Outsiders (ZnT/Pokémon Reverse Summon)
Season 2, Episode 1, Chapter 4
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Both Saito and Louise got up early the next morning, eager to start their challenge against Korrina. They had a few hours to spare after cleaning themselves up and eating breakfast, which they spent preparing themselves for the battle to come. All of their Pokémon were out in the Pokémon Center's courtyard, doing light stretches and exercises to relax themselves while also getting some last minute training in.
"Alright, Brennaraki. Let's try this again. Use Psyshock on the target," Louise ordered.
Brennaraki nodded, then focused her attention onto the doll placed on a pole sticking out of the ground. Psychic energy coalesced around Brennaraki's head, but instead of shooting out as a wavy beam it split and concentrated into three orbs. The orbs were a swirling mass of pulsating energy, glowing light blue, blue, and purple in color. With the attack prepped, Brennaraki shot her eyes open then fired the orbs all at once towards the doll. The Psyshock exploded on impact, shredding the doll and sending tufts of stuffing and felt flying in all directions.
"Yes!" Louise cheered, pumping a fist while Brennaraki flashed a proud smile towards her trainer. Smiling herself, Louise looked at Brennaraki then said, "A little slow on the warmup, but we can work on that."
Louise then pulled out another doll from her backpack before walking over to the pole and sticking the target on top. She walked back to her previous position, then pointed at the doll and shouted, "Now, use Flamethrower!"
While Brennaraki scorched the doll in a piercing jet of flame, the rest of her Pokémon trained as well. Aile was concentrating on using her attacks at high speeds, flying past various targets scattered around the training area and attacking them with Flame Charges, Flamethrowers, Aerial Aces, and more, all boosted by a Tailwind. Esprit, copying from Maindo's playbook, was teleporting around her designated zone, striking her targets with Confusions and Psybeams. She was also testing out a new move she learned Louise's Pokédex described as Life Dew. Like Heal Pulse, Life Dew restored the vitality of her Pokémon, sacrificing power in favor of affecting a wider range of targets. Not much use in a one-on-one battle, but would be helpful overall. Finally, Gène and Auspice were training together in a light spar. Gène was concentrating on weakening Auspice's attacks and ability to land a hit with Baby-Doll Eyes and Sand Attack, respectively, while avoiding them before countering with Swift. Auspice, meanwhile, honed her senses to avoid them as much as possible and tried to break apart the Swifts with her horn rather than let most of them hit. Most were still getting through, but the tactic showed promise. Neither were going full out, wanting to save their strength for the actual battle to come, but both were breathing heavily from the exertion.
On the other side of the training area, Saito was with his Pokémon. Ōdachi was sitting on the edge of a table, watching everyone train with wide, amazed eyes. Ronin, scalchops in each hand, was zooming around the area in an Aqua Jet, slamming into targets before cutting them up with Razor Shell. Tanuki, a bandana tightly tied around his head, uses his aura sight to dodge and break apart rocks thrown towards him by Shogun using Ancient Power. His paws alternated between glowing metallically with Metal Claw or pulsating blue with Force Palm. For the rocks he wasn't able to dodge completely, Tanuki used Quick Guard to protect himself and anyone else who happened to be nearby, mostly Ronin doing his own training and happened to stop behind the Riolu. Tengu, meanwhile, stayed in place like a stationary turret, firing barrages of bullet seeds that Saito was throwing out for her. So far, she had only missed a couple that were too far away for her to turn quickly enough.
"Alright, you guys keep at it! Derflinger, mind tossing these for Tengu?" Saito requested, and Derflinger nodded in acceptance as he floated over.
"Sure thing. Don't worry, I won't make it easy for her," Derflinger declared. Saito nodded, then walked back to the bench as his Pokémon continued to train. Ōdachi briefly acknowledged him with a happy squawk and flap of her wings, then went back to watching the spectacle before her.
"That's right, you haven't seen them actually train yet," Saito said, and Ōdachi chirped affirmatively, her eyes never leaving her fellow teammates. Saito couldn't help but chuckle, then he added, "Hey, I have an idea. Would you like to watch Louise's and I's Gym Battles? It'll be a lot of fun, seeing what these guys are actually training for."
Ōdachi turned her head towards Saito, her eyes going wide and glistening as her beak hung open slightly. Saito laughed then rubbed the top of her head, which the baby Pokémon affectionate rubbed against.
"I'll take that as a yes," Saito confirmed, and Ōdachi nodded before returning her attention to the other Pokémon. Saito couldn't help but notice that she was squinting slightly, but shrugged it off before getting up to walk over to Louise. Noticing his approach, Louise ordered her Pokémon to continue training on their own before walking up to her friend.
"So," Saito began, "what's your thoughts on battling Korrina?"
Louise nodded, then answered, "All I'm certain of is that she's going to use Fighting-types against us. Other than that, I don't really know. Reviews online suggest that she favors Pokémon that hit hard and fast, so I'm thinking my focus should be on evasion and countering."
"Sounds like a decent start," Saito admitted, rubbing his chin with pinched fingers. Idly, he noticed that his chin had a slight texture to it, telling him that a stubble was growing in. Deciding to shave later, he looked back at Louise then added, "We can't exactly rely on that tactic, though. Korrina's a Gym Leader, and I have no doubt she'll have enough tricks up her sleeve to keep us on our toes. The only question is, what does she have planned for us?"
"I know what you mean," Louise replied, letting out a sigh. "Is it going to be two-on-two? One-on-one? Four-on-four? Will she pull what Grant did and have us fight all of her Pokémon with our entire team despite any numerical superiority to prove hers and our strength? Given how both of my Gym Challenges so far have been wildly different, I don't know what to expect."
"You can always expect the unexpected," Derflinger sagely called out, having overheard them. "That way, you'll never be surprised when it happens."
"Shut up, you stupid sword," Louise grumbled at the unhelpful advice, and Derflinger laughed before going back to overseeing the training, which by now was involving both teams working together.
"He's not exactly wrong, though," Saito pointed out. "If you completely expect something to go one way, only for it to go in a completely different direction, you run the risk of tripping yourself up. Best to stay on our toes and roll with the punches, know what I mean?"
Louise looked at Saito for a moment, then shrugged in mild acceptance before saying, "I suppose so. Either way, we still have an hour before we need to head up to the Gym, and I intend to use it."
"Couldn't have said it better myself," Saito declared, then smiled and placed his hands on his hips. "Now then, let's get some stretching of our own in. I don't know what Korrina has planned for us for our pre-battle challenge, but I bet it's going to make us sweat."
"Joy," Louise flatly said through a flat stare, which Saito couldn't help but laugh at before the two of them began to stretch.
Once their workout was done, any exhaustion recovered with the help of some berries, fresh water, and Esprit, Saito and Louise returned their Pokémon and made their way towards the Shalour City Gym. Only Ōdachi remained outside of her Pokéball, sitting atop Saito's head as she swept her gaze across the city, taking in everything through wide, awestruck eyes. Louise found it adorable, having to frequently stop herself from reaching over to pet the infant Skarmory but was able to maintain her composure. Saito found Ōdachi's behavior to be cute as well, although he would've preferred to not feel the sensation of her talons digging into his head. It didn't actually hurt, but it was definitely uncomfortable. Still, he'd put up with it for now. At least until he got something to carry her in.
It wasn't hard to find the gym itself. It was an octagonal building with an orange and blue paintjob located on the northwest side of town. With the gym perched on a forested cliffside, they could see the Tower of Mastery, the land bridge exposed with the low tide. Already tourists were walking down the path, eager to explore the ancient monastery, but neither trainer focused on them. Instead, they each took one final breath and entered the building. Finding themselves in the lobby, they took note of the collection of ribbons and trophies housed in display cases and on pedestals.
"Wow, look at all these trophies," Louise noted, leaning in to look at one. It was a large golden cup with wings on the side, the image of a winged foot engraved onto its face. Written on the podium was an inscription that read, "Lumiose City X-Games Tournament – 1st Place."
As both trainers found it, each of the trophies and ribbons had a similar inscription. They described what the prizes were for. Biking competitions, roller staking, marathons, even parkour.
"Oh, you guys are here early!" Korrina called out, entering the lobby from the interior doors to the battle arena. She quickly noticed what they were doing, then smirked while placing her right hand on her hip and resting her weight on her leg. "Checking out my trophies, are ya?"
"Wait, all of these are yours?" Saito asked, breaking away from looking at a wall of multi-colored ribbons.
"Yep! Every single one!" Korrina confirmed, flashing them a grin and a thumbs up. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm a bit of a sports freak. Since this is my gym, I figured I might as well spruce it up to my liking. Does help that I only just now got it."
"This building's new?" Louise asked, raising an eyebrow.
