Here we go, a three-on-three showdown between Jason and Kristine. Hope you all enjoy!


Amanda proceeded through the tunnel from the field, walking through a lounge complete with hardwood flooring, light green walls, three sofas, and a large flat-screen TV. The sounds of cheering spectators dissipated; Amanda figured Julian was still out there interacting with his newly acquired fans.

"Hold your head high," Amanda muttered to herself. She was disappointed in herself, losing to Julian. Still, she knew Julian was tough, and she needed to keep improving if she wanted to be the best trainer in Inventum.

She gazed towards the blank TV screen, envisioning herself as among Inventum's elite. She imagined herself and her fully evolved team working in a synchronized strategy. Rain Dance came to mind, and so in her mind, she had herself drenched. Her team could essentially work around electric and water-type moves, and thus she figured she just laid the groundwork for a fighting style she and her team could enjoy.

Amanda envisioned herself, rain and lightning all around her and tens of thousands of cheering fans surrounding her. That was when she heard a door open from across the room, breaking her concentration.

"Hey, Amanda!" Kristine walked in, noticing Amanda staring at the blank TV. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Amanda turned around with a gleaming smile. "We did our best. That's all I could ask for, right?"

"You did great!" Kristine sincerely replied. "Don't be down on yourself."

"Oh, I'm not," Amanda assured her. "But there's still work to be done. We're going to come back better than ever!"

"That's the spirit!" Kristine moved in to exchange a high five with Amanda.

"I should get going," Amanda glanced towards the entrance to the tunnel before turning back to Kristine. "I can't imagine what you're thinking right now."

Kristine also shifted her eyes towards the tunnel for a split second before facing Amanda. "Lucario is going to be a pain in the butt to overcome."

"Is he going to use him?"

"No doubt. Lucario and Jolteon. Third pick is not Kirlia but still anyone's guess."

"Well, I'll be rooting for you both!" Amanda began to proceed out the door. "I don't want to be biased."

Kristine chuckled. "It's fine. See you later, okay?"

Amanda smiled. "We'll hang out before we leave PokeWorld!"

Amanda opened the door that led out to the VIP concourse beneath the spectators. She welcomed the peace, as only a handful of staff were present and trained not to engage with any trainers unless it was guest service-related.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and muttered, "I need a nap."

"Hey, Pandy!" Amanda heard Liz's voice directly in front of her, breaking her moment of serenity.

Amanda opened her eyes, happy to see Liz but also visibly drained from her antics.

"You did fine out there," Liz put her hands on Amanda's shoulders. "But next time, show no mercy. Be ruthless. Be mean. Be the second best trainer in Inventum!"

"How did you even get in here?" Amanda asked.

"I had to be in here earlier, silly," Liz scoffed.

"Fine, I'll be tougher," Amanda gently took Liz's hands off her shoulders. "You just stop calling me Pandy."

"Or what?" Liz playfully replied. "It's not like anyone knows what that means. You in that pancham costume for six weeks was -"

"I was seven years old!" Amanda cut her off. "And we never talk about the pancham costume," she then had an idea, finally calling Liz a name she despised for the sake of her self-identity. With a smirk, Amanda added, "Betty."

Liz took a step back. She was surprised to hear that name, let alone coming from Amanda. "It's Liz. Not Beth, not Betty, not Abby, not Bea, not Elize, not Eliza, not even Lizzy. It's Liz," she addressed Amanda in a stern voice.

"Elizabeth?" Amanda tilted her head.

"Only on formal occasions," Liz explained.

"And how many nicknames are there for Elizabeth?"

"Too many. I swear if you run down the entire list!"

"Got you!" Amanda laughed. "Try calling me Pandy again!"

Liz sighed, realizing she exposed and rekindled a significant pet peeve of hers to Amanda. She couldn't help but smile in admiration of Amanda choosing to get back at her. "Well played, Amanda."

"Yeah, well, let's just pray and hope no one ever sees those pancham suit pictures," Amanda scratched the back of her neck, nervous about that prospect.

"Your folks have them, right?" Liz asked.

Amanda nodded. "But them sharing those? Can't put it past them."

"True," Liz snickered. "Hey, wanna go watch Twin Boy and Twin Girl fight it out?"

"As much as I need a breather, sure," Amanda replied. "Might as well support them."

"We can chill at the pool after," Liz added, leading the way. "Come on."


Jason stood at the edge of the tunnel leading into the field. He could look straight up to see a partly cloudy sky. Despite the great weather he and Kristine experienced coming into Sol Peninsula, he knew about how rain clouds and thunderstorms can quickly form. It was merely a natural occurrence, according to meteorologists, as opposed to pokemon causing rapid weather effects.

