Alola, everyone! By the time this chapter comes out, Ash will have already gone back to Alola to see his friends! All things negative about the Sun/Moon anime aside, I enjoyed a good chunk of it. Especially the character development of Ash and his friends. So seeing them again is a treat!
But now it's time to focus on Ash's OC kids! Last time we left off, Erika ended up sweeping her grand trial battle against Olivia! Can Calvin do the same?!
POKÉMON SUN & MOON
THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME
"Eat all you want, guys!" Erika told Brionne, Fomantis, and Lycanroc as large bowls of Pokémon food were laid out in front of them, "You earned it!" she mentioned happily.
"Breeahh!" Brionne yipped in gratitude, eagerly being the first to partake in her dinner. Lycanroc and Fomantis followed suit, chowing away at their food.
"And I can't forget about you guys!" Erika added to Oricorio, Drifblim, and Magby, "Go ahead and eat!" she insisted, laying out bowls for them as well.
"Magg!" the Live Coal Pokémon squeaked happily, eating his food with a smile on his face. After the victory she obtained in her grand trial, Erika made her way back to the Konikoni Pokémon Center to heal up her hard-working team for their amazing efforts in the grand trial battle. She took out the Rockium Z that Olivia had given her as a reward from her pocket, setting it onto her Z-Ring. She then hopped up and flexed her arms, followed by bending down to her left knee as she positioned herself sturdily.
"Did I get it right?" she asked.
"That wazzz perfect, zzt!" Rotom buzzed in reply, taking a picture as a flash went off, "You're the zzzpitting image of Olivia!" it pointed out. Erika smiled brightly, letting out a giggle. From afar, Calvin looked on. While he was happy that she won her battle, he was also under immense pressure now. He wanted to do just as well as his twin sister.
"Eri and her team were on fire today!" Hau exclaimed as he munched on his food heartily. Lillie sat beside him, finishing what was left of her salad.
"They really did their best," she noted in agreement with a smile, "And tomorrow, it'll be your turn, Calvin," she pointed out, looking over at the capped boy as he perked up.
"Oh, uh, yeah…" he stuttered in reply, "It will be…" he noted, letting out a sigh.
"You okay, cuz?" Hau asked in concern upon hearing him.
"Eh… a little nervous…" he admitted in response, sheepishly scratching at his right cheek, "I mean, Erika did so well with her team today…" he pointed out, "It's gonna be pretty hard for us to follow that up…" he admitted sheepishly with a chuckle.
"But you'll be fine!" his cousin assured confidently, "You got lots of Pokémon who can handle Olivia's Rock-types!" he noted.
"Well, kinda…" Calvin replied, glancing off to the side. His team members were eating alongside Hau's near the corner of the dining hall. Bounsweet and Ariel were exchanging glares with each other all while gorging on their food. However, Araquanid put his front left leg down between them.
"Kwah…" he squeaked out in a reprimanding tone towards Bounsweet. Sweat trickled down her face before she turned away in a huff, going back to eating her food. Araquanid tilted his head, looking at her contently.
"I guess your Bounsweet hasn't gotten along with the rest of the team yet…" Lillie realized.
"Yeah, and I don't think she'll do too well against Olivia…" Calvin concluded, "I've only gotten to see her use Rapid Spin and Sweet Scent up to now…" he mentioned, looking back at the Fruit Pokémon.
"That's a bummer…" Hau admitted.
"Not to mention that Araquanid's weak to Rock-types in spite of being strong against them," Calvin added.
"Does that mean you won't use him tomorrow?" Lillie inquired curiously.
"No, I definitely will," Calvin assured as a reply, glancing back at his Pokémon, "He and Cubone are gonna have to work hard tomorrow…" he pointed out, "But I still haven't decided on who I'd use for a third Pokémon…" he confessed, putting his hand onto his chin.
"Guess you just gotta go with the flow of the battle then!" his cousin insisted, catching his attention as he blinked in surprise, "That's what I did when fighting Tutu!" he mentioned, "Although, I did have Dartrix and Pikachu helping me out…" he noted sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. Lillie giggled. Taking another moment to think about his options for the grand trial battle, Calvin lowered his head and narrowed his eyes.
'Olivia used Nosepass, Boldore, and Lycanroc in that last battle…' he recalled inwardly, 'So if I'm going to use Pokémon with advantages against them, then the best ones would definitely be Araquanid and Cubone…' he concluded thoroughly through his thoughts, 'But who would my third one be?' he wondered to himself.
"You're gonna do great tomorrow, Cal," his twin sister suddenly chimed in reassuringly, putting her right hand onto his left shoulder to get his attention as he turned to see her there. The way she sounded was almost like…
"Are you not staying?" Lillie inquired, arching an eyebrow. Blushing sheepishly, Erika rubbed the back of her head.
"Yeah… sorry…" she apologized, "Rotodex reminded me that I had a promise to keep after I finished my grand trial…" she pointed out to the group.
"A promise?" her brother repeated in confusion.
"When we were on our way to the Ruinzzz of Life, we ran into those Aether Foundation guyzzz again!" Rotom buzzed as it floated over. Lillie winced slightly upon the mention. Thankfully for her, no one seemed to notice.
"There was one guy who wanted to talk about an awesome opportunity the Foundation's offering trial-goers!" Erika told everyone, "And… I kinda promised I'd go talk to him after I won against Olivia…" she mentioned sheepishly with a grin.
"Oh, I wonder what that's gonna be about!" Hau exclaimed, sounding excited for his cousin.
"He was definitely impressed with Erika'zzz battling the other day!" Rotom pointed out, "I'm zzzure he'zzz gonna offer you something amazzzing!" it buzzed happily.
"Yeah!" Erika agreed with a laugh. As upset as he was about his twin sister not being able to stay for his grand trial tomorrow, he was okay with it. Keeping a promise was important after all.
"Erika…" he said, getting her attention as she looked back at him, "I promise we'll do our best," he vowed to her. She blinked in surprise… and smiled.
"I know you will," she replied, holding out her left fist for him to bump with his right. The two of them were once again at different points, but Calvin knew it was only a matter of time before he caught up with Erika again…
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
A Mountain to Climb!
"See you guys!" Erika cried out in farewell the next morning, having her bag slung over her shoulder as she waved to her friends in front of the Pokémon Center before walking off.
"You zzzure about missing Calvin'zzz grand trial?" Rotom asked, floating beside her.
"Yeah, I don't like missing it either…" she confessed, "But at the same time, I don't wanna make that alien guy mad…" she pointed out, remembering how insistent Faba had seemed about wanting to offer her the mysterious opportunity, "Making people mad is the last thing I wanna do…" she pointed out as she glanced ahead, "Trust me," she advised to the Pokédex before she started jogging ahead.
"Hey, wait!" Rotom cried out, floating after her.
"See ya, Eri!" Hau yelled from afar as he waved goodbye. Lillie was clutching the strap of her duffel bag nervously.
'Erika…' she uttered through her thoughts.
"Pew?" Nebby squeaked from her bag, catching her attention as she looked down to see its face poking out. It looked concerned.
