Milo and the Blue Umbreon

by NanobotEX

Milo is about to embark on his Pokémon journey, when he unexpectedly makes a new friend. His journey begins ten years after the exploits of Ash Ketchum, and he discovers that Pokémon journeys are not as simple as they once were. Milo may soon find himself pitted against forces beyond anything he had imagined! (Not too much Romance, just enough to keep things interesting)

23. Chapter 23 - True Colors

Milo Chapter 23 – True Colors

There was a one day break between the Grande Snowball and the opening ceremonies of the Snowpoint Invitational, but it flew by so quickly that the three Rookies barely noticed. The first day and a half of the Invitational was devoted to the Contest portion of the event, which was currently wrapping up.

"She's up after this, right?" Amaya was getting impatient.

"Yep", answered Milo, who was just returning to his seat, "Hey, move over."

Amaya, of course, did no such thing, and Milo made a point of kicking her legs as he stepped over her to get to his seat with a fresh bowl of popcorn. They had decent seats to watch the final of the Invitational Contest between Drew of Hoenn and the local favorite, Dawn Hikari herself.

"Still not sure how Dawn won that semifinal", Amaya scoffed, "Let me get some popcorn, Milo."

"Hey, hands off!"

He moved his precious snack further away from her and shoved her prying hand away, "I only share popcorn with friends who don't leave me in the cold with a pissed off Luxray."

"Get over it", Amaya huffed, "Don't be such a baby, share some damn popcorn."

"Buy your own, nosy", Milo shot back, and stuck out his tongue, "You're right about that semifinal, though. I think if we weren't on Dawn's home turf, May would've won that for sure. That was the real final, honestly. This is just a victory lap for Dawn, she'll stomp Drew easily."

Indeed, Dawn and May had played out a Contest round for the ages. The battle round had been almost totally even, and it had come down to the judging on the appeal round. Most of the audience felt that May's appeals had probably been ever so slightly better, but the judges had favored the Top Coordinator from Sinnoh and declared Dawn the winner.

Kara was currently down in the prep room, since the first round of the Showcase was up immediately after the Contest final. She'd been a huge help to her two Trainer friends in understanding what was going on, but now, as the final started, they were left with very little idea of what was actually happening below.

Dawn's Empoleon and Drew's Roserade were each trying to woo favor with the judges with some very intricate appeals, but Empoleon seemed to have the clear edge overall, as expected. Milo and Amaya dutifully clapped along once the judging had finished, and settled in to watch the battle round.

The battle, as it turned out, was just as one-sided. Still, it was much more understandable for the two Rookie Trainers. As soon as it kicked off, Drew's Roserade and Flygon were caught up in a brilliant pincer move by Dawn's prize Empoleon and her Lopunny. With her agility and grace, Lopunny got in behind Drew's fighters and was able to force them closer to the ever-dangerous Empoleon, who unleashed torrents of water and brutal Steel moves to swat down its opponents without seeming to break a sweat.

The combination and expert use of her Pokémon's strengths was enough to win the final for Dawn in just a few short minutes. The crowd was ecstatic at seeing the Sinnoh Coordinator once again take the top spot at the Invitational, and the pomp and circumstance lasted a good half hour while she was duly awarded a sizeable trophy and an ornate ribbon.

"Man", moaned Milo, "I'm trying to be respectful and all, but I wish they'd hurry up. I'm getting Beautiflys in my stomach waiting for the Showcase part to get going."

"Chill", Amaya shrugged, "she'll be fine."

"Yeah, I know, I just can't wait. The nerves are killing me."

At long last, the Contest announcer handed things off to his Showcase counterpart, and Sinnoh's best (failed) attempt at a Kalosian accent rang out;

"Ladies and gentlemen, bonjour! Please join me now in welcoming the lovely Performers who will grace our Invitational stage today!"

At that, the Performers paraded out together to the stage, lining up and waving at the many cheering (and some drooling) fans. There were indeed quite a few big names this year; not only Serena, but Shauna and Miette had come to represent Kalos, the world's biggest Showcase region by far. There were a few newer faces from various regions, and then…

"Look", Milo actually jumped out of his seat, "There she is! Woohoo! Go, Kara!"

His girlfriend was as lovely as ever, and had opted for a rather simple, dark red one shoulder dress that was adorned with a mesmerizing fire pattern rising from the shoulder. The dress had a slit all the way up her right leg to allow for more freedom of movement. It was rather stark, and made her stand out from her brightly colored, highly decorated peers.

Kara

She, like many of her fellow Performers, had brought a Pokémon with her to greet the crowd, and Florence strode elegantly behind her as she waved. She'd made a note of where Milo and Amaya were sitting, and though she couldn't see them she kept flicking her eyes that way, trying to assuage the bundle of nerves she was actively fighting back.

Finally, the general hubbub began to subside, and the announcer at last revealed the format of the Showcase.

"We are most honored to have 24 marvelous Performers with us today!"

Get on with it, she urged him mentally, Tell us the first round already.

He does seem rather unnecessarily thorough, added her Gardevoir, I should think, however, that we can be confident in ourselves. Our team is quite adept and ready to handle any sort of challenge with which they may present us.

Kara smiled gratefully at Florence's encouragement, and her ears perked up as the announcer at last got around to the competition's format.

"For the first round, we have divided our lovely Performers into three groups of eight! In homage to our esteemed Coordinator associates, the competition shall be...double battling! Yes-" He had to stop as the crowd erupted with delight.

"Hmph, figures", Amaya smirked, "Sinnoh always loves a good battle."

On the stage, many eyes shot open in surprise, and many faces fell. Kara's, however, was not one of them. While most Performers' teams had little to no battling experience, her team had been training at full force with Milo and Amaya for half a year.

Well, noted Florence rather smugly as Kara let a huge smile break out, It would seem our chances have just increased quite significantly.

That's putting it lightly, replied Kara, But we're not the only ones here with battling experience. I mean, Serena is here, and she's literally married to the Pokémon Master. I'm sure there are a few others as well. Still, I think we just got a huge leg up on at least two thirds of the field.

As they conversed, the announcer further explained that, as an additional homage to the Sinnoh region, the battles would be Trainer-style, not Contest-style.

"Each of our three groups will compete in a single-elimination tournament over the next two days to determine the three Performers who will advance to the freestyle final! Today will be the first round battles of each group, leaving tomorrow for the three sets of semifinals and finals. Now, without further ado..."

Good, Kara chuckled to herself, There's already been plenty of ado.

"Here are your three groups!"

Screens around the auditorium flashed into life, and Kara quickly found her name – she was in Group 2. It appeared as though they had split up the groups fairly evenly in terms of talent, and each group had only one of the major Kalos stars. Kara would have to find a way past Miette if she wanted to earn a spot in the freestyle round she'd already worked so hard preparing for.

"Remember; each Performer will be allowed three Pokémon total; two starters and one substitute. The battle is not over until one Performer has lost all three Pokémon. Now, we will give our contestants ten minutes to prepare for their first round battles, and then we will kick things off with Group 1!"

Milo's whole face was aglow with excitement. Even Amaya wore a smug smirk. They knew Kara would breeze through this round, thanks to them.

"This is going to be awesome", Milo could hardly wait, "who knew we'd be treated to a battle tournament? What a cool idea!"

"I bet most of those Performers disagree", chuckled Amaya, "But yeah, this is way better than 'Find the Scraggy in the dark'."

For the two Trainers, it was not only entertaining, but rather amusing. Once the first group got going, it was clear that while the Performers had an abundance of natural talents, battling was typically not among them.

"Ridiculous", grunted Amaya at the end of one particular fight, "How did a Wingull just lose to a Numel? What a joke."

"I think the better question is; how does she expect to use a Numel in the freestyle round?" Milo sat back, "I mean, it's a Numel. Not really the most graceful or stylish of Pokémon."

"We'll never know", shrugged Amaya, "She'd have to beat Serena to make it there."

