"Aniki…."
Tank jolted awake, panting as he looked around the small bedroom. Strands of damp hair fell into his eyes. Thin white curtains fluttered next to the window, bringing inside a light chill. The clock's red light caught his eye.
Two fifty four AM..
His stomach churned like butter. He needed to stop letting those dreams get to him, but they plagued his mind and soul.
"Tank?"
Tank looked to his right.
Benedict looked up at him, propped up on his side. His hair was a fluffy mess, some strands falling into his face. A thin bedsheet covered him up.
"Are y'all alright?" he asked.
"No, not really"
Tank sighed as he sunk down in the bed, turning to the right. "Just had a bad dream, I guess"
"Same here" Benedict shrugged his shoulders. He scooted closer to Tank, wrapping his arms around his waist. The rhino's short fur was velvety to the touch. The two boys quickly fell asleep, unpleasant dreams replaced by lucid ones.
Kidd woke up first, having just had a lovely dream about a Grookey and an Eevee playing together. He looked to his right; okay that was adorable, Benedict and Tank were curled up together!
A soft breeze blew through the suite. Did someone leave the window open?! Ugh, probably the last visitor.
He got up to close the window, careful not to wake up the other two. Why couldn't every morning be like this?
Meanwhile, on Route 102…
Crystal clear skies shone on the grassy path, as if Arceus itself smiled upon the Hoenn region. A flock of Taillow flew through the air, while a group of Zigzagoon swam in the small pond.
A beige deer skipped down the path, carefully hiding the badge on her chest. The last thing she needed was an interrogation. She checked the time on her watch; six fifty-one AM. While she wasn't looking, a piece of paper fell out of her pocket and onto the grass.
A wild Zigzagoon scurried behind her, picking up the paper with its mouth and running into a bush.
The boys headed out of the Pokemon Center, ready to take on another great day. They walked down the familiar dirt roads, waving to several residents they met. Only one animal refused to wave back; the same gorilla from the talent show. She wasn't worth their time.
They stopped in their tracks.
Scoot ran up to the group, waving hello.
"Hey guys!" he said before pulling something out of his blazer pocket.
Kidd looked at the other two boys.
"You guys know him?"
"I've never seen him before,"
Tank shook his head.
"Oh, I know him!"
Benedict said. "We battled the other day!"
Scoot gasped in surprise, his cheeks glowing scarlet red.
"Wait. YOU'RE Cheryl Bakudan?!"
Benedict went cold. He really wanted to suppress that memory. The crossdressing part was fun, but who knew someone out there would be into the delinquent bad girl type?
"Yeah….that was me"
Great, the whole 'dress up as a sukeban girl' plan crumbled before him. Or did it….?
Scoot gulped, his face still burning up.
"Oh, I knew that," he laughed. "I saw your Petalburg Gym battle, it was awesome! In fact, I, uh, here you go!"
He handed Benedict a tiny pink package, wrapped up with a pretty blue bow.
"Aw, y'all don't have to!"
Benedict blushed as he took the package into his hands.
"But I want to!" Scoot took his helmet off, then declared. "Battling with you made me realize something. I want to challenge the Pokemon League like you"
So that's what this was about….
Benedict smiled as he still held the package, then looked down at Scoot.
"Aw, y'all are so sweet," he said.
A voice hollered,
"Scoot! We're gonna be late for class!"
"I'm coming, Mott!" Scoot yelled back. "Well, I'd love to stay longer, but I have to get back to school. And, and I guess you have to take on more gyms, right?"
"I sure am!"
Benedict declared. "I ain't givin' up"
"Well," Scoot smiled. "I'd love to battle you again. Promise"
He held his wing out.
Benedict grabbed his free wing.
"It's a promise, Scoot!"
Scoot let go
"I'll be seeing you later!" he said, before running down the road and catching up to Mott.
"Take care!"
Benedict yelled as he waved goodbye.