"Oh, it's okay, Nebby…" Lillie assured, "Now stay in the bag, please," she insisted, enticing the Cosmog to sink his head down. As worried as Lillie was about her friend, she knew was capable of protecting herself. And her Pokémon would be beside her, too.
"Now it's time for Cal's grand trial!" Hau exclaimed excitedly, "You ready, cuz?!" he asked of him suddenly.
"Y-Yeah," he stuttered in response, taken aback by how eager his relative was, "But uh… shouldn't we wait for Nia to show up?" he questioned with a tilt of his head.
"Calvin! Hau!" a familiar voice called out, catching their attentions as they turned and widened their eyes to see Kiawe approach them, "It's been a while, hasn't it?" he inquired rhetorically.
"Kiawe!" the capped boy gasped in surprise, "What are you doing here?" he asked.
"It's my day off," he replied, putting his hands onto his hips, "I figured I'd come by and see if someone's taking a grand trial today," he pointed out with a grin.
"Oh yeah…" Calvin uttered, glancing up in thought for a moment, "Mallow mentioned that you were pretty busy with trials on the volcano…" he remembered, crossing his arms over his chest. Kiawe chuckled.
"Well today, I have the pleasure of seeing your grand trial against Olivia," he noted, turning around, "Come on," he beckoned with a wave of his hand, "The battle's going to be near the lighthouse today," he told the group. The three kids followed him, surprised that the upcoming match wasn't taking place at the Konikoni square. But as they passed by it, they saw why.
"Oh my…" Lillie uttered in shock. She knew that Erika's battle yesterday was intense, but didn't realize how it affected the square. It was mostly in shambles with debris and broken stones strewn about. Thankfully, there were many people working to rebuild it, cleaning up the debris and planning the remodel.
"Well, Eri did go all out yesterday!" Hau noted as he grinned widely.
"So I heard," Kiawe responded, "Your sister's become incredibly strong," he pointed out to Calvin, who blinked in surprise.
"Yeah…" he agreed with a nod. There was a pressure mounting on him. Obviously, he wanted to win today's battle against Olivia. But even more so than that, he wanted to win just like his sister did. And the pressure was continuing to build.
"Hey, Kiawe…" Hau chimed in, causing the trial captain to perk up, "what do you do outside of the Wela Volcano trial?" he asked out of curiosity. Kiawe cracked a grin.
"My dream is to become a dancer someday and learn more about it in far-off regions," he answered as he walked ahead. Everyone blinked in confusion. "Of course, that goal's been easier said than done…" he admitted, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, "I've been working at the Thrifty Megamart to try and pay for those potential studies…" he told the others.
"The Thrifty… Megamart?" Calvin repeated, giving off a confused look.
"That's the big supermarket right by the Battle Royal Dome!" Hau pointed out.
"Mm-hmm," Kiawe responded with a nod, "It gets hard to balance time between practicing my dancing and my job…" he mentioned, "Sometimes, I end up skipping shifts because I'm so focused on my dancing…" he confessed to everyone's surprise. Calvin gave off a worried expression towards the trial captain. He was a hard worker. That was evident from the time he took his trial at the Wela Volcano Park. And to think he was struggling was quite a surprise…
"Hey, look up ahead!" Lillie called out, blinking in surprise. The boys turned and looked to see the lighthouse straight ahead at the island's edge. Nearby it was a crowd of people around the open grassy field. Standing in it with her right hand resting at her hip was Olivia. She grinned upon seeing Calvin. He could only gulp.
"Welcome!" the kahuna called out in greeting, "I'm glad Kiawe helped bring you here today!" she mentioned. With a deep breath to calm his nerves, Calvin stepped forward and balled his fists. There was a fire of determination building in his eyes. He was ready to take on his grand trial.
"We're ready to win!" he declared firmly. Olivia grinned. Meanwhile, Nia stepped forward.
"Thank you all for coming!" she yelled in gratitude to the crowd, "Today, we have another grand trial battle between our island's kahuna, Olivia," she began, looking over at her friend, "and the challenger, Calvin!" she finished, glancing towards him as he gently set down his backpack, "Each trainer will be allowed to use three Pokémon!" she told everyone, "When one side's Pokémon are unable to continue battling, the match will end!" she stated, "Furthermore, only the challenger will be allowed to make any substitutions!" she mentioned thoroughly.
"Your sister gave me quite a rough time yesterday," Olivia admitted, making Calvin perk up in surprise, "I'm looking forward to seeing how you and your team perform today," she said. He cracked a grin, reaching down to his belt to pull off a Poké Ball.
'Erika… I'll be sure to catch right up to you!' he vowed inwardly, enlarging the container in his hand with the press of its button. Olivia readied an Ultra Ball in a similar fashion. Nia smiled at both of them.
"You may begin when ready!" she called out. Calvin reeled his arm back.
"Cubone, I choose you!" he shouted, throwing the Poké Ball up high into the air. It popped open, and the light spilling out from it came onto the ground, forming before dissipating to reveal the Lonely Pokémon.
"Kew boh!" he exclaimed, spinning his bone around in his right hand. He clutched it tightly.
"So Cubone's first, hm?" Olivia noted curiously, "All right, come on out!" she exclaimed, flinging her Ultra Ball forwards. The light that burst out from it went onto the ground, coming into shape. However, Calvin blinked in surprise as he didn't recognize it… Once the light dissipated, it revealed… an Anorith!
"Whoa!" Hau yelped in surprise from afar, while Lillie seemed just as shocked as she blinked.
"She has an Anorith?" she questioned as she held onto her duffel bag's strap tightly.
"Anohh…" the Old Shrimp Pokémon growled as he glared out at Cubone.
"Bohn…" he uttered in surprise, keeping the grip he had on his bone tight.
X
'Anorith wasn't one of the Pokémon she used in her battle against Erika…' Calvin recalled, 'But… I honestly shouldn't be surprised…' he noted inwardly, 'Hau and I talked about how Fossil Pokémon tend to be dug up and revived around here…' he remembered, 'It only makes sense that Olivia would have at least one, especially since they're usually Rock-types…' he realized, balling his fists.
"I think we'll make the first move," the kahuna decided, swinging her right arm forward, "Anorith, Bug Bite!" she commanded. Leaping into the air, the Old Shrimp Pokémon had his mouth open on the underside of his torso. His teeth glowed a bright yellowish-green as he dove towards Cubone, who took a ready stance.
"Counter with Bone Club!" Calvin called out. Rearing his right arm back, Cubone was prepared to strike. He swung his bone towards Anorith, but he maneuvered himself out of the way with ease, biting into the Lonely Pokémon's arm.
"KEWWW!" he yelped in agony.
"Oh no…!" Lillie gasped out.
"That was so fast…" Hau noted as his eyes shook with astonishment.
"Ergh…" Calvin growled, "Cubone, Headbutt!" he ordered quickly. Regaining the fierceness in his eyes, the Lonely Pokémon slammed his head against his foe's, knocking him off as he landed upon the ground and slid back.
"Anohhh…" he growled back, glaring at his opponent.
"Use Metal Claw!" Olivia commanded.
"Bone Club!" Calvin yelled. Anorith had his claws glow bright white before they became coated in a metallic silver. He lunged out at Cubone, slashing at him. He countered with his bone however, easily parrying each attack. In spite of that though, Olivia grinned.
