Plot-Scorbunny 2: A Trip To Paldea
Important note: This story takes place before the Ash vs. Ruby three-parter
Ruby Silverlock rested her hands behind her head and gaze up contently at the clear blue sky above her. A sigh of relaxation escaped her lips as she slipped into the comfortable embrace of blissful tranquillity. This was the first time in ages she'd been allowed to just enjoy the peace and she was more than making the most of it.
It had already been a week since Ruby and her twin sisters Emerald and Sapphire had arrived in the Paldea region and they'd been enjoying themselves immensely. All three of them felt they were due for a holiday and they all agreed that Paldea was the perfect place to spend it. Their lives were constantly busy with them being a defending Champion, an aspiring coordinator and the next Dojo Master in-training respectively so they didn't have much time for days off or holidays in their current lives. Moments like this only became more appreciated as a result. The trio had booked a two week holiday and were intending to spend it doing nothing but kicking back, relaxing and checking out any new Pokémon they met.
Paldea was a region not far from Galar. If Galar was the Pokémon England, then Paldea could be considered the Pokémon Spain. It was a hot region with sunny weather nearly every day and was much warmer compared to Galar. It was also a very beautiful region with lush countryside, fields of green, high-reaching mountains, golden beaches and quaint little towns with an old fashioned style to them. The only remotely modern looking establishment was the city of Levencia, which was said to be home to one of the region's Gym Leaders. Ruby, Emerald and Sapphire had agreed they would explore some of the region's habitats to drink in the beauty and watch the Pokémon in their natural habitat. They didn't plan to catch many as they felt they had enough but felt one each would be enough. On their first day, they made their catches already. Ruby had caught a Charcadet, a Fire-type Pokémon resembling a knight with a large head and a small body. Sapphire had caught a Finizen, a Water-type Pokémon resembling a dolphin. Emerald had caught a Fidough, a Fairy-type Pokémon that resembled a dog quite literally made out of bread. The girls nicknamed them Reaper, Dipper and Baker respectively. Emerald had very quickly fallen in love with her new Pokémon and was already attached to her as if Baker had been her Pokémon all her life.
"You'll be so adorable performing in contests I bet!" she squealed, "I can already imagine the crowd just staring in awe at your cute little face, Baker. You'll be as much of a star as my other Pokémon!"
Baker yapped gleefully.
"I can see her being a star very quickly, Em." Sapphire concurred, "Fidough are real cuties, aren't they? And so are you Dipper." she said, turning to her new companion, "Why couldn't we get anything like you in Galar's oceans? Still, you're going to settle in just nicely as a new member of my team and I bet you'll be a great tutor to any new students in the Isle of Armour when I take over from Mustard."
Dipper chirped. He didn't really understand what Sapphire was talking about but he thought it sounded exciting anyway.
"Oh Sapph, you're gonna get a lot of people interested in Paldea if you show him off at the Master Dojo." Ruby chuckled, "I bet you'll have students asking "Where the heck did you get that Pokémon?!" and then they'll end up making plans to visit Paldea soon after."
Sapphire shrugged.
"No problem with that." she said casually, "Paldea might even appreciate that bit of free promotion when you think about it."
"True." Ruby chuckled, "And me and Em will end up doing the same too as no doubt any coordinator Emerald faces or trainer I battle will take an interest in our new Pokémon given they don't come from Galar."
She looked to Reaper, who was throwing punches and kicks to train himself up for battle.
"That Charcadet especially will intrigue a lot of trainers." Sapphire agreed, "According to this book on Paldea I got from the airport," she paused as she pulled the book out of her backpack and flicked the pages until she found one on Charcadet, "They have two different evolutions. Both can only be triggered by exposure to an item. It becomes Armarouge when exposed to Auspicious Armour and it becomes Ceruledge when exposed to Malicious Armour."
The blue-haired teen showed her sisters the pages on Armarouge and Ceruledge. Ruby and Emerald's eyes twinkled with fascination.
"Ooooh, they both look awesome! And in Ceruledge's case, also scary!" Emerald piped, "Look at those sword hands!"
"They're both Fire-types but one's half Psychic and one's half Ghost it seems." Ruby murmured as she read the pages, "Tough choice that. Both look great but if I had to choose, I'd probably go with Ceruledge. I think that one looks the coolest. But I think Reaper should have the final say."
"That's fair." Emerald concurred, "Let's ask him."
Ruby called Reaper over and showed him the book. The Charcadet's eyes widened with admiration for his two evolutions. He longed to be able to evolve and had been training himself up for when that time would finally arrive.
"We've decided to let you choose." Ruby explained, "You can only evolve into either form when exposed to the right materials. So do you want to be an Armarouge or a Ceruledge?" she asked, pointing to either Pokémon.
Reaper studied the images for the moment. It was a tough decision to make. Did he fancy the armour cannon weaponry of Armarouge? Or did he go with the ghostly blades of Ceruledge? In the end, he decided to close his eyes and point to one randomly. He spun around on the spot and pointed to a page. He pointed to the image of Ceruledge.
"So Ceruledge it is then!" Ruby said happily, "We just need to get that Malicious Armour for you and we're good to go."
There was only one place in Paldea where Malicious Armour could be found. It was in the town of Zapapico and was sold by a woman who stood near a fountain. Curiously, she didn't take actual money. She exchanged the armour for ten Sinistea chips. The sisters were able to scavenge them from any Sinisteas that had been in battle and left chips of their teacups lying around on the ground. Once they'd found ten, Ruby exchanged them and was given the Malicious Armour in return. Now she had it, she gave it to Reaper. Reaper slipped on the armour. The Malicious Armour looked worn and rusty and had the same purple colour as Ceruledge as if to further enhance that it was the item that triggered that specific evolution. It consisted of only a torso piece and large pauldrons. Ruby thought it suited him. Charcadet's head somewhat resembled a knight's helmet so why not give him armour to go with it? As Reaper put on the armour, the evolution began. He glowed white and both he and the armour began to shape shift into the body of a Ceruledge. Reaper threw his arms aside and let out a cry of exhilaration as he felt the energy of his new form flow through his veins.
