~ Chapter 45 ~

Enzo Returns, Battle with a Little Brother

"Everyone needs a rival. Rivals push you to do your best whenever you're with them. They make you work hard, and they push you to get better even when you think you're the best. For some people, your rival is also your friend. I remember when we were younger Jeremy and I served as each other's rivals; we still do. It keeps us on our toes. Some of the best rivals, however, are siblings. You can't escape them or their achievements as easily as you could a friend. This was always the case with Lyss. She would always be compared to her older sister, who was Sinnoh League Champion by the age of eighteen, and then her brother Enzo, who had left home two years before we did. He spent years travelling the Pokémon World and raising Pokémon. He was a capable Trainer; still is in fact. Ever since he showed up on Route 209 and challenged Lyss to a battle, she's been trying to surpass him."

The group gathered around in a circle, excited to see what was going to happen.

No one had seen a Pokémon egg hatch, with the exception of Sam, but even he was excited to see his Eevee egg hatch.

The egg had shaken and shuddered consistently since last night. Ten minutes ago, the egg started glowing while the group was eating breakfast, and now everyone was waiting for the egg to hatch.

Finally, with one last shake, the egg glowed white and then burst open and, in its place, stood two, confused, curious Eevee.

Alyssandra fawned over the cute new Pokémon and ran to get her own Eevee so it could meet the two new additions to the team.

Sam picked both of the Eevee up, surprised, but not shocked that two Pokémon had come out of a single egg.

"Is that normal?" asked Niya curiously.

Sam stroked both Eevee as they snuggled up against him, feeling their long bushy tails. "Sometimes," he responded, "It's not common by any means; about the same chances as finding a Shiny Pokémon, but it does happen."

Niya nodded in understanding, and she too petted the Eevee once they had warmed up to the idea of leaving their new "mother."

Alyssandra returned soon enough, her own Eevee in her arms, and she placed it down in the middle of the group to see the other Eevee.

Sam's two Eevee looked at each other, then at Sam, then to Niya, and then down to Alyssandra's Eevee who sat there, happily swinging his tail back and forth in a friendly manner.

Wary, yet curious, Sam's two Eevee jumped from Niya's arms, and slowly crept towards Alyssandra's Eevee. They sniffed each other, and after a few moments of curious exploration, the three Eevee began playing with each other; pouncing, nipping ears and tails, talking, and so much more.

Pikachu attempted to initiate friendly relations with the Eevee, but when one of them tried to bite his tail while the other went for his ear—a sign of affection among Eevee but aggression between Pikachu—the Pokémon promptly returned to Jeremy's shoulder, static building in his cheeks and clearly in a bit of a bad mood.

Sam was pleased to see his Eevee getting along so well with another Pokémon. The moment was cut short however, as two Kagemusha Elite marched towards Sam and the others, holding the arms of another person in their grasp.

"We discovered this person looming around the edge of the encampment," said one of the Elite, "He told us his name is Enzo and he knows you."

"Yeah, he does actually," said Niya, smiling, reminiscent of the last time she saw Enzo. It had been too long.

"How've you been Enzo?" asked Sam calmly, Enzo's arms still in the clutches of the Kagemusha Elite.

"Well, you know, not too bad. Travelling around and stuff," responded Enzo casually, a calm smile on his face, "I just came back from the Kanto Region a few weeks ago, and when I spoke with Valentina the other day, she told me I could find you guys somewhere on Route 209."

"She failed to mention the bodyguards I imagine?" smirked Jeremy.

"I take it you do know him then?" asked one of the Elite, unsmilingly, constantly vigilant, her blindfold replacing any emotion eyes would normally give off.

"Yes," said Alyssandra, half enthusiastically, "He's my brother."

The Kagemusha Elite nodded and released Enzo, then marched off towards their positions at the edge of the camp, their shakujō staves jingling as they walked.

Enzo sat himself around the fire with the rest of the group, the three Eevee playing harmlessly at their feet, unaware of anything that was going on.

"So, you guys finally started your Pokémon Journey huh?" asked Enzo, straightening out the rolled-up cuffs of his green shirt. Enzo looked like his sisters, in the sense that all bore a family resemblance.

