Pokémon Sun & Moon: The Challenge of a Lifetime!

by NegaiFreak

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

47. Round Two With Ya Boy!

Alola again, everyone! Back-to-back chapters for the first time in a while, huh? I'm glad since I'm in a good Pokémon mood lately!

Anyways, this chapter is going be filled with a lot of fun stuff! We'll get to see Calvin heading into Po Town, more of Sinnoh's history learned by Leslie, and a couple more surprises! Hope you're all ready, because it's time to get started!

POKÉMON SUN & MOON

THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME

The rain seemed to start pouring even harder once Calvin entered Po Town through the front gates. He shielded himself with his backpack, though it was barely helping. But he didn't care. Thanks to Nanu, he was inside.

FLASHBACK

"How come you have a key to this place?" the capped boy wondered as he followed the sheriff towards the tall walls blocking off the town.

"Like I said, I'm a sheriff, kid…" he replied, "Got a couple privileges with living around a dump like this…" he muttered in addition.

"But how come you've never stopped Team Skull from doing all they've done around Ula'ula? Or the rest of Alola?" Calvin questioned on. Nanu sighed in frustration.

"They don't bother me, I don't bother them," he grumbled as a response, much to the surprise of the Ketchum boy before he glared at the grey-haired man, "Huh…" he sighed again, "But yeah, I get where you and your sister are coming from," he assured, "That's why I'm giving you an exception," he said. He then went ahead and pulled out a key, sticking it into a padlock upon chains over the entrance. With a twist, he unlocked the padlock, letting it fall onto the wet ground. "Like I said, if something happens, I'll make sure your remains make it out okay," he promised to the capped boy. He merely sighed, adjusting his cap.

"Can you please make sure my sister stays at your place until I get back?" he requested. The sheriff let out a groan.

"Yeah, fine…" he grumbled in response, opening the door, "Go on in, kid," he said, "And good luck," he added. With a nod, Calvin carefully made his way inside…

END FLASHBACK

Looking around the immediate area, the Ketchum boy saw that the entirety of the town was littered with graffiti and paraphernalia related to Team Skull. Houses had windows that were boarded up, including the Pokémon Center. To top it off, Calvin could see the barricades put up along the pathway leading to a large mansion at the end of the area. He quickly moved over under a tree to shield himself from the pouring rain, taking a deep breath to relax himself.

'Okay, so I'm finally in…' he noted inwardly, peeking out to see just a few grunts wandering about the town. Some of them he recognized from the Aether Tournament and from his travels around Alola. 'They're probably keeping Hannah's Yungoos up in that mansion back there…' he concluded, narrowing his eyes onto the edifice, 'I don't know if I should sneak around or not though…' he admitted to himself, putting his hand onto his chin.

"Hey, you see the boss lately?" one of the grunts asked, causing him to perk up as he quickly hid himself behind some bushes.

"Yeah, he doesn't look all that happy…" F replied.

"Who would be after what happened in Malie?" E questioned aloud, having her arms folded behind her head, "Boss shows up and humiliates that girl brat and then gets beat by her brother…" she muttered in remembrance. Calvin forced back a growl. He knew they were talking about Erika.

"Well… I'm just worried about this plan he's involving us in!" F admitted, "I mean, using a stolen Pokémon as ransom?" he inquired, "That seems… off for the boss…" he pointed out, sounding concerned.

"I don't like it either," the dark-haired and skinny grunt with them agreed with a shake of his head, "But we gotta make no bones about it," he stated firmly, "Otherwise, he's gonna destroy us…" he pointed out, causing his comrades to shudder in fright.

"A-Anyways, T…" E stuttered, trying to change the subject, "Big Sis is in place to get that target the boss was talking about, right?" she inquired. Calvin blinked in surprise, recognizing that they were referring to Plumeria.

"Yeah," T replied with a nod, "We already got the twin brats out to come save the Pokémon," he noted, "so now we only gotta get that ditz of a trial captain out of there, too," he mentioned. Hearing that caused the Ketchum boy to stand up sharply and jog out into the open.

"You guys were trying to lure us here?!" he exclaimed, causing the trio of grunts to perk up in surprise, "Why?!" he asked angrily.

"Ah, it's the boy brat!" F exclaimed, quickly pulling a Nest Ball off from his belt and enlarging it with a press of its button.

"But wait…" E said, glancing around, "where's the girl?" she wondered aloud.

"Who cares?" T chimed in as he readied his own Nest Ball, "If he's here for the Pokémon, then let's keep him occupied!" he insisted of his colleagues.

"Right!" they responded simultaneously. The three grunts tossed their respective Poké Balls up into the air, letting them pop open. The lights that spilled out from them formed upon the wet ground, dissipating to reveal a Trubbish, a Spinarak, and a Fomantis. All three glared at Calvin, who balled his hands into fists. It was a trap meant to lure him and Erika away from the Aether House. But why?

As he reached down to his belt to grab one of his own Poké Ball, a bluish light shot out from his pants as he yelped in surprise. It formed upon the ground, dissipating to reveal Mimi as the head of her costume was slightly lowered. The three Pokémon in front of her all blinked in surprise.

"Uh… Mimi?" her trainer uttered, confused as to why she had popped out of her Poké Ball.

"Keeeuuuuu…" she suddenly hissed out, causing him and everyone else to flinch in surprise. A glint appeared in the shiny Disguise Pokémon's eyes before one of her appendages shot out from under her rag, being cloaked in a black aura with a purple outline. It struck her three targets, sending them all flying into their respective trainers, knocking them onto the ground in an instant.

"Ugh…" the three of them groaned in agony. Calvin blinked rapidly out of shock. Retracting her shadowy appendage, Mimi turned to him.

"Keuu?" she squeaked innocently. Her trainer let off a chuckle.

"Nice job, Mimi," he complimented, making her blush with gratitude. He then turned his attention onto the mansion, seeing more Team Skull members start to come out upon hearing the commotion. Balling his fists, he took a deep breath. "Let's go!" he called out to the shiny Disguise Pokémon.

"Mee!" she responded, following after her trainer as they leapt over the first barricade…

OPENING

Insert "Eden Through the Rough" by Takanori Nishikawa

Opens with both Calvin and Erika throwing on their respective caps as they run down a rainy road together. The Pokémon logo then appears, followed by 'The Challenge of a Lifetime' being written in a glowing, rainy blue underneath it.

We continue with Calvin observing his Z-Crystal collection as his Pokémon look on with him. They then take a look ahead down the road, seeing the likes of Team Skull, Gladion, Plumeria, and finally Guzma ahead of them. Calvin hurries forward alongside his Pokémon, all while leaving his twin sister behind.

She's standing out in the rain by herself, crying as she feels the shadows of her father and older sister cast over her, making her feel like she's inadequate. It isn't until Starbright hops into her arms and wipes away a tear that she starts to smile, seeing her Pokémon gather alongside her.

As the opening continues, we get various shots of Sina and Dexio at their lab on Route 16, the Ula'ula Meadow, the police station where Nanu and his plethora of Alolan Meowth live, and finally Po Town under its rainy sky as its littered with Team Skull members. We see Calvin enter the town, having a determined look upon his face.

The scene changes to Mimi using Shadow Claw to take down the grunts' Pokémon, fighting alongside Poliwag and Togedemaru. In the meantime, their trainer has Toucannon use Beak Blast on Plumeria's Alolan Muk before Gumshoos attacks her Salazzle with Take Down.

Back with Erika, she commands Primarina against Nanu's Honchkrow, who's easily weaving around her Sparkling Aria in order to land a Sky Attack. The island kahuna exhales with frustration, knowing that his opponent can do better.

We then see Guzma and Calvin meet again inside the Shady House, where the former's Golisopod duels against the latter's Incineroar in a clash of Poison Jabs and Darkest Lariats. The battle comes to a point where Golisopod uses Liquidation to try and counter Incineroar's Inferno Overdrive. A fierce blast results from the collision, engulfing the house in smoke.

When the second verse begins, we see a determined Lillie being led away by Team Skull. From afar, Hau lies upon his knees with his Decidueye and Alolan Raichu fainted beside him, crying as he failed to protect her. We go various cuts of Trent training with his Greninja on Mount Hokulani, Paige doing pushups alongside her Blaziken at the outskirts of Malie City, and Pyrrha overlooking the horizon from the Hau'oli City beachfront, standing alongside a Lapras and a Typhlosion.

The scene changes to Erika pumping her fist forward, commanding her Alolan Sandshrew as he uses Ice Ball to take down a Gible, followed by Palossand blasting a Krokorok away with Earth Power. They follow their trainer as she makes her way to the Ruins of Abundance, where Tapu Bulu lies in wait…

We then see Gladion command Null to attack Calvin, who counters by sending in Mimi. After they clash for a moment, Gladion and Calvin share a glance. What follows is the two of them along with Hau and Trent venturing throughout Aether Paradise, coming across several employees and having to battle them. All the while, we see Lillie clutch her duffel bag tightly as she comes face to face with Lusamine, who grins evilly.

Elsewhere in Sinnoh, we see Leslie curiously looking at the Pokédex journal before stopping at a cliff that faces towards Mt. Coronet in the distance. The page she's on in the journal has a meticulous drawing of the mountain ahead. The camera pans back to unveil a pair of ghostly figures that are standing alongside her.

