Hey everyone! Did you all miss this story? I know I did!
After a lot of time with "RWBY: Omni Force", "Omni Force: HEROES RISING", and "Omni Force: JUSTICE", I'm really glad to be getting back into this story. And what a great time, too! The Pokémon anime has gotten interesting as of late. Though, the fandom's still a tad upset with how Goh seems to be stealing the spotlight away from Ash.
For me, I'm not all that concerned with it. I like Goh, unlike most people. He's a unique character, and he's voiced by some of my favorite voice actors in both sub and dub!
But enough about that. Last time we left off with this story, Erika was getting ready to have her grand trial battle against Olivia! So without further delay, let's get right into the next story!
POKÉMON SUN & MOON
THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME
"Hup!" Erika grunted as she hopped up and down while doing her jumping jacks in the middle of the room. It was early in the morning at the Pokémon Center. She was dressed and ready to head out for the day. She was ready to take on her grand trial.
Asleep in the same room was Lillie, who was cuddling with a doll of a Clefairy in her hands. Erika was happy to have shared the room with her blonde-haired friend. Once a person she didn't care much more, now Lillie was someone she wanted to help. Even if she was being a little selfish by not trying to help herself…
'I wonder what really got her so spooked yesterday…' she inwardly noted, looking back at the professor's assistant, 'I doubt it was just because of a Pokémon…' she added through her thoughts.
"Mmm…" Lillie suddenly moaned as her eyes fluttered open, "Erika…?" she uttered out tiredly as she lifted her head off of the pillow, "Where's Nebby?" she asked in concern. Her friend gave off a grin.
"Don't worry, it's fine," she assured, looking over to see the Cosmog fast asleep within Lillie's duffel bag. Rotom was also asleep, lying atop a dresser. A while later, the two girls were dressed for the day as they enjoyed breakfast in the common area with Calvin and Hau.
"So you two battled against some of the trial captains?" Lillie inquired to the two boys, who had mentioned their tag battle yesterday.
"Yeah," Calvin replied, "Lana and Mallow's Pokémon were really tough…" he admitted sheepishly.
"But your Araquanid was even more amazing!" Hau pointed out excitedly, "If I'm being honest, I think Tutu would be really impressed with you…" he mentioned, sounding a little upset.
"Hau…" his male cousin uttered in concern.
"We had a tough battle ourselves yesterday…" Erika chimed in, continuing the conversation as she caught their attentions.
"What happened?" Hau asked curiously. The pigtailed girl looked over to Brionne, who was happily eating her breakfast alongside her teammates and the other Pokémon of the trial-goers. Though she emerged victorious in the bout yesterday, it shouldn't have been so difficult.
"We fought against a lady who was in Team Skull," Erika told the two boys, "Apparently, she's like a… vice-leader to those guys…" she mentioned.
"A vice-leader?" her brother repeated.
"Brionne and I beat her," she pointed out, "but her Salandit kept catching us off guard way too many times," she noted, "We only won because of our Z-Move…" she admitted in frustration.
"Eri…" Hau uttered worriedly. However, his cousin cracked a grin as she stood up from her seat.
"But we won all the same," she said, "And we'll win today, too!" she declared firmly while clenching her right fist, "Right, guys?" she asked of her teammates.
"Breeon!" Brionne yipped excitedly as crumbs of her food were littered around her mouth. Calvin looked at his twin sister and smiled. Even in times of doubt, she always managed to stay so upbeat and confident. Just then, the sliding doors to the Pokémon Center opened.
"Alola, everyone!" Olivia's voice greeted, catching their attentions as they saw her enter with Nia behind her, "I sure hope a certain someone's ready to—!" At that moment, she tripped on a loose floor tile. "WAH!" she yelped, falling towards the floor.
"Olivia!" Erika cried out. Thankfully, her Lycanroc lunged over and caught her safely in his arms. He helped push her back onto her feet as she blinked in surprise.
"Oh, thank you!" she exclaimed in gratitude to the Wolf Pokémon, who sheepishly scratched at his cheek afterwards with his right paw.
"Phew…" Erika exhaled in relief.
"Honestly, Olivia…" Nia began in a huff, putting her hands onto her hips, "I know you're probably as eager as your challenger is," she pointed out, "but that's no reason to go rushing on in!" she reprimanded.
"Right, right…" the island kahuna repeated in understanding as she sheepishly rubbed the back of her head.
"Miss Olivia?" Erika suddenly said, catching her attention as she saw the challenger approach her, "Is it time for the grand trial?" she guessed with a grin. The kahuna grinned back.
"Of course, Erika," she replied, "But don't think it's going to be easy…" she advised with narrowed eyes, "My adorable Rock-types'll have your team in quite a bind…" she remarked confidently.
"We'll see about that…" Erika retorted with a smirk.
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, Gumshoos, Trumbeak, and Araquanid resting beneath a shady tree, with the Fire Cat Pokémon sleeping contently on her trainer's lap. Cubone is off to the side shattering rocks with his bone until Araquanid traps him in a Spider Web out of annoyance. Bounsweet bounces over and pushes Torracat away, fighting her for Calvin's affection
0:46 – 0:57 = Cuts to Erika training with Brionne and Lycanroc, while Fomantis is asleep on the sunny grass. It's only when Drifblim decides to float over her that she wakes up, mad that the Balloon Pokémon is blocking out the sunlight. Meanwhile, Oricorio is dancing off to the side as Magby watches in wonder.
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.
END OPENING
Rocky Revolution!
"Erika'zzz already having her battle?" Rotom buzzed in question as it floated beside Calvin and the others as they ventured along the Konikoni streets towards the city square.
"Olivia came by early to see if she was ready!" Hau replied, "And no doubt she's psyched for today!" he mentioned with a pump of his right fist.
"I hope she wins like she did against Hala," Lillie commented. That surprised Calvin as he blinked.
"I thought you didn't like battles…" he noted curiously, catching her attention.
"Oh, I just don't like seeing Pokémon get hurt…" she responded, "But… when I see how some Pokémon are trying their best for the sake of their trainers," she continued as she smiled, "I think it shows just how willing they are to do their best," she pointed out, letting off a giggle. Calvin grinned.
"Yeah," he agreed.
"Against Rock-type Pokémon, Erika only hazzz three zzzhe could use…" Rotom noted as it floated next to Hau.
