Like No One Ever Was (Pokemon SI)

[Anonymous Brainwash]

That conversation with Elsa makes me mad, by virtue of the fact that Elsa makes me mad.

But it does remind me of a bit from the Muppets Movie

"You kidnapped Jack Black!"

"Kermie, you inspire them."

"To kidnap people!"

Which is about the same vibe I got from the conversation, admittedly without that last line.

"You had no problem threatening the Goomy"

"I said sorry and you upset me by dodging me"

(So that warrants threatening Goomy?!)

EDIT:

I found the scene on YouTube, I figured I might as well share

Spoiler: Kidnapping Jack Black

View: https://youtu.be/bf_G3pTnSU0?si=ub9bgFvCuJrk78yQ

 

[vinzzz001]

No legendaries used, and torkoal got some hits in. I expected Nemona to point that out, but arguing with someone who doesn't want to see their own faults is a lost cause.

Also Elsa kinda does piss me off too, because while she might have a tragic back story, the bridge collapsing/forced fight/threatening was really messed up. More so when doing it all for a problem that was her own fault. (She was being bitchy, and then insulted she wasn't approached).

 

[Lillie Jones]

Thanks for the chapter

 

[Skyfyre]

Spoiler: Patreons:

Thank you to my 53 Beginner Tier Patreons, and an extra special thanks to RageLord, Nodal_Gravity, ExaltedRequiem, and Garreon LeFay, my Ace Tier patreons! Your support means so much to me.

Lacey POV

"Hey dad, I'm home," I said, waving at my father from the entrance to our house. He was dressed in his usual cowboy-esque outfit, a bit of mud splattered on the cuffs of his pants indicating he'd been in a heated battle in the Gym just before I came back.

"Honey!" He exclaimed, rushing over to give me a hug. It was nice. Some people say he looks gruff, but Dad gives the best hugs. "What's wrong?" He asked as he let go of me, looking me over.

"What makes you think something's wrong?" I said with a pout. How can he just tell that instantly? Maybe it's like that Aura stuff Nemona talks about? Thinking about that just made me feel worse, so I tried to push that outta my mind.

"Hmm, can't rightly say," my father responded, frowning. "You doing alright in school?" He asked as he picked up my bags and led me into the manor. Dad had put most of his money from the mine and Gym into the World Championship arena, but that still left (and was slowly generating) a decent amount of cash for us to live comfortably.

The mansion had a foyer with doors leading to the kitchen, dining room, living room and more, with a set of sweeping staircases at the side that led to the second floor, where the bedrooms were. It was all richly furnished and 'posh' (according to Kieran), but probably not as expensive as Nemona's place. Also, we only have a house cleaner come by once a week, cause Dad wants to 'do things on his own'. I can't imagine what it's like to live with a bunch of staff in your house all-year long.

"I'm… doing fine," I said hesitantly. My father didn't turn around, but he did grunt, indicating he'd heard the hesitancy in my words. "It's harder than I thought it would be," I admitted after a second. "Nemona and Carmine arranged some study sessions and they helped, but I didn' realize just how hard these classes would be. It took a lot of studying just to get in but the classes are getting tougher and tougher," I groused. "I'm passing everything at least?"

He stopped by the door to my room. "I know- nah, I can guess that it'd be tough, but I never got that same education, and I certainly didn't apply to school early." Dad let out a self depreciative chuckle before continuing in a softer tone. "This is gonna be a trial, but I know you can do it. You're the smartest, best girl in the world." Don't think the first one is true; Carmine gets straight As and Nemona's already discovering new Pokemon variants, while I'm just… me.

That bit of discomfort he didn't notice, so my father just continued, telling me to, "Relax. You've worked hard, and I'm sure you'll work just as hard after the break is over. Shaymin Break is a time of renewal, you know." I smiled placidly as if I was five and he wasn't telling me stuff I already knew, nodding before tossing my stuff into my room and throwing myself on my fluffy, Jigglypuff patterned bed. Ahh, this is nice.

My room had plenty of other decorations about it, the majority pink (my favorite color!). Around the bed were several Pokemon stuffies I hadn't been able to take with me to Blueberry Academy. Sorry, Bidoof I thought as I turned the stuffed animal over in my hands before releasing my team. There was plenty of space on the floor for them to roam, my wooden block castle was placed in the corner and some beds at the base of mine.

Whimsicott in particular was eager to look around, being the newest member of my team and never having been here before. I wonder if she considers my room back at the Academy to be more like home? I watched as she curiously poked and prodded at everything, taking it all in. Drilbur and Snubbull ignored their Pokebeds and instead crawled up and lay down beside me, while Carbink and Alchremie just kinda drifted around.

The first thing Whimsicott checked out was the desk. It had a computer and some stationary supplies made of a very solid material but wasn't too flashy. The pens and colored pencils were gifts from over the winter break I'd barely opened. No time to do any sketches. I didn't consider myself to be a great artist, but I liked it, and occasionally, Nemona asked me to do some pictures for the stories she posted online. At least before that challenge to the League Club took up most of our time. Is she still posting? Probably, she's Nemona after all. She posted her stories in the Blueberry Academy forums and I knew they were decently popular there, though no one knew that she was the author.

Whimsicott poked and prodded at my Switch for a moment looking at the games on the tv screen before putting it down. Most Pokemon weren't very interested in video games, and Whimsicott was the same, gravitating more to the hula hoops, hackysacks and Elgo building bricks, though even those lost her interest after a while.

I remember Nemona and Carmine debating why Pokemon didn't tend to be too interested in video games over more physical activities. Nemona said it was about a lack of Aura causing 'subtle disconnect with what's on the screen and their physical senses' while Carmine felt it was because they often lack the fine motor control and proper appendages to hold the controls properly. I wasn't sure if it mattered (half the times I thought they would argue for the fun of it), but I had looked into the controls afterwards, and there were some specialized controllers people could buy for their Pokemon, though none of my team had been very interested.

"Hey, no Tailwind in the house!" I told Whimsicott as she picked up a hacky sack, a mischievous look in her eyes. "All the same rules for the dorm room apply here too," I told her, and she drooped, but quickly perked right back up.

"Whims?" My newest Pokemon asked, pointing up at the walls, or rather what I had covered them with.