He took a deep breath, barely able to feel the pain in his ribcage. He was relieved to see the condition gradually improving day by day, and while he didn't need to control his breathing, he made it a habit. It helped calm him in high-pressure situations. He thought fighting Alex was stressful enough to get through, and now he had to beat Kristine to get to the next round, where Liz awaited the winner. It just doesn't get any easier.

Jason knew Lucario came through and saved him from defeat in the last round. He valued every member of his team, but he couldn't help but acknowledge the fact that Lucario joined Jolteon as an ace. It was great for Jolteon, Jason thought, as the lightning canine wouldn't have to feel so much pressure every time he battled.

Many fans had settled down after a brief break between matches, as Jason could hear those directly above him eagerly waiting for the next battle. He wanted the process to hurry up - he and his team were ready to fight the very person and pokemon they traveled with every day.


Kristine also stood at the edge of the tunnel on her side of the field. She caught a glimpse of her brother, who briefly looked back.

"Let's get this going," she impatiently muttered. She wanted to win this whole tournament, and she was confident she would. No one was going to stop her, not even Jason. He played with a sense of passion only a few in the world ever achieved, and she knew that. He naturally possessed aspects that she needed to develop herself, something she was envious of.

On the flip side, however, Kristine knew she was naturally assertive in her intelligence. She would be the first to argue that she was no brighter than Jason, but Kristine could naturally see the bigger picture where Jason was headstrong. She wanted to use that as an advantage and take the initiative from her brother during the battle.

Heart wouldn't win this match alone, she knew, but it would surely help. Jason had a lot of it, and if Kristine were in his shoes, she would attack relentlessly. She had to be ready for that.

A moment later, the PA announcer made his introductions to the crowd. "Ladies and gentlemen, the last match of the Junior Circuit quarterfinals is underway. We have a battle between twins hailing all the way from Mountainspring, a small town in the mountain sub-region. They've traveled together for hundreds of miles, won the Power Duo together, and even shared a birthday right here in Sol.

"First, she worked her opponents down through stat-boosting moves. Give her an inch, and she will make you pay. Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the female twin, here's Kristine Kyar!"

"Showtime," Kristine took a deep breath. She walked out onto the field, waving at the tens of thousands of cheering fans that surrounded her. She stopped just before the center line, eyes right on Jason as he waited for his turn to step out.

"And from the other side," the announcer continued. "He came back from being way behind in his first gym battle. He proved that was no fluke, completing nothing short of a miracle against his previous opponent. Think you have him backed to a corner? Think again! The male twin, Jason Kyar!"


"Let's do this!" Jason pumped himself up, practically skipping out onto the field. The cheers and foot-stomping seemed louder, likely because of the hopeful fans throughout Entei Stadium that wanted to see him win this tournament.

Jason quickly composed himself, though he jogged towards the center to meet his sister.

Kristine reached in for a one-arm hug. "Good luck, bro. Have fun, okay?"

Jason gave her the same one-arm hug. "Yeah, sis. You too."

The same referee from Jason and Alex's match approached the twins as they let go. She figured she wouldn't get any trouble from the two, but she was still relieved there was no turmoil. No spiel about expecting good sportsmanship was needed. "Okay, pikachu side is heads, blank side is tails," she began to flip the coin.

She caught the coin before it fell to the ground before revealing the blank side.

"First move," Kristine called, the coin being in her favor.

"Very well," the referee acknowledged. "Let's get this show on the road."

The twins took to their sides of the field as the referee approached her box. She turned around to see the determined twins locking eyes on one another. She slightly giggled, knowing asking if either trainer was ready was unnecessary. But protocol was protocol.

"Jason, are you ready?" the referee asked.

Jason did not shift his eyes. "Yes," he spoke clearly.

"And Kristine, are you ready?" the referee turned her head to Kristine.

"Always," Kristine replied.

"Let the battle begin!" the referee declared.

The audience roared as the twins primed their pokeballs. Both Jason and Kristine felt their adrenaline kick in. Knowing that they were going against each other was one thing. To stare each other down as the match was about to begin was another. Two may enter, but one may leave victorious.

"Let's go, Dartrix!" Jason called out his first pokemon.

"Dar!" Dartrix chirped. She took a few hops forward.

Kristine kept the same pokeball she initially primed. "Showtime, Raichu!" she yelled, tossing out the pokeball.

"Raichu!" Raichu stepped forward, eager to battle.

"Light Screen!" Kristine called.