Ceruledge also bore a resemblance to a knight with a helmet like head, a tuft of blue and purple flames spouting from the back of its head like a feather plume a knight would wear on their helmets, an armoured body, huge knees and swords in place of hands. It was coloured mostly purple and black which suited its Fire/Ghost typing. Reaper admired himself all over with glee.
"Gadzooks! I have been promoted to a powerful and noble knight of the army!" he boomed in a voice that echoed with every word he said, "Thy Malicious Armour has given me a most wondrous transformation! I bet with these fine blades of mine, I shall slay even the most vile of villains who threaten the innocents of our world!" he cried, swiping at the air with his sword hands.
"Why am I not surprised he now talks like an actual knight?" Sapphire chuckled.
"It is going to be amusing whenever he does at least." Ruby put in, "But I don't mind. I love it! You look so awesome like this Reaper!"
"Thank you very much my queen." Reaper said with a polite bow.
"Oh please, none of this "queen" nonsense. I'm not royalty." Ruby said sheepishly, "Just call me Ruby, OK?"
"You are my trainer and I am your Pokémon. To me, that makes you my queen and me your faithful knight." Reaper insisted, "But if you prefer to be referred to by your given name, then I shall follow that request. Ruby it shall be."
"Heh…OK then." Ruby chuckled, "I know that me and you will make an awesome team Reaper and I bet you'll be very awesome in any battles we'll have together."
"But don't forget to have fun too." Emerald insisted, "You can enjoy the rest of our holiday with us. We've got plenty of time left to make the most of it!"
"Very well. I shall attend your activities and see what enjoyment I can find in them." Reaper said grandly.
"Oh he's going to be a lot of fun to have around, I can tell." Ruby whispered to her sisters.
For the rest of their first week away, the sisters had spent the days venturing through the countryside and enjoying the natural beauty of the region, visiting some of the towns and learning about some of the region's culture and how they operated. The region had many different foods to try and the girls had enjoyed getting a taster of what Paldean cuisine was like. The Treasure Eatery had been their favourite place so far. It was a restaurant in the town of Medali and curiously enough, it was also where Gym battles with the Normal type Gym Leader Larry were hosted. Thankfully, he wasn't there at the time they'd visited. This was just as well for Ruby didn't want anyone badgering her to challenge him to a battle. She and her sisters just wanted to try the food. After they'd eaten, they saw very quickly why it was such a highly recommended place to eat at in the region.
They were now in the second week of their holiday and the girls were spending it on one of Paldea's many beaches. This beach was near the city of Levencia. Its very presence was the only reminder for anyone on the beach that there was any civilization here at all for the rest of it was just golden sand and far-stretching ocean as far as the eye could see. The weather was picture perfect for a beach day with clear blue skies and bright sunshine beaming down on all the beachgoers. There was barely any wind too. Ruby doubted she could've picked a better day to spend on the beach than right now. The trio were all dressed in one-piece swimsuits with their usual colours of red, green and blue. Ruby lay back on a towel and watched Emerald and Sapphire playing with their new Pokémon together. Sapphire was in the sea with Dipper. She would stand still and hold up a hoop while Dipper swam around her in circles and then leapt over her through the hoop as if he was training to be in a marine show. Sapphire giggled every time Dipper successfully pulled off a jump. Dipper swam around her again and jumped back through the hoop in the opposite direction. He caused seawater to splash all over Sapphire as he landed but the black girl didn't mind at all. She was having too much fun to care.
"You're a natural at this Dipper! Very acrobatic!" she praised, "Heck, are you sure Acrobatics isn't part of your move set?" she asked.
Dipper just clapped his fins and chirped with pleasure. He paddled up to Sapphire and started nuzzling her in the stomach with his rostrum. Sapphire squealed with laughter.
"Eeee, easy there Dipper! That tickles!" she guffawed helplessly.
Dipper chirped again as if to say "I know, that's why I'm doing it!"
While they were playing in the sea, Emerald and Baker were still on the sand building sandcastles together. Emerald had several buckets full of damp sand and she used them to build the biggest sandcastle possible. The moment she finished, Baker pounced on the sandcastle and broke it to pieces. Emerald laughed while Baker yapped furiously.
"You seem to really enjoy wrecking sandcastles, don't you?" Emerald chuckled.
Baker barked in response, her tail wagging happily.
"I get you. Sometimes it can be weirdly fun to knock things down after you build them up." Emerald acknowledged, "Want me to build one for you to knock over again?"
Baker nodded. She stood by patiently while Emerald built up another sandcastle. Once it was completed, the bread dog jumped on the sandcastle and knocked it down again. Ruby smiled with pleasure at how much fun her sisters were having. It made her think back to her pre-trainer days when the three of them would just play together and have a good laugh without a care in the world. She enjoyed her current life, but a part of her sometimes missed the carefree nature of her preteen years. This holiday was a chance to experience that kind of life again.
"No matter how old we get, I bet we'll never forget how to have fun in this world." Ruby said to herself, "Speaking of fun, we should come here with our partners next time. They'd love this place too."
She lay back on the towel with her hands behind her head and her gaze fixed on the clear skies above. She could feel the sun beating down on her. She was sure that by the time this holiday was over, she was going to be very tanned by the constant sunny weather this region seemed to have on a near regular basis. Ruby closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift into a moment of tranquil peace that was somewhere between being asleep and being awake. In this state, all she could feel was the gentle breeze blowing over her body and the heat of the sun while the only noises she could hear was the sound of children playing and the crashing waves of the sea. This was quite possibly the most peaceful moment of her life and Ruby wished it would never end. Maybe in the future, if she and Hop were ever to marry, they could have their honeymoon here. Could they live here too? Ruby wasn't sure if she'd ever want to leave Galar but living here was a lovely thought regardless. She remained in this tranquil state for half an hour before opening her eyes again. To her surprise, another girl was standing over her with a big excited grin on her face.
"Hola sleepy head!" the girl cooed cheerfully, "Enjoying the sun?"
