still, as much as I appreciate their support, I want to see how the world at large took it, too.

    "Spar!"

    "Later, you know what Nurse Joy said," I told Dunsparce, much to his frustration. We''d taken him to a Pokemon Center, and she''d healed him a bit and said he''d be fine, but that it would be best to rest for a few days before training.

    Instead of training, I uploaded a video of our semi-final again. This time, it wasn''t one that Leah had made, but one that a viewer had made and uploaded to a forum. The video was shakier and more blurry, probably shot with a less expensive camera, maybe just from a regular cell phone, not a Rotom one. There was no better footage, as the tournament officials didn''t see fit to release the official footage of the game that disqualified me, which only seemed to attract more attention and speculation online.

    Let''s see what others have to say about me. This wasn''t just me being vain; my family thought my fighting was amazing, but random people online might be more critical of my fighting. And boy, are they more critical. Of... everything.

    First of all, instead of the battle forums, my search brought up the latest news article.

    "Controversial end to the Junior Tournament!" was the headline of one of the larger Mesagozan newspapers. Reading through the article, the wording was careful not to be overtly offensive to the League staff, but it was quite critical of how the judges had handled the "Tera Orb" situation.

    This was followed by a Poke (this world¡¯s version of a Tweet) by the Official Paldean League account stating that International Tournaments would use Tera Orbs as Enhancement Items with all the rules and regulations those had and that all future internal tournaments would post any changes from those within those rulings well in advance going forwards.

    From there it was onto the forums, and the results were mixed. The first and largest forum by far was Pokemon Trainers Online, and PTO had a lot to say about this decision. I skimmed over some of the more heated parts of the discussion in the early segments that were more reactionary.

    @adriontompkins: ¡®Why is this such a big deal? It was a good match, but the little girl clearly wouldn¡¯t have won without the Tera Orb. And really? Bringing a Tera Orb to a Junior Tournament? Isn¡¯t that like bringing a Mega Evolution out?¡¯

    @IceShredder: ¡®Yeah, and so is bringing a freaking Corviknight to such a torney. Besides, that¡¯s not the real problem, the problem is when the ruling happened. Maybe if they had called it right after the match, people would be less upset.¡¯

    @adriontompkins: #IceShredder ¡®Point. That does feel pretty unfair too, but how are you supposed to judge a trainer for the Pokemon they bring in? I¡¯ve got my Growlithe from my Ma, and yeah he battled a bit before but nothing serious. I¡¯d hate to have been not allowed to battle with him just cause the League felt it was unfair¡¯

    @Fishergal233: ¡®Does it make a difference? Like, the other semi-final match wouldn¡¯t impact the result of the first so¡­? Sorry, I¡¯m kinda new here, just saw this thread blowing up¡¯

    @FasterthanU: ¡®Understatement of the century, I¡¯ve never seen people get so riled up about a Junior level Tournament before. Making that ruling at all was wild. The sorta thing that would only happen if someone was cheating - and before any brings up that derail again, Nemona Glitterati was not cheating. She had every reason to believe that what she was doing was allowed.¡¯

    @DragoniteDeservesAMega: #FasterthanU ¡®She had every right to believe it because she was correct. The head judge made a terrible call and backed it up with phony logic when called out on it.¡¯

    @kickman34: ¡®Enhancements being allowed at all feels like an oversight. I¡¯ve double checked, and nobody brought in Megas in the Junior Tourney history, and once the Alolan adjustments were made, they didn¡¯t have to worry about Z-Moves anymore.¡¯

    @Havin¡¯aKarablast: ¡®To play Giratina¡¯s advocate here, it is probably true that Teraztalization shouldn¡¯t have been allowed. On the other ghostly hand, did the little girl deserve to be punished for the fact that the League didn¡¯t get their shit together in time?¡¯

    @Fishergal233: ¡®Ok, this is a lot. What are the issues here?¡¯

    @Wilkins19: ¡®The issues are the corrupt league that let them get away with this blatant cheating!

    *User has been warned, keep the discussion civil and productive*

    @DripWithStyle: ¡®Tone it down, buddy. EDIT: See the mods already got to that. While we all agree that this shouldn¡¯t have happened, we can be clearer than that. I don¡¯t think the entire League is evil, but I don¡¯t know what the head judge was smoking to make that call. And after the second semi-final round too? That was egregious.¡¯

    @IceShredder: ¡®Does it matter when the ruling was called? It was a bad call, but it wouldn¡¯t have mattered before or after the other round in affecting the finals.¡¯

    @TaxiMan09: ¡®I¡¯ve been scratching my head trying to make sense of the ruling there. It just don¡¯t seem to fit with what should be going on. Perhaps the head judge was just confused in regard to the latest change made for the international rules?¡¯

    @KrossKueen: ¡®Nah, just the League acting up again. Read betwen the lines they dont like his ruling, but don¡¯t want to come out against him so they just ¡®clarify¡¯ how things work now.¡¯

    @Historybuff48: #Fishergal233 ¡®Anything and everything. To wit:

    <ul>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Should people be allowed inherited Pokemon in tournaments? (Van Grough¡¯s Corviknight belonged to his father originally. Lot of heated debate there)</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Should Enhancement Effects be allowed in low-level tournaments? (Honestly not sure how that one was ever allowed in the rules in the first place. There¡¯s some off topic debate a few pages back about where the cut-off badge-wise should be)</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">And the big one: The ruling on Nemona¡¯s ¡®loss¡¯. Should the head judge have called a rematch? Should the call have been made sooner? Should they have not made the ruling at all? I.e. was it an illegal ruling?</li>

    <li style="font-weight: 400">Finally, if there was something wrong, could it be changed now? (answer if not likely. People are upset enough about the change happening when it did)</li>

    </ul>

    @WaterK1ng: ¡®Glitterati, they make the Rotom Phones. Do you think this loss will hurt their stock?¡¯

    @CuteHat3nnA: ¡®Wut? Why would their daughter ¡®losing¡¯ hurt their stocks? If anything it should boost them - no such thing as bad publicity, right? Plus, she did really well for a little kid, the final ruling notwithstanding.¡¯

    @Hater4Lyfe: ¡®I can¡¯t believe the people weren¡¯t rioting. Is there something in the water in Paldea?¡¯

    @PoisonFan7008: ¡®I¡¯ll say. If something like this happened in Kanto we¡¯d spontaneously learn to copy Weezing and literally Explode on the spot.¡¯

    @GurdurrMyLoins: ¡®I was there, and it wasn¡¯t mind control. Paldeans are a bit more laid back than Kantoans anyways, lol. We were just a little shocked and tired. That tournament had been going on for over 8 hours. In summer. Paldean summers get freaking hot, let me tell ya.

    But that doesn¡¯t mean everyone was happy about it. Her Dunsparce looked a little derpy at the start but he grew on me. Like a Foongus. Watching that little guy push so hard to win and then get it taken away, man that sucked.

    @Havin''aKarablast: ''Yeah, I think the crowd got yelled at by the professor guy for booing earlier? I wonder why he didn''t say anything about it?

    @DragoniteDeservesAMega: ''Oh yeah, we didn''t riot, but there were a lot of angry fans left after we realized this wasn''t a joke. Some people stormed out after Nimona left''.

    @Paydayz: ''People were yelling at the table too! I got ripped off by them on my Corvi winnings''

    @GurdurrMyLoins: ''Come off it, they transferred the bet on Freddrick''s semi-final to the final, making it a null round bet. You probably got back what you ''lost'' by betting on Freddrick in the final! This was a tough fight. Clodsire fought hard, but Steel/Flying is a tough match for a Ground/Poison. That Sky Attack of Corviknight sure is scary.¡¯

    @WaterK1ng: ''What happened to the people who bet on Nemona?

    @Havin''aKarablast: ''I''m not sure, I think the betting table tried to get the winners to return the money they had won? Which didn''t go over too well, but a lot of those bettors had already placed bets for the next round, which the table would keep if they didn''t... There was a lot of arguing from that section of the court.

    @IceShredder: ''This whole thing was a scam, Nemona got ROBbed''

    @Wilkins19: ''This wasn¡¯t just a scam, it was an injustice. We should storm the League and make them pay in blood for this travesty of justice!

    *User has been banned. Do not support political violence over a kid''s tournament*.

    @CuteHat3nnA: ''I see what you mean about people going crazy...''

    Quite a few comments supported Dun and I. Saying it was unfair, that we should have won, that we had a better shot, that the judges were to blame, etc. Even memes.

    A picture of Dun curled up with the caption "Don''t tread on me. Had me totally freaking out. Guess some things will cross the universes even without my influence. There were other funny pictures, some with captions and some not, like Dun with his back turned to Corviknight, blocking her attacks. ¡®Parry Thi- oh. You did.

    ¡¯

    It was nice to read those things, but there were other comments too¡­

    ¡®What was she doing?¡¯

    ¡®I didn¡¯t expect the Junior Tournament to be so violent¡­ glad I wasn¡¯t there in person.¡¯

    ¡®Someone should take her license away.¡¯

    ¡®The only reason why she ¡®won¡¯ was because her opponent must have been feeling sorry for her and didn¡¯t want to kill her snake. Glad the judges fixed that and the best trainer became the true winner. #Freddrick van Gogogo!¡¯

    ¡®Dunsparce are dumb. Glitterati¡¯s are loaded and there¡¯s like thousands of Pokemon to choose from, why did she pick a Pokemon like that? Wtf lol.¡¯

    ¡®Wow, a Corviknight lost to a freaking Dunsparce? That¡¯s sad.¡¯

    ¡®She must have been cheating. I see why she was kicked out now, no way she could beat a majestic Corviknight.¡¯

    Ok, I can probably discount the last comment from MurderOfChivalry73, but still. Those were the minority of the comments, I knew. Dozens of more supportive comments for any of those (and hundreds more just confused or undecided). Any anonymous asshole online could post whatever they wanted, and I was scanning thoroughly through multiple forums. Why can¡¯t I help but fixate on these types of comments? They shouldn¡¯t get to live in my head, plague my every waking moment.

    At least people are ragging on Freddrick here too. Stupid, nepotistic, asshole, gonna beat your fucking face in- I cut off that line of thought. Deep breaths, in and out.

    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

    ¡°Arce?¡± Dun tilted his head to the side, wondering what I was doing.

    ¡°Ah, sorry, just trying to calm down,¡± I said, forcing a smile out. Can¡¯t make him upset just because of what I¡¯m dealing with. ¡°Some of these comments rile me up. But! There¡¯s some good stuff here. Like, that Move you did at the end? It¡¯s called Last Resort, that¡¯s one of the strongest Moves anyone can learn!¡±

    ¡°Dun dun! Unarce!¡±

    ¡°Yeah,- oh.¡± I stopped for a moment as I read another comment. I sighed and read it aloud to Dunsparce (he could read too, but not as fast as I could).

    "It looks like the Dunsparce used Yawn here. Interestingly, Nemona seems to have taught him an invisible variation without the usual visible cloud enveloping the opponent. This clever move caught her opponent off guard and allowed Dunsparce to capitalize on the fact that the Corviknight was falling asleep''".

    ¡°That¡¯s why Yawn wasn¡¯t working properly! We only succeeded about half the time because we were missing part of the Move.¡± I groaned. ¡°At least now we can fix that.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t it useful to have an invisible version to catch an opponent off guard, bzzt?¡± Rotom asked.

    ¡°I mean, yeah, it is. But in battles where the opponent can¡¯t switch, more accuracy is useful. Plus, it can be useful on its own to try and ¡®force¡¯ a switch from your opponent when you have a bad matchup.¡± Some trainers would use their switch-up way too early to prevent their Pokemon from falling asleep. As Corviknight proved, sometimes a Pokemon can just outlast it.

    After a minute I added ¡°You are right though, it¡¯s not bad to have more options. We were in a rough spot against Corviknight there because we hadn¡¯t trained enough Moves to cover a Steel-Flying Type.¡±

    ¡°Dun. Spar!¡± Dun pouted.

    ¡°Hey, hey, it¡¯s not your fault, it¡¯s mine. I should have realized how useful things like Ancient Power would be and had you do some training in that.¡±

    Dun shook his head, wiggling up and awkwardly trying to type on it till he found what he wanted. Turning around he pointed at it with his tail (more of a jab that Rotom thankfully backed out of the way of).

    ¡°Last Resort? I- no, we can¡¯t practice that Move. It¡¯s great that you know it, but that Move¡­¡±

    Everything I¡¯d read online about it was that trying to train it was practically torture. Maybe minus the practically. It wasn¡¯t like a game where you could order your Pokemon to only remember Fake-Out and Last Resort, in this world Last Resort was a true last resort. You didn¡¯t need to cycle through every Move your Pokemon knew, but they needed to be feeling desperate and have used a good deal of your energy before it was even possible. People are already telling me that was too much. If we¡¯re forced into it, sure, I¡¯ll use it. I don¡¯t need to try and push Dun that hard on the regular, however.

    My starter didn¡¯t seem to feel the same way, though, pouting. ¡°C¡¯mon buddy, let¡¯s go outside. Some fresh air will do us some good.¡± I scooped him up, but he wiggled out of my arms.

    ¡°Du.¡±

    ¡°Hey stop that. Look, I know you¡¯re upset about what happened. Frederick is a dirty cheater, but we shouldn¡¯t let that ruin-¡± I covered my ears as Dunsparce let out a sudden, shrill sound that had me clutching my ears. ¡°Ahhh! Dun, stop!¡±

    "I get it, you''re upset," I said after he calmed down. "But there''s nothing we can do, so there''s no point moping here."

    "Dun dun!" My Dunsparce countered.

    ¡°Bzzt, unfortunately, Nemona was the only one to hear their collusion, so we can¡¯t report him to the authorities,¡± Rotom pointed out. Dun had a different idea, wiggling into the space behind my bed, jabbing his tail into thin air, then wiggling out and making odd chirping sounds.

    ¡°What are you- no. No! We are not finding Freddrick in a dark alley and attacking him! Why would he even be in a dark alley?!¡±

    ¡°Arce dun!¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re right, that¡¯s not the point, the point is we aren¡¯t going to go after him.¡± No matter how tempting that sounds. ¡°He¡¯d beat us anyways. We got lucky last time and this time he¡¯ll be ready for our tricks-¡±

    ¡°DUUUN!¡± My Pokemon shouted, slamming the ground and causing my room to shake.

    ¡°Dunsparce! What-?!¡± I fell to the ground, surprised by his sudden aggression. Awkwardly, I reached for his Pokeball and recalled him. ¡°What was that?¡± I asked the empty air (technically Rotom was here too, but I didn¡¯t expect them to have a better answer than I did).

    Holding up the ball I said to the Pokemon inside ¡°Just¡­ cool off a bit, ok?¡± There was no response, but the fact that he wasn¡¯t bursting out made me think he got the message.

    ***

    The next few days didn¡¯t go any better with Dun. He was feeling strong enough for light training, but that wasn¡¯t what he was interested in.

    ¡°Dun, use Screech.¡± I pointed at a small pile of old glass I¡¯d placed around the beach as practice targets. The winged land snake made no sound with his mouth, instead propelling himself at the glass. Since this was the third time he had attempted this and once again failed to manifest the star-shaped energy from a successful Last Resort that would push him ahead faster, I had plenty of time to recall him to his Pokeball before he would have smashed headfirst into them.

    Releasing him a second later left neither of us impressed. ¡°Dun, why are you so obsessed with that Move?¡±

    ¡°Dunsparce!¡± He was angry, tail thrashing into the ground and kicking up sand, but I couldn¡¯t tell why exactly. This is an element from the show and games I didn¡¯t see as much. That language barrier. I can tell he¡¯s frustrated, but I¡¯m missing the little details.

    Switching tracks I turned to Rotom. ¡°Hey Rotom, how about we start on your training.¡± I gave them a big thumbs up, as if that would somehow make the fake smile on my face more real. They hovered about, plasmic eyes shifting on their body as if looking for a way out (despite us being in the open).

    ¡°Oh boy, bzzt.¡± They said, unenthusiastically. No, not unenthusiastic, just nervous. They still want to train, it¡¯s just a big step.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll start easy. Just some basic Thundershocks on the sand, to get a feel for your Electric energy. That¡¯s the Type that will remain the same no matter which Form you are in, so it¡¯s good to have a solid handle on that Type.¡±

    ¡°Bzzt, I¡¯m not sure I can do that in my phone case.¡±

    Nodding, I agreed with them, much to their disappointment. ¡°Yeah, you will need to leave your case for this. Don¡¯t worry I¡¯ll hold on to it while you¡¯re training and take good care of it.¡±

    "Dun, un un. Arce." Dunsparce muttered dismissively at the scene. Then he slithered to the bottom of the stairs, jumped up, and headed back up the path to the house.

    I waited until he was out of sight and punched a nearby tree in frustration. "Gahhh!"

    "Young Miss, bzzt?" Rotom asked worriedly as he hovered close to me.

    "Oww. I''m sorry, I''m just so angry. Freddrick is a dirty cheater and - I don''t understand why he has to act like this." I shook my hand, throbbing with pain at my ill-advised moment of frustration. "Could you talk to him? Find out?"

    "Bzzt, excuse me, but I find I understand him only as well as you do. Maybe less well. I didn''t realize you were so upset about Freddrick," they commented.

    "Well, of course I am. I hate Freddrick for what he did." For the past few days, I had been distracted by imagining increasingly unlikely situations in which I would find Freddrick. Sometimes I''d beat him in a Pokemon battle, other times I''d trick him into confessing something. Mostly, my fantasies were just about beating him up.

    I sighed. ¡°But lashing out doesn¡¯t help anyone, least of all yourself.¡± I glanced at the cracks I¡¯d left in the tree. Impressive, for a girl a few days off seven years old. But still pointless; my hand hurts, and hitting the tree didn¡¯t help anything either.

    ¡°Bzzt, you might be looking at this too logically, Young Miss.¡± I gave them a look, which they accepted with a small bob of their body. ¡°I know, I can fall victim to that way of thinking too, bzzt. Dun¡¯s not thinking of the consequences of that, just being frustrated at not being strong enough.¡±

    I shook my head, blinking. ¡°What do you mean, not strong enough? Dun is incredibly strong.¡±

    ¡°Oh, he is, bzzt. For any other¡­ quirks he may have, he¡¯s quite strong. Bzzt right now, I think he doesn¡¯t feel very strong. If he had been able to win without Terastalization, then Freddrick couldn¡¯t have used that excuse to get you kicked out, right?¡±

    ¡°Oh.¡± The epiphany hit me so hard that I looked up to make sure an apple hadn¡¯t fallen on my head to grant me this insight (it didn¡¯t, not the least of which was because this wasn¡¯t an apple tree). That was just some offhand comment I made because I was trying to deflect from my anger.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t realize I¡¯m just as angry about it too because I¡¯m trying to hide it. My reasoning for training him on different paths than Last Resort and what I said about him losing if we fought Corviknight again, and then abandoning training with him¡­ argh.¡± I moaned as I put the pieces together. ¡°He thinks I¡¯m giving up. On fighting, on the promise I made to him! He thinks I think he¡¯s weak and he wants to prove he¡¯s strong!¡±

    All because I suck at communicating. God, I¡¯m so stupid. No! Enough self-recrimination, focus on the situation and how to actually fix it! I doubt that what I¡¯ve thought of is the only reason why he¡¯s acting this way, there¡¯s probably something else here. Still, that¡¯s the main thrust of his issues with me, and that¡¯s what I need to address right now.

    Dun not being strong was the furthest thing from my mind - Dun had been incredible in that tournament. Facing off a fully evolved Pokemon and winning despite having only resisted Moves? Insanely strong. His determination was amazing, and I wanted to see him shine to his fullest.

    ¡°Maybe not that much, but you should tell him that, bzzt,¡± Rotom advised.

    ¡°Yeah. Wait no, I should show him that.¡± A plan started forming in my head. Only a few days left, but I think I can do it.

    ***

    Dun remained in his ball most of the time or moping around the house in the follow-up from our spat on the beach. I let him avoid me for that time as it let me work on my surprise. Which hit a few snags, admittedly. I hope he likes it.

    With everything ready, I woke Dunsparce on the big day. Before he could slither out of my room I barred his path. ¡°Hey Dun, we need to talk.¡±

    ¡°Un.¡± He turned his head slightly away from me, reluctant. Does he feel guilty about how he¡¯s been behaving? Well, that is a good sign, he was being a bit rowdy. Still, I gotta acknowledge my part in missing his feelings in this mess too.

    ¡°I think there¡¯s been a misunderstanding on my part, about why you¡¯ve been so upset recently. I¡¯ve been trying to keep down my rage at Freddrick and the tournament as much as possible, because¡­A lot of reasons. I get too angry, and let little annoyances take over my life, and he was more than just a little annoyance. Or, was he?¡±

    ¡°Uuuuun?¡± He said, confused.

    ¡°Freddrick Van Grough cheated and cost us our victory in the tournament. That, while frustrating, should not be a big thing. He¡¯s a small, pathetic little pissant, and while I hope he gets his due... He¡¯s so small that we shouldn¡¯t be focusing on him, though I know that¡¯s easier to say than do. What¡¯s big, what truly matters, is you.¡±

    ¡°Dun?¡± He said hopefully, and more than a little confused. Then he added ¡°Ar, arce, un.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re asking if this means just letting him go?¡± He wobbled his head before shaking it.

    ¡°Hmm¡­ oh! You want to make sure this never happens again?¡± I hazarded, to which he eagerly nodded. Nice, I think I¡¯m getting a better grasp on what he¡¯s ¡®saying¡¯.

    ¡°Well, we¡¯re not going to be running blindly into a mess like that again, especially with such a new ruling. I¡¯ll be looking into anything like that much more carefully, checking ahead of time with the officials to ensure that no one can pull the rug out from under us again.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s an interesting saying, bzzt,¡± Rotom commented.

    ¡°Huh, is that not a thing here? Weird. Wonder what took its place culturally.¡± Dun shifted on the ground, the sound reminding me of what I was doing. ¡°Right! So I¡¯ll also be using the contacts my parents gave me. A full-on legal team, on video call whenever we need them, in case some argument like this gets brought up again. I won¡¯t run away, I¡¯ll fight it properly.¡± That pressure of feeling like the crowd was staring me down was a lot. Hopefully, in the future, my preparations will ensure I won''t ever be in this situation again. Honestly, I hope that nothing like this does ever crop up again, and my preparations aren''t necessary.

    I had some doubts I could avoid anything like this, given my meta-knowledge. I hadn¡¯t been thinking about Penny or Team Star, but I would have probably just tried to be their friend but not realized what kind of pressure they faced from the authority of the old staff. They pointed out that she did nothing wrong, but Penny was still forced to leave. I¡¯ve got options that could help her this time.

    Options that I would be reluctant to use otherwise. My parents had somehow gotten me the personal number of the current Chairman of the Pokemon League. A nuclear option to be sure, if I used it in a match I¡¯m certain there would be public outcry against me, no matter how reasonable or necessary the situation. But if I do need it, I have it.

    ¡°D-Dun. Dunspar?¡±

    ¡°Ah, that," I said feeling a bit awkward as he asked about a more recent issue, in what I had said about how he would lose against Corviknight if they fought again. "I was getting fixated on the wrong things there. Kinda like the referee who found me.¡± At least I hope so. She meant well and was willing to listen to me and investigate the matter. According to my parents, a League official is looking into it, so hopefully we¡¯ll see results from their investigation.

    ¡°People can be bad at communicating, and I¡¯m no exception there. I shouldn¡¯t have been making the point of how technically without Terastalization you might be weaker than that one Corviknight. I should be talking about just how strong and incredible you are.¡±

    ¡°You want to show that you¡¯re strong, and I know that. We went into that tournament, not to win, but to get stronger. Being Champion would be nice, but I just want the strength to go anywhere in this wonderful world, and by that metric? This tournament was a great success. None of that invalidates the promise I made you, though. I¡¯ll aim for Champion, because I want to, and also to show the world the truth: One day, you will be the very, very strongest.¡± Walking over to my gigantic closet I opened it up, pulling out what I¡¯d hidden there last night.

    It was a large trophy in the shape of a tall bowl-like cup. The top of it reached up to my neck and there were two loopy handles on the sides. At the base, I had metal plates with the words carved in ¡®The strongest Dunsparce in the world¡¯. Hefting it up, I presented it to him. ¡°As proof of what I said, and to celebrate everything we¡¯ve done so far. I may not have been able to get you a trophy for the tournament, but you¡¯ve more than earned this.¡±

    Quickly, I placed the trophy down before Dunsparce rushed towards me doing a passable impression of a Tackle. Or a Dragon Rush, oof, I thought as he bowled me giving sharp, happy cries as he nuzzled into my arms.

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry I didn¡¯t realize how you were feeling before.¡± My eyes were still a little watery, but I was so happy to have Dunsparce back in my arms, acting like his usual self. After a minute of hugging him, he squirmed to indicate he wanted to be let out, and when I did he wiggled right over to the trophy inspecting it from all around, getting a good look at it.

    Gah, it feels so embarrassing. I know it¡¯s my first work but it doesn¡¯t look anywhere near as good as the trophy they handed out at the end of the tournament. Dun didn¡¯t seem to agree with my evaluation, cooing over it all, eyes wide open as he took it all in. He could just be appreciative of the gesture, or maybe because I made it clear I recognized him. But, I guess in the end it doesn¡¯t matter. So long as he¡¯s happy, I¡¯m happy.

    As I wiped away my tears, I heard Rotom¡¯s camera shutter go off in the background, taking pictures of this moment. ¡°Thank you too, Rotom, for helping me realize what I needed to do.¡±

    ¡°Dun, un, sparce sparce.¡± Dunsparce said to Rotom as well, and the phone blushed for a moment, seeming both affronted yet proud. I question Rotom only understanding Dun as well as I do because they definitely got more of that exchange than I did.

    ¡°We¡¯ll probably need a whole room for all the trophies you guys will win in the future, but for now I was thinking of putting this one in my bedroom, so you can see it often. Sound good?¡±

    Dunsparce nodded eagerly and I carefully picked it up, placing it on the desk in my room. ¡°Now, I¡¯ve got another gift, and this one is for both of you. Let¡¯s go down to the beach for me to unveil this though.¡±

    ¡°Un.¡±

    ¡°Bzzt, let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°Just wait a moment you two!¡± I said, laughing at their impatience. All three of us likely would have zipped out of the room, however last time we did that I accidentally bowled over a butler, and Dunsparce knocked over a vase (not sure if that one was accidental or not because the thing was a pretty hideous shade of orange), and we all (even Rotom) got chewed out for it by Leah.

    Once outside, however, there were no such limits and we raced down to the beach. ¡°First!¡± I called out, as I reached an arbitrary rock in the sand. Dunsparce skidded past me a second later, but turned pretty sharply, using his tail to counterbalance and spin 180 degrees. His maneuverability is improving and in a straight line, he¡¯s faster than me. The curved path down is probably the only reason I was able to beat him.

    ¡°Alright, so the other present.¡± Fishing them out from my bag I pulled out a dozen Technical Machines. ¡°Ta-da!¡±

    Dunsparce looked eager, while Rotom was kind of confused. ¡°Bzzt, didn¡¯t you want to focus on fundamentals, and not use the machines?¡±

    ¡°That was the reason I gave, and it was true, but I¡¯ve been thinking about it more.¡± All the strongest competitors, Atticus, and even Freddrick, used plenty of Technical Machine Moves. And I was using them too, with the ones left over after the Haxorus incident.

    I scratched my chin, trying to think of how to explain this right. ¡°I think I was shying away from using my family¡¯s money to advance as a trainer, only using the TMs I already had. I wanted to make it more ¡®on my own¡¯. Which is honestly kind of silly - everyone has advantages they use to be a better trainer. I can¡¯t hold back because I have some advantages other people don¡¯t, even if I could wish that the world was a more even playing field. All I can do is my best by you two, so you rise up and become the best you can be.¡±

    It might be selfish of me to think like this, but it¡¯s true. I¡¯m not holding back my knowledge or intellect from being reborn in this world, so I¡¯m not going to hold back on using the money I¡¯ve been given either. It¡¯s not like other people beat themselves up over way bigger isekai cheats than I have. ¡°That¡¯s not to say it wasn¡¯t right to focus on what Dun knew at the time. Your Moves were incredibly strong because we honed those few to perfection, which got us that win, no matter what anyone else says.¡±

    ¡°Dun!¡± He agreed with a determined look in his eyes.

    ¡°But there are also gaps in your training. I focused too much on just maneuverability and strong Physical Moves. Luckily, we don¡¯t have the time crunch we had for the tournament. Now we can spend a good long time practicing these Moves and making all of them just as strong as the ones you had in the tournament. And the good news is, a lot of these Moves can be learned by both of you!¡± I flashed out two copies of Thunder, Hyper Voice, and Protect each. They probably don¡¯t actually consider it ¡®good news¡¯, but I do; I can use their rivalry to help spur each other on.

    They were already exchanging competitive glares with each other, so I considered that scheme a success. Just as Rivals help improve Trainers, a bit of that often helps Pokemon improve too.

    ¡°Of course, there¡¯s also the Moves you can learn naturally, which we¡¯ll keep on practicing.¡± Catching Dun¡¯s gaze I scratched the back of my head. ¡°I guess I didn¡¯t explain my resistance to Last Resort all that well either. Let me try and sum it up.¡±

    ¡°Last Resort is a really powerful Move, and it gets that power from being a Move of desperation. Being frightened, exhausted, feeling doom crushing in around you, combined with a drive to fight through. You¡¯ve got plenty of the latter, but it¡¯s the former that worries me. To really train the Move, would mean getting better at using it, reaching the mental state to call upon it more often and faster. And feeling that bad constantly¡­ It can twist your mind and I don¡¯t want that for you, ever. So while I¡¯d be open to trying to use it at the end of a tough training session once or twice and there might come another day when we need it, but I hope you can see why I don¡¯t want your training to focus on that.¡±

    Dun let out a large sigh but nodded his large head. ¡°Don¡¯t fret, proper tactics and using your Moves well can make up for sheer power. And well, I did say it was only ¡®one of¡¯ the strongest Moves, right?¡± I pulled out a final TM from my pocket.

    ¡°This right here is the strongest Move. Bar none.¡± Ok, technically, bar Z-Moves or V-Create or Prismatic Laser, but I¡¯m not counting those. ¡°It has its drawbacks, of being draining to use, but I think that will be a lot healthier of a drawback to tackle and try and train with. And it is even stronger than Last Resort.¡±

    ¡°I thought Hyper Beam was the strongest Move, bzzt,¡± Rotom commented, hovering over to look at the Giga Impact disc.

    ¡°Pshaw, Hyper Beam this and that, everyone¡¯s always going on about that Move. Yes, it¡¯s really strong too and has a similar drawback to its use, but Giga Impact is just as strong as it.

    Dunsparce as a species tend to lean more towards Physical attacks anyways, so this will be the best for him.¡± Turning to him I added ¡°You won¡¯t need Hyper Beam anyways. After you evolve, you¡¯ll be able to learn a really powerful special Move called Boomburst that only a few other Pokemon can learn. Boomburst is as strong as Last Resort, but none of the drawbacks of it, or even the other really strong Moves like Giga Impact or Hyper Beam.¡± Okay, blowing out all the windows in a large radius around you might be a ¡®drawback¡¯ in some situations, but it¡¯s true that once he learns that Move it¡¯ll be a lot easier to spam than the others.

    ¡°Dun?¡± He asked, wonder shining in his eyes. Ah well, that¡¯s a fair ways off- oh, no, he¡¯s not focused on Boomburst. The other thing I said.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think your evolution is that far off. By my next birthday, I¡¯m pretty sure you¡¯ll be a Dudunsparce.¡± His eyes widened further, making me wonder if he was actually straining them. ¡°If you want, there¡¯s no rush to evolving, don¡¯t even have to if you don¡¯t want-¡±

    ¡°Du, dun, sparce!¡± I laughed at his enthusiastic response while idly wondering about Pokemon speech patterns. Do Pokemon often evolve with similar names because it¡¯s easier for the vocal cords to adjust? Why do Pokemon only speak like that?

    Over the horizon, I could see a flying taxi headed towards my house, and knew that meant Arven would be here soon. ¡°All that is for tomorrow though. Today it¡¯s time to celebrate. My birthday, and the day I met you. Thank you, Dun.¡±

    ***

    We went up to meet Arven to play some card and tabletop games, Cyan joining us soon after. We didn¡¯t have any of the more niche board games I liked to play in my old life, but it was still plenty of fun to play Pokeopoly and Trainer Journey (like Life?).

    ¡°How¡¯s it going our wonderful birthday girl?¡± O¡¯Nare said, sweeping through the doorway, Billy following swiftly behind her.

    ¡°Mom, Dad!¡± I ran up to give them a big hug each. ¡°You¡¯re home early.¡± It was barely into the afternoon. I¡¯d noticed they¡¯d been working at getting back to a more regular (for them) schedule ever since they missed the tournament, but this was still pretty early. ¡°It¡¯s going great, I¡¯m whooping Arven at Trainer Journey.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not fair, she¡¯s just too lucky!¡± Arven pouted, crossing his arms, his long hair obscuring most of his face as he slumped over.

    ¡°All skill,¡± I countered, showing my incredible maturity by resisting the urge to stick my tongue out at him. Though honestly, luck has played a decent role in it. I might have picked optimal paths when given the choice of where to go or how to hedge my bets, but I got pretty lucky spins on the wheel too. Rotom is probably planning this the best out of all of us but has abysmal luck.

    ¡°Why is Maschiff in the corner?¡± Billy reasonably asked.

    ¡°Cheating,¡± Arven, Cyan, and I deadpanned simultaneously. Cyan gave the hound the stink-eye, having been the one to catch him stealing notes out of the ¡®bank¡¯, a look the dog returned with a pained yowl at the injustice of it all. I see the evil smirk in your eyes though, I know what you¡¯re up to!

    Nonetheless, the Dark Type was let back into our next game which my parents joined in as well. Unsurprisingly since it was a variation of Cheat, Maschiff swept the floor with us all (though I at least got second place). It was a rather small ¡®party¡¯, but I honestly liked it that way; too many people would make me feel crowded and awkward like I¡¯d say the wrong thing and someone I didn¡¯t know as well would judge me. This is nice.

    After the games was dinner where we had steaks and steamed vegetables with pan-fried potatoes. It¡¯s not quite like how I made it in my old life, but this is definitely delicious. Our guest agreed too, though he was more focused on another aspect.

    ¡°I still can¡¯t believe you guys get meat every night for dinner.¡± Arven said when my father had pointed out that this was ¡®delicious even for standard fare¡¯.

    ¡°Yeah, I guess we¡¯re pretty lucky.¡± Another thing to be grateful for. Regular animals are a lot rarer here, so only the rich can afford to have meat in their meals often.

    Noticing O¡¯Nare opening her mouth I quickly continued, before her line of questioning might determine that a Professor¡¯s son might count as a ''commoner.'' ¡°It looks like we¡¯re almost done, so let¡¯s get dessert, and then, the presents!¡±

    I had presented a small but appropriate list this time well in advance to my family so that there would be no repeats of a surprise Haxorus this year.

    I¡¯d asked for Pan au Chocolates for my birthday rather than cake, and the chef had done a masterful job of them (my dislike of cake had carried over from my past life, but having a live-in kitchen staff meant they could easily accommodate my weird tastes). They were fluffy, and warm, with a delicious chocolate center.

    After dinner, they brought out their gifts. ¡°Here you go!¡± Arven said, rushing up eagerly, the first one to give me a gift. The gift looked lumpy, made of something soft. The paper that wrapped it was messily applied, and I felt a bit of saliva on the outside. Maschiff must have helped him, and I think his work is a little neater than Arven¡¯s.

    Opening it up I saw it was a holster, one that looked designed for a singular Pokeball. It could be worn around the waist and connected to a larger belt, or adjusted to be strapped to the thigh or arm. But why would I need a single extra Pokeball holder- oh!

    ¡°This is for my Tera Orb!¡± My face lit up as I realized the purpose of his gift.

    ¡°Yeah! I saw at the tournament you just had it in your pocket and thought you might need a better place to put it. Also, my dad included something as well.¡± He pointed in the pouch and I flipped it up to see a thin red rectangular device within.

    ¡°Is this¡­ a Pokedex?!?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, he said it might be handy. You aren¡¯t an official lab-sponsored trainer or anything like that, but he said you can put in any notes or obsavations you want. It has a buncha fun facts on it too!¡± I was wondering why he was being so nice here, given his aloofness at the tournament.

    Arven motioned for me to pass it to him to demonstrate, which I did with a slight roll of my eyes he missed. Kids. Always wanting to try out someone else¡¯s gifts. As he did so, I strapped the Pouch around my arm, placing the Tera Orb securely within.

    ¡°It says here that Alakazam have an IQ of over 5,000, wow! Did you know that?¡±

    Stifling a giggle as he passed it back I said ¡°I¡¯d heard the rumor.¡±

    ¡°Aw man, you know everything Nemona. Looks like you won¡¯t need that much.¡± I shook my head vigorously at his words.

    ¡°No way, this will still be incredibly handy.¡± The anecdotes in the Pokemon¡¯s entries may be less verified, but there¡¯s a bunch of information in here that will be super useful. Much more reliable than trying to sift through the forums and people making random claims online. ¡°Your gift is great too, I really like it.¡±

    He blushed, mumbling how it was ¡®nothing¡¯. While he was doing that, my sister pushed ahead with her gift. ¡°Open it!¡± She demanded eagerly.

    From the outside look of the package I could guess what it was, but I was still very pleased to open the wrapping paper and see it confirmed. ¡°A guitar! I didn¡¯t think you remembered.¡± I had mentioned wanting to get into music a few months ago but had been too busy to look into it afterward.

    The guitar was wooden with a sleek body. There were six strings across the neck and a slot at the bottom to connect it to an amp if I wanted. With this, I might be able to bring back some of the songs I knew in my old world. I only half-remember a lot of them, but I¡¯ll do my best.

    Then came my parents'' gifts. Neither of them had wrapped their gifts, making me wonder if they had tried to do so on their own but been unable to perform this mystic ¡®commoner art.¡¯ Given that Billy¡¯s gift was in a bag and O¡¯Nare¡¯s was in a small case, I couldn¡¯t tell what they were exactly. I didn¡¯t tease them about it of course, because I knew they were trying very hard¡­ and to save as blackmail for later. Not just parents that get to save up embarrassing stories from childhood!

    Mom went first presenting the case to me, which I opened up to see a bunch of small bottles inside. ¡°No way, is this¡­?¡± I asked for this only a couple of days ago, I''m so glad she got them!

    ¡°A year¡¯s supply of nutrient supplements for Dunsparce! Iron, Carbos, Protein, and the like to make sure he grows big and strong.¡± Oh, they¡¯ll do that and then some. These things can help bolster a training regime, and fetch a high price for it. She went on to explain that the rest of the year¡¯s supply was being stored in the kitchen and would be mixed into Dun¡¯s meals in the future.

    Billy passed me the small black one strap backpack he had been holding, which upon closer inspection I saw was a Sliph Co. bag. ¡°Oh this is great, it can hold so much stuff in it.¡±

    ¡°Indeed, and you might just find something already in there,¡± he said, practically vibrating in anticipation. And I thought I was supposed to be the excited one. And the kid. I still opened it eagerly, stretching the opening quite wide.

    Within the extradimensional depths, the dark-purple swirl of the pocket dimension, I saw a familiar-looking machine. Pulling it out made for an odd sensation as I could easily heft it out of the bag, but when it started exiting, gravity began exerting itself on the small-ish red washing machine I pulled out. ¡°A Rotom appliance!¡±

    Rotom flew around it, still inside their phone. ¡°This is quite something, bzzt! I can sense the potential of this device from here, the energy it holds. It looks so durable too, bzzt!¡±

    ¡°I- oh. That¡¯s not the only one,¡± I said as I caught sight of something else in the bag. Pulling them out one after another I placed the different Rotom Appliances in front of me. Oven, Refrigerator, Fan, and Lawn Mower all joined the Washing Machine. ¡°All the Rotom forms¡­¡±

    ¡°You mentioned how good Heat and Wash were, but I figured all of them would be good just to be safe-¡± He began before I cut him off by hugging him tightly. ¡°Oof. Not just smart, our baby girl has gotten- so strong!¡± He wheezed before I let him go and hugged my mom too.

    ¡°Thank you guys so much! Dun and Rotom are going to be so strong with this! We¡¯re going to win every battle and become the best champion there ever was!¡±

 Interlude IV - Professor Friede

    Charizard let out a tired yawn beside my desk before slumping back down again. He was curled up on the floor of the school laboratory I was ¡®working¡¯ in. I reached a hand down to absently scratch the top of his head as I went over the acceptance letter one more time.

    ¡®Dear Professor Friede, we were thrilled to see your application letter and are happy to welcome you aboard as the latest member of Exceed. Your thesis was nothing short of marvelous. We look forward to¡­¡¯ Yada yada yada. A bunch of nice words thanking me and telling me to get ready for 12 hours a day in an office or maybe a laboratory, if I''m lucky.

    My partner stopped enjoying my service and looked up at me with a big sigh.

    ¡°No clue, Charizard, just in a funk."

    With further prompting from my partner, I added:

    "This was supposed to be what I wanted, everything I was looking for. Everything we worked so hard for." The flying lizard next to me may have been more inclined to take to the skies than read dusty textbooks, but when it came time to study for exams, he was always right there. Whether it was pointing out something I had missed or simply creating a light with his tail that I could study by deep into the night.

    ¡°Char char. Rizard.¡±

    ¡°It''s a nice offer, really generous given my inexperience. This Director Crave seems to love my ideas, I just... I don''t know." Charizard cocked his head to the side, puffing out a small ring of smoke nearby the acceptance letter. "Yes, I could turn it down, but what then? Work for the League? All of them are gearing up for Turo¡¯s big expedition.¡± It was still many months off even starting yet, but the scientific world was abuzz with the idea of another foray into the Great Crater.

    Probably have all the papers printed about as soon as the ¡®great Professor Turo¡¯s¡¯ next research becomes public knowledge- No, I couldn¡¯t think like that. Sure, it sucked to have my big achievement of becoming the youngest-ever accredited Pokemon Professor be overshadowed, but that wasn''t the dude''s fault.

    Having met him, I found him to be somewhat stiff, but not rude or condescending. I could totally join up with him, especially for a shot at exploring the Great Crater!... If it wasn''t for what that little girl had said.

    Why was she so convinced it would be bad? Maybe she was just acting weird, little kids do that, right? It felt wrong, like a conclusion that fit the current data at first glance, but was completely wrong when you delved deeper, correlating the wrong evidence and getting an incorrect result.

    No, that''s definitely not right, Turo was acting very strange. I was waiting for him to say something, defend his invention, and then he just... didn''t. Seemed more interested in whatever was on his phone while we were all shocked, then almost annoyed at having to look for Nemona after she ran off.

    The door to the laboratory opened suddenly, and I turned to look at the newcomer. She wasn''t dressed like any Professor or student, the tall woman wore a dark blue suit. Her long black hair with yellow streaks looked familiar, but it wasn''t until she opened her mouth that I could place her.

    ¡°Apologies, this wouldn''t happen to be the bloodwork lab, would it?¡± The referee who helped us search for Nemona before asked.

    ¡°Nah, it''s down the hallway. Why''s a referee asking?¡±

    There was a flicker of a frown that crossed her face before she smoothed it out. ¡°Ah, you remembered me. I''m Geeta, a League Official,¡± she pulled out her ID to verify her words as she spoke. ¡°I''m investigating a certain matter and got permission to use these facilities.¡±

    Well, that answers less than nothing, I noted before getting up. ¡°Professor Friede. Let me show you where they are, the testing apparatus can be a bit tricky.¡±

    As we walked down the hall, I also thanked her. ¡°Thanks for helping us find Nemona, we were all kinda worried when she ran off like that.¡± From the few messages she''d sent me, she seemed to be doing much better, but I knew it was hard to tell how someone was doing from just a few texts - and she, in particular, had a plethora of hidden depths.

    ¡°It was no problem. Are you close to her?¡± The question was polite enough, but there was something steely about her gaze that made me think there was more going on. What it could be though, I have no idea.

    ¡°Not really, I met her the day of the tournament. Nice kid though, real bright.¡± I said as I opened the door to the blood works lab.

    ¡°As bright as yourself?¡±

    ¡°Hah! Well, maybe,¡± I added after a moment of reflection. What she said about Hisuian Zoroark was true after all. I dug through damn near every document in Uva Academy on ancient Sinnohan Pokemon to collect barely what she had told me off-handedly, but the facts were there.

    She raised an eyebrow but didn''t press the topic, moving over to the analysis machines. From her pocket, she pulled out a vial with a blood-soaked cloth within.

    ¡°Alright, you''ll want to place that here to begin an analysis. What''s the sample from and what are you looking for?¡±

    ¡°Any traces of unusual vitamins, drugs, or the like in this blood. Belongs to a Flying/Steel Type.¡±

    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.

    ¡°OK, given those parameters you''ll want to be running these scans¡­¡± I walked her through the basics and she was able to run her test, the results popping up on the screen.

    ¡°Looks like a female, decent health, high-ish iron, but that''s to be expected for a Steel Type, and some trace Powerephenol.¡± At her questioning glance, I clarified. ¡°Power Herb. It''s an ingredient only found in that plant and where the chemical takes its name from.¡±

    ¡°I see. Is there any chance this trace element could be a false positive or have been consumed long ago?¡± She inquired while pressing the button to print out the results.

    ¡°No, no way. This equipment is state of the art and it¡¯s quite a distinctive chemical. Powerephenol gets burnt up fast by any Pokemon that eats it - that''s why Power Herb is a battle item, it''s best eaten and used to power up a Move right away. Even a trace amount like this could have been consumed no more than half an hour before the sample was taken.¡±

    ¡°Could a ¡®trace amount¡¯ still affect a battle?¡± She pressed.

    Ooh, that''s a toughie. ¡°... I think so, yeah. I believe Professor Fir did a study on it and proved that there was a noticeable effect on Moves at any point where we could still measure the Power Herb in the system. Double blinds were done to ensure that there was no placebo effect as well.¡±

    Geeta blinked. ¡°That''s quite knowledgeable of you. I see that the standards for Professorship remain high.¡± She nodded, seeming quite pleased with that fact.

    ¡°Why thank you,¡± I said back faux modestly. Then, I added: ¡°Honestly, part of it is just looking into other studies, running my own confirmation tests while waiting for my applications to go through. And now, I''ll be able to run my experiments.¡± Sure, I''d have tasks assigned to me by Exceed, they had their corporate interests, but I''d have plenty of leeway to run my own projects as well. I might not be able to supervise them all that closely due to my responsibilities for Exceed, but having those resources to run them is a bright side. I have to remember to keep looking out for those.

    Her Rotom Phone chimed and floated up to show her a new message, and I caught a glimpse of just the person who sent it. They were titled ''G. Investigators,'' and whatever they had to say had her quickly giving her farewell. ¡°I see. I wish you the best in your future endeavors, and thank you for the help you''ve provided me.¡± She gave me a small bow before turning and walking out.

    ¡°No problem, best of luck in your investigation.¡± Whatever it is you''re looking into. A Steel Flying Type using Power Herb eaten early sounds like a weird case¡­ my mind flashed back to the final battle Nemona had, the glowing Corviknight diving down at Dunsparce.

    ¡°Were you-!¡± I ran out the door, but in the time it had taken me to put the pieces together, she was long gone. Curse her long legs!

    I explained the matter to Charizard, who was upset but didn''t know what to do. ¡°Me neither.¡±

    This feels like something Nemona would want to know, but should I tell her? Especially before the investigation is over, it might just make her upset.

    Resolving to review the matter later, I still brought up my phone to text and check in with her.

    Friede: ¡®Hello young scholar, how''s it going?¡¯

    Nemona: ¡®Lol, told you, Friede, you don''t need to call me that. I''m doing well, just had my birthday party. I got a bunch of cool gifts, especially stuff to help me train Dun and Rotom!¡¯

    Sounds like she¡¯s feeling more chipper. She hasn''t mentioned anything about the end of the match. I kinda want to ask, but if she''s avoiding it, might be best to let things lie.

    Friede: ¡®And you didn''t think to invite me? How cruel, everyone knows I love cake :P¡¯

    Nemona: ¡®Ah, I didn''t think you''d want to come. Also, there was no cake.¡¯

    Friede: ¡®What? No cake??? But I thought you were loaded.¡¯

    Nemona: ¡®Yeah, and being rich doesn''t preclude me not liking cake.¡¯

    Friede: ¡®I don''t know if I can trust the scientific acumen of someone who can ignore the fundamental greatness of cake.¡¯

    Nemona: ¡®Hah, I can kick your butt any day of the week in Pokemon knowledge.¡¯

    So formal in her texts, but also childish. It was an odd mix that seemed to define the young girl.

    Her last text was also a decent opening so I decided to pick her brain a bit on something I¡¯d been wondering about.

    Friede: ¡®I doubt that. Though now that you mention it, you did say some interesting stuff about Hisuian Pokemon before¡­¡¯

    Nemona: ¡®(Biggrin) What is it you wish to know, oh humble seeker of knowledge?¡¯

    Friede: ¡®Alright big brain, what¡¯s your theory on some of the regional variants of the era? The stuff about inactive volcanos and polar shift can only explain so much.¡¯

    Nemona: ¡®They can explain some things, like the more base Elemental Type changes. As for the other changes, while I can''t be certain, a lot of those regional variations were only recorded by Professor Laventon and the Survey Corp, during the Sinnoh Crisis. At that time there was a massive distortion field hanging over the land. That kind of environmental influence could have had a huge effect on the Pokemon there at the time.¡¯

    I blinked, staring at my screen. Of course, how did I miss that? No, how did she figure that out? For a little girl to have instantly figured out a solid-sounding hypothesis to my problem¡­ it was more than just impressive.

    Friede: ¡®That would make a lot of sense, especially with some of the Ghost and even Psychic varients at the time! How did you know all of that?¡¯

    There was a long pause before she finally typed a message back.

    Nemona: ¡®I like studying the past, there¡¯s a lot of interesting stuff that happened back then. And like I said, I don¡¯t know any of it, just assumptions really. Gotta go train now, talk later.¡¯

    Glancing over at Charizard I saw him staring suspiciously at my screen as well before letting out a scoff of scorchingly hot air. ¡°Yeah, I think there¡¯s something off with her too. But for now¡­¡±

    Taking out a new sheet of paper, I began sketching up an independent research application form for my new employer. ¡®Study into the effects of heavy saturation of Ghost Type energy over the living space of¡­¡¯ Who to test first, Cyndaquil or Zorua? Hmm, let¡¯s go Zorua, they¡¯re naturally Dark Types so less likely to suffer any side effects if the experiment goes wrong, not that I think there¡¯s much chance of that. ¡®Zorua, to see if it creates a variation in their natural Typing.¡¯

    Already I could feel a bit of the malaise that had been lingering over me start to shake off. ¡°This will be fun. Can¡¯t wait to see what happens.¡±

 Chapter 22

    ¡°Alright, both of you, Thunder!¡± I called out and my two Pokemon followed my command.

    Dun raised his tail, the tip of it sparkling with electricity, before swiping it down like a conductor with their baton. The sky answered the unheard song, releasing a lightning bolt down on the empty path before us, scorching the earth.

    In the time it took Dun to fire one bolt, however, Rotom had launched three of their own. The Ghost in my phone was for once, outside of it, floating with their blue-plasma body hovering in the air. A slight glow shortly preceded each bolt Rotom called down from the heavens.

    They turned around to give me a big grin. ¡°Excellent work you two. Dun, that was great power, your bolt was just as strong as Rotom¡¯s even without the Electric Type. Rotom you called those bolts down very fast and you''re not tired yet. That¡¯s great, I know it''s a big step up from the Thundershocks you¡¯ve been working with. ¡±

    ¡°Dun dun!¡± Dunsparce cheered while Rotom just buzzed happily. They couldn''t talk to me outside of their phone, but they were quite emotive, and I had it close on hand if we needed any clarification.

    ¡°Next, I want you to use Rain Dance, Rotom, then we''ll try again with the Thunder.¡± I''d planned on training accuracy because I remembered the Move being quite inaccurate in the games, but it looks like that''s not the case here. Instead, it seems to be more charge-up speed. Of course, they''re accurate against spots on the ground, it''s possible the ¡®inaccuracy¡¯ comes from moving targets interrupting you before you can execute the attack. I''d look into that later, but for now, we were just practicing getting a basic handle on the Moves.

    Rotom tilted, confused, and zipped back into their phone. ¡°What¡¯s the purpose of training in the rain, if I may ask, bzzt?¡±

    ¡°Of course, you can ask. As for that, weather has more effects on a battle than one might think of at first. Rain increases the power of Water Moves and decreases Fire, but it also makes Moves like Thunder or Hurricane easier to use. That''s why I got the Rain Dance TM for you and not Sunny Day: Sunny Day would increase the power of your Overheat and protect you against Water Moves in Heat form. Rain Dance will increase the power of Hydro Pump in Wash form, protect you from Fire Moves in Mow or Frost forms, make Hurricane easier in Fan form, and Thunder in every form.¡±

    There was a moment of silence and I wondered if I had overwhelmed them or made some mistake in my logic before Rotom spoke up. ¡°Wow, you put a lot of thought into this, didn''t you?¡± Dun chirped smugly, proud to have such a great trainer, and I blushed.

    ¡°I mean, of course I did. You guys are the ones that put in the hard work, so I have to do at least this much.¡± I was also somewhat constrained by budget. Realistically, I knew I could ask my parents for money if I needed it, and I had tons of allowance saved up over the past year and a half, but I didn''t want to. Plus, mastering six new Moves each would keep them busy for a while.

    They both had Protect, Hyper Voice, and Thunder to learn. Protect for being a solid shield and an all-around good option for gaining time, Hyper Voice being a powerful special attack that was fast, hard to avoid, and hard to resist. For Rotom it gave good coverage and for Dun, it had STAB (Same Type Attack Bonus) and would be a good stepping stone for his ultimate Move, Boomburst. Thunder had plenty of synergies for Rotom, and just gave a good range for Dun.

    ¡°Bzzt, should I change to Wash form for this next test? I could also practice Hydro Pump-¡± Rotom ¡®offered¡¯ before I cut them off.

    ¡°Nope, still just practicing your base abilities for today. It''ll help to give you a handle on the changes you''ll feel to your energies in and out of an appliance form.¡± It was well documented that in addition to the Type changes, Rotom¡¯s also became a bit slower but much tougher, and even a tad stronger drawing from the motors of the appliances.

    At the frown on their face I added ¡°Don¡¯t be too eager to change, we''ll be starting physical conditioning once your training in an appliance begins.¡±

    ¡°Must we, bzzt?¡±

    ¡°We must. Every battling Pokemon needs to know how to take a hit.¡± Except Shedinja, but I''m ignoring that because it''s not helpful to this situation. ¡°It''s the best way for you to learn some Moves too, like Hex. Dun did a good job demonstrating it for you, but it''s still hard for you to grasp the Move yourself, right?¡±

    They nodded glumly, while Dun had a sharp gleam to their eyes, clearly eagerly awaiting this. That being said, I could tell that he was happy to see Rotom doing well with Thunder earlier too, which is nice to see.

    Dun''s other Moves he had learned were Agility and Air Slash. Agility was just a good power-up Move, to help him match faster foes, while Air Slash would be helpful in training Roost. He''d demonstrated a good level of control over both already.

    Rotom was going a bit slower, but I could tell that despite their worries about getting hurt, they were committed to this. It showed in how they left the phone and threw themselves into the Rain Dance, wiggling their plasmid body around. And the world answered, the sky opening up and rain pouring down.

    Dun turned, readying themselves with Rotom, and the two gathered lightning once more. This time though, despite the storm only stretching out about a hundred meters across, the lightning came much faster, the rapid flashes of light forcing me to avert my gaze eventually, counting the shots by the boom of thunder left in their wakes.

    ¡°Ok, I think that¡¯s good!¡± I shouted out over the din, and the lightning stopped. Blinking my eyes open, I saw through the rain two lines in the field in front of us burnt black from the bolts that had slammed into it. Dun had landed five bolts in twenty seconds, decent enough for someone just getting used to the Move and that Type of energy. Rotom¡¯s line was over double what Dun¡¯s was, probably managing at least a dozen strikes in that time.

    There¡¯s still attacking a moving target, moving yourself while attacking, and general boosts to power and speed to work on, but this is a great start. And really, there¡¯s just something¡­ awe-inspiring about the power Pokemon have. To be able to reshape the elements, the world to your whims, it¡¯s incredible. Of course, it came with a toll. Dun was looking quite pleased with his work, but he was a bit puffed. Rotom on the other hand was swaying mid-air, exhausted.

    ¡°Excellent work, let¡¯s- Rotom can you turn this rain off?¡±

    They waved their plasmic arms up, before drooping them back down and shaking their head/body. ¡°That¡¯s fine, let¡¯s get out of here then, I think we¡¯re done for the day.¡±

    We walked down to the beach and I offered them an Ether each, something that Rotom eagerly accepted, and Dun shrugged off.

    ¡°Ar, un.¡± He said to the Ghost, literally sparking chagrin from them.

    ¡°Hey now, I¡¯m not coddling Rotom. They did excellently with Thunder, it¡¯s one of the strongest Moves any Electric Type can use.¡± Rotom beamed at my words. ¡°Especially since I lied about this being the end of Rotom¡¯s training.¡± They turned to me, shock and horror showing on their teardrop face¡­ until they saw the small smirk on my face. ¡°Psych.¡±

    ¡°Dun du dun,¡± Dunsparce laughed at them while Rotom fumed, moving towards the phone, which I pulled back.

    ¡°Wait, I lied about lying, sorry! But those feelings, right there, of the joke I played on you, try and hone those. Focus on how you want to get me back. Come up with some plan, make a Nasty Plot.¡±

    They concentrated, face flashing through emotions too quickly to keep up until they settled on a frown. After about fifteen seconds, it turned to a cruel grin, one befitting the Dark Type Move, to the point that I would have realized had worked even if I couldn¡¯t feel the ambient level of electricity increasing in the air.

    ¡°Well done, ok, now it¡¯s over.¡± I held out the phone and they quickly slipped back in. ¡°Sorry about that, but I needed to get you in the right frame of mind to use Dark Type Energy.¡±

    There was a light buzzing sound, which felt like incoherent grumbling before they calmed down.

    ¡°Bzzt, I understand, even if I don¡¯t like it. Hopefully, I won¡¯t have to use that energy much beyond that, it felt¡­ wrong.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, Ghost Types are pretty diametrically opposed to Dark. Unfortunately, there is another Dark Move you might want to learn eventually, that will help you shore up a potential weakness against those resistant to energy-based attacks.¡± Foul Play is a great Move to turn someone¡¯s strengths into a weakness.

    ¡°I still haven¡¯t even used Will o¡¯ Wisp, bzzt,¡± Rotom moaned before hastily adding: ¡°I¡¯m not going to be practicing it today either.¡±

    Laughing I said ¡°No worries there, take your break, you¡¯ve earned it. Will o¡¯ Wisp is pretty easily learned by any Ghost Type anyways, and they have worked hard today. They¡¯re growing in a lot of ways, that denial was a lot firmer than usual, well done Rotom. You¡¯re getting more confident every day. Somehow, that thought called to mind an image of a character from my previous life and I stopped.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, bzzt?¡± They asked, dropping any wariness in favor of worry for me.

    ¡°No no, it¡¯s nothing.¡± ¡®Tails¡¯ wouldn¡¯t work, they never have a tail, and what even is a Prower? But, maybe¡­ ¡°I just- it¡¯s dumb but, I thought of another name for you. Miles.¡±

    ¡°Bzzt, from the ancient Imperial measurement system before Paldea ended such use and switched to the base ten Metric one? I don¡¯t see how it applies to me, admittedly.¡±

    But that¡¯s not a no. Every other suggestion got a swift rejection. ¡°Ok so, it¡¯s dumb because it only makes sense to me. See, I had an idea for a story-¡±

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°Arce ar dun,¡± Dun complained.

    ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t have a story for every little thing!¡± I faltered as he opened one eye up fully as if to say ¡®really?¡¯ ¡°Urk- well, a writer should have tons of ideas! Anyways, this one, I hadn¡¯t even put it down to paper yet, but it involves some really incredible creatures. Uhh, I''ll just describe them as Pokemon for now." Since that''s how I''ll eventually tell this to others. "There¡¯s Sonic, a Shaymin with blue fur that¡¯s super fast, even in land-form. He also had a younger friend, like a little brother to him, Miles ¡®Tails¡¯ Prower. They¡¯re a Vulpix who¡¯s a genius inventor, and nearly as fast as Sonic themselves, and together with their friends they fight against the evil Doctor Robotnik and his army of robots. He¡¯s a mad scientist who often captures Pokemon and uses them to power his machines, and sometimes builds amusement parks¡­¡±

    I shook my head, realizing I was getting off track. ¡°Tails is incredible in a lot of ways, but they feel like they don¡¯t always match up to Sonic. But when they believe in themselves, they realize they¡¯re great too, and help save the world a bunch. Sonic gets a lot of credit, and he fights hard no doubt, but many times he wouldn¡¯t even be able to do anything without Tails. Just there, you reminded me of Tails. Someone smart, driven, and quite strong, who just needs a bit of confidence. Someone who will definitely grow to be one of the greatest heroes in time.¡±

    There was silence after I stopped talking. Did I screw up? Was that weird? I hope not, I should just tell them to ignore it- ¡°You never fail to amaze me, Nemona,¡± Rotom said softly. ¡°I think Miles is a lovely name.¡±

    ¡°Even though it doesn''t fit or make sense to others?¡±

    ¡°I''ve never truly ''fit'', bzzt. Not with the other Rotoms or with other people, not until I met you. If others don¡¯t get it, that¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not their name, it¡¯s mine.¡± There was a steel in their voice that told me how firm they were, and in this moment I believed they could take on the whole world.

    This touching moment was, of course, shattered by Dun asking if he was the ¡®Sonic¡¯ in this story.

    ¡°Haha, no, you wouldn¡¯t be Sonic. Honestly, you¡¯d be Knuckles.¡± At my Pokemon¡¯s confused glances, I explained. ¡°So, Knuckles is this Annhilape, crazy strong and tough. He¡¯s the last survivor of his tribe who defended a mystical artifact called the Master Emerald. It and the seven Chaos Emeralds are the main driving forces of a lot of the plot, with Eggman and Sonic and friends chasing after them. In their first meeting though, Eggman tricks Knuckles into thinking Sonic is the bad guy and makes them fight each other. Soon enough Knuckles sees the truth and works with Sonic to stop Eggman, but they still have a fierce rivalry later on, Knuckles and Sonic constantly competing to see who¡¯s best.¡±

    ¡°Dun?¡±

    ¡°Who¡¯s Eggman? Oh right, I haven¡¯t explained yet but Sonic kept on taunting Robotnik by calling him that, which got him infuriated and he ended up making a bunch of mistakes in their prior adventures when anyone taunted him. Eventually, he realized that it was costing him, so he turned around and decided to own the name. Made his own brand out of it as ¡®Doctor Eggman¡¯, which soon enough became a name feared around the world¡­¡±

    ***

    ¡°And together, Doctor Eggman, his newly adopted daughter Sage, the Porygon, Sonic the Shaymin, and all his friends joined forces and defeated The End!¡± I finished my long and winding tale. It had many backtracks, places missed where I forgot or only half-remembered details and names, details I had skipped, and even complaints from the crowd.

    ¡°Du dun.¡±

    ¡°I must concur, bzzt. ¡®The End¡¯ isn¡¯t that inventive of a name for a final foe.¡± Miles threw in their two cents.

    ¡°Oh come on! I didn''t write it." Though, I guess in this world I will. I suppose a few edits wouldn''t go amiss. ¡°Look, Dun, I don¡¯t think you even know how to write, so you have no room to talk.¡± He slumped, turning away. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m so sorry, we can work on writing lessons if you want¡­¡±

    After a long pause, they said laconically ¡°Dun.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t want writing lessons then don¡¯t act like that!¡± Miles¡¯ case was shaking, sparks flying off and Dun was making his odd hissing sound that I took to be laughter. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, my own Pokemon, teaming up on me,¡± I sighed melodramatically but couldn¡¯t keep the grin off my face. This was a great day.

    Looking out over the horizon, I saw the sun setting and realized that the day was also coming to an end. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s head back inside for some dinner and recharging. You¡¯ve done great learning all those new Moves so far, tomorrow we can work on mastering them-¡± Dun lightly headbutted my shin. ¡°What- oh. Right, that Move.¡±

    ¡°Dun.¡± He nodded seriously.

    ¡°That¡¯s fair, you¡¯ve earned it. Thank you for being patient with me. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll have time to use it much today, but we can give it one shot before dinner.¡±

    I returned him to his Pokeball and pressed the Technical Machine around the opening button, where it began to spin around. You could teach Pokemon TMs without a Pokeball, but the instructions always recommended having them inside. Better for ¡®auric information transfers¡¯ or something like that.

    After a minute it was completed, and the disc finished spinning and fell off. Dun¡¯s head swayed a bit, seeming a bit overwhelmed by all the information but shook it off fairly fast. ¡°Dun dun!¡±

    ¡°Before you use it, I want to try Terastalizing you. As a Normal Type Move, this will make it supercharged!¡± Grabbing the Tera Orb with both hands, I threw it above Dun, Terastalizing him.

    ¡°Ok Dun, see that cliff there?¡± I pointed to the small three-story cliff at the end of the beach. ¡°Hit it with the strongest Move you have, Giga Impact!¡±

    He jumped, launching his body forward, and before he was surrounded by the green light of the Move, I could see how he was moving his body differently. The Technical Machine not only imparted Type Energy information, but also the physical information needed to best use the Move, how to shift his muscles just so to maximize his force.

    Like an emerald comet, his crystal-covered body smashed into the cliffside. The boom of impact made a shockwave, the sound like a cannon strike washing over me. I blinked my eyes and through the cloud of dust, I saw a massive crater in the face of the earth where Dun had struck, my Pokemon lying at the bottom of the cliff, the Terastalization effect dissipating as his energy dropped.

    Miles turned to me with wide eyes, speechless. ¡°... Maybe no one noticed?¡± I tried.

    A large crack spread out from the point of impact, widening and spreading up and down the cliff as a large chunk of it split off from the rest and tumbled into the ocean.

    ***

    ¡°What were you thinking?!¡±

    People did, in fact, notice. The household had been a buzz of activity as we went back inside, the staff wondering if a horde of wild Pokemon were stampeding only to find out that it was just us practicing. Plenty of them had been amused or relieved, but Leah was not among their number.

    ¡°We just wanted to try the Move out¡­¡± I mumbled, shrinking in on myself. It didn¡¯t feel great to get lectured on this, but I also knew she was entirely in the right for doing so.

    ¡°Just look at the damages you¡¯ve caused. The view from this side is ruined¡­¡± she trailed off, seeing that the argument wasn¡¯t having much impact on me. ¡°What about any Pokemon living up there?¡±

    ¡°Ahh, I hadn¡¯t thought it would- I¡¯m sorry.¡± I hadn¡¯t seen any Pokemon fall off from there, but there might have been some who used the cliff as a lookout point, or even for nesting among the bird Pokemon. ¡°We¡¯ll fix it up, I promise.¡±

    That stopped her lecture, leaving her confused. ¡°How do you plan on doing that? We could call in a construction crew but-¡±

    ¡°No, that wouldn¡¯t be me fixing it. Well, me and my team. Dun can learn Ancient Power. We¡¯ll practice it until he can lift the cliff edge parts back in place.¡± He doesn''t know the Move yet, but he should be strong enough to use it by now, and Dun is pretty sharp when it comes to new Moves.

    ¡°It¡¯s noble of you, to want to fix your own mistakes,¡± a new somber voice entered the conversation and we turned to see the stately majordomo enter the foyer where Leah had cornered me. ¡°But it is often better to prevent the problem in the first place than work to fix it after.¡±

    ¡°Ah, Hamber, sir. I didn¡¯t hear you there. Sorry about this.¡± Leah began, and he waved her off.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I appreciate your diligence in this matter,¡± he replied before turning to me, clearly expecting a response.

    ¡°I get it, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. I¡¯ll¡­ try to do better in the future.¡±

    ¡°A good goal to have, and one I may be able to help you achieve.¡± Huh? ¡°Your progress has been prodigious. I¡¯ve reached out to an old friend, who runs a small shall we say, ¡®outdoors preparedness training group.¡¯ We call ourselves the ¡®Explorers,¡¯ and at my request M- our leader, Gibeon would be happy to accept you into our group.¡±

    ¡°Wow, I don¡¯t know what to say¡­¡±

    ¡°I would suggest ¡®I accept¡¯, Young Miss,¡± Hamber said so dryly it had me doubled over with laughter.

    ¡°Hahaha, oh man, that was good. Of course! Thank you so much. I¡¯d been thinking about getting some training for stuff like that-¡± I cut myself off before I could ramble too much.

    ¡°Think nothing of it Young Miss, I wouldn¡¯t suggest it if I didn¡¯t think you had the potential to succeed where so many others have failed.¡± The majordomo said before giving me a brief bow and leaving. Ominous¡­ but that just might be how he is. He has a couple of Ghost Types, doesn¡¯t he? Wonder if that is part of why he¡¯s so mysterious, or if it¡¯s the other way around and his personality meant he was more inclined to catch Ghost Types. Still, very nice of him to offer, I should see if my parents can get him a Reaper Cloth for his Dusclops as a year-end gift.

    Leah¡¯s words snapped me out of my thoughts. ¡°Don¡¯t think that you¡¯re entirely out of trouble here. Your parents might ground you once they hear about this.¡± I raised an eyebrow and looked at her oddly, causing her to let out a sigh. ¡°Fine, we both know that it isn¡¯t likely.¡±

    ¡°I know, and I get trying to make sure I¡¯ll behave responsibly, I appreciate you trying to instill those values in me.¡± She chuckled helplessly at my words, shaking her head as if wondering ¡®What am I going to do with you?¡¯ What indeed. My training has made Dun strong, and Miles is well on their way as well. But I need control too. At the tournament, I nearly lost myself and would have attacked Freddrick. Haven¡¯t been that angry since, well since I was ¡®young¡¯, the first time. Before I started practicing martial arts¡­

    ¡°There¡¯s something else I¡¯d like to do,¡± I told Leah. ¡°I want to start practicing martial arts. I think it will help in teaching me control and good physical exercise.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve seen your workout drills, don¡¯t think you need any help with your physical exercise. But if you wish it, we can begin looking for classes.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I had someone in mind. You remember that girl from the tournament, Dendra? I was thinking I could train with her.¡±

    ¡°Ah yes, the loud one. That could work. Tell us what times she¡¯s available and we¡¯ll arrange a schedule for you, Young Miss.¡±

    And now comes the part where I have to ask her. Something I had been dreading ever since the tournament. I¡¯d exchanged messages with Friede a few times, mostly about the past or Pokemon facts, and was always messaging Arven, but I hadn¡¯t talked to Dendra or Tulip much since then, just letting them know I was ok. The fact that Tulip hadn¡¯t messaged me anything since then didn¡¯t leave me with any confidence that she had been impressed with how I acted.

    Rather than send the model a message, I decided to put it off and talk to Dendra first.

    Nemona: ¡®Hey Dendra, I was looking to get some martial arts training and was wondering if you could help me?¡¯

    Almost immediately I got a reply back.

    Dendra: ¡®Osu!¡¯

    Dendra: ¡®That means yes! I¡¯d love to help you!¡¯

    We arranged a time and place to meet up. Given she was still a teenager and not a teacher at Uva Academy, we wouldn¡¯t be meeting there. Instead, she lived in Alfornada and invited me over there next week. Before that, however, I had my first meeting with the Explorers¡­

 Chapter 23

    ¡°Does it have to be so dimly lit?¡± I questioned as Hamber led me through the odd building. Or maybe it''s just a very well-furnished tunnel, not like I would be able to tell.

    Hamber and I had traveled outside a few minutes walk from the house before being met by an Elygem that had been waiting for us. The odd rocky blue-looking pure Psychic Type was there as transport to the Explorers'' base.

    We had been teleported into wherever this was.

    From the dim light present in this place, I could make out smooth metal plates on the floor, walls, and likely ceiling. On the ground, the plates were interrupted by small glass strips, illuminating the place with a turquoise light, the only source of illumination in the hallway. The width was moderately-sized and spacious, enough to walk three across comfortably, but not much more. It was quite tall, however.

    I think most Pokemon could fit through here with relative ease.

    ¡°It has a certain unique aesthetic,¡± Hamber commented. ¡°Gibeon appreciates the lighting for his meeting places. For the training rooms, you¡¯ll have different levels of illumination. Some are even much dimmer than this place, to help simulate caves or other locations where light is rare and possibly dangerous to make, attracting unwanted attention.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s- that¡¯s fine, I guess. Just¡­ weird.¡± My feelings as such did not diminish when we exited the hallway and came upon a grand meeting room. It had the same flooring as before, but this chamber was vast, with glowing yellow tubes lining the walls, in the back, there were the same lights set into the wall, but these glowed a mix of yellow and blue and were set in some odd pattern I couldn¡¯t decipher.

    Some were disconnected, at a diagonal pattern others would bend and stop. The floor still had the same lighting as it had before, but all of this was secondary to the central features that commanded the most attention in the room.

    Dominating the center of the room was a large group of purple crystals that reached up like an incredibly elongated candlestick. In front of it were a couple of steps, and in front of them were several strange metal poles that I recognized.

    ¡°Holographic projectors?¡±

    ¡°Well, well, don''t we have a sharp one? Looks like she might contribute slightly more than the bastard.¡± The somewhat mocking voice came from a young man with wavy teal hair, the presumed owner of the Elygem whose Pokemon returned to their side. He was wearing a rather elaborate getup, a light blue jacket with black lining and yellow clasps, matched by his long, almost knee-length heeled boots. He had on dark leggings and to top it off, an honest-to-goodness cape.

    To be fair, it was a larger dark jacket, but with how it hung off his left side and was held in place by a clasp, it was clearly a cape.

    ¡°Spinel, thank you for your assistance.¡± Hamber thanked the odd man, before continuing. ¡°I would not call Amethio a ¡®bastard¡¯, however. He has as much potential as Nemona here.¡± That perked my ears up. Someone who can match me? That sounds fun.

    ¡°Peace.¡± The words were not a request and came from none of the people in the room but instead from the purple crystals in the center. The two of them instantly turned and bowed to them.

    ¡°Gibeon, this is the recruit I mentioned. I believe she will be a fine addition to the Explorers.¡±

    ¡°Good. Spinel, make sure to give her the uniform.¡± ¡®Gibeon¡¯ said, and the young man obeyed, pulling out a set of clothes he¡¯d been hiding in his cape. Did he have a Sliph-type pocket in there- probably. He seems extra enough to do that.

    Walking up slowly to receive them I saw a light gray jacket that was cut to only cover the shoulders, neck, and sleeves, and similarly colored leggings. There was a skirt with pink highlights and a dark gray shirt with the same highlights. What caught my eye most was the badge on top of the pile of clothes, a black diamond shape cut across by a stylized ¡®E¡¯ with a blue star near the center.

    ¡°Uhh, no thanks.¡± Don¡¯t feel like wearing a skirt. But also¡­

    Spinel turned to his Pokemon and made a motion toward them, which caused them to raise their arms and flash their multi-colored, finger-like stubs in my direction. Red, yellow, red, green, green, yellow-

    ¡°Ugh, sorry, could you please stop that Elgyem? I don¡¯t know what you mean and it¡¯s kinda bright.¡± The Elgyem turned to Spinel, giving a brief shrug of their shoulders and stopping. The guy seemed the most affronted by that, for some reason. Jeez-though I guess it¡¯s kinda rude to order Pokemon you don¡¯t own. But I just asked a question¡­

    ¡°How rude, to turn aside the generosity offered by Master Gibeon,¡± Spinel recovered, scoffing at me. ¡°Perhaps I was wrong and you¡¯re even worse than Ameth-¡±

    ¡°Is this an evil Team?¡± I asked bluntly, cutting him off, and dropping the entire room into silence. Do they boldly accept it? Shake it off? Try to imply it¡¯s not, but not confirm it isn¡¯t? Act outraged? Actually get outraged? So many different options they had here, and I wanted to see how they responded to inform my next move. Even though the GPS was acting wonky here, I could still send or receive messages here, a discreet glance at Miles had told me on the way in.

    ¡°Evil Team? Ah yes, I heard those became a new craze recently,¡± Gibeon¡¯s voice boomed out from the crystals. Without a face or even body language to place it to, it was hard to tell how he felt, but he sounded mildly amused. Recently? How old are you? There hasn¡¯t been a major Evil Team in a decade, in part because there were so many in the decade before that police have been keeping an extra close eye on anything like them springing up.

    ¡°Of course, we aren¡¯t a Team, Young Miss. Just a dedicated, if slightly eccentric, group banded together by our love of exploring this vast and wondrous land.¡±

    I could feel the sweatdrop on my face and it was hard to keep a straight smile, but I managed. That was exactly what a team was!

    ¡°Uhuh. So I don¡¯t have to wear this uniform or help you steal Pokemon or try to capture Legendaries to remake the world or anything?¡±

    Laughter echoed out from the purple crystal. ¡°Why would I need your help with something like that?¡± At his words, a white dog-like Pokemon stepped out from one of the shadowy corners of the room. The Pokemon had three hexagonal-shaped patterns on its chest, two green and one red.

    It also had a few other green highlights including a stripe around its neck with an odd green protrusion sticking out about two feet in the air, as if it had part of a leash as a feature of its body.

    ¡°Z- Zygarde!?¡± I exclaimed, stepping forward to get a better look. The coloration isn¡¯t right, but that¡¯s definitely one of Zygarde¡¯s forms. Is it shiny? How can it be shiny?!? After a few steps, Zygarde gave a low growl warning me not to come closer, so I stopped and turned to face Gibeon. ¡°Why is it that color? Isn¡¯t Zygarde supposed to be black and green?¡±

    Gibeon¡¯s next words were for Hamber, not myself. ¡°You were not mistaken when you said she was a bright young girl.¡± Then to me, he added ¡°I¡¯ve met scholars that were less knowledgeable than yourself. There is an unusual trait Pokemon sometimes possess to give them a different coloration.¡±

    ¡°Right, being ¡®shiny¡¯.¡± Shiny hunters existed in this world, but it was a far more brutal thing than in the games since Pokemon were living thinking beings here. Trying to catch one was the dream of many a collector who would often display the rare Pokemon like a trophy.

    But that¡¯s for regular Pokemon, where you can eventually find an egg that hatches into that rare color. ¡°I didn¡¯t know Zygarde could be shiny. I thought there was only one in the world. Or, rather, spread across the world.¡±

    ¡°Spread across- what are you talking about you daft child?¡± Spinel demanded, glaring at me. Not making friends with him at least. Oh well, this guy feels like he¡¯d be a jerk even outside of this weird group.

    ¡°Zygarde is split up into many cells across the world. They only gather in large numbers to unleash its true strength when the world is in danger.¡± I answered. Seeing Zygarde made me relax a little. These people are still weird, but they can¡¯t be all bad if they have a defender of the world like Zygarde working with them, right?

    ¡°How many cells would you say are in Zygarde as they stand right now?¡± Hamber asked. Zygarde barked as well, giving me a curious look with its pupil-less eyes.

    ¡°Uhh, about 10%? Sorry, it¡¯s hard to get an exact read on it, but you definitely aren¡¯t at fifty or higher.¡± Immediately after the words left my mouth I had to suppress a wince, noticing the way the two men in the room were staring at me. That was way too knowledgeable, no excuse I could possibly give to know that exact ratio.

    The crystals thrummed again, reminding me of the fourth and most important ¡®person¡¯ in this conversation. ¡°Fascinating. As for your question, while remarkably rare, there are instances where even a so-called ¡®Legendary¡¯ can appear as ¡®shiny¡¯. One such case you may have heard of was the ¡®Black Rayquaza¡¯ from ancient times. They traveled alongside the legendary hero-¡±

    ¡°Nobunaga!¡± Right! Pokemon Conquest was a thing!

    ¡°... Lucien.¡±

    There was an awkward moment of silence between us before Spinel broke it by laughing.

    ¡°Hahaha, how foolish. Do you not know of the hero Lucien? It¡¯s such a common tale. Of how he traveled the world a hundred years ago with the Black Rayquaza, Entei, Moltres, Lapras, Kleavor, and Arboliva before finding-?¡±

    ¡°Spinel,¡± Hamber warned his comrade, finally getting tired of his rudeness. I was happy for the support, but I had my own reasoning to throw in as well. This guy just gets under my skin. Or maybe it¡¯s the whole vibe of this creepy place.

    ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t consider ¡®a hundred years ago¡¯ to be ancient history!¡± I retorted hotly before adding: ¡°But no, I hadn¡¯t heard about him. He sounds like an interesting guy though.¡±

    ¡°Different from this, Nobunaga was he?¡± Gibeon asked, just a tad too calmly to actually be casual.

    ¡°Oh yeah, Nobunaga was big on his Dragon Types, though I don¡¯t remember the rest of his team. Honestly, I should have realized you weren¡¯t referring to him when you mentioned him being a ¡®hero¡¯. Nobunaga was a warlord in ancient Ransei.¡±

    ¡°... Ransei?¡± Gibeon drew the word out as if testing it out to see if he could figure it out just through pronunciation. Like a puzzle piece that doesn¡¯t quite fit.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°Yes, Ransei was a war-torn land hundreds, maybe thousands of years ago, with warlords vying for control constantly. Nobunaga set out to try and conquer the whole place before being stopped by the Hero. The Hero was the one who eventually unified the land against them, which in the end was kinda Nobunaga¡¯s goal.¡±

    ¡°¡®The Hero?¡¯¡± Spinel mocked.

    ¡°I don¡¯t remember, ok?! I¡¯m not even sure if their name was even ca- something known.¡±

    ¡°Where did you hear about this Young Miss?¡± Hamber finally prompted and I hid a grimace. Ok, time to play the ¡®how to deflect from having meta-knowledge¡¯ game.

    ¡°Uhh, I don¡¯t quite remember. Maybe from my time in Unova?¡± I suggested.

    He pursed his lips and gave a low hum. I probably didn¡¯t convince him of that. Ah well, he still won¡¯t guess the truth and it¡¯s a good enough deflection for now.

    My biggest detractor just shook his head dismissively, his Elygem at his side copying the motion. ¡°Please, you got taken in by a bunk story kid. I¡¯ve never heard of this ¡®Ransei¡¯ before either.¡±

    ¡°Just because you¡¯ve never heard of it before doesn¡¯t mean it doesn¡¯t exist!¡± I mean, it might not. Not in this world, I focused too much on the mainline games and never checked out the spinoffs. It could be true too, though. I just don¡¯t know. Still, screw this guy.

    ¡°And how do you explain ¡®warlords¡¯ using Pokemon in conflicts centuries before Professor Laventon¡¯s research and the Survey Core help Pokemon and humans bond?¡± Spinel pressed further.

    I laughed derisively at that. ¡°Please, Pokemon have been used by society for eons. Paldea had many a conqueror in the past two thousand years, and they didn¡¯t just fight through the force of their own arms. Even more ancient societies existed with technologies we couldn¡¯t even dream of today, making Pokemon through harnessed souls and machines. We have forgotten and lost more societies than you could ever imagine. Laventon¡¯s research is just some of the most widespread base principles of the modern age. The idea that this era is the pinnacle of enlightenment and harmony is only the height of hubris.¡±

    ¡°And how does that make you feel?¡± This time the question was from Gibeon, and I swore the other lights got dimmer or the central crystal glowed brighter. Like the Eye of Sauron turning it¡¯s full attention on you.

    I opened my mouth before closing it and thinking about the answer. ¡°... Excited. It¡¯s humbling, and maybe a little scary to comprehend how dangerous and vast the world is, to know that everything I know could be wiped away in an instant. But to know how much is lost, to think of what I could find¡­ that¡¯s exciting.¡± Probably not a great instinct to have at the thought, I can admit that.

    Not that Gibeon seemed displeased at my answer, however. ¡°Very good. That¡¯s why I founded the Explorers, to discover new horizons, unlock new vistas, and rediscover lost wonders. I understand that this may have been¡­ off-putting for you, but I hope this can put your mind at rest. We simply want to better understand the land so we can explore it together.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Well¡­ cool.¡± I finished lamely. ¡°I guess I¡¯d still like to learn if you¡¯re willing to have me.¡± You¡¯re weird enough that I won¡¯t be that heartbroken if you say no, though.

    ¡°Of course, Young Miss. And you don¡¯t have to wear the uniform if you don¡¯t want to, we just thought it might help you fit in with some of the others, like Amethio. He¡¯s only a few years older than you and he shows great potential. We could go meet him now if you wish.¡± Spinel made a dismissive sound at Hamber¡¯s words, so I had to throw in one last jab his way.

    ¡°That sounds great. Spiney, you can just take those away, thanks,¡± I said, dismissively waving a hand at him before turning away. He gnashed his teeth before turning suddenly and marching off, his cape whirling around.

    ¡°If you¡¯ll follow me, Young Miss,¡± my majordomo requested and I followed while lost in my thoughts. So, this place is creepy and very weird. But are they bad? Nothing I had seen so far was evil, and Spinel being arrogant and full of himself didn¡¯t mean that everyone in this organization was like that.

    Even that isn¡¯t a sign that he¡¯s a bad guy or anything. I guess, for now, I¡¯ll stick with it. I¡¯ll be vigilant! Any signs of cult or gang-like activities and I¡¯m bolting. Their offering to teach me wilderness exploration is nice, but that doesn¡¯t mean I owe them anything or need to do anything bad because they asked me to.

    Hamber directed me down a different hallway to a large open room, like an empty warehouse. No, a battle arena. The lighting was still regrettably dim, which is why I didn¡¯t make it out as a battle arena at first.

    I did see the young boy standing there, however. He had split white and black hair that was slightly curly at the ends. He was also wearing the same type of uniform I had rejected, though he had black pants instead of leggings and a skirt.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± He asked, turning around to glare at me, then glance upwards at Hamber.

    ¡°Why are your pupils triangles?¡± I asked back, crossing my arms. The boy was taken aback, eyeing me up like I was out of place. Sorry, maybe I¡¯m still on edge from how Spinel was acting, but that is just kinda weird. How do eyes even work in this world? Do lenses, retinas, and the like work differently here?

    ¡°Wha-¡± The boy began before our awkward first meeting was cut off by the adult we both abruptly remembered was in the room.

    ¡°Children,¡± Hamber clapped his gloved hands together. ¡°This is Nemona, she will be joining the Explorers. Nemona, this is Amethio, one of our newest members.¡±

    ¡°If she¡¯s a new recruit why isn¡¯t she wearing the uniform?¡± Amethio asked me suspiciously. As if I somehow managed to trick my way down here while accompanied by Hamber while missing that.

    ¡°Cause I didn¡¯t want to.¡± I resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at his shocked face, but it was hard. He just looks so completely thrown by that idea!

    ¡°Before we give you further training, I thought it best to test your skills as battlers. It¡¯ll also be a good chance for you to get to know each other.¡± Amethio didn¡¯t look too impressed with me but didn¡¯t say anything in response to Hamber¡¯s words, taking his place on one end of the field.

    Hmm, I think I should give Miles their first fight here. Perhaps I was underestimating Amethio, but I felt Dun would be a bit much for most trainers his age to deal with. Plus, in any case, it would be a good experience for Miles.

    ¡°Alright Miles, I¡¯m going to use you for this battle, ok?¡± I muttered as I opened my bag. They gave a small buzz of affirmation. What appliance would be best?¡­ Probably the oven. Most resistances, few weaknesses. We¡¯d practiced with all of them a little bit, enough that they knew how to possess each of them, but they didn¡¯t have any preferences yet.

    ¡°What are you doing- what is that?!¡± Amethio squawked out as I hefted the massive red oven from my bag.

    ¡°Miles, I choose you!¡± I cried, tossing it a meter in front of me. Miles zipped out of their phone case and into the oven, possessing it. The machine stopped falling immediately and was surrounded by red energy, with Rotom¡¯s eyes now colored red appearing above the oven door, with a small mouth in between. The red energy also extended out on either side of the oven ending in bulky approximations of hands, particularly hands that were wearing oven mitts.

    ¡°Wha- huh?¡± Amethio just seemed kinda shocked at the display. ¡°What is that?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s Miles, my Rotom. They¡¯re in Heat Form! Go ahead, you can release your Pokemon too.¡± I urged and he shook himself out of it.

    ¡°Go, Charcadet!¡± He shouted, pulling up his Pokeball and releasing an adorable little guy. He was just over half a meter tall with an overly large head and a humanoid body. His torso had many flame motifs, and actual flames were flickering out the top of his head, back, and even off his eyes.

    ¡°You got a Charcadet? Cool.¡± I never really played with them in the games, though I remember that Armarogue and Ceruledge looked pretty cool. I wonder if he has plans on which he wants to evolve-

    ¡°If both trainers are ready?¡± Hamber called out and I snapped my focus to the battle at hand.

    ¡°Yes!¡± We both called out, locking gazes with each other. I can sense his determination, but also nervousness within his gaze. His nose was turned up at me, but I saw how tightly his fists were clenched at his sides, betraying the nervousness he felt.

    ¡°Begin!¡±

    ¡°Flame Charge!¡± Amethio ordered. Charcadet had already started rushing at Miles before the command was even given, but when it was, he covered himself in a burning aura.

    ¡°Rain Dance!¡± I countered and Rotom waved their plasmic hands in the air and began dancing around frantically. They¡¯re nervous, too. It was to be expected from Miles¡¯ first battle, but I had every confidence in them.

    Despite having the initiative, Charcadet was just a lot slower than Miles, so by the time he reached the plasma Pokemon, rain had begun to fall. Charcadet leaped up to slam into Miles, but the fire surrounding it was fizzling out in response to the rain pouring down. He hit Miles with a dull thud before sliding off. Brushing himself off, he jumped back up, covering his body in weak flames and whaling against my Pokemon not even leaving a scratch on the durable Rotom appliance body.

    ¡°Hah,¡± I laughed, mostly at how shocked all three of them were. Honestly not that shocking when you think about it. In Heat Form Miles resists Fire attacks anyway, and Rain Dance is reducing the power even further. I was impressed that Miles had made even a small rain cloud indoors here. They had done fine enough with practicing it outdoors, but indoors added another level of difficulty to most weather Moves.

    "Good job Miles!¡± I cheered, to let them know my appreciation but also to boost their confidence. ¡°I think we''ve given you enough of a chance, now it''s our turn, Thundershock!"

    Miles brought their plasmic hands together, letting sparks fly between them. Amethio''s cries for Charcadet to dodge were in vain. He was far too close to get out of the way and received a painful shock as the accumulated lightning was unleashed upon him.

    "Get out of there!" The boy shouted, and Charcadet jumped away nimbly. Not paralyzed yet. Miles has been working on Thunder Wave, but it''s not reliable yet. We could go after him, but if they want us to do the setup, why not?

    "Nasty plot." I imagined Miles had a big grin on his face, though I couldn''t see it from behind.

    ¡°Clear Smog, don¡¯t let them build up!¡± Amethio called out, a look of panic on his face. His fiery partner took a deep breath and let out a bunch of white smoke that washed over Miles.

    ¡°Rotototo,¡± they whined, shaking about and exiting the cloud. Immediately I felt that their power had decreased back to normal. Something to get rid of stat changes and deal damage? Nice Move. Pretty sure it¡¯s Poison too, so no Resistances to help either.

    ¡°Confuse Ray, then blast it.¡± Rotom unleashed a tightly clustered bunch of dancing lights that shot right at Charcadet¡¯s face, dazing him. He tried to continue his attack but started blowing the smoke in the wrong direction.

    ¡°No, other way!¡± Amethio shouted, but it was too late. Miles called down a massive bolt of lighting, like a blue spear striking down from their conjured rain cloud it struck Charcadet. To his credit, the tiny Pokemon remained standing after the first bolt. Unfortunately, their body stiffened, Paralyzed by the shock, and so they had no chance of dodging the next three bolts, which each struck dead on. Before the fifth could be called down, he crumpled to his knees and fell over unconscious. ¡°Charcadet!¡±

    He ran to check on his Pokemon. From what I could see, the Charcadet would be fine, but I walked over and offered him a Revive. ¡°Here. You did well.¡±

    ¡°Hardly. I was completely outmatched.¡± He scoffed but took the medicine, waking Charcadet back up.

    ¡°Well yeah, Miles did great,¡± and I flashed them a thumbs up, which they eagerly smiled back at. ¡°But that Clear Smog was smart thinking on your part. Would have been a lot tougher to deal with if I had that going.¡± I had more to say but was distracted by the rain, a drop falling very close to my eye.

    Turning to Miles I asked, ¡°Hey can you turn off the rain?¡± They tilted their body to the side, the equivalent of cocking their head slightly before waving their arms around to little avail. Alright, I¡¯ve been considering this since last time. Luckily, this is not a game, and I have an idea. ¡°Just go up to the clouds and release an Overheat.¡±

    With a nod, they flew to the center of their dark storm clouds and opened their oven door. A massive blast of heat came out, enough to be felt on the ground, drying us instantly and blowing the clouds away.

    The boy muttered, looking up at my Pokemon, "I didn''t know Rotom could do that."

    "Yeah, they''re pretty impressive. Each of their forms has a super powerful move of the other type they gain in that form."

    He nodded.

    "We''ll have to train hard to beat you next time."

    "Cadet!"

    I beamed broadly. "That''s the spirit!" I offered him my hand, he took it, and I pulled him back up from where he''d been kneeling beside his Pokemon.

    "Quite a show, both of you. I have a feeling you''re both going to make good Explorers." We''ll see. Still, if I spend more time fighting quiet but not stupid guys like Amethio and less time around creeps like before, it might not be so bad.

 Chapter 24

    ¡°Osu! Welcome, to my dojo!¡± Dendra declared, sweeping her arms out as she opened the sliding door to a traditional martial arts dojo.

    The floor was wooden, with a few mats placed in the center. In one corner was a wooden post with several poles sticking out to practice katas, and opposite it hung a punching bag. On the walls hung a few pieces of elegant calligraphy, and a somewhat incongruous motivational poster of a Sprigatito clinging onto a branch with the caption ¡®hang in there¡¯. Sunlight streamed into the room from a large window, and beside that windowsill a Meditite hovered, carefully pruning a Bonsai tree that rested atop it. They turned to look at me curiously before returning to their work.

    Fixing the lapels of my white gi, I followed her inside. I removed my shoes before stepping inside and placed my bag by the door.

    ¡°So, uh, what do you think? I know it¡¯s a bit old-fashioned but-¡±

    ¡°I love it,¡± I said, excited to be here, and the nervousness on her face evaporated into pure joy.

    ¡°Osu!¡± She stepped inside and took her place at the top of the room, straightening her belt. It¡¯s kinda cute, seeing her all eager and nervous like this. Dendra was always enthusiastic in the games, but she was an adult there. Now I¡¯m seeing her as a kid, just doing this for the first time.

    Her Meditite finished her pruning and drifted over to Dendra, giving me a polite wave and yawning sleepily before pressing the button on their Pokeball and recalling themselves. Must be pretty young, she looked somewhat small.

    ¡°My plan today is to run you through the basics of what martial arts are, some stretches and drills to get you fired up, and practice a few simple techniques. Before we begin, do you have any questions?¡±

    ¡°How did you get this dojo?¡± I¡¯d been in a slightly bigger martial arts studio in my prior life, but we¡¯d had classes with over twenty students and three or more instructors in that one. I¡¯d also had classes out of garages or basements when times were leaner.

    ¡°Ah, well, it¡¯s not exactly mine. My Shifu entrusted it to me to keep safe while he trained in the wilderness. I pretty much live here now, not that there¡¯s too much to do, but things are too quiet at home.¡± She laughed, but it felt just a little forced and hollow. Plenty of reasons why someone¡¯s parents might be gone or missing in this world.

    ¡°Is it alright for you to be teaching me here? I appreciate the offer, but I don¡¯t want you getting in trouble with your teacher or any other students.¡±

    ¡°No worries! I don¡¯t think Shifu Chuck will have a problem with me teaching you or anything though, if- when he comes back. And there¡¯s no other students left but me.¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry to hear that.¡±

    ¡°No no, it¡¯s fine,¡± she waved her hands animatedly, plastering a grin on her face.

    ¡°The others just got busy with studies and other things, and stopped focusing on being a trainer.¡±

    "Huh? What does being a coach have to do with practicing martial arts?" This is about improving my body and discipline, not my Pokemon''s, or is it some co op thing.

    "Well, you know the stereotypes," she scratched the back of her wild black hair. "Or don''t you? You weren''t born in Paldea."

    "No, I''m--I''m from Unova." I stammer over the words for a second before remembering where I¡¯m from from in this life, and not the past one.

    "I don''t know if things are different there, but most people around these parts only seriously practice martial arts when training Fighting Types.¡± She quickly seems to notice her gaffe, putting up her arms in a defensive position in front of her

    "Not that Fighting Types aren''t great, my whole team is Fighting! But in general, people drop the practice when they stop being dedicated trainers, or pick up other Types on their team."

    ¡°That¡¯s dumb.¡± My blunt words caused Dendra to be surprised for a split second before snorting.

    ¡°Yeah, it is. I¡¯d practice Karate forever, even if I wasn¡¯t a trainer.¡± I returned the fierce grin she gave me with one of my own. Definitely, I feel the same way.

    ¡°Do you plan on training any Fighting Types?¡±

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t set out concrete plans on who I want to train, so many cool Pokemon out there. And I just want someone who wants to be on my team and meshes well with me.¡± I wouldn¡¯t mind finding one that worked well with me, though. There are some very cool and strong Fighting Types out there.

    As if reading my mind she shouted ¡°Quick, name your favorite Fighting Type!¡±

    "Aah, Bewear? Or maybe Lucario! But Hawlucha''s great, too..." Heracross and Annihilape are great, too! Does Meloetta count as one? Or doesn''t she count? Because she''s a mythical, and she can switch between fighting and not fighting.

    She laughed heartily. "I know, right?!" Then she caught herself and cleared her throat. "Right, I teach a class here. Ahem. Now, was there anything else you had questions about?"

    "No, thanks Sensei Dendra. Or would you prefer Shifu Dendra?" I asked and she put her hands over her mouth.

    ¡°Too¡­ cute.¡± She squeaked out and looked like she wanted to pick me up like a teddy bear before managing to control herself. ¡°Uh, Sensei Dendra is fine.¡± She shook her head and took a deep breath.

    "Right, the basics of martial arts. I''m going to teach you karate, which I learned from my Shifu in this dojo, but every style has the same foundation. Martial arts is a sport and an art form. It''s an expression through the movement of the human body.¡±

    ¡°People often look down on them because of this, but almost all styles were designed with a very practical purpose: to hurt others. They''re meant to help you refine and arm yourself. As such, I expect you to treat this training with the utmost respect.¡±

    ¡°Karate can be used in tournaments, if you wish to do so we can go over the rules of those and how you fight in those circumstances. Outside of those or this dojo, I expect you to only be using it against others as a method of self-defense or to defend others. While people may be weaker than Pokemon, that doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t be dangerous with enough training. Some people also use it as an excuse to hurt others and then pretend the pain they cause isn¡¯t serious because it wasn¡¯t caused by a Pokemon or a weapon. That will not be tolerated in this dojo, are we clear?!!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sensei.¡±

    She let out a sigh.

    ¡°Phew. Sorry about that, but that was a strict rule in this dojo and I needed to go over it. I don¡¯t think you¡¯re going to hurt anyone but-¡±

    ¡°No, I get it.¡± My former teacher always said the first thing you should look into in a confrontation is if you can de-escalate or safely escape without a fight. Using violence, and truly hurting others should always be the last resort.

    ¡°We¡¯ll begin class by bowing to each other, to show respect as teacher and student.¡±

    To demonstrate, she gave me a short bow, back straight and bending at the hips. I returned it with my own, clasping a fist with an open palm.

    ¡°Osu! Do you already have training in martial arts?¡± How did she- right the bow.

    Just a sign of respect, but the gesture to go along with it, is something that would have come with training. Especially so instinctually.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ve had a bit of training before I moved to Paldea.¡± Technically sorta true if you squint at it?

    ¡°I thought you might have!¡± Dendra pumped her fist in the air. ¡°Your punches at the tournament were very interesting. What style did you study?¡±

    ¡°It was mixed martial arts. Ju-Jitsu base with a bit of everything thrown in. Karate, Muay Thai, Sambo, etcetera.¡±

    ¡°Ohh! That sounds very cool. I haven¡¯t even heard of Muay Thai!¡±

    Right, different world, different styles names or just some less popular styles. Martial arts was quite a niche interest here. "Change of plans, we''re still going to warm up, but after that you can show me what you know and we''ll go from there."

    ¡°Osu!¡± I shouted out¡­ which may have been a mistake as she grabbed at her heart, falling over and muttering something about ¡®cuteness overload.¡¯

    Turning on my heel, I pulled out my water bottle from my bag and splashed her with it. ¡°Wha- ah.¡±

    ¡°Ready to begin?¡± I asked, giving her the chance to recompose herself and not press her on the topics. Cheeks a little red from embarrassment, she nodded. I had Miles start hovering in the back, recording the class for Leah and my parents to review.

    The stretches were pretty standard, though I was surprised by how far my body could go. Last life I could just reach the ends of my toes with my hands in a sitting stretch, now I¡¯m reaching like a foot past it. It could have been part of the general upgrades humans had in this world, or just my child body being naturally more flexible.

    The push-ups, sit-ups, and other exercises Dendra quickly ran me through were nothing new, all stuff I practiced at home. Even the kettlebell squats and chin-ups were all familiar to me, though using equipment I didn¡¯t have, so they worked out muscle groups I hadn¡¯t focused on as much in this life, giving me a good burn before my teacher called a break on that.

    ¡°Now that you¡¯re all warmed up, I want you to show me your moves! Let¡¯s start with a jab.¡± She threw her hand out, and I almost copied her before remembering she wanted to see my style.

    Bending my knees, I placed my legs apart, in line with my shoulders, one foot facing her in front of me, the other off to my right. I raised my hands beside my face, my fists clenched by my cheeks. Slowly, I extended my left arm out in a jab, letting her see every part of the motion clearly before drawing it back.

    ¡°Interesting, you didn¡¯t turn your fist over horizontally, you kept it vertical. Do you do the same for your punches?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, demonstrating my punch with my right hand. It was similar to my jab, but I turned my shoulder and pivoted my foot with it fully for extra reach and power. ¡°It gives the wrist more protection and is just a little bit faster. I¡¯ll turn it for a hook punch or uppercut, but that¡¯s mostly to get better angles on those strikes.¡± She nodded and motioned for me to demonstrate those as well, which I did.

    ¡°Good, good. You¡¯re throwing back behind each punch, even in the jabs where you pop your shoulder a bit. That¡¯s one of the most important steps and you¡¯ve already got it down. You keep a very high guard. That¡¯ll protect your upper half, but what about your body?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d either use my elbows or knees. Possibly catching or deflecting a kick with my hands or arms if I felt it was viable.¡±

    Then I showed her the three leg blocks, raising my left leg high, first at an angle out, then in, and finally with my right leg at an angle out as well. ¡°Any strike from an opponent I¡¯m facing can be covered with these and force a lower strike to deflect against the knee or shin.¡±

    Dropping my elbow down, I showed how from my high guard I could still cover down to my hip while only dropping a few inches away from my face, giving me plenty of time to return to cover any follow-up strikes. Especially since any attack it blocked would limit any further attacks on that side. At least, from a human opponent. An angry Pokemon attacking me would be a very different story, even before any Moves.

    After running through a few more strikes, she said ¡°I think that¡¯s enough for now. Run them through for me, together.¡± With that my new sensei started calling out strikes repeatedly, having me chain them together against imaginary foes.

    ¡°Elbow¡¯s dropping.¡±

    ¡°Yes, sensei.¡±

    ¡°Overturning your foot there.¡±

    ¡°Thank you sensei.¡±

    So it went. My knowledge was not perfectly retained, but thousands and thousands of the basics ensured that they stuck in my mind. The muscle memory wasn¡¯t there anymore though, so as I started moving at full speed, I got sloppy. Made mistakes. Honestly, it¡¯s really impressive that Dendra can already get my style well enough to spot all the mistakes I¡¯m making here, she¡¯s a great teacher.

    Sweat was just starting to roll off me when Dendra called ¡°Enough! Take a quick water break.¡± I did so gratefully. ¡°Well, I wasn¡¯t expecting you to already have a solid base style. Hmm, this is going to complicate things. What do you want to do from here? Keep your style as is and try to add the Karate into it, or start fresh?¡±

    I thought hard about the offer before saying ¡°I want to keep my style. It uses a lot of Karate anyway, probably the second heaviest influence to my style. I should be able to incorporate it without too much difficulty.¡± There were often worries about having to train out prior influences when learning a new style, but I hoped that I could blend what I knew and what I learned without too much difficulty. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose what I learned.¡±

    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    It¡¯s funny. Hadn¡¯t practiced in a few years before I was reborn but¡­ the mere thought of discarding what I had then cuts like a knife. My old teachers, an old man, and his son flashed through my mind. Maybe I¡¯ll never pass this on, I can¡¯t make any promises as to how this life goes, but I¡¯ll try to make you proud. Hope you¡¯re doing well, wherever you are.

    ¡°Nemona?¡± Her voice was tentative, not excited at all, so I turned to face Dendra wondering what was bothering her. ¡°We can take a break if you want.¡±

    ¡°What?! No!¡± I shook my head and felt a bit of water fly off my face. What- oh. I was crying. ¡°I- no, I¡¯m fine. Let¡¯s keep going.¡± I wiped my face.

    ¡°... Alright. Let¡¯s practice some katas. Here, take a Zebstrika stance.¡± I blinked, confused at her words before I saw her stance and realized what she meant.

    ¡°Oh right, yeah. Sensei,¡± I tacked on the end as I took what I knew to be a horse stance. Of course, they would have different names.

    ¡°Hold your fists down lower, by your sides. Your guard will be lower for this, but there are blocks we¡¯ll train from here. Now, follow my lead, osu!¡±

    ***

    Training continued like that, going pretty well. It wasn¡¯t hard for me to copy her moves, a lot of them I knew or were very familiar to me. It just would take a lot of practice until I had them down perfectly, could use them without thinking. Even more training on top of that to make sure they fit into what I already had, but I was feeling pretty hopeful.

    Towards the end of the session, Dendra had me practicing on the wooden dummy and then the punching bag. The dummy went well, in part because I was aware of how tough the wood was and was careful not to hit it at full force. A punching bag can feel soft, you don¡¯t realize how dense the sand packed inside it can be.

    ¡°Ha! Kiai!¡± I shouted out as I punched and kicked into it.

    ¡°Harder!¡±

    ¡°Hah!¡± Exhaling, I threw a heavy hook into it. My fist felt a bit sore, but my wrist was fine, so I kept on going. Just like my shins, this would just be good conditioning, right?

    ¡°Last set, harder!¡± The words weren¡¯t harsh, I didn¡¯t have a reason to be upset, but it felt like I was hitting it as hard as I could. If I¡¯d been thinking about it rationally, I¡¯d recognize that I did still have a bit more to give, that it was about seeing if I could keep my form while using all my strength. But in that moment it just sparked a bit of frustration, and I grabbed onto that, Imagining Freddrick¡¯s dumb, smug face on the punching bag.

    Jab, punch, uppercut, followed by an arcing overhand haymaker I stepped through to deliver. The bag was knocked back hard, swaying on the chain that held it aloft. As I slipped aside from its return swing, I saw my hands and realized they were bloody, something Dendra saw too.

    ¡°Stop! Nemona, what happened?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, I just fu- screwed up. Could I get an ice pack?¡± My hand was throbbing a bit.

    ¡°Yes, and bandages, oh gosh.¡± She ran off to the main entrance room, and then down the hall to get some medical supplies.

    Can¡¯t believe I was so stupid. Waving for Miles to stop recording, I called them back to me. At their worried expression, I said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this doesn¡¯t really hurt.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry Nemona, I shouldn¡¯t have let you get hurt!¡± Dendra wailed as she burst back into the dojo, her arms full with a box of medical supplies.

    ¡°Whoa, I think that¡¯s a bit much. I only need an ice bag.¡± Glancing at my bloody knuckles I added ¡°Maybe some gauze too.¡±

    ¡°You sure you don¡¯t need a bandage or-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll just get in the way, it¡¯s the knuckles that got abrased.¡± She handed me a strip of gauze and the ice pack. Applying the former to my knuckles, I put the latter against my wrist and let out a sigh of relief.

    ¡°Don¡¯t you need that for your knuckles?¡± she asked.

    ¡°No, they just sting a little bit. I tweaked my wrist with that last punch.¡± I¡¯d had minor wrist problems in my last life, probably from some injuries I¡¯d acquired over my decades in martial arts, and I remembered Nemona having that brace in the game. I don¡¯t want to get those problems again, gotta be more careful.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Nemona, I shouldn¡¯t have-¡±

    ¡°Stop it! Sensei,¡± I added much too belatedly, the incongruity of it causing my lip to twitch upwards at the ridiculousness of it. That caused her to laugh and soon we were both just giggling. It¡¯s strange how being close to a friend can make everything so much brighter, and flip a bad mood around in an instant.

    Once we stopped laughing I made sure to clarify. ¡°Seriously though, it wasn¡¯t your fault. I got angry, made a mistake, and hurt myself. Wasn¡¯t even that bad, just scraped a bit of flesh off the knuckles. Besides, it¡¯s martial arts, I should expect a few bumps and bruises.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t let Tulip hear you say that, she feels that every injury should be avoided.¡± Dendra smiled at me as if to say ¡®How silly Tulip can be,¡¯ but I was distracted. Something about that triggered something in my mind. Didn¡¯t Dendra have a scar in the games? I think¡­ I think she did, somewhere on her face, but pretty small. I couldn¡¯t see it here though, so it was likely an incident yet to happen.

    The older girl continued. ¡°While I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t get scared off or anything¡­ what caused you to get so angry?¡±

    Sitting down I let out a small sigh. ¡°Nothing serious, just picturing beating that jerk from the tournament, Frederick. Figures he gets me in trouble again.¡± I gave a small mirthless laugh. But I know the truth; it¡¯s my temper getting me in trouble, not him, even if he is an asshole.

    ¡°Do you think we could do any meditation as part of the class?¡± It¡¯s not like I need to meditate here, but it¡¯s a nice routine and something I enjoyed before when practicing.

    ¡°We could, but you¡¯ll probably do more of that with Tulip.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°Oh right, she¡¯s been busy with her modeling and trying to get in contact with her old teacher, but she¡¯ll be ready to train you in Aura soon.¡±

    ¡°I- I thought she- after my outburst, how I nearly¡­ I thought she wasn¡¯t going to teach me that.¡±

    ¡°Whaaaat? Why would you think that?!¡±

    ¡°Well, I got really mad, and¡­¡± Holding up my injured hand I shrugged. ¡°She saw all that and we hadn¡¯t talked at all since, so I assumed¡­¡± I trailed off.

    ¡°No, of course not! You didn¡¯t hurt anyone, and of course, you were frustrated. We all were, that call was bogus! We were all just kinda shocked, and then you ran off, but no one blames you for that. That girl! She accuses me of being scatterbrained sometimes, but whenever the shoe¡¯s on the other foot¡­¡± she devolved into grumblings, and I smiled. Dendra looks a lot happier when talking about her friends rather than the people not in her life anymore.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have blamed her if she hadn¡¯t wanted to teach me after that, it¡¯s not like she owed me anything. Oh, right! I should pay you for the class.¡± She tried to wave me off, but I refused.

    ¡°No, this was a good class, from an expert for several hours, you deserve to get paid for it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re a friend, it¡¯s not like I have much to do right now anyway¡­¡± That won¡¯t do at all.

    ¡°Ten thousand for the session.¡±

    ¡°What!? No, that¡¯s way too much!¡±

    ¡°Eleven thousand.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s higher!¡± She shrieked.

    ¡°And it¡¯ll keep on going up until you accept,¡± I shot back cheekily. Was sticking my tongue out too much? Nah.

    ¡°Why I- alright, fine, we¡¯ll settle this in a battle! I win and you have to pay me a reasonable price.¡±

    ¡°Uhh¡­¡± Holding out my still bloody hand and using the other one to gesture at my much smaller body I said. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s very fair.¡±

    ¡°Not a martial arts match, a Pokemon battle! I love sparring, but I like Pokemon battling too, and I¡¯ve been fired up ever since I saw your tournament fights!¡±

    ¡°Sounds good. Do you have anywhere to fight?¡± The dojo might be great for human sparring, but I was sure that Pokemon would tear it apart in a few Moves.

    ¡°The backyard has a sand pit that should be large enough for our Pokemon.¡± Heading outside I saw a very spacious backyard, and tastefully arranged at that. Smooth stones were inlaid in the ground to make a nice path towards an empty pond and a tall tree. Hedges lined the edge, with a few shrubs inside. The back half was dominated by a sand pit with even lines running through it that made me suspect someone had been using it as a Zen garden.

    Dendra took her place on one end of the rectangular field and I stood at the other. ¡°Osu! Let¡¯s have a 1-on-1 battle. Whoever faints first or surrenders loses.¡± She released Meditite, who didn¡¯t take to the field but instead moved outside it, taking their place in the center. Ah, they¡¯ll be the referee for this match.

    ¡°Sounds good, go, Dun!¡± I released the land snake from his ball and he gave a loud chirp, eagerly wiggling about on the sand.

    ¡°Go, Hariyama!¡± Dendra responded, releasing her Pokemon. He was a rather rotund figure, very humanoid with a pale cone-shaped head and massive orange hands.

    She already has a Hariyama, I should have figured. She has a Type advantage over Dun, but given her experience, I don¡¯t think Miles would be up to the challenge yet. Plus, we¡¯ve got a few new tricks to try against Fighting Types.

    ¡°On the count of three, we¡¯ll begin. Three, two, one¡­ go!¡±

    ¡°Glare,¡± I gave my order out immediately. Considering Dendra was counting us in, that gave me a slight advantage, and Hariyama had no chance of closing his eyes before his muscles started seizing up.

    ¡°Arm Thrust, hit him hard!¡± Dendra cried out, making thrusting motions with her own hands. Her Pokemon lumbered up, trying to palm-strike Dun repeatedly. My starter dodged out of the way of most of them, faster than the debilitated Fighting Type, but the sheer size of his hands meant that one of the shots clipped him and sent Dun tumbling tail overhead across the field from the force.

    At least that gives us some breathing room. ¡°Hex!¡± Purple shadowy winds whipped around Dun for a moment before dissipating as dark purple flame-like energies gathered around Hariyama. The large Fighting Type flinched heavily at that, trying to disperse the energy, only to freeze up part way through.

    ¡°Shake it off, Harriyama! I know you got it in you!¡± Dendra shouted. I would have felt it was a waste of time¡­ if I didn¡¯t see her Pokemon do just that. With a quick shake of his head, he pushed aside the Paralysis, his body limbering up and he clapped his large hands together menacingly.

    Gah! How did she- whatever, gotta stay in the game. The distance between them¡­ too much for that, but he¡¯s going to close anyway, won¡¯t he? ¡°Earthquake, followed with an Air Cutter,¡± I gave my command as Hariyama started jogging towards us.

    Training on the beach so often meant that sand was no obstacle for Dun to move, his repeated strikes to the ground sending waves of sand rippling out around him. As the waves neared Hariyama, they rose, crashing over him like a tidal wave.

    ¡°Nice work Dun!¡± I called out as I saw the Fighting Type getting pushed back and covered by sand. Hariyama spat out a few grains. More waves came in, which he just punched through, but each hit roughed him up a little bit and slowed him down.

    Dun¡¯s wings flapped hard, gathering energy and swirling the winds around him even while he didn¡¯t move himself. To my surprise, Hariyama proved faster, closing with Dun before he could launch his attack. The wind was released in a cutting slash at Hariyama, who managed to dodge it partially, twisting his large body to the side so the blade of air only cut him in the shoulder before smacking Dun hard into the ground with a slap of his own.

    ¡°Dunnnnn!¡± the land snake gave a pained cry, rolling around away from any follow-up. No, it wasn¡¯t that Hariyama was too fast, it¡¯s that Dun moved too slow; he took twice as long as he usually does to use that Move.

    ¡°Drill retreat!¡± Dun¡¯s tail started spinning noisily, giving Hariyama a moment of pause, which was all Dun needed to escape. We still hadn¡¯t gotten the Move Dig down fully, but he was good enough to drill down and make a tunnel to escape, popping back up far away from Hariyama a few seconds later.

    ¡°Air Slash, again!¡± His wings flapped again and blades of air started flying across the battlefield at Hariyama. Much faster this time. It must be because he didn¡¯t just use Ground Type energy before it - drilling through the ground isn¡¯t the same as Earthquake. I¡¯d taken it for granted, with Dun being so naturally great at using different Type energies, but switching between them rapidly is still a limitation we face for the newer Moves.

    Dendra wasn¡¯t just going to let us pelt her from afar, however. ¡°Stone Edge the Air Slash.¡± The big-handed Pokemon reached down, condensing sand into a giant boulder twice the size of Dunsparce and hurling it low to the ground at his foe. It burst through the whirling air with ease and before it even reached his target, Hariyama was reaching for another toss with his other hand.

    ¡°Protect! Go low and pick up speed!¡± At the last moment, Dunsparce conjured a hexagonal patterned forcefield around him. The barrier wavered, ripples spreading out from the point where the jagged rock impacted it, but ultimately held.

    More rocks were thrown, some of them smashing into each other or hitting the ground, kicking up large clouds of dust neither of us could see through. I¡¯m not worried though, Dun knows what to do.

    When the clouds cleared, the rocks breaking back down into sand, they revealed an empty space where Dunsparce had been. ¡°Huh? Oh, I see,¡± Dendra nodded, figuring out my strategy in a second. ¡°Fine, we can play like that. Hariyama, Belly Drum!¡±

    My eyes widened. He still has the energy left for that? Damn it! The big fighter did indeed, joyously slapping his own hands against his belly making an odd sound ringing out through the air. He looked quite beat up, more from his own Move than any of the ones we had landed on him, but he was still standing proud.

    Dunsparce poked his head out from the sand and I knew it was time to act. ¡°Strafe him, Hyper Voice!¡± Dun dashed across the battlefield, and with the Agility he had used underground, he moved quite quickly at that, drawing in a deep breath. Belly Drum is a huge threat, but if he can¡¯t reach us we can still win this-

    ¡°Bullet Punch.¡± Hariyama rocketed forward, right hand outstretched in a fist- no, like his fist was pulling the rest of him forward. Dun let out a high-pitched screech, causing Hariyama to wince, but his aim was true, connecting with the speedy snake and sending him flying across the arena and into a hedge where he collapsed in a heap.

    Hariyama wobbled, dropping down to one knee and placing a hand on the ground. He was hurt but still conscious while Dun¡­ was not. Meditite raised their arm on Dendra¡¯s side, indicating she was the winner, but I barely noticed.

    ¡°Dun!¡± I ran over to him and began immediately applying Revives and Potions to him after extracting him from the hedge. He blearily blinked his eyes back open.

    ¡°Arce ar?¡±

    ¡°We lost, sorry pal. You did great out there though.¡±

    ¡°Dun.¡± He was disappointed, but not upset this time. I feel the same. If we had lost to Freddrick- well, that guy was still a jerk so it would have hurt more, but losing to Rika wouldn¡¯t have been bad. I wonder if I¡¯ll get to challenge her when I take on the Elite Four?

    ¡°Osu! That was incredible! You two were awesome!¡± Dendra exclaimed as she ran over. I tossed her a few Potions to use on Hariyama, which helped him a bit but didn¡¯t clear all of his bruises.

    ¡°Thanks, but it was Dun that did great. I shouldn¡¯t have played so on the fence around the Belly Drum. Should have gone all in the moment he came out, or maybe gone full defense, waited for you to commit with something else, Glare at a distance and Protect to stop it, then counter?

    Or¡­¡± my mumblings became indecipherable as I puzzled it over in my head.

    If there was any possible way to win, I¡¯m the kind of person to obsess over it. Admittedly, this one would have been pretty hard no matter what. Her Hariyama was incredibly tough, well-trained, and had the Type advantage. I¡¯ll face more challenges like that as I grow though, so many more if I want to be the Champion. People who have built whole teams solely to defeat me, and I¡¯ll need to counter those.

    I noticed Dun slither over to Hariyama and exchange a few ¡®words.¡¯

    ¡°Dun, un.¡±

    ¡°Ama?¡±

    ¡°Arce spar, dunsparce.¡±

    ¡°Ha ha hariyama!¡±

    Dendra grinned, reading the situation as well as I had (albeit, from the other side).

    ¡°We¡¯ll be ready to take you on any time, osu!¡±

    ¡°Just you wait, Dun is gonna be so much stronger the next time you face him!¡±

    Her eyes blazed fiercely as she met my determined gaze and I held out my fist for her to bump it. She did so, and Dun did something similar, holding out his tail for Hariyama who tapped it¡­ and sent Dunsparce blasting off.

    The three of us looked on in shock and horror before running off after Dun, trying to catch him wherever he landed.

    ¡°Oh no, he still had Belly Drum up! I¡¯m so sorrrrry!!¡±

 Chapter 25

    Nothingness. It surrounded me, I was one with it and everything. There are voids between everything, every particle of matter like the void in my stomach, I¡¯m hungry-

    ¡°Focus.¡± Tulip¡¯s stern words cut through my distraction but didn¡¯t help me achieve that goal. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s got her eyes closed just like me, but she picked up on my distraction instantly. Her psychic abilities are interesting- enough of that! Recenter.

    Trying to bring my mind back in order, I recalled where I was. I¡¯m in the dojo with Tulip, we¡¯re sitting on the wooden floor. The floor is connected to the ground, to the city of Alforanda. The city, a bustling mass of people and Pokemon, buildings and roads, all working together and connecting to each other, and out to the rest of the cities, to the whole land of Paldea. Paldea connected to the rest of the world through the seas and skies. I am one with the universe, and it is one with me.

    That was a good start, but next, I needed to focus on what I was doing. I¡¯m meditating, training my Aura. First step? Feeling the energies within me and around me and shaping them¡­ at least in theory. A sharp breath of air escaped me and I heard Tulip sigh in response.

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± I opened my eyes to see the purple-haired woman sitting there in front of me. She wasn¡¯t dolled up as elegantly as she usually was, her purple hair hung down straight behind her back. Tulip was wearing jeans and a Gardevoir patterned t-shirt, that while casual, did nothing to hide how beautiful she was.

    ¡°I can¡¯t seem to get a hold of the energy within me. You¡¯re sure I¡¯ve got a lot of it?¡±

    This time it was her turn to sigh. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m certain. It¡¯s easy for me to tell that much, your Aura is likely as great as mine, possibly greater.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you were rather weak?¡±

    Despite the question being rude, she was hardly upset at it. ¡°Compared to the select few that can actively use Aura? Yes, I¡¯m on the weaker end, though part of that is that I¡¯ve barely had any training. It would grow if I trained it more, but my modeling and other duties eat into that. Your potential probably outstrips my own.¡±

    Other duties mostly included modeling pro bono for her family¡¯s business. Dendra mentioned to me that Tulip¡¯s parents ran a software company. It was rather small compared to the massive companies Billy and O¡¯Nare ran, but from what I gathered they were decently wealthy, especially with a rising star like their daughter helping in advertisements.

    ¡°Well, thank you for helping train me. I appreciate it, though I can¡¯t see how I could have more ¡®potential¡¯ than you; sensing emotions was something you could do even without training, right?¡±

    She nodded. ¡°My training gave me better control, just focused on making sure I no longer was overwhelmed by what I could sense. It left me quite awkward as a child,¡± she gave a small, sad chuckle. It was hard to imagine someone as composed as her being like that, but I understood that Psychic powers were something that could be quite difficult to deal with as a child.

    ¡°I started training later than you have, but you should have noticed some influence from that energy. Not everyone leans to a specific Type, and some do have more subtle applications of that power than Psychics, but there might be some hint of it there.¡±

    Shaking my head, I tried to reign in the hint of frustration I was feeling, knowing that the older girl would be feeling it as well. ¡°Nothing I can think of, my life has been fairly normal.¡± Aside from the whole Isekai deal. I don¡¯t even remember dying in my past life, so no extra ghostly energy or anything like that. ¡°No conjuring fireballs, or grass growing where I walk, or draconic¡­ dragoneyness.¡±

    ¡°Please take this seriously,¡± Her lips were set into a thin line.

    ¡°I am! It¡¯s just hard. I can¡¯t think of anything unusual, any special powers I might have and whenever I try to grasp this supposed energy within me, I can¡¯t get a hold of it at all.¡± After a second I added: "Well, I think my senses might be better than other people''s. I was able to hear a whispered conversation better from farther away than someone else who was closer, and my vision is excellent, for detail and distance. Not sure if that indicates anything other than general Aura use, however."

    She made a non-committal ''hmm'' noise. ¡°I''ll keep that in mind. Your personal energy, does it feel like water slipping through your fingers?¡±

    ¡°Not even that. Like there¡¯s nothing there, or any energy there is dancing just out of reach, brushing just by me and unable to be held. Or maybe I¡¯m just imagining it, and I¡¯m not actually feeling anything at all.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t become despondent. The training takes time, have patience.¡± Grimacing, I nodded. Intellectually I knew all of that, but emotionally¡­ I¡¯m just getting frustrated, which isn¡¯t helping. Look how hard and tirelessly Miles and Dun have worked for their gains. I can put in at least this much.

    After our session, an hour no closer to progress, we stopped. ¡°If this doesn¡¯t work in a few months we¡¯ll try something new.¡±

    ¡°Alright, thank you. How much should I pay you-¡±

    ¡°No.¡± The words to try to convince her died on my tongue as I saw the determined look on her face. Dendra had been reticent to accept pay after winning our bout until I showed her comparative prices for training from a martial arts master and the added benefit of one-on-one teaching and she acquiesced to a decent sum each month for the weekly lessons. This is different though.

    ¡°Those who have learned Aura teach it for their own reasons.¡± Or don¡¯t, I thought, recalling how she had danced around the topics in front of the Professors. ¡°The talent is rare, and not everyone can learn to harness their Aura. My teacher taught me it was a duty to pass that gift on to the next generation.¡±

    ¡°Does that mean I¡¯ll have to as well? Or that I can¡¯t tell the general public about it?¡± She shrugged, and I could see a certain lightness in her posture. Being under the spotlight almost all the time can¡¯t be easy.

    ¡°The choice is yours. I¡¯ll admit, I didn¡¯t really understand the duty to pass it on until I met you.¡±

    Part of me wanted to declare that I¡¯d teach anyone, make it public knowledge. More people could be found and possibly helped if it was something more people were aware of. But then again, are there that many people who are getting hurt by the fact that Aura isn¡¯t common knowledge? Would it cause strife if it was well known? Invasive experiments, onerous demands to try and force kids to practice while they were young?... Probably not, honestly, this world is an incredibly kind one, and even the strongest Aura master pales in comparison to a Pokemon. Still, I should think about it, and learn more about it, before making any decisions.

    ¡°Thank you then,¡± I stood up and gave her a small bow. ¡°Again, I appreciate you training me.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± she rose as well, stretching out.

    ¡°By the way who is your-¡± She shook her head. Makes sense. If they really cared for me to know who they are, they probably would have helped out with the teaching here. I wondered if the unnamed teacher even wanted me to be taught - it had taken Tulip a fair while to ¡®learn everything she needed to know¡¯, and given how spotty even that knowledge was, I imagined some of that was resistance on her teacher¡¯s part.

    I could admit to myself that I was tempted to find out who this mysterious teacher was, and what secrets they were keeping, but I pushed that part down. It was generous enough that they and Tulip were giving me anything; I could have searched for years and not found any hard answers about Aura.

    ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure to teach you, though I¡¯m afraid I must be going. I¡¯ll only be able to train you once a month or so, unlike Dendra due to my schedule.¡±

    ¡°I should be going too. I¡¯ve got a new music teacher to meet. See ya later!¡± I shouted, rushing out the door and down to where Rotom had called a Flying Taxi for me.

    ¡°Bzzt, you¡¯re almost as eager for this as you were for your lessons with Tulip,¡± Miles noted, floating in front of me as I hopped into the basket.

    ¡°It should be a lot of fun,¡± I said blandly while reaching out and pulling up a note document on the phone. There I typed my more sensitive answer.

    ¡®Music is something I loved and was incredibly common in my first world. But I only ever listened to it, I never learned how to make it. Wasn¡¯t great at singing and didn¡¯t know how to play any instruments. If I learn how to play, I can bring back some of the great songs I loved.¡¯

    There will be some limits of course. A lot of elements are subtly woven into the lyrics that just wouldn¡¯t make sense here. Replacing those will be a lot harder for a song than it is for a story as I need to not only find a similar meaning but also try and keep the right cadence and rhythm of the song.

    ¡®I see.¡¯ Miles messaged back.

    ¡®Also¡­ it¡¯s a chance to try something new. I have no experience with playing music before, so I¡¯ll be judged based on how well I actually learn it, not on how much I was able to remember.¡¯

    Miles (and Dun), knew well about my past life and some of the more complicated feelings I had on that. It¡¯s part of why I¡¯m so hard on myself at times and other people tell me it¡¯s fine. Would they be saying the same if they knew how much experience and knowledge I already have? They praise me enough already.

    ¡°I wonder who my tutor will be?¡±

    ¡°No idea, bzzt. The Masters of the house picked them out specifically.¡± For a moment I wondered if that meant I¡¯d be taught by the same guy who taught Ortega. Getting the former Headmaster of Uva Academy does sound like something they¡¯d do- no, wait. He¡¯s the current headmaster right now, isn¡¯t he? Yeah, I don¡¯t think that even Mom and Dad could get someone that important. Not like I need anything like that though, just an ordinary girl learning guitar for the first time.

    I decided to push out any worries about my Aura or teacher away and just appreciate the moment, enjoying the breeze as we flew along.

    ***

    ¡°Hassel!? Dragon Trainer of the Elite Four, Hassel?!¡± I squealed and shrieked out as I saw the man standing in my living room. He had short, bright yellow hair, styled differently than what I knew from the games, but that and his dark green overcoat/cape combo (and the fact that I¡¯d seen him in several videos in this life) made his identity clear.

    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

    ¡°Ahem. Yes, that is who I am. However, I am also, as of today, your music teacher!¡± He declared proudly, trying to shake off the awkwardness my first outburst had caused. I was just confused.

    ¡°Music? Not art?¡± As soon as the words escaped my mouth, I realized they were wrong. Shit! That must be later in the timeline!

    He blinked. ¡°I¡¯m more known for my musical talents than my artistic ones, but yes, I teach art. I¡¯m surprised you know about that, you must be quite the fan.¡± He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. He was a musician too? I mean, I guess that sounds right. I must have just forgotten it.

    Still, I was now stuck in a position where my new teacher was feeling awkward. I gotta convince him I¡¯m not a crazed fan or anything. ¡°I just watch a bunch of videos online, I like battles and stuff. You¡¯re not even in my top ten favorite battlers, honest!¡± I was pretty sure that sold the point, with how he doubled over and clutched at his chest as if I¡¯d shot him. Great job brain, 10/10, no notes.

    Hassle straightened up after a moment and resumed his stoic demeanor. ¡°Well, I guess it¡¯s a good thing your parents didn¡¯t hire me as your battle coach then.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like- I¡¯m sorry,¡± I forced out, unable to meet his gaze and wishing the ground would just swallow me whole.

    His sigh sounded at least slightly fond. ¡°It¡¯s fine. Still, we should probably get on with your lesson. You¡¯re learning the guitar, correct?¡±

    ¡°Yes!¡± I said, eagerly leading him up to my room, waving at Cyan as I passed by her room. Once inside I pulled out my case and began getting my birthday gift out. Still, I couldn¡¯t help but ask him a bit more about his job. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you have time to teach me. I thought you¡¯d be busy with all your Elite Four duties and stuff.¡±

    ¡°They said you were a bright young girl,¡± he mused out loud, giving me a curious look before moving on. ¡°I indeed have many obligations that take up my time and energy, but it¡¯s important to make time to engage in one¡¯s hobbies. Especially when I get such wonderful opportunities like this.¡±

    Read: Billy & O¡¯Nare paid him a loooot for this. That wasn¡¯t to say that I thought Hassel wouldn¡¯t have taught me otherwise, but the offer probably pushed my name to the front of any hypothetical list.

    ¡°What hobbies do you have?¡± He asked as he motioned for me to pass him the guitar.

    I did so and answered ¡°Battling! I love it.¡± Despite everything that happened at the Junior Tournament, I still love to battle. I just, might not be as big a fan of tournaments anymore. Then I thought more about the question, watching him tune the guitar and taking mental notes (Miles was hovering nearby to take digital notes in case I forgot). ¡°I guess that isn¡¯t a ¡®hobby¡¯ though. I¡¯m gonna be a Champion one day, so that¡¯s more of a job.¡±

    I saw him twitch ever so slightly like he was trying to hold back a laugh. ¡°Music might be your hobby then.¡± I frowned instinctually, something he caught as he stopped testing and tuning my guitar. ¡°You do want to learn, right?¡±

    Nice of him to be so considerate, to make sure his student wants the lessons her parents have paid for. ¡°I do, I really do. I have a bunch of ideas for songs in my head and I want to get them out into the world.¡± I just didn¡¯t know if that would qualify as a ¡®hobby¡¯ or not.

    ¡°Well why don¡¯t you try and sing one for me and we can work from there?¡± He offered, and I tried to keep my face calm while panicking internally. I might not have been lying, but I have no idea how to translate these songs to make sense in this world.

    ¡°Uhh, I don¡¯t know how to play the guitar yet,¡± I deflected.

    ¡°Just sing the words, we¡¯ll see if we can add the music after,¡± he said softly.

    My mind was racing, put on the spot as I tried to come up with something that would work. Devil went down to Georgia? No, there¡¯s no devil or Georgia in this world. Ghost Ship of Cannibal Rats? Of course not, that mentions rats and practically no songs reference regular animals here. The Pretender? Ah, that one really needs instruments backing it up and I don¡¯t even want to try it until I¡¯m good enough to play something. Eye of the Tiger? Don¡¯t remember anything other than the chorus.

    A dozen other songs flashed through my head, songs that I either couldn¡¯t remember well enough to sing properly, or that just didn¡¯t work. Hassle was starting to look concerned, too.

    ¡°Gi- give me a mome- no.¡± I stopped, cleared my throat, and began to sing.

    ¡°Gimme gimme gimme some time to think.

    I¡¯m in the bathroom looking at me,

    Face in the mirror is all I need, ooh.¡±

    Hassel stopped, donning a considering mein as he took in my words. It¡¯s not perfect, I know. I could hit the notes better but- screw it, this will do.

    ¡°Wait until the reaper takes my life,

    Never gonna get me out alive.

    I will live a thousand million lives, ooh.

    My patience is waning, is this entertaining?

    Our patience is waning, is this entertaining!¡±

    The chorus came into sharp clarity in my mind and I got more into the song, throwing my head about as I started to get into it; wasn¡¯t the same without the instruments to go along with but something in my heart lifted just to hear those old words again.

    ¡°I-I-I got this feeling yeah you know,

    Where I¡¯m losing all control,

    Cause there¡¯s magic in my bones!

    I-I-I got this feeling in my soul,

    Go ahead and throw your stones,

    Cause there¡¯s magic in my bones!¡±

    Stopping there because I wasn¡¯t 100 percent sure of how the next line went, I waited for my tutor¡¯s response. There was a long moment of silence before Hassel began slowly clapping his hands together. ¡°Wonderful! Truly wonderful-¡±

    ¡°Shhh! Shut up!¡± I harshly warned him, causing him to step back in shock. I thought I heard it, just now¡­

    Another ¡®CRACK¡¯ sound came from the other room, and I knew for sure this time it wasn¡¯t any weird clap. ¡°It¡¯s happening, it¡¯s happening!¡± I shouted out before racing off.

    ¡°What!? What is happening?!?¡± A very confused Hassel shouted, trailing behind me. By the time I got to my sister¡¯s room, her door was already being flung open.

    ¡°Nims, it¡¯s happening!¡± Cyan exclaimed eagerly before rushing back inside.

    ¡°Could someone explain what is going on?¡± I ignored Hassel, figuring it would be easier to just let him see.

    Within Cyan¡¯s room, we beheld the Egg. It was still in the Incubator, but that had been placed on the ground with the top taken off. Within the water-filled container we could see the egg, cracks already spreading throughout it.

    ¡°Oh my.¡± That was all Hassel had left to say as the cracks spread a bit farther apart. A piece here and there chipped off, but not enough to see within, until suddenly the whole shell shattered, and a Popplio burst out from it.

    ¡°Pop?¡± The newborn questioned, shaking some of the water off its blue fur, looking curiously at all of us. Hassle and I were standing back letting Cyan take the majority of his focus. He had a transparent blue frill around his neck and white fur around his mouth, topped with a pale red nose.

    My sister was frozen in place until he cocked his head to the side, hanging off the edge of the incubator with his flippers. ¡°Ahh, you¡¯re so adorable!¡± She squealed, rushing towards him. He still seemed a little confused but was calm - hers was a voice he had heard often while in his egg, so subconsciously he equated Cyan with safety.

    ¡°Lio,¡± He said proudly, puffing up a bit, before that caused his tenuous grip to slip. Before he could fall back in, Cyan rushed forward and scooped him up. She¡¯s usually so tidy, but she doesn¡¯t care about the mess being made at all right now.

    I smiled at the scene before inspiration hit me and I rushed over to Cyan¡¯s desk, grabbing a pen and paper and quickly jotting it down.

    ¡°Nemona? What are you doing?¡± She asked me before turning back to Popplio. ¡°Oh, right, that¡¯s Nemona, my sister and I¡¯m Cyan. I¡¯m going to be your trainer. She can be a bit weird, don¡¯t worry about it.¡±

    ¡°Popplio!¡± The small Pokemon cheered, still sounding a little confused on the matter, but trusting that everything must be good if Cyan was happy.

    ¡°Here,¡± I said, quickly handing her the paper, which she awkwardly held while still cradling Popplio. ¡°It¡¯s a song, for the occasion, well part of one- just, sing it.¡± Popplio¡¯s big eyes glanced between me and Cyan. My sister read over it quickly and slowly nodded, taking a deep breath before beginning.

    ¡°What can I tell you of the world?

    When I know I still have so much to learn

    How can I keep you safe? How will you find your way?

    What can I tell you of the world?

    I want you to have it all

    Want you to trust yourself and fear no fall,

    Want you to turn out to be, so much better than me,

    I want you to have it alllll.

    Ohh the places you¡¯ll go, with your eyes so wide,

    With heart in your hand, with your sword at your side,

    Oh the mountains you¡¯ll move, the tears you¡¯ll cry,

    Oh the places you¡¯ll go,

    Little love of mine.¡±

    Cyan sang it quite differently than I remembered, which made sense considering that I didn¡¯t have time to write any directions to go down with it. Her voice also grew watery towards the end, and she muttered something after about ¡°Why¡¯d you have to write something so sappy?¡±

    It was hard to hear, however, over the enthusiastic clapping Popplio gave my performance, squirting out a small jet of water from his mouth in appreciation. ¡°Pop popplio!¡±

    My new music teacher was also making it difficult to hear my big sister''s criticisms. ¡°That was, so, so¡­ beaudiful!!¡± Hassel wailed, the tears streaming down his face putting the Water Type to shame.

    ¡°Arceus, I can¡¯t believe an Elite Four could be such a crybaby,¡± Cyan said while wiping away at her face and using the water Popplio was making to otherwise obscure her own tears. She saw me opening my mouth and decided to quickly deflect ¡°And what was that about being ¡®so much better than me, huh?¡± Jeez, and I was just going to say that Hassel reminded me of Izuku from My Hero. Well, I¡¯d say he ¡®reminded me of a story idea¡­¡¯.

    Popplio added in his two cents, miming at his chest and a void by his body. I squinted for a moment before figuring out his questions.

    ¡°Wow, everyone¡¯s a critic, huh? It¡¯s just a good message, Cyan. And the ¡®heart in your hands, sword at your side¡¯ thing is a metaphor, Popplio. Where you say something to represent another thing without outright saying it¡¯s like that.¡±

    The blue seal lion tilted his head to the side as if to say ¡®Why not just say that outright then? Stupid,¡¯ before turning away to demand another round of the song from Cyan. Taking my cue to step back, I tugged on Hassel¡¯s sleeve and we left.

    As we exited, I noticed Miles had been hovering behind us, taking photos of the big moment.

    ¡°Nice work, Miles.¡± They gave me a big grin before flying back into my pocket.

    Once back in my room, Hassel had composed himself once again. ¡°Apologies for my outburst, it was just such a moving display. And that song you wrote! Off the cuff no less, you¡¯ll make an excellent musician someday.¡±

    ¡°Oh, no, I had been working on that one for a bit, that moment just reminded me- and that song isn¡¯t even finished, that¡¯s just the first part. Plus I think I made a few mistakes there¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll make a fine musician, regardless. I can see you being announced at venues all around-¡±

    ¡°No. Well, I might be famous one day, but it¡¯s not for music. I just need a way to get the songs out of my head properly, I¡¯ll probably give them away once I can do that.¡±

    ¡°I- really? But then why would you be famous?¡±

    Locking on to his amber gaze I declared ¡°Because I¡¯m going to be champion someday. The greatest champion ever.¡±

    He held that stare for a moment before shifting, straightening his tie, and taking off his jacket to hang off my chair. ¡°Excuse me, it just felt a little stuffy for a moment. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll succeed at whatever you put your mind to, young lady. For the moment though, let¡¯s get back to your lesson; in all the excitement I almost forgot about it! Now, here¡¯s the first chord you need to learn¡­¡± I settled down opposite Hassel, paying close attention as he began teaching me how to play the guitar.

 Chapter 26

    ¡°Nims, you need to hear this!¡±

    ¡°Po pop!¡±

    Cyan and Popplio burst into my room one morning, my sister shoving her Rotom in my face.

    ¡°Whoa, where¡¯s the fire?¡± Blinking as I tried to stabilize myself from falling out of my desk chair I¡¯d been idly leaning back in. Once I was back under control (an effort that I couldn¡¯t claim was helped by Popplio hopping onto my shoulder) I put my homework to the side and took a look at what they were trying to show me.