"Water Gun!" she ordered.
"What?!" Calvin yelped in surprise. With a glint of confidence in his eyes, Anorith leapt up and sprayed out a gush of water from his mouth. It struck Cubone head on, blowing him back as he tumbled across the ground, coming to a stop on his stomach.
"Bohh…" he grunted as he pushed himself up onto his feet, shaking his head to rid himself of any remaining water.
"So Anorith has Water-type moves…" Hau pointed out.
"Likely to deal with other Rock-types or even hinder ones that have advantages against Bug-types," Kiawe mentioned, chiming into the conversation.
'Calvin sure seems surprised by Olivia's strategy thus far,' he noted inwardly, 'I wonder how he'll fare going forward…' he said through his thoughts, narrowing his eyes.
"Cubone, you good?" the capped boy asked his teammate.
"Kew bohh!" he screeched out eagerly in response, raising his bone up into the air in assurance.
"Then let's turn this battle around!" his trainer declared, "Use Bonemerang!" he commanded, throwing out his right fist. Reeling his right arm back, Cubone flung his bone out towards Anorith, having it spin rapidly.
"Ancient Power!" Olivia ordered. Anorith stuck out his claws, forming a sphere of silvery-white light between them. He fired it out, having it strike the incoming bone as it ricocheted into the air. However, Calvin cracked a smirk.
"Bone Club!" he shouted. Jumping up, Cubone took hold of his bone before diving down at Anorith.
"Oh, nice one!" Hau complimented from afar.
"He's using the momentum of Cubone's fall to make that Bone Club more powerful…" Lillie noted in realization.
"As expected of Calvin," Kiawe remarked, crossing his arms over his chest. He remembered how he did something similar with Cubone during the trial at Wela Volcano Park. But this time…
"Anorith, Water Gun!" Olivia commanded, causing Calvin to gasp in surprise. Another gush of water was sprayed from the Old Shrimp Pokémon's mouth, striking Cubone again as he was blown away, crashing onto the grassy ground below.
"Cubone!" his trainer cried out.
"Keww… bohhh…" he grunted out, slowly but surely pushing himself back up onto his feet as he breathed heavily with exhaustion.
"Now Metal Claw!" Olivia instructed, throwing out her right hand. Anorith coated his claws in a metallic silver again before lunging out and slashing at his foe. One ended up knocking the bone out of his right hand as it fell onto the grass.
"Cubone, hang in there!" Calvin pleaded, "Use Headbutt!" he ordered desperately. The Lonely Pokémon growled, trying in a last-ditch effort to slam his skull-covered cranium against his opponent.
"Dodge and use Ancient Power!" Olivia called out. Hopping away with ease as his foe struck nothing but the ground, Anorith formed another sphere of silvery-white energy in between the tips of his claws before firing it out. It struck Cubone square in the chest, enveloping him within an explosion of grey smoke.
"Ah!" Calvin gasped, while the crowd looked on with anticipation. The smoke took a few moments to clear, but when it did… it revealed the Lonely Pokémon lying on the ground in a daze. His eyes were in swirls.
"Cubone is unable to battle!" Nia announced, raising her right arm up, "Anorith wins!" she exclaimed, gesturing over to the Old Shrimp Pokémon.
"Ahh!" he squeaked delightedly. The crowd cheered.
"No way…" Hau uttered out, blinking with disbelief on his face. Lillie was just as stunned.
"Hmm… Kiawe hummed curiously, narrowing his eyes.
'I had a feeling the battle wouldn't go Calvin's way…' he admitted to himself, 'but I never imagined that it would end so quickly…' he noted curiously.
"Cubone…" the capped boy uttered out, completely shocked by the result of the battle. Not only did the Lonely Pokémon end up losing, he was almost completely overwhelmed by Anorith. Gnashing his teeth together, Calvin aimed his Poké Ball forward. "Cubone, return," he said, recalling the Lonely Pokémon back into his container in a beam of red light, which also took in his bone. Once the light was returned to the Poké Ball, Calvin turned it towards him. "Sorry…" he apologized, "Take a good rest," he advised, placing the ball back onto his belt.
"Your Cubone was quite feisty!" Olivia pointed out, catching his attention, "But might doesn't always make right, you know," she mentioned, "The key to a battle is finding a way where you can take advantage of your opponent's moves rather than your own," she explained to him. He balled his fists with frustration. Already, the grand trial was proving the distance between him and Erika. He wondered just how she would react to the battle thus far.
'She'd probably think I was just getting by with luck up to now…' he inwardly noted, trembling a little, 'Still…' he continued to himself, grasping the Net Ball off of his belt and enlarging it with the press of its button, 'I can't just give up!' he declared through his thoughts.
"Araquanid, let's go!" he yelled, tossing the Net Ball forward. As it burst open, the bluish-white light coming out from it hit the ground and dissipated, revealing the Water Bubble Pokémon.
"Kwah!" he bellowed with his voice muffled by the bubble of water around his head.
"So this is the Araquanid I've been hearing about…" Olivia noted with narrowed eyes of curiosity.
"Kwahhh…" he growled out, glaring at Anorith. The anticipation was mounting around the field.
X
"You may continue the battle when ready!" Nia instructed to both trainers.
"This time, we'll move first!" Calvin quickly declared, "Araquanid, Bubble Beam!" he commanded, pumping his fists forward. Making the bubble surrounding his head glow brightly, Araquanid unleashing a flurry of bubbles towards Anorith.
"Counter it with Water Gun!" Olivia called out. Lifting up his body to have the underside of his torso face out, the Old Shrimp Pokémon fired off a gush of water from his mouth to strike the bubbles in a burst of white steam. However, several of them managed to fly through the resulting cloud, striking Anorith as he tumbled back along the grass.
"Anh… noh!" he growled out afterwards as he shook his head.
"Nice!" Hau yelled as he pumped his fist back excitedly.
"Water-type moves are super effective against Rock-types after all," Lillie pointed out. Kiawe just watched the battle intently.
"Bubble Beam again!" Calvin ordered. Araquanid kept firing more bubbles towards Anorith, who looked as if he would be struck by all of them. However, Olivia cracked a grin.
"Dodge it!" she instructed. The Old Shrimp Pokémon hopped away from the incoming bubbles with ease, letting them strike nothing but the ground.
"He's quick…" Lillie noted, blinking in surprise.
"Olivia must've trained him well," Kiawe pointed out, catching her attention along with that of Hau's, "Anorith are normally swimmers," he told them, "but since the composition of water's changed over the years since their extinction, they can't live in it," he explained.
"So Olivia had to train hers to fight on land…" Lillie realized.
"Come on, Cal!" Hau cried out, "You got this!" he yelled.
"Now Metal Claw!" Olivia commanded. Anorith made both of his claws shine a metallic silver as he dove towards Araquanid.
"Catch him with Bug Bite!" Calvin instructed. With his teeth glowing a yellowish-green, the Water Bubble Pokémon let his opponent's claws sink into his bubble before biting down on them.
"AAAAANNNHHH!" he shrieked in agony, trying to flail himself free from his foe's grip.
