"That was weird," May said.
"Tell me about it," Max agreed. "How hard is it to persuade someone that it's probably better to give a job to the person who's begging for it than the person who isn't either qualified or interested?"
"Still," May added. "The noodles were nice."
"I'm not as much of a fan of the noodles," Beautifly hummed. "The broth was good, though… I hope they weren't upset that I had the broth from my noodles and left the noodles."
"It's probably fine," May chuckled.
The next stop on their journey was considerably stranger, and it took the friends most of two days to resolve a feud between a group of Psychic type Pokémon and a group of Ghost types.
The Psychic types liked having dance parties at night, and the Ghost-types had a distinct preference for sleeping at night. Unfortunately, the whole thing had been going on for so long that both sets of Pokémon were highly mistrustful of the other, and eventually it took Zorua to suggest a solution as a neutral party.
"Why not have your party inside a psychic bubble?" he asked. "One that keeps the sound in."
The local Pokémon exchanged glances.
"That… would work," a Haunter said, eventually. "Assuming that the sound is kept in! We don't want those Psychic types to stop partying just because we want them miserable, but we really want our sleep."
"I wonder if Snorlax would have an opinion on all this," Zorua added, tail twitching. "You never know, he might!"
"You could always go and ask him," Ash suggested, already getting Ibid out.
"Nah, it's more fun to speculate," Zorua declared. "Like trying to tell who Mew is this time, or if Mew is anyone this time. Or if Ash is an Absol at the moment or not."
"What?" a Kadabra said. "Is that an option?"
"Not for most humans," Max said. "But Ash is… different."
Pikachu giggled. "I love my trainer, wouldn't trade him for anyone, but different is about the least you could say and still cover it."
"Thanks, Pikachu," Ash said, with a smile.
"I'm actually sort of afraid of asking more questions, so shall we just go with that as an answer and let the trainers get on with whatever it is they were doing?" a Misdreavus asked.
While the friends were making their way towards the Battle Frontier, the Hikokyu hovered invisibly over Kanto.
"Well?" Jessie asked. "Just get on with it, James!"
"I'm just nervous!" James replied. "You know what it's like with my family and everything connected to it!"
"You mean they're a bunch'a morons who think petty crime is much worse than forcin' someone to marry a harridan out for his money," Meowth said.
"Exactly!" James groaned, leaning back in his chair. "If I wanted a red-headed harridan in my life I'd want it to be one who wasn't out for the money at least!"
The Rockets paused.
"Retroactive clarification: James said exactly and then nothing else," Porygon said.
"Yeah, we ain't gonna examine that last bit," Meowth agreed. "Anyway, James, you gotta make your mind up some time. Either you go down there and say what's goin' on to your Nanny and Pop-Pop, or we fly off an' work it out some later time. Or not at all, come ta that."
"I don't know if I want them to get involved with the Team Rocket side of my life," James said. "Especially when there isn't another side to it."
"Eh, if they really love ya they'll accept it," Meowth shrugged. "Besides, dey're old money, right? That's kinda like crime, only you get to keep it even if the police show up."
"Here goes!" May said. "Arcanine – jump, and then splash!"
Her Arcanine jumped into the air, flames blazing up around her paws, then landed with a whud. She used Scorching Sands at the same moment, combining it with the heat of her Flame Charge, and a splash of glassy molten sand rose up around her paws before falling back in a spatter pattern.
"That's looking good!" May told her. "I think we've really got the makings of a good Appeal here!"
"It does feel a bit odd to call it Splash," Arcanine said, rubbing her paws to get the hot glass off. "I feel like that would just mean nothing was happening."
"You might want to make it so there's sand on the floor, first," Combusken pointed out. "I have to be careful not to use too much heat on the floor of a Contest hall, it's treated to be fire resistant but unlike you it's not actually fire immune."
"Oh, you're right," May said. "Good point, Combusken!"
She thought about that. "Actually, that could help the appearance out… I think I've got a more complete Appeal idea, now, but it's going to have to wait until we stop moving for the day. Until now, let's try and get those glass splashes so you can do them with smaller jumps?"
"That went better than I expected," James admitted. "I didn't know they knew the Boss."
"I didn't know the Boss talked about us," Jessie concurred. "What do you think they meant about the Alolan holiday?"
"Eh," Meowth shrugged. "We got good food, an' we met a Mime Junior! What's not ta like?"
When Ash reached the Battle Arena, Scott happened to be there already.
"Hello, there, Ash!" he waved. "Welcome to the Battle Arena – this is Arena Tycoon Greta's Battle Facility! What do you think?"
Ash looked up at the wall. "It's kind of high… is the first part of the challenge getting over it?"
"No, no, the doors open if you say you want a battle," Scott replied. "Now, Greta uses Fighting type Pokémon, so plan accordingly."