"Rai!" Raichu began to project a nearly invisible barrier that would partially deflect special attacks.

"Razor Leaf!" Jason responded with a physical attack. He wanted to use Ominous Wind to get a chance to boost Dartrix's attributes, but he also wanted to press hard and keep Kristine on the defensive.

"Dartrix!" Dartrix opened her right wing, projecting a barrage of razor-sharp leaves right at Raichu.

"Electro Ball!" Kristine yelled.

"Raichu!" Raichu flipped, hurling Electro Ball from his tail. The attack collided against Razor Leaf, the leaves exploding into electrical currents at the center of the field. Both attacks canceled each other out.

"Let's go!" Kristine began to go on the offensive. "Raichu, go right at Dartrix with Thunderbolt!"

"Raichu!" Raichu unleashed the powerful electric attack as a lightning bolt zipped right towards Dartrix.

"Quick! Ominous Wind!" Jason reacted.

Dartrix used both wings to project a violet gust of wind, using the move to protect herself from being struck head-on by Thunderbolt. Ominous Wind dissipated Thunderbolt, resulting in sporadic purple electrical currents that rippled throughout the field. The audience seemed captivated by the sudden beauty of the two colliding moves.

Kristine used this attack as an opportunity to get Raichu to close in on Dartrix. As Jason and Dartrix had to be reactive to a fast attack, Raichu ran towards Dartrix's right flank. He made a front flip as his tail glowed a bright steel color. Without Kristine calling for the move, Raichu closed on his opponent in an attempt to use Iron Tail.

"Peck!" Jason was on the defensive. He was frustrated by that; it was apparent that Kristine scouted out his areas of needing improvement against Alex. But there was no one better at exploiting his weaknesses than his sister.

Dartrix reacted to Raichu's Iron Tail by jumping, smashing against the attack with Peck. The kinetic energy emitted from the two attacks pushed both opponents back as Dartrix and Raichu could land upright.

The fans gave a round of applause and cheers. Neither trainer seemed to get the upper hand, but Kristine knew she had the initiative over Jason.

"Thunderbolt!" Kristine followed up.

Raichu quickly shot out another lightning bolt, giving Dartrix no time to dodge. Given that Raichu was much faster than Dartrix, Jason knew Kristine was also using speed to her advantage.

"Dar!" Dartrix took Thunderbolt head-on. Her flying and grass typing rendered the electric-type attack to strike as normal, but it was a devastating attack nonetheless.

Seeing his pokemon trying to fight through the attack, Jason had to react to get Dartrix out of a dire situation. "Ominous Wind with everything you have!"

Dartrix managed to fire off the violet gust of wind, breaking up Raichu's Thunderbolt.

"Electro Ball!" Kristine commanded.

Raichu fired off Electro Ball. Dartrix had little time to react, using Razor Leaf to defend herself. However, Electro Ball was close enough for its energy to knock her back upon explosion.

Dartrix tumbled further towards Jason, with Raichu closing in. Kristine kept the tempo, and as some experts would point out, she made a smart move by pinning her opponent to a small portion of the field. She would not give Jason a chance to recover.

"Iron Tail!" Kristine yelled.

"Raichu!" Raichu flipped into the air, coming down on Dartrix with a glowing tail. He struck her head-on, knocking her down to the ground.

"Dartrix!" Jason yelled in concern. It wasn't how he wanted to start the battle, and he began to think about what he could have done better. To his dismay, Dartrix did not get back up.

"Dartrix is unable to battle!" the referee called. "Raichu wins!"

"Yeah!" Kristine cheered, jumping twice in celebration of Raichu's win over Dartrix. Since Raichu's evolution, she worked on getting used to his new body, using speed combined with his newfound power. With a victory over Dartrix, Kristine viewed it as a step in the right direction.

She still regretted acting negatively to Raichu's evolution. It spoke to her maturity, or lack thereof, as much as she didn't want to admit that. She knew, however, Raichu's evolution was a blessing, one of the most joyous moments to occur with her team. Since then, training Raichu to become stronger had made Kristine into a more refined individual in turn.

"Return, Dartrix," Jason recalled his pokemon. "You did well out there. This is on me, not on you."

He primed his second pokeball, looking up to see Kristine staring back at him. She was far on the other side of the field, but Jason could still point out her sense of determination. She was willing to go through him to get to the next round, and he needed to show the same effort.


"Why did Jason come out with Dartrix?" Liz raised an eyebrow. She sat in the front row, next to Amanda, on Jason's left and Kristine's right. "He needed to go all out with Lucario, even Jolteon!"

