Pokémon Sun & Moon: The Challenge of a Lifetime!

by NegaiFreak

The Ketchum twins are now 10 years old! That means they can travel the world as Pokémon trainers! And their adventure has just begun as they head off to the Alola region to make new discoveries with their family and friends! Pokémon X Fairy Tail Crossover! SHIPPINGS INCLUDED! PLEASE READ, REVIEW, AND ENJOY! THANKS FOR OVER 10,000 VIEWS!

39. It's Ya Boy!

Alola again, everyone! We're finally in April with this one! I gotta say, I've been looking forward to the Ula'ula Arc of the story for a lot of reasons. And one of them is definitely Guzma.

After seeing him in the Sun/Moon anime, I knew he was going to be a great character to write with. He's unique in nature, but he's also one of the best characters from Pokémon in my eyes.

So this chapter's going to be focusing on him, the twins, and some shenanigans going on back at Melemele. Hope you all enjoy it, because here it is!

POKÉMON SUN & MOON

THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME

"Whoa, I can't believe it's already so late…" Calvin admitted as he saw the setting sun in the distance upon exiting the Hokulani Observatory.

"Sunsets around here are pretty nice," Molayne chimed in, getting his attention as he turned to see the observatory head walking over to him, "Congratulations again, by the way," he mentioned with a grin.

"Thanks…" the Ketchum boy replied, "I was really nervous about getting through that trial…" he confessed sheepishly while scratching at his right cheek.

"But you and your team got through it all the same," Molayne noted, "even with Soffy's tricks," he mentioned, putting a hand onto the capped boy's shoulder, "I think that's really impressive," he added firmly with a grin, "And before you go…" he continued, reaching into his jacket pockets, "I wanted to give you something to share with your sister," he told him. He took out a pair of Z-Crystals. Both of them were silver with a cube-shaped symbol at their center.

"Y-You're giving me a Z-Crystal?" Calvin stuttered in surprise as the observatory head placed them both into his left hand.

"Yep!" he replied, "Both of those are Steelium Z," he said, putting his hands onto his hips, "If your Pokémon knows a Steel-type move, they'll be able to use that specific Z-Move," he pointed out. He then took a step back to perform the pose for the Ketchum boy, swinging his arms around after crossing them. After smacking his fists together twice, he thrusted them forward. "And that's it!" he exclaimed as he smiled.

"Wow…" the trial-goer uttered out, "Thank you very much!" he said in gratitude, bowing to Molayne.

"No problem," he assured in response, "Oh, and one more thing…" he mentioned, causing Calvin to blink in surprise as he looked to see him pull out a mask he had never seen before, "Could you get this to Kukui?" he implored, "I'm betting he's down by the Malie Garden at this point…" he mentioned with a chuckle.

"Uh… sure…" the Ketchum boy answered, confused as to what the professor would want with such a weird-looking mask… But he disregarded it. After going to the Pokémon Center to get his team healed up, he boarded the Exeggutor Express, waving goodbye to Molayne and Sophocles as they waved back. The bus began its drive down the mountain moments later as he sighed contently, wondering how his other rivals were doing. Little did he know that some of them had encountered a very powerful foe…

OPENING

Insert "Koko" by Beverly

Opens with the rising sun over the ocean horizon as a boat is sailing towards Ula'ula Island. Upon its bow are Calvin and Erika Ketchum, standing alongside their Pokémon as the wind rushes through their hair. They're about to embark on the next stage of their island challenge, smiling with excitement.

As the music picks up, the Pokémon logo appears in bright green letters, followed by "The Challenge of a Lifetime" appearing in bright yellow underneath it. The brightness of the logo envelops the screen before we transition to the Ketchum twins disembarking from the boat onto the island.

We cut to Calvin fishing in Maile Garden as Steenee and Incineroar are bickering in the background. Once Calvin sees his lure go underwater, he pulls the line hard to reel in a Poliwag. Watching from afar, Paige smiles while holding onto his egg, which shakes a little in her arms.

The scene then changes to Erika trudging tiredly up Mount Hokulani. She's about to fall backwards, but Primarina and Lycanroc are there to help push her up. She smiles gratefully, continuing the trek up the mountain.

We then see several new faces around the island, including Samson Oak, Acerola, Molayne, Sophocles, Grimsley, and Nanu. We also get a shot of Guzma, sitting upon his chair in the Shady House of Po Town. He grins deviously at the screen.

As the music picks back up, we see Calvin swing his left arm out as his Incineroar and Marowak charge in with a Flamethrower/Flame Wheel combination to take down a Skarmory. Meanwhile, we cut over to Erika as she orders for Fomantis to use Leaf Blade on an Alolan Geodude. Drifblim then floats in and sprays out a Gust to blow away a flock of Fearow. Afterwards, he floats over Fomantis to her chagrin as she seethes in frustration.

We get shots of Hau with his Alolan Raichu and Decidueye, Trent with his Mightyena and Greninja, Paige alongside her Combusken and Medicham, and Pyrrha alongside her Quilava and Ariados. Each of them are in their own battles, with Hau's Decidueye using Spirit Shackle on a Haunter, Trent's Mightyena blasting back a Kadabra with Snarl, Paige's Combusken using Flame Charge to ram into a Shieldon, and Pyrrha's Ariados landing a Cross Poison on a Sylveon.

The song continues from back on Melemele at the Ketchum vacation home. There, Leslie gets herself dressed and throws on her visor, heading out of her room alongside her Lopunny and shiny Gabite. As she heads outside onto the front porch, she smirks upon seeing Asta Sutarria there alongside Shiki Granbell and Tanjiro Kamado, as all three of them are looking to train Pokémon with her guidance for them.

Asta commands an Aegislash as he takes on his sword form and slashes at Leslie's Magmortar, who jumps back before firing off a Flamethrower. Meanwhile, Tanjiro's Croconaw attempts to land an Ice Fang onto Gabite, who uses Dig to get away before popping up from the ground and chomping down on his foe's tail, causing him to scream in agony. Watching from afar are Shiki and his Bronzor, who both giggle.

We cut back to Ula'ula Island as we see Erika commanding her Lycanroc to use Rock Slide against the Totem Vikavolt inside the Hokulani Observatory. The Stag Beetle Pokémon dodges the attack and lets electricity surge around his body before zipping down at his foe, who prepares to use Counter. Afterwards, we get a scene of Calvin and Incineroar facing down the Totem Mimikyu inside the abandoned Thrifty Megamart. As the Heel Pokémon lands a Darkest Lariat, a smaller Mimikyu watches from afar in awe.

There are several shots of a Cleffa poking out from a sleeping bag, a Togedemaru near a power plant, and an Alolan Sandshrew wandering about the cold area at the base of Mount Lanakila. We see Professor Kukui staring at the peak from Hokulani, hoping to host a Pokémon League there someday. However, we also see him glaring down Guzma in the Maile Garden as his Golisopod appears behind him. We get shots of Plumeria with her Salazzle and Gladion with Null and his Zoroark.

To end the opening, we see an anxious Lillie looking out over the horizon, concerned for the future. However, Calvin and Erika come to her, both giving her reassuring smiles. She grins, thankful for their presence as they all trek onward through the island…

END OPENING

It's Ya Boy!

"A Battle Royal?" Asta inquired as his cheeks were stuffed with food he had been eating inside the Ketchum vacation home at the dinner table.

"Yep," Leslie responded, sitting across from him as she nodded, "After seeing how each of you have your own battling styles, I think it's a good time to test you all at once in a free-for-all battle," she insisted while folding her arms over her chest.

"But… Asta would probably beat all of us…" Shiki pointed out to her.

"Yeah…" Tanjiro agreed, "I can't even swing a sword as heavy as the ones he does…" he mentioned. Just then, they heard giggles coming from Mirajane as she and Ash were seated at the couch alongside Pikachu and Greninja, about to watch a movie.

"I think my daughter's talking about a Pokémon battle, you three…" she remarked to the trio of multiversal guests. After a moment…

"Oh…" they all uttered in realization, making Leslie sigh.

"But… Asta's Aegislash is really strong," Shiki mentioned, catching the Ketchum girl's attention, "Compared to us, we're just small fry to him…" he noted.

"Don't go underestimating yourself and your Pokémon," she advised in response, "You never know how they can come through for you in tough times," she added with a smirk, "Besides…" she continued, "I'm joining in on our little battle," she stated to the surprise of the three boys.

"Wait, what?!" Asta exclaimed in shock, almost choking on his food. Thankfully, Tanjiro was quick to hand him a glass of water for him to guzzle down, allowing him to sigh in relief afterwards.

"Why?" the Satan Gravity Ether Gear user inquired, arching an eyebrow.

"I got to be a strong trainer by challenging myself against tougher opponents," Leslie answered, "You guys face those kinds of challenges all the time, don't you?" she inquired to her teammates, "I'm just another one of them," she boasted, standing up and shrugging. Seeing that brought a grin onto the Black Bulls' vice-captain's face. He stood up from his seat.

"We'll see about that," he promised, closing his hand into a fist, "Let's have our battle tonight at the beach!" he insisted.

"That sounds good to me!" Tanjiro agreed, standing up as well.

"Yeah!" Shiki concurred with a nod while getting onto his feet, "It'll be good to see just how far each of us have gone in training!" he pointed out, "Maybe we'll even get to beat the master herself!" he added excitedly. Leslie chuckled.

"Don't go getting a swelled head," she advised, "I'm not going easy on any of you," she declared, putting her hands onto her hips.

"We'd expect nothing less from you!" the former Demon Slayer assured in response as he grinned. From afar, Mirajane smiled. She was happy that her daughter was finding a way to be of help to her new friends. She then looked over to her husband, blinking in surprise to see the somewhat melancholic expression upon his face.

"Dear?" she said, getting his attention as he perked up, "Are you okay?" she inquired to him. He exhaled a deep breath, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'm just… really worried about Ben," he admitted in response, "This whole race to get the Infinity Stones is becoming less of a mission for us…" he started to tell her, "and more of an obsession for him," he confessed.

"Peekah…" Pikachu squeaked worriedly.

"Ash… he just doesn't want something like that happening again…" Mirajane pointed out in response, "From what he told us… almost everything was taken from you, right?" she guessed, putting her hand onto his. He clutched it firmly, glancing over at the Mouse Pokémon. A few tears threatened to fall from his eyes before he wiped them.

"I don't want it happening again either…" he confirmed, "But I also don't want Ben to keep bearing the weight of responsibility by himself anymore," he mentioned, "He's done that too many times for us…" he stated with a shake of his head.