"Calm down, Anorith!" Olivia cried out, "Use Ancient Power!" she ordered. Regaining his composure, the Old Shrimp Pokémon formed a silvery-white sphere of energy in between the tips of his claws, which were still in Araquanid's mouth. Calvin gasped.
"Araquanid, watch out!" he screamed. But it was too late. The sphere exploded in the Water Bubble Pokémon's face, causing him to stumble back. Meanwhile, Anorith was freed from the bubble as he safely landed upon the grass.
"A point-blank shot…!" Hau gasped in astonishment.
"Oh dear…" Lillie uttered, trembling with worry in her eyes.
"Good work, Anorith!" Olivia complimented.
"Anh!" he squeaked in response, maintaining a serious look in his eyes.
"Ah, kwah…" Araquanid groaned, shaking his head, which was thankfully still bubbled.
'We better wrap this up quickly!' his trainer inwardly noted, clenching his teeth with worry.
"Ancient Power!" Olivia commanded. Anorith leapt up, forming another sphere of a silvery-white energy upon the tips of his claws.
"Araquanid, Spider Web!" Calvin instructed quickly. Hopping up, the Water Bubble bent his spinneret forward and shot out a line of sticky thread from it. Splitting into a web, it ensnared Anorith as his energy sphere disappeared, while he crashed onto the grassy ground below.
"Anh… annhh!" he grunted, trying desperately to free himself from the trap.
"Cut it up with Metal Claw!" Olivia called out.
"Bubble Beam!" Calvin roared in command. Araquanid leapt up into the air just as Anorith sliced apart the webbing entrapping him with his metal-coated claws. With the bubble around his head glowing brightly, Araquanid unleashed a flurry of bubbles down towards the Old Shrimp Pokémon. He had no time to dodge, being struck by most of them and ending up enveloped in a burst of steam.
"Anorith!" Olivia cried out. As the steam slowly managed to subside, it revealed the Old Shrimp Pokémon lying on his back in a daze. Both of his eyes appeared dizzied, now in swirls.
"Anorith is unable to battle!" Nia announced after assessing the situation and raising her left arm up, "Araquanid wins!" she exclaimed, gesturing towards the Water Bubble Pokémon.
"Yeah!" Calvin yelled excitedly.
"Kwah!" Araquanid squeaked out in delight.
"Way to go, Araquanid!" Hau cheered from afar.
"Now they've lost a Pokémon each…" Lillie noted as she clutched her duffel bag's strap tightly.
"Mmm…" Kiawe hummed, narrowing his eyes curiously again.
"Take a good rest, Anorith," Olivia implored, returning the Old Shrimp Pokémon to his Ultra Ball in a beam of red light. She then shrunk the container by pressing its button, setting it back onto her belt.
"Araquanid, you take a rest, too," Calvin advised as he aimed his Net Ball forward. The Water Bubble Pokémon perked up in surprise, turning to his trainer. "I'm gonna need you later on in this battle," he pointed out to him, "so please rest a little," he implored. After a moment, Araquanid nodded. In a beam of red light that enveloped his body, he was returned to the Net Ball.
"So you're saving him for someone stronger, right?" Olivia inquired, readying another Ultra Ball, "That's an interesting decision…" she noted. Calvin seemed offended by the comment, balling his fists tightly.
"Guess it's for the best that Calvin's saving Araquanid," Hau pointed out as he put his hands at his hips, "He's gonna need him against that Lycanroc…" he mentioned as a bead of sweat trickled down his face.
"Yeah…" Lillie agreed, remembering how ferocious the kahuna's Wolf Pokémon was in yesterday's grand trial battle against Erika's.
"Hmm… Kiawe hummed again, wondering what the capped boy was planning to do now. In the meantime, Olivia reared her arm back.
"Come on out!" she exclaimed, tossing the Ultra Ball up into the air. It popped open, and the light that spilled forth from it formed upon the grass, dissipating to reveal… a Lileep!
"Lilleee…" the Sea Lily Pokémon voiced out tiredly as her stem stretched, making her large head sway back and forth.
"Now it's a Lileep?!" Hau yelped in shock.
"Another Fossil Pokémon…" Lillie pointed out curiously. Kiawe narrowed his eyes.
'So what will you do now, Calvin?' he wondered inwardly.
"A Rock and Grass-type…" the capped boy noted quietly, cracking a grin, "That works out just fine!" he stated as he took off a Poké Ball from his belt and enlarged by pressing its center button, "Torracat, I choose you!" he exclaimed as he flung the spherical container forward. It burst open, with its bluish-white light hitting the ground and immediately dissipating to reveal the Fire Cat Pokémon.
"Rraaaahhh!" she roared as the bell-like organ at her neck blazed a little.
"A Fire-type, hm?" Olivia curiously noted, "I wonder how that'll help against my sturdy Lileep…" she remarked. Calvin scoffed, not deterred by her comments. He was going to win this battle regardless of how it went… and catch up with Erika.
X
"Torracat, Ember!" Calvin commanded quickly. The Fire Cat Pokémon unleashed a fireball from her bell-like organ, heading straight for Lileep. However, Olivia grinned.
"Use Brine!" she instructed. Tilting her head forward, the Sea Lily Pokémon unleashed a stream of water that put out the fireball upon contact as it streaked towards Torracat. Reacting quickly, she flipped back to evade it as it splashed against the grass.
"Mrrrr…" she growled with frustration, gnashing her teeth together. Her trainer looked the same way.
"Torracat's not really a great match for Rock-types…" Hau pointed out worriedly.
"And that Lileep has Water-type moves as well…" Lillie added in concern.
"Don't be worried," Kiawe advised to them, catching their attentions, "Calvin's been able to stay on his feet, even when it seems like he's backed into a corner," he told them, "Something like this won't make him falter," he assured confidently. Both Hau and Lillie blinked in surprise, turning their heads back towards the battlefield.
"Now Stealth Rock!" Olivia called out. Lileep's beady yellow eyes flashed a bright orange before multiple glowing rocks floated out in front of her. She fired them towards Torracat, who flinched… but suddenly saw them land harmlessly around her.
"Mrah?" she uttered in confusion as she looked around at them. Calvin was also perplexed.
'Was that a dud?' he wondered inwardly, looking over to the kahuna. She was grinning. 'No, it's meant for something else…' he realized, regaining his composure.
"Torracat, be careful!" he advised quickly.
"Rahh!" she roared back in understanding with a nod.
"Now Ancient Power!" Olivia commanded. Lileep formed a sparkling sphere of silvery-white light on the tips of her pink tentacles, firing out at Torracat.
"Dodge and use Double Kick!" Calvin quickly instructed. Leaping over the sphere of light with ease as it struck the ground behind her, Torracat whipped herself around and struck her opponent with a kick from both of her hind legs, causing her to slide back a few yards.
"Lill leee, lilll…" she sang as her head swayed back and forth.
"Brine!" Olivia ordered.
"Use Fire Fang!" Calvin commanded. The Sea Lily Pokémon sprayed out a stream of water towards Torracat as her head was tilted forward. Charging on and ducking from the water, the Fire Cat Pokémon had her mouth billow with flames as she leapt at Lileep and bit down onto her stem, causing flames to erupt around her body.
