Pokémon Crossing: Fly Me to the Moon

by cherrybombbees

Three fourteen-year-old boys receive their starters from Professor Tom Nook and travel the Hoenn region to find and accomplish their goals. But troubles lie ahead for the trio- tough battles, two new villainous teams on the rise, an impending apocalypse. Will this world let them see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars?

42. Flowering Sky High Mega Evolution!

Hornsby sneered in contempt as he looked down at the trio. "Talk about acting childish!"

The boys looked up and glared. Great, Hornsby's back from school, with the same smug attitude from last night. His uniform was the same from last night; well, at least he cared enough to wash it.

Tank looked up; huh, that was weird. Hornsby was completely alone on the bridge. "Hey, you're one to talk! Where's your friends at?" he asked.

Hornsby rolled his eyes, as furious pink blush glowed on his cheeks. "They're- they're busy! Why do you care so much anyways?"

"Oh, it's nothing," Tank shrugged. "Just that you look lonely."

Hornsby huffed as he turned his chin up. "I'm not lonely! Where'd you get such a stupid idea from?"

"Probably the fact that you're walking home alone," Tank snarked back.

Hornsby waved him off. "Tank, stop pointing out things about me. I'm going home, so leave me alone!" he yelled before running down the bridge.

"I dunno 'bout you guys, but I don't think he has any friends," Benedict pointed out. "I know guys like him who overcompensate a lot 'bout that stuff"

Kidd tilted his head. "Tank, is that true?"

Tank leaped off the silk net and grabbed onto the nearest ladder. "I don't know, I haven't been to Fortree City High!" He turned around, holding tightly to the ropes as they swayed in their spot. "And before anyone asks, no we are NOT going in there!"

Benedict and Kidd looked at each other for a minute. They followed him back onto the bridge, wandering around for a bit. Kidd looked away for a minute, then grabbed Benedict's wrist. The fabric sleeve felt itchy, yet comfortable to the touch.

Tank stopped for a minute. He looked down below the ladder; oh, yippee, more Kecleon scurrying to the Pokemon Center. A blue and green stone gleamed– hey, now wait just a damn minute!

"Come on!" he yelled as he chased after the wild Pokemon.

Benedict and Kidd rushed behind him, holding hands as they leaped into a nearby bush. The boys crawled through the bush, damp mud splattering against their clothes before they leaped out of the foliage.

A duo of Kecleon yelped as they jumped away, revealing a sky-high pile of treasure. Jewels glittered and gleamed, exposing themselves to the sun like trenchcoated men on the streets.

Tank ran to the stash, got on his knees and rummaged through the items. Pleather wallets, kitschy lanyards and used socks flew from the pile. He sighed in relief as he pulled out his Mega Bracelet and held it up in the air.

Benedict ran to the other side of the pile, carelessly tossing everything aside as he kept looking for his phone. "Hey, Kidd!" he hollered as he pulled a fistful of enamel pins from the ground. "I found the buttons!"

"Great!" Kidd yelled. "Hey, I got a better idea!"
He pulled out his Rotom Phone, looked up Benedict's number, then dialed it.

Something loudly vibrated in the pile's core. Benedict dived into the core, kicking away several items as he yanked his phone out of the pile. He popped out of the heap of stolen goods, holding out his phone like a demented carnival prize.

Tank wiped some dirt off his pants. "Benedict, you forgot to turn it off"

"Oh, right," Benedict shrugged his shoulders. He swiped his phone off and shoved it in his hoodie pocket. "Hey, Kidd! Heads up!"

"Don't you dare!" Kidd stomped towards the pile, crawling on top of several items. He snatched the buttons and placed them back on his messenger bag.

Benedict snorted. "I wasn't gonna throw them!"

"Then why'd you say heads up?" Kidd snarked back. "To throw me off?"

Benedict grabbed Kidd's wrist and led him off the pile. "Nah, I just think it's cute when y'all get heated up"

"Guys, stop being adorable," Tank laughed to himself. He slid the Mega Bracelet back on his wrist before leading his partners back to the city canopies. "So what do you guys wanna do? I'm not ready to go back home myself"

Benedict looked back down from the bridge. "Well, I was thinkin' I'd go back to the gym later"

"Later?" Kidd's ears pricked up. "I thought you'd be running there like it was your last day on earth!"

"Nah, my Pokemon an' I had a great time already," Benedict explained. "And 'sides, I'll go back tomorrow, 'cause I should spend more time with both y'all!"

Tank popped his shirt's collar. "Aw, that's so sweet Benedict! Well, actually, I was thinking of going to the museum in town!"

"What for?"
Benedict asked. "Do y'all know someone who works there?"

"Yep!" Tank explained as he led the way. "Plus Kidd and I found a book in that Secret Base back in Route 119"

The boys headed to the museum. Despite its small size, its content could rival even Mauville or Lilycove City! Sepia posters lined the wall, depicting concerts of decades past.

A camouflaged frog peeked over the counter, squinting as he tried to climb above the stepstool.

"Oh, hey Camofrog!" Tank called out. "I found this book in a nearby Secret Base"

"Oh, did you now?" Camofrog crossed his arms as he walked up to the boys. He snatched the book from Tank's arms, carelessly flipping through it. "Hey, this is perfect"

Tank tilted his head. "It is?"

"Well why wouldn't it be!" Camofrog yelled as he slammed the book shut. A cloud of dust flew into his face. "Why, I've needed more donations for the Dancing Bears exhibit"

While Tank and Camofrog rambled about Fortree City history, Benedict looked at Kidd. "Huh, I thought this museum would have more Pokemon stuff" he whispered.

