Chapter Four

King of the Cave.

That had been the nickname Houndoom had earned as his time as a marked Pokemon in the Inlet Grotto, and it seemed that the Pokemon had resided there for a good long while. A bounty of several thousand League Points had been put on his head for capture, though apparently not too many attempts had been made due to the pack that the Houndoom had to back him up.

All this Ash has learned at the Pokemon Center, the Nurse Joy more than happily depositing the bounty of League Points into his trainer account. League Points was an alternate currency system in Paldea, specific to Pokemon trainers. It seemed to be accepted everywhere Pokemon were somehow involved, and Ash would have been more interested in learning about the system if he didn't have Houndoom to worry about.

Namely the fact that it seemed there would be no immediate opportunity to release it back into the wild.

"Oh, don't worry," Nurse Joy had said sweetly when he had first proposed the idea. "You don't have to keep the Pokemon, there's a rehabilitation program in place for marked Pokemon, you'll just have to transfer them into league custody."

"I know about that," Ash said, leaning forward. "It's not about not keeping him– I want the Pokemon to be with his pack– I only caught him because I was kind of cornered by him."

Nurse Joy had a small uncertain smile on her face. "Well, its reasons like that got the King of the Cave his marked status."

"His family is back in that cave," Ash said again– and he wasn't sure how to put it more simply. He didn't care about the marked status, he understood why the Houndoom had it, but for him that wasn't reason enough to pull the Pokemon from not only its home but its entire family.

"I understand what you're saying," Nurse Joy said, voice a bit softer. "Unfortunately public safety has to be put above semantics. As long as the marked status remains in place, that Houndoom cannot be released, and I can't authorize it in any form."

Ash pressed his lips together. "Is there anywhere to get the marked status removed?"

"That's done after rehabilitation," Nurse Joy replied.

"But if I hand him over to the League he won't be my Pokemon anymore," Ash said, hand tracing the Pokeball. "And I'm guessing the League won't be planning on releasing him when it's all over?"

"He'll be given to a trainer once he's deemed safe."

Ash closed his eyes, thinking. So far it looked like he wasn't getting the options that he wanted, but he wasn't about to give up that easily. He was determined to find a way to get the Houndoom home, so giving up the Pokemon was out of the question. But as long as that marked status remained there would be a problem…

"If I choose to tame the Houndoom myself, can I eventually get the marked status removed?" He asked.

Nurse Joy blinked. "I mean, yes? But it wouldn't be an easy task in terms of training, of course, and the League would not be lenient in choosing to remove that status. You would essentially be completely rehabilitating him yourself– and that's not just getting him to accept you, your team, or battling– you would have to show that the Pokemon has done a 180 in its behavior and would not default back to its aggressive ways. Such a task is best left up to professionals if your goal is to have that marked status removed."

But Ash already had his mind set– and he was never one to back down from a challenge. He smiled at the nurse, reaching across the counter to grab Houndoom's Pokeball. It wasn't an immediate solution, but he now had a goal on the horizon to work towards.

And with that he left the Pokemon Center, Pikachu healed up, and a new member to his team. He looked down at the Houndoom's Pokeball as he headed out, thinking over the task he had just signed himself up for. Of course this would be far from his first time interacting with a Pokemon that wanted nothing to do with humans, but that didn't mean it would be easy in any form.

But if that was the way to get Houndoom home, he was more than willing to head down that path.

"Welcome to Mesagoza!" Nemona declared proudly, waving a hand before them. "The biggest city in the region, and home to the Academy of Paldea."

Ash had to blink a few times as he stepped out of the tunnel that acted as a bridge to the city. He had been to many major cities before, but having grown up in quiet Pallet Town they never failed to amaze him, especially by just how different they all could be, and Mesagoza was no exception.

The city didn't look old, but most of the buildings he immediately saw weren't modern. The stonework had aged well, giving it all a charm. It integrated perfectly with the newer structures, paved roads giving way to cement streets, modern buildings nestled among others which were easily decades old, if not centuries.

