"Michio, are you cooking?" Takeshi asked as he approached the early-morning bonfire.
"Pikachu pi," Scarlett said proudly.
"And all your Pokémon—minus Scarlett—evolved."
"Yep," Michio answered shortly.
Takeshi kept an eye on Michio and his newly evolved team while he filled his water bottle at the spigot on the other side of camp.
"Michio's gotta be one of the weirdest Pokémon trainers ever," he told Cyndaquil.
"Quill?"
"He never catches Pokémon during the day—not even good Pokémon."
"Cyndaaaa?"
"Good as in balanced—like you. He's also changed…he doesn't eat all alone at all anymore and he's always talking to A. Talking to, not arguing with."
"Cyn."
"I like it too."
When Takeshi returned to the firepit, he noted that Michio had added more ingredients to the pan, making the air smell delectable.
"Is this the Alolan meal you said you'd make?" Takeshi asked.
"Mmmhhhmm," Michio hummed.
"Nice. What is it?" He took a closer look at the ingredients, but he still could recognize any of them, at least not in that arrangement. "Are those biscuits?"
"Malasadas." Michio used a spatula to pass a donut-like sample to Takeshi and his Pokémon. "It's better than a biscuit."
"Pika," Scarlett agreed before downing her own sample.
Cyndaquil was the first to take a bite, then Weedle, then Raticate. The Pokémon all chanted happily and ate the food quickly. Takeshi tried it last.
"Whoa, this is great," he remarked. "Doughy."
"I know," Michio replied.
There was a stirring in the tent closest to them. Soledad, June, and Bulbasaur emerged.
"Whatcha making?" Soledad asked Takeshi.
"Nothing—he is," he said as he pointed to Michio. "Try some."
Without speaking, Michio passed each of them a sample. They each took a bite.
"Wow! This is the best thing I ever tasted," said Soledad.
"I like it too," said June. "I mean love it."
"Bulba!" Bulbasaur exclaimed after he finished his piece. "Bull!"
"Pikachuu!"
"The others are gonna go nuts," Soledad noted as the Pokémon danced around.
"I'd love to have the recipe," said June. "Even though I can't really cook."
"What is in these?"
"Bulbasaurrrr?"
"It's a secret," Michio mumbled.
"He sounds so grumpy about it," Soledad whispered to June.
"He's not a morning person," she whispered back. "Remember?"
"I can still hear you. I have very good hearing. You always forget," said Michio. "I don't like talking, especially in the morning."
The kids agreed to stop questioning him.
"Who's that?" June asked Soledad as she pointed to one of Michio's newly-evolved Pokémon.
"Lickilicky," Soledad replied. "Scan it."
June pointed her Pokédex at the unfamiliar creature.
"#463- Lickilicky- The Licking Pokémon," said the Pokédex. "Lickilicky's saliva can decompose anything. It wraps its long tongue around things to coat them with its sticky saliva'."
June winced. She was going to say 'gross' but was trying to avoid hurting the Pokémon's feelings. Lickilicky could sense her stance nonetheless. It looked back at her sadly.
"Licki?"
"Pi Pikachu pi," said Scarlett, trying to explain.
"I'm sorry!" said June. "I-I think you're certainly an interesting Pokémon…"
Lickilicky attempted to lick her in gratitude. June shrieked and fell off the rock on which she sat, then scurried behind Soledad. Soledad braced herself for the Pokémon's lick, only to have Michio intervene at the last second. Takeshi, Soledad, and June were beyond relief when it was back inside its Pokéball.
"Maybe Lickilicky isn't so bad after all," said June. "It was kinda cute."
"My dad says that he sees a lot of young trainers catch them and they aren't traded away too often" Soledad added. "So, they must be good battlers."
"Thanks for saving me, Michio."
Michio returned to his seat. The others came out one by one. An hour later, all but one team member was awake. Everyone commented on how surprisingly good the food was.
"My favorite are these pastries," said Lexi. "What did you say they were called?"
"Malasadas," said Takeshi and June together.
"Jynx!" Takeshi laughed.
"What do you mean?" June replied.
"Oh—never mind."
"I wanna know what this pink stuff is," said Tamaki.
"Poi," said Michio.
"It is some kinda fish paste?"
"It's made from yams."
"I still haven't tried it," said June. "But…"
"You can try some of mine," Takeshi offered.
"Oh, wow—I mean, thanks."
June took a bite off Takeshi's spoon. Out of nowhere, Zorua snapped a photo with Rita's cellphone. Then she yapped at them cheerfully.
"What's going on?" June asked as the foxlike Pokémon.
Rita came up from behind the kids. She put one arm around Takeshi and the other around June.
"It looked like you two were about to have a moment, so I gave Zorua my phone and told her to get a picture. I didn't want to miss it. Good job, Buddy."
