In Anistar City, around the same time as last time, though a little sooner than that…
"Alya, what do you think of this one?"
Marinette held up her designer sketchbook, filled with drafts of her inspired fashion sense page by page, as they were walking towards the Anistar City theater. Two days had passed since they settled into Anistar City for the time being. Marinette had opted to work on making the Master Class dresses for Rose and Juleka with the time while dedicating the rest of the time training her team to take on the Anistar Gym once the Rookie Class Showcase had passed over. She had also taken the time to adapt the battle style of her newest member, Spinda, into her own battle style and get him acquainted with the rest of her Pokémon.
Alya, for the most part, had no objections with the plan as the additional downtime allowed her to investigate into the Anistar Sundial's history and figure out its connections with Mega Evolution. It had also given her time to discipline Rotom to not shock her BFF by possessing her phone for kicks and giggles anymore. So Rotom didn't zap Marinette anymore whenever she picked up a phone or electric device it possessed; it opted to scare her silly instead by making the appliance suddenly come to life to startle her.
"Girl, you know I'm the last person to talk to for fashion critique," Alya laughed as she scrutinized the open page the best she could. "I go to you for fashion advice, not the other way around. Anyway, what's this for?"
"Since catching Spinda, I was reminded of this series of accessories that monopolize Spinda's varied spot patterns," Marinette explained. "Hats, purses, scarves, belts, you name it. Just like actual Spinda, every accessory ever made doesn't share the same spot pattern."
"Speaking of your new Spinda, I love love love his take on Pinap Juice," Alya added. "Just give me two cups worth for breakfast and I'm good to go for the rest of the day."
"Aren't you worried you'd get tired of the same thing every day, even with something as awesome as Spinda's brand of Pinap Juice?" Marinette asked.
"Not a chance," Alya winked. "Back to your latest drawings?"
"Oh, yeah," Marinette grinned, pulling the book close to herself to explain each component separately. "While I obviously can't follow the exact design schematic, I can try variations starting with my own Pokémon on the same accessories. Problem is, I still haven't narrowed it down the way I hoped."
"What's with the pillow over here?" Alya pointed.
"That's a fedora based on Togekiss's head and wings," Marinette explained, unsure on how to comment on Alya's observation. "Since Togekiss is Togetic's evolved form, I looked up the design online, but I couldn't get much out of a standard image. I need the real article in front of me to get the creative juices following."
"Wait, didn't you mention getting a Shiny Stone after the Dendemille Showcase from Prince Ali?" Alya asked. "Why not evolve Togetic now?"
"Come on, you know I won't force Togetic to evolve on the spot for my sake, not until we get a better understanding of what'll happen next," Marinette argued.
"Girl, even I can tell your Togetic is ready to evolve, and she's not even my Pokemon!" Alya reasoned. "What are you so scared of? You know what Togetic will become, right?"
"I know, but it's just… Don't you think it's all… happening so fast?" Marinette gathered her thoughts.
"How do you mean?" Alya raised a brow before her eyes widened from a sudden revelation. "Ohh, I see what this is. As Togetic's 'mom', you're scared of seeing her grow up too quickly, hence the 'happening so fast' bit."
"Excuse me?!" Marinette gawked at the accusation. "I… I… I just don't think Togetic is ready for that kind of responsibility." She watched as Alya's brow somehow went higher and her smirk became more unbearable to look at. "… Okay, so maybe she is ready, but… there's no turning back with these kinds of things. What if a second after evolving that she misses her smaller size and regrets having touched the Shiny Stone?"
"You're overthinking this, girl, don't worry," Alya assured, patting her on the shoulder. "It all comes down to the matter of trusting each other. When you both feel ready for the next level, then by all means, use that Shiny Stone."
"I just like keeping all options open, especially when it concerns my Pokémon," Marinette rationalized. "This also extends to Feebas and the Prism Scale I got from my great-uncle. At any moment we've trained together, we've made it a point to strengthen our trust and synchronize. I know that Feebas isn't strong the way she is now and using the Prism Scale can change that."
"But you're smart enough to know that strength isn't the only way to go," Alya surmised. "I've seen you making the most use of having Feebas use Ice Beam to speed up her Tackle on the ground. Not the most original strategy I've heard of, but that's playing to her current strength. And I'm impressed you've gotten Feebas to adapt to fighting somewhat well on land."
"We really should visit a body of water soon," Marinette noted. "I think Feebas would really appreciate it."
"There's plenty of water by the Sundial," Alya pointed out. "Since we'll be checking out the Showcase today, we'll probs be visiting it tomorrow, even though we could've done so since coming to Anistar two days ago."
"Oh, come on, you know I like taking some days off from training to sketch my fashion inspirations before I forget them entirely," Marinette responded defensively. "There's just so much to take in at one time before I get pushed to the next fad."
"I'm not trying to put the blame on you," Alya held her hands up to put down the notion. "Besides, I wasn't complaining either. I'm always up for some downtime if it means getting to spend more time in new places we visit. That just makes the hype buildup of finally visiting Anistar's landmark all the more mindblowing!"
"True, true," Marinette nodded, putting her sketchbook away as the Anistar theater was in full view before them. "What I'm excited to see now is the Pokémon Showcase. Even if Rose or Juleka aren't around, that shouldn't mean we can't see how the other Performers perform. They might have some pretty wild routines with Pokémon we haven't seen yet."
"Then it shouldn't matter… at all," a familiar mumbling voice barely reached their hearing range.
"J-Juleka!" Marinette and Alya exclaimed, caught off guard from suddenly seeing her standing right next to them.
"Hey, girls," Juleka greeted.
"I'm so glad to see you're here!" Marinette grinned, giving the taller girl a hug with Alya following after. "I can't wait to see you and Rose perform!"
"Speaking of Rose, where is she?" Alya asked after pulling out of her hug.
"Oh, um… Well, Rose and I… we went our separate ways," Juleka explained, though her voice had dipped to nearly inaudible levels.
"Wait, you're saying you two aren't traveling together anymore?" Marinette repeated for clarification.
"That's right," Juleka nodded.
"That's interesting," Alya remarked. "You two are normally so close though. Are you girls, like, on a break?"
"Something like that," Juleka replied, looking away to the side. "Not from a fight, though. Rose believed… Now that we both have a Princess Key, she suggested we split off."
"I think I get it," Alya muttered.
"What do you mean, Alya?" Marinette inquired.
"It's similar to our situation, Marinette," Alya explained. "You know how we're not always traveling together because of my rising profession as part of working for Lumiose Press, right? It's because of our dreams requiring us to be apart from time to time."
"Ohh, so for Juleka's case, Rose believes that they both can grow as Pokémon Performers by practicing and traveling separately," Marinette summarized upon following Alya's trail of thinking. "But how do you feel about it, Juleka? I mean, obviously, you agreed to it if you're competing in the Anistar Showcase by yourself."
"That's just it," Juleka shrugged. "I don't know. I don't even know if I want to compete. Rose and I've done everything together. It's strange."
"You just miss Rose, that's all," Alya deduced. "Trust me, I was in the same boat when I got accepted for my internship and had to leave Marinette."
"Don't forget about me," Marinette winked before looking up to Juleka in the eyes, or uncovered eye in her case. "It's strange to go alone when you're so used to working with your best friend, but you must develop your own independent streak if you want to reach your dreams."
"… Umm," Juleka still appeared doubtful.
"What's wrong?" Marinette prompted.
"… Here's the thing about that," Juleka took a deep breath. "I didn't know what I wanted to do after graduating the Academy. Neither did Rose, but she was instantly drawn into Showcases since she easily loses her cool in Pokémon battles. I… just wound up following her."
"So? Nothing wrong with that!" another familiar, but tough voice interrupted.
"It's Alix!" Marinette greeted. "And Nathaniel, too?"
"This is becoming quite the little party," Alya smirked.
The three of them faced the two new additions to their group following Alix's remark. The tiny tomboy was as energetic as ever, boldly putting her hands on her hips as though she was appalled by the implications of Juleka's explanation. Nathaniel stood next to her, also bearing a worried look as he seemed to have caught on to the direction of the conversation despite just arriving in front of the theater with Alix.
"There's nothing wrong with doing Showcases just because you followed Rose," Alix castigated. "Heck, I know plenty of people that still don't know what they want out of life. Even Nathaniel here is spinning his wheels for something meaningful." She quickly turned to him to offer an apologetic glance. "Not that I'm dissing what you're doing now, Nathaniel. Your Pokémon drawings are always the bomb!"
"No offense taken," Nathaniel chuckled lightly. "But it's true."
"So don't go on not giving your all in this Showcase just because Rose isn't around holding your hand, got it?!" Alix resumed heatedly, getting up in Juleka's face to bring her message home. Juleka's widened eyes blinked out of shock. "You're a looker, Juleka, and way too talented not to see your path to the end. Haven't you figured out what it means to be Kalos Queen?"