Kidd chuckled,
"Are you going to open that or should I?"
"Nah, I got it," Benedict said before he gently opened the package. Aw, how cute! Inside the pink wrapping paper, there was a white chain with a fluffy spike motif and a piece of paper in the middle. It didn't take a Psychic type to figure out what the number was.
Benedict gently closed up the package, safely putting it in his backpack.
"I'll add his number when we get to the next town"
"That'd be Oldale Town,"
Tank pointed out. "Which, if we go there, then go to Route 103, which'll lead us to Mauville City!"
"What's happening in Mauville again?"
Kidd asked before correcting himself. "Oh, right, Crossing Rider Con! I've never actually been to that"
"Which cons have you been to then?"
Tank asked as he started walking to Route 102.
Kidd shrugged his shoulders.
"Oh, not too many, just Johto Expo in Lumiose" he showed off some of the buttons on his messenger bag. "I stole some of these from a vendor who got caught stealing art"
Benedict gasped
"An' I thought I was the delinquent of the group"
"You? A delinquent?"
Kidd asked. "I thought the sukeban thing was just an act!"
"No way!" Benedict explained. "Not to brag but I got suspended from school…let's see. Five times! Three of those were for beatin' up other guys, one was for cussin' out a teacher who threw a marker at my head, an' the last one was for spraying body spray in someone's face"
"Should I ask why you sprayed body spray in their face?"
Tank asked.
Benedict gulped.
"Yeah, the gym teacher compared me to a Galarian cigarette."
Tank and Kidd looked at each other.
Yeah, let's just leave it at that!
The boys continued their stroll down Route 102.
Tank had his phone out, looking at a web page for Crossing Rider Con.
"No way," he gasped.
Benedict and Kidd looked over at him.
What caught his eye today?
Tank showed them the screen
"They got all of the original Crossing Riders!"
The screen showed five animals; a white cat, grey squirrel, dark grey elephant, tan gorilla and yellow horse. Instead of colorful spandex, they were wearing street clothes.
"Who plays who?" Benedict asked. He didn't know much about Crossing Rider Go, but seeing Tank this happy? It was worth it to learn!
Tank perked up, his eyes lighting up in delight as he got into depth.
"That's Ichiro Mochizuki, he plays Kid Cat. Hatsuko Fujiwara, she plays Agent S. Kenzo Izuri, he plays Big Top, whose my favorite of the Crossing Riders. Clover Hart plays Rocket, she's the only Unovan on the show. Oh and Kohaku Chiba plays Filly. Not many fans like her, but I think she's great"
"Why don't the fans like Filly?"
Benedict asked. "Did she get too many powers or somethin'?"
"No way" Tank shook his head. "A lot of fans don't like her because her character was designed as a collaboration with the Poke Mart. Sponsorship and whatnot, all the shows did it at the time. But I liked her, she was funny"
Kidd looked closer at the five animals.
"Is there a reason they cast a Unovan as one of the characters?"
"Four's an unlucky number" Tank explained. "And none of the Kanto actors wanted to play the fourth Crossing Rider, so they hired Clover to play Rocket."
Benedict tilted his head
"So is Crossing Rider Go just like one show or?"
"Nope!" Tank continued going on. "See, they have a new season every year with different actors and new villains, but it almost always follows a team of five mammals who fight against super villains. But most animals grew up on Crossing Rider Go– that's the first season– and it's also the most popular because Totakeke wrote the theme song!"
"This Totakeke guy sounds talented,"
Benedict noted. "A big musician, a theme song writer AND the former Champion?!"
Tank spun in his spot before texting at lightning speed
"And the best part is?! He's gonna be at Crossing Rider Con! Hey, I gotta tell Professor Nook about this; he LOVES Totakeke's music!"
"Um, Tank?"
Kidd asked.
Tank squeed like a schoolgirl at a boy band concert.
"Professor Nook's gonna go to Crossing Rider Con! He hasn't watched much of the show, but he'll go anywhere that Totakeke's performing at!"
