Like No One Ever Was (Pokemon SI)

[Lillie Jones]

thanks for the chapter

 

[Skyfyre]

Spoiler: Patreons

Thank you so much for the support of my 31 Beginner Tier Patreons and an extra special thanks to Ace Tier supporters, RageLord and Nodal_Gravity!

Blearily, I opened my eyes, feeling like hell. Ugh, what happened- oh, yeah. That. The memories of my clash with the Paradox Pokemon hit me like the loss of Aura. Which was currently making me feel incredibly sluggish and weak.

"She's awake!" A female voice called out, and straining my body to turn, I saw Buffy's face above me. After a second, I realized that was because she was carrying me, easily hefting me in her buff arms. Oh wow.

"You don't have to wake the rest of us up then," Zedd faux-complained. Despite his words, I heard how quickly he shuffled over and saw the worry in his tired face as I wrenched my head over that way.

"Sorry for worrying you. Is the Iron Moth-"

"Bzzt, they are still safely secured. The Rangers have attached a restraining device to the Pokeball to ensure it doesn't try to break out for the time being." Miles floated up and helpfully addressed me. Glancing down at my belt, I saw all my Pokeballs all sitting there, with the newest one with a small circular device attached to the back of it. Four thin wire chains stretched out from it to the center button.

"Iron Moth, cute name," Buffy said cheerfully, and I shook off a small blush.

"Ah, not my choice, blame Heath." That brought them to a stop. Or perhaps it's the fact that we've reached a hospital. The building loomed overhead, and I attempted to extricate myself from Buffy's grip.

"I'm fine, guys, just tired." Trying to stand took a bit more effort than I thought; however, my legs wobbled and had me leaning against Buffy for support the moment I touched down. Sighing, I resigned myself as she picked me up again.

"Guess that 'woosh' took a lot out of you, huh?" Zedd commented. "And who's Heath?"

"Professor Heath? The guy who wrote the Violet Book. Oh, you haven't read it, have you?" It is considered a rather obscure book.

"Ohh, I thought that 'Iron Moth' looked like a UFO I read about in a magazine," Buffy cheerfully provided, scooping me back up again. They walked into the building proper, a quick flash of their badges at the front desk getting me checked into the hospital rapidly.

It turned out I wasn't just dealing with tiredness but also had several tiny shards of glass embedded in me. Thankfully none of them deep and some careful application of the doctor's Grumpig Psychic powers highlighted all of the shards still stuck in me and let him carefully pull each one out.

The Rangers got looked at as well, and they actually seemed worse off than I was, with a few burns they'd been covering up and some toxins in their system. Nothing serious, and they'd already administered some first aid like Antidotes to themselves, but the doctors warned them to take it easy.

I only barely overheard that from the other room, lying down in a hospital bed, still too tired to really get up and move. Everything feels so muffled, like I'm blind and deaf. I hadn't realized how much I relied on Aura every day, and now drained, I was forcing myself to not use any and hopefully speed up my recovery.

Left alone with my thoughts, I took the time to gather myself mentally, or at least attempt to. This is bad. Or at least, I think it is? How long in the game canon was Iron Treads active? Probably a while… but I don't think six years. Though that's based on nothing - given how remote the desert is, I suppose it's entirely possible that a Paradox Pokemon could escape and hang out there for six years. Of course, further questions would be raised about why only that one escaped… argh.

"Miles, could you send a message to my parents letting them know what happened? Uh, sanitized, of course." They looked at me from where they floated by my side, plasmic eyes scrunched together in thought. "Just mention that I assisted some Rangers in subduing a wild Pokemon and got a few cuts but am otherwise fine."

I won't hide such events from them any more, but I don't need to get into the details and worry them further about 'what could have been' with things like mentioning how much the Rangers got hurt. That kind of stuff doesn't matter. Even as I thought that, my eyes drifted down to the locked Pokeball on my bedside table.

"I'm going to need some help handling that one," I said more to myself than Miles. Paradox Pokemon are really cool, but this was a clear sign of the dangers they represent. And of how I need to step up my plan. I thought… I thought I had more time.

Groaning, I said without thinking, "I'm going to have to talk to the Professor about this." I hadn't expected a response, but one came anyway from Buffy as she opened the door to my room, Zedd slinking in behind her.

"Heath?"

"Gah! No, Heath is long dead. I meant Turo. Who did you think I meant?" I caught myself as soon as the words left my mouth. "Actually though, Friede would probably be a great person to call too. He's started that video series… In Hoenn last I checked, but maybe he could swing by…"

"Well, looks like you've got that all sorted out then," Zedd declared, earning him a frown from Buffy. "Alright, alright, guess we have a few more things to discuss."

The buff girl pulled out the chair beside my bed to sit closer to my level. "You did a really brave thing out there, fighting that Pokemon and saving us," she said in a soft voice. "I know you care a lot, but you don't have to train that Pokemon if you don't want to. We can take them in and make sure they have a proper place to live in, comfortable without hurting anyone else."

A small part of me was tempted to agree - I was on a (nebulous) time crunch, and this would eat into it further. On the other hand, as much as she might really want what she said to be true, I don't think it is. If Area Zero couldn't contain this Paradox Pokemon, where in the world could?

Slowly, I shook my head. "No, thank you. I'm going to give this a try. See if I can get to know them and make a bond. If things don't work out or they don't want to travel with me, I'll give you a call." With a weak gesture from me, Miles exchanged my number with her Rotom Phone.

"I'm surprised you didn't just demand to take Iron Moth away from me for safety or whatever." Zedd snorted at my words.

"'Safety or whatever,' yeah, definitely sounds like the job some days." Then he leveled a serious stare at me as he slumped into a chair in the corner. "That's a very complicated issue. Words can't describe how little Trainers like Pokemon they've caught being taken away from them. Especially rare ones like your Iron Moth, was it?"

Buffy continued. "Nemona, you seem to have a good head on shoulders-"

"And a powerful team at your side with at least two Pokemon Professors on speed dial," Zedd interjected.

She carried on as if he hadn't said anything. "So we're going to trust you with the care of this potentially dangerous Pokemon. Don't hesitate to reach out to us if you need help or are looking for advice, but for now, yes, we're trusting you."

"If you need a more immediate hand, you can ask any of the Nurse Joys around. I hear that one of the ones stationed on the northern edge of town is pretty keen on helping Pokemon like that."

I thanked them for the advice before they left, then sent out a quick message to Friede, trusting he'd respond quickly. For Turo, I left a message and called, though my call went straight to his mailbox.

"Turo. I caught an Iron Moth out in the Asado Desert. We need to talk. Soon." Ending the message, I sighed. Hopefully that gets his attentio- Miles rang immediately.

"Nemona," The man said stiffly. He was standing in one of his bunker labs down in Area Zero, though I couldn't tell which one, the Rotom Phone positioned such that Turo's torso took up most of the screen. "I just received your message."

"Yes, I- uhn," I groaned as I tried to prop myself up slightly. Still very tired and hurt. Instead of moving further, I directed Miles to show Turo the locked Pokeball. "I can't release them at the moment, but they were causing problems in the Asado Desert after they escaped from Area Zero."

He frowned but said nothing more. I want to tear into him right here and now for everything he's doing. But I don't have the right words, or leverage, yet. I'm off-balance and way too tired for this. "I'm sorry, I'm still rather tired from the whole ordeal, but I'll need to talk to you about this more later. For now, could you authorize me to carry them with me, beyond the usual limit? I need to get them acclimated to life here."

My wording was deliberately vague. With my Miraidon slip-up those months ago, I was certain he suspected I knew something, and this would only deepen those. Hopefully that will give me some more credibility when I directly address this later.

For the moment, Turo agreed. "I can do that. Now if you'll excuse me, there's much work to be done here." He hung up before I could say anything else. I can only hope that the 'work' he's talking about isn't more to be done on the Paradox Machine.

***

Waking up after a long rest, I found that I was in Alfornada, a fact that both made me happy and vexed me. Happy because I'd get the chance to see Dendra and Tulip (and apologize to them for my behavior before) but vexed because of a sneaking suspicion that was confirmed when I got out the next day and saw the same Nurse Joy I had argued with before.

She startled at my approach, jolting as she saw me before frowning and drawing her arms in behind the counter defensively. "Hello, is there something I can do for you?"

Her tone was clipped, but I gave her points for being professional and calm with me despite our previous interaction. "Yes, actually. Ranger Captain Zedd directed me here for… some advice."

His name was clearly familiar to her. "Yes, I know, cousin- I mean, Captain Zedd." Huh, they don't really look alike. Then again, even the 'predominant Joy clan genes' are a bit overexaggerated, and he could easily be a cousin on the other side of her family. It hardly mattered for the issue right now.

"What do you need help with?" She asked with slight trepidation. Didn't think I made that big an impact on her last time, but I'll take it if it means she's not going to be making accusations or the like.

Taking a deep breath, I began. "Under the guidance of Ranger Captain Zedd and Ranger Captain Buffy, I caught a previously unknown Pokemon- err, barely discovered Pokemon," I corrected, both for accuracy's sake and because of the kind of Pokemon called 'Unown.' "They are quite aggressive, and I was looking for tips on how to better understand them and create a peaceful relationship with them."

The lady looked gobsmacked. "You? Out of everyone, you're asking for help in reining in a dangerous Pokemon?"

"Everyone else on my team became my friend before I ever caught them!" I pouted, stomping my foot for a second before wincing. "Look, I just want some help in making sure they fit in well and there aren't any problems." I didn't add on the 'isn't that what you want/what you're here for?' In a show of restraint.

Given what she quickly fired back, I didn't feel like it was unheard or appreciated. "You should release them back in their natural environment if you feel incapable of training them."

"I'm not saying that. And even if I did, the Rangers wouldn't have anywhere good to put them! Where are they supposed to drop a Pokemon that even Area Zero can't contain?"

My words caused her to pause and take a step back. With a deep breath, the nurse centered herself and swung open a latch behind the counter. "I can see that this will take more consideration than I realized. Would you like to follow me so we can discuss the matter privately?" She pulled up the hatch to the underground bunker beneath the Pokemon Center. I forgot they had these things.

Nodding, I followed her down. The shaft was narrow, with the space underneath feeling rather cramped even when it opened up. My childlike size helped a bit with that, but I saw with how the Nurse Joy had to squeeze around the one desk to shake the other nurse awake in one of the bunk beds nearby that it wasn't designed for long-term habitation. The walls and most of the features were gray steel, with two dim lights illuminating the space.

"C'mon, I need you to cover for me up there for a bit," the first nurse said to the one still trying to sleep. "You can have my break later," she added when the former grumbled.

Sleepily, the other nurse rolled out of bed with a yawn, picking up her pink wig and shimmying out of the room. The first one sat at the small desk, turning to face me as I sat down in one of the beds, careful not to clip my head on the bed above. "So, you got a name beyond Nurse Joy? Feels weird to think of you just like that."

She sighed but said, "My first name is Amelia. Now, do you have any plans for how to acclimatize your Pokemon? And what kind of Pokemon are they? You've been evasive about that."

It was my turn to frown. Oh yeah, love coming for advice just for her to tell me everything wrong I'll do. But hopefully she'll actually give me something actionable too. "The Pokemon is, near as I can tell, an Iron Moth." At the blank look on her face, I placed the locked Pokeball on the desk and smugly added, "They're a Pokemon that was seen once by a Professor two hundred years ago."

Amelia sputtered, shooting back in her chair as if afraid to be near the Pokeball, an action that caused her to bang her head against a bedframe. "Oww oww oww. Yo-you brought a Legendary Pokemon here?!"

"I mean, I'm not sure they qualify as a capital 'L' legendary or anything like that. Actually, how does a Pokemon get counted as such-"

"Focus!" She shrieked, though she seemed to be calming down slightly realizing that the powerful and dangerous Pokemon wasn't liable to pop out any time soon. "First off, can you actually handle such a powerful Pokemon on your team? Even for non-Legendaries, adding a Pokemon that is vastly stronger than their current team can unbalance the dynamic they have, to say nothing of the potential accidents that can occur if the newly caught Pokemon lashes out."

"Please. Of course we can handle Iron Moth. The biggest issue when we ran into them was the fact that they kept on attacking me, so my team had to divert attention away from that." Well, the fact that it was so boosted when we first ran into it was a problem too, but not one that should be relevant now. "I'm pretty sure at least half of my team could take them on one-v.-one."

Too many area attacks and enough speed and power to match Phantasm while being tougher than her to boot. Same for Athena, and with a Type disadvantage on top that would make me leery of using her to fight them even with Mega Evolution. Bahamut is a little too inexperienced to win a fight, at least, so long as it knows to stick to Poison Type attacks against him, as the rest of their repertoire wouldn't be too effective. For everyone else, though? They'd win.

"Yet it took you and two Ranger Captains to take them down before," Amelia pressed.

"Not really. Iron Moth had mostly defeated Buffy and Zedd by the time I got there."

The young woman just intently stared at me, to the point where I shifted uncomfortably. "What?"

"Little kids shouldn't have that much power." Her voice was whisper-soft, and I didn't think she intended for me to hear her.

"Well, I do. So are you going to help me or what?"

"I'm sorry."

Huh?

The confusion was clear on my face, so she explained. "I haven't treated you the best from the beginning. I had my reasons, and you jumped to conclusions, but-" The Nurse Joy cut herself off before she could carry down that train of thought. "I am truly sorry for how I behaved before."

"Well, thank you."

"Now, I might have some ideas about how to help you, but if I could get some details about your plans here and what this 'Iron Moth is like, that would be helpful."

Relaxing my guard a tad, I explained what Iron Moth was like, an overview of our battle, and my ideas.

"I have a Psychic friend in town who might be able to help us communicate." Shaking her head, Amelia struck my first idea down.

"You said they're a Poison Type? Then don't start out with Pschic or the like. They'll likely take it as an attack. What else?"

Oof. I get the reasoning, but that does eliminate my best option. "Well, I could try talking the old-fashioned way. Miles might be able to help translate until I get a handle on their body language."

"And if they're still violent and disinclined to listen upon being released?"

"I figured I'd challenge them to fight one of my team, one on one. Figured it would establish dominance, prove the desert wasn't a fluke." Assuming they're even willing to listen to me that much, admittedly. If not… I don't know. In that case we might need to pin the Paradox Pokemon down and force them to listen.

A considering 'Mhm,' came from the nurse. "That can work. Not always, of course, but if you're sure of your team-"

"I am."

"Then it could appeal to some Pokemon. Hard to say if it will work with this one, though. From your description, the closest Pokemon to it would be a Volcarona, and those are rare enough themselves that they were considered Legendaries for some time, so the behaviors of wild ones aren't well documented. From what is known, most of them are used to being treated with great respect. You don't have to roll over for them, but bowing and treating them with courtesy won't hurt. Giving them time before you engage them wouldn't hurt. The state of stasis inside the Pokeball will mean they won't feel the days passing as clearly as you do…"

Amelia went on to explain how near to the Passage entrance might serve as a good spot to release them, as it was similar enough to how some Larvesta would spend their time in caves. She also gave me a list of berries that they were generally known to like that I could leave out when I released them.

The rest of the advice, like giving it time, being patient, and not trying to force them to do something they didn't want to (as long as it wasn't dangerous to other people), was fairly basic, but I listened to it regardless before departing.

On the way to Dendra's, I checked my messages, seeing a reply from Friede. He was eager to help me and see this new Pokemon I'd found, but he was over in Sinnoh at the moment, so it'd take him a week to fly over.

When I questioned if he was riding by Charizard, his response was a slightly ominous 'you'll see soon.'

Dendra had sold her old home and moved into the dojo full time, with the blessing of her teacher. I always want to check if that enigmatic 'Chuck' is the same as former Jhotoan Gym Leader but never seem to find the right opportunity to, then I forget about it with whatever new thing is up.

Whoever they were, I was sure they'd be impressed by what she had done with the place. A new coat of paint, a clean yard, some new fancy topiary in the shape of different Fighting Types (courtesy of Tulip), and a large, colorful sign boasting of the dojo's nature did much to attract and retain new students. From inside, I could hear a bustle of powerful exertions and heavy breathing.

Opening the sliding door, I saw a full class of twenty-plus students sparring or watching matches from the sidelines. A few stopped and turned to wonder who this person intruding was, Dendra herself brightening up as she caught my eye.

She didn't say anything until she called the latest round over, but when she did, the young woman bounded over. "Nemona! Osu!" She cried, wrapping me in a tight hug.

"Urk! Great to see you too…" I wheezed before she released me.

"We're partway through the class, but do you want to join in?"

"Sorry, but I don't think the doctors would approve," I said, showing off the many bandages covering my flesh. More to the point, I don't think my parents would. I promised them I wouldn't take unnecessary risks, and while I think this one is minor, it definitely fits. "Let's talk after, though, okay?" She looked so eager I hated to turn her down, but she bounced back quickly, and with a quick cheer, got back to running the class.

She's really doing well with them all. I can see how she could become a great teacher at Uva. Wonder if that will still happen after everything? I wasn't worried if that didn't turn out to be the case here; she was clearly doing great right now, in her element.

Watching the class did bring me a slight pang, realizing how my own skills were getting rusty. I also recognized some of the other students. While I had practiced a bit with some of the new students she had taken on after my tournament victory, preparations for my journey and album release took up much of my time, and I wasn't able to practice too often with the newer students. No matter what life you're in, it feels like there's just never enough time to do everything.

Class finished not too long after, though the wrap-up took a fair bit of time. The students would laugh and talk with each other, hanging out for a while. Some also had questions for Dendra, so I waited until they were all finished before she called me.

"Sorry about that, Nemona."

"No worries. I'm the one who should be sorry for dropping in on you like that. And for… how I left things last time."

"It's o-"

"It really isn't. I was in a bad headspace, but that doesn't excuse just ditching you and Tulip like that. I'm sure I must have worried you both." From the look on her face, I could see that I'd hit the mark. "I should go and apologize to her too. Do you know when she'll be home?" I asked, knowing that Tulip had a busy and erratic schedule and that her best friend likely had a better picture of it.

"She's out at a shoot right now, but she should be back home in time for dinner. Uh, our place, not her parents." The martial artist's face grew scarlet quickly, but there was an undeniable joy that came through her tone as she spoke the words.

"Your place, huh? Congrats, I'm glad for you two."

"Thanks," she squeaked before clearing her throat. "So why are you back here? Did you finish your journey and collect all the badges in one Treasure hunt?"

"Not quite, still have to go for my eighth badge. Besides, it's not like I started at the start of the hunt - or am even a student of Uva - for that to matter. No, I ended up back here after a minor misadventure and figured I should clear the air. And maybe get some advice from my sensei?" I asked hopefully.

She beamed widely in response. "Lay it on me! Sensei Dendra is happy to help!"

Spoiler: A/N:

Sometimes the direction of a story really surprises you. Other times, it just dips in slightly unexpected ways. This was one of the latter. Not a huge shock for me and I always planned on Nemona reconnecting with these characters, but the vague plans I had before involved them meeting elsewhere and having it happen later, but as I got to this chapter I just sort of realized what needed to happen. Tbf, I left a lot of plot threads to tie up here, so I guess I shouldn't be too surprised.

For anyone wondering, Iron Moth won't be added onto the team list until at least next time when Nemona gets the chance to talk to them and work things out.

If you liked the chapter feel free to leave me a comment, here or on the Discord. And if you're enjoying my stuff and want to toss me a bit of money, I have a Kofi and a Patreon, subscribers to the latter get early access to the next ten chapters. Thank you, and I hope you have a great day.

 

[Lillie Jones]

thanks for the chapter

 

[Skyfyre]

Spoiler: Patreons:

Thank you so much for the support of my thirty five Beginner Tier Patreons and an extra special thanks to my Ace Tier Patreons, RageLord and Nodal_Gravity!

Dendra and I chatted for a while before I let her go, promising to fill her in on more of my adventures when I met with Tulip. For now, I have an unruly Paradox Pokemon to rein in. Or at least get to not violently attack anything in its vicinity; I'd settle for that.

There were some small markets in Alfornada where I was able to grab the berries Amelia had suggested before going to a spot beside the Dalizapa Passage, just a hundred meters away from the entrance. Close enough that Iron Moth can see it, but not so close that they can easily slip away.

For the moment I wasn't going to have them be released inside a barrier but had half of my team placed strategically nearby before pressing the button. At my touch, the bindings snapped back, reeled back into the restraining device as the Pokeball snapped open. In a flash of light and fire, Iron Moth materialized above the open field. The Paradox Pokemon was conscious now, but still battered, a few of their metal plates dented from our prior battle. Nothing that couldn't be healed quickly at a Pokemon Center, but enough to make them think twice about attacking me.

Apparently I underestimated how quickly they could think. What's that meme about being wrong faster? I mused to myself as the Pokemon rushed towards me, slamming into an invisible yet impenetrable field. At least, invisible to their eyes; mine were clear from the illusion Phantasm had thrown over Dun and the others, letting my starter Protect me with ease.

"So, my name is Nemona, and I'd really appreciate it if you calmed down." I began, hoping that they would take a less aggressive stance.

Instead, they took a slightly smarter but no less violent position. Darting back, they began to pelt me with ranged attacks. Notch blocked them fairly easily, and with a wave of my hand, Dun jumped up and Body Slammed the Paradox Pokemon down.

The pained and pitiful mechanical-sounding wail they gave upon being hit tugged at my heartstrings, but I quickly shoved that down. If they don't want to be attacked, they shouldn't be attacking me.

Iron Moth tried burning Dun with their wings, but unable to spin them, Dun simply Roosted atop their back. They gave up after a few moments of realizing they couldn't hurt him. Instead, they chose to affix me with a glare (at least, I assumed it was that from the way their crosshair eyes narrowed and stretched out to face me).

"Don't look at me like that - I wouldn't be doing this if you weren't attacking me." There was a pause as their eyes resumed their usual round shape. Then, they made an unmistakable mechanical sound, like grinding gears.

What it meant, I didn't know, but I decided to give them the benefit of the doubt. At my direction, my starter hopped off their back and returned to my side (Phantasm didn't bother keeping them covered in an illusion anymore, but she maintained it for the rest of my team). "Would you like some berries?" I asked, gesturing down at the pile I'd gathered for them.

They looked down at the food and slowly shook their body. Then they gestured with their wings toward the horizon, an odd motion that I had to puzzle out for a second. "You run on solar energy?" A 'ding' sound was emitted from them, which I took to be a 'yes.'

"Interesting. Your predecessor was often called 'The Sun God Pokemon' for they were revered as such. Or maybe the inspiration for you; I'm sorry, do you remember how you came to be here?" They jabbed one of their wings in my direction, causing my Pokemon to bristle up even though it was nowhere near me.

"Ha. Ha. Yes, I did release you here. I was talking about how you got to be in the desert. Or beyond that, how you ended up in the Great Crater- uh, that big pit," I explained realizing they might not know it by its proper name. If that got their attention, my next words definitely captured it. "Or how you ended up in this time."

A pause, a moment of complete stiffness, then an explosion of fire erupted all around them. I raised a hand, holding the others back while Notch blocked the flames. As they died out, Iron Moth fully dropped to the ground, propped up on four of their six wings, looking exhausted.

"You need to stop lashing out like that. For your own sake as well as everyone else's. I don't think you were meant to drain yourself this much." They made a scraping sound that I hoped was merely them grumbling but made no further moves against me/the surroundings.

After a minute I said, "I'd like to get to know you, for you to travel with me and explore the land. I think we could become good friends." They looked incredulously at me. "It's true! Things were a bit bumpy when I met Nightwing - that's uh, the Gliscor that knocked you out - but we quickly became allies, and now we're the best of buds."

It was hard to tell what they thought of all of that, but they didn't respond, so I just continued. "For now, how about we get to know each other better?" I sat down to show that I was trying to speak on the same level with them. "Personally, what I love most in the world is discovering new things. From studying books to exploring the land, there are so many incredible things to learn here."

One of their vents let loose a whistle sound as air escaped it. "Are you alright? No? Yes? Yes, ok, good to know. Is that a regulatory function or an attempt at communication?" We went back and forth like that for a few minutes. There was obviously a message they were trying to get me to understand, but it wasn't clear what it was until they released another burst of air. Slowly, so as to not be mistaken for an attack, but it still hit me in the face. At least, not a physical attack.

"You're saying I'm full of hot air?" I deadpanned to some digital beeping sounds, mixed in with a few huffs and chitters of laughter from certain members of my team. "Yeah, yeah, yuck it up," I groused before more seriously addressing the Paradox Pokemon once more. "But I stand by those words. This world is fantastic, with adventure and friendship around every corner. And I think we could have a good relationship in spite of the rocky start because of that. Also, because there may be no person other than me who better understands what it's like to lose your world and be caught in a strange, unfamiliar land."

There were more digital and mechanical sounds, whines, intermingled blaring alarms, and shrieks. "Calm down, calm down. Let me explain. If you let me, I'll tell you my story of how I came to be here and what I know about Paradox Pokemon like yourself." That shut them up, and they listened intently as I began explaining my story.

"I was running out the door of my house a few years ago when suddenly everything hit me, and I remembered my past life…"

***

"Nemona! It's wonderful to see you again," Tulip said as she opened the door to her apartment. "Please, come in."

"Thank you," I said. It was a cozy place, warm colors for the floral-patterned wallpaper. The living room had a large TV in the corner opposite a small couch with a large circular coffee table in between it and a couple of other plush chairs.

The living room led directly into the kitchen, which was a little crowded due to the table in the center of it letting it pull double duty as a dining room. I remember Dendra said her parents always made her eat dinner in the dining room, not in front of the TV. While the decor is mostly Tulip, there are some things, like the speed ball hanging in the corner that just scream the other girl.

As if conjured by my thoughts, the other resident of the house came around the corner from the hallway past the kitchen. "Nemona, great to see you. We were wondering when you'd show up."

Sheepishly, I scratched the back of my head. "Sorry about that, Radiance has been a handful. Still, we're making progress."

"If you need any help, we're always happy to assist," Tulip said, her hazel eyes glowing slightly.

"Reading my mind, huh? That's a new trick." Not that I'm surprised; she was always skilled in that way with her Psychic powers, and the training she did with me must have boosted her proficiency there.

Dendra groaned. "I know, right? So annoying, I can't surprise her at all anymore."

"Oh? You didn't seem to mind when I found out exactly where to-"

"Tulip!" Dendra's voice caught, her eyes shooting over to me. The model remembered me and cleared her throat awkwardly.

"Ah, right, sorry about that. You always feel much older mentally than I'm used to." Carefully, I didn't think anything about that and instead directed the conversation back to my newest Pokemon.

"It's fine. I appreciate the offer for help, but Radiance is prickly enough, even just around me." To be fair, I haven't really been able to test out how they'd react to other people yet, but given their initial reaction to the Rangers… well, best not to risk it yet.

"Radiance huh? That's a nice name," Dendra commented.

"Given how close they are in appearance to a Volcarona and their skill with Fire and even a fair few Electric attacks, it seemed fitting. That, and it was better than 'Most Effervescent Emperor of the Rotten Flame."

Dendra snorted. "Did they really want to call themselves that?"

"Yes. That, or Miles was playing a really good prank on me, in which case, kudos." The phone in question floated up to respond.

"Bzzt, sadly I can't take the credit there… It was Phantasm's idea." Tulip let out a few peals of laughter while Dendra guffawed loudly. "Though when I brought it up, they did seem happy with it, and 'Most Effervescent Monarch of the Rotten Flame' was their own idea."

"Ugh, yes, I know; I was there. You're the worst," I said, without any heat in my voice. Miles grinned cheekily at me before simply sliding back in my pocket.

"Sounds like you've been having fun - the oven's about to go off - why don't you have a seat and tell us about it?" The elegant young woman offered, right before the timer did indeed go off. Dendra rushed ahead, slapping on a pair of oven mitts and pulling out a large homemade pizza.

"Thanks. Yeah, it's been good. Working with Radiance has been my latest project, though they're a bit prickly. Oh, and I know I messaged you about possibly helping me communicate with them but I won't need your help there." Which is a polite way to say that Radiance has vehemently refused it. Which is frustrating, because I don't know why they're doing that, in no small part because communication with them is still difficult. Still, I'll have patience. Some progress is better than no progress, and that's what we're making right now.

