Alola again! We're back with more of "The Challenge of a Lifetime"! I'm really glad with how things are progressing as we've entered the month of June. So now it's time for us to get into more of this story before we wrap up Volume 6 of "RWBY: Omni Force"!
Last time we left off, Erika caught herself an Alolan Sandshrew, while her brother was about to enter his next trial! So let's see how things are going for him! Welcome back to "The Challenge of a Lifetime"!
POKÉMON SUN & MOON
THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME
"I can't do this!" Leslie proclaimed in embarrassment while in her room, which was locked as her mother was standing just outside of it.
"Leslie, you're acting like your father on his first date…" she pointed out, folding her arms over her chest.
"Hey!" Ash called out, sounding offended as his wife giggled.
"Besides, I'm sure Dylan will love whatever you decide to wear today," she noted to her daughter.
"It's more than that, Mom…" she responded from inside the room, looking in the mirror as she held out the light green sundress she had worn back at the Iki Town festival in front of herself, "You know I've got two big problems going into this date…" she muttered out, staring down at her buxom chest. Mirajane didn't respond. Well, with words anyway.
The locked door was suddenly kicked down, being torn off of its hinges as it crashed against the floor. Leslie didn't even have a second to shriek as she felt the ominous aura wafting off from her mother, whose eyes glowed menacingly. Her fists were balled.
"What have I told you about using your chest as an excuse for everything?" she growled out in question, taking on a deeper voice. The Unova Champion Master gulped audibly. Moments later, she put on her sundress with a sigh. Looking in the mirror, it fit her nicely without showing too much of her skin. But she still hated the amount of cleavage that showed.
"I wish I never asked for big boobs like these…" she grumbled out in frustration.
"Leslie…" her mother uttered somewhat venomously.
"Sorry, sorry…" she apologized, "It's just… I've never been on a date before…" she admitted sheepishly as a blush appeared upon her cheeks, "And I'm afraid Dylan's gonna think I'm… weird…" she admitted additionally.
"Oh, sweetie…" Mirajane cooed, putting her hands onto her shoulders, "Dylan's known you for years," she pointed out, "I'm sure he'll love to see you however you are," she assured, giving her daughter a peck on the cheek.
"Then is it too late for me to put on just a big shirt? Or a jacket, even?" she asked in reply. Her mother gave her a stern look while still smiling. "Okay, okay…" she repeated in understanding. A few moments later, she walked out of her room with a white handbag draped over her left shoulder, heading into the living room with her mother to follow.
"You look great, Leslie," Ash complimented upon seeing his eldest daughter walk in.
"Peekah!" Pikachu squeaked in agreement.
"Thanks, Dad," the Unova Champion Master responded, letting out a deep breath, "You sure about that buffet place though?" she inquired, "Seems a little… iffy for a first date…" she admitted, scratching sheepishly at her right cheek.
"I think you and Dylan are gonna love it," her father assured, "Now I guess I better go and clean up the mess your mother made from bringing your door down…" he pointed out before heading off.
"Sorry, honey…" Mirajane sheepishly apologized, "Have fun today, Leslie," she insisted of her daughter, getting her attention, "I get the feeling you and Dylan are gonna have a great time!" she added excitedly with a tilt of her head.
"I hope so…" the Unova Champion Master replied, giving her mother a grin, "Thanks for the pep talk, Mom," she said in gratitude. She then left through the front doors, walking along the open road towards Hau'oli City. She didn't know what would come from her first date ever. But hopefully, it'd be fun.
OPENING
Insert "Koko" by Beverly
Opens with the rising sun over the ocean horizon as a boat is sailing towards Ula'ula Island. Upon its bow are Calvin and Erika Ketchum, standing alongside their Pokémon as the wind rushes through their hair. They're about to embark on the next stage of their island challenge, smiling with excitement.
As the music picks up, the Pokémon logo appears in bright green letters, followed by "The Challenge of a Lifetime" appearing in bright yellow underneath it. The brightness of the logo envelops the screen before we transition to the Ketchum twins disembarking from the boat onto the island.
We cut to Calvin fishing in Maile Garden as Steenee and Incineroar are bickering in the background. Once Calvin sees his lure go underwater, he pulls the line hard to reel in a Poliwag. Watching from afar, Paige smiles while holding onto his egg, which shakes a little in her arms.
The scene then changes to Erika trudging tiredly up Mount Hokulani. She's about to fall backwards, but Primarina and Lycanroc are there to help push her up. She smiles gratefully, continuing the trek up the mountain.
We then see several new faces around the island, including Samson Oak, Acerola, Molayne, Sophocles, Grimsley, and Nanu. We also get a shot of Guzma, sitting upon his chair in the Shady House of Po Town. He grins deviously at the screen.
As the music picks back up, we see Calvin swing his left arm out as his Incineroar and Marowak charge in with a Flamethrower/Flame Wheel combination to take down a Skarmory. Meanwhile, we cut over to Erika as she orders for Fomantis to use Leaf Blade on an Alolan Geodude. Drifblim then floats in and sprays out a Gust to blow away a flock of Fearow. Afterwards, he floats over Fomantis to her chagrin as she seethes in frustration.
We get shots of Hau with his Alolan Raichu and Decidueye, Trent with his Mightyena and Greninja, Paige alongside her Combusken and Medicham, and Pyrrha alongside her Quilava and Ariados. Each of them are in their own battles, with Hau's Decidueye using Spirit Shackle on a Haunter, Trent's Mightyena blasting back a Kadabra with Snarl, Paige's Combusken using Flame Charge to ram into a Shieldon, and Pyrrha's Ariados landing a Cross Poison on a Sylveon.
The song continues from back on Melemele at the Ketchum vacation home. There, Leslie gets herself dressed and throws on her visor, heading out of her room alongside her Lopunny and shiny Gabite. As she heads outside onto the front porch, she smirks upon seeing Asta Sutarria there alongside Shiki Granbell and Tanjiro Kamado, as all three of them are looking to train Pokémon with her guidance for them.
Asta commands an Aegislash as he takes on his sword form and slashes at Leslie's Magmortar, who jumps back before firing off a Flamethrower. Meanwhile, Tanjiro's Croconaw attempts to land an Ice Fang onto Gabite, who uses Dig to get away before popping up from the ground and chomping down on his foe's tail, causing him to scream in agony. Watching from afar are Shiki and his Bronzor, who both giggle.
We cut back to Ula'ula Island as we see Erika commanding her Lycanroc to use Rock Slide against the Totem Vikavolt inside the Hokulani Observatory. The Stag Beetle Pokémon dodges the attack and lets electricity surge around his body before zipping down at his foe, who prepares to use Counter. Afterwards, we get a scene of Calvin and Incineroar facing down the Totem Mimikyu inside the abandoned Thrifty Megamart. As the Heel Pokémon lands a Darkest Lariat, a smaller Mimikyu watches from afar in awe.
There are several shots of a Cleffa poking out from a sleeping bag, a Togedemaru near a power plant, and an Alolan Sandshrew wandering about the cold area at the base of Mount Lanakila. We see Professor Kukui staring at the peak from Hokulani, hoping to host a Pokémon League there someday. However, we also see him glaring down Guzma in the Maile Garden as his Golisopod appears behind him. We get shots of Plumeria with her Salazzle and Gladion with Null and his Zoroark.
To end the opening, we see an anxious Lillie looking out over the horizon, concerned for the future. However, Calvin and Erika come to her, both giving her reassuring smiles. She grins, thankful for their presence as they all trek onward through the island…
END OPENING
Mimicking Mimikyu!
The rain started to come down harder as Calvin, Paige, Acerola and Togedemaru managed to get under the awnings of the abandoned store before they could get drenched. Curiously peering inside, the capped trial-goer noticed that there were a lot of items that been left behind. He knew the building had been abandoned, but he would've expected the store to have at least been cleared out beforehand.
