Like No One Ever Was

[Blueshift]

Immediately, I started sprinting after her, Raifort running down the stairs in turn. My path was unfortunately blocked by Tulip stepping in my way. "Nemona! What is going on?"

"It's Raifort! She's right there!" I pointed at the stairs and slipped past the older girl. "I'm going after her," I shouted, ignoring her calls for me to stop.

"Nemona, wait! Let us handle it!" Tulip tried, but I pretended not to hear her, making it to the top of the stairs. I took a few steps down before shaking my head and throwing myself off the side, floating down with my Aura.

I know that there are adults here, but no one else can handle it. Tulip was completely caught off guard by Raifort, her Psychic Aura is not great for tracking that Zorark. With my enhanced senses, I can get a general idea of where she is.

The woman was just reaching the bottom of the stairs as I released Notch. "Dazzling Gleam, right there!" Pointing at where they were, Notch followed my order, unleashing a burst of light on the spot.

"Agh!" Raifort cried out, clutching her arm as the illusion broke. Zoroark stood off to the side, fast enough to dodge Notch's attack but hissing angrily at us for hurting her Trainer. "That was… surprisingly vicious for a little girl. Sure you aren't on the wrong side of things?"

"I'm certain. Now stop running and give me Oberon's Pokemon back." I ordered. The older girl held up her hands as if in surrender.

"That's fine; I wasn't planning on going very far. You can have them-" I tuned her out, paying attention to where I couldn't hear the wind whistling by.

"It's another illusion!" I told Notch and ran right through the fake Raifort, chasing after the real one. The thief and her Zoroark were running towards the Cavern, trying to get away.

As we ran, I recalled Notch, the Fairy Type a good matchup for fighting Zoroark, but hardly able to keep up with the speedy illusionist. If it was just the Pokemon I was trying to chase, I'm sure I'd be eating the dust already, and even with all my training and Aura, I'm having trouble keeping up with Raifort. The woman was clearly decently athletic herself and simply had longer legs than me.

The illusions had lost some of their fidelity. Either due to the speed they were moving at, being shaken by Notch's attack, or just having given up on trying to fool me after the fake surrender trick failed. However, as they entered the Cavern, I knew that it would be a lot tougher to track them.

The dim lighting and echoey nature of the cave system would make tracking her harder. To say nothing of the wild Pokemon. Nimbly, I jumped around a Deino as I ran, the Dragon Type snapping out with his jaws blindly. I love Hydreigon line, but this is so not the time.

Running down around the bend, I stopped as the cavern opened up in several paths and options. I don't know where they went. I've lost them.

Before anger could overwhelm me, I took a deep breath, calling upon my Aura training to calm down and think clearly. I shouldn't just pick a random direction and hope I run into her, even if I'm losing time. I need another way to pick up the trail. An image of hunting dogs popped into my mind, and the answer came to me.

"Hardly the same thing, but I don't doubt that Phantasm can track them!" I said aloud as I released her. "Hey, can you-" and before the words were even out of my mouth, she was sniffing the ground, picking up the trail.

Down the winding path she led, yipping softly as I followed - until we came to the edge. The path curved down to the side, but Phantasm had stopped at the ledge. Did she drop all the way down? It was a large drop, but she probably had more than just that Zoroark with her, and any number of Pokemon could scale down it quickly.

Holding Phantasm in my arms, I dropped down, floating to the bottom. When I set her down though, she couldn't pick up the trail, the Hisuian Zorua shaking her head sadly. Heightening my own senses as much as I dared while avoiding sensory overload, I tried to sense any sign of her, even an absence.

Unfortunately I couldn't; everything seemed normal down in the dark cave. Dugtrio digging, churning up the earth. Medichams leading packs of Meditites through the gloom, Toxitricity thrumming a few notes…

While I couldn't find any sign of Raifort, I did catch a faint jangling sound farther down. That's a Klefki! They only hang out aboveground usually, so that's probably Oberon's!

Running ahead, pushing through the burning sensation as I pushed my body, I found them. They were looking around confused and agitated, wailing out loud as they hovered over their discarded Pokeball. What? Why would Raifort take a Gym Leader's Pokemon, only to discard them right away?

Looking closer just to make sure it was his, I saw that it was indeed the same Klefki. Same battle-hardened body, same Aura, same two… keys… "Klefki, what happened to your third key?"

That set them off, more distressed jangling, and a few pitiful whimpers. Rushing over, I sprayed them with some potions from my bag. They helped stop them from worsening their wounds, but it would be best to get them healed up properly, so I returned them to their ball.

"Don't worry, we'll get your key back," I promised them, and the shaking of the Pokeball in my hands stopped, the Klefki likely drifting off into unconsciousness. "Now we just have to figure out where Raifort is…"

Scanning around the rocky cavern, I saw no further signs of the thief. "Did you understand Klefki?" I asked Phantasm who shook her head.

"Zor," she said with the same resigned tone she used when I asked if she could clarify what Notch said.

"I never realized how hard all Fairy Types were to understand," I muttered, and she gave me a flat look before responding.

"Rua, oru, orua, Zo." With the help of her illusions, she mimed a finger pointing at her head and swirling it counterclockwise.

"Well, Klefki just got robbed, it's understandable that they'd be a little hysterical." Though I'm going to be carefully reviewing all the times my Pokemon told me they 'didn't understand Notch' as more 'Notch is talking nonsense' and seeing what changes that makes. But after this is done.

There was a massive wall of stone in front of me, with paths on either side to walk. One way leads back up to the city, which also leads back down to the detour I took. Or the other way down to the main passage.

Raifort's words came back to my mind. "I wasn't planning on going very far…" I repeated her words aloud. Craning my neck up, I glanced at the massive outcropping that rose above me. It's not easy to reach, but it's almost directly under the arena, isn't it?

Opening Nightwing's Pokeball and returning Phantasm, I said, "Hey, can you get me up to the top there?" I might be able to climb/float up myself, but that'd be tiring and take a long time. Nightwing wasn't a huge fan of carrying me around, but they knew how serious this was and didn't raise any issue, picking me up and ascending immediately.

Utilizing my Aura, I made myself lighter and pushed her up even more, and soon we had reached the top. The outcropping jutted out far from the cave edge and was close to the ceiling, with plenty of Pokemon, particularly Bagons and Shellgons roaming about here.

More importantly, I heard Raifort's voice, the thief apparently having forgone the need to try and hide at this point, thinking herself safe. Racing ahead, I found her standing near the ledge along with her Zoroark. As the two turned to face us, I pointed at the key in her hand and shouted, "Nightwing, Knock Off!"

She swooped forward, smacking Raifort's hand hard with her large pincer, forcing her to drop the key. Clamping onto the ancient key, Nightwing flew back to my side, the Zoroark surprisingly slow to react. Odd, she's been pretty quick. Maybe tired from all those illusions.

"Ahh dammit dammit!" Raifort cried out, cradling her hurt hand. "Starting to get… really annoyed with you, kid. Did you really have to hit me? Twice?!"

"Haven't taught her Thief yet, so Knock Off had to do. Hardly complaining at seeing you get yours, though."

"That's a shame, it's a good Move; it was so handy for Zoroark in grabbing that Klefki's Pokeball after your match." She was starting to regain her composure, smirking at me.

"You let them go afterwards. Why?" I demanded keeping my eyes locked on her.

Despite being cornered, Raifort smiled, shaking her hand out. "I think you know better than that. If it was, why would I have let the Klefki go?"

"So, working with those poachers was all for this?" Nightwing passed me the key, which I held up. Something about the small raised circular portion she's standing beside feels weird to me; it doesn't look quite natural, like the rest of the stone here.

"Essentially, but so much more than that. Those poachers would have made a useful patsy had things gone to plan." She said casually, as if stealing from Gym Leaders and betraying hardened criminals was just everyday business. Maybe it is for her.

"So then you waited for me to beat Oberon so you could steal that key, when Oberon was weak and distracted. All to unlock… something." As I spoke, I gestured at the unusual platform she was standing beside.

She started doing a slow clap before cutting off after the first beat as her hand obviously still stung. "Very astute." That smug tone really bugs me, like she thinks she has the upper hand. "That 'something' is an ancient vault that has belonged to Oberon's family for generations. Just think of the history stored within!"

"And you thought trying to steal from a Gym Leader would be better than, say, asking him?"

She snorted. "Oh, I've tried."

"Surprised he didn't recognize you when we described you, then." I pointed out and she just kept on grinning.

"Much like the poachers, Zoroark here disguised me when I went to him. Why, even with your unusual ability to track me, I but you can't say that this is what I really look-"

"It is," I interrupted her spiel. "You put way too much detail into this, and Zoroark is exhausted. You aren't wasting their energy trying to fool me again like this." That, and I know what you look like from the games, and you look almost identical, only a bit younger really. That got a scowl from her, but she let the point drop.

"Oberon is hung up on some family oath to not open the vault, despite all the treasures it has to hold. Even with his fortunes turning up dry, he'd rather hook up with a nouveau riche rather than open this." She gestured at the dias beside her as she spoke. "There's even supposed to be a Magearna inside here."

"Really?" My voice slipping out and foot stepping forward happened without thought, and I stopped myself with a glare. Raifort's laughter echoed in the cavern, showing she hadn't missed it either.

"Whatever, it doesn't matter. I've got the key, so you can't open that vault." I shot back even as my mind was still whirling at the idea.

"No… but you could. No one else is here; who's to say that you didn't arrive a bit late? We can investigate the vault together, plunder its secrets- oh don't frown!" She seems pretty sure of herself, despite how dark it is. Could she have Aura? I don't actually know if Dark Type Aura would let her see through this, but I'm having trouble even with my Flying Aura. Bird-like senses only go so far.

She continued. "I wouldn't take much, just want to study it. And I wouldn't say anything if a certain legendary Pokemon found its way to your hands, either." Raifort chuckled darkly before adding, "Then you can go back a hero! Return Klefki to the Gym Leader, everyone wins. What do you say?"

I said nothing, remaining silent for a long minute. Wish I could say I'm not tempted, but I am. Magearna is incredibly rare, an artificial soul that pilots a mechanical body, much like a prototype Rotom. Even if it was just an empty body, there's so much I could learn from studying it, to say nothing else of the rest of what could be sealed away in that vault, like Raifort wants. To study the history of this world up close, to open an ancient vault…

"No," I whispered before shaking my head and saying louder. "No, I won't do it."

"Huh?" She said, her composure slipping for just a moment. "Why not? Could the potential I saw in you be wrong?" The last part she muttered more to herself than me.

"You ask, who'd know? I'd know, and I'd have to live with that. And as tempting as it is, there are some things better left uncovered. If Oberon was so committed to keeping it sealed, he probably did so for a reason." As I spoke, I released Phantasm, and then Notch and Miles as well, joining Nightwing and me.

Raifort wasn't idle while I did so, releasing a Scizor, Haunter, Grumpig, and Seviper as well, joining the Zoroark on her side, before putting down her final Pokeball without opening it. "No place for Finneon anyways."

"Really? A Scizor? Would have thought a girl like you would have gone for Kleavor."

My words seemed to baffle her. "What? You know how to evolve a Scyther into Kleavor? I should have expected given the Hisuian Zorua-"

I interrupted her. "Everyone knows how. Blueberry Academy discovered it like, two years ago." To be fair, they're still the only ones who know how to manufacture Black Augurite, so anyone wanting one has to go hat in hand to them, but it's not that difficult a process to get them to evolve a Scyther, from what I've heard online.

"Ahh, I don't really concern myself with current events," she sniffed.

"Yeah, I got that," I snarked at her. "Guess there's no point in asking you to come in quietly, huh?"

"Indeed not, you aren't mad enough to try that. Too smart to be a tool and too self-righteous to be a partner, you really are the worst, aren't you?" She asked rhetorically, moving her hand in the darkness.

"Worse than a thief that works side-by-side with poachers? Don't think so."

"Your team is strong, but you've just been through a Gym Battle, do you really want to do this?" I stepped forward defiantly, and she sighed, an angry edge to it.

As we bantered, I kept my eyes peeled for any of her Pokemon trying something but didn't see any movement, until suddenly there was a sensation of claws on the back of my neck.

Whirling around, I saw nothing. What? But- gah! Pivoting back around, I saw Raifort and her team still there. "I detest the idea of going to jail, and while you seem familiar with the idea of using force, I'll spell it out clearly - I won't be the only one going down if you come after me."

"I won't give you the key," I managed to spit out, words failing me as my breath grew short. Don't panic; keep it together!

"Figured that was a lost cause." She started stepping towards the ledge, and her Grumpig's eyes glowed in the dark, along with the barrier she made to step down off of it. "Enjoy your win this time, hero girl."

My mind railed at me, screaming at me to 'do something!' To find some way to stop her, something that wouldn't overly risk my life or… anything. My Pokemon even glanced at me from the corner of their eyes, ready to spring into action at my command. But I did nothing, standing frozen in place until she had descended out of sight.

Why couldn't I think of anything? Everyone says I'm so smart, and look at me! Such an idiot, a loser! A coward.

Cautiously, I stepped forward, looking to see if it was a trick, and she was just waiting to spring back up, but no. They had disappeared into the depths. With the jammers she set up still unfound, it'll take a while for anyone to try and catch her trail.

Looking over at the dias, I saw the key slot in the center, with circular grooves all around. Probably would make a staircase that rises up and connects to the big building above. Must look pretty cool.

With a heavy sigh, I recalled my team, turned on my heel, and started marching back the way I came.

Spoiler: A/N:

And so we reach the climax of 'Raifort's Mystery Arc.' We've still got a bit of falling action/fallout to deal with after the interlude, but for the time being this arc is done. This was my first take on something really outside the scope of the games, so I hope it read well, or was at least enjoyable.

While the cavern does run under Alfornado and there is a large shelf that's hard to reach and the Gym Platform is weirdly large and tall with no sign of entry on the ground level for how big and ostentatious it is, there are a lot of things I made up for this. There is no mystery platform on the shelf in the cavern (it's just kinda empty) and there's no mention of Ortega's parent ever having been a Gym Leader, no mention of what Raifort was looking into/doing before she got caught as a criminal and offered a position at Uva and being monitored there in leu of jail time, etc. I thought it was fitting enough with the pieces we had from canon, and cool though, so I decided to give it a shot. Thank you all for reading this fic and for all your feedback.

 

[Blueshift]

POV - Billy Glitterati



Shrugging off my suit jacket, I tossed it onto the coat rack and rolled my shoulders. Glancing down, I saw that the staff had put out my golden loafers, and I slipped off my shoes and into them. So nice to have people who know what you need.

My darling wife's purse also hung off the coat rack, letting me know she had arrived earlier than me. "Oh, most wondrous light of my life~!" I dramatically declared arms wide as I entered the living room.

I had practiced a trick where my eyes would look close and be almost shut, but I was still paying attention and could see. It was handy for telling what business rivals and contemporaries would think of me after a bold statement. For many, it was incredulity that I'd act this way, or simple exhaustion. Some had derision, but enlightening to see the ones that smirked and thought they could get one over on me.

Here, it let me see for a brief moment O'Nare Glitterati, slumped over on the couch. Her hair was done up as usual, but a strand or two had flopped out of her usual bun. The shades she wore sat on the coffee table amidst a pile of papers.

That vignette didn't last long, for as soon as she recognized my presence, she was leaping up, a delighted smile on her face. "Ah, but it reflects off your brilliant shine!" She returned, greeting me with a kiss. "The day has been long without you."

So a frustrating day at work; nothing more serious we need to get into. What had started as mere attempts to explain the burning passions in our hearts to each other had turned into a sort of secret language shared between us. Though nonetheless true for it. My heart feels as lifted when I see O'Nare now as it did the day I met her.

"The same, my love. Things at the factory are going well." They were indeed. Not necessarily in terms of increased profits, but the Rotoms had generally been much happier about their new living conditions. Some of them liked more shade and gloom, but shutters on the sides of their ground-level living space gave those plenty of shade to rest and plot in, while the others were free to enjoy the brighter, more open living space. The reviews we've gotten about the phones have been slightly better too, with customers noticing an uptick in responsiveness from them.

The sound of a throat being cleared announced Leah's presence in the room. Turning, I found the young lady standing there, her head respectfully bowed. "Glad to see you return, Master Billy. If it pleases you both, dinner is ready."

I'm pretty sure I didn't miss her when I entered the living room, so she must have stepped in silently after my arrival. And to arrange things so everything is ready as we return from work, she's stepped up her professionalism. I wonder if she's after Hamber's old spot or just a result of her duties being freed up, no longer having to keep a Braviary's eye-view on our most troublesome daughter.

We entered the room, first greeted by the scent of a well-cooked roast. A few butlers finished setting aside the other dishes, stuffing and steamed vegetables, and a few bread rolls. With their task finished, the staff left, save for Leah and one other maid waiting off to the sides of the table (in case we needed anything during the meal).

The table itself was a long, elegant thing, and I made sure to sit near the top side, my dear wife taking her place at the head of it. A busy day of work made for a quiet meal as we both eagerly dug in, something O'Nare commented on about halfway through.

"It's gotten so quiet in here."

"Hmm. It's funny; Hamber was never a very loud man, but his departure so soon after Cyan went back to school does leave the house feeling a tad empty." Though we both know that isn't the real reason. Still, we do need a new Majordomo.

"Oh!" Leah said softly, looking mildly embarrassed at her outburst as the two of us turned to see her looking at something on her phone. "I just got forwarded the video of the Young Miss's latest Gym Battle." That had both myself and O'Nare jumping to our feet, the scrumptious half-eaten meal forgotten in the blink of an eye as we crowded around Leah.

"She's taken on another Gym already?" I asked incredulously. We only just finished uploading the final videos from her first battle.

"Ah, she has such an incredible Glitterati spirit! Striving ahead constantly," my wife added, her eyes watery. I felt the same way, so proud yet so lonely with our children already out and taking on the world.

"Yes, that, definitely. Why don't you go back to the table and we can watch it as you eat?" She all but begged us, and we readily agreed. Moving our plates so we were sitting side-by-side, our headmaid placed her Rotom Phone in front of us (and herself behind us, almost as eager to see the footage as we were).

The video showed a decent crowd gathered around to watch our baby girl. The Gym Leader she faced, Oberon, was a man we knew well. He and his wife often ran in similar circles to ours, and we had seen him at a few cocktail parties. I always thought of him as much like Clay. I wonder if he'll give Nemona as much of a challenge as the Unovan Gym Leader did?

We always believed in our little girl, even when she made that bold challenge to Clay, but there were moments towards the end of that fight… Before Dun evolved, I would admit if pressed that I was worried about her winning, no matter how good a show she had put on before.

