Coral: And here is another chapter of Huntsmen in Kalos!

Hyna: This was a fast update.

Jackson: This chapter was kind of already done some time ago.

Seth: Well that explains it.

Coral: And now that finals are over, I can finally just go back to updating at a regular basis, and watch some anime here and there, and play a bit of video games. But first...

Hyna: But first?

Coral: *gets in bed* Relaxation~

Hyna: Then why are you here?! And where did that bed come from?!

Seth: Well, considering how sis likes to do her updates, especially late at night sometimes, I kind of had it made.

Jackson: When did you have time to get that order done?

Hyna: *sigh* In any case, let's just get to the story.

Disclaimer: Coral the Leviathan does not own RWBY, Pokemon, or the OCs. They all belong to their original creators.


*MEANWHILE, IN LAVERRE CITY*

Things are busy as usual in this part of Kalos. Well, as busy as can be that is. Many people were walking around, shopping for whatever Laverre City has for them. This is especially true for one small group.

"Come on! We're going to be late!" shouted a girl with black hair in pigtails, wearing a black and red furisode dress.

"So you say but... You're the one behind me, Kali," said a guy with her, who was also ahead of the girl. He wore a green shirt with brown pants and black boots, carrying a lot of bags.

"That's because, at the very least Yatsuhashi, the materials Valerie asked for HAS to get to her as fast as possible!"

"I thought the fashion show starts within an hour from now."

"Which is more than enough time for her to finish making her new creation and have that friend of your's try it on!"

Yatsuhashi simply sighed as he continued on to their destination.

Meanwhile, where the said fashion show will be, in one of the changing rooms, two teenage girls were changing into furisode dresses. Well one of them was already in a dress and was helping the other girl in her's.

"Velvet, will you relax? You'll be fine," Coco assured. She wore a

"You say that but... what if they're like back home? I don't think I can take the humility and embarrassment all at once, Coco," Velvet said. "Besides that, why am I wearing these clothes, when Valerie said these are still in progress?"

"Well, considering you're the one who's wearing them, she wants to see if the size is just right for you. She said she was almost done with it after all."

A small knock was heard. "You can come in," Coco instantly said.

The door opened up and in came Nimble and Parfum, Velvet's Furret and Coco's Spritzee respectively.

"(Yatsuhashi and Kali came back with the rest of the supplies)," Nimble said, holding up a bag of fabric.

"(Valerie is coming soon)," Spritzee informed, looking at the clock.

"I see the delivery has been made," Coco said, taking the bag from Nimble's hands. "And from the looks of things, if Valerie hurries back soon, our debut will be good to go."

"I'm still not so sure about this," Velvet said. "I mean, I get you want to be a model Coco, but why did you have to drag me into it?"

"Because we're in a whole new world. A world where Vanessa and our Pokemon partners came from. If people can get along well with Pokemon here, treat them like best buds, almost as though they are people, then who's to say they won't react the same way with you. Besides, with these ears of your's, that furisode looks perfect on you."

"It's as Coco said," came a voice by the door. The girls and their Pokemon looked and saw Valerie standing there, the one person who found them and introduced them to the world of Pokemon.

"Valerie, I'm still not-"

"Don't worry, Velvet. Everything will be fine. Besides, you won't be alone as you walk," Valerie cut the faunus off. "One of my rental Pokemon will be right by your side. You'll be fine. Just smile and wave to the crowd."

Velvet was silent for a moment. A nervous smile formed on her face as she nodded.


*OPENING*

(Music intro)
(In a tunnel of rainbow colored streams, the thirteen colors, representing team RWBY, JNPR, Jackson, Seth, Lyanne, Leafeon and Crescythe, shot like arrow, all heading towards the end of the tunnel. The tunnel opens up to a bright light.)

One dashing arrow!
(Four lights gather together to show Ruby, Jackson, Leafeon and Crescythe.)

One nimble arrow!
(Four lights gather together to show Blake, Yang, Nora and Ren.)

One thinking arrow!
(Five lights gather together to show Seth, Jaune, Weiss, Lyanne and Pyrrha.)

That's who we are right now!
(The heroes gathered together, with Ruby, Jaune, Jackson and Seth in front, as they all stood with grins of excitements on their faces. The title of the story appears in front of them.)

Let's cross the green mountain, surpass the pure-white clouds,
(Ruby and Crescythe dash up a grassy hill ahead of her team, leaping together into the sky eagerly.)

Color the wasteland and move forward by becoming an arrow!
(Nora racing through Route 13 ahead of team JNPR with Pitfall, while Jaune was exhausted at keeping up with her, but he took a deep breath and pursued, with Pyrrha and Ren behind him.)

Sometimes we suddenly turn, twist or tremble,
(Seth's appears as he lifted several large boulders around him with Psychic, with Alakazam, Espeon and Mismagius right by him. Seth's face is shown up close as the silhouettes of other Pokehumans he knew panned through his mind.)

It's not like we never get separated either!
(Jackson examining a few of the Mega Stones he collected, while Lyanne, Leafeon and Quilava watched him. Camera zooms in and pans around Jackson as he placed the stones away, and stood up, looking into the sky with a determined stare.)

I can no longer see the road and sometimes I get lost
(Vanessa running along a dark, eerie path, with the Dark Legendaries and Zetta surrounding the sky around and behind her, while Ruby and the rest of the team were ahead of her.)

But this guy is by my side!
(Ruby and Jackson waved their hands forward as Crescythe and Leafeon leapt over their heads, unleashing Dark Pulse and Solarbeam together. They struck the silhouetted enemies, creating a bright explosion. Jackson and Ruby cheered while their Pokemon looked eagerly back at their trainers.)

Even the dazzling sun hides behind clouds at times
(Valerie stood behind team CFVY with her arms wide, with Coco and Velvet in front. Scene shifts to Sarah holding onto an odd bottle in front of her as the ghostly confined Hoopa and the evil Unbound Hoopa silhouetted on either side behind her.)

But meetings will always bring light!
(Diantha stood on top of a pillar, surrounded by the Kalos Elite Four and the Gym Leaders, facing the heroes. Ruby taps her Mega Ring, Mega-evolving Crescythe in a bright light. Scene goes dark as Team CRDL show themselves, followed by the Flare female scientists, and Xerosic in the center of them.)

One too heated arrow!
(Nathan, Maui, and Eliza eagerly jumping about, as a Pichu and Nathan's Aipom danced around them and a Joltik rides on Eliza's head.)

Two arrows competing with each other!
(Adara and Haloke posing in their performance garments, with Charmeleon and Greninja beside them.)

Three arrows helping each other!
(Cypher stands in front with another silhouetted girl and boy standing right behind him, an Empoleon, Magnezone, and Heliolisk beside their respective trainers.)

That's why the heart doesn't break!
(The eleven heroes and, excluding Lyanne, their leading Pokemon beside them, with Ruby in the center of the team.)

Arrow, move forward!
(All of them shot into the air with streams of light at their feet or tails.)

Arrow, shine even more than now! Pierce your dream!
(They all gather together, forming an arrowhead that became a shining stream of light, shooting towards the skies above Kalos.)


"Are you ready for this?" Blake asked.

"You sure this isn't gonna hurt either of us?" Jackson asked back.

"Hey, Pyrrha did it to me, and she only felt fatigued afterwards," Jaune answered.

After leaving Coumarine City, the team decided to take a break as they crossed the badlands of Route 13, finding a nice area surrounded by tall rocks to protect them from the sun. As they all were refreshing themselves with water, Jackson, still thinking back to the many times he witnessed the huntsmen's Semblance and aura powers in action, decided to question them on their aura and semblances, then after learning how Jaune got his aura activated by Pyrrha, Jackson decided to see if, despite being from a different world, he was able to have his own aura, just like the Remnant team. Considering Pyrrha unlocked Jaune's aura, Jackson figured someone else beside her should do it, and Lyanne insisted that Blake should do it, much to her confusion.