"Taaaaank"
Kidd waved his hoof in front of Tank's face, while Benedict snorted in laughter.
Tank ignored him, still texting Professor Nook.
"Ughhhh I don't know if I wanna buy a Crossing Rider sword and send it to Fortree OR just get buttons I can put on my shirt. Wait, I could buy both!"
Kidd huffed as he yanked on Tank's arm.
"Hey! Earth to Tank!"
Tank groaned
"But I gotta get everything I can! Selfies, collectible figurines, doujinshi. No, wait, I can get Professor Nook to buy me doujinshi! He's old enough, but wait, would that be weird?"
Kidd walked over to Tank, calmly breathed in, and then slapped him across the face.
"TANK!"
A colony of Taillow flew away from the nearby trees, rattled to their bones. Benedict tried his best to not burst out laughing like a Mightyena. He hoped he wouldn't be slapped next.
"WHAT?!"
Tank yelled back.
Kidd pointed ahead.
"We're at Oldale Town already"
"Oh"
Tank finally looked up from his phone, shoving it in his pocket. "Awesome!"
Oldale Town looked….different. Daisy chains dangled from the streetlamps, while hydrangeas and irises flooded the hanging baskets. Pink petals danced in the wind. Animals in yukata walked down the dirt roads, some eating food while others took pictures for their blogs. A few wild Pokemon joined in the festivities, some eating fallen food scraps while others played with the residents.
A vendor called out,
"Maple leaf tempura! Come get some maple leaf tempura!"
Benedict looked at his boyfriends,
"Wanna try some?"
Kidd shrugged as he looked at his phone
"Huh? Oh, sure! I can't imagine it tasting like maple syrup though"
Tank explained,
"Maple leaf tempura doesn't taste like maple syrup, you guys. But if it helps, the batter's sweet though"
He pulled out his wallet
"You guys should try it!"
The boys headed through the streets, a few petals getting caught in their hair.
The vendor, a brown bear cub wearing a yellow plaid dress, waved hello
"You here for some maple leaf tempura?"
"Heck yeah!"
Tank said as he pulled out a fistful of dollar bills,
"Three orders please"
"You got it, honey" the bear cub smiled as she took the money and put it in a green can with oranges on the side. She turned around to face her fryer, delicately tossing maple leaves in a tub of sweet batter.
Kidd sniffed the air,
"Mon dieu, I think I'm in for a good time"
A white light came out of Benedict's pocket. Coffret sang as he sat on top of his trainer's head, nestling against his trainer's greasy hair.
"Swa-bluuuuu!"
The bear cub turned around, then went back to her station. She shook the deep-frying pan around, whistling to herself as the sizzling grew louder. She lifted up the pan, shaking off the dripping oil. Finally, this order was done! With a smile on her face, she poured every piece of tempura into a red and white paper tray, then drizzled real maple syrup on top.
Tank walked back up to the vendor, smiling as she handed him his order.
"Thank you!" he said.
Kidd took a piece of tempura for himself, nibbling at the leaf's edge. The sweet batter caught him off guard. After finishing his piece, he grabbed another.
"Here, Benedict, try this" he held out another piece.
"Sure!" Benedict said as he grabbed the piece for himself. He tossed the leaf into the air, catching it with his beak and swallowing it whole. The sweet rich flavor hit the spot.
"...I think I could go for more"
"Go ahead"
Tank held out the box. "I can always get more!"
After five more orders of maple tempura, the boys were finally ready to go to the Pokemon Center. While Kidd made a plan for his next contest, Benedict grabbed a flyer off the bulletin board.
"A flower festival, huh" Tank noted as he looked over the flyer. He then checked his phone, oh, right, Crossing Rider Con wasn't for another two days. Let's just have fun in Oldale!
Kidd perked up.