"Zo Zorua!"
Rita sat down next to them as both kids turned bright red.
"M-moment?" Takeshi asked nervously. "W-what do you mean?"
"I would love to discuss, but another sight has overtaken me. Is Michio cooking?" Rita asked, exaggerating her enthusiasm.
"Yeah," he grumbled.
"It's amazing," Nolan said as he passed her a plate. "Try it."
"Where did you get these ingredients?" Rita asked. She and Zorua tasted a malasada. "This is incredible!"
"Zooorua ra!
"Annastasia got the ingredients," Michio murmured.
"Wow thanks, A. A?" Rita repeated, looking around the camp. "Is she still working out?"
"No, she's asleep," Jay said hesitantly.
"I've known her longer than most of you have been alive and she never slept passed eight-thirty before. It's already 9:15."
"I guess she was just extra tired," said Takeshi.
"Did you check to make sure she's alive?"
"I talked to her last night and this morning," said Lily. "She's just really stressed and hasn't slept a full night in days."
"Poor A," June sighed. "She does so much for us—and now look what we've done."
"A told me to tell you that this isn't your fault," said Lily. "She actually says being around you all helps. It's something else."
"I wonder if she's getting sick," Rita murmured.
"It's not that," said Jay. "Not really. It's—that other thing."
Rita—as well as Lily, Logan, Nolan, Lexi, and Michio—knew exactly what he meant.
"Other thing?" Soledad asked. "What 'other thing'?"
"Doesn't matter," said Rita. "Let her sleep, we'll make sure to save her plenty of food. She's gonna wanna try this. Great work, Michio, you're not a deadweight after all."
"And to think that all my life I have been searching for my purpose," he grumbled.
XO
Annastasia didn't wake up until later that afternoon. They had planned on traveling all day, but no one thought it was a good idea to wake her up, so they let her rest. Rita took June and Takeshi Pokémon hunting again, but this time Benny and Tamaki tagged along. Lexi, Soledad, Jay, and Lily found a peaceful spot near a river to give themselves mani-pedis, and Nolan took Amber into the nearby village to help her look for maintenance supplies for her bow. Michio decided to hang around camp with Scarlett while he waited for Annastasia to wake up, though he told the others he was going into the woods to find more Pokémon.
At 3:10 pm Annastasia finally emerged.
She stumbled to the public restrooms with her eyes half-open. A few minutes later she came back out with her hair tied up and her water bottle filled. She took a few sips as she walked back to her tent.
"Pika?" Scarlett asked, jumping in front of her.
"Good morning, Scarlett. Did he remember to give you your allergy medicine?" she asked the Pikachu.
"Chu chuuu!"
Michio walked up to her. When she didn't respond to him saying her name, he cautiously put his hand on her shoulder. She swerved and kneed his stomach, forcing him to the ground.
"Shit," he coughed. "What was that for?"
"I didn't know it was you. Sorry," Annastasia responded nonchalantly. "What's up?"
Michio sighed and stood. "It's past 3:00 pm."
Annastasia's eyes widened in panic. "No way! Are you serious?!"
The water bottle in her hands crashed to the ground.
"Yeah I'm serious," Michio said as he reached for the bottle, which he then passed back to her. "And it's a good thing; you needed it."
"I never slept so late. I never skipped a workout before either."
"I don't think you've ever been in the situation before."
"I wish I could function on less sleep regularly. Then those four-hour nights wouldn't kill me. I don't know how you do it."
"What do you mean?"
"Since I've been having this insomnia…I've…"
"Been watching me?"
"Pikaa?"
"Not exactly," Annastasia said as she lifted and petted Scarlett. "I notice you go out and don't come back for hours. I knew you liked training at night, but I didn't know you spent so much time out of bed."
"I'm used to it," he replied.
"It felt like you were watching me during that discussion I had with Lucario. I don't know what it was—but I felt you."
"Pikachhu pika pi," Scarlett told Michio. "Pi."
"I heard some of it, unintentionally," said Michio. "I didn't want to linger but I thought it'd be more awkward if I was to just suddenly appear there. I was gonna tell you, but then you didn't ask, so I…let it go."
"Honestly, I'm moved by how remorseful you are," said Annastasia. "But you didn't do anything wrong. Do you understand what's happening now with me?"
"Better than I did before. I don't get why he waited so long to talk to you. It's like he was just following us around and you knew he was there and had something to say but never talked to you until recently."
She playfully poked his chest. "Hmmmm. Doesn't that sound awfully familiar?"
"Pika Pi!" Scarlett laughed.
"Well...I'm different," said Michio. "I can't help you like that Pokémon can and if I could I wouldn't be such a big jerk about it."
"I'd rather not talk about this now if that's okay," Annastasia yawned, her weariness taking over.
"Yeah, it's okay."