One difference with this fight was that I was never nervous, even as she still put on a tremendous show. This sentiment was shared by my wife and Leah.

"To go so far with a Riolu, that's ins- incredible," the head maid breathed out.

"Oh?" I questioned, not willing to turn my head away from the screen for even a moment.

"It really is," she reaffirmed. "Unevolved and with a Type disadvantage, yet she's fighting so well."

"Ah," I said distractedly. Nemona's always had a better head for that stuff than the rest of us, though Cyan proved herself to be a quick study as well. Our most troublesome little girl, however…

I recalled Oberon boasting about his might at a party once, cowing a Delibird Presents upper manager when the other man had accused the Fairy Type Gym Leader of 'getting soft.' I hadn't seen someone get beat so fast before that, at least not until now. Our little girl has grown up so quickly.

"I miss her too!" O'Nare wailed, clutching onto my side, her head still glued to the screen. Must have said that last part out loud.

Before I could commiserate, Nemona's first Pokemon had fainted, and we were all brought back to the fight as our girl made a proud boast and sent out Dun. We watched in silent awe as her first Pokemon proceeded to annihilate the rest of Oberon's team.

The video ended somewhat jarringly after the victory announcement, but I barely noticed. Leah was the first one to break the silence again, letting out in a tone only a hair higher than a whisper, "I think the Haxorus might have been less dangerous."

All three of us started laughing at that, at so much of what we had done. Attempting to give a six-year-old a Dragon was, in retrospect, not the greatest idea we'd ever come up with. Nemona had been acting so oddly since we moved. So serious, but always convincing us she was fine, asking for so little, so when we knew what she wanted, my wife and I were determined to give it to her.

Thankfully it didn't come to pass. O'Nare and I greeted her as we returned home on her birthday to find our littlest one hugging tightly to an innocuous, bulbous, yellow, and blue snake Pokemon. "The two of them have always been close; they've both grown so much." Physically, but mentally as well. Nemona always seemed so far ahead of where I was at her age. O'Nare has said the same, and if she's smarter than my brilliant wife…

It was hard to believe at times, but the proof was in the pudding. Or record label as it may be. That sparked an idea so bright I wouldn't have been surprised if there was a Rotom above my head. "Music!"

My sudden shout had the two women around me looking confused before they caught onto what I was talking about. "Ah, how sharp you are, like a Glitterati diamond! We need to make the next music videos so we can dazzle the world with our daughter's work!"

Leah turned to the other maid. "I believe the masters are done with their meal. Let's clean up the table." The staff set about handling that while we raced to the computer room, downloading the file and setting about crafting the final product online. We could easily have the staff do this, and I think we'll get one of the more tech-savvy butlers to come in and double-check this before we upload it, but we enjoy doing this personally.

Listening to her music as we overlaid clips of it on certain sections of her battle was a joy indeed. As was seeing the comments and 'likes' when the footage was posted. Not all of it is positive, but the majority of viewers seem to like it, and as Nemona would say, 'don't pay attention to the trolls.' What a funny phrase.

In addition to her brilliance, our daughter also had moments where at times she just didn't seem to fit in. Most people wouldn't notice, and it lessened as she grew up, but just little things. Like how she hardly ever uses sayings about Pokemon or uses them in her songs, despite how much she adores them.

At the time we were finishing putting the first 'short' together, my wife's phone rang, the caller ID showing it was our other beloved daughter. "Cyan honey!" She answered cheerfully. "How are you? How is school?"

"Uhh, pretty good. It's going fine," she responded in that way only an awkward teenager could. Despite being younger, Nemona was more mature in some ways than even our firstborn, and I doubted she'd be that particular kind of awkward, even as she got older.

"Did you guys see Nim's latest match?" Cyan continued, and we eagerly nodded.

"Yes, we were just about to post some of it for the world to see! Her performance was a shining example of Glitterati might and cunning!" My precious daughter rolled her eyes at that display, either thinking I was too caught up to notice or not caring if I did. "Though it is a shame she didn't have to use her new Rotom Forms."

It was perhaps understandable given she hadn't had to use Miles at all in her Gym Battles yet, but the boys and girls in R&D were itching for her to showcase their inventions to the world.

"She did pretty well. I was worried she'd be shaken up after-" Cyan clamped up immediately, but it was too late.

With a steely gaze and a deceptively sweet voice, O'Nare said, "After what?" It took a few moments of squirming before Cyan replied.

"She had some issues with the wildlife nearby. A disturbance to the environment of a wild Tera Dragonair and her Dratinis. Nims solved the issue, but it was difficult. Still, it impressed the Gym Leader enough that he counted it as her Gym Trial so she went right on to challenge him."

O'Nare gasped beside me. "How bold! Going out and tackling issues without being asked, she has true Glitterati initiative."

"And good of Oberon to recognize that." I've seen him a few times at galas and the like, and he seemed like a good sort. Unafraid to let others' opinions color his actions, like so many of our 'peers'. Nemona is much the same way, it's part of something that worried us.

When we had first moved to Paldea, Nemona had few friends, and her dazzling brilliance unfortunately drove most others away. We had at first assumed she was just getting used to things here and would bounce back, but she never did. Not exactly, at least.

Slowly but surely, she made more friends, and while she'll hardly ever be a social Butterfree, the friendships she's formed with those few are tight. And that's just her human friends, her Pokemon, well she sometimes feels closer to them than us!

That thought sent a slight pang through my heart as I realized something. "Do you know when her next Gym Match is?" I asked Cyan. We haven't gone in person to attend any of Nemona's yet, while we were all there for Cyan's first. Not that I think it bothers Nemona, but still, I'd like to show our support more and possibly reassure her.

"She can be kinda sporadic with her schedule, just taking her journey at its own pace. I did talk with her about meeting up for the big festival in Artazon at the start of the Treasure Hunt."

Clicking her tongue, O'Nare shook her head. "What terrible misfortune! I have an overseas conference then." I could see her debating in her head about canceling it.

On the other end of the screen, our eldest daughter saw it as well and shook her head. "It'll be fine; we know you guys are busy and stuff." Despite, or perhaps because of, how easily she said it, the words felt like an arrow through my very being.

"I'll keep in contact with her and try to arrange a time for all of us to meet up. Maybe when she hits Levincia or Montenevera? But try not to smother or worry about her too much, ok? I know Nims wouldn't appreciate that."

I wanted to laugh at how foolish that idea was; she was a Trainer with a full team and had proven herself capable of handling all sorts of situations even I could barely dream of. I was still worried somehow. I worried about my eldest even as I looked at her, sitting there in her neat room at Uva Academy, dressed in a sharp uniform.

Rather than voice those thoughts and weigh down my daughters unnecessarily, I said, "So, how has Uva Academy been treating you so far?"

"Umm, good, I think. Yeah, it has been good. Not friends with any of the girls who tried to pick on me last year, but some of their hanger-ons are at least nice to me now. And I think I even have a fan club? A small one, but it's crazy. Apparently, they thought I did pretty well in my Gym Challenge last year. That was exhausting though, so not doing it again this year. Not really sure what I'll be doing for this Treasure Hunt yet, still weighing my options…"

Smiling, I leaned back and listened as Cyan regaled us with the events of her life, and I relaxed just a little, gripping my wife's hand. Parenthood has been an intense trip, but like taking my chance with O'Nare, I don't regret it one bit.

Spoiler: A/N:

A small glimpse at how things are going at home after all that excitement. The Glitterati's are pretty interesting characters and their inclusion impacted a lot of the early story and my thoughts about Nemona's development. I like the idea that for all their goofiness, they have hidden depths as well. I hope you enjoyed this too and are having a good day (and if not, we're getting back to the journey soon).

 

[Blueshift]

After we returned the key to Klefki and the Pokemon to the Gym Leader, I excused myself to get my team looked after. There were a bunch of people wanting to talk to me about my victory and about Raifort, but Oberon shooed them off.

"Let her look after her Pokemon; they're the most important part of a Trainer's life." His voice was subdued as he held onto Klefki's Pokeball as if it were made of the most fragile crystal in the world and could shatter at the slightest impact. "If you would, Nemona, please return after. I'd like to talk to you."

Something about the way he says that makes me think this is about more than taking my statement. I wasn't in any desperate rush to leave right now, so I agreed before going to the Pokemon Center.

When my team was taken in by Nurse Joy, however, there was an unexpected problem. "What did you do?" She demanded, sharply.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

She pointed at the monitor, and I craned my neck over to see the readouts. As the machine healed my team, it showed the amount of injuries in red shading. Phantasm is fine; I didn't even use her in any of the fights! So what's- ah. Following her finger, I saw that Riolu's ball was colored deep red (Dun's was pretty bad as well, but he hadn't fainted and I'd healed him up before our wild chase after Raifort).

"Ah. Will she be alright? She fought hard, but there's nothing permanent, right?" I asked nervously in the face of her glare. She has to be fine. Oberon saw her, and he didn't have anything to say. He's a Gym Leader, he would have called the match if it was getting dangerous, I'm sure of it. Plus, she seemed fine to me—knocked out, but fine.

"I'd like to keep her overnight for observation," she said and I narrowed my eyes.

"That… isn't an answer to the question I asked." I stared hard at before she turned away. Before she could say anything, Riolu popped out of her ball, barking angrily at the Nurse.

"Lu! Olu!" She stumbled backwards, caught in the tight space of the desk and Pokemon Center equipment.

"Wait, you wanted to take her away from me?" I asked, shocked as I translated Riolu's words.

The woman straightened herself out. "I was just trying to help! You pushed her too far-" She cut herself off at Riolu's growl.

"Did I actually?" The question was more for Riolu than her; I couldn't trust her words. My Pokemon turned to me and I said, "Hey, you did a great job out there. You took out two of Oberon's Pokemon and crippled his Grimmsnarl; that was half of his team!"

"Ri, Rio," she responded, puffing out her chest with pride and joy.

The Nurse Joy scoffed. "That's all Trainers seem to worry about. If it had gone a bit further-"

"But it didn't. Besides, she's the one that pushes that far." If anything, my strategy pulled back a bit from some of her more reckless plans, like how far she pushed against Dun right before she joined the team. But is that enough? Should I be keeping her in check more?

Riolu had stopped advancing on the Nurse, now backed into a corner and she straightened herself out. "I apologize if I caused any undue distress. As a medical professional, I simply worried about the care and well being of your Pokemon."

"Olu," the Aura Pokemon snarled, and I got her meaning, especially as she gestured to Phantasm's ball. I'm glad she can pick up on those things Nurse Joy is feeling, my Aura Sight isn't good enough to distinguish between the flurry of emotions she's feeling.

"And back to Phantasm. You really think I would-? Forget about it," I shook my head angrily. With a gesture, Riolu hopped back over the desk, carrying her Pokeball, staring daggers at the Nurse Joy.

The medical professional pursed her lips, but said nothing as we left. Well, that could have gone better. Riolu placed a paw on my hand, to reassure me. "Thanks. How did you know to jump out then?"

"Iolu," she replied with a stifled yawn.

"Ah, my suspicions. Well I'm glad you did, but you don't need to worry about everyone that I'm suspicious of being as bad as the poachers." She gave a small sniff, not dignifying that with a reply, but I was sure she understood. We're all stressed out right now after all of that.

Noticing the fatigue she was carrying, how she couldn't quite bring herself to keep up with my longer strides, I asked, "You want to rest?" She looked hesitant for a moment so I continued. "I'll be fine. You and Dun fought super hard in that Gym Battle, you've earned a break."

With a sleepy nod of her head, she agreed, pressing the button and returning back to the Pokeball. The healing machine helped her recover incredibly fast, but she'll still be tuckered out after all of that. Dun might not, but that's because of his insane stamina.

I distracted myself, thinking of random trivia like that as I walked through town, hoping to wait until Riolu was too deeply resting to pick up on my agitated mental state. Great, in addition to Raifort, looks like I've made an enemy of the Joys. The latter is probably worse; I don't think Raifort has any reason or backing to come after me.

Despite that, the historian had scared me more. "How did she do that?" I softly wondered aloud. "I've faced on all sorts of threats but that… that scared me." Was it some trick with Aura or some other supernatural element? Or just the honest fear of knowing you're facing down someone willing and able to kill you and knowing you can't stop them?

Sure, if her Zoroark had made good on that illusory promise and ripped me open, my team would have done the same (or worse) to her, but it wouldn't change what would have happened to me.

Guess it doesn't matter what the reason behind it was. The facts are, I was too scared to stand up to her. I just… need to get braver. Riolu's ball shook lightly at my side, and I rubbed it soothingly. Easier said than done.

Shaking those thoughts loose I tried to focus on the positives of today, which was actually just as easy said as done, for once. This was in part due to all the people recognizing me, pointing and whispering, talking about my battle against Oberon.

It is kinda nice to have people looking up to us, thinking we're cool and strong. I didn't think I was too vain of a person, but having the vast majority of people look down on me because of my age got old fast.

One man who likely never would again was Oberon, the man's tense shoulders relaxing as we walked up to the Gym building. He motioned us to follow him, and we did, heading through the back of the building then up the stairs.

Oberon walked to his office, opening the door with a bang that went unremarked upon by any of the staff walking past, tearing off his cape and throwing it on a plush couch on the side of the room. There was a small coffee table nearby it, and a large bookshelf covered one wall with elegant portraits and a large TV . hanging off the other.

The man slumped down in the plus chair behind the expensive-looking desk, motioning for me to take a seat in the slightly less luxurious seat planted in front of it. The cheer and energy from our match had completely drained out of him, and he looked tired. More than that, haunted. Despite how someone as tired-looking as him would probably slump down over their desk, he leans back, his hands hovering over his Pokeballs.

"First off, I want to thank you dearly for helping return Klefki to me. They've been with my family for generations, and to think I was so careless as to lose them... He trailed off, and I awkwardly looked to the side as the man seemed on the verge of sobbing. Don't really know what to say here. Hmm, yeah, those portraits do look like they could be of his ancestors, and there is a Klefki floating beside that knight-looking guy. I wonder if clues like that are how Raifort figured out about his vault?

"I'm sorry," he said after a moment to compose himself. "I will do better in the future in guarding them. My performance today, both against you and after, was shameful."

Shaking my head, I said, "No. You did fine; I studied up a lot and well… I'm pretty strong too. Besides, Raifort was waiting for an opportunity like this. It's why she hired those poachers. All so she could get access to the key to your family vault."

My words caused the man to stiffen up. "How did you-?"

"Raifort told me when I confronted her underneath the cavern. She had discarded Klefki and their Pokeball after taking the key; I think the vault was her sole interest." He still seemed a little stunned, so I gave him a minute to take that in.

"That was quite chatty of her. I take it from the fact that you didn't drag her up that she got away?"

"Y-yeah." I fell silent, shame flooding me as I remembered how I was too cowardly to chase her. I'm sure if I told him, he'd be happy, or at least approve of what I did. Try and tell me it was the safe thing to do, sensible. I don't really feel like being comforted right now. I made a mental note to duck out of town before Tulip or Dendra could corner me, knowing they'd want to do the same and be more perceptive than Oberon was right now.

"Well, that was in our favor at least. It will give us a better idea of what that thief," he spat the word out with vitriol. "Will try to go from here. If you can, please give me any other information you have on her." Then his face fell once more. "Though, perhaps you should give it to my replacement."

"What?"

"Look at me! Criminals ran rampant, and I failed to do anything to stop them. You faced my toughest team down easily, and couldn't even catch that scoundrel! How can I call myself fit to defend this city when I can't even defend my Pokemon?!" The man was practically bawling by this point, so I reached over the table to pat him on the shoulder.

"It's-" Fine? No, not really. It'll be ok? True, but he doesn't want to hear it... but I don't have anything better." It'll be ok. Nothing bad ended up happening, so just use this as motivation to work harder in the future. I don't think anyone even knew what happened." Which feels kinda bad, but so long as we get the information about Raifort out, it'll probably be fine. Causing a panic here when she's long gone doesn't seem great either.

That calmed him down, and after a bit I added, "Out of curiosity… how bad would it have been if the vault had been opened?"

He blinked his red eyes and frowned. "I don't know. That key has been in my family for centuries. When the Gym Circuit was being constructed, we lent the top of it out to the city for the Gym, but no one has been inside it for so long. Legend has it there's a rare Pokemon resting inside, waiting for the day when it will be fully recovered."

"Whoa. When is that day?"

"They were supposed to sleep for five hundred years, and it has been… three hundred and ninety-seven." Hah, maybe I'll see a Magearna someday when I'm super old.

Oberon fixed me with an intent stare and said, "I greatly appreciate what you've done for me and will think on what you've said. I hope I can also trust you to keep my family's vault a secret?"

"Of course," I nodded instantly.

"Thank you. I owe you, Miss Glitterati." He extended a hand out, and I shook it firmly.

"Actually, there is something you could do." With a click of a button, I released Notch. "I didn't show them in the battle, but I have a Fairy Type too! We've been trying to turn them into a Diancie. Do you have any ideas on the subject?"

"How wonderful..." he muttered, captivated by Notch, who stared blankly at him until he refocused. "Ah, turning a Carbink into a Diancie?" He scratched his chin. "I've heard their related but never heard about anything like that, sorry." Figures, even as a Fairy Type specialist, this is still a Fairy Type not native to Paldea.

"No worries. Though on that note, we've been trying to learn Moonblast. They're strong enough to do it; it works when the moon is up, but other times…"

"Ah, right. Yes, that's a tricky one to master. The best advice I can give you is to focus on the idea that Notch is summoning the moon themselves. It can be tempting, given Fairy's connections, to think of them drawing power from the moon, but it's more…" He clicked his tongue, trying to find the words. "It's that they are the ones controlling the moon, no matter how vaster it is than them."

"That physics is more a suggestion than a requirement. Their rules are more binding than the laws of the world; reality is theirs to shape as they see fit," I muttered. Oversimplifying it, obviously, but this is very useful. From what I've read and what we've tried, this should be quite handy for my experiments to get Notch to transform.

He offered to demonstrate the Move for me a few times outside, to which I readily agreed. Right before we could leave the building, I was accosted by a small boy trying to beat his fists against me. Thankfully, Ortega was so slow that I was easily able to recognize him and evade his blows. For just a moment there, when I saw someone about to attack me, I was ready to conjure a blade of wind to strike back. That would have ruined the good reputation I made with Oberon.

"Stop bullying, daddy!" Ortega whined as I knocked a blow aside with the palm of my hand. The smaller boy spun off-balance until his father gripped him tightly. From behind his mother, a well-dressed lady sharing his distinctive hair color ran up, looking quite annoyed with her progeny as well.