On the walls, posters were hung of my favorite movies. There were classics, like Brycen-Man (signed by Brycen himself!) and Yamask of the Opera, more niche films I enjoyed such as Love and Battles (was considered strange by some, but I loved the talking Smeargle) and Chariots of Undead Fire Versus Sharpedo, and newer films like The Legend Returns: Enter the Urshifu and A Hero's Journey. Nemona said that A Hero's Journey is 'good but not entirely accurate to Ash's travels - apparently he met even more Legendaries than the four in the movie! I wonder how many he must have met. Six, or maybe even seven? I also wondered how Nemona knew so much about that stuff, but she was evasive to those kinds of questions, or would mention sources that didn't entirely explain her knowledge.

"Oh, those are movie poster. Big promotional stuff to get people interested in the films. Like the battle recordings but for other stuff," I explained, feeling a bit guilty. I've had her for a while yet she doesn't know about any of this. But we've just been so busy with schoolwork and training.

Whimsicott seemed particularly interested in one of them, hopping up on a shelf to point at it. "Oh, that's Enter the Urshifu! Some people say that Enter the Beartic was better, but I think that's just nosta- nostril? No uhh, whatever thinking about the past too fondly is called! Enter the Urshifu had better effects, a deeper script, and I think Brycen did a better job in the mentor role here than he did in the original. Hmm, what's that? No, you cannot 'take him' that's one of Mustard's Legendery Urshifu! He's not even here and-" I cut myself off before I caught Alchremie giggling and realized Whimsicott was having me on.

"You silly billy," I said, grabbing her close and nuzzling her. The others on the bed were annoyed at the jostling at first, but happy to lie upon her floof as I put her down, with Alchremie and Carbink moving closer to show togetherness too, even if they didn't feel like joining the cuddle pile.

It's good to be home.

***

That moment didn't last forever, though. After a nice night's rest, I woke up and felt anxious. The sun was only just rising, but I couldn't go back to sleep. Getting dressed quickly and grabbing my Pokeballs, I headed down to the Gym. When I got there, an unfamiliar young man in Gym Trainer clothes stopped me at the lift.

"Whoa! Don't know how you got in here young lady, but the Gym isn't open yet," he began.

"I'm the Gym Leader's daughter, and I know that. I just want to use the arena to practice." He looked a little skeptical at my explanation, but a tall woman stepped up and confirmed my story.

"Yup, this is Clay's little one," Rena said, the other Gym Trainer said, leaving the Gym Pokemon to their own devices for a moment (though still in line of sight). "Not so little anymore - you're shooting up like an evolving Bellsprout!" She teased and I rolled my eyes. "What are they feeding you at Blueberry Academy?"

"Just regular food," I said. " And please, I'm not that tall - Nemona and Carmine are both way taller than me." And smarter, and better trainers and- ahh! I shouldn't be wasting time here, I've got to start training if I'm ever going to catch up.

"Huh, didn't know that Clay had a daughter," the other Gym Trainer said, and Rena just sighed.

"I know you're new, but do you not listen when Clay goes on and on about his darling baby girl?"

"... I thought he was just referring to one of his Pokemon in a cutesy way…"

I rolled my eyes at that exchange, walking onto the lift. As it carried me down, I noticed the layout of the walkways was different. Huh, dad changed things around, plus he has a new hire. It wasn't a huge change, but it was different from even how it had been when I was over for the winter break. With that and what Rena mentioned about me being taller, it made me wonder how different things would be the next time I came back here, and how much I would have changed.

Nemona must be rubbing off on me, that's the kind of stuff she wonders about. Almost word for word, if I remembered right, though the context was slightly different. "Something about her wondering how much of Uva Academy would be recognizable to someone from when it was first created?" I said aloud, trying to remember.

"Drill?" My starter said as they popped out of their Pokeball, watching the lift go down and down, and down.

"Nothing, just… stuff." I told her, waving a hand in front of my head, as if that could somehow physically clear the doubts in my mind.

"Burr," my starter said, nudging me. Prompting me to continue. I don't know what good it will do, but it probably won't hurt either. As the lift stopped and we walked off of it, I began talking.

"It's Nemona. Or maybe me wanting to be like Nemona? But not like Nemona, you know? Cause she's weird."

"Rill…" She commented and I gave an exasperated wave of my hands.

"Yeah, I'm probably weird too, all us Gym Leader kids are, but it's different with her. And I still like Nemona, she's my friend! But you get she's weird too, right?"

The Ground Type nodded her head, understanding what I was getting at. As we stepped onto the arena, I released the rest of my team. Alchremie, Snubbull, Carbink, and my latest catch, Whimsicott, alongside Drilbur. The five of them cheerfully greeted me and each other, so I couldn't help but snap off a few pics of them.

"Drill drill," Drilbur prompted after a minute, not letting me get off track, on our training or the conversation we'd been having. I organized my team into light warmup exercises watching them before explaining further.

"Drayton can be waaaaaaaay too lazy, Kieran gets a bit obsessive, and Carmine gets angry and flustered too easily," I said chuckling as I remembered some of the times she had gotten upset. It's kinda funny - when I first got to know her, I was kinda scared of her, but even if she yells a lot, I can tell that she doesn't mean it. "So we're all weird, I guess, but Nemona… I don't understand her."

"She's smarter than me, than all of us, even Carmine, no matter what she might say. But sometimes, she looks at something in a way that's just… I dunno. Different." There was a pause while I watched my team.

Alchremie was cheering the others on, before remembering she had her own drills to run through. Snubbull worked so hard and it was super cute to see him trying and giving it his all (even if I needed to tell him to take it easier with these exercises as they were just supposed to be warmups). Carbink worked with steady determination, not letting anything distract them. Drilbur did them with trained ease, well and used to my training. Whimsicott was the newest, so she tried to copy her.

"She'll make references? To things that nobody else gets, but then doesn't try to explain it ever, just moving on. The times when she'll assume something, but it's not quite how the world or laws work, but it's not an assumption anyone else makes. And how angry she got when talking about the poachers, I almost thought she killed them!" I couldn't help but shiver remembering that. They were bad people, but I can't picture my friend doing… that.

"Whims?" Whimsicott suggested, and I gently shook my head.

"I've tried talking to the adults, but they don't see it like that. The teachers say she's mature for her age, but it's not like any of the older students act like she does. And I don't think it's just because of how smart she is, or how strong! That's just why the adults excuse Nemona for acting like that. Like, because she's so strong and tough, that they don't want to think there might be something wrong."