    Cyan had a new article brought up on the phone, a recent one. Scrolling through it I began reading aloud. ¡°Investigation by the League and ¡®concerned citizens¡¯¡­ Corruption of tournament officials¡­ Van Grough family disgraced for cheating, Freddrick stripped of championship!?¡± My voice rose as I took it all in and stood up suddenly.

    Popplio hopped off of me and on top of Cyan¡¯s head, something she¡¯d gotten used to. He does like to climb all around and explore everything.

    I thought my sister might be a little upset that the breeder''s psychics hadn''t been able to properly predict the gender of the Pokemon she would get, but the white-haired girl didn''t say a single bad word when the topic came up.

    ¡°I know, right? Glad that the cheater got caught. You should have won the whole thing!¡± The Popplio atop her head nodded very seriously as well, even though I knew he had no real knowledge of the topic.

    The support goes both ways with those two, I¡¯m glad to see it. My little sister fawned over Popplio in turn every day, so much so that she was almost busier than me with all my new lessons, just looking after the little guy.

    Reading the article in more detail, I saw more treachery involved than just the head judge being connected to him, and even that was different than I imagined. Mr. Rovali wasn¡¯t actually Freddrick¡¯s uncle but instead was a close friend of the family who must have been like a relative to the boy (which explained why it wasn¡¯t immediately detected). There was also the fact that the Corviknight was ¡®doped¡¯ with Power Herb before the fight.

    ¡°Wow, can¡¯t believe that jerk!¡± Cyan exclaimed, stomping her foot as she read it over my shoulder as well, clearly having just skimmed it before rushing over.

    ¡°I know, wasn¡¯t enough that he had to get Mr. Rovali to disqualify me but he was just straight-up cheating too. And there¡¯s suspicion that Rovali was fixing the match order as well.¡± That one was harder to prove definitively, but it would make sense. That Pawmo might have been a challenge for his Corviknight but was checked by Rika¡¯s Clodsire, who in turn had a tough time against Corviknight.

    In any case, the man had been fired and was facing civil and criminal suits. Civil for interference with the gambling organization around the tournament, and criminal for ¡®abuse of authority.¡¯ The League was making big statements about how this incident was an outlier and that they¡¯re looking into their structure to make sure nothing like this happens again, standard ass-covering stuff. Still, it¡¯ll be interesting to see if it leads to any big changes.

    ¡°Looks like Freddrick¡¯s paying for it at least. He lost his Junior Tourney championship, lost his badges, and can¡¯t compete in any League-sanctioned match for the next ten years at least, they even considered taking away his Trainer¡¯s License!¡± Cyan shouted at the end, and I sucked in a deep breath. That is a big deal.

    Being able to train Pokemon was considered a fundamental right by modern society. Yes, you did have to pass a test, but it was fairly easy and you could retake it however many times it took if you failed. To revoke it though? That meant permanently banning you from having any Pokemon partners, a sentence to live life alone. Especially since it¡¯s a sentence basically only handed down on real criminals like Team Rocket. People who have their licenses revoked are universally shunned by polite society.

    I feel like my parents might have pushed people to come down hard on him if this was even considered, though the officials decided not to go through with it. Without any signs of Pokemon abuse or mistreatment, it was never going to go through, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to feel too much sympathy for the boy after what he did to my first tournament.

    Most shocking of all however wasn¡¯t the contents of the investigation, but the identity of the investigator at the end.

    ¡°Wait, Geeta found this out?!¡±

    Cyan looked funny at me, which also had her tipping her head back a bit, which almost caused her and Popplio to topple over. She was still getting used to him in some way. ¡°Why is that so surprising? You met her at the tournament. She found you when you ran off crying.¡±

    My cheeks grew red at that embarrassing reminder. ¡°Thanks for that. But I didn¡¯t realize it was Geeta then.¡± And how could I miss something so obvious? Argh. At her strange look, I tacked on ¡°I¡¯ve talked with Geeta online. She had some good views on Pokemon protection and the like, just didn¡¯t realize those were the same person.¡±

    Before she could ask me anything more about that, I changed topics. ¡°Well, it¡¯s great to hear that Freddrick is getting his just deserts, but I was actually on the verge of heading out. I¡¯ve got a class I need to get ready for.¡±

    ¡°Oh? What is it right now? I keep losing track of your schedule.¡±

    ¡°Well¡­¡±

    ***

    ¡°What is the first step you must take when stranded in the wilderness?¡±

    ¡°Get supplies, find somewhere safe,¡± Amethio said. Not a bad choice, but you¡¯re skipping a step there.

    Chalce agreed with my unspoken assessment, shaking her head. Her long, braided dark hair swished back and forth, a few of the ornaments on the ends making a light clinking sound as they tapped each other. She was wearing a white and orange dress with a Japanese RPG character¡¯s amount of belts wrapped around it, with a patch attached to the side holstering a few Pokeballs.

    ¡°Those are important, but not the first step you must achieve. Nemona?¡±

    ¡°Assess your surroundings. You need to know where you are, and what¡¯s around you, before making any moves.¡±

    ¡°Correct. Leaping forward can just leave your foot caught in a Stunfisk.¡± Amethio and I winced at the imagery. Not sure if she¡¯s speaking from experience or not, but that just sounds painful.

    We were in a classroom, of sorts. Honestly feels more like an office room that was repurposed to teach us. The single large table with a projector at the end helped sell that image as well. Still, we had notebooks, pencils, and a teacher, so it made due for a classroom.

    ¡°When getting your bearings, you need to find out the type of environment you are in. Above ground or underground? Is there any running water nearby? Any cover? What is the foliage like? Is it particularly hot? Humid? Cold? These are the questions you need to ask first when you find yourself in the wilderness. They can give you an immediate idea of the potential resources and dangers around you.¡±

    Amethio let out a sigh, something that Chalce caught, her gaze sharpening on the young boy. ¡°This might seem basic to you, but it¡¯s important to categorize these things carefully. Many a mission has been put in jeopardy because of false assumptions at the start, things that could have been easily avoided if they had paid attention from the start.¡± Chalce didn¡¯t raise her voice or show aggression, but her stern, thorough method had Amethio avert his gaze, embarrassed while nodding.

    I think he¡¯s learning more from this than from Spinel¡¯s spiels. Then again, I think it would be hard to learn less from him. The Explorers were a small organization, or at least I assumed they were, given the relatively few older members we had as ¡®teachers.¡¯ The base was sprawling, and I was always given something to do in one specific place or another, so I hadn¡¯t nearly had time to explore it all. Even with that, I could tell it was much bigger than what was needed for the handful of teachers, Amethio, Hamber, and me.

    Are the others off on ¡®missions¡¯ often? And what would said missions be comprised of? I didn¡¯t know and could tell the others were keeping secrets from me. Except for Amethio, who was probably too young to be trusted with anything like that. I suppose it¡¯s fair though, I¡¯ve got my secrets, which I¡¯ll keep no matter what, so even if Spinel does a shitty job when it¡¯s his turn to teach us, I should let them keep theirs.

    Given we were only being taught now though, and by teachers of¡­ varying aptitudes, I could infer that this was likely not often used to teach young people. The other methods by which they induct people remain a mystery-

    ¡°Nemona, can you tell me which Pokemon these claw marks belong to.¡± I snapped my gaze forward at Chalce¡¯s words to the image being projected on the screen.

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s several different Pokemon it might belong to,¡± I began, frantically filibustering for time to better analyze the picture and pretend I¡¯d been paying attention.

    ¡°Give me your best guess. And explain your reasoning.¡±

    Urk- ok, I think I¡¯ve got it. ¡°I believe those are Ursal- ahem, Ursaring scratch marks.¡± She gave me a cool, impassive gaze. ¡°Right, the reasoning, umm.¡±

    ¡°There are three claw marks evenly spaced, that¡¯s the same number that an Ursaring would have on one hand. The gouges are pretty deep into the tree trunk as well, not a lot of other Pokemon would have the strength or sharpness to go that deep - or if they did it would lead to other signs. Sneasel or Scythers would just cut a tree of only a few feet in diameter in half, a Vigoroth would just scratch everything up, not one mark.¡± There was a slight shift in her eyes and I knew I was on the right track with that idea. Ok, look closer, what else- there!

    ¡°Then there¡¯s the top left corner, where I think that¡¯s a Combee hovering in the frame. Ursaring loves the honey Combees make and will often make deals with the Vespiquen, protecting the hive in exchange for honey. So that mark is a warning sign that an Ursaring is watching over this area, to scare off anyone else that might get close.¡±

    Chalce nodded. ¡°Very good Nemona, that was quite the thorough deduction.¡± I beamed at the praise until she continued. ¡°Except that an Ursaring has five claws, though their fifth claw is on their thumb and thus a bit shorter. Still, an Ursaring would leave four claw marks when marking their territory.¡±

    ¡°So, what was it then?¡± Amethio asked, just as stumped as I was.

    ¡°Nemona¡¯s deduction was quite close, it was a Teddiursa. They were trying to mimic the signs of an Ursaring, hoping it would scare off any predators-¡±

    ¡°Were there three Tediursa stacked on top of each other?!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but exclaim as I put the pieces together. No other claw marks up the tree, so it wasn¡¯t one Tediursa that just climbed up and left the mark.

    Chalce gave me a small smirk. ¡°That¡¯s impossible to say with perfect accuracy¡­ but we did find three Tediursas when surveying the location. Now, onto the next location¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t help but grin at the image in my mind of three Tediursas working together like that. Can¡¯t wait till we can get out there and do some actual exploring ourselves!

    ***

    ¡°Osu! Punch left! Right! Left! Keep your knees bent!¡±

    ¡°Yes, sensei!¡± I called out, following her instructions, sweating profusely. We were starting to hit a good level, where Dendra could tell just how far to push me in our sessions without it going overboard.

    ¡°Good job, now let¡¯s move on to punching a moving target.¡± She grabbed the boxing pads while I took a quick drink of water and put on some gloves to protect my hands before going back to the mats.

    Dendra had to kneel to keep the pads at an even level for me to punch at. ¡®Not realistic¡¯ I had pointed out until Dendra said that I shouldn¡¯t be picking fights with adults. I then asked her if that meant I should be picking fights with kids, which sent her into a spluttering fit of denials.

    In the end, she pointed out that this trained good habits, and I agreed. Dendra would call out for strikes, and I¡¯d punch or occasionally kick into held mitts, my sensei moving them around to the appropriate spot. Every so often, she¡¯d throw one of her hands out as if striking back, though the mitts made it so that any strike even if it would connect wouldn¡¯t have done much harm.

    This is good practice and fun, but¡­ ¡°Can we do some actual sparring, sensei? I know you¡¯ll have to hold back, but I want to try!¡±

    The enthusiastic girl frowned instinctually, biting her lip. The teenager was still very nervous about me getting hurt, but I felt better than ever. I¡¯m not made of porcelain after all! It¡¯s been two years since ¡®I¡¯ve¡¯ gotten here and I¡¯ve been working out for most of it, and now have weekly sessions with a martial arts expert. I must be as tough and strong as I was in my old body by now, which just says how crazy strong people in this world can be.

    I gave her my best impression of Baby-Doll Eyes and she caved. ¡°Fine! We can do some sparring. But let me know if anything hurts, no matter if you think you can shake it off or not.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not that bad- yes sensei,¡± I quickly amended at her stern gaze. We both donned full boxing gloves, helmets, and shin guards for the practice. After it had been decided that I would be doing this regularly my parents had ordered me some of the best gear available, the Hitmon Brand stuff you¡¯d see in specialty stores. I¡¯d also noticed that Dendra¡¯s old gear, which had been ¡®well-loved¡¯ to say the least, had been slowly getting replaced with shiny new gear as well (she favored the Blazik Fist brand gear, but had noted that my Hitmon gear was great too).

    The heavier gear would limit my ability to use grapples or the like, but that was just the cost of having to spar. Hopefully, if this went well she¡¯d be more willing to go harder in the future. We bowed to each other as was customary to show respect before a fight, and then Meditite tossed an arm down, signaling the beginning of the fight.

    Dendra started cautiously, throwing a jab my way. I countered, slapping it just far enough to the side that it missed my head and punched out at her.

    She blocked the attack and pivoted, indicating that she was going to go for a Roundhouse kick.

    If I¡¯d been the same size as her I might have moved into the blow to grab it and lock her leg against my body, but that wouldn¡¯t work here as the kick would likely be aimed at my head. Sliding back, I let her attack slice through the space I used to occupy, then moved for a step-through side kick (one of the only times my style allowed for my legs to cross, however briefly).

    Aiming high, I hit her in the stomach, pushing her back a meter with a grunt. ¡°Osu!¡± She said an eager smile on her lips before moving back in and striking back.

    Punches and kicks were traded more easily after that point, as we ran through our different techniques. Her control is amazing. It was very easy to get too eager in a fight and have your control slip and use a bit too much strength or speed, and I was well aware that Dendra exceeded me in both those areas. She didn¡¯t once go faster than me, though. Despite that, she still landed several more strikes, and more clean hits against me than I could against her, however.

    Even keeping to my level, she just had more reach than I did. Trying to get in close might have helped, but she stymied my attempts there, her footwork good enough to shift around whenever I tried it.

    Eventually, I went for a flurry of blows a ¡®Vertical run¡¯, where I just made a lot of straight punches while running in. It could be surprisingly effective, especially when catching someone off guard. And it did surprise Dendra¡­ for a moment, after a few blows however, she slipped to the side and caught me with a low punch to the gut.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    The blow took me off my feet and I hung in the air for a moment before landing back down. I had the instinct to break my fall, slapping my hands out to the side, and distantly noted that the fall didn¡¯t hurt that much. Distantly, because most of my thoughts were on how hard it was to breathe.

    ¡°Oh my gosh, Nemona are you alright?!¡± My sensei rushed over to me

    I wheezed for a moment before saying ¡°Fine¡­ just¡­ solar plexus.¡± Dendra winced and nodded, clearly familiar with that feeling. Getting punched in the solar plexus could make you feel like you couldn¡¯t breathe and would be annoying for a few minutes while that feeling and the pain subsided.

    ¡°I think we¡¯re done for today,¡± Dendra stated, and I nodded.

    Once I got my breath back I asked ¡°Could Miles and Meditite have a battle?¡±

    ¡°While you¡¯re like that?¡± I waved her off, getting back to my feet.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be¡­ fine. Besides, they¡¯re the ones that will be fighting.¡± Meditite perked up and was eager to go, walking over to his trainer and looking up hopefully. Contrary to popular belief, Fighting Types aren¡¯t always eager to fight¡­ but this Meditite does seem to fit the stereotype. She had a Medicham on her team in canon, didn¡¯t she? I wonder if this is the same one.

    ¡°Ok, we¡¯ll do it. Osu!¡± She cheered as we went outside. Once there she asked ¡°How much has your Rotom battled before? Meditite hatched not too long before I met you, and has trained with the team, but hasn¡¯t been in any battles outside of it before.¡± It was a very reasonable question to ask, especially for a single-stage Pokemon like Rotom. They could range from rather weak to incredibly strong, and unlike in the games you couldn¡¯t just look at a Pokemon and find their ¡®level.¡¯

    ¡°Oh, Miles has trained a bit against another trainer, a young kid. Other than that, just training with Dun and I.¡± I would have challenged Arven to a fight, but he had been pretty busy recently with his dad, and I didn¡¯t want to take any of that time away from him. ¡°Where did you get the egg from?¡±

    The question caused Dendra to stop mid-stride for a moment before Meditite tugged at her gi pants and she shook it off. ¡°Ah, Tulip gave his egg to me after¡­ my parents passed away.¡±

    ¡°Oh. Oh I¡¯m so sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to-¡±

    ¡°No no, it¡¯s fine,¡± she said with a bit too much cheer, though even that quickly faded to genuine happiness. ¡°Meditite has been great for me, but I gotta do my part as a trainer for him too.¡±

    I nodded, feeling the exact same as I took my place opposite her on our usual battlefield. We didn¡¯t have Pokemon battles after every session, but it was a common enough occurrence.

    ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s have a good battle.¡±

    ¡°Osu!¡±

    ***

    "Ooom... I would like to know more about Aura... Ooom..." The almost imperceptibly huff of air from the other side of the dojo told me that Tulip wasn''t as amused as I was with my antics there. Or maybe I''ve suddenly manifested Psychic Type energy, I thought sarcastically before shaking that thought off and opening my eyes.

    The fashionable teen across from me had her eyes open as well. "This meditation doesn''t work if you keep on getting distracted."

    "I can''t focus right now anyway, so might as well make this time informative, right?" I asked, trying to keep the frustration out of my voice. While we''d only met a few times, I''d been working hard at trying to meditate at home, but to little avail.

    I was not sure if she saw what I was feeling there or just decided it wouldn''t hurt to go over the basics a bit more in-depth, but she nodded. "As you know, every person and Pokemon in this world has some internal energy colloquially referred to as ''Aura''. It''s a bit different for humans than Pokemon in what can be done with it; we don''t have Moves, no instinctive formalized constructs we form with Aura, not even those gifted with very strong Auras."

    Would I be considered ''very strong'' among active Aura users? Tulip has said I have more potential than she does, but she also considered herself fairly weak. In any case, I should probably just be happy that I have some talent with it to start; someone without that talent wouldn''t have my superior senses or anything like that, to begin with, and would have to work a lot harder under a great teacher to even begin showing signs of active Aura use.

    She continued, ignoring the constant whirring of my mind. "Aura users can use techniques, shaping the energy in generalized ways based on whatever Type they lean most to. Things like someone with a Fire Type Aura conjuring sparks by snapping their fingers, or someone with Water Type Aura breathing underwater."

    "Ok, that makes sense, general manipulation and adaptation to the element your Aura corresponds to. What about the weirder Types?" At her quirked thin eyebrow, I expanded. "Like sure, Ice might give you cryokinesis and make it so the cold never bothered you anyway, but what about something like Bug or Dragon?"

    "Many Bugs are known for their ability to crawl anything, so you might develop the ability to stick on walls. Dragons... are very intimidating?" She tried, and I smirked, realizing that part of her snappishness before was because she didn''t actually have an answer to the ''dragony draconic ness'' comment I had made off-hand.

    She frowned, but quickly expelled such frustration, her facial expression becoming neutral once more. I wonder if that''s a skill from her model training or her Aura training. Maybe both.

    "I''ll admit, I hardly know everything about Aura and all of its different Types. Even then, you''ll likely innovate expressions of your Type in your own unique ways. The element can give you a framework, but don''t let it be a limitation to what you can do with it."

    "Alright, thank you, Tulip. I just wish I had a better idea of what my Aura is so I could know how to better use it." Within what I said was an almost fully buried frustration, at how she still hadn''t told me what her own thoughts about my Aura were.

    "Keep at it. If we don''t get anywhere before next time, then we''ll try something different." At the slightly worried look on her face, I threw myself back into my meditation, hoping that this time I could get it and we wouldn''t have to do whatever was bothering her. Unfortunately, that session ended like the others, without me being any closer to my goal.

    ***

    ¡°Miss Glitterati, this is most unexpected,¡± Hassel answered with his own Rotom Phone. I could see a rather green living room on the other end, the Elite Four member himself sitting on a burgundy couch. ¡°What are you calling about?¡± It was a fair question, I didn¡¯t call or talk to Hassel outside of our lessons, not wanting to impinge on his free time.

    Time to ¡®face the music¡¯, I suppose. Taking a deep breath, I began. ¡°Sooo, I was practicing a couple of days ago, like you said. And uh, I did some strumming with my fingers, and well¡­¡± I held up my hand as I trailed off.

    ¡°My dear! How did that happen? I only asked you to practice for half an hour. Even finger-picking shouldn¡¯t have caused that.¡±

    ¡°... when I said I practiced ¡®like you said¡¯, I mean I practiced the chords you specified for a duration of time that may not have matched what you specified, which is very similar to what you said.¡±

    ¡°Nemona,¡± he growled out, and in this moment I could see how the stoic artist was indeed the draconic guardian of the Elite Four.

    ¡°Anyways, I just wanted to call you and let you know for tomorrow we should probably practice stuff like sheet reading or singing.¡± I tried, retracting my bloody fingers out of camera view.

    ¡°This girl,¡± Hassel muttered, and I heard another voice from that side of the screen go ¡°Hmm?¡± The Rotom tilted up a bit and I saw a familiar man with wild green hair standing behind the couch.

    ¡°Ah, hello Brassius. Sorry for taking up your time again, Hassel, just wanted to give you a heads up, ok bye-¡±

    ¡°You know of me?¡± Brassius questioned before I could hang up. Opening my mouth, I then immediately closed it. Darn it, he¡¯s not a Gym Leader yet!

    ¡°Uh yeah, you¡¯re an artist, right?¡±

    He frowned, nodding. Or maybe just drooping his head, it was hard to tell. ¡°That¡¯s right, though of late I¡¯ve found little inspiration to ply my craft. I¡¯m surprised you could recognize me.¡± Because you aren¡¯t super famous yet, nor a gym leader. Right, need to get off of that topic.

    ¡°Oh, that sucks.¡± It was true, it did. Writer¡¯s, or in this case, Artist¡¯s block sucked, and I didn¡¯t have a great answer for him on how to fix it.

    ¡°Umm, I¡¯m not sure if this helps, but me and my sister make these comics. I do the writing for them, and she draws them. I could send some over with Hassel tomorrow and see if they can spark anything?¡±

    He gave me a sad smile, clearly not expecting anything to come from this, but having the tact not to say such a thing to a little girl. ¡°That sounds wonderful, Miss Nemona.¡±

    ¡°Alright, thank you, and sorry again, bye!¡± I quickly said, hanging up before I could further embarrass myself. After taking a moment to gather my thoughts I said to Miles ¡°Ok, I need to look up everything Brassius has ever made in case Hassel asks me any questions about it.¡±

    ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t actually know of him, bzzt?¡±

    ¡°I know he will be the Grass Type Gym Leader of Artazon someday, and he¡¯s made this famous statue called the ¡®Sundering Sunflora¡¯- wait no, ¡®Surrendering Sunflora¡¯. Actually, I don¡¯t even think he¡¯s made that one yet.¡±

    ¡°Your future knowledge is incredible. Bzzt, it never fails to amaze me what you know, Nemona.¡± They said in an awed tone.

    ¡°It never fails to amaze me how much I can nearly mess things up even with that knowledge.¡± I groaned. After slapping my cheeks to get me out of that funk, I refocused. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get to work.¡±

    ***

    While that was how a lot of my days went, I wasn¡¯t the only one learning and growing.

    ¡°Go, Hex!¡± Dun gave the large fan Miles was possessing an evil grin before charging up the Ghost Type energy, and I swear I heard a large ¡®gulp¡¯ from Miles before it hit, despite the physical impossibility of such an action.

    Dark purple ephemeral shadows surrounded Miles, who winced at the attack but managed to shake it off.

    ¡°Miles, Shock Wave, Dun Protect!¡± Both my Pokemon responded to my commands, Miles spreading out a wave of electricity expanding all around them in a large sphere that covered the field we were training in. Dunsparce quickly dropped the ghostly assault and conjured a far smaller spherical barrier of their own, easily weathering the electrical attack.

    ¡°Drill Run!¡± Dunsparce turned around, his tail spinning fast and he accelerated backward. The drill tail cut halfway through the dirt and churned up the ground, spraying dirt all around as he sped under the Rotom Fan. Miles wasn¡¯t even touched by it, their innate Levitate ability and Flying Type easily letting them drift above any dirt that would have been spun up towards them.

    ¡°While he¡¯s doing that, Nasty Plot, quickly!¡± Miles smirked, conjuring wicked plots, or perhaps simply anticipating what would be coming next. After my starter had cut a few paths through the grass, I said ¡°Miles, Thunder, hit Dun¡­ 5 times. Dun, take it.¡± The land snake gave a small sigh before giving me a small, determined nod.

    BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM

    The sound of the impact washed over me as the lightning bolts came down. As I blinked the spots out of my vision, I saw Dun, singed but still conscious. He¡¯s twitching a bit, probably Paralysis. I ran towards him and gave him a few sprays of Paralyze Heal and he was moving smoothly again. ¡°How are you doing Dun?¡±

    He gave me a flat stare. ¡°Un.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I know this part sucks, but I think you¡¯re getting a lot closer to mastering this. Just gotta push a little harder.¡± Then turning to Miles I said, ¡°You know what¡¯s next, kick it up!¡±

    Quickly darting out of the way, Miles began spinning their fan fast, the air whipping up the field. Burnt grass and dirt rose into the air, as the wind started swirling around Dun. They¡¯re getting a good handle on their different elemental forms. Miles is nearly horizontal with Dun but is making the Hurricane spiral vertically around Dun. Fan was one of the Forms we had practiced with the least, so I had high hopes for how well they¡¯d do in a serious battle.

    The wind gathered enough speed to lift Dun into the air, something Dunsparce assisted with, flapping his little wings to rise even higher with it. Peaking over a hundred meters in the air, he crested above the whirling winds below him and drifted above the world. Wow, must be great to be that high up and just look down on¡­ everything.

    My Rotom stopped making the winds wild, and as it died down I shouted up at Dun. ¡°Descend and Roost!¡± Dun pulled his wings back, entering into a steep dive, and as I saw his face, for some reason I couldn¡¯t help but think of Dwayne Johnson for a moment.

    Flaring his wings hard, he managed to slow his fall at the last moment, a few bursts of wind helping cushion his landing, likely being modified Air Slashes. Excellent thinking, that will get him feeling the Flying Type energy he needs to then ¡®lose¡¯.

    On the ground, Dun settled down, curling into a circle and flapping his wings down before resting them on his body. As he settled in, I saw the scorch marks marring his scales fading away before my eyes. ¡°Excellent work Dun, thanks for putting up with that.¡± He gave a pleased cry in return, snapping back to battle readiness in an instant.

    Roost is a weird Move. It gives healing as great as the famed ¡®Recovery¡¯ that few Pokemon can learn, but it causes you to lose your Flying Type¡­ but not every Pokemon that can learn it has the Flying Type. Dunsparce was one of those exceptions, and this Move was going to be incredibly important for a tanky Pokemon like him to use. Because of that, it¡¯s basically free healing for him. Of course, not being the greatest flier ever means it can be tough for him to tap into that Move.

    The Move was getting better, but not perfect yet. Even now, I could still see a few red spots on his scales, where the recovery wasn¡¯t complete.

    ¡°That was great, both of you. Dun, you¡¯ve got the Move, now we just need to get you using it even when you¡¯re on the ground. Practice your Air Slash on those three trees, work on the precision and strength behind each as well as feeling the Flying energy, and the drop between it.¡±

    ¡°Dun.¡± He got to work right away, undeterred by any fatigue from his efforts thus far. To Miles, I pulled out the Rotom Oven from my Sliph bag.

    ¡°Get into Heat Form and we can practice Will O Wisp. It¡¯s got a lot of ghostly connections, but it is still a Fire Type Move. Conjure the flames several times and try to move each of the flames independently of each other.¡±

    ¡°Ro-to-to.¡± Miles agreed, slipping out of the fan and into the Oven, which they possessed and began controlling. I shoved the fan back into my bag and watched the two of them go at it.

    Dunsparce was flapping his wings back and forth, shifting his body as he did so (not dissimilar from how I¡¯d move my shoulders when punching in martial arts, I noticed). Ripples passed through the air, gouging into the tree, each one hitting just a few centimeters above the last.

    Out in the open air, Miles was ¡®spitting¡¯ out purple flames in clusters of three at a time, the oven door swinging open to let the flames out each time. With six groupings of three, they began making them dance through the air. The first two clusters moved in a helix pattern, but trying to add more just had the others or the ones they were controlling already drifting off.

    ¡°Try controlling just one group at a time, but push the others forward on a trajectory to meet them,¡± I offered, and rapidly they began making quick micro-adjustments to push them through the air, closing in like a net on an imaginary target.

    That¡¯s great. They¡¯re both getting so strong and capable. Dun has been mastering so many different Moves, and Miles is catching up fast, getting stronger every day. The rest of Paldea isn¡¯t gonna know what hit them once we start taking it on.

    Though the Pokemon nearby might have an idea since they were already giving us a wide berth - the devastation and power my team could bring was well known by all the local Pokemon, and few of them wanted to challenge us. In turn, I made sure to double-check that none of the environments I was using as target practice would be putting some poor Pokemon in the line of fire or ruining their homes.

    As our training came to a close with the setting sun, I gave Dun his last order. ¡°Agility a couple of times, then Last Resort.¡± Dunsparce started slithering around, picking up speed as the blue psychic aura surrounded him. Moving faster and faster until he was a blur speeding around in a circle and eventually launching himself out at a small boulder he had formed earlier today with Ancient Power.

    As he flew towards the target, I noticed something different with the Move. Instead of being surrounded by star-like energy, there was a rainbow corona as he corkscrewed towards the rock, smashing into it head first and shattering it into a million pieces.

    ¡°Whoa, what was that?¡±

    ¡°I do not know, bzzt,¡± Miles said from their phone form. Their stamina was improving quite a bit, but Dun could go on for days if he needed to, so Miles would often need to take a break before Dunsparce did.

    I ran over to Dun and saw that he had a large bump on top of his bulbous head. ¡°Ouch,¡± I hissed, taking out a Potion to spray over the injured area, and he sighed in relief. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think that was Last Resort. Probably some sort of recoil Move, maybe Take Down? We can look it up later. In any case, it¡¯s quite strong,¡± I waved a hand at the multitude of pebbles scattered around.

    ¡°Duuun.¡± The Dunsparce said with a measure of tired pride.

    ¡°Let¡¯s go home-¡± Miles started ringing a custom theme</a> I¡¯d made for him. Answering the call I said, ¡°Hey Arven, what¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°This is what¡¯s up!¡± The young boy on the other end exclaimed eagerly, pointing at a lighthouse behind him. Hmm? That lighthouse looks familiar- are those movers in the background?

    ¡°Wait- you¡¯re moving here? Like, right next door to me!?¡± I squealed. I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s happening so soon. We¡¯ve come so far, but it feels like only a few weeks. Time just keeps moving on huh?

    It was a bittersweet feeling, as I was so happy to be here, but also sad for what I had lost. But even that pain is dimming with time. I¡¯ll do my best to cherish my loved ones from my past life, but Nemona- I have so many friends and family I care for here, and that¡¯s what I have to focus on.

    ¡°Hey, Nemona, you there?¡±

    ¡°Oh right, sorry, just lost my train of thought.¡±

    The boy laughed. ¡°Haha, you can be so airheaded sometimes. Wait, are you crying? Is everything ok?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, must be some dust in my eyes. Dun¡¯s been kicking up a storm with all his new Moves! Look,¡± I said, having Miles show him some of the results of our training. My tone was happy and calm all the way through, to help sell the fact that there was nothing to worry about. And there really is. I don¡¯t want to burden him with all the knowledge I have.

    Arven shivered. ¡°Uh oh. I don¡¯t think Maschiff should battle you when you come over.¡± The dog Pokemon in question agreed, whimpering and hiding behind Arven¡¯s legs.

    ¡°Aww. Oh well, guess that means I¡¯ll have plenty of time to spar you then. I¡¯ve been training a lot too, ya know?¡± I said rolling back a sleeve and flexing my arm.

    He froze for a moment before turning away from me and towards Maschiff. ¡°I need you to take one for the team.¡±

    ¡°Maschiff!?¡±

    ¡°She is going to beat my butt-¡± It was hard to make out anything more distinct from there as Arven tried to push Maschiff forward, the Dark Type having none of that and trying to remain behind him. They fell in a pile, tumbling and roughhousing around.

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you guys tomorrow, ok?¡± Then I hung up, leaving them to their squabbles. Should be fun to see Arven again¡­ and I might be able to find out what Turo¡¯s been up to.

 Chapter 27

    The lighthouse was much the same as I remembered it from the games, and from the times I¡¯d seen it in my training or walking to or fro Los Platos. It had a brick base with a rectangular building attached to the cylindrical white and red-stone-mosaic tower jutting out into the sky.

    Something felt different about it knowing people were living inside it. Most of the moving trucks had left by now, and only a few tire tracks in the dirt road indicated they had been there. That, and the few cardboard boxes stacked outside.

    Hopping up, I knocked on the door of the building part (the tower entrance just led to a ladder to climb up the lighthouse). Arven opened the door eagerly. ¡°Nemona!¡± He cried out, all worries of yesterday forgotten. Foolish, but you will learn young padawan.

    The interior was done in a very sleek stainless steel layout. There was a large table in the kitchen right behind Arven, with appliances lining the walls. In the living room to the side was a desk and computer set up, a coffee table, and tons of bookshelves lining the walls. It must have been remodeled recently, doesn¡¯t feel like this was part of the original Poco Lighthouse design. Such a thing would seem like a massive undertaking until I remembered that Pokemon could shape the world around them with ease.

    I gave him a big hug. ¡°Arven, good to see you.¡± I was a bit of a hugger, at least around people I knew well. It also lets me get underhooks, to prevent escape. ¡°You ready for our battle?¡±

    ¡°Oh, uhhh¡­¡± He tried to pull away only to find himself trapped. ¡°Ahh, help!!¡± Maschiff lifted his head to look at his trainer¡¯s horrific fate. Raising a paw up to his head in a mock salute honoring Arven¡¯s sacrifice, the dog went and hid under the coffee table. ¡°Betrayal!¡±

    ¡°What is all this noise- oh, Nemona,¡± Turo said, having walked away from his desk to see what was going on. ¡°It¡¯s good to see you again.¡±

    Benevolently letting Arven go I turned to face his father. ¡°Professor,¡± I said, giving him a brief nod. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were moving over here.¡±

    ¡°A spur-of-the-moment decision, but one with good reasons. This will keep us closer to my League sponsors in Mesagoza, and Arven will be closer to you.¡± Makes sense¡­ but you would have moved here anyway in the games, even without Nemona and Arven being close. So is there some other reason?

    Glancing over at the table I glanced over at a magazine on it. ¡°Occulture? I didn¡¯t realize you read that stuff.¡± Turo blinked, scratching at his five o¡¯clock shadow.

    ¡°Ah well, I feel there are interesting details in their articles. Supposedly, Zapdos has been spotted near this very lighthouse.¡±

    It took me a moment to realize he was a little embarrassed about his hobby, but not enough to stop himself from getting excited about it. This dude does not emote well.

    ¡°Kantoan or Galarian Zapdos?¡± I inquired.

    He brightened up a tad. ¡°Kantoan. Not many people realize there are regional variants of the three Legendary Birds. I suspect that it was attracted here-¡±

    ¡°Because of the light at the top, right?¡± The lighthouse had some ancient, massive battery powering it in the basement to constantly illuminate both the Poco Path and the ocean out beyond. Some old empire had created it to both help guide the citizens and spot any danger incoming to Paldea. While we had advanced past the technologies used to make it nowadays and hardly had any need to worry about invasion fleets, it was still a solid structure the people of the modern age could use.

    If Turo was upset by my interruption, he didn¡¯t show it. ¡°That¡¯s my theory, yes. The bright light and electrical signal might have drawn Zapdos¡¯ attention.¡±

    ¡°The storms probably help too,¡± I nodded.

    ¡°Storms? The forecast claims it¡¯s rather calm in this area.¡±

    ¡°Ooh, are you using Formcast?¡± He nodded and I winced. They¡¯re generally a good weather prediction site with their Castforms that the employees have, but¡­ ¡°That site doesn¡¯t keep track of Pokemon like Pelipper out in rural provinces like this.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± he said simply before turning to Arven. ¡°I think we should bring those boxes inside, now.¡±

    ¡°Huh? Why?¡± The boy asked.

    ¡°I¡¯ll help,¡± I said, moving to pull the boxes inside. Jeez, these things are heavy. Are they just filled with books? I would have thought someone so futuristic as Turo would keep more on databases or flashdrives. Then again, he¡¯s obsessed with the Violet Book, isn¡¯t he? I¡¯d tried to obtain a copy of the rare book, but found it surprisingly difficult, even with my family¡¯s resources.

    As we struggled with the heavy boxes, I said to Arven ¡°Pokemon have Abilities. These are passive powers that can help in battles, or just generally. Some have Abilities that change the weather around them. Pelipper has one that can summon rain, and they¡¯re pretty common around here.¡±

    ¡°Whoa. What Ability does Maschiff have?¡± The boy said eagerly, forgetting all about the boxes we were supposed to be moving until I gave him a hard stare. That¡¯s right, don¡¯t leave the work all to us! Turo and I were doing the majority of the work anyway, him being an adult and me abusing the nature of this world and getting all the gains.

    ¡°I¡¯ll-,¡± I grunted, breathing heavily. ¡°Tell you later,¡± I said as I shoved one of the boxes back towards the end of the kitchen. They might not have much space for making dinner, but that sounds like a future problem. I could even invite them over to my house and welcome them to the ¡®neighborhood.¡¯ While there were a few people who lived around here and a decent number of travelers and hikers who passed through, there wasn¡¯t any sense of community in this corner of Paldea. Too much wilderness, and too close to Los Platos for anyone to try and set up any small town or the like when they could just join up with the one that was already there and closer to Mesagoza.

    There was something still bugging me, so I asked: ¡°Why were these left outside anyway? Seems like the movers could have at least helped you put them inside.¡±

    ¡°They were getting too nosy,¡± Turo said, his voice harsh. By the time I lowered the box I was carrying down to look at him, his face was neutral, and his tone was back to normal. ¡°I¡¯ve gained some notoriety over the past few months, some people will go to quite the lengths to try and invade my privacy.¡±

    A reasonable explanation, totally normal. But I know what I heard. The first hint of the paranoia that will lead him down a dark path. How do I get him to turn away from that darkness? It was a question I still lacked an answer to, despite all the years spent here and all the hours pondering the topic.

    A sort of awkward silence settled on the three of us after that. It was easily ignored when we were working, but after we got the last boxes inside I could feel the social pressure squeezing down on me. Or it could just be the boxes. There are a lot of them and suddenly the small house feels much smaller. It made the living space even more cluttered, but we could at least squeeze in and out of the entrance.

    To stop the silence I turned back to our previous discussion. ¡°Ok, so I actually don¡¯t know what Abilities a Maschiff can get.¡±

    ¡°Whaaaaat? How could you not know that?¡± Arven gasped and I scowled.

    ¡°I¡¯m not a living Pokedex, I don¡¯t know everything!¡± I said, blushing lightly. ¡°I¡¯d guess that Intimidate is a possibility, however.¡± Mostly just because Granbull and Arcanine can get that one, so it feels right that a Dark dog Pokemon could access it as well. Turo took this as an opportunity to cut in.

    ¡°That¡¯s correct. Maschiff can have one of three Abilities. Intimidate, Run Away, or very rarely, Stakeout. Abilities are much like Moves, my son. Every Pokemon starts with one, and most Abilities are available to several different types of Pokemon. While he could train up other Abilities, I would hypothesize that your Maschiff knows Run Away.¡±

    He had an adorably serious expression on his face. ¡°That¡¯s good. I want Maschiff to be able to get away if anything scary shows up.¡± I winced as Maschiff barked happily, trotting up to his trainer. Turo leaned down to scratch at the top of the dog Pokemon¡¯s head. ¡°Wow Daddy, you must know everything!¡±

    Looking up at his father with awe, I turned my gaze away from the scene. He thinks so highly of Turo. What am I supposed to do? Tell him early that his father is going down a bad path? Let him stumble into despair while placing him on a pedestal that slowly cracks away to nothing? Fuck.

    Lost in my thoughts, I was caught off-guard when Turo suddenly asked me a question. ¡°Would you mind helping me test something out?¡±

    ¡°Sure,¡± I responded without thinking. Ah well, it can¡¯t be too bad, right?

    ¡°I¡¯d like to have a Pokemon battle against you.¡± That threw me off guard for a moment.

    ¡°Huh? I mean, sure. I didn¡¯t realize you were a battler.¡± I said as I shifted outside. The dirt road was wide and curved around in front of the lighthouse, making for a decent enough battlefield.

    ¡°I¡¯m more a man of science than battling, but hopefully this experiment should produce fruitful results.¡± He replied cryptically. Arven trailed behind him, cheering him on.

    ¡°Go, Dad, you can do this! Beat Nemona!¡± Ouch. Then again, I guess I have been beating Arven for over a year now and Turo is his dad, but still.

    I took my place twenty meters away from him, holding up Dun¡¯s Pokeball. ¡°Ready when you are.¡± He held up his own in his right hand, taking his left hand out of his lab coat pocket and pulling out a tablet. Odd.

    Considering that Arven wasn¡¯t going to be taking the place of an unbiased referee, I decided to count us in, fitting for a somewhat informal match. ¡°We¡¯ll release our Pokemon on the count of three. One, two, three.¡± Two flashes of red light shot out, our Pokemon materializing. Dun, gave a battle-ready cry, while Porygon-Z flipped its blue arms and tail erratically around its round body, fixing me with a crazy stare from across the road with its yellow-ringed eyes.

    I suppressed a small shiver. All the Pokedex entries say that something went ¡®wrong¡¯ with the change from Porygon2 to Porygon-Z, and I can see why. Whatever, focus on the battle at hand.

    ¡°On the count of three, we¡¯ll begin. One, two¡­ three!¡± With the last word, both our Pokemon began moving, Porygon-Z hovering up higher, and at Turo¡¯s command, focusing in on Dunsparce. I had Dun move to the side, a subtle sweep of my hand as I was counting down let Dun know where to go, and pulled out my Tera Orb.

    ¡°Lock On!¡± He called out, glancing down at his tablet. What is he doing, he¡¯s the one who asked for this battl- oh. That system. Damn, didn¡¯t expect him to have it already.

    Tossing my Tera Orb over my starter¡¯s head caused the usual crystal blocks to erupt all around him, then shatter, Terastalizing him. ¡°Body Slam!¡±

    While Porygon-Z was still getting a read on him, Dun leaped through the air and slammed into the digital Pokemon, sending it spinning around. I noticed that no matter how its body spun, its eyes remained locked on Dun.

    ¡°Hmm, unexpected,¡± Turo muttered under his breath. ¡°Zap Cannon!¡± He called out louder, which his duck-like Pokemon complied with immediately, gathering a large ball of electricity in front of its ¡®beak¡¯ and firing it at Dun.

    ¡°No dodging, block it!¡± Sitting in place, my Pokemon focused, erecting a powerful barrier around him, just before the lightning shot hammered into it.

    The electrical construct broke on impact, bolts of lightning arcing out all around, and even cracking the honeycomb transparent blue barrier Dun had made - but not breaking it. With a pant of effort, he let the Protect drop, having done its job.

    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Great work, now Agility! Dash around and break its lock.¡± Dun sped up, slithering around the dusty road like greased lightning. I saw the Porygon spinning around and almost keeping up with Dun, but there were a few moments where the line of sight was lost. Good, Lock On should be done. That combo with Zap Cannon could have been really painful.

    The Professor was frowning, staring down at his tablet again. Yeah, it¡¯s definitely what I think it is. Alright, I can beat this, I¡¯ve practiced to beat this person a million times over. ¡°Hyper Voice,¡± I called out before plugging my ears.

    A good call, as Dun¡¯s following screech was piercing, even with that and on the other side of the attack. A ripple spread throughout Porygon-Z¡¯s body, its body spinning even more erratically. Arven and Maschiff opened their mouths, likely giving out cries of pain, while Turo just winced, mostly stoic about the pain.

    Right, this Move is a bit too omnidirectional to use in a match where we don¡¯t have barriers up. Not that I had to worry for long about losing that tactical matchup, as Turo called out something and Porygon-Z¡¯s body became wispy and pale, the sound no longer bothering it. The Porygon line is known for being able to switch Types, must be why he didn¡¯t Terastailze yet, hoping to use this.

    Taking my hands off my ears, I heard ¡°-ri Attack!¡± Shouted rather loudly from Turo. A bright beam covered in flames, ice, and crackling with electricity hammered Dun, pushing him across the battlefield and kicking up dust. Dun winced as he rolled back onto his belly, a nasty burn covering his right side. Ouch, and that was without STAB, gotta be careful of that attack.

    ¡°Glare!¡± ¡°Close your eyes.¡± Turo¡¯s command came right after mine, too fast to be anything other than anticipating my command. Dun Glared at the Porygon as hard as he could, but to no avail when those eerie yellow eyes were shut tight.

    ¡°Twelve degrees down, 46 right. Tri Attack.¡± Turo¡¯s instructions let his Pokemon start tracking Dun even with its eyes closed, firing off another beam, one that Dun narrowly avoided. Gah, I underestimated that system. Oh well, time to show it something he hasn¡¯t seen before.

    ¡°Earthquake!¡± Dun pounded the ground, raising sections of it to meet the floating Porygon-Z. It was weaker than it usually was, had less radius and the height raised less too. Definitely a Burn, not that I need it to hit. It still would have, a testament to Dun¡¯s strength and control over the Move, but Turo was having none of that.

    ¡°Magnet Rise, then open your eyes. Fire again.¡± Electromagnetic impulses shot the Porygon-Z up above the sections of dirt that rose to meet it. Another beam lanced into Dun and he let out a pained cry. Crap, is this going too far?

    ¡°Duuun!¡± He responded angrily, spitting out a small wad of blood. Ouch. Not great, but he can still go on. So long as he doesn¡¯t take another attack like that. He wouldn¡¯t, not if my plan had anything to say about it.

    ¡°Bring the storm!¡± My winged snake gave a mighty cry, and Thunder followed. Well, lightning followed, then thunder, but the Move was called Thunder- I shoved aside thoughts of strange naming conventions as Porygon-Z was wracked by electricity coursing through their now ghostly body. The attack subsided, but they still gave off a few twitches, more subdued and likely from Paralysis rather than their strange behavior.

    ¡°He-¡±

    ¡°Tri-Beam, again.¡± Turo interrupted, and Porygon-Z proved itself to be quick on the draw, letting loose another beam at Dun.

    ¡°Protect!¡± His force field once again weathered the blow. Now it all comes down to this. Do you do what¡¯s smart Turo? Or what your tablet is telling you to do?

    ¡°...Lock On.¡± I grinned widely as he chose the latter option.

    ¡°Hex!¡± Dark Shades surrounded the Porygon-Z, and I thought I saw distorted ones and zeros pass by in those shadows as Porygon-Z started flailing about in pain. The Professor blinked in surprise, shoving his face to the screen and rapidly typing in commands. After two seconds, he grabbed his Tera Orb, making the final mistake of the fight.

    ¡°Time to show you the true might of my genius. Terastalize!¡± His black crystal orb shook violently and he threw it above Porygon-Z, covering his Pokemon with crystals.

    ¡°Shoot for the stars, Last Resort!¡± Covering himself in bright energy, Dun shot forward, the glowing light coalescing like a star suffused through him as he shattered through the crystal blocks and into the Porygon-Z, now a Normal Type once more and with the same Tera Jewel ¡®hat¡¯ that Dun had atop his own head.

    The digital Pokemon was sent flying into the side of the lighthouse, spinning its arms around wildly as it tried to float back up. It¡¯s still able to fight, crap!

    ¡°Zap-¡±

    ¡°Giga Impact!¡±

    ¡°- Cannon.¡±

    Porygon-Z tried to gather the electrical power again but Paralyzed and dazed, it wasn¡¯t able to do so before Dun smashed into it. The green energy projected ahead of him smashed the Porygon-Z, and even himself into and through the walls of the lighthouse.

    The three of us (and Maschiff) looked on in horror as we saw the bricks blasted apart from the final impact, pieces of stone still falling around.

    ¡°Sparce,¡± Dun gave a weak cry from within. Through the dust and dark room, I could see Porygon-Z lying there, twitching lightly. Still alive, phew. Not that I thought they¡¯d die from that but- ah, gotta make sure this doesn¡¯t get any worse!

    Turo was quick to respond, recalling Porygon-Z from the wreckage and back into his Pokeball while I called out: ¡°Dun, use Ancient Power, make sure nothing else breaks!¡±

    Tired, but acting quickly on the urgency in my voice, Dun pulled two large stones from the ground and shoved them inside the new opening, supporting the walls and ceiling from further collapse. A very rushed job, but hopefully should work until we can get professionals here to fix it.

    Recalling Dun, I turned to the Arven and his father. ¡°So, uh, want to come over to my place for dinner while we get your new house fixed up?¡±

    ***

    Turo was quite amenable to the idea, after a few calls and getting a construction team on site within twenty minutes. A tall task usually, but Mom being the head of Paldea¡¯s largest reality company gives her a fair amount of connections.

    We stayed after they arrived just long enough for Turo to give them instructions, mostly about which of his personal belongings to avoid. Luckily, there wasn¡¯t much they would be touching in that regard as Dun¡¯s impact had hit most of the lighthouse side of the building, and hadn¡¯t even damaged any of its workings too badly. Wiring and walls would need repairing, but the generator and overall structure were fine.

    ¡°Very sorry again about that little mishap. Our youngest here can be so enthusiastic,¡± Billy laughed as we sat around the table, digging into another fabulous meal our chefs had made.

    ¡°Yes. Hopefully, she¡¯ll have learned her lesson¡­ this time.¡± O¡¯Nare added and I sighed, realizing that they had heard about my cliff destruction incident months ago, even if they hadn¡¯t brought it up.

    Turo shook his head, ever the polite guest. ¡°Nonsense. It is my fault for not calling off the battle sooner. I¡¯m the adult here. Fortunately, there was no serious damage, and the data I got from the battle was worth so much more. I¡¯ll have to spend many hours figuring out where I went wrong.¡±

    A small sigh escaped Arven¡¯s lips, his thick bouncy hair flopping about. No one else noticed, but I knew that look on his face. The disappointment of knowing your parent(s) aren¡¯t going to be there when you need them, that they¡¯ll be too busy for you.

    ¡°I know what went wrong,¡± I said suddenly, letting the knife and fork I¡¯d been using to cut into the duck breast clatter onto my plate. ¡°You built a program analyzing how I fight, yes?¡±

    The Professor nodded. ¡°That¡¯s correct. As you said before, I¡¯m not much of a battler, so I designed a program to analyze great trainers and utilize their strategies. I copied your techniques from the tournament, but you were able to best it with ease.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that.¡± Awkwardly I scratched the back of my head. Glare is one of my best Moves, especially now that Dun has Hex to go with it, and Turo shut it down even with me trying to counter that program, it¡¯s damn scary. And something I knew would be a problem in the future.

    Is it right to help him out here, improving yet another defense to his eventual doomsday plot? Or would he figure out anything I could tell him eventually, yet by informing him of what I know now, I might forge a closer bond? A bond that I could potentially use to convince him to turn away from what would be his greatest folly. I didn¡¯t know what the right call was, but looking at Arven¡¯s sad face, I was pushed to help his father.

    ¡°The problem was, I¡¯ve been beating the me of the tournament for the past six months. Everyone, every trainer in the world is constantly striving to improve, to get better. It¡¯s in the name; we train. And on that path to the infinite summit, to be the best, we¡¯re constantly looking to better ourselves and our teams. So the strategies you had for the Nemona of six months ago¡­¡±

    ¡°...Were useless against the Nemona of today,¡± Turo finished for me. He glanced down, lost in thought.

    ¡°There¡¯s also little things, like the fact that you constantly had to look at your tablet rather than the battlefield, not having the right instincts, etcetera. It let me do things like use Protect against your Tri-Attack - a regular trainer would have just kept at it and eventually beat through Dun¡¯s shield, but your program saw the move failed and assumed any further move would fail.¡±

    ¡°How inspiring!¡±

    ¡°How insightful!¡±

    My parents exclaimed, and I blushed. It''s not that big a deal guys. The next bombshell they dropped felt a bit more pertinent, to me at least.

    ¡°With dazzling insights like that, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be the center of attention at any party you attend.¡± Mom said.

    ¡°Huh?¡± I blinked. What are they talking about? Turo meanwhile, was lost in his own world.

    ¡°I see. Incomplete data. I can¡¯t just use one trainer¡¯s skills, even against themselves. I need an amalgamation of all the best trainers in Paldea- no, the world.¡± He turned to suddenly stare at me intensely. ¡°Thank you, this data will help my endeavors immensely.¡±

    To the table, he added ¡°I¡¯m honored to be receiving your hospitality again.¡±

    Billy waved his hand. ¡°Oh, think nothing of it. Generosity comes naturally for the Gliteratti family, and you asked for so little.¡±

    ¡°It may have been little to you, but to me, it was the final piece in my research, one that let me pave the way for my next, greatest project. I will be spearheading a project to explore deep into the Great Crater of Paldea - the largest expedition planned to reach the fabled Area Zero since Heath¡¯s exploration.¡±

    My parents and Cyan ¡®oohed¡¯ appreciatively at the idea, but I saw Arven frown. He¡¯s not shocked; his dad must at least have told him this was coming.

    ¡°What are you looking into there?¡± I inquired.

    ¡°We - that is the Pokemon League and I - are trying to study further into the phenomenon of Terastalization and the strange crystals that reside in this land. No other nation has as great a concentration of Tera Crystals as us, and there¡¯s no higher density of them than within the Great Crater. My Tera Orbs are being produced in greater numbers every day, and we will soon need more crystals to make them, and a better understanding of Terastalization would not go remiss.¡±

    Reasonable, understandable, and completely false. But I doubted it would be easy enough to get him to admit to trying to build a time machine outright like that. He continued, oblivious to my misgivings. ¡°I won¡¯t bore you with the details, but we¡¯ll be setting up research bunkers with Area Zero that should give us better, consistent access to the location while keeping the staff on hand safe.¡±

    Billy clapped her hands together. ¡°That sounds fascinating. We simply must go there to see what sights it must hold!¡±

    Turo coughed awkwardly. ¡°I understand your enthusiasm, but this is a very restricted mission. The League itself has been very clear that only those vetted can join me on this project. No matter how rich you are,¡± he added, quickly holding up a hand, which seemed to shock my parents almost to the point of offense.

    ¡°Something money¡­ can¡¯t buy?¡± Billy said as if sounding the words out for the first time and finding them sour on his tongue.

    ¡°This sounds like a pretty big, and long, project. I assume you won¡¯t be taking Arven with you then?¡± I asked, with an unspoken demand ¡®Why are you leaving your son alone?¡¯. I wasn''t sure that he heard it.

    ¡°No, it would be much too dangerous for Arven. I will try and visit my son as often as I can,¡± he explained off-handedly, still seeming too excited with his experiment for my liking.

    ¡°And this is a multi-year project, there will be long breaks throughout it. But this was another reason for us moving here; I was hoping to ask your family to help look after my son while I¡¯m busy.¡±

    That had me leaning back in shock (and almost tipping out of my chair). He definitely didn¡¯t do that in canon. But then why did he move to the lighthouse in the game? Would he have moved there anyway, but just not had any contact with the Gliteratti¡¯s without my interference? What will this mean for Arven?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to impose, I know this is a big request-¡± he began before I stopped him.

    ¡°Of course, we¡¯ll be willing to help! Uh, right, Mom? Dad?¡± I asked Billy and O¡¯Nare, realizing I was kinda volunteering their help. My parents smiled brightly, however.

    ¡°We¡¯d be glad to look after your son, Professor Turo,¡± Billy said politely, and I breathed a sigh of relief before turning back to the man in question.

    ¡°But in return¡­¡± I began, causing the man to stiffen and look me dead in the eyes. ¡°You need to try and be there for your son as much as possible when you can, ok? I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do important work in Area Zero, but your son is your greatest creation.¡± Wow, that sounded cheesy, can¡¯t believe I said that.

    Turo nodded solemnly. ¡°Of course. Everything I¡¯m doing is for his future.¡± Then he turned to Arven and said ¡°I love you, son.¡±

    That set loose the waterworks, and Arven started bawling and hugging his dad. Billy and O¡¯Nare smiled at the scene, Cyan was subtly taking a photo, likely for blackmail/photo album purposes, and I was just left wondering if I had done the right thing, or doomed Paldea.

    ¡°We¡¯ll be happy to help look after your son. Not this coming month though, we¡¯ll be going back to Unova,¡± O¡¯Nare said and I dropped the bite of food I¡¯d been carrying to my mouth.

    ¡°Wait what?¡±

    ¡°Did we forget to tell you? We¡¯re celebrating a long standing business relationship and going to a party that Clay is hosting. This is going to be so much fun!¡±

 Interlude V - Mentors

    Dendra POV

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I did that. I can¡¯t believe I did that. Please tell me I did not do that,¡± Tulip whined as she flopped face-down against her couch. I just laughed as I glanced down at my best friend. She was dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, her lavender hair wild and looking nothing like the elegant model she presented herself to the public as - and often acted like even in private.

    Tulip gets too focused on appearances sometimes, forgetting that she looks great no matter what! However, I can see why she would have cared if some tabloid had snapped a photo of what she did before coming back here to crash.

    Of the few people who knew Tulip was friends with someone like me, they¡¯d suspect she had a bigger house than I did, but it was the other way around. Her parents had started with very little and built their way up to their software firm becoming something of note (helped in no small part by their daughter¡¯s efforts). They definitely could have moved somewhere bigger, but were generally quite content with their home. ¡®It¡¯s where all our memories are¡¯ Mrs. Floette would say.

    And why I prefer to hang out here or at the dojo now rather than wait in the dusty tomb of memories that used to be my home. Why¡¯d they have to go on that trip? Why did a storm have to sink their boat? And even then, 90% of the passengers survived, why did both my parents have to- Meditite opened his eyes from where he¡¯d been meditating in the corner to give me a ¡®look¡¯. The one that said ¡®You¡¯re spiraling again.¡¯

    I gave him a quick smile back, alongside some positive emotions. ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t you go talk to your dad?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll be okay?¡± I suppressed any wince at his psychic ¡®voice¡¯. Meditite worked hard on his control and it was a testament to his training that he could converse with a non-Psychic like myself, even with the ¡®volume¡¯ being a bit much for prolonged conversations.

    ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, thanks.¡± He nodded, standing up and wandering outside to talk with Tulip¡¯s Gallade. She had given me his egg after¡­ the accident, to help me deal with everything. And it worked. I should at least be able to help her out with this.

    Sitting beside her on the plush couch (just because they wouldn¡¯t change homes with their newfound money didn¡¯t mean that they wouldn¡¯t upgrade to some of the nicest furniture on the market) I started rubbing Tulip¡¯s shoulders.

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s okay, Nemona was fine. Better than fine even, she figured out how to use her Aura! And it was all because of you.¡±

    ¡°All because I pushed a little girl off a cliff,¡± she moaned and I winced. The wince was more due to the look one of her parent¡¯s Floettes was giving us from outside the window. Her family was named after the Pokemon and had a long line of them. Despite her specialization in Psychics, Tulip¡¯s parents had given her a Flabebe to start her journey, and was now a Floette as well.

    Ostensibly their Floettes were here to watch over the house and tend to the garden, but I got the impression that they were also there to make sure nothing ¡®untoward¡¯ happened with me there. Which feels really unfair - we both have our trainer¡¯s licenses, we both count as adults. Tulip gave a small whimper beside me.

    Oh right, helping out Tulip. Yeah, ok, I can see how it sounds bad when you put it like that but¡­

    ¡°It worked though. She managed to use her Aura and not get hurt. And you had Gardevoir waiting nearby just in case she hadn¡¯t. Nemona was so excited that she jumped off on her own right after.¡± And then a few more times after that.

    She flipped over to face me, no longer burrowing her head into the fabric. ¡°The other times it didn¡¯t work and we did need Gardevoir to catch her. I have no idea how that girl can be so reckless.¡±

    ¡°So wasn¡¯t it great you had the foresight to keep Gardevoir out for that? As for how she can be so reckless, well I think her Aura Type kinda explains that.¡± That¡¯s only if everything else didn¡¯t already. I like Nemona, but her sense of restraint is thin at best.

    ¡°It¡¯s not exactly recklessness, but I get your point. I¡¯m surprised she¡¯s having such trouble with it. Usually, after you¡¯ve unlocked your Aura for the first time it becomes easier.¡±

    I shrugged. Aura wasn¡¯t something I knew how to use all that consciously. Fighting Type energy tended to be fairly subtle and instinctive in most cases anyway, so while Tulip had told me I had some, I couldn¡¯t tell the difference between it and my regular strength. ¡°Maybe she¡¯s trying to do too much at once? I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll get the hang of it with enough practice.¡±

    ¡°True, she¡¯s persistent enough that I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll master it in time. Honestly, she knows everything I do at this point, she can probably study on her own, so it doesn¡¯t matter that she¡¯s going on vacation now. What about your classes?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s always more to practice in karate, osu!¡± I shouted out, punching my arms into the air. Tulip rolled her eyes fondly but didn¡¯t disagree. ¡°Nemona has the basics down fairly well though, so taking a few weeks off for this shouldn¡¯t set her back.¡±

    Sitting up, Tulip nodded. ¡°And what about your financial situation? I know you don¡¯t have any other money coming in¡­¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine. More than that honestly.¡± Nemona had been quite sneaky in how she paid me. We had argued over the payment, and she brought up a bunch of numbers and figures to support what had seemed like an outrageous amount, but it all checked out. Only recently did I realize that she had paid me a reasonable wage for a martial arts instructor¡­ if they were teaching a class of a dozen or so students. She¡¯d probably argue that she was ¡®paying for an exclusive teacher, so of course that costs more¡¯.

    It was something we¡¯d be having words about when she got back, but for the time being (and since I knew she wouldn¡¯t be taking any of that money back) I had used my extra cash on something important. ¡°I actually got you a present.¡±

    Pulling out a small black case from my back pocket, I handed it to my friend. ¡°Oh? What¡¯s the occasion?¡± Which caused my jaw to drop. Is she pulling my leg? She didn¡¯t just- she did, she forgot!

    Stifling a giggle, I answered ¡°It¡¯s your birthday, silly. Did you really forget your own birthday?¡±

    ¡°I- I was busy, there¡¯s my modeling and training Nemona and-¡± I stopped trying to hold back my laughter, howling out loud at that until a cushion hit me in the face. Pulling it off, I saw another of the couch cushions hovering beside her, a smirk on her beautiful face.

    ¡°Oh, it is on!¡± I declared, swinging my cushion at her. The ensuing pillow fight was brief but exhilarating. In the end though, while I got a few good shots in, I found myself pinned beneath a pile of pillows.

    ¡°So, remind me, why are Psychics better than Fighters?¡± She asked playfully.

    ¡°Because they¡¯re cheaters,¡± I stuck my tongue out at her until she lifted the last cushion above my head. ¡°Whoa whoa whoa, uhhh don¡¯t you want to open your present first?¡±

    ¡°I suppose I could see what started this¡­ whole¡­¡± Her voice trailed off as she opened the case, her telekinetic hold on the pillows breaking as well. Standing up, I saw her looking in awe at the bright, pale yellow stone within the case.

    ¡°You said you were thinking it was time Floette evolved, and I happened upon a good deal at Porto Marinada.¡± After spending a few months hunting for it, but details. ¡°So, happy birthd-¡± The rest of my words were cut off as she embraced me. Ok, maybe I¡¯m not that upset with Nemona for giving me a bit extra.

    ***

    Hassel POV

    ¡°That girl!¡± I said, opening the door to the studio/apartment with a small bang. Inside, the left wall was covered in plants of all shapes and sizes. Shrubs cut into elegant patterns and others left to grow wild in their pots¡ª flowers arranged in garish and subtle blends of color.

    To the right led to the living space, the bedroom, and the kitchen/living room. In the back sculptures, most of them incomplete and abandoned stood, scattered about. Most importantly though, it was also where my friend Brassius was, giving a loud sigh as I interrupted his latest project.

    ¡°I know I said to make yourself at home, but did you need to make such a racket?¡± Before waiting for an answer, he put down the clay and turned to face me, brushing his hands off on his apron. ¡°What did Nemona do this time?¡±

    Part of me was glad that I hadn¡¯t truly interrupted him; if he¡¯d been truly engaged with a project, he¡¯d just yell at me to leave him be for a bit. Still wish he could get over his slump, however. I could instantly see why he¡¯d stopped working on this project. The Donphan sculpture he¡¯d been working on, despite being technically accurate, lacked the spark of life his earlier pieces had.

    ¡°She made a song.¡± He shook his viney green hair at that, not understanding why that frustrated me. I need to explain more. In lue of words, I took out the CD player with the disk she had made and pressed play.

    ¡°... Only need the light when it¡¯s burning low,

    only miss the sun when it starts to snow.

    Only hate the road when you¡¯re missing home.

    Only know you miss her when you let her go¡­

    And you let her go.¡±

    There was silence in the studio for a good minute as Brassius processed what he had heard.

    ¡°That¡¯s- that¡¯s incredible! I thought her work with that comic, while rough around the edges, was good, but this¡­ What a poignant dive into the tribulations of a trainer. Losing a Pokemon is always one of the most heart wrenching experiences for any trainer, and to express that in song so clearly-! Not to say that there isn¡¯t room for improvement, but for a young girl on a guitar who only started learning a few months ago, this is-¡±

    ¡°Amazing? Incredible? Not something worth sighing over and saying it¡¯s ¡®good enough for now¡¯?¡± I interjected and Brassius took on a more somber expression.

    ¡°I was going to say Avante-Garde, but yes, I see your point. I wonder why she looks down so harshly on her own work. Do her parents¡­?¡± He trailed off, understanding that such a thing could be a very touchy topic. Technically they¡¯re the ones who are paying me and I work for them, not Nemona. Admittedly, being the newest member of the Elite Four means I have a bit more pull to my voice than the average music tutor, but thankfully I have no worries there.

    ¡°Shower her, and their other daughter, Cyan with praise. They only have great things to say about the both of them. The staff have all had similar comments, remarking on how exceptionally bright Nemona is.¡± I slumped down on a free stool in Brassius¡¯ studio, still trying to solve the problem that was my student.

    The green-haired man gave me a thin smile. ¡°I can understand the concept of being your own worst critic. The comic she made with her sister was quite striking, from the issue I read.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± I had enjoyed it quite as well from what I had read, and what I¡¯d been told, but I always loved to hear Brassius¡¯ analysis on art as well.

    ¡°The dialogue is corny, but full of heart and enthusiasm, fitting for what I know of the genre. The story has an interesting blend of complexity and simpleness, enough that I could see a larger epic being woven in the background, but also enjoy the issue on its own for what it was. Text block placement could be hit or miss - occasionally I felt it was well done, other times it could have been structured better. The artwork is what makes it captivating, however. While simple, the designs of the heroes and villains are very unique. The choice to use the primary red and blue color scheme for Spinnarak-Man was bold.¡±

    ¡°Nemona was the one who came up with the designs. Her sister drew them and gave some input, but young Nemona conjured up the designs, the story, all of it in her head. And she has even more stories in her head or partially written.¡±

    ¡°That sounds¡­ incredible,¡± Brassius said slowly, taking off his apron and cleaning up a bit before throwing a tarp over the half-finished sculpture he was sure to abandon. Pulling up the other stool he said ¡°Teaching a genius, even one of her caliber shouldn¡¯t be daunting, not to the ¡®Dragon Guardian of the Elite Four¡¯.¡±

    I chuffed at that, not quite a laugh. ¡°I told you that in confidence.¡± Not the phrase, but the fact that I''m embarrassed about it. Pomegranate didn¡¯t give me any directions beyond ¡®Introduce yourself, make it flashy!¡¯ So I announce myself as that on the spot in my first Elite Four defense challenge, and the very next day I see shirts with that catchphrase and my face being made!

    ¡°Are we not ¡®in confidence?¡¯¡±

    ¡°Touche.¡±

    Brassius cleared his throat. ¡°As I was saying, I don¡¯t think her level of talent, or even her peculiarities would disturb you this much on their own. And even if they could, you would simply drop her as a student and take up a new one.¡±

    ¡°... I could do that.¡± It was an unusual thought for me. After leaving my clan, I had nothing to my name for some time. I¡¯d scrape by with odd jobs teaching, commission pieces, and the help of friends willing to let me stay with them. Now, I¡¯m a member of the Elite Four, and can more than pay off my share of the rent.

    ¡°Technically, I don¡¯t have to teach at all. Do you ever wonder why I do so? Why all of us Elite Four and Gym members have our little hobbies?¡± I asked Brassius, and he looked stumped. Darn, now I¡¯m tempted to ask him to hold that pose so I can make a portrait.

    ¡°I thought for you it was just taking some time for yourself to enjoy your hobbies, but you¡¯re correct, all of the Gym Leaders do have something like that eating at their time. It makes for interesting trials when I see them on TV, but I admit I haven¡¯t given it that much thought, never been involved with that sort of thing.¡±

    I hid a smirk at that, covering it up by taking off my jacket. Funny, since Artazon¡¯s Gym Leader is looking to retire, and you¡¯d be on my list to replace her, my dear friend. I wasn¡¯t going to tell him that however, not until he got over his slump. He hardly needs more pressure right now.

    ¡°We have those interests and make sure to spend time on them as a way to ground us. Powerful trainers in Paldea share an unfortunate trait.¡± Then, switching tracks for a moment, I said ¡°You remember how I mentioned that Nemona rarely used Pokemon in her songs, and when she does, she frowns like it doesn¡¯t fit right?¡± He nodded. ¡°It¡¯s unusual because she loves Pokemon. Adores them to pieces, will talk for hours about them if I give her the chance.¡±

    Literally. I tried offering that to her once and she went on for an hour about the sociological and ecological similarities and differences between Drampa and Cyclizars and how their Normal Typing, Main and Secondary, might have affected their general species temperaments in comparison to other Dragons. We now have a hard ten-minute cap at the end of every lesson.

    ¡°She¡¯s mentioned that her favorite Types are Normal and Dragon. She loves her starter, a Dunsparce as much as any trainer could, but she told me that she got him when awaiting a surprise delivery of a Haxorus for her birthday, because she told a maid that it was her favorite Pokemon.¡± My eyes were closed for a moment as I remembered hearing that, but I heard my partner slap his hand against his head.

    ¡°They wanted to give a child a fully grown dragon?! What were they thinking?¡±

    ¡°Not much apparently¡­ or maybe they just had the utmost faith in her skills. There are times when teaching her, I see that look in her eyes. The one every challenger I face has. A ferocity that can¡¯t be denied.¡±

    ¡°I suppose you would be an expert on that, Dragon Guardian,¡± Brassius said, but I shook my head.

    ¡°Despite what some of my clan may tell you, Dragon Types don¡¯t hold the monopoly on ferocity. I¡¯ve seen the occasional Pokemon encroach on Dragon grounds, Scythers, Gyarados, and the like. Pokemon vicious and aggressive enough to challenge a Dragon.¡± Not always strong enough to survive the challenge unscarred or unbeaten, but rarely they do. ¡°That¡¯s what I see in her. Plus, she¡¯s not prideful enough to be a dragon.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll trust your expert opinion then.¡±

    ¡°Quite. Where was I- ah yes, she had mentioned wanting a Haxorus. She explained to me in that story that she still wanted one, but she wanted them as an Axew or Fraxure, to help raise them and grow alongside them. I offered her an Axew egg, sired by my own Haxorus.¡±

    Brassius toppled off his stool at that, nearly falling to the ground before catching himself at the last moment. ¡°You offered her that?!¡± Yes, I did. It took a while for my Haxorus to find a mate that would be willing to part with one of her clutch, but I would have been glad to give it to her.

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°It¡¯s ah, slightly less binding than a formal apprenticeship would be for someone for my clan,¡± I added, remembering I had spilled my heart out about all of those aspects of my past life to Brassius before. ¡°But yes, I believe she can go far. Too far.¡±

    With a sigh, I added. ¡°Gym Leaders and Elite Four alike keep up our hobbies to keep us grounded. A part of the community. But more importantly, to ensure we aren¡¯t too drawn towards the Great Crater.¡±

    ¡°All roads in Paldea lead to the Great Crater,¡± he said, repeating a phrase I had mentioned a few times.

    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s something the Dragon Tamers know well too. In our drive to become stronger, we eventually turn our eyes towards that which all rulers, conquerors, and trainers of great strength have been called by. That which has led to all of their ruins, bar one.¡± And even then, it could be argued that the sights Heath saw within led to his ruin as well, just in a slower fashion than most met their ends.

    I continued. ¡°For the egg, I asked that she promise me she wouldn¡¯t go into the Great Crater. I offered a seven-year-old the Pokemon she wanted most, for some far-off promise of not going to a super scary place. Do you know what she did?¡± Brassius sat in silence, waiting for my answer. ¡°She said nothing for about a minute, struggling with it before shrugging and saying that she ¡®appreciated the offer but could not accept.¡¯ When I asked her why, she just said ¡®I don¡¯t make promises I know I can¡¯t keep.¡¯¡± What kind of child thinks that way?

    Brassius held my hand and lent support, but he had no answers. Not that I had expected them, or even to a degree, wanted to know what exactly made Nemona Glitterati so extraordinary.

    ***

    Spinel POV

    ¡°Why are we letting that brat wander about here?¡± I asked, trying to keep the anger out of my voice as I stood in the special audience chamber, addressing our leader, Gibeon, directly. We had the large chamber for the more grandiose visits, but deeper underground was a small hallway that ended in a room covered in glass. The inside of that small room was filled with pink mists and I could dimly make out the aged man sitting within. To my side stood Hamber, but I was well aware the butler only served as an additional mouthpiece for our leader on the other side of the glass.

    ¡°She could have useful information yet. Ransei is likely unconnected to Rakua, but the Black Rayquaza that warlord had could be the same one that eventually joined Lucien.¡± Gibeon¡¯s voice could be heard clearly from the other side, though I¡¯d never seen any transmitters. His Zygarde stared at me with its pupilless eyes, and I resisted the urge to flinch away from its gaze.

    Down here, there was no chance of Nemona overhearing us. Many soundproofed layers stood between us, and her other tutors were keeping her busy with ¡®exploring classes.¡¯ Honestly, this place is such a maze that even if someone were to break into here, it might take weeks to find their way down to this hidden spot.

    ¡°I¡¯ve done the blood tests you asked for, Gibeon,¡± Hamber began. ¡°Her blood is a match to both her parents, so she can¡¯t be a Faller. I can¡¯t say where she is getting that knowledge from, of things that sound so eerily familiar to the rumors of great events that happened across the regions.¡±

    Tossing the old butler a dismissive glance I chimed in. ¡°And what rumors are those? A few half-heard tidbits from the rest of your staff while you live it up in that mansion? She hasn¡¯t been sharing anything else with us here.¡±

    ¡°I do what my duty requires of me,¡± Hamber said evenly, not rising to my bait. ¡°Perhaps she would feel more comfortable around us if it wasn¡¯t for your antagonism. She has grown close to Lord Gibeon¡¯s grandson and views him favorably.¡±

    Should I make a statement about Amethio following in his father¡¯s footsteps? No, too obvious, I¡¯m certain they both have counterarguments to make if I tried that. It¡¯s a shame that as sharp as they are, they can¡¯t see the danger in keeping her around for a long period of time.

    ¡°She disliked me from the start. And while she may like Amethio, she¡¯ll cut him loose when the time comes. Nemona¡¯s the type who wants to be unfettered.¡± Like recognizes like, after all.

    Turning to Gibeon, I pleaded: ¡°Amethio might in fact be loyal, but he¡¯s still young. More likely to let something about our mission slip to her than the other way around. If we need that knowledge, then let me take it from her. She is clearly wary of us-¡± I began before Hamber cut me off.

    ¡°A situation that arose from your current mistreatment of her. The fact that she managed to resist your hypnosis attempt earlier without noticing should already have shown you the folly of that.¡± He must be irritated with me to show such little manners. Oh well. You can screw off old man, we¡¯ll have no need for your little fake job once I secure the power of a Legendary on my side.

    ¡°It may have been hasty to try to compel her with Elgyem, but I¡¯ve been training him hard and he¡¯s close to evolving. Beheeyems are noted for their ability to control others. We could keep her here, force her to divulge all her secrets, and it might well advance our plans.¡±

    ¡°She might not even know what would be important to our goals.¡± Hamber pointed out. ¡°If she had the knowledge but was unaware we needed it, even mind control would do us no good.¡±

    ¡°Then we can reveal that information to her, once she¡¯s safely under my sway.¡± Honestly, how was this supposed to work? We can¡¯t tell her anything because we don¡¯t want to give anything away, but we can¡¯t force her to give us the answers? Waiting around for her to maybe spill the beans is agonizing, especially with the fact that I just know that cheeky brat knows way more but is keeping quiet. ¡°We can¡¯t keep dancing around and playing these games, we need decisive action,¡± I continued.

    ¡°We can¡¯t keep her here forever, it would arouse too much suspicion, and any compulsions would wear off at home. The Glitterati family is too influential a family to disturb lightly. Not over unverified information that might not help our goals.¡± A sneer grew on my lips at his words.

    ¡°Those airheads? Why do you even waste such time playing pretend with them?¡± I didn¡¯t have the displeasure of having met the two parents, but everything I had read about them in the news indicated that the Applin couldn¡¯t have fallen farther from the tree in regards to them and their youngest daughter.

    Hamber appeared as unruffled as always. ¡°They grant me access to several wealthy and powerful figures, those we could not reach from the shadows. While they may not be the sharpest, they have their skills. Besides, my attempts at removing them completely failed, and even arranging for them to happen during her first tournament didn¡¯t drive a wedge between the Young Miss and her parents.¡± At least he has the decency to look disappointed with himself at that. If I was designing a plan to eliminate someone, I¡¯d succeed.

    Crossing my arms, I shook my head. ¡°This is what I¡¯m talking about. Your attempts have been too meek. Disturbing some Zoroark and a couple of common thugs? You could make better assassination attempts than that.¡±

    ¡°Not and keep myself clear of any suspicion. There¡¯s no point in removing Billy and O¡¯Nare to become their daughters¡¯ steward if I¡¯m discovered immediately afterward.¡±

    Gibeon cut in, his expression slightly bored. ¡°Hamber is correct; we do not need to draw the ire of the authorities.¡± Our leader¡¯s next words cut through the aura of smugness (since his expressions didn¡¯t change a bit) that was surrounding his second-in-command. ¡°The Glitterati are merely useful tools for mundane means, not worth overreaching on our part. Possibly not worth the effort they are currently being given. Maintain your post for now, but I may be reassigning you,¡± he declared to Hamber, the old man giving a stiff bow of his head in return.

    Slight hesitation there, old man. Was that from getting close to the girl, or just upset at being perceived as ¡®failing¡¯ a mission? I felt the latter was more likely than the former. Hamber¡¯s loyalty to Gibeon was legendary, and why the aging butler had his spot as second-in-command of our organization.

    Our leader turned his attention to me, and there was a pressure unlike any other to it. Any other, save one girl a fraction of his age. ¡°As for you, Spinel¡­ your case has been heard and denied. Your methods of trying to rip the information from her are too extreme and would fail even with a Beheeyem. Just as we do not need to rouse suspicion from the authorities, I trust that you will not alert her to our goals.¡± ¡®Trust¡¯ was stressed ever-so-slightly, but his piercing violet gaze had me gulping as I realized I was treading on thin ice.

    ¡°From everything I have seen of Nemona, she has no direct information relevant to Rakua. While she and her family¡¯s resources may be useful, they are only potential means to an end, and by far not the only means. I remind you that our goal is paradise, we will not risk the promised land for shiny baubles along the way. We continue as we were,¡± Gibeon spoke with an air of finality in his voice - there would be no further discussion. The ground shook ever so lightly as Zygarde growled, a reminder of the power his own Legendary had. I took it as the dismissal it was, clenching my teeth, turning on my heel, and marching out.

    Why can¡¯t they see how infuriating this is? She probably knows nothing useful, but just in case we waste our time teaching her instead of just taking the knowledge? We all know the situation is untenable, dancing around our secrets and hers. It¡¯s ridiculous, and I¡¯m left dealing with her as she mocks and dismisses me in these ¡®classes¡¯. She¡¯ll bother maintaining a relationship with Hamber, and Gibeon she¡¯s cautious of, so they don¡¯t see what she really is. It was bad enough teaching Amethio, but at least he believes in our cause.

    Nemona, I had no illusions about. She would suck up every scrap of knowledge the Explorers could give her, then leave without an ounce of loyalty. If she didn¡¯t make an effort to be personally annoying to me, I¡¯d almost be impressed at her mercenary nature. She¡¯s far more cutthroat than her buffoonish family Hamber ingratiates himself with.

    My footsteps found me standing outside the large training room we had on the base for Pokemon battles. Ideally, I would have more time, but after making that presentation before our leader, they¡¯ll be sure to keep me away from the girl in the future. Opening the door, I strode inside.

    The two children, Amethio and Nemona, were battling within. His fiery Pokemon clashed against a Rotom possessing a lawn mower. The boy¡¯s Charcadet has gotten much faster. He¡¯s still slower than my dear Umbreon, but it¡¯s clear that he¡¯s improved from his practice with her.

    It was equally clear that Nemona was improving as well. Despite a Type disadvantage, she was whittling away Amethio¡¯s options, Paralysis and Confusion turning easy hits into misses, flying out of reach, and using ghostly attacks to take advantage of Characadet¡¯s debilitations, forcing the Fire Type down in quick order.

    As their fight ended, she turned to face me in the viewing box above the battlefield. ¡°Spinel, what are you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Came here to observe your practice with Amethio. I have to say, you aren¡¯t doing nearly as well as I thought. But I suppose it¡¯s to be expected-¡±

    ¡°If it¡¯s to be expected, why is it not as you thought? Are you just bad at thinking?¡± She interrupted me, and I grit my teeth.

    ¡°I was attempting to give you the benefit of the doubt,¡± I shot back sweetly, plastering a fake smile on my lips. ¡°Such efforts are wasted.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve been learning tons! Onyx praised us last week for how much we studied,¡± Amethio spoke up, the boy glaring up at me. ¡°We got A pluses on our tests.¡±

    ¡°Tests aren¡¯t everything. Onyx is one of the least reliable members of our organization, precisely due to how by the book he is. You need to be able to innovate, and frankly, I¡¯m not certain you can manage that. You¡¯ve still yet to beat her.¡± If he was anything near as great as his family, then he should have at least managed one victory against her yet, but so far the girl was undefeated.

    The young boy puffed up, his childish cheeks taking away from however piercing his gaze might be. ¡°I- that¡¯s just from how tough Nemona is. I¡¯ll show you! Why don¡¯t you face me and I¡¯ll show you how much I¡¯ve learned.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m curious to see if you¡¯re all talk as well,¡± Nemona commented, smirking up at me. Laugh it up girl, but soon, I¡¯ll have my way. You¡¯ve walked right into my trap.

    Dimming the lights (why did they need to leave the place so bright? Annoying) I said: ¡°Certainly. But if you lose, then you have to leave the Explorers immediately.¡±

    That triggered the immediate stuttering, the instant denial. How the weak will bark and yap, but when the challenge is made, suddenly they lose faith and cower. People are weak, and when they give in to that weakness is when they lose, the battle decided before they toss out their first Pokeball. Of course, I couldn¡¯t have him actually backing out here, so I added a small jab to my challenge as I walked down the stairs to meet him.

    ¡°You were claiming you had learned so much, surely you can back it up. And if not, well then I don¡¯t see why we¡¯re wasting so much time and effort training you here, all for nothing.¡± That had the boy clenching his fists in anger, glaring up at me with his unusual eyes.

    ¡°You¡¯re on!¡± He cried out, calling his Charcadet back to his side. I smirked, watching as my true target strode over to him, healing his Pokemon and whispering a bit of ¡®strategic advice¡¯. Whatever you¡¯re trying to tell him, it¡¯s too late now.

    She turned to me as I walked into the arena. ¡°Wait a moment, you¡¯re trying to kick him out and aren¡¯t offering anything either. What happens if you don¡¯t win?¡±

    Frowning, I said, ¡°That seems unlikely, but if I can¡¯t beat him, I¡¯ll take back any unkind things I might have said about him.¡± There, that should do it. Can we just get on with this farce? Amethio nodded and I smiled.

    I didn¡¯t hate him, as much as it was amusing to taunt him. The fact that he was Gibeon¡¯s grandson meant nothing to me. He was too straightforward to be of much use to our organization, but we still had a place even for Onyx as one of our Admins. Amethio¡¯s use here was to get Nemona to do something rash. I wouldn¡¯t be able to kick her out, or even convince her she had been expelled from the Explorers, but I could do so against him.

    Once I win, I¡¯ll taunt him a bit, let him beg, before offering him an Arboliva branch. I¡¯ll say if he can find a ¡®Legendary Pokemon¡¯, then he¡¯ll have proved his worth to us. He would stand no chance of finding such a Pokemon on his own, and Nemona would never do so if asked. If it was to ¡®save¡¯ her dear friend, however, she might act rashly and divulge some of her secrets. Then all I have to do is follow, and swoop right in as they lead me to them. It was almost funny because I didn¡¯t believe the prodigal girl would have done so if Amethio had asked directly. People do so love playing the hero, which makes them easy to play in turn.

    Nemona placed herself at the center of the arena, declaring ¡°I¡¯ll act as referee for this match.

    This will be a one-on-one battle with no switches. The fight is to the forfeit or the first incapacitation. Agreed?¡± We both nodded. Her being a referee might technically be in his favor, but I don¡¯t foresee her making any egregious rulings towards him. Besides, I¡¯ve done my homework; she¡¯s been burned once by an unfair judge rather publicly according to the news. I doubt she¡¯d try anything unjust in such a simple match.

    ¡°Release your Pokemon!¡± She called out, stepping to the side of the arena.

    ¡°Go, Charcadet!¡± Amethio pointed his finger out at me and the already-released Charcadet jumped ahead, the fire on its back burning up.

    ¡°Umbreon,¡± I called out simply as I released my starter. The sleek yellow-ringed feline hopped out, glaring wickedly at our opponent. In the darkness, his body was barely visible, save for the ominous yellow lines around his body.

    ¡°Trainers ready? On the count of one, two, three,... begin!¡± Nemona called and the battle began.

    ¡°Flame Charge!¡± Amethio cried out, and his diminutive Pokemon rushed towards mine.

    ¡°Foul Play.¡± Umbreon jumped up as if to strike at him, and as Charcadet leaped up to meet him, Umbreon pivoted mid-air, smacking the Fire Type aside with his tail wreathed in Dark energy.

    I may not enjoy getting my hands dirty personally, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m not capable of it if the situation requires.

    Amethio proved he wasn¡¯t completely useless, recognizing that he couldn¡¯t just order his Characadet to charge again. ¡°Trap it in a Fire Spin!¡± His Pokemon took a deep breath before exhaling a whirlwind of fire.

    ¡°Make that kid cower, Snarl.¡± Umbreon let out a discordant yowl, the sound sending a shiver up even my spine. Charcadet writhed in pain, the flames he was conjuring barely touched my Umbreon. He had enough focus at least to keep a small curtain of flames continuously running over my Pokemon.

    The flames were weak, but I knew they¡¯d take Umbreon down in time. ¡°Quick Attack into Bite.¡± Umbreon blurred ahead, odd afterimages of yellow left behind by his rings as he slammed into the smaller Pokemon. Without letting it be knocked too far away, Umbreon¡¯s head lunged out, biting down into the unevolved Pokemon - only to let him go with a yelp.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Ha! Umbreon is Burned! Now you¡¯ll-¡±

    ¡°Dark Pulse.¡± I interrupted. Umbreon was still moaning from the sudden pain, but well-trained enough to open its mouth and fire a ray of darkness out at Charcadet, slamming hard into the Pokemon.

    ¡°Cha- Char.¡± He got up on unsteady legs, fire literally blazing in his eyes. I could see how weak he was, however.

    ¡°I see you¡¯ve learned¡­ absolutely nothing. A shame,¡± I made a show of shaking my head disappointedly. There was a sound of teeth grinding, and I couldn¡¯t tell if it was Amethio of Nemona in the dark. ¡°Oh well. Finish this, Umbreon.¡±

    ¡°Charcadet, do the thing!¡± A quick glow appeared around Charcadet before sliding along the floor to Umbreon where it did seemingly nothing before the Fire Type was blasted by another Dark Pulse. This time, the Charcadet was blasted into the corner and fell, unable to get back up.

    ¡°The fight is over! It¡¯s a tie!¡± Nemona called out, causing me to whip around in shock.

    ¡°A tie!? What are you-¡± Looking over, I saw Umbreon lying down on the field where he had been standing just a moment ago, just as unconscious as Charcadet. ¡°What happened? What did you do?¡±

    Amethio smirked up at me. ¡°Bond. Destiny Bond.¡± He met my rage-filled glare for a few seconds before turning over to Nemona ¡°Do I really have to say it like that?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± she lied and I stomped my heeled boot in frustration as they bantered.

    To be caught off guard by such a cheap trick! How did Charcadet learn a Move like that? Light suddenly flooded the arena and I hissed, covering my eyes with my cape. Squinting, I saw Hamber standing in the observer''s box. It looks like I won¡¯t be getting close to Nemona again any time soon either. What a waste of effort.

    Recalling my Pokemon, I started walking away before stopping at the bottom of the stairs as Nemona raced in front of me. ¡°What do you want?¡±

    ¡°You still have to pay off your end of the deal.¡±

    ¡°What? It was a tie. He might have gotten lucky and not lost, but I didn¡¯t lose either.¡± As the words left my mouth, I saw the biggest grin unfurl on Nemona¡¯s face.

    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that the deal was if Amethio loses he leaves, and if you don¡¯t win you apologize to him.¡± Amethio gasped behind me before cackling. She planned this from the start. Probably whispered the plan to him too.

    ¡°By League rules, I should still be declared the winner from any sacrifice Move.¡±

    ¡°Which League again? Hard to tell where we are, exactly¡± She fired back. The cocky smirk was still on her face, but her eyes were focused. Even here she¡¯s willing to dig for information.

    A large part of me was tempted to tell her to screw off, but I felt the specter of death hanging above me, in an almost literal sense. Ignoring the latest question, I turned to face the boy and his freshly recovered Charcadet, I said: ¡°Fine. I¡¯m. Sorry.¡± The kid was still glaring at me so I added ¡°You are nothing like your father.¡±

    He hissed, the mere mention of his parentage making him upset, while Nemona just looked confused. Before she could say anything else or demand I grovel further I pushed past her and marched up the stairs, shooting one look back to let Amethio know not to spill the beans on his lineage. I could hear them cheering and excitedly chattering with each other before I slammed the door to the observation room behind me.

    ¡°That was most unwise, Spinel,¡± Hamber said the moment the door closed. ¡°Directly going against Gibeon¡¯s orders-¡±

    ¡°I did no such thing. My challenge was for Amethio. The boy might be your pet project, but Gibeon doesn¡¯t care until he proves himself.¡± Ironic, considering he''s the boss''s grandson.

    ¡°Of course,¡± The butler said, unruffled. His words agreed with me, but his tone was dry enough to match the Asado Desert. ¡°If you have so much time on your hands to evaluate our youngest members, why don¡¯t you look into the location of the pendant.¡± It wasn¡¯t a question.

    Striding away without answering, I made it to the exit before the pseudo-butler spoke up again.

    ¡°What is it about the Young Miss that scares you so?¡±

    ¡°The same thing that should be worrying you: She knows too much about us, doesn¡¯t care for most of us, and is getting too strong.¡± Much too strong, much too fast. I wouldn¡¯t have been anywhere near as confident challenging her to a head-on fight. I could make some plans to trick and defeat her for now, but how long will that stay the same? How long until one kid can take out our whole operation?

    Shivering as I left, my mind turning from elimination strategies to exit ones.

 Chapter 28

    ¡°Cheer up, this is going to be so much fun!¡± My dear older sister cheered as she dragged me through town.

    ¡°Can¡¯t we just order this stuff online?¡±

    ¡°I already told you, we need to get you fitted for a new dress. And you can try on the clothes here. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve grown out of everything in your closet.¡±

    ¡°I can,¡± I mumbled as she led me through Los Platos¡¯ streets. I¡¯d grown steadily over the past two years and hadn¡¯t worn a dress once. For smaller home parties and the like, I could just wear my regular clothing, and I didn¡¯t go out with Mom and Dad (and sometimes Cyan) to other parties the wealthy elite would invite them to. They offered, but what do I have in common with those people? Plus, I¡¯d have to worry about offending someone if I didn¡¯t eat something, or said the wrong thing¡­ just so much easier to focus on training.

    That thought had been triggered by a sign of a store with a Capsakid as the mascot. Spicy foods remain my great nemesis in this world. Which is a shame, because Paldean cuisine has a lot of them. Oh well, I¡¯m heading back to Unova for the big party, so they¡¯ll probably have less spicy food there.

    All around me, I saw signs boasting their products, often with Pokemon in the designs. ¡®Lady Liligant¡¯s Elegant Designs¡¯, ¡®Hatterene¡¯s Hats for all¡¯, ¡®Dazzling, Gleaming, Style.¡¯ ¡°How can there be this many fashion stores?¡± I moaned, to which Popplio trailing behind us clapped his paws together. While we checked out three stores, Cyan had dismissed them fairly quickly, except for the one where she and Popplio had gotten a matching pair of sunglasses.

    (I had asked if Dun had wanted to wear anything and he looked at me like I had gone insane for a solid minute before slinking back into his Pokeball).

    ¡°I know, right? We should have gone to Mesagoza, they would have had way more there.¡± I whimpered a sound that Cyan pretended not to notice as she pulled me into another store.

    This store had a very high-class look to it, the floor covered in smooth stone tiles and a few pillars holding up the place and dividing it into different sections. The tiles and walls were white with a few gold patterns and black edges to make it pop. Almost immediately upon entering, a woman in her mid-twenties wearing a black skirt and white blouse approached us.

    ¡°Hello dears, I¡¯m Maggie. Welcome to Suicine Select. How may I help you?¡±

    Cyan nodded approvingly and stepped up like she owned the place. ¡°I¡¯m Cyan Glitterati, and this is my sister Nemona. We need to get a dress tailored for her by the end of the day.¡± Those sentences had the employee¡¯s face caught in an interesting mix of emotions. The recognition of our family name (and thus the money we had) warred with the difficulty of the request my sister had dropped on her.

    Maggie quickly smoothed that all away and said ¡°Of course, right this way ladies. Now, what are you looking for? We have many styles-¡±

    ¡°Something comfortable.¡±I blurt out immediately before Cyan can say anything. She glares at me nonetheless and adds her own opinion.

    ¡°We want something sleek and modern, maybe like the new¡­¡± She goes on to rattle off the names of different designers and clothes worn by models. I couldn¡¯t care less, but I trust her expertise that whatever is made will look ¡®fashionable.¡¯

    With this store seeming to meet the standards that Cyan has set, we eventually get on to taking my measurements. It¡¯s¡­ odd. Another reminder that this isn¡¯t my body, that nothing is like what I remembered.

    ¡°You sure I can¡¯t have a suit made?¡± I asked my sister again. It¡¯d be more familiar at least, plus-

    ¡°No, it would take too long to get a suit made to fit you. A dress can just be modified from what they have in stock.¡± As Cyan spoke, Maggie¡¯s smile became much tighter, and I thought that my sister might be exaggerating how easily they could accommodate what we were asking.

    ¡°Besides, why would you need a suit anyway?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t kick people in a dress.¡±

    ¡°Why do you need to kick people!? You have Pokemon! And we¡¯re going to a party hosted by a Gym Leader of all people.¡±

    ¡°What if I need to kick Clay?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t kick the Gym Leader!!¡±

    ¡°No promises.¡±

    ¡°Please stop shaking with laughter,¡± Maggie said with a sigh, trying to wrap the measuring tape around me while Cyan was shouting at me.

    You don¡¯t need to worry sis, I¡¯m probably not going to attack him. While Clay does get a little unreasonably upset at the player in the game over you ¡®letting¡¯ Plasma grunts leave because the bridge is lowered, I vaguely remember him being not that bad of a guy.

    With my measurements taken, we began the long parade of dresses to try on. I decided on a nice green with black highlights as the one to take. It was a little too poofy, but Maggie assured me the wispy parts on the bottom and shoulder straps could be removed.

    Even though it had been the second dress I¡¯d tried, Cyan still forced me to try on a dozen others before we finally stopped. At least that pleather crop jacket we found was nice, I can grab that too. ¡°Alright, I think we¡¯ve made our choice. Now onto heels-¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± I said brightly, cutting her off. ¡°I have some nicer flat shoes I can wear.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, fine,¡± She acquiesced and we left the store, heading back home after leaving delivery instructions. ¡°But in the future, we¡¯ll have to go on a real shopping day. No time crunch just exploring stores for hours on end.¡±

    ¡°Cough, cough, oh no, I think I¡¯m coming down with can¡¯t-go-clothes-shopping-again-itis.¡±

    ¡°Oh stop it, you had fun, right?¡± She asked hopefully.

    Sighing I said ¡°Honestly? No. I think it¡¯s boring and not a ¡®waste¡¯ of time but not the most efficient either and¡­ just not my favorite thing to do. But I¡¯ll go with you on any shopping trips you want to go on.¡±

    We were silent momentarily as we walked back home before she asked me ¡°What do you want to do?¡±

    I laughed ¡°You don¡¯t know that already? I like martial arts and music and of course Pokemon Battles-¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s all stuff you train at. What do you like to do to relax?¡±

    It was my turn to be silent, thinking over the question. I mean, I do like those things, but I guess they aren¡¯t relaxing. I- I don¡¯t know. I haven¡¯t had much free time- haven¡¯t given myself much free time. But there¡¯s just so much to do, so much to learn and I don¡¯t want to waste a single second!

    ¡°I guess I like reading? And uh, I think I¡¯d like to play tabletop RPGs.¡± I eventually said. Ok, I know I like Roleplaying Games, but I can¡¯t exactly say that without actually having any experience in it. I can just pretend I read some rule books online if she asks any questions.

    Cyan didn¡¯t however, just humming and saying ¡°Just think about it. Working hard is good and all, but you need to take a break sometimes.¡±

    ***

    ¡°Feels weird.¡±

    ¡°What does, dear daughter?¡± Billy asked me, concern aparent in his bleary eyes.

    ¡°That we¡¯re flying in a basket held up by Pokemon, to an airport where we¡¯ll be flown by a machine.¡± I get that the technology of this world is advanced enough that they almost certainly would have figured out aerodynamics enough to make airplanes, but it still feels weird that they¡¯re used for commercial travel over Pokemon. Is it economic over the cost of training and feeding Pokemon instead?

    ¡°Well, it¡¯s not like we could be flown all the way to Unova. The Squawkabilly¡¯s would get way too tired for such a trip.¡± Cyan pointed out.

    ¡°Squawkabilly, sure. But Dragonite can circle the world in two-thirds of a day, and other Pokemon can do such trips as well.¡± Then I raised my voice and shouted up to the birds ferrying us to the airport and shouted out ¡°No offense guys! Really appreciate the ride!¡± I got a few squawks back letting me know they were fine with it.

    ¡°How incredibly innovative Nemona! Oh, now we must take a trip to Unova by Dragonite!¡± O¡¯Nare exclaimed with glee.

    Cyan gave me a death stare that made me wonder if she¡¯d been learning Glare from Dun before desperately asking Mom: ¡°Wait, didn¡¯t we already buy the tickets to take the plane to Unova? We shouldn¡¯t let those round-trip tickets go to waste.¡±

    ¡°How frugal, Cyan! It shows your true Gliteratti intellect to know how to best save your money.¡± Billy cried out, and my sister let out a soft sigh of relief.

    Landing down in front of the airport we took out our bags. Alongside my family, Anna, my mother¡¯s secretary, followed us. The young woman was dressed in a plain business suit and had her own luggage as she would be accompanying us for the duration of the trip.

    Feels odd, to just have someone following us around on our vacation, but I guess it makes sense. Paldea Reality is massive and if some disaster pops up, they might need to get a hold of my mother no matter what. I also vaguely remembered people like her when I was younger before I remembered my past life. They¡¯d ask the occasional question during our trips, but generally just manage things in the background (including our trip itinerary).

    The airport itself was in Mesagoza, being the closest, largest city to us with one. It had two, which just went to show how massive the city was, with only Levincia and Medali having one in the rest of Paldea. The West side airport itself was less busy than the big city ones I was used to in my old life, only running one or two hundred flights each day.

    Of course, as we stepped into the bustling airport, we were quickly directed away from the crowds and off to the side where I saw it. ¡°Why?¡± Was all I could manage in a whisper as I beheld the fully gold-painted private jet we¡¯d be flying to Unova in.

    Cyan brushed past me, obviously still holding the Dragonite riding thing against me. ¡°You have no room to talk.¡±

    ¡°No, see that¡¯s cool, it¡¯s different!¡±

    We playfully squabbled for a few minutes before we had to show our IDs at the front desk and board the plane. ¡°Remember to keep your Pokemon in their balls for the entirety of the trip, we don¡¯t want any accidents to happen.¡± Technically as we were riding a private jet, we wouldn¡¯t have to follow that rule, but it made a lot of sense, for a bunch of reasons. Still, it got me thinking.

    ¡°What about Rotom Phones?¡± I asked, holding up Miles. The man blinked before nodding.

    ¡°Rotoms within their Phones are fine, just don¡¯t have them leave their case or attempt any Moves while flying.¡± No worries there. I think Dun will just sleep through the whole thing and Miles is fine taking it easy.

    Taken aboard the plane, I stepped aboard a private jet for the first time in my life. Seeing how spacious the interior was, with the plush chairs and drop-down widescreen TVs threw me for a bit. Just another reminder of how different things are here. I¡¯d never get anywhere close to anything like this in my old life.

    Sure, I knew how rich I was here, and the difference that made, but with the world being so different, it was easy to miss comparisons at times. This was a very clear one, and one that was harder to ignore. My father worked on airplanes, once upon a time. I wonder if he¡¯s doing alright?

    ¡°Hey, do we need to call an Altaria to get you down?¡± Cyan¡¯s voice brought me back to reality, and I looked at her, confused.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m saying your head is up in the clouds and we haven¡¯t even taken off yet.¡± She stuck her tongue out at me, to let me know she was just lightly teasing me, but I saw some worry in her eyes. Damnit, can¡¯t be acting all weird like that. I thought I was over this and had accepted things in my new life but this one random reminder sends me spiraling back? I can¡¯t keep going like this.

    Shaking those thoughts aside I said with forced cheer ¡°Nah, I¡¯m gonna keep on flying up and up, dontcha know?¡±

    ¡°Yes, yes, you told me about your Aura and how you managed to fly for a bit. I still haven¡¯t seen that for myself!¡±

    I had told Cyan about my adventure with Aura (leaving out the part about Tulip pushing me off a small cliff - I felt like she would have more trouble believing that than the fact that I managed to hover in the air for a moment). She was skeptical, but more accepting of the idea than I had thought she¡¯d be. I guess in a world with Psychics and everything Pokemon can do, someone being able to fly doesn¡¯t sound so crazy.

    The captain called out for us to strap in as takeoff was about to begin, the four of us sitting down in the comfortable seats as we started down the runway. Looking outside, I saw the figures on the ground get smaller and smaller as the plane tilted up and we rose far above the ground, going through the clouds. As the plane began to rise, I felt a sense of wellness settle over me. A sort of contentedness, like I just knew everything was going to be alright. It got to the point that I worried something might have happened to my mind, but forcing myself to focus on Turo and the unsolvable problem he presented could make me feel upset.

    Ok, not that. Hmm, my ears haven¡¯t popped yet, I wonder if Pokemon world tech had some answer to the usual take-off issues? Glancing over at my sister opposite me, I saw her moaning and looking queasy. Popplio had left his ball and was trying to rub circles on her wrists. Or maybe it''s just another small benefit of my Aura.

    ¡°You okay Cyan?¡± I asked, walking over to her. She gave a non-committal sound like she was worried that if she let any words out, her lunch would soon follow. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll leave you be,¡± I said, giving Popplio a small pat on the head for doing a good job comforting her. It probably doesn¡¯t hurt to have Popplio out, he couldn¡¯t break anything on the plane, not like Dun or Miles could.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    ¡°It¡¯s a long flight dear, are you sure you want to stay up for it all?¡± O¡¯Nare asked me as I walked over to my guitar case.

    Opening it up I said, ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m going to be jet lagged.¡± I feel way too alive to sleep right now. Might want to meditate later though, this feels like a great time to try and touch on my Flying Aura.

    In retrospect, it was obvious my Aura was Flying aligned. Ever since being born in this life, I¡¯d had no fear of heights, enhanced vision and hearing (like many birds and Flying Pokemon have), and just an affinity for the sky. I couldn¡¯t tell if this was something Nemona always would have had, from who I was before, or some strange blend of myself and canon Nemona, but it just fits now.

    Taking out my guitar, I began strumming a few chords, trying to recall a few lines from a song I knew before.

    ¡°Upside down and inside out and it feels¡­ right?

    Don¡¯t know where your eyes are but you¡­ something something.

    Don¡¯t know where your mind is, but you¡­ wish you didn¡¯t have it?¡±

    At least the first parts of the lines fit, not my worst attempt. I couldn¡¯t put into words just how frustrating it was to partially remember these songs. Knowing that I had all the pieces locked in my mind on how to recreate these masterpieces but just couldn¡¯t fully draw them out. I think I¡¯m annoying Hassel with how much I¡¯m upsetting myself with this, but I know I¡¯m so close. And yet, not quite there.

    The music I made was decent, I liked to believe, but could it live up to the masterpieces crafted by hundreds of truly dedicated artists from my past life? Of course not. The idea of just giving up feels awful too, though. I wonder if that¡¯s part of what¡¯s holding me back from utilizing my Aura actively? Flying is the element of freedom. Of course, I¡¯m free to do what I want, in many ways, I have more freedom now than ever before. But if I feel constrained by myself, by my own mind, am I limiting my own freedom and thereby cutting off my power?

    Wow, these are some deep thoughts, wonder where they came from- oh, right. I remembered what song I was trying to recall and it made sense. When you have lines like: ¡®So when you met the new you, were you scared, were you cold, were you kind? When you met the new you, did someone die inside?¡¯ As a reincarnator, that provokes at least a little thought. Thoughts I usually shied away from, but the lyrics were forcing me to inspect that.

    Or maybe it¡¯s my own actions. This, using Aura, that¡¯s a departure from who Nemona was in the games. Then again, is it actually any bigger a change of her character than anything else I¡¯ve done? Making friends with Arven alone could be bigger, especially in terms of plot changes. How much I would or could change was still a matter in flux, but at the very least I wanted to stop Turo¡¯s demise.

    Not that I have any solid plans on that front. Gah, this is a waste of time, especially when I should just be relaxing. Why did I even start singing this song again? I like it, but I like some of their other stuff better- the music video. With that thought in mind, I jumped up, running over to the captain¡¯s quarters. One of our attendants scrambled up, from where she had been sitting down reading a magazine.

    ¡°Uhh, Young Miss, can I help you with something?¡± She asked, looking worried at my focused gaze fixed on the cockpit door.

    ¡°I need to ask the pilots something, is that ok?¡±

    She seemed a little uncomfortable before nodding. ¡°I think that¡¯s fine, just remember you can¡¯t touch anything, ok?¡± I nodded and she knocked on the door, getting the all-clear.

    Entering I saw a cockpit much like any of the ones I¡¯d seen back home. In the seats sat a woman and a man. The woman remained mostly focused on the monitors and controls, but asked ¡°What is it, kid?¡± While her co-pilot turned around to face me, a warm smile on his face.

    I explained my request which caused them to exchange a glance. ¡°You sure? Those kinds of maneuvers can be rough even on adults¡­¡± The man trailed off.

    ¡°I¡¯m certain. I- I need to experience it. If we could get like an hour or two to try it out, maybe before we head back home, I¡¯d appreciate it.¡±

    The woman let out a snort. ¡°Alright kid, your Spiritomb.¡± Huh, guess that¡¯s the equivalent of ¡®your grave¡¯ here. Spiritombs are cool. The Typing is solid and they¡¯re very defensive with some interesting Moves- ¡°If you talk your parents into it, we¡¯ll give you a ride.¡±

    ¡°Awesome!¡± I pumped my fist up before heading back. Sitting in my seat, I picked up my guitar and started strumming again.

    ¡°Upside down and inside out and you can feel it.

    Upside down and inside out and you can feel it, feel it.

    Don¡¯t know where your eyes are¡­ but they¡¯re not doing what you said.

    Don¡¯t know where your mind is, but you¡¯re better off without it.¡±

    Oh yeah, this is gonna be great.

    ***

    My first sign of the city came not from the city itself, but by spotting the massive red drawbridge down below. ¡°Oh, I think we¡¯re close!¡±

    The pilot confirmed what I said, announcing a moment later that we were heading down and to strap in.

    ¡°Yaaay.¡± Cyan gave out a tired cheer as she braced herself, gripping her plush seatrests hard. While she had gotten some sleep, the flight had been rough on her, and the descent was going to be the toughest part.

    I had never been terrible at dealing with flights, but occasionally had nausea and ear popping on the takeoff and touchdowns, but that wasn¡¯t an issue anymore. I could take in all the sights down below of yet another land I¡¯d only seen on the end of a game system screen before.

    Driftveil City had more high rises and towers than I recalled from the game, but I figured that had to do with the game not being 100% accurate and it being many years later. There was also another bridge, connecting the small landmass connected to the red drawbridge to the main city.

    Ships passed by all around, many of them massive freighters, hauling tons of raw materials. Driftveil was famed for its mines and even from high up, I could see some of the mine entrances dotting the landscape.

    Upon landing, we were swept up in a whirlwind of activity and rushed off by limo to the hotel we¡¯d booked. From there we made ourselves look ¡®presentable¡¯, got dressed up, and were taken to the Driftveil Gym. The dress I had chosen had been fitted for me and felt really nice. The hem swished at my knees and it had two straps holding it up over my shoulders. At my side, I wore my Sliph bag, the strap circling my waist like a belt. Cyan may not think it¡¯s super fashionable, but I¡¯m not going anywhere without Dun or my Pokemon supplies at my side.

    It was odd to see a stream of well-dressed individuals entering the gym as the sun started to set. A crowd of expensive cars gathered there as business people and celebrities arrived to attend a party at a place of battles. Even odder, realizing that I somehow fit right in - for the most part. I might not have felt comfortable, but a glance at my parents and myself showed that we certainly did.

    Reporters took pictures outside, trying to come up with stories on who was attending, who wasn¡¯t, what they were wearing, etcetera. Do people really care about such things? I didn¡¯t get why or how such stories could sell. Sure famous people could do important things, but they treated these big parties as if it was something big or important.

    As we entered the Gym, we were directed by an old man in shades to the back, away from the platform that would lead down to the gym proper. Instead, we entered a large, repurposed training room. The room was spacious, with a tall ceiling. The ground was literally dirt, which had been covered in plastic sheets and carpet on top of that. In one corner, there were many musicians set up, adding some musical ambiance to the event. In the back there were tables with food and drink on them, a few samples carried around by waiting staff (who may have been the Gym Trainers, the staff had a somewhat rough appearance to them underneath the black and white uniforms) to the many, many guests.

    So many people here, I can¡¯t believe it. Despite the room being designed for the many Pokemon to train at once, it was crowded with people, and we weren¡¯t the last ones to arrive. Our arrival did draw many eyes on us, however.

    ¡°Is that¡­ yes, I think the Glitterati¡¯s have arrived.¡±

    ¡°They¡¯re back in Unova?¡±

    ¡°Yes, I heard Billy¡¯s wife helped Clay set up some of the buyouts of Cold Storage, back in the day.¡±

    ¡°Oh right, Clay has that World Tournament thing running there now. Bit garish, really.¡±

    ¡°So much better than how it was before though. And now we¡¯re getting more underground railways built. It¡¯s such a hassle to go over the bridge just to see Elesa¡¯s latest shows¡­¡±

    I heard bits and pieces from all sorts of conversations like that as I wandered in. Billy and O¡¯Nare were quickly snapped up by the other guests, eager to gossip and chat with my extraordinarily wealthy parents. All the guests here looked pretty wealthy too, but very few people could match my parents for money, even amongst the elites. It looks like Dad is pretty popular here, in general too. That was likely because he was from Unova.

    Cyan found a few older teenagers to talk to, mentioning a few points on fashion and the makeup tips she had gotten from Tulip. She seems fine there. As such, I was left to mingle on my own, in a crowd of people I knew next to nothing about. With that in mind, I did the only natural thing one would do at such a big party: Make a beeline straight to the buffet table and see how long I could hang out on the outskirts.

    Grabbing a small plate and piling it up with seafood, fruit, and bread (each carefully portioned not to touch each other), I moved to an empty corner, standing there and just observing the party go on.

    ¡°Did you hear that Clay just completed a massive project? Something about shipping tons of Chargestone out of the caves. Even a bunch of Pokemon from there too, for that Terarium in Blueberry.¡±

    ¡°The Pokemon World Tournament will be starting up again soon, it¡¯s been such a boon for Driftveil. I can hardly remember the dreary little shipping town it used to be.¡±

    ¡°Clay¡¯s done a great job with it, if only he could rank a bit higher when he competes!¡±

    ¡°Oh, he¡¯s a busy man. Even if he¡¯s not a Champion of battling, his stocks are going up, and that¡¯s what matters.¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s the washroom? I gotta go!¡±

    ¡°I hear Aether is looking to turn some of his old mines into preserves for underground Pokemon, do you think Clay will agree?¡±

    The atmosphere was generally happy, and I was content to vibe until a young girl about my age with bright pink hair and bushy brown eyebrows pushed her way out of the crowd and into my general bubble.

    ¡°Hello?¡±

    ¡°Oh hi, sorry to bug you, I just had to get away from all of¡­ that.¡± The girl said. She was wearing a light pink dress with short sleeves, ended with poofy rings and fabric attached to look like small wings. At her side was a pink Love Ball attached to her hip somehow. Maybe magnets? Or some more esoteric tech holding it in place.

    ¡°Fair. I¡¯m Nemona.¡± I said, glaring daggers at a few of the adults who had pushed through and looked like they wanted to bug her more. Why are a bunch of adults trying to bother a kid? Whatever the reason, my look scared them off, and I offered a hand out to Lacey to shake. She has soft skin.

    ¡°Lacey.¡± At the complete lack of reaction on my part to her name, she added ¡°You don¡¯t know who I am, do you?¡±

    ¡°Nope. Well, I didn¡¯t. Based on that, I¡¯m guessing you¡¯re related to Clay?¡±

    ¡°Wow, you figured it out from just that?¡±

    ¡°That and your eyebrows.¡± It¡¯s funny, she didn¡¯t inherit his¡­ roundness, or his regular hair color, but little things like just the color of the eyebrows can be passed on to the kids. Or nothing at all. There wasn¡¯t much Cyan or I had in common body-wise with our parents, but that was just how things often worked out in this world.

    As she continued to stare at me, I said: ¡°The punch is pretty good, you might want to get some.¡±

    I offered as an icebreaker to the other girl. It was good, quite fruity and non-carbonated, thankfully.

    ¡°Uh, sure. Sorry, just not used to this. Everyone else here wants me to give them an introduction to Dad.¡±

    ¡°I can see that.¡± And I could, even through the crowd and halfway across the room, I could make out a large number of people trying to get close to the rotund man in the cowboy getup (hat included) that was the star of the night.

    He chatted well enough to most, but as they made offers or overtures to him, Clay would shoot them down. Given their expressions, it was usually pretty harsh, but some of the older and more experienced businessmen and women were able to get off lighter. Caught snippets more like ¡®maybe we¡¯ll think on it later,¡¯ for the more shrewd among them. For every person that tried their hand though, there were two or three more, circling and waiting for their chance to ¡®strike¡¯.

    After she returned to our little corner with a drink in tow, I asked her: ¡°What¡¯s it like, being the daughter of a Gym Leader?¡±

    She frowned adorably. ¡°I unno. There¡¯s a lot of Pokemon always around here. Do you have a bunch of Pokemon?¡±

    ¡°No, I only have two right now. There are a few more the staff have at home, but not too many. But I see plenty outside every day. Paldea has tons of them in the wild.¡± To be fair, I don¡¯t know that Paldea actually has any more Pokemon than other regions, but it sure feels plentiful with how close we live to nature.

    ¡°You¡¯re from Paldea? Cool! Do you have a bunch of cute Pokemon there? Which Pokemon do you think is the cutest?¡± Lacey asked eagerly, and before giving me time to answer pulled out a small Pokeball at her hip. Enlarging it, she released a small mole-like Pokemon from within. He had a long white nose with red tip, but otherwise black and blue fur over his body. Upon seeing his trainer, he clapped his large, sharp-looking, clawed hands together.

    ¡°Burr!¡±

    ¡°I think Drillbur is the cutest.¡±

    ¡°I see. I¡¯m fond of Dunsparce,¡± and saying so, I reached into my bag and pulled out Dun¡¯s ball, releasing him. ¡°He¡¯s not just cute, he¡¯s strong too!¡±

    ¡°Dunnn.¡± He nodded his head, the impact sending an ever-so-slight tremor through the ground. Despite the fact that I didn¡¯t think anyone even a few meters away would have felt it, I saw Clay¡¯s head whip around at that, fast enough he had to grab onto his hat to stop it flying off.

    ¡°Impressive, your dad noticed that fast. I suppose his moniker of ¡®The Miner King¡¯ is fitting.¡± I wonder if he has a Ground Type Aura? Maybe not even unlocked, just something he passively honed from large portions of his life spent underground. Was he drawn to mining because he had that connection to the earth from his Aura? Or did his time spent there shape his Aura to become Ground-based? Or maybe I¡¯m overthinking it, and that vibrational sense is just a skill anyone in this world could pick up, without Aura or the like, just from how overturned humans here are? Oh, so many questions.

    I didn¡¯t have time to think about the endless questions running through my mind anymore as a shadow looms over me. For a big guy, he moves quickly. It helped that everyone else was giving the man standing above me a wide berth, wondering what was going on. ¡°Gym Leader Clay, a pleasure to meet you.¡±

    Looking up at him, I saw that each of his legs was almost as wide across as I was, though I was sure part of that was because of how his chaps flared out. He adjusted his gold watch as he took a breath, relaxing as he took in the situation better.

    ¡°Mighty fine to meet a pal of my daughter¡¯s too, little missy.¡±

    ¡°This is Nemona, Daddy! She has a Dunsparce, he¡¯s pretty cute. Not as cute as Drillbur though,¡± she added and Dun gave a small huff out.

    ¡°Can¡¯t win them all, Dun. But he doesn¡¯t lose in strength.¡± I held up my arm and flexed a muscle to emphasize my point.

    ¡°No way, Daddy is the strongest in the whole world!¡± The man in question gave her a fond smile. We both knew he wasn¡¯t, not even in the running for that title, but for a young girl, of course she¡¯d think that.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to be Champion someday, the best Champion of all time, so that means I gotta beat your dad.¡± There were a few shocked gasps from the crowd that had gathered around us, as well as some commentary.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it, she¡¯ll become a Champion?¡±

    ¡°Please, my kids claim that all the time. Next week she¡¯ll be saying how she¡¯s going to be an astronaut or whatever.¡±

    ¡°I think it¡¯s good to dream, at least at that age.¡±

    ¡°Rather uncouth to just declare something like that.¡±

    ¡°What a joke. How could she become Champion with a Dunsparce?¡±

    ¡°Well, you know what kids are like¡­¡±

    Clay spoke up, silencing the other voices. ¡°Mighty big words for a little girl. Care to put your Pokedollars where your mouth is?¡±

    After a second I parsed the meaning of his words. ¡°You mean have a battle, right now? Aren¡¯t we¡­ in the middle of a party?¡±

    He clicked his tongue. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re getting cold feet. A ¡®Champion¡¯ can¡¯t afford to run away from a simple battle.¡± Everyone had fallen silent now, turning to face us. I could even make out Billy and O¡¯Nare trying to get through the crowds to me.

    I could just play it off, no need to make a bigger scene. I know the old me would have done that, afraid to have people staring at me, of making a fool of myself. But I can¡¯t let myself be held back by that. I¡¯m not that person anymore, and the girl I am now would say¡­

    ¡°I, Nemona Glitterati, challenge you, Clay!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s some good gumption-¡± he began.

    ¡°But it won¡¯t just be a ¡®simple battle,¡¯¡± I interjected, staring straight into his dark brown eyes. ¡°If you don¡¯t come at me with at least a 5 badge challenge, it won¡¯t even be a contest.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure what he saw in my stare, but something about it caused him to nod consideringly.

    Adjusting his belt he said to the crowd, ¡°Well alrighty then, looks like you¡¯ll be getting a party and a show!¡± The guests cheered as the match was confirmed. Here¡¯s hoping I didn¡¯t just make a massive mistake.

 Chapter 29

    We walked out to the lift at the front, taking it down. Clay, Lacey, and I (plus Dun and her Drillbur) were the first ones headed down, but it looked like many others would be following us.

    Possibly the whole party. The multi-lift system Clay had set up in his large mining shaft/Gym wouldn¡¯t be the most comfortable, but it could let them all down and allow them to watch the battle from different angles.

    ¡°You know, I was tryin¡¯ ta get them fancy pants who never worked an honest day in their life to quit their yappin¡¯.¡± Clay said suddenly. It took me a second to realize what he meant before I responded.

    ¡°Ah, thank you. But I meant every word I said: I¡¯m going to be the best. The only way that happens is by challenging myself, so please, give me a battle on that level.¡±

    He grunted approvingly, stepping onto the express lift to take us down to the bottom. ¡°If that¡¯s how you want it, then that¡¯s how you should do it. Decide your own limits! But ya ought ta know I use at least three Pokemon for any challenger looking for their fifth badge. Your Dunsparce up for that?¡±

    ¡°That might be a bit much even for Dun, as he is now, but I¡¯ve got another Pokemon too.¡± Fan form gives Flying, which doubles up on immunity to Ground, but will Clay have a Pokemon with Mold Breaker? I don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s not worth that, especially since it would give Miles a weakness to Rock Moves, which Clay''s Pokemon undoubtedly know tons of. That leaves Wash, Mower, and Refrigerator Forms. All of them have a Type advantage against his Ground Types, but Mower and Refrigerator have more weaknesses. Heat isn¡¯t bad either, but it has a Weakness to Rock, so it and Refrigerator are out. Mow is pretty good, but it just has way more weaknesses than Wash, will be resisted by Excadrill, and doesn¡¯t get as much out of Rain Dance.

    ¡°Are you going to eat that in the middle of the battle?¡± Lacey¡¯s words brought me out of my thoughts, and I saw her pointing at the paper plate still in my hand.

    ¡°Ah, no, sorry, I just kinda forgot about it in the rush. Mind holding onto it for me?¡± I asked embarrassedly. Damn, that must have made my challenge waaaay less cool. How do other people manage that? To just be so effortlessly cool?

    Up above I saw more people streaming down. They had to use the other lifts that were spread out like a puzzle for trainers looking to challenge the Gym (though the staff helped in organizing them all down and around). Grumpigs, Solosis, and other Psychic Types were being released to make transparent barriers to help make sure none of the enthusiastic guests would fall if they slipped. Many of them were already pulling out their phones to record the match. Is this really that big a deal? This isn¡¯t even an official Gym Challenge.

    Since we were on the express elevator, we reached the bottom before everyone above had settled. ¡°Eyes down here Miss Future Champion. Don¡¯t let your head get lost in the clouds young¡¯un, or you¡¯ll crash hard.¡± Clay said, slipping into his Gym Leader persona easily.

    ¡°Gotta aim high, ''cause I¡¯m gonna fly old man.¡± I shot back, getting a slight twitch from his right eye. Hmm, the age comment might have been a bit much, I should avoid that. Or maybe twist the knife at a critical moment?... No, he¡¯s been pretty kind to me, no need for that. Besides, ignore the cameras and crowds, this is just a friendly match, a great chance to improve.

    Stepping off the platform, Clay went to the side, grabbing a few Pokeballs from an alcove and we took our places at opposite ends of the brown dirt pit. It was fairly barren, save for a few rocky formations that jutted out a few feet and a pool, barely a puddle, to the side. The lighting this deep down was dim, not too terrible, but enough to annoy trainers who might not have my eyesight, or be used to the arena. I never realized how those little personalizations can give Gym Leaders a home-field advantage. Something to watch out for, Dun will be fighting in unfamiliar terrain if he goes underground. I had an advantage if Clay tried to use the depths to his advantage first, however.

    ¡°Well, I reckon that¡¯s enough dilly-dallying, let¡¯s git this show on the road. This here rodeo is gonna be a three v. two, ain¡¯t no switching for either one o¡¯ us.¡± Hmm, that¡¯s probably giving me an advantage here, since I have less Pokemon. ¡°Now, you ready to face the might o¡¯ the Miner King?¡± He asked, holding out a Pokeball.

    ¡°Born ready. Miles, it¡¯s your time to shine!¡± I called out, stretching open my bag and hefting out the washing machine. Miles floated up in front of me, waiting as I tossed the machine up in the air. Leaving their phone, they floated into the washing machine, possessing it and surrounding the device with a blue glow while I caught the phone case before it fell.

    ¡°Well I¡¯ll be,¡± Clay said, letting out a low whistle. ¡°Been a minute since I saw one o¡¯ those wretched machines.¡±

    ¡°Ro-to-to-to,¡± Miles said, flashing a malicious smile and a few sparks of electricity. Clay released his own Pokemon, a brown and black striped crocodile-like Pokemon that stood upright on two legs. He gave out a low growl, something that had Miles shaking for a moment before it shook off the supernatural fear their opponent was outputting.

    Krokorok probably has Intimidate as its Ability. This is a great match-up for us. Still, can¡¯t get overconfident. This isn¡¯t a video game, nothing is certain here.

    Clay pulled out an oddly shaped gun from a pocket inside his jacket. ¡°On the count of three I¡¯ll fire this here flare and the match will start when it lands, ya hear?¡±

    ¡°Loud and clear.¡±

    ¡°Three, two, one, here we go!¡± He called out, flipping off the safety and firing up. A brilliant red light rocketed out of the flare gun, reaching up almost thirty meters before arcing back down and landing a sizzling mark into the rusty brown dirt to the side.

    ¡°Confuse Ray!¡± Was my first, immediate command. The ball of multi-colored light Miles made in front of them shot out at Krokorok¡¯s face and hit it before he could even begin to follow Clay¡¯s commands.

    ¡°Sink your teeth into that varmint!¡± The lizard charged ahead, but it started veering off to the side, blinded and dazed by the light. Miles drifted over that way before rising and letting Krokorok ram head-first into a person-sized rock.

    The rock shattered from the impact, but from the way he reeled back, I couldn¡¯t imagine that it was without pain either. Do I go for the win here? No, let¡¯s set up, Krokorok can¡¯t do much, and I¡¯ve got two more Pokemon to beat.

    ¡°Boogie time!¡± My coded phrase couldn¡¯t hide the move for long due to its nature, but every second counted for set-up Moves. Miles began waving their plasmic limbs about as they spun around, the hose part of their machine body lifting up and spraying water about into the air in a fine mist, condensing into clouds way above. We had practiced the Move tons since learning it and found that it needed more than just a dance to work well.

    Within seconds, rain was falling in large drops on us all, Lacey giving a small shriek from the sidelines. Those seconds weren¡¯t wasted by Clay though, the burly man shouting ¡°Focus on the sound it makes, then Crunch and don¡¯t let go!¡±

    Using his powerful legs, the Krokorok jumped up, sinking his teeth hard into the side of Miles¡¯ body. With a whirr of pain, the heavy beast (and gravity) pulled Rotom down, and I heard the crunching of metal grating on my ears.

    Damn, can¡¯t let him keep up like that. ¡°Hyper Voice, then Hydro Pump!¡± I called before covering my ears. Even through that I still heard the ear-piercing whine Miles was generating, and it had Krokorok reeling backward, only to be met with a high-pressure burst of water from Miles¡¯ core. The door on the front of the machine opened up and gallons of water poured out, slamming into the Ground Type and sending him spiraling across the floor.

    Not out, however, as the large lizard managed to get back on shaky feet. ¡°Get out a there! Burrow beneath, and wait for your time to strike.¡± Clay commanded, and Krokorok eagerly complied, digging through the dirt so fast it was practically diving through it.

    ¡°If you want to let us set up, I won¡¯t complain. Nasty Plot,¡± I called out, dropping a hand down. Clay gave me a conflicted look before sighing and responding.

    ¡°Get ''em, now!¡± Krokorok lunged upwards from the ground¡­ And was met by Miles easily shifting to face him down and releasing another deluge down on the Pokemon. The water slammed it back into the ground and washed over the arena again, but this time Krokorok didn¡¯t rise.

    Clay returned his fallen Pokemon to his ball. ¡°Ya did good out there,¡± he whispered to the unconscious Pokemon within. Debatable, but it was brave of Krokorok to go ahead like that, despite how it ended. Clay didn¡¯t have a choice there; if he let me set up, I might have been able to sweep the rest of his team. Now I had to wait until he sent his next Pokemon out.

    First, though, Clay stopped and took off his hat which was getting drenched, to reveal¡­ Why does he have a smaller hat on underneath his first hat!? The second one appeared to be made of wool and resisted the water better.

    ¡°Yer up Palpitoad, show this young¡¯un a bit of water won¡¯t keep a good miner down!¡± He announced, releasing the odd ovular Pokemon. It was blue with a beige face/torso and paler blue bubbles on its forehead and in place of its arms.

    Water/Ground, great. This one¡¯s gonna be a¡­ problem! Almost immediately after being released, without waiting for a command, Palpitoad zoomed forward, smashing into Miles and sending them spinning backward through the air. So fast!

    ¡°Hyper Voice,¡± I called out and Miles began making that horrendous sound once more. Palpitoad winced, but kept on charging ahead, hitting the washing machine from several different angles as he bounced around the room.

    That Palpitoad¡¯s gotta have Swift Swim, no way they could be moving that fast and hitting that hard without it. Hyper Voice can¡¯t truly be dodged, not this close, but I¡¯m just trading here and I don¡¯t like the exchange rate. Sweeping a hand out before drawing it close to my chest, I yelled out: ¡°Flood the field with flames, Will O Wisp!¡±

    Miles dropped the sound and began conjuring the dancing balls of fire in front of it, the light reflecting off their front lid. The rain was still coming down hard, but the drops didn¡¯t extinguish the ghostly fire, only causing the flames to distort for a moment with each impact as they carried on their course. They drifted towards Palpitoad, who easily dodged around the first volley and the second, but as the third and fourth closed in, they had to abort an attack to dodge out of the way.

    ¡°Hyper Voice,¡± I called out once more, pushing my hands out. Miles let their control of the flames on the field slip as they seemingly gathered energy for the attack, an opening Clay didn¡¯t let go of.

    ¡°There¡¯s yer shot, hit ''em!¡± The Water Ground Type did just that, skidding off the water and flying head-first at Miles. Just before the toad would hit, Miles flung open their lid and revealed the first Will O Wisp they had made, hidden with their body.

    The flames sunk into Palpitoad¡¯s aura, burning it, but it still impacted Miles hard, knocking them around and adding another dent to their battered machine body. I thought Burn would have weakened it- ¡°Facade,¡± I hissed, realizing what Move they had been using.

    ¡°That¡¯s right little missy. Yer not the only one who can be tricky,¡± He commented, clearly having noticed the hand signs I was using to give Miles advice on how to vary their Moves. ¡°Facade, hit ''em again!¡±

    ¡°Protect!¡± A barrier popped up around Miles, causing Palpitoad to rebound off it, sitting, waiting for the shield to drop. When it did, they charged up yet again, and lacking other options, I once again tried to block it. ¡°Protect!!¡±

    The barrier formed a few cracks this time as the bulbous Pokemon smashed into it, but Miles winced and managed to just hold onto it. High above I could hear the crowd whispering, wondering if I was out of options, but I knew that this was just the smart play, if a somewhat desperate one. Clay gritted his teeth as he realized it too, his Pokemon wincing from the burn.

    That wasn¡¯t the only clock I was waiting out however, as the shield finally fell, so did the last drop of rainwater. There we go, no more speed boost for you! ¡°Hex, let them BURN!¡±

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Dark purple apparitions began assaulting the toad-like Pokemon, causing it to warble out in pain as it felt heat likely greater than it had ever felt in its life up to this point. Its Typing would protect it from fire, but this is just a hallucination, the feeling of burning and heat without the actual flames.

    ¡°Toxic!¡± Clay called out, and despite the pain, Palpitoad vomited forth a slick purple wave of toxins that landed on Miles. They fell over from the ghostly assault and Burn a second later, but the damage had been done. Miles¡¯ blue plasmic glow had splotches of purple on it, and I heard a sizzling sound as the poison began to burn through their aura.

    Despite possessing machines, Rotoms didn¡¯t have enough of a connection to Steel Type energy to have an Immunity to Poison. That Poison would slowly eat away at Miles until they were unconscious from the drain on their health, but Clay didn¡¯t try to draw things out, releasing his final Pokemon immediately.

    ¡°Drillbur, time ta clean house!¡± He released his own small mole-Pokemon, but his was almost twice as big as Lacey¡¯s and had a few scars on her face.

    Knowing Miles would be out of the fight soon, I gave a quick command. ¡°Hydro Pump.¡± Thought he would have gone for Excadrill, I wonder why he didn¡¯t. Still, I can¡¯t underestimate-

    ¡°Earthquake!¡± He called out, and his reasoning clicked into place in my head.

    ¡°Dodge it! Go above-¡± I tried to call out, to no avail. Miles was spinning up a fresh blast of water when they tried to abort it and fly away, but the shaking ground rose in a spike straight beneath Miles. They were flipped over by the impact, landing down with a crash, immobile.

    ¡°Miles!¡± I cried out, rushing over to them. Crouching over the washing machine, I said: ¡°You did great. That was an amazing fight.¡±

    ¡°Ahem.¡± I whipped my head up, my wet hair flipping up and slapping uncomfortably against my back as I saw Clay clearing his voice loudly from across the battlefield. ¡°Appreciate the concern for yer Pokemon little missy, but do get off the battlefield.¡±

    Blushing, I grabbed Miles and stuffed them into my backpack, shuffling back to my place off the arena. ¡°Sorry about that,¡± I mumbled. I still haven¡¯t gotten my early license, so I don¡¯t actually have a Pokeball for Miles. That hasn¡¯t been a problem before, but I hope I don¡¯t get questioned about it here.

    Dun had been waiting outside his Pokeball patiently by my side, and when I gave him a nod, he jumped onto the battlefield, letting loose a hiss of anticipation at his foe. For her part, Drillbur sharpened her claws aggressively before giving Dun a ¡®come get it¡¯ gesture.

    ¡°Ready?¡± Clay drawled, and I nodded. ¡°Begin!¡±

    ¡°Glare!¡± With what was slowly becoming my signature opening, Dun affixed her with a vicious stare, and her body started twitching and spasming.

    ¡°Run ''em down,¡± the Gym Leader shouted, and Drillbur launched herself into a spin, forcing her resistant muscles to tear up the ground as she charged toward me. Dun knew the Move well, having practiced it often, and rolled out of the way from a direct hit. The Ground Type was able to fling the dirt she tore up fairly far, however, still winging him.

    ¡°Strafe and Hyper Voice,¡± I calmly said, bracing for the next wave of sound. This one hurt my ears less, not exactly because Dun¡¯s wail was any quieter than Miles (his lesser Special Attack was made up for by the Same-Type-Attack-Bonus), but probably an adjustment in the arena shielding by the Gym Psychics.

    Of course, that only helped us outside the battlefield - Drillbur was subject to the full force of his attack and was thrown off by it. Combined with the Paralysis and her attacks were going further off course.

    Not keen to let this go on further, Clay stomped one of his cowboy boots against the ground, kicking up a small cloud of dust. ¡°Git outta there! Dig!¡± Eager to escape the sonic barrage, Drillbur carved a hole in the ground with her spade-like claws and dived in.

    That¡¯s what I¡¯m waiting for! ¡°Earthquake!¡± I cried triumphantly. It was one of Dun¡¯s strongest Moves and way stronger against a target within the ground.

    Before Dun could even slap his body onto the ground Drillbur was already pushing out from the ground. The shaking waves of earth still smacked into her, but she was a pro at moving through unstable grounds, racing across the field to close with Dun.

    ¡°Didja reckon I couldn¡¯t see that coming? I felt that little feller¡¯s strength all the way up there.¡± Clay laughed boisterously. Gah, should have realized such a simple counter would have been anticipated by a Gym Leader. ¡°Now break that snake like a stack o bricks!¡± Raising a claw wreathed in orangish energy, she brought it down in a chop on Dun.

    ¡°Duuun!¡± He cried out, slithering away from the powerful mole. I¡¯ve got to regain the initiative.

    My opening came as Drillbur stumbled in her chase after my starter, her left leg twitching. Paralysis is still doing its job. Let¡¯s have it help us even more. ¡°Hex,¡± I called out and Dunsparce conjured his shades to torment the enemy, the ghastly energy pinning her in.

    She cried with pain but began chasing after him again. ¡°Hyper Voice and evade. Only Earthquake if she drops down more than three meters beneath the ground.¡± Dun renewed his assault, this time focusing on the ground beneath us. He¡¯ll never be able to sense vibrations as well as a Ground Type can, but we¡¯ve practiced that a fair bit. He can at least tell if she tries pulling a whack-a-mole like last time, and if she goes deeper, Earthquake will finish her off.

    ¡°Ya sure like those Moves, dontcha? Leaves you mighty predictable¡± Clay grumbled, and I laughed.

    ¡°If it ain¡¯t broke, don¡¯t fix it.¡± I fired back. Indeed, he didn¡¯t seem to have many answers for that right now, Drillbur trying to chase after Dun with her hands over the sides of her head. The Paralysis slowing her down meant she couldn¡¯t close the gap with Dunsparce, who was taking deep breaths and letting loose powerful wails every few seconds.

    They have similar Moves, but Dun and Miles handle them pretty differently. Dun is a lot slower than Miles, so he can only keep up this moving assault because of how omnidirectional Hyper Voice is and the Normal Typing letting him draw the energy for that Move fast. Despite the fact Miles learned Hex from Dun, their original Ghost Type lets them draw on the energy faster than Dun can. They would be able to zip around the battlefield and blast Drillbur with Hex repeatedly. Still, I think this can net us a win here.

    ¡°Well I¡¯ll be¡­¡± Clay gasped as a light on the battlefield pulled in both of our attentions. Drillbur was surrounded by a brilliant glow, so bright we couldn¡¯t make out the details but everyone knew what was happening. Her glowing body shifted and grew until it ended in a flash and a whole new Pokemon stood before our eyes.

    ¡°Excadrill!¡± She shouted her name, raising her new steely gray claws in the air. The claws were larger than before, proportional to her new, bigger body, and with jagged spikes jutting out over the middle claws on each hand. She had an additional protrusion of metal sticking out over her head, the steel horn covering her tapered face like a deadly hoodie. Her fur was now more dark brown with splotches of red on it.

    Dun valiantly tried to continue the attack from before, but his Hyper Voice had much less effect now that she had added Steel Type to her Ground Typing. ¡°Back to Hex,¡± I tried, only to be met by a powerful Drill Run that Dun avoided by a far narrower margin than the last one and ended up bruising him a bit more as the churned dirt smashed into him.

    Hex did way less damage than last time, evolution must have removed Paralysis. ¡°Glare!¡± I called out, hoping to hit her again, but the Gym Leader didn¡¯t even need to give out a command for Excadrill to lower her gaze and avoid Dun¡¯s stare, her new hood/horn obscuring the line of sight between them. She gave a quick Slash as well, her claws cutting a shallow line through my starter¡¯s scales and causing him to hiss and shift away from her while she still couldn¡¯t see him.

    ¡°Rapid Spin!¡± At Clay¡¯s command, Excadrill hopped up, spinning midair and landing with her claws pointed down together. She began rotating around, not digging through the ground but starting to spin like a top. Spinning around, she began cutting a path to Dun.

    ¡°Protect.¡± Dun rushed into the blow, stopping just before her and covering himself in a barrier that halted her attack and sent her rebounding back. Excadrill wasn¡¯t too shaken by the Move, but he¡¯d knocked her out of the attack before she could get her speed boost. His initiative and precision were great there, we¡¯ve got an opening too we wouldn¡¯t usually get with such a Move.

    ¡°Earthquake,¡± I called out, trying to use that new Steel Type to my advantage. Unfortunately, Clay wouldn¡¯t be taken out so easily.

    ¡°Jump an¡¯ git to the side.¡± Her new, powerful legs had her soaring up, well above the shaking earth as she carved a handhold in the side of the wall, waiting out the aftershocks. Gotta pivot fast here.

    ¡°Nestle down.¡± It¡¯s difficult to switch between the energy Types so radically opposed, but if he can, we might just turn things around. The earth was still shaking beneath Dun as he flapped his wings and curled into a circle as if landing down and nesting. Then I saw it, the cuts on his body starting to heal. Yes!

    Our opponents weren¡¯t going to let this go without anything to say, and what they had to say was: ¡°Crush Claw!¡± Excadrill flung herself from the wall, landing right beside Dun and moving to squeeze him between her claws. My Pokemon slithered out, but not without a fair few lacerations and many cracked scales. Any hit past this point is going to land even harder now, and she already hits like a truck.

    ¡°Drill Run!¡± At my command, Dun instantly reversed direction, tail spinning around and cutting through the dirt. He slammed into Excadrill, knocking her head over rear as the Ground Type attack did massive damage.

    Not enough to take her out though, as she flipped herself back onto her feet, then began chucking rocks to rain down upon Dun. He avoided most of the boulders as they cascaded down, but one or two clipped him, and his wing was bent from the blow. One more good hit and he¡¯s out. She¡¯s not doing great either, however. Yawn or status set-up would take too long, I¡¯ll go on offense.

    Once again I called out ¡°Drill Run,¡± And Dun began his attack cycle, spinning towards her. He gave some cry as he charged her, causing the otherwise unflappable Excadrill to blink and take a step back in sheer confusion. ¡°I knew telling him about the Prequel Trilogy was a mistake,¡± I muttered.

    ¡°Stand firm, Protect!¡± Clay called out and this time my Pokemon was the one rebounding off the transparent blue hexagonal barrier. ¡°End o¡¯ tha line, Brick Break!¡±

    ¡°Protect!¡± I shouted out desperately, and Dun managed to conjure the shield just before her Fighting Type arm would have knocked him unconscious. As the Move ended, I cried ¡°Earthquake!¡±

    Point blank, there wouldn¡¯t be enough time to jump away, but Clay surprised me, giving his own command the same instant I gave mine. ¡°Protect,¡± he called again, and she proved herself to be just as effective with it as Dun was, the barrier covering her in a sphere and blocking the earth-shaking straight below from affecting her.