Milo nodded sagely and said around a mouthful of popcorn, "Fair enough."

After the first group had finished their quarterfinal round (Serena was the clear favorite, of course) Amaya glanced at her friend;

"Not freaking out yet?"

"Mmm?" Milo had just stuffed his mouth full of his second bag of popcorn, so he settled for a confused look in return.

Amaya rolled her eyes, "Chew your food. I meant, aren't you nervous yet about Kara's fight?"

He took a couple seconds to empty his mouth before replying nonchalantly;

"Nah. She's got this. It's only the first round, and she's not the unlucky one who has to beat Miette. Not today, at least. She's up against some random Kantoan Rookie. Open and shut, no problem."

Kara

Down below, Kara was not feeling quite so confident. She'd chosen her three Pokémon; Zexon, Pyro, and Florence. She knew the three of them had spent enough time training with Milo and Amaya's Pokémon that they could probably manage well enough on their own, but she felt remarkably ill-prepared to play the part of Trainer.

I'm used to Performing, but...how do Milo and Amaya get so calm before battles? There's so much uncertainty. For a Showcase, I go in with a plan, I know exactly what to expect, but...a battle is a lot scarier!

Her time for wondering was over before she knew it. All too soon she was waiting in the wings, listening as her name was announced and she stepped forward. She had decided to put on her best 'Amaya' face and totally ignore the crowd in order to remain focused on her battle.

Maybe acting like 'Maya will help me think like her, she reasoned.

Luckily, her opponent appeared just as nervous as Kara herself, and they both hesitated when the referee finally called;

"Battle begin!"

"Uh – Zexon! Florence! Let's go!"

"P-poliwag", called her Kantoan opponent, "and Ivysaur! Time to battle!"

There it was. The Pokémon were out.

Crap, now what? Kara hadn't really thought to plan out a course of action. Usually, Milo and Amaya just seemed to know what to do automatically.

Fortunately, Zexon had noticed her pause, and jumped in himself. He targeted the Ivysaur, but the Poliwag jumped in to protect its teammate.

Milady, Florence's mental voice came through, gentle but urgent, If I may be so bold as to suggest a strategy; divide and conquer should play to our strengths, given Zexon's natural advantage over that Ivysaur. Allow me to handle the Poliwag – I'm certain I can at least contain her.

Perfect, Kara jumped on the idea immediately, Do that. Thanks, Flo.

Clearing her throat, she gave the order aloud;

"Zexon, great job! Keep after that Ivysaur! Florence, take down the Poliwag, keep it isolated!"

Florence looked almost embarrassed as she deflected the Poliwag's insignificant Bubble attacks with a mere flick of her hand. Zexon, on the other side of the field, was pummeling the Ivysaur mercilessly. X-Scissor, Metal Claw, and Bullet Punch attacks came raining in on the panicked Seed Pokémon. It tried to counter with a Vine Whip, but the desperate attack was both ineffective and off-target.

"Dang", Milo nodded in approval, "Zexon's putting in work. He must love the chance to have a real battle."

At last, the Ivysaur went down, but not before leaving a parting gift. As it stumbled, the Kanto Performer called out;

"Quick, use Sleep Powder!"

Within seconds, the Ivysaur was unconscious, but Zexon had been put to sleep by the surprise attack. Kara frowned and paused before saying;

"Alright, Flo. You need to wrap things up over there so you and Pyro can work together on the last one."

As she returned her sleeping Scizor, her opponent revealed her third Pokémon;

"Let's go, Cubone, turn it around!"

"Pyro! We need your help!"

"Yeah", nodded Amaya, "She needs Flo to KO that Poliwag quick, because Pyro's up against Water and Ground here."

Never one to let her beloved Trainer down, Florence turned to focus on the persistent little Tadpole Pokémon that had been (unsuccessfully) trying to pepper her with weak Water attacks.

I apologize, young one, commented the Gardevoir to the little Water type, But I cannot indulge you any longer. My attention is required elsewhere. It has been a pleasure battling you, and I hope you are not injured.

With that, the Embrace Pokémon's eyes glowed a bright blue and the Poliwag was thrown bodily across the arena, to the shock of the crowd.

"Wow!" The announcer was thrilled, "With one attack, Kara's Gardevoir has all but ended that Poliwag! A massive injection of Psychic power is on display here now, folks! Is Poliwag down already, or can it continue battling?"

I highly suggest you stay down, Florence warned, Attacking you again would bring me no pleasure, but I will do what I must to win this battle.

Poliwag seemed to decide that staying down was in its own best interests, and suddenly Kara had a two on one advantage.

"Great work, Florence! Now, see what you can do to help Pyro!"

Once the numbers were in her favor, the Cubone stood no chance against Kara's overpowered team. Florence had an easy time holding the Lonely Pokémon still and applying Psychic attacks while Pyro turned the Ground type into a punching bag. It took a matter of seconds for it to go down like its two teammates.

Well, though Kara, After all that freaking out, I barely had to do anything. My team handled it for me. Anyway, I'm moving on to Day Two!

She graciously met her opponent in the middle of the field for a handshake and a wave to the crowd before stepping off to make way for the next two Performers to battle.

That evening, Milo eagerly undertook the task of showing his girlfriend how to prepare for her upcoming Day Two battles. Amaya decided to go off and 'do her own training', so she wouldn't have to "watch you two get all couple-y".

"Come on, 'Maya", Milo had responded, "we're not 'getting couple-y', we're helping Kara get ready for tomorrow. Sure you don't want to help?"

"Please", Amaya shot back sarcastically, "as if 'The Hammer' would ever train some noob. You guys do your thing, I'm going to start prepping for Volkner."

Milo just chuckled as he watched her head off;

"That's a joke. She's got two overpowered Ground types and a Luxray, what does she think she has to 'prepare' for? She just wants more time to work with Glacius. Whatever, she's missing out. Come on, let's get started."

An hour later, Amaya's joking prediction seemed almost prophetic as Milo and Kara sat huddled together on a couch in Milo's hotel suite, watching film of Kara's semifinal opponent, as well as Miette, who presented the biggest threat.

"So", the Performer questioned as they watched Miette's first round battle for the third time, her head nestled against Milo, "Zexon is in no matter what, right?"

"Exactly", Milo was loving this, "That way if she-"

"Hey, stop", Kara interrupted him as he tried to lean forward, "Don't move around, you're my pillow."

"Oh. Uh...sorry? Anyway, yeah, Zexon resists Psychic, Fairy, and Bug, which are her three go-to move types, so he'll be the one to carry you for sure."

"Right", she smiled cheekily, "Thanks. You're a very helpful and informative pillow."

"Oh, good", Milo rolled his eyes, "That's always been my dearest ambition."

The end result of the night's work was that Kara felt slightly better about the idea of battling Miette and much, much better about taking down the girl she'd meet in the semifinal.

So it was that the next morning in the Snowpoint Arena Kara met her semifinal rival, a girl from Unova, with a cool smile and a handshake. Her opponent was still as nervous as Kara herself had been the day before, and it was soon clear why.

Certainly, the other girl – Alicia was her name – had come in with some sort of plan; her Growlithe went straight after Zexon. However, this was exactly what Milo had warned Kara to beware of, and Florence was ready to cut off the Puppy Pokémon's fiery assault. As the Gardevoir easily contained the Fire type, Zexon was free to dominate Alicia's unfortunate Sawsbuck. The Season Pokémon fought back with a few interesting Fighting moves, like Double Kick and Jump Kick, but Zexon adjusted rapidly and took down the Grass type with few problems.

This drew out Alicia's final Pokémon, an Emolga. Zexon tried to pick up right where he'd left off, but the speedy Electric type had other plans. At Alicia's instruction, it zipped in to deliver a Shock Wave to Florence, who wasn't expecting to be double teamed.

"Zexon!" Kara's heart fluttered as control of the battle began to slip away from her, "Flo needs your help! Don't let them team up on her!"

