I was speechless but happy nonetheless to see Serena's partner here and wearing what looked like red protector gear ( a small spoiler for a possible chapter in Adventures In The Enchanted Forest ). We shared a quick hug as I asked, "What are you doing here? Did you come to support us? Or is something wrong in the Enchanted Forest"? Ember shook her head, saying, "Lately, I've been sensing a wave of emotions in Serena, and it's made me concerned for her. So, I asked Elsa if I could come to visit you guys to see if everything's alright." I understood, saying, 'Well, let's say she's been on a rollercoaster of emotions involving something that came up a while ago. I'll explain on the way, but Serena will be pleased to see you. By the way, nice threads. How is it being a protector"? Ember chuckled while saying, "It's a busy job, always keeping me on my toes, but I enjoy it," as we started to head back to the hotel.

In May's room, all of our female friends, including Korrina, Dawn, Iris, Bonnie, Lana, Mallow, Misty, Lillie, Serena, Katie, Zoey, and surprisingly, Bea, were all already in their pajamas and chatting with one another. Once I opened the door, everyone turned their heads and saw that I had finally arrived, with Mallow saying while placing her hands on her hips, "Finally! We've been waiting for you for almost an hour"! I scratched the back of my head nervously while saying, "Sorry. I somehow got sidetracked while training Empoleon. A bunch of Team Rocket goons were trying to kidnap this Zorua and had already murdered its mother, so Aveon and I scared them off. However, it was not an easy task, and I ended up getting shot in my left wing, "as I displayed my bandaged wing to my friends, who felt bad for the Zorua and me. Then, the Zorua seemed to notice Dawn and Piplup as it lept down from my shoulder and said, Hi Dawn! Long time no see! Before changing into Dawn, looking exactly like her, except for its bushy tail. Dawn and Piplup were shocked as she said, "You're the Zorua from the Sinnoh Region," while Piplup ran towards it and pulled on its tail, making Zorua turn back to normal. May, taking note of this, asked, "If it came from Sinnoh, why did Liz find it here in Kanto"? The Zorua then smiled and answered with Meema, and I were bringing something for a friend, but as we got close to our location, we were ambushed. Meema died trying to protect me, and I would've been next if not for the hero standing in front of us. Aveon chirped and lept down, joining up with Zorua.

I then opened the door a little wider while saying, "We have one more friend joining us tonight," as Ember, much to Serena and Katie's surprise, entered the room, saying, 'Hi." Serena got up and hugged Ember while saying, "Ember! It's great to see you again! How's everything in the Enchanted Forest? Is everyone doing well"/ Before she could answer that question, Zoey got up, asking in a surprised tone of voice, "No way! Did your Braixen evolve, Serena"? Ember nodded while Bea pulled out a Pokedex as it read Delphox, the fox pokemon. A fire/psychic type, and the final evolved form of Fennekin. It uses psychic power to generate a fiery vortex of 5,400 degrees Fahrenheit, incinerating foes swept up into this whirl of flames. When it gazed into the flame on the tip of its branch to achieve a focused state, Delphox can see the future. Ember shook hands with Zoey while saying, "It's been a while, Zoey. Glad to see you've been doing well." Zoey smiled while saying, "It's great to see you again, too. But how come you weren't with Serena earlier"? Ember shook her head before saying, "It's because I don't live with her anymore. I live in the Enchanted Forest, which is in another world that's far away from here. A while back, I found out that I actually came from there, and after accidentally stumbling upon it and making some new friends, I decided to stay and have been living there ever since." Her story impressed everyone, as Korrina commented, "Wow! I never knew! But wait, if you came from that place, how did you end up at Professor Sycamore's in the first place"? Ember chuckled before saying, "That's a story for another day."

