AN:

How's it going, everyone? Author-san here, back for another chapter for you to enjoy!

Before we get into it, a small disclaimer: I don't own anything. Pokémon belongs GameFreak & Co.

That's it; enjoy the chapter!


Lance and Diantha took their places on the battlefield, the crowd going wild with excitement. The previous match had left the audience craving more epic battles! It made sense; this match's winner would face Leon in the semifinals!

Lance brimmed with confidence. He waved his arm to the side. "The time has come! Trainers of Kanto! Trainers of Johto! Bear witness to my battle!" He pointed at Diantha. "And to you, Diantha! As a dragon tamer, may this battle be one my dragon brigade can be proud of!"

"You've said it well!" She clasped her hands together. "We are linked together by pokémon and by this battle!" She moved her hands to her chest. "I, too, shoulder hopes and dream. Those of the trainers of Kalos!"

She outstretched her arm towards him. "Lance, you and your pokémon, how marvellously will they shine? I can't wait to find out!"

Lance grinned. "Then let us begin!"

The crowd cheered, fired up by the champions' speeches.

The referee repeated the same rules from the last match: three-on-three, one gimmick each, and one held item each excluding mega stones. He then asked for both battlers to send out their first pokémon.

Lance and Diantha prepared their pokéballs.

"Three! Two! One! Go!"

Lance pitched his pokéball. "Head forth!"

Diantha lobbed hers gracefully. "Come on out!"

Out of Lance's pokéball came his red gyarados, who roared a mighty bellow. Diantha's pokéball released her elegant aurorus, whose fins waved enchantingly. Gyarados gave her an intimidating glare, which made her cower backwards.

"Let the battle begin!"

Lance punched the air. "Gyarados, Aqua Tail!"

"Aurorus, use Reflect!"

Gyarados slammed his tail into the ground; water spun itself into a miniature waterspout around it. He rushed in, lashing out with his tail. Aurorus brought up her front paws and focused her psionic energy; a rainbow barrier materialized in front of her, just in time to block Gyarados' tail. The physical barrier absorbed some damage, but the force was still enough to send her skidding back.

"Hmph. Setting up walls?" Lance raised his gyarados' pokéball and returned him. he then threw his second pokéball. "Take over, Dragonite!"

The dragon-flying pokémon let loose a resounding roar. He adjusted his assault vest and shot a resolute glare at his opponent, standing ready for battle.

"Dragonite, give 'em a taste of your power! Twister!"

Dragonite bellowed, then leapt in the air, staying afloat. He swung his arm in an arc, launching a tornado of draconic energy at Aurorus.

"Light Screen!"

Once again, Aurorus rose to her hind legs. She trilled, summoning eight translucent screens, each brimming with psychic energy. The incoming tornado passed through them, losing its vigour before it slammed into Aurorus. She skidded back a few paces but otherwise seemed fine.

Lance frowned. Eight screens? Then that aurorus must be holding a light-clay. "Hmph. It doesn't matter how strong you make your screens, I will bring them down!"

"We'll see." Diantha snapped her fingers. "Let's put on some pressure, Aurorus! Blizzard!"

"Endure it, Dragonite!"

Dragonite dropped to the ground and put his arms in front of his face, bracing himself as Aurorus exhaled a heavy plume of sub-zero air. The cold wind assaulted him, biting his scales. His assault vest and body lit up with a ruby light and an orange light respectively. Dragonite felt his toughness increase as he kept holding on. Bits of his body started to freeze over.

Aurorus soon ran out of breath and halted her move. Dragonite's body was shivering, but his eyes burned with resolution. He bellowed, breaking the ice that covered his body.

Diantha smiled. "Bravo."

"My dragonite is a cut above the rest when it comes to endurance!" Lance splayed his hand. "Body Press!"

"Rock Slide!"

Via her vocals, Aurorus conjured boulders. Just as she prepared to fling them, an image of Gyarados' glare flashed in her mind, causing to her briefly waver. She threw her projectiles, albeit half-heartedly. They flew straight at Dragonite and cracked against his belly, seemingly doing no damage.

Dragonite closed the rest of the gap, slamming into the physical barrier and the pokémon that hid behind it. Aurorus skidded back on the ground; this time, she lost her balance.

"Aurorus!" came Diantha's worried cry.

The ice-rock pokémon staggered to her paws, breathing heavily.