"Maybe he was trying to feel Kristine out," Amanda replied.

"She's his freaking sister!" Liz scoffed. "Surely they know everything about each other, so they might as well go all out!"

"Well, Jason might try to be more reserved because Kristine expected him to go all out," Amanda added. "Except Kristine went on the attack because Jason was reserved. Kristine can adapt; I'll give her that."

"Yeah, well, I fight one of them tomorrow," Liz crossed her arms. "I don't care who wins; I just want them to throw everything they have at me."

"Hey, guys!" Julian snuck up on the two from the second row, holding a basket of fries drenched in ranch and hot sauce. "Sorry I'm late."

"Hi, Julian!" Amanda turned around and smiled.

"I was starving after the battle, so I waited in line forever for these," Julian explained. "Want some, guys?"

Amanda grabbed a fry, knowing she was hungry but not admitting it.

"I'll pass," Liz replied. "Thing's got like ten thousand calories, you know."

"Doesn't hurt to splurge once in a while," Julian sat at his seat. "Well, if you change your mind, there's plenty to go around."

Julian looked over to his left, seeing Bran sitting by his lonesome. "Has he been sitting there this whole time?"

Liz shrugged.

"Bran's quiet, you know," Amanda replied. "He likes to keep to himself sometimes. We let him have his peace."

Julian decided to get Bran's attention nonetheless, waving a fry toward his direction. "Hey, Bran! Want some fries?"

Bran turned his head, shrugged after contemplating for a moment, and walked over to the three trainers.

"We fight tomorrow, you know," he said to Julian.

"I know," Julian laughed. "And Amanda and I just battled. Still doesn't hurt to be friendly, right?"

"I suppose not," Bran grabbed a fry. "Looking forward to the match tomorrow."

"Same," Julian nodded.

Bran then gave a quick pat on Amanda's shoulder. "You did great out there."

"Thanks!" Amanda smiled. "At least we lost to one of you guys."

"Here we go," Liz had her eyes fixated on the field. "Jason's brought out the big guns!"


"Lu!" Lucario howled after Jason brought him out. Many fans gave a standing ovation out of respect for Lucario's performance against all three of Alex's pokemon.

Here we go, Kristine faced Lucario. Fighting Lucario is going to be tough. But we can do this. We will do this.

"This is where we turn the tables!" Jason yelled. "Lucario! Aura Sphere!"

"Lucario!" Lucario powered a sphere of energy, quickly hurling it at Raichu.

"Reactivate Light Screen!" Kristine ordered.

"Chu!" Raichu kept his barrier active. A split second later, however, Aura Sphere crashed into him. While Light Screen deflected some of the damage, the kinetic force alone sent him tumbling backward.

"Wow, that was fast," Kristine was both impressed and fearful of Lucario's speed from his attacks.

Lucario suddenly dashed at Raichu, hoping to strike him with Brick Break before he got back up.

Kristine realized she also needed to be wary of Lucario's physical speed. That, backed with the ferocity of his attacks, made him one challenging opponent.

"Quick! Thunderbolt!" Kristine knew she had just a few seconds to react.

"Chu!" Raichu unleashed Thunderbolt right at his opponent. Lucario, however, jumped and spun once, Thunderbolt missing him by mere inches.

Since Lucario couldn't close the gap without Raichu using another Thunderbolt, he projected Aura Sphere, firing it right at Raichu.

Raichu contracted Aura Sphere by zapping it with Thunderbolt. The two attacks caused an explosion towards the center of the field, enticing the entire stadium to erupt in cheers.

Kristine then realized something unusual. Jason hadn't been vocal the last couple of moves. He seemed to be phased in reality, aware of his surroundings and no white eyes, unlike his synchronization with Kirlia under Future Sight. Yet when Lucario moved his arms, so did Jason.

Still, she had to focus on defeating Lucario. She was happy to see that Raichu could match Lucario's speed, at least with attacks. Now she just needed to regain the momentum and put Jason on the defensive once more.

"Electro Ball! Go!" she commanded.

Raichu flipped forward once more, hurling Electro Ball at Lucario. Lucario dashed forward, Electro Ball whizzing over his head.

"Iron Tail!" Kristine followed up.

Lucario powered up another Aura Sphere. Still running towards Raichu, he slid against the dirt as his opponent jumped to conduct Iron Tail. Lucario's agile reflexes caused Raichu to overshoot him.

"Lu!" Lucario barked, shooting Aura Sphere at Raichu's back before he could turn around.

"No!" Kristine yelled. "Raichu!"