"Oh this should be fun! Flowers everywhere, good food, and nice weather. Even if something bad happens?" he shrugged. "Oh well, we can stop whatever happens"
"I wouldn't tempt fate like that, Kidd"
Tank warned him.
Kidd flicked him on the nose,
"How about I do, anyways"
Benedict showed him the flyer.
"Oh!" Kidd gasped as he looked over the flyer. "I think my contest can wait another day. Besides, I saw that they closed up the Contest Hall for this festival"
"Hey, at least there's Mauville City!"
Tank assured him. "If there's a contest hall there, we'll make sure to cheer you on!"
Benedict set his backpack down on the table and rummaged through.
"Tank," he asked. "Did y'all put the yukata in your bag?"
"Of course I did!"
Tank said as he opened up the bag. "There's no suite at this Pokemon Center, but there's at least a changing room!"
Kidd sighed in relief.
The boys got changed into their Verdanturf Town yukata. This time, Benedict finally got the right side on, and he wasn't dressed for his own funeral.
Traditional folk music boomed on stage. Taiko drum beats, delicate flutes and baritone enka vocals vibrated through the town's buildings.
Cat girls in floral kimonos danced with paper fans, while younger children ran around with Magikarp-shaped windsocks. A trio of kappa gathered near a booth, each of them picking out colorful masks designed like cute Pokemon. The oldest woman picked out a Corsola mask, while the younger two got Raichu and Pikachu masks.
A pack of dogs ran through the town, wearing nothing but headbands and tightly knit fundoshi. One of the dogs, a green labrador with white face paint, waved to the group before leading his friends into town square. Benedict did a double take; that was way more fur than he needed to see!
"Tank, have you ever run around like that?"
Kidd asked as he cooled himself off with a pink wooden fan.
"No way!"
Tank exclaimed. "Hadaka matsuri's not in Fortree City. But if it was, I'd totally invite you guys!"
"I thought this was a flower festival,"
Benedict pointed out. "Why are they runnin' around with their junk almost out?"
"It's a hybrid festival"
Tank deadpanned. "Hoenn festivals aren't as concrete as Kanto or Johto ones."
The boys went to the middle of town. Three kimono-clad women walked to the stage; a black and white anteater, a white mouse wearing lots of makeup, and a white ostrich with fluffy hair. Several Pokemon joined them; a pair of Beautifly, a Froslass and six pale blue Pokemon who resembled wind chimes.
"Chiiiiii!" the wind chime Pokemon sang, starting the ceremony.
In perfect sync, the women performed an intricate dance with golden fans featuring pink cherry blossoms.
Unaware to the performers, a little green kappa imitated their dance, waving around plastic sticks instead of fancy fans.
After what felt like hours, but was only fifteen minutes, the women and Pokemon finished performing, politely bowing to the audience. While the performers and Pokemon left the stage, the audience clapped in approval.
Two older men took to the stage, both carrying wooden guitars as they sat on small stools. The first man, a brown goat with a long white beard, smiled at his playing partner, an orange mouse with thick stubble. As if on cue, the two mammals played their guitars in a strange duet.
Several animals got up to check out the rest of the festival, including the boys.
"Great festival, huh?"
The boys stopped in their tracks. A friendly blue wolf waved hello to them. He wore a grey yukata with white stripes, along with a Pikachu mask on the side of his head. In one paw, he held grilled Inkay on a stick. In the other, a black pen and a notebook with a Metagross sticker on the cover.
"Yeah, it's really fun" Tank said. "You look familiar…"
The wolf smiled.
"If you're asking if I'm the journalist from Hoenn News Network, then yes. Wolfgang Le Bon, pleasure to meet you three"
"I'm Tank Pepper"
Tank bowed to the other animal.
Wolfgang bowed back.
"And I know these two" he looked at the other two. "Kidd Chavignol from the contest circuit, and Benedict Sussex, the Red Gyarados trainer."
The other two boys looked at each other in surprise. Huh, were they really picking up that much traction in the Hoenn region?
