Who I Am - Lightning99
Chapter 43:
Olivia's Grand Trial
Ash was awake before even the sleepy sun had started awakening over the horizon the next morning. He couldn't help it. After he awoke there was no going back to sleep, so he engaged in a morning-long warm-up, something simple, enough to stretch and get his and his Pokémon's hearts going.
But waking so early was a Double Edge: while perfect for his preparations, it was an incentive for the day to play trickster, to slow down time because his trial was in the afternoon and waiting for something you were eager for was always a drag. For most of the day, Ash mulled about, reiterated his plan, chatted with his friends, ate more lunch than he needed, and he even visited the ex-Rocket Trio. Unfortunately, they were out on a job. He even thought of trying to find Mallow and Lana, who had been away all week but decided against it. He would give Mallow all the time she needed.
Finally, the hour before he was to meet Olivia arrived. He set off with his friends in tow.
They met Olivia outside Tapu Lele's shrine, her arms folded and a bright smile on her lips. After a chipper greeting that told Ash she was as eager as he was, she led them through the cave, an expansive room lined with spotless grey walls and a path bordered by the healthiest flora Ash had seen yet, and into a room at the end. He and his friends glanced around in awe every step of the way, and Kiawe delved into some emotional state, claiming how it brought back memories of his Grand Trial. Lillie even allowed Nebby to poke its head through the bag. That was one of her reasons for coming to Akala, after all.
Tapu Lele's shrine rested in the room. It was an assortment of lanterns, large leafy fans, and some more decorations Ash couldn't name placed on a raised platform with a set of wooden steps on either side.
Olivia asked them to wait at the doorway and made her way to the top of the shrine. She knelt, said a prayer to Tapu Lele, and then returned to them. As she led them back into the corridor and through another opening into a glade filled only with a black-stoned battlefield, surrounded by high flora and hills, she explained how a prayer to the Deity before a Grand Trial was custom. Ash wondered if Hala had done the same before they had battled.
Finally, Ash's friends moved to the sidelines and he and Olivia took their places on the battlefield.
"Here we are, Ash," Olivia said. "Are you ready?"
"Yeah," Ash said with as much enthusiasm as he could. With a glance at his friends, at Brock, he jerked his head towards the battlefield.
"I'll referee!" Brock shouted, jumping to immediate attention when he realised what Ash meant. He jogged to the side of the battlefield, and his gaze, one that had been focused on Olivia in some Attract-level infatuation the entire trip there, hardened to his most serious look. "I hope that is alright, Olivia?"
"Of course. I'm sure you will be as fair as possible."
"Naturally," Brock said. "Ok. Both of you, please send out your Pokémon."
They did just that. Stufful hadn't learned Brick Break, so Ash stuck to his plan and let out Bagon and Rockruff. Olivia let out a Lycanroc – one that looked significantly different to Gladion's – and a Probopass. Ash allowed himself to relax a little bit upon seeing Probopass; he knew its strengths and weaknesses from experience. Usually, Probopass was oriented toward defence. Because of that, and because Olivia had chosen the double-battle format herself, he guessed her Lycanroc was going to be the attacker. It seemed she had a solid plan going.
But Ash did too.
"You got this, Ash!" Hau's voice yelled out, and Ash glanced at him with a smile. As he did, he felt himself pause. Mallow and Lana were slowly making their way towards the group. His smile returned, softer now, and he looked back at Olivia without a worry to hinder him. As he did, he swore he saw something blonde and something red lurking in the trees.
"Are both parties ready?" Brock asked.
"Yeah," Ash said.
"Of course," Olivia said.
"Then, let the battle begin!"
"Bagon, Focus Energy! Rockruff, Sand Attack!" Ash yelled.
"Probopass use Thunder Wave, Lycanroc, Double Team!" Olivia shouted.
A moment passed as they set up, a moment in which it seemed they were waiting, gauging each other's strategies, and then the battle sped up.
The circular pulse of electricity from the Thunder Wave was what Ash was most worried about; after Rockruff's Sand Attack struck Lycanroc, Ash called for him to use it again, this time around himself and Bagon. The Thunder Wave struck the sandy veil and fizzled into nothingness. Ash gave Clemont a quick sideways glance: his first battle against Bunnelby had prompted that idea.
"Accelrock, Stealth Rock!" Olivia called, and the lack of direct instruction momentarily threw Ash. Lycanroc disappeared in a flash of white and Probopass spawned a series of small stones, scattering them across the battlefield and the air.
