Alola again! Hope you've been enjoying July, everyone! By now, we're getting closer and closer to the releases of Pokémon: Brilliant Diamond, Pokémon: Shining Pearl, and Pokémon Legends: Arceus!
So in recognition of those games coming out, we're going to be going into a mini-arc during the rest of Ula'ula! Hopefully, you'll find the Sinnoh lore fun as we continue with Calvin and Erika's journeys. Last time we left off, Erika completed her sixth trial, though at the expense of her Steelium Z!
So what's going to happen now! Well, let's find out! Welcome back to "The Challenge of a Lifetime"!
POKÉMON SUN & MOON
THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME
It was dusk by the time Erika and Acerola returned to the sandy black beach of Route 14 aboard Lapras. The former returned the Transport Pokémon to the silver Poké Ball of the Ride Pager, clicking it back into place upon closing it. She was despondent. After she and her team defeated Dhelmise, she picked up the Ghostium Z she received without much of a celebration.
Acerola could tell just how emotionally tested the Ketchum girl had been today. She had gotten quieter, sometimes not even saying anything in response to the trial captain or even Rotom's concerns. Though she claimed she was fine, it was obvious that she wasn't.
"Huh…" she sighed out deeply, "I'm sorry…" she apologized after a moment, catching both Acerola and Rotom by surprise as they blinked, "I know we completed the trial and all…" she pointed out, looking at the Ghostium Z in her right hand, "but I didn't really feel like I won…" she confessed.
"Really?" the trial captain inquired worriedly. The Ketchum girl sighed again, slipping her newly obtained Z-Crystal into her pocket.
"I don't know…" she replied with a shake of her head, "I guess… I'm just tired…" she admitted while walking onwards down the shoreline.
"Have you ever seen her like this?" Acerola asked of Rotom, getting its attention.
"No…" it replied, "Erika'zzz alwayzzz been really chipper…" it recalled, "It'zzz sad to zzzee her like thizzz, zzt…" it admitted with a frown.
"I hear ya…" the trial captain agreed, very concerned for the Ketchum girl's current state of mind. They'd have more time to talk once they got back to the Aether House. But little did they know that someone was already there waiting for them…
"Huh…" Leslie sighed upon emerging from the bathroom with just a white towel around her form, "My door's fixed, right?" she asked of her father, who seemed to be testing the lock of his eldest daughter's door.
"…Yep!" he answered to her relief after a moment, "Sorry it took all day, sweetie…" he apologized while sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. She giggled.
"Better now than later, I guess…" she remarked in response, walking into her room and shutting the door, locking it from the inside with a click. With that, Ash walked back into the living room, allowing Pikachu to hop up onto his left shoulder.
"Peekah!" he greeted, making his trainer smile as he scratched at his chin, "Chaaa…" he cooed in delight.
"The door's okay?" Mirajane guessed, getting their attentions as they perked up to see her slicing up carrots on a cutting board.
"Yep," her husband answered, "And I'll get those burgers ready soon," he promised, making her giggle happily.
"I'm still in disbelief that it took twenty-four years for our oldest to finally start dating…" she admitted, getting the sliced carrots together on a tray with tinfoil before putting it into the oven.
"Hey, I didn't start dating until it was pretty much way too late…" Ash pointed out sheepishly in reply, rubbing the back of his head.
"Well, then you were very lucky…" his wife remarked back. They shared a laugh before he headed off towards the door to the porch, about to cook the burgers he promised. But then he noticed a flashing light coming from the PC at the corner of the living room. "Were you expecting a call?" Mirajane inquired upon noticing.
"No, actually…" her husband replied, going over to the PC as he sat down on the chair in front of it. He quickly grabbed the mouse and moved the cursor to the answer icon, clicking it. What followed was a video screen coming up before the image of a familiar face appeared in front of Ash.
It was a skinny man that had a slightly androgynous appearance. He had messy black hair with two red highlights, brown skin, and blue eyes. The Pokémon Master widened his eyes upon seeing him.
"Goh?!" he exclaimed in surprise.
"Hey Ash!" his old friend greeted, "Long time, no see!" he remarked in greeting as he waved. He was wearing a red and gray short-sleeved top with a Poké Ball design, black sweatpants, red socks, and a pair of gray and black shoes.
"Uh, yeah, long time…" the raven-haired man stammered out, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, "Where are you calling me from?" he inquired, "I don't recognize the number…" he pointed out, narrowing his eyes curiously.
"Oh, I'm at the Pokémon Lab in Sandgem Town!" Goh answered over the line, "I've been trying to learn more about the Lake Guardians around Sinnoh," he explained,"and I found something I think you'd wanna check out!" he mentioned excitedly.
"Really? What is it?" Ash asked.
"Come on over tomorrow and find out!" his old friend insisted, "Anyways, I gotta go!" he exclaimed with a wave in farewell.
"Ah, wai—!" The Pokémon Master's yell was cut off as the call ended with the screen going black. "Ah…" he uttered out.
"Peekah, pikah?" Pikachu squeaked in question, climbing onto his trainer's shoulder.
"Well, it sounds like you'll be taking a trip to Sinnoh for tomorrow," Mirajane chimed in, getting her husband's attention as she giggled, "Make sure you take Leslie with you, too!" she insisted before heading out onto the porch to start the grill.
"Huh…" Ash sighed deeply. But he was intrigued. What did Goh discover in Sinnoh?
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
Skull Showdown!
"Mee!" Mimikins exclaimed, striking back half a dozen Snorunt with her black claws outlined in purple as they tumbled over along the ground. The rest of the pack scurried off in fright as the Disguise Pokémon blinked in surprise. "Keeuuu!" she squeaked happily. From afar, Incineroar, Toucannon, Steenee, Poliwag and Togedemaru watched on with nervous looks on their faces. Clearly, they weren't ready to open up to their newest teammate.
"Nice job!" Calvin complimented as he went over to the shiny Mimikyu, "You've gotten really strong waiting for a trainer to take you on, huh?" he guessed, petting her atop the head of her rag.
"Mee!" she responded happily. She then ventured over to her teammates, who all grimaced in fright. They seemed very uncomfortable. Togedemaru especially as he stood out defensively in front of his teammates, sticking his stubby arms out.
"Toh geh!" he squeaked, blocking the Disguise Pokémon from venturing any closer. She blinked in confusion… and then started nuzzling against him sweetly. "T-T-Tohhh…" he stammered out in fright, while his teammates looked on with worried expressions.
"You guys are gonna have to get used to her, you know…" their trainer chimed in with his hands upon his hips.
"Se, rawrr…" Incineroar complained, scratching at the back of her head. Toucannon and Steenee awkwardly looked away, while Poliwag waddled over, willing to be the one to take the step and show the shiny Mimikyu some kindness.
