5 minutes ago…
"Sir, we've received a report that a Pokèmon with an extremely powerful Psychic signature is descending down towards the stadium from space. It appears to be a Deoxys, though we can't get a clear picture yet. What do you suggest we do?"
Noboru Taki looked at Nakaseko's aide, who was currently serving as his replacement assistant. While she was certainly lacking in experience, she more than made up for it with youthful enthusiasm and efficiency.
"Let's wait for a moment and see what happens, Ms. Kabe." Taki responded, hoping that it was just a lone anomaly. "Perhaps it will naturally go away on its own."
Knowing that was the best outcome possible, Tomoe Kabe smiled for a slight moment before the room they were in suddenly shook violently, knocking them off balance as the lights flickered on and off amidst the frenzy.
Consulting the PDA she was holding along with her notes, Tomoe's eyes widened as she realized just what happened. "It appears the Deoxys used an extremely powerful Psychic-type attack directly on the stadium! From what I'm getting, it seems to have been aggravated by something emanating from the stadium, though thankfully no one appears to be hurt!"
Tomoe looked up again after processing the latest information available, only to see Taki's desk completely vacated, the papers placed there wildly fluttering around the room. "Sir?"
"There he goes again." Haruka Ogasawara sighed as she walked in, bearing witness to that moment of chaos. "Always interfering in things he knows we could deal with. What a meddlesome demon."
Rushing up to the surface from his underground office, Taki prepared the Pokèballs of the three Pokèmon he decided were the most appropriate to combat Deoxys in an aerial battle. While he knew all of them could decisively defeat the Legendary Pokèmon in a straight fight, Taki was also aware that the Deoxys was currently hovering in the sky without moving further, so he had to plan accordingly.
Going up the final flight of stairs, Taki felt the night breeze blowing through his curly hair once he reached the topmost floor. Once upon a time, he would have savoured this refreshing feeling wholeheartedly, but now was no time for appreciating the best things in life. People's lives were at stake here, he reminded himself.
Fully pushing open the already unlocked doors, he could hear the pandemonium coming a short distance away from the stadium's direction as the staff tried to evacuate the frightened crowd present there. As the situation there was already under control, Taki could now fully focus on the task at hand, which he was more suited for.
Sending out his Pokèmon, Taki watched as his Hydreigon, Dragapult, and Salamence appeared by his side, ready to accept their orders from him. Though he could have just used any one of them to engage Deoxys alone, Taki also had to take into account that there was a concert happening at the stadium tonight, so he needed an overwhelming advantage to take down the Legendary Pokèmon as soon as possible.
"Salamence, I'll be riding on your back tonight to coordinate Dragapult and Hydreigon from afar. You'll also provide cover fire for them when necessary." Taki addressed his Pokèmon. "Hydreigon, you'll be the main source of ranged firepower, giving Dragapult a chance to get up close and personal. There's lots of people here today, so we need to end this quickly."
With nods from all three of his Pokèmon (plus Hydreigon's two arm-heads and the two Dreepy tucked into Dragapult's launchers), Taki then climbed onto Salamence's back before taking a deep breath and taking out an Italian White flower hairclip from his pocket, with a Key Stone embedded into its center.
Tapping two fingers on the Key Stone, Taki waited for a short moment as his Salamence Mega Evolved, before patting it on the back as it flapped its crescent-shaped wings and took to the skies, flanked by Dragapult and Hydreigon.
As the ground below them got smaller and smaller, Taki flew closer to the stadium with his Pokèmon until they could clearly see the Deoxys, who was just standing there nonchalantly looking down at the stadium, clearly attracted to something below.
Deoxys took one look at the group and changed into its Speed Forme, disappearing in a flash before reappearing in front of Dragapult and shifting into its Attack Forme. Using Throat Chop, the normally super-effective move simply phased through Dragapult's body, the Dragon and Ghost-type turning intangible for a moment, then solidified again and fired out the two Dreepy it carried towards Deoxys.
As Deoxys dodged the Dreepy, it then found itself parrying a Dragon Claw from Dragapult as the two Dreepy then circled back and slammed into it with Astonish. Meanwhile, Taki's Hydreigon had finished charging up a combination of powerful moves using its three heads, and fired them out simultaneously at the occupied Deoxys, which was directly hit with a Thunderbolt, Ice Beam, and Flamethrower at the same time.
