PWT

Mike: I DON'T BELIEVE IT FOLKS! THE MEAN DEFINITELY-NOT-QUEEN OF KALOS HAS JUST FLATTENED THE STALWART DEFENDER OF HOENN! WHAT AN UPSET!

Steven: I will say, that was quite the enjoyable bout.

Diantha: I must agree. Though, if I were any less charitable, I might have taken offense to my victory being deemed an "upset".

Steven: With how you battled today, ma'am, I would gladly take offense on your behalf.

Dune: So we get to have a rematch with Diantha after this, huh?

Rill: <Oh, I am definitely looking forward to that.>

Dune: Oh yeah, we fought singles last time, didn't we, and now we're doing doubles.

Garuda: The PWT having Doubles for this tournament strikes me as odd, but I suppose that's their standard operating procedure.

-The light over the door turns green.-

Dune: That's our cue.

Ever's Hospital Room

-Lace makes some ghostly fox noises as she's pet-

Lace: <Huh! You hear that? Your emotional crisis was so dramatic, it broke time itself.>

Ever: Oh, shush, that's not even hard these days. The spacetime curve has more holes in it than a Driftveil highway.

-they roll their eyes a bit-

It's...I mean, honestly, no, not really. I figure you can put two-oh-six and two-seventy-five together as well as anybody. Maybe we just watch the Gym battle?

Ever's Hospital Room

Myra: Sorry, stream's still buffering. You're gonna be waiting for a while.

Kai: I could, yeah. I mean, from the looks of it, you definitely almost turned to stone, instead of into a perpetual motion machine. So I'll take that victory this time.

-They poke Ever's arm.-

Kai: But I'll respect your wishes. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to.

-pause-

Kai: So, little fox spirit, do you want to talk about it? I'd love to get the four-one-one on my friend's condition. Or four-eight-one, as it were. Also what is your name now? You haven't introduced yourself.

Edited by BittersweetNSour on Feb 19th 2023 at 5:04:24 AM

PWT

Mike: IN THE RED CORNER: THE MAN FROM GALAR WHO STOLE ALL OUR HEARTS! THE CHAMP WITH THE LONGEST UNDEFEATED STREAK SEEN IN THE REGION! THE CAPED MASTER HIMSELF! IIIIIIIIIIIT'S LEOOOOOOOOOOON!

-Dune watched his opponent jump up and wave to the crowd with practiced panache.-

Dune: Well, can't say he isn't in his natural habitat...

Mike: AND IN THE BLUE CORNER, FOR THE FIRST TIME ON OUR STAGE, REPRESENTING THE REGION OF ORRE: THE MAN OF SAND AND STEEL! THE CHAMPION FROM THE LAND OF COLISEUMS! THE BANE OF SHADOW POKEMON SMUGGLERS THE WORLD OVER! IIIIIIIIIIT'S DUNE!

-The crowd was distinctly more anemic this time around, with a few notable exceptions...-

Retek: KICK HIS ASS, DUNE!

Deziree: DUNE! DUNE! DUNE! DUNE!

Dr. Mesquite: I WANNA SEE YOU DO US PROUD!

-Up in the "Championship Winners" boxes, Ludmilla was cheering through the glass.-

-Dune didn't let his steel persona drop as he began sweating internally. He was used to coliseums, but he wasn't used to full blown tournaments.-

Mike: AS ALWAYS: DOUBLES! FULL TEAMS! YOU KNOW THE DRILL! GET READY...

Leon: Good to meet ya! Hope you don't mind losing in the first round!

Dune: Really? Rude to be making assumptions like that.

Mike: BEGIIIIIIIIN!

Ever's Hospital Room

Ever: No, no, Azelf turns people to stone, Mesprit takes away their emotions. Technically, according to the legend, I've got three days to find out if that's what they did.

...Though I'm pretty skeptical. Hahaha.

Lace: <I'm Lace. Don't you tell your friends about me, Ever?>

Ever: You did not exist in your current state a week ago.

Lace: <Pah.>

<Anyway, apparently they accidentally created me. I dunno much more than that, it really seems like the important bit.>

<And now everyone's making them eat so there won't be another me, which I think is very sensible. There's just not enough room for two of me.>

-she preens some-

Ever: She's a little dramatic, you can see.