Korrina nodded, then explained, "We used to be housed in the basement of the Tower of Mastery, but Grandpa kept complaining about the location messing with his studies on mega evolution. Hard to study when explosions keep going off. That and, well, you couldn't easily get to it when the tide was in. So, after the Team Flare attack, the Pokémon League finally decided to give me my own building. Pretty sweet, huh?"
Saito took another look around, pursing his lips in thought, then gave an appreciative nod.
"It is pretty nice," Saito admitted. Louise nodded in agreement, as did Derflinger who floating in place behind them. Ōdachi, copying what everyone else was doing, nodded as well, which caused Korrina to giggle.
"Well," she finally said after composing herself, "if you think the lobby's nice, wait till you see what's inside. Come on, follow me."
With that, Korrina began walking away towards the doors she just came in from. Saito, Louise, and Derflinger followed immediately, the automatic doors closing behind them. What they saw made them gasp in surprise. Inside the gym itself, which was easily the largest of the gyms they had seen so far, was an extensive sports arena built into a massive pit. Viewing platforms were on the upper-most levels, but otherwise the entire structure was devoted to a sprawling maze of ramps, rails, tunnels and more. It reminded Saito of the skatepark he and Louise visited outside of Lumiose, just on a much bigger scale.
"Okay, wow. You weren't kidding," Derflinger noted as he took it all in, his eye widened.
"Told ya. Bona fide sports freak right here," Korrina boasted, then clapped her hands together before walking to the front of the viewing platform they were on. "Now, both of you already have two gym badges, so by now you two know the drill. Before you get the right to battle me, you have to complete a pre-battle qualifier. Mine is simple. You see that course down there?"
Korrina pointed at the lower levels of the stadium. When Saito and Louise nodded, she continued, "Using your Pokémon, the two of you are going to put on a pair of roller blades and race. So long as you complete the course within ten minutes, you get the right to battle me, but whoever gets to me first gets the first round. You two understand?"
"Sounds simple enough," Saito declared with a quick nod. From the corner of his eye, he noticed Louise nervously gulp, then she nodded as well. If Korrina noticed Louise's demeanor, she didn't indicate it as she instead smiled and clapped her hands together again.
"Excellent! You two follow me to the starting area," Korrina said, a lift opening up for them. Saito and Louise nodded, but before Saito got on he gently lifted Ōdachi off his head.
"Ōdachi, you're going to have to stay with Derflinger for a while," Saito gently told the confused Skarmory. Saito gave her a comforting smile and rubbed the side of her head, then continued, "Don't worry, I won't be gone long. Once I beat Korrina, I'll come right back."
Ōdachi looked up at him and whimpered for a moment, then swallowed and nodded. Saito smiled and patted her head, then Ōdachi turned around and began to slowly walk towards Derflinger who was waiting patiently for her. Once she got to the ancient Honedge, the two Pokémon began making their way towards the nearest viewing platform down a flight of stairs and Saito got up to get on the lift with Louise and Korrina. But, just as he turned around, he heard a Pokéball open much to his surprise. He looked to his side, then let out a groan as he saw it was Maindo, who flashed him a smile before teleporting away.
"What is he doing?" Louise exasperatingly asked, narrowing her eyes at the Pokémon as she noticed him remerge at the viewing area where Ōdachi and Derflinger were going towards.
"If I had to guess," Saito dryly replied, pinching his nose in frustration, "he knows that, as a Psychic-type, he would've been my best bet against Korrina. So, since he's no longer my Pokémon, he wants to watch me fail without him."
"Founder," Louise groaned, rubbing her forehead. She then sighed and rubbed her face, thankful that she would only have to put up with the annoying Kirlia for a few more weeks. Once they got back to Lumiose, he would be out of their hair completely.
Korrina pursed her lips as she glanced between both trainers before deciding not to touch that clearly sensitive topic. She then pressed the down button on the lift, and it began to descend to the starting area. A low whine could be heard as the lift traveled down, but it was remarkably smooth and fast. They got to the area soon enough, then stepped off the lift towards a rack of red and blue roller blades, helmets, kneepads and elbow pads. There were also various sizes of folded athletic clothes, which consisted of a white shirt with a wide colored band along the chest, the color either red or blue, with a pair of black athletic shorts.
"Red is for girls, blue is for boys. Let me know when you're ready," Korrina announced as she began making her way towards the slightly elevated battle area overlooking the course.
Saito and Louise nodded, then moved towards the racks. Quickly finding the appropriate sizes, they went into nearby changing rooms to swap out their regular clothes for what Korrina offered. A few minutes later, they emerged back into the arena, wearing the athletic gear and the roller blades on their feet and their Pokéballs strapped to their waistbands. While Saito was able to confidently roll over to nearby lockers to store his stuff, Louise wobbled back and forth. Her arms were spread out wide, and it was taking everything she had to keep herself upright. Eventually, though, she was able to join Saito at the lockers, which she quickly opened and stashed her stuff in as well.
"Hey, you okay?" Saito gently asked, and Louise nodded.
"Yes, but I have to admit I didn't think I would be doing something like this," Louise grumbled and crossed her arms, to quickly lose her balance and flail around. She was able to prevent herself from falling, luckily, and pouted at her friend as Saito laughed.
"Stop laughing," she ordered, which only made Saito laugh harder as she continued to angrily pout.
"I'm sorry," Saito apologized, trying to regain his composure. It was hard for him to do so, especially since angry Louise reminded him of an angry puppy, cute rather than legitimately threatening. After a few moments, his laughter finally died down, then he patted Louise's shoulder.
"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm certain you'll be able to get through this. Remember, you'll have help, and it's not like Korrina's asking us to do tricks," Saito pointed out.
"They would be appreciated!" Korrina called out with a cheery tone in her voice, having overheard them. Saito shot his arms towards the gym leader to emphasize his point. Louise continued to glower at the boy, then released a slow breath through her nose to calm herself down. It was no use getting angry at this point, especially when she had a challenge to complete and a battle to win.
"Alright, I'm ready," Louise declared, then slowly rolled over to the starting line. Saito nodded at her, then rolled over as well.
The starting line was simply a painted white line on the glossy wooden floor, a small ramp leading down into the course proper. Saito and Louise then hunched over, prepared to take off as fast as they could.
"Trainers, are you ready?" Korrina shouted, standing above the trainers on an observation stand.
"Ready!" both Saito and Louise shouted at the same time. Korrina smiled at them, then raised her arm above her head.
"On your mark…get set…GO!" Korrina yelled, chopping her arm down.
At once, both Saito and Louise took off down the track, using the momentum from both the initial takeoff and the down ramp to build up as much speed as possible. Saito, the stronger and more athletic of the two, was able to get ahead much faster than Louise, who lost much of her momentum simply staying upright. Trying to tap into the experience she gained both during the last time she went roller skating, as well as her entry into the Mantine Surfing Competition, Louise was able to keep herself from falling over completely. But soon she came across an upward ramp, and she was going fast enough to break over the top.
"Damn it!" Louise cursed as she slid down the ramp, falling onto her butt once she reached the bottom. Groaning slightly in pain while rubbing the affected area, Louise scrunched up her face before trying again. This time, she was able to make it halfway up, but again she rolled back down. Realizing that this wasn't working, and noticing the timer continue to tick down, Louise desperately searched for another route. Unfortunately, there weren't any.
"Okay, okay. Think, Louise. How do you get past this?" Louise told herself, wobbling slightly while standing in place. She went over everything she knew about both the challenge itself and the art of roller blading, then remembered a key facet of the rules Korrina laid out.
"Of course!" Louise said, then pulled out two of the collapsed Luxury Balls strapped to her waistband. Opening them both, Aile and Esprit emerged onto the battlefield, who immediately looked up at her expectantly.
"Esprit, I need you to help me stay upright," Louise began to order. "Aile, create a tailwind behind me. That'll help us make up for lost time."
Both Pokémon nodded, with Esprit flashing a salute before teleporting onto Louise's shoulder. A thin veil of psychic energy enveloped the two of them, and Louise felt her balance shift. No longer did she feel the constant need to keep herself upright, as Esprit was doing it for her. Aile, meanwhile, flew above Louise's other shoulder and flapped her wings a few times. A moment later, a steady stream of wind kicked up, and Louise smiled at both of her Pokémon.
"Alright, let's go!" Louise shouted, then took off again.
With Esprit helping her to stay upright and Aile's Tailwind boosting her speed, Louise was able to break over the top of the ramp. Going back down the other wise, Louise turned down an embankment while keeping up her momentum, trying to build as much speed as possible. Ahead of her, she could see Saito, who now had Ronin out to assist him. Mostly by using jets of water to help him reposition and turn quickly, along with a speed boosts by blasting water out from behind him like a rocket. Louise made sure to avoid the puddles of water left in their wake as she began to catch up to her friend, a feeling of competitiveness building up in her.