"You sure you want to do this, Jackson?" Seth asked, concerned. "You already have martial arts skills, you are a master in swordplay, and your physical prowess is beyond the natural. Why would you want to see if you can use aura?"

Jackson turned to him as he answered, "Seth, I know why you are concerned, especially considering you worry about your own powers. To me, I need to be prepared for the enemies further along the road. If I can harness an aura and a Semblance, then I'll make sure to use it only when I need to. If I can't produce one, then I'll just use what I have to face the enemies ahead. So, let's see if I can harness it."

Jackson stood ready in front of Blake, who looked a bit hesitant at first, then placed on hand on his chest, and her other hand on his head. Jackson blushed a bit at how close she was and how softly she placed her hands on him.

"Close your eyes." she told him. Jackson did as requested. Blake, too, closed her eyes as her body glowed purple with her aura. "For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all. Infinite in distance and unbound by death, I release your soul, and by my shoulder, protect thee."

Everyone watched through this unlocking ceremony. Suddenly, during the end of it all, Jackson's body glowed a yellowish-orange color, startling the team.

"Is that his aura?" Leafeon asked Crescythe.

"I believe it is," she answered.

When she was done, Blake stumbled back a bit, and Jackson wondered if she pushed herself too hard. Pyrrha was behind her, catching her by the shoulders.

"You okay?" Jackson asked Blake.

"I'm okay," the faunus girl answered.

"She used her own aura to unlock your's," the Invincible Girl explained. "But the aura you have around you is your own."

Jackson looked at how his body glowed, flexing his hands.

"How do you feel?" Nate asked him.

"I don't know," he answered. "It's... not a bad feeling. Actually, it feels pretty nice."

"I bet it's because Blake unlocked it for you," Lyanne assumed in an amused manner.

Jackson blushed harshly at the assumption. "Wh-what are you talking about? That's not the reason why it feels good! How you said it made me sound perverted!"

"Sorry, sorry~" Despite her apologies, the disguised Latias didn't look sorry.

Jackson looked away to Blake, who looked back at him, blushing a bit at Lyanne statement. 'Honestly, though, Lyanne had a point,' he thought. 'But she didn't have to say it like that. I mean, after what she and I spoke about in Coumarine before...'


*FLASHBACK*

It was after the Coumarine gym battles. Jackson was sitting down on the edge of the water, watching a ship go out to sea, thinking on their path back to Lumiose, and something else. Something that he had been feeling for a while, but had never really thought of until during the gym battles.

As he watched the sea, Lyanne walked to him from behind. "Are the rest of our fellow team back yet?" Jackson asked.

"Not yet." she answered, sitting right down next to him. "The girls are still exploring the shops. Poor Seth, Jaune, Ren and Nate. They ended up having to carry everything for them. Leafeon and Crescythe are helping, but..."

Jackson chuckled at this. "Yeah. I know their pain," he stated. "When my sis started doing shopping sprees, I was always her personal butler." Lyanne laughed in response to this.

"Oh, but it kind of gets worse. At least in Ruby and Nate's case." Jackson raised an eyebrow at those words. "Let's just say Yang keeps finding the most perfect moments to get the two closer together." And instantly he felt more pity for them two. "But I think Eliza's catching on and kept ruining those searches with the usual insults." And now he felt relief for the two.

For a while, they stood next to one another, looking out to the same place. He continued to ponder on the feelings he had been thinking about, and realized these feelings were also related to his connection to Lyanne, but in a different way. Considering they were alone, he might as well ask her about it, right now.

"Hey, Lyanne?" he started.

"What?" she responded.

"I know we've been through a lot together in the past, and I know that made us close..." The disguised Pokemon looked to him, wondering where he was going with this. "But, would you be offended if I... liked someone else?" Jackson finished, blushing a bit.

Lyanne was surprised, but she seemed satisfied for some reason. "Not at all. I mean, I know I do like you, but to go any farther than that seems... weird."

Jackson was confused at the reason. "Weird in what way?"

"Oh, come on, Jackson! A human and Pokemon in love with one another? Even someone like me, who can transform into a human form. Doesn't that sound unusual?"

"I... guess," Jackson answered. "But you know me. I never discriminate love between two different kinds of people."

"... I know," Lyanne understood. "Not since... what happened to you in the past. It really does make you an oddball, but a kind one."

Jackson shrugged it off.

They remained silent, with Lyanne looking at Jackson, as he was finding the words to say what he was really feeling. Finally, he said, "As a matter of fact, I guess you can say the girl I like isn't fully human either. Yet, for some reason, I'm starting to go beyond liking her as an ally."

"Is it one of the Huntresses?" Lyanne asked. Jackson nodded, but knew she knew who it was. After all, there was only one girl in their group, other than the disguised Pokemon herself, who wasn't completely human. "I see. It's Blake."

Jackson nodded again, smiling embarrassingly.

"So... what do you like about her?" she asked.

"Well... she's very cool and sweet," Jackson answered. "She may be quiet, but she's determined. She cares a lot for her companions, both our lot and our Pokemon, whether she shows it or not. She's not afraid to tell what's on her mind when she feels like it, and her actions almost always seem to be for the team."

"Plus, she is very pretty, too," Lyanne added, getting the words Jackson was having difficulty saying. "Plus, I also did hear from Leafeon you two accidentally kissed in the caves." Jackson's face became extremely red in embarrassment, but nodded in agreement.

He then calmed down as he looked onward and continued, "Plus, I do sympathize with her troubles. I mean, being discriminated for being a faunus, the troubles with the White Fang, and I've noticed she has had trust issues, too."

"Yeah... I've noticed that as well. She's the quietist of the bunch, and tends to be alone, reading a book, or taking care of her Pokemon. I can feel that she doesn't want to fully trust someone, even her own teammates."

"Exactly. In a way, she reminds me of myself before I started opening up to my Pokemon," Jackson recalled. "After everything that happened with my father, I couldn't find it in my heart to fully trust someone. Heck, it's still a chore to this day. But that's just another reason why I like her. I want to be her strength, become someone she can fully trust, even if she can't trust anyone else. I want to be there for her when she needs someone to open up to, and become the person who wouldn't betray her for anyone or anything. And even if she never comes to love me, then that's fine. At least I can be there for her."

Lyanne smiled graciously at Jackson's entire speech. She could feel the honesty in every bit of it and the care he had for Blake, both sympathy and love, was strong. He wasn't showing any signs of denial to these feelings, and that was just like him. He was just that bluntly honest.

"You really have fallen in love with her," she told Jackson.

"I guess..." Jackson nodded. "Although, it's a one-sided love, right now. I know she hasn't shown any signs of feeling the same way about me."

"Well then, maybe I can help in that department," Lyanne told Jackson.

He turned to her, shocked. "You don't have to do that. I'm fine with things growing gradually."

"I'm not talking pushing her into loving you," the Eon Pokemon retorted. "I mean, I might help her notice some things about you do for her when they come. I can help her notice how much you want to protect her, but in a subtle way. That way, the two of you won't have to feel pressured in being together. And I'll also make sure that you two won't go off the wrong path, okay?"

Jackson was surprised at how thorough she was at her decision. "Since when did you change from the Guardian of Alto Mare to the Guardian of Love?"

"I think I'm more the guardian of your feelings, Jackson. Do you mind if I play that role?"

Jackson paused, looking into the sky. It wasn't something he was use to at all, but still, if it plays out right, maybe Blake could see him in a different way.

"Nah, I don't mind," he answered. "Just don't push it too hard, okay? We still have a mission to fulfill, too."

"You got it," she answered.


*END OF FLASHBACK*

'Already, she's pushing a bit too hard,' Jackson thought. 'But even so, it's the thought that counts. I hope she doesn't go too far on it.'

"You okay, Jackson?" Leafeon asked, confused.

"O-oh yeah. No problem here," Jackson answered, trying to act casually. "So anyways, let me see how my aura affects me. I wonder if I can also use a Semblance now, too."

