Alola, everyone! Thanks to the schedule change for my stories, this one's back from hiatus a lot sooner than originally intended! And with that, there's gonna be quite a few surprises for this story ahead!
But for now, let's get back into the action!
POKÉMON SUN & MOON
THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME
Calvin almost couldn't believe it. Neither could Hau.
"Come on, take it!" Erika yelled. She was standing in front of her twin brother, holding out her Fightinium Z to him as he was sitting upon a couch in the Route 5 Pokémon Center next to his cousin.
"Y-You're giving me... your Z-Crystal?" he stuttered out in shock.
"Why are you, Erika?" Rotom asked as it floated over.
"Because aside from the fact we can't use it ourselves, Cal deserves it," Erika replied, placing the Z-Crystal into her brother's hand before he could retort, "He and Torracat worked hard to get strong enough to beat Hala and almost beat Gladion," she pointed out, placing her hands at her hips, "Besides, I've still got an extra Z-Crystal from that Kahili lady!" she mentioned with a cheeky chuckle.
"Erika..." Calvin uttered, clutching his new Fightinium Z in his hand, "Thank you..." he said softly in gratitude, "I promise I'll try not to break this one!" he declared, causing his sister and their cousin to laugh with him.
"Um... excuse me?" a voice chimed in, catching their attentions. They turned to see a young girl there with blue eyes and hair, the latter in which she wore a yellow decoration. She also wore a white sleeveless shirt with a dark blue undershirt and a short cape behind her back. She also had blue pants with a wave pattern tightened by a yellow line, which also had a clover-shaped badge attached, and a pair of blue flip-flops. "You three are all trial-goers, right?" she guessed, having noticed the amulets upon their bags.
"Yep!" Erika answered eagerly, "And you must be the trial captain, right?!" she inquired eagerly with clenched fists. The girl before her blinked in surprise.
"Take it eazzzy, Erika..." Rotom bluntly buzzed.
"Yes, I'm the Brooklet Hill trial captain," the girl told the group before her, "My name's Lana," she introduced, bowing to them.
"Nice to meet ya!" Erika happily responded, shaking Lana's hand politely, "We're all here to take your trial!" she mentioned, gesturing towards the two boys.
"Well, I can only have one of you attempt it for now," Lana noted, "Which one of you would like to go first?" she wondered.
"I kinda need a break after all the battles I've been through lately..." Calvin admitted in reply.
"Yeah, me too..." Hau agreed, "Plus, it seems like Eri really wants to take the trial first," he pointed out, looking to see the growing smile on his cousin's face.
"Well, then you'll be going first it seems," Lana noted.
"YES!" Erika exclaimed with a pump of her fist.
"Oh, would you happen to have a Ride Pager by chance?" Lana suddenly asked, causing her to blink in surprise.
"Calvin hazzz one!" Rotom chimed in as an answer for its owner.
"Does she need it for the trial?" Calvin guessed, pulling out the device from his backpack.
"I think it'd make things easier for her to get around," Lana replied with a soft grin. Calvin then gave his twin sister the device.
"Thanks, Cal!" she exclaimed in gratitude before running towards the doors, which slid open, "I promise I won't break it!" she declared, mimicking his promise from earlier as it made him chuckle.
"Good luck, Eri!" Hau cried out, while Lana and Rotom followed the eager girl out of the Pokémon Center. She was ready to take her next trial and win with her team.
OPENING
"High Hopes" by Panic! At the Disco
0:00 – 0:10 = Opens with Calvin and Erika getting their hats and shoes on before stepping outside a Pokémon Center to start their days on Akala Island.
0:11 – 0:34 = Continues with the twins running down a pathway, being joined by Hau, Paige, Pyrrha, and Trent as their respective starter Pokémon run alongside them. Meanwhile, Ash and Mirajane are out on the front porch of their vacation home with Pikachu, hoping for the best of their kids.
0:35 – 0:45 = Shows Calvin with Torracat, Yungoos, and Trumbeak resting beneath a shady tree, with the Fire Cat Pokémon sleeping contently on her trainer's lap.
0:46 – 0:57 = Cuts to Erika training with Brionne and Rockruff, while Fomantis is asleep on the sunny grass. It's only when Oricorio decides to stand beside her that she wakes up, mad that the Dancing Pokémon is blocking out the sunlight.
0:58 – 1:10 = We see Calvin and Erika entering the Battle Royal Dome, awing the spectacle before they're introduced to the Masked Royal, who Calvin fawns over while Erika instantly recognizes him as Kukui in disguise, giving off a blank look.
1:11 – 1:33 = Calvin commands Torracat as she jumps into the ring, attacking Gladion's Null with Fire Fang. Erika's Brionne uses Aqua Jet to knock back Paige's Combusken into the ropes, followed by blasting her with Bubble Beam. Hau's Pikachu and Trent's Frogadier race each other with Quick Attack before they use Electro Ball and Water Pulse respectively, colliding their attacks with each other in a fierce explosion.
1:35 – 1:44 = Continues with Calvin and Erika going along and visiting the landmarks of Akala, seeing the Paniola Ranch, Brooklet Hill, Wela Volcano Park, the Lush Jungle, Konikoni City, the Ruins of Life, and the Hano Grand Resort. But as they journey on, Calvin notices that his sister is getting further ahead of him.
1:45 – 1:55 = Erika is then approached by Plumeria, whose Salandit climbs up her shoulder before they both smirk at her deviously.
1:56 – 2:18 = We then cut to scenes of Lana fishing at Brooklet Hill with her Araquanid, Kiawe overseeing his trial site atop Wela Volcano with his Alolan Marowak, and Mallow picking out ingredients alongside her Steenee. The scene changes to show Olivia and her Midnight Lycanroc turning around and grinning at the Ketchum twins, being a wall for them to overcome.
2:19 – 2:42 = Erika sends out her Brionne in rainy weather to face a Wishiwashi in his schooling form, while Calvin has Trumbeak use Pluck on a Lurantis.
2:43 – 3:12 – The opening closes off with the Ketchum twins standing with their respective teams, smiling at each other, though Torracat and Brionne scoff and look away. We then get a glimpse of Lillie and Nebby at the Ruins of Life, a scene of Tapu Lele floating about excitedly, and finally a scene featuring the Aether Foundation with Faba, Wicke, and Lusamine.
Schooling Trial!
"Torraaaaaahh~…" Torracat yawned contently as she snuggled against the pillows on the couch alongside Yungoos.
"Tree!" Dartrix chirped, preening his feathers contently. In the meantime, Calvin was using a brush on Trumbeak's wings, smoothing out his feathers.
"Trummm…" he sighed happily.
"Pokémon Centers sure do offer a lot!" Hau chimed in, going over to his cousin with two white paper bags, smiling brightly.
"Peeka!" his Pikachu squeaked as he bit down into a malasada alongside Noibat. The trial-goers and their Pokémon were enjoying their sweet snacks as a form of breakfast. Calvin took a sip of his milk after scarfing down his malasada, letting out a breath of relief once he gulped it down.
"So what do you think Lana's trial's like?" Hau asked, catching his attention.