What really caught Ash's eye though were the nearby food carts, the smell of baked goods wafting through the air. He immediately began to make a beeline towards one, while Nemona followed after, still talking about the city about them, not focused on a destination.

"It's a huge trade hub too, people come from all over to learn about new advances in technology and stuff," Nemona continued. "A lot of stuff for us trainers too, the Delibird Presents store sells battling gear, and things to help with training–"

"I could get used to this," Ash said with a smile, mouth watering as they reached the food stands– and found it was only the beginning. More could be seen further in the city, down different streets, and the restaurants… so many lined up, dozens of tables outside the cafes, the smell of so many cuisines making his stomach rumble, and he wasn't sure where to begin.

"Didn't peg you as a big eater," Nemona said, chuckling when she found the same expression on Pikachu's face. "Come on, I'll show you some of my favorite stands."

Soon they found themselves sitting around a table, eating a delicious serving of strawberry crepes. Nemona had let her Pawmot out, who was leaning against her leg, taking lazy bites as they rested in the shade. The Rotoms of course couldn't eat the organic meal, and Pikachu sat on the table squeezing packets of ketchup into his crepe, much to Nemona's horror.

The combination of ketchup and strawberry syrup made the small Pikachu look almost terrifying as it was smeared across his face. He just let out a happy 'cha', however, taking another bite of his monstrosity of a crepe.

"Okay, this is delicious," Ash declared through a full mouth.

"It's just the tip of the iceberg," Nemona promised. "I've been to every restaurant, cafe, and food cart here in the city over the years– and honestly not one of them is lacking."

"We should get seconds," Ash rose to his feet, crumbling up the napkin that had been holding his finished crepe.

"I haven't even gotten to show you around yet!" Nemona protested. "You'll have time to try everything during school– but you don't even know where it is yet!"

"But food–"

"Food later, school next!" Nemona decided, linking arms with him, pulling him away from the food carts and deeper into the city. Pikachu picked up another ketchup packet, before trotting after the two humans.

It took Pawmot a moment to realize that the group was leaving, ears flicking in alarm, before hurrying to his feet to scramble after them. He fell into a step next to Pikachu, right behind their trainers, and tugged on Nemona's pants. The girl flashed a smile at him, before turning her attention to pointing out the various sights around them to Ash. Pawmot's expression fell when he realized he was not going to be put back into his Pokeball.

"That huge building with the Pokeball on it is our school!" Nemona pointed to perhaps the most grand structure they had seen yet, built up on a hill so it overlooked the whole city. "Hope you got your hiking legs on– because the stairs are no joke!"

They were indeed, no joke.

"Pa-mo!" Pawmot cried just after a dozen steps, looking up at Nemona desperately. Pikachu had taken to Ash's shoulder for the climb, while Nemona chuckled and returned her Pokemon to its Pokeball.

At first Ash didn't mind the climb, but after the first set of stairs, with a whole other one looming up in front of him he wasn't quite as sure. "I should have brought one of my flying types... or a Pokemon that can teleport."

"No using Teleport to get up and down from the school to the main road," Nemona said, a bit too cheerfully. "If they allow it then everyone does it, and people end up teleporting right on top of each other! Or the Pokemon ends up teleporting the wrong person... it kinda ends up being a big mess."

"So I'm guessing it's happened before?"

"My first year here they allowed it– and banned it three days later!" Nemona said with a laugh, before her expression fell slightly. "Also it turned out a bunch of people had caught Ralts just to use them for Teleport, and then a bunch of them were released at once..."

"Oh," Ash said softly.

The heavy atmosphere didn't last for long, however, as they soon reached the top of the stairs– and the Academy of Paldea itself. The building had seemed gigantic from a distance, and now being up close showed that it was no lie, towering far above them. There were others about as well, students their age in uniforms, gardeners keeping the grounds, and Pokemon scattered about it all.