"It's not so simple," Pyrrha told Jackson as he went into what looked like a standing meditation. "A Semblance usually doesn't show itself without proper training in using your own aura. Plus, you aren't as familiar with the power as we are, so it might take some time before your Semblance acti-"

Before she even finished her words, Jackson's body vanished in a bright yellow-orange spark, reappearing in an area further away from him. The team looked shocked at this. Jackson opened his eyes, surprised at what he just did.

"Whoa! That was cool," Jackson stated, looking at his hands.

"How in the heck?!" Jaune exclaimed.

"It's like he used an Electric-type version of Teleport!" Crescythe compared.

Some of the Remnant team looked dumbfounded that he was able to pull off his Semblance almost immediately after gaining his aura.

Jackson wanted to do that again, so he concentrated, calming himself. He imagined himself entering within the group once more. Once again, he vanished in a bright spark, appearing in the spot he imagined.

"Wow! That is amazing!" Ruby exclaimed.

"It's like a combination of Ruby's and Blake's Semblances," Ren compared.

"Hey, can you travel all the way to the next town?!" Nora asked Jackson. "Do it, do it, do it!"

Jackson decided to test that theory and he calmly concentrated, imagining standing in front of Lumiose Tower. He disappeared in a bright spark, surprising everyone that he didn't reappear near them. However, they heard Jackson's voice cry out in pain outside the surrounding rocks. They raced out and found him sprawled on the ground.

"Okay, that didn't work out as I had hoped," Jackson stated, sitting up.

"Guess you have a limited distance. Teleporting to the next town will hurt you," Nate said.

"No kidding."

"Even so, the fact that you are able to use your Semblance is astounding!" Pyrrha stated. "How were you able to produce it so effortlessly?"

"I think I know how he did it," Seth answered. "It's probably like how we trained back at Ryōuzanpaku. In martial arts, ki is a sort of power we use, though it is more like using one's willpower into your attacks. With proper training, you can channel it, increasing your attacks and defensive techniques drastically. Jackson and I both learned and trained in this back when we were disciples."

"That definitely sounds a lot like how we use our aura," Blake stated.

"I simply thought of that and concentrated from my very soul, harnessed my willpower into strength, and it worked out," Jackson explained, looking at one of his hands. He concentrated as he pulled back his flattened hand like a rapier user would pull back her rapier and thrust it forward. The dust underneath him blew forward from where he struck, reaching a few meters out before dissipating. "I wonder if teleportation is the only thing I can do?"

"If you don't mind, I would rather leave these badlands soon," Weiss stated. "This place is already hot as it is, and training here would take too much time."

"Agreed. Let's get back to Lumiose City as soon as we can," Ruby decided, turning to Jackson. "Maybe you can learn to use it as we go on." Jackson nodded in agreement and they took off.

As the crew walked along through the badlands of Route 13, Jackson continued to get the feeling of his aura and Semblance. His aura was above-average, according to Pyrrha, and his control was already just as skillful as their's.

As for his Semblance, Jackson was able to figure out the approximate range of his teleportation without injuring himself, which was about twenty meters. He also realized he had to be in a state of calmness in order to utilize it, which made him wonder what he did if he wasn't in a calm state. The discovery was arrow-shaped energy projectiles made of aura he gathered from about him, which he was able to send flying with a wave of his hand.

According to Jackson, the power reminded him vaguely of a power back from his home world called 'Chaos energy' and his two techniques were similar to that of moves called Chaos Control and Chaos Spear. Through that, he decided to name his Semblance 'Chaos' for short.

"We should be near the Kalos Power Plant right now," Seth informed the group. "It's the main power source for all of Lumiose City."

"Which means we should be getting close, right?" Ren asked.

"We should be about a third of the way there," the Pokehuman stated, getting a groan from Weiss and Jaune, who were not enjoying the landscape's conditions.

Just then, there was an explosion off in the distance.

"What the-?!" Nate gasped.

"Looks like a Pokemon fighting," Aipom noticed from her Wide Lens.

"That came from the Power Plant," Seth noticed. "Let's see what's causing the ruckus, just to be safe."

Everyone charged towards the area, wondering what was the cause.


As they drew closer to the large power plant, Crescythe noticed a large ball of electric energy being fired from behind a pillar, hitting the rock wall on the other side and exploding.

"Wait, why does that attack look familiar?" Nora asked.

"That was Zap Cannon!" Ruby noticed. "Isn't that what Vanessa's-" Before she even finished, the said Pokemon she was about to say appeared from behind the pillar. It was a Magnezone.

"Is that... Magnezone?!" Yang asked.

"Could that be Vanessa's?!" Weiss questioned.

"Ohmygosh ohmygosh ohmygosh! Is it really her? Is she here?!" Ruby squealed. She wasted no time as she activated her Speed Semblance, closing in on the spot Magnezone was at.

"Wait, Ruby!" Jackson barked, activating his Extreme Gear and zooming after her.

"Can those two stand still for once?!" Weiss growled as the team raced after them.

Ruby skidded herself to a halt as she was able to see the front of the power plant. In front of it was not Vanessa, but someone else. She was a young lady, with brown eyes and long hair that matched, tied in two wing-like pigtails, held by orange hairpins. She wore a teal dress with an orange bow, a white jacket, and white sandals with teal decorations.

"Who is that?" Ruby asked.

The young lady looked up to see Magnezone descend down to her side and petted him. "Well done, Magnezone," she commended him. "Your new evolution has made you a lot stronger than before."

'I guess that Magnezone belongs to her,' Ruby concluded, feeling down. 'Guess I got my hopes up too high there.'

Jackson arrived on the scene, slowing down next to Ruby, and looked to see the mysterious girl.

"No way..." he muttered, drawing Ruby's attention.

The girl and her Magnezone turned to the pair and suddenly beamed at the sight of the swordsman trainer.

"Jackson!" she greeted, waving to him. "It's so great to see you!"

"Hey, Jasmine!" Jackson greeted back. "Long time, no see."

The others reached the two as they wandered over to where the girl named Jasmine was at.

"Well, well. If it isn't Jasmine," Leafeon noticed.

"She came to this region, as well?" Lyanne asked in amazement.

"You two know her?" Pyrrha asked.

"Yeah. She's the Olivine Gym Leader in Johto," the verdant Pokemon explained, getting surprised looks from the team. The last gym leader from Johto they met was Falkner back in the Sky Battle town where they met Reaper.

"Wow, it's great to see you again," Jackson stated.

"Same here," Jasmine answered. "I must say, the years have been kind to you."

"I could say the same about you. It may have been two years, but I could see a great difference, and a good one." Jasmine blushed at his statement.

"So is this your Magnezone?" Ruby asked, as Crescythe and Leafeon joined the two.

"Yes. He only just recently evolved, so we are getting use to his power," the gym leader explained.

"You must be one of those Magnemites I fought before," Jackson stated, pulling out his Pokédex. "Magnezone, the Magnet Area Pokemon. As it zooms through the sky, this Pokémon seems to be receiving signals of unknown origin, while transmitting signals of unknown purpose."

"It's a pleasure to see you again, young Jackson," Magnezone greeted him. "The same goes for you, Leafeon."

"It has been too long, Magnezone," Leafeon greeted sweetly back.

"Hey, Jasmine!" Lyanne greeted, waving to her as she and the others joined them. Jasmine seemed confused at first as she wondered who she was.

"That's Latias," Jackson whispered to her.

"Eh?!" she gasped. "That's Latias?! When could she talk?!"

"Since Blackthorn. Clair helped her find a voice." Jasmine understood, but was still amazed.

"So what brings you to the Kalos region?" Lyanne asked.

"Well, to tell you the truth, I've been on a bit of a journey," Jasmine explained. "I was in the Sinnoh region before coming here."

"I didn't know about this," Jackson stated in amazement. "What were you doing in the Sinnoh region? And for that matter, who's taking care of the Olivine Gym?"