Dinner was a fun, relaxed affair. I had plenty of time to catch them up on all of my adventures (and they admitted they'd watched all the videos of my other Gym fights), and they told me about all of their stuff. Dendra's classes were getting bigger, and she was considering hiring another teacher, while Tulip was being given more responsibilities within the Gym.

"It's odd how much Oberon has retreated from the spotlight ever since, well…" Tulip trailed off awkwardly, and I took that as my opportunity.

"Ever since Raifort stole one of his Pokemon, and I left abruptly. I wanted to apologize for that."

"And for chasing after a dangerous criminal by yourself, ignoring my instructions to the contrary?" Tulip asked in a voice that was far too sweet.

"Uh oh," Dendra 'helpfully' warned, and I grimaced.

"I- yes, I shouldn't have run off alone like that." Tulip narrowed her eyes, clearly not missing how the only part I agreed with was the 'alone' part and that next time I simply would have dragged her along with me. After a second, we both broke out laughing.

"Oh Nemona, never change."

"I think we're always changing in little ways. But I believe the core of who I am will stay the same for as long as I'm alive." The conversation carried on from there, but my mind stuck on it as I slept, spread out in the guest room the couple had prepared for me.

Will I be the same me in the next life? Will I remember what came before next time? What world will I end up in? Pokemon-Earth has been fantastic, but I can't help but wonder if the next will be as good or worse. Or even, why me? What did I do to deserve this? Did I simply slip through the cracks in whatever metaphysics make up the afterlife and Arceus didn't care enough to consign me to oblivion, or is this all part of a grander purpose I simply can't perceive yet? Gazing out the window at the starry sky above, I pondered these questions, but no answer came from the cosmos. A giant purple head within the room did stick out over mine and cut off my view of the stars, though.

"WHA-!" My exclamation of surprise was cut off by a grunt of pain as I bumped my head against the headboard and then fell off the bed, clutching my head. The small dark figure in the room stood still, not bothering to move in response to my scramble to get away and regain my bearings. My scramble was cut off by a sudden force that prevented me from moving back further.

From the dim starlight illuminating the room, I caught how my shadow was entangled with that of the small intruder's. They were only two feet tall, with a humanoid body that almost looked like they had twintails and were wearing a dress. Turning to face me, the Gothorita waved a hand back and forth, and I felt myself following them.

"You- you're the Gothita from before, the one who extended her ribbon out," I puzzled aloud while trying to figure out what was going on. Why is she here? Is she trying to kidnap me?! I'd heard the tales but never expected it myself. It's not like I feel hypnotized; my thoughts are clear; I just can't stop myself from following her. Shadow Tag can't force someone to follow, only to stop a retreat. Wait, the way she's moving her hand, why do my eyes have to track it!

"You learned Follow Me, didn't you? Wow, that's incredible! And you evolved too, very nice. But uh, please stop using it to drag me away?" After how I acted the last time I saw her, I don't want to hurt her, but I also really don't want to be kidnapped either!

Thankfully, I didn't need to do anything else, as my shout caused Tulip's Gallade to slam the door open, staring down at the little intruder. Her face said it all. Busted.

***

Tulip and Dendra had woken up from the commotion and were on the couch in their nightgowns (a silky sheer thing for Tulip and what looked like a onesie for Dendra), staring down the Gothorita who was sitting down, pouting in the corner. Well, Tulip was staring her down, and Dendra was still rubbing the sleep out of her eyes.

"So, what's going on again?"

I tried to explain to my sensei as best I could. "From my understanding, she managed to pick the lock, maybe with a Confusion? Then snuck into my room to force me to leave. Gallade sensed an unfamiliar Psychic presence, and when he heard my raised voice, he came rushing in to save me."

"From here I'm a little unsure; I didn't catch all of the Psychic byplay between her and Gallade. But from what I understand, she first asked him to let her go, then tried to bribe the Fighting Type with a Twisted Spoon, before begging, and now finally was pouting that she wasn't allowed to steal me."

"You missed the fact that she pointed out that 'Gallade already had two humans and was just being greedy to keep you too,' but yes, that's the general gist of the situation." Tulip said, still staring unimpressed at the Gothorita, the poor Pokemon's Fake Tears not moving the Psychic Type expert in the slightest.

"You really do run into the craziest stuff, don't you?" Dendra commented, but I shook my head.

"Nah, this is nothing. I'm sure there are Trainers out there who have all sorts of insane adventures on a weekly basis." Then again, perhaps Ash isn't the best example of what the average Trainer goes through. I turned my attention to Gothorita.

"Look, if you wanted to be on my team, all you had to do was ask." The girly Pokemon instantly dropped any pretense of feeling sad, jumping up and down in joy before directing the smuggest smile I've ever seen at Tulip, who just raised a thin eyebrow. As the Pokemon raised her hand, I cut her off. "Joining my team is different than kidnapping me to whatever den you have in the wilderness."

The look of shock on her face was just as exaggerated as the smug smile she had presented before. What, were you Anya in a past life? At least you're a Psychic Type unlike Bahamut. Though he's gotten far more reserved since evolving. He still cares and all, but he's more focused on being 'cool' and is showing more of that pride Dragons are infamous for when he spars with the others. A snippet of that thought tangent garnered a confused look from Tulip before she shrugged it off. The Gothorita, on the other hand, blinked slowly and shook her head, looking deep at me.

It's said that their line often looks intently for something only they can see. Could she know that I- Once more, I cut off my thoughts before they could venture into dangerous territory nearby a bunch of Psychics. That was easier said than done, but aided by directing the conversation away.

"I'm flattered you like me, but I need to be a Trainer, fight epic battles, and explore the world. If that isn't what you want, then that's fine, but I couldn't be me without following my dreams." As the tears started welling up again, I finished by saying, "You saw something in me that made you want to be around me. That's an intrinsic part of what makes me special."

The Gothorita stopped her forced sad display and instead had a more honest, unsure expression. Her head would dart back and forth, looking one way or the other into empty space. Perhaps she's literally seeing where each path would take her. Or rather, could take her. The future is not set in stone, at least not here. I've read a few studies on it, though the physics of it still elude me.

Glancing over at the human couple, I saw them give me encouraging smiles but staying out of it. It was quite kind of them, but I didn't know what to do here. Should I push her to join my team or not? Though… I don't have to make this choice right now, do I?

"I can't say what you'd be losing by leaving here; you would know that far better than me. But I might be able to show you what life on my team would be like." That brought her back to the moment. "Many of my matches get filmed so people can watch them later."

Miles floated up, expanding their phone until it was more like a tablet. Then, they began playing a clip showing off Athena's battle against Ryme's Pokemon. She blinked and looked entirely bewildered by what she was seeing, pointing rapidly at the me on the screen and then back to me in person.

"Haha, yeah, it's just a recording. An image of a past event. You won't get my thoughts or feelings from it directly, but it'll give you another piece of the puzzle for you to decide. Uh, that is, if some kind and generous young ladies would be willing to host you for a week or so until I finish up my Gym Run and Champion Challenge?" I asked with a hopeful grin on my face.

"Sure we… would discuss and consider such a thing," Dendra exclaimed awkwardly. Heh. Must be a bit of an adjustment, living with someone else. You can't just decide things for the home all by yourself.

Thankfully, Tulip didn't seem to mind. "We could do that; it shouldn't be a problem."

"Really?" I asked.

"Really. The Gym season is wrapping up, so even with Oberon giving me more work, I'm sure at least one of my team could watch over her during that time. But are you certain you can beat it that fast? The Eighth Gym Badge is usually the hardest to earn, to say nothing of the Elite Challenge."

"I'm sure. With how strong my team is, nothing's going to stop us. I've booked my challenge with Larry online and will head to Medali tomorrow. After that, it's just a matter of how much last-minute training I want to get in before taking on the Champion Gauntlet." Larry will be a good measure of how tough the Elite Four will be. I've blown through the Gym Leaders thus far, and my team's only been getting stronger. But even if they're stronger than I anticipated, we have to do this soon. I'm not worried though; this is just another step to the top. I'll reach for the stars, no matter how far.

Speaking of which, I saw Gothorita gazing at me with stars literally twinkling in her eyes. She nodded her large head (nearly falling over) before hopping onto one of the chairs and motioning for Miles to show her more. The Pokemon also seemed mildly fascinated by everything else in the house, unused to furniture and appliances.

"Wait what? You're taking on the Gauntlet?" Dendra asked, shocked, while Tulip looked confused.

"Is that different from an Elite Challenge?" She asked her partner, and Dendra nodded vigorously.

"Oh yeah, it's an entirely different way to try and reach Champion rank, hasn't been used in ages."

As Dendra explained, Tulip rolled her eyes. "She always gets like this when she happens to know something I don't. Quite annoying really," the model said. I'd believe you more if the tone wasn't wistful and you weren't staring up lovingly at her.

My sensei carried on. "A Champion Gauntlet has a contender take on the entire Elite Four and Top Champion - if they get that far - in a single day. Hasn't been used since the founding of the League." Tulip stopped fawning after her girlfriend at that and looked at me concerned.

I cleared my throat. "Hasn't been completed successfully since the early days. They've made some adjustments since then, like only fighting four Pokemon from each Elite Four, and getting the right to challenge the Champion so long as I win at least two battles against the Elites."

"That's still a tall task you burden yourself with," Tulip said. Or more likely guessed. I think she's still a little sleepy to comprehend all the differences between a Gauntlet and regular Elite Challenge or why the former is considered so much harder even with the adjustments made over the years.

Shrugging, I said. "Gotta aim for the top, right? Besides, like I said before; I'm ready. I can do this." I need to be able to do this. I need something dramatic, something so big that it'll force Turo to listen to me. And if he won't, can force the rest of the League to do so.

The two of them exchanged glances, and there were volumes spoken in those looks that I couldn't even begin to fathom. A pang of jealousy struck me, and Tulip's head whipped around to face me before I could bury it.

She gave me a sad smile, and said, "We're always willing to lend an ear if you need it."

I paused, then chuckled. "Damn, you're really getting good at this Psychic stuff, huh?" Most people would have thought the jealousy I felt was towards one or the other, a puppy crush, not towards just the bond you have. I kept those thoughts loud enough for her to easily hear, while hiding the indistinct ones thinking up ways I could better conceal what I felt buried down below.

"I know, and I appreciate it. And sorry for imposing upon you guys like this. I know this is sudden and-" Tulip held up a hand.

"It's fine; you don't have to worry. Nor do you have to feel so bad about asking for help."

"Especially for things that worry you," Dendra added, looking down at me with concern.

"..." I stalled out, unsure of what to say for a minute. I debated whether I should tell them, and what, back and forth in that time, until the flapping of paper caught my attention. Ah, better tamp down on my Aura.

Slowly, I calmed down, looking at their worried faces (worried for me, not of me, at least), then to Gothorita. The Pokemon tilted her head towards the pair, which I wasn't sure if it was unconscious or not, but I decided to take as a good sign.

Hesitantly, I began. "It's… I'm not sure how big a problem it will be. No, that's not quite right. It's binary. Either it won't be a problem or it will be one so big I barely even know how I'd deal with it."

Dendra frowned. "Can't be bigger than taking on all the Elites and the Champion, right? Oh. Oh crud, it's bigger than that?!"

I gave her a thin smile. "Might be. I'm prepared to handle it, if need be. But if it does turn out to be a big deal, I'll let you know, see how you can help." They're both excellent Trainers, but I don't want to throw them directly into the fray. "And sorry for being so vague about it, I just-"

"You're worried about hurting someone else. If things don't turn out to be a 'big problem?'" The model asked, the slight humor at my understatement overshadowed by the concern in her voice.

"Yeah. Thanks for understanding." I wrapped them up in a quick hug.

"Urk, your training… paid off," Tulip wheezed to her lover.

"Thanks!" The martial artist girl cheered back.

That noise was the straw that broke the camel's back, as one of the neighbors banged on the walls and shouted, "Stop making such a racket!"

"Whoopsie. Uh, we should probably go to bed now anyways. Sorry for keeping you up." I let them go, and we went back to our beds. The future, whether Gothorita would join my team, if I could convince Turo to halt his plans, and if I was truly ready to face what was supposed to be the greatest challenge of an entire region, all weighed heavily on my mind. As I drifted off, though, all I could think of were the incredible friends I'd made thus far.

Spoiler: A/N:

Radiance joins the team! Volcarona is one of my favorite Pokemon, but this is an SV fic, and with Iron Moth having one of the best designs out of all the Paradox Pokemon (imo), I decided I'd add one of them onto the team. There's still a fair bit of work to do before they'll be joining in battles on a regular basis, but they've agreed to travel with Nemona and not burninate everything - for now.

In related news, Gothorita is interested, but still on the fence. Not all wild Pokemon want to leave their homes, even if they grow attached (or fixated in this case) to certain people.

And with this arc wrapped up, we're heading ever closer to the Elite Four. Just one Gym Leader left (and maybe a mini-adventure inbetween) and then on to the greatest challenge in the land. But before any of that, an Interlude, coming up next update. If you liked it feel free to leave a comment here or on the Discord. And if you're enjoying my stuff and want to toss me a bit of money, I have a Kofi and a Patreon, subscribers to the latter get early access to the next ten chapters. Thank you, and I hope you have a great day.

 

[Spearow]

Would love to have an interlude of what they actually picked up from her head, be it by accident or on purpose.

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Skyfyre]

Spoiler: Patreons:

Thank you so much for the support of my thirty nine Beginner Tier Patreons and an extra special thanks to my Ace Tier Patreons, RageLord and Nodal_Gravity!

Raifort POV

Slipping past a guard, I hid behind a shipping container, waiting for his partner to finish their loop. From what I'd seen of them, they were sloppy, and tonight proved to be no different, with the other guard continuing along around the bend without waiting for their partner to be covering them. A good thing, as they'll be hauling these crates out by first light.

That time frame still gave me plenty of hours in which to get the items for my mysterious buyer. Ducking ahead through where the gap in the guard's surveillance was, I made my way deeper into the maze of crates and containers that made up this wharf.

Sticking to the shadows, I avoided any prying eyes as I made my way to the target. Despite the lack of light, I had no problem making out the label I was looking for. Crate number 104, aka, the one holding the 'rare book' the client wants.

A small part of me couldn't help but wonder what my 'client' wanted with it. Not how I usually operated, but a historical artifact like this was intriguing to my own sensibilities. Pah, 'usually' I'd simply snatch such a find for myself (even if I'm more interested in treasure and lore of history, not millions of years pre-history). But that was a few months ago.

I was paused outside the crate, waiting in my hiding spot as I tried to figure out how to go from here. Cautiously, I pulled out one of my Pokeballs and released Haunter out in front of me.

"Hauuuunter," they wailed, and I waved for them to be quiet.

"Shhh! Look, we've been over this. Help me with this score, and I'll be able to feed everyone for a good while, ok?" He clapped his hands once before quieting down at my glare. We waited a minute for any sign of a guard walking by before I spoke up again.

"You just need to slip past the door, then open it from the other side. Simple enough, no?" He eagerly agreed, his body shifting to squeeze through the crack in the crate door. Perhaps some Moves could have been better in opening it up, but the Porto Marinada security wasn't a joke. They had plenty of security Pokemon that could detect such things. It was why I kept my partner in her ball, despite how useful illusions would be for sneaking around.

The door creaked open, the hinges a little rusty but nothing so noisy as to attract attention from down the dock. Before I could breathe a sigh of relief, though, alarms started blaring from around the container, a security light at the top flashing.

Haunter, who had been floating there triumphantly a second ago, now shrieked in panic, waving their hands up wildly in the air. Groaning, I pushed past them, rummaging through the container. "Hold off anyone who comes looking!" I released Seviper to help him while I looked through the crates.

I hate this. Stupid technology, giving people warnings. Sure, ancient ruins sometimes have traps built into them, but I know how to spot those better! All these wires and security systems… very much not what I like to deal with. Back in the 'good old days,' I would hire patsies to break through any modern security if I needed to. In my current situation, I was lacking in options.

A flashlight shined through the container, causing me to hiss and shield my eyes. "Is that- it's Raifort, the Pokethief!" The guard holding the flashlight proclaimed. I bit back the urge to correct him. I'm a regular thief! The Pokemon theft was just a means to an end! And I gave them back! An act that ended up screwing me over, but I couldn't regret it, not after remembering how distressed that Klefki had been. Just everything else about that dumb heist I regret.

The guard was accompanied by another one, both of them releasing their Pokemon. From the sounds of sizzling acid on concrete, however, none of the security team was eager to close in on two Poison Types. I used the chance to look through the crates more carefully, prying open a few boxes.

It took a minute to find the long case holding the stone scepter (though along the way I found a handful of specialty Pokeballs and evolution stones, which I shoved into my bag, hoping I could pawn them off for a few extra Pokedollars later). After confirming the crimson bound book was within the long crate, I slammed the lid back shut and hefted it outside. There, I saw another couple of security officers join the standoff, sending out their own Maschiffs to join the ones already hounding my Pokemon.

"Is this some kind of a joke? Haunter, use Dazzling Gleam! Seviper, cover him." My Ghost Type stop belching out noxious fumes with smog and instead gathered a large burst of light above them while Seviper breathed out an Icy Haze over the dock, obscuring their vision. Hmm, they must have buffed themselves up a bit while I was busy.

It did the trick; obscuring their vision for a moment was all Haunter needed to bathe them in the Fairy Type attack, crushing their resistance. What they get for all using the same Pokemon. I don't care how good they are at their job; sharing a critical weak point is the biggest vulnerability you can have. Sir Frances proved that a scant four hundred years ago when he attempted to lead a Kalosan invasion through these very docks- As the dog Pokemon gave pitiful howls, I heard other guards rushing to our location.

Clicking my tongue in frustration, I looked for a way out. Running in between the crates, I soon found myself at the edge of the pier, water in front of me and angry shouts behind. Recalling my Poison Types, I released Grumpig. "Platform, please."

Nodding his head, he created a glowing pink horizontal screen for us to step on. I hefted the crate on top with me, and Grumpig slowly directed it across the water. I need to work out more. Though it would be easier if I could just carry it outside of the case, but the padding will help if anything happens.

As if on cue, a Barraskewda launched itself out of the water at us, narrowly missing me. A small boat turning towards us indicated it wasn't a wild Pokemon being randomly aggressive with us, but a sign of focused opposition. "It seems they still haven't learned their lesson," I said, drawing out Lumineon's Pokeball. "Show them the error of their ways; no one gets between me and my treasure."

Releasing my Pokemon, they splashed into the water, glowing brightly under the dark waves. This made him into an instant target, but since his evolution, he was strong enough to defend himself. Under the water, Whirlpools swirled, battering the ship and all of the aquatic Pokemon sent after us.

The battle was close, however, and I saw that the boat would soon reach me if I didn't do anything to fix it. "Oho? Such persistent fools," I said as I released Scizor. "Bullet punch. Show them that if they haven't learned anything from the failures to catch me so far, they're doomed to repeat their mistakes."

The sight of my Bug Type, his red exoskeleton gleaming in the dim light, earned a yelp of surprise from someone onboard. It was too late for them to recall their Pokemon to defend the ship from our counterattack. Scizor, for his part, flew up, well above the boat… before diving straight down, punching a hole through the bottom. That might have been a bit overkill, but it did the job. I'm sure with their own Water Types they'll live. Right?

Banishing such nusancesome distracting thoughts from my mind, I turned my attention to my Pokemon. Scizor's waterlogged wings and steel-coated body meant he couldn't swim away from the destruction he had caused. Thankfully, Lumineon was able to push him forward to the point that I could return both of them. The coast guard had bigger problems than us to deal with now, desperately trying to escape their sinking ship.

Grumpig and I jumped off the platform as we reached dry-ish land. Running along the beach, I made as much headway as I could. Which was, unfortunately, little, as one final security officer chased after me, hanging off of his Bronzong as it floated through the air.

"We've found them! Sound the alar-"

"Night Slash," I called out, tossing my Pokeball up so it bounced right off of the enemy Psychic Type, releasing Zoroark above them. My starter slashed down with vicious glee, sending the hunk of metal crashing to the beach, the man on his back landing with a nasty crunch.

As his howling got annoying, I asked Zoroark, "Can you filter him out?" She gave a quick nod of her head, and suddenly blessed silence took hold. Only an illusion, but at least it gives me some peace of mind. Now, let's take some away from them.

"Set multiple fires around the containers. Let's craft an image of destruction and terror as great as the end of the envious King Jeharis," I stated grandly. Zoroark smirked, knowing as well as I did the tales of the monarch his splendour and the magnificent jewelry he wore which drove his enemies to burn his city to the ground, and needing no further instruction.

Raising a hand as if she were composing a melody. What rang out was not music but the snap and crackle of burning wood, the hiss of flames. The auditory elements were accompanied by the visual ones, great bonfires bursting up at different places all over the docks. She took my instructions to the letter, with the flames occasionally 'leaping' from one stack of totes to another in that same odd motion like a fish surfacing above the waves that had been caught on the ancient tapestry depicting 'The fall of Eldemire.'

Excellent. They'll be busy panicking until we're long gone. We slipped into the shadows, hiding in the cover of night.

***

Medali was too far to walk to. Not and meet my client on time, but there were other methods than walking. Transportation services more… discreet than Flying Taxi or Rent-a-Cyclizar. A legal gray area in how the Paldean League operated, not wishing to quash small businesses directly. And yet, they'd still like to keep a discreet eye on the comings and goings of the people here.

The 'compromise' was that more mainstream travel services simply used the government influences and resources to outcompete any others. Yet there were still those (like myself) who wanted to travel with no questions asked. I wouldn't be giving anything up if they did talk, however.

By the time I stood at the empty spot in the field I'd arranged for our transport to arrive in, I had changed my appearance entirely. Gone were the blue jacket and pants, replaced with a silky black dress. My hair was short and red, with plain (ugh) emerald earrings. No sign or trace of the accessories bearing mythological iconography I used to wear.

My regular clothes were in my bag, along with my 'acquisitions' from the auction house storage. My wig as well, having cut and dyed my hair rather than trying to wear a wig full time publicly and hoping no one found out. I suppose that one could say it's folly for me to cling onto my past and dress up like how I was pictured in every wanted poster before enacting a heist, but it feels like the only time I can be me.

I checked my ID and saw the name Gabriella Witherspoon. Bland and forgettable, one of half a dozen different fake identities I'd grabbed when the full attention of the law turned its eyes on me.

A soft breeze drew my attention upward. "I'll admit, I hadn't expected this," I stated aloud as the Pokemon and pilot descended down. There was no need to raise my voice, as this Flying Type didn't flap his wings heavily to fly but simply floated down. "I didn't realize Jumpluffs could carry people." Not a common or wild trait, to be sure. No book I've every read has hinted at the possessing such.

The reedy man remained hooked to the odd harness attached to his Pokemon even as he stood on the ground. "He's a surprising fellow, this one. But don't worry, he can carry you jus' fine." Tossing me another harness, he motioned for me to strap myself in. "Oh, you'll probably want to put your Pawmo in the ball. We'd hate for anything to happen to the little lass." He sounded like he could not possibly care less about the fate of my 'Pawmo.'

"Don't worry, little one; I'll be fine." I said, recalling my disguised Zoroark. I honestly have no idea, but at this point, I'm almost too tired to care. At least my team will tear them to shreds if they try anything.

Before my 'public debut' at the hands of that wretched child, I'd always skirted the edges of the darker side of society, but even that was enough to know that other criminals rarely wanted to throw down with each other unless they were sure of the outcome (or suicidal fools). In a Pokemon battle without any rules, both Trainers could easily become liabilities or even casualties, unless the strength gap was vast.

Hooking up the harness was awkward in my current attire, but I got it done and soon enough we were lifting off. The Jumpluff wiggled his cottony arms, conjuring a powerful wind at our backs, and began to rise. The harnesses seem to be made of a special material, which might contribute to some of it, but it still feels like a miracle that this Pokemon can fly while carrying us. I didn't know the specifics, nor did I care to imagine why.

A few cotton spores drifted around us, and I said, "Don't let those touch me."

"What? Too precious to mess up your clothes a little?" The driver said. Is 'Hecklen Transportation' indicative of his name? There's no historical significance to it, just another service some of my less-than-legal contacts passed along to me. Before I became too 'hot,' that is. No honor among thieves, and no one willing to risk Martha's wrath to hide me.

"Hardly," I bit out, shivering in the wind as we flew across the night sky. "But I've heard tales of what those spores can do to someone's skin. Horrible coughing fits, rashes, and worse."

"Pluff pluff pluff," the Pokemon in question chortled, and I could just imagine the malicious glee in its beady red eyes as it did so. Still, the spores drifted just enough that they avoided landing on either one of us.

Silence fell afterwards, neither of us having any desire to fill the air with meaningless chatter. Down below, I could see countless ruins calling out to me. This stretch of land is filled with them. What ancient texts might they hold? Do safeguards and traps from the past remain for me to test my mind and might against?

My daydreams of having the means and opportunities to explore them ended as we neared the city. The man started taking us down, well outside the city limits. "Wait, what's going on?"

"Sorry, can't make it into the city proper. A few… bureaucratic disputes between myself and them. There's only a kilometer left." Easy for the one not wearing heels to say! I seethed but said nothing as we landed, unstrapping from the Jumpluff. Releasing my disguised Zoroark, I began to walk away before he stopped me.

"Hey, where's the other half of the payment?" I had paid him half up front, and I was sorely tempted to tell him to screw off, but I had a better idea.

Adopting a slightly ditzy voice, I said, "Oh, my bad, totally forgot. Here you go," I said, handing him a wad of Pokedollars. He greedily grabbed the paper, counting it for a second before stuffing it in his bag.

"Pleasure doing business with you; feel free to call me again," he said before floating off. I very much doubt I'll be doing that. Especially since that was a bunch of Pokeopoly dollars that Zoroark was making look like real money. My only regret is that I don't get to see the look on your face when you find out, mwhaha.

The joy of messing with him and saving a few more Pokedollars didn't change my situation, and so I trudged up the hill towards the city. I can deal with the dangers, the risks, and the thrills that come with searching for lost treasure, but this? The discomfort that permeates every step of my travels, stops me from getting a good night's sleep… These details never made their way into the historical texts, and I see why now. It's a constant nuisance but with none of the excitement.

***

Getting into Medali late and exhausted made the scant few hours of sleep I got in my hotel room all the worse, but at least I got some sleep that night. I walked in the light of day through the bustling streets, grabbing a quick breakfast from the stalls that dotted the streets. Along the way to my meeting point, I took in the sights, from the Oinkologne amphitheater to the well-worn tiled streets. This city might not be considered the most energetic of the major cities of Paldea, but it has a rich history all its own.

As a child playing a video game bumped into me without looking and barely muttered 'sorry' as he blithely stumbled along, I was reminded of what I didn't like about Medali. History has its hold on this place out of inertia, rather than pride, and it shows in how technology blends with it.

In little ways, I saw how certain buildings obviously had more stories added to them, giving more space for the people but ruining the original design. People playing with handheld gaming consoles. Pah, what a fad. I just can't see the value people find in ridiculous video games. You don't need fantasy to find something interesting! History has its own…

My thoughts trailed off as my eyes caught on a bunch of televisions in a storefront. What irked me there was not the technology but the images displayed. It was an Elite Challenge from about a year ago, showing Martha. Her challenger had been a promising woman who had actually managed to win the two elite battles before this. But against Martha, she was crushed, the Dark Type Elite showing no mercy as she tore apart the woman's tactics.

I turned away, continuing down the road. I hardly needed to watch it in the first place, but then again, how could I not? I feel like I'll always be Shadow Tagged to my mother, until the end of days. My decision to strike out on my own may have been a tad impulsive, but despite the hexes and fruitless searches, I hadn't regretted it. Not until now.

Amidst the other sites of the city, there were of course posters. Easily filtered out, to the point where even I barely noticed them. But the ones with my face on them nearly made me stiffen and wonder if this would be the day I was caught. The amount of them and the push the League had been making was unusual, to say the least.

