Alola, everyone! Welcome back to "The Challenge of a Lifetime"! We're in the midst of the Alola League, with two rounds already squared away! Now we're in the third round, which features triple battles!
I'm excited to get into this, especially as I don't think triple battles were really given the justice they needed in the anime. And this was something I was hoping to try in one of my earlier stories for Pokémon. But we'll see how it goes!
So let's get into this new chapter! Hope you enjoy it!
POKÉMON SUN & MOON
THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME
"Hmmm…" Erika hummed as she scribbled on a notebook while lying upon her bed. It was early into the evening after the second round of the Lanakila Conference. After discovering that her third round opponent would be none other than Plumeria, the Ketchum girl was quick to head back to her lodging room to try and wrack her brain for a strategy. But so far, she was coming up with nothing.
"Hey, take it easy on yourself," Pyrrha advised, getting her attention, "You've got plenty of time to work out any strategy you think of," she affirmed with a smile while seated upon her bed.
"That's not really the problem for me, though…" her rival admitted in response, "Plumeria's always had an edge against me in battles, even in ones I ended up winning…" she pointed out.
"That'zzz right, zzt…" Rotom realized as it floated over, "The only battle you won wazzz thankzzz to Brionne'zzz Z-Move back on Akala," it remembered.
"Huh…" its user sighed, "I think the one thing I have going for me is knowing that she uses Poison-type Pokémon," she noted, "So I have to figure out what I have going for me that'll counter that…" she concluded, putting her left hand onto her chin and humming again.
"Erika…" Pyrrha uttered worriedly.
"From what I remember, Plumeria hazzz Salazzle, Crobat, Toxapex, and Muk, zzt," Rotom listed off, "Those Pokémon have other typezzz along with being Poison," it mentioned.
"I guess you should first focus on using Pokémon that best combat Poison-types," the red-and-yellow-haired girl advised to her friend, who nodded.
"In that case, Sandslash is one of my best bets, since he's immune to Poison-type attacks," she realized, "So that's one…" she noted as she scribbled in her notebook, "Oh, and Oricorio can battle in her Pa'u Style!" she added with a smile, "I'm sure she wants to get a rematch in against Plumeria after the last time…" she affirmed on.
"So that leaves you with one more Pokémon to choose…" Pyrrha pointed out.
"Why not use Palossand, zzt?" Rotom suggested to its user, causing her to blink in surprise, "Ground-typezzz are super effective against Poison-typezzz, and he'zzz resistant to their movezzz," it told her.
"Yeah, that's a great idea!" Pyrrha agreed. However, she was surprised to see Erika lower her head in contemplation for a moment.
"Honestly… I kinda wanted to give Primarina the chance to battle Plumeria again…" she admitted to them as they blinked in surprise, "But… you're right," she confirmed, "If I'm going to win, I have to be smart with my team," she concluded, "And I'm sure Primarina knows that," she added assuredly. The others smiled at her earnestness. Elsewhere in his room, Calvin yawned as he lied down upon his bed.
"So, Ilima huh?" Gladion said, getting his attention as he saw the former enforcer standing by the window, "From what I've heard, he can be a pretty tough customer," he remarked.
"Yeah," the Ketchum boy replied, "I've battled him a couple of times and won, but his Pokémon are really strong," he pointed out, "I bet he's already got a plan laid out for me…" he assumed, looking up at the ceiling in thought.
"And what are you going to do?" Gladion inquired. Calvin gave off a small smile.
"You'll see," he affirmed confidently in reply, "After battling Allister, I really just wanna rest…" he confessed, letting out a long yawn before closing his eyes. His rival cracked a small grin with a chuckle, sitting down on his bed. The third round was soon approaching. But for the moment, it was time for the remaining competitors to relax.
OPENING
Insert "Rise Above" by Rainych
Opens with the sun dawning over Mount Lanakila. In spite of its freezing air, Calvin and Erika stand firm alongside their full teams of Pokémon as the wind rushes by. Near the base of the mountain is the site of what will be Alola's first ever Pokémon League, where Kukui stands with an excited grin on his face.
A rainbow of flower petals washes over the logo as we cut to Calvin lamenting on the boardwalk of the Seafolk Village, sitting alone and wondering if he can really take on the rest of the island challenge. At the same time, Erika is lying on her bed upon her side, thinking about the exact same thing. They both clench their fists determinedly, ready to see things through.
We cut to Calvin flying aboard a Charizard, while Erika's aboard a Pelipper. They fly throughout each of Alola's islands, smiling all the while. They see Ilima, Lana, Kiawe, Mallow, Sophocles, Acerola, Mina, Hala, Olivia, Nanu, and Hapu along the way as they arrive at the Pokémon League.
There, they're greeted by their parents and their big sister, who encourage them as they enter through the doors into the stadium. Inside, they find Hau, Pyrrha, Paige, Trent, and Gladion there. Others like Ryuki, Plumeria, and even Guzma are present. The Ketchum twins both grin excitedly, prepared to engage in some amazing battles.
The scene changes to Calvin commanding his Toucannon to use Beak Blast to take down a Machoke, while Erika has her Lurantis use X-Scissor to down an opponent's Bisharp. Hau's Decidueye goes up against Gladion and Silvally. The Synthetic Pokémon evades his foe's arrow quills before landing a powerful Fire-type Multi-Attack. Decidueye endures it, while Hau prepares a green Z-Crystal with a symbol similar to his partner, cracking a smirk.
We cut to Paige revealing a Key Stone around her neck as she uses it to Mega Evolve her Blaziken, who speeds out to attack Pyrrha's Typhlosion with a Blaze Kick. He counters by using Flamethrower. In the meantime, Trent commands his Alolan Ninetales to use Blizzard on Ryuki's Turtonator. The Blast Turtle Pokémon endures the freezing winds, unleashing a Flamethrower that appears to engulf his foe.
Calvin and Erika are then facing off, with Incineroar and Primarina battling for them. The two collide via a Flare Blitz/Aqua Jet, resulting in a powerful blast. As it clears, we witness Lycanroc slamming his clenched paws against the ground for a Stone Edge aimed to take down Araquanid. However, the Water Bubble Pokémon blasts the incoming stone pillars apart with Liquidation. Oricorio in her Baile Style comes out to unleash the searing fireball of a Revelation Dance toward Toucannon, who endures the attack and retaliates with Hyper Voice.