Diantha returned Aurorus. "Please rest for now." She faced Lance. To put her on the backfoot despite her defensive play... She smiled. Lance was a respectable and powerful opponent.

She tossed her next pokéball. "Gourgeist, I'm counting on you!"

The pumpkin pokémon came out of his ball, flourishing. He bounced repeatedly, warming himself up.

Dragonite anchored himself expectantly.

"Gourgeist…" Diantha did a twirl. "Trick-or-Treat!"

Gourgeist engaged in an off-key song; her pumpkin-shaped lower body glowed, launching ghostly wisps. They assaulted Dragonite, who cringed as his skin itched. Dragonite's body started glowing a faint purple, emanating the same ghostly wisps.

Lance tched. "Dragonite, strike it down before it can do anything! Ice Beam!"

Dragonite opened his maw and charged up a ball of ice energy. He aimed and fired right at Gourgeist, who phased into the ground before it hit him. Shaking off his initial surprise, Dragonite tensed, his eyes darting about for a sign of his opponent.

Upon hearing his trainer's alert, he turned around and fired another beam of chilling energy. Gourgeist ducked back into a shadowy portal and reappeared at his flank. She slapped his side with enough force to send Dragonite tumbling.

He staggered back to his feet; he clutched his side, wincing. The dragon-flying pokémon shot Gourgeist a pained glare. That attack shouldn't have hurt as much as it did.

"Dragonite, return."

He nodded, disappearing into his domain.

As he switched pokéballs, Lance said, "If you think finesse will be enough to defeat me, think again! Gyarados, come on out!"

As soon as he hit the field, the water-flying pokémon glared at Gourgeist, making him shrink back in fear.

Lance smirked. "Let's see you deal with this!"

Diantha hummed. "Very well. Gourgeist, one more Trick-or-Treat!"

"Gyarados, dodge, then use Ice Fang!"

Gyarados slithered, twisted, and turned, evading the ghost-shaped wisps as they came close. Once in range, his fangs glowed and gained an ice coating. He bit down on Gourgeist; the physical barrier blocked some damage and Gourgeist went rolling. Moreover, Gyarados' attack put a small crack in the physical barrier.

"Keep it up! Dragon Pulse!"

"Shadow Sneak!"

Gyarados charged up his attack, producing a sphere of dragonfire. Just when he was about to release it, Gourgeist's elongated shadow struck his flank; his aim got thrown off and his Dragon Pulse went wide. He recovered, ignoring the stinging pain of his opponent's attack. His trainer commanded him to use Aqua Tail, so he charged it up and closed in. However, Gourgeist dived into the shadows, making him swing his tail at nothing.

Gyarados' gaze darted about with full alertness, trying to locate his opponent.

"Gyarados, behind you! Protect!"

Gyarados twisted around, his head fin glowing. A shimmering, green barrier blocked Gourgeist's attempted strike. Capitalizing on the opportunity, Gyarados bashed Gourgeist's side with an Aqua Tail. Again, the physical barrier blocked the hit, gaining more cracks in the process. Gourgeist went flying and tumbling but eventually recovered.

"So you've got defensive techniques of your own?" Diantha spoke more of a statement than a question.

"The more time passes, the weaker your screens get." Lance's face hardened. "I'll bide my time when necessary."

"I suppose I should finish this quickly, then. Gourgeist, use Confuse Ray!"

"Stop it with Dragon Pulse!"

Gyarados let loose a pulse of draconic energy. It passed through the special barrier; three of its layers shattered completely while the others cracked. Slowed down and weakened, the attack didn't hit Gourgeist in time to stop him from launching countless orbs of varying colours. They circled Gyarados before closing in on him.

While Gourgeist reeled from Dragon Pulse's impact, Gyarados found himself disoriented. His world spun, rendering him unable to find his balance. His vision was a blend of colours, ever-changing. A thousand voices rang in his mind, and yet he heard nothing at all.

Confused, Gyarados slapped himself with his tail repeatedly.

Lance gritted his teeth. "Gyarados, return!" His momentum was slipping; what a troublesome pokémon. "Hydreigon, let's go!"

The pokéball opened up and, in a flash of light, released the dark dragon, who unfurled his wings, roaring. He shot his opponent a contempt glare.

"A hydreigon?" Diantha mused. "I have a strategy for that, too."

Lance grinned. "You'll have to pardon me, but I'm calling your bluff!" He motioned with his arm. "Dragon Dance!"

"Gourgeist, one more Trick-or-Treat!"

