Alice didn't expect to find Victoria here, much less fight her on the same spot. Regardless, to move forward, she must win.

Both Pokeball flew from each trainer's hand and popped open, releasing both Pokemon from the confines of their home. Frogadier appeared once more, arms folded and ready to serve her trainer. Meanwhile, Victoria's Pokemon finally revealed itself to be a Ralts.

Victoria first choice was not what Alice had expected, but nonetheless, none of them had the advantage. It will be a matter of who is more skilled and creative now.

The battle is on once more.

Alice decided to press on while she can. "Frogadier! Approach the Ralts! Zig zag pattern!"

Frogadier immediately leaped into action, bounding across the battlefield with blinding speeds befitting its nature as a ninja. And as her trainer commanded, she made sure to randomize her pattern as to not let her enemy get a beat on her.

Victoria, however, was one step ahead this time. "Ralts, stop it! Disarming Voice!"

Again, Alice's eyes almost bugged out. Quickly, she issued a counter. "Round! Quickly!"

Stopping short before the Ralts, Frogadier tried it best to conjure an ear-shattering song. However, the Ralts were faster, sending sound waves faster than Frogadier could react. It struck and sent Frogadier screaming as she tumbled away.

"Good! Now, Lucky Chant!" Victoria commanded.

The Ralts assault ended as quickly as it came as it began chanting to itself. For a moment, it glowed blue and there was nothing. Critical hits will no longer be feasible to it.

Alice couldn't help, but glare at the Ralts. Of course, it has a undodgeable move. Those moves are basically Frogadier's worst enemy, as she rely on speed, agility and evasion to baffle her enemies.

She has to get creative fast or else she might lose this one. "Again, Frogadier! Approach the Ralts with Quick Attack!"

This time, faster than last time, Frogadier blurred out of view. This leaves Ralts momentarily confused before she saw said blur coming straight at her.

"That won't work again, Alice!" Victoria chided, before issuing another command. "Disarming Voice!"

Again, Ralts prepared to assault the Frogadier with Disarming Voice, ready to blast her away once more.

"Smokescreen!"

The blur stopped quickly in front of the Ralts and blew a smoke straight at it's face. This had the unfortunate effect of sending it into a coughing fit, rendering Disarming Voice useless at the moment.

Pressing on her advantage, Alice ordered. "Now Lick!"

Frogadier licked her tongue, letting it hang askew from her mouth before moving into to give her opponent a literal lick.

"Double Team!" Victoria ordered.

The Ralts still had enough of a sense to quickly obey it's trainer and executed the move. The Frogadier was seconds only late as her tongue hit nothing, but empty air. Correction, rather, what she licked was a copy of the original Ralts.

Looking around, she is now surrounded by doubles of the Ralts. She kept looking around, and still she couldn't discern which one was real and which one was fake.

"Immobilize him with Confusion!" Victoria ordered suddenly.

All the copies promptly glowed blue and brought their arms forward.

Frogadier wanted to jump away from the circle of copies surrounding her, if only just to escape the Confusion at least.

However, as she jumped, she found that she was halted in mid-air. And she promptly lost all feelings in her limb. She grunted, trying to move any of her limbs in vain.

"Frogadier!" Alice exclaimed in worry.

"Alright, that's good, Ralts!" Victoria praised. "Don't let her escape now!"

Frogadier tried her best to break free from the Psychic hold, she just have to muster the willpower to do so. But over time, she felt the Psychic grip on her is getting stronger and stronger. If she didn't do something, she'll get knocked out.

She looked at her trainer for directions.

Alice saw the look, and quickly she tried to formulate a plan to escape this situation. Then one came to her quickly enough. "Frogadier, move your head and aim your Smokescreen downward."

Victoria was just confused. What is Alice up to?

Frogadier can't move her limbs, but she can still at least move her head. Pointing her head downward, she blew one massive smoke after the other toward the ground. As the smoke had nowhere else to go after that, it quickly spread to it's surroundings, quickly covering the battlefield and essentially, every single copy of the Ralts.