Aura Sphere struck Raichu's back, exploding. The impact sent him flying towards Jason's side of the field. He could not get back up.

"Raichu is unable to battle!" the referee declared. "Lucario wins!"

"Yeah!" Jason raised a fist in the air, his voice nearly muffled out by the screaming fans. He noticed Lucario doing the same.

Jason felt a strange sensation within the last minute, almost like he was synchronized with Lucario. His actions were Lucario's actions, his thoughts Lucario's. It was almost like they were one individual.

Then it snapped. As the heat of the moment against a tough pokemon and his trainer dissipated, so did that sensation of unity. Jason felt separated from Lucario by mind, but that did not discourage him. There was still more work to be done to win this match.

"Return, Raichu!" Kristine recalled her pokemon. She was genuinely impressed by Raichu's performance, taking down Dartrix and holding out as long as he did against Lucario. "I'm proud of you. We'll win this!"

Kristine primed her second pokeball. "Let's do this, Dratini!"

"Dratini!" Dratini slithered forward after being summoned.

Kristine's choice was unexpected for some viewers and spectators. On paper, many thought Dratini would not stand a chance against Lucario. But Kristine had a plan; Lucario needed to be pinned down, and she was confident Dratini was up to the task.

"Use Agility!" Kristine initiated her plan.

Dratini slithered across the field, picking up his speed.

"We need to stop Dratini before he becomes too fast!" Jason warned. "Lucario, use Aura Sphere!"

"Lucario!" Lucario fired Aura Sphere, leading his attack in front of Dratini in an attempt to hit him head-on.

"Use Flamethrower to get rid of Aura Sphere!" Kristine reacted.

Dratini turned his head to unleash a stream of flames at Aura Sphere. The two moves collided, resulting in a kinetic blast that sent tiny sparks of fire throughout the field.

I can't let Dratini close in with Flamethrower, Jason thought. "Lucario, fire another Aura Sphere!"

"Use Agility again and get closer to Lucario!" Kristine responded.

Kristine knew she was taking a risk by having Dratini outright dodge Aura Sphere. Dratini picked up more speed, slithering across the field as Lucario took aim. Lucario fired off Aura Sphere, aiming ahead of Dratini. The attack landed just behind Dratini and exploded. The impact was enough to knock Dratini off the ground, sending him flying towards Lucario.

"Attack from the side and use Brick Break!" Jason followed up.

"Lu!" Lucario darted towards Dratini.

"Use Thunder Wave!" Kristine yelled. This was her plan to beat Lucario, immobilizing him and taking away his maneuverability.

Dratini unleashed an electrical wave before Lucario came within striking range. Thunder Wave enveloped Lucario, sending him crashing to the ground in paralysis.

"Lucario!" Jason yelled.

"Lu..." Lucario stood up, electrical currents rippling throughout his body.

"We can do this!" Kristine encouraged Dratini. "Dragon Rage!"

"Dratini!" Dratini fired a violet ball of flames at Lucario.

"Lucario!" Lucario crossed his arms, trying to protect himself from the full brunt of the damage. Dragon Rage struck him, causing an explosion.

"Just try getting close, Kristine," Jason muttered. He was ready to use Reversal at a second's notice.

As the smoke evaporated, Jason could see that Dratini slithered around the field faster than before. Kristine had quietly called for Agility a third time, still wary of Aura Sphere. Then he had an idea, something he knew Kristine would be intrigued by after the fact. "Aura Sphere, just like last time!"

Just like last time, Jason hoped Lucario got the hint.

"Get to Lucario and use Flamethrower!" Kristine felt her adrenaline sink in. She thought she could take down Lucario here and now. What a feat would that be for Dratini.

Just then, natural dark clouds started to move over Entei Stadium. It began to drizzle. Lucario paid no mind, firing off another Aura Sphere. It flew right over Dratini's head, but it landed and exploded right behind him. The kinetic force propelled Dratini right to Lucario.

He did that on purpose! Kristine was shocked. Jason outsmarted her at that moment. "Dratini! Flamethrower with everything you have!"

"Dra!" Dratini, not being able to control his velocity, unleashed flames at Lucario from close range.

"He still got it off," Jason clenched his left fist. "Er, Lucario, fight through it with all your might and use Reversal!"

"Lu!" Lucario yelped, consumed by flames. Facing paralysis, he stepped forward. The supereffective attack was difficult to handle, and Lucario did everything he could to not give in. As Dratini was about to slam into him, he threw his right palm forward, sending Dratini flying high into the air across Kristine's side of the field.