"Not sure…" he responded as he glanced up at the ceiling, "But I doubt Erika and her team are gonna have much trouble," he pointed out confidently.
"Heh, yeah!" Hau agreed with a chuckle, "Maybe we oughta' get ready for the trial, too!" he suggested excitedly as he hopped onto his feet, "You still gotta master Tutu's Z-Move with Torracat, right?" he inquired, causing Calvin to blink in surprise, "Then it'd be perfect to practice with us!" he exclaimed as he pumped his fist. Calvin grinned.
"And it'd be great for you to practice with Tauros," he mentioned. Hau froze up, letting bullets of sweat run down his skin.
"Y-Yeah…" he stammered out nervously. His cousin let off a deep sigh as he got onto his feet.
"It's not like you're gonna be riding him, ya know…" he pointed out with his arms crossed, "Hey, Torracat!" he called out, causing the Fire Cat Pokémon's eyes to jerk open, jumping off of the couch as she inadvertently knocked Yungoos onto the floor on his face. She ran over to her trainer, nuzzling her head against his leg affectionately, enticing him to pet her as he squatted down. "You ready master that Z-Move today?" he asked her.
"Toraahh!" she roared excitedly in response with a nod. Hau was surprised by how positive his cousin seemed, especially after he had gone through some tough battles. He then took out the Poké Ball his Tauros was in, letting off a sigh of acceptance.
"Okay, Cal…" he began, catching his cousin's attention, "let's do this!" he challenged. Calvin grinned excitedly.
"Rotodex, do you know what a brooklet is?" Erika asked of the Pokédex floating beside her as they were walking down the pathway to Brooklet Hill, catching its attention.
"It'zzz a small brook," it answered, making her tilt her head to the side.
"That doesn't really answer it for me…" she muttered out as a drop of sweat fell from her head.
"It's basically a creek that's smaller than a river and flows out into the open ocean," Lana explained, causing the two to perk up and look over at her, "Think of it as a bunch of small ponds and reservoirs that are all connected by the same river," she told them. An image formed in Erika's head as she smiled.
"Wow, Lana!" she exclaimed, "You really know your stuff!" she pointed out, causing the trial captain to sheepishly rub the back of her head while blushing.
"Well… I've lived near water most of my life, so I felt like I needed to know all about its many bodies and the Pokémon that live there," she mentioned, "I'm sure you'll wanna catch some after you complete the trial," she noted to the trial-goer, who perked up in surprise.
"Yeah, but I've got Brionne as my Water type now, so I think we're good!" she replied.
"You can't just rely on Brionne all the time, you know…" Rotom chimed in rather bluntly.
"Oh, before I forget!" Lana suddenly yelped, causing Erika and her Pokédex to stop, "Would you mind lending me that Ride Pager you have for a moment?" she asked of her.
"Oh, sure," she replied, taking the device out of her pocket and handing it off to the trial captain. She fiddled with it for a few moments before handing it back.
"I've just added Lapras to the Ride Pager for you," Lana said, "I'm sure she'll be of great help ferrying you across the water," she added with a smile. Erika beamed.
"Awesome!" she exclaimed with a pump of her fist, "Come on, Rotodex!" she beckoned while running off ahead, "Let's go beat that trial!" she declared.
"Wait, Erika!" Rotom cried out, chasing after her. Lana blinked, but then giggled. It had been a while since she had seen a trial-goer that was this energetic. A minute later, Erika arrived at the edge of a boardwalk over a small pond of clear water. Her eyes marveled the sight before her. Like Lana had described, Brooklet Hill was a series of ponds connected by a river heading downstream towards the ocean. She even noticed a few Pokémon lurking about in both the grasslands and the water, including some she had never seen before.
"I see that you're taking it all in," Lana's voice noted as she approached Erika from her right.
"It's amazing…" the trial-goer uttered out as her smile was still growing.
"And there'zzz so many Pokémon here, zzt!" Rotom noted as it was taking pictures of the area while floating above.
"Oh, you may want to change for the trial," Lana mentioned, catching Erika's attention.
"Change?" she uttered out in confusion, tilting her head to the side. Moments later, she was in a two-piece, pink swimsuit underneath a green life jacket, while she wore her Hawlucha-like helmet atop her head. "So now we can get the trial started, right?" she inquired to Lana.
"Actually, I'd like for you to help with something first…" she responded, causing Erika to arch an eyebrow. Several question marks were going off in her head. Splashing water could be heard from the nearby pond as the two girls approached. "Do you see that vigorous splashing there?" Lana asked, pointing towards the rapidly rippling water, "There may be some swimmer in need of saving there, so I'd like for you to investigate it," she instructed. Erika blinked.
"A swimmer…?" she uttered out in confusion.
"That splashing doesn't look big enough for a person, zzt…" Rotom buzzed.
"Whatever the case, could you please go take a look?" Lana requested, "You can use Lapras to skim over the water," she mentioned, pointing at the Ride Pager in Erika's hand.
"Huh…" she sighed, "Okay, I'll take a look," she said, tapping a blue key on the Ride Pager before unlatching the silver Poké Ball from it. She then opened it up, causing a bright white and blue light to streak out and form upon the water, dissipating to reveal a Lapras.
"Aaaoooh!" she cried out happily. She had a red harness upon her shell that had a swiveling seat atop it with two handles.
"Think you can help me out, Lapras?" Erika asked of the Transport Pokémon.
"Oooh!" she squeaked in response with a nod. Erika then got aboard Lapras before she started swimming towards the source of splashing.
"What izzz it?" Rotom asked as it floated over. Narrowing her eyes, Erika could see that it looked like a cluster of fish scurrying about. All of a sudden though, one leapt out of the water.
"Waseee!" the fish-like creature's voice squeaked before he hit Erika in the face.
"OW!" she yelped as the fish then splashed back into the water, "Rotodex, what was that?!" she asked as she grabbed at her hurting nose. Rotom looked to see the fish-like creature poke his head out from the water. He had large, light blue eyes with irises that resembled puddles of water and dark blue eyelids. The head and tail were both white. There was a line of white teardrop-shapes on each side of his body with the teardrop nearest the head being slightly larger. The top half of his body was dark blue and had a short, rounded dorsal fin. The lower half of his body was gray with two pectoral fins.
"Wishiwashi, the Small Fry Pokémon," Rotom began to describe, "Wishiwashi is awfully weak and notably tasty, so everyone is always out to get one. As it happens, anyone trying to bully one receives a painful lesson. When he's in a jam, his shining eyes attract others of his kind. The light from his eyes is visible almost twenty-five miles away," it explained thoroughly.
'A painful lesson?' Erika repeated in her head, wondering what meant.
"Well, guess we found the source of the splashing!" she noted, taking out a Poké Ball from her belt, "I think I might actually catch this one!" she declared.
"Wash!" Wishiwashi squeaked before firing off a gush of water from his mouth, striking Erika in the face. An irritated look came upon her as water dripped down her head.
"Okay then…" she growled, letting off a sadistic grin as she threw her Poké Ball, "Go, Fomantis!" she called out. The container opened, with the light emerging from it forming in midair and dissipating to reveal the Sickle Grass Pokémon.
"Fomah!" she shouted.