"Mm-hmm," he responded with a nod, "And Olivia probably has strategies for dealing with types her team'll have a hard time against…" he added, "But knowing Eri, she'll be just fine!" he pointed out with a wide smile.
"She was certainly eager to challenge Olivia when they first met back in Heahea…" Lillie recalled. Just then, the group noticed a large crowd of people gathered ahead of them.
"Whoa," Calvin uttered in surprise as he blinked rapidly.
"It looks like everyone'zzz here to see today'zzz grand trial…" Rotom buzzed.
"Aw, we're never gonna get a good view back here!" Hau complained, having to jump up to just get a glimpse of what was going on the square. Meanwhile, Lillie clutched the strap of her duffel bag nervously. The anxiety she had felt yesterday was building up again. And Calvin noticed.
"You okay?" he asked in concern, getting her attention.
"Um… well…" she tried to respond, glancing away in shame.
"Heyyy!" a familiar voice called out, catching their attentions as they looked over to see Mallow waving to them afar, "Over here, you guys!" she beckoned.
"Hey, it's Mallow!" Hau exclaimed as he hurriedly jogged over, with Rotom, Calvin and Lillie to follow. With the Grass-type trial captain was Lana, along with two little girls that were very similar to the Water-type trial captain. Both wore small yellow headbands on their heads. Differentiating them were the respective Shellder and Slowpoke shirts they had, along with one having less hairy tips than the other.
"Good to see you!" Mallow exclaimed as Hau and others gathered with them, "Guessing you're psyched for today's match, huh?" she inquired with a smile.
"Yep!" Hau eagerly responded, flashing his own toothy grin.
"Hey Lana," Calvin greeted, "Who are these two?" he asked as he looked down at the pair of little girls identical to her.
"They're my younger twin sisters," the Water-type trial captain replied as she put a hand on each sibling's head, "Harper and Sarah," she introduced, "You two, this is Calvin," she said as they were looking curiously at the Ketchum boy. And after a moment…
"Is he your boyfriend?" they both suddenly asked. Instantaneously, Lana's face went red.
"N-N-No, he's not!" she stuttered defiantly in response. Calvin was somewhat flabbergasted by how the twins had asked such a question so brazenly. He wondered if he and Erika ever acted that way when they were younger…
"Lillie, right?" Mallow inquired as she skipped over to the professor's assistant, getting her attention, "You excited for the battle today?" she questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"I-I guess so…" Lillie stuttered in response, "I hope that Erika wins…" she admitted, letting a grin cross her face.
"May I have your attention, please!" a familiar voice cried out, causing everyone in the crowd to perk up and look to see Nia walking out towards the center of the open square, "Thank you all for coming out today!" she exclaimed in gratitude, "We'll be starting our grand trial match shortly!" she announced.
"Oh, it'zzz starting!" Rotom buzzed.
"First, the challenger!" Nia exclaimed, gesturing to her left, "We have Erika from the Kanto region!" she announced as the pigtailed girl walked onto the stone square before taking her position, adjusting her hat.
"Kanto?" one man in the crowd said in surprise.
"She must be pretty strong to challenge Olivia of all people…" another commented.
"And next, our beloved kahuna!" Nia continued, gesturing to her right, "Miss Olivia!" she exclaimed as the Rock-type trainer ventured out onto the square across from Erika. She put her right hand on her hip, grinning at the pigtailed girl. The crowd was cheering with excitement.
"Olivia's really popular, huh?" Calvin noted as he glanced around, "I don't remember this many people showing up for our grand trials against Hala…" he mentioned.
"Mm-hmm," Lana responded with a nod, "Grand trials on Akala Island are usually held so that people from all regions can see what the island challenge is like," she explained, "Olivia always makes sure to give it her all in each of these battles, too," she mentioned, "So I'm wondering how your sister's planning to try and best her…" she pointed out with narrowed eyes.
"Yeah, me too…" Calvin agreed.
"This grand trial will be a three-on-three battle that will end when all three of one side's Pokémon are unable to continue!" Nia explained as her voice echoed amidst the murmuring crowd, "Furthermore, only the challenger is allowed to make substitutions," she added.
"I hope you're ready to try and overcome the rockslide that we have in store for you, Erika!" Olivia called out, enlarging an Ultra Ball in her right hand.
"We're not backing down now, Olivia!" her challenger responded eagerly as she readied a Poké Ball, "We'll win this grand trial and move on to the next island!" she declared. Olivia let off a laugh.
"Let's see if you can then," she suggested, flinging the Ultra Ball forward, "Come out, Nosepass!" she yelled. The container opened, and the light that flew out from it formed upon the ground, dissipating to reveal the Compass Pokémon.
"Nohhh…" she hummed.
"A Nosepass, huh?" Hau noted curiously as he blinked. Rotom loaded an image of the Compass Pokémon upon its screen.
"Nosepass, the Compass Pokémon," it began, "She uses powerful magnetism to drag her prey toward her. She's also been known to pull in metal, which she collects and uses to protect herself. She moves less than an inch a year, but when she's in a jam, she will spin and drill down into the ground in a split second," it explained thoroughly.
"All right, now to see what Erika's gonna do!" Mallow exclaimed excitedly. The pigtailed trial-goer reeled her arm back.
"Brionne, let's go!" she shouted as she side-armed her Poké Ball forward, letting it pop open. The light that spilled out from it formed upon the ground, dissipating to reveal the Pop Star Pokémon.
"Breeah!" she yipped happily. Calvin and Lana blinked in surprise.
"Brionne's up first?" the former questioned curiously, confused by the decision. Olivia seemed to be a little surprised as well.
'I guess after she fought that Team Skull person, she decided not to rely on Brionne too heavily…' she inwardly noted, grinning a little.
"Let the battle…" Nia began while raising her right arm up, "begin!" she exclaimed, swinging her arm down.
"Nosepass, Rock Slide!" Olivia commanded. Multiple white orbs of energy suddenly appeared around the Compass Pokémon. The orbs then became large gray rocks with white outlines that were then launched towards Brionne.
"Dodge with Aqua Jet!" Erika quickly instructed.
"Ohn!" Brionne barked, enveloping herself in a torrent of water as she rocketed forward. She weaved her way through the oncoming rocks with ease, colliding with Nosepass fiercely and blowing her back.