Lace: <Only a little?!>

Ever's Hospital Room

Kai: I know which Lake Spirit does what, Ever. I can also tell what you've done to yourself. "Turned to stone" in this case means "starved and dehydrated to the point of being immobile". Besides, the legend is if you hurt the Lake Spirit, they take away whatever they represent. Logically, if they strike first, the opposite happens, yeah?

-They scritch Lace.-

Kai: Anyway, lemme make sure I have the gist. Lace, adorably dramatic embodiment of emotional turmoil, manifested as you felt a stronger and stronger need to extract your emotions from your spirit. As such, you tried to force a Legendary to curse you. However, you mostly just made yourself look pathetic before them, and you received — pardon the crass phrasing — a divine bitchslap. For deliberately attempting to follow in the footsteps of someone you explicitly identified as probably second-generation Galactic.

-They cross their arms.-

Kai: You're dating Lucius, right? Emotionally volatile estranged, neglected, and abused son of Titan, late leader of Neo-Galactic? Has he gotten the word on all this?

Edited by BittersweetNSour on Feb 19th 2023 at 6:07:51 AM

PWT

Dune: GO! Ajax and Garuda!

Leon: Charizard and Seismitoad!

-The two fliers both take to the air as the ground-based juggernauts both immediately clash. A sandstorm from Ajax's presence quickly kicks up.-

Dune: Tailwind and Outrage!

Leon: Drain Punch and Flamethrower!

-Dune smiled. Leon didn't know about his focus on sandstorm, and didn't bring a team that could stop it. The Seismitoad was still going to be a problem, though.-

-Garuda deftly darted daringly between the wild blasts of flame aimed his way, though only barely. The wind in the arena, already strong from the sandstorm, began blowing with much more directed intent.-

-Ajax and the Seismitoad, meanwhile, were much less graceful in their merciless pummeling of each other. Despite the major weakness the Seismitoad was exploiting, Ajax barely kept in the fight through sheer ferocity.-

Mike: AND WE'RE ALREADY OFF TO A LIGHTNING-FAST START, FOLKS, AS OUR COMBATANTS BOTH PICK A FLYING AND LAND PAIRING! KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED, EITHER FRONT COULD HAVE A SURPRISE WAITING!

-Meanwhile, up in the VIP booth, Ludmilla was watching intently.-

Ludmilla: C'mon, Dad...

Dune: NOW!

-Ajax backs off, his Outrage haymaker enough to stagger the Seismitoad a great deal, before Dune pulls out a Pokeball and yanks him out of the battle. Garuda, meanwhile, drops an Energy Ball on the unfortunately Water- and Ground-Type, staggering him for far more than his Drain Punch healed him for.-

Dune: Go, Big Dom!

-The Golurk slams into the ground, before rising to full height.-

Mike: HOO WOW, THAT DRAIN PUNCH STRATEGY AIN'T WORKING AGAINST A GHOST! AND THIS SANDSTORM IS STILL ALL OVER THE PLACE!

Leon: Crap. Muddy Water! Heat Wave!

Dune: Don't think so! Rock Polish and Energy Ball again!

-Dom, with a Tailwind at his back, launches into the air, out of range of the Muddy Water, though he is scorched by the Heat Wave. Garuda takes the hit from the Heat Wave to drop another Energy Ball on the Seismitoad, knocking it flat out before Leon can recall him.-

Mike: AND THAT'S LEON DOWN ONE AND WE'RE BARELY INTO THE OPENING ACT! QUITE A BLOW FROM DUNE ON HIS INITIAL SHOWING!

-Leon gives a suspicious squint as he calls back his Seismitoad. Why is he ignoring the big, angry, flying Charizard?-

Silas stretched with a yawn as he flipped through the TV channels. He was in what he liked to call "The slump". Asimov had no current jobs, he was out of ideas for projects or his ideas just wouldn't work right now, and his hunt for the various problematic individuals was in the "look" stage.

He hated the slump, his right foot tapping impatiently as he scrolled through the numerous channels. Tourneys, pokemon matches were on. He wasn't much of a trainer in his opinion, so he just scrolled past them.

Pokestars was running a Tomb Of Terrors marathon, better than nothing. He decided to stick with this for the time being. He heard the patting of footsteps, 4 of them from the sounds of it. There was the sound of the couch cushions being jumped on, and he felt something warm nuzzling against him. He looked over and saw, Roxy, in pokemon form.

<Heyo!> She responded.

"Roxy?"