"GAH! Shit! Where the hell did you come from?!" Ruby exclaimed frantically, almost leaping up from her towel in alarm. How long had this girl been watching her?!
Ruby stood up and got herself a better look at the girl. She quickly saw that there were in fact TWO girls standing behind where she'd been laying. The girl she'd seen was sixteen years old and quite tall compared to most teenage girls. She had dark skin, freckles on her face and black hair done up in a ponytail. Her hair was neatly pulled back into the ponytail except for three strands. Two of them stood up while one really long strand drooped down over her face. Two of the strands had been dyed green.
The second girl was fifteen years old with white skin, purple eyes and matching purple hair, freckles on her cheeks and purple lipstick. Her hair was wavy in style with one long strand sweeping around and coming down the right side of her head. She was shorter than the other girl, her head only reaching the tall one's shoulder.
Both girls were dressed in two-piece swim suits with the tall one wearing orange and the shorter one wearing purple. The tall one smiled sheepishly.
"Sorry, I guess I should've announced my presence first before creeping up on you, huh?" she said meekly.
"Damn right you should! I nearly shit myself!" Ruby gasped, "What are you creeping up on me for anyway? You're not fans are you?"
"Oh we're not fans, but we do recognize you from watching your battles on TV." the purple-haired girl said, "You're Ruby Silverlock from the Galar region. Nemona here was just very keen to meet you, is all."
"So you know who I am then." Ruby acknowledged, "Well if you want a battle, please go bother someone else. I'm on holiday with my sisters and I just want to enjoy the sunshine for now, OK?"
"That's fair enough." the purple-haired girl said kindly, "It was only Nemona here who wanted a battle. That lumbering oaf can't help herself when it comes to Pokémon battles, I swear!" she sighed in exasperation.
"Oi! Lay off! Can I help it when Pokémon battles are so exhilarating?" Nemona protested, "They give me that rush of energy and excitement I don't get from anything else!"
Ruby couldn't help but be amused at this.
"Someone's way too into their battles I see." she joked, "I guess you're trainers as well?"
"Si!" Nemona confirmed, "I'm Nemona, Champion Ranked Trainer of Paldea and Student Council President at the Uva Academy! And this adorable cinnamon bun next to me is my cute little girlfriend, Salma." she introduced, wrapping her arms around the other girl and pulling her close, "Pokémon battles maybe my life, but Salma here is the only other thing in my life I love more. Cute as a button and a damn fine trainer too might I add?" she added, grinning flirtatiously at Salma.
"Oh you oversell me Nemona. YOU'RE the cute one of us too." Salma purred with an impish smile on her face.
"No, YOU'RE cute!" Nemona insisted.
"Well you're cute-ER." Salma teased back.
Ruby rolled her eyes and smiled mockingly. Those two were seriously one corny pun away from kissing and making out on the beach right now!
"Oh get a room you two!" she teased.
Nemona and Salma just giggled. They were used to this and they didn't care. If they wanted to show their love so openly, they would! Nobody could tell them otherwise.
"How about you? You got any boyfriends or girlfriends yourself?" Nemona asked.
"That's not really your business but since you've been so open about yours, I guess it's only fair I share mine too." Ruby said thoughtfully, "I'm dating Hop at the moment. He's Leon's little brother and also my neighbour too. Both me and him went on our Pokémon journeys together and we kinda became friendly rivals over the course of it. Now there's no rivalry between us. Just sweet, sweet love." she added with awe.
"That's cute." Salma said brightly, "And kinda crazy to hear too. You're dating the brother of Galar's former Champion? That's pretty cool!"
"I hope he wasn't too upset about that." Nemona said sympathetically.
"He was just disappointed he wasn't the one to do it." Ruby said casually, "But that doesn't matter to us now. I'm the Champion, Leon isn't anymore. That's all there is to it. Speaking of Champions…" she glanced to Nemona, "You said you're a "Champion Ranked" trainer. What's that about? Is Champion a rank rather than a title in this region?"
"Got it in one, champ!" Nemona said with a wink, "All trainers at the Uva Academy are given a ranking and those that defeat the Top Champion gain the Champion Rank. As a result, we don't really have one singular Champion in Paldea, but several. I'm a Champion Trainer but so is Salma." she added, "My girl beat the Gym Challenge and also defeated La Primera herself in order to become a Champion Ranked trainer too, and all on her first try! Isn't she just the awesome-est?!" she squealed excitedly.
"Nemona please, you're making me blush." Salma said shyly.
"I see she's the modest one of you two." Ruby joked, "Hey Salma, I'm pretty humble about my position too. Sure I'm a Champion but I want to be thought of as just Ruby, a nice girl who's good at battles. I imagine you're the same?"
"Absolutely. I don't want to be thought of as just "Champion Salma". That's just a title, not who I am as a person." the purple-haired girl declared, "And thankfully my darling Nemi here and two other close friends of mine understand that." she said graciously, patting Nemona on the back.
"Well me, Arven and Penny are the ones who know you best, so of course we do." Nemona replied.
"That's lovely." Ruby said happily, "Say, if it's OK with you two…may I see your Pokémon?" she asked.
"Oh not yet. I'm hoping to battle you so I'd rather keep mine a surprise for that moment." Nemona said with an impish smile, "But Salli might show you her's!"
"I'm up for that as I'm not itching for a battle." Salma replied, "Come on out everybody!"
She reached into her bag and whipped out six Pokéballs. Out of them emerged the very same team of Pokémon she'd used to become a Champion Ranked Trainer. Ruby stared in wonder at six Pokémon she'd never seen before. Salma had on her a Skeledirge, a Palafin, a Kilowattrel, a Baxcalibur, a Ceruledge and most interestingly of all for Ruby…a Kingambit. Ruby admired them all with her red eyes wide with excitement.
"They. Look. So. AWESOME!" she exclaimed, "We don't get Pokémon like these in Galar! Just…wow they look so cool! Is this your usual team or do you have a rotating one?" she asked.