Mother would hardly sweep my misdeeds under the rug, but she wouldn't be this aggressive either, not towards me. She wants me back, not in jail. So is this the work of that Glitterati brat, or some other factor that's been making my life hell?

It didn't truly matter, but as I found myself in front of the building I was to meet my client at, I hesitated. Why carry on like this? I could go to Mom and throw myself at her feet. I wouldn't be slipping away or escaping punishment, but she'd make sure it wasn't too bad. There would be no chance of escaping her watchful eye, not as long as she lived, though. In a way, it would be a sentence worse than jail - eventually I would escape or be set free from jail.

The grumbling of my stomach reminded me of how much I'd exerted myself today, pairing perfectly with soreness in my feet. While I would never admit it aloud, either option was seeming better than carrying on as I was.

As I looked at the small tech repair shop in front of me, I muttered to myself, "Fuck it. I've come this far; might as well complete the job. We'll see how I feel after this." Despite the door having the closed sign up, my client had assured me it would be open and did indeed swing in at my touch.

The front of the store had an assortment of scattered parts and pieces for everything from computers to flashlights. There was a thin path between the tables and books to the front desk where I rang the bell. No one came, but a woman's voice shouted from the back, "Just a minute!"

This isn't a trap, right? There's no way the League could have prepared something like this here, in the middle of a city. And if it were, they would have sprung it by now. In spite of the reassurances I tried to tell myself, fear (and impatience) took hold of me, and I strode ahead, determined to find out what was keeping her. Going around the desk and through the backdoor, I found more projects she was working on and a set of stairs leading up.

Walking up to her residence, I opened the door and saw an odd collection of items. From a cave painting relief dominating one side of the room, to ancient telescopes, to a small pile of Gimmieghoul coins, to a mock-up of the theoretical 'Treasures of Ruin' that had me practically drooling.

In one corner sat one of the large home aquariums sold for those Pokemon who needed aquatic living space. I had one of those for my Fineon, before I had to go on the run. Now I just have to release him out by rivers and oceans whenever I get the chance. Within this one slowly drifted a dull brown Pokemon, its rocky scales the only distinction marking them as a Pokemon and not simply a large fish.

Much like the shop below, the entire space was rather disorganized, or perhaps scattered and organized in a pattern I couldn't see. Amidst these curiosities were the standard pieces of furniture and appliances necessary for living.

Sitting on a chair was an attractive, tanned woman, her hair a pale brown and very messy. She was wearing a matching set of orange crop and short shorts. The torn and jagged nature of her clothing matched the fanged belt and necklace she wore, as well as the vicious look in her cyan eyes as they snapped to me.

"Mom? Everything ok?" Came the voice from the tablet sitting on the coffee table, and in an instant her aggression melted away.

"Of course, sweetie, I just have some business to attend to. I promise I'll call you back soon. Love you."

He mumbled something back, which could have been interpreted as the same, but was very deliberately uncertain. "Trouble at home-"

"I told you to wait!" Sada snapped, standing up and taking a step towards me until my hand dropped to my belt on instinct, hovering over a Pokeball.

"It was more than the minute you said it'd be. Besides, I thought you'd wish to see the item I brought you. Unless I should keep it for myself?"

The woman relaxed a bit, the desire for the item clearly outweighing the annoyance she felt. "No, though since you're offering, I would like your expertise on the matter as I study that book. I picked you for a reason, you know?" She also muttered something about 'not interrupting her reconnecting with her son,' or whatever, but I didn't care.

My own curiosity piqued, I pulled the crate out of my Silph bag, placing it down on the coffee table. Opening it, I unveiled the scarlet red book within. "Excellent…" She whispered with glee, carefully raising the book out and feeling it. "You have a few hours to spare on this, yes?"

I sighed and almost wanted to tell her off, but the truth was I really didn't have anything better to do today. And damn my curiosity which gets me into these messes, but I can't deny that I wish to know more about this artifact as well. "Yes, but make sure you pay me first. And are you going to be studying it like that?" I asked, my eyes darting up and down at her state of dress.

"Ah," a slight blush dusted her cheeks. "Forgive me, getting a call from my son so early left me a bit discombobulated." She grabbed a lab coat with a fur collar that was hanging off the side of her couch and tossed it on top of her shoulders, making no moves to button it up. "There we go."

"So what is this 'Scarlet Book' anyway?" I asked as I sat down beside her as she handed me the agreed-upon sum of Pokedollars. It was a hefty amount, 50,000 all told, yet still only half what the starting price of the book would have been at auction.

The Professor smiled mysteriously. "I think I'll let you come to your own conclusions first, before presenting my own hypothesis." She cracked the book open, taking care not to damage it as she flipped it open to the first page.

"Author Professor… Heath?!" I read aloud. "This can't be right; the only untitled book Heath wrote was the Violet Book." I continued reading aloud as she turned the page. "Set out with the Area Zero Expedition today… Progress was slow, but one of the Trainers caught a glimpse of a rare Pokemon they swear they've never seen before. From accounts, it appeared to be a Donphan, but with odd mutations… will have to sketch later if I get the chance."

My mind turned over what I was reading, flipping through the pages as my voice died out. It felt like some puzzle designed to twist my brain into knots. Each piece seems like it fits except by their base premise is wrong!

After several minutes: "This must just be a fake, a copycat," I eventually concluded. "There's no way I wouldn't have heard of another book by the great Professor Heath." Those were at once some of the most intriguing and frustrating parts of historical discoveries.

To see how people of the past would mimic the great designs of their times grants a degree of insight into what the common man thought at the time that is often missed in historical accounts of the famous. Yet for all that value, the famous people are interesting because of their greatness, and to realize that what you'd hoped is not a piece of the grand tapestry of history.

"What makes you think that?" The Professor prodded, not seeming upset.

"For starters, the very color of the book. Scarlet, not Violet. It's old, but given the coloration of the pages, I'd estimate it's merely a hundred years old, not two hundred like the original. Then there's the Pokemon depicted within. 'Great Tusks?' 'Brute Bonnet?' Nothing like what the true Violet Book said Heath saw. While some of the Pokemon appear to share similarities with regular Pokemon, they're twisted but in a very different bent than how Heath depicted them. The only Pokemon that appears truly the same is the one at the end of the book, and much like all the Violet Book copies, it's too obscured to be worthwhile for study."

"That's unusual. Why keep that one the same? Also, you said that it's only the copies of the original book?"

"Yes. The original has some further details; pages in the end that were obscured are clear, supposedly." Not that that bitch Briar will publish it. I don't care if she wants to 'wait for proof to vindicate her great-grandfather's name'; it's a part of history nonetheless!

Breathing out heavily, I pushed that errant, annoying thought aside. "The details are, admittedly, unusually accurate for a copy," I continued. "For everything but the Pokemon involved, this fits perfectly with the wave of copies that were made a hundred years ago after people stopped decrying Heath's work as the ramblings of a madman. In some ways, prehistoric Pokemon being discovered there would make more sense than the futuristic ones Heath described, but- I don't get it."

If one is looking to sell a fake, why look through the details so carefully, get the little points right, but screw up the big ones? It makes no sense, unless you're looking to push a different narrative.

"It's very unusual," Sada commented, standing up and going through a stack of books before pulling out a Violet covered one from the pile and tossing it down. "A gift from my ex-husband," she said, her tone indecipherable but carrying some weight to it. Flipping the new book open, she matched it to the Scarlet one on the same page. The exact same page.

"Word for word, stroke for stroke, this is… Heath's handwriting! But how?" I hadn't realized it at first without seeing them side by side, but I've plumbed enough historical texts to match handwriting. There are simply too many similarities and too much effort put in for this to be a mere forgery, but too many inconsistencies for it to be genuine.

She gave me a wild grin, grabbing an academic journal and whipping it in front of me. "This should explain everything."

I squinted, reading it closely. "'Mitochondria form and function in class-C type Ghost Pokemon across various regions-' I don't see the connection." Sada blushed, tossing it aside.

"Ah, sorry about that. I was doing a bit of light reading before bed last night." The eccentric Professor rummaged around through her stacks of books once again before pulling out a magazine. "This should explain everything!" She declared triumphantly, one hand on her hip as she presented it to me.

I crossed my arms, somehow less impressed than before. "That rag magazine? What could 'Occulture' possibly tell us?" In response, Sada flipped it open, pointing to an article within.

"Sohdayo was the one who uncovered this story, the one that sparked the auction in the first place. The story explains how this book came from a parallel universe."

Scoffing, I snatched the magazine out of her hands, reading closely. "There's nothing in here to support his theory," I objected after finishing the article. There was some stuff about the 'mysterious circumstances' by which it found its way into the hands of the man's family who auctioned it off, but nothing to back it up. The trio of explorers with legendary Pokemon that supposedly happened upon his ancestor sound even less believable.

Sada sat back down. "I'm aware. However! There's nothing to say that it isn't true either. And from your inspection, I'd say that theory fits the bill fairly neatly. Think of what we could discover!"

"I'm interested in the past of this world, not other timelines, even if that were true." My defense was half-hearted; however, my mind was already ensnared by thoughts of how similar it was to the copies of the Violet Book.

Slowly, the other woman nodded, losing some of her excited energy. "I am as well. The secrets of the past, all the history we've lost… Paldea has some of the most intensive records out of all the known regions in the world, and there are still entire centuries that our knowledge of is relegated to a few sentences in a textbook. And that's only going back a few thousand years."

The Professor waved a hand over at the block of cave paintings standing against one wall. "We have scant details but definitive evidence on certain parts of our world millions of years ago. All our technology and advancements are looking forward and so little to the past. It's like no one gets it." The frustration and longing in her voice were emotions I'd heard pass my own lips many times, from deep sighs to impassioned speeches on the importance of our past. I felt a deep kinship with her in that moment, which was why her next words reached me so easily.

"I don't know how exactly we'll be able to determine what happened from this book, but depending on how close the world it came from was to our own, we might discover things that never could have been found through ordinary means. Would you be willing to help me with this quest?" The question was quiet, nervous. From the state of her apartment and store, it was clear she was like me and had very few others close to her. I get how lonely and scary that can be.

Still, she delivered the question with surety, and when she held out her hand to me, I took it without a second thought. "I'd be delighted to unravel the enigmas of history with you." Oho, what secrets we will uncover! What splendid historical facts await to be examined from this new lens? I wasn't entirely sure about the strange Professor yet, but nonetheless, I couldn't wait to see where our burgeoning partnership would go.

Spoiler: A/N:

Just gonna drop this here, nothing to worry about from this team up… for now. Also, I really like the idea of Relicanth being Sada's pre-Paradox Pokemon, just like Proygon Z was Turo's.

Let me know what you thought of this down below or on the Discord. And if you're enjoying my stuff and want to toss me a bit of money, I have a Kofi and a Patreon, subscribers to the latter get early access to the next ten chapters. Thank you, and I hope you have a great day.

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Skyfyre]

Spoiler: Patreons:

Thank you to my 40 Beginner Tier Patreons for the support and an extra special shout out to RageLord and Nodal_Gravity, my Ace Tier Patreons!

Medali is a city. One of the ones of all time, I thought to myself as I walked through its streets. There was certainly nothing wrong with it - it had a decent amount of shops selling average wares, some nice but not overly fancy restaurants, plenty of residences… but little that made it stand out, especially compared to how dramatic many of the key cities of Paldea were. The interesting history of Levincia, the powerful architecture of Cascarrafa, or the stand-out nearby geography of Alfornada.

I could picture why Medali was where it was from a historical standpoint fairly easily. It was elevated, with Glaseado Mountain just nearby enough to serve as a natural barrier to inclement weather or invading forces. There was an easy path running down west to Porto Marinada for trade and ocean travel, while the elevation again made assaults difficult from that route. With the Aseado Desert to the south and the Great Crater to the east, Medali had a bounty of resources at its disposal, with plenty of rich, fertile land (if not nearly as flat and good for farming as the plains near Cortondo).

Was it the history of the city that made it so plain, or is this Larry's influence? ... Likely both, to a degree that would be impossible to determine exactly. It had some interesting spots, of course. Like every city, there were a few tourist attractions, food stalls and carts, and small stores like a nearby tech shop, but nothing that could keep my eye from the prize. The Treasure Eatery.

I opened the sliding wooden door to the restaurant- only to jump back as someone came at me! And it was clear that he was indeed coming at me, a larger boy dressed in Uva Academy uniform stomping out of the restaurant flanked by two others. The lead had short blond hair and was glaring daggers at me. The other two weren't much better, hands on their Pokeballs as they eyed me up. Like Malfoy and his goons, except I remember Malfoy being the skinny one and Crabbe and Goyle bulkier, while these three have it reversed. Man, it's been a long time since I read Harry Potter; that's another thing I should look into writing for this world.

"It's really her. Good job spotting her, Dominic," One of the goons said to the other, giving him a low five while brushing off some crumbs that had stuck to his uniform in their rush to get to me. Great, so even if they were unsure of my identity, they were more than willing to push over a little girl just to get at me. All for their stupid vendetta - why do these guys hate me again?

Despite my thoughts wandering, my gaze remained razor focused on the three confronting me. "What's the issue here?"

The lead boy sneered. "The issue is some brat who thinks she can get away with stealing all the badges."

"What?" I couldn't help but say, I was so perplexed. What is he even talking about?

"Some brat like you getting all the badges in one Treasure Hunt? That's impossible! I've only gotten six, and this is my second hunt. So you must be cheating! But we're going to put a stop to that; no way you're getting your final badge on our watch! We're gonna beat you down and send you running home, crying to your rich mommy and daddy."

I blinked. "It's amazing… Every word you just said was wrong." Predictably, my words didn't calm him down but instead made the boy grow redder in the face. "Also, you're trying to stop me from 'cheating' by ganging up on me and attacking me all at once? Where's the logic behind that?"

"Shut up!" Wow, great comeback, 10/10, I'm emotionally slain. My sarcastic thoughts didn't help me come up with a way to defuse the situation. Or even get me out of it, which is what I was willing to settle for at this point, too tired to try and spend my time and effort trying to placate the angry boy.

Attempting to move around them had them moving to block me again. I took a defensive stance in response, wary of them trying to encircle me and commit violence. My martial arts skills helped, but there was only so much one could do against multiple combatants at once, especially when they were bigger than you.

The lead boy took a step towards me, but at this point Miles floated up from my pocket, interposing themselves between us and buzzing dangerously. "I recommend you leave, now, bzzt."

They backed up a step but didn't entirely lose their bravado. If anything, the lead bully was emboldened, taunting me even as his eyes darted around. "This little toy supposed to worry us? Shove off," he tried to swipe Miles aside only to receive a nasty shock as his hand came close to the case. "Yow! What the heck was that? You can't command a Pokemon to attack someone!"

"You tried to hit my Pokemon, you don't get to complain about Miles defending themself." That was hardly an attack, too. Miles is possibly my second strongest Pokemon, maybe tied with Athena. If they wanted to attack you even moderately, you'd be lying on the ground, twitching, at best.

The other two released their Pokemon, a Spidops and Tinkatuff, quickly followed by the main dude releasing a Quaxwell. Seriously? Not even fully evolved for most of them. To be fair, maybe they're just happy at the second stage, but I'm kinda done being fair with these jerks. "Calm Fury, blitzkrieg."

At my command, Athena and Phantasm popped out of their Pokeballs, not wasting a second to rush the Pokemon in front of them, with Miles abandoning their phone case and charging as well. The Uva students didn't even have a chance to shout out any commands before it was over: the Quaxwell blasted with a powerful Thunderbolt, Lokix covered in a cloud of cartoon violence courtesy of Phantasm's recently mastered Play Rough, and Tinkatuff knocked aside by a localized Earthquake that only barely knocked the three bullies on their asses. Good job, they spotted the Type Weaknesses and struck them quickly, without any advice needed on my end.

"Has that satisfied you?" I asked rhetorically as I stepped over them. Apparently not, as the blond boy grabbed my leg as I tried to step past him. "Wha- let go!" As I turned to shake him off, I saw even more students entering the street, a half dozen or so new faces glaring at me.

"We told our buddies about you; no way we're getting shown up by a little girl getting all her badges in a single Treasure Hunt!" Ok, so they aren't even bothering with pretending anymore - this is just jealousy, not disbelief.

It looked like they were itching for a fight, and part of me was tempted to give them more than just that. Miles could Hyper Voice and blast them away in a second. Phantasm could do the same but possibly even conceal it from all the civilians that were gathered around watching our dispute.

I don't think they even realize why I'm trying to get into the Eatery… oh. Yeah, that would solve it. Raising my voice, I shouted inside, "Larry! We have a problem!"

There was a shuffling sound inside, and slowly the Gym Leader stepped into view. He was wearing the same black suit with a blue tie that he had in the games, even the same briefcase. The only differences were a few less gray streaks in his hair and the few grains of rice stuck to the corner of his lips, likely from a meal he'd been forced to hastily abandon.

"Mm, what's going on here?" His question predictably led to a cavalcade of noise, accusations, and arguments as the kids talked all over themselves trying to blame me. I waited patiently - as much as I wished to shout them down and deny what they were saying, I figured Larry would appreciate it more if I spoke calmly.

He said, "Quiet," in a voice slightly quieter than any of the other kids individually were, which did nothing to deter most of them (though it did at least get the one boy to stop grabbing my leg, though that might have been because he and his buddies were pulling themselves up). Then, Larry adjusted his tie. "Quiet." His voice was only slightly louder than the combined din this time, but it got everyone to stop talking (at least among the students; Phantasm was snarling at them still, saying things that were the equivalent of some really nasty words, but so long as she wasn't physically attacking them, I was fine with it).

Turning to me, he asked, "What happened?"

"I was accosted by some boys when I tried to enter the building. They threatened me-" That had the boys clamor over top of me, so I spoke louder. "Which you can see on video," I gestured to Miles, who floated over and expanded to better show the video they'd been taking. That shut them up, and they paled before turning tail and running away.

The other kids jeered, both at the trio and at me, but slowly they dispersed too. Some of them looked like they were seconds away from pissing their pants too. I wonder what Phantasm showed them? Internally I debated whether or not I should scold her for that - it was probably too far for most people who insulted me, but on the other hand, I couldn't really get upset about a couple of bullies getting some comeuppance.

Ultimately I pushed the decision to the side as I saw Larry sigh and turn back to the Eatery. Recalling my Pokemon and following him, I sat at the bar beside the man. Surprising me, he spoke up first. "You should try a drop of lemon on your food. Adds a refreshing kick, though you might be a bit young for that."

I smiled. "I like a bit of lemon on crab, lobster, and other seafood, but generally not a fan of it on other dishes. But that just might be me; I have very particular tastes." There was a beat, and then I added, "I'm sorry that we interrupted your meal, but I'd like-"

"A Gym Battle? I figured as much," he said, standing up with one last forlorn look at his fried rice. "I can't spend too much time chit-chatting, so I guess we'd better battle." As he said that, one of the chefs behind the counter pressed a button, and the dining tables shifted, everything getting shoved to the side to make room for the arena rising up in the center.

"Ah, wow." That looks cool, but I have to wonder how practical it is. "You know you don't have to interrupt your meal - you could have finished it first."

The Gym Leader shook his head. "I'd rather not fight on a full stomach."

"Fair enough," I said as I took my place on the opposite end of the arena. "And I'm looking forward to a tough fight; I've saved the strongest Gym Leader for last, so give it all you've got!"

He blinked. "You're full of fire. You really think I'm the strongest? I'm not cool like Grusha or flashy-"

"That might hurt your score in a Contest, but when it comes to battling? Yeah, you're strong. Probably could be a member of the Elite Four if you wanted." There were a few quiet gasps from the crowd; clearly the people here loved him, but I didn't think even they realized how skilled Larry was.

Definitely don't think the few students I spy sneaking in did. It was only a couple of them, and they had changed out of their uniforms, but I recognized the teenagers intently watching the match. So long as they were focused on simply recording it and didn't try to interfere, I was fine with it. Who knows? Maybe I'll even win some detractors over if they see me battling in person. None of these were the kids directly confronting me, so if they were just caught up in the trio's lies, this might prove them wrong.

My words didn't cheer the man himself up, rather eliciting a deep sigh from him. "Please don't tell my boss - I already work enough." Pretty sure that's your own fault; you get cut off from doing too much overtime. Despite his words, I saw a determined glint in his eyes. He was ready to take me seriously.

As Larry drew a Pokeball from his briefcase, I hefted the washing machine out of my bag, tossing it onto the stage. "Miles, you're up!" They zipped from their phone case and into the bulky machine, possessing it.

"Ro-to-to-to!" They declared excitedly. The Gym Leader glanced at his briefcase for a second, likely deciding whether or not to switch before firming up his grip on his chosen Pokeball. Hmm, sticking to his guns, or, more likely, he feels his first choice just happens to be the best against Miles.

It was hard to tell - Normal Types had such wide Movepools there was little I could be certain of against him, as well as why I'd chosen Wash Form for Miles. Without an appliance, Miles would be immune to his STAB Normal Moves, but they would have way more Weaknesses. Just having one seems like the best way to go about things.

As he released a sleepy-looking, blue-furred, koala-like Pokemon hugging onto a log like a pillow, I understood both why Larry had chosen her and why he thought she would still be a solid choice against us.

The chef spoke up from the bar. "This will be a six-on-six match with three switches each. Terastalization is allowed. If both Trainers are ready…" We both nodded, Larry pulling his tie loose again, a physical tic for when he was getting more serious, I noted. "Then on the count of three, two, one… begin!" She shouted, and we both leapt into action.

"Scald!"

"Wood Hammer."

With a sudden leap from a still sleeping Pokemon, his Komala raised the log up, surrounding it with green Grass Energy. Before she could bring it down upon Miles' body, they raised the smaller hose and blasted her out of the air with a high-pressure, high-heat burst of water.

Like I thought, Wood Hammer. Komalas have a surprising amount of physical power behind them; if that hit, it could have done serious damage to Miles. The weird way Comatose works protects Komalas from most status Moves I could pull out, and I'm certain that this one knows Sleep Talk and can use it quite well. Some Pokemon simply resonated with certain Moves, like Primeapes with Rage or Hypno with Hypnosis, which made them (on average) better with the Moves than most equivalent Pokemon even of the same type. The exact amount was widely debated, but there was a noticeable bump up to be aware of, especially in high-level battles.

"Substitute, keep on with Scald," I ordered. Nasty Plot would be better here, but I don't think Larry will give us that wide a window to work with. Miles began making copies of themself while the Komala let out a large Yawn, the cloud drifting around in an attempt to envelop my Pokemon.

The Substitute couldn't take the hit for such a Move, the cloud doing nothing when it enveloped them, but also not impeding it as it then floated on towards the real deal. "Condensation," I called out, and Miles adjusted their hose, spraying a fine mist through the air that clashed with the Yawn. Glad we kept that feature - we never got to making a Mist or Haze equivalent, but that nozzle was more practical than I first realized.

While there were a lot of good reasons to use Miles for this match, being able to show off the advancements the R&D team had made on the Wash Form, probably their biggest recent achievements beyond the two new forms, also factored in my mind, so I was glad to show them off. But why are the Scalds doing so little- shit.

Before my eyes, all the damage Miles had done was healed, the Komala recovering even as another Scald hit and hurt our opponent far more than the last few shots had. Stockpile, combined with Swallow, must be. He's trained his Komala well to be able to do that without a command or any visible sign.

"Nasty Plot," I said, signalling for Miles to use their Substitute to guard themself. And a good thing I did, as the moment my Rotom stopped to hatch a malicious scheme, Komala spun rapidly towards them, holding their log out as they twirled through the air… while still asleep. She smashed through the fake, but the destruction of the Substitute gave Miles time to maneuver away, powered up.

Before I could press the advantage, Larry called out, "Psych up." Komala furrowed her white eyebrows at Miles all while still keeping her eyes shut. Not sure how that works, but I can't count on beating them with buffs if they can copy what I do. So…

"Dance, water, dance." Miles conjured a sitar made of water and began rocking out with their plasmic hands. The absurdity of it combined with the sudden wave of sound hitting them left both of them off guard.

"Body Slam." Only for a moment, however, as Larry quickly recovered. Despite the name's inspiration, Miles could only create two Double Teams 'water clones' with it, not the hundreds of Substitutes I had first envisioned. They were more than capable of moving as they rocked out, letting Miles dance around the wide Body Slam Komala aimed at them.

As the last note fell, water began to pour down and sparked with lingering lightning on the ground. The field lit up with electricity, crackling wildly with the rain. It might not have worked exactly like I envisioned, but it had even greater synergy than I expected with Electric Terrain. "Pretty cool, right?"

A howling screech answered my question; the Komala glared at Rotom with her beady eyes. The Terrain, caused her to wake up, and the moment her eyelids would droop back down, a new shock would force her awake.

"You shouldn't have done that," the Gym Leader warned, giving me a split second to wonder why before Komala threw herself at Miles, enraged. Thrashing about, she smacked them around, pushing through a powerful Discharge as she shrieked at my Rotom.

Damn, I didn't realize this would make her so angry. But we can use that. "Hydro Pump, play keep away." Opening the door on their body, Miles unleashed torrents of water, blasting Komala with a literal ton of water. She struggled to push through the assault, but Miles didn't let up, continuing to pour gallons of water at her.

I heard her gulp this time, now that I was paying attention to it, and it let her survive for a little longer. It couldn't get her out of the corner she'd been pushed back into or allow her to outlast Miles; the water kept on coming. It's kind of crazy to think of how a Pokemon can summon a weather condition and then use that very weather to empower their future attacks. Same with terrain and the like. Just goes to show how thermodynamics really doesn't work the same way here.

Sighing loudly, Larry called for a switch, returning Komala to him. "Impressive. But you've still got your work cut out for you…" With that, he released a large, beige, bull-esque Pokemon onto the field. Upon materializing, the Kantoan Tauros immediately charged ahead, glowing with a bright power before he struck Miles, smashing them into the wall with a horrendous sound of wrenching metal.

"Discharge! Get out of there!" Miles let out a burst of electricity that stunned the Tauros enough to give them space to float away, out of Raging Bull range. The moment they did, though, they started wobbling mid-air, as if Miles was having trouble staying up, their eyes slowly closing…

"Get on the ground!" How did Komala sneak a Yawn in?! Whatever the case, landing on the electrified ground woke Miles up in a hurry, but it also left them vulnerable.

"Earthquake," Larry intoned, and Tauros gladly stomped the ground, shaking up the arena. My Pokemon knew how to nullify their Ability, letting them benefit from the Terrain, but at the same time, it left Miles vulnerable to the Ground Type Move when they did so.

The Earthquake hit them hard, and Miles' body clanged hard from the floor, smashing into them. Their washing machine door hung open loosely by the time they floated out of range of the Ground attack, Tauros snorting, swishing his three knotted tails wildly.

"Stone Edge." At his Trainer's command, Tauros began ripping up chunks of stone from the ground with his horns, sending them spiking up towards Miles (really he just conjured them from the air; the arena floor was treated to synergize with such Type Energies to stop Pokemon from ripping the complex machinery apart, but it looked like the ground was being torn apart, if only superficially).

"Dodge around this; you aren't out yet! Hydro Pump!" Miles was battered but indeed still in it, weaving around the sharp rocks looking to impale them and firing back with powerful streams of water. Several of them broke straight through the rocks to impact the Tauros, and I could only look on with pride. This must be the toughest fight you've had in a while, and you're doing great, Miles.

The rain and electricity finally stopped, and we both took a second to rethink our strategies. The moment of silence between us ended, and I suddenly knew; something about the look in his eyes... He's looking to end this fast. "Protect!!"

At the same moment Larry spoke loudly, "Giga Impact." Rocketing forward, covered in a bright green energy, Tauros leapt up, slamming into the barrier Miles had conjured around them. A massive shockwave reverberated out from the point of impact, but despite the force behind the blow, my Pokemon's barrier held until the energy surrounding Tauros petered out.

"Shock Wave!" I shouted, and Miles let off a quick burst of electricity into Tauros before Larry could recall them. The bit of chip damage they did would help me in the later rounds, but for the time being, Miles had a new foe to face.

"Oink!" The female Oinkologne cried as she was released onto the field. Neither of our Pokemon wasted any time attacking. Miles called down a Thunder atop her head, shocking her enough that I thought for an instant she might have been Paralyzed, a debilitation great enough that it might let us win the fight.