"Ortega!" He barked out, and the boy wilted, looking confused. "Don't be so rude!" Let's see if I can smooth things over; I don't want one of the future leaders of Team Star mad at me.

"Hey Ortega, was it? I'm Nemona. I wasn't bullying your dad, we were just talking, and I think he's a really good guy." I held a hand out for him to shake, and when Oberon let his son go, he stopped trying to attack me.

He wasn't quite willing to shake it either, staring at me suspiciously. "But then—why'd you beat Daddy?"

"That's just what happens sometimes when a Gym Leader battles - the point isn't for them to win but for them to put up a good challenge for the Trainer and he did just that." My simplified explanation convinced the emotional young boy, and he shook my hand quickly before walking back to his mother.

With a quick goodbye to his wife (who seemed more aware of the situation than their son had been), Oberon and I left. Once out of regular auditory range, I picked up on Ortega's mother beginning to verbally tear into him for his rudeness. He was always the brattiest of the Team Star kids.

Since the Gym was on the edge of town, it was easy to walk over to the fields nearby, where he released his newly healed Hatterene. "I have to thank you again, Miss Glitterati, for diffusing the situation even if it called for a falsehood on your part." At my curious look, he added, "The lie of me giving you a challenge."

I shook my head. "That's not true; you pushed Dun and Riolu quite hard. Even if I had other Pokemon left on my team, it was still good training for the ones that did battle. And I learned a lot! Had to use up two switches to get Riolu out of Granbull's hold."

I could afford it here, but we need a better solution to that problem. Grappling is hardly a common tactic, given how open it leaves the grappler to hits in Pokemon battles, but it isn't unheard of either for tankier Pokemon. Riolu will deal with that better once she evolves, but she'll also probably face tougher foes as well.

The Gym Leader's chuckling snapped my attention back to the moment, and he waved me off. "I could practically hear the gears turning in your head. How long did you spend analyzing my matches?"

"At least a dozen hours," I admitted. Probably closer to thirty. I had a fair bit of down time to use on my travel here, and then in the few days I spent resting up in the city, I hyper-focused on him and his strategies. Honestly, while it was helpful here, I should probably try to avoid doing that in the future, so I don't get thrown off by someone realizing that and deciding to act completely differently.

"Let's not waste any more time. Hatterene, if you would. Moonblast," Oberon ordered, and above us, despite the sun shining brightly in the afternoon, another celestial object glowed above our heads. The hair-covered Fairy Type seemed to absorb the moonlight before letting it out in a pinkish energy ball that traveled a dozen meters before exploding over the brown grass.

Notch studied it intently before focusing, their ears lying back flat as they conjured their own moon above them. The shine was less bright than Hatterene's, but it was enough for Notch to conjure their own pink ball of death and send it rolling through the air.

"Impressive, to figure it out already. You must have been close to a breakthrough." He said to my Pokemon while recalling his own. "I think you'll do quite well from here on out. I look forward to seeing your eventual challenge against the Elite Four." While he had regained some of his imperious bearing, I could sense the man was still a bit off kilter internally.

"Thank you, I'll come back to visit after I'm done." Mostly for Tulip and Dendra, admittedly, but also to see how he's doing. I wonder if this changed things, if Tulip will still be the Gym Leader in the future now?

I didn't know, and there was no way of knowing but waiting to see how the future would turn out. With a wave, I turned and headed out further across the plains while he marched back to the city. A quick message Miles sent had a Flying Taxi heading over to us as soon as I gazed out over the land from atop the high cliffs.

I don't want to focus on the bad stuff that happened, but I want to have an answer to fix it in the future. I mean, I suppose it's unlikely that I'll come across her again, but still. I need methods to protect myself in battle while leading my Pokemon, ways that won't cost me too much effectiveness when my team is battling multiple Pokemon…

My musings were interrupted by the Flying Taxi landing down beside me. I tried to step towards it, only to find my feet stuck to the ground. There wasn't anything I could detect holding them in place, but each step forward felt like I was wrenching myself ahead.

Taking a step backwards, however, was as effortless as anything and revealed what my problem was. Or should I say, who my problem is.

Turning around, I saw a Gothita standing there, staring intently at me. On the ground, her shadow stretched out, latching onto mine. Shadow Tag, that's a rare ability. She reached out, pressing her ribbon-like feeler against my hand.

They learn Fake-Out too, don't they? With that and her ability, I could use her to trap any poacher or criminal. Then I just need to get someone who can learn Follow Me and use them to protect me and- I stopped myself, wincing as I realized what I was thinking. Pulling away with great effort, I marched over to the Flying Taxi. Thinking of 'using' a Pokemon, like they're just tools. What's next, calling myself a Pokemon Wielder?

"Take me to Mesagoza, please, East Entrance."



***


I felt terrible as I marched through the dusty canyon, and it had nothing to do with the scenery, Pokemon, or dry air. Ok, maybe it has a little to do with the air, I thought as I coughed and took a large swig of water from my flask.

After my flight and a day of hiking through the canyon, I found myself regretting how quickly I had left Alfornada. Sticking around and getting some help with my feelings would have been better than just leaving like that.

I'd messaged Tulip and Dendra as soon as I was flying away that I was fine and explained my departure and the bare bones of what had happened when I confronted Raifort. They had both sent relieved (and enthusiastic in Dendra's case) responses back, but there was an undercurrent of worry from both of them, with encouragement that implied they were worried about me.

Part of me feels like I should go back and reassure them, but that would probably also mean that I should return home and tell my parents and Leah all about my woes. I'd definitely be late to the Artazon Fair if I did that, and I agreed to meet Cyan there.

Phantasm bumped her head against the side of my leg, shaking me out of my recriminations. "Thanks," I said, and she gave a small yip sound before a Spoink hopping by caught her attention.

"Try not to be too rough on them!" I called out as she chased after the pig like Pokemon. The battle ended swiftly, with Phantasm's shadow slithering across the ground until it rose up around the Spoink, defeating the wild Pokemon. I tossed them a few berries as we passed, holding back a sigh.

None of these Pokemon are a challenge for even Phantasm, let alone Miles or the others. It's hard to get in good training here. That being said, I could still work on fundamentals. Releasing Miles, I asked, "Can you help Zorua with Hyper Voice? I think she's got the vocalization down, but Dun isn't as great at explaining the Type energy." Probably because of how naturally it comes to him.

"Bzzt, certainly," Miles responded, zipping off to help my youngest Pokemon. The two of them began practicing, Phantasm having to learn not to rely on her illusions for this Move since they couldn't cause the damage it needed.

Both of them being Ghost Types helped them practice as they could fire the Move freely on each other without fear of hurting the other, but after Miles declared her to be proficient to a certain degree, she had to go back to testing Hyper Voice on other Pokemon. We need to see how much damage the Move does after all, though from the way that Stantler is flinching, I'd say it works.

The Stantler tried to charge back at Phantasm, but his Stomps landed without effect, passing right through her. Eventually the screeching noise had the deer-like Pokemon wobble and collapse. She gave a cry of pain as Phantasm wailed at her again.

"Phantasm! That's enough!" I called out sharply. Her red, floaty patch of fur waved angrily above her before she simmered down. Her aggression has gotten worse since Alfornada, but I think that's my fault. She's upset at my discontent - well, all of my team is; she just has the least experience to cope with it.

"Good job on the Hyper Voice, you mastered that Move quickly." The praise helped take the sting out of my previous admonishment, so now she just looked down guiltily. "I get how it's easy to get caught up in a battle, but you don't need to hit others once they're down."

I scooped her up in a hug, and she nuzzled in close. Does she weigh more than before? She's growing quickly. It wasn't always a sign of Evolution about to happen (and there were no studies on her variant species I could call on to help fact-check that), but it was somewhat common.

Turning to the Stantler, I reached around in my bag for berries, only to come up empty. In my rush to get out of Alfornada, I forgot to stock up. "Whoops. Uhh, I could use some Potions to try and heal you?" I offered, and the Stantler reluctantly turned her body to face me so I could spray some Potions on her, which helped.

She got back to her feet, still looking disdainfully at me, though too tired (or too wary) to use the black orb in her antlers to scare me away. "Sorry that I don't have anything better to offer you… Oh! I know, I could tell you how to evolve!" Unlike with people, I don't have to explain how I would possibly know this.

The confused and disbelieving look the Stantler gave me said otherwise, but I chose to ignore it. "Ok, this evolution will make you become part Psychic Type, so you need to focus that Type of Energy around your horns, like a Zen Headbutt. Do you learn Zen Headbutt naturally?"

A quick check of my Pokedex confirmed she could. "Awesome. So make it like a Zen Headbutt, but spread the energy out around you, like a barrier or shield you're using to ram into someone. Oh, and then you have to do that really fast, ok? Once you've mastered all of that, you should be able to evolve!"

I was subject to one of the most deadpan looks I had ever received, which was impressive. Ok, I guess saying 'just master a difficult move, alter it significantly to make a new Move, then do it in Agile Style' is a bit much. "Hey, I don't make the rules," I said with a shrug, to which she rolled her eyes and pranced off.

Continuing to walk across the winding earthen paths, we navigated the canyon. As we trekked across the land, I handled little things like staying in contact with my friends, who had been eager to hear more about my battle. Apparently, people online are saying good things about me overall.

I knew I would get too involved in things if I looked up what they were saying about me, so I tried to stay away from those details. I'm sure that there are detractors too, but it's nice to hear that some random people across Paldea believe in us.

A tune popped into my head, and I began humming it, softly singing some of the words.


"I wanna fly high, so that I can reach the highest, of all of the heavens.

Somebody will be waiting for me, so I gotta fly higher.

Gotta keep going, everything is a brand new challenge for me.

I will believe in myself, cause this, is only the start for me."



"A new song, bzzt?" Miles asked, and I laughed.

"You could say that. It was the theme of your namesake in one of the games. 'Believe in Myself.' Speaking of-"

"I'm ready." They said simply, with a plasmic smile on their face and determination in their eyes. Look how far you've come.

"Excellent. So you've decided what Form you'll be using for the fight?" I'd had ideas if Miles needed them, but they had asked to decide on their own.

"I will use the Boombox Form," they declared, and I raised an eyebrow.

"Interesting choice. You'll need to fire Hex off fast for that, but you're pretty sharp with that Move."

"It'll also help with Hyper Voice, and my other sound Move, bzzt." True, it'll let them output more damage- oh!

"Haha, that's brilliant!" I laughed as I realized their plan. "Guess you won't need a Lum Berry or Safety Goggles after all. When did you master that Move?"

"After you passed out when arriving in Alfornada, I snuck off to practice. Didn't want to disturb you, bzzt." I frowned at that.

"I appreciate the effort, really, but please don't head out all by yourself when there are dangerous criminals about." They and I both knew it was very unlikely that Raifort or anyone would have targeted them, but they meekly nodded, accepting my concern.

Accepting that, I said, "Alright, looks like we have a good plan then. Brassius won't know what hit him!"

"You won't know what hit you if you don't get out of the way!" A shrill voice behind me said, and seeing the Cyclizar galloping towards us, I quickly dodged to the side, rolling on the ground.

Dusting myself off as I stood up, I saw the teenager sitting atop the Cyclizars back had come to a stop in front of me and turned around to face me. He had reddish-orange hair and was wearing an Uva Academy Fall Uniform. "What was that you were saying about Brassius?"

"Oh, just that we're headed to the Gym to challenge him-"

"Ha! You've got a long way to go before you can take on Brassius, squirt. I fought him last year and couldn't win, but I've got two Pokemon this time!"

There was a moment of dumbfounded silence as I just stared at him. He can see all the Pokeballs on my belt, right? I have way more Pokemon than that, and the number of Pokemon you have is hardly the only factor of whether you're strong enough to beat a Gym Leader!

Deliberately looking past the boy, I said, "I mean, not that far away. The road winds a bit, but I can see the Pokemon Center right over there." Pointing past the hill, the red and white Center was indeed clearly visible.

"Gah! That's it," the rude boy said, dismounting from the Cyclizar. "I better teach you some respect. Besides, it'll be a nice warmup before my match," he held a Pokeball out, and I sighed.

Might as well; maybe he'll surprise me. "What are you feeling for, Miles?"

"Bzzt, I think they say this is a dish best served cold."

"Ha, I hardly think he's worth revenge, but sure thing!" The schoolboy had been getting annoyed with me momentarily ignoring him, but that irritation turned to shock and dread as I heaved the refrigerator out of my bag, tossing it in the air.

Miles zipped out of my phone, possessing the refrigerator and hovering in the air. They waved their purple plasmic limbs menacingly for a moment, but the boy shook it off after a second.

"Refrigerator means Ice, right? I know my Types, that means they're weak to Fire! Go, Fuecoco!" He released a small, fiery crocodile-like from his Pokeball and I had to resist the urge to openly gape at that. Seriously? He lost to Brassius with a Fire Type?

Apparently, I spoke aloud, as the boy's face became almost as red as his hair. "Shuddup! He had a Sudowodo! How is that fair for a Grass Type Gym Leader?" He didn't give me time to explain either, simply shouting "Fuecoco, Ember!"

The first stage starter drew in a deep breath, preparing to pelt Miles with fire, something I wasn't going to let happen (even if the risk to them from this Pokemon was minimal). "Discharge."

Before the Fuecoco could release his fiery breath, the canyon around us was bathed in electricity. The bolts zapped all around, striking at the ground and air and many times into Fuecoco. Despite the spread, Miles had enough control to stop the bolts well before myself or the other trainer.

When the electricity cleared, both of us could clearly see our enemy lying on his back, insensate and motionless, save for the few twitches of his body. "Wha- how did you do that?! Ugh, ok, fine, go, Azurill!"

He recalled his starter while releasing his next Pokemon, a small blue ball like Pokemon, bouncing on the end of a tail almost the same size as their body was. Azurill, not a Water Type and looks too sleek and fit to have Thick Fat, so we could use Blizzard, but I want to try that new technique we've been looking into.

Miles hadn't had the same skill with new Moves like Riolu or Dun had, but recently we'd come across an interesting combination that I felt should work well. "Confuse Wisp!"

Opening their fridge doors, a chill slipped out, alongside a multi-colored ball of flame, drifting towards the Azurill.

"Dodge it!" He cried out, but his Pokemon was caught, entranced by the rapidly shifting lights the ghostly flame gave off. Instead of running away, the Azurill flipped itself over, lying on their head, and bouncing the tail end up over their body. This did nothing to help them against the flames as they connected, the Move Burning them.

"Foul Play," I called out, wanting to wrap this up but worried about how a stronger Move might end up seriously hurting the beginner Pokemon. The Burn and their own thrashing about doing some damage as well, until Miles swooped down and grabbed the end of Azurill's tail. Pulling away, they stretched it out before letting it snap back, the ball end smacking them in the face and knocking them out.

"Looks like we're done. Unless your Cyclizar wants to battle too?" I offered. Apparently, with a bit too much menace, as the reptilian ride Pokemon whipped their head back and forth, as if looking for a way out, before running away towards town.

"Hey wait, that was a rental!" The teenage boy cried out, chasing after the errant Dragon Type. I chuckled, watching him run off before I heard a sound above me.

Looking up, I saw a Flying Taxi overhead - hardly an unusual sight. The girl that had just jumped off it riding on the back of a Kingdra, however, was and a familiar familial sight at that.

"Bullying little kids? Tsk tsk tsk," my sister faux-mocked as she descended towards me.

"Cyan! You made it!" I flew up, grabbing her in a hug.

"Oof. Forgot you could do that," she muttered as we floated down, her Pokemon drifting off to the side to greet Miles. "Your battles looked incredible; I'm glad I'll be able to see them in person. Plus, I've got a surprise for you in the festival."

"Oh?" I asked, but she wouldn't say any more (no matter how much I tickled her while casually dodging her counter attempts), so we finished our journey to the city.

It was much the same as it had been the last time I was here; very green, very flowery. One big change, however, was all the streamers and banners hung about the place. Food carts and attraction stands lined the roads, with townsfolk and tourists milling all about. Apparently it's some kind of centennial event, and Brassius decided to help celebrate.



In honor of that, there were many pieces of art on display as the main attraction around town. From elegantly shaped topiaries to paintings to statues and more. The star feature was the 'Surrendering Sunflora' which Brassius had crafted after getting out of his funk, right before he had become a Gym Leader. For the festival, he had made dozens of duplicates of the and placed them all around town.

"I'm gonna go on ahead and try and schedule my Gym Trial in early," I told Cyan. "If that guy I fought was any indication, there's going to be a huge influx of school kids trying to cramp my style." She gave me a light shove but nodded her head.

"Sounds good. I'm gonna grab some friends, we can meet up once you're done." I feel like she's planning something, but not sure what. I didn't have time to ask as she ran off one way while I started walking towards the big circular path in the center of town.

Barely three steps in, and I found myself almost walking into a tall man dressed in maroon. With a distinctive whip at his side. "Brassius?" I asked, surprised.

"Ah, Nemona, it was fortuitous to run into you. Are you here for the festival?" The Gym Leader asked.

"Well, yes, in part. But also here to battle you! I was just about to schedule a match."

He frowned. "The challenges are supposed to be closed for the festival." The artistic man pulled up his phone and clicked his tongue as he saw no mention of that in the online information. "How vexingly imperfect," he hissed. "My apologies; I still find myself floundering in my responsibilities. I was sure I had told the staff to mention that, but it must have slipped my mind."

"No worries, we can have our battle after. The festival is looking really fun; I'm curious to see if I can spot all the 'imperfections' on the 'fake' Surrendering Sunfloras." That's a game the city advertised for the festival. Apparently there are minute differences on the replicas of the original statue, and there's a fun prize for anyone who can find all the statues and find all the differences.

Brassius was silent for a moment before saying, "I'm sure you will. But first, I think I will battle you; the art our clash will create is certain to be a worthy addition to this festival!" With that grand declaration, he turned on his heel, striding towards the heart of the city.

"No Gym Trial? I asked as we walked towards the arena. Brassius shook his head vigorously.

"I would usually have a Trainer be tested artistically, in the hopes that by pushing them creatively in the arts, they'll be pushed creatively in battle!" Ah, guess that explains Katy's reactions back then. I was rigid and by the book in baking, so she probably thought I'd be the same in battle… and then I threw Phantasm disguised as Dun at her.

He continued. "But you and your sister have already proven yourselves artistically! That comic book you entered in the festival has such bold vision! The striking colors! The dynamic action, palpable with each turn of a page, it is truly Ava-"

"She entered it!?" She didn't mention anything about that to me! Guess that must have been her 'surprise'.