"LEEEEEEEE!" she screeched in agony from the burning sensation.
"Nice job, Torracat!" Calvin complimented with a pump of his fists. However, Olivia cracked a grin again.
"Lileep, Giga Drain!" she ordered, causing the capped boy to gasp in surprise. The Sea Lily Pokémon had the tentacles around her head glow a bright green before they unleashed tendrils of energy. They all latched onto Torracat, coating her in a greenish light as she grimaced, still biting down on Lileep's stem.
"Torracat, push her away with Double Kick!" Calvin cried out in instruction. Steeling herself, the Fire Cat Pokémon swung her hind legs forward and kicked Lileep back, causing the energy tendrils to snap off. As she landed down, she breathed a bit heavily. Meanwhile, her foe had a greenish light flow up her body, indicating that she was getting healed.
"Rrrrr…" Torracat growled in frustration again.
"Why's Cal having such a hard time with this?" Hau wondered, arching an eyebrow.
"He probably wasn't expecting Olivia to use different Pokémon than last time…" Lillie pointed out in reply. She noticed how stressed he looked. How frazzled he seemed. It was as if one wrong move would cost him a grand trial victory. That expression he had was concerning to Kiawe, who kept his arms crossed.
"Ember!" Calvin ordered as he pumped his right fist forward. With her bell-like organ flaring up, Torracat had a fireball shoot out of it, heading for Lileep.
"Use Ancient Power!" Olivia commanded quickly. Forming another sphere of silvery-white, sparkling energy over her head, the Sea Lily Pokémon arched it forward and fired it. Colliding with the fireball, it broke through after a few moments, striking Torracat in the face.
"MRAAAHHH!" she screeched, tumbling across the grass back towards her trainer.
"Torracat!" he screamed in shock, gritting his teeth in frustration. He was struggling to figure out what to do now… "Use Ember again!" he commanded. Getting onto her feet, the Fire Cat Pokémon launched another fireball from her bell-like organ.
"Hm," Olivia chuckled with a grin, "Brine!" she ordered, swinging her left arm out. Arching her head forward again, Lileep sprayed out a stream of salty water, easily putting the fireball out while drenching Torracat as she slid back.
"Oh dear…" Lillie uttered worriedly, trembling a little as she tightly clutched her duffel bag's strap again.
"Calvin's afraid of having Torracat fight up close at the risk of getting hit by Giga Drain," Kiawe noted, "But since Ember's her only ranged attack, he doesn't have many other options…" he pointed out, narrowing his eyes once more.
"Cal…" Hau uttered out of concern. His cousin was growing increasingly frustrated, clenching his trembling fists tightly. Torracat shook herself, ridding her body of the remaining water as she growled at Lileep, whose head swayed back and forth.
'We have to fight up close and personal at this rate!' her trainer inwardly decided, 'So let's forget about the risks and take our chances!' he declared through his thoughts.
"Torracat, Fire Fang!" he commanded.
"Toraaaahhh!" the Fire Cat Pokémon screeched, letting her mouth billow up with flames as she charged towards Lileep.
"So now you're ready to get into close-quarters?" Olivia inquired, resting her right hand onto her hip, "Well, we'll accept that challenge!" she vowed firmly, "Use Brine!" she ordered. Once more, Lileep arched her head forward and sprayed out a stream of salt water. However, Torracat leapt over it, diving down and biting Lileep at her head in a fierce burst of flames.
"LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" the Sea Lily Pokémon screamed in agony, trying to flail herself free from the burning sensation she was feeling upon being bitten by the glowing red teeth of her foe.
"Lileep, use Giga Drain!" Olivia commanded quickly. However, the Sea Lily Pokémon was wincing with pain, unable to adhere to the command as her body was writhing with agony.
"That Fire Fang must be making her flinch!" Hau realized excitedly as he clenched his fists, "Now's your chance, Cal!" he yelled to his cousin.
"Torracat, use Ember!" he ordered, pumping both of his fists forward. The Fire Cat Pokémon had the bell-like organ at her neck flare up wildly as she then launched a fireball at point-blank, striking Lileep in an explosion of flames and black smoke.
"Lileep!" Olivia cried out, while the rest of the crowd gasped. A moment passed before Torracat jumped back out from the smoke, breathing heavily with exhaustion. A few more seconds passed before the smoke finally cleared. It revealed Lileep upon the ground with her beady eyes now in swirls.
"Lileep is unable to battle!" Nia announced while raising her left arm up, "Torracat wins!" she exclaimed, gesturing towards the tired Fire Cat Pokémon.
"Huh…" Hau and Lillie exhaled with relief simultaneously.
"That was a close one…" the former of the two noted as he let out a nervous chuckle.
"Definitely…" Lillie agreed as she smiled. Meanwhile, Kiawe kept his arms crossed, looking to see Calvin crouch down as Torracat approached him.
"You okay to keep going, Torracat?" he asked of her.
"Torraahh," she responded firmly with a nod. She was determined to help her trainer win this battle. He smiled with appreciation.
"Thank you for your hard work, Lileep," Olivia said in gratitude, returning the Sea Lily Pokémon to her Ultra Ball in a beam of red light, "Take a good long rest," she advised sweetly, shrinking the container before placing it back onto her belt, "I'm quite impressed, Calvin!" she admitted with a giggle, catching his attention, "Your Torracat caught me a little by surprise," she pointed out, "yet she managed to win against one of rugged Rock-types!" she mentioned.
"Um… thank you…" the challenger stuttered in reply, scratching at his right cheek as he stood up.
"That said," the kahuna continued, causing him to blink with surprise, "this battle isn't over," she stated firmly, pulling out and enlarging one last Ultra Ball, "I'm sure you can guess who I'll be calling upon next, right?" she guessed. Calvin's expression turned serious. So did Torracat's. Olivia simply flipped the Ultra Ball forward, letting it pop open. The light that spilled out from it formed upon the grassy ground and dissipated to reveal Lycanroc.
"Ryy…" he growled with a wicked grin. Torracat remained steady in her stance, prepared to continue battling… and hopefully emerge victorious for Calvin.
X
"W-Whoa…" Erika stammered out, trembling a little as she stood outside the tall and big hotel before her. Upon returning to Heahea through Diglett's Tunnel, she quickly made her way out towards the Hano Grand Resort she was told about. And lo and behold, it was a towering building with pools, a boat deck, and a beach for all of the clientele.
"It'zzz even bigger than the Tide Song Hotel, zzt!" Rotom buzzed in exclamation. Erika gulped audibly. "You okay?" the Pokédex asked her.
"Honestly, I feel really out of place here…" she admitted in response, letting off a nervous laugh.
"After we find out what that Faba guy wants to tell us, maybe we can relax at the beach!" Rotom suggested excitedly.
"Ah… well…" Erika tried to say, blushing a little. She did have a swimsuit packed in her bag… but she wasn't feeling too up to just relaxing… Not to mention, it felt embarrassing to potentially put something like that on.
"Let'zzz go!" the Pokédex suddenly insisted, floating into the entrance door.