She trusted that Zexon could figure out how to do that on his own. The fiercely loyal Scizor wasted no time jumping into the one-sided fray, blindsiding the Growlithe with a Night Slash.

Florence was grateful for the help, but alert to the danger – her Bug and Steel type teammate had just picked a fight with a Fire type.

Move, Zexon!

Without waiting for him to comply, she blasted the Puppy Pokémon with a Psychic to get it as far away from Zexon as possible. In her desperation, however, she put more power into the attack than she'd meant to, and the Growlithe was, in fact, knocked out.

"Oh", Kara was surprised at the strength of her team, "Umm, great job, Flo! Now contain that Emolga so Zexon can wrap this up!"

Just as she had done to the Poliwag in the first battle, Florence used a combination of Double Team, Light Screen, and Confusion to keep the Emolga trapped and thoroughly disoriented while Zexon peppered it with Night Slash and Acrobatics attacks until it gave up the fight and stayed down.

"Wow", Amaya nodded from the stands, "I should ask you for advice more often. One night of work and her team looks like the best in the group."

"They really do", Milo sat back, "Just Miette left to beat. Come on, Kara…"

"What do you think her odds are?" Amaya asked.

"I'm pretty optimistic", nodded Milo, "I think Miette is the weakest of the big three, in terms of battling, so as long as Zexon does his thing and Pyro is there to keep them on the defensive, she should have a clear shot at a win.

Bzzzt

Milo's Pokétch buzzed. He glanced down and cracked up immediately.

"Bahaha! What the heck is she doing?"

Amaya looked over to see what was so funny, and Milo showed her the text he had received. It was from Kara and it just said;

Holy crap I'm so nervous, AAAAAHHHH! Okay, just had to get that out. I'm good now. See you soon, love you, thank you, etc. -K

Snickering, Amaya couldn't resist a comment;

"Wow, 'Love you, thank you, etc'. Real touching."

Milo just waved a hand nonchalantly, "Eh, she knows I get the idea. No need to be cheesy and gushingly romantic all the time."

"Ah, okay, so just most of the time, then?"

"Shut up, 'Maya", Milo rolled his eyes, embarrassed.

As expected, Miette won the second semifinal of the group in convincing fashion. With mild interest, Milo and Amaya watched Shauna decimate her semifinal opponent (in the cutest way possible, of course).

Kara, meanwhile, was doing everything on her power to control the shaking in her hands, as Serena easily claimed the first spot in the freestyle round. Then, finally…

"And now, madames et monsieurs, please welcome the finalists from Group 2. First, we have yet another superstar all the way from Kalos! Please welcome the one and only blue-haired beauty...Miette!"

The Kalos star had always been brimming with confidence, and she waved exuberantly to the crowd as she entered, blowing kisses and winks every which way. When she was finally positioned in her Trainer box, the announcer resumed;

"Facing her will be one of Sinnoh's very own! A local breakout from Floaroma; with brilliantly balanced beauty and brains, please give it up for...Kara!"

Much more subdued, Kara smiled and waved a bit as she walked to the center of the battlefield to meet Miette, who shook her hand and said;

"Congrats on making the final! You should be proud of your team for making it this far no matter what happens, okay?"

Miette's thinly veiled arrogance was enough to light a spark in Kara;

"You say that like you've already won. You should know that anything can happen in a battle. We're not done until it's over. Good luck, Miette."

That brought a small frown and a crease of the eyebrows from the famous Performer, and as Kara walked away she thought to herself;

I can't believe I just said that to one of the best Performers in the world! Oh man, this is really happening…

Still, her calm, smiling facade was unbroken, and to the rest of the world she was totally ready and unaffected by the pressure of going head to head with one of the world's most famous Performers.

"Battle...begin!"

Miette wasted no time;

"Alright, here we go! Slurpuff, Meowstic, you're in!"

"Zexon!" Kara was quick to make her own call, "And Pyro!"

"Shoot", Milo jumped out of his seat immediately, "No, Kara, NO! Dang it! She should have started Florence! Pyro should have waited until he could go after Vivillon!"

"Guess she'll have to adapt", commented Amaya, crossing her arms, "That or she'll just lose."

"No", replied Milo firmly, "She can still make this work. She's got this."

"Pyro", called Kara below, "you take the front; go after Slurpuff! Zexon, keep the Meowstic occupied!"

Milo sat back and breathed a huge sigh of relief, "There we go. Well, played. She's isolated the type matchups perfectly. Fire on Fairy, and Bug on Psychic."

Miette seemed to have recognized this as well;

"Stick together, you two! Slurpuff, use Light Screen and Safeguard!"

Just like that, the battle became incredibly cagey. Slurpuff continually threw up shielding moves which the impatient Pyro struggled to penetrate. Once their setup was complete, the experience and understanding between Miette's team began to shine through, as they reacted together to the threats posed by Kara's team.

From behind the safety net provided by Slurpuff, Meowstic sniped Pyro time and again with ranged Psychic attacks that damaged and frustrated the Fire Horse Pokémon. At the same time, the Meringue Pokémon was doing everything in her power to keep Zexon from attacking her Psychic teammate. Every time Kara's Scizor tried to close on Meowstic, an Energy Ball or a Fairy Wind would force him to dodge and break off his attack.

Kara was frantically racking her brain to come up with a way to beat this defensive strategy.

This wasn't in the plan, she thought, It wasn't supposed to go like this...What do I do? I've got the type advantage, but she's not letting me use it! Ugh, I need that type advantage to...wait, do I really need it?

Kara blinked as the thought occurred to her, and a second later she called out;

"Hey guys, switch! Zexon, let the Meowstic go and take down Slurpuff! Pyro, see what you can do about – NO!"

She was just a second too late. Pyro took yet another Psychic attack just as Kara called the switch, and went down. Heart in her throat, the Rookie recalled her fallen Rapidash and sent in her third Pokémon;

"Florence, you're up! We need you now!"

The Embrace Pokémon read the situation in an instant;

Pyro was defeated, I presume? Shall I focus on Meowstic?

"Yeah, Flo! That Meowstic is your job, now! Zexon, focus everything you have on Slurpuff!"

Milo applauded excitedly from the stands;

"Perfect! What a brilliant adjustment! Flo's a much better matchup against Meowstic – she has range moves, better special defense, and more mobility."

Kara was surprised to feel a flash of anger from her normally calm and focused Psychic type;

How dare you! How utterly disrespectful and distasteful of you, sir! I shall show you exactly what this 'upstart newcomer' is capable of!

Frowning, Kara asked quickly;

You alright, Flo? You're not usually this heated.

Florence had begun a lightning fast combination of Teleport and Moonblast attacks that brought the crowd to its feet. Meowstic could hardly move as it was battered about by attacks that seemed to come from random directions. Neither he nor Miette had any response for the fury of an angry Gardevoir, and within a minute Meowstic crumpled to the ground, defeated.

Breathing heavily, Florence at last explained herself;

That rude buffoon of a Meowstic had the nerve to make telepathic contact with me only to bombard me with insults about my appearance and yours, not to mention our abilities. I cannot abide such disrespect in the midst of an official competition.

Kara frowned at that. No wonder Florence had been so upset. She'd known Miette had a reputation for being aggressively competitive, but to sink so low as telepathic trash talk between Pokémon?

Well, you did a brilliant job shutting him up, Flo. Look, your standing ovation is still going strong! For now, though, let's focus up.

Zexon had Slurpuff well in hand, and was patiently applying pressure to the beleaguered Fairy type. Slurpuff was actually lucky to still be in the battle – Zexon was purposely taking this fight as slowly as possible, trusting that this would allow Florence to work her magic on the rest of Miette's team.

As Miette brought out her final Pokémon, Vivillon, the crowd was indeed still screaming for Florence, who had absolutely crushed Miette's considerably famous Meowstic.

