"There it is!" Jason pointed out as he and Kristine ventured upon a hill overlooking Fort Lexing's skyline. "We're finally here!"

"Fort Lexing," Kristine observed as she stood beside Jason. "And it felt like months since we started."

"Can't you imagine that it's only been two and a half weeks?" Jason added.

"And we've barely started," Kristine mentioned. "Let's get to the pokemon center. I need to get my brace checked out."

The twins ventured down the road leading into Fort Lexing. It was a relatively small city, at least in comparison to other cities throughout Inventum. Half a dozen buildings stood at over twenty stories tall, surrounded by smaller buildings, while apartment complexes and residential areas made out the city's outskirts. Hills covered the nearby landscapes, backed by distant mountains to the far north and south.

Once inside the city, the twins headed into the nearby two-story pokemon center. There, they stayed for the night. Before they went to bed, they made a call to their mother back in Mountain Spring.

"Hi, Mom!" Kristine spoke as soon as Veronica accepted the video call from the other end. Jason was standing right behind Kristine.

"Hi Kristine, hi Jason!" Veronica replied with a smile. "I see you've already made it to Fort Lexing."

"Yep!" Jason replied. "We each have three pokemon!"

"And our eevee evolved!" Kristine added. "I got Espeon, and Jason got Jolteon!"

"Wow, congratulations!" Veronica was happy for her kids. "Which pokemon do you have so far, Kristine?"

"Pikachu and Fletchling," Kristine said.

"And you, Jason?" Veronica asked.

"Taillow and Ralts," Jason said.

"Sounds like the both of you have a strong team," Veronica complimented. "Your father would be very proud of the both of you; never forget that."

"We won't," Jason assured her.

"Right, we won't," Kristine added. "We've had quite the adventure just getting to Fort Lexing."

"I can imagine," Veronica chuckled. "Your adventure is just getting started. Just remember to take things one step at a time. You can dream, but you won't achieve those dreams without first accomplishing what is in front of you. Your first gym battle is around the corner, isn't it?"

The twins simply nodded.

"Badges are a rite of passages for trainers worldwide," Veronica continued. "Focus on getting the Mystic Badge. That is when you officially get a foothold within the Inventum League."

"Got it," Kristine acknowledged.

"Now, I love you both very much," Veronica said. "Continue to do your best out there. You've made me proud so far. Stay safe, and look out for one another."

"We will, Mom," Jason assured her.

"We love you too," Kristine added.

"We'll talk again when you win the Mystic Badge," Veronica smiled. "Bye!"

"Bye!" Jason and Kristine said at the same time.

Veronica then closed the video comm.

"Now it's time to call Wall," Kristine said. She then hit the button to establish video comms with Wall.

Wall appeared on the screen seconds later. "Well, if it isn't the Kyar twins," he acknowledged. "How are you holding up?"

"We're doing great, Wall," Kristine replied. "We just arrived at Fort Lexing."

"Well done," Wall complimented. "It's been not quite three weeks, has it? Well done to the both of you."

"Thank you," Jason gave a nod.

"Being a trainer is never easy," Wall continued. "It takes courage and dedication to get through the toughest of circumstances. I heard Kristine took a bad spill on day one.

"I still have the brace on my foot," Kristine replied. "I was able to walk for the most part, and I've been running the past several days. I think I'll get it taken off tomorrow."

"Good," Wall acknowledged. "Be aware of the real dangers. The unfortunate truth is that trainers can get killed out there. It's quite rare because trainers often know the risks surrounding them, and they have pokemon protecting them, but it happens.

"But the both of you seem smart, capable individuals. And you have each other. The path to Fort Lexing is only the very beginning of your journey across Inventum. Aria will test your determination to be a pokemon trainer. Defeating her will open many doors to your careers."

"We'll do our best," Jason spoke with confidence.

"You'll make this little town very proud soon enough," Wall said. "I'll be signing off. Good evening."

"Bye!" Jason and Kristine said at the same time.


Wall disconnected the comm. He then got up and walked out to the main lab.

"Was that the twins?" his assistant asked.

"Yes," Wall nodded. "They made it to Fort Lexing. I called three weeks if they were lucky. They made it in sixteen days."

"Most impressive," the assistant noted.

"They seemed much more mature now than when they first came into this lab," Wall continued. "I think we have two prodigies in our hands."


The next morning, the twins got prepared and headed out to the lobby of the pokemon center. That was when Nurse Joy took Kristine to one of the patient rooms.

Nurse Joy had Kristine sit on a patient bed and gently removed the brace. She then examined her foot.

"How does it feel?" Nurse Joy asked.

Kristine moved her foot around. "I don't feel any pain," she replied.