"Yep, that's us,"
Kidd nodded. "We were on our way to Mauville City for Crossing Rider Con"
"Great to know" Wolfgang noted. "I wasn't assigned to cover that area of Hoenn. It's a shame, really. Hey, would you boys be fine with an interview? I already interviewed several performers but haven't interviewed any festival goers. Is that alright?"
The boys nodded at each other.
"That'd be great!"
Tank perked up. "So, where do you want to do this?"
Wolfgang pointed to the right.
"I was thinking near the park if that's alright with you all."
While Wolfgang interviewed the boys….
The music stopped at a halt. Yelling echoed from the stage, as several animals were thrown off. A herd of deer stormed on stage, one of the does grabbing the microphone and commanding,
"Deirdre Morikawa. Come out with your hooves out"
The crowd went silent. Two of the animals tried to sneak away, but were stopped by the leader's burning hot glare. They were not screwing around…
Wolfgang and the boys snuck into the crowd, trying to figure out what was going on. Oh, great, it was Team Cottage.
The doe on stage cleared her throat,
"Grunts Three Hundred-Fifteen and Four Hundred and Seven. Now"
Two of the deer saluted him, running into the crowd and grabbing a hostage. Their hostage, an elderly green turtle with grey bobbed hair, screamed as she tried to kick away from their grip. A red coral clip fell out of her hair, breaking into two pieces. Despite her begging and pleading, the bucks' faces were unmoving.
They threw her on stage, their leader looking down at her.
"Where is Deirdre Morikiawa?"
The kappa sobbed
"I don't know who you're talking about!"
The doe sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. She pulled out a Polaroid picture and showed it to her. The Polaroid picture showed a brown deer with big white eyes, short brown hair, white lipstick and wearing their uniform.
"Leave Kanako out of this!"
Another doe hollered from the Pokemon Center's door. Instead of a grey and white uniform, she wore a yellow yukata. The yukata was opened to reveal a yellow sweater and green denim miniskirt with silver cowboy boots. A green badge, shaped like a bouquet, was pinned to her chest. She heaved as she stomped towards the stage, baring her teeth at the group.
The doe stood in front of Kanako, blocking her from any attacks.
"Why are you dragging civilians into this?!"
The shorter doe scolded her
"Deirdre, you're being weak again" she reminded her.
Deirdre wanted to slam her against the ground and crush her throat under her hooves.
"Oh, I'm the weak one?" she snorted. "You cowards stormed an entire town because I dared to leave your little cult!"
She whispered to the kappa
"Go back to the crowd, ma'am, I've got you"
While Kanako snuck away to see her daughter-in-law and granddaughter, Deirdre faced her ex-commander.
"Fauna! You tricked me into signing up for Cottage! I wanted to help with issues like Hoenn's land crisis, not go around terrorizing entire towns, kidnapping Pokemon and killing other animals!"
Fauna tisked at her,
"Are you still hung up over Fortree City? You weren't even there"
"No, but my boyfriend was,"
Deirdre screamed. "And his blood is on your hooves!"
Tank went numb, his body trembling like a leaf. What were the odds of someone from Fortree City, in the same town, who was also close to aniki…
"Yes, but he was the one who said 'over my dead body', no?"
Fauna pointed out. "Now, Deirdre, you will rejoin Cottage."
Deirdre sneered as she turned her chin up, "No."
"I'm not asking you, I'm commanding you to rejoin"
Fauna wagged a hoof, her face and tone unnerving.
"She doesn't owe you anything!"
Deirdre and Fauna turned to the crowd. Tank stood in front of the audience, fury pulsating through his body.
"Leave her ALONE!" he screamed.
Fauna blinked twice. This was an unwelcome visitor.
"Oh. The runt from Meteor Falls" she commented. "This doesn't concern you, child"
Tank climbed up on stage, stood in front of Deirdre and shouted in Fauna's face
"I don't care that it doesn't concern me! She doesn't want any part of your cult!"