"And there is. Sometimes, rarely, she's really, really quiet, and sad. Like she's lost the whole world, or maybe isn't a part of this one. Despondos?" That doesn't sound right. Drilbur didn't know how to pronounce the word either and just shrugged.

"Despondant," my father's voice came from behind me, and I jumped up.

"Aaah! I mean- Daddy! What are you doing here?" I said, my voice a little high as I turned around to face him.

"Well, last I checked, I work here," he said with his arms crossed as he stomped forward. "And why d'you reckon your friend is so sad?"

"I dunno," I mumbled, suddenly self-conscious now that my Dad was asking questions. "Just, a couple of times, I thought I caught her looking really sad, but then Nemona immediately hid it as soon as anyone spoke to her. And it's not like after that time the Elite Club beat us, it'll be when she's really happy. Like, right after her first game session, I doubled back into her room to grab some snacks, and I thought I heard her crying in the bathroom. Do you know why that might be?"

He frowned before exhaling heavily. "No, I can't say I know exactly why that is, but some people… some people have a lot that weighs them down, even when they should be happy. Just… just try and be there for her if she wants to open up about it. And tell an adult if you notice things getting worse," he added quickly.

"Yeah, sure," I agreed. "Now I feel kinda bad about…" I trailed off, wondering how much he had heard before.

"'Bout being jealous of yer friend? I heard, the sound carries," Dad pointed at the lift. I was so focused on myself I didn't even notice it coming down. "You don't need to be bad about how you feel. The only thing that matters is what you do with those feelings. I reckon that's why yer training so hard, even though you said you were going to take it easy." There was a hint of accusation in his voice and I looked down at the ground.

"Nemona and the others are busy fighting the League Club, and I want to too! She beat that jerk Atticus before I could, which is fine, I could still challenge him for his current rank but- but I-" I wouldn't win. Not right now, not even after he had to give up a couple of his Pokemon to the investigators that came by after that whole situation. The memory of Atticus' embarassment and shame on wide display would have usually made me happy, but I couldn't muster any joy for that right now.

"And it's not just Nemona; Drayton's team is weak to mine and I can't beat him," I continued. "Kieran and Carmine are way too strong too; and they don't even have any special teachers like Drayton has!" Like I have; Dad gave me a bunch of tips already on how to teach Fairy Types and he promised to find even more for me.

My dad nodded. "You don't need ta push yourself so hard. I told you before, but you're already doing great. I don't want to see my little girl burn herself out fighting so hard. So don't worry about it. I've met yer friends, they'll understand it might take you a bit longer to catch up. You've got years left and that's just at Blueberry Academy; I'm sure you'll remain friends after school too."

I let out a sigh of relief. Just hearing him give me permission let me relax and I hugged him. "Thanks, Dad. I was worried about letting them down, but I didn't want to end up like Kieran was."

"Oh? Sounds like there's a story there. Why don't you tell me all about it over breakfast?" My stomach grumbled at the reminder of food, and all of my team who had been listening in let out a cheer.

"Sounds good- oh!" I let out as I felt Drilbur at my side. I turned to her. "Thank you for all your hard work. All of you, it's been a lot and I really appreciate it. And we're gonna keep on fighting, till we're the strongest, cutest team around!" They all cheered at that. "But we can take some breaks too, and you've all earned one." I don't know how Nemona has the drive to do this for six to eight hours a day.

Drilbur pointed at me, and the meaning was clear that she thought I did too. Then, she hugged me as well, being careful with her claws, and I reached an arm around her. Then I felt my starter begin to grow underneath my grip. Opening my eyes, I saw her glowing brightly. In a flash, she finished her evolution, more than doubling in height, gaining a sharp hood over her long face, and her becoming drastically longer and more deadly.

"Ex? Excadrill!" She exclaimed, waving her hands in the air, and I rushed in to give her an even tighter hug (careful not to cut myself though).

"You did it, you evolved!" I exclaimed, shouting with glee alongside her.

"Tha's wonderful," Clay said, wiping a tear from his eyes. Then he placed a hand on my shoulder. "Remember this moment. If you ever feel like your friends are blasting off ahead of you, just know that you're growing at your own pace, and that's an incredible thing." There was a note of awe in his voice, and I nodded.

"I will, thank you." I think there's a lot of things I need to figure out, but I can do that. I've got time, and wonderful friends and family to help me.

Spoiler: A/N:

This interlude shifted a little from what I originally envisioned, but I still like showing Lacey's side of things. She's not a super genius prodigy, but she's more aware than people realize. I also liked having an evolution that was less action triggered but more around the emotion and resolve shared between Trainer and Pokemon.

I'll also clarify here that Lacey is indeed quite skilled and advanced for her age - she's just comparing herself against some very stiff competition. Drayton is a genius who's been trained by Dragon Tamers from a young age, Kieran and Carmine are rare prodigies, and Nemona is a cheating cheater who cheats (isekaid). The fact that she's able to keep up in a competitive school like Blueberry Academy six years early is impressive in its own right, but I wanted to show that there were still some difficulties in trying to reach the top there, and Lacey was the one who would be struggling the most with that. With this, she'll still be around, but she isn't aiming to get onto the Elite Four of the club any time soon.

It also serves as a bit of a breather between the last battle and the last few to come in this arc. I hope you're looking forward to it as much as I am, and you can let meknow down below or on the Discord. And if you want to read more and have a bit of money to toss my way, I have a a Kofi and a Patreon, subscribers to the latter get early access to the next ten chapters. Thank you, and I hope you're having a great day.

 

[Anonymous Brainwash]

A part of me is wondering if Lacey's going to end up with a Excadrillite. (An Excadrillite?)

Presumably after learning some sort of lesson about being herself and not comparing her self to her friends

 

[Lillie Jones]

Absolute Cinema
The Journey continues
10/10

 

[Spearow]

A part of me is wondering if Lacey's going to end up with a Excadrillite. (An Excadrillite?)

Click to shrink...

really hope not, excadrill mega is beyond silly

 

[Dukeadrake]

really hope not, excadrill mega is beyond silly

Click to shrink...

Silly or not, Excadrill ended up a main teammate in my last ZA run. Surprisingly fun.