    ¡°Horn Drill!¡±

    ¡°Protect! Then Earthquake.¡±

    ¡°Protect. Crush Claw.¡±

    ¡°Protect, followed with Drill Run.¡±

    Back and forth we clashed, neither side able to land a decisive blow. I could hear the guests above whispering, wondering why the battle was so boring. They don¡¯t get it. This is incredibly tense, a series of lightning-fast duels testing our reflexes to their limits.

    Not just reflexes, but also strategies, something Clay proved as we pivoted to his attack. When the shield dropped, he punched his fist out and called ¡°Sandstorm!¡±

    At the same time, I called ¡°Protect!¡± Too late to abort it, Dun rendered himself immobile by shielding himself, while his opponent scraped her claws about in the ground, spinning in a quick circle and throwing the dust she had carved up in the air. Within half a second, the dirt was picked up by a sudden air current, and a few seconds after that, more dirt was picked up by the wind, making a full-fledged Sandstorm.

    ¡°Ag- Earthquake,¡± I aborted my original plan, seeing Clay waiting. He only called for Protect after I had stopped calling for Agility. He got me good there.

    The sandstorm was chipping away at Dun when he made his attacks now, while Excadrill was unaffected by it. My vision was getting obscured by it as well, but it was sharp enough that I could see cracks starting to form as Dun¡¯s Protect fields weathered Excadrill¡¯s attacks while her own remained strong. I can¡¯t keep going like this. But what can I do? I doubt Dun can even see me well enough to see any hand signals now, and we¡¯re locked in this battle. Something needs to¡­ change.

    ¡°Alright Dun, drill into her, as hard as you can!¡± I yelled over the storm within. I saw Clay shaking his head as he called for another Protect. You think it¡¯s over, you think we can¡¯t survive another attack, and you¡¯d be right. Dunsparce¡¯s tail dug through the ground as he charged at the armed mole. The earth splashed off her shield, and it still held as his tail impacted it, spinning around fruitlessly.

    Clay was waiting for the moment my attack lost momentum to give the command to attack, but we weren¡¯t going to let that happen. ¡°Spin harder, faster, stronger!¡± Dun kept up the assault, spinning fruitlessly against the immovable barrier. ¡°You can do it, yours is the drill that can pierce the unbreakable. More. MOAR!¡±

    Dun lacked the leverage, the body needed to spin fast enough to break through a Protect. But Pokemon are impossible beings, and when the need is great enough, they can change to adapt to the challenges they face. They can evolve.

    For the second time in this battle, a Pokemon was surrounded by a brilliant white light. This time it was Dun, his glowing outline shifting and changing. His drill tail was now topped by a smaller blue drill segment connected to the larger yellow one, and his body grew another torso segment, and then another one after that.

    ¡°DUDUNSPARCE!!!¡± Dun gave a triumphant cry as his now quite lengthy spinning body pushed forward, shattering the Protect like it was a thin sheet of glass. The Hyper Drill ground into Excadrill, driving her back to the edge of the arena. She hit the end of the field and collapsed down. She didn¡¯t rise back, and Clay recalled her.

    Everything was quiet for a few seconds, save for Dun¡¯s heavy panting as the Sandstorm died down. Then Clay gave out a deep laugh. ¡°Ghahaha! Feels great, don¡¯t it? Ta go all out - even if you still lose!¡± The crowd above began cheering wildly, clapping and shouting at the finish.

    ¡°Yes!¡± I called out, running to Dun and hugging him. ¡°We did it! We beat our first-ever Gym Leader!¡±

 Chapter 30

    Dragging my drenched self up, I gave Dun a few Potions and returned him to his ball to rest up after a hard-fought battle. Clay beckoned me over and I walked across the battlefield to the Gym Leader. ¡°Well played, little miss- Nemona,¡± the large man said, tipping his hat to me.

    ¡°Thank you, Leader Clay. Your team was great. I didn¡¯t know Drillbur could get Mold Breaker.¡±

    Lacey walked up, completely dry as she had been standing back, outside of the rain zone. ¡°Really? My Drillbur has it too.¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s a special one, your Drillbur,¡± Clay said. ¡°That there is their Hidden Ability. Only a couple a Drillburs ever manage to learn it.¡± Lacey nodded at her father¡¯s words looking down at her starter with newfound wonder in her eyes.

    ¡°Wow¡­ Still, I can¡¯t believe that you lost Daddy!¡± Her high-pitched voice carried up, and I thought I heard a few chuckles from above at that as Clay winced. Might as well help the guy out, especially after our great match.

    ¡°It¡¯s kinda a Gym Leader¡¯s job to lose. They only give an appropriate challenge for the trainer¡¯s level. Dun and Miles did great, but they wouldn¡¯t have stood a chance if he had used even a 6 badge challenge team.¡± Clay gave a small shrug at my words.

    ¡°Might be oversimplifyin¡¯ things a bit much there, but ya ain¡¯t wrong. Still, me and my Drill- Excadrill fought hard to get where we are, and that battle was tha greatest gift ya could have given us today.¡± He caught my gaze, looking seriously at me. ¡°Yer gonna go far, I ken see that now. Ya beat me fair and square, so I¡¯ve got something for ya.¡±

    From his pocket, he pulled out two objects passing them over to me. One was a Technical Machine, a thin brown disc. The other was a small, mostly vertical piece of metal with a gold outline. The inside sections were a scale of browns and grays, one section slightly shifted off the other. A gym badge.

    Flipping it over, I saw a small note inscribed on the back saying something: ¡°Not for official use?¡± I asked aloud. It''s also engraved with his signature too.

    ¡°I can¡¯t give ya a real badge as ya ain¡¯t signed up for the Gym circuit this season. Still, ya earned it in my books, I came at you full hog and ya came out smellin like daisies!¡± I glanced at my sopping wet self and just raised an eyebrow, much to the amusement of Lacey, trying her best (read: Not great as a seven-year-old) attempt at concealing her amusement. Clay just waved me off. ¡°Ya know what I mean! I hope it¡¯ll make fer a nice reminder of our battle. The TM for Bulldoze too. Might not be as strong as yer Earthquake but-¡±

    ¡°It can cripple movement and lower speed! There are some good uses for it.¡± I said excitedly before stopping myself and giving him a small bow. ¡°I will, thank you for the match.¡± Clay offered his hand out to me and I shook it, the crowd above us cheering wildly.

    With the match concluded, we stepped onto the lift and began rising back up. Lacey said rather suddenly partway up ¡°It¡¯s still really impressive ya won against Daddy. You¡¯re the same age as me, and I couldn¡¯t do that!¡±

    Before I could say anything, Clay added his two cents. ¡°Good eye my girl, Nemona here is quite gifted. We¡¯d love ta see ya compete in the actual gym circuit. I bet a prodigy like you would turn quite a few heads.¡± That elicited a bittersweet smile from me. Not all heads would turn in awe. I¡¯m well aware that plenty will turn into envy and loathing.

    Still, the offer to compete in the Unovan Gym Circuit from one of their leaders was tempting. Black was one of my favorite games, and this land would be great to explore. In the end, though, I shook my head. ¡°Maybe in a few years. I want to try out the circuit at home first.¡±

    He nodded and Lacey clasped her hands together, begging. ¡°You¡¯ll have to tell me all about it!¡±

    Flustered, I scratched the back of my head. ¡°I hadn¡¯t been thinking of trying it soon or anything, but sure, I¡¯d love to stay in touch. Miles-¡± Wait, they¡¯re still out of it. Flushing lightly at my gaff I pulled out the uninhabited phone case and sent her my number. I didn¡¯t have time to do much else before we reached the top and the awaiting crowd descended upon us.

    ***

    My parents and sister were the first ones there hugging me, congratulating me, and bragging loudly about how I ¡°Showed true Glitterati spirit out there!¡± Even they couldn¡¯t hold off the horde forever though, and eventually, I found myself inundated with questions and comments.

    One of the first was an elderly gentleman with an impressive mustache who asked me: ¡°What breeder did you get that Dunsparce from?¡±

    ¡°Uh, no breeder. I just found him on the beach one day.¡±

    ¡°Really? Fascinating.¡± Ehh, not that fascinating. Any Pokemon can achieve greatness with enough training. I agree Dun is great, but it¡¯s not that crazy a concept.

    ¡°We¡¯ve been training together for over a year now.¡±

    A young blonde woman cut into the conversation. ¡°Oh, you have to tell us your training method! My cousin, he reached the top eight of the Vertress Conference two years ago.¡±

    ¡°Oh really? That¡¯s cool, I entered a Junior Tournament back home. Made it to the semi-finals before DQ, but the judge was-¡±

    ¡°Yes, my cousin¡¯s the Anthony Zabraski, you may have heard of him,¡± the woman interrupted me. ¡°He said he needed to train daily with Power Braces on all of his Pokemon, is that true?¡±

    ¡°Well, some people might-¡±

    ¡°But Tony always takes the time to carefully care for his Zebstrika¡¯s fur. It¡¯s so important and¡­¡±

    Recognizing that she was going to keep on going on like this I slipped away while she was still too enamored by the sound of her own voice to notice my disappearing act. The rest of the guests did not, however, many more hounded me with questions. More often than not it was just to get their photos taken with me and occasionally Dun.

    I wasn¡¯t the only one under a lot of scrutiny, plenty of people going to talk to Clay about the match. There were a lot of people congratulating him for the show or appreciating the match, the look at what a gym battle was like. Some of their comments were a bit more critical, though not of Clay¡­

    ¡°I didn¡¯t even know Dunsparce could evolve.¡± A voice carried out through the crowd to my ears. It was soon joined by another, deeper voice.

    ¡°Not much to look at though, just a bit longer. It was quite nice of Clay to let the little girl win, but I fear she¡¯ll develop a bad mindset if she thinks she can truly succeed with that.¡±

    At this point, I had to drop down and hug Dun. Many people thought it was a cute photo and snapped a few shots with their Rotom Phones, not realizing I was barely holding back my starter from ending that man who insulted him. ¡°It¡¯s alright Dun, don¡¯t listen to the haters.¡±

    Part of why I was stopping him was the fact that I could hear the angry exhale from Clay as he heard the ignorant guests voice their opinions next to him. As expected, a minute later he was tearing a (verbal) strip off of them, quite loudly too. The two rude guests were tripping over themselves to apologize and practically running away from the party in shame.

    I doubt they¡¯ll be able to show their faces again in ¡®polite society¡¯ for a while. At least not till the gossip mill kicks up something else good. I didn¡¯t like them insulting Dun and was quite happy to hear Clay tell them off, overhearing so many other guests whispering about them, talking about how they were going to tell everyone and what it might mean for them in the future made me feel uncomfortable.

    ¡°Dudun?¡± Dun asked and I shook my head helplessly.

    ¡°Nothing important just¡­ I¡¯m glad they got a comeuppance, but annoyed with why. Not because what they said was wrong, but because Clay was the one to call them out.¡±

    ¡°Ar?¡± He tilted his large head at me. Looking down at him, I noticed him shifting his body around, getting accustomed to his extra length and trying to avoid bowling over anyone behind him with his new segments and longer tail.

    ¡°He¡¯s more famous and important than them, so their social status is hurt. Not because what they said was wrong, which it was, but just because of who called them out. It¡¯s annoying because it isn¡¯t¡­ right.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s good to have a solid moral framework.¡± A new voice said, and turning around I saw a man in a white suit with the oddest hair I¡¯d ever seen. It was mostly yellow, with a few gray hairs poking through on the top, but then there was this long blue strand of hair that looped up around one side of his head and all the way around to the other before swooping down.

    ¡°Um, hello?¡± I said, somewhat distracted by his hair. Why does that feel familiar? It¡¯s so weird, I can¡¯t have ever seen that style before, right?

    ¡°I noticed you brought out your Dudunsparce¡¯s power quite well. They¡¯re a species known for running away at the first sign of trouble, as well as being somewhat rare in general. There¡¯s very few cases of them evolving in the wild, so I¡¯m curious as to what you did to bring out his power to that point.¡±

    ¡°Oh, well I¡¯ve added special nutrients to his diet and made good use of Technical Machines, his Normal Typing giving him a wide range. Though, it¡¯s about his drive. He wanted to become strong, so I did my best to let him grow. We train daily, consistently working on getting stronger together, and, well, here we are.¡± I finished reaching down to scratch the top of his head.

    ¡°Duun.¡± My starter warbled, and the strange man smiled at us.

    ¡°I see. Thank you for satiating my curiosity. If you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± He then walked past us, heading straight out of the party. Wonder who that guy is?

    ***

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I didn¡¯t recognize him!¡± I wailed for the umpteenth time to Miles the next day. After my family made our excuses to leave (mostly by citing me, who hadn¡¯t had the chance to deal with all the water and being soaked) we went back to the hotel. By the morning, Miles was already back and ready, inhabiting their phone once more.

    When I awoke in my hotel room, I told them about what happened after they were knocked unconscious, they helped me go through some of my memories and pointed out who the mystery man sounded like. ¡°Colress, just there, hanging out at a party. I wonder what he was even doing there?¡±

    ¡°Bzzt, perhaps he got invited to the party because he helped with some of the construction below?¡± Miles guessed. ¡°Though I haven¡¯t seen any sign of him being listed on the team that¡¯s working on that, bzzt.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°Not a bad idea, honestly. Colress may not be an architect or a construction worker, but he¡¯s one of the smartest people aside from Pokemon Professors. Probably even including them. He¡¯s likely a bit of a touchy subject around here.¡± Understatement of the century there.

    ¡°Why?¡± Miles inquired.

    ¡°He used to be on an evil team. Heck, used to run it, sorta, for a time.¡±

    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    ¡°Whaaaat?¡± Miles shrieked so loud I winced a bit. Ok, maybe some downsides to teaching them Hyper Voice. ¡°Bzzzzzt, how can you be calm knowing you were around a man like that?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°That was a long time ago. Besides, he¡¯s always been a researcher more than anything else. He worked with Team Plasma to find ways to strengthen Pokemon, not because he ever agreed with their goals, but as a means to his ends.¡±

    ¡°So, is he a bad guy, bzzt?¡± Miles asked, confused.

    ¡°That¡¯s¡­ complicated. I don¡¯t think he is, not anymore at least. He seems to have reformed after the end of his time with Team Plasma in most media. In Ultra Sun and Moon, he even helps the player stop Rainbow Rocket. That uh, probably didn¡¯t happen in this reality,¡± I added sheepishly. The Ultra Wormholes and any crisis on Alola aren¡¯t talked about much online, so I can¡¯t be certain. ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯d just be going to parties if he was still a wanted criminal, so he must have made some deals with the League.¡±

    Part of me wondered what those deals would entail, and why he was so interested in Dun. I mean, bringing out a Pokemon¡¯s power is generally what he¡¯s always been looking for. It¡¯s funny, I wonder if, in a different time or situation, he would have just been an unnamed scientist working in the background, making battle items or the like. What people have accomplished with those is kinda insane.

    ¡°Enough of that for now, you gotta see what happened to Dun!¡± I said brightly. In telling Miles what had occurred, I had glossed over Dun¡¯s evolution to leave it a surprise. Holding up my Pokeball I said: ¡°Presenting-¡±

    ¡°He evolved, didn¡¯t he bzzt?¡± Miles interrupted me.

    ¡°Wha- how?!¡± At that, Dun released himself from the Pokeball, his new body taking up much more space and leaving me feeling a bit crowded by the hotel bed and dresser. He glared up at Miles, the plasmic Pokemon vibrating mischievously.

    ¡°Bzzt, apologies, but it was fairly obvious. You said he was on the verge of evolving for a while now, and it sounded like quite the tough battle between him and that Excadrill. She beat me even as a Drillbur.¡±

    ¡°Du. Sparce dun.¡± Dun fired back, causing Miles to figuratively puff up.

    ¡°Bzzzzzzt, I was tired from handling the other two, I could have taken her down if it wasn¡¯t for that!¡± I chuckled at their competitiveness, glad to see they were still getting along, in their vitriolic fashion. Then Miles took a better look at him and his ghostly jaw dropped. ¡°Th-three segments! Then that means¡­¡±

    That this is the Dunsparce the real Nemona would have picked? ¡°It could be. Could still be random chance, 1 in 100, and all that. But whether you''re ¡®the same¡¯ Dudunsparce that would have been picked or not, I feel like this is a sign. A sign that we¡¯re on the right track, and that you¡¯re going to be the best.¡± Dun nuzzled into me affectionately at my words of support, his new mass nearly enough to knock me over. ¡°Whoa!¡±

    ¡°Dudun.¡± He said, and I couldn¡¯t fully understand his message, but knew that he was proud to be standing at my side as well.

    Wiping my eyes as they got a bit watery I said: ¡°Alright guys, let¡¯s head out. There¡¯s bound to be a bunch to see here.¡± Miles returned to my pocket for the time being, while Dun was happy to stretch his ¡®legs¡¯, so to speak. At almost five meters in length, he was large enough that he had to curl around a few times to fit in the elevator alongside me. Well, at least he still fits. Means I should be able to have him out when I need to fight Turo.

    The hotel we were staying at was incredibly fancy, as to be expected given my family. Marble columns dotted the entrance hall, a fountain in the center, and the dining room was set up with a grand buffet.

    Cyan waved me over to the table she and my parents were at. While they had all seen and admired Dun¡¯s new stature, Popplio hadn¡¯t been out to see it yet. When he did, he backed up a bit, slightly nervous around the large Pokemon peeking out behind Cyan¡¯s legs. He soon realized it was his old friend when Dun gave a low ¡°Dun. Dudun.¡± In no time at all the Water Type had scampered onto Dun¡¯s back and was riding him around the dining hall.

    ¡°They seem happy,¡± my sister commented as she finished up her breakfast. Mom and Dad were already done with theirs, so I must have slept in a bit from all of the excitement of the night before.

    ¡°I think Dun will be on cloud nine for at least a week. I can¡¯t wait to get to training and see how strong he¡¯s gotten!¡± We got a minor glimpse last night, but the battle ended immediately afterward. There are more Moves he can learn now, from Technical Machines and naturally. His strength and toughness will have improved tons, but there will be general improvements all around. Then there are the little things, like checking how his flexibility and general range of motion have changed, we¡¯ll need to-

    My musings were cut off by my mother clearing her throat rather pointedly. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s all good and well dear, but¡­¡±

    As my mother trailed off, Billy valiantly picked up. ¡°Your Glitterati spirit shines brightly, but there¡¯s such a thing as shining too much, you understand? A candle that burns at both ends-¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re giving you an intervention,¡± Cyan deadpanned. Our parents nodded their heads at that.

    ¡°What? Wait what?¡± I was having trouble wrapping my head around the words they were saying. Taking a moment, I sat down at the table they had commandeered, suspecting this might take a minute.

    ¡°You train waaaaaay too much.¡± Cyan clarified, stretching her arms out wide as if to emphasize just how much I was training. ¡°You and Dun, and Miles too, all train every day.¡± She gave me a sad look and added ¡°Just, take a break.¡±

    ¡°I do take breaks. I would never work Dun or Miles too hard,¡± I defended. ¡°And look at all the time I spend not training now! I do martial arts and music, and look up things online¡­¡±

    O¡¯Nare said, ¡°Nemona honey, training yourself still counts as training.¡±

    My sister unhelpfully added ¡°And most of the stuff you look up online is just to help train further.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but wince at that. Sometimes I look up mechanical designs or scientific discoveries or global politics¡­ ok, that is a lot of work, especially from the perspective of me being a seven-year-old.

    ¡°Ok, it is a lot, but¡­ think of how many people want to be a Champion? I have to work that hard if I want to reach my dream.¡±

    ¡°Ah, to see our daughter dreaming so far, it¡¯s¡­¡± My father caught a glimpse of my mother shaking her head. ¡°A wonderful example of youthful enthusiasm that may need slight curbing.¡± With a sigh, he added ¡°We want you to know we¡¯re oh so proud of you, but that doesn¡¯t mean you shouldn¡¯t take the time to take a break.¡±

    ¡°Even trainers like that Hassel fellow take time off,¡± O¡¯Nare added, and I reluctantly nodded.

    ¡°Still-¡± My words were cut off by Dun knocking his head into my side. He underestimated his strength, so what was meant to be a gentle prod became a force that sent me toppling off. Luckily, he was fast enough to correct this, whipping his body around and letting me bounce off his soft scales.

    ¡°Dun dun.¡± He replied solemnly and my eyes nearly fell out of my sockets.

    ¡°You? You¡¯re telling me I ought to take a break?¡± I asked incredulously, recalling the hissy fit he had thrown before when I had suggested taking it easy before. He at least had the decency to look sheepish at that but added:

    ¡°Arce.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I get it.¡± At my family¡¯s questioning looks I clarified ¡°Dun just said ¡®Yeah, and if I¡¯m saying it, then maybe it¡¯s important.¡¯ Or ¡®maybe I know what I¡¯m talking about.¡¯ Something along those lines at least.¡± Dun nodded his head, agreeing that I had gotten the gist of what he was saying. We¡¯ve gotten a lot better at understanding each other, but I have no clue how someone like N managed to be perfectly fluent in Pokemon.

    ¡°Ah, our youngest has the heart of a true Glitterati to be able to understand the heart of her Pokemon so!¡±

    ¡°Thanks, Mom,¡± I said with a small smile as I tried to adapt to this. ¡°Ok, vacation, vacation. What to do on a vacation¡­¡± I thought out loud for a minute before an idea came to me. ¡°Hey, could we go to Nimbasa City? I heard they have a huge amusement park there-¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a wonderful idea! Oh, to see the dazzling sights from atop the Ferris wheel!¡± Billy interrupted.

    ¡°I want to go on the go-carts,¡± Cyan added.

    ¡°It¡¯s settled then,¡± O¡¯Nare declared. ¡°To Nimbasa City we go!¡±

    ¡°Thanks, guys, I really appreciate it- wait, don¡¯t start leaving already! I still need to pack up my things and get some food!¡±

    ***

    Shortly thereafter, we were heading over to Nimbasa City. Can¡¯t believe they considered taking the private jet to the next-door city. I managed to argue them out of it by pointing out we could see some of the sights as we went across the bridge connecting Driftveil to Nimbasa, so they ordered a limousine to take us across.

    While supposedly not as incredible as the Skyarrow Bridge (which I could only agree with based on my memories of the games, not reality), the Driftveil Drawbridge still had quite the view. Small ships passed beneath, alongside all sorts of Water Pokemon drifting atop the waves. Off in the distance, massive freighters held back waiting for the people like us to finish crossing so the bridge could be raised and they could pass through.

    Nimbasa looked like a nice and festive city, with many lights and streamers hanging about. A lot like Mesagoza actually, though I imagine they look way different during the night, given all the lights here. Electric Types were a common sight, Emolgas gliding from wire to wire. I wonder what¡¯s done to regulate Electric Types in cities? In a place like this, they have Elesa, the Electric Gym Leader, but other cities must draw the attention of Electric Types as well, given their nature.

    There were all manner of attractions we passed by as we went East through town. Contests, Movie studios, and even the Gym. My hand itched towards Dun¡¯s Pokeball at the last one, but I forced it down. Time to have tons of fun, like¡­ on the Ferris Wheel!

    I could see it in the distance and the thing was massive. ¡°Wow.¡± That was all I could say. My sister was a tad more eloquent.

    ¡°Quite the unique design, it¡¯s over a hundred meters tall. Do you want to ride it?¡±

    ¡°I do, but maybe later. It¡¯s just noon now, I think it¡¯ll be best at sunset or in the evening.¡± Our driver pulled to a stop at the entrance to the amusement park. We were so close we were blocking the way for people to get in or out. I feel like this is illegal, but I guess that isn¡¯t a problem when you¡¯re rich. We got off and I made sure to leave quickly to try and encourage the driver to get out of the way soon.

    ¡°Saving it for the evening sounds good. So where to first?¡± My sister asked.

    ¡°The rollercoaster! C¡¯mon!¡± I shouted running a few meters ahead only to turn back and see our parents had stopped still, shocked by what lay before them.

    ¡°My word, could it be¡­?¡±

    ¡°So many commoners¡­¡±

    ¡°All together!?¡±

    They shouted the last line in unison, looking like they had just stumbled upon a Legendary.

    ¡°I think they¡¯ve got their distraction,¡± I said wryly, which caused my sister to nod her head and laugh.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go!¡±

    ¡°Pop!¡±

    ¡°Dun!¡±

    The rides were a bunch of fun, reminding me of the amusement parks and rides I had gone on in my past life. Almost everything felt exhilarating and great, from tossing my hands up as the rollercoaster looped around, to dancing through the hall of mirrors, to racing up and down a massive jungle gym-type structure.

    The slight issue with it was that Dun could not join us for the attractions themselves. Popplio was only allowed on a couple where he could be properly secured (so not the rollercoaster), but Dun was just too big now to go with us on most of them. He didn¡¯t seem too upset by that however as he slithered by my side between each attraction, catching the eyes and phone cameras of many passersby.

    ¡°Wow, you¡¯re sure popular, aren¡¯t you?¡± I said and he preened at the throng looking at him, letting out a deep growl. ¡°I guess they don¡¯t have many Dunsparce here, let alone a Dudunsparce.¡± Unova in the games had few other regional Pokemon to be found in the wild, and while that had changed over time with greater globalization, my research said that outside of a few sites, that trend persisted.

    We got sugary snacks from the stands nearby as we spent the day just relaxing and enjoying all the attractions. Miles was small enough to go with us on the rides, but given their ability to levitate, didn¡¯t get the same experience we ground-bound people did. Still, they were content to spectate and take pictures, something I made sure to thank them for. I always get too caught up in the moment when vacationing to take pictures myself, but I love looking at them afterward.

    Eventually, the day was coming to a close and we managed to meet up with our parents, who had gathered handfuls of ¡®commoner autographs¡¯ which they were treated like prized possessions. At least they¡¯ve stopped gawking at every passerby. With them, we headed to the Ferris wheel.

    This ride was actually big enough for Dun to fit on, and the rest of us, if we all squeezed a bit and no one else was on with us. Given it was one of the busiest times of operation, I thought this might be a challenge when I voiced the thought to my family, but apparently not for a Glitterati.

    ¡°You two commoners. Yes, you two,¡± my Mother called out while Cyan and I cringed at O¡¯Nare¡¯s behavior. ¡°We will be needing the entirety of this capsule for our family,¡± she stated imperiously. ¡°Please take these pearls as recompense for sacrificing your spots,¡± she added, pulling out two large strings of pearls.

    The teenagers she was talking to exchanged a glance and quickly snatched the pearls, stepping off of the ride to let us go.

    Dad was wooing about her generosity while the door closed and I released Dun. He squeezed around over the floor and chairs but was able to lift his head to the window and stare outside. Slowly we rose as the wheel turned and we were presented with a gorgeous vision of purples, reds, and oranges on the horizon as we stared out at the setting sun.

    ¡°Duuuu.¡±

    ¡°You said it, Dun,¡± I agreed before glancing at my family as caught up with the wonder of it all as I was. ¡°It¡¯s incredible.¡± I sat down on top of Dun and we watched the natural light fade, only to be replaced by the dazzling glitter of the artificial lights that covered the city below.

 Chapter 31

    The amusement park was not the only attraction we saw in our time in Unova. We traveled all about, visiting the different cities of my father¡¯s homeland. Occasionally, I¡¯d know some sight or monument and feel a twinge of nostalgia and faint remembrance. Did I see these sights in my life here before I remembered my past life, or were these just images on pixels that were close enough to pull at some muddled memory?

    Those thoughts caught my mind at times, but they didn¡¯t hurt as much as they might have a year or two prior. Humans were quite adaptable, and I had grown to accept my (honestly quite comfortable) life.

    One of the places we visited was one of the big film studios. My family¡¯s connections gave us a pass wherever we wanted to go, and we got the chance to meet several stars. There were the human actors of course, but also plenty of Pokemon stars as well. Usually, those Pokemon wore some kind of accessory or would be actively filmed to help tell them apart from the other Pokemon working on the sets.

    I¡¯d been on film sets occasionally in my past life, and other than the Pokemon it worked much the same here as it did there.That alone was a big change, in terms of scripts with there being a Pokemon script for all the Pokemon watching that often had ever-so-slightly different messages for the Pokemon audience than the human one. There was also the special effects they could manage and one other obvious change. ¡°Everyone does their own stunts?¡±

    ¡°Of course. Why would it be otherwise?¡± The director I was standing nearby answered. She had been introduced to us at the start of our tour as Director Z, and according to Cyan was a woman with a bold new style for many of her films that had won her much acclaim and criticism.

    She was a short woman dressed in black jeans, a black shirt with striking long red hair, wearing a distinctive pair of glasses and had piercing light blue eyes. The cast seemed to have taken a small break from filming, while some of the actors were waiting on the sides going over their lines and memorizing their marks while they waited for another take.

    ¡°I just wondered what would happen if they got tired or the like. Some of the Pokemon aren¡¯t battlers, but they have to do a Move over and over again as the scene gets reshot.¡± I pointed out to the director, though I was already piecing together where my assumptions had misled me. This isn¡¯t like my world where you want stunt doubles trained for the action scenes. They have Pokemon and Potions that can heal most accidents that would happen on set.

    ¡°We do have understudies, if something happens to our stars, and plenty of Ethers stored up, on the offhand chance we need them. If need be we have our movie magic to fill in any holes in the production. I used to be a Special Effects manager before moving on to directing. We don¡¯t need to make up for such things often, however. Our actors are used to long days and plenty of hard work, much like your Pokemon, trainer. Though that doesn¡¯t excuse being sloppy with their lines!¡±

    She said the last sentence louder and directed at an Emolga who had been running over some of his lines.

    The electric-squirrel Pokemon looked sheepishly at us, saying: ¡°Emol, olga-¡± before cutting off his protestations at the director¡¯s sharp glare. He started speaking to himself again, going over the lines. While I didn¡¯t know Emolga well enough to understand the differences between before and now, from the way the director nodded her head, I assumed that he was doing them ¡®right¡¯ now.

    ¡°I see, your illusions must come in quite handy with this work.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t looking directly at her, but I saw ¡®Z¡¯ stiffen out of the corner of my eye. I also must have been louder than I thought, as every head in the studio (save my family who was a bit distracted over by the makeup department) turned to face me. ¡°Ah. Um¡­¡± Was that a secret? Should I have not said anything? Crud, abort, abort!

    Before I could try and spin a plausible misdirection, the director dropped her visual illusion, revealing her true Zoroark self there. ¡°How did you spot me?¡± She asked, a hint of bemusement in her voice. Ok, whew, didn¡¯t out her.

    ¡°A couple of things. You understood Emolga very well, commented on my status as a Trainer oddly, and the lights are being moved all around.¡± Pointing at her shadow I said, ¡°Your shadow moves about half a second behind the lights.¡± Also, your illusionary clothes make you look just like a Zoroark and your name is ¡®Director Z¡¯ for crying out loud!

    ¡°Hehehehe,¡± she laughed. ¡°Good eye, young one, it will serve you well in the future.¡± Don¡¯t I know it. The potential of flight is very tempting, but honestly, enhanced senses are a huge advantage as a trainer, I was really lucky with my Aura. Or did my Aura form that way as a result of my desires? So many questions.

    She waved for the others to continue and took me to the side. ¡°Were there any other questions you had for me?¡±

    ¡°Well, the first is, why hide your identity?¡±

    ¡°Some people can be overly judgemental of a Pokemon in a position usually held by humans. I trust my staff but for outsiders, I¡¯ll don an illusion to greet them. Also, it¡¯s fun to see if they figure it out or continue cluelessly.¡± Despite hearing her voice clearly as human speech, I could pick out a quiet echo of her ¡®Pokespeak¡¯ underneath, the sounds she was actually making.

    ¡°That¡¯s some impressive illusive control,¡± I commented. ¡°They can¡¯t see what I can either?¡± I asked, jerking my head towards my family. She nodded. ¡°Whoa. And you got your start in special effects?¡±

    ¡°I started as a Gopher when I was just a kit. Had to work my way up from the bottom after¡­ Plasma.¡± I winced.

    ¡°Ouch, that sounds rough.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± she said automatically. ¡°My trainer decided the words of a delusional fool and the public sentiment were worth more than my own desires, so I decided that she was right and maybe I didn¡¯t need her. And I didn¡¯t; it was hard, but look at me now - I¡¯m a director in PokeWood studios, one of the greatest in all the world.¡± There was pride and sadness in her words, an old wound I¡¯d tripped over that still hurt.

    ¡°Yeah, you have.¡± Silence reigned awkwardly for a minute before I bowed. ¡°Thank you for giving us this tour. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing the film when it comes out.¡± I thought ¡®A Dance among the Heavens¡¯ was a bit overblown as a name and romance wasn¡¯t my favorite genre, but I was still interested to see it now. Much like machines, it¡¯s fascinating to get a look underneath the finished product and see how it all looks and compare the two.

    ¡°It was no problem. I¡¯m looking forward to seeing your career as well. Dun has already become quite a hit online.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± I guess people were recording the match, but I didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be anything that special.

    ¡°Oh yes, it was quite the stir. A little girl defeating a Gym Leader? And in a serious battle? That doesn¡¯t happen every day.¡± I nodded, the reasoning making sense. A few more pieces also clicked into place as to why people might have been paying so much attention to Dun that was deeper than just ¡®rare Pokemon from another region¡¯. ¡°Plus,¡± she added, ¡°he is quite photogenic.¡±

    ¡°Thanks, but I don¡¯t think he¡¯s looking to get into cinema any time soon.¡± I said, and she pulled her teeth back in a facsimile of a smile that seemed to say ¡®That¡¯s so adorable¡¯.

    ¡°Not what I meant, but if you do ever feel the desire to be on the big screen, give my people a call.¡± She pulled out a business card hidden within her fur and passed it to me.

    Feel like I missed something there, but oh well. ¡°Thanks,¡± I took the card, holding it up to Miles to enter in the contact info. Soon after that, I rejoined my family and we continued our tour of the studios.

    ***

    ¡°You sure about this?¡± The pilot asked me for the umpteenth time. I wasn¡¯t annoyed, however; there was no room for that with the nervousness and excitement building up within me.

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± Cyan had gone with my parents to a fashion show by Elesa and I hadn¡¯t really felt like going to that, so now I had the free time to try out my experiment.

    ¡°Alright, strap in until we tell you it¡¯s safe.¡± She headed to the cockpit leaving me sitting in the passenger section of our jet. Shortly thereafter, I felt the plane begin to lift off, and I closed my eyes, trying to meditate.

    Feel the air around me, feel the rise, the essence of flight. It¡¯s all around me, and all around the world. Types are fundamental building blocks of the world, literally. Each one is inscribed on a Plate somewhere, connected to the Creator. Pokemon feel and use this Type through Aura. I can use Aura. I am one with the Flying and the Flying is one with me? Scratch that, come up with a better mantra.

    The ride up felt so enjoyable and peaceful that I got the announcement we had reached cruising altitude in what felt like a very short time. Not that we were going to be cruising, per se. The seatbelt light was still firmly on as, after making sure there wasn¡¯t too much turbulence in the sky, we began lifting again, until eventually¡­

    ¡°We¡¯re beginning our first zero gravity section, you may take your seatbelt off. Go nuts,¡± the voice came out and I unbuckled, throwing myself into the air. Even before the captain had said it, I could feel the sensation of weightlessness throughout my body. Hanging slowly in the air, I somersaulted through the empty air in the plane, giggling uncontrollably.

    ¡°Having fun, bzzt?¡± Miles asked, bemused as they recorded my first moments in zero gravity.

    ¡°This. Is. Awesome!¡± I shouted, spinning around like a leaf in the air. I had gotten the idea from a music video I had watched in my former life, how they had made it by clipping together pieces of when the plane was flying down to let the band float around as they sang. And now I can do it too, this is great!

    For a moment, a split second, I felt an energy soar inside of me that I¡¯d felt clearly just once before. No mere bliss, like a crystal clear elation that made everything sharper. As I drifted about I tried to grab it closer, study the energy within me further¡­ only for it to escape me. Even up here, like this? No, I can¡¯t get discouraged, gotta try again.

    When I had flown for the first time, the despair and confusion as I fell turned to indescribable joy as I floated to the ground, I¡¯d felt on top of the world. Further attempts on that hill had failed, and I started to get discouraged, wondering if it was a fluke, or what the point was. There¡¯s no failure here though. Whether I make a breakthrough or not, this is awesome. I¡¯ll just keep on trying and having fun.

    Any immediate attempts to try again were shut down, however, by the captain flipping on the seatbelt sign again indicating the dive time was over and we were going back down. Flipping around, I kicked off of the ceiling and dived through the air and back into my seat, just as gravity took hold extra hard.

    For every chunk of time we had in the top of the parabola, there were periods of ''extra'' gravity in the lifts and dives. Then a few minutes where the plane leveled out before trying again. This gave me time to strategize my approach for each segment (as well as just revel in how cool it was).

    Should I focus on an attempt to do something with the energy? Maybe instead of just trying to hold it, especially in zero-g where I¡¯m already floating, I should try to use it. Moving the air gently around the cabin seems like a good start.

    The next zero-g section we went into, I lifted myself and tried to swirl the air around me. For nearly the whole thirty seconds I peacefully drifted, but¡­ Nothing. Can¡¯t feel it this time. Next time- no, I think I¡¯m missing something in my method here.

    Settling back down, I waited again, deciding the next time not to bother with trying to hold onto or use my Aura at all, not even to focus on sensing it. I¡¯m just going to have some fun. There was plenty of fun to be had, bouncing off the walls, spinning through the air, and just enjoying the moment.

    ¡°Bzzt, what was your goal that time?¡± Miles inquired, seeming confused by my methodology.

    ¡°Nothing! Just enjoying the moment.¡± I wish I could have Dudunsparce out here with me as well. The pilots had put a strict kibosh on that, even with us promising that he wouldn¡¯t use any Moves. Unfortunately, his new size just made them too leery of the prospect. Given all the waivers I had to sign, I think they were pretty nervous about just me doing this.

    ¡°I was able to feel my Aura three times that go-round,¡± I added, causing Miles to literally drop their jaw (they could shift the plasmic projection of a mouth downwards while keeping their eyes in one spot).

    ¡°That¡¯s excellent, Nemona bzzt!¡±

    ¡°Yup!¡± I said brightly. ¡°I think I¡¯m starting to see where my problem was before. Flying is an element of freedom. Trying to grab a hold of it like that wasn¡¯t working, I need to just... exist in a state of it.¡± Easier said than done, admittedly. Even just trying to actively sense my Aura can make it slip away, so sometimes I can¡¯t even sense it. And I do need to find a way to be able to sense my energy properly. Luckily, I¡¯ve got a few hours to practice here.

    ***

    There was plenty of trial and error over the remaining few hours. I tried being still, and I moved about. There were moments when my Aura seemed to burn like a beacon, times when I would be on the cusp, noticing it in sputters, and times when I couldn''t feel anything at all. I meditated thinking of nothing at all, I tried to think of everything. I played music, I danced, I even shadow-boxed against Miles to see if I could reach it through a ¡®fighting spirit.¡¯ Most of all, I played, just luxuriating in the feeling of weightlessness, freedom from the gravity binding me to the earth so very far below.

    I did the last one the most because it proved to be the best at letting me get a sense of my Aura. As our flight was coming to an end and we began our descent, I found I could keep a good sense of my Aura, even while just chatting with Miles.

    ¡°It¡¯s not steady, there are still times when I lose focus or focus too hard and it slips up, but I have a way better grasp on it now. I can actively feel my Aura enhancing my vision and hearing now, and can tell it¡¯s always been doing that.¡± It made me wonder if I could turn it off, or crank it up, to see and hear things even further away. That¡¯s definitely experimentation for another day, though. I¡¯ll wait to talk to Tulip before trying anything like that.

    ¡°Bzzt, that¡¯s super impressive Nemona! You¡¯re a prodigy at training yourself as well as others.¡± They commented and I laughed.

    ¡°Not sure about that. Today has been awesome, a huge breakthrough, but I¡¯m only doing so well because of all the practice I had before. It feels like everything I learned then is finally clicking into place.¡±

    Focusing so much on ¡®training¡¯ my Aura had been getting in my way. It was clear now that trying to force myself to be able to use my Aura had been an obstacle in and of itself. I believed I wasn¡¯t ¡®getting it¡¯ fast enough, and so pushed myself for months on end unnecessarily - no, counterproductively. I feel like there¡¯s maybe a lesson there for my life in general¡­ Not for training Pokemon perhaps, I believed myself to have a decent grasp on the limits there and never got frustrated at the rate of my team''s growth, but other things. Like my musical lessons.

    Why did I even push myself so hard? My Pokemon can do so much more naturally. I mean yes, Aura is cool. It¡¯s superpowers, how could it not be? My mind flashed back to scenes of fiction from my life. I¡¯d always adored superheroes; there was a reason why Spider-man was one of the first pieces of fiction I wished to recreate. Right, not a training goal, but a desire¡­

    Glancing out the window I saw that we were nearing the ground, just about to land. Quickly I flicked off my seat belt, prompting a slightly nervous buzz from Miles. ¡°Nemona, what are you doing, bzzt?¡±

    ¡°What I want.¡± This isn¡¯t a ¡®need¡¯, just a pure desire. The joy of flight. This has been so much fun, and even if this isn¡¯t smart or I could wait, I don¡¯t want to. I want to fly. Right before we touched down, I jumped, pushing myself out of my seat and into the aisleway. Immediately I felt gravity trying to push me down, but there was a stronger force fighting against that within me.

    I didn¡¯t need to ¡®reach out¡¯ or ¡®grasp it¡¯ because it was one with me. Spirit and body were aligned for a single purpose. So as the plane hit the ground, I did not, floating above the floor.

    There wasn¡¯t much time to celebrate, however, as unmooring myself from gravity meant that the plane was still barreling ahead as the wheels rolled on the tarmac and I¡­ was not. The back end of the plane raced up to reach me, Miles giving a panicked cry as I forced myself forward. Not just floating, flying ahead too! Keep pace with the plane like Miles does instinctively with his Ability!

    I was panicking, passing through the curtains towards the restroom and very near the tail end of the plane. The rate at which it was getting closer was slowing down, but still increasing, and I punched my arm out as if reaching towards where I wanted to go would help me. Wait, it¡­ it might. Straightening out my body I adopted a Superman pose, the iconic image helping me fly forward.

    Passing back through the curtains, I began gaining ground, my efforts, combined with the plane slowing down let me gently drift back towards my seat. Miles was stuck, floating there and looking at me with awe. ¡°Y-you¡­¡±

    As the plane came to a full stop, I shifted my body back upright, landing down gracefully. ¡°Yatta! I did it!¡± I exclaimed, throwing my arms up in the air.

    Before I had time to revel too greatly in my success, spots started swarming in my vision and I felt myself getting dizzy. ¡°Whoa, what¡¯s going on-¡± Then darkness took me.

 Chapter 32

    Groggily, I opened my eyes. ¡°Wha- what happene-?¡± I began questioning before being cut off by a light slap from a glowing hand. Opening my eyes fully, I saw that Miles had done so, looking down disapprovingly at me. ¡°What was that for?¡± My question was immediately answered by Dun flopping his head on top of my body. That¡¯s not the answer I was looking for. Or even a helpful answer.

    Looking around I determined I was back in my room, which didn¡¯t feel right for some reason. Oh right, because I had been in a plane right before I¡­ fell unconscious. My bout of unconsciousness had almost certainly been caused by overusing my Aura. Guess that explains why they¡¯re upset with me.

    Dun was draped over me and off the end of my bed, having grown long enough that he couldn¡¯t quite fit his entire body on my bed while lying straight. Miles was hovering above me, currently in Heat Form to manifest plasmic hands, but quickly leaving the oven to possess their phone again.

    Ignoring my wince from the heavy crash of machinery as the oven dropped a foot straight down, Rotom said: ¡°What happened was you falling unconscious and leaving us in a state of panic. Bzzt,¡± They added angrily.

    That caused me to wince harder than before. ¡°Ah, sorry. I got a bit caught up and well¡­¡± I fidgeted in my bed, trying to think of a response that could explain my actions away and avoid any trouble. As my brain failed me and the silence dragged on, I knew this wouldn¡¯t be the case.

    ¡°Dun Dudun.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it was reckless.¡± It¡¯s hard to feel so bad about it when it let me make such a breakthrough though. I¡¯ll try to take it easier from now on. ¡°What happened after? How did we get back home?¡±

    ¡°The pilots checked on you immediately to make sure there wasn¡¯t any serious risk, then your family came back and rushed you home. They hired a teleporter and here we are, a few hours later.¡±

    Ah, that¡¯s not great. Our vacation was coming to a close soon, but still, I should apologize to them for that as well. Looking around my bedside I saw my usual water bottle was missing from the dresser. Right, I was out of the region for a week, the staff must have cleaned it up.

    After a bit of effort to shift Dun off of me, I managed to get out of bed, stretching as I let out a huge yawn. ¡°Wow, this Aura stuff takes a lot out of me.¡± At the disapproving gaze of my Pokemon, I held my hands up in surrender. ¡°I know, I know, my bad.¡±

    Walking down the stairs I overheard a conversation my parents were having with Hamber. With my hearing being what it was, I usually tuned such things out, but this one caught my ears because of the subject matter. Namely: Me.

    ¡°... We had a small expedition planned for Miss Nemona and our other student, but if she¡¯s still feeling unwell within the next two days, she may have to skip it.¡±

    Oh no, I can¡¯t miss that! Racing over to them in the dining room I loudly said ¡°Mom, Dad!¡±

    Whatever they were going to say to Hamber died on their lips as they saw me, smiling brightly. ¡°"Nemona!¡±¡±

    I ran up and hugged them, doing my best to emphasize how well I was. ¡°Sorry for giving you guys a scare like that. Miles filled me in on a bit of what happened.¡±

    ¡°Are you sure you¡¯re fine to be out of bed, dear?¡± O¡¯Nare asked me, looking over worried.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine Mom. I pushed myself a little too hard with the forces up there and became exhausted on the way down, but I¡¯m doing tons better now!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the Glitterati spirit-¡± My father began before being interrupted by a loud grumbling sound coming from my stomach. All the adults present turned a bemused look my way.

    ¡°Perhaps I could use some food,¡± I admitted realizing how hungry I was now. Not surprising, considering the effort of my Aura was enough to make me faint. I wonder how that energy works? It¡¯s connected to my soul but can affect and be affected by my body. Where does the line between the body and the soul end and begin? I¡¯m probably thinking about it too simplistically. Rather than just an on/off point the two are probably interconnected in several different ways to varying degrees-

    Hamber cleared his throat, snapping me out of my thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ll have the chefs get right on making you something. Perhaps just an appetizer as we¡¯re nearing dinner time?¡± I eagerly nodded. ¡°Excellent,¡± He turned to leave before stopping and adding ¡°The Explorers are preparing a first training camp out the day after tomorrow. I hope you¡¯ll be ready by then.¡±

    ¡°You betcha!¡± I said with a thumbs up. Am I playing up the ¡®childishness¡¯ too much there? Eh, they probably won¡¯t notice. At least I¡¯ll be able to make it for that camping trip. It was important for a couple of reasons, the most notable being that if I did well on it, I¡¯d get the go-ahead to explore further on my own.

    Leah had been pretty firm with me after the tourney about not going too far. I¡¯d been busy with training Miles and Dun, as well as my tutors, but there was an itch growing as I wanted to go further. Plus, I want to prove to myself that I¡¯m good enough to explore the land. I know it can be dangerous and that I can¡¯t be prepared for everything, but I¡¯d like to have a decent level of competency.

    Dinner had an awkward start as Cyan was a little grumpy with what my antics had caused until Miles showed her and my parents what I had been practicing (they had been recording up to the last moments). My Aura wasn¡¯t something I was going to shout to the world just yet, but Leah was the only staff with us for the meal, and I felt comfortable showing all of them this.

    ¡°Hah! What Glitterati prowess! To show yourself undaunted by gravity itself and shine among the stars,¡± my Mother proclaimed.

    ¡°So you can really fly? Can you do it right now?¡± Cyan demanded. ¡°Lio!¡± Her starter added.

    ¡°Uhh, I think I can?¡± The breakthrough up in the sky gave me a better sense of my Aura, so I could just barely feel it passively now, even on the ground. ¡°But I should hold off on that for a bit. I want to check in with Tulip first before trying anything like that again.¡±

    Billy nodded. ¡°Prudence is another great Glitterati trait, one that will help in business and life.¡± The praise is nice, but there¡¯s a slight bit of tension I don¡¯t think I would have caught before. Probably an admonishment or reminder as well, given the scare I gave them.

    ¡°Bzz bzz.¡± Came very quietly from my pocket, reminding me of something I had not been prudent about.

    ¡°Ah, I know I have the trip the day after tomorrow, but in the morning I¡¯d like to try and take the exam to get my full trainer¡¯s license early.¡± Generally, even with the reduced age cap, you could only get a Full License at ten years or older, but with my over a-year-long junior license and a reference, I could take the test even earlier. Which makes sense. It¡¯s more just about trying to ensure that you¡¯re responsible enough to wield the destructive might all Pokemon have and take care of them.

    O¡¯Nare clapped her hands together. ¡°Oh that sounds wonderful, our two little girls, both full-time trainers.¡±

    ¡°Nice. I¡¯m sure a Pokemaniac like you will do well,¡± my sister added. I can¡¯t refute that I¡¯m a Pokemaniac at this point, can I? But like, who wouldn¡¯t be amazed by the reality-bending creatures that live alongside us? ¡°Are you looking to go to school soon t-¡± I shook my head, cutting off her question.

    ¡°Not anytime soon, don¡¯t worry. I still have plenty to learn from my tutors before I go for that.¡± It was one of the requirements for Uva Academy that you had to have a full Trainer¡¯s License to attend. ¡°Still, having the full trainer¡¯s license will be very nice-¡±

    ¡°Wait,¡± Cyan interrupted me, narrowing her eyes in suspicion from across the table at me. ¡°How did you use Miles in that battle against Clay if you don¡¯t have your full license yet?¡±

    The silence that followed was deafening. After a minute I put on a shaky smile and tried: ¡°By not getting called out on it?¡±

    ¡°¡°Nemona!¡±¡± Cyan, Leah, Billy, and O¡¯Nare shouted.

    ***

    As expected, I got chewed out after that. I hadn¡¯t meant to get into a battle with Miles yet! Though, I guess the battles in the Explorers¡¯ secret hideout probably count too. Maybe. Like the base might be in something like Orre and it¡¯s totally legal there.

    The Explorers were a group I had many mixed feelings about. While knowledgeable and helpful, the more time I spent there, the more creeped out I got. Sure, no one calls Gibeon ¡®our savior¡¯ or anything, but they¡¯re all just a little too focused on his nebulous goals. They didn¡¯t force me to wear the uniform, but matching uniforms for a group that does not seem to have any business or governmental positions, or even any public presence, is very weird. Technically they had some holdings as a private corporation, but I only found that out by digging through records. No presence online or in social media, no products or services offered.

    They¡¯re offering a service by training me in survival skills, but that was only by recommendation from Hamber. Once I pass this test and prove myself capable in the wilderness to Hamber''s (and thus Leah¡¯s) approval, I think I¡¯ll leave. Spinel had, in between attempts to belittle or insult myself and Amethio, clearly been fishing for information from me. It wasn¡¯t just him, however, I noticed the way the other adults paid extra careful attention to what I said whenever I would just casually chat. To see if anything slipped. Definitely said too much during my introduction.

    That was for later though, right now I had an exam to take. My talk with Tulip the day before had been very brief, on a video call while she was waiting on a photo shoot to get rolling. It amounted to a congratulations and a warning not to push it again in the future. She also advised me to come and meet her again for an actual session to find out my limits before trying to actively use my Aura again, but keep up my work on sensing it.

    The rest of yesterday was just a refresher to get me ready for the exam. I¡¯m certain I¡¯ll pass, but I want to make sure I can ace it too.

    Now here I am, taking my trainer exam, the first step to starting my journey. I don¡¯t plan on starting too soon or anything, but still. It¡¯s exciting. I went to the League building near Mesagoza to take my test, and on my way up, I saw Hassel at the top of the hill. ¡°Hassel!¡± I called out, sprinting up, careful not to step on any Tandemaus frolicking in the grass beneath. Ooh, those are a fun Pokemon. Population Bomb Wide Lens Technician was a cool combo, though probably not as easy to abuse in real life as it was in the games.

    ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I panted, a little winded from my quick sprint.

    He crossed his arms imperiously at me. ¡°I could ask the same question of you, Young-¡± he paused for a split second, catching himself referring to me as he would within the Glitterati household. ¡°-Nemona. I work here,¡± he ended with a barely detectable deadpan.

    Blushing lightly I responded ¡°Oh, right, yeah that tracks. I¡¯m here for my Trainer License Exam. Is it just matches you do here or is there other stuff?¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s a number of duties us Elite Four must attend to. We¡¯ll often receive our official requests and duties here. Today, however, I am here to take on a challenger.¡± Part of how he looked towards the door again implied that I was holding him up. Oops.

    ¡°Alright, good luck with that. I¡¯ll be cheering you on! Maybe even in person if I finish up fast. Ok bye!¡± I said rushing into the building.

    The inside of the large building was pristine white, with the reception clearly in front of me. A pale woman sat in front of it, but this was someone I recognized. ¡°Elite Four Dandylion?¡± I asked as I approached.

    She laughed, slightly shaking the large steel key that hung on her necklace. From dark black bangs, she peered out at me. ¡°That¡¯s right! Who¡¯s asking, pipsqueak? Cause I don¡¯t think you¡¯re the challenger I was supposed to interview.¡± The Steel Type Elite Four crossed her arms and I could see a fair amount of definition in her muscles. She looks a bit like the hikers did in the game, but bears a clear familial resemblance to Poppy. I wonder what happens for Poppy to take her place?

    ¡°Nemona Glitterati, ma¡¯am.¡±

    ¡°Right, right. Head through those doors to the side there, then down the hallway. Second doorway to the left.¡± I nodded and left as she greeted Hassel entering behind me.

    Going through the rest of the building, I saw it wasn¡¯t quite as pristine as the areas the trainers would run through. Nothing dirty, but a slight fading of the tiles, one light in the ceiling that was a little dim, etc. It was also fairly busy, with League Officials walking back and forth, many of them on their phones or holding papers as they went about their business.

    Entering the exam room, I saw a small room with one tired, familiar man sitting there. ¡°Larry?!¡±

    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s my name,¡± the Gym Leader said, rising from the desk where he had been sorting papers. ¡°Are you Nemona Glitterati?¡± He asked, holding a hand out.

    ¡°Yup, that¡¯s me!¡± I said, eagerly shaking it. ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t believe I get to meet you.¡± At his confused look, I added ¡°You¡¯re a Normal Type Gym leader, so I¡¯ve looked up a lot of your matches when training Dun.¡± Hardly the only one I follow, but it has been helpful.

    He looked a little awkward - for some reason, his demeanor did not garner him a bunch of fans within the world, unlike in my first life where he was one of the favorite characters of the whole game.

    ¡°Thank you,¡± he eventually said. ¡°For the exam, you¡¯ll have two hours to complete all the questions. Part of it will be multiple choice, part will be short answer, and there will be one essay question at the end. I don¡¯t remember seeing anything about an essay question online.

    The multiple choice questions went by fairly easily. There were a few sprinkled in there to be tricky, like what to do if your Krookodile¡¯s scales were starting to itch persistently. ¡®Use your scale polish¡¯ was not the right answer, and overuse of such products was usually the cause of such chaffing on some reptilian Pokemon. As Dun and I found out already from personal experience.

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Most however were laughable easy, common sense Type Matchups like ¡®How much stronger is a Fire Attack against a Grass Type¡¯, not even the weird ones, like how Ghost resists Bug for some reason. I knew the general level of this from my research and practice with Cyan, but it still feels wrong. Logically, I get that they don¡¯t want limits on Trainers being able to have Pokemon, but it still feels lacking. Am I right, for wanting a higher standard imposed even on children? Or is this just selfishness because I believe this should be a momentous occasion, but due to my advantages, what would be a challenge for a regular child is easy for me?

    The test passed by in a breeze (though I did nearly snap my pencil at the ¡®if you spend 1000 Pokedollars on 100 Pokedollar Pokeballs how many do you get¡¯ question), going through the multiple choice and short answers quickly. The essay question had something interesting, however. There were two and a half pages I could fill out, but no listed minimums or guidelines. No points for it besides the question either (and the others added up to 100 on their own). Just the question ¡®Why do you want to be a Pokemon Trainer?¡¯

    That is¡­ a big one. Technically I could just leave it blank, or write some quick, generic comment and call it a day¡¯s work. I want to put a bit more though, even if no one else ever reads this, it¡¯s an affirmation of my beliefs, my drive. Yes, I want to explore the world, but I also want to become a Champion for its own merits. Then there¡¯s the fact that I¡¯m trying to live up to the example of who Nemona could be, definitely can¡¯t say that¡­

    In the end, what I wrote down was:

    ¡®My name is Nemona Glitterati. I was born into a loving family, with all the wealth I could ever need. I know I¡¯ve lived a privileged life, with everything I could ever want. But still, I desire more.

    I want to see the entire world, to uncover all its vast and varied mysteries. I wish to learn about the past, the ruins with rich history that dot our land. I aim to see what Paldea is like now, and from all of that, catch a peek at what the future may hold. I want to understand the world. While it¡¯s possible that I could stand entirely on the inherited wealth of my family, I feel like trying to explore the world that way would leave me with a sense of disconnection. There would be a gap between myself and the beings within the world, no matter how hard I studied.

    Our world is filled with amazing, fantastic creatures. These beings can conjure the elements, warp physics, expand the mind, take us on journeys past the limits of life and death, and fundamentally change reality. All of this and more is only possible because of Pokemon. Creatures who, however amazing, are seen as commonplace among us.

    This is because we live our lives in harmony with these incredible beings. I¡¯ve found my life already touched by them. My Starter, Dun, helped introduce me to a brand new world, and I in turn vowed to help him rise to the top. Our communication hasn¡¯t always been perfect, but this compact was the foundation of my closest friendship and helped us through our troubles.

    Dun will be the strongest, but to show that strength off to the world we¡¯ll need a full team by our side. I¡¯ll find other like-minded Pokemon that wish to prove their strength and be my friend. I will do my best to bring out their incredible strength to the maximum potential it can be, and I hope they will be able to help me. Together, we¡¯ll learn more about each other and our world, and we will be legends.

    To prove my strength, to learn, to grow, and to make everlasting bonds. These are why I will become a Pokemon Trainer. Getting this license is the first step on the path to the greatest adventure of my life, and I can¡¯t wait to walk down that road.¡¯

    ***

    ¡°That was quick,¡± Larry commented as he took my papers, his voice the same tired monotone it usually was, only a slight quirk of his eyebrows upwards to show that he was surprised. ¡°You have an hour-and-a-half left if you want.¡±

    Considering I had inadvertently interrupted him eating his lunch, I wasn¡¯t sure if that was more for him or me. ¡°I¡¯m good, thanks. I¡¯ve already double-checked it. You can take your time with the answers, I want to go see Hassel¡¯s fight.¡± Before he could answer, I was off, racing down the halls¡­ for about two seconds before I realized that kid running down the halls of the Paldean Pokemon League building was getting funny looks.

    Walking down got funny looks as well, but not as severe or likely to leave whatever task they were currently doing and escort me out. I overheard all manner of interesting snippets of discussion from the League Officials - and non-interesting ones too, admittedly. I suppose for every talk of coordinating rangers to cover rescue missions in the Asado Desert, there has to be one about Brenda stealing food from the fridge again.

    While there weren¡¯t any seats, and an official barring the path to the room where the Champion test was going on, I did find a lounge where the fight was being broadcast to the television in the corner. I know it¡¯ll be posted online soon enough, but I want to watch it as it¡¯s happening. And a number of the League Officials watching it felt the same way, though they looked a tad confused when I pulled up a chair and started watching alongside them.

    ¡°Are you lost, Miss?¡± One young man asked me out of the four employees watching the fight.

    I shook my head. ¡°No, just waiting for the results from my Trainers License test to come back.¡±

    That doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m supposed to be here, but say anything with enough confidence and people will be willing to go along with it, so long as you don¡¯t act too outrageously.

    Indeed, most of them were willing to turn back to watch the fight. The one who asked me a question didn¡¯t seem completely sold on my reasoning, but just as he opened his mouth, the others let out loud gasps and cheers as something on the screen caught their attention and had him whipping his head around too.

    I had seen the whole thing, Hassel¡¯s Baxcaliber luring the opposing Salamence into a rush that was checked by the frosty Dragon Type jumping above the flying Dragon and landing down on it, back spike first. Salamence¡¯s trainer gave a panicked cry and ordered a retreat.

    The bright blue Dragon sped away on its red wings, pulling in all four of its legs for additional speed. There were few scars or old battle wounds on the Salamence, and while they almost never had lasting injuries on their precious wings, a Dragon Type like Salamence almost always had mementos from past battles given how aggressive they were - unless they had only recently evolved.

    This fact was contrasted by Hassel¡¯s Pokemon. Baxcaliber was a darker blue, with icy plates covering its face and jaw. The same icy edge covered the large black spike sticking out of the bipedal Dragon¡¯s back. As it got back up, its many ringed yellow eyes locked onto its fleeing prey.

    The camera cut back to the challenge, a man in his early twenties with bright red hair and a baseball cap. He wore a red vest over his black t-shirt and shorts showing off a well-defined physique. His hands were clenched in nervous fists, eyes darting around the plain white arena as if looking for some sign of where to go, any possible lifeline. I scoffed loudly at his actions, prompting an odd look from the other watchers.

    ¡°He panicked, having his Salamence run away like that,¡± I explained, pointing at the screen where the blue and red Pokemon was strafing Baxcaliber from afar. Hassel fired back, a hail of Ice Shards peppered with Icicle Spears flying up to meet his foe.

    ¡°Look what rushing in got him,¡± one of the other League Officials, the only girl of this little quartet, pointed out.

    I shook my head. ¡°Yes, but since he committed to that action he should have at least followed up. What¡¯s-his-face Salamence only got away from Baxcaliber because he was in an awkward spot after Glaive Rush. He should have used that opening to attack, use something overwhelming like an Outrage to take back control.¡±

    While Salamence landed a few more hits on Baxcaliber in the exchanged volleys than it received, the double Type Weakness combined with the previous hit took him out of the battle. The challenger muttered a few curses, looking down at his belt. The girl official explained to me

    ¡°Rodley is down three Pokemon and only took out Hassel¡¯s Flapple so far.¡±

    ¡°Ouch.¡± That was all I said as Rodley picked his next Pokemon, releasing a Revavroom. It looked similar to the Varoom I had fought in the Junior Tournament, but larger. More like a car with an open engine rather than an engine block attached to some wheels.

    There was some interest from the other spectators, especially one who I think had money riding on the match. Which is technically illegal in Paldea, but no one cares about enforcing that law on small bets between friends, made under a couple hundred Pokedollars. The Steel Typing should give it an edge over Baxcaliber, but Hassel looked unworried as ever.

    Rather than go on the offensive, Rodley ordered his Revavroom to set up. ¡°Toxic Spikes!¡±

    Hassel was ready to capitalize on that, ordering Baxcaliber to race after Revavroom and pummeling her with a Brick Break or two. Cracks started showing on her body, but Rodley kept on laying down the spikes.

    ¡°That¡¯s certainly a bold strategy,¡± I muttered. ¡°Let¡¯s see if it pays off.¡±

    After enough spikes were scattered around the arena to thoroughly poison anyone that touched down on it, Rodley told Revavroom: ¡°Spin Out!¡± With Baxcaliber in close range, there was no way to avoid the Multi-Cyl Pokemon from spinning around and crashing into the Dragon, once, twice, and finally a third time before spinning off to the side.

    The dragon wobbled for a second before collapsing, defeated by the Steel Type. Revavroom wasn¡¯t looking too good herself, however. More cracks covered her form, and her mouth was wheezing heavily, toxic fumes slipping out.

    Hassel recalled his Pokemon, immediately releasing his next. Dragonite roared into existence above the field. His softer appearance may have made him seem less intimidating than the more jagged Baxcaliber, but I knew the power within the orange beast. He looks like a giant plush toy, with wings too small for his body, but they keep him aloft easily, which will make all the difference here.

    Rodley looked around like he was waiting for something to happen, but nothing did. The Toxic Spikes won¡¯t poison a Pokemon that doesn¡¯t touch the ground, and Hassel has at least two of them. You can¡¯t wear him out that easily.

    With his opponent distracted, Hassel took the lead, calling out ¡°Dragon Dance!¡± Dragonite began shimmying and rising through the air, dancing about. It looked more awkward on him than I imagine it would have on a Dragonair, but there was still a level of undeniable grace he brought to the Move.

    That action spurred Rodley on to action as well. ¡°Gear Shift, pick up speed!¡± Cranking noises from Revavroom as she began spinning her wheels and accelerating. ¡°This¡¯ll let me go even faster than your Dragonite!¡±

    ¡°Is that so? Well then, Dragon Dance again!¡± Hassel replied, letting his Pokemon build up more speed and power.

    ¡°Fine by me, Gear Shift again, go even further beyond!¡± Revavroom was now doing laps around the entire room, picking up speed with each pass by. But only just a bit faster than Dragonite now. That Spin Out takes a lot out of Revavroom each time. If Rodley has a bit more time he might be able to recover but-

    Hassel was done with buff Moves. Pulling out his Tera Orb he told his opponent ¡°Remember that when you face the Elite Four, you have to deal with the beauty and might of Terastalization now!¡± Tossing his orb above Dragonite, it burst into light, surrounding the dragon in crystals which it burst out of a moment later. It left so fast that the others were staring at the screen wondering what was going on, and even I had barely caught the movement.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°Where did Dragonite go?¡±

    ¡°Give the cameras a moment to reset- there we go,¡± I told the officials as the camera angle changed and it showed Revavroom knocked unconscious, and a glittering Dragonite flying above her prone body, a familiar jewel atop the Dragon¡¯s head. ¡°Extremespeed. Quite strong with Tera Normal.¡± Not surprised that Hassel would have thought of that, he has Professor Gible use two different Tera Types in the games. There hasn¡¯t been any mention publicly about changing Tera Types, wonder if it¡¯s something the League has been working on, or if Hassel just happened upon a naturally Normal Tera Type Dragonite?

    From there, the battle descended into a mop-up fairly quickly. Dragonite with the two Dragon Dances was just too strong. There was a moment where Rodley¡¯s Passimian might have turned the tide with a Close Combat they managed to land when Dragonite got in close, but to no avail. Dragonite¡¯s tough, many-layered scales weathered the blows even with the Normal Type Weakness and finished them off with a Hurricane.

    Rodley watched in despair as his leafy Arboliva was battered at blistering speeds by the Dragon Type, unable to stop it. With the match concluded, Hassel recalled his Pokemon and offered the challenger thanks and some words of encouragement, which Rodley nodded at. He still looked devastated by the whole thing and left quickly though.

    ¡°Daaaaamn,¡± one of the officials moaned. ¡°I really thought he¡¯d make it up at least to Miss Sunshine.¡±

    ¡°Miss Sunshine?¡± I questioned, not knowing who that was.

    He looked a little embarrassed answering: ¡°Oh, just a bit of a joke name for Martha Bitterleaf.¡±

    ¡°Ah.¡± The Dark Type Gym leader, currently taking up the spot Gruusha will take by canon start time. She¡¯s an Elite Four as well, and notoriously quite tricky to face. I honestly don¡¯t know much about her, aside from the fact that her gym is within a tunnel system inside the mountain. ¡°Not be rude to Rodley, but he seemed kinda¡­ inexperienced, for someone with eight badges.¡±

    The other girl of the group said ¡°Sometimes even battlers that make it that far get a bad case of the nerves. Plus the difference between the final badge and the Elite Four is night and day, even if we don¡¯t have Conferences or anything to be that last step up, so there¡¯s a lot more challengers for Champion rank, and a lot more results like that one.¡±

    I¡¯ve tried not to compare ¡®levels¡¯ too much in this world, recognizing that those were just gaming abstractions, but there was a rather large gap between Gruusha and the Elite Four in the games, wasn¡¯t there? In those, you could just do the last of the Team Star and Path of Legends battles to grind for the difference, so it didn¡¯t feel like there was a huge gap between the Gym Leaders and the Elite Four, but I guess there is.

    The door to the lounge opened up and I saw someone I owed a great deal of thanks to.

    ¡°Geeta!¡± I exclaimed, leaping up. The League Officials hanging about jumped up as well but with much more worry. She was dressed in a fancier suit than I had seen her in before, making her much more recognizable as the character from the game, but she wasn¡¯t wearing any gloves. The tall woman locked eyes with me for a moment before glancing over at the others.

    ¡°I believe you¡¯ve been on break long enough, no?¡± Despite her tone, it wasn¡¯t a question and they all eagerly agreed, rushing out of the room. She gave a small sigh after they were gone. ¡°I told them that t.v. would be trouble.¡±

    ¡°How so?¡± I asked, walking up to her.

    She pursed her lips. ¡°It¡¯s fine to have something to watch during your break, but by putting up the matches here, it can encourage people to spend too long, especially on the more hyped matches.¡±

    ¡°The rising stars like Rika, right?¡± She had earned quite a few more badges in her last Treasure Hunt after the Tournament and was going to shoot for her seventh badge at the start of this coming-up one.

    Geeta blinked. ¡°That¡¯s correct, and while not the reason why I came to find you, was something I wished to discuss with you eventually.¡±

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°Things have been rather busy, so I wasn¡¯t able to arrange it yet, but you were cheated out of a chance at victory. We could arrange a match between you and Rika to settle who should be the proper winner.¡± She offered.

    ¡°Really? I just- would have thought she¡¯d be declared the victor by default.¡± There was a slight pause from Geeta, the woman not quite shifting uncomfortably, but seeming reluctant to say something, and I put the pieces together. ¡°My parents are putting pressure on the League for this to happen, aren¡¯t they?¡±

    ¡°They have strong opinions on the subject, which they¡¯ve made clear to the League Chairman.¡± So she¡¯s still not the Chairwoman, but it seems like she got a promotion given how the others acted around her. Adopting a gentle smile she said, ¡°It¡¯s not like you don¡¯t deserve a shot at the championship.¡±

    Letting out a small sigh, I shook my head. ¡°Maybe I did, but what¡¯s done is done. Why should I be the only one to get a chance when all of the people Freddrick ¡®beat¡¯ on the way to face me don¡¯t? And how much would that change for the rest of the tournament? Impossible to say. Plus, Rika and I just aren¡¯t in the same position as we were almost a year ago. That being said¡­ I do want to face her. She¡¯s a rising star, and I think she¡¯s got a lot of potential.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± Geeta tilted her head to the side, looking rather bemused. ¡°It¡¯s humorous to hear you refer to someone else as having a ¡®lot of potential.¡¯¡± She quoted and I crossed my arms, a tad embarrassed. Right, I¡¯m still a young child. That would sound weird.

    Giving me a quick nod she said ¡°I can look into getting you in touch with Rika.¡± Our Rotom Phones floated up and traded contact information. ¡°Now come along, we have to go over the results of your Trainer License test.¡±

    I followed her back through the building until we were back near the room my testing had been in. Larry was waiting outside, looking more tired than usual. ¡°Ah, there you are Miss Glitterati.¡±

    I gave him a sheepish smile. Hope I didn¡¯t make him work too hard to find me, but if Geeta was called in too¡­ whoops. Adjusting his tie he said, ¡°The results of your test are in, and you passed.¡± I waited for a moment if he was going to say by how much or the like, but he didn¡¯t, instead passing me a piece of paper that said in bold at the top ¡®Trainer License (temporary) with a bunch of information on it.

    ¡°Congratulations,¡± he said in his same tired tone. ¡°You¡¯ll receive your proper License card in the mail in a few weeks.¡±

    ¡°Wow, thanks.¡± This is it, my beginning as a true Trainer. It doesn¡¯t feel quite real yet, but I can¡¯t wait to see what comes next.

 Chapter 33

    Dust and wind blew at my back, from the canyon and mines of the East Province I knew to be behind. At my side was Amethio, the young boy clutching onto Charcadet¡¯s Pokeball tightly. Above us loomed the massive Glaseado Mountain, the peaks of Paldea.

    But our test, a tangled tangle of grass, shrubs, and colorful trees, was right in front of us. This was the Tagtree Thicket.

    Hamber cleared his throat behind me, and I turned to face him before shielding my face from the small rock particles blowing about.

    "You have been on small outings before, and you have learned the basics from us Explorers, but today and tonight will be the first time that you will be tested on your own." Drolly, he began to go over our mission again like we were little children, before thankfully being interrupted by the girl next to him.

    ¡°Yeah, yeah, they got it already. Did fine before, you just havta not screw up. All alone, in the spooky forest,¡± the bubblegum-pink-haired girl leered at us. She was short, only a bit taller than me despite being almost double my age, wearing a black skirt with gold stripes on one side. She also had on the oddest top I¡¯d ever seen, a crop top with long sleeves, but bare shoulders, held up by thin strips of fabric connecting to a choker.

    ¡°Thank you, Coral,¡± Hamber said, in a tone drier than the rocky wasteland behind us. ¡°I am certain that you will be fine, but in case anything arises, you have flares and can call us on Nemona¡¯s phone. We will be staying at Zapico off not too far to the West, and will arrive with all haste if you need us.¡± Coral looked like she would chime in again, but was cut off with a glance from Hamber. She shrugged, leaning back, putting her hands behind her head, and blowing out a bubble from the gum she was chewing.

    Coral has to be my least favorite person in this organization, after Spinel of course. Spinel seemed to personally dislike myself and Amethio, but Coral wasn¡¯t much better, being abrasive and blowing up at anyone, save Hamber and Gibeon. Still, her taunts were more generic, and she¡¯d get easily distracted, so she still cleared the low, low bar Spinel set.

    ¡°We won¡¯t need any help,¡± Amethio said, a determined look on his cute little face. He¡¯s confident. Then again, I am too.

    ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll be fine!¡± I gave them a thumbs up and shifted my shoulders, adjusting the backpack on them. While I could have stored everything inside my Sliph bag, they wanted to see what we could do with more limited resources. That still meant that we both had tents, ropes, first aid kits, flares, and a few other supplies in our bags.

    "Very well, we''ll leave you alone. Please come back tomorrow at noon if you don''t need any help during your stay." Right, we¡¯ll be in the forest for almost twenty-four hours, as it¡¯s just after noon.

    The two Explorers released their Pokemon, a Dusknoir for Hamber and a Glalie for Coral, and had them carry their trainers away. I watched them float away for a second before turning back to the forest in front of us.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go,¡± I said and Amethio took off almost instantly, eager to prove himself. He rushed through the wilderness, slipping between the bushes and over the gnarly roots. I followed after, curious as to where he¡¯d lead. It became clear though that he didn¡¯t have a destination in mind, and wasn¡¯t exactly paying attention to where he was going.

    ¡°Stop!¡± I yelled at him suddenly, causing him to immediately arrest his movement and nearly fall over.

    Waving his arms in circles to rebalance himself he shouted back ¡°What was that about?¡±

    My answer was to point at his feet and the Foongus he had nearly trampled over. The mushroom-like Pokemon was still woken up by our shouting, and let out a cloud full of spores into Amethio¡¯s face, causing the boy to fall backwards while the Pokemon shuffled off.

    I ran forward to check on him, opening up my bag. ¡°Are you alright? Can you move? Do you feel nauseous? Drowsy?¡± I asked while pulling out a cloth to wipe at his face, careful to not let any of the spores touch my skin.

    ¡°I- I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s just itchy and irritating. I can¡¯t believe that Pokemon would do that, I didn¡¯t even touch them!¡± He complained.

    Probably the only reason they didn¡¯t try to Poison or Paralyze you was because you hadn¡¯t hit them. The spores appeared to not be a Move, and just a regular irritant to the eyes, so easily cleaned without any lasting effects. ¡°We have to remember it¡¯s their world here, we can¡¯t just march all over it without a care.¡±

    The boy grumbled without any coherency, pushing himself back up. ¡°Fine, but we still need to find a place to make camp here.¡±

    "That''s true." I looked around, trying to find a good place to rest. The forest is much wilder than I remembered from the games. Is that just something that they didn''t show us, or is it going to be cleared out a little bit over time? Team Star hasn''t set up a base here yet¨Cthough even in the games, it¡¯s more a camp.

    "Huh," I said aloud, causing Amethio to turn to me.

    ¡°What is it?¡± He must be impatient, I guess.

    ¡°Why are these trees painted? Who would have made these¡­ colorful patterns?¡± The paint was slathered on tree trunks in many colors and shades, in rings and other shapes like bullseyes. Not every tree is painted, and all of them are painted in slightly different patterns.

    ¡°Who cares?¡± Amethio asked rhetorically and I sighed. The clock¡¯s a bit overwound on that one. ¡°Let¡¯s just find a place to set up camp. There¡¯s some water running over there.¡± He started walking off, a tad slower and more cautiously than he had been going before.

    Following him, we eventually came across the river that flowed down from the mountaintop and cut through the Thicket. There was a bit of space from the heavier vegetation and the steep drop that led to the river¡¯s edge, enough space that we could set up camp here. Personally, I wasn¡¯t sure it was the greatest place to do so and said as much.

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong with it? It¡¯s clear and we have easy access to water,¡± Amethio pointed out.

    ¡°Perhaps too easy,¡± I countered, pointing at a battle about to happen a few hundred meters away. ¡°Our neighbors seem a little rowdy.¡±

    Amethio had to squint his eyes to make out the small teal shape drifting down to the waters, looking for a drink. I hadn¡¯t expected to find a Dreepy here of all places. Just like I don¡¯t think the Dreepy is expecting the Basculin in the water. Indeed, they were not, giving a sharp, strangled cry and turning tail as the green-scaled fish erupted out of the water, sharp teeth snapping towards it.

    While it avoided most of them, one of the fish managed to sink a nasty Bite into the Ghost Type, eliciting a moan of pain from them. Amethio jumped up at that. ¡°We have to help them!¡±

    ¡°We do? Uh, ok!¡± I responded, running after Amethio who was already going after the Dreepy.

    Not holding back this time, I soon outpaced him and made it to the area where the incident happened. The Dragon was long gone, but the fish that had chased it off were still churning about, agitated.

    They tried to shoot a few weak bursts of water my way, but I took a step back from the edge to make it harder to hit me and released Dun. ¡°Hyper Voice,¡± I called out, and he unleashed a raucous noise that had the fish swimming back beneath the water¡¯s surface.

    ¡°Did you find them?¡± Amethio asked, panting slightly as he approached, then took in Dun¡¯s new form. ¡°Whoa, when did he get so¡­?¡±

    ¡°Big? Unova, had a trip there recently. No sign, but let¡¯s look around, they went on this side of the river,¡± I said rapidly, keeping my eyes peeled. Here my enhanced senses were both a boon and bane because I could see more, but every slight twitch of movement from a passing Passimian troop, or a Combee floating by, had me fixate on that for a moment before trying to refocus.

    A minute or two later, I heard the same ghostly moan, and while the foliage blocked my line of sight, I knew where the Dreepy generally was. ¡°I hear it over there, c¡¯mon!¡±

    We made our way, quickly but carefully through the forest til we found the dragon being angrily yelled at and accosted by a group of black and gray creatures. Most of them were quite small, barely bigger than my foot with four legs. The leader, the evolved version of them, was about half as tall as I was, and stood on two legs, with two gangly arms reaching down to the ground. Each of its hands had three fingers, the middle ones extremely long and dripping with paint. It was the main agitator, shrieking at Dreepy and flinging nasty purple balls of ooze at them that sizzled where they hit. Mostly the ground as the ghostly Dragon dodged around, but I could already see some of the gunk was stuck to Dreepy¡¯s scales.

    Amethio rushed in, releasing Charcadet. ¡°Stop it!¡± He called out, and the Grafaiai turned to sneer at him with their bulbous eyes. Don¡¯t know much about Shroodle or Grafaiai other than the fact that they¡¯re Normal and Poison Types, so I don¡¯t know why they¡¯re doing this. The Dreepy scurry-floated behind Amethio¡¯s legs further prompting anger from the pack. Grafaiai stepped forward and began to battle Charcadet.

    ¡°Fire Spin, then Flame Charge!¡± The boy commanded, and his starter began burning up. The Poison Type howled in pain as the flames surrounded them, but rushed in to meet the charge, scratching viciously at Charcadet.

    ¡°Charcadet!¡± Amethio called out in shock. Hmm, he hasn¡¯t had much experience with wild battles, has he? I don¡¯t want to backseat Train, but I could probably offer a pointer or two.

    ¡°Wild Pokemon aren¡¯t going to call out their attacks ahead of time, you have to be ready for anything!¡± I offered. Amethio clicked his tongue, more in frustration at the monkey-like creature he was fighting rather than me.

    ¡°Flame Charge, strike it again, and speed up!¡± Amethio called out, and Charcadet loyally wrapped itself in flames, once more rushing the Grafaiai. This time the monkey took the hit and tried to sink its fangs dripping with poison into Charcadet, but the fiery little guy dodged at the last second.

    That poison is dangerous. If Charcadet gets Poisoned¡­ Thankfully, Amethio anticipated the dangers as well. ¡°Keep your distance and Ember,¡± the boy called out, and Charcadet did so, spinning around Grafaiai and spitting more flames at them even as the Fire Spin died down.

    Grafaiai proved itself to be quite fast as well, keeping up with the enhanced Charcadet and letting loose sprays of thick poison through the air, often impacting the Fire Type. Each time they landed I heard the slightly unnatural sizzling sound coming from his armor. Each shot weakens him, so each further shot does more damage. What will Amethio do?

    ¡°Destiny-¡±

    ¡°STOP!¡± I interrupted my sudden shout not only throwing Amethio off-guard, but also the Grafaiai and the Shroodle, everyone stopping to turn and stare at me. ¡°Uhh, don¡¯t knock out your only Pokemon while we¡¯re in this forest, ok?¡±

    ¡°Well, what am I supposed to do?!¡± He called out in exasperation as Grafaiai renewed their assault and Charcadet barely dodged a few more Acid Sprays.

    ¡°Clear Smog!¡± I snapped my fingers excitedly, which Amethio got the meaning of instantly. He remembers our first battle just as well as I do.

    ¡°Yeah, Clear Smog on them, then rush into it yourself!¡± Dutifully, Charcadet unleashed a white smoke cloud that only mildly irritated the monkey-like Pokemon, before running into it headlong himself. It did more damage to him than his foe, but I heard the sizzling stop instantly, the acid neutralized by the smoky Move.

    Grafaiai launched a quick series of claw attacks as their foe was up close again, but recoiled from the scorching heat as they hit the wrong part of the Fire Type¡¯s body. With a final Flame Charge, the leader was taken down.

    This sent the smaller, more mouse-like Shroodle into a panicking, scurrying about without any direction. This panic was only exacerbated by the fact that this small corner of the forest was on fire.

    ¡°Go, Miles!¡± I said, releasing them from their Pokeball, already in Wash Form. ¡°Put out these fires.¡±

    ¡°Ro-to-to!¡± They eagerly agreed, but something went off when they tried. At first, only a small dribble of water came out of their open, washing machine door. Then the water would pour out in fits and bursts, rather than the usual high-powered stream Hydro Pump made. Still, after a minute or so, it was enough to put out all the flames, leaving the Shroodle huddled around their fallen leader.

    ¡°Relax, we¡¯re not going to hurt you, we¡¯re just going to take the Dreepy to safety, okay?¡± I asked them, but they seemed a little too frightened to give a proper response.

    ¡°We have a problem,¡± Amethio said, and turning to him, I saw him leaning over the small dragon which was coughing and looked quite pale.

    ¡°Miles, can you clear the acid off of her?¡± I asked, pointing at the fallen Dragon. My Pokemon then unleashed quite a powerful blast of water, eliciting a small cry of pain from the Dreepy.

    ¡°What was that for?¡± Amethio angrily yelled at me. Miles themselves looked shocked and sad.

    ¡°I don¡¯t know, something seems off with Miles,¡± I responded, walking briskly over and scooping up the now clean, if a bit more battered, Dreepy. They gave out a few weak coughs, still looking pale. Poisoned, and pretty badly at that. Looks like it got bit before we got there. ¡°The Dreepy is Poisoned, can you find a Pecha Berry? I¡¯ll look after them and check what¡¯s up with Miles.¡± For some reason, Amethio looked hesitant so I added ¡°Just go! We need to get them an antidote fast.¡±

    He turned and ran off, searching for the berry among the trees and on the forest ground, while I turned to face Miles. ¡°Alright, what¡¯s up with you today? Is your Aura alright?¡±

    They dropped down to the ground, unpossessing the washing machine and floating back into their phone. ¡°I am uncertain, bzzt. My electrical control appears to be fine, but when I tried using the Water Type energy, there were issues.¡±

    ¡°Hmm¡­¡± We aren¡¯t close enough to, nor so devoid of ambient Water energies for the environment to be a problem here, so it¡¯s probably something else. ¡°Run a diagnostic on the machine,¡± I offered slowly, as an idea as to the cause came to me.

    They did so, and I held the Dreepy close while we waited. It twitched a little, looking weak, and I wished there was something else I could do. Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t anything I had on hand to help the triangular-headed Pokemon. As part of the ¡®self-sufficiency¡¯ training we were doing, I didn¡¯t have my usual bevy of Potions and healing items on hand.

    ¡°So, why did you attack this guy?¡± I asked the Shroodle, getting a few squeaks and some odd tilting motions, but little substantive. Understanding a Pokemon can be hard. I¡¯ve had years to help with Dun, but I can¡¯t even perfectly tell what he wants all of the time. Aside from the fact that this Dreepy is a girl, I¡¯m not getting anything they¡¯re saying.

    Miles finished their diagnostic, returning to their phone to tell me the results. ¡°Something in the inner workings of my Water Drive engine is broken, that¡¯s why it¡¯s not making the proper amount of water, gathering too much or too little when I try to use it, bzzt.¡±

    ¡°Must have been damaged in our fight with Clay and we didn¡¯t notice till after.¡± Strange, usually Rotom Forms are pretty resistant to permanent damage because they rely on the possesser¡¯s Aura. Maybe the fact that an Earthquake hit them when they should usually be immune played a role in the damages?

    It was hard to say, but I didn¡¯t have time to think about that as Amethio raced back, he and Charcadet had their hands full of berries.

    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    ¡°Ididn¡¯tknowwhichonewasaPechasoIjustpickedabunch!¡± He shouted breathlessly at me.

    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s not good. Sorry about that. They look like¡­ well none of those are Pechas.¡± He groaned, and I added, ¡°Wait, there¡¯s a Lum berry there, that¡¯ll do!¡± Picking out the green orb-shaped berry, he slowly fed it to Dreepy. With agonized effort, she chewed and swallowed it, then blinked her eyes open, looking still tired but already somewhat better.

    ¡°Very good. When she¡¯s ready, give her some of those Oran berries too, as a little pick-me-up. I¡¯ll give the rest to the Shroodle.¡±

    ¡°Why are we feeding the Pokemon that attacked us?¡± He asked, seeming upset even as he was careful to hold Dreepy gently when I passed her over.

    ¡°Because we don¡¯t know what happened. Plus, they¡¯re going to be in rough shape with their leader out of commission for a bit, so might as well help.¡±

    Amethio dumped the berries off near the wild Pokemon and we left, heading out just to leave the general area. The Dreepy had started to perk up, floating around and chirping happily.

    ¡°What were you doing here?¡±

    ¡°Dreep, Dree.¡± She responded, zipping around as she did so.

    ¡°You came here looking to prove yourself?¡± Amethio asked and Dreepy wobbled for a moment before nodding her head. ¡°Something like that,¡± he muttered, more to himself as his hand drifted down to his belt, before pausing.

    ¡°Are you thinking about catching her?¡± I whispered as she zipped around, exploring the forest. Dun slithered ahead to make sure she didn¡¯t get into any more trouble. ¡°Dreepy are tough to train.¡± Like most Pseudo Legendaries, there¡¯s a reason why few trainers have their final stages on their teams, and why those few that do are considered some of the best.

    That, if anything, lit a fire in his eyes. ¡°I can do it.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not saying you can¡¯t, was just informing you. You don¡¯t have to take everything as a challenge, you know?¡± Rather than respond to me he stomped off to Dreepy.

    ¡°Dreepy, I want- no, I need to be strong. Will you join me?¡± He asked bluntly, holding out a Pokeball he had enlarged and pulled off his belt. Barely were the words out of his mouth and she had darted towards it, connecting with the central button and disappearing inside in a red flash.

    ¡°Congrats on your second Pokemon,¡± I said easily, refusing to let his irritation from before get to me. He looked to the side and mumbled something like ¡®thanks¡¯ before moving on.

    ***

    We explored a fair bit of the forest before we reached a spot I thought was good. ¡°We should rest there for the night,¡± I said, pointing at the top of the hill. Amethio was strangely quiet ever since the Dreepy incident, but I decided to explain my reasoning anyway. ¡°Being at the top of the hill gives us a good vantage point, with the tree in front giving some cover. There¡¯s a pool of water down at the bottom of the hill, and it¡¯s got a more peaceful bunch of Woopers in it rather than Basculin.¡±

    ¡°Fine,¡± Amethio clipped out, walking towards it before stopping and sighing. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he muttered, low enough that without my super hearing, I probably wouldn¡¯t have caught the words.

    ¡°For?¡± I asked, not trying to draw things out, but curious as to why exactly he had been upset.

    ¡°For being upset with you. I didn¡¯t like the fact that I needed your help to beat that Grafaiai.¡±

    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not a big deal. Charcadet hasn¡¯t evolved yet, that was always going to be a challenge. Besides, you handled the other battles on our way here pretty well.¡± He had fought off a Komala and even drove off a small hive of Combees. Dun had only fought once so far, against a Passimian, and easily outclassed the lemur-like Pokemon, being much stronger than most of the creatures in this forest. Evolution has done wonders for his strength overall, but I think he would have been strong enough to handle anything sent our way even before.

    ¡°But you could have handled it easily,¡± he shot out bitterly as we began hiking up the hill. Be calm Nemona, he¡¯s just a kid. They still get emotional and act out, even when trying to apologize.

    ¡°Possibly. But I¡¯ll still want your help on this trip. It¡¯s why I didn¡¯t want you to win with Destiny Bond, or you¡¯d be stuck without a Pokemon and we¡¯re in this together.¡±

    ¡°Are we?¡± He said, turning to stare down at me. ¡°I know you¡¯re leaving after this. I heard what you said to Hamber.¡±

    Part of me wants to point out that I never said I was leaving, I just told Hamber I was thinking I might come to the Explorers less often. Not slamming the door shut, just... closing it most of the way. But I''m indeed pulling back, and Amethio is a smart enough kid to realize that.

    Suppressing a groan I said: ¡°Yes, I¡¯m leaving. The base is creepy, and everyone is hiding something from me. I don¡¯t get what you guys are up to.¡±

    ¡°You might if you actually joined us! You¡¯re keeping secrets too,¡± he petulantly pointed out. As much as he isn¡¯t being mature about this, he does have a point.

    ¡°What if I didn¡¯t like whatever it was the Explorers were up to? What if you didn¡¯t like me once my secrets were revealed?¡± Because once you walk through that door, you can¡¯t go back. We¡¯ve been hanging in an uneasy balance right now, but the equilibrium can¡¯t last. Sooner or later, I¡¯d have to come down on one side.

    Amethio looked frustrated at that, not having an answer there. We finished our hike up the hill, finding a nice spot in the shade of the large tree to set up our tents. ¡°... I don¡¯t want you to leave,¡± He finally said.

    ¡°You could leave, too. You don¡¯t have to stay there,¡± I tried gently pointing out, but he locked his jaw and shook his head.

    ¡°I have to. Have to prove that I can choose right, that I¡¯m better than my father.¡± Well, looks like that option won¡¯t work. I¡¯m curious about the father angle, but I don¡¯t think asking any questions about that is going to help right now.

    With a long stretch, I said ¡°You know, me leaving doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t be friends.¡± He gave me a skeptical look and one that I inwardly understood. It does mean we¡¯ll see each other a lot less, and more than that, if I do find out someday that all that creepiness was linked to something nefarious, I¡¯ll have to stop them. But still. ¡°I¡¯m serious, we can stay in touch and talk, even if I¡¯m busy with other stuff.¡±

    ¡°What other stuff?¡±

    ¡°Taking on the Pokemon League, becoming a Pokemon Professor, writing world-famous songs, running a bajillion start-up companies, you know, little stuff like that.¡± He gave a small huff at my grandiose juxtaposition, trying to hide his laughter.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a phone,¡± Amethio pointed out. I seamlessly suppressed a glare at that. Yet another way The Explorers have kept him cut off from the world. Not out of purposeful malice they''d ever admit, if asked they would probably say Amethio never asked for a phone, but- ugh just focus on the present.

    ¡°Luckily, I think my dad can fix that. He runs the Rotom Phone company, they can do amazing things.¡± His oddly shaped pupils widened at that. ¡°You should come to the headquarters with me. I need to get Miles¡¯ Washing Machine fixed. Plus, I have some ideas for a few upgrades.¡±

    Hardly an amazing engineer yet, but I think the study of machinery has helped improve my technical skills a tad. I might be able to at least describe a reasonable idea to the scientists who work for my dad such that they could fine-tune and make what I¡¯m looking for.

    ¡°Really?¡± The boy sounded surprised as if there was a seed of unexpected hope he couldn¡¯t quite squash.

    ¡°Yeah, of course. We can still be friends and stay in touch, even if we aren¡¯t going to share everything. I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll be able to meet up and hang out sometimes too.¡± Less sure on that point, but I think by being the one to say it, the Explorers will be less inclined to act so cult-y. Is that even a word here, or do they just call things ¡®Team-y¡¯?

    I was brought back to the moment by hearing Amethio start to pull out his tent. ¡°Let¡¯s get set up. And¡­ thank you.¡±

    With a big grin, I began doing the same. Alright, we had a rough start, but things are looking up.

    ***

    I forgot how used I was to the comforts of society I thought as I shifted around, trying to find a less hard spot to lie on, to no avail. Sleeping on a luxurious four-poster bed for the past two years had not prepared me for the rigors of camping. The area we picked wasn¡¯t even that bad compared to others, with no jagged rocks or roots beneath our tents, but the hard dirt, even with an airbag and sleeping mattress in the way, was still unpleasant to lie on.

    What was more troubling for my sleep however were the noises. Murkrows would caw in the night and the trees would rustle without any wind, Pokemon lurking about. Just calm down, everything is fine. Dreepy and Miles don¡¯t need sleep, so they¡¯re watching over us, they¡¯d let us know if anything got close.

    It wasn¡¯t even a super likely fear, I knew. Most Pokemon knew better than to go bother humans at night. Pokemon in general were not as vicious and predatory as animals could be. Territorial, sure, but we had paid off this area¡¯s band of Grafaiai with some more harvested berries, and even if anything did want to cause a problem it would likely be to drive us out, not hurt us. But there are always exceptions. At least Dun is warm. I cuddled closer to my starter and closed my eyes again, trying to push out all the outside noises.

    Sleep didn¡¯t come easily because of those reasons, but I figured it did eventually come, as at some point I could suddenly see the pale light of dawn peeking in. With a yawn and a stretch, I got up, leaving Dun to rest a bit longer within the tent as I exited. The first thing I saw was Amethio sitting down on the hill beside Charcadet. ¡°Oh hello. Did you get much sleep last night?¡±

    He grunted. ¡°I got enough.¡± So macho. Why does he feel he needs to always act like things are fin- oh right, people like Spinel and Coral. I wasn¡¯t going to ¡®win¡¯ that argument though, so I didn¡¯t bring it up, just sitting down beside him in the peaceable early morning quiet. Most of the nocturnal Pokemon had gone back to their dens and nests to rest for the day, but the diurnal Pokemon were still slowly waking up and not very active yet.

    After a few minutes, he added: ¡°I was talking with Charcadet, about evolution. You said it was impressive that he did as well as he did against an evolved Pokemon, but how much stronger would he be with it?¡±

    ¡°That¡­ depends. Plenty of Pokemon can be strong without evolution. Some Pokemon never evolve and can still be major powerhouses. So first off decide if evolution is what you both want.¡± Amethio looked contemplative, but it was Charcadet who jumped up, nodding his head eagerly, the fires in his eyes blazing bright. ¡°Alright then, looks like someone is keen on it.¡±

    ¡°Char! Har, adet!¡±

    I continued. ¡°Evolution will be an immediate boost of power. For Pokemon like Charcadet that use an item to evolve, you¡¯ll have to consider when you want to evolve. It¡¯s a big choice, and even if you want to do so eventually, there are advantages to spending some time in the base stage and getting a good grasp on the energies you can handle there.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve already spent plenty of time training here. I might have jumped the Bullet Punch on Destiny Bond there, but Charcadet was able to beat Grafaiai already.¡± He had his arms crossed, ready to defend his case further.

    ¡°Yeah, that could be.¡± At his disbelieving look, I added ¡°Honest, it¡¯s really your guys¡¯ choice. You¡¯re his trainer, so you can best guide him for what he wants.¡±

    ¡°What he wants¡­¡± Amethio repeated, a flash of guilt on his face, barely catchable. A lot of trainers sort of skim past that part. Not that I think that Amethio has been cruel to his starter, or doesn¡¯t love them. He¡¯s still a kid though, and one with big, nebulous, goals he feels pressured by, so it¡¯s easy for him to be a little unknowingly selfish.

    Charcadet placed a hand on Amethio¡¯s shoulder, to reassure the boy that he stood beside him and all he wanted was to assist his trainer. Amethio turned away from me to face his Pokemon, and if he had to wipe a tear from his eyes, I didn¡¯t comment on it.

    ¡°So, ah, what item would we need to evolve him?¡± He asked me a minute later.

    ¡°Well, that¡¯s the thing; Charcadet has a split evolution path. Two sets of specialized armor can help him change, though it might be possible, if incredibly difficult without.¡± Mela evolved the Team Star Charcadets without even knowing about the armor stuff, somehow. ¡°I don¡¯t know how that would be done without the armors though, or if you¡¯d be leaving the type of evolution up to chance.¡±

    Charcadet seemed very curious at that, walking around to get a better look at me. ¡°The two evolutions are Ceruledge and Armarogue- actually, let me pull up some pictures.¡± Taking out my Pokedex, I scrolled through it before finding the pages and holding it up for them to see.

    ¡°Ceruledge needs the Malicious armor, and will gain the Ghost Typing, while Armarouge needs the¡­ Auspicious armor? I think. It will gain the Psychic Typing. Both retain the Fire Type.¡± Charcadet nodded his head, pleased with that, while gazing in awe at what he could look like in each of his evolved forms.

    ¡°Which is better?¡± Amethio asked bluntly, eliciting a sharp laugh from me.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call either of them ¡®better¡¯ than the other, just different. Armarouge focuses more on range and energy attacks, while Ceruledge is better at up-close, physical attacks. As far as Typing goes, Dreepy is a Ghost Type, so you might get more mono-focus benefits by adding another Ghost Type, or you could diversify your team and have Psychic. Those are just minor details, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be strong whichever way you two decide.¡±

    The pale boy blushed a bit, looking away. ¡°Thanks. Do- do you know where I could get those armors?¡±

    ¡°Sorry, I don¡¯t.¡± I never actually caught a Charcadet in my runs, and from what I remember having read online, you need to give items to some lady in¡­ Medali maybe? I can¡¯t recall the items clearly, and that might have just been a gaming abstraction anyway. ¡°I can look into it though-¡± He waved me off before I could finish.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, you¡¯ve helped me- helped us out enough. We¡¯ll have to discuss it more, but The Explorers have plenty of resources too,¡± he boasted. Don¡¯t I know it. Creepy mega-complex bases, holograph projectors, and uniforms don¡¯t make themselves after all. I just don¡¯t know where those resources come from. It was another factor that was creepy, but I couldn¡¯t outright declare it as ¡®evil¡¯ or ¡®bad¡¯. My parents are weird in their own ways, but if they wanted to build some ominous base hidden away from the world, they could do so as well. That thought put some truly disturbing images in my head that I shoved deep down to the bottom recesses of my mind.

    ¡°Alright, while you¡¯re busy daydreaming, I¡¯ll get a fire started. Since we¡¯re both up we might as well get an early start on breakfast.¡±

    The boy gave me an odd look, pointing a hand over at his starter. I rolled my eyes. ¡°Yeah, yeah, I know we have Pokemon that can do it, but this is good training.¡±

    ¡°Training for what?¡±

    ¡°If I¡¯m stuck in the wilderness and my Pokemon are too injured or weak to help me with the basic things. I like being self-sufficient.¡±

    This time it was his turn to roll his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll give you ten minutes,¡± he deadpanned, hopping up to scout around.

    I made a small circle in the ground ringed by rocks. Gathering the twigs and making wood shavings for kindling wasn¡¯t hard with the multi-tool in my pack, but striking the flint took many, many attempts before I finally succeeded.

    ¡°Yes!¡± I pumped my fist in the air before a burst of flame from the side engulfed the logs. ¡°Wha-!¡±

    ¡°Congrats, you did it in like nine minutes,¡± Amethio said, having returned.

    ¡°Why did you have Charcadet do that?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You lit it on fire, isn¡¯t that what you wanted?¡± He pointed out and I crossed my arms in a totally-not-petulant manner.

    ¡°Lighting it on fire isn¡¯t the end, you need to carefully tend to the flames to make sure they don¡¯t go out.¡± He didn¡¯t look swayed by my argument, and honestly, I wasn¡¯t either. I guess I probably had it from there, but still. I like practicing these skills, but I would like to get a move on with breakfast too.

    We had a bit of oatmeal mix and a pan, which I used to make ourselves breakfast. It was not the most delicious of meals I had ever had - in fact, it was probably objectively the worst I ever had in this lifetime. Subjectively, however, it made the top ten, because all we¡¯d had before were some nuts and berries we had been able to scavenge (and determine were not poisonous).

    The scent of our meal must have wafted over a bit because soon enough I saw a Pineco shuffling up the hill to our camp. I don¡¯t think Pineco moves like that¡­

    When it reached us it let out a deep growl of warning, somewhat interrupted by my words. ¡°Would you like some of our food, little Zorua?¡± That caused them to jump backward, eyeing me warily before saying, or rather, making me think they said:

    ¡°Pine! Eco.¡±

    ¡°Sorry, that bluff won¡¯t work when your shadow is that of a Zorua¡¯s,¡± I pointed out, one of my hands pointing at their fox-like shadow. They gave a ¡®yip¡¯ of shock and embarrassment, letting the illusion fade and revealing the red and black-furred Pokemon they truly were. There were a bunch of other tells as well, like their scent and the paw prints left in the grass. I wonder how difficult it was for Director Z to make her illusions as complete as she did?

    ¡°Zor?¡± He asked cautiously, approaching closer.

    ¡°I think we can let them clean off the pot, right Amethio?¡± The boy nodded, both of us having eaten our full. ¡°And in exchange, maybe you can give us a battle?¡± I asked the Zorua who bared his teeth in a fierce grin. ¡°You ready to give Dreepy their first battle?¡±

    ¡°Me? Oh, yeah, we can do this,¡± Amethio quickly recovered, resolving himself to fight. The Zorua finished his meal¡­ and then promptly ran away, multiplying and dodging among the trees and underbrush before we could catch them. I can still make out which one is the real one, but they¡¯re way too far away now to catch, not without a Move like Earthquake bringing the whole forest down on us.

    ¡°Stop laughing!¡± Amethio hissed at me, clearly not finding the same amusement I did in this.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I apologized without much sincerity. ¡°I just didn¡¯t think they¡¯d go and do that. Guess that shows me; gotta offer the food after, not before.¡± It is a good lesson. I¡¯d been getting complacent with the wild Pokemon around my home, the ones who have gotten used to me. Each time I explore a new area, I¡¯ll find there are different social structures to deal with, and they won¡¯t know me.

    With that little misstep over with, we packed up our tent and began hiking back to the entrance of this little valley. That was somewhat skill testing, tracking our footprints and trail from the day before, using landmarks to determine where the right way out of the twisted forest was¡­ or at least it was for half an hour until Amethio pointed out we both had Pokemon that could float. Miles and Dreepy were easily able to rise above the treeline and point us in a straight line to the exit.

    As we approached the edge of the forest Amethio told me ¡°It might take a few weeks, but I want to get that phone and stay in contact with you. Thanks for that, and for helping me. You¡¯re younger than I am, but you seem to know so much.¡±

    I quickly smoothed over the small twitch at what he said. Just another secret I¡¯ll be keeping.

    ¡°Perfect! Just tell Hamber when you¡¯re ready and we can take a trip to the factory. There they are!¡± Pointing at the Explorers waiting at the edge of the canyon border we raced ahead, eager to tell them about our exciting adventure.

 Interlude VI - Arven

    ¡°Good afternoon, Mister Arven,¡± Leah greeted me at the door to the mansion. It still feels so weird to be treated so fancily. Nemona says you get used to it, but I also think she makes a game out of trying to get them just to call her by her name.

    ¡°Thanks, Leah.¡± I wiped my shoes on the welcome mat and took them off. The staff is nice but they get very scary if you track dirt inside. And I get a lecture even if Maschiff made the mess, not me!

    ¡°Where¡¯s-¡± I began while she spoke up.

    ¡°The Young Miss is- ah, apologies." Seeing me not continuing, she carried on. "Young Miss is in her room, I don¡¯t believe she has any studies right now.¡±

    ¡°Cool!¡± Dad being busy with his work sucked, and Nemona was constantly busy too these days. She¡¯d always try to make time for me, but the last time I barged in I saw Hassel of the Elite Four glaring at me! Funnily enough, I think if it wasn¡¯t for Nemona, I wouldn¡¯t have even recognized him. But she watches so many battle videos I could probably list off every region¡¯s champions and Elites now. We''d watch cartoons fairly often too, but I got the feeling that she only watched them when I was around.

    Swiftly walking up the stairs, I opened the door to my friend¡¯s room. ¡°Hey Nemona, I- what are you¡­ doing?¡± I asked dumbly. Dad would never call my questions dumb, but he would say some questions ¡®reward less new intelligence than others,¡¯ and that feels like him saying it¡¯s dumb. I knew it was a dumb question because I could clearly see what she was doing, even if I had a hard time comprehending it.

    ¡°Meditating.¡± Her voice lilted oddly as she wobbled a bit in the air. Because that¡¯s where she was ¡®sitting¡¯ cross-legged, in the middle of the air. She opened her amber eyes to look at me, and I noticed she was sweating a little. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you today, Arven.¡± She commented in a tone that was calm but with an underlying tension. Like Dad, when he¡¯s happy to see me, but is frustrated with someone at work.

    ¡°I thought Dad might be home today but¡­ guess not.¡±

    She frowned, her body wobbling again in the air before straightening out again. ¡°Is there something special about today? I didn¡¯t forget your birthday, did I?¡±

    Snickering at that, I released Maschiff, wanting my closest bud to see this too, just to be sure I wasn¡¯t dreaming. ¡°No, not that. More importantly, though, HOW ARE YOU FLYING?!!¡± My dog Pokemon barked his agreement, sniffing around and walking all over Nemona¡¯s room, looking for the ¡®trick¡¯.

    ¡°Ah, right. That. This is something I¡¯ve been practicing, it¡¯s called Aura.¡±

    ¡°Whoa. Could I do that too?¡±

    Nemona didn¡¯t immediately answer, thinking it over. ¡°Well, it¡¯s possible. But more likely you¡¯d have a different Type of Aura than me.¡± At my lack of comprehension, she added ¡°Which means you¡¯d be able to do different things, but probably not fly. It would also likely take a lot of work. I had to practice tons to get this far-¡±

    ¡°Oh, nevermind then.¡± Her face fell at my answer.

    ¡°I mean, that¡¯s ok, but you shouldn¡¯t be worried of a little hard work!¡± She pouted, caught between annoyance and relief.

    Giving her a dubious glance, I answered ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of a little hard work, I¡¯m afraid of what you call ¡®a little hard work!¡¯ You¡¯re just like Dad that way.¡± Nemona suddenly collapsed to the ground, as if all the force holding her up had suddenly stopped. ¡°Nemona!¡±

    Miles zipped out of her pocket at the same time as Dun popped out of his Pokeball, both Pokemon looking extremely worried. ¡°It¡¯s fine guys, my butt broke my fall,¡± she tried with a smile that was more like a grimace, standing back up.

    ¡°What happened, bzzt?¡± Miles inquired.

    ¡°Just lost my focus,¡± she muttered a fact I found hard to believe as her eyes narrowed in on me with an intensity I didn¡¯t usually feel from her outside of battling. ¡°What were you just saying?¡±

    ¡°Just, that you¡¯re a lot like Dad. You both can get so focused and know so much¡­¡± Not like me. Whenever Dad brought me around to work, I could feel people judging me with their eyes. Wondering why I wasn¡¯t as smart as he was. They¡¯d always laugh it off, say I was still young, but then I see how everyone here looks at Nemona-

    My thoughts were cut off by the window to her room slamming open, a gust of wind whirling through, tossing some of Nemona¡¯s bed sheets and the papers on her desk about. ¡°Sorry,¡± she immediately said, fists clenched tightly at her side. Dun nuzzled up to her side while Miles looked on, plasmic face showing concern. She screwed her face up in concentration as the wind died down.

    ¡°Sorry for what?¡± I asked, still a little confused, rushing over to grab the papers that had fallen. None of it looked like homework, a mix of battle theories and story ideas. She always has the most fantastical stories to tell. Nemona¡¯s new schedule keeps her busy, but she¡¯ll usually try to rope me into it, and if Maschiff and I aren¡¯t into a torture session training that day, she¡¯ll tell us some of her stories while letting her team train.

    ¡°... I lost control of my Aura and it caused a disturbance, I need to get better with that.¡± She plucked the broken latch from the window off the ground. ¡°I¡¯m glad to see the glass is tough enough to withstand that, but it¡¯s a poor design choice that doesn¡¯t leave the surroundings just as tough as the opening. If a door is made of steel, but attached to wood, then your room is only as secure as the wood-¡±

    ¡°What was that!?!¡± Leah¡¯s frantic shout cut through the house and Nemona¡¯s ramblings.

    ¡°Hey Arven, wanna go for a walk?¡± My best friend ¡®offered¡¯ before dragging me over and up to the window. Considering how it opened above her desk, the fact that she was lifting me almost above her head to shove me out would have been impressive if it weren¡¯t for¡­ that.

    ¡°Wait, Nemona, we¡¯re up kinda high-¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, just hold on to Miles.¡± The Pokemon in question hovered outside the window I was being pushed out of as we heard heavy footsteps stomping up. Without a better option, I grabbed on and Nemona let go.

    I may have shrieked a little as I drifted down, to go alongside Nemona¡¯s cheer of delight as she vaulted over and glided down beside me. Maschiff joined in with a howl of fear a second later as he clung atop Dun¡¯s back as the evolved Pokemon slipped out and flapped his wings vigorously to drift down.

    Landing down on the soft sand, we took off at a run, and I could distantly hear Leah shouting something from Nemona¡¯s room. ¡°Is this going to be all right?¡±

    The crazy girl just laughed. ¡°Probably! If not, it¡¯s future Nemona¡¯s problem.¡± Despite her Giratina-may-care attitude, I noticed her firing off a quick message with Miles as we ran, so Leah shouldn¡¯t be too worried about us.

    We made our way off the beach and up the nearby hills, just running free. I¡¯m actually getting ahead of Nemona for once! Glancing back I saw her breathing hard, so I came to a stop atop one grassy section halfway to my house. She joined me in taking a break, looking pretty tired. Weird. She trains and runs a ton, I''m always pooped before her. Haha, poop.

    Lying down in the grass, Nemona let out a big sigh, and I joined her, not realizing how damp it still was with dew. I was sweaty from all that running I guess.

    We sat in silence for a few minutes before she gave me a question as out of the blue as the clear sky above us. ¡°Would you hate me, if you knew I was keeping a big secret from you?¡±

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Huh?¡± Where¡¯s this coming from? ¡°I dunno, what¡¯s the secret?¡±

    That provoked a laugh from her. ¡°It¡¯s a secret, I can¡¯t tell you that dummy! Or rather, I don¡¯t want to tell you that.¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± I pressed.

    ¡°Because I¡¯m trying to change things so what I¡¯m worried about won¡¯t be a problem, but if I tell you about it, it might worry you.¡± My face scrunched up as I tried to figure out her words, and I felt Maschiff flopping his head down on my belly like a pillow, my starter had given up on understanding her whatsoever.

    ¡°I guess it¡¯s fine then, I trust you.¡± Her breath hitched for a second at my words, before she let out a small helpless laugh. ¡°Are all girls as weird as you are?¡± That provoked more laughter, genuine this time.

    ¡°Rude, what kind of question is that? But looking at my sister, no, most girls aren¡¯t as weird as me.¡±

    ¡°That isn¡¯t a umm,¡± I paused trying to find the right words. ¡°Magnificent sample size?¡±

    She snorted, turning her head a bit while still lying on the ground to look at me. ¡°I think you mean ¡®significant¡¯ sample size. And you¡¯re right it isn¡¯t, but we don¡¯t really know any other girls. No wait, I do know another girl! Miles, show him all the photos and gifs Lacey sent me!¡±

    Her Rotom floated over, dutifully pulling up several different texts she had sent with her Unovan friend. A lot of the ones from Lacey showed cute Pokemon and sometimes the pink-haired girl herself, usually with the girl hugging or pointing at said Pokemon. Others were just funny gifs or emoticons. In between all that though, I scrolled through to see some in-depth discussions on battles and strategies between the two girls. Even the ¡®normal¡¯ people are smarter than me, all this stuff goes over my head.

    ¡°Hey, don¡¯t say that,¡± Nemona commented and it took me a second to realize I¡¯d spoken my thoughts out loud.

    Grumpily sitting up (to Maschiff¡¯s slight chagrin) I said: ¡°It¡¯s true though. Lacey¡¯s normal, but she can talk battle stuff with you that I don¡¯t get even after all the times you¡¯ve beat us.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a fair comparison, Lacey¡¯s father is a gym leader so of course, she¡¯d have a bit more knowledge about battli-¡±

    ¡°Then why am I so dumb that Mom left me!¡± My shout caused Nemona to physically recoil and I shrunk back too. ¡°Sorry, just¡­ you¡¯re so smart about everything even though you¡¯re the same age as me, and I¡¯m an idiot.¡±

    Nemona pulled herself up as well, with a sigh so weary it sounded like it aged her. ¡°Everyone is an idiot. I do reckless things, because I¡¯m too eager or too driven, and I end up hurting myself or worrying others. Sometimes both.¡± The wind whistled by as we sat in silence for a minute before she asked me ¡°What brought this on? If you don¡¯t mind me asking, I get that it¡¯s a touchy subject. You just¡­ never brought up your Mom before.¡±

    Maschiff nuzzled up close to me and I scratched the top of his head. He was just a tiny puppy when Mom left, he barely remembers her. When Dad threw himself into his work, Maschiff was there for me. And even now, as he¡¯s doing it again. But Maschiff isn¡¯t the only one here for me now, though. I come over to the mansion almost every other day now.

    Knowing I owed her an answer I said ¡°Dad isn¡¯t back. I know he¡¯s doing great work in Area Zero, everyone tells me so.¡± Nemona muttered something like ¡®Everyone should mind their business.¡¯

    ¡°Today was Mom and Dad¡¯s anniversary, so I thought he might¡­¡± Abandon all his important work to look after me?

    ¡°Your father¡­ is possibly the biggest idiot I¡¯ve ever met.¡± I blinked and had to make sure that Nemona hadn¡¯t been replaced by aliens, but it was still her. My best friend, with a fire blazing in her eyes, had a surety that made me want to believe her words even as she said the craziest thing I¡¯d ever heard.

    ¡°But- but he¡¯s so smart!¡±

    ¡°Doesn¡¯t stop him from being an idiot. Tons of smart people can be.¡± At my confused expression, she explained. ¡°See, even ¡®smart¡¯ people only know what they know, and they can miss other things outside of where they focus. Which is how a moron like Turo can miss that he¡¯s fu-¡± she cut herself off, realizing she was getting heated.

    More calmly, but no less firm, she said: ¡°Talk to your Dad. If he¡¯s doing something you don¡¯t like, you have to let him know. As dumb as he can be, I can promise you that he cares about you and wants you to be well, and him not being here is not about him not liking you.¡±

    I¡¯m still not sure, but Nemona sounds sure enough for both of us, so I¡¯ll believe in her. ¡°Ok, I¡¯ll call Dad when I get back home.¡±

    Nemona smiled brilliantly at that as if I had done some big thing by saying I¡¯d call him. ¡°I still wish I was a genius like you,¡± I blurted out before my brain could get the message and stop.

    A sad chuckle spilled out of her throat. ¡°Not sure anyone would really want to be like me. I¡¯m also not a genius, not truly. I¡¯m just good at working hard.¡±

    ¡°But you¡¯re good at so many different things! Martial arts, wilderness survival, singing, Pokemon battles, you can fly.¡± I haven¡¯t forgotten that point, Nemona!

    ¡°All just hard work, you don¡¯t go into anything knowing you¡¯ll be great at it. If you want to expand your horizons, go for it. Try a bunch of things; photography, gardening, sports, whatever catches your fancy. My family can arrange for tutoring or whatever.¡±

    ¡°No, that¡¯s fine. You guys already do way too much for me. I¡¯ll tell Dad to arrange it¡­ as soon as I figure out what it is I want to do.¡± Not everything is resolved, but I feel a bit better like things are going to turn out alright.

    That hopeful moment was shattered by the sight of Leah, appearing around the turn of a hill to lock her gaze on us. Her maid outfit was hiked up ¡°You. Are in. So. Much. Trouble.¡±

    ¡°Damn it past Nemona,¡± my friend groused. ¡°Why you gotta be such a jerk?¡±

    ***

    Later that day, after Leah had lectured Nemona on using her ¡®Aura¡¯ responsibly, we played some more games before I went back home.

    Dad left me plenty of money for food, but it was the staff at Nemona¡¯s house that had arranged for constant balanced grocery deliveries to the lighthouse, so we were well stocked and I got to try out all sorts of different meals to make for Maschiff and me.

    Despite that and the grumblings from my stomach, I couldn¡¯t ignore the feeling of emptiness that yawned before me every time I opened the door and Dad wasn¡¯t there.

    Entering, I flicked on the lights and pulled out my Rotom Phone, staring at it as I sat on the couch. I need to talk to Dad, want to talk to him, I even went over some stuff about what I should bring up and how to phrase it with Nemona. So why am I angry at him? Why do I feel like I don¡¯t want to do this? Why am I scared?

    Eventually, I couldn¡¯t push it off any longer, so I flicked over to his number and called him. It rang for a long time, so long I thought I¡¯d have to leave a message, but then he answered. ¡°Arven? What is wrong?¡±

    ¡°...You¡¯re not here. It¡¯s yours and Mom¡¯s anniversary and you aren¡¯t-¡± The thoughts of how I was supposed to lead had gone right out of my mind.

    ¡°My son¡­¡± His voice sounded so sincere, so remorseful, so hurt at the reminder, that for a second I felt bad for ever being upset with him. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry. I never meant- We¡¯ve been so busy- No, that¡¯s no excuse.¡±

    ¡°I wanted you to be back, just for today. You said you¡¯d try to get time off to see me. It¡¯s so lonely here.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t you have Nemona and-¡±

    I snapped, cutting him off ¡°It¡¯s not the same! And even if she isn¡¯t busy with her stuff, I come back home after hanging out with her and the house is-¡± I cut myself off (and only partially because I accidentally bit my tongue lightly). I never raised my voice against Dad before. I was too young to realize how much it sucked before, or maybe I just didn¡¯t know any better before meeting Nemona. Then his Tera Orb project was wrapping up and I thought it would be done, spending a week or so at most on his other science stuff before coming home, but it¡¯s the same thing all over again.

    My father was silent on the other end for a few seconds, processing things. ¡°Again, I am sorry. I should have realized how difficult it would be for you. It has been tougher than I anticipated down here as well. The teleporters for the bunkers are behaving finicky around the unusual energy of Area Zero so it¡¯s taking a while for the League to arrange trips in and out currently. Then there¡¯s the new team they ¡®gave¡¯ me for this project. While there are skilled researchers like Jaques and Clavell here, I worry that some of them might look to steal things from me. Sabotage my work while I¡¯m not here."

    Dad paused, taking a deep breath before his usually stoic face took on a pained note. ¡°I¡¯ll come back to visit soon, once the bunkers are set up. At least for a few days. I¡¯ll still need to go back after,¡± He explained. Father goes over every point with me with such detail that I worried he thought I was dumb, but that¡¯s just how he is. I think Nemona had a word for it. Methological?

    I tuned back into his words, realizing I¡¯d missed most of what he¡¯d said. ¡°...There¡¯s so much to see here, son. I wish I could show it all to you - one day, I will! All of it and more. Soon, I¡¯ll be able to show you a paradise like you¡¯ve never seen before. Then I¡¯ll never need to stay away again, I promise. Just¡­ give me a bit more time, please.¡±

    ¡°O-ok.¡± Maschiff looked dubiously at the phone my father¡¯s voice was coming from, but I tried to hold on to hope. It¡¯s fine, it¡¯s not like he can go back in time to be here for today, and I¡¯ll see him soon. Plus, Dad being able to stay with me all the time¡­ it sounds almost too good to be true. I just gotta be patient, like Nemona. She can wait so long and work so hard for what she wants, so I¡¯ll do that too!

    ¡°While I have a minute, why don¡¯t you tell me about your day?¡± He tried, and I brightened up, any lingering feelings of abandonment forgotten for the moment.

    ¡°Well, first I went over to Nemona¡¯s house and you wouldn¡¯t believe what she was doing¡­¡±

 Chapter 34

    ¡°Use Arm Thrust, Osu!¡± Dendra called out for her Hariyama, a slight sheen of sweat covering them both. Her, for the workout we had done before in martial arts class, and him in trying to hit my slippery snake.

    ¡°Slither around it and Hyper Drill!¡± It was my counter and one that Dun followed perfectly. With his new body segments, he was able to twist himself around the repeated palm strikes before placing the tip of his tail on Hariyama¡¯s belly and spinning fast.

    The Fighting Type recoiled backward, clutching at his gut. Dendra¡¯s eyes flashed towards it, doing some quick calculations. ¡°Looks like we need to kick it up a notch. Bulk Up!¡± Not Belly Drum, smart, I would have taken out Hariyama if she committed to such a Move here.

    While not literally bulking up, Hariyama took a lower sumo stance, making him appear bulkier.

    Dun wasn¡¯t stopping just because his opponent did, quickly firing off a few slashes of air at Hariyama of his own accord. The Flying attack caused Dendra¡¯s Pokemon to wince, and I knew that this was my opening. We¡¯re gonna win!

    ¡°Gigaaaa¡­¡± I began, raising my hand high.

    ¡°Detect!¡± Dendra called out in a panic, trying to avoid Dun¡¯s strongest Move

    ¡°Hyper Drill!¡± I shouted, dropping the hand down. Dun had caught on to my signal, knowing not to use Giga Impact, so the Hyper Drill was already charged and spiraling towards Hariyama.

    Even still, an unexpected Move wouldn¡¯t usually be enough to connect with the precognitive insight granted by Detect, but Hyper Drill was different. Dun¡¯s long body could twist as Hariyama tried to lean out of the way, redirecting the hit into him and sending him flying back.

    Hariyama gave a loud groan, stumbling back two more steps before collapsing into the hedge on the property¡¯s edge. Meditite at the side raised their arm, announcing us as the winner. ¡°We did it!¡± I ran up to hug Dudunsparce while Dendra recalled Hariyama.

    ¡°Osuuuuuu!¡± She cried out. ¡°What a passionate battle! You did excellent, my pupil.¡± She declared proudly. She really likes this whole Sensei thing, huh? Makes sense, she¡¯ll be a great teacher someday.

    ¡°Thank you, sensei Dendra. I appreciate all the training you¡¯ve given me and my Pokemon.¡± Dun warbled out an agreement too. It¡¯s the first time he fought Hariyama since he¡¯s evolved, and the first time he¡¯s won.

    On the whole, I tended to win more than I lost against Dendra (Pokemon wise at least - in terms of sparring, while I was approaching her level of technical proficiency there was little I could do to make up for the gap in our sizes), but our Pokemon teams were often at uneven power levels. My strongest beating her strongest is a tipping point training-wise.

    ¡°Perhaps you need to consider other training partners?¡± A new voice suddenly came into my mind. Blinking I turned to face the Meditite who was staring at me.

    ¡°Oh, I didn¡¯t realize I said that out loud. Ahh,¡± I gave a slight gasp as I shook off the pain. It felt like my head had been in a vice, but only for a second, the pain swiftly fading.

    ¡°Sorry about that, Meditite is trying to practice his control when speaking Psychically to others,¡± Dendra said. ¡°What did he say?¡±

    ¡°No problem. Honestly, that¡¯s the first time anyone has spoken to me Psychically at all, so his control is impressive.¡± From what I¡¯ve read, everyone feels a bit of pain when first communicating that way, but after that very skilled Psychic Types can communicate as easily as talking. ¡°Meditite was just saying I might want to look into other people to battle. Again, I really like training with you, but-¡±

    ¡°You need to face other foes, otherwise you get complacent,¡± Dendra finished for me.

    ¡°Exactly, don¡¯t want to grind in the same patterns that won¡¯t help with other battles. That Detect you¡¯ve been using was new, when did you learn it?¡±

    ¡°We practiced it for my sixth Gym Badge, osu! That new leader Iono, can pack a powerful punch. I was surprised that a streamer was so tough!¡± Looks like we¡¯re inching ever closer to canon. Iono being a big celebrity was making quite the news in Paldea as our newest Gym Leader.

    ¡°Are you going to enter the tournament again?¡± Dendra¡¯s words snapped me out of my thoughts and left me confused.

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°The Junior Tournament! It¡¯ll be happening in two months again. You got ripped off last time, but this time you¡¯ll win for sure!¡± The League was showing more transparency and had a greater deal of protections in place to ensure an embarrassment like last time wouldn¡¯t crop up again.

    ¡°... No, I won¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Os- whuh!?¡± Dendra spasmed, as she cut herself off mid-cheer recognizing what I said. ¡°Why not???¡±

    ¡°Wobuffet,¡± I said with a straight face, causing Dendra to put her hands on her hips and glare down at me. Laughing I said ¡°Okay, okay. But seriously? Because of what you said: ¡®I¡¯d win this for sure.¡¯ And I would. There¡¯s no challenge involved.¡± She frowned and I added ¡°That might sound arrogant, but it¡¯s just the truth. I have a badge won from the equivalent of a five-Gym battle, and beat you who won your sixth Gym badge. I might not have any official badges, but is there realistically any chance I face a challenge from people who are at their second Gym badge or below?¡±

    Slowly, Dendra nodded, sighing. ¡°Guess that¡¯s fair. Oh! But you should enter a martial arts junior tournament!¡±

    Smiling, I nodded. ¡°Yeah, that sounds like fun. And I think I have an idea for a challenger to face again. I battled against them once while training for the Junior tournament last year, and they were one of the most skilled foes I ever faced¡­¡±

    ***

    Once again I found myself face-to-face with the Terastalized Leafeon, atop the cliffs slightly to the north of my house. There was a difference in the energy of this meeting this time. While not making any hostile moves or the like, I could see something in his eyes as he registered me as a¡­ potential threat, at least. Is it because my team is that much stronger? Because I¡¯ve unlocked my Flying Aura, marking me as a danger to him as a Grass Type, even if he still vastly outclasses me by being a Pokemon? Or something else, like just being older, and no longer some random, dumb child that wandered into his territory.

    In any case, I decided to lightly press on. ¡°Hello again,¡± I said with a slight bow of my head. ¡°I¡¯m looking to challenge Riolu again.¡± He cocked his head to the side and I clarified ¡°Any of them that are willing to fight, but in particular, the one that Dun fought in the final round last time.¡±

    The silence stretched on between us, the guardian of this land simply staring at me with inscrutable amber eyes. Eventually, I blurted out ¡°I brought some berries as well!¡± Slowly, I lifted out a few Sitrus and Lum berries from my pouch causing Leafeon¡¯s eyes to widen.

    In a flash, they were directly in front of me, causing Miles floating beside me to startle for a second. Before either of us could respond, he had grabbed the berries out of my hands with his tail, eagerly holding onto his prize. Turning around, he strutted back to his territory, a glance of his head as if to say ¡®You coming?¡¯

    Following, I jumped down the first hill I was on to the meadow below, the other Pokemon gave me odd looks, but most quickly returned to their own business after seeing that Leafeon was fine with my presence. There was a small pack of Rockruffs playing about, a Clodsire surrounded by Woopers, and I thought I even saw the brief flash of yellow of a Dunsparce head before it tunneled beneath the earth. I wonder if Dun knows that Dunsparce are living here?

    The pack of Riolu was my main objective, and the one I was looking for was the first one I saw after rounding the corner of a hill. She was standing up, arms in a ready but loose battle stance.

    The empathic abilities they have are strong, she must have sensed my coming. Given how the other Riolu behind her looked surprised at my appearance, I guessed that it was a talent she in particular had honed.

    ¡°Greetings. Dun and I were hoping for a rematch, to see how far we¡¯ve grown.¡± I said respectfully to Riolu.

    She barked out ¡°Rio.¡±

    With a chuckle, I responded. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve grown too. But I think Dun might surprise you.¡± With a flash of red light, I released Dun from his ball, eliciting a series of gasps from the rest of the Riolu. Dun, like the drama queen he was, reared up his top two segments and head, giving a loud roar as he flapped his wings furiously to create a ¡®dramatic breeze effect,¡¯ as he called it.

    Our opponent stood stock still for a second before shaking her head. ¡°Olu, ri.¡± She scoffed, but I could tell she was surprised by his evolution. We moved over to a larger clearing, this time gathering the attention of many other surrounding Pokemon. I even spotted an Altaria and Scyther watching from nearby clifftops.

    ¡°Same rules as last time? Battle until the first one is out or a surrender?¡± She nodded, taking a flexible stance twenty meters away from Dun. ¡°On the count of three, we¡¯ll begin. ¡°Three, two, one¡­ begin!¡±

    The canine-like Pokemon sent forth a Vacuum Wave immediately, trying to set the pace of the fight. Unfortunately for her, Dun and I had gone over plans, and for any battle where I would do a count in, his first Move was Protect. He was easily able to conjure the barrier well before the Fighting Type attack could hit, letting it harmlessly wash over him.

    She made the bold strategy of trying to get in close, to which I responded with ¡°Air Cutter!¡±

    Dun¡¯s six pairs of wings beat in unison, creating scything gusts of wind that cut across the battlefield. Riolu proved to be no slouch, ducking, weaving, and sliding under most of the attack. One blade still managed to clip her shoulder, eliciting a screech of pain, one that rattled my head.

    No, that wasn¡¯t pain, or maybe it was, but that was a Move! I realized as Dun gave an uncomfortable shudder. Riolu had also, even through being attacked and dodging most of it, greatly closed the distance between them.

    ¡°Body Slam,¡± I called out, hoping to let Dun use his weight to roll over on her. He tried to do so, but she once again surprised me with her speed, landing a palm heel with her left palm into Dun¡¯s side before jumping away. He grunted in pain, but with his long body, was able to stretch out and swing around, impacting her.

    ¡°Hmm, less damage than I thought¡­¡± I wondered out loud as I eyed the impact on Dun¡¯s side. Her Force Palm had broken scales and would likely leave a nasty bruise, but considering the Type Weakness and the Screech beforehand, was less impactful than I thought. Did she use some sort of pseudo-Agile-style attack? It would explain the speed and decreased power.

    I didn¡¯t have time to waste wondering about that, as Riolu had gotten back up from where she had fallen, growling as she did so. She¡¯s standing gingerly on her right side, and those twitches her body is going through means Dun likely Paralyzed her as well.

    ¡°Hyper Voice, no more dodging.¡± The horrendous cacophony from Dun brought Riolu to the ground, clutching at her floppy ears for a second before she gave up on that and just began throwing out wild Vacuum Waves. Dun would dodge two out of three before being hit by the third. Maybe not as wild as I thought, those waves are inaccurately apart, but together form kill boxes where Dun has to be hit by at least one. Impressive, while disoriented and Paralyzed. Of course, that only works on a 2D battlefield.

    ¡°Earthquake.¡± Dun shifted immediately at my order, slamming all three segments into the ground once. The earth wildly shifted, rising and falling all around the field, and while my vision shook a bit, I thought that even some of the nearby cliffs were shaking too.

    Riolu was tossed violently into the air, giving out a cry of pain. ¡°Riolu!!¡± She called out, and for a split second, I thought she was defeated, until I saw a red flash from her eyes as she began spinning around in the air, her momentum shifting and increasing as she rocketed towards Dun, leading with her good leg.

    ¡°Protect,¡± I called out, not wanting Dun to get hit by her High Jump Kick. She impacted the barrier, but even that powerful Move couldn¡¯t defeat Dun¡¯s ultimate defense, and she eventually rebounded, flipping off of it to land on that same good leg. I followed up with ¡°Hyper Drill!¡± Not wanting to give her the chance to make another strike.

    She tried to dodge, but there was no avoiding Hyper Drill as Dun proved, whipping around even as she tried to Detect around it. Riolu had one last desperation Move, aiming a Karate Chop at Dun¡¯s big soft head, even as his drill tail twisted towards her¡­ only for her strike to fail to connect. My starter was just faster, and the strength of his blow was strong enough to knock her out.

    After a glance to make sure my Pokemon was fine, I ran over to apply some medicines to Riolu, getting a pained groan from her as she woke up. ¡°Hey, you doing okay?¡± I asked.

    ¡°...Lu,¡± she mumbled out after a moment, gingerly sitting up. Dun slithered over, preening in his victory, which just caused our foe to pout harder.

    ¡°Thank you for the match,¡± I said, giving her a small bow, and clasping my fist in my other hand. ¡°We learned a lot from it.¡± I¡¯m used to using Dun¡¯s bulk and taking hits to dish them out if need be, but we haven¡¯t had much practice dealing with someone else doing that. ¡°Dun, Roost, and heal up.¡± He nodded, curling around and settling his wings, the Flying Type energy seeming to course through and out of him, healing his wounds. Riolu watched from where she was seated with wide eyes, emotions rapidly flying by her face that I was too unfamiliar with to place.

    ¡°Anyone else up for a fight?¡± I asked, but rather than eager, all the Pokemon of the valley stepped back. Even the powerful Scyther and Altaria turned away, not seeing themselves as a match for Dun. Huh. That¡¯s¡­ a little disappointing, honestly. I¡¯m going to have to look for new places to get challenges.

    Riolu suddenly stood up, barking at me. ¡°Riolu! Ri ri!¡± She said, holding up one claw and circling a hand around it.

    ¡°One circle? One sphere?¡± I guessed, trying to figure out what she was pantomiming, not getting it until she pointed at the sun. ¡°Oh, one year! You want to do this again in a year?¡± She nodded, fixing me with a serious gaze. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s do this again next year.¡±

    Riolu let out a satisfied breath and began marching off, sitting on her favorite moss-colored rock that I had spotted her on last year, and began meditating. ¡°Alright Dun, let¡¯s go home.¡± She¡¯s likely already planning out for our next battle, and we¡¯d best do the same.

    ***

    ¡°Welcome, to the Rotom Phone Company!¡± My father declared proudly to the three of us. ¡°This is the place where I work and I¡¯m so eager to show it to you,¡± my father practically squealed with joy.

    I¡¯d like to think it¡¯s just me he¡¯s so eager to show this off to, but Billy is a pretty exuberant guy. Amethio and Arven at my sides looked pretty impressed. Arven because he was a bit younger, and Amethio¡­ Hard to say but I think he just doesn¡¯t get out enough.

    ¡°Impressive, isn¡¯t it? Dad had it shaped like a giant Rotom phone after being inspired by Uva Academy.¡± Honestly, can''t say that it looks that bad here. Admittedly, there is a vast difference between a Pokeball being shoved atop a historical monument and a company adding a neat paint design.

    Entering through the large doors at the front of the red building we were presented with a fairly normal reception area. Some plush seats and a desk at the front, beige painted walls, and a small TV in the corner playing Rotom Phone advertisements. As we carried on through the ¡®employees only door¡¯ (with special lanyards given out to us three kids) the space transformed into a factory. Fluorescent lighting above our heads, gray concrete floors, and walls, with many doors branching off from the hallways.

    Dad took us through a few of them, showing us first some of the office rooms and staff lounges and then the factory itself. It was fascinating to see all the machines and conveyor belts functioning together to make the final product of a Rotom Phone. From the catwalk above we saw dozens of them being made and placed in red cases. There were also hundreds more cases of a multitude of colors and patterns made here, placed off for sale separately.

    ¡°Why are there so many Ghosts patrolling around here?¡± I asked, glancing over at the Haunters, Houndstones, and a Mismagius. To be fair, five isn¡¯t a huge number, but they¡¯re all evolved and are keeping an eye on the perimeter only. There were plenty of people and a few other Pokemon in the factory, but they were all working on things, not guarding it. ¡°Is this because of the incident?¡±

    ¡°The incident?¡± Amethio asked, and I explained what had happened.

    ¡°Some employees tried to steal stuff from here, chased my Dad around a bit, then got beaten by the Rotoms.¡±

    ¡°Gah! Not bombastic, how very un-Glitterati of you!¡± My father winced and I rolled my eyes.

    ¡°We don¡¯t have time for all the details, we still have a tour to go through.¡±

    ¡°Being prudent with your time, that¡¯s Glitterati brilliance for you.¡± This time, all three of us rolled our eyes at my father¡¯s antics. Arven was the first one to giggle, and soon me and Amethio joined him, though the eldest boy tried to pass his laughter off as coughing after Billy answered my original question. ¡°Not exactly. While we have upped our internal security, they were always here. They make sure that none of the Rotoms try stealing a phone. Only the Rotoms on their best behavior get chosen from the farms to be a Rotom Phone.¡±

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    ¡°What happens to the others?¡± Amethio asked cautiously.

    Billy blinked. ¡°Well, they stay here until they can be proper Rotom Phones. Or they decide to leave on their own, without a phone. That¡¯s fairly rare, however.¡± Is it rare because they were raised here their whole lives and have little idea of what the rest of the world is like, or because they¡¯re just naturally inclined to behave that way?

    The boys didn¡¯t comment on it, happy to continue the tour. We entered another factory room, this one a bit different than the one before. For starters, the machinery here was far heavier duty, giant presses exerting tons of force on thick sheets of metal. The assembly lines were each far more unique, with more direct human and Pokemon involvement, checking each finished product carefully.

    ¡°This is our Rotom Catalog factory. Our best minds have created some of the finest designs for the wonderful people looking to battle with their Rotoms.¡± Dad beamed at me and I couldn¡¯t help but blush. Their best minds, huh? I had some ideas on alternative forms and upgrades, but will they be any good? These people have been designing these things for years.

    Amethio noticed my worry and said, ¡°Hey, snap out of it.¡± I whipped my head up to face him and he followed up saying ¡°I want to battle you after this, so make sure you¡¯re at your best.¡±

    A smile broke out on my face. Pretty sure that¡¯s Amethio for ¡®Are you doing alright? Please feel better!¡¯ I don¡¯t think the Explorer''s secret headquarters are a great place for him, but there¡¯s nothing I can say to convince him to leave. A fact likely compounded by the fact that I didn¡¯t think he had anywhere but the Explorers to turn to. While my family could have supported him easily, like we were starting to do more and more with Arven, Amethio¡¯s pride likely wouldn¡¯t let him accept, even if he wanted to leave.

    ¡°We make other accessories and tools here,¡± My father continued, oblivious to any of my self-doubts. ¡°Including¡­¡± Dad led us by a table covered in a cloth, tearing the covering off.

    ¡°Tada!¡± He exclaimed proudly, revealing¡­

    ¡°A stick?¡± I asked, looking at the red and white pole sitting on the table. It looked like it was made of metal with segments that could extend out. Like a collapsible baton, but too thin and the wrong shape for that. Plus there¡¯s a weird attachment at the end.

    ¡°Not just any stick, but the Roto Stick! With this, you can take a selfie from farther away. Watch,¡± he said eagerly, taking the stick and using the four-pronged attachment on the end to connect to his phone. He gathered us all together, then flipped his phone around so it faced us while extending out to get all of us in the frame. ¡°Say Chansey!¡± He told us (Arven was the only one who said it) as he pressed a small button on the end of the Roto Stick and his Rotom flashed, taking a picture.

    ¡°Selfies are becoming very popular, so I came up with this idea to capitalize on that. What do you think?¡± My Dad asked, beaming proudly and I felt my throat constrict.

    ¡°Uhh, I think people will buy it,¡± I eventually said. My feelings were too obvious as Billy¡¯s smile faded away, replaced with a frown.

    ¡°You don¡¯t like it,¡± he stated and both of the boys beside me winced. I shook my head.

    ¡°It¡¯s not that, it¡¯s just¡­ I don¡¯t get it. Like, here: Miles?¡±

    ¡°Yes, bzzt?¡± They said, floating out of my pocket.

    ¡°Could you take a photo of all of us? Try to get a landscape shot with all of us in the frame without much extra space.¡± I asked them.

    ¡°Bzzt, of course,¡± They hovered out a few meters away, asked us to reposition slightly a few times, then began clicking rapidly then floated back. ¡°Here are the photos, Young Miss,¡± they said, showing me a quick slideshow of them. ¡°I particularly like how number three came out, bzzt.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I think that one¡¯s my favorite too.¡± Mostly because it¡¯s the one where no one is looking dumb in it. For god sake Arven, don¡¯t pick your nose while your photo is being taken! Ahh, calm down, he¡¯s just a kid. ¡°Did you do something to make the background fuzzy and us in focus?¡± I know there¡¯s a word for that in photography, my mom- first-life mom - used to love it, even if people weren¡¯t her main photography focus.

    ¡°Yes, bzzt. I fiddled with the aperture until I got the right field of focus. What do you think?¡±

    ¡°I think they¡¯re great.¡± Then, turning to my dad, I said ¡°So, yeah. That¡¯s why I¡¯m not sure about it. I think the Roto Stick is a fine product, it¡¯s just¡­ the Rotom Phone is too good already. They can do so much.¡± Back to Miles, I added, ¡°And thank you again for being so awesome.¡±

    I felt a small buzz in the air as Miles swelled with pride. ¡°My pleasure, Nemona.¡± They then returned to my pocket. Never hurts to thank the people close to you, and Miles does just so much for me. From all the regular uses of a phone, managed way easier, to help remind me of and plan my schedule¡­ Dun is my first partner and so strong, but I¡¯d be lost without Miles.

