In the lull that follows Semyon falling from Gavroche's decisive blow, he, Rebecca, and Oliver offer a moment of silence for the exceedingly tough Dhelmise. Any Pokemon that managed to duel against the entire team of their Trainer's opponent would deserve nothing less than this for reaching this point.

At last, just before Alyesha recalls Semyon, Oliver renders his judgement. <Semyon the Dhelmise is unable to battle!> he announces. <Alyesha has two Pokemon remaining!>

Rebecca, seeing that Alyesha is already bringing out Sonya, adds <You're going to continue, then? All right, then.>

Now, the climax of the match is here. In Mitchell's corner, Edmond and Gavroche. In Alyesha's corner, Sonya and Matvey. Mitchell is wary, knowing that neither he nor Alyesha is guaranteed victory, and it would take some combination of brute force, clever tactics, and luck to come out on top.

Alas, Alyesha outmanoeuvres Mitchell with her own tactics. Sonya, now seemingly untouchable in the clouds above, rains down a Thunder Wave upon Gavroche. Matvey, meanwhile, unleashes another salty Brine upon the wounded and trapped Edmond.

"Hang on, guys!" Mitchell calls out, his voice tinged in panic. "Roll with the blows!"

Gavroche, despite his best efforts, ends up struck by Sonya's lightning. Just like with Vasilissa, his muscles start spasming from the errant charges affecting him. However, something else happens to the Raticate. Though his body is now slower and threatens to seize up at any moment, the shock awakens his inner Guts, sharpening his claws and teeth.

<Oh, you poor thing,> Gavroche chuckles under his breath. <You have n-n-no idea what you've d-d-d-done!>

Edmond, sadly, is not as fortunate. He tries to roll with the Brine attack, but his accumulated wounds cause even the softened blow he takes to push him past his limits. He has no time or room for any final words before he loses consciousness, and his body is carried upwards and flung away by the Whirlpool.

"Shoot!", Mitchell curses himself, hurriedly tossing Edmond's Pokeball out to catch him before he hits the ground.

Rebecca is shocked that Edmond fell so suddenly, and she is left speechless up until Mitchell gives her the all-clear that Edmond is safe. Thus, it falls to Oliver to call out the latest retirement in this battle.

<Edmond the Machop is unable to battle! Mitchell is down to his last Pokemon!>

Gavroche's eyes dart skyward, trying to find Sonya against the clouds. He would have been tunnel-visioned in this, if not for Mitchell calling out an order.

"Gavroche! Forget about Sonya! Matvey's about to strike you! Sucker Punch him!"

Trusting his Trainer's words and his own instincts, Gavroche turns to Matvey, reading his body language for the slightest gap in his stance that he could slip through and crush him full-force.

Castelia City, Hill

Alyesha for her part watched what both Mitchell and her knew was very likely the beginning of the end for one of them, the final act of this match had begun - and it was her responsibility to make sure her team would stand victorious at the end of it.

Internally, Alyesha sighed in relief as Gavroche got hit by Sonya's attack - only for her stomach to sink when she realised what the attack had triggered. None the less, outwardly, she remained as calm as she had been so Matvey and Sonya could concentrate on the battle in front of them rather than her worries behind them.

The weight in Alyesha's stomach lifted slightly though when Matvey managed to finish off Edmond. That victory was short lived though when he got hit by the Gavroche's Sucker Punch, once more causing the large Pokémon to slide back on the battlefield.

Matvey: <Argh! Don't... don't think I will go down just like that! I still have some fight in me!>

Albeit battered and bruised, the Armaldo once more slowly got back into a fighting stance, roaring in the rain, at this point, looking not unlike a certain kaiju. At the same time besides the field, a plan had begun to form in Alyesha's mind, one that, if executed correctly, would win her the match.

Alyesha: "Matvey!"

She called out to her partner

Alyesha: "Hold on for just a little bit longer! We'll end it here and now!"

With that, Alyesha, now full on in drama-mode alongside Mitchell, dramatically pointed towards the sky, ignoring that Sonya would likely not be able to see the motion given she was still in the clouds.

Alyesha: "SONYA! Matvey depends on you! So let loose your wrath and strike forth from the heavens!"