"Kee?" she squeaked upon noticing him approach.
"Polleee?" he questioned back, tilting his body to the side. The Disguise Pokémon slid over to him, nuzzling sweetly against his body, much to Togedemaru's relief.
"Huh…" Calvin exhaled with a smile, noticing the sunset on the horizon. After Mimikins had decided to come along with him, he quickly made sure to transfer Araquanid over to Kukui. The Water Bubble Pokémon had been through many battles lately and needed a break for a while. What followed was the trial-goer heading over to the base of Mount Lanakila to not only introduce his team to their new comrade, but also to see the progress to the Pokémon League being built.
So far, construction seemed to be going well. It was looking as if the stadium itself would be at the flat peak atop the mountain, which seemed to be wide enough. In Calvin's eyes, the only challenge was figuring out a way to get people up there. But he had faith in whatever was being planned.
'Oh, that reminds me…' he recalled, walking over to his backpack. He crouched down to unzip it and pull out the luchador-like mask he had been given by Molayne to return to Kukui. 'With all that happened in Malie, I guess getting this to him slipped my mind…' he realized, letting off a sheepish chuckle.
"Se, serawrr!" Incineroar suddenly shouted out, getting his attention as he saw the Heel Pokémon backing away from Mimikins.
"Kee?" she squeaked in confusion while inching closer. Reflexively out of fright, Incineroar unleashed a stream of fire from her flame belt towards the shiny Mimikyu.
"Ah, hey!" Calvin yelped. Fortunately, the Disguise Pokémon evaded the flames.
"Keekeekee!" she giggled, having a glint appear in her eyes. All of a sudden, a ball of fire formed in front of herself before unleashing her own spray of flames. The other Pokémon panicked, scurrying about in fright to avoid them.
"Oh… that was Mimic!" the Ketchum boy realized as he widened his eyes, "Awesome!" he exclaimed, catching Mimikins' attention as she stopped firing off the flames, much to the relief of the others, "What other moves can you use?" he inquired, crouching down to her eye level.
"Mee!" she squeaked. All of a sudden, her shadow slid along the ground, going past Steenee as she shivered in surprise. She then turned around slowly out of fright to see the Disguise Pokémon's shadow rise up with claw-like appendages ready to strike.
"NEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" she shrieked, quickly racing over to hide behind her trainer as she shook uncontrollably.
"It's okay, Steenee," he promised, "Mimikins' just showing us her moves," he pointed out, having recognized the last one as Shadow Sneak, "You know…" he continued, catching the shiny Mimikyu's attention as her shadow retracted, "Mimikins is kind of a mouthful…" he sheepishly admitted while scratching at his right cheek, "Why don't I call you Mimi?" he suggested. The Disguise Pokémon's eyes were sparkling.
"Meemee!" she exclaimed happily as she hopped up and down.
"Yeah, that's right!" her trainer replied with a laugh, "Hey, so what's your fourth move?" he inquired curiously.
"Mee!" the newly named Mimi responded with a nod. She turned towards Togedemaru, who blinked in surprise before backing away nervously in fright. All of a sudden, the shiny Mimikyu lunged out at him.
"MAAAAAHHHHH!" he shrieked. But he couldn't get away in time as the Disguise Pokémon tackled him down, striking him over and over with her stick as a thick grey smoke enveloped both of them. Everyone else watched on with widened eyes of shock. When the smoke dissipated, it revealed Mimi standing over the Roly-Poly Pokémon as swirls were in his eyes.
"Keeeooo!" she squeaked happily.
"So your last move's Play Rough…" Calvin realized, letting out a chuckle.
"Maaahhhh…" Togedemaru groaned in agony.
X
"Deh, sidge!" Decidueye exclaimed, drawing an arrow quill from his left wing. He pulled the vine at the left side of his hood, setting the arrow onto it like a bow as a shadowy aura shrouded its tip. He then fired it out, having it loop around before it squarely struck a target posted upon a tree.
"Nice one, Decidueye!" Hau complimented as he waved to the Arrow Quill Pokémon from the steps to the Aether House. Outside with him was Lillie, who held onto her duffel bag as she contently watched the ponytailed boy train with his Pokémon, seeing him talk excitedly to Raichu. She had never understood why trainers like him enjoyed battling so much. But she had to imagine that it only strengthened the bond between them and their Pokémon. And that made her smile.
"Ryy, ryyy!" the Alolan Mouse Pokémon exclaimed as he floated about, basically surfing on air with his tail.
"Heehee!" Hau chuckled.
"Your Pokémon look like they're having fun," Lillie pointed out, getting his attention.
"Yeah!" he responded, "It's great for them to start getting stronger," he noted, watching as Decidueye made the leaves at his tail glow a bright green and sharpen before slashing off some nearby tree branches with them, "Hey," he said, making the assistant perk up, "you ever thought about being a trainer?" he wondered curiously. Lillie blinked in surprise at the question. She glanced off to the side with a trouble expression.
"Maybe in the past…" she answered vaguely, making Hau give off a confused look, "My mother was very overbearing, so I wasn't really able to experience much when it came to playing alongside Pokémon…" she told him.
"Really?" he inquired, quite surprised as he blinked, "Well, maybe you'll get a chance to start being a trainer soon!" he suggested excitedly with clenched fists.
"Wh-What?" she stuttered out.
"With Cal and Eri catching so many Pokémon, they might end up loaning you one to play with Nebby!" he noted in reply, "That'd be good for it, right?" he guessed, giving off a wide grin.
"I… suppose so…" she admitted as a response, somewhat worried about the prospect. The Cosmog itself was asleep in her bag from what she could see. She did know that it needed time to freely frolic about. But things were far too dangerous for her to risk anything. Just then, Decidueye perked up as he sensed something.
"Sidge!" he squawked, soaring over to his trainer. Raichu floated down as well.
"What's wrong, you guys?" Hau asked in concern.
"Well, well…" a familiar voice repeated from afar, getting his attention along with Lillie's as they looked over to see someone walking up from the hill path to the beach. It was none other than Plumeria, who rested her right hand upon her hip. "If it isn't the runner-up…" she remarked, smirking.
"You're that lady from Team Skull!" the ponytailed trial-goer realized, taking on a serious expression. Both of his Pokémon got into ready stances. "What are you doing here?" he asked.
"Hmm…" the admin hummed, glancing over towards Lillie as she slowly widened her eyes in fright, "Dunno…" she admitted with a shrug, "Maybe I'm just here for a good battle…" she said, readying an Ultra Ball in her right hand by pressing its button to enlarge it, "Salazzle!" she called out, tossing the spherical container up into the air. It popped open, and the light that spilled out from it formed upon the ground, dissipating to reveal the Toxic Lizard Pokémon.
"Salaaaahhhh…" she hissed, licking her lips.
