For maximum enjoyment when reading this chapter, please listen to these HTT songs when they appear in the story:
- Cageyake! GIRLS (5 person version)
- Fuwa Fuwa Time (Yui + Mio version)
- Fude Pen Boru Pen (Yui + Mio version)
- Watashi no Koi wa Hotchkiss (Yui + Mio version)
- Don't Say Lazy
All of them are available on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music.
"Well, here we are, Kumiko." Reina declared. "After everything that we've been through, we've finally made it to the largest performance and battling venue in all of Octiva: Ongaku Stadium."
Standing in front of the massive stadium, Kumiko couldn't help but feel dwarfed by the gigantic architecture. With the structure lit up by floodlights placed around its perimeter, Kumiko was wondering if all the shadows being cast over her were meant to be some sort of ominous warning for what they might face once inside.
"Are you ready, Reina?" Kumiko asked her desired. While they had prepared a contingency in case they were forced to fight for whatever reason, Kumiko still wasn't sure if it was enough against their potential foes, given how little they knew about their potential strength. "There's no knowing what happens once we go in, after all."
"You know me. I'm always ready." Reina replied with a confident smile. "After all, we've both won at the previous Gym despite horrendous type matchups. What could stop us at this point? Even if all of this turns out to be a gigantic red herring, at least we get the chance to enjoy music from a world-famous band."
"I'm hoping that we're just being overly nervous here." Kumiko thought. "But after what Asuka and Aoi told us in the past few days, along with our frequent encounters with people who seem to work for them, I'm starting to doubt that they're a normal band."
"Agreed." Reina seemed more pensieve upon hearing Kumiko's ponderings. "There's too much out of the ordinary here for this to be normally rationalized, so I'm already leaning towards something being planned that specifically involves us tonight. If everything so far was designed to lure us here, then what's the trap?"
"That's what I'm worried about too." In that moment, Kumiko's feelings matched Reina's. "Since they've pulled out all the stops to get us where they want us, what's their end goal here?"
"Whatever the case, there's no turning back now." Reina simply responded. "Destiny led us here, so we may as well see what it has in store for us. After all, the greatest fear is fear itself."
After approaching the main entrance and presenting their tickets to the attendant, Kumiko and Reina followed their instructions and headed down a flight of stairs, before turning left and heading down a corridor that encircled the stadium, followed by another flight of stairs. Once they were back outdoors again, the pair quickly realized that they were in the front row, where the most expensive seats were.
"Holy Arceus…" Kumiko was speechless at this revelation. "We've got front-row seats to the show. I know HTT wanted us here for a reason, but just how valuable are we to whatever they're planning?"
"If they're willing to do this much for us, probably a lot." Reina replied. "Though I still can't figure out how we're involved in the grand scheme of things. We haven't even met them in person yet, so what do they want from us?"
Kumiko pondered on that question as the stadium slowly filled out with people, with nearly every seat seeming to be occupied by someone. For such a gigantic stadium, getting a full house like this was not an easy task, but the fact that it was already reaching maximum capacity spoke volumes about HTT's popularity, despite Kumiko not knowing much about the group to gauge anything else about them.
Checking her watch, Kumiko realized that the concert was about to begin, which was then confirmed when the gigantic screens spread out evenly across all four sides of the circular stadium began to broadcast the standard message about general venue etiquette, indicating that the concert was about to begin.
As soon as the last message finished ("Stay tuned for the upcoming event!"), all the lights in the stadium went black. Since it was already evening, this meant that the stadium was now completely wreathed in darkness. Hearing distressed whispers, Kumiko worried that something had gone terribly wrong, and was about to turn to Reina when the screens lit up, followed by tens of thousands of light sticks and the shrieking of excited fans.
"They sent a shockwave through Unova!" White text on a black background accompanied a woman's deep voice.
"Where are you now, Ritsu?" A young woman with long, black hair wearing a school uniform with a bass case on her back talked on her phone in the midst of a traffic jam, with all cars involved honking their horns. "What, I can't hear yo-" Her words were then cut off by an explosion behind her in the background, causing her to freeze as her hair flew up from the resulting shockwave.
"They're coming back!" Another black and white text-plus-speech visual flashed on the screens.
A young woman with short brown hair wearing the same school uniform with a guitar case on her back struck a kung-fu pose in the middle of a crowded venue, not unlike the corridors Kumiko and Reina walked through to get here.
"Today, finally coming to Octiva!" One more text/speech visual came on.
An older woman dressed as a casino dealer stood in front of a card table, mountains casino chips stacked on top of each other.
A flash of another young woman with lighter short brown hair held back with a headband and wearing the school uniform banging drumsticks together.