"It looks like you made a full recovery," Nurse Joy smiled. "You won't be needing the cast anymore."

"Awesome!" Kristine seemed relieved. She then put her sock and shoe back on. "Thanks a lot, Nurse Joy!"

"You're welcome," Nurse Joy gave a bow.

Kristine trotted out of the room and into the lobby, where Jason was waiting. She showed off her braceless foot to Jason.

"I bet that feels much better, now," Jason pointed out.

"Yep!" Kristine replied. "Shall we head out?"

Just then, Amanda entered the pokemon center.

"Oh, hey guys!" she noticed Jason and Kristine. "And Kristine, you're up and running on both feet!"

"Yep!" Kristine replied. "In fact, I just had the brace taken off a minute ago."

"Well, congratulations!" Amanda smiled. "Hey, they're hosting a showcase tournament today. I dunno if you guys are interested, but they are looking for more people."

"A Team Mystic showcase?" Jason asked.

Amanda nodded.

"I remember Bradley and the others were mentioning that to us the other day," Kristine mentioned. "I think we'll check it out."

"Sounds good to me!" Jason agreed.

"It's over at the Mystic Gym," Amanda added. "The more people, the better. It also helps us practice for our gym battles."

"We'll be there," Jason replied.

"I'll see you there," Amanda continued. "I suppose I may be battling one of you soon enough? Don't forget; they may pit the two of you against each other as well. Anyways, I need to make sure my pokemon are all okay to compete. See ya!"

As Amanda left the lobby, Kristine and Jason looked at each other.

"We've practiced with each other but not actually battled," Kristine came to that realization.

Jason pondered that for a moment. "We'll see what happens."

"I suppose."

The twins left the pokemon center and headed deeper into the city center. They traversed through the business sector with the city's tallest buildings surrounding them. Men and women in business suits were walking about, indicating there was strictly an economic zone and not one of entertainment. The twins simply went on their way, at last reaching the small entertainment district.

Like many cities across Inventum, if not the world, the entertainment district had arcades, restaurants, clubs, and venues for amateur pokemon contests of many kinds.

"So this is what a city looks like," Kristine looked around. "There's so much going on. I love it!"

"I dunno," Jason also observed the buildings and flashy signage around him. "I like the country. It just feels overwhelming."

"I think you'll grow into it," Kristine smiled. "Besides, Fort Lexing is small in comparison to many cities in Inventum."

"There are larger cities than this?" Jason looked at Kristine as if he was surprised.

"Well, yeah," Kristine simply replied. "The handbook says so."

"I guess I do have to grow into it," Jason said.

"Oh, come on," Kristine gave a quick pat on his shoulder. "It's not so bad. At least they have entertainment to help you have fun here."

"Okay, at least they have arcades here," Jason loosened up. "But let's focus on this tournament first and then get our Mystic Badge. Then we can check out the city."

"Deal!"

Moments later, the two walked up to the Fort Lexing Gym at the heart of the city. Ever since Team Mystic was granted responsibility for the gym, the gym itself was commonly referred to as the Mystic Gym. It was the Inventum Regional Headquarters for the group that sought to understand the mysteries and hidden potentials of pokemon.

The Gym itself was dome-shaped and three stories tall. The exterior was mainly covered in glass, supported by reinforced steel. The twins walked right up to the gym entrance, only to see a flyer taped to the window next to the sliding doors.

"Showcase Tournament today," Kristine read. "All aspiring trainers are welcome to join. General rules are bracketed one-v-one with no-repeat picks."

She turned to Jason. "What do they mean by that?"

Jason shrugged. "It doesn't sound familiar."

"It means you can't use the same pokemon more than once," the twins heard a voice behind them. Jason turned around to see the same boy who defeated him with a chimchar back near Spring Hamlet.

"Alex?" Jason noticed.

"Hmmph, you're quite nosy for knowing my name," Alex spoke. "Don't suppose you're going to enter this tournament?"

"Sure am," Jason replied, confident. "And you?"

Alex smirked and pulled out a badge case from his satchel. He then opened it up for Jason and Kristine to see. They could both see the shiny conjoining azure wings that was the Mystic Badge.

"You have the Mystic Badge?" Jason said. "But how?"

"It's called research," Alex replied, speaking bluntly. "And having options. I took my three best matchups against Aria and won."

"Three best?" Kristine asked.

"I have a full team," Alex crossed his arms. "Wait, neither of you has a full team?"

"Like, a full team of six?" Jason wanted clarification.

"Yes, a full –" Alex then decided not to explain out of frustration, declaring Jason to be someone of inferior intellect. "Whatever. I'm out."

He then began to depart.

"So you're not joining the tournament?" Kristine asked.