"I have an assistant that I've been training as my pupil for the next leader taking over the gym while I'm away, so it's basically like a test for her to see if she can pull off being a temporary gym leader. As for what I was doing in the Sinnoh region, I was learning to be a Pokémon Coordinator."

"Wow! I didn't know you were taking that up," Jackson exclaimed. "Are you any good at it?"

"Sure. I've seen lots of contests, and I've been training hard with Rusty to win them."

Jackson was unfamiliar with the nickname of one of her Pokemon. "Rusty?"

"Steelix's new nickname," she explained. "I have to have a cute name for her when she performs."

"Perform?" Weiss questioned, hearing a familiar term. "What are they talking about?"

"Pokemon Coordinators are similar to Pokemon Performers here," Leafeon explained. "They are more known in places like the Sinnoh or Hoenn regions, and while they do perform like in the second half of the Performance competition, they also battle other coordinators as stylishly as possible."

"Wow! That sounds right up your alley, Weiss," Jaune stated.

"Possibly, but I am a Performer right now," the heiress retorted.

All this time, Jackson and Jasmine continued to talk, where the latter explained that she was able to gain three ribbons so far, but then decided to help her Magneton evolve by coming here.

"I get it. The Lumiose Badlands have a special magnetic property that allow Magneton and Nosepass to evolve into Magnezone and Probopass," Jackson understood. "But, I thought you can do that as well in Mt. Coronet. You were in the Sinnoh region, so you could've done that."

"True, but, well..." Jasmine blushed a bit as she looked sideways from Jackson. "I did hear you were in the Kalos region from Cypress, and he asked for my help with some things here, so I decided to evolve Magneton here."

"I get it. If he needs your help, then I bet it's to help fight Neo Team Flare, right?"

"It is. Although, I did want to see you again," Jasmine stated, looking at Jackson with an innocent grin. "I hadn't seen you in a couple years, so I wanted to see how much you've grown." Jackson smiled at her consideration of seeing her.

"Somehow, I get the feeling she might want to see him for more than that," Nora whispered to Ren gleefully. "She does look like she looooves him."

"Well, according to Leafeon, she was pretty smitten with Jackson after all the help he had done for her in Olivine," Seth explained. "From helping the Ampharos in the lighthouse, to tag-teaming with her at the Battle Tower. Not to mention a tour she gave him about the town."

"So, she's basically Jackson's girlfriend?" Yang asked in amazement, not enough for Jackson or Jasmine to hear.

"Sort of, although due to her duties as a gym leader, she wasn't able to go any further with their relationship," Leafeon explained. "Now that she's here, I wonder how things will go. Especially now that..."

"Now that what?" Weiss questioned the Verdant Pokemon.

"O-Oh, nothing! I'm just saying that it's... a bit of an inconvenience, what with you guys, and Neo Team Flare, Vanessa, and all that." Leafeon was refraining from saying anything about Jackson's feelings towards Blake, which she did learn in time.

"Speaking of evolution, how is Scizor doing with his evolved form?" Jasmine asked.

"Oh, he's way stronger than before thanks to that Metal Coat you gave him," Jackson explained. "We even learned to Mega-evolve."

"Really? That's amazing!" the gym leader exclaimed.

"Metal Coat?" Ruby questioned, getting the attention of the two. "What's that?"

"It's a sort of item that can enhance Steel-type moves," Jasmine explained. "It also works as a way to evolve certain Pokemon."

"Right. Scyther evolving into Scizor, and Onix evolving into Steelix," Jackson followed up.

"You mean my Reaper or Yang's Nailer could evolve with that thing?!" Ruby exclaimed. "Tell me where I can find one! Tell me!"

Jackson looked to Jasmine, who saw his gaze and stated, "Well, I do have one on me. But I don't intend to give it away freely."

"True that. You gave me one after our gym match," Jackson stated. "Maybe one of them can challenge you to a battle to see who can win it." Jasmine smiled confidently at that suggestion.

"Oh, oh! Pick me! Pick me! I wanna do it!" Ruby squealed, raising a hand like an eager student.

"Ruby, didn't Reaper say he DIDN'T want to evolve?" Crescythe questioned. "Maybe you should respect his wishes and let Yang handle this." Ruby groaned at this missed opportunity, but understood that she needed to respect her Pokemon's wishes.

Yang stepped forward, pounding her fists together. "I'll be more than happy to challenge you," she said. "I'm confident my Pokemon and I will beat you."

"Is that so?" Jasmine asked humorously. "Don't get overconfident in your eagerness. I have been training for a while, and as a gym leader, I won't hand over anything to a challenger so easily. Badge or Metal Coat."

"Then let's head out into the field again," Nate suggested, "I don't know about you, but I don't think we'll be forgiven if the Power Plant gets damaged."

"Nate has a point there," Aipom agreed.

The rest of the group all agreed as well, much to Weiss's dismay, and headed out back into the badlands.


Meanwhile, a certain group of Neo Flare Huntsmen were far off from their position. Actually, they were chasing down a Pokemon that was burrowing underground, Dugtrio. Cardin's Golbat and Russel's Diggersby, the only two that were fast enough to catch up with it, were out and pursuing the target.

"Get back here!" Cardin roared, who was just behind Sky in their pursuit.

"Diggersby, Hammer Arm on the ground!" Russel ordered. Diggersby leapt up with glowing arm ears, and slammed them hard into the ground, creating a shockwave that went towards the burrowing Pokémon. It struck and Dugtrio popped out, turning angrily towards the group.

"Gotcha! Golbat, use Venoshock!" Cardin ordered. Golbat sent a glob of green goo at Dugtrio, who countered by using Mud Bomb, causing an explosion from the colliding attacks. All of the group endured, shielding their eyes. When they looked again, they saw Dugtrio burrowed underground once more, this time too deep to see it at all.

"Dammit!" Cardin sneered.

"At this rate, we might never get a new Pokemon for our team," Dove sighed.

"Yeah, even Xerosic stated that at our rate and skill, stopping those other guys will be a chore," Russel recalled. "That's why he wants us to get at least one new Pokemon for our team."

"You don't think I know that?!" Cardin barked. "I agree that we need more Pokemon for our group, but they could at least make us better-equipped to catch one. Maybe some traps for us to easily capture them."

However, team CRDL knew why that wasn't the case. Like all of the Flare Scientists, Xerosic informed them that some of the Pokemon they gathered was from fair, trainer-style capturing. For a criminal organization, they did have some chivalrous ways of doing things.

"Hey, Cardin? How about we split up to cover more ground?" Sky suggested. "Maybe the Pokemon around here will be too tough for us if all of us are together."

"Tch! I don't care," Cardin scowled. "If that's how you want to do it, then fine. You and Russel can just go off and see if you can do any better without me!" With that, he, Golbat and a worried Dove walked away, leaving Sky, Diggersby and Russel behind.

"Wow..." Sky muttered. "He's seriously pissed off."

"I think it's because he hasn't been able to show up team RWBY or JNPR," Russel assumed. "Not to mention he hasn't been able to find Vanessa since we came here and his vendetta for her has grown for some time."

"Still, we do need to get a stronger member for our team. Let's go find one ourselves." Russel nodded in agreement and the two walked the opposite way that Cardin and Dove went.

After about ten minutes of walking, the two finally made it over a hill, looking down at the bottom, where they saw a Pokemon that looked like a dark blue dragon with a red belly to it.

"What is that Pokemon?" Russel asked, while Sky pulled out their device that held the Pokemon info for them.

"According to this, it is known as a Gabite," he explained. "It's a Dragon/Ground-type, and when it evolves, it becomes Garchomp, which are said to be really powerful."

"If it's gonna be that powerful, then we should catch it, no matter what!" Russel decided, turning to Diggersby. "Let's get him, Diggersby! Start off with a Mud Shot!"

"(You got it!)" he answered. Diggersby leapt up, summoning mud balls from his ears and shooting them at the Pokemon below.

Gabite's eyes gleamed as it sensed the attack coming. "(You think you can get the jump on me?!)" he barked, as he summoned a swirl of sand, via Sandstorm, blocking the attack from coming at him.

