AnAwesomeName: Welcome back! Thanks to everyone who's been reading so far; your support is truly appreciated.
Leaf: I still have my secret Pokemon that are ready to battle against you, Sun! I highly doubt you'll win this time.
Sun: *rolls eyes again*
AnAwesomeName: Ok, time to serve as fight monitor again. See y'all at the end! :)
I looked at Lana as she turned pink and put her hand behind her head before chuckling nervously.
"I swear, I forgot that this was a trial site. But I am having problems with my pond...I wasn't trying to trick you into anything-"
I put my hand up before she continued. "Don't worry about it, I was looking for you anyway. Plus, the sooner I help, the sooner I can beat your trial. Now, what's the-"
"OUTTA MY WAY, 'SCUSE ME, COMING THROUGH!"
I instinctively moved two steps to the right and pulled Lana with me as Barry tried to screech to a halt, but instead landed in the lake. I offered my hand.
"Barry, you've gotta chill. This trial isn't going anywhere."
"Wrong!" Barry took my hand and got out of the lake and, I kid you not, shook himself dry. "You're going somewhere if you win! Before me, that is. And that's towards the next trial."
"I take it you're a challenger, too?" Lana asked. Barry nodded.
"That's right. You know, you really need to put trial posts at the top of the hill; it's kind of confusing to those who legitimately came by to catch Pokemon."
Lana again blushed in shame.
"I don't mean to be disrespectful, but how old are you?" Barry asked.
"I turned sixteen in January."
"That's how old I am. Leaf, too!" I said. Lana turned pale at the mention of Leaf.
"Is this Leaf a trial-goer?"
"Yes...why?" Barry asked.
"I need to find a Grass-type counter. But, anyway, if Ilima gave you a Ride Pager, let me see it." Barry and I both gave her our Ride Pagers that currently had only Tauros on it. Twelve seconds later she handed them back.
"I put a Lapras caller on that. Click the button to call her when you need to cross over a body of water."
I clicked the button, and out of nowhere, a Lapras was staring me in the face with a welcoming smile. I climbed onto her back and listened for anything else I need to know.
"Look for ripples in the water. The Pokemon that cause it is usually the source of my problems." Lana waved and Barry gave me a thumbs up.
With that, I released Stufful to sit in my lap and Peeko to scope out the area for ripples in the water. We sailed around the lake looking for ripples until Stufful's cute cry alerted me to look in the distance, and there was a ripple. However, the second I saw it, it dissolved quickly and a new ripple formed on a lower level of the lake.
"The ripple moved to a different part of the lake!" I called. I returned to shore and ran to the lower part of the lake to catch up to the ripple. Again, it went to a lower part of the lake. Again, I returned to the shore and went to the lowest part of the lake, and this time, when I approached the ripple, it got larger and larger.
"Uh...Lana...? You might wanna see this!"
Lana and Barry raced down and saw the ripple that was now the size of Lapras' stomach. Both of their eyes widened. Mine widened when I saw what came out. Lapras was face to face with a Totem Wishiwashi. In its school form. Now, you may not know this, but Wishiwashi's default ability is called Schooling. When its HP is greater than half, multiple Wishiwashi joins it to create a super-mega Wishiwashi that even strike fear into the hearts of Gyarados. And to make things worse, these things are tanks.
"All right. Peeko, use Bullet Seed!" Yes, Peeko knew that. In addition, since Skill Link was its ability, it hit all five times, taking out about a quarter of Wishiwashi's health. However, when it landed an Ice Beam, almost taking out Peeko, I turned pale.
"Peeko, way to hang in there! Fly up and use Bullet Seed!"
The Bullet Seeds once again landed, and that brought Wishiwashi down to half. We just needed one more successful hit to deactivate schooling. Wishiwashi roared and jumped, yes, you heard me right, JUMPED out of the water and trapped Peeko in those fishy jaws.
"PEEKO! GET OUT OF THERE!"
They landed back in the water, and disappeared under it.