"-ant garde," he finished lamely, clearly thrown off a step. "Is there an issue with that?"

I stopped to consider it fully. "Well, no, I guess not. I just wish she had asked me first; we haven't had a chance to remaster our old work." Haven't had nearly as much time together in general with her at school, even if we do stay in touch and got to meet up here.

The green-haired man chuckled. "Ol' Hass mentioned how much of a perfectionist you were." My face grew red at that, but I didn't have a rebuttal. It is true, I tend to overthink things and want every plan to work out perfectly.

At the edge of the arena, Brassius stopped, turning sharply to face me, looking me dead in the eyes with a sense of seriousness that wiped away my embarrassment. "Hass also informed me of your talents. I know you requested an eighth badge level challenge, but from what he's said, I honestly feel that I would not be able to challenge you with such a team. My personal team may be lacking compared to some of the more experienced Gym Leaders, but with your permission, I'd like you to face off against them."

Interesting, Oberon's eighth badge team was his strongest. Is Brassius underestimating himself or did the 'Fairy King' really let himself slip as a Gym Leader? It was a question to ponder for another time, however, as I had a far more pressing one on my hands.

A team I haven't seen before, haven't prepared fully against? Even stronger than the best performances I've seen from him? My eyes lit up as my cheeks strained from the smile that widened on my face. "Yeah, let's go!"

Spoiler: A/N:

We wrap up the Raifort Arc and are back onto the Gym Challenge with some familiar faces. It's interesting how stories develop as you go on. In my first drafts, Cyan had a much smaller role in the story and wasn't as close to Nemona (even as far as when I posted the very first chapter). That quickly changed over time, as well as the Pokemon she'd have with her. A lot of characters and team rosters have changed as I've written this (fun fact; the only Pokemon set in stone for Nemona from the start were Dun and Miles! Though everyone on her current team has been decided since the Junior Tournament), but of all the changes, I'm most happy with how I've seen Cyan's development go.
Anyways, thank you so much reading and supporting me, I really appreciate it, your comments mean a lot.

 

[Blueshift]

Brassius sent out a message calling for the Gym staff to come and officiate our match. They likely got the word out as well, given the large crowd gathering all around, but they were hardly the only ones.

My sister waved at me from a large group of Uva students that she was directing towards the arena. "Show him what you're made of Nims!" She shouted at me, and I smiled. Guess she got tired of the people online disparaging me.

I directed Miles to go and drop the phone off with her before floating back without an object to possess. That picked up a few whispers from the crowd, the students especially wondering if I was 'giving away my strategy'. I snorted.

Hardly. Brassius knows everything Hassel does, at the least. But we've got a few new tricks that neither of them have seen yet. Having Cyan around is handy for recording my match, but I'll probably need a permanent solution to that. Maybe I could ask the Gym staff next time?

When the crowd had gathered to the fullest extent they could on the massive circular platform the arena rested on. It was far smaller than Alfornada's, however, and with space to walk underneath it - no secret vaults here! I could hear and see others gathered around the outside as well, peering in. Many people were recording the match, and from what I could hear, some people below that couldn't see it were watching the streams from those above.

Brassius saw the staff taking their places and moved off to his own side. "Sorry you don't get to jump down from the windmill to dramatically start our match off." I said to him, too low to be heard by the crowd.

He smirked. "A shame, but my knees thank you for it." Then he walked over to the other side, his demeanor becoming serious. I opened my bag for Miles to possess the right Form.

The referee cleared their throat, holding up a microphone. "This will be a six-on-six match with up to four switches allowed for each Trainer. Battle Items and an Enhancement effect are allowed." That set off some whispers and excited discussion amongst the crowd. Four switches is a fair amount, usually reserved for the longest and toughest matches. Some people might have known about me online, but for a lot of the festival goers, this would just seem like a match for the start of the Treasure Hunt season.

"Gym Leader, Challenger, are you ready to begin?" Brassius raised a Pokeball off of his belt while I pulled Miles in Boombox form out of my bag. Miles took to the field, the sleek black boombox floating in the air, surrounded by a gray plasmic field, out of which extended two thin limbs. The 'hands' of the limbs were actually slightly asymmetrical, the right a disc with a hole in the center, while the left was rectangular with two holes spaced evenly from each other around the middle. CD and cassette player modes.

The referee glanced at Brassius, looking to see if he wanted to change his Pokemon out before he would release it. The Gym Leader frowned, staring intently at the unusual Rotom Form before shaking his head. He probably had a solid starter ready to deal with most anything I could throw at him, so they'll be just as good at dealing with a Rotom Form no one's ever seen before.

The referee gave the signal for Brassius to send out his Pokemon, and the man released a tall, thin Pokemon. She had two legs sticking out from a bark-like slim 'skirt' that led up to their leafy upper half. The leaves covered her long, outstretched arms and chest, as well as the top of her head, leaving only her round, pale face bare. Along her arms were several dark olives, and peeking out amidst the foliage on her right arm, I spotted a yellow berry peeking out.

Sitrus Berry. I'm sure she has Seed Sower, but could Brassius have trained her to have Harvest as well? That'll be a problem if she does. Arboliva is bulky enough and could outgrind us.

"Are both Trainers ready?" The referee asked, and we both nodded, the crowd's excited chattering dying down as everyone watched in eager anticipation. "Then we will start the battle in three, two, one… begin!"

"Thunder Wave," was my first command. He's expecting some big attack from the start, I'm sure.

My assumption was correct, as he called out "Mirror Co- Safeguard!" His attempt to course correct came too late, the thin bolts of electricity covering the Olive Pokemon before the Safeguard could come up. Arboliva twitched, Paralyzed by Miles' attack, and dropped some olives off her arms in response, which seeded the ground, spreading out in a lightly glowing green field around the arena.

"Hyper Voice, strafe." Miles zipped around, already capable of moving much faster than the Grass Type, now easily able to stay behind her, blasting her with powerful soundwaves. Wow, that's strong. Having a Life Orb and the Normal Type lets him do tons of damage. Wait, that's not just random noise; that's my music they're playing!

Indeed, Miles was playing 'Megalovania' from their boombox body, cranked up to eleven. The barrier made the sound less damaging for the audience, and I saw a few of them bobbing their heads along to the beat.

Brassius wasn't going to just sit back and let us defeat him, however. "Fill the air with beauty, Petal Dance!" Raising her arms up, she spun around, petals flaking off of her and spinning around, then regrowing and flying off again.

Miles was able to stay ahead of her but couldn't avoid the attack as it started to fill the entire arena. "Discharge!" A burst of lightning erupted all around them, frying the petals before they could touch them. The Electric Type attack did little damage to Arboliva as it reached her, but it protected Miles.

She tried to continue the attack but faltered, her body seizing up. "Hyper Voice!" I shouted, seeing our opening to lay more damage on her. She flailed about, waving her long arms around wildly, Confused. Despite that, I could see vines growing off her arms, carrying the Sitrus berry towards her mouth.

"Trick!" Miles' eyes flashed, and then the Sitrus berry Arboliva had been carrying to her mouth was replaced with the hard Life Orb that Miles had concealed in their body. Pulling the berry out of their cassette slot, Miles quickly chomped down on it with their plasmic mouth, healing almost all the fatigue the Life Orb had cost them so far.

Brassius frowned for a second before a delighted look took his face. "Clever use of my item, but I can make grand use of your gift as well. Nature Pulse!" Any confusion that had hampered her snapped as she drew energy up from the terrain she had created. The orange ring in the reddish Life Orb glowed in Arboliva's grip as they unleashed a massive blast with the gathered energy.

Miles gave a grunt as they were knocked to the side. Damn, that hit hard. But we still need a little time till Safeguard ends. "Protect," I called out as they tried to fire out another blast, the beam of green energy deflecting harmlessly off of the barrier Miles had conjured around themselves.

Despite the terrain, which was boosting her attack and also rejuvenating her, it wasn't enough to keep up with the damage I'd already dealt, not by far. The Life Orb was also draining her with each attack. Something Brassius was keenly aware of as he switched tactics.

"Synthesis," his voice carried out over the field at the same time as the transparent shield that had been protecting Arboliva flashed out of existence.

Here's our opening! "Get in close!" I cried, the signal for Miles to use the new signature Move of this form. Speakers beating out music once again, Miles switched to a different tune, playing 'Oh the Places You'll Go,' this time.

Arboliva swayed back and forth before collapsing on the ground, asleep. Brassius gaped, looking shocked. "They know Sing?!" The Life Orb slipped out of her grip, and Miles scooped it back up.

"That's right! Now, Nasty Plot." The track changed again, playing 'You're Gonna Go Far Kid.'" Right, we didn't make a full song of that one, but we did do some recordings before deciding it wouldn't fit in the first album.

"Switch!" Brassius shouted, recalling his Pokemon and forcing Miles to stop their Move while Brassius chose a replacement. He's got fast reactions, I'll give him that. Miles probably only got off enough for an extra quarter increase in power from the Nasty Plot, when if they had been able to fully use the Move, they would have been twice as strong.

"What artful tactics! But the greatest of art breeds… imitation! Go, Breloom, Spore!" He called out as he released the bipedal mushroom Pokemon. Underneath their mushroom cap head, he had avian-like features with a beak-like nose. His pale neck led to a green body with powerful legs and short arms, two red claws on each limb.

The Breloom's long tail was the most noticeable feature, however. Mostly because he shook it back and forth, and from the green clover-looking end, spores started drifting across the field.

"Killjoys, make some noise!" Miles repeated those lyrics, but far louder, making a racket with Uproar. The sound was so loud that even as the Spores hit them and Miles' eyes started to droop, they couldn't fall asleep, their own sound jolting them awake.

It was far worse for Breloom, the Grass Type screeching in pain as the attack hit them hard. "Mach Punch!" Brassius shouted over the din, and I barely had time to wince before he had rocketed forward, slamming a claw into Miles with a screeching sound that came from the metal being dented and not Miles' music.

They didn't stop, however, continuing to blast out those tunes at Breloom, doing significant damage. Something my opposite noticed as well. "Those sound Moves, all so strong, and Mach Punch doing so much damage… Your Rotom Form is a Normal Type!"

I slipped my right hand into my Tera Orb case, tightening my grip. Yeah, he figured it out quickly. Miles is stuck in Uproar mode, so they won't be able to block your next move. The question is, how much do you commit from this discovery?

"Close Combat!" There we go. Capitalizing on a weakness you found was a major part of being a good Trainer. It was something you had to be careful about, however, as sometimes the discovered weakness… turned out to be a trap.

"Dazzle with electrifying power, Terastalize!" I chanted as I tossed the Tera Orb above Miles' body. It burst open, forming that glowing Tera symbol in the air for a scant second, then making a pillar of crystals around them.

Breloom smashed through, kicking, punching, and even swinging his tail through the crystal to hit Miles. To little effect, as they emerged with the lightbulb Tera 'hat' above their head, the powerful Move did only as much damage as Mach Punch had done before.

Staying in close only left the Breloom more open for the Uproar to blast into him. With one last screech of sound, the enemy was literally knocked off his feet by the attack, falling unconscious. I was actively protecting my ears with Aura, as well as the barrier diminishing the sound coming my way, so I could still hear the crowd cheer wildly as they saw me score my first knockout.

Brassius furrowed his thin eyebrows in concentration. "It appears I'll need to spice this work up; go Scovillain!"

His latest Pokemon was a bit shorter than the others, just under a meter tall. They had a solid bipedal dark green body with two thick legs and two fingerless hands on the ends of their short arms. The most distinctive feature though was their two heads, one red and on a lighter green than the body, each vaguely pepper-shaped.

Scovillain, Scovillain… It's a Paldean native Pokemon, makes sense he'd have it. Grass/Fire Typing covers a lot of weaknesses, what else- Insomnia. He's prepared for my Sleep attempts, and I can't Burn him either.

Brassius started the latest bout off, shouting, "Sunny Day!" The red head tilted back, mouth facing skyward, gathering a glowing ball of light in it that would serve as a miniature sun.

Seeing his Move, I decided to try buffing up as well. However, no sooner had I called out "Nasty Plot," did Brassius' Pokemon react, the second head spitting out a cluster of spices that got caught in Miles' body, aggravating them. What Move was that? Some kind of debuff, probably. At least the irritation sped up Nasty Plot.

Scovillain had released the sun up above them and started racing towards Miles, their speed obviously boosted from the sunlight. With a lunge, they jumped, snapping at Miles with one head, just barely missing as my Pokemon dodged out of the way, blasting them with a Hyper Voice on their way out.

Nice try, but Miles is the fastest out of all my Pokemon and second only in overall strength to Dun. Even the sun boost won't be enough.

"Bullet Seed, Flamethrower!" Brassius called out, quickly but still calm and unworried. His Pokemon angrily stomped the ground as the two heads tried shooting him down with seeds and fire. This time, the attacks came much faster, and the long necks let the Scovillain heads cut off angles of escape. What? But there were no other boosting Moves used, why did Scovillain get so much faster- Ah, I can't worry about that; I just gotta deal with it.

"Volt Switch!" Miles flew down at our enemy, a ring of electricity encircling them as they struck the Grass Type. Curving around, they narrowly avoided the attacks from the Scovillain and zipped back to me as I returned them to their Pokeball.

"Nemona has used her first switch! Challenger Nemona, please choose your next Pokemon!" I bit my lip as the referee talked, weighing my options.

Nightwing is fast, can probably at least match the Scovillain for speed while the sun is up, but not this even faster speed they have right now. She won't resist their Moves either, and her best Flying attack is Acrobatics, which means either ditching the Toxic Orb too early or trying to draw things out for time. No, not with their dual attacks and speed. If I can't go fast then...

"I'll go slow," I muttered, and Brassius turned, cupping an ear to try and hear me. "Ah, nevermind, I said, I choose you, Notch!" Pressing the button on their ball, I sent Notch out onto the field.

"Bullet Seed!/Reflect." We both called out. A few of the bullets shattered against Notch's rocky frame, chipping away at them but didn't do too much damage before Notch could raise a barrier.

"Even the harshest critic can be worn down with enough persistence - and coming at a piece from a different angle! Solar Beam!"

"Light Screen," I ordered, a smile growing across my face. I thought so! Each head has to use a different Type, he can't just double down on attacking power. I'm betting he's holding off on the Fire Moves to give the red head a chance to recover and regain strength.

Pokemon were magnificent, versatile creatures, but even those best designed to do so had difficulties using more than one Move at a time. At least while keeping the strength of all the Moves up. I'm sure Dun or Riolu could do three or even four Moves at once, but they'd all be really bad versions of each. Usually just better to focus.

With the sunlight shining brightly, Brassius fired off a Solar Beam quickly, digging in and cutting a small gouge into my Rock Type. Despite the super-effective blow, Notch held on, conjuring another barrier around themselves.

The Gym Leader clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed by my sudden shift to a defensive strategy. "Run around, Flamethrower."

"Power Gem, blast him!" Notch did their best, firing the Rock energy beams all around the arena, but Scovillain whirled around, too fast to be hit. Even as they tried to predict where the Fire Type was headed, Scovillain was able to react in time and dodge them.

The head that wasn't spitting fire at my Pokemon was laughing maniacally at our failed attempts. The flames themselves hardly hurt Notch, given their superior defenses, Type advantage, and barriers, but also cost Brassius nothing to do.

"Trick Room." There isn't any point trying to hide or conceal this Move; it takes too long and is too obvious for anyone skilled not to see it coming. The question is if he has any answers to deal with this.

The answer was that he did, and it was to stop using Scovillain. "Switch," he said, returning his Pokemon. He sent out his next one almost immediately, his Arboliva once more taking her place on the field. In this case, that place was lying on the ground, still asleep as Trick Room finished setting up around them.

Sometimes, Pokemon would wake up in their balls and be ready to hit the ground running when sent back out, but most of the time, situations like this happened where the Pokemon remained just as asleep as they had been before being put in their ball. A consequence of their design; they're meant to be comforting by nature and only sense outside stimuli if they put effort into doing so.

"Nice try," I said to Brassius before giving Notch their next command. "Stealth Rocks." There, that should give a bit of chip damage to all of Brassius' Pokemon and an especially nasty hit when he puts Scorvillain back in.

After the rocks were scattered about, I called, "Body Press." Carbink flew high above in the air, twirling as they slammed themselves down towards Arboliva. Unfortunately, our downed foe woke up at the last moment, and with the speed of Trick Room in their favor, narrowly rolled out of the way.

"Petal Blizzard!" Hmm, no Solar Beam while the sun remains up? His Pokemon are strong, but I guess he hasn't had the time to train them in a wide variety of Moves while pushing them to this level.

Opting to take the hit rather than go for a more defensive option I said, "Psychic, hold her in place!" The leaves she was flinging around cut into Notch, doing significant damage, even with the barrier from Reflect. Damn, she hits harder than I thought.

Notch lifted her slightly off the ground and held her in place, telekinetically squeezing her. It might have stopped a lesser Pokemon from completing their Move, but the Arboliva was able to command the leaves to continue firing off her arms and into Notch, even as they were held still. Holding her up did give us an opportunity that neither of us was going to waste.

"Body Press!" Notch threw themselves once more at the Arboliva, and this time she was unable to dodge in mid-air. They had to drop the Psychic to use the Fighting Type Move, but just as Arboliva touched the ground, Notch crashed into her.

The blow drove the olive Pokemon into the ground, leaving a small crater from the impact and knocking her out. As she fell unconscious, a few olives rolled off and seeded themselves around the arena, renewing the Grassy Terrain that had long since faded away at some point.

The next Pokemon Brassius sent out was his ace, Sudowoodo. The crowd cheered wildly upon seeing the Gym Leader's strongest Pokemon, especially the locals. There aren't many obvious differences between this one and the ones he uses for lesser matches, but looking closely, I can see the chips in his skin that look like bark ridges, the way he holds himself. This one is strong.

The fact that he didn't flinch as the rocks hidden around the arena pelted into him. This Sudowoodo also had a small gray stone hanging off a cord around his neck. Hard Stone, boost the power of Rock Type Moves. Something that Brassius put to good use right away with, "Head Smash" as his first command.

Charging in a reckless headbutt at Notch, he was moving faster than my Pokemon could react to with most Moves. "Protect!" Was faster, though, and able to shield them from an attack that made a shockwave when his twig-looking antenna smacked into the honeycomb barrier Notch had made.