"This one's tricky!" Sky stated, pulling out his Pokeball. "Go, Scrafty!" He called out his Hoodlum Pokémon, who charged headlong at the Gabite, with Diggersby grinding down the hill below him.

"(Heh! Are you even worthy of capturing me?!)" Gabite demanded, his claws glowing for a Slash attack. "(Let's see what you two got!)"

Diggersby prepared a Hammer Arm while Scrafty used his speed for a Headbutt, and the three Pokémon collided for an intense battle.


Far off from them, Jackson had traced a battlefield with his sword. Yang and Jasmine stood on either side, prepared to fight, while everyone else, minus Lyanne who was refereeing, stood on the sidelines, prepared to watch this fight.

"Before we start, mind telling me how many badges you have?" Jasmine questioned Yang.

"I have four right now," she answered. "As soon as we make it to Lumiose, that fifth one will be good as mine!"

"I see. Four, huh?" Jasmine looked over to Jackson. "If I remember correctly, you had four badges when we first met."

"Yeah, but I gained my fifth one before facing you," Jackson retorted. "But that doesn't mean anything here, especially considering who your opponent is." Compelled by Jackson statement, Jasmine turned back to Yang, determined to give her all.

"Right. I'll be the judge for this match," Lyanne stated. "I'll go based on the rules in the Olivine Gym. It will be a one-on-one match. Each trainer will use three Pokemon each. The battle will decide when one or both sides Pokemon are unable to continue. In addition, and if Jasmine accepts it, only the challenger will be allowed to exchange."

"I am perfectly fine with that," the gym leader responded.

"So what is the type of Pokemon she specializes in?" Ruby asked Leafeon.

"It's Steel-types," she answered. "Yang has the advantage, what with having three Fire-types to her advantage. However, this is a gym leader we are talking about. Quilava even had trouble beating her."

"I'll be the one starting this match," Jasmine stated, pulling out a Pokeball. "Magnezone, let's go!" She called out the Pokemon they all witnessed before. The same one that Vanessa had.

"Leona, I choose you!" Yang declared, calling out her prime Pokemon to the battle.

"I'm ready when you are, Yang!" she barked, spreading her front paws in determination.

"Starting with a Fire-type? That's so common," Jasmine stated. "Magnezone, Zap Cannon!"

"Fire away!" The Pokemon fired off a ball of powerful electricity at Leona.

"Charge forward with Flame Charge!" Yang ordered. Leona was engulfed in flames as she charged underneath the attack, leaping up at Magnezone.

"Metal Sound!" Jasmine shouted. Magnezone unleashed a screeching sound wave that made Leona falter slightly as she rose up, but she pulled herself together enough to make contact with the opponent, causing Magnezone to falter in the air.

"Way to go, Leona!" Yang cheered. "Now use Flamethrower!"

"Time to burn!" The little lion cub Pokemon fired off a stream of flames from her mouth at Magnezone.

"Mirror Coat!" Jasmine shouted. Magnezone unleashed an aura of rainbow energy around it, took the hit, and repelled it twice as hard straight back at Leona. She got struck hard, and fell back to the ground, skidding to a halt.

"That's gotta hurt!" Nate stated.

"True. Mirror Coat reflects and special attack right back at the opponent with twice the damage," Pyrrha pointed out.

"Must be a sure-way strategy to counter attacks like Flamethrower," Jackson stated. "Jasmine obviously has gotten smarter and stronger."

"Are you okay, Leona?" Yang asked as her little partner shook her head.

"Sure. Just got burnt by my own powerful flames!" Leona argued.

"Magnezone, use Lock-On!" Jasmine ordered. Magnezone summoned a shrinking red ring in front of it and it connected with Leona's forehead.

"What?" Yang asked, confused.

"It's not hurting me," the Lion Cub Pokemon pointed out, confused.

"Watch out!" Seth warned her. "Lock-On makes the next attack not miss the target!"

"Are you serious?!" Yang questioned in shock.

"Zap Cannon!" Jasmine shouted. Her Pokemon fired off another ball of electrical energy, which seemed to home in directly at Leona.

"Leap back and use Flamethrower!" At her order, Leona jumped backwards as best as she could, seeing the Zap Cannon curve towards her, and fired off a blast of flames. It created an explosion that sent Leona flying backwards even more, skidding to a halt. "This is a tough one."

"My Magnezone is quite a tricky opponent, don't you think?" Jasmine questioned. "Let me show you how we do it! Lock-On, once more!" Once again, Magnezone summoned another red ring, connecting with Leona's body. "Now use Zap Cannon!" The Electric/Steel-type readied another ball of electricity.

"You can fire it at us all you want, we'll just repel it like before!" the blonde huntress stated, with Leona prepared to attack.

"Aim it at the sky!" Magnezone fired the attack high into the sky, startling everyone. The Zap Cannon turned and started descending at Leona.

"Here it comes. Ready a Flamethrower!" Yang warned.

"Use Metal Sound!" Magnezone unleashed a metallic sound wave at Leona, in which she faltered in its power.

"Leona, watch out!" Yang cried, but it was too late. The Zap Cannon descended and made contact with Leona, sending her flying and skidding to her side at Yang's feet.

"What a combo!" Jaune stated.

"First she used Lock-On, then used Zap Cannon in a different direction on purpose. Then just before it hits, she used Metal Sound to stop Leona from moving or defending!" Nate described.

"Plus, Metal Sound weakens the special defense of a Pokemon, making Zap Cannon that much stronger," Seth added. "Also, Zap Cannon has an absolute secondary effect."

Sure enough, Leona struggled to rise up again, as she was paralyzed by the Zap Cannon. The combo of status effect and damage took its toll on Yang's partner.

"Leona, please hang in there!" Yang begged.

"I-I'll do what I can," she grimaced.

"You cannon defeat me with brute force alone," Jasmine warned her. "You have to think strategically if you want to earn that Metal Coat from me."

"She's right," Jackson agreed. "Back when I fought her, she used one of her Magnemites to understand my strategy with Quilava, then used her second one with its status effects to cause some major damage to him. I managed to take it out, but her Steelix finished Quilava off quickly after that."

'Leona's gonna be beaten if she takes another hit,' Yang thought to herself. 'Her Zap Cannon is her only offensive move, but that combo she made was pretty tough to avoid. I could use Flamethrower, but it'll just be sent back with her Mirror Coat at twice the strength!' Yang widened her eyes in realization at the thought. 'Hold on! Maybe...'

"Leona, think you can pull off a combo as well?" Yang asked.

"I can try..." her Fire-type partner answered.

"Then use Work Up and Flamethrower!" she ordered. Leona glowed red as she increased her strength, then fired off a blast of flames from her mouth.

"You won't win that way! Mirror Coat!" Jasmine shouted. Magnezone glowed a rainbow aura as the Flamethrower hit it and repelled the flames back stronger than ever.

"Now, hold back that paralysis and use Flame Charge at your flames!" Leona roared as she gathered all her strength, encasing herself in her attack, and leapt right into her repelled Flamethrower. The flames engulfed her, but Leona endured and absorbed the flame into her attack, intensifying the Flame Charge, and surprising Jasmine.

"Go!" Yang and Leona roared as the latter shot upwards, striking Magnezone in the face with a powerful explosion of flames. Smoke engulfed the two afterwards, followed quickly by Leona flipping back to the ground again. The paralysis made her stumble and fall to one side, but she got back up as Magnezone's body came out of the smoke, falling to the ground, dazed.

"Magnezone is unable to battle!" Lyanne declared. "Leona is the winner!"

Yang fist-pumped in victory as Leona gave a slight grin.

"Yeah! She got it!" Ruby cheered. "One down. Two to go."

"But that did take a lot out of her partner to beat it," Blake pointed out.

"Good job, Magnezone," Jasmine stated, returning her defeated partner to her Pokeball. "Take a good long rest, okay?" She looked up at Yang and commended, "You did surprise me with that. Using your own Flamethrower to intensify your attack. It was pretty impressive thinking."