"It's for people who haven't challenged Aria yet," Alex replied without turning around. "Besides, it's an insignificant tournament for amateurs. You two can have fun playing trainer. I'm going to the Tranquility Gym."

Alex then left out of earshot of Jason and Kristine.

"Considering the experience involved, I would say it's insignificantly significant," Kristine remained upbeat.

"That guy has a chip on his shoulder for some reason," Jason seemed irked by Alex's attitude.

"Come now," Kristine tried to cheer him up. "Let's head on inside and sign up!"

The two walked through the sliding doors into the gym's atrium. The floors were pristine white, with blue lines streaking down the edges. In front of them was a life-sized replica of an articuno, Team Mystic's sigil, hanging from above.

"Some say that Team Mystic's leader has an articuno herself," Kristine mentioned.

"Only a handful of people in the world have legendary pokemon," Jason replied. "Well, I guess it's possible. But even then, they're banned from tournaments."

"Let's just say that good thing she's in Kalos and not here," Kristine chuckled.

Jason chuckled back. "True."

The two ventured underneath the replica and into the battle floor. In front of them was a table with two Mystic members behind it.

"Two more trainers interested in the tournament?" one female member asked. She had short pink hair with gentle streaks of blue. "That'll make entries seven and eight. That's pretty decent."

"Yep," Jason replied.

"Go ahead and put your names here," the male member, who was bald, replied. He nudged the sign-up sheet forward.

Jason and Kristine approached the table, and both put their names on the sheet.

"Great," the female member seemed satisfied with the turnout. "We're going to start in a little bit."

"So you both have the last name," the man observed.

"Yep!" Kristine confirmed. "We're twins."

"Twins, eh?" the woman seemed intrigued. "I think Bradley mentioned something about twins with evolved eevee or something."

"That's us," Jason replied.

"Awesome!" the man replied with enthusiasm. "Well, we look forward to seeing you battle."

A short while later, the trainers who had previously signed up trickled into the arena. Jason noticed that Julian signed up as well, seeing him entering the battle floor.

"Hey, Julian!" Jason greeted.

"Hey, bud," Julian replied. "So, you and your sis are in the tournament too?"

"Yep," Jason nodded.

"Cool," Julian said. "As much as I want to see the both of you battle each other, I want to win."

"So I guess we'll see each other in the second round, huh?" Jason crossed his arms with a smirk on his face.

"We'll see about that," Julian snickered at the comment.

"Okay, listen up!" the man from Team Mystic addressed the eight trainers who stood before him. "We have the brackets all set up! The rules are one-v-one only with no-repeat picks. That means you cannot use the same pokemon more than once if you advance. Play strategically and take some time to come up with your first-round picks. Our first battle will begin shortly between…" the man then looked at the paper. "Eline Powers and Jason Kyar."

Kristine walked up to Jason. "You're up first."

"I wonder who I should pick," Jason said. "I have a strong team, but Jolteon is the strongest."

"Jolteon forced Don to reveal his entire team," Kristine mentioned.

"Yeah," Jason gave a nod. "And if I were a better trainer, he would have aced Don's team. Okay. I think I know who I'm going to pick first."

"Very well," Kristine acknowledged. "See you in the finals!"

A woman with black skin and long dark hair took to the battle floor. Jason assumed that was Eline.

"Good luck, bro," Kristine patted Jason's shoulder with encouragement.

Jason stepped forward into the field as Kristine and everyone else sat down at the nearby bleachers.

The woman stepped onto the referee's box towards the sideline at the center of the field. "The first match is Jason against Eline," she addressed. "Only one pokemon is allowed in the fight. On three, throw your pokeballs at the same time. Ready?"

"Ready," Eline spoke confidently.

"Ready," Jason gave a nod.

"One," the woman counted. "Two…Three!"

Jason and Eline threw their pokeballs at the same time.

"Taillow, let's go!" Jason spoke.

"Natu, it's all you!" Eline shouted.

"A flying type battle," Kristine overheard Amanda say. "This should be interesting."

Kristine pulled out her pokedex to examine Natu.

"Natu, the Tiny Bird Pokemon," the pokedex began to explain the green, round creature. "Natu cannot fly because its wings are not yet fully grown. If your eyes meet with this pokémon's eyes, it will stare back intently at you. But if you move even slightly, it will hop away to safety."

"Natu cannot fly," Kristine spoke.

"But it's a psychic-flying hybrid," Julian mentioned. "It probably knows Teleport."

"The battle is between Taillow and Natu," the woman announced. "Begin!"

"Taillow, Quick Attack!" Jason commanded.

"Natu, Teleport!" Eline responded.

As Taillow took off from the ground and closed in on Natu, Natu quickly vanished.

"Natu, Leer!" Eline followed up.