Looking behind his shoulder, Saito noticed Louise's advancement then flashed a confident smirk. He then called out, "That's not going to be enough! Ronin, speed us up with Aqua Jet!"
Ronin complied immediately, enveloping both Saito and himself in a veil of water. The two zoomed further out, jumping onto an upward sloping rail and grinding up it for good measure.
"Show off!" Louise shouted as Saito and Ronin emerged from the Aqua Jet, absolutely drenched from head to toe in water. Redoubling her efforts, Louise went up the ramp but chose not to jump onto the rail as Saito did. While she was confident in Esprit's ability to keep her upright under normal circumstances, she wasn't about to test her luck like that.
Soon, she managed to catch up mostly to Saito, staying a few feet behind him as they reached the final portion of the course. Once again, they had to travel up a ramp, the largest one yet. Both trainers exerted themselves heavily, sweat tricking down their bodies. But, while Saito was able to have Ronin boost himself up with another Aqua Jet, Louise felt Aile's Tailwind begin to die down. Her momentum slowed, and as she hastily ordered Aile to form another one Saito was able to break further ahead. When he broke over the top of the ramp, a victory chime rang out, telling Louise that Saito had one. A few moments later, she joined him at the top, with only a minute to spare on the timer.
With the challenge completed, Esprit released her hold on Louise, who immediately collapsed onto her knees. Breathing heavily, she eagerly took the offered water bottle from Korrina and began to gulp down its contents before looking back up at her.
"Thank you," Louise finally said, and Korrina smiled at her before looking at both of them.
"Well done! Both of you passed the test, with time to spare, too!" Korrina congratulated them. Pointing at Saito, she continued, "Using Aqua Jet as a speed boost was pretty clever, same with using jets of water to turn faster. Noticed you almost wiped out a few times, but you had it handled. Good job, Saito."
"Thank you," Saito said, smiling at Korrina while feeding Ronin an oran berry.
Korrina then turned to Louise and smiled widely before declaring, "Louise, it was clear that, of the two of you, Saito had the most experience in roller skating and was physically stronger. Yet using a Psychic-type to keep yourself upright and a Tailwind to boost yourself and overcome your physical limitations was, frankly, genius. It is clear to me that both of you have strong relationships with your Pokémon, one that understands the limitations you have and what to do in order to overcome them. That acknowledgement is what separates good trainers from the rest. Never lose sight of that."
"We won't. Thank you," Louise replied, a proud smile on her face. Korrina nodded back, then turned towards Saito.
"Now then, since Saito completed the course first, he gets the first match," Korrina announced, and Saito nodded.
"What are the rules? I have four Pokémon on hand," Saito said as Ronin stood up straighter. Louise was curious about this as well, and so she focused her attention entirely on Korrina.
"Normally, it would be two on two," Korrina answered, only for a wicked, unsettling smile to break out. "But, given all you two have been through, and the circumstances that brought you to my Grandpa yesterday, I have something else in mind."
Pits formed in Saito and Louise's stomachs at the declaration, especially as Korrina pointed animatedly at them.
"The two of you came to Shalour City seeking to master mega evolution!" Korrina shouted, then, brought her hand to her chest. "As a master of mega evolution, it is my responsibility to show you the strength of a proper mega evolution!"
Both trainers paled as they realized where Korrina was going with this, and Korrina announced, "As such, both of you will be using all of your Pokémon, at the same time, against a single mega-evolved Pokémon! Complete this challenge, and you will win the Rumble Badge!"
As Korrina smiled widely at Saito and Louise, the two trainers stared at her, their eyes narrowed to the size of pinpricks. Then Saito gulped and swallowed his nervousness.
"I accept," Saito declared, knocking Louise out of her stupor.
"So do I," Louise added, and Korrina's smile somehow grew wider.
"Excellent. Now then, please return to the viewing stands, Louise. Things are going to get…wild," Korrina said, then began to laugh darkly.
Smirking to himself, Maindo sat at the far bottom corner of the viewing platform, away from Derflinger and a newly arriving Louise. Neither of them spared the Kirlia so much as a glance, which he was perfectly fine with. He didn't want to deal with them anyway, so he didn't spare them much attention either. Instead, Maindo focused all of his attention onto the battlefield below, eagerly awaiting the upcoming gym battle.
He was already anticipating Saito losing without his help. Everyone knew that Fighting-types, like what Korrina used, were weak against both Psychic-type and Fairy-type Pokémon…and almost helpless against a Psychic/Fairy like himself. Watching those jerks get flattened without him was a show he wouldn't miss for the world!
Grabbing a few chips from a bag he swiped from Saito's bag before he and Louise went down to the racetrack, Maindo watched as Saito and Korrina walked up to the raised trainer boxes, the match referee entering the arena from the side. Despite being so far away, Maindo was able to sense Saito's emotional state no matter how hard he tried to hide it. The idiot was nervous and perhaps even frightened at the prospect of fighting a mega evolution, especially after what happened the first two times. No matter what happened, this battle was going to be difficult.
After a few moments, Saito composed himself then threw out all four of his Pokéballs. He had taken the time beforehand to explain the situation to his team along with forming a strategy, and just like their trainer they were easy to get a read on. For the most part, all were nervous and frightened, yet were doing their damnedest to ignore it. Ronin was taking deep, calming breaths, Tanuki was bouncing up and down on his feet, keeping himself constantly moving, and Shogun was digging at the ground with his feet while baring his fangs. Tengu, though, was as impassive as ever. Even after spending months with the Seedot, it was difficult for Maindo to get a feel for what she was thinking. Smirking at them, Korrina then threw out a Pokéball of her own.
"Alright, Lucario! Let's show them how it's done!" she shouted, her voice amplified by both a microphone she was wearing as well as Maindo's own powers.
The released Pokéball opened in the middle of her side of the arena, releasing a tall, bipedal, lupine Pokémon. A jubilant yet composed expression was on his face, especially as he smiled towards his opponents eagerly and confidently. Glancing between the Lucario and Tanuki, it wasn't hard to see the resemblance. The younger Riolu was looking up at the Lucario in visible awe, clearly eager to finally reach that form himself. Beside Maindo, he heard Louise's Pokédex activate, and a faintly-female sounding mechanical voice spoke out.
"Lucario, the Aura Pokémon," the Pokédex announced. "Prideful and extremely loyal to their trainers, who spend most of their lives deep in wild, mountainous terrains to hone their skills, Lucarios are famous for their natural sense of justice. By using their honed ability to sense the aura of all living things, it is said that only trainers with justice in their hearts can earn their trust."
'Well that's a bunch of Tauros-shit,' Maindo noted to himself, remembering the last time they fought a Lucario at the Pokémon Daycare. That guy was a psychopath who was working for a twisted terrorist. If there was any justice to be found there, Maindo couldn't see it. Nor did he want to.
A moment later, Korrina flashed one final smile towards Saito before steeling herself. She then shouted, "Here we go!"
Throwing a series of punches and kicks into the air to emphasize her words, Korrina continued to shout, "Behold the power within! Lucario, Mega Evolve!"
Korrina then brought her right hand onto the top of her left, which only now Maindo saw housed a keystone. Golden light shone forth, prompting the Lucarioite housed in a wristband on Lucario's left arm to shine brightly as well. A bright purple aura enveloped Lucario, and everyone watched as his body visibly shifted. Arms and legs grew longer, the spikes on the hands enlarging while more appeared on the shoulders, feet, and paws. The short appendages on the back of his head grew the side of small arms. His further grew spikier, especially around the shoulders which formed a collar and the tail, which previously was thin but now was bushy. When the veil dissipated, Maindo could see that the tips of the head appendages were now dark red alongside the hands and feet, while thick black lines trailed down the legs. A brief, heavy pause filled the arena, and even from the stands Maindo could feel the power radiating from the Mega Lucario like heat from a roaring fire. Then Lucario shot his eyes open, baring them down onto his opponents.
While the others flinched, backpedaled, or otherwise panicked at the sight of a successful mega evolution, Tanuki just watched with half-lidded eyes. As Mega Lucario stepped forward, the Riolu eyed him and rolled his shoulders.
"Well, this is going to suck," the pup admitted casually, his placid tone at odds with his cynical statement. Then, without missing a beat, he declared, "Bring it on."
Lucario let out an approving laugh, then settled into a stance of his own while replying, "I like you."
Maindo grinned as he leaned forward, watching with bated breath as both sides of the arena settled into combat stances, ready for battle. The referee raised a green flag, glancing at both trainers before swinging his arm down. At once, the Mega Lucario shot forward in a blur, aiming right for Shogun. He was moving so fast, and with so much force, that Maindo couldn't even see a blur. All he could see was a large pit in the sand where Lucario previously stood one moment yet was right in front of Shogun the next.