The opening ends with Erika, Paige and Pyrrha arriving at Aether Paradise, joining the boys in the raid ahead…

END OPENING

Round Two With Ya Boy!

"Ash, it's such a delight to see you again!" Johanna Berlitz exclaimed upon opening the front door to see the Pokémon Master alongside Dawn and Leslie.

"It's good to see you too, Missus Berlitz!" he greeted back.

"Johanna, please," the former top coordinator insisted in response with a cute wave of her hand, "Come on in!" she insisted. Pikachu hopped off of his trainer's shoulder and sauntered inside, immediately being met by a Glameow.

"Mrowww…" she purred, nuzzling her head against the Mouse Pokémon's.

"Chaaa~!" he cooed with delight. Ash chuckled.

"You know, it's weird that for so long, I never knew your last name, Dawn," he noted over to the top coordinator as she and Leslie filtered into the house.

"And yet, you made sure I'd never forget yours…" she remarked back, putting her hands onto her hips. Her mother giggled at the banter.

"Dinner'll be ready soon," she pointed out to them, "Feel free to help with setting the table or turning on the TV," she recommended to them. Ash and Dawn followed her into the kitchen, while Leslie went to the living room. She sat down upon the couch as she took out the second journal, opening it up. Pikachu and Glameow hopped onto the seats beside her, snuggling up close as she lightly smiled. After going through a few more notes of Sinnoh's Pokémon, the Ketchum girl finally found the next excerpt of Hikari's tale.

'Two days have gone by since Lady Shirona informed me of the upcoming expedition to the mountain reaching the skies above,' she read, 'Since then, I've been eagerly preparing myself and my… Pokémon, as much as I loathe the term…' she continued, rolling her eyes and giggling at the author's stubbornness, 'Chieftain Akagi is going to select an expedition in a few days' time,' she kept going, 'I know I may not fall into his good graces with my previous actions, but I am certain that he will have no choice but to select me thanks to my efforts,' she finished. Leslie closed her eyes, imagining how the story would play out…

---

"Hup!" Hikari yelped as she flung a Poké Ball out at a Budew. It struck, causing the Bud Pokémon to suddenly morph into a red light that zipped into the wooden container, which closed up. It hit the ground and shook momentarily before stopping in a puff of steam.

"Quee!" Quilava exclaimed delighted as he and his master went over to collect the Poké Ball from the ground.

"I believe we've now found almost ninety of these Poké— I mean, magical creatures in these lands," the young woman noted with a correction as she pulled out her journal from her sash, "Still…" she continued while writing down her notes, "I imagine that even more exist in the north and the south…" she inferred, "And of course…" she kept going, staring towards the mountain that towered into the sky in the distance. The wind rushed through her hair as she smiled. She closed her journal and tucked it away into her sash. "We should return before Satoshi yells at us again," she advised of the Volcano Pokémon beside her.

"Quee!" he squeaked with a nod in agreement. A little while later, they returned to the village. Many people greeted Hikari with smiles and waves. She had become somewhat of a celebrity thanks in part to her newfound kinship with Shirona. And the Pokémon she had captured were working around the village. She looked on as a Kirlia psychically levitated a wooden pole into a hole in the ground, which had been dug up by a Gible. A Staraptor hoisted a set of stone bricks atop a wooden platform, flapping his wings to remain airborne as a Lucario and a Machamp were quick to take them off and set them in place upon a building under construction.

Thanks to Hikari, the village was looking to expand. And that would be most helpful with the times ahead. A cold front was starting to settle into the area, and she didn't know if the Fire-type Pokémon she already obtained would provide enough warmth to the people. She pondered the thought of trying to capture more of them, and maybe even newer ones.

"Hikari!" a familiar voice called out, getting her attention as she perked up immediately to see Satoshi and his Oshawott jogging towards her. She sighed in exasperation.

"I did not have to go far today, Satoshi…" she pointed out while putting her hands onto her hips, "So I was in no danger," she mentioned firmly as he approached.

"No, it is not that, Hikari!" he exclaimed, "Chieftain Akagi wishes to see you at once!" he told her, causing her to blink in surprise.

"The chieftain?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow, "Why?" she asked.

"He did not say…" Satoshi replied with a shake of his head, "But it did sound urgent," he added. The young woman let off a small grin.

"Thank you, Satoshi," she said in gratitude, hurrying off alongside her Quilava.

"Huh…" the young man sighed out, "I hope it is not too serious…" he said, unconsciously balling his hands into fists.

"Oshaa…" Oshawott agreed worriedly. Hikari arrived at Okido's manor soon afterwards, entering to find the chieftain himself with her mentor. Upon seeing him there, she quickly knelt down in a respectful manner.

"Chieftain Akagi…" she greeted as she placed her right fist against her open left palm, "I am most grateful to be of service to you today," she said. Quilava lied down respectfully as well. The chieftain took a deep breath, exhaling a sigh.

"You may rise, Hikari," he assured, allowing her to stand up, "Despite my… reluctance to your work as an explorer of our land," he started to say, "it's true that what you've done has helped the village prosper," he admitted. The young woman was a little surprised. After how negatively he reacted to her gift of Garchomp to Shirona, she would've assumed he had come to punish her.

"She's one of the best I know!" Okido chimed in, laughing afterwards.

"That is part of the reason I've come today," Akagi stated, putting his focus onto the young woman before him, "Hikari," he continued, "you were recently visited by Priestess Shirona, were you not?" he inquired.

"Y-Yes," she stuttered in response, "She had told me about an upcoming expedition to the mountain," she recalled.

"So she did," the chieftain noted, exhaling a sigh, "I do apologize, Hikari," he said as she blinked in confusion, "but I cannot let you partake in the exploration," he stated firmly. Slowly, the young woman's eyes widened.

"…What?" she uttered out, "This…This cannot be!" she exclaimed, shaking her head as she glanced left and right, trying to come to terms with the decision, "Lady Shirona said that I—!"

"What she says is not what I decide," Akagi interjected firmly, "I am not keeping you away from your fieldwork," he assured, "With the cold settling in, we need more of those Pokémon that bear flames for warmth," he told her, "You are the only person I believe we can depend on in this regard," he mentioned.

"But… could Satoshi not—?"

"You know him well, Hikari…" Okido interrupted to her surprise, "He doesn't have the stomach for such a task," he pointed out while crossing his arms over his chest.

"Then… who will be a part of the expedition?" the young woman asked after a moment.

"We'll have our most able-bodied men and Pokémon fit for such a trek," Akagi assured in response, "My son will also be joining them in—"

"Your son?" Hikari repeated, interjecting the chieftain as he blinked in surprise, "Shinji has done far less than I have for this village!" she proclaimed, starting to grow angry, "If you seek to take my role away because of my duty to our land, then the same should go for him as well!" she insisted firmly.

"Hikari…!" Okido whispered out nervously through clenched teeth. Akagi narrowed his eyes onto the young woman.

"While you have been merely capturing and studying your Pokémon," he began to tell her, "Shinji has done the same and more," he pointed out, "He's trained with his Pokémon to make them capable enough for battle against those that seem superior," he added on, "He will lead the expedition, and you will remain here to help the village brace the coming cold," he firmly declared. Ultimately, Hikari relented as she lowered her head.

"Yes, Chieftain Akagi…" she responded.

"Very well," he said, "You may continue with your work for today," he advised of her. She merely turned around and walked out of the room.

"Quee…" Quilava squeaked worriedly, quickly heading after her. Outside, Satoshi and Oshawott were approaching the household before seeing the young woman depart after sliding the door open. As she closed it shut, she took notice of them.

"What happened?" her friend asked upon approaching. She lowered her head in shame.

"The chieftain requested that I should not take part in the expedition…" she answered to his surprise, "Because of the cold, he wants me to capture any magical creature that can produce fire…" she explained.

"Well… that is important…" Satoshi noted, putting his hand on his chin, "But the priestess had said—"

"It does not matter to the chieftain, Satoshi…" Hikari muttered, interrupting him, "His son will be taking lead on the expedition instead," she told him.

"Shinji?" he inquired, "But… he is not nearly as capable as you are!" he emphatically pointed out.

"That is what I assumed," his friend replied, "However, the chieftain holds him in high regard likely due to his status as his son…" she grumbled in frustration, balling her hands into fists.

"That can't be right…" Satoshi mentioned, closing his eyes as he tried to think. Their Pokémon looked on at them in concern.

"The chieftain said the only thing separating me from Shinji was his capability in battle…" Hikari recalled, narrowing her eyes, "In that case, I know what I have to do," she affirmed.

"Wh-What would that be?" her friend stuttered in question.

"I have to battle Shinji myself and prove that I'm strong enough to be a part of the expedition!" she declared as a response.

"WHAT?!" Satoshi yelped out of shock, "Hikari, what if Shinji is stronger?!" he inquired out of concern.

"He won't be after Quilava and I defeat him together!" the young woman proclaimed, walking off alongside the Volcano Pokémon. Her friend watched as she left with the sole goal in mind to be a part of the expedition…

---

"Leslie! Dinner!" Ash called out, snapping his daughter out of her enthralled stupor with the journal.