"So, here's the rules of my trial!" Acerola chimed in, getting his attention, "First, do you have a phone on hand?" she asked of Calvin.
"Uh, yeah," he replied, quickly reaching into his pocket and pulling out the device to show her.
"Perfect!" she exclaimed, taking it into her hands. She hummed a tune quietly to herself while fiddling with it.
"What are you doing?" Paige inquired curiously before being caught off guard by a clap of thunder.
"For this trial, Calvin's going to need a way to see the Ghost-type Pokémon inside," Acerola told her in reply, "I'm updating his phone's camera to let him do just that!" she noted with a giggle.
"Thank you very much!" the Ketchum boy responded in gratitude. After a few moments, the trial captain handed the device back to him.
"Now with that updated camera, I need you to take a snapshot of the Totem Pokémon and bring it back to me!" she instructed to him, "When you do, you'll get this here Ghostium Z as a reward!" she mentioned, pulling out a purple Z-Crystal to show the capped trial-goer. He took notice of the black, wispy, ghost-like marking upon it.
"That'd be great for my Marowak…" he concluded after a moment. Another clap of thunder rang out.
"AH!" Paige yelped, suddenly grabbing onto his arm, "C-Can we go inside now?" she stuttered in plea. Calvin blushed. This meek and girly side of Paige was… unsettling to him, to say the least.
"Okeydokey!" Acerola responded, gesturing for them to head towards the front doors of the abandoned store.
"You ready to do this, Togedemaru?" the Ketchum boy asked of the Roly-Poly Pokémon.
"Mah roo!" he responded with a grin and a nod. After another moment, the glass doors were slowly creaked open as he waddled into the store with his trainer and Paige to follow. The former of the two trial-goers turned on the flashlight of his phone, helping illuminate some of their surroundings.
Everything was cluttered about in the store. Shelves had been knocked over, and products were scattered about along the ground. It wasn't a total mess, but it was still rather unnerving to know that so much stuff had been left behind. Another clap of thunder sounded off outside, though it was much less loud.
"So… the Totem Pokémon's in here?" Paige inquired, looking around nervously.
"Don't worry, we'll find it," Calvin assured in response, "This store isn't that big," he pointed out confidently. Suddenly, the two of them heard shuffling nearby.
"EEP!" the silvery-haired girl yelped, clutching Calvin's left arm tightly as she hid behind him. He blushed again.
"Paige… are you really that scared?" he asked of her, getting her attention as she opened her eyes, giving off an ashamed look.
"Sorry…" she apologized, "I love battling with Fighting-type Pokémon, so Ghost-types aren't exactly something I'm the biggest fan of…" she told him.
"Oh yeah…" he realized in response, "Fighting-type moves don't affect Ghost-types…" he recalled, putting his hand onto his chin, "But don't worry," he reassured, giving her a grin, "They're just a part of the trial after all!" he pointed out. Paige blushed again, turning her head away sheepishly.
"Toh, togeh!" Togedemaru suddenly squeaked out, getting their attentions as they saw him pointing towards a conveyor belt in the checkout area. And it was moving.
"Ah!" the silvery-haired girl gasped, shaking a little, "H-How come it's moving…?" she stuttered in question. With his flashlight still active, Calvin set up his phone's updated camera. He looked at the screen as he aimed the lens towards the area around the moving conveyor belt, trying to spot the cause. And he found it just above the belt itself. It was a Gastly.
"Togedemaru, Discharge!" Calvin ordered.
"Toh!" the Roly-Poly Pokémon responded, making the triangular-shaped markings along his body spike up before yellow electricity sparked around him. He then unleashed several bolts in random directions. The Gastly appeared, narrowly evading the bolts shot his way. He floated down in front of Togedemaru.
"Gassss…" he hissed out, making his eyes glow a bright pink as he stared deeply into his foe's. After a moment, the Roly-Poly Pokémon suddenly felt his eyes droop before he fell asleep upon the floor.
"Togedemaru!" his trainer called out in shock.
"That was Hypnosis!" Paige realized. At that moment, Gastly suddenly flew up to them.
"GAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSSSSS!" he exclaimed, sticking out his tongue to give off a frightening look.
"AAAHHH!" Paige shrieked. Meanwhile, Calvin clenched his teeth together, pulling out another Poké Ball from his belt and enlarging it by pressing its button.
"Incineroar, let's go!" he yelled, throwing the spherical container forward. It opened up, with its light pouring out onto the floor, shaping into form and dissipating to reveal the Heel Pokémon.
"Se rawrrr!" she exclaimed, readying her hands.
"Gassss…" Gastly hissed excitedly, making orbs of golden light appear around himself.
"Now he's using Confuse Ray!" Paige cried out.
"Then we'll tear right through it!" Calvin declared fiercely, "Incineroar, Darkest Lariat!" he commanded. The Heel Pokémon ignited both of her hands with dark red flames, spinning forward rapidly. Her opponent shot the orbs of light towards her, but she easily tore through them before striking him fiercely. He was sent flying, crashing against the window before sliding down it. Swirls were in his eyes as he slumped to the floor, groaning all the while.
"Sehh!" Incineroar huffed with a toothy grin afterwards.
"Nice going, Incineroar!" her trainer complimented, making her give off a thumbs up in response. Just then, she took notice of Togedemaru lying asleep at her feet.
"Rawwwrrr?" she questioned curiously, squatting down to gently to pick up the Roly-Poly Pokémon.
"Oh yeah, you haven't met yet…" Calvin realized as he ventured over to them, "Incineroar, that's Togedemaru," he introduced, "Togedemaru, can you get up?" he asked of the sleeping Roly-Poly Pokémon.
"Maaahhhh~…" he yawned before his eyes slowly fluttered open. The second his vision came into focus, he saw that Incineroar was holding him. "MAH!" he yelped, falling and bouncing onto the floor as he reeled back.
"Hey, it's okay!" his trainer assured, getting his attention, "Incineroar's one of your teammates, Togedemaru," he pointed out.
"Se rawr!" the Heel Pokémon greeted, putting her hands onto her hips.
"Toh…" her teammate uttered in surprise as he blinked, recollecting himself, "Togeh!" he greeted back warmly. Calvin chuckled a little, glad that they had gotten the chance to introduce themselves.
"So…" Paige chimed in, making him perk as he turned to see her nervously saunter over, "where to now?" she inquired curiously.
"I'm not totally sure, to be honest…" the Ketchum boy replied, scratching at his right cheek, "But I guess if we head further into the store, we'll find something," he assured. The silvery-haired girl was in agreement, though she already was really nervous about continuing. Just then, something clattered nearby.
"AH!" she yelped in surprise. Calvin whipped around towards the source of the sound, only catching a glimpse of what looked like a familiar lightning bolt-like tail.
"Pikachu?" he uttered out. He, Incineroar and Togedemaru carefully and quickly hurried over to see what had scurried by.
"Uh, w-wait for me!" Paige stammered pleadingly, jogging after them. The Ketchum boy came to a stop, looking around for a sign of the Mouse Pokémon.
'I know a Pikachu when I see one…' he noted to himself, narrowing his eyes in thought before putting his left hand onto his chin in thought.
"Jeez, Calvin…" the silvery-haired girl muttered upon approaching, placing her hands onto her hips, "You know, you don't have to rush through this trial like… uh…" she tried to say, widening her eyes in fright.
"What's wrong, Paige?" Calvin asked upon noticing the terrified look his rival had. He then heard a rattling noise nearby, enticing him and his teammates to look over towards the corner. There was a shopping cart shaking about rather wildly. Keeping his phone active, the Ketchum boy trotted towards it. He aimed the camera and saw that it was a Haunter who was shaking the cart, having his hands on its handle.