But she proved me wrong, powering through it as her hooves glowed with green light, performing a Trailblaze leap to plow into Miles. Using her increased speed, she Headbutted Miles to keep them down, with a Body Slam to pressure my Pokemon further.

"Scald!" At my command, Miles released the blistering hot water at her, hurting and even Burning Larry's Pokemon, weakening the force of her blows. They might have been able to escape until Larry spoke up.

"Real life isn't always about being true to yourself…" On his signal, Oinkologne revealed her Facade, striking hard despite the Burn, and finally knocked Miles out. Recalling my first Pokemon, I shook my head.

"Real life is all about being true to yourself. In this world we live in, full of impossible wonders, the idea that you can't live the way you want sounds crazy! It might take a lot of hard work, might feel like you're fighting Arceus themself sometimes, but you gotta give it your all, and the only way to do that is to be your all!" I finished my impromptu speech by drawing Phantasm's Pokeball off my belt. "Let's show Larry what that's all about, Athena. I choose you!"

Tossing the ball up high (too high - it almost hit the rafters!), it opened to send out 'Athena,' who crossed her forepaws as she landed on the field, smirking at her foe. Oi. Tone it down a little; she's not that cocky. Well, at least not openly like that.

Phantasm could not hear my thoughts or emotions, but she did drop that expression to go into battle mode. "Extreme Speed!" Sorry, but not using this Move would look weird; we gotta sell it for the moment.

I knew my Zoroark was more than a little salty about no longer being faster than Athena after she evolved. I'd put her through speed drills, and over time, Phantasm had gotten close to Athena's level. She actually beat the Aura Pokemon in sheer speed and power while also being a bit frailer too. But only for regular speed - Extreme Speed was a Move the Hisuian Pokemon couldn't manage and Athena could do easily. Even if the Typing meant it couldn't hurt her, Phantasm didn't like the fact that she couldn't do that Move. But we'd come up with a trick to fake it, at least for battles like this.

An image of Athena blurred into existence behind Oinkologne, causing her to whip around, only for it to disappear and reappear on the other side, striking into her. Really, Phantasm had just moved in a straight line with Quick Attack, all while conjuring the illusions to make it look like Athena had clowned on her a bit, the STAB from the weaker Move making it seem comparable to an Extreme Speed.

In spite of that, I saw her narrow her eyes in confusion and suspicion after getting nailed by the Move and knew I needed to end this fast, before Larry caught on. "Get ready," I called out, the seemingly useless command another signal. Phantasm began readying herself, drawing her focus in.

So seemingly close to her, Oinkologne jumped up, looking to land on 'Athena' with a Body Press. Mid-air, however, her Trainer called out for something different.

"Earthquake." His Pokemon converted to the different Type Energy and Move smoothly, using the force of the impact against the ground as 'Athena' dodged to send a ripple out through the ground, rolling across the arena.

The motion disrupted the Focus Punch Phantasm had been gathering, causing the strike to merely clip off the Oinkologne's back. My Pokemon was then knocked back by the waves, hurt, and revealed by the Earthquake.

Oinkologne was knocked to the side, getting up on shaky legs after being hit by the Fighting Type Move. That burn isn't helping her either. Honestly, it's surprising that she's lasted this long, though she might have been hiding a Sitrus Berry in her mouth.

"Shadow Clones, then Swift Barrage." An adaptation of 'Shadow Barrage,' but that one specifically means for her to use Shadow Ball after making the Double Teams/illusory copies, which won't work against a fellow Normal Type.

Oinkologne's eyes darted about as a hundred Phantasms suddenly filled the arena, pelting small glowing stars at the pig Pokemon. The shots were chipping away at her bit by bit, and rapidly at that, given Phantasm's sheer power. Larry once again stepped in, calling, "Use your nose. Sniff her out."

Not going to happen! While we had covered some olfactory illusions and the like, I knew that the Oinkologne line was particularly sensitive to certain scents and that Phantasm wasn't familiar with how to disguise herself from her. Luckily, there was a far easier option. "Sensory Overload!"

As Larry's Pokemon took a big sniff, she suddenly squealed and began thrashing about, seemingly going crazy. In truth, Phantasm had simply hit her with a myriad of illusory sensations. Flashing bright lights, piercing sounds, pungent rotten scents, and mouth-curdling tastes all hit her at once. It was a testament to her training that she could still stand up, but a quick Slash took care of that, and Oinkologne collapsed.

"I appreciate you trying to make sure I don't have to take any overtime with this battle, but I can't be slacking off either." At his words (and the click of a Pokeball), a bright pink flamingo stepped onto the still slightly waterlogged arena. Okay, technically it's a Flamigo, not a Flamingo. He has a knot at the base of his neck, and… yeah, that's pretty much it. Generally the designs for Gen 9 were pretty creative, but this one… The one thing that made it really stand out from a mundane animal was the Black Belt it was wearing, and that was hardly an intrinsic part of the bird.

Internal snarking aside, I was impressed by his choice. So much so that I immediately called, "Switch," and recalled Phantasm. Super-Effective STAB Fighting attacks are something she hasn't ever experienced before and something I'd rather not subject her to. Honestly, he's a pretty good counter to most of my team.

Most wasn't all, however, so I didn't pause in tossing Nightwing's Pokeball over the arena. "Nightwing, hit 'em hard and fast!" Cackling, my purple Flying Type shot forward to clash with Larry's own. The Flamigo met the charge, hopping forwards and drawing his wings out for a Brave Bird.

The two crossed, flying to the opposite ends of the arena. Nightwing winced as she turned around, nursing the spot where her exoskeleton was cracked from the blow Flamigo had landed. For his part, Flamigo looked just as badly hurt from the recoil and the small dark purple spot on his torso where Poison Jab hit. Not sure if it would have been better or worse if we had gotten a Poison off - it would help us in drawing things out even more, but Larry probably has Facade on all of his Pokemon.

""Swords Dance,"" we both called out simultaneously. The Gym Leader blinked in surprise while I gave a bemused smile. Great minds think alike, huh? Or rather, we're going for different game plans here - he thinks he can win fast and neutralize the grind game Toxic Orb is about to give us, while I'm planning for the future. The round, purple-colored stone around Nightwing's neck hadn't Poisoned her yet. And it never would.

"Tailwind, pick up some speed." Nightwing flapped her large bat-like wings furiously, kicking up the air around her, while Larry's Pokemon went on the offensive.

With some unspoken signal from him, Flamigo covered himself in water and shot forward. Nightwing did her best to dodge but was still clipped by the Super-Effective Liquidation. She had practiced enough not to let up on a buffing Move even while hit and still managed to set up the Tailwind, the opposing airstream impairing the enemy Flying Type even more than it would most others.

With the speed advantage firmly on our side, I shouted, "Acrobatics!" Nightwing zipped above Flamigo before flipping around and smacking him with the flat of her tail. At the same time, the gem she was holding glowed brightly, empowering the Flying-Type Move and shattering into dust. Coloring a very specifically shaped Flying Gem is a fun trick. Shame I won't be able to catch anyone in the Elite Four off-guard with it now, but I think it's worth it to help secure the win here. Besides, we've got plenty of other strategies for them.

Despite the powerful blow that sent Flamigo sprawling, he wasn't quite out of the fight. A sloppy Mega Kick was casually dodged by my Gliscor before her long tail wrapped around his legs, constricting them. "Psychic F-" I began to call before a red beam of light returned his Pokemon.

At my questioning glance, Larry clarified, "I'm withdrawing my Pokemon." Hmm, guess it would be too much to hope that he'd use his last Switch up here. "Break time is over, Komala." His blue furry Pokemon once again landed sleepily on the field. No, actually, Asleep - she used Rest instantly!

"Acrobatics into Earthquake!" As Nightwing dived down, Larry mumbled something indistinct, which somehow led to Komala rearing up and smacking a shocked Nightwing in the face with her log before spinning around and landing back on it, asleep all the while.

The Sleep Talk into Sucker Punch stopped Nightwing's Acrobatics, but she still smashed the ground with both pincers, raising a powerful Earthquake that caused Komala to twitch in her slumber as she was buffeted by the attack. Before I could tell her to pull back, she also attempted to hit Komala with a Crabhammer.

Our foe responded with a Wood Hammer, flinging the log into Nightwing's face. Both Pokemon reeled back from the blows. "Get out of range, Gunk Shot to finish her off." Nightwing clicked her tongue but did so. She's not appreciating the strength that Pokemon has - she might look weak, but she's a major threat. Especially since I think she snuck in a Psyche Up somewhere there and copied Nightwing's Swords Dance boost.

The Tailwind had died down, but we still had the speed advantage in this fight. Gunk Shot forced Nightwing close to the ground to 'pull' the ball of garbage she'd knocked forward from the ground, but with her tail, my Pokemon could lower her profile and fly away if Komala got close. Our opponent attempted to, bounding towards Nightwing as quickly as she could, knocking aside her reclaimed log, but eventually one of the shots snuck through, striking her down. Before she fell, however, Komala managed to release a Yawn straight into Nightwing's face.

I waited as Larry recalled his Pokemon, waiting for him to send out his next, but he didn't. Simply standing there, watching as drowsiness was taking a greater hold of Nightwing. She was struggling valiantly to stay awake, but I could recognize a losing battle when I saw it and used my penultimate Switch, recalling her. Larry's got a full twenty seconds to choose his next Pokemon - we can't wait that long. And letting her go to sleep would be very bad; Larry would have free rein to set up.

Of course, now that I had twenty seconds that started well after Larry's time period, he had to release his Pokemon first. With a sigh, he sent out his own Dudunsparce.

"Well, I can hardly let a challenge like that go unanswered, can I? Go, Dun!"

With a cry of "Dudun!" My starter took the field. The crowd gave shocked gasps, and I wondered why. Seriously, his Dudunsparce is almost as famous as his Staraptor Ace, and Dun is my starter. Feels kinda obvious we'd clash like this. Though I admit I'm excited as well to see how this will go. The two Pokemon eyed each other up for a second, Dun smirking as he slithered slightly, showing off his extra segment. The other Dudunsparce simply took in a large breath and-

I grit my teeth, the sound from the Boomburst still ringing in spite of the barrier between us. "Glare!" I shouted, only for my words to have no effect, Dun thrashing and deafened by the noisy attack. Instantly switching to hand signs, I gave the command again, and this time he hit the enemy Normal Type with an enraged stare that had his foe freezing up.

"Glare," Larry called out, and his Dudunsparce rose up, revealing the swirling pattern on his belly. Before the pattern could begin glowing so he could do the Move, a sweep of my hand had Dun Lunging forward, striking the two-segmented one low. The blow did good damage but also sapped some of the physical power our opponent could bring to bear.

It took me a while to realize that the way Dunsparces normally uses Glare is by revealing that symbol. I'm thankful for the way we figured it out - that exchange right there showed the weakness of the 'regular' method, being slower and exposing yourself.

I winced, more so for Dun than myself, as another Boomburst hit him. Dun let out a loud cry of his own, but his Hyper Voice simply lacked the sheer power that Boomburst had. That's a Move he's been trying to learn for a while but having difficulties with. We can't focus on that right now, though; let's play to Dun's strengths.

Despite his personal feelings, Dun snapped to follow my orders as I motioned for him to use Roost. Settling down, he let the sound batter him, healing each time. Despite how well trained he was at the recovery Move, the sheer damage of Boomburst made it hard to keep up. Luckily the sporadic seizing of the opposing Dudunsparce's muscles gave Dun breaks and ample time to recover in between.

As the exchange continued, I noticed the Gym Leader's Pokemon starting to flag, his strength waning. Larry did too, being the first one to order a change in tactics. "Drill Rush, get in close."

"Aqua Tail." Larry's Dudunsparce was fairly speedy for his species, but Paralyzed as he was, Dun was able to easily time the hit, sweeping our foe to the side and only taking a few chunks of dirt smacking into him. "Hurricane, take this to the skies!"

With wingbeats far too powerful for their tiny size, Dun churned the air inside the arena into a tumultuous storm, lifting the other Dudunsparce up into the air. I saw them trying to draw in breath for another Boomburst, but the violent winds made that difficult.

"Turn up the heat, Flamethrower! And chuck some stones into the mix too while you're at it." Despite the casualness of my tone, I was worried. Balancing three strong Moves of different Types is remarkably tricky, even for-

Those fears were unfounded as Dun belched forth a stream of fire, igniting the air he was whipping up with his wings. At the back, his tail waved about like a conductor's wand, adding a minefield of sharp rocks to the flaming tornado.

It was hard to see what was going on inside, but it seemed likely that Larry's Dudunsparce was getting badly cooked by that. The Gym Leader certainly wanted them out of there, shouting, "Dragon Rush!"

That gave me time to counter. "Dance around it, then show him real Dragon power!" As the Dudunsparce burst out of the flames looking like a snake out of hell (and giving me great inspiration for my next album cover), Dun slithered back and forth, weaving around the Dragon-infused charge handily before covering himself in Draconic energy.

He thrashed and slammed about, knocking the smaller Dudunsparce aside with his power and bulk. As Larry's Pokemon tried to retreat, the man must have realized he couldn't back away from the rampage fast enough and switched back to offense. "Hyper Drill!"

Our foe turned tail, pointing that heavy drill at Dun and burrowing into him. Dun hissed in rage as scales were burrowed out, but with his flexible body, he reached around and kept on bashing the other Pokemon away. Eventually, they were knocked aside, heavily bruised, but Dun wasn't looking too hot either, bleeding from the drill wound. My Pokemon also swayed slightly, looking confused at everything around.

Singing out a sharp note, Dun snapped back into focus. Don't know if it's cheating to mimic a Yellow Flute like that, but there's nothing I've found that says you can't do that, so…

"Giga Impact, end this!" My command brought a wave of surprise and murmurs from the crowd.

As I said that, Larry had already been raising his voice to call for "Boomburst." His Dudunsparce swelled up with air, releasing it as an incredible cacophony of noise. Dun met it head-on, glowing with a bright green energy. He winced from the pain in a blink-and-miss-it moment but held the course, tackling into his foe, the impact creating a sonic boom of its own as he hit Larry's Pokemon and sent them into the barrier.

The combined force of the concentrated impact and the overall strain placed on the barrier from the Boomburst striking all around shattered the barrier, causing it to collapse as Larry's Dudunsparce fell toward his feet. Despite his tired facade, Larry reacted with lightning speed to recall his Pokemon after seeing the Dudunsparce was taken out.

After that, he paused, simply staring at his Pokeball. What are you doing, Larry? Dun is tired out from that big Move, this would be the perfect time to strike back with your next Pokemon. The Gym Leader sighed heavily and, without raising his eyes, said, "You're as good as they all say. I might end up losing this."

"Like heck you will!" The chef/referee shouted, shocking the businessman. "You've got a whole crowd gathered to see what you can do; show us that spark that makes you a Gym Leader!"

"Yeah!"

"You can do it!"

"Take that brat down!"

"We believe in you, Larry!"

The faintest smile ghosted his face. "Well, you heard the folks. I guess I can put a bit more effort in when it's crunch time." With that, he put his Dudunsparce's Pokeball back in the case and threw out another one. Flying high above the ground, a Staraptor appeared, the large brown bird cawwing loudly, raising his red-tipped mohawk-like crown to stare daggers at Dun.

Despite how bravely my Starter was willing to stand his ground, that opening Intimidation, the instinctual fear of such a big bird, had him tense up, his muscles weakening. "Switch," I used up my last Switch to put Athena on the field, my Lucario looking up coolly at the bird flying above.

Before I could order her to attack, Larry used up his last Switch, recalling Staraptor and sending his Tauros out, the bull-like Pokemon stomping the ground aggressively. Guess this was his last chance to use that anyways. And if he's sending them out, then he must be planning on utilizing Athena's Steel Type Weaknesses.

I was pulling out my Tera Orb already as Larry called out for an "Earthquake." Before the shaking earth reached Athena, the Tera Orb was already above her head, Terastalizing her so that when she broke out of the giant crystal conjured around her, she was barely scuffed by the attack. The swirling fist, Tera 'hat' jewel, shone brightly above her as she bared her teeth for a second before disappearing and reappearing in front of him, digging a fist into the Tauros' flank with Extreme Speed.

Mega Evolution gives a few more advantages in terms of power, with the Ability change and stat boosts, but being able to switch up the Steel Typing, and thus all the weaknesses she'd usually have, is a nice trick too. "Close Combat, beat him up!" At my command, Athena overwhelmed the Gym Leader's Pokemon, punching and kicking all around him.

"Raging Bull!" The sudden acceleration hit Athena hard as Tauros charged ahead headlessly, tossing her aside with his horns, but she recovered well, landing lightly back on the arena.

"Aura Spheres, play keep away." Charging up giant orbs of Fighting Type power, so large that they obscured her vision, she started tossing them out at the Tauros. He tried to dodge, jumping around with great agility in spite of the beating he had taken, but it wasn't enough. Especially not when she can track him with her Aura Sense and can slightly alter the path of the spheres mid-flight. In the end, she didn't even need to use Extreme Speed to dodge around before Tauros fell and couldn't get back up.

Larry wordlessly recalled Tauros and sent Staraptor back out. His steely gaze was much less effective on Athena, however, her Inner Focus letting her ignore such attempts to shake her. "Brave Bird," he called, and I smiled.

"Dancing Sword." Athena was in sync enough with me to begin the first step of her dance before I had even spoken, dancing seemingly carelessly around as the big bird careened towards her, yet managing to dance just under the wide wingspan, powering up as she did so. "Force Palm!"

My Pokemon struck out, landing a quick hit before Staraptor could scamper away, flying above her once more. Larry looked on silently for a moment before calling out "Brave Bird" again and coughing hard until he was doubled over. Obviously a signal, but for what?

I wasn't sure, but my Lucario prepared another Dancing Sword, only to be struck still as suddenly two Staraptors were diving at her. "Detect!" I shouted, but it was too late, and as she tried to avoid one, the other one - the real one - hit her, knocking Athena off her feet. The illusory copy faded away as it 'hit' the ground. Double Team combined with Brave Bird, not bad. Staraptor followed it up by creating a few more Double Team copies of itself as it ascended once more.

"Focus on your other senses; it's just like fighting Phantasm," I advised, and Athena nodded, closing her eyes. "Good, now Flash Cannons!" Raising her arms out, she sent out beams of bright light, cutting across the airspace of the arena.

Staraptor dived and swooped around - all of them did, but it was clear the real one was being pressed back hard - before Larry said, "Feather Attack." At that command I finally tracked onto the real one with my eyes as he flew towards her. It wasn't the reckless descent of a Brave Bird, but a nonetheless strong Wing Attack smacked into Athena as she redirected a Flash Cannon to impact her foe, knocking a wing aside and blasting loose a bunch of feathers, which floated down unerringly onto my Pokemon.

"Feather Dance?" I commented on the combined Move. "Fine by me - hound him with Extreme Speed but strike with Force Whip from now on." Having a mixed attacker helps with those kinds of debuffs, I noted as Athena adapted to the new strategy. She'd blur behind the Staraptor, keeping enough space that he couldn't turn and hit her before she lashed out with the Aura construct, striking across his back before disappearing in another burst of speed.

More than that, she's basically performing a 'Geppo' from One Piece, using Aura combined with her physical strength to jump off the air- oh no. The weakening of her limbs from Feather Dance left a slight lag as Athena exerted herself harder to keep in the air, an opportunity Staraptor exploited, Endeavoring to twist around and knock her down.

As she fell, Athena had the presence of mind to whip Staraptor one last time, this blow striking at just the right point to cause his body to seize up. Paralysis! Nice. That thought didn't last long however, as Larry tossed his own Tera Orb above his Staraptor. "Just a little bit longer till the shift is over, so give it your best Facade!"

The transformation gave his Ace enough control back that when Staraptor broke out of the crystallization, they moved relatively freely (while still clearly under Paralysis) to smash into Athena. The unexpectedly powerful blow got a gasp, then a groan, from her as the Terastalization around her shattered.

"Larry! Larry! Larry!" The crowd started cheering uproariously for him. The Gym Leader blinked, unused to such praise. Or at least being so vocal about it; I don't doubt that everyone here likes him, but this restaurant has a quiet atmosphere to it.

"That was awesome, well-timed," I complimented him before recalling Athena. "And you did great too. Don't worry, it's time for your boyfriend to avenge you." I was sure if she were conscious, she would have angrily denied both that Dun was her boyfriend (despite how close the two of them had been getting), nor that she needed 'avenging' (which was kind of fair; after all the damage she'd done, Staraptor was looking to be on his last wings).

Dun looked fairly battered, bruised, and bloody, but I knew how deceptive that was in regard to how fit he was to battle. Something Dun made clear to everyone with an immediate Hyper Voice upon being released. Larry's Pokemon twisted back from the pain, his head twisting back in a way that felt like it should be unbalancing given the massive Tera 'jewel' above him, but didn't hinder the Staraptor at all.

Recovering, Staraptor dived down at Dun with a powerful Endeavor. The Paralysis made the Move much more devastating but couldn't prevent how much it still slowed the bird down, giving Dun and me time to react. And we've got plenty of power too. "Last Resort!"

With a star-shaped burst of energy, Dun shot up to meet the Gym Leader's Ace, the two colliding and then falling down. My Pokemon quickly righted himself, breathing hard but ready to carry on the fight. Staraptor, for his part, tried to do the same but squawked, one of his wings broken. Ouch, that's nasty, but a trip to the Pokemon Center and a few days' rest should take care of it.

Assuming he didn't fight further, which he didn't, as Larry recalled his Pokemon. He whispered some words of encouragement to the Pokeball his Ace was in as the chef/referee announced, "Larry has withdrawn his final Pokemon. Nemona Glitterati is the winner!"

Cheers went up from the crowd, and I ran forward to hug Dun. "We did it! You did it! Our eighth Gym victory!"

"Dun Dun! Sparce!" My starter cheered, happily rolling on top of me. Oof. And eww, this shirt is probably ruined from the blood on it. I couldn't be upset with Dun for that, still too happy about our victory. As Larry walked over to us, I managed to get Dun to roll off me, my Starter already Roosting to recover.

He held a hand out for me to shake before seeing the state of my own and slowly retracting it. "Congratulations. You did well."

"Thank you! You too. If you don't mind me asking, how did you get your Dudunsparce to use Boomburst? We've been trying for ages, and Dun has Hyper Voice down pat, but that Move just hasn't been clicking for us." I scratched the top of Dun's head, which he leaned into.

"Hmm, that Move is a bit tricky; it isn't like most sound-based attacks. It's less about the amount of noise than it is the sudden exhalation of air," the Gym Leader advised. "Try to get all of his segments and head working in concert, and you should be fine." There were general limits towards learning Moves if a Pokemon wasn't strong enough, but given our performance here, Dun's strength clearly wasn't in doubt.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I should get back to work…"

"Wait!" I called out as he started to turn away. "Just one last question: mind telling me why you didn't give me a Gym Trial?" I risked asking, now that the battle was won and my final Gym Badge was in hand.

Larry blinked slowly. "You… didn't? Usually the trial is to find clues scattered around town to find the Eatery, with directions to them placed by the League staff at the Gym Building."

Laughing, I said, "No, I actually skipped over it. A deep dive online determined it was your favorite place, and I knew I'd be arriving about lunchtime, so I figured it would be a safe bet to head there first to try this done fast."

He gave me a level look and said, "Don't push yourself too hard. Burnout is a real risk, no matter what task you take."

I stared incredulously at him. Really? With how perpetually tired you look, I hardly think you're the one to have anything to say about that. Rather than say that, I bit my tongue and thought about the words and the situation for a moment. Then again, maybe I should just take it as him speaking from experience.

"I… appreciate the advice. And it won't be much longer now, and I'll be able to really take a break. But for the moment, it's crunch time. Just gotta push through." Larry nodded and offered his hand, which I shook.

With this, I've completed the Gym Challenge. Next step, the Elite Four and Miguel. Then? Turo.

Spoiler: A/N:

Before writing this fic, I did not realize just how much time the game designers must have spent on each city. Each one is fascinating and quite distinct in their own ways, which will fit the land around them and can really make one think about how they work historically.

The scene with the bullies has been something I had in the background for a while, but Nemona's 'I'mma go and train in the wilderness for a month' schtick threw them off so that by the time there was an actual encounter with them, it didn't end up going how I thought it would.

Her experiences on the journey so far taught her not to put herself at unnecessary risk and that she could reach out to adults for help, so instead of her getting to flex her martial arts skills or fighting them in a fair Battle, we got this. Which might be less dramatic, but I feel it's truer to the story.

Larry might not be the flashiest, but I hope I was able to demonstrate that he's quite the skilled Gym Leader. Despite his perpetual tiredness, he's definitely the strongest Gym Leader in Paldea right now. Oberon and even Kofu, to a degree, are past their prime in terms of training and strength, and all the others are fairly new. I definitely considered having him still be an Elite Four with that in mind, but I have a funny OC that we haven't seen yet that I'm hopeful will make for a fun character and battle when we get to them.

Thank you all for reading, and if you liked it please leave a comment down below or on the Discord. And if you're enjoying my stuff and want to toss me a bit of money, I have a Kofi and a Patreon, subscribers to the latter get early access to the next ten chapters. Thank you, and I hope you have a great day.

 

[Lillie Jones]

thanks for the chapter

 

[Skyfyre]

Spoiler: Patreons:

Thank you so much for the support from my 39 Beginner Tier Patreons and an extra special thanks to RageLord and Nodal_Gravity, my Ace Tier Patreons!

Breathing in the fresh air, I gazed out at the base of the hill I stood on. Off to one side, the grass tapered off and down to the long river below. On the other side and behind me, the massive city of Mesagoza stood tall, a hustle and bustle of activity and noise I tuned out. And in front of me? Stretching past the sea of green, the Tandemaus, Igglybuffs, and other Pokemon frolicking amidst the field, the League Building stood tall.

Nowhere near as tall or dramatic in its architecture as Uva Academy nearby, it was still impressive. Circular with spokes sticking out around the top edges, it was larger and far wider than the Gym Buildings, and like them had a Pokeball symbol made amongst the upper windows. At the top there was a diamond-shaped covering above a vast, open-air arena sitting atop the roof.

This building was a symbol in its own right. The beating bureaucratic heart of Paldea and the final challenge for so many Trainers of the land. Most Trainers start their journey from Mesagoza as students on a Treasure Hunt, or just because of tradition. Whether they go to Cortondo or Artazon first, they eventually loop around to where they started to face the Elite Four. Like I'm going to now.

Taking a deep breath, I marched forward, walking up the hill until I reached the door. The sliding glass doors opened up, but not for me. Instead, out walked Miguel. "Hey there, Champ in the making," he grinned. He looked much like he did the last time I saw him, wearing the same blue jacket and red dress pants. His hair looked a little less messy than it did last time, but I wasn't sure if that was the result of him taking a comb to that tangled mess or just a result of not being fresh off a flight on his Salamence.

I grinned right back, shaking his gloved hand. "El Primero, thank you. I take it you got my request?"

"Yup. An Elite Gauntlet, you sure like a challenge, don't you?" He whistled lightly. "You sure you're up for it?" I bristled a little, but before I could answer that, he laughed it off. "Of course you do; you're not the kind of person to enter into something like this without being prepared for it. Thing is though, we're a bit underprepared. Mind giving us a bit of time?"

"What's up?" I asked, frowning.

"Well, don't know if you've noticed, but you've become rather famous online." I blushed because, honestly, I hadn't noticed. Not directly, anyways. I know some people talk about me online, but I also know myself well enough to know I would obsess over answering people and even what the obvious trolls said about me, so I leave all that stuff to be handled by Miles, with my parents uploading the videos and stuff.

The Top Champion continued. "Paldea doesn't have the big Conferences that the other regions have, so I was kind of hoping to make a bigger deal out of this. Televise the event and all that jazz. It'll also just give us time to deal with everything going on in the Crater."

That worried me slightly. "What's happening there? Is everyone okay?"

