Chapter 10: Slicing Showdown

Lillie wearily made her way through the canyon, she had been travelling for several hours now, and it was obvious she didn't know the path as well as she thought she had. Vulpix and Clefairy were down and out, and she had no revives left. Bewear was also on his last legs too, and she really did not want to have to use Kartana, considering its current condition.

Looking ahead in the midday sunshine, she noticed the trial gates ahead. Groaning internally, as she had forgotten that the trial existed momentarily, she paused for a brief moment, calling out Bewear. The normal and fighting type Pokémon squeaked at her curiously, slowly making his way over her, before Lillie spoke. "Bewear, this may sting a little, but I need you in top shape for this." she said. Bewear nodded, before gritting its teeth.

As Lillie pulled out the hyper potion, she began to spray it on Bewear's wounds. The bear let out a muffled scream as it continued to grit its teeth, but the burning sensation ultimately passed, as it smiled before hugging his trainer. Lillie giggled, and when she was let go, returned the Bear instantly, and made her way into the chasm which housed the trial.

Her footsteps echoes in the trial site as she entered, feeling the familiar gaze of being watched that she had months ago when she and Sun had navigated the very same canyon to rescue Mother and Guzma. It was then where the Jangmo-o sprung out of a nook, hissing at her threateningly. Bewear was thrown out quickly, and with a single Hammer Arm attack, the Dragon was down.

Bewear looked at his trainer inquisitively, curious as to why he hadn't been recalled yet. The answer came apparent as he followed Lillie into the chasm further, when a Hakamo-o had attacked, this time roaring, and entering a fighting stance. Bewear started out with a Hammer Arm attack, but the Hakamo-o remained standing this time, and retaliated with a Sky Uppercut attack.

Bewear stumbled backwards and landed on its backside when the attack hit, before running forward and screaming, before socking the Dragon and Fighting attack across the face with a Payback attack, the Hakamo-o not surviving this one. Bewear winced, having taken some damage, he looked back to Lillie, who came forward with only a fresh water left. "Here, take this. You're going to need your strength for the totem." she explained, and the Bear gladly took the bottle and chugged it, feeling revitalized.

When the Bear passed the empty bottle back to Lillie who placed it back inside her bag, the two of them began to walk forward towards the pedestal that held the Z-Crystal. She knew what was coming, and as she moved towards it, she examined her Z-Ring, which contained the Fightinium Z. And then she called out into the canyon. "Totem! I challenge you!".

The Large Kommo-o obliged, and leapt from the top of the canyon, landing infront of the pedestal with a huge thud, and let out a challenging roar. Lillie shielded her eyes from the dust kicked up before commanding Bewear into battle. "Bewear, start this with Hammer Arm!"

Bewear screeched before bolting forward and swinging its arm, aimed at Kommo-o's face. The Dragon type stared the pink bear down, before grappling the arm with a dragon claw, snarling at Bewear. The Normal Fighting type faltered a little, but steeled itself, and was ready to strike- "Bewear, watch out!" she cried.

Bewear hadn't noticed it coming though, and a sharp pain to the gut caused him to be flung backwards. The Kommo-o had used Drain Punch. Bewear doubled down in pain. "Bewear, use rest, and then sleep talk!" Lillie called. Bewear yawned, before promptly falling asleep, but then springing up again to throw a flurry of punches at the totem. Payback.

The Totem quickly socked the Bear with a thunder punch attack, but the bear seemed unfazed, much like itself when the Payback attack hit. It was going to be a stubborn one to defeat. Kommo-o let out a commanding roar, and the telltale sound of fluttering wings had indicated that a Scizor had jumped into the fray.

"Bewear, sleep talk, again!" Lillie cried out. However, the bear continued to snooze, this time without responding. Lillie frowned and growled a little, frustrated at the drawback of Sleep Talk. Taking a moment, she observed the current fight. The Scizor waved its claws around, raising some form of shimmering barrier around the Totem. Reflect. This wasn't going to be good. The Totem roared, before running forward with a Poison Jab attack, intending to strike Bewear.

It was then that Bewear's eyes shot open, and raised a Hammer Arm to block the attack. Lillie noted the Scizor beginning to do a ritual dance, Swords Dance! Lillie had to take that Scizor out and fast, otherwise her adventure may end abruptly. "Bewear, Hammer Arm that Scizor! And hurry!" Bewear screamed and charged forth. But Lillie noticed him stumble, and the telltale signs of Poison taking hold on her Pokémon.