"Mmm…" his wife hummed out, keeping hold of his hand. She leaned in and kissed his forehead sweetly before setting her head onto his shoulder. As she got comfortable, her husband took his hand back in order to wrap his arm around her shoulders, keeping her close.

"Neen jah," Greninja croaked quietly as he nodded, patting the part of the couch beside him to entice Pikachu to come over and give the couple their space. There were many things going on throughout the multiverse. And Ash and Mirajane hoped that their children wouldn't suffer from it.

X

"Whoa… it's so pretty out at night!" Erika exclaimed as she, Lillie and Acerola arrived at the Malie Garden. After deciding to hold off on their journey to the Haina Desert until tomorrow, the three girls thought it'd be best to explore more of the biggest city on the island. And what better place to visit than the garden designed similarly to the cities of Johto.

"Have either of you ever been to the Johto Region?" the trial captain inquired curiously as she brought her new friends a pair of ice cream cones.

"I've been on vacations there when I was six… or seven…" the Ketchum girl noted in response, scratching at her head unsurely, "Honestly, I've kinda lost track…" she admitted sheepishly, knowing that her family liked to travel.

"That'zzz impressive, zzt!" Rotom buzzed as it floated beside her.

"Yeah, I guess…" she agreed, "Back then, I never really cared about the sights and stuff…" she recalled, looking at her ice cream cone, "All I really focused on was myself and tormenting my big sister…" she remembered before staring up at the starry sky above, "But now…" she continued, "there's a lot I wanna see again," she confessed with a bright smile. Her friends giggled in agreement.

"What about you, Lillie?" Acerola asked on, catching the assistant's attention, "Go anywhere special back in the day?" she questioned.

"Oh, uh… no…" she answered with a shake of her head, "Although I think it would've been fun, my mother was very strict about us traveling," she told them, "She's always been stubborn like that…" she mentioned.

"Really?" Erika inquired, surprised to have heard such a revelation. But it made sense. Lillie was reserved. She had trouble finding her way around because she probably never got to experience getting the chance to go around the world.

"Well, I hope your journey 'round Alola's given you quite the experience!" the trial captain remarked with her hands at her hips.

"It has!" Lillie assured as she nodded, "In fact… I wound up buying something at the clothing store the other day when you and I were there, Erika…" she mentioned sheepishly.

"Wha… really?" the Ketchum girl inquired, blinking in surprise, "What is it?" she asked on, now growing curious.

"I-It's nothing that important!" the blonde-haired assistant stuttered in claim, "In fact… I doubt I'd even have the nerves of steel to wear something like it…" she confessed, "I just bought it without thinking because the clerk said it'd look cute…" she mentioned. The trial-goer beside her gave off a worried look.

"Well, hey…" she began, getting Lillie's attention, "When the time comes, you better wear whatever you got proud," she insisted, bumping her right fist against the shoulder of her friend, causing her to blink in surprise. However, she gave off a grateful smile. Erika was a true friend to her. That was something she could really appreciate.

"Faaaahhhh…!" a voice squeaked out from afar, catching their attentions as they glanced over to the source.

"Lookzzz like Starbright'zzz still training…" Rotom buzzed out, watching as the Cleffa had her cheeks puffed out, pointing her stubby arms up at the moon above.

"Pree, preemah!" Primarina cheered beside her as she clenched her front fins.

"What are those two up to?" Acerola inquired while tilting her head to the side curiously.

"I think Starbright wanted to learn how to use Moonblast like Primarina did earlier against Ryuki's Turtonator…" Erika replied.

"She seems really dedicated to trying…" Lillie noted as she blinked.

"Yeah," the Ketchum girl agreed, "Hey, Rotodex…" she began, getting the Pokédex's attention, "what are Starbright's moves?" she asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Right now, she only hazzz Pound, Copycat, and Magical Leaf, zzt," it answered after looking over at the Star Shape Pokémon.

"That's it?" Acerola questioned, sounding somewhat surprised.

"Well… Cleffa is a very young Pokémon…" Lillie pointed out, catching her attention, "When my mother had one, she didn't know many moves either before evolving," she told her friends.

"Your mom had one?" the trial captain inquired, "Well, you sure know your stuff better than me then!" she mentioned with a cheeky smile.

"Hmm…" Erika hummed in thought, putting her hand onto her chin, "I've got an idea," she decided, putting her right fist into the palm of her left hand, "You said she knew Copycat, right Rotodex?" she questioned to her Pokédex.

"Correct, zzt!" it responded proudly.

"Hey, Primarina!" the Ketchum girl called out, getting the attention of the Soloist Pokémon, "Can you show Starbright your Moonblast?" she requested of her.

"Mah!" she yipped in reply, arching her head up towards the moon above, "Preeee~…" she sang, making a bright aura shroud her body. A pink orb of energy formed in front of her mouth as the Cleffa stared on with amazement and awe in her eyes. She then fired it high into the air, letting it fly up towards the clouds before it dissipated.

"Kleh, klehfah!" the Star Shape Pokémon squeaked excitedly as she bounced up and down.

"Starbright," her trainer chimed in, catching her attention as she turned to her, "why don't you use Copycat?" she suggested as she leaned over to the Cleffa.

"Kleh?" she squeaked in confusion, looking over at Primarina.

"Mah!" she assured to her with a nod. The Star Shape Pokémon was somewhat surprised by the request… but decided to go through with it. She recalled just how the Soloist Pokémon went through with her Moonblast, letting a pinkish aura shroud her form. The moonlight gazed down onto her, granting her the energy to form a pink orb of light upon the tips of her stubby arms.

"Klehhh… FAH!" she exclaimed, launching it high into the air. It didn't go as high as Primarina's, but it flew much faster.

"Whoa!" Erika yelped with an excited smile.

"Pree, preemah!" Primarina cheered, clapping her front fins.

"That was amazing, Starbright!" the Ketchum girl complimented as she trotted over and picked up the Star Shape Pokémon into her arms, "When you really learn that move, you'll be unstoppable!" she mentioned excitedly, giving off a wide grin. The Cleffa was amazed but what she had accomplished. Even if she hadn't actually learned Moonblast, the rush of it was familiar to her now. And it made her really happy. Extremely happy that she had a trainer like Erika to help her.

"Kleh!" she squeaked out, suddenly glowing in a bright blue light.

"WAH!" her trainer yelped in surprise while everyone around gasped.

"Is she… evolving?!" Lillie inquired, blinking rapidly out of shock. The Star Shape Pokémon's body grew, with her arms and legs gaining digits. Once the light faded… it revealed that she evolved into a Clefairy!

"Faree?" she squeaked in surprise as she blinked.

"You evolved!" Erika exclaimed with delight, hugging her happily as she laughed.

"That… was really quick…" Lillie pointed out, still somewhat astonished.

"Well, that Cleffa might've just been looking for the right trainer to be with," Acerola suggested as she shrugged, "And with that evolution, I think she found her," she confirmed. Meanwhile, an image of the Fairy Pokémon appeared upon Rotom's screen.

"Clefairy, the Fairy Pokémon, and the evolved form of Cleffa," it began, "On nights with a full moon, they gather together and dance. The surrounding area is enveloped in an abnormal magnetic field. Bathed in moonlight, her wings glow faintly. Without even flapping, Clefairy rises into the air, where she dances around," it explained thoroughly.

"We haven't even been together for a full day, and you're already evolved!" Erika pointed out excitedly to Starbright, "At this rate, we're gonna breeze through the rest of this island challenge!" she declared fiercely.

"Mah!" Primarina yipped in agreement.

"Faye!" Starbright squeaked, waving both of her index fingers back and forth as they started glowing a bright white.

"Huh?" her trainer uttered in confusion, "Wh-What are you doing?" she inquired with a stammer, raising an eyebrow.

"I think that'zzz Metronome, zzt…" Rotom answered, getting her attention.

"Metronome?" she repeated, still perplexed.

"It'zzz a move that letzzz Starbright use any random move that existzzz," the Pokédex told her.

"So then… she could probably use some really powerful moves like—!" She was interrupted the moment she noticed the Clefairy starting to glow in a bright white light. Before she could say anything, she was caught up in a powerful blast that came from the Fairy Pokémon.

"AH!" Lillie and Acerola gasped.

"Erika!" Rotom buzzed in shock. When the smoke cleared moments later, it revealed the ashen-covered Ketchum girl and Starbright. The latter's eyes were in swirls, while the former spat out a puff of smoke.

"So…" she started to realize, "she could use almost any move…" she noted, falling backwards onto the ground.

"Ah, Erika!" Lillie yelped as she and Acerola went over to check on her.

"Preemah!" Primarina shrieked worriedly as she went over. Moments later, both the Ketchum girl and her Clefairy were cleaned of ash as the former sighed with relief.

"Thanks," she said in gratitude, "From now on, I think we better be careful about using a move like that," she advised to the Fairy Pokémon seated beside her.

"Faye," she squeaked in agreement with a nod.

"Still, that's really impressive!" Acerola complimented, "Although, I wouldn't get too cocky…" she mentioned firmly, "My trial's not exactly the fun walk in the park you'd expect…" she pointed out confidently, proudly putting her hands onto her hips.

"If that's the case, then it'll be even more worth it to win!" Erika decided as she grinned, "I'm looking forward to it," she stated while standing up and extending her hand out to the trial captain. She accepted it with a giggle, shaking it firmly. Lillie smiled at the trial-goer's bold confidence. She honestly wished she could be that bold. Suddenly, she and the others heard a commotion going on from afar.

"What's all the ruckus?" Acerola wondered aloud. It was happening towards the entrance. A few visitors to the garden were shocked to see Team Skull grunts pouring in.

"Yo! Yo!" one yelled out, "We Team Skull boys and girls are here to make no bones about takin' what's ours!" he vowed fiercely, followed by a rousing amount of approval from his colleagues.

"Team Skull?!" one man exclaimed in shock.

"What are those hooligans doing here?!" a woman asked, frightened as she held her purse close to her chest.

"We've been hearin' rumors that a certain someone's tryin' to make a Pokémon League here on Alola…" another grunt noted as he and the others trekked towards the small bridge heading across the river, "Whoever that is has got rocks in their skull…" he muttered out.

"YEAH!" his colleagues voiced out in agreement. Hearing that from afar, Erika growled, balling her hands into fists.

"You two stay here," she insisted to her friends before running off with Rotom, Primarina and Starbright tailing behind her.

"Erika, wait!" Lillie cried out, but it was too late. The Ketchum girl was already heading towards the bridge. However, a familiar figure was already there.