"Nohhh…" she grunted, managing to stay on her feet as she shook slightly.
"Impressive…" Olivia commented, "Use Thunder Wave!" she called out. From her nose, Nosepass unleashed several yellow rings of light that headed towards Brionne.
"Dodge and use Bubble Beam!" Erika yelled. Adhering to the order, the Pop Star Pokémon leapt over the incoming rings. She reeled her head back and fired off a rapid stream of bubbles that struck Nosepass, enveloping her within an explosion of steam.
"Heh," Olivia chuckled. She was undoubtedly amazed at how quickly Erika had gotten her Pokémon put into a corner. Even so, she wasn't about to lose so easily. "Nosepass, Rest!" she shouted.
"Nohhh…" the Compass Pokémon yawned as she stood still in the dissipating cloud of steam, falling fast asleep. As the cloud cleared, Erika blinked in surprise to see the greenish light flowing up her body.
"By using Rest, Nosepazzz'll have her health completely restored!" Rotom pointed out.
"But that leaves her a sitting Ducklett for Brionne!" Hau added as he clenched his fists.
"Bubble Beam again!" Erika ordered as she swung her right arm out. Brionne fired off another stream of bubbles that struck the sleeping Nosepass one after another. However, she barely budged as her feet remained planted against the stone ground beneath her feet.
"That Nosepass can sure take some hits…" Calvin noted as he grimaced a little.
"Mmm," Lana hummed, nodding in agreement, "Rock-types tend to be quite defensive," she pointed out while narrowing her eyes.
"Now Aqua Jet!" Erika commanded. Immersing herself within another torrent of water, Brionne rocketed out towards Nosepass and slammed into her fiercely, pushing her back along the ground.
"Yeah, nice one!" Hau complimented from afar.
"Way to go, Brionne!" Rotom cheered as it waved its arms. However…
"Noh…" Nosepass' voice echoed out, causing the Pop Star Pokémon to gasp in surprise. Meanwhile, Olivia cracked a grin.
"Right now, your strength is in your speed and power…" she noted, swinging her right arm out, "so we'll just have to cut that!" she declared, "Thunder Wave!" she called out. From the tip of her nose, Nosepass unleashed rings of yellow light that struck Brionne, making a yellowish energy appear around her body before electricity sparked upon it.
"Bree…!" she yipped out in agony, clenching her teeth together.
"Brionne!" her trainer exclaimed with worry.
"As expected of Olivia…" Mallow commented, "She makes up for type disadvantages by using tactics to hinder her opponents," she explained.
"Thunder Wave paralyzes targetzzz that it hitzzz!" Rotom pointed out emphatically.
"Now Spark!" Olivia commanded.
"Nohhh…" Nosepass began as she had yellow electricity crackle around her body, "PAHHH!" she exclaimed, lunging forward and tackling Brionne.
"BREEEEAAAAAAHHHH!" she screamed as she was blown back with sparks of electricity appearing all over his body.
"Brionne!" Erika cried out.
"And an Electric-type move…" Calvin noted from afar.
"That's our kahuna for you!" one man yelled out excitedly.
"Catching a Water-type off guard like that makes her all the more amazing!" a woman added.
"What are you going to do now, Erika?" Lillie wondered worriedly, clutching the strap of her bag tightly in her hands.
"Breeahh…" Brionne groaned, wincing as the electricity sparked around her body. Her trainer grimaced.
'What now?' she asked herself, 'Nosepass could use Rest again at any point and we'd be back at square one!' she noted inwardly, 'On top of that, Brionne being paralyzed makes this match all the harder…' she added through her thoughts.
"Bree!" the Pop Star Pokémon suddenly yipped, causing Erika to blink and look out at her. She simply nodded assuredly in spite of the electricity sparking upon her form. Her trainer cracked a grin, nodding back.
"We'll keep going!" she stated firmly, "Brionne, Bubble Beam!" she ordered. Arching her head back, the Pop Star Pokémon swung it forward before unleashing a stream of bubbles out towards Nosepass.
"My, you're feisty…" Olivia commented quietly, "Rock Slide!" she commanded, enticing Nosepass to make more orbs of energy appear around her body before they formed into large rocks with whitish outlines. She flung them out, and they collided with the bubbles in a fierce blast of smoke.
"Now Aqua Jet!" Erika yelled as she pumped her left fist back. Immersing herself in water and rocketing through the smoke, Brionne slammed right into Nosepass head on in spite of the electricity still sparking around her body.
"Spark!" Olivia ordered.
"Nohhh…" Nosepass began as yellow electricity was crackling over her body, "PAAAAHHHH!" she yelled as she struck Brionne at her chin head first, sending her spinning up into the air.
"Ah!" Lillie gasped in fright.
"Stay strong, Brionne!" Erika called out, "Use Disarming Voice!" she commanded. The Pop Star Pokémon let her eyes jolt open.
"Breee…" she began to echo as her nose glowed a bright pink, "OHHHNNNNN!" she screamed, unleashing a ray of pinkish-purple hearts of energy down onto Nosepass. They struck, causing her to slide back a few steps.
"Eri and Brionne are really giving it their all…" Hau pointed out.
"But it'zzz only a matter of time before Olivia has Nosepazzz use Rest again…" Rotom buzzed in addition.
"So what are you gonna, Erika?" Mallow wondered aloud in a whisper with a grin.
"We're not finished yet!" the pigtailed trial-goer yelled, "Bubble Beam!" she ordered fiercely. In spite of grimacing from the electricity around her body, Brionne arched her head back once more before firing a stream of bubbles down at her opponent.
"Use Rest!" Olivia called out. As Nosepass shut her eyes, the bubbles struck in a powerful blast that resulted in white smoke. Brionne finally landed down in front of Erika, breathing heavily as the electricity around her body was sparking heavily. Once the smoke cleared, it looked as if Nosepass was still standing.
"Uh oh…" Erika uttered in realization as she grimaced. Olivia chuckled.
"That was a spectacular showing, Erika," she complimented, "But now it's our turn!" she declared, "Nosepass, Spark!" she ordered. However, the Compass Pokémon didn't move. In fact, she didn't do anything… "Nosepass?" her trainer uttered out in confusion. Everyone in the crowd blinked in surprise. And then…
"Nohhh…" Nosepass groaned as she toppled over onto her back, having swirls in her eyes. Olivia gasped in disbelief.