"I thought so too," Kidd shrugged and pointed out. "Oh, hey, a gift section. And look: not a single tacky magnet or ugly shirt to be found!"

"Oh, good," Benedict hushed back. "I was hopin' for somethin' made of real Fortree wood"

Kidd grabbed Benedict's wrist and led him to the gift section. The boys rummaged through everything: wooden pens, vinyl stickers, hemp hoodies, postcards, and of course, comically oversized Pokemon plushies.

Tank walked up behind them and asked. "Hey, do you guys want anything?"

Kidd picked up a small plush Wurmple keychain. The velvety fabric felt pleasant to the touch. "You mean it?"

"Of course!" Tank beamed as he whipped out his wallet. "This place isn't a tourist trap after all!" He pointed at the Wurmple keychain. "That's made of real Wurmple silk, by the way"

"Is that so?" Kidd looked closely at the keychain. He gently squeezed it; so that's why it didn't cave in like shoddier keychains at the Poke Mart.

Benedict grabbed himself a pack of white ribbons. "What 'bout these?"

"Yep, those too!" Tank looked closer at the ribbons. "Oh, are these for your Pokemon?"

Benedict nodded twice. "I figured since I got this Key Stone, I might as well have somethin' for tyin' Mega Stones to my Pokemon!" He could imagine it now; Asuka with a large bow on her tail, Coffret with one on his wing, Jojo and Makoto with ribbons on their wrists, Frieza with a snazzy collar, and Kenshiro with a cool headband straight out of a martial arts movie.

Tank grabbed another pack of ribbons. "Hey, I should get some for Fern then!"

After the boys paid for their merchandise, they headed outside, walked around for an hour before a wild Dustox jumpscared them. After running away from a particularly loud Bug Buzz attack, they headed straight back to Tank's house. Yep, everything was the same as this morning. Rockwell was busy in the kitchen, while Hornsby sat on the sofa and continued his studies.

"Oh, I thought you guys left already,"
Hornsby looked up from his papers and glared.

"No way!" Tank shook his head. "Benedict's gonna battle the Gym Leader tomorrow!"

Hornsby rolled his eyes. "The answer to a question I didn't ask" he snarked. "Can you guys not bother me until dinner's ready?"

"Not quite, kiddo!"
Rockwell hollered from the kitchen. "I still gotta slice up the Basculin!"

Tank jumped up and gasped.
"Basculin? No way, you're making Hisuian donburi?!"

"Yeah, I got a great deal from the Lilycove Market!" Rockwell shouted.
"You boys have fun, I'll have dinner ready soon!"

"Oh, we will!" Tank yelled back.
He grabbed a few Poke Balls. "And I know just who to bring out!"

He twirled in his spot and released Shiitake and Victoria. The two Pokemon trilled as they jumped up and down in their spot.

Kidd whispered, "Any reason you didn't bring out Grevillea?"

"Yeah, my dad got attacked by a Shiftry," Tank explained. "And I really don't want to traumatize him so"

"Oh, I see!" Kidd smiled as he released Aries and Libra.

"Aw, what the heck!" Benedict shrugged. This time, he released just Makoto and Coffret.

The boys went back into Tank's bedroom, ready to watch another movie. This time, they watched a movie about a girl moving to Pastoria City and befriending a strange blonde-haired girl.

All six Pokemon looked at each other and chirped. Makoto, Libra and Shiitake went to the kotatsu to play a round of cards, while Aries and Coffret played a game of patty cake. Victoria wandered into the kitchen, prodding at Rockwell's boot.

"Oh, you must be one of Tank's little Pokemon," Rockwell noted as he fried up the Barboach meat. He kneeled down and petted Victoria on the head, lightly chuckling as Victoria quacked back. It didn't surprise him to see Tank using grass-type Pokemon. If only someone else knew how to deal with his own trauma….

Victoria wandered back to the living room. She jumped on the couch, bouncing up and down on one of the cushions.

Hornsby turned his head and yelled, "Stop that, I'm trying to study!"

Victoria rolled her eyes and huffed. She went to the kotatsu and joined her pals for a game. By the time dinner rolled around, Libra won the most rounds.

Rockwell whistled as he carried several bowls to the table. "Boys!" he shouted. "Dinner's ready!"

"In a minute, dad!" Tank yelled back. "I haven't paused the movie yet!"

"Tank, if you don't pause it now, I'll give your dinner to my Rhyperior!" Rockwell taunted him.

"Okay, okay!" Tank laughed before he closed the laptop shut and went back out to the living room.

The boys released the rest of their Pokemon outside, watching as Rockwell filled up a large tray with Pokemon food. A large brown rhino Pokemon released himself from his Poke Ball, effortlessly carrying the tray thanks to Baltoy's help.

Rockwell sat back down at the kotatsu, muttering to himself about how his leg still itched. Hornsby joined the group for dinner, staying silent as he chewed on tender Basculin meat and sticky white rice. To the surprise of none, Rockwell and Benedict cleared off all the natto.

"So," Rockwell asked in between bites of natto and rice. "How was school, Hornsby?"

"Terrible," Hornsby sighed. "I only got a ninety-nine on my math test"

Tank rolled his eyes. Why does Hornsby need to make school his whole freaking personality?!

"I see," Rockwell noted.
"So, Benedict, have you battled Celia yet?"

Benedict shook his head.
"Nah, not yet. My Pokemon trained already, so they gotta rest. I'm gonna do it tomorrow though!"

"Great to hear!" Rockwell yelled before scarfing down more meat and rice. "I love watching a good gym battle!"