No recoil for Sudowoodo either; must have whats-it-name Ability that stops that. Probably Sturdy too, from how tough he looks. "Body Press," I tried, hoping we could squish the Rock Type, or at least force out his Terastalization. Instead, they dodged out of the way, and as Brassius swung his arm out, Sudowoodo did the same, catching Notch in a heavy blow with his whole body behind it.

As they continued to dart around, now moving even faster, I was sure the Move they had used was Hammer Arm. Ok, decently clever to use my Trick Room against me, but the thing is, I set it up. And I can...

"Shut it down." The arena began to glow again as Sudowoodo built up more space for another charge towards Notch. Brassius' eyes darted looking for some method to try and deal with it, and for a second he was lost.

He wasn't a Gym Leader for nothing, however, and quickly recovered to at least stay the course. "Smash through the block before you!" Sudowoodo made an odd 'X' motion with his hand before charging ahead to smash into the Notch, this time the blow connecting solidly as the distorted dimensions returned to normal.

They gave a whimper as they spun through the air, falling to the ground... before just catching themself, barely holding on. Brassius's gaunt eyes bulged a little, seeing all the punishment Notch had taken and kept on fighting. Those barriers helped a ton, but part of it is just Notch's natural toughness. It takes a ton to put them down.

Sudowoodo raised an arm to try and smash into Notch, only to be blasted aside by a Power Gem. "Body Press!" I cried viciously, the speed advantage firmly in Notch's favor now. Spinning around Sudowoodo, they rose, ready to crash down on them.

"Substitute!" Brassius ordered, his hand going for his Pokeball. Sudowoodo split, making a copy at the last moment to absorb the blow for him, the fake getting pounded to smithereens by Notch. Before we could make any more attempts, the Gym Leader used his penultimate switch, recalling Sudowoodo.

"Show the beauty of nature, Lilligant!" Brassius' next Pokemon was, expectedly, Lilligant. She was a squat, flowery creature, with leaves for arms and legs, with an orange flower blooming slightly askew on her head, akin to a hat.

The Stealth Rocks once again rose up to smack into her, but Brassius was ready, immediately calling out "Petal Blizzard!" The stones struck into her, causing some damage; however, as they bounced off, looking to hide among the field once more, her petals struck out. The Grass attack blasted the rocks away - a clever method of removing my field hazard.

"Moonblast," I tried, hoping to use the opening provided by her being caught up in removing the hazard. However, she snapped out of the attention-consuming Move at Brassius' next command.

"Grassy Glide!" Zipping across the slowly fading grassy field, she struck Notch, knocking them down before they could finish the Move. That same terrain had slowly helped my Pokemon recover from some of the injuries they had taken, enough that with the Reflect just now slowly fading out of existence, they were able to hang on.

Finishing their Move, a giant blast of pink light crashed into the Lilligant, blasting her backward. In response, the Gym Leader called out "Giga Drain!"

Dashing forward, I caught the glimpse of a root object hanging from around her neck, underneath the yellow petal ring just below her head. Arms gripping deceptively gently onto Notch, she started draining their energy, the Carbink shaking and struggling before their ears drooped and they fell to the ground, defeated.

"You did good out there," I told Notch as I recalled them. "Alright, let's get back in there, Miles!" The return of my Rotom (and the music, Live and Learn filling the arena) got some whoops and cheers from the crowd. Underneath their noise, I could hear the buzz of electricity, Miles' Terastalization still going strong.

"Quiver Dance," Brassius tried, hoping to get a quick buff off.

"Slow her down, Thunder Wave!" Miles was faster than her, though, and easily able to shock her before she could complete her dance. Though the motions were less graceful and elegant, on shaking limbs she managed to execute the Move.

Her Special Defense is up now; just trying to blast her would be a slog. I really wish I could use Confuse Wisp, but she'll be immune to half of it, better save that card for later. "Sing a pleasant tune for the lady, will ya?" I mockingly asked.

As Miles swooped in, playing 'Eat Your Young,' Brassius started furiously cracking his whip. "Ignore it! Petal Blizzard!"

His Pokemon tried hard to follow his commands, but as she danced and threw petals all around, her eyelids started to flicker. At one point in her twirling, her limbs seized, and she fell to the ground. Trying to get up, she shot a few more sharp petals into Miles but couldn't muster the energy to stay awake, slumping to the ground, asleep.

"Switch," Brassius called out, swapping her away before she could be blasted into defeat. Or more likely, reading my intentions and knowing we would have gone for major setup there if he let us.

Without fanfare, he tossed his ace back into the fray. Sudowoodo makes a tempting target here for Thunder, making the most of our Terastalization but he'll just Terastalize in response... though maybe I should do that anyway? Yeah, best to get his Terastalization out of the way now when it won't be super effective against us. Plus, I can use him going Grass Type against him as well.

Thinking quickly, I called "Thunder!" At the same time, I pulled out some Pokeballs, getting ready for my latest ploy.

Brassius was making his own plans, tossing his Tera Orb out high above the Rock Type, even as he was running towards Miles. "I hope this work can live up to your expectations, Nemona. Be reimagined as Truelewoodo!"

Bursting out of the crystals that had surrounded him at the same time as he was struck by the Thunder, Brassius' ace continued his charge at my Pokemon. Raising an arm for a powerful Wood Hammer, I called on my switch.

"Switch! Go, Rotwo!" I then recalled Miles and waited a moment to send out Phantasm, giving her time to prepare the illusion. Appearing like another copy of Miles, down to the same Rotom Form, she stepped onto the stage (though the illusion floated a meter or so above where she actually stood).

The audience was muttering something fierce while Brassius looked shocked. Guess he hasn't heard about her from Kathy then. "Rotwo, make some noise!" She made the plasmic eyes gleam as her Hyper Voice screeched across the field, eliciting a wince from our foe.

Glad I didn't try and pull a fast one to make it look like it was still Miles on the field. I'd have to have used an extra switch and some sleight of hand to pull that off, and the trick would have failed as soon as she did that. She's got a good handle on the Move, but she can't weave in song lyrics to it naturally like Miles can, not yet at least.

"Art can often be a race against the clock; let us see if you can keep up with this new pace! Trailblaze!" Sudowoodo dashed across the field, surrounded in a glowing green energy. The attack passed through the illusion above, but Sudowoodo's stumpy legs still kicked Phantasm as he went by, tripping slightly.

She was able to hold on to the illusion, thankfully, but I was pretty sure the next hit they landed would undo it. Sudowoodo is staring suspiciously at the ground as it is. "Hex" was our codeword for Bitter Malice, which Phantasm used, surrounding the Sudowoodo with dark tendrils, sapping at his strength.

"Rock Head!" Was Brassius' next command, and I readied to tell Phantasm to 'dodge it,' only for the words to die on my tongue as I saw Sudowoodo stop. Rather than follow his trainer, Sudowoodo shook his head vigorously, waving at the ground with branch-like hands.

He's on to us! "Hex Hex Hex!" I cried, hoping to get some debuffs and damage while we could. Phantasm trains hard, but she just has so much less experience than the rest of my team. If a Gym Leader sees through our tricks... well, I won't say that she doesn't have a chance, but it'll be a miracle for her to pull through.

The Gym Leader quickly changed tactics. "Rock Slide, wide spread!" Even as the Bitter Malice assaulted him, Sudowoodo hefted a large stone out of the ground, chucking it in the air above Phantasm. It cracked there, splitting into several large chunks that rained down on her.

She gave a yip of pain as she was knocked to the side, one of the rocks clipping her back left leg. My Pokemon also became clearly visible to all, the illusion breaking from pain.

There was a moment of stunned silence from the crowd before jubilant cheers and delighted cooing over erupted from the gathered audience. My opposite looked surprised for a second before grinning. "What a delightful surprise, a new coat of paint on an existing masterpiece!" Then, as if as an afterthought to his artistic appreciation, he told his Sudowoodo, "Hammer Arm."

I smirked as the hot-dog-tree-looking Pokemon waddled up, arm raised high. Right! He doesn't know about her Typing yet; he's treating her like a regular Zorua! "Yours is the hatred that burns! Bitter Malice!"

It felt nice, for some reason, to call the Move out by its proper name. I suspected that Phantasm felt the same way, as this time the Distorted tendrils that wrapped around Sudowoodo's body practically engulfed him completely. That or she's upset about the Rock Slide.

Brassius' Pokemon managed to push through the attack and still swing his arm down at her, only for it to pass right through. "A Ghost Type?!" Brassius shouted, shocked.

"Haha, that's right!" Just not the full story. "Now-"

"Copycat!" Was his reaction. Oh wow, forgot that Sudowoodo learned that Move.

Bitter Malice surrounded my Pokemon, doing absolutely nothing. "Show him how it's done!" Phantasm gave a happy cry as she once again tormented the Gym Leader's ace, sapping his strength and life further. The Tera Grass Pokemon fell to the ground before, nearly defeated.

"Sucker Punch." Or not, I thought as the Sudowoodo lashed out, punching Phantasm with a Dark Type attack that sent my Pokemon reeling back. Even after all that, he can still hurt her that much? I get that she's on the frail side, and it was Super Effective, but still. I guess that goes to show how strong a Gym Leader's top Pokemon can be.

Sudowoodo straightened back up, and I prepared to call her back, thinking that Phantasm wouldn't be able to finish him off. Then, as she angrily pushed herself back to her feet, she started glowing.

It felt like the entire arena drew in a sharp breath as one, then all of us gasped as we saw her evolve. Even knowing what was coming, it was still a sight for me to behold as well. She started by growing so much taller and larger, her body still a silhouette surrounded by the light she exuded. Phantasm shifted to a more humanoid form, standing on two legs and growing short, sharp claws on the ends of her hands and feet. As the light faded, some more details could be made out, like a few red bumps covering arms and legs as well. Her eyes became yellow with red pupils, but the most drastic change was to her mane, the fur growing and becoming truly wild and far more red, covering one half of her face completely.

"Zoroark!" She triumphantly shouted, racing towards Sudowoodo. For his part, he tried to Sucker Punch her but hit only air as she ran past him, cutting a deep gouge into him with her claws. And illusion? No, she's just that much faster now!

"Hyper Voice!" I shouted, and she shouted louder, her voice shaking the arena. The sound crashed into Sudowoodo and knocked him off his feet. He flopped towards Brassius, his Terastalization shattering as he fell unconscious.

"Ha! You did it! Great job- wait, stop." I said as I noticed Phantasm stalking towards her fallen foe. She ignored me, continuing towards him until I said louder. "Stop!" Whirling around to face me, I saw hatred burning in her yellow eye. Part of me wanted to flinch, to set my shoulders up as fight-or-flight instincts kicked in, but I pushed those all aside, remembering the adorable little kit I had taken in a few months ago.

"Stop it, you've won." I said softly, but no less firm. The hatred dimmed in her eye as recognition took hold, and she looked ashamed of herself. She's still the same Phantasm as she was before; she just has some things to work out in regards to her new instincts.

While that happened, Brassius recalled his Sudowoodo, sending the last Pokemon I had yet to see on his team, Tasreena. She had three long green petal-like strands flowing off the top of her head down behind her and very long, dangerous-looking legs.

Rather than risking anything starting, I called "Switch!" Returning Phantasm to her ball. Before I put it away though, I whispered to her in the Pokeball, "You did great out there, I'm proud of you."

In a louder voice, I said, "Miles, I choose you!" Throwing his ball out on the field, they popped out (and I barely managed to catch the Pokeball as it came back, fumbling it in my hands).

"Make majestic art, Trop Kick!" Without hesitation, she jumped up, trying to land a heavy kick down upon Miles' head. Impressive; most Tsareena would think that Miles was a Steel Type from their appearance, and they can get prickly about Trainers telling them to use ineffective Moves. Of course, as good a bond as they have, they can't beat ours.

I waited, readying myself for as she descended closer before shouting "Foul Play!" Miles responded before I'd finished saying the second word, spinning around mid-air around the blow, then up around and hitting her on top of her head with one end of their boombox body, driving her down to the ground.

"Hyper Voice!" My order came fast, not wanting to let up here. They cranked up 'I Beg to Differ' and hit her hard with the attack.

Miles was floating well out of reach from her, wary of a counterattack, but she surprised us by turning around at her Trainer's order of "Power Whip!" Lashing her 'hair' out to an insane length, it whistled by my Pokemon, Miles just barely dodging.

It can be hard to spot with the appliance bodies Rotoms possess and all, but the glow around Miles is growing dimmer. They can't last much longer. Part of that was just due to the Life Orb they carried, making them hit so much harder but draining their own energy each time they attacked. "Let's end this," I said solemnly. "Hit it as loud as you can!"

They complied eagerly, diving down and turning up the volume as high as they could, attempting to blast Tsareena into submission.

I saw Brassius mouth 'Trop Kick' rather than heard the words over the din Miles was making. She was able to see him and follow through though, landing a powerful kick that cracked almost straight through their new boombox body. Miles dipped in the air, and while the system was too damaged to make music at the moment, they let out a screech that ripped through the air, taking Tsareena out.

That was their last Move, however, as their body continued to sink to the ground, even Levitate slowly failing them as they fell unconscious. Recalling them, I said, "That was magnificent, you did great out there."

Then, before the referee could announce who had to send out their Pokemon next (which would usually be Brassius), I pulled out Dun's Pokeball, releasing him. "Wow, that was great! You've been the first person to get me down to my fourth Pokemon so far."

He let out a chuckle of his own. "And I can see that dear ol' Hass was not downplaying your strength in the slightest either." That earned a few excited whispers, at least from the members of the crowd who realized that he was talking about a member of the Elite Four.

The artistic man sent Scovillain into the fray once more. He was still injured from the previous bouts but raring to go as he saw Dun. "Flamethrower, Bullet Seed!"

Two Moves huh? Let's match him! "Ancient Power, Air Slash!" While even Dun couldn't do the two Moves at full power simultaneously, he was able to fire the rocks at Scovillain quickly and then switch Type energies immediately to flap scythes of wind through the air at our foe before the rocks even met Scovillain's attack.

Ancient Power pushed through the Flamethrower, getting deflected by the high-velocity seeds that cracked into them. That only cleared the way for his Air Slash to cut into the Grass Type. Combined with his other injuries, the Scovillain fell quickly, leaving Brassius down to his last Pokemon.

"Liligant, wake up!" He puts his all into the fight even when backed into a corner like this, that's admirable. Brassius' desperate plea worked, and his Pokemon blearily opened her eyes as she was released onto the field. Not that it will save her.

"Hurricane!" Dun started slithering around her, whipping the air into a frenzy. She tried to use Petal Blizzard, and to her credit, the petals were amplified by the whirling winds. While less accurate, the ones that did hit cut deep into Dun. He just grunted with the blows though, easily tanking the attack as she was buffeted around by the wind and carried up into the air.

"Finish this, Hyper Drill!" Lifting up and flying through the updraft he made, Dun spiraled through the air towards the helpless Liligant stuck there. She sent a barrage of petals at him, all ground to mulch by his spinning drill tail before it connected with her, striking her down.

As they both landed down, the referee said, "Gym Leader Brassius has no more useable Pokemon! Challenger Nemona is the winner!"

Spoiler: A/N:

Two Gym Badges down! I know that they had Arven use Scovillian in the games because food theme, but I feel it really fits Brassius well, being a Moody Grassy Type. Also, just another note, but I changed the order of the previous two chapters. Just felt like the Interlude worked better placed after the wrap up of the Raifort stuff. Alright then, hope you enjoyed the battle (because that's really all that could fit in this chapter haha).

 

[Blueshift]

Boombox Form:
- Electric/Normal Type
- Gives access to the Move Sing while Miles Possess it
- Same Ability, Stats, and other traits as per usual for Miles

Drone Form:
-???
-???

Wash Form:
-Electric/Water Type
- Gives Access to Hydro Pump and Scald while Miles Possesses it
- Same Ability, Stats, and other traits as per usual for Miles

 

[Blueshift]

"Avant Garde! Truly!" Brassius declared loudly as he passed me the badge I had earned. I opened the (super special, custom, gold) case my parents had bought me for my journey, snapping it in place alongside the others. Three of eight, plus a flip-side fit for Unovan badges when I eventually challenge them. Right now, just have Clay's 'unofficial' badge sitting there.

"You weren't too shabby yourself," I said, putting the case away and shaking his hand. "For someone who was only a Gym Leader for a year, you did quite well." Not that I'd be gauche enough to say it, but I'm pretty sure Oberon was hitting me with his full force in our battle too, and I swept him far easier.

Cyan quickly ran up, passing me back my phone. "That was awesome! You've gotten even stronger, Nims."

"Of course," I replied, flexing my arms as if that had anything to do with the 'strength' she was talking about. Naturally, I got an eye roll in response. More sincerely, I continued. "I'm impressed with Phantasm's growth as well."

"Is that the name of your Zoroark?!" A familiar, slightly chubby boy pushed through the crowd, asking me intently.

"Uh, yeah, it is. Hohma, right?" The boy nodded his head, and I internally sighed, knowing I had remembered him and hadn't mixed him up with someone else. That's always so embarrassing.

Answering that seemed to open the floodgates, as a large portion of the crowd rushed me like a horde. So many of them were talking, shouting over top of each other with questions or phrases of praise that it was somewhat overwhelming. Jeez, I hadn't expected this kind of reaction.

Cyan tried to tell them off. "Hey, give her space!" When that failed to work, she released her Kingdra, the appearance of her Dragon making all of them take a step back. The Smokescreen afterward gave us perfect cover to escape, especially since as the smoke cleared, they were all looking along the ground while we had flown away, her atop Kingdra and me with my Aura.

Brassius was the only one who spotted us, and I gave him a cheeky wave as we flew off, landing down behind the new hedge maze. "Thanks," I told Cyan, who nodded, returning her Pokemon.

"No problem; you seemed like you were getting a bit uncomfortable."

"Yeah, nothing like that happened to me before." It might have, at Oberon's Gym, if I hadn't run off. "Did you ever experience anything like that?"

My sister shook her head. "I got a few fans and fellow classmates cheering me on by about my fifth badge, but nothing that big. Then again, I never had a big six-on-six battle in the middle of a festival while showing off a brand new Pokemon and evolution," she retorted with her hands on her hips.

Yeah, guess that is somewhat my fault, though I didn't know that she'd evolve then. But that is the biggest concern I had; mostly all those people were trying to ask questions about Phantasm. We still need to talk before I show her off.

"Maybe they were just fascinated to talk to the author of such a famous and well-respected comic book series?"

"Wha- how did you- Brassius," my sister quickly determined.

"Yup. He actually told me about it being entered in the fair." The stern glare I gave her was only about 40% fake.