"Nosepass is unable to battle!" Nia announced, "Brionne wins!" she added, gesturing to her left.
"Alright!" Erika exclaimed as she clenched her right fist with a smile.
"Bree… ah…" Brionne exhaled in relief.
"Way to go, Erika!" Calvin cheered from afar.
"She's gotten much stronger…" Lana commented, blinking in surprise.
"Sissy, is she stronger than you?" Harper and Sarah both wondered curiously.
"I bet she is…" the Water-type trial captain admitted in response, "She and Calvin are twins, just like you two," she mentioned as she smiled. Both little girls beamed excitedly.
"Go for it, trial-goer!" Harper cheered, pumping up her right fist.
"Yeah, go!" Sarah cried out excitedly.
"Ah… ah…" Brionne breathed out raggedly, wincing every few seconds from the electricity sparking around her form.
'Brionne's not gonna be able to last much longer…' her trainer realized, 'especially if Olivia's gonna try another trick like that Thunder Wave…' she added inwardly, seeing the kahuna return the defeated Nosepass to her Ultra Ball in a beam of red light.
"Thank you for the hard work, Nosepass," she said in gratitude, putting the container back onto her belt, "I must admit, I'm impressed!" she exclaimed with a smile, "Even paralyzed and attacked by Electric-type moves, your Brionne still managed to prevail!" she pointed out, "Your team is amazing!" she added in a complimentary tone.
"Hmmm…" Erika hummed in thought.
'If her team of Rock-types have their own strategies in battle like with Hala, then I need to find a way to work around them,' she told herself, 'And we gotta look out for her Lycanroc…' she added inwardly. She took out Brionne's Poké Ball.
"Take a break, Brionne!" she insisted, catching the Pop Star Pokémon's attention as she turned towards her, "I'll have you back in if I need you!" she added. Brionne grimaced in frustration. In spite of winning the first battle, she wanted to keep going… But she knew it'd be hard to continue in her current state.
"Bree…" she grunted out as she turned around to Erika. She smiled.
"You did great, Brionne," she assured, "Take a nice long rest," she advised, returning the Pop Star Pokémon to her Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"Hmm…" Calvin hummed curiously with concern in his tone. He could hear the murmurs of the crowd, saying how impressed they were with Erika's first victory. But at the same time, he could hear others say Olivia wasn't done just yet. And it certainly seemed like she was only getting started.
"Not bad, Erika…" she remarked to her opponent, taking out another Ultra Ball and enlarging it by pressing its center button, "but let's see how your team handles what else we've got in store!" she insisted. The pigtailed trial-goer grinned as she prepared another Poké Ball after putting Brionne's away.
"We're just getting started, too!" she announced.
X
Watching the grand trial from afar atop a hill was Plumeria. After her battle against Erika yesterday, she had grown interested in her. Or at least interested enough to keep an eye on her. After all, she had been beating members of Team Skull left and right, so she was a problem.
'That girl could be a problem for the boss…' she admitted inwardly, 'but I doubt he'll ever have much trouble…' she assured to herself. Down on the battlefield, Olivia reeled her arm back.
"Boldore, go!" she yelled, flinging her Ultra Ball forward. It popped open, and the light that poured out from it landed upon the ground, coming into shape. It then dissipated, revealing the Ore Pokémon.
"Dor!" he exclaimed.
"Whoa, a Boldore!" Hau yelped in surprise.
"Just like the one my dad has…" Calvin commented. Meanwhile, Rotom had an image of the Ore Pokémon appear upon its screen.
"Boldore, the Ore Pokémon," it began, "He explores caves in search of underground water. He's not comfortable around water, so this Pokémon takes great care in lapping it up. His orange crystals are lumps of powerful energy. They're valuable, so Boldore is sometimes targeted for them," it explained thoroughly.
"So what's Erika gonna do now?" Mallow wondered with a grin. Erika launched her Poké Ball from her hand in a sidearm motion. It opened up, with its light spilling onto the ground and taking form. It dissipated to reveal Fomantis.
"Foh mah!" she squeaked out.
"Oh, it's Fomantis!" Hau exclaimed.
"And she'zzz actually awake!" Rotom buzzed in addition.
"Now a Grass-type…" Olivia noted, letting off a little giggle.
'I guess that means she's saving her Lycanroc for mine…' she realized.
"Okay Fomantis, let's get this next win!" Erika yelled as she clenched her fists.
"Mahn tee!" the Sickle Grass Pokémon responded, readying her blade-like arms.
"I suppose we'll get things started again," Olivia decided, swinging her right arm out, "Boldore, Mud-Slap!" she commanded.
"Bolll…" the Ore Pokémon began as he slid the tips of his front two limbs against the ground, "DOR!" he exclaimed, making small waves of mud fly out towards Fomantis.
"Dodge and use Leaf Blade!" Erika instructed quickly. Jumping up, the Sickle Grass Pokémon evaded the incoming mud before making her right, scythe-like arm glow a bright green and extend.
"Iron Defense!" Olivia called out. Coating himself in a metallic color, Boldore stood still as he took a fierce slash from his opponent, not budging an inch.
"Foh?!" Fomantis exclaimed in disbelief, while Erika widened her eyes.
"No way!" Calvin yelped as he and Hau were both shocked.
"Boldore's are known to be quite sturdy…" Lana mentioned as she narrowed her eyes.
"Now Headbutt!" Olivia commanded. Boldore suddenly lunged forward at Fomantis, slamming into her head on.
"Fomantis!" Erika cried out, seeing her go flying before hitting the ground hard and tumbling to a stop in front of her.
"Foh… mah…" she grunted, managing to stand back up after a moment.
"Now that's a Headbutt!" one man exclaimed in excitement.
"Bet she didn't see that coming!" another remarked. The crowd was now getting excited for Olivia again. In the meantime, Erika grimaced.
'If Fomantis' attacks aren't strong enough with that defense he has, then we'll have to amp it!' she decided inwardly, regaining a serious expression.
"Fomantis, Growth!" she yelled.
"Foh!" the Sickle Grass Pokémon squeaked, making a greenish glow appear upon her body before a reddish light flowed up her form.