Hornsby cleared off his meal, then snuck back to his bedroom.

"You know," Rockwell pointed out. "Celia's the only Fortree City resident who can Mega Evolve her Pokemon!"

Benedict looked at Tank. "Looks like y'all were right 'bout that part!"

"Well, it's only because I know Fortree like the back of my hoof," Tank winked at Benedict.

Later that night...

—-

Benedict groaned as he looked around at his surroundings. Great; everything looked just like Southern Island, from the pink grass to pastel skies. Well, at least the two Marill weren't here this time.

A red hen walked through the flowery field. Her long flowing twin braids and pastel dress billowed in the wind. Pink, white and blue flowers snagged between locks and fabric.

Benedict jolted backwards, nearly tripping on a white boulder. "Now who in the hell are y'all?!"

The hen smiled as she held out a bouquet of pastel colored roses. "Don't be silly, you know me all too well! I'm a part of your consciousness. I'm who you really are, I'm-"

"Yeah, yeah, self-repression an' all that. But what does this gotta do with anythin'?" Benedict shouted. "Seriously, I've been havin' this stupid dream for weeks!"

The hen closed her eyes and warmly chuckled. She flipped one of her braids behind her shoulder. "That's because I'm telling you to come out! We can't just hide it away like some tacky t-shirt won from a cheap radio show for knowing the lyrics to some overplayed song!"

"That's what I'm afraid of!" Benedict trembled as he ripped a fistful of grass out of the ground. "Do y'all know what would happen if everyone knew about you– about us! Let's see… the gym leaders would think I'm some sort of perv, my Pokemon wouldn't wanna listen to me, oh, how about Tank and Kidd breakin' up with me? Is that what y'all want, huh?! Everythin' is gonna-"

She pulled her wing back and slapped Benedict across the face. "None of that is happening! For Arceus' sake, stop deluding yourself already!"

Benedict reached up to touch the slap mark, wincing as it stung like a dozen Beedrill.

"You've dealt with a lot worse stuff!" the hen ranted back. "Everything with Team Cottage, those five days stuck on Route 119, losing to Butch. You can't hide me forever!"

"I…" Benedict gulped and held a loose strand of hair. Everything hit him like a titanium baseball bat to the skull. Damnit, she was right! Several near-death experiences, living off berries and Carvanha meat, public humiliation by a gym battle gone wrong, that left him shuddering. "I'll do it!"

He declared. "I'm comin' out tonight! I can do it!"

The hen's facade faded away. "That's what I wanted to hear," she gently smiled before pulling a flower out of her hair. She tucked it in Benedict's hair before tightly embracing him. Pink and white hollyhocks flew around in the wind, engulfing the duo like a flytrap swallowing prey.

—-

Benedict woke up in a cold sweat. He panted as he ran a wing through his hair, then turned to face the clock. Two freakin' thirty in the morning.

"Hey, um, guys?" he asked as he nudged the duo awake.

Kidd mumbled in his sleep before waking up. "Benedict, what's going on?"

Tank yawned as he shuffled in his spot.
"Seriously, it's two in the morning!"

"I know that!" Benedict snapped back. "Well, um, actually…..can we go to Brewster's? I got somethin' pretty important I gotta tell y'all"

"Brewster's?"
Tank asked. "I mean, I know they're open all the time but can't this wait until morning?"

"No way!"
Benedict shook his head as he crawled out of bed. "Brewster's is part of the plan"

Kidd whispered. "I think he wants to propose to us"

"Kidd, please!" Tank hushed back. "Besides, out of all of us, I'd be the one to propose. I've read enough shoujo manga to know how a proposal works, and it's not late at night at a coffee shop!"

"You don't know that!" Kidd flicked his nose.

"Yeah, I do!" Tank snarked back.

After the trio got dressed, Benedict led the way outside. The door clicked as everyone wandered outside. Beautifly and Dustox hummed in the air, joined by the sound of screaming Nincada. Whistlings winds swayed through cool late-night air.

"I still don't get why we're going to Brewster's this late at night. Is something bad happening?" Tank asked.

"Nope." Benedict stopped in his tracks. "Well, not bad for y'all, but…" Screw it, this wasn't the time for a flowery speech!

"Okay, fine, I'll tell y'all 'fore we go in!" He took a deep breath in, before tugging the hair ties off their wrist. After pulling their hair into a pair of low pigtails, they rummaged through their backpack to pull out an old item: the purple flower hair-clip from Dewford Town. They pinned the flower to their hair, then turned around with a smile.

"Startin' today, I'm goin' by Holly," she explained. "There, that's what I wanted to tell ya guys!"

Kidd and Tank looked at each other for a minute.

Holly grabbed her hoodie strings. Dread flooded her entire body. Was this a stupid idea? Were they going to laugh at her, ditch her for good, grab her and throw her over the bridge? Her heart raced from the sheer silence; would someone say something already?!

Tank stepped forward and pulled Holly into a tight hug, squeezing her like a stuffed animal.
"Congratulations!" he cheered as he spun her around.

Holly blushed hard as she stepped back on the ground. She laughed in pure joy; this was much better than expected!

"Seriously, Holly is a beautiful name," Kidd flipped some of his hair. "And I think it fits a girl like you"

"Damn right it does!" Holly yelled back. "Now let's get some coffee!"

With a carefree skip in her step, Holly led her boyfriends to Brewster's. It was comically easy to find, thanks to it being the only building open after midnight. She slammed the door open and strolled to the counter.

The barista, a green pigeon with a mustache, adjusted his glasses. "And how can I help the three of you?"