Alice covered her face with her arm, this was perhaps the only way for Frogadier to be released from the Psychic-type chokehold. Then she heard that within the smoke, someone is coughing. The real one must have did it. Now she can only hope the Psychic grip is released upon Frogadier.

This was the time to make her move. "Frogadier! Listen closely! Jump up and use Round below you!"

She didn't know whether or not Frogadier have heard her, but she can only hope for the best. Then something burst upward from the plume of smoke and sailed on skyward.

To Alice's surprise, it's her Frogadier. She smiled, knowing Frogadier must've heard her after all.

Frogadier sailed skyward, arms hanging limply on her side. As soon as she reached the apex of her jump, parallel to the rooftop of the apartment building surrounding her, she angled her body downward. And she yelled as loud as she could into the plume of smoke below her.

The plume of smoke was blown across every direction by the shock wave emitted, followed by a yelp of pain from a certain Ralts. Frogadier's trained eyes allowed it to spot a single Ralts once all the smoke was cleared out, with no copies in sight.

Alice smiled. In the end, Double Team is a move that produces copies, fakes, illusions, whatever one may call it. There's only one of them that's real among all the copies.

It's time to press her advantage. "Lick, now!"

"Ralts! Look out!" Victoria shouted, desperate for Ralts to get away.

However, the disorientation from having her eardrums assaulted like this was still present, Ralts could only wobble about uncoordinated. Meanwhile, Frogadier descended upon her like a falling star, lips parted to reveal her insanely long tongue once more.

Frogadier could only smile, this was her chance to land a perfect super effective hit, while she can. Angling herself upside down, she aimed to a specific spot as she fellt before she brought her arms downward.

She landed in a perfect handstand right in front of the disoriented Ralts. With her tongue hanging out of her mouth at the moment, gravity did the rest of her job.

Now Ralts got Licked for real. Vertically across her face and onto her mid-section. It sent a creeping shudder all the way from the base of it's tailbone to her head...before she collapsed backward in a crumpled heap. That was so disgusting!

"Ralts!" Victoria shouted, even as her Ralts was helplessly creeped out by the literal lick. "C'mon, snap out of it!"

Ralts couldn't snap out of it, even if it tried. The shudders run through it's body as the disgusting lick played again and again in it's mind.

That was Alice's chance. "Frogadier! Water Pulse!"

Frogadier's arm bent, before the uncoiled like a spring, sending her shooting backward toward safety. Before safety can be reached, Frogadier blew a mid-air Water Pulse towards Ralts direction. Intending to finish her off right there.

The threat of an impending attack was enough to make Ralts snap out of it.

"C'mon Ralts, snap out of it! Double Team, again!"

In a display of dexterity, Ralts kicked up again and onto her feet, just enough for her to see the Water Pulse inches away from hitting her. Then without warning, she once again executed Double Team.

The Water Pulse hit nothing, but a copy, which promptly disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Again, Frogadier found herself in the exact same spot she was five minutes ago, surrounded by copies.

Alice would have none of that now, neither would Frogadier. "Frogadier! Jump to the side now and out of the circle!'

Frogaider remained glued in place, even as the many Disarming Voice closed in on it. Then as they are a split second away from striking her, she jumped aside, flipping head over heels as she sailed up and over the deadly circle of Ralts.

All the Disarming voice converged into one and following closely behind.

As Frogadier sailed across the air, she righted herself before she struck the ground and landing gracefully. Then she heard another command.

"Quick Attack!"

Then she became a blur, disappearing, the Disarming Voice following wherever where Frogadier might have gone to.

"Now Round!"

Then Frogadier reappered, right beneath Victoria's feet, much to her great shock. She took aim and fired another soundwave of sound from her mouth. The soundwave appeared and gradually grew large enough to encompass the gathering of Ralts.

Again, the real one's eardrums are assaulted by the incessant noise. The other that are copies simply puffed out of existence.

Minding the fact

Victoria gritted her teeth. The Frogadier is too fast for Ralts, she knew she have to immobilize it immediately. "Ralts! Quickly, Confusion!"