"A Grass type will be great against Wishiwashi, zzt!" Rotom pointed out, sounding impressed.
"Now let's get him!" Erika exclaimed, "Fomantis, Leafage!" she ordered, swinging her arm out. …But nothing happened. "Huh?" she uttered in confusion, blinking rapidly. Wishiwashi hadn't done anything yet, so what was wrong. Rotom then turned around and noticed something, gasping a little.
"Uh, Erika…" it said, catching her attention. It merely pointed towards Lapras' neck, enticing her to look and gasp to see Fomantis there sleeping soundly, basking in the sunlight beating down from above.
"HUHHHHHHH?!" the trial-goer exclaimed in shock, "Hey, Fomantis! Wake up!" she yelled, "I need you to battle that Wishiwashi!" she pointed out angrily. The Sickle Grass Pokémon kept snoozing however, blissfully unaware of the building ire of her trainer.
"Washee!" the Wishiwashi squeaked as he dove back into the water, starting to swim away.
"Ah, Erika!" Rotom cried out, gesturing towards the fleeing Small Fry Pokémon.
"Ergh, fine!" the trial-goer growled as she pulled out another Poké Ball, "Brionne, come out!" she shouted as she fired the ball into the air. It popped open, and the light coming out of it formed in midair, dissipating to unveil the Pop Star Pokémon.
"Breeah!" she yipped excitedly as she splashed into the water, "Bree!" she exclaimed as she stuck her head out from the surface.
"Brionne, catch up to that Wishiwashi!" Erika instructed, "Use Aqua Jet!" she commanded.
"Brreeon!" the Pop Star Pokémon responded, immersing herself within a torrent of water before rocketing after the Small Fry Pokémon.
"Shee?" he uttered out, looking back to see Brionne approaching him, "SHEEEEEE!" he screeched, attempting to hurriedly swim away. Unfortunately, Brionne dove underwater and ended up striking him from below, sending him high up into the air.
"All right, Disarming Voice!" Erika yelled with a pump of her fist. Brionne leapt out of the water, having her nose glow a bright pink before unleashing a ray of purple-pink hearts from it as she sang, striking the Wishiwashi before he fell back into the water.
"Wiseee…" he moaned as he emerged from the surface in a daze, having his eyes in swirls.
"Breeah!" Brionne yipped happily as she splashed back into the water, coming up to clap her flippers.
"Huh…" Erika breathed in relief.
"Hey, look!" Rotom yelped, pointing towards the water. Erika looked over and see saw several silhouettes of Wishiwashi swimming away, heading downstream.
"More Wishiwashi?" she guessed as she arched an eyebrow.
"I guezzz they must've been scared off…" Rotom noted.
"Fohhhh maahhh…" Fomantis yawned, catching their attentions as they looked to see her still sleeping upon Lapras' neck.
"Ugh…" Erika groaned, "And I was hoping to get her some training here…" she muttered out in admittance.
"So it was a Wishiwashi kicking up all that water?" Lana asked, causing her to perk up as she looked over at the trial captain by the shore.
"Yeah!" she replied, "Does that mean we can start the trial now?" she asked, gaining a grin of excitement.
"Yes, of cour-!" More splashing in the distance interrupted Lana's response as she glanced off in surprise.
"What was that, zzt?" Rotom wondered aloud.
"That was much louder than before…" Lana noted, "We should go and investigate!" she advised immediately.
"Huh?!" Erika yelped with a look of shock on her face, "But what about the trial?!" she cried out, sounding very disappointed.
"It'll have to wait for now," Lana replied, "Let's go and check it out!" she instructed, running off towards the source of the splashing in the deeper part of the brooklet.
"Aw, man…" Erika groaned in frustration.
"Oooohh?" Lapras asked worriedly, catching her attention.
"Don't worry, Lapras," Erika assured with a smile, "Let's hurry before we lose Lana," she advised to the others.
"Right!" Rotom buzzed in agreement.
"Breeonn!" Brionne yipped. Fomantis remained sleeping as a bubble of snot was forming upon its face, still lying on Lapras' neck in the sun as she carried the trial-goer down the brooklet.
X
"Tauros, Horn Attack!" Hau commanded as he swung out his left arm.
"MOAAAAAAAARRRR!" the Wild Bull Pokémon mooed loudly as he charged forward, letting his horns glow a bright white.
"Counter with Double Kick!" Calvin cried out. Torracat firmly planted her front paws against the ground before spinning around and slamming her legs against Tauros' horns, preventing him from striking her. The two gritted their teeth before they pushed themselves back in an instant. Both Hau and Calvin grinned excitedly. In order to prepare for the Brooklet Hill trial, they decided to have some practice battles outside along the pathway leading to the Pokémon Center. Meanwhile, Dartrix, Pikachu, Noibat, Yungoos, and Trumbeak were all watching on from afar, cheering for their respective teammates. Hau's Pokémon egg was also lying beside them, basking in the sunlight.
"Raaahh!" Torracat roared as she dug her front right paw into the ground, ready to attack again.
"Okay, use Ember!" her trainer ordered. The bell-like organ at the Fire Cat Pokémon's neck flared momentarily before she let out a large fireball from her mouth.
"Dodge it!" Hau yelled. Tauros quickly galloped off to the side, evading the fireball as it struck the ground and dissipated. "Now use Scary Face!" his trainer called out. The Wild Bull Pokémon contorted his face into a rather frightening expression as he glared at Torracat.
"M-Mrow?" she stuttered out in surprise, blinking as a drop of sweat rolled down her head.
"Now use Pursuit!" Hau commanded. Tauros then had an ominous aura shroud his form before disappearing almost instantaneously.
"Here he comes!" Calvin shouted, "Use Fire Fang!" he ordered quickly. Torracat had her mouth billow up flames as she waited patiently for Tauros to reappear. His head suddenly slammed into her left side, sending her tumbling across the ground. However, she quickly recovered by hopping back to her feet, lunging out and biting down on the Wild Bull Pokémon's head with her fiery teeth, creating a fierce explosion.
"Moaarrr…!" he groaned out as he slid back, almost keeling over. Just then though, a reddish aura flowed up his body.
"Uh oh…" Calvin muttered in realization with widened eyes.
"Yes!" Hau exclaimed as he pumped his fist, "Now let's settle this with Rage, Tauros!" he instructed loudly.
"MOOOAAAARRRR!" Tauros mooed, letting a red light shroud his form before charging out at Torracat again.
"Double Kick again!" Calvin commanded quickly. The Fire Cat Pokémon ran towards her foe, spinning around and kicking his head with her hind left paw to keep him back. She then kicked him at his chest with her hind right paw, causing him to stumble back upon being struck.
"Ah, Tauros!" Hau gasped.
"One more time!" Calvin cried out. Torracat jumped towards the Wild Bull Pokémon again, slamming her hind legs into his head and chest fiercely.
"Mrrrraaaaaaoooohhhh…" he moaned before falling over in a daze with his eyes in swirls.
"Yung goo!" Yungoos cheered excitedly.
"Trummm!" Trumbeak squawked in delight. Dartrix, Pikachu, and Noibat all sighed in disappointment.
