Pokémon Sun & Moon: The Challenge of a Lifetime!

by NegaiFreak

The Ketchum twins are now 10 years old! That means they can travel the world as Pokémon trainers! And their adventure has just begun as they head off to the Alola region to make new discoveries with their family and friends! Pokémon X Fairy Tail Crossover! SHIPPINGS INCLUDED! PLEASE READ, REVIEW, AND ENJOY! THANKS FOR OVER 45,000 VIEWS!

29. Royal Rumble!

Alola, everyone! We're back with what's looking to be the first episode of an epic arc in the making! Considering that this is my first ever tournament arc ever since I did "The Club Battle Ninja Tournament", I'm really excited to get this story going. And it's only going to get more interesting as we get things started. So without any delay, let's get right into it!

POKÉMON SUN & MOON

THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME

"Mmm…" Erika moaned in her sleep, tossing and turning about her bed. Her stomach's growling was forcing her awake every ten minutes. It was becoming unbearable at this point. By some miracle, she hadn't woken up Pyrrha, Paige, or Rotom. She sat up and sighed. "Snack time, I guess…" she grumbled as she opened her tired eyes.

She quietly left the room, wandering aimlessly down the halls as she yawned. The growl from her stomach was starting to irritate her. After about a few minutes, she finally found a vending machine.

"Great…" she sighed happily. Putting in a few coins and pressing some of the icons, the Ketchum girl pulled out a wrapped cinnamon bun that had dropped down. She ripped off the plastic before taking a bite. "So good~…!" she squeaked out in delight, happily eating away at the rest of the snack before throwing the wrapper into the trash, "Hah…" she exhaled with relief, patting at her belly, "Now to get back to bed…" she muttered, walking off with another yawn.

"We're gonna be top dogs in this tournament, yo!" a familiar voice exclaimed, causing her to stop and blink in surprise.

'That voice…' she recalled inwardly. In fact, she could hear the chatter coming from further down the hall. As she trotted over and peeked around the corner, her eyes jolted open in disbelief. There were a plethora of Team Skull grunts loitering about the hallway, including some Erika recognized. A, B, E, F, G and J were all present amongst many others. There were about twenty of them in total.

"I can't wait to get out and knock some heads around!" B yelled excitedly.

"Yeah, and there'll be no bones about it!" A agreed as he pumped his fists forward.

"Don't be such numbskulls, ya doofs…" G grumbled, getting their attentions, "It's obvious that Big Sis is gonna be the one to win this whole thing," she pointed out, "No trainer's strong enough to try and stop her…" she mentioned confidently.

"But still, we'll carve her a path to victory," J stated firmly.

"Yeah!" E agreed, crossing her arms over her chest, "Big Sis'll have no one in her way after we beat everybody," she declared, closing her right hand into a fist. From the corner, Erika clenched her teeth angrily.

'What are these bozos even doing here?!' she asked herself, 'Isn't the tournament only supposed to be for island challengers and other trainers?!' she wondered.

"All of you knock it off," a familiar voice chimed in, much to her surprise as she instantly recognized it. She peeked out again and was slightly shocked to see Plumeria there amongst the grunts. "Remember, we only got this chance because the boss pulled a few favors," she pointed out to her subordinates, "Now stop acting like dummies and get yourselves ready for tomorrow…" she insisted of them.

"Yes, ma'am!" F immediately replied with a salute of his right hand.

"We're gonna wreck those numbskulls!" A and B exclaimed together. As the group of thugs dispersed, Erika quietly ventured back to her room, wiping the sweat off of her brow. The thought of the tournament was enough to stress her out a little. Now with Team Skull involved, it was a lot more stressful…

OPENING

Insert "Everlasting Shine" by TOMORROW X TOGETHER

The sun rises over the Alolan ocean as we see various Pokémon swimming about, all around Aether Paradise in the background.

We see Calvin standing over a cliff together with all of his current six Pokémon: Torracat, Gumshoos, Trumbeak, Araquanid, Marowak, and Steenee, all smiling at the rising sun.

Cut to a beach, standing there is Erika, also having six of her Pokémon out.

She and her Pokémon: Brionne, Lycanroc, Oricorio, Fomantis, Drifblim, and Magby, are also smiling towards the rising sun.

Camera next cuts to a rocky shore, showing Hau, and he too is joined by his six Pokémon: Dartrix, Pikachu, Noibat, Tauros, Eevee and Crabrawler, as they enjoy the sunrise.

Finally, we cut to a side view of Akala Island, before the screen was divided three ways, each show close-ups of Hau, Calvin and Erika's determined faces, colored green, red and blue respectively. The story's logo appears.

Ash and Mirajane share a sweet kiss as they watch their youngest kids and nephew training together on the Melemele Beach, along with the Kanto Champion's Pikachu, Lycanroc and Erika's Sandygast. The Ground/Ghost type is nervously peeking from behind the adults' legs to see the fierce training session below.

Calvin and Erika share glances with each other, reflecting on how far they've both come since they started the Island Challenge. They smile at each other before being brought into a hug by Hau.

Meanwhile, Lillie is walking on a dirt road. In her arms is her duffel bag, with Nebby poking its head out from it. She gives it a soft smile before clutching the duffel bag strap tightly with worry in her eyes.

Unknown to her, she's being closely watched by Gladion, who is seated on the back of Null with his Golbat and Zorua also watching on.

The scene cuts to the Lusamine, joined by Wicke, Faba, Professor Burnet, and several Aether Foundation employees outside of the former's mansion on Aether Paradise. Lusamine looks at a framed picture in her office before she sees a blue light shine overhead. It turns out to be an Ultra Wormhole, which makes her grin ominously.

Cuts to Team Skull, with Plumeria standing in front of them alongside her Crobat, Mareanie, and Salandit, with the latter of the trio crawling onto her trainer's shoulder. They both smirk deviously, while a certain pair of figures loom in the background within the shadows.

The Ketchum twins and their cousin take ready stances, each with a Poké Ball in hand before they toss them towards the camera, opening to release bursts of light.

Paige issues a command to her Medicham, with the Fighting/Psychic type dashing forward, coating her fist in blue energy and cocking it back before trying to punch Calvin's Steenee, who parries the attack with a Double Slap.

Trent's Greninja forms a Water Shuriken in his hands, and flings it at Gladion's Null, who slices it in half with Crush Claw before retaliating with X-Scissor, which is blocked by Erika's Lycanroc as he retaliates with Counter.

Hau's Eevee uses Swift, firing several stars at Pyrrha's Quilava, who responds by using Flame Wheel, with the fire acting as a shield to protect him from the energy stars.

Calvin, Erika, and Hau each perform a Z-Move with their respective starters, who are surrounded by glowing lights: Torracat's is red, Brionne is blue, and Dartrix is green. They unleash an Inferno Overdrive, a Hydro Vortex, and a Bloom Doom respectively.

The three starters charge at each other, their bodies leaving behind streaks of energy based on their colors, before they collide in the center of the battlefield.

Everyone covers their faces to block the smoke, before looking to see the center of the battlefield in shock. Standing amidst the smoke and fiery backdrop are three larger creatures. The others can't yet make out their features since they were silhouetted, but one looks like a muscular, bipedal tiger, one looks like mermaid-like seal with long hair, and the third appears to be a hooded avian.

We cut to Calvin, Erika and Hau looking out onto the ocean horizon from Aether Paradise, each standing alongside their Pokémon as the song winds down.

Royal Rumble!

"Team Skull?" Paige inquired the next morning as she and Pyrrha had gotten dressed, listening to the Ketchum girl's story, "No way…" she said with a shake of her head.

"But it's true!" Erika exclaimed defiantly, "I was out of the room last night getting a snack when I saw them!" she pointed out in a frantic tone.

"Are you sure though?" Pyrrha inquired, chiming into the conversation as she got her attention, "I mean… maybe you were just seeing things," she suggested with a shrug.

"Yeah," Rotom buzzed as it floated over to its user, "You did zzzay you were really tired and hungry, zzt…" it noted.

"Huh…" Erika sighed, realizing that it wouldn't be that easy to convince her friends. After all, she was just as shocked about Team Skull being at the artificial island in the first place. Just then, there was a knock at the door, causing the girls to perk up.

"Hey Eri!" Hau's voice cried out from the other side, "The boat's gonna leave for the stadium without us if you don't hurry!" he warned, much to her surprise.

"Let's go!" Pyrrha exclaimed, quickly grabbing her bag.

"Right!" Erika and Paige agreed, hurriedly getting their belongings. They quickly exited the room, with Rotom floating after them. A few minutes later, they were at the docks with Hau, Calvin, and Trent, waiting for the boat to come and pick them up. The Ketchum girl looked around left and right in search of a Team Skull member. None were found.

"Hmm…" she hummed out worriedly.

"Something wrong?" her brother asked upon noticing her expression, causing her to blink in surprise as she turned to him.

"No, it's nothing…" she claimed in response, holding up her hands in a placating manner as she waved them, "You ready for this tournament?" she questioned to him.

"Yeah," he replied with a firm nod, looking out onto the horizon of the Alolan ocean. After all the struggles he had been through, he was glad that now was his chance to shine in the battles ahead. A boat then docked itself at the port.

"Last call for Manalo Stadium!" the captain yelled to those boarding.

"Woohoo!" Hau exclaimed excitedly as he jumped onto the deck, "Let's go, guys!" he called out to the others, enticing them to hurry aboard. The boat then left the port, heading towards the other artificial island out in the distance. Calvin and Erika held onto their hats as the wind rushed by. Both of them were excited about what lied ahead for them in this endeavor.

"I wonder how many other island challengers we're gonna meet…" Pyrrha noted curiously as she let her hair blow with the ocean breeze.

"This means we're gonna be up against a lot more rivals, too," Paige mentioned, crossing her arms over her chest.

"And we'll do our best," Trent declared in addition.