"Alix, that's too much," Marinette frowned at the intensity, but Juleka held a hand to stop her before she could intervene.
"It's okay, Marinette," Juleka smiled softly. "Thanks." She looked back down to Alix. "And thank you, Alix. I… I really needed it."
"Heh, anytime," Alix proudly swiped a thumb under her nose. "You'd better leave here with a Princess Key, Juleka."
"Never would've taken you as someone even remotely interested in Pokémon Showcases, Alix," Alya pointed out lightheartedly.
"Hey! Just because I'm not a total girly girl doesn't mean I can't appreciate some classy dance performances time to time!" Alix growled, not helped that she was sporting a bright blush, caused by both anger and embarrassment. "Especially if my friends are involved!"
"Fair point," Alya shrugged. "But I certainly didn't expect to see you or Nathaniel make it here any time soon."
"A lot has happened, for sure," Alix grinned, facing Marinette next. "Surprised to see me caught up to you, Marinette?"
"Kind of," Marinette responded. "Last I remembered, you were heading back to Lumiose City to challenge the Gym after that whole ordeal with the Twirling Whirlwind at the Lost Hotel."
"Well then, check me out!" Alix proudly presented proof of her victory over the Lumiose Gym in her fingertips. The Voltage Badge gleamed brightly under the sun's rays. "Mrs. Chamack put up some fight, all right. But Blaziken and I sealed our victory in a blaze of glory!"
"Congrats, Alix!" Marinette beamed.
"Just a few more Gyms until you qualify for the Kalos League," Alya remarked. "Safe to say that the Anistar Gym is one of your next targets?"
"You know it!" Alix smirked. "And of course, I heard that a Rookie Class Showcase was gonna start soon in Anistar City, so I figured I'd knock out two Flying-types with a Rock Throw by heading straight here."
"What brings you by, Nathaniel?" Marinette asked, deciding to get the quiet artist more involved.
"I ran into Alix a few days ago," Nathaniel explained. "She told me about the upcoming Showcase in Anistar City and I thought it'd be nice to see Rose or Juleka again. And of course, she's going for the Anistar Gym, so I thought I'd just stick around and root for her too. That's how I winded up being dragged along for the ride."
"You weren't kicking or screaming over the transition," Alix rolled her eyes, prompting Nathaniel to playfully shove her on the shoulder. "Anyway, you girls should check out Nathaniel's latest drawings. They're totally well-made!"
"A-Alix!" Nathaniel yelped as Alix snagged his sketchbook from out of his traveling bag. "Wait!"
"I actually want to see," Marinette offered thoughtfully.
"Same here," Alya concurred with Juleka nodding affirmatively.
"… Well, okay," Nathaniel took the sketchbook back from a triumphant Alix and opened it up to his latest sketches as the girls gathered around him. "These were actually from a recent Rookie Class Showcase I attended not too long ago. It was shortly after the Dendemille Showcase, but I wasn't there in person. Again, congratulations, Juleka. I know you'll do well in this one too."
"Oh, thanks," Juleka blushed.
Nathaniel's sketches showed a few Pokémon the girls recognized from current trending media that belonged to Performers that have made it to a few Freestyle Performance rounds in the past. Popular Performers that were also earning Princess Keys to compete in the upcoming Master Class Showcase. Some sketches Nathaniel showed off include a Flareon and Vaporeon combining fire and water to make a dazzling appeal, a Bergmite and a Froslass creating a miniature kingdom of ice-solation, a Honedge clashing blades with a Pawniard, and interestingly enough, a Wobbuffet juggling a Meowth with the use of Counter. All of these scenes included their special effects, ranging from the brilliant strokes of the fire-water fusion to the action sparks caused by sharp metal friction. Even the last one with the Meowth, Nathaniel had drawn motion effect to indicate the Scratch Cat Pokémon bouncing from Wobbuffet's body.
"The last one was more out of amusement than epic," Nathaniel reasoned.
"These are really amazing, Nathaniel!" Marinette praised.
"Like live freeze-frame captures from the performances!" Alya added. "The Pokémon's moves are so detailed. And the Pokémon themselves look gorgeous!"
"Way cool," Juleka commented.
"Told ya so!" Alix declared proudly. "You should see him having his Pokémon perform so that he can draw the results."
"Alix, do we really have time to go through this now?" Nathaniel sighed, placing his sketchbook away. "Isn't the Showcase going to start soon?"
"Shoot, that's right," Alix slapped her own forehead. "Sorry, dude, but I just wanted you to show more pride in your work. I think you do have a direction for a career. Just trying to be supportive, y'know."
"Well, we can talk about this later," Marinette offered as Alya took Juleka ahead. "Juleka still needs to register and we need to get our seats. Let's go!"
Back in Route 18…
"I have found you… Adrien Agreste! Son of Champion Gabriel Agreste!"
Adrien was hesitant to turn and face his latest bold challenger for some reason, that reason being that the inflection of the challenger's tone stirred up uncomfortable feelings within the pit of his gut. He didn't understand why he should fear anyone. Adrien lived up to the legacy he was supposed to follow. Perhaps he had finally reached his breaking point with the constant assault of Pokémon Trainers challenging him as a result of his father's declaration.
In any case, Adrien wouldn't resolve this current issue if he didn't face this new person like a man. Of course, as he finally turned around to face him, he was utterly speechless, only managing a couple of choice questions in a steady manner.
"… Who are you?" Adrien began, green eyes widened in shock. "… And why are you dressed like me?"
"Oh, man, this is too good to be true!" the Trainer practically wearing the same clothes as Adrien exclaimed. The only defining differences between him and the blond Trainer were his dark brown eyes and wavy brown hair. "Standing face to face with Adrien Agreste! Oh, yeah! My friends call me Wayhem! Bringer of Mayhem!"
"Uh… Wayhem?" Adrien repeated warily, pondering if that was actually the lookalike boy's name since he never heard of a name like that.
"Oh, my gosh, Adrien said my name and addressed me!" Wayhem fist-pumped to himself. "I never thought I'd actually run into the Adrien Agreste during my journey. So totally awe-some!"
Adrien just stood there awkwardly as Wayhem continued to cheer himself on for meeting his idol, grinning uncomfortably as he would meeting an enthusiastic fan and was unable to just flee from present circumstance. It was already creepy enough that he was wearing the same outfit as him. Wayhem was just one step away of taking care of Adrien and assuming his identity on the spot if he was particularly unstable. But while Adrien technically could run away, but that would certainly leave an unpleasant reputation that his father would quickly pick up and lecture him on regardless of the types of people he would encounter.
"Hey, uh, can I… help you with something?" Adrien offered, just to placate this new Trainer. Wayhem was brought out of his personal pep talk and quickly closed the difference between him and Adrien, staring into his green eyes with starstruck dark brown ones. "Uh… too close."
"I've heard the stories that Champion Agreste's son was going for this year's Kalos League, and I actually sat in during your exhibition match with your dad back at Lumiose City," Wayhem explained, steadily leaning closer into Adrien's personal space, to which Adrien carefully backed away. To no avail, Wayhem kept his closeness. "And when I saw how well your Mega Gallade had put up a fight against the Champion's Mega Absol, I just knew you were gonna be the top contender for the Kalos League, so much so that I devoted myself to studying your battle style at every public appearance you make. I've longed to meet you and study under you, Adrien! I want to be a cool and strong Pokémon Trainer like you!"
"Er… thanks, I'm… really flattered," Adrien chuckled nervously, but held up a firm hand to stop Wayhem's obsessive advances. Surprisingly enough, Wayhem complied and waited expectantly for an answer. "But I don't see myself as anyone's teacher. And I doubt I can be of any help since I'm still kind of figuring out my Pokémon path."
"Oh, come on!" Wayhem protested. "I know you can teach me a thing or three! Please take me as your apprentice!"
"Uh… I have to go… um, wash my hair," Adrien said quickly as to excuse himself, turning away and walked as calmly as he could. He didn't want to have an apprentice, nor did he believe he would be a decent teacher for one. He's still a young Trainer figuring out the world of Pokémon just like everyone else. "I'll see you."
"… Huh?" Wayhem stared before it dawned on him that Adrien was on the move. "Hey! Wait up!" He caught up to his idol in a matter of seconds, but it wasn't like Adrien made the run for it. In his position, he couldn't bolt without soiling his public reputation and getting an earful from his father over his reluctance and cowardice. Although he was still ecstatic in walking side by side with Adrien, Wayhem surprisingly kept his cool. "Where are you off to now?"
"Snowbelle City," Adrien replied, maintaining a genteel demeanor towards his big fan.
He figured as long as he didn't press himself on becoming his apprentice, then Adrien was willing to entertain him for a bit. He certainly didn't mind making new friends / rivals along the way. Speaking of such, one dark-haired girl with particularly sharp brown eyes passed them on the path from walking the other way.
For a fleeting moment, as though time had come to a complete stop, astonished green eyes and determined brown eyes had locked upon each other. Adrien felt uneasy yet excited, but he couldn't bring himself to confront the girl as she continued her path without looking back while he kept Wayhem company.