Having anticipated this, however, Saito already had Tanuki block the attack with Quick Guard. A clear red shield sprung forth with the Riolu in the center, protecting both him and Shogun from the Mega Lucario's Mach Punch. Yet, despite the added protection, it was still delivered with enough force to send Tanuki skidding back slightly, his feet digging into the sand as he ground his teeth together. The red shield had a noticeable crack spidering out from the point of impact, then a moment later it fell away like shards of broken glass.
With the Quick Guard gone, Lucario sent Tanuki flying away with a powerful kick, one that almost managed to land him out-of-bounds before the Riolu was able to recover. At the same time, Saito strangely ordered Shogun to litter the arena with Stealth Rock. Obviously he felt it would be useful, but that use was lost on the Kirlia who decided to shrug it off and wait to see.
As the battle continued, Ronin and Tanuki taking advantage of Shogun using a well-timed Roar to make Lucario flinch, Maindo suddenly felt a presence next to him. He tried to ignore it, only for the presence to get closer and closer. Unable to dismiss it, Maindo turned his head to the side, where he found Ōdachi looking up at him with wide, transfixed eyes.
'Go away,' Maindo ordered, looking back up at Louise and Derflinger. So focused on watching the battle, neither of them noticed that the infant Skarmory had wandered away. The lack of attention and sheer irresponsibility made Maindo growl in irritation, but he had to focus on the fact that Ōdachi refused to leave with a defiant squawk.
'Seriously, go back to the others. I'm over here by myself for a reason,' Maindo reiterated, only for Ōdachi to shake her head and squawk again.
He sighed and rubbed his forehead, glancing once again at Louise. Part of him wanted to just walk over and point out where her and Saito's feathery child had wandered to, maybe even rub it into her face, but he decided against it. He had to be on his best behavior if he wanted to be taken back all the way to Lumiose. Since it looked as though Ōdachi wanted to be near him for some reason, he might as well do their job and look after the kid.
'Fine, you can stay,' Maindo relented.
Ōdachi let out a happy squawk then settled further into Maindo's side, to which he could only grumble and cross his arms. She didn't seem to mind, though, a content smile on her face as she looked back out across the field. For a moment, her eyes were squinted as she observed the battle, which Maindo picked up on. Then, when Lucario was struck by Tengu's Solar Beam, Ōdachi let out a small cheer and flapped her wings.
Despite himself, Maindo couldn't help but let out a chuckle, then he asked, 'Liked that, didn't you?'
She squawked affirmatively, nodding her head as well before going back towards watching the battle. Several minutes had passed, with Saito's team focusing on hit and run tactics rather than a direct, drawn out engagement. With Tengu acting as a stationary turret, sitting atop Shogun as a mobile base, the two were supporting Ronin and Tanuki with well-timed Roars to make Lucario flinch and Bullet Seeds to whittle away at their opponent's defenses. When they had enough time to stand still, Tengu would charge up another Solar Beam to deliver a devastating attack. Taking the brunt of the attack, Tanuki and Ronin were striking Lucario from all sides with Force Palms, Razor Shells, and more. Whenever Lucario seemed ready to land a hit on either of them, Ronin would either carry them both away with an Aqua Jet or Tanuki would block the attack with Quick Guard.
Overall, Maindo had to admit that Saito was delivering an adequate performance, but it was obvious that his Pokémon were getting tired and Lucario was barely breaking a sweat, even after all the punishment he received. If they were to have any hopes of winning, they couldn't let this battle become one of attrition. The sooner they knocked Lucario out, the better their odds.
Then Lucario spread his arms out in front of him, forming a bone-like staff of aura as he used Bone Rush. Blitzing towards Tanuki, he jabbed him several times across the Riolu's diminutive body before had a chance to escape or block. He was sent flying back into Shogun and Tengu, all three driven into the sand. Lucario then moved to attack Ronin, only for the Dewott to use an Aqua Jet backwards. His opponent rushed towards him, aura staff raised, but as Lucario did he was assaulted by invisible stones that shot out of the ground, exploding across his body. It didn't do much damage, but it made Lucario flinch from the pain, giving the rest of Saito's team enough time to recover, quickly retaliate with moves of their own, then retreat.
'Oh you clever bas-' Maindo began, finally catching on to what Saito was planning. Then he remembered Ōdachi was right next to him, and was looking up at him with a curious expression. After a moment, Maindo asked the young Skarmory, 'You don't understand what's going on, do you?'
When Ōdachi nodded in confirmation, Maindo nodded back then pointed at the battle below. As the Pokémon continued fighting, Maindo explained, 'You see, kid, when a Pokémon mega evolves, they get super powerful. Powerful enough so that the only reliable way to take one down is with another mega evolved Pokémon. If you don't have one with you, your only hope is to either have an extremely powerful Pokémon that can handle it without Mega Evolution, or an entire team to back you up. As you can see, your trainer has to use his entire team just to have a chance.'
Ōdachi cooed in understanding then squawked a wordless question. Yet Maindo was able to understand her perfectly, thanks to both his telepathy and many years of dealing with young children.
'No, I can't mega evolve. Not yet, at least. When I evolve into a Gardevoir or a Gallade one day, maybe, but that's no guarantee. Same with Tanuki if he finally evolves into a Lucario,' Maindo replied while giving a shrug. 'Anyway, since Mega Lucario is so powerful, trying to take him on directly with a bunch of weaker Pokémon is only going to end in failure. But clearly your trainer knows this and is acting accordingly.'
The young Skarmory tilted her head in a somewhat cute fashion, and Maindo chuckled slightly before pointing at all the stones that littered the battlefield.
'See those stones in the sand?' Maindo asked. Ōdachi leaned closer to the edge, squinting her eyes as much as she could. After a few moments, punctuated Ronin striking Lucario with an Aqua Pulse just as he was hit by an Aura Sphere, Ōdachi vigorously nodded.
'That's Stealth Rock,' Maindo explained, turning his attention back towards the battle. 'Shogun laid it out as soon as the battle started. Normally, it's meant to be used as Pokémon enter the battlefield from the opposing team, hitting them before they have a chance to react. But, as you can see, it does have another use. Namely, it's preventing Lucario from going as fast as he normally would.'
Now Ōdachi was confused again, tilting her head while scrunching up her eyes. Maindo then clarified, 'If Lucario moves too fast or out of the safe area, he risks getting hit by Stealth Rock. While it won't do much to him, over time it'll wear him down. This means he can't move a whole lot without getting hurt, making him much easier to hit. Shogun and his allies, however, don't have that problem. They can go wherever they want and the Stealth Rock will ignore them, which gives them a lot of breathing room. Does that make sense?'
For a few moments, Ōdachi regarded him with a contemplative stare. Then her eyes widened in understanding and she let out a happy chirp, flapping her wings a few times in emphasis. Maindo couldn't help but crack a smile, then turned back towards watching the battle. Both sides were much more visibly winded now, especially Saito's team who all sported numerous bruises and were breathing heavily. Lucario was panting as well, although clearly he was in much better shape. Focused entirely on watching the battle, Maindo took another chip and moved it towards his open mouth, only to feel a slight tug on his arm. Looking back down, he saw that Ōdachi was looking at the chip then him once she noticed him looking at her. Her eyes widened as she gave as cute of a look as she possibly could. After a moment, Ōdachi sighed and relented as he gave the chip to her. She happily took it right out of his hand then went back to watching the battle. Maindo smiled slightly, then once again looked at Louise. She was holding her Pokédex up, recording the entire battle, but otherwise didn't notice Ōdachi was gone.
Maindo shook his head and rolled his eyes, then went back to watching the battle. Saito's team and Lucario were giving it their all, simultaneously attacking and defending whenever possible. While the majority of the attacks were landing on Lucario, whittling him down ever so slightly, the attacks that landed cleanly on any of Saito's team did tremendous amounts of damage. Shogun looked ready to collapse at any moment, keeping up purely through strength of will and primal rage. There appeared to be a slight crack in Tengu's seed helmet, nothing serious but a definite sign of her injuries. Both Ronin and Tanuki were breathing heavily, clutching their sides while glaring at Lucario. On his part, Lucario was wincing every few seconds, clenching his shoulder with one arm while the other hung at his side. His back foot was limping slightly, yet at the same time it was clear to everyone that he had no intention of backing down until this fight was won.
Realizing that this was the final stretch, Maindo heard Saito yell, "Alright guys, let's finish this! Hit him with everything you got!"