Hydreigon started twirling with surprising grace, boosting his speed and power. As soon as he finished, ghostly silhouettes permeated his skin; he shuddered as prickles coursed through his body. He shook it off and surrounded himself with blue, draconic energy. Roaring, he swooped down.

"Gourgeist, Phantom Force!"

Gourgeist lowered himself into a shadowy portal, but not quickly enough — Hydreigon slammed into him, completely shattering Reflect's physical barrier. Gourgeist went flying a few paces, periodically bouncing on the ground.

"Gourgeist, pick yourself up! Use Shadow Sneak!"

Gourgeist picked himself up, but something was wrong. He was cowering and frozen in place, unable to act upon Diantha's command.

Hydreigon sneered. His "opponent" had flinched that easily? Pathetic.

Lance smirked. "Alright! Hydreigon, Dragon Dance again!"

Hydreigon danced and twirled through the air, boosting himself again.

"Gourgeist, shake it off! Shadow Sneak!" Diantha's voice betrayed a hint of nervousness.

Taking a deep breath, Gourgeist slapped his cheeks and summoned all his courage. No longer flinching, the ghost pokémon's shadow elongated and snaked across the ground. Once it was below Hydreigon, it swerved up and struck him.

… Or at least, it would have had Hydreigon not moved out of the way skyward.

Lance clenched his fist triumphantly. "It's over! Hydreigon, finish him with a Crunch barrage!"

Hydreigon swerved back down and around to loom over Gourgeist. His prey tensed up, launching a barrage of wisps of varying colours. Hydreigon effortlessly dodged around the Confuse Ray, flashing a menacing grin afterwards.

Hydreigon's left head bit down on his prey's shoulder, who vocalized its pain in soprano. Then, his right arm joined the fun, biting its other shoulder; his prey's voice raised an octave. Finally, Hydreigon's main head bit down on his prey's neck. All three of his maws lit up with dark energy.

An explosion rang about, sending Gourgeist flying. He hit the ground, smoking and no longer moving.

"Gourgeist is unable to battle!"

"Great work, Hydreigon!" While he roared in approval, Lance grabbed Dragonite's and Gyarados' pokéballs. "And thank you as well; we owe this victory to your contribution."

Diantha recalled her gourgeist. "Thank you; you were wonderful."

She took out her third pokéball. It twinkled before she tossed it. "It's your time to shine, Gardevoir!"

The psychic-fairy pokémon made an elegant entrance. She observed her opponent, unfazed by his mocking snickering.

Lance braced himself. "I've been waiting for you, Gardevoir!"

Diantha put a hand on her chest. "Then let us show you our greatest performance!" She spread her arms wide, revealing her key stone pendant. She grasped it. "Gardevoir, Mega Evolve!"

Her key stone glowed and emitted threads of golden light. Gardevoir's key stone reacted, unleashing blue threads of energy. The two threads connected, shining ever brighter and turning golden.

Gardevoir gave an elongated cry as rainbow light encompassed her form. Her gown changed shape, growing longer and wider like a bride's. The fin-like horn on her chest split into two, extending to either side. Her facial spikes curled upwards. Her hair tightened, curling in on itself.

The light dispelled to reveal Mega Gardevoir in all her glory.

Diantha swung her arm. "Moonblast!"

Gardevoir raised her arms to the sky. Though invisible, the moon's strength was always present; she charged up a ball of pink energy and flung it telekinetically. Hydreigon dodged with no difficulty. He went on the offensive, his tail lighting up with steel energy. She ducked and weaved around him, keeping some distance between them so Hydreigon couldn't strike her.

Lance watched with clenched teeth. Two Dragon Dances. And his hydreigon's speed was only equal to Diantha's mega gardevoir's.

"Thunderbolt!"

"Dodge! Then get in close!"

Bolts of lightning fired out of Gardevoir, whose body sparked with electricity. Hydreigon flew around them all, but she fired the bolts in a way that kept him at bay. He snorted, displeased with his opponent's cowardly tactics.

Lance clenched his fist. "You won't keep me away! Hydreigon, push through with Dragon Rush!"

Blue energy swirled around Hydreigon as he roared. Pushing through the lightning, he found an opening and approached Gardevoir, arms outstretched with the maws wide open. She brought her hands close to her chest, producing a multicoloured flame. Once chucked, it split into multiple smaller wisps and smacked Hydreigon's belly. A burning pain flared up where he was struck, making him cringe, but he didn't back down, biting down on Gardevoir with his three maws.