Katie then interrupted us by saying, "Now that everyone's here let's continue our discussion," with Misty adding, "To beat Team Rocket at their own game"! I was confused as I asked, 'What do you mean? Wait..." before looking at Serena, who had a nervous smile while saying, "I told them, but only because Katie recommended it after I told her. They can really help us out, Liz. After all, most of them were Ash's traveling companions and/or rivals. Their knowledge and experiences with him and Team rocket could be of great use." I smiled, saying, "You know, I actually wanted to break it to them first, but it seems you beat me to the punch, sis." Zorua let out a menacing growl while saying I want to beat their sorry butts now as Aveon added [They have been terrorizing many innocent trainers for too long. Once we revive Ash, we can beat them and save our world. ] Bea added, "While I have not known Ash, he sounds like he'd be trainer worthy of a rival," as Dawn added, "Plus, he taught May and me everything he knew about being a trainer. Without him, we would never have become great trainers and coordinators." Zoey mentioned, "If I haven't met Ash, I think I would've still been hostile about trainers trying out pokemon contests, and he helped me learn that you can do whatever makes you happy, and follow your dreams with passion and determination." Misty added, with Iris agreeing, "If we haven't met Ash, while we would have continued our lives as normal, we would not have gotten to have memorable adventures and gotten to see things that very few can." Korrina added to the fray, "If not for meeting Ash, Lucario and I would not have been able to control his aura together, and I would have been able to grow as a gym leader." Bonnie added, "If Clemont and I haven't met Ash, I would not have gotten to meet such an inspiring role model for young trainers." Mallow mentioned, with Lillie and Lana agreeing, "While we also have not met Ash, he sounds like a great trainer who we would've loved to be friends with. Sophocles and Kiawe would definitely agree with us, too"! Ember even added, 'If I haven't met Ash, or even you, Serena, I don't think I would've grown mentally as a pokemon, and I would not have learned to fight not just for myself, but for others who have supported me." Serena, going based on what Ember said, added, "If I never met Ash from when we were kids, I would never have become close to him, and I would not have found my dream of becoming a performer." I even added, 'If I never met Ash, I don't think I would've grown into the person I am today. While before, I thought I was strong and knew everything, Ash taught me how to be truly strong and become one with my pokemon. Because of him, I was able to unlock the bond phenomenon with Sino, I was able to become Kalos champion, and I was able to have fun and be truly happy, something I haven't felt for a long time."

Raichu, who was on Serena's shoulder, mentioned [ Before meeting Ash, I had a deep resentment for trainers and humans alike. But thanks to meeting Ash, I was able to open up and become best friends with him. He was not only my friend but my partner through thick and thin. Always have been, and in my heart, always will be. ] Serena then stood up, saying, "We all have a deep bond with Ash, whether he was our rival, our friend, or a name we knew and wished to meet. No matter where we stood, what we were facing, or why we started our journeys, he stood by our side through thick and thin. He'll always hold a special place in my heart because no matter what...my loyalty is with him...forever." Suddenly, a red glowing sphere appeared in the ceiling and lowered into Serena's hands as bonnie asked, "Is that one of those spheres you were talking about, Serena"? The Kalos honey blonde nodded as she picked up the container and placed the sphere inside, sliding it into the middle shelf. Lana, seeing this, asked, "Now, you need one more, and then you can revive Ash"/ Serena nodded, saying, "Yeah, but the last sphere is going to be hard to find: bravery. but I won't quit."

Ember then spoke up, saying, "Wait. There's a way...to revive him"? I nodded,d saying, "Arceus came to Serena and told her of a way she could revive Ash because he is a key asset in breathing Team Rocket once and for all." Ember was stunned but smiled as she said, "If there's anything I can do to help, count me in because I want to help." Serena smiled, saying, "Figured you would, Ember." I then spoke up, saying, "All right. It's getting late, and some of us have matches tomorrow and need to get some sleep. So, let's turn in for the night." Everyone piled into their sleeping bags and fell asleep. Trainers and Pokemon alike were scattered across the floor, lightly snoring and dreaming of who knows what. However, I couldn't sleep, and it wasn't because of my wing. I quietly slipped out of my sleeping bag, not waking up Zorua and Aveon as I snuck out of the room to try and get some fresh air. However, this did not go unnoticed as Bea woke up and saw me leaving. Outside, I kept pacing in the main lobby, trying to calm my nerves but found myself getting even more nervous. I was going to face Tobias, the one trainer who completely decimated Ash's Sinnoh team, one of the strongest trainers here, except for Proton and Paul. He used legendaries and mythical pokemon. So far, I knew he had a Darkrai, Entei, and a Latios, but who knows what else he had? I didn't want to lose, and I especially did not want to fail Empoleon, who wants to beat Tobias even more than I do.