"Rrrr…" Incineroar growled upon noticing the Gas Pokémon upon her trainer's phone screen.
"Scare him with Flamethrower!" he commanded, pointing towards the seemingly invisible Gas Pokémon.
"Se, rawr!" his teammate responded, making her flame belt burn brightly before she unleashed a spray of fire towards the shopping cart. Haunter appeared, ducking to evade the flames. He then gave off an annoyed look, flying out towards the Heel Pokémon with his tongue at the ready.
'He's going for Lick, huh?' Calvin noted to himself.
"Incineroar, use—!"
"Togeh!" Togedemaru suddenly squeaked as he waddled out in front of the Heel Pokémon, making the triangular markings upon his body spike up as electricity began sparking around him. However, he seemed to be charging up too slowly as Haunter was nearing him. The capped trial-goer grimaced.
"Incineroar, Fire Fang!" he quickly ordered. Igniting her mouth with flames as her teeth glowed a bright red, the Heel Pokémon lunged out and bit right down onto Haunter's face, blowing him back. It gave Togedemaru enough time to finally envelop himself in electricity before spinning around rapidly. He zipped towards his target, leaping up and striking him squarely to slam him into the wall.
"Hawww…" he groaned, slumping down with swirls in his eyes.
"Phew…" Calvin exhaled afterwards, "Nice work with that Zing Zap there, Togedemaru," he complimented while trotting over to the Roly-Poly Pokémon.
"Mah ru!" he replied happily.
"Se, rawr rowrrr…" Incineroar grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. Togedemaru blinked in surprise upon noticing her reaction. Calvin sighed in realization.
"I think she's just worried about you," he pointed out to the Roly-Poly Pokémon, getting his attention as he squatted down in front of him and placed his hand atop his head, "You're still new to the team, so there's gonna be a lot for you to learn…" he mentioned.
"Toh gehh…" Togedemaru squeaked out dejectedly. He realized that if he hadn't taken so long to charge up, maybe there wouldn't be anything for Incineroar or Calvin to really worry about.
"You took care of that Haunter quick…" Paige noted as she nervously walked over.
"Yeah, but there's still that Pikachu I saw…" the Ketchum boy added as he stood back up.
"Pikachu?" his rival repeated in confusion, arching an eyebrow, "I didn't see a—" Something else started clattering about nearby. "EEK!" she squeaked in fright, instinctively going over and burying her face into Calvin's chest while tightly clutching his shirt. Needless to say, he went red in the face instantly. Incineroar and Togedemaru blinked in surprise, sharing a confused glance with each other.
"Uh… Paige?" their trainer uttered out, trying to get the silvery-haired girl's attention, "You can… let go of me now…" he assured with a sheepish chuckle. She meekly opened her eyes, widening them upon seeing her current position next to her rival.
"EEP!" she squeaked with a mad blush across her cheeks, "S-S-S-Sorry!" she stuttered in apology, fidgeting with her hands behind her back.
"I-It's okay…" Calvin stuttered in response, "You know, if you're still scared..." he continued, "you can go back outside…" he pointed out. She blinked in surprise.
"N-No!" she stammered, "If you're gonna be brave enough to take on this trial, then so should I!" she declared firmly with clenched fists. The capped boy grinned, admiring her compassion. At that moment though, he spotted a familiar yellow body scurrying off towards the other side of the store.
"Hey, wait!" he called out, running over hurriedly.
"Uh, Cal?!" Paige yelped, nervously heading after him alongside Incineroar and Togedemaru. They arrived at the other end of the store, looking around carefully.
"It's gone again…" the capped boy realized, giving off a frustrated look.
"What's gone?" his rival questioned, tilting her head to the side.
"I thought I saw a Pikachu run across the store here…" he replied, crossing his arms over his chest, "Though… I could've just been seeing things since we're dealing with Ghost-types…" he pointed out, glancing up at the ceiling for a moment. Paige shuddered.
"Th-That's way too creepy for me…" she stuttered in admittance. She then glanced over towards another corner of the store and widened her eyes again.
"What is it?" her rival inquired. She just meekly pointed ahead, enticing him to turn and see the floating Pikachu and Marill plush toys just above a stand that had been showcasing them.
"Another one, huh?" he concluded, readying his phone to spot whatever Pokémon was causing such mischief. To his surprise though, he didn't see anything through his phone's camera. "Did… this stop working?" he wondered aloud. He wasn't even aware of the purple-and-black ball of energy forming behind him out of thin air.
"Calvin, watch out!" Paige shouted. Thankfully, Incineroar dashed in front of her trainer just as the ball of energy as it was shot, striking her in a fierce blast of smoke.
"Incineroar!" her trainer screamed. The smoke subsided to reveal that the Heel Pokémon had her arms crossed, gnashing her teeth together in pain.
"Rrrrr…" she growled, trying to spot the Pokémon who attacked her. Unfortunately, there was no one in sight.
"Gehhennng…" a voice chuckled ominously, causing Paige to shiver in fright.
"Wh-Wh-Wh-What was that?!" she stammered out, shaking wildly.
"I recognize that voice…" Calvin noted as he blinked, "Togedemaru, use Discharge!" he ordered to the Roly-Poly Pokémon.
"Togeh!" he squeaked in response, quickly making his spikes stand up as electricity began charging along his body, sparking just a little. Another ball of purple-and-black energy was forming, seemingly aimed towards him. The Ketchum boy was quick to spot it.
"Now Flamethrower!" he commanded. Turning around and making her flame belt burn brightly, Incineroar unleashed a spray of fire from it that struck the ball in a fierce explosion. It startled Togedemaru as the electricity around him subsided. As the smoke was slow to clear, a figure slowly descended from it onto the floor. It was a Gengar.
"Geheheh…" he chuckled through a wide grin.
"So that was a Gengar after all…" Calvin noted, narrowing his eyes.
"Serawrrr!" Incineroar roared, readying her hands.
"Right," her trainer responded with a nod, "Use Fire Fang!" he commanded, sticking his right hand out. The Heel Pokémon made her teeth glow a bright red as flames billowed within her mouth. She lunged forward towards Gengar, who still had a devious grin on his face. He closed his right hand into a fist and had it become outlined in a purple-and-black aura with sparks of purple electricity crackling around it. Just as his opponent was about to bite down onto him, he punched her fiercely, resulting in a powerful blast that blew both of them back into the store shelves.
"Rrrrr…" Incineroar growled out in agony as she slowly got back onto her feet, closing her hands into fists. Gengar suddenly floated up, having his eyes glow before firing off beams of black light outlined in crimson from them. They zigzagged up to his opponent, striking her square in the chest in another burst of smoke.
"Incineroar!" Calvin exclaimed in fright. The Heel Pokémon fell onto her left knee, breathing somewhat heavily. Togedemaru saw, giving off a worried look. He then took on a serious expression as he heard Gengar cackle delightedly. His cheeks sparked with yellow electricity.
"Toh, togeh mah!" he squeaked out to Incineroar, getting her attention as she perked up in surprise.
"Togedemaru?" Calvin uttered upon overhearing. At that moment, he watched as the Roly-Poly Pokémon was running towards Gengar. "Hey, wait!" he called out. The Shadow Pokémon was completely unaware of his other opponent, forming a ball of purple-and-black energy with purple electricity crackling around it upon his hands.
"Tohh… geh!" Togedemaru exclaimed as he leapt up and slammed into Gengar from the side. Before he could even process what was happening, the Roly-Poly Pokémon nuzzled his cheek against his body as electricity sparked off of it. The Ketchum boy below blinked in surprise.
"Is that… Nuzzle?" Paige guessed, arching an eyebrow. A surge of yellow electricity went off.