"And have lots of fun!" Hau cried out as he pumped up his left fist. His twin cousins chuckled happily, glad that their rivals were already enjoying the upcoming prospect. The boat docked itself at the boardwalk, allowing its passengers to disembark.

"All trainers participating in the Aether Tournament, please report to the stadium locker room as directed," an announcement with a feminine voice echoed, repeating as the group of six trial-goers approached.

"Guess we better hurry!" Pyrrha realized, jogging off.

"Hey, wait for us!" Erika cried out, hurrying after her with the others. They found their way inside and started walking towards the locker room, following the directions posted on the signs.

"Man…" Hau uttered, "this place is huge!" he exclaimed as he looked around.

"I heard that they designed this stadium based on ones in a far-off region," Trent noted, rubbing his chin with his right hand.

"Really?" Calvin inquired, walking up next to him, "What region was that?" he curiously asked.

"Hmm…" his rival hummed in thought, "I think it was-"

"Here we are!" Pyrrha exclaimed, cutting him off as they looked to see her approach and place her hands onto the locker room doors, "Alola, everyone!" she greeted as she pushed the doors open with a wide smile on her face. The others with her widened their eyes and gasped upon seeing what was ahead of them.

"No way…" Paige uttered out, causing Pyrrha to open her eyes and let out her own gasp. Before the group of trial-goers was a plethora of Team Skull members.

"Team Skull?!" Pyrrha and Paige exclaimed in shock.

"Erika wazzz right all along, zzt!" Rotom buzzed, while its user let out a deep sigh.

"I told you…" she muttered, puffing out her cheeks.

"Hm?" F uttered out, turning to see the six trial-goers standing at the doors. He specifically took notice of Erika. "Well, well…" he repeated, sauntering over to them with his hands at his hips, "If it isn't the girl who supposedly beat Big Sis…" he noted with narrowed eyes onto the pigtailed girl.

"I did beat your big sis," she affirmed, crossing her arms over her chest, "And I'll do it again if you really wanna see it for yourself…" she declared.

"That'll depend on if you and I actually face up," Plumeria chimed in as she walked over, catching Erika's attention, "How's it going, kid?" she wondered curiously, arching an eyebrow while giving off a smirk. The Ketchum girl merely glared back at her.

"Whoa…" Hau uttered, feeling the tension between the two.

"Rotom, who is that woman?" Calvin quietly asked the Pokédex, catching its attention.

"That'zzz Plumeria, Team Skull'zzz big sister," it explained in response, "or zzzo they said…" it corrected.

"What are you even doing here?" Erika asked, "This tournament's supposed to be for trainers only…" she pointed out to the Team Skull admin.

"And we're not?" she questioned back with a chuckle, causing the Ketchum girl to growl a little, "We got invited to this thing, so we're gonna do it," she told her, "So don't go getting all riled up…" she advised, bumping the pigtailed girl aside before walking off.

"Hmph…" she scoffed angrily.

"Hey it's okay, Eri," her cousin assured, placing a hand onto his shoulder, "At least now, there's a bunch of numbskulls for us to beat around!" he mentioned excitedly.

"You always find a bright side, huh?" Trent noted, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Pyrrha giggled a little. Meanwhile, Calvin looked on at the Team Skull grunts around the large locker room. There weren't too many… but enough to warrant some attention.

'Why are they even here?' he wondered inwardly.

"If I may have your attention please…" a familiar voice echoed through the loudspeaker.

"Hey, that's Miss Wicke!" Hau exclaimed upon recognizing it.

"Would all participants kindly make their way into the stadium?" the assistant asked of those standing in the locker room, "We're all very excited to see you in today's event!" she mentioned in a gleeful tone. The many trainers obliged, walking off towards the doors.

"Phoo…" Paige exhaled, "Didn't realize there were so many people here…" she pointed out, sounding a bit nervous.

"Aside from Team Skull, there's a lot of trainers…" Trent noted as he balled his hands into fists, "I'm guessing some are more experienced than others…" he mentioned, "Maybe even us…" he suggested in addition.

"Cal, you holding up okay?" Hau asked his male cousin, who nodded in response.

"I'm just ready to show far my team and I have come," he stated firmly, adjusting the brim of his cap.

"Same here!" Erika chimed in excitedly, letting off a cheeky smile, "Hey Cal…" she said, catching her brother's attention, "you wanna make a deal like we did back on Melemele?" she asked of him. He blinked in surprise, recalling their battle where the winner would get to challenge the next island's kahuna first. He then cracked a smile.

"Yeah," he replied, "Whoever wins this thing gets to take on the kahuna first," he decided, holding out his right hand to her. She happily took it in her own, giggling happily at the prospect.

"Too bad neither of you'll win!" Hau exclaimed as he hopped in between both of them, "'Cause Dartrix, Raichu and the others are gonna help me sweep you under the rug like a bunch of Charjabug!" he declared with a quip. His twin cousins laughed.

"Guess we'll have to wait and see…" Calvin noted as he grinned, while his twin sister nodded. The whole group of trainers then exited from the tunnel, heading into the large stadium. The dirt field beneath their feet was smooth, with various battlefield outlines painted along the stadium. To the surprise of some, they were round instead of rectangular, with four boxes on each one for where a trainer would stand.

"Looks like they're setting up for Battle Royals…" Trent pointed out with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah…" Erika agreed as she nodded. The six trial-goers remained grouped together before coming to a stop. Calvin glanced around to see if he could spot any recognizable faces. He found Milo and Selene standing amongst a group of their fellow Aether Foundation employees. The former of the two took notice of the Ketchum boy, smiling and waving at him. He waved back, excited to see him there to participate in the tournament as well. There seemed to be as many members of the Aether Foundation as there were Team Skull.

"Greetings, everyone!" a familiar voice greeted as the trainers on the field looked up towards a large balcony where Lusamine was, holding a microphone in her hands as Wicke and Faba were standing beside her, "I'd like to thank you all for coming today, whether you're a trainer or a spectator," she said, placing her left hand over her heart, "It gives me such joy that people are able to come together to witness the magnificence Pokémon carry in battle," she confessed as she smiled.

"Miss Lusamine's going all out with the speech, huh?" Hau noted while folding his arms behind his head.

"Yeah…" Calvin agreed as he nodded.

"Our newly constructed Manalo Stadium will be the first of many that we'll start to build throughout Alola in order to bring about a new vibrancy to our region," the Aether Foundation president told the crowd, "But in keeping with the Aether Foundation's goal, we'll also be establishing new research and conservation facilities on each of the four Alolan islands," she added. The crowd murmured excitedly at the news.

"Sounds like a lot of work…" Pyrrha pointed out, crossing her arms over her chest.

"But she's willing to put her all into it, I guess…" Paige mentioned.

"Now then…" Lusamine continued, getting their attentions, "welcome to the Aether Tournament!" she exclaimed, raising her left hand up sharply. The crowd cheered with excitement and anticipation. "Out of the many of you who'll be competing, one of you will come away with a grand prize!" she mentioned, looking over to Wicke as she approached. Calvin blinked in surprise to notice the incubator in her hands with an egg inside of it. It was pink, with white and brown stripes along it. The Aether Foundation assistant was handed the microphone.

"Whoever emerges victorious in this tournament will receive this Pokémon Egg as a reward!" she told the trainers below, "We think that the best trainer to come out of this tournament should be more than worthy to take care of it until it hatches into whatever Pokémon they receive!" she mentioned excitedly.

"So the prize is just a Pokémon Egg?" Trent inquired, sounding somewhat disappointed.

"Whoa…" Hau uttered with sparkling eyes, "Maybe it'll hatch into a Pokémon we've never seen before!" he suggested excitedly as he pumped his fists.

"It'd be cool to try and raise an egg…" Erika admitted as she sheepishly scratched at her right cheek.

"Dad used to do it with plenty over the years, too!" her brother pointed out, recalling some of his father's old stories.

"Ahem," a familiar voice coughed, catching their attentions as they looked to see that Faba had taken hold of the microphone, "Now before we continue, I'd like for us to go over the tournament format," he insisted. One of the large screens of the stadium then displayed an image of a tournament bracket, with names listed upon each one. And there were a lot. In fact, there was a number right above the bracket that showed how many trainers there were: 256.

"There's that many trainers here?!" Erika exclaimed in disbelief.

"Since we have a large number of trainers taking part in this event, we'll have to whittle you down quickly," the branch chief explained to the 256 trainers below, "Firstly, we'll be dividing you each into groups of four to begin a round of Battle Royals," he told them.

"We're doing Battle Royals right off the bat?" Pyrrha inquired out of surprise.

"I guess since there's so many trainers, it makes sense to have things go quicker…" Paige chimed in as a response.

"And if you do the math, it evens out with how many are competing," Trent mentioned.

"There'll two rounds consisting of Battle Royals to whittle you down to the Top Sixteen," Faba continued explaining, "From there, you'll be in one-on-one battles all the way to the finals," he finished, proudly brushing his beard.

'Anyone could've told us that…' Erika inwardly noted, somewhat annoyed by how smug the branch chief was being.

"Thank you, Faba," Lusamine said in gratitude after obtaining the microphone from her subordinate, "Now if you would look at the brackets, each group of trainers has a designated field labeled A through P," she explained, "Please find the field identified next to your name and wait until the referees signal the start of your battles," she advised to the trainers.

"Looks like I'm over there…" Trent realized as he read his name off upon the screen, "I'll catch you guys later," he remarked as he waved to his fellow trial-goers.

"See ya 'round, Trent!" Hau called out in farewell. Pyrrha and Paige went off in separate directions to find their fields as well.

"Looks like I'm not up in the first set…" Calvin realized upon looking at the large screen.

"Yeah, same…" Hau pointed out, somewhat dejected about not participating first. Meanwhile, Erika curiously viewed her name and found that it was in Field C.

"Wish me luck, guys!" she called out before racing off towards her field.