A flash of a girl with black hair in long twintails and wearing a school uniform with a red ribbon sitting on a chair cradling a guitar.
A flash of a young woman with blonde hair wearing sunglasses standing in a snow-covered forest.
"HOKAGO TEA TIME!" the text-and speech visual returned once more, this time with blood-red text and the 'O's replaced by the band's logo.
As the cheers of the hyped-up audience reached a deafening crescendo, Reina took something out of her bag and handed them to Kumiko. "Here, have these earplugs. I've got a feeling that this concert will be loud, and I don't want you or myself to lose our hearing, since we're musicians and all."
"Thanks." Stuffing the earplugs into her ears, Kumiko found the reduced volume a lot more comfortable to bear compared to the shattering decibels the crowd had already reached without any music or vocals, though it took a short while for the tinnitus to fully go away.
All the stadium's spotlights swung towards the center as the final visual faded from the screens. The ground making up the circular pitch slightly lowered before retracting towards the sides in multiple pieces like the shutter of a camera, and a platform began to slowly rise up from underneath, the opening riff of a song emanating from amps placed below as it did so.
On the platform were five girls standing in a circle facing outwards with their instruments, all wearing the same school uniform consisting of a white dress shirt, navy blue blazer, grey skirt, and brown leather shoes, though there were some slight differences in how they individually wore them.
"Hello, Octiva!" the drummer yelled. "Are you ready to rock!"
After hearing the enthusiastic cheers of the crowd, she raised her drumsticks in the air. "Then let's get this show on the road! 1-2-1-2-3-4!"
Chatting Now
Gachi de kashimashi Never Ending Girls' Talk
shuugyou chaimu made matenai
chikoku wa shite mo soutai wa Non Non Non!
seiippai Study After School
The energetic and upbeat opening sung by the high-pitched guitarist resounded throughout the entire arena, and Kumiko and Reina soon found themselves clapping alongside the entire audience. While Kumiko felt like she was surrendering herself to the music's mood at times and becoming one with it, the earplugs she wore helped to prevent her from getting lost in the sheer intensity of it all.
As the band blasted through the song, the solos began after the second chorus with a shout from the keyboardist. "Yuuuu-i!"
The lead guitarist then began to launch into an impressive fast-paced guitar melody amidst cheers from fans, who loudly chanted her name before she ended her solo with a shout. "A-zu-sa!"
Though her style was far less wild than the lead guitarist's, the secondary guitarist still displayed extremely high skill, with her technique being even more on point, prior to passing the torch on to the next member. "Mio!
The bassist's solo featured a lot of sliding with her right hand, though the notes she played with her dominating left hand still remained crystal-clear nonetheless, then shifted the spotlight. "Rits~"
After a series of impossibly quick drum-beats from the drummer that Kumiko couldn't keep track of, she then called out the keyboardist's name, completing the cycle of solos. "Mu-gi!"
Playing her solo single-handedly, the keyboardist's flexibility on the synthesizer made Reina think back to her own time on the instrument, and how she had struggled with these sorts of exercises. Evidently, this was no trouble for a professional.
As the band then moved on to the bridge, both Kumiko and Reina couldn't help but be impressed by HTT's musical aptitude. Though all of the band members had vastly different styles, the end result that arose from combining them all together was pure musical bliss, extremely appealing to the ear. No wonder they were so popular.
Approaching the end of their first song, the all-girl band began to wind down, repeating the same phrase multiple times, with everyone in the audience following their lead.
Shining Shiner Shiniest Girls be ambitious & shine
Shining Shiner Shiniest Girls be ambitious & shine
Shining Shiner Shiniest Girls be ambitious & shine
Shining Shiner Shiniest Girls be ambitious & shine
With a short drum fill, the entire stadium fell completely silent for an impossibly short moment before exploding into deafening applause voraciously. Despite being outside of what they normally listened to, Kumiko and Reina were still impressed by the excellent music, and instinctively clapped with the rest of the audience.
"Ehh, how should I begin this?" the lead guitarist began to speak after the applause had died down somewhat. "So we're Hokago Tea Time, and we're actually starting later than usual today because Sawa-chan-sensei had to take care of something urgent. And Sawa-chan-sensei, don't cry. It's OK."
The audience laughed at the lead guitarist's unhappy face as if it was all just an act to them, which was then confirmed when she winked with a smile. The screens quickly cut to show an older woman sitting in the front row, who Kumiko and Reina realized was the same person as the one in the opening trailer.
"Wait, isn't that the person interacting with the lead guitarist's younger sister in the photo Aoi showed us?" Kumiko asked Reina. "Then that would explain why she's so close to the band!"
"You're right!" Reina responded in surprise. "But now I'm wondering what her actual connection is with them, considering she was doing her own thing up until several months ago according to Ms. Saitou. Maybe she's also their teacher or manager?"