"GAAAHHH!" the Shadow Pokémon yelped. He then clenched his teeth together, firing the ball of energy directly into Togedemaru, sending her flying into the store's refrigerated section.
"Togedemaru!" her trainer cried out. At that moment, he saw Gengar prepared another ball of purple-and-black energy upon his hands. However, electricity suddenly started to spark around him, ceasing his movements as he grimaced. Everyone widened their eyes in surprise.
'That's right…' Calvin inwardly realized as he blinked, 'Nuzzle always paralyzes an opponent when it hits…' he recalled, looking over at Togedemaru as he was getting up from the pile of produce he had crashed into, 'Thanks, Togedemaru!' his trainer said through his thoughts out of gratitude, giving off a grin.
"Incineroar, Darkest Lariat!" he commanded. The Heel Pokémon ran forward, making her hands ignite with dark red flames. She spun forward rapidly towards the paralyzed Gengar, catching him by complete surprise as she rammed into him instantaneously, sending him flying back in an instant before he crashed into the back wall.
"Gaaarrrr…" he groaned out, slumping down to the floor with swirls in his eyes.
"Nice!" Calvin exclaimed with a pump of his right fist.
"Rawwwrrr!" Incineroar roared excitedly. Meanwhile, Paige shakily sighed in relief, glad that another Ghost-type Pokémon had been taken care of. Moments later, Calvin handed his two teammates Oran Berries to eat in order to recover some of their stamina.
"Great job so far, guys," he complimented, putting his hands onto his hips.
"So you've had to fight Gastly, Haunter, and Gengar…" Paige listed off, shuddering a little, "What other Ghost-types could there be?" she wondered aloud.
"Guess we'll have to find out…" her rival replied, resetting his phone's flashlight as he proceeded onwards. The silvery-haired girl gulped. Part of her wanted to just hightail it out of the store, but another part wanted her to stay with Calvin through the rest of the ordeal. She decided to keep following him along with Incineroar and Togedemaru as they headed towards the back of the store. And then… Calvin stopped.
"What the…?" he uttered out in complete surprise and confusion. Paige blinked, wondering what he could've possibly seen until she spotted what was ahead, gasping sharply in shock. Standing there at the doors to another room was Acerola, who looked very dazed in her seemingly dead eyes…
X
Leslie's blush was burning all the more as she got closer to the Hau'oli City mall. This was her very first date, a feat that a lot of her friends had already achieved years before her. Heck, two of her friends had already planned to get married before she even actually kissed a person!
'Calm down, Leslie!' she screamed to herself, smacking her burning cheeks with her hands, 'It's just Dylan!' she pointed out inwardly, 'You two have been friends for years!' she noted through her thoughts, 'No way one date's gonna ruin all that…' she affirmed, trying to smile. Inside, she was screaming.
After all the time she spent having to constantly avoid her once flirtatious friend, now she was actually going out with him. And he had changed. He wasn't the same suave person she remembered. He was actually a gentleman with a heart of gold. And that terrified her. She could only hope that things would go well.
She finally arrived at the mall entrance, catching her breath. She looked herself over, wondering if she appeared... decent enough. She wouldn't have minded a blouse or a short-sleeved jacket. But with her mother being so stubborn, the sundress would have to do.
"Wow," a familiar voice uttered, getting her attention as she looked over to see her new boyfriend approach. He was wearing a black shirt under a white button-up, beige capri pants, and open-toed sandals. "Compared to you, I'm super underdressed…" he noted with a chuckle. And just like that, Leslie's blush returned as she realized how he was complimenting her.
"Y-You look fine…" she stuttered out, looking away nervously. Dylan laughed.
"Come on, Les," he said, getting her attention as she shyly glanced over at him, "You don't have to be nervous around me…" he assured, "I'm still the same guy who's always tried wooing you…" he mentioned sheepishly with a wink. At that, his rival puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.
"I guess you're right…" she realized, letting off a smile.
"So let's grab some lunch!" her new boyfriend insisted, chuckling cheekily. Leslie smiled, glad that their date wasn't starting off poorly. The two of them then went into the mall complex, heading up the stairs. "So your dad recommended this place?" Dylan asked, raising an eyebrow. His girlfriend nodded.
"He said he and my mom visited here during their early vacations to Alola, while I was off at CHS," she explained, "Apparently, it's really good and really cheap…" she pointed out in remembrance.
"Is that why you picked it?" the dark-haired man beside her guessed, "Trying to save me some money?" he inquired on. She rolled her eyes and groaned.
"Of course not, dummy…" she remarked in response, "I've been here before, too…" she pointed out, "And trust me, it's… something…" she admitted. They were heading towards what looked like a large restaurant at the end of the mall, with a very wide entrance.
"What'd you say this place was called again?" Dylan questioned curiously.
"The Battle Buffet," his girlfriend responded. At that moment, there was a loud crash heard from inside, causing the dark-haired man to reel back in surprise.
"Jeez…" he uttered out. Leslie exhaled a sigh before walking in alongside him, revealing that a trainer's Honchkrow had just been bested by someone else's Scizor upon a field inside.
"Woohoo!" the Pincer Pokémon's trainer exclaimed with delight. After returning him to his Poké Ball, the winner then went over to the referee, who had a plate of prepared steak in his hands. She was granted the food, bowing politely before going over to a table where friends of hers clapped excitedly for her victory.
"Aw man…" the Honchkrow's trainer grumbled, returning the Big Boss Pokémon to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"So… the Battle Buffet…" Dylan began, "is literally the Battle Buffet…" he realized, blinking rapidly.
"Yep," his girlfriend responded, making a popping noise on the p, "Anything from apps to meals you have to battle for," she told him.
"That doesn't include drinks, does it?" he inquired nervously. She giggled a little.
"No, silly…" she assured, "We can get drinks like sodas and water without having to make a scene over them…" she promised, causing him to sigh with relief.
"Hello!" a perky, feminine voice greeted, enticing the couple to turn and see a hostess walking up to them, "Welcome to the Battle Buffet!" she introduced, "Will you be dining with us today?" she asked.
"Yes, we will," Leslie replied for herself and her boyfriend.
"Excellent!" the hostess remarked in response, "That'll be twelve hundred Poké each, by the way," she mentioned.
"Oh, I got it," Dylan assured, reaching into his pocket to pull out his wallet. His girlfriend chuckled.
"Already paying for the first date, huh?" she noted with a smirk.
"Hey, I'm a gentleman…" he quipped in reply, making her laugh a little. A few minutes later, they were seated at a table for two. "So how does this work?" Dylan inquired, looking at the rather miniscule menu he had.
"Well, normally the chef calls out food that's been made for customers," Leslie explained in response, "People have about thirty seconds to make the call to either grab it or let it go," she continued.
"Okay…" her boyfriend uttered, still somewhat perplexed, "So we're competing to get the dishes we want, right?" he guessed. His girlfriend snapped her fingers.
"Exactly," she replied.
"So… what do you wanna get?" the dark-haired man inquired curiously, still staring at the small menu.
"Mmm…" Leslie hummed in thought, pursing her lips, "How about the Miltank cheese pizza?" she implored, giving off a grin, "You have half, I have half," she offered.
"Deal," Dylan answered, letting off a chuckle before putting the menu down.
"Here's your water…" a waitress chimed in, setting down two glasses onto the table for the new couple.
"Thank you!" the Ketchum girl said in gratitude, making her smile before she sauntered back to the kitchen, "So… can I ask you a weird question?" she inquired to her boyfriend, getting his attention as he sipped his drink.
"Is there any other kind when it comes to us?" he asked back jokingly, making her smile a little.
"What do you… think of me?" she questioned nervously as she fidgeted with her hands a little. Dylan blinked in confusion.
"What do you mean, Les?" he inquired, putting down his water. His girlfriend glanced away with an ashamed look upon her face, sighing a little.