"Bagon, Headbutt! Rockruff, Thunder Fang on Lycanroc!"
The dull thunk of Headbutt combatting Accelrock as Lycanroc reappeared rang across the area, followed quickly by a brief howl as Rockruff clamped its jaw down on Lycanroc's hind left leg. Bagon, whose Headbutt did not overpower Accelrock probably due to the type resistance, spun through the air.
"Dragon Breath!" Ash called, and Bagon spun purposefully, opened its fanged jaw, and unleashed the beam coated in a purple and royal blue mist. The attack struck its mark, and with Thunder Fang also in effect, Ash hoped that paralysis would claim Lycanroc. But when Probopass' three detachable parts rushed in out of nowhere, knocking Rockruff away with a powerful Magnet Bomb, Ash realised the status did not stick.
"Rockruff, Rock Throw in a wide range! Bagon, use Leer repeatedly!"
Ash intended Rockruff's attack to be a distraction, a way to ensure that Bagon could get off his Leers because if he could, Probopass's steel-like defence would be rendered normal.
"Lycanroc, Rock Throw too! Probopass, Power Gem!"
Rockruff's Rock Throw was dust in the wind compared to the might of his adversaries' moves. They smashed through Rockruff's pebbles, scoring a few big hits in the process. Fortunately, Bagon's consecutive Leers affected his opponents.
As Rockruff skidded along the ground and Olivia's Pokémon were in that in-between state of ending a move and being ready for the next command, Ash called for Bagon to use Dragon Breath. This time, the misty beam struck both parties. In their brief stagnation, Ash turned to Rockruff.
"Rock Tomb around them both! Bagon, run in and jump up off the rocks!" Ash called out. It was like a performance: with a swish of his paws and tail, Rockruff spun in a circle, his collar of rocks glowing, and he spawned the large boulders that they had been practising all week, stabbing them into the ground around Lycanroc and Probopass. It was still not complete – the rocks were cracked in places – but it was sufficient. Bagon charged in like a stampeding Tauros, head low, teeth bared. He scaled the boulders and leapt up high. "Dragon Breath! Rockruff, run in too."
Olivia tried to call for them to escape, but they were trapped. The royal blue mist engulfed the hole, spreading upwards like smoke for a moment before dispersing, revealing Rockruff behind it.
"Rock Tomb!" Once again, mid-air this time, Rockruff spawned the grey boulders and unleashed them in an arrow shape into the centre of the trap.
"Lycanroc use Accelrock to leap off the rocks to get out!" Olivia cried. Lycanroc moved fast, bounding from the walls and the falling rock to jump out. He clattered into Rockruff with Accelrock on the way.
Ash winced on Rockruff's behalf. In the aftermath of the short period of intense strategy, Rockruff and Lycanroc landed, Bagon was stood ready, and Probopass climbed out of the trap, marred with scrapes. And Ash spotted little threads of electricity sparking off Lycanroc's fur. Dragon Breath had paralysed it.
"Bagon, Headbutt!"
"Lycanroc, Accelrock!"
This time, their collision equalled each other out because Lycanroc faltered at the last moment from the paralysis. Ash grinned; he had the upper hand.
As both trainers told their Pokémon to rush in, Brock chuckled on the sidelines.
"Brock?" Kiawe asked, though his eyes did not leave the battle.
"Is something funny?" Lana asked over the yells of 'Thunder Fang!' and 'Magnet Bomb!'.
"No, not funny. I'm just impressed."
"What do you mean?" Kiawe asked.
"This might be the most strategically I have seen Ash battle yet. Status conditions, stat lowering moves… In the past, it used to be all about attacking for him. His growth is amazing."
"I agree. At times it may not seem like a lot is happening," Kiawe said as Bagon used two consecutive Leers and Lycanroc pulled off another quick Double Team, allowing him to dodge Rockruff's Rock Throw, "but it is tipping the scales of the battle."
"Status conditions are more effective than they seem, huh?" Lana asked.
"They can be, yes," Clemont said. "It is all about how you use them."
"And both of these trainers know exactly what they're doing," Brock said.
Back on the battlefield, Ash watched as Rockruff slid to the side, dodging the third strike of Magnet Bomb from Probopass. Unfortunately, he stepped on a Stealth Rock and flinched.
"Grab one of the parts with Thunder Fang!" Ash called. Rockruff latched on. It did not stop the part from returning to Probopass' body, but that was what Ash wanted. "Keep Thunder Fang going! Bagon, Ember on Probopass!"