"We started the Light Music Club at our high school with the intention of playing at stadiums all around the world." the lead guitarist continued. "Sometimes, we worked part-time to buy a guitar, and we used to have tea in our club room and chit-chat (we actually still do that in our dressing rooms and between practices). We've also had training camps at Mugi-chan's vacation home, then Azu-nyan joined us as a freshman."
"Eventually, us seniors graduated and left Azu-nyan behind, but not before going to Wyndon together and writing a song for her. But thankfully, she joined us in university together a year later (did you know us five attended the same university together?) and then an agent who watched us perform at Wyndon was seriously impressed with us, and signed us onto a record label almost immediately. That's how we began touring professionally and ended up here."
"There's no way we could say that we've been practicing really hard, but here at Ongaku Stadium is what we were aiming for all those years ago! We'll sing our very best to the end!" The guitarist finally concluded to even more applause.
"Huh, a success story that stretches all the way back to high school." Reina mused. "That's how I want to be remembered. Someone who was special all their life; an enduring flame through the ages, not just as a bright spark."
"And now, Fuwa Fuwa Time!" the lead guitarist announced to more cheers before starting to strum her guitar again, followed by the rest of HTT. Almost instantaneously, Kumiko and Reina began clapping their hands as the vocals began.
Kimi wo miteru to itsumo haato dokidoki
Yureru omoi wa mashumarou mitai ni fuwafuwa
itsumo ganbaru (itsumo ganbaru) Kimi no yokogao (Kimi no yokogao)
Zutto mitete mo kizukanai yo ne
Yume no naka nara (yume no naka nara)
Futari no kyori chijimerareru no ni na
Unlike the first song, this one was a duet between the lead guitarist and bassist, with them switching who was singing after each chorus. Following a short bridge sung by the bassist, Kumiko and Reina were surprised when the lead guitarist began rapping, which sharply contrasted with her innocent demeanour and high-pitched voice.
Dakedo sore ga ichiban muzukashii no yo
Hanashi no kikkake to ka doushiyo
Te ka dandori kangaeteru jiten de zenzen shizen ja nai yo ne
Aa mou ii ya nechao nechao nechao-! (Sou! Nechao~)
"Well, that was weird." Kumiko commented to Reina. "I'd never thought I'd hear someone rap in a high-pitched voice, much less in a light rock song about fluffy times."
With the rap over, the song entered its final chorus, and the near continuous chanting from the crowd grew even louder, eventually singing along with the band with the last phrases.
Fuwa Fuwa TIME (Fuwa Fuwa TIME)
Fuwa Fuwa TIME (Fuwa Fuwa TIME)
Fuwa Fuwa TIME (Fuwa Fuwa TIME)
Following one of the largest whole-band ending fills Kumiko had ever heard, a sharp cymbal crash ended this song for good, this time earning applause instantly after the reverbing sound died down.
Once the applause died down, the lead guitarist then signalled for the band to immediately move on to the next song. "What kind of pen do you like to use? It's now time for Fude Pen, Ball Pen!"
Fude pen fufu
Furueru fufu
Hajimete kimi e no Greeting Card
Tokimeki Passion
Afurete Action
Hamedashichau kamo ne
Like the previous song, this one was once again a duet between the lead guitarist and bassist, their contrasting tones perfectly complementing each other. At this point, both Kumiko and Reina were so invested in the music that they automatically clapped their hands without thinking, though their earplugs prevented them from completely being mindless drones.
Ai wo komete surasura to ne saa kakidasou
Uketotta kimi ni shiawase ga tsunagaru you ni
Yume wo misete guruguru to ne ji ga maiodoru
Ganbare fude pen koko made kita kara
Kanari honki yo
Before Kumiko or Reina knew it, the piece was already over, its easy-going rhythm causing them to lose track of time when listening to it. Another long and enthusiastic round of applause later, the band was getting prepared for their next song when the keyboardist suddenly interrupted them.
"Pardon my sudden intrusion, but we've got an important announcement to make before we play My Love Is A Stapler." she began, prompting Kumiko to think about how much her voice resembled Asuka's. "As you all know, this song was written by none other than Mio-chan herself in high school. Back then, we all thought that this was a love song, which she obviously tried to deny."
"But, we're playing this song today because of a very special occasion." the keyboardist continued on. "Mio-chan and Ritsu-chan got engaged to each other!"
Amidst the wild cheers of rabid fans on learning that two of their biggest idols were now one step closer to mutual marriage, the bassist froze on the spot and blushed uncontrollably on the spot, while the drummer buried her face in her hands, still holding her drumsticks.