 

[Skyfyre]

Oh yeah, I thought people might want a list of the Pokemon on the teasm of Nemona's friends, so here it is

Carmine:

• Sinistcha
• Bisharp
• Arcanine
• Muchlax
• Kommo-o
• Mimikyu (in a Morepeko disguise)

Kieran:

• Hydrapple
• Politoed
• Porygon-Z
• Overqwil
• Yanmega
• Sableye

Drayton:

• Archaludon
• Flygon
• Sceptile
• Dragonite
• Fraxure
• Kingdra

Lacey:

• Excadrill
• Carbink
• Alcremie
• Snubbull
• Whimsicott

 

[Alphagates]

Oh yeah, I thought people might want a list of the Pokemon on the teasm of Nemona's friends, so here it is

Carmine:

• Sinistcha
• Bisharp
• Arcanine
• Muchlax
• Kommo-o
• Mimikyu (in a Morepeko disguise)

Kieran:

• Hydrapple
• Politoed
• Porygon-Z
• Overqwil
• Yanmega

Drayton:

• Archaludon
• Flygon
• Sceptile
• Dragonite
• Fraxure
• Kingdra

Lacey:

• Excadrill
• Carbink
• Alchremie
• Snubbull
• Whimsicott

Click to shrink...

i can't help to think that neither Carmine or Kieran have a mega capable pokemon, at best Carmine's might get a g-max snorlax...

While both Drayton and Lacey have at least 2 potential mega each

 

[copsoutside]

hey, I'm just asking, but will this have any romance if so will it be Yuri or no?

 

[Skyfyre]

hey, I'm just asking, but will this have any romance if so will it be Yuri or no?

Click to shrink...

So I'm not sure about romance for Nemona, as SI issues can be kinda tricky and some of the other sites have rules that might touch on/cross. If there is a romance however, it will be Yuri, I can promise that much.

 

[Alphagates]

So I'm not sure about romance for Nemona, as SI issues can be kinda tricky and some of the other sites have rules that might touch on/cross. If there is a romance however, it will be Yuri, I can promise that much.

Click to shrink...

what about, for example, Akari aka the protagonist of ZA surviving to modern age?

would that fix SI issues?

 

[Skyfyre]

Spoiler: Patreons:

Thank you to my 53 Beginner Tier Patreons, and an extra special thanks to RageLord, Nodal_Gravity, and ExaltedRequiem, my Ace Tier patreons! Your support means so much to me.

"How was your Shaymin break?" I asked Kieran and Carmine, waving to them as we met at the submarine bay. Feels weird to have the breaks and holidays named after Legendary Pokemon, but I understand why. I'm getting used to it even. These days would often vary across cultures, but generally what I would have called 'Spring Break' was Shaymin break here, though I knew that in Alola there was a festival not exactly now but on similar dates honoring Tapu Bulu.

"Pretty good! I got to see some of the new masks Grandpa was making, and helped him out with some of them. Do you want to see what I made?" Carmine all but demanded rather than asked, but I laughed, happy to see her so enthusiastic.

"Sure! Oh, there's Lacey!" I waved her over, and she waved back, though I noticed a slight bit of hesitancy on her part before she came over.

"Hello, how are you?"

"Doing good-" I began, but before I could question her, Kieran pipped up.

"I'm doing great! I got to show off Hydrapple to all the people back home, they were super excited. Especially the mayor, he had a bunch of questions for me."

"Ha! If by 'excited' you mean his eyes practically turned into Pokedollar signs, then yeah! Right after Kieran told him that, the price of syrupy apples went up tenfold!" Despite the exclamation in Carmine's voice, I felt she'd probably be happy about this.

Or at least how much that money and tourism will help make Kitikami more prominent. Since my meeting with him over the Goomys, I'd checked in on the mayor, and while he was fixated on money, it was clear he poured those funds into the town to make it better. I wonder… It's a long way off, but once school is done, Keiran and Carmine, and those Ogre Clan people might be able to set up some sort of battle League there, akin to the Orange Islands. Of course, that would only be if they wanted to stay, they might well want to travel or do something else like research. It was much too early to even bring up the idea, but I kept it in the back of my mind, as I did with many of my plans.

Drayton showed up at the last minute, to no one's surprise. It's only been two weeks, but it feels like it's been longer. Though I felt the same, but even moreso when I got to see my family again over the break. We hadn't had anything world changing planned for Spring Break (aside from placing a special order with Quasartico), but my parents made sure to have plenty of time off to share with me and Cyan. She's even taller than I last remembered! Should be illegal; not for me though, I know I've got a good growth spurt waiting for me.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Lacey seemed a little withdrawn on the ride over. Any time I tried to talk to her about, she deflected, though. If it's serious, she'll bring it up. She's not one to bottle everything up like Kieran.

***

That time came soon enough, as she brought it up at the beginning of our game session. "Hey everyone, I'm sorry but, I don't think I'll be able to continue with the 'War on the League Club' that we planned on. Sorry," she repeated, looking sheepish, yet firm.

"Huh?"

"Wait what?"

"Are you quitting?"

They all asked while I gathered myself. The first thing I felt was guilt, and apologized to her. "Lacey I'm so sorry, I didn't realize. You must have been pushing yourself hard. If this," I said, waving a hand out at the game map I had set up. "Was taking away too much time-"

She crossed her arms. "That's not right! I mean, we have a lot of fun with this, and two hours a week isn't the only reason why I won't be able to make it. And I know you wanted to fully push Elsa out of her club - or at least the Elites - but I don't think I'll be able to help you do that this year." There was an undercurrent of worry that made me feel she wasn't sure she'd manage it next year either.

"That's fine, I'm sorry if it felt like I was pushing you. This is already a lot, with schoolwork and everything." The others chimed in, confirming that it was fine as well. Most of them, at least.

"You know, if you're really sorry and you'll have all this free time, you could just-" Drayton began in a sly tone, before he shoved him in the shoulder.

"I'm not taking your spot just so you can Slack Off!" I think he was going to ask you to do his homework instead, but yeah, probably deserved in any case. It had her relaxing a bit, which I suspected was probably Drayton's intent in the first place. With that, we were all able to relax and enjoy the game session.

As we were wrapping up the session, I did have to ask, "Do you still want to be in the League Club? I-"

"Oh yeah, don't worry about that. It's kinda why I didn't mention it before. Didn't want to make a big deal of it or anything on the submarine. People would make up all sorts of rumors and stuff. Don't want any of the progress you've made with the club to slip and people to start acting like bullies again."