"Hmph", Miette was downright glaring at this Rookie who had somehow gotten level with her, "You caught me unprepared, but it won't happen again. Vivillon, get this Gardevoir out of here! Use Poison Powder, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, anything!"

"Back off, Flo! Get clear!"

Unfortunately, Kara's Embrace Pokémon had been caught flat-footed. She Teleported away, but not fast enough to avoid Poison Powder. Kara's fear began creeping back in, but she fought it down;

I can still fix this. I can do this.

"Heal Pulse, Flo!"

The goal, in Kara's mind, was to prepare Zexon for what could become a 2-on-1 situation, if Florence went down. Flo understood perfectly, and Kara's Scizor gave a roar as his energy came rushing back to him.

"Zexon", called the Floaroma Rookie, "Florence is in trouble! We need you to hurry up with Slurpuff!"

With a grunt, Zexon turned back to his mildly bothersome Fairy opponent. Seeing the dangerous glint in his eye, the Meringue Pokémon actually backed off a bit. No more games. Zexon seemed to flip some internal switch and hit a new level of aggression.

Like lightning, he dashed in with an Acrobatics, followed immediately by a super effective Metal Claw. Just as Miette's token Pokémon gathered itself for a counterattack, Zexon's Iron Head put it down for good. Yet again, an all-out offensive blitz from Kara had put paid to Miette's prized team. Now, however, Zexon had no time to celebrate. He turned quickly to face Vivillon, who had just landed a Sleep Powder on the already poisoned Florence.

"Yes!" Kara's heart was pounding at a mile a minute as she breathlessly cheered her strongest battler onward, "Come on, Zexon! Flo needs you; take down this Vivillon! You can do it!"

Assuming that Florence was essentially down, Vivillon turned to face this new threat, leading with a Stun Spore to neutralize Zexon's dangerous attacks. The Pincer Pokémon was alert to the danger, and cut a wide berth around to get between Vivillon and the still-downed Florence.

"Don't get too close for too long, Zexon! Try Razor Wind!"

"Hmph! Psybeam!"

Vivillon's more direct attack pierced the Razor Wind, and Zexon grunted as he took it head on. Fortunately he was not confused, and he leapt in quickly to land a Metal Claw and an Acrobatics. Vivillon was left reeling, but Zexon had the discipline of a true battler. He backed off just as quickly as he had jumped in, and was thus able to escape the wild Psybeam counterattack.

"Catch that thing, Vivillon!" Miette was furious that she had been put at such a disadvantage, "Use Hurricane!"

"No, Zexon!"

There was nothing Kara or her Scizor could do. Hurricane swept up the Pincer Pokémon and battered him ruthlessly. He was already tired from his earlier fighting, and was near the limit of his strength when suddenly Hurricane just...stopped. Vivillon gave a surprised yelp, and all eyes in the stadium widened in shock as a pained, poisoned, weakened Florence stood with her eyes glowing blue and her face a mask of focus and exertion.

Strike...now!

Zexon understood perfectly. Florence, with the last of her strength, was giving him the opening he needed to end this. Vivillon, meanwhile, was struggling with all its might to break the Gardevoir's psychic hold, to no avail. Zexon dug deep for one last burst of strength and launched a final Acrobatics. As soon as his attack connected, Florence released her power and slumped forward, utterly spent.

Kara could hardly breathe as she watched the blur of furious motion that was Zexon and Vivillon. Surely, Florence's sacrifice play would be enough…?

"ZOOOORR!"

Just like that, it was over. Zexon roared as he at last stopped, allowing an unconscious Vivillon to tumble to the floor. He made a magnificent sight standing alone above his enemies, bruised and battered, chest heaving, totally exhausted, one metal fist raised high, standing with the pride of a warrior on the field of victory.

Noise exploded all around them; the crowd was absolutely delirious at the scenes played out before them.

"YEESSSS!"

Milo was screaming at the top of his lungs, ecstatic that his girlfriend had pulled off the biggest upset of the entire Snowpoint Invitational. Even Amaya was on her feet applauding with a smile.

"Damn", said the Twinleaf girl, "That was one hell of a fight. Zexon is for real."

"Unbelievable!" Even the announcer could hardly believe it, "What a battle, ladies and gentlemen! After an instant classic, Sinnoh's very own pride and joy, in her Rookie year, has taken down one of the biggest stars in all of Pokémon Performing! Let's give it up for...KARA!"

The screams of the crowd grew and grew, resounding up to the heavens. Amaya had been spot on: Sinnoh did love a good battle.

As the crowd's energy showed no sign of letting up, Kara returned her weary team and crossed to the middle of the field to meet Miette. The blue-haired star's lips were pursed together, all of her earlier confidence, cheer, and bravado gone.

"Good battle", she said curtly to the Rookie.

"Same to you", replied Kara coolly. She hadn't forgotten about the trash talk and arrogance of before.

"You weren't supposed to win that. You'll never beat Serena and Shauna in the next round", Miette's anger threatened to bubble over, "You won't even challenge them. You know that, right?"

"Well", Kara looked the older Performer in the eye, "I've earned the right to find out, haven't I? Goodbye, Miette."

Without looking back, Kara turned on her heel and left the field. A man met her in the hallway and took her Pokémon to get them healed as quickly as possible. Kara herself continued almost numbly to her designated staging room. Now that she wasn't in the spotlight, all the adrenaline, the nerves, the shock and the joy of what had just happened came flooding over her.

Her hands started shaking, her legs began wobbling, and she was almost hyperventilating.

"Oh...My...Gosh", she said to nobody in particular, "That just...I...How did that happen?"

She had just reached her staging room when her ever-illustrious older cousin came dashing down the hallway;

"That was absolutely amazing, little Kay!"

"Oh, hi Serena!"

The teenager's face lit up as both Performers ducked into the staging room before the older of the two cousins grabbed Kara for a big hug.

"I can't believe how strong your team is! And what a dramatic win, too! Guess what?"

Kara, still trembling as she processed the magnitude of what she had just done, asked tremulously;

"Uh, what?"

"This means we get to actually compete against each other, for real!"

"Huh? Oh…" As the implications of this slowly made their way through to her, Kara's eyes shot wide open.

"Oh! Oh my gosh, no way! I can't believe this is happening!"

They hugged excitedly for another brief moment before Serena pulled away and began in a more serious tone;

"You know, Miette is probably going to be bitter about this for a while. She doesn't like losing, especially when she feels like she deserves to win. Trust me, I would know."

"Well", Kara frowned and crossed her arms, "I'm not super thrilled with her, either. She and her Pokémon were trash talking me before, during, and after the battle."

"Wait, what? What do you mean?"

"Well, before the battle, she told me to be proud of my team no matter what, like she was already trying to make me feel better about losing. Then her Meowstic said some really nasty things to Florence telepathically while they were fighting. That's why Flo got so upset. She even had some words for me afterwards, when we shook hands. She told me I wasn't supposed to win because I won't compare to you and Shauna in the freestyle round."

"Hmm", Serena frowned and thought for a second before answering, "Well, I wish I could say that's new, but it's not the first time I've heard about that kind of thing from Miette. You can turn it on her now, though. When you give your interview after the freestyle round, you should call her out on that. It's not right for her to do that just because you're a Rookie."

A knock at the door paused their conversation. It was one of the many Invitational staff members returning Kara's team to her, fully healed. Anxious to celebrate and get some last minute preparation in before the freestyle round, Kara bid farewell to her famous relative and returned to the fancy hotel.

After another few hours of celebration and jubilation with Milo and Amaya, the young Performer at last flopped down on the couch in the living room of her suite and allowed herself to relax for the first time in the entirety of her whirlwind day.

I beat Miette, she thought numbly, her brain still trying to keep pace with the day's events, I get to go up against Serena and Shauna in the freestyle round tomorrow. Wow…

With a flash, Florence emerged and sat neatly beside her Trainer.

We performed admirably today. It was truly a team effort, one which required everything of us. You held us together most wonderfully in that final battle, milady Kara.