Probopass' body parts reconnected, allowing the Thunder Fang to course all over its body – the Leers from before only worsened the damage. The electric charge kept him momentarily rooted to the place, allowing Ember to hit.
When Rockruff detached himself, the electricity lingered on Probopass, indicating his paralysis too. Keeping up the momentum, he had Rockruff lay on a barrage of Rock Tombs, a few of which Probopass shattered with Magnet Bomb, but most hit, leaving both parties panting.
Unfortunately, Lycanroc retaliated after Bagon used Ember. Olivia commanded a triple threat of Accelrocks; the Rock-type moved so fast that all three strikes hit before Bagon could even move. Lycanroc finished its attack in mid-air, transitioning into a perfectly timed Rock Slide. Bagon had not a moment to shake off the damage of Accelrock before the move plummeted onto his head, slamming him into the ground.
"Rockruff, retreat to Bagon's side!" Ash called. Rockruff slid back to Bagon while Lycanroc re-joined Probopass in front of Olivia.
A few moments passed as the two teams stared at one another in a calculating manner, and in that time, Ash assessed his opponents. Probopass was looking the weariest of the pair which was a good sign since his defences were so high. Since that was the case, it was only natural that he should attack Probopass. But Olivia would anticipate that, so he opted for a different strategy, one that was all about anticipating Olivia.
"Rockruff, use Thunder Fang on Probopass!" he called out.
"Lycanroc, intercept it with Accelrock!"
The two Pokémon darted at each other. Because of the speed difference between the moves, Lycanroc gained ground faster. He entered Ash's team's territory before Rockruff could even reach the halfway point. That was just what he needed. "Bagon, fire a Dragon Breath behind Rockruff! Rockruff, duck and roll to the right!"
"Probopass, Magnet Bomb!" Olivia tried, but Ash's plan worked flawlessly. Because of the distance between them, the Magnet Bomb was not fast enough: Rockruff dodged Accelrock and because of its momentum, Olivia's Lycanroc dashed straight into Bagon's attack.
"Rockruff, Thunder Fang!" Ash called. Rockruff' skidded, his jaw sparked, and he jumped in, clamping it onto Lycanroc's leg, adding to the damage already collated by the Dragon Breath. From the look of how Lycanroc collapsed momentarily, the Dragon Breath was a critical hit. The Focus Energy from earlier paid off.
Lycanroc finally flung Rockruff loose and jumped away. Rockruff winced as he stood on some of the Stealth Rock when he rose to his feet. Because of that, one of the three Magnet Bomb blasts he was planning to dodge struck him, catching Bagon too in the crossfire. The time he took to stand told Ash Rockruff was growing tired.
"Good work, Probopass! Lycanroc, capitalise on it! It's time for our Z-Move!" Olivia shouted, and she reached to her Z-Crystal. As usual, the energy poured from the crystal and Olivia began her movements. She gave a little hop and stood tall, flexing her biceps, then fell to a sideways lunge with her arms still flexed. "Continental Crush!" she shouted.
As the Z-Energy flared around Lycanroc, it leapt high into the air and stopped, appearing to float. Rocks materialised from nothing, drawing towards Lycanroc as if some new gravity field spawned where it was the centre. They piled in, crushing together until one gigantic slap of stone was floating in the air. Lycanroc reared back, about to send it crashing down.
Ash thought quickly, and only one idea came to mind. "Bagon!" Ash called as he swapped the Firium-Z from his Z-Ring with the Normalium-Z. Bagon turned to his trainer. "We have to destroy it! Are you ready?" Bagon gave an eager nod.
Ash performed the movements for the Normalium-Z. When he finished, he looked at the Rock-Type Z-Move: it was on its descent.
"Bagon, Breakneck Blitz!" Ash yelled.
Bagon exploded with power and sprinted as fast as he could. The looming slab of stone began to cast a larger shadow the nearer it fell, and all Ash could hope was that Bagon would be in time. He ran at Rockruff's previous Rock Tomb, leapt onto a rock, and pushed himself upwards, shattering the Rock Tomb with the force of the move in the process.
"Rockruff hit Probopass with Rock Tomb then use Thunder Fang!" Ash shouted, but he did not look away from Bagon. He climbed the air directly in the centre of the Rock Type Z-Move and slammed his head into it. For a moment, the counterforce of either move made it seem as though neither were moving, then there was a loud crack and the Continental Crush split into six large pieces at the same time Bagon lost all his power and fell to the ground directly beneath a boulder.