"Coming!" she answered, quickly closing the book and setting it down onto the coffee table before heading back into the kitchen. Moments later, she was sitting at the dinner table with a full plate of meat, mashed potatoes, and asparagus. She clapped her hands together. "Thank you for the food!" she exclaimed, quickly grabbing her fork to scoop up some mashed potatoes before stuffing them into her mouth. She chewed contently as she moaned in delight from the taste. Johanna giggled.

"Your daughter's certainly not picky about what she eats!" she remarked over to Ash, who chuckled.

"At least not anymore…" he noted to his daughter's chagrin as she glanced over at him. She shrugged it off though, continuing to eat her meal.

"Huh…" Dawn exhaled contently, looking over to see Piplup eating Pokémon food from a bowl alongside Pikachu and Glameow, "It does kinda feel like old times being here," she admitted, getting the others' attentions, "When we traveled through Sinnoh and met the Pokémon of the lakes, and encountered Dialga and Palkia…" she recalled, "It was a lot bigger than I was expecting…" she pointed out with a roll of her eyes.

"Guess that's how it goes when you're traveling with me…" Ash remarked from the other side of the table.

"Hey, I never said I didn't like it…" Dawn replied as she smirked.

"Dawn, you shouldn't be flirting with a married man," her mother chimed in rather bluntly.

"M-MOM?!" she stammered out loudly, blushing a mad red, "I was just…! He just…! I…!" she tried to say, burning brightly in the face. She grimaced as she heard the Pokémon Master chuckle.

"You know, some guys on the Omni Force thought you and I would get together…" he pointed out cheekily.

"AAAHHH!" she screamed, putting her hands over her reddening ears after dropping her silverware, "I don't need to hear that, Ash!" she shouted.

"Peekah?" Pikachu squeaked curiously from afar with a tilt of his head. Johanna leaned over to Leslie.

"Dawn actually admitted to me that she had herself a little crush on your father…" she whispered, much to the Ketchum girl's surprise as she swallowed hard after her eyes bugged out, "Apparently, it was during the time he'd been going through a rough patch like she did…" she recalled.

"Oh, yeah…" Leslie responded, trying to recount stories Ash had told her as a kid before she became a trainer, "Dad, you almost won the league in Sinnoh, right?" she inquired, getting his attention.

"Yeah," he responded with a nod, "After I beat Paul, I thought to myself just how sure I was that I would win…" he confessed, glancing up in thought for a moment.

"Peeka, pika!" Pikachu chimed in, hopping onto his trainer's shoulder as he laughed.

"I was really glad to meet so many great trainers back then," he admitted, "It makes me glad that you met everyone too, Leslie," he mentioned to his daughter, who giggled a little.

"Huh…" Dawn exhaled in relief, noticing how the subject had changed, "So Leslie," she began, getting the white-haired woman's attention, "what's the second volume of Hikari's journal say?" she asked.

"Oh!" the Ketchum girl yelped, taking the journal out from her bag, "It turns out she got taken off the expedition team because they needed her to catch more Fire-type Pokémon for the village to endure a cold front," she explained, "I'm at the part where she's gonna try and battle the chieftain's son to get the chance to go on the expedition," she mentioned, opening up the hardcover to the page she had marked.

"This Hikari sounds a lot like your father in a way," Johanna pointed out.

"Mom, come on…" her daughter pleaded out of annoyance.

"So how close is the village to Coronet?" Ash wondered curiously after eating a piece of his met.

"Well… it's not Celestic Town…" Leslie answered as she remembered seeing a sketch of the village in the first journal, "The houses there were aligned with a straight pass in between them towards a gate…" she recalled, putting her hand onto her chin in thought, "Maybe it's actually Solaceon?" she guessed.

"That would make sense since the writing in the journals is so like Unown!" Dawn chimed in with a snap of her fingers.

"Sounds to me like you all have a road trip coming up…" her mother remarked, causing her to roll her eyes with a grin.

"Either way, I think we a big lead into the story here!" Ash mentioned assuredly, causing his daughter to nod as she smiled. She was learning so much about Sinnoh's history through these journals. Now it was time for some fieldwork of her own…

X

The black coffee filled up the pot as Nanu overlooked the machine producing the beverage. Once it was nearly full, he shut it off, taking the pot out. He poured two mugs, one of which had a picture of an Alolan Meowth upon it. He was inside the station, which was very messy. And with him was Erika, who was seated upon a couch as she looked despondently at the pair of Alolan Scratch Cat Pokémon at her feet.

"Meowww?" they both purred curiously. She just exhaled a sad sigh. The frustrating feeling of not only losing, but losing when she knew her Primarina had a clear advantage against their foe, wasn't going away. She was so lost in that thought, she didn't even hear the sheriff approach her.

"Coffee?" he offered, holding out the mug in his right hand to her. She blinked before turning to him with an incredulous look on her face.

"I'm ten," she pointed out, "I don't drink coffee…" she muttered before turning away.

"Right…" Nanu said with a roll of his eyes, "I'll get the cream and sugar," he promised before walking off back towards where the coffee pot was. The Ketchum girl clutched her arms tightly, with her fingers almost digging into her skin.

"Why'd you let my brother go in there alone?!" she asked the sheriff angrily.

"'Cause he wanted to, and I know he's strong enough," he answered quickly, "Besides, I'm aware he already beat Guzma," he mentioned.

"Y-Yeah, but…" Erika stuttered, struggling to find the words to say. Nanu poured cream and sugar into her plain mug, stirring it with a spoon. He took a deep breath.

"Look, I get you're all upset about not getting the chance to fight them yourself," he noted as he looked over to her, "But the way you are now, you wouldn't stand a chance," he told her.

"How?!" she exclaimed in question, "I've beaten six trials already and two kahunas!" she pointed out emphatically.

"Well, you couldn't beat a third," Nanu remarked.

"…Huh?" Erika uttered out, blinking rapidly. The sheriff smirked.

"Big surprise, huh?" he guessed. And that's when the Ketchum girl's eyes widened.

"YOU'RE THE KAHUNA?!" she exclaimed in disbelief.

"Hm," Nanu chuckled, "Can't wait to see your brother's reaction…" he added before seating himself down next to her, "But enough about that," he decided, "He's done the same things as you and more," he pointed out, "The Aether Tournament finale, Guzma, and most recently, Plumeria…" he listed off, causing Erika to blink in surprise.

"Wait, how did you know I lost to Plumeria?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You just told me," the kahuna answered with another smirk. She pouted, unamused as she turned away and puffed out her cheeks. "Huh…" the sheriff groaned again, "You're a strong kid for sure," he pointed out, "But from what I saw when we battled, you've still got a ways to go…" he mentioned.

"And Calvin's already ahead of me…" the Ketchum girl realized, curling up into a depressed ball.

"Well, that's true enough," Nanu noted bluntly, rubbing the back of his head before taking a sip of his coffee, "For one, he's got a fancier Z-Ring than yours…" he recalled. Erika blinked in surprise. A big difference between her and her brother was their Z-Rings. His had been enhanced after meeting Tapu Lele. Nothing like that had happened on her ventures around Alola… because she never needed to train like he did back then.

"Huh…" she sighed out, "If that's really the case…" she began, looking over at the Z-Ring on her left wrist, "then I've gotta meet one of the Tapu," she concluded.

"Heh," the kahuna chuckled, "Good luck with that…" he grumbled out, taking another sip of his coffee. A tick mark appeared on Erika's head.

"We both got our Z-Rings from Tapu Koko, you know…" she mentioned in annoyance.

"Yeah, sure…" Nanu muttered as a response, rolling his eyes. The Ketchum girl grinded her teeth angrily.

"Calm down, Erika…" Rotom advised, getting her attention as she saw her Pokédex float over, having been drying itself off with a towel, "I'm sure Calvin'zzz fine, zzt," it buzzed assuredly. Its user stared down despondently at the floor. She hoped her brother was okay, definitely. She just wished she was with him…

"Mimi, Play Rough! Togedemaru, Zing Zap!" he commanded as he stuck his right arm out.

"Mee!" the shiny Mimikyu responded as she closed in on a terrified Alolan Raticate. He panicked before suddenly getting smacked multiple times by his foe's wooden stick for a tail, becoming enveloped in a plume of grey smoke. Meanwhile, the Roly-Poly Pokémon had yellow electricity build up around his body. He spun around rapidly, slamming into a Murkrow and a Zubat to knock them both aside with ease.

"Aw, man!" one Team Skull grunt exclaimed in shock, blinking rapidly.

"We're getting totally owned out here!" another pointed out worriedly. It had been ten minutes since Calvin had entered Po Town, relying on his Pokémon to defeat the grunts on their course to the mansion. Now that he had made his presence aware, he wanted answers. Especially concerning why they wanted him, Erika, and Acerola away from the Aether House.

"Poliwag, Bubble Beam!" he ordered to his Tadpole Pokémon.

"Poleeee!" he exclaimed, unleashing a spray of blue bubbles that struck a trio of Salandit in a blast of white smoke. It dissipated quickly thanks to the rain, revealing them lying upon the ground in a daze with swirls in their eyes.

"Agh… he's too strong!" one female grunt pointed out while returning her Pokémon to their Nest Balls in beams of red light.

"It's no wonder he stood up to the boss…" another male grunt mentioned, "The guy's insanely tough!" he added in fright.

