{Appox. 9 years ago}
Joining Oranguru's team of Pokemon was the greatest moment I experienced on the island so far. Other than feeling a sense of belonging, not as much changed as I thought. Rowlet and I still hung at our private camp. Our new team mates didn't hold us to the same contempt as before we won against Zorua, but they were still weary whenever we happened to be in the same space. We didn't scavenge for berries together, nor any other group activities. But Rowlet and I didn't mind. We were content with hanging out with only each other as company.
However, we weren't alone. Ralts decided to join me shortly after my victory. I thought she'd be really shy around us at first, but she warmed up to us surprisingly fast. She seemed particularly engaged in what we were doing when we were practicing Z-Moves.
It was not easy to re-create Z-Moves. Oranguru watched Rowlet and I sometimes as we tried to replicate our Revolving Dart Raid attack. I kept the Z-Crystal in my pocket. Oranguru told me how trainers would touch the crystal, and then do a series of poses to transfer the power to their Pokemon. I tried to do as he suggested, but for some reason, nothing clicked. Rowlet and I would try to focus on a target, usually a tree, and do poses Oranguru said were usually done for Grass-type Z-Moves. I did many poses, over and over, but the crystal wouldn't glow. I didn't think Rowlet was the problem. Either I just couldn't pose for my life, or something with the crystal was inhibiting me.
My time on the island seemed to fly by faster. I figured I turned 8 years old by now, but by now I lost track of passed time. My shirt was so torn up, it basically became a thin vest. My pants were beaten up, but held better. My hair grew longer, now hanging down the sides of my head, and slightly covering my eyes. I had multiple scrapes on my arms, legs, and back, but I ignored them. Better beaten and alive than dead or vanished.
At some point, I decided to put my Z-Crystal off to the side and try doing Revolver Dart Raid without it. We focused on the tree, imagining a sphere of leaves to materialize around Rowlet. Sure enough, green energy surrounded the both of us. Hundreds of leaves created a bubble shield around Rowlet. We mimicked each other's movements as Rowlet flung the attack at the tree. It was cut to pieces. Ralts cheered from the sideline.
"Yes, I knew it!" I said. "We didn't need…Oranguru…teachings…" I blacked out.
Ralts and Rowlet dragged me a few yards away from the shredded tree, as there was now a little sky-light there. When I woke up, I rubbed my head. [Ugh, maybe this'll pass if we do this enough?] I looked to Rowlet and Ralts. "Thanks guys."
[No problem,] replied Rowlet.
[I'll get the water canteen,] said Ralts.
I shook my head in surprise. [Ralts, you talking telepathically to me just now? Or is my head that messed up?]
Ralts clasped her hands together and beamed, [Ooh, we can communicate telepathically now! So you are a psychic.]
[Yeah, kind of,] I said uneasily. [Don't quite know how I can do it yet. But you and Rowlet have been with me for a while now, so maybe it's spending a lot of time with me that works.]
I rested for the remainder of the day. The following day, Ralts was much more participatory, thanks to our better communication. The three of us collected enough berries for our stash, and head back to our camp. Along the way, I asked Ralts what her deal was with Oranguru.
She frowned, then sighed, [I wanted to practice under Oranguru to get stronger. But his advice wasn't helping.]
[I can relate to that,] I mumbled, thinking of my Z-Move training. [But wouldn't any battle training help? Why not offer to battle with us?]
[I want to do Z-moves.] She showed off her sparkling, pleading eyes.
[Well, Z-Moves seem to work off of your existing moves. Like Rowlet's Revolver Dart Raid works off of his Razor Leaf. So…what moves do you have?]
Ralts twirled her hands with each other as she looked uneasy. [I know Synchronoise…Growl…Double Team…and Teleport…]
I thought for a moment. [What does Double Team and Synchronoise do?]
[Double Team creates illusionary copies of myself, while Synchronoise does major damage to anyone the same type as me.]
[So you only have one damaging move?]
[Kind of. Synchronoise is useless against Pokemon that aren't Psychic-type or Fairy-Type. And I did know Confusion…but I accidentally forgot it…]
I stopped and crouched down near Ralts' level. [Oh. Well, then maybe I can figure out how to do a Z-Move off of your Synchronoise. Then we can defeat some rogue flying Pokemon!]
Ralts beamed, [Yay! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I won't let you down.]