    ¡°Oh, what a terrible error I nearly made! Thank you, my dear, for helping me avoid such a costly blunder,¡± he nearly cried.

    ¡°Uhh, I don¡¯t think it was that bad an idea?¡± Arven tentatively spoke up. ¡°It¡¯s just, that I¡¯ve been liking my Rotom Phone, but they aren¡¯t¡­¡± He struggled with the words for a moment. ¡°Creative? They¡¯ll help me when I ask, but only what I ask, and might not do stuff like take a selfie as well as I would.¡±

    ¡°They aren¡¯t as capable of independent action,¡± I muttered. Or maybe just not as skilled at it. Speaking up I said, ¡°Sorry Dad, I guess I¡¯m just too used to Miles being so great at everything that I didn¡¯t realize my situation might not be the same for everyone.¡±

    ¡°I want a Rotom like Miles,¡± Amethio blurted out, before blushing.

    ¡°Looking to get another battler on your team already?¡± I teased.

    ¡°No,¡± he pouted, crossing his arms. ¡°Well, maybe. Just- saw how much you talked to Miles before and after our battles, thought that¡¯d be nice.¡± My smile grew brittle. He¡¯s still gonna be alone out there. I mean, he has the Explorers, but they aren¡¯t his peers.

    Billy laughed heartily. ¡°I see you have excellent taste, young man.¡± His praise only caused the boy to blush harder. ¡°Fret not, you¡¯ll have your pick of whichever Rotom you like at the end of the tour.¡± To Arven, he said: ¡°Thank you for your insight as well, we¡¯ll run some more focus tests on the Roto Stick.¡±

    We carried on, from the machinery to the minds behind them. Each engineer got their own office which was well-furnished and led to a central meeting room. This is where they met us, the dozen or so designers sitting around a circular table.

    ¡°Greetings, we¡¯re pleased to meet you,¡± one balding man with a bushy brown beard said, standing up to shake my father¡¯s hand. ¡°I¡¯m Emil Paramount, but you can just call me Emil. This is where we dream up what gets shipped out.¡±

    ¡°Is it usual for the designers to work in the same building as the factory?¡± I asked, prompting a small chuckle from him.

    ¡°Not exactly, no. But your father had a vision when building this branch in Paldea, where all the pieces that made the Rotom Phones would be interconnected, so we¡¯d all have a better understanding of how everything worked together. Building this place wasn¡¯t easy-¡±

    ¡°Which is when Dad got Mom¡¯s help, and how they met,¡± I finished, having heard the story (in very sappy, over-the-top terms) many times by now.

    ¡°Indeed,¡± Billy said, thankfully electing to move on from that topic. ¡°Emil here is our head designer and the whole team has been eager to hear about your designs.¡± They all smiled politely and nodded their heads at me, but that was to be expected - you don¡¯t call the boss¡¯ young daughter an idiot or complain she¡¯s wasting your time if you want to keep your job.

    ¡°Alright, here are some of my designs and notes,¡± I said, nerves taking over as I walked up and pulled them out of my bag. Stumbling forward, I accidentally grabbed a few extra pages from it, stabilizing myself against the table with the papers scattering across it.

    ¡°Shoot! So sorry about that- let me just take those back, I only meant the stuff in the folder- hey!¡± I shouted as one young woman with bright green hair grabbed one of the blueprints.

    ¡°Is this a Rotom helicopter? Neat design but Rotoms can only possess objects so large and¡­¡± She trailed off scrutinizing it closer.

    ¡°Yes, I¡¯m aware. This kind of personal helicopter uses a very small, lightweight design, only designed to hold a single person. It¡¯s thicker from head to tail than the regular Rotom models, but only wider and taller with the top blades and lighter than most of the current catalog.¡± Seeing Emil about to speak I quickly shook my head and waved my arms.

    ¡°Of course, I know that this won¡¯t work. Rotoms can possess any electronic but to make a truly battle-ready form they need to possess an electronic that¡¯s a common household appliance. I read your thesis Mr. Paramount, I mean Emil, and it makes perfect sense that the Rotoms gain more strengths from the idea of the device than the actual mechanics. Not that those aren¡¯t important too!¡± I was starting to breathe heavily, all the eyes watching me intently making me panic a bit. Damn it, why am I acting like this? I¡¯m fine with being in public when I battle but this- ugh. Just focus, Nemona.

    Taking a calming deep breath I slowly started over. ¡°Apologies, I¡¯m off my original plan a bit.¡± I took a few more deep breaths and nodded my head as I shuffled the papers into my folder and collected up the errant loose-leaf ones I had grabbed. The psychic design of the bag to help you grasp the items within it is very handy but might be a little oversensitive. I¡¯ll have to look up the user''s manual and see if I can adjust that later. Pulling out one of the proper blueprints and attached note pages I placed them neatly on the desk.

    ¡°Amending my original design, I decided to go for a Drone based build. I¡¯m aware they aren¡¯t a common household appliance yet. But in Hisui, there are records of Rotoms being able to possess devices that weren¡¯t commonly used at the time. It¡¯s possible that it was just a relic of the distortion fields, but given how there was no noted change in their use even after the crisis was ended by the Hero of Hisui, I suspect that there¡¯s some temporal wiggle room for what devices can be effectively utilized. Drones are becoming increasingly popular, so I thought you might be able to create a prototype and we could test how well it works.¡±

    There was a silence over the table, broken by Emil saying to my father in a serious tone: ¡°You really weren¡¯t overstating how smart she was.¡± From there the table broke out into a free-for-all buzz of wild discussion.

    One of the men, about my father¡¯s age, asked: ¡°Interesting ideas and the design looks solid, but what are you hoping to achieve with this? It will likely be part Flying Type, like our current Fan Rotom?¡±

    ¡°If you¡¯ll see the notes attached, I believe the vertical takeoff and landing capabilities of a drone will give any Rotom possessing it a different Move.¡± Hurricane is a fine Move, but rather wild and hard to aim by its nature. But if it gives Roost¡­ I had to resist drooling at the thought of being able to give a decently bulky Rotom a recovery Move and pure Electric Typing with Levitate, all without using up my Tera Orb.

    ¡°Hey wait, I hadn¡¯t properly revealed those yet!¡± I squawked as the fear of losing their jobs had apparently been eclipsed by the excitement of what I had to offer because the designers had grabbed my notes, and were frantically passing them around to inspect. That, or my dad laughing happily at all this means they aren¡¯t too worried about the job front. Still, it''s nice to see that they¡¯re interested in what I came up with. I knew the designs weren¡¯t perfect, and that they¡¯d likely have tweaks for them, but just the base concepts being intriguing was enough for me. I hadn¡¯t just calmed down but was even starting to feel giddy at the possibilities.

    ¡°Additional Moves for existing Forms?¡± Another designer asked.

    ¡°Yeah. So I was thinking, a lot of appliances have more than one thing they can do. Slight tweaks to the designs might open up new Moves available in those forms. Like an ice cube dispenser on the refrigerator might let the Rotoms use Snowscape-¡±

    ¡°Or a heat tank connected to the tube to let the Washing Machine use¡­ war crimes? No that¡¯s crossed out. Ok, Scald makes more sense.¡± Before I could address that another designer was calling my attention.

    ¡°The other new Form you sketched out, why do you think a Radio Rotom might be part Fairy Type? Is it just the sound angle? You¡¯ve listed Normal as another possibility, but it has far more sound-based Moves than Fairy.¡±

    Rather than answer normally, I decided to sing out my answer.

    ¡°Music holds the secret, to know it can make you whole,

    It¡¯s not just a game oh no, it¡¯s the song inside your soul,

    Magic of a melody, runs through you like a stream,

    Thoughts that play flow through your head like a dream¡­¡±

    Dad had the widest grin I¡¯d ever seen on his face, which might have looked creepier if his eyes weren¡¯t shining with pride and happiness as well. ¡°That¡¯s my girl, going to be top of the RoTunes chart any day now!¡±

    ¡°Daaaaad,¡± I groaned. ¡°I don¡¯t have any songs I feel comfortable publishing yet, and I¡¯m not that good.¡± Clearing my throat I turned back to the team. ¡°So, as you know, I¡¯ve been practicing a lot of singing and music lately, which made me think about this. Radios connect people to the world around them. From music to comedy to general worldly discussion, radios make people feel things. That¡¯s why I thought it might lean into that Typing.¡±

    One woman on the opposite end of the table said in a monotone ¡°If you break into the non-elemental Typings first, I¡¯ll kill you.¡± This did not stop her from voraciously reading the documents she had in front of her.

    ¡°Hah!¡± Another guy said, explaining ¡°Janine is just upset that she didn¡¯t manage to get the Bug Typing with her ¡®electric bug swatter¡¯ idea.¡±

    ¡°Fuuuuuu-dge off, Frank,¡± Janine awkwardly adjusted upon realizing there were three children in the room.

    Scratching the back of my head I gestured at the papers and said ¡°I guess you get a lot of ideas like these, then?¡±

    Emil turned his head up to look at me. ¡°From each other? Professional engineers one and all? Yes, we occasionally get ideas of this caliber,¡± he lightly commented and I looked away, chagrined. Okay, okay, these are decent, I don¡¯t need to worry.

    My dad clapped his hands together. ¡°It sounds like you all have a lot to discuss, but I should probably continue the tour.¡± There was a pained sound from the design team, but I quickly reassured them.

    ¡°We can talk more later. I can give them my email address, right Dad?¡± I should probably ask my parent about stuff like this, given my age, even though I don¡¯t think there¡¯d be any harm, given my mental age, knowledge, and the fact that I truly hope that all of these employees have been thoroughly vetted, especially since the attempted theft.

    ¡°Yes, that should be fine dear. Make sure to forward me any ideas that bear fruit so we can begin production.¡±

    ¡°Of course sir,¡± Emil said, waving us off after we exchanged contact info, leaving my papers behind with them, as well as Miles¡¯ Washing Machine, to get it fixed up.

    Continuing down through the building, we took an elevator to the underground section which was where the farms were. It also held storage for all the necessary bits for the company to have but wasn¡¯t used every day. Spare parts, old designs, recalled items, and boxes and boxes of folders for paper copies of all the important documents.

    The tour didn¡¯t touch much on that stuff, but Billy did show us all of it briefly before opening a large set of double doors to reveal the grand farm. It¡¯s¡­ dark.

    Size-wise, it was huge, miles across, and quite wide, but the lights above were constantly flickering or burnt out. The ground was solid cement with a few structures here and there made up like miniature houses. Broken machines also littered the ground, used up by the Rotoms, many of which were just sort of hovering about aimlessly (I suspected some of them were Dittos as well, but even my eyes couldn''t tell). A few looked over curiously at us, but many just seemed aimless. Like aboveground, many Ghost Types were guarding them here as well.

    ¡°Go ahead and talk to the Rotoms,¡± my Dad told Amethio. ¡°You can talk with the overseer later about which one you want.¡±

    ¡°Ok,¡± the little boy said seriously, marching off, eyes darting about as he scouted the field, looking for the perfect Rotom to join him.

    Arven ran off quickly after, releasing Maschiff. ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can make some friends!¡± Uhh, not sure they¡¯ll be too eager to play with a Dark Type. Then again, given how this place is¡­

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong Nemona? Don¡¯t you want to spend some time with your friends?¡± My Dad asked, and I released a heavy sigh.

    ¡°Maybe later. Dad¡­ what is this?¡±

    He looked at me curiously. ¡°Why it¡¯s the farm of course! Where we get all the Rotoms we need for the Rotom Phon-¡±

    ¡°Okay, bad question. Why is this? Why is this place like this? So¡­ bleak and dark.¡±

    He paused for a moment, taking in the field again. ¡°Hmm, I suppose it is lacking in color. Do you think a bright gold paint job would spruce it up?¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t think anything is going to spruce it up while it¡¯s barely lit like this.¡± Crossing my arms I shook my head, watching Amethio tentatively greet different Rotoms, and met like that in turn. This reminds me so much of his situation. Technically, all of their basic needs are met, but they don¡¯t get much more than that.

    My father gave a small frown. ¡°Unfortunately some of the Rotom can be a bit mischievous and tend to drain or break the lights. We try to fix them often, but there¡¯s only so much we can do.¡±

    I nodded, thinking for a moment before calling a Rotom over. This one was separate from any large groups and just drifting on its own, happening to be nearby us. They approached, tilted to the side as they hovered towards us, a curious but somewhat blank look on their face, a light buzz emanating from them. ¡°Hey, do you want to leave this place?¡±

    They brightened up at the idea, cheerfully pointing at my father¡¯s own phone with one of their little lightning bolt-shaped plasmic limbs.

    ¡°No, not like that, just¡­ in general. Do you want to leave this place and explore on your own? See the world?¡± The general buzzing stopped as they just looked at me, complete incomprehension on their face. Slowly, they drifted back, still trying to puzzle out the concept.

    Turning to my father I said ¡°That¡¯s what I mean. Sure, they can leave, and I guess a few must-have asked to do so in the past. But the general population here, they don¡¯t see anything out of this dark, cold place that is their entire world.¡±

    Billy was silent for a moment, his smile replaced completely by a frown as he gazed over his work. ¡°I never saw it as that bad¡­ What can we do to fix this?¡± He asked, clearly torn between seeing it as unfit for the Rotoms as it stood, but also worried about the future of his company.

    I thought about it for a minute, and an idea slowly came to me. ¡°You made this place to have all the parts interconnected, but how often do the people come down here?¡±

    ¡°Oh, our overseer and guard check on the Rotoms at least twice a day,¡± My father answered quickly and I hid a frown. Not as much as I would like, and I think explains why the other Rotom Phones don¡¯t interact as well with other people.

    ¡°And the other workers? All the people up there, how often do they come down here?¡± My experience in my past life helped with knowing how very small that number would be. If you gave people a job, most of them would just stick to that role. Even looking for ways to improve or climb the ranks, it would often be just in that small area.

    ¡°I-I know it¡¯s a big ask,¡± I said, turning to stare my father straight in the eye. ¡°But what if the position of the factories above and the farms were reversed? The workers up there will then pass by the farms every day in and out on their way to do their jobs, you can have windows to let more natural light come in, maybe even arrange some field trips outside and the like.¡±

    My father gazed off, lost in thought, probably trying to put the logistics together. ¡°It might take a bit more work, more travel up and down for some office space that can¡¯t be moved, but this could work. I¡¯ll have to ask the Rotoms themselves about what they feel about all this as well, but this sounds like an excellent idea to me. An excellent Glitter- no. An excellent Nemona idea.¡± His smile was soft, but full of pride and wonder as he stared down at me.

    Miles gave a small buzz, rising out of my pocket ¡°I agree, bzzt. I think I would have liked something like that when I was here. Though perhaps not¡­ if it meant I didn¡¯t get to meet you, bzzt,¡± they added cheekily.

    ¡°Gah, don¡¯t go teasing me like that!¡± I admonished Miles, to which they just rolled their eyes, my father chuckling in the background. ¡°Well, I guess that means you¡¯re ready to start learning Foul Play if you can make up Nasty Plots so casually.¡±

    ¡°Bzzt, I have made a terrible mistake.¡±

    We all ignored that as Amethio returned, accompanied so closely by a Rotom that they were practically in his hands. ¡°I¡¯ve decided. I¡¯d like this one to be my Rotom Phone.¡± The Rotom in question was trying to look calm and controlled when faced with the owner of the whole company, but also visibly vibrating with excitement.

    ¡°That sounds wonderful, let¡¯s get you two set up,¡± my father said, leading us out once Arven came back from playing with all the Rotoms (they had been afraid of the dog-like Pokemon at first, but soon became friends once they realized what a softie he was). Amethio¡¯s new Rotom got their first phone and we left, all of us quite happily.

    As we exited and returned home, the young Explorer had something to say to me before Hamber took him back. ¡°Nemona, I¡­ want to battle you. Not right now, but someday, I want to show you how strong I¡¯ve become.¡±

    ¡°Looking forward to it,¡± I replied with an eager grin. ¡°You¡¯re already strong, so don¡¯t let anyone else tell you otherwise.¡± Anyone like Spinel. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to seeing how strong your Charcadet and Dreepy become though. And hey, even before our destined showdown, you can always message me or Arven just to talk and stuff too.¡±

    ¡°... I will, thank you, Nemona.¡±

    With that, our Majordomo took the young boy away from my home. As they left, Miles alerted me to a new message. ¡°Well, well, well, looks like that won¡¯t be the only battle I¡¯m preparing for¡­¡± I muttered to myself, new strategies and ideas flying through my mind at this latest development.

 Chapter 35

    Hearing the shuffling of feet just outside I got ready. Stepping out of the darkness of the cave I¡¯d been hiding in, I declared. ¡°You¡¯ve come far, but if you want to take a step further, you¡¯ll have to face-¡±

    ¡°Nemona Glitterati?¡± Rika asked, the older girl looking utterly bewildered at my appearance. ¡°Are you a part of the Gym Challenge?¡±

    ¡°You recognized me,¡± I muttered before shaking my head. ¡°Well, no, not actually here for that, just thought it would be a cool way to introduce myself. So I suppose that means you don¡¯t have to battle me, but I¡¯d appreciate it-¡± The sudden clacking of my teeth cut off my words and I shivered, feeling the bitter cold of the snowy mountain.

    Rika and I had forgone our regular outfits to deal with the harsh weather of the mountain. She was wearing a waterproof jacket over the standard Uva Academy winter uniform, which already included a jacket and vest over the school shirt.

    I had a puffy orange hooded jacket over a long-sleeved shirt with a pair of black ski pants over my usual cargo pants. Even with all that, it was still incredibly cold up here, and I could tell that Rika wasn¡¯t dealing with it much better, hugging her arms close.

    ¡°So what¡¯s this all about? The Junior tournament?¡±

    ¡°Something like that. I got the message passed along saying you were happy to battle, but wanted to focus on your gym challenge, so I thought I¡¯d come here.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯d ya know I was comin'' here?¡± She asked, a bit of her rural accent slipping into her voice in the chilly weather.

    ¡°You posted a Poke about being at the base of the mountain, and you¡¯ve been making waves online, so it wasn¡¯t hard to figure out which Gym you were headed to. You made good time, to make it here so fast.¡± The Poke (this world¡¯s version of a Tweet) was yesterday around noon, and I flew to Montenevera, hiking down to Martha¡¯s Gym and only had to wait a few hours by the entrance, so that is quite a quick climb. Though given her Type specialization I can see why she didn¡¯t want to spend any longer than necessary here.

    ¡°Yer one to talk, people are going crazy about you online as well, ''specially after that stunt against that Unovan Gym Leader. Are you thinking about taking on the Gym challenge too?¡±

    I shook my head, inadvertently sending a bunch of snow flying off the top of it. ¡°Not yet, not even in school. I¡¯m not too concerned about the trophy or whatever from the Junior Tournament - we were both different trainers from where we were then. What I want is to fight you as you are now, and see how well the famed Rika can match up.¡±

    ¡°Ha!¡± She barked out, a smile caught between eager and vicious lighting up her pale face. ¡°If that¡¯s what you want, we can do that. Make for a nice warm-up before my Gym match,¡± she said, rolling up her sleeves¡­ and then immediately hissing at the errant instinct and rolling them back down.

    Trekking a bit further through the snow, I stood a good thirty meters away from her, holding out a Pokeball. ¡°Might be in the middle of a snowstorm, but I can keep you toasty. I¡¯ve only got the two Pokemon, so let''s have a two-on-two battle, should give you plenty left on your team to still face Martha after I beat you.¡± I had to shout to be heard from that far away in the cold and didn¡¯t hear any response back, but I did see her smirk and raise a Pokeball in turn.

    We both released our Pokemon without a count - this was hardly an official match or anything and no rewards other than bragging rights. Dun gave an eager cry, followed by a shiver as he landed in the white powdery snow. Opposite us, a large elephantine Pokemon gave a loud cry of ¡°Donphan!¡± Flipping up its armored trunk and shaking its head, large white tusks flashing in the pale light of the cloud-covered day, it stared down at Dun.

    I didn¡¯t see a Tera Orb at her side, nor in any of her matches that I watched online. I won¡¯t use mine here, not for a friendly match like this. While it¡¯s a useful tool, I want to see how well I stand up compared to her on an even level.

    Looking around I grabbed a small rock in my gloved hands, holding it up for Rika to see, the older girl nodding. I tossed it up in the air, the two of us watching as it soared up then sunk through the snow, signaling the beginning of our battle.

    ¡°¡°Earthquake!!¡±¡± The two of us called in unison, Donphan stomping through the snow while Dun smashed his body through. The combined force of their attacks sent the buried earth flying up violently all around. It was hard to keep track through all the snow drifting about like a miniature blizzard, but I thought Dun might have gotten the worse end of the stick there, though Donphan looked a bit bruised too.

    ¡°Lift off!¡± Dun surged through the air, using the last of the aftershocks for extra height to his jump, then set all six wings fluttering hard. The additional wings, strength, and better control over Flying Type energy had improved Dun¡¯s aerial maneuverability, even with the additional weight his evolution granted him. As such, he could begin to truly fly through the air, not just drift now.

    Rika wasn¡¯t idle, immediately ordering her Pokemon to give chase. ¡°Rollout!¡± Her Donphan curled into a ball, the armored trunk and plating on her back giving her a natural shape fit for the Move. She spun through the freshly churned snow before hitting a slight bump in the now uneven earth and rocketing up.

    ¡°Protect!¡± I shouted at the last moment, and Dun stopped mid-air, completely encircled by a transparent blue-ish-green honeycomb barrier. The spinning Pokemon slammed into it, whirring helplessly against it for a moment before unfolding her body as gravity took hold once more.

    Dun didn¡¯t need to be told the command to hit Donphan with a Glare right there, the full force of his fury hitting the off-guard opponent head-on. She spasmed and awkwardly fell, landing on her side.

    Rather than maintain the aerial advantage, I ordered Dun ¡°Hex, as quick as you can!¡± Gathering the ghostly energies, he landed with a heavy thump beside Donphan, in a patch of mountainside mostly devoid of snow from our prior Moves. Point blank, the dark purple energies enveloped the tusked Pokemon, causing it to alternate between thrashing about and freezing in Paralysis.

    ¡°Nahahaha! That was a clever trick, but we¡¯ve got some of our own don¡¯t we? Poison Jab!¡± Rika yelled, and despite being debilitated, Donphan managed to lash out with her tusk, slightly stabbing into Dun. My starter rapidly slid away, but from the purple discoloration spreading throughout his scales, the damage had been done.

    ¡°Iron Head!¡±

    ¡°Hyper Drill!¡±

    Donphan half got back up on her feet, shoving her body at Dun, gleaming forehead first. Her Move was met by Dun¡¯s own, flipping around and spinning his tail towards her rapidly. The two met, and a large number of sparks flew off from the point of contact as the two Pokemon tried to outmuscle each other, before breaking off simultaneously. Dun was holding his tail gingerly, while Donphan was wincing at the mark left on its tough head.

    Hyper Drill is a crazy powerful Move, to pierce through the toughest part of a Donphan while channeling Steel Type energy. As I was thinking that, I heard Dun let out a small hiss, the poison taking its toll on him. But it won¡¯t be enough to win the fight, especially not if I¡¯m trading like this.

    ¡°Rock Slide!¡± Rika called out, and Donphan moved to follow through with the Move, slamming her trunk against the mountainside, but at the last second, twitched violently, Paralysis taking its toll and drastically cutting down on the effectiveness of the Move. A few rocks broke off from the mountain and tumbled down, but Dun easily slithered around them.

    ¡°Hyper Voice, keep your distance,¡± I told Dun and then immediately clamped my hands over my ears as he began screeching. Rika and her Pokemon grit their teeth at the annoying Move.

    ¡°Think ya can run? Not on my watch, Rapid Spin!¡± Donphan ripped across the battlefield once more, but Dun was able to easily squirm out of the way and continue his attack. Her Pokemon is picking up speed with each pass¡­ No, it¡¯s fine. Dun was slightly faster even without the Paralysis, it¡¯ll take her a while to build up speed to the point that it¡¯s a threat to me.

    Something Rika realized as well, as she called off her attack, switching tactics. ¡°Stomp your feet!¡± Donphan did just that, stomping all four feet into the earth repeatedly, leaving holes so large that for a moment I thought they were going for Fissure. Thankfully, it was just an Earthquake, and while it hurt Dun, he didn¡¯t let up in his assault.

    Jumping up, he began drifting high above the ground, continuing to blast Donphan with his Hyper Voice. While I¡¯m sure there were other Ground Moves that our foe could use to hit him, with Earthquake out of the picture, she just started hurling rocks at him. Most of the throws hurled past Dun, and a few even came close to me and I had to dodge to the side.

    ¡°Hey!¡± I shouted, only to realize that Rika couldn¡¯t hear me over all the noise Dun¡¯s Hyper Voice was making, the teenage girl gritting her teeth and wincing in pain. Guess the lack of a professional battlefield or barrier cuts both ways here. That¡¯s something I¡¯ll need to be cognizant of in the future.

    After chucking a large chunk of rocks at Dun, Donphan stomped her feet against the ground, causing a large spike of rocks to strike up into my Pokemon. The blow knocked him off balance and clipped some of the wings on his left side, sending him spiraling through the air for half a second before the Rock Slide she had used just prior smashed him down.

    ¡°Earthquake as you hit!¡± I shouted desperately, hoping he would turn it around. As always, my dear snake didn¡¯t fail to live up to my hopes. Channeling the force of the rocks pushing him down straight into the earth he hit, the ground rippled out rapidly from the point of impact. The earth smashed through Donphan, knocking her to the side, and reaching out far enough that even Rika was jostled around a bit from the earth and displaced snow sweeping out. For myself, without even thinking to use it, my Aura lifted me just above the earth to drift gracefully back down as it passed.

    I took a moment to catch my breath, surprised at Dun¡¯s power there. A ¡®critical hit¡¯, perhaps? Or maybe just a sign of how far he has come. I was also giving Rika the chance to regain her bearings, but there was no need to worry about a quick reversal here; Donphan was out cold. Literally, I thought, holding back a small snicker as I saw her lying ungainly on her back, feet twitching as snow drifted down on them.

    ¡°Beating me with my own Type of Move, oof.¡± She muttered, quietly enough that I wasn¡¯t sure if I had been supposed to hear it or not. Then a vicious yet playful grin danced on her face and she spoke up. ¡°Well, well, well, looks like you really are as good as everyone says,¡± Rika commented as she returned her Pokemon. ¡°But let¡¯s see if you can beat my starter!¡±

    Throwing out a Pokeball, it burst open over the battlefield, a flash of red light revealing the deceptively goofy-looking Clodsire. ¡°Clod Cloooood,¡± They yawned out, sleepily taking in the battle around them.

    Do I charge in- no, the horns on his back will hurt if we just rush in. Let¡¯s get back into fighting shape. ¡°Roost,¡± I shouted, and Dun began settling down, his wounds healing even as the Poison within him sapped his health a little bit further.

    Rather than move to engage, Rika ordered a ranged attack. ¡°Acid Spray.¡± Opening his large mouth, a gout of purple liquid sprayed out of it and onto Dun, the acid sizzling against his scales. Crud. And there¡¯s no way for me to undo the drain to his defenses this time like Amethio did with Clear Smog.

    Time seemed to slow down for me as I watched Rika open her mouth to give another command. Acid Spray and the Poison combined might have done less damage than Roost healed, but because of the weakening of Dun¡¯s defenses, this next shot will take him out, or just put him in a bad trading game with Clodsire until he is taken out if we use Roost. I could dish out some damage- no, Dun¡¯s gotta set the stage.

    ¡°Tailwind!¡± I shouted out as Rika called for her own Move.

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    ¡°Venoshock!¡± Rather than the white ¡®horns¡¯ sticking out of the dots on Clodsire¡¯s back, a vast number of small purple spikes shot out in a circle all over the battlefield.

    Tailwind was one of a few new Technical Machine Moves I¡¯d given following our victory against Clay, but the only one I felt ready for him to use against an opponent of Rika¡¯s caliber. Using a Move just in the open while training is one thing, but using it in the middle of a tight battle is another.

    Even with the wings on one side damaged and Poison running through his veins, Dun beat all six pairs of wings vigorously, intuitively spinning around to make sure each side got an even airflow. Of course, such a motion left him a sitting duck for Clodsire¡¯s Move, the purple darts piercing into him and reacting violently with the Poison within my Pokemon.

    With a cry of ¡°Duuuuuuuunsparce¡­¡± Dun writhed for a second, then fainted. Recalling him quickly, I whispered to his Pokeball. ¡°You did great, pal.¡±

    He had indeed. The wind was moving swiftly at my back, the snow drifting down gently before now being blown straight at Clodsire¡¯s and Rika¡¯s faces. ¡°Let¡¯s put this battle on ice, go, Miles!¡± I shouted, launching their Pokeball much further out than I¡¯d intended with the wind.

    As such, Miles materialized in a red flash almost directly above Clodsire, their red refrigerator body glowing with lavender energy, manifesting odd plasmic flaps for hands. In the dim light, I almost thought I saw their body gleam slightly in the snow. Thank you natural weather conditions.

    Wasting no time, Rika immediately cried ¡°Megahorn!¡± Her starter tensed his legs and horns, ready to jump ahead and shoot them up.

    ¡°Dodge and Blizzard!¡± Miles responded to my command immediately, opening their refrigerator doors and shooting ahead, the wind on their side. Despite my instructions coming second, Miles still easily avoided our opponent''s attack and unleashed their own, a massive outpouring of ice slamming into Clodsire.

    The spiny Pokemon flipped around, recovering fast, and at Rika¡¯s command tried to jump at Miles again, this time with the wind on their side. Unfortunately, that gambit was doomed to fail. In an instant, the winds shifted, and with my newfound sense of Aura, I could feel how the Move was connected to Miles''s energy. They pushed back against Clodsire and helped Miles along in avoiding the slower Pokemon.

    Two more Blizzards hit, one of which almost seemed like it was going to freeze our foe in place, but a rapid Earthquake broke up the ice gathering on his small feet and continued the battle.

    ¡°Am- amnesia!¡± Rika¡¯s teeth chattered, the chill getting to her as Miles¡¯ Blizzards and Dun¡¯s Tailwind turned the battlefield into a frigid storm. Clodsire cocked his head and gave her a confused look, which I could only assume was the Move working as intended. How odd to learn a Move that causes you to temporarily forget. I wonder what inherent traits make it so you don¡¯t forget other Moves or even itself- gah no time for that! Theorize later!

    ¡°Nasty P-plot,¡± my command was as stuttered as hers, but it was enough to put a wicked smile on Miles¡¯ face as they loomed over the shivering Ground Type. I don¡¯t have a way to stop her buffs, but I can counteract them with one of my own.

    ¡°Sludge Wave into-

    I interrupted her. ¡°Blizzard!¡± With the last of the Tailwind behind them, Miles unleashed another burst of ice over the battlefield.

    Clodsire was pushed back, but still able to spit out a wave of toxic goop. Even without the Tailwind, Miles would have been agile enough to dodge the Poison attack were it not for Rika¡¯s follow-up command. ¡°Hydro Pump!¡±

    Swiftly changing Type energies, Clodsire opened his large mouth and released a high-power stream of pure water from it, like a firehose. The stream of water shot through the previous sludge, slamming into Miles and blasting them meters through the air before they stopped, reasserting their control over their possessed body.

    ¡°Nice try, but the water diluted your poison,¡± I crowed, seeing through the snow that my Pokemon appeared fine, with no lingering traces of the Poison attack on their body or glowing plasmic energy. Clodsire opened his mouth, but no other attack came out. Too tired or cold? Best not to let this chance go to waste in any case.

    ¡°One last time, Blizzard!¡±

    ¡°Protect!¡± A barrier rose to shield her weakened and battered Pokemon, and I felt the chill of Miles¡¯ attack. Our Pokemon¡¯s positions had switched so they were now on the opposite sides of the impromptu battlefield.

    ¡°Kee-keee-keep at-at-at it!¡± I called out through the cold. We¡¯re so close, just a bit more¡­ Blinking apart frozen eyelashes, I saw Miles frowning at that, but they continued the assault. Ice and harsh winds poured out of the refrigerator¡¯s internal components, seemingly without end. Rika¡¯s Clodsire valiantly tried to hold out, but the greenish force field started to crack after half a minute and shattered shortly thereafter.

    Before the ice could pour over her Pokemon, Rika recalled him, shaking her head. ¡°Yer crazy, kid.¡±

    ¡°No-not crazy,¡± I stuttered back, though as she didn¡¯t have my hearing she likely didn¡¯t catch my witty retort, or even expect I had heard her in the first place.

    Trudging over, she asked me louder ¡°You okay Nemona?¡±

    ¡°Just¡­ pe-peachy,¡± I called back, forcing my sluggish muscles to move forward and meet her. Miles drifted over as well and I gave them a big hug. ¡°That- awesome,¡± I panted out. Impressive Auric control, to not let me feel any colder even while being an Ice Type.

    To my shock, Miles¡¯ plasmic eyes drooped and then closed, crashing into the slush in front of me. ¡°What?¡± I questioned while Rika gave a small chuckle. Then a bunch of stony debris scattered about in our fight rose and smacked into Miles from all around. ¡°What!?!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll explain, but let¡¯s head inside.¡± Giving a sharp jerk of my head in agreement, I recalled Miles and we huddled up inside the cave. It was still cold there, but far less bone-chillingly so than it was outside. I could barely make out Rika in the nearly pitch-black cave - as befitting the entrance of a Dark Type Gym. Once we warmed up a bit, I released Miles to give them the time they needed to wake up.

    ¡°You copied me,¡± I said first, having put the pieces together. Clodsire used an invisible Yawn. Damn, I¡¯m glad that we managed to push through, it would have been embarrassing to lose to my own technique.

    ¡°You catch on fast. Yeah, I saw that Move you used on that asshole¡¯s- Sorry.¡± I waved off her apology at the swearing. I¡¯ve heard worse, even in this life. Mostly just from staff that would have no reason to think I could hear them, however. ¡°Freddrick¡¯s Corviknight dodged around or blew away all the regular Yawns we tried to use in our battle,¡± she said, lightly patting Clodsire¡¯s Pokeball.

    ¡°Ahh. And you¡¯re running-¡± I paused for a second, my teeth chattering again for a moment before I got my body back under control ¡°Running into the same problem I had. It¡¯s not that accurate, and a bit slower acting in its ¡®invisible¡¯ version.¡± From the frown I was wearing, she was probably able to tell that I didn¡¯t have an answer to that problem.

    The same with a bunch of my experiments. Screech doesn¡¯t pair well with Hyper Voice anyway, but it slows the Move usage and the efficiency of both when trying to combine their effects. And on that topic¡­

    ¡°How did you combine Earthquake with Stealth Rock?¡± I asked, and she chuckled.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t. Ground and Rock might seem similar in a lot of ways but¡­ it ain¡¯t enough. Ya gotta use a Rock Type Move first-¡±

    ¡°Which leaves the splintered shards, then use Earthquake as the method to spread them across the field. Wow, that¡¯s really smart of you.¡±

    ¡°Hey, I can be plenty smart,¡± she countered, before laughing to show she was just messing around, and I joined in too, the post-battle high filling me with joy.

    ¡°Bzzt, what did I miss?¡± Miles asked, groggily waking up.

    ¡°Not much pal, just talking over Moves. And speaking of that, could you heat things up for us?¡±

    ¡°Wait wha-¡± Rika began before having to shield her eyes from the glow coming off of Miles.

    Controlling the ball of fire and light very carefully, they condensed it and pushed it up into the very top of the not-so-tall cave and a fair bit away from us. Immediately the Sunny Day began warming us up, the heat just shy of scorching.

    ¡°Thanks, that¡¯s good.¡± Miles smiled at me but otherwise didn¡¯t respond, their eyes screwed up in concentration. Well, it should be good training for them to use the Move even in tight environments.

    ¡°Sunny Day, interesting Move for an Ice Type to learn,¡± Rika commented, basking in the sun and opening up her jacket a tad to let it melt any of the ice that had gone down in our wild battle.

    ¡°Miles has a whole bunch of Types they can use.¡±

    ¡°Talk about unfair, an Ice Type with Levitate in the snow? No way I was gonna win that one.¡± I frowned, feeling guilty for a second. I thought my planning was clever, but maybe that was unfair to Rika.

    She snapped me out of that guilt with her next statement. ¡°Thanks for the match, that was a great battle. Can¡¯t believe someone so young is so far ahead of me,¡± the older girl shook her head wistfully, long ponytail swaying back and forth.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say that. You still had three Pokemon left, right?¡± I asked, pointing at the five Pokeballs on her belt and she nodded. ¡°Even a single extra Pokemon would have beat us.¡±

    ¡°Maybe, though don¡¯t think I didn¡¯t notice you hadn¡¯t used your Tera Orb,¡± Rika pointed a finger at me accusingly. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do great in your Gym Challenge once you pick up a few more Pokemon. When are you gonna start that? Cause not to toot my own horn, but if you¡¯re taking on me, you¡¯re more than ready.¡±

    That was a question I didn¡¯t want to focus on, for a lot of reasons, some of them intersecting with future knowledge and canon events that I couldn¡¯t possibly explain to her, so instead I focused on the Tera Orbs. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I don¡¯t think you¡¯re bragging by saying you lost.¡±

    ¡°Oi!¡±

    Snickering, I added ¡°Are you ready for the Gym Battle? Anna is no joke, being an Elite Four as well as a Gym Leader. Plus, she¡¯s likely to use her Tera Orb at a battle of this level.¡±

    She sucked in a deep breath. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯ll be rough, no two ways about it. But I think we got a good shot. I believe in my team.¡± I nodded, smiling back at the unwavering confidence I saw on her face.

    ¡°Alright, I wish you luck. I¡¯ll watch the video of your match once it drops, but I should probably head back home. Oh, but before I go,¡± rifling through my bag, I pulled out a few Hyper Potions and dumped them into her arms. ¡°To make sure your team is back in fighting shape.¡±

    ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s a lot of potions,¡± she said, looking at the half-dozen I¡¯d given her and I shrugged. Not really, that¡¯s only a tenth of my regular supply. ¡°Thanks. We should do this again sometime.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll face you at the Elite Four,¡± I said without thinking to which she barked out a laugh.

    ¡°Ha! Think that might be a ways away, if ever. But maybe¡­¡± She stared out into the distance, clearly imagining it, and from the upward curve of her lips, I¡¯d say she liked the idea.

    Whoops, might have been a bit early to say that, but I don¡¯t think I caused too much harm. Giving my farewell, Miles and I left the cave, heading back out to the bitter icy outside of the mountain while she descended. It wasn¡¯t readily known how deep down Martha¡¯s Gym went, but the consensus was the journey would usually be a long one. I think that¡¯s why there¡¯s no trainers to challenge you early on, to build up the anticipation as you have to silently trek down dark tunnels.

    I was tired from the battle and the cold, so slogging up the mountain was an unappealing prospect. Enough that I was tempted to just call down a Flying Taxi to where I was, but not enough that I followed through with the idea. Just like any old workout, a pain to start, but I¡¯ll be glad with the results. Plus, I do kinda like being able to do this.

    My burning desire to explore the land had been suppressed for a while so I could learn the basics with the Explorers, but now I could go places. There¡¯s so much to see, even in harsh environments like this!

    Most Pokemon avoided the Gym entrance itself, but just a few hundred meters away and I could see several Ice Types wandering around. Packs of Snom crawling nearly invisibly against the white snow on the ground, and Glalie floating around. There was even a Cetoddle waddling about and a pair of Sneasels eyeing me suspiciously.

    None of the Pokemon appeared too worried about my presence, however. The mountain was a hard climb in some spots, but had a whole city on top of it and several well-trod paths formed by Paldeans over the years, so the Pokemon were used to people. Quite a peaceful place. I¡¯ve got to get back home soon, but maybe I should explore again sometime-

    As if Arceus themselves decided to spite me for my thoughts, a piercing cry rang out from down and to the west of me. It was distant, but I could hear the human shrieking in pain. ¡°Someone¡¯s hurt!¡± I told Miles, not sure if they would have picked up on that, and began sprinting down towards them. There might be some other people heading that way too, hard to tell, but I should at least check it out.

    Leaping lightly over the snowbanks, I crossed over the wilder terrain, running past a few trees and down several slopes until I rounded a corner and got to the source of the screams, though they had stopped by the time I¡¯d gotten there. There was a young person with long blue hair, slightly matted by blood, lying on the snow groaning, a snowboard lying off to the side. For a second I thought two people had fallen as their legs couldn¡¯t be at that angle¡­ until I realized that they shouldn¡¯t be at that angle.

    Two other people were being flown down by Pokemon and I could see more rushing down as well. A distant part of me noted that was good as I had no skills beyond barely remembered first aid classes in my first life on what I could have done to help there. The larger part of me was struck by realizing just who this was. ¡°Grusha.¡±

    Despite the distance between us, for a second I thought he locked his gaze with mine, before being rushed off by the first responders.

 Chapter 36

    ¡°You don¡¯t need to feel guilty about this, bzzt,¡± Miles pointed out for what felt like the fortieth time. Blowing out a soft sigh I pressed the buttons on the elevator to close the door, not sure if it helped the doors close faster.

    ¡°I know that. Logically, I get it. Telling him ¡®at some point in the future, you¡¯ll have an accident of some kind while snowboarding¡¯ probably wouldn¡¯t get him to quit doing what he loved.¡± Even if he believed me and didn¡¯t think I was crazy. ¡°But still.¡±

    ¡°Dun dun,¡± Dunsparce noted beside me, carefully coiled around to fit in the enclosed space.

    ¡°Ok, that¡¯s fair. ¡®But still¡¯ isn¡¯t much of an argument. I guess I just mean¡­ it feels different, having seen it play out almost in front of me. I¡¯ll try not to let it get to me.¡±

    ¡°Bzzt, and you¡¯re coming to visit him, I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll appreciate that.¡± I gave Miles a wan smile at that, clutching the ¡®Get well soon¡¯ card I held a little tighter. Feels lame to give to someone after that bad accident, but what else am I supposed to do? Show up with nothing?

    The elevator reached the floor that the man at the front desk had told me Grusha was on. Walking down the hallways I noticed just how similar hospitals were here as they were in my world. While I knew we had some more advanced treatments here due to Pokemon, even a lot of the machines I caught glimpses of in rooms looked similar. A bit smaller overall than I would expect from my world though. I guess it¡¯s because most people here heal up fast.

    Pokemon could help with that, and I saw a Kirlia doing just that as I passed by one room. The Pokemon in question sent out a stream of glowing pink energy to an elderly man. He let out a sigh of relief as the pulses hit and rejuvenated him. Everything I¡¯ve seen online shows that people don¡¯t get as much benefit out of Moves like Heal Pulse as Pokemon, but it does still help somewhat. I wonder if that¡¯s because everyone has some degree of Aura, no matter how faint or untrained. But without the body of a Pokemon, it can¡¯t just instantly heal wounds, only soothe pain and re-energize.

    Glancing down at Dun slithering beside me, my mind flashed to him using Roost. Moves aren¡¯t a thing even Aura users can copy, but I wonder if I can mold my Flying Type energy into a revitalizing technique. Sure would be handy to be able to rest for a minute or two and get the equivalent of a few hours rest. That was a trick that I wouldn¡¯t be showing off to Cyan if I did manage such a feat; she¡¯d been getting more on my case recently about how much I was doing again as I settled back into my routines after Unova.

    When we reached Grusha¡¯s room, I saw that it was filled with flowers, balloons, and gift baskets. So crowded was it I had to return Dun to comfortably enter the room. He stared at me, his blue bangs draped over his face and wearing a thin white gown. ¡°Um, hello. You might not know me, but I-¡±

    ¡°I remember you. That child who saw me fall.¡± He spoke softly, icy blue eyes glaring at me.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t actually see you fall, just¡­ the aftermath. I was battling nearby, at the Gym, I hope I didn''t-"

    He scoffed, the sound morphing into a harsh, hacking cough partway through. Standing up I looked around as if to offer him something but had no idea what to do. Do I call someone? Offer him water?

    His coughing stopped on his own and he spat out "Don''t be an idiot. There are staff to make sure wild Pokemon don''t disrupt anyone on the course, and the Gym is kilometers away. You''re not to blame." He said the words so coldly as if to demand why I was here. I guess I already knew that it was too far away, that it was already destined to happen, but I felt so guilty over the fact that I didn¡¯t warn him.

    "Umm, I wanted to give you a card and uh, see how you were doing.¡± His eyes glanced over to the stack of cards that were much the same, piled up on his bedside table and I placed it there.

    Silence reigned for a minute as I tried to think of something else to say and wondered what he was thinking. God, why did I try and do this? It¡¯s so awkward. Eventually, I said ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve got a lot of well-wishers. I hope-¡± He snorted, the harsh sound cutting me off and jarring with how softly he spoke.

    ¡°So many well-wishers, but not a single one of them showed up to see me.¡± I mean, I did, but I guess I don¡¯t count here. ¡°All these?¡± He gestured at all the gifts. ¡°They all came before the news broke that I wouldn¡¯t be able to compete again.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no chance? Not even with umm, Ditto Cell Therapy?¡± I ventured. Medical knowledge wasn¡¯t something I had studied overly much yet, but my various online info dives had told me about that as one of the more recent revolutions for humans.

    ¡°I¡¯ll walk again, eventually,¡± the young man hissed like it was the bitterest consolation prize he had ever received. ¡°Once you stop growing, the cells don¡¯t work as well, or so the doctors say.¡± Considering just how badly his legs had been screwed up, walking around again is a miracle by itself. But I don¡¯t think he wants to hear that. Unfortunately, I didn¡¯t know what he wanted to hear.

    ¡°Well?¡± He demanded after a minute. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to tell me it gets better? That I¡¯ll somehow manage to snowboard again someday?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I certainly wouldn¡¯t declare myself to know better than the doctors. And I¡¯m guessing that even if you could get on a board, it¡¯d never be quite as good as you were before the accident.¡± I could only imagine how much trying and failing to live up to your old standards would be. Grusha was good; good enough that he had many fans, as indicated by all the support that had been sent his way even before he¡¯d been allowed to receive non-family visitors. From what I¡¯d seen though, he wouldn''t be able to competitively board again, not without intervention from a Legendary or the like. In this world, it feels like anything is possible, but some are still far less probably than others.

    ¡°I can say that you¡¯ll find new things to do. New dreams. They might not be what you wanted first, and they won¡¯t replace your old loves, but they¡¯ll be magical in their own way.¡±

    He brushed his bangs aside, his gaze softening for a moment. ¡°How can you know that?¡± In a way, I¡¯m lucky. A lot of my dreams, like being a writer can still be done here. But others¡­ others are gone.

    ¡°I guess I can¡¯t be certain, but I found Pokemon training and it¡¯s been incredible.¡±

    He snorted, before coughing violently and looking away. ¡°You¡¯re just a kid,¡± he said dismissively before sighing. ¡°The only one who¡¯s shown up. Look, I get that you like battling, but dreams come and go easier for little kids. I¡¯m sure in the future that you¡¯ll want to do something else, but I¡¯ve put in time and effort into this-¡±

    ¡°I train my Pokemon four hours a day,¡± I interrupted the bedridden man. ¡°At least four hours a day, on average. My parents make sure I take a day off from training at least once a week, but we usually use that time to watch old battle videos to get a better feel for how trainers at different levels compete.¡±

    He stopped, looking at me as if I had grown an extra head, and revealed I was actually a Doduo. I¡¯ll take that as a sign I¡¯m on the right track for getting Grusha out of his funk, then. Continuing, I said ¡°Most days, me and my team practice in the morning, honing the Moves they know. After a break for lunch and any lessons I need to take for non-Trainer activities, we¡¯re back at it in the afternoon. We run generalized endurance and movement drills, practicing battlefield maneuvering. After they get tired, my team takes a small break and I run over simulations with them of mock battles. Commands I can give for fake strategies based on their prompts. Using the real-life battles I¡¯ve reviewed, I then try and estimate how effective those would be and better strategies for the future. Finally, we finish off with training new Moves and bringing those up to the level their current repertoire is at. And we haven''t even started our Journey yet!¡±

    Obviously, there''s more to it than just that. We''ll have variations depending on when Arven comes over or when my tutor schedules align. I make sure to mix drills up too, but this should give him a general idea of how I might train on a given day.

    A long moment of silence hung between us, interrupted only by my breathing slightly harder than normal from the sudden diatribe I¡¯d launched into. After a moment he said, ¡°You get way too heated, chill out.¡± Oof. Seriously with the puns? You aren¡¯t even the Ice Type Gym Leader yet!

    I noticed that despite his words, his gaze had moved over from me to the Pokeball that I could see, buried under the gifts and balloons on his bedside table. He has a Cetoddle, doesn¡¯t he? Wait, it¡¯s his Altaria that he Terastalizes in the games, and I think I remember seeing some videos here of his Altaria cheering him on in competitions.

    ¡°As for not getting other visitors, I think that¡¯s just because you were only just cleared for non-family visitation. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll see tons of fans soon!¡± My cheery optimism was admittedly slightly influenced by the fact that I could hear someone walking quickly down the hallway toward us.

    ¡°We¡¯ll see-¡± he began before he heard the footsteps too and the new guest burst in. At first, the view between us was obscured by the massive gift baskets and balloons they were carrying in front of them.

    ¡°Mr. Grusha sir! I¡¯m your biggest fan and I wanted to¡­ see how¡­ you were¡­ doing.¡± A familiar voice trailed off as the young man who had entered stopped to stare at me, dark eyes burning with hatred as he recognized me. A mutual feeling, prick.

    He dropped the gift basket unceremoniously to the side and I heard a clanging that made me wince and hope that nothing in there had broken.¡°What are you doing here? Come to ruin my life again?!¡± Frederick van Grough demanded hands clenched into fists at his sides.

    ¡°Hardly, you do that so well yourself. Besides, why would I have any idea you would be here?¡±

    ¡°Because I¡¯m Grusha¡¯s greatest fan, of course!¡± He shouted. Is that really how you want to behave in front of the injured guy? Then again, I¡¯m probably not helping by being here.

    Shaking my head I turned to Grusha. ¡°Sorry for being so disruptive. I hope- hopefully, my words were of some help. I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡±

    Sneering, Freddrick just had to throw in another jab. ¡°Yeah, you better run. I¡¯ve got a Tera Orb too now, so you won¡¯t be able to cheat your way to victory again if we battled.¡± I should go, I should really go... but I¡¯m not just going to take his slander lying down.

    Turning back slowly at the edge of the doorway, I shot back ¡°From what I remember, I wasn¡¯t the one who got their badges stripped and barred from official League Matches for cheating. Or got kicked out of school, apparently,¡± I said, gesturing at his black and red uniform. It looked fairly fancy (his parents were still wealthy, after all), but it wasn¡¯t the purple and gray Uva Academy uniform he¡¯d been wearing at the tournament.

    Uva Academy still probably has its issues with small acts getting swept under the rug, but something as public as Freddrick¡¯s cheating scandal meant they must have had no choice but to get rid of him. I didn¡¯t feel any sympathy for the young man in this situation, honestly believing that he¡¯d likely have had too permissive a life if he felt he could act the way he had in the first place.

    My taunts must have hit closer to home than I expected, as the boy stepped forward aggressively, raising his hands. ¡°That investigation was rigged! Your parents have always been jealous of my family¡¯s success-¡± He ranted, spittle flying off his face. As he approached, my own hands snapped up into a guard stance, ready to fight.

    Before we could come to blows, however, the third occupant of the room cleared his throat. ¡°Are you going to be fighting here?¡± He asked, more than a little incredulous. Ok, yeah, this isn¡¯t cool.

    ¡°No, I¡¯ll be heading out-¡±

    ¡°Cause you know your Pokemon can¡¯t beat mine!¡±

    ¡°Is this really what you want to be doing as ¡®Grusha¡¯s greatest fan?¡¯¡± I pointed out. That reminder seemed like it would have mollified him, at least to the point of letting me leave in peace until the man in question cut in.

    ¡°I want to see it,¡± he said in a low tone.

    ¡°Huh?¡± I asked, cocking my head at him.

    ¡°You said battling can be ¡®amazing¡¯, right?¡± He asked with air quotes. ¡°I want to see that then.¡±

    ¡°This is¡­ really not the usual part of being a trainer; me and Freddrick have history.¡± He narrowed his icy-blue eyes at me. ¡°Fine, fine. Guess you should see all sides of battling if you want to get an idea of what being a Trainer will be like,¡± I muttered, loudly enough that he could still hear me. Then, in a louder voice, I faced Freddrick and declared: ¡°I challenge you to a one-on-one battle.¡±

    ¡°You''re on!¡± He snarled, whipping out a Pokeball from his belt.

    ¡°Uhh, whoa whoa. We aren¡¯t going to battle in the hospital, right?¡± I asked, and my question was answered by one of the nurses who had come over to investigate the ruckus and now glared at the two of us.

    Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

    ***

    With a bit of quick talking from Grusha and throwing his celebrity status around, we managed to arrange for our battle to take place outside, with Grusha escorted out to watch.

    We had to wait for a bit as the staff got him a wheelchair and placed him down very gently in it, which led to an awkward and tense silence between myself and Freddrick. At one point, I muttered to him ¡°Not sure what problem you have with me or my family, but none of that justifies your cheating.¡±

    ¡°The League was rigged-¡±

    ¡°Shut up. Lie to anyone else as much as you like, but don¡¯t waste your breath on me. I heard you whispering to the head judge about how you got me disqualified.¡± And I don¡¯t doubt that they cheated in the other ways the report mentioned as well.

    The nurse started moving Grusha down, giving us a very pointed look to stop our bickering, which cut off any further ¡®conversation¡¯ between us until we reached the field out behind the hospital.

    Given the mountainous terrain and the mobility of Pokemon, most patients came in through the front or were air-lifted in above. As such, we had a decently clear snowy field to battle in. The terrain gets a little hilly and bumpy past twenty meters out. Shouldn¡¯t be too much problem for Dun to navigate in, but Freddrick will have the advantage in the air, assuming he decides to use-

    ¡°Go, Corvi!¡± He threw his Pokeball out immediately, and the gigantic metal bird took her place in front of him.

    ¡°Corviknight!¡± She crowed, flapping her wings and sending a flurry of snow into my face.

    ¡°Lovely,¡± I drawled, releasing Dun. ¡°Let¡¯s take our places and establish the rules.¡±

    ¡°What do we need to talk about? Just a one-on-one fight till the other side loses.¡± He said dismissively, but nonetheless started walking opposite me until we were far enough that with the chill wind we had to just barely push our voices above regular conversation levels.

    ¡°Don¡¯t want any sudden curve balls thrown my way again,¡± I said with a mocking smile, as if I wasn¡¯t still slightly bitter over how the Junior Tournament ended. ¡°We just have one Pokemon each, so no switches. Fight til one side faints or surrenders, without needless malice. No battle items. Oh, and there¡¯s a hospital nearby, so let''s try to control our attacks away from there - anything that hits the building or people and could cause serious harm is an instant loss.¡±

    Despite directing my words at my foe, my gaze wandered over to where Grusha sat in his wheelchair off on the side of our makeshift battlefield. The nurse who had helped wheel him out had quickly thrown a blanket over his lap, but he hadn¡¯t seemed too affected by the cold. Jeez is that Auric potential, or just him being used to it from all his professional snowboarding?

    Dun, clearly not trusting Freddrick, started drawing a line in the snow with his tail, well away from our ¡®audience¡¯. The older boy took a second glance at my starter and blinked before laughing out loud.

    ¡°You evolved your Pokemon, but it only got a bit longer? How lame!¡± His Pokemon didn¡¯t share his amusement at the situation, her beady red eyes glaring down at Dun as he set up the field. As he finished laughing, he added ¡°Though it is fitting, I suppose, that a lame Pokemon has a lame evolution.¡±

    My Pokemon glared at him for a second before shrugging it off, turning around, and slithering back to me. He¡¯s gotten a lot better control of his temper, I wonder if he''s getting close to unlocking the Serene Grace Ability?

    Miles zipped out of my pocket and hovered at the side of the field, recording the match and I picked up a twig fallen from a nearby tree. ¡°We¡¯ll begin when this stick hits the ground, sound good?¡±

    ¡°Fine, just hurry it up,¡± Freddrick said, not having any meaningful objections. I tossed it up, and a split second before it hit the snow, my foe gave an order.

    ¡°Sky Attack!¡± Like the end of our last match, Corviknight began glowing brightly, such a harsh light surrounded her that even I felt the instinctual need to avert my gaze.

    ¡°Ancient Power, then block it!¡± I called out. Dun whipped his tail up and sharp rocks shot out of the ground, flying like spears that clanged against Corviknight¡¯s heavily armored wings. Dun had improved at wielding this attack, but he barely had time to launch three of his rocks at his foe before we both felt the bird approach, swooping down.

    As fast as her attack was, my large land snake was even quicker to defend, aborting his attack and surrounding himself with the translucent green barrier. A small shockwave boomed out from the point of impact, and while there were a few small cracks that formed in his shield, Dun held out against the attack, the light dying down as the bird lifted off, back into the air.

    ¡°Ancient Power,¡± I tried again, hoping for that omni-boost that would make winning this fight a breeze. Unfortunately, we had barely as much time as we did for the first volley before she began glowing harshly again, literally flying into the attack almost as fast as last time.

    She bashed once again against Dun¡¯s Protect, forcing his attack off but once more failing to pierce the nigh-invincible barrier. I see, it looks like that first attack wasn¡¯t a fluke, or a ¡®fluke¡¯. Was the report about him using Power Herb false- no, that¡¯s not it. He probably was training to make up for it ever since, so he can pretend to anyone who would care to listen to him that it was faked.

    Unfortunately for him, that seemed to be the only area they improved, as when the attack failed again, he tried for the same Move once more. It¡¯s fast, but Dun can still use his faster Moves in between Protecting against the powerful Sky Attack. We¡¯re whittling him down slowly but surely, but¡­ Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Grusha frowning at the fight. My goal here is to get Grusha interested in being a trainer, and then hopefully a Gym Leader, not just on winning at any cost. Not, that I¡¯m going to lose, in any case.

    ¡°Glare,¡± I gave the order before Corviknight could get too bright for him to look at, eliciting a frightened squawk as his foe beheld his near-demonic visage.

    She pushed through, having enough control over her body to avoid falling down this time and even striking Dun¡¯s shield. Less force this time, though. Guess fighting against your muscles freezing up can cost you power on some Moves.

    This time Corviknight had to land down after the attack, talons sinking into the snow beside Dun. Freddrick, seeing this, finally decided to give up on his old strategy. ¡°Fury Attack!¡±

    ¡°Parry!¡± With his longer body, Dun could twist around to follow the furious pecking on his own, rather than having to rely on my hand gestures to block the attacks with his tail. This time though, there was an unexpected pause in the attacks as her Paralysis stopped Corviknight, throwing off Dun¡¯s rhythm and letting her land a few hits against his softer body.

    The next time she froze though, I was ready. ¡°Hyper Drill!¡± Point blank, he burst backward into Corviknight, his tail spinning incredibly fast. On impact, there was a horrendous screeching sound, as even her metal armor couldn¡¯t fully stop the power of one of his strongest Moves.

    With a cry of pain, she backed away, forgoing offense in favor of distance. Dun spun around to face her and I decided to try out a new Move we¡¯d been working on.

    ¡°Triple Yawn!¡± Taking in a massive breath, inflating all three segments of his body, Dun exhaled, letting out a large beige cloud that slowly drifted up to Corviknight.

    ¡°Blow that shit away!¡± Freddrick cussed, grinning as his Pokemon easily dispersed the cloud with one sweep of her wings. Before they had time to cheer, Dun let out another cloud, another segment deflating as he did so. She repeated the action, but one final instance of the Move was ready to be released the moment after the winds she had kicked up had stopped.

    Corviknight¡¯s muscles were seizing, having a hard time working through the Paralysis. Personally, I don¡¯t feel shouting at your Pokemon ¡®just do it!¡¯ and ¡®hurry up!¡¯ help here.

    Nonetheless, Frederick¡¯s Pokemon followed his frantic ¡®commands¡¯ and managed to blast away the cloud at the last second before it could envelop her.

    Dun and I hadn¡¯t been idle while she was struggling with that, however. Drawing my fist down to not give away the game, my starter began gathering electrical energy high above and released it just as Corviknight finished blocking our previous attack.

    The Thunder hit with a flash and loud boom, the electricity piercing her and causing real damage. She fell to the ground, but rather than follow it up with Earthquake or any form of attack, I focused on our own speed. ¡°Agility!¡±

    Dun glowed bright blue, zipping around the battlefield as Corviknight got back to her feet. Freddrick stomped the ground, hissing as he stepped a bit too deeply in the snow and sunk past his fashionable yet not very tall boots.

    ¡°Gah! Enough of this, let¡¯s show them your true power!¡± He shouted, drawing forth his Tera Orb from his pocket. The orb shook in his hands as he activated it, tossing it over his Pokemon¡¯s head where it burst into light, encasing her in crystals for a brief moment before they shattered. She emerged, glowing and with a set of crystalline balloons resting atop her head.

    ¡°Wing Attack!¡± He ordered, and she caught us off guard, flying forward faster than before, Terastalization, or perhaps the desperation of the moment, allowed her to shake off the Paralysis that had hampered her prior. The surprise let her slam one wing into Dun, knocking him back a bit, but he soon adjusted, rolling with the blow and quickly avoiding any follow-up, dancing out of the way.

    ¡°Ancient Power.¡± Dun sped around the battlefield, rocks hurtling out at irregular intervals from wherever he passed by - and occasionally striking into his foe from behind as he telekinetically controlled the few that missed hitting again.

    ¡°Night!¡± The bird Pokemon cried out in pain as the attacks racked up against her.

    ¡°What¡¯s the problem? You¡¯re Terastalized, just push through!¡± Freddrick complained, a nervousness in his eyes as even the arrogant young man started to realize he was going to lose.

    ¡°That¡¯s exactly the problem,¡± I pointed out, before seeing Dun glow with a mysterious power.

    ¡°Ok, that¡¯s one of two problems. The first is that by turning Corviknight into a pure Flying Type, you may have strengthened some of her Moves, but you left her weak to others.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s the other?!¡± Well, technically the other issue is the omni-boost Dun just got from Ancient Power, but I''d rather just have a dramatic, ¡®cool¡¯ line.

    ¡°This. Thunder,¡± I declared, letting them watch in awe as Dun unleashed a powerful series of lightning strikes falling like rain down upon Corvknight. With his speed and power increased, there was no contest, and try though she might to get close to him, she fell short, collapsing into the snow in front of Dun and not getting up. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡±

    Freddrick was stunned, just staring out into space as if he couldn¡¯t understand how this happened. I pushed that and any worries about what he might do to the side, returning Dun to his Pokeball. I¡¯m sure he could heal the injuries with a Roost pretty quickly, but he¡¯s looking pretty tired from all the Moves he did and I can just use a Potion later.

    Walking over to Grusha, I saw the man was shivering a little, which was to be expected given the weather. He barely seemed to care, however, holding a Pokeball in his hand and glancing down at it and back at the battlefield repeatedly. ¡°So, you find that¡­ fun?¡± He asked awkwardly.

    Not like he didn¡¯t believe me but more that he was just having trouble with something¡­

    Having trouble hoping. That there could be something in his future. Which, a little melodramatic, but I¡¯ll give it to him, given the circumstances. ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, nodding vigorously.

    ¡°Freddrick and I aren¡¯t even the best examples of that - like I said, we don¡¯t get along. But even so, I was having a blast. Pokemon battles have elegance, skill, quick thinking and big picture decisions, power, speed¡­ they¡¯re just the best. What Pokemon can do is magical and leading and training them, helping them reach the highest heights, it feels incredible.¡±

    Internally, I cursed myself for not having a better description on hand. I felt like I could have spoken about battling for days on end, but in the moment the words wouldn¡¯t come out right.

    Not that it seemed to matter, Grusha looked at me with wide eyes before grabbing my hand and shaking it. ¡°Thank you,¡± he breathed out, and I thought I saw water gathering in his eyes before he turned to the nurse, asking her to take him back.

    Wow, glad I made a good impression. He was a cool Gym Leader and I would have been upset with myself if I inadvertently drove him away from that. Turning away, I started marching away from the hospital, deciding I had done enough and it would be best to leave. Unfortunately, Freddrick didn¡¯t feel the same way, running forward and grabbing me.

    Yelping, I twisted, his bigger body and sudden force causing me to fall into the snowy ground. My instincts kicked in on the way down and I managed to pull him with me, turning and trying to get his body under mine. The person on the top of a grapple had a huge advantage. Of course, since he was older than me, his size played a role too, and even managing to use his strength against him and get the top position, it was still a struggle as he flailed about.

    ¡°What is your problem?¡± I screeched, trying to pin his thrashing arms down and avoid getting thrown off.

    ¡°YOU! Everyone is always talking about how you¡¯re so smart and Ma and Pa keep on telling me I need to show up the Glitterati¡¯s and then you somehow beat me and it¡¯s not fair-¡± The rich boy screamed as he struggled beneath me.

    For a moment I was tempted to punch his face, but pulled back. Ironically, I was brought back by the sound of Miles hovering over him and buzzing very dangerously, reminding me of just how much damage I could truly do to Freddrick if I wanted to fuck him up¡­ and how he wasn¡¯t worth it.

    ¡°Oh, shove off!¡± Despite telling him to do that, I was the one who pushed off of his face with my hand, standing back up. I kept an eye on him in case he was going to start fighting me again, but all I saw was a snot-nosed brat crying in the snow. Jeez, this is embarrassing. Not on his behalf, but just from how sloppy my fight was. I know we¡¯re in the snow and wearing heavy clothing, but I felt so sloppy here. Hmm, better add this kind of practice to my routines with Dendra.

    ¡°Quit complaining about your parents, you were a jerk to me before you even knew who I was. Your cheating is your own damn problem. Do you want to get better? Maybe treat your Pokemon better and stop cheating.¡± Flinging a hand out to point at the Corviknight still lying down in the cold (something we were all feeling after his little fit).

    Frederick blinked, slowly getting up and returning his Pokemon. ¡°This was supposed to be my chance to visit Grusha,¡± he muttered. ¡°But you got to be the one who helped him-¡±

    ¡°Newsflash!¡± I interrupted him, causing the taller boy to flinch back. ¡°We both helped him!¡±

    ¡°What?¡± The van Grough boy looked at me like I just said the sky was green.

    ¡°I couldn¡¯t have shown him how great being a trainer was without you, so if you¡¯re worried about that, then you did help. Maybe take that and stop being such a dick to everyone else,¡± I muttered the last part as I turned away. Whatever, I¡¯m not his keeper. Whether he¡¯s a better person or not is his own choice.

    Without any further words, I turned and walked away, trudging through the snow to the town square. Miles, ever faithful, had already begun sending out a request for a Flying Taxi to pick me up.

    ¡°Thanks.¡±

    ¡°Bzzt, no problems, Young- Nemona,¡± They caught themselves, knowing I didn¡¯t care to stand on station when it was just the two of us. ¡°I think you handled that quite well, bzzt.¡±

    Blowing out a hot breath and shaking a bit of snow off I responded. ¡°Definitely think I could have handled it better too, but whatever. It¡¯s done now.¡± Looking down the street I could already see the Flying Taxi landing down. Dang that¡¯s fast, must have been in the area.

    ¡°Let¡¯s look forward to better things. Next stop, vacation!¡±

    ¡°But your family vacation isn¡¯t for another two weeks, bzzt. So actually the next stop is home, then over to Dendra¡¯s dojo for practice tomorrow¡­¡± Letting out a small sigh and a side-eye, not entirely certain if Miles was being overly literal or messing with me, I climbed into the basket. I could barely think about that however as my imagination turned to my next great adventure, waiting beyond the horizon. Kitakami.

 Chapter 37

    ¡°Woohoo!¡± I shouted for the umpteenth time, my voice hoarse as we landed down, descending on rich verdant land beneath.

    Over my ride¡¯s top fin, I could see the mountain that dominated the center of Kitakami, the stones on the side jutting up and down like a set of fanged teeth. Off to the sides were rolling hills with trees all about, and a large river that cut through the land. Kitakami Hall stood off from the town, in the shadow of the mountain beside it, and I could just barely make out the apple orchard and Loyalty Plaza. It¡¯s magnificent. The games can¡¯t do this world justice; and they did a pretty job, in my opinion.

    Slowing down, we stopped well before Mosui village proper, which was not even close to their famed rice fields. Kitakami was technically its own region, so we needed to check in at the airport, even though we had taken¡­ different means to get here.

    As I got off my ride¡¯s back, I looked back at my parents and sister, off in the distance. They were all on Dragonites, which, while incredibly fast, had paled in comparison to the Garchomp I had chosen as my ride. It¡¯s incredible how she can fly, seemingly just shooting around like a jet plane.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said to her, patting her hide. I had been given gloves and thick gear, both for the wind chill and to help me keep my grip on her as we rode. She doesn¡¯t have Rough Skin ability, but her scales are still fairly tough and sharp, at least by human standards.

    ¡°That was incredible, so glad I picked the fastest Dragon.¡± She gave a low growl of pride and from the way she puffed up, I knew she¡¯d be bragging about this to her fellows.

    It didn''t take much time before my family joined me, my parents dropping down a little wobbly but looking delighted. My sister, however, took a minute to gingerly disentangle herself from the Dragonite she¡¯d been gripping onto with four limbs for dear life.

    She dropped to her knees when she finally touched the ground, and with a queasy look on her face, she stared dead into my eyes and uttered two words: ¡°Never. Again.¡±

    ¡°Aww, c¡¯mon, we were totally safe-¡± I tried only to be cut off by another glare, as well as the landing of the ¡®captain¡¯ of this trip.

    Vance Hawthorn got off his Salamance, feeding the Pokemon a quick berry as the former Ace

    Trainer checked us over. ¡°Everyone doing good?¡± The mild-aged man asked, more out of politeness than anything, I imagined, since he¡¯d been watching our flight over the past couple of hours with eyes almost as keen as mine. It was only in this final stretch that Garchomp (and myself) had been permitted to fly a bit ahead, something she had eagerly done.

    ¡°Oh don¡¯t worry about Cyan, she¡¯ll live.¡±

    ¡°Hate you¡­¡± She groaned, now clutching at the ground.

    ¡°Take it easy, takes a while to get used to being on the ground again. At least for most people,¡± he said, giving me an odd look. ¡°Have you ever gone on a long-distance flight on a Pokemon before?¡±

    ¡°Uh nope, just take to it naturally, I guess.¡± In the sense that my Aura is naturally Flying aligned, yeah. I wasn¡¯t actively using my Aura there, but it felt so natural gliding through the sky like that I was tempted to jump off and just start flying myself!

    Which would have been fun, but while Tulip had given me the ok to use my Aura and play around with it a bit on the trip, she also advised me not to try full-on flying yet, just sticking to levitating and trying to conjure gusts of wind. Also, I doubt I¡¯d be able to fly anywhere near as fast as Garchomp was going.

    O¡¯Nare, having regained herself a bit strode forward on unsteady legs and thanked Vance. ¡°Thank you for taking us here, this was quite the experience. I think we¡¯ll be taking a plane back home, however, so no need to wait for us.¡±

    ¡°Not a problem, you were quite generous with your payment,¡± Vance said. ¡°I¡¯ll probably stick around here for the plane ride though. When not flying VIPs like yourself I actually tend to fly protection duty for air travel.¡±

    ¡°Planes need protection?¡± I asked before realizing that it was probably protection from wild airborne Pokemon. ¡°Wait, but don¡¯t they have Rangers clearing the routes ahead of time?¡± A major part of why the International Pokemon League is so big as a political group is because of the cooperation it fosters for things like this. Big international tournaments are fun and get a lot of publicity, but having a central body to help facilitate travel, law enforcement, et. cetera is huge.

    He gave a small guffaw. ¡°They do, of course, but not everything goes according to plan. A lot of things can change up there and we help make sure a plane can steer clear of any unexpected dangers. Plus,¡± He said leaning down as if whispering some big trade secret to me ¡°have you ever wondered why flights go so smoothly?¡±

    ¡°Actually, yeah, I have. There¡¯s never any turbulence- oh! Because of Pokemon like yours! Is it just a general application of Flying Type energy, or do you use Moves like Tailwind consistently?¡±

    ¡°Haha wow, didn¡¯t expect you to be such a little scholar.¡± Why is everyone so surprised at that? Aren¡¯t kids supposed to be curious? ¡°The Moves depend on the situation, and we only use them to get rid of inclement weather, not constantly.¡±

    ¡°I see. Oh, here, I should probably give you these gloves and gear back,¡± I said, taking off the thick pleather gloves, before he waved me off.

    ¡°Keep ¡®em. Your folks paid more than enough for you to keep them, and who knows? Maybe they¡¯ll come in handy someday. Does my old heart good to see a youngster that loves the sky almost as much as I do.¡±

    Nodding, I thanked him again and then ran after my family who had begun trudging their way towards the customs station. This is going to be so much fun, I can¡¯t wait to begin adventuring in Kitakami!

    ***

    It turned out not only could I wait, I had to. Getting cleared by customs was easy enough, but then we had to sit patiently for the bus, which only came in and out from Mossui Town twice a day. I was tempted to just start walking over, but Billy pointed out ¡®It¡¯s a family vacation, we should stick together.¡¯

    To pass the time before the bus got there we played cards, something that both my parents informed me was ¡®charming¡¯ and ¡®delightfully commoner¡¯. Once we got on the bus, the driver proved to be quite an amicable fellow who acted almost like a tour guide. He chatted about the richness of the land and what sites we might want to see while we were there.

    Already know about most of those, and have a few places in mind not on that list, but still interesting to hear about it from a local¡¯s perspective. I wonder if I¡¯ll run into Kieran and Carmine while I¡¯m here?

    Meeting them and possibly making things smoother for the future plot would be ideal, but I vowed not to let that consume me. This trip is about relaxation and enjoyment, first and foremost. This was technically ''my'' birthday treat, getting to choose the destination for our vacation. I was already loving it, though I did still feel a little guilty about the fact that my big sister had been so discombobulated by the method of travel.

    Luckily, she seemed to bounce back fairly quickly after our dragon ride over and was looking interested in the scenery as we passed by. ¡°Oh! Check it out, those are the rice paddies,¡± I pointed out to her as we turned around a bend in the road and could now see the town and attached fields past the cliffs that surrounded this ¡®pocket region.¡¯

    ¡°Neat. Wow, there¡¯s a lot of Pokemon here, huh?¡± Cyan commented as we took in the sights. In addition to the old-timey buildings (and the more modern Inn at the top of the hill) in the town, there was all manner of Pokemon wandering about. In the rice fields, atop the tiled roofs in the town, and even crossing freely through the road leading up to town. Maybe that¡¯s part of why the bus stop is so far away from the town itself - no one wants to wait ten minutes for a slow Pokemon to choose to cross the road to move five meters ahead only to be halted by another one.

    We reached the said stop shortly thereafter, getting off the bus and stretching our legs. Then we began a scenic walk up towards Mossui town, getting our first real experience of Kitakami. It was wonderful to take in the sights, sounds, and even scents; my sense of smell had been terrible in my first life but it was amazing here (possibly boosted by my Aura, though I had no real comparison). I can smell the candy apples from here. Applin isn¡¯t my favorite Pokemon, but Dipplin is pretty cool, and I heard it gets an evolution beyond that.

    ¡°Whoa, what¡¯s up with those Pokemon?¡± My sister¡¯s exclamation drew me out of my thoughts. She was pointing out the river and down at the water. Is there something rare there? No?

    ¡°Uhh, the Woopers? Those aren¡¯t that special. I mean any Pokemon can be special, but we see them all the time in Paldea-¡±

    ¡°Not Woopers like those!¡± She countered, and I remembered that Johtoan Woopers actually would be strange to her.

    ¡°Many Pokemon have regional variants, having different Types and slightly different bodies and even entirely different evolutions in different environments. Those Woopers will evolve into Quagsires, not Clodsires like we have back home. Kitakami is home to a bunch of different Pokemon than we have back in Paldea.¡±

    She nodded slowly, gazing out at the Yanma flying above and Sewaddles crawling about on the ground and everything in between. ¡°I can see why a Pokemaniac like you would like this place then,¡± she said as we walked by the rice paddies.

    ¡°That¡¯s not why I wanted to go here,¡± I replied with a sigh. ¡°Any region would have its own rich ecosystem of Pokemon. No, I¡¯m interested in the history of Kitakami. There are some folktales here-¡±

    ¡°What would an outsider know about our history?¡± A new voice interrupted me as we stepped off the road and into the town proper. Glancing up, I saw the owner of that voice, a young girl almost as tall as Cyan pointing a finger straight out at me. She was standing in the middle of the main street, and out of the corners of my eyes I could catch a few adults shaking their heads.

    ¡°Huh? I mean, I¡¯ve heard stories and read articles¡­¡± I mumbled on instinct, trying to think of a plausible cover for my knowledge before pausing as I caught sight of her bright yellow eyes.

    ¡°Carmine.¡±

    ¡°Wha-? How do you know my name!?¡± The young girl asked angrily, hands clenched in fists.

    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s your name? I was just noticing the lovely shade of red your hair is.¡± Please let that excuse work, I really don¡¯t want to explain I saw you in a video game in a past life.

    It did something, as Carmine turned away, shaking her head slightly, inadvertently giving me a better look at her two-tone hair. I know this is an ¡®anime world¡¯ but it still feels weird that she can have hair that¡¯s black in the front and red on the underside. What even is the biological explanation for that?

    After a moment of mumbling something incoherent to herself, she whipped back to face me.

    ¡°Wh-whatever! I still don¡¯t want to hear that some foreigner knows more about this land than we do!¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not what I said-¡±

    ¡°If you keep this up¡­ I¡¯ll have to Pokemon battle you!¡± She declared triumphantly, proudly showing off the Pokeball attached to the belt over her blue jinbei.

    ¡°C¡¯mon sis, you don¡¯t need to do this,¡± a small boy muttered, stepping out from behind her and tugging at her sleeve. Like his sibling, he was wearing a jinbei, though his was gray. His hair was also black on one side, but lilac underneath, and he had the same yellow eyes she had.

    In terms of personality, however, they couldn¡¯t be more different, the taller girl turning on him.

    ¡°Shut up Kiki!¡± She shouted, literally trembling with rage. ¡°Don¡¯t you see I have to defend our home?!¡±

    There was a small chuckle, something even I only barely caught from an older teenager standing off behind the inn. He was wearing a casual black shirt and baseball cap with a gold chain around his neck, just seeming amused at the scene playing out in front of him. Several townsfolk are, so I wonder why from him I get a slight sense of¡­ danger?

    Turning back to the girl glaring at me, I attempted to defuse the situation. ¡°I would never presume to know more about your culture than you. In fact, I¡¯d love it if-¡±

    ¡°Oh, we¡¯re going to get to see our little girl battle up close!¡± O¡¯Nare clapped happily.

    ¡°Yes! You can do it Nemona, show us true Gliteratti pride!¡± Billy ¡®helpfully¡¯ added. Ugh, I forgot how ''supportive'' they can be. Welp, no helping it now.

    With that, it was pretty much settled and we took our places on the road, any wandering townsfolk giving us a wide berth and a few of them sticking around to watch. The guy in black introduced himself as Muramasa and stepped up to referee the match as well. Not sure what Pokemon Carmine will use, but she¡¯s got a Sinistcha, right? Dun should be good against that, especially with his new Moves.

    We both held up our Pokeballs and on the signal released them. As I expected, Carmine released what looked like a small clay jar with floating ¡®hands¡¯ of a green goopy liquid, one of which held a stirring stick. They had white eyes and a smile painted on the outside of the beige portion of the jar, but through the cracks in the container, I could see the green liquid and a yellow orb staring out from it.

    Carmine¡¯s smirk turned grim as she beheld my Pokemon. ¡°A Dudunsparce? How¡¯d you get an evolved Pokemon?!¡±

    ¡°Not many people recognize Dunsparce¡¯s evolution, are they common here?¡± I asked, surprised by that. Even in regions like Paldea and Johto where Dunsparce is fairly plentiful (compared to others), Dudunsparce is practically unheard of, just because there are so few trainers or conditions to push them to evolve in the wild.

    ¡°I saw some up in the caves by the Crystal Pool- Ah! Stop trying to trick me into giving you our secrets!¡± Before I could respond to that she changed tracks. ¡°We¡¯ll beat you anyway. Welcome to Kitakami. For your first experience, get ready to eat dirt!¡±

    Muramasa gave the countdown, and on the word ¡®begin¡¯, Carmine launched into her order.

    ¡°Poltchageist, use your special Move! Shadow Ball!¡± Poltchageist? I thought that was- oh right, Sinistcha is the evolved version.

    The ghostly goop poked their head up, pushing the jar lid up as they gathered a small ball of dark purple energy between their hands. We weren¡¯t about to let that go unpunished, however, as I called ¡°Glare!¡±

    Dun gave them a malicious stare and Carmine¡¯s Pokemon winced, still managing to shoot out the Shadow Ball and even keep it on target. The ball grew, distorting and rippling as its size increased the farther it got until it collided with Dun, enveloping him¡­ and doing nothing whatsoever because he was a Normal Type.

    ¡°Hex,¡± was the simple follow-up command I gave, but it was enough. Dark purple energies of Dun¡¯s own surrounded the small Ghost Type, causing it to thrash around in pain for a moment before collapsing down to the ground. Carmine was fast enough on the draw to return her Pokemon instinctually before they could contact the concrete, but still seemed to be in shock, gaping at how fast the match ended.

    That¡¯s fair, I was kinda thinking this would go on longer too. This was gonna be our chance to see how Lunge and Ice Spinner worked in battle. Guess it was a bit unfair to expect a grueling contest from a kid though. The girl in question let out a question. ¡°Who are you?¡±

    Recalling Dun I replied, ¡°Nemona Glitterati. It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡± I held out a hand for her to shake, Carmine¡¯s yellow eyes were full of water and I wasn¡¯t sure if she would take my offer, yell, or start bawling.

    As it turned out, none of those things happened, as a balding man with glasses in purple robes stepped out of the inn we had been battling in front of. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± He asked before locking his gaze on Carmine. ¡°Have you been bothering our guests? They¡¯re very rich- they¡¯re looking for rich experiences in our wonderful land. Please try not to disturb them.¡±

    ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that, Carmine just invited me to a friendly battle!¡± I said, throwing an arm up and around her shoulder. It was awkward due to the height difference, but also because she was glaring daggers at me.

    She quickly adjusted to an incredibly saccharine smile as she turned to the innkeeper. ¡°Yuuuup. Just love greeting outside- visitors.¡± The man quirked an eyebrow, but seeing no imminent disasters, turned to greet my parents, eagerly buttering them up.

    ¡°Alright, fine. I guess you can stay here, but only if you do everything I say and respect our land.¡± Carmine said, pushing off from me.

    My big sister started marching toward us, clearly frustrated with how this girl was acting, but I waved her down. She stopped but was still frowning at Carmine until I spoke up. ¡°I¡¯d love to, but oh, how will I know how to properly respect your land if I don¡¯t see it or know its history?¡±

    The tall girl seemed confused by this, scrunching up her brow cutely as she thought about it before brightening up with a laugh. ¡°We¡¯ll just have to show you! Kiki and I will take you all over Kitakami!¡±

    ¡°Aw man, why am I getting roped into this?¡± Her younger brother questioned aloud and was promptly ignored by Carmine, the girl striding off back to their home.

    Cyan shook her head beside me. ¡°I know you can be stingy, but is it worth having them as tour guides, even if you tricked them into doing it for free?¡±

    Flashing her a smile that said butter wouldn¡¯t melt in my mouth I replied ¡°No idea what you¡¯re talking about. But I think this¡¯ll be fun.¡±

    ***

    We got situated in our rooms, which my parents referred to as ¡®charmingly rustic¡¯, something which the innkeeper twitched at, and I suspected was actually some of the most modern facilities here. The inn is quite comfortable, honestly, but I can see how it doesn¡¯t compare to the five-star hotels we regularly stay at.

    The next morning Billy asked me at breakfast ¡°What do you want to do?¡±

    ¡°Well, there¡¯s a lot of the land to see and explore, but I thought we might try fitting in with the locals and seeing about getting some of their clothes first. There¡¯s a store right beside-¡±

    ¡°Who are you and what have you done with my sister?¡± Cyan accused me suspiciously.

    With a heavy sigh, I said ¡°I¡¯m not against all clothing shopping, I just don¡¯t feel like doing so every week.¡± Or month. Look, clothing shopping can probably be done like twice a year, excluding emergencies. ¡°The outfits here look neat and they¡¯ll make for fun souvenirs.¡± Getting keepsakes from a vacation was fine, but I didn¡¯t see the point in buying stuff that would sit on a shelf for years, barely get looked at, and then thrown out.

    ¡°Mmhmm. Still not convinced you aren¡¯t an alien who replaced my sister. But then again, you¡¯re an alien who likes to shop, so I guess you can keep her.¡±

    ¡°Hey! I just said that this isn¡¯t going to be a regular thing!!¡± My sister ignored my words as we headed off to Peachy¡¯s, the main store just down from the inn.

    I wonder if that has anything to do with Pecharunt, the legendary in the other half of the DLC, who was supposed to be the big bad behind the ¡®Loyalty Trio¡¯? Meh, probably not, this is just a small store run by a kindly old lady.

    We all got jinbeis and were shown how best to wear them. While the store had a multitude of styles and colors, ultimately I ended up going for the golden one with white and blue highlights, much to my parents¡¯ delight. It was the most expensive of the bunch, but also the most durable while still being lightweight and airy. Cyan got a bunch of outfits as well as one jinbei, remarking on the unique nature of the Spinarak silk clothes.

    Still having a few hours to kill before Carmine and Kieran would show us around, Cyan and I went down to check out the river that wound around town (Mom and Dad took the time to quickly check work emails and deal with any urgent situations that cropped up at their jobs). Popplio loved splashing around there, and even practicing his singing, which drew quite a crowd.

    The Woopers in particular loved the song, jumping up and down on the river bank and splashing around to his tunes. Cyan snapped dozens of photos. I even joined in, pulling my guitar out of my Sliph bag and playing ¡®Unova¡¯ alongside her starter.

    ¡°Slow down you crazy child, you¡¯re so ambitious for a juvenile,

    But then if you¡¯re so smart, why are you still so afraid?

    Where¡¯s the fire? What¡¯s the hurry about?

    You gotta cool it off before you burn it out.

    You got so much to do and only so many hours in the day.

    But you know when the truth gets told,

    You can get what you want or you can just get old.

    You¡¯re gonna kick off before you even get halfway through.

    When will you realize that Unova waits for you?¡±

    Something happened as we played, the notes Popplio was singing started bubbling out of his mouth forming musical symbols forged of water to float through the air. When they drifted down to the river, they¡¯d erupt in an explosion of water, to even more cheers from our fans.

    ¡°What Move was that?¡± My sister asked, hugging Popplio tightly. ¡°Was that Sparkling Aria? I heard his evolution can learn that but I never thought he¡¯d master it so fast!¡±

    ¡°Ehh, I don¡¯t think it was that Move, more an Ability,¡± I pointed out. At the sudden pout on both their faces, I added: ¡°The Popplio line has a hidden ability called Liquid Voice which can turn all their sound-based Moves into Water Type. That¡¯s super impressive, and even rarer and harder to train than a Move he¡¯ll definitely learn when he evolves.¡±

    Both of them brightened up at that and she twirled him in the air. ¡°Awesome! I can¡¯t wait to show him off to all my classmates.¡±

    ¡°Right, you¡¯re heading to Uva Academy not long after this.¡±

    ¡°What about you?¡± She asked me after she finished playing with Popplio, setting him down and letting him sing to his heart¡¯s content, conjuring more watery music.

    ¡°What about me? I¡¯m still too young to go to school-¡±

    ¡°Uva¡¯s minimum acceptance age is five, and I bet you already know that. We both know you¡¯re smart enough to attend. Or maybe you¡¯re thinking about Blueberry Academy, given your song? Is that one going on the album?¡±

    Our parents had been pushing for me to take all my song ideas and turn them into an album, and I was slowly coming around to the idea, at least as a tool to get music from my past life out there. ¡°That wasn¡¯t what the song was about. I thought about it on our trip to Unova, where you told me I should chill out on training and studying a bit.¡±

    She sat beside me on a large rock as we looked over at the river, where Popplio had been invited to a game of¡­ tag? It was hard to tell what exactly the game was, but he and the other Pokemon were having a blast, splashing and swimming over each other.

    A glance to the side showed me that my deflection hadn¡¯t worked as she was still staring at me. ¡°Ok, ok, I know. I know I could go, I just¡­ don¡¯t like rushing into things.¡± Can¡¯t exactly say I¡¯m waiting till I¡¯m twelve or thirteen to avoid screwing up meta-knowledge of the games.

    My big sister didn¡¯t condemn me, nodding her head. ¡°I get it. I had to go and check out a bunch of different schools recently before feeling settled on Uva.¡± She paused for a moment, frowning before turning to face me and saying ¡°You work hard on trying to be ¡®perfect.¡¯ Honestly, it¡¯s kinda frustrating, because I was supposed to be the big sis setting the example. Not sure if you remember, but I got kinda upset at you for that before.¡±

    ¡°Water under the bridge.¡± Then, as if conjured by my words (or more accurately, conjured by the Quagsire cannonballing into the river), a large wave swept up and we had to hurry to pull our legs up to avoid getting drenched.

    ¡°Just- I¡¯m trying to say you can afford to take some risks. You¡¯re my brilliant little sis, and I don¡¯t want to see you hide that away from the world forever. You don¡¯t know what you¡¯ll find either.

    Like, at first I thought I wanted a Sprigatito as my next Pokemon, but now¡­¡± her gaze wandered over to the Pokemon in the river. Her Popplio and a half dozen other Woopers had clambered onto the back of the Quagsire and were now proudly ¡®sailing¡¯ across the river.

    ¡°How touching,¡± a familiar voice said in a sarcastic tone. Carmine revealed herself standing atop the edge of the small cliff before the river, her brother looking nervously by her side. She jumped down with a small thud, bending her knees as she hit the loose stony river bank. ¡°C¡¯mon, we can¡¯t wait forever for you guys, we have to get a move on if we¡¯re exploring Kitakami.¡±

    A quick glance at Miles showed me we were still half an hour early for the meet-up time. You were just too excited to wait, weren¡¯t you? Someone who was not too excited was Kieran, standing nervously by the edge.

    ¡°C¡¯mon Kiki, jump down! It¡¯s only a dozen feet, you¡¯ll be fine.¡± His sister ¡®encouraged¡¯ him.

    ¡°If he¡¯s not comfortable, then leave him be, we can walk back up and around,¡± Cyan tried to point out, but Carmine was having none of it.

    ¡°No way! Like I said, we don¡¯t want to waste time. So just stop being a baby and come down here!¡± She shouted back up to her brother.

    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

    Sighing softly, I asked Miles ¡°Mind helping him down?¡±

    ¡°Not a problem, bzzt!¡± They said, zipping up through the air to hover before the boy. They exchanged a few words and Kieran grabbed onto Miles¡¯ phone case before lowering his legs off the cliff. They dangled in the air for a moment before my Pokemon drifted down, letting the boy touch down easily.

    ¡°Wowzers! That was so cool!¡± Kieran exclaimed as he let go of Miles, rushing up to me. ¡°I- do you think you can- no, I¡¯m sorry, that¡¯s dumb.¡± He started and stopped several times before Carmine marched forward.

    ¡°What Kiki is trying to say is that he wants your help. Today is the day my little brother is going to catch his first Pokemon!¡±

    ¡°Oh. Alright then, what Pokemon do you like?¡± I asked.

    Taking a deep breath, the young boy answered as clearly as I had ever seen him, a fire burning in his bright yellow eyes. ¡°Ogerpon!¡±

    Cyan looked confused, while Carmine face-palmed. ¡°Oh boy,¡± I muttered, and it was loud enough for my sister to hear it.

    ¡°Why ¡®oh boy¡¯? You love all Pokemon right? So what¡¯s the deal with this ¡®Ogre pom?¡¯¡±

    The poor boy looked on the verge of tears at our reactions, so I quickly swooped in. ¡°Ogerpon is, from what I know,¡± I added, careful not to upset Carmine further. ¡°A creature of near myth.

    They clashed with the Loyalty Trio, the legendary guardians of this town many years ago, and haven¡¯t ever been seen since.¡±

    ¡°You might think it¡¯s dumb, wanting to catch a ¡®monster¡¯ like that, but I think Ogerpon is really-¡±

    My sister cut off Kieran¡¯s impassioned plea with surprising bluntness. ¡°Nah, it¡¯s fine. There¡¯s always some kid who wants to own Darkrai or something.¡±

    ¡°Darkrai gets a bad rap,¡± I reflexively pointed out. My sister rolled her eyes but didn¡¯t see the point in arguing.

    ¡°So¡­ so you don¡¯t think it¡¯s wrong to want to be friends with Ogerpon?¡± Kieran asked, looking up as if we were All Might and had just told him ¡®he too, could be a hero¡¯.

    ¡°No, not at all. Honestly, that¡¯s my method of catching Pokemon. To be friends with them well before throwing any Pokeballs. That being said, I don¡¯t think you need to be fixated on catching Ogerpon first, or even at all. If you manage to find a Pokemon as rare as Ogerpon, you should just focus on being their friend, first and foremost.¡±

    Carmine scoffed. ¡°If you really knew the tales of this town, you wouldn¡¯t be so quick to say that. That ogre¡­ is a monster!¡± At my unimpressed face, she said ¡°Seeing is believing though, so let''s go to the three sign boards that tell the tale of the ogre!

    With a goal in mind, we marched off, joining back with my parents at the inn before going up the hill to the west that curved around to the Loyalty Plaza. Our guide muttered something about ¡®nice clothes¡¯ before she led us up the dirt road.

    It was clear to see that the innkeeper was not the only one focused on the tourism part of Kitakami, with there being a cardboard cutout of a pile of apples and an Applin for photo opportunities and a stand to sell very overpriced apples to visitors. I¡¯ll bet my bottom dollar we could buy them for half the price in town. Not that we need to pay less for them, but still.

    ¡°These apples look just delicious, don¡¯t they, dear?¡± Dad asked Mom as we passed by the apple orchards that stood on either side of the road.

    ¡°Indeed, they look ripe and large. What a fantastic showing of Glitterati discernment!¡± My mother responded. ¡°We should grab some to take home with us.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t just take our precious apples!¡± Carmine declared defensively, throwing her hands out wide as if she could somehow block off access to the open orchards.

    ¡°Pretty sure we can,¡± I countered. "We could just take seeds and plant them at home - or heck, I think I saw some small trees ready for sale down in town.¡±

    ¡°Well- they won¡¯t taste the same if you don¡¯t get them from here. Because of the¡­ soil and stuff¡­¡± More reasonable than I expected from an eight-year-old. Still, an easy argument to turn around.

    ¡°So, if they aren¡¯t going to be the same, there should be no problem with us planting some trees back home then, right?¡± My taunts had the desired effect of causing Carmine¡¯s face to flush scarlet as she tried to stammer out a counterargument. Looking at that in turn had the unintended effect of causing me to glance up and see a dark shape whistling in from the sky.

    ¡°Look out!¡±

    My cry of warning came just as it swooped down, and that was almost too late. Everyone in our group just stood there, squinting against the sun in their eyes, but it did startle the Applin on a branch beside us off, causing the winged beast to swish by, missing its target.

    ¡°Gliiii-gar!¡± The pink Pokemon cried as she pivoted in the air, turning to stare balefully at us. She looked very much like a scorpion crossed with a bat, having large webbing in between her arms which ended in pincer-like claws. One of her claws was holding a small glass sphere with a purple liquid sloshing about inside. Most distinctive was her long tail with a stinger on the end.

    She made another pass at the Applin who was cowering on the ground, but this time, Kieran had regained himself enough to dive over top of Applin, shielding them with his body. While he was doing that, Carmine and I released our Pokemon. Dun appeared in a burst of red light alongside a new Pokemon, a hound with gray fur and a black face. Poochyena.

    Carmine¡¯s Pokemon gave a deeply unnerving growl, trying to intimidate Gligar, but the wild Pokemon cared not, rushing at the Applin, but finding herself stymied by Kieran. The small boy couldn¡¯t protect the apple forever, though, especially with Gligar being quite large for their species. She was bigger than he was, picking Kieran up with her free claw and tossing him aside.

    His efforts had bought us time, so before she could fly off with her meal, Dun landed a Hyper Drill at my command, slamming the Flying Type into a tree nearby. This had the unintended side effect of knocking down a bunch more apples, and likely a few Applins given the way some of them ¡®bounced¡¯ away.

    The flying scorpion Pokemon was in no position to take advantage of that, however, dazed and confused by the blow. Not unconscious, though. That¡¯s surprisingly resilient for most Pokemon around here.

    ¡°Pooch, Crunch!¡± Carmine shouted, and her Pokemon sprinted forward, latching his teeth into one of the segments of Gligar¡¯s tail, trying to drag it around. Unfortunately, Gligar had teeth of her own, and when she bit the dog in turn, he yelped and let his quarry go. With a whack of her tail, she knocked Poochyena aside, sending him tumbling down beside Kieran.

    ¡°Ice Spinner,¡± I cooly called out. Dun executed it immediately, rising horizontally on his tail, stretching up nearly five meters tall. Spinning around like the world¡¯s tallest, thinnest top, ice began swirling in the air around him. Since Gligar was right beside him, she was assaulted by a barrage of cold that had her howling out in pain.

    Still not out of it however and recognizing that I was the real threat, she ran on her small legs and jumped onto my face. Latching on, I found myself blinded, her iced-over wings and body blocking my sight. I knew that wasn¡¯t the most dangerous part of the situation, so lashing out on instinct, I grabbed a hold of her tail, stopping her from stabbing into me.

    Tugging at her hard, I just barely managed to rip her off, earning a few scratches on one side of my head where her claw scraped by. I had no time to worry about that, however, and keeping the initiative, I whirled her around my head and onto the ground.

    ¡°Dun,¡± I panted, my starter waiting eagerly by my side for the chance I¡¯d given him to hurt her, not that my own life wasn¡¯t at risk. ¡°Giga Impact.¡± Gligar was not aware of the danger headed her way, but must have sensed something and tried to dig underground, to no avail.

    Surrounded by greenish energy, Dun smashed into our foe, ripping her out of the dirt and sending her flying down the hill. The blow knocked the odd orb she had been holding onto as well, falling on the path.

    ¡°What a surprising battle!¡± Billy exclaimed. Alright Captain Obvious, say something I don¡¯t know. ¡°And it¡¯s not even done yet, the flying Pokemon is getting back up!¡± Wait what?

    Turning back around, I saw the Gligar struggling back to her feet. She was clearly in worse shape than Dun, but for the moment, my Pokemon was too tired to stop her. But this isn¡¯t an official battle.

    Quickly pulling out the refrigerator form, I tossed it up and Miles flew into it, not even needing a command to know what to do. The Gligar that had been desperately racing towards me paused at this new icy foe, and despite the hatred in his triangular eyes, fear won out. She flew away, racing through the air and then gliding down far out of sight.

    Once she was gone I called out ¡°Is everyone alright?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    ¡°That was incredible, bravo!¡±

    ¡°Oh, how marvelous!¡±

    ¡°Ha! As if something like that could take me down.¡±

    ¡°Aw man, that was rough.¡±

    Dun slid back to me as I took stock of everyone. Poochyena was a little bruised but otherwise trying to stand proud by his trainer¡¯s side. My family was just looking a bit shocked at all that had gone down, and Kieran had the Applin held up in the palm of his hands, telling them that it was going to be fine.

    ¡°Gligar only hang around the Barren Wastelands, I wonder why that one would have attacked us so suddenly?¡± Carmine asked aloud.

    ¡°Maybe it had something to do with this?¡± Cyan asked reaching for the orb it had dropped.

    ¡°STOP!!!¡± My voice had her instantly freeze up, hand hovering an inch above the orb.

    ¡°What- what¡¯s wrong?¡± She asked.

    ¡°Take your hand away and look at the ground around it,¡± I said, running over. There was already a small purple stain on the dirt around it. ¡°That¡¯s a Toxic Orb, highly poisonous. It can leave Pokemon badly poisoned even just by holding it, and I think the glass cracked.¡± Indeed, a few fractures were spider-webbing their way through the orb.

    My sister gulped, looking a bit paler than usual as she wondered what would have happened if she touched it. Well, that¡¯s an auspicious start to our trip. Can¡¯t wait to see what happens next.

    ***

    The toxic orb was dealt with fairly quickly by the farmers and some Spinnaraks and Sewaddles that put up some sticks and a small web barricade with leaves attached spelling ¡®DANGER¡¯. With any travelers or wandering Pokemon warded off, we were free to carry on our way.

    ¡°Hey, you can go back, you¡¯re safe now,¡± Kieran tried telling the Applin, pointing back down at the orchard. The small Grass Type blinked, turning and hopping down a few steps. Out of my periphery, I saw as Kieran turned away, the Applin turned right back, hopping back and quickly being right behind him.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got a tail,¡± I told him and he turned around to see the Pokemon looking up at him again.

    ¡°Aw man, he got freaked out by that attack, huh?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but I think more than that, he was impressed by you and your bravery.¡±

    ¡°Huh?! Me? But you¡¯re the one that fought the Pokemon off.¡± The Kitakamai boy pointed out. ¡°I wish I could be as brave as you, maybe then the Ogre would like me. You know I¡¯ve searched the mountain a dozen times, but I¡¯ve never found them?¡±

    Ok, need to nip that in the bud. For now though, maybe get him focused on the Pokemon already following him. ¡°Bravery isn¡¯t not being afraid, it¡¯s facing your fears. Your willingness to protect him, even when you had no Pokemon of your own¡­ I bet that¡¯s pretty impressive to a Dragon like Applin.¡± Then, I added: ¡°I am assuming here, uhhh, you can just close your eyes hard if I¡¯m off base?¡±

    Applin¡¯s eyes bulged a little, trying to stay as wide open as possible for a good quarter of a minute. ¡°Haha, ok, I think I¡¯m good then.¡±

    ¡°Wowzers, really?¡± Kieran asked and the Applin wobbled his whole body in the approximation of a nod.

    ¡°Do you want to catch him? I know it¡¯s a big choice, but sometimes life happens in-¡± Before I could finish selling him on it, he had already taken out a Pokeball and pressed the button, absorbing the small red spherical Pokemon into the small red spherical container. It clicked almost immediately, showing the capture as successful.

    ¡°I did it!¡± He shouted, holding his Pokeball high above him. ¡°Thanks, Nemona. I couldn¡¯t have done it without you.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°This was all on you. I¡¯m really glad you were able to bond so fast, reminds me of how I met Dun.¡±

    ¡°Good job bro, now hurry up!¡± Carmine called to us, as we had lagged behind the rest of the group, now standing at the entrance to the plaza. A small wooden fence surrounded the large flat top of the hill, providing a barrier between it and the cliffs that led down to the orchard and town below. There were large trees interspersed between bright flower beds. Nearby the entrance was a very old sign, and then further back I could make out a stone monument.

    ¡°Behold, the Loyalty Trio Plaza! We used to call it the Loyalty Trio Park but then¡­ we didn¡¯t,¡± Carmine said, just as boisterously as ever. Ah, and there are the downsides of having an eight-year-old tour guide. ¡°C¡¯mon, you gotta see the sign.¡±

    She led us over to it and began reading the tale of the Ogre and the Loyalty Trio, stopping and starting several times to read over it again. I tried to put on a good face, but it was hard to be super invested in it, knowing that the tale written on it was false. Unfortunately, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll be able to correct history here. The only people who know the truth are Kieran and Carmine¡¯s grandparents, and they didn¡¯t even tell their grandkids without Ogerpon around.

    A lot of photos were taken there, and at the monument, keepsakes for when we looked back on this trip later. It¡¯s funny how¡­ normal, this all feels. Even with Pokemon all around and fantastic tales with hidden secrets, this moment, just standing here in the breeze as we look out at the wonders of a foreign land. It feels just like the vacations of my past life.

    ¡°Are- are you crying?¡± Carmine asked and I blinked any water out of my eyes.

    ¡°Just a bit of dust. Thanks for showing us this, it¡¯s quite an interesting tale.¡±

    ¡°Of course it is, this is the story everyone here grows up with. Be careful with your eyes though, it gets pretty dusty in the Paradise Barrens.¡±

    ¡°Umm, excuse me,¡± Billy spoke up. ¡°Aren¡¯t the Paradise Barrens fairly far away?¡± I was confused for a second before I realized how much he was sweating. My mother and sister were also looking fairly tired.

    ¡°Yeah? There¡¯s another sign out there, we gotta show you the next one too,¡± Carmine said stubbornly. ¡°Then we go back to Kitakami Hall for the third sign.¡± She pointed out, at the other side of the mountain where the festival of masks took place annually.

    At my family¡¯s thousand-yard stare, I decided to cut in. ¡°Maybe my parents and sister can go back to the inn and we¡¯ll meet them there in a few hours to go to the Hall. The Barrens are where Pokemon like that Gligar came from? Might be a bit dangerous for them there.¡± To pre-empt any arguments from Carmine I assured her: ¡°I¡¯ll have Miles take a photo of the sign so they get the full experience.¡±

    ¡°That sounds wonderful, sis. We¡¯ll see you later.¡± Cyan waved us off, far too relieved in not having to go on a much longer hike than anticipated to argue about having a Pokemon herself.

    ***

    Before reaching the Paradise Barrens, we first had to cross the Wistful Fields, and looking at the splendor of greenery and the almost magical feeling in the air, I couldn¡¯t argue with the name. It was a wide field of grass dotted with a few trees and boulders here and there. The towering mountain to one side and the cliffs to the other let it feel like its own private world.

    There were also tons of interesting Pokemon running about and frolicking here. Kirlias were dancing around with Cutieflys while a Riolu sparred with a Mienfoo. Off in the distance, I saw Rockruff and Shinxes playing under the watchful eyes of Luxray pack leaders.

    ¡°This place is incredible!¡± I cheered as we ran across the sea of grass with only the kind of energy little kids have.

    ¡°It is! Grandpa said I couldn¡¯t go here by myself without a Pokemon, but I don¡¯t get why-¡± Kieran was saying before I turned suddenly and grabbed him, leaping and carrying us through the air, just a touch longer and landing more gently than would be naturally possible.

    ¡°Sorry about that!¡± I called out to the Charjabug Kieran had almost stepped on.

    ¡°Oh! Oh gosh.¡±

    ¡°You gotta keep an eye on those things!¡± Carmine turned her head back and said immediately before tripping on a rock. She tumbled head over heels before landing in a lump.

    We stopped our run to stare at her for a good half minute as she lay there, a trembling ball of rage. ¡°Not. A. Word.¡± Kieran started snickering uncontrollably and she yelled ¡°Not a word, Kiki!¡±

    ¡°I- ahaha- didn¡¯t- snerk - say anything!¡± He said as he took off, ostensibly just running towards the Paradise Barrens, but in actuality running away from his sister¡¯s wrath. I ran after them, trying to guide them away from any troubles (which was fairly easy, because despite the Pokemon all having their own little lives here, none of them were particularly territorial or aggressive, to us at least).

    ***

    Crossing the field wiped out a lot of the energy my ¡®travel guides¡¯ had, but I had a feeling they would be entering at a slower pace regardless. Something about this place just has a more somber feel to it. Not sure why though.

    Feeling there was no harm, I asked. ¡°Why is this place so, well, Barren? Everywhere else in Kitakami is lush and full of life.¡± Not that this place is exactly devoid of it, however. There are still a few spots of grass and a tree here or there, just, way less than anywhere else.

    There were still plenty of Pokemon wandering around the spikey ridges and dusty valleys here. More Rock and Ground Types in general, and a little more standoffish around us, but otherwise fairly similar.

    ¡°Grandma said we tried to build something here, a long time ago. But then, something happened, some invader from beyond our shores. The people there had to leave and all the stuff they built got torn down over time. But not the sign! The Pokemon have always been respectful of it.¡±

    Huh. Okay, a lot to unpack there. Don¡¯t think everyone just ¡®left¡¯. Must have been quite a powerful Pokemon to destroy all this. Interesting that ¡®the Ogre¡¯ isn¡¯t blamed for this one. Then again, I know Ogerpon is a Grass Type, and even if they don¡¯t know enough about her to know her Type, the tales would probably let them know that this isn¡¯t her style, not even when (rightfully) enraged. No, this would probably be the work of a Ground Type¡­

    ¡°Bloodmoon,¡± I whispered aloud as the pieces clicked into place. Carmine whipped around to face me.

    ¡°What did you say?¡±

    ¡°Bloodmoon. It¡¯s- another of the legends I heard. Of a beast of tremendous might and strange origins,¡± Kieran had turned to face me as well, both the kid''s eyes growing wide. So glad these kids can¡¯t call me out on all my random knowledge.

    ¡°Back in ancient Sinnoh, when the land was called Hisui, they had ¡®Noble Pokemon¡¯, powerful guardians who worked alongside the tribes of those times. The tribes had discovered alternative evolutions, methods we¡¯ve lost in modern times. One of those was how to evolve an Ursaring into an Ursaluna, using the power of the Moon.¡±

    ¡°The moon? What can the moon do?¡± Carmine scoffed.

    ¡°Plenty. Just ask yourself why some Pokemon can evolve with stones that are only found naturally on the moon? Why is the strongest Fairy Type Move called ¡®Moonblast?¡¯ The moon may be distant but it has a great influence on the world below."

    ¡°Ohh, so they used a Moonstone to evolve the Ursaring, like old lady Ingrid¡¯s Clefable at the inn.¡± Kieran chimed in.

    ¡°No, they could only evolve them during the full moon, but through a different process lost to time. Now, without interruptions, I¡¯ll continue.¡± Taking a deep breath, I began again.

    ¡°These Ursalunas were strong, gaining mastery over the earth beneath them as they evolved. Most stayed in Hisui and passed as time turned on and the land became known as Sinnoh. Over three centuries ago, however, one of them left. Was he abandoned as the tribes moved on and modernized? Was he exiled, for deeds too terrible to accept? Or was it just a sense of wanderlust that drove him onward?¡±

    ¡°Whatever his reason, he left, and swam across the ocean. Everyone knows the oceans are treacherous, and even more so for one of his Type. But Ursaluna are strong, their strength as great as any mountain, and so he felt he could face the perils of the ocean.¡±

    ¡°For all his might though, the waters were more than dangerous, they were vast. As the waves slowly chip away at the cliffs day by day, so too did the ocean sap at his strength. But the oceans move by force of the moon, and the moon was his ally. More than an ally, on one strange and fell night, it became his teacher. The crimson light of the blood moon gave him the power he needed to arrive on the shores of a distant land known as¡­ Kitakami.¡±

    That got a gasp from both of them and I knew they were hooked. Indeed, I saw even a few Pokemon coming around to listen. A Timburr carrying a boulder that just ¡®happened¡¯ to be walking back and forth nearby us, a Vullaby that landed some meters behind me, thinking I hadn¡¯t noticed, and an Orthworm poking its red head out of the dirt nearby.

    ¡°These lessons left him with strange gifts, but also a transformation to his body. His fur had faded to a lighter brown than his kin, and the clay armor that grew over parts of their bodies expanded to cover half of his face. His battles had cost him an eye, but out of that empty socket would occasionally glow an eldritch green light that could peer through the world of Distortion and pierce any illusion or trickery. Finally, atop his brow, the yellow disk of a full moon had been dyed completely red. Blood red, like that of the ominous moon whose power he could now draw on. Fear the monster that even the ground trembles before. Fear, Bloodmoon Ursaluna!¡±

    There was silence as I finished my tale, Kieran looked pale as a sheet and Carmine was trembling. ¡°Is- is that story true?¡± She asked trepidatiously.

    With a deep breath, I answered. ¡°I¡­ have no idea.¡± My anticlimactic statement was met with a moment of silence and then a chorus of ¡®boos¡¯ from humans and Pokemon alike, one of the Pokemon in the back even hucking a small stone very lightly at me, which I dodged while laughing.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but c¡¯mon. I couldn¡¯t have actually been there for all of that. And that doesn¡¯t mean it can¡¯t be true. It''s just that the only things I know for sure are that there were Ursalunas in ancient Hisui and that there have supposedly been sightings of one here that doesn¡¯t look quite right compared to the scrolls and murals of those times. As for the rest?¡± I shrugged. ¡°Only Arceus knows. But I think it makes for a good tale.¡±

    ¡°It was alright, I guess,¡± Carmine begrudgingly said. I can tell she liked it because she¡¯s not even getting mad at me for telling a tale about her home. ¡°C¡¯mon, let¡¯s get going to the second sign.¡±

    As we wandered over to the sign, Kieran asked me ¡°Do you know how to make an Ursaring into a Bloodmoon Ursaluna?¡±

    Chuckling, I answered, ¡°Don¡¯t know how to make a ¡®Bloodmoon Ursaluna¡¯, but I have some ideas about regular Ursaluna from the notes and studies I¡¯ve read.¡± And more from playing a video game in another universe, but I probably won¡¯t be putting that on my research paper when/if I unveil my discovery to the world.

    ¡°Huh. The Bloodmoon sounds sooo cool.¡± I could practically see the stars in Kieran''s eyes and sighed, trying to divert him from that path.

    ¡°He is, but maybe a bit dangerous. You probably shouldn¡¯t go looking for it unless you¡¯re a bit stronger.¡± Honestly Bloodmoon doesn¡¯t seem that angry in the games, but he does get easily startled by Perrin¡¯s camera. Given the level of power the Ursaluna has, best if he doesn¡¯t get hounded by an excitable kid.

    He frowned at what I said. ¡°How do you know he wants to hurt me? Maybe he just wants a friend,¡± the younger boy pointed out.

    ¡°Maybe. But what about all of this?¡± I said, gesturing a hand out to the Barrens. ¡°If this was purposeful, or even worse, accidental, then think of the damage it might cause if surprised.¡±

    ¡°C-could a Pokemon really do all of this, by accident?¡±

    ¡°A legendary? Yeah, they could. That¡¯s why we tell legends of them.¡± Ogerpon isn¡¯t quite as focused on large-scale destruction, but her power is at least as great as Ursaluna¡¯s. ¡°That¡¯s why I want to get stronger. So I can travel anywhere, explore any legend without fear because I¡¯ll be just as strong as them.¡±

    Kieran¡¯s jaw dropped and I wasn¡¯t sure if it was from my ideal or the confidence I expressed behind it.

    ¡°Wowzers.¡± He pulled up his Pokeball containing Applin. ¡°Do- do you think I could be that strong one day too? That I could meet the Ogre and be their friend.¡±

    I nodded and clasped my hand over his holding the Pokeball. ¡°I think so, I truly do. Just, try not to fixate on the Ogre. Being her friend would be great, but you gotta focus on being this guy¡¯s friend too. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be incredibly strong someday, with you by his side.¡±

    ¡°Aw-awesome,¡± he said quietly, his face a bit flush as he grinned from ear to ear. ¡°He¡¯s gonna be the strongest umm, what do Applins evolve into again?¡±

    Laughing (mostly at Carmine stomping her feet for us to hurry up), I said ¡°They have three different evolutions based on the special apples you give them. Appletun, Flapple, or Dipplin, the latter of which only come from the candy apples made here.¡±

    ¡°Which clearly makes Dipplin the best evolution, right?¡± Carmine more demanded than asked as we approached her standing by the sign.

    ¡°Sis¡­¡± Kiki groaned.

    ¡°Well, I don¡¯t want to say any Pokemon is ¡®better¡¯ than any other Pokemon, but yes. Dipplin is probably the strongest.¡±

    ¡°What? I mean, of course they are,¡± Carmine huffed.

    ¡°Why?¡± Kieran asked more pertinently.

    ¡°Dipplin are theorized to have another evolution, though no one has discovered it yet.¡±

    ¡°How can you know it has an evolution if it hasn¡¯t been discovered?¡± Carmine demanded.

    ¡°There are ways. Things like Eviolite. It''s a special stone that when held by a Pokemon can give them massive boosts to their defenses, making them waaaaay tougher. It only works though, if held by a Pokemon capable of evolving. So some people have noticed that Dipplin gets tougher when it holds Eviolite, while Flapple and Appletun don¡¯t. That all being said, pick whichever evolution suits them best - any Pokemon can be strong with enough time and training.¡±

    Kieran nodded while Carmine impatiently cleared her throat. ¡°Okay, enough of that now, we¡¯re on to the next sign!¡±

    She explained how this one told a tale of why the villagers wore masks, the story of strangers passing at night. How if the Ogre saw you with a mask, then it would pass you by alone, but your ¡®soul would be forfeit¡¯ if the Ogre saw you without it. So even strangers would wear masks out of fear.

    ¡°Do people carry masks here any time they go out at night?¡± I asked after Carmine was finished and she stumbled a bit.

    ¡°Well, no, not everyone. But that¡¯s the reason why we have the big festival of Masks! It¡¯s the biggest event in Kitakami and will be happening next month.¡±

    ¡°So the Ogre fights the Loyal Three, then just hangs around checking if people are wearing masks at night?

    ¡°Yeah. They say the Ogre¡¯s den is supposed to be up on Oni Mountain, but I¡¯ve checked a dozen times and found nothing.¡± Kieran chimed in, sounding a little subdued before continuing brightly. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the Ogre so strong? To take on all of the Loyal Three at once and win¡­ What do you think of them?¡±

    ¡°Honestly? I think she¡¯s kinda sad.¡±

    ¡°Sad?¡± Carmine looked befuddled at me.

    ¡°What else are you supposed to say about someone so strong that¡¯s so alone? The Ogre is all by herself in the stories, right?¡± Both of the Kitakami kids nodded. ¡°So, she has to know that there aren¡¯t any other Ogres about. Especially after this long. Seeing the masks the humans wear is just a form of pretending, acting like there¡¯s somebody like her.¡±

    Not quite right, but I can¡¯t come out right with the truth here. It¡¯s pretty close though; why else would Ogerpon show up at the festival in the games? Because as much as people had hurt her and her friend, she wanted to experience the idea of being around people, and with everyone wearing masks at the festival, it gave her that excuse.

    ¡°Whoa, I never thought of it like that. That settles it, I¡¯m definitely going to be her friend!¡± Kieran declared, hand clenched in a fist and an adorably serious look on his face.

    ¡°What? No, not settled at all! Stop chasing after her!¡± Then Carmine turned to me. ¡°Why do you call the Ogre a ¡®she¡¯?¡±

    Whoops. ¡°Well, I dunno, she just feels like a girl to me. I¡¯ll be happy to rescind that view if any evidence shows up to the contrary.¡± Except I know it won¡¯t because in the games she¡¯s always female.

    ¡°Ugh, why do you have to talk so weird? Now it¡¯s making Kiki act weird too.¡± The tall girl complained. Pretty sure that weirdness had nothing to do with me. ¡°We should head back to town now and get some food before we go up to the Hall.¡±

    ***

    We walked back (thankfully Miles remembered to take a photo of the sign before we left) but our plans to quickly reach Mossui Town were derailed as I spotted a familiar form lying in the dirt in a shadowy corner of the Barrens.

    ¡°Nemona! Wait up!¡± Carmine called after me worriedly as I started to run away. Kieran and her couldn¡¯t see it, but my eyes made out the form of a Gligar and a very familiar one at that.

    At least I assume it''s the same one, it looks a bit too big to be your average Gligar.

    My suspicions were proven correct when I reached the fallen Pokemon, panting hard as I stood over her body. She was lying down right in front of the entrance to a small cave set on the edge of the cliff. I could see the bite marks on her tail and other injuries from our battle earlier today. Most worrying though was that she was on her back and wasn¡¯t moving.

    Immediately I dropped to the ground, kneeling beside her while also releasing Dun (just in case this was some sort of trap). Turning her over, I felt pretty confident it wasn¡¯t as she just lay there, deathly pale. I had to feel for her pulse to determine she was still alive, and I could barely feel it under my fingertips. Or is that natural for Gligar? I don¡¯t know, but she does look Poisoned, probably from that damn orb she had. Why was she carrying that thing? Why did she attack Applin?

    Kieran and Carmine ran up behind me, out of breath as well. I could hear that they had both their Pokemon out too, especially Applin from his panicked cries as he saw the Pokemon I was attending to.

    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Carmine asked as I sprayed some Antidote directly into her mouth, and followed up with Hyper Potions on her wounds.

    ¡°Trying to save her life, what does it look like I¡¯m doing?¡± I snapped before calming back down as I noticed the tall girl wince at my words.

    ¡°...Why?¡± Kieran eventually asked, eyes blazing as he glared down at the scorpion-esque Pokemon.

    ¡°What? Because she¡¯s hurt-¡±

    ¡°And she tried to hurt Applin! Why should you help her-¡±

    ¡°Because we won¡¯t know why she did that unless we save her life! No one knows why the Ogre rampaged one day because nobody asked!¡± That line seemed to work as Kieran snapped back, looking like he was on the verge of tears.

    Shit. These two are just kids right now, gotta remember that. I¡¯ll deal with that later. Turning back to the fallen Gligar, I could hear her breathing now and see a small rise and fall of her chest. That should help for the time being, but she needs proper care. We¡¯ve got to take her back to the town, but will she be okay carried back? Can I even lift her all the way? No matter, I¡¯ll have to try.

    With a grunt, I slid my hands under her and began to hoist the Pokemon up. ¡°Uhh, Nemona?¡± Carmine tentatively asked, and I had to remind myself not to take out my frustration with the situation out on her. I took a deep breath, nodding my head up and down as I tried to center myself before responding to the taller girl.

    ¡°Yes?¡±

    ¡°Why are you carrying her?¡±

    ¡°I need to get her to a Pokemon Center, or that little stand you have beside the inn and-¡±

    ¡°No, I mean why don¡¯t you just catch her?¡±

    There was a moment of silence before I gently put the Gligar back on the ground before I pulled out a spare Pokeball and caught her in it. "...Thanks," I mumbled sheepishly, while Carmine laughed her head off at me, and even Kieran chuckled a little at me.

    With her in stasis and safe for the moment, we could afford to take a moment and think about our next move. ¡°Miles, call up the Flying Taxi service for Kitakami.¡± Another thing I should have thought of sooner. I panicked and nearly made some dumb choices there. I¡¯ve gotta keep a cooler head in a crisis.

    ¡°Sure thing, bzzt. It might take a bit longer here than Paldea, the network isn¡¯t as large, but they¡¯ll be here soon,¡± my stalwart Rotom assured me.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine, we¡¯ve got time now.¡± Hopefully, enough time to get to the bottom of whatever this situation is.

 Chapter 38

    The Gligar incident threw off our plans for the afternoon. While we had just as much if not more time after getting a ride on their Flying Taxi (which used Noctowls, not Squawkabillys) that time was taken up fretting beside the Pokemon¡­ stand? It had most of the basic machines needed to heal a Pokemon and a Chansey standing by the Nurse Joy, but it was a small mobile setup, not a proper building.

    No one is in the mood to continue with the sign tour today, anyway. Kieran has barely said a word since. As we dispersed I quickly said ¡°We¡¯ll see you guys tomorrow,¡± to which I got a non-committal but vaguely agreeing sound from the two kids.

    ¡°This was an exciting start to our trip!¡± Billy chirped, but I could see that the big smile on his face was a little forced at the corners of his lips. My family had gathered back at the inn, deciding where to go for dinner.

    He¡¯s trying for me though, so I can try to look a little less glum too. ¡°Definitely wasn¡¯t what I expected. Hope Carmine and Kieran are ok with what I did. We got into a small argument over Gligar.¡±

    Cyan cut in, holding three menus in her hands. ¡°Carmine seems to have a problem with everything. Also, we narrowed it down to these three places, where do you want to go?¡±

    Skimming over the menus I pointed to the middle one. ¡°Kitakami Kuisine. It¡¯s not Carmine I¡¯m worried about. She¡¯s not a bad girl, just bad at expressing herself.¡± Expressing herself politely, that is.

    My sister made a disbelieving sound, but I ignored it, forging ahead. ¡°No, it¡¯s Kieran. I helped push him to catch the Applin, but then I helped the Pokemon that attacked him.¡±

    Our dad looked over at the menus ¡°Fantastic choice my dears! What drew your eye to this restaurant?¡± He just sounded curious, not judging my choice.

    ¡°It served a bunch of food you guys will like and fries and nuggets for me.¡± My answer elicited a groan from my sister.

    ¡°You¡¯re so plain. How can someone so adventurous be so timid when it comes to food? You don¡¯t even like sandwiches.¡± She uttered the last word like it was blasphemy.

    ¡°All the rest of me is adventurous, my taste buds are not. Besides, sandwiches are just fine, I eat most of the same ingredients you guys do.¡±

    ¡°Eating a loaf of bread, then a separate pile of meat does not count as eating a sandwich.¡± My sister deadpanned before our mother cleared her throat and we stopped arguing.

    ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s lovely that you¡¯re so concerned for the well-being of all Pokemon. Even ones as¡­ scary as that one,¡± Mom mentioned and my sister looked at my face and sighed.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t going to catch it, are you?¡± Cyan asked nervously. ¡°Like, you had to use a Pokeball to get it to the center, that¡¯s fine and noble and all, but¡­ it tried to attack you.¡±

    ¡°Hmm, it depends. I don¡¯t know enough about her or her situation yet, or even if she¡¯d want to join my team.¡±

    That¡¯s the issue, isn¡¯t it? Gligar are generally viewed as a pretty aggressive species, and the Pokedex tends to agree with that. ¡®It flies straight at its target¡¯s face, then clamps down on the startled victim to inject poison.¡¯ ¡®It sails on the winds with its limbs extended to strike from the sky. It aims for the prey¡¯s face.¡¯, etc. But I feel there¡¯s more to the story here than that. That Gligar had traveled a fair distance from home, which could have just been it searching for weak prey, but then there was the Toxic Orb it was holding¡­

    ¡°Seriously? Poison Types are pretty vicious. If you want to keep her, I trust you but¡­¡± My big sister trailed off. Poison is an odd type for trainers. Most only catch a Pokemon with a secondary Typing of Poison, the kinds that don¡¯t tend to be as naturally hazardous to one''s health. Or they go the opposite way, being full-on specialists in the Type. Knowing how to deal with a Muk might not be the same as knowing how to deal with a Weezing, but there¡¯s a lot of overlap that makes it easier. Not that any of this is an issue here.

    ¡°Actually, Gligar isn¡¯t a Poison Type, though they can learn a bunch of Poison Moves. They¡¯re Flying and Ground Type.¡±

    ¡°Huh, weird. I get the Flying, but they look kinda bug-like.¡± My sister commented as we headed out for dinner.

    ¡°They¡¯re in the bug egg group, one of the few to not be that Type, and in that group, like Flygon and¡­ hmm. Miles, take a note for me.¡± They dutifully floated up, opening a Note document on the phone. ¡°Both Drapion and Gligar reside in the bug egg group while not having the Bug Typing. Skorupi has it but loses it upon evolving, and both lines have scorpion-like traits. While scorpions are part of the arachnida animal family, other arachnids tend to have the Bug Type. Perhaps there¡¯s a connection between scorpion Pokemon and the bug egg group and Bug Typing.¡±

    ¡°Trying to be a champion, musician, and a Professor too?¡± Cyan teased as I put Miles away.

    ¡°I¡¯m aiming to be a Champion, maybe a Pokemon Professor later.¡± Trying to hold both positions at once is technically possible, but even in a land like Paldea where they have multiple Champion rank trainers, it¡¯s incredibly difficult. ¡°Music is just a hobby, probably wouldn¡¯t even be making that album if you guys weren¡¯t pressuring me into doing so.¡±

    ¡°Oh, but we just want your lovely voice heard around the world!¡± Mom exclaimed.

    ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t doubt that you¡¯ll be at the top of the RoTunes charts when your first album comes out,¡± Dad declared.

    ¡°That better not be because you messed with the algorithm,¡± I muttered and he pretended not to hear me. Whatever, I¡¯m not even halfway done with the album, still have a lot of kinks to work out in some songs, and a few are still undecided. Those are problems for later. For now, I have to focus on Gligar.

    ***

    The sun was just starting to peak over the horizon when I got up in the morning. Yawning, I slipped out of my hotel room and down to the Pokemon stall. There was a different nurse on duty for the night, playing some games on her phone beside her Chansey who was doing the same.

    ¡°Oh hey, you¡¯re the kid that dropped off that Gligar before. My sister mentioned you,¡± she said as I flashed her my Trainer ID card. ¡°You can take her back, but you¡¯ve got to be careful, she was Poisoned pretty badly. No battling with her for the next day or two if you can help it.¡± She pulled the Pokeball out of the machine, handing it to me.

    ¡°I''m not looking to do that, I only just caught her. I might even be releasing her back into the wild.¡± She didn¡¯t seem interested anymore in the conversation, going back to her phone, so I marched off.

    Some of the Pokemon in the early morning were a bit more disturbed by my passing than they had been the day before, but even the den of Ekans that hissed angrily backed off upon seeing Dun slithering beside me. One Mienfoo challenged us to a proper fight in the Wistful Fields, but we were prepared from all our training with Dendra. A Glare slowed him down and a flurry of Air Cutters took him out and had the Fighting Type surrendering.

    The den that I assumed Gligar had been aiming for before crashing down was fairly close to the entrance of the Barrens, so it didn¡¯t take long after leaving the fields to get there. Then, I released her from the Pokeball.

    She immediately whipped around, looking confused at her situation, before realizing where she was and then locking on to me. Any relief on her face melted away when she saw me, backing away unsteadily on her one-clawed legs, hissing in warning.

    ¡°Yo,¡± I said, giving a slow wave to the Gligar to not spook her further. She narrowed her triangular eyes at me but stopped backing up (though that might have been because the cliff wall was only a meter behind her now).

    Something interesting I noted was how several of the other Pokemon nearby turned away, looking upset at Gligar¡¯s appearance. Guess she doesn¡¯t have many friends here. But they don¡¯t seem worried either.

    ¡°Hey, I want you to know that you¡¯re safe now. You were hurt pretty bad- no, not by Dun!¡± She had started angrily jabbing her tail out at Dun, who just narrowed his eyes. ¡°I was impressed by how well you weathered the blows he gave you, but what really hurt was the poison. Why were you carrying that Toxic orb?¡±

    My words did not have the intended effect, as instead of getting any answer, it caused her to realize she no longer had the orb. Scrambling around, she began looking all over for it before scuttling rapidly up the cliff face to her den.

    Dun looked eager to give chase, but I held out a hand, holding him back for a minute. She¡¯s confused and scared, best to give her a minute. While we waited, I glanced around at the Pokemon nearby.

    Many had left, uninterested in the spectacle, and of those that stayed, I noticed something odd. A Nosepass gathered some berries from the dirt and carried them as swiftly away as they could. Sentret gathering with a Furret in front, up on the lush clifftop, ready to defend themselves if need be.

    Gligar left the cave gliding back down. ¡°Gligar! Gli gli!¡± She shrieked, tail swishing about in the dusty ground.

    ¡°Hold on, you¡¯re upset. Is this about me catching you?¡± She shook her head before the question was even out of my mouth, so fast that I can¡¯t even rule it out as something that would upset her. Just not what she¡¯s agitated about right now. ¡°Is this about the Toxic orb?¡±

    She looked confused, so I mime the shape of the orb with my hands causing her eyes to light up.

    The flying scorpion nodded her head so rapidly that she needed to throw her arms out to the sides for a second to stop herself from unbalancing. ¡°You dropped it over by Apple Hills. The place where you attacked us?¡± That gets recognition but not a hint of shame. ¡°But it broke in the battle-¡±

    Shrieking, I saw the instant denial on her face. More than that, I saw the worry behind it. That orb is important to her, even though it was killing her. Why?

    I don¡¯t have time to wonder any longer as she¡¯s launching herself up into the air, propelling towards the site of our battle. ¡°No, it¡¯s broken!¡± My words are nothing more than a breeze on the wind as she ignores me, determined to see the truth with her own eyes. Which I could accept if she wasn¡¯t likely to cause a disturbance flying back to a place where she already made a ruckus.

    Pulling out her Pokeball, I pressed the button to call her back, only for her to notice the red beam and swoop down, agilely avoiding it. My next two attempts were avoided just as deftly as she twisted and turned through the air, and then she was out of range.

    ¡°Shit! We have to go after her!¡± I called out and Dun and I began racing up the Barrens and across the Wistful Fields. While the two of us could, theoretically fly, neither of us was faster in the air than we were on the ground, and she was much faster than even that, soon zipping out of sight.

    ¡°Dammit, Miles, can you go after her and keep her out of trouble? I know it¡¯s a big ask-¡±

    ¡°Not a problem, bzzt,¡± they responded, leaving their phone and taking on their regular lightbulb-esque base form. It was the least defensive of their forms, but also the fastest, letting them zip through the air like a lightning bolt following Gligar.

    ¡°Hopefully that buys us a bit of time, but we still gotta hurry. Dun, can you give us a Tailwind?¡± My starter called his name out proudly and began flapping his wings hard, whipping up a stream of air behind us.

    The Move wasn¡¯t designed to work on humans, but with my Aura, I was able to use it to keep up with Dun¡¯s rapid speed. I¡¯d make a massive leap in the air, calling on my Aura to help me glide, and then with the Tailwind, get pushed far ahead, then repeat that every time I landed.

    With that, and Dun having to stop every half a minute or so to create a new Tailwind, I was able to keep pace with him and both of us made record times across the fields. We also disturbed quite a few Pokemon that I had to call out apologies to as we whipped by, but thankfully none of them seemed willing to make something of our wild passage. This feels great, so free to soar across the ground. I have to try this again when things aren¡¯t so tense in the future.

    Winding up the paths that led down to the field, we found ourselves at the top of Apple Hills, looking down at the scene below. Gligar was just sitting beside the makeshift cordon, mournfully poking at it while Miles hovered nearby. The Pokemon in the orchards nearby were looking on warily, but it looked like no fights had been instigated.

    Relieved, we hurried down at a brisk, but no longer breakneck pace until we stood over Gligar, who was cradling the cracked orb. Only a few dredges of vile poison remained in the leaking orb, so it looked like she hadn¡¯t been too badly poisoned yet, but I still pulled out an antidote and sprayed it on her, eliciting an immediate sigh of relief from the Pokemon.

    ¡°Can¡¯t you see how that thing is hurting you? And it¡¯s broken now, so just¡­ put it down.¡± My words hammered in the truth of the situation and caused her to start wailing, tears falling down her large eyes. At least she put it down and I don¡¯t need to use up more Antidote.

    I gave her a few pats, which she didn¡¯t seem opposed to but didn¡¯t seem overly comforted by either, and I waited for her tears to die down. When they did, I asked again ¡°So, this was obviously very important to you. Why were you keeping it if it was hurting you?¡±

    She hissed lightly, disagreeing with that. From there she began to hop around, puffing herself up, and then mimed getting hit and holding the orb but being happy. It was confusing but I tried to break it down.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying the orb made you happy?¡±

    ¡°Gar.¡±

    ¡°No, not that it made you happy, that it was helping you take hits? No, helping you get better when hit? But you don¡¯t even have the Immunity ability.¡± My research on the Pokedex did reveal that Gligar could have the Hidden Ability of Immunity and thus not be hurt by a Toxic Orb, but she didn¡¯t have that one. Probably Hyper Cutter, the way Poochyena¡¯s Growl didn¡¯t diminish her fighting strength one bit.

    She was shaking her head again, pointing to herself then crossing her arms in front of her then pulling them aside. ¡°Cross Poison!¡± She gave me the most deadpan look and I corrected myself.

    ¡°Uhh, not you?¡± That got a nod from her. ¡°It wasn¡¯t you holding the Toxic Orb, it was someone bigger. One of your parents?¡±

    ¡°Gli gli!¡± She eagerly affirmed. A bigger Gligar, when she¡¯s already pretty big¡­ or a Gliscor¡­

    The pieces were clicking into place, but I drew out my Pokedex to confirm, flipping through to her evolution¡¯s page. ¡°Gliscor¡­ Fang Scorp Pokemon, learns some fang Moves naturally and others through TMs, abilities¡­ there we go.¡± I muttered out loud.

    Gliscor has the same regular Abilities as Gligar, but its Hidden Ability upgrades Immunity to Poison Heal! She must have had a Gliscor for a parent that had that Ability and used the Toxic Orb they somehow got to be pretty much invincible! Poison will eventually leave a Pokemon¡¯s system, but the orb would keep on reapplying it, and a really strong Poison at that, which kept on being flipped to very strong regeneration. But¡­ there were no signs of any parents at the den we were at and Gligar had the orb.

    ¡°Did one of your parents give you this orb? Are they still around?¡± My direct questions elicited a whole new round of tears, and as I tried to console her, I spotted a couple of familiar people walking up the hill toward us. Best hurry this up before they make a scene. I can probably assume that there¡¯s no family she has left, and it looked like most of the Barren weren¡¯t fans of her sticky fingers? Sticky pincers? In any case, I''ve got a good enough picture now.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry that things are rough for you, but that doesn¡¯t justify trying to attack or steal from others.¡± She whipped her head around, gnashing her teeth away. I pulled my hand back quickly, giving her an unimpressed look. ¡°Stuff like that.¡± Not sure if she was ¡®out of her mind¡¯ from the pain of Poison, or she was just irritable and looking for a snack, but I can¡¯t have her trying to eat Applin again.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    Continuing, I said ¡°I could help you. Train you to become strong- stronger,¡± I amended at her glare, which seemed to mollify her a little. ¡°You took those hits pretty well, but there¡¯s more to battling than that. Using Moves, positioning and maneuverability, strategy¡­ I teach Dun and Miles all that and more, and I¡¯d like to teach you too. It¡¯s even possible for me to get you another Toxic Orb.¡± That got her undivided attention and she froze as still as a statue, staring at me with wide eyes.

    ¡°It might not have the same sentimental value as your first one, but I can also provide all the antidotes you need to train up that Ability.¡± Even a Razor Fang too, when she¡¯s ready. I didn¡¯t want to mention that as she already seemed excited enough, leaping into the air and swooping around my head.

    ¡°Alright, alright, I¡¯m glad you¡¯re happy. However, there will be some stipulations for this. If I give you a Toxic Orb, I expect you to listen to me. Especially in battles and when it comes to how much you¡¯re Poisoning yourself.¡±

    ¡°Gligar, ar!¡± She said, pivoting on a dime and dropping down in front of me. Shaking her head, she held a pincer out and then flapped her wings without rising.

    ¡°You¡­ you want me to just give you a Toxic Orb then let you leave?! No, absolutely not!¡± I shouted, moving closer to her. She shoved her head forward, butting her hard exoskeleton against my head. Oww.

    Backing off a step (out of a desire not to be overly confrontational and not just because that hurt a lot), I said: ¡°Do you know how reckless it would be to give you a Toxic Orb after what happened last time? You¡¯d die.¡± She made a disbelieving sound, so I pressed on. ¡°You¡¯d piss off the wrong Pokemon, probably hurt a lot of them, and still have no way to deal with constantly Poisoning yourself, so you¡¯d perish.¡±

    Gligar didn¡¯t look happy about it, but she had stopped arguing with me. ¡°If you want to go, then I¡¯ll let you go. I won¡¯t give you a Toxic Orb if you¡¯re on your own, but I¡¯m not going to keep you with me if you don¡¯t want to.¡± I heard her scuffing her feet against the dirt ground, not moving away, still waiting.

    Keeping my eyes fixed on her, I finished my spiel. ¡°I know it¡¯ll be an adjustment working with a Trainer, and I¡¯ll do my best to understand and work with you. And I hope you¡¯ll understand that what I say will just be to make you the best you can be, and can work with me. But it¡¯s your choice, either way.¡± I held a hand out to her.

    She gingerly shook it with her sharp pincers. Physically, it hurt just a little, her claws sharp. In her eyes, however, I saw the same tentative hope mirrored in my own.

    The sound of someone clearing their throat had us both turn our attention to Kieran and Carmine, who were standing patiently just down the hill from us. ¡°Thanks for waiting for us. I know you didn¡¯t have a good first impression with Gligar here and-¡±

    ¡°We want to battle you!¡± Kieran suddenly said, face screwed up in effort. It must have taken a lot of courage for a shy guy like him to say that.

    Not to be outdone, his Applin also popped out of the ball at his side, saying their name in support of this plan. ¡°Applin!¡± Gligar looked a little confused at first before recognizing the Applin and puffing herself up.

    ¡°Hold on,¡± I said to my Pokemon before turning to Kieran and his. ¡°What¡¯s this all about?¡±

    Carmine answered on her brother¡¯s behalf. ¡°Kiki was talking it up with Applin all night and they said they wanted to ¡®prove themselves,¡¯ or whatever.¡±

    He bobbed his head up and down in agreement. ¡°Yeah. Applin wants to show off his courage too, so¡­ let¡¯s battle!¡± Gligar eagerly grinned, causing Applin to flinch, but move defensively in front of his trainer.

    ¡°Let¡¯s¡­ not,¡± I countered, getting a crestfallen look from the young boy and an angry one from Gligar. ¡°The Nurse Joy said you¡¯re in no shape to battle,¡± I told her.

    It was our first real test of her listening to me, and while she grumbled out parts of her name, she stood down. ¡°At least, not right now.¡± That got all of them to perk up. ¡°Why don¡¯t we have a battle in a few days from now, before I leave? Gives you time to train up Applin and Gligar time to rest up.¡±

    ¡°Wowzers!¡± Kieran said, the kid jumping up and punching his fist in the air. Cute kid. Nice to see him smiling like this, not like he was at the end of the DLC. Hopefully, things worked out in the second half of that. The thought had my mind drifting back to Blueberry Academy, wondering what it would have been like in the games - and what it was actually like here.

    ¡°You better win Kiki!¡±

    ¡°Ye-yeah, you got it, sis.¡± He stammered out, looking slightly more nervous as he saw Gligar clacking her pincers and cackling menacingly. Alright, think this is a good place to wrap that chapter up.