"I- I just wanted it to be a fun surprise for you," Cyan pouted, the singular red bang of her hair flopping about.

"That's fine; it's not a big deal. Just, tell me in the future. I don't need a big surprise."

"I suppose I should have known." At my curious look, she said, "At your birthday party? You kinda flipped out over… whatever happened with Friede that led to you getting Phantasm. Are you going to tell everyone where they can find more like-"

"No," I said flatly, my tone indicating I wouldn't budge on this issue. "I do plan on showing her off to the world, even if it means dodging some tough questions, though. Speaking of…" Looking around, I saw that there was no one nearby since we were on the edge of Artazon. "Mind giving us a moment to talk? I can meet you by our comic book display."

She nodded, wandering off back to the fair while I released Phantasm. She stood, taking in the change in scenery, her body slightly hunched over. Is that just natural for her now, or because she's feeling nervous? It fits the game images, but those aren't always fully indicative.

"Hey, let me get a good look at you." She obliged my calm words, slowly turning around. "Wow, you look gorgeous!"

"Really?" I blinked, surprised at the 'words'. They were just an illusion, I knew, but it was an impressive upgrade from before, where she'd have difficulty making the sound that precise. Sounds a bit like me, but slightly deeper in tone.

"Yeah! You look awesome, and those illusions—those are incredible too. People are going to be all over you." There was an awkward pause, and I caught a flash of frustration and confusion in her eyes; her long mane lifted slightly so I could see both of them.

"I made a promise to let people adore you and marvel over your magnificence, etcetera, and I'm going to live up to it. Just means that I'll seem like a jerk when they ask where I got you or how you came to be that way but- but that is fine." I stressed, in response to the low growl she made, clearly upset at even the idea of random strangers thinking badly of me.

Slowly, I offered my hand, and at her acceptance, I ran it through her mane, shivering slightly. Still has that unusual chill to it; gotta test more Ice Type TMs with her. "Your instincts might lead to aggression and hate easier, and that isn't bad, but you do need to learn to control it, ok? Save the viciousness for the truly bad people like those poachers."

She bristled slightly but nodded. "Are you ready to go out and see the world? Or rather, have the world see you? It's ok if you aren't…" Her expression was still somewhat unsure and I added "I'll have your Pokeball on hand if anything flares up, but you seem fine just talking with me."

Admittedly, I'm a lot closer to her, but this is still a stressful topic. We'll take it slowly, just start to get her used to other people and Pokemon outside of battle first. And for the next few Gyms, I'll just have her train with the team, who she knows and can stop her if she goes too far.

"Ark," she replied, standing up a bit straighter. My words seemed to reassure her and now she was eager, mane waving happily.

"Alright then, let's go check out the art. I don't think I even showed you the comics Cyan and I made back when we were home. It's about Spinarak-Man, an average man bitten by a mutated Spinarak who gains incredible powers, and the amazing foes he fights."

Explaining the lore of the series we had adapted, I led her through the festival. Almost the instant we got around the maze, people were pointing at Phantasm and whispering. "They're saying only good things; don't worry," I told her as I noticed her movements get a little stiffer, suddenly nervous.

A little girl (ok, only a few years younger than I was) ran away from her mom and up to us. "Hey, can I pet her?" She asked excitedly. Glancing at Phantasm, I saw her nod, so I gave her the go-ahead. She did so cheerfully, cooing over her and being a bit surprised when she felt how cold Phantasm's mane was.

There were plenty more like her on the way to Cyan. A few people did seem a bit wary or disturbed by Phantasm's appearance, but they were in the minority. Most of them seemed quite impressed, especially the children. A lot of the Uva students would pepper me with questions about how strong she was, or what Type she was, and most of all…

"How can we get a Zoroark like her?" A group of three older boys demanded of me, cornering me as some others got their photos taken with her.

"Sorry, can't say." Was my entirely unapologetic response. The other questions are easy enough to answer - no one here is asking questions anyone couldn't find out just by reviewing the fight I just had with Brassius.

They didn't seem happy with that, the lead boy stepping up to tower over me. Then, suddenly, the three of them flinched, turning to stare at Phantasm, who was balefully glaring down at them. Without another word, they ran off.

As we moved on, I asked her in a low voice, "What illusion did you show them?"

["Just a growl. Didn't even need to do anything like that bitch did."] It took me a moment to get over my surprise at her precise auditory illusion-speak and realize that she was talking about Raifort's Zoroark. Well, I guess I don't have any right to tell her not to hate Raifort - she definitely fits my description of very bad people.

I noticed she would cast a baleful glare at those boys a couple of times as they ran away, though there was little anger to her. It feels like she'll make and keep grudges easier, but it's more hatred than anger. I kept things like that in mind as we wandered about, taking in the sights of the impressive festival.

To help protect the donated art pieces from the elements, a great number of large tents had been set up in the open, grassy sections of town. There, people and Pokemon could wander around and view the pieces. We found my sister in one of these, showing off the book.

"Nemona!" She called out, waving me over. "I was just telling my classmates about the comic book we made.

"You wrote this?" Asked one of the older girls. "But you're so young." I didn't really know how to respond to that, so I just shrugged.

"Yeah. We wrote more than just this; we actually have quite a few of these comics at home."

"How many?" Another kid asked excitedly, the young boy not much older than me.

"Uhh, we got up to issue thirty two, I think, so thirty one more." My sister nodded, agreeing with my memory.

"We had ideas for hundreds of issues more, but someone got too busy with Training."

Frowning at her, I said, "Training is important too. You should know, given your own badges. And I'd say it was time well spent." Phantasm had been ever so carefully flipping through the pages as we talked, reading our story. As I gestured to her, she gave a toothy grin before conjuring an illusion of a Spinarak descending from the ceiling. Just like the iconic scene from the comic where Peter Parkour got his powers.

That distracted most of the other students, who began eagerly calling out different scenes they wanted her to make. My Pokemon took great joy, reveling in the new power and control she had with her illusions. That'll be useful for battles, but I'm glad to see her getting to do stuff like this too. She's a great storyteller, and it brings her a lot of joy.

Eventually, the other students left, going to check out some of the other art displays. Before they did though, the young boy (whose name I learned was Adrian) asked, "If you have ideas for tons of more comic books, why don't you just make them already?"

I chuckled at that. "Easier said than done. Making the comics takes a lot of time, to sketch them all out, color them properly, and actually write the dialogue and narration. And even if we have general outlines of the plot, writing the details in between the plot points is what brings the story to life. Plus, not everything goes as planned; sometimes, the story evolves in ways you didn't expect as you make it."

He nodded and followed after the older students, animatedly chatting about the book. Turning to my sister, I said, "Thanks."

"What for?"

"For putting our comic on display. I would have been hesitant, but it's really cool to see a bunch of people like it, even amidst all this professional work."

"Well, not all of it's professional. Think there are a few other amateur pieces people volunteered here. Oh, that reminds me! They've got a portrait station where you can make your own piece of art. Let's go check it out; I'm sure Smeargle will love it."

"You got one?" I asked excitedly as she dragged me along, Phantasm loping behind us.

"Yes, yes," she reapplied, waving me off with her free hand. "Turns out Alisha has a Purugly, so he was able to sketch that Move you wanted."

Yes! One step closer to my plan. A lot of red tape to cut through for us to get our shot, but I'm really hopeful about this one.

My mind turned away from schemes as we approached the do-it-yourself portrait station. There were also several professional artists nearby offering sketches and portraits for a modest fee. We went in the line-up to try our own hand at it - or rather, for Cyan and her Smeargle to try their hands (and tail) at it.

"You sure you don't want to try too?" Cyan asked, and I shook my head vigorously.

"No thanks; we both know I'm pretty bad at this kind of stuff." Occasionally I had drawn things for the comic book to give Cyan a better image of what I had envisioned, and it often ended with me having to explain a bunch of details and nuance that I had failed to illustrate for her.

"Smearg?" The Smeargle by her side asked, talking with Phantasm.

"Oark, zor." Was her response. Hmm, getting only one half of the conversation, less really with Phantasm's evolution giving her new cues and body signs, but I think they're talking about Grafaiai? They're the resident painting Pokemon of Paldea, and I see a few of them around here. Pokemon were a part of every facet of life, and making art was no exception. Some, like Smeargle and Grafaiai, were naturally predisposed to such, but there were plenty of unusual artists I saw, like a Gallade metalworker, a Falinks dance 'team', and an Eelektross poet.

Phantasm and I took our places, both of us trying to strike dramatic yet easy-to-hold poses. That was easier said than done, but we eventually settled down. I tried to remain still, but chatted a little with Cyan, just about what school had been like and other little things that we'd missed that hadn't made their way onto the group chat, as well as my future plans.

"Are you going to race to Iono's Gym next? She's pretty fun in her streams, but I haven't gotten to see how she performs as a Gym Leader." I chuckled at her words, causing her to scowl. "Don't move around."

"Sorry, just thinking about how much more interested you've become in Pokemon stuff ever since you've gotten your badges. I never would have believed it, my sister, a Pokemaniac." That only got her to scowl harder.

Graciously shifting the conversation, I continued. "Nah, not gonna rush ahead. Kinda blitzed through the last three, wanna to take a bit more time to explore the land. Maybe backtrack a bit and check out the Secluded Beach."

"Oh right, that's one of the ten sights. I picked up Toxapex not far from there, actually." I resisted the ingrained instinct to nod my head at my sister telling me something I already knew. I remember how you bragged about getting Mareanie to join your team and then begged me until I gave you tons of advice on how to best integrate her into your team.

After they finished, we looked at their portraits. "This is- I look…" Fierce, powerful, and confident. Like a champion ready to take on the world, and not just a little girl. "Thank you."

Cyan blushed at her praise, while Phantasm delicately passed me her portrait before grabbing Smeargle in a bone-crushing hug. I can see why; this looks great! Not sure why he chose to use a snowy background for this, considering it's a bright sunny day, but it helps add to the flair of 'mystery' and dims the sense of danger radiating off of her.

"You're welcome-"

"Ok, now do one with the whole team!" I shouted, releasing the rest of my Pokemon.

"Hey, I didn't agree to that! I was just going to do one portrait-"



***



['Still looking at that picture your kin drew for us?'] Phantasm didn't speak often through illusions, human language a bit odd for her. If she tried to make the illusion too fast or her mind drifted to the emotion she was trying to convey, the illusion would get messed up. Still, does make it easier to understand her and how exactly she's feeling.

"Of course!" I replied to Phantasm brightly, thrusting my phone in her face. She looked annoyed by the action but held back from swatting it away in a remarkable display of control. Or perhaps the fact that Miles is inside it, and they can still kick her keister, even with her evolution.

I pulled back when I realized she wasn't looking. Being fair and honest, she had dutifully looked at it the first dozen or so times I had shown it to her, as well as being there when it was made. The picture isn't quite as good as the real thing, but the large portrait would have taken up space in my bag and is better hanging up in my house.

Despite her denials, Cyan eventually (with Smeargle's help) agreed to make a portrait for the whole team. It was a bit tricky to get everyone in a tight frame, but we managed. Dun lay curled up in the center, with me sitting atop. Notch floated directly above my head while Miles was in front of me, not possessing any appliances but sticking out with their blue glow. On my left was Phantasm, and on my right stood Riolu, with Nightwing hovering above her.

This is awesome. I love little things like this to remind me of how great the journey can be. I've stumbled a bit and ran into some trouble, but as a whole, I'm glad we've gone on it. It also made for a nice distraction from the gloom around me.

The secluded beach was, surprisingly, actually secluded when I arrived. Ever since it had been called one of the 'Ten Sights of Paldea,' there had been tons of tourism to this spot. Today, however, the sky was quite overcast, hovering on the precipice of precipitation.

"Honestly, this place is pretty boring," I said, voicing my thoughts aloud.

['Do you think all the Ten Sights will be like that?'] Phantasm asked. Making illusory sounds was great for communication, and it doubled as training for making complex and subtle illusions in battle.

"Nah, I think we've just had bad luck. Well, at least with the Olive Field. I grew up on a beach, at least in this life." Though I hadn't been that far from the water in my first life, even if I didn't have a beachside mansion to grow up in then. "So this place probably wouldn't be that impressive for me even when it's warm and sunny. Must be the same for any citizens of Levincia and their 'million-volt skyline."

That being said, I can totally see how this would be fairly impressive. Got that magnificent waterfall from the river that flows down from above, and the beach itself is kept quite clean. Here and there, I spotted signs of Rangers or their presence. A 'lifeguard' tower that doubled as an outpost, from what I recognized in my Explorer training.

Phantasm cared little for that, and the Finizens, Wattrels, Clawitzers, and the like here hadn't the strength to challenge her. ['K, I'm going back to rest in my ball.'] Which she promptly did.

What to do now? We could carry on to Levincia and get our challenge to Iono done, but I did say I wasn't going to rush things. Looking around, I brightened up as I saw the cliff looming over the beach.

"Hey, Notch." They tilted their body after I released them, making some questioning chiming sounds. "Want to explore the marsh over there?"

They rotated in the air, their gaze following my finger pointing over the cliff. Without a sign of interest or the opposite, they started simply floating that way. Laughing, I followed her, jumping up as easily as she ascended, despite gravity's lacking hold on her. Aura really is awesome.

Atop the cliff, we stared down at the marsh on the other side. The basin was muddy, with large puddles of water covering much of it. Within them splashed Woopers under the watchful eyes of Clodsires while Mareanies lurked within the surface, only the purple tips of their heads sticking out of the water.

They were hardly the only Poison Types to make their home here, I realized as I caught sight of a Croagunk scooping a Skrelp out of the water. The Skrelp managed to shoot out a Water Gun and push itself out of the Croagunk's claw, flipping back into the water with a splash and hiding amidst the silt churned up.

There were some non-Poison Types as well, with stubborn Chewtles and oblivious Psyducks wandering around; however, the strongest group of Pokemon seemed to be the Flamigos, who strutted around as if they owned the place.

Considering I can see a Tera Bug one off in the center of the marsh, I guess they kind of do. I wonder if they can deal with all this toxic water because their long legs are resistant to that? I remember Flamingos in my world having something like that. I think? Maybe other birds had resistance in their talons, like one with red talons that could hunt snakes? And they'd trick the snakes into biting their legs, and they'd be fine? I don't know. Guess I can't find out, and it doesn't really matter anyway.

With a sigh, I jumped off the ledge, gently floating down to the marsh. My Aura helped me land lightly, but then I made the mistake of letting go of it once I touched down, causing my feet to sink into the mud.

"Gah!" Wrenching my feet free took a bit of effort, and it felt terrible, the mud sinking into my shoes, coating my socks and feet. "Ughhhh!" I whined, kicking the mud away as if that would help anything. I hate getting mucky and dirty like this!

So too did the Goomy that I accidentally hit with my little tantrum. That, or they thought it was an attack, and so rearing up, they let loose a stream of purple fire at me. On instinct, I raised my arms up to shield myself from the blast and yelled in pain from the Dragon Breath.

It didn't last long, luckily, as Notch summoned a mighty Moonblast to send the offending dragon slithering away, disappearing amongst the reeds. They moved to pursue, but I waved them down. "It- it's fine," I said, wincing. My nerves feel like they're on fire. God, that stings. I can see why Pokemon can have trouble just pushing through it.

Notch returned to stand guard over me as I pulled out a Parlyz Heal and, with shaking arms, sprayed myself with it. "Ahhh." That's better. Not perfect, but better.

It was still a struggle to climb out, my muscles moving sluggishly as I scurried back up the cliff before lying down in a heap. Bright blue eyes stared at me from above, Notch floating nearby, wondering how they could help.

"You already are."

They looked confused as I took off my shoes and socks and got Miles to wash those articles of clothing and my feet off with their Wash Form. "No, really, you helped tons. Not just in protecting me, but in stopping me from just moping around. I know myself well enough to know that if I was by myself and hurt and dirty and grumpy, I'd just waste a bunch of time feeling bad for myself before I got on with what needed to be done to fix the situation."

I frowned as I thought about it a bit more. "At least, that's how I used to be. Not sure that I am that way anymore. Is it because I'm Nemona now, or just a result of growing up again here?"

Shaking my head, I said, "It doesn't matter. I'm me, and I'm so glad to have your help on this journey." Miles had already switched to their Heat Form to begin drying off my clothes. Yeah, I wouldn't make it anywhere near as far without them.

To Notch, I finished by saying, "That's why I wanted to show you someplace new and exciting. The marsh doesn't seem like the greatest choice, but is there anywhere else you want to explore?" That, and they're the quietest of the team. I want to make sure they get to do some exploring here too.

Notch thought about it for a few minutes as I dried off and put my now clean socks and shoes on again. It was difficult not to be impatient, but I did my best, not wanting to rush them. Man, stories hardly ever go into these things, huh? It's just dramatic dialogue and the scene cuts to the action, never covering the little difficulties of day-to-day life on the road. The games certainly never showed how mucky it was to travel across the countryside. And I have it fairly easy, all things considered, with six supernatural beings by my side and tons of expensive gear to make things easier.

Some chiming sounds alerted me to where Notch was pointing, their ears directing my gaze up and up and up. Across the river bank on the other side were the canyons, but amidst the trenches and hills of that land that separated Mesagoza from Artazon, one feature stood out. A massive pillar of stone that rose well above any other. That was where Notch was pointing.

Delighted, I grinned. "That's where you want to go? Alright then, let's reach the peak! Nothing can stop us." My stomach decided to speak up at that moment, reminding me of how hungry I was. "... After lunch, nothing can stop us after we've had lunch." The chiming this time sounded like laughter, and I couldn't blame them.



***



I had thoroughly restocked by the time I left the festival, so we had plenty of food for lunch. The team was rowdy as usual, eagerly digging into their meals and conversing. Phantasm is getting bolder now, pushing her limits more. Which is a good thing, but she snaps back easier than the others, getting more upset for real way faster than the others. Might have to have a chat with her if she's not seeing it herself before Riolu puts her in her place. Or maybe Nightwing, she's getting antsy too.

Most of the talk was general chatter and banter, but some things of great importance were discussed when I had the whole team out to eat and socialize.

"Dudun." Dun firmly stated.

"Bzzt, I firmly disagree. The main theme is friendship and cooperation."

"Sparce, un." Dun rebutted Miles.

"That arc is practically filler, bzzt! And even if not given its dubious canonicity for happening in the Dream World arc, the tragedy of following orders blindly hardly shows up again at all."

Dun dug in further, both literally and metaphorically, his tail grinding against the grassy hill. "Un dun, dunsparce."