Before Deoxys could shift to its Defense Forme to tank more attacks, another move came in the form of a Hyper Beam from Salamence, which had been converted into a Flying-type moves thanks to its Ability, dealing even more damage. Now significantly weakened, Deoxys saw that it had no choice but to use its strongest move again, and began charging a Psycho Boost as it was continuously bombarded by attacks from all angles.
However, no amount of damage could stop Deoxys from completing its task at hand, and it released its Psycho Boost in the air as it fell down towards the ground exhausted, hoping to take its attackers with it.
Diving down both to catch up with Deoxys and avoid the Psycho Boost, Taki and his Pokèmon let gravity take their toll on them, recalling Dragapult and Hydreigon back into their Pokèballs once they had matched altitude. Once Salamence's Mega Evolution ended, it folded its wings to descend quicker towards the ground and to protect its Trainer.
Seeing that its opponents were beginning to close the distance, Deoxys was about to charge up another Psycho Boost to delay them further before it heard a roar pierce the heavens. Eyes shifting in that direction, Deoxys saw a Rayquaza swoop down from the atmosphere, claws outstretched in its direction.
Once he saw the Legendary Dragon-type Pokèmon as well, Taki ordered his Salamence to slow down as he took one look at Rayquaza, who nodded at him before zooming ahead, grabbed Deoxys in its claws, and ascended back into the skies, all in a split second.
Now that they were close enough to the stadium, Salamence's descent morphed into a pleasant cruise as Taki flew over the area, checking to make sure that no collateral damage had resulted from the battle above, and to make sure everyone present at the concert had been properly evacuated.
Looking down beneath him, Taki then saw that the main stage had not been properly retracted into its original position, and flew down closer to find out why. As he neared the raised platform, several figures standing there came into view, with two people he could recognize before he soared back up again and into the night, wondering about his next course of action.
There was no mistaking it at this point, Reina thought as she locked eyes with her mentor for a single moment. Though the appearance of both a Deoxys and a Raquayza not long after each other was certainly shocking, nothing came close to the surprise of seeing Taki again after so long for Reina.
Staring at the night sky, she looked longingly at the direction that Taki had flown away in, as if she was wondering whether he might come back. Seeing Reina's sudden lack of action, Kumiko went over to her desired's side, wondering what had silenced her. "What's the matter, Reina? Did you see something up there?"
"Yes. My reason for fighting, and the person I hope to surpass." Reina simply stated. "Legendary Pokèmon are noted for being extremely strong, Deoxys especially so. To see him defeat it without much effort is a feat I need to match someday if I have any hope of facing him in battle."
"You mean the Champion?" Kumiko asked, recalling the announcement made beforehand. "Is that who you want to beat?"
"Precisely. That is my ultimate goal as a Trainer." Reina still continued looking up, though her eyes had occasionally met Kumiko's. "Even by watching his battle against Deoxys, I couldn't help but feel hopelessly outclassed in every regard. Still, I know that one day I'll meet him and win in battle, no matter how long it will take me."
"If that's your goal, then I'll support you all the way." Kumiko tried to assure Reina, though she privately suspected that Reina wasn't telling her something. Just what was her connection to the Champion that made him such an important figure in her life?
"Hey! We're still here, alright? Don't forget about us!" Yui's voice called over from where she was, reminding Kumiko and Reina that they were still on the stage with all five members of HTT. Turning over to look at the lead guitarist, Kumiko and Reina saw that she was carrying two small objects in her right hand before she threw what she was carrying at them. "Catch!"
Flabbergasted at what Yui just did, Kumiko and Reina frantically scrambled to catch the sailing objects, and barely received them in midair with their hands. Upon opening their palms to see what HTT's lead guitarist had just given them, Reina immediately recognized the strange stone with a faint red glow from their previous battle.
"Don't tell me… Wishing Stars?" Reina was left speechless at Yui's gift, and puzzled as to why she would give something so priceless to two people she had just met. "What do you want us to do with them? Aren't they only usable here?"
"After our battle with you two, we thought that you both had the potential to become powerful Trainers, so we decided to give you a little boost, which would be inevitable if you're coming back here to challenge the League." the bassist explained. "These Wishing Stars can also fit onto your Z-Power Rings, so you shouldn't have any problem using them."