Annastasia looked around the campsite. "You cleaned up around here. Usually, when we spend a day at camp there's shit all over the place."
"Pika chu chu," said Scarlett, pointing at Michio.
"Awe, and you did it all by yourself instead of sulking all day."
"I haven't spent the whole day sulking in a while," he retorted.
Annastasia leaned in, like she was going to whisper something in his ear, but then pushed away before anything happened.
"I have medicine that needs to be taken," she said abruptly. "I'll be right back."
She ducked into her tent.
"I made breakfast—I can heat up the leftovers," Michio called to her. "Do you want to eat now?"
A few seconds later, she popped her head out of the tent.
"I would really, really, really, like to eat something," she replied. "Especially something Alolan."
Michio nervously looked away. "I'll be right back."
Michio went into his tent and came back out with a bag. Inside was a paperboard box with the leftovers. After heating it in a pan, Annastasia joined him by the fire.
"Whoa, this is great," Annastasia said as Michio beamed.
"I…thanks."
"You're welcome."
"Pika chu ch pi."
"So, um, how'd you sleep?" he asked as she continued eating.
"It wasn't so bad once I actually got to sleep," Annastasia answered. "And I came to a conclusion."
"Which is…?"
"That I sleep much better with Scarlett around. I don't know—she just has this effect on me. I should stay with her every night. And in addition, when I have a vision, she can zap me out of it."
"But Scarlett is my Pokémon."
"Pikachu chu," said Scarlett, standing between the two trainers.
"We can train her together," said Annastasia.
Scarlett tugged on both of their hands and continued to chatter. Michio and Annastasia watched her as she acted something out.
"We can't sleep outside every night. When it rains, we can sleep in your tent," Annastasia wagered.
"Pika pi!"
"But my tent is little. It can't fit you and all your Pokémon," he responded.
"Then we'll squeeze. Or you can just give me Scarlett. Or I can just deal with insomnia," said Annastasia. "It's only for a few days. Then I leave with Lucario."
"I know—but I don't want to think about that yet."
Michio was deeply saddened by this, and Annastasia knew it most of all. She offered his hand.
"Handshake?" she asked.
"Sure," he said as he took her hand. "Why?"
"I want you to understand that everyone in this group is here for you. I'm really glad we're friends—I'd like you to try to become close to the others. I know you have your issues with Rita, but she'll redeem herself if given the chance, and Lexi and Nolan are fantastic people that can teach you a lot."
"Pikachu pika pi," Scarlett told Michio.
"I know," Michio said as he let go of her hand. "But I gave myself that fucking reputation. They'll never…they're not like you."
Annastasia took another bite of poi and contemplated his remark.
"I'm not special," she told Michio. "Not any more special than the people I've chosen to surround myself with. Give them a chance—they won't hold a grudge."
"How can you possibly know something like that?" he replied.
"I have faith in them."
"Well, I don't have faith in anyone but—I just don't."
"At the beginning of this journey, I judged and belittled you. I invalided your life experiences. If you can forgive that, it just proves that you got more humanity than you give yourself credit for."
Michio hadn't thought about how much he despised Annastasia in a while. The words that they exchanged had been replaced by ones of mutual understanding, empathy, peace, and compassion.
"You know you are going to have to face it soon," she added.
"Even if I did have an interest in having friends, it wouldn't work out."
"Why?"
"It just wouldn't work out."
"It worked out with you and me. You didn't want to be my friend and now you are."
"Because I like you. I don't like a lot of other people."
"And why's that? Actually, it's not fair for me to ask such a big question. I trust that you have your reasons."
"Well…it's because I'm not like them. I'm not outgoing. I don't have the past—starting fresh because my Alolan life was a disaster. But you get that. It's easier to stick with people who I know understand me."
"To be fair, I don't understand all of you, and I told you I'm not special—if you approached anyone else in our group with this same genuinely, you'd get the same result. Don't rely on me. You'll be better off with multiple people. Everyone's here to support each other. They don't have to—and won't—absorb every detail of your life or always know what to say or do. They don't have to live near you or share your interests or know your secrets. They can just be friendly people you spent time with occasionally or family friends you were forced to be with since childhood. Maybe if you let go of those expectations it will be easier for you."
According to Michio, she was missing the point—or just trying hard to steer him in a different direction, or leading him to a tangent as she tends to do subconsciously via ADD. Whichever way, he didn't mind.
"How do you get yourself to relax around people you're unsure about?" he asked.
"Almost everywhere I go, people recognize me," she replied. "Sometimes they stop me and try a conversation, sometimes they just stare. Sometimes they act like they know me because they knew my parents or neighbors or read about me. I don't like that. But I've turned it around. I make those people my friends. Some stick and some don't."
"That was me in Alola. Everyone already knew me there, and I was sorta 'friends' with them, but here it's different. Everything's gone."
