{Appox. 9 years ago}

I huddled with my teammates. [So you all understand the plan?]

[Got it,] said Rowlet.

Sneasel nodded, but he seemed nixed.

Jangmo-o gave him a nudge. [We'll be at the front lines, keeping Scyther distracted. Gotta admit, kinda weird this plan isn't coming from the 'trainer'.]

[I'm not really…] I sighed. My telepathic connection to Jangmo-o began a couple of days ago. Out of the four, he was the most insistent of treating me like a Pokémon Trainer. [Anyway, we're all some level of distraction.] I turned to Ralts. [You good?]

[Yes,] she nodded determinately. [I won't let you all down!]

[Then let's move.] While the other three stepped onward, I put a hand on Sneasel for a moment and spoke to him privately. "Don't worry. I still recognize credit where credit is due. Although I may be the designated leader, this is your plan. This won't be possible without you."

Sneasel smiled, then the two of us joined the others.

A few minutes later, we found Scyther in the same general area. He was scraping his scythes against fallen logs.

I stepped out of the clearing. "We challenge you to a rematch."

Scyther turned around. He eyed me first with an intimidating look. When he saw my team, his eyes veered to Sneasel, and he growled in response.

Sneasel grinned and showed off his claws.

I smirked, "That's right, I got a proper team. One I'd like if you were on."

Scyther looked back to me and narrowed his eyes.

"If we win, would you like to join us?"

Silence. Then Scyther gave a prideful cry.

[He accepts the challenge, and would see how this battle ends to determine his fate.] Rowlet translated.

I nodded. "Then let us begin. Go!"

Sneasel and Ralts flanked each side of the field of battle. Rowlet took to the canopy of the trees. Jangmo-o charged straight at Scyther, preparing his Tackle attack. [Show me what you got!] he boasted.

Scyther immediately approached Jangmo-o, at the same blinding speed as before.

[Quick, Protect!] I directed at Jangmo-o.

Without a second to spare, the crest on Jangmo-o's head glowed. Scyther's right scythe connected to the defensive attack, putting them at a standstill.

Jangmo-o grinned, [Didn't see that coming?]

Then, Rowlet dove almost directly above Scyther. [I'll get him with my Peck!] He says only through telepathy.

The Mantis Pokémon happened to glance up to the oncoming Rowlet. With his left scythe he swiped wildly upward, forcing Rowlet to back off.

Meanwhile, Ralts charged at Scyther from his left, screaming a battle cry while doing so. Scyther swung down at Ralts when she came close enough. But at the last second, Ralts used Teleport to dodge. Then Sneasel silently rushed in at Scyther's right side. Occupied with Ralts and Rowlet on his left, and Jangmo-o at the front, Scyther was too overwhelmed to react and took a direct hit from Fury Swipes.

I grinned, [Nice! So far going as planned. Now for the set-up…]

Enraged, Scyther pushed harder on Jangmo-o.

[Okay, might want to back off, Jangmo-o] I said.

[Never!] he replied, even though his Protest was failing. [I want him to give me his best!] But Scyther used both his scythes to break through and hit him with False Swipe. Jangmo-o flew back and landed on his side, close to me.

"Well, there goes my wall," I grumbled. Then I shouted, "Sneasel, it's all you now."

Sneasel gave me an assured glance as he spaced himself with Scyther. In turn, Scyther sped at Sneasel, expecting a quick False Swipe like he did with my other partners prior. But to his slight surprise, Sneasel dodged the attack in time, and countered with Feint Attack. He blocked some of the blow with his scythes, then backed away using Agility.

I noticed Scyther readying his stance, activating Focus Energy. [Rowlet, give air support to Sneasel, but give him any space he needs.]

[Alright, Will.] Rowlet dove again. At the same time, Sneasel rushed at the Mantis Pokémon.

[Ralts, use Double Team, and follow it up with Growl. Remember to keep your copies aplenty.]

[Of course. As we planned,] she smiled. She made a few copies of herself to run alongside Sneasel.

Scyther kept his eyes on each of his oncoming opponents. When all came near, he swung his scythes in an arc, in such a way that was swift and covered almost all sides. Sneasel clashed with his Fury Swipes. Rowlet almost got his Astonish attack in, but was deflected by False Swipe. Fortunately, the attack didn't hit as hard, thanks to Ralts' Growl attack.

I glanced at Jangmo-o, who was getting up okay. [I think Scyther would think you to be unable to battle. So just sit the rest of this out.]

Jangmo-o mumbled, [I can still take another hit.] But he relented and stood by my side.

[Ralts, start preparing for the final stage of our plan.]

[Alright!] She directed one of her copies to approach Sneasel and give a peck on the cheek. The copy instantly dissipated, but Sneasel instantly got the message. Sneasel started to back off, and sprayed an Icy Wind attack as he did.

[Rowlet, stay back and use Razor Leaf,] I said with a hint of caution.

Rowlet got out of the way of the Icy Wind. However, so did Scyther. He used his Agility to dodge and close in on Sneasel. But with a smirk, Sneasel used his own Agility to keep away from Scyther.