At the same time, Probopass roared in pain as it was crushed beneath the Rock Tomb. Olivia tried for a Magnet Bomb, but two of the detachable parts of Probopass' body were trapped. Rockruff dodged the last part and unleashed Thunder Fang. By the time the electricity faded, Probopass was lying on the ground, unconscious.
Ash heard a thud and looked quickly at Bagon. He hit the ground, and in the seconds before the large boulder crushed him, Ash called Bagon to use Headbutt on it. With the last of his strength, he leapt into the boulder, shattering it enough to minimise the damage he took. Still, having challenged a Rock-Type Z-Move with a Normal-Type one head-on, Bagon collapsed, unconscious too.
"Probopass and Bagon are unable to battle!" Brock shouted, confirming the fact. Both trainers took a moment to praise their Pokémon and return them before facing the battle once more.
Ash thought the backdrop of the sun sinking beyond the horizon seemed a fitting setting as he watched Rockruff and Lycanroc square off, shuffling their paws and glaring with sharp, attentive eyes. He took a moment to assess the situation. With Lycanroc being paralysed, the speed and strength bestowed by evolution and the Double Teams were, in a way, rendered useless because he could be immobilised at any moment. Given Bagon's earlier Leers, too, they would do an equal amount of damage to each other. But with the Stealth Rock lingering, Rockruff had to be careful. It was anyone's match.
"Lycanroc, Rock Throw!"
"Rockruff, Sand Attack!"
Behind the veil of sand, Rockruff evaded Rock Throw with ease. Ash called for his own Rock Throw and Rockruff breached the cloud, unleashing it while running.
"Dodge," Olivia called, but Lycanroc's fur sparked, and he faltered. Rock Throw hit, and Ash had Rockruff follow up with a Sand Attack. It hit Lycanroc in the eyes, blinding him.
"Rockruff, Thunder Fang!"
"Lycanroc, you don't need your eyes! Rock Slide to your left!"
As the wall of rocks appeared a few feet in front of Rockruff, Ash called for him to stop. He skidded to a stop directly below the move, but Ash thought quickly.
"Rock Tomb over yourself!"
When the Rock Slide hit the ground, dust flew into the air, camouflaging the field. But when it faded, it revealed a shield of boulders crisscrossing over one another encasing Rockruff. It bore dents from the Rock Slide, but it was otherwise sturdy, leaving the fallen rocks scattered across the ground.
"Lycanroc, Accelrock to jump off the rocks, then Rock Throw!" Olivia commanded, and Lycanroc obeyed. It used the rocks as stepping stones, spun in the air, and spawned its Rock Throw.
"Sand Attack in there, Rockruff!"
Rock Throw blew a few holes in the shield. But from the holes poured a huge plume of dust and sand, the Sand Attack exploding from within. It covered the area, masking Rockruff from sight, encircling Lycanroc on all sides.
"Rockruff, Rock Throw!"
"Lycanroc, jump back–"
But the Rock Throw flew in from behind so Lycanroc leapt straight into it, yelping to alert the connection to the blinded trainers.
"Run, Rockruff, then Rock Tomb!"
Rockruff struck again, this time from a different angle within the dust. Another cry sounded, alerting Ash, and he felt his adrenaline surge.
"Lycanroc, run in a circle with Accelrock!"
Lycanroc bounded, sprinting so fast that he distorted the current of the wind. He pulled it into a miniature twister, unveiling the battlefield again, and just how damaged Lycanroc appeared.
Lycanroc lunged for Rockruff, striking him once with Accelrock, then preparing a Rock Throw on Olivia's command. But, again, the electricity surged and Lycanroc faltered, giving Ash the time to attack.
"Thunder Fang!" he shouted, and Rockruff charged in. He skipped around a few Stealth Rocks, clamped his teeth onto Lycanroc's front right leg, and the current erupted. Lycanroc roared, the move ended, and then it slumped onto the ground.
"Lycanroc is unable to battle! That means the victor is Ash, the challenger!" Brock roared, and Ash's yell of triumph was outshined only by Kiawe's applause and emotional cheering.
But then the field froze as Rockruff unleashed one loud, unusual howl. Ash glanced over and, as he had seen him doing a lot lately, Rockruff was staring directly at the sun sinking below the horizon.