Shaking it's head from the disorientation, it mustered enough concentration to execute Confusion as it glowed.

"Quick Attack! Run around it!"

Then Frogadier disappeared in a blur, this baffled Ralts, causing it's Confusion to grip nothing but empty air. It promptly heard whoozing from all around it. It could see once a while a blur that came across the corner of it's eyes.

Victoria could only frown. "Alright Ralts, use the Disarming Voice to try and track the Frogadier!"

Ralts actually realized the Disarming Voice was still following the Frogadier around, despite numerous attempts to hit her had failed due to her Quick Attack at the moment. The Disarming Voice tracking ability is a bit difficult, but at least it could see where it would bend around and turn to try and track down the Frogadier. She can't run around forever and the moment she stops, Confusion will be her end.

Alice...could only nod in approval. That was a smart move, using Disarming Voice to track the blur that is Alice's Frogadier.

Brilliant move, but not good enough either.

"Frogadier, get behind Ralts and seize it!" Alice commanded suddenly.

"What?" Victoria exclaimed in surprise.

As ordered, Frogadier appeared behind the Ralts and seized her easily enough now that she had blindsided it, grabbing it's arms in a submission hold.

Victoria was in panic. What's Alice trying to do? "Ralts, break free with Confusion!"

Ralts intended to do just that, concentrating to summon it's Psychic powers and throw the Frogadier off it.

"Pound!"

Only for Frogadier to struck her noggin, causing her to yelp in pain as the strike disrupted her concentration. Again, she tried, but Frogadier was vigilant and struck out again.

During the time, this all had happened, the Disarming Voice had tracked it's target once more and are closing in upon the Frogadier's direction...which happened to have Ralts currently in the way.

"Now, Frogadier! Throw her to it!"

Victoria widened her eyes! "Ralts, try to break free!"

It tried it's best to do that, but everytime it tried to do any moves, Frogadier would prevent that from happening with a well-placed Pound. It's stuck and it knew that.

Then it was flung forward, straight into the path of the incoming Disarming Voice. In that moment, it had known the taste of being struck by one's own attack. Despite the ineffectiveness of the attack, all the abuse from Frogadier it had suffered previously had weakened it to the point it had stumbled from such an attack before collapsing backward

"Ralts!" Victoria yelled out in worry.

Frogadier walked forward, arms held up and ready to be brought down upon the Ralts once more should it try to get up even after all that.

It didn't get up anymore.

Frogadier can only sigh in relief, lowering her arms. For a Ralts, it sure is hard to take out.

That was a hard fought battle for Frogadier, she won, but it wasn't easy in anyway. Alice had to admit, Victoria is no slouch in battling.

But still, she will win this. No, she had to win this one. As much as she hated being here more than she wanted to, leaving Florinia hanging would be even worse than that.

Returning Ralts into it's Pokeball, Victoria stared at Alice with a frown. "I admit, you're good, Alice."

Alice just raised an eyebrow. Perhaps Victoria had seen enough to deem her 'worthy' to pass through the slums now? Alice can only hope so.

"But you still," Then Victoria pulled out another Pokeball with her left hand. "Haven't won yet!"

She can only sigh, her hopes are dashed. So much for her plan on ending the battle right now. It looks like they're seeing this thing through to the end.

"Alright," Pulling her arm back, Victoria threw her second ball. "Makuhita, yours now!"

A Makuhita revealed itself, bashing it's gloved hand together, spoiling for a fight.

Alice raised an eyebrow. Not just Ralts, but Makuhita as well. It seems Victoria had been doing her homework. But again, so did Alice. The question now is, should she switch or let Frogadier try and bring it down?

She's already weakened from battling the feisty Ralts. For all she knew, she could go down with one hit right then and there. But she could try having Frogadier weaken the enemy before she goes down.

Her decision made, Alice stared at Victoria once more. "Let's do this..."

Alice had missed Victoria's smirk.

Again, Alice decided to open matters once more. "Frogadier, you know what to do! Approach and Water Pulse!"