Once their shared session of embarrassment had ended, the band was finally ready to perform again. With a cue-in from the drummer and another guitar instrumental, the next piece began, another duet between the lead guitarist and bassist.
Nande nan daro
Ki ni naru yoru kimi e no
Kono omoi bin sen ni ne
Kaite miru yo
"They've got excellent synergy with each other." Reina noted to Kumiko. "Being able to perform three songs without even the smallest clash in rhythm or pitch is no small feat. I wish I could get a chance like that someday."
"Yeah, me too. Especially if I did it with you." Kumiko didn't realize she said the last sentence out loud until Reina's eyes widened, then she became flustered as her eyes emitted a gaze that made Kumiko feel as if she was plotting something in her mind.
With both of them stuck in various states of tension and confusion about each other's thoughts, Kumiko and Reina almost didn't realize they sat through the entire song in their trance, only finding out when it began to wind down with the last chorus.
Kirakira hikaru negaigoto mo
Guchagucha hetaru nayamigoto mo
Souda hocchikisu de tojichaou
Hajimari dake wa karui nori de
Shiranai uchi ni atsuku natte
Mou hari ga nandaka tooranai
Rara, mata ashita
After this song had ended, it seemed like the fans in the audience had got even more rabid, the movement of the light sticks and applause becoming frantic and wild, fueled by the romantic resolution between the bassist and drummer.
"And now, one last song, Don't Say Lazy!" the lead guitarist announced to both disappointed moans and excited cheers from the crowd. "But, before we begin, we've got something special planned up to round this spectacular night off!"
"A while ago, we secretly sponsored a Double Battle invitational in Edian City," the drummer explained. "And one of the prizes as part of winning first place were two tickets to this concert. That's definitely one of the coolest things we can offer, but now we've decided to take this one step beyond."
Kumiko and Reina didn't like how their worst fears were coming true.
"We'd like to invite the winners on stage for an exhibition Double Battle against Yui and myself." the secondary guitarist continued. "I know it's a bit sudden, but we'd like everyone here to see just how strong you are. There were some really strong Trainers at that tournament, so we want to see how the underdogs managed to triumph."
"Plus, we always like to keep an eye out for rising talent in both music and battling. That's how we got our big break in the beginning." the keyboardist smiled at the audience as she sent out an Abra. "In a moment, this Abra will Teleport to where you're sitting and come collect you, so be prepared!"
"Why am I not surprised that everything that we thought could happen at this concert did happen?" Kumiko asked Reina. "Were we too paranoid about this entire thing to begin with?"
"Whatever the case, it's probably a good thing that we've anticipated something like this happening after Miss Tanaka gave us a warning beforehand." Reina replied as the Abra appeared in front of them. "Besides, what better way is there to test out the other gifts we got at the tournament?"
Kumiko smiled at Reina's suggestion as they both latched on to the Abra, thankful that all the help they had received on their journey would finally pay off in this unexpected confrontation. Within an instant, they were whisked away from their seats up to the main stage, to the cheers of the crowd and shocked faces from three of their acquaintances attending the concert (the fourth remained indifferent to this situation).
"Please welcome to the stage, Kumiko Oumae and Reina Kousaka!" the lead guitarist yelled, prompting the drummer to play a lengthy drum fill, ending it alongside a bass riff.
"Nice to meet you!" the lead guitarist lowered her voice to a volume more easy on the ears, though it was still as energetic as ever. "I'm Yui Hirasawa and this is Azunya- Azusa Nakano, my girlfriend and secondary guitarist!" Yui gestured over to where her partner was standing. "Is this your first time at one of our concerts?"
"Yes, it is." Reina responded, keeping her reservations about the band to herself. This was no time for hesitation at all, considering they were getting close to figuring out HTT's motives. "Though we don't know how strong you two are, we'll be sure to give you a good fight."
"That's great!" Yui lit up, reminding Kumiko of Tamako in that moment of childlike enthusiasm. "Then we'll be sure not to disappoint either! Now, let's get this show moving!"
As if being cued by Yui, the elevated circular stage shifted around in midair, causing the bassist, keyboardist, and drummer to be relegated to three smaller sub-platforms, leaving Kumiko, Reina, Yui, and Azusa on the largest central platform.
"All right, Ritsu!" Yui pointed at the drummer. "Hit it!"
A short drum fill later, the bassist began to sing, hyping up the crowd with her vocals for the impending battle.
Please don't say "You are lazy"
Datte hontou wa crazy
Hakuchou-tachi wa sou
Mienai toko de bataashi suru ndesu
Honnou ni juujun chuujitsuhonrou mo juujuu shouchi
Zento youyou da shi…
Dakara tama ni kyuukei shichau ndesu
Afterwards, the song shifted to an instrumental section, which Yui took as a cue to send out her own Pokémon. "Let's have some sweet times, Fuwa!"