As the dust settles, we see Lurantis enduring Trop Kicks from Tsareena, gathering sunlight to unleash a Solar Blade onto the Fruit Pokémon. Mimi comes out from the dust, unleashing Shadow Claws onto Starbright, who endures them. She then strikes back with a Meteor Mash, merely busting the costume of the Disguise Pokémon as she chases after her opponent. Finally, we have Marowak using Shadow Bone to bash the incoming icicles of Sandslash, who dives down at him with an Iron Head.
The dust clears again, revealing the Ketchum twins staring at each other confidently with their teams. They're prepared for whatever else is ahead for them as they stand outside the stadium as the sun sets…
END OPENING
Tripling the Threat!
"Raichu, Focus Blast!" Hau commanded from Tapu Arena.
"Ry, ry!" the Alolan Mouse Pokémon responded, forming a yellow orb of energy in between his stubby hands while flying away from a pursuing Vikavolt. His trainer was pitted against Sophocles for the third round, calling upon his Tauros and Crabominable to join Raichu in battling the Stag Beetle Pokémon, along with the trial captain's Togedemaru and Electivire. Watching from the stands were Sawyer and Lisanna.
"Come on, Hau!" the latter of the two cheered. Zooming across the grassy field, the Alolan Mouse Pokémon turned around to fire off the yellow energy orb. It whisked past Vikavolt, squarely striking the Roly-Poly Pokémon in a fierce blast of smoke.
"Togemaru!" Sophocles cried out. As the smoke cleared, it revealed that his Togedemaru had swirls in her eyes.
"Togedemaru's out!" Nanu exclaimed, raising his right arm as a signal. The Electric-type trial captain grimaced, while his opponent cracked a grin. Already, the battle was turning in his favor.
"Looks like Hau's match against Sophocles is going well," Leslie commented from the plaza, standing alongside her father while holding Jangmo-o in her arms, "He seems a lot different from when he battled Hala back in Iki Town," she pointed out.
"Yeah…" Ash agreed, putting his hands onto his hips, "He's a lot more confident," he noted firmly.
"Peekah," Pikachu squeaked in agreement.
"Jah! Janhgg!" Jangmo-o chirped eagerly, causing Leslie to giggle.
"You wanna get in on the action too, huh?" she assumed, earning a nod in response from the Scaly Pokémon, "By the way, where'd Mom go?" she inquired of her father.
"She had to go back to Fairy Tail to help get ready for the annual Harvest Festival," he told her as a reply, "In the meantime, it's probably just you and me today for these matches," he confirmed.
"We'll be sure to get the highlights to Mom," his daughter remarked, sharing a laugh with him, "Anyways, it looks like Erika's match is one of the later ones at Hau'oli today," she noted, seeing a nearby bracket board with the 64 battles that were to take place. Her sister's was the last one to be partaken at Hau'oli Arena. "Guess that means we go over to Hau'oli first for Calvin's," she concluded.
"Mm-hmm," Ash concurred with a nod before they walked off. In the meantime, Erika was inside the locker room of Malie Arena, watching matches unfold from the bench she was seated at. One of the competitors currently battling was the young man with shades she had seen at the start of the tournament. He had a Shuckle, a Barbaracle, and another Pokémon that the Ketchum girl didn't recognize.
It was a tall Pokémon with a gray, rectangular body of stones, having white eyes and a mouth, and was adorned with dark gray spots. On top of his body were two, smaller rectangular stones, giving him the appearance of wearing a hat. His arms were made up of three chained, square rocks alternating between gray and dark gray. He also had two large, gray legs which were brown on the lower half. On his lower legs were gray crosses.
"That's one the Galar gym leaders like Bea, huh?" Erika noted as she narrowed her eyes slightly onto the TV.
"And he usezzz Rock-typezzz…" Rotom added as it floated beside her. She looked over at the current leaderboard standings for the 64 matches. So far, only a handful had been completed. Trent, Paige, Pyrrha and Gladion had already moved on to the next round, along with a few other familiar faces like Guzma. Calvin's match would be taking place soon in Hau'oli Arena, while hers was scheduled to be the last one at Malie. And only two battles had gone by.
"Ugh…" she groaned as she slouched over slightly, "I wish we could go and watch the other matches while waiting…" she muttered out.
"I think it'zzz to give everyone a fair chance for the battlezzz ahead, zzt," Rotom told her.
"And no use worrying about who you'll face next since it's just randomly decided," another voice chimed in, getting their attentions as they turned to see Plumeria walk up next to them, folding her arms over her chest, "Feeling nervous, kid?" she assumed with a smirk toward her future opponent, who blinked in surprise before pouting, puffing her cheeks.
"You're not gonna beat us," she proclaimed as a retort.
"Yeah, yeah…" the former Team Skull admin repeated in reply, stretching her arms up momentarily, "You know, I used to train back in Kanto," she told the Ketchum girl, who blinked in surprise, "I was trying to take a gym leader's spot, but he chose his daughter in the end," she mentioned, putting her hands onto her hips, "I ain't bitter, she was better than me back then," she added, "So I'm gonna go ahead and win this whole thing to prove just how strong me and my team are now," she declared, looking back at Erika with a grin before walking off.
"She soundzzz confident, zzt…" Rotom pointed out.
"Mmm…" the Ketchum girl hummed worriedly, lowering her head in contemplation. Would her strategy work out for the best in the end? She knew what she wanted to do with her team, but… what if it wouldn't be enough?
Elsewhere, Calvin had just seen the latest match in Hau'oli Arena conclude, with Ryuki being the victor. His team of Turtonator, Drampa, and Garchomp proved to be more than a match for his opponent's Pokémon. And with that, the Ketchum boy knew his battle was up next.
"Calvin," Ilima's voice called out just as he was standing up. He looked over to the trial captain, who granted him a warm smile. "Let's both do our best," he insisted.
"Right," Calvin responded with a nod. They walked through their respective tunnels out to the arena as fans cheered. The field itself was a pool of water with multiple platforms lying about. Some were kept in place, while others floated about with the flow. The Ketchum boy saw that Hala was the referee, as he smiled at him. Both he and Ilima took their places at opposite sides of the field.
"Alright, this is a three-on-three triple battle!" the Melemele kahuna exclaimed, raising his right arm, "When all three of one side's Pokémon are unable to continue, the battle's decided!" he affirmed on as both competitors each readied their respective trio of Poké Balls, "Now choose your Pokémon at the same time!" he requested, swinging his arm down.
"Let's go!" Calvin and Ilima called out simultaneously, flinging their spherical containers forward. They all popped open, with their lights spilling forth onto separate platforms, shaping into form. When they dissipated, they revealed the Pokémon that both trainers had selected.
On the Ketchum boy's side were Incineroar, Gumshoos, and Mimi. For Ilima, he had chosen his Smeargle, along with a Komala and a Kangaskhan. In the stands, Leslie blinked in surprise.