He detonated the dark energy, sending Gardevoir flying. She stuck her landing, not looking too fazed. Hydreigon yelped in pain as flames suddenly engulfed him.

"And that takes care of that," Diantha said.

Lance clenched his fists. "This isn't over yet! Hydreigon! Dragon Dance!"

Although less graceful than before, Hydreigon increased his speed and offensive capabilities with another sequence of dance moves.

"Gardevoir! Thunderbolt!"

"Dodge it!"

Gardevoir's body lit up with sparks and electricity. Numerous lightning bolts flew out of her, all aimed at Hydreigon, who dodged them with incredible ease.

"Hmph. look at yourself." Lance pointed at Diantha. "You may have hampered my hydreigon's attack, but its speed is still far too much for you to handle!"

Diantha shook her head, smiling. "That speed of yours is what will be your undoing." She motioned with her arm. "Gardevoir, use Psychic! Trap Hydreigon within your lightning!"

"What‽"

The mega gardevoir's eyes glowed a pink hue and she raised her arms. Her lightning arcs got surrounded with the same psychic hue; they swerved into the sky and came back down, trapping Hydreigon.

The levitating dragon stayed put in the relatively spacious area he found himself in. He snarled. Cheap trick after cheap trick. Were this a fair fight, it'd be over a millennium ago!

Just then, a lightning bolt shot out from the edges of the makeshift cage. Hydreigon jerked out of the way but ended up overshooting; he slammed into the edge of the cage. Immediately, volts coursed through his system, and he gritted his teeth as his muscles spasmed uncontrollably. It didn't help that his status condition acted up again, dousing his body in flames. To put the cherry on top, Gardevoir made all the lightning bolts converge on the dragon, earning a roared pain from him.

An explosion rang out; smoke covered the field and the two combatting pokémon.

A few seconds later, the smoke parted, revealing a singed and frazzled-looking hydreigon, glaring daggers at the calm and composed mega gardevoir. Hydreigon couldn't take it. This utter...scum had been humiliating him at every opportunity!

Gardevoir raised her hands, charging up a Moonblast.

Hydreigon snarled. No. This ended now. He flew in, his tail lighting up. He would not let himself lose like this. He would achieve victory, even if he had to resort to—

Just when he was about to dodge Gardevoir's Moonblast, his burn flared up, freezing him in place as he yelped. The Moonblast slammed into his gut. Grunting in vain, he tried his best to hold out as the ball expanded and eventually engulfed him.

If he had a single regret for the events that had transpired in this battle, it was this humiliating defeat.

There was a massive explosion that sent glitter particles flying everywhere. After the smoke cleared, the referee flew down to inspect Hydreigon's unconscious form. "Hydreigon is unable to battle!"

The crowd went wild.

Lance returned Hydreigon. "You fought well." He switched to another pokéball. "Let's do it, Gyarados!"

The red gyarados gave a mighty bellow as he exited his pokéball.

Diantha recalled Gardevoir and switched pokéballs. "Come out, Aurorus!"

After she had emerged from her pokéball, the ice-rock pokémon snorted frost particles. She shrank back, intimidated by Gyarados looming over her.

"Tch. I'm having a sense of déjà vu, here," Lance said. "Aqua Tail!"

"Reflect!"

Gyarados lashed out, his tail wrapped in a waterspout. It got blocked by Aurorus' hastily summoned physical barrier, reducing its power. Aurorus' paws skidded on the floor; she came to a stop, her composure wavering.

"Aurorus, use Rock Slide!"

"Dragon Pulse!"

Aurorus pooled her strength, launching summoned rocks at her opponent. Gyarados' maw lit up with an indigo light; he fired a mighty Dragon Pulse, shattering the incoming rocks. Some managed to get through and hit him, but he seemed to shrug off the pain.

Intimidate is something, alright. "Aurorus, try using Blizzard!"

"Not a chance! Gyarados, use Protect!"

Taking a deep breath, Aurorus exhaled a thick plume of freezing wind. However, it uselessly struck against Gyarados' potent barrier. After a few seconds, Aurorus had to halt her attack to catch her breath.

Lance grinned. "We'll be finishing this, now! Aqua Tail!"

Diantha gulped. "Light Screen!"

Once again, Gyarados lashed out, his tail swirling with water. Aurorus summoned an octo-layered special barrier, then got hit by Gyarados. Even with Reflect's protection, Aurorus found her stamina waning; she slumped to the ground after a bout of tottering.