With that said, Alyesha slowly let her finger move from the clouds over to Gavroche.

Alyesha: "And Matvey, end this fight right here, right now! Give Gavroche a little payback and show him just how strong our bonds are! RETURN!"

Up in the clouds, Sonya began throwing lighting at what almost seemed like random, not so much intending to actually hit Gavroche more so than to simply keep him busy so Matvey would have a btter opportunity to strike.

As for Matvey himself? The Armaldo did not even look back or otherwise acknowledge Alyesha's order - he did not need to, right now, he and Alyesha shared the same thoughts, they were like one conciousness shared by two bodies.

This understanding came not due to any psychic connection or the like it should be stressed, but rather by simply having been around each-other basically since their respective births, having played together, having adventured together, having fought together. All these years had only strenghtened their bond as each of them understood - and appreciated the other more than anyone else could.

And so, after roaring one last time, Matvey, with a speed that seemed to defy the damage he had taken - now fueled as much by his bond to Alyesha as his own body, rushed forward to Gavroche, his scythes crossed in front of his chest, ready to slam into the small Pokémon with all the power he could muster.

Provided he managed to hit, Gavroche would be hit with the force... well, with the force one would expect from a Return whose user shared a bond to his trainer that was deeper than and had long since transcended the boundaries of mere comradery - or even friendship - instead having morphed into nothing less than deep and mutual love for each-other.

Sonya used Helping Hand, Matvey used Reeturn

Edited by Sergey_Smirnov on May 19th 2023 at 1:28:50 PM

The gas cleared, dispersing, Roxy however was still choking. Something was wrong, something was very wrong. She moved slowly, her body felt numb, why did her whole body weigh so much?

Silas rushed in, and picked her up, the look on his face saying so much. Whatever she had been hit with, this wasn't something that could be easily done away with. She felt her eyes close, when she opened them she was in the Wing's medical bay, hooked up to one of the autodocs, Silas pacing back and forth, talking with Snakeye, Bishop, and Hacks.

Whatever this was, it had him in a panic... Roxy thought back to the asshole who did this, and glowered. She could feel it, her body was shutting down, the nerve endings weren't working right. That's what the gas did, she was just a test subject for the Templar.

Roxy summoned enough strength to grab Silas by the arm and then proceeded to work herself up to say "Project Paldea". She'd keep fighting herself, she wasn't about to go out like this, not like this at all. She wanted to get back up, to get back into the fight.

She wasn't done, not until she made the Templar and whomever helped him pay.

The Pod Fighter pulled in, a bit rougher than expected, Gabriel climbing out as it began to smoke, coughing. No matter, Pods were easily reproduced, and it had more than served its purpose.

"Is everything alright sir?" A menial asked.

"Everything is fine, better than fine. Send a report to Victor, our N-Gas has had its first successful test run. An advanced neurotoxin like that should work wonders on truants," Gabriel responded.

And that was only one of his many projects, he had many more in mind, a smile across his face.

"OH and send a report to the Dear Principal, we must meet at some point so I can let her know of all the work accomplished. I think it's time we finally let her know we're ready to exceed expectations!" he said.

Gavroche can tell just how powerful Matvey's charge is, and he tries his best to avoid it. Unfortunately, Sonya's covering fire and effects of his paralysis leaves the Raticate unable to avoid the Armaldo's head-on assault.

<DA-> he almost curses, before Matvey's strike hits true, sending him tumbling backwards. The strike seems so brutal that Mitchell, Rebecca, and Oliver have similar horrified expressions.

Desperate to stop his tumbling, Gavroche digs his paws into the ground, tearing up the earth. Miraculously, he stops just inside the square. Then, he looks up.

<Not yet,> Gavroche says to Matvey and Sonya. <I ain't d-done with youse. Yeah, even all f-f-four of ya won't bring me down!>

Mitchell is confused, looking at his opponents. There are still just the two of them, one Matvey and one Sonya. Now, he realizes just how badly Gavroche got hurt from Matvey's strike.

Rebecca bites her lower lip, while Oliver clenches his jaw. As much as they want to rush in and protect Gavroche, or even ask if he's all right, they are stuck in their roles as officials in this match.