"I do rotate my Pokémon, but this is what I call my "main team". It's the team that made me a Champion after all." Salma explained, "My first Pokémon was my Skeledirge right there." she pointed to it, "I got it from the director of the academy on my first day of school. He was only a Fuecoco at the time and I raised him all the way up to what you see before you. Trust me, he's gentler than he looks."
Ruby looked at Skeledirge with fascination. So this was the Paldean Fire starter? This Pokémon was to Salma what Bugs was to her. Skeledirge were Fire/Ghost type Pokémon resembling crocodiles with a bit of a Day of the Dead theme going on. They had red scaly bodies, large jaws, skull markings on their faces and a wreath of flames that started out of their jaws and circled their heads. A small fireball shaped like a bird sat on their snouts. Unlike most crocodilian style Pokémon, Skeledirge stood on all fours in a typical belly-dragging crocodile stance but they could stand on their hind legs if need be. Ruby knew that if she was born in Paldea instead of Galar, Skeledirge would've been her first pick too. She held out a hand and gave a friendly smile to Skeledirge.
"Hi mate. It's very nice to meet you." she said softly.
Skeledirge lumbered towards Ruby and sniffed at her hand. Ruby shuddered for a moment. Was Skeledirge about to bite her? It was a little intimidating being this close to a Pokémon with jaws that size. But Skeledirge showed no signs of hostility. He'd clearly decided she was friendly before he'd even come up to her. He then licked Ruby's hand in greeting.
"I think he likes you." Salma said brightly.
"I didn't think it was possible for that imposing beast to act warm and friendly but here we go." Ruby joked, stroking Skeledirge's snout now she knew he was safe to pet, "You're a big sweetheart, aren't you buddy?" she cooed.
Skeledirge gave a happy growl in response.
"Oh if he makes a friend, he's as gentle as a Wooloo." Salma said brightly, "He may look scary but he wouldn't hurt anyone. Except trouble makers, he doesn't like those."
"I bet you deal with them real good, don't you Skeledirge?" Ruby said as she patted Skeledirge on the head.
She looked at Salma's other Pokémon. She was curious to learn about them all. She noticed Palafin looked identical to Finizen, only it had a heart symbol on its chest whereas Finizen didn't. If this was Finizen's evolution, it looked very underwhelming. Kilowattrel looked like a strong Flying-type and with its yellow feathers, Ruby imagined it was half Electric type. She was amused to see that Salma too had a Ceruledge. What were the odds after she just got her own? Baxcalicur was a fascinating specimen to her. Was it the pseudo-legendary of this region? It looked like a powerful Dragon-type Pokémon. She could see it in battle with the likes of Dragonite, Salamence or Galar's own Dragapult species. But the most intriguing one to her was the last one. Ruby stood up and approached Kingambit.
Kingambit were samurai like Pokémon with large hair that they could use to sit on. They had a large blade across their faces that made them look like they had a moustache and a giant blade on top of their heads that made it look as if someone had glued a sword onto their craniums. Ruby couldn't help but notice something was very familiar about Kingambit. It was all in their appearance with the clove feet, the shiny red and silver armour, the fingerless hands, the bladed gauntlets and the blades around their torsos. Ruby's eyes widened in amazement.
"Hang on a sec…by any chance is this Pokémon related to Pawniard and Bisharp?" the Galarian girl asked.
"You bet!" Salma replied, "This is Kingambit, the evolved form of Bisharp! Many foreigners are surprised to see it for Kingambit have not been found anywhere else in the world. Only in Paldea can Bisharp evolve here."
"I'm mind blown!" Ruby gasped, "I never knew Bisharp could evolve! Over in Galar, we have the Pawniard line too but I've never seen any Bisharp evolve into that! How does it work? Why can they only evolve into Kingambit in Galar?"
"Because here in Paldea, Bisharp will hold an item known as a Leader's Crest." Salma explained, "The item so far has only been found in Paldea. Your Bisharp must defeat three other Bisharp that hold this item. After that, you will get your Kingambit."
"That makes sense." Ruby observed, "Defeating three Bisharp holding an item associated with leadership…it's like your Bisharp's defeating a bunch of leaders to prove itself worthy of being their king. I have a Bisharp of my own so I'll have to give it a go and see if Lancelot can evolve into a Kingambit while I'm here." she thought, "Maybe we can try tomorrow as we haven't got anything planned yet…"
"Hey Ruby, who are you talking to over there?"
Ruby turned to see Emerald and Sapphire running towards her. They'd still been playing the whole time and had heard Salma's Pokémon coming out of their Pokéballs so they came over to see what was up. Ruby invited them over.
"Hey girls! I've just been making some new friends." Ruby explained, "Salma, Nemona, these two are my sisters, Emerald and Sapphire." she introduced, "Em, Sapph, these two are Nemona and Salma. They're Champion Ranked trainers here in Paldea."
"It's nice to meet you both!" Emerald said cheerfully, shaking their hands.
"Any friend of Ruby is a friend of ours." Sapphire said politely, "I must say Salma, your purple hair's really pretty." she complimented.
"Aww thank you! And I love your blue hair too." Salma complimented back, "The style's cute and the colour looks very lovely."
"Thanks. It's actually dyed so it's not naturally blue but I like it this way." Sapphire said as she fingered a lock of her hair, "It suits me."
"And we all love it that way too." Ruby added, "Salma was just showing me her Pokémon girls." she explained, "And as you can see…Bisharp have a secret new evolution we can't get in Galar."
Emerald and Sapphire stared at Salma's Pokémon with fascination. They were especially awestruck at Kingambit. The Dark/Steel Pokémon stared at them as if to ask "What are you looking at me for?" The twins couldn't speak for a minute.
"That's so epic!" Emerald gasped, "I didn't know Bisharp had an evolution!"
Nemona and Salma explained to the twins how to evolve Bisharp into Kingambit.
"Why don't we try it out then?" Sapphire suggested, "We could find where packs of Bisharp and Pawniard gather and fight three of them with Leader's Crests. I know we wanted a break from battling for this holiday but we're going to need to battle if we want Lancelot to evolve."