    ¡°You better rest up for your battle,¡± I threw out a semi-convincing reason for her to stop tormenting Kieran and Applin before returning my newest Pokemon to her Pokeball. ¡°Since we¡¯ve got some time, would you mind finishing up that tour?¡±

    Carmine smiled brightly before wiping it away with a superior smirk. A shame, she has a nice smile. ¡°Of course we can! I could hardly leave your education of Kitakami half done, could I? Let¡¯s go!¡± She turned and started marching back.

    ¡°Wait, we need to get my family first!¡±

    ***

    After finding my parents and sister we had a quick brunch before beginning our trek up the hill to Kitakami Hall. While much closer in distance than the Barrens, most of the walk was uphill and I was getting pretty tired from racing around in the morning.

    There were a ton of Pokemon crisscrossing on our path from the grassy hills around. Most seemed wary of bothering a large group like ourselves, but one Heracross flew over, ready for a battle.

    ¡°Mind if I take this one?¡± I asked the group but mostly directed toward Kieran since he was the one who needed to train Applin the most. Luckily, he eagerly agreed, likely happy to try and see how I would train my Pokemon. They¡¯re pretty smart, so it¡¯s easy to forget how young they are, but Carmine and Kieran are only eight and seven years old. They both get nervous easily, Carmine just hides it more with her bluster.

    I released Dun and Gligar at the same time. ¡°Gligar, hang back, I just want you to watch right now. Dun, get ready.¡± He nodded, taking his place in front of me.

    The Heracross began the fight, not waiting for a countdown or the like, eager to battle. She charged forward, lowering her horn (and the rest of her body by default), low to the ground, looking to impale or scoop up my starter.

    ¡°Leap over it and pick up the pace!¡± With a massive jump, he soared well above Heracross¡¯ seeking horn, landing on the other side of her. She looked around in confusion, having missed the dodge with her eyes pointed at the ground. Heracross is a strong Pokemon, but there¡¯s only so much a wild one can do to make up for not having a trainer.

    The time she spent searching for Dun was put to good use, he covered himself in psychic energy and sped up, zipping along the ground as he slithered from side to side. She whirled around, running at him and raising an arm that grew bright as Fighting Type energy infused it.

    ¡°Air Slash and retreat, don¡¯t let her hit you.¡± The second half of the command didn¡¯t need to be given out, as he rapidly backed up all while firing scythes of sharp air with every beat of his wings as he propelled backward. The Move hit Heracross, stunning her for a few seconds which Dun used to slice her with even more blades of air.

    Collapsing to one knee, she held her thin chitinous arms up in surrender and I called Dun off.

    Gligar looked at the battle from the side, seeming unimpressed. ¡°I know it might not be the most riveting battle, but it demonstrates the importance of avoiding hits you don¡¯t need to take. Heracross is quite strong, so if she had managed to connect with Dun, that would have hurt a lot. Dun was weak to her Moves, but she was affected even worse by his.¡±

    Before I could finish up my chat with Gligar, Heracross had already taken off and begun flying away. Ah darn, should have offered her some Potions. Oh well, if she¡¯s good to fly, she¡¯s probably good enough that she doesn''t need the Potions.

    The others got in a few battles as well against some of the wild Pokemon, my parents cheering especially hard as Cyan & Popplio managed to defeat a Sentret. By the time we made it to the foot of the stairs, we were all feeling pretty tired but accomplished.

    ¡°Welcome to Kitakami Hall!¡± Carmine proudly declared, throwing her hands up as if to frame a picture. The ¡®hall¡¯ was mostly a set of large tiled flat sections connected by stairs constructed onto the mountainside. There were a few stalls set up on the flat sections, and we eagerly availed ourselves of the overpriced drinks and snacks they sold.

    ¡°This is where we have our Festival of Masks every year, and it gets packed then,¡± Carmine commented as we walked up, waving at some of the other townsfolk. Indeed, it does feel kinda empty compared to the games, at least at the moment. ¡°Too bad you guys are going to miss it though, Kiki has his favorite mask that he thinks makes him look like the Ogre!¡± She laughed, and her brother¡¯s face grew crimson.

    ¡°Sissssss,¡± He groaned. ¡°What are you telling her that for, dummy!¡±

    ¡°Oh come on, it¡¯s ridiculous you think someone as cute and small as you could be mistaken for the Ogre.¡± She shot back, and I had to bite my tongue not to say ¡®You bet?¡¯ They can¡¯t realize just how adorable Ogerpon is without seeing her.

    As we made our way to the only proper building in this structure, I noticed another sign and monument on the other side of it, away from the final signpost. Reading it from afar, I saw that it was the ¡®Mossened Boulder¡¯ and how people thought it had been ¡®the Ogre¡¯ raining down vengeance on them before they realized it was just a fragment of Fallen Horn.

    I wonder how many tales are told about the Ogre here? And what do the townsfolk actually think of her? With so few sightings and how she hides herself, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if many didn¡¯t believe the legends were real, just using her as a scary bedtime story for kids. Perhaps people running off for adventure or romance get euphemized as ¡®being taken by the Ogre¡¯. In any case, the townsfolk certainly changed their tune quickly after getting the truth.

    ¡°Why is the Hall built here and not, y¡¯know, part of the town?¡± I asked as we stood in front of the large red triangular building.

    ¡°Uhmm, uhh,¡± the taller girl thought on it for a minute before brightening up. ¡°Oh right! It¡¯s because this is the easiest path up the mountain. We gotta look after it, and if we¡¯re doing that anyway¡­¡±

    ¡°...might as well use the space for festivals too,¡± I finished for her. And tourist traps and the like. I almost wonder why the town hasn¡¯t expanded out this way, but it probably has to do with the Pokemon in the area and the understanding they and the townsfolk have.

    ¡°Within this hall are the three masks the Loyal Trio took from the Ogre,¡± Carmine declared, swinging open the red doors of the hall to reveal the inside, which looked halfway between a museum and a shrine. Muramasa was inside helping tidy and idly setting up some of the decorations of the various cultural artifacts and exhibits that needed to be ready a month from now for the festival. At the end of the hall, we could see the three glittering masks, sitting in a glass case.

    ¡°What masks are you talking about?¡± Cyan asked. Carmine turned to look at her silently for a moment. The Kitakami girl was silent for a minute, her expression never changing even as her face grew redder until she slammed the door to the hall closed and began marching to the last sign nearby.

    I did my best to hold in my chuckles as Carmine read out the sign for us, which meant I missed most of it, but I remembered the general gist anyway. Cornerstone Mask gives Ogerpon the Rock Typing, Wellspring gives Water, and Hearthflame gives Fire. The sign told the tale of how ¡®before being defeated, the Loyal Trio had taken those masks from Ogerpon.¡¯

    The story was suitably impressive for Cyan and my parents, especially after being shown (once again) the beautiful masks in the hall. I¡¯d seen them a thousand times in the games, but there was something more to them here. The way the crystals shine, perhaps, or just the precision and elegance of the carvings¡­ I can see how the Trio coveted the masks. Or maybe it was just Pecharunt who did and was manipulating them? I don¡¯t know, I never got to the second half of the DLC where it would be revealed, but it¡¯s a shame that Ogerpon got robbed and lost her friend.

    Part of me was tempted to steal them, or at least suggest it to Kieran, but two things held me back. The first was that as sad as he looked, teaching him ¡®stealing is ok¡¯, probably wasn¡¯t the best lesson. The other was¡­ Why hasn¡¯t Ogerpon ever taken them back herself? She goes down to the festival, and I don¡¯t think that the game happened to have been the first time she¡¯d ever done that. So she must know they¡¯re here. Is it still too painful to see the reminders of her dear friend and she just acted because she didn¡¯t want to see them in the hands of the Trio before? Or is it that she doesn¡¯t want to create a stir?

    Even though I hadn¡¯t said anything, hadn¡¯t made any move towards the masks, I noticed Muramasa stop to face me, a hand subconsciously drifting down to the Pokeballs on his belt. Shivering, I averted my gaze. Looks like the town has its protectors too. I wonder how strong this guy is? It¡¯s not like I have a scouter that can tell me someone¡¯s power level, but he feels almost more frightening than Hassel when he¡¯s mad, somehow.

    Whatever the case, I decided to leave well enough alone there, and so we finished up our tour without incident. Carmine seemed to be floundering, not sure of what to do next, so I suggested ¡°Why don¡¯t we go up to the top of the mountain?¡±

    Kieran latched onto this idea. ¡°We can check out the Ogre¡¯s Den!¡±

    ¡°Kiki! You¡¯re not supposed to be exploring up there on your own.¡±

    ¡°What? It¡¯s not like we¡¯ll be on our own. Probably scare the Ogre away, not that she¡¯s usually there anyway.¡± He mumbled the last part to himself, which could barely be heard over the sounds of Billy and O¡¯Nare clapping their hands together eagerly at the idea of exploring such a mysterious, ¡®dangerous,¡¯ place.

    ¡°Don¡¯t blame me if we all get eaten by the Ogre,¡± Carmine muttered, and I laughed.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll be able to blame you if we¡¯re dead,¡± I pointed out, to which she crossed her arms and pouted.

    ¡°Maybe we¡¯ll all come back as Ghost Types!¡± Her words caused Poltchageist to pop out of his ball, giving a big yawn, and looking around, wondering what was up. Wonder how much and how precisely they can hear things inside the balls. Miles and Dun have trained to pay attention to their names and if I use our emergency codeword ¡®Kumquat¡¯ if I need them out but can¡¯t release them, but otherwise they mention that it¡¯s just kinda ¡®fuzzier¡¯ in there, but I don¡¯t know to what degree.

    We began the climb up the mountain, finding oodles more Pokemon in this section of the land unclaimed by humans. While there was a bit of greenery on the hill directly preceding Kitakami, it quickly became barren and stony. Colonies of Noibats fluttered around between the rocky ¡®teeth¡¯ of the mountain, with Geodudes rolling about the ground floor, Salandits scampering out of the rocky Pokemon¡¯s paths. Young Growlithe tumbled across a small wooden bridge, their puppy-like paws still a little too big for them as they looked for adventure, and I even saw the rare Pichu and Clefairy lingering on the edges of the trails, nervous of our passing, but not enough so to completely overwhelm their curiosity.

    Part of me was tempted to catch more Pokemon again, to catch them all! However, that part of me was tempered by the knowledge that I probably shouldn¡¯t look to be adding more Pokemon to my team at the moment¡­ and the fact that none of them seemed too interested in joining us, despite how cool they were.

    When we reached a sign, Kieran directed us to almost double back, going up a narrow, steep incline that led above from the way we came. Water fell from the top of the mountain, the spray lightly misting us as we crossed the rugged terrain.

    Nearing the final easily scalable portion, we saw the cave, set into the side of the mountain and across a very narrow rocky passway. The cave was pitch-black from this angle, with moss and vines surrounding the entrance and dotting the rocks nearby.

    ¡°Is it¡­ safe to cross here?¡± My sister asked. I guess that¡¯s a reasonable concern - the walkway is wide enough to go single file with ease, but there are no railings and it¡¯s a long way down. Still, I would kinda like to make it to the cave proper.

    ¡°Well, we have Rotoms, just keep your phone on hand as we cross and we should be fine,¡± I pointed out.

    ¡°Uh, what about us?¡± Carmine stopped giving her brother the stink eye (likely from him having been here dozens of times before on his own) to ask.

    ¡°... Stick close to me?¡± I offered. ¡°Miles will help you if anything happens, and we¡¯ll take it slow. Or you can stick back if you want.¡± The idea of staying behind while we, ¡®outsiders¡¯ forged ahead, was all the convincing she needed and she immediately started marching ahead. ¡°Wait up!¡± Kieran and I ran after her.

    Despite the potential danger, we made it to the other side without incident. Standing there we saw the cave, potential danger and adventure lurking inside, paralyzing everyone else as they stared at it as if it was the Oni¡¯s Maw itself and would snap tight on anyone foolish enough to enter.

    Not holding any such worries, I poked my head in, knocking on the side of the wall. ¡°Hello? Oh, no one¡¯s here.¡± The light played weird tricks on the cave, so it was hard to see the inside from outside, but what I said was more for my companion¡¯s benefit than my own - I could already tell there was no one there. Don¡¯t think many people could sneak up on Ogerpon after living here so long, and she¡¯s insanely fast. Must have dozens of hidey holes in this mountain.

    I could see why the legend persisted that this was the Ogre¡¯s den, despite likely having been visited by countless youth over the generations. The hole in the wall made a small circular space, with a flat raised slab jutting out of one side, like a crude facsimile of a bed or couch. On the ground in the center was a blackened spot on the ground, sticking out against the gray stones, as if they had been burnt or something else had eaten away at the floor.

    ¡°Huh, is this all there is?¡± Cyan asked, even as Mom and Dad were snapping photos of themselves beside the cave, any trepidation forgotten. ¡°Like no offense, this just doesn¡¯t look like an Ogre¡¯s den.¡±

    Kieran spoke up ¡°I- I don¡¯t know. I¡¯ve never seen her but¡­ I swear I heard something once or twice. Maybe¡­¡±

    ¡°I think this is where she lives. Or maybe where she lived once, can¡¯t say for certain,¡± I tossed in my two cents. Carmine narrowed her eyes at me, wondering where I was pulling this from, but she didn¡¯t say anything to counter me, so I continued. ¡°Look at the rocks outside?¡±

    ¡°And?¡±

    ¡°Look at the moss and vines growing around. It was said that the Teal Mask had the power to bring plants to life, and in the hall-¡±

    ¡°We only saw a gray, blue, and red mask!¡± Dad said, finally drawing together the same pieces I had.

    Mother was more critical. ¡°That¡¯s a good idea, but how do you know it¡¯s not just from the waterfall? Moss grows everywhere near damp surfaces.¡± She had experience with that in covering some property deals, where nearby water was both a boon and a curse in how it made selling different plots of land and possibly water-damaged buildings.

    ¡°But we didn¡¯t see any down below when we crossed the bridge.¡± I pointed out, causing her to smile with pride. Nowhere near as wide a smile as Kieran was sporting when he found ¡®proof¡¯ that the Ogre lived here.

    ¡°Yes! I knew it!¡±

    ¡°Shut up Kiki! It still doesn¡¯t mean anything. The Ogre could have helped these plants grow ages ago. It¡¯s not like anyone has seen her here.¡± His big sister pointed out, only slightly tempering his joy.

    ¡°It¡¯s true that no one¡¯s seen her here, so if she was around, she doesn¡¯t want to get found. And I get it, everyone in town seems afraid of her.¡±

    ¡°How can I help her know I¡¯m not afraid of her?¡± The young boy asked, and I had just the answer ready.

    ¡°Well, why don¡¯t we make her a mask?¡± Kieran perked up at my suggestion and even Carmine looked intrigued. I have a feeling this is gonna be good.

 Chapter 39

    It turned out that crafting a mask was a harder job than I had first envisioned. Kieran and Carmine¡¯s grandfather was a mask maker, and one I knew to be a descendant of the crafter who had made Ogerpon¡¯s masks in the first place, so I thought it would be good to start with him. And it is, in a way¡­

    ¡°Oww,¡± I hissed out. I nicked my thumb lightly, and the knife slipped a little on the wood I was carving. It¡¯s not deep at least, I should be able to bandage this up and keep on working. There were similar grumblings of discontent from Carmine and Kieran, in the shed with me as we worked on their grandfather¡¯s orders.

    The only person who was having fun with it was Cyan, whose artistic skills (and possibly greater fine motor skills from being a few years older than the rest of us) showed themselves once again as she deftly carved the hard blocks of wood. Happily humming along to a tune Popplio was singing for us, she turned them into works of art.

    Admittedly, most of this is just copying the designs we were given, but still. She¡¯s finishing faster than us and leaving better masks than the rest of us. The Kitakami siblings were going at about the same rate as me, but I thought they might have absorbed a few of their grandfather¡¯s skills via osmosis because their finished pieces were much less rough than mine. I¡¯m guessing that he¡¯ll have to go over mine at least quickly to fix up any imperfections before selling them, but I¡¯m worried that any attempt to correct things on my part would just end up ruining the whole thing.

    My sister glanced over at the mask I was struggling with and (badly) held back a snicker. ¡°Yeah, yeah, laugh it up,¡± I grumbled as I tried to make the nose a little sharper.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, sounding very unapologetic. ¡°It¡¯s just, you¡¯re so good at everything, seeing you fai- not do as well here is kinda funny.¡± Sighing, I didn¡¯t respond to her words.

    Cyan has been pretty good about me getting more and more advanced homework and tutors and all the whispers at parties. I hear them occasionally, her name only getting mentioned in comparison to me, and always unfavorably. I let out a deep sigh at the unfairness of all of this. She¡¯s got plenty of strengths, and I was, well, an adult.

    I felt Kieran¡¯s eyes burning a hole into my back and wondered what the boy thought of me. We had our big battle coming up, but more than that, I wondered how he felt about the subtle nudges I had been trying to give him. No guarantee any of this works, but he seemed pretty upset about the Player Character getting Ogerpon in the DLC, hopefully, this might curb some of his possessiveness and anger before then. Assuming it wasn¡¯t due to Pecharunt or whatever that storyline was. I think it was mentioned that they were the true mastermind behind the Loyal Trio?

    The door to the shed opened up, revealing my friend¡¯s grandfather. He had spiky gray hair, not looking much different than he did in the games. In his hands, he held a mask, one carved with intricate curved lines, denoting a number of feathers. The mask stretched out on either side, giving the impression of wings, and the beak jutted out. An upward curve to it gave the impression of joy in the animalistic mask. There were empty eye-holes, but also a socket atop the brow, where something might be inlaid.

    ¡°¡°Grandpa!¡±¡± The Kitakami kids cheered, laying down their tools and half-finished projects to hug him. ¡°Look at what we¡¯ve done,¡± Carmine demanded, dragging him forward.

    ¡°Ah yes, I came by to check on how you were doing.¡± He smiled kindly at his grandchildren¡¯s works, made true appreciative sounds of Cyan¡¯s, then got to mine and¡­

    ¡°Well, I think I might be able to finish up this mask faster than I thought,¡± He said, his smile only slightly strained.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I mumbled, realizing he was at least in part taking over because of me.

    ¡°It¡¯s not matter, I¡¯d need to paint it soon anyway. However, we need something more if you want this mask to truly stand on the same level as the ones the Loyal Trio too- rescued.¡± I bit back a frown, and my tongue, resisting the urge to call him out on this. You say that the people aren¡¯t ready to hear the truth, but of course, they won¡¯t be if you never tell anyone! The fake story gets ground in for generations which is why it¡¯s so hard to overturn. Then again, maybe not? Kieran does tell the truth fairly easily, but it also happens offscreen, hard to tell if it was a herculean effort on his part or just very easy to change their minds.

    The old man continued. ¡°I need a small piece of crystal, from the Crystal Lake atop the mountain, to make this mask truly shine. I¡­¡± his eyes slid over to our pile of masks. ¡°... Still have some work to do, so if you could just get me that I¡¯ll finish up here.¡±

    We headed out, towards the mountain, with only light grumbling on my part. Before we reached the edge of the town, however, my sister said to me: ¡°So, that was fun and all, but I don¡¯t feel like getting all sweaty hiking up the mountain again.¡±

    Fair enough, this is going to be an even tougher climb than last time. ¡°Are you going to join Mom and Dad sightseeing?¡± I asked. Cyan thought about it for a moment before shaking her head.

    ¡°No, we¡¯ll get plenty of that done in the afternoon when we meet up for the aerial tour over Kitakami. I¡¯m looking to catch another Pokemon.¡± She was gazing out at the water as she said that.

    ¡°Another Water Type?¡± I inquired, and she pulled her sparkling gaze away and huffed a little.

    ¡°Maybe. Seeing Pop and the others splash around was fun¡­ We¡¯ll see. I was planning on taking a page out of your book and just seeing what happens - though hopefully, I¡¯ll find someone a little less aggressive than your new friend.¡±

    ¡°She¡¯s not that bad, she¡¯s just¡­ a tsundere.¡±

    My sister quirked an eyebrow, replying "I meant your latest Pokemon, not Carmine."

    Gligar¡¯s been snappier these past few days (at times literally, though so far cautious to not put her teeth too close to my hands). Likely agitated by the new circumstances. She¡¯s chaffing from the restrictions of being unable to fly wherever or battle whenever she pleases. Admittedly, it¡¯s quite the adjustment.

    I couldn¡¯t deny my sister¡¯s point, that we had a long way to go in terms of our partnership. A fact reinforced by Gligar planting her feet and refusing to move when Kieran, Carmine, and I began to leave to climb the hills/mountain.

    ¡°Gar, ligar.¡±

    Kieran tensed up a bit at my Pokemon¡¯s anger, but I pushed that aside for a minute to focus on the Flying Scorpion Pokemon. ¡°Look, I get it, it¡¯s been frustrating. I need you to trust me on this-¡± She snapped her teeth loudly.

    ¡°Do you have everything under control?¡± Carmine demanded, stepping forward and placing herself between her brother and Gligar. Cute, but entirely unnecessary as my Pokemon¡¯s frustration is with me.

    ¡°This is just a bumpy part of the path on our journey,¡± I rebutted.

    Kieran looked down at the dirt road. ¡°Seems pretty smooth to me.¡±

    Face-palming, I responded. ¡°Not literally, I meant metaphorically. No trainer gets along perfectly all the time with their Pokemon. There are bumps in every relationship, and sometimes¡­ you have to accept when something won¡¯t work out.¡± Glancing around Carmine I locked eyes with Kieran, for just half a second. Ogerpon might not choose you, and that¡¯s ok.

    Then I turned back to Gligar who had stiffened up. ¡°But I don¡¯t think this is anything like that.¡± She relaxed, her shoulders slumping a tad. ¡°You just want to say that you¡¯re upset with how things are, and I get that. Waiting patiently to heal is good, and I think you¡¯ve waited long enough for some light battling.¡±

    With a vicious smile, she whipped around, gazing out all over the rolling hills for a Pokemon to test her might against. ¡°Whoa whoa, wait a minute. First things first, light battling, so let¡¯s just have two or three today, and I might veto your battle choice.¡± Gligar nodded, impatiently. ¡°And two-¡± I paused for a split-second, before pushing my hesitation aside. ¡°I¡¯ve got a new Move for you to learn.¡±

    My momentary hesitation came from whether I should use ¡®that¡¯ TM. I had never gotten around to using it on Dun, too busy training him up in other Moves trying to give him more coverage.

    Clay gave it to me, my first Gym victory reward. Sure, I have the badge as well, but the Technical Machine is special in its own way too. And I¡¯m still not sure how this partnership with Gligar will work out. Will she leave me high and dry once she¡¯s mastered her Hidden Ability? Or after I help her evolve into Gliscor? Or none of those things, and we just get into some argument beforehand and she ditches me?

    As many worries as I had, as realistic or outlandish as they were, there was one defining fact I couldn¡¯t run from. The reason why I chose to do this is: No bond between a Pokemon and Trainer can work without trust. So I¡¯ve gotta trust that this is the right thing. That I¡¯ll help her, and trust that she¡¯ll help me.

    Pulling a Technical Machine out of my bag, I presented it to her. ¡°This is the Move Bulldoze. It¡¯ll shake the earth and cause your foe¡¯s footing to slip.¡± Her triangular eyes grew wide at that, and she made grabby motions with her claw hands.

    Chuckling, I added ¡°No, you go back in your Pokeball and I place the disc on it. You should learn the Move in a matter of seconds. It¡¯s actually quite interesting; your line doesn¡¯t tend to learn damaging Ground Moves naturally, so this should give you a nice advantage in using your Typing offensive- and you¡¯re back in the ball.¡± Amidst my ramblings, she had gone up and pressed the button to recall herself.

    ¡°So eager,¡± I muttered. Kieran and Carmine caught my words, looking incredulously at me as I put the disc on the Pokeball and it started spinning. ¡°What? I- I know how to temper myself,¡± I spluttered at their unspoken accusations.

    The disc finished spinning, popping off and saving me the trouble of defending myself further. Releasing Gligar, she stumbled forward as she hit the ground, somewhat dazed. ¡°Yeah, TMs can be a bit much to handle at first. Don¡¯t worry though, you¡¯ll get used to it soon enough.¡±

    Her long tail slapped against the ground excitedly, causing the ground to shake. ¡°That¡¯s it! Hmm, the Move usually uses stomping against the ground, but your legs aren¡¯t as strong as your tail. Let¡¯s try both out.¡±

    She practiced the Move as we traveled, getting a good grasp of it quite quickly. Having the STAB Typing helps a ton with mastering TM Moves, I¡¯m finding. She got enough of a handle on it to direct the ground shaking away from us as we traveled, but that pushed it into the path of other Pokemon, soon bringing up a disgruntled challenger.

    Flanked by several Sewaddles, a Swadloon shuffled up. Its yellow body was covered in leafy appendages, and it had a slight red mark on its head like it had recently taken a bump there. The leader of the pack gave some angry cries at Gligar, tossing a seeds and sticks at my Pokemon who artfully dodged around them.

    My Gligar looked unrepentant, of course, but also eager. Sure, this seems like a fine battle for her to start out with. I don¡¯t try to coddle my Pokemon, but giving them a confidence booster in their first battle is fine. ¡°Go for it. We¡¯ll have a battle between you and Swadloon, sound good?¡± The question was directed at the pack of upset Pokemon, who reluctantly nodded at seeing the Pokeballs on our belts.

    Swadloon shuffled forward and unfolded their leafy arms, flapping them and whipping up a field of razor-sharp grass through the air.

    ¡°Dodge around and go for Acrobatics!¡± My command was only partially followed by Gligar, as she maneuvered around the Razor Leaf attack, but then dropped to the ground, slamming it with her tail. The ground shook a little but the tremors carried across the battlefield almost straight to the Swadloon, kicking up the ground and knocking into her from below¡­ to very little effect.

    Gligar looked shocked and her foe used that opportunity to their advantage, shooting out a string of silk from her mouth that wrapped around Gligar¡¯s body. Dammit! At least she¡¯s not fully tied up around the wings yet.

    ¡°Poison Tail the string, cut yourself loose!¡± With her tail dripping with potent poison, it was able to slice through the string restraining her without getting her tail caught too in the sticky trap. I saw Swadloon puffing up their cheeks, getting ready for another attack. ¡°Quick attack, drift right!¡±

    Thankfully, Gligar continued to follow my commands, shooting ahead and curving to the right. She just narrowly avoided the web that Swadloon spat out, slamming her body into the Grass Types. Swadloon was knocked on her back by the force of the blow, struggling to get up from both the awkward shape of her body, but also the churned-up ground from before.

    ¡°Finish this, Acrobatics!¡± Swooping around, Gligar battered the Swadloon, knocking them across the hill until she stood triumphant over the downed Grass Type. Her fangs glistened in the light and I saw the Sewaddles trembling off to the side.

    ¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough!¡± I called sharply, clapping my hands. Jogging over I patted Gligar¡¯s head.

    ¡°Good job, you fought well.¡± Then to the defeated Swadloon, I offered them some berries from my bag.

    This got an upset glare from my Pokemon as the Swadloon swallowed the offered berry and scurried out of the way. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? I can offer you berries too, ya know. Are you hungry or tired?¡±

    She averted her face, shaking her head, still pouting. ¡°Don¡¯t get mad if you don¡¯t actually want anything!¡± Hearing her panting slightly, I realized she was a little tired, even from that match. She¡¯s still not 100% even after resting these past few days.

    Sighing, I let go of the annoyance at her behavior. ¡°It helps, or at the very least doesn¡¯t hurt to give offerings to training partners. If you ever need anything, I¡¯m always there to help.¡± She nodded tersely, kicking some sand around. Feels like the berry thing isn¡¯t what¡¯s bugging her.

    ¡°Is this about your Move not working well?¡± I ventured and she turned, nodding furiously. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. It wasn¡¯t that the Move or you were weak, some Pokemon are just better at resisting attacks than others. Basically, that Move was only a quarter as effective on Swadloon as it would be against a Pokemon that wasn¡¯t resitant to it. That¡¯s why I want you to listen to my commands in a battle.¡±

    ¡°Wowzers, you know a bunch about battling, dontcha?¡± Kieran commented, looking both in awe and a tad worried about me.

    ¡°I¡¯ve practiced a lot, so I¡¯d like to think I know a bit. Type match-ups aren¡¯t everything, but they are one of the basics that you should learn when starting as a trainer.¡±

    ¡°Of course, I know everything about Type match-ups,¡± Carmine boasted.

    Giving the tall girl a sinister smile, I said ¡°Well why don¡¯t you find a good Pokemon for Gligar to have her next match against? One that will let them use Bulldoze well.¡± I offered, glancing over at my Pokemon to see if she was fine with it, which she was.

    ¡°O-oh. I mean of course I will, follow me!¡± With Carmine¡¯s longer legs, she strode up, looking all around the hills.

    She didn¡¯t find a ¡®suitable challenge¡¯ until we had passed by Kitakami Hall and were beginning to reach the rocky part of the mountain. ¡°Aha! There!¡± She declared, pointing to a yellow Pokemon that looked very similar to Pikachu, but with a patch of light brown and light black fur on each side of its head and down its body, leading to small pouches.

    ¡°Morpeko? Interesting choice.¡± Gligar looked in askance about my comment, but I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯ll explain later, should be a good battle.¡± Without waiting for anything else, Gligar took off, diving down towards the unsuspecting electric mouse.

    ¡°Gah! We should have introduced ourselves first- ah screw it, Bulldoze!¡± I cried as Gligar neared the Morpeko. I can explain and give them a Sitrus Berry after the battle.

    Gligar¡¯s tail smacked the ground, sending it shifting and shaking all about. It wasn¡¯t as strong as Earthquake, but it churned up the dirt way more. It hit about as wide, however, which drew the ire of some Growlithe that had been playing nearby, the pair of canine Pokemon turning and spitting Embers at Gligar, forcing her away from the caught off-guard Morpeko.

    ¡°Bulldoze again!¡± Gligar tried, shaking up the ground once more, but this time was attacked by one of the Growlithes and Morpeko. The injured electric type grew dark, its fur going purple and black as it slammed into Gligar while covered in electricity, which did nothing to my Ground Type. Growlithe¡¯s Bite, however, did more, latching onto Gligar¡¯s leg and dragging her down.

    She can¡¯t fly properly like that, and getting stuck on the ground will leave her too open.

    ¡°Knock Off! Brush that Growlithe aside and take evasive maneuvers.¡± She followed the first part of my command, imbuing a claw with pitch-black energy as she brushed Growlithe off harshly, the Dark Type attack forcing him to release his jaws.

    Then, however, Gligar turned to stare at me, only a few feet above the ground. Why isn¡¯t she- she doesn¡¯t understand?! ¡°I meant DODGE! Fly you fool!¡± At that, she narrowly twirled around another set of Embers the other Growlithe sent her way.

    Three Pokemon attacking her at once was a bit much, and I was tempted to release Dun. Seeing the joy on her face as she zipped around, taunting the wild Pokemon, I held back on that instinct. It was tough, and she was exhausted by the end, lying down on the ground and panting heavily after her final Bulldoze, but the Growlithes and Morpeko had all been defeated.

    Using an Ether and Potion on her, I got her back to her feet and offered some lesser healing for the wild Pokemon, who was a bit confused before scampering off. ¡°That was a good learning experience. Bulldoze had Type advantage against all of them and hit in a wide area, which made it possible to beat the three of them at once.¡±

    ¡°Ar, Gligar, gar.¡± She boasted. Not entirely sure what she¡¯s boasting about, however. Is it that she could have beaten all of them without the Type advantage or just saying they were no match for her? The nuance is tricky to decipher so far.

    To Carmine, I said ¡°I was thinking of going for a Salandit, but Morpeko was a great choice too. Shows off the Immunity Gligar has against Electric Moves as well as the weakness they have to Bulldoze.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s what I was thinking, thanks,¡± Carmine said, unexpectedly bashful for a second, brushing a lock of hair past her head. ¡°Salandits can be a bit of a problem, sometimes if they get disturbed you come across a Salazzle.¡±

    ¡°Good point.¡± I released Dun, confident he could handle any evolved Pokemon or anything big groups that came our way. ¡°You did great today, Gligar. Rest up for now and just watch what Dun does. Learning from your teammates will help a bunch too. It¡¯s how I got Dun and Miles to learn Hex; Dun learned it from a TM, and then Miles copied it from seeing him use the Move.¡±

    Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Kieran furiously scribbling notes on what I¡¯d just said.

    Aww, that¡¯s cute. I don¡¯t think I¡¯m the best trainer or anything, not by a long shot, but I guess most kids our age don¡¯t get taught stuff like this yet.

    My prediction about Dun being able to clear the way for us was well-founded. As the trail became more barren, with more dangerous Pokemon like Houndours, Ekans, Timburrs, and even a Houndoom running free and keenly aware of humans trespassing in their territory, we relied on him to clear the path. After he beat the Houndoom with ease, most Pokemon avoided us entirely, ¡®word¡¯ spreading of Dun¡¯s strength.

    Without any danger on that front, the biggest trial we faced on our path to the Crystal Pool was fatigue and overheating. We had plenty of water packed, but I was still feeling tired as we made it to the foot of the stairs that led up and up and up¡­ to the peak of the mountain, where the Pool lay.

    ¡°Oh wow. I thought the stairs in Mesagoza were bad!¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Kieran inquired. The boy was drenched in sweat, much like his sister and myself, but his eyes were still fixated upwards on the prize. He really wants to give Ogerpon this gift. I do too. It¡¯s always nice to get a present and she more than deserves to know someone(s) cares about her.

    ¡°Oh, I was just saying how we have a bunch of stairs up to the biggest school in Paldea, but they aren¡¯t nearly as tall as this bunch.¡± Nor as uneven as these ones. They aren¡¯t bad, pretty solid stairs, but these were cut with more primitive tools and methods, without the expectation of a great deal of foot traffic.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think if you included all the stairs up from the base of Mesagoza itself up to the entrance to school it would be this long.¡± Feeling playful, I added ¡°Race you to the top! Last one up is a rotten egg!¡±

    I was not the first one to make it to the peak, despite my instigation, though that was only because Gligar possessed wings, and I did not. Kieran pushed himself hard but still ended up behind me, and then even Carmine, with her longer legs making up for her lack of energy and drive. The sun beat down hard on us, but it still felt like such a sweet victory as we offered Kieran a hand up the final steps and together reached the peak of Kitakami.

    Our reward (beyond the crystal we hoped to obtain) was a gorgeous sight. The true peak, a thin rim around the top, sloped down to this almost valley-like place, dominated first and foremost by the vast, glittering water in the center. The water and blue-green color to it, with a massive chunk of Tera Crystal glittering and sparkling within its depths. The water trailed out, cutting a path through the rocky path and out an opening, down the side of the mountain where it made the waterfalls that cascaded down the face of the mountain.

    The rest of the scenery was a bit more barren. Rocky, with steam vents, and hot pockets where Slugmas and Koffings gathered around. There was a Glimmora with a glittering Rock Tera ¡®Hat¡¯ sparkling above their head, the strongest Pokemon in the area by far. They didn¡¯t seem concerned with us, or much of anything actually. A few Arrokewdas snapped from the water, but otherwise, we were left alone to view this untamed paradise in peace. The only signs of human development were a small wooden bridge that covered the water that ran out of the pool and a sign beside it, claiming this to be one of the natural wonders of Kitakakmi.

    We took a minute to catch our breaths and then I said ¡°We should probably go over to the water if we¡¯re going to get the crystal.¡± Walking over to the water¡¯s edge, we peered within its depths. It was hard to make out, but the crystal was dozens of meters down and must have weighed hundreds of tonnes. Way more than the small piece we need. But how-

    ¡°How are we going to get the piece of crystal?¡± Carmine demanded, looking unsure at the water. Good question.

    The clear waters atop the massive crystal suddenly became choppy, some great force moving up from the depths. Beside me, Carmine clutched her Pokeball tightly, ready for whatever threat was coming our way. After a moment, out from the water burst out¡­ a Feebas.

    ¡°Feeeeee!¡± It cried angrily as it jumped out of the water, and flipped through the air for a moment before landing back down with a heavy splash. Then it rose halfway out of the water to balefully glare at us.

    Carmine started laughing out loud, much to the Pokemon¡¯s chagrin. ¡°Can¡¯t believe we were worried about that. Uh, not that I was worried, can¡¯t believe you and Kiki were worried.¡±

    To avoid upsetting the Pokemon, I stepped forward a bit and apologized. ¡°Sorry about that, we¡¯re just looking for the second most beautiful thing in this pool.¡± The Feebas squinted at me, anger slowly fading to confusion.

    ¡°We want to get some small pieces of crystal from within the pool.¡±

    ¡°Bas?¡±

    ¡°If those are the second most beautiful thing, what''s the most beautiful thing here?¡± I repeated my interpretation of their question for my companions¡¯ benefit. ¡°Why, you of course.¡±

    I swore the Feebas blushed for a moment, slapping the water with a fin bashfully. Suspicion soon grew, however, and they asked: ¡°Feeb?¡±

    ¡°We aren¡¯t looking to take you because we want to use the crystals on a mask we¡¯re helping make. We can¡¯t attach you to the end of a mask.¡±

    ¡°Ee, bas. Ba feeba.¡± They argued back, and I was sure if I was an anime character a large sweat drop would be rolling down the side of my face.

    ¡°Uhh no, we really can¡¯t. You wouldn¡¯t be able to breathe while attached to the mask.¡± Not the brightest bulb, I see.

    Feebas¡¯ eyes darted back nervously before shakily responding. ¡°Fe-feebas, fee.¡±

    ¡°Of course, just a joke.¡± Carmine and Kieran looked at me disbelievingly. Before the older (angrier and louder), of the two could interject, I asked for assistance. ¡°Hey, Feebas. Would you mind grabbing some crystals from down there for us? Not too large, just if there¡¯s anything loose about this size,¡± I held up my small hand in a fist.

    This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    They gave a small gurgle of agreement and dived back down into the water. As they disappeared beneath the waves, I turned to look at my friends who were just staring, shocked at me. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°How did you understand that Pokemon so well? Can you talk to them?!¡± Kieran asked excitedly.

    ¡°Whoa whoa, it¡¯s nothing that special. Anyone can talk to Pokemon, and most of them can understand us quite well. It¡¯s our understanding that¡¯s important¡­ and honestly, I only got about 60% of what Feebas was getting at in that short exchange.¡± At Carmine¡¯s quizzical look, I elaborated.

    ¡°A lot of communication, even for humans, is in body language. We learn how to understand humans pretty well growing up with them. But I bet if someone were raised entirely by Pokemon, there¡¯s a chance they¡¯d be able to understand them much better.¡± N proved that pretty well. ¡°Feebas was quite expressive there, which helped me get a general vibe of what they were saying.¡±

    Carmine had quite the contemplative look on her face, as she glanced around at the Pokemon wandering around the basin. Her brother just nodded and glanced back every few seconds to the pool, eager for the final piece in the mask he¡¯d give to Ogerpon. I, meanwhile, was interested in a certain cave I knew to be right around these parts¡­

    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Carmine asked me sharply. Waving her off I replied, ¡°Just looking around. You guys keep an eye out for Feebas.¡± With that, I began walking around the long rim of the ground to a small hill in the basin on the opposite side of us.

    The most aggressive Pokemon were the ones in the water and it seemed most of the flying or land-bound ones had already learned not to try and mess with us (though I still had to steer clear of a Koffing that was obliviously floating along and spewing toxic gas).

    Making my way around to the back of the hill, and there I found the opening that led to a long shaft going straight down. A few small outcroppings jutted out, and I thought I could see further openings on the sides, but it was hard to tell with how dark it was.

    Releasing Gligar I said ¡°Hey, this is a cave I found, thought we might check it out. Would you mind flying down and seeing if there are any other paths on those ledges?¡± She weighed the request for a moment, likely balancing the non-battle nature of it against the general approval of stretching her wings, and eventually agreed. Diving down the hole, she swooped around disappearing out of sight.

    ¡°Anything there?¡± I called down, getting no response for a minute. Just before I was thinking of calling again or going down, I felt a small tremor through the earth. Is that- damn it, she¡¯s using Bulldoze! The Move I had just taught her wasn¡¯t a risk of collapsing a solid structure like Earthquake might, but it was still a bad sign if a battle was going on.

    Jumping down, I drew on my Aura as I pulled out Miles. Gliding down, I held Miles up with the flashlight on, looking around for my wayward Pokemon. It wasn¡¯t hard to spot her and the signs of battle taking place in a small side cave sticking out from the wall. Drifting over I landed down and dropped my Aura, feeling the rush of excitement it brought fade away, and became acutely aware of the drain it had on my energy. I was hardly fatigued, but it was noticeable how quickly using it could tire me out.

    All of those were concerns for another time as I saw my Pokemon surrounded by a bunch of floating, crystal-covered rocks. Each of the rocks had a small fluffy white strip around the tops of their bodies, just below their blue eyes, their heads topped with long ears, giving them a very rabbit-like appearance, despite being made of stone and having no limbs.

    ¡°Stop!¡± I shouted out, both at the wild Pokemon and at Gligar. My Pokemon hissed, on the brink of attacking them anew, but surprisingly the wild ones did halt, just looking curiously at us. A den of Carbinks? I didn¡¯t read or remember anything about this, but I suppose it makes sense given the large Tera Crystal stuck in the pool nearby.

    ¡°Gligar, calm down. They¡¯re not attacking us.¡± She looked on edge but didn¡¯t make any more aggressive moves towards them, which I considered a win. To the group of Carbinks, I apologized.

    ¡°Sorry for intruding, we were just looking to explore. I didn¡¯t realize that any Carbinks lived in this region. Do you have a Diancie or leader?¡± I think I remember most groups of Carbinks are led by a Diancie as their ¡®queen¡¯. Or maybe just monarch? All of them are genderless, after all.

    A cascade of chiming crystal sounds washed over me as the group made a bunch of noise. ¡°Uh, sorry, I don¡¯t understand.¡± One of them, in the back of the two dozen or so Carbinks floating around, had a small notch in their left ear. That one tipped their head forward, as if in a nod.

    ¡°You¡­ don¡¯t understand either?¡± More chiming sounds, but that sounded slightly more melodious and less dissonant. I think that means they¡¯re agreeing with what I said, but it¡¯s difficult to tell with how different their bodies are than other Pokemon.

    ¡°Hmm, ok. Gligar, please use Sand Attack- not on them!¡± I quickly added, seeing the malicious gleam in her eyes. ¡°Just kick up some sand over there,¡± pointing to a clear space in the circular cave. ¡°I want to draw them a picture.¡± She looked disappointed, but agreed, slapping the ground with her tail and kicking up a thin layer of sand from the rocky ground.

    Using the sand, I began drawing an image of Diancie in the sand with my hands. The Carbinks began crowding around me, which made me feel a bit nervous, but none of them were aggressive, just overly curious. Speaking of curious people, I think I hear my friends calling out my name above. I guess it looks like I kinda ditched them, whoops.

    ¡°Miles, can you tell Carmine and Kieran where I am and that I¡¯m fine?¡±

    ¡°Bzzt, not a problem,¡± They replied, a blink-and-you-miss-it glance they gave to Gligar before floating out. Yeah, she would be faster and a good choice to let them know I¡¯m fine, but she can¡¯t communicate as well with humans, and she¡¯s still too aggressive. I¡¯ve got to keep a close eye on her. I didn¡¯t want to instantly think ill of my own Pokemon, it¡¯s technically possible that one of the Carbinks had started the fight, but given how everyone was behaving now, I felt it was likely that Gligar had jumped the gun, at least.

    My drawing wasn¡¯t great, without colors and limited details based on what I could recall of the mythical Pokemon. When I finished, however, my crude sketch still elicited several interested chiming sounds from the group.

    ¡°That¡¯s a Diancie. Sometimes, a Carbink will become one of those.¡± The notch-eared one chimed insistently at that. ¡°How does it happen? Well, I don¡¯t know. It has something to do with a mutation and being able to turn the empty air into diamonds, but beyond that, I have no idea how it works.¡± As far as I¡¯m aware, no one knows exactly why that mutation occurs. I haven¡¯t even done enough research to know why it¡¯s called a ¡®mutation¡¯ and not just an unknown evolution, but there¡¯s probably some scientific reason for that distinction.

    The Carbink I was talking to pointed with their ears at the picture I had drawn again. ¡°Hmm?

    Sorry, I don¡¯t understand. Yes, that¡¯s Diancie. They look a lot like you guys but their gems are more pink in color than the light blue you h-¡± more crystal chiming sounds. ¡°Oh, do you mean they have arms and a mouth?¡±

    They shifted their head up a bit to show a small dull set of teeth, usually hidden beneath the white fur. ¡°Ok, it¡¯s the arms then.¡± That seemed to get that Carbink super excited, wobbling back and forth as they shifted, and the others seemed interesting too. ¡°Have you guys never heard of a Diancie before? Did your colony not have one before you came here?¡±

    There was another round of chatter that I couldn¡¯t begin to understand, beyond that idea that at some point it switched to talking amongst themselves. During that time, Miles returned, telling me how they had informed them and the kids were ¡®mostly calm¡¯ now.

    Before I could inquire further, the Carbinks began moving together, floating in a synchronized fashion as they formed a floating triangular wall in front of us. The notch-eared one raised a rock up to the ceiling before it landed ¡®down¡¯ on the top of the wall (constrained mostly by the height of the cave. The wall shifted the peak Carbink making room for the rock that now hovered in their spot. Then they and several other Carbinks moved to touch the rock before spreading out and looking around the cave curiously.

    It took me a minute to realize what they were doing, but eventually, I put the pieces together.

    ¡°You¡­ you were all on the crystal when it¡­ landed here?¡± There was a very agreeable sound from the group, which I took as my blind guess being correct. ¡°How long ago was that?¡± My question was met by a bunch of curious stares.

    Depending on how little they go out to explore, they might not have a proper idea of days or years. No matter what though, it must have been a long time ago. There are legends of Ogerpon hundreds of years ago, and tales of Bloodmoon Ursaluna arriving at least three centuries ago, but I¡¯ve never heard anything about this. As far as all my research into Kitakami had gone, the crystals and Terastal phenomenon had simply always been a part of the land.

    ¡°Heeeeeey! Are you okay?¡± Kieran¡¯s voice echoed down.

    Moving to the edge of the alcove I found myself in, I shouted back ¡°I¡¯m fine, yeah. It looks like there¡¯s a whole tunnel system down here.¡± Ok, technically I can¡¯t see that yet, but I know there are a bunch of paths down that big opening at the bottom. Huh, must be like thirty meters down.

    ¡°I¡¯ve heard about these,¡± Carmine replied, sounding nervous but like she was trying to remain outwardly calm (which is probably as best as could be expected for an eight-year-old). ¡°Keep on going down and try to find your way out, we¡¯ll meet you down the outside of the mountain.¡±

    Why would I need to go down? I can use my Aura and fly, possibly with aid from Dun or Miles, and¡­ they don¡¯t know I can do that, do they? ¡°Hey, I think I can get back up. Guys? You there?¡±

    No response probably meant that they had started running off down the mountain. Probably will be better to go down then and meet them there. Not that I need a huge excuse to explore this cool tunnel system, admittedly.

    Turning back to the Carbinks I said ¡°I should probably go down to meet my friends, but it was cool to see you all. I would have never guessed there was a place like this here¡­¡± The latter part I mostly said to myself, gazing around at this hidden wonder for a second before snapping back. ¡°Ok, gotta go, bye now!¡± I said before hopping down.

    There was a slightly alarmed chiming sound as the notch-eared one peered over the edge, to see me floating gently down. Ah, must be pretty weird for them to see someone that doesn¡¯t naturally float able to drift down like that. I gave them a wave back as Gligar and Miles descended by my side, Miles just shooting straight down while Gligar dived and spun around acrobatically in the tight tunnel.

    We came down to the opening to a far larger chamber below. There was a small pile of rocks at the center of the hemispherical expanse that we drifted into, wide and tall enough to fit a two-story house comfortably without touching the ceiling or shaft above. Two tunnels led out of the space horizontally, each of them wide enough for three to four people to walk abreast.

    Pokemon scurried about the wide space below, looking up with some interest, however, it was the person standing by the corner that seemed most surprised by my entrance.

    Seemed, because it was hard to tell for certain what she was feeling behind that ornate mask she wore. The mask was green and teal, likely modeled after Ogerpon¡¯s mask, but with the snarling visage of an oni painted on it. She had a black silk jacket hanging open over top a red tank top, with black sweatpants hanging off her waist.

    ¡°Uh, hi there,¡± I tried, waving at her as I touched down on the ground. She continued to stare at me for a minute, not saying a word. I was starting to feel more than a little awkward before she barked out a harsh laugh.

    ¡°You¡¯re an odd one, aren¡¯t you?¡± She asked rhetorically. ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to be down here.¡± As if to accentuate her words, a large jet of steam burst out from a crack in the ground beside her, not that she seemed disturbed by it.

    ¡°I can handle myself,¡± I responded, releasing Dun. The Bronzors, Ekans, and even one Dunsparce all backed off just a tad at seeing the evolved Pokemon. I didn¡¯t know Dunsparce was native here either. I wonder if, in some of the more dangerous parts of Kitakami, they have Dudunsparce. Could explain Carmine''s knowledge of them.

    The masked woman snorted. ¡°You think that¡¯s strong? I¡¯ll be the judge of that.¡± She stepped forward, pulling out a Pokeball from a jacket pocket. Given the bulges there, I¡¯d say she has at least three more Pokemon.

    ¡°Oh yeah? And who are you to be the judge of that?¡± I asked, more curious than anything, down for a battle no matter what.

    The wild Pokemon who had been wary now immediately scattered, slipping away to the tunnels to get out of the way, or watch from a safe distance. It was clear that the worry was not from me taking a battle stance on the opposite end of the cavern from her, but her actions. Their fear made a lot more sense at her next words. ¡°I¡¯m Kotetsu, of the Kitakami Ogre Clan! My martial prowess will lay you low!¡±

    Oh. Right, the Ogre Clan. Those super bosses that are hanging out in the DLC. There wasn¡¯t much I could recall about them, but I remembered them being very high-level and having good teams. No backing out now, though.

    To Gligar, who was hovering by my side, looking on eagerly at the prospect of a fight, I said: ¡°Stand down. Or well, you can keep on flying, but you aren¡¯t battling.¡±

    ¡°Gar!¡± She pouted angrily, dropping onto my shoulders. My knees buckled a bit at all her weight, but with a bit of Aura I managed to lighten the load and remain standing.

    ¡°No, I¡¯m serious. Watch this battle, and analyze it for the future. In time, you¡¯ll be ready to battle like this, but you¡¯re still too injured for a battle of this caliber.¡± Honestly, you wouldn¡¯t be ready for this kind of battle yet even if you were in peak health, but best not to say that.

    She got off of me with some grumbling but still looked suspicious. Those suspicions faded when Kotetsu released her Pokemon, a Heracross.

    This Heracross was similar in shape to the one I had fought a few days ago, but a male, with a sharper horn instead of the more spade-like one the females had. The other differences were night and day, however. He had a pale blue chitinous exoskeleton, battle-worn with many scars adorning his carapace. His yellow-ringed eyes burned with confidence, and there was a palpable feeling of power coming off of him that let me instantly tell how he was in an entirely different league than the wild one we had faced before.

    I could tell Dun felt it too, a shiver passing through his scales. Nonetheless, he defiantly slithered forward, ready to fight. ¡°Dudun!¡±

    ¡°Let the battle begin! Brick Break!¡± Kotetsu called out. By the time she had finished saying ¡®begin¡¯ I was already giving out my own order.

    ¡°Yawn then Glare!¡± Dun rapidly expanded as he took in air, releasing it in multiple clouds as the bug rushed towards him. Heracross dodged between the clouds easily, sidestepping and skittering low to close with my starter, and hit him with a quick chop. The blow sent Dun flying into the wall of the expanse we battled in, cracking it where he impacted.

    ¡°Dun!¡± I cried out, worried for a second, but despite the massive pain he must have been feeling, he managed to pull through, turning his prone body up from where he fell to Glare at his foe.

    Heracross¡¯ body seized up, right as the three clouds turned and closed in on him. Yes! Once he¡¯s asleep we should be able to win, and Dun can hold out with Protect until it takes effect-

    ¡°Blow those away,¡± Kotetsu called out, shattering my dreams as her Pokemon, despite being Paralyzed, managed to slam his claws together. The shockwave from the impact blew away all three clouds before they could reach him with their soporific effect.

    ¡°How-¡± I bit my tongue, forcing down any disbelief at the maneuver to focus on the battle at hand. ¡°Air Slash, widespread.¡± Dun narrowed his eyes but did as I said, even as I offered him an apologetic smile. With a few flaps of his wings, a wide screen of nigh-invisible blades of wind began cutting through the air.

    He knows that I¡¯m sacrificing his chance of winning this battle to focus on doing enough chip damage to make a victory possible with Miles. And even with that¡­ Not needing a command from his trainer, Heracross once again began dodging and weaving around. From his, at times, awkward movements and footwork, I could tell it wasn¡¯t that he was so skilled or naturally evasive to dodge Dun¡¯s assault, but just a testament to the difference in speed and power between them.

    Some of that speed had been curtailed by the Paralysis, however, which caught his forward progress at the right spot to let an Air Slash cut into his shoulder. Heracross hissed at the pain, but continued, dropping to all fours and Pouncing forward, his horn catching Dun and flipping him up in the air.

    ¡°Keep aloft and launch an all-out assault!¡± I cried out, and Dun shakily held himself up in the air, flapping his wings as hard as he could to push the air and keep himself aloft. As he did so, he screeched out a horrendous tone down at the bug beneath him. His Hyper Voice was pounding into Heracross, hurting our foe, but nowhere near as badly as the Air Slash had.

    But he can¡¯t manage more Air Slashes while doing this. Honestly, it¡¯s a testament to how incredibly talented he is and how much he¡¯s trained that he can work on two Moves of different Types at the same time, even if they both use different parts of his body.

    Kotetsu wasn¡¯t going to let this continue, however, and over the noise Dun was making I heard her calling out ¡°Rock Blast!¡±

    Heracross began ripping stone chunks out of the ground and hurling them at Dun with incredible force, enough that any hit would bring Dun down, and possibly even out. However, not one of the stones managed to land on him, his body weaving through the air around the stones. Once or twice it was close, but the slight lag as Heracross fought through Paralysis was enough to let him dodge the attacks until it was too late; a light breeze picked up to a swift stream of air pushing through the cavern.

    I had no time to relish in Tailwind working in concert with the Hyper Voice combo, as Heracross had decided he¡¯d had enough of this. With a mighty leap and the strength of his wings to push past the wind trying to hold him back, Kotetsu¡¯s Pokemon had closed with mine, unleashing a flurry of insanely fast punches, each hit a blur even to my eyes.

    Dun was launched clear across the room, bouncing around before he rolled to a stop in front of me. Giving a small groan, he slumped down, defeated.

    That''s definitely going to leave some bruises, even after a stop at the Pokemon ¡®Center¡¯. He didn¡¯t look permanently hurt, though, so I resolved to worry about it later. ¡°Great job Dun, we¡¯ve got this in the bag now,¡± I said as I returned him to his Pokeball. In truth, I was a bit more worried about the match than I let on - We¡¯ll be lucky if we beat just Heracross right now. But I think, there might be a chance for that.

    ¡°Miles, I need you to go caseless for this battle, ok?¡±

    ¡°Bzzt but wh- ah, I see,¡± Miles said, giving me a nervous smile before abandoning their preferred body and hovering in front of me on the battlefield. They had their lightning bolt-shaped plasmic ¡®hands¡¯ spread out wide, to best catch the wind that still swirled around them.

    Ever so softly I heard Kotetsu click her tongue in frustration before calling out ¡°Throat Chop.¡± No wonder she¡¯s upset, both her STAB Types are hampered by Mile¡¯s Ghost Typing in their base form. That extra speed is handy too - with it, Tailwind, and her Pokemon not being as practiced with Moves like Throat Chop as he was with Close Combat or Pounce, Miles can just keep out of range.

    Miles zipped around the makeshift arena, the wind at their back enough to let him avoid the far more experienced opponent. ¡°Will O¡¯Wisp, drift type, contained pattern.¡±

    It wasn¡¯t a combination we had practiced often due to its limited situational use, but Miles executed it well. As they raced away from the ferocious bug, they conjured and left behind many of the fiery whisps as they passed, leaving them in Heracross¡¯ path. The bug was able to avoid most of those, at least on the first pass.

    As the two of them continued to zip around the enclosed area, Heracross had to start dodging the previous flames left behind and slowed down further. Then, he stumbled at the wrong time, the Paralysis slowing him down enough for Miles to easily pull ahead and the flames to Burn Heracross.

    ¡°Hex, take them down.¡± Rotom¡¯s plasmic eyes gleamed and ghostly energy coalesced around the Bug Type, taking him down to one knee. Good, but¡­ I should look toward the next battle too. Even if I doubt I can win, I have to do my best, for the sake of my Pokemon. All of them.

    Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw Gligar taking the battle in with rapt attention. It was an expression I knew well, seeing something similar in my face when I would watch high-level battles. The feeling when you see something so far above you¡­ and know you have so much farther to go, to get beyond even that.

    ¡°Duplicity.¡± Another custom tactic we had been working on, and one I only felt half-confident in. Necessity proved to be the mother of advancement, as Miles sprouted a wicked grin on their face as they split into two, literally. Then again, and another time after that.

    Melding Substitute and Nasty Plot together works quite well. The Moves don¡¯t share a common Typing, but the nature of the Moves lets them work together about as well can be done. The creation of the Substitutes was about half of Miles max creation speed, and they got about half as much of a boost as they¡¯d usually get from Nasty Plot, and it was so very worth it not to give the game away.

    Kotetsu wasn¡¯t going to let us set up endlessly, however, calling out ¡°Bullet Seeds, hit the last one created each time.¡± Heracross puffed up his cheeks and began spitting out a hail of glowing green seeds, streaking across the cave like real bullets. Miles winced as one of the shots winged them, trying to dodge around while creating more Substitutes.

    They kept on targeting the real Miles, and I had to resist the urge to grin as my strategy was working. Each shot that hit did hurt Miles, undoubtedly, and their energy was being drained by the repeated use of the hybrid Move. For every shot that glanced off Miles though, at least three more seeds missed. It was clear that this Move was not something Heracross was used to using on such a small target, so his aim was off. The Burn also sapped a lot of power he¡¯d have from his attacks.

    The Tailwind finally died down, presenting a shift in the fight dynamic. Kotetsu shook her head slightly as if saddened by the fact that I hadn¡¯t made good enough use of the opportunity.

    ¡°Megahorn, finish this.¡± Heracross¡¯ horn gleamed with green energy as he jumped across the battlefield. I could see the wings on his back fluttering as he streaked across the air, ready to fly and dodge around any attack my Rotom tried to direct at it.

    ¡°It¡¯s over, Shock Wave!¡± Which is why I picked an attack that hit everything. Suddenly glowing quite brightly, a surge of electricity radiated off of Miles, zapping everything in the air around them. With nowhere to dodge, Heracross tried to punch through, only for his body to be struck immobile by the tremendous amounts of electricity surging through his body.

    With one last cry, Heracross fell far short of Miles, collapsing down to the rocky ground below. That¡¯s what a 4.5 times Special Attack Boost will do to you.

    Kotetsu returned Heracross to his ball and looked up at the Substitute Rotoms floating about in the air, autonomous enough to spin around in circles and make telling them from the real one now impossible. Though she didn¡¯t make a sound, and her face was impossible to read with that mask on, from her body language I could tell she was frustrated and possibly worried for the first time. As she should be. Miles got a massive boost to his damage, and the Substitutes can tank the super-strong attacks for him. We might actually have a chance here!

    My opponent had re-evaluated and decided to change to a different Pokeball, one that when it opened seemed designed to crush my hopes then and there. Plated with heavy yellow ringed scales that clanged loudly, the large lizard-like Pokemon rose, staring dismissively at Miles (and their many copies) gathered before them. He even turned back to face his trainer, as if to say ¡®This is who you call me to fight? What a waste of my talents.¡¯

    He might not even be wrong. Kommo-o, a pseudo-legendary. Hardly unbeatable, but one as well trained as hers is going to be tough, especially since I don¡¯t have anything to take advantage of his Fairy super weakness. The small familiar almost Potion-shaped bottle that hung on a cord around his neck was almost as worrying as the Dragon Type himself.

    ¡°Clangorous Soul,¡± Kotetsu called out cooly. Kommo-o began shouting and thrashing about, shaking his scales to add to the cacophony. As the horrible sound invigorated him, he also clutched at the Throat Spray around his neck and squirted it into his mouth.

    ¡°Hex!¡± I desperately called out, not willing to risk taking the time to set up such a Move with a status condition, just hoping that the drain of Kommo-o¡¯s Move and Miles boosts would be enough. With glowing plasmic eyes, ghostly energy began to close around our foe, seeming like they would trap him in a ring of pain and suffering. My hopes were dashed as the tall dragon blurred, leaving the shades that surrounded him in the dust as he practically flash-stepped behind Miles and hit him with a punch.

    It wasn¡¯t even a Move as far as I could tell but nonetheless sent what he hit flying into a wall¡­ where it disappeared in a cloud of smoke. Being able to transfer over the tells, the signs of using a Move to their Substitutes took a fair amount of work and is part of why Miles knows so many less Moves than Dun, but that work has paid off. They still have five Substitutes left. Shock Wave won¡¯t do much damage against a Dragon, but they can¡¯t dodge it. If we get lucky-

    ¡°Finish this, Clanging Scales!¡± The Fighting Type Trainer commanded, and her dragon was more than happy to do her bidding. Smashing his armored arms together and clover-like tail to the ground, I saw the air ripple towards Miles and all their duplicates, a wave of sound preparing to crash through them and all their Substitutes - only to be met by a transparent pale pink barrier holding out against the assault.

    My eyes flashed up to the ceiling where I saw the notch-eared Carbink valiantly diving down, interposing themselves between Miles and the attack, just as the soundwaves pushed through the Light Screen the Carbink had conjured.

    The powerful attack still wiped out all of the Substitutes and sent Miles reeling backward, but the brunt of it was heavily weakened by Light Screen and Carbink¡¯s natural immunity to Dragon-type attacks.

    ¡°What¡¯s this?!¡± Kotetsu hissed, and I ran forward (though not directly into the midst of the fighting), waving my arms and hoping to derail this before something bad could happen.

    ¡°Stop, STOP!¡± Kommo-o paused, holding off on unleashing a ruinous assault, while Carbink just looked confused, tilting their head/whole body at me. ¡°We were just training, practice. No one is really hurt. Trainers battle with their Pokemon to see who¡¯s stronger and improve but neither side should be seriously hurt.¡±

    ¡°Been a while since I fought someone that could take down even one of my Pokemon, but even with your friend here, you can¡¯t beat Kommo-o!¡± Kotetsu proudly declared, crossing her arms. I eyed that dragon up. Nice of her to give me the handicap but¡­

    ¡°Yup, you¡¯re right,¡± I agreed, recalling Miles to their Pokeball, much to her visible surprise, even with the mask obscuring her face. Laughing, I added, ¡°I like to think I¡¯m good, but I¡¯d definitely lose here. Better to keep some of my team able to fight than pointlessly get beat.¡±

    She nodded. ¡°Smart choice. I guess you¡¯re strong enough to travel through here,¡± She casually admitted, as if the strength her Pokemon had shown wasn¡¯t magnitudes beyond any of the Pokemon here. ¡°If you ever come back to Kitakami, I¡¯d like to battle you again, mystery girl.¡±

    ¡°Oh right, I forgot to introduce myself,¡± My cheeks were dusted with crimson from embarrassment as I realized that fact. Should try to be more polite than that. Looking at both Kotetsu and Carbink, I said ¡°My name is Nemona Glitterati, and I¡¯m going to be the best Trainer in the world!¡±

    That got a snort from Kotetsu, though she sounded intrigued. Carbink on the other hand was looking at me wide-eyed, hovering over and bumping into my hand and arm. ¡°Hey! Wha- what¡¯s up?¡±

    They made more chiming sounds that I couldn¡¯t understand, and while I had gotten better at understanding Pokemon in general, I was failing at this limited game of charades.

    Do they want me to catch them? Maybe, but I feel like something else is going on here. ¡°Now that you know what battling is like, did you like that battle?¡± I asked, and the Pokemon eagerly bobbled. Ok, so they were curious enough to watch but didn¡¯t quite get how battling worked at first. I don¡¯t think they¡¯re familiar enough with the concept of being trained to have that be what they were looking for¡­

    I saw them drift down to the ground, trying to draw symbols in the ground again. ¡°Oh! You want to be a Diancie! Or to be more particular, you want arms,¡± I figured out, to which Carbink gave an excited chime. Kotetsu chuckled softly, recalling her Dragon Type as she watched us interact.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but like I said, I don¡¯t know how Carbinks change into Diancies.¡± At the sad look in their eyes, I added ¡°But if you want to work with me, I promise I¡¯ll do everything in my power to help you achieve your goal. It¡¯ll mean training hard every day and lots of battles, but I hope those will help and-¡± My words were cut off by them tackling me in an enthusiastic approximation of a hug.

    ¡°Hrk,¡± I grunted. ¡°Yup, you¡¯ll fit right in.¡± As I said that and hugged them, I heard Gligar scoffing. ¡°Don¡¯t be worried, I wouldn¡¯t be prepared to call myself a Pokemon Trainer if I couldn¡¯t train a full team of six, at least. You¡¯ll all get plenty of training, and I think you¡¯ll be able to help each other grow.¡±

    Gligar looked skeptical as if wondering what a floating rock could do. ¡°I¡¯m serious, Carbink are incredibly tough, so they¡¯ll challenge how well you can manage battles of attrition, and they¡¯ll learn how to deal with more agile foes from you. It¡¯s how we get stronger together.¡±

    Kotetsu spoke up ¡°Alright, enough of this sappy stuff. You fought hard and should have no regrets. Continue down that tunnel-¡± She pointed to one of the exits. ¡°And you¡¯ll find your way out of the mountain.¡± She tilted her masked head to the side ¡°You should be fine in this cave, and most of the mountain, but try to avoid going too far North; your strength is insufficient for what waits there.¡±

    Her brutal assessment felt like a slap in the face, but I could find no words to deny it. While I haven¡¯t been there in this life, I remember seeing the kinds of Pokemon that roamed far away from civilization in Kitakami. Dusknoirs, Grimmsnarls, and more. Bloodmoon Ursaluna in the mists. That one hurt the most to miss out on. Reminding myself of the dangers I had warned Kieran of and how I should take those words myself, I simply nodded.

    I gave her a small bow, thanking her for the match before heading down. There were several more shafts and long drops, the first one leading straight into a large underground pool. I used Miles (after healing them up) to drift down and to the side, avoiding getting soaked.

    Most of the Pokemon were making themselves scarce, hiding in the shadowy corners of the tunnels. Oddly enough, I noticed many Ekans and Salandits hiding behind Clefairys and even Cleffas. Why are they- oh, right, Kommo-o was making some noise and a Fairy Type would be the best defense against that. Not that I think any or even all of the Fairies in this cave could manage to beat that monster. I can¡¯t wait till we get that strong.

    Exiting out into the bright light, Gligar and I shielded our eyes, her hissing as if it was an affront to her very being. Carbink however just stared at it, unblinking. ¡°Uhh, you sure you want to do that? It¡¯ll hurt to stare too long.¡±

    They just looked at me confused with their clear blue eyes. ¡°...Or maybe not, different biologies and all.¡± My attention was drawn up the side of the mountain as we heard Kieran and Carmine calling out as they raced down to us.

    ¡°Oh boy, you guys aren¡¯t gonna believe what happened!¡±

 Interlude VII - Kieran

    ¡°Hey Kiki! Wake up!¡± Groggily I opened my eyes, pushing my sister off who was busy shaking me.

    ¡°Stooop it.¡± Moaning, I pulled myself up, blearily looking at my sister who was already dressed and ready. Her bed was on the opposite side of the room, the sun streaming down and showing she had made it. ¡°How can you get up so early every day?¡±

    ¡°Practice! Besides, aren¡¯t you excited at least for today? You get to drop off the mask and hopefully not get eaten by the ogre!¡± She exclaimed with a cheer that belied her words.

    ¡°Ugh, of course, I¡¯m excited about that - not the getting eaten part, I mean not getting eaten I mean- argh,¡± Huffing I tossed my sheets messily to the side and pulled myself out of bed. I¡¯ll be too tall for it soon. Carmine has to scrunch up while she sleeps to sit on hers.

    My sister would complain endlessly about anything, but she never brought up the bed, and I knew I wouldn¡¯t either; it was one of the few things we had left from our parents. Dad never was too handy with crafting, not like Mom was, what with Grandpa raising her. Still, he wanted to show he could be handy too, since he worked so hard on these. The rest of their stuff from Unova just sits in a box in the attic.

    After our parents were gone, we moved in with Grandpa Yukito and Grandma Hideko. We loved them and they took good care of us, but sometimes, I couldn''t help but miss Mom and Dad.

    Yawning, I stretched out before facing Carmine. ¡°I¡¯m excited, but also worried. After we drop off the mask, Nemona and Cyan are gonna leave.¡± And before that, we¡¯ll have our battle, which is what kept me up half the night.

    Carmine¡¯s face softened and she leaned down to pat me on the shoulder. ¡°No matter what happens, win or lose, she¡¯ll still be your friend. I know how much you liiiiike her.¡± A blush spread across my face despite my wishes.

    ¡°Aww shut up! Not like you haven¡¯t been pestering her to Ogre Oustin a ton.¡± It was my sister¡¯s turn for her face to glow scarlet.

    ¡°Be quiet Kiki!¡± She stomped her foot and added ¡°That was just to get a better handle on her skill, I can¡¯t have an outsider beating me! I¡¯ve figured out her strategy and nearly tied up with her.¡±

    ¡°Uhuh,¡± I agreed without truly agreeing, something that faux-angered her to no end. Truth is, I think we¡¯re both going to miss her. Cyan too, though the older girl didn¡¯t spend as much time with us. We didn¡¯t have many other friends in town before her.

    After I got changed and we went to the dining room for breakfast I admitted: ¡°You¡¯re right.¡±

    ¡°Ha! Of course I¡¯m right,¡± she crowed. ¡°I¡¯m right about so much so umm, what was I right about again?¡±

    ¡°Nemona. She¡¯s not going to be upset or want nothing to do with us after this.¡± I mean, she could be lying about wanting to know our birthdays so she could get us presents, but I doubt it. Doesn¡¯t sound like her. ¡°I just¡­ I wanna impress her with this battle.¡±

    ¡°And I¡¯m sure you will, dear,¡± Grandma said kindly, plating the fried Chansey eggs onto our plates with some pancakes and passing them to us. She poured a bottle of Moomoo Milk for us as well (human grade, not Pokemon grade of course). ¡°Eat up! You¡¯ll need your energy if you¡¯re hiking up that mountain again.¡± She shook her head, muttering something about not being sure where kids got such energy from.

    ¡°Argh, stop fretting already, Kiki,¡± Carmine complained, the sternness of her tone slightly offset by the food she was shoving down her throat. Swallowing, she said, ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, you¡¯ve got that secret weapon, right?¡±

    I nodded. Applin and I worked on that all day yesterday while Nemona and her family had been sightseeing. And not just the Move we worked on with Grandpa, but the one Applin surprised me with too! We¡¯re gonna give Nemona a huge shock, that¡¯s for sure!

    Carmine continued ¡°So you¡¯ve got this in the bag¡­ and even if you don¡¯t,¡± She added, earning an instant frown from me, even as I recognized it was fair for her to be dubious about my odds when even I was. ¡°If Nemona reacts badly or anything I¡¯ll make her swallow a Koffing whole.¡±

    ¡°Sis¡­ don¡¯t go scaring off her too.¡± That¡¯s not really fair though, Nemona isn¡¯t like other kids. There aren¡¯t many kids our age here, and the ones here aren¡¯t big fans of us ¡®city kids¡¯ from Unova after we had to move here. Carmine made a big deal about loving Kitakami since but they didn¡¯t change their minds and are kinda brats regardless.

    My sister hadn¡¯t stopped proclaiming how much she loved our new home since, not one to back down once she decided on a path. That¡¯s something I admire about my sis. I might be too afraid in public to be the same way about most things, but I¡¯ll stick up for the Ogre! She¡¯s so cool and strong, I¡¯m sure of it. Maybe, maybe once I give her this mask, she¡¯ll think I am too-

    ¡°Kiki, what are you mumbling?¡± Carmine demanded and I realized I¡¯d been thinking out loud, though the words were muffled by the food I was eating.

    ¡°Ahh, nothing, gotta go, get ready.¡± Finishing up my plate quickly I jumped out of my seat and rushed out of the room.

    ¡°Kiki! Ugh, leaving the dishes for me to do¡­¡± Carmine groused as I went to the entrance hall. Slipping on my sandals I prepared to leave- before hearing Nemona talking with my Grandpa just outside. It was hard to hear everything from behind the door but I could make out a few things.

    ¡°...the truth, handed¡­ you know it, don¡¯t you?¡± Nemona asked. I could barely recognize the words as her own at first, she sounded so different. Even when we argued about Gligar at first, she was vibrant and energetic about everything. Here she sounds¡­ cold.

    Grandpa didn¡¯t sound any happier, with a hint of anger in his voice. ¡°Perhaps so. What do you want? You can¡¯t tell them!¡±

    ¡°I can. I will. Unless you do it first. They deserve to know, Kieran especially.¡± Why me especially? What do I deserve to know more than Carmine, but she also deserves? Missing the context made it hard to figure out what they were arguing about.

    ¡°How would you feel if I offered to tell them all of your secrets?¡± Grandpa retorted fire in his voice. I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ve ever heard him sound so angry before. ¡°I have no doubt you have plenty.¡±

    Nemona was completely undeterred. ¡°Good guess, though the fact it¡¯s a guess shows just how little you know, or could use. Besides, as much as I might be upset if you spilled my secrets, this one isn¡¯t really ¡®yours,¡¯ now is it? It¡¯s just one you happen to know. The only one who¡¯s secret it is- well, she¡¯s not talking.¡± There¡¯s a joke there, but I don¡¯t get what it is.

    ¡°They¡¯re too young! If they revealed it, tried to tell others-¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t believe the town would take it quite as badly as you¡­¡± There were a few more words I couldn¡¯t make out.

    ¡°If you believed that you¡¯d be telling everyone yourself. Why ask this old man to drudge up¡­¡± After a minute of silence, he conceded. ¡°I was always planning on telling them eventually.¡±

    ¡°¡®Eventually,¡¯¡± she scoffed, clearly disbelieving him. ¡°They might be too young right now, but you need to set definite times in place or ¡®tomorrow¡¯ becomes ¡®never,¡¯ ya¡¯know? Tell them by the time they¡¯re fourteen.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re in no position to make demands-¡±

    ¡°Tell them by then or I¡¯ll do it. They might deserve to hear it from you, but if you aren¡¯t going to ever tell them, I¡¯ll put you on a-¡± I bumped against the door, having been leaning in too far to hear. It wasn¡¯t that loud, but Nemona immediately stopped speaking, so I opened the door quickly, trying to act like I hadn¡¯t been listening in.

    ¡°Oh, h-hey guys, what¡¯s up?¡± I asked shakily. Nemona and Grandpa were standing out in the front lawn, the sun shining bright as the smiles on their faces. If I hadn¡¯t heard them a second ago there¡¯s no way I woulda thought they were mad with each other.

    ¡°Just here to pick you guys up for our trip,¡± Nemona said breezily, before stepping over to Grandpa and grabbing the mask in his hands. His grip tightened on it for a moment, and in a brief interaction I would have missed if I blinked, her eyes darted to me, his followed, and he let go.

    ¡°Thanks for making this, I¡¯m sure the Ogre will appreciate all the hard work you put into this. Thank you.¡± For some reason, those words made Grandpa sag, as if the wind had been taken out of him.

    ¡°Glad to,¡± he croaked out before turning away. ¡°Have fun today. And stay safe.¡± I couldn¡¯t see Grandpa as he said that, my view was obstructed by one of the posts that held up the roof above the front porch, but he seemed to be directing that at Nemona.

    ¡°Of course,¡± she said seriously before happily grabbing my hand with her free hand. ¡°C¡¯mon, let''s get going! Hey Carmine!¡± She shouted.

    ¡°I¡¯m coming, I¡¯m coming, hold up!¡±

    ***

    We made it to up the mountain to the passageway without incident, the climb tiring but not very threatening with Dun out. Nemona¡¯s starter was massive, and there was a certain presence to him that made me feel like there were few Pokemon in Kitakami that could challenge him.

    That makes sense, Nemona says she¡¯s been training him for over two years now. I wonder if Applin can get that strong in that time?

    ¡°What are you thinking about?¡± Cyan asked, peering over at me. Lost in my thoughts, I¡¯d been lagging on the last section of our hike up and I jogged back to catch up with Cyan. The mostly white-haired girl was herself trailing a bit behind Carmine and Nemona.

    ¡°Ack! Just¡­ I don¡¯t know if I can measure up to Nemona, you know?¡±

    To my surprise, the older girl nodded without hesitation. ¡°Oh yeah, I get that feeling.¡± At my startled stare, she laughed. ¡°I¡¯m not blind, my little sister is gifted. Sure, I have things I can do that she can¡¯t, and she always praises me for those or my efforts, but it¡¯s clear how much more she excels at. Look at this trip; I¡¯m pretty happy with the Horsea I caught, and Nims was the first one to praise me. Went on and on about how strong my Horsea can be and the Type advantages when she evolves into a Kingdra... but my sister also caught two Pokemon of her own here.¡±

    ¡°Oh,¡± I stated dumbly, having not expected that. ¡°Do you think I can win?¡± Given what she just said, I assumed she would say no, but instead she had a pensive look on her face.

    ¡°Not sure. I don¡¯t think you have great odds, would usually say no, but¡­ Nims has once or twice mentioned that ¡®one day¡¯ someone will come along and push her to her limits. A true ¡®rival.'' She¡¯s got a couple of other friends who are trainers too, but she never refers to them that way.¡±

    Could I be her rival? But I want to be her friend, like with the Ogre¡­

    ¡°Kiki, hurry up!¡± Carmine shouted at me.

    ¡°Cyan, don¡¯t be a Slow¡­poke,¡± Nemona finished awkwardly.

    I giggled a bit as we hurried up to meet them. Nemona can be so weird. Carmine too, but at least Nemona doesn¡¯t snap at me when I laugh about it.

    Distracted and hurried as I was, I missed a step and started to lose my balance, slipping off the edge of the final narrow walkway to the Den. I don¡¯t have Miles to help me, we forgot about that. Was the one random thought that popped into my mind before I fell.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Nemona was there in a flash, grabbing my arm before I fell more than a foot. Gravity still caused me to fall a bit more before Nemona¡¯s grip around my bicep arrested my movement, shooting pain through my shoulder.

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± Crying out from the pain and fear, the grip on the mask in my hand slackened. I tried to hold on, but ended up just flipping it up for a second after dropping it, failing to grab it again.

    ¡°Miles! The mask!¡± Her Rotom blurred out from her pocket, streaking below. I craned my head to look before the strong girl said ¡°Focus on me. C¡¯mon, just get back up.¡±

    Anxiety was something I was used to, but fear like this was something new. My body was shaking and I knew that I might die, that Nemona might die too. Yet, as I looked into her amber eyes, I saw no fear. Concern, but only for me, despite how close she was kneeling to the ledge herself, my weight pulling her down.

    Then she heaved, steadying herself with her free hand and yanking me up with the other. I could see the muscles on her arms bulging as she whipped me up and almost over her head, placing me down gently on the bridge beside her.

    ¡°You ok?¡± Was her first question. My eyes were blurry, tears starting to form from all the emotions swirling through me. I hate being a cry baby, but if I open my mouth, I¡¯m going to start bawling, I just know it. So I nodded my head, biting my lip even as tears started to roll down my face.

    Nemona smiled, relieved I was ok, then turned to see her Rotom hovering back up, carrying the mask above it with its plasmic limbs. Miles passed the mask back to me and I took it gingerly, inspecting it for any damages.

    Luckily, there didn¡¯t seem to be anything wrong with it. The turquoise mask had light red-orange swirls on its ¡®cheeks¡¯ like a setting sun with a black beak painted open in a devious smirk. The shining crystal eyes and feathers sticking out to the side and curving up gave it the appearance of some great bird of legend, a powerful hunter.

    ¡°Th-t-thanks,¡± I stammered out, holding it close. Helping me up, we walked together, slowly and carefully towards the end of the bridge, and I let out a sigh of relief when we were on wider ground.

    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Nemona said, and I looked at her as if she had grown a second head like a Doduo. ¡°I should have been more careful about the bridge. We¡¯ve just been exploring Kitakami so much, I got complacent and- never mind, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Why does she try to take responsibility for everything? It¡¯s my fault for slipping off.

    I couldn¡¯t say anything about that as I was busy fending off Carmine, who had rushed over to me the second we got to more stable land and was fretting about me.

    ¡°S-stop it, sis! I¡¯m fine,¡± I mumbled out, to little avail. We took a few minutes break to compose ourselves after that scare, even though we were only a few dozen meters away from our goal. My eyes were still a little red as I approached the entrance to the Den, and I felt almost more nervous going in there than I did on the bridge, wondering how the Ogre would react to our mask. Wondering if, by some miracle, she¡¯d be inside there, waiting for me.

    Of course, things don¡¯t work out like that. When I entered, it was the same empty Den I¡¯d seen a dozen times before. With a sigh of disappointment and relief, I placed the mask on the ground, along with a letter I¡¯d written (with Carmine and Nemona¡¯s help) days before.

    ¡®Hello Ogre,

    I¡¯m Kiki Kieran, and I think you¡¯re super cool and strong. I saw the masks you had and I know this isn¡¯t the same, but I hope you like this mask too. Grandpa made it with the help of me and my friends. It must be lonely up here and one day, I¡¯d like for us to be friends too. No matter what, I want you to take this mask as a gesture of good faith and hope it brings you happiness.¡¯

    One last look around showed me the cave was empty, so I stood up and exited back into the light. Cyan and Nemona cheered me on as if it had been some big deal, and even my sister was saying ¡°Good job Kieran.¡±

    ¡°It was nothing,¡± abashedly turning my face away, I wiped at my eyes some more, to make sure I wasn¡¯t crying again. ¡°Uhh, umm, anyway, we have a battle planned, right?¡±

    ¡°Here?¡± Cyan asked. The opening around the Den was pretty high up, but it was much wider than the bridge.

    Nemona nodded. ¡°This should be fine. Sis, would you referee for us?¡±

    The girl in question shrugged, standing off to the side along with Carmine as we took our places. ¡°This will be a one-on-one battle with no switches allowed. The battle is to incapacitation or forfeit. Any attempt to seriously injure an opponent or attack a trainer or bystander will be met with disqualification. Boundaries are to the edge of the bridge and the Den, and umm, let''s say fifteen meters above the ground. Trainers, get your Pokemon ready.¡±

    ¡°Ah, umm, okay!¡± I shouted out, panickedly trying to take all that in. Pressing the button on my Pokeball, I released Applin in front of me, to a chuckle from Nemona. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°Nothing, just you''re a bit eager. It doesn¡¯t matter here since we both agreed to which Pokemon we¡¯re using ahead of time, but in other battles when you have a bigger team, whoever sends out their Pokemon last gets an advantage. The referee has the trainers hold up the Pokeball they¡¯re going to use, and then they both release them,¡± She explained, pulling out Gligar¡¯s Pokeball and releasing her Pokemon.

    The pink flying scorpion spun about in the air, drifting near her trainer. My brave Applin shivered in fear at the predator that had almost taken his life before, but he didn¡¯t hide in his apple case. Instead, he stuck his body out, defiantly meeting Gligar¡¯s gaze.

    ¡°Wowzers, real battles are pretty complicated, huh?¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ll get used to them,¡± she said easily. ¡°It¡¯s like-¡± the brash girl paused, thinking. ¡°Do you know how to ride a bike?¡± I nodded. While there were trucks that came in and out of Mossui town, bicycles were some of the easiest ways to travel around town, and anything short of going past Kitakami Hall or the Paradise Barrens.

    ¡°It¡¯s like riding a bike. It seems complicated at first, and there¡¯s a ton you need to learn and do all at once, but then you get the hang of it and it¡¯s second nature.¡± Nemona wore a contented smile, clearly proud of herself for that simile.

    ¡°Hurry up and battle already!¡± Carmine shouted, causing both of us to deflate, though our Pokemon both perked up a bit at my sibling¡¯s heckling. Guess they¡¯re ready to battle. Grandma always said Pokemon are naturally more aggressive than people, on average, which is why she gets worried whenever I venture too far out of town without supervision.

    ¡°Alright, with that out of the way,¡± Cyan spoke loudly. ¡°On the count of three, the battle will begin. Ready?¡± Nemona locked eyes with mine, both of us nodding, the same drive pumping through each of us. ¡°Three, two, one¡­ begin!¡±

    ¡°Withdraw!¡± I called out immediately, hoping to bolster Applin¡¯s defense before Gligar could start pounding him. It¡¯ll also set up our first attack.

    Or so I thought. Gligar and Nemona blew me away, almost literally, with how fast they were.

    ¡°Acrobatics.¡± No sooner had the word left her mouth and Gligar was across the battlefield, slamming down into Applin hiding in his shell, leaving cracks and ripping a few chunks of fruity flesh off with her pincers and teeth.

    ¡°You¡¯re not holding back, are you? Well, neither will we, Sucker Punch!¡±

    ¡°Get out of there!¡± Nemona called out, and while Gligar would now listen to her trainer and try to follow her commands, she was a bit slow to respond here. Too focused on ripping and tearing my Pokemon, she backed away a second too slowly to avoid Applin¡¯s head jutting out of the apple and hitting Gligar in the gut.

    ¡°Gar!¡± The Flying Type called out, flapping away. Nemona¡¯s lips quirked down for half a second, before wiping away any displeasure from her face.

    ¡°Poison Sting, keep your distance.¡± Gligar followed obediently, rubbing lightly at where she had been hit before flinging a bunch of needles out from her tail, each one dripping with a violet liquid.

    ¡°Withdraw, defend more!¡±

    The battle fell into that pattern, me defending while they kept their distance and launched attacks. Each strike is getting weaker, I¡¯m sure Applin can take on anything else Nemona can dish out now.

    Just as I thought that Applin gave a plaintive cry, his tail seizing and twitching violently as a purple discoloration spread throughout the few visible parts of his body. ¡°Huh?!¡±

    Nemona was looking down on me - not unkindly, but still - like she knew something I didn¡¯t. Which she did. ¡°Your Applin has been Poisoned. One of Gligar¡¯s stings managed to get through.¡± Looking carefully, I saw where one needle stuck in deep, having landed through one of the cracks Gligar had opened up earlier.

    ¡°Gaaaah. We can¡¯t lose like this. Uh, uh, Astonish!¡± I shouted desperately, trying to rack my brain for something Applin could do with his few Moves to hit someone flying above. And it worked! Applin stretched his whole body out, his tail and eyes extending far out of his shell, shocking Gligar and causing her to reel back in the air.

    My opponent, however, was unfazed. ¡°Drop down and Sand Attack.¡± A swift dive to the ground and she was kicking and flinging sand from the rocky ground into Applin¡¯s exposed eyes.

    The ground here was more than just rocky, however; this section of the mountain had a bit of greenery growing on it, which we could use with Grandpa¡¯s secret Move. ¡°Grassy Glide!¡± Applin gave a weak but happy cheer at that, his tail drawing on more power from the plant life and extending that to conjure a bunch of grass in a line that he slid on, straight towards Gligar.

    ¡°Quick Attack to reposition, do not hit Applin!¡± Nemona responded rapidly, and Gligar had to adjust her motion at the last second, but she ended up shooting past Applin to the side, my starter missing her as she moved in a bright blur.

    ¡°Sand Attack again,¡± Nemona ordered again, and Gligar once more pelted Applin with sand. He could hide his eyes, but that just left him blind, freeing her Pokemon to make even more room.

    My attacks failed, nothing coming close to hitting her until eventually, Applin fell over, giving a small croak as he was defeated.

    ¡°Applin is unable to battle, Nemona is the winner!¡± Cyan called out as I slumped down trying to figure out what went wrong. How? I trained¡­ so hard¡­

    The victor had the presence of mind to apply a quick antidote to my Applin and a Potion to her own Pokemon, praising Gligar for her efforts. Then she walked over to me and offered me a hand up. ¡°That was a great match, Kieran.¡± She sounds so sincere but¡­

    ¡°I lost,¡± I moaned. ¡°We worked so hard, but we couldn¡¯t beat Gligar.¡± Trudging over to Applin, I scooped him up. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±

    ¡°Ap¡­ applin.¡± He said wearily. Glancing over my shoulder I tried to see if Nemona could understand what he meant, but she just shrugged.

    ¡°It sucks to lose, I know that, but really, you did well today. While you might not have beaten the Gligar of today, I¡¯m certain you would have beaten the Gligar that attacked you two back then.¡±

    ¡°App?¡± The Pokemon in my arms asked and Nemona nodded fervently.

    ¡°Really. That Sucker Punch Withdraw combo had us changing up our whole battle plan!¡± Applin¡¯s already overly large eyes widened and he even gave a few cheers, as weak as he currently was. My feelings were more mixed.

    It was nice to hear, and what we wanted when we first challenged her. Nemona encouraging us confirmed she was my friend, and I was so grateful for that. There was something to her gaze, however, as she looked just past me that confirmed that I wasn¡¯t the ¡®rival¡¯ she was looking for either. I wonder, if I get stronger and prove to her I can be that rival, if she¡¯ll tell me that secret she and Grandpa were talking about?

    ¡°I wanna challenge you again!¡± I shouted suddenly, shocking the others. Nemona though, was delighted.

    ¡°That sounds great! Maybe not today, we need to get our Pokemon looked at, and then Cyan and I have to head out, but I¡¯d love to come back and battle you again someday.¡± Turning to my sister she added ¡°Both of you.¡±

    ¡°Hmph, of course. Next time we face, you¡¯re going down!¡± Carmine declared haughtily.

    ¡°Like your Ogre Oustin score?¡± Nemona slyly teased.

    ¡°Yeah- hey!¡± We all laughed at Carmine a bit, but with Cyan being older, and Nemona being¡­ Nemona, she turned her rage on me. ¡°Stop laughing Kiki or I¡¯ll wring your neck!¡± She yelled, but I knew she wasn¡¯t serious. My big sis gets flustered easily, but she''s always looking out for me.

    A trait that seemed common to all big sisters as Cyan (who had less of an appreciation for Carmine¡¯s more ¡®extreme¡¯ comments) stepped in and said: ¡°None of that. If she gets on your case, let me know.¡±

    Nemona quickly defused the situation before Carmine could get upset with her sister for that. ¡°Yeah, we have to stay in touch! I¡¯ll send you guys tons of letters and you¡¯ve got a computer at home too, right? We can email each other as well, and talk all about our battles.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, is battling all you can think about?¡± The older girl complained. ¡°You¡¯re going to corrupt poor Kieran just like you did Arven and that Amethio boy.¡± I felt a small curl of something unpleasant in my gut at the mention of these other people in Nemona¡¯s life, but it was shoved to the side quickly as Cyan took out a notebook and gave me and my sister her address and postal code, with a second one written down beneath it.

    ¡°The first one is for the family home, and the second one is for Uva Academy since I¡¯ll be going there in a few weeks.¡±

    ¡°Wowzers¡­¡± I looked it up online after Nemona mentioned it the other day, and that school is huge! The Pokeball at the top looks so cool too.

    Carmine wasn¡¯t as impressed, snorting derisively. ¡°Uva Academy is nothing compared to Blueberry Academy.¡± A vein bulged noticeably on Cyan¡¯s forehead, but the older girl took some deep breaths and said nothing as my sister continued, now speaking to Nemona. ¡°Kiki and I will be going there when we grow up, like our parents did. You should join us,¡± she announced imperiously.

    Nemona stood between the two older girls, caught like a Deerling in a Druddigon''s eyes. ¡°Aheh, well, I haven¡¯t actually decided my school yet. Oh look at the time,¡± she said, for some reason holding up her bare wrist. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry back down to the town.¡±

    Turning and marching away, the sharp-eared girl suddenly remarkably deaf to Cyan and Carmine¡¯s arguments for which school was better, I felt a weight lift off my shoulders. This was super fun. Meeting Nemona Glitterati was amazing, and I¡¯m sure that the next time I see her, she¡¯ll be even tougher.

    Looking down at the Applin in my hands, his natural color returning to him, I saw the fierce, draconic gaze in his eyes. Which is a good thing, because we¡¯ll be so much stronger too, next time.

    With a full heart, we waved them off at the bus stop. ¡°Goodbye! We¡¯ll see you again soon.¡±

    ¡°Oh, you bet!¡± Nemona shouted back. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to see you guys and Kitakami again someday. Goodbye, for now!¡±

    ***

    My first letter to her I sent only a few days after she left and it began like this:

    ''Nemona, you''re never going to believe what happened. I went to check the Ogre''s Den the other day, and the mask and note were gone! Do you think the Ogre found them? She must have, I''m the only one who goes up there regularly. I hope she liked them, Grandpa worked so hard on it...''

 Chapter 40

    ¡°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.¡¯¡±

    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    ¡°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.

 Chapter 41

    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.

    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    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.

 Chapter 42

    ¡°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 story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    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!¡±

 Chapter 43

    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.

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    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¡ªnow!

    ¡°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.

 Chapter 44

    ¡°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.¡±

    The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

    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 concentration. 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 arena 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.

 Chapter 45

    ¡°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.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    ¡°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.

 Interlude VIII - Riolu

    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 us still meant that my jabs, which made shockwaves ripple through the air, hit her well before she could reach me. The waves 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!?

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    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 Types 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.

 Chapter 46

    Heading out on my journey did not happen immediately, not even with a full team of six. In fact, I had to cut down on training time to focus on finishing up some other projects and making sure we were stocked up before we could set off. Plus spending time with Arven, he¡¯s been practically glued to my hip when not doing that stuff.

    Still, even with all that, I tried to spend at least an hour every day going over some basic training plans for my new team members and polishing up Moves my older Pokemon had yet to master.

    ¡°Notch, you¡¯ve come a long way with your Fairy Type energy, but we still need to get Moonblast working during the daytime.¡± They tilted up, glaring at the sun, ears lying flat, as if the celestial body had offended them personally. ¡°Maybe try focusing on the fact that the moon is always around the planet, even if you can¡¯t see it?¡±

    They gave a chime of agreement, mixed with maybe a slight resignation? Hard to tell when they hop to any order I give with the same effort. Oh, Misty Terrain first to try and boost your connection to Fairy energy, very good. I made a mental note to praise them for their initiative at the end of the session before moving on to the others.

    ¡°Ok, Zorua, practice your agility. Work on jumping backwards to try and avoid attacks, and see if you can weave in a Shadow Sneak as you do so.¡± My little fox gave a quick yip and got to work, seeing it mostly as a game. Which is fair, most battling for her up to this point has been just a game. Even tournaments and Gym Battles are mostly just a slightly more serious and formal version of that.

    Her attitude was not shared (or appreciated) by my newest team member, Riolu, who turned her nose up slightly. Nightwing stuck her tongue out at the Fighting Type, swooping over her head and causing the canine Pokemon to growl lowly at the mischievous Pokemon drifting above her. I just sighed at the all-to-common sight.

    Riolu isn¡¯t overtly brash or mean-spirited to my Pokemon, but her attitude makes it hard for her to get along with the others outside of Dun. Which is unfortunate, as she¡¯s already a highly effective fighter. There¡¯s only a few areas she needs to work on personally, and those will mostly be polished out in time. What she needs now is to learn to work with others, getting a hang of how battling as a member of a team works.

    Whistling, I called Nightwing down, pulling some plastic balls out of my bag as I did so. Passing two to her and two more to Nightwing, I said, ¡°Okay, you two are going to practice juggling these two while going up and down the beach. Oh, and each ball you have to pass to each other. Got it?¡± The drill is mostly just to help Nightwing get used to her new body and speed, but hopefully it¡¯ll help Riolu get along with the others and learn how to handle their tempos.

    Almost the instant that they began, Nightwing threw too hard and pelted Riolu in the face with one of the balls, her laughter eliciting a Vacuum Wave empowered shot back. Ugh, looks like we have a long way to go there. At least I didn¡¯t start them off with the iron balls.

    ¡°Keep at it, everyone!¡± I tried to call out encouragingly before whispering to Dun. ¡°Keep an eye on them, please.¡± He nodded, trying not to look too smug at not being the problem Pokemon. ¡°You ready, Miles?¡±

    ¡°DJ Mixmaster is in the house, bzzt!¡± Miles declared boldly.

    I was surprised at his enthusiasm. ¡°Sounds rocking, should that be your stage name?¡±

    ¡°No, in fact, please don¡¯t ever call me that.¡± Raising an eyebrow, I saw Miles form plasmic blush spots. ¡°I regretted it the instant I said it, bzzt.¡±

    Laughing, I waved the others goodbye as we headed to the music studio. With my ¡®growing talents,¡¯ my parents had converted one of our spare rooms into a room filled with musical instruments and recording equipment. It was quite the overhaul, but given Mom¡¯s contacts, it happened pretty smoothly.

    ¡°V-Star sent over the tracks, right?¡± I asked, and Miles confirmed it, heading over to the computer in the room to begin going over the audio file while I checked over one of the guitars.

    ¡°Bzzt, he did indeed!¡± They played the file for me, and I took it in. Hmm, it¡¯s good, really good. Guess that¡¯s to be expected, with all these incredible artists helping me.

    When I was finally convinced to make an album, my parents were enthused and wanted to throw as much money and connections as they could at the project. I¡¯d been hesitant at first, but as the prospects of how large a project it was loomed over me (as well as moving up my own timetable with the need to go on a journey), I conceded to their requests.

    V-Star, E.X., Techno Color Group, and many other artists had been called on to help with the project. Not all of them had the time or the right flare to add to a song, but half the album had different artist names featured in it.

    I still made sure to do my part in all of the songs though! I¡¯m the one with the vision for what I want the songs to sound like, so it helps the more I take charge. Honestly, I hope that none of Hassel¡¯s friends felt I was too demanding. Money talks, and my parents had plenty of it, but Hassel¡¯s connections were invaluable too.

    ¡°Hey Miles, do you think ¡®I¡¯ll Grow Up Tomorrow¡¯ would be a good fit for V-Star?¡± I asked after the Rotom finished overlaying the tracks.

    They blinked before buzzing positively. ¡°I think it could work, but won¡¯t that mean you can¡¯t sing it yourself?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°I¡¯m just focused on getting the music out there. I think I did decently on this album, but hearing the skill all these great artists have... I¡¯ll never be that good.¡±

    Miles¡¯ plasmic eyes narrowed, and they got up in my face. ¡°Don¡¯t say that, Nemona! I think you¡¯re incredible, and you¡¯ve got plenty of time to become that good.¡±

    Their sudden vehemence was surprising, but I just smiled and shook my head. ¡°Ok, ok, I¡¯ll stop putting myself down. But it¡¯s true that I¡¯d need more work to be on their level, and I¡¯m going to be pretty busy as a Trainer and exploring the mysteries of the world. And honestly, just kinda burnt out on this, I¡¯ll be happy to take a break once this is done. Maybe I¡¯ll get more into music later.¡± It¡¯s funny; I have way fewer responsibilities from my old life, but I feel like there¡¯s so much more to do, so I have even less time.

    With a wistful sigh, I sat down on the stool in the center of the room, pulling a microphone stand in close. ¡°Bzzt, well, I plan on making plenty of noise still,¡± they said with a wink, and I chuckled, getting the reference to their new Boombox form. ¡°And I hope it helps to know that I think this is going to be great, bzzt.¡± Rotom¡¯s praise wasn¡¯t as effusive as my parents, but it brought a smile to my face.

    ¡°It does. I¡¯m also so thankful for your help, I never could have done this without you.¡± There¡¯s that blush back. Do wild Rotoms do that too, or is that an entirely learned habit? ¡°You sure I can¡¯t credit you as a co-writer or-¡± They gave an immediate negative buzz with a subvocalization of ¡®That¡¯s not right!¡¯ that I could only barely pick up with my enhanced senses.

    ¡°Nice copy of Lacey,¡± I snickered before remembering I should probably send my friends advanced copies of the album once it was done. Another thing on the pile. ¡°Still, you basically did at least as much work as I did on this, Megalovania was mostly made by you on the synthesizer.¡±

    Seeing Miles stubbornly shake their phone case body, I rolled my eyes, making a waving motion to indicate I¡¯d given up on the argument and for them to get the recording ready. I can one hundred percent get wanting to stay out of the spotlight, but this is too much. I¡¯ll at least make a note in the album foreward of all the hard work Miles did.

    ¡°Ok, I think we¡¯re ready. It¡¯s been a long time coming, but here we go, final song.¡± Miles grinned from behind the recording booth and electrokinetically flicked on the green light. I began strumming before singing softly.

    ¡°Keep you in the dark, and they all pretend...¡¯

    ***

    That was not the end of it though; it took at least another month, mostly filled with getting a drumming section from the Kubfu Fighters and much work done on promotional materials and hyping the project up. With it 99% done and ready to be released on Rotunes in a week, I was finally ready for my biggest challenge: Shopping for clothes.

    There was plenty of other shopping I¡¯d needed to do to get ready, stocking up on healing items, berries, general supplies and the like, as well as getting a few more Battle Items to match my new team¡¯s needs. That stuff was all fairly easy compared to the daunting task before me, especially with the ¡®help¡¯ I had.

    ¡°Are you sure this is necessary?¡± I asked once more, as my sister dragged me from boutique to boutique. ¡°This is the weekend, you¡¯ve got free time better spent on something other than buying me an outfit.¡±

    She giggled, as if I had said the silliest thing in the world. ¡°But this is your chance to declare yourself to the world; ¡®here is Nemona!¡¯ Your outfit will speak for yourself before you even open your mouth, and you need something that says you¡¯re going to be a Champion. And I can hardly trust you to dress yourself,¡± she muttered under her breath.

    ¡°Hey! I dress myself perfectly fine.¡±

    My big sister rolled her eyes, boldly pushing through the door to another shop. Making a quick beeline to the headware, she began pulling off accessories and holding them up in front of a mirror. ¡°Yes, you dress ¡®fine.¡¯ There are thousands of people who dress fine; you need to dress fiercer than that.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t need any special outfit when you did your gym run." I pointed out, which only caused her to grip my hand tighter.

    ¡°Well, I had a school uniform because I didn¡¯t decide to not go to Uva, like a traitor,¡± she said in a perfectly sweet tone. Placing a pink sunhat on top of her head and glancing at it in the mirror for a few moments, she put it in her bag and, with a delighted smile, added, ¡°You should just be grateful I¡¯m taking the time out of my day to help you.¡±

    I glanced over at the bag looped around her arm and all the clothes in there for her and how I still didn¡¯t have anything yet, but wisely decided not to point that out. To be fair, part of that is my ¡®fault¡¯ for being too ¡®picky.¡¯ Though to be even fairer, it¡¯s not as if it¡¯s my fault that a dress or skirt simply isn¡¯t going to do in a journey all across the land!

    After a minute, I said, ¡°I am happy, and I do appreciate this.¡± Mostly spending time with her, but it¡¯s nice to have someone helping me with this fashion stuff. I¡¯d like to look nice, but putting in all that effort to follow trends and everything just feels like too much.

    ¡°I¡¯m glad to. Feels weird, like I¡¯m going to be seeing you less just because you¡¯re going out on your journey, even though I¡¯ll still be in school.¡± She said as we found another store, throwing a few clothes at me to try on. I took the jeans out of the pile (they felt too stiff) and marched to the changing room.

    ¡°Are you planning on taking on the Elite Four?¡± I asked while trying on the outfits.

    My question provoked a groan from her. ¡°No way; battling the gyms was way too tough. I¡¯m just going to focus on studying this year.¡± I remembered her being over the moon when she came back with her eighth gym badge and how determined she was to get it, even challenging Thyme multiple times over the summer to earn it. On the other hand, I get trying to just throw yourself into some goal, just wanting to get it ¡®done.¡¯

    Stepping out of the change room, I flapped the overly long sleeves of the sweater I was wearing. ¡°Bit much?¡± She asked, and I nodded.

    ¡°Yeah, it looks like I''m cribbing Iono''s fashion. But I like the pants,¡± I said, sticking my leg out and looking at them. They were pretty simple black with a white lightning bolt-shaped stripe running down the outer sides. Cyan beamed, pouncing on the opportunity.

    ¡°Perfect! Here, I¡¯ve got some more clothes for you.¡± I groaned and tried them on, going through a long montage of outfits that were rejected either by myself or my sister.

    Eventually we settled on the pants I liked, a white t-shirt, and a red and white hoodie designed to look like a Pokeball. There¡¯s tons of symbols and pictures of different Pokemon, but I think that something more general like that is a good ¡®image¡¯ to put forward. Though I do wonder why my sister is so worried about that.

    ¡°Cyan, I don¡¯t need many accessories, this¡¯ll be good.¡± My sister pouted, pointing out something I hadn¡¯t considered.

    ¡°We need you to be wearing something gold, or Mom and Dad will pout.¡± Grimacing, I nodded. They would, they really would.

    ¡°Ok, fine. Maybe just a gold necklace?¡± My sister waved her hand back and forth as if that were iffy. ¡°And it can have a solid gold ornament on it. Maybe of a Dudunsparce?¡± It would have to be custom made, but honestly, that¡¯s not a big problem for us. All these clothes are going to be altered and fitted closer by tailors too.

    She nodded, satisfied. ¡°That should work. Make sure to get some golden hairbands for when you tie it off in a ponytail.¡±

    ¡°Actually, I was thinking I¡¯d get it cut short.¡± Cyan gave off a shocked gasp that turned into a squeal of delight. I¡¯ve been overly picky with my hair and style, wanting to keep it comfortable and close to canon Nemona, but it¡¯s past time that I moved on. And what better way to show you''re past something than a haircut?

    I called Miles up to look into that, immediately getting sidetracked by the maps and routes I had pulled up before. Peering over my shoulder, Cyan said, ¡°Wow. That''s, uh, certainly a complex plan.¡±

    Looking at the different lines I had digitally drawn on them and all the different paths I could go through, I couldn¡¯t disagree. ¡°Yeah, but I think this will give me a good challenge, as well as let me explore tons across Paldea.¡± Well, I plan on challenging all the Gym Leaders to eighth-badge-level Gym Challenges, but I still think Kofu and Larry will give me the toughest challenge. They¡¯re the most experienced and toughest Gym Leaders right now, so I¡¯ll leave them for last.

    Part of that was due to how many new Gym Leaders there were. Grusha had just taken over for Martha in the Glaseado Gym, with Brassius doing the same for Artazon. Katy only had the last year under her belts as well. Not that I plan on underestimating any of them.

    She shrugged, ¡°If you¡¯re sure you have enough time.¡±

    ¡°Enough time for what?¡± Cyan can¡¯t possibly know about my plans to confront Turo or the Paradox Pokemon, right?

    ¡°To become the youngest ever Champion-ranked trainer in Paldea,¡± she responded. ¡°Isn¡¯t that why you¡¯re doing this now?¡±

    Laughing, I shook my head. ¡°Champion rank is nice, but no, I¡¯m not aiming for that before my tenth birthday just to make a record. Besides, the time traveling across the land will be good for training too. Riolu is strong, but she still needs to evolve, and Zorua needs to get accustomed to battles and evolve as well.¡±

    ¡°I hope she still looks cute when she evolves,¡± Cyan mentioned, and I tried my best not to act suspicious. I think Hisuian Zoroark looks awesome, but ¡®cute¡¯ is not exactly the word most people would use.

    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    My sister continued. ¡°You sure you can¡¯t tell me where to get one like her? I know I¡¯m aiming to be a Water Type specialist, but I can make an exception.¡±

    ¡°No, you know that I signed an NDA and that she¡¯s the only one of her kind anyway." That was what Friede and I had settled on, and so far it seemed to work. ¡°Besides, if you¡¯re looking for a Pokemon outside of your chosen Type, why not pick something that can learn a bunch of Water Moves?¡±

    I don¡¯t know for certain what Moves Zorua can learn. Obviously she has a predilection to Normal and Ghost Moves and a decent degree of Dark energy she can use, but I¡¯m not certain as to her full Move list. And I can hardly check the Pokedex to refresh my memory here since it¡¯s even more blank than I am on the topic.

    ¡°What Pokemon learn the most Water Moves out of Type?¡± Cyan asked, mildly curious. I knew that she¡¯d become a bit of a celebrity among her other classmates and would now try and keep Pokemon tidbits I could feed her to impress the other students. Not that she doesn¡¯t know a fair bit herself. Even if I¡¯m still more skilled than she is, Cyan worked hard to get those badges.

    ¡°Well, Smeargles, technically. They can learn every Move, potentially.¡±

    ¡°Potentially? That feels different than your usual spiel about how ¡®every Pokemon can be strong if you just believe in them,¡¯ and ¡®don¡¯t let yourself be limited by whatever anyone tells you a Pokemon can or can¡¯t do.¡¯¡± She mocked me, and I crossed my arms.

    ¡°I don¡¯t sound like that, but yes. See, Smeargles only learn Moves via copying them. But unlike something like Copycat, they can permanently copy a Move by Sketching it out, able to use it forever. You might actually like them; they¡¯re great artists, so you could get along great.¡±

    My older sibling scratched her chin, clearly thinking about it. ¡°Interesting. Being able to throw Salt Cure around like Tyme did to me would be fun¡­¡± She trailed off, cackling maniacally.

    ¡°If you do get a Smeargle, let me know. I have certain plans involving one,¡± I said, steepling my fingers in a totally non-suspicious manner.

    Cyan frowned and replied, ¡°I don¡¯t like that look on your face. It looks like you¡¯re plotting something evil.¡±

    ¡°Oh, like you¡¯re one to talk!¡± I fired back, happily bickering back with her all the way home. The road beckons, but I¡¯m gonna miss this too.

    ***

    My alarm clock woke me up, and I snapped to awareness. ¡°Today¡¯s the day.¡±

    ¡°It is indeed, bzzt.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to take my first step on my journey after the Professor gives me my starter.¡±

    ¡°Bzzt, uhhh¡­¡±

    Swinging myself out of bed, I marched over to my desk and looked at the Pokeballs laid out on top of it. ¡°Oh, but who to choose? This decision has racked many a player¡¯s minds for minutes on end, until they just choose the Fire starter.¡±

    ¡°Nemona,¡± Miles said flatly, while the rest of my team, all standing behind me, chimed in.

    ¡°Rua!¡±

    ¡°Iolu.¡±

    ¡°Li li li!¡±

    ¡°Dudun.¡±

    And even a few faint chimes ringing out from Notch.

    "Okay, okay, I get it!¡± I said with a laugh as I turned to face my less than amused team. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s just so... surreal.¡± I¡¯ve lived here for years; I truly feel at home here. Yet at the same time, some part of me can¡¯t help but feel how strange it is, like this is the start of a game. But it¡¯s real, all the trials I¡¯ll face and all the adventures I¡¯ll- no, that we''ll experience together.

    ¡°Alright, who¡¯s ready to take the first step on our journey?¡± I asked before my stomach answered, rumbling loudly. ¡°...After breakfast, that is. And I guess I should get dressed too.¡±

    My new outfit had arrived, several sets of the same clothes that I had packed into my Silph Co. bag. I¡¯d think it was excessive to have nearly a dozen copies of the same outfit, but if this is to be my signature look, I¡¯ll need extras to deal with the wear and tear of the road.

    Breakfast was a long affair, with Leah pestering me with questions about everything I¡¯d already packed and me answering in-between mouthfuls of food (though she did help me remember my toothbrush, which I was grateful for). There was also my parents and Arven busy hyping me up and asking repeatedly what I was most excited about finding on my journey. A difficult question to answer considering I haven¡¯t seen anything yet.

    "Well, cool Pokemon for sure. Beyond that and hopefully becoming a Champion-ranked Trainer, though? Probably Grusha.¡±

    Arven¡¯s brow furrowed in concentration. ¡°He¡¯s that snowboarding guy, right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. I talked to him when he was recovering from his injuries, over a year ago. I¡¯m curious to see how good he is now that he¡¯s a Gym Leader.¡± Finishing up the last of my (quite sizeable) breakfast, I stood up from the table. ¡°Alright, I think it¡¯s time.¡±

    We headed out the front door, standing (and posing for a few photos taken on Rotom Phones) in the garden. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure to call you all as soon as I reach Cortondo,¡± I assured Arven and my parents, not that it stopped their wailing.

    "Oh, we¡¯ll miss you so much!¡±

    ¡°Such brave Glitterati stoicism, trekking out into the unknown!¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m barely going farther today than I usually do for training!¡± But the day after that, and then further after that... I wiped away at the wetness welling in my own eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll talk to you guys tons, and make sure to watch my battles!¡±

    ¡°We will!¡±

    ¡°Have fun out there!¡±

    ¡°Show em¡¯ who¡¯s boss!¡±

    ¡°Please take care of yourself, Young Miss.¡±

    More comments like that from the rest of the staff to go along with Leah, Arven, and my parents waving me off. Turning around with determined strides, I marched off, out the gate, and took my first steps on my journey.

    ***

    Despite still traveling through the same familiar fields and hills I had often traversed in the past, my spirits were soaring well into the midafternoon. My stomach grumbled noisily, however, reminding me of physical necessities. ¡°What do you think we should have for lunch?¡±

    Phantasm, running by my side, yipped loudly, looking around at the river running to our side. ¡°Zorua!¡±

    Chuckling, I shook my head. ¡°The fish in that river are looked after by the Psyducks and Marills there; they¡¯d probably be upset if we took some. At least not without giving them something in exchange.¡± Or perhaps a battle... nah, let¡¯s just stop at Los Platos and grab something from a restaurant. I don¡¯t think any of these Pokemon will even be a challenge for Phantasm.

    She was the only Pokemon I had out right now, not wanting to frighten the local populace of wild Pokemon with my whole team and hoping to get her some battling experience. The few encounters we¡¯d had against Fletchlings and Nymbles proved lacking, however. Phantasm was way stronger than them, and while the Marills could be a bit tougher, I knew they¡¯d be no match for her either.

    Settling in at an open cafe, I got some food for myself and my team. As I ate, I observed the interactions each of them had, the team dynamic having grown quite a bit more complicated with a full team of six.

    Riolu sat closest to Dun during mealtimes or breaks but didn¡¯t look directly at him, an odd mixture of both shy and comfortable around him. Occasionally, she¡¯d talk to Notch, asking the Fairy Type questions or getting into debates with them that always left her frowning slightly, meditating.

    Not that they got into any of that, too busy with their food. Notch nibbled slowly at theirs, lamenting the lack of diamond dust in their meals now that we were leaving home. Still amazed, my parents agreed to that. A shame it didn¡¯t work out, but even in minute portions over six months, the amount of diamonds Notch ingested had to have been greater in quantity than any other Carbink would find in the wild. That¡¯s clearly not the path to becoming a Diancie.

    Growling and hissing sounds drew my attention to Nightwing and Phantasm, the two of them fighting over Poffins. ¡°We¡¯re in a restaurant for crying out loud, bzzt! Can you not behave?¡± Miles rhetorically questioned them. The two of them launched into a flurry of angry words that were likely them trying to blame each other.

    The Rotom Phone hovered over them aggressively, electricity crackling in the air. ¡°Bzzt, it doesn¡¯t matter who started it, I¡¯m ending it.¡± I like seeing how much more assertive Miles has grown. Then again, it was probably trial by fire with this bunch, or everyone would have walked all over them.

    Thankfully, Pokemon in general recognized listening to someone stronger than themselves, and Miles definitely qualified, being stronger than everyone bar Dun. Then again, it helps for Miles to be a neutral leader that they don¡¯t try and steal food like Phantasm does.

    The Zorua in question slunk away from Nightwing and her long barbed tail, flicking about around her bowl of Poffins. She ended up sitting down near Riolu. The two of them had been quite confrontational at first, until somehow they smoothed things out. Now it feels like Phantasm looks up to Riolu like a big sister. I hope that continues once they¡¯ve both evolved.

    Evolution was a dramatic change for Pokemon, both in body and sometimes in mind as well. I remembered how in the first anime Ash had a lot more difficulties with Charizard¡¯s behavior after his evolution. Riolu was cognizant enough (or possibly worried) of that to decide to forestall taking any name until after she evolved.

    After lunch, I told Phantasm, ¡°Since you¡¯re having so much fun with illusions, why don¡¯t we practice them in battle a bit?¡± She winced minutely at my allusion to her misdeeds at lunch, trying to take Nightwings food. A nice try, but she¡¯ll need more work before she can fool even my eyes, let alone a full-fledged Flying Type like Nightwing is. Then again, most of my team has pretty good awareness, Miles and Dun from all their training, Nightwing naturally, and Riolu with her Aura.

    ¡°Do you think you can conceal Moves?¡± I inquired, but she shook her head.

    ¡°Zo, ua.¡± She barked out, giving an example by Snarling, a wave rippling out through the air around her. It wasn¡¯t dark in color, like the Move usually would be, and even looked nearly transparent, but the disturbance was still obvious, especially with the flashes of Dark Type energy that shone through, getting more apparent as the Move spread out before it faded out of existence.

    The motion scared away a few of the wild Pokemon hanging out nearby the road we were walking down, but I spotted a few Surskits hanging out down past the road, walking atop a large pond.

    ¡°So you¡¯re saying it¡¯s harder to make illusions outside of your body?¡± She yipped an affirmation, so I continued. ¡°Well, I know that your evolution can do things like that, so it would be good to get a start on things.¡±

    The Hisuian Zorua looked down at that, sighing heavily. ¡°The foundation you build now will pay dividends in the future. That being said, baby steps.¡± Pointing at the pond, I said, ¡°I want you to spar against those Surskits. Don¡¯t try to conceal your Moves, but instead, make them seem larger or more numerous. You know, like your Double Team.¡±

    Flashing me a vicious grin, she zipped off, her stubby feet carrying her faster than I could keep up. She¡¯s going to be quite the speedster some day. Her and Riolu will make for solid sweepers.

    As she got to work, challenging the Bug Types and unleashing a barrage of Swift stars upon them, forcing the small pack on the defensive, I considered team alignment and plans for larger battles. My battle with Hassel was one of the first large enough for Switches to be a deciding factor, and that¡¯s definitely something I need to consider. Baton Pass is a good Move, and even if it does cost one of my Switches to use it, the Move might be a good one for some of my team.

    Phantasm¡¯s illusionary attacks were mixed with copies of herself spread out around the pond. Double Team usually needed quick movements to make, but with her illusion powers she could conjure them without any movement on her own, freeing herself up to attack. But it does make the images have a bit less fidelity, something that-

    ¡°Look out, above!¡± I shouted, and Phantasm heeded my warning, jumping away from an Air Cutter that sliced through where she had been standing. Hovering above, a Masqurain glared down at her.

    The evolved Pokemon had come from over the cliffs looming in the distance. Why did they come from all the way over- oh, that must be one of the Surskits parents! Masquerain is tough enough to deal with the other ¡¯Mons up there, but Surskits are rather standard Bug Types, so sorta weak to live up there. The parents must find spots like this pond to leave their Eggs so the babies can grow up with relative ease, but unlike non-Pokemon bugs, they still look after the kids, and Phantasm must have seemed like an unknown threat-

    A loud buzzing took me out of my theorizing, and I saw greenish waves of noise battering my Pokemon. ¡°Phantasm!¡± The Hisuian Zorua howled out in pain, her legs a little wobbly from the blow. ¡°Remember what Riolu taught you, Aerial Ace!¡±

    With a determined nod, Phantasm stood back up, glaring at the Bug flying above the pond. With a mighty leap, Phantasm jumped over the Masquerain, flipping around and stomping down on her with all four feet.

    The Masquerain gave out a pained screech, falling down a bit before recovering and hovering lower to the ground. A Quick Attack on Phantasm¡¯s part brought her back to the grass and stopped her from landing in the water.

    That Move should have done more damage for a Super Effective hit. Ah right, Intimidate. Masquerain was glaring over at Phantasm, an effect amplified by the eye patterns on their antennas. Well, two can play at that game. ¡°Fake Tears!¡±

    Phantasm pulled off the Move immediately, conjuring up faux tears with her illusion powers, but surprised me by going a level beyond that and in a flash turning herself into a spitting image of one of the Surskits quivering off to the side.

    Masquerain for her part had been charging in before stopping, horrified. Her four wings let her pivot on a dime, turning around to check on her children and confirm that she wasn¡¯t actually about to attack them. That was all the opening Phantasm needed to conjure a Shadow Ball and fire it point blank into the Masquerain, the blast knocking her backwards and out of the fight.

    The three Surskits were looking nervous as I approached but still bravely stood around their mother¡¯s body. ¡°Sorry about that, we were just looking for a little practice. Here, have some berries,¡± I offered, tossing them underhanded towards them, not getting too close to frighten them further.

    Calling Phantasm, we headed up the slope away from the pond and started marching on the road again. ¡°That trick with turning into one of the Surskits was diabolical.¡±

    My little fox looked down for a moment, the fur at the top of her head flickering agitatedly, the red patch growing a bit brighter. Whoops, didn¡¯t mean to make her upset. ¡°That was awesome,¡± I clarified, which had her lifting her head up, amber eyes shining, and teeth bared in a vicious grin. That kinda warms my heart, as I think she must have learned that from me, Zorua wouldn¡¯t really smile like we do.

    With light hearts and the open sky above us, we marched on, each of us eager for the next challenge.

    ***

    Despite that feeling, we didn¡¯t fight every Pokemon along our path - we still had to make it to Cortondo in a timely manner. And even with that in mind, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll make it there tonight.

    Hiking up the cliffs had been easy enough, especially since I didn¡¯t really hike up them but instead just used my Aura to levitate up. It was tiring in its own way, but it saved a lot of time climbing. This whole route will. There¡¯s a small overpass above the river that separates the South and West Provinces that makes for a much faster straight line to cut to Cortondo for anyone willing to scale these cliffs.

    Riolu¡¯s family wasn¡¯t far from here, and I¡¯d asked if she had wanted to take a small detour, but she shook her head. From what I could understand, she didn¡¯t want to return home so early - or so lacking in accomplishments. She set out to help us win Gym Badges and defeat the Elite Four, I doubt she¡¯d want to return until she¡¯s done that. Also, stopping Turo.

    She had been shocked at that revelation of my future knowledge, but she was eager to stop this catastrophe from occurring and/or to face these powerful Paradox Pokemon. She didn¡¯t have many more questions about it, aside from a few on if I had any knowledge of her personally. Which I denied - the only one on my team I might have had an inkling about was possibly Dun, and the knowledge that she had bested a future Champion ranked Pokemon had her insufferably smug for a few days. At least until Dun beat her in a rematch.

    My starter and her had a bit of a rivalry growing (and if my scant Auric vision was to be trusted, a bit of a crush on her part), but thankfully she was disciplined enough to not let it take over her life completely¡­ and only challenged him twice a week or so. Right now, she was taking the time to train alongside Phantasm.

    The Fighting Type Immunity Hisuian Zorua¡¯s had made it perfect to help her train Detect. Riolu could throw out all manner of punches and kicks from unexpected angles, but even if they connected, they wouldn¡¯t hurt Phanasm. It also gave her an up-close experience with Fighting Type energy. Very useful, especially if she has to deal with a Dark Type.

    Seeing the pathway looming up ahead, I called for a small break, just as Phantasm avoided a barrage of Vacuum Waves and a flurry of blows from Riolu. ¡°Alright, good job you two,¡± I said, kneeling down by Phantasm. ¡°Riolu says that the Scyther is just on the other side of that bridge, guarding his territory.¡±

    The Aura Pokemon barked, confirming that the Tera Pokemon was indeed nearby. She had her arms crossed, looking dismissively out past the curve of the cliff. She¡¯s said that Scyther guards his territory much like Leafeon guards this one, but also that he¡¯s much weaker than him. Still, a Tera Pokemon should make for a good challenge for Phantasm and help me figure out if she¡¯ll be ready for the Gym.

    My entire team was eager, but Phantasm in particular had been quite vocal about wanting to fight here, even if I was taking on the Gym at an Eighth Badge level. I had some ideas in mind for tricks that might help her even the gap and maybe stand up against one of Katy¡¯s Pokemon, but even that would rely on her having a minimum level of strength.

    Phantasm''s eyes blazed eagerly, but I saw some scratches in her fur and some panting. Some Potions and Ethers helped solve that problem for the moment. Together, we strode across the natural bridge, a dozen meters across over the river below. Wow, it looks so pretty, the water sparkling down there.

    A rush of wind was the only hint I got, enough time for me to whip my head up and see the giant green Bug racing straight at me, arm blades raised. I tried to move away but knew I wouldn¡¯t be fast enough; thankfully, Riolu was there to step in.

    Jumping up, she interposed herself between me and Scyther, kicking off from his body. She pushed him back and flipped around, landing defensively in front of me.

    For his part, the Scyther was still angrily shaking his blades at us, but slightly more wary now, not approaching immediately. The Bug Type had a crystalline sheen to his body and a giant clear gem atop his head that looked like it would be unbalancing, but he zipped back and forth easily.

    ¡°He¡¯s a Normal Type right now; your Ghost Moves won¡¯t work,¡± I reminded Phantasm as she stepped forward, growling defiantly. The Scyther sneered, looking down on her, but accepted the challenge, moving forward to engage, arms raised to slash down on her.

    Slash? Or maybe Double Hit? Don¡¯t know, but it¡¯s not a Bug Type Move and probably Normal Type, she¡¯ll be fine then. ¡°Wait for it, then Taunt.¡±

    My assumption was correct, and while Phantasm did attempt to dodge, the armblades swung through her form, her ghostly nature leaving her completely unharmed. Sticking her tongue out at the Tera Normal Pokemon provoked them into a rage, the Scyther swinging fruitlessly at Phantasm, his blades gouging the earth beneath where she stood. I¡¯m glad this bridge is a lot thicker and more stable than that passageway in Kitakami.

    ¡°Swift,¡± I simply called out, and my Pokemon conjured wave after wave of glowing stars to pelt her opponent. The blows stung and the Scyther hissed at them, but she wasn¡¯t enough to stop the wild Pokemon.

    For a moment, I thought they might continue with those attacks even after the Taunt faded, but one of his blades gathered a dull green energy and cut into my Pokemon. She gave a cry of pain, and I worried for a moment but saw the blow hadn¡¯t landed too deep. But his follow-up might. Fury Cutter gets stronger each time it connects.

    ¡°Aerial Ace, then Detect!¡± Flipping around the slashing arms, Phantasm leapt up once more, striking down at Scyther and leaving a few paw shaped dents in his carapace.

    The return attack as she landed down behind him was easily avoided, my Zorua rolling under one slash to jump over another, all without turning back to face him. Nice, she shouldn¡¯t get too cocky, though.

    ¡°Double Team and Swift.¡± Duplicating herself all around the battlefield, stars began flying every which way at the Scyther, whittling them down further. With mad slashes and furious wing beats, the wild Pokemon set about destroying every image of Phantasm, only clipping the real one occasionally.

    Each time she got tagged, she¡¯d make sure to spend a moment slipping away before pelting him again. Slowly but surely, he was beat down, until finally, the crystals surrounding him shattered, indicating he was near defeat and had lost his Terastalization. Will it recover in time? Perhaps just by resting in this area, the land will fill him with... normalcy? Huh, I wonder what makes an area ¡®Normal¡¯ aligned.

    Those were things I could look into later. ¡°You fought well, but we¡¯ve won.¡± I said, gesturing at Phantasm, who had a few cuts on her, but otherwise seemed hale and ready to battle. ¡°Now please, let us pass-¡±

    Rather than calming down, my words (or possibly just my continued existence) seemed to enrage the Scyther, and the wounded Bug charged at me. Riolu was ready to intercept, but before she could, Phantasm let out a blood-curdling howl, dark tendrils of energy surrounding her, and then appeared around the mad Pokemon, assaulting him.

    The power of the attack knocked Scyther off the edge and sent them tumbling down to the river below. A moment of shock hit me before I saw the Scyther, shakily flying away, obviously having caught itself before hitting the water.

    ¡°Well, I appreciate that, but try to be careful in the future. We don¡¯t want to seriously hurt anyone.¡± The fox-like Pokemon sniffed and turned her head, looking relatively disinterested in that prospect. A problem for the future, but it probably only happened because of how vicious that Scyther was. Which is a shame; I like Scyther (and their evolutions). Still, I¡¯ll make sure to have her battle against a few Trainers nearby before the Gym, but for now...

    "Phantasm, are you ready to take on your first Gym Leader?¡± The gleam in her eyes told me everything I needed to know even before her bark of agreement. Look out, Katy, here we come.

 Chapter 47

    A few days later, I walked into the Cortondo Gym Building. The stark, tall white building stuck out amidst the more pastoral houses and small shops that littered the streets nearby. Considering the Treasure Hunt hadn¡¯t started yet, the building was fairly empty, with only a few staffers walking to or fro (and a few lounging about).

    Marching up to the front desk, I said, ¡°Hello, I am Nemona-¡±

    ¡°Oh, aren¡¯t you adorable!¡± The lady in a suit behind the desk squealed, looking down at me. ¡°Do you know where your parents are?¡±

    Clearing my throat, I responded. ¡°I am well aware where my parents are. At home, waiting to watch my match against Katy. Speaking of, could I please schedule a match against her?¡±

    She blushed briefly, nodding as she donned a more professional demeanor. ¡°We¡¯ll need to see your Trainer ID first.¡± I took the plastic card out of my wallet, passing it to her. Miles has a copy on the phone as well, but I like the solid feel of the physical card.

    The receptionist scanned it before frowning. ¡°You¡¯re already cleared to use Terastalization, but you aren¡¯t a student. How-?¡±

    ¡°Professor Turo gave me a Tera Orb personally,¡± I explained, and she was satisfied with my answer.

    ¡°Just give me a moment then.¡± She passed me my card back and made a quick call before hanging up and turning back to me. ¡°You¡¯re in luck; Katy is ready to test you right away. Ah, before you face the Gym Leader, you need to complete their Gym Tests. For you, that will be helping Katy out in her bakery.¡±

    Right, they really leaned into Gym Leaders having other interests in this game, almost seeming like them being Gym Leaders is almost a side gig. As I left and made my way to the Patisserie Soapberry, I saw that it was swarmed by townsfolk, all eagerly drooling at the sight of Katy¡¯s baked goods (or possibly the woman herself).

    The crowd was thick enough that I would have had trouble pushing my way through it. Luckily, there was an open side window. Floating up, I drifted in, silently gliding through the kitchen before I landed by Katy¡¯s side. ¡°Hello, I was sent to help you.¡±

    Her piercing shriek had me covering my ears before she recovered. ¡°Oh? Where did you come from-¡± The sounds of shouting outside got her attention. ¡°I best calm them down.¡± Exiting to wave at them, she addressed them.

    ¡°Today, as an extra special treat, I have a helper.¡± She gestured to me, and I walked out to the counter, waving awkwardly at the horde. ¡°Please have some patience as we whip up something extra special, with some free desserts at the end of the day.¡±

    That got the crowd fired up, cheering her (and possibly me) on vigorously. I guess that¡¯s part of why Gym Leaders have these kinds of jobs outside of their duties. It helps them deeply connect to the community.

    We went back into the kitchen and began work making some of the many incredibly sweet confections for the hungry customers outside. I was no great hand in the kitchen, but I wasn¡¯t inept either, so I was able to follow Katy¡¯s instructions and make a few dozen treats.

    We didn¡¯t chitchat much as we worked, as I wanted to show that I was giving this test my all. The Gym Tests aren¡¯t that difficult, but failing them or giving the signs that you¡¯re not paying attention to them would give the Leaders an easy excuse to refuse a challenge. I need to focus and not get distracted... like I am right now.

    After a couple of hours, we were finished for the day, and Katy tasted one of the cupcakes I had made. ¡°Oh? This is quite nice, very impressive.¡±

    I bit my tongue, wanting to call her out on that as a lie. Technically, I don¡¯t know that. Honestly, it might be quite impressive for a nine-year-old. But she¡¯s not feeling overjoyed. My Aura sense could feel that slight twinge of disappointment. No anger or real sadness to go along with it, so I felt it was just that she had overly high expectations that I couldn¡¯t quite live up to.

    She continued, wrapping up the pastries I made to give away. ¡°You¡¯ve passed the test. If you¡¯ll give me a few minutes, I can meet you on the Gym Court for our battle. This will be your first Gym Battle, correct?¡± I guess the receptionist informed her of my ¡®official¡¯ record. But I fought Clay at the fifth badge level years ago and went toe-to-toe with an Elite Four, that just won¡¯t do.

    Rather than answer, I said, ¡°I¡¯m aware that my culinary skills don¡¯t hold a candle to yours.¡±

    She frowned and opened her mouth like she was about to deny it or give me an empty platitude as if I were upset. Why would I be? I¡¯m not as skilled as a grown woman who has trained her whole life to do this? That just makes sense. ¡°Battling is a different story, however,¡± I continued. ¡°Please, face me at the Eighth badge level, or this won¡¯t be a challenge.¡±

    That got a response from her, a steely glint forming in her green eyes. ¡°Oh? Be careful you haven¡¯t bitten off more than you can chew,¡± she warned. I said nothing, simply turning and striding cooly out of the Soapberry.

    Or at least it would have been cool if I had a cape like I wanted! And if I hadn¡¯t forgotten I was still wearing the apron she lent me and had to head right back and give it back. Why can¡¯t life be cool like an anime? I fumed silently, slapping at my crimson cheeks as I tried to push aside that prior embarrassment.

    It didn¡¯t take long for me to get to the Gym Battlefield. It was fairly similar to the one I had seen in Artazon when watching my sister¡¯s match, though there wasn¡¯t a giant windmill nearby. Also, far fewer people are about to watch this, but that makes sense. The Treasure Hunt hasn¡¯t started yet, so it¡¯ll mostly just be locals who happen to be interested.

    Seeing a few more people heading towards me, all surrounding Katy, I pulled Miles out of my pocket. ¡°I want you to record the fight for me.¡±

    ¡°Bzzt, are you sure?¡± They said, recognizing that it would put me at a slight disadvantage. Not that great a disadvantage overall, though. Yes, Oven Form would be best here, but even without an appliance to possess, Miles will have the Ghost Typing, giving them resistance to Bug Types. Plus¡­

    ¡°I¡¯m sure. Phantasm has come far, to say nothing of the rest of the team.¡± After we had arrived in Cortondo, we headed back out to the surrounding fields almost immediately (at least after getting a hotel room and resting up). There were a decent number of Combee swarms and even a Vespiqueen for Phantasm to test herself against, as well as other Trainers on the roads.

    The battles were fairly easy overall, but they helped us hone some techniques and practice strategies that I hoped would pay off here. Looks like we¡¯ll see one way or another now.

    A League referee stood at the side of the field as the Gym Leader took her place on the other end of the arena, a strand of green hair sticking out from underneath her chef''s hat and blowing in the wind. ¡°This will be a five-on-five battle for your first Gym Badge, Nemona Glitterati. Each of us is allowed three switches and to Terastalize.¡±

    She leveled an odd look at me when she said that. Does she think that I just bought my way into getting clearance to use a Tera Orb and that I¡¯m some rich brat who thinks that alone is enough to face her at full power?

    The fact that it wasn¡¯t six-on-six made me wonder if Katy only had that many Pokemon at an Eighth badge level or if she had more for challenges beyond it. I¡¯m leaning towards the former here; she hasn¡¯t been a Gym Leader all that long yet.

    ¡°Do you have any questions, challenger?¡± She questioned in a booming voice that carried over the field, and I shook my head. ¡°Then let us choose our first Pokemon.¡±

    The two of us raised our Pokeballs, and, on the count of three, released them.

    ¡°Go, Lokix!¡±

    ¡°I choose you, Dun!¡±

    With dual flashes of light, our two Pokemon appeared on the field, to much applause (mostly for Katy¡¯s Pokemon, but a few cheers for me too). The sleek, dark Bug Type stood proudly, looking down on the Dudunsparce before them. For her part, my Pokemon turned back, glancing nervously at me, and I nodded reassuringly.

    ¡°You¡¯ve got this, just watch out for his range; those legs can flip out far,¡± I warned her, and she turned back without a sound. Lokix is one of her weaker Pokemon for this level, and ironically isn¡¯t all that great for us to go up against first, but we both know the plan. This should still work.

    The referee counted us down. ¡°Three, two, one¡­ begin!¡± The first command Katy was about to give died down as she saw what I was doing.

    Pulling the Tera Orb out of my pocket, I activated it immediately, my arm shaking slightly from the force going through it. ¡°Shine on with haunting beauty!¡± I shouted as I tossed the Orb over her head. My other hand was clenched in a white knuckle grip, as I prayed that this would work and would be convincing.

    The crystal blocks surrounded her for a moment before breaking to reveal the shining Pokemon. They had a violet, ghastly figure attached above the head of the snake after a moment. Gah, there was a flicker there. Did Katy notice?

    The Bug Type Gym Leader frowned from the other end of the arena before shaking her head. ¡°Using Terastalization so early... I understand wanting to rush to dessert, but patience is necessary when baking any meal.¡±

    ¡°Yeah well¡­ Curse.¡± I finished lamely, not able to come up with a witty response. Luckily, my Pokemon made up for it, a spectral nail stabbing through her body and conjuring a nasty pool of distorted purple energy beneath Lokix. The Pokemon clicked angrily at the status effect.

    ¡°First Impression!¡± With an odd skittering motion, her Pokemon threw himself forward at her command, trying to strike into the long snake. Yet somehow, the attack missed, my Pokemon pulling ¡®herself¡¯ away from the blow with surprising speed.

    Honestly, just glad the angle was off. I think Phantasm is hiding her true self in about the middle of where Dun¡¯s body appears to be. If Lokix hadn¡¯t gone for the head, that might have connected, and given the gleam of his eyes, I think he has Tinted Lens. Those Moves will hit hard even with her resistance to Bug Type attacks.

    ¡°Lunge and get out of there.¡± That was our codeword for U-Turn, and Phantasm launched into the Move.

    ¡°Pack a sour surprise with Sucker Punch!¡± Katy called out, timing the Move well to counter our own attack. Lokix used his back legs to flip out and launch him forward, but once again the Move ¡®missed¡¯.

    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    Katy blinked her eyes as if she couldn¡¯t believe what she was seeing. Which is fair; a Dark Type Move shouldn¡¯t be phasing through a Ghost Types head. In that moment, Phantasm had slammed into Lokix with her real body, disguising it as a tail slap before ¡®slithering¡¯ away. The pain from the super-effective Move was compounded with the ghostly pain ailing our foe.

    ¡°Swift and keep your distance,¡± I called out, happy with how things were proceeding but still on my toes. She¡¯s not going to let this get her down so easily.

    ¡°Astonish!¡± Her Pokemon jumped, flashing his arms out to shock Phantasm, even as the stars she was commanding slammed into him. My Pokemon gave an overdramatic cry of ''pain,'' but pushed through it remarkably fast, moving to keep her distance. That Lokix is much stronger than the Scyther we faced before; if we weren''t fooling her with these illusions, we''d be toast. At least the Swifts are hitting them hard, though Lokix is pretty frail. With that and the curse dragging him down, Phantasm might get her first Gym Pokemon win.

    Just in case, I added ¡°Use Detect if he gets too close, and keep on firing Swift.¡± Unfortunately, the command proved to be the tipping point, and seeing her Lokix writhing in pain from the invisible curse plaguing him, she recalled her Pokemon.

    ¡°Switch! Kofu taught me that variety can be the spice of life, so let¡¯s change it up. Go, Spidops!¡± With a press of a button and flash of red light, a green and brown upright spider-looking Pokemon had taken the field, and she waved her many arms menacingly at us.

    ¡°Hex!¡± I called out another code word command. She gathered a similar-looking, if slightly wild, ghostly energy like Hex would create. But this was more than debilitating spite of that Move, but a bone-chilling hatred, honed to cut through an enemy¡¯s very being and sap their power. Bitter Malice, her signature Move.

    I frowned at seeing the top of ¡®Dun¡¯s¡¯ head glowing a faint red as she used the Move, the Illusion slipping a tad, but I couldn¡¯t draw attention to it for her to fix. Besides, Bitter Malice did its job. Spidops recoiled back in pain, launching out a bunch of webs that missed by a mile - or it might have seemed like they did, for someone who hadn¡¯t studied Katy¡¯s battles.

    Sticky Web might slow my next Pokemon down, but Phantasm can slip around it for the moment. ¡°Hex again!¡± I cried, and she went to work, trying to slam more ghostly energy into Spidops.

    ¡°Skitter Smack,¡± Katy tried to turn the tide, her Pokemon dropping to all-eights and ramming past Phantasm, then into her from behind. The blow knocked her back a bit, but her Typing and the previous Moves she had used against the Spidops took away much of the sting from the attack.

    Too close right now for another Bitter Malice, but I think we can trade in melee at this point. ¡°Aerial Ace.¡± This was a difficult one for Phantasm to pull off, as she had to mimic Dun¡¯s wings and flight rather than the acrobatic skills she was actually using to pull off the attack.

    Katy¡¯s face lit up. ¡°Silk Trap!¡± The Gym Leader gleefully cried out, and I realized my mistake as Spidops held up a thick web in front of it, catching Phantasm in it and absorbing the blow. Dammit!

    ¡°Caught like a bug in a web,¡± she cackled. ¡°Go for a Throat Punch!¡± Spidops raised back an arm covered in Dark energy, punching it forward... and going well over even the illusory body of Dun, who was stuck in place. Her and her trainer had wide eyes as they wondered how she could have missed a stationary target.

    I didn¡¯t even try to hide my smirk as I called out, ¡°Swift, cut yourself free, and cut into her. Then Hex.¡± That Lax Incense is working wonders alongside the illusion; I really thought Phantasm might be beat there, or at least that we might have to use Curse again, which would knock her out.

    Spidops valiantly tried to pursue, but his follow-up attacks were getting weaker and weaker, much to Katy¡¯s consternation, the Gym Leader frowning at the sight. Sighing, she called for a withdrawal.

    "I''ll withdraw Spidops from the battle." Not a switch? Well, she already used one, and Spidops already slowed ''Dun'' as well as set up the arena hazard, makes sense she might want to conserve those. "But I think I¡¯ve got just the right ingredient here to balance things out. Heracross!¡± Seeing the powerful blue-shelled Bug crying his own name out proudly on the battlefield, I knew it was time for Phantasm to end her run.