<Come on, Boss!> Gavroche yells, fired up to fight even in this perilous strait. <What's my next move! T-t-tell me!>

Instead, something is thrown into the square, landing between Gavroche and Alyesha's Pokemon. Gavroche looks at this something, and realizes what Mitchell has just done.

It is a pair of gloves. The very same pair that Mitchell had worn and removed in this very match.

Mitchell, now with a Super Potion and a Paralyze Heal in each hand, says something to confirm that his act of throwing his gloves into the square was no accident. "I surrender," he says. "You've won this, Alyesha."

Grateful for Mitchell's permission, Rebecca announces the battle's verdict. <Mitchell has forfeited the match. Therefore, Alyesha wins!>

<Congratulations, Alyesha,> Oliver says to her, before he, Rebecca, and Mitchell all rush into the square towards Gavroche.

Mitchell sprays down Gavroche with his Super Potion and Paralyze heal, with practiced ease gained from several consecutive months of adventuring. "Hang in there, Gav," he says. "at least until we get to a Pokemon Center."

<Mitchell,> Gavroche woozily says as the medicines take effect. <Sorry. I shoulda been tougher. I shoulda->

Mitchell shooshes him. "Don't say that," he says. "You did great. Now let me save you, for once."

Back near the food cart, Christine and Auguste see that the battle is over, and they start moving up the hill.

Sinnoh League

Xaster grabs his sixth pokéball. "Let's go, ChiChi!" he says, sending out his Chimecho. She looks tiny in the giant stadium, but she still happily rings her bell.

"So that's your final pokémon," Cynthia says. "I'm excited to see what she can do."

"Then let's find out," Xaster says. "ChiChi, use Energy Ball!" ChiChi makes a ball of green energy and fires it at Roserade. Roserade effortlessly bats the attack aside, and its eyes narrow at ChiChi.

"Use Petal Blizzard," Cynthia says. Once again, the stadium is overtaken by the roar of winds as petals swirl around the battlefield. Xaster says something that no-one hears over the winds, but it's too late because ChiChi is enveloped by the storm. Xaster covers his face against the wind created, while Cynthia is unfazed.

"Aren't you going to do anything?" Cynthia asks. "You're not just letting your pokémon take this attack, are you?"

Xaster grins. "Where are you looking? We haven't taken anything."

The petals disperse, revealing that ChiChi is completely fine. In fact, she continues to happily ring her bell while dancing in a circle in the air. For the first time in the match, Cynthia looks genuinely shocked. "How is that possible?" she asks.

Xaster smiles. "We discovered it during contest training. ChiChi's weight and the shape of her body mean that she can ride on the wind generated by most attacks and avoid them completely."

"So..." Cynthia realises. "You were able to ride on the wind created by Petal Blizzard and avoid all of the damage."

"Yep," Xaster says. ChiChi flies over and coils around his arm. "Cool, right?"

Cynthia smiles. "You're interesting, you know that? Use Poison Jab!" Roserade's buds glow purple as it rushes ChiChi.

"Fly up!" Xaster says. ChiChi flies into the air, out of the reach of Roserade who is confined to the ground.

"Use Energy Ball!" Cynthia commands. Once again, Xaster commands ChiChi to dodge and she dances out of the way. A third attack, and she does the same.

"Your dodging skills are impressive," Cynthia says. "But you can't win by dodging."

"We don't need to," Xaster says. "You know what the best skill for a coordinator to learn is?"

Cynthia raises an eyebrow. "What? Pomp?"

Xaster raises one hand above his head. "Timing." He snaps his fingers, and portals open around Roserade. It is pelted from all sides by psychic energy from a Future Sight attack that brings it to its knees.

"Now, use Shadow Ball!" Xaster yells. ChiChi seizes the moment and hits Roserade with a powerful orb of darkness that knocks it flat.

After a few moments, the referee raises his hand. "Roserade is unable to battle."

Once again, Cynthia looks shocked. "But that Future Sight... you wouldn't have been able to set that up, unless..." she thinks back to the Petal Blizzard, to the words that Xaster said that were drowned out by the winds. "Then?"

Xaster doesn't reply, laughing with ChiChi as she dances around his head.

"You're good," she says. "Let's see how you do against this!" She calls out her Togekiss, and a new battle begins.