Despite this, the pink bear had slammed into the Scizor with full force, before it could respond. Sending the Bug and Steel type flying into the canyon wall, out cold. "Good, now rest, before the poison takes hold!" she commanded to her bear. Bewear began to doze off again, the poison clearing up due to the overriding sleep effect.

"Alright, now use sleep- Oh no!" she was interrupted, as Kommo-o ran forward with Dragon Claw, intending to stop the Bewear from healing. She had to act fast. Taking stance, she began to use the signature pose for All Out Pummeling. "Bewear, our bond empowers us, take-" but before the Bear could rouse itself for the Z-move, the Dragon Claw surged with power, and struck Bewear, who screamed in pain as he flew across the cavern, landing with a series of rolls, and ending knocked out.

The Colour drained from Lillie's face. She had lost, and now she had to turn back. Returning Bewear, she turned to leave, but as she turned around, the Kommo-o growled at her. It had noticed the final Pokéball. Lillie spun back around, throwing out Kartana, who at the moment seemed alright, despite the looming threat to its health. The Ultra Beast hummed in anticipation, ready to fight. "Alright then Kartana, we have to do this! We have to get you home! Start out with Sacred Sword!" she called out.

The Kommo-o stood its ground, eager to see what this alien challenger had to offer. The fighting type energy had struck the totem across its raised arm for defence. "Now, Leaf Blade!" Kommo-o snorted as the grass type energy hardly tickled its hardened scales as the attack hit. "Smart Strike, uppercut it!"

Kommo-o's eyes opened, it hadn't anticipated the move that would never miss. The Totem desperately tried to block, but Kartana easily slipped around the raised arms, and struck the dragon type upwards into its jaw. The Totem roared in pain, before slapping away Kartana with a dragon claw and leaping onto it with a drain punch.

"KARTANA, NO!" Lillie practically screamed as the dust settled, Kommo-o stood with a smug look on its face, as Kartana was down. It twitched, the Kommo-o all but laughing as it mocked the Ultra Beast's attempts to get up. Surely this would be futile, Lillie thought to herself. There was nothing she could do.

But then she remembered.

"Listen, the Trial you have to go through to get to the altar is no pushover." Gladion spoke. "But, brother, I have no Pokémon who can use this!" she exclaimed, looking at the gift. It glistened in the neon white light of Aether Paradise.

She could remember Gladion's grin. "Trust me. You do."

"That's right, I do have a Pokémon, and a move that can use it!" she remembered. Recalling the clash she had with Gladion back on Akala. "Kartana! Use Psycho Cut on the side of Silvally's head!" she had called out in the battle.

And she remembered the precision, the strike taking out Silvally's RKS System. And then she snapped back to reality.

Lillie's features sharpened, she reached into the side pocket of her backpack, pulling out the gift she had received, she looked into the glistening magenta sheen it possessed, its peculiar sigil embedded within its crystalline case. A Psychium Z.

She quickly switched out the Z-Crystals on her Z-ring, and began to assume the pose. "Kartana!" she called out, echoing along the canyon, Kommo-o looking up at the girl who's wrist now glowed with a powerful psychic energy. Kartana picked itself up, a steeled look on its features, and a yellow aura flickered to life around it. Kommo-o readied itself.

Lillie placed a finger, one from each hand, on her forehead, before thrusting out her left palm, visible links energy dancing between her and Kartana.

"Now, Kartana!" she boomed, as Kartana began to spin rapidly in the air, like a sawblade, as a Psycho Cut attack evolved into something more.

"SHATTERED PSYCHE!"

The immediate area became distorted, as Kartana ripped forward, a screeching humming noise as it collided with the Totem, shearing through its reflect with ease. Kommo-o lost its footing in reality and drifted off into the distortion. But Kartana wasn't finished. The Ultra Beast arced around for another strike, followed up by another, and then finally, with full power blazing, crashed into Kommo-o with a force so powerful, the totem was broken through the walls of reality itself, losing itself in the void of nothingness.

And then everything turned to white.

A/N: No Pun intended when Kartana got up with a steeled look on its features.