"Of course." Ruby agreed, "It'll just be for that one day too. First thing tomorrow, we'll find some Bisharp and give Lancelot a shot at evolving into Kingambit."
"We know where to find some so we can lead you there!" Nemona offered.
"Sure thing. I'll share you my number so we can find each other the next day." Ruby declared.
The girls all shared their phone numbers with each other. That was settled. They would team up to find some Bisharp and Pawniard packs the next day and then Ruby would battle them with Lancelot. With any luck, he would get his chance to become a Kingambit. With a Ceruledge and a potential new evolution for Lancelot, Ruby had a feeling she'd be going home from this holiday with more than she expected…
The next day dawned bright and sunny once more.
Once the Silverlock sisters had eaten breakfast and gotten dressed for the day, they met up with Nemona and Salma. The girls had all agreed to meet on the beach as it was the only place they all knew at once so it was easier for them to meet up there. The sisters were dressed in vest tops of their respective colours, shorts and sandals and they all wore sunhats and sunglasses to keep the sun off their heads and out of their eyes. Nemona was dressed in a sporty t-shirt, baggy shorts that she wore over a pair of leggings and sporty trainers. Salma wore a belly-exposing purple shirt, blue shorts, purple and yellow gloves and black and red sneakers. They were all dressed appropriately for the hot weather. It was early morning and already it felt scorching. The sisters followed Nemona and Salma as they took them to find some Bisharp to fight. All five of them rode to the designated area on Cyclizars that they'd rented to make travel easier. Cyclizar was a Normal/Dragon type Pokémon that looked like a giant lizard of some kind with motorbike features such as a throat pouch resembling a tyre, a rear covering resembling a seat and a long tail that it curled up to resemble another tyre. Cyclizar were popular for riding on in Paldea and they could run at speeds of up to 70 mph. Ruby, Emerald and Sapphire whooped with joy as their Cyclizars picked up speed and sprinted after Nemona and Salma. This was one of the most fun ways to ride a Pokémon they'd experienced. Emerald couldn't resist making motorbike noises as she rode her Cyclizar. The Pokémon kept up the pace and didn't once stumble or slow down as they made their way through the region. They ran past grasslands, up hills and over rocks. Nemona and Salma rode theirs expertly while the sisters found themselves having to hold on tight to try and avoid falling off as they weren't as experienced in riding Cyclizars. After an hour of travel, they arrived at their destination.
They were in the North Province, a section of Galar that was split up into different areas. Bisharp were only found in Area Two of the province so Nemona and Salma had led the Silverlock sisters there. It was a rugged area with lots of rocks, hills, clifftops and a bamboo forest. Bamboo shoots and trees sprouted from all over the place. There were small bodies of water in the forest. No Pokémon could live in them, but they provided a healthy supply of water for any Pokémon that might need a drink. The girls jumped off their Cyclizars and Nemona flipped her ponytail aside as she held out her arms.
"And here we are" North Province Area Two, home to all the Bisharp you could hope to beat up!" she declared, "Huh, probably shouldn't make it sound like something to be excited about…"
"Oh Nemi, you're so adorably hopeless." Salma chuckled, "OK, the Bisharp that live here live in packs of Pawniard." she explained to the sisters, "You'll know which ones are carrying a Leader Crest if you see something like this on their heads."
She showed a picture of the Leader Crest to the sisters. Ruby took in the appearance. It looked similar to the sharp crest Bisharp had on their helmets but it looked closer to a knife blade or a dagger blade in shape.
"So Lancelot needs to beat up three Bisharp with that on their heads." Ruby acknowledged, "Got it. I don't think I'll struggle too much with that."
"You shouldn't, not when Lancelot knows a Fighting move." Sapphire agreed, "Bisharp are double weak against Fighting moves so a single Brick Break should take them out."
"Oh don't get too cocky there." Salma warned, "Those Bisharp are leaders of a pack that have fought for their positions. They're NO pushovers, even if you have a type-advantage!"
"Salma, I'm the Champion of Galar. I think I can handle some wild Bisharp." Ruby retorted, "I appreciate your concerns, but you don't need to worry about me."
"Oooh, daring! I love it!" Nemona said excitedly.
"Don't you start developing a crush on her too you battle-hungry nutcase." Salma sighed, rolling her eyes.
"Do you want us to come too Ruby?" Emerald asked.
"Lancelot has to beat those Bisharp on his own to evolve into Kingambit." Ruby reminded her, "I can't have any outside help. But I will ask you two to standby and back me up if things get hairy. If any Bisharp take too much of an interest in you, don't hesitate to fight them off too."
Emerald and Sapphire nodded. They would take care of themselves just fine. Nemona and Salma would provide additional support too. The girls stood back and watched as Ruby headed off into the bamboo forest in search of a Bisharp pack. The silver-haired teen already had Lancelot's Pokéball in her hand so she could send him out straight away. Ruby walked cautiously, her senses alert for any sign of danger. It would be just her luck if a pack of Pawniard tried to ambush her right now. So far, there were no Pokémon in sight. Were Nemona and Salma sure that this was where Bisharp could be found? It didn't seem like anyone lived here at all. But after a couple of minutes searching, Ruby peered around the corner of a rock and spotted something. There was a pack of Pawniard with a Bisharp leading them. The Pawniard were trading blows with their leader. The Bisharp blocked their bladed hands with its own arms, a terrific clanging sound ringing all around with every impact. Ruby narrowed her eyes as she observed the Bisharp. Did this one have a Leader Crest? She couldn't tell as it was too far away. She whipped out her Rotom Phone and zoomed in on it as if to take a picture. She could see some kind of blade on its helmet that seemed to be attached to its usual head crest. It was carrying a Leader Crest! Ruby smiled to herself.
"And there's the first one of three…" she mused.
She threw Lancelot's Pokéball and he exploded out of the device in a flash of white light. Ruby and Lancelot ran from their hiding spot and towards the pack. The pack stopped their training and turned to see a silver-haired girl and a Bisharp running towards them. The leader Bisharp could see this Bisharp wasn't wild. It was clearly a trained Pokémon belonging to the girl and it was looking for a fight. The Bisharp crossed its arms in front of itself and growled viciously, warning Ruby and Lancelot to back off or else it would hurt them. Ruby ignored it.