Taillow turned around only to see that Natu pierced into her soul with a mesmerizing stare.

"Quick Attack!" Eline commanded.

"Get out of there!" Jason yelled.

Taillow narrowly dodged Natu's Quick Attack as she flew straight up in the air.

"Focus Energy!" Jason commanded.

Taillow focused her energy and pumped herself up, ready to take down Natu.

"Now dive down and Peck!" Jason followed up.

Taillow's beak glowed as she dove down towards Natu.

"Natu, Teleport!" Eline commanded.

Once again, Natu vanished as Taillow pulled up at the last second.

"Fly back up once more!" Jason commanded.

"Peck!" Eline yelled.

Natu bounced high from nowhere but barely managed to clip Taillow as she flew back up.

"Quick Attack before Natu lands!" Jason commanded.

Taillow looped back downwards and managed to strike Natu hard with Quick Attack. Natu fell back to the ground.

"Wing attack!" Jason followed up.

Taillow's wings glowed as she continued her onslaught. Before Natu could get up, Taillow struck it with such force that Natu was knocked way back.

"Natu!" Eline gasped.

"Woah," Julian muttered. "That was a critical hit if I've ever seen one."

"Taillow hit Natu very hard," Amanda observed.

"Jason's been training with Taillow a lot," Kristine added.

"It shows," Amanda acknowledged.

Natu was unable to get up after the powerful Wing Attack. Just like that, it was down after two hits.

"Natu is unable to battle!" the woman declared. "Taillow wins, which means Jason advances!"

"Return, Natu," Eline recalled her pokemon. "We'll get better."

She then faced Jason. "You and Taillow are strong," she said. "I guess I have a lot more training to do."

"It was a good battle," Jason replied. Taillow then flew on top of his shoulder.

"Great job, Taillow!" Jason complimented.

"Taillow!" Taillow gave a nod.

Jason then recalled her.

"Next up," the woman said. "Amanda versus Alay."

Jason left the field as Amanda took position on his side. He then sat next to Kristine on the front row bleachers.

"You and Taillow did great," Kristine said.

"Thanks," Jason replied. "Hey, who do you plan to use in the first round?"

Kristine grinned and whispered into Jason's ear.

"I see," Jason seemed intrigued.


The twins observed that Amanda had used a starly, another avian pokemon, in the battle and managed to defeat the opponent's oddish, a grass-type pokemon. Julian was up next and managed to win with a pidgey, who faced a spearow.

"So the fourth matchup…" the man from Team Mystic announced when it was time for the last match of the first round. He looked at the sheet before him. "Will be between Kristine and John."

"Showtime," Kristine said as she got up and left the bleachers. Another boy with light brown hair did the same.

Kristine took to the same side of the field Jason was on. Her opponent, John, took to his side and faced her with a sly smirk.

"This pokemon has fought six battles and never lost!" John boasted.

"Cool, my pokemon has never lost, either," Kristine cleverly replied on technically correct terms.

"On three," the woman from Team Mystic started the count. "One. Two. Three!"

Both Kristine and John summoned their pokemon at the same time.

"Fletchling, showtime!" Kristine yelled.

"Aipom, continue the streak!" John shouted.

Fletchling hopped before the long-tail Pokemon that is Aipom.

"Ee ooh ooh ee ee!" Aipom greeted, balancing itself on its tail.

"To the sky, Fletchling!" Kristine commanded.

Fletchling flew into the air.

"Agility!" Kristine followed up.

Fletchling flew at amazing speeds all around the floor.

"Sure, your pokemon is fast," John shrugged it off. "But you can't win if –"

"Fletchling, Peck!" Kristine abruptly commanded.

Fletchling dove down and struck Aipom with its glowing beak before flying up.

"Ee ee!" Aipom got off its tail and stood on its feet, poised to strike back at Fletchling.

"Aipom, jump up and strike Fletchling with Fury Swipes!" John commanded.

Aipom used its tail to propel itself into the air, ready to strike at Fletchling.

"Quick Attack!" Kristine yelled.

Fletchling dove at Aipom and struck it in the stomach with Quick Attack. Aipom fell back down to the ground.

"No! Aipom!" John became nervous. His supposed streak was on the line.

"Fletchling, finish this with Tackle!" Kristine followed up.

Fletchling descended upon Aipom and struck it with a head-on collision. This knocked Aipom back as it tumbled over three times. It was unable to get back up.

Jason could hear oohs and ahhs from everyone in the bleachers. Two more people from Team Mystic showed up to spectate.

"Aipom is unable to battle!" the woman declared. "Fletchling wins!"

"Our streak…" John looked down as he recalled Aipom.