Lightly tanned skin, brown hair—though Enzo's was a bit shaggier than his sisters'—and even Alyssandra's green eyes. Enzo wore a green button-down shirt over a black sweatshirt, as well as brown cargo-pants suspended by a belt that looped twice around his waist. The second loop hung looser than the first and held six Poké Balls.

"Yeah, we left Twinleaf a few months ago," explained Jeremy, "It was an accident actually, but a happy one."

"Most adventures are, aren't they," laughed Enzo nostalgically.

"You said you just came back from the Kanto Region?" asked Sam, pulling his Eevee away from the fire, as the two new-borns didn't realize that it was dangerous.

"Yes, I just got back a few weeks ago, and I've been travelling around ever since," explained Enzo; "I spent a year in the Kanto Region, exploring it at my own pace. Fought a few Gym Battles, but never wanted to take on the Elite Four. I just like exploring and catching Pokémon; meeting new people too!"

"You always were a free spirit, even as a kid," laughed Niya, "I bet you made a lot of friends."

"I did," nodded Enzo, "Pokémon and humans alike. So how about you guys, tell me about your travels!"

Sam gave a small laugh and relaxed on the log he was sitting on. "Buckle down, it's a bit of a long story."

Sam, Niya and Jeremy began recounting their adventures to Enzo. They explained how Sam had run into his Starly, and how the group met Professor Rowan and were given their own Pokémon. They explained their travels across Sinnoh, their countless run-ins with Team Galactic, and how they found herds of living, ancient Pokémon in Oreburgh Gate.

They talked about the misadventures on Route 205 and Eterna Forest—leaving out Sam's weird dreams, opting only to say that he was sick—and explained how the group was reunited just in time to take on Team Galactic again in Eterna City. The group talked victories and defeats; Contests and Gym battles won, and all the laughs and fun along the way.

"Well that certainly explains why you have bodyguards," smiled Enzo, "You guys get into more misadventures and trouble with bad guys than most action heroes."

"I don't know if we bring this upon ourselves or if it seeks us out personally," replied Sam with a sigh, "But we take it as it comes."

Enzo let out a laugh. "Looks like my big sister's trying to catch up with me." Alyssandra sighed and stood up, walking off towards her tent.

"Please, don't," she said discouraging anyone from coming after her.

Everyone looked at one another, taken aback by Alyssandra's sudden anger. "Lyss, are you okay?" asked Niya, calling after her friend.

Alyssandra turned around, anger clearly on her face and stepped towards her friends and brother. "Yeah, I'm fine, don't worry about me," she hissed, "My kid brother is only a seasoned world traveller and the pride of my parents. It's not bad enough I'm always being compared to Valentina, constantly being told I should be like her, but apparently, I also need to be told I should be more like my kid brother. My kid brother! I'm supposed to be projecting my shadow over you, but now I'm living in the shadow of two my siblings! So, you know what, no, maybe I'm not fine! Maybe I'm sick and tired about how both of my siblings are doing so much better than I am!"

At that, Alyssandra stormed off towards her tent, zipping the door up behind her.

The three Eevee that played at the foot of the fire pit stopped playing long enough to stare with confusion, and in the case of the two younger Eevee, a bit of fear, as Alyssandra disappeared into the tent.

"I'm sorry Enzo—" Sam started to apologize to Enzo for his sister's outburst, but Enzo raised his hand and stopped him.

"No, it's all right," smiled Enzo with a wave of his hand, "I should have expected this might happen. Valentina said our sister felt that way about her not too long ago."

"It's not your fault," continued Niya, trying to make Enzo feel better.

"But in a way, it is," smiled Enzo sadly, showing he was not upset, even if a bit hurt, "I'm not the one who keeps comparing her to me, but I should've been a bit more sensitive about it. I know Alyssandra's always wanted to go travel and see the world, ever since she saw Valentina do it. When her time came though, she stayed for her friends. It didn't help when I went off also and started doing all these great things, and she spent years not only in Valentina's shadow but in mine. She does have a right to be angry."