<Ah-ah-ah. Like this, I'm Ribbon, remember?>

"I think you may have been hanging around Kendall a bit too much on that front."

Ribbon let out a laugh and snuggled up to him, Silas slowly bringing his hand down and scratching behind her ears. Her tail began to wag, she pushed herself against him. "Really like that huh?"

<Don't act like you don't do it yourself, Stylus,> She responded.

Silas thought back to how he often acted in pokemon form, he didn't really want to comment on getting his ears scratched. Ribbon was very much in his face now, wow he didn't expect a Sylveon to be so capable of looking so smug.

<Come on, pull on your scarf, give it a shoooooooooooot~!>

Silas looked about, hoping to find some way out... but no his team had abandoned him. He saw Bishop, who looked at him, waved... and then phased into the wall of the Wing.

You traitor! Was all Silas could think before he relented. "Fiiiiiiiiiine..."

He picked up the striped emerald green scarf and took a deep inhale, wrapping around him. Stylus had a bit of a pout as he got an even smugger smile from Ribbon. <See, it's not so bad.>

Stylus looked over himself and sighed. <Yeah, I will admit I... do like it.>

Ribbon leaned over and put one of her ribbons up to her ears. <What was that?>

<I like it.>

<I can't heeeaaaaaar yoooouuuu~!>

<I like it okay!> Stylus responded with a bit of a bark. <I like being a Lucario, I like the ears and the bone spikes and the tail despite how odd it feels! Are you happy?>

Ribbon curled up with him. <Yes, that's all I wanted to hear. That you like it.>

Stylus sighed and just put a paw on her. <...We should contact some of our friends and do a mon form only hangout or something.>

<Embracing that fandom huh?> Ribbon commented.

<We swap between forms and I've got a timeshare in a universe where I'm anthro... I think we're far past denial.>

The attached pictures were of a Sylveon taking a selfie, as a Lucario in the back typed away on a cell phone.

PWT

Leon: Go, Aegislash!

-Dune squints. He was hoping Leon hadn't brought a wild card like that. Especially one with a defensive move. He'd have to play this smart.-

Dune: Garuda, Heat Wave! Dom, Phantom Force!

Leon: I don't think so! Shadow Ball and Fire Blast!

-Big Dom's Tailwind and Rock Polish give him barely enough time to get underground before the attacks can reach him. The Aegislash, left open after entering its offensive stance, gets hit by the Heat Wave far more than the Charizard was.-

Dune: Ancient Power!

Leon: Charizard, Weather Ball! Aegislash, King Shield!

-Dune smiles.-

-The two rock attacks strike each other mid-air, damaging both parties significantly. They both go down like a pair of kites with cut strings.-

Mike: THAT'S A DOUBLE KO FROM THE FLIERS! I REPEAT, THAT IS A DOU! BLE! K! O! BUT WHERE IS THE BLUE CORNER'S GOLURK?!

Dune: Right here.

-The Golurk erupts from the ground in a geyser of Obscura, shattering the King Shield and sending the Aegislash flying.-

Dune: Phantom Force can go right through any barrier in its way!

Mike: AND WITH THAT BRILLIANT PIECE OF TECH, DUNE CONTINUES TO DEEPEN HIS LEAD! THAT'S ONE DOWN FOR BLUE CORNER, A WHOPPING THREE DOWN FOR RED! WILL OUR BOY FROM BEYOND THE SEA BRING THIS WHOLE BONANZA BACK?!

Leon: ... Heh. Guess I really am rusty at Doubles.

Dune: Tell you what, after this, I'll see you in Motostoke and we'll get to see you G-max.

Leon: Hey now, we're still dealing with the battle here! Don't go counting your Torchic yet!

Dune: Fair enough! Go, Cun Annwn!

Leon: Go, Mr. Rime and Dragapult!

-Oh. A Psychic... Ice, from the looks of it, and a Dragon/Ghost. That's an awkward combo at the best of times. But at least his intent to take down Dom was plain to see.-

Edited by DuneTheWanderer on Feb 19th 2023 at 11:07:43 AM

Floraroma Meadow, ???

-Inside the dome everything is dark-

-Bursts of strange energy swirl about-

-There seem to be wild Pokemon not normally native to the meadow about and they don't look happy-

Mog: "Right, so we've got to find her among these vicious wild Pokemo-"

-Something smacks into her face-

School Safehouse

Tsukihime: <You shall not->

-Justice grabs her and ducks out of the way-

Autumn Mountain

-The fish continues to flop-

Origami Wishiwashi: Help...me...