His Pokémon responded with defiant yells of their own, then proceeded to launch the strongest attacks in their arsenal at Lucario. Tanuki, using Quick Attack into his opponent's chest, was the first to arrive, following up with a series of Force Palms. Ronin then slammed into Lucario's head with Aqua Jet before slashing at him with Razor Shell while flying back. Then, as just as he hit the ground, he finished with a Water Pulse, the ball of water exploding like bomb as soon as it touched Lucario's flesh. A cloud of smoke, dust, and sand enveloped Lucario as Shogun used Ancient Power, sending several chunks of compressed sandstone into the fray. A moment later, the cloud was broken apart as Tengu fired a Solar Beam. Under that relentless assault, Lucario was sent skidding back, forcing himself to drag both his feet and his claws to remain in-bounds. For a brief moment, it looked as though he might be pushed out, giving Saito the victory, but it wasn't enough. Just a few inches away, Lucario was able to halt his momentum, then he glared upward at his opponents angrily. As he stood up, he closed his eyes, then several blue, glowing swords emerged out of thin air before crossing together, which Maindo recognized immediately as Swords Dance. When the swords disappeared, Lucario's body briefly glowed red, then opened his eyes.
What followed next was too fast for anyone, including Maindo, to track. Lucario disappeared, reappearing at Shogun's side where he delivered a Power-Up Punch into the Tyrunt's side. Tengu was launched off, landing in the sand on her side as Shogun was shot straight into the concrete barrier that lined the outside of the battlefield. As the referee declared Shogun unfit for battle, Lucario formed another Bone Rush and struck Tengu like he was using a golf club. For a brief moment, Tengu's body glowed white, yet it did nothing to stop her being turned into an impromptu projectile. The Seedot slammed into Tanuki, knocking the air out of his lungs and making Tengu briefly glow again. A moment later, the Riolu was finished off with an Aura Sphere, knocking him out and sending Tengu's body rolling across the sandy arena, coming to rest on the back corner near Saito. Ronin attempted to retaliate with a Water Pulse, but another Aura Sphere shot straight through it and into him, sending the Dewott bouncing across the ground. When he came to a stop, he tried pushing himself off the ground, but it was futile he collapsed from exhaustion a moment later.
Maindo heard Louise gasp in surprise at just how fast everything turned around, as did Ōdachi. With the kid right next to him, he didn't let himself smile victoriously, although he did let out a small smirk. Then, much to his surprise as a dejected Saito began returning his downed Pokémon, he noticed that Tengu had gotten back up onto her feet. She was wobbling in place, clearly injured and on her last legs, yet she defiantly shuffled towards the center of the arena straight towards Lucario. Seeing this, Louise, Derflinger, and Ōdachi let out a supportive cheer, urging her own alongside Saito, while Maindo merely crossed his arms and waited for the inevitable.
"Tengu, are you good?" Saito asked. When Tengu gave a short nod after a few breaths, Saito nodded back then pointed at Korrina. "We're not out of this yet, Korrina!"
Korrina let out a hearty laugh while replying, "You most certainly are not! Let me tell you, I'm looking forward to our rematch. Now then, let's end this, Lucario! Power yourself up with another Swords Dance, then use Meteor Mash!"
As instructed, Lucario used Swords Dance, then his right fist glowed bright blue. With another burst of speed, Lucario shot towards Tengu who remained rooted in place, then he drove the Meteor Mash into the top of her head. Tengu was driven down into the sand up to her eyes, kicking up sand and dust that buffeted both Saito and Korrina. For a moment, Maindo thought it was over, that there was no way Tengu would've withstood that much force. Yet, much to his shock, Tengu was still conscious. Barely, and looking a few seconds away from falling over, yet that defiant glare was impossible to ignore.
Neither was the fact that her body was now glowing completely white. Maindo realized exactly what Tengu was about to unleash, especially as Saito grinned viciously and Korrina panicked. She desperately tried to order Lucario to get away, but it was too late.
"Release the Bide!" Saito ordered.
A moment later, a colossal jet of pure white energy shot out of the top of Tengu's cap. Lucario was completely enveloped, being driven straight up into the ceiling. So much energy was being ejected that Lucario was stuck there for several moments, continuously punished by the seemingly ending assault. Then, when the Bide finally dissipated, Lucario fell down onto the center of the arena.
"Lucario!" Korrina called out in worry.
Her Pokémon tried to push himself off the ground, rising to one knee while Tengu managed to climb herself out of the hole Lucario had forced her into. It certainly helped that her Bide blew away much of the sand trapping her. But it wasn't enough. Lucario briefly flashed red as the mega evolution wore off and his body returned to his normal form, then his eyes rolled to the back of his head as he fell back down, flopping hard against the sand.
"Lucario is unable to battle! The victor is Saito Hiraga and Tengu!" the referee announced. At once, Saito let out a victorious cheer while the stands erupted as well. Ōdachi was squawking happily, flapping her wings at her trainer's success, even if she didn't quite understand what he had won.
Maindo, however, could hardly believe it. His eyes were wide, and his jaw slackened slightly. This was a battle they should've lost, especially without him, yet they managed to do so regardless. Thoughts of their previous confrontation echoed across his mind, that they were stronger than him. He tried to refute it, to ignore what he had just seen and take comfort in his superiority. But now it was irrefutable. Here Saito's team took on a Mega Evolution completely without him, a Pokémon that he would've been extremely effective against, yet they didn't need him. It was a sobering thought, and he couldn't help but let out a low growl and cross his arms.
Then, as he noticed Ōdachi looking at him expectantly, he grumbled then began to clap as well. As much as he hated to admit it, Saito and his team did earn that victory. Didn't mean he had to let him know that, but as the kid smiled at him, Maindo felt he could swallow his pride for just a moment.
Maindo watched as Saito rushed down the trainer box, intending to run over to pick up his victorious Pokémon to both congratulate her and deliver much needed first aid. But, about halfway through, her body once again began to glow. It wasn't white this time, rather it was a shimmering blue. Saito and everyone else watched in amazement as Tengu's body began to shift, growing taller and forming a pair of arms and legs. When the glowing subsided, no longer was a Seedot standing her place. Instead, it was a mostly brown, bipedal Pokémon with a small green leaf poking out the top of her head. A beige mask-like marking was on her face, along with a newly formed mouth which Tengu was busy studying with one of her new hands.
Louise acted immediately and pulled out her Pokédex, which read out, "Nuzleaf, the Wily Pokémon. Using the leaf on its head as a flute, they are known to make music which strikes unease in the hearts of people lost in the dense forests they call home. Mostly solitary creatures, they occasionally like to venture out from their forest homes and scare people."
Maindo snorted in amusement at that little fact, especially as it reminded him of home. He then redirected his attention towards Saito and Tengu as the young boy began spraying her with a Full Restore.
"You know, that would've been really useful a few minutes ago," Saito pointed out with a soft chuckle. Tengu silently stared at him for a moment, then shrugged nonchalantly.
With Saito having won his match, it was time for Louise to win hers. Or at least attempt to. After seeing the power Korrina's Mega Lucario wielded, Louise wasn't blind to the very real possibility that she could lose. Saito won by the skin of his teeth, which told Louise that she would likely have to do the same. Just attempting to steamroll the competition was only going to result in failure. If she were to have any chance of victory, she had to play smart while giving it her all.
"Good luck, Louise," Derflinger said as Louise got up out of the stands. She took a deep breath and turned towards the ancient Honedge to give thanks, then stopped as she noticed Ōdachi was no longer with her. Frantically Louise looked around, trying to find the missing Pokémon, then found her sitting next to Maindo. She was jubilantly flapping her wings as Saito came up the lift. Maindo, meanwhile, kept glancing between his former trainer and Ōdachi, then noticed her staring. He narrowed his eyes and frowned slightly at her, then pointedly turned away and grabbed a chip to eat. Louise mentally kicked herself for not noticing this earlier, then scowled before walking over to pick Ōdachi up.
"Come on, Ōdachi. Let's take you to Saito," Louise insisted, gently picking Ōdachi up who squawked happily, thinking this was a game. She smiled at the infant Pokémon, then frowned at Maindo who stared right back.
'Hey, don't get mad at me because you weren't doing your job,' Maindo shot back, crossing his arms with a huff.
Louise breathed in sharply, her nostrils flaring, then she turned around and began to stomp off. Her perpetual annoyance and anger towards Maindo flared once again, covering up a pang of guilt that shot through her for letting Ōdachi wander off in the first place. Louise thanked the Founder that the baby Pokémon didn't put herself in a dangerous situation, but it was clear that Louise couldn't let that happen again. Her thoughts were then broken when Ōdachi chirped slightly. Looking down at the Skarmory, Louise saw the worry and concern written all over Ōdachi's face, and she smiled before rubbing her downy head.
"It's okay, girl," Louise soothed the baby Pokémon, who rubbed her head against Louise's hand. She then frowned and glanced at Maindo, who was pointedly turning his back to her in favor of eating out of his bag of chips.