"Aurorus is unable to battle!"

Diantha recalled her fainted pokémon. "You did great. Thank you." She tossed her final pokéball. "Your stage is set, Gardevoir!"

The pokéball released the mega-evolved gardevoir, who stood ready for battle.

Lance motioned. "Gyarados! Use Ice Fang!"

Gyarados lunged, his fangs coated in ice. He attempted to bite down on Gardevoir, but she dodged out of the way. Gyarados followed in quick pursuit, never managing to land a strike. Gardevoir was, simply put, too nimble.

"Gardevoir, use Thunderbolt!"

Gardevoir jumped in the air, her body sparking with electricity. A powerful bolt of lightning rocketed out. Gyarados' head fin lit up, and a green barrier blocked the lethal attack. Gardevoir followed up her offence, producing a small flame; its colour was a swirl of different hues. Chucking it, it separated into smaller wisps. Gyarados bashed them away with his Aqua Tail, then closed in. In his relentless assault, he managed to land a few strikes. They were all blocked by Reflect, reducing the effectiveness of his strikes but leaving small cracks in the physical barrier. His last strike sent Gardevoir rolling and crying out in pain.

"Keep it up! Ice Fang!"

"Stop him! Use Psychic!"

Gardevoir righted herself to see Gyarados' approaching form, ready to bite down with his fangs. Her eyes glowed pink; she thrust her arms at Gyarados, whose body glowed the same pinkish hue as his momentum completely halted. He was centimetres from her face.

She moved her arms around, manipulating Gyarados' serpentine body until she had tied him into a knot. Then, she slammed him down into the ground.

"Gardevoir..." Diantha swung her arm, smiling. "Thunderbolt!"

Sparks gradually built up in Gardevoir's body. Once the voltage reached its apex, she unleashed a mighty bolt of lightning at Gyarados, who roared in pain throughout.

Once Gardevoir halted her attack, the water-flying pokémon slumped into unconsciousness.

"Gyarados is unable to battle!"

Lance returned Gyarados. "You fought well. Leave the rest to Dragonite and I."

In the blink of an eye, Diantha had equalized the match. A formidable opponent you are, Diantha. Lance threw his final pokéball. "Come out!"

Dragonite emerged from his pokéball, giving a loud bellow before he stomped the ground. He anchored himself in a battle-ready position, adjusting his assault vest.

"Dragonite, Lance said. "We have yet to demonstrate all that we can do!"

Looking back at his trainer, Dragonite agreed with a snort.

Smirking, Lance recalled him to his pokéball, then lifted it. "Here goes, Dragonite!" He activated his Dynamax band, causing the pokéball to expand to multiple times its original size. He chucked the enlarged pokéball. "Dynamax!"

The pokéball exploded with bright flashes of lights. The sky darkened, covering the stadium in an ominous purple hue. Purple lightning struck Dragonite; it felt empowering. He tensed his body as it suddenly underwent massive growth spurts.

Once his form stabilized, he towered over the stadium. His roar made the ground vibrate.

Lance pointed at Diantha. "Let's see if your gardevoir topple my dragonite, now!"

Diantha had her eyes closed. "He may be bulkier, but can he still withstand my fairy moves?" Opening her eyes, she splayed her arms wide and high. "Moonblast!"

"Max Hailstorm!"

Hands up in the air like she just didn't care, Gardevoir began charging up her attack. Dragonite roared, summoning giant chunks of ice to rain from above. She moved in, leaping from ice chunk to ice chunk to gain more height.

On her final jump, she reached Dragonite's head's height, and she hurled her Moonblast. Dragonite caught it in his arms, his gigantic frame rocking from the blow. It started to expand, trying to engulf Dragonite. He snarled, crushing the attack in his claws before it could do so. He glared down at Gardevoir, who had floated back down with her psychic power.

Hail started peppering the battlefield, causing damage on both sides. Dragonite shrugged it off while Gardevoir visibly cringed.

Diantha couldn't hide some nervousness. "Quite a risk you're taking there. Are you that confident in your dragonite's abilities?"

Lance only smiled. "Take this! Max Strike!"

Slowly, Dragonite raised a foot and slammed it into the ground, which shivered under the impact. A fissure of energy rose out of the ground and snaked across it; it exploded under Gardevoir's feet, unleashing a wave of pure energy. The physical barrier shattered, and Gardevoir got engulfed. Once the attack ended, Gardevoir staggered to her knees, breathing heavily. Blue particles flowed down around her; a sense of heaviness overtook her.