"Ilima's only using Normal-types, huh?" she noted aloud.
"Yeah, but they can be pretty tricky to deal with," Ash pointed out in response, "Cal's team definitely seems built to deal with them, though…" he mentioned as he slightly narrowed his eyes.
"Rrrrr…" Incineroar growled in frustration at the sight of the water. Thankfully, she was on one of the stable platforms in the arena.
"It's gonna be okay, Incineroar," her trainer reassured, getting her attention, "Let's do this like we did in our first trial!" he insisted of her and the others.
"Sehh rawr!" the Heel Pokémon responded, while Gumshoos and Mimi grinned determinedly.
"In that case, I'll get us started!" Ilima decided, swinging his left arm out, "Smeargle, Surf!" he ordered, "Komala and Kangaskhan, use Protect!" he instructed on. Both the Drowsing Pokémon and the Parent Pokémon had turquoise force fields appear in front of their bodies, protecting themselves as their teammate formed a tidal wave of water beneath his feet, about to crash down onto his opponents.
"Incineroar, Cross Chop! Gumshoos, Crunch!" Calvin commanded. The Heel Pokémon crossed her arms over her face before lunging up toward the incoming wave. She swiped at it mightily, causing it to splash apart to everyone's surprise. At that moment, Smeargle was too late to see the Stakeout Pokémon jump up to him. He opened his mouth as his teeth glowed a bright white and sharpened. He bit into the Painter Pokémon's tail, making him grimace with agony before he was flung down into the water in an instant.
"A clever move, Calvin…" Ilima commented, sounding very impressed, "It's a little hard to believe that it's only been over a month since we last saw each other…" he confessed on.
"Well, we're here to win the whole thing!" the Ketchum boy affirmed in response.
"Then I guess I'll have to step up my game…" the trial captain realized, "Komala, Zen Headbutt on Mimikyu!" he ordered, "Kangaskhan, Shadow Claw!" he commanded on. The Drowsing Pokémon yawned before a purple light shined above his forehead. He then leapt out toward the shiny Mimikyu as the light formed into a ball of shining blue energy.
"Dodge it!" Calvin called out. Mimi was quick to jump away from her incoming foe as he crashed against the platform with a splash to follow. However, she then noticed Kangaskhan coming toward. She reared her right arm back as a shadowy aura outlined in purple formed like a claw over it. She swiped at the Disguise Pokémon, sending her flying down toward the water below.
"Rah!" Incineroar yelped, quickly jumping to catch her teammate, landing on a platform and skidding to a halt.
"Nice catch, Incineroar!" their trainer called out as the Heel Pokémon set Mimi down next to her, "Gumshoos, use Take Down on Kangaskhan!" he yelled.
"Guh shoo!" the Stakeout Pokémon responded, having a golden force field surround his body before he lunged out at his target, becoming encased in a light bronze energy in the process. His foe perked up, taking notice of his approach.
"Brick Break!" Ilima commanded. The Parent Pokémon raised her right arm, having it flash a bright white. As Gumshoos closed in, she swung it down, striking him onto the platform as a fierce splash erupted.
"Ah!" Leslie yelped from the stands, while Ash grimaced.
"That Kangaskhan's really strong…" he noted aloud, "And I get the feeling that's not all Ilima has to offer…" he mentioned worriedly.
"Peekah…" Pikachu concurred with a nod.
"Guh…" Gumshoos groaned as he tried to push himself back up. Meanwhile, Smeargle had resurfaced from the water, climbing up onto a platform. His trainer noticed and grinned.
"Smeargle, Power Whip!" he ordered. The Painter Pokémon had his brush-like tail shine a bright green before he leapt out toward the downed Gumshoos.
"Darkest Lariat!" Calvin commanded quickly. Just as Smeargle was closing in on his target, Incineroar spun by with dark red flames emitting from her hands. She swiped at her foe's tail, knocking him away as he landed upon another platform in the water.
"Smeeerrr…" he growled in frustration.
"Mimi, Play Rough!" the Ketchum boy yelled. Smeargle suddenly shivered at the feeling of an ominous presence behind him. He was too late to stop the shiny Mimikyu from ambushing him with a flurry of strikes within a cloud of grey smoke.
"Nice!" Ash exclaimed with a pump of his right fist. As the smoke settled, it revealed the Painter Pokémon struggling to sit back up. Ilima grimaced.
"Komala, Wood Hammer on Mimikyu!" he ordered quickly. The Drowsing Pokémon had his log become encased in a green, stump-shaped aura before he jumped out, aiming to strike Mimi with it.
"Dodge and use Mimic!" Calvin instructed. The shiny Mimikyu was quick to hop away from the incoming Komala, followed by letting her eyes flash momentarily beneath her costume. "Now Wood Hammer!" her trainer commanded, enticing the Disguise Pokémon to have a green, stump-shaped aura surround her tail. She swung it down and struck her target fiercely, causing a big splash to erupt from the impact, blowing both him and Smeargle back.
"Not bad, Calvin…" Ilima commented, "Smeargle, Extreme Speed!" he called out, thrusting his left hand forward. The Painter Pokémon became surrounded in a green aura as he sped over the water, catching Komala in the process before they arrived upon another platform. "Kangaskhan, Shadow Claw!" he commanded. The Parent Pokémon had another shadowy aura shroud her right arm as she lunged out at Mimi.
"Incineroar, block it!" the Ketchum boy yelled. With that, the Heel Pokémon jumped out in front of her teammate, using her left arm to block off Kangaskhan's attempted swipe. They remained at a deadlock, gnashing their teeth as they glared at each other. "Gumshoos, use Take Down!" Calvin ordered on. A golden force field shrouded the Stakeout Pokémon again before he became surrounded in a light bronze energy. He lunged out and slammed into the Parent Pokémon's back, causing her to grimace. Her foes backed away soon after, having her surrounded. Meanwhile, Komala and Smeargle were positioned afar, awaiting their trainer's next command.
"You know Calvin…" he began to his opponent, getting his attention, "I trained in the Kalos Region for a while, learning from the gym leaders there," he recollected, "And I picked up on a few of their tricks myself…" he recalled, adjusting his glove. The Ketchum boy took notice of a peculiar stone embedded into the glove, having a multicolored sheen with a curved, helix-like symbol inside. "I think you've earned the opportunity to get to battle Kangaskhan at her full potential!" the trial captain declared, tapping the stone.