Holly whipped out her wallet. "I'm thinkin'... A raspberry mocha Kalos vanilla cappuccino. What 'bout the two of you?"

"Hot chocolate's fine," Kidd yawned as he tried to stay awake.

Tank shrugged as he placed his hooves in his pocket. "Pink tea sounds good"

"Six hundred Poke Dollars,"
the pigeon said as he wrote on the cups. "And that'll be for?"

Holly pushed one of her pigtails behind her shoulder, looking closely at the barista's nametag. "It's for Holly" she said as she handed him the money.

"Coo," the pigeon noted.

The trio went to sit down at an empty booth. Tank and Kidd sat at one end, while Holly sat at the other.

"So," Kidd asked as he tapped his hooves against the table. "Why'd you pick the name Holly?"

"Well," Holly readjusted one of her pigtails. The hair tie felt too itchy; ugh, she had to buy some new ones in the morning, maybe with cute Pokemon patterns. "It's my favorite flower"

Tank looked closely at Holly's flower. He wondered to himself, why was she hiding it for so long? "Hey I just remembered; you're friends with that girl Flora, right? Is that a coincidence that you both have flowery names?"

"It's not," Holly shook her head. "Well, I actually told her 'fore I moved here an' she loved the idea of us both havin' flower names."

Kidd adjusted his scarf. "So, Holly, do you wanna get some new clothes when we're here or?"

"Nah, not yet," Holly shrugged her shoulders. "Just havin' the flower an' pigtails is good for now. Maybe in Lilycove I'll get somethin' new" She winked at Kidd. "Maybe I'll need a little help"

"Three drinks for….Holly?" the barista announced, his voice booming through the entire cafe.

Holly got up and grabbed the drinks with one hand. "Thanks," she said before heading back to the table.

The trio took their drinks, sipping in silence. Tank looked outside; a group of wild Venomoth flew outside, their wings fluttering in the pale moonlight. A large colony of Dustox hovered behind them, one of the moth Pokemon wearing two ribbons on its antennae.

"Thanks for bein' cool about this," Holly sighed in relief. "I actually wanted to tell y'all back in Littleroot, but I was focused more on bein' a trainer an' takin' on the League."

Tank placed a hoof on Holly's cup, gently brushing up against her wing. "Well, I'm just glad you did it when you wanted to!"

"And besides," Kidd assured her. "If anyone says a word about you, we'll beat them black and blue."

The duo looked at him.

"What?" Kidd pointed out. "Nobody messes with my girlfriend, non?"

"Our girlfriend, Kidd," Tank nudged him with his elbow.

The trio snickered together; nothing would change the power trio. After finishing their drinks, they headed back to Tank's house, getting a good night's rest for an exciting new day...

The next morning played out the same as yesterday; Hornsby rushing for school with yet another piece of toast in his mouth, Rockwell cooking a delightful breakfast, and the quad hanging around at the kotatsu.

"Holly, huh?" Rockwell noted to himself. "Yknow, I got a friend whose like you."

"Amber, right?" Holly asked. "Well, I actually met her back in Mauville. She's got a Sandshrew an' a Graveler, an' she helped my Lairon learn Bulldoze so I could beat Static!"

Rockwell held a hoof to his chin. "Ground-types, huh?" he said. "I'm not surprised; a lot of Fortree residents do like them. Well, after Leopold died, a lot of trainers here started using different types."

Holly placed a wing on her chest. "Did some trainers just not like Pokémon after that?"

Rockwell slowly nodded. "A few of them did, yes. Some just thought 'Oh if a gym leader can die then why should I even bother with Pokémon'. If you ask me I find it ridiculous"

She stayed silent. Maybe that's why Hornsby didn't particularly care for them... But did it really excuse him being so distant from his own family?!

---

Pale orange rays of light crept through the empty windows. Curtains billowed inside the Fortree City gym, as a pair of Wurmple crawled inside. The duo of worm Pokemon inched their way up the walls, using String Shot to dangle themselves from the ceiling.

Celia hummed to herself as she lifted a pair of blue and white dumbbells. Instead of her usual boiler suit and combat boots ensemble, she wore a tight black crop top and loose-fitting mid-thigh gym shorts. The snappy guitars and deep bass of her playlist boomed through the entire gym. Footsteps echoed through the floor as she paused her song.

"Morning!" she called out.

"Howdy!" another girl called out. "I'm here for a gym battle!"

"Oh, are you now?" Celia asked as she watched the stranger walk inside: a young hen with her hair in large pigtails.

The girl pointed to herself. "Yep! The name's Holly Sussex!"

"Sussex, huh?... Oh you're the Castelia girl!" Celia gasped. She heard from other trainers about a hot-blooded redhead from Castelia City, but didn't think she'd be challenging her already. She squinted at the girl's flower; what was that stone in the center, and why was it so familiar?

"Hell yea I am!" Holly twirled in her spot, holding up one of her Poke Balls. "So, what time do y'all wanna battle?"

Celia set her dumbbells down on the table.
"How about in an hour?"

"That's fine by me," Holly beamed in confidence. "Are we battlin' in town square?"

"Of course,"
Celia wiped some sweat off her forehead and placed a towel on her shoulders. "I'll let the girls know, too."

"Awesome!" Holly cheered.

An hour later…

Countless residents gathered at the town square. Some animals sat on wooden benches, while others brought lawn chairs and picnic blankets. Rockwell, Tank and Kidd sat on the largest bench, ready to watch Holly kick some ass. A few trainers secured their tripod cameras, while others whipped out their phones. Several Taillow flew through the air, setting up nets to barricade the town square.