"Thank you very much." Reina replied. Though this was an extremely situational item only usable in one location, she still felt the need to look a gift Ponyta in the mouth. It wasn't everyday that people taking an interest in you gave you presents.
"Oh, by the way, we want to talk with you again." the drummer perked up. "Since that entire fiasco with the Legendary Pokèmon interrupted your battle with Yui and Azusa midway, we still haven't gotten the chance to know each other better, especially since you've got talent we can't miss. What do you say to a fancy dinner tomorrow night? Of course, we'll be footing the bill, so don't worry about that."
Compounding with Asuka and Aoi's initial warnings, all these praises and gifts were making Kumiko much more suspicious of HTT's true motives, especially with how Reina was being more guarded than usual. Seeing this as the perfect opportunity to learn why they were constantly being trailed, Kumiko's curiosity overrode her passivity as she seized the moment. "Sure. Just tell us where the restaurant is and we'll be there."
"You won't have to worry about that." the keyboardist responded. "I'll send my Abra to pick you two up tomorrow evening, since it can track you through your Pokèmon's psychic signals."
"Thanks." Reina tersely replied. "We'll make ourselves available during that period of time." Sending Eurydice out again, Reina notified Kumiko before the pair latched on and were Teleported away.
"They certainly are interesting, aren't they." Azusa remarked. "Kind of reminds me of how we were back in high school, don't you think, Yui?"
"Yup, though they're the same age, so no senpai-kouhai stuff going on there." Yui smiled as she thought back to her nostalgic years of secondary education. "Though we didn't realize we were in love until a few years later. Oh well, I guess they've got their stuff down pat quicker than us then. Makes them even more interesting!"
Teleporting back to the audience stands, Kumiko and Reina then exited the stadium the way they came in, weaving through the maze of stairs and corridors until they finally reached an entrance. Looking around to see where they should go amidst the crowd of evacuated people, Kumiko and Reina were about to head to the nearest Pokèmon Center for the night when they spotted someone waving to them.
"Hey, Kumiko, Kousaka! Over here!" A familiar voice rang through the chatter. Looking in that direction, Kumiko and Reina saw Natsuki waving to them, accompanied by Yuuko, Nozomi, and Mizore.
Going over to the familiar faces in the crowd, what Kumiko didn't expect was being pulled at the ear by Natsuki upon getting close to her. "Oww, what was that for?"
"Really, Kumiko?" Natsuki's face was making weird expressions as she yanked Kumiko further. "I know you got the free tickets after beating us at the tournament, but getting to go on stage and battle with Yui and Azusa! Man, I would have pulled out the big guns if I knew all that was going to happen! What I wouldn't give for that experience!"
"Nat-Natsuki! Quit it!" Kumiko's cries for help were drowned out by Natsuki's nagging. "We didn't even know that they were going to battle us in the first place! It was just as much of a surprise to us as it would be you guys!"
"I know, but seriously? That was one of the most epic battles I've ever seen, and I've seen some awesome battles between powerful Trainers before." Natsuki complimented. "The battle started to get interesting when your Pokèmon evolved, then it got much more exciting when Yui and Azusa Gigantamaxed and Mega Evolved their Pokèmon, THEN all hype broke loose when you two Mega Evolved your Pokèmon! Did you hear the crowd? They were WILD!"
"Uhh, we were too busy battling to care." Kumiko nonchalantly mentioned. "That was actually one of the toughest battles I've ever been in, and I've faced Gyms with a severe type disadvantage. It was only because of our Pokèmon evolving in the nick of time and Asuka's gifts that we managed to even stand a chance."
Natsuki's face shifted again upon hearing Asuka's name. "That Tanaka, huh? Always sticking her fingers where they shouldn't belong. No wonder you got Mega Stones and Key Stones before we did. She must have taken an interest in you two."
"Yes, though I'm quite surprised that she saw something in Kumiko upon meeting her." Reina commented. "I'm still not sure what genuinely attracted Miss Tanaka to Kumiko, but I'm sure that there's more to it aside from what she claims."
"By the way, where are you two staying tonight?" Natsuki changed the subject, knowing that Tanaka's motivations were always unclear. "Us four are staying at a nearby hotel that Mizore's family owns, so why not join us? Mizore's rich, after all, so money won't be an issue."
Kumiko looked over at Mizore, who was currently cradling a Togepi in her arms. Seeing the normally quiet and stoic girl showing such affection was quite jarring, and Kumiko couldn't figure out just what was the cause behind the bizarre scenario.