"So she's raising Fomantis' attack and special attack to try and counter Boldore's defense buff…" Mallow noted curiously, putting her hand onto her chin.
"Not a bad idea…" Olivia commented from afar, "but you should've done that earlier," she remarked, causing Erika to blink in surprise, "Rock Slide!" she ordered. Many white orbs of light orbited around Boldore before they transformed into rocks with whitish outlines. The Ore Pokémon then shot them forwards. Just as Fomantis had finished preparing herself, she was bombarded by the rocks as they piled on over her.
"FOMANTIS!" Erika screamed.
"Keep it up, Boldore!" Olivia insisted. The Ore Pokémon formed more rocks, firing them off as they added to the building pile over his opponent.
"Oh no…" Calvin uttered in worry.
"Hmm…" Lana hummed.
"Is that Fomantis gonna be okay?" Harper wondered.
"That looked bad…" Sarah added nervously. As the barrage of rocks finally ceased, Erika gritted her teeth in frustration.
"Fomantis…" she uttered out, appearing to whisper something. Calvin noticed and blinked in surprise. What his twin sister say?
'I'm surprised she hasn't called for an attack yet…' Olivia inwardly admitted, 'Does she think her Pokémon already lost?' she wondered. At that moment…
"Leaf Blade!" Erika commanded fiercely. In just an instant, the pile of rocks burst apart. Everyone gasped in surprise, widening their eyes. Even Olivia was left shocked. When the dust settled, it revealed Fomantis standing there with her right, scythe-like arm brimming in a bright green light.
"Wait…" Olivia uttered, narrowing her eyes as she took notice of something else about the Sickle Grass Pokémon. There were roots attached to her back that went into the ground!
'So she had Fomantis use Ingrain to regain health while stockpiling power with Growth!' the kahuna realized as her mouth gaped open a little, 'And while taking those Rock Slides…' she recalled, looking out at her foe and her partner, 'Now that's really impressive…' she noted to herself.
"Fomantis, Fury Cutter!" Erika commanded as she pumped her right fist forward. Now with both scythe-like arms glowing a yellowish-green, the Sickle Grass Pokémon lunged forward.
"Boldore, Iron Defense!" Olivia shouted quickly. Another metallic coating shrouded the Ore Pokémon's body before Fomantis slashed at him. He slid back a few inches.
"No dice!" Hau exclaimed with a grimace.
"But it lookzzz like Fomantis managed to push him back!" Rotom pointed out.
"Erika's a real sharp strategist!" Mallow complimented, "Never thought she'd play so smart after she took on my trial…" she remarked in admittance.
"Nor did I…" Lana agreed. In the meantime, Calvin looked on with amazement. His twin sister was holding her own with her team.
"Fury Cutter again!" she yelled out. Fomantis had her arms continue to glow a bright yellowish-green as she slashed at Boldore over and over, pushing him back inch by inch.
"Boll…" he grunted out, sounding strained from taking so many attacks.
"And zzzince Fury Cutter gets stronger when it'zzz used over and over, Boldore'zzz defense won't matter!" Rotom added excitedly.
"Use Mud-Slap!" Olivia ordered quickly. Digging his front right limb against the ground, Boldore slid it forward and made a wave of mud splash onto Fomantis' face.
"Foh…!" she squeaked out as she jumped back, trying to wipe the mud away with her arms.
"Now Headbutt!" Olivia commanded. Boldore lunged forward and slammed head on into Fomantis again, making her fly back a few yards as she landed on the ground and skidded to a stop on her feet.
"You good, Fomantis?" Erika called out in question.
"Mah!" the Sickle Grass Pokémon responded with a nod, shaking her head to remove the mud from her face.
"You're still as resilient as ever…" Olivia remarked with a giggle, "Boldore, Rock Slide!" she commanded. More orbs of white light orbited around the Ore Pokémon before forming into rocks with whitish outlines. They shot out one after another towards Fomantis.
"Knock 'em away with Leaf Blade!" Erika instructed.
"Foh mahh!" Fomantis squeaked, making both of her scythe-like arms shine in a bright green light as they extended and sharpened. She slashed through each of the oncoming rocks one after another, hopping past others in her charge towards Boldore. Olivia gave off a frustrated look.
"Headbutt!" she commanded quickly.
"Leaf Blade!" Erika ordered. Both Boldore and Fomantis lunged out mightily at each other. The latter of the two slashed at her opponent, passing by him as she landed down on the ground at the same time as he did.
"Fohh…" she squeaked out in pain, wincing as she faltered forward. However…
"Bolll…" Boldore groaned as he fell down completely. Swirls were in his empty eyes.
"Boldore is unable to battle!" Nia announced after taking a moment to assess what had happened, raising her left arm up, "Fomantis wins!" she exclaimed, gesturing towards the Sickle Grass Pokémon.
"Oh, wow!" Mallow yelped in surprise, blinking rapidly.
"Erika's already got a two-to-nothing advantage on Olivia…" Lana noted, shocked as well.
"That girl's super strong!" Harper exclaimed.
"Yeah! Really strong!" Sarah added excitedly.
"Way to go, Fomantis!" Hau cheered as he pumped up his fists.
"Even with the type advantage, I didn't think zzzhe'd win…" Rotom admitted as he blinked.
"She really is amazing…" Lillie pointed out as her eyes sparkled. In the meantime, Olivia let out a sigh as she returned Boldore to his Ultra Ball in beam of red light.
"Thanks for your hard work, Boldore," she said in gratitude, "Now take a good long rest, okay?" she advised before putting the Ultra Ball away onto her belt. On the other side of the field, Fomantis had skipped back to Erika.
"Nice job, Fomantis!" she complimented happily to the Sickle Grass Pokémon as she crouched down to her eye level, "You wanna keep going?" she inquired curiously.
"Mahhh~…" Fomantis yawned in response as her eyelids drooped a little. With the sunlight beating down on her, she wanted nothing more than to sleep. And even though she was somewhat annoyed for a moment, Erika couldn't help but let out a giggle.
"I figured as much…" she concluded, taking out Fomantis' Poké Ball, "Take a good break," she insisted, returning the Sickle Grass Pokémon to the container in a beam of red light. She then stood back up, placing the Poké Ball onto her belt as she looked out at Olivia.