An Eevee emerged from Yui's Pokéball and happily yapped when landing on the ground, prompting Azusa to get ready and throw her own Pokéball out. "Burn bright red, Mustang!"
A Scizor appeared on the battlefield, standing gallant and tall above the Eevee. Seeing their opponents' choices of Pokémon, Kumiko and Reina nodded at each other, before revealing the Pokémon they had chosen for this special occasion in unison. "Orpheus and Eurydice, let's raise hell!"
Now that their opponents' Pokémon were on the field as well, the remaining members of the band broke the instrumental loop and continued on with the song.
Kono me de shikkari misademete
Ikisaki chizu jou māku shite
Chikamichi areba sore ga oudou
Hashoreru tsubasa mo areba joutou
"Fuwa, Iron Tail/Mustang, Iron Head!" Yui and Azusa ordered in unison, Fuwa's tail and Mustang's head shining a metallic silver before they rushed towards their opponents, ready to strike them down with their super-effective attacks.
"Orpheus/Eurydice, Teleport away!" Upon seeing their opponents close the distance between them simultaneously, Kumiko and Reina immediately knew that neither Orpheus or Eurydice would not stand a chance if they got hit by one of these moves, so the best option they had in the moment was to dodge.
Their Pokémon reappearing in midair, Kumiko and Reina knew that this was the perfect time to retaliate. "Confusion!"
As Orpheus and Eurydice's dual attack was launched towards them, Azusa knew that it wouldn't be a challenge for them to counter. "Mustang, Fling Fuwa up!"
"Wait, what?" Yui was shocked, but her concerns about what Azusa was planning to do were alleviated when her girlfriend's Scizor picked up her Eevee, tail still glowing silver, and threw her up into the air, taking the full brunt of the combined Confusions, but his natural resistance tanked the hits with ease.
Once airborne, Fuwa then positioned herself so that she would be in the middle of Orpheus and Eurydice when she began to descend. Settled on her position, all she had to do now was wait before gravity took its toll and guided her towards her targets.
Before Orpheus and Eurydice had realized what had happened, Fuwa spun around and slammed her tail into both of them, sending them rapidly flying down towards the ground. Just before they landed, Azusa still had one more attack to pull off. "Mustang, Bullet Punch!"
Launching himself forward with the aid of his wings, Mustang came to a screeching halt before punching the air in front of him twice with his right arm, both punches landing on their intended targets of Orpheus and Eurydice with the utmost precision, eliciting massive cheers from the crowd.
"Holy…" Kumiko was left speechless by their opponents' superior coordination. With only the merest of words and glances, they had seamlessly put together an impressive combination of attacks that had left Orpheus and Eurydice incapacitated in the blink of an eye.
"Kumiko, focus." Reina's voice snapped her back to reality. "They may have the upper hand now, but there's still a chance to turn the tide." Shifting her attention back towards what was happening on the battlefield, Reina then gave out her next order. "Eurydice, use Psychic on the Eevee!"
"Orpheus, Fire Punch on the Scizor!" Recovering from the damage they were dealt, Orpheus rushed ahead while Eurydice remained where she was, both of them charging up their attacks before telepathically coordinating to release them at the same time.
Mustang instinctively stretched out his left arm to block Fuwa from taking any damage, but this left him vulnerable to the flaming uppercut Orpheus delivered straight at his head. Meanwhile, Eurydice was able to masterfully guide her Psychic around the battlefield before slamming it directly into Fuwa from below.
"Mustang, Iron Head!" Hearing his Trainer's command, Mustang's outstretched head glowed bright silver, then he quickly tilted it back into Orpheus' direction, sending the Kirlia flying back with the head-on impact.
"Fuwa, Iron Tail!" Despite being sent flying up into the air once again, Fuwa knew how to position herself to go in the direction she wished from prior battle experience, and realigned her body midair, resulting in Eurydice being struck tail-first from the air.
With both their Pokèmon sent reeling back from their opponents' super-effective counters, Kumiko and Reina saw their options were slowly dwindling as Mustang and Fuwa were slowly coming in for the finishing blow.
However, both Orpheus and Eurydice refused to give up despite the odds being ridiculously stacked against them. Their feelings of determination were amplified by the song's powerful melody resonating across the entire arena, giving them newfound strength.
Please don't say "You are lazy"
Datte hontou wa crazy
Nou aru taka wa sou
Mienai toko ni pikku kakusu ndesu
Souzou ni isshou genmeigenjitsu wa zettai zetsumei
Hatten tochuu da shi
Dakara fui ni picchi hazureru ndesu
In sync with each other, Orpheus and Eurydice's bodies were engulfed with a bright blue light, their bodies getting taller as their arms and skirts grew longer. As Kumiko was transfixed at the ensuing evolutions, Reina suddenly remembered something.