Golden lights suddenly emerged from it, shooting out toward the Parent Pokémon. Her child emerged from her pouch, having a necklace with a cream-colored, round stone with a curved symbol that was light purple and black. Streaks of light shot out from it, connecting with those from the Key Stone before turning a bright white.
"KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" Kangaskhan bellowed as a multicolored aura shrouded her entire body. Though she herself didn't change, her child hopped out from her pouch, growing in size. As the aura dissipated, it revealed that she had gained some new features. There were now raised patches on her knees, similar to those seen on her mother. These patches also appeared to be aligned horizontally along her waist with a larger patch on her belly. Small, spiked growths appeared underneath her ears.
"That's… Mega Kangaskhan?!" Leslie exclaimed in disbelief.
"Pika, peeka…" Pikachu uttered out, quite stunned himself.
"Mega Evolution…" Calvin uttered in realization, grimacing a little. He had seen it a couple times in his life, but not once during a battle he himself was having.
"Kangaskhan, Brick Break!" Ilima commanded. The Mega Evolved Parent Pokémon reared her left arm back, having it flash bright white for a moment.
"Block it, Incineroar!" the Ketchum boy called out, enticing the Heel Pokémon to quickly cross her arms in front of her face to take her foe's punch, sliding back just a few inches. However, she didn't expect Kangaskhan's child to attack, striking her squarely in the stomach with her left fist, causing her to keel over onto her right knee.
"Kangaskhan's kid fights, too?!" Leslie questioned aloud as she blinked rapidly.
"Yeah," her father confirmed in reply with a nod, "When she Mega Evolves, Kangaskhan's kid helps out in battle as an ally to her," he explained.
"So basically, it's four against three now…" his daughter concluded, "What's Calvin gonna do?" she wondered worriedly.
"We'll see," Ash responded.
"Gumshoos, Crunch! Mimi, Wood Hammer!" the Ketchum boy on the field commanded. The Stakeout Pokémon had his teeth shine a bright white and sharpen, while the shiny Mimikyu made another green, stump-shaped aura appear around her stick tail. Together, the two of them lunged out at Kangaskhan from behind.
"Protect!" Ilima instructed. Sticking out their hands, the Mega Evolved Parent Pokémon and her child projected turquoise energy shields, blocking their foes before they could strike.
"Ergh…" Calvin growled in frustration.
"Smeargle, use Extreme Speed!" the trial captain commanded on. The Painter Pokémon set Komala onto his back before speeding over in an instant, all while encased in a greenish light again. He slammed into Gumshoos, knocking him into the water.
"Gumshoos!" the Ketchum boy cried out.
"Komala, Zen Headbutt!" Ilima ordered. Hopping off of his teammate's back, the Drowsing Pokémon had a shining blue ball of energy form over his forehead, slamming it against Mimi. She was sent flying toward the water herself from the impact, but quickly threw out one of her appendages, which latched onto a nearby platform in the water. She reeled herself onto it, feeling the head of her costume droop a little.
"Keeeooooohhhh…" she hissed out angrily, knowing that Komala had ruined her costume.
"Stay calm, Mimi!" her trainer advised, "Incineroar, are you okay?" he called out in question to the Heel Pokémon who stood back up.
"Rawrr!" she roared in response.
"Then use Darkest Lariat!" Calvin ordered. Dark red flames erupted from Incineroar's hands as she spun forward, heading towards Kangaskhan and her child.
"Brick Break!" Ilima ordered. Both the Mega Evolved Parent Pokémon and her child had their right arms flash a bright white before lunging out at their incoming foe. They punched fiercely together, being at a deadlock as sparks flew between them and the Heel Pokémon. "Guess it really isn't going to be that easy after all…" the trial captain concluded, "Smeargle, Extreme Speed!" he commanded.
"Smee!" the Painter Pokémon replied, enveloping himself in a greenish light as he started to dash over, about to ram into Incineroar.
"Gumshoos, Iron Head!" Calvin ordered, pumping his right fist. Bursting out from the water while cloaked in a whitish light, the Stakeout Pokémon caught Smeargle completely off guard before he was rammed into instantly. He was sent splashing into the water, while Ilima gasped. After a moment, his partner emerged with swirls in his eyes.
"Smeargle's unable to battle!" Hala announced as he raised his left arm.
"Yes!" Calvin exclaimed happily.
"Phew…" Leslie sighed with relief, "That's one down…" she confirmed.
"Yeah, but that's only the beginning…" her father pointed out.
"Guh… shoo…" Gumshoos exhaled as he climbed up onto one of the platforms, standing alongside Mimi.
"You alright, Gumshoos?" his trainer asked of him.
"Shoo!" the Stakeout Pokémon responded determinedly, taking on a ready stance. Meanwhile, the deadlock between Incineroar and Kangaskhan ended with them blowing each other back to the edges of the platform they were upon. The Heel Pokémon grimaced, sweating a little. Both the Parent Pokémon and her child were proving to be difficult to deal with alone.
"Komala, Superpower!" Ilima commanded. The Drowsing Pokémon was actually lunging toward Incineroar, cloaking himself in an orange aura as he closed in. It looked as if his target would have no way to evade him.
But all of a sudden, Gumshoos dove in and took the attack, getting struck aside by his foe's log. He skipped across the water like a stone before coming to a stop upon a platform, having swirls in his eyes. Everyone gasped.
"Gumshoos is unable to battle!" Hala confirmed with his right arm raised. The crowd erupted into a frenzy of cheers. The battle was growing all the more exciting. And Calvin knew that it was only going to be more difficult with the lack of options he had left…
X
"Vikavolt, Wild Charge!" Sophocles commanded from back in the Tapu Arena. The Stag Beetle Pokémon was the last of his three remaining on the field as he flew toward Hau's Crabominable, surrounding his body in yellow electricity.
"Ice Hammer!" the ponytailed boy ordered. The Woolly Crab Pokémon raised his right arm, making it glow an icy blue. As Vikavolt closed in, he swung it down to strike him, resulting in a fierce explosion of mist enveloping the field as both competitors braced themselves. Once it cleared, it revealed electricity sparking around Crabominable as he grimaced. However, his opponent was lying upon the ground, having swirls in his eyes. Nanu took notice, cracking a small smirk.
"That's it," he confirmed, raising his left arm, "The win goes to you, kid," he remarked, gesturing over to Hau, who blinked in surprise before smiling.
"Alright!" he exclaimed as he leapt up excitedly. The crowd cheered for his victory, as did his parents. Moments later, they met up outside of the arena. Lisanna petted Crabominable, who blushed out of flattery.
"That was a great battle, Hau," Sawyer complimented to his son, who perked up in surprise.