"You're gonna take on the Snowbelle City Gym?" Wayhem grinned, to which Adrien nodded autonomously, still stunned from crossing paths with that serious girl, not that Wayhem noticed or cared. "Wow, I heard the Snowbelle Gym is just as tough as the Shalour Gym, and the Shalour Gym Leader is a well-known Mega Evolution Trainer." He snapped his fingers upon realizing something. "That reminds me! You use Mega Evolution! Duh!"
"That's right," Adrien confirmed, putting his mind off the strange encounter to talk with Wayhem.
"Thought so!" Wayhem pumped his arms to himself. "Back at your exhibition match with Champion Agreste! Your Mega Gallade against the Champion's Mega Absol! You guys were totally mindblowing, though some jerks sitting around me didn't think so. They were saying bad things about you, claiming they can do better. Heresy, I say!"
"Ah, it's fine, really," Adrien gestured with his hands up to calm him down. "I can't win over everyone."
"No, but they were out of line!" Wayhem defended before deflating back into a relatively calm mood. "But thank goodness it all stopped when this girl got her Gardevoir to use Psychic on all of us and lifted us out of our seats. Man, she was scary!"
"A Gardevoir?" Adrien repeated, green eyes widened in disbelief when his mind associated the aforementioned Pokémon with the one he knew, as well as the one girl he knew that sat in the spectating bleachers that owned said Pokémon. Her kind bluebell eyes and sweet little smile, whenever it wasn't shaken into a nervous awkward tilt, stood out the most in making the correlation. "This… is news to me." He didn't bother checking back with the observers after his humiliating loss against his father, leaving for his favorite spot in Lumiose City to get his bearings together. Marinette… He shouldn't have been surprised, considering she found him after just to make sure he was okay, but he still couldn't comprehend it. "Wow… She did that for me?"
"You sound surprised by that," Wayhem remarked. "Adrien, you're the kind of guy many want to be like and want. Exhibit A!" He indicated by Adrien's entire self with a flourish of his arms. "You win over the hearts of people and Pokémon alike with that warmhearted charm and award-winning smile. No doubt you won over that powerful girl."
"I don't know about that, but I'm just nice to everyone," Adrien replied, bashfully scratching the back of his head. "And that girl you talked about? Marinette's a really good friend."
"Hmm, if you say so," Wayhem actually sounded skeptical about the matter after paying close attention to his face when he talked about the Marinette girl, but didn't continue on the matter. He wanted to be strong and skillful like Adrien, not talk about obsessive girls. "Yeah, I'm sure this Marinette is really nice."
In the Anistar Theater…
"Ah-ah-choo!" Marinette sneezed cutely.
"Bless ya, girl," Alya responded, smirking. "Looks like someone's thinking about ya."
"Knock it off, Alya," Marinette pouted. "It's probably just allergies. Theaters do get very dusty."
"Hey, you two, shut up!" Alix hissed in a whisper. "I can't hear what Monsieur Alec is saying."
"Sheesh, someone's getting knee-deep into Showcases," Alya huffed, crossing her arms. "Don't tell me you're planning to compete for Kalos Queen. Ha! I can see it now. Performer Alix breaking a heel and tripping flat on her face before her Blaziken carries her while she violates the precious Showcase atmosphere with the harshest of swears."
"Don't get any ideas, Césaire," Alix glared. "I said I was curious on how this all turned out. I never said I was going to wear frilly dresses and dance the jig with Blaziken in painful heels."
"How about we just wait for Juleka to come on state and cheer for her?" Nathaniel suggested deprecatingly, wishing the friends he hung around were a little less high-strung.
Back on Route 18…
"I'm sorry, but my answer is still no," Adrien sighed, hoping that his follower had given up on the notion. "I'm not looking for apprentices and I don't really have anything to pass on."
"Oh, please?!" Wayhem pleaded earnestly.
Adrien was impressed and creeped out by his lookalike fan's persistence and admiration. And unless he gave an answer that could both pacify Wayhem and get him to leave him alone, Adrien was sure that Wayhem was going to follow and pester him until he accepted him as an apprentice, practically giving him no time for himself at all. It was then the simplest solution had occurred in his head. He hadn't come up with it due to Wayhem having been up in his face on top of his eagerness to escape at any given opportunity.
"How about this?" Adrien suggested. "Just one battle with me. You can use that as an opportunity to study my battle style up close. Will that be enough?"
"Y-You mean it?!" Wayhem tittered, pumping his fists close together. This was a chance in a lifetime to him. "Of course! It's a de—!"
"Not so fast!" an interloper interrupted. The tone was somber and commanding, but distinctly feminine. Adrien and Wayhem searched for the source, their sights landing upon a thicket of trees nearby. "I'm afraid I can't let you battle Adrien first."
"What?! Who dares come between me and Adrien!" Wayhem shouted. "Show yourself, coward!"
"I don't like that accusation," the interloper retaliated, stepping out of the shadows to reveal her nimble form, and her sharp, glaring brown eyes.
"You," Adrien muttered. It felt like a long time, even though, in reality, it was likely less than an hour since he and Wayhem had passed her on the road. He couldn't easily forget her features and the unnerving sensations her eyes induced into his being. "Did you follow us?"
"I apologize, but I did when I realized who you are, Adrien Agreste," she bowed briefly out of respect. "You were with that guy, but now his time with you ends." She glared at Wayhem next. "And I am no coward. My name is Kagami Tsurugi."
"That last name… You mean, of the Tsurugi clan?" Adrien inquired. "The family of famous Pokémon battlers from the Johto region? I remember reading that a former Champion of Johto and Kanto had bore that name. And I think there's also a woman from the Sinnoh region's Elite Four that has that name too. You're her daughter, right?"
"So then, you're a celebrity Trainer like Adrien?" Wayhem followed up.
"That's right," Kagami nodded, walking closer to the two boys. "In all my battles, I don't settle for anything less than an absolute victory against the strongest Pokémon Trainers out there in the world. I've been through Sinnoh and Johto, and now, I'm testing myself against the strongest that the Kalos region can offer." She pointed directly towards Adrien. "I want to see for myself if he lives up to the hype and is not simply riding on his father's coattails to get where he's at."
Adrien made no response to the statement. He had been attacked a few times regarding his credibility as a powerful Trainer due to association to his father alone. He didn't blame the dissenters for thinking that way, but interestingly, Adrien sensed no intentional malice from Kagami's admittedly blunt words. It was more of a genuine curiosity carefully guarded as to uphold her own reputation. After all, having a member of the Tsurugi clan his age suddenly showing up in the Kalos region would also be met with skepticism from his end. He would want to validate her skills, too.
But before Adrien could say something to Kagami, Wayhem stepped in, pointedly determined in contrast to his previous hyperactive and well-meant esteem.
"Oh, yeah? Well, let me tell you something, Kage-… erm…, Koko-… uh…, lady!" Wayhem managed to compile. "It's first come, first serve! I challenged Adrien first! I get to see his battle style for myself!"
"If I heard correctly, it was Adrien who extended the invitation first mainly because you were bothering him over some trivial matter," Kagami recounted eerily accurately, crossing her arms. Despite the serious mood she gave off, she couldn't help but crack a smirk at her next line. "Besides, haven't you heard of 'ladies first'?"
"Yeah, but…," Wayhem was struggling with a comeback. It was certainly difficult to come up with one against that, but a few seconds of flustered rambling, he was onto something. "Aha! That maybe, but doesn't that apply to actual ladies and not scary creeps like you?"
"This coming from the guy who called me 'lady' since he couldn't bother with my real name," Kagami responded dryly.
"Yeah, but… That's just a… I got nothing," Wayhem slumped over, finding himself trapped by his own words. "But I still got to Adrien before you. I should get to face him. Get with the times, Kasumi!"
"I see no reason for Adrien to entertain some no-name Trainer like you since you come off as another obnoxious fan," Kagami remarked, her eyes somehow narrowing even more when Wayhem got her name wrong.
"A 'no-name Trainer'?!" Wayhem objected, fixing his posture. This girl was really pushing his buttons. "I so have a name! It's Wayhem, the Bringer of Mayhem! It's so much easier to remember than yours, Kamui!"
"Ah… not worth my time," Kagami exhaled exasperatedly to herself, involuntarily placing a hand over her left temple. Instead of allowing this Wayhem kid to work her up, she faced the bemused Adrien instead to get back to her real reason for the confrontation. "You. Surely you'd care about battling strong opponents. This guy doesn't even have a sizeable rep among the Pokémon community."
"I don't really have a preference on who challenges me and vice versa," Adrien rubbed the back of his head. "Besides, I have to accept any Trainer challenge as part of my father's public declaration."
"Ha! You see!" Wayhem hollered exultantly. "If Adrien doesn't see me as a waste of time, then that totally means I'm a worthwhile Pokémon Trainer!"