"Awesome job, Torracat!" Calvin complimented as he went over and knelt down next to the Fire Cat Pokémon, petting her head gently.
"Torraaahh…" she purred happily.
"Moarr…" Tauros groaned in frustration as Hau helped him stand back up.
"Don't worry, Tauros," he assured, "We'll get 'em next time!" he declared confidently.
"Mooaaaarrr!" Tauros mooed in agreement, nuzzling his head against his trainer's as he grinned.
"Great job there, Cal!" Hau complimented as he went over to shake hands with his cousin, "I bet you and Torracat can totally do Tutu's Z-Move now!" he mentioned as he looked down at the Fire Cat Pokémon, who seemed eager to try.
"I sure hope so," Calvin responded, looking back at the Fightinium Z in his Z-Ring, remembering how Erika had given it to him, "I feel like having Torracat use Double Kick more might help with getting ready to use it," he explained.
"Well, if you wanna try it, we're ready!" Hau exclaimed excitedly, "Who's up for it, guys?!" he called out to his other Pokémon.
"Pi, peeka!" Pikachu squeaked.
"Nuooii!" Noibat screeched eagerly. Dartrix didn't seem to care, brushing his leaf-like feathers back. At that moment, Calvin noticed something.
"Hey cuz," he began, catching Hau's attention as he pointed to where their Pokémon were, "where'd your egg go?" he asked.
"Huh?" Hau uttered, looking over to see that his egg was indeed missing, "Ah! It's gone!" he gasped in shock.
"Yung, yungg goo!" Yungoos shouted, catching their attentions as they looked to see that he noticed the egg being carried off by a group of Grubbin.
"Hey, wait!" Hau yelled, running after the Larva Pokémon, "That's my egg!" he cried out. One of the Grubbin turned around and spat a sticky string of thread into the boy's face, causing him to stumble back before he ripped it off with his hands.
"Hau, you okay?!" his cousin yelled in concern.
"Yeah…" he muttered out, "Guys, help us out!" he called out to his teammates.
"Pika!" Pikachu responded as he, Yungoos, and Torracat ran after the group of Grubbin. Meanwhile, Dartrix, Noibat, and Trumbeak flew up above, keeping track of the fleeing Larva Pokémon.
"Gruhh beeeen!" one of them screeched, enticing his comrades to start firing off sticky threads from their mouths, trying to slow down their pursuers.
"Pikachu, get that egg!" Hau cried out.
"Pee kah!" the Mouse Pokémon squeaked out in reply, becoming encased in a whitish outline before dashing out and snatching the egg from the Grubbin in an instant, much to their collective surprise as they saw him tumble across the dirt with it before coming to a stop.
"Beeeeen…" they all growled angrily as electricity started to spark off of their bodies.
"Torracat, Ember!" Calvin ordered.
"Noibat, Gust!" Hau commanded. The Fire Cat Pokémon had her bell-like organ flare up before firing off a fireball from her mouth. In the meantime, the Sound Wave Pokémon had his wings glow a bright sky blue before flapping them to create a gust of wind that propelled the fireball faster. It collided with the group of Grubbin in a fiery explosion as Pikachu shielded the egg with his body. When the smoke dissipated, it revealed the group of Larva Pokémon scurrying off in fright.
"Pi ka…" Pikachu sighed in relief. At that moment, he felt the egg shake.
"Nice one, guys!" Hau complimented as he high fived his cousin, while letting Noibat perch himself upon his right shoulder.
"That could've gone a lot worse…" Calvin noted sheepishly with a grin.
"Pi, peekah!" Pikachu suddenly cried out, catching their attentions as they looked to see him holding the now shaking egg.
"Ah!" Hau gasped excitedly, "It's hatching!" he exclaimed with sparkling eyes as he ran over.
"Already?" Calvin uttered in surprise as he and the Pokémon all gathered around the egg, "I would've thought it'd need another day or two…" he admitted. At that moment, the egg glowed a bright white, causing those surrounding it to move back in order not to be blinded by the light. Once it subsided though, the two trial-goers and their Pokémon looked out and gasped. The egg had hatched into an Eevee, whose cream-colored tail had curvy lines separating it from the darker brown fur, indicating that it was a girl.
"Vee?" she squeaked out, looking around at those surrounding her.
"It's an Eevee!" Hau exclaimed excitedly, kneeling down to greet her, "Hi!" he said. She yelped, hiding herself behind Pikachu in an instant as she shuddered.
"Vuh-vee…" she stuttered out, still shaking.
"Pika, pee kah…" Pikachu reassured, petting her atop the head, "Chu, peeka pee!" he pointed out, gesturing towards his trainer.
"Vee?" Eevee uttered, slowly walking out from behind the Mouse Pokémon.
"It's okay," Hau assured as he reached his right hand out to her, "I won't hurt you," he promised with a wide grin.
"Vuh…" the Evolution Pokémon squeaked nervously, going up to him and letting his hand touch the top of her head. He chuckled as he petted her gently, causing her to slowly smile. "Vee!" she exclaimed happily, nuzzling against his hand. Calvin blinked in amazement. He hadn't realized how Hau was so good at understanding Pokémon. Having been under the wing of not only Hala, but his own father, it was no surprise that he had those experiences.
"All right, up you go!" Hau said as he picked up Eevee into his arms, "Now what to name you…" he wondered aloud, closing his eyes in thought.
"Name?" Calvin uttered in confusion, causing him to perk up and look over at him, "Why do you wanna name her?" he asked, arching an eyebrow.
"Well… I thought I'd at least nickname one of my Pokémon like Pyrrha does with hers…" his cousin replied with a cheeky grin, "Hmmm…" he hummed in thought, "How about… Ari?" he inquired to his Eevee. She blinked.
"Vee?" she uttered, tilting her head to the side.
"You think that sounds like a good name for you?" Hau asked her again. Eevee took a moment to think before letting off a grin.
"Eee vuh!" she replied happily.
"Ha, ha!" Hau laughed, "Welcome to the team, Ari!" he introduced, causing his other Pokémon to cheer excitedly. Calvin just looked on and smiled. He was glad for his cousin. And he wanted so badly to prove he was ready to catch up with him and Erika…
X
"Mmmmmm…" Erika growled with her cheeks puffed out.
"Erika… your face…" Rotom started to point out, only to stop once the trial-goer glared at it angrily, "N-Never mind…" it stuttered nervously, backing away from her. An hour had passed since she started investigating the splashing in the various ponds of Brooklet Hill for Lana. Each time they approached one, they found a group of Wishiwashi, one of which they'd have to battle while the others escaped downstream.
"Breeeahh…" Brionne sighed contently as she was chewing on the last of an Oran Berry she'd been eating. Since Fomantis hadn't woken up the whole time, she was the one who fought the Wishiwashi. She didn't mind though, glad to have some training during this time.
"How long is Lana gonna keep us waiting?!" Erika complained as she leaned back, looking up at the blue sky overhead, "Huh…" she sighed, "I was really excited to take on this trial, too…" she muttered out disappointedly.
"Maybe this is her way of testing you, zzt," Rotom suggested, causing her to perk up, "Trent did say the trial was tough…' it recalled.