"Thanks, Dad!" he responded with gratitude, "You know if Cal or Eri finished up their matches yet?" he inquired curiously.
"I think Erika's supposed be battling later," his mother replied, "But… I'm pretty sure Calvin's match is going on right now," she recalled, putting her hand onto her chin.
"Then I know where I'm headin'!" her son decided, jogging off, "See ya in a bit!" he called out in farewell.
"Uh, Hau?!" Sawyer cried out, reaching for him. Lisanna let out a small sigh with a smile.
"Like father, like son…" she remarked, earning a chuckle out of her husband. They were happy for their boy as he was moving forward along with his friends. Back at Hau'oli Arena, Calvin returned his fainted Gumshoos to his Poké Ball in a beam of red light.
"Thanks for the hard work out there, Gumshoos," he said in gratitude, "I promise we won't let it go to waste!" he affirmed, putting the spherical container away onto his belt. He looked over to see Ilima returning his fainted Smeargle as well. This had become a difficult situation.
Though both trainers were essentially even in the Pokémon they had left to battle with, Kangaskhan being Mega Evolved gave her trainer essentially three partners to battle against his opponent's two. Calvin narrowed his eyes slightly.
'We have to figure out a way to deal with Kangaskhan before she and her kid cause a lot of trouble…' he noted to himself, 'She has moves that can handle both Mimi and Incineroar…' he added inwardly, 'On top of that, we have to worry about Komala, too…' he realized as he gritted his teeth a little.
"Meemee!" his shiny Mimikyu squeaked, getting his attention as he blinked in surprise, "Mee, keeooh!" she affirmed, giving him a nod of reassurance. Incineroar grinned as well. Their trainer took a moment to understand what they were doing before taking on a small smile, recomposing himself.
'Right, I can't worry too much about this right now…' he said inwardly, 'We just have to battle like always!' he affirmed through his thoughts.
"Mimi, Wood Hammer!" he ordered. A green, stump-shaped aura shrouded the Disguise Pokémon's tail-like stick before she leapt out.
"Counter it with your own, Komala!" Ilima yelled. The Drowsing Pokémon made a green, stump-like aura surround his log as well, lunging toward his incoming foe. They both collided fiercely, resulting in sparks flying between them as their trainers gritted their teeth down below. The shiny Mimikyu pushed back hard against her foe before managing to send him flying off of her in an instant.
"Incineroar, Darkest Lariat!" Calvin commanded. Smirking, the Heel Pokémon had dark red flames erupt from her hands before spinning around to where Komala would land. She struck him hard, sending him flying back until he crashed into one of the platforms at the other end of the stage in a huge flurry of dust with a splash of water.
"Komala!" his trainer cried out. As the dust settled, he could see the Drowsing Pokémon lying on his side, groaning with pain.
"Komala's unable to battle!" Hala confirmed after a moment, raising his left arm.
"Nice work, you two!" Calvin called out to his two Pokémon, who nodded in response. In the meantime, Ilima returned the fainted Komala to his Ultra Ball in a beam of red light.
"That was nicely done, Komala," he complimented, "Thanks for your hard work," he mentioned gratefully before putting the spherical container away, "Kangaskhan!" he called out, getting the attention of the Mega Evolved Parent Pokémon and her child, "I think it's time for us to really get serious!" he insisted of them.
"Kah!" both responded with nods.
"Brick Break!" their trainer commanded. Kangaskhan and her child lunged forward, having their arms flash a bright white.
"Counter with Cross Chop, Incineroar!" Calvin instructed. The Heel Pokémon crossed her arms over her face, letting them glow a bright orange. She rushed forward and swiped at her opponent, who threw her left fist out. They collided, resulting in a powerful shockwave as they gritted their teeth together. The Parent Pokémon's child was closing in, about to strike at her target's stomach like before. "Mimi, Wood Hammer!" the Ketchum boy ordered.
All of a sudden, the child was caught off guard by the shiny Mimikyu appearing in front of her. She made a green, stump-shaped aura appear around her tail-like stick, swinging it around to strike the child away. Noticing, Kangaskhan gasped.
"Kahhhhhhh…" she growled. Incineroar was surprised when she felt herself get pushed back, followed by being blown off of the now angered Mega Evolved Parent Pokémon.
"You've gone and made a critical error there, Calvin…" Ilima pointed out, causing his opponent to blink in surprise "And we're going to capitalize on it!" he declared firmly, "Outrage!" he ordered. The Mega Evolved Parent Pokémon's eyes flashed a bright red as an aura flared up around her body. She lunged forward and struck Incineroar in the face with her left fist, sending her sliding back to the very edge of the platform.
"Rrraaahhh…" she groaned as she keeled over onto her left knee, breathing heavily.
"Mee!" Mimi squeaked worriedly.
"Hang in there, Incineroar!" Calvin called out, "Use Outrage, too!" he insisted.
"Rah!" the Heel Pokémon responded, making her own eyes flash a bright red before she rushed forward with an aura shrouding her body. Both she and Kangaskhan started to exchange blows, not relenting for a single moment. It seemed like either of them could win. But then, the Mega Evolved Parent Pokémon's child rushed in and started landing kicks and punches on Incineroar, pushing her back even further.
"Oh no…" Leslie uttered worriedly from the stands as she and her father stood up from their seats. Ilima cracked a small grin.
'Incineroar's definitely the biggest threat on Calvin's team with those strong attacks she has…' he noted to himself, 'So we'll take care of her first before—!' His thoughts halted the moment he saw Calvin setting the Mimikium Z onto his Z-Power Ring, twisting it into place as it flashed a bright white.
"Ready, Mimi?!" he called out to his shiny Mimikyu.
"Mee!" she squeaked in response, raising her arms up from underneath her costume. She mimicked her trainer's movements as he crossed his own arms over his face, making the Z-Crystal flash. He swung them around before placing them atop each other, followed by shaping his hands into a heart and then posing with his left leg up. He blushed in the process.
'I can't believe this is how Mina said to do this…' he grumbled through his thoughts. In the process though, a grey aura that was building up around him shot out in streaks to Mimi, merging with her body before the Z-Move symbol flashed in front of her.
"You're about to use Mimikyu's signature Z-Move?!" Ilima questioned out of shock.
"Yeah," Calvin replied, "And we're not wasting this chance!" he declared on, snapping his fingers into a thumbs up, "Mimi, Let's Snuggle Forever!" he commanded. A glint appeared in the shiny Disguise Pokémon's eyes as she shot forward, heading toward Kangaskhan. The Normal-type trial captain grimaced.