"Listen, Ōdachi," Louise sternly began, causing Ōdachi to look up at her in confusion. With a flat look on her face, Louise held Ōdachi up at eye level, then told her, "You need to stay away from Maindo. He's a bad influence and you don't need to take after him."
Ōdachi tilted her head in confusion. From the corner of her eye, she noticed Maindo stiffen for a moment before going back to what he was doing. Louise dismissed him, then exited the stands just as Saito arrived. Handing Ōdachi over, who happily squawked and hugged her trainer tightly, Louise smiled at her friend and gave him an approving nod.
"Good job on the win," Louise said, and Saito smiled back at her before nodding as well.
"Yeah. Have to admit, towards the end there I thought I was going to lose," he replied, rubbing the back of his head. Saito then glanced down at the arena before looking back up at Louise before adding, "I don't know what Korrina has planned for you in your match. Obviously a mega evolved Fighting-type, but other than that it's hard to say."
Louise nodded, then admitted, "I know what you mean. Korrina's not likely to use the same Pokémon twice, especially since I saw how you took her down. Still, any words of advice before I go down there?"
"Keep moving," Saito answered instantly. "Spread your Pokémon out and do whatever you can to make sure they don't get hit. Just one or two good blows and they're done."
"Right," Louise nodded, agreeing with Saito's logic. "Anything else?"
"Don't focus on big, flashy attacks," Saito advised. "Whittle them down over time. Do all that, and you can win."
Louise pursed her lips, then nodded and said, "Thanks. I…I'll keep that in mind."
Saito nodded back then comfortingly patted Louise's shoulder. With that, both trainers separated, Saito heading the viewing deck while Louise stepped onto the lift and descended. Thoughts running through her mind over potential strategies, she tried to find a way to make this work while also driving down the pit in her stomach. Try as she might, though, it wouldn't go away. She knew the reason why. Both times Louise had encountered a Mega Evolution, it had ended in utter disaster with her and her friends nearly getting seriously hurt or even killed. Sure, this was a far more controlled environment, and she was certain that Korrina, of all people, had it handled, but it was hard to shake that nervousness away.
Still, Louise wasn't going to let that stop her. If anything, she was trying to use it as motivation. Motivation to finally face her fears and conquer them, to prove herself as a trainer that wouldn't be held back. Finally, as she reached the bottom steps of the arena, Louise took one last calming breath. Steeling herself, and knowing what she had to do, she briefly released her Pokémon to explain both the situation and her newly created strategy. Like her, they were also nervous, especially Auspice who had additional feelings of regret over her personal failure with the process. Part of Louise wondered if she should try again, but knew that wasn't an option right now. There was no telling where that might go. It was far too risky. Still, her Pokémon were just as determined to win as she was, if not even more so. With determined nods, Louise travelled up the steps, her Pokémon right behind her. When she reached the top, Korrina was already waiting for her, standing in her trainer box at the opposite side of the field.
"You ready?" Korrina called out, a confident smile on her face as she rested her weight on her left leg, her right hand on her hip. As Louise nodded affirmatively, her Pokémon rushed out onto the field, readying themselves for battle.
"Are you?" Louise confidently called back. Korrina laughed then shook her head in amusement.
"Oh, I'm going to make you eat those words," Korrina jokingly taunted, then pulled out a Pokéball and threw it out onto the field. "Alright, let's go! Medicham, I choose you!"
A burst of white light erupted as the Pokémon was released onto the field. When it subsided, Louise saw a humanoid, bipedal Pokémon that somewhat reminded her of the yoga practitioners she saw on TV while staying with Professor Sycamore. It's body was grey with red and yellow adornments, a red headpiece with three bulb-like extensions coming out of the sides and top was on the upper portion of its head. The bulb on the top was noticeably shorter than the others, and its red lips were puckered . Covering its legs were puffy, red pants with yellow spots on the knees, and its feet were small and pointed. Its arms were bare, outside of a single red wristband attached to its right
Pulling out her Pokédex to scan the Pokémon, it read out, "Medicham, the Meditate Pokémon. A rare combination of Fighting and Psychic, Medichams have developed a sixth sense through constant meditation and fasting. So dedicated to this, Medichams only eat once per month. Its movements are like a dance, with which it can dodge oncoming attacks or deliver devastating blows of its own."
Louise gulped then looked back up at the Medicham, which she now knew was female. She wasn't even mega evolved yet and already she was spotting problems. With Medicham being a Psychic-type, that meant using Psychic-type moves on her would be severely reduced in effectiveness. It didn't completely upend her strategy, but it certainly made it a lot more complicated and difficult to see through. Knowing that she couldn't let herself show any weakness, Louise shook her head then clenched her fist, starring Korrina down while silently urging her to continue.
Korrina merely smiled back, then repeated the same sequence of movements she used during Saito's match. As before, a bright yellow light shone out from the keystone on her hand, which shone out as well from the mega stone on the Medicham's wristband. Behind the light, Louise and her Pokémon saw Medicham's body warp and shift. When the light subsided, Louise immediately took note of the extensive changes made. Medicham's red headpiece now looked more like a white turban with a yellow stone in the center. Only the red bulb on the top of her head remained, with the two on the side replaced by five white extensions. Three came from the yellow stone, and two extended out both sides of the back of her head. Gold wristbands now appeared alongside more bold bands around its waist, with teardrop-shaped jewels hanging off the lowest band. Four ghostly arms came out from her back slowly waving back and forth in a soothing motion.
Most importantly, Louise could feel the power radiating from Mega Medicham. She thought she felt the power of a successful Mega Evolution from up in the stands, but it was almost completely different up close. It was almost suffocating, and several of her Pokémon visibly flinched or stepped back. Except for Brennaraki, who merely growled and lowered herself closer to the ground. Louise smiled at the determination of her starter, then refocused onto her opponent.
"Are both trainers ready?" the referee asked, raising his arm carrying a green flag into the air. When both Louise and Korrina responded affirmatively, he glanced one more time at both of them then brought his arm down as hard as he could.
"Match start!" he shouted.
Korrina reacted at once, ordering Mega Medicham to strike first with Psychic. Grabbing Brennaraki just as the shiny Fennekin was charging up a Flamethrower, she hurled her opponent across the entire field. Brennaraki bounced across the dirt, each impact kicking up copious amounts of sand. Eventually, Brennaraki began to skid to a stop just a few feet from the edge. She winced in pain while pushing herself up onto her feet, then a moment later Esprit teleported over and doused her with a Heal Pulse. Much of Brennaraki's injuries faded away, and she smiled at her teammate before diving right back into the fray.
Louise wasn't idle during this, ordering Aile to give everyone on her team a Tailwind having them spread out. Heeding Saito's advice, Louise focused less on big, flashy attacks in favor of quick, smaller ones. Her Pokémon would strike for a moment or two, then quickly relocate before Medicham could strike them. Esprit would blast Medicham with Psybeams or Disarming Voice whenever none of her comrades were in the crossfire, then step back to heal any injured teammates with Heal Pulse as they needed them. If more were injured at the same time, she would spread a Life Dew across her entire team, healing them all at once. Knowing just how important she was to the longevity of their team, Esprit was purposefully keeping herself in the back. If she were to get knocked out, there wouldn't be anyone else to help the others stay in the fight.
As the physically strongest of the team, Auspice was at the front, matching Medicham's punches and kicks with slashes of her horn. With her danger sense working on overdrive, Auspice was able to easily duck, bob, and weave away from Medicham's attacks before retaliating. But, at the same token, it was proving just as difficult to hit her opponent as Medicham spammed Detect or used her tremendous psychic powers to anticipate her opponents' next moves. Mostly for the others, as Auspice proved immune to such attempts thanks to her Dark-typing.
Aile bombarded Medicham from the air with Razor Winds and Flamethrowers as she flew past, acting like a fighter jet doing strafing runs. Brennaraki repeatedly attempted to scorch Medicham with Flamethrowers of her own, alongside Psybeams and Psyshock to disorient her opponent. For the most part, however, Medicham was proving to be too elusive. The only Pokémon able to consistently land a hit was Gène thanks to his constant spamming of Swift, the stars proving too fast for Medicham to dodge. Whenever he got close enough, he would also use Sand Attack to disorient her, or use Baby-Doll Eyes to reduce the strength of her attacks.