"Wait for me, zzt!" Rotom buzzed, floating after her. Once she arrived, she found that the other three trainers were there as well. One was a Team Skull member, having short, puffy green hair and grey eyes. Another was an Aether Foundation employee, who had long blonde hair with bright blue eyes. Lastly, there was a red-haired, ponytailed woman wearing a sky blue tank top and white short-shorts.

"Glad you could make it!" the latter of the group called out to Erika as she took her position in the empty box of the field.

"I'm glad to be here!" she responded eagerly, "My name's Erika," she introduced with a polite bow.

"Cerise," the ponytailed woman responded in introduction.

"And my name's Angie!" the Aether Foundation employee introduced happily.

"Hmph…" the Team Skull member scoffed, folding her arms over her chest, "So you're supposed to be the kid that beat Big Sis, huh?" she inquired over to Erika as she narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah, so?" the Ketchum girl questioned back, putting her hands at her hips.

"That just means beating you'll get me in favor with Big Sis and the boss!" the green-haired grunt responded, eager to emerge victorious as she pulled out and enlarged a Nest Ball in her right hand.

"Hold on there, Miss H!" a voice called out, catching her attention as she and her opponents looked over to see a referee running towards the field, "Let me announce the match itself first…" he pleaded to her as he clapped his hands together with a sheepish grin on his face.

"Ugh… fine…" she groaned, rolling her eyes. The referee then made his way to the center of the field.

"The Field C Battle Royal match will now begin!" he announced, "You may only use one Pokémon," he instructed to each trainer, "When only one trainer's Pokémon is left standing, they will be the winner!" he mentioned, "Now please select your Pokémon!" he implored.

"Guess I'm going first!" H declared, flinging her Nest Ball forward in a side-armed motion. It popped open, and the light that spilled out from formed upon the ground, dissipating to reveal a Wimpod.

"Wh-Whimmm…" she whimpered out, having a worried look on her face. Erika blinked in surprise.

"What Pokémon is that?" she inquired over to her Pokédex, enticing it to pull up an image of the Turn Tail Pokémon.

"Wimpod, the Turn Tail Pokémon," it began, "Her habitat varies from beaches to seabeds. A natural scavenger, she will gleefully chow down on anything edible, no matter how rotten. An astonishingly cowardly Pokémon, Wimpod will whir her legs at high speeds to run away if anything comes near her," it explained thoroughly.

"Huh…" Erika uttered out, looking back at the Turn Tail Pokémon. She certainly seemed cowardly as Rotom had described.

"Alright Porygon, you're up!" Angie cried out as she tossed a Great Ball out towards the field. As it popped open, the light from it spilled into the air, shaping into form and dissipating to reveal the Virtual Pokémon.

"Reeee…" it buzzed out.

"And now a Porygon?" Erika noted, raising an eyebrow. Her Pokédex pulled up an image of the Virtual Pokémon.

"Porygon, the Virtual Pokémon," it began, "It can convert its body into digital data, which enables it to enter cyberspace. It was built 20 years ago by scientists who dreamed of exploring space. Their dreams have yet to come true," it explained thoroughly.

"Whoa…" Erika uttered, amazed by the facts Rotom was giving her.

"And now it's our turn!" Cerise exclaimed as she reeled her right arm back, "Let's go, Staryu!" she called out, flinging a regular Poké Ball out. It popped open as its light formed upon the ground, breaking apart to unveil the Star Shape Pokémon.

"Hannhh!" it screeched as it stepped forward.

'So my first match is against a Wimpod, a Porygon, and a Staryu…' Erika noted to herself, letting off a grin as she reached down to her belt, pulling off a Poké Ball from it before pressing its center button, enlarging it.

"I know exactly who to use!" she declared, reeling her right arm back, "Come on out!" she beckoned, pitching the Poké Ball forwards. It opened as its light spilled out the ground, dissipating immediately to reveal Sandygast.

"G-Gassuuu?" he stuttered in confusion, wondering where he was.

"Eri's using her Sandygast!" Hau exclaimed excitedly upon noticing.

"I wonder how he'll battle…" Calvin said, watching on with anticipation in his eyes.

"G-G-Gasssuuuu…" the Sand Heap Pokémon stammered out of fright upon seeing his three opponents, backing up nervously.

"Don't worry, Sandygast," his trainer assured, getting his attention as he turned to see her flash him a thumbs up with a wink, "I'll be cheering you on all the way!" she promised. The Sand Heap Pokémon's beady eyes sparkled a little.

"Gass!" he responded with a nod and a smile, turning around to face his three foes.

"All right…" the referee began, raising his right arm up, "you may begin!" he exclaimed, swinging his arm down.

"Let's see how you numbskulls take this!" H yelled, "Wimpod, Struggle Bug!" she ordered. The Turn Tail Pokémon had a greenish-yellow aura shroud her body before she shot out several glowing needles of energy, heading towards her three foes. They had no time to dodge as they were struck, being pushed back only slightly. However, a bluish aura flowed down each of their bodies.

"What happened?" Erika asked.

"Whenever Struggle Bug hitzzz, it lowerzzz a Pokémon's zzzpecial attack!" Rotom explained as a reply.

"Hahahahaha!" H laughed, "How 'bout that?!" she inquired with her hands at her hips, "I've got brains in this here skull unlike my bozo bros…" she pointed out as she poked at her own head, "So you better not underestimate me…" she warned her opponents. Angie giggled.

"Oh, we won't!" she promised, "Porygon, Psybeam!" she commanded.

"Reeee, gohhhh!" the Virtual Pokémon screeched, firing off a streaky blue beam of light with pink circles towards Wimpod. It struck in an explosion of grey smoke, which subsided to reveal the Turn Tail Pokémon shaking her head.

"Wh-Whimmm…!" she whimpered in fright.

"Hey, don't chicken out!" her trainer demanded, "We gotta make no bones about these Aether cronies!" she informed to her partner.

"Pahhh…" Wimpod sniffled out, still scared.

"Cronies, hm?" Angie repeated, curiously raising her eyebrow, "My, your insults are about as good as your fashion…" she remarked cheekily. H had blood vessels threatening to pop out of her head.

"WHAT'D YOU SAY TO ME?!" she bellowed angrily. Erika and Cerise looked on at the two trading insults without so much as issuing a command.

'Is this even a Pokémon battle anymore?' the Ketchum girl wondered as she tilted her head slightly.

"How 'bout another round of Struggle Bug?!" H yelled. Her Wimpod glowed in a yellowish-green aura again before firing off a spray of energy needles towards her three foes.

"Counter it with Discharge!" Angie instructed quickly. Electricity surged around Porygon's body before it unleashed several bolts that burnt through the incoming needles, heading for each of her foes.

"Quick, dodge it!" Cerise called out to her Staryu, who leapt up to evade the bolts as it spun around, while Wimpod found herself struck by them in a fierce explosion. Meanwhile, Sandygast took the bolts head on as he flinched. However, they didn't seem to affect him as they dissipated.

"Gassuu?" he uttered in confusion and surprise.

"Since Zzzandygast izzz a Ground-type, Electric-type movezzz won't work on him!" Rotom pointed out.

"And we'll take advantage of that!" Erika declared with a pump of her right fist, "Sandygast, use Sand Tomb on Porygon!" she commanded.

"G-Gassuu!" the Sand Heap Pokémon stammered in response, making his beady eyes shine a bright orange. All of a sudden, the dirt beneath Porygon's body began to cave in, forming a sandy vortex that threatened to grasp him.

"Oh, how clever!" Angie complimented as she clapped her hands together, "However…" she continued as she slightly opened her eyes, "use Magnet Rise!" she yelled.

"Reee…" the Virtual Pokémon buzzed as a yellowish aura shrouded its body, allowing it to float up and avoid the sand vortex's grasp.

"Ah!" Erika gasped.

"Magnet Rise is a move that letzzz a Pokémon avoid getting hit by Ground-type movezzz…" Rotom noted, getting her attention.

"Well, let's see ya dodge this!" H suddenly challenged, thrusting her right hand out, "Wimpod, Aqua Jet!" she ordered. Coming out from the smoke immersed in a torrent of water was the Turn Tail Pokémon, who was heading straight for Porygon.

"Oh, you're so feisty!" Angie remarked cheekily, "Porygon, Tackle!" she commanded as she stuck her left hand out. The Virtual Pokémon dashed forward, prepared to collide with its foe. But suddenly…

"Gyro Ball!" Cerise shouted. The tips of Staryu's appendages glowed a light blue as it spun around and crashed into Wimpod and Porygon, knocking them aside.

"Whoa!" Erika yelped in surprise. The Star Shape Pokémon continued on its course towards Sandygast.

"G-G-G-Gasssuuuu!" he stammered in fright, sweating madly.

"Calm down, Sandygast!" his trainer cried out, "Use Astonish!" she ordered. The Sand Heap Pokémon shook his head to regain his composure, making his eyes glow a bright purple. As his foe approached…

"GAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSS!" he shrieked, making a black, ghastly aura shoot out from his body as it struck Staryu, knocking it back as it landed upon its two lower appendages like they were feet.

"Oh, not bad…" Cerise complimented with a grin, "But we're just getting started!" she declared, "Bubble Beam!" she commanded with a swing of her right arm.

"Hahn!" the Star Shape Pokémon responded, leaping up and firing off a flurry of bubbles from its red gem. They struck Sandygast in a burst of white smoke.

"Sandygast!" Erika cried out. When the smoke cleared, it revealed the Sand Heap Pokémon shaking his head. A reddish aura flowed up his body.

"That'zzz hizzz Water Compaction!" Rotom buzzed upon noticing. Erika let out a sigh of relief.

'Still… we really shouldn't take any chances with moves like that…' she admitted to herself, closing her hands into fists.

"Take that starfish out with another Aqua Jet!" H yelled in command, pumping her right fist out. Her Wimpod immersed herself within another torrent of water, rocketing off towards Staryu from behind.