Gladys stood on a large wooden box, carefully balancing herself in the middle. "Today's match is between Celia Carlisle of Fortree City and Hollyhock Sussex of Castelia City!" she announced as she held up two flags: one white and one red. "May both parties bring out their first Pokemon!"

Celia unclipped an Ultra Ball, held it close to her chest, then held it back out. "Cirrus. Take to the skies!"

"Trooooooo!" A large Tropius flew out of the ball, hovering in her spot. A strange yellow berry dangled from a pendant wrapped around her neck.

So that's how she wants to play, Holly thought to herself. She put Frieza's ball away before pulling out a different one.
"Kenshiro! Let's rock and roll!"

"Lai-RON!" Kenshiro barked as he landed against the wooden logs.

Gladys twirled both her flags. "Battle, start!"

Celia snapped her fingers. "Cirrus, bless the battlefield with Sunny Day!"

Cirrus fanned out her wings and howled. The overcast clouds faded away to intensify the Hoenn sun. Several audience members put on sunglasses and wide-brimmed hats, while others applied sunscreen.

Holly shrugged off the heat. This was just pumping her up for battle!
"Kenshiro, set up with Stealth Rock!"

"Lairon, lai!" Kenshiro stomped against the ground. A flurry of shuriken-shaped stones emerged from the wooden surface, forming a strange maze on the ground.

Celia facepalmed into both hands. Why didn't she teach any of her Pokemon Defog… No, she would not fall to the sneaky pebbles!
"Cirrus, Solar Beam!"

Cirrus roared and blasted a neon green beam from her mouth.

Kenshiro curled into a ball and rolled across the patio, narrowly dodging each blast of sunlit energy. The solar beam dissolved into bright green sparkles.

"Now! Kenshiro, Rock Slide!"

Kenshiro stomped twice and roared, as a sharp flurry of boulders fell through the sky and pelted Cirrus' hide. The fruit Pokemon flipped up her pendant and swallowed her berry, softening the blow. She flapped her wings in a quick flurry, squinting at her opponent.

"Cirrus, aim for his face with Air Slash!"

Cirrus fanned out her wings as she nosedived through the air. Her wings glowed pale blue as she threw her head back and blasted sharp blades of energy.

"Iron Head!"

Kenshiro's head gleaned silver as he zigzagged across the battlefield, dodging every energy blade before leaping into the air. He charged forward and headbutted Cirrus in the stomach.

The fruit Pokemon wheezed as she flew backwards. She crashed against the netting before falling flat on her stomach. The heavy sun faded away, smothered by clouds as Cirrus groaned under her breath.

"Cirrus the Tropius is unable to battle!" Gladys announced. "The winner is Kenshiro the Lairon!"

"Calvus!" Celia boasted as she tossed another Ultra Ball. "Check it in and check it out!"

A Skarmory screeched as he flew onto the battlefield, fanning out his metallic wings. A few stray rocks dug into his feet, but he kicked them away before they could scrape him up too much.

Holly squinted. This had to be some sort of strange coincidence; Frank and Apollo both own a Skarmory, now Celia has one too….Clearly, she's got to be related SOMEHOW to the Hawkwinds! But there's no time to dwell on that! She posed with her next Poke Ball. "Frieza, come on out, buddy!"

Frieza howled as he landed against the battlefield. Small blue sparks surrounded his feet as he glared at his opponent. Oh yes, this was going to be fun!

"Y'know," Holly pointed out. "Frieza here evolved when he was battlin' a wild Skarmory. An' I know damn well what he's doin!"

"Very nice to know," Celia nodded. "But has he dealt with this yet? Calvus, use Sandstorm!"

"Shkraaaaaaaaaa!" Calvus screeched as he threw his head back. A thick brown cloud of dust formed in the air, engulfing the entire battlefield. Frieza closed his right eye and winced as sand and dust pelted against his hide.

Holly tightened the strings on her hoodie and yelled, "Frieza! Throw your head up an' use Thunder Wave!"

"Ne-tric!" Frieza barked back. He took a deep breath in and blasted several rings of yellow electricity.

"Knock it away with Tailwind!"

Calvus whipped his wings at a lightning pace, slapping away the Thunder Wave as he darted high into the skies. The iron bird Pokemon snickered as he watched Frieza grit his teeth in frustration.

Holly looked closely at the contrails behind Calvus' tail. Oh, now there's an idea! "Frieza! Use Flamethrower on the wind!"

Frieza charged through the heavy sandstorm, ducking his head before leaping into the skies. He threw his head back and blasted a stream of orange and blue flames at Calvus' tailwind. The flames swirled around the winds, forming a rapid tornado before engulfing Calvus whole.

The iron bird Pokemon tried to fan away the fire, but winced as the flames grew stronger, wrapping themselves around his body like an Ekans suffocating its prey.

"Use Slash!"

Calvus charged through the air, small flames flying around his tail as he pulled his legs back and slashed across the air. Frieza flinched as the claw marks stung his chest. He skidded across the wooden platform, small splinters digging into his legs and dust swallowing him whole.

Holly unzipped her hoodie, revealing her Volcarona-print tank top. "Frieza! Stay in your spot and use Thunderbolt!"

"Ma-neee…" Frieza howled as white and yellow electricity engulfed his entire body. "TRIIIIIIIIIIIIICCCCCCC!"
Lemon yellow and raspberry blue lightning bolts flew from his body, zigzagging through the remaining dust clouds. Calvus tried to blow wind through the air, but screeched as the lightning bolts struck his entire body. His scales turned black as he froze up and fell to the ground like a meteor. A thin trail of black smoke billowed from his mouth, as he fanned out his wings and fell on his left side. "Shkraaa…."