"Oh, looking at Mizore's newest Pokèmon, are you?" Natsuki remarked. "She got its Egg a few days back from a girl claiming to be her biggest fan. It hatched a day or two later, and Mizore's roped Nozomi into helping her take care of it ever since. They do make nice mothers together, don't they?"
Upon overhearing Natsuki's last statement, Mizore's face immediately turned red as she lost control over her grip, causing her Togepi to almost plummet to the floor until Nozomi caught it almost instantaneously.
"Phew, that was a close call." Nozomi wiped her forehead with her arm as she took over cradling Mizore's Togepi. "What happened there? Did you think about something unpleasant?"
"Well yes, but actually no." Mizore softly spoke, instinctively reaching for her Togepi before she resumed taking care of it. As she was now a mother to a baby Pokèmon, she couldn't afford such careless mistakes like this, especially with Nozomi helping her.
"Now that that's settled, let's get to the hotel." Yuuko piped up, causing Reina to notice that her friend hadn't said a single word until now. "I'm beat after everything that's happened. Need to get some shut eye and process it all. Don't even have any strength left to argue with Natsuki."
"Aww, looks like princess finally can stand me now." Natsuki smirked. "Guess you won't have any chance to defend yourself against my temptations~"
"Eww, no!" Yuuko's face lit up with energy as she realized what she was going to face under Natsuki's hands. "Even if you mind-controlled me, there's no way I'd submit to you! Not in a million years! I'd rather face five Legendary Pokèmon at once than fall under your spells!"
"Oh yeah?" Natsuki seemed to be enjoying this argument with Yuuko. "Then how about that one time where I had you pinned-" Before she could continue any further, Natsuki fell asleep on the spot, leaving Yuuko to send out her Meowstic Heart to telekinetically carry Natsuki.
"Sheesh, don't leave me hanging there." Yuuko muttered beneath her breath before realizing what Natsuki was about to say. "Wait! Please leave it hanging there! I beg you! Don't say any more!" eliciting a laugh from Nozomi.
After going to the hotel and having their check-ins arranged by Mizore, Kumiko and Reina immediately collapsed on their beds upon entering the room, too exhausted to do anything else. Though the battle with Yui and Azusa had given them an indescribable high, that energy for the rush they felt had to come from somewhere, and they were now paying the price.
Once they woke up the next day, Kumiko and Reina discovered to their horror that it was already noon, and quickly performed a combination of their nightly and morning routines before heading out. They had expected their friends to be more punctual than they were, but it turned out that everyone was that tired from last night.
One free buffet lunch at the hotel later (Kumiko was surprised at how Natsuki managed to pile up so much food on a single plate), there was still some time before Kumiko and Reina were scheduled to meet HTT, so they went along with their seniors to take a look around the area surrounding Ongaku Stadium.
Walking through various shopping arcades and attractions for a few hours, Kumiko realized that there wasn't really anything suited for her here, with most of the shops specializing in battle-related products. Even Reina was having trouble finding what she wanted, either lamenting that everything was too expensive or it was in 'BP', whatever that was. "Fine. Minant City it is then. At least there's always a sale there."
"That's where we're headed next, right?" Kumiko asked, wanting to confirm that with Reina. "If nothing goes wrong tonight?"
"Yes. Is there anything about that city you feel unsettled about? You seem a bit on edge." Reina sensed that her special one was feeling slightly nervous at the prospect of going to Minant City after all this, so she wanted to know just what could make Kumiko feel that way and personally make sure it would be a non-issue.
"...Nothing." Befitting her modest nature, Kumiko didn't really want anyone to know about her connection towards Minant City, lest her normal life be disturbed more than it already was by everything weird happening on her journey across the region.
"Kumiko, I'm always here if you need me." Reina reassured her. "If you don't want to talk about it now, it's fine, but make sure it doesn't grow into a bigger problem, alright? Like I said before, whatever problem one of us faces, we'll face it together."
"Alright. I'll tell you about it once we get there." Once Kumiko's worries were settled by Reina, the pair continued walking down the street together, with Reina managing to buy some TMs, until they heard the familiar noises of a commotion. (How Kumiko knew what a commotion sounded like made her afraid that she was getting into too much of them).