Standing at the grand double doors was a man dressed in a burgundy suit, greeting all who passed by. Polite nods and greetings were given in return, a clear air of respect being held for the man. This didn't last for too long, however– Nemona bolted straight for the front doors, waving an arm overhead.

"Hey! Director Clavell!"

Clavell looked up as Nemona charged up to him. He smiled, giving a nod in greeting. "Ah, Nemona, I'm glad to see you've arrived safely."

"Ash, you have to meet Director Clavell," Nemona turned, waving for him to catch up. "He's the headmaster of the school, and he's absolutely amazing. Director, this is my new friend and rival, Ash– this is going to be his first year here!"

The Director peered at Ash over a pair of glasses, before his eyes flickered to the Pikachu on his shoulder. "Ah, you must be Ash Ketchum, I presume?"

"That's me!" Ash said. "It's nice to meet you, uh, sir."

"Professor Oak has spoken very highly about you and your accomplishments, it's an honor to have you join our student body, welcome."

"Yeah, Ash is amazing," Nemona said, beaming. "He beat me in our first battle, when I totally had the advantage. He was also a runner up in two different league conferences too!"

"Runner up, hmm?" Clavell said, looking amused at this, and he returned his attention to Ash. "If you have a moment, actually, would you come with me, Ash? I promised Professor Oak I would oversee your time here. Nemona, you can come too if you'd like."

"Yes," Nemona said with no hesitation.

"Wonderful, please just follow me up to my office," Clavell said, turning to head inside. Ash was able to look around as he went after the director– rows and rows upon rows of books greeting him, seemingly endless shelfs of them. Grand stairs swept up to higher levels, students and staff moving about.

"The Academy of Paldea is the pride and joy of the city," Director Clavell said, gesturing a hand around as he led them up a flight of stairs. "Our graduates go on to be very successful in their communities, displaying skills in all realms of knowledge– from science to the skill of Pokemon battling."

Ash was doing his best to listen, but with the first day of school still some days off he hadn't exactly come here prepared to learn quite yet.

"Both our school and our region itself has a rich history, one that I'm glad that we are able to share not just with students from within Paldea, but from all over the world," the director continued. "Professor Oak mentioned you've had opportunities to see some rare Pokemon throughout your travels?"

"Yeah, I've even got to battle some of them," Ash said with a grin– not noticing that Clavell had been trying to get him to talk about the rare Pokemon, or Nemona's disappointment when he didn't go into detail. "I'm most excited to see what Pokemon I'm going to meet here in Paldea though."

"Well, in that case I have some good news for you," Clavell said with a smile. "You see, we offer all students that come to our school the chance to adopt a Pokemon to take with them on their journey through life."

Ash's eyes went wide. "Really?"

"Oh yes, oftentimes these Pokmeon end up being our students' very first Pokemon– so all of ours are suited for beginning trainers, but of course the option is welcome to all our students– so, would you like to receive a companion for your time in Paldea?"

"Yes!" Ash cried, Pikachu letting out a happy call at the same time.

"We have many different Pokemon we offer to trainers," Clavell continued. "Some are rescues, others come from breeders or straight from the wild. Oftentimes students end up with eggs that they cannot take care of, so they are raised here instead, so we have Pokemon of many species and types to offer."

"I don't care who I get– I'm always excited for a new teammate," Ash said with a grin.

"Well, Professor Oak did remark that you never got the opportunity to pick out a starter when you started your own Pokemon journey, and seeing the praise he gave you, well– how would you feel about choosing from Paldea's official starter Pokemon?"

"Awesome," Ash whispered.

"Ah, here we are," Clavell said as they reached his office– which was marked by a golden plaque. The director opened the door, signaling for them to enter first. He shut it behind Ash and Nemona, before heading over to sit at his desk. Ash was watching his every movement, the thought of a new Pokemon consuming his mind.

"Hey, Director Clavell?" Nemona asked. "Would it be alright for me to get a Pokemon from the school today too?"