The sandstorm faded away, leaving the skies as clear as freshly cleaned glass.

Gladys counted to three. "Calvus the Skarmory is unable to battle! The winner is Frieza the Manectric!"

Celia returned Calvus to his Ultra Ball. "Next time, let's work on some Ground-type moves," she assured her Pokemon.

"That was awesome, Frieza!" Holly cheered as she jumped up and down.

"Ne-tric!" Frieza barked back. He turned his head up in pride, raring to keep up the good work.

"Stratus, don't hold back the rain!" Celia stepped backwards as she released her next Pokemon.

Stratus sang as she flapped her wings. "Pelipper-peli-pe!" She winced as some of the Stealth Rock got in her wings, poking between her digits.

Muggy black clouds formed over the battlefield, joined by a thick downpour of warm rain.

"Frieza, return!" Holly shouted as she turned Frieza to his Poke Ball.

Some of the audience members whispered to each other; what in the world was she doing?!

Holly posed with another Poke Ball. "Coffret, let's go!"

"Swa-bluuuuu!" Coffret sang as he flapped his wings in the air. Thin cotton balls flew off his body, growing bigger as they floated above him. The cotton engulfed the clouds, clearing up the thick rain.

Celia gasped, "Oh my." This wasn't part of her plan at all!

"That's the power of Cloud Nine for ya!" Holly shouted. "Great ability, ain't it?"

"It sure is," Celia folded her wings together. "I should know, I also have a Pokemon with that ability~"

"Is that so?!" Holly taunted her. "Well I can't wait to battle 'em next! Coffret, use Disarming Voice!"

"Blu-blu!" Coffret chirped before opening his beak and screaming at the top of his lungs. A cluster of pink orbs flew through the air, pounding against his opponent's eardrums.

Stratus squawked as she tried to swat away the attack. Unfortunately, several orbs flew into her mouth, vibrating her through her entire body.

Celia shook her head. "Stratus, use Water Pulse!"

"Peli-pe!" Stratus chirped. She opened her bill and shot a stream of pale blue water rings.

"Fly through 'em and use Natural Gift!"

"Swa-blu!" Coffret chirped as he tucked his head in. He darted through the water rings like a circus performer, stopping to pull a Pecha Berry from his left wing. Coffret swallowed the berry whole and glared at his opponent. Blinding yellow lightning swirled around his body as he headbutted Stratus.

The pelican Pokemon squawked as pure electricity pulsated through her body. She backflipped in the air before bracing her wings to stop mid-flight.

"Stratus!" Celia unrolled her sleeves and pointed upwards. "Use Ice Beam!"

"Peliiiiii!" Stratus sang as she blasted a seafoam green beam of energy from her gaping jaw.

Coffret darted away in the air, but howled as the beam finally blasted him. A large chunk of ice engulfed him whole, forcing him to fall like a meteor. With a heavy crash to the floor, the ice shattered into thin shards as Coffret fell on his face. "Bluuu…." he grunted.

Gladys held a flag to her left side. "Coffret the Swablu is unable to battle!"

Holly facepalmed. Right, even though Pelipper is a water type, it can still learn ice-type attacks…

Celia smiled and chuckled. "What? You thought I'd pass up the chance to teach my dear Stratus an ice move?"

Holly laughed back. "I know a thing about that" She ran to the battlefield and picked up Coffret in a tight hug. "Hey, Coffret? Y'all were still great" she assured him.

"Swab," Coffret sighed. He closed his eyes, a single tear rolling down his eye as he returned to his Poke Ball.

Holly ran back to the battlefield. "In fact," she flipped her pigtails back before pulling out her next Poke Ball. "I got a water type up my sleeve too! Asuka, let's avenge Coffret!"

"Gyaoooooooo!" Asuka howled as she spiraled in the air like a dancing Arbok. White and yellow sparkles exploded from her body, showing off her gorgeous red scales. She towered over Stratus, giving her opponent the stink eye.

Stratus shuddered, but glared back as she summoned the rain again. Without any cotton birds in sight, she'd drown her opponent like nothing!

Celia clasped her wings. "So beautiful" she whispered to herself. "Stratus, use Hurricane!"

"Peli-peli!" Stratus quacked. She pulled her wings back and formed two large black and white tornadoes. The tornadoes picked up speed before swirling across the battlefield.

Asuka bobbed and weaved her neck, trying to predict where the tornadoes would land.

"Asuka!" Holly commanded. "Let it hit ya an' use Dragon Dance!"

"Gyara," Asuka nodded. She closed her eyes as she let the hurricanes engulf her whole, twisting her around like ramen noodles in boiling hot water. Purple and orange energy swirled in the eye, joined by white sparkles as the hurricane dissolved into white fog.

Asuka flew into the air, using her underbelly and tail muscles to keep her afloat. She bared her pearly fangs, fanning her tail in the pouring rain.

Celia slowly clapped three times. "Now that's a Dragon Dance if I've ever seen one! Stratus, Ice Beam again!"

"Peli-pe!" Stratus opened her mouth and blasted more teal-colored beams. Asuka swayed to the left and right, nimbly dodging every single blast. She stopped at the last one, opening her gaping maw to swallow it whole.

Holly adjusted the flower in her hair. "Asuka! Clamp down with Ice Fang!"

"Gyaoooooo!" Asuka roared as she lunged towards the pelican Pokemon. With white shards of ice flying behind her body, she slithered upwards and clamped down on Pelipper's underbelly. A sky-blue glacier swallowed Stratus whole, forcing Asuka to let go of her opponent.