"If you think whoever's making this Pokémon League is somehow stupid…" the person began to the Team Skull grunts, getting their attentions as they looked to see Kukui approach them with his arms crossed, "then you'd be ready to beat me in a battle, right?" he guessed, giving off a smirk.

"Y-You're the one making the Pokémon League?!" a female Team Skull grunt questioned with a stutter, sounding extremely shocked.

"Humph," a brawnier grunt scoffed, "Yeah, you've got rocks in your skull!" he remarked, "So what are you gonna do about it?!" he wondered aloud. The professor stuck his right hand out, putting his thumb down.

"Four turns!" he exclaimed.

"Huh?" the grunts uttered in confusion, while Erika blinked.

"Bring it on, all of you!" Kukui challenged, putting his hands onto his hips, "I've been researching Pokémon moves, so I'm always ready for a battle!" he proclaimed confidently, "I'll take you all on in a Battle Royal, and you'll be down with just a Swift and Incinerate or two!" he declared. Surprisingly, most of the grunts seemed somewhat intimidated.

"Yo, you for real?" one male grunt wondered.

"F-Fine! You asked for it!" another proclaimed in response, readying a Nest Ball in her hand. Her colleagues followed suit by preparing their own Poké Balls, enlarging them with a press of their center buttons.

"Hold it!" Erika suddenly yelled, running across the bridge to the professor's side, "You jerks aren't gonna cause any more trouble!" she stated firmly.

"Kleh faye!" Starbright squeaked in agreement as she hopped over.

"Mah!" Primarina barked. More of the grunts gasped in surprise upon seeing the girl.

"Th-That's the girl who beat Big Sis Plumeria!" one recalled as she stuttered a little.

"What?!" another exclaimed in disbelief, "Well, what the heck's she doing here then?!" she wondered aloud. Seeing their reactions brought a grin onto the Ketchum girl's face. She was glad to be known as a force to be reckoned with by Team Skull.

"Yeah, go get 'em!" one man from afar cheered.

"Show those numbskulls their place!" another woman cried out, pumping her fist into the air.

"A Battle Royal, huh?" a certain voice chimed in curiously, "That's a great idea, Kukui…" he remarked, catching the professor's attention as he blinked in surprise. A familiar pair of figures were walking through the crowd of Team Skull grunts. "Beating down on three Pokémon all at once makes the battle that much more fun, right?" he guessed, stepping forward to reveal himself as Guzma, with Plumeria standing beside him. Erika could immediately tell that the atmosphere had shifted instantly

"It's Guzma…" one of the guests in the garden uttered in fright, shaking a little.

"The boss came!" one Team Skull grunt exclaimed in delight.

"He's graced us all with his presence!" another mentioned excitedly. As the grunts cheered for their leader, Kukui stepped forward to stand face-to-face with him.

"The hated boss who beats you down and never lets up…" he introduced, putting his hands onto his hips, "Yeah, the big bad Guzma is here!" he shouted. Erika widened her eyes. She remembered Plumeria talking about the Team Skull boss back when they first fought on Akala, stating that he was much stronger than her. And now that she saw him, she had a sinking feeling that fact was true…

"Hey, if it isn't the brat…" the Team Skull admin greeted, catching the Ketchum girl's attention, "Changed up your look, huh?" she inquired, "Kinda suits you…" she mentioned in a complimentary tone. The trial-goer didn't take too kindly to the remarks, glaring at her.

"Greetings, cowering public!" Guzma suddenly bellowed, regaining everyone's attention, "We have an exciting bout for you tonight!" he proclaimed, "In the opposing corner, we got the Pokémon professor Kukui!" he introduced, gesturing towards the man he was staring down, "And in this corner…" he continued, folding his arms over his chest, "we've got the boss of Team Skull and the hardest guy around, Guzma!" he announced.

"GUZMAAAAA!" his grunts cheered excitedly, pumping their fists. Their leader stared down his future opponent.

"Here we are, Kukui…" he muttered out, "Fellow rejects who could never become trial captains…" he grumbled to Erika's surprise, "We've got these moldy old traditions here in Alola…" he mentioned, "The trials, the captains, the kahunas…" he listed off, "We oughta' cut out that silly garbage and make something new for ourselves," he said, "Trust me, I get that," he assured, putting his hands onto his hips and grinning, "Don't get me wrong though…" he continued, "We've got no need for a Pokémon League," he stated firmly, "After all, everyone knows who the strongest trainer is on these islands!" he declared proudly.

"Speak for yourself, Guzma," the professor retorted, "It's not like I couldn't become a captain," he pointed out, "I chose not to," he confirmed, "I wanted to figure out what moves would be best to help defeat trainers like Hala, Olivia… and the other kahunas…" he listed off in explanation as he turned away for a moment, "and then I finally found my answer," he said, "The strongest moves are the ones a Pokémon and a trainer choose together… in the heat of the moment, when it really counts," he told him, looking over at Erika and giving her a smile. She widened her eyes in surprise.

"Professor…" she uttered out.

"That's why I decided to make a Pokémon League," Kukui said to the Team Skull boss upon turning to face him again, "to give everyone the chance to be pushed to the limit with their teams and find those perfect moves!" he declared firmly, closing his right hand into a fist, "So let's see it, Guzma!" he challenged, "Show me your moves and prove that you aren't just talk!" he insisted, "If you really can, that is…" he mentioned somewhat mockingly.

"The professor'zzz really giving a zzzpeech…" Rotom buzzed out.

"Yeah…" Erika agreed with a nod.

"Hey, Erika," Kukui called out, causing her to perk up in surprise, "That's the kind of thing you'd like to see, right?" he inquired to her. She blinked for a moment before grinning.

"Of course!" she replied firmly, earning herself a smile from the professor.

"Tsk," Guzma scoffed, "So you're one of the kids on the island challenge, huh?" he guessed, getting the trial-goer's attention, "And which one are you?" he asked on, arching an eyebrow.

"My name's Erika Ketchum!" she introduced proudly as she stepped forward, standing beside Kukui.

"Ketchum?" the Team Skull boss repeated out of surprise, slowly grinning wickedly, "So you're one of the finalists from the tournament…" he realized. Though she still stood before him, the capped girl couldn't help but sweat nervously.

"Erika and her Primarina can dish out some really powerful moves," Kukui chimed in to her surprise again, "So if you think you're the strongest trainer of Alola, then why not see if you can beat her?" he challenged to Guzma, who huffed. He stared at the Z-Ring upon the Ketchum girl's wrist and began frowning.

"Why even bother with the island challenge?" he asked Erika, "What's the point of it?" he questioned on to her. For a moment, she didn't know how to respond. A lot of her journey at first was just to make up for her early mistakes and then mend friendships. But then she thought back to the night she spent with Pyrrha. When she told her that she was going to quit, she was devastated. Not because she giving up on a great opportunity… but because she was her friend. She looked up at Guzma dead in the eye.

"Because if I quit…" she began to respond, "I'd be dishonoring my friends!" she proclaimed firmly. Everyone around seemed surprised by the response, even Plumeria. However, the Team Skull boss just chuckled.

"Friends?" he repeated, "HAHAHAHA!" he cackled loudly, "Kid, you really are some kind of stupid!" he remarked, eliciting a growl from the Ketchum girl, "Watch closely, Kukui…" he advised to the professor, "Someday, I'm gonna destroy you…" he vowed, "But first, I'm gonna destroy everything you care about!" he declared, readying an Ultra Ball in his hand as he enlarged it with the press of its center button, "Wanna see what destruction looks like, girl?!" he inquired to Erika, "Here it is in human form!" he yelled, "It's ya boy, Guzma!" he announced proudly, reeling his arm back before throwing the spherical container forward. It popped open, and its light spilled onto the stone walkway before dissipating to reveal his Golisopod.

"Gohhh…" he growled out with a glint in his eyes. Erika grimaced slightly. For some reason, she had a feeling that defeating him would be harder than Plumeria…

X

"Ready to go, Bronzor?" Shiki inquired of the Bronze Pokémon floating beside him as they trekked onto the beach.

"B-Brahh…" it chimed nervously with a stutter. Clearly, it wasn't a big fan of events such as this. But then again, it was starting to get used to them.

"Gee, slah!" Aegislash exclaimed as he practiced swinging his body around in slashing motions.

"Whoa!" Asta yelped, narrowly ducking before almost getting struck by the Royal Sword Pokémon, "Careful there, buddy…" he advised, "If I didn't sense your ki, I would've lost my head…" he pointed out grimly.

"G-Gee…" his partner stuttered out in apology, sheathing himself back into his shield as he floated along.

"Toh tah, toh tah!" Tomi exclaimed as he hopped up and down excitedly, walking alongside Tanjiro as they ventured towards an area close to the laboratory.

"So the winner is the last Pokémon standing, right?" he inquired to Leslie, who was walking ahead of him.

"Yep," she answered with a nod.

"Where's your Pokémon by the way?" Asta inquired curiously while tilting his head to the side, "Did you bring one?" he asked on. The Ketchum girl answered by holding up a Poké Ball in her left hand, enlarging it with the press of its center button. She smirked back at the vice-captain of the Black Bulls. Moments later, all four trainers were gathered at fair distances from each other as their Pokémon stood out in front of them. Leslie reeled her arm back.

"Come on out, Garchon!" she yelled, flinging the Poké Ball up into the air. It popped open, and its light spilled onto the sand before dissipating to reveal her Gabite, who had sparkles come off of his body. Unlike a regular Cave Pokémon, his color was somewhat darkened.

"Gah!" he roared out.

"I haven't seen you use that Pokémon before…" Asta noted aloud as he blinked.

"Yeah, me neither…" Tanjiro chimed in curiously.

"Garchon here's a Pokémon I got back when I traveled around Unova," Leslie told the boys at she patted her shiny Gabite's head, "He was a gift from a friend I met there," she mentioned as he smiled contently.

"Huh," Asta uttered, somewhat surprised, "I thought you were gonna use that flaming guy from the first time we battled…" he admitted, remembering how Mortalius had proven to be a challenge for him and Aegislash.

"And I expected the bunny again…" Shiki added in confession.

"Heh," Leslie chuckled, "If I'm going all out against you guys, I might as well give myself and my Pokémon a challenge while I'm at it," she noted with a smirk.

"So this is just as much of a trial for yourself…" Tanjiro realized, cracking a small smile, "Well, we're all happy to be part of it!" he proclaimed.

"Yeah!" Shiki agreed, "Let's start it off already!" he insisted excitedly.