He laughed easily before frowning. "Ah, right. You were caught up in that dustup, the Rangers reported. It shouldn't be anything too serious, but we've been investigating and found some relative disturbances within the Great Crater." He scratched the back of his head. "Hard to tell with how weird things are there usually, but we're worried the research Professor Turo has been working on has disturbed the ecosystem there."

Leaping on the chance, I said, "You should be careful and tell the research team to stop until you can confirm that."

"Ehh, well, they won't like being told to stop… But on the other hand, those reports from the Rangers said things could have been pretty hairy if you hadn't been there." Miguel sighed. "I'll tell them to slow down and try to bunker up for the time being, see if the team can go over their notes, and do unobtrusive studies until things get settled down again." I sighed in relief. Good, that should hopefully keep Turo from bringing in more Paradox Pokemon, at least until I can become a Champion-ranked Trainer and talk some sense into him. Hopefully.

There was no guarantee he would listen to me, I knew, but if I had that rank, if I showed the kind of power needed to beat all the Elites and Champion in one go, then I could at least make the League listen to me. Given they were the ones who funded his experiments, hopefully they could make him listen. Or at least help me shut it down if he refuses to.

"Thank you. How long do you think it'll be till we're ready for our match?"

Smiling again, he said, "Shouldn't be much longer than three weeks. Which should give you enough time for a quick trip to Alola."

"Alola?" I mean, I love the place and always planned on visiting someday, but how would Miguel know that- wait! "They approved it!?"

"Yup! You'll have to be escorted by some of their League staffers and Professor Kukui, but-"

"I get to see Kukui too! This is awesome!" Miguel blinked, surprised by my enthusiasm. "Sorry, it's just, he's so cool! His studies on Moves have been fascinating; that battle with Ash, a Legendary joining him, and using Guardian of Alola versus Pikachu's Ten-Million Volt Thunderbolt was just… Aaah!" I shrieked in joy.

"Wow, didn't realize you were such a fan."

I blushed. "Sorry for geeking out there; it's just rare to find a Professor that's such a skilled battler as well. Plus, he's the Masked Royal too, which is pretty fun as well."

"Wait, what? Kukui is the famous mystery wrestler The Masked Royal? There's no way."

I just looked at Miguel, feeling like an anime sweatdrop was forming on my face. "You're joking, right? They look identical, and- it's obvious."

He stared at me blankly before laughing for a moment. "Haha, almost got you! But yeah, it's pretty apparent." Miles suddenly rang, a call coming in. As they floated up, I saw the caller ID.

"Professor Friede! Sorry, I gotta take this," I told the bemused Champion, answering my phone. Friede's face appeared on the screen, the man inside a cabin of sorts. The captain's chair had its back to me in the video, but I just barely saw the tips of a Pikachu's ears sticking up behind it. Guess Friede has expanded his team a bit.

"Nemona! Good to see you."

"You too, Friede. What's up?"

"We are!" He chuckled. "But seriously, our airship is coming in. Let us know where you are and we'll be there in a few hours; then we can discuss that, uh, thing you mentioned." He could see Miguel behind me and was likely trying to keep the details private from him. Pretty sure he already knows about Iron Moth given the Ranger's report and everything, but I appreciate the discretion.

Things clicked into place in my head, and I nodded. "That sounds great. I'm over by the League Building. But then, would you mind taking us on a short trip to Alola? I've got something exciting to try there that I think you'll want to see. Oh, and prepare to take on one more passenger; I hope we all fit."

The Professor blinked. "Sure, we can do that. The Brave Olivine has plenty of room, can't wait to show it to you! See you soon." He hung up and I turned to Miles.

"I've already sent your sister a message, bzzt. She's typing… She'll be here as soon as she's out of class."

"Perfect! Now I can just take the written exam while I wait. They'll be able to handle that in advance of the Gauntlet, right?" I asked Miguel, and he nodded.

"Looks like you've got things all sorted out. Yes, that shouldn't be a problem; honestly, we appreciate people taking the exam first. It's pretty rare that a challenger would fail that stage, but it's a waste of the Elite's time getting ready if they do."

I nodded, and Miguel started walking to the side, releasing his Salamence off to the side. "With that settled, I'll be off to Area Zero - hey, don't give me that look. I'll be fine, I promise. Big names like Miguel Worthington don't go down easy. We've still got our match to have. Just train hard, and good luck with your experiment."

Except I never heard of you in the games. Not Miguel Worthington, Martha Bitterleaf, 'The Great and Mighty Turtle,' or even Dandylion Espiritu (though I have at least heard of her niece, Poppy). What happened to make the vast majority of the Elite Four drop off? Perhaps Geeta could dethrone Miguel later, and maybe Rika would naturally aim for a spot there in the future, but why would a child be there? What could force Larry to step up to that role?

It was a question I didn't want an answer to, and I feared they waited off in the Great Crater and that they might not be waiting patiently. Nothing for it now, though; I just gotta hope that everyone makes it through these next few weeks okay, and then I can put an end to it.

Plastering on a big smile, I said, "I will, don't worry. Just worry about yourself; I'm looking forward to a great fight." Turning sharply, I marched into the League Building, attempting to push those intrusive worries out of my mind and focus on my test.

***

My attempts proved fairly easy, as the test demanded enough of my focus that there wasn't any room to worry. Damn, this is tough, way harder than in the games where they ask you, like, 'What Gym did you first fight at?' Or 'What is your reason for becoming a Champion?' (even if that last one did catch a lot of people off guard).

No, the questions for this exam were more along the lines of 'What Province of Paldea has the highest concentration of Oran Berry trees?' And questions like 'What are all the Abilities Clodsires are known to possess?' Things that weren't too difficult to research but might not be known offhand.

There were hypotheticals as well, questioning what kinds of Moves I would use with a specific Pokemon against another Pokemon or groups of other Pokemon. Those ones often needed clarification by the people administering the exam, especially about the Moves I had access to, as one time I assumed that the Blissey I was hypothetically using had access to the Flamethrower TM.

One thing that was true to the games was that the test was administered orally, not written, in front of a desk in an otherwise incredibly bland room. But in this case it was by a panel of three League associates. The pressure of being stared down by three people for each question was frustrating, but I'd worked on keeping my cool better ever since the Iono interview. I also calmed myself by believing that explaining my answers in detail was helping with my overall marks, especially for the questions I was less sure of. In any case, this is a worthy trial for Trainers wanting to become a Champion at 'the cradle of civilization and learning.'

After an hour and a half, the door behind me opened up, and I turned to see Geeta. She had a suit on, but one less fancy (and shiny) than the one she had in the games, closer to a proper business suit like Larry's. "Congratulations, Miss Glitterati."

"Geeta," I got up and nodded to her, taking the opportunity to stretch my limbs as the other Leaguers all stood up as well, none of them objecting to her statement. "I mean, Vice Chairwoman. Does this mean I've passed?"

"Almost," she had a slight smile on her face. "There's one last question to answer first, which is: Why do you want to be a Champion?" Ahh, looks like I don't get to avoid that one. Just like in the games, I get the feeling that there are wrong answers, though my options aren't quite as limited.

"That's a rather complicated question-" I coughed, my voice dry from talking for so long. "Sorry. I suppose the simplest, first reason has to do with Dun."

"Your starter?" She inquired.

"That's right. When I first met Dun, I told him he could be the greatest Dunsparce of all time. Now he's evolved, but that sentiment still stands. I want to make Dun, and the rest of my team, the greatest in the world. I want everyone to see how incredible they are, the results of all the hard work they've put into this. To stand at the top."

"That's why you want to become a Champion-ranked Trainer?"

I nodded. "To be clear, it's only one step toward the goal; our journey doesn't end there. But nonetheless, it's an important step."

Silence reigned for a minute as she eyed me, her blue and yellow eyes boring into me, as if they could find the depths of my soul. I highly doubt she can; there's many more layers to my goals than that. Still, if she's looking for deception, she won't find it either. This really is the truth. My first reason still remains an incredibly important part of why I seek to become Champion, even if there are other goals, like stopping Turo or living up to the character whose body I reincarnated in, that coincide with that.

Slowly, she smiled. "A splendid answer. I look forward to seeing how you fare in the Gauntlet, but if you can show such conviction and thoughtfulness there, I'm certain you'll do great."

"Thank you, I plan on it." Before I could say anything else, a man ran up to the doorway.

"Vice Chair, we've got a large unidentified ship flying towards the building!"

"That's my ride!" Everyone in the room turned to look at me sharply. "Ah, sorry, I hope Friede's arrival isn't causing anyone any problems."

"So that's where he's been," Geeta muttered, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her long fingers. "No, that should be fine, though hopefully I can have a word with the errant Professor before you head off."

We headed back outside, and there I found my sister right outside, her back turned to us. She didn't even acknowledge our approach, her head craned up to look at the sky. Following her gaze, I saw why. Oh wow, Friede very much undersold this.

The airship was divided into two sections. One was a boat, looking fairly like a regular (if rather large) sailboat. It had a red hull and red on the modified prow, with the rest of the wood brown with gold trim. Many portholes were on the sides to let anyone inside view out, as well as some amusing life rings, which I wondered how much they ever got used. Sticking out the aft was a propeller, spinning through the air. On the prow was a section that stuck out, with several glass panels around, giving me the feeling that it was the captain's chambers and from where Friede had called me before. But all that was less than half the structure.

The majority of it was occupied by a vast beige blimp above the boat, connected by a large strip of metal around the center of the blimp and a second, larger propeller system that stuck out of the blimp (this one with a large rudder past the spinning blades as well as exhaust vents on the side), both of these attaching to the top deck of the boat. A pair of large propellers stuck out on small wings attached to the side of the blimp. Around the middle ring, in addition to connecting the blimp to the boat, it had capsules on the side that appeared to serve as an elevator connecting the bottom half to the top. On the side of the blimp were patterns, a light brown lightning bolt cutting across the entire blimp, with a stylized Pikachu 'riding' it on the back half of the bolt.

Above the blimp was a metal deck with an observation chamber sticking up in the middle. To the prow it sloped down and led to a thick ridge that stuck out in front of the blimp that I could only assume served as a battering ram (and could not even begin to fathom why it would need such a thing). The aft had a viewing deck below and a large flat deck above it, with a pair of many segmented sheets of metal like a bird's wings connected to it.

Brightly grinning, I stepped up, waving wildly to the ship. "FRIEDE! OVER HERE!" I wasn't sure if any of them could hear me from that far away, even with my Aura-enhanced lungs, but the ship was nevertheless turning to approach us.

The Vice Chairwoman sighed and directed me and my sister inside. "Let's meet them on the roof; I feel that may be easier than having them land in front of the building. Would you mind requesting that they meet us on the other side and not block off the main entrance?" Despite being phrased as a request, I didn't think it really was and quickly fired off a message to Friede, letting him know while we went up the elevator.

The rooftop stadium would have been very impressive under most circumstances, and I might have spent some time admiring it, were it not for the giant airship floating beside it. Flying over from the top deck was Professor Friede, atop the back of his Charizard. Sitting on the Professor's shoulder was the Pikachu I spotted before, this one wearing an airplane captain's hat.

"Nemona, Cyan!" He called out before Charizard landed. "Good to see you two again." My sister just nodded, not as familiar with Friede as I was, while I ran up.

"Friede! Good to see you too." I gave him a high five before asking, "And who's this little guy?"

"This is Pikachu - Captain Pikachu, to be precise."

"Pika pi!"

I shivered as a bit of electricity sparked off of the red cheeks Pikachu had. There's a lot of power in this Pokemon, that's for sure. Maybe not Ash's Pikachu level, but still.

Giving a short, respectful bow of my head to the electric rodent, I asked, "Permission to come aboard, Captain?"

He inspected me for a moment before nodding in return. "Pika!"

"Awesome! Let's check this thing out!" I told Cyan, releasing Dun and hopping atop his back. "Oh yeah, Geeta wanted to talk to you for a sec. See ya in a moment, Friede." Then to my sister I added, "Race you to there!"

At my words, Dun took off, beating his six wings hard to propel us upwards. "Hey, no fair!" Cyan called out before releasing her Smeargle. "Quick, Fly!" Adopting a Superman pose (though it wasn't called that here), the artistic Pokemon took to the air, soaring up while my sister hung on to one of his legs.

Smeargle flew fast, but thanks to our hefty lead and Dun's determination, we landed on the deck of the boat first. I congratulated my sister in the traditional manner of a gracious winner. "Nyah! Beat you!" I stuck my tongue back in my mouth before she pushed me.

"Gah, you're acting like a child! Actually, you kinda are, for once," she said, concern in her voice as she looked me over. For her part, Cyan looked the same as she had when I'd seen her last, dressed up properly with her Uva Academy uniform on and her hair cut short. In contrast, I must look like a wild beast - well, maybe not that bad. I did get a shower after the Gym Battle against Larry before coming over here, but I've hardly taken the time to have a haircut or pretty myself up or anything.

"Ehh, just feeling… light, I guess. My path is locked in now; whatever will happen, will happen. Besides, we're on an airship! Isn't this awesome?" I asked rhetorically, gesturing at the boat around us. Awesome for us, at least. I hear Friede getting a stern talking to from Geeta for 'one of Paldea's premier Pokemon Professors just up and vanishing,' haha. I liked the Professor, but he was definitely forgetful about mentioning certain things to people.

"It's not bad. I had no idea the Professor had any setup like this! You forwarded a few of his videos, but they just focused on his studies on Pokemon within different regions. Though I guess it does explain how he travels around for those studies," Cyan said, scratching her chin.

"True, it must be convenient for that. And I had no idea about all of this until he messaged me a week or so back, and even then it didn't cover it being this… this," I said, gesturing to the entirety of the ship. This setup still feels a little much for his research, but if this is his very mobile home, then I suppose it makes sense. When he first sent me those videos, I just assumed he must have been taking plane rides between regions, but I suppose that wouldn't be very sustainable. I have to try and think more like regular people, not just take my wealth for granted - or assume that everyone has the resources I and my sister have access to.

Friede had 'finished' his talk with Geeta, hastily giving her his email and fleeing with Charizard back onto the ship. "Ah," he sighed in relief while Captain Pikachu rolled his eyes. Straightening his jacket and shaking his head, he put a big smile on his face. "Now that we've sorted that out, I'll show you girls around. Let's start with the Captain's quarters and get this show on the road while we're at it."

Marching forward, we entered the large room attached to the prow of the boat. The inside of it had a very austere feel to it, and I wondered if that had to do with Pikachu's preferences more than Friede's. Aside from the plain varnished wood and several windows to look out of, there was a modern-looking control panel, split partially in half by the steering wheel in the middle. There was a large solitary chair placed in front of it.

Friede sat down, pressing some of the buttons and pulling up a microphone attached to the panel by a cord. "We're ready for takeoff; give us some juice, Orla!" As we began to move forward, Friede flipped a few more switches, the ship beginning to rise as well. That alone would have still left things pretty tight with the nearby rocky slopes sticking out from the Great Crater, but the Professor turned the wheel hard, turning us around until we were flying over a lower section of the craggy rocks.

"Wow, you're flying like a pro, Professor. How long have you been doing this?" Cyan asked.

"Please, just call me Friede. Only a few months, but I'm a quick study. Of course, I couldn't get anything done without the Captain here."

"Piii."

"Or your engineer," a woman's voice came out from the microphone. It sounds like she's exerting herself.

"Oh, absolutely. I was just about to take the kids on a tour; we'll see you soon. You've got the wheel, Pikachu." The small Pokemon agreed, hopping off Friede's shoulder and easily settling into the captain's chair (which was too small for him, but he stood on his tail to stand up high enough to see above the control panel).

"You coming, sis?" Cyan asked me, and I tore my gaze away from the billowing clouds we were traveling above - an unusual, ever-present weather phenomenon that constantly hovered over Area Zero, somehow blocking any satellite imagery from coming through, yet supposedly doing little to stop natural light from shining within.

"Yeah, of course." I took a few quick steps to catch up with them. The Pokemon Professor led us through the deck. There were plenty of spare rooms for us to drop off our bags and other utility and storage spaces, he noted. A couple of times we would see the occasional Pokemon, a Clefairy or a pair of Sentrets. They were pretty skittish for the most part and would quickly leave when they saw our unfamiliar faces.

"Whose Pokemon are those?" I asked.

"No one's. Sometimes in our travels we come across strays: Pokemon who want to travel with us or need a hand. I do my best, but I'm no Pokemon Doctor," he admitted. "Still, we keep all our guests well fed." As he spoke, we entered a kennel with plenty of food dishes and various-sized beds for Pokemon to rest in.

In the next room over, we met our first human occupant. A large, jovial, dark-skinned man in a floral shirt was working in a very utilitarian kitchen. Atop the counter, an Alcremie was in the middle of handing him spices for the meal he was frying. Turning brightly to us, he smiled. "These must be our guests! Welcome, I'm Murdock, the chef."

I offered him a firm handshake. "I'm Nemona, and this is my sister, Cyan. We really appreciate this; let us know if we can do anything to help." Murdock just laughed.

"I've got the kitchen under control, no worries, but I'm sure there's other things you can help with. Orla's always busy fretting over a million different parts on the ship."

Friede nodded. "That's true. Don't stress about it too much; we have things in hand, and if there's anything you girls can do, we'll let you know. Though that does bring up a good point; we should go check on Orla."

From there we went up to where the top deck connected to the blimp fastenings. Through there, we traversed a wide room filled with pipes and wires running throughout the ship. Most noticeable, however, was the Metang who waved us over to a hatch. Opening it, Friede slipped down, my sister and I following.

The first thing apparent about the small space was the heat; it was sweltering in here. This was in large part due to the large furnace set in the back, its hatch open and being filled by coal. The coal fell off the back of a Carkoal running in a wheel-based generator; the coal that tumbled loose off of her back as she exerted herself was then shoveled into the furnace.

Doing the shoveling was a young, pretty woman. She was wearing a black t-shirt and orange, heavy-duty pants, with a jacket tied around her waist. Wiping the sweat off her brow drew my eyes to her hair, which was short and brown, with the tips turning orangey-red. I really have to study how exactly that works, as well as the oddities of the colorful locks my sister and I have. I hardly knew that much about the biological properties before being reborn in this world, but I was certain that scientifically it didn't fit into the paradigms I knew.

"Hello there," the woman said to us. "I'm Orla, the ship's engineer. You must be Nemona and…" She trailed off, looking at my sister.

"I'm Cyan, her older sister. You help run this… machine." I can tell my sister's not fully sold on this yet, but I think it's great. Completely insane, like all the random machines and inventions Team Rocket could somehow make every week while dirt poor, but great.

"Designed it too, from the ground, err, boat up. So, whadya think of her? She's great, isn't she?" Orla asked, her green eyes shining brightly as she waved her arms out to show off the engine room (and more likely, gesture to the entirety of the ship).

"I think she's amazing. I love it; how much does she cost?"

"Nemona," my sister said, frowning before looking contemplative. "I mean, that being said, getting a smaller, private airship for the family might not be a bad idea…"

"Ha!" Orla chuckled at me. "Sorry, but the Brave Olivine is the result of my sweat, tears, and blood-"

"How hard did you work to make this?!" Friede muttered.

"-She's like a child to me; no way I'm giving her to some stranger, no matter how rich. She'll be a treasure passed down through my family for generations!"

Thinking about it for a second, I asked, "Marry me?" If I need to be part of the family…

""Nemona!!"" Two voices cried out, Friede's aghast, Cyan's mixed with giggling laughter. For her part, Orla was silent for a second before doubling over with laughter.

"Hahaha, that's a good one, kid, but I think you're a bit young for me. Still, nice to see someone who appreciates a good ship." She said, casting a glance over at Friede.

"I appreciate it plenty," Friede grumbled.

"Oh yeah? When was the last time you offered to ma- I mean, I just don't think you appreciate it enough." The two young adults blushed heavily, backing off both physically and verbally as they realized how close they had gotten to an invisible line between them.

I tossed a knowing look over at my sister, smiling at their antics before deciding to toss them a bone and break up the awkward air. "Well, if I can't get this ship, can you at least teach me all about how you made her?" I asked the mechanic, and she quickly brightened up.

"Ah, of course. Happy to help anyone interested in the finer points of mechanics. Friede, for all his smarts, just doesn't get it." She spoke as if he wasn't in the cramped room with us.

"I understand it, for the most part," he added. "It's just that Pokemon are my passion. Speaking of which, you wanted some help communicating with a rare one, right?" I nodded, and he said, "We best make sure you have time to cover that before we arrive in Alola. Do you think the island climate will help them adjust to your team?"

It took me a moment to connect the pieces, but I shook my head. "Oh, no, I don't think the island climates will do anything for Radiance. Any of them; each of the islands is pretty distinct, you know? Akala is hardly like Poni Island or vice versa. Oh, and we're going to Melemele, by the way. This mission is to help a different friend out," I said, patting Notch's Pokeball.

"I know that look on Friede's face; he's going to drag you down a Buneary hole of his own plans." At my disappointed face, Orla added, "You can come back later, Nemona, after Friede's run you through whatever he has planned. I'm sure you'll have time to learn more about how the Brave Olivine works soon."

"Alright. Thank you, Orla," I said before we went up, entering the elevator again. Looking through the glass, I marveled, taking in the sights as we flew. This really is incredible. Not just the size and complexity of the ship but also how smoothly it runs.

Of course, the complexity of it wasn't to be denied either. Once we reached the top, we got off and went into the observation deck. There were windows all around, with a bench to lounge on and a mounted telescope on a swivel. In the center of the room was an elevator tube running straight down, which felt weird at first given we'd come in from an external elevator, until I realized that one must lead to the internals of the blimp section.

Sloped stairs with sturdy rails led down both sides on top of the blimp. We didn't head out to the prow, but an old man with thick beige facial hair sat on the edge on that side and waved in greeting at us. He was wearing a teal tunic with puffy white pants and traditional wooden sandals, a fishing rod resting by his side. "That's Mr. Ludlow; he gave us the original ship that Orla fixed up into what you see before you," Friede informed us as he took us down toward the aft.

There, I saw the magnificent wings I had seen earlier were stretched out, but looking at them clearly, it was easy to see the symbols and lines drawn on them and how they matched. Even easier to see when Friede pressed a button and the metal joints holding the 'wings' aloft pulled back together, the pieces assembling into a very large Pokemon Arena.

"H-how did you assemble an arena as part of the ship? Also, why??" I boggled. The Professor just smirked.

"Because I figured we'd encounter situations like yours out on the road," Friede countered. Damn, guess he's got me there. Reminds me of Batman and all the crazy contingency plans he'd have - hard to say they're crazy when they're exactly what you needed. Then the man continued, giving the actual reason. "Plus, Cap and Charizard needed a place to train too."

"Ah, that's fair." Looking around at all the open air around us, I felt an overall sense of peace but logically realized there might be an issue. "Mind activating the barrier around us? I don't think Radiance is going to fly off, but it's best not to risk them floating away."

"Sure," he said, and activated another button on the control panel on the side, a glowing barrier snapping into place, forming a rectangular box with the arena floor before turning nearly invisible. "This will make it easy to enter but hard to leave - don't worry though, it has a vocal override."

"Maybe hang back at first too," I suggested as I stepped onto the arena. "They're a little temperamental, like I mentioned, so I want to give them the chance to get used to where we are first."

Cyan pouted. "I'm really curious about your newest Pokemon though." Easy to forget that she's just a kid sometimes, but of course she's eager to see a new Pokemon. She also didn't trek through nearly as much wilderness as I did, despite getting experience as a battler. She hasn't learned how dangerous wild Pokemon can be.

"You'll see from there, and hopefully you'll be able to get close after they acclimate to where we are." And to who you are. I'd love to keep Radiance on my team, but that won't work if they violently attack anyone that gets near them. I released Notch first, then unleashed Radiance.

The Iron Moth burst into existence above the arena, the subtle gravitic manipulations of the force field around the place keeping them from drifting away as they floated above it. Immediately, even before they could have gotten (or lost) their bearings, Radiance started sending out waves of heat, the air burning around them.

"So… hot…" My sister gasped, even behind the field. Damn, even outside the barrier, it's still uncomfortable to be around them. Though that's in part because the force field is designed to be air permeable, and this level of heat is just within the tolerances for it.

Said superheated air was uncomfortable for me too, but using that same exploit (and my Aura), I drew the cold air from outside in around myself, making a sheath to hold off the worst of it. "Hey, calm down," I told them strictly.

Radiance finally realized where they were (we had practiced once in a rented battle court at Alfornada - and I promptly lost the damage deposit on that one), a fact that made them narrow their crosshair eyes at me. And also not lower the heat one bit. Wonder if I should wave my eighth Gym Badge at them and say that 'This means you have to obey me.'?

I smirked at the funny thought, which Radiance mistook as me smirking at them, and they released a Heat Wave at me. Notch easily stepped in, deflecting it with a perfectly angled Light Screen before smashing Radiance to the ground with Psychic. They groaned but let up on the heat. "C'mon Radiance, we've been over this. You can't just attack me, not even if I say something you don't like."

Digital whining sounds emerged from the Psychically pinned Paradox Pokemon, but they didn't try anything else, like unleashing a Sludge Wave out at their surroundings, so I counted it as at least a partial win.

Craning my head back to face the others for a moment, I said, "So, you can see why I didn't want you in here to start." Cyan gulped and nodded silently, but Friede still looked amazed.

"An Iron Moth… I never thought I'd see one! Or that they were even real!" That earned some furious beeping sounds from my resistant Pokemon.

"He's not saying that you aren't real, just that it's a bit of a shock, like how you're shocked by being here." Silence for a minute, then a quiet grinding sound. I think that's a sigh for them? Or maybe the equivalent of saying 'whatever.' Good enough in any case. I motioned for Notch to let them go, and they floated up.

Turning away from me, Radiance gazed out at the sky all around us. "All those clouds floating around, the horizon off so far away, pretty magical, right?" I said in a softer voice, stepping closer. Radiance turned their head, looking down at me as they made more mechanical sounds. Slowly, the heat died down, and they simply stared out with me, taking in the world around us.

Spoiler: A/N:

We're nearing the Elite Gauntlet, but first, a quick detour for another plotline I've been setting up for some time. Originally, I'd planned on this happening later but realized that there was really no need for it not to happen now (and much like my plans for Bahamut being the last Pokemon Nemona was going to get in the entire story, it was needlessly drawn out and unnecessary).

I'd also just had Nemona and Cyan taking a plane ride over before, but remembered that 1) Friede had been out-of-focus for too long, and 2) I was missing out on an amazing opportunity to introduce this incredible contraption, 'The Brave Olivine,' to the story! Seriously, for anyone who hasn't watched Horizons, this thing is wild. I so love that Pokemon just has crazy inventions like this and people crazy enough to fly in it.

Also, I rewatched episode 18 of Horizons (which has some flashbacks for Friede, Captain Pikachu, Orla, and Ludlow), and does anyone else get One Piece vibes from Friede back then? Just saying, but if he was in that setting, I think he would 1000% be trying to find the treasure at the end of the Grand Line. Let me know what you think in the comments down bellow or on the Discord. And if you're enjoying my stuff and want to toss me a bit of money, I have a Kofi and a Patreon, subscribers to the latter get early access to the next ten chapters. Thank you, and I hope you have a great day.

 

[Lillie Jones]

Captain Pikachu is The GOAT, HAHAHA
And Nemona is a board that flying ship from Pokémon Horizons with Freide,Orla and Ludlow.
Don't worry Ash's Ketchum Pikachu is still number 1 GOAT, but Captain Pikachu is a good addition to the Pokémon Fandom.
The Journey continues
Cheers!

 

[Skyfyre]

Spoiler: Patreons:

Thank you for the support from my 41 Beginner Tier Patreons, and an extra special thanks to RageLord and Nodal_Gravity, my Ace Tier Patreons!

After that incident, things calmed down enough to let Radiance go - even to the point of getting all three of us inside the arena with Radiance. As well as Miles, on guard duty; the Paradox Pokemon seemed less perturbed by Miles being around them than any of my other Pokemon. I wonder if that has to do with them being mechanical and Miles possessing machines? Would fit with how much distaste they seem to have for Phantasm… Though on the other hand, she had a bad first meeting with Radiance and knows how to hold a grudge. I haven't seen much on her end, but she could entirely be subtly antagonizing Radiance whenever they're out together.