Fauna shook her head in disapproval
"This is just my luck…." she muttered under her breath.
Tank looked to the stage and smiled,
"Benedict! Kidd! Come up here!"
Benedict and Kidd looked at each other and nodded.
They barreled through the crowd, joining the stage and standing by Tank's side.
Fauna glared at the group. Whatever, these children were mere dandelions in the rose gardens of Team Cottage and they needed to be ripped out!
Without any words, she held out her Nest Ball. A gold yellow kitsune Pokemon popped out, gracefully landing on all four paws.
"Nineeeeeee!"
the fox Pokemon howled, its long tails flailing in the wind.
The boys each grabbed a Poke Ball and yelled,
"Aquarius! Let's go!"
"Kenshiro! Come on out!"
"Martagon, I choose you!"
The three Pokemon leaped out of their Poke Balls and onto the stage, roaring at their opponent. Martagon whipped his tentacles, Aquarius clapped her flippers and flexed her biceps, and Kenshiro drummed his front legs against the wooden stage.
"Room for one more?"
Deirdre said as she stood next to them and tossed her own Poke Ball.
A Mightyena leaped in front of her, shaking his fur and howling
"Yenaaaa!" He glared at his opponent, flashing a maniacal grin as the fox Pokemon shuddered from its pearly whites.
Fauna stepped backwards, crossing her arms as she looked on with disinterest.
"Ninetales. Heat Wave."
"Nineeeeee"
The fox Pokemon opened its mouth and hissed, red flames surrounding the tips of its tails.
"Talesssssssssss"
An orange gust of humid wind barreled through the air, blasting in its opponents faces. Mightyena, Kenshiro and Martagon lowered their heads, while Aquarius ducked below the blazing wind.
"Mightyena, use Scary Face!"
Mightyena barked twice. His eyes and snout glowed dark purple, growling as he bared his fangs at his opponent. Fake white foam formed from his mouth.
Ninetales whined as it cowered in its spot, shuddering from the thought of being bitten by a mangy mutt like him!
"Aquarius" Kidd commanded. "Use Mud Shot!"
"Marsh!"
Aquarius clapped her flippers. She opened her mouth and pelted a flurry of mud balls, flinging them further with her flippers.
The mud pelted against Ninetales' hide, drenching its fur and slowing it down. The fox Pokemon seethed as it tried to shake the mud off, whining as dirt seeped down its legs.
Benedict shouted,
"Kenshiro, Rock Slide!"
"Lairon-lai!"
Kenshiro stood on his back paws and roared. The spikes on his back glowed white, as a flurry of brown and grey rocks formed from his back. The wave of boulders flew through the air like comets, exploding in Ninetales' face and knocking it backwards.
Tank smoothed the front of his yukata,
"Martagon, Ancient Power!"
"Li-LEEP!"
Martagon whipped his head around, his tentacles glowing purple as he formed a circle of orbiting white stones. He threw his head forward, blasting the shiny white stones at Ninetales' ankles.
Ninetales lowered its head, skidding backwards as prehistoric rocks pelted its hide.
Despite the barrage of super-effective attacks, Fauna's expression stayed as flat as an old can of soda.
"Ninetales. Energy Ball"
"Nine-nine!"
Ninetales barked, opening its mouth to form an emerald-green ball of energy. The fox Pokemon's tails whipped violently as the ball grew bigger than its head.
"Nine-TALES!"
The ball of energy blasted across the stage, throwing Aquarius off the stage and slamming her against a streetlamp.
The streetlamp vibrated in its spot, shaking violently as Aquarius fell onto her stomach.
"AQUARIUS!"
Kidd screamed as he ran to the streetlamp. He kneeled down to his Pokemon's eye level, scooping her up off the ground.
"Marshtomp…."
Aquarius groaned as she fell limp.
Kidd gritted his teeth. There was no way in hell he was going to put her through the rest of the fight!