Stormchaser lounge

Micro is perched on top of a sofa. Kat walks in with a stack of papers.

Kat: Here's the stuff. I put the ones about Chase's termination on top so you can find it fast.

...Are you big enough to carry these?

Micro lifts them out of their hands with Psychic.

Micro: ~I can manage. Thanks.~

Micro leaves.

Stormchaser, Chase has a room now

Chase is watching TV when Micro arrives back.

Chase: Oh, you're back! What've you got there?

Micro floats the papers over.

Micro: ~Just... Look at them.~

Chase: Um, okay? Wait, is this school stuff? Where did you get these from?

...

...

...

...Oh.

Castelia City, Hill

When Matvey managed to hit Gavroche, Alyesha wanted to cheer, yet, her stomach once more sank rather deeply rather quickly when the Raticate actually managed to stay inside the field, worse so, still ready to continue.

When Gavroche mentioned for of them though, she became a bit suspicious, with Sonya as well peeking out from the clouds, looking down at Matvey and then her trainer, earning her a confused shrug from both of them.

And, though they were opponents right now, even Matvey seemed genuinely concerned for Gavroche, unsure if that hit had been too much for the small Pokémon. Given he even now asked for one more move, Matvey lookeved over to Alyesha in silence, causing her to slightly shake her head - and mentally curse the fact she had not taught him False Swipe.

Given the by now generally mellowed out mood, Mitchell throwing in his gloves was met with mostly relief more so than joy.

With the battle over now though, Alyesha got out her own potions as Sonya now slowly floated back down to the surface.

Sonya: <W-Wow... that... that was hard.>

And so, the small Dreepy floated into the arms of her trainer, closing her eyes as Alyesha applied her own Super Potion to her before she took out two Revives, patting them against Katyusha's and Semyon's Pokéballs.

Alyesha: "You did great, Sonya, you've earned yourself a looong rest. As did you two in there, feel free to nap or come out whenever you want."

With that, she looked over to Mitchell and Gavroche to make sure the latter would be alright

Alyesha: "Do you need some potions or Revives? Least I can do for this awesome match is giving you some."

Afterwards, she gently placed Sonya under a nearby tree so she would be able to rest. With that done, she went over to the field, walking at first, she soon enough broke into a run, glomping Matvey and hugging him tightly.

Alyesha: "And you also did awesome, as usual, Matvey~"

Having said that, she gave the Armaldo a quick peck on his beak.

Desmond smiles as he, Morgan, Atrin, and Mimir set off.

Desmond What do we expect to find along the route, though?

he asks, Morgan snoozing at his side as they walked through the sunny route.

Between Celestic and Veilstone

Atrin looks around a bit.

Atrin: No idea. I doubt things will be too Eventful or crazy.

Mimir looks around as well, seemingly in sync with Atrin. He floats a bit behind his trainer.

Edited by etran12 on May 19th 2023 at 7:16:19 AM

Morgan: Yeah, like that's ever gonna happen.

This is the wonderful world of Pokemon, after all. Anything can happen here.

Morgan snorts, waking up once again to shake off her morning sleepiness.

Desmond pats Morgan's hilt as she comes out, and she floats along beside him, waving at Atrin and Mimir as she does so.

Desmond: That's why we're here too. We'd need a few pairs of hands to go with it. Hopefully chance helps us find a new partner.

Somewhere between Celestic and Veilstone

Atrin: Any specific Pokemon that you especially want to add to your team?

Mimir bows his head to Morgan, still not making much sound.

Atrin: Not gonna lie, feels like I got my hands full with the four I've got right now. I'll likely add more soon enough, but these guys are more than enough for me at the moment.

Edited by etran12 on May 21st 2023 at 7:30:01 AM

Desmond scratches his head, thinking, but Morgan answers for him.

Morgan: <We need team members that'll round out our type coverage. I'm a Steel/Ghost type with Bug, Steel, Ghost, and Fighting Moves, for example.>

She taps the Rotom Phone and it flies out with a grin, showing her a list of types, their weaknesses, resistances, and so on.

Morgan: <I'm weak to Fire, Ground, Ghost, and Dark. So we plan on getting allies that are strong against those, such as Water, Ground, Rock, Grass, Ice, Dark, Fighting, Bug, and Fairy. But since I have Fighting and Bug type moves, we don't have to prioritize it.>

Morgan takes a breath.