"I never said anything assuming that Adrien sees you as a waste of time," Kagami reasoned. "To me, it's all a matter of priority. You take down whoever claims to be the big shot. As for why I sought Adrien out, it's like I said. I want to see his power for myself." She took a brief pause after careful consideration of her next words. "Although… for you to be this adamant to bother Adrien, I'll admit I'm a bit curious of your skill as a battler."
"Does that mean I get to face Adrien first?" Wayhem asked hopefully.
"No," Kagami replied flatly, glancing back over to Adrien's direction while Wayhem wailed in dramatic frustration. "But it all depends on what the man of the hour wants to do. And he can't exactly walk away now. When Trainers' eyes meet, a Pokémon battle is inevitable. That's the unspoken rule, after all."
Of course, Adrien had kept himself confined within his own mind to sort out how to go about handling this confrontation delicately. He knew that the longer this drew out, the less the patience both Wayhem and Kagami were going to have towards him and each other. And of course, there was the huge possibility that more Pokémon Trainers would come out of the woodwork and overwhelm him with battle demands. Upset and confused young Trainers would be perfect Bond Hybrid fodder for Poison Moth if he found out about this. This was likely going to end up like the Lumiose Badlands all over again if he didn't act now. And there's also the fact that he wanted to get going on his way.
He wondered how his friends, who were better in dealing with other people than he was, would do in this situation. Nino, Alya, Marinette, and especially Lady Ledian. Nino would probably crack some jokes to lighten the mood and accept battles one at a time, but that would mean Adrien would have to choose to avoid anything regrettable happening between Kagami and Wayhem. Alya would probably pit them against each other and have the victor face them, seeing as she was not particularly a battler. But as smart as that idea was, his two challengers clearly didn't want to have anything to do with each other and would wind up arguing about who had higher privileges in facing him instead.
Marinette would be thoughtful and discuss a compromise, which strangely led Adrien to immediately think about Lady Ledian's probable solution. He pondered about his Lady's train of thinking and were it not for her own bravery and confidence inspiring his own, then he probably wouldn't consider it.
Plus, it could get him out of this situation sooner than expected. It was then he had an idea, thanks to the examples these two remarkable girls had set for him.
"I think I have an answer to this issue," Adrien announced. The two of them were all ears. "Just so I can make this fair, balanced, and reasonably quick, let's have a multi battle."
"A multi battle?" Wayhem repeated, confused on the direction his idol's plan was going. "You mean a tag battle?"
"Interesting," Kagami remarked. "A multi battle instead of a flat-out battle royal. You want to see how we battle at once without having to decide who goes first." She appeared distasteful over the notion. "I'll pass on that idea."
"Aw, what's wrong, Katarina?" Wayhem pressed his luck for all its worth.
"Kagami," Kagami corrected, darkly narrowing her eyes at the brown-haired Adrien lookalike.
"Can't handle a tag battle with the Bringer of Mayhem?" Wayhem continued. "Can't say I blame ya!"
"Guys, be nice," Adrien reprimanded. "Let's settle this as reasonable and mature Trainers."
"I refuse to team up with some slacker nobody just to fight you at the same time," Kagami refuted, folding her arms and turning away. "I'd rather wait to battle you on my terms." Her expression then softened as she appeared pensive over her next course of action. "But you know what? I think I will wait and observe your battle styles for myself. To see if any of you really are worth my time."
"Ha! Score one for Wayhem!" Wayhem cheered, only for Kagami's last words to ring out in his head. "… Wait, what was that?! You think you're better than us? Better than Adrien?!"
"I won't know unless I fight him for myself," Kagami shrugged. "But seeing as you're set to battle him, I'm not going to waste my time debating over it with you."
"Well, I can't say I didn't try for a compromise," Adrien commented. Still, it's thanks to your courage, my Lady, and your example of patience, Marinette, that I managed to get everyone to settle down.
The three of them were fortunately near a wide clearing within the trees and shrubs. The space was open enough for their Pokémon to maneuver around freely. Kagami stood off to the side to watch while Adrien and Wayhem took opposing sides.
"Hey, Adrien!" Wayhem hollered. "Can we make this a double battle? Just to go along with your previous multi battle idea. I want to see more of your Pokémon and show off mine!"
"Sounds good to me," Adrien grinned. "Ready when you are."
"Here we go!" Wayhem declared, pulling out two Poké Balls. "Now check out my long-time partner and his… partner! Let's bring the mayhem! Chesnaught! Delcatty!"
Adrien found himself intrigued by Wayhem's selection of Pokémon as the final evolved form of Chespin towered over his smaller Delcatty partner. Wayhem's Chesnaught shared his Trainer's enthusiasm and energy while his Delcatty appeared rather quiet. Adrien could tell at a glance that those two Pokémon were raised well, glancing over to Kagami for additional validation. Unfortunately, it was hard to tell as she excelled at keeping an expressionless face. Her eyes, however, held back a burning desire to jump in and join the fight, but she held herself back out of pride and self-discipline.
"Now it's my turn," Adrien grinned, tossing two Poké Balls forward. "Pyroar and Marowak! Here we go!"
His duo of fierce Pokémon was called at the ready, crouching into defensive stances as they analyzed their opponents. Pyroar was interested in the prospect of facing off against a dual Grass and Fighting-type, masking it behind his regal ferocity, while Marowak twirled her bone before settling into a final fighting stance, not caring who she had to take down for her Trainer's sake. The air among all four battling Pokémon was tense, but none of them tried to show any apprehension. The only one obvious in failing to mask said apprehension was Chesnaught, who was itching to begin battling now.
"Whoa! So cool!" Wayhem remarked in awe. "Adrien's Marowak and Pyroar! Totally wicked awe-some~! I kinda hoped you send out Gallade and Mega Evolve him, but I'll take what I can get!"
"You talk a lot like a kid," Kagami smirked.
"So what?" Wayhem retaliated. "Yeah, I'm a kid. And so are you! We're not even close to being adults, which means we're kids! How about them apples, Kariana?"
"That's not what I meant," Kagami frowned. "And is it that hard to get my name right?"
"Hey, guys, please calm down," Adrien intervened. "If you're really going to be at each other's throats the entire time, then the battle's off. I reserve my right to flee a hostile environment."
Wayhem and Kagami glanced pointedly at each other before begrudgingly muttering apologies to each other and turning away. It wasn't as sincere as Adrien hoped, but given their opposing personalities, he had a feeling they would warm up to each other sooner or later. This wasn't the first time he had to play the mediator, but it wasn't like he played as one often.
"I'm really sorry about that, Adrien," Wayhem said sorrowfully. "I'm just so excited at the prospect of getting to meet and battle you."
"I apologize for my conduct as well," Kagami gave him a solemn bow before allowing a low chuckle from her throat. "Guess… I'm just as childish."
"Apologies accepted, so now then, without further ado…," Adrien thrusted an arm out once the mood had settled back for casual battle mode. "Let's begin! Marowak, use Bone Rush on Delcatty! Pyroar, Noble Roar on Chesnaught!"
Marowak dashed ahead, twirling her now glowing and lengthening bone in one hand as she closed in on Delcatty. Pyroar soon bounded after in the other direction, leaping high over Chesnaught before letting loose a vicious roar detailed as orange-red sparking soundwaves. Chestnaught cringed back, placing his hands over where his ears would be while feeling the frightening effects of his attack and special attack power drain away.
"No! Chesnaught!" Wayhem panicked briefly before pulling him back together, making a determined face to fight back and impress Adrien. "Get that strength back with Bulk Up! Let's go!" The Spiny Armor Pokémon flexed his arms, exuding a violent red aura as he recovered a bit of his lost attack power, as well as increased his physical defense. "Sweet! Now use Hammer Arm! And Delcatty, Fake Out!"
"Pyroar, dodge!"
The Royal Pokémon leapt away when Chesnaught sent an arm alight with power to smash into the earth where he previously waited. Chesnaught powered his other fist and proceeded to chase after Pyroar. Adrien was confident enough that his Pyroar could out speed Chesnaught, as well as survive at least one hit from Hammer Arm if Chesnaught somehow caught up, allowing him to cast his attention to the imminent clash between Marowak and Delcatty. That was, until it occurred to him the move Wayhem had called for his Pokémon.
Delcatty keenly observed Marowak's movements as the Bone Keeper Pokémon went her way. She leapt towards Marowak, instantly appearing right in front of her before clapping her front paws as a ploy to startle her. The shockwaves of air emitted from Delcatty's Fake Out caused Marowak to pause in place, closing her eyes to regain her bearings as she used up her turn to attack by flinching.
"Nice opening move, right?" Wayhem cheered.
"It was, but that's not going to stop Marowak," Adrien smirked. "Bone Rush!"
"Delcatty, let's Play Rough!"