"What can I say? If our flames aren't hot enough, we burn up even more!" Yang declared. "That's how we roll!"

"In that case, I have a Pokemon of mine specifically made to deal with Fire-types," Jasmine pulled out a new Pokeball. "Empoleon, let's go!" She called out the Pokemon Cypher also had on his team, who roared in declaration.

"Whoa! I didn't know she had an Empoleon!" Jackson stated.

"She upped her arsenal the last time we saw her," Leafeon pointed out. "And with it being a Steel/Water-type, it will put Fire-types at a disadvantage."

"Leona, what do you think?" Yang asked. "Think you can go on?"

"Well, I know I'm on my last legs," her partner answered, the paralysis coursing about her. "I might as well see if I can at least torch this overgrown penguin!" Yang smirked, knowing how determined Leona was.

"I'll let you have the first move," Jasmine told Yang.

"In that case, let's weaken him. Noble Roar!" Leona roared loudly at Empoleon, who's only sign of faltering was from his squinted eyes. "Now, let's use Flamethrower!" The Litleo readied another stream of flames, but the paralysis kicked in, causing her to falter.

"Crap!" she grimaced.

"You are hardly worth it," Empoleon muttered as Jasmine called out. "Blizzard!" He took a deep inhale and expelled a strong blast of snow from his mouth, striking Leona hard, despite not an effective move.

"You won't freeze us up!" Yang declared. "Leona, try another Flamethrower!" Leona struggled through the snowstorm and unleashed a stream of flames from her mouth. It quickly dissipated in the freezing snow.

"Now, Aqua Jet!" Jasmine declared. Empoleon engulfed itself in water and shot like a torpedo at Leona, striking her and sending her skywards.

"Watch out!" Yang cried out, as she caught Leona as she fell, but her partner was down for the count.

"Leona is unable to battle!" Lyanne declared. "Empoleon is the winner!" Empoleon came back in front of Jasmine, not phased at the victory it gained.

"That's too bad," Jackson stated. "All she could do was weaken it with a Noble Roar."

"That's better than nothing," Seth pointed out, seeing Yang commend Leona for her efforts before returning her to her Pokeball.

"Yeah. At least taking down her opponent won't be as hard. But the real question is who's up next?" Nate agreed.

Yang thought about who would have the best chance against Empoleon, then came up with a solution as she pulled out her next partner. "Emburn, let's go!" She called out her Monferno to the battle.

"I'm ready to go, Yang!" Emburn declared, punching a few times like a pro boxer.

"So you decided to go at me with a Fighting-type, huh?" Jasmine questioned. "Just to warn you, that won't be enough to beat me and my Empoleon."

"We'll see," Yang challenged.

"Use Hydro Pump!" Empoleon unleashed a torrent of water at Emburn.

"Jump and use Flamethrower!" Yang shouted. Emburn easily flipped over the Water-type attack, and unleashed a stream of flames, hitting Empoleon in the head, ceasing his attack.

"Got any more attacks you wanna hit me with?!" Emburn taunted, landing on the ground and waving a beckoning hand to Empoleon. The said opponent got irritated at his demeanor.

"Don't let him get to you," Jasmine told her partner. "Use Aqua Jet!"

"I'll show you!" Empoleon barked, shooting at the Monferno in a torpedo of water.

"We can use that against you. Counter!" Yang called out.

Monferno glowed and crossed his arms in front of him as he took the full blow of the attack. He struggled to hold on, but gained a good grip at his feet and sent the attack's damage straight back at Empoleon twice over, causing him to reel back in pain. This technique certainly surprised Jasmine.

"Now, use Mach Punch!" With a quick glow of his fists, Emburn punched Empoleon hard, sending him skidding on his back.

"What a hit!" Ruby cheered.

"That Counter was a perfect way to use Empoleon's attack against himself," Ren noted. "Just like how Jasmine used Leona's Flamethrower."

"Aw, yeah! That's how you bring down the penguin!" Nora whooped.

"Let's keep it up! Close in and use Mach Punch!" Emburn charged in with both fists glowing, ready to punch him hard.

"Roar!" Jasmine called out.

"DON'T GET COCKY, YOU MONKEY!" Empoleon barked, sending a sound wave at Monferno's face.

He suddenly was sucked back into his Pokeball, much to Yang's surprise, and out came Nailer, who looked just as confused.

"WHAT'S GOING ON?" Nailer asked in confusion.

"Shoot! I didn't expect Empoleon to know Roar," Yang stated.

"And to top it all off, Nailer can get hit pretty darn hard by Empoleon's Water-type attacks," Seth noted. "That's not gonna go well!"

"Empoleon, use Aqua Jet!" Jasmine called out as Empoleon rose up and shot at the Onix in front of him.

"Quick, use Dig!" Yang shouted. Nailer quickly dove underground, evading the oncoming Aqua Jet.

"That's a fast-digging Onix," Jasmine stated. "But you left yourself wide open. Use Hydro Pump in the hole!" Empoleon expelled a torrent of water into the hole. Moments later, Nailer expelled out of the ground, roaring in pain.

"Is it over already?!" Nora exclaimed.

"No. Nailer is very tough," Leafeon stated. "He even took one of my Solarbeams head-on and still had energy to spare."

Sure enough, Nailer rose, a bit shakily, but still able.

"We ain't done! Right, Nailer?!" Yang stated.

"I'D STAKE MY PRIDE AS ONE OF THE STRONGEST OF MY HOME ON IT!" the Rock Snake Pokemon answered.

"If you're ready for more punishment, Empoleon and I are glad to oblige," Jasmine stated. "Use Blizzard!" Empoleon exhaled a huge snowstorm towards Nailer.

"Block it with Iron Tail!" Yang ordered. Nailer raised a metallic tail, splitting the Blizzard in half with it, giving minimized damage.

"Nice one!" Aipom cheered.

"Using a Steel-type move to stop an Ice-type. Perfect thinking," Jackson stated. "I gotta remember that."

"Reminds me of Dewott doing the same thing with Razor Shell against Pryce's Piloswine," Leafeon recalled. "After that..."

Just then, Nailer's Iron Tail froze. "Well that's unfortunate," Jasmine stated.

"Nah, I just see an opportunity," Yang corrected. "Crack that ice over Empoleon's head!"

"TAKE THIS!" Nailer roared, slamming his iced tail at Empoleon's head, causing him to reel back in pain from the attack.

"Now use Dragonbreath!" Yang ordered. Her Onix expelled a blast of dragon flames from his mouth, hitting the defenseless Empoleon hard with it, but he regained his footing afterwards.

'Let's hope that worked!' Yang though.

"Let's get under him with Dig!" Onix burrowed quickly underneath the ground once more.

"Quick, send him out with Hydro Pump again!" Jasmine ordered. Empoleon started to inhale for his attack, but his body suddenly crackled with the energy of the Dragonbreath, causing him to falter.

"Nailer paralyzed him with the attack!" Ruby noticed.

"Was Yang hoping for that?" Crescythe questioned.

"Go!" Yang punched the air with a fist. Her Onix shot out of the ground, uppercutting Empoleon with his horn. Empoleon flew into the air, then crashed to the ground, dazed and unconscious.

"Empoleon is unable to battle!" Lyanne declared. "Nailer is the winner!"

"We did it, Nailer!" Yang cheered.

"I TOLD YOU I'D STAKE MY PRIDE ON IT, AND I DON'T INTEND TO LOSE IT!" he roared.

"You deserve a good rest, Empoleon. Great job," Jasmine commended her partner before calling her back, then to Yang. "You took a risky chance on that Dragonbreath's paralysis. You didn't even pause to see it come into effect."

"I just believed in my Nailer's attack, and it worked out," Yang explained. "Now I have two Pokemon left for the battle."

"True, but both of them have taken damage thanks to Empoleon," Jasmine stated, pulling out a new Pokeball. "I can't promise you they will beat my prized partner."