Going in that direction, Kumiko and Reina wandered through several side streets until they came to the source of the sound. At a battlefield built into a small park, there were two Trainers battling, though it seemed less like a fair fight and more like a one-sided stomp based on how the battle was progressing.
With graceful movements, one Trainer's Alolan Ninetales effortlessly dodged the opposing Polteageist's repeated Shadow Balls before striking it with a single Dark Pulse, the raw power from the super-effective move managing to knock out the Polteageist after one hit.
After Polteageist's blonde drill-haired her Pokèmon, the assembled crowd began to erupt into cheers as the Alolan Ninetales' Trainer gazed at the crowd, searching for any possible opponents. "Who wants to have a go next?"
"I would." Kumiko looked beside her, and saw that Reina had answered the Trainer's call to action. "You're Gym Leader Mirai Sezaki from the Rikka Battle Institute in Eigve City, aren't you? The uniform gives it away."
"That's right. I'm surprised that no one recognized me so far. You must be the first person to know who I am." Looking closer, Kumiko saw that the Trainer was a young woman about Asuka's age with auburn eyes framed by dark brown hair. She was wearing an extremely distinctive pale blue dress with a navy-blue trim around the sleeves and thick white lines running down the middle and hem. "Are you a Gym challenger travelling around the region?"
"Yes, I am. I currently have four badges." Reina answered. "I know you're the strongest Gym Leader in Octiva, and the one closest to matching the Elite Four in terms of sheer strength, but I still plan on challenging you here to get a glimpse of what I may face in the future."
"You sound like you've got grand plans for yourself there, thinking that far ahead." Sezaki replied. "Kind of reminds me of an apprentice of mine back at the Institute. You even look quite like her. What's your name?"
"Kousaka, Reina Kousaka." Reina replied.
"All right, Reina. I'll grant you a battle, though it won't be an official Gym match." she continued. "Since you only have four badges and I've got my strongest team here with me, we'll have a three-on-one battle. I'll let you use three Pokèmon against my Alolan Ninetales, and I lose the battle when my Ninetales faints. Is this OK with you?"
"I'd gladly accept any challenge from someone as strong as you. I'm in." Her declaration said with confidence, Reina took her place at the opposite side of the battlefield before sending out her first Pokèmon. "Eurydice, follow my lead!"
While sending out her most versatile Pokèmon first would seem like a strategic blunder to any onlookers, Reina knew how Eurydice's performed against the Gym Leader would decide her tactics for the rest of the battle. Without any hesitation, Reina then curled back her left arm as she Mega Evolved Eurydice.
Once Eurydice finished Mega Evolving, Reina decided to test out one of the moves she taught Eurydice using the TMs she bought. "Mystical Fire!"
While Eurydice was charging up the super-effective move, the Gym Leader decided to make her move as well, using the Hail created by her Ninetales to her advantage. "Blizzard!"
Before Eurydice could finish preparing her attack, the Gym Leader's Ninetales acted first, whipping up a snow-filled wind before directing it towards Eurydice. In desperation, Eurydice blasted her move out at Ninetales, but the Fox Pokèmon effortlessly dodged it as Eurydice was bombarded by its attack in return.
Her battle instincts running at full throttle with no restraint, the Gym Leader opted to use her Ninetales' own super-effective move in the moment, completely forgetting about how strong her opponent was. "Hex!"
Eerie flames surrounded Ninetales before it fired them out at Eurydice, all of them striking her with the utmost precision. Combined with the previous Blizzard, the resulting damage was too much for Eurydice to take, causing her to collapse on the spot.
Recalling Eurydice, Reina started to feel a sense of uneasiness creeping up on her. This was the first time in any battle she had fought in that one of her Pokèmon had been eliminated so quickly, especially one as powerful as Eurydice. Though she had anticipated a tough fight against Sezaki, never had she expected that the difference in their strength was this extreme.
Quickly adjusting her tactics internally in her mind, Reina settled on who she would send out next, opting to take advantage of the weather conditions. "Idina, don't hold back!"
As her starter drifted down to the battlefield, Reina took this chance to move first. "Thunderbolt!"
Two orbs of electricity formed in Idina's hands before she fired lighting bolts out of them, the arcing amperage bending through the air as it hit the Gym Leader's Ninetales directly. However, the Electric-type attack didn't seem to bother Ninetales much, as it quickly shook them off before Sezaki gave her next order. "Dark Pulse!"