    That Heracross might not be as powerful as Kotetsu¡¯s, but he¡¯s still a powerhouse. Still, doesn¡¯t mean we won¡¯t go without a bang! ¡°Curse!¡±

    Once more, a ghastly nail sunk itself into Phantasm, and though Heracross tried to race across the field, claws covered in Dark energy, it couldn¡¯t close the gap in time, the Curse hitting them and Phantasm falling right before they could connect the blow.

    The illusion faded away, revealing the Zorua for a brief second before I recalled her, and Katy gasped, understanding dawning on her face. ¡°Oh! So that¡¯s how you- I see, a secret ingredient.¡± There was recognition now radiating from her.

    She thinks she¡¯s seen the plan in full and respects the use of Terastalization there. Katy will be coming at me full force now, which is a good thing. While Phantasm has come a long way, she¡¯s still the weakest of my team by a long shot, and I¡¯m about to show that here.

    ¡°Go, Nightwing!¡± The tall flying scorpion swooped out onto the field, even her long tail not touching the ground to get ensnared by the webs left there. She clacked her pincers together viciously, staring down at the familiar Pokemon. Right, I had her sit out a fight with a powerful Heracross over a year ago. Time to see how much she¡¯s grown.

    Katy frowned, likely not familiar with Gliscors but easily recognizing her as a Flying Type and the weakness that presented for her Pokemon. Her hand dropped down to the Pokeballs at her side. ¡°Swi-¡±

    ¡°Sand Tomb!¡± I interrupted, and Nightwing blurred forward, hitting the ground in front of Heracross with her pincers and tail. The force knocks sand into the air, which her wings beat into a whirling storm of sand around the Bug Type.

    The red beam from Katy¡¯s Pokeball fails to connect with her Pokemon trapped within. With that option cut off, she just calls out ¡°Stone Edge!¡± Heracross dutifully ignores the phantoms and abrasive sand scraping his chitinous body, dropping his horn low to rip some rocks out of the ground and send them spiking up at Nightwing.

    The blows land, smacking her a tiny bit and causing her to idly scratch at her face, but leave little real damage. ¡°Protect,¡± I say, hoping to buy a little more time.

    It works, her skin turning darker purple spreading out from the Toxic Orb that rests on the cord around her throat. All the while, Heracross futilely rips up more stones, the rocks shattering against the barrier Nightwing has surrounded herself with.

    ¡°Fling then Dig!¡± I shout out as Protect ends. With a quick slice, Nightwing snips her own necklace, hurling it around at Heracross, the Orb smacking into him with a crash, covering him in the noxious liquid. Then she burrowed down beneath the arena¡¯s surface in the blink of an eye.

    Katy was quick to respond with an ¡°Earthquake!¡± That has Heracross stomping the ground and shaking it up violently, such that even I can feel faint tremors past the barrier.

    It did nothing to Nightwing, the Gliscor gal easily swimming through the churning earth; an opening in the ground had me see her lazily waving up at the Bug Type before disappearing from sight again.

    All the while, Heracross is in tremendous pain. The Poison was building up as the sands refused to relent, all while shades hound his very being. Crying and thrashing in pain, he slammed around, trying to break free before falling.

    Not bothering to worry about if it¡¯s a trick or not, I immediately call Nightwing back up. ¡°End the Sand Tomb.¡± My tone was entirely serious, and she responded, swiftly wiping away the storm and letting Katy recall her Pokemon. ¡°Sorry about that, the compounding effects- I didn¡¯t-¡±

    ¡°Enough of that,¡± she responds, her voice clipped. ¡°A battle isn¡¯t a place for regrets.¡±

    ¡°Yes Ma¡¯am.¡± Recentering myself, I wait as she chooses her next Pokemon.

    Finally, she pulls out a Pokeball. ¡°You¡¯re quite good. I think I¡¯ll have to roll things out a bit differently than I planned.¡± The ball opened and out landed her largest Pokemon to date. A massive bear with brown fur, the pale yellow ring pattern on its torso was one of the few signs it wasn¡¯t just a regular bear. As well as the power radiating off of it.

    My mind flashed through options, trying to think of how I might counter it. I know it can learn Ice Type Moves and has enough power to push through even Nightwing¡¯s prodigious defenses. Status conditions won¡¯t help if it has Guts, like I suspect it does. Maybe if I get it to- no, I¡¯m overthinking this.

    Drawing Nightwing¡¯s Pokeball, I return her. ¡°Switch. Show ¡®em what you¡¯re made of, Notch!¡± The Carbink was released above the webs that littered the field. The damage to the ground made some of the arena hazard unlikely to catch them, and the few that did slid right off their crystal covered body.

    Ursaring lumbered forward, raising a claw to slash down at Notch. ¡°Metal Claw/Iron Defense!¡± Katy and I ordered simultaneously.

    The blow hit hard, and I couldn¡¯t tell if it had hit before Notch had finished with Iron Defense or not, but the Berry they ate nullified a good chunk of the damage anyways. Part of me was tempted to keep on going for setup, but since the bear was so close...

    ¡°Body Press!¡± Twirling up through the air, Notch hung above the powerful Normal Type for a moment, like a wrestler leaping off the high ropes, before they dropped down. An elbowless piledriver smashed into the Ursaring, sending her stumbling back with a howl of pain. Her return swipe was with steely claws but found little purchase against Notch¡¯s body. Partly due to their defense increase, partly due to the fact that their blow had broken the Ursaring¡¯s arm.

    Katy whipped out her own Tera Orb, not wasting time to say anything pithy, tossing it above Ursaring¡¯s head. From the crystals, Ursaring emerged, with two crystalline antennas above her head. With a frown marring her usually soft features, she called out ¡°Fury Cutter!¡±

    Roaring, the claws on her good arm were surrounded with a dull green energy as she attempted to cut into Notch, to little avail. Carbinks can be a bit confusing to fight if you don¡¯t know about them, and it does make Body Press weaker. Still, it¡¯s pretty obvious Notch is a Rock Type, so let¡¯s show her why Terastalizing into a Bug Type is a bad choice.

    ¡°Power Gem,¡± my voice rang out over the battlefield, and Notch¡¯s gems glowed bright white before firing their beams off. Ursaring recoiled from the shots, but they didn¡¯t do quite as much damage as the Body Press earlier had.

    ¡°Fury Cutter, again!¡± Katy commanded, and I decided to stop her before she could build up.

    ¡°Protect!¡± The floating rock surrounded themselves completely in a spherical barrier, weathering Ursaring¡¯s blows until she ran out of steam.

    Rather than try it again, Katy called out, ¡°Switch!¡± Once more, she recalled her Pokemon and released the last one I had yet to see.

    Covered in steel shell, only a few red protrusions and their eyes were visible outside their defensive plating.

    ¡°Forretress, Gyro Ball!¡± Katy yelled, and the heavy steel ball-shaped Pokemon jumped up, looking to crush Notch.

    Despite it being a Steel Type Move, I wasn¡¯t too worried - Gyro Ball was based on how much slower you were than your opponent, and Notch was only slightly faster than the Forrestress. Do I let it hit and set up Stealth Rock a bit? Notch can tank the blows- oh, but Katy will just Rapid Spin out. Better Switch again.

    Recalling Notch before they would be crushed, I tossed Nightwing back into the fray. We both have a switch left, so she can¡¯t just go back to Ursaring or whatever. Not that I think any of her Pokemon are a good match for Nightwing right now.

    ¡°Fire Fang,¡± I ordered, and Nightwing gleefully obliged. Diving down on the Steel Type, her mouth aflame, she sunk her teeth deep into the creature¡¯s shell.

    ¡°Infestation!¡± Katy shouted, and out of the tough Bug¡¯s shell poured out an innumerable number of small actual bugs. Hopping over onto Nightwing, the pests burrowed into her skin, causing internal pain and discomfort.

    She didn¡¯t let that stop her, landing in two quick Dual Wingbeats against Forretress¡¯ shell before going in for another fiery bite, only to chomp on empty air as Katy switched her Pokemon.

    My hand shot to my belt to do the same until I remembered that the Gym Leader¡¯s Move left us stuck for a while. We¡¯re in a better spot though. For all the discomfort Infestation was causing her, it was offset by the Poison healing her as fast as she was hurt.

    Katy¡¯s Ace took the field once more, the Terastalization holding through that time. ¡°Ice Punch!¡± She called out, seeing her last chance for victory...

    ¡°Acrobatics,¡± I responded, and she saw that chance slip away. Spiraling through the air, Nightwing struck as Ursaring was still pulling her good arm back, hitting the bear repeatedly as she flew by.

    The mighty Ursaring stumbled, dazed, before the crystalline sheen covering it and the ¡®hat¡¯ on her head shattered. The bear fell over, unconscious. Katy stood, shocked for a moment, before she recalled her ace with a resigned look on her face.

    ¡°Your strength has risen nicely, like bread in the oven. But allow me to show you my own strength!¡± She tossed out Forretress, and the ball-shaped Pokemon began spinning about the instant it hit the field. ¡°Rock Slide!¡±

    Angling itself so its red spikes would tear through the ground, it continued spinning towards the Gliscor, the impact sending stones flying up to hit her. She shielded herself with her large pincers before swooping down. ¡°Acrobatics,¡± I began, before I saw the Bug Type below her begin to glow brightly. Evolution? No, it must be- Explosion!

    ¡°Protect!¡± I screamed, and right after, the Forretress erupted, blinding me for half a second. When the smoke from the Move had cleared, I saw that Katy¡¯s Pokemon was unconscious, while mine had a forcefield surrounding it. But she¡¯s hurt. All those scratches and bruises on her body, no way those would be there if she had gotten Protect up in time. I gotta get better at reading those things; Katy must have given her Pokemon some signal I missed to use that.

    The Bug Type Gym Leader was taking her time to toss out her next Pokemon, likely waiting for the Infestation to do my Gliscor in. That won¡¯t work. Those bugs have almost run their course, and Nightwing¡¯s Poison Heal will keep on working.

    She seemed to realize that her strategy wouldn¡¯t work or got tired of waiting, throwing in her last Pokemon. Lokix leaped into battle but couldn¡¯t match Nightwing¡¯s aerial agility. I ordered her to dodge around a bit, gaining time against our weakened foe as her own strength recovered.

    ¡°Finish this, Acrobatics!¡±

    ¡°Sucker Punch when they come close!¡± Katy tried, and to her Lokix¡¯s credit, he landed a solid hit on Nightwing as she came in. I¡¯d trained my Pokemon to tank hits and Nightwing had been quite physically durable even before the regiment of training and vitamins I gave her, so she pushed through. In a flurry of motion, she beat the Lokix around with all of her limbs, smashing him into the ground.

    For a second, he tried to get back up before collapsing down. We did it, we won! As soon as the referee called the match, I raced onto the field and scooped Nightwing up. ¡°You did it!¡± I¡¯ll have to thank Notch and Phantasm too, as soon as they¡¯re healed.

    Katy reminded me of her presence, clearing her throat. Looking over, I saw she had recalled her own Pokemon and walked onto the field as well. ¡°You did wonderfully, if a bit savage for my tastes.¡± Seeing my expression, she shook her head. ¡°Oh? Don¡¯t mind me; I¡¯d hardly want you to hide in your cocoon for my sake. Not every treat can be to everyone¡¯s taste. Please accept this badge.¡±

    Reaching for her hands, I grabbed the first (official) Gym Badge I had ever received. Unlike the other regions, all of ours are the same shape: a circle with a gold border and the Gym Leader¡¯s Type symbol in the center.

    ¡°So small, but so significant,¡± I said as I carefully held the first physical symbol of my team''s progress in my hands. Katy seemed to like that, smiling and offering me a handshake. I took it gratefully, grinning broadly as I shook her hand. One down, seven to go.

 Chapter 48

    ¡°Go, Crabhammer!¡± I shouted out. Nightwing, Terastalized with a water spout ¡®hat¡¯ above her head, slapped the riverbank hard with her tail, creating a tall splash of water up before it landed back down, joining the river stream. And she left a huge dent in the ground where she hit, very nice.

    Dun smirked, using his own Aqua Tail to slam into the ground, making a mark just as large or slightly larger than hers. Nightwing glared, launching back into the training with renewed fervor. While not quite as bad as Riolu, she can be quite competitive too. Moreso, since her evolution.

    I wasn¡¯t sure if it was some new instinct, but thought it might just have been her reveling in her newfound power, and that clashing with the existing might Dun had. The fact that even with her evolution and the Tera Type change she had undergone before we went on our journey, she still couldn¡¯t match up to him.

    The two of them escalated, their attacks backsplashing onto me, even as I stood a good distance away. ¡°Quit it, you two!¡± I barked out even as I called on my Aura to try and dry myself off. It wasn¡¯t great since I wasn¡¯t that skilled at air manipulation, or at least not in that manner. Aura really is a constant uphill climb. Speed and power for cutting air blades don''t really help my precision or the temperature of the wind. And all of that doesn¡¯t relate to enhanced vision.

    Or at least, none of it had for me. It was entirely possible that there were other, more naturally talented Aura users or with different mindsets that could learn it better. Tulip had mentioned some interconnectivity between her skills, but I couldn¡¯t tell if that was due to our different Auric Types or some other factor.

    It would be interesting to study, though I do worry that any results I print might influence how others learn. If I say Aura works in one way, does it really work that way, or just for me because I think that way? I knew well that certain academic ¡®facts¡¯ could get entrenched in public perceptions long after they¡¯d been disproven. It wasn¡¯t as bad in this world as it was in my former one, but there were still infamous ¡®Pokedex entries¡¯ that plagued the world.

    Pushing that out of my mind, I called Nightwing and Dun back, the two of them having stopped splashing me but descended into a small scuffle themselves. Even without using Moves, I can feel the ground shake from the strength each one has.

    ¡°If you can¡¯t take training seriously, we¡¯ll have to go back and spend another day here before we hit the road,¡± I said, jerking a thumb at Cortonodo behind me. That got both my Pokemon to straighten up and get back to serious training, particularly Dun. Honestly, we should probably head back at least for a moment to get the Tera Orb recharged. I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll need it before hitting Alforando, but better safe than sorry.

    After a quick stop by the Pokemon Center to recharge it, we turned right around and headed straight back to the river. It ran around the edge of the city, and past it, a mountain towered above us. With several large flat sections, it felt more like a bunch of cliffs stacked on top of each other.

    While not as famous as the Glaseado Mountain, it was still daunting enough that even I felt trepidation at the idea of trying to scale it. Which is why I wasn¡¯t doing that! Instead, I began gliding across the river, sliding smoothly through the air to the other side.

    Dun was the Pokemon I had out with me at the time, and he flapped his wings hard, flying over the river as well before slithering beside me. We walked on the edge of a long drop to the valley down below, heading to a slim bridge of land where we could cross over. From there, a cave could take us through the mountain and around to Alfornada.

    There was another pathway all the way around winding hills to go over the bridge way further down the road leading out of Cortonodo, only to then basically backtrack this way.

    Looking down at the ground below, I saw the fields were thinner, with the grass often dead or dying. ¡°Why do you think the plants here are doing so much rougher?¡± I asked. ¡°The fields around Cortonodo are even flatter than here, so it¡¯s not like they¡¯re getting more sun. Maybe the Charcadets?¡± I theorized, but was throwing the idea out of my mouth as soon as I said it. Nah, I can only spot a couple of Charcadets down there anyway.

    ¡°Un,¡± was Dun¡¯s uncharacteristically disinterested response. While he doesn¡¯t often get the point of the topics I bring up, he usually at least feigns interest. I wonder what¡¯s wrong?

    Thinking so, I decided to ask him. ¡°What¡¯s up? You haven¡¯t been yourself recently.¡±

    Dun responded by looking at me before rushing on ahead, charging towards a wild Arcanine that was lazing in the sun. So fluffy!

    The lion-dog opened a lazy eye as my Dudunsparce approached, barking disdainfully. Dun hissed at her, prompting the fiery Pokemon to jump up, grass beneath her feet burning up in an instant.

    Walking up, I held my hands up and open, saying, ¡°Hey, can¡¯t we all agree this is just a big misunderstandi-¡± Both Pokemon disagreed, vocally. ¡°Ok, so we¡¯re doing this.¡± I don¡¯t get what Dun is trying to prove here. Sure, Arcanine is big and intimidating, but-

    The two of them squared off, the wild Pokemon making the first Move, covering herself in flames as she charged ahead.

    Dun made the last Move, surrounding his tail with water and spinning around. The Aqua Tail smacked into her, sending her tumbling to the ground with a loud crack. -she¡¯s no match for Dun.

    Wincing at the sound the attack made, I cautiously checked on Arcanine. She¡¯d be fine, but just so there were no hard feelings, I sprayed her with a Potion and tossed a Sitrus berry in front of her before moving on.

    ¡°So what was that supposed to prove?¡± I asked, glaring down at Dun. ¡°I don¡¯t like wasting berries like that while we¡¯re on the road; our supplies are going to be more limited here.¡±

    ¡°Dudun, arce. Un un unsparce.¡± Dun wiggled and let out a loud sigh.

    ¡°It¡¯s the polite thing to do, to help out a Mon, especially if they didn¡¯t agree to a battle in the first place. And yes, I¡¯m practically made of money, but I¡¯d still feel guilty if I had to ask a courier to deliver something while we¡¯re out here.¡± Shaking my head, I added, ¡°That¡¯s still not answering what the point was.

    My starter answered by waving his tail to the land around us. Huh? What is he trying to- oh. Looking closer, I could see all the wild Pokemon that could were scurrying away, not wanting to incur Dun¡¯s wrath.

    ¡°They¡¯re all running away, and all of them are a good deal weaker than that Arcanine.¡± She wasn¡¯t Terastalized though. I wonder if that¡¯s because there weren¡¯t enough Tera Crystals nearby? Doubtful- but back on topic!

    ¡°You¡¯re upset about not being used for the Gym Battle,¡± I surmised.

    Dun shifted, his wings flapping slightly agitated. Agreement, but something more. About where we are? No, the Pokemon around here. ¡°You¡¯re upset at not getting a challenging battle,¡± I clarified, and Dun nodded.

    I sighed, seeing his point. If it was just being jealous over not getting to fight while the others did, I¡¯d be upset at him being so immature, but this makes a bit more sense. Still though, I put the team that way for a reason. ¡°I get that, but the others are going to need to stand on your level if we¡¯re to take on the Elite Four, and well¡­¡± My voice trailed off as I looked back, past the city to the towering wall of stone and earth that served as a barrier for Area Zero and the rest of Paldea.

    ¡°Dun dun un.¡± They replied resignedly. ¡°Arce?¡± They asked, and I laughed.

    ¡°There are plenty of wild Pokemon you can battle up here that¡¯ll be challenging too. Honestly, we should face some pretty soon; the League just likes to keep these areas near Mesagoza clear of some of the more troublesome Pokemon.¡± While you could technically start anywhere for your Gym run, a lot of the challengers are students, and thus heading straight from Uva to either Cortonodo or Artazon.

    That perked Dun up, the land snake looking ahead eagerly, a pep back in his¡­ slither. I continued, ¡°And I¡¯ll put you in for the next Gym Battle, after Riolu is defeated.¡±

    ¡°Ar,¡± he comments, sharing a sidelong glance with me.

    ¡°Right, right, ¡®if¡¯ Riolu gets knocked out, then you¡¯re up.¡± That was more just a reminder to be careful of my words around her, and not that Dun doesn¡¯t agree with me. Not to say that she isn¡¯t strong; she is. But we¡¯re going up against a Fairy Type Gym, and will be facing the toughest team they have to offer. I have a lot of faith in Riolu, but I think eventually that will take her down. Probably not Dun though.

    ¡°I hope you¡¯re ok with going third in this battle, Miles?¡± I asked, all of us aware that it was unlikely they¡¯d get much time to battle, if at all in this match.

    ¡°Bzzt, that¡¯s perfectly fine, Nemona.¡± They rose out of my pocket to face me and Dun. ¡°I was actually just looking up the routes, and there is another pathway to Alfornada, bzzt. If you take the lower caves, there¡¯s a long pathway up around the coast which ends up leading into the cavern and shortly through there to the city.¡±

    They flipped around the phone case and showed me the details. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s even a travel advisory that there are much tougher and more territorial Pokemon here, so new Trainers should be cautious.¡± The excitement in my tone didn¡¯t exactly match my words, but it did match the wide grin on Dudunsparce¡¯s face.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go! If I remember right, I think there¡¯s even a Terastalized Eelektross roundabouts those waters.¡±

    ***

    There was not a Dragon Type Tera Eelektross off the southwestern shores of Paldea.

    ¡°Protect!¡± I desperately called out, Thunder striking down from the rainy sky upon Dun, doing his best to survive the onslaught from his foe.

    What there was, was an Electric Tera Dragonair in the waters right outside the cave.

    We had camped overnight outside the lower cave that cut a path straight through the mountains. It was an old thing, irregular in shape, likely due to being constructed by Pokemon. While relatively round, the middle section was elevated compared to the side, the gloom illuminated by a few packs of Salandits and occasional Salazzle spitting fire.

    The outside hadn¡¯t helped in terms of visibility, rain pouring down heavily. Upon getting outside, Dun and I were soaked, and seeing no reason not to get further damp, we marched down the hills to the beach and then out in the water. But with the rain, we didn¡¯t see the clutch of Dratini we got near or the Terastalized Dragonair swimming beneath the surface, and now...

    ¡°Glare, then Hex!¡± I called out, hoping that those Moves would work well enough in the water. When Dragonair burst out, we made to retreat back to shore, but a combination of a well-directed Surf and Wrap had the Dragon dragging us back to sea.

    Their efforts were mostly on Dun than myself, so I was able to scramble to solid ground while Dun was struggling against the Terastalized Pokemon. His Glare was met by Dragonair surrounding themselves in a faint green spherical energy, a barrier not unlike Protect, but too diffuse to be that Move.

    And yet Glare doesn¡¯t seem to have worked on them at all. Hex, however, pierced through easily, the Ghost Type Move causing the slender Pokemon to thrash about, hurting, albeit to a lesser degree than if they had been Paralyzed.

    As I saw the energy field remain around Dragonair without their continued effort, I put together what it was. Safeguard. No point in going for status Moves, and a lot of his Physical Moves are right out too. Fighting in the water was a very different experience for Dun, and one I regretted not practicing enough.

    ¡°Hyper Voice!¡± I shouted over the storm, and Dun¡¯s voice soon boomed out in response. Boomburst still eluded my starter, but the sound was enough to send Dragonair diving beneath the waves, their ear-wing things shaking at the assault. He¡¯s in a bad position, but Dun still has the strength to win this.

    Of course, this was a wild battle, not a League-sanctioned Trainer one. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw one of the braver Dratini¡¯s leading the charge to protect their stronger kin, the rest of the clutch trailing behind them. Sweet, but I do need to put a stop to that.

    Releasing Notch from their ball, I said to them, ¡°Go and keep the little ones from interfering - peacefully, if you would.¡± Then to my starter, I said, ¡°Coil while you wait, and when they get close, get angry!¡±

    The crystal-encrusted Rock Pokemon floated over the waves before dropping down a powerful Reflect between the battling Pokemon and the group of Dratinis. The wall of force cut through the water like a guillotine, causing the small Dragons to look up and fearfully behold the Fairy Type above them. Despite the barrier not being wide enough to stop them from swimming around it if they really wanted, the Dratinis got the message and hung back to watch the fight.

    Dun was doing his best to curl up in the water and still keep his head above the surface, and he did an admirable job of that, using his wings to help keep himself afloat. Dragonair sought to disrupt that, their tail lashing up and around his body, but Dun was prepared. Rather than resisting the pull underwater, Dun went along with it, thrashing into the Dragon with Outrage.

    From beneath the churning depths, it was hard to make out what was going on, but the cloud overhead darkened, a lightning bolt striking down into the water and then¡­ a stillness, before Dragonair burst out of the water.

    Of course, I was less worried since I could see that Dragonair no longer had the light bulb Tera ¡®hat¡¯ above their head and was breathing heavily, their head hanging low. A few seconds later, Dun erupted out of the water. Though his scales were burnt and cracked in a few places, Dun screeched challengingly at the Dragon.

    Slowly the Dragonair shook their head, turning and swimming away, gathering the rest of their clutch as they retreated.

    ¡°Woohoo! Good job, Dun! Now, can you get back here so we can get out of the rain?¡±

    ***

    We traveled a good distance along the coast, not opting to go up the stone ¡®road¡¯ yet. The trek was by no means easy, however. Kilowatrels harassed us with their very presence, flying freely through the storm and generating vast amounts of electricity. The Bombirdiers, on the other hand, targeted us personally, dropping rocks from the cliffside down upon us.

    Dun pushed through, blasting the troublesome birds away with Hyper Voice and Hurricanes. Few tried to push through one of his attacks, but the aerial Pokemon were plentiful here. The previous fight, as well as the storm, meant that these efforts were starting to sap even his prodigious reserves.

    Luckily, towards the end of the path, there was a large opening to a cave. Finally. It¡¯s better than getting caught out in this weather, and I can see the road above would have taken longer to get to shelter, but it¡¯s still been at least a dozen kilometers.

    Once we rushed inside, we saw that the cave didn¡¯t go very far but was quite open and spacious. It was tall and round, creating a nice shelter where several types of Pokemon gathered. Sableyes, Makuhitas, Gibles, and more powerful Pokemon, like Toxtricitys, Hariyamas, and a Gabite. Of course, the most noteworthy of these was a Hawlucha in the center, shining with the light of Terastalization, a set of bug antennas above his head.

    Immediately upon seeing us, the bird-wrestling Pokemon spread his arm wings out and began Naruto running towards us with a piercing cry.

    ¡°Ughhhh,¡± I groaned, looking to Dun. I asked, ¡°You up for another battle, or mind giving Riolu a turn?¡±

    Dun thought about it for half a second before shaking his head. He made no moves to go back to his ball, however, instead electing to remain out and puff himself up, challenging any other Pokemon that might think about coming close.

    ¡°Riolu, I choose you!¡± I shouted, aiming the Pokeball so my Fighting Type would emerge right in front of us. Which was good, because Hawlucha was only a half step in front of that.

    Having heard her name already, even inside the ball, Riolu proved why she was possibly the most skillful of my team, using that short time and the slight surprise on Hawlucha¡¯s part to turn the Terastalized Pokemon¡¯s charge against him. Grabbing an arm one way, turning her body, and keeping her center of gravity low, she tossed him over our heads and into the edge of the cavern entrance, a picture-perfect Circle Throw.

    Dun and I settled into the side, trying to get out of the line of fire and ensure that no one else could surprise us, placing our backs to the wall (though still decently close to the entrance if we needed to flee for some reason). Meanwhile, Hawlucha was tumbling through the air as he fell down, seemingly insensate. However, I saw the bird¡¯s eyes glint in the stormy light from outside and knew what he was planning.

    ¡°Dancing Sword!¡± I called out, and she threw herself into an artful evasion right as Hawlucha swooped down, diving almost faster than my eyes could see. She spun around his strike, foreseeing it and flashing her claws as she did so. Her teeth were bared in a vicious smirk as her eyes glowed, and I knew the Move had worked.

    ¡°Now, Aerial Ace!¡± I shouted, and she flipped, striking down with the heel of her foot at the top of Hawlucha¡¯s head. Despite making her leap as small as she could, her foe still moved swiftly, ducking out of the way so the blow only glanced off the top of his Tera ¡®hat.¡¯ Still did some damage, thanks to the boost from her new Move.

    In attempting to speed up Detect and utilize it in the middle of other Moves if she needed to immediately dodge, Riolu had managed to combine it and Swords Dance. The Move only works now if they¡¯re using a damaging attack against her and only increases her attack by one step, but still, it¡¯s incredible.

    Hawlucha disagreed, letting out a keening cry as they held a hand out and made a ¡®come get some¡¯ gesture. Crud, Taunt. That cuts out a lot of our combos. ¡°Poison Jab,¡± I called out, hoping to debilitate the Tera Pokemon in another way.

    Riolu darted up, poison dripping off her small claws as she ran forward. The wrestling Pokemon smirked, dodging her first blow with his superior speed and clamping a hand down on her wrist. Flipping her up and around, she was thrown to the ground before he jumped atop her with an elbow drop.

    My Pokemon yowled, in pain from the blow, barely managing to push Hawlucha off before he could grab her again - and clawing his face with her still poisoned paws as she did so. Rolling up into a fighting stance, she threw a few Force Palms at him as well, the blows hammering in but doing little to slow him down as he rushed in again.

    ¡°You can¡¯t Paralyze him! Vacuum Wave retreat!¡± I called out as I remembered one of Hawlucha¡¯s possible abilities. Jumping up, Riolu blasted the air, pushing herself backwards around the cavern. Hawlucha swiftly pursued, with the occasional wince of pain, the Poison taking hold.

    The dodging tactic we employed didn¡¯t hold forever. While he had tried dodging the Vacuum Waves that propelled towards him at first, after a minute, he just tucked his head and started rushing through them. With his Bug Tera Type, they did little damage to him, and he swiftly approached the canine-Pokemon, jumping dramatically above her.

    ¡°Dancing Sword,¡± was my order in response, the Taunt having worn off. Hawlucha tried to control his dive down upon her, but to no avail; she saw all his motions ahead of time and easily spun around his assault.

    Hawlucha landed on the ground gracefully enough despite the miss, but it was still a huge opening. ¡°Copycat!¡± My Pokemon proceeded to perform the same Move Hawlucha had just tried. The Tera Pokemon looked shocked seeing his Move so perfectly copied, and then he was slammed into the ground by it. Flying Press is a pretty cool Move. It¡¯s a shame it¡¯s so based on Hawlucha¡¯s physiology that Riolu probably can¡¯t permanently copy it.

    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    My smile quickly faded as the dust from the impact cleared, and I saw that despite the Move being neutral Type-wise against the Hawlucha and all the power Riolu had behind it, our foe wasn¡¯t out of the fight yet. ¡°Watch out!¡± I cried out, too late for her to dodge the green glowing claws that cut into her fur in an ¡®X¡¯ pattern.

    Our foe sprung up, chasing after Riolu and began wailing into her with a punishing flurry of blows. I couldn¡¯t even properly make out what kind of Fighting Move it was as she was pushed back, trying her best to defend.

    Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Dun slamming his body against the ground, making an Earthquake to ward off a Toxtricity that was rearing up to spit poison at us. Dammit! Have to focus on Riolu¡¯s fight and just trust Dun has things handled.

    ¡°Detect,¡± I tried, hoping that would be enough to get her out of the way. While not as useful as our new Move, it was faster and easier to use in a circumstance where Riolu was already being pushed back.

    Unfortunately, even that wasn¡¯t to be, as Hawlucha Feinted right before going left, burying a fist in her gut. She doubled over in pain, and I was reminded of the frailty of my newest Pokemon. She¡¯s incredibly skilled, which is a strength she wields well, but she just can¡¯t tank hits like everyone other than Phantasm on my team can. Or maybe she can¡­

    As her back hit the wall, I called out, ¡°Endure!¡± Riolu snapped up a tight guard, weathering the blows that surely would have otherwise taken her out. I heard a cry of rage beside me as Dun knocked off the Gibles, biting into him, and felt the cold as he spun towards them.

    This is her chance! I thought as I saw Hawlucha panting, having finished his devastating combo. On shaky legs, Riolu still stood, much to his surprise as I shouted ¡°Reversal!¡± Grabbing his own wrist the same way he did to her, she tried to pull him. With greater strength, the Tera Pokemon wrenched his hand back, but that was just what she wanted, the motion letting her secure a grip around his back. Arms around his waist, she pulled, leaning back to smash our enemy into the ground in a powerful piledriver.

    That blow did it, and with one last cry of pain, the Terastalization effect shattered around Hawlucha, the Tera Pokemon defeated.

    ***

    With the ¡®boss¡¯ of the area defeated, the other Pokemon backed off, unwilling to fight us but still clearly wary. That eased up a bit when I healed the Hawlucha alongside Riolu, our foe taking their loss in good spirits.

    After a bit of charades, I was able to work out a deal with the Hawlucha, where we would get to sleep at a spot by the wall in the cave and the other Pokemon would leave us alone. Just in case, I left Notch outside the tent (after Miles in Heat Form had dried me off) to keep an eye on things.

    My Carbink seemed quite happy too, the cave being a comfortable reminder of home for them while also being relatively new and interesting. There were many different species all living together in this cave and the rain outside, both of which seemed to fascinate Notch.

    Upon waking up, I stretched, the hard, rocky ground uncomfortable on my back. Though I do have the tent, a sleeping bag, and a thick air mattress to sleep on. Honestly, I might have just gotten too used to the comforts of home. As I left the tent, I saw a few disgruntled Pokemon walking away from Notch.

    ¡°... What did you say to them?¡± I inquired, because they didn¡¯t seem aggressive or insulted. Some of those Gibles looked at Notch like you might look at a crazy person ranting on a subway - probably harmless, but not like you want to be near them.

    They chimed in response, and I couldn¡¯t grasp the nuance, but Riolu nearby shook her head. She must have gotten up in the night and was doing some stretches in the early morning (it was still dark and stormy enough out that I wouldn¡¯t have been able to tell it was if I hadn¡¯t seen the time on Miles¡¯ case). She turned to face me and barked.

    ¡°Yeah, I can join you for some stretches,¡± I replied, suppressing a groan. My body didn¡¯t want to, but I knew it was important to keep up with practice, even on the road. While the travel might keep me fit, there was something to be said for technique. I¡¯m in awe of Riolu¡¯s form, even to this day.

    It was humbling to see the kinds of rigors a dedicated Fighting Type would put themselves through. I admired Riolu in particular for her dedication to try and eke the last little bit of perfection on each motion as she went through her katas, constantly working on being the best she could. It¡¯s a large part of what lets her keep up with evolved or single-stage Pokemon that otherwise outclass her in terms of sheer power, speed, and resiliency, and part of what will make her a true nightmare to fight when she evolves.

    After our stretches, she extended a paw towards me, and I nodded with an eager grin, the prior stiffness shaken off. ¡°You¡¯ll have to go easy on me, but a spar sounds great.¡± Riolu gave me a toothless smile in return, taking up a fighting stance.

    We traded blows back and forth, dancing around the cave, a small circle forming of Pokemon interested in the practice (particularly Hawlucha). Riolu stuck to only defensive Moves and regular jabs and kicks, which was still more than enough to compensate for the reach I had on her.

    ¡°Good job,¡± I said after calling for a break, half an hour later. ¡°Dancing Sword is getting quite sharp; you¡¯re using the motions of your enemy quite well. I think you¡¯ll soon be able to use it and not even need contact with your opponent to pull it off.¡±

    ¡°Olu,¡± she responded, her chest puffed out a bit in pride. I could also see the happiness in her Aura. We discovered that Move together when we sparred in the past. When we tried testing out how fast she could switch from buffing herself up to using Detect to dodge and still maintain the effect. She started incorporating my punches into part of her dance, and we had a new Move on our hands/paws.

    There were still some limits, sadly. Swords Dance was the only Move we¡¯d found to be compatible with it. It was slower than regular Detect, and without an opponent attacking in close, the ¡®dance¡¯ wouldn¡¯t work to get the boost. I wonder if she could still use it sparring against a human that doesn¡¯t have their Aura unlocked; as she¡¯s mentioned, it works in part by aligning her Aura with her foe¡¯s. Though even unlocked, it''s not like people don''t have Aura, it just has less of an effect on the world around them.

    I ran the rest of my team through some drills, with Hawlucha trying to show off as well, much to Riolu¡¯s annoyance. Sorry, bud, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s interested in who can throw the biggest rock around; more about the technique behind that rock throwing. It¡¯s probably why she gives Dun all those glances. For all that he can seem like a brute in a fight, Dun actually has incredible control and variation in the Type energies he can use.

    Checking the weather, one of my phone apps said the storm would continue for most of the day, so I was surprised when I saw the rain outside suddenly stop just before noon. Not one to question the good fortune, I folded up all my gear and went to leave, stepping out into the bright light - only to have rain pour down on me, like a vast curtain falling down. What? Oh.

    Looking over, I saw a large area where the rain refused to fall beside me and a Golduck looking curiously from the center of the dry area. Cloud Nine, Golduck¡¯s Ability must be stopping the weather around them. For a moment, I was tempted to ask them if they could help cover us in our trek before waving off the idea.

    It¡¯s kind of selfish to ask that of them since it¡¯s a pretty long climb up from here to the cave that leads to Alfornada. Plus, stopping the rain would do nothing to stop the moisture on the ground, and I don¡¯t want to try climbing up a slippery, rocky path hundreds of meters above the ocean.

    Trudging back inside, I released Miles into their Heat Form to dry me off once again. ¡°This sucks,¡± I commented as I slowly warmed up for the second time in two days.

    ¡°Is it really that bad, bzzt?¡± Miles questioned, surprising me before I remembered that we had installed vocalizers on their combat appliances in preparation for this journey.

    ¡°Well¡­ no, I guess it isn¡¯t. We can do some training here, we aren¡¯t too far off schedule. And sorry again that you haven¡¯t had as much battle time yet.¡±

    ¡°Bzzt, it¡¯s fine. And you¡¯re taking on Brassius after all of this, correct?¡± I nodded, so they said, ¡°Just put me in against him then.¡±

    ¡°I will. Hmm, Brassius... ¡± I paused, biting my lip.

    ¡°What is it, bzzt?¡±

    ¡°I''m just trying to think which of your forms will be the best choice. Grass Types have tons of weaknesses, but that means he probably has a lot of counters ready as well.¡± Brassius¡¯ high-level teams don''t have tons of coverage yet, but I should probably use Heat; unlike some Grass Trainers his teams don¡¯t rely much on the Sun for his strategies, so I could possibly use Sunny Day. Though maybe that means that he has counters for it? If he has Rain Dance, that could shut down Heat Form. But if we use it ourselves with Fan Form, Hurricane could hit his team hard, Breloom in particular gets shut down fast by that. On the other hand¡­

    Miles soft chuckles at my muttered theorizing brought me back. ¡°Okay, okay, we can still spend our time here well. It¡¯s not that big a delay.¡±

    "Sounds good, bzzt. In fact... I think I''ll try my hand at strategizing too! I''ll try and pick out the Form I want to use for my battle against him. If that''s ok, bzzt," they asked bashfully.

    "No problem at all! Can''t wait to see what you come up with."

    In the end, we ended up spending a few more days after the storm had passed, waiting for the pathway above to dry out, as well as sparring against the wild Pokemon, both in the caves and outside. Mostly it was good practice for Phantasm to work on her illusions and generally getting faster and stronger (and learning a few sneaky tricks from the Sableyes in the cave), but there were some challenges even for my more experienced Pokemon. Nightwing was even defeated by a particularly skillful Cloyster, his icy barrage managing to take down my Gliscor.

    After a second match, one my starter handily won, I asked if he wanted to join us, but the Cloyster was lukewarm on the idea before eventually declining when they realized how far we¡¯d be traveling from the ocean. I didn¡¯t bother asking anyone else; the others seemed generally disinterested in joining us, even if they were up for training against us. The ¡®boss¡¯ of the cave specifically was quite eager to fight and practice alongside us.

    Using my Aura Sight, as incomplete as it was, I got the vague impression of Bug energy radiating off the Hawlucha over our stay, growing stronger bit by bit. I think in a week he¡¯ll get his Terastalization back. Part of me was tempted to stay longer, but a larger part knew we had to get going. Phantasm has been getting particularly antsy, picking fights with some of the Gibles under illusion and getting the little guys to attack each other while she slips away in the chaos.

    On the fourth morning there, I packed up my bags, bidding them all farewell and thanking the wild Pokemon for letting us stay there. There was a small hike up the hill, backtracking our way to the pathway up, which had fully dried out. From there (after a brief lunch almost using up the end of my rations), we had an even longer trek up the small winding stone pathway.

    Before that, however, I spotted a boat parked on the shore to the North, where we¡¯d fought the Dragonair. Hmm, no sign of the Dragonair or their clutch there; wonder what¡¯s up with that?

    I had already spent enough time here, so I didn¡¯t bother to go back all that way. Something I was glad of as the sun beat down on me as we made our way up the narrow path. Phantasm was probably even more happy about it, given how she was panting from the tough climb. Hisui was much colder than Paldea. I wonder if that had some impact on her heat tolerance? Though, calling them a ¡®Hisuian variant¡¯ might actually be a mistake since it seems like it wasn¡¯t actually the land of Hisui but certain other conditions that caused the change.

    ¡°Just try and focus on Ice Type energy,¡± I advised her. ¡°We¡¯ll see if you can pick up some TMs that work with the energy in the city, but for right now, just focusing on it will help.¡±

    ¡°Zor, orua, zor.¡± She spat out bitterly, and I frowned.

    ¡°Hey, no need for that. I think Ice Type is good offensively, but defensively it¡¯s quite bad, while you have one of the best defensive Typings out there! Why would you think I¡¯d want an Ice Type instead of you?¡± She sat down, turning her head away from me. Ugh, I want to ask where she gets this behavior from, but it¡¯s probably the rest of the team. I love em, but Nightwing can be a bit bad about getting called out.

    Taking out a small bowl and pouring some water from my bottle in it, I gave her the chance to take a drink. Despite her refusal to look at me, thirst won out, and she quickly lapped it up. While she did so, I thought about what could have brought this on. ¡°You¡¯re upset about the Cloyster thing, aren¡¯t you?¡±

    She sneered at me, conjuring up a caricature of my face, sobbing melodramatically. I don¡¯t look like that. Do I? No, of course I don¡¯t. ¡°I was not that sad about it. And catching another Pokemon doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m going to stop training you or the like.¡±

    My words didn¡¯t seem to convince her, and she growled, but I just crossed my arms. ¡°C¡¯mon, you didn¡¯t act this way when Riolu joined the team.¡± Of course, when she joined the team, Phantasm was still new to everything, so it was easier for her to adapt to it. That, and we already knew Riolu before we knew Phantasm. Now she¡¯s entering a jealous phase.

    Scratching the ground for a moment, she surprised me by taking a second to think about it and coming up with an answer, floating an illusory number ¡®6¡¯ in front of me. Huh, hadn¡¯t expected that. Then again, she¡¯s smart enough to know that an overly emotional argument won¡¯t sway me, so she¡¯s trying to use logic (even if I don¡¯t think that¡¯s actually the reason why she doesn¡¯t like it).

    ¡°Yes, six is the maximum you can have on a team for official battles,¡± I agreed. ¡°However, every top-tier Trainer has more than that.¡± Her amber eyes blinked, surprised. ¡°Yup, it¡¯s true. No one sticks themselves with just one strategy, often switching it up. Gym Leaders and the like have to have more, to meet the different levels of challengers they face.¡±

    Her wispy fur at the top drooped, looking defeated. Oof, not fair, feels like losing even when I win the argument. ¡°That being said, I don¡¯t plan on adding a bunch of Pokemon any time soon.¡±

    ¡°Zorua?¡± She asked cautiously.

    ¡°Yeah, I do still need to focus on my current team¡¯s skills, so I won¡¯t catch too many more for the time being. But I hope that you can trust that I won¡¯t be neglecting you, even if I do find someone who¡¯s a good fit for the team and wants to join.¡±

    She barked her agreement out, perking up a fair bit. I hope that tiredness wasn¡¯t all an act¡­ though maybe it was so good a one it fooled herself? She is a Ghost Type afterall, some physical exhaustion can probably be ignored.

    I kept the discussion light and happy from there on as we continued going up and quietly noted that my hypothesis seemed correct. Her body kept pretty much the same pace throughout it all; the only tiredness Phantasm felt was connected to the mental fatigue of the complexity and size of illusions she crafted.

    There weren¡¯t many other travelers on our path, but we did find one young woman in denim and a cowgirl hat who waved us down. ¡°Hey!¡± I walked up to her, happy to meet someone new. ¡°Let¡¯s battle! If I win, you have to buy my demo track!¡±

    ¡°Uhh,¡± I could practically feel the sweatdrop on the side of my face. ¡°Sure? Yeah, we can have like a Sky Battle.¡±

    ¡°Sky what?¡± She cocked her head to the side, clearly thrown off kilter.

    ¡°You know, Sky Battles, where we both use Pokemon that can fly or otherwise hover.¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t have no flying Pokemon, just my good ol¡¯ Meowth. A regular battle will do us just fine, I reckon.¡± She said brightly, and I facepalmed.

    ¡°A regular battle where?!¡± I stretched my arms out wide, my fingertips almost going past the edge of the pathway.

    ¡°Oh, right. Guess I just got a little excited. This is my first time traveling down this path, got a little overexcited. Same for my music career. I¡¯m Mireia,¡± she said with an embarrassed grin, and I shook her hand.

    ¡°Nemona.¡± That caused her to gasp and grip my hand tighter.

    ¡°Oh treasure, are you the Nemona Glitterati?¡± She continued rapidly before I could answer. ¡°Ohmygosh, I thought your voice sounded familiar!¡± She squealed, hitting a note high enough that I could entirely buy her making forays into the music industry. ¡°I have your album, could you sign it?¡±

    It was my turn to be surprised. ¡°You bought the physical copy?¡± I didn¡¯t even know we sold physical copies of the album, I thought it was all just downloads online. I should probably have paid more attention to that stuff, but there was just so much of it, and I was gearing up for my journey¡­

    Realizing she was still waiting for my answer (and worryingly, still gripping my hand), I nodded. ¡°Sure, I can sign it.¡± Thankfully, she let go of me to pull out the CD case from her bag. Pulling out a pen from my own, I signed it for her.

    ¡°Do you have any advice for someone trying to make it as a musician?¡± She asked immediately afterward, thus condemning me to further conversation. Taking a step back, I almost ended up slipping off the edge of the narrow walkway we were on, much to Phantasm¡¯s bemusement. Right, laugh it up. Though, I guess it wouldn¡¯t really be that bad for me, given my Aura, just tiring.

    ¡°Well, hard to say. I had a lot of help in producing it from my family. But um, I¡¯d recommend maybe trying to release your music online first; you can reach a large crowd that way.¡± Almost certainly larger than whatever you¡¯d get by trying to force people to buy your music by beating them in Pokemon battles.

    Mireia looked shocked and amazed by what I said, to the point where I wondered if she was distantly related to my family. Probably not given her business sense, but Mom and Dad have definitely looked just like that. ¡°That makes a lot of sense! Wait, but why are you here then?¡±

    I opened my mouth to snap at her about having other priorities before remembering my album had been released not that long ago. I guess most people don¡¯t have the same priorities as me. ¡°I¡¯m focusing on the Gym Challenge right now. It might not be as glamorous as going on a tour, but-¡±

    ¡°But think of how many people will see your battles and then check out your music! Of course! I¡¯ve got to do the same!¡± With that, she rushed off past me, racing down the path towards Cortonodo.

    Chuckling lightly, I shook my head. ¡°Not what I¡¯m doing at all, but whatever works for you,¡± I said to myself before starting back on the climb, only to feel a faint but distinct buzzing from my pocket. ¡°What?¡± I asked Miles.

    ¡°Bzzt, well, it kind of is what you¡¯re doing,¡± they said. Floating up, they pulled up some clips from my battles, which my parents had posted online, making music videos with my songs.

    ¡°What?! But that¡¯s- oh. Wait, they¡¯re using The Pretender for my battle theme? It was supposed to be Megalovania!¡± I pouted. I mean, it¡¯s not that bad, Pretender is a pretty bangin¡¯ song too, and it does admittedly fit well for Phantasm¡¯s fights, but still.

    With a sigh and a promise to talk to my parents about this later, I continued my ascent.

    ***

    The sun had just started to set as we made it to the entrance to the Alfornado Cavern. I elected to camp just inside the cavern, the torches planted nearby giving light and the roof above us providing some shelter from the elements.

    ¡°Why do you think the ¡®detour¡¯ up to the caverns looks like that?¡± I pondered aloud, curious to hear what my team had to say.

    Nightwing, predictably had very little, yawning sleepily as she was still waking up. She totally can operate during the day, but she prefers to sleep then and be active at night. Those nocturnal traits had only intensified after her evolution, so I¡¯d often leave her out to keep watch then.

    Of course, Miles and Notch don¡¯t need to sleep in the same way we do, so I like leaving at least one of them out as well. The latter had something to say on the matter, chiming softly, the sound echoing in the cave.

    ¡°You think Arceus made it that way?¡± Notch nodded, and I scratched my chin. ¡°Well, the path certainly is a little unnatural looking; I¡¯ll give you that.¡± Looking down at it, it did just seem sort of weird. Aside from this point connecting to the cave, the entire road was separated from the sheer cliff face it ran parallel to. Massive pillars of stone stuck out from the ocean to support the road, but without any sign that they had once been connected to the larger mountain.

    ¡°But I don¡¯t think Arceus micromanages every little thing. People can do things They don¡¯t approve of or would be bad, but only in the worst of situations do They get involved. And even then, it¡¯s just like Arceus sending down a human in the right time and place.¡±

    That got some curious looks, not just from Notch but also from Riolu, who cracked an eye open from her meditation. ¡°Wha- no, nonono, I¡¯m not talking about me.¡± At least I hope I¡¯m not. Theoretically, it could be that there is no ¡®protagonist¡¯ for this world to deal with Turo¡¯s plots, so I was sent in to deal with it, but I doubt it. That¡¯s not to say I can¡¯t try and fix things here, but¡­

    ¡°I didn¡¯t get any mysterious Arc Phone or the like. No mission from Arceus like the Hero of Hissui.¡± No chance to reach the divine llama and get back to my old life either. In some of my worst moments, I could understand Volo¡¯s rage against the heavens. But that time¡¯s long past. I am truly happy with where I am and who I¡¯ve surrounded myself with, I thought with a smile as I looked down at my team.

    Kneeling down, I said to my Fighting Type ¡°On that note, that makes me think of what item we might get for you. While we¡¯re planning on giving you the Expert Belt for this fight, in the future, we can try and find a Fighting Plate.¡±

    She cocked her head to the side, curious. ¡°A Fighting Plate is a replica of the Origin Plates, the Plates that can be used to change the Typing of Arceus; or at least, change the Typing of Their Avatar on the planet. The Replicas just give a boost to Pokemon using those Types of attacks.¡±

    Riolu was interested, and Notch was practically frantic, chiming and hovering around. ¡°Ok, ok, I¡¯ll put out alerts for a Rock Type one for you too.¡± At some more chimes, I clarified, ¡°Rock over Fairy because Rock is the Type for Diamond Storm, the unique Move that Diancies get.¡±

    Progress had still been slow on that front. I had some other plans, but placing pink diamonds on their body to get them to ¡®grow¡¯ the differently colored gems had gone nowhere, as had attempts to get them to conjure diamonds from thin air. Notch can make rocks quite well now, but diamonds are just a step beyond what¡¯s possible for them, at least unaided.

    ¡°Bzzt, I¡¯ve put those items on your watch list for the Porto Marinada market,¡± Miles pipped up. I have a few other specialty items on that list, and thanks to my family¡¯s connections, we have someone that can bid on those if they show up there. But if I get the chance, I would like to check out the market myself, even if it¡¯s not really in the path of any of the Gyms.

    ¡°Thanks. Oh, what were we talking about again?¡±

    ¡°The alternate path to Alforando, bzzt,¡± Miles reminded me.

    ¡°Right. So, I think that this path was made by some warlord a long time ago. Well, probably on the orders of some warlord a long time ago.¡±

    ¡°Dudun?¡± My starter asked, half-gazing over at us even as he kept the other eye peering out into the gloom, alert for any threats that might approach us from the dark.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it was ever used by some warlord or rival clan or the like, but it¡¯s too unnatural not to be specifically constructed. Personally, I think that someone wanted to make an alternate path to attack Alfornada. Someone who was too powerful and important to be denied, but whoever made it didn¡¯t want to make something that could work. For whatever reason, be it a desire for peace or just not wanting to spend what it would take to create a viable attack route for an army to march through.¡± The current pathway would leave any troops easy pickings for any Alfornadans defending themselves. Or even just riled up Bombirdiers or the like.

    ¡°Interesting theory,¡± a new voice said, causing all of us to whip around to see a young woman with wild blue hair stepping out from the shade and into the flickering torchlight. She was wearing flared blue jeans and a pale blue western-style jacket with short red fringe. On her belt, she had a buckle in the shape of Lunala, and on her left wrist, she had a bracelet that looked suspiciously similar to Tapu Koko.

    ¡°Oh!¡± I said, with a surprised glance over at Dun, who was frowning. How did she sneak up on us? ¡°Umm, Alola,¡± I tried, doing the hand wave to go along with it, earning a bemused smirk from the pretty lady. ¡°Uh, sorry if I made an assumption, just some of your accessories.¡±

    ¡°Ah, yes, a few of them have ties to Alola. The stories from that land pique my interest, I must admit. The idea of having such a close connection to those long-lived figures. Oh, the stories they could tell¡­¡± She sighed wistfully before shaking her head slightly. ¡°Sorry, I should introduce myself; I¡¯m Raifort.¡±

    ¡°Nemona,¡± I replied, noting how her eyes trailed towards Phantasm. The Pokemon in question was sniffing rapidly, staring off past Raifort to the darkness of the tunnel. Isn¡¯t that tunnel a little too dark? And Raifort! She¡¯s the history teacher at Uva, isn¡¯t she? And I think I recall her having a Zoroark as well, though not too much else about her at the moment.

    ¡°You want your Zoroark to say hi? As well as your other friends.¡± I offered, causing a small flicker of surprise on her face before she smoothed it out.

    ¡°C¡¯mon out,¡± she said, and the unnaturally silent and dark zone faded away, her Zoroark and several humans stepping forward. The Zoroark stepped up to Raifort¡¯s side, quickly greeted by Phantasm, who was all but jumping over one of her kin.

    The humans were a rather rough-looking group, wearing sailor¡¯s clothes. Four guys and a girl, most of them with tattoos and few scars. I mentally designated them as ¡®Baldy¡¯ (a bald man), ¡®Shaggy¡¯ (a younger guy with a cap and shaggy brown hair flowing behind it), ¡®Shorty¡¯ (the shortest person of the group), ¡®The Girl¡¯ (the only girl of the group), and ¡®Middle Finger¡¯ (a man who¡¯s right hand middle finger appeared to have a large bite taken out by it).

    ¡°Where did you find a Hisuian Zorua?¡± Raifort asked, looking down at my Pokemon with wonder. This was contrasted by Baldy¡¯s leer over Raifort¡¯s shoulder at my team. He seems particularly interested in Notch and Phantasm.

    ¡°Can¡¯t say,¡± I replied with a brittle smile. ¡°She¡¯s the youngest member of my team; your Pokemon must remind her a lot of her parents.¡± I added, just to dissuade her from the idea of some ancient secret Hisuian group.

    ¡°Did you all come from that boat?¡± I continued, trying to inquire where this suspicious group came from.

    Raifort hmm¡¯d. ¡°My associates did. We¡¯re doing a bit of exploring of the lesser-known parts of Paldea. So many secrets hide within these tunnels, just waiting to be unearthed. Ah, you can forget I said that.¡±

    To quote a certain game company/series, ¡®Nemona will remember that.¡¯ But there are other things to focus on. Like: ¡°Did you guys have trouble docking your boat there? There was a Dragonair in the area that was a bit territorial.¡±

    Shaggy snickered. ¡°Wasn¡¯t too much of a problem. Honestly, a bit of a perk-¡± he began before The Girl elbowed him.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± Baldy said in a gravelly tone. ¡°Where did you find those rare Pokemon?¡±

    Middle Finger muttered, ¡°Some of them don¡¯t look that rare. Who even uses a Dunsparce?¡±

    ¡°A Dudunsparce, actually. He¡¯s evolved,¡± I pointed out before Dun could Hyper Voice them for the affront. Not that I¡¯d be too upset with that. ¡°As for the others, I¡¯ve traveled a fair bit.¡±

    There were some mutters about a ¡®pipsqueak¡¯ and ¡®rich brat¡¯ that they probably thought I couldn¡¯t hear. Before I could press them, Raifort spoke up. ¡°Well, it was enlightening talking to you, but I think we best be on our way. So much to do, so little time.¡± Her final sentence appeared to be directed more at them than me, as she turned and left.

    I quickly scooped up Phantasm, so she couldn¡¯t follow after the Zoroark. And also because I don¡¯t like that look in Baldy¡¯s eyes and how his gaze lingered before following after her. Without any proof, I finished setting up camp but made sure to have Nightwing, Notch, and Miles all out, patrolling farther down the tunnel.

    My precautions didn¡¯t make sleep come any easier, which meant when Nightwing swooped into the tent, I was instantly alert and awake. I sent her to go back and round up Notch and Miles while I focused.

    Stretching out my hearing with my Aura, I was flooded with sounds of scratching claws and scuffling feet on stone, as well as general Pokemon sounds. What caught my ears was the familiar sounds of humans talking in hushed tones, and I focused on that.

    ¡°Should we really be doing this? Raifort told us to keep focused-¡± Shaggy was cut off by an unfamiliar voice.

    ¡°Shut up, wimp. What she don¡¯t know won¡¯t hurt her, like those Dratini¡¯s we snared.¡± Probably Shorty, he didn¡¯t talk last time. ¡°Sides, she¡¯s off looking for that thing, so we got plenty of time for a side gig.¡±

    ¡°Just think of the payday we¡¯ll get for that Zorua! It looked so fluffy, I bet some old rich bitch will pay us tons for it!¡± The Girl squealed.

    ¡°What¡¯ll we do with the girl? Do we take her too?¡± Shaggy questioned. Middle Finger snorted.

    ¡°You getting soft, kid? We¡¯re gonna off her, of course!¡±

    There was a grunt from Middle Finger as Shaggy retorted. "Oh, shove off! I just meant she might know where a bunch of other rare Pokemon are. Keep the Golden Sirfetch¡¯d and all the Eggs it lays and all that jazz.¡±

    The Girl giggled. ¡°Look at you, trying to sound all philosophical and junk. But really, do we keep her?¡±

    There was silence for a minute, save for the sounds of them stomping closer before Baldy spoke up. ¡°Nah, too much risk. We toss her body into the water below; anyone looking into it thinks it was an accident. But all you lot, stay quiet now,¡± he growled. ¡°We catch her sleeping, take her Pokemon, and do this cleanly. Let¡¯s not mess shit up here.¡±

    Oh. Oh fuck.

 Chapter 49

    Shit shit shit what do I do? Ok, first step, don¡¯t panic. A task easier said than done, admittedly, but the sight of Miles and Notch returning with Nightwing helped calm me down. Hypocritically, telling the enraged Gliscor on my team, ¡°calm down,¡± helped too.

    She looked out for blood but gave a terse nod. A Pokemon attacking a person violently wouldn¡¯t be looked upon well, and I wasn¡¯t planning on just tossing them in the ocean below. Not that the thought isn¡¯t tempting. Gotta focus on a plan. How far away are they? I listened, but it was hard to pinpoint their exact position in the tunnel. Think I have a minute at least.

    Releasing the rest of my team from their balls, I started enacting a strategy. ¡°Phantasm, make an illusion covering,¡± I whispered as we got out of the tent, standing off to the side. ¡°Riolu, Dun, Miles, buff up.¡± Riolu began her Swords Dances, while Dun Coiled around, and Miles smirked, a Nasty Plot forming in their head.

    Pulling out a lump of Light Clay from my bag, I shoved it onto my Carbink¡¯s body. ¡°Notch, screen duty.¡± They waved their ears and began focusing on the Psychic energies needed to make a Light Screen and Reflect. Then I tossed the Toxic Orb to Nightwing, wasting a few seconds fiddling with the heavy-duty gloves to wrap around the Orb so I could safely handle it.

    I wanted to give him more instructions, but my breath caught in my throat as I saw the poachers strolling down the cavern towards us. They were already releasing their Pokemon, a Hypno, Arbok, and Bisharp at their sides, quickly joined by a Butterfree and Beedrill.

    Theoretically, Phantasm is covering for any sounds I make, but I don¡¯t want to make things more complicated for her. She looked quite nervous, and I wished I could reassure her. The Hypno was already giving odd glances our way.

    ¡°Dream Eater the girl in the tent and put her to sleep for good,¡± Baldy ordered. I raised my hand up, indicating for most of my team to get off the ground if they could. The leader¡¯s face scrunched up, and he said, ¡°What do ya mean she¡¯s not-¡±

    ¡°Earthquake!¡± I shouted, and all hell broke loose. Dun slammed the ground, shattering both the stones and the illusion that obscured us from view. Nightwing and Miles easily hovered above the shaking ground, while Notch lifted themselves as close to the ceiling as they could and Riolu jumped up.

    A few rocks fell from the vibrations, clipping them, which was nothing on what happened to the poachers. The Bisharp and Arbok rolled on the ground in pain, with Hypno and Beedrill not far behind them. Only the Butterfree remained unscathed, but her trainer was not, The Girl having fallen and smacked her head against the ground.

    Not wanting to give them a chance, I yelled out quickly, ¡°Hyper Voice! Riolu, Hi Jump Kick the Bisharp, Nightwing Acrobatics the Butterfree, Notch Psychic the Beedrill-¡±

    ¡°Hypno, put those fools to sleep!¡± Baldy began, pulling out another Pokeball from his belt.

    ¡°Shadow Sneak Hypno!¡± I shouted out, and Phantasm, the only Pokemon able to use that Move, did so, outpacing the swinging of Hypno¡¯s pendulum and causing him to cry out in pain. Then everyone was crying out as a wave of sound battered the poachers and their Pokemon. Miles¡¯ use of the Move in particular left even my own ears ringing, and the others fared much worse.

    Bisharp tried to get up and close with me, but a flying kick from Riolu broke his horn and smashed the Dark Type into the ground with a heavy clang. Nightwing viciously tore into the Butterfree, ripping at her wings, while Notch did much the same to Beedrill telekinetically.

    ¡°Don¡¯t beat them up too much,¡± I tried to warn them, not wanting any fatalities on my hands. Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the Arbok, which had actually Protected itself, now slithering up and biting into Phantasm.

    ¡°Dammit, Nightwing, Bulldoze the Arbok,¡± I tried to shout over the din of battle. Whether Nightwing had heard me or not, it was a moot point, as some powder flapped from Butterfree¡¯s wings had Nightwing¡¯s eyes drooping before she fell to the floor.

    Some of the poachers were unconscious or insensate from the area attacks, but not all of them, unfortunately. Middle Finger yelled something unintelligible as he released a heavily scarred and bruised Feraligatr from his belt. Baldy stumbled around and clicked the button on his Pokeball to send out a Magneton as well.

    The Water Type had a crazed look in their eyes as they lunged towards my fallen Pokemon, jaws stretched wide.

    ¡°Thunder!¡± I shouted, and Miles delivered, conjuring up a quick bolt to smite the giant alligator-like Pokemon, even underground.

    While he did that, the Beedrill tried skittering towards us, despite the loss of his wings'' functionality, only to get Body Slammed into unconsciousness by Dun. I barely gave any attention to that as I focused on Phantasm¡¯s fight.

    ¡°Bitter Malice! Riolu, Aerial Ace as well!¡± Phantasm shrieked in hatred and loathing, the Ghostly energies assaulting the Arbok before they were swiftly put down by Riolu¡¯s heel striking the top of the snake¡¯s head.

    Lightning erupted out all around from the Magneton, who had drifted into the middle of our group. ¡°AhhHHHH!¡± I howled in pain as the electricity coursed through me for a second. The Discharge they had released was also zapping all of my Pokemon, as well as several of their Pokemon and even a few of the poachers as well.

    It quickly cut out when Dun whirled around and unleashed a torrent of flame at the Magneton. The fire knocked the Steel Type to ground, its magnet ends spinning wildly as it whirred out in pain, until Riolu stomped the ground, shaking the earth around us. It rose up, particularly around the Magneton, and smacked them around, knocking them unconscious.

    Riolu¡¯s Earthquake was much weaker than Dun''s, but I still needed a minute to get back on my feet. So glad that Notch covered me with those screens they set up. Even with that, the electric shock still smarted, but I wasn¡¯t doing as badly as the poachers, many of whom were crying on the ground or moaning.

    Not all of them, however. Shaggy had been a bit further back and avoided the worst of the area attack. Recalling his Arbok, he shakily released a Kadabra. Teleport? Like hell you will!

    ¡°Miles, Shadow Ball!¡± Then to Dun, I shouted, ¡°Triple Yawn, put them all to sleep.¡±

    The last poacher standing proved my worries true, screaming at his Pokemon. ¡°Get us back to the boat! Teleport!¡± Kadabra blinked, caught just a bit off guard by the craziness of the situation, which was a split second too long. The ball of Distortion energy slammed into the Psychic Type, exploding.

    The force knocked Kadabra out and knocked Shaggy away from the clouds of drowsiness Dun laid down upon the group, putting everyone there to sleep in short order.

    After the clouds dissipated, I marched up to Shaggy, the man slowly getting back to his feet. Seeing me, he tried to lunge at me, only to receive a boot to the face that knocked out at least one of his teeth.

    ¡°Now, what am I going to do with you?¡±

    ***

    The rhetorical question/implied threat turned out to be harder to answer than I would have liked. The majority of my team voted for tossing them in the water like they had threatened to do to me, Phantasm and Dun in particular keen on that option. Riolu abstained, while Miles served as the only voice of reason and pointed out that we should take them to the authorities (while I pointed out that their votes were appreciated, but this ¡®was a dictatorship, not a democracy¡¯).

    Calling the authorities still wasn¡¯t working, even when I stepped just outside the cave. They (or possibly Raifort) must have set up some kind of jamming device. That left me with having to use all the rope in my pack to tie them all up after confiscating their Pokeballs.

    Most of them had two or three Pokeballs on their belts, but the balls had odd marks. Like they¡¯ve been opened up and tampered with. Cracking the shells open along those marks revealed the alterations they¡¯d done to the wiring and I felt sick.

    It wasn¡¯t information you would find on the open web, but I had researched the dark web for all the ins and outs of the proprietary Pokeball technology. My research had been undertaken out of a need to make sure that my Pokemon couldn¡¯t be stuck inside their balls, no matter the situation, in preparation for Turo (and feeling like I didn¡¯t have time to go to Johto and learn how to make apricorn balls or the like with how fast the Professor was moving). However, my studies had shown me the reverse as well, techniques that criminals could use to manually ¡®hack¡¯ their Pokeballs such that they could only be opened from the outside.

    Details like that made me question my commitment to keeping them alive, but only for as long as it took me to find Zorua¡¯s hurt face. Hate comes easy to her variant, but I don¡¯t want her to be consumed by it. In the end, hatred is going to hurt us a lot more than it hurts them. I was still dedicated to bringing them in to face justice, however, which meant waiting for them to wake up.

    ¡°What-?¡± Was the general sentiment shared by them as water was blasted onto their faces. ¡°What the fuck was that for!?¡± Shorty sputtered out as I had Miles blast them all again with an extremely low-powered Hydro Pump.

    ¡°That was to wake you all up. Now c¡¯mon, get up.¡± I tried to project strength and confidence into my voice. I beat them; that should be enough to not be afraid, right?

    Either it wasn¡¯t enough, or a nine-year-old girl¡¯s voice simply wasn¡¯t threatening enough to scare a bunch of hardened criminals, no matter how confident, as Baldy immediately scrambled towards me, hands outstretched to grab onto my neck.

    He didn¡¯t get anywhere close, however, both because he was tied to the others in a line and because of Riolu. The Fighting Type had reached him in a single bound, her paw gouging into his ribs and leaving him doubled over and wheezing in pain.

    ¡°You, you little bitch!¡± He spat out while I stared down, unamused. The others tried the slightly smarter approach of reaching for their Pokeballs, only to find themselves helpless. A few tried to slip out, only to find the restraints to be quite tight. Thank you Explorer wilderness training. And Amethio said knot-tying skills wouldn¡¯t ever be that relevant, ha!

    The thought of my friend clashed awfully with my current situation, but I decided to put that aside, knowing I could call them and laugh about this whole thing soon.

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re going to start marching up this cave until we reach Alfronada.¡± I tried again, only to be met with more resistance.

    ¡°So you can hand us over to the cops? Forget about it; you can¡¯t make us move if we don¡¯t want to.¡± Middle Finger raised his one working digit of the ¡®name¡¯ I had assigned to him.

    ¡°You¡¯re right, I cannot physically drag five unwilling adults at once. However, you may notice that I¡¯m not holding the rope.¡± Gesturing through the dark, they could see the end of the rope connecting them all was tied onto Dun. ¡°You can walk or be dragged, your choice.¡±

    There was more complaining, but I tuned them out. They wanted to kill me and take my team. Fuck them. A few of them did try holding things up, but they quickly found out that I was not joking and stumbled forwards as the rope drew taut.

    Slowly, we made our way up the winding, rocky path. The light was dim, only a few torches interspersed on the edges to illuminate the path. Usually I¡¯d have Miles or one of the others light up the way ahead of us. Currently I had Notch and Miles floating up and down the line, keeping the prisoners from trying anything suspicious.

    Well, trying to keep them feels like they can¡¯t help themselves, I thought to myself as I saw Miles give a small shock for the third time as they tried to work together to undo their bindings. I can sorta understand why though; with how dark it is and some of the drops, if one of them slipped away, they might actually be able to get away.

    The wild Pokemon gave us a decent berth, for the most part. Medichams led packs of Meditites far away, and only the most belligerent of Shelgons would attempt to confront us after Notch sent a Dazzling Gleam out.

    Phantasm kept the rear along with myself, warding off any Pokemon that might try to attack us from the rear. Riolu and Nightwing searched all around, alerting us to any danger or obstacles in our way. Gah, this is so frustrating. I¡¯d love to be exploring this cavern; it¡¯s vast with tons of nooks and cranies and huge shelves we could explore above¡­ But now I¡¯m tired and marching these criminals up to face justice.

    That wasn¡¯t the only issue bugging me, however. The biggest question on my mind was: What is the deal with Raifort? I don¡¯t think for a second she hired these goons for anything other than something nefarious or didn¡¯t know what they were like. But she clearly has some other agenda she¡¯s pursuing here, not just opportunistic poaching.

    My attempts to ask the poachers questions about Raifort had been met by jeers, requests to be set free, or stone-walled silence. I can¡¯t believe someone like that could become a teacher at Uva. Then again, she had some connection to the Treasures of Ruin, didn¡¯t she? I made a note to check my journals on the matter once I had some free time.

    ¡°Hey, can we get some water? You¡¯re killing us here,¡± Shaggy moaned. While he might be exaggerating things, even I¡¯m feeling pretty tired. My legs are burning, and I don¡¯t know how much further we have to go.

    ¡°No, we keep on going.¡± I ordered, and the unpopular decision was met with little more than groans as they trudged forward. No matter how tired I get, we have to keep on going. The chances of them escaping skyrocket if they have a chance to regain their bearings.

    ¡°Hullo?¡± A voice called down, and I perked up. Squinting ahead, I made out the shape of a heavyset hiker.

    ¡°Hello there! I need-¡± I began as we approached, only for the criminals to scream over top of me.

    ¡°Help us!¡±

    ¡°The girl¡¯s crazy!¡±

    ¡°We did nothing wrong!¡±

    ¡°Please!¡±

    As we came into the normal eyesight range of the hiker, I said, ¡°Silence.¡± Motioning subtly to Phantasm, they crafted a quick auditory illusion over the group, simply blanking out the sounds they made. I could still tell from the vibrations their voices made against the ground that they were still talking, but myself and the hiker were granted a blessed reprieve from their nonsense.

    ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± The man asked nervously and a little confused at seeing our strange group, a hand drifting down to the Pokeballs on his belt.

    ¡°These are a bunch of poachers that tried to attack me. I¡¯m taking them in,¡± I stated bluntly. My answer didn¡¯t seem to fully set the man at ease.

    ¡°You? You fought five adults and won? Sorry, but that feels a little unbelievable-¡±

    ¡°I fought Hassel four vee four and brought him down to his last Dragon,¡± I snarled. Something in my demeanor or voice convinced him I was being serious as he shut up (and out of the corner of my eye I saw Baldy''s mouth saying, ¡®Oh, fuck me¡¯ as it finally seemed to click that his group had been outmatched).

    ¡°Look, I just need to take them into town so the police or Gym can deal with them.¡± Poaching is kind of a gray area for law enforcement jurisdiction, but I¡¯m sure either group can deal with this. Assuming they believe me, that is.

    ¡°Ah, right. You won¡¯t mind if I go get them then?¡± He said, twitching as he stared down at Dun before averting his gaze.

    ¡°That would be great, actually. Please do,¡± I said with a small sigh of relief as he scampered back up the cavern.

    As we continued our ascent, I had Phantasm cancel the illusion she had placed over us, so I could hear them again. They¡¯re annoying, but I¡¯d rather be able to hear what they¡¯re plotting, even if it means listening to them swear and moan. I think The Girl managed a good ten minute swearfest at one point there.

    Luckily, it seemed the forced march had taken much of the wind out of their sails, as they had little energy to complain or try to escape as we neared the exit. Dawn¡¯s light became visible through the opening of the cave and I moved to shield my eyes as we exited.

    Of course, this was when one of them made their move. Middle Finger pulled out a knife from his boot and swiftly cut the rope holding him in the line, as well as Shorty who was the final one behind him. Notch immediately whirled around and blasted Middle Finger with a Power Gem that knocked him down with a nasty crack sound.

    Shorty grabbed the fallen blade, using it to free himself from his fallen comrade and attempt his own escape. Before I could even order Nightwing to swiftly hunt him down, Shorty found himself gripped by psychic energy.

    Turning around, I saw a familiar face on the windswept plains before the city of Alfornada. Standing there, Tulip was frowning down at the situation, Florges at her side, the plant-like Fairy Pokemon holding Shorty in her telekinetic grip. ¡°Nemona? What is going on here?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m so glad to see you, Tulip. Also, what are you doing here? Not that I¡¯m not glad, just, I sent for the police or Gym¡­ Wait, no way! You¡¯re working for the Gym?!¡± I squealed.

    She gave me a smile that was an interesting mix of bemused and starting to be actually annoyed (and one that I had seen grace her face a decent amount of times). ¡°Yes, I¡¯m working as a Gym Trainer here. Dendra has been busy with her expanded classes, and she thought I should do something more with my free time.¡±

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Tulip had excellent control over her body and expressions, but I could pick up on a minute shift in her stance as she spoke. I¡¯m thinking that she had one of her ¡®battle bets¡¯ with Dendra, and Dendra won. That¡¯s pretty hilarious considering what happened in the games.

    ¡°Hey, can you get us out of here?¡± Baldy demanded. ¡°This girl attacked us, it was crazy, I should press charges-¡± He began before Tulip silenced him by raising a single finger. Is that Psychic Aura on her part or just her presence? Though maybe the former leads into the latter¡­

    ¡°What is going on here - one at a time!¡± She clarified before turning to me.

    ¡°These are poachers. I found them in the cavern, and they tried to attack me, saying they were going to kill me and take away my team.¡± I took a deep breath, pushing away the tumultuous emotions that memory brought up. ¡°I fought them, won, and dragged them up here.¡±

    ¡°Is this all of them?¡± Tulip asked. Slowly, I shook my head.

    ¡°No, there was another person in their group. Raifort. She has long, wild blue hair and dark skin. Some interesting accessories¡­ I met her before with the group before they attacked. She hired them for ¡®something,¡¯¡± I said, putting as much implication into that word as I could. ¡°She left to explore the cavern, then these five doubled back.¡±

    The teenage model nodded before turning to Baldy and the others. ¡°And your version of events?¡±

    ¡°We were ambushed-¡±

    ¡°-Nothing wrong-¡±

    ¡°-I want a lawyer!¡±

    ¡°One at a time!¡± Tulip¡¯s voice rang out across the plains, and they all winced. That Hyper Voice really did a number on their eardrums. I should have Dun teach Phantasm how to use that Move; she has a good handle on her Ghostly energies, but her Normal Typing is important too.

    A few shared glances between the criminals had Baldy talking on behalf of them. ¡°Ma¡¯am, I don¡¯t know what she¡¯s talking about; that¡¯s nonsense. We¡¯re just a bunch of Kantoan sailors who were exploring this lovely land when we were attacked by this girl. All our Pokemon were legally obtained; no poaching here.¡± I mean, decent argument if the dude didn¡¯t sound like an axe-murderer.

    ¡°What about those Dratinis you captured?¡± I pipped up, earning a glare from Tulip. It also got the desired response from one of the poachers.

    ¡°What about them? We¡¯re allowed to catch wild Pokemon,¡± Shaggy whined.

    ¡°So you¡¯re admitting you caught them?¡± Before Baldy could immediately deny me, I added, ¡°You aren¡¯t denying that we¡¯ll find them on your boat, the boat that you have keys to.¡± Tulip raised an immaculate eyebrow but allowed the question to go on, with the clear implications that she would be having words with me afterwards if this didn¡¯t go anywhere. Scratch that, she¡¯ll still have words with me after this is done; they just might be a little less cutting if it works.

    ¡°... Yeah, so what? They¡¯re wild Pokemon, we can catch a dozen unowned Dratini if we want. Heck, you¡¯re the only one taking Pokemon, you took all of ours!¡± He declared, giving me a crooked smirk.

    ¡°Well, for the first point, you¡¯re wrong. You can¡¯t catch more than one Dragon Type as a visitor in Paldea. And if you¡¯d legally arrived, you¡¯d know that.¡± Technically, there are some exceptions for this, like Professor sponsored Trainers and the like, but that¡¯s not really relevant here.

    That factoid had everyone, even Tulip, blinking in surprise. ¡°Really? I¡¯d never heard of that.¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°That¡¯s probably cause you were born here. My family moved here from Unova, so I know stuff like that.¡± Though honestly, I know that more from my talks with Hassel than remembering the Glitterati¡¯s moving to Paldea.

    ¡°Nemona?¡± Tulip questioned, her voice a little worried, and I realized I was spacing out, swaying on my feet. Damn, I¡¯m tired. Aura cycling helped, but it has been a looooong day.

    ¡°Oh, right, the second point. Your Pokeballs?¡± I said, turning to the poachers and pulling out the bag where I had their Pokeballs and holding them up.

    ¡°Yeah, give them back!¡± The Girl shouted, her voice hoarse.

    ¡°These Pokeballs have been illegally altered to trap any Pokemon inside them.¡± My words caused all of them to go pale, especially as some police officers who had been walking towards us caught the tail end of that. Damn, really am too tired. Should have just brought that up first, before the Dragon thing.

    There were sputtered denials, but I knew we had them now. "Alright, if that¡¯s all, I¡¯m gonna find someplace safe to-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll need to get a more detailed statement from you, Miss Glitterati,¡± Tulip said, for the police¡¯s benefit. Telepathically, she told me, <I¡¯m going to take you to my home, ok? You can rest up there, and we¡¯ll talk more later>.

    Sleepily, I nodded, the older girl tossing an arm around me as she helped me walk off to her house while the police took care of things.

    ***

    I woke up from Tulip¡¯s couch in time to see the sun just starting to set over the horizon. With a yawn, I stretched before frantically checking on my Pokeballs. All there, all good. I breathed out a sigh of relief as I took in the room around me.

    It was quite a nice, picturesque, cozy house. There were little tea cozies and floral-patterned cushions. Or rather, Floette-patterned cushions. Tulip¡¯s parents really live up to their namesake, don¡¯t they?

    There was a note on the table addressed to me. ¡®Nemona, I¡¯ve gone to the Gym to handle the poacher situation there. When you¡¯re ready, please head over so we can talk about it (and possibly schedule you in for a battle as well).

    - Tulip¡¯

    That sounds like a good idea- my stomach grumbled, reminding me of an important intermediate step as well as drawing the attention of the owners of the house. Poking his head in a middle-aged man saw me. ¡°Ah, Marjorie, she¡¯s up!¡± He shouted back into the kitchen.

    ¡°Hello, sorry to intrude,¡± I began. He shook his gray and violet hair.

    "Nonsense, dear, no trouble at all. Our little fashionista has had much to say about you.¡±

    ¡°Only good things, I hope?¡± His smile wavered slightly at my question, answering it, even as he ignored it with his words.

    "Please stay for dinner, why dontcha? Marjorie is cooking up a mean casserole.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Floette-¡±

    ¡°Please, call me Greg.¡±

    ¡°Greg then, I really appreciate it, but I should probably get going. My team needs to be fed too.¡± While I do have plenty of Pokechow in my bag, and it¡¯s the fancy Type specific types, I¡¯d like to get something better for them. They deserve a reward after all their hard work yesterday.

    Marjorie entered the room, looking quite elegant, if not having the effortless air of beauty to her that her daughter carried. ¡°Are you sure? We have plenty of food for your team as well.¡±

    ¡°I-¡± My stomach grumbled again. ¡°Ok then, I mean, thank you.¡± She smiled, and I soon found myself whisked to the dining room. It would be a little crowded to have most of my team inside with me, so I let all but Miles (who didn¡¯t eat food), outside to partake their meals, alongside Marjorie and Greg¡¯s Floettes.

    ¡°That¡¯s quite the team you have there. Our Tulip isn¡¯t one to hand out praises easily, and I can see she was speaking the truth about you.¡± I ¡®mmhmm¡¯d at Greg¡¯s words, both unsure of what to say and hoping to scarf down more of the delicious food in front of me.

    He continued, ¡°I remember going on a journey when I was a young lad, bit older than you are now. Thought I¡¯d be Champion someday till Kofu stopped my challenge dead in its tracks!¡±

    ¡°I think there were some other reasons you stopped as well,¡± Marjorie said with a pointed look at him.

    ¡°Ah, yes, meeting the love of my life had an effect on me as well.¡± While they shared a look, I quickly directed Miles to send off some texts to my friends and family, letting them know I was in Alfornada.

    ¡°What was your team like, Mr- Greg?¡± I asked, in between bites.

    ¡°Oh, I had a fierce Croconaw and a Tinkatink to go along with my dear Floette. They aren¡¯t here,¡± he added, seeing me looking out the window for them. ¡°Hard to keep a full team fed when you stop traveling.¡±

    Instinctually, I wanted to grab my team and hold them close. ¡°I don¡¯t plan on stopping traveling any time soon. Becoming Champion is just the first step for me.¡± Sure, I know that he doesn¡¯t want to take away any of my Pokemon and that I won¡¯t ever have to give up my team even if I quit this instant with my family¡¯s help, but still.

    ¡°Oh ho ho!¡± He said it with a laugh, and Marjorie smiled kindly as well. They weren¡¯t looking down on me per se, but it was clear that they thought my dreams were childish. That I haven¡¯t met the realities of the world yet. How can people not understand how incredible this world is, how limitless? For people to just settle down and aim for mundane, boring jobs when there¡¯s such magic in the world¡­ I don¡¯t get it.

    ¡°Is something out there?¡± Marjorie asked, and I snapped my attention back to her.

    ¡°Huh?¡±

    ¡°You were staring intently outside, dear.¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing, just thinking of all the places I want to go and all the sights I want to see.¡± It¡¯s probably just a coincidence, but my gaze out the window there went to the Great Crater.

    After we finished dinner, I helped clean up before they offered me the guest bed. Still feeling tired (but not so much so that I launched myself straight onto the couch like I had this morning), I agreed. It¡¯s easier than finding a hotel to stay at right now, but I should find a way to pay them back- Dendra?

    I sniffed around and found her scent coming from the bed, despite also being able to make out that it had been washed recently. Ah, right, she¡¯d probably be the one who uses this the most. It¡¯s odd having such a great sense of smell in this world. Or maybe it just feels odd that my sense of smell was so bad back in my past life.

    Getting to sleep was a troublesome affair, not helped by the bad dreams plaguing me. Visions of my Pokemon being taken away from me danced in my head. No matter how much I tried to run after them, the faceless poachers grew farther and farther away until I fell to the ground. Then, my family - my first family - showed up, taunting me that I had ¡®abandoned them too.¡¯ I tried to refuse and-

    Waking up with a start, I found myself pinned to the bed, Dun looking down worriedly at me. ¡°Oof,¡± I said mildly, trying to shift him to the side so I could breathe easier. He does make an excellent weighted blanket, though. ¡°I¡¯m fine, just need my nightmares to stay in their damn lanes.¡±

    The door opened up, and Tulip strode in. To the regular eye, she looked as poised as ever. Under my discerning gaze, I could see the extra makeup applied underneath her eyes to hide the bags that were forming. ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked immediately.

    She arched an eyebrow. ¡°I feel like I should be asking you that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I said instinctually before wilting under her glare. ¡°I¡­ will be. Just some bad dreams, they¡¯ll pass.¡± Or fade away, just like the memories of my first li- bad train of thought all aboard the new train! Uhhhh is that breakfast I smell? Pancakes! Pancakes sound great right now.

    A frown marred the model¡¯s face. ¡°I wish I hadn¡¯t taught you to flicker your thoughts like that. It makes you hard to read when you go through emotions so fast,¡± she grumbled.

    ¡°Heh, I think that¡¯s just part of how I work naturally. I tend to hop from idea to idea, really frustrates Cyan sometimes.¡± Which isn¡¯t to say my Aura training with her hasn¡¯t helped me hone that as a skill.

    Finally shifting out from under Dun, I got up. ¡°Shall we get breakfast?¡± Surprisingly, Tulip shook her head.

    ¡°I¡¯ve already eaten, and they need me back at the Gym. Can you drop by today?¡±

    Nodding, I said, ¡°Yeah. I¡¯ll be there after breakfast.¡± The meal was a quick (yet tasty) affair, with me heading out shortly after. Gathering my things (mainly just my bag), I waved Mr. & Mrs. Floette off before heading out into the city.

    Getting a good look at it, I was reminded of when I¡¯d come here before to train with Tulip and Dendra and how unique it was. The city was unquestionably beautiful, with almost every building painted in bright colors and fun patterns, garden boxes, and benches on several streets.

    All the artistry served as a contrast for the actual design of most of the buildings (sans the modern, sleek Gym Building I was heading to) in the city. From houses to shops, each of them had a very blocky, bulky design. When combined with the wall around the city limits, it gave the picture of the place once being like a fortress. At least until they decided to trade and connect with the rest of Paldea, after it became apparent that no one wanted to scale a mountain to try attacking them.

    The thoughts of history and what might have been inevitably had my mind turning towards Raifort. Looking through my journals, I had noted that she was a ¡®suspicious character,¡¯ with the hints dropped in the game. The interest in the Treasures of Ruin was particularly worrisome, though I didn¡¯t think that was her goal here.

    Unfortunately, I don¡¯t remember much more than that from the games. What could her goal here be? I don¡¯t believe it¡¯s as simple as stealing a Pokemon.

    I also investigated online and found that Raifort wasn¡¯t a teacher. Neither was Saguaro, Salvatore, Miriam, or so many others. Jacq and Clavell were just listed as post-grads, researchers connected to the school, but no sign of them being teachers (or the future director). Tyme was actually the current Montevenera Gym Leader, her sister not having taken her place yet.

    Will this change things so she doesn¡¯t become the History teacher at Uva? Then again, I don¡¯t think for a second that she was truly unaware of what those poachers were like, so maybe it¡¯s not too bad if we don¡¯t have her there. Then again, the current staff lets the bullies run rampant, so they aren¡¯t great either.

    Without any leads to follow up on, I was headed to the Gym. The walk through the peaceful city did a lot to help ease my nerves, just by seeing the happy people walk through it without a care. I still had a bit of twitchyness after my encounter with the criminals, always keeping Miles out as we walked, but it helped. Not every shadow hides something nefarious.

    While we walked, I had Miles take a few photos of the city and message my friends. Last night I had told them that I had arrived, but today I actually gave them a bit more of a status report. Mostly.

    GlitterOnYouCrazyChampion: ¡®Feeling refreshed and rested now! The small scuffles behind me, I¡¯m appreciating the beauty of Alfornada and the amazing view from the mountaintop.¡¯

    MasterChef: ¡®Are you gonna to chck ut the leaping Tower!?¡¯

    AmethystExplorer: ¡®What kind of scuffles are we talking about?¡¯

    GlitterOnYouCrazyChampion: ¡®Yes, yes, I¡¯ll look at the Leaning Tower. Probably after my Gym Match. The Olive Fields were alright? They make very big olives, but they¡¯re out of season right now.¡¯

    AmethystExplorer: ¡®Are you ignoring me?¡¯

    AmethystExplorer: ¡®Nemona??¡¯

    GlitterOnYouCrazyChampion: ¡®Aha, sorry about that, must have missed your messages.¡¯

    GlitterOnYouCrazyChampion: ¡®Just, some battles. Fought two Tera Pokemon down on the Alfornada detour; here let me send you some pics. [attached files]¡¯

    TooCute4U: ¡®Nemona, why does it sound like you¡¯re hiding something?¡¯

    GlitterOnYouCrazyChampion: ¡®:sweatdrop. Umm¡­ wait, Lacey, why are you awake right now? Isn¡¯t it like 5 in the morning for you?¡¯

    TooCute4U: ¡®Drilly had a tummy ache. No answer the question!¡¯

    TooCute4U: ¡®*now¡¯

    GlitterOnYouCrazyChampion: ¡®Ugh fine. I fought some paochers and had to take them in and it was a long hike up the cavern, ok?¡¯

    MasterChef: ¡®WUT? NEMONA ARE YOU OK!?!?!?¡¯

    TooCute4U: ¡®oh nooooo!¡¯

    AmethystExplorer: ¡®...Where are these poachers?¡¯

    CyanGlitterarti: ¡®Nemona, do you need help? I can leave school.¡¯

    Best (Worst) Girl: ¡®Good morning everyone.¡¯

    Best (Worst) Girl: ¡®*scrolls back* What the fudge?!¡¯

    GlitterOnYouCrazyChampion: ¡®Sorry everyone, gotta go, entering a Gym Building which means I¡¯ll mysteriously lose all service for as long as it takes everyone to calm down.¡¯

    CyanGlitterati: ¡®How could that possibly be how Gyms work? It makes no sense¡¯

    GlitterOnYouCrazyChampion: ¡®That¡¯s why it¡¯s mysterious ??¡¯

    Turning my attention away from that, I marched forward, through the sliding doors to the monolithic Gym Building in front of me. The lobby had quite an energy to it, no one moving frantically, but all of the League employees moving about swiftly, carrying documents or the like back and forth. The few police officers and lack of any civilians in the lobby also added to the pressure of the environment.

    Tulip was in the corner and made a beeline for me as soon as she saw me. ¡°Ne- Miss Glitterari, it¡¯s good to see you.¡± She called over an officer and said, ¡°If we could get your statement now, that would be appreciated.¡±

    I nodded, knowing I¡¯d have to face the music. And being prepared means I know what tunes to play, hopefully. They took me off to a conference room to take my statement. The officer, a middle-aged woman, smiled kindly as she said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, dear, this should all go very smoothly. Just tell us what happened from your perspective.¡± Well, hadn¡¯t expected them to be so nice to me. Then again, I am a nine-year-old girl, and they are a bunch of scary criminals.

    ¡°Well, I had just made it to the entrance of the Alfornada Cavern when this- this woman came down and¡­¡± I gave her a slightly truncated version of events. Telling the truth seemed like a solid strategy, though I skimmed over certain details. Like how I was able to hear the poachers talking about killing me and taking my Pokemon from so far away, and how much I may have threatened them to force them to move along.

    She asked for a bit of clarification along the way, like details about Raifort (which I had little on), and some of the injuries the poachers had (which was fairly easily accepted as me just trying to stop them from escaping, especially given the stunt Middle Finger had pulled in front of Tulip). Plus, some of those injuries were caused by their own Pokemon or the necessity of battle happening in that enclosed of a space.

    The biggest question they had was on how I knew about the Pokeballs being tampered with. ¡°We only saw a few scuff marks on the side of the casing of those Balls. How did you know that they had been tampered with and in such a fashion?¡±

    Right, probably shouldn¡¯t mention I¡¯ve been trawling the dark web to know that. ¡°I mean, the fact that almost all of them had those marks was a pretty clear sign of some kind of tampering. That and I took out the poachers before they could release their full teams, but none of the other Pokemon released themselves to help. Plus, they had Pokemon like Magneton, while Electric Stones aren¡¯t that expensive, not for the kind of operation they¡¯re running. Clearly, there was a lack of trust between them and their Pokemon. At least, between some of them.¡±

    I¡¯d bet good money that Middle Finger lost his namesake from that Feraligatr. Probably not when it was fully evolved, though. I could definitely see him stealing a regional starter when it was just a Totodile, and then abusing it until it was too scared to fight back anymore.

    ¡°Only some of them? Why do you think that?¡± The officer asked and I blinked.

    ¡°It was hard to see in the cave, but some of the Pokemon had scars and other signs of abuse. But others¡­ that Hypno Baldy had-¡±

    ¡°Bald- you mean Mr. Moreau?¡± The officer asked, and I blushed.

    ¡°Uh, is that his name? They never introduced themselves, so I just gave them nicknames in my head.¡± Both the officer and Tulip gave me bemused smiles at that. ¡°Anyway, the Hypno communicated with him telepathically, and the Hypno had a well-brushed mane. Not like, a sure sign of anything, I just thought¡­¡±

    The officer grimaced, and Tulip nodded. ¡°The Gym can investigate as to any collaborators amongst the Pokemon.¡± She didn¡¯t sigh out loud, but I could feel the exhaustion coming off of her. Right, as this is a Fairy Type Gym, she¡¯s probably the only Psychic specialist here to help deal with that communication. I hadn¡¯t delved too deeply into the law there, but Pokemon choosing to break the laws and work with criminals was a complicated subject.

    ¡°Alright, you¡¯ve badgered the young lady enough now, don¡¯t you think?¡± A male voice entered the room alongside the man himself. The gray-haired man strode in imperiously, his manner aided by his immaculate pink suit and violet faux-fur trim cape trailing behind him.

    Wow, his getup is just as ¡®extra¡¯ in real life as it is in videos. Then again, I think all Gym Leaders are like that. Katy had a baker''s outfit on for our fight, though I noticed it wasn¡¯t the same as the one she used to actually bake with me, so it was probably closer to a stylized costume.

    ¡°Leader Oberon, good of you to join us." The officer said in a tone that implied the opposite. ¡°I appreciate your enthusiasm, but-¡±

    ¡°But what? We¡¯ve already found outstanding warrants for the bunch. This young lady did us a huge favor in capturing those rapscallions.¡± Turning to me, he said, ¡°And I hear you¡¯re looking for a match against myself.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s right, sir.¡±

    He grinned broadly. ¡°I see no reason to delay you further then. Usually we¡¯d have a Gym Trial where you¡¯d play Key-p away with some of the Klefkis; they can be quite vicious when it comes to defending their keys. But I feel you¡¯ve been through enough of a trial in bringing these scoundrels to justice. I¡¯d be happy to face you right awa-¡±

    ¡°Ahem,¡± the officer cleared her throat. ¡°While I can agree we have enough information from Miss Glitterati for the time being, I¡¯d like your assistance in dealing with the criminal investigation. Particularly in investigating this Raifort character - she might still be around town and we have some questions for her.¡± Her smile was sharp and even had Oberon wincing.

    ¡°Ah, perhaps in a few days, then.¡± He offered me, and I nodded.

    ¡°That sounds good to me. Oh, and it should give you enough time to prepare your A-game, because I¡¯d like to face your strongest team, sir.¡± There was a flash of shock from both him and the officer, but Tulip just nodded her head.

    ¡°I¡¯d advise you to take her up on that, Oberon. She¡¯s a stronger Trainer than I am.¡± Tulip¡¯s recognition got a serious nod from the Gym Leader.

    ¡°Very well. I shall let you know in a few days time when we¡¯re ready. And on that day, you shall face the might of Paldea¡¯s greatest Fairy Trainer!¡±

 Chapter 50

    With at least a few days before my challenge, I went to the Pokemon Center on the edge of the city to get my team checked out. I¡¯d already tended to them with healing items after our battle with the poachers, but I figured it couldn¡¯t hurt to have a professional check them over.

    Oh, how mistaken I was, I thought as the Nurse Joy frowned at her scans, then at me, then back at the scans. ¡°Is there a problem?¡± I asked, trying to conceal any nervousness in my voice with a bright smile.

    ¡°Your Zorua¡­ how did you get her?¡± She asked, and my smile froze. Shit. If it was just an unusual variant she hadn¡¯t seen before, I don¡¯t think she¡¯d be asking like this. Does she know? I had theorized that the Joy clan might have had something to do with the disappearance of Hisuian Zoruas, so it stood to reason that some of them might recognize mine.

    ¡°I came across her not far from the Tagwood Thicket. When I asked if she wanted to join me in my quest to become Champion, she jumped at the chance. She¡¯s one of the newer members of my team,¡± I added, holding a hand out for her to return my Pokeballs.

    The Nurse Joy didn¡¯t seem happy about that, continuing to press. ¡°Did you find any others like-¡±

    ¡°No,¡± I interjected. ¡°Don¡¯t think you¡¯ll have to worry about any others like her from there either.¡± Ugh, this is annoying. I hope she gets the message that I didn¡¯t make her that way (at least not directly or intentionally) and that she doesn¡¯t need to worry about people going around torturing Zoruas. It¡¯s difficult to get that across though while also sending the message that I know how they are made while also saying that I¡¯m not going to spread that information around. Because if I told her outright without confirming she knows how- just frustrating.

    After a moment, she passed the Pokeballs back to me. Either understanding what I was trying to get across or just not having a legal reason to detain me further. Hopefully this won¡¯t be a problem later. The Joy clan hardly made up the majority of Nurse Joys in Paldea, but there were a few, and they were intrinsically tied to the Pokemon medical industry.

    With my Pokemon back, I restocked my supplies before venturing out from the city, heading off across the plains. Gothitelles and Klefkis wandered about, amidst grazing Deerlings. Psychic and Fairy are weird Typings to place. What makes a location like this desirable for Pokemon like them? The more elemental or animalistic Typings are easier to understand by geographical features, but these can be more varied.

    It took a good few hours to trek across the plains and up a few hills to make it to the monument I was heading towards. During that time, I messaged back the friend group chat, called my parents (and Leah), and booked a hotel room to stay in. Grand adventures and stories always miss these little things in favor of- ¡°Whoa.¡±

    That was all I could think to say as I rounded the corner and faced one of the Ten Sights of Paldea. Water fell down from atop the cliffs high above, pouring down past the tip of a watchtower. The ancient gray tower was leaning at an angle, sticking out of the pool of water flooding its base, giving the impression that water was falling out of its top.

    Off to the side, away from the secluded sight, I saw the rest of Paldea spread out before me. The winding hills led to the largest desert in the land, and past that, the titanic frost covered peaks of Glasedo Mountain. Cutting off my view of the rest of the land was the Great Crater, the rocky barrier between it actually lower than the heights I stood on but concealed by clouds so I couldn¡¯t peer in.

    Ok, I can see why the tales skim over the boring stuff when you have sights like this to focus on. Releasing my full team, I gestured at the view with my arms and asked, ¡°Anyone up for a picnic?¡±

    ***

    After a nice relaxing picnic, we got back to work, spending the trip and most of our next few days training. There were plenty of Pokemon and a few Trainers to challenge around Alfornada, as well as hours upon hours of videos and forums to scroll through.

    Unsurprisingly, a few days in, and I get a call from the Gym secretary. "Hello, Miss Glitterati, our part of the investigation is over for now.¡± The last part of that sentence was said in a low tone, like one would try to ward off evil. Perking back up, she finished, ¡°So the Gym Leader is ready to face you in battle.¡±

    ¡°Perfect. I¡¯ll be there in hmmm¡­¡± Looking out, I gauged how far away I was from the city, as well as time to heal up and go over plans one last time. ¡°Half an hour? Yeah, half an hour. Should I go to the Gym Building-?¡±

    She shook her head. ¡°You can go straight to the arena - it¡¯s the large circular building beside the Gym Building.¡± She hung up without any further clarification, but I could understand why. It was a massive structure, visible from pretty much anywhere in the city, with a large spiral staircase running around the side of it, leading up to a flat top, with odd spiral beams sticking up and out and up, meeting in the center well above the already towering building.

    Is it even a building? The outside is heavily decorated, but I don¡¯t see any entrances or windows for anything inside. While there would be some mechanical features just below the very top to maintain the battlefield, that still left plenty of space down beneath it.

    Caught up in my thoughts, I barely noticed the martial artist beside Tulip as I approached the bottom of the stairs. ¡°Dendra!¡± I cried out, running forward and tackling her in a hug. The brawny girl giggled, returning the hug.

    ¡°Up this way,¡± Tulip sniffed, pointing a hand up the stairs. Rather than immediately go up, I went over and gave her a hug too.

    ¡°Sorry, didn¡¯t mean to leave you out. I¡¯ve just been busy training. I really want to do well in this battle.¡± She didn¡¯t acknowledge my apology verbally, but she did hug me back, which I counted as a win.

    The Gym Trainer nodded. ¡°That¡¯s good; there are many people excited to see your battle.¡± At my confused head tilt, she added, ¡°Word got around.¡±

    Listening, I could indeed hear a vast crowd chatting above us. Damn, I know the arena is big, but there must be a hundred people up there, and I¡¯m sure the officials are keeping enough room for us to fight there. Looking down, I saw even more people drifting towards the base. Can¡¯t believe I missed all of them when I was walking here, guess I got a bit tunnel-visioned, whoops.

    ¡°Word about-?¡± Tulip shook her head before I could finish that sentence.

    ¡°Oberon just advertised that this would be an exciting match, not anything that would cause a panic.¡± I nodded, my lips pursed tight. Poachers are a serious problem; I can see why that might cause unrest. Especially since Raifort is still out there. A sketch artist had made a very good copy of the woman, thanks to Phantasm making an easy illusion to sketch, but Raifort¡¯s own illusionist Pokemon made that a rather moot tool.

    Reaching the top, I saw the crowds gathered there. They cheered louder at my arrival, though I noticed that most of them were cheering with renewed fervor for Oberon rather than myself. Still, I think I¡¯m hearing a few people cheering for me, including a familiar voice? Not that familiar, can¡¯t quite place it.

    Amidst the throng of people gathered around the edges of the arena, I saw someone familiar, though he didn¡¯t sound it. Dressed in a pink t-shirt and shorts, I saw a tiny Ortega, cheering on his dad at the top of his lungs.

    The man in question stood on the other side of the arena with his back turned to me. ¡°So you¡¯ve arrived, young challenger. But dare you take on the King of Fairies, Oberon?¡± He whirled around dramatically, flourishing his cape with an extra swish of a bejeweled cane. The top of his cane was capped with a Tera Orb, proving it was more than just a fashion choice.

    ¡°I dare indeed, O King, and at the end of the day, we¡¯ll see who reigns supreme!¡± I can ham it up too, and I don¡¯t even need a cape to look dramatic. Though that was because I was using my Aura to whip a small wind and make my jacket flutter in the breeze I created while standing still with my arms crossed.

    My proclamation had whispers rippling throughout the crowd, people wondering at how I could stand up and be so bold. Really, people? I challenged him; of course I¡¯m at least going to step up to the plate. Then again, I vaguely remember the rap kid that challenges Rhyme in the games before immediately giving up, so I guess some people can get cowed easily.

    I was not one of them, stepping up to take my place (after passing my phone for Dendra to record the match). The referee took her place on the side and confirmed we were both ready. Locking my gaze onto his pink eyes, I saw confidence. Strength. But deeper than that, there is a need to prove that strength. He¡¯s supposed to be the defender of this land, the lord looking after his people, and here comes an errant knight that does his job for him. When challenged to a duel, he¡¯ll pick-

    ***

    [¡°...And Oberon leads with Azumarill! Oh, this is gonna be a tough matchup for Blake. His ace, Baxcalibur, will have a rough time here¡­¡±

    A foot tapping impatiently tore my attention away from the video playing on my phone, the commentators'' words becoming white noise as I focused on my Pokemon. Riolu, for her part, seemed unimpressed with it, barking, ¡°Iolu!¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not a waste of time. Studying the matches gives us insight into our foes, which helps us strategize for the battles to come.¡± Something that I imagine I¡¯ll be sorely missing once I become a Champion. Then every challenger will be coming up to me with a team I know nothing about while they¡¯ve intensely studied me. ¡°Besides, what else are we going to be doing here?¡±

    The hotel room we were staying in was quite nice, plush, and richly accommodated. However, it did not make for a good workout room. Not to say that she couldn¡¯t go downstairs and do just that if she wanted, but I think we¡¯re all tired from today¡¯s practice.

    ¡°Riolu, luu.¡± She whined.

    ¡°I¡¯d be happy to meditate with you; training our Auras is just as important as our bodies. But first, watch this video,¡± I said, rewinding it back a bit to just before she had interrupted. ¡°What does it tell you about this match?¡±

    She cocked her head to the side, staring at it intently before shaking her head, frustrated. It¡¯s like she¡¯s saying that this is just the same as all his other matches, wondering why I¡¯m spending so much time on this.

    ¡°I know how invested you are in trying to make Aura Constructs. It¡¯s a useful skill, and one that will serve you well when you evolve. Training Aura takes time though; it rarely comes from just beating your head against the wall. I¡¯m not doing that either, by watching all these videos. Deeper analysis gives us greater answers, which we can use to predict their plans.¡±

    Riolu¡¯s defensive look was replaced by a more curious one, so I continued. ¡°Oberon is leading with Azumarill here, which shows he¡¯s nervous - usually, he leads with Klefki to disrupt his opponent. He wants to use the Huge Power Azumarill has to intimidate his opponents. That means that we should¡­¡±]

    ***

    Two red flashes of light hit the field, coalescing in two diminutive bipedal forms. They both stood at about the same height, albeit with Riolu being far slimmer than his blue, long-eared Pokemon.

    If the Gym Leader was surprised at me using a Fighting Type to lead against him, he didn¡¯t show it, standing imperiously. The referee quieted down the crowd before counting us in. ¡°The battle will begin in three, two, one¡­ begin!¡±

    ¡°Belly Drum- wait, dodge!¡± Oberon tried to correct, but it was too late. The bunny-like Pokemon had begun beating his rotund belly with his paws and couldn¡¯t avoid Riolu¡¯s charge. She had surged forward that instant the referee¡¯s countdown finished, not needing to wait for an order from me to enact the strategy we¡¯d decided to start the battle with.

    Grass sprouted beneath her feet as she ran forward, slamming into Azumarill, knocking the heavy Pokemon off his feet. Oberon proved his Pokemon was experienced, quickly recovering, enough that I didn¡¯t feel comfortable trying to capitalize on the hit.

    ¡°Aqua Jet!¡± A good thing too, I thought as Azumarill angled himself towards Riolu, blasting water out from his feet and hands to propel himself forward.

    ¡°Quick Guard!¡± Riolu launched herself into the Move before I was finished speaking, which was a good thing as Azumaril rebounded off the brown-colored barrier that Riolu had conjured almost immediately after. I wasn¡¯t sure if the Belly Drum had fully empowered our opponent, but the shockwave from the impact had me worried and everyone in the crowd gasping.

    The field quickly flickered away, but it was enough to throw off Azumarill, leaving an opening with our foe so close by. ¡°Metal Claw!¡± I shouted, punching my hand out. She mimicked me, her paw shooting forward and burying her paw into Azumaril¡¯s body, causing the other Pokemon to recoil backward.

    ¡°Azu!¡± Oberon shouted, shocked at how much damage our ¡®Metal Claw¡¯ had done. Guess he didn¡¯t catch the poison dripping off the end of her claws. Well, the angle was bad anyway for him to have seen the Poison Jab.

    He recovered his composure quickly. ¡°Finish this, Play Rough!¡± The blue Pokemon bounced back, throwing himself playfully at Riolu, but we still held the advantage.

    ¡°Dancing Sword!¡± My Fighting Type aligned her energies and motion with Azumarill¡¯s. As the powerful Pokemon lumbered forward, she spun to the side, bopping the top of his head. He would lean over in a big sweep that looked almost like an attempt to scoop her in a hug but surely would have broken bones if it hit¡­ only for Riolu to flip over the unbalanced Azumarill. So on it went for a few seconds, Riolu avoiding Azumarill¡¯s attack in an equally playful manner.

    The unusual Move caught Oberon flat-footed, the regal manner looking flabbergasted, and I knew it was time to finish this. ¡°Trailblaze, once more!¡±

    So close, and already boosted from the first use of the Move, Azumarill had no chance of dodging the attack. Grass erupted from the ground as Riolu burst forward, driving her shoulder into Azumarill. Once more, the Water Type was knocked to the ground as my Pokemon ran past him, but this time, Oberon¡¯s Pokemon didn¡¯t get back up.

    Everyone was silent for a moment before the referee shakily called out, ¡°Az- Azumarill is unable to battle! Leader Oberon, send out your next Pokemon!¡± The crowd erupted into a mix of awed whispers and jubilant cheers for myself and Riolu.

    ¡°Wow!¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it! Never seen anything like that in all my years¡­¡±

    ¡°Mommy, can I get a Rolu too?¡±

    Riolu herself looked unflappable, standing coolly with her arms crossed, not even having looked back at her opponent. The Expert Belt around her waist flapping in the breeze... If I didn¡¯t know her, I¡¯d believe she was totally unconcerned with her image. But with the work we¡¯ve done on Aura, I can literally feel how happy she is. That, and I had memories of her stubbornly focusing to stop her tail from wagging in joy whenever I praised her for mastering a difficult Move.

    Oberon slowly lifted his Pokeball, recalling Azumaril. ¡°I see you weren¡¯t joking about your strength. But my Granbull leaves even the mightiest Pokemon trembling in fear!¡± He declared as he released his Pokemon.

    The large, pink, bipedal pitbull-like Pokemon growled, the noise sending a shiver down my spine. Riolu herself, however, remained unmoved, only shifting her stance to face him.

    ¡°Granbull, show them your adorable strength!¡± Our foe scrambled across the field, a deceptively happy grin on his face as he neared Riolu and prepared to break her bones.

    ¡°Dancing Sword,¡± I called out, not missing the grin that slowly grew across Oberon¡¯s face as Riolu followed my command. She gracefully slipped around Granbull¡¯s attacks, empowering herself with her quick moves.

    ¡°Metal Claw,¡± I called out again, with the same jabbing motion to let her know to use Poison Jab instead. I think that trick might have run its course after this time, however. Poison Jab doesn¡¯t have any hidden meaning or alternate plans when I called it out, so it shouldn¡¯t confuse her.

    That was something I had eventually realized when training my team. Even when preparing specifically for certain battles, getting too complicated would end up just backfiring as my Pokemon didn¡¯t or only partially remembered the complex orders.

    The Gym Leader understood the value of simple plans as well, countering by saying, ¡°Keep on attacking! Don¡¯t let up!¡±

    Granbull rushed ahead, taking the Poison Jab to the gut, but he pushed through the pain. With a joyous swing of his head, he slammed hard into Riolu with one of his lower fangs. The Fairy Type attack sent her sprawling, and she tried to acrobatically catch herself, but Granbull continued his pursuit, like a dog with a bone.

    As she flipped through the air again, I saw our opening, as Granbull tossed her just a bit too far. ¡°Earthquake!¡± I shouted, and as she fell to the ground, she readied her foot, gathering up Ground Type energy in it. As she reached the ground, she drove her foot into the ground, sending a wave rippling out from the impact.

    The Granbull busy pursuing Riolu couldn¡¯t avoid the earth smashing into him in time, which gave Riolu a bit of breathing room. Not as much as I¡¯d like though; even after two boosts, she¡¯s not hitting as hard as Dun could. Of course, he¡¯s been practicing Earthquake a ton recently, and she¡¯s also faster than him regularly. With the boosts from Trailblaze now¡­

    When our foe got back up, Riolu had already darted halfway across the arena and was pelting him with waves of force emanating out from her paws. The glowing blue shockwaves struck at Granbull, lancing into him from different angles with each step he took towards her. As much as he tried, he couldn¡¯t close with Riolu, she kept on circling around him.

    The distance between them as well as his Typing meant each shot did little damage, but that didn¡¯t matter. ¡°Keep at it!¡± I shouted, waiting for our moment¡­

    ***

    [¡°Today, I want you to try fighting a Gothorita,¡± I said to Riolu, pointing at some of the black and white diminutive Psychic Types roaming the fields.

    She nodded, turning to face her challenger before I clarified. ¡°Wait, there¡¯s more. You¡¯ve already beaten tons of the Psychic and Fairy Types here. They¡¯ve been a good opportunity for you to face off against those with a Type advantage against you and can hit extra hard when fighting you. You¡¯ve also learned enough and know enough coverage Moves that you don¡¯t need to simply spar one again.¡±

    One of the even smaller Gothita¡¯s wandering nearby turned to glance at us, fixing me with a strange stare, unnerving Riolu. My Pokemon even started growling at her before I waved Riolu down.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry about what she¡¯s feeling. Gothita aren¡¯t as Psychically developed as their evolutions, so she¡¯s probably just distracted by something else. Those Gothorita are going to be a bit tougher, however, which is why I want you to beat them, but only with Fighting Type Moves.¡±

    Riolu blinked, her red eyes narrowing as she stared at me before the spark of my idea reached her, and she barked eagerly. She¡¯s quick on the uptake when it comes to fighting, and after our talk last night, she¡¯s gotten better at strategizing.

    Idly, I tossed around a name idea in my head, liking it. But that¡¯s for later; right now I¡¯m waiting to see if she- yes! She already Paralyzed a Gothorita. Even an ineffective Move can be critical with the effects attached to it. Plus, she¡¯s just so much more practiced with those Moves that she can use them quicker. This will work nicely.]

    ***

    One of the Force Palms took Granbull in the knee, causing the bigger Pokemon to fall down. I also didn¡¯t miss how the Pokemon tried to catch himself at the last second with his arms before his limbs spasmed out. He¡¯s Paralyzed!

    ¡°Quick Attack into Poison Jab!¡± I crowed, and Riolu hurled herself forward, blurring into a quick kick that cracked into the side of Granbull¡¯s head. Spinning artfully from the first attack, she jabbed down at him with a Poison coated claw.

    Her opponent yowled in pain before biting down on instinct on Riolu¡¯s wrist. The Dark Type attack did little damage, but it kept her in place, leaving Riolu unable to pry herself free from the powerful Pokemon.

    ¡°Detect!/Play Rough!¡±

    Oberon and I gave our commands at the same time, and each of our Pokemon reacted instantly. Eyes glowing blue, Riolu flipped, twisted, and turned as much as she could to avoid Granbull¡¯s onslaught. The big dog¡¯s grip on her complicated things as he shook her around like a chew toy. Funny when dogs do that to actual toys, but it¡¯s them acting on instinct of how they might kill prey.

    Riolu wasn¡¯t killed from the attack or even close to it, but she was looking a lot worse for wear after it ended. With dodging and even deflecting a few strikes with her own paws, she had avoided the worst of it, but she still seemed to be on her last legs. And Granbull still has a grip on her¡­ Damn, I don¡¯t see a way out of this.

    ¡°Switch!¡± I announced loudly, holding up Riolu¡¯s Pokeball and hitting her with the red beam, pulling her free from Granbull¡¯s grip.

    ¡°Challenger Nemona has used her first switch. Nemona, please choose your next Pokemon!¡± The referee called out. Since this battle is a six-on-six, we get three switches each, so I can afford to waste a few.

    ¡°Go, Notch!¡± I said, clicking the button to send Notch out onto the field, before immediately returning them. ¡°Switch! Go, Riolu!¡± Once more, Riolu hit the field, giving a defiant Howl the moment she did so.

    ¡°What?¡± Oberon said, his voice echoed by the rest of the crowd. His jaw hanging wide open was probably also copied by them. Who would think to use two switches just to reposition, after all? Still, better make up for the lost boosts from before.

    ¡°I told her before this battle that I¡¯d give her a good fight; so far you haven¡¯t shown that, so she¡¯s gotta keep on going.¡± I taunted in an oh-so-disappointed tone.

    ¡°WHAT!?¡± The suddenly enraged Gym Leader screeched, snapping his own cane in half. Damn, guess he''s stronger than he looks.

    Clicking my tongue, I shook my head. ¡°Sorry, just not enough for my adorable little battle maniac.¡± She Howled again, and I said, ¡°That¡¯s right! Cry your defiance for the world to hear!¡±

    Oberon gnashed his teeth together before his gaze flashed to the field, where he saw Riolu glowing slightly, the power-ups from Howl having left a visible mark. ¡°No matter! We know how to beat her now. Granbull, charge in and latch on with a Bite!¡±

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    As Granbull started tearing up the field, I called out ¡°Swords Dance!¡± We need more than speed here, we need power.

    Part of me wanted to back off from this strategy and try something else, but a fleeting glance into Riolu¡¯s large crimson eyes told me how much she would resent it if I did. And here I thought Notch could push things too far. Honestly, my whole team is full of battle crazed determinators. Still, I have faith she¡¯ll handle this.

    The Fighting Type finished her dance just as Granbull latched on. ¡°Show her who¡¯s the top dog in Alfornada, Play Rough!¡± Oberon called out, while I simply said:

    ¡°Tough it out.¡± That brought some scandalized gasps from the crowd, and I saw a few parents covering their kids eyes (not Ortega though; that kid looked on gleefully) as Granbull thrashed Riolu around violently, beating her with her paws and against the ground several times, leaving cracks in it.

    Riolu hung limp in Granbull¡¯s grip before his jaw loosened, and she began to slide down, her eyes closed. ¡°Riolu is unable to-¡± Her eyes snapped open, blazing crimson.

    ¡°REVERSAL!¡± I shouted out, spreading my arms wide, as if opening a curtain to reveal a grand show. One arm shooting out to Granbull¡¯s good leg, she pulled it up while driving her shoulder into his hip. Flipping him up in the air, she grabbed him as he was falling and forced him down even faster. Slamming him into the ground so hard he left a small crater in the arena, she followed up with a snap kick that sent him rolling over to Oberon¡¯s edge of the arena.

    ¡°... Granbull is unable to battle, Leader Oberon, please send out your next Pokemon.¡± The crowd erupted in cheers and exclamations, many of them even chanting out my Pokemon¡¯s name. Through it all though, one boy was booing at the top of his lungs, trying to be heard over the din.

    ¡°Boo! Booooooo! No way Father is going to lose to you! This is totally not fair!¡± He yelled, causing Oberon to chuckle.

    ¡°Don¡¯t fret, my son, I¡¯ll never lose. Certainly not while I have such an ardent supporter like you by my side!¡± His voice boomed over the arena, and I saw his composure return as he stared at me with steely pink eyes.

    ¡°Grimmsnarl, let¡¯s get this match really started!¡± He called out, releasing the hair-covered goblin Pokemon out onto the field. His Pokemon¡¯s mouth cracked open into a vicious, fang-filled smirk. Riolu stared up at foe, her legs tensed to pounce towards him.

    ***

    [¡°Alright, that¡¯s enough,¡± I said, bringing an end to Dun and Riolu¡¯s sparring match. Riolu panted, giving us both a small nod before marching towards me and holding a hand out for a berry. With an apologetic smile, I shook my head.

    ¡°Sorry, but you¡¯ve still got some more training to do.¡± She looked surprised before narrowing her eyes. ¡°Well, both of you do, but Dun¡¯s is about how fast he can fix himself up.¡±

    To my starter, I said, ¡°Practice Double Edge against that cliff, then Roost as fast as you can. Focus on getting your healing efficiency up as much as you can.¡±

    ¡°Dudun,¡± he nodded dutifully, throwing himself against the rocky cliff in spite of the cuts and bruises Riolu had left on him.

    Riolu herself was looking worse off, her legs shaking and breathing heavy, if steady. ¡°For you, the goal is a bit different. Your strongest Move is Reversal, and that Move relies on you being low on health. That leaves you especially vulnerable, so the goal of your training will be not getting hit.¡±

    Pulling Phantasm¡¯s ball from my belt, I released her. ¡°Rua?¡± The spiteful fox asked sleepily.

    ¡°Illusion training time. Try and pressure Riolu here with illusory images of some of the different Fairy Types we¡¯ve studied; don¡¯t be afraid to go faster than you physically can.¡±

    With that, I stepped back, taking note of every time she got ¡®hit,¡¯ which was frequently. To be fair, she¡¯s fighting a foe moving at literally the speed of thought, but still. A single hit will take her out when she¡¯s like that, but Endure + Reversal is one of her better combos, so she needs to learn how to fight like that.

    ¡°Try not to rush in,¡± I advised after I saw her get ¡®tagged¡¯ a few times. ¡°When you¡¯re in that situation, you need to float like a butterfly, then sting like a bee. In and out, fast and hard, don¡¯t get caught up, no matter what.¡±

    Riolu took a deep breath, centering herself before launching a quick Vacuum Wave out and darting around one, two, three strikes before darting in when Phantasm paused, thinking of the next attack. While the counterattack slipped through the illusion, I knew it¡¯d be devastating against a real foe.

    ¡°Good, let¡¯s do it again.]

    ***

    ¡°Force Palm,¡± I said, and Riolu rushed to mid-range, readying her Aura to release a big burst at the Grimmsnarl. While I saw that, I also noticed the fibrous hair around Grimmsnarl¡¯s further back arm tensing up.

    Before Oberon even called out ¡°Sucker Punch!¡± I was yelling at Riolu to abort. She dropped into a roll at my words, narrowly dodging Grimmsnarl¡¯s fist, which soared over her head.

    ¡°Vacuum Wave, keep note of his range,¡± I called out, and Riolu did so, pelting the larger Pokemon with a quick flurry rippling through the air.

    He has an answer. As good as Riolu is, she¡¯ll get beaten if Oberon takes her seriously here. But if he¡¯s more worried about me¡­ I took careful note of the Gym Leader¡¯s eyes shifting back and forth, the man thinking in a split second before calling out ¡°Light Screen!¡±

    Yes! The goblin Pokemon spread his arms out wide, crafting a transparent, slightly glowing screen around himself. It was fast, faster than even Notch could manage, but there was still an opening for us to exploit.

    ¡°Reversal! Grab him by the ears!¡± I shouted, and Riolu rocketed in, continuing her Vacuum Wave assault without missing a beat but instead firing the shots behind her to propel herself forward. Latching her hands onto his ears, she lifted her feet up, controlling her Aura carefully to keep a barrier between him and his hair, knowing how easily she could get caught up within the tangled mess.

    Ignoring his howling pain, she pushed off with her Aura, a burst from her legs giving her the leverage to flip the Grimmsnarl around and smash him into the ground behind her.

    ¡°Give it up,¡± Oberon called out, and the pitiful creature on the ground, with eyes watering, seemed to be pleading with Riolu to stop the onslaught.

    So we obliged. ¡°Detect!¡± I shouted sharply, knowing what this False Surrender would look like. Eyes glowing blue, Riolu got a clear vision of what that future would look like and hopped backwards, putting several meters between them.

    The Grimmsnarl blinked the crocodile tears out of his eyes, seeming perplexed at how that had failed before lifting himself back up. ¡°What kind of twisted tale is this? You¡¯re not supposed to be defiantly still standing,¡± Oberon groused. ¡°Blast her away, Dazzling Gleam!¡±

    ¡°Dodge it! Jump high!¡± With powerful legs, she shot up in the air, well above the deadly, sparkly laser beam Grimmsnarl fired at her. He didn¡¯t stop with one burst, however, redirecting it up to her in the air. ¡°Quick Attack to avoid it!¡± I shouted, and she burst around in a few sharp bursts, evading the attack by a hair¡¯s breadth.

    ¡°Reflect,¡± Oberon added, almost as an afterthought, his Pokemon quickly setting up another barrier. He¡¯s trying to set up for the next Pokemon he¡¯ll face, and he¡¯s right to; Riolu can¡¯t go on like this. She was fighting hard, but her body was shaking, despite her Auric control and focus.

    ¡°Get in close, finish this!¡± I shouted, chopping a hand down. She cried out, charging ahead one last time.

    ¡°I agree, it¡¯s past the point that we ended this farce. Break her spirit!¡± Covered in glittering energy, Grimmsnarl shot forward, smashing into Riolu. The blow sent her slamming into the barrier beside me, where she hung in the air for a second before I recalled her.

    At the same time, there was a shattering sound around Grimmsnarl, his barriers breaking as he clutched his side where Riolu¡¯s Brick Break had cut in.

    ¡°Riolu is unable to battle, Challenger Nemona; send out your next Pokemon!¡± The referee announced. Placing my hand around Dun¡¯s Pokeball, I spoke up before calling him out.

    ¡°You did well; I apologize for what I said before. That was a good fight.¡± Oberon smiled briefly before I continued, ¡°That was a tough fight for my most recent catch.¡± A bit misleading as to her overall strength, admittedly, but only slightly. Only Phantasm regularly loses to Riolu, in spite of all her skill. Though that might change when she evolves. However, there¡¯s one who will probably be a match even after that.

    As his face grew pale, my grin grew wider. ¡°Yup, I think you¡¯ve earned the right to take on my starter.¡± Drawing forth Dun¡¯s ball, I released him onto the field.

    ¡°That¡¯s your starter? How¡­ common,¡± he said with a sneer.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t laugh at him if I were you - but don¡¯t just take my word for it! Dun, show them what you¡¯re made of, Hyper Drill!¡±

    ¡°Spirit Break!¡± Grimmsnarl met Dun¡¯s charge with his own, but this time found himself reeling back as Dun tanked the blow and pushed the Fairy back with his drill. The hair around his body tried to react and tangle up Dun¡¯s tail, but he simply spun the drill too fast, tearing off any strands that got close.

    ¡°I see you¡¯re a strong one, but all mortals fall with time. Parting Shot!¡± Grimmsnarl turned himself into a bolt of Dark energy, striking at Dun and rebounding back to Oberon¡¯s side, letting him switch out Pokemon. The man frowned upon seeing his attack have no effect, however. Dun rose up, roaring in defiance and revealing the Clear Amulet around his neck.

    ¡°Not many Trainers are as proficient in Battle Items as you are,¡± he muttered before shaking his head. ¡°No matter, switch in, Klefki!¡± His keyring-shaped Pokemon burst onto the field with a jangling sound.

    I¡¯d seen plenty of these Pokemon out in the plains, and there was little to distinguish this one from them, save for a truly ancient-looking key that hung off its body, but I knew the Gym Leader¡¯s would be much tougher. Doesn¡¯t matter; the same principles will apply here.

    ***

    [I wonder what the challenge would have been like if I¡¯d had to take it. The Klefkis looked fairly peaceful, floating across the fields. The Pokemon outside Alfornada existed in a pretty stable environment, with the natural barriers keeping out other Pokemon that might disrupt the balance. Klefkis in particular had next to no natural predators here.

    That being said, Pokemon were naturally competitive, and the Klefkis kept up with the others, fighting themselves and others to prove themselves. And sometimes, just to have fun. Watching one of them sneak up on a Bombirdier and jangle their keys violently beside the bird¡¯s head, causing it to drop the berries it was carrying in its pouch.

    The Bombirdier shrieked angrily and attempted to attack the Klefki, but the Steel Type disengaged. As the bird tried to pursue, the Klefki unleashed a quick, targeted burst of lightning, causing the bird¡¯s wings to seize up and crash.

    ¡°Alright, we¡¯re going to practice against them,¡± I told Dun, pointing out the Prankster. ¡°Oberon has one on his top team, and his Grimmsnarl has the same ability. Their status Moves are going to go fast, so be ready for it and use a counter.¡±

    Dun furrowed his eyes, using a quick Hyper Voice to get the Fairy¡¯s attention. Chiming angrily, the Klefki floated over, gathering up electricity. As they floated down, Dun slammed his body into the ground, making an Earthquake to strike up at the wild Pokemon. He also took the electricity with ease, the attack not affecting him.

    ¡°Wha- oh, that¡¯s brilliant!¡± I exclaimed as the Klefki took a hard hit and began flying away. ¡°You used the Ground Type energies of the Move to neutralize the Electric attack! We¡¯ll have to work on this, the timing will have to be perfect to use consistently, but that could work quite well.¡±]

    ***

    ¡°Thunder-¡±

    ¡°Earthquake!¡±

    ¡°-Wave,¡± Oberon finished, and while Klefki acted fast, it wasn¡¯t enough to zap Dun, or avoid the pillars of earth that rose up and slammed into the keyring Pokemon, knocking it around.

    The Gym Leader made a ¡®tch¡¯ sound before calling out, ¡°Magnet Rise, don¡¯t let him hit you with that again!¡±

    ¡°Glare,¡± I called out, almost lackadaisically. Seeing the Klefki freeze a little from Dun¡¯s hate-filled stare brought a small smile from me. Usually Pokemon throwing out Thunder Waves are Electric Types, so we can¡¯t Paralyze them in turn, so that¡¯s nice. Still, better keep up the pressure.

    ¡°Foul Play,¡± Oberon ordered (with an aborted motion to sweep with his staff before remembering he broke it). The Klefki dove in close, baiting an Earthquake, and as Dun raised his body to slam the ground, slapped my Pokemon across the head with their keys.

    ¡°Ignore it, use Flamethrower!¡± Taking a deep breath, my starter unleashed a gout of flame across the battlefield, scorching Klefki before they retreated.

    ¡°Gah! No fair, no fair!¡± Oberon whined before regaining a hold of himself and acting like the Gym Leader (and adult) he was supposed to be. ¡°Magic Room and Switch!¡± Klefki followed his command, instantly setting up a distorted field around the arena, far faster than Notch could make Trick Room. Though this one only negates the effects of my items. Must mean he¡¯s looking for ways to debilitate Dun.

    It was a decent strategy, and part of why I¡¯d chosen to give Dun the Clear Amulet in the first place; he simply had trouble boosting his offenses up as fast as some of my other Pokemon could. The flip side to that is¡­

    Oberon threw Grimmsnarl back onto the field, just before I tossed my Tera Orb above Dun¡¯s head. ¡°Illuminate the path to our glory, Terastalize!¡± My chant (and the subsequent burst of crystals) drew shocked and awed gasps from the crowd.

    Without wasting a second, I shouted, ¡°Giga Impact!¡± The second he broke free of the crystals, Dun stormed forth, a green blur ripping ahead. ¡­That Dun is strong enough to take you out without buffing.

    ¡°S-Sucker Punch!¡± Grimmsnarl followed the desperate command with the same fearful look in his eyes as his trainer. Lashing out, he got a good punch in on Dun¡¯s side before my Pokemon plowed into him and pushed both of them to the back of the arena. The barrier rattled out from the impact as Grimmsnarl slammed into it, eliciting a few worried exclamations from the crowd nearby before they saw that it held.

    Oberon¡¯s Pokemon however, did not, falling unconscious from the powerful attack. Dun¡¯s head rested atop his body for a moment where they fell; my starter was too tired for the moment to even lift himself up and let his head flop to the ground when Oberon recalled his Pokemon.

    The Gym Leader was clearly stressed out, tossing out his next Pokemon quickly, seeking to make use of Dun¡¯s temporary exhaustion. ¡°Hatterene, Play Rough!¡± He shouted, his voice a little hoarse as the pink curvy Pokemon materialized right beside Dun.

    Not wasting a second, she started wailing on him with her clawed dangle hanging off of her hat-hair. It beat into him, cutting a few lines across his scales as he slowly regained strength. Fearing a counter, Oberon switched tactics. ¡°Psychic!¡±

    Telekinetically picked up and hurled across the arena, Dun struggled until I called out-

    ***

    [¡°Ok, you see that Medicham standing there?¡±

    Dun nodded his head.

    ¡°I need you to let him kick you around for a while and, uh, survive.¡±

    My starter gave me a baleful stare before sighing and slithering up to the wild Pokemon, slapping the Medicham with his tail.

    Predictably, after getting over his shock, the Fighting Type kicked Dun across the field. But even as he tumbled across the ground, I saw my Pokemon perform the familiar flapping motion of his wings, as if trying to land, and already the bruise was narrowing in size.

    There we go. Dun has such a strong recovery Move, combined with his natural durability, that if he can manage to use it in any situation, he¡¯ll be near invincible.]

    ***

    ¡°-Roost!¡± He settled down mid-air, letting himself be bashed against the arena walls. Despite the force Hatterene was hitting him with, we watched as his wounds started closing up faster than she could make them.

    With one final, enraged screech, she let go of her hold on him, chucking Dun over to my side of the arena. He winced slightly as he shook himself off, the Magic Room effect flashing as it faded away. Darn, that last hit hurt his defenses before the Clear Amulet was back online. Whatever, we can still win this.

    ¡°Hmm, this is kinda boring; you can just take a nap for this part, Dun.¡± With an exaggerated Yawn, Dun appeared to follow my orders, pretending to sleep. In reality, he was directing the Invisible Yawn towards Haterene, something we had discovered helped improve the Moves¡¯ accuracy while retaining its hidden nature. I¡¯m 99% certain that she doesn¡¯t have her Hidden Ability, so if they take the bait, we¡¯ve got this in the bag.

    ¡°You¡¯ve done well, kid, but dismissing us is a grave mistake. Calm Mind,¡± the Gym Leader barked out, and Haterene nodded, closing her eyes as she focused, meditating. She grew more and more relaxed... until her head started nodding and light snores could be heard from the Fairy Type.

    ¡°Hex!¡± I shouted with glee, and Dun¡¯s eyes snapped open, Ghostly energy surrounding him before it converged on our foe.

    ¡°Whuh-? Wake up! This is no time to be falling asleep!¡± Oberon exclaimed, to no avail, his Pokemon caught in a deep slumber. She thrashed about as the Hex hit, but even that couldn¡¯t wake her up, just causing her to act like she was caught in a nightmare.

    ¡°Ancient Power,¡± I tried, hoping for Dun to get the omni-boost from that. The rocks conjured up from the ground pelted her hard, but unfortunately didn¡¯t trigger any amazing surges from him. The boost would be nice, but I can¡¯t risk fishing for it with the Special Defense drop she got, not even with his Serene Grace. Better to just win the fight.

    While he launched his attack, Dun had also been moving closer to land more physical attacks on her. And we know just the perfect one. ¡°Poison Jab!¡± Lashing out with his tail, he sank a deep blow through her voluminous hair, and from the way she shivered in her sleep, I was pretty sure she had been Poisoned too.

    Not that it matters; we¡¯re finishing this here. ¡°Hyper Drill!¡±

    ¡°Healing Wish!¡± Oberon fervently cried, and while I would have thought she¡¯d been too deeply asleep to hear it, her eyes snapped open at the last second as Dun¡¯s drilltail spun towards her. There was a quick flash of light on Klefki¡¯s Pokeball on Oberon¡¯s belt, just before the Hatterene fainted.

    The referee once again announced the switch, with the crowd sounding as shocked as ever at how this was playing out. You¡¯d think they¡¯d get used to it by this point. Oberon had the usually boisterous man glancing down, thumbing his unused Pokeball before snatching up Klefki¡¯s and sending them out once more. Wanting to make as good a use of his ace as he can, I get that.

    Neither of us thought that Klefki would take out Dun, but he was determined to make it as annoying for me as possible, with his newly refreshed Pokemon instantly setting up a barrier around itself.

    Light Screen or Reflect? Don¡¯t know; he¡¯ll set up the other one in a moment anyway. ¡°Earthquake!¡± I called out, and Dun shook the arena once more. This time Klefki was ready for it, floating up fast, but they still got clipped by the attack before they hovered out of range, a dozen meters above the ground.

    ¡°Steel Beam!¡± I blinked in surprise as Oberon switched to such an offensive strategy. The Klefki unleashed a powerful gray colored beam that slammed into Dun, hitting hard and breaking a few scales.

    ¡°Flamethrower,¡± I commanded, hoping to take advantage of the depletion that the Klefki would suffer from using such an attack.

    ¡°Light Screen,¡± was Oberon¡¯s counter, the keyring Pokemon quickly raising the other barrier in front of themselves to blunt the super-effective attack.

    With a heavy voice, Oberon called out once more, ¡°Steel Beam!¡± So that¡¯s your game plan.

    ¡°Barrel Roll!¡± Dun had experience using that maneuver to avoid powerful attacks from Steel Types and once again managed to roll out of the way, dodging the beam. Depleted of minerals, Klefki sank to the ground, defeated.

    Oberon just shook his head, almost disbelieving at how far I had come. I knew not to get cocky, however. As much as the odds are in my favor here, I¡¯ve seen Oberon come back from worse. That¡¯s because his last Pokemon is¡­

    ¡°Go, Kingambit,¡± he said softly, tossing the Ultra Ball up to release the powerful Pokemon over the field. She landed on her tail with a heavy ¡®clang¡¯ before waving her gold-plated horn and crying out her name. That was taken up by the crowd, chanting the same.

    ¡°Kingambit! Kingambit! Kingambit!¡±

    ¡°Earthquake!¡± My high-pitched voice rang out, and Dun shook the arena once more. Though the shifting ground hit hard into the Steel Type and she lost her footing, she scrambled forward, head lowered. That motion aimed her main blade right at Dun, and there was no way for him to dodge the blow, cutting a nasty gash in his side.

    Kowtow Cleave, we can¡¯t dodge it easily, and based on the damage that was dealt, we won¡¯t out heal her like we did before. ¡°Debilitate set.¡± Dun followed the order, puffing himself up and sighing a few clouds that drifted towards the Kingambit. The enemy slashed through the air with her side blades, Dark energy lashing out from them to disperse the cloud before turning her face away from Dun¡¯s Glare.

    Well, if she¡¯s going to turn away, that¡¯ll give us time to regroup. ¡°Flamethrower, fighting retreat.¡± Flapping his wings to propel him backwards, Dun slithered away while releasing a stream of white hot flames at the Kingambit.

    ¡°Protect,¡± Oberon called out, his Kingambit conjuring a barrier that shielded herself from the fire and any other attack we could throw at her for a moment. In that time, Oberon pulled the Tera Orb off the top of the half of his cane he was holding onto. ¡°Let your kingly might shine across the world, Terastalize!¡±

    Throwing it over her, the crystal covered the Kingambit before bursting apart to reveal her sparkling new form, a pair of pink butterfly wings above her head as a Tera ¡®hat.¡¯ She spread her arms out and roared, a pink mist surrounding the field as she did so.

    ¡°Drop the debilitation; just go for damage, Hyper Voice!¡± None of those tricks will work while Misty Terrain is up. Dun screeched, and Kingambit shook her head, the sound waves hitting her hard.

    ¡°That¡¯s a nice defensive Tera Type you got there, but it exposes her to the Moves she resisted before,¡± I taunted. Oberon removed his own hands from his ears to fire back.

    ¡°It¡¯s hardly just defensive! Shine resplendently, Dazzling Gleam!¡± Catching the sun¡¯s rays on her golden blade, she reflected a bright pink beam at Dun, eliciting a hiss of pain. I wasn¡¯t surprised by the Fairy Type Move she was throwing out - Oberon was famous for having taught his ace Moves they couldn¡¯t normally learn. Though I¡¯ve never seen a video or reference of her using them when not Terastalized, so there might be a trick to it. Of course, he might also just save them for when those Moves would be at their strongest.

    Even then, usually such a Move would be fairly weak, coming for the physically oriented Kingambit, but there was a surging strength emanating off of Oberon¡¯s Pokemon. It boosted all of his offense to a level of power beyond his natural might. Supreme Overlord, which is why Oberon always saves his ace for last.

    Looking at my starter, I saw him wheezing, hurt. Scales were torn up, overlapping with blisters from the beams he¡¯d been hit with, and he still had that nasty gash on his side. My first instinct was to recall him; no one would blame me. He¡¯d done a lot and had been through so much. No one but Dun, that is. Because despite all of that, I can see that he thinks he can win¡­ and I do too. I believe in him.

    ***

    [¡°Thanks for the match, Arven,¡± I said, tossing him a few healing potions. The two of us stood on the beach, on the battlefield outside my house. A cool breeze washed over us, just as the waves did a few dozen meters away, carrying a sharp, slightly salty smell. Ahh, what a perfect day this is.

    The young boy groaned, accepting them with lethargic arms. Geez, you¡¯d think that with how he was acting, he¡¯d been the one battling, not his Pokemon. Then again, I did have him join me for half of my warmup before this, so that might be it.

    He quickly sprayed them over his Mabosstiff, healing the Dark Type up. ¡°I¡¯m glad we can spend time together before you go on your journey, but does it have to be like this?¡± His starter barked out an agreement, cowering before Notch, who eyed the dog blankly.

    ¡°I mean, it helps keep my Pokemon in shape, so I¡¯d have to be doing this anyway, so yeah. Besides, we still play tons of games and stuff too outside of this! And think how much it¡¯s helped improve your bond with Miraidon,¡± I pointed out.

    That brought a reluctant smile to the boy''s face. ¡°Yeah, Miraidon is pretty cool. Riding around on them is fun, and I can get to your house in only a few minutes!¡± He cheered before pouting again. ¡°But why do you have to beat them up so much?¡±

    As he said that, he released Miraidon from their Pokeball, the Legendary Paradox Pokemon unconscious from our fight prior. He started applying Potions and Revives to them to help heal them up.

    ¡°Hey, they give out as good as they get,¡± I countered, applying my own medicines to Dun. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten a lot better at commanding Miraidon in battle, and they can still beat almost anyone on my team solo. And even Dun can¡¯t win against them and then against Mabostiff in a row. They¡¯re quite the special Pokemon.¡± You have no idea how much so; I¡¯m not sure even Professor Turo really gets just how strong Miraidon is.

    ¡°Ok, but if they¡¯re so special, how come we still can¡¯t beat Dun?¡± Arven frowned adorably, and I just laughed, a big grin on my face.

    ¡°Well sure, they¡¯re special, but Dun? He¡¯s one of a kind. The strongest Dudunsparce in the world.¡± And one day, the strongest Pokemon, period.]

    ***

    ¡°Finish this off; cut a path to victory, Kowtow Cleave!¡± Oberon announced, waving his arms about dramatically.

    ¡°We¡¯re not falling here, Hyper Block!¡± Dun turned his tail to his foe, spinning his drill rapidly and raising it up to block the Kingambit¡¯s enormous blade. Sparks flew as they clashed, but despite her overwhelming might, Dun held off against our powerful foe. As he resisted, he also screeched, utilizing his three-segment body to twist around and blast Kingambit with the piercing wail he let loose.

    ¡°Keep at it!¡± Oberon commanded, and Kingambit tried again and again to break through, but each time, Dun resisted. Each time though, the blades got a bit closer, and as she started to swing in her side blades, I knew Dun would end up cut down if things continued.