"It's gonna be alright" Kidd assured her as he returned her to her Poke Ball. "Rest up, okay?"
He ran back up to the group and tossed another Poke Ball.
"Scorpio! Vive la Kalos!"
"BaGON!"
Scorpio howled, tiny purple flames flickering from her body.
She stomped on the stage, wiping some sweat from her forehead.
Deirdre pointed ahead,
"Mightyena, Poison Fang!"
Mightyena leaped above the other three Pokemon, forming a dripping ball of pure black sludge. The dark type swallowed the ball, lunged forward and clamped his jaws down on Ninetales' hide.
Ninetales howled an ear-piercing screech, blasting Mightyena in the face with a concentrated Flamethrower. Mightyena coughed and sputtered as the arid heat pushed him to the other end of the stage.
The fox Pokemon heaved in its spot, but stopped when it saw its trainers' stone-cold face. Right, no time to rest.
"Guys, I got a great idea. Hear me out" Benedict explained as he rolled up his yukata sleeves.
"Kenshiro! Get Martagon and Scorpio on your back!"
"LaiRON!"
Kenshiro nodded. He lowered his head, staying still as Martagon used his tentacles to throw himself behind Kenshiro's front spike.
Scorpio climbed on top of Kenshiro's left side, positioning herself right behind his head.
"You're crazy,"
Tank pointed out. "But after five badges? I know you've got this"
Benedict winked and smiled,
"Well someone's gotta keep me in check!"
He turned back to his Pokemon
"Now, run an' use Iron Head!"
"LaiRONNNNN!" Kenshiro bellowed, his head glowing metallic silver as he charged across the stage. The wooden planks rumbled underneath his feet.
He headbutted Ninetales in the chest, knocking it backwards. Ninetales yelped as it backflipped in the air, landing on its feet. Its tails slowed down, floating around like jellyfish in the sea.
Kenshiro turned to his right and skidded against the stage, stopping so he and his teammates could face their opponent.
Kidd got pumped up
"Scorpio! Use Dragon Breath in Ninetales' face!"
"Ba-GON!"
Scorpio leaped high into the air. She roared before spewing a barrage of blue and purple flames into Ninetales' face, throwing her head back and baring her throat.
"Martagon!"
Tank yelled. "Acid!"
"Lileep!"
Martagon whipped his head in a circle, pelting a ball of violet acid at Ninetales' chest. The acid splattered in the air, drenching Ninetales' fur in sticky goo that smelled like it belonged at a psychedelic rock concert.
Deirdre shouted,
"Finish it off with Assurance!"
Mightyena sprinted across the stage. His front paws glowed purple as he clawed twice at Ninetales, pushing it off the stage.
"Nine!"
Ninetales yelped as it stumbled backwards, falling off the stage in its own defeat. The fox Pokemon was completely done for….
Fauna blinked twice. She held out her Nest Ball, blinking twice as she returned Ninetales to its ball. Without another word, she looked at her underlings and nodded. The pack of deer lined up behind her, following her as she took off for the outskirts of Oldale Town.
The crowd of animals burst into applause, several dogs whistling while others hooted and hollered.
Deirdre blushed as celebration broke out. Who needed Team Cottage when she had a whole town who cared about her!
The boys high-fived each other, as their Pokemon danced in victory. Kenshiro and Martagon headbanged together, while Scorpio breakdanced on stage. Several animals noticed her breakdancing, clapping in rhythm as she balanced on one hand and spun in her spot. Her Unovan flavor of dancing was a surprise, but a welcome one to the melting pot that is the Hoenn region.
After a solid ten minutes, Scorpio flipped in the air and landed on her feet, bowing to her audience. Immediately, a solid white light engulfed her body.
Scorpio doubled in size, as her silhouette formed into a large ball on four stubby legs. The white light burst into stars.