A pitch-black sphere formed in front of Ninetales' mouth and grew larger before it was shot out at high speed towards Idina. Using her ability to her advantage, Idina disappeared into the hail, her body being hidden by a mixture of camouflage and phasing.
"Thunderbolt again!" Following her Trainer's orders, another wave of lightning blasted out from Idina's hands, the ricocheting bolts obscuring the location where she was firing them from. Despite not knowing where her opponent's Pokèmon was, Sezaki still had a countermeasure for these sorts of scenarios.
"Dark Pulse, rondo!" Charging another sphere of Dark-type energy, the Gym Leader's Ninetales lowered its head before firing it out, blasting the move at the ground, causing it to ripple in all directions across the battlefield.
The unavoidable attack struck Idina where she was hiding and managed to take her out in one hit, even with its power diluted. As Idina fell to the floor, Reina quickly recalled her. At this point, Reina knew she didn't have a chance of winning, with how quickly Sezaki had taken out her Pokèmon, but she could at least lose with dignity.
"Demi, howl like the swirling storm!" Immediately after sending out her last Pokèmon, Reina was still deciding what to do when Demi ran over to Sezaki's Ninetales, looking at it for a moment before they nuzzled together, surprising both Trainers.
"Wait. Could your Vulpix be…" Sezaki dawned on a realization. "When I first got my Ninetales' Egg several years ago, the caretaker at the Perto City Day Care mentioned that someone had placed an Alolan Ninetales there indefinitely. Was your Vulpix hatched from an Egg there?"
"Yes. Are you suggesting that your Ninetales and my Vulpix could be siblings?" Reina asked. "All things considered, this seems like the most probable possibility."
"Once I get some time, I'll go back to Perto City and ask the Day Care about the circumstances surrounding our Pokèmon." Sezaki stated. "But since I'm very busy right now, I'm afraid that it's going to be quite some time before I can get back to you. Which Gym are you heading to next?"
"My friend and I are planning to go to Minant City next." Reina informed the Gym Leader. "We're planning to travel clockwise around the region starting from Onic City, so we'll most likely be challenging your Gym last."
"That's great to hear. Hopefully I'll be finished with everything I need to do by that time, so I'll tell you everything I managed to find out once you arrive." Sezaki replied. "Until then, I'll declare this battle a draw, so we can have a rematch once you've become stronger."
Rummaging around in her bag, Sezaki took out a light blue stone and gave it to Reina. "This is an Ice Stone. You can use it to make your Vulpix evolve. I've already got quite a few that I don't need, and you seem like the person that will use it well."
"Thank you, Miss Sezaki. I will make sure that your gift is worth your gratitude." Reina responded. "I can assure you that when we meet again, I will be more than a match for you."
"Good to hear. I'm looking forward to that day." Hearing Sezaki's reply, Reina was about to say more when Kumiko noticed that an Abra was observing them from a short distance away. Waving a quick goodbye to Sezaki, Reina soon departed with Kumiko, the pair going off to meet HTT for the second time.
"Kousaka, huh?" Sezaki mused. "I think you mentioned someone you knew by that name once, Azusa. If you spoke of her that highly, then she must be someone special indeed."
One quick warp later, Kumiko and Reina found themselves at the entrance of a circle-shaped restaurant, which was surrounded on all sides by a floor-to-ceiling aquarium filled with various Water-type Pokèmon. Kumiko and Reina looked around, and quickly recognized a member of HTT waving at them.
"There are more than a few patrons at this restaurant, which means they can't try anything here without making a scene." Reina told Kumiko. "This works in our favour, but we also can't do anything in a hurry if we're threatened. Are you ready to do this?"
"Well, with you by my side, we can do anything together." Kumiko replied, causing a smile to appear on Reina's face. "Though I found out that we're actually underneath Ongaku Stadium after taking a peek at my phone, so we've got the locational advantage.
"Let's go, then." Heading over to the table where the five members of HTT were sitting, Kumiko and Reina made sure to sit together after they arrived. One of the most striking things Kumiko noticed was the sheer amount of food surrounding Yui's seat, with the lead guitarist fervently devouring everything in front of her while an enormous pile of plates were stacked up behind her.
"Yo! Glad you two could make it!" the drummer spoke first. "Though there's no way that you could miss this, given that we have an Abra that can track down your location. Still, good to see you again."