"I mean…" she began to respond, "I used to be a little rambunctious girl without too much to really worry about," she noted, "And now…" she continued, looking down at her buxom chest, "I've got these…" she grumbled. Dylan was quick to look away afterwards, blushing a little.
"Leslie…" he began, "I don't care about things like that," he assured to her, making her perk up slightly, "I mean, sure, it's… something you have that a couple other people would notice…" he pointed out, sheepishly scratching at his cheek as he noticed her frown, "but I don't look at you that way," he told her, grasping her hand with his own, "I look at you… and see one of the most beautiful women I've met in my life," he confessed to her. She blushed, smiling a little.
"And who are the other beautiful women you've met in your life?" she wondered teasingly.
"Oh, you're not doing this to me…" Dylan muttered with a shake of his head.
"Oh no, I am," his girlfriend retorted firmly, "I mean, you're the one who brought it up…" she pointed out.
"Touché…" he admitted as he chuckled.
"One Miltank cheese pizza, hot and ready!" a chef called out from the kitchen, getting the couple's attention.
"Saved by the bell," Leslie remarked, getting up from her seat to her boyfriend's surprise.
"Uh, you sure you don't want me to get it?" he inquired, seeing her walk off towards the counter.
"Yep," she replied without even looking back at him. She approached the counter as the chef spotted her. "One Miltank cheese pizza, please," she requested. The bearded man behind the counter chuckled, sliding the dish over to her. She noticed that the timer just below the dish's placement had merely ten seconds left. If no one was planning on getting this food, she and Dylan would be walking away with a meal without having to battle.
"We'll challenge you for that pizza, darlin'," another voice chimed in, catching her attention as she saw a honey blonde-haired girl approach, wearing a cowgirl hat and denim overalls over a white t-shirt. Beside her was a rather bulky man with blonde hair like hers, having a bushy mustache and a farming hat, with a red t-shirt under denim overalls.
"Okay then…" Leslie said, holding a Poké Ball in her right hand as she enlarged it by pressing its center button, "So which one of you's gonna battle me for it?" she inquired. The pair looked to each other.
"Well… we kinda both want the pizza," the farm girl responded as she fidgeted her right foot against the ground, "Name's Sam by the way," she introduced.
"Leslie," the Unova Champion Master introduced in response, holding out her hand for a handshake, which the farm girl graciously accepted, "Well, there are rules to the place…" she pointed out to her, "It's only one-on-one matches for food," she told them.
"Unless you make it a tag battle," Dylan's voice chimed in, making her blink in surprise before turning to see him approach, flipping a Poké Ball in his left hand, "That against the rules?" he asked the chef behind the counter.
"No, I'd say that's okay," he answered, "We'll keep the pizza warm for whoever wins," he promised to the four patrons.
"Woo!" the bulky man exclaimed excitedly, "Oh man, I can already taste it…" he remarked in a southern accent.
"Come on, Pa…" the girl beside him grumbled as she elbowed his arm, "We gotta win this here battle first…" she pointed out. Moments later, the two pairs were standing at their respective sides of a dirt field. The farming father and daughter duo readied Nest Balls in their hands, throwing them forward. They popped open, with their lights from them spilling out onto the ground, shaping into form and dissipating to reveal a Pangoro and a Florges.
"Two pretty tough ones, huh?" Dylan noted, rearing his arm back.
"Eh, we've faced tougher…" Leslie pointed out as she readied her own arm. The two of them threw up their Poké Balls. Upon opening, the lights that shot out from them formed upon the ground, dissipating to reveal Garchon and Blastoise respectively.
"Blass!" the Shellfish Pokémon exclaimed, drawing the cannons from his shell.
"Whenever you're ready, you may begin!" the hostess acting as the referee called out to the two pairs. They all gave off grins, prepared to battle…
X
"Ta-da~!" Erika sang as she gestured towards her newly caught Sandshrew.
"Wow, awesome!" Hau complimented.
"An Ice-and-Steel-type suits you, I think…" Lillie mentioned, letting off a giggle. The Ketchum girl had just returned to the Aether House from her recent trip to Mount Lanakila, having stopped by at the Pokémon Center beforehand to get her newest teammate onto the team.
"So Cal already left for his trial, huh?" she noted, crossing her arms over her chest.
"Mm-hmm," Lillie responded with a nod.
"Paige went with him, too!" the ponytailed boy mentioned, much to his cousin's surprise as she blinked.
"Huh…" she uttered out, standing by the counter with a curious look on her face, "Wonder why she'd go if she's not taking the trial…" she mumbled, glancing off to the side.
"Well… she mentioned that she was a little spooked by Ghost-types…" Hau recalled, "Maybe she wanted to go and try to get rid of that chicken skin…" he suggested with a shrug.
'Chicken skin?' Erika repeatedly inwardly, giving off an annoyed look.
"Anyways, your team doesn't have the best advantages when it comes to dealing with Ghost-type Pokémon," Lillie pointed out, catching her attention, "How are you going to go into it?" she wondered in concern.
"Well, I've got Sandygast…" the Ketchum girl responded, giving off a shrug, "And I'm pretty sure Sandshrew here wants to take a crack at some action," she mentioned, gesturing with a tilt of her head towards the Alolan Mouse Pokémon.
"Shroo!" he squeaked excitedly in reply.
"Having Pokémon with Dark-type moves would be super helpful for you, too!" Hau added, "But knowing you, you'll have it in the bag like always, Eri!" he assured confidently with a chuckle. His cousin grinned.
"Yeah, I'm sure I will," she said. Things were starting to look up for her and her friends. But what happened in Malie still lingered in her mind. She had to wonder if she could've really beaten Guzma with any of her Pokémon.
And then there was the situation with Trent. She had no idea where he could've possibly gone. Hopefully, he wasn't going to do anything rash, but she wouldn't know. Because now, he wasn't here.
"Are you all right, Erika?" Lillie asked in concern, getting the Ketchum girl's attention as she blinked in surprise.
"Oh, uh, yeah!" she stuttered in response, "Hau, we should probably start training for the trial," she suggested to her cousin.
"Okay!" he eagerly replied, hopping onto his feet before running out through the front doors as they opened automatically.
"Come on, Sandshrew," Erika beckoned, walking off.
"San!" the Alolan Mouse Pokémon responded, hurrying after her before they exited the building. That left Lillie all by herself, though she did know that there were the kids and the few Pokémon that were housed here. She unzipped her duffel bag, peering inside to see the snoozing Nebby. She sighed with relief.
"I promise I'll find your home…" she vowed in a whisper, "And I'll do whatever I have to for you," she added firmly. Back at the abandoned Thrifty Megamart…
"A…A…Ahhh…" Paige stammered out, shaking as she held onto Calvin from behind. He was admittedly startled himself by the sight of what was ahead. Standing before the back room was seemingly Acerola. Though… he didn't remember hearing her enter at all.
"A-Acerola?" he stuttered out. Her eyes merely glanced towards him for a moment.
"…Who are you?" she asked eerily.
"Eep!" Paige yelped, hiding behind Calvin. Incineroar and Togedemaru were surprised by the situation that was before them as well, but stood firm as their trainer was doing the same.
"I'm… Calvin, remember?" he inquired to the trial captain. She looked away, back towards the door to the back room.
"Oh… never mind that…" she remarked, shaking her head, "It looks like you're done with your trial now," she pointed out as he blinked in surprise, "You should hurry and leave this place…" she insisted.
"Huh?" the Ketchum boy uttered in confusion, "But… my trial's not over!" he exclaimed, "I haven't even gotten a picture of the Totem Pokémon yet!" he mentioned as he held up his phone. Acerola didn't even look at him.
"This place is dangerous," she said, "You should give up on your trial and get out…" she warned. Calvin grimaced slightly. Something wasn't right here. Whoever this was, she didn't sound like the Acerola he was accustomed to.