"Quick, Shadow Claw!" he ordered. However, he gasped in surprise to find the Mega Evolved Parent Pokémon and her child stumbling about in fatigue, much like Incineroar. His eyes widened.
'He recognized that Outrage would cause confusion at the very end of its usage!' he realized in shock. Mimi zipped around her target, leaping up over her. Her costume suddenly expanded in size, covering Kangaskhan completely as she landed upon her.
"Go!" Calvin yelled. Though no one could see it beneath the costume, it was clear that the shiny Mimikyu was wrestling with the Mega Evolved Parent Pokémon.
"Kangaskhan!" Ilima cried out. After a few more moments, Mimi essentially tossed her opponent out from underneath her costume, which shrank back to its normal size. The Mega Evolved Parent Pokémon landed upon the platform upon her back. Her child yelped in surprise, quickly going over to check on her. In the process though, a flash of multicolored light enveloped her, transforming her back to normal. Her mother had swirls in her eyes, groaning in pain.
"Alright, that's it!" Hala called out after taking a moment to assess the result, "Kangaskhan's unable to battle!" he announced with his left arm raised, "The winner of this match is Calvin and his team!" he confirmed, gesturing toward the capped boy.
"Woohoo!" he exclaimed excitedly with a pump of his fist.
"Raahhh…" Incineroar exhaled in relief, somewhat fatigued. She then took notice of Mimi sauntering up to her, holding out one of her shadowy appendages. Smirking, the Heel Pokémon gave her a high five, which made squeak happily. In the meantime, Ilima returned his fainted Kangaskhan to her Ultra Ball in a beam of red light.
"I'm sorry, my friend," he apologized, "Calvin's grown to the point where he's outmatched us…" he confirmed with a small smile, seeing the Ketchum boy celebrate with his Pokémon. The crowd cheered, excited for the victor as he was going to head into the third round.
X
"That was awesome!" Hau exclaimed outside Hau'oli Arena with his fists clenched, as his family met up with Calvin's after the latter's match, "Using Mimikyu's Z-Move when Kangaskhan was confused and couldn't stop it was just so smart!" he added excitedly with sparkling eyes.
"Thanks, Hau," his cousin replied with a chuckle.
"Looks like a lot of the matches are over," Leslie pointed out, getting their attentions as they saw that she was looking at the leaderboard.
"Yeah, some arenas are already done with their rounds," Sawyer mentioned while putting his hands onto his hips.
"But not for where Erika is," his wife noted with a chuckle, "I can't believe her match is one of the last ones of the day…" she complained.
"Knowing Eri, she's probably getting really impatient down there…" her son pointed out, folding his arms behind his head. Meanwhile, Calvin looked to the leaderboard. Many of their friends and rivals were advancing to the next round, which would consist of Battle Royals. That round itself would severely thin out what remained of the competition after today. He'd have to think about the best Pokémon suited for such a scenario.
"I'm sorry I'm so late!" a familiar voice called out in apology, getting his attention as he and the others saw Mirajane hurrying over.
"Auntie!" Hau greeted.
"They let you off early from helping with the festival?" Lisanna questioned of her older sister.
"Sabertooth's joining the festivities, and Laxus wanted me to come back and see your matches," she explained in reply.
"Well, you did miss Calvin's big win…" Leslie pointed out as she glanced over at her brother, who blinked in surprise.
"Oh, that's so great!" Mirajane exclaimed, crouching down to hug her son warmly, "You're moving on, just like your father!" she remarked proudly.
"Th-Thanks, Mom…" he stuttered in response, blushing a little out of embarrassment.
"Meemee!" Mimi squeaked, hopping onto his shoulder.
"Peekah!" Pikachu agreed as he nodded.
"So I guess we head over to Hau'oli before Erika's match gets underway, huh?" Ash assumed of the group.
"Yep," his eldest daughter confirmed, leading everyone after her through the plaza, all while still holding Jangmo-o in her arms. He was starting to get excited about seeing his trainer battle again. And he knew that someday, he would get to battle himself.
In the meantime, Erika was looking at the leaderboard in the locker room of Hau'oli Arena. She saw that Calvin and Hau had won their matches, much to her relief as she sighed happily. But she also saw that her match with Plumeria was about to be the next one.
"I'm gonna go meet up with the family, zzt!" Rotom buzzed, causing her to perk up and see her Pokédex floating off to the exit, "Good luck, Erika!" it called out before leaving. She smiled a little, thankful for its support. Taking a deep breath, she stood up from her seat.
"Okay… let's do this," she said, walking off to her designated tunnel. Noticing from afar, Plumeria cracked a small smirk before she headed over to her own tunnel. Meanwhile, Calvin and Hau were the first of the group to arrive at Malie Arena. And it was already packed with fans as they made their way out onto the deck.
"Aw, it's standing room only…" the ponytailed boy complained.
"At least we got a great view!" his cousin pointed out, sharing a chuckle with him. Their families joined them, with Mimi, Pikachu and Jangmo-o hopping onto the railing to get a better look at the field below.
"Welcome back to the first-ever Alola League, known as the Lanakila Conference!" a voice suddenly exclaimed over the loudspeakers, getting everyone's attention, "This is Jim Beck alongside my color commentator, Tom McAllister," he introduced.
"This is one of the last matches of the day for the third round," his partner chimed in, "We've skipping around from battle to battle, seeing just how trainers are dealing with triple battles for probably the first time," he told the crowd.
"Triple battles themselves originated in the Unova Region, and they're especially tricky to master," Jim mentioned, "Right now, we're getting close to sunset as opposed to the first two rounds," he pointed out.
"O'Martian isn't the play-by-play guy?" Leslie inquired out of surprise.
"I think he's strictly for Unova Leagues and other tourneys like that in Unova," her father replied, "But it's a surprise to know that ONBS is involved in the commentary," he admitted, putting his hands onto his hips.
"ONBS?" Calvin repeated out of confusion.
"The Orre News Broadcasting Station," Sawyer said, "Their journalism is second to none when it comes to big events like these," he told his son and his nephew, "It's no wonder they're sponsoring this," he added.
"I guess it is pretty cool," Leslie admitted.
"Heyyy!" a familiar voice buzzed, getting their attentions as they saw Rotom floating over, "Glad I found you, zzt!" he exclaimed.
"Oh, Rotom!" Calvin greeted.
"Is Eri ready for her match?" Hau inquired of the Pokédex.
"I think so, zzt!" it responded with a nod. Many in the crowd were trainers that had already moved on. Pyrrha, Paige, Trent, Gladion, Bea, Gordie, and even Guzma were present amidst the spectators.