"What's gone?"
"My worldview, my sense of freedom, my money, culture, Peruva…gone maybe forever."
"First of all, your world view was corrupt, so it's good that you're evolving. Alola doesn't represent the entire world. For example, up until like, three days ago, you were convinced that Lickilicky weren't real, that I made them up. You had to actually see one to believe it. And when you first started traveling you thought that it was a joke when I told you that in Kanto, we eat rice every day, as if it is so hard to believe that rice is a staple in a land covered in rice paddies. And I think you still believe that being an asexual makes you cursed. Where do you even hear this stuff?"
"It's everywhere around me. Besides, how can you eat rice every day?"
"You liked what Takeshi and June made and I know you didn't say it to be polite."
"That sauce they put on the side was good."
"You mean the ketchup?"
"What? No…only Scarlett and Pip do that. I mean that others stuff with the Japanese name. And rice is versatile; I'll give it that."
"Peruva, by the way, is with your aunt and uncle—she never left your family."
"You lied? That's a dark mark on your soul!"
Annastasia sniggered. "I didn't lie. You just assumed that I auctioned her off, but all I did was tell you how much she could go for at an auction."
"That's manipulation. Wow. I thought you were nicer than that."
"Did you not just listen to me? I did not auction her off. I wouldn't do that to a Pokémon. I needed to make sure you understood that it was not okay to be in our group if you going to act homophobic."
"I never was homophobic."
"I didn't know that at the time. Tell me about Peruva."
Michio was enjoying the flow of conversation. It was more of a zigzagged river than a smooth lake but that was going to be true with Annastasia no matter what, and it did make conversations seem more engaging and real.
"I got Peruva when she was an egg," said Michio. "From a Pokémon breeder in Aolepilikia—that village where most of our servants and cooks live. Her parents were both shinies, and one was from Unova and the other from Alola, which means she had a higher chance of becoming a shiny."
"The Musada Method."
"Yeah."
"You must miss her a lot."
"I do…I can't wait for Scarlett to meet her. Or any of my Pokémon, really."
"I thought maybe you'd release your Kanto Pokémon before returning to Alola.
He did say he was going to release them after he earned all the badges, and his family said they only wanted him to get at least six. That was back when he first started his journey. He complained to the group how the Kanto Pokémon wouldn't fit in with the others he had in Alola. He had since forgotten that.
"The Pokémon have grown on you too," said Annastasia. "Like the rice. Like me, maybe even like the rest of our traveling group."
"I'm not sure about that."
"Piiiiiiiika," Scarlett sighed.
She and Annastasia both always knew when he was underplaying his feelings. She jumped onto his lap and he instinctively petted her.
"Michio, I know you like them. Especially Scarlett," said Annastasia replied. "We were just arguing over who gets to sleep with her. I would love to watch you compete at the Indigo Plateau but I also understand if you don't; most days it seems like you miss Alola to the point where it's almost painful. And if you want to spite your parents, what better way than to far exceed their expectations? At a bare minimum, they wanted you to come along, be somewhat polite, make a few friends, catch at least six Pokémon, earn at least six badges, and last out here for at least six months without killing anyone or anything. Just imagine if you return with a lot more Pokémon, all those gym badges, dozens of friends, fans, and a trophy."
"I'm not interested," he mumbled.
"But it's an option."
"Do you want me to do all that?"
"I want you to be happy."
No one ever said that to him before. He was thinking of sharing that fact with her, but he was interrupted by Amber shouting her name. She and Nolan came into view.
"Did you just wake up?" Nolan asked Annastasia.
"Basically," she replied. "Whatcha up to?"
"Nolan took me into Pīchitaun for wood polish and a new string for my bow," said Amber.
"And I needed to do some gift shopping," said Nolan.
"Blue-Jay texted me saying he's with Soledad and Lexi catching monz by the river. Imma go with them."
"Ditto."
"Have fun," Annastasia replied. "And good luck."
XO
Two weeks passed and the group had finally made their way to the Vermillion Gym.
"Are you psyched?" Annastasia asked the kids.
"I'm ready," said Jay. "Kinda nervous since our whole family's gonna be there…"
"I think you've been training excellently," said Soledad. "Giving your Pokémon berries that make their nature, taking advantage of the Power Band and Power Lens you received, and varying your training techniques. Not that I expected you to be bad, but you're doing better than I thought. Better than me, even."
"Wow…thanks, Sole-Sister. I think you're awesome too."
Lily laughed. "'Sole-Sister'?"
"I like it," Soledad defended.
"Me too," said June. "Though with Seaking and Venomoth on my roster, I'm not sure if I'll be successful at an electric gym. Do you have any last-minute tips?"