"I know just who to use!" Ash said. "Oh, I wanted to check – in normal Pokémon battles, if a Pokémon evolves they don't forfeit the match. That's the same here, right?"
"Of course," Scott said. "Evolving or Mega Evolving, it's all about a good battle!"
"So the Battle Arena is much more like a gym," Max said, thinking out loud.
"Right!" Ash declared. "I'm ready – I want a battle!"
The doors swung open, revealing that Greta was in the middle of training dozens of students in martial arts.
"Scott!" she said. "And a challenger! Wonderful! You'll be Ash Ketchum, then!"
"That's me!" Ash agreed.
"Then come this way," Greta told him. "The first step in my challenge is to spin the Roulette Wheel! That will determine how many Pokémon each trainer can use."
"Oh, that's weird," Ash said. "Normally the person I challenge decides that, or it's part of the rules."
"The Arena does things differently!" Greta said.
"It clearly does," May agreed, looking around at all the martial arts students. "Is the training here part of Pokémon training, or is it something else?"
Greta smiled. "I'm glad you asked! It's something I call Healthy Trainer, Healthy Pokémon!"
She waved her hands. "Fighting type Pokémon often do the same kind of thing that humans can do, or at least that humans can reach towards. So a trainer who's got an understanding of how their Pokémon do things is going to work with them better, and that's best seen with Fighting types."
After that, Greta shrugged. "Or Psychic types with Psychic Pokémon, of course."
"So maybe the fact I have Aura has helped me with all Pokémon?" Ash asked, as the roulette machine went ding and showed the number two. "Lucario's been teaching me for an hour a day through Ibid, and it's been helpful so far, though I'm still getting the hang of Aura Sphere."
Greta looked at Scott. "Did you know about this?"
"It's new to me as well," Scott said.
Greta considered the new information, then shrugged. "Anyway! Challenger, choose both your Pokémon! Whichever one you are not battling with first will be spectating, and the same is true of mine!"
Ash nodded, walking towards the large-windowed room that held the arena, then stopped. "Actually… one of my Pokémon is a flying-type. Is there an outdoors version?"
"I'll allow it!" Greta said. "We'll battle out here!"
She held up two Pokéballs. "Pick your Pokémon, challenger!"
Ash picked a Pokéball and a Level Ball off his belt, and sent out Snorunt and Pidgey.
"Interesting choices!" Greta declared. "I'm using Medicham and Mienshao!"
"Pidgey, you first," Ash instructed.
"Mienshao!"
Scott stood back a bit, ending up with most of Ash's friends. "I've not seen the Pidgey before," he said. "It's one of Ash's Pokémon, so I'm sure they'll be spectacular."
He frowned. "Though… are they wearing something on their back?"
"Yes," Brock agreed, in a long-suffering voice.
"Begin!" Greta called. "High Jump Kick!"
"Dodge it, Pidgey!" Ash called. "Gust!"
"Hi-yah!" Pidgey shouted, flapping her wings, and a wash of air hammered towards the incoming Mienshao. Greta's Pokémon displayed incredible grace, however, doing a backflip in mid-air to avoid the attack, then kicked off from one of his own sleeves to strike Pidgey in the side.
Pidgey bashed into the ground, rolled, then took off again.
"Ouch," she said, shaking her head and hovering into the air. "That hurt!"
"Let's take this to the next level, then!" Ash called, holding up his Mega Ring.
The crystal strapped to Pidgey's back glowed, orange light flowing around her, and when the light faded she was back to being a Pidgeotto.
"Okay, I didn't expect that," Greta admitted. "Which makes it great! Mienshao, Agility! Drain Punch!"
"Wing Attack!" Ash called, and Pidgeotto crossed her wings to block.
"Acrobatics!" Greta interrupted the attack, sending Mienshao into a flip.
"To the ground!" Ash called. "Then bank and head around and up! Let's try something with more impact and go up a level!"
Pidgeotto managed to mostly avoid Mienshao's attack, and light was already spreading over her feathers as she looped around in an acrobatic move of her own. Then she burst out of the glow, this time as a Pidgeot, and Mienshao lunged skywards in a High Jump Kick.
"Avalanche Crusher!" Pidgeot screeched, and two waves of ice rocketed out from underneath her wings. They crashed into Mienshao, and while the Fighting-type dodged and weaved he couldn't get past the Avalanche attack to reach Pidgeot.
"Calm Mind!" Greta said. "And use Aura Sphere! If you can't get up close, make it so you don't need to!"
Mienshao crashed into the ground with an oof, then did just as Greta ordered – flicking up Aura Spheres with blazing speed, two of them hitting Pidgeot in quick succession.
Her reply was a Flash Cannon, but Mienshao blocked it with the next Aura Sphere before flinging it up at Pidgeot.
"One more level!" Ash said. "Let's go Mega!"
"Rock Slide!" Greta said.