School Facility

-Pavo, Melia, Maurice,and Bubba Gump are standing by waiting for something, Pavo scowling while Maurice has a giddy smile on his face-

Pavo: ~What's taking Victor so lo-~

Victor: I'm here!

-Victor walks into the room, with Justinian, now sporting Templar armor and a cocky grin, and a Blaze Breed Paldean Tauros standing by Justinian.-

Victor: Meet your new associate, Justinian The Awesome!

Justinian: "What's up losers! Me and Johnny are here to liven up this place with our POWER!"

Johnny The Blaze Breed Paldean Tauros: <We'll bring torment to anyone who crosses us.>

Pavo: ~You dare call me a lose-~

Maurice: Still smiling- "Hi there! Welcome to the team!"

-He goes up and vigorously shakes Justtinian's hand-

"It's nice to meet you, Justinian, was it? Lovely name. Love the mullet too. You'll do great here!"

Bubba Gump:' <Er, yeah, all that.>

Pavo: ~Wait what?~

Melia: -confused chirp-

Justinian: "Well someone already appreciates my radness! We're off to a great start."

Johnny: <He's a bit more... exuberant than I expected.>

Victor: "He must be in a good mood! Good to see you're giving Justinian such a warm welcome!"

-They move off, still talking-

-Pavo and Melia stare after them-

Pavo: ~...Melia, should we have a little talk with Maurice later?~

Melia: -Affirmative chirp-

Pavo: ~...Very well.~

-They slither off after the others-

Edited by Umbramatic on Feb 20th 2023 at 12:49:10 PM

Floaroma Meadow, ???

Chiyo: It feels like when Diamond's using his abilities....

-And the mons appear-

I don't like this.

-And upon Mog getting smacked into she immediately starts summoning barriers-

Autumn Mountain, past

Ann: Maybe they need some water or something.

Edited by rmctagg09 on Feb 20th 2023 at 3:31:44 PM

Stormchaser

-Cyrus scampers up a stairwell.-

Cyrus: <Why does this airship have a hotel stairwell?!>

Spectrum: <It has many things! Like stairs, and Taco Bell, and a living soul!>

Cyrus: <It has what>

-Spectrum catches up to Cyrus, only for Cy to slide back down the railing while Spectrum's momentum is carrying her.-

Spectrum: <We gave Stormy-chan a soul through the power of friendship!>

Cyrus: <No, that makes sense— I meant what is Taco Bell?????>

-Spectrum bops herself on the head with a musical buzz.-

Spectrum: <Oh! Right, silly me, you're from another world. Taco Bell sells meat in shells at blasphemous hours of the night!>

Cyrus: <Oh shit, I do love a good blasphemous meal.>

Cyrus rounds a corner, only to meet a dead end. Spectrum zips after them, cornering them.-

Spectrum: <Aha! Gotcha now!>

Cyrus: <Mmmmnope! Ecstatic, clear me a way!>

-They pull out a Hisuian-era Brown Apricorn Pokeball. Instead of releasing the contents, though, the ball itself rolls out of Cyrus's paw and grows, becoming visibly a Voltorb.-

Ecstatic the H-Voltorb: <Uh oh, we're in a tight spot!>

Spectrum: <Ooh, you're a weird lil 'torb.>

Ecstatic: <I am! We're leaving now!>

-And they detonate.-

Edited by BittersweetNSour on Feb 20th 2023 at 10:52:07 AM

Floraroma Meadow, ???

-The wild mons start to attack the barrier-

-Mog desperately tries tp pull the frenzied THING on her face off-

-Eventually out of desperation she pulls out a Nest Ball asd SMACKS it into it, sucking the thing in-

Mog: -now with scratches and cuts all over her face- "...I'll deal with that later."

-To Chiyo- "They've noticed us.What's our battle strategy?"

School Break Room

-Maurice, Bubba Gump on his shoulder, is getting coffee with the FESTIVE creamer when Pavo slithers in with Melia-

Pavo: ~You seem happy lately.~

Maurice: "Yeah, so?"

Pavo: ~...You're never happy.~

Maurice: "I'm just high on life I guess~"

Pavo: ~Don't toy with me.I know you're hiding something.~

Maurice: "Good luck, I'm hiding behind several layere of mental defenses!