"Though that hardly explains some of their outbursts," I muttered to myself. The Professor, standing nearer to me, turned, cocking an eyebrow. "Ah, I was just wondering about Radiance's actions a few minutes ago."

"Was that… unusual for them? You seemed to have it well in hand," he pointed out, and I sighed.

"Unfortunately. As for usual… sometimes? We had a rocky start, but some days are good, like right now," I said, gesturing ahead. Several meters in front of us, my sister stood behind an easel, busy painting Radiance, who was almost completely still, floating perfectly in place. Despite their current placidity, I had Miles hovering nearby Cyan, able to interpose if Radiance suddenly attacked her.

"So there are times when they're totally willing to interact reasonably and not cause any trouble, and other times when they're attacking everything around them. And I haven't been able to find a pattern for the mood swings either." They really did seem like mood swings, rather than an attempt to get out from being my Pokemon or the like - any time I brought up the possibility of them leaving for someone or someplace else, Radiance got even angrier.

"Sounds tiring," Friede commented, and I huffed a mirthless chuckle.

"You could say that again. I use a Timer Ball to give me an alert before they release themselves." I also always sleep with at least one Pokemon on guard, but to be fair, I was doing that before I met Radiance. "It's just… exhausting, always being on guard and unsure of how things are between us."

There was a moment of silence, and I took the opportunity to simply bask in the atmosphere. Being so high up helped calm me down immensely; there was something about the sky that was just so very soothing to my soul.

As I recomposed myself, I finally told Friede, "So that's the situation. Any advice?"

"I'd recommend not bottling up how you're feeling. Pokemon understand us pretty well - better than you'd think."

"I know that perfectly well - I'd almost certainly be bottling things up if it was a human behaving that way too," I teased before bobbing my head up and down. "But I hear you. Communication is important, and letting them know how I'm feeling is the right thing to do. Where do we go from there, though?"

"Hmm," Friede scratched his chin, Captain Pikachu standing on his extended elbow mimicking the motion. "Well, I'm hardly a Poke-psychologist, but I'd say that they're suffering from depression or have lost something recently. Does that fit what you know of Radiance?"

"Yuuuup. Definitely lost a lot." Or, depending on how you look at it, they never had anything to begin with because they didn't actually exist until a machine built by a mad scientist twisted reality until they started existing. That was a conversation that had started yesterday as a result of me going over my lines on what I might say to Turo when we finally had our talk. My attempts to placate or calm down Radiance hadn't gone well from there. I thought they would have calmed down at least a little bit with almost a day to rest, but given the Heat Wave they sent at me upon release, I doubt it. Of course, the new environment might have exacerbated things.

It was frustrating, in that everything with them felt like two steps forward, two steps back. "Before you ask, it's not anything any amount of money can bring back, or I would have tried it." Friede frowned at my words before shaking his head.

"It might just take patience. Don't push too hard or fast - you've got time."

"I know," I said calmly. I do have time. Time to figure out how to work better with them. Other things, like beating the Elite Four and stopping Professor Turo, are on a bit more of a clock. While it might be nice to earn enough respect from Radiance (and for them to gain enough control) that I'd feel comfortable using them in battle against the Elites, that's hardly necessary. Honestly, that would just be a bonus from this trip, especially if my experiment works.

"Pikaaachu," the small electric rodent chimed in, an eager gleam in his eyes, his cheeks crackling with a low level of electricity all around them. Friede smirked.

"You're fired up, aren't you, Cap?" Then to me, he asked, "Would you mind letting us go a round with Radiance? Cap here thinks he can reach them through battle."

I barked out a laugh at the hot-blooded Pikachu. Who does he think he is, a Shonen Protagonist? Then again, I'm pretty sure this world runs on anime logic, and I can tell that he's strong enough to give them a good fight. "Yeah, looks like Cyan is wrapping up her portrait too."

Strolling up, I saw her putting the finishing touches on the canvas. It showed Radiance, resplendent, a burning inferno behind them and hovering over a purple pool of poison (the background not complete yet but inspired by a few Moves they had demonstrated). In the center floated Radiance, showing off all six wings and their sleek, mechanical body.

"This looks wonderful, thanks, sis," I told her sincerely. "Once it dries, I'll keep it in my bag with the other portrait of my team. Heh, might need that one to be updated soon," I realized aloud, thinking about Bahamut, Radiance, and the potential newcomer in Gothorita. To say nothing about Notch's image hopefully needing an update.

Radiance floated over, inspecting the portrait over for themselves before preening, obviously finding it up to their standards. Which are still something of a mystery, but I know they enjoy an air of regality and elegance, and this definitely checks off those boxes.

Getting their attention, I said, "Hey, Radiance, I was wondering if you wanted a match with Captain Pikachu over there." I punctuated the end of my sentence by jerking a thumb over at Cap and Friede. "Just a friendly spar, nothing lasting damage-wise." They made some sounds that weren't super happy but obviously weren't complete disagreement either. "You could fight on your own, or I could direct you - your choice."

They were unresponsive for a few seconds, save for minute twitches in their eyes across their dome-like head, before giving a small dip of their head towards me. Accepting me as their Trainer in front of other people, before a big battle? Yes! It's just one step forward, but still.

I took my place on the far end of the field, thinking it unlikely that any shockwave would knock either of us off the edge, but judging myself to be more adept at not falling to my doom afterwards with my Aura. In front of me, Radiance's body vibrated with anticipation.

Across from us, Friede launched his Pikachu into the air, the acrobatic Pokemon taking off his cap and tossing it back to the Professor before flipping and landing dramatically on the field. "Alright, Cap, let's show them why we're called the Rising Volt Tacklers!"

"Wait a moment - you're called the 'Rising Volt Tacklers'? Like, just you two, or the whole group?" I called out, and Friede winced.

"Ah, yeah. Did I forget to mention that?" Off to the side I heard a slapping sound, knowing it to be my sister facepalming. "What do you think, great name, right?"

"It's, uh, certainly one of them." Cyan sniggered at my words, clearly feeling the same way. At Friede's (and Cap's) fallen face, I added, "Honestly, it's not bad. Just a bit of a mouthful. But almost any name can be good if you can back it up, so why don't you show us what you've got?" I added, picking up on the ever-increasing whine from Radiance at the battle being stalled.

"Pikachu!" Cap called out eagerly, lowering himself to all fours. I grinned eagerly, waiting as the arena speakers began the countdown to battle, my mind already whirring with ideas. Pikachus are generally fast and evasive, dealing bursts of damage before retreating. So hit-and-run counters here. We don't have a lot of self-buffing options versus an Electric Type, but the sheer power Radiance has should remove the necessity for most of that. The biggest issue is I don't know all the Moves Radiance can use yet, but that's fine; I saw what it did in our fight with the Rangers, so that will give me enough.

"Three, two, one, begin!" The speaker announced, and we were off! Captain Pikachu was charging ahead before Friede even gave the command.

"Thunder Punch!" He called out, shadow-boxing an uppercut of his own as Cap's right fist glowed with electrical might.

"Sludge Wave, flood the field!" Radiance's abdomen shifted, opening up to pour out a wave of the viscous, poisonous fluid. Cap leapt up high to avoid it, socking Radiance right in the face with his fist.

As he rebounded, I told my Pokemon, "Keep up the assault; give them nowhere safe to land!" Reeling from the attack, they still did so, but Friede just smirked as his Pikachu was falling back towards the noxious ooze.

"Land on your tail with Iron Tail!" At his Trainer's command, Cap's tail gained a steely-gray sheen, sticking straight and landing solidly in the ground. Not sure if the Sludge Wave residue is doing no damage to the tail or just minimal, but in either case we need to switch it up.

"Keep up the attack, but add in a Hurricane! Leave no room for escape!" With an increased surge of sludge pouring out over the field, Radiance also began spinning their six wings, spinning the air violently. Over the field, a horizontal Hurricane began forming, the air cutting towards Captain Pikachu.

"Quick Attack, get out of there!" Friede called, and Pikachu sprang away, trying to rise above and clear the attack. While he mostly did so, that wasn't enough to fully escape the violent attack. Winds and globules of Poison smacked into the Pikachu, knocking him into the far corner of the arena. Crying out in pain, the small Pokemon still managed to slow his fall by rapidly 'flapping' his tail.

This one likes being in the air; I think I'm starting to see where the 'rising' part of this name comes into play. Before I could give a command, Radiance began glowing with electricity. "No!" I shouted, but they didn't listen, releasing a huge Discharge into the Pikachu stuck mid-air.

If I'm lucky, this will just do less damage than it could have… I'm not lucky. I sighed as I saw all the electricity, not just the parts of the Discharge that had been aimed at our opponent, drawn into them. Rather than being hurt at all, Pikachu glowed with bright energy. "Pika Pika chu!" He laughed as he landed, before wincing at the acidic nature of the ground.

"Cap's charged and ready now! Double Team, then Thunder Punch again," Friede ordered, and suddenly there were dozens of Pikachus all over their side of the arena.

As they moved in, I told Radiance, "You know you can't blindly attack the copies or shock them." There was a grinding sound, but they didn't blindly lash out at the nearby illusory doubles, instead waiting for me. I waited a second as well, listening, letting Cap get too close. "Hurricane around yourself, then Fiery Dance."

The close range and his speed meant that he was able to land another powerful punch into my Paradox Pokemon, but Radiance was fast as well. Before he could escape, suddenly the floating wings moved underneath Radiance, conjuring a vertical Hurricane around both combatants this time.

Pikachu was getting buffeted around by the winds and tried to escape, flapping his tail not just hard but also skillfully, riding the winds. It was an impressive showing, and if he had a few seconds, he might have gotten out of there. He did not have a few seconds, however, as Radiance shot up to meet Cap, their diamond-shaped wings burning bright and unleashing lashes of flames out at him. The fire scorched the small Pokemon and the flames that didn't hit him consumed the raging air enveloping the two, turning the Hurricane into a burning pillar of flame.

When it cleared, Pikachu landed heavily on the ground, bouncing a few times before he came to a stop, burns covering his fur. Even Radiance looked slightly singed by their own attack as they floated high above. "Good fight, your Pikachu did… well…" I began to say before we saw Cap slowly pull himself back up. How tough is this Pikachu that Friede found?! I'm starting to push my estimation up closer to Ash's little monster!

"How you doing, Cap?" Friede asked, and Pikachu tossed a shaky thumbs-up at his partner, and Friede's smile came back in full force. "All right, what say we show them what you can really do?"

"Pi." He began running in circles; lightning shrouded his body as he picked up speed. Then a funnel of black wind began forming within.

"Rising Volt Tackle!" Friede shouted, pumping his fist up as Pikachu began to ride the wind he had made, as if running on the sky around and up he went, to meet Radiance.

Damn. I'd have so many options for this for most of my Pokemon, through honed Technical Machine Moves like Protect, or options in evasion I could trust them to follow. Seeing the way their eyes were locked onto the Captain, I knew that Radiance wouldn't turn away from this challenge. Oh well, no point complaining about the hand you're dealt. I just have to play it to its fullest and trust in my Pokemon.

"Fiery Dance, hit him with everything you got!" I called out, and Radiance dived down, their entire body burning hot. As the two approached, Radiance 'swung' their six wings around, like a burning buzzsaw grinding against Captain Pikachu. Our foe faltered for a second before pushing through, the lightning glowing brighter around them as they ascended, knocking the wings to the side and slamming into Radiance.

The lightning show was so bright we all had to avert our eyes for a moment. When I blinked the spots clear from my vision, I saw Pikachu lying on the ground, breathing heavily but unable to move any more, while on the other side Radiance was slowly picking themself up off the ground, floating up. Their wings sluggishly resumed their usual place, floating behind Radiance, but two of them were bent and flickering slightly.

Calling the match to an end, we rushed over to our respective Pokemon. "That was amazing, Radiance! Not just your power - which was still awesome - but also your control. Thank you." I realized after a second that I had rushed closer to Radiance than I had before without any other Pokemon between us. Risky, but… screw it, I need to show them they did a good job. That I can trust them, so they'll trust me.

Throwing my arms around them, I gave them a big hug before hissing at the heat radiating off them, which quickly dropped off in response. Totally worth it. And that was really only leftover heat from the match, not them trying to burn me at all.

Glancing across the arena, I saw Friede spraying Pikachu with some medicine and cheering his Pokemon up. Striding forward, I congratulated them. "Thank you, that was a match well fought. Not to toot our own horn, but Radiance is capable of fighting off whole teams of Ranger Captains. You've found yourself a powerful partner."

"Pikaaa," Cap tiredly thanked me before holding out a fist for Radiance to bump, the Paradox Pokemon looking at the gesture warily.

"Oh, it's a sign of respect. You knock knuckles against the other's, though, uh… I guess you could wing bum- that works too," I said as they placed the tip of their abdomen against it. Radiance still looks a little wary, but they did just get punched twice by that fist, so I guess it makes sense they'd use the fastest, largest acid dispersal unit on their body to match that. Plus, they just generally seem unused to battles that aren't life-or-death conflicts. I wonder why that is? I could only theorize, but none of my hypotheses said anything good about Turo's so-called 'paradise.'

"Thank you for the match as well, Nemona," Friede said, shaking my hand. "If your Pokemon are this strong, you're well on your way to becoming a Champion."

"You aren't looking too shabby yourself if you ever want to give that Champion thing a try - Charizard and Cap are a good start here. Especially if you gave Cap a Light Orb, hmm, and I should probably give you guys a gift as thanks."

"Ah, you really don't have to," he demurred, but I shook my head.

"Nonsense, you're really helping us out here." Okay, technically I could get a flight over to Alola easily, but the assistance with training Radiance is truly invaluable. And speaking of which… "Though if you really feel like it's too much, maybe you could help me with something for Radiance?"

Both Friede and my Pokemon perked up. "What can I do?"

"Radiance has a special Ability here that gives them a huge boost to power when they're on Electric Terrain-"

"That wasn't them at full power?" Friede whispered, slightly aghast.

"-But rather than spend the time using the Move, which can even help certain foes like Cap showed, I want to make an item to give them that boost right away. A 'Booster Energy' capsule of sorts."

The Pokemon Professor scratched his chin. "I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks." After making sure they were as fully healed as could be, we recalled our tired Pokemon. That was a good fight and a solid step forward, but like Friede said, I still need to have a talk with Radiance. But later.

***

A few days into our trip and I still hadn't made the time to have that talk. In part because we'd been busy, the ship was huge, and there were tons of things to explore and help with. From laundry to advanced mechanics, to assembling large tubs of coal to keep the ship running smoothly to discussing the finer points of Type Energy theory.

This is a seriously skilled crew Friede has gathered. Orla's a genius mechanic; I'm learning so much from her that I could never fully get from my self-studies, and Murdoch is an expert chef. They have limited food storage on an airship, but somehow he makes it all work, and deliciously to boot. And that's saying nothing of the Professor's own smarts; he's already started looking into ways to let Tera Orbs keep their charge outside of Paldea. Not sure if it'll be enough to let mine work in Alola, but it might help if it did.

The other part of the reason was that I still couldn't find the right words to do so. Just telling them off feels like it's missing something, even if I acknowledge that Radiance needs to stop endangering myself and others.

Pondering how to approach this led me up to the top of the ship once more, where I spotted Mr. Ludlow sitting by the edge again, this time with a Quagsire sitting placidly behind him. "Hello, sir," I said as I approached.

"Oh, no need for that, I'm just a simple old man here," the boat owner (passenger? - I was unsure of how he fit into the crew exactly) waved me off. "Just call me Ludlow."

"Alrighty then, you can call me Nemona," I said, sitting down beside him, breathing in the fresh air. "If you wouldn't mind, may this one approach the honored elder for advice?" I asked, sticking out my tongue slightly.

"Cheeky," he chuckled, and I joined him.

"Sorry about that, just having a little fun. But if you could lend an ear, I would truly appreciate it, Ludlow." He dipped his head, and I took a deep breath before diving into an overview of my situation with Radiance (leaving out certain sensitive pieces of information, like being brought into existence by a machine). But the anger they felt, how they could lash out dangerously, and the uncertain situation we were stuck in I explained in detail.

"… So that's how things are, basically."

"Are you happy with that?" He asked, no judgment in his voice. I shook my head.

"No. I've been giving them space for the moment, but it's only delaying what needs to be done, and I'm worried that letting the problem stagnate will just create further issues. I offered to be their Trainer; there's a bond there that needs to be grown before we can get anywhere. What do you think, Mr. Ludlow?" The old man didn't answer immediately, simply sitting there, deep in thought.

Eventually, he responded. "I believe that you might be feeling more alike this ah, 'Radiance,' is at the moment than you think. Might their anger be because they are also feeling lost?"

I huffed out a dark chuckle at that. "More than you know," I said cryptically while mulling over the problem. "The issue is, I can't give them what they want."

"Can't? Very rarely-"

"-Are things impossible? But sometimes, even in this world of wonder we live in, they are. What they want isn't simply a far-off fabled land, or some incredible feat, or even access to powers that bend how reality as we know it works. All those things are, with tremendous effort, possible." I stressed the word to make it clear to the man that I didn't always think those methods were advisable. "What Radiance wants fundamentally isn't; it's an ideal that cannot, and likely never did, exist."

I'm fairly certain, at least. I'm willing to go to Johto or Sinnoh some day and check if Celebi or Dialga can send them back, but I honestly don't think the machine the Professor built pulled Pokemon from the far-off future. There's just too many incongruities for that explanation to make sense.

"Do they know that?" Ludlow asked, and I let out a long breath.

"We've had some debate on that matter of fact." 'Debate' might be overselling how reasonable and peaceful Radiance can be when presented with something they don't like. "I can try to bring that up again, but I'm not sure where to go when we constantly lock horns on that topic."

"Perhaps suggest that they could look into a new goal. Dreams are not as easily discarded as one might think, but there is nothing saying you must limit yourself to one dream. A new goal might help raise their spirits as well - I found in my youth that picking up a new goal always helped lift my spirits when I was feeling listless."

"Hmm, that just might work," I nodded my head, mulling over Ludlow's suggestions.

***

In the very early morning, before we reached Alola, dark enough still that the sun hadn't risen yet, I couldn't sleep. Heading up to the top of the ship, I centered my chaotic thoughts, taking in the fresh air and gazing out over the dark horizons, wondering what mysteries and opportunities awaited just beyond. As I pondered these half-formed ideas and dreams, my mind clicked, like a eureka moment. I know what I need to say.

I released Radiance just outside the observation deck. They looked at me and Notch beside me warily. "It's a beautiful night out," I commented, gazing up at the night sky above us. My travels have taken me through wilderness and away from the light pollution of cities for plenty of clear sights of the same, but being higher up makes it all seem so much clearer. Like I could just reach out and touch the cosmos…

With a wistful smile, I drew my hand back down, the Iron Moth looking at me curiously. Or perhaps annoyed. "Did you have views like this where you're from?" They made a sound, and I couldn't quite tell whether they agreed, disagreed, or hadn't said either way. It didn't truly matter, as this was just small talk to segue into the heart of the matter.

"I've made my thoughts on how your inception into this world worked, but I could be wrong. I'm willing to try and seek out some of the Legendaries who holds dominion over time or other esoteric power to see if they can return you." They stared intently at me, and I quickly continued. "However, there are two things you need to accept."

The ambient temperature notched up a degree or two around me before they shook their body in a manner very reminiscent of what I'd seen of Volcaronas online. If they had any ember scales to shed, I'm certain they'd be doing so right now. More mechanical sounds came from them that I couldn't decipher the full meaning of.

"You- you don't want to go back?" I guessed, and slowly, they nodded. "But, you always seemed so adamant on- oh. I get it." The pieces clicked into place. "You're upset when I brought the possibility of your world not existing, because then it would mean that it - your past - didn't matter. It wasn't real. And that scared you."

Radiance made some grumpy sounds and I leaned back, finally in full understanding. "Angers you too, of course, and so many other emotions that you can't even put a name to it." I held up a hand, staring at it, trying to recall how my old hand looked, failing beyond the vaguest of impressions. That thought has run through my own mind. Whose to say a girl couldn't have Psychic visions, even with my Aura Type? What if I never was the person I was before, and this is all a delusion? If I forget my old name and past, will any of that world have really mattered?

Those were questions that had haunted my dreams, and I understood a bit better how they were affecting Radiance. They responded with anger rather than pulling in on themselves, but we both had fixed ourselves with new goals to adapt to this life. Radiance likes this life, however strange it is.

There was still a lot I was missing - this wouldn't be the end of discovering who Radiance was as a person, just the beginning. It did partially change the next segment of my speech though; I had been prepared to ask for time to arrange a meeting with a Celebi or the like, but if Radiance wanted to stick around, then that made my next point even more understandable.

"So, in that case, this means you'll need to stop attacking everyone around you," I said firmly. "Whether you're on my team or wish to be somewhere else, you can't just lash out when you feel confused or upset." It's just a theory on my part, but they always seem the most agitated after leaving their Pokeball. I wonder if it's somehow disorienting for them?

They made a grinding screech, but I held firm. "I'm serious here. Right now, I feel scared sometimes being around you." For a split second the lights of their eyes disappeared before coming back on, a surprised blink from the futuristic Pokemon. "Yeah, I know I don't always show it, but us humans are pretty weak compared to Pokemon, and you happen to be a pretty powerful one."

"That isn't to say I'll always be afraid of you; all of my team are strong, but I'm not worried around them because I know they won't hurt me. I trust them to help me, and they do the same for me. So if you're feeling upset, just tell us. I know communication can be difficult, but keep on trying, and we'll get there. We're here to support you."

Notch floated towards them, chiming in approval before knocking gently against the Iron Moth's body with their own. Radiance looked in askance at me, and I explained, "That's a hug. Well, as close as Notch can get to giving them at the moment." Hopefully that will be changing soon, though.

Radiance simply floated their wings out and around their body to cover Notch, without any heat radiating off of them. "Aww," I couldn't help but vocalize at the hug, which had Miles immediately zipping up and snapping a picture.

"Thank you," I told them as I released the rest of my team. They looked around curiously; Radiance in particular was uncertain until I sat down and motioned for them to join me, gazing out at the sliver of light creeping up over the edge of the world.

"All of you, I want to make it clear how much I appreciate your efforts on our journey thus far. We've fought hard and seen much together. It's hardly near its end; even after the Elite Gauntlet, we'll have more places to discover. A whole world filled with endless possibilities. And one of those is waiting down there," I pointed at the island chain off in the far distance.

Notch drifted off towards them before I grabbed them back. "Whoa, hold on. We should wait till we all get there." I got a rare gravelly sound from them, a pout of sorts. But when I looked into their solid blue eyes, I saw them shining with joy and hope.

Radiance tentatively made a sound, questioning what I was talking about. "Ah, right, I guess I haven't explained. Everyone on this team has some dream or goal. Some we've already achieved enough, like helping Nightwing and Bahamut evolve to their final forms. Others, like Dun's desire to be recognized as the strongest in the world or Athena's attempts to surpass her sensei, are works in progress, slowly chipped away at with time. You can find a goal of your own, something you wish to achieve or strive for."

"Bzzt, you might also find simple joy in just travelling along on these adventures too," Miles spoke up. I gave them a smile. That's true; not everyone needs some grand declaration to have fun with their friends and find joy in what the next day brings. Given how high all of us are aiming for, simply deciding to stand by our side takes a ton of work, and my second Pokemon has never faltered in their dedication.

"Notch's goal is to become a Diancie," I continued. "And I believe we'll find the answer in how to do so down there."

Spoiler: A/N:

This part ended up longer than I thought it would be (as usual, haha), but I felt it was best to cover the issues Nemona was having with her 'I can't believe it's not a Legendary' Iron Moth before we dove into Notch's stuff. Don't worry about this detour taking up too much time though, as we're covering it all in the next chapter, which will be my biggest chapter to date.

Also, I somehow never updated Phantasm's Moveset to include Hyper Voice, despite introducing it almost a year ago, whoops. Fixed that now, but if anyone else spots an inconsistency in the moves listed, feel free to let me know. Also feel free to let me know what you thought of the chapter, down below or on the Discord. And if you're enjoying my stuff and want to toss me a bit of money, I have a Kofi and a Patreon, subscribers to the latter get early access to the next ten chapters. Thank you, and I hope you have a great day.

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter
The Journey continues.
Cheers!

 

[Skyfyre]

Spoiler: Patreons:

Thank you so much to my 44 Beginner Tier Patreons and an extra special thanks to RageLord and Nodal_Gravity, my Ace Tier Patreons!

"Must be nice, getting to avoid an airport whenever they land," I commented as the Brave Olivine settled down in the ocean, right beside the beach of Melemele Island. "Makes getting where you need to go super easy."

"Yeah, but I don't think it's usually this easy, even if they don't have to deal with the hassles of air terminals," Cyan pointed out. Only a few hundred meters away, a man was waving us down, a large house behind him.

And we have it fairly nice, always flying first class at minimum. God, I can barely even remember the last time I flew like a regular person. Hmm… I mean, this visit was approved by two Leagues, so I can see how Friede got permission to land this time, but I wonder what he has to do every other time he hops around the world on his research tasks?

Questions for later. With the airship docked, I jumped over the rail, landing on the soft sand. The air was warm and humid, with the sun shining down brightly upon us. Past the beach sat lush fields of grass, tropical trees towered high above, swaying slightly in the wind. Wow, so this is Alola.

I didn't have too long to bask in the tropical paradise before Friede (with Captain Pikachu perched on his shoulder) and Cyan walked down the gangway and caught up with me. The others were staying to keep an eye on the ship but had told me they 'were eagerly cheering me on.' "You shouldn't run off like that," my big sister chided.

"Sorry," I said, my tone entirely too cheerful to be apologetic. "But Notch was so excited, we couldn't hold back," I explained. That was only half-true - while Notch eventually got too excited and shot off ahead of our landing, I definitely could have stopped myself from rushing ahead. But where's the fun in that? If God didn't want me to jump dozens of meters off an airship, then Arceus wouldn't have granted me anime-esque physics.

That thought caught my head for a moment. Not for the first time, I wondered about how much of my existence was planned by some creator deity. If my life was just an entertaining show for some distant figure or if I was dropped into this world with nary a second thought, and which option worried me more.

By the time I'd shoved that minor existential crisis down, Notch had returned, looping around the beach having taken in much of the little cove. At the same time, the man waving at us approached as well. He was a well-tanned, decently muscular man wearing a lab coat without a shirt and long gray shorts. Atop his head sat a white baseball cap with a rainbow image, the hat covering up most of his short brown hair. He wore a pair of tinted glasses that were closer to a visor with how wide and far across his face they went. This is the Pokemon Professor of Gen 7, a specialist in Pokemon Moves. I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised when I read the briefing Geeta gave me that he'd be the one to assist us with this, even if he's hardly the only scientific mind on the island.

"Alola, cousin!" Professor Kukui said to us, waving his arms in a semicircle.

I copied the motion when I greeted him the same way. "Alola, cousin!" I cheered, earning a surprised look from Friede.

"Wait, Professor Kukui is your cousin?" He asked, eyes darting between the two of us. "You never told me that!"

"Haha, nah, that's just how you greet people in Alola, all friendly-like, as if we're family."

Kukui grinned brightly at my explanation. "Yup! Couldn't have said it better myself." Mostly because I pretty much stole your words from a video game. "I'm surprised; not many outsiders know that about Alola," Kukui said leadingly.

Scratching the back of my head, I responded, "Well, Alola's always been a place I wanted to visit. Proper visit, that is, not a quick stop like this." Maybe someday after I've finished at the Blueberry Academy, I can do the Island Challenge. Though I've gotta go to Uva with Arven and stop the bullying problems festering there, help Penny and Team Star… So much to do, so little time.

My thoughts were bouncing around inside my head, my excitement growing with every moment. Okay, calm down, me. This is just another experiment. Admittedly, one I have very high hopes for and have invested a lot of time and effort into, but-

"What's the hurry, cousin? I was thinking we'd stop over at Iki Town, give you all a chance to put up your feet before we begin."

Shaking his head, Friede said, "This little pioneer has a big match to prepare for, or rather, several of them. Nemona's taking on the Elite Gauntlet soon back in Paldea."