Morgan: <That means I, er, we can prioritize Water, Ground, Rock, Grass, Ice, Dark, and Fairy types. I think the Rotom Phone has the feature to look for Pokemon in the area? So we can look there.>

Desmond looks at Morgan with a blank face.

Desmond: Yeah. What she said. The types that round off our team, Water, Ground, Rock, Grass, Ice, Dark, Fairy.

Edited by Jules-Firenze on May 22nd 2023 at 12:17:03 AM

Wherever Tagg is he may at some point see a text from Maggie.

Route 210

Atrin: Makes sense to me. I admit, I could use a good water type at some point.

Atrin pulls out his own phone.

Atrin: Might be some Roselia in the area for that grass one.

Edited by etran12 on May 20th 2023 at 10:16:20 AM

Mitchell gets up, cradling Gavroche carefully in his arms. "Thank you for the offer," he says. "but I've packed enough for all of us." He tilts his head behind him, where Auguste and Christine are busy raiding the satchel for Potions and Revives for their unconscious allies. "In fact," he adds, "I was going to offer to heal your team, but it looks like you've got that covered already." He smiles slightly. "Anyway, congratulations on your win."

Seeing Alyesha gently allow Sonya her rest and openly celebrate with Matvey, Mitchell wonders if he should be more affectionate with any of his team. It's a momentary thought, though, as he realizes that his team, as far as he knows, prefer being more-or-less partners in adventure. His thoughts turn to getting Gavroche examined by a nurse at Castelia's Pokemon Center. The last blow he took probably isn't the end of his Pokemon battling career, but if he keeps seeing double like he did after that blow, it could be a sign of something bad.

"Hope he's not concussed," Mitchell mutters under his breath, right before his shirt lands on his head. "Buh! What! Who did that?"

<I did,> Christine says, taking Gavroche off Mitchell's hands and passing him to Rebecca and Oliver. <Get your shirt on before you catch a cold.>

"Right, thanks," he says, slipping on his shirt and collecting his gloves off the ground. Now that the adrenaline of battle has worn off, he realizes something else. "Ah, great, I'm all wet from that rain."

As his team packs up to move on, Mitchell calls out to Alyesha one last time. "Hey," he says. "maybe we could swap contact numbers, for when we go to Paldea?"

Sinnoh League

With one final attack from ChuChu, Cynthia's Togekiss is thrown to the ground, where it lies unconscious. The referee calls the knockout, and Togekiss's portrait goes dark on the scoreboard.

Cynthia has one pokémon left. Xaster has four. In a normal battle, that would be a good sign. In a battle against Cynthia, whose ace pokémon is notorious, it means almost nothing. Besides that, the rest of his team has all taken damage from previous battles, and ToTo and ChuChu are both burned. It's enough to leave Xaster the furthest possible thing from confident.

"Come out," Cynthia says, throwing her last pokéball into the air. She doesn't even need to say it's name, as everyone fills the end of the sentence in their minds. The ground shakes as Garchomp hits the field, raises its head, and roars.

Xaster finds his hand shaking, and grabs it with his other hand. What is this feeling? he thinks. It's like a fear that I haven't felt before, not even fighting Whitt. But... at the same time I've never felt this alive.

"I won't give up!" he says. ChuChu, use Surf!" ChuChu summons a huge wave of water and flies towards Garchomp, aiming to knock it off balance.

"Dragon Claw," Cynthia says calmly. Garchomp simply raises a single claw, and slashes it at ChuChu as he gets close. The wave disperses as ChuChu is knocked unconscious to the ground. His portrait goes dark.

"Damn it!" Xaster mutters, as he switches ChuChu for ToTo. "Use Ancient Power!" ToTo raises stones from the ground and hurls them at Garchomp. They impact against her chest, not even fazing her.

"Air Slash!" Xaster continues. ToTo, moving faster than before thanks to the boost from Ancient Power, flaps he wings and pelts Garchomp with dozens of blades of air, which at least succeed in making her cover her head.

"Stone Edge!" Cynthia says. Garchomp's eyes flash and she strikes the ground. A pillar of stone rises from the ground and slams into ToTo. She falls slowly to the ground, and doesn't get up. Her picture goes dark as the referee calls the knockout.