We almost made it back to camp, when the Jangmo-o happened to cross paths. We stopped and stared at each other for a second. Then the Jangmo-o turned to face us. He gave high-pitched barks, standing with pride before us.
[He wants to challenge us to a battle,] said Ralts. [He remembers your last battle with Zorua, and was impressed.]
Rowlet flew up next to me. [I haven't seen him around enough, but he trains on the edge of the border to the rocky area. He'd be pretty useful with us if we ever needed to be there.]
I nodded. [Whatever he decides, this can be our training for today.] I focused on Jangmo-o. "I accept your challenge. I choose Rowlet."
Rowlet landed in front of me. [Hi, Jangmo-o. Good luck!]
Jangmo-o looked pleased. Then he ran toward us, bearing his head.
[We're already starting,] I said. [Rowlet, show him your Peck.]
Rowlet flew straight at him, sharpening his beak. Before they collided, Jangmo-o stopped. His body glowed as he braced for the attack. Rowlet's Peck attack struck him hard, sending him skidding back a few meters. He shook his body, which rattled the scales on his body.
[Hm, wonder what that was. Rowlet, use Razor Leaf.]
Rowlet threw the leaves at Jangmo-o, keeping his distance. But Jangmo-o stood his ground. The heart-shaped scale on his head glowed. When any of the Razor Leaf struck, Jangmo-o hardly flinched.
[That move seems to protect him. Rowlet, switch to Astonish.]
Rowlet charged at Jangmo-o again. Feeling uneasy, Jangmo-o had his whole body glow again. Once he got in close, Rowlet's eyes flashed. He shifted to the side before Jangmo-o could react, and kicked him.
Jangmo-o stepped to the side, regaining his footing. Then he sternly glared back at Rowlet.
[Uh-oh. Rowlet, brace yourself with Curse…]
Just as I gave the command, Jangmo-o lunged at Rowlet. It seemed like he was about to bash Rowlet with his head. The Grass Quill Pokemon also thought this, and braced his wings for a frontal assault. His body gave off a ghostly aura, indicating his Curse activating.
But Jangmo-o twisted his body and struck Rowlet on the side with his tail. The impact was so strong that Rowlet knocked right into my chest, and we both fell to the ground.
[Ow. What was that?] I helped Rowlet prop up with one hand, and gripped the ground to help myself up with the other.
[Oh, sorry!] Ralts ran up to my side. [I was so wrapped up in watching the fight. I should have told you what those moves were as they were happening.]
I got to my feet, and Rowlet shakily flew to my eye level. [Well, I'm listening,] I replied.
[That move where his head crest glowed was his Protect; does exactly what you'd think. The move where his whole body glowed was his Bide. He takes all the damage he took when the Bide is active and makes himself stronger. Namely, his other two damaging moves Tackle and Dragon Tail.]
[Peachy. But we've dealt with defenders before. Right, Rowlet?]
[Right,] he nodded. Then he listened to Jangmo-o's barking. [By the way, he says he doesn't want us to hold back. He wants to see if he can take on the full force of our power.]
[Then let's give him exactly what he wants.] I posed like I'm bracing for a hit. Rowlet mimicked my stance. The Z-Crystal in my pocket faintly glowed green, as an aura of the same color surrounded the two of us. "Revolver Dart Raid!"
The leaf shield materialized around Rowlet. Ralts could hardly contain her excitement. Jangmo-o grinned and put up a Protect.
Rowlet released all the leaves, sending them flying at the Scaly Pokémon. At first, Jangmo-o held his ground against the Z-Move. But he couldn't hold it forever, and was sent flying from the bombardment. He slammed into a tree behind him and fell to the ground.
"Yes! And I didn't faint this…" I blacked out.
About an hour later, I woke up. Rowlet and Ralts helped me to sit up. [Well, gonna have to work out the kinks.]
At the same time, Jangmo-o also got to his feet. He slowly got his bearings as he stepped up to me. Then he barked happily at me.
[He thanks you for the battle,] said Ralts. [He also wishes to stick around us if it means learning how to take on and dish out Z-Moves like that.]
I smiled and pet Jangmo-o. "Yeah, I can work with that."
{Present day}
"Okay, let's check up on Crest first." I opened a portal to head to a section of the forest half of the island. Before me, Hariyama and Crabrawler team up against Crest, the Hakamo-o. "Keeping himself busy as usual," I smiled.