The Pokémon continued their brawl, attacks going back and forth across the arena. While Medicham spent the bulk of her attention on Auspice, occasionally she would lash out with Psychics or other special moves to strike faraway opponents like Gène or Brennaraki. One such strike hit Gène directly, making him gasp out in pain as he was sent hurtling back across the arena. The only reason why he wasn't thrown out of bounds was because Esprit managed to catch him in time. She then promptly healed him, and together they went back into the fray just as Medicham managed to land a Power-Up Punch into Auspice's rib cage. The Absol's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as she fell to her knees in agony, leaving her completely open for a second punch that drove her into the ground. Before Medicham could finish her off, she was met with two Flamethrowers to the face by both Brennaraki and Aile, stunning her long enough for Esprit to teleport in and use Heal Pulse on her.
Realizing that they weren't getting anywhere, Louise scrunched up her face and tried to think. Just like with Mega Lucario, it was obvious that Mega Medicham was far more powerful than her entire team. Unlike Korrina's previous Pokémon, though, she focused far more on graceful evasion rather than raw speed and strength. Medicham had hardly gone more than a few feet in any direction, yet that did little to help Louise's team hit their marks with only a few exceptions. They had to find a way to root her in place, but Louise didn't know how. She ground her teeth together as her team continued to fight, each blow sent their way whittling them down more and more. It was obvious that Esprit was the only reason why they were still standing, and that wouldn't last forever.
Then, like a candle being lit, Louise had an idea. She turned towards her starter and shouted, "Brennaraki, hold back and wait for my signal!"
Brennaraki complied immediately, rushing back towards Louise's trainer box while the others continued to attack. Once again, Auspice was back in the fray, drawing most of Medicham's fire to give the others the slightest chance of actually making contact. As before, most were missing, and most of the ones who did only happened after Medicham took a swing at Auspice.
"Brennaraki, as soon as Medicham attacks Auspice, use Will-O-Wisp," Louise spoke softly, allowing the cacophony of battle to mask her words. Brennaraki managed to hear her perfectly, though, then nodded resolutely.
Hoping that Auspice would be able to keep up her evasion for just a little while longer, Louise turned towards her Pokémon as she was clashing her horn against Medicham's fists to deflect them. She was about to do so again as Medicham reared back another Power-Up Punch, and Louise took her chance.
"Brennaraki, now!" Louise shouted just as Auspice barely dodged the thrown punch, a few hairs being ripped out. Using her split-second window, Brennaraki shoot a ghostly ball of green fire that twirled through the air in a spiral. Realizing that Louise was doing, Medicham tried to dodge, but a timely strike of Gène's Swift made her flinch, allowing the Will-O-Wisp to make contact.
At once, a gnarly burn emerged on Medicham, traveling down from her left shoulder to her upper stomach. She cried out in pain and clutched the wound just as the rest of Louise's Pokémon launched attacks of their own. Medicham was struck by a Razor Wind to the back alongside another barrage of Swift before she was able to recover and jump out of the way, dodging a Psyshock from Brennaraki. Auspice even got in on the action, slashing at Medicham's back with Night Slash before the pain of her earlier hits forced her to stumble back. Esprit, in taking advantage of the momentary respite, moved over to Auspice and quickly healed her.
"Good job, girl!" Louise congratulated, hollering at the top of her lungs. Auspice turned her head towards Louise and smiled at her while nodding, then dove right back into the fray. Louise nodded back, then shifted her attention towards the rest of her Pokémon.
Glancing up at Aile as she swooped down, Louise shouted, "Gène, hop on top of Aile!"
Heeding to her commands, Aile flew down and banked up just before hitting the ground. As she passed by Gène, the Eevee jumped onto her back. He hung onto her as tightly as he could as the Fletchinder flew upward. Once she reached the top of her arc, she angled herself slightly, giving Gène a prime vantage point over the battlefield. Knowing what his trainer wanted, Gène began firing an unending barrage of Swift, the golden stars raining down on the weakened Mega Medicham.
Louise smiled to herself and pumped her fist, happy that things appeared to now be turning her way. They weren't out of the woods yet, obviously, but they were in a much better position now than they were a few minutes ago. As the battle continued, Medicham doubled her efforts, realizing now that her time was limited. Every few moves, specially with her left shoulder, causing her visible anguish yet she powered through. Bobbing and weaving through the hail of attacks sent her way, she was unrelenting and uncompromising. Fists were thrown, legs were kicked, nothing was off the table. Yet, with her Pokémon continuing to dodge and evade, with Esprit healing their injuries, Louise was confident that they would be able to wait this out and clinch her the victory.
That confidence was shattered when Medicham took a momentary pause after using Detect to dodge all of her Pokémon's attacks at once. Then she balanced herself on one foot, bringing her hands together and closed her eyes as she used Calm Mind. A brief shimmer flashed over her body, and when she opened her eyes there was this unbridled focus in them. Even as the burn flared on her body, Medicham didn't so much as flinch.
A moment later, Medicham jumped up and delivered a Thunder Punch into Aile as she passed back. Unable to dodge, Aile screamed in pain as electricity shot through her body, some of it going into Gène and sending him stumbling off where he fell hard against the dirt. Following up her attack with a Zen Headbutt, Aile was driven right down onto Gène as he tried pushing himself up, kicking up a cloud of dirt and sand that consumed both Pokémon.
Unable to see them, Louise futilely called out for her Pokémon while Medicham continued her relentless assault. Working against the clock as her burn slowly did her in, Medicham waited for Esprit to teleport in to heal Aile and Gène before lifting her up with Psychic. With a snarl, Medicham brought Esprit towards her before grasping her tightly in her arms. Medicham's head glowed bright purple, and Esprit's eyes barely had time to widen before her opponent repeatedly used Zen Headbutt against her. After the fifth attack, Esprit was in a daze, her head swiveling around before Medicham sent her flying back into Brennaraki with another Psychic. Brennaraki let out a yelp as she was bowled over, but while she was able to push herself up, Esprit remained motionless.
"Esprit is unable to battle!" the referee announced, and Louise's heart sank. It sank even further when the referee followed up the proclamation with a similar announcement for Aile. Gène was still conscious, albeit trying to dig himself free from underneath Aile, but that did little to help as Medicham moved her attack onto Auspice herself.
While the Absol was able to put up a better fight than the others, a well-timed High Jump Kick was all it took to take her out of the fight as the powerful blow sent her flying into the concrete barrier wall with enough force to leave a crack. Auspice slumped down onto the ground and Medicham stared her down for a moment while breathing heavily. Then, without even turning her head, she dodged a Flamethrower from Brennaraki, who was growling and yipping defiantly.
Glaring at each other, with Medicham wincing slightly as the burn continued to ravage her strength, the two Pokémon charged towards each other. Boosting her speed with a Flame Charge, Brennaraki managed to land a hit on Medicham's chest. Bouncing off, she followed up with a Fire Spin, consuming the Mega Evolution in a spiraling column of fire. Yet her opponent merely leapt out of the Fire Spin with nothing more than a few scorch marks for her trouble. Rather than dodge, Brennaraki snarled and stuck again with Psyshock, which made Medicham stumble slightly when she landed on the ground. Yet the experienced Pokémon was able to easily recover and followed up several Force Palms as she closed the distance. Each blow sent Brennaraki reeling, and just as she was about to fall over she attacked one last time with a Flamethrower directly into Medicham's burned shoulder. This time, her opponent let out a scream of pain, and with a snarl she used Psychic to throw Brennaraki into the concrete wall.
Horrified at just how quickly things turned around, Louise could only watch as the winded Medicham turned towards her last Pokémon. Gène looked around, spotting all of his teammates who were knocked unconscious. He gulped and took a step back back nervously as Medicham reared up to deliver the final blow, then he locked his with Louise's. A silent exchange went between them, and so the Eevee steeled himself, took a deep breath, and hunkered down. Watching this, Louise took a few deep breaths of her own. After everything they've been through, Louise couldn't let herself give up now. Her Pokémon deserved that much.
"Alright, Medicham! Finish this off with High Jump Kick!" Korrina ordered. Medicham did as instructed, taking off into a sprint before jumping across nearly half of the arena with her foot extended.
"Baby-Doll Eyes!" Louise ordered immediately ordered.
Giving as cute of a face as he could muster, Gène assaulted Medicham with the Fairy-type attack. While in mid-air, Medicham faltered while feeling her strength leave her with each passing moment, but it wasn't enough to prevent her making contact. The powerful blow sent Gène skidding across the ground, coming to a stop a few feet before the edge of the field.
Gasping and bringing her hand up to her mouth, Louise watched as Gène laid there unmoving. After a few moments, the referee prepared to call it, with Korrina giving Louise sympathetic looks, before the Eevee suddenly began to stir. Ever so slowly, he pushed himself shakily off the ground, then turned to defiantly growl at Medicham despite his injuries. Louise felt her spirits rise as Korrina and Medicham looked upon Gène in shock. Then both nodding approvingly at the opponent before moving to finish him off.