"Yeah, I guess so…" Erika replied, still sounding frustrated though. Just then, gray clouds started forming overhead, blocking out the sun. "Huh?" she uttered in surprise. The moment the sunlight stopped shining, Fomantis instantly woke up as her snot bubble popped.
"Fomah?!" she yelped, glancing around at her surroundings.
"Fomantis' awake!" Rotom pointed out excitedly. All of a sudden, a steady rainfall came upon the group.
"What the?" Erika uttered, still looking upwards.
'I didn't think it was gonna rain today…' she inwardly noted, wondering what was going on.
"Erika!" Lana's voice cried out, catching her attention as she saw the trial captain at the other side of the pond they were upon, "I heard some really big splashing up ahead!" she told her, "I'll meet you down at the mouth!" she called out, jogging off down the hill.
"BZZZzzzzTtt?!" Rotom buzzed in surprise, "How the heck did Lana get there zzzo fast?!" it exclaimed.
"And what's a mouth?" Erika wondered aloud.
"That's when the river water heads out into the ocean," Rotom explained in reply, showing off an image on its screen, "It has to be the end of the brooklet, then…" it noted curiously.
"Hmm…" Erika hummed curiously. She and the others then disembarked from Lapras as they reached the other side of the pond, returning her to the Ride Pager Poké Ball before trekking down the hill with Brionne, Fomantis, and Rotom by her side.
"Foh mah! Foh mah!" the Sickle Grass Pokémon squeaked excitedly, eager to get to battle as she practiced by swinging her sharp, leaf-like arms.
"Guess Fomantis sleeps when the sun's out…" Erika noted as she looked over at her.
"And gets zzzuper energetic when it's not!" Rotom mentioned as it floated to the Sickle Grass Pokémon, who the trial-goer picked up in her arms.
"Guess that means she can fight whatever's next…" she realized with a grin.
"Mahn tiss!" Fomantis responded eagerly.
"We're getting closer…" Lana uttered out, catching their attentions as they came to a stop at the bottom of the hill, "to the legendary Pokémon said to be the guardian of the seas…" she continued, causing Erika to arch an eyebrow, "…Kyogre!" she exclaimed suddenly.
"BBBZZZTtTTtt?!" Rotom buzzed, "WHAT?!" it screamed in disbelief. The thought of such a challenge against a legendary creature like the Sea Basin Pokémon was incredible to believe. But Erika didn't. Her eye twitched in annoyance.
"That's a lie, isn't it?" she guessed. Lana sheepishly rubbed the back of her head.
"I guess that means you won't be tricked so easily, Erika…" she noted, sticking out her tongue before walking off towards the mouth of the brooklet.
"Ugh…" the trial-goer groaned in frustration, "I just hope this 'trial's' worth it…" she muttered out. Moments later, she and her Pokémon arrived on the sandy shore of the water body leading into the ocean. The rainclouds overhead had gotten darker, with the rain starting to pour down a little more rapidly.
"Ar, ar!" Brionne yipped in delight as she clapped her flippers.
"Jeez…" Erika uttered out as she felt the raindrops come down onto her one after another.
"Rainy weather like this boosts the power of Water type movezzz," Rotom noted, catching her attention, "That's why Brionne likezzz it so much!" it pointed out, gesturing towards the happy Pop Star Pokémon.
"Erika…" Lana uttered, causing the trial-goer to perk up and look over at her, "you've come all this way with me…" she noted.
"Huh?" Erika uttered in confusion.
"This is where your trial begins," the trial captain stated, much to her surprise as she blinked, "Didn't you see the gateway we passed?" she asked of her.
"Gateway?" Erika repeated in confusion, turning around to see the wooden stakes marked with the designs similar to those of the one she recalled seeing at Verdant Cavern.
"Up to now, you've been preparing the trial for yourself by battling all those Wishiwashi," Lana explained, "The objective of this trial is simple…" she continued, "You must defeat the Totem Pokémon that is known as the master of this lake!" she instructed firmly and fiercely. Erika didn't flinch. She just smirked.
"Well, if beating those Wishiwashi was all it took to get this trial ready, then we'll beat that Totem in a snap!" she declared confidently.
"Breeah!" Brionne agreed with a nod.
"Foh mah!" Fomantis concurred.
"I like your spirit," Lana admitted with a grin, "Now go and face the Totem!" she advised.
"Will do!" Erika replied, taking out the silver Poké Ball from the Ride Pager, "Let's go, Lapras!" she called out as the container opened, with its blue and white light spilling out onto the water before forming and dissipating to reveal the Transport Pokémon.
"Ooooo~!" she sang delightedly as Erika and Fomantis boarded atop the harness, with the trial-goer seating herself down onto the seat while grasping the handles.
"Full speed ahead, Lapras!" she advised with an eager pump of her left fist.
"Arooooo~!" the Transport Pokémon cried out in response, swimming off towards the center of the lake. Brionne dove into the water and swam after them. However, she started to notice several Wishiwashi zipping towards the lake's center, appearing to all be gathering together in the form of… Brionne's eyes widened before she swam up to the surface.
"Breeaaahhh, breee!" she cried out, but her voice couldn't reach her trainer amidst the now pounding rain and the thunder booming overhead.
"Oooohh…" Lapras whimpered as she came to a sudden stop, causing Erika to blink in surprise.
"Lapras, what's wrong?" she asked, noticing that she was trembling.
"Hey, look at that!" Rotom buzzed. Erika turned and looked into the water to see a gigantic silhouette looming just beneath them.
"Wh-Whoa…" she stuttered out with shaking eyes.
"Breeaahh!" Brionne shrieked again, causing her to glance back and see the Pop Star Pokémon hurriedly heading towards them.
"Brionne, what's wrong?!" Erika asked loudly over the sound of the pouring rain. Fomantis noticed a pair of white, fish-shaped eyes glowing beneath the surface of the water before something splashed up from it, causing a wave to crash down onto her and the others upon Lapras. "Ergh…" Erika grunted, coughing out some water before looking out and letting out a loud gasp. Before her was a large fish roughly formed from various smaller fish with glowing eyes. Starting with his head, his body was divided into four bands that each became a slightly darker shade of blue. A ring of bright blue glowing spots lined the front edge of the two middle bands. The centers of his "eyes" were formed by a single white fish with glowing eyes for pupils. Surrounding the white fish was a dark blue recess, and at the rear edge of the "eye" was a raised white area for eyelids. Above each eye was a single, dark blue fish shape. His mouth gaped wide open, apparently unable to close fully due to gaps on each side. His lips in the front were lined with glowing spots, and many more spots dotted the inside of his mouth.
"WWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAASSSSHHHH!" the creature bellowed aloud as a yellow aura was flaring around him.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Erika screamed with widened eyes, while those around her were just as stunned.
X
"R-R-Rotodex!" Erika stammered in shock, "What the heck is that?!" she asked frantically.
"That's a Wishiwashi!" the Pokédex responded instantly.
"WHAAAAAAAAATTT?!" Erika exclaimed in shock.
"WAAAAAASSSSHHHH!" the supposed Wishiwashi roared, diving into the water to make a wave surge up. It pushed Lapras back as she gritted her teeth, doing her best to not tip over and capsize her passengers.