He looked up at her in surprise. "Didn't you receive one your first year here?"

"Not back then, no– I was focused on raising other Pokemon I had at the time," she said, stepping forward. "I'm starting a fresh team for this year though, with Pawmot of course, so wouldn't this be the perfect time to get one?"

"Hmm," Clavell said, glancing over a computer screen. "Well, indeed you never did receive a Pokemon from the academy, so fair enough. I think you're more than qualified for an official starter, so how do you feel about choosing after Ash does?"

Nemona grinned. "I'm fine with going after Ash. Then I can pick the one strong against his."

"Hey!" Ash cried.

"I'm kidding! I'm kidding– I'm not going by type, I want to see the Pokemon for myself before I pick," she grinned at Director Clavell. "So what are we waiting for, let's meet the little guys!"

"Patience, Nemona," he said, adjusting his glasses, clicking something on his computer screen. "Let's get Mr. Ash set to go first. You should be receiving an email just about now."

"New email, alert!" Rotom cried, the Rotomdex popping up from his backpack. "From the Academy of Paldea. It contains a school map– downloading now... your class schedule– downloading now... Dorm number, school house information, and everything you need to know about the track you chose– downloading now..."

"What house is Ash in?" Nemona asked.

"Naranja house," Rotom reported. "Would you like me to order some school uniforms of your house colors, Ash?"

"That'd be great, thanks Rotom," Ash said.

"Dang," Nemona muttered. "I was hoping we'd be in the same house..."

"Didn't you say Ash was your rival?" Clavell asked. "So wouldn't this just be another aspect of such?"

"Fine," Nemona said, and she gave a small smirk at Ash. "Don't think you're going to beat the Uva house though– we won the Treasure Hunt last year, and we're going to again this year!"

"I mean I already beat you once," Ash grinned.

"Well, just wait until our next battle– with our new Pokemon! I'll totally take you down, and I'll do it the Paldean way to boot!" Nemona had a gleam in her eyes, the same one when she had deduced Pikachu's ability in their fight. But before Ash could say anything else, the Director cleared his throat.

"Just a reminder, Nemona, that any battles on school grounds need to be held on a proper battlefield," Clavell said with a pointed look, making Nemona flush slightly. "You have always been stellar at following the rules, but that one often seems to... slip your mind."

"Battlefields only," Nemona said quickly. "Don't worry, I got it, sir."

"Can we meet the Pokemon now?" Ash asked, stepping forward.

"But of course," Director Clavell reached into his pocket, pulling out three Pokeballs. With swift movements he had pressed the release button on all three, filling the room with bright flashes of light as the Pokemon were sent out. Nemona looked away, but Ash could only stare on eagerly as three small creatures appeared on the desk.

"Mrr!"

"Fue!"

"Quax!"

Green, red, blue– the standard colors for most sets of starter Pokemon. Curious eyes looked up at him, the Pokemon small, and absolutely adorable. "Ahh, they're so cute!" Ash leaned down so he was closer to their level. "Hello there, I'm Ash– nice to meet you!"

The Pokemon let out calls of greeting.

"Allow me to introduce them!" Rotomdex said, sliding in front of Ash as he scanned the new Pokemon. "First we have: Quaxly, the duckling Pokemon! Water type. Its strong legs let it easily swim around in even fast-flowing rivers. It likes to keep things tidy and is prone to overthinking things."

"Qua!" The Quaxly said, the small duck-like Pokemon puffing up, playing a wing on his chest.

"Sprigatito," Rotom said, sliding over to the next Pokemon. "The grass cat Pokemon! Grass type. The sweet scent its body gives off mesmerizes those around it. The scent grows stronger when this Pokémon is in the sun."

"Mrow," the Sprigatito sat down, looking up at Ash– the smell of mint filled the air.

"Fuecoco, the fire croc Pokemon!" Rotom moved on to the final Pokemon. "Fire type. Its flame sac is small, so energy is always leaking out. This energy is released from the top Fuecoco's head, and flickers to and fro."