Now the battle dissolved into a game of tag. The primary action was between Sneasel and Scyther, who kept using their Agility to dodge and keep up with each other. The two moved so fast, my eyes couldn't even keep up with them. Rowlet occasionally threw Razor Leaf from the air, but he was bewildered by their speed, and used the attack sparing and to corral them in one place so as not to accidentally hit Sneasel. Ralts used her Double Team copies to further contain the fight. Her Growl also made Scyther's attacks weaker, so even when Scyther occasionally managed to tip Sneasel with False Swipe or Fury Cutter, it wasn't effective enough to slow him down. Furthermore, the Mantis Pokémon had to dodge from time to time himself, as Sneasel kept laying Icy Wind after Icy Wind.

But everyone's hard work was paying off. Ralts' Double Team copies using Growl and Rowlet's Razor Leaf restricted Scyther's movements and kept him occupied enough for Sneasel to somewhat spray him with Icy Wind. The frost of the attack built up a thin layer over his body, and crippled his wings.

Finally, Scyther had to stop for a few seconds. As he took a breather, he looked up to Sneasel. He gave a satisfied grin when he saw the Sharp Claw Pokémon was also tiring out, with multiple scratches on him.

"Now!" I crossed my arms. The Proteanium-Z in my pocket glows light purple.

Scyther gasped. He looked off to the side, where the real Ralts stood.

She eagerly pointed to her head, and I mimicked the movement. Energy transferred from the Z-Crystal to Ralts.

Then I stretched one hand out in front of me, then shouted, "Shattered Psyche!"

Scyther sprinted toward Ralts, but the ice on him slowed him down, and he was too late. The Feeling Pokémon sent out a massive mental blast at Scyther. He was paralyzed at first, then sent ricocheting off multiple trees before crashing to the ground.

Ralts looked completely amazed at the result. [That…was…so awesome!]

Then all five of us went to check up on Scyther. I stumbled toward him, feeling light-headed from the Z-Move. "Need a hand?" I held a hand out to Scyther.

The Mantis Pokémon struggled to upright himself. He was about to reach a scythe out to me, but paused and looked me in the eyes skeptically.

I flinched. "Uh…poor choice of words? Or will that hurt my own hand?" I decided to put my hand back as Jangmo-o, Rowlet, and Sneasel helped Scyther to his feet.

Scyther leaned forward, his scythes digging into the ground. He looked to each of us, half-impressed.

Sneasel gave him a thumbs up, saying something.

[Yeah, no hard feelings,] Rowlet added.

[You take hits like a champ,] cheered Jangmo-o. [I like you!]

Ralts hugged my leg. [That was such a powerful move! Thank you so much for giving me a victory, Will.]

[No problem,] I replied.

Then she looked to a smitten Sneasel. She pointed at him, scolding, [That was just in return for the time we hung out. And because it was for the 'battle strategy'. Nothing more, nothing less.]

Sneasel waved his hand off, sounding like it was no big deal to him.

[Oh, but look!] She let out a harmonious cry, turning her head toward Scyther's leftover logs. Music notes drifted from her mouth, and bombarded the logs. [I have a new move. And it does damage! Forget Growl, 'cause I can do damaging moves again!]

"Ah, you leveled up," I exclaimed. I noticed how Scyther looked between me and Ralts. Then he spoke to me.

Rowlet smiled, [He says he found our battle impressive. He complements your abilities to lead and train. So he'll accept our invitation to join us!]

I bowed my head a bit to Scyther. "Thank you! While you are indisputably the strongest among us, I'll try my best to make you stronger still."

Scyther nodded with a smile, then groaned as he tried to move. The frost was starting to melt, but not fast enough in the shade of the canopy forest.

I came to his side and thrust his right arm over my shoulder. "Come on. Let's get you to the rocky border to warm you up."

He gave me an uneasy look.

"Don't worry. My partners and I will guard you if the Pokémon from the rocky half of the island get territorial. And I'll get you some berries to heal you quicker."

[Yeah,] said Jangmo-o proudly. [I'll take any rock they throw at me, and hit them back even harder!]

Then, on the way over, I spotted Oranguru in the distance. He was walking slowly over to a large grove. These bushes were large, and surrounded a hidden spot from all sides.

I watched him disappear into the bushes. "Huh. Never bothered to look within the bushes. I wonder what's there." I had Jangmo-o hold my weight of Scyther and started to walk over.

Suddenly, Zorua appeared. He crossed between me and the grove, and sternly barked. Unlikely most times I was with him. There was no joviality in his demeanor.

"What? This off-limits?" I asked. "I thought all of the forest area was open to all allies of Oranguru."

Zorua shook his head, insistently blocking me.

"Whatever," I grumbled. I went back to Scyther. "You mind helping me out, then? Could use extra help protecting my new friend as he licks his wounds."

Zorua thought for a moment. Then he shrugged and joined the rest of us as we continued on.

I looked back to the grove one more time. "That Oranguru…he's hiding something. And I don't like it when others hide things from me…" My memories of my parents briefly entered my mind, before I shook them away. "Not anymore…"

{Present day}

I woke up, and slid off of my mattress. The mattress sat on a flat rock at my new private camp at the peak of the island hill. I stole this mattress from a low-budget hotel in Kanto, along with its sheets and pillow, a couple of years ago. A worthy substitution to leaves prior.