"Sure thing!" Asta replied, closing his right hand into a fist, "Aegislash, Brutal Swing!" he ordered. Unsheathing himself from his shield, the Royal Sword Pokémon made his blade glow a bright pink as it extended a little, he then swung himself around towards his foes.

"Ah, watch out!" the Satan Gravity Ether Gear user cried out. Unfortunately, Bronzor was struck, being sent spinning around crazily. Tomi managed to duck underneath the blade as it headed towards Garchon.

"Dragon Claw!" Leslie commanded. With his claws glowing in a greenish light, the Gabite slashed to his right, stopping Aegislash from moving any further. The boys all gasped in surprise.

"Gahhh…" the Cave Pokémon growled, pushing back against his foe, who was completely stunned.

"Tomi, use Ice Fang!" Tanjiro quickly called out.

"Dah!" his Totodile responded, running forward. A misty, cold aura wafted from his mouth as his teeth glowed a bright blue.

"King's Shield, quick!" Asta yelled. Moving back, Aegislash sheathed himself back into his shield, making an energy barrier made up of hexagonal shapes before himself. However, the Big Jaw Pokémon wasn't focused on him. Instead, he was heading towards Garchon.

"Dig!" Leslie shouted. The Gabite was quick to react, diving into the sand just before Tomi could bite down on him. He landed upon the ground, searching for a sign of his foe.

"Where'd he go?" Tanjiro wondered aloud, looking about the ground for any sign. As Shiki watched on, he narrowed his eyes.

'Aegislash is protecting himself, and Tomi's the one Garchon wants to avoid…' he noted inwardly, closing his eyes in thought, 'So that means…' he started to realize, letting his eyes shoot open.

"Bronzor, get back!" he called out immediately. Thanks to that warning, the Bronze Pokémon moved away in the nick of time to evade the Gabite as he popped up from the sand in an attempt to strike it. "Now Extrasensory!" its trainer commanded.

"Brah!" it chimed in response, making its eyes glow a bright gold. It then released a multicolored beam that shrouded the Cave Pokémon, making him grimace. He was psychically lifted into the air and thrown down instantly in a flurry of dust.

"Heh…" Leslie laughed, "Not bad, Shiki…" she complimented, sounding quite impressed.

"Way to go, Bronzor!" the Satan Gravity Ether Gear user yelled to his partner, getting its attention, "We can do lots of great things together!" he proudly proclaimed.

"Brah!" the Bronze Pokémon chimed happily.

"Well, we're not done yet!" Asta shouted out, "We'll push past our limits and win!" he vowed firmly, "Aegislash, Iron Head!" he commanded. Unsheathing himself from his shield once again, the Royal Sword Pokémon immersed his entire body in a white light, making him appear black and white. He then shot himself out towards the cloud of dust.

"Dodge with Dig!" Leslie yelled quickly. Just as the cloud of dust broke apart, Garchon had dived back into the sand, evading the incoming Aegislash. However, he did manage to directly strike Bronzor squarely, sending it flying before it hit the sand and tumbled back along it hard.

"BRONZOR!" Shiki screamed, quickly running over to his partner. Thankfully, it seemed to be fine with just a few minor scrapes. But that attack seemed to be enough to defeat it as swirls were in its eyes.

"Zorrr…" it moaned out. Its trainer sighed with frustration, knowing that they still had a lot of work to do in comparison to the others. But even so, he was proud of the Bronze Pokémon's effort. Lifting it up into his arms, he decided to watch the rest of the battle.

'One down already…' Tanjiro noted to himself, narrowing his eyes onto his other opponents. Garchon had yet to emerge from the ground and could end up striking at any given moment. Sniffing around, the former Demon Slayer tried to locate the Gabite's scent. And he widened his eyes once he did.

"Sand Tomb!" Leslie ordered. All of a sudden, the ground erupted underneath Aegislash, piling sand all over him as he found himself within a swirling vortex that was pulling him in.

"Aegislash!" his trainer called out. Meanwhile, the Cave Pokémon finally popped out from the ground and struck Tomi hard with his left claw, sending him tumbling back along the sand before he came to a stop upon his stomach, grimacing a little.

"Tomi!" Tanjiro cried out. Thankfully, his Totodile stood back up, gritting his teeth in frustration. Clearly, Garchon was a tough foe…

"Time for us to really push past our limits!" Asta declared, "Aegislash, break free with Brutal Swing!" he instructed, sticking his left hand out.

"Gee!" the Royal Sword Pokémon responded, making its blade shine a bright pink once again before swinging himself around mightily to break free of the sand entrapping him. Everyone gasped in surprise, seeing him spin out and slam into both Garchon and Tomi hard, causing them to fall onto their backs.

"Oh, wow…" Tanjiro uttered with amazement in his tone. There was no doubt that Asta's Aegislash was clearly a force to be reckoned with. He was just as dangerous if not even more so than Garchon. The former Demon Slayer was sweating nervously. There was a reason he respected the strength of the Black Bulls' vice-captain.

'If you're going to honor a guy as awesome as that, you've gotta stand tall and face everything in your way!' his voice echoed in his head, 'Don't you ever give up!' he had added firmly to him.

"Tomi, are you okay?" he asked of his Totodile, getting his attention as he stood back up.

"Toh, tah…" he responded, wiping the sweat off of his snout.

"Then let's push past our limits like Asta said!" his trainer insisted, "Use Water Gun!" he commanded. Taking a deep breath, the Big Jaw Pokémon arched his head back before spraying out a gush of water from his mouth that soared towards his target rapidly. However, the vice-captain of the Black Bulls cracked a grin.

"King's Shield!" he called out. Aegislash quickly sheathed himself into his shield, making an energy barrier of hexagonal-shaped lights come together in front of him. It took the gush of water as it splashed off of barrier.

"Ergh…" Tanjiro growled in frustration. Meanwhile, Leslie grinned. Asta was using his head instead of having his partner charge in and attack recklessly.

"Now Iron Head!" he commanded, enticing the Royal Sword Pokémon to unsheathe himself from his shield, catching it in his sash-like right arm before zooming out towards Tomi. He immersed his body in a whitish light again, making him appear black and white.

"Stop him with Aqua Tail!" the former Demon Slayer called out. With water starting to swirl around his tail, Tomi swung it out to intercept the incoming Aegislash. Sparks and droplets flew between the two before they blew each other back in grunts. "Now use Water Gun again!" Tanjiro ordered.

"Toh!" his Totodile responded, breathing deeply yet with intense concentration, "DAHHHH!" he exclaimed as he blasted out a huge stream of water from his mouth that soared towards the Royal Sword Pokémon rapidly. Everyone gasped in surprise.

"That's Hydro Pump!" Leslie yelped upon realizing what the gush actually was.

"Quick, King's Shield!" Asta yelled. His partner attempted to sheathe himself into his shield once more, but the gush crashed into him instantaneously, blowing him back as he tumbled along the sand to a stop upon his back. "Aegislash!" his trainer cried out.

"Geee…" he groaned in agony with a swirl in his one eye. He too was defeated.

"Well done, Tomi!" Tanjiro complimented afterwards with clenched fists.

"Wow," Leslie uttered, placing her right hand onto her hip, "Guess training with my dad's Croconaw really paid off in the end…" she noted with a grin.

"Yeah," the former Demon Slayer replied as he nodded, "And now, we'll do what we can to defeat you, too!" he promised additionally.

"Toh tah!" Tomi exclaimed in agreement, followed by suddenly glowing in a bright blue light.

"Ah!" his trainer yelped in surprise, while everyone looked on with widened eyes. The Big Jaw Pokémon's body grew as he gained spikes along his head as well. When the light finally faded, it revealed him in his evolved form of Croconaw!

"Krrraaaawwww!" he roared out.

"H-He changed!" Asta stuttered in surprise.

"He evolved…" Leslie corrected with a chuckle, "Guess beating another Pokémon in a battle was the final hurdle for you two," she pointed out to her opponent, who grinned in agreement.

"Ready to keep going, Tomi?" he inquired of his Croconaw, getting his attention.

"Naw!" he responded with a nod. The battle between him and Garchon had now been reset. And only time would tell who would emerge victorious in the end…

X

"What Pokémon is that…?" Erika inquired as she looked out at Golisopod, grimacing a little. On that cue, Rotom brought up an image of the Hard Scale Pokémon upon its screen.

"Golisopod, the Hard Scale Pokémon," it began, "He battles skillfully with his six arms, but spends most of his time peacefully meditating in caves deep beneath the sea. His claws, which he can extend and retract at will, are his greatest weapons. Golisopod is sometimes accompanied by Wimpod," it explained thoroughly. Hearing that made the Ketchum girl all the more nervous about this upcoming battle.

"So who're you gonna use, kid?" Guzma inquired, "That wimpy-looking Clefairy?" he guessed, "Or the prissy Primarina?" he inquired on.

"Kleh?!" Starbright squeaked angrily, puffing out her cheeks as she stomped forward. Fortunately, Erika picked her up in her arms to stop her.

"No, Starbright!" she reprimanded in a whisper, "I don't think you're ready for this kind of battle yet…" she admitted to her disappointment. However, she refrained from acting out any further, allowing her trainer to return her to her Moon Ball in a beam of red light.

"So the Primarina, huh?" Guzma noted with an arched eyebrow, giving off a wicked grin.

"Fair warning, she almost helped win us the Aether Tournament…" the Ketchum girl remarked, closing her hands into fists and narrowing her eyes.

"Oh yeah, that whole thing…" the Team Skull boss grumbled out, "If you ask me, my team and I would've steamrolled the lot of you if we were there," he argued, "Plumeria might've lost, but she's still on the young side of things," he mentioned, "As a veteran on the battlefield, there's no one that can beat us…" he boasted proudly.

"We'll see about that…" Erika retorted with a glare. She hated his words… His attitude… They reminded her of everything she could've become if she kept on her self-centered path. In a sense… it wasn't a battle between her and Team Skull's leader. It was a battle against herself.

"Erika…" Lillie uttered worriedly from afar beside Acerola. Nebby poked its head out from its caretaker's duffel bag to see what was going on.

"Pew?" it squeaked out in confusion. Primarina slid forward in front of her trainer, staring down Golisopod. In the meantime, Kukui stood off to the side. Guzma noticed and chuckled.

"Gonna be the ref for this one?" he guessed, getting his attention.

"I'd like for things to be kept fair," he answered.

"Don't worry, Kukui…" the Team Skull boss assured in response, "It's just a one-on-one match," he affirmed, "And it'll be quick…" he added confidently.

"Grrr…" Erika growled out, keeping her fists balled tightly.