"Fall back!" T called out, "Let Guzma take this punk down!" he advised to his colleagues.

"Yeah!" they all responded in agreement. Calvin watched the grunts retreat into the other households, leaving him with a clear path to the mansion. His Pokémon gathered around him.

"Nice job, you guys," he complimented as he crouched down to their eye levels.

"Meemee!" Mimi squeaked delightedly, taking both of her shadowy appendages out from under her disguise, wrapping them around Togedemaru and Poliwag to pull them in close. The former of the two grimaced nervously from the affection, while the latter didn't seem to mind all that much. Their trainer chuckled, but then took on a serious look as he stared ahead at the mansion.

Moments later, he returned his teammates to their Poké Balls before reaching the front doors. Taking a deep breath, he pushed them open. The area was dimly lit, and there were a few grunts inside. However, they didn't even attempt to make a move on the capped trial-goer. Rather, they didn't need to.

"Well, whaddaya know?" a familiar voice chimed in, causing Calvin to perk up to see Guzma standing at the top of a staircase straight ahead of him, "So you finally decided to come to me, huh?" he guessed, slowly walking down the stairs. Behind him, there was a grunt holding onto a Yungoos as he wriggled in his captor's arms. The Ketchum boy balled his hands into fists tightly.

"Let the Yungoos go," he demanded. The mob boss stopped and cracked a wicked grin.

"And where's the fun in that?" he retorted in question, "Then again, I know that's all you're here for…" he pointed out. A growl escaped through Calvin's mouth as he clenched his teeth together. "And where's the other brat?" he wondered, glancing around the room.

"I'm all you're getting tonight, Guzma," Calvin answered, "My sister doesn't need to bother with you…" he mentioned firmly. The Team Skull boss blinked in surprise. But he grinned again soon afterwards.

"So she's a scared little Skitty, huh?" he guessed with a chuckle. There was an uproar of laughter that followed from his grunts. Sparks of electricity crackled off of Calvin's fists.

"Why did you want me and my sister to come here?" he asked.

"Huh?" Guzma uttered, raising an eyebrow, "I thought you were only here for Yungoos!" he remarked in remembrance.

"GUZMA!" the Ketchum boy bellowed angrily. Some of the grunts actually shook in fright from how loud he was.

"Heh," their boss chuckled, "Tell ya what…" he began, putting his left hand into his jacket pocket to grab something, "if by some stupid chance you beat me again…" he continued, pulling out a Z-Crystal, "then you get the Yungoos and this…" he promised. Calvin blinked in surprise. The Z-Crystal was one he had yet to see, being a yellowish-green with a black, insect-like symbol in its center.

"Why do you have one of those?" the Ketchum boy asked.

"I used to be a dumb old trial-goer like you…" Guzma replied, flipping the Z-Crystal in his hand, "I actually got this dumb thing here on the island…" he mentioned, "Bet Kukui told you how I wanted to be a trial captain, right?" he inferred to his future opponent, who blinked in surprise, "Got rejected 'cause I never beat a kahuna myself…" he grumbled, clutching the Z-Crystal tightly in his right hand, "Even with my Bug-types, I never stood a chance…" he snarled out, clenching his teeth together.

"The big bad Guzma's the best Bug-type trainer in all of Alola!" one grunt yelled out, "We took all the Buginium Z in Alola to make sure he's the only one who'd be strong enough!" he mentioned proudly.

"That sounds like cheating…" Calvin remarked, causing the grunts to gasp in shock. They looked over to their leader, who seemed a little irritated. But he cracked a grin.

"Guess you got a point…" he admitted, "After all, you didn't use a Z-Move back in Malie…" he recalled, continuing down the stairs until he reached the carpeted floor, "So here's how this is gonna go," he began, pointing at the capped trial-goer, "My team's gonna beat you down senseless this time, and you're gonna go home cryin'!" he declared fiercely.

"YEAH!" his cohorts roared in agreement. Exhaling a sigh, Calvin took a Poké Ball off from his belt, enlarging it with the press of its button.

"You know…" he started to say, "I still think about you jerks laughing at my sister back then…" he growled out ominously, "So I'm gonna echo your words… and destroy you!" he vowed with a fearsome glare. The grunts flinched in surprise. Even Guzma was shocked as he blinked. He then readied his own Ultra Ball.

"Then bring it, Calvin…" he insisted, rearing his arm back.

X

"Huh…" Dawn sighed out, sitting on the lawn chair in the backyard of the household.

"Sorry if I made you feel a little embarrassed…" Ash's voice chimed in, getting her attention as she glanced back to see him approach from the back doors.

"Oh no, it's fine," she reassured with a dismissive wave of her hand, "My mom's the one who started all that…" she pointed out as a blush dusted her cheeks. She watched the Pokémon Master lie down on the lawn chair beside hers, letting out a relaxed exhale as he stretched his arms.

"You know, being back in Sinnoh like this makes me think about all those times we had together," he admitted.

"O-Oh…" Dawn stuttered, scratching at her left cheek, "Um… like… what, for instance?" she wondered somewhat nervously.

"Getting to meet you, participating in contests together sometimes, and all those tag battles we had…" he listed off in remembrance, "Aside from the fact that you were one of the prettiest girls I knew back then, you were really strong, too," he mentioned. The top coordinator's blush grew.

"W-Well…" she stammered, unsure of how to take such a compliment, "I think you're pretty amazing, too…" she confessed, "But… why are telling me this now?" she inquired curiously. Ash shrugged.

"Maybe because I've been so dense up until I met people in other worlds, I never really took the chance to see you and other girls as… well… more than just friends," he explained in reply.

"Ash…" Dawn uttered out.

"Don't get me wrong though," he said as he sat up while staring at the stars above, "Mira's the one who told me to think about the what-ifs and all…" he mentioned. Hearing that made Dawn relax a little.

"You've met a lot of different people," she noted, "And different girls," she added with a grin, "So…" she continued, causing him to perk up and look over at her, "if it wasn't Mirajane, who do you think you'd be with?" she wondered curiously. The question did make Ash have to glance down in thought for a moment. He had to really consider his options, especially with the people he had met over the years.

"If that were the case…" he started to reply, "then it'd probably between you and Serena," he admitted. Dawn blushed, though not as heavily as before. She was a little surprised.

"What about Iris?" she asked curiously, arching an eyebrow.

"Oh gosh…" Ash muttered out, tipping his hat up by its brim, "I don't think I'd be able to make it a day without her calling me a little kid for something…" he admitted sheepishly, causing the top coordinator to giggle.

"And what about Misty and May?" she wondered aloud.

"Well… May's already with Drew…" the Pokémon Master recalled, "And Misty… uh…" he tried to say, letting out a sigh, "It'd be way too complicated…" he confessed, lying back down, "She and I bickered and complained all the time, even more than me and Iris…" he remembered, "I don't know if we could've made something like that work…" he admitted, exhaling another deep breath. Dawn now felt somewhat bad for asking the questions, seeing how uncomfortable her old traveling companion was starting to get.

"I'm sorry…" she quickly apologized, catching his attention as he looked over to her in surprise, "I shouldn't have thrust that kind of question onto you…" she said with a shake of her head.

"No, it's okay!" Ash reassured, "It's… just a bit to think about," he noted, sharing a small smile with her, "You wanna know why I think it'd be between you and Serena?" he implored of her. She blinked in surprise.

"O-Oh, sure…" she stuttered as a response, blushing a little.

"Well… I've kinda known Serena since I was a kid," the Pokémon Master recalled, "She's always been a big supporter of me, even through everything that happened in Kalos," he recounted, "And… she did love me…" he mentioned to Dawn's shock as her eyes widened slightly, "At least… I figured that out at the very end of our journey…" he corrected, sheepishly scratching at his right cheek, "She kissed me," he told the top coordinator.

"She kissed you?!" she repeated in disbelief, evidently stunned, "Wow… that's… bold of her…" she complimented, causing Ash to chuckle.

"Thing is…" he continued, letting off a soft smile as he stared at the ground, "She reminded me a lot of you," he confessed. Dawn's eyes shimmered at those words. "You were a big supporter for me back then, too," he mentioned as she reeled back slightly. Tears started to brim in the corners of her eyes. He noticed. "Ah, I-I'm sorry!" he stammered, waving his hands frantically, "I didn't mean to make you cry!" he exclaimed, bowing his head in apology.

"No, you're fine…" Dawn assured in reply, wiping away her tears, "I'm just… really shocked that you think of me that way…" she admitted. A soft grin came across Ash's face.

"Yeah, well…" he began, "I guess I owed it to you," he inferred, letting out another chuckle. The top coordinator smiled.

"Thank you, Ash," she said in gratitude, "Mirajane's lucky to have someone as sweet as you," she pointed out. They shared another laugh while from inside, Johanna smiled. It was nice to see her daughter rekindle her friendship with the Pokémon Master. Elsewhere in the household, Pikachu and Piplup had fallen asleep with Glameow on the couch as Leslie was continuing to read the journal.

'When the chieftain became aware of my intentions to battle Shinji, he was willing to strike a bargain with me,' she read, 'If I were to win, I would join the expedition as a fellow leader alongside his son,' she continued, narrowing her eyes curiously, 'Of course, that would also mean the duty of providing the village with enough magical creatures that produce warmth would fall onto Satoshi's shoulders,' she kept going, 'Nevertheless, I must take part in this expedition!' Hikari had proclaimed into the journal, 'I will not let this chance pass me by!' she decided firmly.