"Kumiko, your Dawn Stone!" Reina exclaimed, worried that Kumiko hadn't brought it along with her. "Are you going to use it or not?"
"Right!" Almost forgetting the gift Reina gave her shortly before they challenged the Gym in Edian City, Kumiko dug it out of her bag (why was she still carrying it in the first place?) and threw it towards Orpheus, who managed to catch it even in the midst of evolving. Instantly, his body began to shift again, the skirt disappearing while his arms and legs got thicker.
When the light dissipated, Eurydice had evolved into a Gardevoir, her green hair curling over her face, red horn protruding from her chest, and legs hidden by her lengthened skirt.
On the other hand, Orpheus had evolved into a Gallade, his legs now connected to an elliptical waist, arms extending into sharp blades, and two horns on both his chest and head, colored green and red respectively.
Taking out their Pokèdexes to see if their Pokèmon had learnt any new moves after evolving, Yui and Azusa decided to seize this chance. "Don't get cocky! Even if your Pokèmon have evolved, that doesn't mean you can turn the tide! Mustang, Iron Head!"
"Fuwa, Iron Tail!" Their Pokèmon continuing to advance towards Orpheus and Eurydice, Yui and Azusa were sure that they still had victory in their grasp until they saw Mustang's head being intercepted by a timely Psycho Cut from Orpheus, while Fuwa had been blasted away by a Dazzling Gleam from Eurydice, courtesy of last-minute orders from Kumiko and Reina.
"Mustang, add your Bullet Punches to the mix!" Azusa ordered. His head still caught by Orpheus' extended blade, Mustang thrust out both his arms in a flurry of punches, but Orpheus managed to parry all of them with his other arm, which was also gleaming with the pink light of Psycho Cut.
"Fuwa, don't give up just yet!" Yui pleaded, knowing that her Eevee still had enough strength to continue fighting. "Get back in close with Quick Attack and use Iron Tail again!"
Dashing at top speed towards Eurydice, Fuwa repeatedly avoided bursts of Dazzling Gleams thrown out at her, until she had closed in enough distance for her opponent to take the brunt of her Iron Tail.
However, Reina had anticipated this, and Eurydice successfully blocked the attack with a Psyshock she was charging up just as Fuwa had leapt into the air. Her attack unable to connect with her target, Fuwa was at a loss about what to do next when Eurydice blasted the Psyshock out at her, sending her flying back at high speeds. At the same time, Orpheus managed to beat Mustang back with a dual Psycho Cut.
After seeing their Pokèmon successfully turning the tide through the strength their evolutions gave them, Kumiko and Reina high-fived each other, reinvigorated and ready to fight wholeheartedly again. However, this sudden change of course had not gone unnoticed by Yui and Azusa, who were quietly scheming as their bandmates' music kept blasting.
Yari choi yasetachoushi dzuite kutta
Sore dake de nande?haibokukan
Sukasazu ni mokuhyoukahoushuusei shite
Juunan ni rinkihouhenshichihenge ga kachi
"Azu-nyan, looks like it's time for us to use that!" Yui whispered, though making sure her silent voice did not get drowned out. "They're much stronger than they appear!"
"Are you sure, Yui?" Azusa whispered back. "I know we've been testing that out, and this stadium is the only place you can use yours, but it feels like overkill in an exhibition battle!"
"No it won't!" Yui playfully retorted, rotating her guitar to the front of her body. "It'll all be part of the spectacle! People want things to be bigger, flashier, and more fun! We're giving them what they want! After all, fun things are fun, aren't they?"
"Fine, if you insist." Sighing, Azusa also readied her guitar as Yui reached for Fuwa's Pokèball. Stretching her arm, Yui then recalled Fuwa back in before strumming her guitar with her free fingers. A small object attached to it then glowed a reddish-white, as the Pokèball in her hand was infused with energy flowing from the guitar, growing to the size of a watermelon and becoming a radiant pink.
Grasping the gigantic Pokèball with both her arms, Yui spun around and threw it forwards. In midair, the Pokèball exploded open, revealing a much larger Fuwa with several differences, namely the three red clouds swirling above her left ear and the white fur on her neck growing to ridiculous proportions.
"Gigantamax?" Reina was completely shocked at Yui's trump card. "I thought it was only possible in Galar! How can you even pull that off here in Octiva?"
"There's actually a Power Spot beneath this stadium. That's why the arena was built here in the first place." Azusa explained, somehow managing to hear what Reina just said despite everything going on. "But enough of that! Mustang, Mega Evolve!"