    ¡°Ascend!¡± Was my counter, and Dun lifted himself up, flapping furiously to start climbing through the air. It was a slow process given his bulk, and he had to twist carefully to avoid her blades, but eventually she made it above the Kingambit. ¡°Finish her, starfall!¡±

    ¡°Protect!¡± That¡¯s a smart play if I had to resort to Giga Impact to win here. However, we didn¡¯t. Dun was at his limit and instead plunged down, propelled by a star-shaped energy, bouncing off the forcefield Kingambit had made.

    It might not be able to break Protect, but Last Resort doesn¡¯t tire Dun out either. ¡°Hyper Drill, break through!¡± Drilling through the remaining fragments of her defense, Dun pierced into Kingambit, her tough exterior making a horrible screeching sound as Dun grinded through.

    But it wasn¡¯t quite enough to defeat her; the barriers Klefki had made before falling flashed as they gave out, having reduced the impact of our attack. Our opponent grasped my starter, tossing him up and cutting down with her heavy blade. The blow cut down hard onto Dun, sending him reeling against the ground. With a cry, he fell¡­ but managed to hold on, just barely.

    Raising his head, Dun glared at Kingambit and Oberon, unwilling to go down. The show of defiance surprised them, but I knew that wouldn¡¯t hold for long. ¡°Show them¡­ show them who the strongest Dudunsparce in the world is! Giga Impact!¡±

    With a quick shimmy backward, Dun then shot forward, the green glow surrounding him so bright no one could make him out as more than an indistinct silhouette. He hit Kingambit point blank, the force lifting her up and carrying her off her tail and into the barrier - before even that broke and she was pushed past the arena limits.

    Thankfully, she fell short of the edge of the wide tower we were battling on. The barrier had taken the worst of the blow, and no one was hurt by the widespread attack, but there was still a shocked silence until: ¡°Kingambit has fallen unconscious, Challenger Nemona is the winner,¡± the referee said in a softer than usual voice.

    That caused an uproar of cheering from the crowd, clapping and shouting while I rushed over to Dun. Hugging him and spraying my starter with as many Potions as I could, my starter basked in the adulation of the people. ¡°You did great, Dun.¡±

    He gave a weak yet proud warble, bunting his head into me. Gazing across the field, I saw Oberon looking somewhat shell-shocked, like he couldn¡¯t believe what just happened. The little Ortega was crying loudly in a richly dressed woman¡¯s arms (likely his mother), one of only two discordant sounds amidst the enthusiasm.

    What- something¡¯s wrong. It was hard to tell what exactly, but I couldn¡¯t shake that feeling. I was sure I heard a snickering sound, familiar, and the scraping of claws on tiles. An old, musty smell? Looking around, I couldn¡¯t see anything amiss, just Oberon walking over and recalling his Kingambit, clipping her Pokeball back on his belt with the other four Pokeballs. Wait.

    Running across the battlefield, Oberon gave me a wan smile before puffing himself back up, trying to get in character. ¡°Well, aren¡¯t you an eager one? I suppose it makes sense for the victorious knight to want-¡±

    ¡°Where¡¯s Klefki¡¯s Pokeball?¡± I suddenly demanded, not seeing it anywhere on him. Did he hide it? Conceal it away for whatever reason? I can¡¯t think of why, but it¡¯s better than¡­

    At my abrupt words, he looked down confused. ¡°It¡¯s right there on- what?¡± Most of the crowd was still cheering, not having noticed what was going on. But one person hitched their breath. Whirling around, I turned to face them. Despite the quality of the illusion making it so I couldn¡¯t see the Trainer (and the Pokemon creating it) standing there, I knew who it was.

    ¡°Raifort.¡±

 Chapter 51

    Immediately, I started sprinting after her, Raifort running down the stairs in turn. My path was unfortunately blocked by Tulip stepping in my way. ¡°Nemona! What is going on?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s Raifort! She¡¯s right there!¡± I pointed at the stairs and slipped past the older girl. ¡°I¡¯m going after her,¡± I shouted, ignoring her calls for me to stop.

    ¡°Nemona, wait! Let us handle it!¡± Tulip tried, but I pretended not to hear her, making it to the top of the stairs. I took a few steps down before shaking my head and throwing myself off the side, floating down with my Aura.

    I know that there are adults here, but no one else can handle it. Tulip was completely caught off guard by Raifort, her Psychic Aura is not great for tracking that Zoroark. With my enhanced senses, I can get a general idea of where she is.

    The woman was just reaching the bottom of the stairs as I released Notch. ¡°Dazzling Gleam, right there!¡± Pointing at where they were, Notch followed my order, unleashing a burst of light on the spot.

    ¡°Agh!¡± Raifort cried out, clutching her arm as the illusion broke. Zoroark stood off to the side, fast enough to dodge Notch¡¯s attack but hissing angrily at us for hurting her Trainer. ¡°That was¡­ surprisingly vicious for a little girl. Sure you aren¡¯t on the wrong side of things?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m certain. Now stop running and give me Oberon¡¯s Pokemon back.¡± I ordered. The older girl held up her hands as if in surrender.

    ¡°That¡¯s fine; I wasn¡¯t planning on going very far. You can have them-¡± I tuned her out, paying attention to where I couldn¡¯t hear the wind whistling by.

    ¡°It¡¯s another illusion!¡± I told Notch and ran right through the fake Raifort, chasing after the real one. The thief and her Zoroark were running towards the Cavern, trying to get away.

    As we ran, I recalled Notch, the Fairy Type a good matchup for fighting Zoroark, but hardly able to keep up with the speedy illusionist. If it was just the Pokemon I was trying to chase, I¡¯m sure I¡¯d be eating the dust already, and even with all my training and Aura, I¡¯m having trouble keeping up with Raifort. The woman was clearly decently athletic herself and simply had longer legs than me.

    The illusions had lost some of their fidelity. Either due to the speed they were moving at, being shaken by Notch¡¯s attack, or just having given up on trying to fool me after the fake surrender trick failed. However, as they entered the Cavern, I knew that it would be a lot tougher to track them.

    The dim lighting and echoey nature of the cave system would make tracking her harder. To say nothing of the wild Pokemon. Nimbly, I jumped around a Deino as I ran, the Dragon Type snapping out with his jaws blindly. I love the Hydreigon line, but this is so not the time.

    Running down around the bend, I stopped as the cavern opened up in several paths and options. I don¡¯t know where they went. I¡¯ve lost them.

    Before anger could overwhelm me, I took a deep breath, calling upon my Aura training to calm down and think clearly. I shouldn¡¯t just pick a random direction and hope I run into her, even if I¡¯m losing time. I need another way to pick up the trail. An image of hunting dogs popped into my mind, and the answer came to me.

    ¡°Hardly the same thing, but I don¡¯t doubt that Phantasm can track them!¡± I said aloud as I released her. "Hey, can you-¡± and before the words were even out of my mouth, she was sniffing the ground, picking up the trail.

    Down the winding path she led, yipping softly as I followed - until we came to the edge. The path curved down to the side, but Phantasm had stopped at the ledge. Did she drop all the way down? It was a large drop, but she probably had more than just that Zoroark with her, and any number of Pokemon could scale down it quickly.

    Holding Phantasm in my arms, I dropped down, floating to the bottom. When I set her down though, she couldn¡¯t pick up the trail, the Hisuian Zorua shaking her head sadly. Heightening my own senses as much as I dared while avoiding sensory overload, I tried to sense any sign of her, even an absence.

    Unfortunately I couldn''t; everything seemed normal down in the dark cave. Dugtrio digging, churning up the earth. Medichams leading packs of Meditites through the gloom, Toxitricity thrumming a few notes¡­

    While I couldn¡¯t find any sign of Raifort, I did catch a faint jangling sound farther down. That¡¯s a Klefki! They only hang out aboveground usually, so that¡¯s probably Oberon¡¯s!

    Running ahead, pushing through the burning sensation as I pushed my body, I found them. They were looking around confused and agitated, wailing out loud as they hovered over their discarded Pokeball. What? Why would Raifort take a Gym Leader¡¯s Pokemon, only to discard them right away?

    Looking closer just to make sure it was his, I saw that it was indeed the same Klefki. Same battle-hardened body, same Aura, same two¡­ keys¡­ ¡°Klefki, what happened to your third key?¡±

    That set them off, more distressed jangling, and a few pitiful whimpers. Rushing over, I sprayed them with some potions from my bag. That helped stop them from worsening their wounds, but it would be best to get them healed up properly, so I returned them to their ball.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ll get your key back,¡± I promised them, and the shaking of the Pokeball in my hands stopped, the Klefki likely drifting off into unconsciousness. ¡°Now we just have to figure out where Raifort is¡­¡±

    Scanning around the rocky cavern, I saw no further signs of the thief. ¡°Did you understand Klefki?¡± I asked Phantasm who shook her head.

    ¡°Zor,¡± she said with the same resigned tone she used when I asked if she could clarify what Notch said.

    ¡°I never realized how hard all Fairy Types were to understand,¡± I muttered, and she gave me a flat look before responding.

    ¡°Rua, oru, orua, Zo.¡± With the help of her illusions, she mimed a finger pointing at her head and swirling it counterclockwise.

    ¡°Well, Klefki just got robbed, it¡¯s understandable that they¡¯d be a little hysterical.¡± Though I¡¯m going to be carefully reviewing all the times my Pokemon told me they ¡®didn¡¯t understand Notch¡¯ as more ¡®Notch is talking nonsense¡¯ and seeing what changes that makes. But after this is done.

    There was a massive wall of stone in front of me, with paths on either side to walk. One way leads back up to the city, which also leads back down to the detour I took. Or the other way down to the main passage.

    Raifort¡¯s words came back to my mind. ¡°I wasn¡¯t planning on going very far¡­¡± I repeated her words aloud. Craning my neck up, I glanced at the massive outcropping that rose above me. It¡¯s not easy to reach, but it¡¯s almost directly under the arena, isn¡¯t it?

    Opening Nightwing¡¯s Pokeball and returning Phantasm, I said, ¡°Hey, can you get me up to the top there?¡± I might be able to climb/float up myself, but that¡¯d be tiring and take a long time. Nightwing wasn¡¯t a huge fan of carrying me around, but they knew how serious this was and didn¡¯t raise any issue, picking me up and ascending immediately.

    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

    Utilizing my Aura, I made myself lighter and pushed her up even more, and soon we had reached the top. The outcropping jutted out far from the cave edge and was close to the ceiling, with plenty of Pokemon, particularly Bagons and Shellgons roaming about here.

    More importantly, I heard Raifort¡¯s voice, the thief apparently having forgone the need to try and hide at this point, thinking herself safe. Racing ahead, I found her standing near the ledge along with her Zoroark. As the two turned to face us, I pointed at the key in her hand and shouted, ¡°Nightwing, Knock Off!¡±

    She swooped forward, smacking Raifort¡¯s hand hard with her large pincer, forcing her to drop the key. Clamping onto the ancient key, Nightwing flew back to my side, the Zoroark surprisingly slow to react. Odd, she¡¯s been pretty quick. Maybe tired from all those illusions.

    ¡°Ahh dammit dammit!¡± Raifort cried out, cradling her hurt hand. ¡°Starting to get¡­ really annoyed with you, kid. Did you really have to hit me? Twice?!¡±

    ¡°Haven¡¯t taught her Thief yet, so Knock Off had to do. Hardly complaining at seeing you get yours, though.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a shame, it¡¯s a good Move; it was so handy for Zoroark in grabbing that Klefki¡¯s Pokeball after your match.¡± She was starting to regain her composure, smirking at me.

    ¡°You let them go afterwards. Why?¡± I demanded keeping my eyes locked on her.

    Despite being cornered, Raifort smiled, shaking her hand out. ¡°I think you know better than that. If it was, why would I have let the Klefki go?¡±

    ¡°So, working with those poachers was all for this?¡± Nightwing passed me the key, which I held up. Something about the small raised circular portion she''s standing beside feels weird to me; it doesn''t look quite natural, like the rest of the stone here.

    ¡°Essentially, but so much more than that. Those poachers would have made a useful patsy had things gone to plan.¡± She said casually, as if stealing from Gym Leaders and betraying hardened criminals was just everyday business. Maybe it is for her.

    ¡°So then you waited for me to beat Oberon so you could steal that key, when Oberon was weak and distracted. All to unlock¡­ something.¡± As I spoke, I gestured at the unusual platform she was standing beside.

    She started doing a slow clap before cutting off after the first beat as her hand obviously still stung. ¡°Very astute.¡± That smug tone really bugs me, like she thinks she has the upper hand. ¡°That ¡®something¡¯ is an ancient vault that has belonged to Oberon¡¯s family for generations. Just think of the history stored within!¡±

    ¡°And you thought trying to steal from a Gym Leader would be better than, say, asking him?¡±

    She snorted. ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve tried.¡±

    ¡°Surprised he didn¡¯t recognize you when we described you, then.¡± I pointed out and she just kept on grinning.

    ¡°Much like the poachers, Zoroark here disguised me when I went to him. Why, even with your unusual ability to track me, I bet you can¡¯t say that this is what I really look-¡±

    ¡°It is,¡± I interrupted her spiel. ¡°You put way too much detail into this, and Zoroark is exhausted. You aren¡¯t wasting their energy trying to fool me again like this.¡± That, and I know what you look like from the games, and you look almost identical, only a bit younger really. That got a scowl from her, but she let the point drop.

    ¡°Oberon is hung up on some family oath to not open the vault, despite all the treasures it has to hold. Even with his fortunes turning up dry, he¡¯d rather hook up with a nouveau riche rather than open this.¡± She gestured at the dias beside her as she spoke. ¡°There¡¯s even supposed to be a Magearna inside here.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± My voice slipping out and foot stepping forward happened without thought, and I stopped myself with a glare. Raifort¡¯s laughter echoed in the cavern, showing she hadn¡¯t missed it either.

    ¡°Whatever, it doesn¡¯t matter. I¡¯ve got the key, so you can¡¯t open that vault.¡± I shot back even as my mind was still whirling at the idea.

    ¡°No¡­ but you could. No one else is here; who¡¯s to say that you didn¡¯t arrive a bit late? We can investigate the vault together, plunder its secrets- oh don¡¯t frown!¡± She seems pretty sure of herself, despite how dark it is. Could she have Aura? I don¡¯t actually know if Dark Type Aura would let her see through this, but I¡¯m having trouble even with my Flying Aura. Bird-like senses only go so far.

    She continued. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t take much, just want to study it. And I wouldn¡¯t say anything if a certain legendary Pokemon found its way to your hands, either.¡± Raifort chuckled darkly before adding, ¡°Then you can go back a hero! Return Klefki to the Gym Leader, everyone wins. What do you say?¡±

    I said nothing, remaining silent for a long minute. Wish I could say I¡¯m not tempted, but I am. Magearna is incredibly rare, an artificial soul that pilots a mechanical body, much like a prototype Rotom. Even if it was just an empty body, there¡¯s so much I could learn from studying it, to say nothing else of the rest of what could be sealed away in that vault, like Raifort wants. To study the history of this world up close, to open an ancient vault¡­

    ¡°No,¡± I whispered before shaking my head and saying louder. ¡°No, I won¡¯t do it.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± She said, her composure slipping for just a moment. ¡°Why not? Could the potential I saw in you be wrong?¡± The last part she muttered more to herself than me.

    ¡°You ask, who¡¯d know? I¡¯d know, and I¡¯d have to live with that. And as tempting as it is, there are some things better left uncovered. If Oberon was so committed to keeping it sealed, he probably did so for a reason.¡± As I spoke, I released Phantasm, and then Notch and Miles as well, joining Nightwing and me.

    Raifort wasn¡¯t idle while I did so, releasing a Scizor, Haunter, Grumpig, and Seviper as well, joining the Zoroark on her side, before putting down her final Pokeball without opening it. ¡°No place for Finneon anyways.¡±

    ¡°Really? A Scizor? Would have thought a girl like you would have gone for Kleavor.¡±

    My words seemed to baffle her. ¡°What? You know how to evolve a Scyther into Kleavor? I should have expected given the Hisuian Zorua-¡±

    I interrupted her. ¡°Everyone knows how. Blueberry Academy discovered it like, two years ago.¡± To be fair, they¡¯re still the only ones who know how to manufacture Black Augurite, so anyone wanting one has to go hat in hand to them, but it¡¯s not that difficult a process to get them to evolve a Scyther, from what I¡¯ve heard online.

    ¡°Ahh, I don¡¯t really concern myself with current events,¡± she sniffed.

    ¡°Yeah, I got that,¡± I snarked at her. ¡°Guess there¡¯s no point in asking you to come in quietly, huh?¡±

    ¡°Indeed not, you aren¡¯t mad enough to try that. Too smart to be a tool and too self-righteous to be a partner, you really are the worst, aren¡¯t you?¡± She asked rhetorically, moving her hand in the darkness.

    ¡°Worse than a thief that works side-by-side with poachers? Don¡¯t think so.¡±

    ¡°Your team is strong, but you¡¯ve just been through a Gym Battle, do you really want to do this?¡± I stepped forward defiantly, and she sighed, an angry edge to it.

    As we bantered, I kept my eyes peeled for any of her Pokemon trying something but didn¡¯t see any movement, until suddenly there was a sensation of claws on the back of my neck.

    Whirling around, I saw nothing. What? But- gah! Pivoting back around, I saw Raifort and her team still there. ¡°I detest the idea of going to jail, and while you seem familiar with the idea of using force, I¡¯ll spell it out clearly - I won¡¯t be the only one going down if you come after me.¡±

    ¡°I won¡¯t give you the key,¡± I managed to spit out, words failing me as my breath grew short. Don¡¯t panic; keep it together!

    ¡°Figured that was a lost cause.¡± She started stepping towards the ledge, and her Grumpig¡¯s eyes glowed in the dark, along with the barrier she made to step down off of it. ¡°Enjoy your win this time, hero girl.¡±

    My mind railed at me, screaming at me to ¡®do something!¡¯ To find some way to stop her, something that wouldn¡¯t overly risk my life or¡­ anything. My Pokemon even glanced at me from the corner of their eyes, ready to spring into action at my command. But I did nothing, standing frozen in place until she had descended out of sight.

    Why couldn¡¯t I think of anything? Everyone says I¡¯m so smart, and look at me! Such an idiot, a loser! A coward.

    Cautiously, I stepped forward, looking to see if it was a trick, and she was just waiting to spring back up, but no. They had disappeared into the depths. With the jammers she set up still unfound, it¡¯ll take a while for anyone to try and catch her trail.

    Looking over at the dias, I saw the key slot in the center, with circular grooves all around. Probably would make a staircase that rises up and connects to the big building above. Must look pretty cool.

    With a heavy sigh, I recalled my team, turned on my heel, and started marching back the way I came.

 Chapter 52

    After we returned the key to Klefki and the Pokemon to the Gym Leader, I excused myself to get my team looked after. There were a bunch of people wanting to talk to me about my victory and about Raifort, but Oberon shooed them off.

    ¡°Let her look after her Pokemon; they¡¯re the most important part of a Trainer¡¯s life.¡± His voice was subdued as he held onto Klefki¡¯s Pokeball as if it were made of the most fragile crystal in the world and could shatter at the slightest impact. ¡°If you would, Nemona, please return after. I¡¯d like to talk to you.¡±

    Something about the way he says that makes me think this is about more than taking my statement. I wasn¡¯t in any desperate rush to leave right now, so I agreed before going to the Pokemon Center.

    When my team was taken in by Nurse Joy, however, there was an unexpected problem. ¡°What did you do?¡± She demanded, sharply.

    ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡±

    She pointed at the monitor, and I craned my neck over to see the readouts. As the machine healed my team, it showed the amount of injuries in red shading. Phantasm is fine; I didn¡¯t even use her in any of the fights! So what¡¯s- ah. Following her finger, I saw that Riolu¡¯s ball was colored deep red (Dun¡¯s was pretty bad as well, but he hadn¡¯t fainted and I¡¯d healed him up before our wild chase after Raifort).

    ¡°Ah. Will she be alright? She fought hard, but there¡¯s nothing permanent, right?¡± I asked nervously in the face of her glare. She has to be fine. Oberon saw her, and he didn¡¯t have anything to say. He¡¯s a Gym Leader, he would have called the match if it was getting dangerous, I¡¯m sure of it. Plus, she seemed fine to me¡ªknocked out, but fine.

    ¡°I¡¯d like to keep her overnight for observation,¡± she said and I narrowed my eyes.

    ¡°That¡­ isn¡¯t an answer to the question I asked.¡± I stared hard at before she turned away. Before she could say anything, Riolu popped out of her ball, barking angrily at the Nurse.

    ¡°Lu! Olu!¡± She stumbled backwards, caught in the tight space of the desk and Pokemon Center equipment.

    ¡°Wait, you wanted to take her away from me?¡± I asked, shocked as I translated Riolu¡¯s words.

    The woman straightened herself out. ¡°I was just trying to help! You pushed her too far-¡± She cut herself off at Riolu¡¯s growl.

    ¡°Did I actually?¡± The question was more for Riolu than her; I couldn¡¯t trust her words. My Pokemon turned to me and I said, ¡°Hey, you did a great job out there. You took out two of Oberon¡¯s Pokemon and crippled his Grimmsnarl; that was half of his team!¡±

    ¡°Ri, Rio,¡± she responded, puffing out her chest with pride and joy.

    The Nurse Joy scoffed. ¡°That¡¯s all Trainers seem to worry about. If it had gone a bit further-¡±

    ¡°But it didn¡¯t. Besides, she¡¯s the one that pushes that far.¡± If anything, my strategy pulled back a bit from some of her more reckless plans, like how far she pushed against Dun right before she joined the team. But is that enough? Should I be keeping her in check more?

    Riolu had stopped advancing on the Nurse, now backed into a corner and she straightened herself out. ¡°I apologize if I caused any undue distress. As a medical professional, I simply worried about the care and well being of your Pokemon.¡±

    ¡°Olu,¡± the Aura Pokemon snarled, and I got her meaning, especially as she gestured to Phantasm¡¯s ball. I¡¯m glad she can pick up on those things Nurse Joy is feeling, my Aura Sight isn¡¯t good enough to distinguish between the flurry of emotions she¡¯s feeling.

    ¡°And back to Phantasm. You really think I would-? Forget about it,¡± I shook my head angrily. With a gesture, Riolu hopped back over the desk, carrying her Pokeball, staring daggers at the Nurse Joy.

    The medical professional pursed her lips, but said nothing as we left. Well, that could have gone better. Riolu placed a paw on my hand, to reassure me. ¡°Thanks. How did you know to jump out then?¡±

    ¡°Iolu,¡± she replied with a stifled yawn.

    ¡°Ah, my suspicions. Well I¡¯m glad you did, but you don¡¯t need to worry about everyone that I¡¯m suspicious of being as bad as the poachers.¡± She gave a small sniff, not dignifying that with a reply, but I was sure she understood. We¡¯re all stressed out right now after all of that.

    Noticing the fatigue she was carrying, how she couldn¡¯t quite bring herself to keep up with my longer strides, I asked, ¡°You want to rest?¡± She looked hesitant for a moment so I continued. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. You and Dun fought super hard in that Gym Battle, you¡¯ve earned a break.¡±

    With a sleepy nod of her head, she agreed, pressing the button and returning back to the Pokeball. The healing machine helped her recover incredibly fast, but she¡¯ll still be tuckered out after all of that. Dun might not, but that¡¯s because of his insane stamina.

    I distracted myself, thinking of random trivia like that as I walked through town, hoping to wait until Riolu was too deeply resting to pick up on my agitated mental state. Great, in addition to Raifort, looks like I¡¯ve made an enemy of the Joys. The latter is probably worse; I don¡¯t think Raifort has any reason or backing to come after me.

    Despite that, the historian had scared me more. ¡°How did she do that?¡± I softly wondered aloud. ¡°I¡¯ve faced on all sorts of threats but that¡­ that scared me.¡± Was it some trick with Aura or some other supernatural element? Or just the honest fear of knowing you¡¯re facing down someone willing and able to kill you and knowing you can¡¯t stop them?

    Sure, if her Zoroark had made good on that illusory promise and ripped me open, my team would have done the same (or worse) to her, but it wouldn¡¯t change what would have happened to me.

    Guess it doesn¡¯t matter what the reason behind it was. The facts are, I was too scared to stand up to her. I just¡­ need to get braver. Riolu¡¯s ball shook lightly at my side, and I rubbed it soothingly. Easier said than done.

    Shaking those thoughts loose I tried to focus on the positives of today, which was actually just as easy said as done, for once. This was in part due to all the people recognizing me, pointing and whispering, talking about my battle against Oberon.

    It is kinda nice to have people looking up to us, thinking we¡¯re cool and strong. I didn¡¯t think I was too vain of a person, but having the vast majority of people look down on me because of my age got old fast.

    One man who likely never would again was Oberon, the man¡¯s tense shoulders relaxing as we walked up to the Gym building. He motioned us to follow him, and we did, heading through the back of the building then up the stairs.

    Oberon walked to his office, opening the door with a bang that went unremarked upon by any of the staff walking past, tearing off his cape and throwing it on a plush couch on the side of the room. There was a small coffee table nearby it, and a large bookshelf covered one wall with elegant portraits and a large TV hanging off the other.

    The man slumped down in the plus chair behind the expensive-looking desk, motioning for me to take a seat in the slightly less luxurious seat planted in front of it. The cheer and energy from our match had completely drained out of him, and he looked tired. More than that, haunted. Despite how someone as tired-looking as him would probably slump down over their desk, he leans back, his hands hovering over his Pokeballs.

    ¡°First off, I want to thank you dearly for helping return Klefki to me. They¡¯ve been with my family for generations, and to think I was so careless as to lose them..." He trailed off, and I awkwardly looked to the side as the man seemed on the verge of sobbing. Don¡¯t really know what to say here. Hmm, yeah, those portraits do look like they could be of his ancestors, and there is a Klefki floating beside that knight-looking guy. I wonder if clues like that are how Raifort figured out about his vault?

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said after a moment to compose himself. ¡°I will do better in the future in guarding them. My performance today, both against you and after, was shameful.¡±

    Shaking my head, I said, ¡°No. You did fine; I studied up a lot and well¡­ I¡¯m pretty strong too. Besides, Raifort was waiting for an opportunity like this. It¡¯s why she hired those poachers. All so she could get access to the key to your family vault.¡±

    My words caused the man to stiffen up. ¡°How did you-?¡±

    ¡°Raifort told me when I confronted her underneath the cavern. She had discarded Klefki and their Pokeball after taking the key; I think the vault was her sole interest.¡± He still seemed a little stunned, so I gave him a minute to take that in.

    ¡°That was quite chatty of her. I take it from the fact that you didn¡¯t drag her up that she got away?¡±

    ¡°Y-yeah.¡± I fell silent, shame flooding me as I remembered how I was too cowardly to chase her. I¡¯m sure if I told him, he¡¯d be happy, or at least approve of what I did. Try and tell me it was the safe thing to do, sensible. I don¡¯t really feel like being comforted right now. I made a mental note to duck out of town before Tulip or Dendra could corner me, knowing they¡¯d want to do the same and be more perceptive than Oberon was right now.

    ¡°Well, that was in our favor at least. It will give us a better idea of where that thief,¡± he spat the word out with vitriol. ¡°Will try to go from here. If you can, please give me any other information you have on her.¡± Then his face fell once more. ¡°Though, perhaps you should give it to my replacement.¡±

    ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°Look at me! Criminals ran rampant, and I failed to do anything to stop them. You faced my toughest team down easily, and couldn¡¯t even catch that scoundrel! How can I call myself fit to defend this city when I can¡¯t even defend my Pokemon?!¡± The man was practically bawling by this point, so I reached over the table to pat him on the shoulder.

    ¡°It¡¯s-¡± Fine? No, not really. It¡¯ll be ok? True, but he doesn¡¯t want to hear it... but I don''t have anything better.¡° It¡¯ll be ok. Nothing bad ended up happening, so just use this as motivation to work harder in the future. I don¡¯t think anyone even knew what happened.¡± Which feels kinda bad, but so long as we get the information about Raifort out, it¡¯ll probably be fine. Causing a panic here when she¡¯s long gone doesn¡¯t seem great either.

    That calmed him down, and after a bit I added, ¡°Out of curiosity¡­ how bad would it have been if the vault had been opened?¡±

    He blinked his red eyes and frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t know. That key has been in my family for centuries. When the Gym Circuit was being constructed, we lent the top of it out to the city for the Gym, but no one has been inside it for so long. Legend has it there¡¯s a rare Pokemon resting inside, waiting for the day when it will be fully recovered.¡±

    ¡°Whoa. When is that day?¡±

    ¡°They were supposed to sleep for five hundred years, and it has been¡­ three hundred and ninety-seven.¡± Hah, maybe I¡¯ll see a Magearna someday when I¡¯m super old.

    Oberon fixed me with an intent stare and said, ¡°I greatly appreciate what you¡¯ve done for me and will think on what you¡¯ve said. I hope I can also trust you to keep my family¡¯s vault a secret?¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± I nodded instantly.

    ¡°Thank you. I owe you, Miss Glitterati.¡± He extended a hand out, and I shook it firmly.

    ¡°Actually, there is something you could do.¡± With a click of a button, I released Notch. ¡°I didn¡¯t show them in the battle, but I have a Fairy Type too! We¡¯ve been trying to turn them into a Diancie. Do you have any ideas on the subject?¡±

    ¡°How wonderful...¡± he muttered, captivated by Notch, who stared blankly at him until he refocused. ¡°Ah, turning a Carbink into a Diancie?¡± He scratched his chin. ¡°I¡¯ve heard they''re related but never heard about anything like that, sorry.¡± Figures, even as a Fairy Type specialist, this is still a Fairy Type not native to Paldea.

    ¡°No worries. Though on that note, we¡¯ve been trying to learn Moonblast. They¡¯re strong enough to do it; it works when the moon is up, but other times¡­¡±

    ¡°Ah, right. Yes, that¡¯s a tricky one to master. The best advice I can give you is to focus on the idea that Notch is summoning the moon themselves. It can be tempting, given Fairy¡¯s connections, to think of them drawing power from the moon, but it¡¯s more¡­¡± He clicked his tongue, trying to find the words. ¡°It¡¯s that they are the ones controlling the moon, no matter how vaster it is than them.¡±

    ¡°That physics is more a suggestion than a requirement. Their rules are more binding than the laws of the world; reality is theirs to shape as they see fit,¡± I muttered. Oversimplifying it, obviously, but this is very useful. From what I¡¯ve read and what we¡¯ve tried, this should be quite handy for my experiments to get Notch to transform.

    He offered to demonstrate the Move for me a few times outside, to which I readily agreed. Right before we could leave the building, I was accosted by a small boy trying to beat his fists against me. Thankfully, Ortega was so slow that I was easily able to recognize him and evade his blows. For just a moment there, when I saw someone about to attack me, I was ready to conjure a blade of wind to strike back. That would have ruined the good reputation I made with Oberon.

    ¡°Stop bullying, daddy!¡± Ortega whined as I knocked a blow aside with the palm of my hand. The smaller boy spun off-balance until his father gripped him tightly. From behind his mother, a well-dressed lady sharing his distinctive hair color ran up, looking quite annoyed with her progeny as well.

    ¡°Ortega!¡± He barked out, and the boy wilted, looking confused. ¡°Don¡¯t be so rude!¡± Let¡¯s see if I can smooth things over; I don¡¯t want one of the future leaders of Team Star mad at me.

    ¡°Hey Ortega, was it? I¡¯m Nemona. I wasn¡¯t bullying your dad, we were just talking, and I think he¡¯s a really good guy.¡± I held a hand out for him to shake, and when Oberon let his son go, he stopped trying to attack me.

    He wasn¡¯t quite willing to shake it either, staring at me suspiciously. ¡°But then¡ªwhy''d you beat Daddy?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s just what happens sometimes when a Gym Leader battles - the point isn¡¯t for them to win but for them to put up a good challenge for the Trainer and he did just that.¡± My simplified explanation convinced the emotional young boy, and he shook my hand quickly before walking back to his mother.

    With a quick goodbye to his wife (who seemed more aware of the situation than their son had been), Oberon and I left. Once out of regular auditory range, I picked up on Ortega¡¯s mother beginning to verbally tear into him for his rudeness. He was always the brattiest of the Team Star kids.

    Since the Gym was on the edge of town, it was easy to walk over to the fields nearby, where he released his newly healed Hatterene. ¡°I have to thank you again, Miss Glitterati, for diffusing the situation even if it called for a falsehood on your part.¡± At my curious look, he added, ¡°The lie of me giving you a challenge.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°That¡¯s not true; you pushed Dun and Riolu quite hard. Even if I had other Pokemon left on my team, it was still good training for the ones that did battle. And I learned a lot! Had to use up two switches to get Riolu out of Granbull¡¯s hold.¡±

    I could afford it here, but we need a better solution to that problem. Grappling is hardly a common tactic, given how open it leaves the grappler to hits in Pokemon battles, but it isn¡¯t unheard of either for tankier Pokemon. Riolu will deal with that better once she evolves, but she¡¯ll also probably face tougher foes as well.

    The Gym Leader¡¯s chuckling snapped my attention back to the moment, and he waved me off. ¡°I could practically hear the gears turning in your head. How long did you spend analyzing my matches?¡±

    ¡°At least a dozen hours,¡± I admitted. Probably closer to thirty. I had a fair bit of down time to use on my travel here, and then in the few days I spent resting up in the city, I hyper-focused on him and his strategies. Honestly, while it was helpful here, I should probably try to avoid doing that in the future, so I don¡¯t get thrown off by someone realizing that and deciding to act completely differently.

    ¡°Let¡¯s not waste any more time. Hatterene, if you would. Moonblast,¡± Oberon ordered, and above us, despite the sun shining brightly in the afternoon, another celestial object glowed above our heads. The hair-covered Fairy Type seemed to absorb the moonlight before letting it out in a pinkish energy ball that traveled a dozen meters before exploding over the brown grass.

    You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Notch studied it intently before focusing, their ears lying back flat as they conjured their own moon above them. The shine was less bright than Hatterene¡¯s, but it was enough for Notch to conjure their own pink ball of death and send it rolling through the air.

    ¡°Impressive, to figure it out already. You must have been close to a breakthrough.¡± He said to my Pokemon while recalling his own. ¡°I think you¡¯ll do quite well from here on out. I look forward to seeing your eventual challenge against the Elite Four.¡± While he had regained some of his imperious bearing, I could sense the man was still a bit off kilter internally.

    ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll come back to visit after I¡¯m done.¡± Mostly for Tulip and Dendra, admittedly, but also to see how he¡¯s doing. I wonder if this changed things, if Tulip will still be the Gym Leader in the future now?

    I didn¡¯t know, and there was no way of knowing but waiting to see how the future would turn out. With a wave, I turned and headed out further across the plains while he marched back to the city. A quick message Miles sent had a Flying Taxi heading over to us as soon as I gazed out over the land from atop the high cliffs.

    I don¡¯t want to focus on the bad stuff that happened, but I want to have an answer to fix it in the future. I mean, I suppose it¡¯s unlikely that I¡¯ll come across her again, but still. I need methods to protect myself in battle while leading my Pokemon, ways that won¡¯t cost me too much effectiveness when my team is battling multiple Pokemon¡­

    My musings were interrupted by the Flying Taxi landing down beside me. I tried to step towards it, only to find my feet stuck to the ground. There wasn¡¯t anything I could detect holding them in place, but each step forward felt like I was wrenching myself ahead.

    Taking a step backwards, however, was as effortless as anything and revealed what my problem was. Or should I say, who my problem is.

    Turning around, I saw a Gothita standing there, staring intently at me. On the ground, her shadow stretched out, latching onto mine. Shadow Tag, that¡¯s a rare ability. She reached out, pressing her ribbon-like feeler against my hand.

    They learn Fake-Out too, don¡¯t they? With that and her ability, I could use her to trap any poacher or criminal. Then I just need to get someone who can learn Follow Me and use them to protect me and- I stopped myself, wincing as I realized what I was thinking. Pulling away with great effort, I marched over to the Flying Taxi. Thinking of ¡®using¡¯ a Pokemon, like they¡¯re just tools. What¡¯s next, calling myself a Pokemon Wielder?

    ¡°Take me to Mesagoza, please, East Entrance.¡±

    ***

    I felt terrible as I marched through the dusty canyon, and it had nothing to do with the scenery, Pokemon, or dry air. Ok, maybe it has a little to do with the air, I thought as I coughed and took a large swig of water from my flask.

    After my flight and a few days of hiking through the canyon, I found myself regretting how quickly I had left Alfornada. Sticking around and getting some help with my feelings would have been better than just leaving like that.

    I¡¯d messaged Tulip and Dendra as soon as I was flying away that I was fine and explained my departure and the bare bones of what had happened when I confronted Raifort. They had both sent relieved (and enthusiastic in Dendra¡¯s case) responses back, but there was an undercurrent of worry from both of them, with encouragement that implied they were worried about me.

    Part of me feels like I should go back and reassure them, but that would probably also mean that I should return home and tell my parents and Leah all about my woes. I¡¯d definitely be late to the Artazon Fair if I did that, and I agreed to meet Cyan there.

    Phantasm bumped her head against the side of my leg, shaking me out of my recriminations. ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, and she gave a small yip sound before a Spoink hopping by caught her attention.

    ¡°Try not to be too rough on them!¡± I called out as she chased after the pig like Pokemon. The battle ended swiftly, with Phantasm¡¯s shadow slithering across the ground until it rose up around the Spoink, defeating the wild Pokemon. I tossed them a few berries as we passed, holding back a sigh.

    None of these Pokemon are a challenge for even Phantasm, let alone Miles or the others. It¡¯s hard to get in good training here. That being said, I could still work on fundamentals. Releasing Miles, I asked, ¡°Can you help Zorua with Hyper Voice? I think she¡¯s got the vocalization down, but Dun isn¡¯t as great at explaining the Type energy.¡± Probably because of how naturally it comes to him.

    ¡°Bzzt, certainly,¡± Miles responded, zipping off to help my youngest Pokemon. The two of them began practicing, Phantasm having to learn not to rely on her illusions for this Move since they couldn¡¯t cause the damage it needed.

    Both of them being Ghost Types helped them practice as they could fire the Move freely on each other without fear of hurting the other, but after Miles declared her to be proficient to a certain degree, she had to go back to testing Hyper Voice on other Pokemon. We need to see how much damage the Move does after all, though from the way that Stantler is flinching, I¡¯d say it works.

    The Stantler tried to charge back at Phantasm, but his Stomps landed without effect, passing right through her. Eventually the screeching noise had the deer-like Pokemon wobble and collapse. She gave a cry of pain as Phantasm wailed at her again.

    ¡°Phantasm! That¡¯s enough!¡± I called out sharply. Her red, floaty patch of fur waved angrily above her before she simmered down. Her aggression has gotten worse since Alfornada, but I think that¡¯s my fault. She¡¯s upset at my discontent - well, all of my team is; she just has the least experience to cope with it.

    ¡°Good job on the Hyper Voice, you mastered that Move quickly.¡± The praise helped take the sting out of my previous admonishment, so now she just looked down guiltily. ¡°I get how it¡¯s easy to get caught up in a battle, but you don¡¯t need to hit others once they''re down.¡±

    I scooped her up in a hug, and she nuzzled in close. Does she weigh more than before? She¡¯s growing quickly. It wasn¡¯t always a sign of Evolution about to happen (and there were no studies on her variant species I could call on to help fact-check that), but it was somewhat common.

    Turning to the Stantler, I reached around in my bag for berries, only to come up empty. In my rush to get out of Alfornada, I forgot to stock up. ¡°Whoops. Uhh, I could use some Potions to try and heal you?¡± I offered, and the Stantler reluctantly turned her body to face me so I could spray some Potions on her, which helped.

    She got back to her feet, still looking disdainfully at me, though too tired (or too wary) to use the black orb in her antlers to scare me away. ¡°Sorry that I don¡¯t have anything better to offer you¡­ Oh! I know, I could tell you how to evolve!¡± Unlike with people, I don¡¯t have to explain how I would possibly know this.

    The confused and disbelieving look the Stantler gave me said otherwise, but I chose to ignore it. ¡°Ok, this evolution will make you become part Psychic Type, so you need to focus that Type of Energy around your horns, like a Zen Headbutt. Do you learn Zen Headbutt naturally?¡±

    A quick check of my Pokedex confirmed she could. ¡°Awesome. So make it like a Zen Headbutt, but spread the energy out around you, like a barrier or shield you¡¯re using to ram into someone. Oh, and then you have to do that really fast, ok? Once you¡¯ve mastered all of that, you should be able to evolve!¡±

    I was subject to one of the most deadpan looks I had ever received, which was impressive. Ok, I guess saying ¡®just master a difficult move, alter it significantly to make a new Move, then do it in Agile Style¡¯ is a bit much. ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t make the rules,¡± I said with a shrug, to which she rolled her eyes and pranced off.

    Continuing to walk across the winding earthen paths, we navigated the canyon. As we trekked across the land, I handled little things like staying in contact with my friends, who had been eager to hear more about my battle. Apparently, people online are saying good things about me overall.

    I knew I would get too involved in things if I looked up what they were saying about me, so I tried to stay away from those details. I¡¯m sure that there are detractors too, but it¡¯s nice to hear that some random people across Paldea believe in us.

    A tune popped into my head, and I began humming it, softly singing some of the words.

    ¡°I wanna fly high, so that I can reach the highest, of all of the heavens.

    Somebody will be waiting for me, so I gotta fly higher.

    Gotta keep going, everything is a brand new challenge for me.

    I will believe in myself, cause this, is only the start for me.¡±

    ¡°A new song, bzzt?¡± Miles asked, and I laughed.

    ¡°You could say that. It was the theme of your namesake in one of the games. ¡®Believe in Myself.¡¯ Speaking of-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± They said simply, with a plasmic smile on their face and determination in their eyes. Look how far you¡¯ve come.

    ¡°Excellent. So you¡¯ve decided what Form you¡¯ll be using for the fight?¡± I¡¯d had ideas if Miles needed them, but they had asked to decide on their own.

    ¡°I will use the Boombox Form,¡± they declared, and I raised an eyebrow.

    ¡°Interesting choice. You¡¯ll need to fire Hex off fast for that, but you¡¯re pretty sharp with that Move.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll also help with Hyper Voice, and my other sound Move, bzzt.¡± True, it¡¯ll let them output more damage- oh!

    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s brilliant!¡± I laughed as I realized their plan. ¡°Guess you won¡¯t need a Lum Berry or Safety Goggles after all. When did you master that Move?¡±

    ¡°After you passed out when arriving in Alfornada, I snuck off to practice. Didn¡¯t want to disturb you, bzzt.¡± I frowned at that.

    ¡°I appreciate the effort, really, but please don¡¯t head out all by yourself when there are dangerous criminals about.¡± They and I both knew it was very unlikely that Raifort or anyone would have targeted them, but they meekly nodded, accepting my concern.

    Accepting that, I said, ¡°Alright, looks like we have a good plan then. Brassius won¡¯t know what hit him!¡±

    ¡°You won¡¯t know what hit you if you don¡¯t get out of the way!¡± A shrill voice behind me said, and seeing the Cyclizar galloping towards us, I quickly dodged to the side, rolling on the ground.

    Dusting myself off as I stood up, I saw the teenager sitting atop the Cyclizars back had come to a stop in front of me and turned around to face me. He had reddish-orange hair and was wearing an Uva Academy Fall Uniform. ¡°What was that you were saying about Brassius?¡±

    ¡°Oh, just that we¡¯re headed to the Gym to challenge him-¡±

    ¡°Ha! You¡¯ve got a long way to go before you can take on Brassius, squirt. I fought him last year and couldn¡¯t win, but I¡¯ve got two Pokemon this time!¡±

    There was a moment of dumbfounded silence as I just stared at him. He can see all the Pokeballs on my belt, right? I have way more Pokemon than that, and the number of Pokemon you have is hardly the only factor of whether you¡¯re strong enough to beat a Gym Leader!

    Deliberately looking past the boy, I said, ¡°I mean, not that far away. The road winds a bit, but I can see the Pokemon Center right over there.¡± Pointing past the hill, the red and white Center was indeed clearly visible.

    ¡°Gah! That¡¯s it,¡± the rude boy said, dismounting from the Cyclizar. ¡°I better teach you some respect. Besides, it¡¯ll be a nice warmup before my match,¡± he held a Pokeball out, and I sighed.

    Might as well; maybe he¡¯ll surprise me. ¡°What are you feeling for, Miles?¡±

    ¡°Bzzt, I think they say this is a dish best served cold.¡±

    "Ha, I hardly think he¡¯s worth revenge, but sure thing!¡± The schoolboy had been getting annoyed with me momentarily ignoring him, but that irritation turned to shock and dread as I heaved the refrigerator out of my bag, tossing it in the air.

    Miles zipped out of my phone, possessing the refrigerator and hovering in the air. They waved their purple plasmic limbs menacingly for a moment, but the boy shook it off after a second.

    ¡°Refrigerator means Ice, right? I know my Types, that means they¡¯re weak to Fire! Go, Fuecoco!¡± He released a small, fiery crocodile-like from his Pokeball and I had to resist the urge to openly gape at that. Seriously? He lost to Brassius with a Fire Type?

    Apparently, I spoke aloud, as the boy¡¯s face became almost as red as his hair. ¡°Shuddup! He had a Sudowoodo! How is that fair for a Grass Type Gym Leader?¡± He didn¡¯t give me time to explain either, simply shouting ¡°Fuecoco, Ember!¡±

    The first stage starter drew in a deep breath, preparing to pelt Miles with fire, something I wasn¡¯t going to let happen (even if the risk to them from this Pokemon was minimal). ¡°Discharge.¡±

    Before the Fuecoco could release his fiery breath, the canyon around us was bathed in electricity. The bolts zapped all around, striking at the ground and air and many times into Fuecoco. Despite the spread, Miles had enough control to stop the bolts well before myself or the other trainer.

    When the electricity cleared, both of us could clearly see our enemy lying on his back, insensate and motionless, save for the few twitches of his body. ¡°Wha- how did you do that?! Ugh, ok, fine, go, Azurill!¡±

    He recalled his starter while releasing his next Pokemon, a small blue ball like Pokemon, bouncing on the end of a tail almost the same size as their body was. Azurill, not a Water Type and looks too sleek and fit to have Thick Fat, so we could use Blizzard, but I want to try that new technique we¡¯ve been looking into.

    Miles hadn¡¯t had the same skill with new Moves like Riolu or Dun had, but recently we¡¯d come across an interesting combination that I felt should work well. ¡°Confuse Wisp!¡±

    Opening their fridge doors, a chill slipped out, alongside a multi-colored ball of flame, drifting towards the Azurill.

    ¡°Dodge it!¡± He cried out, but his Pokemon was caught, entranced by the rapidly shifting lights the ghostly flame gave off. Instead of running away, the Azurill flipped itself over, lying on their head, and bouncing the tail end up over their body. This did nothing to help them against the flames as they connected, the Move Burning them.

    ¡°Foul Play,¡± I called out, wanting to wrap this up but worried about how a stronger Move might end up seriously hurting the beginner Pokemon. The Burn and their own thrashing about doing some damage as well, until Miles swooped down and grabbed the end of Azurill¡¯s tail. Pulling away, they stretched it out before letting it snap back, the ball end smacking them in the face and knocking them out.

    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re done. Unless your Cyclizar wants to battle too?¡± I offered. Apparently, with a bit too much menace, as the reptilian ride Pokemon whipped their head back and forth, as if looking for a way out, before running away towards town.

    ¡°Hey wait, that was a rental!¡± The teenage boy cried out, chasing after the errant Dragon Type. I chuckled, watching him run off before I heard a sound above me.

    Looking up, I saw a Flying Taxi overhead - hardly an unusual sight. The girl that had just jumped off it riding on the back of a Kingdra, however, was and a familiar familial sight at that.

    ¡°Bullying little kids? Tsk tsk tsk,¡± my sister faux-mocked as she descended towards me.

    ¡°Cyan! You made it!¡± I flew up, grabbing her in a hug.

    ¡°Oof. Forgot you could do that,¡± she muttered as we floated down, her Pokemon drifting off to the side to greet Miles. ¡°Your battles looked incredible; I¡¯m glad I¡¯ll be able to see them in person. Plus, I¡¯ve got a surprise for you in the festival.¡±

    ¡°Oh?¡± I asked, but she wouldn¡¯t say any more (no matter how much I tickled her while casually dodging her counter attempts), so we finished our journey to the city.

    It was much the same as it had been the last time I was here; very green, very flowery. One big change, however, was all the streamers and banners hung about the place. Food carts and attraction stands lined the roads, with townsfolk and tourists milling all about. Apparently it¡¯s some kind of centennial event, and Brassius decided to help celebrate.

    In honor of that, there were many pieces of art on display as the main attraction around town. From elegantly shaped topiaries to paintings to statues and more. The star feature was the ¡®Surrendering Sunflora¡¯ which Brassius had crafted after getting out of his funk, right before he had become a Gym Leader. For the festival, he had made dozens of duplicates of the piece and placed them all around town.

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna go on ahead and try and schedule my Gym Trial in early,¡± I told Cyan. ¡°If that guy I fought was any indication, there¡¯s going to be a huge influx of school kids trying to cramp my style.¡± She gave me a light shove but nodded her head.

    ¡°Sounds good. I¡¯m gonna grab some friends, we can meet up once you''re done.¡± I feel like she¡¯s planning something, but not sure what. I didn¡¯t have time to ask as she ran off one way while I started walking towards the big circular path in the center of town.

    Barely three steps in, and I found myself almost walking into a tall man dressed in maroon. With a distinctive whip at his side. ¡°Brassius?¡± I asked, surprised.

    ¡°Ah, Nemona, it was fortuitous to run into you. Are you here for the festival?¡± The Gym Leader asked.

    ¡°Well, yes, in part. But also here to battle you! I was just about to schedule a match.¡±

    He frowned. ¡°The challenges are supposed to be closed for the festival.¡± The artistic man pulled up his phone and clicked his tongue as he saw no mention of that in the online information. ¡°How vexingly imperfect,¡± he hissed. ¡°My apologies; I still find myself floundering in my responsibilities. I was sure I had told the staff to mention that, but it must have slipped my mind.¡±

    ¡°No worries, we can have our battle after. The festival is looking really fun; I¡¯m curious to see if I can spot all the ¡®imperfections¡¯ on the ¡®fake¡¯ Surrendering Sunfloras.¡± That¡¯s a game the city advertised for the festival. Apparently there are minute differences on the replicas of the original statue, and there¡¯s a fun prize for anyone who can find all the statues and find all the differences.

    Brassius was silent for a moment before saying, ¡°I¡¯m sure you will. But first, I think I will battle you; the art our clash will create is certain to be a worthy addition to this festival!¡± With that grand declaration, he turned on his heel, striding towards the heart of the city.

    ¡°No Gym Trial?" I asked as we walked towards the arena. Brassius shook his head vigorously.

    ¡°I would usually have a Trainer be tested artistically, in the hopes that by pushing them creatively in the arts, they¡¯ll be pushed creatively in battle!¡± Ah, guess that explains Katy¡¯s reactions back then. I was rigid and by the book in baking, so she probably thought I¡¯d be the same in battle¡­ and then I threw Phantasm disguised as Dun at her.

    He continued. ¡°But you and your sister have already proven yourselves artistically! That comic book you entered in the festival has such bold vision! The striking colors! The dynamic action, palpable with each turn of a page, it is truly Ava-¡±

    ¡°She entered it!?¡± She didn¡¯t mention anything about that to me! Guess that must have been her ¡®surprise¡¯.

    ¡°-ant garde,¡± he finished lamely, clearly thrown off a step. ¡°Is there an issue with that?¡±

    I stopped to consider it fully. ¡°Well, no, I guess not. I just wish she had asked me first; we haven¡¯t had a chance to remaster our old work.¡± Haven¡¯t had nearly as much time together in general with her at school, even if we do stay in touch and got to meet up here.

    The green-haired man chuckled. ¡°Ol¡¯ Hass mentioned how much of a perfectionist you were.¡± My face grew red at that, but I didn¡¯t have a rebuttal. It is true, I tend to overthink things and want every plan to work out perfectly.

    At the edge of the arena, Brassius stopped, turning sharply to face me, looking me dead in the eyes with a sense of seriousness that wiped away my embarrassment. ¡°Hass also informed me of your talents. I know you requested an eighth badge level challenge, but from what he¡¯s said, I honestly feel that I would not be able to challenge you with such a team. My personal team may be lacking compared to some of the more experienced Gym Leaders, but with your permission, I¡¯d like you to face off against them.¡±

    Interesting, Oberon¡¯s eighth badge team was his strongest. Is Brassius underestimating himself or did the ¡®Fairy King¡¯ really let himself slip as a Gym Leader? It was a question to ponder for another time, however, as I had a far more pressing one on my hands.

    A team I haven¡¯t seen before, haven¡¯t prepared fully against? Even stronger than the best performances I¡¯ve seen from him? My eyes lit up as my cheeks strained from the smile that widened on my face. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s go!¡±

 Interlude IX - Billy Glitterati

    POV - Billy Glitterati

    Shrugging off my suit jacket, I tossed it onto the coat rack and rolled my shoulders. Glancing down, I saw that the staff had put out my golden loafers, and I slipped off my shoes and into them. So nice to have people who know what you need.

    My darling wife¡¯s purse also hung off the coat rack, letting me know she had arrived earlier than me. ¡°Oh, most wondrous light of my life~!¡± I dramatically declared arms wide as I entered the living room.

    I had practiced a trick where my eyes would look closed and be almost shut, but I was still paying attention and could see. It was handy for telling what business rivals and contemporaries would think of me after a bold statement. For many, it was incredulity that I¡¯d act this way, or simple exhaustion. Some had derision, but it was enlightening to see the ones that smirked and thought they could get one over on me.

    Here, it let me see for a brief moment O¡¯Nare Glitterati, slumped over on the couch. Her hair was done up as usual, but a strand or two had flopped out of her usual bun. The shades she wore sat on the coffee table amidst a pile of papers.

    That vignette didn¡¯t last long, for as soon as she recognized my presence, she was leaping up, a delighted smile on her face. ¡°Ah, but it reflects off your brilliant shine!¡± She returned, greeting me with a kiss. ¡°The day has been long without you.¡±

    So a frustrating day at work; nothing more serious we need to get into. What had started as mere attempts to explain the burning passions in our hearts to each other had turned into a sort of secret language shared between us. Though nonetheless true for it. My heart feels as lifted when I see O¡¯Nare now as it did the day I met her.

    ¡°The same, my love. Things at the factory are going well.¡± They were indeed. Not necessarily in terms of increased profits, but the Rotoms had generally been much happier about their new living conditions. Some of them liked more shade and gloom, but shutters on the sides of their ground-level living space gave those plenty of shade to rest and plot in, while the others were free to enjoy the brighter, more open living space. The reviews we¡¯ve gotten about the phones have been slightly better too, with customers noticing an uptick in responsiveness from them.

    The sound of a throat being cleared announced Leah¡¯s presence in the room. Turning, I found the young lady standing there, her head respectfully bowed. ¡°Glad to see you return, Master Billy. If it pleases you both, dinner is ready.¡±

    I¡¯m pretty sure I didn¡¯t miss her when I entered the living room, so she must have stepped in silently after my arrival. And to arrange things so everything is ready as we return from work, she¡¯s stepped up her professionalism. I wonder if she¡¯s after Hamber¡¯s old spot or just a result of her duties being freed up, no longer having to keep a Braviary¡¯s eye-view on our most troublesome daughter.

    We entered the room, first greeted by the scent of a well-cooked roast. A few butlers finished setting aside the other dishes, stuffing and steamed vegetables, and a few bread rolls. With their task finished, the staff left, save for Leah and one other maid waiting off to the sides of the table (in case we needed anything during the meal).

    The table itself was a long, elegant thing, and I made sure to sit near the top side, my dear wife taking her place at the head of it. A busy day of work made for a quiet meal as we both eagerly dug in, something O¡¯Nare commented on about halfway through.

    ¡°It¡¯s gotten so quiet in here.¡±

    ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s funny; Hamber was never a very loud man, but his departure so soon after Cyan went back to school does leave the house feeling a tad empty.¡± Though we both know that isn¡¯t the real reason. Still, we do need a new Majordomo.

    ¡°Oh!¡± Leah said softly, looking mildly embarrassed at her outburst as the two of us turned to see her looking at something on her phone. ¡°I just got forwarded the video of the Young Miss¡¯s latest Gym Battle.¡± That had both myself and O¡¯Nare jumping to our feet, the scrumptious half-eaten meal forgotten in the blink of an eye as we crowded around Leah.

    ¡°She¡¯s taken on another Gym already?¡± I asked incredulously. We only just finished uploading the final videos from her first battle.

    ¡°Ah, she has such an incredible Glitterati spirit! Striving ahead constantly,¡± my wife added, her eyes watery. I felt the same way, so proud yet so lonely with our children already out and taking on the world.

    ¡°Yes, that, definitely. Why don¡¯t you go back to the table and we can watch it as you eat?¡± She all but begged us, and we readily agreed. Moving our plates so we were sitting side-by-side, our headmaid placed her Rotom Phone in front of us (and herself behind us, almost as eager to see the footage as we were).

    The video showed a decent crowd gathered around to watch our baby girl. The Gym Leader she faced, Oberon, was a man we knew well. He and his wife often ran in similar circles to ours, and we had seen him at a few cocktail parties. I always thought of him as much like Clay. I wonder if he¡¯ll give Nemona as much of a challenge as the Unovan Gym Leader did?

    We always believed in our little girl, even when she made that bold challenge to Clay, but there were moments towards the end of that fight¡­ Before Dun evolved, I would admit if pressed that I was worried about her winning, no matter how good a show she had put on before.

    One difference with this fight was that I was never nervous, even as she still put on a tremendous show. This sentiment was shared by my wife and Leah.

    ¡°To go so far with a Riolu, that¡¯s ins- incredible,¡± the head maid breathed out.

    ¡°Oh?¡± I questioned, not willing to turn my head away from the screen for even a moment.

    ¡°It really is,¡± she reaffirmed. ¡°Unevolved and with a Type disadvantage, yet she¡¯s fighting so well.¡±

    ¡°Ah,¡± I said distractedly. Nemona¡¯s always had a better head for that stuff than the rest of us, though Cyan proved herself to be a quick study as well. Our most troublesome little girl, however¡­

    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

    I recalled Oberon boasting about his might at a party once, cowing a Delibird Presents upper manager when the other man had accused the Fairy Type Gym Leader of ¡®getting soft.¡¯ I hadn¡¯t seen someone get beat so fast before that, at least not until now. Our little girl has grown up so quickly.

    ¡°I miss her too!¡± O¡¯Nare wailed, clutching onto my side, her head still glued to the screen. Must have said that last part out loud.

    Before I could commiserate, Nemona¡¯s initial Pokemon had fainted, and we were all brought back to the fight as our girl made a proud boast and sent out Dun. We watched in silent awe as her First Pokemon proceeded to annihilate the rest of Oberon¡¯s team.

    The video ended somewhat jarringly after the victory announcement, but I barely noticed. Leah was the first one to break the silence again, letting out in a tone only a hair higher than a whisper, "I think the Haxorus might have been less dangerous.¡±

    All three of us started laughing at that, at so much of what we had done. Attempting to give a six-year-old a Dragon was, in retrospect, not the greatest idea we¡¯d ever come up with. Nemona had been acting so oddly since we moved. So serious, but always convincing us she was fine, asking for so little, so when we knew what she wanted, my wife and I were determined to give it to her.

    Thankfully it didn¡¯t come to pass. O¡¯Nare and I greeted her as we returned home on her birthday to find our littlest one hugging tightly to an innocuous, bulbous, yellow, and blue snake Pokemon. ¡°The two of them have always been close; they¡¯ve both grown so much.¡± Physically, but mentally as well. Nemona always seemed so far ahead of where I was at her age. O¡¯Nare has said the same, and if she¡¯s smarter than my brilliant wife¡­

    It was hard to believe at times, but the proof was in the pudding. Or record label as it may be. That sparked an idea so bright I wouldn¡¯t have been surprised if there was a Rotom above my head. ¡°Music!¡±

    My sudden shout had the two women around me looking confused before they caught onto what I was talking about. ¡°Ah, how sharp you are, like a Glitterati diamond! We need to make the next music videos so we can dazzle the world with our daughter¡¯s work!¡±

    Leah turned to the other maid. ¡°I believe the masters are done with their meal. Let¡¯s clean up the table.¡± The staff set about handling that while we raced to the computer room, downloading the file and setting about crafting the final product online. We could easily have the staff do this, and I think we¡¯ll get one of the more tech-savvy butlers to come in and double-check this before we upload it, but we enjoy doing this personally.

    Listening to her music as we overlaid clips of it on certain sections of her battle was a joy indeed. As was seeing the comments and ¡®likes¡¯ when the footage was posted. Not all of it is positive, but the majority of viewers seem to like it, and as Nemona would say, ¡®don¡¯t pay attention to the trolls.¡¯ What a funny phrase.

    In addition to her brilliance, our daughter also had moments where at times she just didn¡¯t seem to fit in. Most people wouldn¡¯t notice, and it lessened as she grew up, but just little things. Like how she hardly ever uses sayings about Pokemon or uses them in her songs, despite how much she adores them.

    At the time we were finishing putting the first ¡®short¡¯ together, my wife¡¯s phone rang, the caller ID showing it was our other beloved daughter. ¡°Cyan honey!¡± She answered cheerfully. ¡°How are you? How is school?¡±

    ¡°Uhh, pretty good. It¡¯s going fine,¡± she responded in that way only an awkward teenager could. Despite being younger, Nemona was more mature in some ways than even our firstborn, and I doubted she¡¯d be that particular kind of awkward, even as she got older.

    ¡°Did you guys see Nim''s latest match?¡± Cyan continued, and we eagerly nodded.

    ¡°Yes, we were just about to post some of it for the world to see! Her performance was a shining example of Glitterati might and cunning!¡± My precious daughter rolled her eyes at that display, either thinking I was too caught up to notice or not caring if I did. ¡°Though it is a shame she didn¡¯t have to use her new Rotom Forms.¡±

    It was perhaps understandable given she hadn¡¯t had to use Miles at all in her Gym Battles yet, but the boys and girls in R&D were itching for her to showcase their inventions to the world.

    ¡°She did pretty well. I was worried she¡¯d be shaken up after-¡± Cyan clamped up immediately, but it was too late.

    With a steely gaze and a deceptively sweet voice, O¡¯Nare said, ¡°After what?¡± It took a few moments of squirming before Cyan replied.

    ¡°She had some issues with the wildlife nearby. A disturbance to the environment of a wild Tera Dragonair and her Dratinis. Nims solved the issue, but it was difficult. Still, it impressed the Gym Leader enough that he counted it as her Gym Trial so she went right on to challenge him.¡±

    O¡¯Nare gasped beside me. ¡°How bold! Going out and tackling issues without being asked, she has true Glitterati initiative.¡±

    ¡°And good of Oberon to recognize that.¡± I¡¯ve seen him a few times at galas and the like, and he seemed like a good sort. Unafraid to let others'' opinions color his actions, like so many of our ¡®peers¡¯. Nemona is much the same way, it¡¯s part of something that worried us.

    When we had first moved to Paldea, Nemona had few friends, and her dazzling brilliance unfortunately drove most others away. We had at first assumed she was just getting used to things here and would bounce back, but she never did. Not exactly, at least.

    Slowly but surely, she made more friends, and while she¡¯ll hardly ever be a social Butterfree, the friendships she¡¯s formed with those few are tight. And that¡¯s just her human friends, her Pokemon, well she sometimes feels closer to them than us!

    That thought sent a slight pang through my heart as I realized something. ¡°Do you know when her next Gym Match is?¡± I asked Cyan. We haven¡¯t gone in person to attend any of Nemona¡¯s yet, while we were all there for Cyan¡¯s first. Not that I think it bothers Nemona, but still, I¡¯d like to show our support more and possibly reassure her.

    ¡°She can be kinda sporadic with her schedule, just taking her journey at its own pace. I did talk with her about meeting up for the big festival in Artazon at the start of the Treasure Hunt.¡±

    Clicking her tongue, O¡¯Nare shook her head. ¡°What terrible misfortune! I have an overseas conference then.¡± I could see her debating in her head about canceling it.

    On the other end of the screen, our eldest daughter saw it as well and shook her head. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine; we know you guys are busy and stuff.¡± Despite, or perhaps because of, how easily she said it, the words felt like an arrow through my very being.

    ¡°I¡¯ll keep in contact with her and try to arrange a time for all of us to meet up. Maybe when she hits Levincia or Montenevera? But try not to smother or worry about her too much, ok? I know Nims wouldn¡¯t appreciate that.¡±

    I wanted to laugh at how foolish that idea was; she was a Trainer with a full team and had proven herself capable of handling all sorts of situations even I could barely dream of. I was still worried somehow. I worried about my eldest even as I looked at her, sitting there in her neat room at Uva Academy, dressed in a sharp uniform.

    Rather than voice those thoughts and weigh down my daughters unnecessarily, I said, ¡°So, how has Uva Academy been treating you so far?¡±

    ¡°Umm, good, I think. Yeah, it has been good. Not friends with any of the girls who tried to pick on me last year, but some of their hanger-ons are at least nice to me now. And I think I even have a fan club? A small one, but it¡¯s crazy. Apparently, they thought I did pretty well in my Gym Challenge last year. That was exhausting though, so not doing it again this year. Not really sure what I¡¯ll be doing for this Treasure Hunt yet, still weighing my options¡­¡±

    Smiling, I leaned back and listened as Cyan regaled us with the events of her life, and I relaxed just a little, gripping my wife¡¯s hand. Parenthood has been an intense trip, but like taking my chance with O¡¯Nare, I don¡¯t regret it one bit.

 Chapter 53

    Brassius sent out a message calling for the Gym staff to come and officiate our match. They likely got the word out as well, given the large crowd gathering all around, but they were hardly the only ones.

    My sister waved at me from a large group of Uva students that she was directing towards the arena. ¡°Show him what you¡¯re made of Nims!¡± She shouted at me, and I smiled. Guess she got tired of the people online disparaging me.

    I directed Miles to go and drop the phone off with her before floating back without an object to possess. That picked up a few whispers from the crowd, the students especially wondering if I was ¡®giving away my strategy¡¯. I snorted.

    Hardly. Brassius knows everything Hassel does, at the least. But we¡¯ve got a few new tricks that neither of them have seen yet. Having Cyan around is handy for recording my match, but I¡¯ll probably need a permanent solution to that. Maybe I could ask the Gym staff next time?

    When the crowd had gathered to the fullest extent they could on the massive circular platform the arena rested on. It was far smaller than Alfornada''s, however, and with space to walk underneath it - no secret vaults here! I could hear and see others gathered around the outside as well, peering in. Many people were recording the match, and from what I could hear, some people below that couldn¡¯t see it were watching the streams from those above.

    Brassius saw the staff taking their places and moved off to his own side. ¡°Sorry you don¡¯t get to jump down from the windmill to dramatically start our match off.¡± I said to him, too low to be heard by the crowd.

    He smirked. ¡°A shame, but my knees thank you for it.¡± Then he walked over to the other side, his demeanor becoming serious. I opened my bag for Miles to possess the right Form.

    The referee cleared their throat, holding up a microphone. ¡°This will be a six-on-six match with up to four switches allowed for each Trainer. Battle Items and an Enhancement effect are allowed.¡± That set off some whispers and excited discussion amongst the crowd. Four switches is a fair amount, usually reserved for the longest and toughest matches. Some people might have known about me online, but for a lot of the festival goers, this would just seem like a match for the start of the Treasure Hunt season.

    ¡°Gym Leader, Challenger, are you ready to begin?¡± Brassius raised a Pokeball off of his belt while I pulled Miles in Boombox form out of my bag. Miles took to the field, the sleek black boombox floating in the air, surrounded by a gray plasmic field, out of which extended two thin limbs. The ¡®hands¡¯ of the limbs were actually slightly asymmetrical, the right a disc with a hole in the center, while the left was rectangular with two holes spaced evenly from each other around the middle. CD and cassette player modes.

    The referee glanced at Brassius, looking to see if he wanted to change his Pokemon out before he would release it. The Gym Leader frowned, staring intently at the unusual Rotom Form before shaking his head. He probably had a solid starter ready to deal with most anything I could throw at him, so they¡¯ll be just as good at dealing with a Rotom Form no one¡¯s ever seen before.

    The referee gave the signal for Brassius to send out his Pokemon, and the man released a tall, thin Pokemon. She had two legs sticking out from a bark-like slim ¡®skirt¡¯ that led up to their leafy upper half. The leaves covered her long, outstretched arms and chest, as well as the top of her head, leaving only her round, pale face bare. Along her arms were several dark olives, and peeking out amidst the foliage on her right arm, I spotted a yellow berry peeking out.

    Sitrus Berry. I¡¯m sure she has Seed Sower, but could Brassius have trained her to have Harvest as well? That¡¯ll be a problem if she does. Arboliva is bulky enough and could outgrind us.

    ¡°Are both Trainers ready?¡± The referee asked, and we both nodded, the crowd¡¯s excited chattering dying down as everyone watched in eager anticipation. ¡°Then we will start the battle in three, two, one¡­ begin!¡±

    ¡°Thunder Wave,¡± was my first command. He¡¯s expecting some big attack from the start, I¡¯m sure.

    My assumption was correct, as he called out ¡°Mirror Co- Safeguard!¡± His attempt to course correct came too late, the thin bolts of electricity covering the Olive Pokemon before the Safeguard could come up. Arboliva twitched, Paralyzed by Miles¡¯ attack, and dropped some olives off her arms in response, which seeded the ground, spreading out in a lightly glowing green field around the arena.

    ¡°Hyper Voice, strafe.¡± Miles zipped around, already capable of moving much faster than the Grass Type, now easily able to stay behind her, blasting her with powerful soundwaves. Wow, that¡¯s strong. Having a Life Orb and the Normal Type lets him do tons of damage. Wait, that¡¯s not just random noise; that¡¯s my music they¡¯re playing!

    Indeed, Miles was playing ¡®Megalovania¡¯ from their boombox body, cranked up to eleven. The barrier made the sound less damaging for the audience, and I saw a few of them bobbing their heads along to the beat.

    Brassius wasn¡¯t going to just sit back and let us defeat him, however. ¡°Fill the air with beauty, Petal Dance!¡± Raising her arms up, she spun around, petals flaking off of her and spinning around, then regrowing and flying off again.

    Miles was able to stay ahead of her but couldn¡¯t avoid the attack as it started to fill the entire arena. ¡°Discharge!¡± A burst of lightning erupted all around them, frying the petals before they could touch them. The Electric Type attack did little damage to Arboliva as it reached her, but it protected Miles.

    She tried to continue the attack but faltered, her body seizing up. ¡°Hyper Voice!¡± I shouted, seeing our opening to lay more damage on her. She flailed about, waving her long arms around wildly, Confused. Despite that, I could see vines growing off her arms, carrying the Sitrus berry towards her mouth.

    ¡°Trick!¡± Miles¡¯ eyes flashed, and then the Sitrus berry Arboliva had been carrying to her mouth was replaced with the hard Life Orb that Miles had concealed in their body. Pulling the berry out of their cassette slot, Miles quickly chomped down on it with their plasmic mouth, healing almost all the fatigue the Life Orb had cost them so far.

    Brassius frowned for a second before a delighted look took his face. ¡°Clever use of my item, but I can make grand use of your gift as well. Nature Pulse!¡± Any confusion that had hampered her snapped as she drew energy up from the terrain she had created. The orange ring in the reddish Life Orb glowed in Arboliva¡¯s grip as they unleashed a massive blast with the gathered energy.

    Miles gave a grunt as they were knocked to the side. Damn, that hit hard. But we still need a little time till Safeguard ends. ¡°Protect,¡± I called out as they tried to fire out another blast, the beam of green energy deflecting harmlessly off of the barrier Miles had conjured around themselves.

    Despite the terrain, which was boosting her attack and also rejuvenating her, it wasn¡¯t enough to keep up with the damage I¡¯d already dealt, not by far. The Life Orb was also draining her with each attack. Something Brassius was keenly aware of as he switched tactics.

    ¡°Synthesis,¡± his voice carried out over the field at the same time as the transparent shield that had been protecting Arboliva flashed out of existence.

    Here¡¯s our opening! ¡°Get in close!¡± I cried, the signal for Miles to use the new signature Move of this form. Speakers beating out music once again, Miles switched to a different tune, playing ¡®Oh the Places You¡¯ll Go,¡¯ this time.

    Arboliva swayed back and forth before collapsing on the ground, asleep. Brassius gaped, looking shocked. ¡°They know Sing?!¡± The Life Orb slipped out of her grip, and Miles scooped it back up.

    ¡°That¡¯s right! Now, Nasty Plot.¡± The track changed again, playing ¡®You¡¯re Gonna Go Far Kid.¡¯¡± Right, we didn¡¯t make a full song of that one, but we did do some recordings before deciding it wouldn¡¯t fit in the first album.

    ¡°Switch!¡± Brassius shouted, recalling his Pokemon and forcing Miles to stop their Move while Brassius chose a replacement. He¡¯s got fast reactions, I¡¯ll give him that. Miles probably only got off enough for an extra quarter increase in power from the Nasty Plot, when if they had been able to fully use the Move, they would have been twice as strong.

    ¡°What artful tactics! But the greatest of art breeds¡­ imitation! Go, Breloom, Spore!¡± He called out as he released the bipedal mushroom Pokemon. Underneath their mushroom cap head, he had avian-like features with a beak-like nose. His pale neck led to a green body with powerful legs and short arms, two red claws on each limb.

    The Breloom¡¯s long tail was the most noticeable feature, however. Mostly because he shook it back and forth, and from the green clover-looking end, spores started drifting across the field.

    ¡°Killjoys, make some noise!¡± Miles repeated those lyrics, but far louder, making a racket with Uproar. The sound was so loud that even as the Spores hit them and Miles¡¯ eyes started to droop, they couldn¡¯t fall asleep, their own sound jolting them awake.

    It was far worse for Breloom, the Grass Type screeching in pain as the attack hit them hard. ¡°Mach Punch!¡± Brassius shouted over the din, and I barely had time to wince before he had rocketed forward, slamming a claw into Miles with a screeching sound that came from the metal being dented and not Miles¡¯ music.

    They didn¡¯t stop, however, continuing to blast out those tunes at Breloom, doing significant damage. Something my opposite noticed as well. ¡°Those sound Moves, all so strong, and Mach Punch doing so much damage¡­ Your Rotom Form is a Normal Type!¡±

    I slipped my right hand into my Tera Orb case, tightening my grip. Yeah, he figured it out quickly. Miles is stuck in Uproar mode, so they won¡¯t be able to block your next move. The question is, how much do you commit from this discovery?

    ¡°Close Combat!¡± There we go. Capitalizing on a weakness you found was a major part of being a good Trainer. It was something you had to be careful about, however, as sometimes the discovered weakness¡­ turned out to be a trap.

    ¡°Dazzle with electrifying power, Terastalize!¡± I chanted as I tossed the Tera Orb above Miles¡¯ body. It burst open, forming that glowing Tera symbol in the air for a scant second, then making a pillar of crystals around them.

    Breloom smashed through, kicking, punching, and even swinging his tail through the crystal to hit Miles. To little effect, as they emerged with the lightbulb Tera ¡®hat¡¯ above their head, the powerful Move did only as much damage as Mach Punch had done before.

    Staying in close only left the Breloom more open for the Uproar to blast into him. With one last screech of sound, the enemy was literally knocked off his feet by the attack, falling unconscious. I was actively protecting my ears with Aura, as well as the barrier diminishing the sound coming my way, so I could still hear the crowd cheer wildly as they saw me score my first knockout.

    Brassius furrowed his thin eyebrows in concentration. ¡°It appears I¡¯ll need to spice this work up; go Scovillain!¡±

    His latest Pokemon was a bit shorter than the others, just under a meter tall. They had a solid bipedal dark green body with two thick legs and two fingerless hands on the ends of their short arms. The most distinctive feature though was their two heads, one red and on a lighter green than the body, each vaguely pepper-shaped.

    Scovillain, Scovillain¡­ It¡¯s a Paldean native Pokemon, makes sense he¡¯d have it. Grass/Fire Typing covers a lot of weaknesses, what else- Insomnia. He¡¯s prepared for my Sleep attempts, and I can¡¯t Burn him either.

    Brassius started the latest bout off, shouting, ¡°Sunny Day!¡± The red head tilted back, mouth facing skyward, gathering a glowing ball of light in it that would serve as a miniature sun.

    Seeing his Move, I decided to try buffing up as well. However, no sooner had I called out ¡°Nasty Plot,¡± did Brassius¡¯ Pokemon react, the second head spitting out a cluster of spices that got caught in Miles¡¯ body, aggravating them. What Move was that? Some kind of debuff, probably. At least the irritation sped up Nasty Plot.

    Scovillain had released the sun up above them and started racing towards Miles, their speed obviously boosted from the sunlight. With a lunge, they jumped, snapping at Miles with one head, just barely missing as my Pokemon dodged out of the way, blasting them with a Hyper Voice on their way out.

    Nice try, but Miles is the fastest out of all my Pokemon and second only in overall strength to Dun. Even the sun boost won¡¯t be enough.

    ¡°Bullet Seed, Flamethrower!¡± Brassius called out, quickly but still calm and unworried. His Pokemon angrily stomped the ground as the two heads tried shooting him down with seeds and fire. This time, the attacks came much faster, and the long necks let the Scovillain heads cut off angles of escape. What? But there were no other boosting Moves used, why did Scovillain get so much faster- Ah, I can''t worry about that; I just gotta deal with it.

    ¡°Volt Switch!¡± Miles flew down at our enemy, a ring of electricity encircling them as they struck the Grass Type. Curving around, they narrowly avoided the attacks from the Scovillain and zipped back to me as I returned them to their Pokeball.

    ¡°Nemona has used her first switch! Challenger Nemona, please choose your next Pokemon!¡± I bit my lip as the referee talked, weighing my options.

    Nightwing is fast, can probably at least match the Scovillain for speed while the sun is up, but not this even faster speed they have right now. She won¡¯t resist their Moves either, and her best Flying attack is Acrobatics, which means either ditching the Toxic Orb too early or trying to draw things out for time. No, not with their dual attacks and speed. If I can¡¯t go fast then...

    ¡°I¡¯ll go slow,¡± I muttered, and Brassius turned, cupping an ear to try and hear me. ¡°Ah, nevermind, I said, I choose you, Notch!¡± Pressing the button on their ball, I sent Notch out onto the field.

    ¡°Bullet Seed!/Reflect.¡± We both called out. A few of the bullets shattered against Notch¡¯s rocky frame, chipping away at them but didn¡¯t do too much damage before Notch could raise a barrier.

    ¡°Even the harshest critic can be worn down with enough persistence - and coming at a piece from a different angle! Solar Beam!¡±

    ¡°Light Screen,¡± I ordered, a smile growing across my face. I thought so! Each head has to use a different Type, he can¡¯t just double down on attacking power. I¡¯m betting he¡¯s holding off on the Fire Moves to give the red head a chance to recover and regain strength.

    Pokemon were magnificent, versatile creatures, but even those best designed to do so had difficulties using more than one Move at a time. At least while keeping the strength of all the Moves up. I¡¯m sure Dun or Riolu could do three or even four Moves at once, but they¡¯d all be really bad versions of each. Usually just better to focus.

    With the sunlight shining brightly, Brassius fired off a Solar Beam quickly, digging in and cutting a small gouge into my Rock Type. Despite the super-effective blow, Notch held on, conjuring another barrier around themselves.

    The Gym Leader clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed by my sudden shift to a defensive strategy. ¡°Run around, Flamethrower.¡±

    ¡°Power Gem, blast him!¡± Notch did their best, firing the Rock energy beams all around the arena, but Scovillain whirled around, too fast to be hit. Even as they tried to predict where the Fire Type was headed, Scovillain was able to react in time and dodge them.

    The head that wasn¡¯t spitting fire at my Pokemon was laughing maniacally at our failed attempts. The flames themselves hardly hurt Notch, given their superior defenses, Type advantage, and barriers, but also cost Brassius nothing to do.

    ¡°Trick Room.¡± There isn¡¯t any point trying to hide or conceal this Move; it takes too long and is too obvious for anyone skilled not to see it coming. The question is if he has any answers to deal with this.

    The answer was that he did, and it was to stop using Scovillain. ¡°Switch,¡± he said, returning his Pokemon. He sent out his next one almost immediately, his Arboliva once more taking her place on the field. In this case, that place was lying on the ground, still asleep as Trick Room finished setting up around them.

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    Sometimes, Pokemon would wake up in their balls and be ready to hit the ground running when sent back out, but most of the time, situations like this happened where the Pokemon remained just as asleep as they had been before being put in their ball. A consequence of their design; they¡¯re meant to be comforting by nature and only sense outside stimuli if they put effort into doing so.

    ¡°Nice try,¡± I said to Brassius before giving Notch their next command. ¡°Stealth Rocks.¡± There, that should give a bit of chip damage to all of Brassius¡¯ Pokemon and an especially nasty hit when he puts Scorvillain back in.

    After the rocks were scattered about, I called, ¡°Body Press.¡± Carbink flew high above in the air, twirling as they slammed themselves down towards Arboliva. Unfortunately, our downed foe woke up at the last moment, and with the speed of Trick Room in their favor, narrowly rolled out of the way.

    ¡°Petal Blizzard!¡± Hmm, no Solar Beam while the sun remains up? His Pokemon are strong, but I guess he hasn¡¯t had the time to train them in a wide variety of Moves while pushing them to this level.

    Opting to take the hit rather than go for a more defensive option I said, ¡°Psychic, hold her in place!¡± The leaves she was flinging around cut into Notch, doing significant damage, even with the barrier from Reflect. Damn, she hits harder than I thought.

    Notch lifted her slightly off the ground and held her in place, telekinetically squeezing her. It might have stopped a lesser Pokemon from completing their Move, but the Arboliva was able to command the leaves to continue firing off her arms and into Notch, even as they were held still. Holding her up did give us an opportunity that neither of us was going to waste.

    ¡°Body Press!¡± Notch threw themselves once more at the Arboliva, and this time she was unable to dodge in mid-air. They had to drop the Psychic to use the Fighting Type Move, but just as Arboliva touched the ground, Notch crashed into her.

    The blow drove the olive Pokemon into the ground, leaving a small crater from the impact and knocking her out. As she fell unconscious, a few olives rolled off and seeded themselves around the arena, renewing the Grassy Terrain that had long since faded away at some point.

    The next Pokemon Brassius sent out was his ace, Sudowoodo. The crowd cheered wildly upon seeing the Gym Leader¡¯s strongest Pokemon, especially the locals. There aren¡¯t many obvious differences between this one and the ones he uses for lesser matches, but looking closely, I can see the chips in his skin that look like bark ridges, the way he holds himself. This one is strong.

    The fact that he didn¡¯t flinch as the rocks hidden around the arena pelted into him. This Sudowoodo also had a small gray stone hanging off a cord around his neck. Hard Stone, boost the power of Rock Type Moves. Something that Brassius put to good use right away with, ¡°Head Smash¡± as his first command.

    Charging in a reckless headbutt at Notch, he was moving faster than my Pokemon could react to with most Moves. ¡°Protect!¡± Was faster, though, and able to shield them from an attack that made a shockwave when his twig-looking antenna smacked into the honeycomb barrier Notch had made.

    No recoil for Sudowoodo either; must have whats-it-name Ability that stops that. Probably Sturdy too, from how tough he looks. ¡°Body Press,¡± I tried, hoping we could squish the Rock Type, or at least force out his Terastalization. Instead, they dodged out of the way, and as Brassius swung his arm out, Sudowoodo did the same, catching Notch in a heavy blow with his whole body behind it.

    As they continued to dart around, now moving even faster, I was sure the Move they had used was Hammer Arm. Ok, decently clever to use my Trick Room against me, but the thing is, I set it up. And I can...

    ¡°Shut it down.¡± The arena began to glow again as Sudowoodo built up more space for another charge towards Notch. Brassius¡¯ eyes darted looking for some method to try and deal with it, and for a second he was lost.

    He wasn¡¯t a Gym Leader for nothing, however, and quickly recovered to at least stay the course. ¡°Smash through the block before you!¡± Sudowoodo made an odd ¡®X¡¯ motion with his hand before charging ahead to smash into the Notch, this time the blow connecting solidly as the distorted dimensions returned to normal.

    They gave a whimper as they spun through the air, falling to the ground... before just catching themself, barely holding on. Brassius¡¯s gaunt eyes bulged a little, seeing all the punishment Notch had taken and kept on fighting. Those barriers helped a ton, but part of it is just Notch¡¯s natural toughness. It takes a ton to put them down.

    Sudowoodo raised an arm to try and smash into Notch, only to be blasted aside by a Power Gem. ¡°Body Press!¡± I cried viciously, the speed advantage firmly in Notch¡¯s favor now. Spinning around Sudowoodo, they rose, ready to crash down on them.

    ¡°Substitute!¡± Brassius ordered, his hand going for his Pokeball. Sudowoodo split, making a copy at the last moment to absorb the blow for him, the fake getting pounded to smithereens by Notch. Before we could make any more attempts, the Gym Leader used his penultimate switch, recalling Sudowoodo.

    ¡°Show the beauty of nature, Lilligant!¡± Brassius¡¯ next Pokemon was, expectedly, Lilligant. She was a squat, flowery creature, with leaves for arms and legs, with an orange flower blooming slightly askew on her head, akin to a hat.

    The Stealth Rocks once again rose up to smack into her, but Brassius was ready, immediately calling out ¡°Petal Blizzard!¡± The stones struck into her, causing some damage; however, as they bounced off, looking to hide among the field once more, her petals struck out. The Grass attack blasted the rocks away - a clever method of removing my field hazard.

    ¡°Moonblast,¡± I tried, hoping to use the opening provided by her being caught up in removing the hazard. However, she snapped out of the attention-consuming Move at Brassius¡¯ next command.

    ¡°Grassy Glide!¡± Zipping across the slowly fading grassy field, she struck Notch, knocking them down before they could finish the Move. That same terrain had slowly helped my Pokemon recover from some of the injuries they had taken, enough that with the Reflect just now slowly fading out of existence, they were able to hang on.

    Finishing their Move, a giant blast of pink light crashed into the Lilligant, blasting her backward. In response, the Gym Leader called out ¡°Giga Drain!¡±

    Dashing forward, I caught the glimpse of a root object hanging from around her neck, underneath the yellow petal ring just below her head. Arms gripping deceptively gently onto Notch, she started draining their energy, the Carbink shaking and struggling before their ears drooped and they fell to the ground, defeated.

    ¡°You did good out there,¡± I told Notch as I recalled them. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s get back in there, Miles!¡± The return of my Rotom (and the music, Live and Learn filling the arena) got some whoops and cheers from the crowd. Underneath their noise, I could hear the buzz of electricity, Miles¡¯ Terastalization still going strong.

    ¡°Quiver Dance,¡± Brassius tried, hoping to get a quick buff off.

    ¡°Slow her down, Thunder Wave!¡± Miles was faster than her, though, and easily able to shock her before she could complete her dance. Though the motions were less graceful and elegant, on shaking limbs she managed to execute the Move.

    Her Special Defense is up now; just trying to blast her would be a slog. I really wish I could use Confuse Wisp, but she¡¯ll be immune to half of it, better save that card for later. ¡°Sing a pleasant tune for the lady, will ya?¡± I mockingly asked.

    As Miles swooped in, playing ¡®Eat Your Young,¡¯ Brassius started furiously cracking his whip. ¡°Ignore it! Petal Blizzard!¡±

    His Pokemon tried hard to follow his commands, but as she danced and threw petals all around, her eyelids started to flicker. At one point in her twirling, her limbs seized, and she fell to the ground. Trying to get up, she shot a few more sharp petals into Miles but couldn¡¯t muster the energy to stay awake, slumping to the ground, asleep.

    ¡°Switch,¡± Brassius called out, swapping her away before she could be blasted into defeat. Or more likely, reading my intentions and knowing we would have gone for major setup there if he let us.

    Without fanfare, he tossed his ace back into the fray. Sudowoodo makes a tempting target here for Thunder, making the most of our Terastalization but he''ll just Terastalize in response... though maybe I should do that anyway? Yeah, best to get his Terastalization out of the way now when it won''t be super effective against us. Plus, I can use him going Grass Type against him as well.

    Thinking quickly, I called ¡°Thunder!¡± At the same time, I pulled out some Pokeballs, getting ready for my latest ploy.

    Brassius was making his own plans, tossing his Tera Orb out high above the Rock Type, even as he was running towards Miles. ¡°I hope this work can live up to your expectations, Nemona. Be reimagined as Truelewoodo!¡±

    Bursting out of the crystals that had surrounded him at the same time as he was struck by the Thunder, Brassius¡¯ ace continued his charge at my Pokemon. Raising an arm for a powerful Wood Hammer, I called on my switch.

    ¡°Switch! Go, Rotwo!¡± I then recalled Miles and waited a moment to send out Phantasm, giving her time to prepare the illusion. Appearing like another copy of Miles, down to the same Rotom Form, she stepped onto the stage (though the illusion floated a meter or so above where she actually stood).

    The audience was muttering something fierce while Brassius looked shocked. Guess he hasn¡¯t heard about her from Kathy then. ¡°Rotwo, make some noise!¡± She made the plasmic eyes gleam as her Hyper Voice screeched across the field, eliciting a wince from our foe.

    Glad I didn¡¯t try and pull a fast one to make it look like it was still Miles on the field. I¡¯d have to have used an extra switch and some sleight of hand to pull that off, and the trick would have failed as soon as she did that. She¡¯s got a good handle on the Move, but she can¡¯t weave in song lyrics to it naturally like Miles can, not yet at least.

    ¡°Art can often be a race against the clock; let us see if you can keep up with this new pace! Trailblaze!¡± Sudowoodo dashed across the field, surrounded in a glowing green energy. The attack passed through the illusion above, but Sudowoodo¡¯s stumpy legs still kicked Phantasm as he went by, tripping slightly.

    She was able to hold on to the illusion, thankfully, but I was pretty sure the next hit they landed would undo it. Sudowoodo is staring suspiciously at the ground as it is. "Hex¡± was our codeword for Bitter Malice, which Phantasm used, surrounding the Sudowoodo with dark tendrils, sapping at his strength.

    ¡°Rock Head!¡± Was Brassius¡¯ next command, and I readied to tell Phantasm to ¡®dodge it,¡¯ only for the words to die on my tongue as I saw Sudowoodo stop. Rather than follow his trainer, Sudowoodo shook his head vigorously, waving at the ground with branch-like hands.

    He¡¯s on to us! ¡°Hex Hex Hex!¡± I cried, hoping to get some debuffs and damage while we could. Phantasm trains hard, but she just has so much less experience than the rest of my team. If a Gym Leader sees through our tricks... well, I won¡¯t say that she doesn¡¯t have a chance, but it¡¯ll be a miracle for her to pull through.

    The Gym Leader quickly changed tactics. ¡°Rock Slide, wide spread!¡± Even as the Bitter Malice assaulted him, Sudowoodo hefted a large stone out of the ground, chucking it in the air above Phantasm. It cracked there, splitting into several large chunks that rained down on her.

    She gave a yip of pain as she was knocked to the side, one of the rocks clipping her back left leg. My Pokemon also became clearly visible to all, the illusion breaking from pain.

    There was a moment of stunned silence from the crowd before jubilant cheers and delighted cooing over erupted from the gathered audience. My opposite looked surprised for a second before grinning. ¡°What a delightful surprise, a new coat of paint on an existing masterpiece!¡± Then, as if as an afterthought to his artistic appreciation, he told his Sudowoodo, ¡°Hammer Arm.¡±

    I smirked as the hot-dog-tree-looking Pokemon waddled up, arm raised high. Right! He doesn¡¯t know about her Typing yet; he¡¯s treating her like a regular Zorua! ¡°Yours is the hatred that burns! Bitter Malice!¡±

    It felt nice, for some reason, to call the Move out by its proper name. I suspected that Phantasm felt the same way, as this time the Distorted tendrils that wrapped around Sudowoodo¡¯s body practically engulfed him completely. That or she¡¯s upset about the Rock Slide.

    Brassius¡¯ Pokemon managed to push through the attack and still swing his arm down at her, only for it to pass right through. ¡°A Ghost Type?!¡± Brassius shouted, shocked.

    ¡°Haha, that¡¯s right!¡± Just not the full story. ¡°Now-¡±

    ¡°Copycat!¡± Was his reaction. Oh wow, forgot that Sudowoodo learned that Move.

    Bitter Malice surrounded my Pokemon, doing absolutely nothing. ¡°Show him how it¡¯s done!¡± Phantasm gave a happy cry as she once again tormented the Gym Leader¡¯s ace, sapping his strength and life further. The Tera Grass Pokemon fell to the ground before, nearly defeated.

    ¡°Sucker Punch.¡± Or not, I thought as the Sudowoodo lashed out, punching Phantasm with a Dark Type attack that sent my Pokemon reeling back. Even after all that, he can still hurt her that much? I get that she¡¯s on the frail side, and it was Super Effective, but still. I guess that goes to show how strong a Gym Leader¡¯s top Pokemon can be.

    Sudowoodo straightened back up, and I prepared to call her back, thinking that Phantasm wouldn¡¯t be able to finish him off. Then, as she angrily pushed herself back to her feet, she started glowing.

    It felt like the entire arena drew in a sharp breath as one, then all of us gasped as we saw her evolve. Even knowing what was coming, it was still a sight for me to behold as well. She started by growing so much taller and larger, her body still a silhouette surrounded by the light she exuded. Phantasm shifted to a more humanoid form, standing on two legs and growing short, sharp claws on the ends of her hands and feet. As the light faded, some more details could be made out, like a few red bumps covering arms and legs as well. Her eyes became yellow with red pupils, but the most drastic change was to her mane, the fur growing and becoming truly wild and far more red, covering one half of her face completely.

    ¡°Zoroark!¡± She triumphantly shouted, racing towards Sudowoodo. For his part, he tried to Sucker Punch her but hit only air as she ran past him, cutting a deep gouge into him with her claws. And illusion? No, she¡¯s just that much faster now!

    ¡°Hyper Voice!¡± I shouted, and she shouted louder, her voice shaking the arena. The sound crashed into Sudowoodo and knocked him off his feet. He flopped towards Brassius, his Terastalization shattering as he fell unconscious.

    ¡°Ha! You did it! Great job- wait, stop.¡± I said as I noticed Phantasm stalking towards her fallen foe. She ignored me, continuing towards him until I said louder. ¡°Stop!¡± Whirling around to face me, I saw hatred burning in her yellow eye. Part of me wanted to flinch, to set my shoulders up as fight-or-flight instincts kicked in, but I pushed those all aside, remembering the adorable little kit I had taken in a few months ago.

    ¡°Stop it, you¡¯ve won.¡± I said softly, but no less firm. The hatred dimmed in her eye as recognition took hold, and she looked ashamed of herself. She¡¯s still the same Phantasm as she was before; she just has some things to work out in regards to her new instincts.

    While that happened, Brassius recalled his Sudowoodo, sending the last Pokemon I had yet to see on his team, Tsareena. She had three long green petal-like strands flowing off the top of her head down behind her and very long, dangerous-looking legs.

    Rather than risking anything starting, I called ¡°Switch!¡± Returning Phantasm to her ball. Before I put it away though, I whispered to her in the Pokeball, ¡°You did great out there, I¡¯m proud of you.¡±

    In a louder voice, I said, ¡°Miles, I choose you!¡± Throwing his ball out on the field, they popped out (and I barely managed to catch the Pokeball as it came back, fumbling it in my hands).

    ¡°Make majestic art, Trop Kick!¡± Without hesitation, she jumped up, trying to land a heavy kick down upon Miles¡¯ head. Impressive; most Tsareena would think that Miles was a Steel Type from their appearance, and they can get prickly about Trainers telling them to use ineffective Moves. Of course, as good a bond as they have, they can¡¯t beat ours.

    I waited, readying myself for as she descended closer before shouting ¡°Foul Play!¡± Miles responded before I¡¯d finished saying the second word, spinning around mid-air around the blow, then up around and hitting her on top of her head with one end of their boombox body, driving her down to the ground.

    ¡°Hyper Voice!¡± My order came fast, not wanting to let up here. They cranked up ¡®I Beg to Differ¡¯ and hit her hard with the attack.

    Miles was floating well out of reach from her, wary of a counterattack, but she surprised us by turning around at her Trainer¡¯s order of ¡°Power Whip!¡± Lashing her ¡®hair¡¯ out to an insane length, it whistled by my Pokemon, Miles just barely dodging.

    It can be hard to spot with the appliance bodies Rotoms possess and all, but the glow around Miles is growing dimmer. They can¡¯t last much longer. Part of that was just due to the Life Orb they carried, making them hit so much harder but draining their own energy each time they attacked. ¡°Let¡¯s end this,¡± I said solemnly. ¡°Hit it as loud as you can!¡±

    They complied eagerly, diving down and turning up the volume as high as they could, attempting to blast Tsareena into submission.

    I saw Brassius mouth ¡®Trop Kick'' rather than heard the words over the din Miles was making. She was able to see him and follow through though, landing a powerful kick that cracked almost straight through their new boombox body. Miles dipped in the air, and while the system was too damaged to make music at the moment, they let out a screech that ripped through the air, taking Tsareena out.

    That was their last Move, however, as their body continued to sink to the ground, even Levitate slowly failing them as they fell unconscious. Recalling them, I said, ¡°That was magnificent, you did great out there.¡±

    Then, before the referee could announce who had to send out their Pokemon next (which would usually be Brassius), I pulled out Dun¡¯s Pokeball, releasing him. ¡°Wow, that was great! You¡¯ve been the first person to get me down to my fourth Pokemon so far.¡±

    He let out a chuckle of his own. ¡°And I can see that dear ol¡¯ Hass was not downplaying your strength in the slightest either.¡± That earned a few excited whispers, at least from the members of the crowd who realized that he was talking about a member of the Elite Four.

    The artistic man sent Scovillain into the fray once more. He was still injured from the previous bouts but raring to go as he saw Dun. ¡°Flamethrower, Bullet Seed!¡±

    Two Moves huh? Let¡¯s match him! ¡°Ancient Power, Air Slash!¡± While even Dun couldn¡¯t do the two Moves at full power simultaneously, he was able to fire the rocks at Scovillain quickly and then switch Type energies immediately to flap scythes of wind through the air at our foe before the rocks even met Scovillain¡¯s attack.

    Ancient Power pushed through the Flamethrower, getting deflected by the high-velocity seeds that cracked into them. That only cleared the way for his Air Slash to cut into the Grass Type. Combined with his other injuries, the Scovillain fell quickly, leaving Brassius down to his last Pokemon.

    ¡°Liligant, wake up!¡± He puts his all into the fight even when backed into a corner like this, that¡¯s admirable. Brassius¡¯ desperate plea worked, and his Pokemon blearily opened her eyes as she was released onto the field. Not that it will save her.

    ¡°Hurricane!¡± Dun started slithering around her, whipping the air into a frenzy. She tried to use Petal Blizzard, and to her credit, the petals were amplified by the whirling winds. While less accurate, the ones that did hit cut deep into Dun. He just grunted with the blows though, easily tanking the attack as she was buffeted around by the wind and carried up into the air.

    ¡°Finish this, Hyper Drill!¡± Lifting up and flying through the updraft he made, Dun spiraled through the air towards the helpless Liligant stuck there. She sent a barrage of petals at him, all ground to mulch by his spinning drill tail before it connected with her, striking her down.

    As they both landed down, the referee said, ¡°Gym Leader Brassius has no more useable Pokemon! Challenger Nemona is the winner!¡±

 Chapter 54

    "Avant Garde! Truly!" Brassius declared loudly as he passed me the badge I had earned. I opened the (super special, custom, gold) case my parents had bought me for my journey, snapping it in place alongside the others. Three of eight, plus a flip-side fit for Unovan badges when I eventually challenge them. Right now, just have Clay''s ''unofficial'' badge sitting there.

    "You weren''t too shabby yourself," I said, putting the case away and shaking his hand. "For someone who was only a Gym Leader for a year, you did quite well." Not that I''d be gauche enough to say it, but I''m pretty sure Oberon was hitting me with his full force in our battle too, and I swept him far easier.

    Cyan quickly ran up, passing me back my phone. "That was awesome! You''ve gotten even stronger, Nims."

    "Of course," I replied, flexing my arms as if that had anything to do with the ''strength'' she was talking about. Naturally, I got an eye roll in response. More sincerely, I continued. "I''m impressed with Phantasm''s growth as well."

    "Is that the name of your Zoroark?!" A familiar, slightly chubby boy pushed through the crowd, asking me intently.

    "Uh, yeah, it is. Hohma, right?" The boy nodded his head, and I internally sighed, knowing I had remembered him and hadn''t mixed him up with someone else. That''s always so embarrassing.

    Answering that seemed to open the floodgates, as a large portion of the crowd rushed me like a horde. So many of them were talking, shouting over top of each other with questions or phrases of praise that it was somewhat overwhelming. Jeez, I hadn''t expected this kind of reaction.

    Cyan tried to tell them off. "Hey, give her space!" When that failed to work, she released her Kingdra, the appearance of her Dragon making all of them take a step back. The Smokescreen afterward gave us perfect cover to escape, especially since as the smoke cleared, they were all looking along the ground while we had flown away, her atop Kingdra and me with my Aura.

    Brassius was the only one who spotted us, and I gave him a cheeky wave as we flew off, landing down behind the new hedge maze. "Thanks," I told Cyan, who nodded, returning her Pokemon.

    "No problem; you seemed like you were getting a bit uncomfortable."

    "Yeah, nothing like that happened to me before." It might have, at Oberon''s Gym, if I hadn''t run off. "Did you ever experience anything like that?"

    My sister shook her head. "I got a few fans and fellow classmates cheering me on by about my fifth badge, but nothing that big. Then again, I never had a big six-on-six battle in the middle of a festival while showing off a brand new Pokemon and evolution," she retorted with her hands on her hips.

    Yeah, guess that is somewhat my fault, though I didn''t know that she''d evolve then. But that is the biggest concern I had; mostly all those people were trying to ask questions about Phantasm. We still need to talk before I show her off.

    "Maybe they were just fascinated to talk to the author of such a famous and well-respected comic book series?"

    "Wha- how did you- Brassius," my sister quickly determined.

    "Yup. He actually told me about it being entered in the fair." The stern glare I gave her was only about 40% fake.

    "I- I just wanted it to be a fun surprise for you," Cyan pouted, the singular red bang of her hair flopping about.

    "That''s fine; it''s not a big deal. Just, tell me in the future. I don''t need a big surprise."

    "I suppose I should have known." At my curious look, she said, "At your birthday party? You kinda flipped out over¡­ whatever happened with Friede that led to you getting Phantasm. Are you going to tell everyone where they can find more like-"

    "No," I said flatly, my tone indicating I wouldn''t budge on this issue. "I do plan on showing her off to the world, even if it means dodging some tough questions, though. Speaking of¡­" Looking around, I saw that there was no one nearby since we were on the edge of Artazon. "Mind giving us a moment to talk? I can meet you by our comic book display."

    She nodded, wandering off back to the fair while I released Phantasm. She stood, taking in the change in scenery, her body slightly hunched over. Is that just natural for her now, or because she''s feeling nervous? It fits the game images, but those aren''t always fully indicative.

    "Hey, let me get a good look at you." She obliged my calm words, slowly turning around. "Wow, you look gorgeous!"

    "Really?" I blinked, surprised at the ''words''. They were just an illusion, I knew, but it was an impressive upgrade from before, where she''d have difficulty making the sound that precise. Sounds a bit like me, but slightly deeper in tone.

    "Yeah! You look awesome, and those illusions¡ªthose are incredible too. People are going to be all over you." There was an awkward pause, and I caught a flash of frustration and confusion in her eyes; her long mane lifted slightly so I could see both of them.

    "I made a promise to let people adore you and marvel over your magnificence, etcetera, and I''m going to live up to it. Just means that I''ll seem like a jerk when they ask where I got you or how you came to be that way but- but that is fine." I stressed, in response to the low growl she made, clearly upset at even the idea of random strangers thinking badly of me.

    Slowly, I offered my hand, and at her acceptance, I ran it through her mane, shivering slightly. Still has that unusual chill to it; gotta test more Ice Type TMs with her. "Your instincts might lead to aggression and hate easier, and that isn''t bad, but you do need to learn to control it, ok? Save the viciousness for the truly bad people like those poachers."

    She bristled slightly but nodded. "Are you ready to go out and see the world? Or rather, have the world see you? It''s ok if you aren''t¡­" Her expression was still somewhat unsure and I added "I''ll have your Pokeball on hand if anything flares up, but you seem fine just talking with me."

    Admittedly, I''m a lot closer to her, but this is still a stressful topic. We''ll take it slowly, just start to get her used to other people and Pokemon outside of battle first. And for the next few Gyms, I''ll just have her train with the team, who she knows and can stop her if she goes too far.

    "Ark," she replied, standing up a bit straighter. My words seemed to reassure her and now she was eager, mane waving happily.

    "Alright then, let''s go check out the art. I don''t think I even showed you the comics Cyan and I made back when we were home. It''s about Spinarak-Man, an average man bitten by a mutated Spinarak who gains incredible powers, and the amazing foes he fights."

    Explaining the lore of the series we had adapted, I led her through the festival. Almost the instant we got around the maze, people were pointing at Phantasm and whispering. "They''re saying only good things; don''t worry," I told her as I noticed her movements get a little stiffer, suddenly nervous.

    A little girl (ok, only a few years younger than I was) ran away from her mom and up to us. "Hey, can I pet her?" She asked excitedly. Glancing at Phantasm, I saw her nod, so I gave her the go-ahead. She did so cheerfully, cooing over her and being a bit surprised when she felt how cold Phantasm''s mane was.

    There were plenty more like her on the way to Cyan. A few people did seem a bit wary or disturbed by Phantasm''s appearance, but they were in the minority. Most of them seemed quite impressed, especially the children. A lot of the Uva students would pepper me with questions about how strong she was, or what Type she was, and most of all¡­

    "How can we get a Zoroark like her?" A group of three older boys demanded of me, cornering me as some others got their photos taken with her.

    "Sorry, can''t say." Was my entirely unapologetic response. The other questions are easy enough to answer - no one here is asking questions anyone couldn''t find out just by reviewing the fight I just had with Brassius.

    They didn''t seem happy with that, the lead boy stepping up to tower over me. Then, suddenly, the three of them flinched, turning to stare at Phantasm, who was balefully glaring down at them. Without another word, they ran off.

    As we moved on, I asked her in a low voice, "What illusion did you show them?"

    ["Just a growl. Didn''t even need to do anything like that bitch did."] It took me a moment to get over my surprise at her precise auditory illusion-speak and realize that she was talking about Raifort''s Zoroark. Well, I guess I don''t have any right to tell her not to hate Raifort - she definitely fits my description of very bad people.

    I noticed she would cast a baleful glare at those boys a couple of times as they ran away, though there was little anger to her. It feels like she''ll make and keep grudges easier, but it''s more hatred than anger. I kept things like that in mind as we wandered about, taking in the sights of the impressive festival.

    To help protect the donated art pieces from the elements, a great number of large tents had been set up in the open, grassy sections of town. There, people and Pokemon could wander around and view the pieces. We found my sister in one of these, showing off the book.

    "Nemona!" She called out, waving me over. "I was just telling my classmates about the comic book we made.

    "You wrote this?" Asked one of the older girls. "But you''re so young." I didn''t really know how to respond to that, so I just shrugged.

    "Yeah. We wrote more than just this; we actually have quite a few of these comics at home."

    "How many?" Another kid asked excitedly, the young boy not much older than me.

    "Uhh, we got up to issue thirty two, I think, so thirty one more." My sister nodded, agreeing with my memory.

    "We had ideas for hundreds of issues more, but someone got too busy with Training."

    Frowning at her, I said, "Training is important too. You should know, given your own badges. And I''d say it was time well spent." Phantasm had been ever so carefully flipping through the pages as we talked, reading our story. As I gestured to her, she gave a toothy grin before conjuring an illusion of a Spinarak descending from the ceiling. Just like the iconic scene from the comic where Peter Parkour got his powers.

    That distracted most of the other students, who began eagerly calling out different scenes they wanted her to make. My Pokemon took great joy, reveling in the new power and control she had with her illusions. That''ll be useful for battles, but I''m glad to see her getting to do stuff like this too. She''s a great storyteller, and it brings her a lot of joy.

    Eventually, the other students left, going to check out some of the other art displays. Before they did though, the young boy (whose name I learned was Adrian) asked, "If you have ideas for tons of more comic books, why don''t you just make them already?"

    I chuckled at that. "Easier said than done. Making the comics takes a lot of time, to sketch them all out, color them properly, and actually write the dialogue and narration. And even if we have general outlines of the plot, writing the details in between the plot points is what brings the story to life. Plus, not everything goes as planned; sometimes, the story evolves in ways you didn''t expect as you make it."

    He nodded and followed after the older students, animatedly chatting about the book. Turning to my sister, I said, "Thanks."

    "What for?"

    "For putting our comic on display. I would have been hesitant, but it''s really cool to see a bunch of people like it, even amidst all this professional work."

    "Well, not all of it''s professional. Think there are a few other amateur pieces people volunteered here. Oh, that reminds me! They''ve got a portrait station where you can make your own piece of art. Let''s go check it out; I''m sure Smeargle will love it."

    "You got one?" I asked excitedly as she dragged me along, Phantasm loping behind us.

    "Yes, yes," she reapplied, waving me off with her free hand. "Turns out Alisha has a Purugly, so he was able to sketch that Move you wanted."

    Yes! One step closer to my plan. A lot of red tape to cut through for us to get our shot, but I''m really hopeful about this one.

    My mind turned away from schemes as we approached the do-it-yourself portrait station. There were also several professional artists nearby offering sketches and portraits for a modest fee. We went in the line-up to try our own hand at it - or rather, for Cyan and her Smeargle to try their hands (and tail) at it.

    "You sure you don''t want to try too?" Cyan asked, and I shook my head vigorously.

    "No thanks; we both know I''m pretty bad at this kind of stuff." Occasionally I had drawn things for the comic book to give Cyan a better image of what I had envisioned, and it often ended with me having to explain a bunch of details and nuance that I had failed to illustrate for her.

    "Smearg?" The Smeargle by her side asked, talking with Phantasm.

    "Oark, zor." Was her response. Hmm, getting only one half of the conversation, less really with Phantasm''s evolution giving her new cues and body signs, but I think they''re talking about Grafaiai? They''re the resident painting Pokemon of Paldea, and I see a few of them around here. Pokemon were a part of every facet of life, and making art was no exception. Some, like Smeargle and Grafaiai, were naturally predisposed to such, but there were plenty of unusual artists I saw, like a Gallade metalworker, a Falinks dance ''team'', and an Eelektross poet.

    Phantasm and I took our places, both of us trying to strike dramatic yet easy-to-hold poses. That was easier said than done, but we eventually settled down. I tried to remain still, but chatted a little with Cyan, just about what school had been like and other little things that we''d missed that hadn''t made their way onto the group chat, as well as my future plans.

    "Are you going to race to Iono''s Gym next? She''s pretty fun in her streams, but I haven''t gotten to see how she performs as a Gym Leader." I chuckled at her words, causing her to scowl. "Don''t move around."

    "Sorry, just thinking about how much more interested you''ve become in Pokemon stuff ever since you''ve gotten your badges. I never would have believed it, my sister, a Pokemaniac." That only got her to scowl harder.

    Graciously shifting the conversation, I continued. "Nah, not gonna rush ahead. Kinda blitzed through the last three, wanna to take a bit more time to explore the land. Maybe backtrack a bit and check out the Secluded Beach."

    "Oh right, that''s one of the ten sights. I picked up Toxapex not far from there, actually." I resisted the ingrained instinct to nod my head at my sister telling me something I already knew. I remember how you bragged about getting Mareanie to join your team and then begged me until I gave you tons of advice on how to best integrate her into your team.

    After they finished, we looked at their portraits. "This is- I look¡­" Fierce, powerful, and confident. Like a champion ready to take on the world, and not just a little girl. "Thank you."

    Cyan blushed at her praise, while Phantasm delicately passed me her portrait before grabbing Smeargle in a bone-crushing hug. I can see why; this looks great! Not sure why he chose to use a snowy background for this, considering it''s a bright sunny day, but it helps add to the flair of ''mystery'' and dims the sense of danger radiating off of her.

    "You''re welcome-"

    "Ok, now do one with the whole team!" I shouted, releasing the rest of my Pokemon.

    "Hey, I didn''t agree to that! I was just going to do one portrait-"

    ***

    [''Still looking at that picture your kin drew for us?''] Phantasm didn''t speak often through illusions, human language a bit odd for her. If she tried to make the illusion too fast or her mind drifted to the emotion she was trying to convey, the illusion would get messed up. Still, does make it easier to understand her and how exactly she''s feeling.

    "Of course!" I replied to Phantasm brightly, thrusting my phone in her face. She looked annoyed by the action but held back from swatting it away in a remarkable display of control. Or perhaps the fact that Miles is inside it, and they can still kick her keister, even with her evolution.

    I pulled back when I realized she wasn''t looking. Being fair and honest, she had dutifully looked at it the first dozen or so times I had shown it to her, as well as being there when it was made. The picture isn''t quite as good as the real thing, but the large portrait would have taken up space in my bag and is better hanging up in my house.

    Despite her denials, Cyan eventually (with Smeargle''s help) agreed to make a portrait for the whole team. It was a bit tricky to get everyone in a tight frame, but we managed. Dun lay curled up in the center, with me sitting atop. Notch floated directly above my head while Miles was in front of me, not possessing any appliances but sticking out with their blue glow. On my left was Phantasm, and on my right stood Riolu, with Nightwing hovering above her.

    This is awesome. I love little things like this to remind me of how great the journey can be. I''ve stumbled a bit and ran into some trouble, but as a whole, I''m glad we''ve gone on it. It also made for a nice distraction from the gloom around me.

    The secluded beach was, surprisingly, actually secluded when I arrived. Ever since it had been called one of the ''Ten Sights of Paldea,'' there had been tons of tourism to this spot. Today, however, the sky was quite overcast, hovering on the precipice of precipitation.

    "Honestly, this place is pretty boring," I said, voicing my thoughts aloud.

    [''Do you think all the Ten Sights will be like that?''] Phantasm asked. Making illusory sounds was great for communication, and it doubled as training for making complex and subtle illusions in battle.

    "Nah, I think we''ve just had bad luck. Well, at least with the Olive Field. I grew up on a beach, at least in this life." Though I hadn''t been that far from the water in my first life, even if I didn''t have a beachside mansion to grow up in then. "So this place probably wouldn''t be that impressive for me even when it''s warm and sunny. Must be the same for any citizens of Levincia and their ''million-volt skyline."

    That being said, I can totally see how this would be fairly impressive. Got that magnificent waterfall from the river that flows down from above, and the beach itself is kept quite clean. Here and there, I spotted signs of Rangers or their presence. A ''lifeguard'' tower that doubled as an outpost, from what I recognized in my Explorer training.

    Phantasm cared little for that, and the Finizens, Wattrels, Clawitzers, and the like here hadn''t the strength to challenge her. [''K, I''m going back to rest in my ball.''] Which she promptly did.

    What to do now? We could carry on to Levincia and get our challenge to Iono done, but I did say I wasn''t going to rush things. Looking around, I brightened up as I saw the cliff looming over the beach.

    "Hey, Notch." They tilted their body after I released them, making some questioning chiming sounds. "Want to explore the marsh over there?"

    They rotated in the air, their gaze following my finger pointing over the cliff. Without a sign of interest or the opposite, they started simply floating that way. Laughing, I followed her, jumping up as easily as she ascended, despite gravity''s lacking hold on her. Aura really is awesome.

    Atop the cliff, we stared down at the marsh on the other side. The basin was muddy, with large puddles of water covering much of it. Within them splashed Woopers under the watchful eyes of Clodsires while Mareanies lurked within the surface, only the purple tips of their heads sticking out of the water.

    They were hardly the only Poison Types to make their home here, I realized as I caught sight of a Croagunk scooping a Skrelp out of the water. The Skrelp managed to shoot out a Water Gun and push itself out of the Croagunk''s claw, flipping back into the water with a splash and hiding amidst the silt churned up.

    There were some non-Poison Types as well, with stubborn Chewtles and oblivious Psyducks wandering around; however, the strongest group of Pokemon seemed to be the Flamigos, who strutted around as if they owned the place.

    Considering I can see a Tera Bug one off in the center of the marsh, I guess they kind of do. I wonder if they can deal with all this toxic water because their long legs are resistant to that? I remember Flamingos in my world having something like that. I think? Maybe other birds had resistance in their talons, like one with red talons that could hunt snakes? And they''d trick the snakes into biting their legs, and they''d be fine? I don''t know. Guess I can''t find out, and it doesn''t really matter anyway.

    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    With a sigh, I jumped off the ledge, gently floating down to the marsh. My Aura helped me land lightly, but then I made the mistake of letting go of it once I touched down, causing my feet to sink into the mud.

    "Gah!" Wrenching my feet free took a bit of effort, and it felt terrible, the mud sinking into my shoes, coating my socks and feet. "Ughhhh!" I whined, kicking the mud away as if that would help anything. I hate getting mucky and dirty like this!

    So too did the Goomy that I accidentally hit with my little tantrum. That, or they thought it was an attack, and so rearing up, they let loose a stream of purple fire at me. On instinct, I raised my arms up to shield myself from the blast and yelled in pain from the Dragon Breath.

    It didn''t last long, luckily, as Notch summoned a mighty Moonblast to send the offending dragon slithering away, disappearing amongst the reeds. They moved to pursue, but I waved them down. "It- it''s fine," I said, wincing. My nerves feel like they''re on fire. God, that stings. I can see why Pokemon can have trouble just pushing through it.

    Notch returned to stand guard over me as I pulled out a Parlyz Heal and, with shaking arms, sprayed myself with it. "Ahhh." That''s better. Not perfect, but better.

    It was still a struggle to climb out, my muscles moving sluggishly as I scurried back up the cliff before lying down in a heap. Bright blue eyes stared at me from above, Notch floating nearby, wondering how they could help.

    "You already are."

    They looked confused as I took off my shoes and socks and got Miles to wash those articles of clothing and my feet off with their Wash Form. "No, really, you helped tons. Not just in protecting me, but in stopping me from just moping around. I know myself well enough to know that if I was by myself and hurt and dirty and grumpy, I''d just waste a bunch of time feeling bad for myself before I got on with what needed to be done to fix the situation."

    I frowned as I thought about it a bit more. "At least, that''s how I used to be. Not sure that I am that way anymore. Is it because I''m Nemona now, or just a result of growing up again here?"

    Shaking my head, I said, "It doesn''t matter. I''m me, and I''m so glad to have your help on this journey." Miles had already switched to their Heat Form to begin drying off my clothes. Yeah, I wouldn''t make it anywhere near as far without them.

    To Notch, I finished by saying, "That''s why I wanted to show you someplace new and exciting. The marsh doesn''t seem like the greatest choice, but is there anywhere else you want to explore?" That, and they''re the quietest of the team. I want to make sure they get to do some exploring here too.

    Notch thought about it for a few minutes as I dried off and put my now clean socks and shoes on again. It was difficult not to be impatient, but I did my best, not wanting to rush them. Man, stories hardly ever go into these things, huh? It''s just dramatic dialogue and the scene cuts to the action, never covering the little difficulties of day-to-day life on the road. The games certainly never showed how mucky it was to travel across the countryside. And I have it fairly easy, all things considered, with six supernatural beings by my side and tons of expensive gear to make things easier.

    Some chiming sounds alerted me to where Notch was pointing, their ears directing my gaze up and up and up. Across the river bank on the other side were the canyons, but amidst the trenches and hills of that land that separated Mesagoza from Artazon, one feature stood out. A massive pillar of stone that rose well above any other. That was where Notch was pointing.

    Delighted, I grinned. "That''s where you want to go? Alright then, let''s reach the peak! Nothing can stop us." My stomach decided to speak up at that moment, reminding me of how hungry I was. "... After lunch, nothing can stop us after we''ve had lunch." The chiming this time sounded like laughter, and I couldn''t blame them.

    ***

    I had thoroughly restocked by the time I left the festival, so we had plenty of food for lunch. The team was rowdy as usual, eagerly digging into their meals and conversing. Phantasm is getting bolder now, pushing her limits more. Which is a good thing, but she snaps back easier than the others, getting more upset for real way faster than the others. Might have to have a chat with her if she''s not seeing it herself before Riolu puts her in her place. Or maybe Nightwing, she''s getting antsy too.

    Most of the talk was general chatter and banter, but some things of great importance were discussed when I had the whole team out to eat and socialize.

    "Dudun." Dun firmly stated.

    "Bzzt, I firmly disagree. The main theme is friendship and cooperation."

    "Sparce, un." Dun rebutted Miles.

    "That arc is practically filler, bzzt! And even if not given its dubious canonicity for happening in the Dream World arc, the tragedy of following orders blindly hardly shows up again at all."

    Dun dug in further, both literally and metaphorically, his tail grinding against the grassy hill. "Un dun, dunsparce."

    Miles actually rolled their plasmic eyes. "The ending does show hints of those darker elements, but I believe that was just a way to ratchet up tension, bzzt. Also to distract from the fact that the writers were too cowardly to put Espeon and Umbreon together, despite the clear chemistry they had."

    My starter nodded his head, the waggle of his tail showing he agreed with Miles'' latter point, but still had things he wanted to argue on the first. I had just finished my deconstructed ''sandwich'' however, so I decided to cut things short.

    "Guys, a show can have more than one major theme." I paused for a moment before continuing, "But sorry, Dun, Miles is totally right. Eeveelution Ranger Rescue Squad is a kid''s show, of course, friendship and comradery are the main themes!"

    Talking overtop his angered hisses, I offered an olive branch to smooth over his feelings. "That''s not to say they don''t have elements that more mature watchers can''t enjoy, like shipping characters together or darker themes that show up occasionally. And if you want to explore that more, that''s great; that''s what fanfiction is for."

    "Iolu."

    "Yes, you can write and find fanfics where Leafeon doesn''t get Worfed every major battle."

    "Ri? Riolu! Lu!" She asked, then vehemently protested. This girl. Acting like she isn''t glued to the screen or her Aura doesn''t light up whenever Leafeon takes out a mook. Of course, such things were ''too immature'' for her to enjoy¡­ despite how she would always ''happen'' to find herself in the room and out of her ball whenever it was on.

    "A character being ''Worfed'' is a term from my world. It came from a series, well several series actually, called Star Trek. Worf was actually in a lot of the different series; however, in Next Generation, where he premiered, he was a tough security officer. However, to show how tough the enemy of the week was, Worf would often lose to them despite his supposed strength, to hype up how tough the threat was. That''s where the term comes from," I explained.

    I wisely refrained from pointing out how such a term might be called ''Leafeon''d'' in this world to avoid an argument flaring up again. Notch chimed in, curious about details from my world.

    Packing up the picnic (really just a large blanket for us to lay on and a basket; no whole-ass bench and table as they got in the games), I answered Notch''s question. "Well, I don''t remember a ton about the series, to be honest. It was one of the main Science Fiction franchises in my world, alongside Star Wars. I was more into Star Wars than Star Trek, but I''ll tell you what I remember. Trek starts with Captain Kirk, serving aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise¡­"

    As we began our hike, I regaled Notch with tales of some of the stories of my world. Crossing the river was easy enough with my Aura, but the climb began to take its toll as we ascended. While there were a few ledges to rest on, most were fairly flat, meaning I had to climb or fly my way up. And there''s no way I''m flying up this whole thing, not with my Aura as it currently stands.

    The ledges served at least as nice places to rest and recuperate. I''d drink water and sit for a bit before getting back up and continuing the climb. Notch helped as well, with me reluctant to have them carry me up (and thus cut out any effort in the climb), but they were able to pull rock chunks from the sheer cliff face, making hand and foot holds for me to ascend.

    As the climb progressed, I moved from my stories on Star Trek (which had a surprising deal of breadth to them from general osmosis, though little depth on much of the series) to Star Wars (which I knew better but still had several series or books I hadn''t read and only had a partial picture on).

    Eventually, I mentioned fanfiction, of which I had read a fair bit. "It likely colors my opinion of some of the- urk - the stories, admittedly. In most series I tried to read the main work first, but sometimes I got introduced to them through a crossover or some recommendation."

    Grunting, I pulled myself up to another ledge, wiping sweat from my brow. Gathering my Aura, I tried to revitalize myself, long having forgone using it to just float up. Easier than climbing, but it exhausts me so quickly.

    "I wrote some fanfic in my old world. Not much, just one big story that I ended up dropping and a one shot that wasn''t very popular. I liked it though; it helped sharpen my skills as a writer. At least, I felt like it did." Cringing at your past work is a sign you''ve improved, right? And hopefully liking the vision and idea that was there under the poor prose and bad grammar means you had an idea worth writing in the first place.

    Notch chimed along, and I took a drink of water, my throat feeling parched. Attempting the climb in silence would be worse, though. Need something to distract me from how tired I feel.

    Getting back up, I continued. "What I was really proud of, or at least hopeful about, were my original works. Stories I had made up all my own. Never managed to get them to any publishers; only tried with one. Got distracted with work, life- hah!"

    Nearly slipping with one hand, I tightened my grip with the other, wrenching myself back up. Notch had immediately hovered down beside me, ready to catch me with Psychic if need be, and eyed me warily as I continued.

    "Life, gaming groups, card game hobbies, etcetera. Those were fun. I should try making those games here." Suddenly I frowned, remembering what games I was talking about. "Then again, maybe not. No one needs to be subjected to knowing the difference between ''when you can'' and ''if you can'' effects."

    Even Notch didn''t know how to reply there, and I just shook my head. "Anyways, it was fun to make those stories. Maybe I''ll try my hand at writing some other original stories later." My companion chimed a question, and I understood it well enough to respond.

    "Why not those stories I never got published? Well, most of them were fantasy stories. But they don''t really translate well to a world with Pokemon." At more insistent chimes, I explained, "Writing a story without Pokemon? Here? Wouldn''t work."

    I paused, both to think on it more and to catch my breath from the climb. "I mean, there were things of speculative fiction in my old world, something where there were no humans or equally fundamental as no Pokemon could work here but then-" I cut myself off, trying to find the right way to explain it.

    "The thing is, hup," I pulled myself up once more. "A work of fiction like that usually just explores that one change. Writing some other magic system or fantastical elements amidst it feels¡­ weird."

    Notch hovered nearby, shaking their body/head, chiming insistently, and I paused to look at them. "You think I should anyway?" Then they pulled out the Diancite. "Oh. I didn''t give up on your dreams, so you aren''t going to give up on mine."

    Some happy chimes informed me my assumption of their meaning was correct, and my eyes watered. "Thanks, Notch," I said softly before resuming the climb.

    "Ok, so I could write something like that. Maybe under a pseudonym? And an online handle, as a Faller. That could explain why I had those ideas and why I made that kind of story. Of course, if I''m doing that, I won''t have my family''s resources to call upon in pushing it. But maybe that''s a good thing. I''ll get to see how my stories will stand on their own. And even if they don''t sell, it''ll be a project more just for me. Getting some readers who enjoy it will just be a happy bonus."

    The climb had continued past the setting of the sun and well into the night. Notch made worried sounds, motioning that maybe I should take a break on a nearby ledge. Tempting, that spot would be spacious enough for me to set up the tent. But¡­

    "It might be dumb, but I want to make it up here by dawn. It''s gonna look great, I''m sure of it." I was not, in fact, ''sure of it.'' However, I thought it was very likely, and I wanted to believe it. Want to push myself as well, go past my limits.

    Notch nodded, eyes gleaming with determination as they exuded a pink, misty energy around them, lighting up our side of the cliff face, making it easier for me to see where to go. "Thanks!" With renewed vigor, I continued my climb.

    That extra strength couldn''t carry on forever, though. I noticed my strength flagging again, my breaks taking longer and longer to regain the energy for the next climb as the night carried on. On the other hand, the distance to our goal got shorter and shorter too, and just as the light was coming back to the world, we crested the top.

    "We did it!" I shouted tiredly before lowering my voice as I saw a Vigoroth shift in its sleep nearby. Luckily, it stayed asleep, not being bothered getting up at this time of day, so I slipped away.

    The top of the pillar was very flat, with a few spikes sticking up above the large, rocky surface. Walking to the edge, I put on my goggles and sat down, waiting for the sun to rise. I didn''t have to wait long, as inexorably, the sliver of light grew larger and brighter.

    Watching it, shining over the horizon, the sea shimmering out as far as even my eyes could see, I could only think: This is the real sight of Paldea. There''s so much beauty and wonder to this land.

    From the wide-eyed, awed, and reverent look Notch gave the view beside me, I knew they felt the same. Ha, I knew this was the right call. The sky looks so pretty like this, so deep and blue¡­ think I''m just gonna lie back and¡­

    ***

    I woke to the sound of my phone ringing. "Huh? Who is it?" Miles screens my calls, so this must be someone important. My groggy thoughts were interrupted by the realization of just how close I was to the cliff''s edge, and I scrambled backward instinctively as if that would help me be safer.

    Gah, stop spazzing out and- Hassel? Floating in front of me, Miles possessing the phone showed me who was calling. Pressing the button to accept, I said, "Hey Hassel, what''s up?"

    The man appeared on the screen, looking the same as he ever did, save for perhaps being a bit more tired, with some slight bags under his eyes. Not that I''m one to talk, I must look like a raccoon right now.

    "Greetings Nemona. I would say you are. My colleagues have been buzzing with news of your exploits." His colleagues- oh, right. Gym Leaders work for the League, so they work along with Elite Four members.

    "Yeah, I''m taking on the Gyms and stuff; I gotta work my way up to face you again. I''m guessing Brassius told you about our battle?"

    "He did. And Oberon had much to say about you as well." Hassel''s tone hardly shifted at all, his expression remaining much the same as well, but there was a steely glint in his eyes.

    "Aha, yeah, got into some trouble there. But all''s well that ends well, right?" I tried, with my most innocent, childlike smile.

    The Elite Four Dragon Trainer, having known me for years at this point, did not buy it for a second. "Where are you? I was thinking we might talk in person."

    "Ah, well, I''m really high up. It''s kinda remote. I''m on top of that big rocky cliff beside the canyons in South Province, and it''s hard to get to- is that¡­" My voice trailed off as I looked around. Those markings on the big rocks nearby, they''re very weird but familiar. The familiarity came from how much I had studied them, interested in this particular Pokemon.

    Looking around in the light of day confirmed my suspicions. Many Pokemon wandered around the open area, from Litleos pouncing on each other to Flittles flitting by. What caught my eye, however, were a few small, stubby, green, tusked Pokemon waddling about.

    "Did you know that there were Axews here?!" I exclaimed excitedly, unable to contain my exuberance. "Oh man, I think I see some Bagons too!"

    "I¡­ was not aware of them in that location, no. I''ll-" he paused, someone offscreen talking to him. "We''ll be there soon." He hung up, but I barely noticed, running up to the adorable little Axews.

    As I neared them, I slowed down, trying not to scare them. "Hi, I''m Nemona," I said, waving tentatively at one. The little gal turned around, looking confused at me for a moment before smiling and mimicking my gesture, waving back. The action nearly unbalanced her, and she dropped some of the berries she was carrying in her little arms.

    Crouching down, I picked some up, passing them back to her. She happily warbled in thanks and began marching off. Without anything better to do as I waited for Hassel, I followed her. We walked a long way around, twisting past a few small sections of stone or mini cliffs, winding our way to a set of truly ancient ruins.

    Whoa. I wonder who made these? There aren''t any records of a civilization here, not even any watchtowers like there are down in the canyons, so who put these crumbling stone walls here?

    My first thoughts were quickly overtaken with caution as I spotted the large eagle-like bird roosting atop the ruins. The Braviary glanced over at me with one piercing eye before turning away, the great bird more focused on the young Rufflets flapping about, making awkward hops on the ground. Though I imagine her nonchalance will change if I go near her young.

    The Axew didn''t lead me that way though, but around, back behind one of the walls, where I saw a bunch of Axews gathered around, playing together and eating. Off in the corner, huddled up by himself, was a larger figure. He had light green scales on the upper half of his body, his legs, and his face a light black. His feet and claws were blue, as were his eyes and the tip of his tusks.

    The Fraxure looked surprised at my presence, nervously taking me in. For a moment he squared up, ready to fight me if I was a threat, until he saw the Axew that led me there, excitedly pointing at me and talking to the others. Well, perhaps a bit too trusting on the Axews'' part, but maybe they''re just good judges of character. But why is that Fraxure acting so oddly? And their coloring¡­

    I didn''t have time to worry about what to do, nor were any of us concerned about appearances as heavy wing beats heralded new arrivals. The Braviary spotted them and, in a surprising(ly intelligent) display, hopped down from her perch and gathered her children, flying away immediately.

    Not that I think they would have hurt us. Those riders are pretty familiar. Well, Hassel is pretty familiar, the other guy I only have heard about. However, I think she was more worried about the Pokemon they''re riding in on.

    Hassel sat atop the back of his Dragonite as usual. Slightly ahead of him was a man in a pristine blue suit jacket, with a red tie tucked firmly in, matching his red dress pants. In contrast to his professional attire, his hair was a tangled mess that looked only slightly worse flying atop the back of his Salamence than it did in official press releases.

    The pair landed down in the opening in front of the ruins, and I stepped out to meet them. "So you''re the young girl who''s taking Paldea by storm, are ya? Nice to meet you, Nemona." He said with a smirk, sticking a hand out to shake. On his middle finger was an unusual ring that looked to be carved out of stone. Probably because it was, given it''s a Key Stone.

    I shook the offered hand firmly. "Nice to meet you too, Miguel Worthington, current El Primero of Paldea."

 Chapter 55

    He returned the handshake just as firmly before letting go. ¡°Oh? You know who I am?¡± His skin was fairly tanned, with messy dark brown hair. Though his question was light, there was a sharpness to his green eyes as he examined me.

    How to approach meeting a Champion? Aaaah, I don¡¯t know. I guess just be a cocky shit? Worked for the Gym Leaders so far, right? ¡°Well, I am aiming for your spot; I felt it was only polite to learn your name.¡±

    Apparently that worked, as he guffawed heartily. ¡°Ha! Just as spirited as you said, Hassel.¡±

    The man in question was rubbing the bridge of his nose. ¡°Yes, she is indeed a spirited young lass.¡± Then turning to me, he said in a softer tone, ¡°I¡¯m glad to see you are doing well. I was horrified by what I heard had happened to you.¡±

    My own smile grew brittle. ¡°Nothing happened to me, more Oberon you should worry about.¡± Honestly. Not sure how all that would have shaken out in the original timeline. Would the poachers have been destroyed by the Tera Dragonair if they hadn¡¯t been exhausted from fighting me? Would they have succeeded and gone on with Raifort¡¯s plan only to be betrayed later? Would Raifort just have stolen the key by herself with her Zoroark and evaded notice?

    I couldn¡¯t guess at any of those things, but I did know that several years from this point in canon, he wasn¡¯t the leader and Tulip was. Those blue gloves he¡¯s wearing, they look familiar¡­ I think they¡¯re something the last top Champion wore, and Geeta wears in the games.

    The rampant speculation on my part helped distract me from any trauma I was ignoring, and I continued blithely. ¡°This place is amazing! So many cool Pokemon all around,¡± I said, spreading my arms out wide. ¡°Swablus, Axews, Bagons¡­ all here. And there are Goomys and Skrelps down below! I can see why Paldea is called the land of Dragons.¡±

    ¡°You remembered that? You always were quite the sharp student,¡± he commented fondly, before his yellow eyes grew sharp. ¡°I look forward to facing you once again.¡±

    ¡°Wait, hold the phone!¡± Miguel exclaimed. ¡°Now give the phone back to me. You already got to fight her? Not fair,¡± the grown man whined to his (ostensible) underling, much to the latter¡¯s embarrassment. Hassel just gave me a flat look, as if to say, ¡®See what I have to put up with?¡¯

    I just laughed. ¡°That¡¯s, uh, definitely a side I didn¡¯t get to see of you in your matches or statements to the press.¡± Not that there are too many of those. Paldea is just not as battle hyped as places like Sinnoh or Kanto, plus we have a multiple Champion system, so getting a new El Primero isn¡¯t a big news deal.

    It had still made the front page for at least a day or two, and I¡¯d made sure to study his battle against Blake Hogan religiously during that time. There had been some minor controversy online and hinted at in the news coverage about Miguel using Mega Evolution instead of Terastalization, but I thought he did fine. Certainly better than Blake, that guy was the epitome of why Paldea doesn¡¯t make it big in tournaments internationally.

    He sighed heavily. ¡°Being the top Champion is a lot less fun and games than it looks.¡±

    ¡°I can imagine,¡± I said, nodding sympathetically. All that politics and bureaucracy must have been why Geeta held onto the position after Nemona beat her in canon. I suppose that a government that is at least in part based on how good someone is at battling might have some flaws.

    Miguel became more pensive, staring at me. ¡°You really can, can¡¯t you?¡± He asked rhetorically, and I stiffened up a bit. He¡¯s good at reading people. Makes sense for a Champion-tier Trainer, but I shouldn¡¯t underestimate him just because of his occasional bouts of goofiness.

    ¡°Alright, I want to battle you!¡±

    His sudden declaration had me and Hassel going, ¡°Huh?¡± However, half a second later I had recovered and said, ¡°Yeah, sure. What rules?¡± While Hassel was still stammering.

    ¡°That¡¯s a good attitude,¡± he said while we both stepped forward, taking our places in a general approximation of what an arena would look like. The El Primero released his Rabsca off to the side, having them raise barriers around to stop stray attacks from hurting us. That¡¯s a smart idea. I should teach Notch and Miles how to do that too.

    ¡°I was thinking we¡¯d just have a one-on-one, nice and quick.¡± He gestured at his Salamence, who stepped into the arena. His Ace Pokemon, that¡¯s a clear sign of respect. Logically, Notch is the best counter to them, but¡­

    ¡°Go, Dun!¡± I called, tossing Dun out onto the field. Ace Pokemon-vs-Ace Pokemon, let''s go.

    ¡°Dudunsparce!¡± He cried, fearlessly staring down the Dragon. The Salamence craned her long red and blue neck down to glare at the snake before her, roaring. My starter shivered; the Intimidating presence of this pseudo-legendary was not something even he could shake off, but he didn¡¯t back down, and I saw a glimmer of approval in her (and Miguel¡¯s) eyes. These two are going to take us seriously.

    Hassel had recovered from his surprise and took a position as referee. As it was a one-on-one battle and we had both released our Pokemon, he skipped the preamble. ¡°The battle will commence in three, two, one, begin!¡±

    ¡°Coil!¡± Was my first Move, and Dun began tightening into a circle. We need to get Dun¡¯s power back up after that Intimidation, and the Defense boost will help him resist her attacks.

    ¡°Tail.¡± Miguel¡¯s clipped response had his ace blitzing forward, flying so fast she was a slight blur even to me. Spinning around as she approached, she knocked Dun aside with a lash of her long tail. Dragon Tail could knock an opponent out of bounds or far away in the wild, but this one was performed in a controlled manner, just to disrupt Dun.

    Unfortunately for them, we had trained not having such Moves get stopped with our Roost practice, so Dun finished the buff. We need to do some damage back and limit their movements. The moment this becomes an aerial battle, we lose. ¡°Body Slam!¡±

    Dun flipped himself on his head, flinging his body tail first over Salamence. As he did so, I tossed my Tera Orb above him, creating a great crystal eruption around him. The suddenness of my action slowed her retreat for a split second, and combined with the extra height from the new Tera Jewel ¡®hat¡¯ atop his head that he was lying on as he burst free from the crystals, Dun¡¯s Move connected with her right wing.

    She gave a wince of pain and Paralysis as she turned away, taking to the air. Dun rolled around and spun to face her. Off on the other side, Miguel raised an eyebrow. ¡°Terastalization? This early?¡±

    Of course, it provides a boost, and there¡¯s no trick I have to hide his Tera Type. It could be seen as tiring, but¡­ ¡°If you think you can beat us in stamina, go ahead and try,¡± I laughed, covering my mouth.

    Dun read my hidden signal, letting out an invisible Yawn, but Miguel caught onto that instantly, either somehow spotting it or just acting off instinct. ¡°Flamethrower!¡±

    Wheeling around, Salamence let out great streams of fire, joyously burning the rocky ground around Dun. A quick ¡°Protect!¡± Shielded him from harm, but I could feel the heat rising off from that Move. Damn, I forgot how strong pseudos were everywhere. Even as a more physical attacker, she could still turn the ground under him to magma. She hit the Yawn too, so no sleep incoming.

    ¡°Hyper Voice!¡± With a deep intake of air, Dun screeched, his piercing voice causing his foe to cry in pain.

    ¡°Dragon Pulse,¡± Miguel called, switching it up from random destruction to more precise bursts, the STAB helping him do more damage. That, and the Dragon¡¯s Fang she has tied against her left foreleg. Dun grunted in pain as a purple energy blast rained down into him, cracking scales.

    ¡°Agility.¡± She¡¯s still Paralyzed, if we can speed up, Dun might dodge some of those blows and-

    Miguel countered easily. ¡°Scary Face.¡± The fearsome visage and roar his Pokemon gave caused Dun¡¯s Psychically assisted acceleration to slow down, and he was just moving at normal speed.

    ¡°Roost,¡± I called out, hoping to buy time. Which worked, as Salamence seemingly ignored Miguel¡¯s next command to use Dragon Pulse and instead flew around above us. I didn¡¯t miss that wince or how hard she had to flap with her left wing to stay aloft there! That was the Paralysis kicking in.

    With my starter now healed up, I called out, ¡°Hurricane, ride the wind!¡± Dun grinned widely, flapping his wings hard to whip up a giant storm in the arena. He placed it just so, with himself on the very edge, using those air currents to ascend, rising up to the Salamence caught in the storm.

    Not caught for long, however, as Miguel said, ¡°Hurricane, counter spin.¡± With a few beats of her wings, the violent storm was easily dispelled by a reverse Hurricane formed in the same area, countering our previous Move and canceling each other out. He followed up with, ¡°Dragon Rush.¡±

    That Move is kinda hard to use; it''s easy to dodge the all-out rush if you know what you¡¯re doing. He saw that we had less maneuverability in the air and capitalized on it immediately. We weren¡¯t out of options, however, and as she approached, I cried, ¡°Outrage!¡±

    Thrashing about in midair, Salamence dove into Dun, smashing the side of his body. Writhing around with his large, segmented body, he bashed right back into her, the two of them covered in Draconic auras as they raged through the sky.