Sam felt something strike a chord in him. He knew that Alyssandra had only stayed because of him, and the more they travelled and the older he got, the worse he felt about it.

Sam had done it to Jeremy too, but Jeremy hadn't lived in anyone's shadow, and hadn't suffered as much as Alyssandra for it—though Sam still felt guilt about keeping both his friends back regardless.

"The fault lies with me then," said Sam quietly, his voice laden with guilt, "I'm the one that kept her—both of you back." Sam pointed to Jeremy too as he spoke.

"Hey, I don't mind," shrugged Jeremy, "I probably wasn't mature enough to leave when we first had the chance anyway. Besides, I wouldn't have liked travelling alone."

"You could've gone with Lyss," responded Sam.

"Yeah, but it wouldn't be the same without you. I'm glad we waited," smiled Jeremy reassuringly.

"Now tell Lyss that," said Niya plainly, slightly dampening the mood.

"I'll go talk to her," said Sam, standing up before Enzo could, "If you go Enzo she might get angrier."

Enzo laughed a bit. "An angry Alyssandra is never good as far as I remember."

Everyone nodded or chuckled in agreement as Sam approached the tent. He stepped lightly as he neared it, then called out to Alyssandra, hoping she would responding. When she didn't, Sam tried again.

This time she unzipped the tent, grabbed Sam's arm, and pulled him in before fastening the entrance once again, all in the blink of an eye.

"It's not your fault," she said as Sam sat down beside her, "Okay? I chose to stay, and I should've just learned to deal with my choice."

"How did you—" started Sam, but Alyssandra kept going.

"You guys are hard to ignore," she smiled a bit, brushing some hair behind her ear, "I'm sorry I got mad it's just—"

"I understand," smiled Sam, "I don't have siblings, but I can kind of grasp at what you're feeling, if even only a bit."

"Thanks," smiled Alyssandra, leaning forward to give Sam a hug, "Should I go out there?"

"It's up to you," shrugged Sam as he approached the door, "But if you do, play nice okay? I leave this situation in your hands now."

With that, Sam stepped from the tent and back out into the campsite. He returned to the fireside, where he saw Enzo talking to Niya, Jeremy and Pikachu about his travels through the Kanto Region and his reasons for returning to Sinnoh.

"Any luck?" asked Niya as Sam came back, to which Sam shrugged. He wasn't entirely sure, but he had a feeling that Alyssandra had gotten enough anger out to return. Or so Sam hoped.

Of course, by some stroke of luck, Alyssandra did return soon enough, her ball belt slung across her hips. She looked determined, and she looked ready to prove a point.

"Enzo," she said walking up to her brother, "I'm sorry about what I said earlier."

"No, it's okay," smiled Enzo, understanding of his sister's feelings, "If you had left before me, I'm sure our situations would've been reversed, and I'd be the one angry at you and Valentina."

"It still wasn't fair for me to get mad at you for something I chose," responded Alyssandra sincerely, "I chose to stay behind, and I shouldn't be upset at you for it. Instead, I'm going to make things right, by pulling myself out of your shadow, and make a name for myself."

Enzo gave a wry grin, as if he knew what his sister was getting at. Enzo reached towards his belt and grabbed a Poké Ball from it.

"Three on three sound good?" asked Enzo.

"Why not six on six?" retorted Alyssandra as she followed her brother towards the edge of the campsite, clearing it away of branches and leaves to make an impromptu battlefield.

"My Pokémon are a tad bit stronger than yours," said Enzo simply, "If three of your Pokémon can take down one of mine I'll be surprised."

"We'll see," responded Alyssandra defiantly, grabbing her first Poké Ball. Giving it a kiss for good luck, Alyssandra prepared to throw the Poké Ball.

The battle was delayed momentarily as Sam, Jeremy and Niya jumped into the mix.

Niya proclaimed her role as the judge of the match. Since Niya had spent years training as a Coordinator and a Trainer with her Gym Leader aunt, Fantina, she had the most skill out of everyone to keep an eye on the quick-paced action.

Pikachu jumped from Jeremy's shoulder and ran over to Alyssandra's. He climbed up her leg, over her bag, and up her back to her shoulder, where he stood perched, giving his support to his friend.