"Return," Xaster says. "You did great." He grabs another ball. "ChiChi, let's go!"

Once again, the ringing of bells echoes across the battlefield as ChiChi begins dancing around the field. Xaster waits this time, for Garchomp to make the first move.

He doesn't have to wait for long. "Use Dragon Claw!" Cynthia commands. Garchomp runs forwards, raising her claws.

"Dodge!" Xaster yells. Using the same technique as before, ChiChi manages to dodge out of the way of Garchomp's attack, dancing backwards while ringing her bell happily. "Now, use Shadow Ball!" ChiChi fires a ball of darkness at Garchomp, hitting her on the head. "Then use Future Sight!"

ChiChi's eyes start to glow as she prepares to send an attack into the future. The instant she slows down, Garchomp is on top of her. "Use Crunch!" Cynthia yells. Garchomp bites down hard on ChiChi, and this time she isn't able to dodge. Garchomp grabs onto her ribbon and uses it to swing her around before slamming her into the ground. ChiChi is knocked out.

In less than two minutes, Cynthia has dismantled half of Xaster's team, and he only has one pokémon left.

Castelia City, Hill

Alyesha nodded slightly at the offer

Alyesha: "Yeah, I've learned by now that it never hurts to have enough potions and Revives on hand - and that whaever amount you think you need you should double, just to be safe."

She smiled lightly

Alyesha: "And, no need to congratulate me~ My team did all the hard work, I just supported them with a plan~"

It was about then that M Atvey stood up, a very obvious grin on his face, with him rather unceremoniously scooping his trainer up, holding her bridal style now.

Matvey: <Now, now, don't be too humble here, Aly~ Apart from your plan, your support for me also was rather direct you know~?>

He grinned more, now being the one to give a peck on Alyesha's nose before setting her back down.

Alyesha: "Eheheh, point taken~"

Both their moods sank though at Mitchell's remark about Gavroche might having gotten a concussion from the battle.

Matvey: <I... I do hope as well, I'm sorry if I overdid it>

Alyesha: "Yeah, I-"

At this moment, Christine threw the shirt over Mitchell, causing the two to having to hold back (with varying amounts of success) a slight chuckle, bringing their moods back up.

Alyesha: "Yeah, I got drenched by the storm too, but hey, better here than in the mountains I'd say~ And sure, I'd love to~"

"Right, then," Mitchell says, before writing down something in a notebook that suddenly appears in his hands, tearing out the page he writes on, and handing it to Alyesha. "Here's my number. You can call or text me when you've got some solid idea about how your trip to Paldea will go down." With that, he starts to head back into the city with his Pokemon partners.

By this time, though, the eight of them have already packed everything they and their Trainer collectively brought. They are all saying goodbye to Alyesha and her Pokemon, in whatever ways they could. Yes, even Gavroche, too.

Mitchell sighs, then says "Okay, might as well see them off properly." Turning around, he waves to Alyesha and says "So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, goodbye!" in a distinctively sing-song tone.

Morgan: <So, with that in mind, Rotom, please check for Pokemon reports in the area that match my filters!>

she chirps, and the Rotom buzzes happily, pulling up a list of Pokemon that matched her description on Route 210 and 215.

[[yellow: Rotom:]] The Pokemon that match your search filters are: Bonsly, Geodude, Houndour, Marill, Mime Jr., Poocheyena, Psyduck, and Roselia. Houndour and Poocheyena, however, are quite rare in these areas.

Desmond: Thank you Rotom, you may go on rest mode.

he smiles, and the phone flies back in his pocket.

Desmond: Well, Atrin, I guess you could get a Psyduck for a Water type, and a Roselia sounds cool. Unless you're planning on waiting for more choices.

He checks his phone again for any landmarks or stops.

Desmond: Along the way, we could stop by the Moomoo Cafe. It's said that the milk they serve could heal any sickness, so we should be energized for the road ahead. Perhaps they have rooms for rent or something as well.

Edited by Jules-Firenze on May 22nd 2023 at 12:17:18 AM

Route 210

Atrin: I think I'll wait for more choices. Also, Moomoo cafe? Can't ever go wrong with a place like that.