"C-Calvin?" Paige stuttered, getting his attention, "M-M-Maybe we should go…" she suggested frightfully, shaking all the while.
"No, I'm not done yet…" he pointed out to her in response. Acerola glanced over with an annoyed expression in her eyes.
"I told you to get out…" she stated in a threatening growl.
"I'm not leaving," Calvin retorted as a response.
"Get out…" she snarled, enticing Incineroar and Togedemaru to ready themselves.
"No!" their trainer shouted defiantly. At that moment, the trial captain turned to them with a frighteningly horrifying expression on her face as her eyes glowed a bright purple.
"GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUUUUUUUUUUTTTTTTTTTTTTT!" she screamed repeatedly in demand. At that moment, Paige let go of Calvin.
"I can't do this!" she wailed with tears of fright falling out from her eyes, running away towards the store entrance.
"Paige, wait!" her rival called out. But it was too late as she exited the building in a scared hurry.
"GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUUUUUUUUUUUTTTTTTTTTTT!" Acerola repeated in a fury, suddenly lunging out towards the Ketchum boy. Reflexively, he quickly readied his phone's camera, snapping a picture with a flash. Afterwards, he looked out to see that the trial captain was gone. In fact, she wasn't even in the photo he had taken.
'Must've been an illusion or something like that…' he concluded after a moment through his thoughts.
"Togeh?" Togedemaru squeaked as he waddled up to his trainer's side, getting his attention.
"Don't worry, I'm fine," he assured with a wave of his hand, "My parents had Ghost-types themselves that'd make scary illusions for Halloween," he told his Pokémon, "I guess I just got used to it…" he concluded as he shrugged.
"Serawr…" Incineroar mumbled worriedly, glancing back towards the doors. Calvin gave off a concerned look.
'I know Acerola said that we should focus on the trial…' he began inwardly, 'but I can't help but worry about Paige,' he admitted to himself. He wanted to make sure she was okay. But all of a sudden, he heard a click.
"Huh?" he uttered. He noticed one of the doors to the back room creaking open, as it had been unlocked. Cautiously, he sauntered over to it with narrowed eyes. "Come on, you two," he beckoned to his Pokémon, enticing them to follow him inside. The room was a dimly lit, empty space. The Ketchum boy noticed pictures strewn about the walls. Some were drawings, others were photographs… But they all had one thing in common: a Pikachu upon each of them.
"Toh geh…" Togedemaru squeaked nervously upon noticing as well. Just then, the trio heard something scurrying about along the floor.
"What was that?" Calvin whispered in question. Now he was starting to get a little freaked out. Incineroar gnashed her teeth together, hearing whoever else was in the room scurry about like a scared little mouse.
"T-T-Togehh…" the Roly-Poly Pokémon stuttered out frightfully.
"Stay calm, Togedemaru…" his trainer insisted, though he was starting to get a little spooked himself. What was scurrying about.
"Keekee…" a voice suddenly squeaked out from behind, getting their attentions. Calvin gulped a little, slowly turning himself around along with his teammates. What was behind them turned out to be a small Pokémon whose body was almost entirely hidden under an old rag. His beady black eyes were visible through holes in the body of his disguise, and the fringe of an amorphous foot or lower body was visible under the hem. The veil itself resembled a Pikachu. The cloth was a color-drained yellow with black-tipped ears. The Pikachu face appeared to be drawn with crayons, consisting of black eyes, red cheeks, and a squiggly black mouth. However, the head itself appeared to be hollow. He also carried a small stick resembling a lightning bolt to create a tail for his costume.
"Wh…What are you?" the Ketchum boy inquired with a frightened stutter, taking a nervous step back. Incineroar and Togedemaru did the same. If they weren't scared before, they were now. A bright yellow aura flared up around the disguised Pokémon.
"Seee… meeee?!" he exclaimed as there was a glint of bloodlust in his eyes.
X
"Pangoro, Hammer Arm!" the farmer exclaimed as he threw his right fist out.
"Pah!" the Daunting Pokémon yelled back, making his right forearm glow a bright white as he was about to collide it against Garchon's head.
"Dodge and use Dragon Claw!" Leslie called out quickly. Her Garchomp moved aside to evade his opponent's arm, followed by having the claw on his right arm glow a bright green with a scale-patterned aura. He slashed ferociously at his target's chest, sending him stumbling back in an instant.
"Having trouble, Pa?" Sam asked of the man beside her as he balled his fists in frustration.
"We ain't ever dealt with vermin like that there Garchomp…" he pointed out as a response.
"Well, ah'll pick up the slack for ya!" his daughter promised, "Florges, set up a Grassy Terrain!" she instructed.
"Jess!" the Garden Pokémon responded, making waves of green light shoot out from her body onto the dirt field. Grass and flowers began growing all along it, enveloping the entire area.
"That might be a problem…" Dylan noted worriedly.
"We'll handle it," Leslie assured, "Garchon, Dig!" she commanded. Upon hearing his trainer, the Land Shark Pokémon burrowed instantly into the ground in a burst of dust and dirt.
"Well, guess that leaves us with you for the time bein'…" the farmer noted as he looked over to Dylan and his Blastoise, "Crunch!" he ordered. Pangoro made his teeth glow a bright white and sharpen as he charged forward, heading towards the Shellfish Pokémon.
"Skull Bash!" the dark-haired man commanded, swinging his right arm out. Bending his knees in a lunging stance, Blastoise launched himself forward and collided head on with the Daunting Pokémon, making him stumble back as he gritted his teeth in agony.
"Florges, Energy Ball!" Sam yelled, sticking her left hand out. The Garden Pokémon quickly formed an orb of light green energy in front of her mouth. But just as she was about to fire it off, Garchon burst out from the ground and knocked her back with his left arm.
"Now Sandstorm!" his trainer called out.
"Gahrrr!" the Garchomp responded, swinging his arms out to make a twister of sand erupt from the field, enveloping the whole field.
"Heh," Dylan chuckled, "You're gonna ruin all the food with that move…" he pointed out to his new girlfriend, who folded her arms underneath her chest in a smug manner.
"It'll be fine…" she assured in response, "Besides, this'll give you an opening," she noted, causing him to blink in surprise.
"Well, ain't that a clever trick…" Sam muttered with a grin, "But Dragon-types are still weak to Fairy ones!" she proclaimed, "Dazzlin' Gleam!" she commanded. A bright light emitted from Florges' body before she unleashed several streaks of rainbow-colored light out towards Garchon. However, he evaded them all with ease, much to the father-daughter duo's surprise.
"Ohh…" Dylan uttered in realization, "Sand Veil, right?" he guessed, sounding impressed.
"Yep," Leslie responded with a nod, "Figured if we're up against Fairy or Ice-types, might as well have a plan to counter them," she pointed out, "And now you've got your opening," she mentioned.
"Yeah, thanks," her boyfriend said in gratitude, "Blastoise, Flash Cannon!" he commanded.
"Toyyyzzz!" the Shellfish Pokémon responded, readying his cannons before they both unleashed beams of white and light blue luminosity. They veered towards Florges, who was immediately caught off guard and struck in a fierce blast.
"Florges, no!" her trainer screamed, seeing the orange-flowered Garden Pokémon float back with several scrapes along her body.
"Now Hydro Pump!" Dylan ordered through the sandstorm. Before Florges could even think to try anything else, she found her blasted back by a huge pair of water gushes, slamming her against the wall and drenching her. When the water subsided, she fell onto the ground with swirls in her eyes.
"Jesssss…" she groaned out. The hostess raised her right arm.
"Florges is unable to battle!" she announced.
"Aw, darn…" Sam moaned, returning her Pokémon to her Nest Ball in a beam of red light, "Sorry, Pa…" she apologized.