"Now it's time for the last match of the day that's taking place in Hau'oli Arena!" Jim declared over the loudspeakers, "To our right, we have the challenger that's made her way through thanks to her Sunny Day tactics in her first two battles!" he pointed out as Erika made her way out onto the field, "Introducing… Erika!" he announced. The crowd erupted into cheers.
"Go for it, Eri!" Hau cried out.
"Yeah, you got this!" Calvin yelled on. Pikachu and Mimi squeaked excitedly, while Jangmo-o watched on intently, wanting to see just how strong his trainer was.
"Her opponent in this match is someone who's gone and used some poisonous tactics to win through the first few rounds!" Jim continued through the microphone, "Presenting… Plumeria!" he exclaimed as the former Team Skull admin took her place on the field. She could hear from jeering from some people in the stands, but she couldn't care less. She just narrowed her eyes onto her opponent, who stared back.
"Good luck, Erika…" Pyrrha uttered from the stands, sitting next to her mother. Hapu then stepped forward, being the referee.
"Welcome to the third round, challengers!" she greeted, "This is a three-on-three triple battle with no substitutions," she told them, "When all three of one side's Pokémon are unable to continue, the battle will be decided," she affirmed on, "Understood?" she inquired of them.
"Yeah," Erika replied, while Plumeria merely nodded.
"Then please select your three Pokémon at the same time!" Hapu requested. Quickly, both competitors reached down to their belts for their Poké Balls, enlarging them in their hands.
"Erika worked out a strategy for this battle, right?" Leslie inquired of Rotom.
"Yep!" it replied, "With help from Pyrrha too, zzt!" it mentioned.
"Go!" both women down on the field yelled, flinging their spherical containers forward. They all popped open, with their lights spilling forth onto the sand. Those on Plumeria's side took shape, dissipating to reveal Toxapex, Crobat, and Salazzle. The latter of the trio licked her lips as she smirked. On the opposite side, the lights formed before fading to reveal Oricorio in her Pa'u Style, Sandslash, and finally… Primarina.
"BzzZZzzTTttt?!" Rotom buzzed out of shock.
"Wait, what?!" Pyrrha exclaimed in disbelief from the stands.
"What? What's wrong?" Sunset asked of her daughter in concern.
"I thought Erika was gonna use her Palossand instead of Primarina in this battle…" she replied with shaking eyes, "He would've been perfect to deal with Plumeria's Poison-types…" she pointed out in remembrance.
"What's she thinking?!" Leslie inquired from the standing deck.
"I might have an idea…" Ash responded to her surprise. Meanwhile, Plumeria scoffed as she gave off a small smirk back on the field.
"You're goin' for payback, huh?" she inquired of her opponent, "Gotta admit, that's probably not your smartest call…" she pointed out.
"I know we lost to you last time on Ula'ula…" Erika said, causing her to blink in surprise, "but now we're just battling as rivals, not enemies," she affirmed as she balled her hands into fists, "So we're gonna do our best this time!" she declared on.
"Hm," Plumeria huffed, letting a small grin grace her lips, "Then bring it on, kid," she challenged. Meanwhile, Hapu lifted her right arm up.
"And… begin!" she exclaimed, swinging her arm down.
"Salazzle, Flamethrower!" the former Team Skull admin commanded. Immediately, the Toxic Lizard Pokémon had orange fire billow within her mouth before she unleashed a stream of it forward.
"Aqua Jet!" Erika ordered. Water erupted and surrounded Primarina before she rocketed forward through the flames, causing steam to cover the field upon impact. She pushed further into the fire before slamming into Salazzle head on, making her slide back.
"And already, Erika takes charge as her Primarina shoots through a Flamethrower for a super-effective hit!" Jim exclaimed over the loudspeakers.
"Crobat, Cross Poison!" Plumeria yelled out. The Bat Pokémon had her wings shine a bright purple as she flew after Primarina, who had the water around her splash apart.
"Sparkling Aria!" her trainer commanded. The Soloist Pokémon had her ponytail come undone as she formed a sparkling blue ball of water at the tip of her pink nose. It burst into several watery streaks, which struck the incoming Crobat, blowing her back.
"Crohh…" she hissed in frustration, seeing Primarina land down and slide to a stop next to her teammates.
"Oricorio, Revelation Dance on Crobat! Sandslash, Stone Edge on Salazzle!" Erika ordered on.
"Ree!" the Dancing Pokémon chirped as she made the feathers at the tips of her wings glow a bright pink before they formed a ball of energy. She shot it out at her intended target, who widened her eyes.
"Dodge!" Plumeria yelled. Swiftly, the Bat Pokémon evaded the energy ball. "Now Air Slash!" her trainer commanded. Crobat's wings glowed a bright blue before he folded them in and swung them out, unleashing a flurry of disc-shaped air blades.
"Use Air Slash, too!" Erika ordered as she pointed forward. The feathers at the tips of Oricorio's wings glowed a bright blue before she pirouetted, releasing her own set of disc-shaped air blades. They collided with her foe's in a fierce burst of wind.
In the meantime, Sandslash slammed his claws down against the sand. Light blue rock pillars erected, trailing towards Salazzle. She speedily dodged them though, crawling about rapidly.
"Flamethrower!" her trainer shouted. Orange flames billowed within the Toxic Lizard Pokémon's mouth as she leapt up. She fired off a stream of fire to the Alolan Mouse Pokémon.
"Primarina, block it!" Erika called out. All of a sudden, the Soloist Pokémon got out in front of her teammate, crossing her fins over her face as she shielded him from the flames.
"And Primarina blocks what would've been a devastating Flamethrower to Sandslash!" Jim commentated.
"She's definitely providing a lot of support for her team right now," Tom mentioned over the loudspeakers.
"Now Icy Wind!" Erika commanded. The Soloist took a sharp inhale and then expelled a wind from her mouth with blue sparkles. It washed over Salazzle, who grimaced before flipping back.
"Tch," Plumeria scoffed, "Sludge Wave!" she ordered as she stuck her right arm out. The Toxic Lizard Pokémon was suddenly surrounded by a mass of dark purple sludge. She then thrusted her arms out, unleashing it towards her two foes.
"Sandslash!" the Ketchum girl called out.
"Sah!" the Alolan Mouse Pokémon responded, jumping in front of Primarina and outstretching his arms to shield her from the sludge, as it harmlessly struck him.
"Sandslash returns the favor, protecting Primarina from that Sludge Wave!" Jim exclaimed.
"Steel-types aren't affected at all by Poison-type attacks, so Sandslash is a key player here for Erika," Tom commented.