"That's nothing compared to Raichu!" Hau exclaimed, enticing the Alolan Mouse Pokémon to zip out in front of him.
"Ryyy!" he yelled in challenge.
"Hmph," Plumeria scoffed with a smirk, "Bring it on then…" she insisted, wagging her left pointer finger for emphasis.
"Raichu, Thunderbolt!" Hau commanded. Smacking his electric sacs as they sparked, the Alolan Mouse Pokémon enveloped himself in electricity before unleashing a bolt towards his foe.
"Flamethrower!" the Team Skull admin ordered. Flames billowed in Salazzle's mouth, followed by her unleashing a spray that struck the incoming bolt in a powerful explosion of black smoke. "Now Nasty Plot!" her trainer called out.
"Salaaaahhhh…!" the Toxic Lizard Pokémon hissed out, with a reddish aura flowing up her body.
"She's raising her special attack…" Lillie realized as her eyes widened.
"That won't stop us!" Hau declared firmly as he swung out his left arm, "Blow that smoke away with Psychic!" he instructed. Making his eyes glow a bright pink, Raichu blasted the smoke away in an instant while also unveiling his opponent. She then found herself outlined in a pink glow, being levitated off of the ground. She was slammed against the ground a couple of times before being psychically flung away, tumbling over onto her stomach.
"Ryy!" Raichu exclaimed proudly.
"Salazzzz…" Salazzle hissed, standing back up.
"Yeah… Psychic-types really are a pain for us…" Plumeria admitted, readying another Ultra Ball in her right hand, "Except for this guy," she corrected, throwing the spherical container after pressing its center button to enlarge it. The Ultra Ball popped open, with its light spilling onto the ground and dissipating. Hau and Lillie widened their eyes in surprise.
Beside Salazzle was a Muk, though different from his Kantonian counterpart that the ponytailed boy knew of. He had a more vibrant coloration, consisting of green, pink, and yellow stripes with thin blue bands in-between. The green, yellow, and pink stripes were capable of shifting downwards while the blue stayed in place. He had various white, crystallized poison shards protruding from parts of his body, especially from his mouth and fingers, giving the impression of claws and fangs. He had blue eyes with a black space behind them and a bright blue tongue.
"Muhhhhh!" he exclaimed, opening his large mouth.
"An Alolan Muk?!" Lillie yelped in surprise.
"Hey, this isn't a two-on-two!" Hau pointed out, somewhat angry.
"Oh?" Plumeria uttered as she blinked in faux-surprise, "And here I thought it was since you've got two of your own out…" she noted additionally, referring to Decidueye's presence.
"Sidge!" he squawked, flapping his wings to fly himself over and stand alongside Raichu.
"Now it's a two-on-two…" the Team Skull admin noted with a grin.
"Raichu, blow 'em both back with Psychic!" Hau exclaimed, pumping his right fist back.
"Ryy!" the Alolan Mouse Pokémon responded, making his eyes glow a bright pink again. All of a sudden though, Muk leapt out in front of Salazzle. His body was cloaked in a pink glow… which instantaneously shattered.
"What?!" the ponytailed boy cried out in disbelief, widening his eyes.
"Oh yeah…" Plumeria uttered out, stretching her arms up, "Muk's a Poison-and-Dark-type," she told him, "Psychic-type moves won't work on him…" she noted, "Your Raichu on the other hand…" she continued with a grin, "Gunk Shot!" she commanded. Closing his mouth and puffing out his cheeks, the Alolan Sludge Pokémon fired off a glowing gold blob of sludge that directly struck Raichu as he cried out in agony.
"Raichu!" Hau screamed, while Lillie widened her eyes in fright. A purple glow with sparks and bubbles came upon the Alolan Mouse Pokémon, signaling that he had been poisoned from the attack.
"Hmph," the Team Skull admin huffed with a smirk, "This is almost too easy for me…" she remarked. Hearing that brought out an uncommon growl from Hau.
"Decidueye, Pluck!" he ordered. The Arrow Quill Pokémon flew out, making his beak glow a bright blue and extend as he soared towards Muk.
"Flamethrower," Plumeria instructed. Without warning, Salazzle zipped in and unleashed a powerful spray of fire towards Decidueye. He quickly crossed his wings over his face to shield himself from the flames, which blew him back as he fell onto the ground.
"Decidueye!" Hau screamed.
"I don't think he's the one you oughta' worry about!" the Team Skull admin yelled, getting his attention, "Venoshock!" she ordered. Both Salazzle and Muk reared their heads back before firing off streams of purple, poisonous liquid that struck Raichu simultaneously in a burst of grey smoke.
"RAICHU!" Hau cried out in fright. When the smoke dissipated, it revealed the Alolan Mouse Pokémon lying upon the ground with swirls in his eyes. "No…" his trainer uttered with shaking eyes of disbelief. One of his Pokémon had been defeated already.
"Now it's a two-on-one," Plumeria noted, getting his attention, "Unless you think you're not up for it…" she remarked in challenge. The ponytail boy gritted his teeth together.
"Hau…" Lillie uttered worriedly. She watched as the ponytailed boy balled his hands into fists. The normally cheerful person she had seen before was now looking very angry.
"Raichu, return," he said, recalling the fainted Alolan Mouse Pokémon to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light, "Thanks for all your help," he mentioned in gratitude, "I won't let your efforts go to waste…" he promised, "Decidueye, Spirit Shackle!" he commanded, sticking his right hand out. The Arrow Quill Pokémon flew up and used his right wing to grab the vine at the right hand of his hood, extending it up to form a makeshift bow that he prepared a trio of arrow quills upon as a shadowy aura enveloped their tips. He fired them out, having them loop about and pierce into the ground at the shadows of his foes. They exploded, blowing them both back.
"Nasty Plot!" Plumeria instructed. Another glint appeared in Salazzle's eyes before a reddish aura flowed up her body.
"Leaf Blade!" Hau ordered. Decidueye flew down, making the leaves at his tail glow a bright green and sharpen as he soared towards the Toxic Lizard Pokémon.
"Muk, Knock Off!" Plumeria commanded suddenly. The Alolan Sludge Pokémon then leapt out, cloaking his right arm in a dark red aura. Before his foe could properly react, he was smacked down to the ground, landing hard upon his stomach as he grimaced.
"Decidueye!" his trainer exclaimed.
"Now finish it with Flamethrower!" the Team Skull admin ordered. Salazzle then stepped forward, causing the Arrow Quill Pokémon to look up and see her lick her lips. Before he could do anything, she sprayed out a stream of fire onto him, enveloping him in a fiery blast. Hau and Lillie looked on with disbelief. When the resulting smoke cleared, it revealed a burned and dirtied Decidueye lying upon the ground with swirls in his eyes.