"Hey, wait!" Erika called out, jogging after it. They made their way into the lobby, marveling the décor strewn about. The trial-goer thought it looked gorgeous, unable to think of another word to describe it. This would definitely be another sight she'd long remember.
"Ah, there you are!" a familiar voice exclaimed, catching her attention as she turned to see Faba walking towards her, "So very nice to see you again!" he remarked while rubbing his hands together.
"Oh, hi… Mister Faba…" Erika greeted, scratching at her cheek, "It's nice to see you again, too," she said with a bow.
"Now I'm sure you're curious as to what I'm offering you, child…" he noted with a grin.
"Yeah, totally!" the trial-goer eagerly replied, "Hey… where are Milo and Selene?" she asked curiously, not noticing either of the two Aether Foundation employees alongside the branch chief.
"Oh, they're back at Aether Paradise to report on their latest research," he replied.
"Aether Paradise, zzt?" Rotom repeated curiously in question.
"Yes, Aether Paradise!" Faba exclaimed with outstretched arms, surprising Erika and her Pokédex as they flinched, "It's exactly what I wished to tell you about today!" he pointed out, "As the name suggests, it a man-made paradise specifically constructed for the conservation of Pokémon, protecting them from the dangers of the world," he explained thoroughly, "As an adult who keeps his promises, I would be remiss if I didn't offer a talented trainer like yourself a chance to come," he mentioned with a smirk.
"Hmm…" Erika hummed in thought, "It sounds pretty cool…" she admitted, crossing her arms over her chest, "but I still need to do my island challenge," she told the branch chief, who blinked in surprise, "I can't just go off to some man-made island and hang out while everyone else is getting ahead of me," she mentioned firmly.
"Erika…" Rotom uttered in surprise. However, Faba let off a chuckle.
"Well, you shouldn't worry about falling behind when I mention this next opportunity…" he pointed out, rubbing his chin, "It's specifically geared towards trainers like yourself," he mentioned.
"Huh?" Erika uttered in confusion, arching an eyebrow. All of a sudden, Faba sharply pointed at her with his right index finger, making her flinch again with surprise.
"In celebration of the Aether Foundation's one-year anniversary, we're planning to hold a battle tournament in honor of the many trial-goers on their island challenges!" he exclaimed emphatically.
"A-A tournament?" Erika stammered in repetition.
"Yes, precisely!" Faba replied, "It's a good chance for you to test your strength against the likes of your fellow trial-goers," he pointed out with a smile, rubbing his hands together with anticipation.
"Yeah…" Erika agreed, putting her hand onto her chin in thought.
"So? Will you come?" Faba inquired as he inched closer to the Ketchum girl, making her flinch yet again in surprise.
"Um, yeah!" she stuttered assuredly in response with a nod.
"Wonderful!" Faba exclaimed as he spun around and started walking off, "Now I'll just make the proper arrangements for a ferry and-"
"But… can I wait a bit to go?" Erika suddenly asked, interrupting him as he perked up in surprise, "I'm sure my brother and my cousin would wanna come, too," she pointed out, giving off a sheepish grin. Faba frowned with annoyance.
"I suppose that's fine…" he muttered out, waving his right hand back and forth, "So long as they show up within the week, I'll have them ferried as well," he promised before leaving.
"Thanks, Mister Faba!" Erika yelled out in gratitude as she waved goodbye to him.
"You're a really good person, Erika," Rotom suddenly said to her, catching her attention as she blinked in surprise. She blushed as she sheepishly rubbed the back of her head, chuckling a little.
"I don't want Calvin and Hau to miss out on a tournament!" she pointed out, putting her hands onto her hips, "If we all compete, we'll all get to see how strong we've become!" she mentioned as her eyes were brimming with excitement, "So until they both get here, let's train!" she declared, pumping her right fist into the air.
"Aren't you going to try and relax first, zzt?" Rotom buzzed in question. The Ketchum girl blinked in realization, letting off another nervous chuckle.
"Yeah… but I'm not booking a room here…" she muttered in response, "It's probably way too expensive for me…" she admitted somewhat ashamedly. After wandering about the lobby to view more of the décor for a few minutes, she and Rotom left. Neither of them noticed the familiar figure watching them from afar. It was Kahili.
"So she's come quite far already, hm?" she guessed with a grin.
X
Torracat and Lycanroc stalked each other, growling behind their gnashed teeth. Their trainers had yet to make a command, eyeing each other nervously. Olivia was obviously under the pressure of only having the Wolf Pokémon left to battle with, while Calvin was worried about how both of his remaining teammates had the same weakness to a Rock-type. But even so, he steeled himself.
"Torracat, Double Kick!" he ordered quickly. Lunging forward, the Fire Cat Pokémon whipped herself around, bending her hind legs back in preparation for her kicks.
"Counter with Brick Break!" Olivia yelled. Lycanroc made his paws both glow a bright white before clenching them into fists. He threw his right one out, having it collide with Torracat's feet. Both battlers gritted their teeth, trying desperately to push each other back. In a burst of wind, they both jumped back. The Fire Cat Pokémon slid herself to a stop, growling angrily at her foe as he stood up firmly.
"Rahk…" he barked, waving his right hand to her in a goading manner. She blinked in surprise before gnashing her teeth together again with anger.
"Use Ember!" her trainer commanded, swinging his right arm out. Torracat had the bell-like organ at her neck flare up again before she fired off a fireball from it towards the Wolf Pokémon.
"Dodge it and use Rock Slide!" Olivia instructed quickly. Leaping over the fireball, Lycanroc had several orbs of white light orbit around him, forming into small boulders. With a swing of his arms, the boulders shot out towards Torracat.
"Charge in and use Fire Fang!" Calvin called out.
"Mrahh!" his teammate responded, making her teeth glow a bright red as her mouth billowed with flames. She ran forward, dodging the incoming rocks as they struck the ground.
"I see…" Olivia uttered out, sounding impressed, "Use Rock Climb!" she ordered. Making the claws at his paws and feet glow a bright white, Lycanroc had them lengthen before slamming them against the ground. It surged up, with a mound of it protruding right underneath Torracat's feet as it lifted her up into the air. The whole crowd gasped.
"Don't stop, Torracat!" Calvin shouted. Blinking to regain her composure, the Fire Cat Pokémon ran down from the peak with her mouth still enflamed. Lycanroc used his claws to hurriedly climb upwards, grinning widely as he and his opponent approached. They collided in a fierce and fiery explosion, making the small mountain they were upon crumble apart.
"Now Rock Slide!" Olivia commanded, throwing her left hand out. From within the black smoke from the blast, Lycanroc had a glint of excitement in his crimson eyes as more white orbs flashed around his body before forming into small boulders that orbited him. He swung his arms to have them shot forward.
"Knock them away with Double Kick!" Calvin instructed quickly. Torracat heard her trainer, still falling through the smoke as she noticed the incoming boulders. She managed to kick a couple of them away with her hind legs before the others slammed into her, causing her to crash down onto the grass in a flurry of dust.
"Ah!" Lillie gasped, covering her eyes as she was too shocked by the sight. When the dust cleared, it revealed Torracat grimacing in pain as she lied upon the ground. Her left hind leg and tail were pinned by the small boulders.