'Pavo: ~You may... But I doubt your little friend does.~

Maurice: "Wait wha-"

Bubba Gump: <Oh shit oh shit oh shi- OW! My brain...>

Pavo: ~...You're doing WHAT with the enemy?!~

Maurice: "...Look, she's really nice and really pretty and we have a LOT in common and- look, she's right and Victor is wrong, OK? This-" -gestures to their surroundings- "-isn't natural. This isn't how our world is supposed to work. We should be out going on journeys and being friends with Pokemon and having adventures instead of being lab Rattata!"

Pavo: ~This is deplorable.I'm going to report you to School authorities.~

Maurice: "If you do I'll tell them you're part Obscuric."

Pavo: ~So?~

Maurice: "Do you remember the Phantom Class?"

Pavo: ~...No?~

Maurice: "Exactly. They were a Class way back when that had Obscuric instead of Psychic powers.THAT went horribly wrong and the School higher-ups swore never to do it again.So if they get wind of you...."

-Does a throat-slitting motion and accompanying noise. Mellia lets out a chirp of alarm. Pavo snarls-

Pavo: ~...Very well then. We'll both have our dirty little secrets.~

Maurice: "That's the spirit! Hell I bet new guy Justinian will get his own in due time. Anyway how would you like your coffee?"

Pavo: ~Black like my soul.~

Maurice: "That's what I thought you'd say. Coming right up."

Bubba Gump: <I'd rather get something for my head...>

Edited by Umbramatic on Feb 21st 2023 at 2:53:38 PM

Battle Aca

-Angela opens her eyes to the unconscious realm.-

-Before he stands a older man, of white hair, glasses, and stern demeanor.-

Angela: Greetings.

???: You keep your wits about you. I will admit, I'm already impressed.

Angela: I do not seek to impress anyone. Simply tend to my duties.

-The man nods.-

???: Understandable. I take it you've made a covenant since you've arrived here?

Angela: With Dune, yes.

???: Ah, one of the J-Team Alumni. They always have a habit of making things interesting.

Angela: Is there something you needed, Shekinah Glory?

???Shekinah Glory: That is not my name, but an acceptable title. No, I merely wished to take your measure. You are of curious circumstances.

Angela: Please, if you would like an interview, we have a process with which one might be obtained.

Shekinah Glory: Hah. Do not worry, this is taking no time at all. In fact, that is all I needed. Good day, Angela.

-He nods his head, and the Angela soon finds herself back, mid-stride, on the General Admin floor. She looks around.-

Angela: This world continues to make me curious...

Mitchell: Then let's make a pond for them. One sec.

Mitchell pulls an empty thermos out of his bag, then summons a Shellos (West Sea).

Mitchell: Oliver, fill this thermos up with your Water Pulse, would you?

Oliver: <Your wish is my command, Professor.>

Oliver carefully aims a Water Pulse into Mitchell's thermos.

Mitchell: -to the others- We're sure this origami fishmon is waterproof, right?

School safehouse, office

Morel does not stop and flies straight into the wardrobe. A key falls off from the top of it.

Morel: <INTRUUUUUUUDEEEEEEEEERS!>

A vine pushes the office door open. A number of vines follow, attached to a schoolkid who looks like he's half asleep.

Magnesium: Morel? Can you please be quiet? I just want to get some sleep.

Morel points at the intruders in a "how can you not see these guys" way.

Magnesium: ...Oh. When did you guys get here?

Ever's Hospital Room

-Lace makes whatever noise happy foxes make-

Ever: Traitor. Well, I wouldn't say I looked pathetic. But you get the gist.

I have...not told Lucius. Or anyone. I'm not sure how you know.

Breeze: <Oh, I texted your family.>

Ever: ...

Breeze: <You shouldn't have given me your phone! I am a known rascal!>

Ever: I didn't give you my phone!

Breeze: <You left it totally unguarded!>

Ever: I put it in my backpack! There's a lock on that!

Breeze: <It wasn't industry-standard!>

Ever: Why do you know industry standards for backpack locks!

Breeze: <I've been in the box for forever, I had to do something.>

Ever: I'll change up my team soon!

Verdant Cavern, Melemele Island

Hoops runs through the caverns. They look extremely beat up, having been chased by the same swarm of Ribombee for the last three days with little rest. Their pokémon don't fair much better, with many of them having been worn down in endless battles. No matter how many of the Ribombee they defeat, others just drop a pollen that brings them back up to full health again.