"No way…" the ponytailed boy uttered out, falling onto his hands and knees while trembling in frustration.
"Oh no…" Lillie said, covering her mouth with her right hand.
"Well, that went quicker than I expected…" Plumeria admitted, putting her hands onto her hips. She then looked over to the professor's assistant. "Hey, princess," she called out, getting her attention, "I think you know what I'm gonna tell you…" she noted, narrowing her eyes. Lillie widened her eyes and gasped.
"Hau!" a familiar voice suddenly cried out, getting their attentions as they looked over to see Erika and Acerola run in, with Rotom floating behind them.
"What in the heck happened here?" the trial captain wondered aloud as she blinked rapidly. At that moment, the Ketchum girl took notice of the Team Skull admin.
"You…!" she growled out, balling her hands into fists.
"Oh, hey there…" Plumeria responded with a grin, "Feelin' a bit better after that thrashing from Guzma?" she wondered curiously, causing Erika to blink in surprise before growling again, "And here I thought this job was gonna get boring…" she admitted additionally, grinning with anticipation.
X
"That's right… you were in Malie!" Acerola exclaimed in remembrance as she got a good look at the Team Skull admin.
"She'zzz one of Team Skull'zzz top brazzz, zzt!" Rotom mentioned as it floated forward.
"And she's going down…" Erika vowed, readying a pair of Poké Balls in her hands.
"Oh?" Plumeria uttered out with a tilt of her head, "You sure you don't need help this time?" she inquired, "I mean, I already beat this kid here…" she pointed out, gesturing toward Hau with her left thumb. He was grimacing in frustration, digging his fingers into the ground.
"Hau…" his cousin uttered out before glaring back at the Team Skull admin, "What are you doing here anyway?" she questioned. With a grin, Plumeria put her hands onto her hips.
"Guess after seeing my boss get beat, I got inspired to do some training of my own," she answered as she shrugged, "Lucky for me, I get to fight the girl who's been thrashing my dumb little brothers and sisters…" she pointed out. A growl left Erika's lips.
"Erika, let me help…" Acerola insisted quietly, "Half of your team isn't exactly ready for battle…" she pointed out in concern.
"But my other half's perfect for handling her…" the Ketchum girl retorted as a response, "Let me handle this, please…" she pleaded. Reluctantly, the trial captain backed away from her. "Rotodex, is that an Alolan Muk?" she inquired, pointing towards the Alolan Sludge Pokémon. The Pokédex nodded, loading an image upon its screen.
"Muk, the Sludge Pokémon, Alolan Form," it began, "What look like fangs and claws upon him are actually crystallized poison that will afflict you at a mere touch, so don't get too close. While Muk's unexpectedly quiet and friendly, if he's not fed any trash for a while, he will smash his Trainer's furnishings and eat up the fragments," it explained thoroughly.
"He's a Poison-and-Dark-type in Alola!" Lillie called out from afar, getting her attention.
"That's right," Plumeria remarked with a smirk, making her opponent clench her teeth together, "So you better choose your Pokémon carefully, kid…" she insisted. Enlarging both the Poké Ball in her right hand, Erika flung them out. They popped open, with their lights spilling out onto the ground and taking shape. Afterwards, they dissipated to reveal both Primarina and Oricorio.
"Pree!" the Soloist Pokémon yipped out.
"Kor, koree~…" the Dancing Pokémon sang, waving her wings in a carefree manner.
"Hm," Plumeria huffed, "I'd be a little more impressed if you chose someone who I didn't already see get beat down before…" she mentioned. Primarina growled upon hearing that. Her trainer did, too.
'Calm down…' she advised to herself, 'First thing I need to do is make sure to keep Salazzle and Muk from poisoning my Pokémon…' she noted inwardly.
"Primarina, Aqua Jet on Salazzle!" she commanded, sticking his right hand out. A torrent of water enveloped the Soloist Pokémon before she rocketed out towards her intended target.
"Heh," the Team Skull admin chuckled, "I'm pretty sure you're worried about my team just poisoning you, right?" she guessed, making Erika blink in surprise, "I don't have to worry about that when I've already got my team ready to take you on…" she pointed out, "Venoshock!" she ordered of Salazzle. She reared her head back quickly and fired a stream of purple, poisonous liquid that struck Primarina, knocking her back as the water around her splashed apart.
"Preeee…" she groaned out.
"Are you okay, Primarina?!" her trainer yelled in concern.
"Mah!" she yipped assuredly as a response, nodding her head.
"Koree, reee!" Oricorio squawked to Erika, getting her attention.
"Right, let's be smart about this!" she decided seriously, "Use Double Slap on Muk!" she instructed. Making her wings glow a bright white, Oricorio flew out towards the Alolan Sludge Pokémon.
"Acid Armor," Plumeria advised.
"Muhhh…" Muk responded, cloaking himself in a purplish light before a reddish aura flowed up his body. The Dancing Pokémon approached, smacking him a couple of times with her wings. He seemed to be relatively unfazed though, glaring at her.
"Gunk Shot!" his trainer commanded.
"Muuhhhh!" the Alolan Sludge Pokémon exclaimed, opening his mouth to unleash a glob of gold-glowing goo that struck Oricorio squarely, sending her flying back as she tumbled along the ground.
"Reeee…" she chirped weakly with a purple glow appearing upon her body that included sparks and bubbles, indicating that she had been poisoned as a result of the attack.
"Oh no…" Lillie uttered worriedly from afar. Seeing the condition that the Dancing Pokémon was in made Erika lose herself in her thoughts for a moment. She remembered what happened to Pyrrha back in the Aether Tournament. And it made her even angrier as she clenched her teeth together.
"Primarina, Icy Wind!" she commanded. Inhaling a deep breath, the Soloist Pokémon exhaled a cold blast of air that struck both Salazzle and Muk, making frost form along their bodies. Less was apparent on the former's though. "Now Moonblast on Muk!" Erika instructed quickly. Gathering energy from the moon above as a whitish light shrouded her body, Primarina formed a pink orb of luminosity in front of her open before firing it out to strike the Alolan Sludge Pokémon in a fierce blast of white smoke.
"Muuuhhhhhh…!" he groaned out in agony.
"Tsk…" Plumeria scoffed in frustration.
"With Acid Armor raising Muk'zzz defense, using special attackzzz is the best bet, zzt!" Rotom pointed out.
"Yeah…" Acerola agreed as she nodded. Nevertheless though, she was worried about how Erika was doing emotionally.