"No..." Kristine could only watch as she fell behind in the match.

Dratini crashed to the ground just fifteen feet before her, unable to continue.

"Dratini is unable to battle!" the referee called.

Jason and Lucario received a standing ovation at that moment. That was five pokemon in a row that Lucario had taken out between Alex and Kristine. In the eyes of many, that solidified him as an undisputed ace.

Lucario was charred and paralyzed. He fell to one knee, but he was still active on the field. The rain began to intensify into a downpour, drenching both Jason and Kristine.

"We got this, Lucario!" Jason cheered. "Can you go on a little longer?"

Lucario turned his head to Jason, giving him a thumbs up.

"Great!" Jason responded in the same fashion.

"Return, Dratini," Kristine recalled, disappointed in herself. "I'm proud of you."

She noticed Jason was keeping Lucario out on the field. He knew very well who she was going to use, she thought, and she would use Lucario's lack of mobility to her advantage.


"Jason still has Lucario and probably Jolteon," Amanda pointed out.

"He has the edge!" Julian added. "Even if Kristine goes with Espeon, it might be too much to handle, right?"

"I don't know," Bran slightly shook his head.

"Huh?" Julian tilted his head.

"Jason just made a big mistake," Liz observed. "Assuming Kristine uses Espeon, it's an error on his part. He needs to press Espeon hard with Jolteon off the bat. He's too in over his head with how much Lucario can go through."

"But Lucario told Jason he's okay," Amanda said.

"That's because he's a fighting-type," Liz explained. "They feel the need to endure everything, just like that storm when those two first met."

"They're choosing impossible odds over a feasible strategy," Bran added. "Which means Kristine is the one who's ahead."


Kristine readied her last pokeball. "Okay, girl," she gave a quick kiss. "We're in this together. We play this our way, and we'll beat those knuckleheads, okay?"

She tossed her pokeball. "Let's win this, Espeon!"

"Espeon!" Espeon walked forward with elegance. She sat down, stationary and at a safe range from Lucario.

"Use Calm Mind!" Kristine yelled.

"Espeon," Espeon's eyes glowed bright white.

"Oh crap!" Jason was soon onto what Kristine was going for. "Lucario! Aura Sphere!"

"Lucario!" Lucario took one step forward before his paralysis prevented him from going any further. He aimed at Espeon and fired.

"Stand strong, Espeon!" Kristine followed up. "Use Calm Mind again!"

"Espeon!" Espeon powered up her special defense and attack once more. Jason had hoped Espeon would break her focus and jump out of the way. Perhaps it was something Kristine would do in the past, even against a not very effective attack. Maybe the twins' fighting styles were brushing off on each other.

Espeon took Aura Sphere head-on, the attack exploding upon impact. She emerged, only taking minimal damage.

"Fire again with everything you have!" Jason shouted. It was all he could do.

Lucario, clearly staggered and exhausted, managed to harness enough energy to fire Aura Sphere once more.

"Calm Mind again!" Kristine issued.

"Esp!" Espeon endured another Aura Sphere, emerging more robust.

"Lu!" Lucario, clearly frustrated, ran forward. It wasn't long before paralysis caused him to fall on his knees, however. He looked up, seeing the rain coming down hard. It reminded him of the storm back in the Nappalchan Mountains, when he was Riolu, before joining Jason and his team. He was sure he could endure everything.

Lucario looked ahead to see an incoming Psybeam, its gleaming allure covering nearly everything in front of him.

Psybeam struck him head-on, causing a massive explosion. Jason feared for Lucario, knowing that was one powerful attack. The referee waved her hand for Kristine to cease any further moves until there was a clear indication Lucario could no longer fight.

The smoke dissipated. Lucario remained still on both knees, using Endure to fight through Psybeam.

"Lu..." Lucario managed to get up, prompting a standing ovation from the crowd.

Lucario's defiance against all odds even admired Kristine. She felt terrible for having to put an end to his miracle run, but she and Espeon needed to do what had to be done. As soon as the referee gave the go-ahead to resume play, Kristine went in for the knockout. "Swift!"

Espeon fired star-shaped rays, all barreling towards Lucario. Several stars struck him, sending him falling on his back. He did not get back up.

"Lucario is unable to battle!" the referee called. "Espeon wins!"

The crowd remained standing, applauding and roaring in cheers in respect for Lucario. Two matches in a row, Lucario took on an entire team. That alone gave many fans an unbelievable amount of inspiration across Inventum, even if Lucario fell short in the second match.

"You did good, Lucario," Kristine muttered. She had nothing but respect for Lucario and all of Jason's pokemon. "You did good."