Strumming a chord on her guitar, a Key Stone affixed to it glowed with a bright light as a bracelet on Mustang's right arm shone as well, enveloping him in it. When the brightness dissipated, Mustang's pincer claws had changed shape and color, various additional pieces of grey armor appeared around his body, and his legs had morphed into thick spikes of steel.
"We are now royally, completely, totally screwed." Kumiko uttered without thinking, earning a nod of approval from Reina. "But still, at least we're screwed together, right?"
"Right." Reina affirmed, happy to know that no matter what she went through, there was at least one person who would always stick by her side.
"This is our power!" Yui announced to the ravenous audience, who were cheering at the band's lightning comeback. "Fuwa, G-Max Cuddle!"
With just a small stretch forward, Fuwa effortlessly rammed into Eurydice and began rubbing against her, the massive tufts of fur on Fuwa's neck slowly trapping Eurydice in and ensnaring her, leaving her completely unable to move or attack, much to Reina's despair.
Meanwhile, as Orpheus battled against the now-Mega Evolved Mustang, Kumiko realized that while her opponent's Pokèmon didn't really get a boost in speed, allowing Orpheus to still parry hits coming his way, that was balanced out by Mustang's attacks hitting much harder, each blow striking with more power and driving Orpheus back even further.
Now being on the losing side again, Kumiko and Reina knew that this was the time to finally use Asuka's gift and fight fire with fire. With HTT's music blaring non-stop in their ears, Kumiko and Reina abandoned all their doubts, ready to face the music.
Yaba Masaka Red Point!? Iya giri kuria!
Sore dake de nante zennou kan
Daiji na no wa jibunmitometeku koto
Jibun wo yurusanakyahito mo yurusenai
"Orpheus/Eurydice, Mega Evolve!"
Curling their left arms up in unison, Kumiko and Reina focused themselves for a brief moment before rotating their Z-Power Rings 180 degrees, revealing the Key Stones embedded in them. Pressing down together, what Kumiko and Reina next experienced was unlike anything they had ever felt before.
As a wave of light washed out from her Key Stone and Orpheus' Galladite, Kumiko could somehow feel her soul being linked with Orpheus', getting a glimpse of all that he had experienced with her, from being rescued, to winning Gym Battles together, to evolving twice with his sister in Double Battles. The bonds between Trainer and Pokèmon were finally laid bare, and could begin growing anew again.
Reina had read interviews about what it was like to Mega Evolve a Pokèmon from a Trainer's perspective, but actually getting the chance to do it herself was something completely different altogether. She could feel her own desire to win melding with Eurydice's, and could sense the power in their connection giving Eurydice newfound strength, fulfilling their shared wish.
When all the flashing lights illuminating the battlefield dissipated, Orpheus and Eurydice's appearances had changed for the second time in the same battle. Orpheus' blades had grown longer and turned white, gaining a cape on his waist alongside a pure white torso, while Eurydice's dress had turned into a full-on ballgown, and the red horn in her chest had split into two halves, pure psychic power projected from inside.
"Orpheus, Fire Punch!" Kumiko commanded. Both of his lengthened blades lit up with flames, Orpheus let them loose with one combined swing, the resulting beam of blazes trailing across the battlefield in pillars of fire before striking Mustang together, causing the Scizor to overheat even further.
"Eurydice, Psyshock!" The energy from Mega Evolution had freed Eurydice from the grasp of Fuwa's fur, and Reina was ready to pay back the pain. Focusing a tremendous amount of Psychic energy between her hands, Eurydice then telekinetically shattered it, creating a blizzard of supernatural shards that washed over Fuwa's gigantic body, completely enveloping her.
Though Kumiko and Reina's counterattack had proven successful, Yui and Azusa still had absolutely no intention of throwing in the towel just yet, now that the battle had completely evened out for both sides. From here, it could go both ways, with no means of telling how everything would end.
"Mustang, Razor Wind!" Azusa shouted out. Beating his wings, Mustang created gusts that immediately cooled down his dangerously heated body, before using the thrust generated to propel himself towards Orpheus. Once in range of his opponent, Mustang then delivered slashing kicks with his legs one after the other, forcing Orpheus to defend himself yet again with Psycho Cut.
"Fuwa, G-Max Cuddle!" Nudging forward, Fuwa slammed herself into Eurydice, who managed to erect a barrier in time to prevent herself taking the full brunt of the attack. However, that did not save her from being stuck in Fuwa's fur, but she quickly summoned and controlled Psyshock shards to slowly slash her way out following Reina's orders.