---

There was quite a crowd gathered at the village's front gate. Hikari stepped forward alongside her Quilava, who ignited the flames atop his head and near his posterior. Before her was a young man wearing a similar outfit to Satoshi's, only having mid-length purple hair that included one big strand hanging over the middle of his face and small dark eyes. Beside him was a Decidueye, whose eyes narrowed onto the Volcano Pokémon.

"Oshaaa…" Oshawott whimpered nervously from afar, clutching onto his partner's left leg.

"I am nervous as well…" he admitted, "Shinji started like Hikari and I with a Pokémon from another region," he noted.

"Yes, with the Rowlet I imparted onto him," Okido mentioned with crossed arms, standing beside the young man, "Truth be told, I had wanted to give him to another student of mine," he confessed, "But Akagi insisted that his son be given the opportunity to raise a Pokémon of his own…" he muttered in remembrance.

"Well, perhaps Shinji isn't as strong as the chieftain says!" Satoshi inferred, letting off a smile.

"We shall see…" Okido replied with narrowed eyes. The wind breezed by softly, making Hikari's hair wave about with it.

"Challenging a chieftain's son to a battle is unbecoming of a woman such as yourself," Shinji remarked to his opponent, who merely glared at him.

"This battle shall now commence!" his father suddenly proclaimed, catching their attentions as they saw him approach, "A victor shall be declared when either of your creatures are unable to continue," he told them, "You may begin!" he declared, raising his right arm.

"Engulf him with your flames, Quilava!" Hikari yelled.

"Quee… lahhh!" the Volcano Pokémon screeched, charging forward before somersaulting, having his flames cover his body and form a large wheel that was heading towards Decidueye.

"Hmph," Shinji scoffed, sounding unimpressed, "Halt him, Decidueye," he instructed.

"Sidge," he responded as he used his right hand to pull off an arrow quill from his left wing, setting it onto the vine he pulled up with his left hand like an arrow on a bow. A shadowy aura enveloped its tip before he fired it. Looping around, it pierced into the ground just in front of the incoming Quilava, engulfing him in a powerful blast.

"Ah!" Hikari gasped.

"What… was that?!" Satoshi wondered aloud out of shock.

"An evolutionary ability, it seems…" Okido replied, getting his attention, "It seems as Pokémon grow and change like we humans do, they gain new powers at their disposal," he told his student, "Shinji's has likely already reached his final stage…" he mentioned, while Quilava shook his head.

"Quilll…" he growled towards the Arrow Quill Pokémon, who seemed just as unimpressed as his master was.

"Ergh…" Hikari growled out, "I will not allow you to mock us when we have come so far!" she declared fiercely, "Run, Quilava! Show him your strength!" she called out.

"Lah!" the Volcano Pokémon responded, letting his flames ignite again before outlining himself in a whitish glow, dashing forward.

"Oh!" one villager yelped in surprise.

"That speed is incredible!" another exclaimed, blinking rapidly.

"GO!" Hikari yelled.

"Queee… LAAAAAHHH!" Quilava shrieked as he lunged out at Decidueye… and phased right through him!

"What?!" his master exclaimed out of disbelief. Shinji scoffed.

"Your naivety is painful to witness," he remarked disdainfully, "Decidueye, prove your own strength," he instructed.

"Sidge…" the Arrow Quill Pokémon responded, making the leaves at his tail glow a bright green and sharpen. He spun around and slashed at his foe's back with them, making him cry out in agony.

"Quilava!" Hikari screamed.

"Oh no…" Satoshi uttered as Oshawott cowered behind his left leg. Okido grimaced, while Akagi watched on contently. His son was performing vastly better than the young woman who said she could rival him. But right now, it appeared she was incredibly outmatched.

"Queee…" the Volcano Pokémon squeaked out, barely able to stand back up as cuts and bruises littered his body.

"Please stand, Quilava!" his master pleaded, "We mustn't let ourselves falter after coming so far!" she insisted firmly.

"You still fail to understand, don't you?" Shinji guessed, causing her to perk up in surprise as she looked over to him, "It never mattered that you were selected by the professor to wield one of his Pokémon," he told her, "You were just a young girl he pitied because of your heritage…" he pointed out. Hikari's eyes widened slightly.

"You…" she growled, "Do not dare mock my late family…" she advised, keeping her fists clenched tightly.

"Hikari…" Satoshi said worriedly.

"Decidueye," Shinji began to the Arrow Quill Pokémon, getting his attention, "take to the skies," he instructed, "We'll finish this from heights they can never hope to reach," he declared.

"Deh, sidge!" his partner squawked, flapping his wings before taking off into the air above.

"Now what is he doing?" one of the villagers wondered aloud.

"Is this next attack meant to finish this bout?" another guessed. Hikari grimaced upon overhearing.

"Quilava!" she screamed in plea. The Volcano Pokémon still struggled to stand back up, gritting his teeth. Overhead, Decidueye began diving down towards him. Fire appeared to engulf his body before it turned into a light blue aura.

"Now!" his master yelled in command. The Arrow Quill Pokémon dove down faster.

"QUILAVA!" Hikari cried out with tears flying from her eyes. Decidueye struck in a fierce blast of dust, causing everyone to brace themselves from the impact. He flew out moments later, having blue sparks appear along his body as he winced.

"A powerful attack that causes recoil…" Okido noted, putting his left hand onto his chin, "Shinji is not holding anything back…" he realized.

"Hikari…!" Satoshi gasped out. Tears streaked down her face as she stared at the cloud of dust in disbelief. She had lost. At least… that's what she thought until a sudden gush of heat washed over her. Shinji felt it as well. The crowd felt it. Decidueye took a nervous step back. The dust settled to reveal that Quilava was still standing, with his flames burning ever so brightly from his body. A reddish, blazing aura surrounded his form as he growled at his foe.

"Quilava…" his master uttered out, still tearing up.

"QUEEEELAAAAVVVAAAAAHHHHH!" he screeched, rushing out as a massive fireball encased his body.

"Decidueye!" Shinji quickly called out. The Arrow Quill Pokémon hurried to ready a quill upon the vine on his left side, having its tip encased in a shadowy aura. The moment he fired it, his opponent collided with him in fierce, fiery explosion. Some villagers fell down from the force of the blast. They were all left amazed by such a display of power. The smoke was slow to clear. As it did, it revealed that Decidueye was lying his left knee, taking quick breaths of exhaustions as burns littered his body.

On the other side, Quilava had smoke emitting from the holes at his head and posterior. His eyes had turned a pale white as he had fallen unconscious. As he lied upon the ground, everyone looked on with astonishment. And then, Akagi stepped forward.

"This battle is over!" he declared, raising his right arm, "My son… is the victor!" he announced, turning to Shinji. He was still somewhat in shock over the Volcano Pokémon's final move. But he collected himself, letting out a deep sigh of relief.

"Quilava…" Hikari whimpered, slowly approaching her fainted partner. She dropped onto her knees, picking him up from the ground and cradling him gently in her arms. Ever since she raised him from the Cyndaquil Okido imparted onto her, he was more than just her Pokémon. He was family. Akagi went over to her.

"As we've established, you'll carry out your duty to the village," he told her. She lowered her head.

"Yes, Chieftain Akagi…" she responded, sounding almost devoid of any emotion.

"Wait!" Satoshi's voice suddenly cried out as he ran over, "Please, let her take part in the expedition!" he pleaded, "I can capture the Pokémon needed for the village!" he promised, placing his hand over his heart. Everyone was surprised.

"Satoshi…" Hikari uttered out.

"With your inexperience, I cannot allow that," Akagi refused, shaking his head, "She is the only one truly capable of doing what needs to be done," he pointed out.

"She is more than just your errand girl!" Satoshi suddenly bellowed, "As reckless and stubborn as she is… Hikari is one of the strongest people I know!" he proclaimed fiercely, "You'd be a fool to leave her out of the expedition!" he mentioned, pointing an accusatory finger towards the chieftain.

"Hold your tongue, you brat," Shinji chimed in as he walked over, "You're speaking to our village's leader…" he noted, glaring at the capped young man.

"I'm speaking to a fool who won't even consider Hikari's place!" he shouted back.

"Why you…!" Shinji growled, grabbing Satoshi by his collar. He retaliated by pushing his left hand against his face. The villagers murmured worriedly at the sight, while Okido sighed. Meanwhile, Hikari stood up while cradling Quilava in her arms.

"Satoshi…" she uttered out, getting his attention as he turned to see her still crying, "I'm… so sorry!" she apologized before running off.

"Hikari!" her friend screamed, seeing her hurry back into the village as tears continued to fly out from her eyes. She was left humiliated. She wasn't as strong as she thought she was. Clearly, the world was far more complicated than she realized…

---

Marking the page with a bookmark, Leslie sighed. Hikari had gone through a great ordeal. There was only so much of the journal left to read, but the white-haired woman was getting tired. She let out a long yawn as she ventured upstairs to the bedroom that had been set up for her.