"Great job, Fletchling!" Kristine cheered before she recalled Fletchling. She then left the floor.

"So the first round is out of the way with flying types winning all the way around," the man noted. "The second round is underway, and we have…Jason and Amanda!"

Jason got up as Kristine walked back. The two approached each other, and both of them raised their hands for a high five. They didn't need to say anything else; both of them passed the first round with flying colors, and they were in a position to face each other in the final round. Nothing was going to stop them from doing so, not even their new rivals.

Jason took to his side of the field as Amanda approached the opposite end.

"Your taillow was fast as it was powerful," Amanda complimented.

"As was your starly," Jason replied.

"Let's see what happens here, eh?" Amanda drew her pokeball.

"On three," the woman said. "One. Two. Three!"

"Ralts, let's go!" Jason threw his pokeball.

"Alright, Ledyba!" Amanda threw hers.

"Ralts!" Ralts greeted.

"Ledyba!" Ledyba quickly spun around. It largely resembled a ladybug.

Kristine used her pokedex to examine Ledyba.

"Ledyba, the five-star pokemon," the pokedex explained. "Ledyba secretes an aromatic fluid from where its legs join its body. This fluid is used for communicating with others. This pokemon conveys its feelings to others by altering the fluid's scent."

"She must've gotten Ledyba in Cheron Forest," Kristine muttered to herself.

"Ledyba, let's use Supersonic!" Amanda ordered right off the bat.

"Supersonic?" Kristine seemed puzzled. "But Ralts…"

"Ralts what?" Julian asked.

"Oh, you'll see."

Ledyba projected an ultrasound screech directed at Ralts. Ralts became enveloped by the screech and lost focus of its senses, rendering it dazed and confused. That was when Ledyba exhibited the same reactions.

"What's going on?" Amanda seemed confused.

"Ralts' special ability is Synchronize," Jason explained. "Any status effects you inflict on her will be redirected back. It's a psychic pokemon thing."

"Ugh…" Amanda felt embarrassed to make a move like that. "Ledyba, snap out of it!"

"Stay calm, Ralts!" Jason yelled.

He saw that Ralts continued to frantically look all around her, not sure what to do next.

"Stay calm," Jason spoke softly and quietly. He knew Ralts couldn't hear him from that far away.

But a moment later, Ralts became calm. She faced Ledyba, fully aware and in control of her senses.

"Confusion!" Jason commanded.

Suddenly, Ledyba's eyes turned purple, and she was tossed into the air before slamming back onto the ground.

"Ledyba, come on!" Amanda tried to encourage her.

"Ledy – Ledy – Ledy!" Ledyba became paranoid. She could not listen to Amanda at all.

"Disarming Voice!" Jason followed up.

Ralts let out a deafening roar directed at Ledyba. The sound wave in the shape of hearts consumed Ledyba, knocking her back to the ground.

"Ledy…ba!" Ledyba snapped out of her confusion and sprung back up. But she looked fatigued.

"Just hang in there, Ledyba!" Amanda yelled. "Get back in there and use Comet Punch!"

Ledyba flew at Ralts with her front fists at the ready.

"Ralts, Teleport!" Jason commanded.

Ralts vanished in front of Ledyba.

"Confusion!" Jason followed up.

"Light Screen!" Amanda quickly issued.

Ledyba turned around to face Ralts and projected a magical screen in front of her. She was largely able to resist Ralts' Confusion. The attack seemed to be blocked by the screen as it reflected in colors resembling the rainbow.

"Now use Tackle!" Amanda followed up.

"Double Team!" Jason responded.

Ralts projected multiple copies of herself. Ledyba flew right through one of the copies.

"Comet Punch!" Amanda commanded.

Ledyba repeatedly punched through copy after copy.

"Disarming Voice! Give it all you got!" Jason yelled with energy and determination.

Ralts projected another loud screech. Ledyba became so overwhelmed she was flown backward, tumbling over and over again.

"No!" Amanda gasped. "Ledyba!"

Ledyba finally stopped, but she was unable to get up.

"Ledyba is unable to battle!" the woman declared. "Ralts is the winner!"

Ralts took an elegant bow before Ledyba, who was unable to move.

"Return, Ledyba," Amanda recalled her. "Good job out there."

She then faced Jason. "At least you showed me I still need to improve," she said. "But next time…" she pointed at him with a determined smile.

"It was a good battle," Jason remained humble. "You tried to mount a comeback."

"I suppose," Amanda seemed disappointed but still poised a smile. "I'd still love to challenge you or your sister to a three on three sometime."

"I look forward to it," Jason said with confidence.

"Next up, we have Kristine and Julian," the man announced.

Kristine approached Jason and gave him another high five before taking the former side of the field.