"Hey Pikachu," smiled Alyssandra, given confidence from the sudden show of support from her friends and from Pikachu, "Ready to be my good luck charm?"

"Pi-ka!" replied Pikachu, the enthusiasm clear on his face. There was one thing no one could deny, and it was that Pikachu loved a good Pokémon Battle, whether he was in it during a training match or watching one.

"I'd call him a traitor but…I think Lyss is going to need all the help she can get," murmured Jeremy to Niya and Sam.

Niya nodded. "I hate to sound like I don't believe in her, but Jeremy's right. Enzo has been out travelling and training his Pokémon for years, and you guys have only been at this for a few months. It's not going to be much of a match."

Sam laughed a bit, with a laugh that seemed to know more than he was letting on.

"What?" asked Niya, curiously.

"I don't think Lyss is in this for the win, not yet anyway," Sam explained, "She knows she can't beat Enzo right now, but she's still going to prove her point. That she won't take this lying down. She meant what she said. Lyss is going to make a name for herself, and this is just the start."

Sam looked at Lyss with pride and admiration. Never had she looked more attractive then when she was burning with passion and desire. Confidence and a never-give-up attitude were always attractive on Alyssandra to Sam, and her natural beauty was only a plus for him.

The battle was on within moments of Niya calling for it to begin.

Alyssandra started the battle by sending out her Piplup, and Enzo retaliated with a small smile and a Machamp. Alyssandra gritted her teeth, wondering how her Piplup could possibly go up against a Machamp, and even Pikachu let out a low squeak, as if anticipating difficulty. But Alyssandra had made her vow and even if she was going to lose today, she wasn't going to lose without putting up the biggest fight she could.

"All right, let's try not to get too close to Machamp. They're Fighting type Pokémon, meaning that they're good with close range combat," Alyssandra said to her Piplup, "So let's keep things as ranged as possible. Start off with an Ice Beam!"

Piplup reared back and let off an Ice Beam aimed directly at Enzo's Machamp. The Machamp, bulky as he was, was able to dodge fast enough.

A second Ice Beam came, hitting him square in the chest. The Machamp was pushed back a few inches, but barely flinched as the attack hit him head on.

Sam suspected Enzo let this one land instead of calling for a dodge to prove a point to Alyssandra, but whatever the point was its meaning was lost in Alyssandra's determination.

With a smile, the Pokémon did as Enzo commanded and began charging towards Alyssandra's Piplup.

Piplup panicked a bit as Alyssandra also lost her cool, but Pikachu's quick, "Pika-pi!" snapped her back into her focused, level headed mindset.

Despite some difficulty at times, Alyssandra always tried to focus on Sam's advice. Remaining calm so she, and her Pokémon, could battle with clear, level heads. When she had calmed herself, the idea finally hit her.

"Piplup, use Ice Beam on the ground at Machamp's feet! Quickly!" she cried.

Time was of the essence, and the longer it took for her to respond the closer Machamp would get to Piplup, and the sooner it would attack. Piplup let off a few Ice Beams, the first few times missed as Machamp managed to either jump or duck out of the way of the sudden patch of ice in his path.

But the last time, Alyssandra was smart, and shot two nearly consecutive Ice Beams. The first, Machamp dodged just as planned, but the second was shot at the patch of earth that Machamp was planning to land on, just as he was about to touch down.

There was no time to respond, and nothing could help Machamp avoid what came next, as he landed on the ice expecting hard ground, and instead slipped, falling flat on his back.

Alyssandra took the time to keep striking. "Piplup use Brine! Stun Machamp while he's down!" cried Alyssandra, hoping to gain the upper hand in these crucial few moments.

Piplup shot a jet of salty water from its mouth, and the attack landed, pinning Machamp to the ground for a few minutes longer.

The Brine had dazed Machamp as some of the blast caught it in the chest at high speed, knocking the wind from him.

Alyssandra knew to take advantage of a downed opponent and called for Piplup to continue the attack. "Now go in for a Fury Attack while it's down!" Piplup did as Alyssandra asked and rushed in fast towards Machamp.