Before they could, however, Medicham flinched and gasped in pain while clutching her burn. It took a moment for Louise to think, then she realized that her High Jump Kick had stretched her burned flesh. Enough to where she wasn't able to ignore it and fight through the pain. Medicham was now breathing heavily, her eyes clenched as tears pooled at their corners and unable to do much else. Realizing that now she had a chance, Louise turned towards Gène just as he looked to her for direction.
"Gène, use Copycat!" Louise ordered.
Gène nodded in acceptance, then his body shimmered with a bright blue aura. His eyes flickered as he recalled exactly how Medicham used her previous move, and with a running start he charged towards the pained Pokémon. Jumping up into the air, he maneuvered himself to where he was angled back-feet first in an approximation of the High Jump Kick that Medicham had just used on him. Louise felt it looked somewhat humorous, but let out a jubilant cheer regardless as Gène's copied attack struck Medicham's chin.
The attack sent the larger Pokémon rearing back, and she flipped a few times before falling hard onto her back. Dirt and sand was kicked up, and Gène stood atop her chest with a defiant growl. Medicham attempted to push herself off the ground, to finish the fight, but the strain was too much. A moment later, her body pulsed red as the Mega Evolution wore off, then her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she slipped into unconsciousness.
"Medicham is unable to battle! Louise Vallière and Gène are the winners!" the referee announced.
Letting out a jubilant cheer, Louise rushed out of the trainer's box towards Gène, who was rushing towards her himself. As Gène leapt into her arms, she hugged him tightly and spun him around. When they were done, she held him away slightly to look him straight in the eyes. While he was winded and breathing heavily, a victorious smile was on his face.
"Good job, Gène," Louise said, then gave her Pokémon one last hug. Behind her, she heard Korrina return her defeated Pokémon, prompting Louise to gently place Gène on the ground before doing the same with her own, including him.
"Well done, Louise," Korrina declared, giving her victorious opponent a smile. Louise smiled back, and the two waited for a few minutes in comfortable silence as Saito and Derflinger got onto the lift and traveled back down to meet them. Once Saito rejoined them, Louise smiled at her friend who returned the gesture before turning back towards the Gym Leader.
"Saito Hiraga, Louise Vallière, the two of you stepped into the ring today not knowing what to expect," Korrina began as she pulled out a metallic case. "Each were faced with seemingly insurmountable odds, yet despite that you both persevered and emerged victorious. Not through pure strength, but through cunning and strategy. That is what truly makes a good trainer. Anyone can be strong, but a weaker opponent knowing just where to hit and when can completely change the game. That's what you and your Pokémon did. You recognized your weaknesses, and rather than ignore them you acknowledged what they were and acted accordingly, beating a Mega Evolution without one of your own. Most trainers can't say the same. You should both consider yourselves to be part of a small and exclusive group."
Korrina opened the case, revealing two small metal badges. They were shaped like a pair of boxing gloves, their fists facing each other. One was a glossy orange, the other a dull grey.
"I present to both of you the Rumble Badge," Korrina declared as Saito and Louise gently took the badges. Smiling at both of them, she then pulled out a disk and added, "Here, take this TM. It'll teach your Pokémon Power-Up Punch. After our battle, I think you can find some uses for that move."
"I can already think of one," Saito admitted, his eyes glancing towards Tanuki's Pokéball. Korrina nodded back, then snapped her fingers.
"Oh, and one more thing. Grandpa wanted me to give you this after you won," Korrina said. Something about the way she said that made Louise raise an eyebrow.
"Guru Gurkinn thought you were going to lose?" Louise asked, but Korrina brushed it off.
"Nah, at least not this time. He and I figured it would take a few attempts for you to pull it off," Korrina admitted, then pulled out another metallic case.
Opening it up, Louise and Saito gasped as they beheld two sparkling gemstones. It was predominantly pink, but with hints of green, white, and yellow mixed in to form an ethereal glow. On its face was a black marking that looked like a strand of DNA, one that told them exactly what this is.
"These…these are keystones," Saito declared, and Korrina smiled while nodding.
"Mm-hmm," Korrina hummed affirmatively. "I know neither of you are ready for Mega Evolution just yet, but when you are…feel free to use these. Almost gave you mega rings to go with it, but I figured you guys might want to put them into something else. People put keystones in all sorts of places these days. Necklaces, gloves, earrings. I even saw one guy put his on the tip of his umbrella, so you guys can do whatever you want."
"I…We…We can't accept this," Louise said, trying to push the offered gift away, but Korrina shook her head while pushing it back towards them.
"No takebacks, sorry. Grandpa was quite insistent. You know how old people are," Korrina joked, then winced and rubbed the back of her head. "Oh, I just know I'm gonna get it for that remark…"
"It's not wrong, though," Derflinger pointed out in a jovial tone. Looking up at the Honedge for a moment, Louise turned back towards the keystones. With a gulp, Louise shakily yet gently took one, with Saito following her lead and grabbing the other.
"Thank you, Korrina," Louise told her, her voice dripping with sincerity. Korrina smiled back then flashed a thumbs up.
"Don't worry about it. Good luck at the Pokémon League, you two. I'll be rooting for ya," Korrina declared.
Taking that as their cue, both Saito and Louise said their goodbyes and waved at her before leaving the Pokémon Gym. Heading straight towards the Pokémon Center, Saito and Louise couldn't help but stare into the keystones they were given. Saito was holding his up to the sky, pinched between his fingers, while Louise was gently holding hers in her hands.
"I have to admit, didn't think we'd get this," Saito stated, marveling at the gemstone. "I mean, getting a keystone from the Mega Evolution Guru is a really big deal. He only gives those out if he trusts you to handle them responsibly. Most have to get them somewhere else or find them on their own."
"I know what you mean," Louise replied, still finding it hard to believe that she was given one. Not just because of the honor behind the gesture, but because of the circumstances that led them to their meeting with Gurkinn in the first place.
She understood the gesture immediately. By giving them, by giving her, a keystone, Gurkinn was not only telling them that he trusted them to use Mega Evolution responsibly, but he was also telling them that he believed they would eventually be able to get to that point regardless of whatever troubles they faced before. It was a tremendous token, one that Louise could only hope to live up to.
"So," Saito began, putting his keystone away. "After we drop our Pokémon off at the Pokémon Center, I'm thinking we could go out to celebrate. How's ice cream sound to you?"
"Ooh, that sounds great!" Louise happily replied, clenching her hand tightly around the keystone. "I saw a neat little parlor not too far from there. We could—"
Louise paused midsentence as a strange sensation overcame her. One moment, she was walking down a paved walkway, the next she couldn't quite understand where she was. She felt as though something, or someone, was pulling her away, but she didn't know where. Then, just as soon as it came the sensation passed, and everything seemed as though nothing happened.
"Louise? Louise, you okay?" Saito asked, looking at her in deep concern.
"Huh, wha?" Louise muttered, unsure of what was going on.
"You alright, Pinky? You kinda spaced out for a moment there," Derflinger replied, causing Louise to shoot her head back.
"I did?" Louise asked, and both Saito and Derflinger nodded. They looked at each other, concerned over Louise's odd behavior, then Saito turned back towards his best friend with a raised eyebrow.
"Yeah, you did. What happened?" Saito gently asked. Louise looked at him for a moment, then rubbed her arms slightly.
"I…I don't know," she truthfully answered. "It…felt like someone was pulling me. Lasted for like a second, though."
"'Pull?'" Saito repeated. Lowering his voice, he asked, "Are…you going to be okay?"
Louise looked at her friend, and after a moment she nodded then replied, "I…yes, I think I'm good. Whatever it was, it's gone now."
"Hmm," Saito hummed, not entirely certain. None of them were, but rather than dwell on uncomfortable topics both trainers decided to move on.
They quickly picked up the pace and made their way down the hill towards the Pokémon Center, leaving Derflinger behind for a moment. He was staring off into space, trying to wrap his head around what Louise felt. After a moment, he looked back at her then up at the nearest cloud. Derflinger narrowed his eye suspiciously, knowing that something was afoot but not what. He wasn't certain if he liked it or not. Either way, he supposed it was out of his control now. Someone else took care of whatever was trying to pull Louise away.
With the matter resolved for now, Derflinger floated back towards Saito and Louise, letting himself grow content once more.
[~][~]
Hello, everyone! Here's the latest chapter of Outsiders! Our longest one yet, even. Thanks thanks to Darwin Candidate and Yuri Vampire for their help in bringing this chapter to life.
Saito and Louise both have their third gym badges in tow, and now they're ready to move on to the next. But what created that pulling sensation that Louise felt? You guys are going to have to wait to find out, but I think you all are really going to like the next few episodes.
Let us know what you think, and if you have a TV Tropes profile any assistance you guys can offer would be greatly appreciated. Let us know what you think!