"I'm no specialist in electric Pokémon, but the last time I visited this gym, I noticed that Surge's Pokémon tended to have weak special defense and high special attack stats. I would try to counter that with Pokémon that have strong special attacks and status moves that decrease the special attack stat."
"All this is so much to memorize."
"Give it some time and it'll become second nature," said Lexi.
"Can I wrap Vince in rubber to prevent electric attacks from getting him?" Takeshi asked.
"Dude, that's a great idea," said Tamaki.
"Where're you gonna the rubber?" Rita asked.
"Uh, I haven't thought of that," Takeshi sighed.
"That'd be a burden on your Pokémon," said Annastasia. "Using items designed for Pokémon, tools from nature, as well as thoughtful training and strategy is the best way to win."
"And the hardest."
"Just do your best and you'll be great."
The trainers discussed which Pokémon, moves, and items they planned on using until they reached the steps to the gym.
"You're HERE!" Jocelyn screamed, running towards her former traveling companions.
"FLAA!"
Jocelyn was wearing her TR uniform, had high pigtails tied with red ribbons in her hair, red pompoms in her hands, and Flaafy by her side. She ran to Annastasia and Michio first, who was in the lead.
"I missed yous so much!" she cried.
"Flaaaaaaa!"
"A few weeks with that old cat and you're back to talking like him," Annastasia laughed as they hugged. "I missed you too."
"Ditto," Michio said as she clung to him and Scarlett.
Lily didn't say it aloud, but she was overjoyed to see Logan—and Squirt Gun, who had reluctantly joined them.
"We missed you, Jocelyn. It hasn't been the same traveling down these long roads without all your singing," said Lexi. "And Lily, no one cooked trout better than you did."
"I missed you too. I promise I will travel with you the whole time after this," she replied.
"Flaaf."
"I'm going to stick around too," Lily vowed.
"Vee Eevee!" Aliyah exclaimed when she saw James. She jumped into his arms.
"So, did you talk to Mewtwo?" James asked her and Annastasia in a hushed tone. "After you talked to Lucario?"
"Aliyah certainly pulled through for me," Annastasia responded. "Lucario, Mewtwo, and I have a plan."
"Excellent! I can't wait to hear it."
"I'll tell you after the battles."
Lt. Surge was waiting for them inside the arena.
"I heard you took the long way," he began.
"Your opponents wanted to take their time catching more Pokémon and training," said Annastasia.
"Mr. Surge, can I play with your electric Pokémon while you battle?" Jocelyn asked.
"Flaaa?"
Surge chuckled. "Go for it."
"Yay!" she squealed as she ran towards them.
"Flaaaa!"
"Who's first?" Surge asked the trainers.
"I would like to go," June replied.
"And your name?"
"June Gaulle."
"Cilan and Iris's daughter…interesting. Step on up."
"Good luck," said Soledad and Amber.
"You totally can do this," said Tamaki.
"Yeah, totally," said Jay.
"Yeah, good luck," said Takeshi, blushing.
June felt a surge of confidence. A gym worker prepared to officiate.
"You can do it, Onēsan!" Jocelyn cheered from across the room, raising a pom-pom.
"Flaaaafy Flaaa!"
"This will be a three on three Pokémon battle," the official announced. "No time limit and no legendary Pokémon. Only the challenger can make substitutions."
Surge's Raichu stepped forward. Sparks sizzled around its cheeks. June nervously called Bulbasaur to the platform.
"Razor Leaf!" she instructed.
"Quick Attack!" Surge countered. "Then Iron Tail."
Soledad turned to Nolan. "You said Surge favors Pokémon that use special attacks. Quick Attack and Iron Tail are physical attacks."
Nolan nervously rubbed the back of his head. "I suppose Surge likes to change it up."
"Bulbasaur, use combination 2," June said after the grass-type took two hits in a row.
Bulbasaur used Leech Seed rapidly followed by Screech. Raichu's next Quick Attack didn't do nearly as much damage due to June's intervention.
"I didn't know Bulbasaur could learn Screech," said Soledad.
"Pokémon can often surprise you," said Annastasia. "With the right training, almost any Pokémon could learn any move."
"Yay June and Bulbasaur!" everyone cheered.
"Raichu, Volt Tackle," Surge instructed.
Raichu was freed him from Bulbasaur's Leech Seed but it didn't do much damage to Bulbasaur. Raichu's HP was almost run out. Bulbasaur finished it with Vine Whip.
"Challenger June Gaulle wins round one!" the official declared.
"We did it!" June cried happily.
"Bull Bulbasaurrrr!"
"Nice work. You and that Bulbasaur have certainly practiced," said Surge.
"We did," June smiled.
"Next, I choose Electabuzz."
"Bulbasaur, use combination 1."
"What is with all this talk of 'combinations'" Jessie asked Annastasia.
Annastasia explained and Jessie smiled deviously.
"So, Michio's idea," she stated.