Stratus plummeted through the rain, falling into a thick black cloud. Raindrops and ice crystals flew through the air, revealing that Stratus crashed on her back. "Peli…"

Gladys tossed a flag in the air and caught it. "Stratus the Pelipper is unable to battle! The winner is Asuka the Gyarados!"

Celia stepped backwards. Throwing her strategy back at herself….Holly is much more clever than the average trainer!

The rain cleared up as Asuka soared back onto the ground, turning around to nuzzle her trainer. Holly giggled as Asuka's whiskers rubbed up against her hoodie. "That was freakin' awesome!" she cheered, before returning Asuka to her Poke Ball.

"I'll have to admit, using my own strategy against me wasn't part of the plan. But I'm not done yet!" Celia folded her wings over her chest as she released her next Pokemon. "Alto, let's sing!"

A large blue bird Pokemon flew into the air, his cottony wings flaring up as he hovered in his spot. The air cleared up completely, leaving a refreshing white mist in the air.

Holly gasped under her breath. So this is what Swablu evolves into, she noted to herself. What an adorable Pokemon! "Makoto, let's fly to the moon!" she shouted as she hurled her Poke Ball like a volleyball.

"Garde!" Makoto sang as he saluted his trainer. He nimbly landed on both feet, posing like a magical girl warrior.

"Oh my, this should be fun," Celia whispered to herself. Her key stone faintly glowed for a second. "Alto! Use Aerial Ace!"

"Tariaaaa!" Alto tucked his wings in and darted through the air, making a sharp turn before ambushing Makoto with a sharp peck.

Makoto closed his eyes as he backflipped from the impact. He landed on his feet and beckoned his opponent to come closer. "Garde-voir!"

"Makoto! Use Psychic!"

"Voir!" Makoto held out both hands. Magenta and cyan energy balls engulfed both hands, his eyes glowing bubblegum pink. He fired a flurry of punches, launching multiple orbs that bombarded Alto's entire body. His antennae flung in the air as each punch knocked him around like a ragdoll.

Celia snapped her fingers, "Alto, use Roost!"

"Tariiii!" Alto chirped as the last punch threw him back against the wall. He clinged to the net, relaxing against the fabric as loose feathers fell from his wings. Faint scratches faded away from his body as he relaxed his facade.

"Makoto, get ready with Calm Mind!"

"Garde!" Makoto spread out his arms as a faint pink aura glowed around his entire body. He shimmied across the battlefield, backing away as he faced down his opponent. This battle was all his!

"Alto! Sky Attack!"

"Tariaaaaa!" Alto ducked his head. A red and white aura glowed around his body as he threw himself off the net and zoomed through the skies.

"Makoto! Finish 'im off with Moonblast!"

Blue and yellow stars twinkled around Makoto's entire body, forming a cosmic tornado around his feet. His hair and skirt flapped in the wind as his eyes glowed cerulean blue. He leaped in the air and formed a pink and purple orb of energy in his palms.
"Gar-DEVOIRRRRR!" he screamed as he threw the orb over his head and launched it at Alto's chest.

The bird Pokemon howled as he flung backwards into the net, wheezing as his wings cushioned the blow. His antennae drooped over his eyes as he fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

Celia held a wing up to her chin. "Alto!" she gasped. "Come on, you can get up, right?!"

Alto grunted as he got back on his feet, but fell back down on the ground.

"I should've known…" Celia pinched the bridge of her beak.

Glady twirled her flag before holding it to one side. "Alto the Altaria is unable to battle! The winner is Makoto the Gardevoir!"

"Garde-voir!" Makoto chirped in joy. He flew back to his trainer, lifting her up in a hug.

"Aww, Makoto, y'all did great!" Holly cheered. "Hey, would y'all like to take a break?"

"Voir," Makoto nodded as he let go of his trainer. He stayed still as Holly returned him to his Poke Ball.

Holly grabbed her next Poke Ball, tossing it up and down as she looked back at her opponent. "I'm ready for anythin'!"

"Oh, are you now?" Celia smiled back. Her Key Stone shone again. It'd been a while since a challenger cornered her into using her last Pokemon, but it made her more determined than ever. With tranquil determination in her soul, she held her wings to the sky as she tossed her final Ultra Ball.

"Ride these winds forever…..Nimbus, your time is now!"

A brown beetle Pokemon screeched as he flipped in the air and landed on his feet, squatting like a sumo wrestler. A black harness tightly wrapped around his upper torso, with a yellow and orange stone attached in the middle. He winced as the sneaky pebbles dug into his feet.

Celia crossed her arms and smiled, "Impressed yet, dear Holly?"

"Oh, just y'all wait!" Holly shouted with glee. Just seeing Nimbus' stone made her burn up. "Say hello to Jojo!"

She spun on the tip of her foot and stopped to release Jojo from his Poke Ball.

Jojo cawed at the top of his lungs and flexed his biceps for the crowd. His Mega Stone dangled from a large white ribbon tied to his right wrist. Its red and orange core glimmered with the clear skies.

Celia's eyes gleamed. How'd she get a Key Stone?! She clasped her wings together. "Ready?"

"Oh, we're doin' this at the same time?" Holly laughed along. "Then heck yeah!"

"Like the wind, we keep on running" Celia held out her left wing, as the stone on her boiler suit patch glowed.

Holly unclipped her hairpin and held it up to the skies. Her pigtails billowed in the wind as her stone gleamed in perfect sync with her opponent's. "Then let's rock this place to the ground!"