Ash had no idea how new trainers ever chose out a single Pokemon– because right now Ash had the desire to scoop all three in his arms and claim them all. Instead he held out his arms, and let the starter Pokemon approach. Quaxly waddled forward, placing a wing against Ash, before moving back. Sprigatito came forward as well, sniffing his hand before giving a loud purr. Fuecoco placed his mouth around Ash's other hand, teeth pressed lightly against his in what seemed to be a greeting.

"Pika-Pikachu," Pikachu jumped down onto the desk to join the other Pokemon, raising a paw in greeting. He still had ketchup stained on his face, but it didn't seem to put off the other Pokemon, who happily darted over to their new friend.

Luckily, the director didn't seem to be in a hurry for them to choose, letting the two students observe the three Pokemon. The trio, alongside Pikachu, made their way down from the desk and spread out across the room. They mostly stayed together, but still different items in the room attracted their attention.

Quaxly seemed happy to have the attention on him, going around from human to human in the room, looking straight up at them. When the director gave him no heed he went to Ash– only to retreat when Ash attempted to stroke the mass of blue feathers on his head. Instead he went to Nemona, who reached down to stroke the white feathers instead.

"They don't like their crest being messed up," she explained, only for Quaxly to hastily straighten out the feathers she had touched as she pulled her hand away, and she laughed. "Well, any of their feathers for that matter– but especially their crest."

Meanwhile Fuecoco and Sprigatito had found a patch of sunlight that shone through the window, curling up in the warmth. Pikachu went over to join them, stretching out. He began bruxing, front teeth contently grinding together. This was soon joined by purrs from Sprigatito, with small grunts sprinkled in from Fuecoco.

Ash laid down on his stomach not far from them, watching. The smell of mint grew stronger, blossoming into a sweeter scent was Sprigatito stretched out in the sun. Fuecoco's eyes opened up, mouth watering as he sniffed the air. He turned towards Sprigatito, jaws opening– but apparently this wasn't the first time this had happened.

One of Sprigatito's lavender eyes snapped open, the sweet scent quickly fading. Claws slid out in warning, and the Fuecoco turned on a heel, wandering away as if he hadn't been about to take a bite out of his companion. The croc walked right across Ash as if he were a rug, and Sprigatito closed her eyes once more.

"Heh, my Bulbasaur could use some of your tips– he's always being bothered by my Heracross," Ash said, and the feline opened her eyes again, listening.

"Pika, PikakaPika chupika chuchu!" Pikachu said, ears folding down and tail curling so he resembled Bulbasaur. He crawled across the floor, mimicking being ambushed. "Pikaaaa!"

"Mmrrr!" Sprigatito purred, seeming to find Pikachu's story amusing.

"Chu!" Pikachu said, keeping his ears in their pointed shape, this time twisting his tail so it looked short and fluffy, making a rumbling sound in his throat as he attempted to purr, now resembling Spigatito herself.

"Meow!" Sprigatito leapt to her feet, tail swaying. She playfully stalked forward, pouncing on Pikachu– getting the mouse to chase her. Ash smiled, as it seemed the Pokemon had made the choice for him.

"Hey Sprigatito," Ash said as Pikachu tackled the cat to the ground in front of him. "How would you feel about coming with us?"

"Mrrr?"

Ash held out his hand as the Sprigatito rose to her feet. She looked at Pikachu, who ran and jumped on top of Ash's head, patting the top of his hat. "Pikapika!"

Sprigatito rubbed her head against Ash's hand, before jumping up to join Pikachu on Ash's head. There wasn't enough room for both of them, however, causing both Pokemon to fall to the ground in a small tangled pile, and Ash grinned down at them as they both scrambled to their feet.

"Well, if Ash has chosen Sprigatito, then I'm going to choose this guy," Nemona said, kneeling down in front of Quaxly. "What do you think? Fancy doing some battles with me?"