Dusk had arrived.
The next moment, it was as if they lived in a different world. Olivia's felled Lycanroc climbed back to its feet and shuffled to Rockruff's side, and a third Lycanroc, this one with the same red eyes and fur as Gladion's, approached Rockruff's other side from the trees. The golden horizon dipped lower and lower, and as the last of the sun fell, a brilliant green glow replaced the orange, engulfing the sun in its colour. Rockruff howled again – the other Lycanroc copied – and his body erupted with a familiar blue light.
Ash stared in awe as Rockruff's legs and snout, his fur, ears, and tail grew longer, shapes grew on his body, and his smaller canines became sharp fangs. With another new howl, the blue light dispersed, unveiling a third version of Lycanroc: his body was as orange as the dusk sky, his eyes as green as the sun had been, and his white fur was spiky and unruly with rocks protruding from his collar. The three Lycanroc howled in tandem, then the red-eyed one dashed back into the forest and Olivia's returned to her side.
Ash glanced at everyone, searching their amazement until his eyes fell on Olivia. She looked to be in disbelief, and that told him that this was not normal. It seemed that, somehow, he had yet another unique Pokémon.
As everyone approached him, Ash glanced at where the third Lycanroc disappeared. He caught a glimpse of Gladion walking away, and immediately looked at Lillie, wondering if Gladion had seen her.
Everyone crowded around then, admiring Lycanroc.
"My, he's beautiful!" Olivia exclaimed. She bounced around, admiring Lycanroc from every side as Ash stroked his fur and congratulated him on his win and evolution.
"Olivia, can I assume you've never seen a Lycanroc like this either?" Kiawe asked. He was undertaking a more serious assessment.
"I haven't. It's brand new to me," Olivia said, drawing back for the first time in minutes. "This is an incredible discovery. You should visit Professor Kukui to let him know as soon as possible."
"Ok, yeah," Ash said, he too standing up.
"But for now, I believe congratulations are in order. You battled excellently, Ash. That was one of the most exciting and intense battles I have had in a while. So, I am pleased to present you with this: the Rockium Z," Olivia said. She held out her rock climber-like palm in which rested a brown gem shaped like his others but with a bolder engraved in it.
"Thank you," Ash said. He took the crystal and slotted it into his Z-Ring in place of the Normalium Z.
"Now, here are the moves you must do to perform this Z-Move," Olivia said, and she performed them multiple times. Ash practised with her, and Brock joined in, followed quickly by Hau just for the fun of it.
When he had comfortably memorised them, Ash thanked Olivia for the battle and they all headed for the exit as the darkness thickened around them.
It was as Ash turned that Mallow and Lana re-entered his vision and he paused on the former. It took him a moment of nervousness, but he stepped forward to talk to her. He felt like he had to.
Witnessing Ash's victory and the phenomenon of his Lycanroc's evolution made Mallow glad that she had decided to come and watch. It had been a difficult decision, one Lana had not given her much leeway on – something that she did out of compassion – but she had made it, nonetheless.
When her eyes met Ash's, her lessened emotions returned to full strength, challenging her decision. But as he approached, Mallow decided that she had to be brave. Seeing Ash again, face to face, about to engage in a conversation with him, was the true test if she was ready yet.
"Hi," Ash said, and it was enough to let the others know that they should go on ahead – Lillie's gaze lingered, but she left with them.
"Hi," Mallow replied, and silence fell. Eventually, Mallow continued, "That was a great battle, Ash. Well done."
"Ah, thank you," Ash said, and he gestured that they start walking, so they set off. "It's… nice to see that you were watching."
"Hmm. I… I couldn't miss it. And I started thinking being away from everyone for a week was a bit silly…"
"No, it's not silly. I get–"
"I can't help thinking it is," Mallow interrupted. Ash quietened, letting her continue. "I think I'm going to come back. I know that it might be a bit awkward between us for a while, but I don't want to worry anyone. And, honestly, I missed everyone this week…" Mallow felt a little tear in her eye. She wiped it away quickly.
"Mallow…" Ash whispered.
"I'm ok," Mallow said. Ash raised a brow. "Ok, maybe I'm not." As weird as it felt, they both laughed gently. "But I will be. Coming back is the start of that process."
"If you're sure. It will be nice to have you and Lana back."
"Yep. We're coming to the end of our trial posts too, so we have a chance to do some more things as a group. It should be fun."