She had a strange sense that Lucario heard her, even with him being out of earshot. She felt pride and disappointment with those feelings not coming from her.

"Return, Lucario!" Jason recalled his pokemon. "I can't begin to describe how proud I am of you."

As incredible as it was seeing Lucario endure everything thrown at him out there, Jason realized the error in his decision-making. Jolteon would have to fight a heavily empowered Espeon, and the advantage belonged to Kristine. Under many chants of Magikarp, Jason primed his last pokeball, knowing the only way to win would be to get through Espeon. "Let's go, Jolteon!"

"Jolteon!" Jolteon hit the ground, charging at Espeon.

"We can win this through fast physical attacks!" Jason yelled. "Use Agility and dodge everything Espeon throws at you!"

"Jolt!" Jolteon picked up speed. Seconds later, he was already on Espeon's side of the field.

"We need to slow him down!" Kristine advised. "Use Swift!"

Espeon fired another volley of star-shaped rays.

"Use Thunderbolt and break away!" Jason yelled, knowing the stars would be too much for Jolteon to burst through.

"Jolteon!" Jolteon fired Thunderbolt at Swift before dashing to the left. Thunderbolt destroyed most of the stars, with electrical currents amplified by the heavy rain zapping away the rest.

"Pin Missile!" Jason shouted.

"Jolt!" Jolteon positioned his feet, sliding against the muddy ground, as he fired a volley of pins at Espeon.

"Use Reflect!" Kristine called. She intended to turn Espeon into an impenetrable fortress.

Espeon projected a barrier that deflected several pins from the supereffective attack. The rest sent her skidding back several feet, but she remained sitting on one spot.

"Agility again!" Jason yelled. "Run across!"

Jolteon dashed across the field, reaching the far wall in less than three seconds.

"Psybeam!" Kristine screamed.

Espeon fired a massive colorful beam aimed at Jolteon.

"Agility again! Get out of there!" Jason commanded.

Jolteon hit the brakes, sliding against the mud, before dashing again to the other side of the field. He dodged Psybeam by mere inches.

"Calm Mind once more!" Kristine decided to tone down her aggression.

Espeon gathered her thoughts, her eyes glowing brighter than ever.

We will prevail, Kristine heard a familiar female voice in her head, one she hadn't heard in a while. We will win this together.

She figured Espeon was trying to communicate with her telepathically. Still, she felt the need to yell vocally. "Yes! We will win this together!"

"Close in with Pin Missile!" Jason shouted. "This match is ours!"

Jolteon fired another volley of pins. This time, Espeon dodged out of the way. For a pokemon being stationary the entire time, this came as a surprise to many fans. To Jason, he figured it was about time; Espeon had the potential to be nearly as fast as Jolteon. In addition, a mobile Espeon empowered by four Calm Minds was dangerous, and Jason knew it.

"Use Swift!" Kristine commanded.

Espeon fired a volley of stars, appearing more numerous and larger than before.

"Thunderbolt! Go all in!" Jason sought to win. He figured one well-placed Wild Charge and a Pin Missile should do the trick.

Jolteon ran forward, zapping many of the stars as the chain reaction from the heavy rain took care of the rest. Jolteon pressed forward, ready to strike.

"WILD CHARGE!" Jason screamed.

"Swift! Slow him down!" Kristine yelled.

Jolteon propelled himself forward like a torpedo, consumed by electricity. Espeon's Swift crashed into him, but the stars weren't enough to keep him at bay. Jolteon busted through, striking Espeon head-on.

"Jolt!" Jolteon recoiled back, tumbling over once before regaining his footing.

"Espeon!" Espeon tumbled over three times. She managed to get up, but she was looking weary, as was Jolteon.

He can't do that again, Espeon informed Kristine. It's over.

Just don't get hit again, Kristine warned. This is way too close for comfort.

There is no need to worry yourself. He literally cannot do that again, or he'll faint.

"Pin Missile!" Jason continued his attack. "Let's finish this!"

"Jolteon!" Jolteon barked, firing off more pins.

"Psybeam!" Kristine yelled.

"Espeon!" Espeon projected another colorful beam, this one wider and more powerful than before. It obliterated the pins before it converged on Jolteon.

"Dodge!" Jason shouted.

Jolteon jumped straight up, impressing many fans of his ability to catch so much air from a pure vertical jump. Unfortunately for Jason and Jolteon, that was precisely what Kristine and Espeon wanted.

"Let's end this with Swift!" Kristine ordered.

"Quick! Thunderbolt!" Jason reacted.