"Whenever both of you are ready, you may begin," the professor told the two trainers, who stared each other down.

"First Impression," Guzma said with a grin. All of a sudden, Golisopod dashed forward in an instant. A green-yellowish aura shrouded his body as he wound up right in front of Primarina, striking her fiercely with his right arm.

"PREE!" she shrieked as she was sent flying, crashing into the river water in a splash.

"Primarina!" her trainer cried out, "What the heck was that?!" she inquired aloud out of disbelief.

"First Impression, zzt," Rotom answered, getting her attention, "It'zzz Golisopod'zzz signature move," it mentioned, "He'll make the first move and zzztrike instantly," it pointed out, "But he can only uzzze it once at the zzztart of a battle," it added to her.

"So we won't have to worry about that again…" Erika realized as she grimaced a little. She looked back to see Primarina emerging from the water, shaking her head to regain herself.

"Ha!" Guzma laughed, "Caught you off guard with that one, didn't I?" he guessed with a smirk, "Now let's see how you deal with this!" he yelled, "Swords Dance!" he called out. Multiple light blue swords of energy appeared around Golisopod, orbiting his body. They then stopped and pointed towards him before disappearing. What followed was a reddish aura flowing up his body.

"He'zzz increasing hizzz attack power…" Rotom noted nervously.

"Well, we won't let him get the drop on us this time!" the Ketchum girl vowed, "Primarina, Aqua Jet!" she commanded.

"Mah!" the Soloist Pokémon yipped in response, immersing herself within a torrent of water before rocketing out towards her foe.

"Block it," Guzma instructed simply, now having an unimpressed look on his face. Throwing his left arm up, Golisopod used the scales upon it as a shield, stopping his opponent as she collided with him. Both she and her trainer gasped in disbelief. "Now Razor Shell," the Team Skull boss advised. The Hard Scale Pokémon had his right arm's claws glow yellow before forming into a blade of blue light that hardened around them. He swiped fiercely at Primarina, slashing across her chest while also breaking apart the veil of water around her.

"Primarina!" Erika exclaimed, seeing her fall back onto the ground in front of her, wincing in agony with clenched teeth. The Team Skull grunts laughed. Plumeria smirked.

"Is that really all you've got, Ketchum?!" Guzma asked loudly of the trial-goer, "We've barely gotten warmed up over here!" he pointed out while cackling. Erika gritted her teeth angrily.

"Shut up…" she growled out, "Primarina, Icy Wind!" she ordered.

"Pree…" the Soloist Pokémon began as she inhaled a deep breath, "MAAAAHHHH!" she exhaled, unleashing a cold air from her mouth with light blue sparkles onto her target, who crossed his arms over his face to block. However, his legs were frozen to the ground in ice.

"Tch," Guzma scoffed, "Break it off with Razor Shell," he instructed.

'Now's our chance!' Erika realized inwardly.

"Moonblast!" she commanded, causing the Team Skull boss to blink in surprise. As Golisopod made blue blades of light extend from the claws at his large arms to break the ice away, Primarina sang into the sky, gathering energy from the moon as a bright aura shrouded her body. An orb of pink light formed in front of her open mouth before she fired it forward, striking the Hard Scale Pokémon square on in an explosion.

"A direct hit, zzt!" Rotom buzzed excitedly. However, the Ketchum girl just watched on, curious if that move was the right one to make. As the smoke cleared, she grimaced to see that Golisopod barely seemed to be fazed by the sudden attack.

"Not bad, Ketchum…" Guzma remarked in a complimentary tone, "But you've still got light years to go before beating the big bad Guzma!" he proclaimed, "Poison Jab!" he ordered, making Erika gasp in surprise. The claws upon the Hard Scale Pokémon's hands glowed a bright purple as he charged towards his foe, attempting to jab her with them.

"Watch out!" the trial-goer screamed. The Soloist Pokémon thankfully was able to quickly jump back, only getting nicked by her opponent's rightmost claw as she winced a little. Her trainer grimaced.

'A Poison-type move…" she noted to herself, 'That's really not good for a part-Fairy-type like Primarina…' she recalled, glancing over at her partner as she was panting somewhat, 'Moonblast is the best move we have going for us… along with Icy Wind slowing him down…' she mentioned inwardly, setting up the Waterium Z upon her Z-Ring, 'If we can whittle Golisopod down… we can take him with a Z-Move!' she decided through her thoughts.

"Got a new plan, Ketchum?" Guzma inquired as he smirked, "Wonder if it'll work better than the last one…" he remarked disdainfully.

"You'll have to find out yourself!" Erika declared in response, "Primarina, Aqua Jet!" she ordered.

"Mah!" the Soloist Pokémon yipped, immersing herself within another tournament of water before rocketing towards her target again.

"Tch," the Team Skull boss scoffed, "Typical…" he muttered out, rolling his eyes, "Razor Shell!" he commanded. Golisopod made the claws at his hands glow yellow once more before blades of blue light shot out from them. However, his foe veered out of the way in the nick of time, heading upwards. "Huh?!" Guzma yelped in surprise, raising an eyebrow.

"Now Sparkling Aria!" Erika yelled. The water around Primarina splashed apart, along with her ponytail as her blue hair waved about.

"Aaaahhh~!" she sang beautifully, making an orb of glowing water form just above the tip of her nose. It then broke apart into several watery streaks that zipped down and struck Golisopod just as he was turning around, enveloping him in a burst of white smoke.

"Follow it up with Aqua Jet!" the Ketchum girl commanded, pumping her right fist back. A torrent of water surrounded the Soloist Pokémon yet again before she zoomed down towards the cloud of smoke. Once she struck something, the smoke blew away to reveal that she made contact with the scales of Golisopod's arms, both of which were crossed over his head to defend himself.

"Hm," Guzma huffed, noticing the grimace of frustration upon Erika's face, "Like I said, not bad…" he remarked to her, "But you're too straightforward," he pointed out, "Poison Jab," he instructed to his partner.

"Goh…" he responded, making the claws upon his smaller limbs glow a bright purple. Before Primarina could react in time, she was jabbed by them at her sides.

"MAAAAAHHHHHH!" she shrieked in agony.

"Primarina, no!" her trainer exclaimed out of fright, seeing her fall onto the ground. A purple glow came off of her body along with sparks and bubbles.

"She'zzz poisoned!" Rotom realized.

"Heh," Guzma chuckled, letting off a wicked smirk, "Ready to see destruction, Kukui?!" he inquired over to the professor, who merely glared back at him, "Golisopod, Poison Jab!" he ordered. With all of his claws glowing a bright purple, the Hard Scale stomped menacingly towards his foe as she struggled to push herself up. He jabbed at her constantly by using his claws, making her cry out in agony with each successive blow.

"How horrible…" one woman commented, covering her eyes. Other bystanders were wincing at just how brutal Golisopod was being. On the other side…

"Yeah, beat her down and don't let up!" one Team Skull grunt cheered amidst the crowd. Plumeria just grinned with her arms folded beneath her chest. Seeing Primarina get bombarded felt like a long time coming. And it was all thanks to her boss.

"Erika, you've gotta do zzzomething!" Rotom pointed out desperately, seeing just how badly her partner was getting hurt. But nothing was coming to mind for the Ketchum girl. There was no opening for her to try a Z-Move, nor anything that would help even the odds in the battle. That is… until she noticed the blue aura shrouding the Soloist Pokémon. She steeled herself, giving off a determined expression.

"Sparkling Aria!" she commanded. Hearing that, Primarina took a deep breath.

"Aaaaahhhh~!" she sang, making a large, glowing orb of water appear over her open mouth. Just as Golisopod was about to jab her again, the orb broke apart into watery streaks that all struck him squarely, blowing him back.

'Now's our only chance for this!' Erika noted inwardly, crossing her arms over her face as her Waterium Z flashed brightly.

"Let's go, Primarina!" she called out to the Soloist Pokémon.

"Mah!" she responded. Together, the synchronized their movements, finishing with the waving motion like ocean water. A bluish aura that had been building around the Ketchum girl shot out in streaks towards her teammate. They were absorbed into her body, followed by the Z-Move symbol flashing in front of her. Guzma cracked a grin.

"Get ready, Golisopod," he advised. The Hard Scale Pokémon took a ready stance. Erika pumped her right fist forward.

"Hydro Vortex!" she bellowed. Water spilled out underneath Primarina, extending all the way to where her opponent was. She zipped forward while immersed in a torrent like her Aqua Jet, prepared to strike. However…

"Razor Shell!" the Team Skull boss shouted out. Blue blades of light came out from the claws of Golisopod's right hand. Once his opponent approached, he lunged forward and slashed, passing her by. The water broke apart and dissipated. A moment of stunned silence passed… And then the Soloist Pokémon fell onto the ground.

"PRIMARINA!" Erika screamed, quickly running over to her.

"Maahhh…" she moaned in agony, barely able to open her eyes as she grimaced. She saw her trainer kneel down beside her, taking her head into her lap.

"Primarina…" she said sadly with quivering lips as tears built up in her eyes. Meanwhile, Guzma grinned wickedly.

"HAHAHAHA!" he cackled out, "How do you like that, Kukui?!" he yelled to the professor, "Another trainer you raised up bested by yours truly!" he noted, "That's what destruction looks like!" he added while pointing towards the whimpering Ketchum girl. His colleagues all laughed with him, including Plumeria.

"Erika…" Lillie uttered out, completely shocked by the result. In the meantime, Acerola hurried over. The laughter hadn't died down from Team Skull as everyone else in the garden was left speechless by what had just happened. But then…

"HEY!" a voice boomed angrily, causing the laughter to instantly cease. Guzma blinked in surprise. He and his cohorts turned around. Erika looked up with teary eyes. Standing at the gateway to the garden was Calvin. And he looked pissed. "Why the hell are you all laughing at my sister…?" he asked, clenching his teeth together as sparks crackled off of his body…

X

It felt like the standoff between Tomi and Garchon was lasting quite a while. After the former's surprising evolution as a result of beating Aegislash, it seemed like a tossup as to who would win. Asta and Shiki were left to sit on the sand and watch intently. Who'd be the victor in the end? After another tense moment…

"Tomi, Aqua Tail!" Tanjiro commanded.

"Garchon, Dragon Claw!" Leslie ordered. The Croconaw's tail had water swirling around it as he charged forward. Meanwhile, the Gabite had his claws glow in a green aura. His opponent swung his tail out, colliding it with his claws fiercely. They were deadlocked for a moment before blowing each other back in an instant, sliding across the ground to a stop.