Miles actually rolled their plasmic eyes. "The ending does show hints of those darker elements, but I believe that was just a way to ratchet up tension, bzzt. Also to distract from the fact that the writers were too cowardly to put Espeon and Umbreon together, despite the clear chemistry they had."

My starter nodded his head, the waggle of his tail showing he agreed with Miles' latter point, but still had things he wanted to argue on the first. I had just finished my deconstructed 'sandwich' however, so I decided to cut things short.

"Guys, a show can have more than one major theme." I paused for a moment before continuing, "But sorry, Dun, Miles is totally right. Eeveelution Ranger Rescue Squad is a kid's show, of course, friendship and comradery are the main themes!"

Talking overtop his angered hisses, I offered an olive branch to smooth over his feelings. "That's not to say they don't have elements that more mature watchers can't enjoy, like shipping characters together or darker themes that show up occasionally. And if you want to explore that more, that's great; that's what fanfiction is for."

"Iolu."

"Yes, you can write and find fanfics where Leafeon doesn't get Worfed every major battle."

"Ri? Riolu! Lu!" She asked, then vehemently protested. This girl. Acting like she isn't glued to the screen or her Aura doesn't light up whenever Leafeon takes out a mook. Of course, such things were 'too immature' for her to enjoy… despite how she would always 'happen' to find herself in the room and out of her ball whenever it was on.

"A character being 'Worfed' is a term from my world. It came from a series, well several series actually, called Star Trek. Worf was actually in a lot of the different series; however, in Next Generation, where he premiered, he was a tough security officer. However, to show how tough the enemy of the week was, Worf would often lose to them despite his supposed strength, to hype up how tough the threat was. That's where the term comes from," I explained.

I wisely refrained from pointing out how such a term might be called 'Leafeon'd' in this world to avoid an argument flaring up again. Notch chimed in, curious about details from my world.

Packing up the picnic (really just a large blanket for us to lay on and a basket; no whole-ass bench and table as they got in the games), I answered Notch's question. "Well, I don't remember a ton about the series, to be honest. It was one of the main Science Fiction franchises in my world, alongside Star Wars. I was more into Star Wars than Star Trek, but I'll tell you what I remember. Trek starts with Captain Kirk, serving aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise…"

As we began our hike, I regaled Notch with tales of some of the stories of my world. Crossing the river was easy enough with my Aura, but the climb began to take its toll as we ascended. While there were a few ledges to rest on, most were fairly flat, meaning I had to climb or fly my way up. And there's no way I'm flying up this whole thing, not with my Aura as it currently stands.

The ledges served at least as nice places to rest and recuperate. I'd drink water and sit for a bit before getting back up and continuing the climb. Notch helped as well, with me reluctant to have them carry me up (and thus cut out any effort in the climb), but they were able to pull rock chunks from the sheer cliff face, making hand and foot holds for me to ascend.

As the climb progressed, I moved from my stories on Star Trek (which had a surprising deal of breadth to them from general osmosis, though little depth on much of the series) to Star Wars (which I knew better but still had several series or books I hadn't read and only had a partial picture on).

Eventually, I mentioned fanfiction, of which I had read a fair bit. "It likely colors my opinion of some of the- urk - the stories, admittedly. In most series I tried to read the main work first, but sometimes I got introduced to them through a crossover or some recommendation."

Grunting, I pulled myself up to another ledge, wiping sweat from my brow. Gathering my Aura, I tried to revitalize myself, long having forgone using it to just float up. Easier than climbing, but it exhausts me so quickly.

"I wrote some fanfic in my old world. Not much, just one big story that I ended up dropping and a one shot that wasn't very popular. I liked it though; it helped sharpen my skills as a writer. At least, I felt like it did." Cringing at your past work is a sign you've improved, right? And hopefully liking the vision and idea that was there under the poor prose and bad grammar means you had an idea worth writing in the first place.

Notch chimed along, and I took a drink of water, my throat feeling parched. Attempting the climb in silence would be worse, though. Need something to distract me from how tired I feel.

Getting back up, I continued. "What I was really proud of, or at least hopeful about, were my original works. Stories I had made up all my own. Never managed to get them to any publishers; only tried with one. Got distracted with work, life- hah!"

Nearly slipping with one hand, I tightened my grip with the other, wrenching myself back up. Notch had immediately hovered down beside me, ready to catch me with Psychic if need be, and eyed me warily as I continued.

"Life, gaming groups, card game hobbies, etcetera. Those were fun. I should try making those games here." Suddenly I frowned, remembering what games I was talking about. "Then again, maybe not. No one needs to be subjected to knowing the difference between 'when you can' and 'if you can' effects."

Even Notch didn't know how to reply there, and I just shook my head. "Anyways, it was fun to make those stories. Maybe I'll try my hand at writing some other original stories later." My companion chimed a question, and I understood it well enough to respond.

"Why not those stories I never got published? Well, most of them were fantasy stories. But they don't really translate well to a world with Pokemon." At more insistent chimes, I explained, "Writing a story without Pokemon? Here? Wouldn't work."

I paused, both to think on it more and to catch my breath from the climb. "I mean, there were things of speculative fiction in my old world, something where there were no humans or equally fundamental as no Pokemon could work here but then-" I cut myself off, trying to find the right way to explain it.

"The thing is, hup," I pulled myself up once more. "A work of fiction like that usually just explores that one change. Writing some other magic system or fantastical elements amidst it feels… weird."

Notch hovered nearby, shaking their body/head, chiming insistently, and I paused to look at them. "You think I should anyway?" Then they pulled out the Diancite. "Oh. I didn't give up on your dreams, so you aren't going to give up on mine."

Some happy chimes informed me my assumption of their meaning was correct, and my eyes watered. "Thanks, Notch," I said softly before resuming the climb.

"Ok, so I could write something like that. Maybe under a pseudonym? And an online handle, as a Faller. That could explain why I had those ideas and why I made that kind of story. Of course, if I'm doing that, I won't have my family's resources to call upon in pushing it. But maybe that's a good thing. I'll get to see how my stories will stand on their own. And even if they don't sell, it'll be a project more just for me. Getting some readers who enjoy it will just be a happy bonus."

The climb had continued past the setting of the sun and well into the night. Notch made worried sounds, motioning that maybe I should take a break on a nearby ledge. Tempting, that spot would be spacious enough for me to set up the tent. But…

"It might be dumb, but I want to make it up here by dawn. It's gonna look great, I'm sure of it." I was not, in fact, 'sure of it.' However, I thought it was very likely, and I wanted to believe it. Want to push myself as well, go past my limits.

Notch nodded, eyes gleaming with determination as they exuded a pink, misty energy around them, lighting up our side of the cliff face, making it easier for me to see where to go. "Thanks!" With renewed vigor, I continued my climb.

That extra strength couldn't carry on forever, though. I noticed my strength flagging again, my breaks taking longer and longer to regain the energy for the next climb as the night carried on. On the other hand, the distance to our goal got shorter and shorter too, and just as the light was coming back to the world, we crested the top.

"We did it!" I shouted tiredly before lowering my voice as I saw a Vigoroth shift in its sleep nearby. Luckily, it stayed asleep, not being bothered getting up at this time of day, so I slipped away.

The top of the pillar was very flat, with a few spikes sticking up above the large, rocky surface. Walking to the edge, I put on my goggles and sat down, waiting for the sun to rise. I didn't have to wait long, as inexorably, the sliver of light grew larger and brighter.

Watching it, shining over the horizon, the sea shimmering out as far as even my eyes could see, I could only think: This is the real sight of Paldea. There's so much beauty and wonder to this land.

From the wide-eyed, awed, and reverent look Notch gave the view beside me, I knew they felt the same. Ha, I knew this was the right call. The sky looks so pretty like this, so deep and blue… think I'm just gonna lie back and…



***



I woke to the sound of my phone ringing. "Huh? Who is it?" Miles screens my calls, so this must be someone important. My groggy thoughts were interrupted by the realization of just how close I was to the cliff's edge, and I scrambled backward instinctively as if that would help me be safer.

Gah, stop spazzing out and- Hassel? Floating in front of me, Miles possessing the phone showed me who was calling. Pressing the button to accept, I said, "Hey Hassel, what's up?"

The man appeared on the screen, looking the same as he ever did, save for perhaps being a bit more tired, with some slight bags under his eyes. Not that I'm one to talk, I must look like a raccoon right now.

"Greetings Nemona. I would say you are. My colleagues have been buzzing with news of your exploits." His colleagues- oh, right. Gym Leaders work for the League, so they work along with Elite Four members.

"Yeah, I'm taking on the Gyms and stuff; I gotta work my way up to face you again. I'm guessing Brassius told you about our battle?"

"He did. And Oberon had much to say about you as well." Hassel's tone hardly shifted at all, his expression remaining much the same as well, but there was a steely glint in his eyes.

"Aha, yeah, got into some trouble there. But all's well that ends well, right?" I tried, with my most innocent, childlike smile.

The Elite Four Dragon Trainer, having known me for years at this point, did not buy it for a second. "Where are you? I was thinking we might talk in person."

"Ah, well, I'm really high up. It's kinda remote. I'm on top of that big rocky cliff beside the canyons in South Province, and it's hard to get to- is that…" My voice trailed off as I looked around. Those markings on the big rocks nearby, they're very weird but familiar. The familiarity came from how much I had studied them, interested in this particular Pokemon.

Looking around in the light of day confirmed my suspicions. Many Pokemon wandered around the open area, from Litleos pouncing on each other to Flittles flitting by. What caught my eye, however, were a few small, stubby, green, tusked Pokemon waddling about.

"Did you know that there were Axews here?!" I exclaimed excitedly, unable to contain my exuberance. "Oh man, I think I see some Bagons too!"

"I… was not aware of them in that location, no. I'll-" he paused, someone offscreen talking to him. "We'll be there soon." He hung up, but I barely noticed, running up to the adorable little Axews.

As I neared them, I slowed down, trying not to scare them. "Hi, I'm Nemona," I said, waving tentatively at one. The little gal turned around, looking confused at me for a moment before smiling and mimicking my gesture, waving back. The action nearly unbalanced her, and she dropped some of the berries she was carrying in her little arms.

Crouching down, I picked some up, passing them back to her. She happily warbled in thanks and began marching off. Without anything better to do as I waited for Hassel, I followed her. We walked a long way around, twisting past a few small sections of stone or mini cliffs, winding our way to a set of truly ancient ruins.

Whoa. I wonder who made these? There aren't any records of a civilization here, not even any watchtowers like there are down in the canyons, so who put these crumbling stone walls here?

My first thoughts were quickly overtaken with caution as I spotted the large eagle-like bird roosting atop the ruins. The Braviary glanced over at me with one piercing eye before turning away, the great bird more focused on the young Rufflets flapping about, making awkward hops on the ground. Though I imagine her nonchalance will change if I go near her young.

The Axew didn't lead me that way though, but around, back behind one of the walls, where I saw a bunch of Axews gathered around, playing together and eating. Off in the corner, huddled up by himself, was a larger figure. He had light green scales on the upper half of his body, his legs, and his face a light black. His feet and claws were blue, as were his eyes and the tip of his tusks.

The Fraxure looked surprised at my presence, nervously taking me in. For a moment he squared up, ready to fight me if I was a threat, until he saw the Axew that led me there, excitedly pointing at me and talking to the others. Well, perhaps a bit too trusting on the Axews' part, but maybe they're just good judges of character. But why is that Fraxure acting so oddly? And their coloring…

I didn't have time to worry about what to do, nor were any of us concerned about appearances as heavy wing beats heralded new arrivals. The Braviary spotted them and, in a surprising(ly intelligent) display, hopped down from her perch and gathered her children, flying away immediately.

Not that I think they would have hurt us. Those riders are pretty familiar. Well, Hassel is pretty familiar, the other guy I only have heard about. However, I think she was more worried about the Pokemon they're riding in on.

Hassel sat atop the back of his Dragonite as usual. Slightly ahead of him was a man in a pristine blue suit jacket, with a red tie tucked firmly in, matching his red dress pants. In contrast to his professional attire, his hair was a tangled mess that looked only slightly worse flying atop the back of his Salamence than it did in official press releases.

The pair landed down in the opening in front of the ruins, and I stepped out to meet them. "So you're the young girl who's taking Paldea by storm, are ya? Nice to meet you, Nemona." He said with a smirk, sticking a hand out to shake. On his middle finger was an unusual ring that looked to be carved out of stone. Probably because it was, given it's a Key Stone.

I shook the offered hand firmly. "Nice to meet you too, Miguel Worthington, current El Primero of Paldea."

Spoiler: A/N:

A wild Champion appears! And with Nemona on her journey so much earlier, it is not Geeta she'll be facing (don't worry, Geeta's got her own stuff going on). Speaking of stuff going on... I need to take a break. The winter season is bound to make things busier at work, and I need to build up some backlog again, as slowly but surely my current supply has been whittled down. That being said, I'm not so cruel as to leave you on a cliffhanger here, so there will be one more update coming out on Thursday before I take a break till likely around mid-January. Thank you all for your support, it means a lot.

 

[Blueshift]

He returned the handshake just as firmly before letting go. "Oh? You know who I am?" His skin was fairly tanned, with messy dark brown hair. Though his question was light, there was a sharpness to his green eyes as he examined me.

How to approach meeting a Champion? Aaaah, I don't know. I guess just be a cocky shit? Worked for the Gym Leaders so far, right? "Well, I am aiming for your spot; I felt it was only polite to learn your name."

Apparently that worked, as he guffawed heartily. "Ha! Just as spirited as you said, Hassel."

The man in question was rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Yes, she is indeed a spirited young lass." Then turning to me, he said in a softer tone, "I'm glad to see you are doing well. I was horrified by what I heard had happened to you."

My own smile grew brittle. "Nothing happened to me, more Oberon you should worry about." Honestly. Not sure how all that would have shaken out in the original timeline. Would the poachers have been destroyed by the Tera Dragonair if they hadn't been exhausted from fighting me? Would they have succeeded and gone on with Raifort's plan only to be betrayed later? Would Raifort just have stolen the key by herself with her Zoroark and evaded notice?

I couldn't guess at any of those things, but I did know that several years from this point in canon, he wasn't the leader and Tulip was. Those blue gloves he's wearing, they look familiar… I think they're something the last top Champion wore, and Geeta wears in the games.

The rampant speculation on my part helped distract me from any trauma I was ignoring, and I continued blithely. "This place is amazing! So many cool Pokemon all around," I said, spreading my arms out wide. "Swablus, Axews, Bagons… all here. And there are Goomys and Skrelps down below! I can see why Paldea is called the land of Dragons."

"You remembered that? You always were quite the sharp student," he commented fondly, before his yellow eyes grew sharp. "I look forward to facing you once again."

"Wait, hold the phone!" Miguel exclaimed. "Now give the phone back to me. You already got to fight her? Not fair," the grown man whined to his (ostensible) underling, much to the latter's embarrassment. Hassel just gave me a flat look, as if to say, 'See what I have to put up with?'

I just laughed. "That's, uh, definitely a side I didn't get to see of you in your matches or statements to the press." Not that there are too many of those. Paldea is just not as battle hyped as places like Sinnoh or Kanto, plus we have a multiple Champion system, so getting a new El Primero isn't a big news deal.

It had still made the front page for at least a day or two, and I'd made sure to study his battle against Blake Hogan religiously during that time. There had been some minor controversy online and hinted at in the news coverage about Miguel using Mega Evolution instead of Terastalization, but I thought he did fine. Certainly better than Blake, that guy was the epitome of why Paldea doesn't make it big in tournaments internationally.

He sighed heavily. "Being the top Champion is a lot less fun and games than it looks."

"I can imagine," I said, nodding sympathetically. All that politics and bureaucracy must have been why Geeta held onto the position after Nemona beat her in canon. I suppose that a government that is at least in part based on how good someone is at battling might have some flaws.

Miguel became more pensive, staring at me. "You really can, can't you?" He asked rhetorically, and I stiffened up a bit. He's good at reading people. Makes sense for a Champion-tier Trainer, but I shouldn't underestimate him just because of his occasional bouts of goofiness.

"Alright, I want to battle you!"

His sudden declaration had me and Hassel going, "Huh?" However, half a second later I had recovered and said, "Yeah, sure. What rules?" While Hassel was still stammering.

"That's a good attitude," he said while we both stepped forward, taking our places in a general approximation of what an arena would look like. The El Primero released his Rabsca off to the side, having them raise barriers around to stop stray attacks from hurting us. That's a smart idea. I should teach Notch and Miles how to do that too.

"I was thinking we'd just have a one-on-one, nice and quick." He gestured at his Salamence, who stepped into the arena. His Ace Pokemon, that's a clear sign of respect. Logically, Notch is the best counter to them, but…

"Go, Dun!" I called, tossing Dun out onto the field. Ace Pokemon-vs-Ace Pokemon, let's go.

"Dudunsparce!" He cried, fearlessly staring down the Dragon. The Salamence craned her long red and blue neck down to glare at the snake before her, roaring. My starter shivered; the Intimidating presence of this pseudo-legendary was not something even he could shake off, but he didn't back down, and I saw a glimmer of approval in her (and Miguel's) eyes. These two are going to take us seriously.

Hassel had recovered from his surprise and took a position as referee. As it was a one-on-one battle and we had both released our Pokemon, he skipped the preamble. "The battle will commence in three, two, one, begin!"

"Coil!" Was my first Move, and Dun began tightening into a circle. We need to get Dun's power back up after that Intimidation, and the Defense boost will help him resist her attacks.

"Tail." Miguel's clipped response had his ace blitzing forward, flying so fast she was a slight blur even to me. Spinning around as she approached, she knocked Dun aside with a lash of her long tail. Dragon Tail could knock an opponent out of bounds or far away in the wild, but this one was performed in a controlled manner, just to disrupt Dun.

Unfortunately for them, we had trained not having such Moves get stopped with our Roost practice, so Dun finished the buff. We need to do some damage back and limit their movements. The moment this becomes an aerial battle, we lose. "Body Slam!"

Dun flipped himself on his head, flinging his body tail first over Salamence. As he did so, I tossed my Tera Orb above him, creating a great crystal eruption around him. The suddenness of my action slowed her retreat for a split second, and combined with the extra height from the new Tera Jewel 'hat' atop his head that he was lying on as he burst free from the crystals, Dun's Move connected with her right wing.

She gave a wince of pain and Paralysis as she turned away, taking to the air. Dun rolled around and spun to face her. Off on the other side, Miguel raised an eyebrow. "Terastalization? This early?"