"I've been making progress? I mean, I know I've been winning against the Elites, but- I guess I just hadn't noticed." Kinda feel bad that I haven't been talking to the regular members of the club enough, but glad that it's helping.

"Oh yeah, there's barely any bullying any more. I even saw one Cluber step up and reprimand an older student who was trying to pick on one of the first-years." Carmine added.

"Charlotte and Elsa still act arrogant and superior to everyone, though," her brother was quick to point out.

"Huh. Good to know." Looks like Ares and Atticus were the worst of the bunch. I haven't seen Ares since coming back, and no one is paying Atticus any heed after his defeat. Might not be perfect yet, but it's a sign things are headed in the right direction. "And don't worry; I've got plans to deal with those two soon enough."

***

The instant I entered the club room, I was met with a shout. "I challenge you to a battle!"

Helen (that's her name! Been totally blanking on it the last few times I saw her) declared stepping up to face me. Behind her were a gaggle of other students, groaning, to which Helen just stuck her tongue out at them. "You snooze, you lose."

"Really? From the girl with a team of Pokemon whose names begin with 'Slow'?" I asked, skeptically while still accepting her challenge.

She shot me a sharp grin back. "They might seem slow now, but just you wait - you'll find they're surprisingly fast!"

***

"Nooooo!" She wailed as Dun defeated her Galarian Slowbro and Slowking with a well timed Earthquake. "How could this happen?" She cried overdramatically.

"Well, the lack of Type variation amongst your team was a bit of a problem, especially since I baited out your Terastalization with your Kantoan Slowbro earlier on. You could use Kasib and Rindo Berries to help your team resist those attacks, but in general, I'd say focusing on their defensive abilities and mastering Trick Room is going to be your biggest advantage. Setting up long-lasting barriers with Light Clay can be helpful too."

"Got it! Thanks," Helen said, going as far as to give me a quick bow before running off.

Alright, that was fun. Now to challenge- "Nemona, I challenge you!" A voice broke me out of my thoughts and I turned to see Chazz dramatically pointing at me.

***

"Dun, Earthquake!" I shouted as I stared down Chazz's Magnezone and Houndoom.

"Huh?!" He said, his eyes darting over to where Radiance was zipping around. He realized what my plan was a moment too late when I tossed my Tera Orb into the air, right where the Paradox Pokemon ducked under, Terastalizing them into a Grass Type.

The resulting Earthquake hit the dark-haired boy's Pokemon hard, but did minimal damage to Radiance. Surprisingly, his Magnezone withstood the attack, and at Chazz's command launched back with a Zap Cannon straight into Dun's unsuspecting face, dealing massive damage and causing my starter to twitch and slow down. Houndoom was well-trained enough to try and capitalize on the new Typing Radiance had, gnashing her fiery teeth at them. However, Radiance was far too fast, flying out of range and sweeping the devil dog Pokemon up in a massive Hurricane that cracked the arena barrier.

Down to his last Pokemon, he called out "VWXYZ Dragon Catapult Cannon, use Explosi- oh," he finished lamely as Radiance swept by with a Fiery Dance and knocked out the weakened Steel Type. The audience around us cheered, my fights usually drawing a modest crowd.

"Damn it! How could I lose again?" The boy cried out as I walked over to him. I think you might have been the only one who thought you were going to win today, Chazz. Still, he's got guts, and skills - evolving his Magneton and teaching it to master their Hidden Ability, Analytic, in such a short time is impressive. He just needs a bit more guidance.

"Well, you didn't prepare for counterattacks." As his face twisted in anger, I clarified. "Oh, you moved to respond to my strategies, but you weren't getting ready ahead of time. Magnet Rise for your Magnezone before I sent Dun out could have helped a lot. And yeah, I had Radiance as a threat, but Houndoom could force us to focus on her, lest she intercept and use Flash Fire."

I offered him a hand to shake, and with a sigh, he accepted it. "Is that what it means to be a Champion? Thinking ahead of your opponent?"

"It is for me at least. Some Trainers are better at reacting to when their gameplans get disrupted, some are better at preparing for any contingency. You'll find out what works best for you. You did a lot better than last time, I'll tell you that much," I said, offering him some encouragement, which he eagerly took.

"Of course, Chazz Princeton is always improving!" There was a ring of falseness and uncertainty to his words that I experienced more often from Sally than a boisterous boy like Chazz. Glad I didn't tell him about how much Judai has been improving too. Those two seem to be rivals, and Judai has improved even more than Chazz has; he actually pushed me a fair bit! Kiinda a shame he's still not interested in the Club, but that's fine. There's no rule that every strong battler in the school needs to be part of the League Club.

"One other thing," I said, after a moment. Chazz brought his attention back to me and I told him, "Consider changing the Tera Types of your Pokemon to give them more defensive options." The boy frowned at that. "I know you don't like your brothers-"

"What?! How do you- what do you know?" He demanded, stepping towards me until a gust of wind gave him pause.

"Very little, truthfully. But I don't think it's very smooth between you and them," I half fibbed. While it was true that I didn't 'know' much, there was plenty I felt reasonably comfortable in assuming that he had a bad relationship with his brothers, at least from the tension in his voice the one time I heard them call him. I like being able to see and hear so much better in this life (no glasses for me this time around!), but it can make things… awkward when I overhear stuff I shouldn't.

I still wanted to help him, so I continued, "I was just going to say, there was a moment where you hesitated in our fight, and you didn't Mega Evolve your Meowsitc- yeah, I saw the gem he had and I could see the Key Stone you have underneath your shirt," I poked at the barely noticeable pendant pushing up the collar of his shirt. "I'm guessing you thought that using that would be 'winning with their power or money or something, yeah? And that's why you Terastalized your Haxorus instead. But the power comes from within you, no matter what those guys may say, so don't hold yourself back just because they got Quasartico to make you a new Mega Stone or whatever."

There was a stunned silence as he just stared at me, which freaked me out a little. I get that this is because he's freaked out because I read him so well, but can you stop? I wasn't rude enough to say that aloud though, and just cleared my throat to add: "Also, maybe don't call all your Pokemon by their full names? It kinda take a bit of time to say 'VWXYZ Dragon Catapult Cannon every time."