"Gah!" the Cave Pokémon called out to his trainer.

"Yeah, good call!" she responded with a nod, "Use Sand Tomb!" he commanded, swinging her right arm out. Garchon made his eyes glow a bright orange before he pierced both of his claws into the ground. All of a sudden, sand started to swirl beneath Tomi's feet, pulling him in.

"Krah!" he yelped, gnashing his teeth as he struggled to break free.

"Stay calm, Tomi!" his trainer advised, "Use Aqua Tail!" he instructed. Regaining his focus, the Croconaw had swirl about his tail before he struck the sand pulling him in, allowing him to launch himself upwards out from it. However, Leslie cracked a grin.

"Dragon Rush!" she ordered while pumping her right fist out. A blue, dragon-shaped energy surrounded her Gabite's body before he launched himself upwards, zooming up and striking his foe fiercely.

"TOMI!" Tanjiro screamed, seeing the Big Jaw Pokémon fall towards the ground. Fortunately, he corrected his trajectory to land down and slide across the sand, coming to a stop just a few feet behind his trainer.

"Nawww…" he groaned out, taking a few heavy breaths.

"Wow…" Shiki uttered in amazement from afar, "Tanjiro's really taking this seriously, huh?" he noted curiously.

"Yeah," Asta agreed with a nod, "Until he can swing a sword again, he's doing everything he can in his power to be stronger…" he pointed out, "I think this is the best way for him!" he added assuredly.

"Garchon, Dig!" Leslie called out. Her Cave Pokémon dove into the ground, leaving a gaping hole behind.

"Krraawww…" Tomi growled out, searching around for a sign of his foe. Meanwhile, his trainer closed his eyes to concentrate.

'If I can differentiate the scents… I can find out just where he'll attack from…' he noted inwardly, 'So that means…' he started to realize, opening his eyes.

"Tomi, Hydro Pump on the ground!" he instructed. The Big Jaw Pokémon seemed surprised by the order, but adhered to it all the same as he leapt up and sprayed a powerful gush of water down onto the ground, splattering it apart. It turned out that his opponent had been right beneath him, as he was blown back by the force of the torrent that struck. "Now Ice Fang!" Tanjiro commanded. A cold mist wafted out of his Croconaw's mouth as he made his teeth glow a bright blue. He dove down and bit into his target's right arm, making ice build upon it.

"Gaahhhh…!" he groaned out, gritting his teeth in agony.

"Dragon Claw!" his trainer ordered. Garchon made the claw upon his left arm glow in a greenish light before he swiped at his opponent, knocking him back. Afterwards, he broke off the ice surrounding his arm.

"Amazing…" Tanjiro uttered out, starting to smile, "Pokémon battles really are intense!" he noted aloud. Leslie giggled.

"It's why my family loves them so much," she mentioned, putting her hands onto her hips, "Now let's see just what your Croconaw's really capable of!" she challenged to her foe.

"Yeah!" he responded in agreement, closing his hands into tightened fists, "Tomi, Superpower!" he ordered.

"Naww!" the Big Jaw Pokémon exclaimed, surrounding his body in an orange aura before he charged forward.

"Head on, huh?" the Ketchum girl noted as she grinned, "Garchon, use Dragon Rush!" she commanded. The Cave Pokémon had a blue, dragon-shaped aura shroud his body once more. He lunged forward, heading towards his incoming foe. They collided fiercely in a burst of dust, immediately blowing each other back. A bluish light flowed down the Croconaw's body afterwards as he grimaced a little.

"Hydro Pump!" Tanjiro yelled quickly. Puffing out his chest and arching his head back slightly, Tomi unleashed a powerful stream of water from his mouth that pierced through the dust cloud, heading straight for the Gabite.

"Dig!" Leslie shouted. In almost an instant, Garchon dove into the ground, narrowly evading the stream of water as it soared by.

"WHOA!" Asta and Shiki yelped in shock, while both of their Pokémon widened their eyes. Tanjiro was just as stunned, but regained his focus as he knew the battle wasn't over yet.

"Hydro Pump on the ground again!" he instructed.

"Kraw!" Tomi responded, about to fire off another stream of water as his cheeks puffed out.

"Dragon Rush!" Leslie commanded as she pumped her right fist forward. In that moment, the Cave Pokémon burst out from the sand, cloaked in a blue, dragon-shaped aura. He slammed into his foe headfirst, zooming off of the ground with him before they crashed several feet away from the others.

"Tomi!" Tanjiro cried out, quickly running over as his Omni Force Future comrades followed. The dust slowly settled, revealing that Garchon was still standing. His opponent however, was lying upon his back in a daze. Swirls were in his eyes.

"Naawwww…" he groaned out.

"Guess that's that…" Asta realized, blinking in astonishment.

"That was amazing!" Shiki complimented as his eyes sparkled.

"Yeah…" Tanjiro agreed, helping lift Tomi back onto his feet, "You really are the strongest one here, Leslie," he pointed out to her. She let off a small grin.

"It's not just me who's strong," she noted, causing the three men to blink in surprise as they looked over to see her turn to Garchon, petting him gently on the head, "It's my team," she said. Her comrades all grinned in agreement. Asta shared a nod with Aegislash, Shiki and Bronzor chuckled, and Tanjiro and Tomi both smiled.

"Gah, gah byy!" the Cave Pokémon suddenly exclaimed, catching his trainer's attention.

"What's wrong, Garchon?" she inquired curiously, raising an eyebrow. All of a sudden, he began to glow in a bright blue light. "WHOA!" she yelped in surprise, laughing excitedly afterwards.

"Wait… he's evolving, too?!" Asta guessed, completely astonished.

"I guess that last battle was the push he needed, too…" Tanjiro realized. The Gabite's body grew, with his arms, legs, and tail all lengthening out. Once the light faded around him like shattering glass, it revealed that he had evolved into a Garchomp!

"GARRRR!" he roared proudly.

"Alright!" Leslie exclaimed, pumping her fist up into the air, "I was wondering when we'd finally see you get as big as the others!" she noted happily.

"Gah!" the Land Shark Pokémon responded, leaning down and nuzzling his head against hers affectionately as she giggled. The others looked on with happy expressions. The training had not only paid off for them in some way, but for the Ketchum girl and her Pokémon as well.

X

"I'm not going to ask again…" Calvin growled out as he glared forward with electricity crackling around his body, "Why the hell are you guys laughing at my sister?" he questioned angrily. There was a chill in the air. Many of the Team Skull grunts were immediately intimidated by the Ketchum boy's sudden presence. As for their boss… he cracked a grin.

"Sister, huh?" he inquired back, turning to face the capped boy, "So that means you must be the big winner of that Aether Tournament…" he realized, shoving his hands into his pockets. Calvin glared at him.

"Calvin…" Erika whimpered out of shock.

"I just showed your little sis here what happens when you enter the real world," Guzma pointed out, gesturing towards the defeated trial-goer, "Nothing personal, mind you…" he mentioned, "Just a little show of destruction by yours—!" A bolt of lightning would've struck him had his Golisopod not rushed out to block it with his armored arms. The Ketchum boy had his right fist extended, letting it crackle with electricity as he glared at the Team Skull boss. Everyone was astonished.

'That kid…' Plumeria uttered inwardly with widened eyes. He took a few steps forward.

"If you're going to laugh at my sister like that…" he began to say, "then I'll have to destroy you!" he vowed fiercely. For once, Guzma could actually feel the rage coming off of him. It was something dreadful… but also exciting. He grinned.

"Destroy me?" he repeated in question, "Sounds like fun…" he inferred, crossing his arms over his chest, "All right…" he started to say, "bring it on!" he challenged.

"Goh!" Golisopod exclaimed. The Team Skull grunts all started cheering for their boss, seeing that he wasn't the least bit intimidated. But neither was Calvin. He took out a Poké Ball from his belt, enlarging it with a press of its center button.

"Incineroar, I choose you!" he yelled as he threw it forward. It popped open, and its light spilled out onto the ground before coming form to reveal the Heel Pokémon.

"Rawrr!" she roared out. She blinked in surprise as she noticed Primarina lying upon the ground, whimpering in pain as Acerola and Erika were tending to her. And the sole perpetrator stood right before her in the form of Golisopod. "Rrrrr…" she growled through clenched teeth.

"Heh!" Guzma laughed, "Let's see just how good you really are, champ!" he remarked in challenge to Calvin, who scoffed angrily. Meanwhile, Kukui looked on with a concerned expression.

'Calvin's going to have a tough time, especially since Incineroar's at a disadvantage against Golisopod…' he noted inwardly, 'More importantly…' he continued through his thoughts, seeing the anger building in the Ketchum boy's eyes, 'I hope he doesn't let that anger get the better of him…' he said to himself.

"Incineroar, Darkest Lariat!" the capped boy commanded.

"Se, rawr!" the Heel Pokémon responded, igniting her hands with dark reddish flames.

"First Impression," Guzma instructed simply. A yellowish-green aura shrouded Golisopod as he dashed forward in an instant. Incineroar was caught completely off guard as her foe struck her fiercely with his right arm, making her slide back. Once she stopped though, she gritted her teeth and span forward, slamming herself hard into her opponent over and over. The Team Skull boss was astonished as his eyes widened.

"No way!" one of the grunts exclaimed in disbelief as he blinked rapidly.

"Nobody just takes a First Impression like that!" another yelled, evidently stunned. Plumeria narrowed her eyes while folding her arms underneath her chest. It was clear that the Ketchum boy was no longer the same one she fought at the tournament. He was stronger.

"Flamethrower!" he ordered, pumping his left fist forward. From her flame belt, Incineroar unleashed a powerful blast of flames towards Golisopod.

"Block it!" Guzma yelled.

"Pah!" the Hard Scale Pokémon responded, bringing his armored arms together in front of his face to take the incoming fire. However, he found himself sliding back slightly as he winced from the heat. His trainer noticed, widening his eyes.

'Golisopod's never gotten the upper hand taken away like this…' he noted to himself, gritting his teeth as he glared at Calvin, 'What the heck is with this brat?!' he wondered inwardly.

"Now Fire Fang!" the Ketchum boy commanded. With her teeth glowing a bright red as her mouth billowed with flames, Incineroar charged forward on all-fours.

"Use Razor Shell!" Guzma ordered. The claws upon Golisopod's hands glowed yellow before they formed bright blue blades of light over them. He swung them out at his incoming foe, colliding the second she bit down. An explosion occurred at that moment, blowing them both back.

"Goh…" the Hard Scale Pokémon growled out in frustration.