"I guess your eagerness wasn't overconfidence…" the kahuna realized, "You and your team are really strong!" she complimented.
"Thanks!" Erika responded with a giggle, "But I know it's not over yet," she pointed out, "And I know who's up next…" she mentioned as she readied one more Poké Ball by pressing its center button.
"Of course you do…" Olivia muttered with a chuckle, taking out her last Ultra Ball and enlarging it. Both trainers reeled their arms back.
"Go Lycanroc!" they exclaimed simultaneously, throwing their respective Poké Balls into the air. They popped open, and the lights that came forth from them spilled out onto the ground, coming into form and dissipating to reveal both Wolf Pokémon.
"RRAAAAAAHHHHHHHKKKKK!" they roared simultaneously, glaring at each other with their crimson eyes.
X
"Two Lycanroc?!" Mallow exclaimed, "Whoa, this just got really exciting!" she pointed out with clenched fists of anticipation.
"Mm-hmm," Lana agreed with a nod.
"Eri's Lycanroc against Olivia's…" Hau uttered, "I wonder who's gonna win!" he yelled excitedly.
"Since both of them are Rock-typezzz, it'll come down who'zzz stronger!" Rotom mentioned.
"Go, go, Lycanroc!" Harper and Sarah cheered. In the meantime, both Calvin and Lillie said nothing as they watched on nervously. The former could hear the crowd murmuring with anticipation. They were saying things along the lines of never seeing a challenger push Olivia so far to being excited for a battle between two Lycanroc. Both Wolf Pokémon stalked each other carefully, growling as they gnashed their teeth and glared fiercely.
'Seeing how Olivia's Lycanroc didn't seem to have that tough of a time the other day…' Calvin inwardly recalled, noting how the Z-Move of the kahuna's Wolf Pokémon was able to easily finish off a challenger's Haunter in a previous bout, 'this is probably gonna be the hardest battle for Erika to get through…' he said to himself.
"Erika…" Lillie uttered, clutching the strap of her duffel bag tightly. The wind rushed by Plumeria's hair as she looked on intently. Both Lycanroc came to a stop.
"Lyy…" Olivia's scoffed with a sneer, waving his left paw in a goading manner to his opponent.
"Rrrrr…" Erika's Lycanroc growled in response, taking a ready stance.
"Let's sweep this grand trial, Lycanroc!" his trainer cried out, "Use Bite!" she commanded. Making his teeth glow a bright white, her Wolf Pokémon lunged out at his foe. He merely held his left arm out for his opponent to bite into. But he only grimaced a little. Olivia cracked a grin.
"Brick Break," she instructed simply. Her Lycanroc reeled his right paw back as he clenched it into a fist that glowed a bright white, thrusting it out to strike his target square in the face. Erika's Wolf Pokémon was sent flying back, tumbling across the ground before coming to a stop on his feet.
"Rrryyy…" he groaned, wiping his now bruised left cheek.
"A Fighting-type move…" Hau noted from afar as he blinked in surprise.
"Midnight Lycanroc are known for trying to goad opponentzzz into attacking so they can counter with their own movezzz," Rotom explained, getting his attention.
"And Olivia revolves her strategy around that behavior," Mallow added, chiming into the conversation.
"Lycanroc, Rock Slide!" the kahuna ordered as she swung her left arm out. Her Wolf Pokémon had several orbs of white light appear around him before they formed into small boulders with whitish outlines that orbited his body. Simply swinging his right arm, the rocks launched forward towards his foe.
"Dodge and use Rock Tomb!" Erika quickly called out. Rushing forward, her Lycanroc hopped away from each of the incoming rocks before leaping up. The stones at his neck shined a bright white as four large rocks appeared around him in flashes of light. Swinging his arms around, he sent them hurdling down towards Olivia's Lycanroc, who clenched his teeth.
"Brick Break!" the kahuna ordered, enticing her partner to ready both of his paws as they shined a bright white. He struck each of the rocks fiercely, breaking them apart almost effortlessly. Erika gnashed her teeth in frustration.
'I knew that Lycanroc was gonna be tough, but I didn't think he'd be this strong!' she admitted inwardly, 'Even so…' she continued, looking over to her Wolf Pokémon as he landed down and growled angrily, 'we haven't revealed our trump card yet!' she noted to herself, clenching her fists assuredly, 'We can do this!' she declared through her thoughts.
"Lycanroc, Howl!" she yelled.
"RAAAAAAHHHHHHHHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" her Wolf Pokémon howled mightily into the air. Afterwards, a reddish aura flowed up his body.
"So you're boosting your attack power…" Olivia noted curiously as she narrowed her eyes with a grin, "Unfortunately, that won't help," she stated firmly, "Lycanroc, Rock Climb!" she ordered.
"Rahk!" her Wolf Pokémon responded, making his claws at his paws and feet glow a bright white. He then slammed his paws against the ground, making it surge up suddenly and protrude right underneath his opponent's feet, sending him high into the air as he almost lost his balance.
"Whoa!" Calvin yelped in surprise as the crowd awed the sight. Flashing a toothy grin, Olivia's Lycanroc started running up the side the protruded ground on all-fours, with his fixated on his foe.
"Stay calm, Lycanroc!" Erika advised, "Use Rock Tomb!" she commanded, pumping her right fist forward. With flashes of white light, about five large rocks orbited around her Wolf Pokémon. He fired them all down towards his target, who was still climbing the protruded ground. He easily maneuvered away from them, using the last two as footholds to propel himself toward his lone foe. Before he could even react in time, Erika's Lycanroc was struck fiercely at the chest and then the face by his opponent's claws. He fell to the ground and crashed in a flurry of dust.
"Uh oh!" Hau exclaimed in shock as the dust from the impact rushed by, enticing him and a few others to shield their faces with their arms. Olivia's Lycanroc leapt down as the protruded ground crumbled apart, landing safely in front of his trainer as he smirked.
"Rrrr…" Erika's growled as he managed to slowly rise up to his feet, breathing heavily with exhaustion. His trainer had sweat trickling down her face as she looked ahead at Olivia, who was grinning contently.
'If we don't find a way to get some damage in, we're done for!' she realized, looking to see her Lycanroc stand up firmly.
"RRAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" he roared out.