As I kept pacing, Bea then came up to me, saying, "If you keep doing that, you're going to make a trench in the lobby." I stopped and said, "Sorry, but I'm really nervous, which is strange because normally, I'm never nervous about matches like these. Between wanting to help Empoleon regain its honor and everyone comparing me with Ash, and adding on the drama with planning our attack on Team Rocket, it's twisting my insides up! Honestly...I don't know what to do. I don't even know if I'm strong enough to beat him." I sat down on one of the benches, my wings lowering to cover my shoulders as I sighed, saying, "It's just...too much to handle. I'm the Kalos Champion. I'm a pokemon master. I'm a top coordinator. Everyone expects so much for me that I get so frantic about not delivering what they want from me to them. Maybe I'm not cut out for this." Bea then did the most unexpected thing and slapped me hard across the face while shouting, "Don't you ever say that! You hear me,"?! I nodded while holding the right side of my face, which had begun to turn red, as Bea said with a determined expression, "Do you remember when you first met me? Back when you first came to Galar"? I nodded, saying, "How could I forget? You greeted me with a rapid punch, and I basically used my feet to throw you through the wall."

I was heading towards the Galar dojo, where Bea, the fighting type gym leader, was in the middle of practicing karate by chopping and punching a punching bag that her Machamp was holding. I came up to her, saying, "Hello," but she thought I was an intruder and tried to punch me. Despite carrying my pokeballs in my pocket and wearing a backpack, I did a back walk-over to dodge the punch and caught her fist with my feet and, while trying to get up, accidentally threw her into the wall, Bea breaking through the other side. Her Machoke and Machop saw and began to approach me threateningly. I readied myself in case they attacked when Bea shouted, "Halt," and walked back inside through the hole in the wall. She came up to me as I got into a defensive stance in case she threw another punch. Then, Bea placed a fist on her hip while saying, 'I have but one thing to say to you...respect," as she offered a handshake. I accepted it while saying, "Thank you, though I am sorry for throwing you into the wall. Didn't expect my feet to catch your fist." She shook her head, saying, "don't be! That was actually pretty cool how you reacted like that. You got some sharp reflexes on you." She then noticed my wings as she asked, "What's with the wings? Has some experiment gone wrong? The professors do tend to be a little crazy sometimes." I let out a chuckle while saying, 'No, but let's say that these wings are now a part of me, and I like it. Does good aerial training for my pokemon who try to attack while stuck on the ground." Bea then said, "you know something? You seem pretty cool, but enough with the formalities. I see you've come to challenge me for a gym badge, and I'm here to give you a battle worthy of one, as long as you show me that you are worthy too. On one condition, if I beat you, you have to teach me that back walk-over move." I nodded and tipped my hat, saying, "Deal, but either way, I'd be happy to teach it to you." With that, the Rotom Drone came in and refereed our match, three on three. My Raboot easily defeated her Hitmontop but then tied with Machoke after a collision of focus punch and fire punch. Then came her ace: Grappuloct, and as a risky move, I decided to go with Yamper. Things were not looking good, especially when Yamper was caught in the Octolock, but then, Yamper began to glow and evolve into Boltund. Then, it fried Grappuloct with a new move: thunderbolt, causing it to let go and free Boltund. Then, Boltund charged in with a wild charge and delivered the KO to Grappuloct, despite trying to get up after getting hit. Bea was speechless but respected our talent nonetheless as she praised Grappuloct for a valiant effort before returning it for a rest. She then gave me the badge while saying, "Well, I concede defeat. That was impressive the way you and Boltund were one. Only when your hearts truly unite can you provide enough strength to trample even the most powerful legendaries."