"No sweat, Sammy!" he assured in response with a thumbs up, "I reckon this here sandstorm's 'bout to get blown away!" he proclaimed mightily, "Pangoro, Sky Uppercut!" he commanded. The Daunting Pokémon gave off a fierce look, swinging his right fist up as it was cloaked in an orange aura. The force of the attack was enough to blow the sandstorm apart completely, much to everyone's surprise. However…
"Garchon, Dragon Rush!" Leslie suddenly commanded, causing the farmer's eyes to widen in surprise. Pangoro looked up and gasped to see the Garchomp looming over him. His body became enveloped in a dragon-shaped energy before he zoomed down and crashed fiercely into his target in a flurry of dust. When it subsided moments later, it revealed that the Land Shark Pokémon was standing over his defeated opponent, who had swirls in his eyes.
"And Pangoro's unable to battle!" the hostess exclaimed with her right arm raised, "Therefore, the pizza goes to our winners!" she announced, gesturing towards the couple.
"Woohoo!" the Ketchum girl exclaimed, pumping her left fist up excitedly. Many patrons in the restaurant applauded the victorious pair with clapping. After a few moments, Leslie and Dylan were seated back down at their table, enjoying their shared pizza.
"Didn't know you had a Shiny Pokémon…" the latter of the two mentioned in between bites of a pizza slice, "He doesn't even look all that different from a regular Garchomp…" he added.
"Better than Mega Evolution…" his girlfriend retorted, making him chuckle.
"You're never gonna like Mega Evolution, are you?" he guessed with a grin.
"It's honestly cheap if you ask me," Leslie responded, finishing her slice as she used a napkin to wipe her lips, "What if your opponent doesn't even have a Mega Evolution?" she inquired, folding her arms over her chest.
"Well, that hasn't stopped you from kicking my ass time and time again…" her boyfriend pointed out as a reply.
"True," she agreed with a smug shrug. The couple shared a laugh, going back to enjoying their wholesome lunch that they rightfully earned together.
X
"Keekeee…" the disguised Totem Pokémon hissed, drawing a pair of wavy appendages with claw-like ends from underneath his rag. Calvin took another cautious step back, sweating nervously. Of all the Ghost-type Pokémon he had ever met in his lifetime, this one was by far the creepiest.
"What kind of Pokémon are you?" he wondered aloud, quickly activating the Pokédex app on his phone. Another glint appeared in the disguised totem's eyes. He cloaked his appendages in a dark aura with a purple outline, swinging them out at the Ketchum boy.
"Serowr!" Incineroar cried out, quickly zipping in front of her trainer to take the sudden attack, which caused her to slide back a few feet.
"Incineroar, are you okay?!" Calvin asked immediately.
"Rrrrr…" the Heel Pokémon growled, nodding to confirm that she was alright. Meanwhile, her trainer quickly checked the Pokédex app again.
"Mimikyu, huh?" he read off upon seeing the Disguise Pokémon's information, "He's a Ghost-and-Fairy-type…" he mentioned with narrowed eyes. All of a sudden, the totem rushed forward and bombarded Incineroar with quick strikes using his stick, slamming her hard against the wall. "Incineroar!" the Ketchum boy cried out. His teammate shakily stood as her foe hopped back, prepared for whatever counterattack she was planning.
"Keeee…" he squeaked out, readying his appendages as they were cloaked in a dark, purple-outlined aura again.
'He's used Shadow Claw and Play Rough so far…' Calvin noted to himself, taking on a serious expression, 'We can beat him if we've got better speed!' he concluded through his thoughts.
"Togedemaru, Nuzzle!" he ordered quickly.
"Mah roo!" the Roly-Poly Pokémon responded, making his electric sacs spark before rolling out towards the totem. Unfortunately, he took notice of him coming, turning towards him as a dark purple aura shrouded his entire body.
"KEEEEUUUUUU!" he screeched, unleashing a wave of energy in the shape of his own body that struck Togedemaru, knocking him over as he rolled to a stop against the wall, wincing in agony.
"Togedemaru!" his trainer called out in shock.
'That was Astonish!' he realized, letting a growl escape his lips, 'He's got one more move in that arsenal…' he noted through his thoughts, 'Maybe Incineroar can take him down with a few strong moves…' he suggested inwardly.
"Flamethrower!" he commanded, sticking his right hand out. Making her flame belt burn brightly, the Heel Pokémon unleashed a powerful stream of fire towards Mimikyu. He evaded it however, having another glint appear in his eyes.
"KEEEEUUUUUU!" he shrieked, leaping up and unleashing his own stream of orange flames down at Incineroar. She widened her eyes in surprise before sticking her hands up to block the incoming fire, gritting her teeth as her feet inched back slightly.
"How can he use Flamethrower?!" her trainer wondered aloud out of shock. At that moment, he blinked upon recalling how the Disguise Pokémon's name sounded like a play on words. "Mimic…" he uttered out, "He's using Mimic!" he concluded. As the flames subsided, the totem landed down as his opponent lowered her smoking hands.
"Sehrawwwrrrr…" she huffed out, taking a ready stance. Meanwhile, Togedemaru had just recovered from behind attacked earlier, shaking his head. He then took notice of a figure phasing into the room, being none other than a Banette. He grinned widely, forming a ball of purple-and-black energy with purple static upon his hands.
"Toh, togeh!" the Roly-Poly Pokémon warned, trying to get the attentions of the others. Unfortunately, he was too late as the Marionette Pokémon fired the ball down at Incineroar, striking her right shoulder as she yelped in agony, falling onto her left knee.
"Incineroar!" Calvin cried out, seeing her grimace as she tried to get back up. Mimikyu then dashed forward, attempting to strike her with another bombardment of smacks thanks to his stick. However, he was suddenly knocked aside by a rolling Togedemaru, who was cloaked in yellow electricity. He landed down safely, though the head of his disguise drooped limply backwards.
"Keeeeee…" he hissed angrily, glaring at the Roly-Poly Pokémon as he stood in front of him.
"Toh, togeh toh!" he cried out to his trainer, getting his attention as he perked up and nodded.
"Yeah, we'll do this together!" he vowed, balling his right hand into a fist, "Incineroar, can you still move?" he asked of his partner, who slowly got onto her feet.
"Se, rawr!" she confirmed, flashing him a thumbs up and a grin. Banette then flew down, floating in front of her. His eyes glowed a bright purple before the same light outlined his foe, causing him to grimace.
"Incineroar!" her trainer exclaimed in shock.
"Se… rowwwrrrr!" she roared out assuredly, making him perk up in surprise. He then watched as it seemed like the Marionette Pokémon was in great pain as well.
'That must've been Curse…' he realized through his thoughts, 'The user cuts down half of their own health to inflict damage on the target with every turn…' he recalled, balling his fists tightly, 'In that case…' he began inwardly.
"Incineroar, Darkest Lariat! Togedemaru, Gyro Ball!" he commanded. With a low growl, the Heel Pokémon ignited her hands with dark red flames before she spun forward towards Banette. He floated off to evade her, cackling all the while. What followed was him diving down to attack as he reared his right arm back. His opponent was prepared to counter, except the Marionette Pokémon actually feinted, using his left arm instead as he struck her upside the head.
"SEHRAWWWRRR!" she roared, slamming her flaming hand against her target to make him crash into the adjacent wall in an instant as he grimaced. The purple glow along her body reappeared, causing her to keel over and breathe heavily.
'After all that damage, I don't know if Incineroar's gonna last much longer…' her trainer noted inwardly. Meanwhile, Togedemaru had his triangular-shaped markings spike up, glowing a bright blue as he spun towards Mimikyu. A glint appeared in the Disguise Pokémon's eyes before he fired off another stream of orange flames.