"Thanks, Flo", Kara and her Gardevoir leaned peacefully against one another like best friends, "With your control and Zexon's power, we got the job done. I'm super proud of you guys."

Our steely companion was truly magnificent today, agreed Florence, You know, of course, that his loyalty to you runs deeper than most.

Curious, Kara asked, "What do mean, Flo? Deeper than most? Do you just mean because I've known him longer?"

He's never told you? Hearing the story of your meeting from his perspective was quite an illuminating experience.

"Flo", Kara laughed, "You know he'd have to go through you or Milo and Azura to tell me the story. Come on, spill it! You've got me wondering now."

Well, I shall do my best, though I'm afraid I may lack the intensity with which he related the tale to me initially…

Flashback - Zexon

All Scyther were proud and ruthless warriors. Amongst wild Scyther, especially, absolute loyalty to one's hive was paramount. It was a way of life. Anything the hive wished was carried out unquestioningly by its members.

Behind this loyalty, the one attribute most valuable to a Scyther was strength in battle. Those deemed unfit or unworthy to defend the hive were cast out, exiled without exception or hope of return.

It shouldn't have been this way, Zexon could not escape this thought as he lay motionless at the base of a large tree, I was a warrior. I was capable of fighting for the hive. Yet here I am.

He'd been a rising star amongst the Scyther in his hive, the most disciplined of them all. He looked set to become one of their leaders before too long, but he had one rival who was envious of his success. This rival had hated him enough to initiate a challenge for the right to remain with the hive. The winner would remain, and the loser would be exiled.

I should have won. He had never beaten me before. His victory was false.

Zexon's rival had enlisted one of the other Scyther to ambush and injure him moments before their challenge, and Zexon had afterwards been unable to defeat the challenger in his weakened state. Just like that, he was out, forever exiled and cast adrift from his only source of life and purpose.

He knew how to hunt and what to do to survive on his own, but…

Why? I have no more reason to survive. Protecting and serving the hive was my entire life. Without that, I am but a warrior in search of a war. I am a protector with nothing to protect. What use is a shield that guards nothing?

He had resolved himself to stay here, under this very tree, until death should release him from the shame of his exile. Resigned, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes, already weak from hunger.

"Hey, Mr. Scyther!"

His eyes snapped back open. A small human girl came skipping over to him, her bright young face beaming at him. A tiny Eevee kit was bouncing along behind her merrily.

The girl, who couldn't be much older than 5 or 6, stopped in front of the bone-weary Zexon;

"You look really tired, Mr. Scyther. I know! Mom told me about some berries that help Pokémon feel better! Onan Berries? No...uh...Well, I don't remember, but they were blue and round. I'll find you some and you'll feel lots better. Be right back, Mr. Scyther!"

With that, she skipped away, humming a merry tune with her Eevee in tow. Zexon was once again alone with his crushing despair.

Foolish girl, he thought, you could never understand. I am already lost; your efforts are wasted on this outcast. I shall expire, and be free of my shame.

Fate, however, had other plans. Somehow, the young human had actually found a nearby wild Oran bush and came flouncing back with a bundle of the blue berries, which she set carefully next to Zexon. He looked disparagingly at them, before turning his head away. Survival was not his goal.

"You're not going to eat?"The Eevee spoke to him, just as young and naive as the girl, "They really do work. They heal you and they're yummy, too."

"I will not eat", he replied shortly, "This is my last resting place."

"You're taking a nap?"The Eevee clearly could not understand the sacrifice he was trying to make.

"...Leave me be, young one. Leave me to my final solitude."

As the Pokémon were conversing, the human girl had sat down next to the berries, and wiggled her small self close to Zexon. She now held up a couple of the Oran Berries up to him, cupped in her soft, tiny hands.

The Scyther glanced down at the berries, then up to the girl, who smiled expectantly at him;

"Come on, Mr. Scyther, don't be scared! They'll help you, promise!"

He turned away once more, and her smile became a pouting frown. She was about to encourage him yet again when there came a flurry of activity and a loud cry;

"VEEEEE!"

The girl jumped to her feet as Zexon's head snapped up. It was the Eevee. A small pack of Murkrow had apparently decided she looked like a good catch.

"NOOO!" The girl lunged at the attackers. There were three of the Darkness Pokémon trying to carry off the struggling Eevee, but the human girl threw herself in, shielding her small, brown pet with her own body;

"You can't have Coffee, you mean Murkrow! Go away! Aahh!"

Zexon watched, eyes narrowed, as they began pecking at the girl, jabbing at her as she protected Coffee the Eevee. With every stab of their sharp beaks and each slash of the vicious talons, a new gash was sliced into the girl's skin. She screamed in pain, but refused to surrender the Eevee, keeping her small body curled around the young Pokémon protectively.

They will not give up, Zexon knew, Murkrow are relentless, especially in groups. She could very well perish if she does not relinquish the kit...

He looked again at the pile of life-giving Oran berries sitting beside him.

It is not my concern, he told himself. Still, the girl's pained shrieking as the Dark types jabbed at her savagely made him reconsider.

I...Even without my hive, surely there is purpose in protecting the innocent?

One last pained gasp from the girl all but cemented his decision, and he was already in motion, stuffing berries into his mouth as the Eevee called out to him from underneath the girl's bloodied body;

"Please! Please, Scyther, make them stop hurting my Kara!"

He felt renewed energy flood his veins and leapt to his feet. He came screaming into the midst of the melee, admonishing the three hunters as he did;

"Begone, vile scavengers! Hunt a more worthy prey than a defenseless human and her young Eevee! Leave this place, or I shall destroy you all!"

"Hey", squawked one of the Murkrow indignantly, awkwardly avoiding Zexon's Wing Attack, "The hell's your problem, Scyther? We got some rights too, this is the wild, pal! Butt out and mind your own damn business!"

"I said", Zexon swung a Fury Cutter through the startled Dark type, "Begone from here! Flee or face my wrath!"

"Ah, hell", said another Murkrow, "Come on, boys. You know it ain't no use messing with a pissed off Scyther. We'll have to find grub somewhere else. Hey, screw you, buddy!"

Zexon disregarded this parting shot, and spoke to the Eevee;

"Are you unharmed, small one?"

"I-I think I'm okay. B-but Kara!"

"Kara? The human girl?"

The Eevee was quickly becoming hysterical; the girl was lying motionless on the grass. Cuts, bruises, and blood were dotted all over the back of her small body.

"My Kara! I need her! Scyther, you have to help her! Please, she's my Kara and I love her! Please!"

All thoughts of noble, sacrificial death were gone from Zexon's mind. He snapped instantly into his warrior's mindset, and laid out a plan.

"Quickly, young one, you must go. Do you know the way back to the humans' hive?"

"You mean where Kara lives? I...I can follow the smell to get home!"

"Good. You must go, now. Bring them here. They will not trust a wild Scyther, so I will remain here and give her some of the Berries she brought. When you get back I shall observe from afar so as not to frighten them."

"Okay! Help her, Scyther! I'll go get Momma and Daddy!"

Coffee the Eevee took off as fast as her little legs could carry her, and Zexon turned his attention back to the girl.

Her wounds are many, he thought grimly, I have no way of giving her a Berry if she is not awake to eat it.

He'd said what he needed to in order to convince Coffee to go, but...There was truly very little he could do beyond watching over the unconscious Kara.

Sad, thought Zexon, For all my strength and my discipline, this small human girl has saved two lives today, the Eevee's and my own, and here am I completely helpless to save hers. I owe her my life, though I was so ready to abandon that life mere moments ago.

The more he thought about it, the more he cursed his own shortsightedness.

Protection, he realized, is not only for the hive, but for all that I hold precious. Perhaps I shall indeed die today – like every Metapod, I shall shed my old self and become something new. I owe this girl my life, and I shall make good on my debt with all that I have. Should she survive this ordeal I shall remain always by her side; her guardian and her shield against any that would harm her.