Once more, with blinding speed, Frogadier showed her speed. Even without Quick Attack to help her, she can still run fast enough to blindside a Salamence if necessary. She knew enough to not take an opponent's Pokemon in a frontal attack in the state she was in now.

"Alright, Makuhita! Fake Out!"

The Makuhita blurred forward, with speed shouldn't have been possible for it's species. That was enough to surprise Frogadier, but that didn't prepare her for what happened next.

Makuhita claps it's large, gloved hands together right in front of Frogadier. This in turn unleashes a large shockwave.

All was silent, before Frogadier stumbled backward and wobbled in place. Her webbed hand brought to her head, trying to reorient herself back into the battle at hand.

"Frogadier!" Alice shouted in worry. But it was no use, her Frogadier still remained very well disoriented.

That was enough for Victoria to make her move. "This is it! Makuhita, Arm Thrust her!"

Makuhita stepped forward, both arms held back before she thrust them both forward into the Frogadier's chest. The blow was not powerful enough to send Frogadier flying back, but Makuhita doesn't need it to be that.

Frogadier can only yelp and scream, every time the palm connected with her being. She is trapped like this. She knew she has to get away from this Makuhita.

"Frogadier! Quick Attack, get out of there!" Alice ordered desperately.

But every time she tried to make a move, the Makuhita simply thrust out again, cancelling her attempt at retaliation, or trying to get away.

Just as the strikes slowed down, the Frogadier was brought onto her knees, gasping as she tried to drew in some air. Makuhita was not done yet, it moved in again and brought forth one last palm strike onto Frogadier's chest.

This time, she was sent sailing backward, landing short before Alice's own feet.

"Frogadier!"

Frogadier groaned, struggling to get up and fight...only to collapse once more.

She is down for the count.

Alice bit her lip, she knew she should have switched Frogadier out while she had a chance, but she kept her on the battlefield anyway. Alice should have expected that, Makuhita and Hariyama tend to open up the battle with Fake Out, before following it up with further punishment.

It's a minor mistake, one she wouldn't make again in the future.

Wordlessly, Alice returned Frogadier into her Pokeball before switching hers with another one. "This isn't over yet..." Pulling her arm back, she threw the Pokeball. "Pidgeotto, it's time!"

Out of the Pokeball, came her bird of prey once more, cawing as he is let out. He stared at his opponent, hovering in place, but ready to bring his wrath down once more.

Victoria knew enough about Flying-types to recognize when she was in trouble. "You have a Flying-type?"

"I do." Alice answered simply before declaring loudly. "Gust, Pidgeotto!"

Without warning, the hovering Pidgeotto flapped his wings forward just once, a violent wind current emerged from both wings to assault the Makuhita.

Despite it's apparent fat which should have glued it into place, it was blown backward just a bit. Whether or not it has a dense fat, that matters little in the face of a super effective hit.

Makuhita grunted as he tried to maintain balance in the violent gust. Fortunately enough, it didn't last long for it to actually be blown off it's feet.

Alice knew how slow Makuhita can be. As long as Pidgeotto remain on the move, Makuhita doesn't stand a chance.

It's time to knock out the Makuhita. "Pidgeotto! Quick Attack for movement! Now!"

Nodding, Pidgeotto became a blur again which Makuhita have troubles tracking. The blur sped around the battlefield at breakneck speed, circling around the baffled Makuhita.

"Gust again!" Alice commanded.

What comes next, Gust came from somewhere behind Makuhita, causing it to stumble forward. It glanced backward hurriedly, only to find that nobody's there anymore.

Makuhita and Hariyama have excellent vitality, but it matters little against agile Flying-types.

"Gust! Until it's knocked out!"

This time, it Pidgeotto cancelled his Quick Attack and reappeared, hovering a few distances away in front of the Makuhita.

Victoria tried to retaliate. "Makuhita! Quickly, Force Palm, before it gets away!"

Makuhita promptly stomped forward, one arm held back and ready to thrust it into the annoying bird of prey.

Pidgeotto would have none of that. He simply flapped his wings repeatedly as hard as he could.