They look at the sculpted flower in their hand. Just one more petal and they'll be done, and they can finally say goodbye to this trial. They just need to find it.

"Come out!" they call out all of their pokémon, who are in various stages of fatigue. "I know it's hard guys, but try to hold them off just a bit longer."

They turn and see the totem Ribombee leading the others through the cave. They seem so numerous that Hoops can barely see the ceiling of the cavern. The local pokémon scurry and hide. Hoops and their pokémon charge into battle.

Hau'Oli City

Xaster's boat pulls into the marina, and he is first off the boat. RiRi is right behind him, and together they run down the marina.

"Come on!" Xaster calls to his partner. "Hoops will be around here somewhere."

RiRi isn't the best runner and so struggles to keep up. <Azu!> he calls.

"I know they'll be happy to see me," Xaster replies. He reaches the street and looks both ways. He concludes that Hoops is more likely to be outside of the city, and runs in the direction that will take them out quickest. "I bet they'll love the surprise."

<Zuma.>

"Of course. Everyone loves surprises."

With Xaster's enthusiasm, it's not long until he reaches Alola's Route 2. He takes a moment to breathe in the peaceful sea air, and to let RiRi catch up with him. As he does, he hears the sound of someone talking.

"... seems none of the species on the list are on this island. Why he couldn't have just asked for pokémon I can actually find in Paldea I don't know."

Xaster peaks over a low stone wall and sees a strange sight. A man in a thick overcoat - which is already strange considering the warm weather - is talking to a white pokémon that Xaster has never seen before.

<Ma?> RiRi whispers.

"I mean, we might as well," Xaster says. He stands up. "Excuse me."

The man turns to face him. Xaster sees that he has a scar his jaw, which only distracts him for a few moments from seeing the man's purple eyes, which make a chill go down his spine. He's from the School Xaster realises. But he can't say anything.

"I was just wondering, I've never seen that pokémon before," he says.

The man regards him coolly. Coolly seems to be the right word, since just being near him makes Xaster feel uncomfortably cold. "It's a Cetoddle," he says. "From the Paldea region. This one's name is Beira."

Beira says hello to Xaster, he assumes. He really needs to learn to understand pokémon other than his own.

"Wow," Xaster says. "I've never been to Paldea. Is it nice?"

"If you aren't vegetarian, yes," the man tells him. "By the way, my name is Whitt."

"Xaster," Xaster says, then immediately feels foolish for giving his name. Fortunately, Whitt doesn't seem to react. "And... this is my partner RiRi."

Whitt looks at his pokémon. "It's a fine pokémon," he says. "Even if it is raised by a regular human."

Xaster laughs nervously. "Yeah, a regular human. That's me - and you as well, right?"

Whitt shakes his head. "Not quite. I'm something better. Now, might I ask something of you?"

Xaster swallows nervously. "What?"

"I've been asked by a scientist friend to collect DNA samples of several pokémon," Whitt says. "Specifically the Alolan forms of pokémon that live in other regions. Do you know where I can find any?"

Xaster decides not to mention the Alolan Raichu in his back pocket. "Sorry," he says. "I'm not a local."

"I could tell by the accent," Whitt says. "Ah, well. Hey, how about a battle?"

Xaster shakes his head, forcing a smile. "Oh no, I'm actually on my way to meet someone. I really couldn't -"

"Oh, I'm sure you can find the time," Whitt insists. "After all, aren't you part of the J-Team? I'd love to see how you stack up against the heavy hitters."

For a moment, no-one moves. Then Xaster goes, releasing all of his pokémon at once. Whitt does the same, and the battle begins.

Alola Route 2, Half and Hour later

Hoops walks down Route 2, actually whistling for the first time in ages. They completed the trial, and now hold the Fairium Z in their possession. And for the first time in a few days, they don't have to worry about the Ribombee. It was actually very friendly once the flower was completed. Now they're just looking forward to a night at the local pokémon centre, before they track down the rest of the Z crystals that don't have formal trials.

They're caught out by snow falling from the sky. This is weird - Alola is a tropical region, and even in this time of year there shouldn't be heavy snowfall like this. They keep moving, and turn a corner. Then gasp.

Against the side of a hill, a huge pillar of ice sticks out of the ground. Half frozen into the bottom of the pillar is an unconscious Xaster - all of his pokémon lie on the ground around him, looking like they've been beaten quite badly.