Her Mienshao stamped the ground, driving up rocks almost as large as he was, then hefted one and flung it overarm towards Ash's Pokémon. It hit, driving the now Mega Pidgeot backwards, but she flared her wings and knocked the second one aside with a flash of Steel Wing.
"Max Airstream!" she called, and launched out a tornado of air which hit Mienshao so hard that the Fighting-type hit the ground, bounced, was blown back into the ground again, bounced higher and hit the ground again for a third and final time.
"...that was not what I expected," Scott admitted, then watched as Mega Pidgeot transitioned back down from Mega.
And kept going, until she was a Pidgey again.
"That went great!" Ash declared, as she landed on his shoulder and panted a few times. "Well done, Pidgey!"
Ash decided not to keep using his tired Pidgey, and switched into Snorunt.
"So I'm at a bit of an uncertain place in my life right now," she said, bowing to Medicham. "Please keep that in mind."
"I'm actually not sure what that means I'm supposed to do," Medicham admitted.
"Don't worry about it too much," Snorunt told her. "It just might matter in a few moments."
"Begin!" the referee called.
"High Jump Kick!" Greta ordered, straight-off.
Medicham sprang into the air, and Snorunt used Ice Beam from one hand and Fire Beam from the other. The two attacks combined and hit Medicham in mid-air, but the Meditate Pokémon had got his jump exactly right and he crashed down onto Snorunt with a wham.
"That hurt more than I was expecting," Snorunt admitted.
"Oh, yeah, I remember those!" Greta said. "Those fire ice moves are cool – it's like Fire Punch and Ice Punch, but for a whole set of moves."
"Get ready, Snorunt!" Ash called, as the Ice-type used Icy Wind to jet herself out of the crater.
"Focus Punch!" Greta said, though the attack missed as Snorunt ducked under it. "High Jump Kick!"
"Shield!" Ash retorted.
Freezing air blew out of Snorunt's mouth, and she shaped it into a whirling ice shield that froze solid a moment later – just before Medicham actually crashed down on top of her. The impact of Medicham hitting the ice shield made the ground jump slightly, and Medicham bounced off before rubbing his foot.
"Ow," he declared.
"Ice Punch!" Greta ordered. "Freeze her in place! Now, High Jump Kick – and use Psyshock to break that shield!"
"Fire Snow!" Ash called.
"I think-" Snorunt began, then used Fire Powder Snow. The Ice Punch never could have frozen her, but it could have trapped her inside her shield as a good target for Medicham. The burst of flame she used melted it away even as the Ice Punch hit, damping out the effects, and Medicham sprang backwards to take a ready stance before springing skywards again.
"I think I'd like it now!" Snorunt said, using Powder Snow to form a wall above her – a wall which Medicham shattered with Psyshock just as ordered.
Ash replied by throwing something from his jacket, and Snorunt jumped to catch it.
Medicham arrived a moment later and went straight through Froslass, crashing into the floor.
"Huh," Froslass said, inspecting her arms. "These are new. And a separate body and head as well."
She put her arms together and pushed them out, as Medicham emerged from the crater. "Excuse me, sir. Would you like some fire?"
"No more High Jump Kick!" Greta called. "Use Fire Punch!"
"Hey, that's my thing!" Froslass protested, swooping backwards and flailing a Chill-O-Wisp at Medicham, then blinked. "Ooh, flying! That's new."
Medicham – now on fire – beaned her in the side of the head with a Fire Punch.
"Focus, Froslass!" Ash called. "Icethrower! Then use Melt Dry!"
"What even is Melt Dry!?" Medicham demanded.
"Well, that's me beaten!" Greta said. "Kind of a pity, but your Pokémon are nice and strong – and, unlike with Noland, you didn't just use a Legendary Pokémon on me."
She flicked a Guts Symbol out of her pocket. "And you deserve this, too… congratulations! Now, just tell me that at some point I'll get a chance to learn how you do Pokémon moves."
"I'm not sure it's something I can teach?" Ash admitted. "It's because I've got Aura, and Lucario isn't really clear on why."
He beckoned Froslass over. "How are you doing?"
"Still getting used to having more than three inches of reach," Froslass said. "Also, am I technically dead now? You'd think becoming a Ghost type would come with knowing more about them."
Up on the moon, a virtual Mew looked at the expanse of lunar rock they'd been assigned.
"Right!" they said, their voice escaping into the nothingness of the vacuum. "Let's get going!"
With a soundless flash, the Mirage Mew turned into a Latios. Another flicker, and a shovel appeared in their hands.
Then they began using Dig.
With peerless multiplexing, the Mirage System could have controlled a thousand Pokémon doing this at once. But the whole point was to relax and make something nice.
It was not as if Mirage Mew was in a rush.
AN:
It's time to Pidgeyvolve.
Speaking of which, Avalanche Crusher (as a Pokémon attack turned Digimon attack) is from Kitfox-crimson's Platinum Nuzlocke.