"WATCH OUT!" Calvin screamed. However, Incineroar suddenly leapt over, taking the flames head on as she held them back with her hands. That allowed for her teammate to continue onward as he collided with Mimikyu fiercely, blowing him back.
"Keeeuuu…" he hissed, glaring at his foe. The Roly-Poly Pokémon actually looked back at his partner, whose body glowed again in a purple light as she keeled over again, breathing heavily in exhaustion. She didn't even notice Banette preparing another purple-and-black ball of energy with black sparks upon his hands.
"Incineroar, look out!" her trainer exclaimed. But it was too late. The Marionette Pokémon fired the ball, striking his target in a fierce blast of smoke.
"TOGEHHHH!" Togedemaru shrieked in fright as tears built up in his eyes. Calvin's shook, hoping that somehow his partner was okay.
"Bayhayayayay!" Banette cackled while still floating about, amused by his victory. However, he then took notice of the pair of glowing red eyes from within the smoke. It dissipated to reveal the red, blazing aura building around the Heel Pokémon's body. She had her teeth clenched as she growled angrily.
"Sehrawwrrr!" she called out to her trainer, getting his attention as he recomposed himself.
"Yeah, let's finish him off!" he decided, "Fire Fang!" he commanded, sticking his left hand out. Flames billowed mightily in Incineroar's mouth thanks to Blaze. Her teeth burned a bright red as she glared down the Marionette Pokémon.
"B-Bayyy…?" he stammered out. His opponent lunged out and bit down onto him fiercely, enveloping him in a powerful explosion. The smoke was quick to settle afterwards, revealing him lying upon the floor in a defeated daze as his eyes were in swirls. Meanwhile, Incineroar breathed heavily before falling forward onto the floor. She had completely exhausted herself into unconsciousness.
"Incineroar!" Calvin exclaimed, quickly hurrying over to check on her. Togedemaru looked on with shaking and teary eyes. The Heel Pokémon had just done so much in her bout. Whether it was protecting him or enduring the effects of moves, she had been very resilient. So seeing her fall made him all the more upset that he couldn't help her.
"Keeeuuu!" Mimikyu screeched as he lunged out towards the Roly-Poly Pokémon, who seemed completely unaware that he was even coming. But Calvin noticed.
"Togedemaru, look out!" he screamed. The Roly-Poly Pokémon clenched his teeth together angrily, making his cheeks spark with yellow electricity. The totem swiped at him with one of his appendages while cloaked in a dark, purple-outlined aura, knocking him back as he tumbled to a stop beside his trainer.
"Tohhh…" he growled out afterwards, shaking his head to regain himself.
"Meeee…" Mimikyu hissed as he retracted his appendage. But as he tried to move forward, yellow sparks of electricity suddenly started sparking all along his body.
"Huh?" Calvin uttered in surprise as he blinked.
"Keee… keeee…!" the Disguise Pokémon grunted out, struggling to even move an inch.
'Wait…' the Ketchum boy started to recall, remembering how when Mimikyu had swiped Togedemaru, his electric sacs had been sparking.
"You let him hit you so that Nuzzle would work, right?" he guessed, causing his teammate to turn to him and grin.
"Mah!" he answered as he nodded.
"Okay then…" his trainer began as he stood up with a newfound confidence in his tone, "use Zing Zap!" he commanded.
"Togeh!" the Roly-Poly Pokémon responded, making yellow electricity spark all around him before he spun forward towards his target. Despite his paralyzed state, Mimikyu managed to fire off a stream of orange flames towards his incoming foe. He dodged the flames though, slamming into him head on to make him slide back.
"Keeeuuuu…!" he hissed angrily, right before grimacing from the electricity sparking all around him.
"Nice!" Calvin complimented, quickly getting out his phone, "Now we just need a picture…" he noted as he prepared the camera. Mimikyu took notice, using his appendages to propel himself upwards in an instant. "Ah!" the capped trial-goer gasped, seeing the Disguise Pokémon attempting to come down towards him with his appendages cloaked in a dark aura outlined in purple, "Togedemaru, Gyro Ball!" he ordered quickly, positioning his phone carefully. As he took a picture, the Roly-Poly Pokémon leapt up with his spikes glowing a bright blue. He spun around and struck the totem, making him crash into the wall in a flurry of dust.
Incineroar slowly awoke to notice what had happened, pushing herself up onto her knees. The dust was slow to settle. But when it did, it revealed that Mimikyu was no longer there.
"Where'd he go?" Calvin wondered aloud.
"Togehh…" Togedemaru squeaked, unsure as to where their foe might've gone. Banette seemed to have disappeared, too. Rather than worry about their presence, the Ketchum boy looked at his phone to see if he had captured a good enough picture. The image was fuzzy, but the Disguise Pokémon could be made out from it. He sighed in relief.
"Okay, we got the picture," he pointed out to his teammates, "We can get outta here now," he assured.
"Maroo!" the Roly-Poly Pokémon exclaimed happily in response. Incineroar grinned, patting him atop the head for a job well done. She was returned to her Poké Ball a moment later, allowing Togedemaru to hop aboard his trainer's shoulder before they departed the empty room. But as they left, they failed to notice the grey-cloaked Mimikyu peeking out at them with curious eyes…
ENDING
Insert "Fushigina Fushigina Ikimono" by Tortoise Matsumoto
Opens in a hospital, with the newborn Calvin and Erika lying in separate cribs as they snooze soundly. Watching from outside the window to the nursery is Leslie, who's excited about having both a little brother and sister. Her father comes up behind her and puts his right hand onto her shoulder, giving her a warm smile.
We cut to the Ketchum family returning home. Leslie spends a lot of time with the infant twins, helping her parents feed, bathe, and put them to sleep. As the years go by, we see that she struggles to keep up with trying to take care of the rambunctious twins. At one point, Erika actually refuses her baby bottle and tries getting her milk from her sister's breast, much to her shock and embarrassment.
We cut to when the family started vacationing in Alola, with Leslie having drifted somewhat apart from her twin siblings. It saddens her that most of the good memories she had with them are now fleeting. We see her put on her new dress as she goes to the Iki Town festival, where she witnesses Calvin and Erika attempt to battle for the first time. Though they both lose, she's happy that they tried.
From Ash and Mirajane's point of view, they've had a wonderful life with their three children. Ash and Pikachu had helped teach Calvin how to walk, while Mirajane showed Erika how to garden as they water plants together. There's another scene of the twins getting to see their sister in a tournament as her Krookodile goes up against Benga's Garchomp, countering a Dragon Claw with his own.
We cut to the present day, where Leslie contently watches the highlights of the Aether Tournament. As she sees the final match between her twin siblings, she doesn't even realize that she's crying happily for getting the chance to witness it at all. Her parents take notice of her emotional state and venture over to give her a comforting hug.
As the ending slowly winds down, we cut to the twins camping together on Ula'ula. They both glance up at the stars and smile. They're grateful to be on a journey that they never thought they would enjoy in the first place.
END ENDING
And that's another trial out of the way! We'll be getting into the aftermath in the next chapter… which will be a while since we've got the rest of Volume 6 of "RWBY: Omni Force" to get through. But aside from that, I'm glad that we're finally to the point that there's a lot for Calvin and company to get through.
I especially liked getting to write Paige's story here. More on her character will be seen in the next chapter, along with a couple of exciting surprises! For now though, here's a summary to tide you all over!
SUMMARY
With Calvin's trial complete, it's now Erika's turn to take on whatever challenge Acerola has in store! This time, she's going to be going through a shipwreck for some buried treasure! What kind of Totem Pokémon awaits her at the end?!
And in the meantime, there's a new guest at the Aether House that surprises everyone! Who could it be?!
END SUMMARY
Gonna be a while before the next chapter of this story, so I'll see you all then!