"I do apologize, Kristine," Julian said as he approached the opposite end.

"For what?" Kristine asked.

Julian grew a smirk. "Jason's not yours to beat in the final round. As much as I like to see the both of you battle it out, I want to win!"

"Then bring it on!" Kristine accepted the challenge.

"One," the woman said. "Two. Three!"

"Pikachu, showtime!" Kristine yelled.

"Standby, Pancham!" Julian threw his pokeball.

"Pika Pika!" Pikachu hopped forward.

"Pancham!" the small panda-like pokemon stepped forward, looking determined.

"Pancham, huh?" Jason used his pokedex on Pancham.

"Pancham, the Playful Pokemon," the pokedex explained. "It does its best to be taken seriously by its enemies, but its glare is not sufficiently intimidating. Chewing on a leaf is its trademark."

"Pancham!" Pancham crossed his arms while chewing on the end of a leaf at the corner of his mouth.

"Begin!" the woman signaled.

"Pikachu, Quick Attack!" Kristine commanded.

"Pancham, dodge!" Julian responded.

Pikachu charged right at Pancham, but Pancham jumped out of the way at the last second.

"Karate Chop!" Julian followed up.

"Pan-cham!" Pancham struck down on Pikachu. Pikachu hit the floor hard, taking a direct hit, but was quickly able to get up.

Kristine noticed that Pancham didn't become paralyzed from Pikachu's Static. But then she quickly realized that Static was not a constant effect. "Pikachu, use Thunder Shock!"

"Pika-chuuuuu!" Pikachu shot lightning right at Pancham and made an impact.

The hit damaged Pancham, but he stood strong, pretending that Thunder Shock didn't even hurt him.

"Pancham, use Leer!" Julian commanded.

Pancham glared right at Pikachu.

"Work Up!" Julian followed up.

Pancham flexed his muscles and jumped up and down, getting himself pumped up against Pikachu.

"Work Up raises both attack and defense," Jason noted.

"Pikachu, hang back and use Electro Ball!" Kristine issued.

"Pika!" Pikachu hurled an electric ball from its tail, directed right at Pancham.

"Dodge and go in for Comet Punch!" Julian went on the offensive.

The pumped-up Pancham narrowly escaped from Pikachu's Electro Ball and charged right at him.

"Double Team!" Kristine yelled.

Pikachu projected multiple copies of itself. Pancham quickly moved in and punched through the copies one by one. By then, Pikachu had jumped out of the way.

"Quick Attack!" Kristine commanded.

Pikachu quickly struck Pancham on the side a second later.

"Jump back and Thunder Shock!" Kristine followed up.

Pikachu hopped backward and emitted a stream of electricity towards Pancham.

"Dodge it!" Julian yelled.

Pancham sidestepped to avoid Thunder Shock. The bolt simply whizzed by him. Everyone gasped in awe over the stylish move. Pancham just stood there, chewing on his leaf.

"Nice, now Karate Chop!" Julian followed up.

Pancham is just going to keep dodging, Kristine thought to herself. Pikachu's going to be worked down if this keeps up.

"Quick Attack one more time!" Kristine ordered.

Pikachu charged at Pancham once more. The two collided, both taking direct hits from the other's attack. Pancham fell back to the floor while Pikachu tumbled and was slow to get up.

The battle seemed to be anyone's for the taking until static electricity pulsed around Pancham. He was paralyzed, unable to move efficiently.

"Pancham!" Julian noticed what had happened. "Work Up, now!"

Pancham pumped himself up once more.

"Pikachu, use everything you got and use Electro Ball!" Kristine yelled.

"Pika-chuuuuuuuuuu!" Pikachu hurled a big ball of electricity.

"Get out of there, Pancham!" Julian commanded.

"Pan!" Pancham struggled to move. As he did, he fell on one knee. He looked at Electro Ball with fierce bravery and bit hard on his leaf. With his head held high, he was directly hit. The ball knocked him far back, several feet away from Julian. He was unable to get up.

"Pancham is unable to battle!" the woman declared. "Pikachu wins!"

"Pika pika!" Pikachu cheered.

"Return, Pancham," Julian recalled him. "Good work, buddy. Good work."

"Great job, Pikachu!" Kristine cheered with her pokemon and then recalled him. "Come on back, now."

"That was close," Julian said with a sense of dignity. "Great job, Kristine."

"You fought hard," Kristine smiled. "You had me on my toes for a minute there."

"It was anyone's game until Pikachu's Static went off," Julian added. "That was fun. I look forward to fighting you and Jason in the future."

"Same here," Kristine agreed.

Julian left the floor. As he did, Jason got off the bleacher and approached Julian's side.

"Eevee against Eevee, huh?" Julian said as he passed by Jason.