"Don't start getting cold feet now, Golisopod," his trainer advised seriously, "This guy's actually no joke…" he realized, narrowing his eyes, "Swords Dance!" he called out.

"Goh paaahhh!" the Hard Scale Pokémon exclaimed, having several blue swords of light appear and orbit around his body. As the smoke settled, Calvin and Incineroar saw the swords point towards Golisopod before fading away. A reddish aura flowed up his body, signifying his increase in attack power.

"Incineroar, Flamethrower!" the capped boy shouted as an order. Another stream of flames spewed out from the Heel Pokémon's flame belt, heading towards her target.

"Break through it with Razor Shell!" Guzma yelled. Forming blue blades of light from the claws at his hands once again, the Hard Scale Pokémon slashed through the incoming flames once again before charging forward to his foe.

"Dodge it!" Calvin cried out quickly. Incineroar immediately jumped away to avoid getting struck by the blades of light, gritting her teeth together. She then crossed her arms over her head, making her hands glow a bright orange before he dove down and swiped at her opponent with them, blowing him back a few yards as he grunted in surprise.

"Whoa!" Erika yelped from afar, "What was that?" she inquired aloud.

"That wazzz Crozzz Chop!" Rotom buzzed in response after taking a moment to analyze the Heel Pokémon from afar. She landed down, cracking a wicked grin.

"Se, rowr!" she called out to her trainer, who nodded.

"We'll keep the pressure going!" he declared firmly, "Use Fire Fang!" he commanded. Flames billowed within Incineroar's mouth as her teeth glowed a bright red.

"Tsk…!" Guzma scoffed with frustration. This battle was becoming more irritating than his previous one against Erika. "Poison Jab!" he commanded. Golisopod had the claws at his hands glow a bright purple as he charged towards his opponent, who was coming at him. They intercepted each other, with the Heel Pokémon catching her foe's hands in her own before he could strike, followed by biting down on him fiercely.

"PAAAAAHHHH!" he screeched in agony. However, he was quick to make the claws upon his other four appendages glow a bright purple as well. He jabbed at Incineroar multiple times with them, making her grimace as she was doing her best to endure them.

"Hang in there, Incineroar!" Calvin called out, "Push him back with Darkest Lariat!" he instructed.

"Rawwrr!" the Heel Pokémon responded, igniting her hands in dark reddish flames. The second she let go of her opponent's hands, she spun around and struck his underside over and over, sending him tumbling back towards his trainer.

"Wha…?!" Guzma gasped, while those in Team Skull widened their eyes. Afterwards though, Incineroar stopped spinning as she fell onto her right knee, breathing heavily. A purple glow emitted from her body as she winced, with sparks and bubbles coming off of her body.

"She just got poisoned…!" Erika realized with a very worried expression on her face.

"Arrr…" Primarina whimpered out, opening her eyes slightly to see the battle going on before her.

"Goh… pahh…" Golisopod grunted as he slowly managed to get onto his feet, glaring out at his foe. His trainer inhaled a sharp, angered breath.

"Golisopod…" he began to his partner, getting his attention, "don't you dare lose…" he warned with a fierce look in his eyes.

"Golee…" the Hard Scale Pokémon responded determinedly.

"Incineroar, are you okay?" Calvin inquired as he saw the Heel Pokémon get back onto her feet despite still grimacing in pain. Being poisoned obviously wasn't good for her… but she still wanted to fight. "Okay then…" her trainer said in understanding as he nodded, "Flamethrower!" he ordered.

"Se… RAAWWWWWRRRR!" his partner exclaimed as she unleashed a powerful stream of flames from her flame belt, heading towards Golisopod.

"Block it and use Razor Shell!" Guzma instructed immediately. The Hard Scale Pokémon only threw up his right hand, using its armoring to block off the fire. In the meantime, he made the claws at his left hand glow yellow before having blue blades of light extend out from them. He slashed at the flames to make them flicker out, charging towards his foe.

"Darkest Lariat!" Calvin commanded, swinging his right arm. After enduring another surge of pain from her poisoned condition, Incineroar made her hands ignite with dark reddish flames once more. She spun forward and collided fiercely with her opponent. Sparks flew between them as they desperately tried to push each other back. All of a sudden, they were both blown away, landing in front of their trainers. Both of them breathed heavily as they glared at each other. And then… Golisopod suddenly returned himself to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light!

"Huh?!" both Calvin and Erika gasped in surprise. Many in the crowd were surprised as well, though Plumeria wasn't one of them. What followed was another light spewing out from Guzma's pants onto the ground, dissipating to reveal an Ariados.

"What… was that?" one man in the crowd asked.

"Did Golisopod return himself? How?" another questioned, very confused.

"Big Sis, do you know what that was about?" one Team Skull grunt inquired in a whisper to the admin.

"Shut up," she whispered back, narrowing her eyes onto her boss. He didn't seem pleased at all with what just happened. He seemed pissed. But he sighed, letting off a chuckle.

"Looks like Golisopod thinks you're too weak for him," he remarked to Calvin, causing him to blink in surprise, "Don't take it personally though…" he advised, "He's just that strong thanks to me," he pointed out boastfully. A growl left the Ketchum boy's lips.

"Rotodex, do you know what happened?" Erika asked of the Pokédex, getting its attention.

"Yeah," it responded with a nod, "Golisopod'zzz ability, Emergency Exit, must've activated, zzt," it told her.

"Emergency Exit?" the Ketchum girl repeated, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"Oh, I've heard of that!" Acerola chimed in, "Apparently, it's an ability only a Golisopod would have…" she mentioned, "Whenever he's in a pinch in the midst of a battle, he'll retreat back to his Poké Ball, assuming the trainer still has another Pokémon to use…" she explained thoroughly.

"So in other words, Incineroar basically made him run…" Erika noted, thinking back to her battle against the Hard Scale Pokémon as she looked back at Primarina, "And we didn't…" she realized sadly, balling her hands into fists over her knees as she trembled.

"I thought this was supposed to be a one-on-one match…" Kukui remarked over to Guzma, getting his attention as he scoffed.

"And where's the fun in something as boring as that?" he questioned with a shrug, "Besides, I'm sure the champ can handle a two-on-two…" he mentioned as he looked over to Calvin, who glared at him.

"After we beat your Ariados, we'll finish Golisopod!" he vowed firmly.

"Oh, really?" the Team Skull boss inquired curiously, tilting his head to the side, "Well, we'll see about that…" he promised in a disdainful tone, "Ariados, Shadow Sneak!" he commanded.

"Areee!" the Long Leg Pokémon exclaimed, having his shadow blacken and extend out past Incineroar. It then rose up and swiped at her several times, knocking her down onto her left knee before disappearing. The purple glow around her body reappeared as she grimaced, with bubbles and sparks coming off of her.

"Incineroar!" Calvin cried out.

"Now finish her off with Fell Stinger!" Guzma ordered. Making his mandibles and horn glow a yellowish-green, Ariados crawled forward quickly.

"Stop him with Cross Chop!" the Ketchum boy instructed desperately. The Heel Pokémon made her hands glow a bright orange as she crossed them into an x shape in front of her face. Unfortunately, she was too late to swing them as her opponent rammed into her, with his glowing horn and mandibles piercing into her skin.

"RRRAAAAAHHHH…!" she gasped out. As the Long Leg Pokémon leapt back, his foe fell onto her stomach, groaning in pain.

"Incineroar, no!" Calvin screamed, while some of those in the crowd gasped in shock.

"Ha!" Guzma laughed, "Some tough one she was…" he muttered, putting his hands onto his hips, "Not even a minute, and she's already beat!" he pointed out, cackling again.

"YEAH, GUZMA!" those in Team Skull cheered excitedly. However, Plumeria wasn't cheering. She wasn't even smiling.

"No way…" Erika uttered out in disbelief. First it was her Primarina… and now it was her brother's Incineroar. Both of them had been bested by the boss of Team Skull.

X

"Areeeaahhh…" Ariados hissed excitedly as a reddish aura flowed up his body, which the Ketchum girl noticed as she blinked in surprise.

"Rotodex, what's going on with him?" she inquired to her Pokédex as it glanced over.

"When a Pokémon usezzz Fell ZZZtinger to defeat an opponent, their attack getzzz boosted, zzt!" it explained emphatically in response.

"That's not good for your brother…" Acerola noted grimly. In the meantime, the capped boy returned the defeated Incineroar to her Poké Ball in a beam of red light.

"Thanks for all your hard work, Incineroar," he said in gratitude, "Take a nice long rest," he advised, putting the spherical container back onto his belt after shrinking it by pressing its center button. What followed was him grabbing another and enlarging it. And with that, he grasped the brim of his cap, turning it around. "You're not going to win…" he stated firmly as a fierce look was in his eyes.

"Heh," Guzma chuckled, stuffing his hands into his pockets, "Then go ahead and show me the Pokémon that's gonna beat me!" he insisted with a wicked grin. Calvin reeled his arm back before flinging the Poké Ball forward. It popped open, with its light spilling into the air and dissipating to reveal his Trumbeak.

"Truhhh!" he squawked out, flapping his wings to remain airborne.

"Trumbeak?" Erika said in surprise as she blinked.

"Ha!" the Team Skull boss laughed, "That wimpy guy's not gonna do a thing!" he proclaimed confidently, "Ariados, let's destroy 'em!" he yelled.

"Aree!" the Long Leg Pokémon exclaimed in response. Meanwhile, Trumbeak looked back to his trainer. He merely nodded.

"Beek!" he chirped in response, gliding forward.

"Supersonic!" Calvin called out. The tip of the Bugle Beak Pokémon's beak glowed a bright white before it bent slightly.

"BEEEEEKKK!" he screeched, unleashing sound waves that crashed into Ariados as he winced, followed by stumbling about crazily.

"Ah!" Guzma gasped in shock.

"Nice one!" Acerola cheered from afar.

"Now Pluck!" Calvin ordered, sticking his right hand out. Trumbeak glided down, having his beak glow a bright blue and extend. He approached his opponent and pecked at him multiple times, blowing him back.

"Reeee…" he hissed out, shaking his head to regain his composure as he glared at his foe.

'The confusion wore off already?!' the Ketchum boy exclaimed inwardly.

"Now for some payback!" Guzma declared with a wicked grin, "Infestation!" he commanded.

"Aree!" Ariados exclaimed, making his eyes glow a yellowish-green. All of a sudden, several bug-like entities of the same color started appearing around Trumbeak, making him wince as he landed down upon the ground.

"Trumbeak!" his trainer cried out.

"T-Truhhh…" he squawked, glaring at his foe.