This in turn, produces another one of his signature Gust twister. Makuhita stopped short before the twister, trying to fight back the stronger wind current.

As proven right now, the Makuhita covered its face with it's arms, trying to brave through the Gust Pidgeotto had conjured.

"This isn't your fight, Makuhita!" Victoria suddenly decided.

Alice, in turn, looked at the opposing girl as she pulled out a Pokeball and returned the Guts Pokemon into its domain.

Alice could only look at Victoria in minor annoyance. This changes thing, but not much, provided if the next one Victoria sent out was exactly what she had expected that is.

Meanwhile, Pidgeotto ceased the Gust twister he had created. He couldn't help, but caw in frustration. He was so close on knocking the Makuhita out and it was pulled away at the last second.

"I'm counting on you! Pignite," Victoria exclaimed as she threw it. "Yours now!"

Out came what should have been her Tepig, but now, an evolved Pokemon, Pignite. It snorted flame from it's nostrils before crossing it's arm, ready to fight.

"So it evolved." Alice couldn't help, but say.

"That's right, Alice." Victoria said, pride in her voice. "Don't think you'll have an easy time with my Pignite!"

Alice didn't think like that nor was she planning to anytime soon. Underestimating any opponent would be the end of someone. Foes should be taken seriously, no matter how seemingly weak they are.

That's what Alice is planning to do. She will have no mercy to Pignite.

Once more, Alice went back toward the battle, ready to end this. "Pidgeotto! You know what to do with Gust!"

Pidgeotto knew alright, and he does planned it to be that way.

He opened up with their battle with another Gust. This causes the Pignite to cover it's face with his arms.

"Pignite, Flame Charge!" Victoria countered.

Pignite fought back against wall of wind current as it set itself ablaze, surrounding itself in a wall of flame and providing minor protection as it does so. Then it charged toward Pidgeotto with speed unseen around Pignites.

"Pidgeotto, dodge with Quick Attack!"

However, Pidgeotto is faster on matters like this, and he simply hovered aside and away even as Pignite sailed pass it in a blaze.

Alice can guess Flame Charge was why Victoria switched to Pignite. Still Alice nodded, it was better than nothing.

Victoria was not one to go down without a fight, decided to act out again. "Pignite! Tail Whip!"

Alice narrowed her eyes, so Pignite still has that one.

As soon as the flame-covered Pignite landed and the blaze had ended to reveal itself again, it promptly wagged its tail cutely toward Pidgeotto.

The after-effect was like any other Tail Whip, Pidgeotto seemed uncertain, hesitant on what to do next.

"Pidgeotto, pull yourself together!" She shouted in vain, as Pidgeotto still remain hesitant as to whether or not harm such a cute being.

"Pignite! Flame Charge again! While he's distracted!" Victoria instructed.

Turning around, Pignite set itself ablaze once more and sailed across the air in a direct collision course on the Pidgeotto.

Pidgeotto squawked in pain as he is carried along in the Pignite's charge. Even the breathe it had gathered was forced out of it's lung with an 'oof' as Pignite used him as a cushion.

"Pignite, keep him down! And keep the Flame Charge on!"

Before Pidgeotto could think of breaking free, Pignite's arms were brought down on both of Pidgeotto's wings, charring them as well. Pidgeotto was soon held down even as the flame-covered Pignite loomed over it.

Again that trick is used. Alice really needed to find a way to implement that later. Provided she has the compatible Pokemon.

Pidgeotto's scream of pain brought her back to the real world. She can only wince as the crackle of flames burning flesh was heard over the cries of pain as well.

Alice knew she had to do something and fast, unless she wants Pidgeotto to be a fried chicken when this is all over.

But switching to Liepard might not necessarily better. She could get slaughtered out there by Makuhita and Pignite. She bit her lip, thinking hard on what to do.

Then she noticed something off. While holding Pidgeotto down, Pignite is bent down low, leaning over it, almost sneering as the Pidgeotto continued to burn under it's blze.