"Use Vital Throw Machamp!" Enzo responded, but it was too late.

Alyssandra's Piplup had already landed on Machamp's chest and was pecking at his face and chest with incredibly fury.

As the attack subsided, Sam felt a pounding in his chest, as he knew what was coming. Niya knew it too, but Jeremy and Alyssandra hadn't realized Enzo's ploy.

"She needs to get Piplup out of there," said Jeremy, "Before Machamp gets up and attacks."

"She can't," said Sam with a shake of his head, "It's too late."

"Why?" asked Jeremy, anxious to be privy to the information Sam had.

Niya simply pointed to the battle, bidding Jeremy watch and see. Within seconds of Piplup finishing her Fury Attack Machamp was retaliating. He grabbed Piplup with one of his four arms and, after a quick spin, threw Piplup low and far.

Piplup flew a few feet, smashed into the ground, and continued to roll and bounce for a few more feet afterwards until it finally came to a halt, unconscious.

"But your attack didn't hit in time, how did your Machamp do that?" asked Alyssandra in disbelief, running over to her Piplup to ensure her safety while Niya called the round for Enzo.

"That's what Vital Throw does," explained Enzo, "You allow your opponent to strike you first and get in close. Then you strike back immediately after. It throws your opponent off guard by making them think it's safe to attack and they have the upper hand."

Sam couldn't help but smile as he remembered Valentina, disguised as Luxray Girl, doing the same thing during the tournament. She made it look like her Luxray had taken a hit, making Sam think it was safe, and the struck while his guard was down.

There was no denying that Enzo was as skilled as his oldest sister, and Sam didn't doubt that Alyssandra, with some more practice, could be just as strong as Valentina, if not stronger.

"Hang in there Lyss, you've still got two more Pokémon!" cried Niya, trying to encourage her friend to keep going.

Alyssandra wasn't going to give up though, and after thanking her Piplup and giving it a big hug, returned her to her Poké Ball and drew her next one.

"Pika-pi. Pikachuuu," said Pikachu solemnly as Piplup was returned to her Poké Ball.

This time, Alyssandra was going to hit a little harder, and called on her Lopunny to combat Enzo's next Pokémon.

Enzo withdrew his Machamp, and tossed his next Poké Ball into the air, releasing an Alakazam onto the field.

"Alakazaaaaam!" roared the mighty yellow Pokémon as it awaited her Trainer's instructions.

"Calm Mind Alakazam!" cried Enzo.

Alyssandra took a moment to think of a strategy, knowing Jump Kick wouldn't work on Alakazam. The move was Fighting Type and the opponent was Psychic. But a Shadow Ball would work very well.

With a wry smile, Alyssandra called for a Shadow Ball. Lopunny put her arms out in front of her and prepared a ball of shadow energy. Within moments it was ready to fire and shot from Lopunny's hands towards Alakazam.

The enemy Pokémon did not move though, and simply remained there, floating, her legs crossed in meditation and eyes closed.

The attack struck Alakazam, and knocked her back onto the ground, and the Pokémon laid there, eyes still closed, humming gently as it tried to focus on something.

Alyssandra knew better this time though, and didn't dare to get close to Alakazam, just in case it was another one of Enzo's tricks.

Instead, Alyssandra had Lopunny fire a Shadow Ball at Alakazam, knocking the Pokémon back further.

She lay there on her back, big and yellow, eyes still closed, humming growing louder. It showed no sign of being in pain from any of the attacks it took but Alyssandra was no doubt doing some kind of damage.

For the third time, Alyssandra had her Lopunny fire a Shadow Ball, but this time Alakazam did not take it lying down.

Instead, she shot up from the ground, landed on both feet, with her eyes open. As they opened, a wave of energy and air erupted from her, and knocked the Shadow Ball away, dissipating it into nothing.

"Good job hanging in there Alakazam," smiled Enzo, proud of his Pokémon for enduring so much, for this was a risky gambit, "Now use Telekinesis!"

"Alakazam!" cried the Pokémon as she raised her spoons high, lifting Lopunny off the ground.