Shaking off the initial shock from Fake Out, Marowak charged in again, unwavering as Delcatty pounced once more. This time, the confrontation ended up within a pink dust cloud that masked most of their brawling exchanges. Despite low visibility regarding their Pokémon, both Adrien and Wayhem could tell that fierce blows were delivered against each other's Pokémon. It was Delcatty's paws and tail against Marowak's staff. A few seconds after, Marowak was sent dragging on her feet out of the dust cloud with Delcatty seen crouching forward as the cloud dissipated. She slowed to a stop to where Pyroar landed after fleeing Chesnaught's Hammer Arm pursuit. The two partners stayed close to each other, surrounded by Delcatty and Chesnaught as they closed the distance.
"Right on!" Wayhem cheered. "I've got you where I want you! Now I'm gonna beat ya! Hammer Arm again!"
"Flamethrower!"
Despite Pyroar being cornered alongside Marowak, he proved to be obstinate even in a pinch as his Flamethrower shot out from his muzzle in a swift moment while Chesnaught took his time to raise his arms up for a Hammer Arm smash. The intense stream of flames struck him dead on, causing Chesnaught to roar out in pain and swing his powered arms down to dispel much of the fire as he could. His arms struck the earth hard, kicking up dirt in the air by the impact to fight off the Flamethrower.
"You're not going to last long," Kagami commented disapprovingly towards Wayhem. "Or have you already forgotten the slight type disadvantage your Chesnaught's in against Pyroar's Fire attacks?" Unfortunately, her words fell on deaf ears as she watched, while sweat-dropping, Wayhem panic in place by running in small circles chanting what to do. It also didn't help that his Chesnaught was spazzing out, smashing his arms into the dirt to put out the fire he was trapped in. "… I… Never mind."
"Wait! I still have Delcatty!" Wayhem paused in his panic. "Delcatty, use Hyper Voice!"
"Marowak, Thunder Punch!" Adrien intervened.
Pyroar jumped in to give some brief assistance, allowing Marowak to use him as a springboard for a speedier leap. She slammed an electrified fist into Delcatty's face right as she was about to screech. The painful critical hit disrupted Delcatty's concentration, causing her to stumble back and cough out a failed Hyper Voice to the side. There was a bit of a discharging aftereffect that caused her to reel down in pain, but not intensive enough to classify as a symptom of lingering paralysis. As nice as it would've been, Adrien was aware that he wasn't that lucky for a secondary effect to happen.
"Hey, what's going on?" Wayhem frowned. "Marowak struck my Delcatty head on, but didn't fall in love."
"Explain?" Adrien inquired, totally lost on what his opponent was going on about.
"Delcatty's Ability is Cute Charm," Wayhem explained. "All those direct hits and Marowak should've been infatuated by now. I mean, just look at my Delcatty! She's gorgeous! U-Uh, but you're still at a class of your own, Adrien. Heh heh."
Adrien was at a total loss on what and how to respond to that, his expression stuck with a gaping mouth and confused raised brow. Kagami had smacked her own forehead out of the secondhand embarrassment of the situation. Even the Pokémon currently battling had temporarily ceased, most of them sharing dumbstruck glances. Adrien's Marowak appeared particularly peeved.
"You've got to be kidding," Kagami sighed.
"What are you getting on me this time, Kurome?" Wayhem demanded.
"Did you just assume his Marowak's gender?" Kagami continued, her hands twitching into fists out of rising fury.
"Uh… Marowak's a guy… right?" Wayhem offered weakly.
"You insensitive… Marowak's a girl!" Kagami shouted irately. Of course, the extra anger wasn't needed to make her point, but she was still rather sore over Wayhem not getting her name correctly. "How could you not tell?!"
"Maro Marowak!" Marowak heatedly stomped a foot in agreement.
"I'm sorry!" Wayhem stumbled in place before comically prostrating himself from where he stood. "How was I supposed to tell?! They all look the same to me! I mean, no offense! Sorry, Adrien!"
"You could've done the courtesy and scanned Marowak with your Pokédex to find out," Kagami huffed. "It doesn't take effort at all to do so." She unfolded her arms and took a step forward with a Poké Ball on hand. "You know what? I'm stepping in now. I'm done watching this farce of a battle. It's been clear since the beginning who's going to win."
"No way! It's still my turn!" Wayhem argued. "Back off, Kasandra!"
"Oh, that does it! Bisharp, pr—!"
"That's enough!" Adrien yelled at the top of his lungs to defuse the situation. Fortunately, he got them to look at him now, preventing Kagami from calling out her Pokémon to pound in Wayhem. "Look, I know this isn't how we planned our days to end up. I really wanted to go back to Anistar City to cheer for a friend, but a personal obligation urged me to move on to Snowbelle City instead. And not to sound arrogant, but I know you guys wanted to battle me without the other getting in the way."
"What did you expect?" Wayhem question. "You're beyond remarkable, Adrien!"
"You do have a powerful reputation," Kagami added. "You're more than just the Kalos Champion's son. Every Trainer that approached you because of his public declaration was swiftly defeated. I had to test the rumor for myself. That's why…" She looked down in a brief fit of remorse before looking at Bisharp's Poké Ball. She was about to call upon her for a petty reason with potentially dishonorable consequences. "I've been impatient with other Trainers that I don't see as strong and worthwhile of my time."
"I guess I've been tactless myself," Wayhem scratched the back of his head in regret. "Yeah, sorry about mixing up Marowak's gender." He then turned to Kagami. If he was going to be as great as Adrien, he had to be the bigger man despite the sharp remarks she sent his way. "And I'm sorry for getting your name wrong, Kaname."
"… It's a start," Kagami shrugged, finding herself strangely smiling beside herself as she placed away Bisharp's Poké Ball. As much as she didn't want to admit it, she found herself starting to warm up to these boys. Was this what it was like to make friends? She didn't have a need before as all she cared about was upholding the power behind her family name. She bowed back to Wayhem apologetically. "It's Kagami. And I'm also sorry."
"Kagami," Wayhem repeated. "Got it. I'll do a better job at it. I'm not good with names."
"Except when it comes to Adrien?" Kagami smirked, causing Wayhem to whistle away casually while Adrien shook his head with his hand over his face.
"… How about we resume the battle," Adrien mumbled. As much as I wanted to stay in Anistar City, these guys aren't really bad at all.
At the Anistar Showcase…
"She's got this!" Marinette cheered, followed by the rest of her friends.
"Performer Juleka, this is your moment!" Monsieur Alec Cataldi narrated. "Soit prêt for your question!"
True to his word, the Theme Performance of the Anistar Showcase was an immersive Pokémon Quiz. For first privilege to answer a question, the Performer's Pokémon had to complete a random objective before the others could. The first Performer to get three correct answers would be permitted into the next round. Juleka's Mime Jr. had completed the obstacle course first, permitting Juleka the chance to answer the question.
The monitor above Monsieur Alec displayed the question in the format of a dark circular silhouette.
"Huh?" Juleka gasped.
"Qui est ce Pokémon?" Alec boomed, pointing up to the monitor with his fancy cane, on which his Klefki was roosting upon. "Oh, my! Better think carefully over this one before submitting your answer. You have one minute to decide!"
"That's not fair," Alya complained. "It's a black circle! It can be anything!"
"It could a Voltorb," Alix suggested.
"Or maybe an Electrode," Nathaniel considered.
"Are we sure it's not just a Poké Ball?" Marinette offered.
"That would be quite the twist, girl," Alya grinned. "But we're talking about who's that Pokémon."
"I know what I said, and I don't regret it," Marinette winked before dropping the playful pretense. "But I think any spherical Pokémon or Pokémon that can form a circle can qualify. Like a… Spheal, maybe?"
"To be fair, Voltorb were thought to have come from Poké Balls upon exposure to energy pulses," Alix explained, much to Alya, Marinette, and Nathaniel's surprise. "But I agree with Alya. I want to know what Juleka's thinking now. Sucks she had to get this insane trick question."
"It can't be easy," Nathaniel sighed as the four of them resumed gazing upon the main stage.
Juleka was in deep thought, using her remaining time wisely while fighting off the nerves caused by the multitude of eyes watching her every moment. Her Mime Jr. was worried, but stayed where he was with the other Performers' Pokémon as this was something only Juleka could do. A few seconds passed, which felt like an agonizing eternity, but Juleka shared her answer.
"… It's a Jigglypuff," Juleka said quickly, taking a pause before resuming her answer. "… Viewed from above."
"What the?!" Alix yelped in outrage, concurrently accompanied by Nathaniel coughing from being hit in the stomach by her stray hand, Marinette's jaw dropping, and Alya slapping her forehead. "Are you serious?! What kind of answer… Ugh! … She's done." She then seized the startled Nathaniel by his lapels and shook him out of dramatic anguish. "It's game over, man. Game over!"
"Is that your final answer, mon cher?" Alec challenged, receiving a determined nod from the dark violet-haired girl in return. Many spectators, as well as the onstage Performers, were stunned into silence by her unexpected answer. "Very well! The answer!"