"But that's what makes it dramatic," he pouted before shaking his head. "I guess I can just save that for when I first send them in and call them 'Vee' when I need to give commands fast. And uh, thanks for the help," he said quickly, as if getting the words out faster made admitting that better. With renewed confidence, he declared, "Next time, I'll be sure to Chazz it Up!"

I held back a chuckle at what he (and his not-insignificant fans who began chanting it as well and made me reevaluate just how many people were here simply to study my battle style) thought must have been the coolest thing ever. Not having much else to say beyond that, Chazz quickly left, trying to maintain his 'cool' image.

I prepared to leave as well, only to be confronted by a very tall, beefy teenage boy as I turned around. "Nemona Glitterati, I have seen and recognized your strength. Now, I wish to challenge you to a battle," he declared formally.

Hmm, I wonder if this guy uses a bunch of Fighting Types. I've seen him lurking around the club but I don't know his name or much about him really. Still, a challenge is a challenge. "I accept. Get ready to show me your Moves!"

***

"Dance my Oricorio, dance!" Dedue shouted, complete with flamboyant arm gestures that was either him copying his bird Pokemon, or them copying him. It's hard to tell, they're moving in a synchronized fashion but it's all going so fast.

"Light Screen, Tailwind!" I called out, trying to get Anya and Nightwing to set up in turn and counter the furious dancing the scarlet Baile and violet Sensu Oricorio were performing, each one spurring on the other. The Dancer Ability couldn't let them act at infinite speed, but it was boosting them enough to be annoying.

"Revelation Dance!" Dedue called out with a twirl of his own. A ghostly and then fiery burst collided against Nightwing, sending her tumbling out of the sky, though not before her Stone Edge dealt significant damage to the Baile style Oricorio in turn, at least.

We can't keep up; at this rate we might actually lose. Time to bring out the big guns. "Go, Notch!" I called out. Later, I'd question where the music filling the Coastal Stadium seemed to be coming from, the dancing Pokemon not the cause of it, but in the heat of battle, it fit too perfectly to question where it came from.

"Ha!" The tall boy said, not looking worried at the presence of my Legendary. "Your Diancie may be strong, can they keep up with the nimble footwork of my partners?"

"They're quick, but I prefer a slow waltz," I replied with a snap of my fingers. Notch immediately picked up on my signal and began focusing on creating a Trick Room. From the sudden panic in his voice as he ordered them to attack Notch, I assumed Dedue did as well, the beat of the music becoming more frantic.

"Don't leave your original partner hanging," I called out while mentally indicating for Anya to use Follow Me. Even before I'd sent the message though, she was already raising a finger in the air, anticipating my order. The two, powered-up Oricorios descended on her, a furious flurry of feathers flying around her.

The attacks ceased as she fell, but she held out long enough for Trick Room to lock around the field. The music shifted once more, slowing down to something that sounded more like a funereal dirge. "Diamond Storm!"

The barrage of diamonds overwhelmed the two Flying Types, now moving as slow as molasses, but Dedue remained undaunted. As he sent out his next two Oricorios (these ones of the Pom-Pom and P'au Styles), he changed strategies, ordering them to use Swords Dance. Clever - unlike the Quiver Dances they were using before, Swords Dance won't increase their speed, and thus make them slower in Trick Room. But their natural speed will betray them, especially against the might of… "Testudinidae!"

Clear Smog broke their rhythm and superhard rocks sealed their fate, the birds falling down dramatically as the music reached it's climax. Then it slowly fell off, the crowd clapping… and even more people gathering to challenge me.

***

"You aren't the only one who can use Trick Room!" Selina, a senior girl with indigo hair from the League Club announced as her female Indeedee set up the twisted dimensions around the field. Up from the ground rose strange purple wisps, the Psychic Terrain blocking any Moves that could get around that. The bigger issue, however, was the Metagross tossing out wave after wave of Expanding Force, battering the entire field.

Athena and Miles were trying to weather the Psychic storm, but it was difficult. Indeedee will pull in attacks from Metagross, so I need another way to deal with that menace. "Electric Terrain!" I told Miles while switching out Athena for Cataphract. With Trick Room up, my Pokemon still needed to take a powerful hit, but my Hisuian Sliggoo was more than tough enough to do so, even if Miles was starting to wobble through the air.

"Discharge, Muddy Water!" The two attacks combined spectacularly, my armored Dragon waving his head about to conjure a bunch of water from the earth before spinning and smacking it with his shell, sending the dirty wave over Selina's side of the field. The force from that disoriented her Indeedee, causing her Psychic to miss Miles. More importantly though, was how the water conducted the electricity from Discharge, shocking all of them badly (including Cat, though his natural defenses helped him take the blow well).

Metagross clapped back hard, unmoved by the Muddy Waters and landing a powerful Zen Headbutt that took out Miles - or so it seemed. Their Boombox casing broke apart, but Miles had separated from it at the last moment. Not quite the special Move we've been cooking up, but it's a part of it. I'm glad to see they've got such a good handle on that trick.

"Protect!" I called out, watching as the Trick Room began to flicker. Cataphract landed a decisive Draco Meteor, taking out her Indeedee before she could try to put it back up, but as the next Pokemon she sent out proved, she wasn't married to the Trick Room strategy. Her Alolan Raichu hit the field, surging around atop the now electrified Terrain. Miles was too close to Metagross and too undefended in their base form to do more than land a single Shadow Ball before his counterstrike took them out.

"Alright, not bad. But let's see how you handle Nightwing!" Cataphract's resiliency and Nightwing's speed, as well as the Type advantage she held, helped swing the battle back in my favor, though it had been harder than I expected. Cassandra mentioned the difficulties in constantly having to defend her position, and I can definitely see it if she was fighting Trainers of this caliber.

After the match, she was the one to come over and thank me for the match, which was nice. "That was so tough! I can see why you managed to become the Champion of your home region. We tried to prepare for every eventuality, but we still got clobbered." I shook her hand, thinking about it.

"You certainly prepared well; you knew I'd likely change the terrain into Electric and could capitalize off of that with your Raichu. That's a good start, but having something like Trailblaze for your Metagross would give you more coverage and another answer for when Trick Room won't work. Oh, and you could give your Raichu a Booster Energy to help trigger their Surge Surfer!"