The rabbit Pokémon was surrounded in an aura blue light, and lifted high off the ground, suspended, and flailing like a fish out of water. She couldn't move, couldn't attack, and couldn't get down.

Lopunny was stuck and was now at the mercy of Alakazam.

Alakazam and Enzo wasted no time in attacking, and instantly followed up the Telekinesis with a Psycho Cut, and then another. Then, just for an added touch, right as the Telekinesis began to wear off, Alakazam forcibly lowered Lopunny to the ground, slamming her hard into the dirt, knocking her unconscious and rendering the Pokémon unable to battle as well.

"Calm Mind may have taken a while to charge, but it upped Alakazam's attack strength," noted Jeremy, "I remember learning about that move back in Trainer School. It can tip the scales of a battle if used right."

Niya nodded in agreement after she, once more and with a heavy heart, called the round for Enzo. "And the Telekinesis was a great touch," she noted, "Putting Lopunny out of commission long enough for Alakazam to take advantage of its newfound strength and then to use the last bit of strength from Telekinesis to finish Lopunny off. Ingenious."

Alyssandra clenched her fists and after picking Lopunny up in her arms, giving her a tight squeeze and thanking her for battling so well.

Lopunny was then returned to her Poké Ball, and Pikachu nuzzled Alyssandra's cheek, trying to cheer her up, and keep her spirits high.

With a long sigh, Alyssandra reached for her last three Pokémon, pulling the Poké Ball from her belt, and holding it tight in her hand.

"You sure you don't want to give up now?" asked Enzo, trying to egg his sister on, "I won't judge you if you do. You've battled well, but I don't think you'll beat me."

"Even if I don't beat you, I'm not going down until all three of my Pokémon have put up a good fight," stated Alyssandra with an iron determination in her voice, "Now send out your last Pokémon and let's get this round started."

Enzo nodded and with a quick flick of his wrist, having already recalled Alakazam, sent out a Venomoth on to the field.

Alyssandra wanted to change her choice, but her hand was already on the Poké Ball and her mind made up.

With a hefty toss, Alyssandra released her Cherrim and the small Pokémon, feeling the rays of the sun on its body, bloomed into her Sunshine Form.

"Cherrim use Double Team, then follow it up with a Magical Leaf!" called Alyssandra, determined to get at least one win in today.

Cherrim acknowledged her Trainer's command and instantly went into a Double Team, spinning in a circle around the enemy Venomoth, creating several clone versions of herself as she spun.

The clones and their original circled Venomoth and launched their Magical Leaf attack, striking at Venomoth from what seemed to be all sides. Though a Grass Type move wasn't incredibly effective against a Bug and Poison Type Pokémon, in quantity, it would be enough to do some damage.

Besides, all attacks known by Cherrim were Grass Type attacks, so Alyssandra did the best with what she had.

Venomoth took the hit but didn't seem that affected by it.

Instead, Enzo thought for a moment, and waited through another round of Magical Leaf to formulate a plot. He didn't like making his Pokémon take unnecessary damage, but in this case, the damage done to Venomoth was minimal enough that a few seconds of thought could be afforded without any unnecessary injuries being incurred.

"Venomoth, use Gust to blow away the images and incoming leaves!" called Enzo. Venomoth did as he was asked, and using his silken wings blasted gusts of air towards the spinning images of Cherrim.

The Magical Leaf attacks were knocked back and the clone images of Cherrim disappeared in an instant, while the gusts of wind knocked Cherrim back, doing some fair damage in the process.

Flying Type moves were super effective on Grass Type Pokémon after all.

Alyssandra gritted her teeth and went to prepare another attack when Enzo swooped in for another round of attacks.

"Use Sleep Powder, then quickly follow it up with a Gust to blow the spores towards Cherrim," was Enzo's command to his Venomoth, to which the Venomoth happily obliged with a robotic warbling cry of, "Venomoth!"

Blue dust billowed from the flapping wings of Venomoth, followed by a Gust attack that blew the Sleep Powder directly at Cherrim, instantly putting the Pokémon to sleep.

The Gust ensured that the spores reached Cherrim so that they couldn't be dodged.