"Do you have anything in mind?" Ash asked, and Mallow was glad he kept the conversation going and that he moved it on to something more light-hearted. She smiled and started detailing one of her ideas. A strange tension seemed to engulf the very terrain around them as they chatted, but Mallow braved it, she fought against the awkwardness because she needed this. She needed to face it. She needed Ash's friendship.
Their walk back to Heahea City was weighted, but Mallow finally felt like she was facing herself and her feelings. She realised she had made the right decision.
"Trevor, I know I asked you to be my photographer for Poké-Vision, but how many pictures are you going to take?" Shauna asked, pulling off possibly her twenty-sixth cute pose for Trevor's camera.
"Oh, sorry," Trevor said, dropping his camera for the first time in about twenty minutes. "You said to get various angles, and I had to get the composition just right with each one."
Shauna dropped her arms and relaxed her cheeky wink. "No, it's ok. Thank you, Trevor. Do you mind if I take a look at them?"
"Not at all," Trevor said, and he handed over his camera.
On the settees on the other side of Professor Sycamore's lab, Serena smiled at their interaction and reached for a macaron she had busied herself making earlier that day.
Their decision to return to Lumiose City had been beneficial to their tiredness and organisational abilities. They spent the first few days recuperating from their almost ceaseless searching, and then gathered in Professor Sycamore's lab to compile everywhere they had searched for Greninja so far. They had printed off a map and shaded in the checked areas one colour, and the areas they had seen him in another. From there, all they had to do was check each area left on the map.
They decided to search separately to work more quickly. Serena had searched the area around Vanaville Town, Aquacorde Town, and Santalune Forest because they had only passed through on their way to Goodra, but she found nothing. When she returned, Shauna and Trevor were back too with nothing. All that was left was Tierno.
In the meantime, Shauna had wanted to post something new to her Poké-Vision. With the new addition of a photograph section, it was more popular than ever. Serena, on the other hand, couldn't think of anything but finding Greninja at the moment.
Fortunately, the door swung open and Tierno came spinning in, mid-way through some sort of dance move to whatever song was playing through his headphones. Serena took his jovial mood to be a good sign.
"Tierno! Anything?" she asked. Tierno showed no sign of hearing her. "Tierno?"
"Tierno!" Shauna shouted, and he flinched.
"Huh?" he asked, pulling off his headphones. "Oh, hey, guys!"
"Did you find anything?" Trevor asked.
"Oh, nah, it was a bust."
Serena sighed. She should have known.
"Thank you for looking," Serena said.
"Oh, no worries!" Tierno said. "And hey, don't get too down about it. There's still Snowbelle City and the area before Victory Road."
"Yeah, and given how strong Greninja is, he might've gone there to train," Shauna added.
"Maybe. It's not just finding Greninja, though. I looked the other day, and there are only limited flights out to Alola compared to regions like Kanto. If we find him, it might be a little while before a flight is due."
"I see…" Trevor said.
"But does it really matter how long it takes?" Professor Sycamore asked, appearing in the room from the Pokémon conservatory. "Sorry, I couldn't help overhearing. I may not know why you need to take Greninja to Alola – I completely respect your need to keep quiet about it – but is there a time restraint, or are you making one?"
"I…" Serena wanted to say there was a time limit because it felt like with every moment, Ash was vanishing, but she couldn't. "There isn't a time limit. I just… I want to get there as fast as I can."
"I see," Sycamore said. "Well, try not to overwhelm yourself with that desire. It won't do you any good."
"He's right!" Shauna said, tugging Serena's arm. "We'll search Snowbelle City tomorrow. For now, come and take some pictures with me!"
"But you said–" Trevor began.
"Trevor, back to the photography!"
"O-Ok," Trevor said.
Serena didn't try to protest. There was nothing she could say that would change Shauna's mind. So, she joined in with the photo shoot, and she had to admit that she had a little bit of fun. As Shauna said, they would search tomorrow. So, for now, she allowed herself a little rest from worrying about seeing Ash.
Immersed as they were in their photoshoot, none of them noticed Professor Sycamore glance into the conservatory and sigh. Nor did they hear him ask,
"How long are you going to hide from them?"
And that's Olivia's Grand Trial complete! I tried to keep it similar to the show, especially Rockruff's evolution because it's a great scene, while also making it my own.
Now that it's done, it's time to explore a little more of the other characters. I have been dropping hints to some storylines throughout, so it's time to go deeper.
I hope you enjoyed! And I hope to see you next time!