"Shel–" Scorpio looked around at her surroundings, then looked back down. She was now a cocoon on legs. This was certainly a surprise, but a very welcome one.
"Shelgon!" she roared, closing her eyes and bobbing her body up and down.
Kidd ran up to his Pokemon, hugging her from her side
"Congratulations, Scorpio!"
"Shelgon-shel!"
Scorpio chirped, using her bulkier body to throw Kidd on top.
"Whoa!"
Kidd gasped as he sat on top of his Pokemon. He smoothed down his yukata, then gripped onto her hide. He was surprised at how silky smooth her new scales were. This actually felt pretty fun. He called out,
"Hey, Benedict!"
"Yeah?"
Benedict yelled back before gasping. "Whoa, no way!"
Kidd flipped his hair
"Yeah, she just threw me on like this. Impressive, huh?"
"Heck yeah"
Benedict said as he whistled for his Pokemon. "If y'all want, I'll race ya!"
"I'm good,"
Kidd shook his head.
"Besides, I think Kenshiro's faster than Scorpio."
"I think you guys are both ridiculous"
Tank stuck his tongue out. "Oh, by the way, I couldn't get us a hotel BUT Deirdre offered us a place at her house"
"Oh, that's sweet of her"
Kidd said. "How much is she charging?"
"It's nothing"
Tank flashed a smile. "I actually knew her from Fortree City!"
"Is that so?" Kidd asked.
Pale stars decorated the evening skies, leaving room for glowing lanterns. A colony of Volbeat and Illumise joined the crowd, chirping as a vendor let them dance under the golden light.
Younger children chased each other with glow sticks, while older kids took selfies under the warm lantern light.
The boys were inside Deirdre's house, watching the scene from her living room. The cozy kotatsu was a welcome change from the frigid night. A framed photo of a lion hung on the door, with a small signature on the left corner.
"So, let me get this straight,"
Kidd said before sipping his hot chocolate. "You two went to the same school but also NOT the same one?"
"She was a few grades ahead of me,"
Tank clarified. "In fact she was my social studies tutor."
"Exactly," Deirdre explained. Her voice was as bitter as uncooked kale. "I graduated several months ago, only weeks before the incident happened. I was hoping to work as a park ranger, but the market was competitive. Then, a few weeks later, I got a letter with a mushroom sticker, telling me about great pay, working with nature, making Hoenn a better region to live in."
She sniffled, wiping a tear from her right eye.
"And I fell for it. If I had known they would ransack Fortree City, I never would've joined"
Tank patted Deirdre on the back, staying silent as she took a deep breath in and out.
Benedict and Kidd looked at each other again. So many grunts were animals just like them, with hopes and dreams, but had fallen into the wrong hands.
"Mightyena helps a lot," Deirdre explained. "I caught him after I freed myself from Cottage, and he makes me feel complete."
She fidgeted with the badge on her chest.
"Was that badge a gift?"
Benedict asked.
Deirdre nodded
"It was one, yes. It's one of the few things I have left from Fortree City"
Tank looked visibly uncomfortable.
When the gang would reach Fortree City, he'd tell Benedict and Kidd more about his aniki.
"Tank?"
Deirdre asked.
"Yeah?"
Tank looked up from his mug.
Deirdre smiled, ready to change the topic.
"You're still drawing, right?"
Tank's ears pricked up.
"Yeah!" he jolted up, before pulling out his sketchbook and flipping to a page. "I did some art of Rotom's Charming Angels"
"This looks great!"
Deirdre gushed. "Hey, you even got Medicham's scar from episode twenty-three!"
Several hours later, the boys were curled up in bed, drifting off to sleep. The room was completely silent, except for stifled breaths and the ceiling fan's gentle hum. A thick quilt was laid over the boys, its fabric comforting to the touch.
Fireworks popped and crackled outside, the endless festivities refusing to rest. If ransacking couldn't stop its fun, then what else could?
New days, new conventions, and new connections await the boys, as the journey continues.