"That's what I said," Annastasia retorted. "He's been helping the kids with their training."
Michio heard them but didn't say anything.
"He's changed," Jessie noted.
"Maybe," said Annastasia. "Maybe not."
"I'll never get your thought process."
"And that's okay."
"Ears like a bat," Michio reminded Annastasia. "I can hear you."
"I didn't say anything bad. Let's cheer for June."
"Pikapika," Scarlett agreed.
By the time they turned their eyes back to the battle, both sides had taken significant damage, and it looked like either Pokémon could collapse at any moment. June instructed Bulbasaur to use another Vine Whip when a bright white light surrounded it.
"Look, Benny, Bulbasaur's evolving," Tamaki told his little brother.
"Whooaa," said Benny. "I love watching Pokémon evolve."
"Me too!" Jocelyn gasped. "Yay!"
"Flaaaaaaa!"
"It's finally happening!" June squealed.
Ivysaur smiled widely at June and nodded, more determined than ever to win.
"My dad once said that evolving can give some Pokémon a burst of adrenaline," said Soledad. "I bet that's what's happening here."
The other trainers gasped as June and Ivysaur continued.
"Ivysaur, use combination 3," she instructed.
"Electabuzz, Thunder Punch," Surge responded.
Ivysaur's Vine Whip defeated Electabuzz.
"Ivysaur takes the round!" the official announced.
"Nice! Two wins in a row!" Takeshi exclaimed.
"Ivysaur, you've come so far!" Soledad added.
"Onēsan rules!" Jocelyn screamed.
"Flaaaaaa!"
"Bulbasaur, you looked exhausted. I'm going to switch you out," June said as she handed Bulbasaur to Annastasia, who healed him up. "Vivi, go!"
June's face fell when she saw that Surge chose Magneton.
"Vivi's got a huge disadvantage," Soledad told the other children. "June should r—"
"Vivi, try Flamethrower!" June exclaimed.
The Venomoth's Flamethrower was weak. June groaned—she knew this was a bad idea. However, Magneton got a burn, which began to dwindle its HP.
"Magneton, Foresight," said Surge.
"Vivi, Hyperbeam!" June countered.
"Charge Beam!"
The lights it the gym flickered and as the Charge Beam hit the Hyperbeam. Several of the children screamed.
"It's okay!" Annastasia assured everyone. "It's an energy surge! Ha…and a pun…"
Vivi crashed to the ground. The official was about to call it out of the match, but then it rose.
"Vivi! You're okay!" June breathed. "Try combination 4!"
Vivi launched an Acid attack on Magneton. That combined with the burn weakened the electric and steel-type, but it didn't faint. Vivi fainted.
"I'm so sorry," June moaned as she lifted her fallen Venomoth. "It'll be okay—Annastasia will heal you."
Bleu used Heal Pulse to restore Vivi's health. June returned her body and mind to the battlefield.
"June has two Pokémon left, Surge still has one," said Takeshi. "But even if that wasn't true, I bet she'd still win."
"Bet cash?" Amber inquired.
"We're not gambling," Annastasia asserted.
"Why not?"
"I'll explain later. Just support your friends for now."
Amber forgot about being reprimanded as she and the others resumed their cheers.
"Use combination 1," June instructed.
Raticate's Headbutt knocked Magneton to the ground. Magneton retaliated with Thunderbolt, but Raticate dodged it. Magneton kept issuing attacks, but the Raticate's speed allowed it to miss them all.
"Go Raticate! Keep running!' Jocelyn screamed.
"Flaaaaaaaaaa!"
"Yeah! Tire him out!" Benny added.
"You are almost there!" Takeshi cheered. "One more Pokémon to defeat!"
"Time for our secret weapon," said June. "Use Assist!"
"Assist?" everyone repeated in confusion. "She taught Raticate Assist?!"
Raticate's assist turned out to be Ivysaur's Stun Spore. The attack paralyzed Magneton, leaving it unable to battle.
"June Gaulle and Raticate are the winners!" the official declared. "This match is officially over!"
"Wow, June!"
"You're incredible!"
"Raticate too!"
"All your Pokémon!"
"You are better than we even knew!"
"You are the best trainer here!"
As usual, everyone tackled the victor with a hug. Surge handed her a Thunder Badge.
"Teaching your Raticate Assist was not a smart move, it was also very difficult," said Surge. "I'm not sure your friends realize that Raticate can only learn that ability after it reaches a very high friendship level with both its trainer and the rest of its team. You obviously spend a lot of time training and taking care of your Pokémon. Good luck at the Indigo Plateau."
"Wow, thank you so much," said June. She wiped away a few tears of joy and then turned to her friends. "I did it!"
"Bulllba!"
"Ratttta!"
"Veeee!"
"I want my Raticate to learn assist too," said Takeshi. "I can learn from you."