"Heh," Cerise chuckled, "Don't think you'll get the drop on us that easily!" she shouted, "Staryu, Swift!" she ordered. Spinning around, the Star Shape Pokémon unleashed several yellow energy stars onto her foes, striking Wimpod and Porygon in bursts of smoke. Those that went towards Sandygast merely phased right through him as they struck the ground instead.

"And since Sandygast's a Ghost-type, Normal-type moves won't work!" Erika noted with a grin.

"Way to think ahead, Erika!" Rotom complimented.

"My, it's going to be complicated to deal with that Sandygast…" Angie realized, sheepishly scratching at her cheek, "I suppose we'll deal with the other ones first…" she decided, "Use Discharge!" she commanded with a swing of her right arm. Emerging from the smoke, Porygon had electricity crackle around its body before unleashing multiple bolts across the field. Each of her foes was struck, with Wimpod and Staryu being zapped fiercely as Sandygast was unharmed, blinking in surprise.

"Whimmmm…" the Turn Tail Pokémon whimpered out with swirls in her eyes. The referee blew on a whistle.

"Wimpod's unable to battle!" he announced.

"Aw, come on!" H complained, rubbing her hands through her hair out of frustration. Angie giggled.

"Now it's time to finish things with you!" she declared to Cerise, catching her attention, "Discharge again!" she ordered. Porygon's body was crackling with electricity before it fired off more bolts towards his remaining foes. However, the red-haired woman smirked.

"Camouflage!" she called out.

"Hah!" Staryu exclaimed, shining in a multicolored light just before the bolts struck both it and Sandygast. When they subsided… it revealed that both of them were unharmed!

"Ah!" Angie gasped.

"How come that didn't affect Staryu this time?" Erika asked, blinking rapidly out of shock.

"Camouflage izzz a move that changezzz the user'zzz type based on their environment," Rotom explained in reply, "ZZZince that Discharge didn't affect Staryu, it must've changed into a Ground-type, zzt!" it pointed out.

"Well that's a surprise…" Angie admitted with a giggle, "But that won't stop us!" she stated firmly, "Porygon, Psybeam!" she commanded.

"Reee… GONNNN!" the Virtual Pokémon exclaimed, firing off a streaky blue beam of light with pink circles from its nose towards Staryu.

"Dodge and use Gyro Ball!" Cerise instructed quickly. Making the tips of its appendages glow a bright blue, the Star Shape Pokémon jumped up to evade the incoming beam as it struck the ground. It then spun around rapidly towards Porygon, slamming against it fiercely.

"Whoa!" Hau yelped from afar upon noticing.

"That was a solid attack…" Calvin noted as he blinked.

"Reee…" Porygon buzzed weakly as it floated up.

"Now Bubble Beam!" Cerise commanded, sticking out her right hand. From the red gem at its center, Staryu fired off a flurry of blue, sparkling bubbles that struck the Virtual Pokémon, knocking it down onto the ground.

"R-Reeeee…" it buzzed out with swirls in its eyes.

"Porygon, no!" Angie exclaimed. The referee blew his whistle twice.

"Porygon's unable to battle!" he announced, raising up his right hand.

"That was so cool…" Erika admitted, followed by shaking her head to regain her composure. In the meantime, Sandygast was shuddering with fright.

"G-G-Gassuuu…" he stammered out, seeing Staryu turn to face him.

"And now it's just a one-on-one…" Cerise noted as she cracked a smirk, "No hard feelings, kid," she started to say, "but we're gonna win this!" she declared fiercely, "Staryu, Bubble Beam!" she ordered as she pumped her right fist forward.

"HAHN!" the Star Shape Pokémon exclaimed, unleashing another flurry of bubbles from its red gem towards its foe.

"Quick, dodge it!" Erika cried out. Unfortunately, Sandygast ended up struck by the bubbles in an explosion of white smoke. As it cleared, it revealed a reddish aura flowing up his body again.

"Gasssuuu…" he whimpered out.

"Ergh…" his trainer growled in frustration, balling her hands into fists.

"Even if Water Compaction'zzz raising his physical defenzzze…" Rotom started to say, "that meanzzz nothing to zzzpecial attackzzz like Bubble Beam…" it pointed out.

"Now let's wrap this all up!" Cerise yelled, "Use Gyro Ball!" she commanded as she swung her right arm out. The tips of Staryu's five appendages glowed a bright blue as it jumped up and spun off towards the Sand Heap Pokémon.

"S-Sah!" he gasped in surprise, whimpering as he shut his eyes.

"It'll be okay, Sandygast!" his trainer called out, getting his attention as he perked up a little, "You can take it!" she assured confidently. The Sand Heap Pokémon blinked in surprise before Staryu slammed into him fiercely.

"Nice!" Cerise yelled excitedly, pumping her fist. However, that elation soon vanished as the dust settled, revealing that Staryu was trapped in the sandy body of Sandygast!

"H-Hahn! HAAAHHHHNNN!" the Star Shape Pokémon screeched, trying desperately to break itself free.

"No way!" its trainer exclaimed in disbelief. Now Erika cracked a smirk.

"Now Mega Drain!" she ordered.

"Gasu!" Sandygast responded, touching his opponent with his stubby hands. They started glowing a bright green, absorbing the energy of the Star Shape Pokémon as it grew tired all of a sudden.

"Nice move, Eri!" Hau cheered from afar, while Calvin smiled excitedly. His twin sister was making a good showing in her first match.

"Ergh…" Cerise growled with frustration, "Get out of there with Gyro Ball!" she instructed quickly. Staryu made the tips of its appendages glow a bright blue before it spun its way out of its foe's sandy body, leaping high into the air before coming back down towards the ground. However, Erika cracked a grin.

"Use Sand Tomb where he lands!" she called out, much to the opposing trainer's surprise. Sandygast made his eyes glow a bright orange again. Just as Staryu landed on the field, the ground beneath it caved in, pulling it downwards before erupting like a geyser of sand.

"Staryu!" its trainer cried out. As the dust settled, it revealed the Star Shape Pokémon standing to her relief… right before it fell forwards.

"Hahhhnnn…" it groaned out after hitting the ground. The referee whistled three times.

"Staryu is unable to battle!" he announced, "Therefore, the winners of the first set of the first round of Battle Royal battles on Field C are Erika and Sandygast!" he declared, gesturing towards the victorious team with his left arm.

"Woohoo!" the Ketchum girl exclaimed with delight.

"Gassuu!" Sandygast squeaked happily.

"Kid's good…" Cerise admitted, returning Staryu to its Poké Ball in a beam of red light.

"Definitely!" Angie agreed as she giggled.

"Hmph!" H scoffed, stomping off angrily, "Big Sis'll kick your butt soon enough…" she grumbled. Erika sighed, wondering if anyone else on Team Skull would be like that later on.

"Nice job, kid," Cerise congratulated, getting her attention as she noticed her and Angie approach, "Good luck going forward," she remarked, holding out her right fist for a fist bump, which the Ketchum girl happily returned with a grin.

"I've got a feeling you'll be getting pretty far after that battle!" Angie mentioned confidently, "Do your best!" she insisted.

"Will do!" Erika responded with a nod before crouching down next to Sandygast, "We're gonna get right to that finish line, right?" she inquired of him.

"Sah, gass!" he responded with an eager nod, bumping his stubby left arm against his trainer's fist. She giggled, excited for what was to come in the rest of the tournament.

X

"Spinner, Leech Life!" Pyrrha commanded as she stuck out her right hand.

"Use Fire Fang!" Trent ordered while pumping his left fist.

"High Horsepower, Mudbray!" Paige yelled. On each of their respective fields, the three trial-goers were emerging victorious in their battles as they wound down, one after another. The crowd was growing excited to see names start to disappear from the board. After the first set of Battle Royal rounds had ended, the six trial-goers all gathered back together.

"Phoo…" Pyrrha exhaled, "That was a rush!" she admitted with a giggle.

"Good thing is, these Battle Royals whittle us down pretty quickly…" Paige pointed out, putting her hands onto her hips.

"Yeah…" Calvin agreed with a nod. He looked up at the big screen to see the display. He wasn't in the next set of Battle Royals.

"Looks like I'm on K!" Hau exclaimed as he pre-emptively hopped up and down to psyche himself up.

"Good luck, cuz!" Erika said with a pump of her fists.

"Thanks, Eri!" he replied before jogging off.

"Looks like that Plumeria lady's in this set, too…" Trent pointed out, catching the others' attentions as they saw the Team Skull admin venturing towards her designated field, which wasn't the same as Hau's.

"What kind of Pokémon does she use?" Pyrrha asked curiously.

"The only one I remember is her Salandit," Erika replied, glancing down for a moment, "And she was tough…" she added in remembrance. Brionne had barely been able to win that battle against the Toxic Lizard Pokémon back on Akala Island, even with a type advantage.

"It hasn't been too long zzzince we zzzaw her…" Rotom recalled, chiming into the conversation, "ZZZhe might not even be that zzztrong now…" it pointed out.

"I wouldn't underestimate her, Rotodex…" its user advised to its surprise, "I know I did…" she admitted as she balled her fists.

"Let's go, Noibat!" Hau called out to the Sound Wave Pokémon that was flapping his wings in front of him on the battlefield.

"Nuoi!" he responded, flying away to avoid getting caught in a Pinsir's pincers and being struck by a fireball shot at him by a Larvesta.

"Toxic!" Plumeria yelled to her Salandit, who licked her lips as she deviously narrowed her eyes. She fired off three separate ball of purple liquid from her mouth after jumping up, each striking a Flaafy, a Passimian, and a Fletchinder. All of them had a purple light shine upon their bodies as they grimaced in pain. The Team Skull admin smirked. "Now Venoshock!" she commanded.

"Salll…AHN!" the Toxic Lizard Pokémon screeched as she fired off streams of poisonous purple liquid that struck each of her foes in blasts of smoke.

"Jeez…" Calvin uttered in shock.