'So was Hikari an orphan?' she wondered while taking off her clothes, getting her pajamas ready, 'I wonder what else she wound up doing in Sinnoh then…' she said inwardly before seating herself onto the plush surface of her bed. Another long yawn left her lips. 'I guess I might find out tomorrow…' she concluded, falling asleep moments after closing her tired eyes.

X

"Toucannon, Echoed Voice!" Calvin commanded, sticking his right hand out. With the tip of his beck glowing a bright white, the Cannon Pokémon opened it before unleashing a sonic screech into the open air of the mansion. His target was a Masquerain, who flew about on the level of the second floor.

"Icy Wind!" Guzma ordered.

"Kerraaayyye!" the Eyeball Pokémon exclaimed, launching a blast of freezing air from in front of his face. It collided with the sound waves, resulting in a burst of wind that blew about the area. The Team Skull grunts watching were all sweating.

"Should they be having a battle like this inside?!" one wondered worriedly. Others seemed just as concerned, but their leader didn't seem to care. All he wanted to do was completely defeat the boy in front of him.

"Air Slash!" he yelled fiercely. Masquerain made his rhombus-shaped wings shine a bright blue before he unleashed a flurry of shuriken-like blades of air from them. They struck Toucannon, blowing him back as he slid along the floor back towards his trainer.

"Kah!" he squawked, standing up firmly.

"Use Beak Blast!" Calvin ordered. Closing his eyes, the Cannon Pokémon made the non-black part of his beak heat up, having it glow a bright orange. Guzma smirked.

"Quiver Dance!" he called out. A yellowish-green aura shrouded Masquerain as he flew about, practically dancing in the air. A reddish light then flowed up her body. At that moment, Toucannon opened his eyes. He flew up towards his opponent.

"Now!" his trainer yelled. The Cannon Pokémon opened his beak, revealing the glowing orange orb floating inside of his mouth.

"Masquerain, Bug Buzz!" Guzma commanded.

"KERRRAAAAAAYYYYYEEEEEE!" the Eyeball Pokémon screeched, with red waves emitting from his body. At the moment they collided with his opponent, he unleashed a bright orange beam that struck her fiercely in a burning explosion.

"Too, kah!" he squawked as he landed down. Meanwhile, Masquerain fell out from the smoke and landed down on his back with swirls in his eyes. The Team Skull boss glared at him with contempt.

"Tsk…" he scoffed, returning him to his Ultra Ball in a beam of red light. He hated being beaten, especially in situations where he had a type disadvantage. To him, they were hurdles to overcome in order to become the best Bug-type trainer.

"Now tell me, why did you want me, my sister, and Acerola away?!" Calvin asked demandingly. Guzma put the Ultra Ball away before readying another one.

"Battle's not over yet, Calvin," he remarked with a smirk, "We're making this a three-on-three for the fun of it!" he declared, rearing his arm back.

"Ergh…" the Ketchum boy growled in frustration. He didn't know how much longer this match would go on. What worried him is whether or not Acerola would venture over to check and see how things were going.

"Pinsir, go!" Guzma bellowed, firing his Ultra Ball into the air. It popped open, and the light that spilled out from it formed upon the floor, dissipating to reveal the Stag Beetle Pokémon.

"Kur!" he exclaimed, glaring out at his opponent.

"Kah no," Toucannon squawked as he took on a ready stance.

"Right," his trainer agreed with a nod, "Let's keep up the pressure!" he decided, "Echoed Voice!" he ordered. The tip of the Cannon Pokémon's beak glowed a bright white again before he unleashed a blast of sonic waves that were bound to crash into Pinsir.

"Swords Dance," the Team Skull boss instructed. The Stag Beetle Pokémon stood his ground, enduring the sound waves as multiple light-blue swords appeared around him. They orbited his body before stopping and pointing towards him, causing a reddish luminosity to flow up his body.

"Echoed Voice again!" Calvin commanded.

"Throat Chop!" Guzma ordered, causing the Ketchum boy to blink in surprise. As Toucannon readied his beak for another blast of sound waves, Pinsir charged in with his right hand surrounded by a purple energy. He jabbed his foe's throat with it, causing his eyes to bulge open as the wind was knocked out of him momentarily.

"Toucannon!" Calvin screamed, hearing the Cannon Pokémon hack for breath before breathing haggardly.

'That's the same move Olivia's Lycanroc used against Erika's!' he recalled inwardly as he clenched his teeth together, 'So now, Toucannon can't use Echoed Voice!' he realized.

"Heh," Guzma chuckled, "We're not gonna give you even a chance to think!" he declared fiercely, "Storm Throw!" he commanded, pumping his right fist out. Both of Pinsir's arms glowed a bright orange, crackling with electricity that sparked like thunder.

"Toucannon, Beak Blast!" Calvin quickly called out. Unfortunately, the Cannon Pokémon was too slow to ready himself as his opponent grasped him by his wings, spinning him around before hurling him hard into a wall.

"Kaaahhh…!" he gasped out before falling onto the floor.

"Hahahaha!" Guzma laughed heartily, "Why don't we finish you off with a little flair?!" he suggested loudly, "X-Scissor!" he commanded. Pinsir's pincers glowed a bright yellowish-green before he charged forward, heading towards the downed Toucannon. Calvin grimaced.

"Beak Blast!" he yelled again. While wincing, the Cannon Pokémon began heating up his beak as it started to glow a bright orange. His opponent then slashed at him with his pincers in an x formation, making him crash into the wall in a flurry of dust. When it subsided, it revealed him lying upon the floor with swirls in his eyes.

"Kaaaahhhh…" he weakly squawked out.

"HA!" the Team Skull boss cackled, "See that, brat?!" he yelled to Calvin, who had his eyes veiled by the shadow cast by his cap, "Even if my Pokémon's at a type disadvantage, that's still not gonna stop him from destroying you!" he proclaimed.

"Kurrr!" Pinsir exclaimed in agreement, raising his arms. But all of a sudden, a plume of fire erupted around him, causing him to cry out in pain. His trainer and the Team Skull grunts gasped. A smirk came across the Ketchum boy's lips.

"Thanks for your hard work, Toucannon," he said in gratitude, returning the Cannon Pokémon to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light, "Take a nice long rest," he insisted, putting the spherical container away after shrinking it.

"Tsk…" Guzma scoffed in frustration.

'Pinsir might've won, but he got burned!' he noted inwardly, clenching his trembling fists tightly, 'If we only could've attacked from a distance, there'd be no problem!' he mentioned to himself.

"What is wrong with you, Guzma…?!" he growled quietly under his breath. Meanwhile, Calvin readied another Poké Ball.

"Gumshoos, go!" he shouted, opening the container as a bluish light shot out of it. Forming upon the ground, the luminosity dissipated to reveal the Stakeout Pokémon.

"Guh!" he chittered out. The captive Yungoos' eyes shimmered at the sight of his evolution.

"Serrrr…" Pinsir growled, glaring at his new opponent.

"Heh," Guzma chuckled, "So you're gonna try and beat my Pinsir with that?!" he wondered loudly, "Even if he's burned, you're still not gonna beat him!" he declared.

"We'll see about that!" Calvin yelled back, "Gumshoos, Take Down!" he commanded. A golden force field shrouded the Stakeout Pokémon's body as he crouched down, becoming surrounded in a light bronze energy before he lunged out and slammed head on into his foe, sending him sliding back.

"X-Scissor!" the Team Skull boss commanded, pumping his right fist out. With his pincers glowing a bright yellowish-green again, Pinsir charged forward.

"Catch him with Crunch!" the Ketchum boy instructed. Making his teeth glow a bright white and sharpen, Gumshoos caught his opponent by his pincers with them. Everyone gasped in shock.

"Yuhhh…" Yungoos uttered, evidently amazed by his evolution's strength.

"Now toss him!" Calvin yelled. Swinging around Pinsir mightily, the Stakeout Pokémon flung him into some nearby debris in a flurry of dust.

"Kurrr…" he groaned out, struggling to push himself up as the dust settled. Another plume of orange flames erupted around his body again, making him wince in agony.

"Grrr…" Guzma growled.

'This is good,' Calvin noted to himself, 'If we're able to keep this pace up, we'll beat Guzma and find out just what Team Skull's really up to…' he concluded inwardly. Their actions were beyond strange to him based on what he already knew about the group. And he needed to know why.

"Pinsir, Storm Throw!" Guzma ordered. Leaping up from the debris pile, the Stag Beetle Pokémon made both of his arms glow a bright orange as they crackled with electricity.

"Watch out!" the Ketchum boy yelled to his teammate. Unfortunately, Gumshoos was too slow as Pinsir grasped him by his tail, swinging him around and tossing him up onto the second floor as he crashed through the wooden railing. The Team Skull grunts cheered at the sight.

"Now X-Scissor!" their boss commanded. Making his pincers glow yellowish-green again, the Stag Beetle Pokémon leapt up towards the second floor to attack his foe.

"Quick, Sand Attack!" Calvin called out. Perking up, Gumshoos slid his claws against the ground to make dust build up in a cloud that struck his incoming opponent, causing him to reflexively shut his eyes. The Stakeout Pokémon then evaded his slicing pincers as he leapt up.

"No way!" one grunt exclaimed in disbelief.

"This kid's way too tough!" another pointed out, sounding just as shocked.