Of course, it provides a boost, and there's no trick I have to hide his Tera Type. It could be seen as tiring, but… "If you think you can beat us in stamina, go ahead and try," I laughed, covering my mouth.

Dun read my hidden signal, letting out an invisible Yawn, but Miguel caught onto that instantly, either somehow spotting it or just acting off instinct. "Flamethrower!"

Wheeling around, Salamence let out great streams of fire, joyously burning the rocky ground around Dun. A quick "Protect!" Shielded him from harm, but I could feel the heat rising off from that Move. Damn, I forgot how strong pseudos were everywhere. Even as a more physical attacker, she could still turn the ground under him to magma. She hit the Yawn too, so no sleep incoming.

"Hyper Voice!" With a deep intake of air, Dun screeched, his piercing voice causing his foe to cry in pain.

"Dragon Pulse," Miguel called, switching it up from random destruction to more precise bursts, the STAB helping him do more damage. That, and the Dragon's Fang she has tied against her left foreleg. Dun grunted in pain as a purple energy blast rained down into him, cracking scales.

"Agility." She's still Paralyzed, if we can speed up, Dun might dodge some of those blows and-

Miguel countered easily. "Scary Face." The fearsome visage and roar his Pokemon gave caused Dun's Psychically assisted acceleration to slow down, and he was just moving at normal speed.

"Roost," I called out, hoping to buy time. Which worked, as Salamence seemingly ignored Miguel's next command to use Dragon Pulse and instead flew around above us. I didn't miss that wince or how hard she had to flap with her left wing to stay aloft there! That was the Paralysis kicking in.

With my starter now healed up, I called out, "Hurricane, ride the wind!" Dun grinned widely, flapping his wings hard to whip up a giant storm in the arena. He placed it just so, with himself on the very edge, using those air currents to ascend, rising up to the Salamence caught in the storm.

Not caught for long, however, as Miguel said, "Hurricane, counter spin." With a few beats of her wings, the violent storm was easily dispelled by a reverse Hurricane formed in the same area, countering our previous Move and canceling each other out. He followed up with, "Dragon Rush."

That Move is kinda hard to use; it's easy to dodge the all-out rush if you know what you're doing. He saw that we had less maneuverability in the air and capitalized on it immediately. We weren't out of options, however, and as she approached, I cried, "Outrage!"

Thrashing about in midair, Salamence dove into Dun, smashing the side of his body. Writhing around with his large, segmented body, he bashed right back into her, the two of them covered in Draconic auras as they raged through the sky.

Rather than continue to duke it out, Miguel called, "Sub." In a puff of smoke, two Salamences floated in the air. Dun unfortunately carried on his rampage against the fake, bashing through the Normal Type construct while our foe got away.

Dun's rampage came to an end, and he looked around Confused, not flapping his wings nearly as hard as before. Given his size, he started plummeting to the ground.

"Snap out of it!" I shouted while Miguel had his Pokemon hang back, coating herself in an Iron Defense. Smart, an immediate enemy nearby assaulting Dun might give him something to focus on and possibly snap himself out of this. Desperately, I started singing a note I had heard before, trying to utilize my Aura to shape the sound right.

It wasn't exactly like what the Yellow Flute in my bag would have made, but it was enough. That or he just pushed through with enough willpower on his own. In any case, at the last moment, Dun snapped out of it, gently lowering himself to the ground. Yes! And he's going right into Roost as well, that's smart.

"DRACO METEOR!" Miguel suddenly shouted, his hands clenched tight as he saw us turn things around. With a loud cry, Salamence summoned dozens of burning rocks around her and then fired them down on us.

The psychic barrier shook from the impact, and that was mostly just the ones that broke against the ground and rebounded against the shields. The majority of the meteorites hit Dun, slamming into him with tremendous power. Dun was battered and cried out, and even as his healing Move finished, he was covered in nasty bruises and scrapes.

Despite his wounds, Dun defiantly warbled, saying something akin to, 'That all you got?' Salamence gave a frustrated screech in response, but I noticed a weakness in her voice. That Draco Meteor took a lot out of her; she won't be able to do another Move like that again any time soon.

"Ancient Power." I ordered, and Dun quickly responded, lifting a bunch of stones from the ruins behind us, his power surging as he tossed them at her.

"Iron Head," Miguel said, his tone cold and calculating, with a passion lurking under the surface as our battle reached its final stage. Diving down, Salamence pulled her wings and limbs in tight, using her head covered in Steel Type energy to smash through the rocks chucked at her and then into Dun.

He grunted, but the Move did little damage to him given his defensive boosts. Which is a damn good thing, as he's too hurt to take much more of this, and she's shaken off the Paralysis.

Part of me was tempted to go for a Roost and heal up, but with her being so close to the ground, the opportunity to finish this was too good to pass up. "Ice Spinner!"

Dun rose up on his tail, surrounding himself in icy shards as he spun around. With a roar from both opposing Dragon and Trainer, Salamence met it with an Outrage. The two of them tore into each other, her fangs and claws rending Duns scales, while the ice he made did the same to her.

Dun spun past her, and Salamence continued her rage-fueled charge past him, blindly slamming into my side of the arena and crashing down, unable to rise on ice-coated wings. On the other, Dun wobbled, his spinning becoming erratic before he flopped down with a heavy thud.

After a moment of silence and no motion from either combatant, Hassel called out authoritatively, "Neither contestant is able to battle! This match is… a tie."

The El Primero of Paldea stared on the scene in shock for a second before laughing loudly. "Haha, that was great! Haven't had a tie in ages!"

Striding across the field, we each tended to our Pokemon, healing them up and congratulating them for their efforts. "That was incredible, Dun. I couldn't be prouder. Rest up; you've earned it," I said, recalling him.

Miguel finished spraying some Hyper Potions on his Ace but didn't recall her (likely because she was his way off of this rock) before marching over to me. Sticking out his hand, I shook it once again. "Thank you for that match," he said sincerely. "You've got a ton of talent, you'll go far someday."

Despite his sincerity, there was a hint of wistfulness in his tone. The things he didn't mention were clearly on his mind. The fact that 'someday' will be sooner than most people would realize, or that it means me taking his spot. A position that, for all its frustrations, he hasn't held for too long.

"Thank you as well, that was incredible. And we still have a ways to go; Dun Terastalized while you didn't Mega Evolve," I pointed out.

He nodded. "That was my bad. She doesn't like to Mega Evolve, so we save it for the big battles. Of course, if I'd realized you were going to push us this hard, I'd have done it sooner." The Pokemon in question let out a quiet roar as well, her head dipping to stare me in the eyes. And it looks like she agrees; next time we fight, I gotta be ready to take on Mega Salamence.

The Champion-ranked Trainer turned to talk to Hassel for a moment, discussing schedules and meetings, how to arrange the rest of their days. Boring stuff, even if it is kinda funny to hear Hassel trying to not quite criticize his ostensible 'boss', but still chew him out for this little unplanned field trip. Would be more effective if he wasn't also practically glowing with exuberance at having witnessed our battle.

Turning from them, I addressed a wild Pokemon. "Hey there, you can come out now; I know you were watching our battle." The Axews and Bagons had all eagerly gathered from the start, with even Skiddos and Pawmos watching openly from the smaller cliffs above. They weren't the one I was talking to, though.

Tentatively, the Fraxure stepped out from behind the corner of the ruins where he had been poking his head around to watch the battle. He held himself nervously, but there was a level of awe in his blue eyes, lingering from the fight he had just witnessed, which pushed past his shyness.

"Did you like that fight?" Slowly he nodded his head, smiling as he spoke.

"Raxure, ax." As he spoke, he did a little pantomime of some of the attacks we had used.

"Yeah, it's pretty cool. I bet you'll be doing stuff just like it some day. Really," I insisted at the look of disbelief on his tusked face. "You'll be all cool and strong and tough, well, more than you are already."

My words aren't convincing him, or rather, they aren't hitting the right area. He's the only Fraxure nearby, so even for their line being more even-tempered than most, you'd think he'd be reveling in his strength.

"This evolution was pretty new for you, wasn't it?"

"Fra," he agreed.

"But I bet you've seen others evolve occasionally too."

This time it was met by a much sadder "Fra."

"So, correct me if I'm wrong, but you've been kinda worried about looking different than those other Fraxures, right? Thinking that you're somewhat weird?"

"Ra-Rax," he replied, blinking.

"Well, don't be! You're amazing, just the way you are. Doesn't matter if your scales are a bit paler, skin darker, or spots blue instead of red. You're still a mighty Dragon."

Hassel, having heard our conversation, strode over. "That's quite the deduction, Young Miss- ah forgive me - Nemona."

I waved him off. "Not that hard. Shiny Axews look pretty similar to regular Axews, so I figured he mostly blended in before his evolution. Hey, mind releasing your Haxorus?" I asked the man before turning back to the wild Dragons.

Many of the curious Axews had gathered around, and their eyes grew wide as they beheld Hassel's Pokemon. The Haxorus towered above all of them, his entire body covered in thick, polished, yellow-green scales, armoring him. His tusk didn't stick straight out like his pre-evolutions, but instead curved around like axe blades, each lined with red, the same as was on his claws.

"So, that's what you guys are going to look like someday." And you are all way too cute for me to think about untimely deaths or lack of resources or anything else that will stop you from reaching your full potential in the wild, or else I would catch all of you.

Then to Fraxure I said, "You're going to look slightly different. When you evolve, you'll have scales that are black, like the color of his skin or tusks, but a shade paler."

"Fraxure…" The Dragon whispered in awe, looking up at his elder, who nodded. There was a note of disbelief in his voice like…

"Of course you too can be a Haxorus!" Wherever did he get the idea that he couldn't? "You'll be just as strong as him when you evolve; heck, maybe even stronger! Those tusks of yours look sharp and well-maintained, that's super important for a Haxorus."

It's a large part of why Haxorus are as rare in the wild as most pseudo-legendaries. They learn to break and regrow their tusks constantly as Axews, but when they become Fraxures, their most potent weapons become a weak point that can cripple them if they aren't careful. Most instinctively are, but still, accidents happen, especially in the wilderness.

Behind me, Haxorus snorted and rolled his eyes, the thought of anyone being stronger than him not taken as an insult but seen as laughable. The fact that Hassel trained him well also helped.

The man in question was watching the scene unfold, bemused, before clearing his throat. "I need to apologize for misjudging you."

"Hmm? Didn't we already go through this? It's fine, you've recognized my potential as a trainer now." I tried to wave him off, but he stubbornly shook his head.

"Not about that, or rather I didn't apologize for the offer I gave you those years ago." I frowned trying to remember what he was talking about before an Axew bumping up against my leg reminded me of what he had done. When he offered me an Axew to train, back when I only had two Pokemon on my team.

"Ah, right," I said awkwardly, not entirely sure where he was going with this.

"You're aware that I left my tribe to search for my dream, to make art." I nodded, as it was something he had long ago confided in me. In the background, I noticed Miguel's ears perk up, this little tidbit was something the Champion-ranked Trainer clearly hadn't heard about his co-worker.

Though even in self-imposed exile, I only know vague details. Without the games, I probably wouldn't be able to guess that his tribe lived in seclusion among the Dragons that were so common off in the North Province, to the East of Glaseado Mountain. He did let slip that his father was the chieftain once, so I could have figured out that he used to be the heir, and from his position in the Elite Four, it wouldn't be a leap for me to 'guess' that his family wants him back if any of them come around and start pestering him.

"Despite my… disagreements with them," he said, so lightly and casually that it had to be a topic of much deeper distress for him. "They taught me many lessons. About Paldea and our land. One of the greatest of these was to be wary of the Great Crater. At a certain point in a Trainer's life, if they get strong enough, they will seek out ever greater challenges. And in Paldea, that means the Great Crater. And to one and all, any who have ventured deep enough within it…"

"... have met their doom," I finished. "And I'm guessing that's part of why all the Gym Leaders and Elite Four have such… diverse interests, so prominently displayed for the public." It's not like powerful Trainers in other regions don't have hobbies and whatnot, but few of them make their challenges and battles so centered around those interests.

After a moment of silence, I prodded further. "What changed then?"

"My own trips down to the Great Crater. It's a remarkable place…" There was a wistfulness to his tone that made me wonder how all those conquerors and adventurers of the past had died. It looked beautiful and fantastical from across a screen. I wonder how enchanting it would be in real life? Maybe some of those explorers didn't get overwhelmed but just decided to stay there.

I frowned before shaking my head. If that were the case, there'd be other signs of habitation down there. Kings marched whole armies into the place. Likely, they just got tricked into traveling further, just a bit further than they had planned, before being destroyed.

My head motion brought Hassel's own attention back to the moment. "Ahem. It has been quite dangerous, but with proper planning and cohesive effort from the League, we've been able to support the research ongoing down there."

It was almost painful not to wince there, with what I knew of what was going on. Do I just spill the beans now and hope they- He continued, heedless of my train of thought. "It's been difficult, but we have managed it, and one day you will too. And that day is coming very soon, given your performance against Miguel."

"Too true, to both parts," the man in question chimed in. "Been such a headache to organize and rotate our people through," he groaned. "Still, should be interesting to see what the Professor can come up with. We're already learning tons about the place."

"Yes. And so, on that note, I'd like to apologize formally for not having enough faith and dangling that offer in front of you to try and bar your path."

"Ah, it's fine-"

"No, no, it isn't. I can see your clear love and appreciation for this- this line of Dwagons! And sho, I give my full permisshon to use them as a-" his sobbing made his voice unintelligible, so the El Primero stepped in.

"What my friend here is trying to say is that you can have that Fraxure as your seventh Pokémon; no need to go rotating them around. And hey, train them up hard enough, and you can have a match against Hassel and his Haxorus. Show us how far you've grown."

I gaped openly. "Uhh, that's incredible, I really appreciate it. Umm, but Fraxure, I haven't asked yet if you even want to join m- oof!" As the Fraxure joyously bowled me over in a crushing hug, I gave a grunt. Looks like he's a hugger; that's actually great, though hopefully in the future I'll have the chance to stay on my feet.

"Frax! Fraxure!"

Pushing myself up, I returned the hug before pulling out a Pokeball and catching Fraxure right away. It clicked for a complete capture almost immediately. I released them again, and they hugged me once more, jumping for joy.

"This is awesome! You're awesome!" Fraxure made a happy clicking sound, which I equated to laughter as we floated down, my newest team member looking on in awe at my power. Really not a big deal compared to what you can do.

Hassel had recomposed himself, but I could tell he was on the verge of tears again at my display of 'exuberance and wonder'. Miguel just grinned. "Yeah, it is. We're looking forward to seeing what you can do."

He half turned to his Salamence before my words had him turning back. "You betcha! And next time, we're gonna get to see your Mega Evolution too."

"Oh? You're interested in that?" He asked a little too casually.

"Of course, Mega Evolution is great," I cheered. To prove my point, I grabbed Notch's Pokeball and released them. "Go on, show him."

With great care and a bit of Psychic assistance, Notch shook loose the Mega Stone from their fluffy mane, displaying it proudly for the Elite Four and Champion Trainer. Miguel, in particular, leaned in, studying it intently.

"Wow, looks beautiful. What type of Mega Stone is this? I hadn't heard of Carbinks being able to Mega Evolve."

I shook my head. "Carbinks can't, but one day, we're going to turn Notch here into a Diancie! Then their Diancite will let them Mega Evolve." Both of them looked shocked at that, though Hassel recovered faster, more keenly aware of how rich my family was.

"That's incredible. How are you going to do that?"

"I… have no idea!" My dramatic pause for effect, then the anticlimax, had both of the men nearly face-faulting, and I laughed uproariously (Fraxure did so as well beside me, but I didn't think he actually knew why it was funny).

"Nemona!" Hassel reprimanded, and I tried to stop laughing.

"Sorry, it was just too good to pass up." I didn't succeed well at my first attempt, but after a few moments I did calm down. "I don't know how to change them yet, or I would have already done it. That being said, I do have things I've tried and some plans for the future that seem promising."

I outlined the best plan I had so far, and the El Primero nodded, considering it. "Well, I certainly wouldn't have thought of anything like that, but it sounds like it could work. Have you tried getting in touch with any of the known Diancie enclaves for the plan?"

"Yeah, but I haven't had much luck. No word yet from the Kalosian or Alolan Leagues about my requests." Possibly could have used my parents to apply more pressure to let this happen, but we had other methods to try before this plan, and things were too hectic once I was starting my journey, and I forgot to ask them since. And even then it would be difficult; Legendaries are League protected Pokemon no matter which region you go to. Asking for a chance to visit them with a plus one is a big ask, even if you have a lot of money.

"Well, I can see what I can do about greasing the wheels," Miguel offered, much to my surprise.

"Really? Wowzer- er, thank y-"

"Don't thank me yet. Here, take this too." He reached around in his bag and tossed me a small piece of rock. One very similar in size and texture to the one around his finger.

"Is this a… a…" My voice caught as I cradled it in my palms.

"That's right; it's a Key Stone! Didn't have a chance to shape it into anything nice, but it'll still work."

"I can- I mean, this is almost too much. I don't know what to say." A Key Stone?! A freaking Key Stone!? Who gives these out? Well, I think Stephen does in the remakes, so ok, maybe it is somewhat normal-ish to get a Key Stone from a Champion, but still.

"Say you'll use it against me when you fight me. As I've said in interviews before, I have nothing against Terastalization, but I love Mega Evolutions. It'd be nice to fight against someone else who shares that view here."

Huh, he must have gotten more grief over this than I realized. It must be tough; the papers say he moved back to Paldea a few years ago, getting ready to take what he'd learned in Hoenn and use it here, only to find most others had moved to something else.

"I will. Not sure if Notch will be ready by then, but Riolu and I definitely will, so you'll face a Mega Evolution one way or another." That brightened him back up, and the two men got back on their Dragons.

"It was great to see you again, Young M- Nemona. Stay out of trouble," Hassel sternly warned, clearly not having forgotten the beginning of our conversation and why he came here, even if he didn't have time to lecture me further. And then they were off, soaring through the skies again.

Spoiler: A/N:

Fraxure joins the team! And we got a look at the current top Champion of Paldea. Hopefully those were good enough tidbits to tide you over till the new year.

I've really enjoyed writing this story so far, but I'm also quite looking forward to a bit of a break. The pace I set for myself was a bit too much at times where the story grew to take over most of my life outside of work. At times I felt like I didn't really have time to even play my copy of Violet, let alone fangames I've been interested in like Pokemon Rejuvenation. Or even finish off other games that have nothing to do with Pokemon, like Cassette Beasts!

That being said, I'm so grateful for all the support everyone has shown me. It means more than I can say here, but I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart.