"So, this weird dream of mine last night had me suddenly uncoordinated like Marinette—."

"Hey!"

"… Sorry, you're not completely uncoordinated, Marinette. But I lost my ability to skate in my dream. I kept eating it on the ground, and I was so scared when I woke up and thought I couldn't move my body because of all those wipeout injuries."

The small group of former Lumiose Academy classmates were making their way to the Anistar Sundial for today as planned since yesterday following Juleka's hauntingly amazing victory in the Anistar Rookie Class Showcase, earning her second Princess Key and leaving her one more step for Master Class eligibility. After a pleasant breakfast and tending to the individual needs of their Pokémon at the Anistar Pokémon Center, Marinette led the charge to visit the Sundial in person.

As an idea to make their walking to the Sundial not so boring, Alix had opted to voice a dream, or rather a nightmare, she had last night. As it was the first nightmare she had in a long time, she was relatively fine for the most part, if not particularly acerbic and full of attitude due to her rude awakening. And as supportive friends, Marinette and the others were willing to let her vent it out, though lines had to be drawn when she inadvertently insulted them while describing her nightmare.

"That's quite the nightmare, Alix," Alya remarked. "That's still no excuse to take shots at my BFF."

"With a nightmare like that, I can't help but wonder if a Darkrai visited you last night," Nathaniel shared with a contemplative look. "Come to think of it, I dreamt my Pokémon sketches came to life and attacked me, hating me for the way they turned out."

"Please tell me a Darkrai didn't actually visit us," Marinette whimpered, the thought of the mythical Pokémon most infamous for causing those sleeping around it to have nightmares suddenly descending upon them during the dead of night not sitting well with her.

"That'd be cool, actually," Juleka murmured to herself.

"Why? Did you have a nightmare too, Marinette?" Alix asked.

"Huh? Oh, uh, no," Marinette quickly dismissed the notion with a shake of her head. It wouldn't have made sense as she didn't even remember having a bad dream the night before unless it was too traumatic for her to remember. Nope, just the usual pleasant fantasies of being married to Adrien and having their three children and Dedenne, whose nickname she just couldn't recall no matter how many times she daydreamed of the scene. "It's all probably coincidence you guys had bad dreams. Yup, no Darkrai involved whatsoever. Hee hee…"

"Still, it was interesting to know what you guys fear the most," Alya noted. "Thanks for volunteering that information."

"You better not be planning blackmail, Alya, or I swear," Alix warned.

"C'mon, you know I'm better than that, Alix," Alya winked. "Journalist's honor!"

"Really," Alix didn't look convinced. "Then mind telling us what you fear?"

"You're not going to ask me?" Marinette wondered, half glad she was spared from the prying question while the other half felt affronted for not being invited to the party, in a sense.

"You're too obvious, Marinette," Alix brushed off. "It's probably something like Adrien proclaiming his undying love for a girl that's not you."

"Hey!" Marinette was instantly all red in the face before she shrunk back. Her mortified expressions had pretty much confirmed Alix's hypothesis. "… Don't ever joke about that."

"What about you, Juleka?" Nathaniel asked for the sake of getting her involved.

"Oh… uh… Being alone, I guess," Juleka mumbled, rubbing her arm self-consciously. "Yeah…"

Though she hid her emotions pretty well for the most part, separating from Rose to continue on their own paths to the Master Class was one of the most difficult trials Juleka had to face. It was nearly why she almost didn't go through with the Anistar Showcase until Marinette and the others convinced her otherwise to do her best. As far as Juleka was concerned, she felt that she got lucky winning this Rookie Class Showcase, but she feared the next time she would compete in a Pokémon Showcase won't be as fortunate.

"I don't think you have to worry about that," Nathaniel smiled. "Even with Rose on her own, you're still friends. And you have us, right?"

"Uh-huh," Juleka nodded.

"Now that everyone's shared their fears, it's your turn, Alya," Alix interceded. "Spill."

"Well… I'm not sure how to say it, so how about I start with a story," Alya explained, glacing away. "One night long ago, I decided to share a scary story with the twins I found that revolved around the Pokémon, Hypno, how Hypno likes to pursue little children for their dreams and spiriting them away if they misbehaved. Unfortunately, that story I found online worked a little too well."

"So basically, you scarred your sisters for life because of that Hypno story," Alix surmised.

"They hated me and refused to talk to me for two weeks," Alya looked down guiltily. "I felt so bad doing that to them."

"I think I get it, what's really happening, I mean," Marinette intervened. "It's not so much as being scared of Hypno. It's the idea of not being able to protect and help your sisters from threats like that scary Hypno story you shared."

"How'd you figure that out?" Nathaniel asked.

"Back at the scary house, Alya shared with me her experience when we were separated," Marinette explained. "Oh, uh, Alya, do you mind?"

"I got this," Alya nodded. "Long story short, I ran into the illusion of the twins possessed by some demonic entity. Definitely the freakiest scene I've ever been a part of. To say I was surprised to even find them in the scary house was an understatement. Seriously, what were they doing in a place like that?!"

"Way to throw me for a loop with the whole Hypno herring," Alix huffed. "But I can see it too and why you'd pass the buck. That Pokémon's got an online rep for being a child molester."

"I guess anything that endangers my sisters count, not just Hypno," Alya muttered. "Man, I got an earful from my parents and Nora when they found out."

"Nora?" Marinette questioned, only to facepalm upon remembering a second later. "Oh, duh! Never mind! Sorry!"

"Seriously, girl?" Alya laughed. "We've been friends for years and you forgot about all my immediate family members? Ha! I don't blame you. You haven't even met her in person. Only once over webcam."

"Who's Nora?" Alix asked.

"She's a strong battler and my older sister," Alya explained. "She stayed in Alola to train for the island challenge while the rest of us moved to Kalos." She looked away in exasperation. "We keep in touch from time to time, but she keeps telling me to come back to Alola, saying that it's not safe to stay in Kalos when she heard about Team Akuma's recent activities. As if! It's not like the Alola region is a paradise either. There're some hooligans here and there harassing the local folk, for one."

"She probably misses you a lot," Marinette offered. "Then again, I'm an only child, so I don't really know. Alix? Juleka? You have older siblings, too. What do you girls think?"

"I think that's part of it," Alix answered. "Though with Jalil, his nose is always in Kalos history books, so I doubt he misses me."

"You don't know that," Juleka rebutted, surprisingly on point despite her mumbling.

"Juleka's right," Marinette concurred. "Everyone's different in how they show affection. From what I can tell, Alix, your relationship with your brother is healthy. And Juleka, Luka really cares about you and wants you to open up more, even if you think he's a bit… eccentric in his methods."

Alix and Juleka looked at other as they pondered upon Marinette's words. There was solid truth regarding the foundations of unconditional familial love expressed uniquely within different families. That much, they were aware, but Marinette's attempt at a pep talk was certainly a refresher on how important the principles of family were. It was easy for the dark-bluenette designer to say, considering she knew nothing but love and trust from her doting parents.

"It's always so uplifting to listen to you, girl," Alya smiled. "If I could, I'd stay by your side the whole way, but my internship sadly takes me away time to time."

"It's fine, now that I know," Marinette waved off. "Just give me the heads up when you have to head back to Lumiose City."

"I'm impressed you've been able to balance out interning for Lumiose Press and supporting Marinette in her journey, Alya," Alix remarked.

"And handle Delphox Rouge's emergence into Kalos," Alya added under her breath.

"What's up?" Alix prompted, giving her a skeptic look over the words she couldn't hear.

"Nothing," Alya brushed off. "I'm just glad the higher-ups are letting me still travel with my BFF as long as I have a fresh scoop to share when I report in."

"Hey, uh, I hate to interrupt all this talk about the importance of families, but we're close to the Sundial now," Nathaniel alerted.

As the red-headed artist announced, they were entering the huge public walkway that displayed the monumental Sundial. A few bystanders and their Pokémon aside, Marinette and her friends soon found how spacious the area just became around them. The Sundial, glittering under the day sun, stood in its ancient and mysterious glory. Historians, scientists, and various researchers up to this very day were still working on cracking the Sundial's case, mainly its origins and purpose for existing in this world.

"So pretty!" Marinette tittered.

Her comment, though accompanied by adoring sparkling bluebell eyes, was underrated regarding the complete majesty of the Sundial perched upon the body of water surrounding the northern section of Anistar City. Her friends were also in awed agreement upon seeing this glittering megalith up close.

"Whew, now that's one fancy stone!" Alix grinned. "I can totally see my dad and brother all over this thing. They'd be scrutinizing it for months!"

"I don't blame them," Nathaniel said, eyes glued to the Sundial's beauty. "Trying to draw the Sundial to complete perfection would take weeks for me."

"I think I can design something out of this," Marinette agreed. "It's just so beautiful. I want everyone to know of it!"

"I'm all for it, girl," Alya gave her a tight one-armed hug.

"Same," Alix grinned. "If I were to get anything girly, I'd get them from you, Marinette."

"Mega awesome," Juleka added.

They quieted down once more to take in the Sundial's awesome visage, paying no heed to the people and Pokémon that were passing through to also admire this special monument. Of course, a bit of time wound up passing with the sun slightly shifting its position in the sky, further indicated by the change of the Sundial's shadow's position. It was then that Alya voiced her rising curiosity of the enigmatic Anistar Sundial.

"It might be a long shot, but if I can track down the people that intimately know the Sundial, then maybe I have a chance in unraveling its mysteries," Alya muttered. "Problem is I don't know where or who to start."

"There's always Professor Damocles," Marinette offered.

"My dad and brother can help," Alix mentioned. "This Sundial basically looks like one huge Mega Stone to me and Mega Evolution has been their specialty."

"You're not getting anywhere with that kind of cheap help," an intruding and irritatingly familiar voice sneered from behind. "Sad to say, but they're not as high up in authority as you think."

"Oh, no," Marinette felt an uncomfortable chill climb up the back of her neck as she and the others turned to face their harasser, all in her yellow uppity pride. "Y-You! Chloé!"

"Me, Dupain-Cheng," she smirked in her imitation of her astonished rival.

The air had tensed from friendly jibes to dire grimness within less than a millisecond with the sudden reappearance of the prodigal daughter of the Pokémon League Committee President before their eyes. No one aside from Adrien had been in good terms with her and Sabrina was considered the gray area on the matter. The last time that any of them had heard of Chloé had been back in Coumarine City, wherein her attempts to beat Marinette in a Pokémon battle were for naught as she stormed off following her own shameful defeat. She didn't even show up for the class reunion held in Lumiose City even though Rose sent her an electronic invitation simply because she was part of their Academy classroom family.

"Look who finally decided to crawl out of her hole of shame Marinette dug for her back in Coumarine," Alya countered. "You wanna start something?"

"Hmph, I was never in any hole to begin with," Chloé huffed, finding her recently manicured fingernails more interesting than her former classmates. "If anything, I was leading an exciting life without any of you losers slowing me down since that day."

"Why show up now, Chloé?" Alix demanded. "I was looking forward to a simple day of checking out the Sundial until you showed up! And the last class reunion was actually enjoyable without you picking on everyone."

"Oh, did you now," Chloé feigned interest. "I suppose even commoners like you deserve a day."

"Have you forgotten about Sabrina?" Nathaniel questioned. "Your so-called best friend who's lost in purpose because of you? She's been worried sick!"

"Please, Sabrina can handle herself," Chloé brushed off. "Besides, isn't this what you wanted? For Sabrina to have a dream for herself without me 'bossing her around' or however you call it?"

"Seriously, you're just being cruel now," Alya growled.

"'Now'?" Alix snorted.

"You didn't answer Alix's previous question, Chloé," Marinette intervened coolly. "Why are you here?"

"Get a clue, Dupain-Cheng," Chloé glared, gingerly making her way to them in arrogant strides. "Why do you think I'd put in the effort to come to some city with a Gym with the side benefit of finding you? You, another miserable fangirl who's deluded herself in having a chance with Adrien!"

"Excuse me?!" Marinette yelped, giving in to the taunting as it involved a certain blond boy they both adored. "Fangirl?! Oh, no, you didn't! I'm anything but 'some fangirl'! My love for Adrien is real! Though I can't say the same for you, clingy brat!"

"Annoying us to death can't be the only reason why you're here," Alya quickly came to Marinette's defense, placing her hands on her shoulders to prevent her BFF from lashing out and turning the whole confrontation into a fist fight. As entertaining as it would to watch her BFF beat the snot out of the snotty snob in front of them, that action was bound to cause major problems down the road. "You can't be even more petty than before. That would just… blow my mind."

"It's not surprising for Chloé to sink into a new low because of a grudge," Nathaniel frowned.

"Really sad indeed," Juleka nodded.

"On the contrary, I'm reached a new high since that humiliation," Chloé countered. "More to the point, I'm here not only for revenge, but to reach newer heights."

"What are you going on about now, Chloé?" Alix demanded.

"Marinette may be a constant thorn on my side, but my real target is that Alto Mare social climber, Lila," Chloé hissed. "She's more of a threat to me and my Adrikins than Dupain-Cheng can ever be! She's cunning, for one thing! I can't let Adrien fall for her wiles! He's too kind to tell her off, which is why I'll tell her off for him! What kind of future wife would I be if I didn't protect Adrien from a ridiculous floozy like her!" Marinette practically exploded in raging hot flames from the last sentence with Alya struggling to quell her anger despite being comically ignited in fire from being close to her. "No, Marinette's nothing more than a stepping stone to reach that Lila Rossi. Ridiculously enough, I'm actually here to thank Marinette."

"… Th-Thank me?" Marinette ceased her fuming rage with a wary response. "For what?"

"Losing to you helped open my eyes," Chloé continued, strutting around the small group for the sake of dramatics. "Though if I were to have lost to someone, I would've preferred it to have been someone who's actually a competent Trainer, like Adrien."

"Marinette is ten times the Pokémon Trainer you'll ever be, Chloé," Alya retaliated.

"That was all beginner's luck," Chloé waved off. "An utterly ridiculous amount of beginner's luck. You got off lucky last time because of Servine's disobedience."

"What did you do to your starter?" Marinette asked, worried about the implications of Chloé's treatment to her Pokémon due to that incident.

"What do you think?" Chloé shot back. "Obviously, I had to regain her obedience one way or another. And all I can say is that it wasn't an easy task." She shook her head before lifting it back up, nostrils flaring and blue eyes glaring. "You have no idea on how much effort I had to exert to get it done."

"What do you mean by that?" Marinette questioned. "You're not making sense."

"Prepare to eat your words, Dupain-Cheng, because I've proved be a real Trainer despite having to wear my aching feet to the ground from walking everywhere," Chloé pulled a small object out of her yellow jacket. "I don't need your sympathy this time, but I do want you to check this out. Utterly ridiculous the battle was to get this."

"Wait a minute," Alix narrowed her eyes to examine the object. "That's the Anistar Gym's Psychic Badge!"

"Chloé beat the Anistar Gym?!" Alya iterated with great incredulity. Marinette was left completely speechless while Nathaniel and Juleka exchanged stunned glances. "Nuh-uh! There's no way that's the real Badge! She must've paid off someone to make it or paid the Gym Leader for it!"

"Nope, sorry, Alya, but that's the real deal," Alix shook her head. "It has that special shine only available from the rare material used to make the official Pokémon League Badges."

"If you really want to find out if I bribed the Gym Leader, why don't challenge me?" Chloé taunted, putting away her Psychic Badge. "How about it, Marinette? I was hoping to seek you out to 'thank' you personally for that humiliation while finishing up collecting badges for the Kalos League. Then once I've proven my power over you once and for all, I can go find that Lila and tell her to buzz off!"

"I accept your challenge if it'll get you to buzz off," Marinette seethed. While the voice of reason in her head urged her to tell her what happened to Lila due to their shared dislike for the Alto Mare temptress, Marinette wasn't about to let Chloé off after all the things she said. "I'm always ready to knock you down a peg, Chloé."

"Right here and right now, we're settling this in another three-on-three battle," Chloé pulled out a Poké Ball. "We'll continue battling until the last one stands. I'll warn you not to take me lightly. Are you ready, Marinette Dupain-Cheng? You're about to witness the rise of the true Queen of the Kalos region! Honchkrow, let's take her down!"

Out of Chloé's Poké Ball emerged Murkrow's evolved form, bearing the appearance of a shady boss in the form of a dual Dark and Flying-type Pokémon. A foul squawk echoed from Honchkrow's beak upon descending to the ground, having shown off her new capabilities in a short flight show.

"She evolved her Murkrow, so what," Marinette muttered, selecting her first Pokémon to battle against Honchkrow. "I'm not going to lose to her. I'll start things off with my 'lucky charm,' just like last time. Togetic, let's go!"

Togetic took flight in a burst of twinkling dust upon release, floating to the center to meet up with her old opponent, who she recognized from the last fight they had in Coumarine City. Much like their Trainers, the two opposing Pokémon shared an intense glare that was sure to spark real flames of spite.

"I remember this matchup," Juleka announced quietly. "Same as before when they first battled, but their Pokémon didn't evolve yet."

"I remember it, too," Nathaniel added, reflecting on the aforementioned battle's various moments. "Marinette was incredible as always, but Chloé was surprisingly good, at least up until Servine rebelled."

"Think we'll get a repeat performance of Marinette kicking Chloé to the curb?" Alya quipped.

"If you think that's going to happen, then think again!" Chloé countered. "The notion for a repeat performance nothing short than utter ridiculousness!"

What's her aim here? Marinette thought, analyzing Chloé's behavior and her underlying motives since she made her reappearance. With her anger towards her former bully temporarily suspended, Marinette was able to see the bigger picture instead of simply having the searing image of Chloé picking on her burned in the forefront of her mind. She would've normally dismissed Chloé being her bratty self, but Marinette's own growth from her journey had inspired the idea to investigate behind Chloé's true nature. That, and Chloé seemed surprisingly calm and sure of herself in challenging her immediately to a battle. Was it because she was still fresh off her victory from the Anistar Gym? The only way to find out was to go through with this little game. There's got to be more to it than revenge, but what? Why are you like this, Chloé?

"Welp, seeing as I'm the only one with solid battle experience aside from Marinette, I'll be the judge," Alix announced, stepping into position. "All right! Let this three-on-three grudge battle begin!"


Marinette Dupain-Cheng (Togetic, ?, ?) VS Chloé Bourgeois (Honchkrow, ?, ?)


"I'll be gracious and let you go first, Marinette," Chloé goaded. "I'm actually curious to see if that baby Togetic of yours actually got any stronger since last time."

"Don't mock my Pokémon, Chloé," Marinette glared. "I warned you last time. Togetic, use Dazzling Gleam!"

Togetic's body lit up until she consumed in a blinding flash. Colorful rays sprayed out from the Happiness Pokémon's body, raining upon Honchkrow as she cawed in anguish from the super effective hit. However, Honchkrow had enough strength to repel the remaining Dazzling Gleam with a brandish of her black feathery wings.

"Fairy always beats Dark, much like how Marinette will always beat Chloé," Alya said assuredly.

"Honchkrow, use Night Shade!" Chloé countered

Regaining her bearings from the first assault, Honchkrow prepped a concentration of ghostly dark energy in front of her beak before launching it, allowing it take form into a ghastly abomination that crashed head-on into Togetic. Though the Night Shade dispersed as quickly as it formed, Togetic was still shaken up from the attack as remnants of Ghost energy crackled throughout her body.

"Hang tough, Togetic!" Marinette yelled. "Let's get back at them! Extrasensory!"

"What?!" Alya attempted to intervene, wondering what prompted her BFF to suddenly call for an ineffective move.

"Ha! You've lost it!" Chloé laughed in triumph. "Steel Wing!"

"Aim for the ground!" Marinette diverted.

Togetic's eyes, which were already glowing from her Psychic-type move, gazed upon the ground she was flying over. She focused her power on one of the stone blocks that formed the ground arrangement in front of the Sundial, forcing it to fly straight up at the same time Honchkrow charged in to attack.

The unexpected tactic knocked Honchkrow for a loop as the levitating rock struck her from below, interrupting her flight as the stone block slowly came to a stop. Togetic then redirected the block back for a second hit.

"You're not getting us twice!" Chloé shouted. "Steel Wing! Come on!"

Shaking off the initial blunt trauma she suffered from the blindsiding block, Honchkrow focused on the returning rock controlled by the mysterious power of Togetic's Extrasensory. With both wings charged up, the Big Boss Pokémon slashed vertically to dismantle the stone block in half, rendering it useless for Togetic to maintain her hold over.

Honchkrow then smirked, seizing the opportunity to fly in with Togetic fully vulnerable in plain view. Before anyone else could react, she used her remaining wing to smack Togetic to the ground. The power behind that particular Steel Wing had been strong enough to leave a Togetic-shaped impression upon the earth.

"No! Togetic!" Marinette cried, hands gripped around the sides of her face. "Are you okay?!"

"Tochii…," Togetic chirped weakly, managing to sit up from her hole. She was already dirtied and bruised after one super effective strike Steel Wing, even with Togetic's significant defenses. It was also then that Marinette realized that her Pokémon had suffered a critical hit. What rotten luck. "Toh-chiicka…"

"Can you keep going?" Marinette asked. While she wanted to win against Chloé, she didn't want to push her Pokémon past her limits to the point of serious injury. Marinette didn't feel as guilty when Togetic responded back with a simple smile and nod back. "Whew…"

"Don't get too comfortable, Dupain-Cheng, because your Togetic's not getting back up after this," Chloé grinned viciously as she brought her arms together, as if to make some sort of pose. She called out her next command, brandishing her arms out the same way Honchkrow would spread her wings. "Sky Attack!"

"Aah! U-Use Dazzling Gleam!"

Honchkrow lifted herself up before descending at a rapid pace, ignited in a brilliant golden-orange aura as part of her merciless dive of devestation. Not the incoming multicolored rays of Dazzling Gleam were able to slow her down. Togetic waited helplessly as her last desperate attempt couldn't divert Honchkrow from her warpath, the last thing she saw before the imminent crash being Honchkrow's cruel expression behind Sky Attack's bright energy cloak.

The impact of such a powerful attack resulted in a huge dust cloud being kicked up into the air, obscuring both Pokemon for a brief amount of time before Honchkrow revealed herself flying out of it. When the dust cleared from the ground, Togetic was lying on her back in an even deeper hole.

"Hate to say it, but Togetic's unable to battle," Alix muttered with a scoff. "This means Honchkrow wins the first round."

"So, what's that you said about a 'repeat performance'?" Chloé mocked as Honchkrow flew back to her side. "Told you your first victory over me was nothing but a fluke of dumb luck!"

"It's not over yet, Chloé," Marinette grumbled, recalling Togetic back to her Poké Ball and and gazing upon the containment device contemplatively. "I'm so sorry, Togetic. I got overconfident thinking we could take out Chloé like before. I promise I won't be careless after this."

"So Chloé can actually put on a big game if she actually puts effort into it," Alya noted, glancing over to Marinette next. "Hope that was a wake-up call for Marinette. Chloé is really going all out for this one."

"You really think she got that much stronger since Coumarine City?" Nathaniel asked.

"It's still too early to judge that, I think," Alya answered. "She evolved her Murkrow. That much we know. We can't immediately assume that the rest of her Pokémon have gotten stronger since then until we see them in action. Though I hate to admit that Chloé might actually have a chance winning the battle, I'm still gonna bet on my girl through and through."

"Huh, might? Try 'will win the battle,'" Chloé continued, crossing her arms. "You stand no chance in defeating the rising Queen!"

"You win the first round and suddenly, you think you've won it all," Marinette huffed. "I don't understand how Honchkrow could've knocked Togetic out so quickly."

"Funny thing about luck, Marinette Dupain-Cheng," Chloé started smugly. "Honchkrow's Ability happens to be Super Luck. I'll give you three guesses on where your dumb luck went."

"I get it," Alix snorted. "I thought I was seeing things, but both Steel Wing and Sky Attack landed crits. Togetic didn't stand a chance, especially since she's weak to Steel attacks."

"Gaaahh!" Marinette wailed skyward as to let out her frustration before refocusing on the battle. "Whew… Glad to get that out of my system."

"How predictable to see you freak out when you're not hiding behind your dumb luck," Chloé goaded, narrowing her eyes cattily. "So much for raising that baby Pokémon of yours the right way. So not exceptional. You call yourself a good mother with that pathetic excuse of a Pokémon?"

"You're really asking for it now, aren't you?" Marinette fumed darkly. "I know I'm not the perfect caretaker, but I do know that I'm more exceptional at it than you!" She allowed more of her anger to provide her next set of words. "And what does this say about the people who raised you? How do your own parents feel? Do they really think what you're doing to us makes you exceptional?"

"I AM exceptional!" Chloé snarled, much to everyone's surprise. It was clear that Marinette had hit a sore spot, well sorer spot, on Chloé to get her this riled up. "I'll make sure everyone knows that! Starting with you! Dupain-Cheng!"

"Sheesh, what up with the random temper tantrum?" Alya sighed.

"Hmm, you think there's something about Chloé that we don't know?" Nathaniel inquired thoughtfully.

"Aside from the fact that she's a self-entitled brat who thinks she's the strongest Trainer in Kalos next to Adrien?" Alya filled in wryly.

"That, and something else," Juleka added.

"Something else?" Nathaniel repeated. "Do you have an idea on what's behind Chloé's anger, Juleka?"

"She's mean," Juleka said after a few seconds of tense observation. "That's all I see."

"Ugh, so much for that buildup," Alya facepalmed. "I almost believed there's a reason behind her… 'Chloéness'."

"Whatever the reason, I'm still going to win," Marinette muttered, throwing her second Poké Ball without hesitation. Forget trying to understand the bratty pest. There was no way she was going to let Chloé get away treating her Togetic like that. "Spinda, you're up next!"

Chloé didn't even bother holding back her derisive laughter upon seeing Spinda take to the field, only to fall flat on his face from trying to make a supposedly cool pose upon release. Alya lowered her head with a hand upon her forehead while Nathaniel and Juleka were worried.

"Hey, get it together!" Alix ordered. "Second round starts now!"

"Time to make this two for two," Chloé smirked. "Honchkrow, use Night Slash!"

Pushing off her accumulated fatigue from the last battle, Honchkrow dove in, tip of her right wing glowing violet. Seeing as her opponent had tripped and landed on his face the moment he was called out to battle, Honchkrow saw this as an easy victory and charged in to claim it, seemingly made all the more convenient as Marinette hadn't issued a command to Spinda since the next round began.

Had neither the Pokémon nor the Trainer been so overconfident from their fresh victory, they would've taken Marinette's imperturbable smile more seriously.

"Gotcha!" Marinette cheered.

The moment Honchkrow swooped in for the slice, Spinda performed a remarkably flexible backwards bend to avoid the Night Slash. With nothing but air to strike, Honchkrow wound up momentarily losing her balance in the air, flapping her wings frantically to pull herself back up and retreat while lamenting over how much of a fool she just made herself out to be with that failure of an attack.

"How the?!" Chloé yelped. "That shouldn't be possible! Utterly ridiculous! Rrgh! Honchkrow, Night Slash again! This time, don't miss!"

The Big Boss Pokémon flew up to perform a U-turn and prepare another Night Slash attempt, this time eyes focused on every little movement Spinda was making. She dove in overhead once more, but at the last second, Spinda playfully tumbled to the side and out of range as Honchkrow was forced to fly back up, missing her target once again.

"No dice, Chloé!" Alya laughed. "You're in for it now!"

"Ridiculous!" Chloé spat. "Night Slash and Steel Wing back to back! Don't stop, not even when you catch that Spinda!"

As to fulfill her given commands, Honchkrow powered her wings separately, the right wing bearing the violet swipe of Night Slash while the left wing shone of Steel Wing. Once she was ready, she descended to unleash a barrage of wing slices upon Spinda's head, hoping that the Spot Panda Pokémon would eventually tire out from all the dodging.

But no matter how fast her reflexes were or at what angle she swung, Spinda managed to squirm and maneuver out of the way. It was getting to the point that Honchkrow desperately used her beak and talons to reach out to Spinda, but he remained untouchable. He didn't appear worse for wear, but Honchkrow did with the wildly used moves. Honchkrow cawed in frustration upon climbing high in the air, wondering how a loopy clown of a Pokémon like that Spinda was giving her the slip every time.

"Not sorry to disappoint, Chloé, but my Spinda is more capable than he appears," Marinette smirked.

"Then I'm ending this farce of a battle with one move!" Chloé declared. "One that Spinda can't trip his way out of!" She dramatically flourished her arms out wide to call out her trump card. "Sky Attack!"

"It's our turn now! Spinda, use Teeter Dance!"

While evading Honchkrow's attacks had been amusing, Spinda was pleased to finally fight back as he brought his arms together and swayed his body rhythmically. A peculiar sensation soon befell upon Honchkrow mid-charging, causing her to pause before imitating Spinda's dancing with her waving wings. Honchkrow herself appeared to be lost to the Teeter Dance trance.

"What is this?! Aargh! Honchkrow, get it together! Sky Attack!"

The fiery orange-gold aura cloak dimmed down until Honchkrow's form was completely visible, having lost her senses to confusion. The tips of her wings glowed violet, using Night Slash against nothing but air.

"Now, Spinda! Rapid Spin!"

Once he stopped dancing, Spinda sprinted forward, only to tumble into a continuous somersault. While it appeared that the Spot Panda Pokémon tripped once more, he managed to bounce up from his roll, using his achieved moment to break out of his curled form before unfurling his arms out and spinning horizontally like a top, pummeling Honchkrow with a barrage of clothesline strikes.

"Ridiculous!" Chloé couldn't help but gripe.

"Dizzy Punch!" Marinette thrusted a fist out.

As if their movements were in tune, Spinda concluded his Rapid Spin with a sudden punch to the face, forceful enough to send Honchkrow barreling into the railing guard in front of the Sundial. The impact didn't dent the metallic rail, but the painful crash had depleted Honchkrow of her remaining stamina as she flopped upon the ground with a dazed expression.

"Honchkrow is unable to battle!" Alix declared. "The crazy awesome juice-making Spinda wins!"

"Yeah, because that doesn't show complete favoritism," Alya smirked. "But awesome work, Marinette and Spinda! Just don't let it all get to your head!"

"Beaten by a Spinda and subjected to confusion?" Chloé huffed, recalling her defeated Honchkrow. "Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!"

"Now who's taking who lightly," Marinette retaliated. "You may have gotten stronger, Chloé, but I haven't been slacking off either."

"Hmph, I see that now," Chloé glared, but formed a smirk despite her loss. "But my victory won't mean anything if you hadn't actually progressed, Dupain-Cheng. Once you're out of the way, I'm taking Lila on for myself. I'll teach her not to seduce my Adrikins in front of my face!"

"I won't let you," Marinette frowned. "One: she's mine. And two: Lila's tougher than she looks."

"She has a point, Chloé," Alya interceded. She remembered how much emotional turmoil Marinette went through the last time they dealt with Lila due to her stealing a kiss on the lips from Adrien, his first kiss especially as they knew he never kissed anyone before, on top of discovering that Marinette's Gardevoir somehow became unable to maintain her Mega Evolution for long. And as much as she disliked the brat, any instance to make her BFF's life easier must be taken, even with a grain of salt if necessary. "Wouldn't make sense to team up with Marinette to take Lila down, seeing as you both share a common enemy in her?"

"As if!" Chloé turned her nose up and away disdainfully. "I'm not teaming up with Marinette. And if I was to go for help, Daddy would be more useful to me anyway. He has real power and connections to get me where I need to be."

"It's strange," Juleka mumbled. "She never mentions her mother."

"What happened to her mom?" Nathaniel asked, genuinely perplexed. "She's bragged about her dad the whole time back at the Academy, but like you said, she never mentions her mom."

"She had to come from somewhere, after all," Alya rolled her eyes.

"I heard that!" Chloé screeched, glaring hateful at the three of them. "And my mom is none of your business!" She wasn't about to tell them about how absent her own mother was from her entire life due to her obsession with her career as a fashion critic, having lived in the Unova region the entire time and rarely coming in to visit her and her father in Kalos outside of work. She wasn't going to tell them how her own mother never saw any exceptional value or strength in her own daughter. And she certainly wasn't going to tell any of them how her own mother has forgotten her daughter's own name from time to time on top of her birthday. "So stick your noses elsewhere, losers, because I'm going to prove my power here and now!"

Was this because I said something about her parents? Marinette questioned in her head, strangely feeling sympathetic for her anger-filled rival.

"Enough of this!" Chloé took out her second Poké Ball. "I'm getting us back on track! Weavile, come out!"

Chloé's next Pokémon was known to be devious, intelligent, and vicious, as shown by the brandishing of claws and goading Spinda to try and attack upon release. Her Weavile was also classified as a female due to the particularly short ear feathers. Spinda wasn't affected by the taunting and instead looked at Weavile as though she grew a second head.

"Weavile's a dual Dark and Ice-type," Marinette mumbled to herself. "Spinda doesn't have a move that's super effective, but Weavile might if she knows a Fighting-type move. Right."

"If you're done mumbling over there, come and attack," Chloé challenged haughtily.

"Anything for her 'royal pain'," Marinette scoffed. "Spinda, use Dizzy Punch!"

Marinette's best bet was to call on Chloé's plan as soon as possible to dismantle it. Sending Spinda in for a rudimentary attack was the ideal action as if she had ordered a Teeter Dance instead for an attempted early advantage while Chloé had her guard up, then it would only serve to make her ever warier of her tactics.

Spinda closed the distance with surprising agility and focus, right paw wound back for the punch. A sinister glint sparkled in Weavile's eyes as she revealed her own astonishingly fast reflexes, outplaying Spinda with a seemingly simple sidestep dodge with the Spot Panda Pokémon punching nothing but air.

"Metal Claw!"

Making use of her fast reflexes, Weavile appeared behind Spinda as he stumbled over his missed attack before raking his back with long honed claws illuminated by the power of Steel. Spinda fell to his knees, reeling from the razor-sharp pain searing on his back while Weavile stood over him, a menacing red aura flaring from her body as her attack power gained an increase from Metal Claw.

"Spinda, use Rapid Spin!"

"Dodge!"

While Weavile was still inches close, Spinda pushed himself off the ground with his arms and spun himself to throw her off. However, Weavile was still quick to the draw, leaping back and keeping out of Spinda's range as Spinda's attempt at a counterattack had failed.

"How do I lure Weavile in?" Marinette questioned, brows furrowed in concentration.

"It doesn't matter what you do, Dupain-Cheng," Chloé taunted. "My Weavile is faster than your goofy Spinda. Weavile is quick enough to land a hit, then make a clean getaway. A perfect counter to your lame circus performer!"

"Spinda is not lame!" Marinette growled, but kept a lid on her temper this time. It wasn't in her style to fight fueled by rage, and she knew well enough that it would cause problems in the long run if she lost control of her anger again. But it was so hard not to with someone as irritating as Chloé as her rival. "All right! Let's go! Spinda, Dizzy Punch!"

"Hah, really? Dodge and use Metal Claw! You know the drill!"

Marinette kept her eyes on Weavile, judiciously observing the Sharp Claw Pokémon's body language as her Spinda charged in for the attack. Weavile's posture was arrogant and unwavering, crouching her knees in preparation to maneuver away from Spinda's path. For any other opponent, Weavile would've gotten away unscathed, but now that Marinette and Spinda were aware of her strengths, it was time for Spinda to use his full strength.

"Spinda, now!" Marinette signaled.

Weavile had predictably begun to sidestep as Spinda dove forward, only for a blunt force to unexpectedly strike the right side of her head. Spinda had twisted his body so that instead of going with the forward jab, he sent a backhanded fist to smash against Weavile's head before she could fully escape. Her overconfidence in evading what appeared to be a straightforward attack by mocking her opponent with a narrow evasion inches away proved to be her undoing as Weavile staggered from the concussive hit.

"How the?!" Chloé protested. "What ridiculous trick is this now?!"

"Quick, Spinda!" Marinette followed up. "While Weavile's open! Teeter Dance!"

Weavile was regaining her bearings, only to lose control over her senses upon witnessing Spinda's mesmerizing dance, to which her body automatically imitated under the Teeter Dance's influence. Once Spinda stopped dancing, Weavile became erratic. With sunken glaring eyes, she wildly slashed at the air in front of her before tripping and clawing the stone ground instead.

"Argh! Weavile, snap out of it!" Chloé groaned. "I order it! Use Ice Shard!"

She seemed to have heard her Trainer's command as Weavile got back on her feet and conjured a glowing chunk of ice between her claws. Weavile unleashed her power into multiple icicle shards that unreliably scattered over everyone's heads, causing Marinette and the others to apprehensively cover their faces when the Ice Shard began to rain upon them. Even Weavile was taking in a few hits from her own move due to her confusion.

Spinda didn't have to worry too much about getting hit, but unfortunately, the Ice Shard under Weavile's berserk control proved to be just as unpredictable as his natural movements. Even when he managed to tumble away from incoming Ice Shard pieces, a few stray ones have managed to pelt him.

"How about we show you how an Ice Shard's supposed to be," Marinette quipped. "Spinda, use Copycat!"

Spinda mentally played back the memory of the most recent move performed during the battle, mimicking Weavile's stance in producing Ice Shard and unleashing an icicle missile barrage of it from his paws. The only difference was the complete control he had compared to Weavile as his Ice Shards targeted her directly, exploding into miniature icy mists upon impact.

The attack itself wasn't very effective, but seeing Chloé fuming over its success compared to hers was rather worth it, for Marinette at least.

"Ridiculous!" Chloé shrilled heatedly. "Weavile, stop acting confused now! Ice Punch!"

Confusion wasn't easy to dispel, but even as Weavile continued displaying the symptoms, she found a new target for her aggression in Spinda as the one who unleashed the most recent Ice Shards on her. She heard the command for an Ice Punch, and it was enough for her to decide what to do with it next as her right claw clenched into a fist enveloped by the cold essence of ice.

Even with his elusive abilities, Spinda was wide open after unleashing an attack. And he was certainly no match against Weavile's reflexes as an icy fist collided squarely in his face before he could think about moving. Spinda was covering his nose in pain, squirming from the harsh impact from the Ice Punch.

"No!" Marinette gasped.

"Ice Punch!" Chloé repeated. "More Ice Punch! Don't care how you do it! Keep it going!"

"Dizzy Punch!" Marinette countered instinctively.

Chloé had called for additional Ice Punches, opting to take advantage of Weavile's fury and have her attack everything in her path. The everything defined as Spinda, to be precise. Spinda got back up, briefly rubbing his tender nose before powering his own fists up in incensed retaliation.

Before long, the battle had transitioned into a classic round of fisticuffs through specialized punches. Each Pokémon exchanged blows simultaneously, practically taking turns socking each other in the face, leaving distinguishing marks in the process.

Punch!

Punch!

PUNCH!

Both were wild with their strikes: Weavile due to her confused state and Spinda being sore from the center hit to the nose. It didn't help that they both channeled the anger their respective Trainers held for each other, making each landed punch more personal than the last. Marinette and Chloé themselves were too riled up in their rivalry to think about anything else, pushing for victory at any cost.

The rest of them, however, were a bit concerned on how intense this grudge match was turning out as the battle's violence, although seemingly normal for Pokémon battle standards, burdened quite the emotional load.

"Are they going to be okay?" Nathaniel voiced. "This… doesn't seem right."

"They'll be fine, I think," Alya assured, though she harbored a bit of doubt. "One of them will have to fall soon. Spinda and Weavile have reached their limits."

"More like both will fall," Juleka clarified.

At the climax, Spinda and Weavile each wound up one last powerful punch, with Spinda's paw glowing brighter than ever while the concentration of ice energy coating Weavile's had increased. Within a blink of an eye, both simultaneously slammed each other in the face, the resulting clash of their forces knocked them onto their backs with their affected cheeks sporting unsightly bruises. Weavile shared Spinda's dazed expression while Spinda appeared completely unresponsive. It was only then that Chloé and Marinette snapped out of their infuriated states upon realizing the Pokémon were finally down.

"I declare a tie!" Alix announced immediately, raising her arms up. Even she was unnerved by the unnecessary violence if the repulsed expression she had during the duration was of any indication. "Both Spinda and Weavile cannot continue!"

Marinette quickly went to her Spinda's aid as soon as Alix made the call, mentally berating herself along the way for allowing herself to be taken in by her frustration like that. Seeing Spinda so bruised and beaten, lying on the ground without the energy and enthusiasm he carried himself with, was ripping her heart into pieces and isolating each piece under the heavy weight of guilt.

"Spinda… I'm so sorry," Marinette sighed, gently stroking Spinda's forehead while her other hand held up his Poké Ball. Before Spinda was recalled, Marinette felt a paw reach up and wipe slightly under one of her eyes, surprising her that she was tearing. Given her current sorrowful state, it wouldn't have been surprising, but the gesture didn't go unnoticed as Marinette was at peace with herself knowing that Spinda was hanging tough. They shared a smile as Spinda was recalled. "Thank you."

As Marinette got back on her feet, she was astonished to see Chloé by her Weavile's side, having knelt down to her with a rare comforting look on her face as she recalled the Sharp Claw Pokémon while quietly thanking her for her efforts. Marinette could tell she wasn't the only one surprised by the scene upon gauging her friends' equally shocked gapes.

"Well, well, even the most famous spoiled brat of Kalos has a heart," Alya quipped.

Of course, her comment brought awareness back to Chloé, who quickly looked around before locking eyes with Marinette. The sympathetic look she had was fleeting as petty fury overtook her features once more with Marinette matching her annoyed expression.

"What are you peasants looking at?" Chloé demanded, standing back up and making her way back to her side. "We have a battle for me to win."

"I can't believe I almost felt sorry for you," Marinette huffed, returning to her end.

"Ha! I don't need anyone's pity, much less yours, Dupain-Cheng," Chloé scoffed, holding up her third Poké Ball. "Now send your Pokémon out now so we can get this over with!"

"You asked for it," Marinette brushed off Chloé's impatience to focus on the final round. "Tikki, spots on!"

Her trusty Ledian took the field, briefly displaying feats of aerial acrobatics before settling midair at the center. Alya, Nathaniel, and Juleka were cheering Tikki on while Chloé rolled her eyes at the ridiculousness of it all, ignoring the gnawing empty feeling within caused by their insufferable opposition towards her. After all, that sensation was nothing new to her, so why should it matter now? Whether they adored her and saw her as exceptional or didn't matter as long as she believed herself to be such.

"Whatever," Chloé yawned before an aggressive spark lit up from her eyes. "But if you're going with your Ledian wannabe like last time, then this Pokémon is going to give you a really bad time. Check this out!" She brandished her Poké Ball with extra flair. There was something about her posture that shone of true confidence and majesty, almost resembling that of a queen. "Pollen, buzz on!"

It wasn't particularly bizarre for Marinette and the others to discover that Chloé nicknamed one of her Pokémon. What did come off as wholly unexpected, though, was that out of her Poké Ball emerged a Vespiquen, who apparently was given the unironically fitting nickname of 'Pollen'. The Beehive Pokémon descended upon the established battlefield, her regal presence enhanced by the backstage of the Sundial's enigmatic light.

"Whoa, when did Chloé catch a Vespiquen?" Alya questioned skeptically.

"I'm with Alya on this one," Alix whistled. "Vespiquen are not exactly easy to tame when caught directly from the wild and female Combee are painfully rare to find, so how did Chloé managed to her hands on one? Wait, let me guess. 'Daddy', I presume?"

"As if!" Chloé sneered, glaring hatefully at Alix. "I didn't need Daddy's help in obtaining this beautiful and exceptional Pokémon! The day I met my Pollen was the day things were starting to look my way."


Nearly two months ago…

"I'm your Trainer, so you better listen and obey or so help me!" Chloé fumed. Servine spared her a glance before looking the other way, radiating serene indifference doing so. "UGH! Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!"

She made her way as far south as she could, passing Lumiose City without even making a stop at her father's Hotel Richissime to receive her usual comforts and luxuries. She was practically close to Santalune City, provided she kept track of where she was going. As such, she didn't even get to enjoy a relaxing cleansing bath and had been complaining nonstop about how dirty and sweaty she became, just like any other commoner. Instead, she forced herself to hike all the way through a remote forest path to avoid being seen by anyone she knew. The embarrassment she bore was too much. Not even Rose's persistent invites to the looming class reunion in Lumiose City, complete with cutesy smiling emojis, weren't going to get her to budge.

A short time had passed since Chloé stormed out of Coumarine City following her humiliating defeat in the hands of that despicable Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and in front of Adrien, no less. And already, her former classmates were plotting even more humiliation for her at that planned second reunion. She didn't need any more of their scorn. She already enough of their supposed jealousy of her talents from the Academy.

They were certainly masking their true adoration of her name, assuming they had any sincere feelings towards her. Nope. Regardless, Chloé didn't need them to feel useful or exceptional.

Right?

"… Ves," a faint buzzing bristled from beyond the bushes.

"Ugh, what now?" Chloé grumbled, leering into the direction of the noise.

Servine spared an open eye of interest at the source, observing the rustling bushes as something or two flew right out of them, scattering leaves in their wake. It was somewhat amusing to see Chloé fall on her delicate behind from the surprise, but ultimately annoying when the duo of Combee that popped out of the bushes were cheerfully dancing around with each other in the air.

"Bee! Combee~!" the Combee sang.

"Ow… How dare you!" Chloé scolded, standing back up and wiping the dust from her bottom. The Combee were frightened into silence by her harsh words. "Do you know who I am, foolish Combee?!" She took out a spare Poké Ball. Considering that Servine wasn't likely to listen to her at this point, she had other Pokémon that were more willing to respect her. "I am Chloé Bourgeois! The soon-to-be Queen of Kalos! Bow before my awesome might!"

The Combee quickly clumped together in fear, though their worries were soon dispelled when a burst of powerful wind soared from behind them to disorient Chloé and Servine. The queen they served came to their rescue, descending before them with true authority.

"Quen!" the Vespiquen sovereign hissed.

"Oh, so now you want a piece of me?" Chloé warned. So what if this lowly Vespiquen decided to intervene for her pathetic subjects? A ruler over nothing but dirt and sand is still a ruler over nothing. And Chloé was going to show this Vespiquen what a real royal was like. She pulled her arm back for the throw. "Now Flaaffy, let's g—!"

"Vespi!" the Vespiquen reacted faster, unleashing a gust of power from her vibrating wings.

The ambush caused Chloé to cover her face while the winds knocked the Poké Ball out of her weakened grip. Flaaffy's Poké Ball rolled away and out of reach. If Chloé moved another inch, Vespiquen wasn't going to hold back, especially after all that talk of her greatness.

"Okay, fine, I don't need Flaaffy for this one," Chloé growled. "I'll just have to use another."

Unfortunately, Chloé couldn't retrieve another Poké Ball in time as a Power Gem beam shot out from the Vespiquen's red forehead jewel, conveniently sailing past her and coincidentally heading towards Servine. The Grass Snake Pokémon narrowly jumped to the side to avoid the sparkling red ray and glared irately at the impudent Vespiquen.

If that troublesome Bug-type really wanted to pick a fight with her, then so be it. Servine wasn't going to take that lying down.

"Sssser!" Servine hissed before leaping to action.

She landed before the Vespiquen with her with the sharp edges of her tail aglow in power, slicing upward for an Aerial Ace that repelled the Beehive Pokémon. However, Vespiquen was undeterred from the super effective attack and struck back with another Power Gem. Servine proved to be quick by evading the second Power Gem aimed at her before jumping back in for a counterattack.

"About time you decided to fight," Chloé huffed. "Alright then, Servine, use Aerial Ace again!" Servine used Leaf Tornado instead, whipping up a condensed swirling gale of sharp leaves and grass edges to place more pressure on Vespiquen, trapping her within its blindingly vicious winds. "Oh, come on! That's not what I commanded! Ridiculous! Utterly ridiculous!"

While the move itself was ineffective on paper on a dual Bug and Flying-type Pokémon, the power behind the Leaf Tornado was enough to force Vespiquen to go on the defensive by covering her face with her arms.

"Com-Combee!" the Combee buzzed worriedly, looking at each other before diving into the thick of the Leaf Tornado to save their monarch.

"Ha! That was utterly pointless," Chloé scoffed from watching the Combee fly into Servine's attack.

Her contemptuous laugh came to a screeching speechless halt when the Leaf Tornado quickly swelled up and dispersed into nothing, revealing Vespiquen and her loyal two Combee to come out unscathed. Chloé wound up stomping her foot in a furious tantrum, fuming on how ridiculous this fight was becoming while Servine turned away, annoyed and disappointed at the predictable pattern of emotional weakness her so-called Trainer displayed once more. Where was that strength of a queen she claimed to have?

Though at this moment while lost in her long-suffering contemplation, Servine didn't notice the incoming Power Gem until it was nearly a couple of feet away. Eyes widened, expecting the worse. What she didn't expect was a force distinguished as a yellow blur from her side, shoving her away while the glittering red ray of light continued its path in tearing through the ground. The aftershock of the Power Gem did cover the two of them in plenty of dirt.

"V-Vine?" Servine grunted, still trying to comprehend what just happened.

"Hey… wake up and listen," Chloé panted heavily, getting up to her knees after pushing her Pokémon out of the way. "If you actually listen to me like you used to, you wouldn't be in this mess." She then looked away, thinking about something else. "… And… well… you're still… my Pokémon." She stood back on her feet, facing Vespiquen. "And a queen like me must protect her subjects." Her head lowered dejectedly. "… Even if the queen is no longer acknowledged by the subject that's been by her side the longest." She took one step forward. "All because she thinks she's useless…"

"… Vine," Servine wasn't sure what to think.

"Come on then, Vespiquen!" Chloé declared, spacing her arms out into a stance. "You and me! Queen battle! One. On. One."

Servine continued to watch in stunned silence as Vespiquen apparently decided to accept the challenge, flying in without her Combee to confront Chloé in a physical grapple. It was already obvious how this was going to end. Servine had to see it four times in a row.

Chloé being thrown to the ground, easily overpowered.

Yet every shaky step she took to stand back up, her resolve was renewed. She wouldn't quit until she proved to be a real queen. However, the fifth time around, it was apparent that Vespiquen was getting tired of playing around, seizing Chloé by the collar of her designer shirt to finally teach the loudmouth arrogant brat a lesson for threatening her Combee.

Chloé couldn't move due to exhaustion and fear. Was this where it was going to end for her, or rather her reputation within the Pokémon community? That she sunk so low that she couldn't get her own Pokémon to fight for her, so she had to do so herself? And that the remnants of her dignity were caught in the grasp of a Vespiquen?

"Ves," the Vespiquen glared upon the stubborn human.

Perhaps if this human girl was able to command respect from her Servine, Vespiquen might have a higher opinion of her despite her brazenness. She was proud and persistent, but she clearly didn't inspire any sort of loyalty if her Servine refused to follow orders. So much potential wast—.

"Wha…?"

Chloé was dumbfounded as she was freed from Vespiquen's clutches, falling onto her behind as the scene of her Servine striking Vespiquen with her tail via Aerial Ace was imprinted before her eyes. Vespiquen was sent to the ground, quickly attended to by her worried Combee while Servine landed in front of Chloé, ready for more.

"Vine," Servine snorted.

"Servine, you… saved me," Chloé pointed out.

"Vine… Vine Servine," Servine was basically telling her not to overthink it.

She wasn't fully willing to listen to her right then and there, but seeing Chloé beginning to manifest her inner strength from boldly taking on Vespiquen herself was enough for the Grass Snake Pokémon to heed her for a while to see where this was going. Servine shared plenty of memories with her Trainer, most of them fond due to them flaunting their superiority over everyone else during their Academy days before her evolution wising her up to Chloé's incompetence.

Aside from seeing Chloé actually exhibit her late potential, Servine owed to their past at least to give her another chance in being an exceptional Pokémon Trainer.


"If you hadn't already guessed on how awesome I am now the way I've dominated Marinette in this battle, then you'll be mind-blown to hear how I command new respect from my starter and complete respect from Pollen!" Chloé declared heatedly. "You'll never believe all of that insane hard work I had to do to start winning battles again since capturing Pollen and regain all my Pokémon's respect up to this point. I'm not the same Chloé Bourgeois you knew from Lumiose Academy. You're looking at the future queen of Kalos!"

"You haven't won yet, Chloé," Marinette interrupted, biting back a growl. "Now that you're back to reality, if you recall, we're tied down to our last Pokémon. And Tikki is not going down without a fight." As if to prove her Trainer's point, Tikki brought her fists together as part of a cute display of air boxing. "You're stronger, I'll give you that. But we're strong too. Stronger than we've ever been!"

"Then dance for your queen, peasant," Chloé smirked. "Let's settle this, Marinette Dupain-Cheng! Pollen, go!"

"Tikki!" Marinette followed, sending her beloved long-time partner forward to battle.

"Hey! I didn't even signal the start!" Alix protested before relenting with a sigh. "Oh, whatever. This should be interesting, either way."

Both dual-Bug and Flying-type Pokémon flew forth at surprising speed, to the point that it appeared they were going to crash. Rather, they synchronously diverted in mirrored directions as to size up each other in terms of battle flight capabilities. Focused blue eyes exchanged glares with intimidating red eyes to further attest to their instantiated rivalry, not simply because they carried the wills and wishes of their respective Trainers, but with their prides as Bug and Flying-types on the line, not even reason would be able to dissuade them from battle.

"Tikki, use Mach Punch!" Marinette commanded.

Merely watching their flight show wasn't enough for Marinette to fully size up Pollen for herself. Even though the move was at an obvious type disadvantage against the Vespiquen, she needed to determine by how much. Tikki pursued Pollen with all four fists alight with power. A few bursts of speed allowed the Five Star Pokémon to rush Pollen with a few swift jabs.

Pollen had managed to block the blow from her upper arms with her own arms, but Tikki's lower limbs snuck through, landing their hits on Pollen's abdomen. Even with the power enhancement from Iron Fist, Pollen barely looked winded from the strikes, forcing Tikki to quickly back away.

"Did you really think that was going to do anything?" Chloé drawled dryly.

"No, I didn't, but now I have a better idea on your Vespiquen's strengths," Marinette retaliated. "Silver Wind!"

Her friends wondered what Marinette was thinking for commanding another move with an ineffective type matchup, but given from what they have witnessed from her past battles, she was aiming for something very unpredictable with a high risk value to fall into place through sheer luck. If anyone had even an inkling of what she was planning, Alya would be the go-to girl as she remained confident regardless of Marinette's orders.

"Alya?" Nathaniel prompted.

"Wait for it," Alya answered simply.

They watched as a windy burst of silvery scales was unleashed from Tikki's wings, the concentrated current blasting Pollen head-on, though like with the previous Mach Punches, she shrugged it off with a mighty brandish of her arms.

"Again, Tikki!" Marinette continued, unsatisfied with the turnout. "Silver Wind!"

Chloé hadn't bothered issuing an order yet as she knew that trying to take her Pollen down with Silver Wind was ultimately futile. However, Marinette commanding for these obviously ineffective moves did arise suspicion enough for Chloé to act if things do appear to turn out disastrous for her. She observed Pollen block another Silver Wind gale before dismantling it with pure power. While Pollen appeared impassive over the attempt, the expression in her eyes changed to unamused as she witnessed a brilliant glow flare out of Tikki's body.

"You're getting there, girl," Alya grinned.

"What's going on?" Chloé demanded.

"Silver Wind's secondary effect of boosting all of Tikki's stats, that's what's going on," Marinette explained triumphantly. "Say what you want, but Silver Wind served both as a power booster and a distraction."

"Hmph, you think you're the only one who can get stronger during battle?" Chloé huffed.

"Just enough to show I'm stronger than you," Marinette smirked. "Acrobatics!"

Before Chloé or Pollen could react, Tikki disappeared in a red blur, bouncing about in the air as eyes struggled to keep up with her newly gained speed. Of course, her increase attack was another thing to fathom as Pollen found herself forcefully shoved from behind, feeling the stinging impact of Tikki's super effective Acrobatics tackle her into the ground.

"ARGH! Ridiculous!" Chloé bellowed. "Pollen!"

Despite the hit, Pollen proved to be a trooper as she lifted herself from the ground by her arms. She was still on the ground, recuperating from the Acrobatics while Tikki positioned herself right above her for the finishing move.

"No more bratty behavior out of you, Chloé," Marinette began. "Time to finish this! Tikki, Acrobatics!"

Tikki hovered back to build momentum before divebombing towards the vulnerable Vespiquen. Despite the high probability that Chloé was going to lose, the blonde Trainer appeared unfaltering over this turn of events. Mainly because she hadn't revealed Pollen's hidden skills yet, and her royal instincts led her to finally unleash them.

"Pollen, Defend Order!"

The Beehive Pokémon lifted her head up as her red eyes gleamed. A high-pitched buzz reverberated from her, momentarily pausing Tikki due to the sudden sensation. Nonetheless, Tikki shook the foreboding feeling off and resumed her path to finish off her Bug-type rival.

And so, she did…

Or would have finished Pollen off if it weren't for the sudden obstructions that were protecting Pollen from the fatal blow.

"Gah!" Marinette yelped.

"Those are Combee!" Nathaniel pointed out as the obstructions that protected Pollen from Tikki's Acrobatics. A small handful of them had flown towards Pollen from different directions, hastily coming to her aid just before Tikki could touch her by intercepting her attack with their bodies. "They protected her."

"But how?" Juleka pressed.

"No way is this legal," Alya growled.

"It is," Alix scoffed. "Defend Order is one of three unique moves Vespiquen can learn, in which a Vespiquen can summon Combee underlings to aid them during battle. No matter where Vespiquen is, the special signal they give out is trackable for nearby Combee, giving them the command and power to help their queen as necessary."

"These Combee adore Pollen as their rightful queen," Chloé added. "And because she's also my Pokémon, this privilege extends to me!"

"That move is the equivalent to mind control!" Marinette rebutted. "You basically forcing those Combee to be your shield!"

"Like you know how their society really works, Dupain-Cheng," Chloé laughed. "It is their order to follow Vespiquen's whims, just like how I'm meant to be adored as the Kalos region's queen."

"You're queen of delusions!" Marinette fired back.

"Silence!" Chloé hissed. "I will not tolerate your defiance any longer, commoner! Or maybe your Tikki needs to be punished for you to get it." At the snap of her fingers, Pollen commanded that the Combee previously shielding her were to quickly swarm all over Tikki before she could back away. The Ledian's head popped out from between the Combee bodies pinning her down. "For your sentence, how about a little taste of our… venom. Pollen, use Toxic!"

Marinette covered her mouth in horror as Pollen used one claw suddenly coated with concentrated purple liquid to prick Tikki precisely on the forehead, badly poisoning her as the toxin immediately surged throughout her body as manifesting violent discharges of violet sparks and bubbles. An ill purple blush also appeared upon her face. The Combee then mercifully released her from their clutches, allowing her to fall away.

"I… I have to end this quick," Marinette muttered resolutely. Tikki's stamina was going to drop quickly either by the Toxic poisoning or by Pollen herself. "Tikki, get away from there and use Acrobatics!"

"Pollen, Attack Order!" Chloé countered.

Tikki managed the strength to fly again and went off to rebuild distance and momentum, but she didn't expect the same Combee that previously blocked her attack and kept her captive to suddenly chase after her like an angry swarm. There were about five of them attempting to tackle into her, disrupting her concentration to build up speed to ram into Pollen while she was still in the same place recovering from the last Acrobatics collision. It also didn't help that the Toxic poisoning was gradually intensifying, eating away at her remaining health at an alarming rate while nearly paralyzing her due to the agonizing pain it was also subjecting to her internally. Even if the Combee didn't knock her out of the air, they were doing their job in stalling her for the toxin to take greater effect.

In any case, she analyzed the Combee formation carefully within the next minute of aerial maneuvers, flying through their blind spots when the opportunity arose while ignoring the bouts of excruciating surges the poison was inflicting. Once she weaved through all the Combee, Tikki pushed herself to maximum speed, not wanting the additional speed gained from Silver Wind to go to waste.

"Hang in there, Tikki!" Marinette cheered. "You've got this!"

"Or has she?" Chloé sneered. "Too predictable, Dupain-Cheng. Power Gem!"

Because Tikki's flight path was linear as to maintain optimal Acrobatics speed, it made aiming all too easy for Pollen as she gathered energy into her forehead jewel. It was soon aglow with power and ready to fire at will.

"Tikki, dodge!" Marinette yelled frantically, having timed her command so that Tikki knew when to swerve once the Power Gem was unleashed.

Tikki prepared to do so, only to freeze and cringe in midflight as the toxin's influence from within had become too much for her to simply ignore. The pain it bore was horrific enough to make Tikki currently want to tear her exoskeleton off just to extract the poison out herself. Pollen's eyes narrowed at this moment of weakness.

"Blast her!" Chloé ordered.

The lustrous beam shot out towards its singular target, who remained in place due to the side paralysis from her venom. Tikki fought off the poison long enough to open her eyes again…

And see her inevitable fate to be consumed by a bright light before she knew no more.

"Tikki! NO!" Marinette cried, watching as though in slow motion her partner's descent into the unforgiving hard ground.

Her friends were equally as appalled as the Pokémon they had been rooting for over that of the bratty pest had fallen face first and no longer flew back up. Alix was the first to regain her bearings as the unofficial battle judge, though it was clear that she was not going to be impartial over this.

"I'm boiling my tongue after this, but Tikki is unable to battle," Alix announced disdainfully. "With one Pokémon left, Chloé… tch… wins…"

Marinette wasted no time to run to her Pokémon's side, just like she had done with Spinda after the brutal fist exchange with Weavile. The situation was just as bad as Tikki was previously badly poisoned before subjected to a Power Gem that was twice super effective on her. Of course, this scenario could be considered worse as not only was this the deciding factor in her battle against Chloé, but Marinette had realized how she had let her guard down when she thought she had Pollen cornered. The second phase of the final round just showed how much stronger Pollen was compared to Tikki, from surviving an Acrobatics slightly enhanced by Silver Wind's effect to utilizing her exclusive moves that called upon wild Combee to her aid.

Tikki was flipped over on her lap so that Marinette could see her face. The Five Star Pokémon appeared to be at peace despite her previous aggrieved recoils from the poisoning. She soon stirred awake, blinking her eyes open to see her Trainer's worried face relax a bit.

"Oh, thank goodness," Marinette pulled her in for a warm embrace. "Tikki, you great out there. I messed up big time."

"Ree," Tikki pushed out and shook her head, assuring her that they both did their best despite the loss.

"Oh, Tikki," Marinette sniffled, pulling her back into the hug. "I'm just glad you're okay."

Their moment was disturbed by the echo of Chloé's obnoxious laughter. They turned to see her reveling in her victory while Pollen curtseyed before her as to publicly acknowledge her as her queen. It was difficult for everyone else to process the fact that Chloé was able to command full respect from a Vespiquen like that, much less defeat Marinette. They couldn't help but wonder what had happened since her departure from Coumarine City that made her grow so competently.

"Excellent, as expected of you, Pollen!" Chloé praised, holding up her Poké Ball to recall her. "Time to buzz off for now." She shifted from a pleased gaze over the Poké Ball to a wicked gleam meant to condescend over the loser of the match. "Well, well, had enough yet, Dupain-Cheng? Or have you not learned your place yet?"

"Seriously, Chloé?" Alya intervened. "You won. We get it. But rubbing it in like that is a whole new low even for you."

"I'm only stating the truth, and the truth hurts, doesn't it?" Chloé responded, shrugging.

"Yeah, well that 'truth' tastes worse than my sweaty socks," Alix gagged, sticking her tongue out for distasteful emphasis.

"You could at least try to be gracious about it," Nathaniel added. "You'd probably have more people rooting for you if you were nice."

"I don't see why I need to be nice to the likes of you," Chloé scoffed. "My power and Pokémon already prove I'm exceptional as you just saw."

"No, you're right, Chloé," Marinette spoke, standing back on her feet with Tikki in her arms. She bore a cheery smile that immediately set Chloé on edge and made her friends worry. "You've really grown as a Pokémon Trainer since we last fought. I'm impressed."

"Ugh, I don't need you to tell me twice," Chloé glared. "And I don't like that look you're giving me. You're supposed to be depressed. I finally defeated you in a Pokémon battle proved my superiority over you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, but you're soiling my victory with your… 'Marinetteness'."

"What? It's true," Marinette shrugged. "I did my best, but you came out on top."

"You know what? It's no longer fun if you're not going to be sad about it," Chloé huffed, turning her back on them. "Come to think of it, I only humiliated you in front of your friends. Because this victory was so unsatisfying, I'm demanding one more rematch. I expect you to qualify for the Kalos League. See what? I have some expectations for you. That way, I can show everyone in Kalos how clearly outmatched you are against me! And that way, Adrien will know that I'm better for him than you'll ever be!"

"We'll see, Chloé," Marinette replied tranquilly. "We'll see."

"Hmph, ridiculous," Chloé pointed her nose high. "Utterly ridiculous."

Upset that she could no longer get a rise from her rival or make her miserable, Chloé turned tail and left the Sundial site. Alya and the others quickly went to Marinette's side, whose cheerful façade finally dropped once Chloé was completely out of sight. She was back to tending over Tikki, who had closed her eyes again to rest.

"Dang, girl, you really should become an actress," Alya whistled. "To say all those things about Chloé with a straight face, even I can't do that. Let's hook up with Mylène. Her father works in theatre, after all."

"How about we go back to the Pokémon Center first?" Marinette suggested, heaving out a heavy sigh. It took all her emotional discipline to keep herself together. While Marinette didn't mind losing a battle time to time, losing to Chloé, of all people, was a major blow to her pride and confidence due to their long-standing rivalry. Seeing her and her Pokémon so powerful and improved certainly didn't help as it proved that she improved even more than her since they last confronted each other. A small part of Marinette, however, was genuinely proud that Chloé was able to turn herself around in raising her Pokémon properly to the point that she regained her starter's obedience. But for now, her own Pokémon needed immediate attention. "I… I just need to make sure everyone's okay first."


Elsewhere…

"Take five, you guys," Adrien signaled after Plagg and Gallade performed one more powerful clash midair.

He was currently camping out in a remote section of Route 18, keeping up with his Pokémon's training in preparation for Kagami's challenge in four days at Couriway Town. The reason he stayed within the route was because he was curious of the abandoned coal mine located somewhere deep within the narrow valley. The rumors he heard included rare Pokémon, so of course his sense of wonder and curiosity would lead him to explore Vallée Étroite Way until he found this coal mine.

"Lade lade," Gallade held a hand out to Plagg.

"Pahrd," Plagg yawned, but nonetheless performed the friendly gesture with him.

"Hey, guys, I'm going on ahead to collect some more firewood and maybe some fruit," Adrien announced, indicating his direction with a thumb. "Mind joining me?"

"Lade," Gallade saluted.

Dutiful as he was, Gallade quickly sprinted over to his Trainer's side, but not before scrambling back to pull Plagg along as the Cruel Pokémon was opting to take a nap where he was, much to his displeasure. Plagg went along begrudgingly with the activity if it meant he would be free to nap once they were back at their campsite.

After passing through a row of trees in a matter of minutes and with his arms filed with piles of firewood, Adrien was ready to head back. The only thing stopping him…

"Huh? What's this?" Adrien mumbled, lifting his right hand to see the Key Stone embedded in his ring starting to glow. It gave off a feeling of sheer power as the aura turned scarlet red. The light soon died down as quickly as it had activated. "What's going on?"

"Ga," Gallade pointed at a direction through a couple of trees while Plagg crouched warily.

Adrien figured Gallade was onto something due to their connection via Mega Evolution. Steeling himself, Adrien went forward with his Pokémon by his side, ready and willing to protect him from any imminent threat to his well-being.

Following Gallade's directions, they soon stumbled upon a large mouth to a cave, presumably the opening to the abandoned coal mine. It was convenient for Adrien as he had wanted to check it out, but the most interesting sight was that of a small old man sitting on top of a Torterra in front of the entrance, as though he was waiting for him.

"Uh, hello," Adrien greeted awkwardly. "Sorry for intruding."

The old man gazed upon him with amusement and interest, pleased that such a humble and kind young man was chosen to represent the power of Yveltal. It was soon clear to Adrien that he wasn't intruding. Rather, it was the ideal time to let the knowledgeable young boy know what his role in preserving the balance of nature against Team Akuma's attacks was.

"Hello, Liepard Noir," the old man replied genteelly.


Meanwhile in the Anistar Pokémon Center…

"Come out!"

Marinette released Tikki, Togetic, and Spinda once they were back to full health. The three Pokémon looked around, seeing Marinette joined with her human friends from behind before exchanging glances with each other.

"Girl, I know you're still sore about Chloé, but your Pokémon don't hate you," Alya assured, quickly supported by said Pokémon's cries.

"It's not that, but I still want to apologize," Marinette shook her head. "I didn't think Chloé could've gotten that strong and I allowed myself to be so worked up that I couldn't properly focus on the battle and—."

"Enough with the apologies already!" Alix groused, startling Juleka and Nathaniel. "Look, we get it. We don't like it, but what's done is done. Your self-loathing isn't going to make things better unless you do something about getting stronger so that you can show up Chloé."

"What does it look like I'm doing?" Marinette smiled, holding up a brilliant stone that caught Togetic's eye. "I want to say it's time, but I think it's still because I'm still upset over losing to her."

"That Shiny Stone, you're planning to evolve Togetic?" Juleka inquired, recognizing the stone off the bat.

"Marinette said that she didn't want to force her Pokémon to evolve if they have the option to choose," Alya explained. "I think the dilemma here is whether or not her reason to allow Togetic to evolve now is a noble one and not out of vengeance."

"Well said, Alya," Marinette nodded before directly addressing her Togetic. The Happiness Pokémon stared at the Shiny Stone held mere inches in front of her. "Togetic, this is a Shiny Stone, which will grant you the power to evolve to your final stage, Togekiss. You will use it for the greater good. It is my hope that should you accept this power, you and I can grow stronger together from that point onwards. Can I trust you?"

Togetic took in her words like a sponge to water, understanding the timing of her decision resulting from their recent loss. In truth, she, too, was frustrated over losing to Honchkrow. Taking the Shiny Stone simply for the power boost was not the right way to go about as Marinette, being the caring Trainer that she has always been, warned. It also would not make her any different than her dark rival considering that Murkrow require a Dusk Stone to evolve. It was certainly a lot for young Togetic to fully ponder out in a matter of seconds, which felt like hours. Evolution was an awesome responsibility, one that she knew she would take once both she and her Trainer felt ready.

Was that moment now?

The air among them was tense. There was no turning back on regular evolution, unlike Mega Evolution.

It only further intensified once Togetic made her decision.


Well, better late than never, right? This chapter contains few references to late season two episodes, particularly around the beginning. To think that season three has already begun, but more on that later. I will say that in regards to Lila, I'm half-surprised and half-not-surprised, as weird as it sounds.

I've mostly caught up writing after finally setting some time to actually write. It didn't help that around this time of year, a couple of addicting Nintendo Switch games, namely Let's Go, Pikachu! and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, were released within a short time frame of each other and occupied a majority of my attention whenever I wasn't completely tired from working during the day. Still, that isn't a good excuse, and for that, I apologize for yet another late posting. In any case, think of this chapter as my gift for you all.

For the Chloé fans out there, we're finally going to see her develop. I didn't think it was necessary to show her regaining Servine's obedience at its entirety, leaving it up to you to wonder her growth with what's been given. But she will get some more solid development later on, from being less of a spoiled brat and more of the (exceptional) queen she wants to be. I'll admit that I've warmed up to her for a bit from watching the Queen's Battle trilogy, so now I can have some creative fun implementing those elements to the world of Pokémon here.

We've now got two tense situations with Adrien meeting Master Fu first and Marinette allowing Togetic the change to evolve; tense for them, at least.

As I'll most likely update again next year, I'll take the time to say this:

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Please review as always!