Jason smirked. "You'll see."

This intrigued Julian. He began to speculate if both eevee have evolved already.

"And the final battle," the man announced. "Kristine versus Jason. Winner has bragging rights, some camping supplies, even though this kinda benefits both trainers since they're twins and traveling together, and a neat looking ribbon you can pin on your hat or shirt or whatever."

Kristine stood there as Jason entered the opposite field. They talked about fighting against each other. They figured that was going to happen at some point in their journeys. But the realization kicked in. Both twins looked ahead and saw each other. Their heart rates kicked up. They were doing incredibly well these past few days against other trainers, and here they were, going against each other.

This no longer became a little tournament for amateurs. This became a battle between twins, between best friends. And suddenly, they became rivals. Neither twin truly realized that until now.

Jason stood there and faced Kristine. He came to that realization. And he was looking forward to battle his sister. "Are you ready, sis?" he asked, his eyes burning with determination.

Kristine accepted the challenge. She pulled her pokeball from her belt. She faced him with the same spark. "Ready as always."

"Then let's dance." Jason pulled out his pokeball.

"Okay, on three," the woman announced. "One –"

The twins threw their pokeballs without paying attention to the woman's countdown.

"Jolteon, let's go!" Jason yelled.

"Espeon, showtime!" Kristine yelled at the same time.

Jolteon and Espeon were projected out onto the floor, and they took cautious steps towards one another.

"Woah," the man seemed shocked to see that the twins each had an evolved form of eevee.

By then, this caught the eyes of more Mystic members. Several more trotted in to speculate Jason and Kristine's battle.

"Jolteon…" Julian muttered, surprised.

"And Espeon…" Amanda replied, taken back.

"Okay then," the woman took one step back. "Begin!"

"Jolteon, Thunder Wave!" Jason commanded.

Jolteon projected a thunderous wave at Espeon. Espeon was consumed by paralysis right off the bat.

"Espeon!" Kristine yelled.

Espeon remained calm as electric currents rippled throughout her body. She simply sat there. Then, her eyes turned moonlight white. It attempted to pass the status effect to Jolteon using Magic Bounce, a special ability very similar to Synchronize. In this case, nothing happened; Jolteon was immune to electric-inducing paralysis.

"Jolteon, charge in with Headbutt!" Jason followed up.

"Jolteon!" Jolteon rushed at Espeon with his head tilted towards her.

"Espeon, use Confusion!" Kristine commanded.

"Espeon," Espeon's eyes turned purple. Suddenly, so did Jolteon's. Espeon used telekinesis to flick Jolteon backward through. He tumbled to the ground before jumping back up on all four feet.

"Swift!" Jason ordered.

"Jolt-eon!" Jolteon fired a volley of energetic stars at Espeon.

"Dodge, Espeon!" Kristine yelled.

Espeon was unable to move due to paralysis. Jolteon's Swift directly hit her as each star exploded on impact, but she stood strong on four legs.

Espeon can't move much as long as she's paralyzed, Kristine thought. If she throws Jolteon back with Confusion again, he may try to Double Team to cancel it out.

If Kristine calls Espeon to use Confusion on Headbutt again, I'll call Jolteon to Double Team, Jason thought.

"Jolteon, Headbutt!" Jason issued.

Jolteon charged at Espeon once more.

That's it! Kristine had an idea. "Espeon, Sand Attack!"

Espeon didn't need to move to use Sand Attack. She used telepathic energy to project dirt up into the air and flung it right at Jolteon.

"Jolt!" Jolteon was caught off guard, and his attack was faltered as he landed.

"Double Team!" Jason called, taking precautionary measures.

Jolteon projected multiple copies of himself, scattered throughout a 180-degree arc in front of Espeon.

"Espeon, Calm Mind." Kristine remained on the defensive.

Espeon's eyes glowed white once more. Her mind became calm as her alertness rose.

"Hey!" one of the boys from the tournament yelled, and the twins overheard him. "It's Aria!"

Kristine glanced briefly to her right and Jason to his left to see that the Team Mystic Gym Leader was approaching the bleachers.

"Keep using Calm Mind," Kristine commanded. "Force Jolteon to come to you."

"Espeon," Espeon seemed to be in a trance as she sat down.

"Calm Mind will just make her stronger," Jason noted. "Jolteon, use Swift!"

"Jolt-eon!" Jolteon revealed himself and fired a swift of stars at Espeon.

Kristine knew Espeon was going to take the damage, but she got Jason to reveal Jolteon. "Espeon, Confusion!"

"Espeon," Espeon's eyes shifted from white to purple. Jolteon's eyes turned purple once more as he was tossed straight into the air, then slammed back down.

Meanwhile, Espeon took hit after hit from Swift.