"How the heck is that a Wishiwashi?!" Erika yelled back to Rotom, "Compared to those others, this one's huge!" she pointed out.
"Bree, breeah!" Brionne cried out, catching their attentions. The Wishiwashi then rose up from the water in a huge splash, blowing Lapras back as she and her passengers yelled.
"When a Wishiwashi reaches a certain level, he can school with others, zzt!" Rotom buzzed out in explanation, causing Erika to perk up.
"School?" she uttered in confusion. The Pokédex then pulled up an image of the Small Fry Pokémon on its screen.
"Wishiwashi's ability is Schooling, which means he can gather a group of Wishiwashi around him to look like that!" Rotom explained, "It's said that these schools can even scare off Gyarados!" it mentioned, sounding a bit frightened. Erika clenched her teeth in frustration. Something like this was much different than her trial at Verdant Cavern.
"That's why Lana had us take on those Wishiwashi earlier!" she realized, widening her eyes, "She wanted me to scare them downstream so they'd group up like this!" she noted.
"WAAAAAAAASSSSSHHHHH!" Wishiwashi roared, unleashing a gush of water from his mouth towards them.
"Breeeaahh!" Brionne cried out, leaping out of the water and unleashing a flurry of bubbles from her nostrils to counter the water gush just before it could strike her trainer and teammates, creating a steam-filled explosion that dissipated quickly thanks to the rain.
"Ergh…" Erika grunted, seeing the Wishiwashi dive back underwater, "Well, there's no point in just sitting around like this!" she declared, swinging out her arm, "Brionne, Aqua Jet!" she commanded. The Pop Star Pokémon had a veil of water shroud her form before she rocketed out at the Wishiwashi. She slammed into him head on, pushing him back along the lake in a huge splash.
"Waaaahhh…" he growled out before opening his mouth and firing off another gush of water towards Brionne.
"Dodge and use Pound!" Erika called out. The Pop Star Pokémon quickly dove underwater to evade the gush, swimming towards her large foe as her flippers both glowed a bright white. She slammed her right one into his underside, making him wince as his fish-shaped eyes seemed to squint.
"BREEEEOONNNN!" she bellowed as she spun around and struck Wishiwashi hard with her left flipper, actually forcing him up out of the water in a huge splash.
"Wh-Whoa!" Rotom yelped in surprise.
"Now Bubble Beam!" Erika ordered as she pointed towards Wishiwashi. Brionne poked her head out of the water, unleashing another flurry of bubbles from her nostrils that struck the Small Fry Pokémon's underside, creating an explosion of steam before he fell back into the water in a huge splash.
"Breeah!" Brionne yipped as she poked her head out of the water.
"Nice one, Brionne!" Erika complimented with a pump of her fist, "Keep up the pressure with Bubble Beam!" she commanded.
"Breee!" the Pop Star Pokémon responded, reeling her head back before firing off more bubbles from her nostrils that struck the Wishiwashi as he had just resurfaced from the water, pushing him back.
"Waaaahhh…" he growled, narrowing his fish-shaped eyes. All of a sudden, a greenish aura started flowing up his body.
"Huh?" Erika uttered in confusion, arching an eyebrow.
"WWAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Wishiwashi roared loudly before firing off a gush of water from his mouth towards Brionne. She widened her eyes, unable to evade the water as it splashed onto her, sending her hurdling back across the lake as she screamed.
"Brionne!" Erika cried out.
"What just happened, zzt?!" Rotom exclaimed in confusion, blinking rapidly. Wishiwashi was on the ropes… and then suddenly got a huge burst of strength! He swam out towards Brionne, who resurfaced from the water, gasping as she saw him leap out, diving towards her. It looked as if he was going to strike Brionne with his right fin, enticing her to hop up… only for him to spin around and smack her with his large tail fin, sending her crashing into the water just before the shore where Lana was.
"Foh mah!" Fomantis shrieked in concern. Erika gritted her teeth in frustration. The initial advantage they had was completely erased by whatever happened to Wishiwashi.
"He's using a Water Gun powered up by the rain and a Feint Attack that never missezzz!" Rotom noted, "But Brionne should be able to take those attacks pretty well, zzt…" it pointed out, perplexed by the situation. Fomantis then noticed a pink, curvy-shaped dorsal fin moving through the water towards the Totem Pokémon.
"Foh! Foh mahn!" she shouted, catching her trainer's attention as she gestured towards the moving fin.
"Is that… another Pokémon?" Erika inquired as she narrowed her eyes, unable to tell what was there. Rotom floated closer, having its eyes focused on the fin before an image loaded upon its screen.
"It'zzz an Alomomola!" it buzzed back to Erika.
"Alomomola?" she uttered in confusion. Rotom floated back, showing her an image of the Caring Pokémon upon its screen.
"Alomomola, the Caring Pokémon," it began, "They float upon the open sea. Many water Pokémon gather in the area around Alomomola. The reason she helps Pokémon in a weakened condition is that any Pokémon coming after them may also attack Alomomola," it explained worriedly.
"So an Alomomola's helping that Wishiwashi?" Erika guessed.
"Yeah," Rotom replied, "She'zzz using Heal Pulse to restore his health and Helping Hand to power up his other attackzzz…" he pointed out.
"So if we're gonna beat Wishiwashi, we gotta make sure that Alomomola doesn't get in the way…" the trial-goer realized.
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!" the Totem Pokémon roared before firing off another blast of water towards Brionne. Fortunately, she managed to evade it in the nick of time, swimming back towards her trainer and the others. However, she didn't notice the Alomomola zooming towards her, making her dorsal and ventral fins glow a bright white.
"Brionne, watch out!" Erika screamed. It looked to be too late though as the Caring Pokémon leapt at her intended target. All of a sudden though, several glowing green leaves flew in and struck Alomomola, knocking her away in a burst of steam. Erika blinked in surprise before looking over at Fomantis, who was in a ready stance.
"Foh manh!" she exclaimed eagerly to her trainer. She blinked in surprise… and then grinned.
"Okay you're up, Fomantis!" she called out, enticing the Sickle Grass Pokémon to hop atop Lapras' head. She then jumped up, spinning around firing off multiple glowing green leaves from her body that all struck the Alomomola as she fell back into the water. "All right!" Erika exclaimed with a pump of her fist.
"Ar, arf!" Brionne yipped in gratitude, causing Fomantis to sheepishly blush. She was glad to finally help out. Wishiwashi narrowed his eyes onto her.
"WAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" he roared, spitting out a glob of water towards her.
"Hey, watch out!" Erika yelled. The water splashed onto Fomantis… but nothing appeared to happen.
"Fohh?" she uttered in confusion, blinking as she saw the water drip off her body. Her trainer seemed just as perplexed, tilting her head to the side.
"Was that a Water Gun?" she wondered aloud, while Rotom narrowed its eyes in thought. Just then, Alomomola leapt out of the water with a splash, making her hand-shaped fins glow a bright white before she spun around and smacked Fomantis away in an instant. "Fomantis!" Erika cried out. Fortunately, the Sickle Grass Pokémon landed onto a small island in the middle of the lake, glaring at the Alomomola as she was swimming towards her.