Jolteon fired off Thunderbolt at a split-second notice, but Espeon had already projected her volley of stars. Swift was too close; while Thunderbolt zapped away the first wave of stars, the back wave broke through. One star hit Jolteon's torso, and another struck his hind legs. The attack sent him tumbling in a free fall, with a third large star hitting his torso once more. He crashed to the ground.

"Jolteon!" Jason screamed. His chance to win this battle evaporated.

"Jolt..." Jolteon did everything he could to get back up but was unable to.

"Jolteon is unable to battle!" the referee declared. "Jason is out of reserves! Kristine is the winner of this match!"

Jason fell on both knees under a sudden burst of roaring cheers from the crowd. He felt disappointed, his energy was drained, and he knew he could have done better next time. "So close. So damn close..."

"Yes!" Kristine ran out to the field towards Espeon. "We did it! We won!"

Jason pulled out Jolteon's pokeball and recalled him. "You did amazing, bud. Don't get yourself down on this."

However, Jason suspected Jolteon would be disappointed in himself; this was his third loss in a row to Espeon in a battle. It became increasingly frustrating to think about that. In all three battles they had fought, Kristine came out as the winner. Jason wanted to be the best out there, and it seemed his sister was putting a stop to that.


"Well, I got some prep to do," Liz got up as she began to head towards the public concourse. She knew fighting either twin would be a challenge, but seeing Kristine able to overcome both of Jason's aces was something else. "See you guys later."

"Wait, I thought we were gonna chill later," Amanda faced Liz.

"Yeah. Just need to dry off a few minutes to prep," Liz said, looking up at the downpour. "Twin Girl just showed she has a lot of brains in that head of hers."

Amanda laughed. "Okay, Liz. I'll see you later."

"Talk about intensity, right?" Julian chimed in. "Hey, Bran, think we can recreate that tomorrow?"

"I'd rather not," Bran chuckled. "I'll probably die from a panic attack."

"Uh, Julian?" Amanda turned around, looking at Julian's soggy, water-drenched fries. "You didn't eat many of those."

"Yeah," Julian sighed. "They cost me twelve bucks too."

"Talk about concession prices," Bran mentioned. "That's a lot."

"Let's head back to the hotel," Amanda suggested. "Maybe we can change into dry clothes and get something warm to eat."

"Sounds good to me," Julian agreed. "You in, Bran?"

"Might as well," Bran shrugged.


You did great as always, Kristine, Espeon spoke telepathically after being recalled.

"As did you," Kristine muttered. "You are always awesome."

"Kristine!" she heard a girl's voice from the first row behind her. "Kristine! You rock!"

Kristine turned around to see a girl with dark brown hair tied into a ponytail much like hers. More aspiring girls ran down the steps to greet her, not caring about the downpour. Kristine made a running jump to lean over the wall, embracing her new fans.

Many of the girls patted Kristine on the back, while others exchanged high fives with her. Kristine faced the first girl she saw and wanted to do something special. So she took off her visor, handing it to her as a gift.

"Had it with me for a while," Kristine said. "It's all yours!"

"Wow! Thanks!" the girl displayed a gleaming smile.

More girls swarmed Kristine. She needed to get back down, but her fans may have been too excited to see that and unintentionally kept her from coming down from the pats and high fives.

"One more thing," Kristine managed to take off the black hair tie that kept her ponytail together. She tossed it in the air.

Kristine jumped back down as the girls tried to catch her hair tie. She waved farewell to them before turning to Jason, who stood tall at the center of the field. In tears of joy from winning and seeing how she inspired many others, she slammed into him with a big hug.

"You okay?" Kristine sniffled.

"Am I okay?" Jason laughed, hugging back. "Are you okay?"

"It was close."

"Yeah. It was."

"Jason, you're a great trainer. You know that, right?"

"I do. And you're better. You're just a better trainer."

"No, don't -"

"You're better. I just need to keep improving. But this match belongs to you. Go beat Liz and whoever you face in the final round."

"Thanks, Jason. You're the best."

The twins let go a moment later. Jason decided to hold Kristine's right arm high in the air, prompting cheers from those still in their seats.

"We should get dry," Kristine said to Jason.

"Celebrate!" Jason smiled.

"Alright," Kristine obliged. She faced the crowd in front of her. "Yeah! Two more rounds! Let's do this! Woo!"

The third round of the Junior Circuit came to a close. The semi-finals was just around the corner, and Kristine knew she had one formidable opponent to face in Liz. For the time being, however, the twins realized they could use some time to relax and change into dry clothes.