"Primarina, Sparkling Aria! Oricorio, Air Cutter!" the Ketchum girl commanded, pumping both of her fists forward. The Soloist Pokémon let her flowing hair come undone before making her voice echo to create a sphere of water upon the tip of her nose as she stood up on her tail fins. Meanwhile, the Dancing Pokémon made the feathers at the tips of her wings glow a bright blue. She flapped them forward a couple of times, unleashing x-shaped blades of air. Meanwhile, the glowing water sphere over Primarina's nose splashed apart into streaks that veered towards Salazzle and Muk, joining the x-shaped blades. While the latter was unable to dodge as he was continuously struck by the attacks, the Toxic Lizard Pokémon weaved around them quickly, slithering about.
Erika couldn't tell how effective the combined attack was, as smoke veiled her and her teammates' foes. When it cleared, it revealed the steam wafting off of the Alolan Sludge Pokémon as he was wincing in pain. However, Salazzle was nowhere in sight.
'Where'd she go?!' the Ketchum girl wondered in a panic, glancing around quickly for a sign of the Toxic Lizard Pokémon.
"Heh," Plumeria chuckled, "Venoshock," she instructed simply. All of a sudden, Salazzle slithered in right behind Oricorio, who gasped in surprise. She whipped around too late as the Toxic Lizard Pokémon sprayed a stream of purple, poisonous liquid squarely onto her face, knocking her back.
"Oricorio!" Erika screamed. Fortunately, the Dancing Pokémon remained on her feet, taking on a determined visage in spite of the excruciating pain she was in. Her trainer knew there wasn't much time. "Revelation Dance!" she commanded, sticking her right hand out.
Making the feathers at the tips of her wings glow a bright pink, Oricorio brought them together to form an orb of psychic energy. Narrowing her eyes, her opponent took a ready stance. She launched the orb, heading on a collision course with Salazzle's head. But she dashed away instantaneously, evading the orb as it struck the ground in a burst of dirt and dust.
"Ah!" the Ketchum girl gasped out. Afterwards, the purplish glow appeared upon the Dancing Pokémon once more with bubbles and sparks. She then fell over onto her stomach, having swirls in her eyes as she was no longer able to battle.
"Huh," Plumeria huffed out, putting her right hand onto her hip, "And here I thought we'd have finished you off with that Venoshock…" she admitted as she smirked. Trembling, Erika clenched her teeth as she aimed her Poké Ball towards her fainted Oricorio. She returned her to it in a beam of red light.
"Sorry…" she apologized, putting the spherical container back onto her belt after shrinking it with the press of its button, "Primarina…" she said, getting the Soloist Pokémon's attention as she saw her trainer clench her fists tightly, "let's win this!" she insisted determinedly.
"Mah!" her teammate responded with a nod.
"Muk, Gunk Shot!" the Team Skull admin ordered. Rearing his head back, the Alolan Sludge Pokémon fired off a glowing gold glob of slime that was heading for his lone foe.
"Dodge with Aqua Jet and then use Moonblast!" Erika quickly instructed. Enveloping herself within a torrent of water, Primarina rocketed upwards to evade the incoming sludge as it splattered apart against the ground. The water around her then splashed apart, allowing her to cloak herself in a whitish energy that she was gathering from the moon's light above. An orb of pink energy formed in front of her open mouth before she fired it out, striking Muk in a powerful blast of grey smoke. When it cleared moments later, Plumeria blinked in surprise to see the Alolan Sludge Pokémon lying down in a daze as swirls were in his eyes.
"Nice one!" Acerola called out in a complimentary tone upon noticing.
"That'zzz one down!" Rotom remarked excitedly.
"Erika…" Lillie uttered out, while Hau watched on with shaking eyes.
"Hmph…" the Team Skull admin huffed, returning Muk to his Ultra Ball in a beam of red light, "At least now, we finally get ourselves a proper rematch…" she pointed out. The Ketchum girl blinked in surprise. It was true. The face-off between Primarina and Salazzle was similar to when they battled in their pre-evolved forms on the Akala Outskirts.
But to Erika, this was much different. She would've had a more confident look on her face and less nervousness. But she couldn't help it. The Toxic Lizard Pokémon was moving so quickly earlier, so of course she would be nervous.
"Let's get this started, Erika!" Plumeria insisted, throwing her right hand out, "Salazzle, Toxic!" she commanded. The Toxic Lizard Pokémon was quick to rear her head back, firing off a glob of poison towards her target.
"Dodge with Aqua Jet!" the Ketchum girl called out. A torrent of water erupted around Primarina before she launched herself forward, evading the incoming glob as she sped towards Salazzle.
"Flamethrower!" the Team Skull admin ordered. The Toxic Lizard Pokémon had flames billow within her mouth before firing off a stream of them that struck her incoming foe squarely, resulting in a burst of steam that veiled the area.
"Primarina, you okay?!" Erika called out into the cloud.
"Mah!" the Soloist Pokémon immediately responded to reassure her. Inside the white veil, she looked around carefully with narrowed eyes. Obviously, her foe was much more agile than she was previously.
"Nasty Plot!" Plumeria's voice echoed, catching her attention as she blinked in surprise. She then noticed a glint within the steam, followed by a reddish aura flowing up a familiar silhouette.
"Pree, preemah!" she barked out to her trainer, getting her attention.
"Yeah, we gotta get rid of that steam…" she realized, "Icy Wind!" she shouted. Inhaling deeply, Primarina exhaled a freezing blast of air, making the steam dissipate around her. However, she found no sign of her opponent, much like how she vanished the last time the field had been veiled.
"Toxic!" the Team Skull leader called out.
"Primarina, look out!" Erika screamed in a panic. But it was too late. The very second the Soloist Pokémon whipped around to spot her opponent, a glob of purple poison struck her in the face, causing her to falter back. A purple glow appeared along her body with sparks and bubbles, indicating that she had been poisoned. "No…" her trainer uttered out in disbelief. With that, Plumeria smirked as she snapped her fingers.
"Finish it with Venoshock," she ordered simply. Rearing her head back, Salazzle unleashed a stream of purple, poisonous liquid from her mouth, striking Primarina head on.
"MAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" she shrieked in agony as she fell over onto her back, wincing all the while. She tried to lift her head back up, but the pain was just too much to bear as she fell back down with swirls in her eyes.
"Primarina…" Erika said, dropping onto her knees. This felt almost as bad as when she lost to Guzma. And Plumeria was someone she bested before! She clenched her eyes shut as tears welled up in them.
"Hm," the Team Skull admin huffed, "Well, if that's all you have to offer…" she began, turning around and starting to walk off alongside Salazzle, "I'll be going," she stated. The Ketchum girl desperately wanted to yell out to her, but she couldn't will herself to do so. The laughter from when she lost to Guzma echoed in her head again. And this time…
"HEY!" a familiar voice shouted out, causing everyone to perk up. Plumeria and Salazzle stopped, looking over to see that Calvin had arrived, standing alongside Mimi as they glared them down. "What are you doing to my friends?!" the Ketchum boy inquired angrily with a fierce look on his face.