Now able to fight on even terms with Yui and Azusa, Kumiko and Reina were starting to get a feel of just how much their options had broadened with Orpheus and Eurydice's evolution and subsequent Mega Evolutions. Smiling to each other, Kumiko and Reina interlinked their hands without both of them realizing, as they called out their next commands.
"Orpheus, Psycho Cut/Eurydice, Psychic!" Kumiko and Reina ordered in perfect unison. As their Pokèmon began to charge up their most powerful attacks, Yui and Azusa knew they also needed to respond in kind, or else they would be upstaged by their guests.
"Fuwa, G-Max Cuddle/Mustang, Iron Head!" Immediately after Orpheus' attack was ready, he gracefully leapt into the air with both blades outstretched at Fuwa, who proceeded to tuck her body back before getting ready to ram herself into him. Meanwhile, Eurydice blasted out an arc of Psychic energy so large that it managed to envelop her quarter of the battlefield, but Mustang still rushed to meet it directly, head gleaming silver with Steel-type energy.
However, just before any of the four attacks could collide, a gigantic beam rained down from the sky and impacted the center of the battlefield, knocking all four Pokèmon involved backwards.
"What that hell was that?" Kumiko shouted.
"I have completely no idea!" Reina responded, confused as to what was going on. Was this the trap that she had so dreadfully feared?
As the smoke from the attack slowly dissipated, it was soon apparent that Orpheus, Eurydice, Fuwa, and Mustang had been knocked out by the mysterious attack, having reverted back to their base forms. Clearly, whatever that beam could have been wasn't a result of what HTT was planning.
Hurriedly recalling their Pokèmon back into their Pokèballs as their opponents did the same, Kumiko and Reina looked around them to see that the audience was being quickly evacuated from their seats as an announcement was being broadcast on the arena's screens.
"Attention. This is an emergency announcement." an automated voice droned out. "Due to a Legendary Pokèmon engaging in hostile behaviour above the stadium, we regret to inform you that tonight's performance has been abruptly cancelled. Please leave the stadium in an orderly manner and contact your ticketing agent for further enquiries about refunds. We apologize for any inconvenience caused."
"Kumiko, we should leave right now." Reina declared as she sent out Eurydice, giving her a spare Revive to restore some of her strength. "Eurydice should still have enough power to Teleport us out of here."
"Gotcha!" Just as Kumiko was about to grasp on to Reina's hand for the second time tonight, the screens flared up again with a new development.
"We have just received word that a Deoxys was the Legendary Pokèmon responsible for the initial attack, but the Champion has already gone up to confront it. Please remain calm." the voice continued to blandly drone.
Upon hearing the second statement, Reina froze as she tilted her head to look up at the sky. Below the glowing full moon, a familiar crescent shape ascended from the ground, flanked by two reinforcements that she instantly recognized as well. Once the three figures reached a certain point, a cavalcade of multicolored attacks began to paint the night sky, and Reina could see for herself that she had heard the truth from the moves used.
"Taki-sensei?!"
A/N: At long last, the full crossover with K-ON! is here, and on Pokémon Day to boot! Since this is a momentous chapter, I've got a lot to say, so apologies if this section will be longer than usual.
First of all, I'd like to thank all of you readers for following To Be A Solister. No matter where you joined in on Kumiko and Reina's journey, I hope that you found yourselves satisfied and entertained by the world that our favourite band girls are in. Of course, this story would not exist without the encouragement of BogheadEX and RedlerRed7, who provided me with the initial kick I needed to start writing and many of the ideas about the K-ON! side of the story (including Azusa's Scizor) respectively, so many thanks to you two as well.
When I first started writing this story, the end goal had already been set, but I never would have imagined that this would be the road that Kumiko and Reina would take to get there. Originally, I planned for the story to end at around 50 chapters with 100k words in total, but I've recently finished my rough plan for the rest of the story's events, and it will most likely become the longest Hibike fic by a wide margin, provided I maintain the current amount of words per chapter.
Despite this sounding like a farewell message, I can assure you that it is not. Rather, the preceding 27 chapters you have just read have all been leading up to this moment. With almost all the pieces in play and HTT revealed, the real story of Kumiko and Reina's journey starts now, as they fight HTT, continue their Gym challenge, and realise their love for each other.
It is also here that I announce that To Be A Solister will be on a one week break to allow you readers to process what just happened here, and the next full chapter will be released on March 12th. However, do check back on March 7th for a special surprise! (Hint: involves my favourite character!)
If you haven't done so, please follow me on Twitter ( tekketsu08) for the latest updates for this fic. I am also active on the Hibike! Euphonium subreddit Discord, so please join that if you wish to interact with me. The link is searchable on Google.
On a final note, I am also currently working on a massive KyoAni crossover project that will be released later this year. Stay tuned for more details!