Selina closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to recall something. I managed to see a flash of blue so briefly that I barely noticed it. Not surprising that the girl with a team full of Psychic Types might have Psychic Type Auric inclinations. She's weak though. Hmm, is this a natural tendency that led her to specialize in that Typing, or did specializing in that Typing cause her to gain that Aura?

"That's the item your Legendary I-Can't-Believe-It's-Not-A-Volcarona uses!" she exclaimed, having recalled where she'd heard of that item before. "It works for Alolan Raichus as well as Radiances?"

"Yup!" I began brightly before adopting a more thoughtful pose. "Or at least it worked for one Alolan Raichu and helped Professor Friede and I base the invention off of. I'm not actually sure if it would work right away or if that Raichu had to learn how to use it right - I remember them creating an electric field just beneath their tail to push them around, and they were getting used to it as we were improving the Battle Item…" I began rambling before cutting myself off.

"C'mon!" I said, grabbing her hand and beginning to drag her out of the arena and along the path out of the Coastal Biome. She has soft hands, this is nice. I buried that thought quickly and tried to ignore the bit of heat on my cheeks as I continued. "We can test it out now! And maybe I can get you to help me with something else," I muttered the last part to the girl, still stammering in surprise.

I'm miles- no, lightyears away from a proper study of Aura, but even some observations recorded today might help any studies I wish to pursue in the future.

***

The boy in the red cap made another gesture, his Eevee bouncing ahead on a bubble of water. Underneath, his Pikachu zipped by once more, delivering a lightning fast shock to Athena. Eevee landed down with a splash on Nightwing, causing her to hiss in pain even as Eevee rejuvenated herself.

I gave out flurried signals of my own, using a stomp to indicate that Athena should use Extremespeed without having her turn around to watch them. That would have taken too long and have left her vulnerable against the devilishly fast Pikachu - even with the Tailwind Nightwing had set up, Athena could barely keep up with him! Nightwing herself was having trouble dealing with the Eevee, especially as she used Moves I'd never seen before.

Each of them dealt decent damage but also seemed to have a secondary effect like Leech Seed and what seems to be a Dark Type Move with a kind of barrier move baked in. Plus that Water Move that heals her too… I've got to stop that, that Move is the only thing keeping her in the fight. The leech seeds helped, though were checked by the Poison that healed Nightwing and hurt Eevee, and I had an answer to the barrier.

Chomping my teeth together loudly, I hoped Nightwing would realize what Move I was going for there while I threw my Tera Orb over her. Thankfully she did, launching a Psychic Fang attack at the Eevee that shattered the barrier around the enemy Pokemon. The Water attack she used in turn was far less effective now that Nightwing was a Water Type, and notably healed far less in turn.

Now the boy was stuck in a bad spot - either use the Grass attack that had already latched leech seeds onto Nightwing for super-effective damage but nothing else, or use the Dark Type attack to raise a barrier once more to help survive. Instead of those, he switched to offense, punching a hand out for a Double-Edge. I bit my tongue, wanting to call out for a Protect before stopping myself.

Maybe trying to only fight non-verbally against someone who specializes in it wasn't a great idea. Still, watching Athena grit through the critically aimed zaps from Pikachu, I decided to trust my team with this much. The electric mouse Pokemon couldn't capitalize on Nightwing's now weakness to the Electric Type, not without letting Athena defeat Pikachu's own partner, so the two of them remained in a stalemate, until Athena got the Upper Hand, landing a devastating uppercut mid-charge and defeating Pikachu. Eevee fell moments afterwards, Nightwing's Barb Barrage taking down the furred menace.

I waited for a moment for him to send out his next Pokemon, but he didn't instead, simply waiting. The arena indicated I won the match, and checking my phone, I saw that I had beaten Midori. As he stood there, I felt a bit awkward, so I walked up to thank the mute boy for the match.

"Thanks. Your Pokemon fought really well," I offered. He had his head tilted down, but since I was much younger and smaller than him, I could see his face underneath the shade of his cap. He was frowning, though his face was hard to read. "Uhm, your Pokemon had very unique Moves that were quite strong, but perhaps you should train them with other Moves too? I noticed your selection of Moves was rather limited, only four or so for each."

Midori let out a silent gasp at that, like he hadn't considered it before. "Also, giving your Pokemon items -assuming the bow tie and flowers Pikachu and Eevee were wearing weren't Battle Items?" I asked and he shook his head. "Then yeah, giving them Battle Items like a Light Ball and Eviolite might be helpful."

He gave me a determined nod of his head, then marched off. That went well? I think, hard to tell with that guy.

***

There were a few distractions (homework and tests, my own scientific endeavours, writing songs for my new album, staying connected with friends and family, etc.) but I finally managed to corner Charlotte, finding her sitting under one of the pavilions in the Coastal Biome chowing down on a large sandwich. "There you are! Why weren't you at the arena?"

She kept on eating, muffling her voice as she answered. "What? It's under control, isn't it? Or do I need to teach that Fenix a lesson?"

"It's Felix, and no, he's been covering for you, but seriously, why haven't you been there in weeks? Every challenge I've received recently I took there, hoping I could find you." I looked around quickly, watch a couple of students starting to turn and pay attention to us. "Ah, nevermind that. I challenge you to a battle for your rank!" I declared quickly, hoping to get this done before anyone else could come by and challenge me.

"Huh? Okay." She said, accepting the official challenge, pressing a greasy finger to her Rotom Phone as it floated up, the Electric type within recoiling slightly from her touch. Gross.

"No more throwing other members at me- what?" I said as I processed her words and her body language. Was she really never running from me? I guess the school is a big place. I thought she might have been pulling an Ares here, which is ironic, because we actually repealed that decision to give the Elites three days in between challenges after he got kicked out. One day's grace might be a bit too short, though.

She snorted, shaking her head, her long, bubblegum pink hair waving behind her. "You think I was sending trash at you? I'm not wasting my time with that," she said, finishing her meal.

"Then why did I get so many challenges?"

"Because you keep on giving them 'advice' and 'help,'" the pink-haired girl said mockingly, and I was reminded of why I didn't like her, no matter how hot she was. "So of course they're going to keep flocking back to you, like Wingulls you fed one fucking time and won't stop harassing you. The only thing I don't get is why you have a smile on your face." She stepped closer, as if examining a weird bug.