"Quax!" Quaxly called, puffing up proudly.

"Wonderful choices, both of you," the director said. "I will get them registered to your account immediately, but feel free to take their Pokeballs with you in the meantime."

"Fue?" Fuecoco looked about as Ash and Nemona went forward to claim the Pokeballs. "Co?"

"Don't worry, little one," Clavell said, holding up the last Pokeball. "You will get a trainer of your own very soon."

With a flash of light the fire type was tucked away in its Pokeball once more, placed away in the director's pocket. The last two Pokeballs were held out to the Pokemon's new trainers. Ash attached his to his belt, right next to Houndoom's, while Nemona grinned down at the one in her hand.

"You know what this means, Ash," Nemona said, holding it out towards him. "It's battle time! Quaxly, you're up, let's–"

Director Clavell cleared his throat.

"…Let's go up to the school courtyard and battle," Nemona said quickly, leaning down and scooping up the water type in her arms.

"What do you say, Sprigatito?" Ash asked as Pikachu leapt up into his shoulder. "You wanna battle?"

"Mrow!" She said, flexing her claws.

When Nemona said 'up' to the courtyard, she literally meant up– the school's courtyard up on the highest level of the building, open air and surrounded by a lush garden. Most people would have probably admired this garden in the sky, Ash didn't have time for that– as he was about to have his first battle with a new Pokemon. Sprigatito and Qualxy seemed just as eager to fight as their trainers did, immediately bolting onto the battlefield as they each took up a different side.

No commands for the match to begin came, however– and they looked back to find their new trainers hovering over their Rotom devices, looking up what moves their current Pokemon actually knew.

"Sprigatito knows the following moves: Leafage, Scratch, and Bite," Rotomdex reported. "Her ability is Overgrow."

Ash nodded his head. "Sounds good."

From across the field, Nemona called to him. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah!" Ash said, adjusting his cap. "Are you ready, Sprigatito?"

"Mrr!"

Nemona's Rotom-phone zipped into the side of the battlefield, hovering in midair between them. "I'll referee this match– which is going to be a one versus one, over when one Pokemon is unable to battle."

"Hey! I was going to be the ref!" Rotomdex cried.

"You should've declared such intentions sooner, as I have claimed the position first," the Rotom-phone replied.

"What happened to Rotoms needing to be specially trained to be refs, huh?"

"Well seeing as you somehow managed to do so, then I know for sure that I am more than qualified."

"Why you–!"

"Rotom, I'd actually like you to be with me for the match," Ash said quickly. "Who knows, maybe Quaxly will have a move I don't know of– and who better to explain things than you?"

"It is unlikely Quaxly would, seeing how low a power level these young Pokemon are on. You should be prepared for moves like Bubble or Water Gun, Tackle or Pound, or perhaps Peck, though I can just scan it if you want to know for sure."

Ash declined the offer, wanting to go into the battle blindly– as it was always more fun that way. And also because he had succeeded in getting the two Rotom to stop fighting, which had been his original goal. Instead he turned to face the battlefield, giving a smile to the Sprigatito who was looking back at him. He frowned as he noticed Nemona holding something in her hand that he didn't recognize.

"Do you know anything about terastallizing?" She asked, holding up the sphere she was holding. It was about the size of a Pokeball, made from a sleek crystal, gleaming in the sunlight.

"Terastal-what?" Ash blinked.

Nemona grinned. "Then you're in for a treat in this fight– like I said, I'm going to beat you the Paldean way."

"We'll see, but don't forget who has the type advantage," Ash said, twisting his cap around. "Let's do this."

"Pika! Pika! Pika!" Pikachu cheered, cheeks sparking in excitement.

"This will be a one versus one, so no switching out," Nemona's Rotom-phone reminded them. "Now, if both sides are ready... battle– begin!"

"Leafage, now!" Ash called, and Sprigatito's scruff began to glow. Several leaves formed about her neck, which were sent rushing at the Quaxly across the field. They hit him dead on, the Pokemon stumbling, but still on his feet.