"Here it comes," Jackson muttered. "This is her pride and joy."

"Rusty, I choose you!" Jasmine threw the Pokeball high. Out came her Pokemon, Rusty the Steelix. She was definitely bigger than Nailer and completely made of a metallic form. Her jaw was bigger, showing her hard teeth. She had red eyes and spikes coming out from parts of her body.

"SO, I FACE MY EVOLVED FORM FOR THIS MATCH," Nailer stated as Yang pulled out her Pokedex.

"Steelix, the Iron Snake Pokemon. Steelix lives even further underground than Onix. This Pokemon is known to dig toward the earth's core. There are records of this Pokemon reaching a depth of over six-tenths of a mile underground."

"Steelix have an extremely strong physical defense," Jackson stated. "In fact, if I remember this correctly, they have the fourth strongest physical defense of all Pokemon. The Mega-evolved form is tied with being THE sturdiest."

"So that means physical attacks are useless against it?" Blake asked.

"It's not completely useless," Leafeon answered. "Both Dewott and Quilava were able to weaken it before I finished the job."

"Okay, Nailer. Let's take him out!" Yang declared. "Full-on Dragonbreath, let's go!" Nailer expelled a blast of dragon flames at Rusty, who flinched, but endured.

"Use Stealth Rock!" Jasmine ordered. Rusty summoned glowing rocks, which she shot all over the place. However, not one struck Nailer.

"What's the point of that?!" Yang questioned.

"Careful, Yang! That attack is no joke!" Seth warned her.

"Whatever. We can take it!" Yang stated. "Keep up the Dragonbreath!" Nailer unleashed another blast of flames at the Steelix.

"Use Stone Edge to block it!" Jasmine shouted. Rusty slammed the ground with her tail, summoning glowing pillars of rock up, stopping the attack cold.

"That was awesome!" Ruby stated.

"You should've seen her before with Sandstorm. That was a powerful defense, no doubt," Jackson recalled.

"Let's use those stones with Iron Tail!" Yang declared. Nailer made his tail glow, smashed the Stone Edge, causing the debris to strike Rusty, which did little damage to it.

"IS THAT ALL YOU GOT?" Rusty questioned her pre-evolved form.

"JUST YOU WAIT 'TIL YANG AND I GET SERIOUS!" Nailer answered.

"You got that right!" Yang stated with a fist-pump. "Let's use Dig!" Nailer burrowed underground once more.

"I have just the trick for that," Jasmine told her. "Iron Tail, on the ground!"

"GET UP HERE!" Rusty roared, hammering the ground with her glowing tail. The ground cracked and broke on contact and Nailer suddenly got pulled out of the ground due to the shockwave.

"What the?!" Yang gasped.

"Whoa! How did she do that?!" Jaune gasped.

"It's a little trick she learned from when she and I worked together at the Battle Tower," Jackson stated. "Remember that?"

"I had only learned Iron Tail the day before that," Leafeon stated. "Rusty and my's Iron Tail nearly broke the whole tower down!" The team was amazed at that magnitude of power.

"Let's hit him with Dragonbreath again!" Yang ordered. While in midair, Nailer swirled around and blasted a stream of dragon flames at the Steelix, striking him in the face and making her falter.

"We can't let him paralyze us, so use Roar!" Jasmine declared.

"YOU SHOULD GET BACK!" Rusty roared and Nailer got sent back into his Pokeball.

"Again?" Yang questioned as he was replaced by Emburn.

"So, you wanna dance, big guy?" Emburn questioned, jumping and throwing punches like before. "Bring it on!"

"I'LL LET YOU KNOW AFTER YOU SURVIVE THIS," Rusty answered, getting a confused look from Emburn.

Just then, the stone laid by Rusty before suddenly rose and struck Emburn from all around.

"What the heck was that?!" Nate questioned.

"That's Stealth Rock for you," Seth stated. "It causes Rock-type damage to Pokemon whenever they switch out."

"Just because Nailer was sent back from Roar, Emburn gets hit by the attack instead?!" Weiss questioned.

"A deadly combo, indeed," Ren stated.

"You okay, Emburn?!" Yang asked as her Monferno came out of the mess a bit surprised and damaged, but otherwise fine.

"I'm just more ticked off than before, that's what!" he answered.

"Then let's get him before he tries that again. Use Flamethrower!" Emburn expelled a blast of flames from his mouth at Rusty.

"Stone Edge!" Jasmine declared. Rusty unleashed a line of glowing pillars straight at the Flamethrower, continuing so even after stopping it.

"Dodge it!" Yang shouted. Her Monferno leapt up to avoid getting hit by it. "Now use Fire Punch!" Engulfing his fists in flames, Emburn flew at Rusty angrily.

"Counter with Iron Tail!" Jasmine shouted. Rusty flicked her tail at Monferno, who threw his fists forward at it. There was an explosion and Emburn flew back, flipping to a halt.

"That barely did anything!" Emburn barked.

"Her defenses are tough, but we can at least cut her down to size," Yang stated. "Let's go fast and use Mach Punch!" Her partner encased his fists in a light blue energy and shot at Rusty.

"Stop him with Stone Edge!" At Jasmine's command, Rusty slammed her tail down, unleashing more rock pillars. Emburn dodged the attacks as quickly as he could, then unleashed a fist at the main body. He then moved out of the way and struck another spot with his other fist.

"Yeah, keep them going!" Yang shouted, encouraging Emburn to continue throwing fist after fist at Rusty's body.

"Should that work?" Blake asked Jackson.

"Like I said, Steelix's have incredibly high defenses, so Mach Punch won't do much," the swordsman trainer noted. "That being said, chipping him away, little by little, is a tactic. Pokemon as enduring as that won't realize how weakened they have gotten until it's too late. Now, let's see if Emburn can keep it up."

They continued to watch as Emburn continued throwing Mach Punch after Mach Punch, while Rusty watched his seemingly fruitless efforts to take her out.

"YOU'RE ONLY WASTING ENERGY," she stated.

"Wanna bet?!" Emburn retorted, leaping up to score a punch underneath Rusty's chin.

"This is getting pointless. Send him away with Iron Tail!" Jasmine ordered. Rusty moved as Emburn saw him spin and use Iron Tail at him.

"Block with Counter!" Yang shouted. Emburn glowed as he took the attack and repelled the force of the attack back at him. The Mach Punches were taking effect due to how much Rusty faltered, but Emburn stumbled as he landed on the ground, panting from exhaustion.

"It looks like they are on their last legs," Jackson noticed.

"We could be watching the final moments of this battle."

"Emburn, you still good to go?" Yang asked.

"Oh, you know it!" he answered, trying to hold back the feeling of exhaustion.

"Then lets let her have it. Jump and use Flamethrower!" Her Monferno leapt high and unleashed a blast of flames from his mouth at Rusty. This time, it clearly showed she was taking damage from it.

"Let's stop them with Roar!" Jasmine cried out. Rusty struggled to turn her head in the flames, then roared with all her might at Emburn. He got sent back into his Pokeball once more, causing the attack to cease. Nailer was sent out soon afterwards.

"She did it again!" Nora exclaimed.

The Stealth Rock activated and struck Nailer's body, though it didn't do as much damage as it did to Emburn.

"YOU SEEM MORE TIRED THAN HOW I LEFT YOU," he noted to Rusty. "DID EMBURN GIVE YOU A HARD TIME? HE IS A HASSLE, HIM AND YANG. THAT'S HOW THEY BEAT ME!"

Rusty growled at her pre-evolved form's smack talk.

"Let's give him hell. Iron Tail!" Yang ordered.

"You use Iron Tail as well!" Jasmine ordered back.

Both snake-like Pokemon clashed tails simultaneously, but Rusty's type advantage and strength made his stronger, allowing her to shove the Onix back. However, as she did so, a spurt of flames engulfed Rusty's body and he got injured.

"Whoa! What happened?!" Weiss asked.