"Mollllaaahhh~!" she sang before unleashing a gush of water from her mouth towards her target.
"Fomantis, Leafage!" Erika commanded.
"Foh mah!" the Sickle Grass Pokémon exclaimed, unleashing multiple green glowing leaves in a tornado-like fashion from her body. However, the water gush immediately blew them away to her surprise before she was struck by it, stumbling back.
"What the heck?!" Erika exclaimed in shock, "I thought Grass type moves were perfect for Water types!" she noted to Rotom, who widened its eyes.
"Aside from the fact that the rain'zzz powering up Alomomola's Water Gun, Fomantis turned into a Water type, zzt!" it explained to her.
"Wh-What?!" she stammered in surprise.
"That water that Wishiwashi hit her with earlier wasn't a Water Gun!" the Pokédex pointed out, "It wazzz Soak!" it buzzed, "It'zzz a move that changes any Pokémon'zzz type to Water when hit!" it told her.
"So that's why that Leafage…" she started to realize, widening her eyes slightly before glancing back at the Sickle Grass Pokémon. Water dripped off of her body as she breathed heavily, eyeing Alomomola's dorsal fin as she was circling the small island like a predator ready to pounce on her prey. And she did, leaping out of the water with a splash.
"Molllaahhh~!" she sang before firing off another gush of water that slammed into Fomantis from behind, knocking her onto the ground.
"Fomantis!" Erika cried out.
"That doesn't look good…" Rotom noted worriedly. Upon seeing her teammate in trouble, Brionne quickly swam towards the island, only to stop as the Wishiwashi got into her path, appearing ready to smack her with his left fin… only to slam her underwater with his tail in an instant.
"Brionne!" Erika screamed in fright. She quickly reached down to her belt, pulling out a Poké Ball.
"Foh, fohh mah!" Fomantis' voice cried out, catching her attention as she saw the Sickle Grass Pokémon stand back up onto her feet, "Foh!" she assured with a nod.
"Fomantis…" Erika uttered in shock. To see her so dedicated… even when they had only recently become acquainted… She put the Poké Ball back onto her belt.
'That's right,' she realized, 'I can't let Fomantis waste her chance here!' she declared through her thoughts, 'So in that case…' she continued inwardly.
"Fomantis, Ingrain and Growth!" she ordered quickly.
"Foh mah!" the Sickle Grass Pokémon responded, having several leafy roots extend out from her backside and attach to the earth beneath her feet, followed by a greenish aura flowing up her body. She then had her body glow in a bright green outline before a reddish aura flowed upwards around her.
"So you're having Fomantis raise her attack and special attack while also healing her slowly over time…" Rotom realized, "Do you think that'll work, zzt?" it asked Erika.
"Honestly, I'm not sure with this rain still going…" she admitted in reply, "But we gotta give it a shot!" she proclaimed fiercely. Alomomola still circled the island as Fomantis kept her focus. She leapt out again and sprayed the Sickle Grass Pokémon with another gush of water. Fortunately, Fomantis' roots didn't snap as she stood her ground.
"Breeeaaahh…!" Brionne gasped as she resurfaced just beside Lapras, catching her and the others' attentions.
"Brionne, you're all right!" Erika exclaimed in relief.
"Bree…" Brionne exhaled, evidently exhausted from battling the Wishiwashi.
"WAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" he roared, catching their attentions as they saw him swimming towards the small island where Fomantis was.
"Oh no!" Rotom yelped in realization. Erika clenched her teeth, knowing that Fomantis was already holding her own against Alomomola. She wouldn't be able to handle taking on Wishiwashi as well!
"Molllaahh…" the Caring Pokémon sang out before jumping out of the water once more, making her fins glow a bright white.
"She'zzz using Double Slap!" Rotom exclaimed, "I don't think Fomantis can take that, zzt!" it buzzed out.
"Fomantis, Leafage!" Erika commanded quickly. Alomomola was starting to spin towards the Sickle Grass Pokémon, prepared to finish her with a barrage of slaps. Fomantis saw her coming, taking a ready stance. But instead of making leaves appear around her, her blade-like arms glowed a bright green. Her right one extended out before she slashed at the oncoming Alomomola in an instant. Everyone widened their eyes.
"Mollll…" the Caring Pokémon groaned, bouncing off of the island before splashing back into the water. She resurfaced seconds later with swirls in her eyes.
"She beat her, zzt!" Rotom exclaimed in surprise.
"And she learned how to use Leaf Blade…" Erika realized, smiling excitedly.
"Foh mah! Foh mah!" Fomantis screamed excitedly as she hopped about, not realizing…
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" Wishiwashi roared, about to crash into the island head on.
"MAAAAAAHHHHH!" Fomantis shrieked in fright, knowing that she would definitely be crushed.
"Brionne, go!" Erika yelled.
"Breeah!" the Pop Star Pokémon replied as she quickly swam out towards the island. Wishiwashi crashed into it, causing the ground to shatter as Fomantis went flying up into the air with her eyes clenched shut, tearing up. Thankfully, Brionne arrived and jumped up to catch her, falling back into the water. They resurfaced right beside Lapras moments later.
"Foh… foh…" Fomantis breathed as she crawled onto the Transport Pokémon before being picked up by Erika.
"That was awesome, Fomantis!" she praised, hugging her warmly, "Your Leaf Blade was super cool!" she added.
"Man tee!" the Sickle Grass Pokémon squeaked happily, embracing her back.
"Now we just gotta take care of the Wishiwashi…" Rotom realized, looking back at the Totem Pokémon as he turned to face his foes.
"Waaassshhh…" he growled, narrowing his fish-shaped.
"Shouldn't be much of a problem now!" Erika noted confidently, "Brionne, you good to go?" she asked of the Pop Star Pokémon.
"Bree!" she responded eagerly with a nod.
"Okay, Aqua Jet!" her trainer commanded. Immersing herself within a torrent of water, Brionne rocketed towards Wishiwashi. He lunged out at her, appearing to ready his right fin to strike her. However, the Pop Star Pokémon recognized it as a feint, rocketing past his fin and slamming into his tail fiercely. He spun around rapidly upon the impact, splashing hard into the water below as Brionne loomed overhead.
"Waaaaaaahhhhh…" he groaned, completely dizzied.
"Now Bubble Beam!" Erika ordered with a pump of her fist. Arching her head back, Brionne unleashed a flurry of bubbles from her nostrils downwards. They all struck the Small Fry Pokémon in a massive explosion of white smoke as she landed back in the water.
"Waaassshhheeee…" Wishiwashi growled as his fish-shaped eyes flashed through the smoke before dissipating.
"Breeahhh…" Brionne muttered out, frustrated with how tenacious the Totem Pokémon was being. But at least now, he didn't have that Alomomola to rely on for help.
"Guezzz that Wishiwashi isn't going down so easily…" Rotom noted. Erika then stood up on Lapras' harness, putting Fomantis down.
"Then I guess it's time for the Z-Move!" she declared as her Normalium Z was fitted onto her Z-Ring, "Brionne, you ready to do it?" she called out in question.