"Oh wow," the other Professor said, a nostalgic expression coming over him. "Reminds me of the time-"

"That you fought Ash in the first-ever Alolan Championship?" I blurted out, causing everyone to stop and look at me. Blushing, I mumbled, "Uh, just, it was a cool battle. I may have watched it a few times."

"More like a few hundred," Cyan 'fake-cough/said.'

"Sis!"

"What, he's hardly the only one you've obsessed over. I can't count how many times I'd find her holed up in her room obsessing over various battles, gushing about how great a certain play was."

"Better than spending my time going gaga over influencers! Most of them are flash and no substance!" I shot back at my sister, and there were sparks flying between us.

"Ha, wow, okay then!" Kukui said, just slightly louder than normal, clearly trying to head off the impending sibling conflict. "In that case, why don't you just wait here at the lab? We'll be going over to Ten Carat Hill, which is only a Rock Throw over thataway." The professor pointed off in the distance, past long fields of grass and a few denser clumps of trees.

It took me a second but I chuckled at the pun once I got it. Kukui led us to his house while pulling out his Rotom Phone and sending a quick message.

"There, just fired off a message to the League Official, they'll be here in about half an hour, then we can begin, yeah." He opened the door to his 'laboratory' as he spoke, revealing the large open space within. There weren't many walls between the different sections of the house, the kitchen flowing into the living room into a sleeping space mounted above a large aquarium, all very organic feeling.

There were a few places that were closed off behind doors, like a washroom and what I assumed was Kukui and Burnet's bedroom (mostly due to Burnet exiting it and waving at us). Some stairs led down to the basement where Kukui told us some of the more delicate research took place, something I deduced had to do with the inhabitants up here.

All around us there were Pokemon hanging about, sleeping, eating, and playing with each other, including a Litten, Rowlet, and Popplio (the latter of whom my sister was instantly cooing over, fondly remembering the time when her starter was that small). While they were relatively well-behaved, a bunch of rambunctious Pokemon could lead to their fair share of accidents. And holes in the walls, I thought, glancing at the various patch jobs around the walls.

On a counter I saw an old picture of the couple on their wedding day, looking as happy as can be. Wow, I didn't realize Kukui could wear a shirt, let alone a full suit. While he had aged quite well, there were still a few signs of time taking its toll on the Professor compared to the photo. Little things, like a few more lines around his eyes and a strand or two of gray hair.

Burnet looked quite good as well, I noticed as she sauntered over, giving her husband a peck on the cheek. "Hey honey, what's going on here?" She was wearing a simple black tank top and blue skirt with gray leggings. She had long, somewhat spiky, white hair, with a green headband to keep it relatively under control.

"We're just waiting for the League representative to come here, dear. Nemona and her friends are eager to get a start on their experiment." Burnet smiled down at me, a twinkle of kindred emotion there. She is a scientist as well, and one just as accomplished as Kukui.

She was also intimidating in many ways. For her incredible looks, but also for what she studied. Multidimensional travel. She's made Ultra Space and those wormholes her life's mission; heck, I think she was studying such theories even before a minor outbreak of Ultra Space that sparked greater investigation into the phenomena a few decades ago. While the Legendaries whose domains cover such fields may be capricious, Burnet is quite reasonable by all accounts, in this life and the last. If there was any human I could ask for a chance to return to my old world, she'd be the best.

I caught my sister's gaze for a moment and turned away to hide the tears that welled up there. If that was what I wanted. Of course, I couldn't exactly explain my sudden outburst of nostalgia, love, and pain, so I pretended to fuss over Notch for a moment.

Faithfully, Notch helped me keep up the deception until I was presentable as Kukui finished his round of introductions. "... And this is the woman of the hour, Nemona Glitterati. Give us your best First Impression, yeah!"

Turning back, I got a face full of a blinding smile from Professor Burnet. "A pleasure to meet you," she said, and I shook her hand.

"Ah, the pleasure's all mine, ma'am."

She waved me off. "Please, I don't look that old, do I? Just call me Burnet."

"You look great," my mouth said before my brain could hit the abort button. Deciding to toss gasoline onto the fire, I frantically followed up with, "I just meant, you look very young for- ahhh..." My whine couldn't cover up the adults' laughter or my sister's giggles, as I blushed ever harder. New plan: Ask her to toss me into an alternate universe where I've never met any of these people and I get a do-over.

After the meet-and-greet was over, Friede saved me and asked, "Speaking of a representative, why do we need a League Official to oversee this?" It was a good question; there was a limited number of experiments that couldn't be run with just one Pokemon Professor overseeing them, let alone two. "And more to the point, what exactly are we doing?" He tacked on, staring intently at me.

"Oh, did I forget to mention that?" I asked faux-sweetly. The younger Professor gave me an exasperated look.

"Considering that I've asked you about it a half-dozen times on the way over, no, I don't think you forgot." Kukui looked surprised, his eyes dancing back and forth between us. Of course he's already been filled in on it; I had to state my hypothesis in the forms I filled out requesting permission for my experiment.

"Don't worry, just a bit of an inside joke," I told Kukui before turning to Friede. "As well as maybe wanting to tease you for your own forgetfulness, I wanted the experiment to be viewed with unbiased eyes. I can explain the process now, but I'll ask that if there are any objections, you save them until after we're done, ok?"

"Uh, sure," Friede said, and I laid out the plan for him. After I was done, he looked shocked, then frowned. "But-"

"Ap ap ap!" I countered, holding a finger up to silence him. "Save it till after. Please," I added upon seeing how he still looked like he had issues with that, and he slowly nodded.

For Kukui's part, he was practically vibrating with energy. "It's definitely interesting; can't fault the little lady on that, yeah. I suspect I'll have a million questions by the time this is done, woo!" I gave him a small smile. Makes sense that he'd be so excited to see this kind of experiment work. But if it does - or honestly, even if it doesn't fully - it could open up a lot of research avenues people haven't looked into, particularly with Moves.

"So yeah, that's why we need a League Official to let us visit a Diancie. When I heard that there was a Carbink colony with one of those Legendaries here, I sent a request as soon as I could to the Alolan League. It took a while to get an answer back, so I was pretty surprised when they suddenly accepted." It really was sudden; the documents Geeta forwarded to me showed they had only approved of the visit a few days before I put in my Elite Gauntlet request.

Kukui scratched his chin. "Well, they can be pretty particular about Legendary visits and the like, especially here in Alola, with the Tapus living in such close concert to the people. A lot of foreign Trainers get it in their heads that they can get the Tapus to do anything for them, forgetting - or ignorant of - the Tapu's place in our society." There was a singular note of distaste in his voice, hardly overwhelming but making it clear to me that he'd had to deal with several of those kinds of people.

"Because of that, most requests to 'visit' Legendaries get promptly ignored by the League," he finished his explanation. Which likely explains why my requests here were ignored… at least until our Top Champion got involved. I think, there could be some other reason too.

"Huh," Cyan vocalized before blinking at the glances she got. "Uh sorry, just, never realized how big a deal Legendaries were. I mean, it's in the name and all, but Nemona's stories and all made them feel strong, but not like unbeatable or anything. Didn't you say that a Quagsire could 'wall' Kyogre?" Her question brought forth a round of snickers from the adults.

I still think the right Quagsire could totally do it! "Uh, I was really young back then; I can barely remember any of that stuff," I deflected. I suppose it's better that they think it was just dumb childish fantasies than hints of knowledge I shouldn't have. Heh, kinda funny; I know so many crazy secrets that could lead to great power, but what I'm attempting here, the connection between Carbink and Diancie, was only ever hinted at in the games. This could be- will be - something completely new.

A knock on the door got our attention, Kukui quickly opening it to reveal a young, red-haired man in a plain suit. "Professor," he said with a slight incline of his head before setting down his briefcase.

At first glance one might be inclined to say that he looked like Larry, what with the suit and fairly neutral expression on his face. Looking a bit deeper though and it was apparent that he was nothing like the tired Gym Leader. The man carried himself rigidly, and eyes were sharp, as if just looking to tear into something.

"Sorry about the mix-up, cousin. I thought we'd be taking it easy at first, but Nemona here is raring to go at Extreme Speed! Oh, this is Percival Wailani, everyone."

"Just call me Percy. Nemona, Cyan, and… I'm sorry, who's this?" The man said, stiffly gesturing at Friede.

Friede stepped up and offered a hand to the man. "Professor Friede, I'm a friend of Nemona's and-"

"Would have thought you too young to be a Professor, the man responded dryly. Friede's left eye twitched at that, but he didn't respond to the implied insult. "Let's just get this show on the road; there's no point in wasting more of our day."

"Hey now, I'm sure it'll be a learning experience no matter what happens," Kukui leapt to my defense before I could snap back. "And who knows? We might just see a miracle today." His eyes shone brightly as he spoke and I could tell that he believed it was possible, at least. That's good, we'll need that belief.

Friede nodded. "I might have been skeptical, but at the very least, nothing like this has ever been attempted ever before. Trying new things is what science is built on."

The officious official looked like he was struggling not to roll his eyes. "Then let us hurry and get on with your 'science,'" he declared before striding back out of the house.

"Don't let him get to you," I told Notch, wrapping an arm around them. "This is gonna be your day; I can feel it." My Pokemon made a reassuring chiming sound to say that they were unbothered by him… Or they were plotting to bury Percy in a landslide. One or the other.

Burnet waved us goodbye (having her own research and things to do) as we left, following after him. Friede and Kukui chatted, the two Professors both rather gregarious and easily able to fill the air, both with noise and some interesting factoids they each knew. Despite having different fields of study, it sounds like they know a lot of similar facts. Plus, it must just be a fun treat for them to get to talk to another Pokemon Professor in person; I imagine most of them don't get to do that, too busy with their own research or League-based assignments. In any case, it made up for the dour attitude Percy carried with him, the heavily perspiring man only speaking when spoken to, and only then in short, clipped responses.

The young and inexperienced Pokemon of the grassy hills and plains we traversed stuck far out of our path. The Pokemon at our side (Notch and my sister's Smeargle), combined with the size of our group, dissuaded any wild Mon that might be feeling bold.

Even with the path clear, it still took a while to get to the entrance, with some particularly large rocks forcing our party to climb over or walk around them, slowing most (i.e., everyone other than me) down. It took so long that we stopped outside the cave to have a snack, courtesy of a picnic box Murdock had packed for us.

With the beach so close by as we ate, Kukui had plenty of interesting facts to share with us about the nearby ocean, something my sister was fascinated with. "Wow, that's so cool. I've got a Toxapex on my team. They're really strong, but we had serious trouble with a Bruxish that Kofu sent against us, and after our match he told us that they're natural enemies, but usually Toxapexes are disadvantaged. The Mareanies and Toxapex of Paldea tend to stick to the marshy lands rather than the open oceans, where they'd be easy prey, but it's totally opposite here!"

"True, and we have Bruxish in Alola too, but the two species keep to different waters," Kukui explained. "Bruxish are almost always found in Ula'Ula, while Marenies are common in Melemele."

Friede chimed in. "The difference in environment also gives them access to different prey. Corsolas aren't native to Paldea, but they're plentiful here - and easy pickings for the Mareanies. Though in recent years they've had to cut back due to over-hunting, the Aether Foundation to save the Corsola population, so they go after the Wishiwashis," he said, pointing at one of the small white fish that happened to bob its head up out of the water. "Though they've had mixed results with that."

Rather than be disturbed by Friede's somewhat frank discussion about Pokemon predation, my sister just looked curious. "Why's that? Sorry if I'm missing something, but that Wishiwashi doesn't look like much."

"All by their lonesome? They aren't," Kukui agreed. But when one of them is in danger, hundreds of their kind will rush to aid from miles around! They fight as one, becoming a threat that even a rampaging Gyarados would fear!"

"Whoa…" My sister breathed out in awe before turning to me. "Did you know there were Pokemon that worked like that?" Cyan asked, questioning my lack of reaction to that fact".

"Yup. Wishiwashi is probably the only conjoined Aura species that can be caught individually, unlike Exeggcute or others like them. In a battle they're treated as a single entity in terms of Moves and effects - and for official rulings - at least until the swarm gets beaten badly enough to be dispersed. It's a very interesting phenomenon, and I wonder why Magikarp or other weaker fish-like Pokemon have never adapted such a thing."

"Good question," Friede said. "It would be hard to form a study of such a thing, but I'd hypothesize that it has to do with Wishiwashi lacking an evolution. Most Magikarp will never grow into the pinnacle of their strength, but the fact that some can spurs them to seek individual growth over the betterment of the group."

"Interesting theory. It would fit with how Wishiwashi don't have the Ability to call upon others of their kind at first. Only once they've gotten strong enough to 'prove' their leadership can they call upon and unite a large group." As I talked, I saw my sister's eyes sparkling, gazing out at the deep blue ocean in front of us. "Uhh, I know as a group the Wishiwashi can be strong, but you'd need to catch a lot of them if you wanted some as battlers, since they aren't native to Paldea. Plus they'd probably need a specialized environment to stay in."

Both to keep them safe from any wild predators getting funny ideas and to contain them if they ended up being an invasive species. Generally the Pokemon League was fairly hands-off about a Trainer bringing home a Pokemon they caught, provided the capture didn't go against any existing guidelines - one or two Pokemon could hardly upset the rugged balance of any region. For Wishiwashi, you need hundreds of the little guys, though, so that could be trickier.

"You may not attempt to catch the Diancie," Percy suddenly said, and it took me a moment to realize that he was talking to me. "Nor take anything from its domain."

"Huh? Uh, yeah, wasn't planning on it. We were talking about something else."

"And I hadn't even settled on Wishiwashi. They sound cool, but so do Araquanids and so many other Water Types," my sister piped up.

"Those would need proper processing to leave the country as well, but again: do not attempt to catch the Legendary." Percy fixed me with a glare before turning away, tugging at his tie. If you're too hot, you probably shouldn't be wearing a suit in Alolan weather.

I was prepared to let his snootiness go, but Cyan felt differently, pressing the issue. "What is your problem, Mr. Wailani? We haven't even gotten to the experiment yet, but you're acting like you're too good for any of this? Why are you even here?"

There was a brief glance from the League Official to Kukui, the Professor shrugging his shoulders and telling Percy he was on his own. With a long-suffering sigh, the man said, "I am here to ensure Alolan League rules are enforced. International Rules as well. Do you know how many cases we get of Trainers attempting to obtain Legendary Pokemon for themselves? Too many to count."

Marching over from his spot, he towered over us, continuing. "And many of them, like your sister, have some excuse, some reason to try and get close to a Legendary so they can catch them. It's no coincidence that the majority of Legendaries 'just happen' to have been 'found' by the rich."

I bristled at the insinuation. "Just what do you think I'm planning to do? I've got two accredited Pokemon Professor's at my side, and we're even putting up with you - I'm hardly going to steal the Diancie."

He sneered back. "Even for those not attempting to 'poach,' one will try to get close to them; we can hardly take away a Pokemon from a Trainer who has formed a close bond with them, after all. So what I think you'll try to do is, after this ridiculous 'experiment' fails, you'll try to cozy up to the Diancie and convince them to become your Pokemon. I'm aware that you're attempting to- to take on the Paldean, uhhh…" His voice trailed off as the wind whirled violently around us, like a localized miniature storm.

"Go on; it sounded like you had a lot to say," I commented casually, my arms crossed in front of me.

"Um, you're attempting to take on the Paldean Elite Four, and you'll try to seek out every advantage you can get," he finished, much of the fire taken out from his words.

"You think you know a lot about me. Let me tell you a little bit more: I'd do anything for my Pokemon. When I met Notch, they stood up to a Kommo-o for me, the strongest Dragon I've ever seen - And I've fought Hassel of our Elite Four - without a hint of hesitation from them." Notch demurred, a few tinkling sounds, and I smiled fondly at them.

"Their fondest wish is to become a Diancie, and I'm going to make that happen, no matter what it takes. I believe that meeting with this Diancie will help them transform, but it's only Notch I want by my side at the end of this. Arceus themself could appear before me, but if they wanted to be on my team at the cost of Notch, I'd tell the Original One to fuck off." I spoke very directly at Percy for the last two words before letting the storm drop and walking past him, Notch at my side. "Now let's get a move on; we're wasting daylight, right?"

We entered the tunnels in silence, the argument having dampened any cheerful mood. Well, relative silence; Friede whispered, questioning my sister as to 'what was that all about?' She didn't verbally respond, so I assumed she just shrugged, but it did remind me of how careless I'd been. Well, at least it shut up that jerk Percy.

Within the cave there were a few Diggletts tunneling about, plenty of Zubats flying around, and even a single Machop, looking warily at us. However, what was immediately apparent was the abundance of Carbinks floating around. The Rock Types carried on with whatever it was they were doing without a care for any other denizens, but most of them did lock onto Notch, swarming around us.

With a set of rapid-fire chimes fired back and forth, the native Carbinks stared at Notch and then at me (and I believed I was now proficient enough in Carbink body language to catch the disbelief in their stares) before departing. Some set back to their tasks, but I noticed a couple trailing off down side passageways.

Continuing through Ten Carat Hill, we eventually found the exit to the valley at the center. Or at least it was supposed to be a valley, I thought to myself as we stepped into the fresh air and I beheld what was there.

Rather than grass and small hills I vaguely recalled from the games, the open space was covered in gems. Diamonds, for the most part, blanketing the ground before stretching up and covering much of the walls that encircled the opening. The setting sun's light hit them, creating a glittering, dazzling field of brilliance, only further enhanced by how it reflected off all the other Carbinks working within the valley and the gemstones stuck to their bodies.

Within the center, I saw a pile of knickknacks: toys, wrappers, and other assorted goods, all piled up beside a small throne made of various gemstones, precious minerals, and shiny rocks. Sitting on it was a Diancie, attended by a pair of Carbinks.

"Wow, I think even our parents would find that gaudy." I whispered, breaking the stunned silence and earning a snort from my sister before we all stiffened up at Diancie's approach. There were many similarities to their bodies and Notch's; both had rocky, angular, gem-encrusted forms. There were also several differences too, though.

Diancie was much larger, for one; the bottom section of their body was about as large as my Pokemon's. Rather than a small ring of fluff surrounding the small top of their head, the Diancie's white fluff was smooth and covered their humanoid torso, like a long-sleeve shirt. The fluff covered all but their dainty hands, which were somewhat like pincers, with a thumb and one wide, flat finger to grab and manipulate things.

The fluff stopped at their neck, leaving their face very open and expressive, with large round red eyes and a mouth, contrasting Notch's small beady blue eyes and jaw hidden beneath the fluff. Unlike the sporadic, light blue colored gems sticking out of Notch's body, the Legendary had pink diamonds adorning their body, and aside from a few random scatterings on their lower half, their gemstones sat symmetrically, one like a necklace below their face and most above, a large circular one on their forehead and several more sticking up out the top and to the sides from their head, like hair.

['What strangers trespass on my Queendom- oh? What do we have here?'] The telepathic demand from the Legendary turned into a question as they inspected Notch. Surely the other Carbinks warned them of our approach, so what are they doing?

My question was answered as they reached into Notch's fluff, pulling out the Diancite hidden within. ['Ah! This is a fine tribute. Welcome, guests-'] they began, attempting to pull the Diancite away from them, only to be stopped and thrown violently with Psychic by Notch.

Carefully, they tucked the stone back in their fluff as Diancie rose from the ground, enraged. ['You dare? To strike my royal person? I am Diancie!'] There's something missing there, some element to the name that's more than just their species, but even with the telepathy, I guess a human mind can't pick up the names as precisely.

Kukui tried to step in here. "Whoa, whoa, no need for any Frustration. I think Notch was just a little surprised there. We're quite grateful to be in your presence, your majesty, but you can't just take someone else's belongings." His tone struck the right mix of placating and stern to calm down the Legendary, who gave the telepathic equivalent of an ojou-sama hair flip.

['Very well then, I shall excuse your rudeness, but I still wish to know why you are here. I've kept to my deals with those insipid men and women at the League,'] they said, gesturing a dainty hand out at Percy. ['I've kept my territory contained within this small space.'] I raised an eyebrow at that statement.

These fields are at least a few city blocks across in diameter, and they're clearly not limited in sending the Carbinks out into the surrounding tunnels. Deciding not to mention that to them, I cleared my throat. "We came asking for your aid in an experiment. It should just be a small thing-"

"You're free to say no if you want, and we'll be out of your way," Percy interrupted, and I whipped around, glaring daggers at the man.

['Oh perfect, I refuse then!']

"Now see here," Friede said, before wincing at the sharpness of the ground even through his shoes. Guess literal diamond floors don't exactly make for easy living conditions for anyone who can't float. It also explains why Percy told us we couldn't take anything and why the League doesn't want them expanding further. "She came a long way; can't you at least hear out Nemona's plan? It really won't be much effort on your part."

They waved an arm, motioning for me to speak. "I want to turn Notch into a Diancie, and if you just-"

['Aha! So that is why you refuse to give me the stone of such great power.'] Diancie interrupted me. ['Do you truly believe this runty one could use it better than me? I, who was chosen to stand above the rest?'] Adopting an expression of pity, they shook their head at Notch. ['There's no shame in being born lesser, and I sense a modicum of power from you. Give me the stone, and I would accept you as a valued member of my court.']

Notch made a few chiming sounds in response, as calm as ever. Whatever they said exactly did not have the same effect on Diancie, who swung their arms out, crying ['WHAT?!'] Accompanying the mental exclamation was a horrendous cracking sound, a line ripping across the entire valley of diamonds in response. ['How dare you? To claim that this human of all beings was chosen beyond me? Inconceivable, utterly inconceivable!']

Before they could make any more aggressive moves towards us, Kukui stepped in. "Let's stay calm here, okay?" There was a flash from his Z-Ring, so quick that I barely caught it, but Diancie clearly did, stiffening up. I wonder if they can sense that the power of a Tapu once touched that ring, many years ago? In any case, this place is pretty far from the Tapu's Temple, something that I don't believe is a coincidence.

"Indeed. We will be leaving now," Percy quickly interjected, directing his perpetual frown at me before Diancie stopped him, holding up a hand.

['I have not expelled you from my domain. Not yet, at least.'] They seem to have calmed down, but I don't like that smirk on their face. ['Notch, if you are so certain of your power and the 'specialness' of your Trainer, why not prove it? Battle me. If you win, I shall do my best to help you transform. Of course, when I win, you must give me your precious, powerful stone.'] They declared, pointing at where the Mega Stone was currently concealed.

"That's not on the table. We might be able to make a different deal, but-" I cut myself off as I saw Notch shake their head/entire body. "You're up for it?" A single, determined chime rang out from them, the clear note echoing throughout the diamond valley. Notch believes in me that much, in the training and guidance I've given them. The least I can do is have the same faith in them.

Turning back to the Legendary, I agreed. "Very well then, I accept your terms." Belatedly, I asked Kukui, "This is alright, right?"

He chuckled. "No worries, cousin. If the Diancie wants a fight, you best give it to them. Show us your strongest Moves." I can hardly use a Z-Move but we still have some tricks- oh, he said something about the 'strongest Moves' being the one you use when you and your Pokemon work together in the games, right? I can hardly remember, it's been so long.

Keeping my head in the game, I asked Diancie, "Is this where you want to fight? We could move to an arena if you don't wish to damage your-"

They snorted dismissively, as if the thought of us being able to damage their domain was ludicrous. ['No, we will fight here. Alert the others!'] they told the Carbinks by their side. ['The colony shall behold a grand spectacle on this eve, and all shall watch it.']

Those Carbinks left while the others in the valley floated up to the edges of the caldera. "We'd best clear the way then," Friede said. "Though I'm not sure where we could view the battle from and not be at risk…"

"Oh, there's a great spot up a ways; Khali was telling me all about how she used to golf from here. Was complaining a bit about how 'her' field has been ruined, actually…" Their voices trailed off as they went back into the tunnel, with me catching Cyan's gaze for a second, the older girl nodding. Good, she knows what to do.

Notch floated a bit closer to the center of the valley to get ready for the fight, while I felt a Psychic sheathe cover me, shielding me from stray attacks. Glad to see that Miles is on top of things. Now to figure out how to win this fight…

I didn't have long to plot before Diancie hovered over to meet my Pokemon, but even that was enough time for me to note how quickly they moved through the air. There wasn't any agreed-upon signal to begin the fight; they simply said, ['Let us see what you're worth!'] And I knew the fight was on.

"Power Gem, keep your distance!" Notch immediately flew away, firing off beams of light from the gems embedded in their body at the Legendary.

Said Pokemon dismissed the attack with a wave of their hands, somehow diffracting the beams into harmless light. Didn't even know that was possible, but I guess that's a part of fighting a Legendary. Still, it proved what I suspected: they're slower than Notch. Diancie lacked the speed to avoid Notch's attack.

"Reverse course, get hopping mad!" There was a devious light to Notch's eyes, and I suspected they would be smirking if they could as they charged ahead. Diancie was surprised by the sudden change, only landing a glancing blow with a Power Gem beam of their own before Notch had closed the distance. The physical attack slammed into Diancie, pushing them into the ground with the barest of microfractures visible on their body.

The Legendary struck back, pulling up stones from the ground with a loud cry and hurling them at Notch, like they were senate seats and my Pokemon was Yoda. Notch tried to dodge them, but they were too large and fast, knocking my Pokemon aside and chipping them slightly with the still diamond-encrusted tops.

Diancie makes any Ancient Power my team could use look like pebbles. That feels way stronger than just twice what Notch's base attack power is, but I can't exactly rely on game stats here. Nor was I limited by how things worked there either.

"That all you got? I was expecting something flashier," I taunted Diancie before muttering something else under my breath. "Flash Cannon, rebound edition," I whispered in the wind, an Aura trick carrying my words solely to my Pokemon's ears. It took Notch a second to get what I meant and plot out a course, but they soon aimed their attack.

Just in time, Diancie's body lit up, glowing bright pink as they blasted Notch with a Dazzling Gleam. My Carbink took the shot with barely a wince, using it to light up their own attack. The Flash Cannon reflected the light that had been sent at them from the top gemstone on Notch's head, sending the Steel Type attack out, not directly at Diancie, but instead off to the side. There it hit some of the diamonds on the ground, shattered them, but reflected off, striking off another section on the cavern walls before rebounding again and striking into Diancie's undefended back.

The twice-over Super Effective attack earned a howl of pain from the Diancie's lips, their voice ringing discordantly in my ears. The wild Carbinks high above were all visibly shaken by what had happened to their queen. ['Wh-what was that?'] They called out, thrown off balance. Slowly, a small piece of one of their pink diamond spikes of 'hair' fell to the ground, chipped off by the attack.

I didn't have time to explain what a Technical Machine was or how it could help Pokemon learn Moves outside of their usual set before they went back on the offensive, enraged by the minor injury we had caused them. Suddenly, a hundred hand-sized diamonds appeared, conjured out of thin air around Notch. They hung in the air for a fraction of a second before whipping around like a storm, tearing into my Pokemon.

Diamond Storm, the signature Move of Diancie. "Flash Cannon!" I shouted out, and Notch complied, struggling to fire a beam off at the Legendary again. This time, the straightforward attack was easily dispersed by Diancie, the light scattering with a wave of one hand. As I thought, they can pretty much deflect any light-based attack with ease. Well, relative ease. The defense had still stalled their offense enough for Notch to slip out of the storm, as I had hoped.

"Stone Edge, use their gems against them!" Notch pulled themself back up, their ears waving hard as they focused hard. Beneath Diancie's floating body, the ground cracked as it shifted before erupting up, the diamond-tipped pillar of stone stabbing into our foe.

In response, they lifted a hand up, and I shouted, "Left!" Notch drifted to the side, narrowly avoiding a similar Stone Edge the Diancie had tried to use on them.

"Psychic, pin them down and Flash Cannon again!" A blue Psychic glow surrounded Notch's ears, which they used as channels to cover all of Diancie, locking their arms in by their sides and smashing them against the ground. Stuck there, Notch blasted them with Flash Cannon once more, the Move hammering into the Legendary.