X
"Cal…" Hau uttered in surprise upon noticing his male cousin's arrival. Everyone was just as shocked. And then Acerola noticed the shiny Mimikyu beside him.
"Mimikins?!" she exclaimed in surprise.
"You know that Pokémon, zzt?" Rotom inquired, getting her attention.
"Yeah!" she replied, "She's a Mimikyu that hung around the old supermarket after I started hosting trials there!" she explained quickly, "Calvin must've caught her…!" she concluded, blinking in surprise. Meanwhile, the Pokédex pulled up an image of the Disguise Pokémon upon its screen.
"Mimikyu, the Disguise Pokémon," it began, "Although she's a quiet, lonely Pokémon, if you try to look at what's under her rag, she will become agitated and resist violently. Mimikyu's actual appearance is unknown. A scholar who saw what was under one's rag was overwhelmed by terror and died from the shock," it explained thoroughly.
"…Huh?" Erika uttered as she shuddered a little out of fright. Meanwhile, Plumeria narrowed her eyes.
'I'm sure I bought those dummies enough time with this…" she noted to herself, 'but I think we oughta' be safe,' she inwardly decided.
"Salazzle, be ready," she insisted of the Toxic Lizard Pokémon beside her.
"Salaaahhhh…" she hissed, licking her lips.
"Erika, are you okay?" Calvin asked of his twin sister as he jogged up to her.
"Um… I…" she tried to say, forcing back a frustrated sob. Her brother looked on at her sympathetically. He knew just how defeated and beaten down she was feeling.
"So, are we going for round three?" Plumeria inquired, getting his attention, "I already beat Hala's grandkid before your sister there," she mentioned, much to the Ketchum boy's surprise as he looked over to see the frustrated grimace on Hau's face. It made him let out an uncommon snarl like back at the Malie Garden.
"What are you even doing here?!" he inquired angrily. The Team Skull admin blinked.
"Come on, do you really want that answer?" she questioned back, "Or do you wanna fight me?" she guessed with a smirk. Calvin glared at her.
"Meemee!" Mimi suddenly exclaimed, waddling out in front of her trainer.
"Mimi?" he uttered in surprise, "Do you wanna battle?" he asked of her.
"Keeoo!" the shiny Mimikyu replied with a firm nod, turning to face Salazzle.
"Heh," Plumeria chuckled, "You might've been better off with the Marowak you used the last time…" she pointed out, "Flamethrower!" she commanded. Flames billowed in Salazzle's mouth before she unleashed a spray of them onto the Disguise Pokémon.
"Mimi!" Calvin exclaimed in fright, while everyone else gasped. As the fire subsided, the ragged costume of the shiny Mimikyu was marked with burns. And with a crack, the head of her costume drooped down to the right. "Ah!" her trainer yelped in surprise, while the Team Skull admin arched an eyebrow in confusion.
"Kee?" the Disguise Pokémon squeaked, looking up at the busted head of her costume as her eyes started welling up with tears.
"Oh dear…" Acerola uttered out worriedly.
"What izzz it, zzt?" Rotom buzzed in question.
"Let's just say that I feel bad for Salazzle…" the trial captain replied vaguely, "You do not want to be on the wrong end of busting a Mimikyu's costume…" she warned.
"Keeeoooooohhhh…" Mimi suddenly growled out, causing her trainer to flinch in surprise upon hearing her.
"M-Mimi?" he stuttered.
"Meee…" she hissed to him, making him perk up. He then saw her turn towards Salazzle with a glint of rage in her eyes. "Okay then…" he uttered in understanding, "Shadow Sneak!" he commanded. Rather instantaneously, the shiny Mimikyu's shadow shot out and expanded past her opponent.
"Salaahhh?!" she yelped in shock, with her trainer widening her eyes. They saw the shadow shoot up, drawing a pair of claw-shaped appendages before striking the Toxic Lizard Pokémon over and over, knocking her onto the ground.
"Salazzle!" Plumeria exclaimed.
'Crap, that's not good…!' she realized inwardly, clenching her teeth together. Mimi retracted her shadow.
"Now Shadow Claw!" Calvin ordered. Drawing a claw-like appendage from beneath her cloak, the Disguise Pokémon cloaked it in a dark aura with a purple outline. She then dashed out towards her foe.
"Toxic!" the Team Skull admin called out. Salazzle spat out a glob of purple poison, but Mimi easily evaded as she closed in and slashed at her chest again and again.
"Whoa…" Erika uttered in amazement. She didn't even know that her brother had caught a new Pokémon during the time she was away for her trial. And watching him now… it was like he was the spitting image of their father.
"One more time!" he yelled. Mimi drew a second appendage from underneath her rag, using it to blow back Salazzle mightily as she stumbled along the ground towards her trainer.
"Sah… salllaaa…" she exhaled weakly and heavily.
"Tsk," Plumeria scoffed, "Flamethrower!" she commanded. The Toxic Lizard Pokémon had orange flames billow from within her closed mouth as she reared her head back. She then unleashed a powerful spray of fire like before, heading towards the shiny Mimikyu.
"Dodge and use Mimic!" Calvin quickly instructed. Mimi leapt over the flames as a glint appeared in her eyes. She then made a fireball form in front of herself, unleashing a blast of fire that engulfed Salazzle before she was caught up in an explosion. When the smoke cleared moments later, it revealed her lying upon the ground, covered in burns and bruises as her eyes were in swirls.
"Phooey…" Plumeria uttered out in disappointment, realizing that she just lost.
"Way to go, Mimi!" Calvin complimented as he ran over to the shiny Mimikyu, who was trying to reset the head of her costume with her appendages after landing down. Erika stood up and looked on at her brother with shaking eyes. Once again, he saved her. And it wasn't like she didn't appreciate his help… But she was ashamed that she couldn't do more.
"Arrr…?" Primarina moaned out as she awoke, getting her attention as she saw the Soloist Pokémon sit up.
"Primarina!" she exclaimed, quickly running over to her, "Are you okay?!" she asked immediately in concern, crouching down beside her.
"Mahhh…" she moaned sadly in response, quite depressed over her recent string of losses. Sharing her sentiments, her trainer embraced her warmly to comfort her.
"Now then…" Acerola began as she stepped forward, putting her hands onto her hips just as Plumeria had returned Salazzle to her Ultra Ball in a beam of red light, "I think it's time you tell us what you're doing here…" she insisted with narrowed eyes. The Team Skull admin didn't seem to be willing to respond as she folded her arms over her chest. At that moment though…
"Big Sis!" a voice called out, catching their attentions. They looked over to see a trio of Team Skull grunts consisting of two men and a woman, with the former pair carrying a brown sack that had something wriggling inside of it. "We got the kid's Pokémon!" the female grunt yelled to her superior.