I then gasped and remembered what I said back then, repeating, 'Only when our hearts are truly one can it provide us enough strength to trample even the most powerful legendaries." Bea then sat next to me, saying, "You have a special talent of being able to connect with a pokemon's feelings and emotions on a heart-to-heart level. It's a talent rarely seen by many, but a powerful one nonetheless. I've seen you grow not only as a trainer but as a person. This talent has allowed you to go beyond the limits and excel in anything you do. As long as you do not lose that talent, you can conquer anything that stands In your way. You are not just destined to do it. You're meant to be doing this. This is your path, your dream, and if that's not enough of a reason to convince you to keep doing what you love, then I don't know what is." I remained quiet, considering what Bea had just said, before getting up, saying, "You're right! I've been in tougher situations like this before—some situations where I almost lost faith in myself and my team. But, we stood by each others' sides no matter what and emotionally bonded through it all, learning as we go. We did not stop or run away or cried in defeat. We stood tall and powered through it all. We never gave up till the end..just like Ash did. And tomorrow, we're going to show that to Tobias. We'll advance to the quarter-finals together! As one"! I shouted that last part of the sentence, which earned a not pleasant shout from a visitor, who grumpily replied, "Keep it down! We're trying to get some sleep"! Bea and I quietly snickered as she said to me, "Go get 'em tomorrow, kiddo," as she started to head back to the room. Before following her, I pulled out a Pokeball, saying to it, 'We'll win together, partner."

The next morning, the third round was off to a roaring start as my match with Tobias was the first one. We both walked onto the field as the announcer said, 'What better way to kick off round three than with a potent powerhouse battle? Kalos Champion Liz Yvonne vs. Sinnoh League champion Tobias. Who will emerge victoriously and be the first to move on to the eight spot quarterfinals? We'll find out soon." My friends, Serena and Alec, were watching from the stands as Ethan was on his lap, Aveon was on Serena's lap with Zorua on her shoulder, next to Raichu, and Ember was sitting next to Bea, watching with concern in her eyes. Once I made it to my spot on the battlefield, I took a deep breath before regaining focus. Tobias, on the other hand, was cocky and already foresaw his "victory" over me. The referee came out and had us call out our first choices. Tovias immediately let out his Darkrai, who had an intimidating presence over everyone in their seats. Ethan snarkily replied, [ How does he have a legendary, to begin with ] as Alec replied with, 'I don't know, bud." I tipped my hat before saying while throwing my Pokeball, "Luchador, let's go"! My shiny Hawlucha appeared on the battlefield and got into a fighting stance. With that, the referee called for our match to begin as I shouted, "Quick, use flying press"! Luchador lept into the sky and posed before spinning and diving onto Darkrai, landing a super-effective flying press. However, it looked like it did nothing as Darkrai instantly recovered, but this did not faze Luchador and me.

Tobias replied in a monotone voice, "Use dark void," as Darkrai sent an eerie black sphere towards Luchador. I smirked before saying with confidence, "Use high jump kick to send it back," as Luchador kicked it with a high jump kick, sending it back and hitting Darkrai, who surprisingly fell asleep, much to Tobias's shock. I was quick to respond by saying, "Let's keep it up! Close combat, then focus blast"! Luchador got up to the sleeping legendary and pummeled it over and over again before jumping back and launching a glowing focus blast, which hits Darkrai head-on. After that brutal assault, Darkrai woke up but was wounded badly and breathing heavily. Tobias began to grow frustrated as he angrily shouted, 'Use ice beam," as Darkrai launched the ice type move. I told Luchador to dodge as the shiny fighting/flying type lept and dodged each ice beam strike. He then lept into the air and prepared for another attack as Darkrai readjusted his ice beam attacking, heading straight for it. I said, "Checkmate! Use blaze kick," as Lucahdor's right foot became enveloped in flames and dove towards the ice beam. The heat easily melted the ice as Luchador landed a critical hit right on Darkrai's head. After jumping back, Darkrai remained still before falling over in exhaustion.