Her eyes widened as she got an idea, it would require Pidgeotto to be in even more pain thought. He will have to bear with it. She decided it would be the best way as there is no other way.

"Pidgeotto!" She called out.

Even amidst all the pain he had currently experienced, Pidgeotto can still hear the voice of his trainer clearly.

"Bite his nose!" Alice said suddenly.

Victoria could only jaw drop at the command.

Nonetheless, Pidgeotto knew he didn't have any better ideas. Committing himself to it, he opened his beak wide and clamped it shut on something soft.

A loud scream of pain occurred after that.

Pignite clutched at it's very painful nose right at this moment, this in turn causes it's blaze to cancel itself out and no longer he is holding Pidgeotto down.

That was the opening Pidgeotto needed. "Now, Twister!"

Now with his wings free, he can now unleash Twister with ease. The resulting Dragon-type twister that had happened blew Pignite up and away into the air.

Not one to miss an opportunity, Alice continued with another command. "Gust!"

Pidgeotto got up with a pained expression, nonetheless, he obeyed and unleashed a Gust upward. Even after Twister, the Gust that is executed moments later sent Pignite even farther up into the air. Being a super effective attack helps ignore it's weight a little.

Now Alice just stared upward...and waited. Pidgeotto wisely moved away from the area.

Only a few seconds later a massive crash landing occurred that had kicked up dust cloud in it's vicinity.

"...Uh, Pignite?" Victoria called out into the dust cloud, hoping that her Pignite is alright after that tremendous fall.

Victoria found her hope is dashed as the dust cloud parted to reveal that Pignite is face down on the ground, unmoving.

Victoria can next only gape at the incredulity of the situation that had just happened. Thought, she knew for a fact that said incredulity had just knocked out her Pignite.

So she frowned. "Pignite, return!" Returning the knocked out Pignite into it's Pokeball, she pocketed it before pulling out her last Pokeball. "Makuhita, yours now!" She exclaimed as she threw the last ball

Once more, the Makuhita revealed itself from it's Pokeball, bashing it's fist together and ready for a fight.

Alice decided to end this quickly."Pidgeotto, Quick Attack for movement! Circle him!"

Nodding, Pidgeotto took to the air once more and became a blur once more. Slower than Frogadier before him, the blur is more apparent, but still hard enough to be tracked properly by Makuhita as it looked this way and there in hopes of tracking him.

Then Victoria yelled out a command. "Makuhita, Sand Attack!"

Makuhita didn't know how it would do that accurately with Pidgeotto moving around like crazy. But it decided to obey, ready to kick up some sand.

Then it's trainer added another command. "Force Palm the ground to do it!"

Alice didn't know what that would do, but she remained on guard anyway.

Makuhita obeyed his trainer's command, pulling its arm back as far as it could then slammed it down into the ground as hard as it could. This had caused a minor tremor as well as cracking the road.

The unexpected side effect of such move was that, massive dust cloud quickly spread from the epicenter of the shockwave.

And, all the dust happened to be in Pidgeotto's flight path.

Pidgeotto squawked in alarm as he blundered into the dust with the force of a train, causing the numerous sands to burst into his sensitive eyes, causing him to stumble mid-flight. He was just a bit too low against the ground when that happened, his chest scraped against it and he crashed, skipping across the pavement a few times before rolling to stop.

Alice could only wince at that. She hoped he doesn't have any broken bones or anything after that.

Still, that was a smart move on Victoria's part.

Victoria decided to press her advantage. "Force Palm! Makuhita! While he's down!"

The Pignite shrouded itself in deadly amount of flames before charging straight at the still recovering Pidgeotto.

"Pidgeotto, get out of there with Quick Attack!"

No matter how much Alice pleaded for Pidgeotto to get out of there, it doesn't do him any good in recovering any quicker. And thus, his side was struck hard.

He can only squawk in pain as he sailed across the air momentarily, before crash landing again.

Alice just winced. "Pidgeotto! C'mon, get up!"

He got up with considerable pain from it's injuries, after a few moments stumbling around, he...stared at the wrong direction before shaking his head.