Xaster's eyes flicker open as Hoops runs over to him. "Xaster!" Hoops yells. "What happened? Hang on, I'll get you out." They call out Sal, who holds back his comment about being tired when he sees what's going on, and begins melting the ice.

"Hoops..." Xaster mumbles. "I... sorry."

Ever's Hospital Room

-Kai briefly smiles at Breeze.-

Kai: Thank you for your service, Breeze.

-and then back to their Disappointment™-

Kai: Yeah, Brie texted me. I was about to say I'm glad you at least let your family know, but apparently that's not true.

-They sigh.-

Kai: We're friends. Buds, even. I care about you, and I trust you to care about me. Which is why I'm hurt— and not hurt in the dramatic friends-poking-fun way. The idea that a friend I put so much trust in, would opt to just stop caring about anything and everything, myself included? I've been literally stabbed in the heart on multiple occasions, but that hurts more.

THE NEXT DAY

Veilstone City (March 2022)

Tyrie returned himself back to his PokeBall just before Owen woke up that day.

Owen had been thinking about the events of the previous day the whole night. It had been absolutely crazy, that was for sure. He'd battled Team Lightning, beaten Crasher Wake, gotten Teryx back, had gotten a weird necklace thing that turned him into a Pokemon, and had gained the ability to understand said mons all in the course of one night.

And surely, if Teryx had a backstory to him, then the same definitely applied to the rest of his mons. On top of that, his next Gym was Fantina, a Gym that many people before him had stated was the hardest Gym out of all of them. He still hadn't given his mons any held items yet, and he had no mons with Dark-type or Ghost-type STAB. If Gwana had evolved into an Alolan Marowak, this would have been easier, but alas. Such was life.

So he had a lot of work to do if he wanted to prepare for Fantina effectively.

With all that in mind, a decision had been made in his head, and he was planning to stick to it.

After checking out of the Pokemon Center in Veilstone City, he sent out the entire Jura6, including Teryx in his new Luxury Ball. The group all stared up at him.

"Everyone," said Owen. "I have an announcement."

<Evidently,> said Chasmo. <Otherwise you wouldn't have sent us out.>

<What's goin' on?> asked Crina.

"Here's the thing," said Owen. "Now that I have Teryx on my team again, I'd like to take a break and go back home to Pewter City."

<W-what?> cried Stipax. <Why?>

<An interesting proposal,> said Nautilu. <Do go on.>

"Thanks, Nautilu," said Owen. "Simply put... I want to get to know all of you guys better."

The Jura6 stopped dead and looked at each other.

"I was thinking that since I've finally gotten the ability to understand you guys, I might as well spend time with you," said Owen. "Learn more about you; do things with you; learn about your backstories and interests. On top of that, I've still got a lot of planning to do before battling Fantina in Hearthome City, so... figured I might as well."

The Jura6 paused for a bit.

<...Huh,> said Chasmo. <Actually, that seems pretty reasonable.>

<Ooooh! I like that~!> Crina said. <Fair warning, though... you're gonna be on the recieving end of a lot! 'Specially since my birthday's in a few days!>

"Wait, it is?"

Stipax nodded. <Her birthday's AFD.>

"Oh!" said Owen. "Well, look at that! I'm already learning something new!"

<I do enjoy the idea very much,> said Saura. <It'll help me a lot in regards to me getting back to my old hobbies.>

<There's a lot for you to learn about the secondary team as well,> said Nautilu.

"Secondary team?" asked Owen.

<Steggy and the rest of the group,> said Chasmo.

"Oh," said Owen.

<And we still haven't learned anything yet about the newbies!> said Stipax.

<Well... no, I suppose not...> Teryx muttered.

"Alright, then," said Owen. "Stipax? Teryx? What do you guys think of this idea?"

<I love it!> cried Stipax.

<Well... I would much rather spend my days in a place where I know I'll be safe, so... um... I suppose,> said Teryx.

"Alright, then!" said Owen. "In that case, we've got a plane to find!"

He paused for a few moments, then turned to face Teryx.

"That won't cause you too much panic, right, Teryx?" he asked.

<I... don't believe so, so long as I am in my Luxury Ball,> said Teryx.

"Good," said Owen.

He returned the rest of the Jura6 to their PokeBalls, save for Stipax, who jumped on his Trainer's shoulder as per the usual.

"Alright, Stipax," said Owen. "You ready to go home?"