The referee announced Darkrai unable to battle as the crowd roared in cheers while the announcer yelled, 'Unbelievable! Despite its best efforts, Darkrai was no match for the skilled moves of Liz's Hawlucha as Darkrai is the first pokemon to be knocked out"! My friends cheered, as well as our pokemon as alec said, "Smart. Liz did well having Luchador battle Darkrai." Aveon added [ Plus, it had the vital spirit ability, meaning that it would not have fallen asleep, even if dark void hit it]. Serena shouted, "Go, Liz! You can do it"! Luchador and I fist-bumped as I said, "Great job. one down, two to go," as Luchador nodded, understanding what was at stake. Tobias returned Darkrai as he laughed, saying, "well, well. You're certainly not the champion for nothing. To think, I'm already using my second pokemon." I knew what he was trying to do, saying that to try and shake my confidence, but I didn't let that bother me. He then grabbed another Pokeball while saying, 'Let's go,' as his Latios appeared, ready for battle. I called back Luchador for a quick rest as I readied my next choice, shouting, "Sableye, let's win this"! My Sableye appeared and was ready to battle. As the referee called for the next match to begin, Tobias was the first to act as he said, "Foresight, then miracle eye." Latios's eyes glowed a mysterious color as Sableeye first had a light blue glow surrounding it, then a pinkish glow. It didn't affect it physically, but I knew what Tobias was trying to do. Foresight enabled it to land normal type moves on Sableye, and miracle eye enabled it to use psychic type moves. He must've thought I would use a ghost or a dark type and taught it those moves just for a scenario like this. I gritted my teeth in frustration but kept my cool because even so, I had a game plan, and I wasn't going to stop now.

I then shouted, "Use shadow ball," as Sableye launched the ghost type move towards Latios, who dodged with ease. I then shouted, "Keep using shadow ball over and over"! Sableye kept launching the move, but Latios kept dodging with ease. Tobias then grinned, saying, "Giga impact,' as Latios began diving towards Sableye with the move. I then smirked as Sableye got into position. Then, at the literal last second, Sableye lept and somersaulted out of the way, while Latios collided with the ground hard. Tobias was in disbelief as Serena, seeing this, commented, 'That's just like when Starptor dodged Alain's Unfezant in the Kalos League." She remembered how my Staraptor did the same trick, waiting for Unfezant to come close before dodging at the last second, making its opponent crash into the ground. I then shouted, "Use dark pulse and don't let up"! Sableye launched the dark type move as Latios kept getting hit repeatedly, its energy and stamina dwindling with each strike. Tobias was getting frustrated as he shouted, 'Use luster purge," as Latios charged up the psychic type move and struck Sanbleye hard, making it crash into the wall. Sableye winced in pain as it fell over with swirls in its eyes. I was in disbelief, especially when the referee announced that Sableye was unable to battle. I cradled Sableye in my arms as I returned it for a good rest. I then called Luchador back out as it was ready for round two.

Tobias laughed as he said, "What's wrong? and here I thought you were confident enough to win." I didn't let his words faze me s I tipped my hat, saying, "Oh, we haven't even gotten started yet." Tobias grimaced as he said, "What a pity. Latios, use luster purge," as Latios relaunched the move." Luchador dodged it in time but was in for a shock when Latios began diving down with a Giga impact and was coming fast. I told Luchador to dodge, but it had other ideas. It stayed in place and, at first, look like it took the hit as the collision created a lot of dust and smoke. I worriedly cried out its name as my friends and pokemon watched in shock, like Tobias grinned, saying, "Looks like it's all over." Then, he was in for the shock of his life when he saw that Luchador was fine and actually holding Latios in place. I was stunned but seeing Luchador turn its head and grin at me. I knew that it truly believed in us and was willing to do anything to win. Everyone was in disbelief as the announcer said, 'I can't believe my eyes! Liz's Hawlucha actually withstood that Giga impact and caught Latios1 Things have taken a turn for the interesting, folks"! Then, Luchador surprised me again by launching a new move right before my eyes, hyper beam, and st such a close range, costing Latios some major damage. It was sent flying and collided to the ground, no longer able to get up due to exhaustion. The referee made the call s I praised Luchador, who glided to me and tackled me in a hug. I kept saying, "you were incredible! That was amazing, and you learned how to use hyper beam"!