As if to play up the dramatic effect to its fullest, a drum roll echoed throughout the theater as the lights shone upon the monitor as the silhouette revealed itself, turning into something pink with two pointed protrusions, distinguished as ears, around the center before the angles turned to reveal the true body.
"No…" Alix began.
"… Muk-ing…" Alya followed.
"… Way," Nathaniel finished.
"She… She did it," Marinette said with dazed finality.
"Et lo, that makes a total of three Pokémon questions answered correctly!" Alec announced. "This means that the final Performer to make it to the Freestyle Performance is… Performer Juleka Couffaine!"
Within the applauding audience, Marinette, Alya, Nathaniel, and Alix cheered loudly while internally giving off sighs of relief, proud that Juleka had secured her spot for the next round. When the Theme Performance for this Rookie Class Showcase was announced to be a Pokémon Quiz, they were somewhat worried for Juleka. As far as Pokémon quizzes went, they often revolved around a variety of Pokémon trivia, such as what Pokémon evolved into which, who's that Pokémon with a vague silhouette, and so on. And Juleka, as far as they knew, had demonstrated average Pokémon knowledge and aptitude from the Academy, not particularly strong or weak in both practical and written applications.
It was especially surprising to see that Juleka was able to guess the last question. Seriously, who came up with that question?
Regardless, Juleka was surprisingly knowledgeable and observant, at least more so than the other Performers she competed against that round. Soon after Monsieur Alec had announced the intermission to allow everyone a restroom break and freshen up, the former Lumiose Academy kids had gotten back together in one of the theater's many winding hallways.
"Juleka, you were so on the ball, and I don't mean a Jigglypuff!" Alix praised, instigating fits of laughter among the group.
"Heh… Jigglypuff," Juleka repeated in a short chuckle. "Rose mentioned she's hoping to find a Moon Stone to evolve hers."
"Don't tell me the reason you were able to get that question is because of Rose," Alix huffed before relenting with a shrug. "Irony at its finest. Whatever gets you where you need to be, I guess."
"It goes to show how much of an inspiration Rose is to you if you were thinking about her during the Showcase," Alya noted. "You're really doing awesome without her."
"I'm sure Rose is proud of you, Juleka, wherever she is," Marinette assured. "Just keep doing your best and we'll be cheering for you throughout the performance."
"Don't lose sight on what it means to be Kalos Queen for you, Juleka," Alya added.
"Yeah! Break out that shy shell of yours and show up those other prissy chicks on stage who's the true Kalos Queen!" Alix whooped, inadvertently attracting curious looks from other people and Pokémon loitering about. She was quickly irritated when her ears picked up murmuring. "… Hey! What are y'all looking at?! Take a pic and move on! Scram!"
"Alix, please," Nathaniel attempted to shush, gaining the secondhand embarrassment and feeling self-conscious because of his friend's crass mannerisms. "At least try to be a girl today."
"Hmph, excuse you, Nath, if I'm not into skirts or heels," Alix scoffed, blowing up a puff of air on a dangling bang. "Doesn't mean I don't know how to be dainty or charming. I've learned all the manners I'll ever need for life. I just choose not to follow them and act like some pretentious high society hob-knobber. We already have Chloé to do that role and for us to deal with. Bleh!"
"There, there, Alix," Alya laughed. "I agree with you one-hundred percent, especially regarding Chloé, but for Juleka's sake, let's make it so that people don't immediately associate her with maniacs from this."
"Yeah, fine," Alix groaned. "I can behave myself."
"That taken cared of, how are you feeling, Juleka?" Marinette asked.
"Kind of nervous," Juleka muttered, twirling a long bang around a finger. "And maybe lost."
"It's fine to feel like that," Marinette continued, firmly placing her hands on Juleka's arms. "I know competing in a Showcase without Rose is intimidating, but think back to everything you learned since starting your journey. You've come so far since the Coumarine Showcase. Back then, you didn't have a direction for becoming Kalos Queen and suffered from stage fright. But you have to remember that we're all behind you and cheering you on."
"Marinette…," Juleka smiled softly.
"We're your friends, Juleka," Marinette added decisively, followed by equally dedicated nods from the others. "We believe in you. Now you got to believe in yourself."
"Marinette's absolutely right, Juleka," Alya chimed in. "You know it's serious when she begins quoting from her favorite Ace Trainer."
"Alya!" Marinette squeaked, blushing brightly from the implication, eliciting mirthful laughter from everyone that already knew her predictable responses. "Wh-What's so wrong sharing that message? Everyday upon waking up, it's an inspiration to me!"
"I never said it was wrong, girl," Alya smirked. "I just like noting how much you've grown, too, to the point that you're sharing your sacred doctrine to everyone we know."
"W-Well, I already kind of… do that anyway," Marinette offered as her rebuttal. "Helping others is second nature to me, even without thinking about his words."
"Oh, I know," Alya responded knowingly. "I know."
"Teasing Marinette on her crush on Adrien for the umpteenth time aside, I think Juleka is raring to go," Alix commented, gesturing with a quick head tilt up to the taller girl. "You won't hear me say this often, but that smile she's got going on now… It's mind-blowingly gorgeous! Seriously, you gotta smile like that more often, Jules!"
"Your message really helped out, Marinette," Nathaniel praised. "And Juleka's really looking even more beautiful."
"Yeah, thanks," Juleka acknowledged, still bearing the genuinely radiant smile she had from watching her friends' antics. "… And being around you guys and your shenanigans, it feels nice. You all make me laugh."
"Glad to be of service," Marinette giggled.
Back at Route 18…
Chesnaught and Delcatty found themselves being pushed back, their feet dragging through the dirt before coming to a halt. Both of Wayhem's Pokémon slouched forward out of exhaustion on top of being covered in dirt and bruises from the ongoing battle. Adrien had just upped his game by having Marowak join Pyroar by riding on top of his back. It was already a challenge trying to take one of them down at a time. Now that they were together, it was clear to see how Adrien really lived up to be the son of the Kalos Champion.
"Whoa… Adrien and his Pokémon are more incredible than I imaged!" Wayhem gushed, though Kagami remained impassive over the current performance of both Trainers.
"Now Marowak, use Bonemerang on Chesnaught!" Adrien commanded, deciding to switch things up. "Pyroar, use Flamethrower on Delcatty!"
"Chesnaught, get down!" Wayhem bellowed.
The Spiny Armor Pokémon dove to the ground, hands covering the top of his head as Marowak's bone spun past him overhead. Once he was sure the bone was out of sight, Chesnaught got back up, completely unaware of the Bonemerang's return trip after passing a couple of trees. A focused gleam shone from Kagami's eyes once the bone had turned around.
The moment of truth, Kagami thought in anticipation.
Before anyone could've anticipated the next moment, Delcatty had immediately sprang into action, dodging Pyroar's Flamethrower and used her tail to knock the Bonemerang aside before it could've clobbered Chesnaught from behind, much to Wayhem's utter surprise and Adrien's stunned amazement. Caught off guard by this turn of events, Marowak leapt off Pyroar's back to retrieve her bone club.
"Whew… Close one," Wayhem muttered. "But I didn't see that Bonemerang return. And I didn't command Delcatty to do that."
"You're not aware of your own strength," Kagami lectured. "Or at least not glimpsing all of it."
"Wait, seriously?" Wayhem questioned.
"Remove your admiration goggles and take a good look at yourself and your Pokémon," Kagami advised. "I recognize you've raised your Pokémon pretty well to last this long against Adrien, but your hero worship is blinding you from your own capabilities. Delcatty had the instinct and skills to act the way she did, so how about you take your game up to the next level and not disappoint your Pokémon after all the hard work they've done?"
"Uh… I… Why are you helping me?" Wayhem responded, skeptic on the motivations behind the advice. "I mean, I know we're on better terms, but why do you care now about helping me? You've wanted Adrien for yourself, too."
"I can't stand incompetence," Kagami stated, softening her expression a bit as to not come off as completely heartless. There was something about adjusting to the company of others that just felt mindbogglingly foreign. After all, she had no need for friends since she had her Pokémon and her singular directive of bringing honor to her family. Maybe it was because of Adrien's kindness and Wayhem's earnestness, but Kagami was feeling some sort of connection being established between the three of them. It made her recall the words of her mother as she recited an old Sinnoh quote before she left on her journey. Nonetheless, she kept up her serious visage to maintain her appearance. "Don't get me wrong. I don't necessarily dislike you, but I prefer being around competent Trainers. So really, helping you is to everyone's benefit."
"She raises some good points, even if she was pretty blunt about them," Adrien concurred, sheepishly scratching the back of his head. "How about it? Do you want to continue?"
"Are you kidding? Of course, I wanna continue!" Wayhem pumped back to his hyperactive self. "Did you forget this moment of meeting and battling you is my journey's biggest highlight? And getting all this awesome feedback from you and Kagama has given me a better direction in raising my Pokémon." Kagami slapped a hand over her forehead due to the misnaming once more, but rather than be offended, she found herself amused by the antic, intentional or not. "You're looking at a reborn Bringer of Mayhem, Adrien! Here I go! Delcatty, intercept Marowak!"
Marowak had retrieved her bone staff, only for Delcatty to leap in on her as she turned around. Delcatty's tail sprung into action, grabbing hold of Marowak's bone, much to Marowak's surprise.
"What the?!" Adrien gasped.
"If I separate Marowak from her bone, then she'll be totally defenseless," Wayhem deduced. "You got this, Delcatty!"
"Pyroar, go help Marowak!" Adrien ordered.
The Royal Pokémon quickly bounded away from his confrontation with Chesnaught, who was too slow to reach out and grab him. Wayhem wondered how Chesnaught could catch up to Adrien's Pyroar when he quickly followed Pyroar's path pattern to be conveniently linear. It was then he had a crazy idea that had a fifty percent success rate as he wasn't sure if it was possible.
"Chesnaught, use Hammer Arm on the ground!" Wayhem yelled.
His Chesnaught picked up on his train of thought when his eyes also traced Pyroar's trail. With a strong arm held high, the Spiny Armor Pokémon slammed it down as hard as he could. The force from the impact generated a visible seismic shockwave that tore through the earth, speedily chasing after Pyroar during its growth.
Pyroar found himself stumbling when his right front paw fell through the crumbing earth. He jumped away out of instinct, unable to aid Marowak in a timely manner as his partner held to her bone tight while Delcatty tugged away to try and disarm her. Though he was reduced to watching while waiting for the previous Hammer Arm shockwave to disperse, Chesnaught caught up to him, raising another Hammer Arm to strike, thus resulting in another chase between the two. This left Adrien to figure out how to help Marowak out since Pyroar had plenty on his plate in dealing with Chesnaught.
"Marowak, Double-Edge!" Adrien commanded. It was time he upped his game as well. "Use Delcatty's force against her!"
"Ah! Delcatty, use Play Rough!" Wayhem reacted.
A harsh golden aura flared out of Marowak's body, prompting Delcatty to release her hold and back away. However, Marowak was swift as she tackled into the Prim Pokémon hard. Fighting through the pain while Marowak was charging into her, Delcatty managed to swing her tail over and strike the Bone Keeper Pokémon on the head to pull her in for a Play Rough counterattack.
Both Pokémon were soon consumed in another brawl dust cloud. Though strangely enough, the dust cloud was mobile due to Marowak persisting her Double-Edge charge, all the while Delcatty was pummeling her with her tail and paws. The dust cloud was seen crashing into a number of trees, which was presumably Marowak's own counter to Delcatty by crashing her into them. However, the movements within the cloud were slowing down due to fatigue. Both Marowak and Delcatty collapsed out of the dust cloud, breathing heavily.
"Marowak, are you okay?" Adrien called out.
"Delcatty?" Wayhem prompted, also worried.
Using her bone club to lift herself back to her feet, Marowak verified her endurance to continue. And though her opponent appeared to be quite boned, Delcatty also staggered upon standing at full height. As they stared each other down, Pyroar jumped in between them, backing away as Chesnaught was coming in closer.
"This match is reaching its end," Kagami remarked to herself. "All four Pokémon have reached their last legs."
"Now I've got you cornered!" Wayhem declared. "Chesnaught, finish this! Hammer Arm!"
"Marowak, use Double-Edge!" Adrien intervened.
This time, he had Marowak intercept Chesnaught mid-preparation, tackling brutally head-on while Chesnaught's arms were raised high. Despite being struck by an equivalent of a speeding cannonball, Chesnaught endured through the damage to smash both forearms upon Marowak, smacking her down into the ground, resulting her to bounce a couple of times before stopping flat on her face.
"Ha! That did it!" Wayhem cheered.
"I wouldn't be too sure about that," Adrien hummed cryptically, much to Wayhem's confusion. "Look closer."
"Wh-What?!" Wayhem found himself gaping upon seeing Marowak get back up, unable to comprehend how the Bone Keeper Pokémon was still standing after taking on all those attacks. "I don't understand! I was sure Marowak suffered additional damage from those Double-Edge attacks."
"Guess I should tell you," Adrien began to explain. "Marowak's Ability is Rock Head, meaning she suffers zero recoil damage from moves like Double-Edge. It's kind of cheap to rely on it heavily, but it does play to Marowak's strengths."
"And Marowak have naturally high defenses, which is how Adrien's Marowak was able to take on all those Play Rough and Hammer Arm hits," Kagami added.
"Gah! I should've known better!" Wayhem berated, scrambling his hands over his hair. "I shouldn't have taken Adrien's Pokémon as lightly as I did! Stupid!"
"Now it's my turn," Adrien announced. "Pyroar, Flamethrower on Chesnaught!"
Seizing the opportunity, Pyroar unleashed an intense Flamethrower stream upon Chesnaught, who was still recovering from his recent clash with Marowak. The Spiny Armor Pokémon was pushed back by the sheer power, finally giving way and collapsing upon his back. Unlike Marowak, Chesnaught showed no signs of getting back up.
"Aw, man!" Wayhem lamented, holding up Chesnaught's Poké Ball and recalling him. "Thank you for working hard as always, my fellow mayhem bringer." He quickly straightened himself out despite the first loss. If he was going down to Adrien, he was going to do it with his head held high. "It's just us now, Delcatty! Let's give it our all to the end and go down fighting! That way, Adrien won't see battling us as a waste of time!"
"Well, that's one positive way to look at it," Adrien smiled. "Marowak, get back on Pyroar!"
Marowak climbed back on her partner's back as the Royal Pokémon roared victoriously into the air. Adrien watched expectantly while Wayhem, though at awe of Pyroar's fierce regality, remained undeterred with his remaining Pokémon. A fleeting glow of red light washed over Pyroar's body as Moxie took effect. Even Kagami was impressed by the current stage of the battle despite the clear winner would soon be declared. Having watched an intense battle like this got her blood pumping, contrasting her usual reserved demeanor.
"Let's do this!" Wayhem shouted. "Delcatty, Hyper Voice!"
"Pyroar, use Flamethrower!" Adrien countered.
Both Delcatty and Pyroar opened their mouths to release their respective moves. Concentrated flames collided against intensified sound wave energy, building up pressure at their meeting point that resulted in a strong shockwave of wind blowing against all parties.
"Play Rough!"
Delcatty dashed in as the aftermath of the previous attack struggle died down, pouncing upon Pyroar and Marowak and dragging the both into a rough scuffle masked by the recognizable dust cloud decorated with a few stars. Sounds of wild pummeling echoed from the battlefield, only for them to end once Delcatty leapt out of the dust cloud with Pyroar and Marowak appearing haggard.
As a means to mitigate the blows from Play Rough, Marowak attempted to intercept most of them with her club whenever she could. She collapsed on Pyroar's back out of exhaustion. Though she had enough stamina to continue, it was likely that one more direct hit would finish Marowak for good.
"So resilient," Adrien commented. "Marowak, use Bonemerang!"
"Dodge!"
Marowak spun her bone before flinging it towards Delcatty. Ever alert, the Prim Pokémon leapt to the side to avoid the first attack while using her senses to focus on the Bonemerang's return trip. As expected, the Bonemerang spun through a few trees before making its arching return. Delcatty leapt back until she was sure she was out of the Bonemerang's path.
Unfortunately, she was too focused on the spinning bone to notice her opponents' movements as Pyroar approached gingerly from the side until he was within range to strike.
"Fire Fang!"
The entirety of Pyroar's maw was aflame as he charged in. Wayhem yelled out to his Pokémon to watch out, only for Delcatty to react a little too late. Pyroar chomped down with blazing teeth, repelling Delcatty back with a few scorch marks on her fur from the flames. It hadn't been a total downer for her though as Pyroar began to behave peculiarly as his Fire Fang ended.
"Talk about a lucky break," Wayhem let out a sigh.
"I got careless," Adrien gritted his teeth. "Pyroar is afflicted by Delcatty's Cute Charm. Maybe… Pyroar, Flamethrower!" No response from the Royal Pokémon as he was immobilized by love. "Okay then. Marowak, it's all up to you!"
"Not if I can help it!" Wayhem hollered. "Hyper Voice!"
"Bone Rush!"
Delcatty unleashed an intense scream to fend off the incoming Marowak. However, Marowak skillfully twirled her bone and used it to slice through the Hyper Voice soundwaves, cutting a path towards the vulnerable Prim Pokémon.
"No way!"
"Thunder Punch!"
Marowak maneuvered her way to one side as to break away from the Hyper Voice before sliding in closer while Delcatty attempted to transition from her attack. Delcatty was too slow to react as an electrified uppercut under her jaw sent her flying a short distance. Delcatty landed on her side, eyes in swirls as she moaned in fatigue.
"Man, I just got schooled," Wayhem fell to his knees before allowing himself to collapse onto his back. He was in a dazed state from the intensity of the battle, but moreover… "Wow, I just got whooped by Adrien… Awe-some!"