Battling with Pokemon who were meant for new trainers was always an interesting experience, especially for a well seasoned trainer like Ash. Battles were something he knew like the back of his hand, yet this was a Pokemon he didn't know. They weren't weak, trained to be able to take on the average wild Pokemon with no issue, but they weren't as powerful as the Pokemon he had personally trained for months and others for even years. There was no familiarity between them, and all trust was an uneasy blind trust.

Also the starter Pokemon had been raised to follow their future trainer to the letter, not to act on their own in any way, which was why Sprigatito made no effort to dodge a Water Gun when Ash half expected her to just step out of the way. Of course it didn't do much damage, Sprigatito literally shaking off the hit, sending droplets of water everywhere. Ash watched Nemona, who was grinning– and he knew that she had used Water Gun for a reason, but why, he wasn't sure yet.

"Oops, looks like that wasn't too effective," Nemona said, still smiling. "Let's see what we can do about that."

Nemona held up the crystal orb in her hands– which went from gleaming to suddenly glowing. Ash blinked as he watched blue energy spiraled towards the orb, looking as if it were being drawn straight from the ground. Once it seemed to be fully charged with the light she threw it forward, the orb flying over Quaxly– who raised his wings up as the light was released from the orb and straight into the Pokemon.

Ash stepped back as lage crystals erupted from the ground, instantly engulfing the Quaxly. Ash half panicked at the sight, though he swiftly realized that they weren't true rocks though– rather a gleaming light that took on that crystalline shape. After a moment it seemed to shatter, releasing the Pokemon within, who was now encased in that bright blue aura.

It seemed as if feathers had turned to crystals, the Quaxly looking as if he had been carved from gems. For a moment the crystalline image of a spout of water shown above its head, before it and the glow faded– leaving the Quaxly in its gem-like state. Ash wasn't sure what was going on, but having seen things from megas to z-moves to dynamaxing, he knew that sitting around and seeing what was going to happen wouldn't win him this battle.

"Leafage again!" He called, and Sprigatito fired off another round of sharpened leaves at the Quaxly.

"Water Gun, straight ahead!" Nemona called, and the Quaxly released the attack at the incoming leaves.

Ash felt the aura surge the same moment he saw the blue light engulf Quaxly–and the Water Gun that followed was no mere spray of water like before. The Water Gun had swelled in size, the powerful blast knocking the Leafage away, going on to hit Sprigatito, who slid back at the force, growling.

In any other battle Ash would've thought the Quaxly had learned a new move– like Scald or Water Pulse with the sudden surge of power– but it was quite clear that this was a result of the crystals. It had strengthened the Water Gun to make it much more powerful, but not to the same extremes as z-moves did.

"Scratch!" Ash called, and Sprigatito raced forward, claws shining. She slashed the Quaxly across the face, who let out a squawk. Despite the gem-like appearance it seemed its body wasn't stone, taking attacks how Ash would normally expect. "Leafage!"

"Pound!"

The Leafage hit hard, the water type stumbling, but he was still able to run forward and bring a Pound down into Sprigatito's head. Ash didn't think too much of it at first, but when another powered up Water Gun came their way he was able to see more of a pattern. This crystal state didn't charge a move once like z-moves, nor was it giving a boost in power to all attacks like mega evolution did. In fact it didn't seem to give a boost in any form except to the Water Gun– there was no enhanced endurance or speed that he was noticing.

So this phenomenon was only impacting water type moves, and the crystals Ash had seen had all been blue like the typing was associated with, so it all made sense. Having a bit more confidence in what he was dealing with, he called for Sprigatito to use Bite. Unfortunately though, water wasn't the only type of move the Quaxly had access to.

As Sprigatito went charging forward Nemona called for an attack of their own, resulting in Sprigatito being hit by a surprise Wing Attack right across the chest. This super effective move wasn't quite as easy to shake off as the other attacks had been, the grass type panting as she tried to recover. Both Pokemon were already getting worn down, neither having the same endurance as more experienced Pokemon.