Everyone in the stands was up on their feet as my friends, family, and pokemon were cheering me on so loudly, I could hear them from where I was. Tobias was shocked but recovered as he returned Latios without saying a word. He then said, "Well, that figures. I didn't expect your Hawlucha to pull through like that, Liz. It really cares about you and is willing to withstand a Giga impact to help your team win. Of course, I'm not willing to go down without a fight. Let's go," as his last choice appeared, which was the pokemon we've been waiting for: Entei. I glared at it while saying, "Here we go." I looked at Luchador and asked him, "Do you still want to continue"? Luchador looked at me and nodded before pointing to my other Pokeball, where Empoloen was resting. I knew what it was trying to say as I smiled, saying, "Alright, but if things go south, be at the ready. Understand"? It nodded as Luchador returned for some rest. Then, I pulled out my third chic while saying, "Tobias, I think it's time an old friend visits you. Empoleon, it's all up to you now," as the water/steel type penguin appeared, clashing its wings and letting out a mighty battle cry. Tobias was not fazed, saying, 'So, your last pokemon is my old partner. I see it has been trained well, but it won't be enough to take down the mighty fire beast," as Entei let out an even bigger battle cry. Empoleon and I looked at each other and nodded, ready to battle our hearts out.

Both pokemon glared at one another, waiting for someone to make the first move. At the slightest twitch, Tobias and I shouted, "Use flamethrower/hydro pump," as both moves collided, creating a huge explosion. I then said, "Use drill peck," as Empoleon jumped and began to spin like a drill, heading towards Entei. Tobias responded by shouting, 'Use double-edge,' as Entei collided with Empoleon, sending it flying. However, Empoleon was unwilling to give up, and seeing Entei temporarily wince in pain meant that it took recoil damage. Tobias then said, 'Use fire fang,' as Entei charged in with flames expelling from its mouth. Once it got close enough, I shouted, 'Use brick break,' as Empoleon drove Entei to the ground with a potent brick break to the head. However, what e did not expect was a powerful "Eruption," commanded by Tobias to occur, as a huge fiery vortex hit Empoleon and sent it flying into the air. Then, Entei lept and hit Empoleon with another double-edge, driving it to the ground. I cried its name out in worry as Empoleon was on the ground in pain, held down by Entei, who maliciously grinned at it, despite being in absolute pain from the recoil damage. Empoleon had bruises and burns all over its body, and it was running out of steam but was not willing to give in so easily. However, every time it tried to get up, Entei kept holding it down. We were in a tight spot, and I didn't know what to do. Then, Tobias shouted from across the field, "Liz, we can end this battle here. No one needs to get hurt anymore if you forfeit the match." I gritted my teeth and shouted, "No way! We've come too far to quit now! I'm not going to stop fighting till it's over! And neither will Empoleon"! Tobias then frowned, saying, "Then, I'll have to end your run here in the tournament. Entei, use eruption"! Entei prepared to use the move, but then, I saw a crucial opportunity. I shouted, "Empoleon! Turn your head and use a hydro pump on the ground"! It nodded and was able to turn its head and launch the hydro pump at the ground, blasting it and Entei, who was on its back, into the air. As Entei slipped off, I tipped my hat, saying, "Let's finish this! Aqua jet max power"! Empoleon was enveloped in water and moved as fast as a speeding bullet, hitting Entei and driving it into the ground as an explosion occurred, blocking our views.