Diancie attempted to deflect the attack, and I saw a few sparkles off to the sides from the beam, but it failed. Most Moves are instinctually trained to be channeled through certain body parts. Not sure what kind of Move that deflection is, but like most of what they do, Diancie naturally channels the attacks through their hands. I've trained my team to be able to use most Moves without that need, but for this Diancie, likely rarely if ever challenged before, they can't-

My thoughts were cut off by Diancie letting out a screech that ripped through the air like a shockwave, the force of it ripping away the Psychic bonds holding them in place, unraveling the Flash Cannon beam, and pushing Notch back a meter. Oh, come on! What kind of Yonko-esque bullshit is this?!

I didn't have time to bemoan how unfair it was as the enraged Legendary continued their assault, summoning more diamonds to attack Notch. "Whether the storm!" I shouted, having to fly away from my own starting point with the wild attack sweeping all around the valley. The few stray shards that might have hit me were deflected by the field Miles was holding around me, and Notch was conjuring a similar field around themself to better defend against the Diamond Storm.

As much as Reflect improved Notch's defense, the very attack Diancie had just used ended up powering up their own guard as much, the Legendary calling up stray chunks of diamond to partially armor their body. They also weren't a complete fool, calling off the Physical Attack and raising their hands to the sky and the moon above.

The sun was almost fully set by the time our fight began. Now, as they called upon the lunar energies above, it felt like night had fully covered the island, the moon glowing immensely bright as a large sphere of energy dropped down on Notch. "Light Screen, then rebound shot again!"

Even with another barrier protecting them, Notch let out a sharp cry as the powerful Moonblast hit them. The attack is finished, but I could still swear that the moon is shining too brightly now. At least it gives the others a good view of the battle. They were gathered in an outcropping on the other side of the valley watching in awe, Cyan's Smeargle Sketching the epic clash furiously. I can see why they're called Legendary, viewed as deities by many cultures - their Moves can change the world on a scale few others can match.

Few, but not none, as my brave Carbink proved, determinedly blasting away with another rebound shot. Diancie's eyes darted around, fearing the powerful Steel Type attack, and they managed to partially dodge it as the attack clipped them from the side. ['Quit that!']

"What, stop winning? Nah, not really our style," I taunted the Legendary. As they turned to glare at me, I subtly motioned for Notch to power up, my Pokemon centering themself with a quick Calm Mind.

['You're nothing! These- these cheap tricks can't help you-'] Suddenly they whipped back, glaring at Notch again. Could they somehow sense the power building up in them? Whatever, we got a slight boost.

"Power Gem with quick bursts, Psychic for mixed control," I called out, giving abbreviated commands for Notch to pick up on as Diancie attacked once more, another Diamond Storm sweeping across the field.

This time, rather than making diamonds out of thin air, they ripped up most of it from the ground and walls, tearing apart their own brilliant domain in an effort to attack Notch. And to stop us from using the rebound trick any more. Carbinks up top wailed distantly at the site of the destruction.

With Psychic, Notch contested Diancie's control over the hard gemstones they were flinging at my Pokemon. Notch couldn't directly stop the Legendary, but they were able to deflect the brunt of the attack while firing Power Gem beams at the Diancie, who was too distracted to disperse them and simply tanked the attacks. All the while, more diamonds were pulled up to coat the Diancie's body, armoring them further.

Attacks like Flash Cannon and Power Gem will just pass straight through, but they have other methods to deal with those. Physical Moves are right out, except maybe- we need more setup though. "Full focus on Psychic, all offense! Just dodge the storm, float like a leaf on the wind!"

Notch focused, telekinetically slamming Diancie while they wove between the shards of diamond that swirled violently, seeking to tear into them. Each hit from them to Diancie was like a pulse or punch, rather than the traditional telekinetic 'squeeze' Psychic would do. Makes it harder for Diancie to just gather their power and break through the attack again if each hit is staggered. Such a modification was difficult to do for a Move on the fly for most Pokemon, but Notch had spent hundreds of hours practicing and perfecting their use of the Move to use as a substitute while they lacked hands.

Somehow, miraculously, the majority of the storm had missed them when Diancie finally dropped it. Reaching out, they broke off Notch's next Psychic, then grabbed my Pokemon with the same force, tossing them telekinetically to the ground. Then again, as they tried to rise back up.

['Ha! I can do that thingie too, see!'] They cried, overpowering Notch once more. Damn, didn't expect them to be able to learn Psychic on the fly. We still have options, though.

"Stomping Tantrum!" I commanded, Notch using the force of being pushed back down to strike the ground hard, the impact lobbing a solid chunk of earth at the Legendary. With the storm down for a second, I could see the damages that had accumulated on Diancie's body. Some of it was obscured by the solid diamond covering most of their form, but there was definitely wear and tear from the beatings we had delivered.

On the other hand, Notch wasn't looking too great either. A few of their own gems were chipped or torn out completely, and much of their rocky body had gouges cut in it. Notch looked as badly hurt as I had ever seen them before, and that included any Gym fights or training where they clearly pushed too far. But the stubborn gleam in my Pokemon's eyes told me they weren't giving up yet, and I wasn't about to throw in the towel either. We still have a few cards left to play.

"Strafe, pelt them with Flash Cannon again." Notch followed my command, and Diancie was put on the defensive, deflecting the attack. To our foe, I called out, "You might be strong and tough, but you can't match Notch's speed, and that's what really matters in a fight."

['I'll show you speed!'] Their body gained an even greater sheen to it as they used Rock Polish, speeding up. Zipping around the field, they called forth another Diamond Storm, the speed of their body giving their Move greater speed too.

"Protect! You're too slow!" I called upon all of my experience as a Sonic main in Smash Bros. to add to the taunt. That skill, or perhaps seeing the strongest attack they could muster bounce harmlessly off the greenish spherical barrier that had snapped into place around Notch, caused Diancie to throw any caution to the wind and fall for my taunt again, dropping the attack to speed up again.

"Trick Room," my voice was calm, but excitement was bubbling up within me as I felt the field building up around me, and I floated out of range. Diancie finished the second Rock Polish, now moving like a blur so fast that even I was having trouble keeping up - until they instantly decelerated, stopping an inch away from Notch. Trick Room locked into place, appearing fully visible, covering the entire valley within it.

Diancie's hand was still outstretched, reaching towards my Carbink like it was moving through molasses, unable to connect before Notch blasted them with a Flash Cannon. "Yes!" I cheered. "Keep going, hit them as hard as you can!" They continued their assault, hitting Diancie a few more times before I noticed a flicker within the field.

What? It's too soon for that, and I don't think Notch weakened it by making the field that large or anythin- it must be Diancie! Either they were going to break it apart with the kind of brute force only a Legendary had, or they'd figured out the Move from seeing it once and were going to reverse it by using it themself. Whatever the case, we only had a moment, so I shouted, "Psych Up!"

Notch cut off their attack, rising up in the air as they pumped themself up, looking at how strong Diancie was and imagining they had the same boosts. The Trick Room dissipated, and Diancie zipped around again, their speed returned. With the Psych Up complete, though, Notch could match them; no, more than match them, was faster than the Legendary. I hadn't been lying before when I said Notch was faster… but I was when I said speed was everything in a fight.

My Pokemon's defense had shot up greatly, now shining with a similar sheen to mimic the diamond armor Diancie wore, but they were still heavily damaged from everything before. One more shot could take them out, even a glancing blow.

"Let's end it, right here and now: Body Press!" I cried, tossing my Tera Orb over the arena. Please let this work, please let this work. The shaking from the device felt weak, barely noticeable when I had grabbed it, not like the usual arm-shaking force as it charged up. Notch dived down toward Diancie and on a trajectory to carry them under the Tera Orb, which shook, then cracked open, enveloping Notch in a chunk of crystals. "It worked!"

Diancie held up their hands, conjuring their largest amount of diamonds from thin air yet, all striking towards the descending crystal. Notch burst forth, Terastalized with a large fist Tera 'hat' above their head, battering through the deadly storm, smashing into Diancie like the world's most aggressive meteor.

A shockwave burst out from the impact, and then again as Notch's force carried the two of them into the throne, the last intact part of their domain - and then no longer. It shattered, the Move sending tiny shards of diamond flying everywhere. As I pulled my arm back down from where I had instinctively shielded it, I saw the final result.

Diancie's armor was entirely shattered and scattered across the valley, amidst the other shards twinkling brightly in the moonlight. They lay in their half-ruined throne, attempting to pull themself up for a moment before giving up, lacking the strength to rise from where they slouched.

Notch's Terastalization ended instantly, and I wasn't sure if that was due to the damage they had taken or simply how little power the phenomenon had to last on these foreign lands. My Pokemon lay unmoving on the ground beside Diancie for half a minute. I began my descent to look after them, but then, slowly but surely, they rose. Floating up above Diancie, who still couldn't muster the energy to fight, Notch began charging up another Flash Cannon.

['I… I yield.'] Diancie admitted, and Notch powered down, just in time for me to give them a flying hug.

"You did it! You did it!" Notch gave a weak chime, their hard body worn down enough that even a human's squeeze could feel tight. Quickly I sprayed them with potions and elixirs, giving them health and energy back. Then I did the same for Diancie.

['How could I lose… to a mere Carbink? I don't understand. Aren't I special?'] The Legendary Pokemon looked on the verge of tears, and I felt enough pity to toss them a bone, even with how abrasive they'd been before.

"You are. It's just that Notch is very special too, and we've trained very hard to get where we are." The answer seemed to satisfy them, and they rose, taking in the sight of their ruined domain. "And, uh, sorry about all that damage."

Diancie waved me off. ['It's fine. I'll build a new domain, bigger and better than ever before! Shinier too!']

"Glad to see you're in such good spirits." Kukui said to them before stepping carefully towards us. There was a fair bit of debris and random spikes non-flying people had to worry about, but they were making their way over as quickly as they could. "That battle was like a non-stop All-Out Pummeling! Wow cousin, just... wow. I'd like to see what Notch could do with a Z-Crystal."

"That was incredible. I'm still not sure about how your plan will work exactly, but I have no doubt that Notch deserves it after a fight like that." Friede commented.

"We got it!" Cyan said excitedly too.

['I suppose I should hold up my end of the bet. I will help 'Notch' transform. Uh, what exactly was it you needed from me?']

"I don't think we need anything anymore, actually." At their furious look, I quickly added, "But I'm sure Smeargle could use a few more examples of Diamond Storm, right, sis?"

She rolled her eyes but nodded, sending Smeargle forward, letting the painter Pokemon take in the Move. What he already had on the easel looked good, but something about watching the different ways Diancie used the Move, for grand displays, to forceful attacks targeting nothing in particular, and even starting to rebuild their domain… All of it helped make the painting Smeargle had been working on deeper and more vivid. Subtle things, but any bit that made our goal more likely, I'd take.

Not sure how the Sketch works exactly; Smeargles hardly need to keep the painting of the Moves they copy to use them, though most will, hanging their favorite pieces in their abodes in the wild. I guess the act of making it is what imprints the Move within their mind? In any case, I'd love to at least get a copy of the painting. In it, Notch stood (well, hovered) defiantly, a sea of diamonds between them and Diancie, conducting the storm like a maestro.

As that was taking place, Percy eventually slid up to me, a strange look on his face, like he was confused and having digestive problems. His voice was smooth, but I could literally feel his emotions and how pained he felt as he praised me. "Congratulations on your fight. It was… impressive. I did not believe a regular Pokemon could defeat a Legendary by themselves. You're a skilled Trainer."

He's hardly making a huge apology for his prior behavior - doubt I'd ever get it from a guy as stiff as this - but at least he's trying to offer an olive branch. I decided to take the win rather than poke at him further.

"Thank you, but I can't take all the credit. We worked together, Notch and I. Having each other's backs, that bond, it means a lot, ya know?" I didn't wait for an answer before adding, "It was a tough fight still. In terms of power, we were definitely outmatched, but there's more to a battle than just that. Proper planning, skill, and, in a pinch, a bit of misdirection… it all goes a long way." The man simply nodded. Such tactics and planning didn't seem to be his strong suit, so he was probably just taking my word for it.

It was nearing midnight by the time Smeargle felt there was no more to be done, putting their tail/paintbrush away. Everyone was hungry and tired, including myself, and part of me wanted to call it a night, but then I looked at Notch. Small scars and chips still marred their body, but they were shining brighter than I'd ever seen them before. The mindset is critical for this; we have to seize this moment.

Still I asked, "You ready?" Notch was nodding before I was even finished talking. "Alright, let's do this! Everyone, give us some room, please." I asked, and everyone (including Diancie and the hundreds of Carbinks) backed up and gave Notch, myself, and Smeargle half of the valley to use.

"First, let's set the stage. Notch, Misty Terrain." My ever faithful Pokemon didn't question my command, and a misty pink field spread out around them, covering the valley. Not sure if this part matters, but I don't think it will hurt our chances.

"Cyan, if I may?" I asked, and my sister nodded. We already agreed on this, but it's always polite to ask before giving an order to someone else's Pokemon. "Smeargle, Inverted Assist! Let Notch use Diamond Storm!"

Smeargle leapt up, waving his arms and clapping wildly at Notch, their fingers inverted and pointing down. My Carbink focused, their eyes scrunched up tight, ears flapping hard as they attempted to copy. Assist usually lets the user utilize another Pokemon's Move. But at its base, it's about helping one another out. A Diancie couldn't learn it, but a Smeargle, which can potentially learn any Move… perhaps this will be what we need to break through that barrier.

When I'd first asked Cyan if she could do that, she said I was crazy, but eventually she agreed to the plan. 'Inverted Assist.' Aside from being what my sister pointed to as 'definitive proof Nemona shouldn't be allowed to name things,' it was what I hoped would be the key to our success today.

Coal began forming in the air, which was then compressed until it was diamond. An impressive showing for most Rock Types, but we were well beyond that already. Notch needs to make diamonds. For all their power, that had been something of a hard limit for them. But not tonight. "C'mon, you're doing great, Notch! Push harder. After everything you've done, every trial we've faced together, I know that this is your night. You can do it, Notch. Believe in yourself - I believe in you!"

A glimmer in the air caught my eye, a tiny, sparkling diamond appearing within the air, then a slightly larger one, this time pebble-sized. Then a few more. More and more, with the stones becoming larger and larger, until it was as large as any Diancie had created earlier, filling half of the valley. The twinkling lights of the Terrain reflected off the gemstones, sparkling brightly, giving the space an ethereal feel, like we'd entered a fey realm.

Despite that, as I looked over at the star of the day, Notch remained the same. At least they learned an incredible new Move. This was still a worthwhile trip. I paused, trying to come up with the words of encouragement to give Notch for all their efforts- CRACK. We all looked around for the jarring sound until I realized it was coming from Notch. "Look!" I couldn't help but shout, pointing at my Pokemon as they transformed.

And it was very much a transformation, not an evolution. No glowing light surrounded Notch, their body breaking and shifting, stretching out as they grew. Atop their head, Notch's ears shrunk inward, the left one keeping the notch upon it that was the basis for their name. Diamonds grew out atop their head, forming a similar but unique pattern to what the wild Diancie had. The gems were a light pink color, and the rest of the gems on the lower half of their body also shifted in color to reflect that. Instead of having a diamond around their neck like the wild one had thought, the Diancite simply hung there in its place.

The white fluff they had covered the torso, leaving Notch's new face bright and clear. Another loud cracking sound accompanied two rocky appendages bursting free. The arms were the most obvious difference between the two Diancies in the valley, with Notch's being far thicker, with large biceps and larger forearms, each hand capped with a set of four fingers and a thumb.

"Notch," I whispered reverently. "You achieved it. Your dream. You are, a Diancie." This fact was further confirmed a few seconds later by Kukui's Rotomdex floating up and scanning them.

"Ro-to-to… Diancie, the Jewel Pokemon."

['YES! I DID IT! YOU DID IT! WE DID ITTTTTTT!!!'] They telepathically screamed, rushing over and wrapping me in a bone-creaking hug. Welp, this is a good way to go. I thought, my vision growing dim before they let me go and I could breathe again.

Percy and Friede stood, dumbfounded, the latter with a hint of awe in his gaze. Kukui clapped heavily while my sister cheered. "We knew you could do it!" After a moment, the wild Diancie clapped politely as well.

['I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by this point, very good. Now, if you wouldn't mind leaving, we have a lot of work to do,'] they said, shooing us off. Notch accepted, but only after shaking their hand out of respect for the match.

Well, that's what I'll tell anyone who asks. Considering how they gave everyone multiple high fives and are now touching the walls as we walk back, I think they're just reveling in having hands, and you know, good for them. As we marched back, any trace of fatigue in the group had been completely wiped away, watching the splendor and sheer joy Notch carried with them.

By the time we exited Ten Carat Hill, Friede had recovered enough to ask, "Okay, that was amazing, and I'm sorry for doubting it, but how did that work, exactly?"

Percy cleared his throat. "You can feel free to explain the method to the Professor's here, the League has protocols to keep such things secret for Trainers. We'll give them NDAs-"

"Why would I want to keep it a secret?" I asked, cocking my head to the side. "I'll admit, it's a bit trickier than it looked, but…"

That seemed to baffle Percy as much as the transformation. "But- you're a Trainer. Don't you want a competitive edge?? What if other people copied you and had Diancies of their own?"

"Let em," I said with a shrug. "They can have Diancies too if they want, but they won't be Notch. Won't beat Notch either," I said with a sharp grin. My new Legendary Pokemon swooped in at that line, hand raised, and I gave them another high five. In their excitement this time, though, Notch hit with a bit more force, and my hand whipped back before I clutched it tight, pain flooding me for a second.

['Oh no, are you alright?'] Notch asked, hovering over me.

"It's- it's fine," I hissed out. "And hey, you've learned how to control your telepathy volume," I said, still grinning. Honestly, there's not much that could ruin this moment. With that much power, I think there's decent odds Notch can learn Mega Punch too.

After a minute to compose myself (and for Miles to make a few ice cubes from their Fridge Form that I could hold against my hand), I continued, answering Friede's question. "Well, if you're asking how this was possible, I first theorized that with the similarities between Carbinks and Diancies, the key difference was the ability to create diamonds from the carbon molecules in the air. So I thought, 'What if we reversed the cause and effect?' What if instead of Diancies being able to create diamonds, it was that any Carbink could become a Diancie if they could create diamonds like that? The ones born as Diancies simply had the mutation that let them do so in the first place, but if I could engineer a way for Notch to create diamonds themself…" I trailed off meaningfully.

"Then it would let Notch turn into a Diancie!" Friede declared, slapping a fist into his palm (which Notch immediately mimicked adorably before going back to running their hand through the sand). "Wait, no, that still doesn't explain things," the Professor said after a moment. "Even skipping over the 'Inverted Assist' Smeargle used that still doesn't-"

"Whoa, whoa, you can't just 'skip over' the best part!" The other Professor exclaimed, interrupting Friede. "A wholly original Move, invented by a Pokemon known for only copying Moves! That was huge! I'm as fired up as a Blast Burn!" Kukui then turned to my sister and begged "Please, pleasepleasepleaseplease stay in Alola for a while? There's so much I want to study about this!"

Cyan laughed nervously before scratching behind her head. "Well, actually, about that…"

"It was fake," I stated bluntly.

"""Huh?""" ['Huh?'] Came three verbal and one telepathic voice. Notch paused, creating a small, singular diamond between their hands, waving at it as if to say, 'If it was fake, then how does this work?'

"Yeah, I know in the study we had that plan written down, and I do still think such a Move could be made, but… we just didn't have enough time. I didn't think I'd be in this much of a rush, or that we'd get the chance this soon, so someone didn't teach Smeargle the Move." I said with a pointed stare my sister's way.

"Oh, you try coming up with an entirely new Move-" I opened my mouth to speak before swiftly closing it at Cyan's next words. "-And also being a full-time student, Miss-trains-twenty-four-seven!"

"Ok, that's fair. So yeah, the Inverted Assist didn't quite pan out, but that was fine. Making diamonds instantly out of the air or making another rock and compressing them into diamonds... those are just minor differences. Physically, the process works the same, so I knew if Notch thought they could, they'd be able to make a Diamond Storm of their own, especially after studying it so intently."

"But that wasn't the main point you were talking about, was it?" I asked Friede, and the young Professor nodded. "It's the fact that as much as I dressed it up nice, genetics don't actually work like that."

['Wait, but if they don't then how did I…?'] Notch trailed off, looking at their new hands before I grabbed them lightly.

"You were the key to your own success all along. Creating diamonds out of thin air, transforming, that potential was always in you; I just needed you to believe." I had plenty of theories on how 'natural' Diancies were created, the subconscious belief of a group of Carbinks that needed a leader, with tales long passed of how Diancies could be born from regular Carbink eggs and that belief, that collective desire, then making it into a reality with one of the next eggs to hatch. Still doesn't explain how the first Diancies came to be, aside from Act of Arceus, but I think it works. Also, while inside the egg, the Pokemon within wouldn't have any doubts of their own that might counter the process.

['I see. Well, finding out you deceived me isn't great, but on the other hand, I have hands now!'] Notch cheered joyously.

To the others I added, "So yeah, that's how we did it. Technically it shouldn't be possible, but it sounded 'right enough' to pitch to Notch. It had to be something that sounded legitimate enough. An idea specific and difficult enough that no one would have tried it before, so we could be the first ones to pioneer it. For a Fairy Type determined to grow, making it 'seem' right was far more important than how the world actually works."

"So the key is deception?" Percy said. "Well, at least that will make it easier to stop everyone from getting their hands on a Legendary when you publish your paper. It will be much harder to fool future Carbinks-" I groaned, cutting him off.

"Did you get nothing about what I said? The deception might have helped set the stage, gave Notch a push in the right direction, but that wasn't what made them transform: it was faith. I had faith in Notch, they believed in me and my methods, and that belief helped them achieve their destiny." Sure, sounds crazy, but there's weirder things in this world. Besides, the anime and games were always about 'believing in your Pokemon,' so why couldn't there be a ''belief'-based transformation?

I added, "If anything, it should be even easier for other Carbinks to do the same, now that Notch has proven it's possible." The League official's composure broke and he let out a pitiful whimper, clearly imagining how to report/deal with this when it reached the global stage.

I had even more thoughts, theories on how exactly it worked for Notch and the connection with how Diancies were naturally born, but I felt almost jittery, still too excited and elated over what had just happened to properly elaborate on them.

['With the guidance of the chosen one leading them, I'm certain they'll succeed.'] Notch chimed in, and now it was my turn to groan.

"Wow, you really do think of yourself as a 'chosen one,' huh?" Friede said to Notch, and I shook my head, sighing. Before I could deflect, my Diancie 'explained.'

['Myself? No, I am merely a humble supplicant. It is Nemona who was chosen by the great creator, Arceus themself.'] Everyone else in our group turned and looked at me. Come on, it's not my fault! I didn't put those weird ideas in their head!

"I keep telling you, I'm not a 'chosen one' or saint or anything like that. Normal girl with normal knees." C'mon everyone, be distracted by the RWBY reference none of you will understand, and don't listen to Notch!

Notch gave me a faux-sweet smile. ['You have been gifted in many ways, and on this very night, you performed a miracle. I'm sorry, I don't make the rules.']

"I know for a fact that you are codifying the rules to the religion you're making up!" I shouted, earning many peals of laughter from my sister and the others. I sighed before joining in. Oh, what the hell. It's fine; I'd deal with a million sermons for this moment. If you are listening, O llama god, thank you. For everything.

Spoiler: A/N:

I have teased this one for a while now, so I hope it lived up to your expectations.

I always found the Carbink/Diancie connection in the games really cool and have always been sad we've never seen a way to turn one into the other. Carbink was a Pokemon I really enjoyed in Gen 7, so I knew I wanted one here, doubly so after finding out about Body Press shenanigans. But I loved Diancie too, so I decided that the Carbink Nemona caught would eventually become one.

I had a lot of cool ideas tossed my way as I've been writing this, and I want to thank everyone for their suggestions, even if I ended up taking a different route here than any of the guesses. Diamond Storm being one of the critical differences Move and Lore wise between a Carbink and a Diancie, meant that I had already settled on that being a major component of the transformation. When I looked into it/in general for this fic, I looked up Moves and saw Assist. Having never used it before myself, I misread it as letting another Pokemon use the Assisting Pokemon's Move. Whoopsie!

By the time I'd realized my mistake, I'd already written the Smeargle stuff with Cyan, but I decided it was fine, because really, Assist was never the true answer. It was always going to be a combination of Notch's rock-hard determination and their belief. While Carbinks are primarily Rock Types, Fairy leans into their nature pretty heavily too, and especially with Notch's pseudo-religious deal, I wanted that belief, that they had gone on a near mythical journey and obtained something untried before, that unwavering Faith that Nemona's guidance would let them transform, to do the trick, and actually bend reality until it followed that Faith, rather than the faith being pressured by the constraints of reality.

This definitely happened earlier than I had planned in the story, but I've ultimately realized I had no reason to delay it any longer. Like with Radiance, some of the more special or 'unique' Pokemon I had delayed until after Nemona's first journey, and I worried about people feeling she was overpowered, or that this broke disbelief, but ultimately I decided Notch's transformation was always going to happen, and it fit best here rather than delaying it for a less epic moment down the line. And at near 500,000 words in, this wasn't the dealbreaker for you, haha.

In any case, let me know what you thought, and thank you for coming with me so far on this journey together. We're nowhere near the end yet, but I never envisioned it would get this big when we first started. Next up, the Elite Four, but right before that, an Interlude. Before that though, now that we have Notch in their final forms before the Elite Gauntlet, an Omake I've been sitting on.

 

[Skyfyre]

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

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

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

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

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

• Dudunsparce Tera Ghost (Stops Fake Out and gets rid of Fighting weakness)
• Diancie Tera Grass (feels weird, but it covers most of her weaknesses as well as giving Nemona something against powder Moves)
• W-Rotom Tera Electric (Boosts Discharge damage and takes away weaknesses)
• Gliscor Tera Ground (Boost Earthquake damage, not quite as badly affected by Ice after)
• H-Zoroark Tera Normal (Pretty rare to see this one, opens her up to Fighting and Normal attacks but gets rid of Dark weakness and boosts Hyper Voice)
• Lucario Tera Fighting (loses a lot of resistances but also all of her weaknesses while gaining new ones to Flying, Psychic, and Fairy. Also powers up Close Combat)

For this battle, you'll probably want to just pick a starter set and prepare for that, just reloading until you get the right starter set. It's very possible to have answers for one set, and even for either of the two starting Pokemon possibly being her Zoroark in disguise to start. It's a lot more difficult to try and deal with 5 potential different Pokemon to start. If you absolutely feel the need to do so, make sure to have Protect and other stall Moves to get a clearer picture on what she's throwing at you first, then respond. Priority Moves like Sucker Punch can do a lot of damage as she doesn't have many counters to those either.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Spoiler: A/N:

The second one of these! This time we get to see her original team in double battles (those are going to be fun/complicated to write). I originally planned to have Nightwing use her Fling → Acrobatics strategy I have in the story, but with how long it would take to set up Toxic Orb self poison, Fling to get rid of it, then Acrobatics, it just seemed too easy to see through in a video game and made Nightwing way too open to counter play. Miles' Moveset got changed around dramatically as well, as I realized I was hewing too closely to what their Moves are now, in the story. Which works there, but wouldn't in a double battle, especially in a game with move limits and the like.

 

[trudny1]

"You think you know a lot about me. Let me tell you a little bit more: I'd do anything for my Pokemon. When I met Notch, they stood up to a Kommo-o for me, the strongest Dragon I've ever seen - And I've fought Hassel of our Elite Four - without a hint of hesitation from them." Notch demurred, a few tinkling sounds, and I smiled fondly at them.

"Their fondest wish is to become a Diancie, and I'm going to make that happen, no matter what it takes. I believe that meeting with this Diancie will help them transform, but it's only Notch I want by my side at the end of this. Arceus themself could appear before me, but if they wanted to be on my team at the cost of Notch, I'd tell the Original One to fuck off."

Click to shrink...

Okay, Nemona chose to be based today, very nice.

For those not seeing image (like me), here is the link (he's a very buffed boy): https://i.ibb.co/cKFsZh7N/ddss.jpg
Very cool chapter, looking forward to next one.