"Use Brick Break now!" she commanded.
"Fall to the might of a superior Bisharp!" roared Lancelot.
His hand glowed red with energy and he sprinted towards the Bisharp. He swung his hand down in a single chopping motion and he walloped it clean on the head. The Bisharp could only make out a single cry as it was knocked out instantly. The frightened Pawniard ran off, worried that Lancelot would attack them next. What chance did THEY have when this random trainer's Bisharp took their leader out so quickly?! The Bisharp lay unconscious on the ground, its Leader Crest lying beside it as it fell off after Lancelot's attack had landed. Ruby picked it up. She could see it was sharp and she had to handle it carefully to avoid cutting herself. It glinted brilliantly in the sunlight.
"Who knows why Bisharp anywhere else don't get anything like this." Ruby murmured with interest, "Where exactly to Paldean Bisharp get this thing?"
"No idea." Lancelot muttered, "Do I need that in order to evolve?"
"No, you just need to beat three Bisharp holding this crest." Ruby explained, "We've beaten one, now we need two more."
"I wonder how strong I'll be as a Kingambit." Lancelot thought, "I'll be stronger than all the Bisharp back in Galar, that's for certain! I bet I'll be the first Bisharp in Galarian history that'll ever evolve!"
"I think you're right on that." Ruby agreed, "Unless there are records of anyone else coming from Galar to Paldea and evolving their Bisharp here, you might indeed be the first."
The two headed off together to search for another Pawniard pack. It didn't take them long to find another one. They came across another pack of Pawniard with a Bisharp leading them by a pair of waterfalls that cascaded down the Cliffside and into a small body of water at the bottom. The pack had come here for a drink but a Scyther had come in wanting a drink as well. The Bisharp and Scyther exchanged blows with each other viciously, their bladed hands clanging furiously together as they thought for the territory. Neither side was giving an inch. In any other situation, Ruby would be happy to let the two just duke it out and not get involved but this presented an opportunity for her. The Bisharp was distracted fighting the Scyther so Lancelot could just sneak up on it and take it out. But did it have a Leader's Crest? She whipped out her phone again and zoomed in on the Bisharp. It was harder to see because it was constantly moving around while fighting the Scyther but she could see that it did have a Leader's Crest. Ruby was able to see it glinting on the Bisharp's head as it fought. She turned to Lancelot.
"Now's our chance! Use Brick Break on it while it's distracted!" she hissed.
Lancelot hesitated for the moment.
"I don't know…won't I look like a coward for launching a sneak attack on a distracted opponent?" he asked, "I don't want to look cowardly."
"It's not cowardice, it's being pragmatic." Ruby insisted, "Besides, I wouldn't ever ask that of you if this was a proper battle. But if you'd rather have a proper fight with that Bisharp, I won't object."
Lancelot decided in the end that he would just do what Ruby had said. After all, he fought bravely against hundreds of opponents in the past. One sneak attack wouldn't make him look cowardly at all. He sprinted up towards the fighting Bisharp and Scyther and he walloped the Bisharp in the back of the head with Brick Break. The Bisharp cried out in surprise and the Scyther recoiled, shocked that this had happened. The Bisharp collapsed onto the ground, knocked out by the single blow. Lancelot clashed his arms together and showered himself with sparks as he often did when he won a battle. He glared at the Scyther.
"You want to battle me too?!" he snarled threateningly.
The Scyther just turned tail and flew away without hesitation. The Bisharp's pack of Pawniard fled as well. Lancelot smirked. Even after pulling a sneak attack like that, he still commanded respect from other Pokémon! That made him feel even better about the fact he'd pretty much done a cowardly manoeuvre. Ruby ran up to Bisharp with a big smile on her face.
"And that's two!" she cried, "We're doing great! This is pretty much going as I expected it to. A single Brick Break and the Bisharp just fall like dominoes!"
"Now we need one more and we've completed our mission." Lancelot declared, "I bet the last one won't be any harder than these two."
"Aye, but we've got to keep our heads on." Ruby said wearily, "We can't expect our luck to hold out forever after all."
The two continued through the bamboo forest to look for one last Bisharp to beat. They came across a lone Bisharp wandering by itself but it wasn't holding a Leader's Crest so they left it alone. Bisharp that lived in packs were likelier to carry them so they had to look for another pack. On their searches, they came across a pride of Luxray with a litter of Shinx playing happily together. Ruby wanted to stay and watch the cute sight but she resisted the temptation. She could watch them later after she'd finished what she'd come for. She also saw some Lokix hopping around. They were Bug/Dark type Pokémon that were native to Paldea and resembled grasshoppers. They looked cool to her and Ruby wondered if she should catch any. Maybe she could catch one before the holiday was over, if she felt like it. She and Lancelot turned a corner and saw another pool of water up ahead. Standing around it was another pack of Pawniard with a Bisharp leading them. The pack was drinking from the water. At least this one wasn't fighting a Scyther for the water. Ruby took out her Rotom phone again and zoomed in on the Bisharp's head. To her luck, this one had a Leader's Crest. Their third opponent was in sight!
"After this, you'll be able to evolve!" Ruby said excitedly, "You ready for this Lancelot?"
"I'm always ready for a fight." Lancelot shot back.
"Then get out there and use Brick Break!" she shouted.
Lancelot sprinted towards the Pawniard pack with his red glowing hand raised and ready to attack. The leader Bisharp noticed Lancelot was coming and it jumped aside before Lancelot could hit it. Lancelot slammed the ground with his Brick Break and growled angrily at missing his opponent. The Pawniard stood back and watched as their leader deployed its arm blades and pounced on Lancelot. Their leader would teach this intruder a lesson for attacking them like so! Lancelot and the Bisharp clashed with each other, both sides clanging their blades heavily against each other as if they were in a sword fight. Lancelot swiped at the Bisharp but it parried his moves effortlessly. Then it spun around on the balls of its feet and tripped Lancelot up with a single kick to his ankles. Lancelot cried out, more surprised than hurt, as he landed on his side. Ruby watched with baited breath. It seemed the other two had been pushovers and this one was the actual strong one that had truly earned its position. As Lancelot was tripped up, the Bisharp then tensed its body up and a transparent metallic sheen covered it briefly. Ruby frowned.