"Torracat!" Calvin cried out.
"Brick Break!" Olivia suddenly commanded, pumping her right fist forward. Leaping out from the smoke, Lycanroc made his right paw glow a bright white before clenching it into a fist. Calvin grimaced in fright.
"Torracat, get out of there!" he screamed, "Use—!" But it was too late. Lycanroc slammed his fist against the Fire Cat Pokémon's back hard, causing her eyes to bulge open before they were both enveloped in a plume of dirt and dust. "TORRACAT!" Calvin cried out. The cloud of dirt was slow to subside as the Wolf Pokémon jumped out from it, landing in front of his trainer with a wicked grin. Once the dust finally blew away, it revealed his foe lying down and groaning with agony as her eyes were in swirls.
"Torracat is unable to battle!" Nia announced, raising her right arm into the air, "Lycanroc wins!" she announced, gesturing towards the Wolf Pokémon.
"RAHOOOOO!" he howled excitedly in victory. The crowd cheered.
"As expected of the kahuna's ace!" one man pointed out.
"It's like yesterday's battle never happened with how he's doing!" another chimed in. The comments and remarks were making Calvin tremble with frustration. He wanted to win just like Erika did… but couldn't. His head lowered ashamedly. He took out his Poké Ball and aimed it forward.
"Torracat… return…" he said slowly, recalling the fainted Fire Cat Pokémon to the spherical container in a beam of red light.
"Calvin…" Lillie uttered with concern in her tone. Hau seemed just as worried. But he still let off a reassuring smile.
"He's still got Araquanid though!" he pointed out, catching her attention, "He beat both Lana and Mallow with him!" he mentioned excitedly as he clenched his fists, "If anyone can beat that Lycanroc, it's him!" he declared firmly.
"I hope you're right…" Lillie responded nervously.
"Pew?" Nebby squeaked, poking its head out from her bag to see what was happening. Calvin shrunk the Poké Ball in his hand before placing it back onto his belt. The shadow cast from his cap veiled his eyes as he clenched his teeth in frustration. He thought back to how his island challenge started, how he was managing to do everything right at the Trainer's School and earn his island challenge amulet.
But after that, he started struggling. And before he knew it, Erika was getting further ahead of him. She was the one who used to never show any interest in the island challenge, yet became a part of it after avenging her brother's loss to Team Skull. She was someone who bested both Hala and Olivia without even using a Z-Move to emerge victorious. She was… so far ahead of him.
'How do I… even catch up to her now?!' he wondered inwardly. Shaking off those doubtful thoughts, Calvin pulled his Net Ball off of his belt and enlarged it by pressing its button.
"And now you're down to your last one," Olivia noted, seeing him reel his arm back.
"Araquanid, go!" he yelled loudly, flinging the Net Ball forward. It popped open, with the blue and white light spilling onto the ground, coming into form and dissipating to reveal the Water Bubble Pokémon.
"Kwah!" he bellowed out as his voice was muffled by his bubble. Suddenly, the bubbles embedded into the ground around him started to glow a bright orange. "Kwaah?" he squeaked in confusion, while Calvin blinked.
"Wait, that's-!" Again, it was too late. The embedded rocks suddenly shot up from the ground and struck Araquanid fiercely in a burst of dust.
"Ahh…kwwaaaaahhh…!" he groaned out in agony from the impact.
"Oh no!" Lillie gasped in fright.
"What just happened?!" Hau exclaimed out of shock.
"Stealth Rock," Kiawe replied simply, catching their attentions as they looked over to him, "When a Pokémon sets down Stealth Rock, any other Pokémon that gets switched in by the opponent gets hurt from them," he explained, "The resulting damage differs with what type the opposing Pokémon is," he mentioned, keeping his arms crossed.
"And since Araquanid's part Bug-type…" Lillie began to realize, widening her eyes with horror. The dust settled, revealing the Water Bubble Pokémon stumbling forward. His legs were shaky as he growled a little.
"Araquanid…" Calvin uttered out with worry.
"You should understand that the island challenge isn't going to be easy for you from now on," Olivia pointed out, getting his attention, "We plan to use every ounce of our power to defeat you and your team," she noted, "so you should be prepared to do the same!" she advised to him. Calvin was on the verge of snapping. Erika was never lectured like this.
"Araquanid, Aqua Ring!" he called out.
"Kwah!" the Water Bubble Pokémon bellowed out, having several rings of water appear around and orbit his body. A greenish light flowed up his form, healing him slightly. However, Olivia smirked.
"Rock Climb!" she ordered. With his claws glowing white and lengthening once again, Lycanroc pierced them into the ground before it surged up, lifting his opponent into the air as he struggled to find his balance. The Wolf Pokémon then started his rapid climb up the rocky hill, grinning wickedly. Calvin gnashed his teeth with frustration.
"Use Bubble Beam!" he commanded.
"Ah, kwahh!" Araquanid responded, making the bubble over his head glow a bright blue before firing off a flurry of bubbles from it; all heading towards Lycanroc. However, he easily evaded each and every one, leaping up into his foe's face. Before he could do anything, the Wolf Pokémon slashed at him fiercely atop the head, followed by striking his torso.
"Araquanid, no!" Calvin screamed, seeing him plummet down from the mountain. Fortunately, he landed upon his feet, breathing heavily. The rings of water reappeared around his body again, glowing a bright green to heal him a little before subsiding.
"Aqua Ring only recovers so much of Araquanid's health…" Lillie pointed out.
"And Lycanroc's too fast for him to land a decent hit…" Hau added, now sounding nervous about the chance of his cousin emerging victorious in the battle. Kiawe just kept his focus, curious to see how the grand trial would end.
"Lycanroc, Rock Slide!" Olivia ordered as she pumped her right fist forward. With a wicked grin, the Wolf Pokémon made more white orbs of light appear around him before they formed into small boulders. He swung both of his arms out, having them fly towards Araquanid.
"Catch them with Spider Web!" Calvin quickly instructed. Hopping up, the Water Bubble Pokémon aimed his spinneret forward before firing off a line of sticky thread that split into a net. It ensnared all of the incoming boulders, making them fall harmlessly to the ground.
"Ah!" Olivia gasped in surprise, while Lycanroc widened his eyes.
"Now Bubble Beam!" Calvin ordered as he pumped his right fist out. Landing down and making the bubble over his head glow a bright blue, Araquanid fired off a flurry of bubbles towards Lycanroc. He had no time to dodge, being struck by them in a misty explosion of smoke.
"Alright!" Hau exclaimed as he excitedly smiled.
"That looked like a solid hit, too!" Lillie mentioned. Kiawe kept his composed, serious expression. The smoke was slow to subside.
'What's gonna happen next?' Calvin wondered, balling his fists tightly, 'Whatever's thrown our way, we'll be ready for it!' he vowed inwardly. As the smoke finally cleared, he gasped with widened eyes. Olivia had crossed her arms over her chest, causing her Rockium Z to flash brightly.