"He must've gotten burnt by Emburn's Flamethrower!" Nate realized. "Talk about a lucky break!"

"Seems like you're getting warm out!" Yang stated with a pun. "Dig into the ground!" Nailer dove into the ground once more, despite knowing what Rusty was able to do.

"You won't get away from us like that. Iron Tail, once more!" Jasmine ordered.

Rusty seemed worn, but she slammed the ground with her tail, causing cracks to form, though not as bad as before due to being weakened by the burn effect. It didn't even cause Nailer to be forced out.

"Now, rise up and use Rock Tomb!" Yang ordered. Onix rose out of the ground and unleashed a point-blank rock to Rusty's face, causing her to fall back, but catch herself at the last moment.

"Iron Tail!" both trainers shouted together.

Nailer and Rusty's tails glowed as they raised them and swung them at one another. Instead of colliding like before, both attacks struck one another's faces, and they both did greats amount of damage, causing them to fall backwards and hit the ground hard. Everyone endured as the two heavy Pokémon sent a shockwave from their collapse. When it was over, they could all see Rusty and Nailer both dazed and out of it.

"Nailer and Rusty are both unable to battle!" Lyanne shouted. "However, since Emburn is still able to go, the victor of this match is Yang Xiao Long!"

Yang whooped for joy as everyone cheered at her victory. Jasmine looked to Yang, surprised, but she smiled at being beaten well by her.

"Oh well. I guess that was a fun battle," she chuckled.

Yang rushed over to where Nailer's head was and asked, "Are you doing okay?"

Nailer regained consciousness, looking at his trainer. "DID…DID WE WIN?" he asked.

"We sure did, thanks to you," Yang answered, grinning. "You were awesome out there, Nailer. Thanks."

Nailer didn't look it, but he was pleased at this praise. She dug into her pocket and pulled out a Sitrus fruit, giving it to Nailer to restore his strength. She looked over to see Jasmine put away Rusty into her Pokeball.

She and Yang approached one another, while the rest of the group joined them on the sidelines. "That was a terrific battle, Yang," Jasmine told her. "You and your Pokemon do share a strong bond with one another and that showed with how strong you were. Great job."

Yang grinned eagerly at this.

"Well, here you go." Jasmine pulled out what looked like a cylindrical metal film. "This is a Metal Coat. Use it well."

"Thanks!" Yang took it and brought it over to Nailer, who started regaining strength thanks to the fruit. "Nailer, look!" Yang cheered, holding up the Metal Coat. "This is for you."

"FOR... ME?" he asked.

"With this, you should be able to evolve into a Steelix!" Yang stated. "Then, we'll be totally unstoppable. Won't that be awesome?"

"SOUNDS GREAT. I CANNOT WAIT."

"That can only evolve during a trade, so you'll have to wait until a Pokemon Center to trade," Jackson explained. "Jasmine helped my Scizor out with his evolution like that, right?"

"Oh, uh, yeah," Jasmine nodded, almost forgetting Jackson saw the whole battle.

While everyone was commending Yang for her victory and how eager they were to see Nailer evolve, Jasmine watched Jackson's eager face, laughing at a bad pun Yang made.

"You really still like him, don't you?" Lyanne spoke up, startling Jasmine as she and Leafeon approached her.

"O-Oh... I mean, I do," she stammered. "He was quite charming back then and so strong and caring for others. He went the extra mile for me and Ampharos, not to mention how fun it was teaming up with him at the Battle Tower..." She paused for a moment before slightly murmuring, "I wonder if I should tell him my feelings?"

"Well, maybe now's not the time," Lyanne answered, stopping her gaze on Jackson.

"Huh? Why?" she asked.

"Because he's already admitted he's falling for someone else."

Jasmine was shocked at this. "Whaaa-?!" Lyanne closed her mouth before she screamed in surprise.

"Is everything okay?" Yang asked, with everyone gazing on the two.

"Oh, everything's fine!" Lyanne answered hastily. "Just telling her something that shocked her, that's all. Jhoto girls' secret, okay?" She and Jasmine backed away from the group as some did look suspiciously at them, especially Jackson.

"Leafeon, what are they talking about?" he asked his partner.

"Oh, nothing of your concern," she answered. "Just assuring her your line is clear."

Jackson pondered for a few seconds, then realized what she was doing, and shook his head at this. Of course, he knew Jasmine did look like she had feelings for him before. How could he have forgotten that? True, he did like her, but only as a friend.

Once out of earshot, Jasmine whispered, "Who is it?! Is it one of those girls with you?! Is it Yang?!"

"No. Yang's more of a sister to him," Lyanne assured her. "Besides, I noticed Seth was getting close to her, so she's taken."

"Then who?!" Jasmine was practically desperate to know.

Lyanne averted her eyes back to the group as they continued talking to one another and eventually answered, "The raven-haired girl, Blake."

Jasmine looked at Blake, who had her back turned to her. However, she noticed Jackson looking at her, her expression slightly worried. Jackson understood the message, smiled and nodded to her.

"He deserves to find a girl he likes," Lyanne assured her. "Don't try to interfere with it, okay?"

Jasmine looked depressed at Lyanne, then back at Jackson, then back at Lyanne again.

"But if it makes you feel better, if things don't go right, I'll make sure you are the first one to know. Deal?"

Jasmine looked back at Jackson, who turned and started talking to Blake about how he and Leafeon won their battle against Jasmine before. Finally, Jasmine smiled a bit. "Well, I can't blame him. She is pretty," she stated.

"True, but Jackson more sees what she looks like in her heart," Lyanne stated. "But it's still a one-sided love. If she doesn't accept him, then he's all yours."

"Part of me wishes for that to come true. However, another part of me hopes for him to have a happy life, and if it means he chooses her over me, then I'll just have to get over it."

"In the meantime, why don't you help Jackson and us out with what Cypher has planned."

Jasmine agreed. "I was planning to go to Terminus Cave after this. While I'm at it, I was planning to see and maybe take part in some Pokemon performances."

"That's great, Jasmine. Find your own path to your happiness. In the meantime, I'll keep Jackson safe for you." Jasmine smiled and nodded in response to this.

"Hey, what are you guys doing?!" Ruby cried out to the girls.

"Yeah. Why don't you show us some of your performance skills!" Weiss suggested.

"I'd be glad to," Jasmine answered. Both she and Lyanne walked back to where the group was, knowing in their hearts that just like how he got their affection for him, Jackson would surely get Blake's in due time.


Back in the other far part of the badlands, Gabite fell to the ground, unable to continue. "(I... can't believe I lost...)" he moaned.

"Don't worry," Russel assured, almost seemingly understanding what it said. "When you're with us, we will assure you will become stronger!" He tossed his Pokeball at Gabite, sucking him in. After a few shakes, there was a click, signaling that the Cave Pokemon was captured.

"We did it!" Sky cheered, while Diggersby and Scrafty, exhausted from the long fight, whooped for joy at this.

Russel picked up the Pokeball, and raised it up in victory.

"What's all the racket?!" The two turned to see Cardin skidding down the hill with Dove at his side.

"Did you guys get a Pokémon yet?" the latter asked.

"We sure did. And a powerful one," Russel answered. "It's a Gabite."

"Whoa, I heard about them!" Dove gasped. "When they evolve, they're super tough to beat."

"Hmph! Guess you guys were able to do it," Cardin stated, but he grinned as he raised a hand to Russel. "Not bad."

Russel felt relieved to be appreciated for once and took Cardin's hand, shaking it.

"We have to keep moving. We got another mission to do. It's a simple data gathering mission."

"Data gathering?" Sky asked.

"Yeah. Apparently, Flare scientists learned that the gym leader of Lumiose is gathering info on the DMA and lots of other juicy info we might need. The mission is simple; take the data, erase what he has, and make sure he has no extra copies of it." Russel and Sky nodded in understanding. "We'll be meeting up with Mable an Aliana there for more info. Let's get moving."

With that, and with a new Pokemon added to their malicious team, the group set out to the same place the Remnant team was heading.