Just as he made this promise to Kara and to himself, a commotion snapped his attention back to the present. It was Coffee the Eevee returning with a human man. As he had promised earlier, Zexon moved off to watch from a distance. The man's face paled as he saw the young girl lying, unconscious and bloodied, on the forest floor.

"Kara!" He was breathless as he scooped her in his strong arms, "Kara, my daughter, stay with me, we'll get you help. Just hold on!"

He immediately took off, sprinting as fast as he dared back towards the human hive. The Eevee made to follow, but then stopped and called out;

"Hey Scyther…I know you're out there. Thanks for watching over my Kara while I was gone. I love her and I'd be super-duper sad if anything bad happened to her. Thank you."

The little Eevee's gratitude touched the tough Scyther.

"Wait", he called, knowing that the human man was safely away, "Eevee. May I ask you something?"

Coffee clearly wanted to go after her Kara, but waited as Zexon showed himself, "Umm, what?"

"Tell me something, small one. The girl, Kara – is she always so innocent and loving? What is she really like?"

The Eevee responded instantly and with gusto, "She's wonderful and beautiful and she loves me lots and lots all the time!"

"I thought as much", nodded the Mantis Pokémon, "In that case, I have a request. I presume that, with the humans' help, she shall soon recover from the injuries of the Murkrow attack. When she does so, please bring her back here. I wish to become her protector. She has done more for me in this small time than either of you can realize. I owe her my life and a Scyther does not forget his debts. Will you do this for me?"

Most of the grandeur and purpose in Zexon's proclamation went well over the head of the young Eevee, but she got the gist of the request;

"Uh, you want to be our friend? That sounds like fun! I'll bring my Kara here soon and you can join our family! Good idea, Scyther!"

"…Zexon. That is my given name."

"Okay, Zexon! I can't wait for you to join us! I'm going to go now, though. I have to make sure my Kara is safe and sound. She needs me!"

End Flashback

Tears filled Kara's eyes as Florence wrapped up the story.

"I…I never knew", she said in a hushed voice, "I remember that Murkrow attack, but I never realized just how much that meant to Zexon. When we met him in the woods a few days after I recovered, I thought it was chance."

All of us care deeply for you, said Florence calmly, but his devotion goes beyond anything the rest of us can comprehend. That is why he fights and trains with so much dedication. The stronger he becomes, the more he feels he can protect you.

Silently, Kara lifted her shirt on the right side, touching a soft hand to the scars that still remained on her skin, ten years after the terrifying ordeal with the wild Murkrow. Not even Milo knew of the thin lines that yet crisscrossed the skin on her back.

Hearing Zexon's side of the story was illuminating, to say the least. Eventually Coffee the Eevee had, of course, become Verdante the Leafeon. Then, some years later, Frost had arrived as a gift from Serena. Now they had added Madame, Pyro, and Florence to complete their little family. Through it all, Zexon had stood firmly and unquestioningly by her side, and now – now she understood why.

"I guess…" She smiled as a thought occurred to her, "That makes our freestyle performance tomorrow even more meaningful, you know?"

Indeed it does, smiled Florence, He was quite honored when you chose to feature him so prominently at such a grand event. Stoic though he may be, that steely Scizor does have quite the dramatic flair when called upon.

It was this freestyle performance that now loomed large for the young Performer and her team. They had been preparing since before Milo's rematch with Marcus, all the way back in Hearthome. Now, at last, the time had come to show it to the world.

In fact, Kara was left with very little time to mentally process her shock victory over Miette, as the final round of the Showcase portion of the Snowpoint Invitational was the very next day. It was only after she arrived at the stadium that she learned she would be going first. Supposedly this was random, but she knew better.

"I see what they're doing", she commented offhandedly to Verdante, "They don't want me to go after the big two, because there's no way I could follow them. This is a courtesy thing."

Up in the stands once more, Milo and Amaya settled in to watch;

"This better be perfect", Amaya said, "I've been watching her run through it for months."

"I can't wait", Milo was leaning forward in his seat, "I know she's going to kill it."

The announcer soon came on and, with the typical flair, got the crowd hyped up;

"Madames et monsieurs! We are at last ready for the final round of this fantastic spectacle here in the fair city of Snowpoint! Welcome one and all to the freestyle final! Please put your hands together for the sensational surprise contender – the Performer from right here in Sinnoh who has proven herself against the very best; she is here to perform wonders for you once more, it's….KARA!"

As the crowd screamed with delight, Kara's voice rang out across the loudspeaker;

"Pyro, Fire Spin!"

From one side of the stage, a brilliant tornado of flame ignited and twisted across, leaving a wall of brilliant fire across the whole stage.

"Now, Florence!"

A blue energy from behind the flame wall split three gaps open, one on each side of the stage and one in the middle. From the middle gap emerged Florence, her eyes glowing a spectacular blue as her Psychic held the gaps open allowing two other figures to step through on her left and right.

Kara, still in the same stark red dress as before, stepped through on one side, her face fierce and bold, staring almost challengingly out at the crowd. From the other side came Zexon, the proud Scizor not even flinching as the flames licked dangerously close to his metal body.

"Ready", called Kara. Immediately, the flaming wall whooshed dramatically inward to become a blazing pillar in the middle of the stage behind the still glowing Florence.

"Swords Dance! Go!"

Milo held his breath. This was it, for better or worse.

The crowd fell into an awed hush as both Pokémon and Performer began slowly moving in perfect sync. As one, Kara and Zexon performed the ritualistic, martial arts-style dance that many Pokémon used to build up their power. In perfect unison, they flowed hypnotically from one stance to the next, picking up speed and intensity all the time, without breaking their inch-perfect timing.

As the Swords Dance grew and grew in energy and ferocity, the pillar of flame, controlled carefully by Florence and Pyro, began flickering and bursting, accentuating the kicks, jumps, and spins of the Swords Dance below. It was not the kind of cutesy, peaceful, passive beauty that many Showcase fans were accustomed to; it was stark and bold, commanding respect. It was a new kind of beauty, and it only continued as Kara and Zexon were now twirling, kicking, jumping, and punching with a furious intensity, still in perfect synchronization on either side of the glowing Florence, who stood stock still, her arms raised in an awesome display of Psychic control as she commanded Pyro's flames to accentuate the Swords Dance magnificently.

At last, with one final yell from both Swords Dancers, the whole stage went still. The pillar of fire at last died down, and Florence's eyes returned to their normal color. From behind them, Pyro at last showed himself, leaping into the middle of the stage, straight over the unmoving Florence's head to land with a powerful and iconic cry, rearing up on his back legs in a display of the same raw, untamed beauty that had become the tone of the performance. When the proud Rapidash was done, nobody in the stadium moved a muscle until the Performer and all three Pokémon at last broke formation and bowed, signifying that the performance was over.

Wild applause instantly rained down from all sides; once again, Kara had thrown out the unwritten rulebook and done something nobody could remember seeing before on a Showcase stage. It was a display of symbolism and of power that defied imagination, not to mention perfect execution.

Milo was delirious, and even Amaya was impressed. Off stage, Serena leaned over to her good friend Shauna, and said;

"Well, that was something new. She won't win, but perhaps she deserves to, for that kind of creativity."

"Yep", nodded Shauna, "She really put herself out there. I can see why you're so excited to bring her to Kalos next season. Alright", she hugged her friend, "here I go! See you on the other side! Best of luck, Serena!"

As amazing as Kara's performance had been, it was eclipsed in seconds as Shauna took the stage and began doing what she loved, and what she did best. Her Venusaur and Gothitelle stood in the middle of the stage. A Psychic bubble, outlined by the glittering Fairy energy of Flabébé, held the superstar aloft as she twirled picturesquely in midair, like a ballerina suspended above the stage. As she moved, Gothitelle floated her this way and that, and her small Single Bloom Pokémon followed dutifully along, leaving a sparkling trail in her wake as Shauna enchanted the audience with her ethereal beauty. After a few minutes of this mesmerizing display, Gothitelle gave a cry and flung Shauna up in the air before releasing her psychic hold on the Performer.