"She's smart," Trent noted, crossing his arms over his chest, "Using Toxic and then Venoshock like that proves how prepared she is for multiple opponents…" he mentioned.

'And she's not even the boss of Team Skull…' Erika remembered, gulping a little. The second set of Battle Royals ended relatively quickly, along with the third set. Hau and Plumeria had moved on, along with the likes of Milo, Selene, A, B, E, F, G, and J. It was finally Calvin's turn to battle in the fourth set of Battle Royals as he took his position on Field N. His opponents were two other male trainers and one Aether Foundation employee that had a bulky build with shaved brown hair. The referee raised his right arm.

"You may select your Pokémon!" he called out to the trainers.

"Go for it, Phantump!" one of the male trainers with blonde hair exclaimed as he tossed a Poké Ball forward.

"Let's get things going, Herdier!" the other male trainer with black, spiky hair shouted while throwing his own Poké Ball. Both of them popped open, with the lights coming from them spilling out onto the field. One dissipated to reveal a Stump Pokémon that floated in midair, while the other unveiled a Loyal Dog Pokémon.

"So a Phantump and a Herdier…" Trent noted from afar upon noticing.

"I wonder which Pokémon that Aether Foundation guy has…" Pyrrha said out of curiosity. The burly man held up a Great Ball in his right hand.

"Primeape, go," he said, nonchalantly flipping the spherical container out of his hand. It opened up, with its light spilling out and forming upon the ground to reveal the Pig Monkey Pokémon.

"PRRRRYYYYYY!" he roared, punching angrily at the air around him.

"A Primeape…" Paige uttered, blinking in surprise.

"He looks really angry…" Erika pointed out nervously. Meanwhile, Rotom brought up an image of the Pig Monkey Pokémon upon its screen.

"Primeape, the Pig Monkey Pokémon, and the evolved form of Mankey," it began, catching the attentions of the others, "The blood vessels in its brain are sturdier than those of other Pokémon, so it can stay healthy despite its constant raging. Some researchers theorize that Primeape remains angry even when inside a Poké Ball," it explained thoroughly.

"I think Uncle Ash used to have a Primeape once…" Hau recalled as he scratched at his right cheek.

"Oh, Mason's battling Calvin!" a familiar voice noted, catching their attentions as they looked over to see Milo and Selene walking over.

"Hey guys!" Erika greeted as she approached the Aether Foundation employees.

"So that Aether Foundation guy's name is Mason?" Trent inquired, arching an eyebrow.

"Yes," Selene robotically responded with a nod, "He tends to be fairly soft spoken," she pointed out, "but he was really excited about the tournament," she recalled as her tone remained as robotic as it usually was.

"Calvin better watch out," Milo advised, "Mason's Primeape is a beast just waiting to be unleashed…" he noted to the surprise of the trial-goers, who all started to worry for the Ketchum boy. He took a Poké Ball off of his belt, enlarging it by pressing its center button.

"Trumbeak, I choose you!" he called out, throwing the container up into the air. It popped open, and the light that spilled out formed in midair, dissipating to reveal the Bugle Beak Pokémon.

"Trruhhhh!" he squawked as he glided downwards, flapping his wings to remain airborne.

"Let the Battle Royal… begin!" the referee declared, swinging down his right arm.

"Phantump, Leech Seed on Trumbeak!" the blonde-haired boy yelled quickly. The Stump Pokémon reeled his head back before spitting out several seeds that landed and sunk into the ground below the Bugle Beak Pokémon. All of a sudden, vines sprang up from the ground, threatening to grab him.

"Watch out!" Calvin screamed in a panic. Thankfully, Trumbeak was able to fly away speedily as the vines failed to grasp him. "Nice!" his trainer complimented, "Now use Pluck on Phantump!" he commanded.

"Truhh!" the Bugle Beak Pokémon chirped in response, making his beak glow a bright sky blue as it lengthened slightly.

"Herdier, Take Down!" the dark-haired boy ordered as he threw out his left hand. A bronze-colored energy shrouded the Loyal Dog Pokémon as he ran forwards, having a golden force-field surround his body.

"Phantump, Tackle!" the blonde-haired boy commanded, enticing the Stump Pokémon to fly out towards his foes. All three of them collided fiercely at the center of the field in a burst of dust. Meanwhile, Primeape remained where he was, though he was starting to grow irritated.

"Prryyyy…" he growled, turning towards his trainer, who had yet to say anything.

"Wait, please," he requested. The dust settled to reveal that Trumbeak, Herdier and Phantump were shaken up from the collision, with the latter wincing heavily.

"Dang…" his trainer muttered out, "Use Feint Attack!" he shouted in a somewhat desperate tone.

"Fah!" the Stump Pokémon responded, zipping towards Herdier while seemingly preparing to strike with his right branch.

"Catch him with Crunch!" the dark-haired boy instructed to the Loyal Dog Pokémon.

"Ruff!" he barked, making his teeth glow a bright white as they sharpened. As Phantump approached, he opened his mouth to bite down on him… only for the Stump Pokémon to sneak by his teeth and headbutt him hard atop his cranium.

"RRRR!" the Loyal Dog Pokémon yelped with pain.

"Nice one!" the blonde-haired boy complimented to his partner.

"Trumbeak, Pluck!" Calvin suddenly commanded, causing him to gasp in surprise. The Bugle Beak Pokémon had his beak glow a bright blue once again as he glided speedily towards Phantump, pecking at him fiercely as he winced in pain.

"Phantump!" his trainer cried out, seeing him stumble back in midair.

"Fahhh…" he growled in frustration, readying his stubby arms.

"Trummm!" Trumbeak squawked as a challenge, prepared to fight.

"Looks like Cal's doing well…" Trent pointed out with a grin.

"No doubt he'll win this one!" Hau confidently assured.

"But how come that Mason hasn't made a move yet?" Paige wondered curiously as she raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, that's weird…" Pyrrha agreed in response.

"He's waiting for the right moment to step in…" Milo chimed in as an answer, catching their attentions as they looked over at him, "And once he does, it'll be pretty much over," he noted while grinning. Erika grew even more nervous. The Aether Foundation employee was likely one of the strongest in the tournament from what his coworker was saying.

"Thunder Fang!" the dark-haired boy ordered quickly.

"RAAAAHHHH!" Herdier roared out, making yellow sparks of electricity crackle from his mouth as he lunged out at Trumbeak.

"Dodge and use Rock Smash!" Calvin instructed. The Bugle Beak Pokémon had his beak glow a reddish-orange as he glided towards the Loyal Dog Pokémon. He tried to avoid getting bitten, but was unsuccessful as Herdier managed to catch his foe's left wing in his electrically charged teeth.

"TRRRRRUUHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Trumbeak screeched in agony as he was zapped fiercely by the electricity.

"Trumbeak!" his trainer cried out. However, the Bugle Beak Pokémon steeled himself, swinging his beak down to strike Herdier's back hard.

"Rrr…!" he grunted out, wincing from the pain of the blow. However, he didn't release his hold on his opponent.

"Now, Phantump! Tackle them both!" the blonde-haired boy ordered immediately. The Stump Pokémon was soaring down from above, about to slam into his two interlocked foes. Their trainers grimaced, knowing that neither of their partners would be able to dodge in time. But they wouldn't need to.

"Assurance," Mason instructed simply. All of a sudden, Primeape instantly lunged out at Phantump, catching everyone by surprise.

'That's… so fast!' Calvin inwardly noted. A dark, reddish aura shrouded the Pig Monkey's right arm before he punched his target fiercely, sending him crashing into the ground in a flurry of dust.

"Phantump!" the blonde-haired boy screamed in fright. The dust cleared to reveal the Stump Pokémon lying upon the ground with swirls in his eyes. The referee blew the whistle.

"Phantump is unable to continue!" he announced, raising his left arm up.

"No way…!" Erika gasped, flabbergasted by the sudden show of speed and power that the Pig Monkey Pokémon revealed.

"And there he goes…" Milo remarked, putting his hands onto his hips, "Wonder how Calvin's gonna counterattack…" he pointed out as he smiled.

"Mm," Selene responded with a nod.

"Well, that was something…" the dark-haired body noted as sweat trickled down his face, "Herdier, let go of Trumbeak for now!" he instructed, enticing the Loyal Dog Pokémon to fling the Bugle Beak Pokémon out of his grasp as he turned towards Primeape, narrowing his eyes, "Now Take Down!" his trainer commanded, pumping his left fist forward. Shrouding himself in a bronze-colored light again with another golden force-field, Herdier was about to charge forward…

"Karate Chop," Mason instructed simply.

"Huh?" the dark-haired boy uttered in confusion. All of a sudden, Primeape dashed forward, making his right hand glow a bright white before swinging it down and slamming it hard against the Loyal Dog Pokémon's head, forcing him to the ground.

"AH!" both Calvin and the dark-haired boy gasped in fright.

"T-Trumm…?" Trumbeak stuttered in disbelief, seeing the Pig Monkey Pokémon loom over the dazed Herdier as his eyes were in swirls. The referee blew into his whistle twice.

"Herdier is unable to battle!" he announced.

"Ergh…" Calvin growled in frustration. The battle had been going well so far… But it was going to end badly if he didn't think of something soon. "Trumbeak, Fury Attack!" he commanded as he pumped his right fist. Shaking his head to regain his composure, the Bugle Beak Pokémon made his beak glow a bright white as he flew towards Primeape.

"Fury Swipes," Mason ordered simply. The tips of the Pig Monkey Pokémon's hands glowed white as he charged forward and swiped at his lone foe. They exchanged blows, parrying each other's hits as their trainers watched on. Trumbeak managed to land a few pecks onto Primeape's face, right before he retaliated with a mighty swipe that blew his opponent down onto the ground as he tumbled back, rolling to a stop upon his stomach.

"Beeek…" he squawked weakly as he tried pushing himself up.

"Hang in there, Trumbeak!" his trainer called out worriedly, grimacing all the while.