"Now Take Down!" the Ketchum boy commanded while thrusting both of his fists forward. Another golden force field surrounded the Stakeout Pokémon before a bronze-colored light shrouded him. He dove down and slammed head first into Pinsir, tackling him down to the ground floor in a flurry of dust. He jumped out from it, landing down and sliding to a stop in a ready stance in front of his trainer.

"Guh, shoo!" he chittered. The dust cloud was slow to settle, but based upon the silhouette he could see, Calvin knew that the Stag Beetle Pokémon wasn't done just yet. Once the dust cleared, it revealed that he was still standing, though he breathed haggardly. However, as he took a single step forward, a plume of orange fire suddenly enveloped his body. Guzma gritted his teeth in frustration, watching as Pinsir fell face first onto the floor. Swirls were in his eyes.

"No…" F uttered in disbelief.

"This guy really is the one that beat the boss back in Malie…" E mentioned, shaking all the while. All of the Team Skull grunts murmured, wondering what was to come of this. Guzma merely aimed his Ultra Ball forward and returned Pinsir to the container in a beam of red light. He then took a deep breath and sighed.

"After all these years just destroying everybody…" he began, clenching his shaking left fist tightly, "why'd someone like you have to come along?!" he questioned with fury in his eyes.

"…Because you hurt my friends… and my sister," Calvin stated in response, "Isn't that reason enough?" he questioned. Guzma clenched his teeth together tightly.

"Why you…!" he growled out, readying another Ultra Ball as he enlarged it with the press of its button, "Golisopod, destroy them!" he bellowed, throwing the spherical container forward mightily. It popped open, with its light zooming out onto the floor and dissipating to reveal the Hard Scale Pokémon.

"Paaahhh!" he exclaimed, taking a ready stance.

"This time, we'll beat you for sure!" his trainer proclaimed fiercely, "First Impression!" he commanded. In an instant, Golisopod dashed forward.

"Quick, dodge—!" Calvin's instruction came too late as the Hard Scale Pokémon slammed his right arm fiercely into Gumshoos as it glowed in a yellowish-green light, sending him flying before he crashed into the wall in a flurry of dust. When it cleared, it revealed that there were swirls in the Stakeout Pokémon's eyes as he had been defeated. Guzma grinned wickedly.

"Now there's destruction…" he remarked, chuckling through clenched teeth. Calvin grimaced. Masquerain and Pinsir were the easy ones to defeat. Golisopod was another story entirely…

X

It was midnight. Leslie found herself tossing and turning, unable to sleep. She couldn't help but wonder how the second journal ended. She had ended her reading today close to it, but decided to get some sleep before finishing in the morning. A few hours later, she was awake.

"Darn it…" she grumbled out, reaching over to the lamp on the dresser and turning it on. She grabbed the green hardcover and opened it to the bookmarked page. Sitting up, her eyes scanned the writing upon it.

'I'm not sure how much time has passed since my fieldwork turned into nothing more than a menial task,' she read, causing her to blink in surprise. Hikari had stopped writing in entries of Pokémon? Deciding not to check the remainder of the pages to the journal for now, Leslie kept reading. 'The expedition is going to happen tomorrow,' she continued, 'Even though I obtained many Pokémon that could produce warmth for the village, Akagi will still not allow me to join,' she read on, 'Rather, Shinji will not,' she kept going, 'If I am not able to see my dream through here, then I shall go elsewhere,' she finished, widening her eyes. Hikari… had left the village?

---

The knapsack was filled with plenty of supplies. Hikari put two journals into it, one being her current one, and the other being a new one if she finished the former. As likely as it was she would, she didn't want to. Losing to Shinji hurt more than anything. And she was left to hopelessly watch as her Quilava was completely outmatched by his Decidueye.

She looked over to see the Volcano Pokémon sleeping on the floor beside her, snoozing contently. Reaching her hand over, the young woman gently petted his head. Ever since he was a Cyndaquil, he was full of energy. He helped her capture her first Pokémon in the form of a Turtwig, followed by evolving after several experiences alongside her. She thought he was strong because of those experiences. But she knew they never properly trained, unlike Shinji and Decidueye. She pulled her hand back and stood up, letting tears brim her eyes.

"I'm so sorry…" she apologized sadly, wiping her tears away before leaving the room. As the doors opened and shut, Quilava slowly awakened. His master had ventured outside. It was late at night, with everyone sheltered in their homes for the evening ahead. Breathing into her cold hands, Hikari headed off towards the village gate.

She had made a very bold decision, one which Okido and Satoshi were against. She was going to go on her own journey, but instead to the south in order to discover more about Pokémon she had yet to truly meet. But another decision she made was even more surprising. She didn't want to take Quilava.

Her reasoning was that he was still recovering from his injuries against Decidueye. It pained her to leave him behind, but she felt that she had to. As she approached the gate, she came to a stop and looked back at the place she had been raised. Okido had taken her and Satoshi when their parents had been killed in the midst of an exploration gone awry. That was ten years ago. And here she was, about to go off on her own to conduct a seemingly impossible task.

"Queee!" a familiar voice cried out just as she took the first step out of the gate. She widened her eyes, turning to see Quilava running towards her.

"Q-Quilava?" she stuttered out. The Volcano Pokémon came to a stop as he approached her.

"Quee, quilll lah!" he pleaded desperately, standing on his hind legs as he placed his paws against her. She blinked in surprise, giving off a look of guilt.

"I'm sorry…" she apologized, shaking her head, "but I can't take you with me…" she told him, "After that battle, I don't know if—"

"LAH!" Quilava interjected, making fire spew out from his head to prove that he was still fit for any challenge ahead, "Quee lahh…" he pleaded. The warmth of his flames washed over his master as her eyes shimmered, brimming with tears again. She fell onto her knees in front of him, sobbing profusely as her tears dripped onto the ground below.

"I'm so sorry…!" she whimpered out, unable to say anything else as she clenched her teeth together, letting the tears streak down her face and continue dripping.

"Quill…" the Volcano Pokémon worriedly moaned out. He let his flames dissipate before warmly nuzzling his head against his master's to comfort her. She seemed to be unmoved by the affectionate gesture. But then, there was a brightness. She opened her eyes and gasped to find Quilava glowing a bright blue. His body grew as he stood up on two feet, gaining more defined features. He reached his right hand out to wipe away the tears in Hikari's right eye, followed by the light dissipating. He had evolved into Typhlosion.

"You… evolved…" the young woman realized.

"Ty fro," the Volcano Pokémon confirmed with a nod, nuzzling his head against hers. She finally smiled, giggling a little.

"Huh…" she exhaled, "I suppose I shouldn't go anywhere dangerous without you by my side…" she concluded, "Thank you, Typhlosion," she said in gratitude, petting the side of the Volcano Pokémon's head, making him purr delightedly. Moments later, the two of them departed into the wilderness together. No matter how things turned out, they would stay together. Because that was just the kind of friendship they had made for themselves.

---

The last page of the journal was a sketch of a Typhlosion, making Leslie smile. Though Hikari was frustrated, it seemed like she was going to find her bearings in the journeys ahead. She closed the journal, setting it back onto the dresser before turning the lamp off. Lying back down in her bed, she shut her eyes and went back to sleep contently.

X

"Goh, pah!" Golisopod bellowed, swinging his claws around in a threatening manner. Needless to say, Calvin was intimidated. Gumshoos had just been taken out in a single attack.

'Thing is, he can't use First Impression since he's already out…' the Ketchum boy noted to himself, returning the Stakeout Pokémon to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light.

"Thanks for your hard work, Gumshoos," he said in gratitude, putting the spherical container back onto his belt.

"So what now, Calvin?!" Guzma questioned loudly, "I doubt you've got anyone strong enough to take down Golisopod!" he proclaimed. The Ketchum boy took a deep breath through his nose, exhaling through his mouth. It was true that the Hard Shell Pokémon was amazingly strong. But at the same time, there was a Pokémon he had with just as much strength that seemed to almost best Golisopod the last time. Pulling out and enlarging a Poké Ball in his right hand, Calvin reared his arm back.

"Incineroar, I choose you!" he called out, throwing the spherical container forward. It popped open, with its light spilling out onto the floor and dissipating to reveal the Heel Pokémon.

"Seh, rawrr!" she roared out as she stood up in a ready stance. Both she and her opponent glared at each other. Their match in Malie hadn't yet been settled. But it would be now.

"Let's get this started!" Guzma insisted with a wicked grin, "Swords Dance!" he called out. Light-blue swords appeared around Golisopod, orbiting his body before pointing towards him. A reddish light flowed up his form afterwards.

"Flamethrower!" Calvin ordered. Making her flame belt burn brightly, Incineroar unleashed a massive stream of fire from it towards the Hard Scale Pokémon.

"Cut right through it with Razor Shell!" Guzma yelled out. Golisopod made his right arm's claws glow a bright gold, followed by forming together into a blue blade of energy. He charged forward and slashed through the fire, striking his foe fiercely.

"Serrrrr…!" she winced out, gritting her teeth.

"Use Cross Chop!" her trainer commanded. With a glint of determination in her eyes, the Heel Pokémon leapt up and crossed her arms, making them glow a bright orange. She dove down and swiped at her opponent with a mighty swing of her arms, knocking him back as he stumbled. The Team Skull boss blinked in surprise, followed by letting off an irritated growl.