"Breeon!" the Pop Star Pokémon yipped excitedly in response. Erika crossed her arms, making the Z-Crystal glow before performing the poses necessary. Brionne mimicked her trainer's motions before they both finally finished with the z-shaped pose. The Z-Power energy streaked out to Brionne in several streaks of orange light, with the Z-Move symbol flashing in front of her once she absorbed it.
"All right…" Erika began, pumping her right fist forwards, "Breakneck Blitz!" she bellowed. Brionne zoomed through the water at full speed, heading right for Wishiwashi.
"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" he roared before unleashing a huge gush of water from his mouth. Unfortunately for him, Brionne zoomed straight through the water, slamming into his head fiercely.
"BREEEAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" she screamed out as she went straight through the Small Fry Pokémon, causing him to completely burst as the schooling form separated into hundreds of Wishiwashi. They all splashed into the water below, much like the rain coming down.
"Wh-Whoa…" Erika stuttered in shock. There were so many Wishiwashi that had come together to take the form of the Totem. Just then, the rain started to settle.
"Foh mah…" Fomantis uttered with sparkling eyes. After seeing Brionne's Z-Move, she was enamored with the idea of trying one herself… The rain finally stopped, and the clouds cleared to reveal to now orange sky as the sun was setting in the distance.
"Bree…" Brionne uttered out of surprise. She didn't think they were at the brooklet for that long!
"Washee, wash!" one of the Wishiwashi cried out, catching her attention as she saw him appear to beckon her over. They swam back over to Lapras moments later. "Wasee!" the Small Fry Pokémon squeaked, catching Erika's attention as she hopped off of the harness, leaning over the edge of the Transport Pokémon's shell.
"Hey… what'zzz in his mouth?" Rotom asked, gesturing towards an object resting upon the Wishiwashi's tongue. Erika narrowed her eyes and then gasped excitedly.
"It's a Z-Crystal!" she exclaimed, reaching down and taking it out of Wishiwashi's mouth. It was indeed the Waterium Z like the ones Trent and Paige had, gleaming in the light of the sunset. Erika then looked back at the Wishiwashi. "Thanks for the battle!" she said in gratitude, "You're a lot tougher than I thought you'd be!" she admitted.
"Wash!" Wishiwashi squeaked happily in response before he dove back into the water, swimming after his brethren. Erika looked at the Z-Crystal resting in the palm of her hand.
"Our second trial down…" she realized, smiling widely, "Great job, girls!" she complimented to Brionne and Fomantis.
"Foh ma!" the Sickle Grass Pokémon squeaked, lunging out to hug her trainer in joy. Unfortunately, she practically slammed into her back too hard, causing them to both fall into the water with a splash.
"Ah, Erika!" Rotom gasped. The trial-goer and her Fomantis resurfaced seconds later, breathing quickly for air. They then stared at each other before laughing heartily, holding each other close as Brionne joined in on the hug. Watching from afar, Lana smiled.
"What an interesting girl…" she noted to herself.
X
"AHCHOO!" Erika sneezed, "Ugh…" she groaned, wrapped in a light brown blanket as she was seated upon the couch in the Pokémon Center.
"Here you go!" Hau offered, handing her a mug of steaming cocoa.
"Thanks…" she replied in gratitude, taking the mug's handle into her blanketed hands before taking a sip of the piping hot cocoa. She wasn't fazed at all by the heat spilling into her mouth, as she was cold from being drenched.
"So the totem was a Wishiwashi?" her cousin inquired, while Calvin and Lana walked over with Brionne and Fomantis following them.
"Yeah, a huge school of 'em!" Erika replied, "And there was an Alomomola that tried to get in our way, but Fomantis totally saved Brionne and helped us beat Wishiwashi!" she pointed out emphatically as she stood up.
"Full of energy as always," Lana noted, catching their attentions as they looked over, "Erika, I didn't get the chance to show you how to use that Z-Crystal, right?" she inquired to the trial-goer. She blushed sheepishly, realizing that before the trial captain could show her the poses for the Water type Z-Move, she had hurried off back to the Pokémon Center to get Brionne and Fomantis healed.
"That's my sister for ya…" Calvin noted with a sigh and shake of his head, "She's always impatient…" he remarked.
"HEY!" Erika yelled angrily.
"Anyways, this is the pose for the Z-Move," Lana chimed in, swinging her arms around after crossing them over her chest with the Z-Ring facing out. She then made her arms move like waves of water before having both at her right side.
"All recorded for future reference, zzt!" Rotom buzzed as it floated over, "Now you've got three different Z-Movezzz to use, Erika!" it pointed out.
"Yeah!" Erika responded with a nod, "And we're only gonna keep getting better from here on out!" she declared, "Right, girls?" she guessed to her teammates.
"Breeah!" Brionne firmly agreed. However, Fomantis didn't respond, enticing everyone to look over and see her sleeping… while standing up!
"Aw, not again…" Erika groaned. The quirks of her newest Pokémon were… interesting to say the least…
ENDING
"Cascade" by Unlimits
0:00 – 0:11 = Opens with Calvin and Erika as children, playing together in their shared room while a happy Leslie watches. She starts to reminisce about all the good times she's had before her siblings arrived…
0:12 – 0:18 = Cuts to various scenes of the landmarks in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, Alola, and Galar.
0:19 – 0:31 = We continue with Leslie receiving a Snivy as her first Pokémon from her parents, followed by being wished off as she decided to travel to Unova. There, she battles her new rival, Hugh, and his Tepig.
0:32 – 0:47 = Leslie is walking down a pathway with Snivy following her, but the scene constantly changes with Riolu, Magnemite, Magby, Sandile, and Spheal appearing beside her, evolving into their final forms. Leslie then comes to a stop as she spots Team Plasma's ship overhead, taking on a serious expression in preparation for battle.
0:48 – 1:01 = Cuts to her Walrein using Ice Beam to freeze up some of Team Plasma's Pokémon aboard the ship, followed by Magnezone discharging bolts of electricity. Magmortar blasts back a Weavile with a stream of flames, while Lucario fights hand-to-hand with an Absol before blowing him away with an Aura Sphere. We then see Leslie go up against Black Kyurem and Ghetsis with Serperior and Krookodile by her side. She smiles confidently, commanding them into battle as they lunge out at Kyurem.
1:02 – 1:07 = What follows is a scene of Calvin and Erika excitedly being escorted into a stadium by their parents to watch their big sister's battle for the Unova Championship.
1:08 – 1:19 = As Iris and Leslie take their respective positions on the large battlefield, the Ketchum girl adjusts her visor and gives off a wave to her parents. She then takes out a Poké Ball and fires it onto the field.
1:20 – 1:30 = Cut to today where Leslie sees her brother and sister battling in a stadium, smiling happily out of how proud she is of them…
END ENDING
Yep! An ending fit for Leslie! Hopefully, I'll come up with the short about how she defeated Iris one day…
But until then, here's a summary for next time!
SUMMARY
As Erika decides to head off towards Wela Volcano next, Calvin is ready to take on Brooklet Hill's trial! But as he's heading there, he stumbles across a lost Dewpider…
Meanwhile, Erika and Hau head on over to the Battle Royal Dome, where they run into Gladion and the famous wrestler, the Masked Royal! But wait! Does Erika know who this masked man really is?!