"We all could," said Soledad.
"Who's next?" Surge inquired.
Amber pushed Jay in front of the others "Blue-Jay's ready."
"Oh, um, okay," said Jay.
"Ok little man. Let's go," Surge responded.
The official repeated the rules. Surge sent out Jolteon. Jay chose Chikorita.
"Chika chiiiiii!" Chikorita squealed, hopping in front of Jay.
"Go, Jay!" Jessie and James yelled together.
"Go Oniisan! Go Chikorita!" Jocelyn screamed. "You are the best. Win, win, win!"
"Fla, Fla, Flaa!"
"Chikorita, combination 1," said Jay.
"Jay's also a fan of this 'combination' stuff. I wonder why we never learned any of that," said James.
"Probably because you both failed out of Pokémon Tech," Michio replied.
"He wasn't talking to you!" Jessie growled.
Michio shrugged. "If you waste your time yelling at me, you're going to miss your son's battle."
"He's right Jess," said James, pointing towards the arena.
Michio just smirked and walked away.
"Pikapi chu," Scarlett lectured.
"I don't care if they like me or not," he replied.
"Piiii…"
They turned their attention back to the battle. Chikorita used Double Team and Confusion while Jolteon continually tried to use Volt Tackle.
"Stun Spore!" Jay yelled.
"Thunderbolt!" Surge countered.
Jolteon's Thunderbolt weakened Chikorita to the point to where she could barely stand.
"Chikorita, this is just like when we were in the Pokémon center at 5:00 am, the day you decided to come with me," said Jay. "You should take a break—I have other Pokémon on my team. You already did a lot."
Chikorita stubbornly shook her head even after Jay pleaded for her to rest. He caved and let her continue to battle.
Chikorita dodged Jolteon's continuous Thunderbolt attacks and used Bullet Seed from a distance. Chikorita fainted when it was too tired to continue.
"Oh no!" Jay cried. "I was so worried this would happen!"
"It's okay, Jay, you still got two Pokémon!" Amber shouted.
"Don't give up yet!"
"You can win!"
"Flaaa!"
"Just do your best!"
Annastasia, Togetic, Bleu, and Lil-G came to the spot where Jay was holding Chikorita. After a few moments of consideration, Jay decided to release his new Weepinbell.
"Weepinbell, show them your Vine Whip!" Jay commanded.
"Jolteon, Volt Tackle," Surge retorted.
"Now combination 2!"
Weepinbell took Jolteon by surprised and shot it with a powerful Bullet Seed. It then used its Vine Whip to send the Pokémon across the arena.
"Jolteon is unable to battle. Jay and his Weepinbell take this round!" the official declared.
"That was quick," said Takeshi.
"He had a good strategy," said Soledad. "Good for him."
"Yay, Jay, you're the bestest!"
"Flaa, Flaaafy Fla!"
"You can do it!"
"You're so close!"
"Show them what a Morgan can do!"
Surge chose Elekid. Jay decided to stick with Weepinbell.
"Combination 4!" he commanded.
"Thunder Wave!" said Surge.
Weepinbell pounded Elekid with its vines but the electric-type caused it to faint after a mere two minutes of battling.
"Weepinbell is out of the match. Gym Leader Surge takes this round!" said the official.
Jay sadly handed Weepinbell to his sister.
"You got this," she told him.
"Thanks, A," Jay replied. "My last Pokémon is…um…Vevo! Use Poison Powder!"
"Do you best to avoid that powder and use Thunderbolt," Surge told Elekid.
"Vevo, use Acid!"
"Elekid, put more juice into that Thunderbolt!"
Vevo was knocked to the ground. Jay nearly cried, but the Pokémon stood back up. With one more Acid attack, it finished Elekid.
"He did it!" James cheered as the official announced the victory. "Jay won against the odds!"
"He didn't win yet," said Lucy. "He opted for a three-on-three battle."
"Oh, yes, I forgot."
After the cheers of his friends and family quieted, Surge released an Electrode.
"What the hell?" said Michio.
"It's an Electrode," said Annastasia.
"I mean what the fuck does it do?"
"Watch and you'll see."
Electrode created a force field that prevented Vevo's Acid from causing harm.
"That's so unfair!" Jessie said as Vevo continually failed to break down the shield.
Everyone ignored Jessie. Surge smiled widely.
"You might want to back up a little, kid," he warned Jay.
"Huh?" Jay gasped. Then he remembered Electrode's Self-Destruct attack. "Hurry Vevo! Fly away as fast as you can!"
Everyone rushed away from the battlefield as the Electrode exploded. A few people and Pokémon screamed and they opened their eyes to black dust everywhere.
"What happened?" June coughed.
"Electrode used Self-Destruct," Lexi choked out between coughs.
"Vevo dodged it!" June gasped. "That means they won!"