"Damn. It knows Iron Defence!" she cursed, "We best take it down quick before it becomes too tough to take down."
Lancelot stood up again and used Brick Break on the Bisharp. He scored a direct hit but thanks to Iron Defence, it didn't go down in one hit. Bisharp had been able to tank the blow thanks to its increased defences. Bisharp shrugged off the blow and then began swiping at the air while pirouetting on its feet. Ruby gulped. This Bisharp also knew Swords Dance. It was clearly aiming to take Lancelot down as quickly as possible. She was sure Lancelot could still handle it as wild Bisharp could only learn Steel or Dark type attacks, neither of which were effective on Lancelot. After Bisharp finished Swords Dancing, it swiped at Lancelot with Night Slash. Lancelot parried the blow and fought back with Brick Break. He tried to hit it again but the Bisharp dodged the blow and it retaliated by using Iron Head. It head-butted Lancelot straight in the chest and knocked him into a nearby wall. Lancelot hit it hard and found himself embedded in it. He pulled on himself to try and wrench himself free. The Bisharp seized its moment and came charging towards him with Iron Head again. It was going to make sure Lancelot couldn't get free and fight back. Bisharp ploughed straight into Lancelot, causing him to get even more stuck in the wall. Then it used Iron Head again and made Lancelot cry out in pain. Ruby clenched her fists in worry. Lancelot was stuck and couldn't fight back! Even if Iron Head wasn't super-effective, Bisharp would just keep whaling on him until he passed out! She had to help! She scrambled for another Pokéball but before she could do anything, a Pawniard jumped towards her and tried to slice her throat. The pack was helping out their leader by making sure Ruby couldn't help Lancelot.
Ruby threw herself down to the ground to dodge the Pawniard. Two other Pawniard came towards her and tried to stab her with their bladed hands. Ruby cried out and jumped back before their blades could plunge into her. Two more appeared behind her and sliced at the back of her legs. Ruby screamed in pain and instinctively kicked out at the Pawniard that had attacked her. Her foot slammed into the middle of the Pawniard's face and knocked it back. The other Pawniard tried to slice at her legs again but Ruby weaved to one side, causing it to miss and attack its pack mate instead. Ruby winced as the cuts on the back of her legs started to sting furiously. Blood trickled down her calves. She was lucky it was just a scratch as the Pawniard could've done more damage to her if it had been any worse. The Pawniard pack advanced on her but Ruby wasn't afraid.
"You think I'm scared of you because you could all potentially skewer me alive?" she growled, "I've dealt with scarier Pokémon than you! Besides, I have Pokémon of my own that'll be too tough for you cretins!"
She finally managed to throw a Pokéball. This one contained her newest catch, Reaper the Ceruledge. As a half Fire type, Reaper would be able to handle the Pawniard pack. He brandished his bladed hands viciously, making the Pawniard hesitate from how big they looked.
"You deal with them! I'm gonna help Lancelot!" Ruby ordered.
"Absolutely my queen!" Reaper said valiantly, "Pawniard, prepare to fall by thy swish of my blades!"
He lashed out at the Pawniard with his blades while Ruby ran over to the Bisharp. She could see it was still whaling on Lancelot with Iron Head and getting him more and more stuck. She threw another Pokéball and brought out her trusty Cinderace, Bugs. Bugs sprinted towards the Bisharp and barged it to one side to stop it attacking Lancelot. The Bisharp crashed down onto its side with a splash into the water pool. After that was done, Ruby ordered Bugs to use High Jump Kick to break the wall Lancelot was stuck in. Bugs jumped up high and kicked at the wall. The single kick was enough to obliterate the wall. The rocks crumbled and cracked to pieces and Lancelot was freed from where he'd been embedded. He collapsed onto his hands and knees and panted heavily. He was weakened by the constant barrage of Iron Head earlier and was caked in dust from the broken rocks but he wasn't defeated yet. He still had some energy in him left to fight.
"Are you alright Lancelot?" Ruby asked worriedly.
"I've had worse…I can still fight!" Lancelot grunted, "Thank you for getting me out of that wall though. I wouldn't been done for if that Bisharp was able to keep going."
"Heads up folks! It's getting up again!" Bugs warned.
Bisharp picked itself up and charged towards Ruby. It decided that the only way to end this fight was to try and kill Ruby. Without a trainer, her Pokémon would be directionless and have no way of fighting back. But Lancelot intercepted the move by jumping in front of Ruby protectively and lashing out with Brick Break. His arm slammed down on the Bisharp's head. A tremendous clanging sound rang all around the area from the impact of one Bisharp's arm slamming against another's head. Everything became still for the moment. Neither Lancelot or the Bisharp moved. Then eventually, the Bisharp's eyes rolled into the back of its head and it collapsed onto the ground. Despite the fight it had put up, it couldn't win in the end. Lancelot stood triumphant while his opponent lay unconscious at his feet. He showered himself in sparks again and bellowed a victory cry.
"Fear me Bisharp, for none are as mighty as I am! NONE!" he screamed.
"That was a close call, but we did it!" Ruby cried happily, "Three Bisharp with Leader's Crests all taken out! So that should mean…"
She was interrupted as Lancelot suddenly glowed white and began to change his appearance. Ruby's eyes lit up with glee as her Bisharp started to evolve. Bugs stared in amazement. He'd been told what the mission was but he was still surprised to see that indeed Bisharp could evolve again. Reaper re-joined the group. He'd defeated all the Pawniard and he was just in time to see Lancelot evolving. In a matter of seconds, what had once been a Bisharp now stood before everybody as an all-powerful Kingambit. Despite Kingambit usually sitting on their large head of hair, Lancelot had his rolled up so he could remain standing. Lancelot admired himself all over as he took in his new appearance. He looked in the nearby water so he could see his reflection. Staring back up at him was a very powerful looking new Pokémon. He grinned with delight.