"Déjà vu, huh?" the Team Skull boss guessed as he snickered, "Fell Stinger," he instructed simply. Ariados made his horn and mandibles glow yellowish-green again before charging forward and striking the Bugle Beak Pokémon with them.

"Trumbeak, no!" Calvin screamed.

"Bug-type movezzz might not be effective…" Rotom noted from afar, "but that Infestation'zzz gonna be a problem for Trumbeak regardlezzz, zzt…" it pointed out.

"Come on, Calvin…" Erika pleaded, hoping her brother would find a way to prevail.

"Fell Stinger!" Guzma commanded.

"Counter with Fury Attack!" the Ketchum boy yelled. As Ariados closed in again with his horns and mandibles glowing yellowish-green, his opponent had his beak shine a bright white. They clashed for quite a while, not letting up for a single moment. The bug-shaped entities still upon Trumbeak continued crawling about, making him wince even more. "Use Pluck!" his trainer ordered, causing him to perk up. His beak started glowing a bright blue again as it lengthened and sharpened.

"Sucker Punch!" the Team Skull boss shouted suddenly. Just as Trumbeak was about to land a decisive blow, Ariados landed a powerful swipe with his front right leg, which was cloaked in a dark red aura. Though he was caught off guard, the Bugle Beak Pokémon regained himself, pecking rapidly at his foe's head, much to everyone's surprise.

"Truuhhh… BEEK!" he screeched, landing one last strong blow to send the Long Leg Pokémon sliding back to his trainer's feet. After a few moments of trembling with pain, he finally fell onto the ground with swirls in his eyes. Guzma was astonished.

"Ariados is unable to battle! Trumbeak wins!" Kukui announced as he raised his right hand up. Those in the crowd not affiliated with Team Skull cheered at the result. Meanwhile, the grunts themselves were shocked. Plumeria especially. One of their leader's Pokémon… had fallen?

"Grrr…" he growled out, grabbing an Ultra Ball off of his belt to return the Long Leg Pokémon to it in a beam of red light.

"Nice job, Trumbeak!" Calvin complimented, balling his right hand into a fist, "Let's keep this up and win!" he insisted firmly.

"Truhh!" the Bugle Beak Pokémon responded. All of a sudden, he started glowing in a bright blue light, making everyone widen their eyes. His wings and tail expanded, while his beak curved and grew, along with the rest of his body. His trainer watched on in amazement as a smile formed upon his face. The light shattered apart to reveal… that he had evolved into a Toucannon!

"KAAAAHHHH!" he squawked loudly.

"He evolved…!" Erika gasped out, blinking rapidly. Meanwhile, Rotom pulled up an image of the Cannon Pokémon upon its screen.

"Toucannon, the Cannon Pokémon, and the final evolved form of Pikipek," it began, "When he battles, his beak heats up. The temperature can easily exceed two hundred-and-twelve degrees Fahrenheit, causing severe burns when it hits. Toucannon smack beaks with others of their kind to communicate. The strength and number of hits tell each other how they feel," it explained thoroughly.

"Too, kah!" the newly-evolved Pokémon squawked, narrowing his eyes onto Guzma. His eyes twitched with anger.

"You…!" he growled out, "You think you're so much better now that you grew a bit?!" he wondered loudly with venom in his tone, "Well, you've got another thing coming!" he proclaimed, pulling out another Ultra Ball from his belt, "Golisopod!" he called, throwing the container forward after enlarging it by pressing its center button. As it popped open, its light spilled onto the ground and took shape, dissipating to reveal the Hard Scale Pokémon.

"GOH!" he bellowed out.

"Get ready, Toucannon…" Calvin advised, having overheard Rotom's explanation about who he was now.

"Kah," the Cannon Pokémon responded with a nod. All of a sudden, his beak started to heat up, glowing a bright orange, save for the black part at the tip. His trainer was very confused.

"We're gonna settle this in one last hit!" Guzma declared fiercely, "First Impression!" he roared in commanded. A yellowish-green aura shrouded Golisopod before he dashed forward in an instant. Toucannon didn't move. He let himself be struck by the powerful swipe of the Hard Scale Pokémon, sliding back along the ground and stopped just inches in front of his trainer.

"Toucannon…" he uttered out, "what are you—?" He stopped his question upon noticing the building glow upon his partner's beak. In the meantime…

"GOHHHHH!" Golisopod screeched as he was suddenly engulfed in a plume of fire for a moment.

"What?!" the Team Skull boss exclaimed in disbelief, while his colleagues were just as shocked.

"That's… Beak Blast, isn't it?!" Erika guessed, remembering how she first encountered the move when battling Kahili's Toucannon.

"Yeah!" Rotom buzzed as a reply, "Calvin, tell your Toucannon to use Beak Blast!" it called out to the capped boy, getting his attention. He looked to the Cannon Pokémon, who nodded in approval.

"Okay then…" he uttered out, "Use Beak Blast!" he ordered, pumping his right fist forward.

"Toooo…" Toucannon started to bellow, rearing his head back for a moment, "KAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" he screeched, unleashing a powerful, orange beam of light from his beak the second he opened it. Golisopod didn't even have a moment to react as he was struck by it in a fierce explosion. Everyone looked on with astonished expressions, wondering what had happened.

"Gohhh…" the Hard Scale Pokémon's voice growled out, getting their attentions as they heard him stomp forward. His opponent narrowed his eyes, while Calvin grimaced. However, once the smoke cleared to reveal the still-standing Golisopod… he fell over onto his stomach. The thud his body made with the ground was deafening to Guzma. He never thought he'd hear it from his strongest Pokémon. But with that, Kukui raised his arm up.

"Golisopod is unable to battle!" he announced, "Toucannon wins!" he mentioned while gesturing towards the Cannon Pokémon, "And therefore…" he continued as he smiled, "the victory goes to Calvin!" he declared. Those in the crowd not affiliated with Team Skull all clapped and cheered. From afar, Acerola did the same. Erika just looked on with shaking eyes. Further away, Lillie sighed with relief.

"Too kah…" Toucannon exhaled, exhausted from such a grueling ordeal.

"Way to go, Toucannon!" his trainer complimented, spinning his cap back around before crouching down to hug the Cannon Pokémon, "You were awesome!" he added happily.

"Kaah!" his partner squawked back with joy. Meanwhile, Guzma returned Golisopod to his Ultra Ball in a beam of red light. He wasn't sure what to make of this situation. He actually… lost. And not just to anyone… But to a kid on the island challenge. He gritted his teeth and balled his fists tightly.

"GUZMAAAAAA!" he suddenly bellowed to everyone's surprise as they flinched, "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" he asked loudly to himself, rubbing his fingers through his hair, "You and your team were supposed to destroy everything…" he muttered out, putting his hands down before glaring towards Calvin, who stood up, "It was Calvin, right?" he guessed, "I'll remember you…" he promised, "as someone I'd be happy to beat down into the ground next time!" he vowed fiercely.

"You can try," the Ketchum boy retorted with his own glare, "Just don't you dare laugh at my sister again…" he warned, balling his right hand into a fist as it crackled with electricity.

"Tsk!" Guzma scoffed in response, walking off past him and everyone else to exit the Malie Garden.

"Uh, b-boss?" one of his cohorts stuttered in confusion.

"Hey, wait for us!" another called out. Before long, the Team Skull grunts poured out of the garden, with Plumeria being the last one to leave. She looked back towards Calvin, seeing him walk over to his twin sister.

"Hm," she huffed, putting her hands into her pockets before departing the area.

"Are you guys okay?" the Ketchum boy asked, approaching Erika and Acerola as they finished tending to Primarina.

"Yeah, for the most part…" the trial captain replied, "All this one needs is some TLC at the Pokémon Center!" she mentioned as she looked over to the Soloist Pokémon. Calvin saw that his twin sister's expression was veiled by the brim of her cap.

"Erika…" he uttered, "are you okay?" he asked her. She returned Primarina to her Poké Ball in a beam of red light before standing up and turning to face her brother. Tears dripped out from her eyes as she ran forward and embraced him tightly, trembling into his shoulder.

"Thank you…" she sobbed out, continuing to cry. Realizing how scared she must've been, Calvin hugged her gently. Today had been full of surprises. And now was a good time to rest and reflect…

ENDING

Insert "Fushigina Fushigina Ikimono" by Tortoise Matsumoto

Opens in a hospital, with the newborn Calvin and Erika lying in separate cribs as they snooze soundly. Watching from outside the window to the nursery is Leslie, who's excited about having both a little brother and sister. Her father comes up behind her and puts his right hand onto her shoulder, giving her a warm smile.

We cut to the Ketchum family returning home. Leslie spends a lot of time with the infant twins, helping her parents feed, bathe, and put them to sleep. As the years go by, we see that she struggles to keep up with trying to take care of the rambunctious twins. At one point, Erika actually refuses her baby bottle and tries getting her milk from her sister's breast, much to her shock and embarrassment.

We cut to when the family started vacationing in Alola, with Leslie having drifted somewhat apart from her twin siblings. It saddens her that most of the good memories she had with them are now fleeting. We see her put on her new dress as she goes to the Iki Town festival, where she witnesses Calvin and Erika attempt to battle for the first time. Though they both lose, she's happy that they tried.

From Ash and Mirajane's point of view, they've had a wonderful life with their three children. Ash and Pikachu had helped teach Calvin how to walk, while Mirajane showed Erika how to garden as they water plants together. There's another scene of the twins getting to see their sister in a tournament as her Krookodile goes up against Benga's Garchomp, countering a Dragon Claw with his own.

We cut to the present day, where Leslie contently watches the highlights of the Aether Tournament. As she sees the final match between her twin siblings, she doesn't even realize that she's crying happily for getting the chance to witness it at all. Her parents take notice of her emotional state and venture over to give her a comforting hug.

As the ending slowly winds down, we cut to the twins camping together on Ula'ula. They both glance up at the stars and smile. They're grateful to be on a journey that they never thought they would enjoy in the first place.

END ENDING

Wow, what a chapter. There are a few things I didn't get to in my outline, but they can be saved for another time. So for now, here's a summary of the next chapter!

SUMMARY

After their encounter with Guzma, Calvin and Erika decide to travel together with Paige and Trent to Tapu Village! How will they interact knowing what's already happened?!

And in the meantime, a certain problem is occurring at the Blush Mountain Power Plant! Who's responsible?! And can our heroes put a stop to it?!

END SUMMARY

The next chapter happens to be one inspired by ImmaSupa Stargirl! Once we get to it, be sure to thank her! I'll see you all later!