Alice knew when the Sand Attack is in play. But she doesn't need his eyes to do the next move.

"Pidgeotto! The Pignite is to your," Alice only took a moment to analyze the battlefield to decide. "Five o'clock! Gust!"

Pidgeotto can only nod, turning toward his trainer's desired direction before quickly unleashing another burst of Gust.

This attack causes Makuhita to reel back as it is struck by the violent wind current.

Alice looked at Victoria, but it looks like she is stuck on what to do. Makuhita couldn't really do anything at all at this point.

That was Victoria's mistake. Alice knew Gust or any other area of attack moves didn't need your eyes to be done correctly. As long as you knew the general direction of the enemy, the massive wind current will do the rest.

Still, Victoria attempted to at least try and end this fight on her terms, however hopeless it was. "Makuhita, c'mon! Arm Thrust again." Victoria encouraged.

Shaking it's head from the after effect of the super effective attack, it stomped forward with an arm held back ready to thrust it into Pidgeotto's chest once more.

Alice just narrowed her eyes, and she clenched her fist. "He's still coming from the same direction! Gust twister again, Pidgeotto! Finish it off!"

Pidgeotto obeyed, it couldn't see, but did as his trainer commanded anyway. This time, he flapped his wings harder, producing yet another twister in mere moments.

The Makuhita covered its face with both arms as it tried to brave through the Gust. It kept on stomping forward, one at a time, while fighting through it.

However, the Gust that is maintained by Pidgeotto proves to be too much. It couldn't hope to go through that twister even if tried.

And so, with one last moan, it fell forward onto its face. Unconscious.

That...went faster than Alice expected really. But considering that Pidgeotto is all speed and agility while Victoria's Pokemon are slow and powerful, the results of the battle are almost certain.

In the end, both Makuhita and Pignite fell against Pidgeotto. Their typing as well as their speed fares poorly against him.

Then Alice realized just in time that Pidgeotto is still blindly maintaining the Gust. "Alright, Pidgeotto, that's enough of that!"

Pidgeotto didn't know he had knocked the Makuhita out, nonetheless, he ceased maintaining the Gust before he stopped hovering in place. His talons clicking softly against the ground, now that he had the time to actually do it, he wiped his eyes free from the sands.

Alice nodded proudly at Pidgeotto. He had done well doing in two opponents in a row. Wordlessly, she returned Pidgeotto into his Pokeball, smiling at him as she did so.

"Ah..."

Then Alice heard Victoria said something. She looked at the girl, who still wore a surprised expression on her face.

"I...guess you'll be alright after all." Victoria eventually decided.

Alice just rolled her eyes, that was what she is trying to say the entire time.

Victoria returned the knocked out Makuhita from the ground into it's Pokeball before pocketing it. Then she stared at Alice hard, as if still trying to determine whether or not she is worthy to pass through.

Again, Alice can only hope Victoria won't make anymore ridiculous request. She really didn't have time for this.

Fortunately, what she said next had brought hope to Alice's expression. "...fine."

Alice sighed in relief, but Victoria still had something more to say.

"Just promise me you'll be careful okay? Keep a sharp eye.".

She can only nod at Victoria to acknowledge her.

Victoria smiled at Alice. "Alright. Then this is goodbye for now, Alice." She said, turning toward the main street's direction and walked there, but not before turning around and waving one last time. "And, good luck!"

Alice smiled and waved back at Victoria.

Alice didn't say anything, but she now felt relieved now that Victoria is out of the way. At least now she can focus more on worrying about herself than other people. She can only hope Victoria won't get anymore funny ideas while she is doing Florinia's request.

Now she needs to go down to the slums and get over to the other side of the Obsidia Ward. She would have done that...if her Pokemon is not in the immediate need of healing.

Sighing, she turned back around and walked back toward the main street, intending to heal her Pokemon.


Author Note :

Alice isn't the only one to improve, her rivals does too. However, Victoria will have to try harder next time because in Reborn region, only the most stubborn can hope to achieve victory.

Regardless, I hope you all enjoyed the battle. It was hard writing this