    Rather than continue to duke it out, Miguel called, ¡°Sub.¡± In a puff of smoke, two Salamences floated in the air. Dun unfortunately carried on his rampage against the fake, bashing through the Normal Type construct while our foe got away.

    Dun¡¯s rampage came to an end, and he looked around Confused, not flapping his wings nearly as hard as before. Given his size, he started plummeting to the ground.

    ¡°Snap out of it!¡± I shouted while Miguel had his Pokemon hang back, coating herself in an Iron Defense. Smart, an immediate enemy nearby assaulting Dun might give him something to focus on and possibly snap himself out of this. Desperately, I started singing a note I had heard before, trying to utilize my Aura to shape the sound right.

    It wasn¡¯t exactly like what the Yellow Flute in my bag would have made, but it was enough. That or he just pushed through with enough willpower on his own. In any case, at the last moment, Dun snapped out of it, gently lowering himself to the ground. Yes! And he¡¯s going right into Roost as well, that¡¯s smart.

    ¡°DRACO METEOR!¡± Miguel suddenly shouted, his hands clenched tight as he saw us turn things around. With a loud cry, Salamence summoned dozens of burning rocks around her and then fired them down on us.

    The psychic barrier shook from the impact, and that was mostly just the ones that broke against the ground and rebounded against the shields. The majority of the meteorites hit Dun, slamming into him with tremendous power. Dun was battered and cried out, and even as his healing Move finished, he was covered in nasty bruises and scrapes.

    Despite his wounds, Dun defiantly warbled, saying something akin to, ¡®That all you got?¡¯ Salamence gave a frustrated screech in response, but I noticed a weakness in her voice. That Draco Meteor took a lot out of her; she won¡¯t be able to do another Move like that again any time soon.

    ¡°Ancient Power.¡± I ordered, and Dun quickly responded, lifting a bunch of stones from the ruins behind us, his power surging as he tossed them at her.

    ¡°Iron Head,¡± Miguel said, his tone cold and calculating, with a passion lurking under the surface as our battle reached its final stage. Diving down, Salamence pulled her wings and limbs in tight, using her head covered in Steel Type energy to smash through the rocks chucked at her and then into Dun.

    He grunted, but the Move did little damage to him given his defensive boosts. Which is a damn good thing, as he¡¯s too hurt to take much more of this, and she¡¯s shaken off the Paralysis.

    Part of me was tempted to go for a Roost and heal up, but with her being so close to the ground, the opportunity to finish this was too good to pass up. ¡°Ice Spinner!¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    Dun rose up on his tail, surrounding himself in icy shards as he spun around. With a roar from both opposing Dragon and Trainer, Salamence met it with an Outrage. The two of them tore into each other, her fangs and claws rending Duns scales, while the ice he made did the same to her.

    Dun spun past her, and Salamence continued her rage-fueled charge past him, blindly slamming into my side of the arena and crashing down, unable to rise on ice-coated wings. On the other, Dun wobbled, his spinning becoming erratic before he flopped down with a heavy thud.

    After a moment of silence and no motion from either combatant, Hassel called out authoritatively, ¡°Neither contestant is able to battle! This match is¡­ a tie.¡±

    The El Primero of Paldea stared on the scene in shock for a second before laughing loudly. ¡°Haha, that was great! Haven¡¯t had a tie in ages!¡±

    Striding across the field, we each tended to our Pokemon, healing them up and congratulating them for their efforts. ¡°That was incredible, Dun. I couldn¡¯t be prouder. Rest up; you¡¯ve earned it,¡± I said, recalling him.

    Miguel finished spraying some Hyper Potions on his Ace but didn¡¯t recall her (likely because she was his way off of this rock) before marching over to me. Sticking out his hand, I shook it once again. ¡°Thank you for that match,¡± he said sincerely. ¡°You¡¯ve got a ton of talent, you¡¯ll go far someday.¡±

    Despite his sincerity, there was a hint of wistfulness in his tone. The things he didn¡¯t mention were clearly on his mind. The fact that ¡®someday¡¯ will be sooner than most people would realize, or that it means me taking his spot. A position that, for all its frustrations, he hasn¡¯t held for too long.

    ¡°Thank you as well, that was incredible. And we still have a ways to go; Dun Terastalized while you didn¡¯t Mega Evolve,¡± I pointed out.

    He nodded. ¡°That was my bad. She doesn¡¯t like to Mega Evolve, so we save it for the big battles. Of course, if I¡¯d realized you were going to push us this hard, I¡¯d have done it sooner.¡± The Pokemon in question let out a quiet roar as well, her head dipping to stare me in the eyes. And it looks like she agrees; next time we fight, I gotta be ready to take on Mega Salamence.

    The Champion-ranked Trainer turned to talk to Hassel for a moment, discussing schedules and meetings, how to arrange the rest of their days. Boring stuff, even if it is kinda funny to hear Hassel trying to not quite criticize his ostensible ¡®boss¡¯, but still chew him out for this little unplanned field trip. Would be more effective if he wasn¡¯t also practically glowing with exuberance at having witnessed our battle.

    Turning from them, I addressed a wild Pokemon. ¡°Hey there, you can come out now; I know you were watching our battle.¡± The Axews and Bagons had all eagerly gathered from the start, with even Skiddos and Pawmos watching openly from the smaller cliffs above. They weren¡¯t the one I was talking to, though.

    Tentatively, the Fraxure stepped out from behind the corner of the ruins where he had been poking his head around to watch the battle. He held himself nervously, but there was a level of awe in his blue eyes, lingering from the fight he had just witnessed, which pushed past his shyness.

    "Did you like that fight?¡± Slowly he nodded his head, smiling as he spoke.

    ¡°Raxure, ax.¡± As he spoke, he did a little pantomime of some of the attacks we had used.

    ¡°Yeah, it''s pretty cool. I bet you¡¯ll be doing stuff just like it some day. Really,¡± I insisted at the look of disbelief on his tusked face. ¡°You¡¯ll be all cool and strong and tough, well, more than you are already.¡±

    My words aren''t convincing him, or rather, they aren''t hitting the right area. He''s the only Fraxure nearby, so even for their line being more even-tempered than most, you¡¯d think he¡¯d be reveling in his strength.

    ¡°This evolution was pretty new for you, wasn''t it?¡±

    ¡°Fra,¡± he agreed.

    ¡°But I bet you''ve seen others evolve occasionally too.¡±

    This time it was met by a much sadder ¡°Fra.¡±

    ¡°So, correct me if I''m wrong, but you''ve been kinda worried about looking different than those other Fraxures, right? Thinking that you''re somewhat weird?¡±

    ¡°Ra-Rax,¡± he replied, blinking.

    ¡°Well, don''t be! You''re amazing, just the way you are. Doesn''t matter if your scales are a bit paler, skin darker, or spots blue instead of red. You''re still a mighty Dragon.¡±

    Hassel, having heard our conversation, strode over. ¡°That''s quite the deduction, Young Miss- ah forgive me - Nemona.¡±

    I waved him off. ¡°Not that hard. Shiny Axews look pretty similar to regular Axews, so I figured he mostly blended in before his evolution. Hey, mind releasing your Haxorus?¡± I asked the man before turning back to the wild Dragons.

    Many of the curious Axews had gathered around, and their eyes grew wide as they beheld Hassel¡¯s Pokemon. The Haxorus towered above all of them, his entire body covered in thick, polished, yellow-green scales, armoring him. His tusk didn''t stick straight out like his pre-evolutions, but instead curved around like axe blades, each lined with red, the same as was on his claws.

    ¡°So, that''s what you guys are going to look like someday.¡± And you are all way too cute for me to think about untimely deaths or lack of resources or anything else that will stop you from reaching your full potential in the wild, or else I would catch all of you.

    Then to Fraxure I said, ¡°You''re going to look slightly different. When you evolve, you''ll have scales that are black, like the color of his skin or tusks, but a shade paler.¡±

    ¡°Fraxure¡­¡± The Dragon whispered in awe, looking up at his elder, who nodded. There was a note of disbelief in his voice like¡­

    ¡°Of course you too can be a Haxorus!¡± Wherever did he get the idea that he couldn''t? ¡°You''ll be just as strong as him when you evolve; heck, maybe even stronger! Those tusks of yours look sharp and well-maintained, that''s super important for a Haxorus.¡±

    It''s a large part of why Haxorus are as rare in the wild as most pseudo-legendaries. They learn to break and regrow their tusks constantly as Axews, but when they become Fraxures, their most potent weapons become a weak point that can cripple them if they aren''t careful. Most instinctively are, but still, accidents happen, especially in the wilderness.

    Behind me, Haxorus snorted and rolled his eyes, the thought of anyone being stronger than him not taken as an insult but seen as laughable. The fact that Hassel trained him well also helped.

    The man in question was watching the scene unfold, bemused, before clearing his throat. ¡°I need to apologize for misjudging you.¡±

    ¡°Hmm? Didn¡¯t we already go through this? It¡¯s fine, you¡¯ve recognized my potential as a trainer now.¡± I tried to wave him off, but he stubbornly shook his head.

    ¡°Not about that, or rather I didn¡¯t apologize for the offer I gave you those years ago.¡± I frowned trying to remember what he was talking about before an Axew bumping up against my leg reminded me of what he had done. When he offered me an Axew to train, back when I only had two Pokemon on my team.

    ¡°Ah, right,¡± I said awkwardly, not entirely sure where he was going with this.

    ¡°You¡¯re aware that I left my tribe to search for my dream, to make art.¡± I nodded, as it was something he had long ago confided in me. In the background, I noticed Miguel¡¯s ears perk up, this little tidbit was something the Champion-ranked Trainer clearly hadn¡¯t heard about his co-worker.

    Though even in self-imposed exile, I only know vague details. Without the games, I probably wouldn¡¯t be able to guess that his tribe lived in seclusion among the Dragons that were so common off in the North Province, to the East of Glaseado Mountain. He did let slip that his father was the chieftain once, so I could have figured out that he used to be the heir, and from his position in the Elite Four, it wouldn¡¯t be a leap for me to ¡®guess¡¯ that his family wants him back if any of them come around and start pestering him.

    ¡°Despite my¡­ disagreements with them,¡± he said, so lightly and casually that it had to be a topic of much deeper distress for him. ¡°They taught me many lessons. About Paldea and our land. One of the greatest of these was to be wary of the Great Crater. At a certain point in a Trainer¡¯s life, if they get strong enough, they will seek out ever greater challenges. And in Paldea, that means the Great Crater. And to one and all, any who have ventured deep enough within it¡­¡±

    ¡°... have met their doom,¡± I finished. ¡°And I¡¯m guessing that¡¯s part of why all the Gym Leaders and Elite Four have such¡­ diverse interests, so prominently displayed for the public.¡± It¡¯s not like powerful Trainers in other regions don¡¯t have hobbies and whatnot, but few of them make their challenges and battles so centered around those interests.

    After a moment of silence, I prodded further. ¡°What changed then?¡±

    ¡°My own trips down to the Great Crater. It¡¯s a remarkable place¡­¡± There was a wistfulness to his tone that made me wonder how all those conquerors and adventurers of the past had died. It looked beautiful and fantastical from across a screen. I wonder how enchanting it would be in real life? Maybe some of those explorers didn¡¯t get overwhelmed but just decided to stay there.

    I frowned before shaking my head. If that were the case, there¡¯d be other signs of habitation down there. Kings marched whole armies into the place. Likely, they just got tricked into traveling further, just a bit further than they had planned, before being destroyed.

    My head motion brought Hassel¡¯s own attention back to the moment. ¡°Ahem. It has been quite dangerous, but with proper planning and cohesive effort from the League, we¡¯ve been able to support the research ongoing down there.¡±

    It was almost painful not to wince there, with what I knew of what was going on. Do I just spill the beans now and hope they- He continued, heedless of my train of thought. ¡°It¡¯s been difficult, but we have managed it, and one day you will too. And that day is coming very soon, given your performance against Miguel.¡±

    ¡°Too true, to both parts,¡± the man in question chimed in. ¡°Been such a headache to organize and rotate our people through,¡± he groaned. ¡°Still, should be interesting to see what the Professor can come up with. We¡¯re already learning tons about the place.¡±

    ¡°Yes. And so, on that note, I¡¯d like to apologize formally for not having enough faith and dangling that offer in front of you to try and bar your path.¡±

    ¡°Ah, it¡¯s fine-¡±

    ¡°No, no, it isn¡¯t. I can see your clear love and appreciation for this- this line of Dwagons! And sho, I give my full permisshon to use them as a-¡± his sobbing made his voice unintelligible, so the El Primero stepped in.

    ¡°What my friend here is trying to say is that you can have that Fraxure as your seventh Pok¨¦mon; no need to go rotating them around. And hey, train them up hard enough, and you can have a match against Hassel and his Haxorus. Show us how far you¡¯ve grown.¡±

    I gaped openly. ¡°Uhh, that¡¯s incredible, I really appreciate it. Umm, but Fraxure, I haven¡¯t asked yet if you even want to join m- oof!¡± As the Fraxure joyously bowled me over in a crushing hug, I gave a grunt. Looks like he¡¯s a hugger; that¡¯s actually great, though hopefully in the future I¡¯ll have the chance to stay on my feet.

    ¡°Frax! Fraxure!¡±

    Pushing myself up, I returned the hug before pulling out a Pokeball and catching Fraxure right away. It clicked for a complete capture almost immediately. I released them again, and they hugged me once more, jumping for joy.

    ¡°This is awesome! You¡¯re awesome!¡± Fraxure made a happy clicking sound, which I equated to laughter as we floated down, my newest team member looking on in awe at my power. Really not a big deal compared to what you can do.

    Hassel had recomposed himself, but I could tell he was on the verge of tears again at my display of ¡®exuberance and wonder¡¯. Miguel just grinned. ¡°Yeah, it is. We¡¯re looking forward to seeing what you can do.¡±

    He half turned to his Salamence before my words had him turning back. ¡°You betcha! And next time, we¡¯re gonna get to see your Mega Evolution too.¡±

    ¡°Oh? You¡¯re interested in that?¡± He asked a little too casually.

    ¡°Of course, Mega Evolution is great,¡± I cheered. To prove my point, I grabbed Notch¡¯s Pokeball and released them. ¡°Go on, show him.¡±

    With great care and a bit of Psychic assistance, Notch shook loose the Mega Stone from their fluffy mane, displaying it proudly for the Elite Four and Champion Trainer. Miguel, in particular, leaned in, studying it intently.

    ¡°Wow, looks beautiful. What type of Mega Stone is this? I hadn¡¯t heard of Carbinks being able to Mega Evolve.¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°Carbinks can¡¯t, but one day, we¡¯re going to turn Notch here into a Diancie! Then their Diancite will let them Mega Evolve.¡± Both of them looked shocked at that, though Hassel recovered faster, more keenly aware of how rich my family was.

    ¡°That¡¯s incredible. How are you going to do that?¡±

    ¡°I¡­ have no idea!¡± My dramatic pause for effect, then the anticlimax, had both of the men nearly face-faulting, and I laughed uproariously (Fraxure did so as well beside me, but I didn¡¯t think he actually knew why it was funny).

    ¡°Nemona!¡± Hassel reprimanded, and I tried to stop laughing.

    ¡°Sorry, it was just too good to pass up.¡± I didn¡¯t succeed well at my first attempt, but after a few moments I did calm down. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to change them yet, or I would have already done it. That being said, I do have things I¡¯ve tried and some plans for the future that seem promising.¡±

    I outlined the best plan I had so far, and the El Primero nodded, considering it. ¡°Well, I certainly wouldn¡¯t have thought of anything like that, but it sounds like it could work. Have you tried getting in touch with any of the known Diancie enclaves for the plan?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but I haven¡¯t had much luck. No word yet from the Kalosian or Alolan Leagues about my requests.¡± Possibly could have used my parents to apply more pressure to let this happen, but we had other methods to try before this plan, and things were too hectic once I was starting my journey, and I forgot to ask them since. And even then it would be difficult; Legendaries are League protected Pokemon no matter which region you go to. Asking for a chance to visit them with a plus one is a big ask, even if you have a lot of money.

    ¡°Well, I can see what I can do about greasing the wheels,¡± Miguel offered, much to my surprise.

    ¡°Really? Wowzer- er, thank y-¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet. Here, take this too.¡± He reached around in his bag and tossed me a small piece of rock. One very similar in size and texture to the one around his finger.

    ¡°Is this a¡­ a¡­¡± My voice caught as I cradled it in my palms.

    ¡°That¡¯s right; it¡¯s a Key Stone! Didn¡¯t have a chance to shape it into anything nice, but it¡¯ll still work.¡±

    ¡°I can- I mean, this is almost too much. I don¡¯t know what to say.¡± A Key Stone?! A freaking Key Stone!? Who gives these out? Well, I think Stephen does in the remakes, so ok, maybe it is somewhat normal-ish to get a Key Stone from a Champion, but still.

    ¡°Say you¡¯ll use it against me when you fight me. As I¡¯ve said in interviews before, I have nothing against Terastalization, but I love Mega Evolutions. It¡¯d be nice to fight against someone else who shares that view here.¡±

    Huh, he must have gotten more grief over this than I realized. It must be tough; the papers say he moved back to Paldea a few years ago, getting ready to take what he¡¯d learned in Hoenn and use it here, only to find most others had moved to something else.

    ¡°I will. Not sure if Notch will be ready by then, but Riolu and I definitely will, so you¡¯ll face a Mega Evolution one way or another.¡± That brightened him back up, and the two men got back on their Dragons.

    ¡°It was great to see you again, Young M- Nemona. Stay out of trouble,¡± Hassel sternly warned, clearly not having forgotten the beginning of our conversation and why he came here, even if he didn¡¯t have time to lecture me further. And then they were off, soaring through the skies again.

 Chapter 56

    I sighed as another kid (at least five years my ¡®senior¡¯ but still a child in my eyes) locked onto me, pointing as I walked over the grassy hill. ¡°You!¡± She cried, running up to me.

    ¡°Nah, I¡¯m not you; I¡¯m me.¡± I replied instinctively, the bad joke confusing the teenage girl. She screwed up her face trying to parse it before shaking her head, her black twintails flying about.

    ¡°Whatever, I want to battle you!¡± You and every other Uva Academy student. It seemed the price of fame meant more battles. Which I wouldn¡¯t be against, it¡¯s just¡­

    ¡°Ok, let¡¯s go. How many Pokemon are we using?¡± I asked, stepping back to make room for our battle.

    She thought about it for a moment and said, ¡°I¡¯ve got two Pokemon, so let¡¯s make it two on two!¡±

    Nodding, I tossed out Fraxure, who gave a proud roar¡­ once he realized it was a fight and I hadn¡¯t sent him out just to play. Though really, it¡¯s not much different, I thought as our foe released her Cufant.

    The small elephantine Pokemon landed with a heavy thud, weighing three times as much as Fraxure but was only a bit taller. Her Steel Type nature led to her being much denser than most Pokemon, as well as making her resistant to most of Fraxure¡¯s attacks.

    Miles, who had been the Pokemon I had out at the moment she had challenged me, took their place off to the side to count us in. ¡°The battle will begin in three, two, one¡­ begin!¡±

    ¡°Swords Dance!¡± I shouted immediately. Such a Move was probably overkill, but I was hoping that Fraxure could manage it in a battle setting.

    Unfortunately, I could see that his motions were slightly off from the start. He waved his tusks about effectively, evoking the power of a blade, but each shake of his head was accompanied by a sinuous motion of his body. My newest Pokemon also had to abort the motion as Cufant began rolling towards him.

    He probably only got half a boost there, dodging the Rollout like that. I¡¯ve got to have him train with Riolu more, see if he can learn to incorporate dodging into the Move. While I doubted he would have the level of mastery and Auric control needed to turn it into a perfect avoidance and boost Move like she did, it would still be enough to get his evasiveness up to a general level, even as he danced.

    ¡°Crunch,¡± I called out, feeling like half a boost would be enough. It was.

    With fast feet, Fraxure rushed the Cufant as she was unfurling, still trying to get her bearings after missing. My Pokemon sunk his teeth, the Dark Type energy around his fangs letting him easily pierce her tough hide. He lifted her up and swung her about, unclasping his jaw and letting her fly toward her Trainer, defeated.

    ¡°Wha- how did you beat us?! In just one hit¡­¡± And that¡¯s the reason why these fights are annoying; no one here is good enough to even challenge my freshly caught Pokemon.

    ¡°I¡¯m not giving up though! Crocalor and I got this!¡± She shouted exuberantly, releasing her next Pokemon. Enthusiasm is good, but you have to have a plan. Do you? ¡°Tackle,¡± she commanded as her fiery crocodile-like Pokemon took the field, awkwardly charging at Fraxure on stubby legs.

    ¡°Breaking Swipe, followed with Assurance.¡± Swinging around, Fraxure smacked the Fire Type with his long tail, our Move nearly tripping them up completely and taking a lot of the strength out of the Tackle that landed into Fraxure.

    Not all of the strength, however, which meant that immediately after they slammed into Fraxure, they were able to fire back, landing a heavy palm blow that knocked the Crocalor back. Struggling, they tried to get back on their feet.

    I held a hand up and asked, ¡°Do you want to stop this? Any further and they won¡¯t be able to battle, and I don¡¯t think you have any other Pokemon left.¡± She paled significantly and nodded her head, bringing the battle to a close. Not having any Pokemon out here in the wild can be very dangerous, though admittedly slightly less so in this place.

    Most of the wild Pokemon here were friendly, like Cyclizars or Pawmis running about, or at worst indifferent to the passing of humans, like the Magnemites.

    ¡°Wow, I can¡¯t believe you won so fast. I mean, I can, given how fast you beat Brassius, but still,¡± she gushed. ¡°Guess I¡¯ve got a long way to go, haha.¡±

    Yes. ¡°You might want to stick with ranged attacks for Crocalor if you can. Especially against Pokemon that are as physically tough as Fraxure.¡± My advice was taken well, and she brightened up.

    ¡°Oh yeah, that¡¯s really smart, thanks!¡± She waved at me as she left, and I waved back as she went over the hill and out of sight.

    ¡°Frax?¡± Fraxure asked, and I affectionately rubbed the top of his head, which was met with happy crooning noises.

    ¡°You did good out there. Unfortunately,¡± he stiffened up at my words, as if sensing what was coming. ¡°The Trainers here aren¡¯t tough enough to push you. So we need to go further. Luckily, Riolu can handle that well.¡±

    He was outright whimpering now, and as I released Riolu from her Pokeball, he dropped to his knees, claws clasped as if begging me. ¡°Have fun!¡± I said in a chipper tone as the far smaller Fighting Type menaced towards him.

    Putting the sounds of violence out of my mind, I turned away and released Phantasm. She glanced over at me to see Riolu ¡®training¡¯ Fraxure, frowning slightly. ¡°Hey, he¡¯ll be fine; you know how he can be a drama queen about that stuff.¡±

    Which was quite a surprise. He¡¯s a hard enough worker when it comes to training, but I didn¡¯t get how big he would overreact to little things like that. Almost as surprising as how easily Phantasm has accepted him. I had worried when I introduced them that she would be aggressive towards Fraxure, given her evolution and her previous stance on me taking on new Pokemon. Instead, they talked for half an hour and were soon getting along great.

    Maybe it was because she evolved, so she doesn¡¯t feel nervous about being the weakest on the team? Or perhaps just because they joined me from similar situations, looking different from their kin. In any case, I was quite glad that I didn¡¯t have to spend time mediating between them and could spend that time training, helping them get up to the level of the rest of the team.

    ¡°Phantasm, I¡¯m going to have you practice getting in tune with Dark Type energy with Miles. You¡¯ve gotten so much stronger since evolving, and Nasty Plot is only going to make that greater.¡± Both of them looked a little confused, so I offered a few more ideas.

    ¡°You might want to try using Torment as a base, then try and¡­ invert it? Take the idea, the feeling of that punishment you¡¯ll inflict on someone else, the anticipation of that feeling to start shaping it.¡± Right, can¡¯t just treat everyone like Dun. Miles is good at using Moves and learning them from experience, but they don¡¯t have Dun¡¯s natural genius of just hearing half a sentence of description and mastering an unknown Move from there. Still, I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll do well with a bit of time.

    Turning away, I looked back at Fraxure, who was ¡®sparring¡¯ with Riolu, the lithe Fighting Type slipping past his guard to land a few weak blows before darting back to avoid the Dragon¡¯s wild counters. She launched a few Vacuum Waves out as well, the attacks rippling through the air before they slammed into him.

    ¡°Alright!¡± I said, clapping my hands. ¡°Think that¡¯s enough of a warmup.¡±

    ¡°Raaaaax,¡± Fraxure croaked out in relief.

    ¡°You did alright there, but there¡¯s some room for improvement. If faced with a faster opponent, try using Scary Face to slow them down. Your greatest strength is, well, your strength. That physical might you have is huge.¡± He beamed, proud of the praise. ¡°However, that strength means nothing if you can¡¯t reach your foe.¡±

    His jaw dropped, and he suddenly looked horrified. Wow, if you weren¡¯t a guy and were a Psychic Type, I¡¯d be tempted to call you Anya for how dramatic your expressions are. We were still trying out names. Luckily, I had a lot of options considering different fictitious dragons in my old world, but nothing had quite stuck yet.

    That was a side issue for the moment, most of our time spent training and slowly making our way to Levincia. According to the map, we should be just about ready to see the city once we pass this hill. From there I¡¯m thinking we can go down to the beach before cutting back up to Levincia; there¡¯s a ton of different Pokemon there. Should give them some unique training experiences.

    ¡°Work on the Scary Face, then Riolu can help you with Aerial Ace.¡± The two of them went back to work, more focused on Fraxure getting the Moves down than landing points on each other.

    Seeing Fraxure use Scary Face against Riolu greatly improved his ability to fight her, though she still held a slight upper hand with her skill, deflecting several of Fraxure¡¯s attacks. ¡°Don¡¯t be reckless, but don¡¯t be afraid to use your tusks either.¡± That¡¯s going to be a tricky balance to find, but key to his growth and evolution. Speaking of which¡­

    After they got tired of that, I had Fraxure practicing Slash alongside Phantasm, who was starting to get too frustrated to make more progress with Nasty Plot for the time being. Calling Riolu over, I asked, ¡°How is Aura Sphere going?¡±

    She gave a so-so gesture with a paw. So by Riolu terms, it¡¯s great, but not perfect. Taking a stance before me, she demonstrated the Move, gathering energy in front of one paw, then using the other paw to manipulate it from the side. This combination helped give the sphere a cohesive form and spin to its motion before she thrust it out. The ball of blue energy shot forward into a tree, coring out a large chunk of it as it grinded in, before bursting apart as it lost cohesive form.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    ¡°That''s pretty impressive; you should be happy even getting it to work at this stage.¡± I.e., before she evolved. You should also be happy I read Naruto before reincarnating here to steal that idea for you.

    ¡°Riolu, lu.¡± She definitely didn¡¯t pout, and I held back a chuckle at her adorable face.

    ¡°Anyone ¡®can¡¯ do better; you¡¯re already doing great. Still, if you are looking to improve the Move, I think there are some Claunchers on the beach by Levincia. Their line are masters of Aura and Pulse Moves,¡± I said, making sure to stress the ¡®Moves¡¯ part so Riolu wouldn¡¯t feel I was slighting her line and their Auric mastery. ¡°With any luck we¡¯ll find one of them or their evolutions that knows that Move. Then you can Copycat it and measure how it feels different from what you do now.¡±

    She brightened up, tail wagging rapidly, until she spotted my gaze. Furiously, she turned around to glare the offending body part into submission before adopting a stoic mien and giving me a respectful bow. She wants to ¡®grow up¡¯ so hard.

    With night approaching, I recalled the team I had out, all of them tired from the vigorous training they had gone through. Releasing Nightwing, I pointed at the cliff on the other side of the river. ¡°Hey, I know it¡¯s not your favorite thing in the world, but mind taking us over there?¡± I asked, pointing at where I wanted to go.

    ¡°Scor,¡± she replied curtly, not moving from where I released her.

    ¡°Yes, you¡¯ll get a shot at this Gym, I promise.¡± My voice was only slightly tinged with exasperation. Of course I¡¯m going to use you against Iono; you¡¯re the only one both Immune to her Type specialization and with STAB super-effective Moves against most of her Pokemon. But also, it''s been a while since Katy, and I do want to rotate the team around to give everyone a good chance against the Gym Leaders. So far we''ve outmatched them, but they''re the biggest challenge we''ve faced so far and will be the best practice we can get against the Elite Four (barring Champions randomly dropping by to battle us, of course).

    With a self-satisfied click of her pincers, she readily scooped me up, wrapping her tail gingerly around my waist and taking off. For my part, I used my Aura to lighten myself so she could carry me easier. Doing my best to avoid looking at the bright city before we got to our destination, I instead immersed myself in thoughts of team composition.

    Nightwing hasn¡¯t been as big a fan of Fraxure. Nothing major, but I¡¯ve just noticed she pranks him a bit more and will be a little harsher during training. I¡¯ll have to have a talk with her about it¡­ maybe sometime after she¡¯s holding me a hundred meters above a river. Dun might be a bit standoffish to him too, but it¡¯s hard to tell with him; despite how well I know my starter, he can be annoyingly stoic sometimes. Man, I have no idea how Gym Leaders balance literally dozens of Pokemon. The answer was, I likely knew, staff to help them out, but I couldn¡¯t bear the idea of someone else Training my team.

    We landed down with the sun just finished setting over the horizon. Not that it did much to dim the light, as looking over the dusty cliff edge, I saw Levincia lit up, shining brightly with all the colorful beams of light shooting up into the night sky, mixing into a dazzling array with the sleepless city¡¯s regular lights as well, from buildings and massive billboard signs.

    I released the rest of my team to let them take in the sight as well, all eight of us staring on in awe. ¡°Ok, I can see why this one deserves to be called one of the ¡®Ten Sights of Paldea.¡¯ It earns its name.¡±

    ¡°Would you like me to take a photo of you beside it, bzzt?¡± Miles inquired, and I nodded enthusiastically.

    ¡°Yeah!¡± I gathered all of us around the landmark sign, with the lights shining brilliantly in the background. Which took a bit more work than I had anticipated; some of the team was excitable, and Fraxure had to be directed to face the camera and not the lights (he still didn¡¯t get a lot of how technology worked yet). Then, after we had our photo taken, I took the phone from Miles, and they hovered in the same spot that we were before, and I took a photo of them so my Rotom could edit themselves into the picture after.

    There, that¡¯ll make for a nice memory, and I can send it to my family and friends. I¡¯d kept them up-to-date on my training and general location, but there wasn¡¯t a lot of substance between our communications in the past while with my focus on training.

    With the entire team out, I took the moment to address them. ¡°I know we¡¯ve been working hard, but it¡¯s all going to be worth it. For views like this, discoveries undreamed of, and of course, epic battles we¡¯re going to win.¡± Pointing out behind me at the city far below, I finished my small speech by saying, ¡°Thank you. Thank you all so much for following me and working together to reach our dreams-¡±

    It was at that point I was stopped by Notch enthusiastically ¡®hugging¡¯ me. Given that they didn¡¯t have arms (yet), their hug was very akin to how they would use Body Press. If that hadn¡¯t taken the wind out of me, the rest of the team dog-piling me in the hug would have.

    ¡°Urk- Please, heeeelp,¡± I desperately called from underneath the mound of Pokemon. Miles, my faithful, stalwart steward, the one who had been by my side from the start, looked on at this¡­ and repossessed their phone body, taking photos of my plight.

    ¡°Traitoooor,¡± I croaked, to much laughter from my Pokemon, and eventually wheezing sounds from myself as I joined in despite how much pressure was on my lungs. This really is¡­ magical. I¡¯m so glad that I¡¯m here.

    ***

    Levincia was a very interesting place, with a unique history, as I had found out in the days I had spent just exploring the large city. It had apparently been two cities at one point in time, Levi and Cia, to the north and south, respectively. Over the ages they had been bitter rivals on opposite sides of the river, to grudging trading partners, to sister city-states. As technology improved, travel between the two became easier, until fifty years ago, when to announce the joining of them as a single entity, a massive structure was constructed to bridge the two.

    And then in the spirit of the capitalism that brought them together, they slapped a million advertisements on it. My internal snark wasn¡¯t actually what the sign said, but I felt it would have added a bit of flair to this large circular ring.

    Riolu had little care for my internal thoughts or the sign, barking at me insistently. With a sigh, I turned from what I had been reading to look down where she was pointing. ¡°Yes, we¡¯re going to the battlefield, but can¡¯t you appreciate the history of this place? Especially since we have¡­ fifteen minutes left to meet your tutor,¡± I said dryly.

    There was a slight shift to her eyes, the closest I was going to get to a guilty admission from her, and I sighed. It¡¯s not like a bit of extra practice will hurt. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go down to the battlefield. You guys can practice some of your new Moves there.¡±

    Another thing we had done in Levincia was go on a bit of a spending spree. That took almost as much time as the rest of my exploration had, but it was well worth it. There was a large variety of stores in Levincia, as befitting the second largest metropolis of Paldea. With a bit of hunting around, I was able to find Battle Items like a Dragon Fang, Fist Plate, King¡¯s Rock, and even some unusual items like Iron Ball, Flame Orb, and Target Ring.

    The vast majority of it, however, was spent on Technical Machines. Fraxure needed to learn a bunch of Moves to help him catch up to the others. While he could learn some of the Moves from them, the machines would give him a huge leg up in that regard, and we could just help him perfect the Moves from there.

    Nightwing and Phantasm also had room to grow in terms of their Movepools. In Phantasm¡¯s case, we were experimenting as much with Moves she couldn¡¯t use as with ones she could, in large part because the Pokedex could only help us so much in terms of Moves she was compatible with. Blizzard had been a bust, but somehow Icy Wind and Snowscape worked.

    I also got a few machines for Notch, Dun, and Riolu as well (Miles had cited wanting to perfect the Moves they currently had), even if those ones didn¡¯t ¡®need¡¯ the increased number of Moves as much.

    No such thing as being ¡®too prepared¡¯ after all, so long as it doesn¡¯t get in the way of them achieving high overall Movepool proficiency (which from my eye, it hasn¡¯t). Plus, it gives some options. Riolu had Aerial Ace for Bug Types and Ice Punch for Flying, but both of those required her to get in close and might not work well depending on the secondary Typing of Pokemon that are resistant to the majority of her Moves. Rock Tomb gives her another counter, one that doesn¡¯t require her to get up close, and by slowing the enemy, makes it easier for her to use one of those other Moves if she does need to after.

    I was ready for her to put those Moves to further practice when we got down to the arena, but as we stepped onto it, a portly man waved us over. ¡°Are you Nemona?¡±

    Nodding, I asked, ¡°Are you Dave?¡±

    ¡°Yuuperonie, that¡¯s me,¡± he replied in a very genial fashion. He is¡­ not what I expected when I put out the request on the message board. Dave was wearing a floral button-up shirt and cargo shorts, a very comfortable build, more than the average Trainer had. Then again, I¡¯m hardly in a position to judge him. A lot of people took one look at me and thought I was too young to be a ¡®serious¡¯ Trainer.

    I used those thoughts to distract me from the sudden paranoia that tried to grip me from talking to a stranger. It¡¯s pointless; I¡¯m the one who put out a request on the message board for that. He had no reason to know who I was before he offered to complete the request, and I checked, and he¡¯s a verified Trainer. We¡¯re out in the open; there are no criminals trying to hurt me.

    Telling myself all that and more didn¡¯t manage to assuage my irrational fears, but I pushed past them as we walked to an open spot in the arena. He released his Clawitzer, the lobster-looking Pokemon giving a proud cry as he took the field. His small left pincer helped him remain upright on the ground, given the size of his right arm, a massive pincer covered in faded blue plates, bigger than the rest of his body combined.

    ¡°So, you just need to see my boy use Aura Sphere?¡± Dave asked, a hint of incredulity in his voice. Understandable, getting paid a few thousand Pokedollars just to perform a Move is a bit much, but so worth it if it can help Riolu.

    ¡°Yeah, a couple of times if you could. You ready?¡± I directed the question to Riolu, who barked an affirmative, her eyes glowing faintly as she channeled her Aura, intently analyzing the Pokemon before us.

    The Clawitzer raised his pincer/launcher up, gathering energy within it, then shooting off a powerful blast into the sky above, where it traveled about a dozen meters before violently bursting apart in the air. Strong, even without STAB, much stronger than Riolu''s. Admittedly, he has an Ability that boosts it, but still.

    They repeated the process a few times, and then Riolu used Copycat, performing the Move herself. Dave blinked in surprise at seeing this. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be! Your Riolu already knows Aura Sphere?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but we¡¯ve been having some issues with getting it to work perfectly. Thank you for doing this; it helps a lot.¡± Or at least I hope it does. I had Miles transfer Dave the money as I watched Riolu perform shot after shot with each hand, blasting out Aura Spheres almost as large as her body.

    ¡°How¡¯s it feeling?¡± I asked her. My own Aura sight was far less developed than her own, but I could feel all kinds of different Aura channels pushing and weaving the Move inside the Water Type¡¯s overly large pincer. Despite the biological differences, I got an eager response from her.

    ¡°Riolu! Ol, iolu.¡± Holding a hand up, she steadied herself, gathering that familiar blue light in front of it, then with a slight push of her arm, launched it forward. It was slightly smaller than the previous shots she had been firing and a little slower, but I could tell how big an improvement that was.

    ¡°You didn¡¯t need to use Copycat!¡± She smiled, her tail wagging freely behind her for once. Impressive, very impressive. She¡¯s getting quite strong, even unevolved, and even that¡­ It might have been hopeful thinking, but at this moment, I felt it might not be far off.

    ¡°Well then, I think we¡¯re ready to take on Iono.¡±

    ¡°Olu!¡±

 Chapter 57

    Feeling ready, I entered the Gym Building. Here, amidst the metropolis of Levincia and all of their highrises, the building fit in quite well, better than in the other ones I had been to. The plain white nature of it still allowed it to stand out compared to the steel gray buildings beside it, enough to easily find even without consulting a map.

    As I entered, I immediately faced Iono. The girl was attired in a similar fashion as she was in the games, wearing a large baggy sweater, but her current look had it colored gray. With Iono¡¯s twintails colored red and blue, it gave her a distinctly magnet look¡­ even before the addition of the two Magnemites attached to her hair on either side.

    ¡°What¡¯s this? Ello, ello, hola! Ciao and bonjour!¡± She said dramatically to the Rotom Phone filming her to the side. ¡°This Trainer has her eyes caught in my Electroweb!¡±

    ¡°Indeed. Hello Supercharged Streamer, I¡¯m Nemona Glitterati, and I¡¯m here to challenge you for your Gym Badge.¡±

    ¡°Oh boy, this¡¯ll be electrifying! The young prodigy vs. little ol'' me. Oh, thanks for the sub from my newest fan, Electro King. Ha, looks like there are some people who believe in me, but before we get to the Challenge, we¡¯ve got to handle the Gym Trial. Are you up for it?¡±

    Crossing my arms, I nodded determinedly. ¡°Ready for whatever you got.¡±

    She grinned like a hungry shark. ¡°Excellent. You caught me in the middle of a stream, so what say we make this a little collab? Say hello to my audience!¡± Iono waved an arm out towards the Rotom Phone.

    ¡°Ah, ello, ello, hola!¡± I said, somewhat awkwardly waving at them. Should have expected that. Well, we probably won¡¯t be doing the ¡®where in Levincia is Mr. Walkabout¡¯ like they did in the games. Not really sure what to be doing here.

    Iono had no such doubts, taking the chance to put her arm around my shoulder. ¡°Folks, this little girl isn¡¯t just a Trainer, but she¡¯s also a singer! So I was thinkin¡¯ we have ourselves a little interview.¡±

    ¡°Eh?¡± What does this have to do with me being a Trainer!? How is this a Gym Trial?

    Despite my confusion, I found myself whisked further into the building in short order, taken up to Iono¡¯s office. On the way, I asked, ¡°What was this stream going to be about?¡±

    ¡°I ¡®unno, whatever I found, I guess.¡± I held back a sigh at her lackadaisical answer. So random. I get that it gives her a broad appeal, and a Gym Leader exploring their city to better show it off to the world is probably actually a pretty good idea. Still, I prefer to know what I¡¯m getting into before watching.

    Iono¡¯s office was the second Gym Leader¡¯s office I had entered, and hers was a stark contrast to Oberon¡¯s. Her desk and computer were pushed into the corner, with room for a couch to one side, facing a television with a Nintendo Switch hooked up to it (so weird that this world has those). There was a wheeled chair as well, which Iono spun herself into in the middle of the floor, and a bean bag chair in another corner. On the walls were brightly colored posters and merchandise of all kinds, giving the place a feel of a bedroom rather than an important place of business.

    ¡°Alright, take a seat, why dontcha, and we can chat about your musical endeavors.¡± I did so, sitting slightly stiffly on the plush couch. ¡°You know, I¡¯ve actually played some of your stuff on my streams.¡±

    ¡°Oh really? I didn¡¯t know.¡±

    ¡°Not a true Iono Zoner yet? Well-¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t really watch your stuff,¡± I said perhaps a bit too candidly. ¡°Uhh, sorry, just been super focused on my Training, as well as my other hobbies.¡±

    To her credit, Iono recovered quickly. ¡°Like music?¡±

    ¡°That and Martial Arts.¡±

    ¡°Oho, like Kung Fu? Hawcha!¡± She did some motions with her arms that¡­ generously, might be called punches.

    ¡°Some of that. Mixed Martial Arts. I won a tournament about a year ago.¡± Before she could make a bigger deal out of me, I added, ¡°I can¡¯t thank Sensei Dendra enough for her training; I wouldn¡¯t have made it as far without her.¡± And her very close friend Tulip for the Aura training, but I hardly feel like mentioning that on one of Iono¡¯s streams.

    ¡°Did your music teacher help you as much with your album?¡±

    ¡°Hmm, I would say so. I only had ideas in my head for the songs, their lyrics, but little knowledge of music. I needed a way to bring those visions to life, and Hassel helped teach me how to sing and play various instruments.¡±

    ¡°Hold up - this Hassel, izat the same guy as the one on the Elite Four?!¡±

    I sighed. Should I have said that? Eh, it¡¯s probably fine; it wasn¡¯t a big secret or anything. ¡°Yes, the same. He¡¯s a skilled artist and musician as well as a Trainer, I look up to him a great deal.¡±

    ¡°Ahh, and here we get the juicy stuff. Was he your inspiration for becoming-¡±

    ¡°Nope,¡± I interrupted her. ¡°Sorry, but I didn¡¯t even know he was going to be my music tutor before I met him.¡±

    Iono pouted a little at the interruption, her cheeks puffed out. ¡°I was gonna ask if he was your inspiration for being a Pokemon Trainer.¡±

    ¡°Ah. Well, no to that too; I had started Training Dun and Miles before I met him. That being said, I have battled him, and I¡¯m looking forward to a rematch. Once I defeat you and the rest of the Gym Leaders.¡±

    The Gym Leader in question just cackled. ¡°Hot diggity dang! I can see you¡¯re all fired up. But it¡¯s gonna be tougher than you think.¡± She had a fierce grin on her face, matching the tone of her words¡­ but not what I sensed from her Aura. Why is she so nervous?

    ¡°I look forward to the challenge. If I had an inspiration as a Trainer, it would probably be Ash Ketchum. He worked hard from a young age to be a great Pokemon Trainer and despite several setbacks and obstacles, he became a Pokemon Master. Oh, but I also really like Cynthia, and Alder was a legend back in his heyday-¡± she coughed politely to break off my rambling words.

    ¡°Ahem. Alright, that one¡¯s on me, but I think we could be here all day if I let you go down that Bunneary hole. Back to the music, Hassel helped you make this album?¡± I bit back a sigh at that. Really wish this <u>Gym</u> Trial focused a tad more on Pokemon and less on celebrity gossip.

    ¡°He helped teach me a lot about music and introduced me to some of the artists I collabed with, but he didn¡¯t have a hand in the production itself,¡± I clarified. Something that he was keen to make clear when I published it. I actually appreciate it; he had faith in my music and wanted it to stand on its own, not have the credit be given to himself.

    ¡°It¡¯s super-duper impressive to make an album, ¡®specially at your age.¡± Yet you¡¯re the one talking like a child. ¡°What inspired you ta make it?¡±

    ¡°Well, I¡¯d have never gotten as far as I did without the support of my family. As for my inspiration¡­ It¡¯s a lot of things. These can be obvious in the different songs themselves, but for instance, ¡®Oh the Places You¡¯ll Go¡¯ was one I came up with upon seeing my sister get her first Pokemon. That moment was just so magical and precious to me that I had to capture it in a song.¡±

    ¡°Aww, that¡¯s adorbs. Any song for your own Pokemon? Peeps have noticed that ya don¡¯t have many references to Pokemon, which feels weird.¡±

    I chuckled. ¡°Yes, that would be odd for a Pokemon Trainer like myself. While I don''t have a ton of direct references, a lot of the songs have messages relating to all Pokemon, or in specific to some of the feelings I have while watching them. ¡®Celestial¡¯ really captures just how incredible it is to adventure with them, while ¡®The Pretender¡¯ is for when we¡¯re pulling through a tough battle. At least those are some of the things I feel; others are free to attribute their own feelings to them.¡±

    The Gym Leader leaned back in her chair. ¡°Nice. But not all your songs are about happy or fun stuff, even for you?¡±

    Nodding, I agreed. ¡°That¡¯s correct, they are a bit of an, ah, eclectic mix, if you will. ¡®I Beg to Differ¡¯ is about feeling upset and worried but having hope for the future. That if you reach out, you¡¯ll see how wonderful this world can be.¡±

    ¡°Heavy stuff!¡± Iono exclaimed, and I bit the inside of my cheek to avoid a snappish response. ¡°But not as heavy as ¡®Eat Your Young.'' That¡¯s probs the most controversial song on the album. Why write a song about poachers and war when none of that-¡±

    ¡°It is very relevant to our current life.¡± The Gym Leader flinched back, and I took a deep breath, centering myself and calming down. ¡°I believe that history is a very important thing to study and that the problems of the past do not just disappear. There is every possibility that those problems can reoccur or are happening under the surface of peaceful society. We need to remember those occurrences and stay vigilant against such crimes.¡±

    Slowly, I unclenched the fists my hands had balled themselves into as Iono just stared at me for a minute. ¡°Aha, wh-what¡¯s your favorite song?¡± She asked tentatively, her face pleading as if to say, ¡®Please don¡¯t pick ¡®Eat Your Young.¡¯ Lucky for her, that isn¡¯t my favorite.

    ¡°All of them are great. Honestly, it¡¯s hard to pick just one. It was difficult to narrow the album down to just those eleven. If I had to pick, well, I¡¯m really happy with how ¡®The Pretender¡¯ turned out. Huge thanks to the Kubfu Fighters for their part in this, and all the other groups who featured in the other songs.¡±

    A sly smile formed on Iono¡¯s face as she settled back into her comfortable role as ¡®host¡¯ of this impromptu interview. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that some of those artists weren¡¯t too happy with you.¡±

    I did actually sigh at that, recalling the incident she was referring to. I¡¯m so glad Miles kept me up to date on all that sort of stuff. ¡°Yes, E.X. did mention in a podcast that I had been a bit¡­ demanding in our collaboration. They later clarified that they were quite thankful for the chance to participate and appreciated the opportunity.¡±

    I wasn¡¯t sure how much of that might have been pressure from my parents or not, but I liked to believe that they did truly feel that way. ¡°Like I said, I had a <u>very</u> particular vision for these songs. That may have led me to be quite strict in what I wanted from those I worked with, and I apologize if that may have left any bad feelings. What we made is something truly incredible, and I¡¯m so grateful for their help.¡±

    ¡°Yesss, there were a lot of artists involved in this project; most of them had nothing but good things to say about you. We¡¯re all looking forward to what you make next. Oh!¡± She said it as if the thought had just popped into her head. ¡°Why don¡¯t you play something new for all the Iono Zoners out there?¡±

    ¡°I- I don¡¯t have anything prepared-¡± I tried to argue, but she just waved me off with those overly long sleeves of hers, as if just whipping up a song on the spot was no problem.

    ¡°Just a part of a song, from one of those songs that you couldn¡¯t fit on the first album. I¡¯m sure the fans would love it.¡± She had the Rotom Phone streaming our conversation, showing us some of the chat, with people furiously demanding I play something for them.

    There was an unspoken accusation in those messages and the request Iono was making. One I had seen plastered far too often when seeing discussion of my music online. That I didn¡¯t make this music. How could a little girl write all of this by herself anyway? The thoughts vary on how <u>much</u> credit other people deserve, but a lot of them think I did barely anything and just got my name put on it because I¡¯m rich.

    Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    Those opinions were the reason why I let Miles scroll for such discussions on my music rather than doing so myself. I glared up at Iono, ready to roast her for this, until I saw her face looking encouraging. Wait, is she doing this to give me a chance to prove the ¡®haters¡¯ wrong? That she believes in me and is giving me the opportunity to prove myself to the world? I still didn¡¯t like the situation, but it cast her actions in a different light.

    ¡°Sorry, just give me a moment; I have to think of something. I wasn¡¯t expecting this.¡± Even if it is an opportunity, there¡¯s a reason why I have to spend a long time working things out with Miles before we even get down to writing out the song, let alone playing it. I dislike having things sprung on me like this, especially with so many people that I know are watching me on the other end of that stream. I don''t have my music studio or gear or time to practice, and it''s only luck that I even decided to take my guitar with me on this journey.

    ¡°No worries, take your time,¡± she said encouragingly. Alright, what now? Metric or The Beaches are great, but I¡¯d definitely need to change some lyrics; too risqu¨¦ to just sing their stuff as is. Ok Go or Foo Fighters are decent choices, though I still need to be careful about making sure there aren¡¯t any unusual cultural references. Music Go Music- oh. Oh, that¡¯s perfect! I¡¯ve been waiting to do that song, and I think this is the right opportunity.

    Opening my bag, I pulled out my guitar. While I hadn¡¯t used it too much, on days that we weren¡¯t too tired from the travels and Training earlier, I¡¯d sometimes pull it out and play a bit before heading to bed. Fraxure in particular was growing to be a rapid fan of the tunes I¡¯d perform for the team.

    Making sure it was tuned right, I began strumming it, beginning the song. Once I got a good rhythm going, I started singing the chorus.

    ¡°Now I¡¯m moving up where I belong,

    I¡¯m through pretending I¡¯m not strong.

    Stepping out into the morning light,

    The future never looked so bright.¡±

    ¡°Spreading out my wings, I learned to fly.

    Soaring on my own across the sky,

    I never knew how good it felt to be,

    Just me, just me.¡±

    Iono clapped eagerly as I finished. ¡°That was rad! How do you do it all? Being a singer and Trainer, and so young too; what¡¯s your secret?¡±

    Shaking my head, I said, ¡°There¡¯s no grand secret. Anyone could do what I¡¯ve done, with enough effort and focus.¡± There was a skeptical look on Iono¡¯s face, but she didn¡¯t voice what she was feeling, instead plastering a smile on as she stood up.

    ¡°Thanks very muchly for the collab, can¡¯t wait to have you back again.¡± I shook her hand as she got up and ended the stream. Can¡¯t really say the same; that whole experience felt a little uncomfortable.

    ¡°I¡¯m sure a shocking show like that is sure to skyrocket stream numbers,¡± the Gym Leader cackled to herself. ¡°I¡¯ll be raking in tons of dough with this.¡±

    ¡°Uh-huh, cause that¡¯s all that matters.¡± My voice was a bit too sharp, and I knew it, but the frustration had leaked out.

    Turning around to look at me, there was something unpleasant on her face. Not disdain for what I said, but a flash of real disturbance. That look adults or kids give me as I don¡¯t fit into either category. That I¡¯m not just too intelligent, but too mature, too level-headed even when upset, for any child. They look at me like I¡¯m some alien that doesn¡¯t fit in this world¡­ and they¡¯re entirely right.

    ¡°Aren¡¯t you glad too though? You¡¯ll get to sell tons more of your albums too, win-win!¡± The streamer cheered.

    ¡°I suppose I am grateful for the chance to get my music out there to more people, but I¡¯m not really concerned about the money; all the proceeds go to charity.¡±

    ¡°Huh?!¡± She said, the Magnemites comically (and somewhat disturbingly) fell out of her hair in response to her utter shock.

    ¡°Yes, not everyone is only concerned about money.¡± That got a flash of hurt from her.

    ¡°Not everyone¡¯s got rich parents to support them, you know? Girl¡¯s gotta make a livin¡¯ somehow.¡± I snorted. Maybe that was true once in her life, but she¡¯s a Gym Leader now for crying out loud!

    I glared at her for a moment. ¡°I may have been supported by them, but everything I achieved, I did so on my own merit - I¡¯ll prove that in our match.¡±

    That reminded her of our situation. ¡°Oh righty, the match. Eheh, this is awkward¡­¡± With a heavy sigh, she said, ¡°I¡¯ve gotta do some Gym stuff; I¡¯ll meet you at the court soon.¡± It looked like she had something else to say on the tip of her tongue but shook her head and left.

    Great going, Nemona, way to ruin what should have been a friendly interaction. Shaking myself out of my recriminations, I got up and exited as well.

    ***

    There was a bit of time before my battle with Iono, the Gym Leader needing to attend to other duties and get the arena cleared for our battle. Her words at the end still stuck with me, so I used that time to (with Miles¡¯ assistance) start calculating something.

    ¡°Wow, I forgot how expensive Nasty Plot was.¡±

    ¡°Bzzt, it is quite a rare Technical Machine,¡± Miles mildly pointed out, putting it onto the tally on the phone.

    As I added the supplements, I said, ¡°Let¡¯s leave out the diamonds used on Notch¡¯s food. Same with their Mega Stone.¡± While those were other expenses I had, I can argue those weren¡¯t part of what I spent as a Trainer, more for research. It was a thin distinction, but the Mega Stone in particular was a gift and worth so damn much that I felt it would dwarf the rest of the list combined.

    Or so I thought. In the end though, that Diancite was only approximately equal to what I had spent on all the training Technical Machines, Battle Items, and supplements. ¡°Do you want me to find out what the Battlefield costs, bzzt?¡± Miles politely inquired, and I groaned, leaning over the railing.

    We¡¯re already at more money than some people would have spent over the course of their lives. Hardly enough to make a dent in the obscene amounts of money, but still. And then all the advertising and stuff they¡¯ve done for my music, and feeding the team, which I haven¡¯t even bothered to count¡­ How the hell did the real Nemona do it all without relying on her family? Guess that¡¯s what a real genius can do.

    There wasn¡¯t much more time to worry about that, as the arena was finally ready for us, so I pushed it to the back of my mind for the moment. I¡¯ll deal with that later; gotta focus on the battle right now.

    Iono and I took our places on the battlefield; a large crowd gathered around the ring outside it. Not quite as large a crowd as the one that watched my fight with Brassius, but pretty close, and that¡¯s without any festival going on here. There were also drone-mounted cameras recording the event after.

    ¡°Ello, ello, hola! Ciao and bonjour!¡± Iono declared loudly, waving to the camera as the show began. ¡°Today we¡¯ve got a fun treat for you - I¡¯m going to be facing off against this hotshot, burning hotter than a Torkoal, Nemona Glitterati! And since she¡¯s bringing the heat, I¡¯ll be using my toughest Pokemon!¡±

    Frowning, I asked, ¡°Just one-on-one?¡±

    She paused for just a second before resuming her cheery persona. ¡°Yuuuup, that¡¯s right! You¡¯ll be facing the best I got. You ready to enter the Iono Zone?¡± She asked, baring her fang-like teeth in a grin.

    Why only one Pokemon? I have to change my plans now. I wanted to give Fraxure a challenge, but I promised Nightwing that she¡¯d get to fight here too. What¡¯s the point of- oh, I see. Iono held herself well, used to keeping up a good face during a stream despite potential mishaps, but I saw the slight nervousness in her bearing now.

    ¡°Alright then, let¡¯s take on the Iono Zone!¡± I boisterously declared, holding up Nightwing¡¯s Pokeball. The Gym Leader held up her own Pokeball, and on the arena¡¯s automated count, we released our Pokemon.

    Nightwing flapped her wings, clacking her pincers as she flew over the arena. Our foe also floated above the ground, not from wings, but due to her spectral powers. Looking somewhat akin to a stereotypical witch, especially with the pointed hat-like top of her head, Mismagius cackled as she stared down my Pokemon.

    A barrier rose up around us, and I wondered for a moment if it seemed slightly ¡®thicker¡¯ for lack of a better word than some of the ones I¡¯d seen in the past. Though if the Gym Leaders are talking about my fights, it might make sense to amp up the power after the barrier broke in my fight with Oberon. ¡°The battle will commence in three, two, one¡­¡± The speakers at the side droned out. ¡°Begin.¡±

    ¡°Night Slash!¡± I shouted out instantly, hoping to get a quick, super-effective attack off before she Terastalized and nullified any weaknesses Mismagius had.

    They weren¡¯t keen on letting us just win, however. Iono called out, ¡°Dodge!¡± To my dismay, that seemed to work; whether it was the command or the Ghost Type¡¯s innate speed, she just barely evaded the Dark covered tip of Nightwing¡¯s tail slashing at her.

    ¡°Mystical Fire¡± was Iono¡¯s next attempt, but Nightwing was too close. Not letting up even as she waved her long, thin, wavy arms about to conjure a bolt of fire, Nightwing used Night Slash, cutting into her. She let out a haunting wail, still blasting my Pokemon with flames. She pushed through the blow, her tough body getting slightly cooked but already starting to recover.

    Good, Toxic Orb has kicked in. ¡°Fling!¡± Nightwing plucked the Toxic Orb off the string around her neck and hurled it at the Ghost Type, who faded into a hole in space, briefly entering the Distortion World¡­ and taking the Toxic Orb with it.

    I winced, both at the money that had literally vanished into the void and the fact that the trajectory meant the Fling had probably missed her as well. ¡°Get ready to counter when she pops up!¡± I shouted.

    Nightwing¡¯s tail coiled up, waiting, even as she began a series of complicated aerial maneuvers. Mismagius reappeared behind my Pokemon, but with how fast Nightwing was spinning around, they were face-to-face as the Phantom Force hit. She couldn¡¯t stop the blow but was easily able to hit her with a heavy Night Slash in retaliation before she could retreat.

    Rather than try that Phantom Force again, the Gym Leader called out, ¡°We ain¡¯t looking too hot, gimmie some love, fans! And you," she declared dramatically, pointing at me. "Are getting too heated; time to chill out. Icy Wind!¡± Waving her arms out wildly, frigid air washed over the battlefield, the side effect of the Move passing through the screen. The main thrust of it, numerous ice shards that crystallized mid-air, did not as they shot out towards my Pokemon.

    ¡°Protect!¡± Nightwing is faster than her for the moment, but that will change once she gets slowed down, to say nothing of how powerful an Ice attack will be against her. I can Terastalize to resist this, but that¡¯s going to leave me wide open for her Electric attacks.

    As I was thinking it, Iono used the opening made by my defensive plan to use her own Tera Orb. Raising it up in her hands (I assumed - her sleeves were too floppy and long for me to actually see them), she said, ¡°Time to electrify the crowd, Terastalize!¡± Then tossed it above Mismagius¡¯ head.

    While my Pokemon could continue their attacks, Mismagius either chose not to or was somewhat unused to the process of Terastalizing. With an opening as the large crystal pillar formed around her, I called out, ¡°Quick Attack out of the way, then Gunk Shot!¡±

    The crystals burst quickly, but the moment they did, our foe was looking around, having lost sight of Nightwing. Her vision was still a little high up, not realizing that she needed to drop down to the ground to use Gunk Shot, and in the second it took her to lock onto my Pokemon, the patch of ground beside her had already been turned into a toxic pile of waste. Spinning with a slapshot motion from her tail, the noxious muck was sent straight into Mismagius¡¯ now gleaming Terastalized face.

    She made a coughing, retching sound as it hit, and Nightwing laughed hysterically at the sight of her. ¡°Get out of there, dig!¡±

    My warning came too late, and with red eyes glaring malevolently at Nightwing, Mismagius blew away all of the sludge with a powerful Icy Wind that hit Nightwing head-on. Buffeted by the freezing winds, she couldn¡¯t even try to escape underground partway through, lifted slightly in the air.

    As Nightwing began to glide back down, I saw her movements were sluggish and slow. Ah well, guess there¡¯s no point putting it off further. ¡°Crash onto the scene with sparkling waves, Terastalize!¡± I shouted, only momentarily mourning Nightwing nixing the phrase ¡®time to make a splash¡¯ as I tossed my own Tera Orb over her head.

    She burst out gleaming and with a water spout, Tera ¡®hat¡¯ over her head. Moving fast, well used to the sensation and even being pelted by the Icy Wind, she managed to close in on the witchy ghost. ¡°Crabhammer!¡± With a vicious uppercut, her claws covered in a powerful surging spray, she clocked Mismagius hard, sending her spinning throughout the air.

    It was hardly the end, though, as from underneath her wide-brimmed hat-like head, she pulled out a large yellow berry and began hastily chomping down. ¡°Knock off!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s play a game of rock, paper, pew pew pew! Charge Beam!¡± As childish as the command was, the Move was still quite effective (super effective, one might say) and lanced hard into Nightwing. Her wings seized up for a moment, giving Mismagius time to finish the Sitrus Berry she had been eating, and I noticed the air cackling dangerously around her, likely the very beam she just used powering her up.

    On the flip side, however, Mismagius wasn¡¯t looking great, even after the rejuvenating berry she just consumed. Is she- yes, she¡¯s Poisoned! I had missed it at first with how purple she already was, but it was clear her health was flagging.

    ¡°More pews! Enough pews to fill a church!¡± Wait, churches have pews in this world? I wonder what else is similar religiousl- no, focus!

    ¡°Protect!¡± Nightwing stopped mid-air, conjuring the hive-pattern barrier around herself and deflecting the thin beam of electricity off of it. As the Poison hurts her, it¡¯ll heal Nightwing, though. We just gotta outlast her.

    As the barrier started to fail, I decided to risk it and called out, ¡°Protect,¡± once more. With a look of intense concentration, it held out, though the barrier was weaker than before, some of the hexes flickering under the assault.

    This time, the shield only held half as long, and Nightwing was on the move once again as it faltered, dodging around the beam her foe was firing. ¡°Get underground and wait it ou-¡±

    ¡°Taunt!¡± Iono countered, her smile all teeth. With a smug smirk, Mismagius enraged Nightwing, who was already halfway underground. Popping back up, she charged the Tera Electric Pokemon.

    Dammit! Fine, let¡¯s go all in. ¡°Crabhammer!¡± My voice reached Nightwing, and while she was still too enraged to do anything other than attack, she did follow my order and use that Move, the strongest one she had at the moment.

    The ice clinging to her wings was slowing her down a tad, but not enough for Mismagius to entirely evade the blow, the attack clipping her as Nightwing passed by. ¡°Stone Edge,¡± I ordered as my Gliscor twirled around, raising large spikes from the ground with an arm gesture. The ghostly foe proved too nimble, dancing around the attack and firing back.

    Another powerful Charge Beam slammed into Nightwing, the blow cracking her chitinous exoskeleton. This actually helped to some degree, freeing my Gliscor from some of the ice impeding her movements. On the flip side, though, more damage was taken, and Mismagius got another boost from the Charge Beam.

    Clicking her tongue, Iono¡¯s voice rang out over the arena. ¡°They¡¯re getting back up even stronger, oh noes. We gotta finish this fast, so cheer on this Thunderbolt!¡±

    The crowd was cheering wildly even as I felt the energy building around Mismagius. We can¡¯t block or stall it out; all our protective Moves won¡¯t work¡­ But what about an offensive Move?

    ¡°Sand Tomb around yourself! Stick your tail in the ground!¡± The combination would be weird at the best of times, and right now was far worse. Yet even through the taunt, she followed my orders, the dirt swirling around her as the Thunderbolt struck in. Much of its power was lost by the Ground Type attack it passed through, doing minimal harm to my Pokemon as she successfully channeled it into the arena floor.

    ¡°Wowzah! That¡¯s some cool stuff,¡± Iono said as Nightwing could be held back no longer and charged forward. For Mismagius¡¯ part, she began gathering an orb of purple-colored power. She tossed it towards Nightwing as my Pokemon neared her.

    ¡°Meet it with a Crabhammer!¡± The two attacks met, colliding in a tremendous explosion. Both of us peered through the smoke cloud created from the clash. No way¡­ I thought this only happened in the anime.

    A few seconds later Iono saw what I saw and started cackling. ¡°Whozat, whatzis? A tie!?¡±

    I blinked. ¡°Well, wasn¡¯t expecting that,¡± I muttered as I saw both of our Pokemon lying insensate on the ground. The crowd around started cheering furiously, and I could practically see the dollar signs in Iono¡¯s eyes as she waved at them, the Magnemites around her head flying erratically.

    I suppose it¡¯s not as bad as I thought to be concerned about money. I used to be far more frugal for similar reasons, but I guess I just¡­ got used to being rich. Plastering a smile on my face, I recalled Nightwing and strode across the field to Iono.

    She recalled her Mismagius and turned to face me. ¡°Ha! That battle was as flashy as a Catastropika!¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s see if we can amp it up to a ten-million-volt Thunderbolt next time, heh.¡± I offered my hand out to shake as I spoke. Iono readily shook it, cameras and phones flashing around us as the distant crowd took photos.

    As I let go of her sleeve-covered hand, I said, ¡°And I want to apologize for before. I was frustrated about the music and other things. I thought about the money situation and hadn¡¯t realized how much I had come to rely on my parents and their money as a Trainer.¡± She blinked, looking surprised.

    Continuing, I added, ¡°I¡¯m sure that my team would be tough and strong even without that. We all worked hard and put a lot into our Training¡­ But I also understand that the resources we have mean they¡¯ve grown strong faster than they might have otherwise. Reaching where they are today would have taken a lot longer if we didn''t have that support. That¡¯s why you only used Mismagius, right?¡±

    The streamer winced as my guess hit the mark. ¡°Oof, you got me there. You¡¯ve been tearing up a storm through the circuit; it feels like no one can even challenge you! And we want to, but¡­ I just didn¡¯t have enough time to train up a full team to your crazy-high level.¡± I don¡¯t think the stream is catching this, at least not the specific words. Iono is rather bold naturally, but she¡¯s not as over-the-top as she usually is when putting on her stage face.

    ¡°So you trained up just your ace to give me a challenge. Well, she definitely did that,¡± I said, my hand gliding over Nightwing¡¯s Pokeball. We¡¯ve got to work on her resistance to Special Attacks. Physically she¡¯s almost as tough as Notch, but that was a real weakness here. And on that note¡­

    ¡°If you¡¯re busy with your streams, why not use them as time to train your Pokemon?¡± I suggested. ¡°You can make videos showing how you train different Pokemon at different levels of development for your Gym, and all of that. You get to train your Pokemon-¡±

    ¡°-And earn tons of cash!¡± At the look on my face, she giggled nervously. ¡°But mostly just the Training, haha.¡±

    I waved her off. ¡°No, no, it¡¯s fine. I can¡¯t take it for granted that everyone has the same focus or means that I have.¡± Then she surprised me by pulling out the small badge with a lightning bolt symbol on it. ¡°Even though I didn¡¯t win?¡±

    ¡°Of course, you fought hard. And ''sides, I woulda got clobbered by your full team.¡± I took the badge with a smile. ¡°Hey, if you ever wanna do another collab-¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know.¡± Then after a beat, added, ¡°Maybe after you''re done all those Training vids you can give my full team a challenge.¡± Huh, it¡¯s weird, her teeth are way more pointed than mine, yet somehow she¡¯s the one gulping nervously.

 Interlude X - Dun

    POV - Dun

    [¡°Human dialogue is in square brackets¡±]

    I stretched my body out, slithering over the dusty ground to where the rest of the team was camped out. Nemona stood off to the side, talking on the phone, but since Miles was possessing it, I didn¡¯t have any worries for her safety.

    Not that there¡¯s much reason to worry; we cleared out this spot fairly well with our training today. I doubt any wild Pokemon will be coming back to harass us anytime soon. Then again, I wouldn¡¯t have had any worries before, but now we always have someone on watch. Not that I blamed my Trainer - that run-in with those low lives worried me for her even to this day.

    ¡°So there I was, surrounded by foes, beset on all sides!¡± Nightwing¡¯s voice drifted over to me, beginning to brag about her ¡®victory¡¯ already. Which I don¡¯t think I¡¯d mind- ok, I¡¯d mind it <u>less</u> if it was both accurate and wasn¡¯t bragging about a battle we¡¯d all been there for. Most of us could just ignore her, but I saw the Dragon looking up at the boastful Gliscor, awestruck.

    Thankfully, I didn¡¯t have to correct her as Riolu stepped in, barking dismissively at the batty Pokemon. ¡°You only had to deal with five of them, just a few Rookidees and a Rufflet, and you were the one that started that fiasco in the first place! If you hadn¡¯t been digging around willy-nilly through the tunnels, we wouldn¡¯t have had that big brawl on our hands at all.¡±

    I bobbed my head up and down in agreement, having gotten used to mimicking mannerisms people (mostly Nemona) used. Before I could communicate those to them properly, however, Riolu had to ruin it by continuing to talk. ¡°You show less sense than even Dun here with your recklessness.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± I asked, the hint of irritation in my hiss should have been warning enough for anyone else to back off. Not so for Riolu, who simply squared off against me.

    ¡°Your Earthquakes are strong, but you nearly brought the whole tunnel down on our heads.¡±

    ¡°There was a horde of Orthworms on our tails! What else was I supposed to do?¡± Admittedly in retrospect, that wasn¡¯t the best Move, but how was I supposed to know that they had an Ability perfect for stopping it? I could smell the Steel on them; Type-wise it should have worked.

    I prided myself on keeping Typings keenly in mind in battle. Part of it was just information that rubbed off from working with Nemona for so long, but I knew some of my compatriots weren¡¯t as tactically inclined; only Miles and sometimes Riolu tried to keep those details in mind as much as I; the rest were content to offload all that work to Nemona.

    ¡°Are they gonna fight again?¡± Fraxure nervously asked. I offered a glance to Riolu, subtly asking if she wanted to do this, and in response she rubbed at her shoulder. That¡¯s a no then.

    ¡°We should maintain our combat forces, just in case we get surrounded at night.¡± It was unlikely, even camped out on the open road, but it gave her an out without ¡®losing face.¡¯. We aren¡¯t even in the middle of the road, I suppose. Our tent was placed in the shade of one of the jagged rocky pillars that dotted the vast mining complex.

    ¡°Ahem,¡± Nightwing said, fake-clearing her throat, her long tail lashing against the ground as she saw that she wasn¡¯t the center of attention. ¡°As I was saying, those vile brutes had us surrounded, but thanks to my magnificent power and grace¡­¡±

    I was slightly distracted from her tale by the image playing out behind her. A fairly accurate, if low on details, reenactment of the battle as it actually happened. The illusion showed all eight of us having desperately run out of the abandoned mining tunnel that we had been exploring which collapsed behind us (definitely due to the horde of Pokemon chasing after us and nothing to do with my Earthquake).

    We stood in a semi-circle around Nemona, shielding her from the dozens of Digletts, Dugtrios, Orthworms, and a few Rolycolys that chased after us. She gave orders quickly, directing us as fast as she could, splitting up our efforts into offense, defense, and support based on our specialties. Miles, Phantasm, and Notch worked on boosting us and messing with the enemies. Nightwing mostly hovered around Nemona, who was now flying in the air to avoid the Ground Type attacks, the Gliscor blocking any rocks thrown up at her or the like.

    Fraxure, Riolu, and I pushed back against them in offense. My Hyper Voice took out large swathes of them, while Fraxure sliced at a few, using his claws to good effect, though he was reluctant to use his tusks against the hardier foes. The Digletts and softer Pokemon would have been taken out by his tusks without any risk of breaking, and it meant he wasted time using multiple claw strikes against the tougher ones. Also good attention to detail by Phantasm in the illusion she¡¯s crafting.

    A bit <u>too</u> good, in fact. The scene showed Riolu fighting and taking down a great deal of them, but also showed her getting hurt a bit in return. Especially when the Hariyama wandered over and nearly put her down with a Force Palm to the shoulder, which had the real-life Riolu growling.

    ¡°I mean, that is how it happened.¡± My words had Nightwing beaming, glad that I agreed with her. That only lasted a second before her eyes narrowed, and those fangs were bared more menacingly at me as she realized that I wouldn¡¯t do something like that. Her glare quickly slid off me as if I had the Limber Ability scanning the rest of the group (Fraxure¡¯s quiet laughter may not have helped matters, especially given how good Nightwing¡¯s hearing was).

    The Gliscor turned to suspiciously stare at Phantasm. The unusual Zoroark was lying down on her side, head propped up on one foreclaw, her face mostly obscured by the long white and red mane that fell down over her face and the upper half of her body. Her other foreclaw pointed at herself as if to ask, ¡®Me? What could I possibly be doing?¡¯

    Nightwing, naturally, did not buy it for an instant and pounced upon Phantasm, or at least attempted to. Given that she crashed headfirst into the dirt, I assumed that in addition to making her first illusion only visible to us, she cast another one concealing her exact location from Nightwing.

    Of course, this only lasted for a second before Nightwing continued diving into the ground, burrowing through it and giving Phantasm just enough time for her eye to widen in shock before Nightwing burst out underneath her. The two of them tumbled around, through the air and on the ground, grappling and slashing at each other as they played out their little spat.

    With a deep breath, I Yawned, directing the cloud over to them. Phantasm saw it and attempted to break away, only to be swung around by Nightwing, who thought she was trying to get away from her. The two coughed, covered in the sleepy cloud, and on unspoken communication immediately turned on me, descending on me with fury before the drowsiness could get to them.

    A powerful Protect guarded me against their attacks, and I laughed at their futile efforts. ¡°Damn you!¡± Phantasm shrieked as Nightwing succumbed to slumber before me. ¡°If I just knew Phantom Force-¡±

    ¡°Can you even learn that?¡± It was a legitimate question; with her rare variation, Nemona was a pioneer in figuring out what modern Moves Phantasm might be able to learn.

    The question was also slightly less than legitimate, as it was designed to confuse her, which it did. That uncertainty cut through her rage, and the sleepiness started to take hold almost instantly. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­ know¡­¡± My barrier fell as she collapsed, drifting off to sleep.

    Shucking her off my body, I slithered around to get closer to the fire. ¡°Wow¡­ you handled them like they were nothing! Will I get that strong too someday?¡± Fraxure¡¯s eyes were wide as he asked the question.

    ¡°I think so; you¡¯re on your way. You handled quite a few of the wild Pokemon today by yourself.¡± As much as I hate to admit it, it¡¯s true. He¡¯s green (in more ways than one), but there¡¯s some serious power waiting to be released there.

    ¡°Not as much as you! That was so cool, the way those Dugtrios tried to slip underground, and you just drilled right down and followed them!¡± I couldn¡¯t help but smile bittersweetly at his enthusiasm. How I used to be, before I was disabused of that notion. At least he has a better den than I had. Not that he deserves it.

    Riolu shot me a look, and I turned away, acting like I was checking on Nightwing and Phantasm, still slumbering peacefully. She rolled her eyes and distracted Fraxure by going over the fight again, giving him some pointers.

    Shamefully, a part of me felt irrationally jealous of him. I know that Nemona still likes me and all, but I also know that she had the Haxorus line as her ¡®favorite,¡¯ at least before we met. It was easy for me to see how excited she was in Training him now, but I also knew how distressed she would be if she saw that I was worried about her fretting over the Dragon Type.

    I dealt with that by making sure to tamp down on any signs of resentment towards him. I¡¯m pretty sure Riolu is the only one who has noticed, with her Aura Sight, and she won¡¯t say a word. ¡°You should use your tusks more often,¡± I chimed in.

    ¡°Hu- huh? But if they break¡­¡± He shivered at the very thought. This guy is such a wuss¡­ But I suppose I¡¯d have been just as bad if my tail could be permanently damaged like that. The thought brought forth memories of Dunsparce taunting me, but I pushed it to the side.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, just have faith in Nemona.¡± My words brightened Fraxure up, but a dark shadow fell over his face.

    ¡°Yes indeed, we should have faith in our Arceus-sent saint,¡± Notch said melodiously, hovering above Fraxure. The Dragon Type toppled backward but managed a somewhat gainly roll to get back on his feet.

    ¡°Whoa, you surprised me there.¡± Fraxure replied as Riolu and I groaned. Notch is perfectly fine most of the time, but when they get like this¡­ ¡°What¡¯s a saint?¡± The Dragon Type innocently asked, not yet realizing the few sermons Notch had released on us in his month of training were actually on the light side of how much they could pontificate.

    ¡°Saint is a word I recently heard from Nemona; it was used in her old world to describe a holy person, one blessed with many virtues and qualities of excellence. Considering her circumstances, I can only perceive her as a saint, touched by the divine.¡± Notch finished with a series of self-assured chimes, pitching their voice over the sound of Gliscor heavily snoring.

    ¡°Whoooooa¡­ I don¡¯t get it,¡± the newest team member admitted, and Notch dipped a little in the air before catching themself.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, just something that Notch likes to yammer on about,¡± I said, causing Notch¡¯s damaged ear to twitch violently.

    ¡°How can you, of all Pokemon, deny her holiness? The providence by which you met her, your evolution being one in a hundred, the many great qualities of intellect, stewardship, and battling she possesses? The-¡± I waved my tail in their face, getting them to stop.

    ¡°Look, Nemona is incredible, the best thing to happen to me, to most of us. I just don¡¯t think you need to make a whole religion around her.¡± There was more I could go into there, about how even Nemona thought that Arceus had little overt involvement with her given the lack of divine mission the Hero of Hissui had, or how she herself would not <u>want</u> a religion formed around her, but going down those lines would just open up further arguments.

    Indeed, Notch seemed upset but ceased any further prattle, accepting my views for what they were. The team was mostly split into two camps about Nemona, with Notch worshipping her and some quiet support (or at least acceptance) from Miles and recently, interest from Riolu. Phantasm, Nightwing, and I didn¡¯t care for it. Fraxure still looked confused.

    ¡°Ok, but what¡¯s that ¡®other world¡¯ stuff you mentioned?¡± He asked. ¡°Like, she¡¯s from a different region?¡±

    ¡°No, she reincarnated - was born again - in this world with all the memories of her life in the previous world. A planet ruled entirely by humans, with only near-mindless animals as company. The world had knowledge of ours, however, with fantastical stories of Pokemon. These stories give her insight into our world and maturity beyond her age. How else did you think she knows what she does?¡± I asked clipped, my voice coming out a scale harsher than I intended.

    Riolu noticed, raising an eyebrow at me while Fraxure awkwardly scratched at his neck with stubby claws. ¡°Oh, right. Guess that makes sense. Everything down here is so strange and new, but I should have understood that by now; Nemona really is different than the other humans.¡±

    His expression made me feel like I¡¯d kicked a Fidough using Baby Doll Eyes (despite my lack of legs), so I hastily added, ¡°It¡¯s fine. I get a little overwhelmed by just how big this world is at times.¡± I could barely imagine anything outside of the burrows when I first got kicked out¡­

    Fraxure started excitedly piping back up, raving about all the ¡®cool¡¯ things he¡¯d seen since joining us while I cast my mind back to the one time I had returned to the place I once called home.

    ***

    It was late at night; Nemona was sleeping softly nearby while I lay curled up on the floor before the bed. We had only just recently come home from Unova, and her bed, as large as it was, needed a bit of reinforcing before I could sleep on it without damaging the mattress.

    That also made it easier for me to slip away at night. Ever since my evolution - no, before that, since I really started to realize how strong I could be - an idea had burrowed into my mind. Now that I''ve evolved, I want to see how I stack up to them.

    It took a bit of work, but I unlatched the window. The noise wasn''t enough to wake Nemona, but it did rouse Miles. ¡°I¡¯ll be back in a bit,¡± I whispered with the implicit request for them to keep watch over Nemona.

    They frowned as hard as I¡¯d ever seen them frown but didn¡¯t raise any alarm, which I took as permission. Propping up the window, I slithered out, my new wings helping compensate for my larger body and flapping hard to let me drift to the beach.

    From there, things got a little complicated. I clearly remember where the old tunnels were, but they¡¯ve long since been abandoned. Even for the den¡¯s sedentary actions, they move around a bit.

    Widening my search, I traversed far over the land, though I held back from across the river. Where could they be? I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve gone far enough to leave the province- wait, there! Sniffing hard, I detected the scent of a bunch of Dunsparce nearby, with just a hint of an evolved Eevee.

    Hard to tell particulars, but since it¡¯s coming from that well-hidden burrow at the base of a big tree, I¡¯m pretty sure it¡¯s him, and not like, the Tera Leafeon or something.

    Heading down proved to be more of a challenge than I had thought it would be. My body grew a bunch when I evolved, and while it was mostly in length, I¡¯m still too wide for these tunnels.

    The solution was simple - just drill my own way down. My drilling ability had always been lackluster, and part of me wondered if I would still be considered terrible at it after evolution, if compared to another Dudunsparce. Still, my training and evolution had given me much power, so I was able to brute force my way down and into their main complex.

    Twisted tunnels from all over met in one large cavern; many Dunsparce gathered there to rest and socialize. The blue and yellow winged snake-like Pokemon startled at my sudden entrance. Something I could tell more by smell, as I could not see their colors in the dark, dank cave. The only sources of light in here were a few glowing yellow rings, stiffening at my approach.

    I slithered over to the Umbreon and said, ¡°It¡¯s been a while, Father.¡± My words created a sudden stirring of interest, and as Umbreon conjured Moonlight, illuminating the area, we could all see each other.

    Most of the Dunsparces hadn¡¯t managed to burrow away yet, caught in a panic, before stopping and staring at me. Umbreon eyed me suspiciously, stating, ¡°I know of no child like you. How did you become so large?¡± ¡®So powerful, so dangerous,¡¯ went unspoken, as did the question of what I wanted here.

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    ¡°I evolved through training and hard work and the aid of a human.¡± He scoffed at that, but I carried on. ¡°Any of us are capable of evolving through that effort, even I, Dunsparce,¡± I said, emphasizing my words just so. There was a nuance I could never quite explain to Nemona in how we said that, to let others know which Pokemon we were talking about in specific and not our species.

    My words set off a flurry of whispers throughout the cavern from the Dunsparces. Even some of the ones who had fled were poking their heads back in, having not felt any violent actions since I announced myself.

    Half of them didn¡¯t know what I was talking about, new Dunsparces that had been born since I was kicked out. Some of the older ones told the younger ones, voices filled with disbelief, that the Dunsparce I had been, the weakling, the runt, the anchor on their tails, could grow to be the one who stood before them.

    ¡°You are not Dunsparce,¡± Umbreon said, less in disbelief and more in confusion as he circled around me.

    ¡°I am now Dudunsparce, and I truly am the child you kicked out. You thought me too weak, a drain on the den¡¯s resources, but look at me now!¡± I flapped my wings hard, kicking up dust.

    ¡°Hmph, power gained from a human. I evolved through my bond with the den, with my <u>family</u>. I don¡¯t know how much was wasted to get you to this state, but I doubt it was worth it.¡± My tail drill spun angrily at his words.

    ¡°Nemona helped me realize the power within me! The strength you were too ignorant to see, that you-¡± I cut myself off, my eyes watering slightly.

    The Moonlight was fading, but not so fast that I couldn¡¯t catch the sneer on Umbreon¡¯s face. ¡°And where is this human now? Or have you come to beg for a place back in the den?¡± His voice was somewhat considering, like he might accept it if I bowed to him. Screw that!

    ¡°I didn¡¯t come here to ask for a place back; I came here to show you how much stronger I¡¯ve become!¡±

    ¡°Talk is nothing more than a breeze above. Demonstrate your so-called ''strength.'' Or are you too afraid without your human here-¡± I cut him off with a Body Slam, which I could feel that he had narrowly dodged.

    He used Bite on my flank, but I was flexible enough to return that with a Bite of my own, causing him to flinch and let go. Probably didn¡¯t hurt him much, though; he¡¯s got STAB on his and Resistance to my own use of the Move. Gotta fight smart.

    Umbreon slammed into me with a Quick Attack, swiftly retreating. While I doubted I¡¯d be fast enough to match him in chase, I didn¡¯t think he could avoid an Ancient Power, not when I could easily sense the vibrations he made against the ground.

    I was rewarded by a cry of pain as the rocks struck him, and I readied myself for another strike. He paused, moving very softly over the ground now, neglecting speed to hide himself from my senses. Well, whatever, I can hit you no matter where you hide.

    Flopping hard against the ground, I set off a series of tremors that shook the earth, eliciting many cries of pain and shock.

    ¡°What are you doing!?¡± Umbreon screeched, blasting me with a Dark Pulse in turn. ¡°Are you going to bring down this whole den down on our heads?¡±

    ¡°Not my fault if you make your tunnels poorly,¡± I shot back, trying to smother the guilt I was feeling. I don¡¯t think he even recognized that what I just said was a clever paraphrase of what he said to me the first time I showed him one of the tunnels I tried to make on my own.

    It struck me in that moment that the words he had said, which I had stuck with me to this day, were something he hadn¡¯t even remembered. An event completely beneath his notice.

    What also struck me was Father himself, leaping forward and clawing at me. Whirling around, I Hyper Drilled into him as he tried to fade away, earning a nasty squelching sound where my tail met his flesh.

    Umbreon disengaged, and the cavern was filled with light as Moonlight was called upon once more. His injuries were revealed in the pale light and already began to stitch themselves back together. In response, I flapped my six wings, settling down and Roosting to heal myself.

    Once at full health, I charged back in, throwing myself into a hefty Body Slam. Umbreon howled out, the sound emphasized by a bone snapping. As I felt my own body seize up suddenly, I knew that I had Paralyzed him with that blow, his Ability afflicting me with it as well.

    From there, we engaged in a brutal melee, my powerful tail and heavy body contesting his claws and fangs. He was tough; no way for him to be the patriarch of the den without some strength, but I was stronger. Inch by inch, I was overtaking him.

    With a snarl (not the Move; we both were staying away from area attacks after my Earthquake), he zipped backward, faltering slightly as his muscles froze up. I moved to follow before mine did the same.

    There was only a bit of space between us, but enough for me to see the familiar glow surrounding Umbreon¡¯s body. Last Resort, his strongest Move. I dreamed of being that strong, once upon a time.

    He accelerated through the star-shaped energy rapidly. I could have tried to meet it head-on, but something like Nemona¡¯s voice in my head rang out: ¡®There¡¯s a time and place for everything, but not now!¡¯

    Instead, I pulled up my quickest Move, surrounding myself in a hive comb barrier around myself, Umbreon¡¯s powerful strike deflecting off of it. He looked confused and shocked, which I capitalized on, my tail spinning fast as I spiraled towards him.

    Umbreon tried to Detect, his eyes flashing as he tried to perceive where I would go, only to stop cold. My erratic, reactionary motions couldn¡¯t be predicted, leaving him wide open for my signature attack.

    My father gave out one last cry of pain as I hit him before collapsing against the cavern wall. With weak legs, he tried to rise before collapsing down. I felt his head raise up, as if to call upon Moonlight again before he heard me upon him. ¡°I yield,¡± he spat out, contempt warring with weariness in his voice.

    ¡°So? Is my strength enough?¡± I asked smugly, Roosting to heal back up, as he called upon a weak Moonlight to recover just enough to be mobile; anything further would be a sign of him attempting to continue the challenge.

    ¡°Enough for what?¡± He questioned back. ¡°You say you have no desire to rejoin us, so I see no other purpose in this than to satisfy your overly large ego. That, and to scare your siblings and cousins.¡±

    I bristled, but he continued before I could do or say something rash. ¡°You always were a bold one,¡± his voice muttered and didn¡¯t carry through the chamber. ¡°Too brave and arrogant for how weak you were, too quick to use your tail as a weapon, not an escape method.¡± I doubted anyone else could hear him, though I wasn¡¯t sure if that was due to how weak he was or deliberate on his part, the message only meant for me.

    ¡°This was to show how wrong you could be, so you hesitate the next time you think of throwing someone out of the den because you, in your ignorance, have dubbed them ¡®weak.¡¯¡± I lied, quickly crafting an altruistic reason for myself to avoid confronting what he said.

    Before he could say anything further, I continued. ¡°I¡¯ve done what I needed to here; I won¡¯t be returning.¡± Slithering backward away from him, I drilled up to the surface, trying to ignore the shaking in my body, blaming it on the Paralysis, not his words.

    ***

    I refocused back on the present as Notch was explaining more in depth to Fraxure about what Nemona¡¯s plans were. Kinda hard to really envision what fighting a ¡®Paradox¡¯ Pokemon is like, at least until you¡¯ve met one. Though Nemona said that Miraidon¡¯s sheer power is an outlier even amongst Paradox Pokemon - and she also indicated the Turo or the ¡®ai¡¯ will likely have one, and one stronger than Arven¡¯s.

    ¡°Nightwing, stop faking it,¡± I ordered. ¡°Tell Fraxure about what it was like fighting Miraidon.¡± They¡¯re both Dragon Types and Dragon is weak to itself, so Fraxure needs to be ready.

    Rather than answer my question, Nightwing popped a yellow eye open before flipping herself up. ¡°Aww, what gave it away?¡±

    ¡°You started snoring, and only when Notch started talking, not when you first went to sleep.¡± Notch twitched in irritation at the performance while Nightwing just laughed.

    ¡°Haha, yeah, good eye there. I¡¯ve been working on my resistance to sleep ever since that stupid Bug put me under.¡± She grumbled at her own reminder of the poachers. ¡°I coulda taken down that Magnet jerk no problem if I¡¯d been awake.¡±

    But you weren¡¯t, I refrained from saying. If she¡¯s trying to improve independently, that¡¯s a good sign; no need to nettle her for that. I repressed a sigh. It can suck being the mature one sometimes. But I¡¯m Nemona¡¯s Partner, her first Pokemon. She relies on me to keep order in the camp when she''s busy planning other things.

    Nightwing groaned as she stretched out. ¡°Ugh, I¡¯ve gotten too used to the good life if this feels like roughing it.¡±

    ¡°Huh?¡± Fraxure asked, quizzically twisting his head.

    ¡°We lived and trained in a mansion - that is, a big house - before we went on this journey,¡± I explained. ¡°It was nice; Nemona¡¯s family has people who can get her pretty much whatever she wants.¡±

    ¡°The biggest thing you¡¯re missing out on is the <u>food</u>,¡± Nightwing commented, and I found my own mouth watering at the thought.

    ¡°There¡¯s better food than this?!¡± Fraxure replied, shocked.

    ¡°Oh yeah, we¡¯ve got tons of great stuff at home,¡± Phantasm announced her return to wakefulness, stretching up in an exaggerated motion to show off her height. With her arms stretched up high, she¡¯s technically taller than Nightwing on her tail, despite her own impressive size for a Gliscor. Still no match for when I stand straight up.

    Nemona had been worried that rivalry might breed truly negative emotions between Phantasm and Nightwing, but so far they seemed fine. Perhaps a bit more competitive, but no hatred any of us (even cheater-no-pants Riolu with her Aura) could detect.

    When she first evolved, Phantasm was all too willing to make truly nasty barbs against us when squabbling or losing a battle. Some of them bordered on the edge of crossing a line. Things like insulting Notch¡¯s dream of becoming a Diancie or insulting Nightwing¡¯s mother. Or calling me weak, though I¡¯ve gotten more used to that. Plenty of people and other Pokemon couldn¡¯t see my true strength at first, but it stings more if one of my true family was making the accusation.

    Luckily, she¡¯s gotten better about that over time. Nemona¡¯s training of Fraxure also had her helping slowly ease off Phantasm¡¯s new instincts and emotions. Of course, Fraxure¡¯s addition hadn¡¯t been great for all of the team balance.

    ¡°It¡¯s a shame you won¡¯t get any food when we get there,¡± Nightwing continued.

    ¡°Huh? Why?¡± Fraxure asked, confused.

    ¡°Well, the Glitterati have a strict ¡®No Dragons at the table¡¯ rule. They¡¯ll expect you to know it when you get there, so just go outside during meal-¡± With lightning-quick movements, Riolu flashed over and slapped the lying Gliscor down with a Quick Attack kick. Using a Move against another would usually be enough to start a fight, but Riolu lacked the physical strength the rest of us had, and Nightwing was nearly as solid as Notch, so a weak Move was needed to give it enough force to reprimand the evolved Pokemon (or at least shut her up for a moment).

    ¡°Stop lying to him. Everyone is allowed to eat at the Glitterati¡¯s table,¡± Riolu explained. Despite ostensibly talking to Nightwing and then Fraxure, her eyes were locked onto me, as if judging me. Because I should have stepped in. But I can hardly blame Nightwing for tricking him; he¡¯s just so gullible! Fraxure would have almost certainly taken those words to heart and gone outside to eat - at least until Nemona noticed and rectified the situation.

    A small part of me wondered if I was that bad when I had first been taken in. Years of living with humans made me quite familiar with their culture (to the point that wild Pokemon would often mock me for it when first meeting me, calling me soft; those insults never last long, though). I pushed aside those concerns and moved the conversation along. ¡°Yes, and you¡¯ll get to eat all kinds of foods at the Glitterati household.¡±

    ¡°Like what?¡± The curious Dragon asked.

    ¡°Well, we get to eat <u>meat</u> every day, sometimes even multiple times a day!¡± Nightwing exclaimed energetically, bouncing back up. She was in conversations as she was in battle; hard to put down and could come back from a beating with just a few moments to recover. That, combined with her being a bit of a prankster, made her nearly irrepressible. Only nearly, because once she slapped mud all over Miles¡¯ phone case. Then, ¡®coincidentally,¡¯ she got paired to fight Miles in their Refrigerator form three days in a row. I think Nemona was starting to get suspicious of the schedule by the end, but by that point, she never tried to prank Miles again.

    The Hisuian Zoroark licked her chops at the idea as well. Hmm, she¡¯s always liked meat, but she seems hungrier for it these days. I wonder if that¡¯s something innate to Hisuian rather than regular Zoroark. Or maybe it¡¯s a difference of degree, not kind.

    Blinking, I shook off that line of thought. Usually such things didn¡¯t interest me too much, but it was apparent that Nemona had rubbed off on me. ¡°Oh yeah, someone is a glutton for the food made at the Glitterati house,¡± Riolu chimed in.

    Belatedly, I added, ¡°It¡¯s pretty nice.¡± The food is divine! If there is any gift from Arceus, it¡¯s the wonderful meals we can share alongside the Glitterati family- calm down, brain. It was amazing, though, and while I was glad for how we¡¯d all grown stronger on this journey, I would not miss coming back home just for the food.

    ¡°Right, and that¡¯s why you eat five courses with most meals there-¡± Phantasm began.

    ¡°I¡¯m a big Dudunsparce!¡± I protested. ¡°I need more food than everyone else.¡±

    ¡°- and why you only eat three bowls of the Pokechow we get on the road,¡± Nightwing finished.

    ¡°...It¡¯s quite filling,¡± I objected in a smaller voice. Nightwing gave Phantasm a ¡®low-five,¡¯ and I narrowed my eyes, wondering if perhaps they were getting along <u>too</u> well.

    ¡°That sounds awesome!¡± Fraxure clapped happily again, his claws making an odd sound as they connected. ¡°We had a small pack of sheep we looked after up there, but it was a rare treat to cull one. And then that stupid Braviary came and stole them,¡± he grumbled, kicking up a tuft of dirt mulishly.

    ¡°How rough was it up there?¡±

    Fraxure frowned at Notch¡¯s question, puzzling it over. ¡°I mean, it was home for all my life until now, so I liked it? But while we weren¡¯t starving, there were times when we couldn¡¯t find too many berries, and we went hungry. Not a ton of food or greenery up there, and the other Pokemon were pretty tough too. Things are so much better here, though!¡± He brightened up, like a light switch being hit.

    ¡°I get stronger way faster, and the food is pretty good, and you said there¡¯d be even better food, and I really like you guys, you¡¯re all so tough, and I want to be just like you¡­¡±

    I tuned his rambling out, thinking about new Gym strategies when I received a sharp elbow to the side. Glancing around, I saw Riolu, looking unimpressed.

    ¡°What?¡± I said in a low tone, already having an idea of what this would be about and trying to make sure Fraxure didn¡¯t hear us. Riolu, for her part, had enough control of her Aura to send my silent, still messages through precise combinations of emotions she conveyed to me.

    From the mix of annoyance and dismissal, she was telling me to shove off with my feelings towards Fraxure. ¡°I¡¯m <u>trying</u>. I can¡¯t just¡­ stop what I feel.¡±

    Pride, dismissal, and concern came next. ¡°Do better?¡± I wanted to scoff before she sent a burst of wariness and pain. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll- I¡¯ll try,¡± I hissed out. She¡¯s right that eventually even Fraxure will notice my jealousy. I¡¯ve just got to push past it and remind myself that Nemona chose me first, over any other hypothetical Pokemon she could have had. And with her knowledge of the world and her parents'' resources, that was a loooong list indeed.

    The girl in question walked over to us, plopping herself down near the fire and beside me. [¡°Hey guys, how¡¯s it going? You all seem lively tonight.¡±] Miles floated beside her, running through all the little things they did to organize Nemona¡¯s schedule and correspondences with her friends and family.

    We gave a series of replies mostly amounting to ¡®we¡¯re doing well¡¯ and ¡®telling Fraxure about stuff.¡¯ She nodded. [¡°Glad to hear you¡¯re all doing well. You did great out there today against that horde. Might be a bit too risky to get so many wild Pokemon attacking us at once, but group battles might be good for your Training, to simulate the kinds of power and speed you¡¯ll face from higher-level foes. Though the wild Pokemon will get stronger the farther north we head¡­¡±]

    The rest of her words were mumbled, more to herself than us, as she plotted out Training plans for us. If I hadn¡¯t faced off against Hassel¡¯s Pokemon and that Salamence, I would hardly be able to think that there was much further for me to grow, but those encounters showed me wrong. And there are Trainers with Pokemon even stronger than those ones. I can see why she says the potential of Pokemon is limitless.

    As she thought, her hand absently drifted down to scratch the top of my head, and I happily leaned into it. We all sat like that there for a few minutes, enjoying the warmth of the fire and the companionship of our fellow teammates. This is nice. All of it, even Fraxure.

    All good things had to come to an end, however, as a small alarm beeped from Miles. ¡°Apologies, but it appears it¡¯s time for us to sleep if we¡¯re to get up early in the morning, bzzt. I¡¯d be happy to take first watch.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll join you,¡± I said as well. We used to only have one Pokemon on watch, but ever since the poacher incident, we had at least two of us on watch. Even when we stayed in a proper building in a city or the like.

    The others got ready to rest for the night, most of them going back in their balls. Riolu and Fraxure went to the tent, while Nemona waited a moment, musing on some messages she was reviewing on the phone case.

    [¡°I should probably talk to my parents. Maybe arrange to meet them at Glaseadeo Gym.¡±] Nemona said, her voice heavy.

    ¡°What brought this on?¡± I inquired.

    She gave me a thin smile, scratching the top of my head in a way she knew I liked. [¡°Just, Iono got me thinking about how much they¡¯ve done for me and all of us. And honestly, I should have already told them about the whole poachers thing.¡±]

    Why should you do something you don¡¯t want to do? What does it matter if you tell them or not? The guilt I was feeling didn¡¯t match what I was thinking or what I eventually voiced, blurting out a second later. ¡°I went back to visit my old family a while ago.¡±

    There was a moment of silence, the only sound the crackling of the fire, and I refused to look over, daring to hope this was one of the times that she didn¡¯t understand me.

    [¡°You want to go visit your old home? Sure, we could take some time out to do that- no, wait. You already went and visited your old home? When?¡±] Her voice rose a tad as she spoke.

    Fraxure, who had apparently been listening from the edge of the tent, chimed in. ¡°Whoa, Nemona can understand us so well. I mean, I knew that and all; it just really clicked now that I¡¯ve been to the city.¡± I sighed heavily, though I wasn¡¯t shocked. Living so close together like this means you don¡¯t keep secrets for long. Not that most Pokemon excel at that anyway.

    [¡°Some people don¡¯t understand Pokemon as well as others. More dedicated Trainers tend to be better at reading those body language cues, especially of the Pokemon on their team. They say that 90% of all communication happens through body language, even for humans.¡±] Though she spoke to the Dragon Type, I felt one eye still on me, her voice a little tight still.

    ¡°Sorry,¡± I mumbled, wiggling in the dirt, as if that would get me away. It¡¯s funny; I have all these ways that I could flee right now, through ground or sky, because of Nemona¡¯s training¡­ But because of that training, I¡¯m bound by myself. There¡¯s probably some dumb human saying about that.

    She stared at me for a moment, her amber eyes inscrutable, before she waved Fraxure off to bed. Then she turned back and asked me, [¡°How did it go?¡±]

    Thinking about it for a second, I tried to come up with some good way to spin it before shaking my head. ¡°Not great. I did what I set out to do, but¡­ it all felt pointless.¡±

    [¡°Revenge often is. You think it feels nice, and maybe it does in the moment or maybe it doesn¡¯t, but it doesn¡¯t help in the long run. You aren¡¯t moving on; you¡¯re just opening up old wounds.¡±] She paused for a moment before adding, [¡°Sorry it felt that way though.¡±]

    Nemona sighed heavily before hugging me tightly. [¡°Guess that¡¯s what I get for keeping secrets from my own parents.¡±] She paused and released me, a slight tension running through her frame. Unconsciously, she¡¯d stepped over one of those ¡®social lines¡¯ that people felt were so important, as if comparing our relationship to the one she held with her parents ¡®changed¡¯ anything.

    I flopped my large head on top of her, knocking her back with a slight exhalation, then giggled. [¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right. Guess that stuff doesn¡¯t matter. You¡¯re Dun and I¡¯m Nemona. Together we¡¯re unstoppable, and we¡¯ll be together forever.¡±]

    ¡°Agreed.¡± I rolled off her and stared at the stars. Looking back on it now, it seems crazy that my den was so happy to spend so much time underground when there¡¯s so much more up here. On the land and seas, the skies, and beyond. All that space going on forever and ever¡­ gonna see it all¡­ Slowly, I drifted off to sleep by Nemona¡¯s side, dreaming of victories and adventure.

 Chapter 58

    ¡°Hyper Voice!¡± I called out, and Phantasm eagerly grinned, baring her sharp teeth for a second before opening her jaw wide and letting out a piercing howl that echoed across the frost-dusted field.

    For her part, Riolu winced but pressed onward, unerringly hunting down the Ghost Type. Her eyes were closed as she marched forward, not letting herself get distracted by the uncountable number of copies Phantasm had conjured around.

    Darting in close, her claws dripping with Poison, she accurately jabbed at the real Phantasm. The Hisuian Zoroark gave a hiss, but the nature of death permeated her core, protecting her from being hurt too much, and retaliated with a heavy Slash.

    The size and weight advantage meant that Phantasm was able to hit Riolu hard, even as she brought up one paw to block the blow. Bouncing off against the ground, Riolu fired off a series of Vacuum Waves, the attacks rippling through the air toward Phantasm.

    ¡°Run through them; they can¡¯t hurt you!¡± I called out to my evolved Pokemon, and she loped forward, racing across the grass. Riolu raised a foot up, and I knew what was coming. ¡°Jump!¡±

    With a mighty leap, Phantasm soared above the Earthquake Riolu had just made, the ground not rising high enough to hit the Zoroark. She Tackled Riolu, the two of them tumbling further down the field.

    ¡°Disengage! Hyper Voice close, but out of melee,¡± I advised Phantasm. Riolu¡¯s arm shot out, her Metal Claws leaving a small cut on the Ghost Type, but she was unable to prevent her from fleeing. The deathly wail of Hyper Voice slammed into Riolu, the smaller Pokemon trying to close the gap between them but failing.

    Phantasm¡¯s evolved speed was too great for Riolu, the attacks whittling away at her. She managed to get close once with a clever Aerial Ace, bouncing off of a nearby Rufflet mid-air (leaving me to wave over Fraxure to calm the bird down) to strike at Phantasm. However, that glimpse of victory was short-lived, with the Ghost Type taking the initiative and unleashing point-blank Shadow Balls, her dual Typing leaving her unconcerned with the close-range explosions of ghostly energy.

    One particularly hard blast knocked Riolu down, and the baby Pokemon rose slowly, her breathing labored. She was having trouble putting weight on one of her legs as well, and noticing that, I called an end to the match. ¡°Alright, we¡¯re done!¡±

    At the last word, Dun, misunderstanding me, popped out of his ball. ¡°Ah no, sorry. Was just saying the training is over for now; Phantasm wins.¡± The Hisuian Zoroark snarled at Riolu but quickly got herself under control, shaking her head. That¡¯s good; she¡¯s getting better at controlling her rage in a fight.

    Her inclination to hatred was still great enough that I was reluctant to include her in battles against Pokemon she didn¡¯t know well, but I was glad at how much she had improved in dealing with her instincts. Ironically, Riolu herself was less than okay with this result.

    ¡°Olu!¡± Riolu barked out angrily, and I just shook my head.

    ¡°Sorry, but you¡¯re in no condition to keep fighting. A stiff breeze could knock you over, and Hyper Voice or Shadow Sneak are a lot stronger than that.¡± Phantasm smirked beside me, reveling in her victory. Or just a bit of schadenfreude. Well, better than being overcome by hatred. ¡°C¡¯mon, you¡¯ve won plenty of times before; don¡¯t worry about this. We¡¯ll get you fixed up at the Pokemon Center,¡± I tried to placate the Fighting Type further.

    She didn¡¯t seem happy with that, but didn¡¯t resist as I recalled her. ¡°Dun, can you go and grab Fraxure?¡± The Dragon Type had busied himself ¡®clearing the area¡¯ for us to Train in. Which was actually a vital and needed task, given how many Pokemon were wandering about. However, some of those Pokemon were Axews; the adorable little Dragons nearby had immediately flocked to their middle-stage brethren and began pelting him with questions and playing about.

    I can¡¯t be too mad at him, though; those little guys are cute. More importantly, they probably remind him of home. Fraxure had grown up his whole life surrounded by Axews, up until the past month and a half, where he hadn¡¯t seen any until now.

    Dun slithered over to the Dragons, talking to them for a moment before dragging Fraxure back. ¡°Frax, Fra!¡± My happy Dragon eagerly cheered.

    ¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± I said, because this was one of the times where I had trouble making out what he actually meant, beyond a general feeling of ¡®he had fun/a good time.¡¯. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s stay vigilant as we head back to Zapapico. It¡¯s getting close to dusk, and I don¡¯t want to be ambushed again.¡±

    Most of the Pokemon along this steep, grassy path were generally very chill, like the Cetoddles that happily waved at us or the herds of Deerlings led by Swasbucks that calmly grazed nearby. Others like Pyroar would defend their territory harshly but made no aggressive motions towards us as long as we gave them a wide berth. I even saw one male Pyroar looking after a half dozen Sneasel kits. That was a pairing I didn¡¯t expect to see, given their Typings.

    Sneasels were on the more aggressive side, but the presence of a couple of Pokemon out would usually keep even the adults from harassing us. Not so for the Haunters and Gastlys that came out at night, or the occasional Midnight Lycanroc.

    None of these were a threat to my team, but they were aggressive enough to keep me on my toes as we marched back down to the small mining city. Thankfully, there were no incidents, so I recalled my team as I made it to the edge of the city, heading to the Pokemon Center to get them healed up first.

    ¡°Out late again, miss?¡± The question was politely asked by the Nurse, without any true prodding or inquisition. I like that about this Nurse Joy. She only once asked me about where I found Phantasm, and when I refused to say, she let the topic drop entirely.

    ¡°Yup, just hitting that grind before we take on the mountain,¡± I replied. We had been in Zapapico for almost a week now, after crossing the various mines between it and Levincia. Zapapico was an interesting city, full of a bunch of hard miners and other rough folks. You can really tell that this is a frontier town, that things will only get wilder from here.

    Despite that, the city was well-equipped with accommodations for room and board and a number of other small attractions and shops, as befitting the last major city before a loooooong hike up the Glaseado Mountain, or a slightly shorter one across to Medali.

    The city had a number of benches placed around it to give travelers and workers a place to rest in the middle of hard days. There was no Gym building in Zapapico, but there was a large arena dug out near the edge of town where people would often gather.

    Pretty much every miner had Pokemon to help them with their work, so they would often dabble as Trainers, practicing there. We had been practicing often there in the week we spent here, becoming mildly popular around town. Most of the battles were fairly easily won, but we even lost a couple, though those were only one-on-one battles with weaker members of the team, like Fraxure.

    It¡¯s a nice place, but I think it¡¯s time to move on. The amenities of a town were nice, but we needed to keep moving on, and there was a daunting hike up to the next Gym. In the morning, I¡¯ll grab some winter gear and begin the next leg of our journey.

    ***

    With a puffy jacket over my hoodie and thick winter pants, I marched forward, up the steep hill. Hard to believe we aren¡¯t even at the mountain yet. I was a little warm exerting myself in my heavy clothing, but I knew that it would be much worse to be cold. Currently I had on a soft, thin pair of gloves, but I¡¯d switch those out once we ascended further.

    After a long walk, I came to a fork in the road. I started ascending to the mountain path but didn¡¯t get far before Riolu popped out of her ball, pointing at the other route.

    ¡°Ri,¡± she said insistently, and I understood it as ¡®I/We need to go there.¡¯.

    Cocking my head, I said, ¡°Ok, we can go that way. The Dalizapa Passage leads up the Glaseado Mountain just as well.¡± I returned Notch to me, the Fairy Type, unfussed by Riolu taking the lead for the moment.

    We trekked down in silence, but I could sense a tension as we did so, eventually asking her, ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±

    ¡°...Iolu,¡± she muttered after a minute. She¡¯s upset about losing yesterday? That¡¯s¡­ odd. Riolu was the most competitive of my Pokemon, at least when it came to battling. Not that the rest of my team can¡¯t be like that too; Dun constantly seeks to prove himself to the world, and Nightwing in general can be a bit of a sore loser. Still, Riolu usually gets over a loss by the next day at least.

    Further questions down that line were forestalled by us coming to the entrance of the Passage. It was a massive circular hole carved out of the mountain¡¯s side, curving around and dipping down, the depths concealed by the gloom.

    Rotom Phones were equipped with a number of handy functions, including a powerful flashlight, which I had Miles use to light our way down the cave. There were a couple of Pokemon wandering about the tunnel, the Snorunts and Yungoos wandering about and even a particularly irksome Sableye that tried to strike out at us. Thankfully, Riolu caught them every time, knocking the Prankster Pokemon away with a few well-placed Metal Claws and finally an Earthquake to convince them to back off.

    That also drove away most Salandits that wanted to try and fight us, though a few of them still hissed as I passed. One tried spitting acid at me, which I deflected with the wave of a hand and a bit of Aura, the wind blowing the attack away. The lizard-like Pokemon hissed, their back flaring up red before scuttling away into the darkness.

    It¡¯s impressive the construction of this tunnel. Riolu may not be the strongest, but her Earthquake is still decent, and it didn¡¯t end up impacting the structural viability of it at all (at least as far as I can tell). I wonder how Paldeans built this?

    Turning to chat with her about it, I noticed a tension in Riolu. Her shoulders were stiff, and her fur was standing on end. I pulled us to a stop as the tunnel opened up, becoming much wider and taller. It was also a bit brighter; a few torches hung off the walls here, and I could see where the path dipped down before rising back up, a narrow exit far off that I knew led to the rest of the passageways and (more importantly) a Pokemon Center.

    ¡°What¡¯s got you so tense?¡± I asked, not wanting to go further before I got to the bottom of what was bothering her.

    ¡°Iolu. Ri, lu, Riolu.¡±

    ¡°You lost to Phantasm, fine, but you¡¯ve lost plenty of times.¡± She narrowed her eyes and barked at me. ¡°Look, I¡¯m sorry, but you have. You win plenty too, but it¡¯s not like you haven¡¯t had, and learned from, losses before. So what makes this different?¡±

    She pouted for a moment, not speaking, or maybe thinking about what she was going to say. Heck, you lost one fight against a Trainer in Zapapico, and it wasn¡¯t this bad, so why did losing against Phantasm one time¡­ the <u>first</u> time¡­ ah. ¡°You¡¯d never lost to her before,¡± I stated, and she slowly nodded.

    ¡°You¡¯ll get there in time; when you evolve, it¡¯ll be a huge boost too.¡± The topic of evolution was always an awkward one to bring up around her; it was something we both wanted for her and worked by us becoming more in sync, but it wasn¡¯t something we could force. This time seemed more awkward still, and I followed her gaze down and to the side of the cavern.

    There, above a pile of somewhat less smooth rocky platforms, was an opening to a side tunnel. It was fairly well concealed, easy to miss if it wasn¡¯t pointed out. Why does she want to go- ¡°Oh. Oh! This is where <u>they</u> live?¡±

    ¡°Olu,¡± she nodded.

    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go. I¡¯m su-¡± I stopped myself, not wanting to project my feelings onto someone I hadn¡¯t met. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to meet your sensei. Let¡¯s show him how much you¡¯ve improved.¡±

    The grin she gave me was still tinged with nervousness, but the fire was back in her eyes as we marched onward. And we¡¯ll need it, if this is who I think it is. I could only vaguely remember them from the games, but Riolu had told us a bit about her year exploring the land, and the details appeared to line up.

    There were a great many foes Riolu had fought in her mostly solitary journey, and even a few Pokemon she had a friendly relationships with. She embellished the tales a little, but we had experienced plenty of trials ourselves traveling together, so I knew plenty of it was true too.

    The times I sensed the least self-aggrandizement came from the one who gave her the toughest challenges too. All lessons learned at the hands of the one I had roughly translated as ¡®sensei,¡¯ who pushed her martial and Auric supremacy to their limits.

    Admittedly, I was able to help her with a few innovations too, but he was obviously a large part of why she improved as much as she did between her and Dun¡¯s second and third matches. We climbed up, dancing around a group of Snorunts chilling nearby, and headed through the far smaller side passage.

    The first thing I noticed going through there was how much chillier it was. The Passage had been a bit warmer than the outside, safe from the brisk winds. That changed when we entered this tunnel and only increased as we went further through it. By the time we had exited this short path to a wider cavern, I was shivering slightly even through all my layers. That wasn¡¯t what took away my breath and made me stop and stare in awe, however.

    The four massive, irregularly placed pillars, clearly shaped purposefully and almost reaching the ceiling, were impressive. The platforms sticking out of the small cliff, like massive stairs to ascend upon, looked cool too. But what really made me freeze was the sheer power I could feel radiating off the top of that cliff, the only visual sign the familiar hint of Terastalized light sparkling off the edge, did so.

    Maybe when I first assumed that Riolu was saying ¡®Ancient-Blizzard-Resting-Beneath-Mountain,¡¯ I wasn¡¯t actually so wrong in my translation. I knew this Tera Lucario was strong, but whoa! Shaking off the awe, I said to my Pokemon, ¡°So do we just go up or¡­?¡±

    I wondered if there was some protocol for this, and apparently there was, as she made a fist. ¡°Fist covered with something? Glove? No, gauntlet!¡± Then I saw a Gumshoos and Frigibax charging towards us.

    ¡°Vacuum Wave, keep them at a distance!¡± I started running around, which prompted the Gumshoos to try and chase me for a moment before he painfully realized how foolish that was. By himself, the Frigibax got beat handily, and by the time the Gumshoos turned around, giving up chasing me, he was quickly dispatched by Riolu.

    With powerful legs, Riolu dashed ahead, catching up to me. As we bounded up to the first step, more Pokemon stepped in our way. A speedy Dugtrio tried to hit and run Riolu, only to be shaken up by an Earthquake when he tried to hide underground. I shoved a Frigibax off a small ledge with a burst of wind (she wasn¡¯t hurt, just annoyed and had difficulty climbing back up on stubby legs), and Riolu scared off a Dunsparce of all things, which was brave enough to fight us, but quickly cowed by an Aura Sphere.

    At the very top, Lucario stood in the center of the flat ground. His body shone with Terastalization, a hexagonal snowflake pattern Tera ¡®hat¡¯ above his head as he dispassionately analyzed us. It was also <u>achingly</u> cold, the chill emanating off of him feeling like it was cutting through my clothes and straight to my bones.

    Few Pokemon stood up here beside him, but one of those was a Houndstone. The shaggy, grave dog Pokemon loped towards us, and Riolu met him head-on, her claws glowing with Distorted energy. She¡¯s learned Shadow Claw already? Nice!

    Houndstone jumped towards her, and she slid under it, scraping her Shadow Claw against his underside. The Ghost Typer gave a pained cry, landing and whirling about to face Riolu, who had already gotten up. Pale purple energy began gathering around the Houndstone, wisps of Ghostly power, and I felt a slight spike of fear.

    ¡°Detect!¡± I shouted, and Riolu¡¯s eyes flashed at my command. Not a second too late, she dodged out of the way, the burst from Last Respects blasting apart the ground she had been standing on. Not sure how Last Respects works here, if the Pokemon we beat along the way powered it up or not, but I really don¡¯t want to find out. ¡°Shadow Claw again!¡±

    With Riolu faster than the evolved Ghost Type, we were able to set up a pattern where she would cut into him with Shadow Claw and then Detect away from the counterstrike. Eventually, the powerful Pokemon slumped down, defeated.

    Lucario, who had observed the whole show, gave a quiet bark, and Riolu stepped aside, marching up to face him. I joined her, despite the sweat freezing on my face, and the two of us gave a small bow of respect. Both of us had a fist in a palm, the gesture recognized by the long-lived Lucario either through his Auric understanding of the emotion behind the motions or simply through having seen such a thing before.

    He¡¯s clearly lived down here a long time, and underneath the Terastalization, I see the fur on his chest has faded with age, no longer beige but almost pure white. There are no creaks from his bones or any other signs of frailty that would come from age. He walked around us, inspecting us. Mostly towards his former student, but there was some curiosity towards myself as well. Why¡¯s he so fixated on my back though? Oh, it¡¯s because of my Aura! I read like a Flying Type to him, but I don¡¯t have any wings.

    ¡®Explain.¡¯ I shivered, for once not from the cold, but from the communication, his Aura imparting the message against mine. There was a lot more information than that in the message he sent, but it was difficult to precisely define.

    Riolu had far less trouble than me, immediately launching into her tale. She told her former teacher about where she had gone and her rematch with Dun. Then about how I had asked her to join my team and key moments from our journey so far.

    The cold didn¡¯t fully abate, but it subsided, the Lucario pulling it back into him. I wonder how it feels to be Terastalized all the time? Can he sense where this energy is coming from, how it feeds into him?

    The Lucario gave an amused huff, sensing my curiosity. Then, deciding to satiate his own, he gave an order. ¡®Battle.¡¯ He was looking at me, though, not Riolu.

    ¡°Ah, you want to fight me? I won¡¯t be as tough as-¡±

    ¡®Known.¡¯ Well, okay then. Here¡¯s hoping I don¡¯t get crushed fighting one of the strongest Pokemon in Paldea. There was still some worry, but it abated when I saw Riolu. If she trusts him, then I should be fine. I can at least trust her.

    Shucking off my jacket for ease of movement, I took a stance before the jackal-like Pokemon. It was cold, but I knew I¡¯d be exerting myself hard enough in a minute to more than make up for that. For his part, he merely shifted one foot back slightly. Launching forward, I threw a couple of quick jabs at him, testing out his defenses. The Lucario swiftly evaded all of them with slight motions of the head. When I threw a hook punch at him that he couldn¡¯t dodge, he just knocked the blow up too high with a paw.

    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

    Damn, he¡¯s so fast. And I know he¡¯s holding back his speed still be- wait¡­ he¡¯s not faster than me. Lucario¡¯s lip curled up in a smirk, and he threw a punch towards my gut that I hastily blocked with an elbow, the impact causing a slight twinge of pain. But it¡¯s not too bad. He¡¯s matching me perfectly for speed and power. The only reason why he seems faster than me is because he¡¯s not reacting to my Moves; he¡¯s reacting to the thought behind them.

    A good martial artist practices enough that such things become second nature, and so I let go. Not thinking about strategy or anything complicated, I just started fighting. My eyes were keyed onto his joints, the elbows and knees, wrists and ankles. The parts of the body he had to move for any strike or block, reacting to any of his openings. I kicked and punched where I could, not wildly, but with motions practiced enough that I didn¡¯t need to think on them.

    I¡¯d like to feel that my years/decades of training, in both this world and the last, had made me a decent martial artist. It was not enough to match him, however. A Pokemon whose very nature was built around it and had then dedicated the entirety of his life to martial arts. He met each of my blows with ease and was still winning even as he held back so much. I grunted from each hit I took, knowing I had to do something to change the situation.

    When my stance was slightly off, I hadn¡¯t repositioned perfectly; Lucario took advantage of that, moving around my lead leg in a way I wouldn¡¯t be able to kick without falling off balance on my back foot. He wasn¡¯t expecting me to hover slightly and smack the foot into his gut anyway, causing both of us to pause.

    The pause on his side ended quicker because it was only a momentary surprise, and he lashed out, burying a fist in my side. ¡°Ghrk!¡± I coughed out, sliding backwards in the air before dropping down. Note to self: it hurts to both hit and get hit by him. Those steel bones are no joke. Ok, hitting him hard is out of the question, but if he¡¯s going to limit himself to my level, then that opens new options.

    Rushing back in, I threw a couple of blows at him. Feints to my real goal, but with enough power behind them that he had to treat them with respect. Especially since I didn¡¯t need to rely on my footing nearly as much. As he deflected one arm to the side, I pushed past, a burst of Aura-boosted speed letting me get behind him and sweep out his feet, my other arm catching him in the shoulder and throwing him down.

    I followed him down, knowing if I didn¡¯t, he¡¯d just roll away. Pinning him down, he stopped me from getting Mount position, so I slid from the loose Side Mount I had to Scarf hold. Trapping one arm against my body as I lay atop him, I started trying to push it down to my legs with my free arm, the other wrapped around his neck and head.

    This was one of my favorite positions back in my old life and great when grappling here. I have a ton of options, and so long as he sticks to merely my strength, he can¡¯t get out. If he went past that to beat me, I¡¯d absolutely count that as a win - grappling was usually dangerous against Pokemon because of their enhanced strength, but I stood no chance if he brought a fraction of his own to bear, whether sparring or grappling, and here I didn¡¯t have to worry about the toughness of his bones.

    Lucario knew all this as well, and he picked up on something I had missed. He resisted as hard as he could within his limits with the strength of his arm but also called upon his Aura. As I had used it too, that was fair game, and I immediately felt the cold intensify around me.

    I hissed and tried to hold on, but eventually I slipped before I could get the Pokemon in an armbar. As I winced and pulled away, Lucario used the fact that I wasn¡¯t pressuring him as much to explode into motion, wrenching a gap between us and snaking his arm out of my hold.

    Throwing myself away from both the cold and any potential counterstrikes or pins he could make, I created some distance between us as we both got back up. Welp, I tried hard. Still, might as well go all out to impress Riolu¡¯s sensei.

    Forgoing traditional martial arts, I began running around him, throwing chops out into the air. With my Aura, those otherwise ineffectual strikes became blades of air, slashing across the field. Lucario gave a howl of triumph, knocking the Air Blades aside with glowing fists, his Aura raging bright. And still <u>so</u> controlled. I¡¯m certain he has vastly more Aura than I do, but he¡¯s limiting the amount he¡¯s outputting, instead using perfect control of the amount he uses to overwhelm my attacks.

    Such a limitation meant that he couldn¡¯t just fire off Aura Spheres at me - the amount of power it took to send a Fighting Type Aura out at range was simply much greater than what it took for me to do the same with my Flying Type Aura. Of course, he had also demonstrated how much better he was than me in close combat, which is what he moved to do, rushing towards me as he deflected my blows.

    I danced back as best I could, but he had the advantage. In speed, I could glide across the ground, letting me match him moving forward at the speed I moved backward. However, there was a limited amount of cave to run to, and soon, he cornered me.

    Desperately, I tried to block his blows, blades of air striking out to try and knock off his balance or force awkward dodges. He flowed around or blocked my blows, matching me in melee as I tried to sheathe my arms and legs in Flying Aura to hold him off, which I did. For a moment.

    Then a blow snaked under my guard, hitting me in the chest. A flash of blue light lanced off his paw and radiated through my body, my breathing growing tight. My breath stopped, and darkness grew at the corners of my vision before consuming it entirely, and everything faded away, and I lost consciousness.

    ***

    I woke up to see a pink light and a furry face hovering over me. Blinking my eyes, I refocused, seeing Riolu hovering over me with Lucario hanging back, a powerful Heal Pulse shooting out of his palms and onto me.

    ¡°Wha-what happened?¡± I asked, my mind slowly putting the pieces together as I recalled the end of our fight. ¡°Oof, that last shot, that was a good one.¡±

    Riolu didn¡¯t seem too happy, still worried about me. There wasn¡¯t anything different in Lucario''s stance or demeanor, but through my Aura I felt a small twinge of guilt from the ancient Pokemon, as if reprimanding himself for this situation. Guess it¡¯s hard to remember how weak humans can be, how easy we are to hurt. I think he still was going as hard as I was; I was just hitting too hard for me to take what I was dishing out.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me,¡± I told Riolu, coughing. I sat up slowly, drawing upon my own Aura to get my energy back and recover further. ¡°Have you had a chance to spar against your teacher?¡± She shook her head.

    Taking deep, calm breaths, I told her, ¡°Go on then, show him everything you¡¯ve learned.¡± She gave me a toothy grin in response before waving me off with her hands. I shuffled back, giving them plenty of room to go at it, while also getting the other message there. She wants me to stay out of her fight, at least for now. To show him how she stands on her own.

    My littlest Pokemon was very proud, but I¡¯d let her have this chance; I had the feeling we¡¯d be here for a while and have plenty of chances to fight together as well. In the center of the wide outcropping, Riolu bowed to him, and Lucario stood there impassively. The message was clear: ¡®You want me to bow back? Earn it.¡¯

    The Ice Tera Pokemon clearly felt no need to hold back against Riolu as a fellow Pokemon, for the moment she took a step forward, Lucario disappeared. Blinking, I missed the blow that sent Riolu sprawling across the floor. Whoa, it''s been a while since I couldn¡¯t keep up with a Pokemon¡¯s visual speed. Even Hassel¡¯s Dragonite using that same Move, Extremespeed, I can sorta see. This Lucario is on a whole other level. Literally, from what I could remember of the games, with this being like a Level 70 or something static Tera encounter in those.

    Riolu recovered quickly, rolling to her feet and firing off an Aura Sphere at her sensei. There was a faint hint of surprise before he dodged out of the way, like he almost couldn¡¯t believe it. Must have sensed her using it in the tunnels before but never have seen it from a Riolu before. Given how much work it took Riolu and how naturally it comes to Lucarios, I can¡¯t blame him.

    Firing back, he unleashed a barrage of Aura Spheres, the massive blue orbs sailing over the flat, rocky field. Riolu met him shot for shot, and while each of hers was smaller, the impacts caused both Aura constructs to burst apart whenever they met. Glad she was able to figure out how to fire those one-handed; she couldn¡¯t keep up with the barrage he''s outputting if she had to use the trick I had first started her on.

    Seeing this, Lucario decided to stop playing that game (even if we all knew he had the stamina to outlast her, that would hardly be a test of her skill). His next few Aura Spheres began curving around, evading her attacks to strike at her. This necessitated that Lucario himself had to move and dodge Riolu¡¯s unimpeded attacks, but that was easily enough done as she got knocked about.

    Leaping up high, Riolu came down with a hard kick on Lucario that he couldn¡¯t avoid. Raising his arms up in a cross block, he caught the blow, and she flipped off of it, beginning to punch and kick him, which he matched.

    I couldn¡¯t tell if any of the attacks were proper Moves or not, but I was able to see when Riolu¡¯s stance shift became one. A fluid motion like a dance fit in neatly against the constant flow of blows Lucario rained down upon her, letting her just barely deflect or dodge every attack he tried to use.

    Confusion was apparent on Lucario¡¯s face before a brief moment of panic as Riolu¡¯s power surged, Dancing Sword complete. With a sharp cry, she launched herself into a chop. Her Brick Break managed to land, digging hard into his shoulder even as his arm blasted her side, a lance of Aura striking her.

    She dealt with the Force Palm better than I had, knocked to the side but still on her feet (and not even Paralyzed). Still, for all that she had a boost and landed a super effective attack against him, Lucario had weathered her blow much better than the one he had dealt her. And that¡¯s discounting all the hits he landed before now, which are adding up.

    Riolu was too stubborn to quit now, though, and she gave a Howl, raising her fighting strength further. Lucario flicked an ear and disappeared, appearing behind her. Before he could lash out with a lightning-fast Extremespeed attack, though, she disappeared in turn, Copycating his speed to appear behind him and landing a powerful elbow of her own.

    Or so it seemed. My eyes had difficulty keeping up, and I missed how he had narrowly tilted back and dodged the Move, his red eyes glowing bright blue. Detect. He saw it coming. In response, his fists struck out like shooting stars, each blow taking her down further, until she was down on one knee.

    The evolved Pokemon seemed surprised that she had lasted that long but simply raised a fist back, covered in icy energy, to finish the match off. Riolu pushed off the ground quickly, clasping his arm by the elbow and stopping the blow. Utilizing her lower center of gravity, she flipped him by the trapped arm, landing a devastating Reversal on him.

    He crashed into the ground, and for the first time, he gave a small cry of pain. That Move had hurt him, and she wasn¡¯t prepared to let up on that. Raising a leg, she stomped down, unleashing a point-blank Earthquake. The Move knocked him over, but as he spiraled through the air, he raised a palm and unleashed a bright beam from it, the Flash Canon blasting into Riolu and fully taking her out this time.

    I rushed over to her and started reaching for Potions, but Lucario waved my worries off. Gathering water from the air in his paws, he sprinkled it around us, the Life Dew rejuvenating us. Riolu and I recovered a little bit, while all of his injuries instantly healed. We did that little, huh? Not even a quarter of how far he could go.

    As Riolu sat up, Lucario gave her a bow. Her eyes grew wide, and for once, she didn¡¯t care enough to stop her tail from wagging eagerly, showing how ecstatic she was. ¡°You did great out there,¡± I told her. Then to Lucario I asked, ¡°And if you don¡¯t mind hosting us for a while, I think we can show you even more.¡±

    There was the barest grin on his face, and he gave a quick nod.

    ***

    We spent the next week within the cave, training under Lucario. Being a master of Aura, he had plenty of knowledge on the subject to help Riolu. I made sure to practice with my own Aura as well, though the differences in our biology meant he was limited in the advice he could give me. Still, I feel like I¡¯m getting better at using it, just a bit. Incorporating body motions into using it really helps with how much I can save in terms of my reserves.

    We had theorized a bit on why that was, if it had to do with ingrained patterns in the world as made by Arceus, or if it was psychosomatic, but he pointed out that it didn¡¯t matter in the end. Whether it came from beyond the world or within myself, all Aura existed as both a part of the world and more than it. At least that¡¯s what I think he was getting at. I¡¯m still not the best at understanding him.

    Whatever his past or history was, he was not keen to disclose it, and my few attempts on the subject had been frostily rebuffed. Pokemon weren¡¯t social creatures in the same way humans were, and it showed in things like how easily they could ignore an uncomfortable question. People could do the same, of course, but most would at least have an urge to respond to a question, even if they ignored it.

    It wasn¡¯t just theorizing and practice we spent our time on. Occasionally we¡¯d spar against him as well, but generally, he handily beat any Pokemon or strategy I used against him. The one time where Dun finally beat him, his Terastalization shattering after having fought everyone else on the team first (save Fraxure), he had recovered it by meditating for an hour.

    ¡°Damn, it took a Hawlucha we fought like a week to recover that.¡± I commented to the still-meditating Lucario.

    He opened one eye as if to give me a look like, ¡®What else could you expect?¡¯ Or maybe ¡®I am me; that¡¯s the difference.¡¯

    Laughing, I said, ¡°Yup,¡± awkwardly scratching the back of my head. ¡°So¡­ we have to go soon. In two days.¡± There was a sound of cracking ice as his head tilted, looking confused for a second before he nodded in understanding. Right, when you spend your years underground, you don¡¯t tend to notice when day and night is. I only know because of my phone.

    That was also the reason why I knew we had to go. My parents had been able to arrange some assured time off soon, so I was going to meet them at the Gym. Honestly, two days is a bit much; better to leave now, but Riolu¡¯s <u>so</u> close to getting some new tricks down. I can arrange the match ahead of time by sending the Gym a request online, and then if we do a fast march up there, we¡¯ll still make it.

    That assumed that our journey up went entirely smoothly, but that was a problem for future Nemona. Current Nemona was slipping down some side tunnels with Riolu to practice her new Move. Hmm, do these count as new Moves or just techniques, skilled applications of old Moves? Don¡¯t know; I¡¯ll have to check later.

    Lucario¡¯s Auric sense range was great, but he admitted it was harder to pick out particular details the more other Pokemon were about. We also practiced while he was sleeping to better keep the secrecy.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got two days left. With that in mind, I think we need to put a stop on Aura Armor. Don¡¯t frown; that one was always going to be tricky.¡± The Fighting Type is generally on the frailer side and very offensive. Surrounding herself in a constant barrier of Aura would likely be vastly draining and possibly no better than just Iron Defense once she evolves.

    ¡°On the bright side, the two offensive Moves are looking good. I really think you¡¯ll get them in time.¡±

    ¡°Hisss!¡±

    ¡°Ah right,¡± I said, looking at the pack of Salandits, all flaring their backs at us. ¡°We better deal with them too.¡± Which really is the other benefit of being surrounded by other Pokemon for this Training; tons of targets to practice on.

    ***

    Checking with Miles one last time, I knew we had to leave, but there was one more thing to do. ¡°Lucario,¡± I called out, walking to him with Riolu at my side. ¡°Thank you so much for teaching us; it¡¯s been an honor.¡±

    ¡®Satisfactory.¡¯ Jeez, talk about harsh standards if that is all we get. Though, let¡¯s see if we can¡¯t kick it up a notch.

    I stuck a hand out to shake, which he stared at curiously. ¡°Oh, uh, it¡¯s a handshake. A formal, respectful gesture among humans, often used during greetings or farewells.¡± I explained. He didn¡¯t quite roll his eyes, but I could tell that he saw the motion as pointless and opening yourself up to potentially being struck or thrown. Then I felt a bit of consideration, as if that was the <u>point</u> of the gesture, a sign of trust in the other party.

    ¡°Riolu!¡± She barked out, getting us back on track.

    ¡°Yeah, like she said, we¡¯d like one more match against you. To show you how much we¡¯ve grown and what we can do as a Trainer and Pokemon, together.¡± Not that I haven¡¯t already, but not with Riolu yet. He¡¯s used to most of our tricks by now, but we¡¯ve still got a few that might surprise him.

    He just took a stance in front of us, and I stood back, giving them room to fight. There wasn¡¯t a countdown or timer, just a moment where all of us felt it, our Auras aligned. Once more, Lucario began the fight by blurring forward, but this time we were ready.

    ¡°Detect!¡± Riolu moved rapidly, throwing herself into what I thought was a sure strike that turned out to be a feint, knocking aside another strike, her eyes blazing with blue light.

    He¡¯s in too close for our new Moves; those are mostly midrange. ¡°Poison Jab,¡± I directed. Pushing an arm forward, her claws glistened with toxic energy.

    Lucario was much too experienced to let that attack get close to him, well, and understanding the natural drawback that came alongside his Terastalization and how Poison attacks could hurt him. Grabbing her arm by the wrist, he arrested her movement.

    ¡°Earthquake!¡± I called out, punching a fist forward. Lucario let go of her and jumped away as Riolu raised her foot. She stomped down, but instead of shaking the ground, propelled herself off of it, landing a lightning-fast Quick Attack into the airborne Lucario.

    He grunted, grazing her with an Ice Punch as she rebounded off of him, the two Aura Pokemon landing with looks of intense concentration. 2.8 to 3 meters between them, perfect range.

    ¡°Force Whip.¡± Even before I spoke the words, Riolu had been gathering her Aura in her hands, creating a thin beam from each. Much like Force Palm, however, the beams didn¡¯t run straight but instead curved and moved around fluidly.

    Whipping the Aura constructs about, Riolu weaved a field of pain in on the Tera Pokemon. Lucario narrowed his eyes, pushing forward through the attack. He attempted to close with her, batting the whips aside with Aura-wreathed fists of his own. As he did so, the glow around his fists diminished while her whips grew stronger, beating into him and stealing more of his strength.

    The Move might be called Force Whip, but we managed to get them to have properties more like Drain Punch. Admittedly, I¡¯m not sure how effective it will be on Pokemon that don¡¯t rely on Aura- oh shit!

    I shouted the last part out loud as Lucario conjured a bone from the ground and blindingly fast blocked the whips and clubbed Riolu in the head with it. The blow at least made a bit more room for her; I guess we can use her next¡­ actually, not yet. Let¡¯s beat him at his own game.

    ¡°Copycat,¡± my voice echoed throughout the cavern as Riolu drew her own bone staff out of the ground, mimicking the Move Lucario had just used. You¡¯ve been studying him for a year, and this past week. I¡¯ll trust you know how he moves and how to counter him.

    With a battle cry, Riolu charged forward, sweeping low with her bone. Lucario easily blocked the telegraphed blow, but even as he was moving to block, Riolu drew another bone up with her free hand.

    Adjusting his grip, the Ice Type began using his longer single bone like a quarterstaff, deflecting the dual strikes Riolu used. Each one was designed to force his guard open, and while he was too skilled to let that happen, her own mastery allowed her to stop him from countering.

    I felt it before it happened and called, ¡°Counter!¡± Right as Lucario moved to press his superior height and strength against her. She opened her guard at my command, taking a heavy strike across her face. Spinning with the blow, she brought both her bones to bear, cracking so hard against his side and left leg that the bones (she was holding) broke.

    He winced at the blow, whirling around to throw a few Aura Spheres that Riolu desperately dodged away. Lucario jumped forward after her, pouncing on her with a series of Meteor Mashes.

    ¡°Reverse course, Trailblaze!¡± Riolu was clipped by one of his blows, her shoulder dipping down even as she smashed past him, surrounded in a green energy that sped her up. On the flip side, though, even while favoring one side, Lucario seemed stronger than ever. Copycat the Meteor Mash? She won¡¯t have the STAB he still gets even while Tera¡¯d. Swords Dance? No time to buff up, and Dancing Sword won¡¯t catch him off guard again. Close Combat? Maybe, but she needs a way to get in close.

    ¡°Final Clash pattern, let¡¯s go!¡± Riolu dashed ahead, a glowing blur as she Quick Attacked forward and to Lucario¡¯s weak side. From there she was supposed to launch into a Close Combat, Endure the counterstrike, and Reversal as the finishing Move.

    I tossed the Tera Orb over where she was going, the ball breaking open and covering her in crystals. Lucario¡¯s eyes widened, the experienced Pokemon for a moment overwhelmed by all of the energy he was sensing. Ha, technology to duplicate one of the greatest feats he¡¯s achieved, and so new compared to him that I bet he¡¯s never felt it before.

    Riolu capitalized on that, slamming into him repeatedly with fists and kicks, striking out with empowered Tera strength. For the first time, he was beat back, truly pushed off-balance by Riolu¡¯s strength. We¡¯re winning!

    No sooner had I thought that than Riolu was sent flying back, a boom hitting me as I saw Lucario¡¯s slightly outstretched hand. Did he just Extremespeed one-inch punch faster than the speed of sound?!

    However fast it was exactly, the Move had been too quick for Riolu to even Endure properly. I could tell because Riolu crumpled to the ground as she fell, while Endure would have forcibly held her body upright. The Tera ¡®hat¡¯ fist still hovered over her head, but I felt how weak she was as she struggled to push herself back onto her feet.

    ¡°You can do it! You¡¯ve got this!¡± I shouted out to her. Lucario was not going to wait, but also not looking to rush into a trap. Covering his fist with ice, he punched the ground, spreading out a thin sheet over it, racing towards Riolu to either trap her or make her lose her balance. Right before it reached her, Riolu snapped her head up, staring straight at me. A soft smile formed on her lips before she was encased in ice.

    Something about how tuned into her as I was in that moment warned me, and I threw myself to the ground, covering my head and neck. A split second later, the icy prison around Riolu erupted, icy shards flying everywhere, the ice no longer able to contain her, to contain my Lucario, roaring defiantly.

    Turning to face her, I saw a blinding blur zip across the battlefield, far faster than a Quick Attack; she was using Extremespeed while still evolving. Insane. She¡¯s so strong! I could only watch on in awe as she started striking the Ice Type rapidly, truly matching him on equal footing for the first time.

    Shockwaves radiated outward as the two Lucarios clashed shin to shin, fist to fist. She must have snuck in a Drain Punch in the opening salvo to keep up with him like this, even with the boost from evolution. The surprise from that had faded, however, and now the wild Lucario was pushing her back, bit by bit.

    ¡°All right, one final move, The Hand, dumbass!¡± My Lucario stepped back, clapping her paws together before raising her right and swinging it down. Following the motion of her hand, a large Aura construct in the shape of a humanoid hand swung down towards the Ice Type Lucario.

    He raised both of his hands to catch it, paws burning bright blue as it was slowly forcing him down. Despite the name inspiration, that Move won¡¯t delete the matter it hits; it just hits hard. My Pokemon pressed down harder, provoking a desperate cry from the Ice Type as he pulsed his Aura, lancing into the giant hand and causing the construct to explode violently.

    I heard the shattering sounds of a Terastalization breaking, and as the dust cleared, I saw the male Lucario still standing, having just barely held on, the snowflake Tera ¡®hat¡¯ still above his head.

    On the ground lay my Lucario, and I rushed over to her. Her Terastalization was gone, and she was defeated, unable to even muster the energy to get up but not quite unconscious. ¡°You did it!¡± I cheered, hugging her tightly. ¡°You evolved.¡±

    ¡°Lucario,¡± she gave a faint cheer back. ¡®Thank you, Nemona.¡¯.