"What?!" Acerola exclaimed in surprise.
"Heh," Plumeria chuckled, "Sorry to cut and run…" she apologized in advance, "but we did our job," she noted, stuffing her hands into her pockets, "If you want a rematch, come to Po Town," she told the group. More specifically, she was telling Calvin and Erika. "And only you two," she added firmly before turning around and heading down the hill towards the beach, "Come on, dummies," she beckoned to the grunts.
"Y-Yes, big sis!" they all stammered in response, following her. Everyone else just watched on, quite flabbergasted by the scene that had happened before them. At that moment though, Acerola gasped in realization.
"Hannah! Hunter!" she cried out, quickly hurrying up the steps to the Aether House. Gasping in realization as well, everyone else followed her inside. Clearly, Team Skull was becoming a lot more troublesome nowadays…
X
The next morning, the large plane touched down at the Jubilife Airport runway, slowing to a crawl before docking at one of the gates. Exiting the boarding ramp, a long yawn left Leslie's lips. A four-hour flight wasn't exactly her cup of tea…
"Dad, you couldn't have tried for a later flight…?" she inquired tiredly while stretching her arms up. Ash exited the boarding ramp as well with Pikachu perched upon his left shoulder.
"Sorry, sweetie…" he apologized, "I figured with Goh being so excited, we'd wanna get here as soon as we could…" he pointed out, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head, "Did you at least get some sleep on the flight?" he asked of her.
"Yeah…" she replied, rubbing her shut eyes, "So Mister Ryder never told you what he found?" she inquired as they walked together through the terminal.
"Nope," her father replied, "And that's just like Goh to want me to come along for things like this," he mentioned to her, "You were still pretty little when we first met in Vermillion," he told her, "He was a dropout student who now works as a research fellow for Professor Cerise," he explained.
"Well, what does he do?" Leslie asked curiously. Ash chuckled.
"His goal is to try and document every Pokémon he can find into his Pokédex," he replied, "That includes any Legendary Pokémon," he mentioned with a grin, causing his daughter to widen her eyes.
"Th-That's almost impossible!" she stuttered out in admittance.
"Yep," her father agreed, "But you almost wound up doing it," he noted, winking to her. She blushed in embarrassment, turning away as she chuckled.
"I just got lucky that one time was all…" she pointed out.
"Peekah, pika!" Pikachu squeaked, making her giggle.
"Anyway, how are we supposed to get to the lab?" she inquired curiously to her father as they exited through the sliding doors. He was about to answer when…
"Hey!" a voice called out from afar, getting their attentions. Standing next to a white sedan and waving to them was a woman with a fair complexion, blue eyes, and long navy blue hair. Her outfit was a mini dress consisting of a black V-neck tank top with a white shirt under it, a very short pink miniskirt, and a red scarf. On her head, she wore a white beanie with a pink Poké Ball print on it. She also wore gold hair clips that held up her hair in front. She donned a bracelet on her right wrist and a Xtransceiver on her left. On her feet, she wore a pair of knee-length pink boots and black mid-knee socks above them. Her boots had a pink and white strap on the edge. The rims of her boots were white, while the soles of her boots were greyish-white. Beside her was a Piplup who was waving his flippers excitedly.
"Pikah!" Pikachu cried out, leaping off of his trainer's shoulder and running over to greet the Penguin Pokémon. They shared a happy hug, laughing all the while.
"It's been a while, hasn't it?" the woman inquired upon seeing her old traveling companion approach.
"Yeah," he replied with a nod, "Great to see you, Dawn," he said, raising his left hand up to her.
"You too, Ash!" she responded, striking his hand with her right for a high-five. What followed was her giving him a big hug that he returned. Leslie watched on and smiled. A few moments later, the top coordinator was driving the car with them down the road through the grassy fields of Route 202.
"So how've things been for you?" the Pokémon Master asked of his old travelling companion, sitting in the passenger's seat.
"Great!" she replied, "After getting the chance to train with Wallace and Fantina, I wound up winning the last two Grand Festivals!" she pointed out.
"Wow, that's amazing Miss Berlitz!" Leslie exclaimed as she blinked in surprise.
"Did Zoey give you a run for your money?" Ash wondered curiously.
"Actually, Kenny did," Dawn corrected in response while making a turn, "I had to beat him in the finals last year and the semifinals the year before that," she recalled, "Zoey actually was competing out in Hoenn against May, I think…" she mentioned in remembrance.
"Oh, that's right!" the raven-haired man exclaimed upon realizing, "Man, I can't believe I missed something like that…" he noted as he slumped in his seat a little. His daughter giggled, petting Pikachu as he was sitting in her lap.
"I still can't believe how big Leslie's gotten…" the top coordinator whispered in admittance, catching Ash's attention as he blinked out of confusion.
"What do you mean?" he inquired, "She's twenty-four now…" he noted, "Why wouldn't she be bigger than when you last saw her?" he wondered while raising an eyebrow. Dawn blushed.
"Um… well…" she tried to say, glancing back at the white-haired woman. More specifically, she was looking at her buxom chest. "…Never mind…" she dismissed in embarrassment while turning back to watch the road ahead, making Ash tilt his head to the side.
"So how come you picked us up, Miss Berlitz?" Leslie asked curiously, changing the subject to the driver's relief.
"Well aside from wanting to see your father again…" she began to reply, "Professor Rowan wanted me to come by and take a look at the new discovery Goh found," she told her, "I'll tell you, that guy doesn't know how to sit still when it comes to anything Pokémon-related…" she mentioned with a sheepish grin.
"Yeah, that sounds like Goh…" Ash agreed as he rubbed the back of his head. A few minutes later, the sedan drove into Sandgem Town. Dawn drove it down the dirt path before parking it alongside the stone wall. She and her passengers exited the vehicle, looking over to see the large lab in the distance.
Inside, Goh was patiently eating a cinnamon roll while seated on a couch in front of a table. Lying upon it was a journal with a red hardcover that seemed to have Japanese-like writing upon it. There was also a map of Sinnoh on the cover.
"Sinn! Sin der!" a voice called out, catching his attention. He turned to see a bipedal, rabbit-like Pokémon run over to him. Most of his torso and head, as well as his arms and tail, were white. He had long white ears, the insides of which were yellow. His eyes, which had red-orange pupils and white irises, had a deep navy pattern below them and yellow eyebrows above them. These eyebrows connected at the nose, which was red-orange, and formed a 'crown', which connected to the red-orange tuft of hair sticking out from his forehead, similar to a flame. He had two whisker-like tufts of white fur on each side of his face. Over each shoulder was a navy patch of fur, resembling a shoulder brace, which continued down the torso and connected at middle of the chest, creating what resembled a sports tank top. This navy-colored fur was also seen on its lower torso, creating what resembled a belt. The fur on his lower body was colored red-orange and resembled a pair of pants, with yellow pockets and ending in yellow tufts at the knees, with little tufts of fur on the backside of his thighs. His ankles and feet were colored navy-blue and tipped red-orange at the toes. On the underside of each foot, there were three yellow dots of fur.