"PEEKO, STAY WITH ME! USE PECK!"
Nothing.
"PEEKO!"
I didn't want my challenge to end this early. However, what happened next blew my mind. Peeko flew out of the water, but this time as a Trumbeak! A tear appeared in my face as Trumbeak flew in front of my face. I looked in the water, and Wishiwashi didn't come out. We won!
"Peeko, I'm so proud of you!" I gave it three Flying-type PokePuffs made from a Unova Pokemon Connisseur and dried it off. He took the finest of Ws today.
Back on shore, Lana handed me the Waterium Z.
"That was a fantastic performance by your Trumbeak. You deserve this Z-Crystal."
"Thank you!"
Barry stamped his feet in anger. "NO NO NO NO NOOO! I wanted to be the first to win!"
A triumphant smile appeared on my face.
"No matter. Let's have a 1-on-1 battle anyway! GO, TORRACAT!"
"Fine. GO, STUFFUL!"
Stufful smiled cutely at the Torracat, turning its look of determination into a look of confusion.
"FLAMETHROWER, TORRACAT!"
My eyes widened; Stufful's ability was Fluffy, which meant it would take massive damage from any and all Fire-type moves.
"Let's finish this in one go! Stufful, use Earthquake!"
Stufful flailed its little arms and slammed them on the ground to produce an Earthquake, that one-shotted the Torracat. The reason? Crit-power. Barry was in utter shock; he didn't move.
"Wh-what just happened?"
"I'll tell you what just happened, this little guy used its Brave nature to get a crit Earthquake!" I gave it a hug, to which he squealed in joy.
"I think I know what I'll name you: Tadeki," I said while Stufful now had a look of confusion on his face, "You'll get used to it, don't worry."
"No offense, but I don't think you should use that Stufful on your next trial; the next one's a Fire-trial at the top of Wela Volcano Park. If you want, you can spend a little more time here and catch a Water-type Pokemon."
"No thanks. I don't wanna interrupt Barry's trial."
"Gee, thanks, Sun! Although be warned. If I beat you, you'll owe me a fine of a million PokeDollars, so be on the top of your game!"
"You know what, Lana? I think I'll take you up on that offer of letting me catch a Water Pokemon."
(These parts will be told in a third-person point of view)
Back at the Pokemon Center, Sun was eating dinner inside the Pokemon Center with Ace, Tadeki, Winter, and Peeko.
"Great job today, Peeko. I honestly wish I could've seen it live," Ace said. Peeko smiled with pride.
"Wishiwashi's school form was no joke, to be honest. Also, it's better that you didn't see. Water was flying everywhere." Peeko nonchalantly responded.
Tadeki yawned, to which Sun returned it. Winter shyly went up to Ace.
"Winter, what's on your mind?" Ace asked.
"What level are you, Ace?" the Vulpix asked. Ace thought back to the last time Sun scanned him.
"I think I'm about level 30. You should be level 26 while Tadeki is level 23 and Peeko is level 25. Our new friend is level 29."
"Oh...then why haven't you evolved yet?"
Ace winked at her. "I'm waiting for the right time."
She looked at him with soft sky-blue eyes. Ace could tell she was worried about something.
"Tell you what, when you evolve, I'll evolve."
Her eyes widened. "Ace, no! Don't let yourself getting stronger depend on me!"
Ace still wore a smile. "I insist. Since you use a stone to evolve, when you evolve depends on when we find an Ice Stone and when you choose to use it."
Winter blushed. "That's really sweet of you, Ace. Thank you."
"All right, guys, bedtime! Tomorrow, we head to Wela Volcano park!"
At that, Peeko, Ace, and Winter were returned to their PokeBalls.
AnAwesomeName: That's a wrap for chapter 4, folks!
Sun: Don't call us folks. This isn't the 1980s.
Leaf: How are you on trial three already?!
Sun: Maybe you just need to get good.
AnAwesomeName: OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH! Anyway, I'll see you all next time! :)