"Wing Attack again!" Nemona called, and it seemed she was looking to end the fight.

"Use Bite on the wing!" Ash ordered as the Quaxly came charging. Dark energy surrounded Sprigatito's tiny fangs, locking into the glowing wing before the attack could hit her. "Now use Scratch as much as you can!"

Her claws slid out, the Pokemon lashing out with all four paws. Quaxly thrashed, making harder for the cat to keep hold. Ash knew they both could only take a few more attacks before one fell, and Nemona knew it too.

"Leafage while it's close!"

"Water Gun, knock it away from you!"

The Leafage formed, but the powerful jet of water was at such a close range disrupted Sprigatito's focus as she was sent flying. Another Water Gun hit her while she was trying to get up, not letting them get in another attack.

"Wing Attack!" Nemona called.

"Leafage!" Ash cried as the worn Quaxly bore down on her. Leaves began to form, but the glowing wing hit first, slashing right across her face.

The cat was sent flying back, landing on the battlefield. She was breathing heavily, shifting as she attempted to stand– but all the damage she had taken was now taking its toll, and she sagged back to the ground.

"Sprigatito is unable to battle!" Rotom-phone declared when Sprigatito didn't move to stand. "Nemona and Quaxly win the battle!"

"Woo!" Nemona cried, throwing her hands into the air. "Amazing job, Quaxly!"

The Quaxly, looking like he was barely standing himself, raised his wings up into the air, the crystal-like energy surrounding his body shattered into sparks of light now that the battle was over, returning him to his normal form. "Quax!"

Then he immediately went to work preening his feathers, making sure they all fell back carefully into the right place. Spigatito laid on the battlefield, Ash and Pikachu jogging towards her, ears falling back as he scooped her up.

"You did great out there!" Ash said, beaming, but quickly saw that the cat wasn't sharing his enthusiasm as he held her up. "Hey, no need to look so down. It was a good battle, even if we didn't win."

"Sprig..."

"I know what will cheer you up– crepes! You didn't get to have any with us earlier, after all," Ash said, and the feline just stared at him. Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder, smiling at the Sprigatito.

"So, what do you think of terastalization?" Nemona asked, a hand on her hip.

"That was pretty cool– really cool actually," Ash said, glancing at the orb Nemona had used to crystallize Quaxly– which had lost its shine completely, looking dull. "How does it work?"

She grinned. "How do you think it works?"

"It powered up Quaxly's water type moves, but none of the others," Ash said, shifting Sprigatito so she was resting closer to him. "So I'm guessing that terastalization boosts the power of the type the Pokemon is– even farther than the natural boost they get when using a move of the same type."

Nemona looked impressed. "Huh. Well, yeah, that's pretty much what was going on in this battle to be honest. But that's also not exactly what terastalization is either. It can do more as well, it all comes down to the Pokemon you have with you though."

"What do you mean?" Ash asked, interest immediately captured.

Nemona just merely grinned. "I'm sure you'll learn all about it in your competitive battling class once it starts."

"What– you can't expect me to wait that long!"

"It will be good for you to go to class without knowing everything there is about battles~" Nemona said in a light tone, leaning down to pick up her new Quaxly. "Now, how about we go get a treat for you after that fantastic victory?"

"Nemona!" Ash cried, but she just began walking away, so he spun around to face his Rotomdex. "Rotom, search up terastalization, would you?"

"Searching... searching..." Rotom said, several dots appearing on his screen. "Here are the results on how to learn more about terastalization."

Ash looked at Rotom's screen– only to find that Rotom had pulled up his class schedule, highlighting the time and date for Ash's first battling class here at the academy. An emoji of a cheeky smiley face then appeared on the Rotomdex, who then drifted down to hide away in Ash's backpack without another word.

"Not you too, Rotom!"

Don't worry fellow Fuecoco fans, we will be seeing all three starters.