"That's right! We're not losing!" Erika yelled with confidence, "Use Howl!" she called out, throwing her right arm into the air. However, Olivia smirked.
"Throat Chop," she instructed simply. With a toothy grin, her Lycanroc lunged forward, cloaking his right paw within a purple light. Just as his foe was ready to howl, he chopped at his neck fiercely, causing his eyes to jolt open. Everyone in the crowd gasped.
"LYCANROC!" Erika screamed. Thankfully, her Wolf Pokémon only appeared to stumble back a few steps as he growled angrily. But just as he was about to howl…
"RAHCK!" he hacked, faltering as he broke out into a fit of coughing.
"L-Lycanroc?!" Erika stuttered out in shock.
"What just happened?" Calvin asked, blinking out of disbelief.
"Throat Chop is an attack that preventzzz the target from using any zzzound-based movezzz after it hits," Rotom explained quickly in response, "Howl happenzzz to be one of them, zzt…" it buzzed in addition.
"That sucks for Eri…" Hau remarked in response, "Now Lycanroc can't boost his power again!" he noted. Erika grimaced. This wasn't looking good. If her Lycanroc lost here, that left her with an already paralyzed Brionne and an exhausted Fomantis. Her Wolf Pokémon panted heavily, rubbing his hurting throat with his right paw. He glanced over and noticed Calvin.
Thinking back to how mad he was about him biting Erika made him want nothing more than to prove he would be better. Not only for his trainer's sake, but for Calvin's as well. He stood up firmly.
"RRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHKKKKKKKKK!" he roared fiercely into the air.
"Lycanroc…" Erika uttered out in shock. The majority of the crowd was stunned. Even Plumeria was surprised by the resilience of Erika's Wolf Pokémon.
"Even after all those attacks…" one man in the crowd pointed out.
"Guess it goes to show how hard that Lycanroc's been trained…" another chimed in.
"Yeah…" one woman agreed, "And his trainer's been so good at turning battles in her favor…" she mentioned.
"Rahk," Erika's Lycanroc barked out, catching her attention as she blinked. She then smacked both of her cheeks hard with her hands, regaining her focus.
"Right…" she uttered in realization, regaining a confident grin, "we're not about to go down that easily!" she vowed, "Lycanroc, Bite!" she commanded.
"Rahk!" her Wolf Pokémon responded, making his teeth glow a bright white as he charged towards his foe again.
"My, how wonderful…" Olivia remarked with a smile, "Use Brick Break!" she commanded, enticing her Lycanroc to have both of his paws shine in a white light as he rushed at his approaching opponent. However, the challenger's Wolf Pokémon ducked from the attempted strike, biting into his foe's right arm. Before he could do anything else, Erika's Lycanroc lifted him off of the ground, throwing him down over his shoulder. He smacked against the ground hard, tumbling across it before managing to come to as stop and get back onto his feet quickly.
"Rrrr…" he growled in frustration, while his opponent grinned.
"Now Rock Tomb!" Erika commanded as she pumped her right fist out. With several of flashes of light transforming into large rocks that orbited around his body, her Lycanroc swung his arms to launch them at his foe.
"Use Brick Break!" Olivia ordered. Her Wolf Pokémon kept his clenched paws as they remained glowing, lunging out towards his foe. He bashed through the incoming rocks, drawing nearer.
"Dodge and use Rock Tomb!" Erika instructed quickly. At her word, Lycanroc pivoted around to evade the attempted strike by his opponent. His crimson eyes widened in disbelief as he turned to see his foe preparing five more large rocks in flashes of light. Before he could even do anything, he was struck by them, getting blown back in a fierce burst of dirt and dust.
"Alright!" Hau exclaimed as he pumped his fist.
"Even on the ropes, Erika's Lycanroc is incredible…" Mallow noted, sounding quite impressed.
"Mm-hmm," Lana agreed simply with a nod.
"Raahhkk…" Olivia's Lycanroc groaned as he wiped his lips with his right arm.
'I knew Erika's team would be an interesting challenge,' the kahuna inwardly admitted, 'but I never imagined they'd push us this far so quickly…' she noted to herself. She looked out to see her Lycanroc stand up firm, growling at his opponent angrily.
"Lycanroc!" his trainer called out, getting his attention as he looked back to see her raise up her left arm, showing off her Z-Ring with the brown Z-Crystal placed onto it.
"Is zzzhe gonna uzzze a Z-Move?!" Rotom buzzed frantically in shock.
"Oh boy…" Hau uttered out, clenching his trembling fists with excitement plastered on his face. Both Mallow and Lana watched on in anticipation.
"It's time to use our full power to the fullest!" Olivia declared, crossing her arms in front of her face as the Z-Crystal flashed brightly.
"Here it comes!" Erika called out to her Lycanroc, who took a ready stance. Moving in sync, Olivia and her Wolf Pokémon hopped up, flexing their arms at a perfect angle. They then turned to the right and bent down onto their left knees, barely touching the ground. The sturdy posture was concluded as both of them flexed their arms again. A tannish-brown aura had built up around the kahuna all while she had been posing.
"Lycanroc…" she began, "it's time for us to show just how sturdy we are!" she declared firmly as the aura shot out in streaks of light to her Wolf Pokémon. They merged with his body, followed by the Z-Move symbol flashing in front of his face. Calvin gulped upon remembering what her Lycanroc's Z-Move had accomplished just the other day.
"Ryyy… KANNN!" he bellowed as he leapt up into the air. Several rocks shot out from the ground, coming together to form a giant boulder over his head. A bead of sweat dropped from Erika's chin.
"CONTINENTAL…" Olivia started to bellow, "CRRRUUSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHHHHHH!" she exclaimed fiercely. Her Lycanroc flung the giant boulder down with both of his arms, sending it hurdling towards his foe below.
"Lycanroc, Rock Tomb!" Erika ordered quickly. With flashes of light emitting around his body, her Wolf Pokémon made several large rocks appear before thrusting his arms upward to fire them towards the incoming boulder. They struck it in a burst of dust, but unfortunately were unable to stop the boulder as it kept on its course. It collided with the ground in a fierce blast, causing everyone around the ground to brace themselves from the cloud of dust that spread out afterwards.