"So this is what I look like as a Kingambit." he purred, "Such a majestic and powerful form…I feel like a whole new warrior and that I could take down any opponent that comes my way! As a Kingambit, I'll be even more powerful than ever before!"
He clashed his arms together and showered himself in sparks once more. Ruby grinned ecstatically, her hands trembling with excitement. Bugs and Reaper were equally as thrilled for their friend. It was always exciting when a Pokémon evolved and this was no different.
"You look so AWESOME!" Ruby hollered, "Look at you! You look like you could cleave boulders in two that blade on your head! Oh my friends and family back home will never believe what they're seeing when they see you!"
She ran up to Lancelot and hugged him gleefully. Lancelot hugged her back in thanks, being careful not to cut her with his moustache.
"Congratulations Lancelot! You've evolved and you look amazing!" Ruby cried happily, "I can't wait to battle with you as a Kingambit!"
"I hope I get a worthy test of my new power." Lancelot said eagerly.
"Hey Ruby! Did you evolve your Bisharp yet?"
Ruby and her Pokémon turned to see Emerald, Sapphire, Nemona and Salma running towards her. Their eyes lit up with delight as they saw that indeed, Ruby had evolved Lancelot. He was no longer a Bisharp and he looked as ready for action as ever.
"Yay, you did it!" Emerald squealed with glee, "Lancelot's a Kingambit now!"
"Gosh…just look at him!" Sapphire gasped, "I feel like I could cut myself just by looking at him!"
"Speaking of cuts…looks like you got caught up in a pack attack." Salma noted, taking notice of Ruby's bleeding calves, "I did warn you not to get cocky."
"I know you did and I'm sorry I didn't listen." Ruby said apologetically, "The last Bisharp proved to be tougher than we thought and its Pawniard tried to attack me so I couldn't help. I'm fine, really."
"You should still have some antiseptic rubbed on those cuts." Salma insisted, "We don't want them getting infected. Lucky for us, I bought a First Aid kit as a just-in-case."
She rummaged through her backpack and took out the kit. She got out some antiseptic wipes and rubbed them on Ruby's legs to wash away the blood and prevent them from getting infected. Ruby grimaced in pain but tried to hold it in as Salma tended to her. As she was being looked after, Nemona came up to Lancelot and admired him.
"So sharp, shiny and strong, just like my Salli's Kingambit." she observed, "Imagine a fight with those two, or even La Primera's Kingambit!"
"La who?" Emerald asked.
"La Primera." Nemona replied, "It's what we call our Top Champion because she's so strong. Her name's actually Geeta. She's got a Kingambit too and it's her ace Pokémon! I'd love to see Ruby's new Kingambit go up against her's!"
"Battling against Paldea's Top Champion…I might give that a go." Ruby thought, "Sometime after our holiday perhaps."
"She can get in line anyway for I wanna battle you first!" Nemona cried, "I know you're in holiday and such but please can me and you have a battle? Just one little battle? PLEEEEEEEEEEEEASE?!" she begged.
"Nemi, can't you control yourself for once in your life?" Salma sighed, "Not everybody wants to battle you, you know. Besides, Ruby's on holiday. She's probably not interested in…"
"It's fine Salma, honestly." Ruby insisted, "I can speak for myself thank you. Anyway, you two so kindly brought me here so I could evolve my Bisharp so I guess it's only fair to return the favour. Nemona, you and I shall have our battle." Ruby declared, "But not today. I should probably let those cuts heal first and Lancelot could do with a break. First thing tomorrow, we shall have our battle."
"FANTÁSTICO!" Nemona screeched, "Oh Gracias Ruby! Gracias, gracias, gracias! I promise you, you're in for the fight of your life against me! And I'll be coming at you with my strongest team as well!"
"Give me all you got, Nemona." Ruby dared, "You won't beat me!"
"Oh yeah?! We'll see about that, won't we?" Nemona said challengingly.
"Oh you bet! You're on!" Ruby declared.
"Yeah! We're gonna have a very fruitful battle, mark my words!" Nemona proclaimed.
Emerald, Sapphire and Salma couldn't help but laugh at how much the two were getting hyped up for the match. They knew that this was one battle they couldn't miss. The Champion of Galar against one of Paldea's Champion ranked trainers was going to be a battle for the ages…
Ruby, Emerald and Sapphire's little holiday's going to become an action-packed one now Nemona's challenging Ruby. With Lancelot as a Kingambit now, will this give her an edge in this battle? Join me in the third Plot-Scorbunny where Ruby and Nemona duke it out...
Trivia: This story mostly exists as an excuse for Ruby to gain a Kingambit. Given she caught a Pawniard and evolved it into Bisharp back in Knights of Galar: A Pokémon Shield Nuzlocke, this was an opportunity I could NOT ignore! It had to happen! And now you've seen for yourself how Lancelot became a Kingambit in time for her battle with Ash last time. ;)
Emerald catching Fidough, Sapphire catching Finizen and Ruby catching a Charcadet and evolving it into Ceruledge is down to them being Pokémon I can see them catching in Paldea. I can see Fidough and Daschbun being well-suited for contests if you ask me and Finizen/Palafin would work well with Sapphire's strategic battle style and to also educate students at the Master Dojo. :)
Ruby having a Ceruledge is down to one sole reason: it's my favourite Paldean Pokémon so naturally she has to own one. :D
Also yes, Salma is indeed this universe's Julianna, the female trainer character from Scarlet and Violet. Her description and appearance is based on how I customised her to look in the game which you can see on my Instragram account if you want to see what she looks like. I go by the name themediamanblog so you'll find me easily. Salma's team consists of Pokémon I used on my first playthrough too, especially Skeledirge as her starter.
And as you can also see, I too like to interpret the player character and Nemona as a couple. Seriously, you try and convince me Nemona doesn't have a crush on the player in the game. I'll welcome your futile attempts to try. XD