Crest kept his arms covering his face, like a boxer. Crabrawler and Hariyama took turns wailing him with punch after punch. They never let up for several minutes. Scales grew worn and fell off of Crest. But the Scaly Pokemon kept standing, refusing to budge from his spot.
Finally, Crabrawler and Hariyama grew tired and stopped. Crest grunted, [That's it?] The moment his opponents took a breather, he made his moves. He started with Dragon Tail, knocking both of them back a good distance. Then he shook his scales in a rhythmic dance, clanging them together. As he did his Dragon Dance, Crabrawler and Hariyama ran toward him cautiously.
[You call this a challenge?] Crest shouted. He stopped dancing, then used a Screech attack.
Both his opponents were fairly close to him when he screeched. Hariyama flinched, trying to muffle the sound with his hands in front of his face. Crabrawler moved his huge claws to cover the sides of his head, about where his ears are.
Crest finished his Screech with an intimidating cry. [If you're done giving your all, I'll show you mine!] He bolted straight to Crawbrawler, closing the gap before the Boxing Pokemon could react in time. Then he delivered a punishing Sky Uppercut. Crawbrawler disappeared through the tree line, and didn't return, presumably landing somewhere else in the forest.
The Scaly Pokémon turned to the stunned Hariyama next. [Now for the indisputable win!] He rushed up to Hariyama, but the Arm Thrust Pokemon was already on guard. So Crest taunted his opponent by thrashing his Dragon Tail attack. This goaded Hariyama into reaching for his tail when an opening came. He did succeed, and proceeded to use Vital Throw. But Crest relented with a Screech attack, throwing off his opponent's balance.
Hariyama released his grip early, causing Crest to fall to his feet. The Scaly Pokemon quickly got to his feet, and countered with a Sky Uppercut. Hariyama toppled back into a tree and slumped to the ground.
Crest barked heartily. [Another one bites the dust!]
I smiled and stepped forward. [Bold training as usual, Crest?]
He turned around and clenched his fist. [Heck, yeah! Gotta keep myself in tip-top shape, no matter how long it takes between your missions.]
I shuffled my feet. [Yeah, sorry to keep you waiting. Don't push yourself too hard, though. That Dragon Dance helps boost your agility as well as strength, meaning you can dodge more hits and take less damage.]
Crest showed off his broken scales. [Ain't worth winning a fight if you can't take every hit your opponent's got! I want any opponent I face to know, without a shadow of doubt, that I beat them at their best.]
I sighed, [I understand.] I walked up to Hariyama and sprayed him with a Hyper Potion. [So, I'm preparing for another mission.]
He bashed his fisted hands together. [This a skull-cracking mission?]
[It's more stealth-focused again. And it's within Unova's snowiest mountains.]
He hid a grimace. [Well, a frostbite or two would be cool to show off. Probably just heal quickly like my scales, though.]
I waved Hariyama off as he thanked me and walked away. [Granted, this is Team Celeste's main Unova base, so it'll likely be huge. If something comes up during the mission, I'll have you as back-up.]
Crest nodded and gave me a thumbs up. [You need someone to power through traps and attacks, I'll be there.]
[The mission is still a long ways off. I'm going to head over to the general area tomorrow. Scout what kind of terrain we're dealing with, and if any Alchimian Society members stretch out that far.]
{Present day, Pan's perspective}
"Lopunny, use High-Jump Kick!" I commanded.
Lopunny jumped into the air over his opponent, a Totem Alolan Raticate. Just coming off of his confusion, Raticate was helpless against Lopunny's powerful kick.
"Ha ha ha! That was easy!" I strutted past the overgrown Raticate and his two Ratatta cohorts. In the battle, my Torracat burned up the two Ratatta, while Lopunny swiftly nailed some Dizzy Punch attacks on the leader as set up for her super-effective High Jump Kick.
Torracat and Lopunny followed me to a rock formation, where a bunch of Normalium-Z stuck out of. I took the time to inspect each one, and settled for plucking only the prettiest one.
A wry smile grew on my face as I felt the Z-Crystal in my hand. "I don't know what my brother went through to get his Z-Crystal. But if this is all it took to just get one type, I'll get them all in under a month!" I placed the Normalium-Z on my Z-Ring. It clicked firmly into place. I raised my arm into the air, letting the sunlight gleam off the crystal's surface. "Mwahaha! No trial can stand in my way!"