"What's up, Cinderace?" his trainer asked as he blinked, standing up from his seat and turning to face him. He then gasped upon seeing Ash there alongside Dawn and Leslie.
"Hey Goh!" the Pokémon Master greeted with a wave upon seeing his old friend, who beamed excitedly.
"Ash!" he exclaimed, dashing over in an instant to grasp his hand with his own, "I can't believe you made it!" he noted emphatically, "I'm sorry I called you last minute…" he apologized, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.
"It's water under the bridge, Goh…" the raven-haired man reassured.
"Anyways, this must be your wife!" the research fellow concluded as he went over to take Leslie's hands into his own, "It's nice to officially meet you!" he greeted. The white-haired woman blinked twice.
"Um… actually…" she awkwardly tried to say.
"That's my daughter, Goh…" Ash chimed in out of exasperation.
"Huh?" his old friend uttered as his eyes blanked out in shock. Moments later, Pikachu, Piplup and Cinderace were playing around the open area of the lab with a hacky sack, hitting it back and forth between each other. Meanwhile, the others were gathered in another space of the lab alongside Professor Rowan and his assistants.
"It's very nice to see you again, Ash," the head of the lab greeted, "I know we wouldn't call you in if it wasn't for something we didn't think was fascinating," he pointed out.
"I really appreciate the invitation!" the Pokémon Master replied with a smile, "So… what'd you wanna show us?" he inquired curiously.
"This!" Goh replied, putting down the journal onto the table.
"A journal?" Leslie uttered in confusion, raising an eyebrow.
"Go ahead and take a look," Rowan insisted. The white-haired woman did as told, grabbing the hardcover and opening it. The first page she found depicted a detailed drawing of a Shellos, along with plenty of writing and notes alongside it.
"It's… a written Pokédex?!" she guessed, blinking rapidly in shock.
"It sure seems like it, huh?" Goh noted, putting his hands onto his hips, "I haven't gone into much of Sinnoh's history, but this book seems like it's from the feudal era," he pointed out.
"Feudal?" Ash repeated in confusion.
"Meaning when Sinnoh was first being populated by people," Rowan said, chiming into the conversation, "There are a few more of these books that discuss much more than just the Pokémon though…" he mentioned, setting his briefcase down onto the table. He unlocked and opened it up, revealing three more books of green, red, and blue hardcovers. "We've been working to translate these, but it's not as easy to do with text that hasn't been used for centuries…" he told the group.
"Where did you find these books anyway?" Dawn asked as she picked up the green hardcover.
"At the Canalave Library!" Goh answered, "The people there weren't sure what to make of these either, so they let me have 'em!" he mentioned to the group.
"While we work on translating these, we'd like for you to take a look at one yourselves," Rowan advised of Ash and Leslie, "I think you'd be surprised by how much detail seems to be in just one of these books," he added with a chuckle.
"Hmmm…" the Unova Champion Master hummed curiously, turning a few pages until she noticed a peculiar drawing. There was a Rowlet, a Cyndaquil, and an Oshawott. She arched an eyebrow in confusion, wondering what that could mean… What was Sinnoh's history?
X
"Are you sure about this, cuz?" Hau asked, seeing Calvin put his backpack on before adjusting his cap.
"They said we had to go there alone," he pointed out in response, "Besides, I'd rather someone stay with Lillie and the kids just in case…" he mentioned out of concern.
"Yeah, but—"
"Don't worry, Hau," Erika chimed in, interrupting him, "We'll get those numbskulls back for what they did…" she promised firmly.
"That'zzz right!" Rotom buzzed in agreement. The ponytailed boy watched as his twin cousins exited the Aether House moments, jogging down the steps before the doors automatically closed. He gave off a worried look, knowing what they were going to do after what happened yesterday…
FLASHBACK
"My Yungoos…" Hannah sobbed out, wiping her teary eyes.
"Those goons…" Acerola growled in frustration, "They actually thought of something clever…" she muttered angrily. Everyone was surprised by her change in attitude, having never seen her this upset. After their encounter with Plumeria, the group learned that Team Skull had broken into the Aether House and stole the little girl's Pokémon.
"So they said they would be in Po Town?" Lillie inquired after a moment.
"And that lady said only Cal and Eri could come alone…" Hau in remembrance. The Ketchum twins shared troubled looks. However, Calvin took notice of just how sad Hannah was over her stolen Yungoos. It reminded him of the terrible things Team Skull had already done.
"I don't think anyone should be going to that place alone…" Lillie insisted, "Even if everyone here's a strong trainer, there's no telling how many people in Team Skull are there!" she pointed out.
"I'll go," Calvin suddenly decided, causing the others to gasp in surprise as they turned to him.
"Hey, Cal…" Hau uttered out.
"It's fine," the Ketchum boy assured firmly, "Those guys need to pay for what they did," he insisted.
"Yeah…" his twin sister agreed, walking up next to him, "We'll both go," she declared.
"But Erika—!"
"We'll be okay, Lillie," the Ketchum girl promised, interjecting the blonde-haired assistant. It seemed like the twins had their minds made up. They wanted to get Team Skull back for what they did.
END FLASHBACK
"So… how're we gonna get to Po Town from here?" Erika inquired while heading down the hill towards the beach with her brother.
"We can ferry over on Lapras," he replied, taking out his Ride Pager as their feet touched the sand, "After that—"
"A Lapras won't be able to traverse these rocky waters," a male voice interjected to his surprise, "That's too much of a gamble for anyone…" he mentioned. The twins turned to see a tall, slender man standing at the shoreline, having black pointy hair with white sides and light blue eyes. He donned a white kimono with a black scarf, wearing a tired expression on his face. "I may be able to offer a gamble to you two though…" he told Calvin and Erika, who both blinked in surprise. Who was this man?
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
Man, I'm enjoying writing this story all the more! We're going to be getting into a lot of hypothetical lore in the next few chapters, along with some progress for our twin heroes! So here's a summary to hold you over until then!
SUMMARY
Calvin and Erika begin a dangerous journey together towards the dreaded Po Town, encountering many familiar faces along the way. But as they close in on their goal, a certain someone stops them?!
Meanwhile, Ash and Leslie are finally getting the chance to look more into the history of the Sinnoh Region! Leslie winds up discovering that there's more to the journals than just notes about Pokémon in there! What does she find out?!
END SUMMARY
We'll be ending July off with another chapter of "RWBY: Omni Force", so stay tuned for that! See you all next time!