"Please hold on, Gardevoir! Moonblast!"

"Slam it away!"

Gardevoir recovered quickly enough and fired a Moonblast. Dragonite stomped on the ground, repositioning himself to swing his tail in a wide arc. It struck the Moonblast, redirecting it sideways, where it exploded against the barrier protecting the spectators.

Gardevoir winced as more hail peppered her skin.

"Move in, Gardevoir! Use Psychic to boost yourself!"

"Stop her in her tracks!"

Psychic energy surrounded Gardevoir; carried by her telekinesis, she practically glided across the floor. Dragonite slowly cocked a gigantic fist back and then swung it down. Gardevoir jumped, landing on Dragonite's arm as his fist hit her previous position, quaking the earth. She kept going, managing to get on Dragonite's shoulder.

Gardevoir leapt and, upside down, fired another Moonblast; it slammed into Dragonite's back, making him start to lose his balance. However, he managed to keep himself from tumbling.

"Hmph. Not bad," Lance said with a smirk.

"I could say the same to you. Gardevoir, Will-O-Wisp!"

Lance put his arms into motion. "Dragonite, Max Wyrmwind!"

Dragonite tensed, building up energy in his claws. He swung them, firing red-purple crescents. They impacted with the mega gardevoir's wisps; a vortex of red-purple energy engulfed them and nullified the attack.

Dragonite roared as the Galar particles left his body; he shrunk back to his normal size.

The hail harassed both pokémon. This time, they both cringed from its damage.

"Dragonite, Ice Beam!"

"Thunderbolt!"

The two attacks clashed against each other and cancelled each other out. Gardevoir seemed to be shaking and out of breath.

"Just as I thought," Lance said. "Your gardevoir is as good as done for! Dragonite! Finish this with"—he pointed—"Hyper Beam!"

Just as hail gave way to clear skies, Dragonite took a deep breath, drawing in all his energy; it coalesced into an orange ball of pure destruction and raw power. Roaring, he fired an impressive orange beam of energy.

Diantha's worry gave way to triumph. She snapped her fingers. "Checkmate. Gardevoir, use Psychic!"

"What‽"

With an unexpected burst of speed, Gardevoir sidestepped the destructive beam. Her eyes glowed with telekinetic power; she swung her arms in a full rotation, redirecting the attack back at Dragonite. Still recovering from Hyper Beam's exertion, he was helpless to dodge.

His own Hyper Beam slammed into his chest. His feet slid on the ground. Snarling, Dragonite endured it as best he could, but even with his assault vest's aid, he knew he had sustained far too much damage.

Dragonite went flying and hit the wall, where he gave out, unmoving.

The referee raised his arm. "Dragonite is unable to battle! As such," He swung his arm in Diantha's direction. "the winner is Diantha!"

The crowd exploded into cheers.

Lance sighed. "Dragonite, return." Smiling, he looked at his pokéball. "You were excellent out there. Thank you." He walked across the field to Diantha, who was helping her gardevoir remain standing after its mega evolution wore off. After she returned her pokémon, he said, "That was an impressive."

Diantha winked. "Thank you. It is the first trick a performer learns."

"Hmph." Lance extended his hand. "It was a pleasure having a match with you."

Diantha shook his hand. "Same to you."

The champions exited the battlefield shortly after.


"Well, shall we go, Iris?"

Iris bristled, then looked behind her. Cynthia was smiling at her.

She nodded, unable to hide her nervousness. "Y-yes. We should go."

It was her turn. Iris wasn't sure if she could do this. Couldn't she get more time to prepare? Then again, she could have had a few more months and it still wouldn't be enough. Iris internally bit her lip. Why did everything have to be happening so fast‽

"Iris," she heard Ash say.

She turned to see him beaming and giving her a thumbs-up. "I'll be rooting for you in the stands, alright?"

It was small, but... Receiving those encouraging words made her worries melt away.

Iris released a sigh she did not know she had been holding. She found herself smiling as well. "Yeah. Thanks."


AN:

And that brings my second chapter to a close.

If you enjoyed it, which I hope you did, click that favourite and follow button!

If you want to, leave a review; any comment I get is appreciated.

Also, the next chapter is going to take a while; I kinda need to focus on school right now. See ya!