'Now what?' he asked himself, looking at Primeape and the Aether Foundation employee that stood between them and emerging victorious, 'There's gotta be some way we can counter that insane attack power…' he noted inwardly, right before blinking in realization as he remembered something. When Erika had battled against Hala, she was able to stop his Mankey by confusing him with Oricorio's Teeter Dance. 'That's it!' the Ketchum boy realized, taking on a firm, serious expression.

"Primeape, Cross Chop," Mason ordered apathetically.

"PRRRYYYYY!" the Pig Monkey Pokémon roared as he charged forwards again, crossing his arms over his face as they glowed a bright orange.

"Trumbeak, use Supersonic!" Calvin called out, swinging his right arm forward. Reeling his head back, the Bugle Beak Pokémon bent his beak slightly before…

"BEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKK!" he screeched, unleashing a sound wave that washed over Primeape as he blinked in surprise. He suddenly slowed down, stumbling around crazily.

"What?" Mason uttered in surprise.

"Whoa, nice one!" Hau exclaimed excitedly from afar.

"Wow…" Milo said simply, putting his hands onto his hips as he sheepishly grinned, "Guess I shouldn't have underestimated Calvin…" he admitted.

"P-Prryyyy…" Primeape stammered, still bumbling about.

"Primeape, use Cross Chop!" his trainer commanded. The Pig Monkey Pokémon managed to make his arms glow a bright orange again… only to accidentally hit himself while crossing them.

"Prrryyyy…" he moaned out as he stumbled back.

"Now's our chance!" Calvin yelled, "Use Rock Smash!" he commanded, pumping his right fist out. Taking off and gliding forward, Trumbeak had his beak shine in a reddish-orange light before slamming it fiercely into his foe's face, knocking him back several yards.

"Primeape!" Mason cried out. The dust settled to reveal the Pig Monkey Pokémon managing to sit up as a bluish aura flowed down his body.

"Prryyy…" he growled, regaining his focus as he hopped back onto his feet.

"Now Cross Chop!" his trainer commanded fiercely.

"Use Pluck!" Calvin ordered. Trumbeak made his beak glow a bright blue before it lengthened out slightly, while Primeape had his arms shine in an orange light as he charged forward towards his target. They collided at the center of the battlefield, causing a plume of dirt and dust to erupt mightily. Everyone gasped in surprise, even those involved in other battles. When the dust finally settled, it revealed both remaining Pokémon still standing.

"Truhh… truhhh…" Trumbeak breathed out tiredly, looking ready to pass out at any given moment. Primeape raised his fists, prepared to keep fighting… only to suddenly fall backwards onto the ground. The referee quickly ran over to assess what had happened, seeing the swirls in the Pig Monkey Pokémon's eyes. He then blew his whistle three times.

"Primeape is unable to battle!" he announced, raising his right arm up, "Therefore, the winners of the fourth set of Battle Royals on Field K are Trumbeak and Calvin!" he declared.

"We did it!" the Ketchum boy exclaimed with delight.

"Trummm!" the Bugle Beak Pokémon squawked happily as he jumped up.

"Way to go, Calvin!" Pyrrha cheered from afar.

"So we're all moving to the next round…" Paige noted, "At this point, it might be anyone's game…" she mentioned, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Yeah…" Erika agreed with a simple nod. She was just glad things weren't over yet for her and her friends…

X

"And that concludes the first round!" Lusamine announced from the balcony, speaking into a microphone, "I must say, you all are incredible trainers, through and through!" she complimented happily with a giggle. The 64 remaining trainers on the field below were awaiting the announcement as to who would be battling whom next. At that moment, Faba came along to take the microphone from the Aether Foundation president's hands.

"Now we'll be moving on to the second round of Battle Royals to determine the Top Sixteen!" he declared. The large screen showed off an image of a new bracket with each of the fields marked A through P. "Each winner of the four sets of the first round will proceed to the field where they emerged victorious and battle there," the branch chief told the trainers, "Those who win in this round will proceed to the Top Sixteen!" he added in declaration. The crowd cheered excitedly.

"So the four winners of each field get to duke it out to see who moves on…" Paige concluded.

"Guess we'll just have to do our best," Erika decided as she pumped her left fist, "Right, Pyrrha?" she inquired to the Eucliffe girl beside. However, she didn't get an immediate response, much to her confusion. "Pyrrha?" she uttered out, looking over to see the shocked expression on her face.

"I'm up against her…" she noted with shaking eyes.

"Huh?" Erika said in confusion, looking towards the large screen. And she gasped upon seeing that Plumeria's name was next to her friend's. "Oh man…" she uttered in surprise. She looked over to see the smirk on the Team Skull admin's face as she was venturing over to her field.

"I'll be fine," Pyrrha assured as she balled her fists, "After all, I've got you guys cheering me on!" she pointed out confidently.

"Well, we better get a move on!" Hau insisted, jogging over to his field along with the others. As Erika arrived at hers, she discovered a surprising sight.

"Yo, you!" A greeted, "We're 'bout to mess you and your team up for reals!" he rapped as he waved his arms.

"You said it, bro!" B concurred, "Time for the payback you've got comin' to you!" he declared while pulling off a Nest Ball from his belt. Erika let a drop of sweat roll down from her head.

'Of course I'm fighting these bozos…' she muttered inwardly with a deep sigh, 'At least it's just them and not-'

"Well, if it isn't the hotshot who cheated us out of getting our hands on that Totem Pokémon…" a familiar voice noted, causing the Ketchum girl to jolt her eyes open as she grimaced.

"Oh, great…" she grumbled, turning to see G approach the battlefield.

"You're not a match for the three of us this time!" she stated firmly.

"Yeah!" A and B agreed simultaneously.

"Huh…" Erika sighed deeply, taking off a Poké Ball from her belt as she enlarged it, "Let's just get this over with…" she muttered.

"With pleasure!" the trio of Team Skull members responded together as they threw up their respective Nest Balls. They popped open, with their lights spilling out onto the field and dissipating to reveal Drowzee, Zubat, and an Alolan Raticate.

"Rah!" the Alolan Mouse Pokémon hissed, glaring at Erika. She cracked a grin.

"I've got just the opponent for you guys…" she remarked, reeling her right arm back, "Come on out, Magby!" she beckoned, chucking the Poké Ball forward. As it opened up, its light spilled onto the field, coming apart to unveil the Live Coal Pokémon.

"Magg!" he exclaimed, breathing out a puff of fire. Elsewhere around the various fields, Ariel was swiftly dodging the gushes of water launched her way by an opposing Psyduck. She then leapt into the air and made yellow energy stars orbit around her tail before swinging around to fire them down at the Duck Pokémon. They struck him in a fierce explosion of white smoke, followed by it dissipating to reveal him in a daze with his eyes in swirls.

"Syyy…" he groaned out before falling backwards onto the ground.

"Yes!" Hau exclaimed excitedly as his Eevee landed down in front of him.

"Mightyena, Snarl!" Trent commanded while pumping his right fist forward.

"RAH!" the Bite Pokémon barked before unleashing several purple and black rings of energy from his mouth. They collided with a Sudowoodo, a Pom-Pom-styled Oricorio, and a Tropius. Trent cracked a grin upon seeing how successful the attack was.

"Use Ice Punch!" Paige commanded, enticing her Medicham to lunge out as an icy blue aura shrouded her right fist. She slammed it into the face of a Golbat, knocking him down as ice formed upon his left wing.

"Chamu!" she exclaimed, keeping a ready stance as she was prepared to face whomever would challenge her next. In the meantime, Steenee was racing about Field N as a Gyarados was tailing her, having his teeth glow a bright white. He was prepared to chomp down on her, only for her to leap above his head.

"Now Magical Leaf!" Calvin ordered as he swung his right arm forward and closed his hand into a fist. Making her digit-less hands glow a bright green as she swung them in a circle before bringing them together to form an orb of light, the Fruit Pokémon fired off a flurry of glowing green leaves that struck the Gyarados fiercely.

"Nee!" she huffed proudly after landing, putting her hands onto her hips. Meanwhile, on Field F, the lights coming out from two Poké Balls spilled out onto the ground, dissipating to reveal a Kangaskhan and a Sliggoo. Their trainers were Aether Foundation employees, one being a woman with short, caramel blonde hair, while the other was a skinny, black-haired man.

"Using Kangaskhan today, huh Amy?" he inquired over to his coworker, "You must be really in it to win it today!" he pointed out with a chuckle.

"And I'm gonna win, Bryant!" she retorted firmly in declaration, "It'd be embarrassing for Aether Foundation employees to lose so easily!" she mentioned as she balled her fists.

"Hmph," Plumeria scoffed, readying an Ultra Ball in her hand as she enlarged it by pressing its center button, "You Aether cronies are all just talk…" she grumbled, backhanding her spherical container forward. It popped open, with the light coming from it forming upon the ground and dissipating to reveal a Mareanie.

"Mah!" she exclaimed.

"A Mareanie…" Pyrrha uttered, letting off a grimace. She remembered what she had heard yesterday about the Brutal Star Pokémon. Both from Wicke and from Rotom.

'Since she's a Water-and-Poison-type, I have to be careful about who I end up using in this battle…' the Eucliffe girl inwardly noted as she reached down to her belt to select a Poké Ball, which she did with a grin.

"Let's go, Miss Magic!" she called out as she enlarged the spherical container with the press of its button, flinging it upwards. It opened up, with its light coming out into the air and breaking apart to unveil her Misdreavus.

"Dreee!" she squeaked excitedly as she floated down in front of her trainer.

"You may… BEGIN!" the referee yelled while swinging down his right arm.

"Scald on the Kangaskhan," Plumeria quickly instructed.

"Mahrr!" Mareanie responded, leaping up as she puffed out her cheeks. She then fired off of a gush of steaming hot water that splashed directly onto the Parent Pokémon, making her wince as she slid back a step.