Sam couldn't help but praise such a strategy, it was cunning, and it was effective. It used the strength of one move to help another, and even if the Sleep Powder did miss, the Gust could've been used to cause some damage instead. Enzo could've made a good Coordinator if he hadn't become a Trainer.

Cherrim fell asleep, and Alyssandra felt her hope waning.

"Pi-Pikachu!" cried Pikachu, as if telling Alyssandra not to give up, but it was hard not to resign herself to a defeat this way.

Cherrim was asleep and Enzo was already prepared to take advantage of this opening. With Cherrim fast asleep, Enzo had Venomoth strike her with a Signal Beam, a super effective Bug Type move against the Grass Type Cherrim.

Followed then by a Gust attack, also super effective, knocking Cherrim back further as she bounced across the ground.

Enzo's next attack would finish the match, and with Cherrim still asleep, there was no denying the outcome.

Enzo had Venomoth finish off with a Zen Headbutt, causing his forehead to surge with a psychic power, which was then slammed into Cherrim.

Injured and exhausted, Alyssandra chose to withdraw her Cherrim, saving her undue injury while she slept. As she withdrew Cherrim, Alyssandra couldn't help but thank her Pokémon heartily for everything she did during the fight.

"It wasn't your fault," Alyssandra whispered to Cherrim, "We'll get stronger together. Don't worry Cherrim. Thanks for doing a great job."

Alyssandra returned the Poké Ball to her belt, and Pikachu nuzzled her cheek again, trying to cheer her up. Alyssandra only smiled and scratched Pikachu between his ears, then looked over at Enzo.

"You won," was all she could say, "But I stuck to my word, and next time we meet, I'll beat you."

Enzo smiled and walked up to his sister, then gave her a hug. "You did a good job too," said Enzo sincerely, "I'm proud of you for sticking to your word. You'll beat me one day, just keep training."

Alyssandra nodded, determination returning to her face. "I won't give up until I do. Mom and Dad are going to talk about me more than they talk about you by the time I'm done," she stated loudly for everyone to hear.

Pikachu jumped from her shoulders and ran back to Jeremy's as he, Sam and Niya approached the two siblings.

"You did well Lyss," smiled Sam, "You just need more practice battling, but you did well!"

"Thanks," smiled Alyssandra, brushing some hair behind her ear.

"I agree with Sam," continued Jeremy, "You keep training with Sam, Niya and I when we battle, and you'll get better. You'll see."

Enzo gave a sly smile, and then put his arm around his sister's shoulder. "Maybe you should marry the Accardi over here," he joked, "Marrying into a rich family like that will definitely get Mom talking."

Alyssandra turned a light shade of pink and pushed her brother away. "Stop kidding like that," she protested, "Sam's just my friend. Besides, if I were going to marry him it wouldn't be for his money. I'm not like that."

Enzo burst out laughing, and then sighed a bit as he finished. "Well, with that battle over, I really should get going," said Enzo, walking back to the camp to grab his bag, "I'm supposed to be meeting someone in Hearthome in a few days, so I'm heading back to Solaceon Town to take the Eastern Sinnoh Rail there. It'll be about a day or two back there so."

"We understand," smiled Niya as she picked up Sam's two Eevee and began to play with them on her lap, "It was great to see you again!"

"You guys as well! Keep an eye on my sister okay?" he smiled as he walked towards the edge of the camp.

"You take care of yourself and I'll worry about me," Alyssandra called after him.

He raised his hand and gave the peace sign before disappearing off down the road, no doubt under the watchful eye of the Shrine Maidens who guarded the group's camp.

"You okay Lyss?" asked Sam after a long silence.

Alyssandra nodded, smiling widely from ear to ear. "Yes, I'm perfect," she exclaimed, "I now know what I'm capable of, what Enzo is capable of, and where I need to improve when it comes to my skills in battle. I'm going to work extra hard now to make sure my Pokémon are just as battle ready as they are Contest ready, and the next time I see my little brother, I'm going to win."

"And after you win?" asked Jeremy curiously.

"Then I beat Valentina," said Alyssandra simply, the fires of determination burning so bright that it rivalled the sun.