I went to Kalos to get dressed and a drink, then returned to the island. "Blindswipe is a morning Pokémon. Hope I still catch him before he finishes training."

I teleported to the rocky terrain half. There was a spot designated for solo training, with logs I took from a lumber factory from time to time.

To my relief, Blindswipe was still there. He used Struggle Bug on some logs, running as he did. Then his spotter Golurk threw some logs into the air. The Pincer Pokémon became a blur of red as he sliced each log using Bullet Punch and Aerial Ace.

Satisfied, Blindswipe snapped his pincers. [I think that's enough,] he said to Golurk. [You may train as you like.]

Golurk made an eerie clank sound, then lumbered off.

I walked up to Blindswipe. "Good thing I caught you before you finished your morning training."

He turned his head, glaring at me. [Finally decided to show your face around here?]

I glumly looked back. [I…needed time. There are some battles you just can't win.]

He turned his whole body to me, then shrugged, [Fine. Though with the Horde Battle done months ago, I yearn for another battle.]

"Well, I can't say you'll be needed on my new main mission. But maybe as part of the distrations."

[That'll suffice for now. Hey, Will, while you're here, mind if I practice a Z-Move?]

"Oh? Yeah, sure." I readied my stance. Blindswipe stepped up to the remaining logs. We took a minute to center our minds and focus. Then we wound back our hands. The Proteanium-Z glowed light green under my shirt. "Savage Spin Out!" I shouted.

Blindswipe and I snapped our hands forward. Tons of sticky string shot out of Blindswipe's pincers. It enveloped all the logs, tying them together in a ball of silk string. Still attached to the string, he pulled the logs over his head, as I mimicked the movement. Then we spun around, the logs dangling from the centripetal force. When Blindswipe finally released the logs, they went flying high into the air. But he jumped into the air to meet with the now falling logs, and slammed them back to the ground. The silk threads and logs shattered on impact.

With the Z-Move complete, my Z-Crystal stopped glowing. Blindswipe and I took our breath. "That was good," I exclaimed.

Blindswipe grinned, [That's definitely powerful. Got me pumped for more fights.] He looked back to the log splinters. [Though you may need to do another log run. We're fresh out in this spot.]

I rubbed the back of my head. "Eesh. Well, guess that's what I'm doing for the afternoon. The others can use the forest spot in the meantime."

[Well, time for my beach run.] He's about to run off, when I raise a hand.

[Hey. You mind if I join you on your morning jog?]

He stopped for a moment. Then smiled back. [Think you can keep up?]

"Hey! Endurance may not be my strong suit, but I can certainly sprint to your speed." I laughed as I followed Blindswipe to the beach.

{Present day, Pan's perspective}

I laid out my Z-Crystals on the motel bed. "Oh, look at these beauties!" The Normalium-Z I obtained from the Totem Alolan Raticate near Verdant Cave. The Flyinium-Z was battled for in Ten Carot Hill against a Totem Pelliper. Then I moved to Poni Island and got the Dragonium-Z from defeating the Totem Kommo-o in Vast Poni Canyon. And the Fairium-Z was given to me by Mina on the way out of the canyon.

"Four Z-Crystals down, fourteen more to go for every main type. Just one more Z-Crystal to snag on this island that I know of. Granted, I'll have the Island Kahunas left for last. But otherwise, I'm nearly half way done traveling-wise. The other two islands seem to have more Z-Crystals among them…"

Suddenly, my Xrransceiver rang on the bed.

I clenched my fists. "Ugh! Now what?" At a glance, I could see the code letter 'R', for my dad. I pouted, letting it ring for a few more seconds. "This better be quick." I pick up the phone, lay back in bed, and answer.

My dad's face lit up the screen. He had a crossed expression. "You missed three of my calls."

I returned the crossed look. "Well, you didn't listen to what I said in the last call, so that makes us even." Before he can respond, I notice commotion behind him. "So what's going on back there, by the way," I added quickly.

He took a moment to give me an irritating look, then he glanced back and moved off to the side of the screen. I could see a huge machine, consisting of three capsules. The two capsules on either side were fine. But the capsule in the middle was smoky and sparking. A few scientists crowded around it, and although I couldn't quite hear what they were saying, they seemed very worried.

"We're still following along on Project Absofusion. We tried to fuse a Caterpie and a Weedle…" He turned back to me. "…but it didn't work out."

I had a little shiver crawl down my spine, thinking of the result I couldn't see. "Well…good luck?"

Raiden waved a finger. "Nuh uh uh. You don't get off that easily. As long as you're there, you answer when we call. If I have a mission for you there, you do it…immediately. If you're not return to our airship in 60 days, I am hunting you down personally. Do I make myself clear, young lady?"

I groaned, "Yes, got it! I'm sure to finish my training before that, anyway."

"You're lucky I'm not considering an assigned consort to you. Because that will be next." With that, he hung up.

I threw back my head against the pillow, the hand with my phone at my side, the other arm resting against my forehead. I blew aside my large bang in frustration. "Killjoy!"