"Poison Jab!" he ordered. The Hard Scale Pokémon made his claws glow a bright purple as he charged forward.

"Darkest Lariat!" Calvin exclaimed, sticking his left hand out. Igniting her hands with dark red flames, Incineroar spun forward. Before Golisopod could even jab her, she struck him consecutively with her enflamed hands, pushing him back. Guzma clenched his teeth together in frustration.

"What the heck are you doing, Golisopod?!" he shouted in question, "Get him with a Poison Jab already!" he demanded angrily.

"Dodge and use Flamethrower!" Calvin quickly instructed. As the Hard Scale Pokémon readied all of the claws upon his six arms, making them glow a bright purple, Incineroar leapt back and unleashed another stream of orange fire from her flame belt. It engulfed her target, who crossed his large forearms over himself to try and endure the flames.

"Dammit…!" Guzma cursed out.

'Why the hell am I getting so bent out of shape over all this?!' he wondered inwardly as he trembled, 'Up until now, I've never gotten this… worried!' he noted to himself.

"Now Fire Fang!" the Ketchum boy commanded. Flames billowed within the Heel Pokémon's mouth as her teeth glowed a bright red. She lunged out towards Golisopod.

"Razor Shell!" Guzma roared out. With the claws of his right forearm glowing a bright gold and producing blue blades of light, the Hard Scale Pokémon slashed forward, blowing his opponent back. He then made the claws of his left forearm glow a bright gold before forming blue blades of light, swinging them out at his foe. She was quick to block them with her right arm, gritting her teeth.

"Incineroar, Flamethrower!" her trainer ordered. Just as Golisopod was about to slash at her with his right claws, he was engulfed in a spray of fire launched from his opponent's flame belt, making him stumble back as he cried out in agony.

"Hey, doesn't this look bad for the boss?" one grunt wondered out of concern.

"He looks like he's gonna snap any second now…" another mentioned while trembling.

"Razor Shell!" Guzma commanded fiercely. The Hard Scale Pokémon kept his blue blades of light ready as he swung his arms to make the fire around him dissipate. He then charged forward, heading towards his foe.

"Counter with Darkest Lariat!" Calvin called out. Incineroar made dark red flames ignite upon her hands once again. She reared herself back before swinging her arms forward to catch her opponent's, much to everyone's shock. "Now Flamethrower!" her trainer ordered. Once again, fire spewed out from the Heel Pokémon's flame belt, engulfing her target.

"PAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!" he screeched in agony. Guzma's eyes were shaking with rage. Like in Malie, his teammate was being backed into a corner. Only this time, his ability wouldn't be of any use since he was the last of his trainer's three Pokémon. He wouldn't be able to retreat.

"Damn it… DAMN IT!" the Team Skull boss cursed loudly. Overhearing the anger in his voice, Golisopod perked up and slashed his opponent back with the blue blades of light coming from his claws, making her slide back along the floor before she came to a stop on her right knee.

"Rrrrr…" she growled out, standing back up. Calvin narrowed his eyes.

'Golisopod's relentless alright…' he noted to himself, 'but I think he's on his last legs at this point,' he concluded, seeing Incineroar glance back towards him. The two of them shared a nod of understanding. Meanwhile, the Hard Scale Pokémon turned to his trainer.

"Goh, pah?" he asked of him. He wasn't responding. His trembling fists were still shaking with anger.

'Why can't I be a captain?!' he heard himself question angrily in his head, 'I've done everything I can to get stronger!' he had once proclaimed, 'I'm definitely worthy!' he had added fiercely. A growl left his lips.

"SWORDS DANCE!" he bellowed out. Golisopod blinked in surprise, having never heard his trainer this angry before. But he complied, making light-blue swords appear around him. They orbited his body, pointing towards him. A reddish aura flowed up his form soon afterwards.

'Now's our chance!' Calvin declared through his thoughts. He set his Firium Z onto his Z-Ring. Everyone widened their eyes upon noticing.

"Let's do this, Incineroar!" he called out, crossing his arms over his face to make the Z-Crystal flash brightly.

"Rawrr!" the Heel Pokémon responded, mimicking her trainer's movements quickly.

"Hey… the kid's not actually gonna use a Z-Move, is he?!" one grunt inquired nervously, sweating bullets.

"M-Maybe we should get outta here…" F suggested with a stutter.

"Yeah…" E agreed as he nodded simply. Calvin waved his arms upward like billowing flames, followed by grasping his right arm as he stuck it forward. The red aura that had been building around him shot out in streaks towards Incineroar. They merged with her body, with the Z-Move symbol flashing in front of her.

"Grrrr…!" Guzma growled out, "RAZOR SHELL!" he demanded fiercely. Golisopod had all of his claws upon his six arms glow a bright gold before producing blades of blue light from them. He charged forward towards his foe.

"Sehhhh, raaaawwwwrrrr!" she exclaimed, expelling a gigantic fireball from her flame belt, catching it in her hands.

"INFERNO… OVERDRIVE!" Calvin bellowed. Incineroar threw the fireball down at her opponent mightily.

"R-RUN!" T screamed, enticing the other Team Skull grunts to hurriedly escape the mansion. The fireball collided with Golisopod, who tried to endure it as best he could, pushing against it with all of his available might. Unfortunately, it seemed to be too much for him as the flames engulfed his form, followed by a powerful blast. Black smoke filled the entirety of the mansion as Calvin and Guzma braced themselves, coughing all the while. As the smoke started to clear, it revealed that Incineroar was still standing, albeit with a few scrapes and bruises. After another moment, those in the house could see the Hard Scale Pokémon.

He was lying down upon the floor, not moving at all as he had lost consciousness. Realizing this, the Team Skull boss gritted his teeth in frustration.

"Damn it…" he cursed out.

"Huh…" the Ketchum boy exhaled in relief, seeing that his victory had been achieved. He then noticed Yungoos hurriedly rush over to his side, hiding behind him for safety. He smiled. "You don't have to worry anymore," he promised, petting the Loitering Pokémon gently. Meanwhile, Guzma returned Golisopod to his Ultra Ball in a beam of red light.

"Well, you got me again…" he muttered out, stepping forward as he reached into his jacket pocket, taking out the Buginium Z he had, "Here," he offered, tossing the Z-Crystal to Calvin, who caught it as he blinked in surprise, "Maybe you'll use it better than I did…" he suggested coldly, passing the capped trial-goer by, "I promise you…" he continued, stuffing his hands into his pockets, "one day, I'll completely destroy you and your team…" he vowed as he glared back at the Ketchum boy. He didn't respond. Rather, he didn't feel the need to say anything at all. He just watched as the Team Skull boss departed.

And like that, his mission was complete.

ENDING

Insert "Hold Me Now" by Red

We open with a younger Gladion and a younger Lillie sitting on the floor at the end of a bed in a dark, white room. The latter is crying into the former's chest as he holds her close out of sympathy. Cut to present day, Gladion stands alongside Null and his other Pokémon as they look out onto the horizon. He balls his trembling left hand into a fist.

Meanwhile, we see Lillie clutching the strap of her duffel bag tightly as she's led down a hallway by Team Skull grunts and Aether Foundation employees. Upon reaching the end, she meets Lusamine, who glowers at her with contempt. Nevertheless, Lillie has a determined visage.

The scene changes to Calvin and Hau battling against Elio and Selene inside Aether Paradise, while Gladion and Trent face Faba and another Aether Foundation employee. As their fights continue, Plumeria and the grunts of Team Skull are confronted by Paige and Pyrrha. In the meantime, Erika goes to fight Guzma.

As the chorus kicks in, Gladion commands Null to use X-Scissor on Faba's Hypno, while Trent's Skarmory takes out a Ledian with an Aerial Ace. Elio's Pupitar comes up against Calvin's Steenee, who uses Magical Leaf to knock him back. Selene has Corsola use Surf, but it winds up rendered useless by Raichu's Discharge.

The music picks up into the third verse, with Pyrrha's Typhlosion landing a Thunder Punch on Plumeria's Salazzle, while Paige's Blaziken and Electabuzz work together to take down the Pokémon of the Team Skull grunts. Guzma cackles as his Golisopod appears to be winning against Erika's Lycanroc, but he steels himself, slamming his right fist against the ground to strike back with a powerful Stone Edge.

The final scene has Gladion, Lillie, Calvin and Erika entering Lusamine's collection room. We see the Aether Foundation president raise up the containment case Nebby is trapped inside before the group the group pays witness to her unleashing its power to create an Ultra Wormhole…

END ENDING

And Calvin bests Guzma again! But you must be wondering, why were he and Erika lured away from the Aether House? And what's going to happen with Hikari now that she's adventuring on her own?

All these answers and more will be uncovered over time! But for now, here's a summary to hold you all over!

SUMMARY

Upon returning to the Aether House, Calvin and Erika discover that Lillie's been taken by Team Skull! Before they can even think to do anything though, Gladion shows up! Just what kind of connection does he have to Lillie?!

And back in Sinnoh, Leslie continues to learn more about the region's history through the eyes of Hikari as she starts the third volume. From it, she learns about a legendary encounter…!

END SUMMARY

It's back to "RWBY: Omni Force" next chapter! I'll see you all later!