"Jolt…" Jolteon looked like he took considerable damage.

"Espeon," Espeon stood on her four legs, but she also looked like she took damage.

"Espeon, you can move. I know you can!" Kristine encouraged her Pokemon.

"Stay in there, Jolteon!" Jason did the same to his. "You can get through this. She's tough, but you can do this!"

"The winner of this battle will face me tomorrow morning!" Aria declared. The twins looked right at her. She had short blonde hair, extending just to the bottom of her neck, and appeared to be in her early 30s. She wore a blue jacket with white outlines and plain white capris.

The twins then looked directly at each other. They both wanted to win really badly.

"Calm Mind one more time," Kristine commanded. "We're in the final stretch!"

"Espeon," Espeon's eyes turned white.

"Jolteon, all or nothing! Jason yelled. "Headbutt!"

"This is it, Espeon!" Kristine yelled. "Quick Attack!"

"Jolteon!" Jolteon charged head-on.

"Espeon!" Espeon managed to move through her paralysis and leaped towards Jolteon in hopes of striking him first.

"Jolt!" Jolteon closed in.

"Espeon!" Espeon powered herself to attack Jolteon.

The two collided with such force that both of them slammed back to the ground. They both struck each other's chests with direct hits.

Some spectators stood right up. Everyone was on the edge of their seats, wondering who would get up.

To everyone's surprise, both Espeon and Jolteon got up, though they struggled to do so. They each had battle marks across their bodies. They were worn out, and neither one wanted to give in, yet they were beyond fatigued.

Suddenly, Jolteon fell back to the ground. He could not get back up.

"Jolteon is unable to battle!" the woman from Team Mystic declared. "Espeon is the winner!"

"Yes, yes, yes!" Kristine jumped for joy. Espeon limped her way back to her.

"I guess being patient and using Calm Mind made all the difference," Jason muttered to himself. "That single Confusion earlier tipped the tide." He closed his eyes briefly and smiled. "Return, Jolteon," he recalled him. "You did great out there. Get some rest."

"Get a good rest, Espeon," Kristine recalled her. "You deserve it!"

Jason then approached Kristine, stepping out onto the field. Kristine did the same.

"You did great, Kristine," Jason faced his sister with dignity. "Congratulations."

"Thanks!" Kristine smiled. "So did you, Jason. The battle could've gone either way."

"Your use of non-attacking moves was great," Jason complimented.

"I knew you were going to be relentless," Kristine replied. "It seems to be your fighting style. You had me worried the entire battle."

"Knowing that you're trying the perfect the art of non-combat tactics, I knew it was going to be tough to get at Espeon," Jason added. "But mark my words, sis. Next time, I'll win!"

Kristine chuckled. "We'll see about that, bro."

Aria approached the twins.

"Bravo," Aria clapped her hands. "Well done, both of you! You have demonstrated your connection with pokemon and your ability to battle as legitimate trainers! Brad, Summ, and Don told me all about you. Jason and Kristine, right?"

"Yep," Kristine and Jason spoke and nodded at the same time.

"Name's Aria," Aria introduced herself. "And I am the leader of the Inventum Mystic Chapter, as well as the Gym Leader of Fort Lexing. My duty as Gym Leader is to test trainers who desire to enter the Inventum Cup. I won't lie to you; less than ten percent of trainers who participate in the Inventum League ever make it to even a single Cup. Cups are held annually, and it usually takes two years on average to obtain the twelve badges necessary to compete.

"You two are ready for your first challenge," she continued. "You have enough practice and discipline to challenge me, and I can already tell that the both of you are incredibly talented. Be warned; I will not go easy on you. I will test your patience and your versatility. Most importantly, I will test your determination to be the very best out there. Our passions are what drive us. Our passions help us discover the mysteries that are not only around us but also within us.

"Now," Aria faced Kristine. "I will face you tomorrow at ten o'clock sharp. Be prepared."

Kristine nodded with a determined look. "I will."

Aria faced Jason. "You fought admirably," she commended. "I will face you next, after your sister. Sometime in the afternoon, perhaps. We'll see how the first battle goes. Nonetheless, be prepared.

"I will, Aria," Jason gave a nod.

"Good," Aria acknowledged before stepping away. "Do your homework, and get a good night's sleep. See you tomorrow!"

As Aria departed the floor, the twins looked at each other.

"Let's get back to the pokemon center and relax," Kristine suggested.

"Agreed," Jason replied. "Aria told us to do some homework. We should do just that."

The twins walked out of the Mystic Gym with their heads held high. They came out as the two top trainers of a small tournament of aspiring contestants and were personally greeted by Aria herself. They knew that taking her down is no short order; they had their work cut out for them.