"Need a little help there?" Adrien offered his hand out, joined by Marowak and Pyroar. Wayhem reached out and pulled himself back on his feet. "That battle was a lot of fun. I learned a lot from it, too."
"I should be thanking you, Adrien," Wayhem grinned. "Again, sorry for having been all up in your face, but now I got to see your skills up close. Your Pokémon are super strong! Excuse me for a moment." He went over to where his Delcatty was lying as she stirred herself into consciousness. Wayhem held her Poké Ball up and began to recall her. "You were also awesome out there, Delcatty. Thanks."
"I've seen it all now," Kagami announced, approaching the two boys. She wasn't exactly all smiles, but she had a more approachable façade. "While it's still hard for me to say that the battle has validated Adrien's skills, I will say that watching the whole thing has… gotten me excited, for lack of a better term."
"You're really eager to battle Adrien next, aren't ya?" Wayhem guessed.
"No, not like this," Kagami shook her head. "I want him at full strength for the day we battle. Though I have to give credit where credit is due. For you to tire Adrien out like this, you do have what it takes to make it with the elite Trainers."
"Ah, geez!" Wayhem laughed bashfully. "Glad you finally think so, but really, it's because of my way cool Pokémon that I've made it this far."
"Hmm, at least you're not letting all the praise go to your head," Kagami smirked before turning her sights upon Adrien. "As for you, Adrien, I will also say that my desire to battle you has grown after seeing you in action."
"I accept your challenge, Kagami," Adrien nodded. "Name a place and time and I promise to be at full strength when we finally clash."
"Good," Kagami smiled a soft smile. Adrien had to admit to himself that she looked cute with that lovely smile, to the point that he hoped that she would learn to smile more often. "How about this? In five days at Couriway Town, meet me in front of the Pokémon Center at nine o'clock in the morning sharp. It is there and then we shall settle our differences. The time span should give you enough time to prepare."
"Can I watch?" Wayhem interrupted. "I mean, you've already seen our battle. I'd like to see you guys battle it out."
"I don't see why not," Adrien agreed.
"Very well," Kagami consented.
"All right!" Wayhem pumped a fist.
"In that case, best of luck to all of us," Adrien extended a hand out to Wayhem. "Thanks for the battle, Wayhem. I'm glad to have another friend and rival to meet again at the Kalos League."
"Y-You mean it?!" Wayhem tittered, grasping Adrien's hand with both hands and shaking him vigorously. "This is… THE best day of my life! I'm now one of Adrien's friends! I'm moving up in the world!"
"Uh, provided you tone down the, um, energy a bit," Adrien indicated with a small pinch.
"Right, right," Wayhem obeyed, backing off. "Not to get up in your face. Roger!"
"And I can't forget about you, Kagami," Adrien reached a hand out to her next, though she seemed rather surprised at the gesture. "Even though our battle won't be in until five days, I'm really looking forward to it and getting to see the power of the Tsurugi clan for myself. As you've just seen, I'm not going to be easy to take down."
Kagami blinked a few times before regaining awareness and accepting Adrien's handshake of friendship. The concept of friends was still new to her, not counting her relationship with her Pokémon. She hadn't thought much about that as she knew humans and Pokémon always had a special relationship between each other since the dawn of history. But in the case of her actually befriending another Trainer instead of treating them as a regular rival, it was then those words from that old Sinnoh saying her mother parted with her before she left for her journey were starting to make sense.
"When a life meets another life, something is born," Kagami instinctively recited by memory.
"Pardon?" Adrien prompted, confused by the random set of words his new rival uttered.
"Mmm, it's nothing," Kagami shook her head. "I'll… tell you about it the next time we meet." Just before she decided to take her leave, another thought occurred in her head, connected to the memory of the bluebell-eyed girl she met back at the Laverre fashion show and briefly saw recently at Anistar City two days ago. "By the way, Adrien, something tells me you have a really devoted friend."
"Huh? Oh, I should hope so," Adrien chuckled before looking away uneasily. "I really don't have many friends. And the friends I have now, I'm incredibly tight with them."
"Friendship is fantastic!" Wayhem concurred.
"Friends," Kagami repeated, sounding strangely wistful over the notion before turning away to leave. Are they… your source of power?
A little later in Anistar City…
"Cheers!" everyone tapped their glasses filled with Spinda's freshly made juice.
"To Juleka, for winning her second Princess Key!" Marinette exclaimed. "She pulled off an amazing chilling performance that won tons of creative points!"
"I know I couldn't have come up with a spooky combination with Jellicent and Gourgeist like she did," Alya added.
"It's a bolder step from her performance at the Laverre Showcase," Nathaniel agreed. "Using Jellicent's Ominous Wind to hide themselves in with Gourgeist singing an eerie song while using Trick-or-Treat to wow the crowd before the big finale. Those scenes won't leave my head any time soon. I have to draw it out."
"I always knew you'd take the cake, or Princess Key, in this case, Juleka," Alix jested. "It's also a convenient excuse to have Marinette's Spinda make us these wicked juice cocktails to celebrate with."
"Thanks, all," Juleka blushed, taking a sip of her drink.
Once the Anistar Showcase had concluded with Juleka sealing her victory with help from her latest Pokémon, Gourgeist and Jellicent, they all reconvened back in the Anistar Pokémon Center for a private celebration. Marinette felt that it was important to keep Juleka feeling great about herself, even with her temporarily separated from Rose, and this small party with close friends was bound to cement Juleka's self-confidence.
Though even if Juleka had lost, there was still reason to celebrate Juleka's growth. As Marinette had put it, it was what friends did regardless. For the good and for the bad, Marinette was determined to make sure all her friends' needs were met. To celebrate with them during prosperity and to weep with them during troubled times.
That, and as Alix had stated, it was also the opportunity for her to show off Spinda's talents.
"Well, with the Showcase now over with, it's our turn, Marinette," Alix announced. "We'll be facing the Anistar Gym Leader for a badge. So who's going for tomorrow?"
"You can go if you like, Alix," Marinette offered.
"Hmm, but you were here first though," Alix pondered. "It doesn't feel right to cut in front of you like that."
"But being first means I have first pick on whatever I want to do," Marinette explained. "I'm still trying to figure out my strategy for the Gym before I go in there, Poké Balls ablazing."
"Huh, good point," Alix muttered. "Yeah, that'd be a good idea to think about what Pokémon to use. Anistar's a Psychic Gym. I have Yanmega, a part Bug-type. And come to think of it, you have a couple of Bug-types, Marinette. What are ya worrying about again?"
"Hey, you can never be too cautious," Marinette responded.
"Fair enough," Alix shrugged. "Guess I'll hold off on the Gym battle and train for a bit. Say, why don't we train together tomorrow?"
"Sure, I'm down for that plan," Marinette smiled.
"Girl, don't forget, we're making that stop to the Sundial tomorrow," Alya reminded. "It's time we checked that item off our Kalos bucket list."
"Ooh, yeah, the Anistar Sundial," Alix pounded a fist in her open palm. "I've been meaning to check it out on my dad and Jalil's recommendation. There's supposed to be some sort of connection between it and Mega Evolution somehow."
"I vote for seeing the Sundial together," Nathaniel raised his hand.
"Same," Juleka followed suit.
"This is great!" Marinette beamed, taking a sip of her juice. "Field trip to the Sundial!"
Sorry for the late postings, but full-time work tires me out to the point that I'm too drained to write more than a single word before going to bed. I've finally finished school to the point that I found work, and the rest just snowballed there.
A few of you had expected Kagami to finally meet and battle Adrien. Well, you were half-right. She and Adrien officially meet here, but this was also the perfect opportunity to introduce Wayhem into the story. He reminds me a bit of Barry from Diamond & Pearl due to his hyperactive personality, not to mention that Barry from the anime was Paul's fanboy. And initially, I was going to have Adrien battle both Wayhem and Kagami at the same time, but that became too overwhelming for me to handle and I considered the fact that Kagami wouldn't agree to a multi battle if it meant teaming up with someone else just to take down Adrien. I think she would have more pride than that. Plus, it provides opportunity for further development in building up hers and Adrien's rivalry with their future battle in Couriway Town, a town connecting differences.
As for mixing between Adrien's journey with the Anistar Showcase, as you have read, I've had to cut some things, which included Juleka's full performance. I'm really sorry to the Juleka fans out there for shafting her like this, but I was out of creative juices in writing out her performance and I didn't want to drag out this already lengthy chapter, so instead, I filled that timeslot in with Adrien's battle. But there will be future Showcases for Juleka to compete in for her final Princess Key, and hopefully by then, those chapters would be Showcase-focused and I would have planned out in illustrating future performances better.
And as for Alix and Nathaniel's involvement, I did have some sort of friendship between them planned out early stages when pairing up the classmates. They were tag team partners back at Parfum Palace, way back when. And after seeing "Reverser", I thought about fully establishing their dynamics similarly to their interactions from that episode.
Please review!