Atrin goes forward a few steps before turning again.

Atrin: By the way, I don't think I introduced you to the fourth member of my team. Just be warned, he's a bit...hyper."

Atrin pulls out a Pokeball and sends out a Vikavolt. The second that Vikavolt is out of it's ball, it is zipping around in circles around Atrin.

Atrin: Ha! You okay, Hekili? Need to flap your wings a bit?"

Hekili keeps flying around before finally noticing Desmond. He proceeds to fly around in circles around him playfully.

Route 210

Desmond is startled enough by the Vikavolt's speed and energy that he falls backwards, yelping in surprise, before starting to laugh as Hekili does his best impression of Circling Birdies. Morgan whistles (which to most just sounds like a quiet Metal Sound) at the speed of Hekili.

Desmond: Ah... you're pretty hyper, huh?

he chuckles, and Morgan strokes her chin(?) with her appendage.

Morgan: <Must be a hit-and-runner. We'd need that type of speed on our team, too.>

she mutters to herself, before smiling instead at Desmond and Hekili.

Edited by Jules-Firenze on May 22nd 2023 at 9:27:07 PM

Route 210

Atrin laughs a bit.

Atrin: Yeah, Hekili's a character. But trust me, he's friendly.

Hekili gets closer to Morgan, and gives a happy face to her.

Desmond: Nah, I have no problem with Hekili. He's pretty endearing.

As he says so, he seems to flinch slightly when Hekili brushes against him. When the Vikavolt flies to Morgan, the living sword laughs, and begins to lead him around in a game of chase, as a way of testing her speed. She usually loses within a few seconds, which somewhat annoys her.

Morgan: <Damn, I really am slow.>

she grumbles, but is won over by Hekili's energy, and soon begins laughing alongside him.

Sinnoh League

One pokémon left, to defeat Cynthia's Garchomp. Xaster looks down at the ball in his hand, squeezing it so tightly that a small voice in his mind worries that it could break.

"Before we continue, can I make a request?" he asks.

Cynthia frowns. "What?"

Xaster holds up five pokéballs. "I'd like all of my team to be able to watch this final part of the battle." Cynthia nods, and so he turns and releases his exhausted team. They're all looking worse for wear as they stand behind him, but they'll be fine. He takes a moment to kneel in front of them and pet them, before standing up and turning to face Cynthia.

Whatever happens he thinks. Whatever happens, I got this far.

"RiRi!" he shouts. "It's your turn!"

In a shower of spray, RiRi returns to the field once more. He looks so small against the towering Garchomp, but both he and Xaster are, for once, completely resolute.

Cynthia closes her eyes for a moment and smiles. It's not just that he's grown strong over the course of his journey she thinks. It's that he's gotten so much stronger in just this battle alone. Her eyes snap open. "Come at me!" she yells.

Xaster does as she says. "Use Aqua Tail!" RiRi's tail becomes the centre of a swirling hydraulic vortex as he rushes at Garchomp.

"Use Brick Break and knock it away!" Cynthia yells. Garchomp skilfully blocks RiRi's attack, and pushes him backwards into the air. "Now use Stone Edge!" Garchomp strikes the ground and pointed rounds burst from the stadium floor, tearing through the air towards RiRi.

"Use Bounce!" Xaster shouts. RiRi uses his tail to bounce safely off the rocks, launching him further into the air until he makes contact with the ceiling. "Now, use Ice Punch!"

RiRi uses the ceiling as springboard and jumps down towards Garchomp. Ice forms on his hand and he brings it back, ready to bring a giant blow to to Garchomp.

"Block it!" Garchomp raises her arms against the attack. The force of the blow is great, forcing her to one knee and creating a giant ice structure where the attack landed, but she keeps the majority of the attack from her head and body.

"Crunch!" RiRi tries to get out of the way, but Garchomp's jaws close on the thin part of his tail and won't let go. He struggles wildly, but the grip is too strong.

"Now use Brick Break!" Cynthia continues. Garchomp strikes at RiRi with the fins on her arms, causing RiRi to cry out in pain. Then she slams him into the ground and drags him through the dirt.