"Alright, Eri!" Hau cheered as he pumped his right fist.
"Her strategy'zzz working a lot better than I thought it would, zzt…" Rotom admitted.
"I guess since she knew Primarina would want a rematch and figured she'd be better equipped to support the rest of her Pokémon in the match," Leslie noted, putting her left hand onto her chin, "Still… I can't help but be worried that something's gonna go wrong…" she admitted.
"Yeah…" Calvin agreed. He then blinked in realization with a slight gasp.
"Hm?" Hau uttered upon overhearing, "What's wrong, cuz?" he asked of him.
"Toxapex hasn't done anything yet…" he pointed out to everyone's surprise, "I wonder what Plumeria's planning…" he said as he narrowed his eyes slightly. On the sandy field below, the Brutal Star Pokémon watched on from afar as his teammates continued to fight off their opponents.
"Crobat, Cross Poison!" Plumeria commanded. The Bat Pokémon's wings glowed a bright purple as she dove toward Oricorio again.
"Use Hurricane!" Erika ordered. Making her wings shine a bright blue, the Dancing Pokémon flapped them rapidly to create a powerful gust that turned into a vortex, which slammed into Crobat as she winced. However, she didn't falter completely as she managed to fly past the vortex, slashing at her opponent mightily.
"REEEE!" Oricorio shrieked in agony.
"Oricorio!" her trainer screamed, seeing her stumble forward as a purple light shined upon her body with sparks and bubbles, indicating that she had gotten poisoned.
"That's one," Plumeria remarked, while Erika gritted her teeth.
"Wow!" Jim exclaimed through the microphone, "After enduring that Hurricane, Crobat lands a powerful Cross Poison with the added effect of poisoning Oricorio!" he pointed out, "It'll only be a matter of time before she ends up down for the count now!" he concluded.
"Now X-Scissor!" the former Team Skull admin commanded, enticing the Bat Pokémon to make her wings glow a yellowish green as she veered around, about to attack Oricorio from behind. Erika grimaced.
"Primarina, Aqua Jet!" she called out.
"Mah!" the Soloist Pokémon responded, enveloping herself within a torrent of water before rocketing toward Crobat. Plumeria cracked a smirk.
"Baneful Bunker!" she instructed. Hau gasped, grabbing onto the railing.
"Erika, wait!" he cried out. But it was too late. Just as Primarina closed in on her target, Toxapex suddenly leapt out in front of her. He projected a purple energy shield with spikes around himself, which his opponent rammed right into. The veil of water around her splashed apart as she flew back, landing hard upon the sand.
"Primarina!" her trainer screamed. As the dust settled, it revealed the Soloist Pokémon pushing herself up, though a purple glow came off of her body, along with sparks and bubbles.
"And now Primarina's been poisoned as a result of colliding with Toxapex's Baneful Bunker!" Jim noted loudly.
"That's Toxapex's greatest attribute, as well as one of his signature moves," Tom mentioned, "That is a huge blow to the momentum that Erika and her team were starting out with," he added on.
"So not only does Toxapex protect himself, but any Pokémon that makes contact when he uses it gets poisoned?" Calvin questioned out of shock.
"This isn't looking good…" Leslie commented worriedly. Oricorio took the X-Scissor from Crobat, enduring it with a grimace as her foe flew back into the air. Toxapex also hopped back.
"Hm," their trainer huffed, "Guess you were getting a little too confident in stopping my team from poisoning yours," she remarked to the Ketchum girl, who clenched her fists in frustration.
"Well, try all you want, but you can't poison Sandslash!" she proclaimed, knowing that the Alolan Mouse Pokémon was immune to Poison-type attacks.
"Is that a challenge?" Plumeria inquired curiously with a smirk, causing her opponent to blink in surprise, "Salazzle, Toxic!" she called out. The Toxic Lizard reared her head back before spitting out a ball of purple, poisonous liquid toward Sandslash, who blinked in surprise. He took it head on in a burst of grey smoke, stumbling back a step.
"Huh?" Erika uttered out of confusion, wondering why the former Team Skull admin would call for a move that had no effect on her partner. But when the smoke cleared, she gasped. The Alolan Mouse Pokémon's body was glowing purple with sparks and bubbles emitting from it, indicating that he too was poisoned. Everyone gasped.
"Oh my goodness!" Jim yelled through the loudspeaker, "Salazzle lands an unexpected Toxic onto Sandslash, even though he should have immunity to Poison-type moves!" he noted aloud, "Erika's entire trio of Pokémon have been poisoned!" he pointed out, "Just what will she do now?!" he wondered loudly. The Ketchum girl grimaced. The whole battle had just turned on its head for her and her team…
ENDING
Insert "Who Are You?" by PELICAN FANCLUB
Opens at Aether Paradise as Lillie is with her bedridden mother, sleeping by her side. In her dreams, she's imagining becoming a Pokémon Trainer herself, journeying through regions with her Pokémon by her side. She starts running along the pathway, excitedly smiling all the while.
Throughout her journey in her dream, she comes across many great things. She encounters amazing Pokémon, strong trainers to battle, and memorable sights. Her Pokémon of choice is a Clefairy which she happily lifts in her hands.
All of a sudden, the area around them darkens as a shadow looms over them. Lillie looks up in horror to see a giant version of Lusamine engulfed by Nihilego overhead. She cowers in fright momentarily, but then notices a bright light shining up above.
It turns out to be Solgaleo, who comes down with Calvin and Erika aboard. They both offer their hands to Lillie, who happily accepts them as she climbs onto the Sunne Pokémon. They hurry off, avoiding the giant rocks Lusamine chucks their way. One is about to strike, but it's destroyed as Gladion appears aboard Silvally, slashing it apart.
Together, they lunge up to attack the Aether Foundation president, engulfing her in a shining, golden light. Lillie opens her eyes, lifting her head. She finds her mother awake in bed, giving her a weak, yet thankful smile.
Lillie smiles back, gripping her hand tightly. As Wicke wanders in to check on them, they turn on the TV as the Alola League is starting. Lillie giggles at the sight of the Ketchum twins in battle once again, happy that they're seeing their dreams through…
END ENDING
And it looks like Erika's in a pinch in her match against Plumeria! How's she going to overcome it?! Well, we'll find out next time! So here's a summary for you all.
SUMMARY
The clock's ticking for each of Erika's Pokémon as being poisoned puts them at a severe disadvantage against Plumeria's team! Will they be able to pull out a third round victory for their trainer? Or is this as far as they go?!
END SUMMARY
That's all for now, folks! We'll be back at the end of November to see how this battle concludes! Catch you all later!