"Ritsu, you've forgotten your manners again." the bassist lamented, softly punching the drummer on her arm. "Aside from Yui and Azusa, none of us have properly introduced ourselves to you. I'm Mio Akiyama, and this lovable idiot here is my fiancè Ritsu Tainaka. Nice to meet you two, Miss Oumae, Miss Kousaka."
After Mio spoke, Kumiko couldn't shake the thought of how much her voice resembled Aoi when the keyboardist piped up. "I also have to apologize for not introducing myself as well last night. For the record, my name's Tsumugi Kotobuki, or Mugi for short."
"Nice to meet you." First it was Akiyama's voice that sounded like Saitou's, now it was Kotobuki's voice sounding like Tanaka's. From Reina's perspective, one pair of voices sounding similar would just be a coincidence, but two pairs matching seemed like there were greater forces at play.
"All right. Now that that's settled, let's get down to business." Ritsu cracked her knuckles. "You two may be wondering why we went to all this trouble to bring you here, and it's for a very simple reason: Meloetta."
"Uh, what Ritsu means is that she wants up-and-coming Trainers such as you two to experience the melody of both music and battling, and winning the Double Battle invitational made us aware of your talent, which we want to support to the best of our ability." Underneath the table, Mio was rapidly kicking Ritsu for spilling too much about their plans. At this point, even uttering their target's name could drastically derail their plans.
"Right, what Mio said." Ritsu quickly recovered from her faux pas. "We want to capture Meloe- the melody of music and battling combined with the bonds between Trainers like you two and amplify it across the region, a Messa di Voce if you will. With this power, we can control the hearts and minds of everyone in the region, giving us 100% adoration and showing the world that the power of Rock shall prevail!"
With the exception of Yui, who was too focused on her food to care about anything else, everyone at the table knew that Ritsu had spoken too much about HTT's plans. Furious at how close her fiancé was to jeopardizing their dreams, Mio did the only thing she could think of in the moment: plant a gigantic kiss on Ritsu's lips.
As Ritsu was shocked by Mio's sudden and uncharacteristic display of affection, Mio tackled Ritsu and pushed her under the table, starting an impromptu make-out session to prevent her from spilling the beans even more. Awkwardly looking at that intense romantic moment did not help matters, so everyone tried to resume normal conversation at the dinner table.
Discussing various topics with Mugi and Azusa (who Kumiko found was completely different from her childhood friend of the same name aside from their work ethic and musical ability) ranging from their musical background to how they met their Pokèmon, the dinner managed to continue without any major events happening, with the occasional gasp of air from Mio or Ritsu and the clanking of Yui changing her eating utensils.
Upon finishing her last plate of food, Yui wiped her mouth as she pushed aside a stack of plates, which were now totalling in the hundreds. Brushing her lips with the napkin she was holding, Yui's eyes widened as she saw who was approaching their table. "Guys! It's the Champion! We better scram now!"
"Sorry for the sudden departure, but we've got security measures we need to obey as part of being VIPs. The bill's already been paid by us before you came in, so no need to worry about that. Until next time!" Sending out her Abra, Mugi bid Kumiko and Reina farewell as all five members of HTT latched on and were Teleported away.
"Huh, that was weird." Kumiko noted. "Why are they so afraid of the Champion?"
"Maybe they're not strong enough to face him, since he has the power to put a stop to their plans?" Reina pondered. Though Tainaka had only dabbled about what HTT was planning to do in broad strokes, Reina had already heard enough to figure out the general direction they were going in, and it was certainly not a good one.
"I certainly do believe that the five of them combined aren't even a match for one member of the Elite Four, so I wouldn't worry about that, Miss Kousaka, Miss Oumae." a new voice chimed in. Turning around to look at who had just spoke, Kumiko and Reina locked eyes with the champion.
"It's been a long time, Taki-sensei."
"Likewise, Miss Kousaka."
"Sensei?" Kumiko was getting confused about what the actual relationship between the two was. "Can somebody please tell me what's going on here?"
A/N: And now, Taki-sensei makes his proper appearance in the story! While he has appeared twice before (feel free to look back at past chapters to see where the first time was), this is Kumiko's first encounter with the Champion, so obviously she has many questions for him. Why does he know Reina, what relationship do they have, and how did he become the Champion in the first place?
All that and more will be explored next week when Taki-sensei steals the spotlight. Stay tuned!