Unperturbed, Shauna let her momentum carry her, spinning gracefully as she rose, stopped, and began to fall. The whole audience gasped, as Shauna plummeted towards the stage. At the last possible second, a focused Venusaur whipped out a strong pair of vines, catching Shauna safely around the waist as planned. From here the Kalosian star continued spinning and fluttering about above the stage, carried safely by the strong vines of her loyal Seed Pokémon.

Flabébé still followed her, leaving glittering bits of Fairy energy behind as Shauna's impossibly elegant movements began drawing a pattern in the air. At last, with one final flourish, Shauna dropped, beaming, to the floor, hands wide. Above her, outlined by Flabébé's Fairy energy, was the symbol of Kalos, a perfect midair drawing of Lumiose City's iconic Prism Tower.

The crowd screamed and cheered – it was another instant classic of a performance from one of the best in the world. Kara's symbolism and stark beauty had been fantastic, no doubt, but Shauna and her team were simply on another level entirely.

"Well", said Amaya with a shake of the head, "Kara's not beating that, sorry."

"Yeah", Milo agreed, "Sad, but true. The skill and coordination there were just insane. Of course, that means Serena has to top that somehow. I mean, it is Serena, though, so I'm sure she can."

"It'll be hard", frowned The Hammer, "that had to be damn near perfect."

Amaya was right, and nobody knew that better than Serena herself.

"Wow, Shauna", said the Kalos Queen as her friend left the stage, beaming, "I can tell you've been working hard! That was incredible!"

"Aww, thanks!" Shauna was breathless with excitement, but polite as ever, "But I still can't wait for you to get out there and really show us how it's done!"

"Ha!" The two veteran Performers shared a laugh, "I'll certainly do my best. See you soon!"

Out in the stadium, the announcer could hardly contain himself, "And now, the moment we have all been waiting for! We are in the presence of royalty now, so please give a true Sinnoh welcome to the reigning Kalos Queen herself…SERENA!"

Out she came, smiling and waving as she made her way to the center of the stage, surrounded by her three chosen Pokémon; Slyveon, Delphox, and Pangoro. The Queen of all Performers closed her eyes, took a deep breath, then called;

"Begin!"

She lifted her arms, and Pangoro, standing behind her, grasped her by the waist, set himself carefully, and launched her into the air. As she reached the apex of her jump, Serena halted, suspended in midair by Delphox's Psychic power.

"That kind of thing seems to be a Performer's bread and butter", commented Milo, "All three of them had Psychic stuff at the heart of their routines."

Amaya just nodded as the Kalos Queen's performance continued.

"Sylveon!"

The Intertwining Pokémon leapt forward with an eager cry and launched a Fairy Wind that swirled in a slow vortex around the whole group.

"Delphox", came Serena's next cry.

At once, the evolved Kalos starter matched the Fairy Wind with a Fire Spin. In the midst of it all, the beautiful Serena began drifting slowly back down to the stage floor.

"Ready", she said, "and…Now! Fairy's Glow! Stone Edge!"

It was difficult to comprehend what came next, much less describe it. The Fire Spin sort of…exploded, scattering small, fiery particles into the still-swirling Fairy Wind. Somehow, the bits of fire combined with the sparkling Fairy energy to produce a magical, glowing atmosphere that cast a soft pink aura out on the whole crowd. As this happened, Serena landed perfectly, knees bent, on a rising Stone Edge produced by Pangoro. As the stone spiked upwards, Serena launched herself into the air like an acrobat. The crowd held its breath as she flew, flipping over and over, high into the air. She flung her arms and legs out at the top of her leap and descended in freefall towards Pangoro, who moved underneath her and held one hand high. With an unprecedented degree of skill and coordination, Serena landed perfectly on the raised hand of her Daunting Pokémon, like an extreme cheerleader landing a jump. She stuck the landing with ease, despite the insane degree of difficulty, and held her pose for a second or two before leaping forwards gracefully. Once more, Delphox slowed her descent, and she completed one final front flip before landing safely on the stage with a gracious bow.

"Did that just happen?" Milo could barely hear his own screams of disbelief over the noise of the crowd. Serena had once again made the impossible look easy. This was why she was the indisputable best of the best among Pokémon Performers. Nobody else in the world would have thought to attempt that feat, much less pull it off so effortlessly.

There was a vote, of course, as with all Showcases, but it was a formality at best. The foregone conclusion was that Serena would win, Shauna would place a respectable second, and Kara would bring up the rear. The votes confirmed this expected result, though the Rookie still got a sizeable cheer from the loyal Sinnoh crowd.

"Hey, I'll cheer for her", said a man several rows behind Milo, "Not every day you get to see a local girl up against the top Kalos ladies. She did us proud, alright! Woo!"

Just like Milo and Amaya after their big tournaments, Kara was quickly escorted to a media room to answer questions. Taking a page from her boyfriend's book, she let Verdante accompany her into the interview. This time, all three Performers were in the same media session;

"Kara", came the first question, "A wonderful performance today; did you expect to at least get a more significant portion of the vote?"

"Not at all", laughed the Rookie, "I knew going in that this was probably going to happen. Battling is one thing, but I can't match Shauna or Serena at actual Performing. Not yet, at least. I'm just thrilled I got the chance to participate in this round."

"This one's for you two; Shauna and Serena. Can we get your impression of Sinnoh's Performing scene now that you've been in direct competition with one of its rising stars?"

"I'll be the first to say I'm incredibly impressed", said Serena immediately, her face aglow, "I think Kara's effort today deserved more credit than she's been given. Just because it wasn't as flashy or technical as mine or Shauna's doesn't mean it had any less value."

"I'll second that", added Shauna graciously, "I really loved Kara's creativity and her authenticity. The symbolism of coming through the fire and using a power-boosting move alongside her Pokémon told a real story from the heart. It's something I'd love to see more of in the future!"

Kara blushed at the ardent praise from two of her idols, but had to recover herself as another question came in;

"Kara, if you could, talk to us about that upset over Miette in the battle round. I don't think anyone really saw that coming, what was your take on it?"

"Well", Kara prepared herself, and followed Serena's advice from the day before, "I have to say that Miette brought some of my team's aggression upon herself. Her attitude before the battle was a bit arrogant – she had already assumed she would beat me. When her Meowstic used telepathy to trash talk my Gardevoir, she triggered an angry reaction that wound up spreading to me and my Scizor as well. That extra push gave us the grit we needed to secure the win. I know she wasn't pleased about it either; there was a tense moment during the handshake afterwards."

"Shauna", asked the next reporter, "As a top Performer yourself, would you say this kind of thing is common at this level? Attitudes, trash talk, that kind of thing?"

"No", was the firm response, "I'm really sorry to hear about that. I know Miette's always been a very passionate competitor, but I really feel like trash talk, especially between Pokémon, is crossing a line. I certainly hope that kind of thing doesn't happen again, it really puts a smear on the beauty of Showcases and Performers."

"Okay", the media clearly loved this drama, "Strong feelings on that, I see. Finally, to Serena and Shauna, your thoughts on how today's freestyle round went for you?"

The two Kalosian stars went over their individual efforts and gave due credit to their teams, and with that the interview came to a close. Back in the staging room, the three Performers said their goodbyes and final congratulations to one another.

Kara was surprised when Shauna gave her a big hug and said;

"Hey, you did a great job! I'm really sorry that Miette gave you a hard time – she just hates losing, and lets her emotions get away sometimes. Here – if you ever need advice or encouragement, here's my number. Feel free to call! I know you've got Serena, but sometimes a fresh voice can be helpful!"

"Thanks so much, Shauna, it was an honor performing with you! Hopefully we can do it again sometime!"

"Oh", the older girl winked with a grin, "I'm sure we will! See you!"