Nimbus lowered his head and bared his horns, while Jojo stepped forward and struck a peculiar pose. Their Mega Stones flashed in perfect sync, as their trainers hollered at the top of their lungs.

"Nimbus!"

"Jojo!"

"Mega Evolve!"

Like fireworks ready to explode, iridescent light engulfed both Pokémon. Fuchsia pink and pewter brown shells swallowed the Pokémon whole. Mauve and carmine flames swirled around the shells like Saturn's rings.

Blinding white light cracked from both shells, breaking the barrier away like shackles on a prisoner's ankles. An ear-pounding boom exploded across the battlefield, blowing wind and debris in the audience's faces. A rainbow helix blew into smoke, joined by wispy white smoke.

Nimbus's wings unfolded as he took to the skies. Orange blades and white spikes emerged from his wings and horns, as he pinched his claws at the cool air.

Jojo spiked back his head feathers, as long streams of flames danced around his wrists. He hopped up on one leg, nimbly balancing on the steady wooden planks.

Celia commanded, "Nimbus, use Thrash!"

Nimbus hissed as he darted around the air, pelting Jojo with a flurry of razor sharp punches. Jojo winced as he used his forearms to block as many punches as possible. The claws dug into his feathers, scratching up his skin as he stepped backwards.

"Jojo!" Holly flipped both of her pigtails back. "Duck below an' use Low Sweep!"

Jojo ducked under his opponent before swinging his leg backwards. He cawed as he tripped Nimbus in the air, using his other leg to push him away.

Nimbus screeched as he bounced back against the net. His wings fanned out as he launched himself from the net, darting through the air like a bullet train. He threw his fists back and pummeled Jojo with another flurry of attacks.

Holly thought quickly as she looked closer at the stag beetle Pokemon. Perhaps those wings would be a good weak spot to exploit… "Blaze Kick, now!"

Jojo bobbed and weaved his head as he used his forearms to block yet more punches. He backflipped through the air and landed on his palms. Electric blue and tangerine orange flames surrounded his legs as he punted Nimbus in the stomach.

Nimbus rapidly flapped his wings as he tried to fan away the fire. Unfortunately, the wind blasted smoke and embers into his face. He closed his wings as he dropped through the skies and crash-landed on the ground. Stray logs wobbled around, as an orange light engulfed Nimbus' body. He returned to normal, groaning as he passed out on the spot.

Gladys counted to three. "Nimbus the Pinsir is unable to battle! And with no Pokemon left on Celia's side, victory goes to Hollyhock Sussex of Castelia City!"

The audience burst into cheering. Seeing not one, but two Pokemon Mega Evolve during the battle was worth it!

Celia smiled as she returned Nimbus to his Ultra Ball. "We did our best," she assured her Pokemon.

Jojo crossed his arms over his heart as his Mega Evolution faded away. He ran back to his trainer and high-fived her with both hands. While trainer and Pokemon swapped high-fives, Celia walked up to the duo.

"Holly," she said as she held the badge in her wings. "You've earned this"

Holly beamed in joy as she accepted the badge. It was shaped like a bird's wing and had a beautiful silver color. Six down, just two more to go until she was one step closer to Apollo! "Thanks so much, Celia!"

"I do have to ask though," Celia looked closely at the flower in the other girl's hair. "Where'd you get a Key Stone?"

Holly gently placed the badge in her case. She felt just two steps away from challenging Apollo. "It was a gift from Apollo! He gave Jojo his Mega Stone too"

"Apollo, huh?" Celia held a wing up to her chin. "You're quite lucky; I've only met him twice, and one of those times was for, um, Leopold's funeral"

Holly jolted up; oh, right, gym leaders would attend each others' funerals. "Yeah, I'm hopin' to battle 'im someday"

Before Holly could say another word, Tank charged through the crowd and tackled her in a spine-crushing hug.

"Hey!" Holly squawked. "Don't kill me now!"

"Oops, sorry," Tank laughed as he set her back down. "But that Mega Evolution was awesome!"

Kidd strolled up to the duo, holding Aries in his arms. "I'll admit; that part where Asuka used the tornado for her Dragon Dance? It was beautiful"

"Pika pika!" Aries squeaked as she jumped out of her trainer's arms and nuzzled Holly's leg.

"In fact," Kidd smiled. "When Pisces evolves, I'd love if he could learn that from Asuka"

"I don't think Milotic can learn Dragon Dance," Tank pointed out.

Kidd facepalmed. "Mon dieu, Tank I don't mean that part! I mean the whole spinning around in a tornado act! It'd be quite gorgeous, non?"

"For sure!" Holly jumped up. "Y'all should do that when we get to Lilycove!"

Celia laughed a little. The trio's enthusiasm was quite adorable, she thought to herself. It reminded her of when she was their age. She wanted to speak up, but unfortunately, her phone started ringing. "Oh, excuse me a minute," she said before heading behind a tree. "You're with Sootopolis DNA Testing?..."

Celia screamed at the top of her lungs. "My father is WHO?!"

The trio looked at each other.

"...So who wants some tea from Lionel's shop?" Tank asked his partners. "I could go for some matcha myself"

"Matcha sounds great!" Holly perked up. "But can we go to the Pokemon Center first? I gotta heal up my 'mons before a tea run"

"Do they have earl grey tea there?" Kidd tilted his head. "I think Aries might want to try some too. Right?"

"Pika pika!" Aries chirped before jumping onto Kidd's shoulder.

The three animals sprinted away from the town plaza, ready for refreshments after an intense gym battle. But who exactly is Celia's father, as the bizarre adventures continue!