"Kangaskhan!" Amy cried out. Once the water subsided, the Parent Pokémon breathed out a sigh of relief… right before she was engulfed in a plume of flames.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" she screamed in agony, while everyone widened their eyes in disbelief.

"Heh," Plumeria chuckled with satisfaction on her face.

'She already got that Kangaskhan burned…' Pyrrha inwardly noted as she grimaced.

"You're a clever one, huh?" Bryant guessed, balling his fists, "Sliggoo, Dragon Breath!" he commanded.

"Goo!" the Soft Tissue Pokémon responded, reeling his head back. Light blue waves of energy swirled around his body before he opened his mouth and fired off a blue beam towards Mareanie.

"Dodge and use Toxic!" Plumeria called out with a swing of her left arm. The Brutal Star Pokémon leapt to evade the blue beam as it struck the ground in a blast of black smoke. She then spat out a glob of purple liquid that hit Sliggoo square in the face.

"Goooo…!" he whimpered in agony as a purple light shined upon his body with bubbles and sparks coming off of it as well.

"Mah!" Mareanie huffed with satisfaction, while her trainer cracked a smirk.

'I hate to say it, but she's really good at getting the battle in her favor…' Pyrrha admitted to herself, closing her hands into fists, 'I'd rather not be hasty in our first move…' she decided through her thoughts.

"Kangaskhan, are you gonna be okay?" Amy asked of her partner.

"Kah…" she breathed out assuredly in response as she nodded.

"Okay, then use Mega Punch on Mareanie!" she commanded as she thrusted her right fist forward.

"Kahh!" the Parent Pokémon yelled as she ran forward, closing her right hand into a fist as it glowed a bright white. She charged towards Mareanie, who narrowed her eyes.

"Dodge," Plumeria instructed simply. The Brutal Star Pokémon leapt over her foe's fist as she struck nothing but the ground. She growled in frustration, feeling the burning flames flicker around her body as they made her grimace in pain.

"Sliggoo, Body Slam!" Bryant ordered. Mareanie turned to notice the Soft Tissue Pokémon lunging towards her.

"Dodge and use Venoshock!" Plumeria called out. Leaping into the air to evade her incoming foe, Mareanie had the end spines of her tentacles shine a bright purple before spraying out several streams of poisonous purple liquid. They all struck Sliggoo below as he cried out in agony.

"Sliggoo!" Bryant screamed, while Amy growled.

"Kangaskhan, use Double Hit!" she commanded quickly. A greyish light shrouded the Parent Pokémon's arms as she swiped at Mareanie, who jumped back to evade her. All the while, Plumeria smirked.

"You Aether guys sure know how to miss…" she remarked mockingly with her left hand at her hip.

"Psybeam!" Pyrrha's voice suddenly ordered, causing her to blink in surprise.

"Miss… dreee!" Miss Magic exclaimed as she fired off a streaky blue beam with pink circles towards the Brutal Star Pokémon. It struck, knocking her over as she tumbled along the ground. The Team Skull admin scoffed before letting off a grin.

"So you finally decided to get involved, huh?" she inquired over to Pyrrha, who ignored her, wanting to focus on the battle.

"Thanks for the assist, kid!" Bryant yelled as he grinned excitedly, "Now Dragon Breath on Mareanie!" he commanded while sticking his right hand out. More light blue waves of energy shrouded Sliggoo before he fired off another beam towards the Brutal Star Pokémon.

"Counter it with Scald!" Plumeria called out. Puffing out her cheeks, Mareanie unleashed another spray of boiling water from her mouth. It collided with the beam in a huge burst of steam, which spread to cover the whole field.

"Uh oh…" Pyrrha uttered as she and her Misdreavus glanced around for a sign of their opponents. Meanwhile on Field C, both Zubat and Drowzee fell to the ground unconscious.

"Noooo…!" both A and B whimpered in frustration, falling to their hands and knees. Meanwhile, G growled angrily as she glared out at Erika, who cracked a grin as Magby's only opponent was now Raticate.

"Rah…" the Alolan Mouse Pokémon huffed tiredly.

"We'll finish this right now then!" his trainer declared as she pumped her left fist, "Use Crunch!" she commanded. Lunging forwards, Raticate had his teeth glow a bright white and sharpen as he was prepared to bite down on Magby.

"Flame Burst!" Erika ordered.

"Mahgg… beee!" the Live Coal Pokémon exclaimed, spitting out a searing fireball that struck his foe directly in the mouth, causing a fierce explosion before he fell to the ground with swirls in his eyes. The referee blew his whistle three times.

"Raticate is unable to battle!" he announced, "Therefore, the winners of the Battle Royal match on Field C are Magby and Erika!" he declared, gesturing towards the Ketchum Girl and the Live Coal Pokémon.

"Woohoo!" the former exclaimed delightedly.

"Mahg!" Magby squeaked with happiness, turning around and jumping over to give his trainer a high five for their victory.

"Now you're moving on to the Top ZZZixteen!" Rotom buzzed, excited for its user.

"Just hope the others aren't having too much trouble…" Erika admitted, looking at the other battlefields. On Field G, Trent had just emerged victorious with his Mightyena. On Field H, Paige's Medicham was engaged in a serious battle against a Machoke, but looked close to winning. On Field M, Ariel had just landed a Quick Attack onto a Masquerain, causing her to fall onto the ground in a flurry of dust. And lastly, Field N featured Calvin's Steenee using the glowing tips of her sepals to smack a Gyarados upside the head.

"Pyrrha might be in a bad zzzituation…" Rotom pointed out, catching its user's attention as she glanced over to see the steam-filled Field F.

'Pyrrha…' she uttered inwardly out of worry. The red-and-yellow-haired girl glanced back and forth nervously through the steam, trying to make out her surroundings. She could only see Miss Magic for the moment. Everything else wasn't discernable.

'Regardless of the circumstances, I need to figure out a way to beat that Mareanie first,' she decided through her thoughts, 'If Miss Magic can land a Confuse Ray and then a Hex, we should be okay…' she noted inwardly.

"Toxic!" Plumeria's voice suddenly echoed through the steam. A glob of poisonous liquid flew out from the white veil shrouding the area, heading for the Misdreavus.

"Dodge it!" Pyrrha called out. Miss Magic floated off to the side, evading the ball as it splattered onto the ground below her. "Now use Confuse Ray!" her trainer shouted.

"Dreeee!" the Screech Pokémon shrieked as she formed several brown-gold balls of light around herself, launching them into the steam. A flash emanated seconds later.

'Did we get her?' Pyrrha wondered, narrowing her eyes. Stumbling out from the steam was actually Kangaskhan, much to her surprise.

"Now Scald!" Plumeria's voice commanded. Leaping up, Mareanie sprayed out another stream of boiling hot water from her mouth, striking the Parent Pokémon in the back of the head.

"Kahhh…" she groaned out as embers flickered off of her body.

"Hang in there, Kangaskhan!" Amy cheered as the steam was starting to fade away, "Use Mega Punch!" she ordered. The Parent Pokémon made her right arm glow a bright white as she turned around. But she then accidentally tripped, slamming her own fist into her face by mistake, falling over onto the ground hard. The steam cleared finally, revealing her lying on the ground with swirls in her eyes. The referee blew his whistle after assessing the situation.

"Kangaskhan is unable to battle!" he announced, raising his right arm up.

"Oh no…" Amy whimpered out in frustration.

"Don't worry, Amy!" Bryant yelled assuredly, getting her attention, "We'll get her back for you!" he vowed as he pumped his right fist back, "Sliggoo, Body Slam on Mareanie!" he ordered.

"Sleee… goooh!" the Soft Tissue Pokémon exclaimed as he lunged out at his foe.

"Catch him!" Plumeria shouted. Using her front two tentacles like arms, the Brutal Star Pokémon stopped her foe just as he was about to collide with her. However, Bryant cracked a grin.

"Now Absorb!" he commanded. His partner had the antenna-like horns upon his head aim for Mareanie before unleashing beams of green light onto her.

"Mahhh…" she groaned out, feeling her energy slow drain away thanks to what the Soft Tissue Pokémon was doing.

"How about that?!" Bryant yelled excitedly in question, "Your Mareanie's a sitting Psyduck right now!" he pointed out. Plumeria merely blinked, seemingly unimpressed.

"You do realize that you just made the worst possible move, right?" she inquired to the male Aether Foundation employee, making him perk up in surprise, "Venoshock!" she commanded. Mareanie cracked a smirk, making a purple light emit from the yellow spine atop her head.

"Gooh?" Sliggoo uttered out surprise, right before being struck by a stream of purple liquid shot out by the Brutal Star Pokémon, "GOOOOOOHHHHH!" he shrieked in agony, especially with his body glowing a poisoned purple with sparks and bubbles emanating from his form.

"Sliggoo!" his trainer screamed as he saw the Soft Tissue Pokémon fly from the attack's force before hitting the ground hard at his feet in a plume of dirt and dust.

"Goooh…" he groaned in agony, having swirls in his own eyes. The referee blew his whistle twice.

"Sliggoo is unable to battle!" he announced as he raised his right arm up again. At that moment, Erika had arrived to spectate with Magby and Rotom.

"Whoa…" she uttered in surprise. Already, Plumeria had bested the Aether Foundation employees. Now her only opponent was Pyrrha and her Misdreavus.

"She'zzz using a Mareanie, zzt…" the Pokédex nervously pointed out.

"Mag bee…" Magby worriedly said as he stood by his trainer's right leg. She balled her hands into fists.

'Come on, Pyrrha…' she pleaded inwardly.

"Let's wrap this up quick," Plumeria insisted to her lone opponent, "I've got other things I wanna do after this round…" she pointed out with a smirk. The Eucliffe girl let out a little growl.

'We have to find an opening, and fast!' she concluded inwardly.

"Miss Magic, use Confuse Ray!" she called out while thrusting her right hand forward.

"Mis!" the Misdreavus responded, unleashing another set of brown-gold balls of light towards Mareanie.