Kara was beaming and glowing as she rode back to the hotel, her heart pumping at top speed from the exhilaration of it all. The perfect day was accentuated by a romantic touch, as Milo had prepared a special dinner to celebrate Kara's performance. Sure, she had lost, but all things considered, it still felt like a victory just to have been on the same stage as Serena and Shauna.

The young couple shared a beautiful dinner and returned to the hotel to relax with Amaya in Milo's suite. They were halfway through an action movie – they had stopped playing cards after Amaya won three games in a row and began bragging incessantly – when a knock came at the door.

"Huh?" Milo checked the time, "It's almost 11. Who could that be?"

He got up off the couch with a grunt, and made his way to the door.

"Hello? Who's – AH!"

The figure on the other side of the door tackled him immediately and began sobbing;

"M-Milo! I just had to come and s-see you!"

It was Candice. She was hysterical, and by the looks of things, she was more desperate than ever to claim Milo for herself at all costs.

Amaya and Kara leapt up and dashed over. Amaya shut the door quickly and took hold of Candice to pry her off of the stunned Milo. The Leader gave a screech and clung as tightly as she could to the Jubilife Trainer as Kara pleaded frantically;

"Candice! Please, this has gone on long enough, just drop it!"

"NO! No, I had to c-come and find you – you never called me! I can't let you go, Milo, I need you! Please! You have to stay!"

Candice was well beyond distraught, and the chaotic moment took yet another twist, as Florence burst from her Pokéball in Kara's purse. The Gardevoir focused immediately on the wailing Gym Leader, using Psychic to pry her carefully away from Milo, who was too shocked to say much of anything.

Stand back, this woman is not herself! Florence's voice was urgent, and Kara echoed her request aloud;

"Both of you get back! Something's wrong with her!"

Milo and Amaya hastily retreated and Florence frowned with concentration. Held in place by Psychic, Candice squirmed and began writhing and screaming dramatically. It was a terrifying moment for all involved, but all of a sudden…

Everything stopped.

Candice went perfectly still, and her eyes closed. Flo's chest was heaving, her eyes still glowing. After a few seconds, she gently lowered Candice into a nearby chair, the Leader's body now limp.

"Flo", whispered Kara, "What did you just do? What happened to her?"

There – ah – there was a partial psychic hold on this poor woman, exhaustion was evident in the Embrace Pokémon's mental voice, and Kara put a supporting arm around the Gardevoir, who sank gratefully into it;

Many thanks, dear Kara. Ah – I did not expect such large amounts of effort to be required so suddenly. Allow me to explain.

Kara relayed her Pokémon's words aloud as Florence unpacked everything that had just happened;

As soon as this young woman – Candice, I believe I heard her called – entered our room, I felt something to be gravely amiss. Her mind was tainted and not entirely her own. It was evident to me very quickly that some Psychic force had gotten ahold of her and implanted an irrefutable, undeniable need to claim our own dear Milo for herself, in every possible way and by any necessary means.

What did you do to her? Kara asked, subdued by the serious implications of this unpredictable turn of events.

I…I have removed the hold on her. Her mind is once more her own. If I am not mistaken, she should awaken any minute now. Much explanation will surely be required.

As she said this, Candice's eyes fluttered open, and she stared uncomprehendingly at the three teenagers.

"What…? What did I – what was I thinking?"

"Umm", Kara was at a loss for how to explain things, "It, uh, appears that someone put a partial psychic hold on your mind. They made you – wow, there's no easy or non-awkward way to say this – they made you desperate for Milo. B-but, we know now that you weren't in control, it was forced on you."

Candice was stunned and bewildered as memories of what she'd been acting like came flooding back to her. As Kara and Amaya tried to help smooth things over, Milo's brain was whirring at top speed. Reaching instinctively for his belt, he poked a button, and out came Azura. He silently caught her up to speed on what had transpired, and the two were almost instantly thinking along the same lines.

We both know who controlled her, said Milo gravely to his Moonlight Pokémon.

But how? How could the PsyForce Tribe have done this to a Leader?

Good question, Milo thought for a minute, but it was Azura who found a potential answer.

They would have needed reliable access to her person for some time to put such a strong influence on her without being noticed. Someone close to her must have been affected first, someone who could allow them to get to her.

That raises the same question though, replied Milo, how did they control a Gym official?

Remember what Marcus said before? When we first got to Snowpoint? The Tribe has been hitting seemingly minor targets across the region. Minor targets like, perhaps, a lowly staff member at the Gym. See what I mean?

Realization dawned on Milo, and he quickly got up and headed for the phone in his bedroom.

"I'll be right back", he told the girls, "I have to clear something up."

He dialed Marcus as quickly as he could.

"Uh, Milo? What's up, bro? You look kind of freaked out."

"I am", he answered truthfully, "I have some questions, and maybe some answers…"

He explained as much as he could to his older brother, whose face became quite grim as the tale went on.

"That's…not good news, Milo. You're right, though. This does explain the weird targets the Tribe has been hitting. I'll take this to the Order's leadership and hopefully we can connect some dots, now that we know what to look for. I'm sorry about Candice – she's usually one of the sweetest Leaders in Sinnoh. I was really shocked when she used Abomasnow in your battle, that didn't fit her usual style in the slightest. Now I guess we know why."

Their conversation didn't go on much longer. Milo wanted to go check on the recovering Candice, and Marcus was anxious to follow this lead before the Tribe could cause any more collateral damage.

When Milo came back to the living room of the suite, Amaya and Kara were seated on either side of a shivering Candice, comforting her as best they could. The Leader was wrapped in several blankets and clutching a mug of what smelled like hot chocolate, huddled up on the seat where Florence had placed her. Her face was gaunt, her eyes wide.

"Hey", Milo spoke softly, "How's it going in here?"

"Milo", Candice sounded weak, a shell of her usual vibrant self, "I…I can't tell you how sorry I am. Truly. I have never been so humiliated in my life. I feel…used. Used, and filthy on the inside. I just can't believe I was controlled so easily. What a pathetic Leader I must be."

"No", Milo tried to calm her down, "Candice, don't blame yourself. I don't blame you at all for what happened. I totally understand now that you weren't in control, that you were being manipulated. Nobody would have expected that, there's nothing you could have done. Besides, it's over now, alright?"

Eventually, Candice recovered at least enough to go back to her Gym, leaving the three Rookies staring at one another, still in a state of disbelief. The somber mood persisted through the rest of that night and into the following morning, when the trio boarded a plane bound for Sunyshore. Damion would have accompanied them, but he had yet to defeat Candice's Ice types, and had to remain behind.

Amaya felt strangely conflicted about leaving their old rival behind, but she kept that to herself, and did her best to shut out what she considered to be a 'stupid crush'. After all, the last badge, defended enthusiastically by the one and only Volkner, awaited them in Sunyshore, along with who knew what else.

Author's Notes:

I promise I'm not purposely making you guys wait forever between chapters. Sorry! Life happens, and I'd rather put more time into something I'm proud of than rush just to post something decent. I hope you can understand, and forgive my slow pace!

Anyway, this chapter certainly has some fireworks, across the board. Extra props to you if you can decipher the symbolism and story behind Kara's performance! I'd really love your feedback on any part of the overall chapter that stuck out to you. The more feedback you give me, the more I can tweak and improve the story going forward. This will become more and more important as we enter the home stretch – I want the final handful of chapters to be something all of us can really enjoy!

I'd like to give a HUGE shoutout to Joshy, who has provided the new AMAZING cover art for this story! THANK YOU! I can't say enough about how helpful you've been as this story has grown beyond what I imagined it could ever be. *clap clap clap*

I would also like to thank all my readers; I appreciate you taking the time to dig into the story and I hope you find it worthwhile. My hat is off to you all.

Finally, a standard disclaimer – I don't own Pokémon, just my OC's. With that, I bid you all happy reading, and all the best in whatever you do! Cheers, good people!

-Nano