"Because- well I did enjoy the battles, even if it got in the way of challenging you." It was true, as much as that, and my own schedule, had frustrated me, getting to fight all those different Trainers had been enjoyable all the same.

Charlotte was unconvinced. "But they're such weaklings." I opened my mouth to argue, but she cut me off. "Oh you'll defend them with 'they had good strategies,' or they're trying their hardest,' but did any of them beat you? Did any even come close? Close enough to force you to go all out, at least." She tacked on, as if sensing that I hadn't brought even two of my three strongest Pokemon to any of those fights. Some of them did push me, but not going all-out, not like against Elsa. It was good training, especially for my newer Pokemon, but I can't claim that those Leaguers were as tough as I am.

"No one starts out strong. They might need a bit of help, but it's by working together that we all become stronger."

"Blah blah blah," Charlotte complained, a look of disdain on her face. "You sound just like the Kahunas and Captains back home before I got shipped out here. Always trying to tell me what to do, but unable to back their words up. Can you?"

I didn't answer her question, thinking about what she said earlier. "If the Captains couldn't tell you what to do, how did you get sent here?"

Her face twisted. "The orphanage called in the Director to wrangle me. They hoped I would learn something about 'caring for others,' and 'respect.'" She laughed loudly at that. "All my time here has taught me the same thing I learned on Alola; that the strong get to make the rules."

"Alola doesn't-"

"Oh please, you've never ben there. The Kahuna's rule because the Tapu's give them strength, it's why they get to push back against the League. Sure, they might pretty up the lessons, but that's the truth of it. You know the weird thing? I actually learned a lot from them." Huh? "Just not the way they wanted me to." That makes more sense.

"Alright, I'll bite: What did you learn from them?"

"To care for my Pokemon. My Pokemon, and no one else's, because why should I give a damn about anyone else? Why should I put some rando over those who are as close to me as my soul? All of my Pokemon get me in a way nobody else does, so I'll always put our own desires over everyone else's. That's what it means to be a great Trainer afterall, right?"

I blinked, unable to form a proper refutation. Because it's true. If I had to weigh the entire world against the bonds I've made with my team, even the other people I care about, I'm not sure the world could hold up. "I take it that's how you bonded with Guzzlord then, given what of heard of their temperment," I said, trying to keep the flow of the conversation up while I formulated an argument.

She gave an odd laugh, "Ma ma ma ma ma! That's right! Well, needed to beat some sense into them first, did try to eat me and all when we first met, but I get it. Sometimes you just get so hungry, we just have to fill that craving. Of course, other people get pissed about it, but fuck 'em."

"Until of course, you can't," I pointed out and her face twisted into something ugly. "Cyrano and Elsa, they beat you and no matter how you try to wiggle around it, you've got to do what they say. And once I beat you, you'll have to do the same with me."

"Think you're hot shit just because you beat those chumps? Els, Cyrano and I? Were on a whole other level compared to them! How strong do you think you really are?"

"Really? In the grand scheme of things, I'm quite weak... but in that sense, you're even weaker than me. I did my research into you, and you fought hard in those fights you lost, but afterwards, you just rolled over and accepted it! Charlotte Linlin, you don't have the drive to push through adversity, you don't have the strength to open your heart to others that don't fit your narrow worldview, and you don't have the care to push your team to be even greater than they already are! Love is not a zero sum game! You can care for your Pokemon and other people, lift them all up as they lift you in turn. It's why I'll keep on growing, past those arbitrary limits you've merely accepted, and why I'll defeat you!" I declared, dramatically pointing a finger at her.

She looked at me in surprise before a predatory, hungry smile spread across her face. "Well, well, well. At least you have some backbone to you. You yap too much, trying to convince me of that shit, but I'm looking forward to seeing some real action!" We set the match time for noon tomorrow before walking our separate ways.

I didn't get very far before I heard a rustling from the bushes and stopped, watching as the director of the academy stepped out from them. "Couldn't help but overhear your little declaration there," he said non-chalantly wiping off some of the leaves and dirt from his pristine white suit. Damn, that must be made of some really high-grade materials to not have anything stick to it, also, was he there this whole time?!

"I was on my way to talk with Miss Linlin when I heard you challenging her. Couldn't help but overhear your declaration, real inspiring stuff!" His tone was cheery, but something about his body posture made me think he was working his way towards something more. "In fact, I'd really appreciate it if you tried to convince her to change her thinking around again in your match." I knew it.

"No offense, but she seems pretty set in her ways. I don't know that beating her will actually change her views or anything." he shrugged at my concerns.

"Possibly, but you'll never know if you don't try. I have, several times, honestly. But it might mean a lot more coming from someone her age, or a lot closer to it, at least. I'm worried about what might happen if she leaves the school thinking like that." His last words were soft but plenty powerful. I can well and imagine what she might do with an Ultra Beast and a complete lack of care and disdain for the system… and what the system might be forced to do to her in turn, to combat such a threat from someone who will technically be an adult.

Briefly, I wondered which situation worried Cyrano more, before deciding it didn't matter. "I'll do my best sir, but it'll be up to her in the end." He seemed happy enough with that answer, grinning broadly as he left. It's true that Charlotte becoming a better person or not is up to her, but I can at least make sure that I give the best argument I can for that, and it starts with winning this match.

Spoiler: A/N:

Another montage battle set, and the last one as we move to the end of this arc. The League Club rankings were admittedly a bit wonky at the start. Cassandra was a much tougher foe than would be expected from the beginning of the challenge, both due to her locking in for her match, and the fact that Ares with his Type advantage and dirty tricks, served as a hard wall for her. Atticus was too sharp to be fooled by Ares and had his own tricky strategies but not as much potential drawn out from his Pokemon given his behaviors. Despite his skill that kept him above the others, there's a good reason why he couldn't beat Charlotte though.

In the theme of modern shounen from which she gets her inspiration, Charlotte is in some ways a mirror to Nemona. Out of all the Elite Four here, she's the one who cares the most for her Pokemon, something she's taken in a different direction than Nemona has. We haven't seen much of her yet, but I'm hopeful that this litle confrontation beforehand will help set the stage for a suitable epic fight next time. How do you think it will go? Let me know down below or on the Discord. And if you want to read more and have a bit of money to toss my way, I have a a Kofi and a Patreon, subscribers to the latter get early access to the next ten chapters. Thank you, and I hope you're having a great day.