Once the dust settled, Tobias and I grimaced and waited to see what had happened. What we saw made our jaws drop, for me, in happiness and shock for Tobias. Empoleon, bruised and burned, had its flippers crossed while standing over Entei, who laid on the ground with swirls in its eyes. The referee shouted, "Entei is unable to battle! Empoleon wins! The match goes to Liz"! The crowd was ecstatic as the announcer yelled, "It's over, folks! After a back and forth brawl of moves, Liz has managed to defeat Tobias and secure her place in the quarter-finals"! I smiled, happy tears developing around my eyes, as I shouted, 'We did it"! I ran to Empoleon and hugged it, saying, "Empoleon, we did it! We beat Tobias, together"! Empoleon smiled and hugged me carefully, chirping in happiness. I felt my pokeballs shake as Luchador and Sableye came out, wanting to join in as we were all hugging one another in happiness. We were going to the quarter-finals! Tobias walked over to the Entei and said, "Come back for now. Take a good rest," as Entei returned to its ball. Then, Tobias came up to me, saying, "Well, I can't say that I'm thrilled, but I am surprised. You bested me. No one has ever done that before. Congratulations." I responded with, "Thanks, but it's my pokemon who did all the work. And speaking of Pokemon, I think you owe someone an apology." Tobias sighed, knowing I was right. He looked at Empoleon, who kept a firm glare on its former trainer, before saying, "Empoleon, what I did was downright despicable. I should never have abandoned you for Entei. You've definitely shown me your true strength. I know you may never forgive me, but if you do, then I hope we can start over and be friends." Empoleon's expression didn't change until it showed what looked like a sile and nodded, shaking hands...erm...flippers, with its former trainer. Then, Tobias looked at me, saying, "Keep taking good care of Empoleon. He's a good friend, and good luck in your future endeavors," before turning and leaving the battlefield.

My pokemon and I looked at one another before smiling, happy that things turned out all right in the end. Later on, everyone was healed up by nurse joy and brought back to me. Suddenly, I looked up and saw that the second match was about to start, and after returning my pokemon, with Empoloen staying out for obvious reasons, we began to run to the stands. However, as we turned to go down the hallway, we were stopped by a not too friendly face. Kevin, who I haven't seen since he was hauled off to jail for pokemon abuse. He sneered at me, saying, "Well, well, well. If it isn't Liz. Long time, no see, "old friend." I grimaced at him but couldn't help noticing that he's grown rather...bulky over the years. He was now a lot more muscular and threatening. I brushed it off, not wanting him to think that I was terrified to see him. He noticed my wings and laughed, saying, "what happened to you? Finally, succumbed to the frak you really are"? I rolled my eyes, saying, "No, but thank you for noticing them. How about you? Moved on from abuse to steroids"/ He got angry and shouted, "Hey1, I'll have you know these pythons are all muscle, and I'm here to give you a test taste of what I'm capable of. Ever since I got arrested, I lost my pokemon. I lost my friends, my family. You even made my old partner, Incineroar, turn on me. Everywhere I went, I was shamed and shunned like an outcast. All because you had to be the goody-two-shoes and snitch. But, my time in prison has taught me a lot, and now, I want revenge. Starting with you "champion." Drapion, use cross poison," as an extra-large Drapion covered in a shadowy aura with red eyes launched the move, with Empoleon jumping in and deflecting it because of its immunity.

Then, Kevin shouted, "Use shadow rush," as I asked in disbelief, "What the heck's shadow rush"?! Drapion was enveloped in a black aura s it lept into the air and crashed into Empoleon, knocking it out in one shot. I called out Empoleon's name in worry as I cradled it in my arms. Empoleon weakly opened its eyes but winced in unbearable pain. Then, Kevin shouted, "Now, to end this! Use Shadow Sludge," as Drapion launched a black, toxic sludge bomb heading for Empoleon and me. I tried to cover us with my wings, bracing for impact. However, it never came as I slowly lowered my wings and noticed that the Shadow Sludge was hovering in the air and not moving. Kevin was watching in disbelief as he asked, "What? Who's doing that"? Suddenly, a hooded figure appeared with a Mega Gardevoir by its side. The figure then said in a raspy voice, "Use Angel Blade," as Mega Gardevoir formed what looked like a golden sword as the blade glowed a clear pearl white color. Then, with blinding speed, it slashed through the Drapion as the shadowy aura faded while Drapion fell and returned to normal. Kevin was in disbelief as he ran away quickly, dropping its Pokeball in the process. The hood figure smashed the Pokeball with its foot as the Gardevoir returned to normal. It then used to heal pulse and helped Empoleon recover instantly as it got up and clashed its wings happily. I got up while saying, "Thanks, mysterious stranger. Empoleon and I owe your our lives." Then, the hooded figure unmasked itself as my jaw dropped while I said in disbelief, "Diantha"?!