<I sure am!> said Stipax.

"Alright, then," said Owen. "Let's go."

And with that said, they promptly headed off, eager for their break to start.

A FEW DAYS LATER

Pewter City- Owen's House (March 2022)

After 3 days had gone by, Owen had finally made it back to his home in Pewter City.

He steadily opened the door, and turned the lights on, smiling as he looked at everything around him. The inside of Owen's house was extremely massive, and had a living room with a giant leather chair, a TV with Pinwheel Prime (and other streaming platforms) on it, a massive green and blue rug, and a small desk that had Owen's Kanto badges on it. The walls were a tannish-yellow color, and next to it was a kitchen and dining room, complete with a stove and oven, along with plenty of food that he knew for a fact his mons would enjoy.

Stipax jumped down from Owen's shoulder and happily began looking around the room in delight, while Owen sent out every member of his team with the exception of Tyrie and Rhamphor. All of them, save Anomalo, glanced around with either a sense of familiar comfort, or absolute wonder.

<Ahhh, home again,> said Nautilu.

<This feels... extremely comforting,> said Teryx. <I don't think I've been here in a long time.>

<Wonderful,> said Saura.

<Whoaaa~! What is this place?> cried Cephalo.

<It appears to be a living area of some kind,> said Archie.

<Oooh! This your house?> asked Steggy.

"Yep," said Owen. "It sure is. And you're all gonna be living here for the next few months or so."

<Months?!> Gwana spat. <I've already trained myself for the Fantina battle, and we're going to be staying here?!>

<Calm down, Gwana,> said Eurypedis. <There will likely be multiple opportunities for you to train yourself further for the Fantina battle.>

<Yeah, we still haven't even gotten items yet,> said Stipax.

<...Well, that's fair,> said Gwana.

<I... I don't know what's going on...> Anomalo muttered.

<You should not worry, Anomalo,> said Eurypedis. <I've been in one of these before, though they did not have... this level of technological advancement back then.>

<You know what this is?!> cried Anomalo.

<Certainly,> said Eurypedis. <I hope you don't mind if I show you around.>

<Oh, certainly!> said Anomalo. <Thank you so much! Though... I won't be able to see anything...>

<I shall tell you about them, then,> said Eurypedis.

<Forgive the intrusion, but would you mind if I also joined in on this house tour as well?> asked Nautilu. <I can explain all of the technological advancements that have been made since Shakespearean times.>

Eurypedis bowed— though it was still a bit hard for him since he was a Kabuto. <That would be greatly appreciated. Very well, then. Let us be off.>

With that said, Nautilu picked up Anomalo and placed him on the back of his shell before the three of them headed off. Owen giggled, and waved towards them.

"You three have fun!" said Owen. "Now, as for the rest of you... I'll show you guys to your rooms."

Ever's Hospital Room

Ever: Tch. The doctors said I should avoid travel for a few days, I'll manage without the guilt trip. I made a poor decision, I'm taking steps to avoid it in the future.

Ever's Hospital Room

-Kai looks like they're going to retort for a moment, but holds back for a few seconds. When they respond, they sound a bit more defeated.-

Kai: Okay. What steps are you taking? What is your takeaway from all this? I'm... frustrated, because it sounds like you're deflecting, but I could be missing something by being in a completely different headspace.

Ever's Hospital Room

Ever: Well, uh, there's the antidepressants.

So, you know. We'll see if that helps anything.

Breeze: <I keep telling you, I can adjust your neurotransmitters myself.>

Ever: And I keep telling you, I think you'd somehow accidentally give me back my fifteen-year-old personality. I don't need or want that.

Floaroma Meadow, ???

Chiyo: -Sizing up their opponents- I'd say we run, but we'll have to go through them if we want to find that woman. Dactyl!

Dactyl: <Ready!>

Chiyo: -To Mog- Stay close, we can handle this.

Ever's Hospital Room

-Kai blinks.-

-Their demeanor becomes less... standoffish.-

Kai: ...I'll be honest, I completely forgot that chemicals can do that. I'm so used to dramatic story arcs driving the world, I was fully ready to give a tear-jerking speech about it.

-They give Ever's arm a squeeze.-

Kai: Just... let people in, too? I like being your friend. And being there for my friends is kind of my whole role as a Heart. The meds are gonna give you energy, but you've gotta cultivate it, the same way you would with that bit of Stormchaser Aura I gave you.