"Dodge and use Toxic!" Plumeria instructed. Jumping over each of the incoming balls of light, the Brutal Star Pokémon puffed out her cheeks before spitting out another glob of poisonous purple liquid.

"Stop it with Psybeam!" Pyrrha yelled. Miss Magic had her eyes glow brightly before she fired off a streaky blue beam with pink circles. It struck the ball of poison in an explosion of white smoke. "Ergh…" the Eucliffe girl growled as she braced herself from the incoming smoke. In the meantime, Plumeria merely crossed her arms over her chest.

"You know, my Mareanie's pretty good against Pokémon who're poisoned," she pointed out, "I'm sure you've heard of her ability, right?" she inquired, narrowing her eyes a little. Pyrrha wiped off the sweat forming on her left cheek.

"Merciless, huh?" she noted, grimacing a little.

"What's… Merciless?" Erika asked upon overhearing the conversation.

"It'zzz Mareanie'zzz zzzignature ability!" Rotom buzzed in surprise, "If her target'zzz poisoned, any attack zzzhe landzzz will do lotzzz of damage!" he explained emphatically to her.

"So that's her plan, huh?" Trent guessed as he ventured over alongside Paige, catching the others' attentions.

"Guys!" Erika yelped in surprise, smiling upon realizing that they had won their battles.

"Come on, Pyrrha!" Paige cheered loudly, "That lady's got nothing on you!" she pointed out. However, that didn't ease the Eucliffe girl's mind as she knew that she needed to act quickly and carefully.

"Use Toxic!" Plumeria's voice echoed through the smoke. All of a sudden, several poisonous purple globs of liquid rained out towards Miss Magic.

"Dodge and use Confuse Ray!" Pyrrha quickly shouted. Her Misdreavus did her best to avoid the globs as she flew forward, having multiple brown-golds orbs of light appear around her. But just as she launched them, one glob struck her head on.

"DREEE…!" she shrieked out, with a purple glow emanating from her body alongside sparks and bubbles.

"Miss Magic!" her trainer screamed. However, she then took notice of the flash of light emitting from the smoke as it slowly cleared. It revealed that Mareanie had been struck by the orbs, stumbling about crazily.

"Tch…" Plumeria scoffed in frustration.

"Now's our chance!" Pyrrha exclaimed with a swing of her right arm, "Use Hex!" she commanded.

"Mis…!" her Misdreavus grunted out, making her eyes glow purple and light red as she glared at the confused Mareanie. Her eyes then released dark blue rings of energy that struck her opponent as she grimaced.

"Bite!" Plumeria ordered. Hearing the command, the Brutal Star Pokémon made her teeth glow a bright white as she fumbled about… and ended up biting her front right tentacle!

"She just bit herself!" Erika exclaimed, blinking rapidly out of shock.

"Nice!" Paige yelled, "Now her Misdreavus can finally take her out!" she noted excitedly. However, Trent narrowed his eyes onto the scene.

"Wait a sec…" he uttered, catching their attentions. On the field, Mareanie shook her head, appearing to regain her composure.

"Well, that was annoying…" Plumeria muttered in admittance with her right hand upon her hip. Pyrrha and Miss Magic both gasped in surprise.

"She'zzz zzznapped out of confusion, zzt!" Rotom buzzed emphatically.

"But… how?!" Paige exclaimed in question. Erika blinked as she recalled how the Brutal Star Pokémon had bitten herself accidentally in the midst of her confusion.

'Did she do that on purpose…?' she wondered through her thoughts.

"Hey!" Hau's voice cried out, catching the attentions of her and the others as they turned to see him and Calvin run over with Ariel and Steenee in tow, having won their respective battles, "How's Pyrrha doing?" the ponytailed boy asked curiously with a smile.

"Not great…" Trent admitted in response, turning back towards the battlefield as Hau blinked in surprise.

"Now Venoshock!" Plumeria commanded as she stuck her right hand out. Mareanie leapt and fired off several streams of purple poisonous liquid from the tips of her tentacles.

"Dodge it!" Pyrrha screamed out in a panic. Her Misdreavus evaded the first two streams, but was suddenly overcome with a surge of pain as her body glowed a bright purple with bubbles and sparks emanating from her form. The remaining streams all struck her head on, blowing her back as she shrieked. "Miss Magic!" her trainer cried out.

"Heh," the Team Skull admin chuckled, "Let's end this," she insisted, "Use Bite!" she ordered.

"Aaneee!" the Brutal Star Pokémon responded, lunging out as her teeth glowed a bright white again.

"Stop her with Psybeam!" Pyrrha instructed desperately. Miss Magic fired off a streaky blue beam with pink circles from her eyes, but Mareanie skillfully evaded the attack long enough for the poison to subdue the Misdreavus again. She then jumped up and chomped hard onto the Screech Pokémon's head, resulting in an explosion of grey smoke. "MISS MAGIC!" Pyrrha screamed in fright.

"Mah!" the Brutal Star Pokémon said as she hopped out, landing in front of her trainer. Something fell onto the ground from the cloud of smoke as everyone watching looked on worriedly.

"Dreee…" Miss Magic groaned out with swirls in her eyes, indicating that she was no longer able to continue as she lied upon the ground.

"No…" her trainer uttered, falling onto her knees. Her fellow trial-goers watching from afar were shocked.

"Misdreavus is unable to battle!" the referee announced after assessing the situation, raising his right arm up, "Therefore, the winners of the Battle Royal on Field F are Plumeria and Mareanie!" he declared, gesturing towards them.

"Heh," the Team Skull admin chuckled, giving off a smirk.

"No way…" Erika uttered in disbelief, seeing the despair in Pyrrha's eyes. She growled angrily in frustration, which Magby took notice of as he gave off a worried look. With that battle ended, the rest were soon to follow…

X

"Thank you all for showing us such wonderful Battle Royal matches!" Lusamine exclaimed in gratitude through the loudspeakers as the sun was starting to set over Manalo Stadium, "It warms my heart to see such Alolan traditions on display here…" she happily admitted to the trainers below, including those that had been knocked out, "To those of you who've lost, worry not," she assured, "You'll still have access to the public facilities of both Manalo Stadium and Aether Paradise," she promised, handing off the microphone to Faba.

Meanwhile, Erika was nervously looking back at Pyrrha, who hadn't said a word since her loss. The despondence in her eyes was shocking to see, especially for someone the Ketchum girl remembered as being so bubbly and vibrant. And it frustrated her all the more that it was Plumeria who had created that despondence.

"Now the remainder of the battles throughout this tournament are to be single, one-on-one matches," the branch chief explained into the microphone, "Tomorrow, we'll be determining the quarterfinalists, followed by having the quarter and semi-finals the very next day," he told the remaining contenders, "And the day after that will be the finals!" he exclaimed to finish the point.

"Like we couldn't have already figured that out…" Trent muttered with crossed arms, while Hau chuckled.

"Now, let's display the randomized matchups for the Top Sixteen!" Faba declared. The big screen displayed each remaining trainer's picture in a card-like format. They all came together and were shuffled about randomly. Everyone watched on, wondering who would be matched up in the next round. The cards split into pairs, totaling to eight as they flipped over to reveal the matchups. Some of the trainers were surprised.

"I'm… up against Selene…" Erika noted, looking over at the female Aether Foundation employee. She managed to give her a light smile with a rather robotic wave.

"Looks like I'm against a Skull chick…" Paige pointed out with crossed arms, glancing over to see the tall, long blue-haired woman with slit eyes narrowed onto her opponent. Meanwhile, Calvin was shocked to see his picture next to Plumeria's.

'So I'm up against her next…' he realized, glancing over at the Team Skull admin, who smirked back at him. Quite frankly, he wasn't much of a fan of getting revenge for people. But after seeing how Pyrrha was beaten earlier, he vowed to do everything in his power to win…

ENDING

Insert "Blowing" by NiL

Opens with a messy-haired Erika rising up groggily from her bed. She lets out a long, deep yawn and rubs her eyes before getting up. After heading over to the bathroom, she looks in the mirror to see her unkempt appearance. While once she wouldn't care about such things, this new look suddenly horrifies her. She quickly grabs a hairbrush and starts getting her hair straightened out.

Brionne wanders into the bathroom to see her trainer struggling to undo the locks in her hair, lowering her head in defeat. The Pop Star Pokémon calls over her teammates, catching Erika's attention as she glances back to see her Pokémon wander in curiously. She smiles softly at them as they offer their help to her.

We cut to Brionne using her colorful water balloons to wet her trainer's hair, followed by Fomantis carefully cutting away any misaligned locks. As the hair is cut, Sandygast below to collect the pieces in order to prevent there from being a mess. After that, Lycanroc helps comb Erika's hair as it flows down, followed by Drifblim using Gust with the help of Magby's heat to dry her hair.

As all this happens, Erika reflects on her journey, remembering her change from a stubborn and whiny girl into an admirable island challenger. She looks back in the mirror and smiles, quickly tying her hair up into a pair of braided pigtails. She puts on her hat and grabs her bag, smiling as she's excited to start the day, with her team following her out of the room.

A while passes before she meets up with her twin brother and their rivals. Pyrrha smiles upon seeing Erika, while Trent blushes a little and looks away cutely. Erika cracks a toothy grin, wondering where the day will take her and her many friends…

The song ends with the six trial-goers venturing off into the distance…

END ENDING

Thanks to TerrorKing10 for helping out with the opening for this arc! Gotta say, I think it's started off great! Anyways, I'm not sure how chapter production's gonna go from here on out, so I'm hoping that a summary will tide you all over for the time being. Here you go!

SUMMARY

Vowing to defeat Plumeria for Pyrrha's sake, Calvin comes up with a daring strategy! But will it go as planned?! Also, Trent and Hau are going through their first matches of the Top Sixteen! Will they emerge victorious?!

END SUMMARY

Now it's back to the next arc of "Omni Force: JUSTICE"! See you next time!