"You're sure you're alright?" Izuku urged as Gardy swallowed an oran berry before taking a long swig of water from the offered water bottle A sigh echoed in his and Lillie's head as she dropped the half empty bottle and took another oran berry from Lillie.

I'm fine, and the chances of me coming out for the next couple of rounds is minimal anyways, Izuku, Gardy argued.

"Sixty seconds," a head popped into the room and all three inhabitants nodded as Gardy pulled on the Gardevoirite, offering a soft smile at Izuku's disapproving look.

A little pain never hurt anyone, Zuzu.

"That is, by definition, not true," Izuku snorted but held out her Luxury Ball, letting Gardy shrink into it and walked out into the hall leading into the stadium. The crew member held up ten seconds, and Izuku nodded.

1

Go.

Izuku jogged into the repaired arena waving at the crowd as, at the same time, a pretty young woman in a golf uniform stepped out into the arena. They met in the middle, and she offered him a handshake that Izuku took with a swallow of spit.

"Kahili," she said, before offering him a calming smile.

"Izuku Midoriya," Izuku returned, offering a smile that hopefully didn't show how nervous he was still feeling.

"Let's give them a good show, Ok?" She said, letting go of his hand and walking towards the other side of the arena from Izuku. Izuku's hand brushed the balls at his side, and he felt one shake violently. Ok, he got the message.

Drawing the Luxury ball off his hip, he expanded it as Kahili did the same with her Ultra ball and put it on the ground, pressing her golf club against it. Finally, both moved as one, Izuku throwing the ball while Kahili drove hers.

"Go, Mighty Chop!"

"Let's do this, Skarmory!"

Out of Izuku's ball came a two foot tall mass of muscle and gray skin crouching down. He stood to his full, rather unimpressive height, and cracked his neck and shot a devilish grin at the iron bird that had been sent out across from him.

"Ready? Begin!" The judge waved his hand, and both trainers immediately called out their moves, "Thunder Punch, Mighty!"

"Spikes, Skarmory."

"Don't let him put them down, Mighty!"

"Good luck with that," Kahili called, "Skarmory can fly over at over 190 miles per hour. Skarmory, the moment you're done with Spikes, use Steel Wing."

— X Mighty X—

Mighty grinned as he came out of the PokeBall, stretching his arms and cracking his neck. Maybe this battle would be worth evolving for! The Elite Four were supposed to be the strongest trainers in Alola, right?

"Thunder Punch, Mighty!" The Boss called and Mighty lowered himself again, leg muscles bulging as he built up power in his fist. Finally, the noise of chirping echoed across the arena and he took off at the Skarmory flying across the arena and dropping spikes. The flying type Pokemon sped up as Mighty got closer to it, and Mighty lunged upwards, driving a crackling fist into their underbelly.

Or at least he should have. Instead, he clipped the tail, sending the bird flipping through the air and crashing into the ground. Mighty heard an irritated sigh from the other trainer, followed by a quick order.

"Skarmory, Steel Wing," before Mighty could move, the flying type was in his guard, slamming into him and sending him skidding back and biting his feet into the spikes.

"Revenge to the skull," the boss ordered, and Mighty brought down his fist with thunderous force. Skarmory smashed into the ground, shaking his head to shake off the stunning blow, "And Seismic Toss."

Mighty threw his arms around Skarmory, hoisting him into the air and leaping into the air, throwing him straight into the ground.

"Steel Wing," the woman ordered, and suddenly Skarmory was flying straight up and drilling into Mighty. Mighty went flying higher into the air as Skarmory continued further into the air, "and Steel Wing!"

"Vital Throw!" Mighty braced himself in mid air as best as he could and felt the Steel Wing slam into him. Falling into a side slam, they both smashed into the ground. After a few seconds to gather his breath, Mighty rolled up and planted his foot onto the unconscious Skarmory and thrust his fist into the air, drinking in the roar of the crowd as he went.

"Mighty, can you keep fighting?" Boss asked softly. Mighty breathed in, before nodding his head, falling to his knee and reaching for the belt around his waist.

And with as much pride as he could, he threw off the Everstone around his waist and began to evolve as the roar of the crowd reached a crescendo.

— X Riolu X—

Riolu watched Machop slam into the ground alongside the bird as Dad made himself a bowl of soup, sitting down next to him once it was finished and putting a bowl of blueberries in front of him. Dad glanced up at the TV and watched Machop stagger to its feet and throw a fist into the air.

"Hmm, Mighty looks tired," he said.

"Olu?" Riolu said, tilting his head and blinking up at Dad. Did he know that pokemon?

"What's up, buddy?" Dad asked, and Riolu pointed at the screen.

"Riolu, olu, ri?" Riolu said, trying to get his question across.

"Do I know them?" Dad asked, and Riolu nodded, "I met his trainer once. It was an… interesting experience. It was actually the same day I got you."

"Ri?" Really?

"Yeah, he was the one who gave me your egg," Dad's lips split into one of his signature grins, "It was a really weird day, I was expecting a signature signing or something but… nope, egg. He was told to give you to someone he could trust to do the right thing with you, and I guess in a little kid's head, that meant me. I was a little startled at first, ya know?"

"Olu?"

"Well, you know, I got enemies, and I wasn't sure what I was gonna do with you, but then you hatched and everything just sort of… clicked, if that makes any sense? I knew I was gonna keep you, because you were just hatched and I could already feel the good in your heart. I knew you were gonna do good, and try to help people whether I kept you or not. Because that's who you are."

"Riolu!" Riolu said, pride in his voice as he popped a blueberry into his mouth. Of course he would help people, that was who he was. He liked fighting, but he really liked it when people were happy to be safe afterwards!

"And that's, oh, is he evolving?" Yagi Toshinori said, attention suddenly drawn to the TV. Yagi Riolu snapped his head to the screen, where the Machop was covered in white light and growing taller, bigger, stronger. Finally, with a burst of flexing muscles, the light was forced off of him and he roared out.

"MACHOKE!"

— X AN X-

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