"It's time for you to learn what exactly makes Rock-types like Lycanroc so sturdy!" she declared, swinging her arms around before extending them out in front of herself while still having them crossed. Lycanroc was copying her movements all the while, taking on the sturdy positions with flexed arms before bending down to his left knee. The brownish aura coming off of Olivia shot out in streaks towards her partner. It merged with his body instantly, followed by the Z-Move symbol flashing in front of him.
"A Z-Move…?!" Calvin exclaimed, surprised that he had actually pushed the kahuna to use it.
"Now…" Olivia began, standing up straight and raising her right fist into the sky, "CONTINENTAL… CRUSSSSHHH!" she exclaimed. Leaping high into the air, Lycanroc had several pieces of earth shoot up towards him and come together in the form of one giant boulder that he held up over his head.
"RRYYYKAAAAANNNN!" he roared, throwing it down towards his foe below. Calvin clenched his teeth.
'If Erika could handle this, so can we!' he declared inwardly.
"Araquanid, hit it with Bubble Beam!" he called out. Planting his legs into the ground firmly, the Water Bubble Pokémon had the bubble at his head glow a bright blue. He reared his head up, firing off multiple bubbles towards the incoming boulder. They struck it in an explosion of white smoke… but it still fell through them, continuing on its path to Araquanid. It collided in a fierce blast, making dust and dirt fly about the area.
"Err…!" Lillie yelped, holding her duffel bag close with shut eyes as Nebby ducked back into it. Hau and Kiawe shielded themselves from the dust by crossing their arms over their faces. As it began to settle, they lowered their arms.
"Oh man…" the ponytailed boy uttered out in shock, "That didn't look good…" he pointed out worriedly. However, his cousin didn't appear deterred. In fact, he reached down into the right pocket of his shorts, pulling out his Waterium Z and setting it onto his Z-Ring.
"We're not done yet!" he proclaimed fiercely, "Araquanid, let's do this!" he called out, crossing his arms over his face. However, he didn't receive a response. Blinking in surprise, he looked out to see the dust cloud clear, revealing the Water Bubble Pokémon standing up… and then fell down onto his stomach.
"Kwaaaahhh…" he groaned in agony. Nia quickly ran over to assess what had happened. After looking at Araquanid for a few moments, she raised her right arm.
"Araquanid is unable to battle!" she announced, "Lycanroc wins!" she exclaimed, gesturing towards the Wolf Pokémon, "And therefore, the victory goes to the kahuna, Olivia!" she finished. Her friend grinned, pleased with the result as the crowd around her cheered. On the opposite side, Calvin dropped to his knees.
"No way…" he uttered out, completely shocked by what happened.
'What was I thinking…?!' he asked himself, gnashing his teeth together, 'There's no way even Araquanid could've handled that…!' he realized through his thoughts, shutting his eyes as he slammed his fists against the grassy ground.
"Calvin…" Lillie uttered worriedly. Hau was stunned at his cousin's defeat. He hadn't lost completely, but still looked crushed. He took out his Net Ball and aimed it at Araquanid, returning him to it in a beam of red light.
"I'm sorry…" he apologized, shrinking the container with the press of the button and putting it back onto his belt. He didn't even notice Olivia approaching him with Lycanroc beside her.
"That was a good battle, Calvin," she told him, "Even so, I don't think it's a healthy mindset to want to overcome your sister," she mentioned as advice, causing him to blink in surprise, "You should on trying to overcome yourself!" she insisted with a smile, "Only then can you truly find a way to climb the mountain that you think is front of you," she pointed out. Calvin's lips quivered as she walked past him with Lycanroc.
After all of his efforts… he had lost.
X
"Your Pokémon have been fully healed!" Nurse Joy exclaimed as she led Cubone, Torracat, and Araquanid out into the lobby from the treatment center.
"Thank you, Nurse Joy," Lillie said in gratitude as she approached alongside Hau, "We'll take them to their trainer now," she assured. Sitting alone on a bench with his head down was Calvin. Gumshoos, Trumbeak and Bounsweet were there as well. The former two were doing their best to comfort their trainer, while the Fruit Pokémon looked on with concern.
"Mrow!" Torracat roared out as she jogged over to Calvin. Standing up on her hind legs, she put her paws onto his knees. "Mrawww?" she purred worriedly, trying to get him to perk up, even a little. But he didn't respond once.
"Ahkwaa…" Araquanid moaned with frustration. Cubone didn't say a word, having his head lowered in shame like his trainer. He clutched his bone tightly in his right hand.
"Cal…" Hau uttered in concern as he and Lillie came over. Just then, a hand came onto the capped boy's shoulder. He finally looked up to see Kiawe there.
"Kiawe…" he uttered out, still ashamed. He felt that today was a poor showing of his skills.
"You battled well today, Calvin," the trial captain assured, "There's no denying that your team is strong," he pointed out, crossing his arms over his chest. The capped boy blinked in confusion.
"But… we lost," he retorted. Kiawe nodded.
"As true as that is, you did back Olivia into a corner," he noted to Calvin, "Now all you need to find a way to emerge victorious by your own power, like she said," he mentioned, causing him to blink in surprise as he remembered what the kahuna told him after the grand trial battle.
"But… I can't help it…" he confessed, lowering his head ashamedly again, "I feel like if I can't win like Erika did… I'm never gonna catch up to her…" he admitted as tears of frustration welled up in his eyes.
"Mrow…" Torracat purred worriedly, while her teammates were also concerned.
"Then in that case…" Kiawe began, lifting Calvin up to his feet in an instant by his shirt, making him yelp, "allow me to train you!" he offered.
"…Huh?" the capped boy uttered in confusion.
"I saw the fire in your eyes during that battle!" the trial captain exclaimed, "I'd like nothing more than to see that again when you challenge Olivia to a rematch!" he confessed vehemently, "Besides, I'd be honored to train the son of Ash Ketchum!" he mentioned with excitement and vigor in his tone.
"Um… sure, I guess…" Calvin responded, definitely taken aback by the sudden outburst.
"Excellent!" Kiawe replied, "I'll see you first thing tomorrow in Paniola Town!" he declared, putting his hands onto his hips, "You and your team'll get put through the wringer to prepare for your rematch!" he added excitedly.
"Uh, yeah," Calvin stuttered in response. He wasn't sure what to make of Kiawe's sudden proposal. But he wasn't going to turn it down either. One way or another, he wanted to beat Olivia.
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
Phew! Another chapter done! Glad to be doing Pokémon battles again, especially with what's going on with the anime. I'm stoked for Ash and Bea's rematch, more focus on new captures, and the like! I really enjoyed the Alola episode, too!
Now we're actually a quarter of the way through this story! So you might be wondering… what's gonna happen now?
Well, I can safely say that there'll be some fun stuff going on next chapter, and there's also going to be a preview for the next arc of "Omni Force: JUSTICE", which I'm insanely excited to write about!
But in the meantime, here's a summary of the next chapter to hold you over!
SUMMARY
As Calvin trains for his rematch against Olivia, he starts to consider changing his team around in order to better prepare. But what happens when all that training leads him to meeting the island guardian, Tapu Lele?!
Meanwhile, Erika runs into Kahili again and challenges her to a battle! Will she and Lycanroc emerge victorious against the famous Alolan golfer?!
END SUMMARY
See you all next week!