"Aqua Tail!" Water appears around RiRi's tail in a sudden burst like a crashing wave, forcing Garchomp to let go and making her stumble back a few steps. "Now, keep up the pressure and use Play Rough!" RiRi offers his opponent no time to recover and gets in close, hitting her with a barrage of powerful punches, kicks, and tail swipes. Garchomp is driven further back as she is given no time to get her balance.

"Quickly, use Stone Edge!" Cynthia barks. Garchomp manages to strike the ground with one foot, and a stone pillar slams into RiRi from below. He goes flying, but rolls in the air and makes and easy landing, before rushing back in.

"Use Aqua Tail!" Xaster says, aiming to use the move to force Garchomp back even further as RiRi summons a huge wave of water.

"Hold on with Dragon Claw!" Cynthia says. Her Garchomp hears the command and slams her claws into the ground just in time for the attack to make contact. It does damage, but also washes over her without forcing her to move. "Next use Brick Break!" Garchomp brings her claws up, breaking the stone ground apart as she does so. Dozens of stones fly at RiRi, forcing him to cover his face in order to weather this attack.

For a moment, both pokémon breathe heavily. Their stamina has been greatly depleted, and both trainers recognise it.

"One last time!" Xaster says. "And make it count! Use Aqua Tail!" RiRi braces himself and begins to charge Aqua Tail, pouring more and more water into the attack until it appears that he's the front of some kind of hurricane.

"Garchomp!" Cynthia says. "Use Giga Impact!" Garchomp places her head low to the ground and spreads her arms. The form presses all of her energy into a point just in front of her head, which as she moves seems to send said energy washing over her like a the armour of a tank.

"Go!" Xaster screams. RiRi matches his scream and charges, the focal point of a storm. Though the two pokémon reach each other in only a moment, it seems as though they charge at one another for hours. The clash, when it comes, sends shockwaves through the entire stadium. Everyone watching covers their faces against the strong winds, all except for five pokémon who, despite being exhausted, are determined to see this through to the end.

Eventually, the steam and dust from the clash clears. Garchomp and RiRi stand facing one another, both unmoving. Silence. Nothing.

Then Garchomp lowers her head in what looks like a respectful nod, before falling forwards, hitting the ground with a heavy thud. Even as she hits the ground, RiRi begins to fall backwards as though he was just barely holding on, but is caught by Xaster.

The referee raises his flag. "Garchomp is unable to battle! Therefore, the winner is Xaster De Mille, the challenger!"

Xaster hears the words, but doesn't really know how to process them. It's only now, as the adrenaline wears off, that he realises how tired the fight has made him. Did I... really win? he thinks.

Before he can ponder the question, he feels a pair of arms wrap around him and a familiar voice shout "You won you won you won!"

And there is Hoops in front of him, wonderful horrifying Hoops. "Hey," he says, sounding drunk on exhaustion. "When did you get here?"

Hoops looks confused. "I was here the whole time! I was cheering louder than anyone the whole time."

"They're right," Cynthia confirms.

Xaster smiles sheepishly. "I guess I was so focused that I didn't even notice you."

Hoops smiles. "You're such an idiot." They kiss him. "I love you."

"Love you too," Xaster says. Then, in the frame of mind that can only come when one is incredibly happy and incredibly tired, asks "Marry me?"

And everything goes silent.

???

So ever since then, this is where you've been?

Well, I'm glad to hear that. I'd hate to think all of you was wherever we are.

Just because I've brought people back from the edge of death, and technically died myself, doesn't mean I'm an expert on what comes after.

Well, I don't know what I'm going to do about it. I just know that I have to leave soon. Will you help me?

Thank you.

Route 210

Atrin smiles for a moment, then his smile turns to a curious look as he watches the road, and everything around him.

Atrin: So easy to focus here. I love my home city of Nimbasa, make no mistake. It was home to me. But it seemed like every time I went outside, there was just so much...noise. I could handle it for the most part, but there were times when it got too much. Maybe that's part of why I went on this journey?

Mimir looks up at Atrin, giving him a caring look.

Atrin: Mimir understands me. He likes to think too. Maybe that's why Mr. Holloway gave him to me.

Atrin shakes his head.

Atrin: Sorry if I'm oversharing. Just thought I'd get that off my chest, y'know?

Hekili flies back to Atrin, landing on his head.