"Hm," Plumeria hummed from afar as the cloud of dust spread out, "I'll give her this…" she admitted, standing up and crossing her arms, "Making a kahuna use a Z-Move early is pretty impressive…" she noted, turning around and walking off. As the dust had yet to settle back in the square, Olivia's Lycanroc landed down right in front of her, breathing heavily.
"Rahk!" he roared out, letting off a wicked smirk in spite of his exhaustion. His trainer also grinned.
'The rest of this battle won't be easy from here on out…' she realized, 'but with Erika's Lycanroc defeated, we won't have too difficult of a time against the others,' she noted to herself assuredly. Or so she thought…
"Counter!" Erika's voice suddenly exclaimed, causing the kahuna and her Lycanroc to blink in surprise. For a moment, they could see the crimson glare from within the remainder of the dust cloud. And just an in instant, the challenger's Wolf Pokémon lunged out, cloaked in a reddish aura as he punched his opponent in the face fiercely before he could even react. Everyone in the crowd widened their eyes in disbelief.
"RRRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!" Erika's Lycanroc bellowed as his punch sent his foe flying before he crashed into the ground, grazing through it in a trail of dust and dirt until he came to a stop.
"Rrraahh…" he groaned in agony, having swirls in his eyes as a significant bruise was apparent on his left cheek.
"N-No way…" Calvin stuttered out, while Hau and Rotom's mouths gaped open.
"You're kidding…" Plumeria muttered out from afar with shaking eyes of disbelief. Even Nia was seemingly unable to comprehend the situation. However, she shook her head to regain herself.
"The kahuna's Lycanroc is unable to battle!" she announced, raising up her left arm, "Erika's Lycanroc is the winner!" she exclaimed, gesturing towards the challenger's Wolf Pokémon, "And therefore…" she continued, looking over towards the pigtailed girl as the dust finally settled to reveal her flashing a bright grin, "the winner of the grand trial match is Erika!" she declared.
"ALRIGHT!" she exclaimed with delight.
"Ryy kann…" her Lycanroc moaned happily in relief, sitting himself down. He had completely exhausted himself.
"That was incredible!" one man in the crowd exclaimed.
"Her Lycanroc tanked a Z-Move and still came out on top!" a woman mentioned, sounding very impressed.
"If we got more trial-goers like that this year, I'd say we're in for a lot of fun battles for Olivia!" another man added excitedly.
"Way to go, Lycanroc!" Erika exclaimed, running over and embracing her Wolf Pokémon from behind as he stood back up.
"Ryy!" he barked happily, laughing with her. In the meantime, Olivia looked back at her Lycanroc as he still lied in the ground, completely unconscious.
'She had her Lycanroc use Rock Tomb to soften the Continental Crush's blow…' she realized, 'followed by using Counter to finish the battle…' she noted inwardly, widening her eyes, 'Erika was waiting for our Z-Move!' she concluded through her thoughts, completely stunned by how such a risky strategy paid off. And it made her crack a grin.
"How wonderful," she remarked.
X
As most of the crowd cleared out from the city square in the aftermath of the grand trial, Olivia was pressing her stamp against the next page of Erika's trainer passport upon a small table.
"And there you are!" she said, handing the identification back to the pigtailed girl, who beamed as she saw the new stamp. Brionne, Fomantis and Lycanroc were all just as excited to see the stamp of Tapu Lele upon their trainer's passport. "Oh, I almost forgot!" the kahuna chimed in, catching their attentions as they saw her reach into her pocket and pull out the brown Z-Crystal with its black, stone-like symbol, "Here is your Rockium-Z," she offered, placing it into Erika's hands. A breath of amazement left her lips.
"Thank you so much, Miss Olivia!" she exclaimed, bowing graciously to her. She giggled.
"Oh, it's no problem, Erika!" she replied, "Thank you for such an amazing battle!" she said in gratitude.
"Yeah, it was incredible!" Mallow added excitedly, catching the pigtailed trial-goer's attention.
"You've really grown strong from our trials, Erika!" Lana mentioned with a smile.
"Super strong!" Harper exclaimed.
"Crazy strong!" Sarah squeaked out. Erika blinked twice at the sight of the twin little girls.
'Little Lanas?' she guessed inwardly.
"Uh, thanks!" she responded gratefully, flashing a bright smile.
"Now then…" Olivia continued, turning towards the other trial-goers amongst the group, "which of you two would like to challenge me tomorrow?" she inquired to Calvin and Hau.
"Uh… well…" the former stuttered out, nervously scratching at his cheek.
"Cal can go first!" his cousin suddenly yelled, "You're psyched to after seeing Eri's win, right?" he guessed with a toothy grin. Calvin blinked in surprise, frowning as he would've preferred to speak. And aside from that, his twin sister had not only won her battle without having a single Pokémon faint… but also without using a Z-Move herself.
It was going to be tough to try and surpass that. But Calvin steeled himself, stepping forward.
"I'd like to battle you tomorrow," he stated firmly. Olivia grinned, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Now that's the spirit…" she remarked. Elsewhere, Plumeria looked on, narrowing her eyes onto Erika in particular.
'She shouldn't be a problem for the boss…' she noted to herself as she started to turn around and walk away, 'but she might be a thorn in his side…' she inwardly admitted, letting out a sigh as she headed out of the area.
END
"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
And that concludes another grand trial battle! I hope you all enjoyed it! I have to give credit to ImmaSupa Stargirl for helping inspire me when writing up some of the battle scenes. The scene she came up with in the "SCENE-WRITING CHALLENGE" thread was awesome, so I wanted to take some elements from that and put it into this chapter.
Anyways, the whole situation's still the same with requests and such going forward. Work doesn't get too difficult to deal with, but with the times we're currently in, it's a little harder to get writing squared away. For now, I've been trying to type up 1000 words a day for a chapter for each day of the week. With that, I also do some work on short requests and have two done by the end of each week, followed by doing some shorts of my own.
I'm trying to have chapters done on a weekly basis, but it gets harder when some of them require a lot more focus, such as those of "Omni Force: JUSTICE". So you can probably expect a chapter to come out every other Sunday if not week by week.
Anyways, here's a quick preview of the next chapter for this story!
SUMMARY
As it's now Calvin's turn to face Olivia, he's already backed himself into a corner by wanting to overcome her the same way Erika did! But when Olivia surprises him by using different Pokémon, how will he counteract that?!
END SUMMARY
See you all next time!