"Vennnnnnno!" Vevo chanted gleefully.
"Yay! We did it!" Jay cheered.
"Is Electrode gonna be okay?" Jocelyn asked worriedly.
"Fla?"
"Don't yous worry," Meowth coughed. "Dat…'…Pokémon will—"
Meowth kept coughing. Annastasia handed everyone a water bottle.
"Electrode will be fine," she told the group. "I think we should all get out of this dust and smoke."
Everyone in the gym gathered outside.
"Is your gym ruined?" June asked worriedly.
"That debris will clear up in an hour or two," Surge replied. "Jay, that was well-played. You earned this badge."
Surge handed him the Thunder Badge.
"Thank you so much," Jay bowed.
Surge ruffled Jay's hair. Jay fixed it and then he and Amber did their pose.
"So, do you want to go next?" Surge asked Amber.
"Hold on, we might have to go soon," Jessie said as she turned to Michio. "And we would like to see how that Pikachu does."
"Why?" said Michio.
"We just want to."
"We wanna know if it's stronger den de twerp's Pikachu," said Meowth. "And if can beat Surge in one shot, den we'll know it is."
"Only our parents would care about something so dumb," Lily sighed.
"We wasted seven years of our lives chasing that Pikachu, only to find out later that its owner was the boss's son and that he no longer wanted it," said Jessie.
"We'd like some closure," Meowth added.
"I thought Scarlett was just a normal Pikachu," said Benny. "Does she have special abilities?"
"Perhaps," said Annastasia. "Michio, will you go? For me?"
"Sure," he shrugged. "Scarlett?"
"Chuuu," she agreed.
"Then we'll indulge your Pikachu obsession."
Scarlett jumped onto Michio's shoulder. He and Surge climbed onto the trainers' platforms.
"Time to show everyone what you can do," said Michio.
"Pikaaaa!"
XO
IN THE NEXT CHAPTER
· Scarlett takes on Surge
· Michio, Annastasia, and Scarlett learn more about aura
· Mewtwo, Lucario, and cherry blossoms.
AN: I realize that the aura stuff is getting confusing. There will be a better explanation of how it relates to the fusions in the next chapter after this and later on, but here is a little guidance for y'all in the meantime:
1. Aura: "A form of spiritual energy, the essence of every living creature".
2. Aura Readers/Aura Guardians: people (including Pokémon) who can sense aura and control its capabilities.
3. Capabilities of aura guardians:
› Ability to read minds and actions of another being.
› Ability to see and feel the auras of others.
› Ability to "sense" other auras and view surroundings even with a blindfold, also allows users to view through other objects.
› Projection of one's aura; such as to create barriers or attacks.
› It can also be used to transfer aura to others, a method that can be fatal to the user.
› Ability to track an aura belonging to a specific person as long as they have a piece of the aura to track.
› Activation of time flowers. (see below for more info on time flowers)
4. Aura Guardians in the anime- Ash, Sir Aaron, Sir Aaron's Lucario, and Riley are all cannon aura guardians. Additionally, it is strongly implied that other characters throughout the series (N, for example) also possess similar capabilities.
5. Tree of Beginning- A rock formation that appears to be a gigantic tree; it is really a living organism made up of crystal that feeds on sunlight. It has a symbiotic connection with a Mew that lives within it, and it is home to many kinds of Pokémon. It has a "circulatory system" of sorts that distributes nutrients to the crystals throughout its body. It also has an antibody system that takes the form of Fossil Pokémon that attack humans and machines within it, as well as guardians in the form of the Legendary Titans. The Tree of Beginning is located in a mountain range north of Pewter City and Mt. Moon, slightly outside of the borders of the Kanto region, and for the purposes of this fic, it is the place that I call the Toka region. The reason Team Rocket doesn't want the monster fusion to move to the Tree is because once it goes there, it will become untouchable since the Tree will attack any human/machine that enters inside. If the Tree becomes infected, it can die. It is very important to not let the Tree of Beginnings die since it is the spiritual home to the aura of all creatures, past, present, and future. No one knows what will happen if the Tree dies, but no one would like to find out either. The Mew that lives their disappeared years ago, and no one is sure where it is now, but the Tree is still thriving so no one is concerned about looking for that Mew, since they know where ever it is alive (otherwise the Tree would be dead too).
6. Time flowers- flower-shaped crystals that can be found in and around the Tree of Beginnings. They have the ability to record events and play them at a later date as a holographic image along with sound if it is stimulated by the right aura. In this way, they are almost like living time capsules or natural cameras.
Source: Bulbapedia and my imagination. Let me know if you have additional questions in reviews. I hope you enjoy this next chapter; it is very long because I wasn't sure where to cut it off. Anyway...thank you for all the reviews and nice stuff I appreciate all the kindness:)